Exeposé Issue 622 Week 22

EXEPOSÉ Petition We oppose the closure of Women’s Refuge

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THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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Tuesday 18 March 2014 • Issue 622 • www.exepose.ex.ac.uk • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose

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We oppose the closure of Women’s Refuge FEATURES: Interviews from the Fees Debate - PAGES 14-15

SCREEN: NaSTA nominations breakdown - PAGE 27

MUSIC: The search for the best across the decades - PAGES 24-25

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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

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RAG total over £100,000 in a year Hannah Butler News Team WITH Exeter’s Raise and Give Society celebrating raising over £100,000 for its supported charities this year, Friday 7 March saw the Exeter RAG Awards recognising some of the key contributors to the society’s fundraising efforts.

The RAG Awards, sponsored by The Old Firehouse, invited everyone involved with fundraising at the University to come together and celebrate the year’s successes. Attended by RAG members, sponsors, charities, adventure companies, Guild staff, Sabbs and societies who have contributed to RAG’s work this year, the ceremony at Reed Hall was described

by RAG Officer Henry Bowles as “a huge success massively surpassing our expectations”. Bowles noted: “The evening was kindly sponsored by Old Firehouse who have generously supported RAG in various fundraising ventures this year”.

With the Prohibition Ball receiving the STA Travel UK award for Most Innovative Event, Natalie Rubner was awarded the Exeter Printworks spon-

sored award for Event Manager of the Year, while 17+ School of Motoring’s Newcomer of the Year was awarded to Javaria Burki, and Exeter Islamic Society received the RAG Society Award, sponsored by Wasteland Ski. The RAG Award, sponsored by The Old Firehouse, was awarded to RAG Officer Henry Bowles, who told Exeposé: “Immi [Bodimeade, RAG Officer] and I are so grateful to everyone who has been involved in RAG this year. The effort everyone has put in has culminated in a fantastic total raised which will make a huge difference to lives across the world”.

Over the 24 weeks between September 2013 and March 6 this year, RAG has raised a total of £103, 034.38.

The largest contributor to this sum has been the £42,102.56 raised so far for Hope for Children, by Exeter students climbing Kilimanjaro this summer.

Other successful events have included last autumn’s “Movember” campaign, raising a total of £13,708, while the inaugural Prohibition Ball, winner of RAG’s Most Innovative Event award, raised over £5,433. RAG’s Hitchhike to Amsterdam raised in excess of £3,226, while ongoing fundraising campaigns include RAG’s Jailbreak,

which so far has raised over £8,421, and RAG Runs RockSolid, with figures in excess of £7,860. £706 has also been raised by weekly pub quizzes held by RAG in The Ram every Monday at 8pm, welcoming not only RAG members but all students to take part.

With other fundraising events including Children in Need, Gorilla Trek, Poppy Appeal, Freshers Week events and Halloween Hobble, RAG’s newly elected Presidents Alex Hawkes

and Harry Calvin Williams noted the work done by this year’s RAG committee as “outstanding: not only in raising an incredible amount of money for our charities, but also in raising the profile and popularity of RAG at Exeter University. There is no doubt we have some big shoes to fill, however, we have a fantastic committee with us to really take RAG forward in building on such a successful year”.

Photo: Exeter RAG

BBC Radio broadcast Shotgun seek funds live from The Forum for April tour Gemma Joyce Games Editor BBC RADIO DEVON listeners were entertained by Bill Buckley’s lunchtime program last Tuesday as it was broadcast live from the Forum alongside the Diversity Fair. On the day Exeter’s Streatham campus hosted the broadcast as well as welcoming visitors who embarked on a Sculpture Walk around the grounds as part of BBC Radio Devon’s 2014 series of walks.

I also enjoyed the sculpture walk, it helped me appreciate parts of the campus that I usually wouldn’t pay attention to Joshua Creek, second year student and member of Exeter Choral Society The tour took visitors to popular destinations like Reed Hall and the Chapel, where they were serenaded

by Exeter’s Choral Society. The performance was recorded by BBC Ra-

dio Devon and broadcast as part of their lead up to a performance of ‘The Armed Man’ by Karl Jenkins at the Cathedral on Saturday. “It was great to have BBC Radio Devon come along to record us,” said Joshua Creek, a second year member of Exeter’s Choral Society, adding, “I also enjoyed the sculpture walk, it helped me appreciate parts of the campus that I usually wouldn’t pay attention to”.

Mr Buckley also had the opportunity to speak with various members of staff from the university and the mix of student societies attending the Diversity Fair. His program followed the theme of belonging, and he was interested in how international students found moving away from their home countries and taking residence in Exeter.

The Diversity Fair was put on as part of a wider Diversity Month that celebrates the vast array of cultures represented within the student body, Exeter being home to students of over 130 different nationalities. The biggest event on the Diversity Month calendar is the Diversity Ball on 21 March, which will bring together 400 students in what will surely be a lively celebration.

Owen Keating News Editor SHOTGUN THEATRE have initiated a major funding drive after being selected for a prestigious student drama festival. The group’s production of Spring Awakening has been selected for the National Student Drama Festival (NSDF), which will take place in Scarborough, Yorkshire.

Only 11 shows were selected from more than 150 applicants, and Shotgun’s entry, their first in their history, will also be their first professional show. The NSDF takes place between 12-18 April, and anyone is welcome to come and watch, with tickets priced at £5.

Shotgun’s plea for funds comes as they try to raise the £12,000 they need to send their 35 cast and crew to Scarborough for the week.

In addition to the student performances, the NSDF also hosts workshops run by industry professionals such as the RSC, the Lyric Theatre, the Royal Court. Many drama schools also send talent scouts to the event to secure the brightest dramatic talent. The Festival closes with an awards ceremony, which, last year, was hosted by Matthew Kelly.

Tim Bradbeer, Shotgun Theatre Producer, commented: “I am so proud of what everyone involved in the process has achieved, and how Shotgun has gone from strength to strength this year.

My hope is that our success inspires other student theatre societies to think outside the box, break the mould, and start a long tradition of Exeter companies being selected into the NSDF”.

Magda Cassidy, Shotgun President, added: “We could not be more excited to be representing Exeter University at the NSDF this year. This is an incredible achievement for Shotgun, especially as we’re only in our fourth year; the hard work, energy and passion poured into our production by the cast and crew has been truly exceptional and humbling. I am so proud of everything that Shotgun has achieved, being selected for the NSDF is the cherry on top of a fantastic year”.

Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, told Exeposé: “To be invited to perform at the National Student Drama Festival is a huge honour for Shotgun Theatre and thoroughly well deserved. The Students’ Guild and myself are looking forward to supporting Shotgun with this project, and we obviously wish them the best of luck”.

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Students support Refuge campaign Exeposé back the petition to save Exeter’s Women’s Refuge Centre Meg Drewett and Jon Jenner Editors EXETER students, with the support of the Students’ Guild, have joined a community campaign against the closure of Exeter’s women’s refuge centre. The campaign, to which Exeposé is offering its full support, aims to petition Devon County Council to reconsider a recent reallocation of funding that has left the centre facing closure.

The centre has been denied local government funding, as Devon County Council has elected to reallocate resources to another project. However, campaigners have argued that the alternate project, Splitz, which provides domestic abuse support in the South West, makes no provision for women’s refuge, instead focusing on removing the perpetrators of domestic abuse from the home.

Devon County Council has said that everyone currently living in the Exeter refuge has been offered alternative secure accommodation, as well as continued support from Splitz.

They said: “This is part of a move from a large-scale institution to more personalised, safe individual accommodation for victims of domestic abuse”, as well as claiming that the move is part of a “change of contract – not due to cuts in council spending”.

Their statement added: “The Council remains committed to providing high quality services to protect individuals, families and communities. The Council contract has only ever been for support hours, not the provision of the refuge building”.

They concluded that: “Where in

the past shared accommodation in a refuge has worked well, better joined up working with the Police and Courts today makes it more possible to secure the departure of perpetrators from family homes, rather than survivors and their children having to move”.

The women’s refuge has been a place of support for women for over 30 years. Currently, the Exeter Refuge

The impending closure of the women’s refuge in Exeter is an issue close to many of our students’ hearts Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare and Community Centre can accommodate 12 women, as well as their families, who are seeking help and handles calls from over 2,000 women across Devon per month.

The campaign has recently gained huge traction, with over 4,000 signatures on the campaign’s main petition.

Students have worked hard to add the voice of the University of Exeter to the campaign, with the ‘Exeter Students Against Closure of Women’s Refuge’ Facebook page swiftly gaining over 300 likes. On campus, the campaign has primarily consisted of students having their photo taken with a ‘I oppose the closure of Women’s Refuge’ board, as well as gathering approximately 600 signatures for the overall campaign’s petition.

Exeposé is intending to support this campaign further, by offering the chance for its readers to sign the petition. The petition slip on the front page will be collected in boxes at our distribution bins around campus, and is intended to allow even more students to add their voices to the campaign against the closure of this refuge centre. Exeposé aligns itself with the current campaign, for both the city and Guild, in the sense that we believe a physical safe space should be preserved for the women that feel they have genuinely no other method of support.

The women’s refuge, though clearly a resource for Exeter as a whole, would also be available for female students at this university, and therefore it is paramount that it remains functioning as a safe space for anyone that needs it.

In recent years, Exeposé has reported on attacks on Exeter students in the city, including both sexual and violent assaults. Violence towards women is an undeniable problem in our county, with Devon and Cornwall having the fourth highest rate of rapes in the United Kingdom, as shown by recent statistics.

According to leading women’s group Women’s Aid, on average two women a week are killed by a violent partner or violent ex-partner in the UK, and 45 per cent of women have experienced at least one incident of inter-personal violence in their life time.

Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare and Community, said: “The impending closure of the women’s refuge in Exeter is an issue close to many of our students’ hearts, and the Students’ Guild is working to enhance the community campaign that opposes the discontinuation of service. We are gathering stu-

dent signatures to support the existing petition and hope to present impactful photos of our students opposing the refuge closure to Devon County Council. The centre is immensely important for women and their children who are escaping domestic abuse and it is worrying that high level financial decisions will leave these vulnerable people without a safe place to reside. I hope to work constructively with both Devon County Council and Exeter City Council to come to a reasonable solution in this situation”.

Charlie Mackay, a third year stu-

dent leading the campaign, commented: “The women’s refuge is a crucial service for women and children who have been subject to domestic abuse.

As students in Exeter, we have as much of a responsibility for the community as local residents do. I have been thrilled by the amount of student support we have already received for this campaign, but we can do more. Presenting a strong, united front to the Council is our best hope of having any real impact upon the victims of domestic abuse”.

Photo: Chris Rootkin

Concern over late assignments Owen Keating News Editor STATISTICS obtained by Exeposé have revealed that nearly 30 per cent of Business School assignments submitted over the last year are handed in by staff later than the three week turnaround that the University has committed to.

Of 3,086 assignments submitted within the college, 29 per cent were returned late. This included 41 per cent of Economics submissions, out of 908 assignments, and 39 per cent of 1,017 Organisation Studies papers. 20 per cent of Management assignments were also returned late.

The statistics do suggest that the 29 per cent figure does drop to 16 per cent when exams are excluded, although, since many Business School modules are assessed using examinations, it is unclear how much this affects the figures.

Tom Carter, a third year Economics student, told Exeposé that he had not

even been aware that work was meant to be returned within three weeks, but that with this knowledge, he could confirm that some assignments had been returned “very late”.

He added: “Some modules are just massive and I don’t really mind too much if their results are late back. I’d rather have a lecturer mark them properly rather than rush them. Bigger modules also mean more choice as modules do not fill up as quickly”. He also said that he believed the problem would be alleviated if the number of Economics undergraduates was reduced.

Amit Joshi, another final year student, told Exeposé that in a recent module, he was told by an academic that his paper should have received more marks, but since it was “marked […] too quickly and rushed”, it did not.

The academic allegedly added that he “doesn’t want to get into trouble by changing too many people’s marks”, according to Mr. Joshi.

12 per cent of papers marked by the College of Engineering, Maths and

Physical Sciences were also returned late, although these figures do exclude Physics, for which data was unavailable. 16 per cent of the 340 Maths and

Some modules are just massive [...] I’d much rather have a lecturer mark them properly rather than rush them. Bigger modules do not fill up as quickly Tom Carter, third year Economics Computer Sciences assignments were returned after more than three weeks, with similar treatment afforded to 11 per cent of Engineering submissions.

The next worst offender was Social Sciences and International Studies,

which saw 6 per cent of papers returned late. Within this, 12 per cent of assignments from the Graduate School of Education were returned late, as well as 8 per cent of Politics assignments on Streatham campus. Ten per cent of Politics assignments on Penryn were also returned late.

Five per cent of submissions from the College of Humanities were returned outside the three week turnaround, including seven per cent of both English and History assignments, as well as eight per cent of Classics.

Elsewhere, seven per cent of Sport and Health Sciences submissions were not returned on time, as well as five per cent of Modern Foreign Languages courses.

Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs, said: “The prompt return and quality feedback remains a key priority for the Students’ Guild, following the implementation of the three week turnaround policy three years ago that was a result of our first Vision for the Future of Education. I am working with the Univer-

sity to ensure that staff have the facility to give the best quality feedback within three weeks, and to see that the number of exceptions to this rule are reduced.”

A University spokesperson said: “With the exception of the Business School, almost 90 per cent of assignments are returned to students within the three week deadline. This is why the percentage of Exeter students agreeing with the NSS question ‘Feedback on my work has been prompt’ has risen from 63 per cent in 2006 to 72 per cent in 2013.

“Within the Business School, the average turnaround time for non-exam assessments is 12.7 days, well inside the three week timescale. In addition, much of the ‘late’ feedback is only one or two days overdue.

“However, we take the concerns highlighted very seriously and we will work even harder to make improvements”.

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Paddon Award winners announced

Survey condemns Exeter as ninth most expensive UK city to live in

Emily Tanner Deputy Editor

Hannah Butler and Emily Leahy News Team

ON Thursday evening the winners of the 2014 Paddon Award were announced.

The Award was established by the University in the memory of two Exeter alumni who fostered great relationships between alumni and current University students. This year the theme for the award was “Sense of Place: taking inspiration from our surroundings, people and places, past, present and future”, which has been used as inspiration for the shortlisted contestants’ works.

Tom Stevenson, Executive PA to the Chief Operating Officer, won the award in a record year for submissions, a total of 35, in which 15 students and staff were nominated.

This year the judging panel consisted of the creator of The Guardian’s “Lost Consonants” feature, Graham Rawle, who also works as an author and designer as well as theatre producer and promoter Emily Williams, who works for local theatre company Kaleider and Kurt Jackson, an Honorary Exeter Graduate and one the UK’s leading contemporary artists who creates picturesque landscapes and is based in Cornwall.

Entrants from a variety of artistic fields were able to enter works into the Paddon Award. From film entrants of up to five minutes in length, to the creative writing category in which prose, poetry, and short stories of up to 1000 words can compete, musical compositions of up to five minutes and visual arts. The Paddon Award represents a wide variety of the creative arts and the full range of creative talent Exeter University has to offer.

The winner of the award receives a £250 cash prize as well as the opportunity to have a one to one mentoring session with a judge of their choice at a later date. Second place will receive £100 whilst the artist who places third will be give £50. These funds will help fledgling artists progress in their creative fields.

Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, commented: “The Paddon Award provides a fantastic showcase for the often hidden artistic talents of staff and students. It was brilliant to be able to work with the Arts & Culture department on the promotion of the Award and to support its inclusion in our Students’ Guild ArtsFest line-up.

It was a pleasure to be able to attend the showcase and awards ceremony and I congratulate all the entrants and winners”.

The winner of the award was announced on Thursday 13 March during an awards ceremony at the University in which all shortlisted candidates presented their work and speeches were made by the judging panel.

Exeposé investigate cost of “student staples” across city and campus

• Oxford most expensive UK city • Investigation highlights high prices in both University and Guild retail outlets EXETER was named the ninth most expensive city in the UK in a survey of house prices this week.

The list featured other unaffordable cities including: Bath, Brighton and Truro, while the most expensive location was revealed as Oxford.

Prices in the city reflect a nationwide trend, as the report from Lloyds TSB shows, house prices in urban areas rose by 1.7 per cent last year.

However, the high cost of living in Exeter is not only limited to the prices of housing. Food contributes to a large proportion of student budgets, but with many different retailers on option, it’s difficult to determine where provides the most cost-effective service.

An Exeposé investigation has revealed that in many cases, the Marketplace, the University’s retail outlet in both The Forum and Cornwall House, is more expensive than both the Students’ Guild shop in Devonshire House

and local retailers Tesco and Saunders.

Investigating which offered the best deals on a variety of lunchbox essentials, we compared Marketplace prices with the Guild Shop as well as off-campus retailers Tesco and Saunders.

Comparing prices of a 500ml bottle of Coke showed little significant difference; nonetheless, the Guild Shop’s £1.20 represented a 7.7 per cent decrease - the largest difference in comparison to the Marketplace.

The most considerable difference was in the various prices of of a 32.5g bag of Walkers Ready Salted Crisps.

The Guild Shop price was 20per cent cheaper; Saunders offered a 21.4per cent decrease, whilst Tesco marked the biggest saving on Marketplace prices at 28.6 per cent.

It seems like we often have to pay more for many things, including student staple foodstuffs, drinks in pubs and clubs, and even academic supplies A third year student and Exeter resident Tesco also offered the cheapest option when comparing prices for two pints of semi-skimmed milk: at 89p, it represented a 19 per cent saving in the Marketplace.

Prices for a Galaxy Milk 46g bar also showed variation: whilst the Guild Shop and Saunders both represented a

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

saving of 12 per cent on Marketplace prices, Tesco once again proved the most cost-effective, with a 13 per cent saving at 60p.

The Marketplace did however offer cheaper options for sandwiches.

In comparing prices of the cheapest cheese and ham sandwich available, the Guild Shop charged 24 per cent more, and Saunders 32 per cent more, in comparison to the Marketplace.

Nonetheless, Tesco offered the cheapest product, with £1.90 representing a 9 per cent lower price in comparison with the marketplace.

The comparison between on and off campus retailers proves that, in most cases, Tesco is the most competitive place to buy most lunch items.

