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THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

SINCE 1987

Tuesday 4 February 2014 • Issue 619 • www.exepose.ex.ac.uk • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose

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Students have their say

Exeposé’s exclusive poll highlights the issues that will decide the Sabb elections EXCLUSIVE Owen Keating News Editor

A POLL conducted by Exeposé in the run up to this year’s Sabbatical elections has revealed what Exeter students believe to be the key issues for each election race. Over 200 students responded to the online poll, which asked respondents to state which issue (from a choice of six) they thought the most important in the elections for Guild President, AU President, VP Welfare and Community, VP Education, and VP Activities. In the race for Guild President, 51.7 per cent of the 205 respondents privileged Exeter’s famed student experience above other issues, with second place going to value for money, with 49 respondents saying that this was their most important issue, constituting 23.9 per cent of the vote. Employability gained 8.8 per cent of the vote, with the nationwide representation of the University coming in fourth place, with 7.8 per cent. Local community engagement and University expansion received just over 3 per cent of student votes in total. In terms of a gendered breakdown, 54.7 per cent of men saw student experience as the biggest issue for the Guild President, compared to 51.8 per cent of women. 13.1 per cent of male respondents saw employability as the biggest issue, in comparison to only 5.4 per cent of the 112 females who responded to this question. Over one in four female respondents were most concerned with value for money, as opposed to only 11.9 per cent of males surveyed. One in three students asked about the AU President election said that the prices at the recently revamped Sports Park were the issue most important to them, while 23.5 per cent of the 196 re-

spondents said that membership fees for AU clubs concerned them the most. One in ﬁve were most concerned with intramural sport provisions, while just over one in ten (11.7 per cent) were most concerned with sports club culture. 14.5 per cent of female respondents expressed concern with sports club culture, in comparison to just over seven per cent of male respondents. 4.8 per cent of males cared most about coaching, in comparison to less than 2 per cent of female respondents. Nearly 35 per cent of the 199 respondents to questions about the Welfare election said that mental wellbeing was the most important issue in that particular election, while just over one in four were most concerned with halls and housing. 15.6 per cent thought student safety was the biggest issue, while just

It is important for Sabbatical Officer candidates to consider the issues that students identify as their priorities Hannah Barton, Guild President over one in ten saw that equality and diversity and student health were the issues which most vitally need addressing by prospective candidates. Only 1.5 per cent saw the welfare of international students as the biggest issue. Mental wellbeing was a bigger issue for females than men, with 36.9 per cent of females citing it as their biggest issue, as opposed to 32.1 per cent of male respondents. Nearly one in three males also saw halls and housing as the biggest

FEATURES: France rocked by Francois Hollande - PAGE 16

issue for Welfare and Diversity candidates, as opposed to only 18.9 per cent of females surveyed. The quality of teaching and assessment was the biggest issue in the Education election, with 39.7 per cent of 209 answers stating this to be the biggest issue facing candidates. Just over 30 per cent were most concerned with study spaces, while just under half of that figure, 14.8 per cent, were most worried about contact hours. 7 per cent of males were worried most about out of hours timetabling of compulsory classes (including contact hours scheduled on Wednesday afternoons), in comparison to 1.7 per cent of female respondents. Finally, responding to questions about the VP Activities election, 45.5 per cent of respondents said that society funding and support was their most significant issue. 19 per cent were most concerned with employability support, with a further 16 per cent saying that society participation concerned them most. Only 2.5 per cent of students cited issues related to St. Luke’s as their most prominent concern. Hannah Barton, Guild President, commented: “As the foremost representatives of the student body, it is important for Sabbatical Officer candidates to consider the issues that students identify as their priorities. Of course these change over time but it remains the responsibility of the Sabbatical Officers to stay in tune with relevant issues”. A second year Economics student commented: “The student experience at Exeter is much valued amongst students, and the fact that over half of those surveyed saw this as the biggest issue for the new Guild President is a telling statistic”. Additional reporting by Jon Jenner and Louis Doré.

LIFESTYLE: Jack Wardlaw walks for Lanvin in Paris - PAGE 19

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

>> Campus is transformed as Campaigns Week begins

MUSIC: The lowdown on Battle of the Bands - PAGES 38-39

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THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Exeposé is the University of Exeter’s editorially independent newspaper, produced entirely by and for students

Editorial team Editors Meg Drewett & Jon Jenner Online Editors Olivia Luder & Liam Trim Deputy Editors Clara Plackett & Emily Tanner depeds@exepose.com News Editors Print: Louis Doré & Owen Keating Online: Harrison Jones & Tom Elliott news@exepose.com Comment Editors Online: Dave Reynolds & James Bennett comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Alexander Carden & James Roberts Online: Meg Lawrence & Imogen Watson features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Kitty Howie & Emily-Rose Rolfe Online: Emma Brisdion & Ben Gilbert lifestyle@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Magda Cassidy & Josh Gray Online: Callum Burroughs & Ben Clarke music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Megan Furborough & Rob Harris Online: Jess O’Kane & James Smurthwaite screen@exepose.com Books Editors Print: Elli Christie & Emma Holifield Online: Sophie Beckett & Rory Morgan books@exepose.com Arts Editors Print: Sophy Coombes-Roberts & Ricky Freelove Online: Bryony James & Giverny Masso arts@exepose.com Games Editors Print: Gemma Joyce & Becky Mullen Online: Hernan Romero & Jon Jones games@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Will Kelleher & Mike Stanton Online: Matt Bugler & Jamie Klein sports@exepose.com Photography Niklas Rahmel photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Charlotte Earland, Lauren Swift & Vanessa Tracey

@Exepose facebook.com/exepose issuu.com/exepose Advertising Ross Trant R.Trant@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722432 The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher.

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Major development planned for Exeter Louis Doré News Editor EXETER’S city centre will be undergoing redevelopment with the proposed renovation of Exeter’s Guildhall shopping centre, construction plans of an Ikea superstore and the possibility of Asda acquiring sites within the city for construction. The owner of the shopping centre, Aviva Investors, is planning the first significant investment in the centre since it opened in 1976, planning to attract national and local businesses to the centre. The plans aim to attract retail and restaurant outlets and include significant changes in appearence to the Guildhall’s public areas. Andrew McNeilly, centre manager, said: “People have been telling us they really like the plans and that it’s overdue. They are really happy that the owners are spending money on the centre, which many locals hold quite dear. What we want to do is make that bond even stronger and hopefully give them more to enjoy”. City centre manager John Har-

vey said: “This signiﬁcant investment is somewhat overdue and I hope the plans meet with the widespread support I would expect and that work can commence on turning them into reality as soon as possible”. Alongside the redevelopment of the shopping centre comes the news that Ikea has acquired a construction site for a Exeter store. An Ikea spokesperson stated the company was “delighted that Exeter City Centre has supported our outline planning application”. Gillian Drakeford, country manager for Ikea UK & Ireland, said: “We considered the various comments raised by local residents to ensure that our proposals met the needs of both Ikea and the surrounding community”. There are also talks of Asda opening a supermarket in Exeter in the site of the Royal Academy for Deaf Education on Topsham Road. The supermarket giant is hoping to capitalise on the school’s reported wish to move to the proposed Hill Barton site, pending a planning application and an 18 month construction period. Oliver Jones, property communi-

cations manager for Asda, said: “Asda has been interested in coming to Exeter for a long time. We frequently evaluate sites in the city and hope one day to be able to bring our famous low prices to the area. We’ve committed as a business to providing 5,000 jobs in the next year, and we’re very keen to invest in the area”. A third year English student told

Exeposé: “It’s really exciting to see our University city being so extensively developed. An expanding university, with all the extra students this expansion entails, needs a thriving city centre and so this development is a welcome move. The addition of Asda, another cheap supermarket, will also surely help students to budget their purchasing of food and drink”.

Photo: Express and Echo

Exeter Revue RAG expect RockSolid intake to take show to Edinburgh Fringe Rob Harris Screen Editor

EXETER RAG is expecting to raise £10,000 for charity by facilitating students who are running the RockSolid race on 15 March. Originally aiming for 50 sign-ups, at the time of writing 90 people have put themselves forward for the event. This robust response from the student body has prompted RAG to book another coach and buy more vests to accommodate the number of runners. With the organisers describing RockSolid as a “full on cocktail of mud, sweat and team work that will push your mettle to the max”, it will see participants ﬁghting against nature in an obstacle course at the 12,000 acre estate of Escot Park, Exeter. Henry Bowles, Exeter RAG President, stated: “This is set to be a brilliant event; RockSolid was hugely popular last year and should be bigger and better this year. It’s great so many students are up for challenging themselves to raise some money for our worthwhile causes”. All applicants are expected to be running in the same wave on the day. Due to the solid entries from the sailing club (team ‘Yachty Totty’) and the tennis club (team ‘EUTC’), the runners will be subdivided into teams.

RAG will be providing transport on the day to and from the race, with a social at Timepiece taking place in the evening. Entry to the popular nightspot is included in the signing up fee. The proﬁts from the event are to be split between four nominated charities: Devon Freewheelers, Rainbow Trust, Concern Universal and Community Action. All donations can be made to individuals via their BT mydonate fundraising pages. Ofﬁcially sponsored by the University of Exeter’s Sports Centre, the highest individual fundraiser will receive a free one month platinum membership. In preparation for the event, team training is also being offered every Monday at 17:15 in the Russell Seal Fitness Centre. Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, commented: “RAG have yet again worked extremely hard to ensure we have a high number of Exeter students entering this year’s RockSolid race. The amount of money raised so far for this single event has been staggering, and the money is still coming in. The partnership with the Sports Park to facilitate weekly training sessions has also been a great success. It’s certainly going to be very muddy and challenging but, as usual, the dedication of our volunteers goes above and beyond”. The inaugural annual Exeter RAG awards will take place on Friday 7 March.

Owen Keating News Editor EXETER REVUE, a comedy society started only this year, has announced that it will be taking a show to the globally renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival this coming August. The troupe, who have already performed two sold out shows on campus, will undergo a three week stint at the Ciao Roma, in front of up to 100 people every night. The venue has previously hosted comedy luminaries such as Rufus Hound, Josie Long and the Cambridge Footlights. The group’s occupancy will run from 2 August to 23 August. Their cast is as yet undecided, but auditions will be held in the near future. The society’s founders, Edd Cornforth and Oli Gilford, are understandably proud of their achievement, telling Exeposé: “It is our inaugural year and we are a relatively small society. In September, we started with nothing, just myself and Oli as members. We had no money. We have raised all our money this year through our two sell out shows”. Cornforth added: “[Exeter Revue] is the ﬁrst comedy troupe from Exeter to

represent the University at the Fringe. We aim to gain a nationwide reputation by showcasing the comedic and dramatic talents we have here at Exeter, and we also hope one day to be a platform for producing successful comedians much like Cambridge Footlights”. The group have announced a huge ﬂagship show on March 24, as well as indicating that they will be performing on numerous occasions during Arts Week, which takes place this term. Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, commented: “Exeter Revue is one of a number of societies that have received a total of more than £15,000 in society grants so far this year to support their speciﬁc projects. It has been a pleasure to work with both the Students’ Guild and University’s Arts & Culture Society Fund to assist Exeter Revue with their trip to the Edinburgh Fringe. I’m really excited to watch their project develop, and I am sure it will be a hit at Fringe”. For more information on upcoming shows and auditions for the Fringe show, go to the Exeter Revue Facebook and Twitter pages, or contact one of the society presidents.

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A Sabb state of affairs? One in three election candidates can’t name all current Sabb officers EXCLUSIVE Louis Doré News Editor

RECENT interviews with the Guild election candidates have revealed that over one in three were unable to name all of the ofﬁcers they hope to succeed.

10 of the 27 candidates surveyed by Exeposé in the build up to the Sabbatical elections were unable to name all five of the Sabbatical Officers and the AU President. Exeposé recently revealed in a survey that 29 per cent of students on campus were unable to name a single member of the current officers. This

ﬁgure has markedly decreased from 68 per cent in 2012, following a publicity campaign by the Students’ Guild. Additionally, in the 2014 survey, 15 per cent of students were able to name and identify all of the ofﬁcers by role.

The ability to name the current team is not as great a priority as an understanding of the role to which they aspire Hannah Barton, Guild President

>> Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, at last year’s XpressionFM debates

The least recognised ofﬁcer by election candidates was Alex Powell, AU President, who 7 of the 28 were unable to name. Four of the 28 could not recall Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare and Community, two could not name Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, while only one could

not name Alex Louch, VP Education. All of the candidates interviewed were able to recall Hannah Barton, Guild President. Two candidates for the role of Guild President were unable to name all of the current officers. James Hitchings-Hales was only able to name three of the current officers, while Joel Smith was only able to name four of the five. Sam Wood, running for VP Activities, was only able to name three, and his competitor Dan Richards, was unable to name the AU President. Meanwhile, two of the candidates for AU President, Ali Borland and Andy Higham, were unable to name all five sabbs, and Holly Collenette, a candidate for VP Education, was unable to name the VPs for Welfare and Community, Participation and Campuses or the current VP for her potential position. Additionally, Jaz Sansoye, a VP Welfare and Community candidate, could not name Alex Powell, AU President. Spike van der Vliet Firth, who is also running for VP Welfare and Community, could not recall Alex Louch, VP Education. Hannah Barton, Guild President,

said: “Each candidate has met with the Sabb currently holding the position they are standing for in preparation for campaigning, and is familiar with that role. We hope that over the coming campaigns week, the support and guid-

This revelation shows worrying levels of incompetence A Second Year Classics student ance that the current Sabbs will give to all of the candidates will increase their recognition of what the whole team does. The ability to name the current team is not as great a priority for Sabb candidates as an understanding of the role to which they aspire.” Rory Morgan, a second year Classics student, commented; “This revelation shows worrying levels of incompetence. How can they expect us to vote for candidates who don’t even know the names of the people they are succeeding?”

Devon and Cannabis worth £250k Cornwall Police seized in Exeter face further cuts Fiona Potigny News Team

Thomas Elliott Online News Editor DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE are facing the prospect of having to save approximately £30 million over the next four years due to recent cuts in government funding.

It is a shame that there is the possibility of even more cuts to the local police force Alex Lewers, Second year History This reduction in spending follows the £51 million that the force has already been required to save, which resulted in the loss of over 400 police ofﬁcers. One option that was discussed, but appears to have been ruled out in the near future is the merging of the force’s major crime team with the Avon and Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire police. The Express and Echo recently reported that Police and Crime Com-

missioner Tony Hogg is set to ask for a two per cent rise in the police’s share of the council tax in an attempt to protect services. When contacted by Exeposé, Devon and Cornwall police declined to comment on the potential cuts as the budget is yet to be set. Questions have been asked over the amount of funding that Devon and Cornwall Police receive in comparison to other forces across the country. In 2013, Mr Hogg and Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer wrote to all of the region’s MPs encouraging them to push for more funding. The letter highlighted the burden that is placed on the two counties in the peak of the tourist season in the summer months. According to the Express and Echo, recorded crime increased by 26.5 per cent during the summer compared to out of season. In February and March 2013, there were 13,072 offences compared to 16,540 in July and August. Alex Lewers, a second year History and International Relations student, said: “It is a shame that there is the possibility of even more cuts to the local police force. As a student, I feel pretty safe in Exeter and this is partly due to the good policing of the ofﬁcers in the city”.

DEVON AND CORNWALL POLICE have discovered and seized £250,000 of cannabis following the raid of a property in Marsh Barton on Saturday. PC Aly Cruwys reported a strong smell whilst walking her dog around the Industrial Estate. A warrant was soon secured and the property was raided that evening.

[We] are working towards adopting an approach which may result in an increase in search warrants

This is the third growing operation to have been discovered in the area during the past ﬁve years, with 345 plants having been seized previously from nearby Alphington. Since 2008, the police have closed 111 cannabis farms in Exeter, detected more than 3,000 plants and arrested 92 individuals. Following reports that the Devon and Cornwall Police seek to partner with an energy provider to further crack down on cannabis cultivation, a spokesperson stated: “[We] are working towards adopting an approach which may result in an increase in search warrants and cannabis farm detections.” Cannabis has been classiﬁed as a

Police spokesman More than 200 plants were being cultivated in four rooms above a warehouse. In a video published online by the Express and Echo, DC Andy Hingston described the crop as “about six feet tall” and added that “they could be ready to harvest in a week”. The drugs are due to be destroyed. A 30 year-old male has since been arrested. A large quantity of cash and an offensive weapon were also found at his St Thomas home. He has now been released on bail until May pending forensic testing.

Photo: Express and Echo

Class B drug since 2009. The NHS advises against use of the drug, listing some of the primary health risks as asthma or more serious lung conditions, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, and fertility issues such as reduction in sperm count or interrupted ovulation. Studies also suggest links with suspicious and/or paranoid behaviour, and even schizophrenia. A third year student told Exeposé: “The discovery of such a large quantity of cannabis in Exeter is certainly a surprise. It’s not a city you associate with having a drug problem particularly, but it is reassuring that local law enforcement were able to act so quickly and decisively to seize the illegal substances”.

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National Student News Harrison Jones Online News Editor

Anonymous hack Queen Mary’s University QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY has become the latest victim of a cyber attack by the infamous hacking group, Anonymous, in response to the institution undertaking “invasive” research on behalf of the MOD. The ‘hacktivist collective’ stole a ‘signiﬁcant’ amount of data – including the personal data of some students – just hours after The Guardian revealed the MOD spends millions on funding cyber-space studies, including university research into Anonymous, hacktivism, and surveillance. The international network came to prominence after a series of political stunts against corporations, governments and media groups. They have previously brought down the websites of governments and security agencies, including the CIA and FBI. But last week the group turned their attention to Queen Mary, part of the University of London, in an operation known as #OpPhdPounds. The action has been described as retaliatory, with one hacktivist later publishing some of the data as proof of their work. Anonymous claimed: “Queen Mary and other universities should be much more interested in protecting their own data, and the data of their paying students, than in analysing the data of others”. A spokesperson from the University said: “We are investigating the claims. We have informed the police”. The group have indicated that further action will follow.

Nottingham voted greenest university THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM has been named the greenest in the world, with two more British institutions ﬁnishing in the top ten. The 2013 Greenmetric Rankings considered data from 301 universities across 61 countries and found that Nottingham had the best “campus sustainability and environment friendly university management.” Bradford and Plymouth universities came in fourth and seventh respectively. Each university was given a ﬁnal score after adding the points from six categories: setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste management, water usage, transportation and education. This is the fourth year that Universitas Indonesia has undertaken the research, with Nottingham also taking the title three years ago.

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University advertising to prospective students doubles in cost over three years Louis Doré News Editor THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER spent more money annually on advertising aimed at prospective students between 2010 and 2013. The University reported a total advertising spend, not including prospectuses and subject brochures, of £66,114 in 2012/13, an increase of 128.1 per cent on the ﬁgure of £28,982 in 2010/11. The spending on advertising has increased at a consistent rate, as the University spent £46,029 in 2011/12. The spending in advertising has increased in contrast to the spending around prospectuses, which has stayed relatively consistent over the past few years. Spending on undergraduate prospectuses has only slightly increased from £97,432 to £105,308 over three years, whereas spending on postgraduate prospectuses has actually decreased from £28,518 to £14,978, hitting a lowest ﬁgure of £14,223 in 2011/12. The increase in non-prospectus

spending can be said to have encouraged a rise in acceptance numbers. The University of Exeter, as reported by the Times Higher Education Supplement, has recorded a 35 per cent rise in acceptances of UK full-time undergraduates between 2011 and 2013, leading to an expanding student population.

League table position is important to all universities and driven by a number of factors and metrics, however the amount of advertising spend is not one of them University of Exeter Spokesperson When Exeposé contacted the Russell Group Universities, establishments

such as Leeds reported recruitment advertising spending on prospective students as high as £564,900 (for 2011/12, including prospectuses). In contrast, universities such as the London School of Economics, Imperial College London, Bristol University and the University of Cambridge reported that they do not spend any money on advertising for prospective students. A spokesperson for the University said: “The increase in advertising spend is entirely due to a non-recurring initiative to raise awareness in Cornwall of our Penryn Campus. The campaign worked exceptionally well, almost tripling the number of Cornish students at the campus, and contributing to a record level of undergraduate recruitment in Cornwall. We will continue to promote the Penryn Campus throughout Cornwall in the coming years, but by outreach to local schools rather than direct advertising. Our student advertising budget will therefore revert back to the minimal levels of previous years”. They added: “League table position is important to all universities and

driven by a number of factors and metrics, however the amount of advertising spend is not one of them”.

It is encouraging that the growth in University spending on advertising has led to greater student intake, however it is worrying that this could lead to overcrowded oncampus accomodation Kayley Gilbert, a History student Kayley Gilbert, a History student, commented: “It is encouraging that the growth in Univeristy spending on advertising has led to greater student intake, however it is worrying that this could lead to overcrowded on-campus accomodation”.

International Women’s Everyday Sexism founder Day celebrated in Exeter speaks to Exeter students Alex Carden Features Editor INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, held on 8 March, will be marked throughout the year by a ‘variety of initiatives’ across Streatham, St Luke’s and Cornwall campuses, the University confirms. Initially started as a left-of-centre protest in the early 20th Century, International Women’s Day has become a world-wide phenomenon heavily supported and sponsored by the UN and many charity groups and NGOs. This year’s worldwide theme is ‘Inspiring Change’, which calls for ‘challenging the status quo for women’s equality’, although the organisation is largely decentralized and individual groups are welcome to choose their own theme for their events. International Women’s Day is a public holiday in some states, particularly in central Asia, but has no official status in much of the western world. However in some regions the event is more akin to a day of appreciation, similar to Valentine’s or Mother’s day, rather than the political event it is in the UK. The University of Exeter will be hosting a series of seminars from expert figures from the University and from external organisations, as well as an interactive panel for aspirational women to discuss their experiences

with the audience. The University website will be changed throughout March to focus on exceptional staff, students and alumnae, although whether this would be solely female ﬁgures was not stated. Last year the initiative saw events

We’re delighted to be celebrating International Women’s Day and have decided that this shouldn’t be restricted to one day, or even one month University of Exeter Spokesperson such as the (now renamed) University Gender Equality Society’s ‘Reclaim the Night’ event, where students marched to protest violence against women, as well as an Oxfam fundraiser. A University spokesperson said: “We’re delighted to be celebrating International Women’s Day and have decided that this shouldn’t be restricted to one day, or even one month. This is why we’re planning a programme of events, integrating both staff and students, which will run throughout 2014”.

Clara Plackett Deputy Editor ON Friday 31 January Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, spoke to Exeter students about sexism and her experiences as a feminist writer. The talk, which was held in the Newman Collaborative Theatre, was presented by Labour Students and Gender Equality Society. The thirty-minute talk was followed by a Q and A session. The Everyday Sexism Project was founded in April 2012 and is a collection of over 25,000 testimonies of women’s daily, experiences of gender inequality, from 15 different countries. Anyone can submit an entry directly to the site, or by email or Twitter. Laura currently writes for the Guardian, the Independent, and the Hufﬁngton Post. She is also a contributor at Women Under Siege, a New York-based project working to combat the use of sexualised violence as a tool of war. Lauren Kay-Lambert, Head of Social Action for Exeter Labour Students, said: “I’d say that the reason why I arranged for Laura to come and speak was that, like her, it was only in the last couple of years that I fully understood what feminism meant. The Everyday Sexism Project has created a new wave of feminism; one that can

be controversial to many, but also one that is very important to highlight and share with people. For me, feminism has lost it’s original meaning- simply, that it means gender equality, and I think it is important to try and restore faith in this deﬁnition of the word”. Olivia Luder, third year English student, also commented: “As a young female student, Everyday Sexism is something I unfortunately often relate to, and I think Laura Bates is bringing light to a very important issue”.

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Guild Chinese New Year Exeter climbs announce celebrations to take table of “Sugar scheme for place on campus Daddy” website used books Emily Tanner Deputy Editor ON Friday 31 January Chinese New Year took place worldwide, and this coming week, Exeter University will host a range of events to take part in the celebrations. Activities taking place across the university will include stalls, a fireworks display and a spring festival gala amongst numerous other things to celebrate this yearly tradition. Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the celebration of the start of the Chinese calendar. Celebrations for the festival traditionally run from the final day of the Chinese calendar, which this year was the 30 January, until the fifteenth day of the first month, or the Lantern Festival, and so are the longest celebrations in the Chinese calendar.

I’m really excited for the events that will be taking place across campus this week. It’s great that Exeter are engaging this event A Third Year English student At Exeter, a number of events will take place this week in celebration of the festival. On February 8 a Chinese Market will be hosted on campus, at which the stalls will be mostly free of charge and instead aimed at presenting the Chinese tradition to those on campus. Traditional games such as tuo-luo, marbles, hoops, Chinese yo-yo and sticks will be available for visitors to the market to sample, whilst a variety of food including glutinous rice balls and dumplings will also be available. Chinese tea culture talks,

traditional dancing and face painting will be available at the markets too and the day will conclude with a fireworks display, taking place between 6 and 6:30pm. The following day, 9 February, a Spring Festival Gala, or Chinese Performance Night, will take place. During this event, members of the University’s Chinese Society will showcase their talents, combining both more traditional and modern celebrations. A third year English student commented that “I’m really excited for the events that will be taking place across campus this week. I’ve always enjoyed Chinese New Year away from University and think it’s a really fun and exciting celebration that everyone can get involved in. It’s great that Exeter are engaging this event and I’m looking forward to visiting the markets and watching the fireworks display”. Lynnda Lin, Publicity Officer of Chinese Society, said: “The Chinese New Year celebration is almost like the ‘Christmas’ where friends and family gather together at their homes, celebrate over food. The day before the actual celebration, Chinese families will dine over the round table, in what we call ‘reunion dinner’. Most of us will celebrate by having dinner with friends that we met on campus. This is the memorable moment that marks the beginning of a new year according to the Chinese calendar”. Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, said: “Chinese New Year celebrations are a firmly established part of the campus calendar. The Students’ Guild Chinese Society put on an incredible show every year, and I cannot wait to attend again this year. I have no doubt they will do us proud as we welcome the Year of the Horse. Happy New Year!” Events will take place across campus this week and are available for all students, staff and visitors to the university to get involved with.

Alex Carden Features Editor THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER has climbed seven places in the rankings of ‘Fastest Growing Sugar Baby Schools’, a poll which tracks new university student signups to ‘Sugar Daddy’ dating services in the UK, according to website SeekingArrangement.com. ‘Sugar Daddy’ websites, of which SeekingArrangement.com is the largest, featured prominently in the national press last year. The service is designed to arrange ‘mutually beneﬁcent relationships’ between wealthy clients who pay ‘sponsor money’ (on average around ﬁve thousand pounds a month) to ‘Sugar Babies’. Last year SeekingArrangement placed Exeter as having the 15th highest number of sign-ups in the country, with 129 students using the service. The highest number of signups in the country was the University of Cambridge, with 168 students signing up. While Exeter has climbed in the national rankings to 8th, the number of new student ‘Sugar Babies’ from the university has declined slightly, to 122. The highest number of signups this year came from the University of Kent, where 208 students are members of the USbased website. The website now claims that over a million students worldwide are members, making up the largest demographic in their membership of ‘over 2.7 million’. Sites such as SeekingArrangements are frequently accused of representing a form of prostitution, a claim which the websites strongly deny, instead pointing out the consensual nature of the relationships and insisting that their members

are ‘intelligent, goal-oriented ladies’. However, after the revelations last year, Exeposé featured an article written by an anonymous former ‘Sugar Baby’ (Issue 605) who slammed the service for its ‘purely financial’ nature – with women as the ‘service or product’. The ranking formed part of a press release received by Exeposé, in which the advertising played heavily on the recent tuition fee increase. The website’s CEO, Brandon Wade, is quoted as ‘maintain[ing] there is a direct correlation between Sugar Baby sign-up increase and the approved tuition maximums that took effect in 2012’. The copy suggested that ‘Sugar Daddy’ services provided a genuine method for ‘resourceful’ students to afford university tuition costs – as opposed to ‘privileged’, ‘underfunded’ and ‘intelligent’ students who have ‘parents’ ‘grants’ and ‘scholarships’, respectively. Simon Wright, Deputy Director of Academic Services, commented for the university on the story last year: “We would advise our students to be cautious about entering into such arrangements. There are more conventional ways to find financial support – the access to learning fund can assist students, largely through non-repayable grants. The University has many scholarships and bursaries which are available.” Vanessa Tracey, a Second Year English student, commented: “It is alarming that female students are increasingly engaging in ‘Sugar Daddy’ arrangements for easy money. Although students are conscientiously signing up to SeekingArrangement.com, being a ‘Sugar Baby’ places young women under certain amounts of sexual pressure, and potential dangerous situations”.

>> Exeter ranked 8th in the number of new ‘Sugar Babies’ on the dating website

Student travel survey launched Hannah Butler News Team THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’s annual student travel survey has recently gone live. Offering participants the chance to win a £20 Amazon voucher, the survey gathers information on how students travel between accommodation and campus, as well as between their home and term-time addresses. Data from previous surveys, alongside details on ways to reach the University, and further information about sustainable travel can be found on the University’s Sustainable Travel webpages. In previous years, the survey has

revealed that the majority of students use sustainable modes of transport, with 82 per cent walking, 7 per cent cycling, and 4 per cent utilising public transport when travelling to the University. However, the importance of safety regarding student cyclists has been highlighted, with students being reminded that cycling on public road, - including on campus - without cycle lights and reﬂectors after dark, is both dangerous and illegal. Students are also advised to wear high visibility clothing, and to increase their personal safety by not using mobile phones or headphones whilst cycling. To avoid a £50 ﬁne, students are reminded to stop at all red lights, and not to ride on pavements.

The University sells discounted LED lights for £8 per set, and silver-rated D locks for £15 from Campus Services Reception, Streatham Farm, to encourage students to consider their safety and security whilst cycling. Rebecca Webb, Travel Plan Coordinator, stated that student safety is taken ‘very seriously’, emphasising the necessity that ‘everyone has the right advice and information to enable them to cycle safely’. Alongside information on the Sustainability website, she highlighted events run throughout the year with trained cycle instructors, travel advisors and local police ofﬁcers, which offer students useful advice. Webb added: “Our bicycle user group (Unicycle)

has over 650 members, and I would encourage anyone interested in cycling to join and learn more about the events we run, and the information we provide. You can sign up online or follow us on Twitter @UniofExCyclists”. A free Dr Bike session, free cycle security marking, and the sale of discounted lights and cycle locks will be offered to students during Go Green Week, running from Monday 10 to Friday 14 February, as part of events being run by the Sustainability Team and the Students Green Unit. Any student wishing to ﬁnd out more about these events, and about safe and sustainable travel, is advised to contact Rebecca Webb, Travel Plan Coordinator.

Ricky Freelove Arts Editor ON 29 January Exeter Students’ Guild announced on their Twitter feed that students can now sell their unwanted books via the Exeter Guild web store. The Student Guild’s website store will accept any title, non-ﬁction or ﬁction, provided that the book is not considered offensive to other students or outside customers, or peoples’ beliefs. Students can choose to donate their books, or opt to use the Guild’s selling power. If the student chooses to donate their book to the Guild for sale, any money made on the item will be retained by the Guild to help support its members.

It’s really reassuring to hear that the Guild are offering a service that will benefit students both financially and academically A Second Year English and French Student If students choose to sell their books through the Guild’s webstore, they choose the price of the book which they would like to charge for it. The Guild have plans to apply a delivery charge on top of this price to cover the cost of post and packaging and will take a further 20 per cent of the selling price to cover administration. However, if customers choose to collect the books on-site there will be no delivery charges applied, but the Guild will still retain the 20 per cent administration charge. The Guild plans on marketing students’ books for a period of six months. If the item has not been sold after this time period, the Guild will contact the student. Students can then choose to have the book returned to them at their expense, or alternatively instruct the Guild that they no longer want the book and the Guild will donate the item to one of the many book donation schemes available. Lauren Swift, a Second Year English and French student, said “It’s really reassuring to hear that the Guild are offering a service that will beneﬁt students both ﬁnancially and academically, especially as some courses have a quick turnover of expensive books”. If students wish to sell their books with this new initiative, students are advised to contact guild-print-shop@ exeter.ac.uk or alternatively visit the Print Room.

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Carbon cycle twice as sensitive according to Exeter research Emily Leahy News Team TWO Exeter University researchers collaborated with an international team on a study that found the tropical carbon cycle has become twice as sensitive to temperature variations over the past 50 years. With professors from China, Germany, France and the USA, the team found that a one degree rise in tropical temperature leads to around two billion extra tonnes of carbon being released per year into the atmosphere from tropical ecosystems, compared with the same tropical warming in the 1960s and 1970s. The ﬁndings were published in the leading academic journal Nature. Previous research published last year by Professors Cox and Friedlingstein showed that these variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide can reveal the sensitivity of tropical ecosystems to future climate change. Together, these studies suggest that the sensitivity of tropical ecosystems to climate change has increased substantially in recent decades, making them more vulnerable to the negative implications of higher carbon emissions. Professor Cox, from the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences said: “The year-to-year variation in carbon dioxide concentration is a very useful way to monitor how tropical

ecosystems are responding to climate. The increase in carbon dioxide variability in the last few decades suggests that tropical ecosystems have become more vulnerable to warming”.

The increase in carbon dioxide variability in the last few decades suggests that tropical ecosystems have become more vulnerable to warming Professor Cox, College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Professor Friedlingstein, who is an expert in global carbon cycle studies, marks the study’s importance saying: “Current land carbon cycle models do not show this increase over the last 50 years, perhaps because these models underestimate emerging drought effects on tropical ecosystems”. The change the team monitored is signiﬁcant and therefore very unlikely to have resulted from chance. In this case, it may provide a new perspective on a possible shift in the terrestrial carbon cycle over the past ﬁve decades.

