Exeposé Issue 644, 26 October 2015

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XEP SÉ E THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

How white is Exeter?

26 OCT 2015 | ISSUE 644 | TWITTER: @EXEPOSE | WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EXEPOSE | FREE

FULL STORY: PAGES 4 & 5 Photo: Edwin Yeung

Features: Apprentice star and Exeter alumni Solomon Akhtar interviewed Page 12

Screen: London Film Festival special: reviews from the red carpet Pages 23-24

Arts & Lit: Comedian Nish Kumar chats to us ahead of his Exeter visit Page 26

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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 & Emmott 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

@Exepose facebook.com/exepose issuu.com/exepose Advertising Ross Trant R.Trant@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722607

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NEWS

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ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

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SPORT 38-40

Exeposé News

NEWS EDITORS Susannah Keogh Fiona Potigny

Ed Balls turns his hand to teaching In a move away from frontline politics, Ed Balls has taken up an academic post at a London university.

The former Labour Shadow Chancellor, who lost his Morley and Outwood seat by 422 votes in May, will join a team of academics and politicians at King’s College London to teach the module “The Treasury and economic history from 1945 onwards”.

This comes following Balls’ appointment to a research post at Ivy League institution Harvard University earlier this year. A Harvard alumnus himself, Balls will analyse international patterns of economic growth and financial stability. His wife, Yvette Cooper, recently resigned as Shadow Home Secretary.

On his new role as Visiting Professor, Balls commented: “I am honoured to play my part in helping them succeed.”

Whether King’s will now be officially celebrating annual Ed Balls Day (28 April) remains to be seen.

Professor Sir Alan Fersht, 72, from Cambridge University publicly condemned drinking initiation ceremonies after viewing CCTV footage.

The footage of students from Caius and Gonville Colleges reportedly shows first-year students at the university being pressured into downing shots at the annual Freshers’ Week pub crawl.

In an email to those concerned, Professor Fresht branded their behaviour as “bullying” and warned that if they didn’t change their ways they could end up becoming “unethical pariahs like insider traders, exchange rate riggers and corrupt Volkswagen engineers” after they graduate.

He also urged the perpetrators to write letters of apology to their victims.

The annual Freshers’ event at the college, where Professor Hawking is a fellow, has subsequently been cancelled.

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Stories by: Susannah Keogh and Fiona Potigny, News Editors, and Kathy Giddins

A student at Kingston University has ditched halls of residence for a caravan.

Lucas de Haro Pishoudt, from Belgium, took the radical decision after ending first year unable to afford to pay his final bills.

The computer science student drove the caravan all the way from Spain back to London and now spends £100 a month on living expenses, compared to the £600 he was previously spending just on rent.

He said: “The caravan just seemed like the best option. My friends thought it was a crazy idea at first, but I have solar panels that give me electricity, a shower and water.”

However, the caravan cannot stay in one space for any longer than a week, so Lucas is lacking a permanent home.

Living in the clouds Malala to ditch at Pace University Oxford for the US? Pace University in Manhattan, New York is now home to the world’s tallest halls of residence.

With 34 stories, around 774 students will be housed at 33 Beekman and enjoy all 340 feet and 172,000 square feet of luxury accommodation.

Pace University President Stephen J. Friedman commented: “Our new residence hall at 33 Beekman Street is a transformative addition to our campus, and a reminder to all that Pace is a presence in lower Manhattan.”

Residents will enjoy private rooms with ensuite bathrooms, as well as a complimentary inhouse 24 hour fitness gym. Their rooms enjoy prime views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Financial District.

Zach Rivera, a resident assistant at the halls, said: “It’s not a traditional college experience. We’re in resident halls that are really tall.”

EXEPOSÉ

University news from beyond Exeter

Huge pay-out at Professor brands Student lives in Sussex University students pariahs Spanish caravan The University of Sussex paid £20,000 to a student protestor who was wrongly accused of taking part in criminal behaviour.

Michael Segalov, an undergraduate law student, was suspended and banned from the campus in 2013. The university publically accused him of unlawful actions on their website after he took part in a protest over the privitisation of the university’s services.

The university has now admitted that there was “no truth” in their allegations after Segalov and four of the other protestors, known as ‘The Sussex Five’ , secured the support of a high profile QC on a pro bono basis.

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Female education champ Malala Yousafzai may not choose Oxford University, all on account of the weather.

Having recently toured Stanford, based in sunny California, as well as the renowned, not-so-sunny English institution, the 18-yearold activist is facing a difficult choice.

Her father Ziauddin admitted to the Guardian: “They have 300 days of sun out of 365 days, which is a rare phenomenon in the UK. 300 days of sun makes a difference.”

Malala is the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate, known for her human rights advocacy on female education in her region, where the Taliban had banned girls from attending school. She achieved all A* and A grades in her GCSEs earlier this year.

iPhone app finds missing student A student who had been missing for three days has been found thanks to a mobile app.

24 year-old Jimmy Hubert was found on a railway track after surviving three nights of below freezing temperatures in Atlanta.

The Georgia Institute of Technology student had been on his way home, when he was allegedly attacked by three people and later hit by a train after leaving a sorority dance. His memory of the incident is not yet clear, however.

Aerospace engineering student Hubert is now in intensive care, receiving treatment for broken vertebrae and ribs, a punctured lung, bleeding on the brain and paralysis. He is also being monitored after showing signs of hypothermia after having slept through temperatures as low as minus 1C.

Students in Texas plan dildo protest Hundreds of students in Texas are planning to strap dildos to their backpacks in protest against a new ‘campus carry’ law passed earlier this year, which allows guns to be carried on campus.

The Facebook event “Campus (DILDO) Carry” was created by Jessica Jin who studies at Texas University. On the event page, she writes: “You would receive a citation for taking a dildo to class before you would get in trouble for taking a gun to class. Heaven forbid the penis…”

The new law, which is opposed by the University’s Chancellor William McRaven, means guns will be permitted inside campus buildings but only with a concealed carry license.

Around 3,000 students have signed up to take part in the protest, which is scheduled for next year when the law takes effect. It follows the news that there have been 47 school shootings so far in 2015 in America.

Uni misses state school intake target EXEPOSÉ

Susannah Keogh News Editor

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XETER has failed to reach the goveernment benchmark for the proportion of students coming from state schools, which could lead to the University being heavily fined.

Exeter’s proportion of state school pupils in 2012/13 was 69.1 per cent, which was well below the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) benchmark of 76.3 per cent.

There is more we can do to increase the diversity of our student population University of Exeter Spokesperson Even taking into account Exeter’s location, the adjusted benchmark of 74.3 per cent was missed.

Under new government plans,

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universities who fail to make sufficient progress in the admittance and teaching of disadvantaged pupils will be fined.

Also failing to meet the government standards were fellow Russell Group members Oxford, Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh and Imperial College London.

Institutions that fail either to attract disadvantaged students or have a high drop-out rate after first year could potentially be banned from raising tuition fees in line with inflation as a result of scoring badly in the new benchmarks.

The move is expected to put pressure on Russell Group universities, for which the main membership standard is research quality.

A University of Exeter spokesman said: “Exeter has seen a small increase in the proportion of state school entrants in 2015 but we appreciate there is more we can do to increase the diversity of our student population.

“Critical to this is the work we do

to encourage applications to Exeter from students with disadvantaged backgrounds. Locally, we have a partnership with more than 30 local schools and colleges and we are also working regionally and nationally to raise the profile of Exeter with these students.”

cent in 2013/14 to 15 per cent in 2014/15.

Physics and Astronomy also experienced a large decrease, with 19 per cent less students graduating with a First.

honours, Upper Second-Class degrees awarded increased in the last academic year. In 2014/15, 85 per cent of students left the University with a high 2:1 or above, a drop of two per cent from 2013/14.

A spokesperson for the University said: “We are confident our focus on world-class research-inspired and inquiry-led teaching is borne out by our degree results over a sustained period.

“Clearly, a first-class degree from Exeter is one of the strongest academic qualifications in the UK, and that more than 800 students achieved this demonstrates the excellence not only of our student cohort, but our academics as well.

“Furthermore, with the number of 2:1s increasing, we believe all our degree courses offer an academically demanding, yet inspiring environment in which our students not only flourish, but also gain the graduate skills and knowledge required as they embark on a successful career path.”

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It is essential to ensure that students from all backgrounds can access opportunities at Exeter Laura-Jane Tiley, Students’ Guild President Students’ Guild President Laura Jane Tiley told Exeposé: “Widening state school access to higher education remains a significant challenge for the University and is essential to ensure that students from all backgrounds are able to access the opportunities provided at Exeter.”

Firsts failure for Film: More national degree grades revealed success for Ex Sarah Gough Editor

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HE distribution of undergraduate degree classifications in the last academic year has been revealed.

According to figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request, Film Studies awarded the least First Class honours for the second year running, with no students graduating with the top mark last year and only six per cent in 2013/14.

This was followed by the Law School, who saw only eight per cent of students graduating with a first in 2014/15.

In contrast, the Medical School awarded 48 per cent of their undergraduates with a First Class degree, while 40 per cent of Economics students left university with the top grade.

We believe all our degree courses offer an academically demanding environment University of Exeter spokesperson The College of Social Sciences and International Studies has consistently had the least amount of students graduating with a First (13 per cent). Meanwhile, Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, outside of the Medical School, award the highest quantity, with 30 per cent of students achieving Firsts.

Computing saw the biggest drop in Firsts awarded – falling from 36 per

The main issue is the small cohorts taking Film Studies as a single-honours programme Professor Andrew McRae, Head of English and Film Professor Andrew McRae, Head of English and Film, commented: “The main issue here is the small cohorts taking Film Studies as a single-honours programme (six last year, eight the year before). This makes comparisons with bigger programmes problematic, because the percentages can fluctuate significantly from year to year. Overall, we’re happy with the standard of the students, and I’m confident in the team of careful, objective markers whose work is consistently confirmed by external examiners.”

The total number of First Class honours awarded also dropped last year, from 888 to 830. The number of Thirds issued by the University, however, doubled, from 33 in 2013/14 to 66 in 2014/15.

The Business School handed out 18 more Thirds last year – 31 in total - while the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences awarded 17 Thirds overall, ten more than the previous year.

Despite the dip in total First Class

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THE LEAST FIRSTS REVEALED

1. Film Studies - 0 per cent 2. Law - 8 per cent 3. Sociology - 10 per cent 4. Geography - 11 per cent 5. Computing - 15 per cent 6. History - 15 per cent 7. Politics - 17 per cent 8. Philosophy - 17 per cent 9. Psychology - 17 per cent 10. Geology & Mining - 18 per cent

Photo: Guardian

Bea Wood News Team

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HE University of Exeter has held its position in The Times Higher Education (THE) ‘Table of Tables’, maintaining seventh place in the UK for the second year running.

Climbing three places to reach spot number nine in the Guardian league table, the University of Exeter retains the highest position of any South West university.

This position was echoed in the University’s ranking in The Complete University Guide, in which it was awarded 10th place, for the third consecutive year.

This is the first time in the University’s history that it has been awarded a top ten position in all three league tables.

It is an extraordinary achievement and one we can all be truly proud of Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor The University, which was topped by Cambridge, Oxford, Durham, Warwick, St Andrews and Imperial College London in the THE league table, has been ranked in the Global Top 100 universities by

The Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Holding this position for the first time, the University placed 93rd, having climbed from 154th position last year.

These awards follow the University being named Sports University of the Year 2015/2016, beating the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and St. Andrew’s. Exeter was also voted the UK’s top university for international student experience in both 2014 and 2015.

Exeter has, however, fallen in the latest subject Higher Education World University rankings.

Despite the University’s Global Top 100 victory, Arts and Humanities has fallen by six places in the 2016 global subject rankings, ranking in 71st position compared to 65th for the last two years.

Although the 2016 rankings for Life Sciences have not yet been released, they also fell in 2015, down to 98th place from 95th during the previous year.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Steve Smith, commented: ‘To be in the top ten of all the UK higher education league tables is an extraordinary achievement and one that we can all be truly proud of.

“It is a testimony to the hard work and dedication of all our staff and students, and cements Exeter’s position as one of the very best universities in the country.”

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Exe’s racial equality ex NEWS

EXCLUSIVE

Susannah Keogh & Fiona Potigny News Editors

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IGURES released to Exeposé have offered an insight into diversity at the University, revealing that the number of Black, Minority or Ethnic (BME) students has fallen year on year since 2012.

Last year, just 18.6 per cent of the entire student population identified as BME, an overall decrease of nearly 10 per cent since the 2012/13 academic year.

The University has not yet released figures for 2015/16.

Furthermore, just 16 per cent (2,410) of undergraduates at the University were BME, although this was a slight increase on previous years. With the percentage varying dramatically per academic college, Humanities fared the worst, with just 6.7 per cent of students identifying as BME. INTO, a college “designed specifically for international students” according to its website, topped the colleges with 85.5 per cent of their students being BME. The Business School had the second highest percentage with 28.8 per cent.

Although the number of BME undergraduates has increased since 2012/13 (by only 1.2 per cent), the University’s enrolments of their postgraduate counterparts have been falling since 2012/13, from 1,402 to 1,295 in 2014/15.

The Guild has not put enough effort into promoting diversity Karn Chaisrirattanakul, International Students’ Council member At Exeter’s sister campus in Penryn, the Flexible Combined Honours course had no BME students enrolled in 2012/13, although this increased to 16.7 per cent the following academic year.

A Freedom of Information request revealed disparities within undergraduate academic grading. BME students scored lower than their white counterparts in 28 out of 39 undergraduate disciplines in 2014/15. The greatest difference was within Computer Science, with BME students scoring an average of ten marks lower, while Human Geography, Mathematics and Sports and Health Sciences saw a discrepancy of six marks.

As a region, the South West has some

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ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

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of the lowest racial diversity rates in England. The University of Bristol had 449 more non-white undergraduates than Exeter last academic year, whereas in the University of Bath, 21 per cent of undergraduates were classified as BME, compared with Exeter’s 16 per cent.

In the 2014/15 academic years only 6.5 per cent of staff at the University were BME, a rise of just 0.3 per cent since 2012. This percentage is, however, in line with the most recent census of Exeter’s population by the Office for National Statistics, which found that 93 per cent of the city’s population is white. At present, the University does not practice positive discrimination, as this is against the law, but recruiters are permitted to use targeted advertising to reach under-represented groups.

I am working with our officers and ISC as part of my manifesto to improve diversity Naomi Armstrong, VP Welfare and Diversity According to the University’s most recent biennial Equal Pay Audit conducted in 2014, a white-favoured pay gap of 6.5 per cent amongst Professors was found, although this was believed to be attributable to BME Professors’ shorter length of service within the University - a median length of five years, as opposed to 8 years and 2 months.

Last year, the University was one of 21 UK universities to pilot the Equality Challenge Unit’s Race Equality Charter Mark, which aims to improve representation and progression of minority ethnic staff and students. Focus groups held this year as part of the study found that there was a discrepancy between the photographs on Exeter’s website, which suggest a diverse composition of students, and the reality that the majority of the student population is white-middle class.

A “deficit in cultural awareness” among the student population was also felt. The focus group report suggested that this could be remedied by better financial support from the Guild for campaigns like Black History Month and Black Lives Matter, although there was a general consensus that people in the University are “scared to talk about race”.

In recent years, Facebook initiatives such as ‘I, Too, Am Exeter’ and ‘Spotted: Racism at Exeter University’ have aimed to defeat common misconceptions and highlight BME students’ experiences.

>> Clockwise from top left: Students at the Diversity Ball, campus Holi celebrations, Business School graduation, students on-stage as part of The founder of the ‘Spotted: Racism at Exeter University’ Facebook page, which currently has over 900 likes, echoed the focus group’s findings: “Racism is a contentious and often difficult subject to discuss, but the important thing is that we are discussing it.

“I haven’t been surprised by the number of students contacting the page about racist incidents. The University is largely white and we’re living in the South West, which is also largely white. I think that in a place where there is a minority of people of colour it’s easy for people to not have to think about what they’re saying and it’s easier for them to commit microaggressions, sometimes without even realising it.”

International Students’ Council (ISC) member Karn Chaisrirattanakul, believes that there should be “more campaigns that discourage discrimination amongst ethnicities across campus”. Chaisrirattanakul feels that “the Guild has not put enough effort into promoting diversity”, as, although the group is very active, it is “not as widely known by international students”.

Niharika Aggarwal, a second-year LLB student from New Delhi, who is part

of the Asian Society, which organises the Diwali celebrations each year, had a more positive view, however: “The University has promoted diversity extremely well.

Living on campus, in University accommodation made me realise how interested people are in knowing about people’s culture, their language and their country.

The Guild helps to promote this with the help of various cultural societies. The Guild works hand in hand with us, for example, to host one of the biggest events on campus, Diwali. Last year, we had an attendance of 1,500 people who came from all over the city and University.

We are keen to ensure we do more to encourage a more diverse student community Ian Blenkhan, Director of Education and Student Experiencc “Everyone in the University has been extremely accepting towards me as an international student, be it lecturers, tutors or peers,” she added.

When asked by Exeposé about Guild support for encouraging diversity, VP Welfare and Diversity Naomi Armstrong commented: “The Students’ Guild supports a network of Liberation Officers who represent and support students who identify with one or more protected characteristics. This approach ensures that students can be effectively represented across a range of support needs. I am working with our officers and ISC as part of my manifesto to improve diversity awareness and respect across our campuses.”

Equality and Diversity Manager Dorcas Cowan spoke of the University’s “commitment to supporting students and staff to study and work in an environment that is free from discrimination and promotes equality of opportunity”.

Ian Blenkharn, Director of Education and Student Experience elaborated on these initiatives: “We monitor the proportion of BME students very carefully and are keen to ensure we do more to encourage a more diverse student community.

We have recently nominated a new ‘BME Champion’ who works in our Widening Participation team to ensure our activity is inclusive of BME students and we have

xamined EXEPOSÉ

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FREEDOM Of Information (FOI) request has revealed that the number of noise complaints received by the University during this year’s Freshers’ Week fell by almost 40 per cent compared to 2014/15.

In total, 22 complaints were received during the period 12-20 September 2015, compared to 36 complaints that were received by the University between the dates of 13-21 September 2014. The number of complaints received during Freshers’ Week 2013 was 26.

We hope to build on the success of our partnership approach and have already considered improvements Rory Cunningham, University Communnity Liaison Of�icer According to the FOI request, Estate Patrol services were called out 721 times

also entered into new partnerships with organisations such as IntoUniversity and Making the Leap to widen our reach to BME students.”

Being black in a white space...

Comment Page 9 “Exeter has been a member of the Athena SWAN Charter since 2011 and gained its Bronze institutional award in 2012, while every STEM/M department also now holds an Athena SWAN award.

“The University is also a Stonewall Diversity Champion (Britain’s leading best practice employers’ forum for sexual orientation and gender identity equality, diversity and inclusion) and is a key sponsor of Exeter Pride (including our own ‘Pride on Campus’ events) demonstrating a clear commitment to LGBT equality.”

This week, the ISC will be celebrating Cultural Week from 10.00am to 5.00pm each day in the Forum, with various regional and cultural societies showcasing their traditional food, clothing and customs.

É BME students per college: 2014/15 INTO 85.5 per cent Business School (The) 28.8 per cent Peninsula College of Medecine and Dentistry 26.9 per cent Medical School 24.3 per cent College of Social Sciences and International Studies 19.9 per cent Flexible Combined Honours 13 per cent College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences 11.8 per cent College of Life and Environmental Sciences 7.3 per cent College of Humanities 6.7 per cent

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Freshers’Week 2015: noise complaints fall James Beeson Editor

f Diwali, Diwali in the Forum. Photos: Edwin Yeung

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in total during Freshers’ Week. A full breakdown of callout reasons is not held by the University. However, reasons included First Aid, students and staff being locked out of buildings and noise complaints.

The number of students taken home by Estate Patrol during this year’s Freshers’ Week was 41, nearly 60 per cent higher than in Freshers’ Week 2014. This may be partly due to Estate Patrol hiring two additional cars this year so were available to provide an enhanced service to students.

Commenting on the results, University Community Liaison Officer Rory Cunningham said: “The University experienced a decline in complaints during Freshers’ Week. We also recorded fewer incidents of serious anti-social behaviour and student welfare issues. The Students’ Guild Welcome Team worked closely with the Police, Estate Patrol and licensed premises to address welfare concerns in the city centre.

“We hope to build on the success of our partnership approach and have already considered improvements to next

year’s planning.

“Residents have also commended the positive attitude of the vast majority of students during this busy social period.”

itself burn.

Dr Morrogh-Bernard described herself as “devastated” following the catastrophe: “Already a lot of orangutans have died. If the project where we are based burns down our workers will lose their jobs and all the research that we have been doing will come to an end. All of our 20-strong team are working 24 hour days

to put the fires out.”

Dr Morrogh-Bernard is currently writing up 12 years of research into orangutan social networks from the Orangutan Tropical Peatland Project.

“We urgently need money for wages to pay for manpower, equipment such as water pumps and protective clothing,” added Dr Morrogh-Bernard. “All donations will go direct to the charity.”

The Students’ Guild strongly values our relationship with the community Laura -Jane Tiley, Guild President Speaking to the Express & Echo, a spokesman for Devon and Cornwall police said Freshers’ Week had been “a great success.”