However, if you choose to stay on

campus, the Guild Shop offers cheaper options on most items excluding sandwiches.

A third year student told Exeposé: “The cost of living is an ever increasing problem for students, especially in a city as expensive as Exeter. Talking to friends who study elsewhere, it seems like we often have to pay more for many things, including student staple foodstuffs, drinks in pubs and clubs, and even academic supplies.

While these statistics should at least prove that this ever growing expense is at least an important issue, it remains depressing that university retail outlets apparently do not remain competitive in an increasingly retail environment”.

Student behaviour complaints remain at similar level for past three years Harrison Jones Online News Editor COMPLAINTS made to the University of Exeter regarding student behaviour have remained at similar levels over the past three years, though there has been a slight increase at Cornwall Campus.

The figures, released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and originally obtained by the Express and Echo, show that for each of the last three academic years around 200 complaints are made about student behaviour.

The statistics have remained fairly constant, with no obvious patterns of growth or decline emerging in any of the given areas, though this could be seen as a real-term drop given the

continued increases in the size of the student population.

The majority of complaints this academic year relate to domestic noise and issues are usually addressed without repeat problems Rory Cunningham, Exeter Community Liaison This year’s figures are incomplete, but to date 83 complaints have been made, with the highest number – 34

– categorised as relating to “domestic noise”, followed by refuse/bins, street noise, cars/parking and “other low level anti-social behaviour”. 12 complaints have also been made with no proof of student connection.

These trends largely mirror those from the previous years, but despite last year’s total of 230 complaints being the highest in the period, it was in 2010/11 when domestic noise complaints were at their highest, with the figures from 2012/13 being higher for low level anti-social behaviour.

Rory Cunningham, Exeter’s Community Liaison Officer, said: “We are encouraged by the relatively consistent number of complaints, despite the gradual rise in student numbers. The majority of complaints this academic year relate to domestic noise and issues are usually addressed without re-

peat problems.

“We also gather positive feedback from community stakeholders at a range of community meetings – including our bi-annual Resident Liaison Group meetings. The next Community Survey will be circulated in the next few months”.

Penryn Campus, meanwhile, has seen a steady increase in the number of complaints, rising from 145 in 2010/11, to 152 the following year, and 192 last year.

The trend could be set to increase this year, as already 116 complaints have been made, with those relating to anti-social behaviour already topping 2010/11 and 2011/12 levels. Noise complaints appear relatively low to date though.

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University Vice Record nominations Chancellor to for Teaching Awards shadow student Emily Leahy News Team

SIR STEVE SMITH, the University Vice Chancellor, will shadow a student member of staff in the A&V Hub as part of the Students’ Guild’s new Mirror Scheme.

Sir Steve will shadow Anna Collin, an A&V staff member, on March 21, as he learns more about her day to day role and the crucial role she plays in interacting with students. Anna will also shadow Sir Steve on March 19.

In doing so, she will learn more about the day to day responsibilities entailed within the remit of running a Russell Group university.

The exchange should provide Sir Steve with an experience of the student life he works to enhance, and Anna with a unique insight into the life and daily decisions of our Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive

Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs

The Guild are introducing a new shadowing ‘Mirror scheme’ in order to improve student and staff relations.

The purpose of the scheme is to enable managers and students to gain an insight into each other’s daily working

lives.

The Guild hopes the scheme will foster understanding and deeper collaboration between professional services staff, academics and students.

In practice, a member of staff will shadow their partner student for the equivalent of a full day, including lectures and society activities. Students will then shadow their partner for a similar amount of time.

It is hoped the scheme will create feedback from the participants’ experiences, and will potentially generate recommendations and solutions to any issues encountered.

Any student can apply to take part in the Mirror scheme by completing the online form to establish a match.

The Guild will then work to form a match with an appropriate member of staff from across the range of managerial and academic positions.

Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs, told Exeposé: “The Mirror scheme is open to all students and is designed to help students and university staff gain greater insight into each other’s daily working lives to help bring about change for the better. The exchange should provide Sir Steve with an experience of the student life he works to enhance, and Anna with a unique insight into the life and daily decisions of our Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive”.

A final year student said: “It is pleasing to see that the University are finally taking steps to more seriously engage with their students. In an atmosphere which can sometimes feel like we’re treated like numbers on a spreadsheet, such concerted engagement is genuinely refreshing. I look forward to seeing what the results of the Mirror Scheme are”.

Niklas Rahmel Photographer

EXETER professors have received a national record number of nominations for the fifth annual Teaching Awards this year. This year, there have been 2601 nominations, an increase of 186 from last year’s total of 2415.

The NUS have confirmed that Exeter has received the highest number of nominations in the UK, with last year’s figure of 2415 being a previous national record.

Student Staff Liaison Committees have worked within the colleges to get as many students to nominate their lecturers and other university and Guild staff in the categories Most Support-

ive Member of Staff, Best Feedback Provider, Best Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, Best Supervisor, Innovative Teaching, Research Inspired Teaching, Best Lecturer and Best Employability Support. These categories were chosen after evaluation of last years awards, which also included categories like Best Subject, Best Research Community and Change Agents’ Champion.

The winners will be revealed and presented with awards and certificates at a gala ceremony on 1 May. All nominees shortlisted by the judging panel will be invited to this.

Vice Chancellor Professor Sir Steve Smith said about last year’s awards: “The Awards seem to get better and better each year, with more nominations of a higher quality. The serious-

ness with which they are taken by students and staff alike demonstrates the commitment to the exceptional teaching quality that is delivered at Exeter.

Many congratulations to everyone involved especially the winners and runners up”.

Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs, commented: “I am delighted with the total number of nominations submitted to the 2014 Teaching Awards that represent the fantastic quality of the academic experience here at Exeter. The Teaching Awards highlight the strong community of partnership between students and staff at Exeter and I look forward to the announcing the winners on May 1”.

Photo: Uni of Exeter

Over £7,400 raised in RAG Jailbreak Oliva Bateman News Team ON 28 February, RAG presented the first student Jailbreak event for over a decade. The idea was simple: get as far away from the university campus as you could within 30 hours - without spending any money.

Each participant had to pay a registration fee of £20 and needed to raise at least £100 for RAG’s chosen charities. In return they got a free t-shirt, European travel insurance, safety support back at the University as well as a weekend they would never forget.

This year’s Jailbreak winners were Ellie Wyithe and Ashley Smith who travelled over 2752 Kilometres to Tenerife. 38 teams entered help-

ing raise more than £7,400 which will go towards the Devon Freewheelers, Rainbow Trust, Concern Universal and Exeter’s own Community Action.

Donations are still being taken until March 28 and Exeter Jailbreak organizer Natalie Rubner hopes to smash their £9,000 target.

Wyithe commented: “We had an amazing time during Jailbreak! Everyone we met was so enthusiastic and supportive of what we were doing. We even got to sit in the cock pit of the plane which we were both very excited about. Once in Tenerife the weather definitely treated us well. We had a lot of fun and would definitely do it again!”

Jailbreak is an event that is run across the country and has become to be known as one of the best university experiences you can have. Building

on the traditional RAG hitchhiking challenges, the Jailbreak event gives you the freedom of traveling wherever you like, having the time of your life, whilst raising money for charity at the same time.

Natalie Rubner commented: “We’ve had a lot of interest from people wanting to take part next year, and I think we’re going to be running a similar event after exams this year - details to be confirmed! Next year I think we just want it to be even bigger... I’d like to highlight how incredibly supportive everyone has been - most of the participants had not been involved with RAG before and several teams have already raised far above their targets which will make a massive difference to our nominated charities”.

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National Student News Lauren Swift Copy Editor

University of Birmingham to pay staff the Living Wage THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM has agreed to pay its entire staff the Living Wage.

Adam Tickell, provost and vice principal at the University of Birmingham made the announcement on Twitter on March 5, stating that “The University and the branch executives of Unison and Unite are pleased to report that the current dispute over the 2013 pay settlement has been resolved. The branch executives of Unison and Unite will recommend to their members that no further industrial action be taken in relation to the 2013 pay settlement”.

The University of Birmingham aims to implement the plans from the beginning of August this year, and then match the rate of living from 1 August 2015 as well.

This is part of a voluntary change in higher education establishments and student unions nationwide. Exeposé reported last year on October 14 that the University of Exeter would pay its staff the living wage, a figure they calculated to be £7.45. Universities such as UCL and Loughborough have also volunteered to pay staff the current Living Wage of £7.65 for locations outside London, which is still not paid at all universities across the UK.

Predicted increase in graduate recruitment A SURVEY by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) reports that graduate vacancies are on the increase.

In 2013 graduate vacancies rose by more than four per cent and this year the AGR expects another increase of 10.2 per cent, with sectors such as banking, energy and telecommunications representing the biggest growths.

The AGR surveyed 202 of its members in the UK across 19 sectors and found that this year they expected to surpass 23,000 vacancies for graduates.

Stephen Isherwood, chief executive of the AGR, commented that such growth was “welcome news”.

He added, however, that students still needed to think carefully about their future employment: “What this doesn’t mean is that graduates should be any less focused on their career search”.

The National Union of Students (NUS) similarly welcomed the good news, but the NUS president, Toni Pearce, said the improvement in job prospects “does not mean that the wider and more pressing issue of youth unemployment will just disappear”.

18 MARCH 2014 |

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EXEPOSÉ

Xpression FM Charity Football match hopes to surpass last year Hannah Butler News Team SUNDAY 23 March will see the University Sports Park playing host to Xpression Sport’s third annual Charity Football Match. The 2014 event, organised in aid of the Adam Stansfield Foundation, offers spectators the chance to watch Xpression Sport compete against an Exeter All-Star XI at midday on the Sports Park’s rubber crumb astro pitch.

XpressionFM Head of Sport, Douglas Wilson, speculated on the team’s odds, noting: “There is a chance that, like rabbits in the headlights, the Xpression Sport XI could be dazzled by the array of celebrities lining up for the Exeter All-Stars. But if we can keep our eyes on the ball, we have a chance. Who would want to miss the chance of witnessing such a spectacle?”

Alongside the game, setting Xpression FC against a team of intramural players, the event promises spectators a range of pitch-side entertainment and refreshments. Cake stalls and raffle draws will be on offer, alongside a range of activities including a spectator “radar gun”, live music, “pie a player”, and a spectator penalty shoot-out.

The Adam Stansfield Foundation, to which all proceeds will be donated, was founded by the wife and family of former Exeter City striker Adam Stansfield.

In response to the support the family received from football fans after the striker’s death from bowel cancer, the foun-

dation provides football and recreational facilities in Exeter and across the UK, to “promote community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of children and young people up to the age of 16 residing in Devon, Herefordshire and Somerset”.

It is excellent to see XpressionFM raising yet more money Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses The 2013 event raised over £2000 for the foundation, and in the run-up to this year’s event the team are welcoming donations of any size, which can be made by visiting http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/XpressionSport. Xpression Sport encourages students to come along to the event at 12 midday on 23 March to support the teams, raise funds for the foundation, and enjoy the range of activities on offer.

Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, told Exeposé “It is excellent to see XpressionFM raising yet more money for charity. This match is the latest in a series of fundraising initiatives from the team this year. The Adam Stansfield Foundation is an extremely worthy cause and one that is very close to the heart of many students and residents in Exeter, particularly those associated with Exeter City FC.”

Record candidates for Student Elections Louis Doré News Editor A RECORD number of candidates are running in this year’s Student Elections. 314 candidates, excluding withdrawals, are running this year for a variety of roles including Academic Representatives and Student Leaders.

In the 2013 elections 86 candidates stood, excluding withdrawals. This year sees a marked increase, partially due to an increased number of roles being contested.

This year, 11 Student Trustee candidates are standing, as opposed to nine last year. Guild Councillor candidates have also increased, with 19 candidates standing for 11 councillor or chair seats, up from 12 candidates for nine seats last year.

Subject Chairs only have four vacant posts (providing nominations are not reopened) this year, less than the six vacant posts in 2013.

Gary McLachlan, Policy and Research Manager for the Students’ Guild commented: “Comparatively this is the largest number of candidates across different rounds we’ve ever handled; and our communications has been far

Photos: XpressionFM

more efficient using MailChimp to make better email contact with candidates while keeping staff time more focussed on support rather than mechanical processes.

“We’ll be filling a far more significant proportion of the posts in this round – to the point where most SSLCs will be ready to go when the new academic year starts rather than a month or so later.

“Overall this has been an incredible year in terms of the number of students coming forward for elections in all areas.”

Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs, commented: “The Student Elections include a high number of extremely important student roles and I’m really pleased that so many students nominated themselves. This is a reflection of Exeter’s unique culture of students who get involved, volunteer, and represent fellow students within the Students’ Guild”.

A first year PPE student commented: “Its really fantastic to see so many students taking an active interest in democratic affairs around campus, and bodes really well for the future.”

Holi festival on campus Vanessa Tracey Copy Editor HOLI festival was celebrated on campus on Sunday 16 March as part of the University of Exeter’s Diversity Month.

The Hindu festival was commemorated in The Ram Garden, adjacent to Devonshire house, with traditional food, powder paint, water filled balloons and entertainment.

Holi is the ancient Hindu festival of colour and is a national holiday in India.

Also referred to as the festival of love, it is traditionally celebrated with water fights and coloured paint. It has also become a popular event with non-Hindus as well as other cultures and communities.

All students of the University were welcome to celebrate the carnival atmosphere organised by Exeter’s Asian Society. 150 tickets were made available for the event and priced at £6 for members and £7 for non-members.

Reema Patel, a second year Maths

and Economics student commented: “It’s so important that festivals from all cultures are embraced on campus.

Personally, I think it’s great to be able to have the Holi or Diwali atmosphere around despite living so far from home.

I really appreciate how enthusiastic and willing people are to learn about the different festivals within my culture”.

Events organised as part of Diversity Month have proved highly successful for the Guild, with the Diversity Ball due to occur on Friday 21 March. More information on Diversity Month is available on the Guild Website.

Jak Curtis-Rendall, VP Participation and Campuses, said: ““The Holi celebration has been a fantastic opportunity to work very closely with the Asian Society to organise a brand new sell-out international event on campus. Holi is a very important event in the Hindu calendar, so it really was amazing to celebrate it on campus for the first time. I look forward to working with the Students’ Guild and the University to develop further international events on our campuses”.

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SEND US YOUR LETTERS: editors@exepose.com

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We’ve tried to tackle the big issues - the ones that we think really matter to students that we think really matter to students.

Take this issue as an example.

The closure of the women’s refuge is something that matters to all of us, and it’s something we feel that should matter to all of you, the students, as well. The rapid growth of the University is something we all felt strongly about, and again we felt it was something students should know about and have an opinion on. The same goes for the Wellbeing Centre, the alcohol survey, staff bullying, and many other key stories throughout our tenure. We’ve asked important questions and often received important answers, and we’ll all leave our positions hopeful that we’ve made a

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The final edit EVERY issue, we sit down to write this editorial with the intention of presenting our main news stories as the important pieces of journalism that we believe them to be. In many ways this week is no different. In this issue, our front page is concerned with the closure of Exeter’s Women’s Refuge Centre, and Exeposé has joined the ongoing Guild and community campaign against it.

We hope that the campaign will have an impact. Nearly 5,000 people have already signed a community petition against the refuge’s closure and our front page banner this week gives students another method of adding their name to the petition. We’re hopeful that the Council will reconsider their decision, allowing the centre to remain a haven for these women.

However, with this issue and this editorial, things are a little different because it is our last as the Editors of Exeposé. The newspaper has gone from strength to strength this year as we’ve tried to tackle the big issues – the ones

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genuine impact on the student experience here.

Inevitably, there are so many more questions that we want to ask, but that’s now down to a new team. All that’s really left for us to do, at the end of our last issue, is to say thank you.

Firstly, thanks must go to the Guild staff who have assisted us this year.

Olli, Joy, Sara and Gareth have all been hugely supportive; they’ve helped with the big things, like fighting our corner in the upper corridors of the Guild, and the little ones, like bringing a blanket into the office when we’re feeling poorly.

Most of all though, our thanks go out to Orlando. Over the past year of acting as our legal adviser – and more importantly, our friend – he has regularly gone above and beyond his remit in terms of helping us, and we remain very grateful for it.

Another big thank you has to go to the current Sabbs, particularly VP Participation and Campuses Jak Curtis-Rendall, whose support has been invaluable over the past year.

But most importantly, we wouldn’t be able to produce this wonderful newspaper every two weeks without the dedication of our editorial team and writers. For some of our team, this paper has been their 30th issue to edit, and there are a fair few of us that have spent more time in this office than we have in contact hours for our degrees. It’s that level of passion that makes running a newspaper possible alongside a degree, and we couldn’t have asked for a better team to edit with. Thank you.

Our time is sadly over, but we’re handing over to an incredibly talented and capable team, one that’s full of fresh and exciting ideas for this newspaper. Keep writing for them, keep reading their work, and keep getting involved with Exeposé, because without the engagement of you, our readers, this newspaper wouldn’t exist.

Exeposé love, now and always, Meg and Jon Exeposé Editors 2013-14

Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Charlotte Earland, Lauren Swift, Vanessa Tracey, Adam Smith, Flora Carr, Hannah Butler, Bethany Baker, Sarah Gough, Bethany Stuart, Emily Leahy, Isobel Burston, Christy Ku, Emily McIndoe, Alex Bonner, Pavel Kondov, Sophie Harrison, Jon Jones, Ben Pullan, Tristan Gatward, Harry Shephard, Ciaran Willis, Jack Wardlaw, James Beeson, Marcus Beard, Will O’Rourke, and members of the Exeposé editorial team.

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Meg Drewett & Jon Jenner Clara Plackett & Emily Tanner

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A thank you from your VP Participation and Campuses

“It has been an absolute joy and pleasure to work with you all throughout your editorial year ” Jak CurtisRendall VP Participation and Campuses Dear Meg, Jon, Olivia, Liam and the entire print and online editorial team: I write this Comment piece (admittedly my first!) as your last press week comes together. As is normal for press week the office is a nerve centre of activity, paper is littered across the

Despite an inevitable last Press Week tinge of sadness in the air, all of you have continued to show the same great passion, enthusiasm and creativity that you have shown for Exeposé office, Domino’s boxes are stacked up high, vital conversations battle to be heard over the music playing (Meg has had her way with Mumford blasting out!), while the effects of a long

term two are becoming increasingly all too apparent amongst every single one of you!