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University celebrates Go Green Week Tom Elliott Online News Editor FROM 10-14 February, the University will be celebrating Go Green Week, a national week of action on climate change that will take place in schools, colleges and universities across the country. A range of events have been planned for the week that will this year place a national focus on ‘breaking up’ with the fossil fuel industry on ‘Fossil Free Friday’. Many of the events will focus on sustainable modes of transport. Local charity RideOn will be selling reconditioned second-hand bikes at the Pre Loved Bike Sale while Dr Bike, a trained bike mechanic, will be holding a bike safety check up. Staff and students who walk to Streatham Campus on Tuesday 11 February and St Luke’s Campus on Thursday 13 February will be able to collect free pastries, tea and coffee upon arrival. In order to obtain the free breakfast, students will need to present a photo taken on their morning walk. The same offer will be available at St Luke’s Campus on Thursday 13 February. The Sustainability Team will be holding a mini Free Stuff event by giving away stationery that has been donated to the Student ReUse Project

and providing information on how to get involved with sustainability at the University. Travel Devon Roadshow’s trained advisors will be on both campuses to speak to students about sustainable modes of transport. There will also be a showcase of volunteering opportunities for those who would like to be involved with sustainability, including local organisations and student societies. The University events have been organised in partnership with the Sustainability Team, Students’ Green Unit and student societies. Societies involved include EnviroSoc, Oxfam and Community Action. Bryony Wilde, Sustainability Projects Ofﬁcer said: “We are delighted to be supporting Go Green Week again for 2014. The initiative provides a fantastic opportunity for students and staff to get involved in a wealth of interactive events across the Streatham and St Lukes campuses. We are looking forward to working in partnership with the Students’ Green Unit and student societies for a week of sustainability-themed activities”. Go Green Week is an initiative organised by People and Planet, the largest student network in Britain, campaigning to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment. This year’s national ‘break up’ theme, encouraging people to move

away from using fossil fuels, originates from the fact that Go Green Week 2014 coincides with Valentines Day. Last year, over 50,000 students and staff pledged to make personal changes, demanded institutional commitments and took political action on climate change. The People and Planet website says: “The fossil fuel industry is unequivocally driving us towards a global climate crisis: we will not keep dangerous climate change at bay without halting our extraction of fossil-fuels. “Too many UK universities support the fossil fuel industry directly through their research, their £6bn endowments and investments and their partnerships with some of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world like BP and Shell”. James Smurthwaite, a Third Year English student, commented “Whilst I thoroughly support the Go Green Week initiative, I wish the Univeristy would pledge larger-scale changes. I feel this is a token gesture in the face of an international problem”. A majority of the events will take place on Streatham Campus on Tuesday 11 February and St Luke’s Campus Thursday 13 February. A full Go Green Week timetable can be found in the Sustainability section of the University’s website.

Exeter historian shortlisted for Exeter Professor $50,000 military history prize features work on Christopher Bateman News Team UNIVERSITY OF EXETER historian, Professor Richard Overy, has been shortlisted for a new American military history prize. ‘The Bombing War; Europe, 1939-1945’ is one of six books selected for the inaugural $50,000 Guggenhiem-Lehrman Prize.

Photo: www.exeter.ac.uk

Professor Overy said: “It is a particular honour to be shortlisted for the opening year of what promises to be a prestigious annual event”. The books recognition is a success for both Professor Overy and Exeter University as the award recognises the importance of the work to the academic field of international relations, diplomacy. The relevance of such studies are contemporary as they can play an essential role in the quest for a more peaceful future and influence how military campaigns are conducted. Professor Richard J Evans, historian at Wolfson College Cambridge, commented: “This is the most important book on the Second World War published this century”, as the book highlights how “the bombing campaigns were startlingly inaccurate”. The book radically overhauls the general understanding of the Second World War and provides an ultimate history of the Blitz and bombing that occurred. It is the first book to examine the significance of bombing on fronts other than the most well-known areas targeted, such as on the Eastern Front, or the Allied campaigns against Italian cities.

This is the most important book on the Second World War published this century Professor Richard J Evans, Wolfson College Cambridge The Guggenhiem-Lehrman Prize is awarded to authors who have not only provided work for academic usage but have also given an insight to the general public in areas that any educated citizen should be interested. The Prize is supported by Lewis E Lehman and the Harry Frank Guggenheim foundation. The winner will be announced at a ceremony on 17 March at the New-York Historical Society, New York. A third year English Literature student commented: “I am thrilled that one of our professor’s work has been shortlisted for the prize. It’s a testament to the strength of Exeter’s research led teaching, which can only be a good thing”.

The One Show Vannessa Tracey Copy Editor

PROFESSOR STEPHEN EICHHORN of the University of Exeter appeared on BBC 1 programme The One Show on Monday 27 January to discuss the University’s research on nanopaper. The show featured Professor Eichhorn explaining the structural qualities of nanopaper and performing some mechanical demonstrations to prove that nanopaper has a speciﬁc strength which amounts to twice of that of structural steel. It was explained that paper made from cellulose nanoﬁbres is soon to have many uses in the modern world due to its strength, malleability and lightness. Car manufacturers are looking to replace certain steel parts with nanopaper due to these qualities. Professor Eichhorn is a member of Exeter’s College of Engineering, Mathmatics and Physical Sciences and has been working with colleagues in Sweden on the creation of nanopaper.

He commented: “We have been exploring the properties of nanopaper for some time now and there is the potential to use it in a variety of applications including high strength composites and for biomedical applications”. Nanopaper was first developed in 2008 and produced in a similar fashion to traditional paper, but with prior mechanical grinding of the fibres. Assisted by enzymes and carboxymethalon chemical treatment, this grinding produces fibres around 1000 times smaller than normal paper. The linking of these fibres results in a paper structure that is twice as strong as traditional A4. Eichhorn said: “It was good fun and challenging to do a piece on nanopaper for The One Show and I’d like to thank the staff at X-AT (Exeter Advanced Technologies) for all their help in the testing that we carried out”. The episode of The One Show featuring Professor Eichhorn is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

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inthisChina summer

International Exeter scholarships of £500 are available to eligible students to travel to one of China’s most prestigious universities this summer. Tsinghua will offer a stipend of RMB3000 (approx. £300).

Tsinghua University, Beijing Volunteers are invited to spend 3 weeks at Tsinghua University Summer Camp from 30 June – 18 July. Applications must be made via Exeter initially and application forms will be available following the presentation on 29 January.

Deadline for applications: Friday 28 February 2014 For more information, please contact Sarah Hector at s.hector@exeter.ac.uk or visit www.exeter.ac.uk/international/ abroad/summerschoolandshortprogrammescholarshipfund/ tsinghuasummerschool/. Eligibility requirements apply.

Professor Lu Zhongshe from Tsinghua University will be visiting Exeter on Wednesday 29 January 2014 to make a presentation to interested students. Details of the presentation are as follows:

Venue: Building: Streatham Campus, Amory Building, Room C417 Time: 12:00 – 13:00 To book a place at the presentation, please visit https://mycareerzone.exeter.ac.uk/ViewEvent. chpx?id=254225

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Your Campaigns Companion CAMPUS has had to brace itself against some torrid weather in the past few days, as yet more storms have swept across Devon, bringing stinging rain and vicious winds. Until about 10pm this Friday, campus has to stand firm against a storm of a different kind. Rains of discarded leaflets alongside winds of buzzwords and promised changes will buffet the average Exeter student to within an inch of their patience – welcome to Campaigns Week. Undeniably, Campaigns Week is little more than an inconvenience to some students, who have to leave early for their lectures in order to wade through the sea of canvassers that flood campus from Monday to Friday. For others, it is at least an amusing distraction providing a sideshow of flashmobs, naked saxophonists and other stunts making campus is even more lively than usual. And for others still, Campaigns Week is exactly what it should be; the chance to be heard, in casting a vote that will go towards making a genuine difference to the lives of Exeter students. We should all endeavour to be as much like this last group of students as possible. Look past the leaflets littering Stocker Road and the increasingly bizarre campaign strategies – there are a lot of people stressing properly tenuous links with animals this year for some reason – and see the candidates without all the bells and whistles. Beyond that, they are a group of students just like us, incredibly passionate about and committed to improving this university for thousands of other students. Exeposé has worked around the clock to bring you the most comprehensive Sabb coverage we’ve ever produced. In this issue, you can find the com-

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plete manifestos of every candidate running in the elections, so that you can view all of their policies in one place. To compliment this, you’ll also ﬁnd a poll highlighting the key issues for students in every election race – Exeposé would like to extend a massive thank you to the hundreds of students that ﬁlled in the survey, providing vital student opinion that will remain at the heart of this week’s debates. Finally – and hopefully, the most usefully for the reader – we have carefully analysed each manifesto and provided a commentary highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate’s policies. This should make it easier for students to identify which ideas are particularly strong or frankly unrealistic.

Exeposé has worked around the clock to bring you the most comprehensive Sabb coverage we’ve ever produced So keep your copy of Exeposé close at hand as you navigate the crowds of canvassers this week. Our coverage should ensure that you can look past the disturbing outﬁts and identify what each candidate should live and die by – their key ideas for improving the experiences of each and every student at this University. Do your bit and cast your vote, and help maintain Exeter’s reputation as one of the most democratic universities in the country.

Exeposé apologise for printing Sarah Gough’s and Anna Gibbon’s names incorrectly in the last issue. Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Charlotte Earland, Lauren Swift, Vanessa Tracey, Esther Docherty, Sarah Gough, Kayley Gilbert, Beth Gore, Sabrina Aziz, Isobel Buston, Jojo Watts, Ben Crick, Sophie Harrison, Julian Webb, Ally Kennedy, Claire Berrisford, Maddy Everington, Tristan Gatward, Sam Brewer, Bethany Baker and members of the Exeposé editorial

Meg Drewett & Jon Jenner Clara Plackett & Emily Tanner

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Sabb Elections: one year on after Presidential defeat

“Running in the elections and losing was not, as you might have thought, a gigantic waste of my time ” Nic Craig

ONE year ago I was chasing you up Stocker Road, trying to palm you off with a ﬂyer and a pen that didn’t work. Now, I sit comfortably in my room in Helsinki on my ERASMUS year and am glad to be watching this year’s elections from afar. After coming excruciatingly close to being this year’s Guild President, it would be easy for me to preach to you about the importance of the Sabbs’ roles and why you should vote, but I won’t. If you don’t care enough to vote that’s absolutely ﬁne. But I suspect if you’ve picked up this paper, then you’re amongst the 34 per cent of students who have at least a mild interest in what’s happening at the University; voters read on… Firstly, there is nothing wrong with voting for your friends; I’ll certainly be doing it. If you know one of the people at the top of the Guild, then it’s much more likely that you’ll be well represented, so really it’s a sensible move as long as the candidate isn’t completely hopeless. It is inevitable that some of the

candidates will be running because they fear leaving the bubble and are too lazy to do a Masters, but the truth of the matter is that most people capable of getting into Exeter could do a reasonable job as a Sabb. From what I gather it’s pretty difﬁcult to cock it up so royally that anyone would notice, but it’s an awful lot harder to be a ‘good’ Sabb. For this reason it’s worth trying to ascertain which candidates are least likely to just coast along

After coming excruciatingly close to becoming this year’s Guild President, it would be easy for me to preach to you about the importance of the Sabbs’ roles and why you should vote during their time in ofﬁce, and instead give your vote to someone who is determined to be out of the ordinary. So to those candidates who win this year, try to be extraordinary – you’re lucky to be in that position. To those

who come a disheartening second place, you’ll ﬁnd that doors will now open that didn’t even exist before, and although of course you would have done a better job than the person who beat you, I imagine they’ll do just ﬁne.

To those who come a disheartening second place, you’ll find that doors will now open that didn’t exist before Running in the elections and losing was not, as you might have thought, a gigantic waste of my time. In fact it was an incredibly rewarding experience to meet and talk to so many students at our University, and learn what makes Exeter such a great place to study. That said, there’s no chance you’d catch me doing it again in a hurry; this year I’m perfectly content to be an outside observer from a few thousand miles away.

Cartoon: Rachael Gillies

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The price we pay for Exeter living After last week’s announcement of accommodation increases, Exeposé Comment discusses the cost of student life in Exeter Ifeoluwatolani Omotola AS a ﬁrst year student there were a considerable number of things I had to adjust to upon starting university, many of these, however, I had been prepared for and warned about. What I wasn’t ready for however was the hunt for second year accommodation and the realisation that student life does not come cheap, especially in Exeter. I live in halls, Birks to be exact, which despite its considerable distance or more importantly the inconvenience of the affectionately termed ‘cardiac hill’ is still relatively pricey at over £190 a week. Despite this I have friends who reside all over, from Lafrowda to Point Exe to Holland. Friends who live in Holland often complain to me about the little

At over £200 a week Holland Hall has a reputation for housing the wealthiest students Exeter has to offer

looks of surprise and judgement that ﬂash over people’s faces when they ﬁnd out where they’re staying, which considering ‘what do you study’ and ‘where do you live’ are the most common fresher questions was quite often. At over £200 a week Holland Hall has a reputation for housing the wealthiest students Exeter has to offer. A reputation which is not surprising considering that in comparison to other more affordable universities, Exeter University does have a reputation for being predominantly white, preppy

and privately educated. However, in my opinion this is not a true reﬂection of the university demographic, many of whom are surviving on student loans and minimum wage pay checks to supplement those costs loans cannot cover. As someone who is still homeless for the foreseeable future, having not yet sorted my living arrangements for next year, I spend a good deal of time arranging viewing appointments and although I

Exeter housing costs are not the only problem am luckily in a position where cost is not a priority issue, many of my closest friends in their respective searches have found that everything available is just out of budget. Students who go to Exeter, unlike those who study in Central London, do not get extra student finance to counteract the higher cost of living, which is especially unfortunate for those in the position whereby their household income isn’t low enough for them to get extra financing but isn’t high enough for their parents to be in a position to assist substantially. Exeter housing costs are not the only problem, merely one in a long line of financial woes. Funds still have to be found to pay for utilities, go grocery shopping, buy multiple textbooks and hopefully if you’re lucky still have a few pounds left over for a night out. One thing most of us were not told was just how expensive the university experience would be. But university, despite associated costs, does lend itself to real world experiences such as becoming skilled in finding the best value for money, even if in Exeter those choices are limited if one does not want to be homeless.

Lina Katwala

WHILST I was filling out the National Student Survey last week, the final question was something along the lines of: what would you change? The first thing that sprang to mind was the price of halls. Even when I was looking for halls, nearly three and a half years ago, I thought that they were extremely overpriced, but nowadays the cost of living in university accommodation is ridiculous. Student living isn’t supposed to cost so much. We’re supposed to have the basic necessities and not much else and look back on our university days as impoverished students and smile, not live in halls that can cost as much as £218 a week. You could rent out a small flat in central London for that much. The fact that there are only a handful of halls available that cost less than the standard maintenance loan that students will receive in 2014/15 is a joke. Although the university has a reputation for having a large proportion of wealthy students who wouldn’t have to worry about finances, there are still many students who cannot simply rely on their

supermarkets that are further away and often inaccessible to students without cars (the majority). Buying any kind of decent lunch on campus is also insanely expensive for a university. As I’m sure you’re all aware, meal

the opinion that the increase in living costs will no doubt out-price many prospective students from the University, and potentially further put off many from even applying to Exeter in the ﬁrst place. For many students, government maintenance loans do not even cover the price of halls, let alone further day-to-day living costs. Consequently, many students are forced to work part-time in order to cover their costs – something that of course isn’t unique to Exeter, but that is perhaps something they wouldn’t have had to do if they’d attended a less expensive University. The simple truth is that, without access to further funds, many students are simply unable to afford the cost of living in Exeter. It is this issue that has led to the University’s reputation of being so ﬁnancially exclusive! So are the University halls overpriced? Is it worth paying £218.40 for that room-with-a-view in the prestigious Holland Hall? Having lived in catered University Halls myself

in first year, I can safely say that the experience (on the whole) has filled me with nostalgic memories and fun-filled anecdotes, and is something I will never forget. Living in halls is definitely something that every student should experience. However, was my time worth the money I spent? And, more to the point, would it be worth the amount of money the University is now charging? The food certainly left much to be desired, especially given the extortionately early meal times of 17:15 – 19:00. The room was clean and relatively spacious, and I met my close friends and current housemates through living in halls. However, I will leave Exeter with a larger student loan than most given the financial expense that living in University halls left me with. So was it worth the money? Literally speaking, probably not. But would I do it again? Most definitely.

Unfortunately, accommodation isn’t the only cost to worry about deals on campus cost around £3.29, which is more than Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Co-op. And with the rising taxes on alcohol, going out has also become very pricey. For some students therefore it isn’t a case of avoiding the overdraft, it’s a case of trying to have enough of it left to get to the end of the year. So overall, I believe that the cost of living is very high here in Exeter. The university is trying to lose its reputation as an institution for the wealthy but it will never be able to achieve this if prices continue to rise, which they inevitably will. This may deter bright university applicants who aren’t necessarily from wealthy backgrounds from coming to Exeter, and will mean that some current students will leave university in great ﬁnancial difﬁculty.

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Tanera Simons

Photo: Exeter University

parents to help them pay for accommodation. How are students who rely on the maintenance loan supposed to afford to live in halls and also pay for food, nights out, books, laundry, joining societies, socialising and anything else they need without having to get a part-time job, which could have an effect on their studies? It doesn’t seem fair. Many moons ago when I was in ﬁrst year and living in Lafrowda enhanced (around £89), now Lafrowda standard (£97.86), I tried communicating my thoughts on the rising prices of halls to University Partnership Programme, the company that managed many of the halls on campus, but they told me that nothing could be done. I told them that the high prices of their halls encourages private landlords to charge more for housing, so students are trapped in this vicious cycle for their whole university career. They just said sorry. Unfortunately, accommodation isn’t the only cost that new students in September 2014 will have to worry about. The cost of actually living in Exeter is also extremely high. If students in Exeter want to make the most of their university days, it isn’t cheap. In terms of food, the majority of the supermarkets within walking distance are smaller or local, and so their prices are generally higher than

LAST week, Exeposé reported on the increase in the price of living in University accommodation for the next academic year: a fact perhaps unsurprising given the current economic climate, but one that is nevertheless unwelcome to both prospective and current students alike. Exeter is already known as one of the most expensive student cities to live in, second only to London, and currently advertises University hall room prices as being between £99.82 - £218.40 per week (self-catered and catered). Compare this to neighbouring Plymouth, whose most expensive accommodation costs £125 per week, and it is easy to see why Exeter has garnered its reputation of being so expensive. Having consulted with several people about the issue, many are of

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Where to turn to for wellbeing

“Despite being constantly surrounded by others, university can be very isolating” Vanessa Tracey, Copy Editor responds to The Wait for Wellbeing Vanessa Tracey Copy Editor WHEN your closest friend tells you she needs counselling but can’t get an appointment for another six weeks, you really start to panic. Despite the severity of her situation, this was the ﬁrst available appointment for her to be seen at the Wellbeing Centre after her initial assessment. Friends are not the same as counsellors and despite all the love and support she could get from those around her, talking to a professional

Having worked within mental health myself, I quickly learnt that if somebody isn’t in the right place at the right time to offer support, you can soon have a situation of crisis on your hands was still necessary. It was only after speaking to her personal tutor that

the appointment was moved forward and although the counselling itself was incredibly helpful, the thought of having to wait such a long time caused an unnecessary strain on what was already a delicate situation. She is by far the bravest person I know. Although university is often perceived as the best period of your life, there are various pressures and anxieties that ﬁlter in day to day on all levels. It isn’t just a question of ‘am I making the most of things?’ but juggling impending deadlines, societal commitments and a social life can be exhausting. Get the balance wrong and you might have to avoid your housemate for a while for fear

of getting your head bitten off, get the balance upside down and it may lead to something more serious. Despite being constantly surrounded by others, university life can also be very isolating and although we are supposed to pretend to be adults, worries about sometimes ‘not ﬁtting in’ or home sickness still have a part to play in our lives. This is why it is vital we have reliable support from places such as the Wellbeing Centre even though most may never even step foot in the building. Just knowing there is a small refuge is a load off our minds. However, letting students wait over a month for a ﬁrst appointment

is extreme. Having worked within mental health myself as a ﬁrst point of contact, I quickly learnt that if somebody isn’t in the right place at the right time to offer support, you can soon have a situation of crisis on your hands. The call centre only covers a small area of Essex but still receives over 2500 calls a day, also teaching me that mental health can no longer be brushed aside or stigmatised. Mental health is real and is encountered by one in four people at some stage of their life. The emergency additional funding that has been granted to the Wellbeing Centre is long overdue.

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

LETTERS RE: Issue 618 The Prohibition Ball: Putting charity at the Centre James Bennett Dear Exeposé Editors, I am writing in response to James Bennett’s recent article ‘The Prohibition Ball: Putting Charity at the Centre.’ As the Events Ofﬁcer for the current RAG committee, I feel that it is important to clarify a few issues that James raises in his comment, so that James and other like-minded students can enjoy the Prohibition Ball with a charity-inspired, guilt-free conscience.

I would first like to address James’ concern that the Prohibition Ball does not have one specific nominated charity to which all event profits will go. James, you are right, we do not have one nominated charity – in fact we have four nominated charities. After much discussion and deliberation, the Prohibition Ball committee decided that all profits from this event would be shared between RAG’s four nominated charities of 2013/14: Concern Universal, Rainbow Trust, Devon Freewheelers and our own campus society Community Action. These four charities, ranging from local to international, were chosen in a campus-wide ballot that saw a 300% increase in votes this year. We,

as students, voted for these charities to be both supported and celebrated for an entire year by the fundraising efforts of RAG. Why, then, should they miss out on gaining support and recognition at the largest event in RAG’s – and the University’s – calendar? Our committee have established an event in celebration of a new era for RAG: to create a new legacy that will grow and develop for many years to come (mainly so that in a decade’s time when it’s a 20,000 strong event I can still claim a free ticket) and with this, we must recognise our obligation to – and passion for – the charities and organisations that university students have asked us to support, fundraise for and dedicate our efforts to.

Send your letters to the editors to editors@exepose.com Here at RAG HQ, we haven’t spent the last year lamenting the loss of the SSB or drying our eyes with our now useless overly padded bras. Instead we have been working tirelessly to establish an event that will grow to be a ‘staple of Exeter’s social calendar’ but that is also well on the way to donating £5000 to our nominated charities. While not yet hitting the five figures of the SSB, we will be donating almost 50% of all ticket sales to charity, a fair bit more than from your average £40 SSB ticket. And with the SSB itself starting out as a (fully clothed) black tie dinner at the Impy with Will Young, we’re fairly confident that our Prohibition Legacy will be hitting the high notes soon, too.

So the message from RAG HQ is simply this: go and enjoy the Prohibition Ball – there’ll be plenty to enjoy – and afterwards we’ll be more than happy to show you exactly where your money has gone and how many worthy causes you’ve supported and celebrated. See you all there! Laura Yonish RAG Events Ofﬁcer.

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Imogen Watson, Online Features Editor, dips her toes in the US of A and finds it not as much to her liking as her home across the sea... THERE’S something about earning money when you have few real responsibilities that helps make you just a little bit reckless, which I assure you is a word that had never applied to me before in my life. That’s how, ﬁve years after a cancelled promise from my secondary school to take all politics students to the United States, and having earned a decent wage for the past eight months

footprints painted on the ﬂoor to point at the front of my British passport at the words ‘United Kingdom’ and answer that I didn’t live in Germany. When he rephrased the question and I then had the audacity to nit-pick and tell him that neither did I live in London, it crossed my mind that I might never make it past Immigration if I didn’t somehow tone down my personality, cease being contrary and stop irritating government ofﬁcials with

Although I, like most of us, have been well versed in American culture since my early years through television and the US being simply everywhere all of the time, experiencing it for myself was somewhat different. As the subway train pulled into the station to cart me off in what I hoped was the right direction, the ﬁrst thing I noticed emblazoned across each single carriage was an American ﬂag the size of a small bed. Two hours in and if I

of your country but it is better, at least, to be aware of why you’re doing it. It wasn’t only me that seemed initially confused by the intensity of the American way of life; despite the number of British tourists ﬂocking to the States every year, the Americans seemed to take their time understanding me as well. Whilst I encountered several squeals of “Oh my God, I love your accent!” waiting for my tour group at the Washington Monument on D.C.’s beautiful National Mall, I was approached twice

ish person on my tours, the guides also I took particular delight in telling me multiple times about when the Brits burned down the White House in 1812, to the point where I just decided to take the credit for it. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I give you my ancestors. Possibly. Nevertheless it demonstrated a fascinating American captivation with their history, one surprising for a country only three hundred years old. I have been told on numerous occasions that such a solo trip to such big cities well outside what I’ve experi-

There and back again without spending much of it, I found myself hovering around Heathrow Terminal five (far bigger and scarier than my usual Birmingham International) on a Monday afternoon in May. I was both ridiculously early and ridiculously alone. My destination? New York City, and a brief sojourn in Washington D.C. Stepping off my seven-hour flight into Immigration Control at New York’s JFK airport, it soon became apparent that despite my meticulous planning of everything I was going to see during my five days there, the apparent lack of a language barrier (I’m making an exception here for the hostel worker with the inability to understand ‘post box’ despite my waving postcards at her) would not prepare me for the culture shock I was about to experience during my eleven days spent on the other side of the pond. “What do you do in Germany?” As part of the only flock of waiting arrivals, all landing from London, I thought it was a trick question. I had filled in my visa waiver form and told them that I wasn’t a Nazi and promised that I had never tried to overthrow the US government – what more did they want? The immigration officer seemed far less than impressed as I took a step off the

the power to send me home. “I’m a student,” I quickly said. He let me through. So far, so good – until a police dog started snifﬁng my bag and I thought I was going to be shot there and then. (The cause was just a sandwich I’d not eaten yet,

A police dog started sniffing my bag and I thought I was going to be shot there and then. (The cause was just a sandwich I’d not eaten yet, and the dog hadn’t been fed yet) and the dog hadn’t been fed in a while.) It took me another hour of collecting baggage and working out my route across Manhattan to get my next shock, one that would follow me throughout the eleven days: American patriotism.

had been in any doubt as to which country I was in, there was no excuse for it. Perhaps it was the stark contrast between our annual single evening of inyour-face patriotism at the Last Night of the Proms and the masses of ﬂags hanging around these two major American cities all year round which struck me most. The symbolism of 50 ﬂags – one per state – across Washington was blatant; I even saw one hanging from an unused construction crane. Conversations with friends in California suggested to me that, in fact, patriotism in New York has perhaps understandably been on the rise since 9/11. What then appeared most suspicious to me was that none of them had seemed to have noticed until I started pointing it out. It is not automatically wrong to be proud

b y a leaﬂeter who couldn’t tell from m y accent that I was British, and subsequently was only able to identify Big Ben as a part of

Perhaps it was the stark contrast between our annual single evening of inyour-face patriotism at the Last Night of the Proms and the masses of flags hanging around these two major American cities all year round which struck me most England. Safe to say that when he rather forwardly offered to “show me the town” that evening, I politely declined. As I was frequently the only Brit-

enced b e fore was brave, but in all honesty, the States are a great place to visit on your own, once you have accepted that there are probably going to be odd people talking to you on occasion. That happens e v e r y where, at any rate. If you can c o p e with that, well, the city of New Yo r k literally never does sleep. There is always someone to talk to and somewhere new to see, and no one to hold you back from doing so if you want to. There’s a whirlwind to get involved in, but rest assured that you will go home more tired than when you left. Although it was incredibly fun and everyone was generally kind to me whilst I was there, the sheer intensity of being surrounded by Americans asking me questions about England also left me feeling somewhat exhausted. After two weeks of my American adventure, Britain beckoning to me across the Atlantic, with its calming cups of tea, Doctor Who on the telly and Big Ben chiming my arrival home, was certainly a welcome thought. I’d take hope and glory over the free and the brave any day.

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While most students lie abed, Jack We

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rner of a foreign field

West-Sherring grabs his musket, powder and shot and fights for King and Country MID-AFTERNOON on 18 June, 1815. The crisp, expectant call of a cavalry trumpet resounds across the fields as two serried ranks of French horsemen, armoured cuirassiers, begin their advance at the trot. The ground to their front is still sodden from the previous night’s deluge and littered with the casualties of both armies, causing the horses to stumble and collide. The cuirassiers know that their enemy is beaten and already retreating towards Brussels – didn’t the Emperor tell them so himself? At the gallop they ascend the ridge before them. On the other side of that ridge, however, the Allied infantry are not in retreat. They are drawn up in a vast chequerboard of defensive squares – inside one of which is their commander, the Duke of Wellington himself – ready to receive the oncoming charge. As the French appear on the horizon, they meet with a hail of disciplined musket fire at point-blank range, y e t still the horsemen advance valiantly through the smoke. They are soon engaged in mêlée with their foe, hacking away at the murderous hedge of bayonets. One gold-encrusted British officer, separated from his square and locked in mortal combat with a cuirassier, thrusts at his opponent, then exclaims jovially in a haughty English accent: “sorry!” Yes, this is not a real battle but merely a re-enactment of one: an inaugural re-enactment in 2010 that involved more than 3,000 participants from 15 countries and drew unprecedented international tourism to the sleepy Belgian village of Waterloo. It’s a re-enactment that has helped bring the Belgian government the funds it needed for a full restoration of the farm buildings at Hougoumont – a vital strongpoint in Wellington’s line held by the British 2nd Guards Brigade – in time for the Bicentenary in 2015. The farm is to be made a permanent memorial to the British regiments that fought in its defence. It has been paid for by this generation and is to be preserved for future ones. This is my hobby. I became a re-enactor purely by accident. It was a rough October weekend, during a half term in year seven, and my dad had taken me to Dover Castle for the day. High waves were battering the famous white cliffs, and we contemplated going home (a short drive away). Then a chance encounter with an English Heritage ticket officer changed everything. The friendly and unassuming man who greeted us was an officer not just of tickets but, as it turns out, also of men. He was, and is, the commander of 3rd Battalion, 1st Foot Guards as they would have appeared in 1815. My boyish enthusiasm for Waterloo was obvious, and he invited both me and my dad to come and meet the Guards at their next

drill session, held at Dover Castle on the first Sunday of every month. So we did, and we haven’t looked back. My whole family now indulge in re-enacting. My dad, an art historian, is also very knowledgeable about battlefield surgery during the Napoleonic Wars. He has assembled a plethora of ghastly instruments, from curved needles to petit-tourniquets and dubious tooth-edged saws, and he stages amputations and bullet extractions to ‘educate’ the public at numerous Guards’ events. All are historically accurate to the last detail. My mother, a passionate Jane Austen devotee who prefers the more refined aspects of Regency life, goes to the occasional candlelit ball or dinner in period dress. Having appeared in the BBC’s Sharpe series (Sharpe’s Regiment), the 1st Foot

As the French appear on the horizon, they meet with a hail of disciplined musket fire at point-blank range, yet still the horsemen advance valiantly through the smoke. They are soon engaged in mêlée with their foe, hacking away at the murderous hedge of bayonets Guards also go to Bath many times for parades, balls and Austen festivals. Who could resist the temptation to be Elizabeth Bennett for a night? The role I play in the 1st Foot Guards has always been that of a musician. I had joined my school’s Combined Cadet Force Band shortly before that fateful day in Dover, and there I learnt how to play the Bb Fife (a military flute), Side Drum and Bugle. I had already learnt lots of modern tunes on the fife and was a seasoned Last Post bugler of many Remembrance Sundays at my local church. Musicians were essential in any Napoleonic army: patriotic tunes played on a fife could inspire wavering men in the heat of battle and entertain them in camp, while specific calls made by drums, and later bugles, were the only means by which orders could be relayed in the noise and confusion of battle. It isn’t surprising then that drummers were paid more than the private soldiers themselves, and continue to be so today. As a bandsman, I wear the characteristic British ‘redcoat’ but with elaborate chevrons down the sleeves, known as ‘tapes’. These tapes make me instantly recognisable in battle and are decorated, oddly, with the ostensibly French fleur-de-lis; a curious tradition that has

existed ever since the Guards assisted King Louis XIV in his wars against the Dutch in the 1660s. Watch the Trooping the Colour and you will notice the remarkable similarity between the coat of a Guards musician and the version worn on parade by modern drummers: the design has barely changed over two centuries. Wearing the ‘redcoat’, first issued to musketeers in Cromwell’s New Model Army, cannot help but instil me with a great sense of pride in the long military tradition it represents. It might not be the most practical uniform in heavy rain (which causes the wool to contract and the dye to run over the pipeclayed cross belts and brass work that I’ve just polished) but us re-enactors can simply laugh about that afterwards. I love re-enacting for many reasons, but the songs and camaraderie around the camp fire is something not to be missed. The Allied camp at Waterloo is always just outside the farm of Hougoumont, so it’s incredibly atmospheric to wake up to the sound of a bugle (my bugle!) at 6am and stare across the misty battlefield. It’s very eerie to be in the exact spot where some 4,000 soldiers lost their lives. We always sleep on straw in authentic bell-tents with as few modern comforts as possible, so we really do experience what life was like for those men. Being the early-morning bugler who wakes the camp with Reveille doesn’t always make me popular with fellow campmates, but my Fife-playing on an evening more than makes up for it. I’ve learnt a broad range of period tunes, from folk music such as The Minstrel Boy, The Lincolnshire Poacher and Shropshire Lass to more stirring ones like St Patrick’s Day, Hearts of Oak and Drink Old England Dry. It’s great music, and it forms part of our national character, even if we’re not aware of its presence. People flock to sing along to my Fife-playing in beer tents and around camp fires, and busking always rewards handsomely. I also play Prussian, Dutch, Austrian and French tunes of the period for re-enactors of those nationalities who come round, and I find re-enacting a unique way to learn a myriad of European languages. Perhaps, I wonder, remembrance of Waterloo could do more for closer co-operation between the British and the French than one might expect. Waterloo was a very real battle indeed. It was the most decisive in European history, ensuring a century of peace across the continent. It ended the 11-year reign of Napoleon Bonaparte, a man hailed by contemporary military theorist Clausewitz as a ‘God of War’, yet condemned by many of his enemies as the ‘ogre of Europe’. As we near the centenary of World War I, we would do well to remember the bicentenary of Waterloo next year. It is an event so important to the past that it simply must be adequately commemorated and, thanks to the re-enacting community, it will continue to be an important part of our present.