Guild President Laura-Jane Tiley said: “The Students’ Guild strongly values our relationship with the community and will be working closely with the University and our community partners this year to maintain and develop our community links.”

Last year the University was forced to apologise to local residents after complaints were made about the behaviour of students during Freshers’ Week, leading to the Football Varsity cancellation.

Researcher’s plea for injured orangutans Emma Farnworth News Team

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N ORANGUTAN research and conservation project run by a University of Exeter researcher has come under threat from forest fires in Borneo.

Dr Helen Morrogh-Bernard from the College of Life and Environmental Sciences fears that the fires will destroy much of the peat-swamp forests where the orangutans live, along with other endangered species like the Southern Bornean gibbon and the clouded leopard.

All of our 20 strong team are working 24-hours a day trying to put the �ire out Dr. Morrogh-Bernard The Sabangau Forest, where the conservation project is based, is a peatswamp home to the world’s largest population of orangutans. When dry, however, both the vegetation and the soil

Photo: Christian Aslund Photography

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A diversity dilemma W HITE and middle-class. This is the stereotype that permeates both Exeter and its University. In this issue we decided to investigate what this really means for students living and studying here. Considering Britain is now famed for its multi-culturalism, the stats around Exeter’s diversity are pretty scary.

The results were unsurprising, with the overall numbers of black, minority and ethnic students decreasing year-on-year.

It appears the campus’ homogeneity is only getting worse.

Equally shocking was the fact that only six and a half per cent of University staff come from a minority background, whilst BME students are performing worse in over 70 per cent of academic disciplines. Over on our sister campus in Penryn, one course pathetically had a 100 per cent white students just a few years ago. For a University that prides itself on providing a multicultural and diverse student experience, this is quite simply not good enough.

However, our ongoing lack of diversity is ultimately reductive - a range of backgrounds, cultures and creeds only makes for a more enriching experience when studying. If we’re all pale, seminar discussions become stale. The University must do more to attract and support prospective students from a multiplicity of backgrounds.

Elsewhere in news, equality continues to elude Exeter as we report on the University missing their target for state school admissions (page 3). That white, middle-class stereotype isn’t going to be disappearing anytime soon at this rate.

On a lighter note, we were pleased to hear that Freshers’ Week complaints were down after last year’s shenanigans caused the cancellation of the Football Varsity.

Sometimes in Exeter it can feel as though we live in a bubble, but it’s great to hear

that students are being considerate and sensible on nights out. See page 5 for the full story. *** It’s not just Exeter’s lack of diversity that is scaring us. This week’s issue is jampacked full of spooky content in honour of the commercial fanfare that is Halloween.

Highlights from our review sections include a delicious Devil’s Food cake recipe in Lifestyle (page 17), a rundown of the top Halloween thrillers in Arts & Lit (page 27) and an analysis of what makes Horror games great (page 35). As Autumn turns into Winter, do be sure to have a leaf through (geddit?), It’s a real (trick or) treat.

If you’re after a more lengthy read, we’ve nabbed some more high profile interviews again this week. As the (arguably tired and predictable) BBC show The Apprentice returns to our screens, we caught up with Exeter alumnus and former semi-finalist Solomon Akhtar. When he’s not too busy getting his kit off at the SSB, ‘Solly’ is always keen to impart his business acumen. See what he has to say about being a student entrepreneur over on page 12. Nish Kumar is the latest highprofile comedian coming to Exeter, and Arts & Lit chatted with the former XFM radio star to find out what to expect when he performs at the BikeShed Theatre next month (page 26).

Over in Screen we’ve departed from the silver screens of Sidwell Street as a couple of our reporters headed to London and reported straight from the BFI red carpet. Read their critical acclaim of recent releases such as The Assassin, High Rise and Gayby Baby on pages 24 and 25.

Finally, Sport have got all clued up on the players to watch when EUAFC take to St James’ Park and (hopefully) romp to Varsity victory next week. See page 38 for the preview.

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Heledd Wilshaw

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OLLOWING a recent statement from a student at the University of Warwick, the record needs to be set straight on consent. George Lawlor sparked controversy when he complained about consent lessons that he explained were ‘the biggest insult I’ve received in a good few years’. He felt personally victimised to such an extent he posed for a picture stating ‘this is not what a rapist looks like’ but I would pose the question; what does a rapist look like? Often, ‘rapist’ calls to mind an attacker in a dark alley, never a friendly face; this is simply wrong, and this misconception leads to a complete misunderstanding of this awful crime.

‘Rapist’ calls to mind an attacker in a dark alleyway, this is simply wrong The fact is, according to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, 82 per cent of rapes are perpetrated by non-strangers, that is someone the vic-

tim knows and has interacted with, of these 47 per cent are a friend or aquaintence and 25 per cent are intimately known to the victim. Bearing these facts in mind our dark back alley vision suddenly changes to a bedroom, living room; home. Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz has bravely made a stand as she carries the mattress she claims she was sexually assaulted an, to show the burden she carries every single day (her alleged attacker has since been found not guilty of this and two other incidents and remains on campus). Rapists are potentially people we see and interact with daily, so a rapist cannot possibly look or seem a certain way.

Nevertheless, we must consider that the real victim’s of rape culture are not those who have to suffer through a consent lesson they feel they don’t need but rather the victims and survivors of rape. Trying to stop people getting raped starts with educating everyone about what rape is, and what consent means. Sexual violence is not selective, it can happen to anyone and consent lessons therefore cannot choose who is potentially a rapist and who is not. The ‘nice guy factor’ does not apply, both women and men need to be educated

about the law on sexual assault and violence or else we stand idly by while this crime continues to occur. I’ve never met George Lawlor but I would say to him; consent lessons are not a reflection on you, but on society and arbitrarily classing a group of people as ‘not rapists’ is potentially dangerous and could threaten the safety of campuses in the UK.

Both women and men need to be educated We are lucky on campus as our #NeverOK policy allows people to speak out about harassment and violence knowing they’ll be listened to and that punishment will be dealt with accordingly and appropriately.

I certainly feel this is a strong united front supporting victims, and this is crucial if we are to stop sexual violence on campuses, and although Lawlor is correct that there are other ways to tackle the problem, surely an hour of consent lessons are a small price to pay for a better and safer campus community for all?

As the deadlines loom

Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Tessa Boyd, Kathy Giddins, Rebecca Broad, Holly Robinson, Lucy Maguire, Owain Evans, the Exeposé copy editors and members of the editorial team.

CORRECTIONS ISSUE 643: In the article ‘Gender imbalance in intramural football’ it was reported that women score double points for tries in intramural touch rugby. This was incorrect information, tries for men and women score the same amount of points. Apologies also to Christy Ku who was named as ‘Creative Writing Society President’ in the corrections, she no longer holds the position.

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Cartoon: Emily McIndoe

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Being black in a white space Ife Omotola Former AfricanCarribean Society Vice President

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S a Nigerian, I grew up in a country where everyone looked like me, spoke like me and had the same cultural baseline. Like any group of people, we may have been divided by our gender, our socio-economic status or our religion, but beyond that there remained the bond of our shared experience as Nigerians. While I had grown up contemplating what it meant to be Nigerian in a country with so many different tribal identities, I had never had to consider my blackness because that was my norm. All that changed when I moved to England at the arguably tender age of 15. It was a new landscape, yet many things remained the same, my gender still came with baggage, however now I was an ‘ethnic minority’.

Before I was a woman, an avid reader and a Nigerian, I was black. It was the easiest aspect of my identity that could be used to distinguish me.

Now in the final year of univer-

sity, that feeling of ‘otherness’ is my new norm. I’ve grown used to people touching my hair, being surprised at my eloquence and assuming I know how to dance.

However, with age has come an increased social consciousness on my part, of race and its systems of institutionalised oppression. As I delve below the surface, I’ve gained an understanding of the intricacies and history of why and how these prejudices exist. An understanding that has opened my eyes to the fact that movements like the ‘Black Lives Matter’ campaign, while admirable, attempts to combat a problem that has existed for centuries.

Before I was a woman, an avid reader and a Nigerian, I was black Being one of a handful of black people in any given place or at any given time at Exeter (excluding of course events aimed specifically at ethnic minorities) is accompanied by a pressure to ‘represent’.

The pressure and knowledge that in these spaces I am no longer just me, but a sole

representative of my race, my culture and my country.

hard, if not impossible to recognise and see through. I am privileged by being a cisgendered, heterosexual, able bodied, and educated person. I fulfil those norms that society has built their laws and institutions around. But at the same time I have disadvantages as a woman and as a person of colour.

My loudness, my love of food, my energy are no longer the traits that make me who I am but instead further cannon fodder for those who see me only through the lens of my skin colour to pigeon hole me as a stereotypical ‘black person’. When I shoot down a well meaning but ignorant comment I become not an impassioned protestor but the ‘angry black woman’.

While I understand that stereotypes are part and parcel of almost any group of people - women are emotional, young black boys are thugs and black women are mammy’s or jezebels - they are born out of our need to classify and identify people who are different to us.

When it came to picking a university, Exeter was at the top of my list. Most of my friends were surprised by my choice,

Exeter and diversity did not seem synonymous, and they did not hesitate to echo their negative opinions of what I should expect. These were all valid issues but I refused to be deterred. As I enter my final year I have seen many of their concerns reflected in the unequal racial makeup of my lectures and sometimes the thinly veiled offensive comments and behavior of students and locals.

I was asked to write about diversity, its importance and my personal feelings on it, but what I think is just as important as establishing spaces of diversity is how we react when we are faced with such diversity. How we react to and relate with people who exhibit obvious or minute differences from ourselves. Diverse spaces are the goal because that is how we combat the ignorance that fosters institutional oppression. How we act in the interim on our way to this egalitarian society is crucial. This means listening when a person of a different race, culture, or religion tells you about their experience.

Not talking, but listening and absorbing that commentary and perhaps adjusting your world view accordingly.

The lens of privilege is inherently

quick snack from Comida, a quick dash for sweets from the Guild Shop during a study session in the Forum Library, a curly fries feast at The Ram bar – it all tots up. I got my first taste of swiping my way to savings at Pieminister. Given that you pay over £3 for the average pie, you earn at least 12 points from just a single shop – and with each point worth 1p to spend in the qualifying Guild

outlets, you could soon be on your way to earning a few pounds to spend on snacks or the like.

Ultimately, our Guild does a pretty decent job. It gives us free, impartial advice about our concerns via its Advice Unit, it ensures that nearly all freshers are greeted on arrival at university, and it stands up for our rights.

It also offers us a pretty wide selection of outlets, and although some might cry overpricing, most of the fare on offer is cheaper than its Market Place or chain restaurant equivalents. The fact that, despite this, the Guild

have introduced this loyalty card scheme indicates that it is dedicated to providing a high quality student experience on campus.

I am no longer just me but a sole representative of my race, my culture and my country

The lens of privelege is inherently hard if not impossible to see through So when I speak to a white friend about my experiences (of being catcalled, or having racial slurs hurled at me, or how it feels to be the only person in a room who looks like me, only to then go home and read yet another article about how the bodies of people of colour are violated against), I appreciate it when they pause for a moment in contemplation, as opposed to trotting out the tired old “racism is not that big a problem anymore”. To be quite frank, racism is something that must be addressed daily.

Loyalty points: my Guild-ty pleasure Kate Jones Copy Editor

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ET’S face it: everyone loves saving a bit of extra cash, don’t they?

From price comparison websites to Dominos vouchers, anything that helps us normally broke students save a little bit extra has to be a good thing. The opportunity to make such savings is now on offer from our own Guild, following the introduction of their new points scheme.

The concept is simple, by presenting your UniCard when purchasing items from Guild outlets (including the Guild Shop, The Ram Bar and the Grove Diner) across Streatham campus, you earn four points for every full £1 spent on products (excluding tobacco, stamps, newspapers and top-ups). You can check how many

points you’ve collected at the bottom of your receipts (with the ability to check your points online currently being developed), then redeem them on any qualifying products in the Guild.

The opportunity to make savings is now on offer from our own Guild Though there have (apparently) been grumblings that the scheme is more of a superficial, feel-good incentive, rather than one that will actually end up realistically saving any significant amount of money, I think many will be surprised by the amount of points they accumulate; we often use the Guild outlets more than we think. A forgotten lunch warranting a

Most of the fare on offer is cheaper than the Market Place It’s also a testament to Guild President Laura-Jane Tiley’s tenure. In her campaign video, she offered us “an incentive card that rewards those who do” – and she has delivered. Each UniCard swipe at the outlets now feels, to me, like a small personal thank you from the Guild for investing into a students’ union which we have arguably all benefitted from in one way or another while at university.

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Internships - more than making tea?

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Neil Cahill

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HY do we apply for internships? Do they really mould us into more competent professionals, or just tick another box for that allimportant CV? What do we ultimately stand to gain from them? We’ve all heard the jokes and clichés; many of us have even experienced those tragic hours of being a glorified tea-runner.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way.

If you find the right opportunity and commit to making the most of it, you might just be surprised by what you can achieve, and how much you can benefit from it moving forward.

I was often frustrated by my inability to settle on a potential career path During my first two years of university, I was often frustrated by my seeming inability to settle on a potential career path – something I’m sure many of my fellow arts students out there can relate to. Even after an enjoyable work placement in communications with an electricity and gas company in 2013, I

wasn’t wholly convinced that this was the career path for me. However, when I was invited to come back as a full-time intern last summer, I decided to bite the bullet and give it another go.

In this role I was trusted to take on a number of important tasks independently, despite my relative inexperience. Working as part of a team that was limited in size but certainly not in its number of projects, it was simply never an option to have my hand held through the placement.

This pressure to step up and seize responsibility really brought out the best in me, and made me aware of a number of professional skills I hadn’t previously re-

alised I had. By the same token, it also highlighted the areas I need to improve.

I now have a much stronger sense of where I want to take my career.

Furthermore, the benefits of my time with the company went far beyond a professional context. As a somewhat shy and reserved individual, the nature of a significant role in communications was naturally somewhat daunting at first, given the expectation placed on me to keep cooperating directly with a number of very senior people.

Nonetheless, I slowly but surely began to edge out of my shell and assert myself. This, along with the positive feedback I received from my manager and colleagues, left me feeling far more selfconfident as a person than I had ever felt before.

COMMENT ON CAMPUS People get way too obsessed with this, it’s not like the government are watching everyone’s lives. They are just trying to find criminals.

Postgrad, Politics

Taking over WhatsApp is just mad, there is no way that could help security, it’s just the government being nosey.

If there’s one resounding lesson I took away, it’s that an internship really is what you make of it. From one Exeter student to another, here are my four key pieces of advice to turn a good internship experience into a great one: Don’t just ‘do the job’. Finish tasks as quickly and to as high a standard as you possibly can. Once your immediate

tasks are complete, look for further work to get involved in.

This pressure to step up and seize responsibility really brought out the best in me Whether more work is available to you or not, at the very least you will have demonstrated a proactive and enthusiastic approach.

Keep asking questions... about the company, the industry as a whole, related careers, and any relevant qualifications that might help you achieve your goals. Aim to build relationships with your colleagues. Not only will this improve the experience for you and them, but with their experience in a specialist field they may just be able to help you out further down the line.

Most importantly, seek out frequent feedback from your manager, and find out what you need to do to improve.

So, what’s stopping you?

Get out there and give it a go!

“Should the government be able to tap your phone/social media?”

I think it can only be ok when looking at big crimes such as terrorism, not for more everyday offences, people who play by the rules should be left alone.

First year, English and Film

No government should be allowed to spy on the people – what gives them the right to know what I am doing?

Second year, Business and Law

I think if the security services feel that someone is a threat then they should be allowed to intercept their communications, it’s to keep us safe after all.

Third year, Law

First year, Liberal arts

Massive survelliance of absolutely everyone is wrong I think, it should be targeted at only those who are a real threat to the UK and its security.

Second year, Archeology

If there are strict controls over when the government can use these powers then it is ok, they shouldn’t be allowed just to look at anyone’s stuff though.

First year, PPE Photo: 21st Century Alarms

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FEATURES EDITORS Flora Carr Sophie Harrison

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“Lord Sugar thought I was an idiot” Photo: www.news.co.uk

James Beeson, Editor, chats with former BBC Apprentice star and Exeter alumnus Solomon Akhtar about Willykinis, finding media fame and being a student entrepreneur

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ITH a charming and confident demeanor, it’s not hard to see why Lord Alan Sugar took a liking to University of Exeter graduate and entrepreneur Solomon Akhtar. As the youngest ever contestant on hit BBC television series The Apprentice, Akhtar stole the hearts of the nation, gaining a huge Internet following before his elimination in the semi-finals of last year’s programme.

With the hit TV show returning earlier this month, I sat down with Akhtar to find out what motivated him to go into business and how his time at Exeter helped shape him into the businessman he is today.

prise Awards and named on Red Brick Research as one of ‘Five Pioneering UK Student Startups 2014.’ I ask Akhtar if it was hard to juggle his business ventures with his studies.

“To be honest, it (Instabear) was a bit of a half-arsed attempt (at starting a business),” he answers candidly, “we launched the brand but it hadn’t really grown into anything. It’s only when you leave university you can really see how clients react to your product and get some real success”.

Despite this however, Akhtar is adamant that studying shouldn’t be a barrier to starting a business. “It was really hard, but I did Geography! So then again maybe it wasn’t so hard!” he laughs. “I got a 2:1, but I think anyone who says they’re workExeter students have got ing all the time at Exeter is probably lying. a bit of money in their There’s loads of free time.”

“If you’ve got enough time to go out pockets to Timepiece on a Friday, you’ve prob“I think that Exeter is a really good ably got enough time to start a Facebook place to start a company,” he tells me. “It’s page or a small company, or at least have such a bubble. There’s so many students a dabble in business.” there who are interested in business, so Although Akhtar achieved success you can always find someone to start a with some of his business ventures whilst company with. I think it comes quite natat university, not every idea he’s had has urally when you’re at university – you’ve taken off. I ask him about ‘Willykini’, got loads of free time and loads of talented a start-up selling controversial men’s people around you, and a market.” swimwear that didn’t set the world on I enquire as to why he thinks Exeter fire, and to date only has 75 followers on specifically is such a business friendly enTwitter. vironment, “Exeter students have got a bit “Hey! Willykini made a bit of money!” of money in their pockets, most of them” he retorts jovially, “But yeah, I always had he replies, “so it’s quite a good place to a lot of ideas, not all of them great. start something and sell a unique product In my second year I wanted to or a service.” live stream our house conThe 24 year-old certainly grasped stantly to the whole of Exeter. the opportunity to hone his skills while I just wanted to make it easier in Exeter, running events at Rococo’s to pull girls! They can see your nightclub before launching an Instagram pre-lash and you can chat printing service, Instabear, in his third with them, and if you were year of university. The start-up gained really tragic after a night out huge success, winning Best Graduate you could plead with people Start Up 2014 at SETsquared Enterto come back. But yeah basically it failed massively because it was really fucking th place in the 2014 series of boring - nobody ever did BBC’s The Apprentice. anything!

“I think years old. He was 22 years the moral of old on The Apprentice. that story is thousand followers on that not every idea is a his Twitter account.

Solly’s Stats

5 É 24 37.7

great idea, but you’ve got to try your hand at stuff - you never know what might work.”

Turning to The Apprentice and Akhtar’s rise to fame, I ask whether he thinks being the youngest candidate meant that Lord Sugar and the other candidates treated him differently.

“Yeah, definitely,” he says, “I think the public warmed to me the most out of being the youngest, and my own media career was really helped by people thinking I was a bit immature and hadn’t q u i t e found my way in life yet, and that’s the reason I’ve been able to do other TV shows (Akhtar is currently the newest cast member on SkyOne reality show Desi Rascals) and things like that”.

“To be

honest Lord Sugar thought I was a bit of an idiot most of the time, but respected what I had done with my company,” he continues, “I think it was fine with the other contestants.”

I don’t think the show truly defines what business is It was this naivety and immaturity that eventually led to Akhtar’s famous downfall on The Apprentice, after his 12 page business plan featuring pictures of sailboats was torn apart by Lord Sugar’s aide Claude Littner. Was this the moment when Akhtar realized he had been found out?

“That (when Littner labeled his plan a disgrace) has been turned into a meme now!” Akhtar laughs, “I saw it on Lad Bible the other day, and on a betting shop about three weeks ago! Genuinely I actually thought it was a bloody good busi-

ness plan! I was talking to people on set and they were saying ‘Solly it’s such a good business plan! Claude is gonna love it!’ They were obviously pulling my leg!

“I went in there thinking ‘This is thefucking shit’ and then obviously when he said ‘this is the worst thing I’ve seen in my life, get out of my sight’ that was a massive shock. I was still pretty hopeful; you never really know on that show. But as soon as I saw everyone else’s and that they had all the financials in, I knew I was fucked at that point.”

Despite the disappointment of missing out on the final, Akhtar is still positive about his time on The Apprentice. I ask him if he thinks that the show gives an overly romanticised view of the view of the industry and the work that is required to be successful in business.

The public warmed to me being the youngest... people thought I was a bit immature “I don’t think it truly defines what business is, and how hard it is to start a company,” he admits, “but I think any show about business is a good thing in itself, showing young people going out there and trying to prove themselves.”