Yet despite an inevitable last press week tinge of sadness in the air, this week has been exactly the same as all the others this year - with all of you continuing to show the same great passion, enthusiasm and creativity that you have shown for Exeposé, journalism and also the wider student media throughout the entire year. The quality, professionalism and variety of content produced by all sections this year has been truly staggering.

Meanwhile the news teams have provided a fantastic mix of compelling investigations, striking headlines and also highlights of successes – all in an extremely balanced, professional manner. Exeposé Online has also really gone from strength to strength, firmly establishing itself this year with great coverage of events such as the EDL marches and Sabbatical Elections, and its unique online content.

It has been an absolute joy and pleasure to work with all of you throughout your editorial year, while obviously keeping enough distance to ensure I was never treading on your independent toes! You should be extremely proud of the year you have had, and the strong legacy you have ensured. I know you will all go

onto successful futures; some of you no doubt continuing the investigative journalistic habits you have developed so well! As goodbye time draws nearer I really look forward to celebrating your achievements with you over the next couple of months, and of course

As goodbye time draws nearer I really look forward to celebrating your achievements with you over the next couple of months with you at your usual Rameoke pint after the last edition has been proofed.

Massive congratulations on your year, and thank you.

Cartoon: Rachael Gillies

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EXEPOSÉ

So long, farewell, auf wi

With graduation on the horizon for many Exeter students in our final issue of Exeposé, the 2013 -2014 Owen Keating News Editor

IT IS perhaps ironic that the year in which I have enjoyed university the most is also the one that makes me want to leave. While first year passed in a blaze of booze, banter and birds (“serve-yourself” rice in catered halls, FIFA and being slightly homesick), and second year was where I felt like I might actually be a functioning adult (I wasn’t), third year, with all its trauma and occasionally endless work, is where I may have found my niche.

If I am to believe my sixth form career advisor (generally speaking, a bad move), this is probably a good niche to have in order to succeed at life. However, it’s not the work that has made me believe that now is the time to move into actual adulthood: it’s the people, and, more importantly, the things the people do. Throughout my final year, I’ve finally gained the awareness that it is those people who do, who try, and, most importantly, who care, that achieve great things.

They are the storytellers, the differ-

Josh Gray Music Editor

SOME of us won’t be achieving what we could have when exam results come around. Some of us will get that 2.1 when we could have got a first, some of us will get a 2.2 when we should have got a 2.1, and some of us will get kicked out of uni for turning up to the exam after nine pints worth of Dutch courage. But even though we might have come out with less than we could if we’d brown-nosed that grindstone a little longer, I’d argue that we gained something more valuable. By this I don’t just mean the memories of the times spent on unforgettable (or, at least, largely remembered) nights out instead of doing that extra bit of essay writing, or taking non-academic outings to Exmouth to reread Harry Potter rather than face that huge sourcebook on Globalised

ence-makers, and the people I want to, and feel ready to, emulate.

This is probably a good time to talk about Exeposé, the society which has defined my time at university. Student media, at times, feels like a microcosm of the university experience: you work hard; you laugh; you cry; you ask questions; you care, passionately, about issues, and perhaps most importantly, you meet wonderful people. Every frustration with selfishness and apathy (inevitable by-products of a cocktail of thousands of young people) is blown away by the sheer drive, zeal, and talent that I have been lucky enough to encounter through Exeposé, and it is these people, and those values, that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I am immensely close to so many of those people, and I hope, even if it’s only through this article, that they really know that.

As my degree, my time on Exeposé, and my stint in Exeter comes to a close, all I can say to those of you lucky enough to be back next year is that this amazing experience only happens once. Live it, love it, and please, please, please, make the most of it. You won’t regret it.

Culture you left at home. These are also the grand opportunities that a liberal higher education allows us, but these otherwise worthwhile activities alone may not be enough to justify those pesky fees.

Know when to swap the coffee for the spritzer The real skill that we’ve gained is the art of tactical slacking. In taking the brunt of our education into our own hands at university we have taught ourselves exactly what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, with the optimum output of energy.

This same skill that allowed us to reel out a totally sweet essay on the finer points of Aristotle’s Ethics (or possibly on the relativity of reaction in ionised atoms, if that’s more your jam) will also become invaluable in our future lives when the pressure of careers, child-rearing and surviving

Emily Tanner Deputy Editor

SO, this is it. This is the end of the era that I know I will always fondly look back on, genuinely, as some of the best days of my life. If, at the age of eighteen, as I sat alone in my far too luxurious room in Holland Hall minutes after I’d awkwardly said goodbye to my parents in the silent corridor, someone had told me that in the next three years I would go clubbing somewhere that played what I deemed “bad music”, sit on committee for the student newspaper for two years running, and, most of all, actually love this small Devon city, I would have probably laughed in their face.

Quite a lot. But, as that heart-wrenching scene in (500) Days of Summer has taught us all, expectations never live up to reality but in my case, the reality far succeeded anything I could ever imagine.

Exeter has given me a wealth of opportunity I never thought I’d have.

Exeposé, of course, has been the main facilitator of these magnificent oppor-

the robot uprising all bear down on us.

Much like each of the X-Men must eventually leave Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters to face the hate and prejudice of an unsympathetic world, so we must all leave the soft, safe haven that is Exeter University, to face that place CareerZone warned us about. But do you want to emerge from this cocoon as a high-flying overworked butterfly, mindlessly fluttering through life pollinating plants and passively procreating? Or do you want to emerge as a savvy, wise, light-loving moth who has the undying capacity to sleep all day and party all night? My advice to all of you over these coming months is to take the breaks when they come your way… and know when to swap the coffee for the spritzer (and vice versa). We will be the ones who hold our sanity in the face of the responsibility of adult life, because we’ll know exactly when the time is right for action, and when it’s time to take it easy.

tunities; from interviewing comedy favourites Tim Key and Josh Widdicombe and reviewing the 2012 Turner Prize as Arts Editor last year to being a more senior part of team this year, Exeposé has allowed me to experience so many different things and has given me both skills I will undoubtedly use out there in the real world and some of the best people I have ever had the true fortune to know.

Exeter has given me a wealth of opportunity I never thought I’d have.

Exeposé, of course, has been the main facilitator of these magnificent opportunities And - whether you’re a first year on the brink of leaving your community halls friends behind or, like me, a third year not all that sure just where life will take you next – you probably know that it is just that, the people, who make university what it

Kitty Howie Lifestyle Editor

LIVING as a Rowancroft fresh gave me a clutch of great friends and a penchant for long walks. The most valuable thing it taught me, however, is the importance of resilience and tenacity.

I’m one of the many on this editorial team studying English, and the only one on this editorial team who still loves studying English. As much as society involvement has been the linchpin of my Exeter experience so far, the passion and research of my teachers has been so incredibly inspiring that I’ve decided I’m not ready to leave yet. Hopefully, by the time this paper has been printed and delivered around campus by our sweaty committee, I’ll know whether I’ve been accepted on my MA here.

Hopefully Exeter has not seen the last

is. After hating my halls in first year, awkwardly trying to integrate myself into the neighbouring Mardon Hall and shuffling between society and course friends and the people I ‘lived’ with, I fell on my feet in second year befriending some really quite fabulous people through Exeposé and gaining a group of friends who have made my university experience. Sailing through the highs with me and making sure there were hugs aplenty through some of the more turbulent times of the last two years, these are people I hope to treasure for a long time and who have made Exeter what it has been to me.

So, this is it. This is the end of the era that has contained some of the best days of my life and I will be sad to wave goodbye to the rolling hills (although Vic Street will not be one such hill I leave behind with damp eyes), stunning Cathedral grounds on a summer’s days and the buzz of campus. Those of you who are here for another one or two years, make the most of every single thing you have thrown at you. Those who, like me, will be making our way to somewhere new one day soon, surely won’t forget Exeter.

of Kitty Howie.

I’ve learnt lots from editing the Lifestyle section. My way is not the only way to do things, and being a stubborn cow isn’t endearing. Empathy, loyalty and commitment get you a long way. Lugging bundles of papers around campus counts as a weekly workout, and the pride you feel when you see someone pick up the paper never goes away. Taking several steps backwards is sometimes necessary to leap and bound forward, and gin can usually make everything better.

I am so happy to have had the opportunity to spend so much time working in a team alongside some of the most spirited and funny people I will probably ever have the pleasure of meeting. From giving my first shaky manifesto speech to watching my successors delivering theirs at the beginning of their own Exeposé journey, it’s been a blast.

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14 Editorial Team bid adieu to their time at Exeter Megan Furborough Screen Editor DESPITE always knowing that graduation would come around eventually, it’s still caught me by surprise. When I arrived in Exeter on an alarmingly hot September Sunday three years ago, the expanse of time that stretched out in front of me felt like forever – and yet ‘forever’ has whittled down to just a matter of weeks, and honestly (as I’m sure most of the suddenly nostalgic third years will agree) it’s not enough!

My time here at Exeter has absolutely flown past, and the thought of having to say goodbye to a place that I now call home and, most importantly, to the friends that have become family is harder than I ever expected it to be.

Like many, I struggled a bit at first.

Snuggled down in Devon, I felt a long way away from back home in London, and being shy I found it hard to muster the confidence that is required for meeting a lot of new people in a very short period of time. But these initial feelings of unease quickly faded as the people that I once awkwardly smiled at became my closest friends. Univer-

sity is hard – that’s just a fact – and there were certainly some lows mixed in with all of the highs. However, my genuinely fascinating degree and the opportunities I’ve had throughout my time here has certainly countered those brief moments of despair.

The best thing you can do at Exeter is throw yourself into everything – the abundance of societies, the city itself and yes, even your degree. Joining Exeposé and EUCC in my Freshers’ Week was one of the best decisions I’ve made because it has allowed me to try new things and push myself; ultimately that’s what your university experience should be all about. Kayaking has taken me all over Devon and Cornwall as well as to beautiful rivers in the Alps, and I’ve had an amazing time editing the Screen section of Exeposé, from attending the BFI London Film Festival to eating (far too many) curly fries in the Ram. The people I’ve met through these societies will be friends far beyond the throwing of graduation caps in the air, and I feel more hopeful about my burgeoning unemployment and the shaky first steps into adulthood because of them.

Exeter, I’ll miss you, but I won’t forget a single thing.

Rob Harris Screen Editor

Photo: Caitlin Furborough

LETTERS RE: Issue 621 Twenty new societies affiliated this year Thomas Davies Dear Editors, Your news story on page 2 of the last edition of Exeposé, about the twenty new societies at Exeter had a couple of omissions that I wanted to address.

You mentioned that four new societies do not have a page on the Guild website yet, this is true. However I would like to make it known that PearShaped society, the university’s

RE: Issue 621 Comment piece on Forum Piano Josh Creek Dear Exeposé Editors, I feel sorry for Josh Creek. In his article, he is being so thoroughly consumed by his studies he is forgetting the ability to appreciate the unexpected for what it is worth. By complaining that the piano players in the forum are ‘selfish and inconsiderate’ he is removing himself from the inclusive and encouraging culture we work for

online music magazine, is one of those societies and we are very much ready for people to get involved.

We’ve been held back this term by the Guild not putting our page up on their website, and also not allowing us to take any memberships online.

Despite this, we are still a very high quality magazine for students, by students, that would really benefit from the kind of publicity we miss out on by not being on the Guild’s website yet.

So, please make sure that we aren’t left out of all the fun. We have so much to offer already at pearshapedexeter.com, and we’re much more

ready for the world that some of those societies with nothing on their pages yet.

on campus. Could there be a better way of bringing people together than having an instrument for anyone- not just the best musicians- to play? Here is an opportunity like no other: to be allowed to play for a casual audience, with no pressure, no ties.

The magic of having a piano in the forum is a simple one. Anyone can play anything. What you get is not written on a programme, it is spontaneous artistry. Aright, sometimes there is someone who comes to play Chopsticks after a breath-taking classical piece, but there is no reason to go all ‘high-brow’ on a communal piano.

Play what you like. Play as loud or as quiet, fast or slow, simply or extravagantly. Playing is more about having the confidence to perform in front of peers than anything else. Play the music you would like to share. Be a part of the culture.

The Forum is a space perfect for the culture of Exeter to flourish. It has been host to several flash mobs and World Music Choir and Footlights have performed there, there are cake sales, careers events, charity fundraisers, books stalls and art exhibitions.

These things- and more- appear regularly. I’m not sure I’ve ever been

Regards, Jack Reid, PearShaped President

LOOKING back to when a freshfaced Rob Harris stumbled anxiously into Lafrowda nearly three years ago, I really had not even started to realise how much of a massive impact university would have on me.

I dropped nearly three stone, went out unquestioningly and gained more friends than I could have possibly imagined. I’ve enjoyed my degree, but once you’re here amongst the bustling students and you walk through the stunning campus, the penny drops that it is not just education that is important. In fact, it may even be the least important thing. I must say that perhaps the one aspect that has been most valuable to me in all my time here has been my time on this very newspaper. It sounds corny, but I truly believe that Exeposé was one of the best things I have ever done.

I had always enjoyed writing bits and pieces, but once I became part of committee I wasn’t prepared for how fun it would be. Simply seeing people around campus reading the

paper that you had poured yourself into was an amazing feeling, perhaps seconded only to the sheer amount of people who emailed in to submit their work, which was at times genuinely staggering. Looking back at it all, I can without doubt say that every page we made or any article I wrote meant more to me than any essay I had ever spluttered up in the early morning before my deadline (singing birds are now synonymous with stress). Even if there were some less than stellar times, it always worked out in the end. Whatever disagreements there were, it doesn’t matter; we are all friends after all, and that is the most important thing.

To those of you who are simply testing the waters of various societies, my advice to you is to jump right in.

Exeposé made me more confident. I was doing something I loved, and I formed and strengthened many of my strongest friendships, ones which will last with me well into adulthood. Now it’s the end. I’m anxious - we all are - but I’m also extremely excited. I’m leaving Exeter with a positive attitude and a shed full of memories, and that is something I am truly thankful for.

Send your letters to the editors to editors@exepose.com RE: Issue 621 Comment piece on Forum Piano Josh Creek Dear Josh I am writing in response to your letter in the last edition of Exeposé regarding the piano in the forum. This is a fantastic asset to the University, as you so rightly pointed out, however I fail to see the issue you have with it disturbing your silent study. The Library has 3 floors of silent study space, there is also the Sanctuary, into the Forum and not seen cakes for sale! The Forum is made for these things and the piano is no different.

This is not an academic environment, this is a cultural environment. Just like a town centre has buskers, stalls and crowds, so too does the Forum. It is our campus centre.

There is such a danger at university of closing yourself off because of the pressures of studying to a high level. The Forum is an antidote to this with all of the stalls it allows and the performances is plays host to. You never know who will be there, what they will be doing. This is the moment

Queens café, Amory study space, Peter Chalk Café and St Luke’s Library to name but a few of the many, many study spaces available on campus.

The forum is a hive of activity, with the Shop, SID Desk and regular stalls creating a lively atmosphere – it is by no means a silent study space. If you are looking for somewhere silent to study, then the building at ‘the heart of campus’ is certainly not going to be the place. My suggestion? Utilise this campus to its full potential, and move on from the Forum.

Nicholas Davies to get out of timetabled work pressure and participate in something spontaneous. Don’t rush from one thing to another, take five minutes to wander round and see what’s on. I suggest that rather than turn the volume up to ‘unhealthy limits’, Josh should listen to what is being presented to him, the unwitting audience. Maybe he will learn something- even if that something is simply to work in any of the other work spaces that don’t contain the piano and come back later to really appreciate what is on offer here.

Hannah Field

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Football’s Leaving Home?

Owen Keating, News Editor, examines the upcoming World Cup and the erosion of values caused by problems within its preparation THE WORLD CUP holds a special place in the heart of every football fan.

The tournament defines national histories, as well as representing the pinnacle of every international footballer’s career. In England, we essentially run our national calendar by those glorious four weeks, where, every four years, England inevitably raise our expectations before crashing out to superior opposition. The tournament forms, quintessentially, an enormous part of our national identity.

However, despite its importance to the culture not just of our own nation, but also that of many others across the globe, the tournament’s mythic status doesn’t excuse the currently shambolic preparation that is tormenting many in Brazil, this year’s host nation.

From winning the bid, to the current construction of stadiums and administration that is taking place before the tournament’s start this summer, the preparation process has been dogged by controversy and problems with humanitarian and workers’ rights.

As the media hype around England, Roy Hodgson’s squad, and - if you exclusively read The Sun - how easily we’re going to win it, intensifies, it is in fact the stadium in which England will kick off their tournament which has attracted the most media hype.

The £174 million Arena Amazonia in Manaus - where England will play Italy on June 14 - opened last week, to widespread complaints from attendees of a test event regarding a lack of toilets, food outlets, and sufficient crowd management within the ground itself. More troublingly, however, the construction itself was marred by the deaths of three construction workers, the most recent of whom died last month while dismantling a crane. Three other stadia for the tournament also remain unfinished, including the arena in São Paulo which will host the tournament’s opening clash on June 12.

It is easy to postulate about what appear to be horrendous working conditions from afar, in a country where all-seater stadia and safe working and spectating conditions are the norm, but I would suggest that these troubling stories are already diminishing the appeal of the World Cup. A tournament the biggest sporting event in the world, bar the Olympics - of this standing should be prepared for in a manner appropriate for an organisation - FIFA - which, nominally at least, promotes ideals of equality and fair play. These values should go beyond the pitch, even the stands, and should ingrain the entire ethos of the tournament from start to finish, from blueprints to trophy

presentation.

However, the problems facing this tournament go far beyond issues with infrastructure. Cities across Brazil, including the capital, Brasilia, have seen huge demonstrations against the government, working conditions, and widespread poverty. Last summer’s

A wider culture of cack-handed authoritarianism, unprofessionalism, and uncomfortable assumptions about this tournament’s grandiose status Confederations Cup, seen as a practice run tournament before this year’s main event, was marred by the biggest street protest in a generation, and the atmosphere in the country is far from the celebration of Brazil’s coming-of-age that was expected. Instead, the nation faces a cocktail of violence, unrest, and an ever mounting death toll from both the political and infrastructural instability

that still threatens to overwhelm the host nation.