>>Top to bottom: British Line Infantry redeploy; French Cuirassier at the charge; Jack in his uniform playing the fife . Photos: napoleonandglory.com and firstfootguards.org

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Fresh from the shock news that a French President has had an affair, Harry Scrase wonders whether the public gaze has become too fixed on the private couchérie of top politicians FOLLOWING the news a couple of weeks ago which exposed Francois Hollande’s affair with the French actress, Julie Gayet, burning questions are once again brought into light. Should people in the public eye have a private life? Should these people not act more as role models, since they are leaders of their nation? Constant scandal seems to surround many leading figures of society, most notably in the political arena. With the outing of Hollande’s affair in Closer magazine, we now have to go back to 1974 to find a president who hasn’t been rumoured, at the very least, to have engaged in an affair. It has become almost rite of passage, creating yet another stain on the presidency. This gives substance to the idea that power and infidelity run side by side, as these presidents cannot refrain from committing these acts of immorality. Their egotistical needs can only be fuelled through such events. Until a few years ago these affairs were mostly hushed, with far less attention being given to them. This was until the well-documented private life of Nicholas Sarkozy, was laid bare by the press. This clearly shows a rapidly changing attitude in the French culture, where affairs were always far less scandalous than in Britain. Although there will be a large number of people who are not concerned by the private life of Hollande, it has still created huge scandal. Even if people do not judge

Photo: freakingnews.com

him on a personal level, the reports of the last few weeks have certainly presented a clear distraction from Hollande being able to focus on the current problems that France, much like the rest of Europe, faces in terms of battling ﬁnancial issues and curbing unemployment. However, Hollande is clearly not aware enough of the rapidly changing views of his country, angered by the reports on what is clearly his own wrongdoing. He stated that his private life should remain private and even threatened to sue Closer magazine for publishing the details of the liaison. The old French proverb, ‘in order to live happily, live hidden’, which in effect condones this type of behaviour, is dying out. He is naive to think that he can be let off for his actions, which at ﬁrst sent his partner, Valerie Trierweiler into hospital in a state of shock. Surely this demonstrates a progression in public views and beliefs. Is it not important that

these people, living in the higher echelons of society, working in these impor-

Constant scandal seems to surround many leading figures in society tant roles, take responsibility for their actions on a personal level? They are constantly in the public eye and if they cannot sustain a certain level of morality then how can it be expected that

members of the public do so? Members of the royal family have been born into their role, and are therefore constantly scrutinised for any foot put wrong, with the media digging further for any potential scandal, but for them it is not a choice. For these politicians however, they have taken the job knowing that they will face this form of scrutiny. Why is it then that they continually commit acts of adultery? Is it not far more beneﬁcial to portray a stable marriage and family, much in the way that Obama and America’s First Lady do, thus giving the public something to relate to and perhaps in a way idealise. It would be logical to think that those constantly under the public eye would be the last kind of people to commit acts of adultery and public scandal, as they would not only suffer on a personal level in their family life but on a national and international level. It appears to be the pressure that is placed o n

these people is what they cannot cope with, causing them to crack, using an illicit affair as way of release and escape. The eyes of the media are so intense and so bright that it almost provokes this kind of behaviour. From the affairs of John. F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton, it is a violation of morality that has pervaded society for a very long time. Yet as the media becomes increasingly more powerful, these acts become notably worse. This inability to cope with the public eye is proven by Valerie Trierweiler’s statement that she would probably have in fact stayed with Hollande had he not been President, demonstrating how the pressure of the media weighs upon these people. Politicians have chosen positions of power, and it seems absurd that they can continually abuse them by making further mistakes of morality over and over again. As much as they may want to separate their private lives from their personal ones, it is no longer possible, as public interest is far too great. Although there remain people who ignore their personal mistakes, the number of people taking note is growing and unfortunately for them it is hard not to see such acts of immorality in a dark light. They must stand as examples for humanity and morality; both of which we must cling to dearly in fear of it dying out altogether.

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Unzipped: Paris Fashion Week

Jack Wardlaw walks and talks running away with Lanvin A/W 2014/15 >> Sonny photos

>> Some of the photos from users of instagram

JUST as Timepiece is at its best on a Wednesday, Paris is at its best during Paris Fashion Week, when the city is alive with people, noise and excitement. But what actually goes on during Fashion Week? We always see the photos and the videos from the runway, but until last week, I walked the A/W14 Lanvin show, I had no idea what actually had to happen in order for those images to get there. The first thing about the fashion industry is that anything can happen. For me, it started with an email from my agent, “Can you be in London at 6:00am tomorrow to catch the Eurostar to Paris?”. The second thing is that EVERYTHING is done at the last minute. If you’re lucky, you’ll get two days’ notice for something like Paris Fashion Week, but no matter how difficult it may be to actually get there, you can’t say no to such an opportunity. At 1:00am the next morning, I caught a train to London to meet the other models from my agency also going. By the time we arrived in Paris, we had already been sent our schedules for the day. Between five and ten castings each, all scattered across Paris and we all had different hours in which we had to be there - for me I had to get to five castings in four hours, which is about as possible as navigating the Amory building successfully on your first attempt. Castings are essentially auditions. If you manage to find the place, you arrive and join a queue of other models and wait for your turn. If you thought queuing for the Lemmy was bad, imagine doing it when everyone around you is over six foot and ridiculously good-looking. Eventually your turn arrives, and you walk in to be greeted by a judging panel, all of whom are staring intently at you. They might ask your name, your measurements and where you are from, in a vain attempt to make this desperately unnatural setting seem a little more normal. Then you have to walk. Has anyone ever told you to walk? It’s something so natural we don’t even think about it, but when you actually have to focus on it, it becomes very difficult to walk naturally. If you manage not to trip or slip, they might take your photo so they can remember which of the hundreds of models they will see that day you are. Then you run to the next casting. Although they can be stressful, castings are great fun because you get to see Paris differently from tourists. Most of the locations are hidden away behind great wooden doors that ordinary people wouldn’t look twice at. Vast courtyards, lawns, spiralling buildings and beautifully preserved architecture are where the fashion houses have their headquarters and as models, we get to see them all. Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Louis Vuitton and Valentino all have beauti-

fully appointed spaces that house rails and rails of the new season’s clothes that we get to preview even before the top magazine editors. If the casting goes well you get called back for a fitting, where a designer will dress you in a certain pre-determined look and will see how it hangs on a real person. Fittings can last indefinitely if the look isn’t working (one model spent six hours in one fitting), but eventually, clothes are pinned into place and adjustments made so that they will look as good as possible when they come down the runway. For a model, to get a fitting is normally a good sign, but as I said earlier: anything can happen. There is no guarantee that, even if you are fitted, you will appear in the show because models can be cancelled at any point, even as they queue backstage before walking the runway.

You’ll get two days’ notice for something like Paris Fashion Week Castings typically take place two days before the show, and fittings a day before, and so if you’re really lucky, you will then receive an email the night before with the call-time and the address. On Sunday, Lanvin were showing at 11:00am, which meant the call-time for the models to arrive was before 7:00am. It made a 9:00am seminar after Cheesy Tuesdays look like a spa treatment. The first port of call for the models is hair and makeup. It took a good hour to have my hair cut (odd seeing as the look at Lanvin was essentially ‘shave everything except the top bit’) and my makeup done. Women beetled around giving manicures (not a luxury, a necessity for most of us). Next is the runthrough. At the rail with our look on, we are greeted by a dresser with 45 looks, all of which cost in total upwards of £3,000 each, you don’t want to risk anyone accidentally breaking their zipper or ripping their shirt. Two hours before the show, we practice walking the route in our clothes. This is our only chance to get used to walking in new shoes that most likely don’t fit. Luckily for me, the route at Lanvin wasn’t especially complicated. Once we’ve rehearsed and ironed out the details, we take off the clothes and wait for two hours before people arrive for the show. About five minutes before the start, the big names arrive. At Lanvin, the major name was Will Smith. 11:00am. Showtime. We all queue up in order while countless members of staff run around us with lint rollers and our looks are given the final tweaks, with sleeves being rolled up, jackets

zipped and collars popped. Then the music starts. All this time we’ve had people constantly pointing ridiculously oversized cameras at us to get the coveted backstage shots, and all the commotion takes your mind off the impending task at hand. When you know that hundreds of people and countless cameras will be watching your every move, it’s hard not to get anxious. We are sent out in 15 second intervals and literally three seconds before I’m due to walk out, Guido Palau, who was in charge of the hair, attacked my fringe with a squirt of hairspray and a girl retouched my makeup. Don’t trip. Don’t trip. Don’t trip. It’s all I can think as I make my way down the steps and onto the runway. I can’t see a thing in front of me because of a tower of lights blasting the runway. Weirdly, because I can’t see anyone, I forget about being nervous. I hear the furious clicks of the cameras as I approach the photographers, and it starts to sink in that I’m actually here, walking in a show at Paris Fashion Week. It’s incredible. Before I know it, though, it’s over and I’m running through the backstage area to rejoin the queue for the finale, where all the models come out at once and the designer takes their bow. Weeks of planning, days of work, thousands of pounds and in under ten minutes, the whole thing is over. We’re taking off our looks and saying goodbye, as the throng of people in the audience rush off to their next show. Coming out of the venue, we were spotted by some photographers who rushed over to take some more pictures for their various blogs as we tried to leave. It was like we were famous. Later that night was the Saint Laurent show, the final show of the week and one of the biggest. We managed to get tickets, so I got to experience the essence of what everyone thinks Fashion Week is like. We got to watch the show, meet people like Anna Wintour, and go to the Saint Laurent after-party. Held in a club smaller than the top floor of Mosaic, the party was awash with unimaginably cool people, and then there’s me standing there with no idea what I’m doing. The bar was free, however, so any initial inhibitions were quickly removed. In the morning I had to go back to London. If you’ve ever turned up to a seminar drunk, you’ll know the feeling. As I left, a new wave of people descended on Paris as the Haute Couture shows began. Paris was once again alive with excitement and glamour. When I started modelling, I thought these kinds of stories were exaggerations: that it could never possibly be as crazy and fabulous as people think it is. But I was wrong. Fashion Week is exactly as you think it is, and it has turned out to be the best experience of my life.

LIFESTYLE

Columnist

Maddy Everington asks hairdressers to cut the inane chat

I CANNOT help, upon entering that dreaded establishment of ‘the hairdressers’, but feel a sense of impending doom. It is a rare type of place. Every four to five months we have the pleasure of entering into it for a ‘haircut’. Or so this is what you are led to expect. In my experience the reality consists more of being sat in a deceptively uncomfortable chair, drinking complimentary drinks you don’t enjoy, and making small talk with a complete stranger while they run their fingers through your hair. The relationship you have with your hairdresser is one of those uncomfortable and polite ones which in England we excel at forging with complete strangers. This is worse though, for you are compelled to make small talk with an individual for a prolonged period of time (which unfortunately means diverging from the topic of the weather) and wave goodbye to any ideas you had of personal space. Even now I still find the prospect a little daunting. My last visit combined all my fears of the hairdresser: pointless small talk, an ‘interesting’ result, and forcing myself to drink cappuccinos with extra chocolate sprinkles. After being deposited in a chair, I was introduced to Derek, my soon to be intimate friend for the next hour and a half. We eyed each other up wearily. I took in his pastel coloured jumper and effeminate perfume, he my wreck of a hairstyle. 15 minutes in and we were doing pretty well. I was describing to him the finer points of French grammar following his sudden affected interest

that I studied languages. In turn I became extremely fascinated in his reasons for deciding to become a hairdresser. This was all going on whilst he washed my hair, and so communication was somewhat impaired. We gave up after I realised that it wasn’t the soap in my ear. After ten minutes we resume conversation and he offers me coffee. This is the moment for me to publically admit that actually I don’t like coffee, and would rather have orange squash. I cannot bring myself to do it and instead accept hastily. I am left staring into the mirror for the next five minutes wondering whether to run after him and say I’ve changed my mind. When he returns we begin to discuss what sort of style I’m going for and I venture bravely into a monologue of terms such as ‘volume’ and ‘lift’ which I don’t understand. Gestures seem a necessary part of this particular discussion and he picks out strands of my hair and lets them fall artistically into a less bedraggled mess to demonstrate what he will try and do. After asking the stranger sitting next to me on her opinion as to whether layers are really ‘me’ or not, we eventually settle on some sort of plan of action for my hair. After an eternity of snipping off minimal amounts of hair, rigorous hair drying and adding a healthy dose of chemicals comes the worst bit of the whole experience. No matter what you think of the efforts of your new friend, you must look delighted, exclaim that you love it, and then pay for the damage caused. Derek stands back with a flourish and holds a mirror up to the back of my head. He asks what I think. I take a sip of the now cold cappuccino as I mull over my response. “It’s wonderful,” I say, gushingly. “Thanks so much for the coffee”.

the door. He was sporting a ﬂuorescent green apron, a loose-ﬁtting shirt and jeans, with a black bow tie haphazardly thrown on as a clear afterthought. I could just about make out the mischievous smile of the director behind his camera, ecstatic with my somewhat perplexed expression. My jacket was taken from me, a wine glass of water thrust into my hand, and thus an evening of unbearable awkwardness ensued. With most of his preparation done, and what looked like a dessert baking in the oven, I started to breathe a little more easily. This all changed, however, when Jack began to concoct the starter of bruschetta. Having watched

EXEPOSÉ

The perfect housemate

Robin Langfield-Newnham lets off some steam about breaking house etiquette EVERYONE has one: that one housemate who can’t quite seem to pull his or her weight. You’ll clean up the lounge only to ﬁnd the kitchen ﬁlled with dirty plates. Wait six to eight hours for your

It’s always the same one who also can’t (or won’t) buy toilet roll mysteriously elusive housemate to return from whatever it is they do all day, then instruct them to clear up (their act) and sort the house out. Then you go back in the kitchen to ﬁnd the dishwasher leaking soap all over the ﬂoor

Whining and Dining

I WAS driving past Firehouse frantically looking for a parking space, checking my hair and make up, and feeling nervous for my first ever blind date. My anxiety, however, becomes even more justifiable when you add the pressures of being greeted by amateur film-makers Misha Jessel Kenyon and Michael Goodier. This was a Valentine’s blind date unlike others, as it was being filmed for a special edition of Cooking With Crockatt. You may be questioning my sanity for considering that the three-course meal and good company I was promised would live up to my high expectations – and you would be right. Jack, my blind date, opened

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previous episodes the night before (in preparation) I had convinced myself that Jack’s ineptitude was exaggerated for comic effect – surely nobody is that incompetent at the age of twenty? Sadly, it soon became clear that I was mistaken. Jack was not, as I’d hoped, a comic genius, merely a terrible cook. I was served something that loosely resembled fried bread, as well as an overly large helping of awkward conversation. One expects the standard questions on a date – what your degree is, where you live. Whilst I answered generically about things I like to do, Jack proceeded to tell me that he really enjoys watching the sea, because “there’s a lot of sea

because you’ve run out of tablets and your housemate has chucked washing-up liquid in it instead of just washing his one plate and a wooden spoon by hand. They’re the only one to ignore the cleaning rota, even though you’ve blutacked it to their cupboard door. Mop the floor, go back to the lounge to watch some TV in your now soaked trackies, find Dominos boxes covering the seat. When did he even have time to buy them? And the fact of the matter is, it’s always the same one who also can’t (or won’t) buy toilet roll or washing powder. Or pay you back. Just recently, I managed to corner my housemate, who owed me a tenner, at the bar in Arena, and demand £10 worth of drinks. Fantastic, I thought. Now he can’t get away. And at first, everything seemed on track. He’d

heard what I wanted (ﬁve Jungbombs, obviously) and was ﬁrmly acknowledging. We get to the front of the queue… and he suddenly spots someone on the other side of the room whom he desperately needs to talk to. Bloody ‘ell. Still

You clean up the lounge only to find the kitchen filled with dirty plates haven’t got that tenner. The only way to deal with such an impossible person is, of course, to start pranking them whenever possible. Whether it’s hiding his treasured knife sharpener in increasingly bizarre places (stuck to the ceiling, on the under-side of the coffee table, behind the shower) or eating his food (render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s), or even checking if he’s left his room open during the holidays so you can store the mounting pile of rubbish bags in there, I promise you now, there’s always a little satisfaction you can get back for your money.

Jennifer Garnside got in front of the lens on a V-Day disaster about”. Misha put a tea towel in his mouth to mute the sound of his laughter whilst I awkwardly shifted my position on my barstool, and desperately attempted to ignore the bowl of ﬁsh innards placed precariously close to my meal. The main was grilled sea bass and sautéed potatoes; I could tell that the producers had gone above and beyond to make this a classy dinner. Unfortunately, it seemed like Jack was doing absolutely anything within his limited capabilities to ensure that this would not happen. He told me of his cooking prowess whilst tossing a pan full of burnt potatoes, and I found myself awkwardly smiling, quickly losing interest. The

ﬁnal straw was when Jack disappeared, to re-emerge playing Titanic on the ocarina. You have to hand it to him, it’s a niche instrument. He paused after playing to look me in the eye. My mouth was dry and my stomach rumbling. I managed to muster the words “thank you”, unable to take the uncomfortable silence. When he returned to check on the ‘crème brulee’ I saw my opportunity, and made a swift exit from the building. I spent the rest of my night in the library, trying to forget what I had just endured. Needless to say, I do not look forward to the airing of the episode, or bumping into Jack any time soon.

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN

LIFESTYLE

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Tweets of the week Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle

Fight Fat Talk

Hannah Butler battles the “I look big in this” complex, and questions the healthiness of the fat-free food advertised to us IT SEEMS almost impossible to devour the news that Special K have teamed up with supermodel Tyra Banks to encourage women to ‘stop the fat talk’, (i.e. not criticise themselves about their size) without finding it slightly ironic. This is Special K we’re talking about - a brand specifically marketing itself to a weight-conscious female demographic. Advertising ‘guilt-free’ snacks and promising ‘Great taste. Less waist.’ whilst campaigning to stop women criticising their body size – something doesn’t quite gel here. It’s perhaps no wonder that so many of us find body size such a confusing and intimidating topic, and yet it’s one that is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid. Not an issue concerning only women, of course, but this campaign’s specific targeting of women does prompt the question: why do we call ourselves fat? and what is this obsession with weight-loss, particularly amongst women? The answer seems all too obvious. Scrolling down my Facebook feed, a

‘Suggested Post’ displays a picture of a woman sweating it out on an exercise bike, with a caption ‘Struggling To Lose Weight?’. Now, my weight is within a healthy range, and I’m not looking to lose any. However, the temptation to click ‘like’ and uncover

It’s almost as if it’s become unfashionable to be happy with one’s own size, weight and shape this secret to effortless weight-loss is pretty extreme. Even while Googling news stories of Tyra Banks’ assertions that ‘plus-size’ should be relabelled ‘ﬁercely real’, a suggested story appearing at the bottom of the page grabs my attention. The result is a good few minutes watching a video which promises to spill the beans on how to devour multitudes of carbs without gaining weight. Eagerly awaiting the news on

how to train my body to process carbs more efﬁciently, I suddenly stop, smiling inwardly at the irony here. It’s almost as if it’s become unfashionable to be happy with one’s own size, weight, shape - or any physical quality, for that matter. The time of year especially highlights this: repeated promises of ‘New year, new you!’ on supermarket displays and gym entrances encourage us to stir up desires to change and improve ourselves. But what if we’re actually happy with our size? The answer is that we’re excluded from these shared aspirations. Statistics from the Kellogg’s Special K Resolution Fat Talk Survey 2013 reveal ‘62 per cent of women say they feel compelled to engage in Fat Talk about themselves when they hear other women doing so’ – but is this really surprising? Sharing our insecurities often helps us feel closer to people, so if friends complain about their thighs / bum / bingo-wings, it seems only natural to produce hang-ups of our own to discuss. We live in a culture where weight-loss is apparently considered

a common goal amongst women. If you’re not trying to lose weight, it’s often easy to feel excluded. The very fact that Special K advertises ‘guilt-free’ products apparently suggests that enjoying regular, non-diet brands is a source of guilt. Surely it’s healthier to encourage people to concentrate on personal goals, and not regret every calorie crossing their lips? We need them to survive, after all! Constantly being bombarded with encouragements to join what seems like the rest of womankind in a mutual weight-loss frenzy doesn’t exactly promote self-conﬁdence. For those wishing to shed a few pounds, it’s undoubtedly inspiring and reassuring to feel supported by so many others. However, for those not looking to lose weight, my only conclusion is to try and disregard these persistent encouragements to change ourselves. If we’re happy with our size – great! All this worrying can be transferred to something much more constructive. Like our degree, perhaps…

Keeping your head screwed on Jo Porter, President of Mind your Head Soc, on the necessity of Mental Health and Wellbeing Awareness Week AS A RESULT of increased interest and demand, the University’s Mental Health and Wellbeing awareness day has reverted back to its previous format of lasting a whole week. With recent reports of the growing demand for Wellbeing services, it seems like the week, due to take place from the 17 – 21 February, could not come at a more appropriate time. The week hopes to not only promote awareness about mental health issues but to showcase various support services and alternative coping mechanisms. With a range of student groups collaborating with wellbeing services and VP for Welfare and Community, Chris Rootkin, the week is already looking jam packed. A few highlights include a chance to ‘share your story’, hosted by Emma Hands, student mental health representative for the Guild, an introduction to mindfulness at the Wellbeing Centre, a talk on how to overcome anxiety whilst public speaking. In addition, there’s a showing of A Silver Linings Playbook from Campus Cinema, lots

of free tasters including yoga and zumba from BodySoc, more about music from ExTunes and a chance to get cooking with BakeSoc. More details will be available on the Guild website closer to the time so keep a look-out. With a recent report from the NUS showing that 20 per cent of students consider themselves to have a mental health problem this is certainly not a week to be ignored. February is due to be a busy month here at Mind Your Head, whose key aims include: Raising awareness of and de-stigmatising the image of mental health issues that affect people within university through education. Working as a channelling service for the help provided by the university (Wellbeing Centre, Voice, DRC, etc). Hosting events that promote and provide positive wellbeing. Raising money in aid of mental health causes throughout the year. Encouraging students to try something new and positive each month! Following on from the University’s Mental Health and Wellbeing week, we

will be hosting a range of events and tasters for national Eating Disorders Awareness Week: check out the timeta-

ble for how the week is looking so far and don’t forget that you can always ﬁnd out more from our Facebook page.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Monday 24 February The MYH committee kick off the week with a chance to openly and informally discuss your own experiences, 5pm, Cornwall House, room 2. Tuesday 25 February Talk from Times Journalist Emma Woolf at 5pm in Queens LT2: ‘If being thin is the answer – what is the question?’ Wednesday 26 February Find MYH in the forum between 11 and 3 for free leaflets and information. Free yoga hosted by Bodysoc 5-6 Cocktails and music at Monkey Suit, all in aid of B-eat. Thursday 27 February Life drawing taster with ArtSoc. Friday 28 February Get ready for the weekend with another Bodysoc freebie Zumba

Meg Drewett @meg_drewett We are never again having meetings the day after we go to Arena #quotesintheoffice Francesca Barberis@FranBarberis Exeter’s weather has some sort of personality disorder. Rained on, hailed on AND almost sunburnt all in one day #hardknocklife #melodrama Ben Churchyard @TeddyChurchyard Workshop tutor using the word rogue #HollandHall #rah David Reynolds @10dreynolds Been offered 10% off at Jack Wills. Now I’ll definitely buy all of their stuff. Anne-Marie Clifford @ammersc 10.10 pm and I’m off to sleep #unayyyy #bedtimeistheBESTtime Jacob Freeman @JacobFreeman95 Jan 24 Tonight I’ve learnt that no price is too high when it comes to ensuring a quality razor. #CutToRibbons Catherine Pope @CatherineLPope First trip to Timepiece of 2014. I wonder if it’s got better... #Gohardorgohome Kitty Howie @kittylikescake To the guy on his walk home from the night before who just came to my rescue after I slipped over and grazed my knees... You’re a gent. Rob Harris @RJHarris93 I feel the number of pedalo boats I’ve been on has a direct correlation with the decline of my childhood. Beth Pettifer @bethpettifer I am paying £9,000 a year to be confused Hannah Butler @Hannah_Butler94 Walked back from my lecture in bright sunshine then as soon as I got in and made my lunch it started tipping it down.. #nearmiss Matt Hobbs @matthobbs1993 Its so awkward being in the Law library study tables and your eyes meet with the person opposite. Especially when they are attractive. #red Han @HannahE27 “A little Consideration, a little Thought for Others, makes all the difference.”

SABB ELECTION PULL OUT 2014

GUILD ELECTIONS 2014

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K E E P U P - TO - D AT E W I T H A L L T H E E L E C T I O N S C O V E R AG E @Exepose

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guild elections

YOUR ESSENTIAL ELECTIONS GUIDE EVERY year, the Students’ Guild elect a new set of Sabbatical Ofﬁcers to represent the student voice. This year, 29 candidates are standing for election. In the following pages, Exeposé have aimed to analyse and interrogate the manifestos of your prospective Sabbs, using the criteria outlined below. Exeposé maintains complete impartiality during the Sabbatical elections and our coverage aims to inform the student body, rather than inﬂuence them.

Our Key Criteria In order to generate the fairest, most comprehensive criteria possible through which to interrogate the elec-

tion candidates, we took a number of factors into account. Our stated aim was to provide coverage that could cater to the interests of every student voter, in order to inform our coverage in the most reliable way possible. Our ﬁrst point of reference was the job descriptions provided by the Guild to each candidate. By holding the candidates to the same standards as their potential employers, we hope to drive them to do their best for the students they wish to serve. By identifying the key aspects of each job description, we were able to narrow down key issues for each role. Our summations of the biggest issues in each job description provided us

What matters to you: Exeposé ran a poll to see what issues mattered the most to students in the Students’ Guild Sabbatical Ofﬁcer elections. Over 200 students responded and the results are published in full in the following graphs.

Issue

VP Activities

Percentage of respondents

Society funding / support Society participation Employability support Student volunteering St. Luke’s integration Student campaigning Other

45.5 16 19 10 2.5 5 2

Issue

Guild President

Student experience Value for money education National university representation Employability Local community engagement University expansion Other

Issue

51.7 23.9 7.8 8.8 2 2.4 3.4

3.8 39.7 8.6 1.9 14.8 30.1 1.1

AU President

Percentage of respondents 32.7 23.5 19.9 11.7 6.6 3.1 2.5

VP Welfare & Diversity

Issue

Percentage of respondents

Out of hours teaching Teaching quality and assessment Hidden course costs Student staff ratio Contact hours Study space Other

and wellbeing as the biggest concern for VP Welfare and Diversity, while nearly four in ten wanted their new VP Education to improve teaching and assessment quality as their foremost priority. Also, 45.5 per cent of those in the VP Activities survey said they wanted society funding and support to be top of the incoming VP’s agenda. Finally, we talked to this year’s Sabbs; their experience of running the Guild this year inherently qualiﬁes them to tell us and the student body what it takes to run your Guild. Their advice and support throughout the process has been invaluable.

Sport park prices AU club prices Increased participation Sports club culture Intramurals Coaching Other

VP Education

During Campaigns Week, Xpression FM will be broadcasting their Sabb candidate debates, live from the Forum Alumni Auditorium between 6pm and 8pm. Make sure you tune in to www. xpressionfm.info and follow our coverage on Twitter @Exepose.

Exeposé selects the most frequent policy points from this year’s candidate manifestos and gives you the run down on their merits and flaws

Issue

Percentage of respondents

XPRESSION FM SABBATICAL DEBATES:

#Trending

with a good basic framework through which we could begin to interrogate the campaigns of each candidate. Building on our initial research into Guild expectations of their Sabb candidates, we then polled hundreds of students about what they believed to be the key issues facing the candidates of each election. As can be seen from the adjacent tables, our respondents clearly identiﬁed speciﬁc issues for each election race. Over half of students privileged student experience above all else in the race for Guild President, while nearly one in three said that Sports Park prices were the most important issue in the AU President election. 34.7 per cent saw mental health

Percentage of respondents

Mental wellbeing Halls and housing Student safety Equality and diversity Student health International student welfare Other

34.7 25.1 15.6 11.1 10.6 1.5 1.1

This coverage was compiled by the following members of the Exeposé editorial team: Meg Drewett and Jon Jenner, Editors; Emily Tanner and Clara Plackett, Deputy Editors; Owen Keating and Louis Doré, News Editors; Ricky Freelove, Arts Editor; Alexander Carden, Features Editor; Megan Furborough, Screen Editor, Lauren Swift, Copy Editor and Niklas Rahmel, Photographer.

Midterm MACE

Secondhand books

Mental wellbeing

Puppies

MANY candidates have focused on the idea of more regular feedback opportunities between staff and students, including a mid-point review of all courses. This is a valid issue, with nearly 40 per cent of respondents to an Exeposé survey stating the improvement of teaching and assessment quality as their biggest expectation of VP Education candidates. How this will ﬁt into already strenuous workloads for staff remains to be seen, and questions will also be asked about how any proposed changes to courses could be enacted with less than half the teaching time remaining. A progressive proposal, but one which will require serious justiﬁcation in debate.

THIS policy is such a needed idea that the Guild actually launched an online second hand bookshop last week. Nonetheless, hidden course costs was a big issue for our survey respondents, and any move to combat that issue is to be encouraged. This policy will bring students into the heart of the Guild, and will get students engaging with one another to develop their own learning. A promising policy which will again require further examination in debates.

WHILE not a policy as much as a general issue, the candidates seem to have responded to concerted coverage and discussion (including a well-received Exeposé investigation) about wellbeing issues on campus. A variety of policies to reduce waiting times and raise awareness indicate positive steps being taken towards creating a better student experience with regards to wellbeing. However, as always, campaigns will be won and lost on candidates’ abilities to convince their voters that it is THEIR policies that will provide the most robust, engaged, and effective response to what has been ﬂagged as a vitally important issue.

LOTS of candidates have decided, somewhat bizarrely, to include puppies, and puppy relaxation rooms, in their manifesto. While this is a nice idea in theory (since, apparently, puppies are cute and likeable), eagled-eyed observers may cite issues with logistics, animal welfare, and health and safety legislation. It also goes without saying that this policy should be used with caution, and attempts to foreground it as a mainstay of any serious campaign should be interrogated fully. Finally, what happens when the puppies become dogs? What happens?!

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| WEEK SIXTEEN

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Guild President

GUILD ELECTIONS 2014

AJAY GAUR No manifesto submitted.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Ajay has, somewhat boldly, elected to not submit a manifesto. While this means that it is impossible to criticise or take issue with any of his ideas, it does also mean that it is difﬁcult to adequately map out his plans for what is a wide-ranging, challenging role. This candidate’s enigmatic approach to campaigning could pay off, but a strong presence in the debates will surely be required for this mysterious candidate to make any real impact on Results Night. platform in interviews and focus groups with dozens of current students. From their feedback and ideas, I’ve speciﬁed 3 key areas to make the Guild work better for students. So here’s what you wanted:

RACHAEL GILLIES

Rach for the Stars to: See. Live. Love. Your Guild. To ﬁnd out exactly what students want I put my ideas forward and offered an open

See. The Guild offers so much, but we just don’t see it. I want to create innovative ways to get the services that the Guild offers out to you. I want: - To investigate a Guild App: getting information to you more easily. - To see where your money is going! I want the University to publish an accessible one-page breakdown of University spending: and email it to all students. - A Guild Tab on myExeter; linking society memberships, services available and Guild updates to an existing forum that we all use. - The Sabbs to come to you: ‘Pint

with a Sabb’ in the Ram, as well as interactive sessions in the Forum means you can be heard. Their manifestos should also be online so students can track progress across the year and ensure they’re doing what they were elected to do. Live. Wider student wellbeing should be a focus for both the University and the Guild. I want: - To bring mental health back on the agenda. With VP Welfare & Diversity, I’ll lobby for shorter waiting times in the wellbeing centre as well as work with students to examine the support they receive from their departments. - To use innovative ideas to help provide stress relief for students. I want to introduce exam escape spaces to relax with sofas and free tea! I’ll work with Body Soc and the AU to introduce free

yoga sessions. - A Puppy Room. Other universities have used puppies as an escape from revision, helping students to unwind. - A Healthy body & a healthy mind: I will ﬁght to introduce more good quality, healthy food to Guild menus including a salad bar. Love. I want to increase ownership of the Guild and its services by the students it’s there for. I want: - A Loyalty Card Scheme. This would enable student discounts, and for every pound spent by a society member in a Guild Outlet their nominated society receives a percentage back! - A comprehensive guide for society committees, which highlights the services and spaces available to them from the Guild.

Your Guild. But it’s your Guild, so why me? - Welcome Team Senior - SSLC Rep for 3 years - Faith Executive on Societies Executive - Helped organise St James’ Carol Service - Co-leader of Love at the Lemmy - Student Ambassador I have researched all of the above with Guild Staff and at other Universities. There are some big claims here; but not a single one is unachievable. I’m not here to break promises; I’m here to make it Your Guild. So… Rach for the Stars: Vote Rachael Gillies for Guild President

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Rachael’s manifesto is strong and varied, representing the needs of all students across campus. Mental health, a key concern raised during Welfare polling, is addressed with innovative ideas such as an ‘exam escape’ room and shorter waiting times at the Wellbeing Centre. However, ideas such as the puppy room may be unachievable due to the availability of space on campus and gaining access to puppies. The Guild App would surely beneﬁt many students and increase the presence of the Guild online as well, whilst the loyalty card scheme is a great idea for those who work with societies on campus regularly.