“It gets people talking about business and doing business.” He adds that, “as long as people are being inspired by it then it’s doing a good job.” Finally, if Akhtar could give one piece of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs studying at Exeter, what would it be?

“It sounds really cringy, but just believe in yourself,” he says, “and don’t be afraid to share your ideas aloud with your family and friends.”

It’s hardly an original statement, and one that won’t set the world alight; however, it’s one that certainly seems to have taken Akhtar a long way since leaving university, and made him a fair few friends along the way.

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Obama on gun control

“Only in America”

Zeena Starbuck takes a deeply personal look at the issue of gun control in the USA, reflecting on the country’s history of guns

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N 1 October, a lone gunman entered Umpqua Community College, killing nine people and injuring nine more before he was shot dead, marking the 994th mass shooting in the USA in 1,004 days. The response was frustratingly ‘routine’, as President Obama remarked. We mourned, we looked to explain and blame, we politicised, and again, nothing changed.

Obama’s frustration reflects what is felt by countless Americans, including myself, for whom gun violence is not just a statistic or headline, but a reality faced every day. Too many are suffering, and too few are willing to address the issue in fear of losing their freedom and ‘Americanness’.

I was ten years old when I first encountered gun violence; in July 2005, my 19-year-old cousin, Meleia WillisStarbuck, was shot and killed. Her father, John Starbuck, explained that Meleia was out with friends when they were accosted by a group of young men. The men became increasingly threatening, and Meleia called her high school friend Christopher Hollis to help. “Hollis came with his friends… produced a handgun and fired several shots. One of the bullets ricocheted off the concrete and hit Meleia in the heart.”

John clarified that while Hollis intended violence, he did not intend to kill or injure Meleia. Rather “bad ass boys use bad ass weapons… that is part of our damaged culture, and is the biggest reason why Meleia is dead”. The normalcy of guns increases the likelihood of death.

Violence is not unique to the USA, but “adding guns to a culture steeped in violent action… is a recipe for disaster”. Mass shootings would not be as destructive if the perpetrators could not access guns, and threatening situations involving guns would be less fatal.

Ten years have passed since Meleia died, and little has changed. Oregon is

another chapter in the book of American blindness to the problem at hand: guns.

Yet, because guns are seen as a freedom and a right, people point anywhere but at the weapon.

Guns are intertwined with a view of ‘Americanness’ held by many people and politicians, particularly the far-right wing groups. They look back to the defining document of the USA - the constitution - to govern an evolved, modern nation.

The Second Amendment, written in 1791, entails a ‘well regulated Militia, necessary to the security of a free State’. Thomas Jefferson, then secretary-of-state, legitimately feared British invasion during a time when the American military and civil society was at its infancy. Guns were used to secure, not instigate.

I was ten years old when I first encountered gun violence; my nineteen-yearold cousin was killed However, modern-day America does not need a people’s ‘militia’. The USA is not under threat of invasion, has the largest military in the world, and law-enforcing departments embedded into everyday life. In an age when guns are more destructive than ever, taking a centuries old law verbatim is dangerous. While the Second Amendment was used to justify defence, it now only justifies violence.

History aside, guns are part of American society. Hannah Previty, a student at Chardon High School during the 2012 shooting, in which three students were killed, explained that despite what she experienced, she understands the utility of guns in rural areas: “In rural Ohio, [guns] have a very real use, and those people never use them for crime. It has mostly to do with the protection of your land and livestock.” Even John said that some specific

cases for self-defence legitimise owning handguns. On a case-by-case basis, those who have been impacted the most by gun violence can still accept them in parts of society.

However, gun laws do not work on a case-by-case basis, and both Hannah and John agree that gun legislation is futile in stopping gun violence.

Only 18 per cent of guns in the USA are used for hunting, and only one per cent of Americans have reported using guns to defend themselves. The current system of gun control is exacerbating the problems, not stopping them.

The few laws in place are ineffective at preventing guns from going into the wrong hands. Licensed gun shops are required to call the NICS for a criminal background check, but have no other requirements. Guns can be given as gifts without legal barriers. The Oregon shooter owned thirteen guns, some bought through this system.

However, 40 per cent of legal gun sales are done through private sellers or gun shows, which require no checks, and 62 per cent of online gun owners are willing to sell to buyers without checks.

To drive a car, you have to be trained and tested. Yet to own a gun, no safety systems are enforced; Mother Jones found that only 34 per cent of gun owners had voluntarily taken gun safety lessons.

Despite gun safety technology, only nine states require guns to have safety locks.

Guns are not required to be locked away, despite increasing accidental shootings and cases, such as Chardon, where the perpetrator used a family member’s gun.

The current system of gun control in place is ineffective and broken.

Despite attempts to increase gun control, there is a barrier: the National Rifle Association, with five million members, has significant financial backing and political weight. They have successfully lobbied against universal background checks,

and in 2013 helped stop a new assaults weapon ban from passing. Polarisation of politics has increased their strength, despite aversion to rationality: the NRA criticizes the UK’s ‘imposing’ gun laws, yet fails to recognise that Americans are ten times more likely to be killed by a gun.

The NRA’s relentless lobbying to keep guns in the hands of Americans for ‘safety’, despite the increasing mortality of the population, is dangerous; John remarks “what the hell, why not backyard nukes, too?”

The USA clings to its self-destructive right to bear arms Gun violence annually costs $229 billion dollars, kills thousands, and leaves a poisonous legacy behind. “Meleia’s mother spent two years contemplating suicide… I went off the deep end… we all couldn’t get over the guilt of not having been there for her to take the bullet,” John explained.

Hannah discussed the “collective psychological impact” of the shooting; “l have PTSD, a lot of us still do.” Yet still, the USA clings to its self-destructive right to bear arms.

Guns are not a problem, but the problem. Mental health issues, racism and violence exist worldwide, but only in America does gun availability allow these issues to become daily fatalities.

The NRA needs to look at the facts, the right wing needs to accept that times change, and so must laws - gun control needs to be increased. It is no coincidence that the USA has the most firearms per resident, and the most gun deaths.

Ironically, the pro-gun side claims they are fighting for American ‘freedom’.

Yet, how can one be truly free when they are held at the barrel of a gun?

Following the viral YouTube video, comparing Barack Obama’s responses to school shootings, Exeposé Features rounds up the President’s key gun control quotes.

“We’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but also the merits of gun safety laws.”

January 2011, following the death of six people at a shooting in Arizona.

“Now, changing the status quo is never easy... [but] we’ve suffered too much pain to stand by and do nothing.”

February 2013, at a speech in Minneapolis, amid efforts to pass a package of gun-ownership reforms.

“As president, I have now grieved with five American communities ripped apart by mass violence.”

September 2013, after a lone gunman killed 12 people at Washington Navy Yard.

“Somehow this has become routine... My response here at this podium ends up being routine... We have become numb to this.”

October 2015, following the recent Oregon shooting.

Image credit: Alastaircampbell.org

Trumpkins, taxes and Tony Benn 14

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Exeposé Features gets seasonal and satirical for Halloween Sophie Harrison Features Editor

D

ONALD Trump’s latest business venture hopes to inject some Star quality into his campaign. In collaboration with global brand Starbucks, he has launched the “Trumpkin Spice Latte” just in time for Halloween. It comes in light of rumours that the “Donald Trumpkin” will be the most popular costume of 2015, along with Ja Ja Bieber (a tribute to the Star Wars reboot and America’s favourite pop star.)

The “Trumpkin Spice Latte” has been in the works for over a year, with sales predicted to outstrip even last year’s Clintado. In his own words, Mr Trump revealed, “The TSL is a drink America needs. It does not sugar-coat, so you can give it to your children with a clear conscience. Every cup is created by a US citizen, who will milk your ignorance for all its worth. Don’t think twice – vote Trumpkin Spice.”

Theodore Stone Online Features Editor

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N a surprise announcement today, the government revealed that they will be bringing Halloween mazes to the masses, via a travelling funfair that will tour the country over the coming weeks.

The maze, which will operate under the name “Corbyn’s Britain”, will visit a number of major constituencies in Britain, including Exeter, Brighton Pavilion, Edinburgh South, and Doncaster North.

One Cabinet Minister has described it as being “absolutely terrifying”.

Punters will be allowed to tour the maze for a minimal fee of £5, where they will encounter a number of images and events straight out of one’s worst nightmares. Standout attractions include “The Nationalised Railway”, said to show the horrific image of the trains coming into

However, last week Team Trumpkin came to a grinding halt. Last Monday, the LA Times revealed that TSL coffee is grown in Mexico. Next came a lawsuit from McDonalds, claiming that Mr Trump has already endorsed their McCafe range. It’s safe to say the Republican candidate is no longer calling the shots.

The Trumpkin Spice Latte does not sugar-coat and will milk your ignorance for all its worth Then again, Camp Trump only need look across the pond to know better.

Earlier this year, British politicians also attempted to expresso their manifestos with star branding. Following the launch of the Cleggnog Latte in March 2015, The Liberal Democrats rebranded their entire GE2015 campaign. It was shot down faster than a decaf espresso.

The slogan “putting the whip into

public hands, whilst “The Weaponised Lentils” aim to show punters a dystopian future for the armed forces. Test audiences are said to have scared to the point wherein they dropped their teacups.

“The Weaponised Lentils” show a dystopian future for the armed forces Upon entering the maze, you can expect to enter a replica of the House of Commons, wherein you can be certain of jump-scares arriving from staff members dressed as Tom Watson and Ed Miliband.

As you progress through the maze, further horrors will await you, including what can only be described as a caricature of Nicola Sturgeon re-enacting Braveheart, and our incumbent Prime Minister being consumed by a pig resembling Tony Benn.

“It was dreadful”, remarked Tarquin, aged 65, from Kensington, “I saw things that have scarred me for life. My inherit-

Westminster” was ridiculed by MPs across all parties, including Mr Clegg’s own. The most admonishing was Chancellor George Osborne, who remarked: “Frothy, excessive and nauseating – it sums up their policies perfectly.” Following product samples, the public were equally horrified. “In terms of value for money, it’s on par with my degree,” remarked a Miss Courtney Tardo.

In an attempt to rescue their flailing image, Lib-Dem aids attempted to launch a counter product. The “Toff Nuts Latte” replaced the famous Starbucks logo with a picture of Boris Johnson’s head. Unfortunately for the yellow team, it was rejected by the CEO for being out of season.

“We will have to wait until Christmas,” he told Vince Cable.

When the Liberal veteran remarked that the election would

ance, taxed into oblivion, my shares in the Energy sector, they told me that they were completely meaningless.

Every single one of my chums was scared witless. What type of cretin could create such monstrosities?”

Others have said that the maze’s display of an egalitarian society and a lack of private healthcare was “beyond words”, whilst others have said that the imageries presented of the emancipation of the Working Class was “enough for me to wet my favourite tailored chino’s”. However, the most horrific attraction within the maze, according to the testers, was “The Death of the 1%”, described as being “too distressing for words”, and rumoured to display the banking sector’s bonuses being revoked, with the money being sent to “benefit scroungers, to spend on X-Stations and cheap lager”.

Corbyn’s Britain will tour the country from 26 October until 8 November.

Any similarities with the policies of the Labour Party are strictly accidental, as is the impact it may have on your own political views.

be over by then, Starbucks suggested a more seasonal offering, “What about the Easter Clegg?” the CEO proposed.

Zak Mahinfar Comment Editor

U

NDER new legislation all sweets and treats collected by children on 31 October as part of their Halloween celebrations, will now be taxed.

In a statement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, he decreed, “For too long children have been allowed to partake in this glorified form of vagrancy, hoarding their sickly substances without contributing to the economy which allows them to freely do so, from now on they will have to pay a confectionary tax. One sweet in every five will be confiscated and go towards making the country a better place.”

The initiative is said to be being implemented as a measure to prevent starvation within the House of Lords.

Currently members of the upper house have been living in austerity, turning up to parliament complaining of hunger as few are able to afford breakfast even with their expenses allowance.

The euphoria at his idea, however, was short-lived. Labour headquarters emailed later that day, showing their version of the Easter Clegg. “Clegg-sucker” is written on the quail-sized egg in yellow icing. The chocolate shell itself is, unsurprisingly, hollow.

Now that Autumn has arrived, there are calls for Lib Dem leader Tim Farron to channel his inner Donald.

“Kids go crazy for Toffee on Halloween, so the Toff Nuts Latte is a winner,” a Westminster insider told Exeposé. “The best thing is that Boris Johnson and Donald Trump look identical, so we’ve ordered loads of ‘Trumpkin’ costumes for the launch party.”

Exeposé asked the insider if they planned to do anything different for this launch, learning from mistakes of the past. The response was simple: “We should have gone to Costa.”

“Rest assured,” added the Tory Minister for the Basic Sustenance of the Political Elite, “The sweets are going to a good home. Children can bask in the knowledge that their contributions are not only saving the lives of those who are far less well off than them, but to those who make our very country function.”

On the night of the 31 October, riot police will be deployed to residential areas across England to enforce the new law, scenes of teary-eyed children having their pumpkin-filled syrupy stashes torn from their clutches will no doubt be commonplace, but its for their own good argues the government. David Cameron has said that should the policy also prove fruitful in tackling Britain’s obesity epidemic, the Conservatives will implement similar legislation at Easter.

Sweets will be confiscated to prevent starvation in the House of Lords As one would expect, there has been widespread outrage towards the plans, and some children have said they will refuse to hand over their sugary snacks on the day of reckoning. Eight year old John from Liverpool protested, “if they want my sweets they’ll have to fight me for them,” whilst three year old Abigail simply remarked “Fuck the Tories!” when quizzed on the abhorrent new measures.

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LIFESTYLE

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-20

LIFESTYLE

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26 OCTOBER 2015 | Exeposé Lifestyle

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Joshua Rotchelle Jack Wardlaw

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeLStyle

lifestyle@exepose.com

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 Floella @FloellaBenjamin My beloved mum told me, ‘Pave the way for others, don’t expect anything from them in return. It will come back in other ways, just believe’.

Sarah @sarahgoughy Firehouse pizza for the second time in three days. I’m doing something right.

Flora @floracarr_ Hoping you’ll resemble Ginger Rogers in the pictures of you at Itchy Feet, but knowing you’ll look like a sweaty Jeremy Vine on Strictly.

Eamonn @EamonnLC Someone has washed all the bathroom towels in our house, yet everyone is claiming they didn’t do it #CleaningGhost

Exeter Strikes Yak •

Having to take a headphone out walking up forum hill to check how loudly you’re breathing

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I’m single by choice. Not my choice, but still by choice

•

Drunk emailing your lecturer thinking you’ll end up on Lad Bible but in reality getting a disciplinary meeting

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That moment someone holds a door open for you and you’re more than five meters away, and you’re forced to make an exaggerated quick jog. Thank you but no thank you.

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When your housemates know you can hear everything from the kitchen in your room, but decide the kitchen is the perfect place to bitch about you

It ain’t easy being clean With healthy eating posts being two a penny, we asked two of our Lifestyle writers to share their thoughts on the latest eating trend sweeping Instagram

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LEAN eating, it’s not a new concept. In fact, the fundamentals have been around for years, but recently it has turned into one of the biggest trends going. Why is there such a hype surrounding this standard of living? The simple answer? There are so many reasons why clean eating is an essential part of the 21st century lifestyle - here are just a few.

The main idea behind clean eating is that consumers choose to eat whole, natural and unprocessed foods, promoting a healthy, nutritious lifestyle. This means cutting out many of our daily regulars that are frozen, canned, baked or dried; the fresher the better. And avoiding salt, fat and sugar as much as possible. Instead, opt for items such as fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, fatty fish and lean meat. You can still eat treats like brownies and burgers; it’s all down to the right recepies.

The main idea is that consumers choose to eat whole, natural and unprocessed foods The surge in the popularity of clean eating has come from a number of different sources. Numerous celebrities from Beyoncé to Kate Middleton have shared their top tips for staying healthy and eating wisely, which has led to countless fans following in their footsteps.

Furthermore, the popularity of cleaneating on social media is enormous. The number of Instagram users has surged and the app has become one of the biggest promoters of clean eating. Everyday people share photos of their daily routines, wholesome meals, and inspire others to do the same.

So, why go clean? The answer lies in the numerous health benefits, ranging from an increase in energy to clearer skin

and stronger hair, but the most common benefit is weight loss. By eliminating the processed foods from your life, you immediately cut out those fat-filled, sugar heavy items that are keeping the pounds piling up.

The fibre from the increase in whole grains to your diet eases digestion, and also gives you the energy to last through to the next delicious meal and stop those pesky urges to snack.

Also, the plent i f u l supply of fruit and legu m e s will fill your body with natural compounds, vitamins, phytonutrients, and antioxidants that can help to prevent a number of diseases including cancer, heart disease and hypertension. The protein will fortify your muscles and the oily fish and nuts will improve cell function, help lower cholesterol levels and also fight cardiovascular diseases.

There are also mental benefits too, as the nutrients gained from clean eating lead to improved brain function, a better night’s sleep and an overall better mood.

Finally, and the most exciting aspect of all: natural, unprocessed foods taste incredible! Think of all the sweet and nutritious smoothie bowls, the roasted fish, and the colourful salad concoctions you can consume. Imagine, all that food and not a single pang of guilt! It’s the best part of clean eating really; if you eat right, you can eat more!

KATE BECKITT

A

S an out-and-out foodie, the word ‘diet’ often leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. The idea of restricting or cutting out certain food groups just because they don’t come straight from the ground or an animal – the basic principle of clean eating – just does not sit well with me.

Now, I’m not just trying to do a Marie Antoinette and get everyone treating cake as a dietary staple. Clean eating extends beyond the idea of excluding that endof-thenight pile of grease a n d refined carbs that food vans pass off as a burger.

It also necessitates cooking from scratch with some of the most expensive alternative ingredients out there, from quinoa (£1.80 for 300g from Sainsbury’s, as opposed to £1.90 for a kilo of basmati rice) to specialist flour substitutes and pricey cooking oils. Clean eating requires a considerable financial commitment and is just not compatible with the average student budget. Oh, and clean eating fans also recommend minimal to no alcohol consumption. I know.

It isn’t hard to see why it lacks popularity in the student sphere.

When I tried a couple of months of clean eating, the worst aspect of it was struggling to share food with family and friends. Finding a restaurant which prepares meals limited in dairy and sugar, excludes refined carbohydrates and preservatives from its ingredients, and sources its produce locally and organically is a nightmare.

Whilst most clean eaters would say the lifestyle allows for treats, even the everyday complications caused by eliminating so many ordinary staples are significant. Eating should be a communal, familial experience. Anything that hampers that – from smartphones at the table to meticulously principled diets – should be banned from the kitchen.

I’m actually healthier now than I have been for years and I wouldn’t like to tell you how much chocolate I get through in a week I’m not saying that you should live off battered cod and deep-fried chips for the rest of your life. You can be healthy without being a dietary purist. In fact, in my experience, clean eating has rarely helped improve my health. I’m actually healthier now than I have been for years and I really wouldn’t like to tell you how much chocolate I get through in a week.

But because I balance it out with plenty of ‘real’ food, it works for me.

Sometimes, eating natural, organic food can give you a really good boost – swapping one ‘normal’ meal a day for a ‘clean’ one is certainly worth trying – but as a long term commitment, complete change rarely works. When you push yourself to dietary extremes, rather than simply introducing moderation into your life, you’re much more likely to fail.

The real danger of clean eating is the kind of overly-conscientious eating patterns and attitudes it cultivates. Obessing over nutrients rather than calories is a slightly better way of life, granted, but I really do think that simply introducing an ethos of moderation into your eating is a much healthier way of life than completely overhauling the way you eat.

EMMA BESSENT

With a dash of the Devil EXEPOSÉ

LIFESTYLE

www.exepose.com

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Exeposé Lifestyle reveal the craft of a dastardly Devil’s Food cake for your consumption

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ALLOWEEN is the perfect time to try out recipes that you’ve always considered a bit beyond your comfort level, because if you botch them, everyone will assume that your bake’s semidestroyed aesthetic is totally intentional, and oh-so-seasonal.

The bake itself is moderately tricky, but the hairy bit is mostly in the icing, so if you want an easy ride, swap it out for ready-made frosting from the supermarket. That said, the gorgeous combination of the sinfully dense and delicious devil’s food cake

with the fluffy, sweet angel frosting is completely worth it if you’re willing to put in the time.

Devil’s Food Cake First, the cake itself.

Step one is to preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a deep cake tin.

Once that’s done, you’ll want to separate your ingredients into three bowls: one with the cocoa powder and dark muscovado sugar plus the boiling water, the butter with the caster sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in the next, and the flour on its own in the last.

Make sure each element is well combined and mushed together, and then mix all three together, gently folding them until you have a smooth, relatively loose batter.

Pour the whole thing into your cake tin and bake it in the oven for forty minutes, or al-

ternatively until you can poke a knife into the middle of the cake and bring it back out clean.

Once the actual baking portion of the bake is complete, leave your creation to cool for ten minutes, then pop it out of the tin and onto a dinner plate.

Angel Frosting Here goes the tricky bit. In a saucepan – choose one with a good non-stick coating – combine the caster sugar, vanilla extract and liquid glucose with 125ml cold water.