Protests which were initially unconcerned with football have been taken over by public fury about the gleaming new stadia, which have cost immense amounts of money while many Brazilians remain impoverished, unemployed, and unsupported by their leaders. While even these stadia are unfinished and a huge cause for concern for FIFA, their status as lightning rod for domestic unrest is undoubtedly secure.

Further afield, the Brazilian government’s attempts to improve their country’s standing and international perception have attracted further outrage. Authoritarian campaigns to clamp down on the sex trade have raised concerns about human rights abuses, as prostitutes have been threatened with prison sentences for advertising in phone boxes, and groups which defend the rights of prostitutes have been evicted from city centre locations to make way for hotels.

While this in itself has fairly obvious rationales behind it, the cut in funding for sexual health programmes and campaigns to destigmatise sex workers seems more pernicious. An iconic tour-

nament is being used to marginalise those on the outskirts of society, and is unacceptable by any standards.

The tournament’s disregard for women even seems to have spread to one of its biggest corporate sponsors.

Adidas were forced to pull t-shirts from sale after mass complaints about their sexualised prints from various campaign groups. The t-shirts, which featured scantily clad women and lascivious slogans, were apparently against Brazil’s official national marketing policies (saying nothing of their aforementioned lack of protection for sex workers), and were pulled amidst much furore across the globe. While it would be remiss to blame this solely on the tournament’s organisers, it still flows into a wider culture of cack-handed authoritarianism, unprofessionalism, and uncomfortable assumptions about this tournament’s grandiose status, cultural norms, and reliance on an arguably unwarranted reputation.

So, unless you’re paying thousands to go to Brazil yourself (the price for which could constitute an entire article in itself), you will likely engage with the tournament only through the visual, digital and written media. This could lull the casual observer into believing

that the dark shadow that looms over the tournament is not their problem.

That is wrong. Don’t be blinded by the lights of the trophy, the tournament, and the global superstars. The real questions, the real issues, lie behind the lustre of this peak of the global game.

If we ignore what is happening in Brazil, if we sacrifice thinking critically about one of the biggest, most controversial cultural events of our time in favour of fawning over athletes and hackneyed nationalism, then we will erode away this tournament’s worth until it represents nothing more than a speck on the overtly capitalist, chequebook-focused, footballing landscape.

Football was once a sport of the people. We supported our local teams, and we built our communities around local heroes, men who were defined by their goals in local derbies and the badges on their shirts. Allowing an ever more commercial tournament to so negatively detriment the community it has invaded is an abdication of our duty towards a sporting ideology that has so defined our identities. We cannot allow it.

Photo: The Guardian

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Exceedingly Good Slogans From French Fancies to Sabb candidates; Flora Carr looks at the power of the slogan...

SCROLLING through pages of recent news stories on my laptop, I saw a picture of a cake. Naturally I clicked on it. The headline jumped out at me: “Exceedingly sad news!” The article described how, after 47 years of using the slogan ‘exceedingly good cakes’,

It is perhaps an open secret that a good slogan makes or breaks a candidate in any university Guild election. Helena Gadsby, a first year, says that “I’ll remember a slogan over what their proposals are and if I like the person, I’ll vote for them” Mr Kipling - the company that’s been enticing us since 1967 with Battenburg, Cherry Bakewells and Angel Slices - is set for a brand makeover that could well mean the famous tagline disappears. And whilst, admittedly, I kept getting distracted half-way through reading by the thought of Mr. Kipling’s excellent French Fancies (don’t you just love the creamy bit at the top under the icing?), the article definitely gave me pause for thought.

Or perhaps food for thought. It’s a story that’s been picked up on by a number of newspapers, including The Mail and The Telegraph; full length stories with, happily, accompanying pictures. And yet at the end of the day, they’re articles on the slogan of a cake company. Surely it makes little difference if a tagline ‘exceedingly good cakes’ is ditched for something else? Is ‘exceedingly good’ so different from ‘very good cakes’, ‘fabulously good cakes’ or even ‘really very good cakes,

you should definitely buy these’?

Then again, when I think about it, slogans in advertising have a huge impact on us and today’s culture, whether we recognise it or not.

One of my favourite film insults relies on the Skittles ‘ Ta s t e the Rainbow’ tagline (“Yo’ mama’s so f a t she sat on a rainbow and skittles popped out”). There was a period in my primary school when everyone referred to things as ‘grrr-reat’, Tony the Tiger style, a n d

we’re all guilty, at some moment in our lives, of swishing our hair whilst saying the immortal line (Cheryl Cole Geordie accent optional) “Because You’re Worth It”. Taglines such as ‘I’m Lovin’ It’ and ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ have become part of our everyday lives.

They can also make or break a company. Following the TV adverts, I now have a burning desire - no, need for a Sergei the Meerkat toy. It’s a fact that Mr. Kipling has clearly picked up on. A tagline can sell anything, from cakes to cars, from deodorant to finger lickin’ chicken. It can also sell people. Who can forget the chant ‘Yes We Can’ from Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign?

But only recently there were examples of taglines ma k in g or breaking campaigns right in front of our noses: the SABB Elections, which concluded in February.

It’s perhaps an open secret that a good slogan makes or breaks a candidate in any university guild election.

Helena Gadsby, a first year, says “Slogans help me remember the person-

else campaigning for others. Guilty as charged, in the end it was the taglines that sold the candidates to me, particularly for those positions about which I knew little. My vote for next year’s president was based purely on her excellently cheesy tagline (“Rach for the Stars”) and her proposals for a puppy room. Equally the “Take The Bate” hashtag for Matt Bate, next year’s VP Activi- ties, and the simple fish logo had me, well, hooked.

Whilst I made sure I

I’ll remember a slogan over what their proposals are, and if I remember liking the person I’m going to vote for them!”

During election week I was determined to vote after discovering that only 34 per cent of students had voted last year; I allowed students dressed as bees to follow me up the Forum Hill, I took flyers, I even tried to read manifestos. But I soon felt overwhelmed by information and by faces - it seemed half of Exeter students were running for something or

agreed with most of each candidate’s proposals before voting for them, ultimately it was the slogan that drew me in.

Does this say much about society today?

We live in a very visual world; our generation in particular has grown up surrounded by computers and social media. We are bombarded with advertisements on TV screens, on billboards, on posters at bus stops. No wonder we can’t stop singing ‘I’m Lovin’ It.’ But is a more

visual, slogan-driven world necessarily a bad thing? The best slogans are those that concisely summarise what a

We live in a very visual world: our generation in particular has grown up surrounded by computers and social media. We are bombarded by advertisements company is about.

P e r s o n a l l y, I want

my chicken finger lickin’. Who doesn’t?

Whilst we need a solid grounding in a SABB candidate’s goals, a clever tagline engages a student, encouraging them to get involved and participate in ways that a long speech printed and handed out outside a lecture theatre never could. And surely we want a SABB candidate who understands the average student, who wants them to engage and knows how to make that happen? Whilst newspapers may find it ‘exceedingly sad’ that Mr. Kipling is undergoing rebranding, their decision to re-evaluate what the public wants only inspires me to buy more French Fancies (like I needed an excuse). Besides, what better procrastination is there than making up potential c a m paign slogans f o r your friends and yourself? “Flora Carr: Driving for Change.” What do you think? Yes? No? Well, personally, I think it’s grrr-reat.

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After the surprising result in the tuition fee debate, Alex Carden, Features Editor, caught up with NUS President Toni Pearce...

WE interviewed Toni the day after the fees debate, picking her up from the Abode Hotel (around £100 a night, for the record) and having a coffee in the recently-arrived Exeter sunshine.

As those who attended the debate will attest, Toni Pearce is no fool. My halting attempts at skirmishing with her over student loans before the debate began (when she would have preferred to be getting ready, as she said later) had made me realise quite how out of my depth I was against a woman who is an expert in her subject matter – an hour’s brief research beforehand really didn’t cut it.

Before the debate, perhaps due to mentally kicking myself for my own lack of research, I pressed her a little on how much rehearsal she had done, to find that she hadn’t planned what she was to say at all. “I’ll see what happens; you can’t plan a debate, can you? I don’t know what Steve is going to say, so how can I know how I’ll respond?” was her line. Surprised that the head of the National Union of Students would have come down without serious debate prep, I asked her if she thought that Sir Steve would have prepared for the debate.

“I wouldn’t say I haven’t prepared”, she countered, quick as a flash, “I just haven’t written a speech”. She seemed relatively confident in the advantage, in her words, she enjoyed; this was her full time-job and she didn’t have a university to run as well – although it was said more in a tone of respect for her opponent rather than overconfidence of victory.

This respect for Sir Steve hadn’t disappeared the next morning, despite a result that must have come as a bit of a surprise – who would have thought students would end up voting for increased tuition fees? She spoke admiringly of Sir Steve as “a very intelligent man”, again in a tone of genuine respect, but I couldn’t shake the cynical thought that she was trying to explain away the defeat the night before; not helped by similar efforts to downplay the number of times she did formal debating in her presidential duties.

But regardless of the outcome, she did express satisfaction at the broad scope of the debate, as well as the civil tone maintained throughout despite being an issue that can frequently raise tempers and voices. This is more than just politeness and a healthy respect for eardrum integrity. When she pointed out that “whether you are the Vice Chancellor of a university or the President of NUS you are also a person, and when people say horrible things to you in a debate or on Twitter or in a campaign, it hurts”, there was almost a note of sadness in her voice, or maybe even past pain. It

was difficult to elicit much information from her when we asked her about what she had experienced in the past, and she shrugged off our questions with a wry – but still pained – laugh. Whatever exactly she has had to deal with (with most of what she alluded to suggesting problems with vicious tweets) it clearly left a bit of a mark. And it is this environment, as well as aggressive ‘hyper-masculine’ forms of debate in politics, that she regards as posing a serious barrier to women who frequently do not wish to engage in that environment, as Toni herself does not. Such a culture, which values masculine traits such as aggressiveness and disregards more feminine qualities, needs to have its sustainability examined, in her opinion.

Her discussion of the other cultural changes she thought needed to be made to ensure equality between the genders was convincing, and impressively pragmatic; while she expressed a dislike of quotas and all-women shortlists, she pointed out that change has been excruciatingly slow without them, and that “waiting 500 years” for the system to sort itself out naturally was too long to wait. She also spoke proudly of those women, including the University’s Hannah Barton, who were helping to mentor younger aspirational women, and indeed expressed pride in being one of only eight female presidents and helping choose the first female CEO of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and hoped herself and others like her would encourage women to aim even higher in the future. Also included in our discussion of her legacy was the NUS’s success in securing a reprieve for the £350 million Student Opportunities Fund from government cuts, again a masterpiece of pragmatism in the face of those demanding a blanket anti-any-and-all-cuts stance. The funny thing is that pragmatism is exactly what Toni suggested was the main difference between herself and Sir Steve on Higher Education funding. Both thought it should increase, just Sir Steve thought it would be most likely to come through higher fees. She didn’t say it as a bad thing in Sir Steve’s case; perhaps the pragmatism they both display might align in the future?

Despite our talk of legacy, Toni isn’t done yet. She’s running for re-election in April, which she said she was quite looking forward to. She’s rather coy about her prospects, and neatly sidesteps the question of whether or not she “expects” to win. But win or lose, she says she never wants to stand for an elected office again, particularly not the “thankless task” of constituency MP. Her skills, she feels, would be better put to use be-

hind the scenes. It seems rather noble, actually, to go where you feel you’d do the most good, despite the impressive list of ministers and secretaries of state she’s spoken to and campaigned alongside or against. That, she does admit, is one of the coolest parts of the job, although also up there was a 36-hour visit to the National Union of Ghanian Students in Accra, which instilled in her an “amazing” feeling of international connection.

She shrugged off our questions with a wry – but still pained – laugh.

Whatever exactly she has had to deal with it clearly left a mark

sudden realisation that this woman is only a few years older than most undergraduates, and that whatever you think of her politics or her policies, you have to admire her achievements. As for the University itself, she’s relatively positive about Exeter. She speaks highly of our contextual approach to admissions (lowering the required grades for those from disadvantaged backgrounds), although is slightly critical of the disproportionate number of privately-educated students, and while she might not be entirely in favour of attempts to maintain our status as part of an ‘elite’, appreciates that this behaviour may

Sat in the sunshine, and doing a good job of keeping up a steady stream of answers to our questions despite the distracting antics of a group of dancers on the cathedral green, she seems to have enjoyed her trip back down south, at least nearby to her roots (even the onset of Devon hayfever!). She hasn’t seen her family for a while, and won’t for some time still. As she says this comes the

well always be so – pragmatism again.

Above all, we should be pleased to have had her down for a debate that really does impact on every student, and will continue to do for the years to come.

e h T

For those who weren’t there, Jon Jenner, Editor, recaps what happened in the debate ON 4 March, two of the biggest names in UK Higher Education met on Exeter University’s Streatham campus. Toni Pearce, NUS President, and Professor Sir Steve Smith, the University’s Vice Chancellor, debated the motion “this house believes that tuition fees should not increase”, arguing the proposition

and opposition respectively. During the debate, tuition fees, student experience, the state of the nation’s economy and the value of a degree were all passionately discussed, with the audience probing the panel on a host of issues.

As the debate started, chairman Ellie Binks asked the audience to vote on the motion. A sea of hands rose for

the proposition, veritably drowning the four or so audience members that opposed the motion. Along with a handful of abstainers, it was clear that the audience felt that tuition fees should not increase. After an hour and a half of debating, the question was asked again, without the option of abstention. This time, there was a roughly 60/40 split…

in favour of the opposition. Regardless of how people had voted, the majority of faces were surprised, as excited and incredulous murmurs rang around the room. Had the house really just voted that tuition fees should increase?

They had. Over half of the room had had their mind changed over the course of the debate. There is no ques-

tion that a huge factor in that was Sir Steve himself. From start to finish he was a master of rhetoric, dazzling the audience with his confidence, his ability to make the arguments relate to students and his seemingly endless array of facts and figures. A lot of those figures were difficult to follow but sounded awfully important and

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...while James Roberts, Features Editor, spoke to university head honcho and self-confessed Exeposé reader, Professor Sir Steve Smith IN many ways, Exeter University is the Marks and Spencer of Higher

Education. We’ve come a long way from humble beginnings. We’re good, but we’re not quite Selfridges (yet).

We’re always opening shiny new stores and, let’s face it, we’re as middle class as they come. And, to top it all off, we have the Vice Chancellor to match: this isn’t just a VC, this is Exeter’s academically qualified and ennobled VC – Professor Sir Steve Smith.

We went to meet the man himself in his plush Northcote office,

e t a b e D $ e e F e

hidd e n amongst a labyrinth of doors with corporate nameplates and a delightful collection of pastries on the coffee table outside. It’s a very different world from the Amory building. If, only days before, he hadn’t been able to convince a room of incredulous students to vote for an increase in tuition fees, it would be easy to wonder if the manager was a bit out of touch with the shop floor.

Quite the opposite, in fact: Sir Steve is not the man in the ivory tower. Despite the complimentary university car with the custom number plate and the swanky c a m p u s house, he is well aware that he has to earn his keep,

convincing, particularly the ones that dealt with things students have a natural fear of. Money. Taxes. Real life.

Those natural fears seemed to be what won the audience over. Regardless of Sir Steve’s own views on tuition fees, he was there to play devil’s advocate, and above all of his silky persuasiveness he was truly, painfully pragmatic. It all came back to money, and where that money was coming from. You can’t provide a good edu-

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cation without money, and, if the government are not going to provide that money, we will have to do it ourselves.

When he asked if they would rather keep fees low (ish) for future students or have a more valuable degree – with all the weight of a more expensive and therefore successful Exeter behind it – the audience visibly squirmed, and judging from the result of the end vote, the majority opted for the latter.

It was Sir Steve’s overtly realis-

tic and pragmatic approach that won the debate. And that’s the worst thing about it: winning over an audience filled with students with realism seems like an affront to everything a student should be. If you can’t be an idealist as a student, when can you? We haven’t had long, hard, lives dealing with all those things that we’re scared of, money and taxes and debt and real life.

As students, as the supposed future of this country, shouldn’t we be able to

reasoning that “my job is to keep Exeter moving from strength to strength, and students hold me to account for that”. This desire, to not be seen as just another VC with their fingers in the till, was clearly part of the reason that he was happy to be the first VC to face the NUS President, Toni Pearce, in a debate on the dreaded question of university tuition fees. As we sit down to start the interview, he seems genuinely overjoyed at the response to both the result and the debate itself.

Scoring a somewhat unexpected victory, Exeter’s VC is unapologetic that, when it comes to funding the University of Marks and Spencer, every little helps.

“Bluntly, the arguments against not raising fees were on our side,” he explains, “students don’t want to vote against Exeter prospering”. The result aside, the debate itself was evidently a pleasant surprise for Sir Steve. “Looking at the stuff off Twitter, it was fascinating,” he marvels, “students listened to what we were saying and were persuaded of the logic of the case”. Speaking to him on the night, you could have been forgiven for thinking he had seen the debate more as an exercise in transparency than a chance to reopen a sensible discussion about Exeter’s funding future. As it turned out, the customer isn’t always right, and the debate did just that.

Undoubtedly, part of the reason was Sir Steve’s straight-talking and disarmingly affable style. Even during our interview, sandwiched between meetings, lunch and another (undeniably more important) interview with The Sunday Times, he is cheery to a fault. Indubitably civil, he lavishes praise on Toni Pearce for setting the tone of the evening. “Toni really was the winner of the night,” he chuckles sincerely, “I was nothing like as good as her at her age”. With the sun pouring in through the large windows, and impressed by his unfailing joviality, we swear we spot a grandfatherly twinkle in his eye.

He goes on, “I really respected the way she debated the issues. She had a really easy opportunity to land a punch on me, on salaries, but she didn’t do that. She was outstanding”. His commitment to transparency, including revealing details of his £290,000 salary to a packed DebSoc audience, does leave Sir Steve open to such criticism.