RONNIE

HENDERSON STAY CLASSY EXETER As your candidate for Guild President I can assure you that every goal I set out to achieve is considered with YOU in mind

– from increased space for societies on campus to a student lead book exchange, I can guarantee these are achievable aims considered for YOU. I am determined to ensure that every point in my manifesto is carried forward in a way which best suits YOU. My roles as President of Classics Society and Representative for Academic Societies within the Students’ Guild, has allowed me to see the issues facing student societies and understand your needs in a tangible way. If you vote Ronnie as your Guild President, it is a vote for commitment to achieving the best environment for students and societies across Exeter’s campuses. My manifesto below is a guarantee of my commitment to YOU. Please Tweet me your comments @RON4PRES and remember, #StayClassyExeter

INCREASED SPACE FOR SOCIETIES Our university is more popular than ever; reﬂected in the growing numbers of students and societies you are all part of. As a society president I understand the need for space is paramount to success. My goal as Guild President is to see more spaces made available on campus for all society activities at times which best suit you, without any costs to you. SECOND-HAND BOOK SHOP We all know buying books is one of the most expensive parts of student. As your President, I aim to set up a bookshop within the Guild where you can buy and sell your books. A Business run by you for you. With recommendations from students and links with the SSLC I would ensure key texts are available to students.

INCREASED EMPLOYABILITY OPPORTUNITIES IN EXETER The drive to achieve through employability opportunities is a vital part of life at Exeter. As President, I would like to build strong ties with companies in the South West in order to secure internships in Exeter which you could do throughout term time. Working with the Career Zone to create opportunities speciﬁc to your academic disciplines. BETTER VALUE ON CAMPUS FOR STUDENTS As a student with a part-time job, I know the importance of making your money go further, especially when it comes to buying food and drink on campus. I would like to see food and drink prices in Guild outlets as low as possible, whilst increasing self-catering facilities

in Devonshire House - so that you don’t have to spend a fortune on food every time you are on campus. VISIBILITY & AVAILABILITY OF SABB OFFICERS Sabbs should be available to talk to throughout the year; I would like to encourage increased visibility of Sabbs on campus by moving the Sabb ofﬁce to a more accessible location, as well as running a weekly drop-in session for any student to talk about any matters affecting your student life. KEEP WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON FOR ACTIVITIES Sports & other activities are vital to the student experience in Exeter; having Wednesday afternoons free is essential for maintaining this!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Ronnie’s manifesto seems solid for Guild President although some of his ideas do appear underdeveloped. For example, increasing societal space on campus would benefit many yet with an ever-growing University this space may be difficult to get hold of. Plans to increase employability opportunities have been well thought out and decreasing the cost of being on campus will appeal to many. Ronnie has neglected to discuss student welfare in his manifesto but does cover other significant student concerns well and wishes to make the presence of Sabbs felt across campus, making the Guild more accessible to all.

GUILD ELECTIONS 2014 I aim to connect the Guild to students on a level never before attempted. My absolute priority is safeguarding the interests of every student in every decision I make. And that must start from the utter basics. The Guild belongs to the student population and exists purely for their benefit. It’s time we reclaimed it as our own. But how? We must R.I.S.E to the challenge. Representation: - With plans to add 1,000 new students annually, student growth must not exceed the resources available. We must fight to maintain that growth does not affect a high quality student experience, and ensure that resources keeps pace with increasing student numbers. Students must come first. - The majority of First Years do not understand what the Guild can do for

JAMES HITCHINGS-HALES It’s YOUR Guild. It’s time to take it back. If the majority of students are not aware of the opportunities that the Guild offers to them, then what’s the point?

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them. We must reach out to them. I will create Guild Information Points in every Residence Hall to combat this. - Ensure that the voices of International Students are not ignored. Having studied abroad, I understand the essential needs of integration and involvement. - Improved unity between St. Luke’s and Streatham, especially during Fresher’s Week. Inclusion: - A weekly “Sabb Station” in the forum. This creates an easy, direct link to students who will always know where we can be found. - Streamline the digital communication line between students and the Guild. Deconstruct ‘Guild Times’ into a text-only email, where no content needs unblocking, so students can respond with greater ease and encouragement. Provide

more regular, personalised “Sabb Times” emails. Safety: - Prioritise funding to Student Wellbeing. On average, a student that seeks counselling to tackle personal issues faces a seven week wait. This is unacceptable. Funding must be found to provide an exemplary service to meet the demands of students that need it. - Divert attention to a “Night Watch” program, extending the responsibilities of motivated estate patrol ofﬁcers to focus on student protection (NOT discipline) when it’s needed most. Events: - A free, ambitious, annual entertainment event, on a greater scale than the Safer Sex Ball, that uniﬁes all students under one roof. With an exciting headliner, there will be a collaboration of music,

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drama, charity, and media to produce an outstanding student experience, paid for by the Guild. It will be run by students, for students. Realistic funding options have already been targeted. Why Vote Goat? I care deeply about student experience and won’t stand for anything but the best. We’re paying more than ever before for it, so why compromise? I’m exceptionally determined, and I hope to convince you of that fact face to face. My priority is increasing student inclusion, to motivate a movement of awareness so that everybody can take advantage of the opportunities that the Guild offers. I want to represent you to protect your interests, and give every student the voice they deserve. It’s your Guild, and it’s time to take it back.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: James’s manifesto is primarily concerned with improving student experience, which our poll identiﬁed as a key issue for voters. He also expresses a valid concern at how university expansion will impact this experience. His manifesto is inclusive, but the real test will come in the debates, where he will be expected to justify his claims with hard evidence. His manifesto puts strong focus on welfare and wellbeing issues, as he responds to recent campus issues. However, his planned event seems unrealistic, and his wide ranging ideas will need robust clariﬁcation to secure votes. ence! This needs a plan, here is mine:

JOEL SMITH No Slogan, Just Sense I would love the opportunity to represent you as your guild president. I want to do more to improve your university experi-

Improve the University resources so you get the most for your money: - Increase workspace in the library for those working with laptops, and enable printing from laptops and mobile devices to make your time in the library more efﬁcient - Improve the Wellbeing centres with more funding, cutting down waiting times between consultations and counselling sessions and support students in the interim period - Improve living conditions in the cheaper student accommodations, in direct relation to the increasing prices. Rent prices must also be frozen. - Free printing for students, for £9,000 a year you should not have to pay for essential printing. - Install protein shake dispensers in

the Sports facilities to allow gym users to make the most of their workout - Ensure sprung ﬂoors in all rehearsal rooms to allow dance and theatre societies to practise without risk of injury Improve relations with the wider Exeter community: - I will build on my current contacts within the community to improve relations and establish a support network for students within the local area, to make Exeter a more welcoming place for students - Hold more large scale fundraising events to raise money for issues closer to home, i.e. helping the homeless in Exeter. There should be at least one large scale event per term, supported by a number of small scale events. - Set up and promote a directory of events occurring from both the university

and wider community to bring us together and celebrate our city. Ensure YOUR guild always works for YOU: - Be a public presence on campus, ensuring open ofﬁce hours and allocate a period of time everyday where I will be present in the forum to listen to any student issues and views. - Ensure continued support for the St Lukes campus and look to hold events there to bring back the buzz and sense of community. - Continued support for post graduate students in all decisions they make, and ensure they continue to have all resources necessary for their areas of research. - Ensure that landlords keep rent prices down, and provide support for students in landlord disputes.

- Increase equality awareness by publicising and celebrating cultural events such as Diwali, Chinese New Year and Yom Kippur - Increase opportunities for students to showcase talents in all ﬁelds. - Improve Guild communications to you by looking at installing a Sabb column in Exeposé, alongside a monthly guild email informing you of what your guild are doing for you. I will be YOUR representative to the Guild and wider community, ensuring YOU receive the best value for money, education, and experience you possibly can. Everything I have proposed, can and will be delivered. Vote Joel Smith for Guild PresidentNo Slogan Just Sense.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Joel has rightly highlighted that the President should be responsible for all Sabbs’ duties. His ideas for making the President more accessible to students, through ofﬁce hours and being in the Forum, are also to be applauded, as it is a guaranteed way to improve the student experience. However, some of his ideas seem unrealistic – multiple sprung ﬂoors would cost a lot of time and money, and the University may be reluctant to stop charging for services it currently makes money on. It’s also unlikely that this editorially independent newspaper would consent to publishing a Sabb column.

AU President ALI BORLAND RALLY FOR ALI; THERE IS NO PLAN B Hi, I’m Ali Borland and am running to be your next AU President. My time at Exeter would not have been the same without my involvement

in sport. In my ﬁrst year I joined volleyball, was part of the committee in my second year and ﬁnally became Club Captain this year. In addition, I’ve been part of intramural netball, non-BUCS netball and am this year’s University League representative on the netball committee. I have had the privilege of representing the University, on the BUCS 1st volleyball team and the unique experience of watching the Volleyball club grow; as well as being part of netball, the largest all female sports club. I’ve gained valuable experience and knowledge of how to develop smaller AU clubs and in how to retain the success of a larger club. Thus, my experience of sport at all levels, involvement on two committees and my interaction with the AU has given me a greater understanding of how the AU operates. How can I improve your sporting experience at Exeter?

Equality throughout the AU - To me, all sports are of equal importance. Besides the fact that the AU currently has 10 high performance sports, there are 39 other AU clubs. I aim to help all clubs develop individually to give their members the best experience they can get. Increase publicity for all clubs - Via social media, I aim to not only increase publicity for all sporting achievements, but also for upcoming ﬁxtures and/or events. - Introduce a match of the week encouraging Exeter students to watch sporting events, helping to promote smaller clubs within the university. Promote all varsities - All varsities, no matter how big or small, deserve recognition. I aim to promote all varsities via the AU to gain max-

imum exposure and to increase support. Campaign for a new sports hall - We know that having one full sized hall is not enough; a new sports hall will help not only indoor sports, but also all AU clubs in providing an additional training space.

Coaching - Helping students gain coaching qualiﬁcations, to assist club members with lower sporting ability. - Allowing clubs to work with High Performance to plan sessions for the upcoming year.

International involvement - Working with international societies and INTO students to maximise the value of joining sports clubs. - Promoting International Sports Month and getting more sports clubs involved.

BUCS ranking - We are currently ranked in 4th place. Let’s keep this ranking, Exeter! We can be even better next year, so we can one day beat Loughborough!!

Improving intramural sport - With intramural being so popular, we need more funding and time to work with clubs to develop stronger, larger and better Intramural Leagues.

No matter who you are or where you come from, there is always a sport for you in the AU! I am enthusiastic, approachable and dedicated to represent you as your next AU President and to improve your sporting experience at Exeter! RALLY for ALI!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Ali’s manifesto is strong in terms of accessibility and intramural sports, both of which Exeposé’s poll identiﬁed as key student issues. She puts good focus on equality within sports, but her social media policy will need development to really stand out in this election. Asking for a new sports hall a year after a multi-milllion pound development of the Fitness Centre seems unnecessary, but this is somewhat countered by Ali’s detailed ideas about how to further include international students in Exeter’s sporting scene. Ali fails to mention Sports Park prices, which was the biggest election issue for 39.7 per cent of students.

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| WEEK SIXTEEN year!

ANDY HIGHAM High Five 4 Higham Hi my name is Andy Higham - I would really like to be your AU President next

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I have been a member of the tennis club since my first year and since then having held two committee positions, this year I am the tennis Club Captain. In my second year I was Publicity Secretary which not only involved the creation of a new website for the club, but also assisting in the general running of the club, such as publicising and organising events. As a first team player who also coached all levels I became aware of the needs and benefits of integration of all members and under my leadership the club has seen a 72% increase in the number of people attending coaching sessions and the introduction of intramural box leagues involving over 100 people. WHAT DO WE WANT?

More teams = more BUCS points Here at Exeter, we have been on a steady rise up the BUCS rankings list, but we can go even further! I ﬁrmly believe we have the capacity for more teams. In 2013 tennis added another Men’s team and our points have gone up by 30%. Why can’t we have that for your sport? Let’s make it happen! More Intramural sport I have been a part of events such as the AU Olympics, netball tournaments and the dodgeball tournament and they have been a huge success. Many of us cannot commit to weekly intramural sport, so we could set up more at the weekends. We could organise more of these events such as a winter football tournament or a racketlon. More events

like this would raise more money for charity and create an exciting atmosphere that brings people together. Cutting edge website With the massive buzz of the Green Army we need a central news stream for our results - a website that can update our students on our results the day they happen as well as twitter feeds team biographies, news on each sport and schedules for their training times. Student Coaches Through my own involvement as a student coach over the past 3 years, I have enjoyed seeing the progression of others. I will encourage more coach training within clubs so that we can keep costs down and offer invaluable experi-

ence and skills to young coaches that can give back to a sport they love. Support with applying for grants Clubs have benefited by applying for grants and I would like to support all clubs in grant applications to Sport England amongst others. For example, the windsurfing club generated money for new equipment and more training sessions from grants. I would like to support clubs with the information for expanding their cash-flow! All in all I feel that I have the right dedication and mindset for the position of AU President and being involved in sport at the university has lead to me knowing the pathways for improving our sport.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Andy has clearly done his research for his manifesto, giving many of his policies a statistical and personal backing. Increasing BUCS teams is a logical way to increase the University’s BUCS standing, and something that many clubs are already keen on doing. Andy has also highlighted intramural as an area for expansion, which, judging from our poll, will prove very successful with voters. However, though coaching is a concern for some sporting students, the majority do not consider it an important aspect of the AU election – perhaps a topic involving the majority of students would have been more appropriate.

INDIGO HULL GO INDI GO Hi, I’m Indigo Hull and I’m running to be your next AU president! When choosing the university to study my sport science degree, natural-

ly the sport scene played a vital role and choosing Exeter was deﬁnitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I have embraced every opportunity to be a part of the AU during my time here, involving myself in all aspects of sport I’ve been social sec of Exeter University Netball Club for the last two years, participation ofﬁcer for the AU executive committee this year and have involved myself in countless intramural leagues, events and clubs. These experiences have given me an in-depth knowledge of the AU. Having also completed a media, communications and events internship with one of the biggest sporting organisations in the country, England Hockey, I feel I am well prepared for the similar role of AU president. But that’s enough about me…..what can I do for YOU?

More BUCS success - Continuing the accomplishments of large clubs, developing smaller clubs and supporting individual sports will bring us even closer to beating our p*rple rivals. Increase participation and international sport - I’d like to introduce a summer touch-rugby intramural league and also make international sports month even bigger, offering more people more sport to get involved in. Better communication between the AU and students - A weekly newsletter email (similar to the guild president scheme) to strengthen the links between the AU and students and regular meetings with club captains too! Better links with our AU club Time-

piece - I’d like to propose a ‘team of the month’ scheme to reward high achieving sports teams with queue jump and free Timepiece entry! I’d also like to bring back gold cards for social secs!! Improving the Fresher’s Squash - Having all 52 clubs squeezed in to one little sports hall seems silly; I’d like to move it to a bigger area so all clubs can showcase their sport properly! A huge multisport varsity at Exeter - We have an enormous amount of sporting talent at Exeter and we need more than just a couple of single sport events over the year to show case it, so I propose a huge home varsity event with more sports and more spectators. More support for smaller clubs - Helping minority sports to receive

the support they need, particularly at the start of the year for less well-known sports. I want more strength and conditioning support for all clubs. Keeping gym prices down - Continue campaigning for an indoor swimming pool on campus Improve St. Luke’s facilities More charity events If you elect me to be your next AU president, I promise to be dedicated, passionate, friendly and fun. I will use all the skills I have learnt over the years to make next year even bigger and better for sport at Exeter. They say Exeter is “probably the best university in the world”, but I want to make that a fact! GO INDI GO for AU president!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Indigo is clearly well engaged with our large sporting community at Exeter. She demonstrates a dedication to supporting and improving the smaller AU clubs, which will be appreciated by clubs which often struggle for recognition and will eventually improve the University’s overall BUCS standing. Some points, however, seem unsupported; there is no sense of how Indigo will improve St Luke’s facilities, or why she will succeed in getting an indoor swimming pool on Streatham where others have failed. More policies engaging the student population beyond BUCS teams – like the excellent idea for intramural touch rugby – may have been a better use of the manifesto word count.

EMILY

ROBINSON ‘Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it’s Robbo!’ A 3rd year sport scientist, proud lukie, and a sport fanatic, I’m currently

on the AU exec committee as St Luke’s Representative. As Club Captain of women’s cricket, social secretary of women’s hockey and a member of the women’s rugby 1st team, you can tell I don’t do much other than sport. As well as founding the ﬁrst ever University Mosista Multi Sport Day, a ‘Movember for girls’ event, I’m also the Event Organiser on the Sporting Stars Committee. Being so involved in 3 very different clubs has given me an insight into how clubs of all sizes operate, as well as their functioning under the AU. As a fresher sports scholar, I’ve been on the receiving end of HPP; so in all, have a pretty in-depth understanding of the AU and the President’s role. Varsity Events –Varsities are where the action happens. I want every club to be able to have a yearly event, which shows off Exeter’s talent. The Multi

Sport Varsity against Bath deserves to be bigger and better. Active Presence- Want a more involved AU president? I can be! Performance–After ﬁnishing 5th in BUCs, only 100 points behind Bath, we should be aiming for 4th place next year. Maximising every club’s potential is key. Alumni-We have loads of alumni events in London, but these events are just as important for current students as they are past. Expanding the alumni scheme and having more Exeter-based events will reap more rewards for individual clubs. Charity Events – The AU Olympics, varsities and other events are fantastic, but why stop there? We can rise so much more for charities as well as individual clubs who need AU support. In-

ternational support–By strengthening the links between INTO, International Guild Societies and the AU, we can make International Sports Month better than ever. Taster sessions will improve the accessibility international students have to sport. Intramural Sport–BUCS sport isn’t everything, intramural is a great social opportunity for those who miss out on Wednesday sport, or want to try something new. We need to increase Halls Participation and have better communication with the Sports Reps to increase the opportunities we can offer. I am also pushing for Intramural Touch Rugby! Club Publicity and Support–Supporting clubs is vital to their growth, success in BUCs and other events. Not only through publicity via the Tab and Exposé, but also through things likes

committee training and sponsorship. Team of the Week Reward–Let’s take nominations and reward clubs for their hard work! Cornwall Campus – I also want to organise a multi sports day at Cornwall Campus to increase the connection between the two campuses and their sport’s club. I’m not here to make outrageous claims, but within 3 years I’ve got the most experience possible within the AU, covering beginner to elite sports, and tiny to gargantuan clubs. I’m as Exeter as they come, and truly believe Exeter is the best university in the world. VOTE ROBBO TO BE YOUR AU PRESIDENT!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Emily’s wealth of experience and solid base in the AU clearly gives her a good knowledge of sport at Exeter. Plans to increase participation with intramural sport, club publicity and charity events will surely improve the quality and range of sport on offer in Exeter and encourage the widest range of individuals to engage with sport at University. The manifesto point relating to Cornwall has good intentions but is sadly irrelevant as it is not within the remit of the Exeter AU President to deal with sport at Cornwall. Alumni events will be beneﬁcial to some students, though probably not all; however, a determination to improve the participation does make up for this.

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VP Education HOLLY

COLLENETTE EDUCATION THROUGH COMMUNICATION! VOTE HOLLY Hi, I’m Holly Collenette ...3rd Year ‘Sociology with Anthropology’ student. Current Subject Chair for An-

thropology, Philosophy and Sociology. My Top 3 Aims I intend to implement are ... 1-RECORDED and/or FILMED LECTURES I want to get at least all CORE modules, ﬁlmed and/or recorded across the University, to aid exam/essay revision. Close communication between staff and students about other very important modules that should be included will be really inﬂuential 2-FAIRER MARKING and MONITORING SYSTEM FOR GROUP WORK Many students have an element of their work which is partially reliant on the success of other students, some of which have a poor work ethic ... I hope to implement a system that includes close monitoring of the whole group and correctly weighted marks granted on com-

pletion of individual aspects of the group work. This can be achieved by encouraging more student/staff communication throughout 3-MID-TERM MACE Module And Course Evaluation. Every student has the chance to complete this, for each of their modules. Often feedback at the end of a module is not appealing to students – when the work load and teaching methods no longer concern them. So mid-term MACE is my plan! 4- LOTS OF GUILD PRESENCE The Guild is a fundamental element of the student and staff communication, so it is very important everyone is aware of their role and its key members. Face to face interaction all year round! ... In important meetings and academic student events. 5- SSLC DEVELEOPMENT Student Staff Liaison Committee – is

a signiﬁcant aspect of the Guild and acts as a middle ground between staff and students, allowing for quick and accessible support and information! I also hope to aid strong communication between the SSLC’S and the committee members of academic societies 6- EEFECTIVE ACADEMIC USE OF SPACE Study space has rapidly grown in the last year at the University but a full evaluation of the USE of all study space and deciding on its current effectiveness would lead to even more promising locations. Correct use of facilities such as group work rooms is essential too. This includes room size for tutorials and lectures. 7- CHANGE AGENT’S PROJECTS Many students have great ideas that affect academic life. With some Guild support they could become reality. An

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example of a previous successful project ... improving employability in niche areas. 8- ELECTRONIC FEEDBACK E-BART has been so successful that I want to follow along the electronic theme and implement a system of all feedback for assignments and exams being available electronically as well as via ofﬁce hours. WHY ME? Committed, Creative, Reliable, Realistic and Personable ... I’d like to think! I love my role as Subject Chair and I see so many beneﬁts to taking this role further as the VP Education SABB. I intended to create a manifesto that showed potential for improving aspects of academic life that YOU want... I am open to the challenges the year would bring and my project would not stop at this manifesto!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Holly suggests, like other candidates, a strategy for a mid-term MACE, which may be appealing to students, but also overlooks the signiﬁcant time demands the system would place on academics should they be forced to reconﬁgure an entire module at the midway point. Holly wishes to establish good relations between the Guild and students in an academic capacity, an aim which is admirable but may require development. Electronic feedback is a sophisticated response to the e-Bart system, which may enthuse some students, as may her monitoring system for group work, although this may not be time effective. an insight into the problems that students encounter and the way that these can be addressed. I’m on the judging panel for the 2014 Teaching Awards and have a good understanding of how the Guild works, having worked at the Guild Information Point for almost two years. Here is how I plan to make your lives less stressful:

JESS FENLON Don’t Stress - Vote Jess Hi I’m Jess Fenlon, I’m a third year student studying English Literature. I have represented students for two years, ﬁrst as a Student Rep and then as a Subject Chair. These roles have given me

Resources: - More plug sockets and desk space across campus, not just in the forum - ‘Print Stations’ in the library so that you don’t have to wait for a computer to become free to print your work - Printing from laptops introduced by 2015 - Example answers provided for all past exams/assessments - Mock exam papers for new modules where past papers are unavailable - Video recordings of ALL lectures

- Free e-books of core texts will be provided by the University; for texts where this is not possible, the number of copies in the library will be doubled Support: - Peer mentoring available for every subject - Module social events, this is especially important for subjects with little contact time and will provide a better network for discussing module speciﬁc issues - Revision lectures/seminars for every module in time for 2015 January exams - Non-compulsory writing workshops offered by tutors- this means students will receive specialised support with their academic writing, whether this is lab reports or essays - The Undergraduate Writing Centre will be expanded- everyone should have

regular access to specialised writing advice - Sessions with your Personal Tutor will be more structured, tutors will be encouraged to look over your assessed work and ensure that you are working towards your targets Online systems: - Online coursework submission for all subjects by 2015 - An additional midterm MACE will be implemented so that you have the chance to directly beneﬁt from your feedback while your module is still being taught - I will introduce a ‘Progress Tracker’ which provides a breakdown of your marks and calculates your overall grade; with so many different modules, each with assessments which are worth different amounts there needs to be a clear way to establish what your marks mean

- Module choice systems will be improved; avoiding the ﬁrst come ﬁrst served system - A university wide forum for selling second hand course books will be created Helping you relax: - Reading week introduced for every subject - Late-night Food van in exam weeks, this means you will be able to get something to eat after the Ram closes - I will encourage communication between departments to help avoid unecessary double or triple deadline days for FCH students Why you should pick me: As VP Education I will guarantee that all management decisions are made with the students in mind. I will ensure that your university experience is the best that it can possibly be. So.... DON’T STRESS, VOTE JESS

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Jess’s manifesto sets out a good range of aims and clearly explains her ideas regarding improving resources. Her involvement with the Teaching Awards, in addition to her work as a subject chair is impressive. Ideas such as free e-books also seem very well conceived; however it is hard to say whether the University actually has the ability to double the number of other texts in the library. Although there is good emphasis on making the assessment process less stressful and more efﬁcient, Exeposé felt that a late-night food van may encourage unhealthy working hours. Overall, this is a well thought out manifesto.

MEGHAN HONEYSETT HONEY to BEE your EDUCATION VP! I, Meghan Honeysett, would be honoured to be elected as your next VP Ed-

ucation. I have thoroughly enjoyed my educational experience at the University of Exeter, and I am passionate in ensuring that current and future students enjoy theirs as much as I have mine. As Subject Chair for Psychology, I have seen ﬁrsthand the educational challenges that disciplines face, and what needs to be done to implement change and to ensure that departments continue to improve. As VP Education, I would do my utmost to ensure each individual, on each of the university campuses, has the best possible educational experience. As VP Education, my main aims would be as follows: - Mace Students’ feedback is essential! And nothing is more frustrating than completing end of term MACE in the knowledge that your feedback won’t necessarily

have a personal impact on you. I propose to initiate a mid-term MACE system for all subjects, so that feedback/problems are tackled in time to directly affect your degree course! - Feedback I intend to make certain that the three-week turnaround period for all undergraduate marked work is adhered too in all disciplines. Additionally, I plan to communicate with the university to ensure that the turnaround for postgraduates is a maximum of 4 weeks! Also, being able to talk through feedback it is an essential part of self-development and self-improvement. Therefore, I propose for there to be a feedback helpdesk in all subjects to allow you to be able to improve from one assignment to the next. - Technology and ELE

There is need for a better understanding of the online systems and an improvement in the way they are utilised. As VP Education, I would liaise with the university to provide the opportunity of technology training for all teaching staff. This will ensure that lectures and learning aren’t disrupted through technology issues, and that the necessary resources are all easily accessible. Also, I propose to communicate with academic staff to have as many lectures as possible recorded on the ECHO system. - Teaching and assessment With ever increasing University Fees for both home and international students, it is more important than ever that ALL students are receiving the quality teaching they deserve for the money they are spending. To achieve this, I will encourage and pursue the need for smaller class-

es. In terms of assessment, my aim is to communicate with the departments to remove same-day deadline clashes. - Research Following the success of the Engineering Uncovered, and the University-wide Research Uncovered, I propose to work with the SSLC reps, staff and the Guild to create a ‘Research Uncovered’ for all subjects, so that every subject gets the chance to showcase the research that is going on in the ﬁeld. As VP Education, I would be committed to implementing these educational changes; but also to listening, supporting and acting on your feedback and views; to make absolute certain that YOU are getting what YOU want from your degree and university experience. HONEY to BEE your EDUCATION VP!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Meghan has recognized that teaching and assessment quality is amongst students’ main educational concerns, and lays out speciﬁc plans to improve technological issues across different departments. Exeposé is unconvinced of the feasibility of a mid-term MACE project, however, because of the time pressures that are already inherent in departmental life. It was good to see an address to postgraduate students, however it is also difﬁcult to see how a feedback desk would work within academics’ current timetables, and whether academics would be willing to give their time to take part in technological training.

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CHARLOTTE RUSH

Accept nothing less than gold. Hi, I’m Charlie Rush and here’s how I will ﬁght to get you the education you deserve:

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- A timetable that works for you: - Sport Wednesdays – sport is an integral part of university life, so we must ﬁght to ensure that students no longer have compromise between their dedication to their sport and their education. Therefore I would strive to free Wednesdays wherever possible and wherever lectures cannot be rearranged, move them to as convenient a time as possible for our sports people - Fairer deadlines – the university must stop clashes of deadlines. I will ensure more effective communication and scheduling between academic courses in order to prevent these deadline conﬂicts. - Standardise ELE – every module ELE page will contain all lecture slides, seminar readings, revision materials including past paper questions and coursework materials. A wider variety of lectures should be recorded for revision

purposes, regardless of module or class size. - Replace MACE - all modules should have mid-term evaluations so that lecturers can receive feedback and make necessary amendments to their modules that impact you while you learn. - You create your grades – group projects should be marked on an individual basis; you are accountable for the amount of work you have put in and not judged by the work of other group members. - Increased study space – student numbers are set to increase, so efforts should be made to increase study space, including designated post graduate study areas and relax zones for laid-back learning. - Reshaping the relationship between the academic and the social side of university – because one can’t work

without the other. - Peer mentoring – formal funded training should take place for all mentors which contribute towards your Exeter award. - Find the internships you want – departments must work harder to aid students in ﬁnding relevant internships. Students should have more input into which employers visit the university. - Student participation in research –you should be offered the chance to participate in research and receive training to develop your understanding of the research process. - Academic conferences – every department should host an undergraduate research conference giving students a chance to engage in research and learn how to present their ideas. - Bring the campuses together – Streatham campus often forgets St

Luke’s, not to mention Cornwall which for many feels like a separate university. Everything in this manifesto applies to all students on all campuses and I want to work actively to bring them together and unify the university. I am the right person for this role because: - I’ve been elected HistSoc president twice, revolutionising the society and proving I can put mine and other students’ ideas into action. - As A&V Assistant I work in the heart of the Guild, which puts me in the right place to know what students want and how to make it happen. - I spent my gap year teaching abroad, fuelling my passion for improving education.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Charlotte’s manifesto covers a variety of points that hope to enhance the academic experience of students studying at Exeter. Increasing study space will be beneﬁcial to a range of students, and Charlotte’s consideration of postgraduates in this idea demonstrates an awareness of all levels of study on campus. Despite some good ideas, however, Exeposé believes that Charlotte’s plan to keep the whole of Wednesday free will be difﬁcult to implement with increasing student numbers, and the top student issue of teaching and assessment quality is never directly addressed by this manifesto.

sity degree has come into question… In its strategy for 2015 our University has promised to offer ‘the kind of education where quality counts…’ As your VP Education I will use my experience and strive to ensure that ALL students are provided a quality academic experience that truly reﬂects the high tuition fees and Exeter’s status as a top UK University. Here are my aims:

BEN STREET For QUALITY vote STREET for VP Education With the increase of tuition fees to £9,000 in 2012, the value of a Univer-

1) To ensure a quality academic experience for all. - I shall look to prevent overcrowding in lectures and seminars. I shall do this by enforcing a lower cap on seminar sizes, ensuring lectures are held in appropriately sized rooms and that sufﬁcient money is put aside for funding extra staff. - Despite the university’s desire to promote the sciences, I will look to ensure that all colleges are adequately sup-

ported. - I will look to encourage more variety of assessment within courses to ensure that students are able to choose modules suited to their speciﬁc strengths. - I shall continue to develop the new ‘Research Uncovered’ additional lecture series, looking to attract outside speakers to our university. 2) To create a quality learning environment. - I wish to set up within the guild a second-hand student bookshop in Devonshire house. It would be run by students and would allow both students and lecturers to buy and sell books on campus, saving them money and promoting a scholarly learning environment. - I will encourage personal tutors to offer both academic and pastoral support to their students.

- I shall aim to open up more spaces for group study ensuring that the library and other quiet areas are kept for quiet study. 3) To provide quality assistance for your degree and your future. - I will encourage more active student representation by rewarding SSLCs and Academic societies for their efforts. This will result in student issues being addressed and tackled more effectively. - I will set up more support systems for international and year abroad students to aid their integration (or re-integration) with campus life. - I shall aim to provide more subject-speciﬁc employability events by working with academic societies, SSLCs and the CareerZone. - I will assist the creation of subject

specific peer mentoring schemes, run by student reps, aimed at providing extra support for students for difficult modules. Throughout my time at Exeter I have taken a keen interest in academic affairs: I am currently Subject Chair for Classics and Ancient History, and was previously Departmental Liaison officer for the Classics Society. In 2013, in establishing a Latin and Greek student-tutoring scheme and organizing a debate on the importance of Classics in education I helped Classics Society win ‘Highly Commended’ for ‘Outstanding Academic Contribution’ at the Student Guild Awards. If you want a VP Education who really cares about improving your academic experience here at Exeter vote BEN ‘QUALITY’ STREET for VP Education.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Ben’s manifesto covers a good range of points and Ben also clearly has a wealth of experience that is relevant to the role he is applying for. He is highly concerned with teaching and assessment quality, which was shown to be amongst students’ highest concerns in Exeposé’s poll. It was also refreshing to see the issue of employability raised within education; however, as with this candidate’s aims regarding study spaces, plans for improving these areas could have been expanded upon. It is difﬁcult to see exactly how he will achieve some of these aims, although this is a strong manifesto overall.

student engagement activities and the holding of several academic positions, I am conﬁdent in my ability to provide an excellent service to all students and an EXCEPTIONAL year for EDUCATION AT EXETER!