Stir it all, and then place the combo over a medium heat, leaving it to come gently to a boil. Do not be tempted to stir it or your icing will all go wrong. Once the

sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear, it’s time to remove it from the heat.

While you’re waiting for the sugar mix to boil, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed on the whisk when you pull it out of the bowl.

Now, (most likely with the help of a flatmate), you’ll want to very slowly pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites, beating the mix as you do so. The mix will be extremely hot, so be careful not to burn yourself!

Keep beating the mixture until it’s smooth, cooled, and almost thick enough to spread.

Then you just fold in the icing sugar... and assemble!

This is best done by cutting the cake in half and sandwiching a good dollop of the icing between the two layers, then covering the outside with icing and sprinkling some hot chocolate powder around the edges to dress it.

You could then draw on cobwebs with icing pens from the supermarket if you’re feeling super spooky, or cover the

whole thing with Smarties and other candies if you wanted to add an extra trick to this treat, but it looks quite effective as it is.

Beware, however, that if you do choose the path of the extra topping, then you’re best off going for crunchy sweets: squishy additions such as marshmallows don’t work very well with the texture of the rest of the cake.

TIP: The key to a well combined cake batter (and icing!) is to sieve all of your dry ingredients. Sieved ingredients means no lumps, and no lumps means a smooth, beautiful cake.

É

Ingredients 50g cocoa powder (hot chocolate powder will do!)

100g dark muscovado sugar 250ml boiling water 125g butter or margarine 150g caster sugar 230g self raising flour 2tsp vanilla extract 2 large eggs 500g white caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp liquid glucose (easily available in most supermarkets) 2 egg whites 25g icing sugar

Ask your Auntie Sabs

Sabrina Aziz, our Lifestyle Agony Aunt, is here to solve all of your uni problems (well, she’ll give it a shot)

Getting Down and Dirty Help me please Auntie Sabs, There’s a guy in my seminar group who I have the world’s biggest crush on. He’s smart, funny and a little bit shy but over a drunken conversation I discovered he has this hidden dirty side to him. He was telling me about his sex life and what he liked to do in bed and it was EVERYTHING I love doing too, and I couldn’t help getting a little hot under the collar. I really want to ask him out but I don’t think he even sees me in that way; I’m terri�ied that he’ll say no and that our seminars will end up horri�ically awkward.

What should I do?

Yours desperately, A.S. Dear A.S., Here’s what you need to know.

Play elusive, hard to get. If you ask

him out then he’ll know you’re into him and he’ll have the upper hand, you see? Love is all about playing games and manipulating the other person into liking you. So, you say he has this hidden dirty side, ey? First, don’t shower for a few days and avoid any unnecessary contact with anything that smells nice. Maybe even rub some dirt into your nooks and crannies.

Once you are suf�iciently dirty, �launt your stench around him. If he likes the dirty stuff as much as you say, he should be putty in your hands. Have fun and don’t forget, sex can most de�initely be used as a weapon.

Much love,

Auntie Sabs xox

Spot of Shame Dear Auntie Sabs, I’ve been living with my new housemates for the past few weeks, and most things are going ok, but one of them has this habits that’s making me dislike him already.

Whenever he changes the toilet roll, he always puts it on backwards. I always seem to be the one who has to change it, but to do that I have to pop the holder out and them try to reattach it which often takes a while. It’s making me not want to live with him next year. How can I deal with the situation?

Yours faithfully, D.H.

Send in your dilemmas to Auntie Sabs at lifestyle@exepose.com

Dear D.H. I’m sincerely sorry for your

problems. I absolutely know where you’re coming from - one of my housemates never �lushes the toilet after a shit and has occasionally �looded the only bathroom in our house with the stench of his runny faeces.

In order to take your revenge I recommend psychological damage.

Go into his room and turn everything the wrong way round, from his duvet to his crappy posters. See how he likes it. Yes this requires a great deal more effort than simply turning the toilet roll round (or, dare I say it, just leaving it be) but boy will it be worth it when he �inally cracks.

Or you could just grow the fuck up and realise that people live their lives differently to you, you narcissistic freak. Either decision’s cool.

Much love,

Auntie Sabs xox

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MUSIC

MUSIC Gig Listings

Wednesday 28 October Catfish and the Bottlemen The Great Hall, Exeter Thursday 29 October Creeper Cavern, Exeter Alice Cooper and Michael Monroe Plymouth Pavillions, Plymouth Saturday 31 October Prides Princess Pavillion, Falmouth Coasts Motion and the Marble Factory, Bristol Sunday 1 November Will Young and Lemar Plymouth Pavillions, Plymouth Monday 2 November Lucy Rose Phoenix, Exeter Friday 6 November Magic Hatstand Cavern, Exeter Wednesday 4 November The Staves Princess Pavillion, Falmouth Ibeyi Trinity Centre, Bristol

Exeposé Recommends...

Catfish and the Bottlemen @ The Great Hall, Exeter Wednesday 28 October And you thought well-known bands never came to Exeter! Selling out within hours of going online, those lucky enough to have a ticket will get to see the Llandudno indie guitarists in the University’s very own Great Hall.

If you did miss out on tickets, I’m sure you can still see some of the enigmatic Van McCann on your friend’s blurry snapchat. Not like you really wanted to go anyway...

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-20

SCREEN 22-25

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-35

26 OCTOBER 2015 |

SPORT 38-40

Exeposé Music

MUSIC EDITORS James Atherton Katie Costello

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeMusic

music@exepose.com

Rap with a capital C? Following Hopsin’s critical parody of rap artists, Harry Demetriou looks at what state the industry is in today, and how justified his criticism really is

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OPSIN is an artist who is no stranger to controversy; with a variety of verbal attacks and public slanders regarding various mainstream artists particularly in hip-hop, listeners of his music have become very familiar with his current opinion on the rap game.

Openly admitting that he believes rap has gone to a dark, dark place, Hopsin has now gone a step further by releasing a humorous parody skit and video entitled ‘No Words’ through an alter ego named ‘Hash Brown’, in which, you guessed it, has almost no words. If you listen carefully around the plethora of mumbling, you can hear phrases such as ‘Hakuna Matata.’ That’s right, a Lion King reference. Although admittedly hilarious, does Hopsin have a point? Is rap as a genre too simplified? I disagree.

Don’t get me wrong, over the last few years there has been a huge saturation of very poor Hip-hop, in my opinion, with very familiar lyrics bringing up the usual suspects in content: guns, drugs, women et cetera, et cetera. Combined with countless trap beats and auto-tuned vocals, this has become what many consider mainstream Hip-hop. In terms of sales, this sound has been the most successful for a multitude of reasons, particularly due to a large push from

m a jor records and a large amount of airplay on national radio stations.

Trinidad James is an artist who is the perfect example of a product of this system: signing to Def Jam in 2012 with one huge hit, ‘All Gold Everything’, he earned a lot of money for the label quickly. He himself has admitted to only rapping for a few months before this became a worldwide favourite, with over 24 million YouTube hits. Once the novelty of this single had worn off, Def Jam axed him, less than two years after his signing; the label has earned their

money and the process of creating music, for them, was complete. This highlights a growing trend of a disregard for the quality of the music the labels are putting out to the masses, so long as it sells. So you may ask how I can believe rap is still a genre worth listening to if much of the content is the same?

Is rap as a genre too simplified? I disagree The key is to look past the iTunes Hip-hop top ten, and find some of the not-so-hidden gems of Hiphop.

Two fantastic examples of “easy to access” conscious rap is coming from two huge artists, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole.

Both of these artists have been hugely successful in both critical acclaim, and commercial success

worldwide. A huge testament to this was Kendrick’s most recent project, ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’, which is arguably one of the most creative Hip-hop albums since the turn of the century.

J. Cole himself has been able to attract a huge fan base from a combination of technical rap talent, along with passionate and heartfelt lyricism. In fact, if you look close enough across the game outside of the mainstream market and past commercial

success alone, such attributes can be seen in a huge variety of artists; you just need to look that bit deeper.

PRhyme, Slaughterhouse, Logic, Run The Jewels to name but a few, are doing more than enough in my mind, to firmly maintain the standard of ‘real’ Hip-hop for newcomers to respect and abide to. If such music was somehow more documented and better marketed, whether that be by the labels and radios or by the fans themselves, I am sure many would claim rap now is creating the quality we saw across the so called ‘Golden Era,’ such as the music of Biggie and Tupac.

I am sure many would claim rap now is creating the quality we saw across the so called “Golden Era” Although ‘Hash Brown’ may have a very valid point, in my mind, to come outright and claim a whole genre now ‘sucks’, is a huge exaggeration.

Even if you are like myself and really are not attracted to such music, I think it’s time we come together as a rap community and start disregarding such ‘Hash Brown’ beats as pop; it is not our responsibility as a fan base, to trash music

we do not enjoy, or which doesn’t meet the high standards of the genre, set by the greats in the game, past and present.

Once we start doing this, such music is no longer a threat to the genre as a whole, and particularly its global reputation. Problem solved. So in the mean time Hopsin, next time you’re on Spotify listening to a rap playlist, skip that DJ Khaled track you can barely understand to the latest Logic track instead, and you may see that rap, in fact, is not all that bad.

Creeping to the top

EXEPOSÉ

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

In anticipation of their gig in Exeter, Julian Morrall interviews Creeper’s singer Will Gould about their new E.P., stealing beer and a rapid rise to fame

I

F you don’t already know about Creeper, the chances are you probably will soon. Based in Southampton, Creeper are a five-piece punk band and have enjoyed a rapid rise to fame over the last year since their formation in 2014 after the demise of their previous bands Our Time Down Here and Hang The Bastard.

You live for the first 20 years and you have to die for the 50 after Having recently signed with the coveted Roadrunner Records, the band will embark on a world tour next spring.

As I was sitting in my cold university house waiting for Warner Music representatives to patch me through to Will Gould, their enigmatic front man, I did not know what to expect.

The first striking feature about Gould is his surprise at Creeper’s success and his

modesty about it. As he talks about his band’s rise to prominence, he describes signing to Roadrunner Records, home to huge names such as Slipknot, Slash and Killswitch Engage as “an odd one”, explaining that when they first formed the band they never thought they would be doing more than a couple of shows, let alone signing to a Warner Bros. Music Label and going on a world tour! “It all happened a bit out of the blue”, he laughs, talking about being spotted by Roadrunner Records after headlining a show, “we’re idiots really, we don’t know how to get signed to a label!”

Throughout the interview Gould describes the whole process numerous times as “natural and organic”.

They had no trouble finding band

members, they were familiar with Roadrunner Records growing up and had friends already working at the label, so trusted them not to compromise their creative output.

He tells me very assertively that they were never aiming to be in this position and that the last few months had been a whirlwind.

Creeper are making the music they want to make and not being forced by their label to change. And their fans are loving it.

Creeper’s sound is fast, mel o d i c punk, taking influences from the DIY Punk Community, horror bands, heavy metal, early-My Chemical Romance and other artists including David Bowie. Creeper’s sound is not heavy punk, but aims to “mix flamboyance and snarl”. Gould and his co-writers are interested in the “death of time periods” and their lyrics are based on themes of “growing up and finality”. He references David Bowie telling him that in life, “you live for the first 20 years and you have to die for the 50 after.” Gould goes on and says Creeper’s latest E.P., Callous Heart, is loosely based on Peter Pan and the story had a lot of relevance to him and Ian Miles, their guitar-

ist, because the two of them had been “running away from their responsibilities”. He jokes, “we were like a weird gang… so the Lost Boys made a lot of sense.” Gould continues to explain how they play at festivals, wait for the headline band to go on stage then steal all their beer. Although he wouldn’t tell me which bands!

It is clear that they are making music for themselves and it is just a bonus that other people are enjoying it. This kind of attitude is incredibly refreshing in a world of heavily commercialised music.

We try our hardest not to listen to what people say because most of them didn’t give a shit last year I ask him about what he thought of many reviewers tipping Creeper to have huge success and he quipped back “we try our hardest to not listen to what people are saying because most of them didn’t give a shit about us a year ago,” but stresses that they would want people to always say that they “never compromised their artistic output to get anywhere and always made records that were true and sincere.” As a musician I sympathise a lot with this. It seems that, for Gould, doing justice to themselves as artists comes first over getting paychecks for record label, an enviable quality for a band to have.

Creeper play at the Cavern in Exeter on 29 October with local grungers Skeleton Frames, and Northampton glam punks Dead Frequency supporting. Tickets are still available for £6 from www. wegottickets.com.

The Halloween Tape

Nothing says Halloween like some of your favourite spooky songs. Wondering what to put on that pesky playlist for your Halloween party this year? Exeposé Music’s got you covered!

‘Thriller’ - Michael Jackson - Kate Giff ‘Monster’ - The Automatic Victoria Gilmore ‘Reaper’ - Gnarwolves - Joe Stewart ‘Too Much Blood’ - Howler - Christy O’Beirne ‘Freak Like Me’ - Halestorm - Theodore Stone ‘Zombie’ - Jamie T - James Beeson ‘Ghost Town’ - The Specials - Rory Marcham ‘The Monster Mash’ - Bobby Pickett Kathy Giddins ‘Howlin’ For You’ - The Black Keys - Emily Owen

MUSIC

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Hot / Not / Long Shot / Forgot Josh Mines, Deputy Editor gives his opinion on what’s hot, what’s not, something that is a bit of a long shot and what has scandalously been forgotten.

Hot: ‘Sink With The Snakes’ – FIghtstar Everyone’s favourite post hardcore teenage romance is back. ‘Sink with the Snakes’ is filled with awesome guitar work, a screaming Charlie Simpson, and a chorus hook that is sure to have you moshing along in time.

Not: ‘Writing On The Wall’ – Sam Smith Sam Smith tries to be Bond but just ends up being bad. It’s boring, predictable and basically sounds like the diet version of every Bond theme ever written. Combine Smith’s trademark whiney vocals with a generic orchestral section and you’re left with this crappy cookie cutter tune that falls flat before the second verse.

Long Shot: ‘Mysterious Swing’ – Peter Andre Last week Andre released an album full of classic big band covers. This record features a swing version of his 1995 banger ‘Mysterious Girl’ called ‘Mysterious Swing’. Mind. Blown.

Despite excessive listening, I still can’t decide whether it’s total shit or a work of musical genius.

Forgot: ‘Holland 1945’ – Neutral Milk Hotel This song, taken from NMH’s concept album inspired

by Anne Frank, is boppy and crunchy whilst also being powerful and richly moving. Definitely a song, an album and a band that shouldn’t leave our memories.

Circa Waves deserve this 20

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GAMES 34-35

SPORT 38-40

26 OCTOBER 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

Adam Capstick heads to Bristol to see the Scouse-trio deliver an impressive and energetic live show Circa Waves o2 Academy Bristol 9 October 2015

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T is a testament to how far Circa Waves have come in just a year that they have graduated from playing in front of a crowd of roughly 300 aboard Thekla, to a sold out show just across town at the five times larger O2 Academy. The main driver behind this climb up the musical venue pyramid is undoubtedly the release of their debut album Young Chasers – celebrated by fans and critics alike. The indie rockers have been busy with festival appearances and gigs across Europe, America, Australia & Japan but return to Bristol as part of their UK tour for “easily one of the greatest gigs of my life, honest to god”.

It’s a wonder Jones has any semblance of vigour left to thrash at the drums after such a raucous start Opening up proceedings are Liverpudlian (immediately identifiable from the moment frontman Mike Halls utters his first, thickly accented words) four piece Clean Cut Kid. The band offer, in

Halls’ own words, “soulful pop ballads, washed in Mersey water”, and are not nearly as offensive as a quick glance at their debut EP cover may lead you to believe. The undoubted highlight of their short but sweet, pop-meets-indie romp is breakthrough single ‘Vitamin C,’ intertwining a bouncy rhythm with whining guitars and infectious vocals. If I’m attempting comparisons: a blend of The Magic Numbers, Vampire Weekend & early Fleetwood Mac is a reasonable place to start.

They are very much a band still in their infancy, as evidenced by not even filling their half hour slot, but do enough with catchy tunes and an impressive guitar solo to earn many new fans amongst the surprisingly sizeable crowd.

The middle portion of the evening’s musical offerings is provided by Es-

sex punk band Rat Boy who succeed in further livening the youthful crowd with an assortment of tracks heavy in urban cheek. To say Jamie T was an influence to the Essex newcomer would be an un-

derstatement. But for all they lack in originality, there is no shortage of enthusiasm during the boisterous set – perhaps smiling a little too much during the lyrics “left him for dead, in a hospital bed”. With the crowd well and truly energised, Circa Waves bound onto stage and proceed to unleash a trio of fast-paced, high energy hits – ‘Young Chasers,’ ‘Good For Me’ and ‘So Long’ – that set the tone for the rest of the show. It’s a wonder Colin Jones has any semblance of vigour left to thrash at the drums after such a raucous start.

T h e band’s stage presence has matured, offering more charisma than one year previously, with blinding light shows ably supporting their refined exuberance. They continue to hurtle through hits from their top ten debut album, barely pausing for breath. ‘Only My Love,’ as close a thing

to a ballad as the night provides, proffers a brief respite for the sweaty masses to “dance with someone special”.

The crowd go above and beyond mere lyrics, replicating each and every guitar riff For the set-closer, frontman Keiran Shudall urges the crowd to “go fucking mental”, and while this doesn’t provide a fresh take on generic audience interaction, the adoring fans duly oblige as ‘Get Away’ is eagerly chanted back at the stage word for word, in perfect unison with Shudall and Falconer’s harmonies. It is a fittingly energetic end to the show.

The obligatory encore begins with a rousing rendition of ‘101’ – a track never officially released by the band, but an ever present number on their setlists. ‘T-Shirt Weather’ has been one of the anthems of the summer, and thus provides a fitting note to end on. The crowd go above and beyond mere lyrics, replicating each and every guitar riff. Bassist Sam Rourke triumphantly stands atop the drum kit, crowning a night that only sought to enhance Circa Waves’ burgeoning reputation on the gigging circuit.

Sophomore success for Half Moon Run Annie Tricks judges whether or not Sun Leads Me On can match up to their stellar first release Sun Leads Me On Half Moon Run 23 October 2015

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HE Montreal-based quartet, Half Moon Run, are back after a long international tour, with their new album Sun Leads Me On. Battling with the harsh pressures that are often piled onto a second album, the band have not failed to please, keeping essences of their first album but also bringing a new and vibrant vibe, whilst also retaining their signature percussive sound, something that will no doubt translate well onto the stage.

The songs do not merge into one with the same dull tone like some albums, keeping the listener interested. This is definitely an album for long journeys or walks on a sunny day.

‘Warmest Regards’, the opening track, gently introduces us to the mellow

vibes of the indie-rock band, yet doesn’t reflect the whole album at all, so don’t give up on it if a steady drum beat and acoustic guitar isn’t for you. The opening track also indicates how you cannot expect this album to be identical to the first, contrasting the fast and intense sounds of ‘Full Circle’.

The band definitely have explored new vibes, as shown with the funk-style introduction in ‘Consider Yourself’, which then moves into more of a funk rock feel, completely juxtaposing any of their previous work and perhaps enticing a new type of fan.

This is definitely an album for long journeys or walks on a sunny day With none of their singles released from the last album hitting the Top 10

in the UK, the band seem to be taking a slightly different approach with their heavier use of the guitar and drums.

Nonetheless, there are some absolutely stunning tracks which are definitely perfect for a walk through the park on an Autumn’s day such as ‘Hand in the Garden’, a personal favourite, and title track ‘Sun Leads Me On’, sending you into complete contentedness with harmonic vocals.

The album’s structure is somewhat changed too, with the inclusion of the purely instrumental track ‘Throes’, focusing on some truly beautiful and melodic piano scales.

The lead single, ‘Trust’, also differs from the first album, consisting of a more up tempo beat and funky bass line with a techno piano, even swinging towards a pop feel. The melodies feel fresh and electric, which Dylan Phillips admits how the song is “a departure from what you might normally expect from us” with its “chaotic energy”. Yet you can see why they chose

to release this first, putting the band out there as an incredibly musically talented four.

If this album has done one thing, it is to confirm what I have seen live Whether or not this album will top the previous one in the charts is besides the point; it will attract new listeners and really has a bit of everything in there, from funk to acoustic to rock. Three weeks into a tour starting in London, the band are hitting the UK’s musical hotspots and sure to regain the strong following from first album Dark Eyes. If this album has done one thing, it is to confirm what I have seen live. If you’re looking for an album that doesn’t bore with the same tone throughout and keeps you entertained, maybe this one’s for you.

Photo: concart.com

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SCREEN The anatomy of horror Exeposé Screen

SCREEN EDITORS Akash Beri Ben Londesbrough

@ExeposeScreen

screen@exepose.com

Newsreel

Paranormal Activity: Ghost Dimension boycotted by US cinemas

Ghost Dimension is set to wrap up the huge Paranormal Activity franchise, but many US chains are refusing to carry the movie due to Paramount’s decision to bring the film to other formats within 17 days of its cinematic run. This means it will open on around half of the screens its predecessor did.