Though it seems Exeter students get what they pay for. Our conversation is punctuated by streams of university achievements, all excitedly recounted by the retentive VC. As a top-academic-turned-management-supremo, Sir Steve has seen Exeter go from 34th to

eighth in Britain’s league tables, and he has rightly been credited for this remarkable improvement.

His incredible personal dedication to the job is patently clear. “I’m in my twelfth year as Vice Chancellor,” he exclaims with unfaltering enthusiasm, “most of them last less than five years”.

Astonishingly, he even reveals, “I have never applied for another job while I’ve been here”. For a man who’s chaired more top organisations than we’ve had hot dinners, Exeter must be special indeed.

Yet, in all his time at the top of the university food chain, he hasn’t lost sight of the students stacking shelves at the bottom. “I’m extremely proud of what students achieve. I see what students give to this university and the community,” Sir Steve says in earnest, smiling as he recounts watching our VP Academic Affairs, Alex Louch, perform Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon at the Lemon Grove.

Odd visit to the Lemmy aside, Sir Steve says one of the worst parts of his job is worrying about student welfare, disclosing that, “I like a drink myself, but I do worry about students and alcohol.” When it comes to his responsibility for the whole university community, he notes solemnly, “in that community, there’s going to be a lot of tragedies.

That’s bloody tough, to put it candidly”. With heartfelt frankness, Sir Steve continues, “you feel terribly responsible for that, especially if someone kills themselves. You have to look at yourself in the mirror, and wonder what the institution could have done”. It’s a touching moment, and one that speaks volumes for the M&S Vice Chancellor that is sometimes accused of putting profits first and customer experience second.

On the whole, it seems to be a comprofessional longevity and a pragmatic approach to university policy that will define Sir Steve’s ongoing mission to drive Exeter into the world’s top 100.

As with the actual debate itself, he is happy to put his wares on display and do everything he can to sell Exeter as “a strong Premier League side in Higher Education”. He’s frank that, “it’s very easy to hide and be shaped by the wind,” but is adamant that he won’t check out as VC until he’s got Exeter’s success in the bag.

As we wrap up the interview, he sees us out of his office with a handshake and a warm smile. Undoubtedly, Professor Sir Steve Smith isn’t just any VC; he’s our dedicated, well-respected and equally well-paid VC. For the University of M&S, he’s definitely own-brand; he’s pretty good value too and, ultimately, one of Exeter’s finest.

raise our voices in support of how we think things should be, rather than simply getting in line behind the people talking about how things have to be.

The result of the debate felt far too much like people getting in line, rather than standing up in the belief in an ideal. Equal access to higher education is a fundamental human right – look it up. That access is meant to be granted on merit, not money. Regardless of how much fees seem

like they have to go up, there is a pressing need for a generation of students collectively shouting that it shouldn’t. Otherwise, university will become less of a human right, and more of a privilege for those lucky enough to be able to afford it.

For more coverage of the debate, including both sound and video recordings, courtesy of Xpression and XTV, go to Exeposé Online.

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Keep your friends close Emily-Rose Rolfe, Lifestyle Editor, asks whether wounds from a friend are better than kisses from an enemy

IT is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman, in possession of a personality, must be in want of a friend. For, to flip Darwin around, a friend gives value to survival. We can successfully eat, hunt, and drink wine without a friend, but where would the pleasure be in doing so alone? If you have something to say for yourself, it’s selfish to not share it. I may find facts, abstract truths, and gossip out alone, but to hoard this treasure would feel foreign. Sharing new blogs and interesting articles, amusing stories from the night before, and hidden truths that ‘I have never said before’ with my friends gives unparalleled delight.

I would almost call it ‘enlightenment’.

When a friend empathises with my pain, wittily retorts to an obscure mannerism, or investigates a

previously untraveled train of thought (I have had at least three conversations with a friend about whether humans used to be trees… there’s some convincing evidence), our personalities merge to create a whole new universe.

The power of friendships should never be doubted.

We can make a lot of headway in gender equality purely by being a friend to one another

We can make a lot of headway in gender equality purely by being a friend to one another. Women should chat over cocktails and canapés through light teasing and exuberant encouragement, not through playing with words so expertly we run rings around each other’s petty insecurities. When we are in a wolf pack, we must not growl at each other. It may be a bold statement, but for each woman to feel they are taken seriously their friends should display their unconditional support. A part of our

confidence structure is created around building each other up. Whilst Eleanor Roosevelt is completely and utterly right: “Friendship with ones self is all important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else in the world”. How our friends treat us is intrinsically linked with how we view ourselves. I once (fine, countless times) have delivered a bad joke, much to the despair and disapproval of my friends.

Their reaction to my poorly timed, amateur, tongue-tied joke was soul-crushing. It was only when I’d eaten my feelings in a lot of curly fries that I found some perspective and realised that I wasn’t defined by my sense of humour nor my friends opinions. Rather than belittle one’s friends with a condescending and competitive look, (which from my expe-

rience a lot of women can be guilty of when they’re at a certain point in their cycle), one should take the opportunity to educate and better one’s friend.

Friendships are not lived through on Facebook. Recent studies by Elite in Tokyo, Japan have shown that people who live their social lives on social media are lonelier and unhappier than people who enjoy face-to-face interaction. Just because one posts on another person’s wall, likes statuses or is tagged

Friendships are not lived through on Facebook

in photos , does not mean that one is popular, or that one has a personality. Sitting in a room f u l l of your housemates on Facebook does not help one to win any friends nor to deepen the friendships you are currently enjoying. Quality time is defined by time spent in conversation

and silence, watching films or playing fiery games such as Articulate, partying or pampering. The best times I’ve had have been spent with friends in private, not in the public eye of social media and others watchful gaze.

Friends are the most valuable gifts that university has given me, and, dear reader, do not underestimate how much they have shaped my Exeperience. A friendship does not mean you merge into the same person or that you’ve overcome a lot of obstacles to get to where you are, it means that no matter your past or future you are happy to shape your companions present for the good of the other. For a lady’s imagination is very rapid: it jumps from admiration to love, from love to friendship in a moment. I am very proud of my friends, and completely prejudiced in their favour.

Photo: Burberry

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LIFESTYLE

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www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

EXEPOSÉ

A nasty piece of work

Owen Keating, News Editor, talks how to cope with cabin fever and the impending doom of dissertation deadlines FOR as long as I can remember, the Easter holidays have always been associated with harrowing amounts of revision. From GCSEs, when spotty teens everywhere put their angst-ridden text conversations on hold just long enough to maybe revise some science, to university, when the need to revise enough to get 60 per cent dominates the majority of our Aprils: Easter is for work (and chocolate. Lots of chocolate). I have associated this particular holiday with revision for so long that it was initially a massive relief to find out in September that I would have no summer exams this year. Until, that is, I remembered about the small matter of my dissertation.

Dissertations pose different prob-

lems to the slog that is revision. While some would argue that in itself, a months-long research project such as this is inherently more difficult than a few exams, I think that one of my most pressing dilemmas is how much, if at

I’m not sure my family really deserve my continued presence at their kitchen table all, I can afford to go home for Easter.

Dissertations differ from exams in that in order to complete it, I’ll almost certainly need the library for resources and

somewhere to go during the day, and I’m more than slightly concerned about my capacity to resist the temptations of daytime TV, sofas, and school friends that surely await at home. If I can’t resist Cheesy Tuesdays, there is surely no hope of me ignoring the allure of Jeremy Kyle.

Finally, I’m not sure my family really deserve my continued presence at their kitchen table, blabbering about postmodernism and eating all their food. To be entirely honest, I don’t think anyone really deserves that.

That being said, Exeter can be a strange place when there aren’t many students here. The vibrancy of the student community, so crucial to Exeter’s oft-lauded university experience, would

be severely diminished by the holidays.

Furthermore, if friends decide to go home, it’s literally just you, the books, and the Co-Op. While this may sound like the perfect recipe for productivity, it could also end in you having conversations with the adverts on Spotify, or indeed yourself.

fortunately, table etiquette took priority over hunger.

table over spilt ketchup on my jacket and the staff told me to invoice them for the dry-cleaning bill. Also I had a gastronomical number of Cokes from the bottomless drinks machine, so I had a rip-roaring gaseous existential experience.

If friends decide to go home, it’s just you, the books, and the Co-Op In order to try and avoid the horrifying consequences of either a month with my family or a month with myself,

I’m going to take the financial hit and scuttle back and forth between Devon and the rest of the world on a regular basis. As our dissertation lecturers promised us it would be, this term has been draining, and a break from campus stresses is very much needed. Spending time at home planning and doing smaller tasks might allow you to bring new ideas to your work, before maybe coming back down to uni for shorter periods to be super productive without, y’know, the mental trauma of prolonged solitude.

In a month, which, for many students, will be long and arduous, changing your surroundings relatively regularly may just be the tonic to ensure success. Easter eggs may also help.

What happened when Josh Gray met Naomi Armstrong?

Blind Date

What Naomi thought of Josh What were you hoping for before the date?

Some spicy chicken and spicy conversation.

What were your first impressions?

I appreciated his clarification of greeting style; asking if we should shake hands or hug. It’s never good to start a date with the awkward ‘one goes in for the hand shake and the other goes in for a hug’ situation.

nice of him to get my drinks for me.

What was their most attractive physical feature?

I can’t really remember specifically what he looked like. I feel like ‘eyes’ is a good feature to go for. He definitely had eyes. And a nice face.

What was the worst thing about them?

The fact that he managed to finish his chicken and I didn’t. Un-

By the end of the night, was there a hug, kiss, or something more?

If ‘something more’ means walking me to my door, then yes. After clarification, again initiated by him (much appreciated), we ended it as we began - with a hug.

How would you rate your date on the chicken scale?

Mango and Lime. There was some zesty flavour, but it didn’t register on the heat scale.

What did you think of Nandos?

Given that I’ve almost claimed my third free chicken using the Nandos loyalty card, I can’t say I don’t enjoy a trip to Nandos every now and again.

Did the evening exceed your expectations?

Not particularly, but neither did it disappoint. It was an enjoyable evening, with enjoyable food.

If you could cover your date in a Nandos condiment, what would it be and why?

Probably the wild herb, because I like all things wild.. and herby. And it would nicely compliment the tomato ketchup that the girl on the table next to us accidentally spilt on his coat.

Would you meet up with them again?

I don’t think we have that much in common, so probably not. Although, his house parties sound decent, so I wouldn’t mind making an appearance at one of those.

What did you talk about?

Music, travelling and Arena (obviously), including various ‘dance-off’ injuries we had obtained. Awkward date experiences; mostly from me, and music gig experiences; mostly from him. I soon realised that my Busted, McFly and T4 Stars experiences were no match for his Bestival, IOW Festival and Leeds Festival experiences.

Any awkward moments at all?

None other than the fact that I spent a significant amount of time sitting by myself, as he was back and forth to the drinks machine, making the most of the bottomless soft drinks. However, it was

Snog, marry, avoid?

Avoid; by process of elimination.

What Josh thought of Naomi What were you hoping for before thedate?

The same thing every guy wants from a romantic evening out: a date who’s more female than themselves.

What were your first impressions?

She was tall, dark and handsome, so we had that in common from the start.

What did you think of Nandos?

It’s a nice joint. Some douche on the

Are you a leg, wing or a breast man?

I’m against the objectification of chicken.

What did you talk about?

All manner of things including our plans for the future, our love of Bombay Bicycle Club and the worst dates we’d ever been on. Apparently she’d had a guy take his shirt off to show her that he had four nipples, which is a tough act to follow.

Any awkward moments at all?

None that compare to Nipple-Man. What was their most attractive physical feature?

Does her voice count? It was nice and husky, she could have a fine career doing Fifty Shades of Gray audiobooks.

What was the worst thing about them?

She did mention that she was a member of the CU, which took the option of a hot and heavy post-chicken lovemaking in the Nandos bathroom off the table.

By the end of the night, was there a hug, kiss, or something more?

A PG-rated pre-agreed upon contractual hug.

How would you rate your date on the chicken scale?

Lemon and herb. Sweet, succulent and enjoyable, yet lacking in Periperi passion.

Did the evening exceed your expectations?

I think it met them nicely, it was exactly what I wanted out of a free Wednesday night.

Would you meet up with them again?

Would you pay for it again?

Snog, marry, avoid?

All three in that precise order.

Photos: Niklas Rahmel

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

LIFESTYLE

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19

Tweets of the week Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle Exepose Lifestyle @ExeposeLStyle Have loved spending the year as your lifestyle eds. Will miss the job but the section is in safe hands with your new boys Eamonn & Jack! #goodluck Ronnie Henderson @RonSHenderson Having a middle class ‘mare this morning - can’t find my sodding cafeterie anywhere. #exterproblems #whydontcostadeliver

Loving and leaving Exeter Hannah Butler is feeling as fresh Emily Tanner, Deputy Editor, as a daisy at the end of her first leaves University with a degree of regret year I’VE ALWAYS been a bit of a people-watcher. Or listener, if I’m trying to be discreet.

Basically, I’m incredibly nosey, meaning I rarely get bored on train journeys. Recently, sinking with relief into my seat at St. Davids after a day spent worrying about delays/storms / that 3-second earthquake disrupting services, I found myself sitting behind a sixth-form student and her dad, on their way home from an Exeter Offer-Holder Visit Day. Throughout the journey, they weighed up the pros and cons of Exeter and other universities,

more

My only regret has been not doing

trying to decide whether she’d be happy here and generally freaking out about having to make such a massive decision. I just sat there, completely dumbfounded.

It was unnerving to think that the next year of students had already begun to enter this process, replacing me and my peers. My time as a fresher is fast running out, and I’m struggling to come to terms with the fact that the massive decision I made a year ago has already morphed into over six months of new experiences and incredible opportunities. So, there’s the first thing I know I wouldn’t change – coming here to Exeter.

Thinking about it, there aren’t many things I would change about my first few months here. Of course there have been regrets, but I’ve learned from them all. For example, I now know that Tuesday nights out aren’t always worth it with four hours of seminars on Wednesday morning. I know that leaving the flat without an umbrella, even on the sunniest days, is a nightmare waiting to happen, and I know that leaving at 10:54AM for an 11am lecture is cutting it a bit too fine.

This year seems to be the year of trial-and-error, but I wouldn’t have it

any other way. We need these few months of trying out all aspects of this new life, seeing what works for us and what doesn’t. To give an example – I made a New Year’s resolution to go out clubbing more often this term. Spending Christmas with my school friends, all of whom seems to be going out more often than me, made me think I probably should be. Since coming back, though, I’ve taken on so many exciting and challenging things, not least the “RockSolidRace”, and the Spring 2014 Telethon. A couple of weeks ago I was elected in to head up the News section for Exeposé next year which I’m beyond excited about.

I’ve realised I can do pretty much anything I want, by getting involved in the right things, and putting enough time and effort in. So actually, going out every other night just wouldn’t work for me.

I’m so glad of the opportunities I’ve taken this year – the talks, events, workshops, the Exeposé stories I wasn’t sure if I could write, the interviews I thought would come to nothing…

My only regret has been not doing more. My plan for my next few years at Exeter is just to keep doing things that interest, excite and scare me. From what I’ve deduced so far, this “first year doesn’t count” claim is incredibly misleading. This is the year we begin to sketch out those wobbly future plans, exploring ourselves, our interests, our strengths and our weaknesses. We’re probably never going to have these opportunities again, so why not make the most of them?

IT’S OVER. It’s the end of an era.

The ‘best days of our lives’ are coming to a close. Now that this is my last issue acting as Deputy Editor for Exeposé, even that’s going to stop taking up my time. All that awaits is dreary drudgery and nine to five office work until we retire, probably aged about 80.

That’s if we’re lucky apparently. The other side of the coin could be years of unemployment, life back at home or jobs making coffee for someone at the BBC/National Theatre/insert ‘media/arts-type’ job of your choice. All of this is in the vain and desperate hope that one day they’ll just pack it in and give you their job, the one you’ve always dreamed of but just know you’ll never quite grab hold of.

Equally, Starbucks.

Maybe there is a third side to this metaphorical coin of despair. That side is one which tells us it actually might be okay, we should at least try and enjoy these last few months of Exeter whilst we can, and not get too bogged down with worry about the dreaded future.

We are only young enough to enjoy Cheesy Tuesdays once in our lives; we should cherish it.

This is a bit rich coming from me. I’ve had numerous panics in the last few months about living back in Lancashire, unable to drive, and facing a one hour bus ride to the closest metropolis of Manchester to get my city fix.

This worry has propelled me into applying for any job I might fancy or a Masters degree I might actually really enjoy for a year. It’s probably not worth too much head space after that. Next year, for all final year students, is probably the scariest ever and, whilst I think it’s so valid to panic about what

it may hold, I think when we look back in a few years it really will have been okay.

All that awaits is dreary drudgery and nine to five office work until we retire

We do still have those degrees to finish, those ‘future plans’ to apply for and a plethora of university commitments we will still be seeing out until the end of the term or the year. But there is still time to make sure these last few months in Exeter are as good as the last few years.

When I graduate I can guarantee there will be too many things I wish I had done whilst I was here – what happened to that radio show first year me swore she’d do, or that trip to the Fringe with a university theatre or comedy group that I never even got close to?

I’ve done some amazing things whilst I’ve been here, but the flipside of such an incredible range of potential opportunities is that I’ll always wish I had done more.

Within the time constraints and whilst making sure I still get that solid

Katya @KatyaSimms Finally found my argument #dissertationbreakthrough Emily-Rose Rolfe @yesemilyrose #overheardinexepose “pumpkins are never going to be erotic” Lucy @couls_ Need to stop walking round my room naked with the curtains open, I don’t live in the middle of a sheep field anymore Beth Wright @BethWright26 Feels like I’m living in a parallel universe. Stepped out of my front door into July. SUNSHINE. Alexandra Newton @alexandrettaeve Using a lecture as a discussion forum on the correct nipple tassel technique Harry McCarthy @harrymccarthy If I’m not on a train, I’m almost certainly booking one. #gypsylife #dogypsiestravelfirstclass Gemma Wilson-Brown @MadamnLestrange Blue skies and sun and the French are still wearing coats and scarves! I’m uncomfortable warm in a thin jacket. Madness…

Emma White @emmalaurenwhite I really enjoy spending my days atm with a bag of peas on my face

Final year just can’t be all about the panic and the worry about our degrees and our future

Hannah Peck @hannahkaatie ‘I find the locals here are very miserable’ – French Co-op man #humansofsidwell

2:1, I’m determined to make that list as short as I can. Final year just can’t be all about the panic and the worry about our degrees and our future; instead it should be about making the end as great as we can and ensuring we pack our days and nights with anything and everything that Exeter can offer us.