MATTHEW THATCHER #SNATCH a WIN for THATCH For a degree in safe hands…Vote Superman…Vote Thatch! Through consistent participation in

1) Echo 360: Increased functionality and utilisation of Echo360 to assist students during general study and recapping, revision, coursework and exam periods. 2) Study space: Increased study and computer space for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate students. As the student population increases, so too should our study space. Peak times, i.e. exam periods, will see the addition of extra space provided on Campus and better policing of the library. You demand it, I will provide it! 3) Feedback: All feedback will be typed, with additional focus on the

all-important points of how to ‘improve’ and the inclusion of specifics with regards how to enhance your grade – wave the ‘unreadable scribbles’ goodbye! Work will continue to be returned within three weeks. 4) Reading Week: All students should benefit from a reading week, to allow you the chance to catch up and consolidate the work completed during the first part of the term. 5) NO ‘after-hours’ lectures: No lectures will be scheduled post 6pm or on Saturdays. It is important to ensure all Wednesday lectures conclude before Midday to allow ease of participation in BUCS events. Sport is an important part of life here and I will ensure this is maintained. Aim to keep lectures to two hours, to ensure ease of concentration. 6) Deadlines: There will be increased and improved communication between modules, departments and col-

leges, to prevent deadlines falling within the same week. One assignment is stressful enough and it is important you are given the opportunity to achieve your full potential in all such tasks. 7) Exam Timetables/INTO: Exam timetables will be released to all students considerably earlier than at present, to allow all students, especially international students, the opportunity to make realistic travel arrangements for the holidays based on dependable dates. Similarly, I will encourage and fully promote the integration of INTO students into the student body. 8) Facilities: The facilities provided on the St. Luke’s and Cornwall Campuses’ will undergo continued improvements to ensure increased parallelism with those available at Streatham, offering the best possible facilities to ALL Exeter students. 9) Transport Links: An increase in

the transport services operating between St. Luke’s and Streatham – the singular shuttle bus per day does not provide an adequate provision, especially for those students who attend teaching on both Campuses’. 10) ELE: There will be prompt uploading of lecture and reading materials on ELE to enable students the opportunity to access this information at all times. Finally, I will endeavour to continue the work begun by previous Education Sabbs, to ensure no promise is left unfulfilled and no student dissatisfied with the student experience. In particular, I will continue to push for reduced maximum library fines and maintain the excitement of Research Uncovered.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Matthew’s policies tend to skirt around the edges of a key issue: that of teaching and assessment quality. His ideas about Echo 360 and typed feedback are both good points, but are potentially undermined by unrealistic ideas about managing deadlines to fit the student rather than overworked academics, as well as empty rhetoric about ‘after hours’ and Wednesday lectures. Furthermore, a focus on Cornwall (no longer part of the Sabb officer remit) is unnecessary when there are greater issues at hand. Matthew’s manifesto is solid, but will require clarification in debates and campaigning.

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VP Welfare & Diversity ambassador, SSB welfare volunteer and chances are I’ve handed you water or a sandwich outside the Lemmy. I’m super keen to be your new Welfare and Diversity Sabb!

CHARLOTTE COOPER

Super Cooper Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s Charlie wearing a bright yellow cape! I’m a 3rd year, winner of this year’s Most Supportive Welcome Team Member, a Student

1) Safety No one should feel unsafe on our campuses. So, having spoken with the Head of Security, it’s clear that there’s a definite need to reduce the areas not covered by CCTV or sufficiently lit or with enough Estates Patrol, I want to fix this. 2) Diversity and Equality: We are all equal but not treated as if we are. Regardless of gender, sexual orientation, place of birth, age, religion or anything the University, Guild and other students must not be allowed to discrim-

inate. I will campaign with students to stop this happening. Also I would love to make a website called; ‘Exeter – The Deﬁnitive Guide’ dedicated to useful information for International Students as well as how to make the most of all that our university and city has to offer. 3) Support and Communication We have great services that are poorly publicised, I will ensure all information is received by all students regardless of their year, campus, Post Grad, International, Long-distance learning, or if they’re a mature student. However the more services are used the more money we’ll need. Within the Wellbeing Services we provide there’s a need for more money and I know how crucial those services are to so many

thousands of students each year. While the Housing Fair was a huge success, I would love a lot of that information to be available online. A website where approved landlords can advertise properties and be reviewed, and students can offer vacancies in their houses, would remove a lot of stress from house hunting. 4) Personal Tutors Currently the majority know very little about the wider University and offer little support. It is crucial they act as the ﬁrst point of call for all students. I will commit to ensuring they are aware of procedures for mitigation and course changing among many other things and are worthy of our fees. 5) Funding

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We pay huge amounts of money and not enough is spent on what we want and what we need, this has got to change. I will look at where funding is going and relocate it to areas of need. 6) Sustainability I’m so committed to making our campuses greener that I have half the ﬂyers of other candidates and am utilising social media and word of mouth more than endless pieces of paper. I would love this campus to have more recycling facilities, bike racks and water coolers as well as a commitment to promote greener decisions in future building work. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, Charlie ‘Super’ Cooper

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Charlie demonstrates good research on the issues of safety and CCTV, and the idea of a deﬁnitive guide to Exeter for international students is thought provoking. However, her gesture towards redistribution of funding is vague and she may wish to provide a more speciﬁc plan in future. Charlotte’s acknowledgement of the housing fair success and her plans to expand the housing fair are positive, but her other points are somewhat underdeveloped. For example, she only provides an acknowledgement that wellbeing is crucial to students and underfunded, without providing any plans of how to combat this problem.

KATE HAWKINS VOTE THE HAWK - ﬂying the Guild to greater heights Hi everyone! My name’s Kate Hawkins and I’m a third year Biology student. I’d love to be your VP Welfare

& Diversity as I am passionate about improving our already highly rated university experience! I want to build a new relationship between students and the Sabbs this year by relocating the team so that Sabbs can better represent the student body. Here are some of my policies: - Housing: To lobby the university to provide an increased range of accommodation prices to attract a diverse range of students and tackle issues of elitism, continuing the work of the current Sabbs to ensure accommodation is available under £100. To complete the landlord accreditation system and ensure only accredited landlords attend the housing fair. - Support and Mentoring: To review the Personal Tutor system, perhaps by renaming Personal Tutors to Academic Tutors, whilst designating a Pastoral

Ofﬁcer in each college to deliver more comprehensive support on a personal level. To address issues of intersectionality by further developing the Global Chums Buddy Scheme for international students. - Wellbeing Centre: To secure increased funding for more staff and workshops, and work with them to reduce waiting times. To introduce an automated email update system to reassure students on the waiting list that they haven’t been forgotten, whilst attaching relevant self-help materials, audio talks and other support services. - Campaigns: To run a mental health awareness campaign to tackle this stigmatised subject, involving societies such as Mind Your Head to integrate ideas from the student body. To implement a survey during the

ﬁrst term that aims to assess student experiences of discrimination on campus so that the Guild can act accordingly. To raise awareness of violence against women by securing an event on Valentine’s Day that supports the global ‘One Billion Rising for Justice’ campaign. This event can also target the wider community and include activities from a range of cultures. - Community & Environment: To have a society presence at the annual Exeter Respect festival that celebrates equality and diversity. To invite local charity pop-up shops on campus to develop long-lasting relationships. To negotiate with the current waste tender to increase the number of bins on campus, particularly near the Lemmy, and introduce a scheme for collecting food waste.

- Winter Exams: To extend the winter holiday by a week allowing students more time to cope with revision during this stressful time. This could be achieved by removing Reading Week in Term 1. Why I should be elected: I am the current Oxfam Society President so have experience in campaigning for change and have built strong relations with local community groups. Working on the Welcome Team has given me invaluable experience of looking after student needs. I’ve volunteered at Exeter Foodbank and I’m currently involved with this year’s GoGreen Week as well as IWD. As my active involvement on campus demonstrates, I am dedicated to making your time the best it can be. So help me make a difference and ﬂy the Guild to greater heights by VOTING THE HAWK!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Kate’s comprehensive plan for wellbeing focuses on what is important to students. The reassuring emails suggested would be an easy thing to implement and may make all the difference to students waiting for wellbeing services. Regarding housing, Kate has considered both off and on campus residents but ensuring accommodation under £100 could prove difﬁcult with the rising cost of campus wide accomodation. Removing stress with an extra week of holiday at Christmas may be appealing to students; however Exeposé believe this to be highly unfeasible due to the scheduling of holidays well in advance.

CHARLIE MCKAY

VOTE CHARLIE MACKAY ‘THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL’ Hello! My name is Charlie Mackay and I’m a ﬁnal year History and Philosophy student. I have a passion for fairness, tolerance and justice which I hope to bring to

the role of Welfare and Diversity Ofﬁcer. My key aim is to REPRESENT YOU. I would hold weekly drop-ins, where students could come to discuss any issue, or even just have a chat over tea and biscuits! Worldwide issues of welfare and diversity affect us all so we should address them the best way we can: here at Exeter University. #VoteCharlieMackay THINK Global... ACT Local THINK Support Services... ACT: Our amazing range of services should be equally accessible to everyone. (E.g. advice on ﬁnances, housing and careers, VOICE, counselling and study skill sessions). Targeted publicity to post-grad, mature, St. Luke’s, Cornwall and future students. Mentor scheme rolled out across all colleges and to students on their year in industry. THINK Mental Health… ACT: Support for friends and family

of those with mental health issues. Reduce waiting times and ensure everyone is seen within 4 weeks at the Wellbeing Centre. Combat stigmatisation with awareness campaigns including known ﬁgures talking about their mental health issues. THINK Climate Change… ACT: Make Exeter a world leader in climate change by implementing an action plan for a carbon-neutral campus by 2030. THINK Safety… ACT: Work with Police Community Support Ofﬁcers to create ‘safe routes’ home, where police presence is assured. THINK Inclusion and Acceptance… ACT: Celebrating diversity by running and promoting diversity events (Diversity Month, Diwali, International Women’s Day, Chinese New Year etc.) throughout the year, engaging with the ISC, minority

group reps and other engaged students. Work with student media to combat prejudice and misrepresentation of minority students. THINK Representation… ACT: Get our voice heard in government by running a voting campaign for the 2015 General Election. Make sure minority groups are represented in the Guild. (E.g. LGB+, trans and gender variance, black and minority ethnicities and disabled students). THINK International Welfare… ACT: More and more families are relying on food banks in the UK. Put a permanent food bank on campus for students to donate to. With 96 nationalities at Exeter, we need to support colleagues, friends and course-mates with the diverse range of international issues which affect them. Set up a campaigns committee, open to anyone, to carry out and support campaigns with a wider impact.

Why Vote For Me? I have extensive experience in student welfare and diversity: - Equality and Diversity Forum Ofﬁcer. - Vice President of Amnesty International Society, caring for the welfare of those beyond local boundaries. - History SSLC Chair, implementing a history mentor scheme for ﬁrst year undergrads and enjoyed taking part in it this year! - Took part in the Save our Streetlights campaign. - I will strive every day to represent you and your views to the Guild, University and local community. - The pledges I have made in this manifesto can and will be delivered. #VoteCharlieMackay

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Charlie’s manifesto is well-intentioned, but the onus is on her to develop more on her points in both the debates and while campaigning. Strong ideas like mentor schemes and support for family and friends during mental health processes are arguably undermined by a lack of clarity surrounding how she will combat lengthy waiting times at the Wellbeing Centre itself. Furthermore, ideas like policed routes home and a food bank are ideologically sound, but do seem insigniﬁcant in comparison to more pressing issues. Exeposé would also express concern at her vague policies surrounding student media.

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| WEEK SIXTEEN

LYDIE

POPIOLEK

#LOVELYDIE for Welfare! Hi! I’m Lydie and I’m a third year Theology student. I’m running for VP Welfare & Diversity and these are my policies:

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WELLBEING. - Decrease the Wellbeing Centre waiting time to maximum 2 weeks by: • Giving personal tutors a basic training in mental health, so they can signpost students to more appropriate places if necessary (e.g the Student Health Centre). Contact with personal tutors would be introduced early on (e.g. College introduction days) and would remain important for all students. • Raising awareness of the Wellbeing group workshops for speciﬁc problems, so students can attend the relevant ones. • Working with the Guild and University to secure more funding to employ more Wellbeing staff. • Strengthening other student support services (see below). - Inform all international students early on that they can go to the Wellbeing Centre with any level of speaking English.

STUDENT SUPPORT. - Give student support services better publicity and improve their presence around campus by: • Building upon the advertising for Voice and the Advice Unit. Increasing awareness for Voice would strengthen the service by encouraging more callers to seek advice and more volunteers to join. • Regular Voice and Advice Unit promotional events in the Forum Street. • Creating a termly pop-up room co-ordinated by Voice and the Advice Unit for students to come in and talk to someone, with leaﬂets and information, teas and coffees. DIVERSITY EVENTS. - Bring big diversity, equality, and welfare events to all Exeter campuses such as Eating Disorders Awareness Week, World Religion Day, Disability Aware-

ness Day by: • Inviting speakers to come to the University. • Collaborating with Voice and Mind Your Head to develop awareness events such as student-led talks or workshops. • Collaborating with Campus Cinema to put on ﬁlms relevant to these events. HOUSING. - Build upon the successful Housing Fair and the accreditation scheme for Exeter’s landlords, potentially ensuring that next year’s Housing Fair advertises only approved landlords. - Improve upon the Guild’s Housemate Finder by including more students and more information. Direct students here in their freshers pack so it is common knowledge. I’ve loved my time in Exeter and want

to help all students have a great experience here. I want to represent the student body, and I believe I have the relevant experience to do this and fulﬁl all of my policies. - I’ve been a Welcome Team volunteer for two years and was a Senior this September. This put me in touch with many new students and their expectations and hopes for their University experience. - I’ve volunteered for Voice for three years. I’m currently a Training Ofﬁcer on the committee and lead a support group for members within it. - These roles have given me knowledge of the Guild, direct contact with hundreds of students over my time at University, and put me in positions of responsibility and care. The result is that I am tuned in to what many students want and need. #LOVELYDIE for Welfare!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: A focus on mental health demonstrates Lydie’s engagement with issues important to the student population and her expansive, ambitious plans for wellbeing will surely benefit students. Collaboration with societies should help to engage more students with the issues important to welfare at Exeter, although will require the cooperation of these societies which may at times prove difficult. Whilst mental health is explored in detail other aspects such as housing and diversity are neglected at times and lack a level of specificity. Overall, however, Lydie exhibits a good level of experience with and knowledge of welfare.

Let’s Jaz things up!

ries and improve Wellbeing. I will try to make Wellbeing do home visits for those students who have signed up for help but suffer from anxiety and panic which makes it hard for them to be able to get to Wellbeing. I will also set up a group speciﬁcally for eating disorders where people can come and talk about it, get advice and support without any judgement, and see that recovery is possible. As a recovered anorexic, I know that this will help so many people. I will also make the gym become more responsible because once they get your money, they don’t care about the welfare of the clients. Some are running themselves to death or pumping weights until they drop.

I will focus on mental health by trying to remove the stigma that it car-

I will also work on getting rid of sexual health stigma. There isn’t enough sexu-

JAZ SANSOYE

al health awareness and information on campus so I would set up weekly stalls in the Forum in which people could come and ask for advice and information as sometimes it is too embarrassing or daunting to go to the clinic. University is typically when people have the most sex and they need to be aware of the risks. I will also work on diversity. Many people here judge others because of how they look and their race and many therefore have negative experiences at Exeter. I would endeavour to stamp this out.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Jaz has a number of interesting points through her manifesto, particularly her focus on mental health, which was proven in our poll to be the most important issue for students. However, the manifesto is vague with regards to the reduction of stigma and ideas such as the pop up stall in the forum are rather ill conceived. Claiming that the gym provides no welfare assistance for its members seems a rather poorly researched claim and whilst Jaz has expanded upon her personal experience in the manifesto, discussing her professional experience will be a priority during campaigns week.

KATHERINE SLADDEN SLADD FOR SABB: RE-LION ME Hi, I’m Katherine, a fourth year language student. I would love to represent you as your VP Welfare & Diversity; improving student safety, enhancing student wellbeing and ensuring that everyone has the support

they need to participate fully in university life. I want to represent YOU, YOUR VIEWS and the changes that YOU want. If elected, I will implement the following: Student Support: - Promotion of Peer Support: maintain and facilitate a smooth pilot year of the Buddy Scheme for incoming First Years. - Expand the role of Personal Tutors beyond academic support, liaising with VP Education; they should be a point of contact for every student with welfare concerns. - Issue Student Life Skills Packs to all ﬁrst years when they arrive, including advice on budgeting, staying healthy and time management, strengthening the transition to university life. - Lobby the university for increased funding for the Wellbeing

Centre: long waiting lists are unacceptable. - Further increase promotion of available services such as Voice and the Advice Unit. Wellbeing: - Puppies on Campus Day, Sports and Relaxation Sessions and stress management tips as part of a new ‘Stress Less Week’ in terms 1 & 2. - Promote and give greater attention to initiatives such as Mental Health Awareness Week as well as events such as World Aids Day. Diversity: - Forge a stronger link with the University’s ‘Global Chum Scheme’; ensuring better integration between Home and International students through Peer Support. - Introduce a Guild Rep position for Mature Students, whilst ensuring the Disability and LGBT Rep positions are ﬁlled: representation for every student

is essential! - Provide more activities for religious and cultural events, further promoting existing ones such as Diwali and Chinese New Year. Student Safety: - Expand the ‘Get Home Safely Campaign’ by working together with Devon and Cornwall Police. - A phone charging facility on all 3 campuses: students should always have a point of contact when walking home. Housing: - Improve communication between the Guild, Residence Life Teams and Hall Committees. No one should feel rushed into signing contracts; every student should be aware of facilities available e.g. free contract checking. - Enhance the Landlord Accreditation Scheme by increasing incentives for accreditation. - Work with the University to keep rents as low as possible.

Why me? - As the Guild’s current Students Abroad Rep, I have driven university-wide peer support schemes. - Have worked as Head of Pastoral Care and Senior Welfare Leader for a language school, giving me key welfare experience. - Year Abroad and experience working with INTO students has equipped me to identify the needs of both Home and International students. I have loved my time at Exeter and want to ensure that EVERY student has the same great opportunities, improving and enhancing YOUR time here. I am approachable and committed to providing every student with the support they need. VOTE SLADD FOR SABB: YOU CAN RE-LION ME!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Katherine presents a good focus across a number of policies. Her plans to strengthen the ‘Chum Scheme’ shows a positive focus on integration, and her plans to work with police for a ‘Get Home Safely Campaign’ are positive, if slightly unexplained. Student life skills packs are a good idea, but may represent unnecessary expenditure. Her housing plans demonstrate a considered concern towards quality and affordability, but her plans for Wellbeing remain underdeveloped and impractical. The Puppies on Campus Day policy is perplexing, especially with regards to the practicality or validity of such an event.

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SPIKE VAN DER VLIET-FIRTH The future’s Bright, The future’s Ginger. Hi, I’m Spike, and I’m a 3rd year Politics Student. I’m asking for the chance to be your VP for Welfare and Diversity. If

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given the opportunity, I will deliver on the following policies: Support: - I’ll tackle the lack of participation in welcome week by local students and 1st years not living in halls. Allowing them to meet and connect like ‘ﬂat-mates’ will tackle the alienation and loneliness that affects well-being. For more on this: http://thefuturesspike.wordpress.com/ policy-breakdown/ - I want to work proactively to tackle the backlog in Wellbeing services. I want elected ofﬁcers trained to help tackle high demand, offering practical support for students. Read about my recent personal experience in my blog - Create greater awareness for the services and support offered - Currently not enough support is given to students who ‘drop-out.’ Those I’ve spoken to felt little care and support, and

this discouraged them from returning to their studies. This needs addressing - I have spoken to medical students who feel slightly forgotten by the guild. As a result I want to bridge work between their student parliament and the guild. I also want to increase engagement with post-graduate students. Awareness: - I want to create celebrations for International Day for People with Disabilities, as well as expand Diversity Month - More awareness should be made around the dangers of driving under the inﬂuence - More attention on the causes of stress, also depression and suicidal thoughts - Highlighting the dangers of ‘pay day’ loans for students - Continue and expand highly visible campaigns on burglary, personal safety, and safety on nights out (how did

you get home?) - Reafﬁrm the dangers of social media and reduce the risk of student harming each other or career prospects - I want to discourage peer pressure, a cause of harm to some students Housing: - I will expand on this years’ housing fair, and aim for all landlords to sign up to the landlord accreditation scheme - I will always strive for a fairer student deal Participation: - I’ll champion the welfare concerns of international students, and increase their involvement in welcome week; diversifying participation - I’ll work with INTO to encourage greater participation by their students, and run consultations on how to make the guild more inviting - Using direct engagement, I will con-

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sult student opinion on all major new issues. Why elect me? - I work for an Autistic Spectrum Disorder charity and I am currently placed with Community Adult Welfare Services at Devon County Council, giving me relevant experience and career ambitions in welfare - I’m an Accessibility and Wellbeing Ambassador, and have been an Ambassador since my 1st year. I also attended Exeter on a widening participation scheme - I have the passion and drive to achieve my manifesto commitments. I have fresh ideas and the ability to make them a reality - I will ﬁght any personal and social barrier that stands in a Student’s way, with a 100% commitment to make your Exeter experience the best it can be.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Spike’s manifesto is broad in its scope, and this is to be applauded. His idea of involving elected students in the Wellbeing process is a bold one, and this is complemented well by thoroughly considered points on student Wellbeing, including the dangers of payday loans. He also shows a strong awareness for participation and inclusivity, with particular focus on international students. However, Spike’s greatest strength could also prove to be his fatal ﬂaw: he takes on a lot, and he will need to clarify exactly how he intends to achieve such a wide range of aims.

DISUN VERA-CRUZ Dis is the way! My aim is to improve the Guild’s rela-

tionship with societies which will improve the welfare of the students and the cohesiveness of the diverse societies on campus. Being a second year, I have an interest in the progress of the Guild as I will reap the rewards in my third year. I will also be able to assist the Sabbatical Ofﬁcers that succeed me. I believe that while the University increases investment in the Wellbeing centre, the Guild should actively use the services provided by societies such as Voice to promote quick access counselling for people who wait weeks to be attended to. I will launch a Student Support Program where students who want to quite smoking, need help with alcohol or struggling with academics can relate and assist one another.

The comfort of students is of prime importance to me. I will campaign for a better heating system in the library, study areas and exam halls during cold seasons. In addition to this, I will work relentlessly with Exeter City Counsel and the University to provide shuttle buses that run between the Streatham and St. Luke’s campuses. I will work with the AU president and the University to make the sport parks’ services more affordable. I will ensure that there is continuity in the Guild by organising the housing fair. The landlord accreditation scheme is another project that I want to see continue. I will also work to provide better legal advice to students for off campus accommodation.

I will review queries made to the Student Information Desk which are not death with effectively and lobby to the university to allocate these problems to the relevant departments. It is my passion to promote a more cohesive relationship among the societies on campus. In order to make this happen, I will: - Group societies with common interest who will have leaders that will represent their issues. - I will also play an active role to ensure that these groups of societies engage in activities that inspire, inform and promote their causes. - I will ensure that these groups of societies are active during diversity week by actively assisting them to plan event which will share their interest/causes/

culture with their peers. - I will also see through the ‘wear your country’ day on the last day of diversity. On this day, people will wear the colours of their national ﬂag. - I will also have regular meetings with all the presidents of the societies on campus so that we can share ideas on how to improve inclusion, diversity and inequality in the university. - This is will also give the societies an opportunity to voice their concerns to the Guild Why am I the right person to vote for? I believe I will create a more cohesive community for you! I will make sure that your needs and diversity are catered to! I believe Dis is the way for you! #Disistheway

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: This manifesto attempts to deal with society cohesion through communication with society presidents and through common interest initiatives, which is an ambitious but rather vague policy. A top priority for Disun will be clarifying the ways he foresees societies cooperating, as well as providing an expansion on his brief plans of the Wellbeing Centre. His attention to detail for individual enquiries to the Student Information Desk, as well as legal advice for off-campus accommodation is admirable and his plans to work with the AU to lower Sports Park prices may prove popular among voters.

VP Activities MATTHEW BATE

#TakeTheBate - Increased Society Funding. - Saving you money. - Societies’ Voices Heard. I’m a third year Biosciences student, Deputy Station Manager of XpressionFM, the guy that cycled over 100miles to Falmouth on a 1980s bike for Children in Need… and committed to improving

your Exeter student experience!! Here’s how… (all points are feasibility checked with the Guild Exec.) HEADLINERS - Greater interaction with members; not just society presidents etc. I pledge to visit at least one event of EVERY Guild Society during the year! - Increase society funding by £10,000, taking the total to £35,000. - Set a maximum response time to A&V email enquiries of 24hours – with either a solution or a summary of action taken. SAVING YOU MONEY!: - I would trawl the city centre to negotiate savings for Exeter students, especially from independent ﬁrms, and produce a ‘deals book’. All you would have to do is show your Uni card. - Introduce a points accumulating loyalty card across the entire Guild. - Promote student-made products being stocked in the Guild shop. IMPROVE A&V: -Ensure that the A&V desk is sufﬁ-

ciently staffed during busy periods. - Make the Guild website easier to navigate. ACTIVITIES FAIR: - Keep cash sign-ups and ensure that societies have ﬂoats of change. SMALLER SOCIETIES TREATED FAIRLY: - Safeguard the ability for all societies to access funding, regardless of size. The best ideas should be rewarded with the resources they deserve. FUNDRAISING & VOLUNTEERING: - Increase the visibility of RAG and CA on campus and create post-degree employment links with external organisations. - Encourage all other societies to take part in fundraising too; e.g. recognition for the society that raises the most through Movember. MUSIC, DRAMA AND ARTS: - Aim to create new practice spaces for Theatre and Dance societies and safe-

guard their use of existing rooms. - Increase marketing of student musicians to the local community, with the aim of securing them more paid events. - Better Guild communication with Northcott. MEDIA: - Defend Exeposé’s independence and always be available to assist during press weeks. - Double XTV’s annual budget due to rising equipment costs. - Install speakers that play XpressionFM throughout Devonshire House and in halls. FAITH & EQUALITY SOCIETIES: - I’m passionate about achieving greater tolerance of other’s beliefs and viewpoints. The Guild needs to do more to promote this. ST LUKES: - Improve travel links to St.Lukes by pushing through bike scheme already being planned. - Rejuvenate X-keys and install more

Guild services at St Lukes. INTERNATIONAL, MATURE & POSTGRADUTE STUDENTS: - Welcome packs and inductions for Postgrads should be clearer and more relevant. - Create a separate Societies Fair for International Students a fortnight after Freshers, allowing more time to settle in before sign-ups. - More support for mature students so they can get the most out of societies too. EVENTS: - Aim to bring the regional Comic Relief 2015, BBC Question Time and other big events to campus. - Bring more national student conferences to Exeter and negotiate a better deal for societies with Event Exeter. I really want to see these ideas through so PLEASE VOTE me in for VP Activities!! :) Visit @TakeTheBate for more info! Thank you!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Matthew’s manifesto is comprehensive. Speciﬁc media concerns are considered, as well as plans for a range of other student groups such as arts groups and faith societies, even though detail for the latter is rather lacking. Plans to increase practice spaces for arts societies, defend media independence and save all students money across campus will inevitably appeal to a wide range of voters. Employability is not, however, discussed in Matthew’s manifesto so we look forward to seeing how he will emphasise this element of his role during campaigns week. Overall, the manifesto raises a number of excellent ideas which should be achievable should Matthew be elected as VP Activities.

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN Experience”.

KIT

FOTHERINGHAM

Have a break: Vote for Kit(kat)! Kit(kat): the face behind your activities No stranger to hard graft: I’ve led successful teams putting on events such as the Queen’s visit and the Grand Challenges Festival, which enrich the “Exeter

GUILD ELECTIONS 2014

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Build for Growth Student numbers are at a record high of 18,500 and growing. - Fantastic investment has been made to expand sports facilities – apply this policy to spaces for ALL societies. - Current facilities on St Luke’s, where the Medical School is set to expand, are underused (study space) and outdated (Cross Keys). - Give cultural departments as much say as academic colleges to avoid “dead” campuses. - Keep campus “green” in all senses by using brownﬁeld sites for new builds. - The Cornwall House development reduced space for music, dance, martial arts practice and other activities. The university must introduce wider and more transparent consultation regarding important changes to activity space and only allow developments beneﬁting students.

Planned redevelopment of Guild spaces in the Forum should provide spaces for innovation and relaxation: - Open workshop or “Hackerspace” for trying out new ways of doing things, building on the success of Grand Challenges throughout the year. - A work-free “quiet room” providing a comfortable place for students to de-stress or take a short nap, with regular mental health support like puppy therapy. Where’s my Wednesday? Fighting for your time. Timetables have started encroaching on precious SOCIETY time on Wednesday afternoons and during evenings. These times are vital for non-academic activities; supporting physical and mental health and personal development. - Continue publishing all lectures post 5pm weekdays and after 1pm on Wednesdays in a monthly report. - Pressure the university to change its late lectures policy.

Licence to thrill: Let the STUDENTS lead the way - Students and community members feel excluded from our activities because of unclear policies, inconsistent advice and poor outreach to underrepresented groups. - Websites often have outdated pages and information is hard to ﬁnd. Make Guild information more accessible, including for the international community and the disabled. - Reduce bureaucracy to promote more student volunteering and society participation, beneﬁting the wider volunteering sector in the community. - Encourage community participation by allowing staff, alumni and our neighbours to enjoy our activities without excessive charges - we can all learn from each other! - Provide big events with better funding: give students a penny and we’ll give you a pound. - Independent journalism standards

for Exepose, XTV and Xpression FM. Why has the student press been censored on open days? The Guild has become increasingly user-friendly for societies and individuals. This trend should continue. - Activities and Volunteering to set up an enquiry system like Student Information Desk (SID Online) with time limits for responses ensuring A&V provides a reliable and consistent service. - Automatic email receipt when money and paperwork are submitted by societies to address the problem of lost forms. - A&V desk to be staffed by at least two experts trained to deal with all society enquires. Have a break: Vote for Kit(kat) to protect time and space for your activities.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Kit’s manifesto has a good focus on the student community and he plans for Guild adaptability regarding the impact of the University’s growth. He clearly knows how the A&V Hub works and want to provide additional support to it, placing him in line with 45.5 per cent of students who believed that society support was the most important issue in the Activities election. While he covers a lot of issues, some of his points appear underdeveloped, as he doesn’t explain how his ‘Hackerspace’ would work or outline how he would fulﬁl the points in his ‘Licence to thrill’ section. time at Exeter I have been involved in the societies executive, ran my own society and been an active voice in campaigning within the student guild. I believe my experience perfectly places me to be your VP for Activities! I have several challenges I would like to tackle with you:

DANIEL RICHARDS Yes We Dan! Who am I? I am Daniel Richards and during my

1, Can we work more closely with the Student body? - If elected I will set up Sabb ofﬁce hours for myself, so that once a week, I am available to students to solve any issue they may be having within the University. - I want to increase transparency within the guild and come out from behind the curtain! The Students Guild takes part in many positive programmes that beneﬁt students and they should know what their guild is doing.

- I will create a page on the website to explain what is going on week by week in the guild. - We should attempt to encourage diverse communities to utilise the opportunities the student’s guild offers us. - I will aim to increase diversity within the Careers zone so that it offers a range of opportunities that students from all disciplines can utilise. It should provide opportunities for all! 2. Can we build links with the local community? - We should develop links with the council in Exeter to grow local internship programmes and allow students to gain more experience in work locally. - I will coordinate with local community groups to encourage student involvement in local campaigns. Examples of

campaigns we could become more active in are Exeter Respect festival or groups such as St Petrocs homeless charity. - We should utilise our Great Western 4 University link with Cardiff, Bristol and Bath and attempt to hold events with these Universities for the mutual beneﬁt of all. 3. Can we promote societies, campaigns and causes? - I will ensure that societies always have on-campus space to continue the work they do and look to develop new opportunities for societies to utilise campus space. - I will push societies to utilise St Lukes campus and the spaces it provides so that Students from across Exeter have more access to societies and the opportunities they offer.

- We should maintain work undertaken this year and keep the pop-up guild in St Lukes running. - I will move all safety forms and society paperwork online. This will limit the paperwork the guild has to deal with. - I will expand ‘Have Your Say’ so that it can be used not only to push for campaigns within the university to attempt to get the University involved in national and international campaigns. It should be a mechanism for positive change and discussion. - We must utilise our NUS link as other Universities have to gain more beneﬁts for Exeter and build on work done this year. Can we improve Exeter for the better and achieve these goals? Yes we Dan!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Daniel’s idea to set up his own ofﬁce hours is a considerate gesture and does satisfy his aim to work more closely with the student body. His promotion of transparency is a positive idea for informing the student body of Guild activities, but his methods of distribution are already in place, as the Guild and Sabb Times communications. His proposals for online society paperwork are a good idea, that may require some time to establish, but sounds promising from organisational and green perspectives. The idea to strengthen links with Bristol, Cardiff and Bath is also positive, but requires elaboration.