Confirmed: The Nightmare Before Christmas is a ‘Halloween movie’ This may not be news, but The Nightmare Before Christmas, directed by Henry Selick with help from the brain of Tim Burton, is a Halloween movie and not a Christmas one. In a new Q&A with Selick, he confirmed ‘It’s a Halloween movie’, but he accepted that many people prefer Christmas Town to Halloween Town. So, you should plan your re-watch for now, not December!

New poster for Star Wars: The Force Awakens A new poster for the highly anticipated return of Star Wars has been released, seen below. Tickets also went on sale yesterday, so make sure to book soon!

Victoria Cherrington dissects the horror genre to find out what scares and what doesn’t

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HAT makes a good horror film? For decades now, the general public has viewed and loved horror, searching for an adrenaline rush akin to that of going on a rollercoaster.

A range of subgenres like slasher films, psychological, action horror, comedy horror and splatter horror have formed since the first horror film (rumored to be the German expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) came about, each appealing to different aspects of what an audience would want to see.

The best way to gauge a horror film’s excellence is to sneak a peek at your reactions when you watch it - a ‘good’ one should make your extremities go cold and your heart drop into your stomach.

On top of that, the story should be engaging and convincing, such as having a jumpscare when the audience most expects is likely to bore them. So what makes the ‘good’ horror films scary and engaging? Can this explain why some niches are more popular than others?

In fact, the very reason that the horror film industry has been stagnant for some years now is because people keep asking these very questions.

For a horror movie to be successful there needs to be something new Imagine you are watching Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The famous shower scene comes on: the lady gets into the shower, closes the shower curtain. The shadow of the man appears, the music spikes both in volume and

pitch before the man stabs her to death in her own bathroom. All the while, the audience sits shaking in their chairs with hands over their mouths. This scene is one of the greatest horror scenes in history, the main reason being its skillful use of the technical aspects of filmmaking.

Take the soundtrack for example.

It is a quintessential aspect of a ‘good’ horror film. Everything from instrumentation and pitch to timing and volume can make or break a jump scare scene. Insidious also makes good use of jump scares, all backed by augmented chords and minor keys. In some cases, directors have chosen to blend real human and animal screams into the soundtrack, subconsciously unsettling the audience further.

Good cinematography is another aspect of horror film that contributes greatly to the success of the eerie atmosphere. Techniques like the Dutch tilt, where the camera is tilted to the side slightly portrays how something within the scene isn’t quite right. It’s a technique that is perfect to use in unsettling and essentially creeping out an audience before coming out with a jump scare. A handheld-found-footage style of cinematography has proven to be quite successful in the past, with films like The Blair Witch Project relying heavily on it and then going onto become a huge horror classic. The great thing about this technique is its ability to create a POV for the audience, making the story all the more realistic.

Storylines are just as essential to the success of a horror film. In particular, the ‘monster in the house’ sub-genre is popular, and for good reason. Think the protagonist and the ‘monster’ or evil force in the film are stuck in a place that the protagonist cannot escape from. The fear arises from the fact that there’s no safe place for the protagonist to go, thus heightening the tension t h a t

something is about to happen.

T h e s e t e c h niques are just a few examp l e s of the vast a r ray that directors like to use to create that essential atmosphere. Though they are timeless and will forever be prevalent in film, we have to ask ourselves - if these techniques are so essential to make a successful horror film, why are old movies that employ them not as ‘scary’ as modern film? Take Nosferatu for example, a highly influential horror film adapted from Dracula, was one of the scariest films of the time.

I think it’s fair to say that for a modern audience though, it’s just not as scary as say, Paranormal Activity. That’s because horror films are a product of their time. What’s scary at one point in time, may be overused and thus desensitised to an audience. The Dracula back then for example, was a creature with pointy ears and black makeup smudged all over his face. To an audience of the 1920s this was terrifying. To an audience of the 2010s however, even the most gruesome looking of villains aren’t scary, because computer effects are so overdone. Vampires were, once upon a time, the scariest villains in film. These days, they’ve had to improve upon them, giving them special powers in order for them to be successful in scaring a modern audience. For a horror movie to be successful there needs to be something new, something the audience has never thought about being a threat before. Take Alien from 1979, directed by Ridley Scott. People were rumoured to be leaving the theatre halfway through because it was so scary.

One of the main reasons

for this was because it was nothing like that audience had ever seen before - the originality allowed for the film to shape and mould its new villain in any way it wanted to. No matter how they did it, the audience would not be expecting it. So, what is the future like for horror films?

The problem with horror these days is that it’s all too similar and expected.

Producers look at films like franchises and money making mediums rather than an artform. They like to take films like Paranormal Activity, see what worked well and then create carbon copy sequels to ensure that money rolls in. They care more about money than the quality of the film. This is why the horror film genre is becoming stagnant.

They care more about money than the quality of the film Unless we have more pioneering directors that are willing to break conventions and create something unexpected and thus as terrifying as Alien was when it first came out, the future of the horror genre will be limited to predictable films, which only seek to make money.

All great films of history are great films because of the fact that they broke conventions of their time, coming out with something that surprisingly worked and made the films into the legendary pieces they are today.

Hare-raising experiences

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Olivia Horncastle recounts her chilling childhood encounter with a film about...rabbits

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ET me get something straight to begin with. My first ‘horror’ experience was not with a horror film... It was with a child’s animation. Now, you are probably asking, why is this crazy girl talking about children’s animations being terrifying?

The dark, twisting, demonic tale made me jump, scream and cry Well, this film saw me crawling behind a pillow. A pillow I refused to put down for four hours even after the film. This film had me screaming and shaking. This film had me having nightmares for years (that is right, YEARS) afterwards. In fact, while watching this film, I even vowed never to watch animations ever again because of the truly horrifying experience (which didn’t last long, but the threat was there!)

By now, I am sure you are all wondering what this terrifying first horror

experience could possibly be? Well, my first experience of a horror film was Watership Down.

For those of you who do not know, this is a classic ‘children’s’ animation about rabbits. However, the dark, twisting, demonic tale made me jump, scream and cry. My w o r s t fears as a child were encapsulated within this film. Dark twisting forests, my favourite animal - rabbits - turning into sinister, twisted, violent demons, attacking and chasing each other. What makes this film a true ‘horror’ film in my mind is the eerie accompanying soundtrack - the suspense, fear and threat of an unknown, blood-red force slowly destroying the peaceful English countryside.

I have seen hundreds of horror films since and consider myself a very brave person (even if sometimes I do still grab a pillow to

‘protect’ me) but even now the mere mention of Watership Down brings a shiver down my spine. In fact even writing this reminds me of h o w

truly terrified my seven-year-old self was.

Trying to be brave, and thinking my eightyear-old self had over-exaggerated the level of horror, I decided to re-watch the 1987 film. It did not go well. I ran out of the room after ten minutes. Yes, I am an adult and yes, I like horror films and can stomach any you can name, but this supposed U film is anything but child friendly. In fact, I claim it to be not only my first ever horror experience, but to be up there with one of the scariest films I have ever seen. It may not be on many people’s playlists for films around Halloween, but if you are brave enough to stomach this film, then I salute you. Whoever said cartoons cannot present truly horrifying horror experi-

ences had clearly never seen this film.

Yes, I often throw whatever I am holding when I watch films (I would still like to apologise to the entire row in front of my viewing of The Woman in Black whom I threw my pic ‘n’ mix at) but the hairs on my arms and back of my neck have never spiked as much as they did while watching Watership Down.

Watch it alone in a darkened room... you won’t look at rabbits the same I guarantee many of you will disagree with my claiming Watership Down to be a true horror movie, but watch it alone in a darkened room and I guarantee you will never look at rabbits, the countryside or animations in the same way again. So for those of you whose first horror experience were with ‘actual’ horror movies, you missed out on a truly terrifying childhood that would have left you scarred for life!

Crimson Peaks and never falls Tom Nejad reviews del Toro’s latest directorial effort - a gothic horror flick that won’t disappoint

Crimson Peak Director: Guillermo del Toro Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain 2015, 119 minutes

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N the promotional tour for his latest film, Crimson Peak, Guillermo Del Toro has implored cinemagoers not to be disillusioned about the type of film they are about to see. Seemingly marketed as a horror film in its advertisement campaign and delayed Halloween release date, this is not simply a monster movie. Termed a “gothic romance” by its director, the film is a lovingly crafted exploration of the genre.

Atmosphere is how the film maintains its hold over the horror genre The title Crimson Peak refers to the ‘house of horror’ (Del Toro forgive me) owned by Sir Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston) and his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe (Jessica Chastain). The

film’s protagonist, Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikowska), is a typical heroine of gothic romance - she is headstrong and naïve. Knowledgeable through a love of literature but made vulnerable through lack of real-world experience, Cushing falls for the enigmatic Thomas Sharpe, who also provides a recognisable Byronic silhouette. The pair relocate from Cushing’s native Buffalo, New York, to our own sombre shores at their family estate, Allerdale Hall, located in the Lake District. It is here where the film’s drama unfolds and Cushing’s world unravels.

One of the central themes of the film is a strong divide between the past, present and future and it is illustrated in various ways. The setting of America in the early 20th century emphasises the notion of a ‘New World’ a place of hope and possibility. Conversely, England is home to antiquity, reinforcing its connection to the supernatural. As revealed in clumsy dialogue “Ghosts are metaphors for the past”, making the ancient setting that much more haunting.

This is then reinforced through clothing, Cushing in bright and bold colours visibly opposes the darker tones of her lover, Sharpe, whose costume is interestingly based on clothes from three

decades previous to the film’s setting.

This is one of the film’s strongest elements. Costume designer, Kate Hawley does a phenomenal job in underpinning the eerie atmosphere of the film via clothing.

Atmosphere is also how the film maintains its hold over the horror genre - with only a few jump-scare scenes, the film maintains a feeling of genuine trepidation with a terrific use of ambience latent in the clothes and setting.

The house was painstakingly created in a Canadian studio only to be torn down again soon after production. The effort behind the staging is genuinely one of the most rewarding experiences of the film, as every still frame it produces could be considered a work of art. The house is built on a red clay mine that colours the snow that falls on it in winter, hence the name Crimson Peak. The scarlet clay dripping from the walls visually echoes the violence of the film and the image of Cushing’s yellow dress in the mine’s elevator cage is reminiscent of a canary sent as a sacrificial token of death.

Don’t let this fool you however - the film’s heroine is far from meek and is not accepting of her fate. The film, despite it being set in an in extremely repressive

era, is quite forward thinking of terms of gender roles and provides two strong central female leads who are very much the orchestrators of their own fate. This also provides an incredible platform for Jessica Chastain who shines in her performance as Lucille Sharpe. Her acting is one of the greatest strengths in the movierilliantly creepy and understated in the first few acts, Chastain releases an amazingly unhinged performance in the film’s climax.

Hiddleston also provides a solid performance of Sir Thomas Sharpe with a level of magnetism that enraptures

Cushing and audiences, but may also, in part, be due to his nude scene. With a similarly strong performance from the cast, there is little to criticise, apart from a certain predictability in plot and dialogue. This can be overlooked on the other hand, due to cathartic nature of the film’s conclusion.

Overall the film is a must for any die-hard del Toro fans, especially since its his first foray into mainstream Hollywood cinema. A twisted love story that delves deeply into the realms of gothic horror, Crimson Peak is certainly worth a watch.

Photo: www.denofgeek.com

On the carpet at the 2015

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Jack Smith, Online Screen Editor, and Oli Thompson travelled to London for the 2015 BFI LFF The Assassin Cast: Shu qui, Chang Chen, Zhou Yun Director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien 2015, 107 minutes

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T has taken a few days to break free from the spell Hou HsiaoHsien’s The Assassin left me under. In fact, I feel that I liked it better when I was under its spell. It was awe-inspiring to the extent that I wanted to remain in my seat and demand that it be shown again. Understandably, Hou came away with the award for Best Director at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and from what I had heard about it, I had rarely walked into a movie with such high expectations. Not only did the film deliver, but it also far surpassed what I had anticipated, creating one of the most profound experiences I have ever had at the cinema, and with film in general. It is simply an incredible feat of filmmaking.

It is visually arresting, so much so that I sat open-mouthed The Assassin is a wuxia film by genre (basically martial arts in a period setting), however at heart it’s a journey through the beauty of the moving image. Based on legend, the plot is set during the Tang dynasty in ninth century China, and follows Shu Qi’s eponymous expert assassin, Nie Yinniang. She compassionately eschews her mission when her target is surrounded by his family.

Consequently, she is sent to dispatch the governor of the volatile province of Weibo, a man who is also her cousin and who she was originally meant to marry, to ensure her heart is never again involved in her assignments.

The downside to the narrative is that in order to comprehend it, you have to read subtitles unless you are lucky enough to understand Mandarin. Although subtitles are like second nature to me, I found it particularly difficult when I was so enamoured by the film’s images. It is more than striking, rather visually-arresting, and so much so that I sat open-mouthed for the all too brief, 107 minute running time.

The film opens in crisp black and white before the appearance of the title signals a switch to lavish colour compositions. It’s also presented in the 1.37 Academy ratio, apart from a few scenes in which it expands to 1.85:1, filling

the big screen; this is definitely one to watch at the cinema.

Although the black and white prologue looks fantastic, the transition demonstrates how much the colour adds to the film, and more importantly how much attention Hou pays to it.

Collaborating with his long time cinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bin, with whom he has worked since 1985’s A Time to Live, A Time to Die, they use it as an extra visual tool in itself .Instead of just reflecting reality, it’s reminiscent of the way many great directors employed colour for the first time.

For me, the colour cinematography was as attractive as that in Wong Kar Wai’s majestic In the Mood for Love, a film which sets a, if not the, benchmark for attention to visual style in the 21st century.

The court of Weibo is filled with the richest of red and gold hues, where an excess in costumes and parties reign; Yinniang’s mentor meditates on an emerald mountain, slowly being shrouded in mist; two assassins duel between a sea of white birch trees; the orange glow of the sunset ebbs through foliage, reflected in the water, later matched in a colder, sparser winter where the branches are bare. The tone of an intimate scene, underpinned by fear, constantly wavers as the silk curtain through which it is shot gently blows in the breeze with the candle flames.

Each of the twenty-four frames in every second is intricately composed, each tinged with elements of both raw and refined beauty such that they rival the visual work of filmmakers like Kubrick, Fellini and Tarkovsky. You can really sense every texture as different shades appear as if brush strokes on a canvas. This is as close to fine art as cinema gets.

Hou chooses to focus on the poetry of movement, the motion of bodies Although The Assassin is a wuxia film, it certainly isn’t one to see for its combat and choreography. Rath-

er than going for intense action, Hou chooses to focus on the poetry of movement, the motion of bodies through space. As with the rest of the film (and the director’s body of work), long takes are prevalent and these are coupled with smooth editing for the fight scenes.

The audience can meditate on the action as with all of the other scenes, Hou even going so far as to have a

and Chang Chen, having previously worked together with Hou on Three Times, perform the two central characters with intriguingly enigmatic poise and depth. The costume and set design are both outstanding and create a sense of immersion in the time period. Lim Giong’s score is also highly commendable for setting the mood almost in a subconscious manner, as I found the main theme echoed in my head on the tube home.

Hsiao-Hsien consistently delivers image after breath-taking image

dance of bodies sparring in the background of a long shot, refusing to be drawn in to the battle. When faced with The Assassin’s overwhelming splendour, it’s all too easy to neglect the film’s other elements. Its narrative is straightforward, but is filled with complex plotting and moral dilemma, the question of honour being essential to the wuxia genre.

Moreover, the film’s two stars Shu Qi

Finally, the main reason I wanted to watch The Assassin again immediately was that I felt I had only experienced the film’s glorious surface. The meticulous choices in the construction and playing out of every scene seemed to mean something, that the more you revisit the film, the more you get out of it. Although it gives you plenty to think about initially, there is so much more to discover as it invites you to consider its every aspect.

Hou Hsiao-Hsien consistently delivers image after breath-taking image, each created with the greatest attention to detail, yet also with the utmost subtlety so that, like the assassin herself, the film glides along, intertwining all of its elements, its miseen-scene, its character and narrative and score, to create what I hope will become a classic of world cinema.

BFI London Film Fes Best Film -

Chevalier by Athina Rachel Tsangari

Best Documentary -

Sherpa by Jennifer Peedom

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giving Exeposé Screen readers a look at some of the highlights of this year’s tough film competition

stival - The Winners Best Short Film An Old Dog’s Diary

by Shai Heredia

Best First Feature -

The Witch by Robert Eggers

Trumbo Cast: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Louis C.K Director: Jay Roach 2015, 124 minutes

Tangerine Cast: Kiki Kitana Rodriquez, Mya Taylor, James Ransone Director: Sean S. Baker 2015, 88 minutes

High Rise Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller Director: Ben Wheatley 2015, 112 minutes

Gayby Baby Documentary Director: Maya Newell Producer: Charlotte Mars 2015, 85 minutes

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IRECTOR Jay Roach’s Trumbo is a biopic telling the story of screenwriter Dalton Trumbo who was blacklisted in Hollywood after the McCarthy trials following suspected Communist public figures. Although I usually sigh when I watch another Oscar bait biopic, and Trumbo is by no means groundbreaking, I was left pleasantly surprised by the film. However, it certainly does not have the same subversive tone of other interpretations of the McCarthian era; for example, Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible.

First of all, I will watch any movie that is about screenplay writing, an aspect of film that is never usually the subject of any biopic. Trumbo’s commitment to presenting the contempt for screenwriters between others involved in film production really helps to call auteur theory into question and Bryan Cranston’s portrayal of the man himself undermines any notion of the introspective, lonely writer. This format is helped by Cranston’s pitch-perfect and charismatic performance. To put it bluntly, unlike a lot of dry biopics that come out just in time for Oscar season, Trumbo is really funny. The dialogue happily oscillates between sentimentality and humour.

Furthermore, this film really proves that both Bryan Cranston and Louis C.K, building on his performance in Blue Jasmine, really know how to deliver dry and bitter punch lines. Meanwhile, silliness also ensues, as John Goodman delivers a Big Lebowski-esque performance as the bullish producer Frank King, who produced screenplays during Trumbo’s blacklisting and prided himself on making ‘bad’ movies. Overall, Trumbo bears a pleasantly light-hearted portrayal of cold-war America without much subtext, but a lot of great information on an era in Hollywood not often explored.

NOTHER pleasant surprise came in the form of Sean Baker’s Tangerine, a film following a day in the life of two transgender prostitutes in LA. Much of the attention the film is getting at the festival is to do with the fact that it was filmed entirely on three iPhones, mainly due to budgetary constraints. What is a true testament to the film’s quality is that I didn’t know it was filmed this way until after it had finished. The screen seems to glow with life, and the guerrilla style of filming really helps to heighten the film’s subject matter, despite a few shaky shots that took me out of this world for a few moments.

It is broadly comic in tone and the erratic shifts between manic electronic dance music and ambient classical supplements this rather eccentric tone, bearing allusions to Trainspotting in this respect.

The film also casts transgender people in transgender roles to add to the realism.

This is not to say that the performances themselves are contingent on the gender of the actors. Both Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor deliver visceral performances, supplementing their mania at the beginning of the film with intimate moments towards the end.

The film also boasts a dense level of thematic exploration. It is truly an intersectional film and with a festival that celebrated its first night with the premiere of Suffragette, it’s good to see a low-key film that deals with more contemporary social issues, without needing to historicise.

EN Wheatley, building from the critical acclaim he found with films like Kill List, Sightseers and A Field in England, delivered his fifth feature High-Rise, adapted for screen from the J.G. Ballard novel by his partner Amy Jump.

Beforehand, I was slightly nervous for both Wheatley and Jump due to my own personal anticipation, and my concern that Wheatley would lose his signature low-budget charm. However, I am extremely happy to say that, despite being a bit baggy and often incoherent, for the most part Wheatley’s film deserves a top spot in his oeuvre so far. High-Rise seems so intertextual, while at the same time being completely unique. The anarchy and debauchery of society decaying is displayed with the comedic virtuosity of Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, while at the same time human nature’s animalistic instinct recalls David Cronenberg.

Music plays a huge role, pairing images of surreal sadism with uplifting melodies. Furthermore, the images presented are staggeringly beautiful, and Wheatley furthers his juxtaposition of image and sound with a mixture of slow motion, fast cuts and continuous shots. With the social structure that is presented in High-Rise, it is easy to label it as an overtly political film about class warfare. Although it is abundantly true that this theme leaps from the screen, this kind of exposition is far too easy for Wheatley. Moreover, the film has an almost existential concern with the modern age. Peoples’ animal-selves seem to emerge in the face of rigid order and advancement, and Wheatley makes this regression both highly comedic, fun and highly disturbing on screen. Although it is not a perfect film, it’s not meant to be. He presents a kaleidoscope of ideas and, to be frank, I am not even close to unpacking all of them without a second viewing.

AVING not seen any documentaries yet, and under the recommendation of a nice lady at the Picturehouse welcome desk, I decided to watch Gayby Baby, an exploration of four same-sex couples and their children in Australia.

In less tolerant areas of society it is often argued that gay marriage is not a realistic prospect when children ‘need’ a mother and a father to effectively raise a family. This documentary reveals that this is a weak argument by focusing on the children and their experiences of growing up.