Phoebe Weaver @Phoebe_ Weaver Had a really good dream about eating creme eggs #ifonly #easteriscoming

Rachel Gelormini @_rachelgel It’s amazing how much better tea can make you feel

Rob Harris @RJHarris93 I think third year is the time where every casual get-together ends in a spont-arena.

20

LIFESTYLE

Columnist

Maddy Everington takes up Real Tennis for Lent

AS USUAL, Pancake Day came and went, and I forgot to think deeply about something meaningful that I wanted to give up for Lent. I’d tried abstaining from chocolate before and failed miserably. Last year’s attempt at doing everything with my left hand (following on from a theory that this uses more brain cells), resulted in toothpaste all over my face, food spilled down my front and lecture notes apparently written by a five and a half year old.

This year I decided to take up a new sport as my task for Lent, and began playing real tennis.

This was met with a mixture of reactions.

Bemused friends asked “Isn’t that the sport which old men play?” while more knowledgeable ones replied “Isn’t it a mixture between

I realised there are two skills you must possess for this game: good handeye coordination and bloody good memory squash, tennis and chess?” Most were puzzled though. So let me try to shed some more light on this slightly peculiar sport.

The Wikipedia page for Real Tennis lists players of note such as Boris Johnson and King Henry VIII. It also delves deeply into the etymology of the word “tennis” which I shall not bore you with. All that suffices to say is that it’s an older version of tennis which stems back to 12th Century France. The difference is that it’s played indoors on a court with strange lines and slanted roofs, uses a bent wooden racquet, a ball which doesn’t bounce very high and utilises a rather complicated rule book.

Amongst the extensive range of clubs here at Exeter, I was delighted to realise that there is a University of Exeter Real Tennis Club- and it is fabulous. I went along to their Ladies Day in Bridport two and a half weeks ago, a happy event filled with delicious food, tea and champagne to entice us into learning more about the sport and what it’s all about. It won me over 100 per cent.

Throughout the day I quickly realised there are two skills you must possess for playing this unusual game. The first is good

18 MARCH 2014 |

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hand-eye coordination because playing with a bent racquet (bent for tactical reasons I believe) poses difficulties. The second is a bloody good memory- the rules are fiendishly complicated and the vocabulary confusing to say the least. Trying to return the ball, prevent making an exhibition of yourself whilst doing so and keeping track of the score is no mean feat: “Chase four,” shouts the marker (not umpire).

“What’s that?!” I cry. It’s apparently the second bounce

I celebrate when we win our game, only to realise that we haven’t.

Instead we have to swap sides to play another point and then lose it.

I give up on the opposition’s side. I nod to show I understand.

The ball sails past me and I apologise to my partner for missing. She tells me it’s fine because that was a Wall Chase and so we’ve won the point anyway. I am confused but nod furiously and carry on. Five minutes later I celebrate when we win our game, only to realise that we haven’t.

Instead we have to swap sides to play another point and then lose it. I give up.

My initial inability to understand the game has not dampened my enthusiasm, however. Real tennis is an addictive yet delightfully quirky sport which

My initial inability to understand the game has not dampened my enthusiasm

EXEPOSÉ

Guildy Pleasures

Kitty Howie, Lifestyle Editor, and Meg Drewett, Editor, give you a rough guide to campus’ watering holes SOMETIMES, you just can’t be bothered to make yourself another uninspired ham sandwich in the morning to contribute to your sorry excuse for a packed lunch. Sometimes you can’t face having to walk home to stare into your empty cupboard and wonder, again, how exactly to jazz up rice when your only other ingredients are baked beans and mixed herbs. Sometimes it’s best to eat on campus. Sometimes it’s not. Check out our cutlery rankings out of five!

KITCHEN DELI

Only a handful of students are smart enough to navigate the complicated and intimidating two-queue system in the hot sweaty crush of lunchtime. To be fair, it is a challenge to make the snap decision of opting for a wrap or something more cakey and coffee based.

Best food: Wraps come highly recommended, as does the sheer variety of chicken you can choose from. Lemon and pepper? Mediteranean chicken?

Mexican chicken? The mind boggles.

Take advantage of the chance to utilise TWO options inside your wrap. A smart student reaps the benefits of opting to cram their wrap with ALL the salad choices for maximum nutrient uptake, and dodges the garlic mayo and sweet chilli to avoid halitosis.

The lone crusader of carbohydrates, the jacket potato remains the most unloved of lunches Also good upstairs in Devonshire House is the peanut butter stack. It melts in your mouth (erotic), and you can’t help but imagine the M&S lady doing a voice over in your head. If only the staff did the voice when they asked you to pay. Challenge accepted?

Worst food: The lone crusader of car-

bohydrates, the jacket potato remains the most unloved of Kitchen Deli lunches.

No volumes of beans, cheese, or dare I say it, tuna, can help jazz up this sorry excuse of a wrinkled and testicle-like tuber.

KITCHEN CAFE

The lighting and general fried fish smell serve as sizeable deterrents. So do the large queues. Thankfully, the students who work in the Kitchen Café are amongst the friendliest on campus, helping to make the process as pain free as possible. Except when they make your Winter Warmer wrong (marshmallows in before the cream please). Boo cry. Happily all are obliging when you want two lots of cheese on your nachos.

Perhaps their general obliging nature is what keeps us loyal customers. Especially when they bring food into the media office for us. Love you lots!

Best food: The chicken korma. Although rather pricey at £4.85 a pop, this delicious delight is well worth the dollar.

Creamy and subtly spiced, there are a few rules to getting the best out of this dish. Firstly, put the (albeit rather dry and bland) rice into the bowl of curry to absorb all the sauce, then use the naan to scoop it all up. A simple but utterly effective system of eating.

Worst food: The creamy cheese pasta. It shouldn’t be hard to get creamy cheese pasta right, and yet Kitchen Café so frequently gets it so wrong. The truth with this one is that it lacks the creaminess that its name claims. Dry pasta with barely a handful of rubbery cheese on top does not for a pleasant meal make.

The only Kitchen Café meal that comes close to this one in dreadfulness is its watery Bolognese brethren. Avoid both at all costs.

THE RAM

Oh the Ram; that glowing haven at the heart of campus, promising to bring you all the best in heart-attack inducing foods and “to queue, or not to queue”

awkwardness...

Best food: This is a tricky one because our first gut instinct shouts that it must be a basket meal. Is there anything more saliva inducing than pulverised chicken covered in batter and then deep fried?

Yes. Pulverised chicken covered in batter with curly fries. But that being said, we can’t crown the basket meal the best Ram meal. That’s because the tragedy of the basket meal is that if the bites are anything but just out of the fryer, you are essentially chewing on cardboard.

As such, instead we’d recommend

Is there anything more saliva inducing than pulverised chicken covered in batter and then deep fried? trying the fishfinger stack sandwich.

You’ll have to get in there early as it stops being served at 6PM, but it’s gloriously tasty and much more consistent in quality.

Worst food: HOTD club. Imagine the scene. You turn up hungover, present your shame-inducing Lemmy stamp from the night before to get discounted fried breakfast foods. #lifechoices.

Then you find out the discount applies to hot drinks only. Not cool. Aside from this scam to lure you into the Ram at the weekend, the worst meal is the lasagne.

This one has nothing to do with taste, and is entirely based on value for money.

The Ram’s lasagne is a tasty meal but there just isn’t enough. Served in a ramekin smaller than its garlic bread accompaniment, the hope of a glorious plate of food that begins to build when you order the lasagne is completely dashed the moment the pathetically disappointing meal arrives.

For that reason alone, the lasagne must take the dubious honour of worst meal in the Ram. Photos: Niklas Rahmel

I would urge everyone to try.

The UERTC is a growing club of amazing people who welcome anyone keen to play, even if you fail as spectacularly as I did. This summer they have a tour of France planned, playing at the courts in Fontainebleau just outside of Paris and soaking up some sun. This does of course mean that now not only will I have to get to grips with all the rules in English, but in French too.

All in all, definitely one of the most different, but enjoyable challenges which I have ever taken up for Lent!

Photos: Niklas Rahmel

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

LIFESTYLE

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

21

What’s cookin’ good lookin’?

With these short and sweet recipes, you’ll be ready and steady to eat your feelings and cook up a storm in your student kitchen Pumpkin and Spinach Mac and Cheese Carmen Paddock THIS is a healthy take on the classic pasta bake. You get the same creamy taste with the added vitamins and minerals (and reduced calories) of the vegetables.

Note: amounts are approximate and tend to vary slightly each time I make it; if you find you need more milk, cheese, or pasta, feel free to add and adjust accordingly! If pumpkin is not on hand, butternut squash works equally well.

Ingredients: • 225g frozen spinach •100g hard cheese of choice (a mature cheddar works wonderfully) • 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash • 450ml milk • 225g penne or pasta of choice Method Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Defrost the spinach in the microwave. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.

While the pasta is boiling, add the milk and pumpkin to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and add in the spinach and cheese.

Pour on top of pasta and combine. Butter a 20cm x 20cm (8” x 8”) baking dish, pour the mixture into it, and cover with foil.

Bake for 25-30 minutes covered before removing foil and finishing with 5-10 minutes, until the top is bubbly and slightly browned. Delicious hot or cold, and leftovers can be frozen for quick and tasty meals later on.

Key Lime Pie James Dyson

• 4 limes • A hefty appetite

THE one-way ticket to hell for the citrusy sin of temptation, this is the one foodstuff absolutely, positively guaranteed to send you ape-shit with delight in one sitting.

Frankly, if that last sentence didn’t reel you in, then you’re probably already dead inside. Assuming I have hooked you, however, you’ll be pleased to hear that this has to be one of the easiest puddings out there to make.

Method First, heat the oven to 160ºC/ fan 140ºC/ gas mark three. Smash the biscuits into crumbs in whatever way you see fit and melt the butter. Mix the two together, and put the biscuit base into

Ingredients: • A packet of Hob-Nobs • 150g butter • 397g tin of condensed milk • 3 eggs Iced Marshmallow Rice Krispie Cakes Eamonn Crowe BECAUSE sometimes, only calories, sugar and E-numbers will fill the gaping hole in your soul.

Ingredients: • 45g butter • 300g mini marshmallows • 180g Rice Krispies • 50g icing sugar • Skittles Method First, place the the butter in a large saucepan and melt over a low heat.

Next, throw in the marshmallows and cook gently until they are completely

melted and mixed in with the butter.

You will have to stir constantly for this step.

Take the pan off the heat and add your Rice Krispies straight away, mixing the marshmallow and cereal together until well coated. Press the mix-

Prepare for sticky fingers (which you definitely will not secretly lick) ture into a greased pan, making sure to flatten out the mixture completely.

Due to the texture of the mix, prepare for sticky fingers (which you definitely will not secretly lick). Allow the marshmallow crispy squares to cool

Proceed to decimate the entire pie in under an hour like a pastryobsessed deity unleashing its wrath

a tart tin. Bake in the oven for ten minutes, then remove it.

After that, whisk the eggs and add them to the condensed milk. Whisk for three minutes, then grate the lime zest and put into the mix. Squeeze in the limejuice, then whisk the mix one more time for three minutes. Pour the filling into the base and put back in the oven for 15 minutes.

Cool for at least three hours. Finally, let the slide into sweet, crumbly madness begin, and proceed to decimate the entire pie in under an hour like a pastry-obsessed deity unleashing its wrath. This last part is optional. Enjoy!

completely in the tin.

While the mallows are cooling, make the glace icing by mixing the amount of water (as dictated by the packet) into the icing sugar. Mix until the sugar magically turns into gooey icing.

Once the marshmallows have cooled, you can spread your icing over the Krispies and sprinkle Skittles over them (the chewiness of the Skittles works really well with the crunchiness of the Krispie cakes!)

When the icing has set, cut the Krispies into 24 squares. Enjoy! Slowly realise how many calories you have just consumed and cry yourself to sleep.

Buckwheat Pancakes - gluten free!

Carmen Paddock THIS quick and easy recipe makes fluffy, hearty, American-style pancakes which make a delicious breakfast option, if you can be bothered to whip the whisk out at the crack of dawn.

Great on their own or served with honey, maple syrup, cream, yoghurt, and/or fresh fruit! Even better when eaten off the stomach of a loved one.

Just clean up afterwards.

Ingredients (for a two-person batch; easily doubled if feeding more): • 120g buckwheat flour • 45g oatmeal or 35g oat bran • 1 tsp sugar • 1/2 tsp salt • generous 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 tsp baking powder • 1 egg • 300ml milk or soya milk (for dairy free) • Butter • Optional: mashed banana, fresh or frozen berries, chopped nuts Method Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a smaller bowl and add to dry ingredients.

Stir until just combined – DO NOT over-mix! If desired, fold in optional ingredients at this stage.

Heat a frying pan and coat the bottom with butter.

Using a spoon or ladle (depending on the size of pancakes desired), drop the batter to form cakes between two to four inches in diameter.

When completely set and cooked on the bottom, flip with a (preferably

flexible) spatula and cook on the other side.

Great on their own or served with honey, maple syrup, cream, yoghurt, and/or fresh fruit!

Even better when eaten off the stomach of a loved one When that side is done, the pancake should be springy and lightly browned.

Serve immediately, but leftovers (if there are any) can be stored in the refrigerator and reheated in the oven.

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

MUSIC

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ExeposeMusic

Listings Wed 19 March The Feeling Phoenix Thu 20 March New Band Showcase Cavern Fri 21 March Craig Charles DJ Set Phoenix Mon 24 March Howler The Louisiana Bristol Tue 25 March 65daysofstatic Phoenix Wed 26 March Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry Phoenix Thu 27 March Denai Moore Birdcage Bristol Thu 27 March The Stranglers Bristol O2 Academy Fri 28 March Dan Croll Bristol Thekla Sun 30 March Wild Beasts 02 Academy Bristol Mon 31 March Stiff Little Fingers Phoenix Tue 1 April St. Vincent O2 Academy Bristol Wed 2 April Rinse-It ft. Charlie Sloth Great Hall

One to Watch

Denai Moore @ The Birdcage Bristol Having supported the likes of Justin Vernon last year, Denai’s unique Lianne La Havas meets James Blake combination is not to be missed.

MUSIC

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MUSIC EDITORS

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

Hijacking at Double Locks Magda Cassidy, Music Editor, investigates the takeover of the sun spot

HIJACKED FESTIVAL, taking place at The Double Locks this May, is the culmination of almost three years of innovative events produced by Exeter’s Thick as Thieves. Boasting a bill of the hottest property in UK dance music export showcased in an idyllic canal-side location, this event is the youngest but boldest entry in the post-exam calendar - and is set to sell out in its first year.

“The natural progression for us was a large outdoor gig”, explains co-founder Laurence Mulchone. “We obviously had multiple sites and branding options at our disposal, and Hijacked was eventually chosen as we felt that the name was a bit more ‘summery’ when compared to the usual dark, technical, and underground thematic design found in the majority of TaT graphical work. We’re sure that Hijacked is going to be blessed with some serious sunshine, and we wanted to reflect this in all of the artwork”.

As well as boasting some impressive names, the Hijacked bill features many students, a promising opportunity for Exeter’s aspiring DJs. “These guys are instrumental to developing the vibe and atmosphere before our headliners come on stage. Some of them have been performing in Exeter for almost five years now – and they definitely know the crowd. We have

the Beats and Bass Society to thank for helping us track our student DJs down; the society has been pushing student DJs into gigs and careers for around eight years now. It’s vital!”

Alex Mancuso, aka Cuzo, is one of many students appearing on the line up, alongside Tonic, Arielle, Josh Toogood, Southpaw and Jack Stoles. “It’s great that there are so many talented DJs in Exeter who will all be given the chance to perform in front of so many friends and students” says Alex, “I’m unbelievably stoked to have been given the opportunity to play at Hijacked, I truly believe that it is one of the best things to happen to Devon since Buckfast tonic wine. The Devon area has

been aching for an electronic music festival like this for years and here it is!”

“The festival landscape in the UK is changing”, explains Laurence, “Hijacked does not compete with weekenders such as Bestival, Creamfields etc. - instead its part of a new wave of one-dayers inspired by Love Saves The Day in Bristol. What we really want to see is Hijacked becoming a memorable start to the festival season. It doesn’t replace your mid-August weekender – it supplements it, and it’s going to be loads of fun. There are very, very few instances when you can see both Gorgon City and Bondax at an event that is both outdoors and attended by such

a small, intimate crowd”.

With Hijacked’s early bird tickets selling out within 40 minutes of release, the festival promises to be their most exciting endeavor to date.

“It’s time for a change in Exeter. Hijacked is not an end of term ball”, says Laurence. “We have luckily managed to extend capacity slightly before the final tickets fly out, as were certainly geared toward not disappointing anyone! We’ve managed to release a few more tickets in a final tier. They are extremely limited however.” Grab ‘em while you can folks!

Hijacked Festival will take place on 29 May 2014

“I started at the bottom” Magda Cassidy, Music Editor, speaks to Alex Mancuso, a.k.a. Cuzo

M: HOW did you get into DJ’ing?

A: I have always been heavily involved in music; I used to sing in lots of different bands and then developed an interest in electronic music during sixth form. When I came to Uni I was graced with societies such as Beats and Bass and many other which had a great influence onmy taste in music. During the closing months of my second year I decided to take up a new hobby, I bought myself a controller and became your everyday bedroom DJ. Once I became familiar with the skill I wanted to take it further and play to people in clubs. I started at the bottom, playing to empty dance floors, but that didn’t matter because regardless of the money I was having a good time.

M: How do you balance work and studying?