MICHAEL SMITH Mike. Just do it. I am running for VP: Activities to continue the Guild’s history of providing a diverse range of activities and it’s dedication to the students it represents. To make

your experience at Exeter the best it can be, I would develop: - The efﬁciency of the Sign-Up System - Quicker turn around between paying your fee and when you’re registered. Eliminate lost memberships and errors in sign-ups. The option for societies to purchase ID scanners. - Connections between societies. Create events that neither group could have alone, reserving grant money speciﬁcally for collaborative projects. A space for committee’s to talk and help one another - The functionality of the Guild website, to become the home of inter-society networking. Making sure students utilise the site to create events, sell tickets and promote. - An easier system to manage room booking around the university and is less prone to error and double bookings! - Push to increase the national ex-

posure of media orientated societies, and for society participation in platform events. - Making sure The A&V Hub is providing the best service it can to students, provide effective committee training opportunities. Ensure that funding and grants are eligible and fair to all societies. To increase avenues of funding. - The M&D room – Refurbish the room as a better equipped performance space, with a backstage area, a redesigned seating plan to provide a more spacious stage, and a better lighting rig. - Enter a partnership with the Northcott, to create more opportunities. ie. work experience and shadowing and in return use guild publicity to promote their shows. - Protection of the Arts and ensure they continue to have spaces to nurture talent in. - Utilise Kay House as a fantastic

space with so much opportunity. - Encourage activity on St Lukes. Improve South Cloisters as a social hub, better promotion of the Bop and the summer ball. Develop the Pop up guild - Volunteers are recognised and rewarded for the time and work they provide. Increase awareness of voluntary opportunities around campus and in the wider community. Continue to build on RAGs reputation. - Increase opportunities available for international students, establishing a stronger relationship with the ISC and drawing more attention to Diversity month. - promote student employablity, encouraging involvment with the mentorship programmes run by careers zone and develop opportunities that bridge that gap between society involvement and work experience.. My experience as President of The-

atre with Teeth, has given me an understanding of the workings of a society. I am also the elected Arts and Culture Executive for the guild. This has shown me how our societies interconnect and can help one another. Listed above are the changes that I would implement based on my experiences, however it is your voice that counts. I have the leadership skills and drive in order to implement these changes, and I have the capacity to work as part of a team and communicate to ensure that any change is in your interest. Thank you.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Michael has made an admirable commitment to the arts in his manifesto, and is sure to prove popular with the music and theatre-based societies due to his policies to protect and improve their spaces. While improvements to the M & D Room would no doubt be appreciated, a redevelopment would be expensive, and there is no indication of where this funding will come from. Again, while collaboration between societies is a great policy, some societies may resent losing a section of their grant to exclusively collaborative projects. Finally, ambitious student journalists will be grateful for increased national coverage of our stories – though in many cases, the Guild and the University will not!

GUILD ELECTIONS 2014

VP Activities cont. DOUGLAS STATT Plug For Doug! I’m Doug and I’d love it if you made me your VP Activities! Here’s what I’ll do when you pick me... Getting Involved in societies can make-

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or-break your time at Exeter, more needs to be done to help students sign up post-Fresher’s squash. - Restart the Re:Fresh fair in Week 6, giving longer to get integrated into societies you thought you’d missed. - Push for a Society Term 2 Price Drop. - Start a multi soc-soc, allowing students to participate in different society sessions at a heavily reduced cost, trying activities they otherwise wouldn’t consider and helping societies attract new members. We need to utilise our excellent links with the Exeter community and make that ﬁrst step into Volunteering easier. - Create a general volunteering list, where charitable societies can send out mass volunteering requests, opening up countless new opportunities. - Increase Subject Speciﬁc volun-

teering started by Community Action. - Give sponsorship of University sports tournaments to Welfare related societies (Voice, Mind Your Head etc) to further promote them.

Help out Current Societies - Streamline A&V and Society interaction. Working closely with the guild should be natural, not an effort. - Build on the success of the ‘Big Society Hello’ with another gathering in second term. - Work to increase out of hours room provision (I.e. Music) and reduce porters’ cost charges. - Open up employability fairs aimed at speciﬁc career areas for all. Even though the word Campus has been removed I will NOT forget about St Lukes - Ensure every hall is part of a com-

mittee. - Use these to host intramural teams, making joining a team less daunting for Freshers. - Work with the Post Grad and Lukes ofﬁcer’s to allocate funds for major events i.e. replacement Bop ‘Specials’. Make better use of The Forum - Create a monthly ‘Society Showcase’ allowing societies to present/sell work or put on workshops and performances. - Increase live X Media broadcasts at events such as the Showcase to give our high quality student media a larger presence on campus. - Develop an easy to view timetable for Forum space, allowing societies to view each other’s events (limiting duplication of events like cake sales).

EXEPOSÉ

Why Me? I’m in a great position to be VP Activities as I’ve been involved in a massive range of societies, from the small, as a committee member of Channel Island Society, to the large with XpressionFM and volunteering through Community Action with both learning difﬁculty and stroke patients. I’ve also helped plan and run many events as a volunteer for Children in Need, as a Student Ambassador, a Welcome Team Senior and as an SSLC member where I set up and ran a Module Fair. I’m also a leader, captaining teams in hockey, Ultimate Frisbee, football and badminton. I guarantee that if elected as your VP Activities, I will give my absolute all to ensure every student has the very best opportunity to get involved whilst at Exeter. So... Please, Don’t Be a Mug....Plug for Doug!

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Doug’s manifesto deals with society concerns and issues of inclusivity, which are clearly important issues for students. It is difﬁcult to see how a multi soc-soc could realistically be implicated, however, and there are no references to how he would facilitate student campaigns. Whilst a Refresh Fair in week six seems sensible, Exeposé felt that this could work better later on in the year. Doug’s ideas for the Forum are also particularly innovative; it is also good to see an attempt to draw more attention to St. Luke’s.

SAM WOODY To activities and beyond! #iWood I’m Sam Wood, third year Computer Science student. I founded the Computer Science

Society in 2013 and am currently Vice-president. This society entered the Imagine Cup and produced national and international winners, where Exeter won the $50,000 prize pool. Last term, I created a south-west hackathon with remarkable prizes, including a trip to 10 Downing Street, a meeting with the Chancellor, and technology based internships. I am good at fundraising; the funniest example being a £400’s pizza budget! I am CEO of a software company that has received over £2000 in grant funding. The company was set up last year with fellow students, after winning the world citizenship category of a national competition. If elected I will: Provide society presidents with

more freedom and control over administration. I will modernise and set up online facilities for banking, risk assessments and event promotion, bringing societies into the 21st century. As a techy, I KNOW I can make this happen. Reduce the cost of food and drink to students across all campuses by enabling your student cards to be used as loyalty cards throughout the university and guild facilities. They will be accepted at the hairdressers that I will establish in Devonshire ground ﬂoor. Ensure that Guild projects and society events reach the audience they deserve. Be it through Opt-out RAG for next year’s freshers, an online automated society events page, or freshers halls battles I have a number of policies that will improve the Exeter

Experience. Utilise Exeter Alumni to the best of their potential. By creating and maintaining an online forum of Exeter Alumni, by the end of next year Exeter will be able to bring some of the benefits of a Harvard/Stanford university model to Exeter. Improve funding for international events, such as Diwali, raising the profile of our international students and their celebrations. Improve links between St Lukes and Streatham Campus. My initial proposal is to set up a shuttle bus to take students from Saint Lukes Campus to the Lemmy every Saturday. I will endeavour to have such a system running by first term 2014.

Finally, throughout elections week I will be in the forum collecting ideas from the student body to improve student life at Exeter. The best student idea will win a prize and my promise to make it a reality. Feel free to speak to me about the feasibility of my ideas. I’ve put significant effort into checking that they are possible. My Toy Story entourage and I will not be difﬁcult to spot, so do come and chat. This manifesto has been sponsored by Gandy Street based local businesses BlissBeauty, Lion Jeweller, My Ex Wardrobe and student start-up Ember Club. They have donated gifts which have enabled me to reward ingenuity and it has given my message wings so it can ﬂy. Thank you.

EXEPOSÉ COMMENTARY: Sam’s manifesto commendably tries to modernise the Guild. However, the strong commercial idea of a loyalty card is potentially undermined by the gimmicky inclusion of a hairdressers downstairs in Devonshire House. Opt-out RAG is a policy with its heart in the right place, but arguably shames people into joining a charity, while privileging one society over many others in the Guild. Furthermore, focusing on alumni and society presidents arguably ignores regular society members. St. Luke’s is a key tenet of this manifesto, although more should be done than putting on a single shuttle bus route to the Lemmy.

How does STV work? Who is RON?

DURING this year’s Guild elections, the ‘Single Transferable Vote’ (STV) voting system will be used to decide which ﬁve individuals will become the Guild’s 2014-15 Sabbs. STV is the National Union of Students’ preferred voting system as it ensures votes are not wasted and all who vote feel that they have contributed towards the outcome, implying, therefore, a more democratic an representative voting system. In order to ensure that every vote counts, STV enables voters to rank their candidates. So should you wish to vote, in order of preference, for more than one candidate running in the election you are able to rank a second, third, fourth etc. preference so should

your number one candidate be knocked out your vote will be then transferred to your second preferred candidate. Should your second preference then be knocked out also, your vote will be transferred to your third choice and so on.

STV is the National Union of Students’ preferred voting system When voting, you are not required to rank every candidate if you do not wish to – and there is usually a box say-

ing ‘no further preference’ which will lead you onto the next category during online voting – however STV gives everyone the option to rank candidates if they’d like to and participate as much as possible towards the outcome. In contrast to the commonly used First Past the Post system, in which the candidate with the greatest proportion of single votes would be elected, STV allows all voters to feels as though they have contributed to the outcome. Voters are therefore more likely to identify with the ﬁnal winner, hold those who are elected more accountable and also reduces the chances of negative campaigning.

WHAT he lacks in policies and ideas, RON makes up for in sheer audacity: he’s run in every single Guild election since the dawn of time, without much success. However, this has never deterred him. This year he’s back with a vengeance in the 2014 Guild elections. He’ll be here all week giving out Bertie Botts every-ﬂavoured beans to try and attract your votes. His team of enthusiastic canvasers will be casting a spell over campus. Ron’s top skills include: piloting ﬂying cars, being a good wingman, slow burning sexual tension, and he looks cracking in a chunky knit... (In all seriousness, RON actually means ‘re-open nominations’, and can be selected if you feel none of

the candidates get your vote).

exeterguild.com/elections

VOTING OPEN UNTIL FEB 7 17:00

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| WEEK SIXTEEN

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Listings Thu 6 February Fuck Buttons Trinity Centre Bristol Fri 7 February Seth Lakeman Cathedral

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Magda Cassidy & Josh Gray music@exepose.com JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Music

We’re gonna need a bigger break Emily Marsay chews the fat with JAWS before their show at Cavern’s Kink Night Interview

Fri 7 February Tom Odell Plymouth Pavilions Tue 11 February Frank Turner Plymouth Pavilions Wed 12 February Fairport Convention Corn Exchange Thu 13 February Orla Gartland Thekla Bristol Fri 14 February Mr Scruff Phoenix Sat 15 February The Strypes Bierkeller Bristol Sat 15 February Royal Blood Cavern Mon 17 February London Grammar O2 Academy Bristol Wed 19 February Cara Dillon Barnfield Wed 19 February Thumpers (Kink) Cavern Fri 21 February Warpaint Bristol O2

One to Watch

AS I watch a caterpillar cake being smuggled across the Cavern, I help JAWS perform their ﬁrst song of the evening: ‘Happy Birthday dear Jaaake’ resounds around the empty venue while bassist Jake Cooper claps along. But this isn’t the only birthday tonight; it’s JAWS’ 100th show, and between the celebrations, drummer Eddy Geach shares with me some of his highlights from the past 99.

This is our first gig since being cooped up in the studio all week It was March 2012 when JAWS supported Swim Deep on their UK tour and they began to receive nationwide attention. “We have basically the same fans as them” Geach tells me. Not surprising then that the show Swim Deep scheduled for Birmingham when touring with JAWS sold out within days. “There must be nothing like playing to a home crowd,” I probe, to which Geach details that the atmosphere is electric, although modestly establishing: “I’m

James Vincent McMorrow Post Tropical Believe Recordings .......................

London Grammar @ O2 Academy Bristol Nominated for British Breakthrough Act of 2014, don’t miss this trip-hop trio later this month.

really excited to be playing here tonight. This is the sort of venue I love. It’s got a bit of character to it, you know? Some places you go to, the backstage feels like a hospital waiting room, that’s when you begin to feel nervous. But places like these, this is the sort of place where you feel like you’re really part of something”. Looking around the dingy backstage room, the first thing that catches my eye about the dressing room are the crates of juice and vodka lining the table. Been partying hard on tour? Eddy laughs: “We usually try to go out after gigs if we can. It just depends how far away the hotel is!”. Looking past the touring essentials, it’s hard to deny the character of the humble Cavern dressing room – there are names scrawled across the deep red walls of artists who have played here before. “Will you be leaving your mark in here too?” I joke, sparking a hunt for something to write with. Our rummage yielding a mere blue biro, JAWS never did get to sign the makeshift hall of fame, but something tells me they’ll be remembered here nonetheless. JAWS have been receiving attention from further afield than just Exeter: “Italy was a definite highlight. We played in a town

square in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, we thought nobody would know us... and there people were, singing along with all the words”. For any of you looking to holiday in Italy, Benevento is place that has now been drummed in as “Absolutely lovely, I’d recommend it to anyone. Go there!” Noting down the details to send to my friend arranging her year abroad in Italy, we move onto the pressing matter of ‘Friend Like You’. The lyrics: “Show me what you wanna do / and I’ll just go and follow you … I could use a friend like you / save the world I’ve come into,” make me wonder if there’s a muse behind the lyrics to their songs? “We actually don’t really like ‘Friend like You’” Eddy confesses: “There’s no particular person it’s written about... I’ve deﬁnitely found that song writing is never about trying to impress a girl – my girlfriend hates JAWS!” A relatively new band, having only formed in 2012, JAWS have earned success in only a small period of time. The fact that the other four of the band members have now dropped out of university to pursue the band signals that they’re beginning to gain conﬁdence

about the band’s future. “How do you feel about the transition towards the band being full-time rather than something you all did alongside your education?” I ask, to which the surprising response is given, of: “The band’s certainly stopping me from getting a job at the moment. I’d love to be making some proper money,” – the road to fame perhaps isn’t as glamorous for emerging talent as we would think. However, the future’s bright if fellow Birmingham success stories are anything to go by. “The spotlight’s definitely on Birmingham at the moment” Eddy agrees – what with Peace, Swim Deep and now JAWS originating from the depths of Digbeth’s underground music scene. The indie music movement in Birmingham titled ‘B-town’ has even been assigned its own Wikipedia page, quoting JAWS as one of its leading bands. And there’s exciting advancements: “We just finished recording our first album yesterday”, Eddy grins; “In fact, this is our first gig since being cooped up in the studio all week”. A gig to remember for JAWS, then – and as Eddy offers me a jam on his drumkit and I leave amid jokey roars of ‘let’s all get smashed!’ – a night to remember for me too.

WITH his second album we wave goodbye to the simple guitar and natural landscapes of the James Vincent McMorrow of old, and are instead greeted by a much darker and accomplished songwriter. Supplemented by a music video trilogy depicting scenes of strip clubs, drugs and violence, the acoustic folk of Early in the Morning is swapped for the emotional alternative R&B of Post Tropical. Like the love child of Bon Iver and James Blake, McMorrow’s second album hypnotises as his falsetto dazzles over rich compositions of horns, bass and hip-hop beats. Despite joining the wave of artists experimenting in this new-age soulful R&B genre, with comparisons to Justin

Vernon’s transition from first to second album being inevitable. Lyrically McMorrow’s roots in folk remain as he evokes landscapes of “the glacier slow/ in the heart of the winter”. But what truly makes McMorrow stand out from the crowd is his extraordinary vocal talents. A haunting quality pervades McMorrow’s voice as it rises to new heights in ‘Cavalier’ earnestly repeating “I remember my first love”, whilst the luxurious refrain in ‘Red Dust’, “Sometimes my hands/ they don’t feel like my own/I need someone to love/ I need someone to hold”, echoes on long after the song finishes. Equally exceptional is the range of musical arrangements in Post Tropical which

display McMorrow’s hidden depths as songwriter and composer. A crescendo of horns bring a rousing conclusion to ‘Gold’, continuous handclaps and intense piano drive ‘Glacier’, whilst interludes of chimes throughout provide an overall dreamlike and ﬂuid quality to the album. The album as a whole is exquisitely textured, emotional and beautifully carried by McMorrow’s voice, highlighting his individual maturity and creativity. Post Tropical therefore marks an exciting new direction for the singer songwriter.

CLAIRE BEAVERS

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EXEPOSÉ

Let battle commence

Who cares about Sabb elections? There’s only one important vote you’ll cast over this term... Exeposé Music brings you a casual fan’s guide to the contestants in Campus Bands’ Battle of the Bands, continuing at Timepiece most Mondays Saudade Genre: Alternative

Empires of Glass

DeathStar Disco

Genre: Indie/funk rock

Genre: Glamdyblues rock

Inﬂuences: U2, The Police

Inﬂuences: The Cure, Sonic Youth, Velvet Underground, Television

“In a time of ancient gods, warlords and kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a band of heroes. They were DeathStar Disco, a mighty rock group forged in the heat of battle. The power. The passion. The danger. Their courage will change the world”

“Four-piece indie band with a funky edge, based in Exeter, UK. Formerly ‘The Banana Equivalent”

“Newly formed, contemporary sounding, melancholic indie pop four-piece with psychedelic, postpunk and post-rock references”

www.facebook.com/empiresofglass

www.soundcloud.com/deathstardisco

www.saudadeuk.bandcamp.com White Elephant Emporium

Late Nights & Long Drives

Genre: Indie/alternative

HEAT 1 - 27 January

Inﬂuences: Pixies, Velvet Underground

Maria and Conor

“In an interview, we once described our sound as ‘like being lost in the woods with scary monsters all around.’ Still quite relevant”

Empires of Glass

https://soundcloud.com/whiteelephantemporium

Genre: pop punk, emo Inﬂuences: Brand New, pizza, generic pop punk, bikes, pizza

Saudade White Elephant Emporium Maria & Conor

“Fourth wave shitty pop punk band. Basically a cross between Brand New and the whole of the 90s” www.latenightsandlongdrives.bandcamp.com

Academic Audio

Genre: Unknown; Academic Audio are a new addition to the Campus Bands, so see them to ﬁnd out

Genre: Acoustic duo Inﬂuences: Portishead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead

“An enigmatic new group, made up of members of EUJO and Big Band, Academic Audio are sure to bring something new to the competition”

“Gentle strummed guitar and powerful heartfelt vocals over a mixture of well-known and unexpected covers”

To The Woods

Their pseudonyms are Biggie Talls, OB Nuggets and Wood-Z

Beverly Macca

We’re basically a cross between Brand New and the whole of the 90s

Genre: Acoustic Alt-rock Inﬂuences: Of Monsters and Men, Scars On 45 “A ﬁve piece group consisting of keys, acoustic guitar, drums, bass and voice; for those attendees who love their rock soft yet anthemic”

HEAT 2 - 3 February To the Woods Academic Audio Late Nights & Long Drives DeathStar Disco Kaleidoscope Eyes

Genre: Lo-ﬁ/Indie/Punk Rock

Genre: Alternative rock

“With the pseudonyms Biggie Talls, OB Nuggets and Wood-Z, you’d think that Beverly Macca would be an unusual proposition... and they are, but in a great way”

Inﬂuences: Jimi Hendrix, Arctic Monkeys, The Black Keys

www.soundcloud.com/beverlymacca

“Recently formed 3-piece hailing from the West Midlands, Edinburgh and the Isle of Wight. Just big fans of good music really. We’ve got some exciting gigs lined up over the coming months”

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN

MUSIC

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

After the heats are over the semi-ﬁnals will take place on the following dates: Monday 3 March Monday 10 March

THE FIRING RANGE

Head to Exeposé Online for up to date reviews of each round

Dibby Dibby Sound DJ Fresh vs Jay Fay Feat Ms Dynamite.

The ﬁnal will take place on an undisclosed date later in March

Ennor

3 HEAT 3 - 10 February

Genre: Celloed-up folk rock Inﬂuences: Ben Howard, R.E.M., Wu Tang “Just a couple of guys who were up to no good, started playing music round the neighbourhood” www.soundcloud.com/tomemusic

Brace For Impact

Could this band of as yet unknown first years topple the old hands?

Brace for Impact Kaleidoscope Eyes Ennor Beverly Macca

The Empty Twist

Genre: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock Inﬂuences: Biffy Clyro, Rise Against “We are a newly formed three-piece alternative rock band consisting of Sean McCall (vocals, guitar), Ciaran Stoker (bass) and Andy Withers (drums). We aim to have demos online in the near future!”

Bloom

Genre: Gypsy-Punk

Genre: N/A

“George Bell has been a staple of the Exeter music scene for years now, but in The Empty Twist he’s ﬁnally found the perfect medium through which to convey his often beautiful, often bizarre songs to the world”

Inﬂuences: N/A

Genre: Indie, Ambient “Dreamscape pioneers who combine ﬂuttering guitars with achingly yearning lyrics. Not a band to mosh to, but deﬁnitely worth waving a lighter in the air to” www.soundcloud.com/alltomorrowsparties17

Drive In Saturday Genre: Rock

Influences: Really varied, we play a wide range of covers from Bill Withers to Talking Heads. “We are a five piece formed last term, with three part vocal harmonies and two keyboards. Within in the band we have five very active members within

The best word to describe this exquisite remix is already in its title – sound. Pure, unadulterated sound, aurally assaulting your fragile mind and swiftly gaining control of your body with the power of sheer noise. Scientists have proven that the properly ﬁlthy bass behind Ms Dynamite’s lairy vocals directly animates hips and has them thrusting all over the place, meaning that whoever listens to it degenerates quite rapidly into a bowlegged nutcase. It’s unavoidable. It’s science. The next time you hear it, embrace the fact that for three and a half beautiful minutes you will become a slave to the sound. Do try and avoid shouting DIBBY DIBBY DIBBY DIBBY in the faces of strangers though. They hate that. JONATHAN JENNER

Timber Pitbull ft. Ke$ha

EDITOR

“Injecting some fresh blood into the competition, could this band of as yet unknown ﬁrst years topple the old hands?”

All Tomorrows Parties

Not a band to mosh to, but definitely worth waving a lighter in the air to

HEAT 4 - 17 February The Empty Twist All Tomorrows Parties Bloom Drive In Saturday

Turn up before 8:30 if you want to get a voting slip!!!

Is catchiness enough to justify another predatory release by Pitbull? Apparently so. The latest release by bad boy Pitbull is a collaboration with equally crazed Ke$ha. Based on their individual track records, the single threatened to be another womanizing dance number complete with snarling facial expressions from the semi-punk pop star, and it has succeeded. The background melody of a harmonica and a few yee-haws from Pitbull creates a wild-west vibe which, whilst catchy, seems more of an excuse to surround himself in half dressed women than anything of musical excellence. Even the lyrics are barren, with a lot of non-verbal woah-ing and the chorus of “it’s going down, I’m yelling timber”, hardly becoming a voice of romance. This single is nothing more than another club song and although Ke$ha may insist that “I’ll be the one you won’t forget”, I expect we will. EMMA SUDDERICK

Book early for the best choice. Student rooms from only ÂŁ94pw. Give yourself

room to think

GREAT LOCATIONS, CLOSE TO CAMPUS unite-students.com 0800 121 7375

Terms and conditions apply. Room prices subject to availability. Visit unite-students.com/legalstuff for full details. All information correct as at 16 January 2014.

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN

SCREEN FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ExeposeScreen

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

SCREEN

SCREEN EDITORS

Megan Furborough & Rob Harris screen@exepose.com JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Screen

Newsreel Quentin Tarantino sues Gawker In light of his recent announcement that his latest project, The Hateful Eight, has been cancelled due to leaks, it has been revealed that Tarantino has filed a copyright lawsuit against Gawker Media. Soon after the news of the leak broke, the website uploaded the 146 page script for public viewing. In the lawsuit, Tarantino states that Gawker has “crossed the journalistic line”, going on to accuse the company of making a business out of “predatory journalism”.

Star Wars script completed Director J.J. Abrams has recently announced that writing for the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII has now reached its conclusion. With production starting later this year, the internet has been abuzz with frequent and often wild speculation. However, Abrams has relished the rumours that have surrounded the project, stating that “there’ve been so many of them. It’s amazing to see how many there are. But it’s sweet because it shows that there’s an interest in this movie that we all obviously know is there”.

Reznor and Ross to score Gone Girl Taking to Twitter, Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor has announced that he is once again teaming up with Atticus Ross to produce the soundtrack for David Fincher’s upcoming flick Gone Girl. After receiving critical acclaim for their work on The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it’s safe to say that the pair could easily be cooking up a another award-worthy score.

Contender for Best Song Oscar removed from shortlist Composer Bruce Broughton has had his nomination revoked after it was revealed that he contacted voters. As a former Academy Governor, he is accused of abusing his position to promote the title song from indie film Alone Yet Not Alone. Whilst Broughton believed that he “simply asked people to find the song and consider it”, the Academy ruled that his actions were “inconsistent with the Academy’s promotional regulations”.

Black Cinema: The long, winding road Meg Drewett, Editor, looks at the issue of racial imbalance in Hollywood WHEN we think of the early days of cinema, it isn’t surprising that we don’t think of many black actors or actresses on the screen. The prevalent racism of the 20th Century had much to do with this, but the struggle of aspiring black performers wasn’t helped by the inherent bias of film production itself. As the celluloid film that recorded early motion pictures picked up light skin pigments more easily than dark ones, an intrinsic bias towards white actors was maintained and the black characters that did appear on screen increasingly became dark-skinned caricatures. As the world has moved on though, and digital filmmaking has taken the place of celluloid, the variety of darker skin tones can finally be portrayed more accurately on screen. 2013 has seen a wave of remarkable films that capture not only the accurate appear-

ance of black actors, but also depict the lives of African and African American characters with astonishing honesty and integrity. Be it Steve McQueen’s uncompromising portrayal of slavery in 12 Years a Slave, Lee Daniels’ story of an African American man on the sidelines of history in The Butler or the Nelson Mandela biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, the number of ﬁlms revolving around the lives of black characters certainly seems to be on the up. It’d be easy to think that the historical imbalance of racial casting in Hollywood was well on its way to be solved – but this simply isn’t the case. The highest-grossing ﬁlms were all action or animated movies with predominantly white casts. Although The Butler and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom were both initially tipped

for award nominations, only 12 Years a Slave has managed to actually make its way onto a Best Film shortlist. The remaining Oscars Best Picture nominations all focus on the story of white protagonists.

YOU should see Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show for a lot of reasons: because it is a beautiful and poignant coming of age story; because it is a unique and unusual piece of art; and because it is a seminal work from an extremely interesting and fecund period of cinema – The New Hollywood, marked by artistic innovation and directorial freedom and which produced such brilliant ﬁlms as Manhattan Chinatown and of course the sensational Taxi Driver. Set in the Texas town of Anarene in the 1950s, the story follows friends Sonny Crawford and Duane Jackson on the cusp of leaving high school. With nothing much to do, the only places of interest are the local picture house, the diner and the pool hall, all owned by the paternal Sam the Lion (Ben Johnson). And so the folks while away their time, engaging in extra- marital affairs or disinterestedly necking to pass the hours.

The ﬁlm is worth watching just for its frank portrayal of sex. Sonny listlessly kisses his girlfriend who he doesn’t like much, holding her breast like he’s cupping a cold blancmange. Meanwhile Duane is going with the prettiest girl in town – Jacy Farrow (Cybill Shepherd). Duane and Jacy decide to sleep together in a motel; Jacy lies down on the bed closing her eyes as if she’s going to be anointed by the pope, but all she gets is Duane’s fumbling and failure. Shot in black and white, the ﬁlm perfectly captures the barren landscape which drains life from the residents. But it also captures a bygone age – a youth consigned to hopelessness, life too quickly passed by. The only escape is either to the army (like Duane) or – if you’re lucky – college (like Jacy). Sam the Lion’s death is effectively the death of the town and the picture house. It is also poignant as we see how the love of his life – Lois Farrow (Ellen

Burstyn) – never married him. Sadly, the resident’s dreams are stifled and their lives are empty. It may not be a laugh a minute (or even a laugh an hour), but it is an affecting film which will stay with you. It is perhaps not to be watched as a boozy film night with friends, rather – like the residents of Anarene – maybe one to watch with a bottle of bourbon, and a sense of underlying sadness.

The number of films revolving around the lives of black characters seem to be on the up The point here is that whilst 12 Years a Slave and its contemporaries are brilliant ﬁlms offering ample opportunities for black actors, in the broader scheme of things they aren’t leading the charge on the racial imbalance in casting in the way that they may ap-

pear to. They may be gripping movies that honestly and accurately portray the history of black communities, but they are essentially historical narratives. By focussing on the stories of slavery or famous black historical figures, there is a danger that these films pigeonhole the roles available for black actors and actresses. Inadvertently limiting black actors to films that deal with the historical struggles of racism, doesn’t make the film industry tackle its real problem: the lack of roles available for black actors and the lack of colour blind casting. When the cinema offers its audience both the 12 Years a Slave’s of the movie world, but also a vast array of other characters in movies who can be cast by black actors, then we’ll be moving a step closer to solving this ongoing equality problem.

Films to see before you graduate: The Last Picture Show (1971)

CIARAN WILLIS

SCREEN

Keeping it in the family August: Osage County Director: John Wells Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor 121 mins (15) I FAIL to see how anyone could possibly be unimpressed with the line-up of this ﬁlm, which boasts a generous collection of high quality actors for the viewer to enjoy. August: Osage County is a black-comedy drama written by Tracey Letts and based on his Pulitzer prize winning play of the same name. Meryl Streep takes centre stage as Violet Weston, a pill popping and antag-

4 FEBRUARY 2014 |

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onistic housewife who summons her sister Mattie Fae (Margo Martindale), daughters Barbara (Julia Roberts), Karen (Juliette Lewis), Ivy (Julianne Nicholson) and their families when her husband Beverly (Sam Shepard) goes missing and commits suicide. By far the most memorable scene in the ﬁlm is a painfully awkward post-funeral dinner where Violet’s vitriolic ‘truth-telling’ leads to Barbara attacking her and disposing of her pills. As the storyline unfolds family secrets and scandals emerge from the woodwork leaving Violet alone with her carer, having pushed her whole family away.

The sheer amount of acting could be seen to engulf the plot of the ﬁlm slightly, but in truth it’s hard to complain about such immeasurable talent as Streep and Roberts when you see them on screen. The supporting cast hold their own against the acting heavy-weights with notable performances from Ewan McGregor and Benedict Cumberbatch, expertly affecting an Oklahoma drawl for their parts. However, the ﬁlm falls shy of perfection due to the uninspired direction of John Wells, who relies far to much on the talent of the actors to carry the plot through. Overall it’s one of the best dysfunctional family dramas I’ve seen, with captivating dialogue and exceptional performances. The acting is far from subtle but the plot doesn’t require understated depictions of these over the top characters. Streep and Roberts might be unlikely to take home an Oscar for best actress and best supporting actress given the formidable competition, but it is easy to see why they were nominated and clear that they are still on top acting form.

KATHERINE PERRINGTON

EXEPOSÉ

Voice-less?

The Voice

Judges: Tom Jones, will.i.am, Kylie Minogue, Ricky Wilson 2014 BBC 1 Season 3 THE VOICE promises so much with the innovative idea of ‘blind auditions’. It offers a chance for singers, who would not ordinarily have the opportunity, to showcase their talent and potentially get discovered. Unlike The X Factor, that places emphasis on whether performers look like a star, often over vocal ability, The Voice – at least in theory – removed looks from the equation, which brings a fresh and innovative approach to reality TV. However, this idea is simply lost in translation. The judges are blind to the performers but not to each other, which greatly inﬂuences their decision to turn around. There have only been three episodes aired so far, yet there have been several instances where a talented performer has been turned away because the judges were too concerned with what each other were doing, than actually considering the vocal talent for themselves. This ‘risk factor’ could be considered a strength but to me it feels like it defeats

the object of the show. Alongside the structural problems of The Voice, there also seems to be a lack of chemistry between the judges; in fact any rapport between them seems forced and insincere. Tom Jones and Will.i.am are overshadowed by the new judges, Kylie Minogue and Kaiser Chiefs front man Ricky Wilson, who attempt to revitalise the show with some overdue humour and wit. Kylie Minogue is a welcome addition who is as loveable as ever, even admitting she

Rapport between the judges seems forced needs a step to get up to the chair, but it simply isn’t enough. The show still lacks that punch that draws audiences back to The X Factor every year. This series offers more potential than the previous two, without Danny O’Donoghue’s lack of humour and Jessie J’s shrill vocals, but it’s still carrying the baggage of the previous two series, which begs the question – will The Voice ever produce a star? VICTORIA BISHOP

What I’ve been watching: Dawson’s Creek Megan Furborough, Screen Editor, revels in the deliciously 90s nostalgia trip of Dawson’s curtains WITH an upcoming dissertation on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (hopefully) and a love of 90s teen shows from My So-Called Life to Daria, it was frankly only a matter of time before I sat down to watch Kevin Williamson’s late-90s teenage hit. Unfortunately for my university work, all six seasons are available on US Netflix (if you only have access to the UK version, you can watch the first three) and the temptation of automatically playing episode after episode has proven too much; I am now well and truly obsessed with Dawson’s Creek. The series follows the life of Dawson Leery (James Van der Beek), a movie-obsessed teenager based on Williamson himself, and his best friends Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson), an underachieving funny man, and Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), the tomboyish girl from down the creek in the fictional town of Capeside, Massachusetts. Things are shaken up when the beautiful Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams) is sent to live with her Christian grandmother from New York, and together the four navigate school and college whilst trying to

work out falling in and out of love with each other, school, their futures and lots and lots of sex. Sounds like any other teen drama, right? Wrong. Dawson’s Creek captures the feeling of 90s angst perfectly, with the precociousness, witty one liners and cultural awareness that became pre-requisites for any television programme featuring young people that followed the show.

The temptation of automatically playing episode after episode has proven too much It can be strange going back to a 16-year old television series in the age of 90210 and Skins, but there’s plenty within Dawson’s Creek to keep you engaged and even surprised. Fans of Williamson’s scripts such as Scream will recognise his trademark playfulness

with form, but it is ultimately the central four that keep your interest from waning; devoid of ﬂashy technology and designer clothes, attention is placed on the characters themselves, and their funny, charming, moody but genuinely likable personalities are relatable and approachable. That’s not to say that Dawson’s Creek is perfect. Van Der Beek’s acting is pretty shaky, Holmes’ singing scene in Season One had me howling with laughter and despite being mid-way through the

second season it STILL seems to be summer – but this all adds to the charm. Coupled with the abundance of curtain hairstyles and Urban Decay eyeshadow,

Dawson’s Creek is a show worthy of your dedication.