Director Maya Newell simply observes the everyday running of the family, occasionally supplementing these scenes with the traditional ‘talking heads’ format in interviews with the children. The central conceit of the documentary is extremely heart wrenching and true to life, distinguishing reality from the hypothetical situations and statistics often espoused in gay equality debates. The camera never shies away from revealing the mysterious fact of family living in general: every family suffers difficulty in one shape or another. Financial and health struggles affect the family’s morale, yet the parents remain extremely supportive of their children’s dreams.

Perhaps to some audience members this documentary displays something not often explored: stable gay families.

However, what is so fascinating about this documentary is the way in which the sexuality of the parents is sidelined, instead evoking an authentic portrait of contemporary family life. Gayby Baby’s success lies in its disengagement with sexuality, but its reengagement with the struggles of families. By the time the film ends we’re left with the question, “why do we care about the sexuality of the parents when the family unit functions as a whole despite often struggling?” Gayby Baby has no agenda other than to portray strong families in a world that still cares far too much about sexuality.

REVIEWS BY OLI THOMPSON

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ARTS &LIT Arts Diary Theatre 26-30 Oct OUTPOST Bike Shed Theatre 27-31 Oct The Silver Sword Northcott Theatre 3-7 Nov Ensuite Bike Shed Theatre

1 Nov James Acaster Phoenix 2 Nov Nish Kumar Bike Shed Theatre 5 Nov Rob Beckett Barnfield Theatre

7 Nov Jongleurs Comedy Club Northcott

Dance 27-29 Oct Swan Lake Theatre Royal Plymouth

Arts in the news

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

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26 OCTOBER 2015 |

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He’s found his Nish

Adam Capstick talks to Nish Kumar about comedy, Corbyn and Chinese conspiracies

A

BOVE all, expect “stand-up comedy from a clever boy”. That’s what Nish Kumar told me about his upcoming, abstractly-titled show Long Word… Long Word… Blah Blah Blah… I’m So Clever.

As whimsically as this comment may have been intended at the very start of my interview with Kumar, it’s an accurate description of the man, whose comedic roots stem from his time at Durham University. Over the course of my conversation with him, I came to the conclusion that he’s easily the best thing to come out of Durham since... well, anything really.

You just think about stupid things and say them - it’s mental!

Comedy

SCREEN 22-25

It was during his time there that he got his first taste of comedy by joining sketch troupe Durham Revue. Through this, he had the opportunity to perform at Edinburgh and has never looked back – this year marking his tenth consecutive festival. Despite admitting that he didn’t plan to get a job in stand-up originally, he’s now conscious of how lucky he is to be able to perform his hobby as a career: “It’s such a stupid job to do, and be paid to do – you think about stupid things and say them – it’s mental!”

Ten years on, he’s off on his first UKwide tour, having previously restricted himself to stints at the Edinburgh Festival and London’s Soho Theatre. Kumar received critical acclaim during his time at the Fringe this summer, which culminated in a nomination for the Edinburgh Comedy Award. Focusing on politics, political correctness and the future of the left, this tour follows last year’s show which dealt with race, amongst other topics. Kumar isn’t one to shy away from gritty matters - “I like doing comedy about stuff that I’m interested in for reasons other than just writing comedy material.” But while he has some intent to discuss serious issues, he remains “definitely joke driven”, with the desire to deliver a well-informed yet

Michelangelo’s fresco recreated in satsuma form to win ‘Edible Masterpiece Prize’

fervent mockery of Britain’s social state.

Kumar identifies himself on the left of the political spectrum, at a time when comedy is similarly regarded to be a leftwing pursuit- a notion he examines humorously in his show. Regardless of the politics you subscribe to, you can certainly still engage with Kumar’s inimitable wit. Kumar remarks: “A number of people would come up to me after the show and say ‘you know I’m a Conservative voter?’, and I’d think I was about to get punched in the face, but they’d enjoyed the show!”

Since he first wrote his tour, we’ve witnessed the rise of Jeremy Corbyn, something Kumar is pleased to see.

“It’s given the whole thing a bit more of an optimistic tone. It’s not necessarily an endorsement of Corbyn, but an endorsement of what he represents – as in the prominence of leftist ideas in the political landscape of this country, which really hasn’t been the

case for most of my adult life. I really believe that it’s important to have balance and genuine debate in politics rather than a jostle for the middle ground – which I feel has been the tone of politics for the last 20-25 years”, he enthuses.

Coincidentally, on the very day of our interview, Kumar’s debut appearance on long-running panel show Have I Got News For You was set to be aired, having been recorded a couple of days previously. “I’ve watched that show since I was a child so it was a very surreal experience to be on that set. They’ve got various monitors around showing what’s on all the cameras and when you see yourself on the set, it looks like you’re in a simulator or a green screen!”

Current affairs shows are something Kumar is not unfamiliar with. In February he was named as the new host of Radio 4 Extra’s satirical sketch show Newsjack and has gone on to present

two series of the “hugely fun and rewarding” show. Working on such a programme can be hectic, necessitating all the news websites to be constantly monitored for breaking stories. He’s almost been caught out before: “last series, an hour before we start recording, the Clarkson thing [steak-punch-gate] happened. I remember frantically trying to re-work the opening monologue so we could put some reference into it, because if you don’t have that it looks horrendously out of date. We didn’t have time to type anything up so the monologue was just a hand-written page that I’d scribbled down. It keeps you on your toes!”

He’s the best thing to come out of Durham since... well, anything really

Kumar’s radio career had begun before when he was a regular on Josh Widdecomb’s Sunday morning XFM show alongside friends and fellow comics including James Acaster and Ivo Graham.

The group provided an audibly natural chemistry and Kumar looks back on the now “dearly departed” show with fondness: “I really miss doing that show, we had a huge amount of fun down the years. We all started [comedy] at a similar time and have come through together. It really felt like a family.” He delivered a weekly feature, ‘Nishipedia’, detailing all manner of ludicrous conspiracy theories. His favourite? “There was one about how the Chinese government is sending people over to drive slowly in England, and slow down the entire infrastructure of the country. I love that one so much because it’s so mundane and terrible!”

Coincidentally, those are two words Kumar can’t be accused of. His quick wit and perfect harmony of comic instinct and moral fury cerCatch tainly makes his show one not Nish’s tour at to miss out on.

The Bike Shed Theatre on 2 November

Man proposes in a Dapper Laughs gig, and the woman says yes!

Gypsy,, starring Imelda Staunton, wins a double at 2015 UK Theatre Awards

Man Booker Prize winner Marlon James was rejected by publishers 78 times

It was a dark and stormy night

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ARTS & LIT

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27

Exeposé Arts & Lit gives you a rundown of the most haunting reads this Halloween IT Stephen King Ben Assirati

The Girl on the Train Paula Hawkins Ellie Cox

A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess Fiona Potigny

Skin Roald Dahl Hannah Ferguson

The Dark Tower Stephen King Alex Brammer

good reason: it’s absolutely terrifying.

must-read for any Gone Girl enthusiast.

T

U

mechanics powered by blood, gore or

I

tale that I have read – he is best known

S

A tale of two time periods, childhood

Narrators Rachel, Anna and Megan - an

the paranormal, but instead the visceral

for his light-hearted children’s stories.

occasionally does it transgress over to

and adulthood, it follows the lives of the

obsessive blackout alcoholic, a liar and a

and obsessive brutality of our adoles-

However, Skin is a psychologically dis-

full-blown Western-flavoured horror.

‘Losers’ Club’: a group of friends in

cheat - become intertwined in a messy

cent ‘droog’ Alex, who guides us through

turbing commentary on the greed of

But when it does – it really does. There I

explosion of lost truths. Unemployed

his personal dreamland (our dystopia)

society that showcases Dahl’s immense

was, sitting perfectly comfortably, read-

evil buried deep within

and divorced, Rachel tries to hide her

of ‘ultraviolence’. With each stomach-

ability to shock and appall.

ing something that I’d safely catego-

their town.

failures by taking the same commute,

churning scene, translated through our

It tells the tale of an old, poor man

rised as a Lord of the Rings knock-off

A lengthy

spending the day drowning her lonely,

protagonist’s native ‘Nadsat’ - a kind of

who has a woman’s portrait tattooed on

with cowboys, when suddenly Stephen

text at over 1100

messy life in alcohol and fantasising

Anglo-Russian sociopathic street talk -

his back by a famous artist, Soutine. He

King did what he does best – made me

pages, IT bears many trademarks of

about what her life could have been by

the reader is left alarmingly and uncom-

receives an offer of employment at the

traditional King; alcoholism, dejection,

speculating over the young couple she

fortably close to the action. The only

Hotel Bristol where all he is obliged to

and broken families (to name a few).

sees out of the window daily. Skillfully

salvation? Being able to close the book

do is show off his tattoo to the guests.

King has a marvellous way of intertwin-

juggling defective perspectives, Hawk-

when it all gets too much. But this gro-

He accepts this offer, dreaming of how

ing the lives of characters in a manner

ins explores shifting identities, the ef-

tesque exploration of a young lad’s ha-

much better his life will be. However,

that gives life and depth to these indi-

fects of excessive alcohol, and the im-

bitual evildoings is too gripping and too

a few weeks later, a heavily varnished

viduals, and makes their interpersonal

pact of destructive relationships. Each

well-written to put down – it thrills, and

portrait of a woman by Soutine turns

struggles have a real emotional impact

character both repels and draws you in

drags you through its terrifying land-

up at auction and we find out that there

must escape a houe that is trying to eat

on the reader (exemplified by the in-

and when Megan goes missing, everyone

scape of orgiastic beatings and State-

is no hotel called the Bristol. The last

him while another is simultaneously

credibly poignant closing sentence).

becomes a suspect. The nerve-wracking

inflicted punishment, all soundtracked

line leaves us wondering how an art col-

raped by a demon is one of the few times

This novel is scary not least because

and twisted ending left me spooked to

by “lovely Ludwig Van”. You’ll never

lector could have possibly obtained a

when I’ve actually started to read faster

of the monster, but because of the real-

the core - I would definitely recommend

be able to listen to his Ninth Symphony

brand new painting by Soutine, and the

just to get away from it as quickly as

istic and equally horrifying characteri-

it.

again.

fate of that poor old man…

I can. If you’re into horror out of left-

S

TEPHEN King’s IT is one of his most successful novels, and for

Derry, as they face a resurgent

HIS is a fast-paced and utterly engrossing psychological thriller: a

NDER the citrus skin of this tweesounding title do not lie literary

T may seem odd that I’ve chosen a Roald Dahl story as the scariest

TEPHEN King’s ‘Dark Tower’ series is surprisingly light on horror

for the most part; it’s dark, but only

shit myself in fear.

Thescene

where one character

sation of the many facets of human evil.

field, then The Dark Tower is definitely

As Halloween draws closer, this book

the place to start.

should be on the top of your ‘to read’ list!

Stephen crowned King of the crop Tash Ebbutt takes a look at the enduring success of the master thriller writer

S

TEPHEN King: conjurer of night-

200 short stories, such as the iconic

Stephen King’s The Shining is a chill-

worlds above its movie counterpart. Af-

down...which

mares, master of things that go

Misery, IT and Pet Semetory. From my

ing classic which follows the exploits of

ter moving to the sinister Overlook Ho-

later led to a

bump in the night, the literal King of

own personal experience, once you’ve

Jack Torrance and his family.

tel, the Torrance family have a series of

book

horror. His books have collectively sold

read a King book, it’s difficult to stop.

frightening, shall we say, supernatural

ver. Still, I

an incredible 350 million copies world-

From traditional terror to nail-biting

encounters that only the young Danny,

recommend

wide. Such an explosive demand for

suspense, there is undoubtedly a book

possessor of the ‘shining’, understands.

you read it

King originated from the famous debut

for everyone. With such a vast selection,

Vivid imagery and an effective use of

- but just a

novel Carrie which sold an outstand-

let me, a King addict, shed some light on

perspectives will inevitably make your

warning,

ing one million copies in its first year.

where you should start...

blood run cold as you experience every

a v o i d

I can honestly say that this book is worlds above its movie counterpart!

hango-

This unprecedented love from human-

‘Here’s Johnny!’ An iconic line from

Brimming with suspense and night-

horror and tribulation that the Tor-

Room

ity for spine-tingling horror led to the

a blood-curdling movie that just so

marish tension, I can honestly hold

rance family suffer. A real page turner,

217…

birth of more than 50 novels and over

happens to be such an addictive read!

my hands up and say that this book is

I literally could not put this beauty

28

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Curtain up for Xpression Scripted

26 OCTOBER 2015 |

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James Alston, Head of Scripted, introduces this term’s thrilling programme of radio drama

I

T’S eight o’clock on a Thursday evening and a group of actors have crammed themselves into the Xpression studio: the microphones are set, the scripts are in hand, and I, the writerdirector, have positioned myself in the control room. I press the ‘Talk’ button to communicate with my stars and... nothing. The actors can’t hear anything from me. A frantic search for the source of the problem, followed by some even more frantic messages sent to those inthe-know reveals the source of the problem: a fairly innocuous dial was turned on, not off. With communications reestablished, we can finally begin – ‘curtain up’.

Writers to hire, scripts to write, actors to audition... and a fresh new look This was the start of production for first term’s programme of plays for Xpression Scripted, the team behind all the creative content for Xpression FM. And it’s only one stage in a process which began in May last year: we’ve had writers to hire, scripts to write, actors to audition, and a fresh new look for our social media – and finally, after all this

time, we’ll soon be kicking off with our dedicated radio show Xpression Presents. Excited is an understatement...

With more content than we’ve ever broadcast before, there has never been a better time to become a listener. We have a terrifying Halloween play, a science-fiction drama, a suspenseful three-part spy thriller, a spooky festive ghost story for Christmas, and the hilarious Xpression Christmas panto to round off the term! Such a plethora of different genres of content highlights the magic of radio drama: you can go anywhere at anytime.

As a drama student and actor I have been involved in many wonderful creative projects at University, but nothing has come quite as close to the

ART TO ART This week, we’re featuring the poetry of Madison Stewart, a first year English student A few weeks ago I was wandering around a bookshop in London and I came across a new series of Penguin Classics, 80 little black books, each 80p. I wanted to buy all of them, but one title caught my eye: ‘Well, they are gone, and here I must remain’ by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The title grabbed me, and upon buying it I devoured the poems inside. Reading the beautiful, romantic prose I was surprised that I had never heard of Coleridge before.

The topics of Coleridge’s poems are simple: the sensation of waking to frost at midnight, the caring thought of a father watching a sleeping son, the sound of a nightingale in the morning. Yet Coleridge’s evocative, delicate language transforms these scenes into moments of profound significance, glimpses into the most secret compartments of the human heart. In my poem I have attempted to emulate Coleridge’s style in the hope that I may find in myself some of his insightfulness and talent.

inventiveness, scale and freedom you can achieve with radio drama.

As well as a host of new radio plays, we will once again be returning to Union Road, Xpression’s flagship radio soap opera, now reaching its third series. For those unfamiliar with the show, it follows the lives of the residents on Union Road in Exeter with the classic

soap opera stories of love, betrayal, secrets, and lies.

We will once again be returning to Union Road, Xpression’s flagship drama

When planning the series, I was keen to give it a fresh start, and indeed the majority of the characters and stories are completely new, but we’re still aware that this is the beginning of a new chapter in a long story - that will be reflected in the stories we tell. It’s a perfect jumping-on point for new listeners, but stays faithful enough to its origins to keep our veteran fans happy.

It’s been a long time in the making, but with our biggest schedule yet we’re incredibly excited for you to hear what we have created. Let Xpression take you on a journey from the streets of Exeter, to distant planets, to haunted Xpression houses, secret government Presents headquarters, and the magibegins on 28 October cally bizarre land of panto – all at 5pm, only on from the comfort of your bedroom, living room, the library, or 87.7 FM even the Guild Shop!

The Soul Illuminated From lidded eyes I drowsily watch The sunbeam break And scatter In the swaying leaves, Tinging every branch And blade Gold.

My ears catch The songs of birds, Which trill like a Silver string in the sky.

In their flight They sweep and droop through the air, Past apple blossoms And daisies, Whose aroma Makes the air sweet And softens The senses.

It is as if the world is lighter.

The birds fly more freely, The branches sway more easily, My own heart beats more joyfully.

It is on days like these That the sun Finds its way into My soul and illuminates Even the darkest crevices.

cott osoth g u h @

@eliza bethol iver32

Tag your Instagram photos with @exepose_arts_lit for a chance to be featured

Artistic License If you were writing a ghost story, where in Exeter would you set it and why?

EMMA PREVIGNANO

Research Common -2 on a winter evening, just before closing time. You’re pretty sure of being alone, but never 100 per cent.

JOSH MINES

Moberly house. Perfect location for a student gothic fiction.

HANNAH BUTLER

Princesshay’s Hollister -anyone could be hiding in there, covered up by the gloom and the tropical plants.

HARRY SHEPHERD

The Lemmy - The story would be a nightmare in which I actually had to go there on a Saturday.

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SCI & TECH EDITORS Catherine Heffner Lewis Norman

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Supernatural vs. Science

Photo: PWC Wallart

Could there be a scientific explanation behind mythological creatures? Ben Assirati investigates

A

S we enter the Halloween period, let us cast our minds towards one of the quintessential features of this frightful time of festivities: the monsters. In particular, three of the most well-known monsters: zombies, werewolves, and vampires. Here are their origins, and some possible reasons for them to have come into existence.

Zombies are undead creatures, formed when a human corpse is reanimated. These monsters have been among the most popular in culture since 1968 when George A. Romero released Night of the Living Dead.

The first recorded mention of zombies is in the Epic of Gilgamesh (shout out to English Literature students), when the character Ishtar declares he will “let the dead go up to eat the living”.

Scientists believe that the zombie archetype as seen today – mindless, shambling corpses – can be traced back to Haitian Voodoo culture. One of the practices of the ‘Bokors’, Voodoo priests, was to administer coup padre to a subject. Coup padre is a powder comprised of various ingredients, the primary one being tetrodotoxin – a deadly substance

harvested from ‘porcupine fish’. When administered in the right dosage, the tetrodotoxin would reduce the subject’s body temperature, breathing rate, and heartbeat, to the point where they would seem dead. Their family would then bury the subject, and the Bokor would dig them up a day or two later, administering another powder that would keep the subject in a subdued state.

Vampires are mythical beings who drain the blood of their victims for sustenance. A perennial feature at Halloween parties worldwide, vampires are one of the major monsters within the media. The earliest usage of the term ‘vampyre’ in English was in 1734, although it had been floating around French and German texts for years prior to this. It was not until 1819, with the publication of John Polidori’s The Vampyre, that this monster entered the public sphere, and it took hold of the collective imagination of society in 1897 when Bram Stoker penned Dracula (and, since then, the regrettable Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer has become a worldwide bestseller).

This creature has a far more fleshed

out history of documentation than many other monsters, with references to a bloodsucking demon in the Hebrew, Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Mesopotamian cultures. Many of these cultures described similar features when depicting vampires; bloated bodies, dark skin, and blood dripping from the nose or mouth. Since that time, scientists havve viewed these descriptions as evidence of a distinct misunderstanding of the decomposition process within a body.

As the body decomposes, gases are created and trapped within the stomach, causing the body to seem bloated, and sometimes creating enough pressure to force blood out of the nose and mouth. In 1985 the biochemist David Dolphin argued that vampirism within fiction could be linked to Porphyria, a rare blood disease which causes skin to be malformed, and often includes symptoms such as mental disturbances or extreme sensitivity to sunlight. Further, the disease often causes skin tightening, which can lead to lips and gums shrinking, and making it look like a person has ‘fangs’, and a person suffering from Porphyria

will also have an intolerance to foods with high sulphur content – like garlic.

The syndrome causes excessive hair growth and can lead to an individual looking like a werewolf Werewolves are folkloric humans with the ability to shapeshift into wolves or wolf-like creatures. Details of these creatures have varied and evolved over time, with the earliest known references being found in classical antiquity. One reference is found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, again.

In it, Gilgamesh refuses to be Ishtar’s lover due to her treatment of former suitors; one of whom she turned into a wolf. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, the character Lycaon serves human flesh to the god Jupiter as a test. In response, Jupiter transforms him into a wolf.

The main development of the werewolf mythology came in the Middle Ages, as the lore spread alongside a growing belief in witches. One of the earliest ex-

amples of tales in this period is Marie de France’s Bisclavret (yet again, shout out to English Literature students), in which a nobleman is cursed with transforming into a wolf every week.

One of the most likely reasons for the werewolf myth to have come about is rabies, a disease that predominantly affects dogs, but can be spread to humans. The main symptoms include foaming at the mouth, fear of water, hallucinations, and aggressiveness.

Bystanders could have noticed an individual being bitten by a dog, and viewed these symptoms as evidence that the individual was becoming a dog or wolflike creature. This disease explains neither the links to the lunar cycle, or the hairy characteristic of werewolves.

Another rarer disease that could be linked to the myth is hypertrichosis.

This syndrome causes excessive hair growth all over the body, and can lead to an individual looking like a werewolf.

As can be seen, all of these monsters have grounding in both literature and science. One thing is for sure: regardless of their origins, Halloween would not be the same without them!