A: Well… This is pretty tricky, especially when I finish the closing hour in Mosaic at 2:30 and then have to wake up for a 9am. I seem to spend all of my procrastination hours on mixing records in my room before realis-

ing I have less than a couple of days to start my dissertation presentation, but I’d rather spend my time mixing than sitting on YouTube watching random videos…Oh and the money can be great at times!

M: Where else do you DJ in Exeter?

A: I DJ at Mosaic on a weekly basis and I also play at The Cellar Door quite often for a number of different nights.

M: You’re playing on the Our House stage? What’s your relationship like with the club night?

A: I am indeed; I have a very strong relationship with Ian, Ben and Will. They give me the opportunity to warm up for all of the big acts they book, I couldn’t thank them enough!

M: It’s looking likely that Hijacked will sell out – is that a lot of pressure?

A: No, if anything it excited me more. I have previously played in front of thousands so the thought of playing to a large crowd eggs me on to perform

better. I always feel I play better to a large crowd.

M: Where’s the best place you’ve played outside of Exeter?

A: Undoubtedly Marbella! Last summer I decided to go and do a season DJ’ing abroad which was one of the most influential journeys for me. I went from playing in tiny dingy clubs with awful sound systems, fitting a maximum of 50 people, to playing in some of the best clubs in the area supporting huge names like Marco Carola.

M: Who on the line-up are most looking forward to catching live?

A: I’m very much looking forward to seeing Oneman live, I have listened to many of his mixes and I’ve been told he’s a very talented DJ and a really great performer. I’m also looking forward to seeing Bondax as I feel they will really release the crowd pleasers, which will encourage a great atmosphere. I’m also going to be supporting Bondax in the Alps this April so it’ll be interesting to see how their set differs from each of the events.

M: What will you be doing at the festival when you’re not DJ’ing?

A: I’ll be getting my boogie on of course!

M: Have you got any other festivals/jobs lined up for the summer?

A: Yeah I’m potentially going to be playing in Ibiza this summer with Our House at the Tribe Student week.

There’s also talk of me playing at Secret Garden party, which would be sick!

M: You’re graduating this summer… what are your plans post uni?

A: I’ve recently been working with a close friend of mine on a new idea.

From May I will be part of a double act in which we will be producing and performing together. We’re currently working on our first couple of tracks and we hope to be releasing our first EP before Hijacked. My aim is to spend a year out working with this friend of mine to see if we want to fully commit to this work. It’s all pretty exciting at the moment and I’m really stoked to see how the next 12 months pan out!

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MUSIC

18 MARCH 2014 |

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EXEPOSÉ

Exeposé Music’s Bumper Bog

Hate the eighties? Fine with the nineties? Distraught we didn’t include the noughties? Our writers defend their 1930s - Matt Lovett

1980s - Hugh Dignan

JANUARY 16, 1938. Benny Goodman’s band gives the first ever non-classical performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall, the most prestigious musical venue in the world. He performs to an audience of nearly three thousand, with a band of mixed race and gender. His band invents the double album, the drum solo, and arena rock in one night.

That same year, Robert Johnson, the legendary bluesman and guitarist, dies in Mississippi. Pete Seeger, the original folk-activist, drops out of college to pursue music. All of this, whilst the world is struggling to overcome ‘The Wall Street Crash’, and steels itself for the imminent Second World War. For me, this sums up why the 1930s (yes, I picked a pre-Woodstock decade), is the most significant decade in music history. The 60s, 80s, 90s are periods defined by, usually, a small collection of pivotal musical moments. The Seattle grunge scene, Never Mind The Bollocks, Beatlemania, whatever’s your poison. With the 1930s, it is not just one or two movements: everything changes.

Everything before is thrown into chaos in the wake of The Depression, and the world holds its breath in fear of WWII. The rules are rewritten, for everyone, and this is shown in the music. The cheery swing of the roaring 20s only grows, but the likes of Billie Holiday bring it new melancholy, mixing with the blues and

becoming both the power ballad, and the beginnings of Soul. Alongside it, Louis Prima gives his jazz “bounce”, the beginnings of 50s rock and roll, and Disco and R&B that followed. People explore the uncertain world in folk too, from the soft piano of Fats Waller, the angst-filled blues of Leadbelly, or the guitar-led boogie of Johnny Barfield. The use of instruments develops more in this decade than any other too; Gene Krupa becomes the first drummer to lead a band, the first electric bass is produced, and the likes of Johnny Lee Hooker and Django Reinhardt pave the way for the concept of the lead guitarist.

The 1930s is not the decade with the most hit songs. It is not the decade I listen to the most. But it is the decade where it all began. Like that time your parents bought you that Yellow Submarine CD for your tenth birthday, and you were listening to Metallica by thirteen.

Hendrix needed Robert Johnson, Dylan needed Woodie Guthrie, Mumford needed The Carter Family, and Beyonce needed Ella Fitzgerald.

And One Direction needed the Ink Spots; I never said it was all for the better.

THE jangley guitar, the operatic vocals, the miserable singers, the neon, the jumpsuits, the hair, the hair, the hair; the 80s were a magical, awful, amazing, terrible time. If the 70s were a response to the hippyish navel-gazing of the 60s, then the 80s was the decade that took the cynics and the romantics and threw t h e m all together under a great sheet of garish plastic and passive-aggressive moaning.

Everything was taken to ludicrous excess, but buried underneath all the layers was a surprising subtlety and sophistication.

The pop was really pop, but it was also the kind of classy stuff t h a t m a d e their superstard o m

kind of justified. Will we look back at the stars of today the way we look back at those of 30 years ago? No, because they make crapper music. The 80s had MJ, Prince, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Wham, Duran Duran, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen and basically everyone else that you and your parents love.

There isn’t a genre that exists that wasn’t redefined by how boldly weird and new the 80s were. Metal had Metallica and Iron Maiden to make people give a shit about it; Rock had Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Queen and Van Halen to make it louder and hairier for forever and beyond; Rap literally came into existence; Pop had Madonna on one side and Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode and a bunch of other mopey, dramatic art

P.K.’s Korner

Pavel Kondov argues the merit of harsh vocals...

Best of Exe, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll

“HOW can you listen to this? All they do is scream!” – If I had a penny for every time someone has said that… well, I would be very annoyed with all this useless change in my pocket.

I’ve heard it in response to any music genre that incorporates harsh singing. And it annoys me very much.

People appreciate music differently, and for many, the vocals are the most important aspect. So naturally, if they don’t like harsh vocals, they won’t like the music. That is perfectly alright. What really bothers me, however, is that it’s disrespectful to the singers.

The voice is an instrument, and like an instrument, you can play it in a number of ways. Anyone who has ever tried to emulate a scream or a growl has realised how difficult it really is. Without the proper technique and training, the results can be ridiculous at best and very painful at worst.

Singers growl, scream, screech, bark, squeal, in high or in low pitch, often changing between styles, including clean singing. I fail to see how this is vastly different to the amount of talent necessary for, say, singing opera or jazz. So next time before you hilariously refer to a vocalist as ‘cookie monster’, look out for me first. I will gladly hurl my many pennies at you, which is one more kind of metal you won’t enjoy.

FOR a good long time To The Woods have been one of the most well-known and popular student bands in Exeter, and have now been bringing their self-described ‘soft mellow acoustic indie’ to solemn, respectful crowds for nearly three years. If you haven’t managed to see them yet, then just imagine the exact middle point of Fairport Convention and Avicii. Or maybe just imagine a more attractive Mumford and Sons, comparisons with whom bassist Ben claims they “avoid as much as possible”, but are really unavoidable.

If you managed to catch To the Woods during their early days then you probably wouldn’t recognise them

The 80s were self deprecating, self aware and shallow

students with keyboards on the other; and Indie and ‘Alternative’ had everyone who ever mattered.

This was a decade where Talking Heads, U2, The Smiths, Sonic Youth, The Stone Roses, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, REM, The Pixies, Nirvana, Tom Waits, The Jesus and Mary Chain

a n d Joy Division all existed. They existed alongside a still good David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, most of the Beatles and goddamn Enya.

The 80s were selfaware, self-deprecating, shallow, complex and always fun. We can laugh at how stupid so much of it was, but that doesn’t stop us convulsing to raise a fist every time ‘Don’t You’ comes on, screaming the words to ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ as if we actually know how tough it is on the docks, or telling Roxanne to stop being a prostitute.

Is it me you’re looking for? Yes, 1984, yes it is. Now stamp on my face with glitter.

Exeposé Music chats with local band To The Woods

now, given as almost every member of the band has been replaced more than once. Guitarist Chris, the only surviving

If you managed to catch To the Woods during their early days you probably wouldn’t recognsie them now founding member of the group, explains their legend: “Back in the annals of history I joined Campus bands and met with

what would be the original iteration of To the Woods. Then over time each one of them left the country, leaving little old me”. When asked what this says about him Chris responds stoically: “I’m either the glue or the incendiary device”.

The current line-up includes Chris and Ben alongside keyboardist Georgie, drummer Adam and singer Frankie, who was found by the band when she “was doing a gig at the Firehouse in the first term of first year. They saw me and asked if I wanted to audition”. This iteration won’t be lasting too long in its current form, as Ben is pissing off home after graduation, but for now the band have “finally got to the point of having a

good, together sound”.

The band all have very different influences, ranging from pop to folk to balls to the wall rock, which all combine to give them a very unique sound: “We’re what Thai food is to Indian and Chinese,” Frankie explains, “we reside somewhere in the middle”. If this sounds like your idea of heaven, To The Woods will soon be releasing a music video to their single ‘Flames’ (which won Campus Bands’ best song of 2013) and an E.P before embarking on a tour to escape Devon which, of course, is the dream.

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

MUSIC

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gus Debate

THE FIRING EDS RANGE

ir choices for the best decade in music 2010s - Dom Ford THE 10s are the best decade for music. No, not the 1910s with its jazz and its blues, but right now. We are living in the best decade for music.

Screw Chopin, The Beatles, Motown, AC/DC, Nirvana, the Cheeky Girls – the 2010s are where it’s at. The problem with other decades is that they can mostly be defined by a single style. Or, in particularly dire periods like the 90s, by a single band. “But the decade isn’t over yet!”, you might say. We can only define decades like that in retrospect. So define the noughties. Try as I might, I can’t come up with anything cohesive.

There’s a good reason for this, and it’s the reason why our current decade is the best for music and will continue to be - The internet.

Power to the independents, rise of the hipsters. The 20th century can be neatly labelled by decade because the majority of what people heard came from six record labels. And, like all big businesses that want to remain big, they would find formulas that worked and milk them until they were forced to move on. Of course, there were small sub-movements going on in the background, but without an easy way to

Pharrell Williams GIRL Columbia .......................

HITTING back after the much criticised ‘Blurred Lines’, the 40 year old never aging vampire and style icon known as Pharrell Williams has created the happiest album you’ll hear in 2014. Whilst trying to avoid such a cliché, I’m inclined to say this is the Perfect Summer Soundtrack. But beware - it’s quite different from his previous music.

It feels like Pharrell has peeled away from his typical Neptunes production and created an overall funkier vibe to rocket through the charts. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. Although we miss out on his rap verse, there’s something just as charming about hearing the full spectrum of his raspy falsetto tones. He lets his smooth vocals take the driving seat in this album. Don’t get me wrong, there is a special place in my heart for his earlier music, even 2005’s ‘Can I Have it Like That’ with the sassy

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publicise themselves to the mass market, they often failed to gain any real traction. Before now, the major label fat cats were the only ones with the dollar to succeed. Now, the internet gives independent artists the tools to make themselves heard. In fact, what has really helped to skyrocket the exposure

If the noughties taught us we don’t have to pay for music, the 10s have taught us that there’s nothing the labels can do about it of smaller artists is the thing that most believed would bring about the end of the music industry: piracy. Why would you pay to hear some band you’ve never heard of? At least with the major labels you have a good idea what you’re paying for. But, if the noughties taught us that we don’t have to pay for music, the 10s have taught us that there’s nothing the labels can do about it.

The 10s are the greatest not because they have given rise to the most earth-shattering classic albums of the future. While I personally believe some of the greatest albums of all time gold-chained blondie, Gwen Stefani. But at the same time I feel inclined to sort of go with Pharrell on this one. Whilst still resonating vibes of ‘Frontin’’ with the distinctive use of the hi-hat, Pharrell’s replaced the synthesiser for some funk guitar and bass lines reminiscent of the 70s and it’s undoubtedly got freshness to it.

On G I R L Pharrell has teamed up with some of the most popular artists from 2013: Justin Timberlake (‘Brand New’), Miley Cyrus (‘Come Get It Bae’ – wouldn’t expect anything less), Daft Punk (‘Gust of Wind’) and Alicia Keys (‘Know Who You Are’). The range of artists used in this album gives it some warmly welcomed diversity. Despite this variance in genre and style from the featured artists, the album has a perfectly polished feel. It is well-crafted and tailored with clear character and style throughout. Overall a very well compiled album - but you’d expect nothing less from Pharrell, the king of coordination (no one else at the Oscars could have pulled off tuxedo shorts).

In Pitchfork’s interview Pharrell explains how the song ‘Happy’, featured in Despicable Me 2, found inspiration after he asked himself: “How do I make a song that would work for a guy who’s generally mad and upset and in a bad mood, but he feels happy?” The feel good vibes of his hit number one are infectious and have spilled over into all ten tracks. Definitely an album to groove to when it’s too rainy to go outside…which let’s be honest is every day. Enjoy!

ANNA BIRCHALL

2050s - Josh Gray have been released this decade, I can’t convince everyone. It is the greatest decade because you have the most choice, the most diversity and better access to all of it than ever before. Channels through which artists succeed because they are good, artistic, clever or attention grabbing, not artists who succeed because their label throws money at it (cough Mumford). And as a result of all this, artists have more freedom to make the music they want to make.

The 10s allow controversial acts like Tyler The Creator and Death Grips, and humble strummers, like The Tallest Man on Earth to see real success.

The weirdos, the risk-takers, the brutal, the calm, the pretentious and the retro all have a place in the 10s, and equal chance to make it to the top. How else will we be able to fit Kanye’s ego?

Architects Lost Forever//Lost Together Epitaph .......................

LESS than two years after their fantastic return to form with Daybreaker, Bristol metalcore outfit Architects are back with their latest offering. Lost Forever//Lost Together pretty much picks things up where its predecessor left them, relying on a recipe they have tested out well. Alternating between violent screams and boyband-ish vocal harmonies, beautiful acoustics with downtuned breakdowns and dissonant fills, declarations of love with outpourings of spite, the songs in the album cater for a wide variety of tastes without losing the homogeneity of Architects’ sound.

Despite sounding very close to their previous album, this new collection ends up somehow lacking in catchiness and memorability. After a criminally forgettable opener, the two lead singles ‘Naysayer’ and ‘Broken Cross’ fix the picture for a while. Before long, however, the

YOU don’t know it yet, but this is the decade where music reaches new heights.

A resurrected David Bowie releases his best album since Hunky Dory, the two surviving members of Arctic Monkeys return from their 20 year hiatus to riotous acclaim (Jamie Cook and Nick O’Malley failed to survive the second zombie war) and EMD and grunge are finally combined to create the greatest genre known to man: Bro-fi.

By this point there is no piracy, no Spotify, no established record labels.

Music is transmitted directly to the human brain through your daily bowl of compulsory brain-shreddies, designed by our benevolent dictator to heighten the creative consciousness and capitalise on the potential of the human brain. Who is this wise leader I hear you ask? It’s Tom Jones, the eternal being that cannot be killed. Look forward to it.

songs start blending into each other, and this monotony pretty much lasts until the end, broken only by the terrific ‘Colony Collapse’. By the end of the forty-odd minutes, the formulaic songwriting gets rather monotonous and tedious, failing to keep the attention for long.

Lyrically, the album has seen a move away from the politically charged lines of Daybreaker. This time around the songs are concerned with more personal topics, ranging on hypocrisy, regret, religion and others. That said, the lyrics are not particularly brilliant or insightful, offering little more than clichéd idioms or obvious rhymes.

Speaking of the vocals, they remain perhaps the most impressive feature of the record. Lead vocalist Sam Carter has a remarkably wide range in his voice, being the sole provider of the aforementioned throat-wrenching screams and serene melodies. The only criticism is the astounding indecipherability of Carter’s lyrics, which is all the more startling given how “cleanly” he can scream. It seems he is just not that good at pronouncing words.

Lost Forever//Lost Together is by no means a bad album. People already enjoying Architects’ signature sound will find a few favourites within the album.

For those yet to discover them, however, I would suggest starting with their back catalogue – they have showcased much more of their talent there. As for the rest of us, given their impressive track record, I don’t suppose it will take too long for them to reinvent their music yet again – one thing they certainly know how to do.

PAVEL KONDOV

IT’S time to say goodbye to this year’s editors the only way we know how... verbal slaughter.

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds Wide Lovely Eyes Imagine if someone had written down Elmo’s worst nightmare, crossed it with an Edward Lear poem and set it to the melancholic monotony of a funeral march.

‘Wide Lovely Eyes’ is the kind of dirge that is so beautiful, so haunting, so mind-numbingly ethereal that I can’t help but wish it made some kind of sense to anyone other than a lonely academic on LSD. Unless you’re a sorry sufferer of nystagmus, you cannot wave at the sky with your eyes. Your hands don’t bend like butterflies. You do not, like the night, expand. Those are not things. But maybe that’s what makes it so great.

TRISTAN GATWARD MUSIC EDITOR 2014/15

Asgeir King and Cross There is only so much I can say to shoot down this track. On first listen I was loaded with contrary objections. Setting aside the fact that multiple listens has enamoured me to Ásgeir, he doesn’t live up to his Icelandic routes.

An unpromising start, nice enough but unexciting and too rip-off Justin Vernon. When the beat kicked in I was excited; it invigorated the overdone lets-do-acoustic-falsetto. Unfortunately it manages to not quite touch either the Bon Iver or the Bjork it tries to tap into. The result is a little like ambient background music that samples a folky synthpop Ross Geller on keyboard. Okay maybe not, but Ásgeir fails to pull off putting a weird twist on a folkpop epidemic.

He’s not joining the Icelandic greats of Sigur Rós, Sóley, Pascal Pinon and (certainly not) Björk for me. I’ll still listen to him though, maybe.