As Hot As... the hot or nots of this week’s film news TERMINATOR – After one of the ﬁnanciers for the proposed Terminator: Genesis pulled funding, the project has now been saved. After the extreme disappointment that was Terminator: Salvation, it may be better off dead.

Gawker

MAN UP - Filming for the rom-com is now underway. Despite having Simon Pegg in the lead role, one must wonder if director Ben Palmer, who only has TV shows Bo’ Selecta! and The Inbetweeners under his belt, is truly suited for the task.

STEPHEN FRY - The UK’s favourite father-ﬁgure has been cast as the British Prime Minister in the upcoming 24 miniseries Live Another Day. They weren’t exactly going to have Keifer Sutherland bossing it up with David Cameron now, were they?

JONAH HILL - It has been revealed that because he wanted his part in The Wolf of Wall Street so desperately, the actor took a huge pay cut, only receiving $60 thousand for his work. Claps for passion over pay check.

JURASSIC PARK - One of the props from the original movie, a crate with a great big bloody Velociraptor inside, is currently for sale on eBay. With bids approaching $100,000, it will surely make a perfect Valentine’s Day present.

Tarantino

you imagined

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Wherever you join us, you can rely on getting the training you need, when you need it. Be the first to know the latest news: ‘Like’ Accenture Careers UK Follow accentureukjobs on Twitter Watch us on YouTube AccentureUKcareers Visit accenture.com/ukgraduates

As a guide to help you decide, our Analysts must have a strong interest in technology plus good commercial awareness, and Technical Specialists will need a technical degree.

26/09/2013 14:53

BOOKS

Book Shelf With term reading lists taking up most of everyone’s time,this issue we’re focusing on short stories! These small literary treats are fast and fun to read. Many famous novelists have tried their hand at writing a miniature work of fiction with very successful results, even amongst those writers that are known to be particularly garrulous. Charles Dickens While Dickens is famed for his novels which can also double as doorstops there is a strand of his writing that is more travel friendly than the weight of Bleak House. Often focused around holidays and festivals Dickens’ short stories provide just as many lively characters as his longer works and instead of convoluted plots there is a refreshing simplicity to the action.

Daphne du Maurier Daphne du Maurier might be most famous for Rebecca but her short story ‘The Birds’ has unnerved just as many audiences especially after Alfred Hitchcock adapted it for Hollywood success. In 2011 five previously lost short stories by du Maurier were added to the archives to be enjoyed by her fans. Stephen King The start of King’s career was made through earning a living by selling his short stories. However, they should not be underrated as they are still able to create the same vivid feeling of unease that his longer works do. In fact King has written nearly two hundred short stories, some of which are brought together in his nine collections of short stories. ELLI CHRISTIE BOOKS EDITOR

EXEPOSÉ

BOOKS EDITORS

Elli Christie & Emma Holifield books@exepose.com JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Books

Quality over quantity?

Pria Rai discusses why the merits of the short story form shouldn’t be neglected anymore WHY should the short story form be constantly compared to the novel? Let it stand alone, as strong as the poem. For decades literary critics have contested the worth of this form. Does it provide a complete narrative? Does it provide enough detail and pathos for us to even care about the fate of the characters? A perfect example is the Canadian export, Margaret Laurence, speciﬁcally, A Bird in the House,, ﬁrst published in 1970. This collection of short stories focuses on the life and family of Vanessa Ma-

cLeod, from early childhood through to adulthood in the present day. She experiences a unique childhood; trapped by old traditions and ideologies, the reader is left questioning whether Vanessa will be able be to form a concrete identity of her own. While you may expect the novelist to allow a few chapters for the building of connections with characters and setting the scene, it is the unique skill of the

short story writer to give an instant sense of involvement, with immediate interest. Laurence’s use of the ﬁrst person, the nostalgic narrative voice of Vanessa, brings the reader as close as possible to

It is the unique skill of the short story writer to give an instant sense of involvement understanding the reasoning behind future events, without having to endure a sometimes tedious account of life up to a relevant point. It allows us to grow with the protagonist, and experience emotions as she would. Not long is needed to understand Vanessa’s cynical tone, or coldness towards particular family members. This is because her voice is used as a short cut into her world; as a reader the empathy caused by the restriction of Vanessa’s childhood sees us become more than just a listener of her story. In this respect, the short story is shown to be just as, if not more powerful than the novel, because the writer is implicitly aware of t h e importance to make each sentence nec-

James Joyce Joyce may be known for his impenetrable works Ulysses and Finnegans Wake but it is his collection of short stories, Dubliners, that people can actually claim to have read. Following a range of naturalistically depicted inhabitants of Dublin, Joyce emphasises both Irish nationalism and the moments of comprehension that each protagonist experiences. A.S.Byatt Although her tome Possession gained her the Man Booker Prize A.S.Byatt is also respected for her short stories. They often return to the feminist themes that permeate her novels but with a brevity that allows the reader to question the issues that have been raised at their own pace.

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The World Of Jeeves P.G. Wodehouse (Arrow £10.99)

JANUARY. A chilly, miserable month full of short days, impermeable cloud clover and rain (if not snow), which lies somewhat spitefully as far as possible from Christmas. I’ve never much liked it.

Be a good egg and revel in these short stories. Or all of them. Pip pip It’s easy to fall into a spirit of gloom at this time, especially if you’re slowly drowning in a never ending mire of work, or if you have returned to university after Christmas to discover you can no longer remember how to cook anything, not even pasta - but never fear. For here is my recipe to bring just a little droplet of pure joy into your life. Right. Here’s what you have to do. Read a series of short stories, created

almost a hundred years ago, that still rank as some of the best short stories ever written. I am talking of course what ho! such fun! - of Jeeves and Wooster. These stories are P.G. Wodehouse’s gloriously light hearted tales of bumbling aristocrat Wooster and his butler Jeeves, and a vast ensemble of lunatics (including such gems as “Barmy Fungy Phipps” and “Stilton Cheesewright”) who fall in love, get arrested and generally spend a lot of time cavorting around the countryside being public menaces and escaping from various

aunts. It’s quite dated, of course. The country house settings, the landed gentry, the plots all are markedly from a long gone era. However, one thing that can never ever exceed its use-by date is Wodehouse’s command of the English language, crafting words into phrases that descend like ﬂuffy kittens into your life, brightening

essary and meaningful. The argument of being left wanting more following a short story experience is undeniable. As with most works in this form, chunks of Vanessa’s life are missed out, with the deaths of family members suddenly sprung upon us, and Vanessa growing by the years between stories. However, it is important to remember that we are dealing with fictional stories, after all, the purpose of which is to give us an escape from the reality of our own lives. If it is a fact-filled documentary you want, seek instead autobiographies or news features. If not, decisions of the author to skip the details of certain events should be trusted as beneficial for the overall story. Whether it be a short story, novel, poem, theatre production or even a painting, it is not the duty of any art work to leave one satisfied with the a complete story. A successful piece will leave one with a thousand thoughts running around their head, which open their eyes to new ideas and ways of life. It entertains and occupies their brain with both happiness and sorrow, and leaves them asking “what if?” In the twenty first century, the demand for the short story still survives. Days only ever seem shorter, and time for a novel is often scarce in the working or studying life. The Best British Short Stories 2013, edited by Nicholas Royle, contains a col1ection of 20 stories by different authors, some only a few pages in length. Nonetheless, do not let this detract from the widely relatable imagery and poignant messages that lie deeper within. it just by existing. His fabulous prose and mastery of words are the tools that turn simple, often ridiculous, short stories into something timeless, classic, that continue to be as popular today as they were century ago. If you don’t believe me, head to Amazon, where reviewers describe the world of Jeeves and Wooster variously as “a bracing tonic for daily existence,” or if things are really dire, “a healthy alternative to happy pills”. What more can I say? That sums it up perfectly. In short, if you’re looking for something quick, uncomplicated and entirely joyful this January, be a good egg and revel in any one of these short stories. Or all of them. Pip pip.

BETHANY PRATT

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN

Billy Budd, Sailor: (An Inside Narrative) Herman Melville (Wordsworth Classics £1.99) MOBY-DICK is a seminal text of English Literature, to the extent that it overshadows most of Melville’s other work. This is quite a shame when his other texts contain such rich themes and involving stories. Following a maritime theme, one of Melville’s most powerful and riveting short stories is Billy Budd, Sailor. The novella has been done a double disservice due to its posthumous publication; unfinished at the time of Melville’s death in 1891. It was not discovered until 1924 and subsequently went through several publications based on the author’s scattered, conflicting notes. The unfinished nature of the text has led to some confusion. For instance, some editions are entitled Billy Budd, Foretopman and refer to Captain Vere’s ship as the HMS Indomitable. However, most scholars now agree that Billy Budd, Sailor: (An Inside Narrative) and The HMS Bellipotent are the titles Melville intended. At roughly

one hundred pages (one-tenth of Moby-Dick), it is an ideal, thought-provoking short read. The action is set on an eighteenth century Man o’ War and reﬂects a tumultuous period of the Royal Navy’s history; the American and French Revolutions have begun to stir unrest among sailors, and the mutiny at Nore is only months in the past. Tensions are high on the HMS Bellipotent, and

foretopman. And when Claggart bends this quasi-psychopathic hatred towards Billy’s destruction, the high esteem of Captain and crew may not be enough. After all, Nore is never far from Captain Vere’s mind. The three men are soon caught in ruinous events which spiral far beyond their control. Despite the rather straightforward and short plot, the characters’ moral conflicts are endlessly thought-provoking. The novella has inspired several adaptations in the eighty years since The language’s its publication, including Benjamin beauty more Britten’s 1951 opera and Sir Peter Ustinov’s 1961 film (starring Terrence than makes up for any Stamp in his screen debut). While difficult passages the writing is dense at times, the language’s beauty more than makes up for any difficult passages. For a short, when Billy Budd – a merchant sailor – engaging literary escape, Billy Budd, is impressed into service, his spirited Sailor is an excellent choice for those who do not have the farewell to his former ship Rightstime to read Melville’s of-Man unwittingly places him Check gigantic masterpiece in a dangerous situation. out Online for Moby Dick. While Billy quickly Creative Fridays wins the hearts of the crew – and Captain Edward Fair- and short stories by fax Vere himself – through Exeter his kindness, innocence, and good cheer, the Masterstudents! at-Arms John Claggart nurtures CARMEN PADDOCK a blind antipathy towards the young

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank Nathan Englander (Phoenix £12.99)

Babylon Revisited F. Scott Fitzgerald

(Penguin Modern Classics £3.00) BEST known for his infamous novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald made a living writing short stories for newspapers. Written and set just after the Wall Street Crash, Babylon Revisited depicts the depressive aftermath of the Roaring Twenties.

A curious emotional blend of fatigue, despair and hope Charles J. Wales is an American businessman. Now living in Prague, he returns to Paris to visit his daughter, Honoria, who has been living with her aunt and uncle since they deemed ex-drunkard Charlie too irresponsible to remain her guardian. He ﬁnds Paris very different to the city in his memories. Lifeless and still, it barely resembles the dazzling hub of

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society at which he and his fellow countrymen threw their seemingly-endless wealth. But likewise Charlie has changed, having realised that he wants to contribute to his daughter’s childhood. Honoria welcomes him wholeheartedly, expressing her desire to live with him. Her aunt and uncle reluctantly agree, accepting of her father’s newfound commitment. However, an intrusion from two of Charlie’s old friends causes them to reconsider, and the matter is left undecided. As with his other works, Fitzgerald’s ambiguous ending creates a curious emotional blend of fatigue, despair and optimistic hope. By contrasting them with the the emotional detachment of the Jazz Age, Babylon Revisited highlights the importance of relationships in a society where money can no longer fulﬁl the needs of the individual. BETHANY BAKER

WHAT do we talk about when we talk about Anne Frank? The tendency to frame Anne Frank’s legacy in a history of abstract concepts of humanity at its best and worst reduces it to a certain cultural currency. Nathan Englander’s collection shies away from this. Winner of the 2012 Frank O’Connor International Short Story award, Englander explores the larger questions resting in the cracks of Judeo-American culture. I say the cracks, because the turns that his eight stories take aren’t always the obvious ones when we talk about the violence, the bigotry, the memory and tradition that pepper the psyche of Englander’s Jewish community. Perhaps this is why What We Talk About remains so successful. Rather than disassociating himself from obvious markers, Englander instead writes transcendently, weaving universal doubt and pain in with a heavily weighted sense of heritage. ‘Sister Hills’ and ‘Free Fruit for Young Widows’ explore the inheritance of aggression and desire for revenge across generations, whilst ‘How We Avenged the Blums’ and ‘Camp

Condensed Classic Farenheit 451 Ray Bradbury (1953)

“Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean.” THIS short novella is Ray Bradbury’s influential masterpiece, written on rented typewriters in his most favourite place in the world; the public library. Taking nine days and $9.80 to write, Fahrenheit 451 continues to inspire and challenge censorship to this day. The story follows Montag, who lives in a world where books are banned. His job as a fireman is to burn them and the offenders’ houses, a task he completes without question and with glee. Content with his life, he meets his new young neighbour, a mysterious girl called Sundown’ sees sharply comedic portraits collide with notes of tragedy and greater history. The eponymous opening story is extremely funny, as Englander artfully portrays vivid familial relationships and suburban anxiety without losing a bitingly witty use of dialogue. His characters echo conversations we all feel as if we’ve had ourselves, in one form or another, crowded round friends’ kitchens with drinks in hand. The simultaneous discussion of personal experience and ultimate truths make this knowing commentary familiar and thought-provoking. I would recommend the collection immediately to fans of Jonathan Safran Foer. For those less enamoured with

Clarisse. Her unconventional way of thinking slowly awakens Montag to the reality of his messed-up life; a world of self-destructive behaviour, mass-produced distractions preventing individual thought, and his marriage – cold and loveless with a woman who has become a stranger. Slowly, with the help of a former university professor, he discovers the power of books - but there are no places for free thinkers. Soon, he becomes an outcast and finds himself on the run from the sinister and lethal mechanical Hound. Bradbury’s dystopian novella provides a deep exploration into why we read, and the importance of education and individuality. With today’s society of manufactured reality TV, and bookshops and libraries dying out, it continues to be extremely relevant. Thought-provoking and brilliant, Fahrenheit 451 is a timeless literary treasure. CHRISTY KU his oeuvre there is nevertheless something here for almost everyone. From the perspective of a non-Jewish reader, for example, ‘Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother’s Side’ and ‘The Reader’ were particularly touching in their representation of our relationships with family and a r t . Englander remains striking in the unexpectedly dark undertones of his funnier stories but perhaps more interestingly the sustained sense of inherent humanity and beauty that exists in the most brutal of narratives is what sets this collection apart.

REBEKAH HEANEY

Any Last Words? This week we asked you to mix things up by taking a character from one book and putting them into a story from a different genre. Let’s take Pechorin (from Mikhail Lermontov’s A Hero of Our Time) out of Tsarist Russia and into Jack Kerouac’s mid-20th century America, where he’ll join up with Sal and Dean on their wanderings. Those epic, hedonistic, seemingly aimless wanderings will multiply by a million. CARMEN PADDOCK

Piglet from Winnie the Pooh in William Golding’s Lord of the Flies (sorry!). ROB HARRIS

I would put Aslan the lion from The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe into Jane Eyre. That book could really do with a talking lion. RORY MORGAN

Mrs Danvers from Rebecca goes to Hogwarts and marries Filch. It might cheer them both up. EMMA HOLIFIELD

Voldemort goes on a rampage in a Biff and Chip story. Carnage. SOPHIE BECKETT

Swap Merry and Pippin with the twins Ruby and Garnet from Jacqueline Wilson’s Double Act. Replace friendship with fighting sisters. All will not be well in the Shire. KITTY HOWIE Katniss visits the well to do world of Jane Austen. LOADS OF CARNAGE. CLARA PLACKETT

Noddy becomes Poirot’s sidekick and they become the ultimate crime fighting duo. The murderers eventually confesses when Noddy’s innocent face overwhelms them with guilt. ELLI CHRISTIE Harry Potter in The Shining. Scary, scary! GEMMA JOYCE

ARTS

Arts Diary Our regular Arts Diary column shows you all the important events going on in Exeter this week...

Art Awake Through Years: Four Southwest Wood Engravers @RAMM Ends 23 March Outrageous Fortune: Artists Remarke the Tarot @Exeter Pheonix Ends M

Comedy LOL Comedy Festival @Exeter Pheonix Ends 7 Feburary Elvis McGonagall @Exeter Corn Exchange 23 Feburary

Dance Exeter Dance Festival @Exeter Corn Exchange 12-22 Feburary

Theatre August: Osage County @The Northcott 5-8 Feburary A Little Nonsence @The Bike Shed Theatre 4-7 Feburary Duplicity @Barnfield Theatre 14-15 Feburary

4 FEBRUARY 2014 |

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Sophy Coombes-Roberts & Ricky Freelove arts@exepose.com JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Arts

Mandela Gets An Earful Sarah Gough discusses the unusual case of Nelson Mandela’s memorial

NELSON MANDELA, South Africa’s anti-apartheid revolutionary and legendary human rights activist, is continuing to cause controversy even posthumously. His 30 foot bronze statue was unveiled in South Africa’s capital Pretoria in December, on the day after his burial. It was a symbol of his inspirational legacy, hope and community – a truly moving piece of art. As such, Mandela is presented with a beaming face, outstretched arms and a miniature rabbit in his ear. Wait… what?! On closer inspection of the statue, it was found that the sculptors, Andre Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren had added a tiny rabbit to Mandela’s earhole. In interview, they claim the unso-

We don’t think it’s appropriate because Nelson Mandela never had a rabbit in his ear licited bunny represents the pressure of ﬁnishing the sculpture on time – ‘haas’, the word for rabbit in the Dutch-based

Afrikaans language, also means ‘haste’. They also assert the rabbit to be their trademark, as ofﬁcials would not let them sign Mandela’s trousers. Perhaps that is the rational decision to make: ‘they won’t let us sign our names on his butt cheek, let’s just put a rabbit in his earhole instead’! South Africa’s government have ordered the sculptors to remove the rabbit. Spokesman for the Department of Arts and Culture, Mogomotsi Mogodiri, showed great insight into the issue when speaking to the BBC’s Focus on Africa radio programme:

Mandela never did house any animals in his ear but in the same vein, he was not 30 foot or entirely bronze either. Though those are merely minor technicalities, I suppose, compared to the discordance of a mini mammal on his face. Whilst this entire dispute may seem insigniﬁcant in comparison to Mandela’s life struggle, it does emphasise how much the symbolic statue means to so many South Africans. When the Saddam Hussein regime was ousted from Iraq more than a decade ago, millions watched as his statue was toppled, a symbol of his defeat. Having fallen, the crowd surged forward, chanting and jeering, kicking and hitting it. They then severed and

“We don’t think it’s appropriate because Nelson Mandela never had a rabbit on his ear”. Excellent, well done Mogomotsi – stating the obvious award goes to you. You are correct of course,

chained the head, dragging it through the streets - what was iconic of Hussein’s authority, became synonymous with utter hatred, destruction and contempt. Mandela’s rabbit could not seem more innocuous in comparison with Hussein’s bashing. Whilst it may be deemed a fairly foolish stunt by the sculptors, it is ﬁtting that the subject of controversy is placed in the ear of a man who listened to a matter of global injustice and acted upon it. Therefore I say: don’t just reject and dismiss the unusual or the unexpected, embrace it. That was Mandela’s message after all and what better message to the world is that, Mogomotsi Mogodiri? Let Mandela’s ear rabbit rest in peace. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d say.

>>Inside Mandela’s ear

Homeless Art’s Big Issue Rosa Jones recounts her experience of discovering Art in the most unlikely of places I NEVER expected my experience working in a homeless shelter this Christmas to be of such visual beauty. Where on earth, in a cold city and a converted secondary school – bleak as a school building can be – would I find someone with the inspiration to ‘create’? Rightly or wrongly the argument has often been made that art doesn’t come into a society until its members taste some amount of comfort and freedom - that when one’s fight is for their very survival, they find no time nor place for producing art. But what of individuals who know of this ‘comfortable’ society, but find themselves excluded from every benefit of it? Is this the experience that encouraged our homeless guests to produce art so engaging yet so humble? 200 weary individuals traipsed into the Crisis Homeless Shelter on the 23 December, tired, hungry and mostly alone. They all knew they would have to leave again in one week. They waited in long lines for meals, sleeping side by side under heavy blankets, rows of

strangers in an orderly file. They had their nails cut by strangers and feet washed by unknown faces, the highlight being their shower in the crowded gym hall. They were offered the daunting opportunity of full medicals, inundated with admin about housing, CVs, and benefits. As one part of many needed, yet overwhelming and sometimes undignified, services, I admit I was fully resigned to the ‘Arts and Crafts Class’ being a flop. I looked at the materials on offer and thought these grown men and women would laugh off such a patronising activity. However, I couldn’t have been happier to have been wrong. Sure, some sleep deprived individuals sat at these tables just enjoying watching others draw and paint. They wouldn’t take part this time, but found a welcome break in seeing people take the time to do something so safe, so leisurely. Yet, there were others who found – whether for the first time or perhaps from days that seem a world away now – that with their hands warm enough to

take out of their pockets and their ﬁngers free from their gloves, they could create something inspirational. They found art in the most unlikely of places. Some painted life exactly as they experienced it, with the harsh tones and blunt lines of a freezing winter night in London. Others created work so striking I could only sadly accept their creations could be inspired from pure imagination, or perhaps resilient memory. One African friend illustrated his heritage through a stunning array of deep pinks, reds and oranges on top of which he picked out beautiful women at work in hot ﬁelds. He never spoke about his history, perhaps assuming a young student volunteer would be unable to relate to him, but little did he know his work gave me the chance to understand him. Nevertheless the homeless people who returned each day to that table did so only for themselves. No one has ever cared about their art. Their creativity is not seen or heard. So many renowned artists argue that they don’t produce

work for it to be liked by the public, yet when it then enters auctions at extraordinary prices, or drums up endless debate and controversy amongst contemporaries, such an argument seems slightly insigniﬁcant. The homeless man who paints at a school table with a donated paint brush expressed a determination to express himself regardless of recognition. He paints for himself – for that catharsis that any of us who enjoy doing the same completely understand. The pride his face reveals when people appreciate his work is just a bonus. But this bonus has the potential to reconnect one with society, to realise that their art does matter, that they matter, and that the best art knows nothing of addresses or wealth. To see artwork produced by charities and homeless projects take a look at SMart Network’ (Socially Marginalised Art), ‘Art Space at The Connection at St Martin’s in the Fields’, ‘Homelessness and the Arts’.

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ARTS

Exehibition Every issue, Exeposé Arts features a piece of student art. This week, it’s student artist, Adam Turnbull ART always will be an escape for me, whether that’s from deadlines or from the persistent English weather that has the potential to flood anything it sets its eyes on. Throughout my years at school, I always enjoyed art and continued to study it for A Level, not realising quite how stressful and demanding it would turn out to be. However, I’m really picky when it comes to what I like to draw or paint: landscapes I find boring, whereas portraits, of both animals and humans, I find both enjoyable and challenging. I prefer to draw in pencil and paint in watercolour. I focus mostly on facial

A Fool’s Proof The BikeShed Theatre

25 January THE BIKE SHED THEATRE’S ‘From Devon With Love’ is a wonderful showcase of short performances which might not be on the regional radar but are no less entertaining than their large-scale counterparts. One such was ‘A Fool’s Proof’ produced and created by Scratchworks’ Theatre Company. These four talented young women put on a high-energy, humorous, and cuttingly satirical piece scrutinising the media’s obsession with missing children and dramatic lifeor-death scenarios (and likewise, the public’s love of such media coverage). The play followed a budding journalist, her boss and the deputy journalist as they ﬁght rival news sources to break the next sensational story. In this case the story perused was that of a missing girl,

Exeter Revue - Improv Comedy Night M&D Room

25 January EXETER’S very own comedy society was launched in the beginning of the academic year with high hopes and higher ambitions, and so far there is every sign that they intend to keep their promise. After a successful improvisation round in their Christmas show, for their latest performance the boys and girls of Exeter Revue decided to test their coldness of blood and quickness of wit in an entire ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ style night. After their by now trademark puzzling opening, the games kicked off. Joining co-presidents Edd Cornforth and Oli Gilford with veterans Jack Smail and Louisa Grifﬁth-Jones, debutante Sarah Gough and our very own Arts Editor Ricky Freelove, who, I should point out, was both hilarious and charming. Firstly, we were treated to a couple of ‘Whose Line’ rounds in which the performers had to incorporate a line they had never read before within a randomly selected scenario. The Revue production team had done their fair share of work, subjecting the comedians to absurd scenarios, such as a pirate trying to seduce a lesbian mer-

with rumors of childlike screams coming from the bottom of a disused well.

A high energy, satirical piece that scrutinises the media’s obsession with missing children With each new development, the story became more and more dramatic and tensions rose as the three fight to discover the latest information. And then, in a hilarious turn of events, the story vanishes – after the paper has gone to press! The four man cast portrayed the journalists and one switched between the ‘trapped girl’ and a visiting celebrity reporter. The characters were noticeably stereotypes such as the eager new employee and the bitter ‘glorified maid (sadly, he failed). The second game was a quick-fire round of ‘World’s Worst…’ which relied on the audience to pick a category. Smartly balancing between the edgier and the more obvious but still funny entries, all six performers scored big laughs in this round. My favourite round for the night, however, was ‘Foreign Film Dub’ whose premise provided the obligatory justification for some casual stereotyping and mocking the French. The audience would suggest generic film scenes which two performers would play out in a foreign language they were not necessarily fluent in, whilst two others would translate their lines. This was an especially rewarding round challenging the actors and giving them a chance to show their skills. Finally the performers had to showcase their musical talents in a musical round called ‘Song-prov’. Despite the underwhelming iPad accompaniment, the actors managed to improvise humorous songs whilst even sounding in tune... most of the time! Although all of the performers did brilliantly, I feel a special shout-out to Sarah Gough is due, for she aced her first performance with the Exeter Revue in the harsh genre that is improvisation. The show did leave some things to be desired. Although the awkward

spell-checker,’ but each was strong and commanded the stage with larger-thanlife personalities. The physical theatre elements of the piece never failed to entertain. Animated clothing, in-motion costume switches, keyboard dance-offs, flying paper, and props doubling as timekeeping devices kept the madcap energy high. In one fantastic sequence, the table became both the office desk and a claustrophobic trap for the well accident ‘victim’. Although definitely a new and developing production (by Exeter alumni, no less), it did not detract from its genuine entertainment quality. It is refreshing to see such unpretentious, creative, and engaging work from budding artists who could quite possibly be the part of the UK’s theatrical future.

CARMEN PADDOCK situations were often brushed off with amusing self-referential comments, some segments dragged on without di-

The actors managed to improve humorous songs whilst even sounding in-tune rection, only to be stopped by the buzzer. The show could have also benefited from more games, as the existent ones were played through so quickly that they had to repeat a couple of rounds from each game in order to fill time. The principle of ‘trial and error’ is especially true in stand-up comedy. In spite of a few shortcomings, Exeter Revue’s Improv Night was a definite success, and I am convinced that the next time they do one, it is going to be even better. Exeter Revue will be returning with their ‘Spring Revue’ on 24 March, as well as two performances during Arts week (beginning March 10).

PAVEL KONDOV

Wendy and Peter Pan RSC Stratford-upon-Avon

Ends 2 March ALTHOUGH terribly clichéd and perhaps a bit obvious considering the story we’re talking about here, there is, I believe, only one word which aptly sums up Ella Hickson’s brilliant adaptation of ‘Wendy and Peter Pan’ – magical. It’s not very often that a play manages to hold an audience’s undivided attention for almost three hours. Yet, ‘Wendy and Peter Pan’ makes it seem barely a fraction of this time, with the help of an incredibly gifted cast, heart-warming dialogue, and more than a smattering of fairy dust. Looking around the packed out theatre and seeing the vast array of different ages gasping in unison as the cast soar above the stage on high wires, chuckling at perfectly timed punchlines or holding their breath as Peter and Wendy lean in for the kiss – the real one – just goes to show it is indeed possible to create a world in which children, teens and adults can, all at once, lose themselves. The attention to design and mechanics in creating beds that float up into the air, a floor which lifts to reveal the Lost Boys’ underground home, and a Jolly Roger which sails both eerily and magnificently onto set, makes this play a visual masterpiece in itself. However, as the inverted title suggests, the play sets out not only to mesmerize and excite, but to offer an alternative interpretation of J. M. Barrie’s tale of The Boy who Wouldn’t Grow Up. Here, the spirited and gutsy Wendy claims new levels of empowerment, refusing to meekly accept her appointed role as mother to the Lost Boys. Fiona Button’s vibrant and energetic performance leaves audiences struck with admiration, whilst the parallel playing-out of Mr and Mrs Darling’s clashes against the backdrop of the Suffragette movement evokes frustration on behalf of Wendy and her mother, trying to extricate themselves from their traditional roles.

features such as the eyes, as I feel if you get them correct you’re able to bring the portrait to life. After advertising my work on a local selling site at about 1am, with the belief it wouldn’t result in anything. I woke up the next morning to be ﬂooded with messages and orders - which I’m still overwhelmed by. To know that someone else likes your work and trusts you to draw their loved ones remains a feeling I cannot explain. My plan upon starting the new term was to ﬁnd a part time job, however the pressure has been relieved. Instead I can sit in a nice warm room, surrounded with chocolate from Christmas doing what I love (whilst potentially making a mess in the kitchen... I apologise in advance Flat 4.3).

Interested in having your art published? Get in touch with arts@ exepose.com Regardless, these serious and thought-provoking themes certainly don’t detract from the play’s overall light-hearted and entertaining tone. Sam Swann’s poised and quick-witted portrayal of Peter balances the mischievous with the vulnerable perfectly, meaning we can both laugh and cry for this impish boy, and the feisty and assertive Tink (Charlotte Mills), while sometimes in danger of verging on the pantomime-y, provides yet more wit and humour. All in all, the audience participation, theatre glittering with fairy lights and superb music make this play an intense and enchanting experience. Not limited to the winter season, ‘Wendy and Peter Pan’ makes for entertaining viewing all year round!

HANNAH BUTLER

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Some Wii problems for Nintendo Where did it all go wrong? With sales flopping, Jane Rees, Nintendo fan, wishes they’d tried a little harder 2014 ISN’T going so well for Nintendo. They’ve announced that proﬁts are expected to make a loss of £205 million at the end of this ﬁnancial year. Sales have dropped dramatically, and so have the company shares. Is this the end?

The Wii was never the kind of console you would have on your shelf at university I love Nintendo. When I was a kid I got a bright yellow N64 controller for my birthday, just so I could play Mario Party with my brother and sulk when my losing character got swallowed up by a chain chomp. But the day I lost my faith in Nintendo was the day the Wii Fit Trainer was announced as a playable character on Super Smash Bros for the Wii U. I thought it was a joke. Just imagine her ﬁghting Bowser, knocking him out with a strenuous sun salutation. But no, it’s all in earnest. Just another mistake Nintendo have made since the release of the Wii in 2006, which was when everything started going downhill. The Wii initially wowed us with its

motion sensor. We could ﬁnally play tennis in our living rooms, with accessories so that the controllers looked like rackets! It was everything we had always wanted - for about ﬁve minutes. Then we remembered that the Wii was only a mediocre substitute for real life. Once the novelty wore off, all those games like Wii Sports were put back on the shelf and only played when clutching at straws for things to do with the awkward exchange student over from G e r m a n y.

But the Wii is an ‘ideal family console’, as GAME describes on their website. A lovely idea, but in many ways a big no-no. It has left the real gamers neglected. They’re the ones who’ll buy the Wii U in order to play the next Mario or Zelda game, but who’ll ﬁnd that there are no other new releases that appeal to them. Nintendo has become all about parents

Nintendo has brought out a whole range of those games, including Art Academy. Boring games posing as worthwhile.

and children. The Wii was never the kind of console you’d have on your shelf at university, with its safety strapped controllers.

Controllers vs. textbooks

Games are increasingly being taken up in the classroom, but can they really be useful for teaching children ethics? A NORWEIGAN teacher has been using Telltale’s video game The Walking Dead to teach his students about ethical dilemmas. Teacher Tobias Staaby and his students played through scenarios in The Walking Dead, took anonymous surveys about which action was the most popular and then discussed the results. This begs the question of how useful video games really can be in education. The answer is this: the video game can theoretically be the most powerful tool used to teach, but only when used with delicacy. Having games as part of education, however, is the wrong way to look at the situation. What is required is that education is a part of the game. The most valuable feature of a video game in the role of educator is that playing the game is a voluntary action. To enforce a game in a classroom - in the same way that a sub-par teacher might have their students copy sentences word-for-word from a textbook or put on a ﬁlm and then leave the room for an hour and a half – can completely destroy the potential for learning if it’s the wrong sort of game.

A level of intuition with the controls, a manageable difficulty curve, and an engaging story are probably the three most important factors when deciding on an educational game. A bad teacher could choose Dark Souls, a game notorious for its difficulty, as a teaching aid just as another bad teacher could inappropriately choose V for Vendetta to teach a class of 13 year olds about fascism. One must choose the correct entry level for the right subject, regardless of whether it’s a book or film or game. A second and perhaps more important aspect of the video game as a medium for education is that a video game, unlike any other form, has the player as the main character. In the literary classic Heart of Darkness the reader is not Charles Marlow, but in Spec Ops: The Line the player is Captain Martin Walker. The actions Walker takes (or that you make him take) have a much greater effect on the player’s sense of responsibility. There are countless reviews mentioning the emotional conflict players go through when performing a particularly horrible act of war required to progress

through the game: using white phosphorous to make their way through what they thought were enemy soldiers but who were in fact civilians.