Making sense of the magical Marauder’s App

Louisa Griffith-Jones conjures up the pros and cons of the new ‘Find My Friends’ iPhone app Find My Friends App Store Free

H

ARRY Potter eat your heart out, muggle technology has finally come up with the goods. Dear reader, warlock wannabe, Witch Weekly writer, Arthur Weasley enthusiast, let me introduce you to the app that’s go-

ing to blow your minds. It seems Apple have finally taken divine inspiration from our queen J.K. Rowling and produced something utterly brilliant.

They have called it “Find My Friends”, but I call it my Marauder’s Map. Yes dears, it is now possible to locate where your friends are at any given time (so long as they communicate via IOS and not owl), which, I will admit, has rather questionably raised the stalking game. I no longer have to go

through all a society’s event photos or spend a significant amount of time in the Pennsylvania Road Co-op to find my mystery Neville Longbottom. Instead, so long as I have his number and he accepts my invitation to connect, I can find out where he lives. Quality.

Apart from using it for your own fun and “research” purposes, it’s also quite useful if you have that one friend who likes to gander home alone on a night out. The app allows you to trace where

they are so you can make sure that they get home without any issue. You can also validate the claim from that one friend that’s always late to see if they are literally just around the corner.

So, what’s the tech? How does it work? Magic, my friends.

Or rather, your location is determined by the GPS signal from your iOS device when the location services are turned on. Huzzah, you finally have an actual reason to ditch any of your friends

who use Android operating systems.

The only other negative is that whispering the words, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good” doesn’t open the app, although I am trying to train Siri to overcome this. So readers, make sure you test out this exceptional app over Halloween, whether it’s to find that strikingly beautiful zombie bride or merely to check whether your mate is still in bed, you’ll definitely have a skrewt-worthy blast.

A dose of devil’s breath EXEPOSÉ

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Aiman Khairulla talks about scopolamine; a drug with the curious power of possession

O

N 2 October, five Chinese nationalities were arrested by the Paris police at Charles de Gaulle airport, suspected in robberies involving the usage of scopolamine, one of the strongest drugs in the world.

The five robbers, who are assumed to be a part of the international criminal organisation, were caught with 75,000 euros, 16,000 dollars in cash and a thermos filled with stolen jewellery of an unknown value. It is thought that there were more than several dozens of victims, who were robbed with the help of an extremely strong drug called “scopolamine”, also known as “devil’s breath”, which instantly brings people to a zombie-like state. In the beginning of September, there were several identical cases of robberies in Paris.

In those cases there were two Chinese women involved, who by blowing the powder of

scopolamine into the faces of the victims turned them into zombies. In this state, the victims themselves gave money to criminals, along with the passwords of cards, keys to their houses and even helped to collect all the expensive belongings in the bag.

Another effect of scopolamine on the body is a partial loss of memory, which meant that after the robbery victims could not remember anyone suspicious or even that they were, in fact, robbing themselves. All these effects of devil’s breath make it one of the most dangerous drugs in the world and a perfect remedy for criminals.

Mostly produced in South America, it has been repeatedly used by the Soviet secret service and the CIA as a truth serum. In the early 20th century, it was found that in spite of the calming effects of the drug (muscle relaxation, visual perception and emotional blackout), the person who is under its influence is still able to give true information.

For this reason, in the 1920-30s there were several cases where the court permitted the use of scopolamine in interrogations. However, in the 1950s it became clear that the information, which is obtained by using a truth serum, is not always reliable, and a person can expose true information as well as the fictional.

By blowing the powder into the faces of the victims, they were turned into zombies Perhaps scopolamine did not succeed as a truth serum, but it still is an ideal tool for criminals. Under the influence of devil’s breath, untrained people submissively give everyday information such as a card PIN code or bank account details.

In addition, they are under total control of criminals.

Dementia Black, a drug dealer, says that the devil’s breath is a special drug that stands out from the rest. “All you need to make scopolamine work is to blow the powder in the face. A moment is enough to drug a person. About a minute later, you notice that the drug is working, and then you realize that now you own this person. You can guide them as a

child. “This may explain the fact that the victims do not hinder crime commitment.

Conversely, they do everything possible to help criminals.

In Colombia, the home of scopolamine, it is also a normal case for prostitutes to mix devil’s breath into their clients’ drinks to rob or rape them afterwards. One of the scopolamine victims, Luis Eduardo, explains that once when he woke up in his apartment, it was completely empty. When he asked the doorman if anyone saw the robbers, he was told that there was only him taking out his own belongings to the people who were outside. So all the attempts of Eduardo to find robbers were useless because of his memory loss and the lack of information.

Under the influence of devil’s breath, people submissively gave everyday information According to the US State Department, there are more than 50,000 incidents of criminal use of scopolamine a year. Unfortunately, this drug and its influence on the human body still remains a secret to scientists. Therefore, there is no specific protection against its effects.

Our technological twins

Victoria Bos explains the ‘Uncanny Valley’ phenomenon that has stumped engineers

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S robots have evolved over the years, it appears that a major goal of their creators is to make them as human-like in appearance as possible.

However, the more realistic a robot becomes the more humans seem to recoil from it, experiencing the same levels of fear and unease you would experience at the sight of a corpse. This phenomenon is known as the ‘Uncanny Valley’.

First identified by robotics professor Masahiro Mori in 1970, the ‘Uncanny Valley’ refers to the large drop in familiarity and comfort observed in humans the more human- like a robot’s appearance. Mori hypothesised that the more human-like a robot appears the more empathetic individuals will feel towards it, until the point where the machine looks more human than robot, but not identical. At this point the robot will still have non-human characteristics despite its appearance, leading to feelings of fear and discomfort in individuals, before developing greater familiarity again, as you would on a human to human level, as the robot becomes

indistinguishable from a human being.

Obviously the last part of this hypothesis has yet to be confirmed, as engineers have yet to develop an indistinguishable robot. However, the rest of the ‘Uncanny Valley’ effect has been observed in many different situations and can be seen to have an extreme effect. Christoph Bartneck, a robotics researcher at Canterbury University in New Zealand, described the emotional effect as “more like a cliff” than a valley.

Your brain subconciously picks up on faults and classifies it as a person with a disease There are a number of reasons as to why this negative emotional effect occurs, many of them come from our survival evolutions and our brains’ conflict in trying to perceive the technology.

One explanation is our evolutionary

instinct to avoid pathogens. When looking at a human-like robot, where the movements or appearance still appears unnatural, your brain subconsciously picks up on the faults and classifies it as a person with a disease, causing the fear as a cue to move away, to avoid infection. Another explanation is that being unable to tell if something is human is deeply unsett l i n g , as your brain cannot decide if the being in front of you is friend or foe, leading to discomfort or fear. Finally there is an issue with perceptual conflict within the brain. When seeing another human parts of the

visual cortex light up and send specific messages to the motor cortex and the mirror neurons which respond to any behaviour. With human-like robots the appearance often does not match the movements, which have yet to be made as natural as those of a human, leading to these signals being conflicted and creating deep unease.

As the ‘Uncanny Valley’ phenomenon is caused by deep-rooted instincts within all of us, it probably won’t be disappearing anytime soon. However, with ever evolving technology, it may not prove an issue for much longer as engineers get closer to creating a robot that is indistinguishable from a human in any way, though that thought may be just as terrifying.

SCIENCE & TECH

31

Biweekly Breakthroughs

by Joshua Rotchelle Tumour Boomers Researchers at the University of British Columbia have discovered a protein that has the ability to stop tumour growth in its tracks – and by extension, do the same with cancer. Accidentally found in the malaria virus, of all places, the protein (called VAR2CSA) has a knack for embedding itself in cancerous cells. When

strapped with special toxins, these proteins become guided cancer-killer bombs. The compound is being developed for human clinical trials, which is estimated to take three or four years.

Another piece on Pluto NASA’s New Horizons, an interplanetary space probe launched way back in 2006, has just completed its flyby of Pluto, and has uncovered a new fact about the mysterious dwarf planet: it has a blue sky, just like ours. NASA scientists are poring over the implications of this as we speak – sky composition says a lot about a planet’s atmosphere. The probe will be floating through deep space until 2019, when it will encounter space object 2014 MU69, 54 times as far from Sol as Earth.

Schrodinger’s Mac An Australian team of engineers have built a quantum logic gate in silicon for the first time, thereby hopping the final hurdle towards quantum computing. In classical computing, the smallest units of data are “bits”, which can either be 0 or 1. However, with the weirdness of quantum physics, quantum bits can be 0 and 1 at the same time. This enables massive amounts of data to be handled all at once, and with logic gates, these bits can now be properly manipulated in today’s silicon technology. New, powerful supercomputers aren’t too far off.

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SCIENCE & TECH

Becky B’s science for students In her brand new biweekly column, Rebecca Broad tells you how you can do your bit to tackle climate change.

Let me give you the best-case scenario: humans take immediate action against global warming. Strict agreements are made at December’s UN Convention of Climate Change. Carbon emissions cease by 2050. As a result, the Earth warms by just 2°C. Hardly anything, right?

Wrong. It’s not pretty: sea levels will rise by metres, swamping coastlines and islands. Extreme weather events will increase. 90 per cent of coral reefs die. More droughts; lower crop yields.

Increases above 2°C would produce extensive species extinctions, including Homo sapiens if we can’t deal with the changes.

Keeping to 2°C won’t be easy – as a recent paper remarked, “action is necessary at a faster pace than most policy makers conceive is possible”. So what can you do?

1 2 3 4 5

Search climaterealityproject.org/addyourvoice. Sign up to show support for action in Paris.

Demonstrate in person! Friends of the Earth are selling weekend Eurostar and Hostel packages from £72.

Do those things you know you should: turn off lights, walk don’t drive, recycle, eat less meat.

Get involved with the Students Green Unit and other student societies like Be The Change.

Educate yourself and others about climate change. Simple: share a video to Facebook.

Governments have procrastinated with global warming like a third year with a dissertation.

Let’s be the kind but firm housemate reminding them to work on it. By acting now, we can limit the damage to our Earth.

26 OCTOBER 2015 |

EXEPOSÉ

Monstrous mating NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-17 12-14 8-10

MUSIC 18-20

SCREEN 22-25

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-35

SPORT 38-40

Alexandra Glavaschi illustrates the animal kingdom’s wild copulation techniques

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HERE are many valid reasons that we, as humans, can be afraid to reproduce ourselves, but none of these reasons are the actual act of reproduction, judging by how effective we’ve become at practicing it while avoiding most of its implications.

We’ve got our evolutionary history to thank for our relatively straightforward mating system, and also for the uncontrollable shivers down our spines that happen when we learn about how other creatures produce offspring.

Male bed bugs forcefully mate with females by injecting sperm into their abdomen The praying mantis female feasting upon the male is a classic example. This behaviour, termed ‘sexual cannibalism’, is overall rare among animals, but common in insects and arachnids. The structure of the nervous system allows the male to continue copulating while it is being eaten. So, even if he has lost his life, the male has accomplished his purpose: he has successfully passed his genes onto the next generation. Males of some spiders have reached compromises, such as the Redback spiders that squeeze their waists to relocate vital organs and so cannot be killed by the over-

sized female’s first bite thus giving them extra time to copulate, or the golden orb spiders that bind the females with silk until sperm transfer is finished.

In bed bugs, the situation is somehow reversed: males forcefully mate with females by injecting sperm into their abdomen. This is aptly termed ‘traumatic insemination’ and, as the name suggests, it is relatively costly for the female. It is not yet fully understood how sperm migrates through the female’s body to her reproductive tract, but some species have modified their abdominal area to various extents to assist with this function.

Gruesome mating habits are present even if separate genders are not. Snails are hermaphrodites - all individuals possess both male and female sexual organs and reproduce by exchanging sperm. During courtship, they stab their mates with calcareous darts containing a substance that works its way through the ‘stabbed’ partner’s body to ensure the sperm they’ve just received will be used to fertilize their eggs.

Some marine flatworms, another hermaphrodite species, go to impressive lengths to avoid assuming the energetically demanding role of the mother for their offspring. What seems to be an elegantly coordinated courtship dance is nothing but “pe- n i s

fencing”: each individual tries to inseminate the other by inserting one of the two penises, located at the front, anywhere through the partner’s skin.

The sperm will find its way through the loser’s body, which is now stuck with the fertilized eggs to take care of.

One of the most extreme reproductive strategies in the animal kingdom is seen in some species of Anglerfish. Unfairly described as true monsters from the abyss, the ugliest animals on Earth, Anglerfish are just very well adapted to the deep sea they live in and they’re doing a great job in a dark, cold, hostile environment where food is scarce. With a fleshy filamentous growth on top of their heads that produces bioluminescence and acts as a lure, hanging above an impressive crescent-shaped mouth - surrounded by fang-like teeth - oriented inwards and a very mobile jaw, Anglerfish are able to attract and c o n -

sume prey twice the size of their bodies.

This description can only be applied to females. Males are at least ten times smaller and not much more than a helpless pair of well developed testicles with a powerful gripping mouth and one purpose: to find a female. Once this is accomplished, the male bites the female, normally on the underside of the body, and never lets go. Through enzymatic activity, the tissues surrounding the bite and the male’s mouth are digested and the two bodies fuse, sometimes down to a bloodstream level.

This way, the male receives nutrients, and the female has a permanent sperm supply to fertilize her eggs. Depending on the species, a female can harbor anywhere between one and eight males.

The list of unusual procreational methods successfully employed by organisms all across the planet stretches far beyond these overly simplified accounts. If you ever think that reproduction is terrifying, think again: at least you’ll never risk being eaten, either whole or parts of you, or stabbed, or forced to switch genders, or become one with your partner for the rest of your days, all in the name of contributing to the next generation.

Horrifying hormones

Beth Honey explains the biological basis behind our seemingly irrational fears

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OU’RE standing in the front of the class, amongst people you have known for (probably) years, and what do you do? Begin to sweat ferociously and turn as red as that lecturer who had his flies undone the whole time, until he finally saw himself on screen. You look down… nope! So why is it that we react in this strange way when there is nothing to be afraid of? The answer is plain old hormones, sometimes they are our worst enemy (when they lead you to do things you will most definitely regret in the morning) but without them, we just

wouldn’t be able to function correctly.

Many of you have probably already heard of the “fight or flight” response at some point throughout your schooling years, and it is this evolutionary adaptation we still have that is the root cause of our embarrassing responses to simple situations.

But why on earth do we have this mechanism that is clearly just a hassle in modern times? It dates back to the times when man, and indeed every other animal, would have to react rapidly to dangerous stimuli, such as sabre-toothed

tiger, and either run away to a safe place or fight back in order to maintain their territorial advantage.

Adrenaline and noradrenaline are released from a gland situated on the kidneys As we have adapted and evolved into modern day times however, the things we are afraid of are less evident, and sometimes, our bodies will still react in this manner to imagined threats. Phobias for example can cause the response of the fight or flight system, one may begin to shake, sweat, and swear monstrously at a tiny little spider they see in the corner of their bedroom that clearly is not about to kill them.

When you encounter such a situation, your sympathetic nervous system (that regulates blood pressure and is active during stressful events) initiates the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline to be released from a gland situated on the kidneys. This then leads to the wellknown response to stressful situations such as increased heart rate, increased respiratory action, and increased blood flow to your muscles to facilitate the fight or flight process.

So, the next time you are standing in front of a lecture hall or come across a spider from the other side of the room, think about whether the situation is actually threatening to your own survival. You will most likely simply speak for the next three minutes to your peers and then you can happily sit back down to brave through the rest of the lecture.

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GAMES

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

GAMES

MUSIC 18-20

SCREEN 22-25

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-35

26 OCTOBER 2015 |

SPORT 38-40

Exeposé Games

GAMES EDITORS Jack England Evan Jones

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@ExeposeGames

games@exepose.com

Photo: Time

Video Games: Art Perfection

Harry Shepherd, Online Editor, argues video games are the ultimate art form

I

T’S an argument I, and a considerable number of other gamers, have repeated ad nauseam for some time: gaming is an art form. So, this is ad-

or not, some game developers work out a way of combining these mediums in a way that can create some of the most spellbinding experiences I’ve ever had.

dressed to those amongst you who have listened to what I’ve had to say, and then maybe had a brief go with some video games for yourself. Now, what I propose is that video games are a more evolved, advanced art form than any other, capable of heightened and more powerful means of expression as an amalgamation of the wonderful forms of media we hold dear. Or, I just want to further justify how I spend a great deal of my time and make myself feel better.

But, regardless of how insecure you feel I am, video games, at the very least, combine forms of media we as a society culturally accept as art. Literature, music, TV and film can all find a home in your trusty branch of GAME. And, believe it

So, I’ll start with literature. Many games use text logs and collectible diaries to flesh out the reality and detail of the world you’re inhabiting. Instead of shoving all this information down your throat, many games will give you the key information, then hide the rest away for those who want to truly explore their new world. Some diaries, fact files and extra information can be effectively implemented in a game; for instance, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has a deep array of diaries and background information on characters and beasties that are wellwritten and increase the immersion of the game’s world.

As any film director or music buff will happily inform you, music can make or

break an artistic work. An artwork’s score can be deployed to impose a particular atmosphere or emotion, and indicate action sequences or poignant moments.

Classic FM will tell you that some of the finest musical tones are found within video games This also counts for video games, and as the traditionally-minded Classic FM will tell you in their prestigious Hall of Fame, some of the finest musical tones you can get can be found in games. 12 video game tracks made the top 300 and all form a massive part of games, particularly in the legendary Final Fantasy series. Nobuo Uematsu plunges us into the action-packed world in the same way that

Gustavo Santalallo sketches out a haunting post-apocalyptic America, through music.

Next, I’m on to film and TV, where

elements of each find their way into video games. Titles such as Uncharted, in particular, play very much like an action film.

When such games are achieving nearphotorealism and attracting the acting nouse of esteemed actors like Peter Dinklage, Charles Dance and Kiefer Sutherland, you might have to rub your eyes and remember this is a game rather than a film you are be watching. Added to this, the majority of triple A games have had filmic cutscenes for some time, that also form a key part of narrative exposition.

The critically acclaimed The Last of Us was praised not just for its acheivements as a video game, but for the strength of its writing and the realism of the characters.

However, gaming isn’t just a collage

of art forms, it also has plenty to add.

Gaming isn’t just a collage of art forms, it also adds plenty through immersive worlds Choice, both in character customisation and tough moral questions and the ability to fully embody yourself in a character and new world, come top of my list.

So let’s embrace what games can do as a more advanced artistic platform. The more we accept gaming as a viable form of art, the more skilled the actors and artists will be attracted to the medium. And then, together, we can create and enjoy some of the most powerful artistic moments we will ever experience. Now don’t I feel justified.

Xbox One lags behind PS4 Sam Brewer, Online Games Editor, explains Xbox’s false start since launch

I

T seems such a long time ago since the gaming world was eagerly awaiting the release of Sony and Microsoft’s ‘next-gen’ consoles. But now, as a Microsoft fan myself, you may understand why I have been horrified to hear that Head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, has said that the firm’s latest offering, Xbox One, might not be able to catch up with the PS4 after only two years on the market.

Let’s reflect on the history of Xbox for a moment. During the last generation of consoles, the Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 everywhere except Japan, boasted a largely competitive offering of games and arguably had the edge in online gameplay. With this in mind most people would probably have expected some pretty close competition between the two new systems. Yet so far the PS4 has been dominant over the Xbox One in pretty much every department.

Why then, after the resounding success of the Xbox 360, is the Xbox One lagging behind?

Firstly, I’d argue

the run-up to the Xbox One launch was an abject failure in marketing. Back in June 2013, there were announcements that the Xbox One would need to be connected to the internet at all times, pre-owned games would not work on the console and, most importantly in my opinion, the Xbox One would be marketed as an all-in-one entertainment system.

Despite backtracking on all these initial announcements, their initial decision to move away from making the best games console possible must be attributed to the company losing “the trust of [its] most loyal customers”. In stark contrast, the PS4 had a great run-up to launch year, advertised as the console ‘for the players’,

and consequently the PS4 sold over six million more units than the Xbox One in its first year.

So far the PS4 has been dominant over the Xbox One in pretty much every department It’s also worth considering that the PS4 is a more powerful console and its launch titles were widely regarded as superior to the offerings on Xbox One. Phil Spencer might well be right in saying that there’s no way the Xbox One will catch up

with the PS4.

However, Microsoft are taking steps to increase Xbox One sales. Firstly, by utilising Windows 10, Xbox One will be the first console to have easy access to mods attracting PC gamers who have stayed away from console gaming. Secondly, Xbox One has a strong Christmas lineup with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Halo 5: Guardians and Rise of the Tomb Raider all scheduled for exclusive release on Microsoft’s console this Christmas, which could cause a huge boost in sales.

Despite promising signs for the near future, I still feel Xbox One won’t be able to make the comeback it wants, but I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Don’t be afraid to scream www.exepose.com

Ben Assirati gives his thoughts on why horror is hip and happening this October

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ALLOWEEN is a period synonymous with fear, fun, and festivities. People take it upon themselves to design costumes, plan parties, and get themselves in the mood by engaging in the horror themselves. This includes watching scary movies, and playing scary games, and whilst the aim is apparently clear – to be scared – it begs the question: are scary video games fun?

For myself and for many others, horror games can be just as fun and ful-

filling as any other genre – more so, even.