Video games could be a powerful tool for teaching, but only with delicacy It is here the game directly addresses the player: “If you were a better person, you wouldn’t be here”. In acting violently for gain (in this case, progression through an area) the game raises moral questions that it expects the player to answer. While the game is not perfect and certainly not suitable for a classroom it’s a clear example of how the video game can emotionally invest in its audience. As any teacher knows, once a student of any age is invested in a subject, then education and entertainment become one and the same. ADAM SMITH

Maybe the Wii U will be an improvement, but in many ways I think it’s already too late. The Wii was a disaster and now many gamers have switched allegiances to Xbox or PlayStation, consoles which succeed in providing for young gamers whilst maintaining a focus on their real audience.

Nintendo have always been very innovative in their ideas. The 3DS for example, was a step

forward – but, again, merely a gadget that looks cool in the shop. For gamers,

Nintendo just isn’t keeping up with other companies the only thing that matters is the game. That’s why every now and again we get our oldest console out and play those classics without even noticing the bad graphics, because they are enjoyable to play. Other games companies understand this, and that’s why they’re leaving Nintendo behind. They stick with traditional, practical controllers and create impressive online systems, something which Nintendo has never achieved. When I was in Tokyo this summer I was able to see Sony’s latest development in gaming: glasses which eliminate split-screen gaming on multiplayer modes. Nintendo just isn’t keeping up with other companies. It’s clear what people really want in a games console, but sadly Nintendo seem to have lost the plot.

Candy Crush Conspiracy Controversial legal saga leaves a sour taste AFTER hearing that Candy Crush Saga developer, King, had successfully trademarked the word ‘Candy’ alarm bells were ringing. The developers responsible for the ‘deeelicious’ manipulation of many thousands of people’s time and will to progress to the next level by any means necessary were now going so far as to attempt to control our language itself! My fears were further conﬁrmed when the mobile gaming giant expressed plans to also trademark the word ‘Saga’. A sticky situation indeed. King’s intentions are not to enforce trademark law on the common speaker, but upon App Store rivals who have been using similar names to leech from search results for Candy Crush Saga. Their games are being listed directly beneath iTunes’ most downloaded app of 2013, sometimes leading to confusion with potential buyers. After battling indie developer Stoic’s The Banner Saga, many have become sceptical of the company’s seemingly petty grapples with competitors. Since the use of ‘saga’ in Stoic’s game refers to its Viking theme, it’s so far removed from Candy Crush that any comparison appears ludicrous.

In a statement, King claimed that while they didn’t want to stop The Banner Saga using their name, their concerns in “preserving our ability to enforce our rights in cases where other developers may try to use the Saga mark in a way which infringes our IP rights and causes player confusion”. Their legal opposition to The Banner Saga on such grounds, then, seemed not a genuine concern for the brand, but a public ﬂexing of the muscles of a company fuelled by a reported million dollars a day from addicted users’ microtransactions, intimidating smaller developers with its growing market power. King’s insistence on crushing copycat games is ironic, considering that Candy Crush Saga is by no means an innovation in gaming, using a famously addictive template and preventing progression without adding new players or paying up. King’s conspicuous attempt at monopolising the mobile gaming landscape by unreasonable legal action is just another ugly layer under its ‘sweet’ exterior. GEMMA JOYCE, GAMES EDITOR

GAMES

4 FEBRUARY 2014 |

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

EXEPOSÉ

Nostalgia Hit

Not ready to let go? Revisit the classic topsey-turvey world of original Rayman

Review: Resogun Revamping the traditional side-scroller for the next generation Resogun Housemarque

PS4 Out Now SO you have brought your beautiful new Playstation home and have found that it is no longer free to play online. Your ﬁrst reaction may be one of anger or frustration. Sony have forced you to pay 40 pounds simply for the virtue of having what you once had free on your PS3. But Resogun is simply one of the many free jewels in the crown of Playstation’s premium service, and might just be the ﬁnest game on Playstation 4 so far. One of the key tenets of Playstation’s next generation philosophy is immediacy of entertainment, something that developer Housemarque has captured perfectly. The player is launched near instantaneously into the action and simply instructed “Save the last humans”. You will struggle to remove the smirk from your face as this instruction blares from your controller’s speakers at the outset of each level. Things start off simply with a bare-bones tutorial in this arcadey, side-scrolling shoot-emup. The players learn the ropes themselves. These ‘ropes’ essentially being the nihilistic annihilation of everything on screen. The annihilation takes place on a

cylindrical canvas around a set of varied, space-themed set pieces. Enemy spaceships appear that require different tactics and weaponry to vanquish. Play-

You will struggle to remove the smirk from your face ers have a standard laser, a boost mechanism, a special move named ‘Overdrive’ that instantly destroys a limited amount of enemies, and a bomb that explodes everything on screen - for when things get just a little too hairy. The player has a choice of spaceship that have varying capacities of each weapon or ability, providing a tasty amount of tactical depth. Saving the diminutive, green humans from your spacey assailants is optional but recommended, as doing so can increase your lives and points score, as well as upgrade your weapons and shields. Combat is a thrillingly frantic affair, as the score multiplier incentivise you to zip from one encounter to the next. But Resogun may be a little too ephemeral. There are too few levels to keep things interesting even when play styles are experimented with and higher difﬁculties are attempted. It lacks multiplayer, and online functionalities do not stray beyond simple online leaderboards. Some may ﬁnd desperately

saving bombs, maximising multipliers and the challenge of beating levels unscathed in to achieve the highest scores particularly compulsive, but the rest may ﬁnd Resogun a passing distraction. Resogun should be experienced on the best of displays with your sound system turned up to eleven. The game’s presentation is stunning, with believable physics and particle effects that cascade across the screen in a way that would cause the immediate combustion of last generation consoles. Resogun’s intoxicating mixture of electronic, drum and bass and house blends beautifully with the wealth of booming explosions and rich colour. You’ll feel Chuck Norris levels of boss.

It should only be experienced with the best display and sound turned up Resogun’s masterful combination of impressive graphics and gratifying gameplay render it an essential in your next-generation collection. Playstation Plus is mandatory to play your Playstation 4 online, so take the plunge and make Resogun your ﬁrst port of call.

HARRY SHEPHERD

IF you were to picture a retro game, what immediately springs to mind? It’ll probably be some sort of side-scrolling platform title. Three dimensional games took their place as technologies improved, but they still have a unique quality which just isn’t matched by their modern counterparts. Whether you owned an older console such as the SNES or something more contemporary such as the Playstation, these titles were rife and can still provide hours of entertainment today. When it comes to classic side-scrollers, they don’t come with more character than the original Rayman. As soon as you begin your adventure, the vibrant colours immediately grab your attention. The luscious grass and ﬂowers provide an air of tranquillity and provide a false sense of security - Rayman gets tough, f a s t ! Before you’ve managed to learn completely the ropes, hoards of enemies of all shapes and sizes spring up throughout the levels. You’d better grab those attacking power-ups and energy orbs. You’re going to need them if you want to progress anywhere! The game follows Rayman’s attempts to save his vibrant world from the grasp of the villain, Mr Dark, and his army of enemies. Throughout Rayman’s travels he must break free the native Electoons who have become trapped in cages. These cages are often precipitously placed in the most awkward of places, so re-runs through the levels are vital. The initial jungle levels aren’t too challenging - just avoid the hunters,

spiky plants and the water and you’ll be fine. However, once you’ve progressed into the second world, ‘Band Land’, this is where you’ll need your concentrating cap on! You have far fewer static platforms to rely on. Instead, you’re faced with clouds which disappear after impact, drums which fall away and shiny orchestral tubes with little friction. Watch out, because all of these will put you into the spikes if you’re caught offguard. Beyond these worlds you’ll also progress into mountainous terrain, caves, a stationery city and, finally, candy land. The variety of environments and enemies in this game is what makes it such a delight to play. While it can get pretty tough in places, the satisfaction after clearing a level is great! There are six different worlds to explore, each with a certain number of levels to complete and a boss battle at the end of each world. The choice of music also evokes the mood of the level, with cheery tunes in Band Land but much more sombre tracks in the caves. Out of all the games I owned for the original Playstation, Rayman is certainly one of the most enjoyable. Sure, it didn’t boast 3D graphics and often caused me to yell at the television in pure aggravation, but this was the game that ruled my earliest gaming years. Many games have come and gone since, but Rayman still holds its own against a multitude of 3D titles. If you’re looking for the definitive 2D, side-scrolling platform experience, then Rayman is definitely up there with the very best. CHRIS PASSEY

Games to play when your console breaks Has disaster struck? Don’t panic - Meg Drewett, Editor, reveals how you can still get your gaming fix FOR the most hardcore of gamers, there can be nothing worse than the dreadful moment when your console ceases to function properly, shuts itself down and loses the hours and hours of gaming you’ve been committed to for the last month. But whilst this may seem like a tragedy at the time, let’s look on the bright side and see this as an opportunity to get back to some really old school gaming roots. Rather than immediately heading out to spend hundreds on a new Xbox or Playstation, instead maybe try one of Exeposé Games’ suggestions for the best games to play when your console breaks: 1. Monopoly We tend to ﬁnd that this classic board game is either loved or hated

by its players. Whilst it does allow you to play out your millionaire dream, owning London real estate at prices that can only be dreamed of in the current property market, it also has a tendency to drag on for way too long. However, if you are used to investing hours of time into your Xbox, the swap to this board game of capitalist wonder shouldn’t be too much of a problem. 2. Twister Take up Twister as an alternative to get a bit more physical activity into your gaming life. This vinyl mat of spotty glory will undoubtedly improve your ﬂexibility, but be warned, you will almost certainly be put in compromising positions with

other players. Whether this is a good or bad thing is up to you. 3. Articulate This quick-talking description game is a fundamental component of dinner parties and Christmas days up and down the country, but there is no reason why it can’t be played on more casual occasions as well. The trick to Articulate is practice. Team up with someone and go through the cards at every available moment, until you are perfectly aware that “sky rain thing” just means “thunderstorm”. You’ll never look back. 4. Scrabble This one may come in use if you usually use gaming as a form of procrastination from uni work. Instead of bla-

tantly ignoring the pile of essays you’ve been set, make a nod to the educational process and spend your time trying to think of the longest word possible containing an ‘x’, ‘j’ and ‘z’. Bonus points if you use it in an essay later on. 5. Battleships On your normal gaming days you may be a fan of the aggression that gets played out in some more violent titles, like Call of Duty. If so, Battleships is the answer to your lack-of-a-console gaming problems. There is nothing as satisfying as blasting a tiny plastic ship out of the water with

a miniscule red torpedo stick, and once you’ve experienced the joy of it, a simulated gun will never compare again. 6. Connect-4 This childhood classic can develop into one of the most competitive games there is if played with the right person. Although the initial premise of trying to line up four counters of the same colour may seem trivial, you will soon ﬁnd it all-consuming. Try to remember that it’s just a game, avoid throwing counters at your opponent in your frustration and always start with the centre column. 7. Strip poker Another student favourite, it should be obvious why this is a go to choice. Play with alcohol for more fun.

© 2014 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. The KPMG name, logo and “cutting through complexity” are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International.

We’re experts in Audit, Tax, Advisory and fish & chips Show us your expertise this February for your chance to win a prize! When trying to secure zero VAT rating for sales of hot takeaway foods for the fish frying industry, we didn’t just research fish and chips. We became experts in it. Now we’d like to see your expertise. Show us your special hobby, a skill you’ve mastered, or even your own unique way of doing something mundane. We want to know whatever it is that makes you an expert – the weird and the wonderful. Visit KPMGexpert.co.uk and send us a photo or video – the most original and imaginative entries could win Amazon vouchers, an iPad mini, or a £1,000 travel voucher! And if being an expert is your thing, you can also find out about our graduate opportunities. KPMGexpert.co.uk

.e al w h C w d n ) ow a t y r r o a G u G r for th F e b p u n g 16 i s s e o t s clo p u (Sign Sponsored by:

Get Fit for Your Challenge Once you’ve signed up, we’re offering you the chance to take part in the Get Fit for Your Challenge programme, which will help you to make the most of your Challenge in June. It will help you to achieve the Grand Challenges Professional Development Certificate and will count towards your Exeter Award. Visit www.exeter.ac.uk/getfit for more information.

2014AS009

E S O O H C O T ! E E M G I N T E L L IT’S A ges n e H l l C ha c d R n ra U g . 4! k 1 O u 0 . 2 c Y s .a r e e g t n e x le

SPORT

4 FEBRUARY 2014 |

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

EXEPOSÉ

Feature

In the Clubhouse

In the Clubhouse this week Paul Brown, Speleology Club Captain, plunges into the unknown with Mike Stanton and Will Kelleher, Sport Editors FOUNDED in the 1950s, the Speleology Society has a fair bit of history behind it. In the 1960s, expeditions by the club discovered new cave passage in Morocco. Over the decades, the skills required for caving have been passed down to new, keen explorers. Because it’s a niche sport the Speleology society is relatively small, creating a friendly community. For most people the mention of the sport conjures images of tight, dark, enclosed spaces instilling fear and feelings of claustrophobia. In reality, caves are highly spacious and provide a large sporting arena, combining walking, crawling and scrambling along with the more technical aspects of climbing and rope work. Most people who join the caving club have little or no prior experience of caving. The greatest thing about becoming a member of a university club

is the opportunity to join as a complete novice and to progress to become a competent cave leader, fully trained in outdoor ﬁrst aid and proﬁcient in rope work and expedition caving.

This year the club has been adopted by the prestigious and renowned Bristol Exploration club Caving is a non-competitive sport that builds on self-conﬁdence as well as team building skills. This, along with making great friends, will stand you in good stead for your future and careers beyond your time at University. All University caving clubs around the UK are part of the Council of

60 seconds with... Milo Baraclough

Sophia Munyengeterwa

Social Secretary

Speleology team member

What is the best aspect of Speleology Club? The people. I’m on the committe but I’m a bit of a rubbish caver, it’s the social aspect that keeps bringing me back.

What is the best aspect of Speleology Club? The thrill of being in the cave.

Best sporting moment? The 13 post route around east-water cavern. Dolphin chimney, the 50ft verticle tunnel, was a very technical part, especially on the way back up with no hand line.

Best sporting moment? Descending into the cave with just the rope, a harness and pure skill. Sporting Hero? Our club President, of course!

Sporting Hero? The man who named Colostomy Crawl.

What are your pre-caving preparations? Getting on all your kit and preparing it pretty much eats up all your preparation time.

What are your pre-caving preparations? A full English breakfast!

What are your goals for the season? To get more involved. To actually go in a cave more!

What are your goals for the season? To survive the season!

Higher Education Caving Clubs. This is a governing support group that helps with training and safety regulations as well as insurance. As an extreme sport with many technical and dangerous aspects, this support is invaluable and is also accredited by the British Caving Association. Members from each University are encouraged to join the committee and to take an active role not only for their own club but for university clubs country-wide. Each year a CHECC forum is hosted at a large venue somewhere in the country to accommodate over 300 caving students. Last year EUSS won the award of Ultimate Caving Club (20122013) presented to them by the current CHECC committee. Throughout each term the Speleology society travels to cave regions around the country for weekends of intense caving and social activities. Along with weekly socials on

Tuesday evenings and traditional events of the club such as the inﬂatable regatta and the annual summer trip abroad, a year in the Speleology society proves to be great fun.

The society travels to cave regions around the country for intense caving weekends and social activities A number of the society’s members are part of the Devon Cave Rescue Organisation, DCRO. Caving is an extreme sport and accidents underground provide a logistical nightmare for emergency services. This is where teams like DCRO are invaluable. The organisation is made up of experienced cavers with the intention

of cavers rescuing cavers. Thankfully, accidents are rare and their services are rarely required. This year The University of Exeter Speleology Society has been adopted by the prestigious Bristol Exploration Club. It is renowned for its relentless cave exploration and discovery of new cave systems in the UK. With many Exeter alumni part of this group, it is an opportunity for students to progress and remain active in the caving world well beyond their student days. Joining the Speleology society is easy. Those that are interested just need to turn up to one of their socials or ﬁnd them on Facebook and inquire. At £30 for the year, covering the use of all club kit and equipment as well as British Caving Association insurance, the club prides itself in being one of the best value AU clubs at the University. Photo: Speleology Club

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN

SPORT

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Green light for golf practice facility G�� Toby Crewes

Sports Park Marketing and Communications Offier UNIVERSITY OF EXETER SPORT has unveiled its plans to construct a new short-game practice golf area at the Sports Park on Streatham campus. Making use of the vacant space behind the University’s covered tennis courts, the 50m x 30m area will house two contoured, all-weather artiﬁcial greens and an eco-bunker. A 200m2 Pro-Tour standard practice green will allow players to practice a full range of short game shots whilst a smaller 80m2 putting green gives golfers the ability to focus on short and medium-range putts. The project, approved by the University in the autumn, now has planning permission approved by Exeter City Council, with construction expected to start in early February, and be completed by April 2014. High Performance Manager and University Golf Manager Craig

Townsend helped mastermind the project and is delighted to see it come to fruition. “A short-game practice area is without doubt the best facility you can build to improve a golfers on course performance”. “Short game can form up to 70 – 80 per cent of your shots, so is a crucial element of the sport. Over the last few years we have been working incredibly hard with the University Golf Club to bring their short game up to a professional tour players’ standard, and this is the next logical progression from there”. One of the University’s most successful clubs, the Student Golf Club were crowned National Champions and Premier League winners in the 2012/2013 British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) season, earning the top spot in the national rankings. “We plan for the performance squad players to be playing and practising three to four times a week, a marked increase on what we can currently offer”. Townsend added: “Geographically it will be much easier, as players will be

All going swimmingly for Water Polo W�� P�� Tom Benson Fixtures Secretary

BOTH men and ladies’ teams had been training since September for this tournament, and neither disappointed last weekend at BUCS. The men arrived in Plymouth in good spirits and with high hopes for the day. The first match saw them take on the newly formed South-West and Pontypridd University team. The men stepped up to the challenge. The game was fast-paced with many opportunities at both ends to increase the score line. It was even at half time, with the Exeter men swimming hard to deny them more goals. This standard was maintained, with neither team running away with the match and a final score of 8-8. Exeter then took on the home side. Another fast-paced match saw both teams have plenty of shooting opportunities. Having taken an early lead, a couple of mistakes saw Plymouth close the gap. But the men were able to hold it together and a number of under-pressure goals from Emre Cubukcu kept them at bay to take the match by one goal. The 6-5 win put Exeter at the top of the table until South-West and Pontypridd ran away in their match and slipped ahead on goal difference. this was followed by a tough 10-7 win over Cardiff Met. Four-and-a-half hours after the tournament began the men entered the pool for their fourth and final match. The University of the West of England were the opponents and made a good effort for the first quarter. But a second quarter slamming by Exeter’s starting seven put them out of reach of a win in these short tour-

nament games. This allowed some of the newer players to the sport to stand out, with Michael Humphreys and Ali Redfern getting debut goals in BUCS. A 13-6 win for the men in green put them in second place going into the second tournament later in the year. The Women’s tournament took place on Saturday evening at Plymouth Life Centre. With the team being a relatively young one, many of the members are new to water polo this year, the expectations were relatively low but spirits were high! The first game was a close victory against the University of the West of England, 7-5, with vice-captain Izzy O’Keefe leading the team to victory. The second game was a tougher and closer 20 minutes with the girls losing out by one goal against Gloucester, the final score stood at 5-4. The girls fought back to win the third match 10-6 against Plymouth Marjons. Goals for this match included Danielle Staunton and freshers Matilda O’Regan, Cara Levinsohn and Sarah Ovens; whilst goal-keeper Katie Barber managed to secure a bruised lip from a ball to the face and defence stalwart Maxine Johnson left the game with a few more major fouls than expected! As the evening drew on there was uncertainty about whether Exeter would have enough time to play the final match, with the team becoming increasingly fatigued, however the Pool agreed to stay open late and the girls stormed to victory against Plymouth University 12-6, lead by water-polo legend Sally Rangecroft (who had made it all the way up from the Cornwall Campus to compete). Although the women are through to the tier finals, the men head to Bristol this weekend for the second half of the tournament.

able to train between lectures and not have to organise transport, which can be difﬁcult”. Expected to cost around £100,000, the project will be partly funded by golf’s national governing body, the Royal and Ancient alongside the University’s Alumni Fund and Annual Fund. It is intended that the facility will make golf more accessible and affordable for players from across the local community. “The whole area will be bookable as any other Sports Park facility is,” commented Townsend. “Our aim is to become one of the premier golf facilities in the country and we are already looking at ways that we could expand this project to make it easier for players old and new to enjoy golf. “In the long term, professional coaches will provide coaching for everyone from complete beginner to elite county golfers. When you come to the Sports Park you can already book a tennis or cricket lesson, so why not golf?” In addition to the short game prac-

>> An example of what the training area may look like.

tice area, four driving nets with video feedback facility for club golfers and University squads will allow focus on other technical improvements in the swing. The facility’s approval follows a substantial investment in sport at the

University as it continues to climb the national rankings. In September the Sports Park opened its £6.5 million ﬂagship Russell Seal Fitness Centre, having already completed the construction of six covered tennis courts and improvements to its hockey provision.

After an intense warm up from both teams, they began at what can only be described as breakneck speed. The opposition were by no means fazed by the shouts of Exeter support echoing around the sports hall, applying immediate pressure allowing them to dominate the first five minutes of the match. The formidable effort from Southampton defence denied Exeter entry into the D in the early stages, putting them five goals ahead after ten minutes. As the quarter progressed Exeter began to fight back with the fantastic pairing of Ana Kenworthy and Livi Rogers forcing the ball down to their attacking end and, with the equally faultless shooting, the ladies in green were right back in it by the end of the first quarter. Having adjusted to the fast pace of the Southampton team, Exeter started the second quarter on a much more positive note, as they began to take advantage of Southampton’s defensive errors. By the end of this quarter Exeter were still very much contenders, trailing by the small margin of 17 goals to Southampton’s 22. Unfortunately for Exeter, the halftime break seemed to entirely revitalise their opposition, who provided a show of almost faultless shooting, paired with unwavering technical skill. Despite this, fantastic defence from Holly Wilson and great shooting from Livi Rogers enabled Exeter to pull it back and gain some well deserved and well-worked goals in the last few minutes of the penultimate quarter. In spite of Southampton’s convincing lead of 14 goals, the 2nds continued to play at a fantastically high level in the last quarter, making good use of the space on court, offering more op-

tions on the ball and maintaining possession. Exeter undoubtedly put on a brilliant display and the end scoreline of 47-25 by no means reﬂected the effort and focus that was evident in this strong second team.

EUNC 2s lose out to tabletoppers Southampton N�� Scarlett Freeman-Bassett Sports Team

LEAGUE leaders Southampton 1st team beat Exeter 2nds in a thrilling clash last Wednesday. Despite the loss, the Exeter girls put on an admirable performance for the huge number of supporters cheering them on for the duration of the match. Photo: George Keleny

We knew it would be a tough match, facing the team that are top of the table at the moment However, as Holly Wilson told Exeposé after the game, despite the result, “the match was challenging but it’s always good to be pushed”. Not only this, but in fact the end score showed an element of improvement in the squad in comparison to the last time they faced Southampton, with this same match previously ending in a hugely demoralising loss. Player of the match Ana Kenworthy said; “We knew it would be a tough match, facing the team that are at the top of the league at the moment. Having said that, it enabled us to apply everything we have been focussing on in training and therefore we are pleased with the ﬁnal result.” This match was hugely challenging for the 2nds yet they showed true grit and determination, giving them a result that showed improvement in the squad and highlighted the areas that can be improved for subsequent games. This week the 2nds travel to Bristol 3s who currently lie in ﬁfth place in the Western 2A league. The 2nds have had a solid season so far and sit in third position with four wins and four losses from eight matches.

SPORT

The Final Whistle Here is your guide to a few upcoming sporting courses, classes and events: 9 February Women’s self-defence course 09:00-16:30 Streatham Campus £10.00 Contact: 01392 724452 Email: p.d.mouland@ exeter.ac.uk

16 February

Grecian Shield Football tournament 10:00-17:00 £20.00 per team Sports Park Entry Deadline: 7 February Contact: au@exeter.ac.uk

19 February

Rugby Varsity v Bath Kick-off : 19:45 Sandy Park Stadium Tickets: £7.00 Tickets available from around campus and the AU office

21 February

UV Volleyball tournament 18:00-22:00 £30.00 per team Sports Park Entry Deadline: 19 February Contact: au@exeter.ac.uk

16 February- 15 March International Sports Month Activities and events around campus

Full itinerary available at: www.exeter.ac.uk/sport/ studentsport

17-21 February

National Pool Lifeguard Qualification 08:00-17:30 St Luke’s Sports Centre University of Exeter Students: £200.00 Contact: s.takel@exeter. ac.uk

Solid weekend for EUVC

Yoga workshop – Core strength fuelling the inner fire 13:00-16:00 Students: £15.00 St Luke’s Sports Centre Contact: 01392 724940

EXEPOSÉ

Squash 1sts remai

V�� Jake Sawer EUVC Publicity Secretary

THE MEN’S 2nd BUCS Volleyball squad hosted Bristol, UWE and Plymouth Marjons in three back to back league games. Boosted by the two sets to one win against Bournemouth the previous Thursday, Exeter made a strong start with a convincing 2-0 win against Marjons. Unfortunately a narrow defeat to Bristol then followed in a closely fought encounter. However, Exeter regrouped and produced some of their best volleyball to fight off a spirited UWE to claim a 2-0 win. These results leave Exeter in a strong position for this year with three wins from a possible five. Also on Saturday the BUCS 1sts travelled to Gloucester to face Southampton and Gloucester in a three way fixture.

These results leave Exeter BUCS 2nds in a strong position with three wins from a possible five The guys produced some strong volleyball, ultimately overpowering both teams, leading to a 2-0 win in both matches and helping to propell them up the league table. On Sunday the BUCS women extended their unbeaten run in Southwest regional league play to six matches with a pair of convincing victories. That moved them up to third in the league table. Beth Clark and Anja Smoljan earned Player of the Match honours, though they were deﬁnitely not the only ones deserving of accolades for their performance on the day. Preparation is also underway on the annual Glow in the Dark tournament taking place at the sports park on the 21 February as part of international sport month. Sign up will shortly be available at both sports halls.

Bournemouth 1st 9 9 0 0 27 Bath 1st

9 5 0 4 15

Exeter 1st

7 4 0 3 12

Cardiff 1st

6 3 0 3

Southampton 1st

7 0 0 7

Gloucestershire

6 1 0 5 -3

>> Correct as of 30.01.14

M��’� S��

Cillian Dunn Sports Team

Volleyball Western 1A P W D L Pts

23 February

4 FEBRUARY 2014 |

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Squash 1st Squash 2nd

5 0

THE SQUASH 1st team’s excellent season continued, as they secured a comprehensive 5-0 victory over their 2nd team counterparts on Wednesday. The 1sts, sitting comfortable at the top of Western League 1A, are pushing for promotion to the Premiership, and judging by this performance, it is easy to see why.

Incredibly, all ﬁve members of the side – Peter Joyce, Alex Cope, Jonathon Taubert, Nick Thompson and Joel Brickell – did not lose a single game between them. Brickell, who triumphed 11-3, 11-8, 11-6, over Richard Carter, was understandably pleased. “We did well today, obviously winning every match is always a nice feeling. But the 2nds gave their all and were much tougher opponents than some of the scorelines suggest”. Any neutral spectators would have struggled to disagree with this assessment. In spite of the sometimes very one-sided scorelines, the Firsts were forced to work hard for every point.

This was best epitomised in Joyce’s match against Andrew Hill; during their ﬁrst game Hill was ‘bageled’ 11-0, a term that denotes the ultimate source of shame, the failure to score a single point. However, Hill pushed Joyce all the way in their next two games, narrowly losing 11-9 and 12-10, after leading for long periods in both. A rally in their ﬁnal game was even described memorably, if perhaps hyperbolically, by a watching teammate as “the most incredible I have ever seen”. Ultimately, though, as in the other matches, the class of the 1st team opposition won the day. Even in those games where

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK SIXTEEN

SPORT

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

ain unbeaten in 9

Crossword No. 57 by Raucous

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

Across 1. 6 Nations stadium (10) 7. French sculptor ofTheThinker (5) 8. Everlasting (7) 9. Artistic performance (5) 10. Catch a free lift (5) 11. One livid act (anag); the act of bidding farewell (11) 14. Blade Runner, Gladiator, Prometheus director (5) 15. Attempts (5) 17. Silo cat (anag) (7) 19. Marsupial (5) 20. 6 Nations stadium (10)

they began on the back foot, their patient tactics and the sheer variety of their shots – a straight drive, then a lob, a drop shot, then a volley – would force their opponents to do all the running, until they exhausted themselves completely. This was the case not only in the Joyce-Hill match, but also in the other four games. Sebastian Poster proved an initially difﬁcult opponent for Cope to break down, losing his ﬁrst game 12-10, and the second 11-8, but by the third, he was visibly fatigued, and lost 11-2. It was a similar story for Josh Tipping, Thomas Searle and Carter, all of

whom lead at times in their games, but could not ﬁnd the same consistency as their opponents. Searle, in particular, would have been frustrated to lose all three of his games by the same 11-7 scoreline. However, seeing as they were playing the 1sts, such results are to be expected, and none of the Second team should be disappointed with their efforts. As for their opponents, such a dominant display is another indicator that should they keep up this form, promotion to the top division is very much on the cards. Next up for the 1sts is a trip to bottom-placed Cardiff, where they will

surely win their tenth game in a row and seal promotion.

Squash Western 1A P W D L Pts Exeter 1st

9 9 0 0 172

Bath 1st

10 6 0 4 134

Exeter 2nd

10 4 0 6 103

Cardiff Met 1st

10 3 0 7 84

Plymouth 1st

9 3 0 6 72

Cardiff 1st

8 3 0 5 41

>> Correct as of 30.01.14

Down 1.Fatigued (5) 2. Cinematic archaeologist; US state (7) 3. African country (5) 4. Strike (3) 5. Cocktail (7) 6. Bird of prey (6) 8. A mine tool (anag) (9) 11. Leave (6) 12. Metallic element (7) 13. Folded paper (7) 15. Seized (5) 16. Involuntary movement (5) 18. Everything (3)

SPORT

4 FEBRUARY 2014 |

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EUMHC 2s hold firm to stay top Photo: Niklas Rahmel

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Alex Bonner Sports Team EUMHC 2s EUMHC 3s

1 0

EXETER 2nds gained a battling 1-0 win over the 3rd team, in what proved to be an extremely tense and tight affair. Despite losing to their fellow Exeter BUCS team, the 3rds put in an eye-catching performance. This keeps the 2nds top of Western 1A on 21 points and leaves the 3rds in 3rd position of ten. The opening minutes of the match gave witness to a rather cagey display of hockey, with both sides giving too much respect to their Exeter opponents. With both the 3rds and 2nds sloppy in possession early on, both sides found it difﬁcult to assert themselves upon their opponents. The 3rds, donning a white strip,

had few opportunities early on to gain the lead, with the 2nds shutting out any chances presented to the 3rds. Both sides’ defences seemed too difficult to break down at this stage, resulting in an extremely tight start to first half proceedings. Following a cagey start to the match, the seconds founded some additional momentum, which allowed them to assert themselves upon their Exeter opponents. The 2nds forwards, in particular, performed some excellent stick work, with their abilities as a hockey players giving the 3rds defence a tougher time than in the game’s opening phases. Having gained confidence during this phase, the seconds also began to control possession, consequently allowing them to control the flow of the game. As an example, the 2nds defensive line continued to exchange some neat passes to keep hold of possession for a considerable lapse of time. The 2nds left back, in particular, looked extremely comfortable on the left wing, seemingly

In this issue of Exeposé Sport...

dictating play along his ﬂank. Despite having to defend for the majority of the ﬁrst half, the 3rds continued to defend resolutely, with the score being goalless at halftime. After some resolute defence in the

The second half saw more open play, with both side pursuing a more offensive strategy ﬁrst period, the second half saw more open play, with both sides deciding to pursue a more offensive strategy in pursuit of gaining the lead. Following some good build up play, the Exeter 3rds found themselves in an ample amounts of space, the resulting shot coming perilously close to putting the 3rds into the lead. This particular passage of play seemed to give the 3rds some much

Squash 1s still unbeaten in Western 1A - page 54-55

needed momentum, with the team now beginning to control proceedings through a period of controlled possession. Having gained a short corner, the 3rds came close again to gaining the lead, with the goalkeeper, for the 2nds, performing a good save to keep the scores level. Alex Williams came close with another short corner, with the 2nds defence performing their duties on the goal line well to keep the scores level. In the match’s latter stages, both teams had extra initiatives to continue and press on towards their opponent’s goal.With the 3rds using their wings well, the widemen found themselves latching onto a loose balls; the 3rds coming close again as a result. With the 2nds defence continuing to quell any opportunity handed to the 3rds, the 2nds began to pass with greater conﬁdence and ﬂuidity, leading to an opportunity for number 4 to have a shot on goal from outside the box. With the 3rds keeper having a line of defenders in front of him, the keeper did well to locate the passage of the ball to make

the crucial save. Having latched upon a loose ball, number 21 of the Exeter second’s found himself in a good shooting area, with the eventual shot, however, flailing wide. With the scores level in the game’s final stages, the 2nds found themselves winning a short corner, which brought the deciding strike in the match. The 2nds siezed upon this opportunity, smashing the backboard to go 1-0 up. The 3rds, responding well to this disappointment, went on the attack which saw the 2nds defence stretched from all corners. The 3rds again came close in the dying minutes but the 2nds held on to eventually take the match. Despite victory for the 2nds, both teams performed equally well, which should give both additional confidence when approaching their next BUCS fixtures. The 2nds next take on second-placed UWE 1s, which will be a decisive fixture.

Exclusive: Golf practice area to be built - page 53