The thrill of playing these games can be exhilarating, leaving you white-knuckled, sweating, and twitching at any noise.

Contrary to popular myth, video games only have a very subtle, miniscule effect on a long-time player, and horror games are no different. This is because fear falls under the category of ‘acute stress’; that is, a psychological response to situations perceived as terrifying or traumatic. This is the same reaction you might have looking down from a height, or from being on a rollercoaster.

The potential threat signal passes through the Hypothalamus, the part of the brain controls the adrenal gland, and in response this releases adrenaline into the system. This is why you often feel so alive and energetic when playing scary games. To quote the excellent H.P Lovecraft: “the

oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear”. While this is debatable, the key concept is undoubtedly true; fear is an incredibly strong emotion within humanity. For video games, this means that it is far easier to elicit a fearful response than a happy or sad one.

Stylistic choices in sound design and atmosphere can be enough to immerse the player in a thoroughly terrifying experience, as seen in many horror games such as Slender, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, or even the Silent Hill series. This immersion is also one of the main reasons why people play horror games; to lose themselves in the game, and to feel a real sense of triumph if and when they overcome whatever horror or puzzle they are facing. In this sense, horror games work on a risk/reward system; if you do not feel at risk, then the reward will feel meaningless.

Horror games are necessarily innovative, since they work on the principle of fear, and the fear of something wears off if it is repeatedly shown (for example, fear of zombies will wear off if every game you play involves zombies). This means that scary games are a constant source of ingenious, engaging ways to induce

fear within the gamer. Take Capcom’s Resident Evil for example, a game that brought horror games to the forefront in the industry. Resident Evil forced the player to make use of a very limited supply of health kits and ammo, as well as placing the gamer in a cramped, claustrophobic environment.

Horror games can be just as fun and fulfilling as any other genre - more so, even Another example is Amnesia: The Dark Descent, the ‘gimmicks’ being the sanity mechanic, and the fact that you are powerless to stop the monsters. These examples are why scary games are fun – there are constantly new ways to terrify yourself.

They cause the player to feel powerful emotions of joy and horror, and make you feel alive. As we draw closer to Halloween, perhaps it is time for us all to pop in our favourite scary game, cower down in our dark rooms, and have a good time scaring ourselves silly.

Noct, Noct - Who’s There?

Jack England, Games Editor, hides from monsters this Halloween Noct Chris Eskins PC, Mac OSX, Linux Out now

M

Y breathing is heavy, the lights are off and I am all alone. Walking through what appears to be an abandoned city, I tread carefully, knowing that whatever is in the unknown will kill me.

“Friendly?” said the pixelated text hovering over a doorway. “Yes” I reply, knowing that the wrong word could kill me.

A small man steps out from a house and calls me in. He is well equipped, a gun in hand and piles of ammo behind him.

His house seems safe, at least for now, and he doesn’t seem like he wants to kill me. The pixelated text returns, “it’s here” he says.

Noct is a 2D top-down, survival horror game that requires you to collect guns, ammo, equipment and food in order to survive. Noct cleverly blends arcade shooter action with classic RPG elements to create an experience that is truly terrifying. You play as a survivor from an apocalyptic purge on Earth that trans-

formed the world into a desolate and barren wasteland known as Noct.

Any wrong move can get you killed if another player doesn’t think you’re worth keeping As someone who is really not a fan of horror games it might seem strange that a game like Noct piqued my interest, but there is something oddly charming about wandering around in the darkness as gigantic, terrifying monsters charge after you.

Let’s start with the graphics. Noct is your typical, retro-inspired, top -down,twin-stick shooter, and yet, it provides something in its aesthetical style that will blow you away. Noct is experienced as if it is being viewed through monochromatic, thermal imaging satellites from far, far

above the Earth, which gives it a grainy, pixelated artistic style that suits the genre perfectly.

The gameplay is somewhat typical but with one major difference; you are killed in one shot. Similar to games such as DayZ or Rust, dying means you lose everything, so not only does this pump up the difficulty but also the fear factor, especially if you’ve been playing for a while and accumulated a lot of gear. However, as you could tell from the beginning of this review,

it’s not just a game to play alone and the developer, Chris Eskins, gave fans a real gift when he announced the arrival of a online multiplayer mode.

As with so many survival horror games these days, multiplayer is the place to be. Noct provides an honestly terrifying

experience, even with your friends. Any wrong move can get you killed if another player doesn’t think you’re worth keeping around and if they’re better equipped than you. But like most games of this nature, making friends is often the only way to survive. Compared to most other survival horror games, despite an overwhelming and constant fear of death looming over you, people aren’t afraid to head out into the barren wasteland in search of others.

In addition, most people seem to be a lot friendlier than usual in these sorts of titles. Upon finding my first group of survivors, I was quickly given a pair of handguns and some health kits to keep me going. However, some players are incredibly cautious, and rightfully so.

It’s about time I told you exactly what you should be scared of in the world of Noct, about the terrors that will face you in the darkness. However, half the fun of Noct is actually meeting your first monster, seeing it turn directly at you and charge, leaving you with less than a second to respond. All I can say to those who enter this world is beware.

GAMES

35

The Orange Box With Halloween coming up, we asked you to invent your scariest horror game titles.

SAM WOOLF I Am Bread 2: Night of the Living Bread ALEXANDER ROBERTS Silent Cardiac Hill THEODORE STONE University Deadlines: The Game JOSH CREEK Mario and Sonic at the Initiation Games AKASH BERI Plague Inc. 2: Fresher’s Flu FENTON CHRISTMAS Five Nights at Lemmy’s JOSHUA MCGREAL Twilight: The Video Game

Free Game of the Week

The Night That Speaks The Night That Speaks is a gameboy-esque horror game that places you in a graveyard after a terrible incident. Facing off against a horrible monster, your only defence is your middle finger.

Scan the QR code to download your free copy

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STUDY BREAK

www.exepose.com

37

BREAK

STUDY CROSSWORD # 78

SUDOKU # 14

Across: 8 Make to specifications (9)

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.

9 Chopping tool (which 16 Across 20 could have used in 1?) (3) 10 Nest of an eagle (5) 11 Worried (as the 6 are in 1 with 16 Across 20 around!)

(7) 12 Baffling problem (such as 16 Across 20’s identity in 1) (7) 14 Lay to rest (5)

To read more about a role and download an application form, search for the internship’s reference code on My Career Zone.

16 Apparition - visitant - spook (5) 17 Central female film character (there are two in 1) (7) 19 Person giving something - for free (anagram) (7) 21 Domicile (much 17 Down takes place in several in 1) (5) 22 Raincoat (3)

ANSWERS:

23 Clear from guilt (9) 13 Laptop button - knee tyre (anagram) (5,3)

Down: 1 Classic 17 Down film featuring 3, a 5 12, and other answers here (6)

15 Trial bun (anagram) - assembly of judges (8) 16 Dim - dreary - dismal (6) 17 Intense fear (which 1 inspires in many) (6)

2 Strong black coffee (8) 3 Random slaughter (as 16 Across 20 is guilty of in 1?) (4) 4 Having great strength (6)

SCP 3316 Staff Life Project Officer (Penryn Campus) Closing Date: 1 November

18 XI (6) 20 Front of the head (4) 21 Back of the foot (4)

5 Unusual - grotesque (8) 6 Group of players (including a Cox in 1?) (4)

SBP 3322 Software Developer Closing Date: 1 November

7 Currency - sore (6)

ANSWERS: Down: 1 Scream, 2 Espresso, 3 Gore, 4 Mighty, 5 Peculiar, 6 Cast, 7 Tender, 13 Enter key, 15 Tribunal, 16 Gloomy, 17 Horror, 18 Eleven, 20 Face, 21 Heel.

WEATHER

Across: 8 Customise, 9 Axe, 10 Eyrie, 11 Haunted, 12 Mystery, 14 Inter, 16 Ghost, 17 Heroine, 19 Offerer, 21 House, 22 Mac, 23 Exonerate.

Exeter’s outlook for the week ahead

Mon 26th Tues 27th Wed 28th Thur 29th

High Low

15°C

12°C

14°C

11 °C

Part-time Internship Vacancies:

14°C

9 °C

14°C

11°C

Fri 30th

14°C

9 °C

Sat 31st

13°C

9 °C

Sun 1st

13°C

9 °C

‘‘

PUZZLES BY ALFRED

WORDS OF WISDOM...

Cry at the end of the day, not when you have fresh make-up on.

Kim Kardashian

Cartoon by Katie Learmont

SBP 3339 Assistant Web Coder Closing Date: 4 November SBP 3323 EEG Brain Wave Data Analysis Application Development Intern Closing Date: 8 November SBP 3331 Appy Intern Tech Closing Date: 9 November Careers Fair: The new STEM Careers Fair is on Tuesday 3 November in the Great Hall and Sanctuary, Streatham Campus, between 11.30am and 3.30pm. Don’t miss your chance to interact with over 70 of the country’s top STEM organisations and learn about career pathways available. The fair is sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover and open to all students. www.exeter.ac.uk/stemcareersfair2015

Best of the South West

38

SPORT

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 16-17 12-14 8-10

MUSIC 18-20

SCREEN 22-25

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-35

SPORT 38-40

26 OCTOBER 2015 |

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Photo: The Exeter Daily

Emmott Leigh, Sport Editor, gets the lowdown for the upcoming Varsity between EUAFC and Bath

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EDNESDAY 28 October is a date to be marked down in the diary: the EUAFC Men’s 1s will be taking on the University of Bath in the annual Football Varsity. The match kicks off at 7pm at St. James Park, the stadium of Exeter City, and tickets are still available in the Forum for just £5.

Alternatively, you can pick up tickets on the gate.

On the matchday, there will be pre-match and half-time routines performed by the Exeter Emeralds Cheerleading Squad. There will also be a raffle and a half-time penalty shootout

with a twist. All proceeds generated by the match will be donated to the Cardiomyopathy Association and the Adam Stansfield Association.

Having had the date in the calendar for a while now, the squad’s preparation for the event has been extensive. They have been working hard in both their training and strength and conditioning sessions, and with their competitive local fixtures having begun on 8 August (currently unbeaten in 11 matches), they all have plenty of game time under their belts, and will therefore be entering the match in prime condition.

1s Captain Louis Bouwers was frank about the team’s current situation: “Our BUCS season hasn’t got off to the start we had hoped for. However the lads will be going into the game full of confidence, having put in some excellent performances despite the results. This is a must-win game for us - anything other than three points is not good enough.

We will certainly need the support and backing of our fellow students to secure us the points!”

Ultimately, Exeter go into this match with a chance to prove the point that despite having a tough time in

BUCS, EUAFC are a team that can rise to the big occasion.

Our season hasn’t got off to the start we had hoped for... We will need the support of our fellow students Louis Bouwers, EUAFC 1s Captain Exeter are currently bottom of the BUCS Premier South Divison, and are yet to win a BUCS fixture this season,

having lost to Cardiff Met, USW and most recently 5-0 to Hartpury away from home. This game represents the perfect chance to put things right for the Green Army, and there is certainly belief amongst the squad that they can make it happen.

EUAFC’s opponents this year, Bath, sit four points and one place ahead of Exeter in the divison, making the tie a mouthwatering bottom of the table clash. The Wiltshire-based side have won one and drawn one so far this season, their only win coming against Chichester on 7 October.

Players to watch Toby Yeates Position: No. 10 Studying: MSc sport and Health Sciences Background: Playing in his second varsity, Yeates was a key part of the team that saw promotion to the BUCS Premier in the 2013/14 season. He has a total of 72 goals to his name in university football over his four years here, and is recognised as the top goal scorer in BUCS for the last two seasons. Expect at least a goal or assist in the match on Wednesday night, and at the very least a top quality performance from the attacking midfielder.

Quote: “Great occasion for a great cause.”

Louis Bouwers Position: CB Studying: MSc Sport and Health Sciences Background: Playing in his second varsity as well, Bouwers has been a fundamental player for the 1s over the last three seasons. He was also part of the team that saw promotion to the BUCS Premier in 2013/14 season along with Yeates. He is seen as a strong, dominant centre back who always looks to play from the back.

He believes he has the best ping in the club and is a self proclaimed ‘Captain. Leader. Legend.’

Quote: “Omelettes, eggs. No eggs, no omelettes. And it depends on the quality of the eggs.”

Luke Roper Position: CM Studying: BA Business and Accounting with Industrial Experience.

Background: Roper has a vast wealth of experience in university football, having played for the 1s throughout his entire tenure at Exeter. He is also a former Exeter City FC scholar, having played with the Grecians for a number of years at the youth level system. Roper will be attempting to dictate the tempo of the game and hopefully offer a calm presence in the centre of the pitch to set an example.

Quote: “The Varsity for me is such an exciting event and one that we must win.”

Ben Mogg Position: ST Studying: BA Philosophy and Sociology Background: Mogg is undoubtedly a man who scores goals and strikes fear into opposition defences. With a current record of 85 in 60 games, he is at an advanced stage in chasing the University’s goal scoring record of 117 goals set by Ben Nash.

EUAFC will be hoping that those prolific shooting boots will be on in full form for the derby match on Wednesday...

Quote: “When I score I don’t celebrate, it’s my job. Does a postman celebrate when he delivers post?”

Fresh 1s thrash Swans

SPORT

www.exepose.com

RUGBY UNION Emmott Leigh Sports Editor Exeter Fresh 1s (3s) Swansea

T

HE Fresh 1s recorded a handsome 69-8 drubbing of Swansea with a hat-trick of tries scored by Captain James McRae. This continues their perfect start to the season with the full set of ten points taken from their first two games, and second in the league with a game in hand maintained.

Although the match was supposed to begin at 2pm, Swansea’s late arrival pushed proceedings back by half an hour.

The odd start to the match was compounded by an injury to the referee. This required one of Exeter’s benchwarmers to take up the mantle for the rest of the game, which also resulted in the scrums being uncontested from that point. At that moment, however, Swansea had already scored a try in the corner, courtesy of their winger.

The Green Army charged through again with McRae offering Jack Crowther the chance to score Exeter soon answered in turn when McRae burst through a couple of tackles to ground in the corner. It wasn’t long before he grabbed his second either, touching down directly in front of the posts.

This allowed Charlie Stewart an easy conversion to make it 12-5, although the gap was reduced to four points when Swansea were awarded a penalty in front of the posts due to Exeter not rolling away.

After a couple of well-worked line-

Fantasy Football

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523 Phil Smith Dom Carberry 483 Adithya Ramesh 465 Eliot Smith 453 RanulphH-K 450 Gvidas Girzadas 445 Henry Omeara 443 Daniel Chapman 439 Adam Capstick 435 Rob Cross 434

Selected results from BUCS matches played on 21 October Men’s 3s St. Mark & St. John’s

8 0

Women’s 1s Southampton

6 2

Basketball Men’s 3s Bristol

Football

93 73

Men’s 2s Bournemouth

2 0

Men’s 5s St. Mark & St. John’s

2 1

Women’s 2s Plymouth

3 1

Hockey

>>Diggy Forshaw and Dom Thorne after their comfortable victory. Photo: Natasa Christofidou breaks, including one sprint from Dom Thorne which unfortunately ended in a knock on, the Green Army charged through again with McRae offering Jack Crowther the chance to score the try this time. Stewart converted again to put Exeter ahead by more than a converted try.

In an all too familiar pattern, McRae cantered through again to bring Exeter a few yards from the try line. Scrum-half Max Ducourneau was then able to pick and go over the line with ease to get the

score up to 26-8.

It looked as if Exeter were going to run away with it, but Swansea mounted some significant resistance with a series of phases directly in front of the line. However, it wasn’t long before Exeter broke away down the other end of the pitch through hooker George Gosling. The ball was shifted to Thorne again, who had too much pace for the defence and scored another try. Yet another five-pointer was added to the collection by Rory Lorimer

in the corner, and sub Jacob Bushnell went straight through the middle for another. At 45-8, the result was inevitable. It was only fitting that McRae completed his hat-trick, and Crowther also got a second.

Finally Joe Charnley put his own name on the scoresheet, which left the score at a resounding 69-8.

The EURFC Fresh 1s will look to maintain their high standards in their next game; a BUCS Trophy match away at UCL.

EUMHC hit Cardiff for seven

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE

1. Falcaotside Chance hvbnvbn 2. Legs XI

The best of BUCS

Badminton

69 8

39

Regular fouls were starting to creep in as the game opened up. A brilliant through ball by Cardiff was met by a diving forward but he was unable to direct it over the head of the on rushing Bannister. Matt Richards completed his fine hat trick soon afterwards, dummying before rounding the keeper and slotting home.

With the game almost secured, Exeter’s concentration began to slip. Defender Alex Manton-Jones conceded a penalty corner which Cardiff Met executed and reduced the deficit.

The last ten minutes saw some excellent reflex keeping, stopping Ex-

eter from adding a seventh. A fantastic lofted through ball from Manton-Jones sent Albert Thornton through, but his ball into the middle couldn’t be converted.

Tom Watson added his name to the list of scorers With the game almost at a close, another foray forward saw Man of the Match, Tom Watson add his name to the growing list of scorers, executing well into the top right hand corner.

As the game was brought to a close,

Captain Ed Fleet was complimentary of his team: “It’s fantastic to see the lads scoring so many goals, and hopefully we can push on and stamp our authority on the league.” They head to Bristol next week as they look to put daylight between themselves and second-placed Bath.

Naturally, the Captain was keen to see similar scorelines in the future, urging his side to continue to work hard.

Fleet was also eager to recognise the impact of Man of the Match, Tom Watson: “He has grown hugely in confidence as the year as progressed and is slowly showing signs of being one of the most consistent performers” he said.

Men’s 1s Cardiff Met

7 3

Men’s 2s Reading

3 1

Men’s 5s Plymouth

2 1

Women’s 1s Cardiff

5 0

Lacrosse

Men’s 1s Oxford

8 6

Men’s 2s Bristol

16 3

Women’s 1s Oxford

Netball

9 5

Women’s 4s Exeter 3s

37 36

Women’s 6s St. Mark & St. John

38 28

Rugby Union Men’s 3s Swansea

69 8

Men’s 5s UWE

31 19

Men’s 6s Gloucestershire

69 21

Women’s 1s Oxford

75 5

40

SPORT

NEWS 1-5

SPORT

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE 12-14 16-17 8-10

MUSIC 18-20

SCREEN 22-25

ARTS & LIT SCI & TECH 26-28 30-32

GAMES 34-35

SPORT 38-40

26 OCTOBER 2015 | Exeposé Sport

SPORT EDITORS Rob Cross Emmott Leigh

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@ExeposeSport

sport@exepose.com

In seventh heaven MEN’S HOCKEY Rob Cross Sport Editor Exeter 1s Cardiff Met.

7 3

E

XETER maintained their unbeaten start to the BUCS season with a comprehensive 7-3 victory over Cardiff Met. Despite conceding first, the 1s eased past their Welsh opponents as quality ultimately prevailed, Matt Richards scoring a well deserved hat trick.

A cagey opening saw both sides squander good chances. Alex Robey chose to square the ball instead of shooting, before a Cardiff Met counter attack saw a scintillating solo effort give the visitors an early lead. Exeter were soon level, however. A neat throughball by Captain Ed Fleet was tapped in by Richards at the near post to level the scores with only six minutes on the clock.

With only a minute gone, Sharples intercepted before hammering high into the goal The next clear opening fell the way of Cardiff Met, but a scrappy penalty corner routine allowed the hosts to clear. With the game ebbing and flowing without much concentrated possession or territory for either side, a poor pass in midfield allowed Exeter to break again, Noah Sharples playing a great ball that narrowly evaded the forwards in front of the goalmouth.

By fifteen minutes Exeter’s de-

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fence had settled, cutting out any attempted through balls and trying to incite counter attacks. The home side were on top, but Cardiff were equally swift to quash any openings. A poorly cleared penalty corner on the stroke of 25 minutes allowed Richards to sweep home for his second after a fine inital save by the visiting keeper.

The visitors were keen to force an equaliser quickly, but Jack Simmons made a crucial tackle as the opposition ran clear. Not long afterwards, Nick Chittock won the ball in midfield and used his pace to lay the ball off to Sharples, who won a penalty corner off the legs of a Cardiff Met defender.

Although the resulting chance was saved, it was a reflection of Exeter’s growing dominance. Taking only a narrow 2-1 lead into the interval, however, the game was far from over.

Exeter started the second half quickly, pressing Cardiff Met and forcing them into errors. With only a minute gone, Sharples intercepted before hammering high into the goal, daylight finally emerging between the two teams. With Exeter the only team looking like scoring, Alex Robey ran onto a well-weighted ball and slotted home to extend Exeter’s advantage to 4-1.

Exeter were looking much more comfortable on the ball, confidence seeping into their play as they attempted more adventurous passes. Sharples converted his second goal, although it could have been a host of other players as they queued up in front of the Cardiff goal.

A third penalty corner for Cardiff Met. finally saw a breakthrough. Jack Bannister’s initial save followed in, to make the score 5-2 in Exeter’s favour.

>> Man of the Match, Tom Watson, making a foray down the wing.

Photo: Edwin Yeung

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

EXCLUSIVE: Football Varsity preview Page 38

Rugby 3s hand out thrashing to Swansea Pages 39

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