KATE BURGESS MUSIC EDITOR 2014/15

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Newsreel BBC Three to move online Two weeks ago, the BBC announced plans to stop broadcasting from the BBC three channel and supplant it with a solely online replacement. Zai Bennett, who has been the controller of the threatened channel since 2011, called the decision “perverse” and raised the channel’s “numerous” successes brought about “on a fraction of the budget of the big boys”. The move was made with the hope of saving upwards of £50 million a year to combat the ever-shrinking public funding.

Whilst a petition has been formed with nearly 200,000 signatures, it is likely that the change will still go ahead bar any dramatic change of heart from the BBC’s Director General.

Bond 24 on its way John Logan, the screenwriter for the next instalment in the beloved franchise, recently revealed to Empire Magazine that the first draft of the script has almost been completed, saying that “I’m terrifically excited about it! I’ve been working very closely with Sam (Mendes), and it’s been joyous to pick up from our work on Skyfall and just continue on with the storytelling.

The new movie continues the themes of Skyfall. Some of the characters and themes that we began to introduce in Skyfall will play out, I hope successfully, in the next movie”. Bond 24 is expected for release in the UK on October 23 2015 and will hit cinemas world-wide later in November.

Sam Raimi adapting The Last of Us After the tremendous success of developer Naughty Dog’s 2013 PS3 cinematic action thriller, it is not at all surprising that Hollywood were quick off the mark to bring it to the silver screen.

At the time of writing details are scarce, but we do know that Raimi is set to carry out the endeavour alongside Screen Gems and Ghost House Pictures. The question is will they manage to retain the quality of one of the most lauded video games in recent memory, or will it be just another Tomb Raider?

Already being named the “Citizen Kane of gaming” by numerous reviewers and gamers alike, it will surely be a hard act to follow.

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SCREEN EDITORS

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Nothin’ but NaSTA

Photo credit: Student Guild

Exeposé Screen give you the low-down on the highly anticipated NaSTA 2014

NASTA, or National Student Television Association, is the nationwide representative body of student television. Dedicated to supporting and promoting student television, NaSTA is affiliated with over 40 university stations including the University’s own station XTV. The annual NaSTA conference is the highlight of the student television calendar, bringing students together at a host university for a weekend of fun, networking, and the all-important awards ceremony.

Over the course of a weekend, students attend workshops and talks by industry professionals, learning new techniques and skills to improve their

FACTUAL - Cameo BFI

THE special episode following the BFI London Film Festival combines solid interviews and reviews to create an allstar feature. The cameo is well presented with confident interviews which avoid the uncomfortable amateurism which threatens short documentaries. The presenters are jovial and un-phased in their speech which makes the whole video professional and effortless to watch.

With analysis of films and interviews with Tom Hiddlestone, Tom Hardy and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the piece could pass as an official report. It even includes clips from the comical press conference with the Saving Mr. Banks team and a cheeky impression from Hiddlestone.

By combining MTV voyeurism with sweeping scenes of BFI and film clips, the XTV team create a sophisticated documentation of the renowned event.

EMMA SUDDERICK

film-making or plan their career. These can range from writing workshops or talks from directors, or useful advice

The annual NaSTA conference is the highlight of the student television calendar for breaking into television. But the highlight of the weekend is the awards ceremony, a black-tie dinner where stations show off their best shows and on-screen talent of the last year. The

DRAMA - After Life

AFTER LIFE focuses on Alex, a young man who finds himself in a surreal scenario; caught between new girlfriend Natalie and recently resurrected ex Lucy. As if coming to terms with the paranormal wasn’t enough, only he can see Lucy, making her convinced he is the reason for her return. Furthermore, Natalie is embroiled in a battle with a neglectful former boyfriend, who has left her pregnant. Episode 7 joins the drama with Alex at the peak of his internal conflict. He feels duty-bound to provide a father figure for Natalie’s baby, whilst simultaneously battling the lingering feelings he has for Lucy. After Life transplants the angst of a coming-of-age love story into a supernatural setting in seamless fashion. Whilst the premise may initially grab your attention, it’s the strength of the characters, and our empathy with them, that make it all the more enjoyable.

WILL CAFFERKY

awards have 22 different categories, including the traditional genres of Drama, Factual and Comedy as well as the more student-specific such as Fresher’s Coverage. Entries are judged by industry professionals who offer detailed feedback after the conference to help students improve their content, even if they missed out on the prize.

The conference is invaluable exposure for student television makers as well as being fun.

Last year was the 40th anniversary of the conference, and was hosted

by XTV and the University during the Easter holiday. The station won Best Title Sequence for Aeternus Terrar-

COMEDY - Punchline

EVER wondered what Baywatch would be like if it was set in Cardiff or if the BBC focused on gritty drama? Me neither, but Punchline is determined to answer that anyway. A diverse mix of satire, farcical puns and good cheery humour, it never ceases to keeps me entertained. There are some very interesting twists and turns that are funny even when they really shouldn’t be. Delivery and timing is spot on and the acting is very funny as well, but it’s the bizarre nature of the jokes that ultimately sells it as a comedy piece.

They rely on surprise as much as anything, and they definitely deliver. I couldn’t predict any of the punch lines coming and that’s what makes it a good watch. A nice blend of old and new sketches and a perfect way to keep your funny bones happy, it is certainly a worthy entry and I wish it all the best in NaSTA. TOM DAVIES

um, and Highly Commended for Best Ident, Animation, On-Screen Female, and the Tim Marshall Award. The ceremony was broadcast live by XTV members and nearly 2,000 people tuned in to watch the show.

This year XTV have submitted entries for all 22 categories, including submitting last year’s conference coverage for Best Live. The conference will be hosted by Loughborough station LSUTV, and will run from the 4 - 6 April. Results of the awards ceremony will be made avaliable on xtvonline.co.uk.

BECKY MULLEN GAMES EDITOR

BEST ON-SCREEN

WATCHING XTV’s video for their male nominee Jon Jones was definitely entertaining. XTV’s events co-ordinator has done everything from chasing down gamers to interview at Eurogamer to acting as an infuriating editor in the spoof series Proof. His comedic nature comes through in every clip and his effortless presenting style makes it easy for viewers to engage with him.

Cambria Bailey-Jones, XTV’s head of creative, is certainly one of the station’s most versatile members.

She is a great presenter, with clips from her interview with the infamous Katie Hopkins, her stint at the BFI film festival, and her work on the Uncovered team showcasing her informative and entertaining style.

As well as being a great presenter, the clips of her in several of XTV’s creative films show her acting ability.

CHLOE FORSYTH

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EXEPOSÉ

Two’s company, Three’s a crowd ...

Bethany Baker debates the news that the much-loved channel is to be made online only WHEN faced with the news that BBC Three is to be axed from our TV screens

by Autumn 2015, my initial reaction was one I seem to share with many: firstly, it shouldn’t be cut - on a point of principle. But then sparked a sudden thought: what is there on BBC Three? Why, exactly, is ‘keep it’ our gut reaction?

Perhaps it’s the character of its content: as the awkward younger sibling, towered over by serious seniors One and Two, BBC Three is the joker, a shameless purveyor of light entertainment. There’s nothing high and mighty about it: the programming is undemanding, relatable, and mindlessly escapist. Alongside rivals ITV2 and E4, BBC Three provides the nation with enjoyably meaningless television to be stumbled across when

you sit, tired from the day, flicking aimlessly through the channels.

So why banish it to the land of YouTube and cat videos? It’s debatable, certainly, whether

drama Orphan Black) are unique to the British TV landscape. Doubtless, devoted fans will follow their favourites wherever they go.

But even the best of BBC Three faces stiff competition in the flourish-

the licence fee should cover iPlayer, too, it’s possible that such days are alarmingly numbered.

In the end, BBC Three’s transfer is the result of immense governmental pressure on the BBC to cut costs

BBC Three’s programming has got the magnetism required to draw its audience online, let alone away from the internet’s other curiosities. Not everything on BBC Three is classifiable as ‘light’, despite appearances: the channel’s comedy is scathingly satirical (think Russell Howard), its documentaries topical, and its imports (notably Family Guy and Canadian

ing climate of online TV. The one advantage iPlayer has over the likes of Netflix and other pay-to-stream giants is that it’s free, but with the Director-General’s recent suggestion that

combined with the convenient demographic of its target audience. Aimed at 16 to 34 year-olds, it does seem logical that the ‘youth’ channel would be the first to give up its broadcasting

“Hands off my lobby boy!”

James Smurthwaite, Online Screen Editor, warmly welcomes you to The Grand Budapest Hotel: enjoy your stay!

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Tilda Swinton 99 mins (15)

Fiennes). Gustave is granted the inheritance of Madam D’s (Tilda Swinton) fortune, a regular guest. As her family frame him for murder, Gustave must flee for his life across the Republic of Zubrowka to claim what is rightfully his.

KITSCH, colourful and camp, The Grand Budapest Hotel promised a unique aesthetic approach after an award’s season of gritty realism. The film is charmingly presented, its pantheon of a cast brim with panache and the end result is a breath of fresh air from director and writer Wes Anderson.

The plot centres on the owner of the titular hotel, Zero Moustafa (F. Murray Abraham). He narrates the story of his youth as a Lobby Boy serving under the legendary Gustave H (Ralph

Fiennes is on fantastic form, as a raunchy predator of wealthy heiress dowagers, his comedic timing is judged to perfection. A quick scan down the cast list will reveal a further formidable list of talent, (Jude Law, Adrien Brody and Willem Dafoe to name a few) and what may at first appear to be clichéd, simplistic roles are

The Grand Budapest Hotel Director: Wes Anderson

The Grand Budapest Hotel is a breath of fresh air

performed with ironic gusto.

The plot, filled with imprisonment, escape, adventure and mystery, rattles along at an uncomfortably quick pace.

It is not so much that it is difficult to follow, but rather that Anderson saturates the film with in jokes, pop culture references and glorious details that are largely unnoticeable at such breakneck speed.

With the action being at times animated and at times live action, a convoluted, fictional history and with a very European style throughout, Anderson’s latest production had so many reasons to fade into art-house mediocrity. Thankfully, his ultimate vision and unerring dedication to pace and detail have made The Grand Budapest Hotel the first great comedy of the year.

Mary Berry Cooks Presenter: Mary Berry Series Director: Scott Tankard 2014 BBC 2 2 Episodes MARY BERRY’S back in a new cooking series that showcases recipes for special and everyday occasions. The series starts with a quintessentially British occasion of afternoon tea. The episode is abundant with personal anecdotes and moments of utter endearment, like when she admits she hides chocolate in her tights drawer to stop it being eaten by her greedy family. Moments like this occur throughout the episode and remind you why Mary Berry is such a national treasure.

In the first episode she makes a variety of sweet treats, such as chocolate traybake with feathered ganache icing, scones with homemade jam and clotted cream, orange butterfly cakes and a whole lemon cake with cheese cake icing. The recipes are easy to follow and yet, if followed correctly, produce stunning results. Berry always advocates that anyone can bake.

In the second episode she creates a dinner party menu, starting with canapés, then a salmon and asparagus terrine, a main course of ribeye steak, followed by a three cheese spread and finally ending with a delicious chocolate torte. The recipes are full of helpful tips and generally simple enough, though unlikely to appear

roots. According to TV director Danny Cohen, the move online was going to happen anyway, four or five years down the line. The BBC reckon the young – who, it’s implied, spend most of their lives on the internet anyway – are the most likely to adapt.

They’re probably right, at least compared to the average watcher of Antiques Roadshow.

However, the BBC is sheltering behind this flimsy piece of logic like an elephant with an umbrella.

The tempestuous force of the online opposition, which includes a 200,000-strong petition and a Twitter campaign, is fighting hard to overturn their decision. With the support of top comedians such as Matt Lucas and Jack Whitehall (many of whose careers the channel helped to launch), there is every chance that we won’t have to say goodbye to the BBC’s ‘something for everyone’ outlook after all. on a student menu! The episode is also full of little stories that accompany her recipes - the domestic revolution of cling film that created such a buzz in the kitchen was particularly amusing.

Both episodes showcase the homely recipes that have established Mary Berry as an excellent baker, though it’s probably not a good idea to watch on an empty stomach! The series might not be typical student viewing but it makes for an easy watch, and, if you’re a fan of Mary Berry, then definitely something to tune in to.

VICTORIA BISHOP

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

What I’ve been watching: Smallville WAY, way back in 2001, before Omar Little began haunting the streets of Baltimore and Walter White started mixing up meth in New Mexico, before antihero was the new hero and downbeat was the new upbeat, and, most importantly, before Tom Welling disappeared from public life, there was Smallville.

An origin story about a young Clark Kent discovering his powers and Kryptonian heritage against the backdrop of smalltown America, it was a stalwart on the WB channel and, later, the CW channel. It somehow managed to limp its way to ten seasons, conveniently spanning the exhausting ten years that it takes for young Mr. Kent to finally bloody well become (spoilers) Superman.

On the way he encountered kryptonite vampires, evil seventeen century witches raised from the dead and a can-

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nibalistic Amy Adams.

Smallville, you so crazy.

The key t h i n g to understand a b o u t

Smallville is that you shouldn’t think about any aspect of it for too long. Or at all. From plot development to character growth to colour schemes, giving it undue consideration is ultimately futile and you will undoubtedly end up with more questions than answers.

It’s best to sit back and let the episodes play on in a haze of primary colours and convenient moral lessons.

This isn’t a bad thing.

Sometimes the best kind of TV is the kind of TV that you don’t really have to think about.

What you can really get from Smallville, besides Tom Welling’s dreamy smile, is a sense of a journey. You get to follow Kent from his beginnings as a minorly awkward high schooler across ten years of iffy television to his final triumphant end as a superhero. You might have had to drop a few IQ points in the process but there’s no way you’ll regret it when you’re watching the final episode.

OLIVIA LUDER ONLINE EDITOR

Ja’mie: Private School Girl Director: Chris Lilley Starring: Chris Lilley 1 Season, 6 Episodes 2014 BBC 3 2 Episodes SET in Australia, the show follows 17 year old Ja’mie (Jamie, but she added the apostrophe…nobody is entirely sure why), the Head Girl of an elite private school in Sydney. Written and performed by Chris Lilley, the latest production from the Summer Heights High creator has invented a show which is as monstrous as the protagonist herself.

For some reason it’s supposed to be funny that a middle aged man is dressed as a teenage girl. I’m not entirely sure why, but the only comical thing about the show is that it was supposed to be funny in the first place.

Ja’mie has a classically mean private school persona, but there’s just too much of it. She overwhelms the viewer in an increasingly irritating way. The humour revolves around the cruelty of teen life and the sneering main character does nothing to excite or engage the audience except from a desire to see her taken to hell in a Doctor Faustus style conclusion.

It’s understandable how this character became a favourite in Summer Heights High, with her blunt and outrageous anecdotes, but as a spin-off, the new Australian comedy is simply

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dire. Lilley has exhausted the charm of the fly-on-the-wall mockumentary creating nothing more than a catastrophe of harsh banter and screaming girls.

At only nine minutes in I felt like crying into a pillow at the thought of having to torment myself with the inferno of lip gloss, disrespect and squealing for another 20 minutes.

The show did no favours to BBC Three who, it was recently announced, will be axed from screen as a money-saving measure. In fact, it’s precisely for shows like this that BBC Three was made and it is for this reason that BBC Three has found itself victim to cost-cutting.

The only comical thing about this show is that it was supposed to be funny in the first place If I could give Ja’mie: Private School Girl less than one star, I probably would. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem like a justifiable rating because the show does have a few merits. Yet with respect to the producers, who have clearly attempted to make something innovative and funny, the humour and acting is possibly the worst I have seen on TV for a while.

EMMA SUDDERICK

Fresh meat: welcome to the Screen team!

Exeposé Screen interview your new Screen Editors for the next year, Joshua Mines and Ciaran Willis WHAT are you most looking forward to about being Screen Eds? JM: Being able to read and edit so much content and opinion about film and TV from a variety of great writers is a really exciting prospect. I’m also looking forward to getting the chance to attend festivals like the BFI; watching, reviewing and enjoying films, and who knows, maybe a sneaky interview or two?

CW: Being able to call watching films and television (and lengthy procrastination) ‘research’. And being involved more with Exeposé should be great fun.

What would be your dream interview?

CW: Emma Stone, she seems pretty cool, I’d quite like to play mini- golf with her. Or, in the past, Paul Newman.

probably take Sean Bean along to be the one who sacrifices himself valiantly to a horde of zombies, and finally Velma from Scooby Doo for her experience with ghouls and zombies, as well as her quick thinking.

What film/tv character do you most identify with?

CW: Withnail, because he’d be hilariously hopeless. Obi Wan Kenobi, because Yoda probably couldn’t drive a car and always talks in aphorisms. And Hermione, because she’s a magic babe.

JM: Statler and Waldorf from The Muppets. I’m quite critical and I moan a lot about films, so I think we’d get along just fine up on the balcony together.

CW: Someone like James Brennan in Adventureland - sentimental, slightly awkward and bumbling, a bit hapless with women and a Lou Reed fan. Or Seth from The O.C.

JM: Probably Russell Crowe, not only does he star in one of my favourite films (Gladiator, in case you were wondering) but he’s an incredibly versatile actor as well. He’s also been prone to controversy in the past, as a certain episode of South Park will tell you, so I’d expect him to storm out of the room before the end of the interview.

Dream film star date?

CW: Early evening in a fishing village in the South of France with me, Melanie Laurent and a copious amount of wine.

LIAM NEESON – It’s been revealed that the actor was *this* close to picking up the role as Bond. We love you Liam, but Pierce Brosnan was basically our childhood.

MACBETH – A new adaptation starring Sean Bean in the titular role has been given the green light. Seeing how Fassbender’s Macbeth is also in the works, it may be too much.

JM: I know it’s a bit of an internet cliché now, but it would have to be Jennifer Lawrence. She’s just so down to earth!

Christopher Walken and Nicholas Cage walk into the Exeposé office wearing sombreros. What do you say to them when they enter and why are they there?

bly be there to get into the skin of being a Mexican student Newspaper editor in Britain for an upcoming film.

CW: What are you doing Walken in here like this? Their careers have rapidly declined and they have formed a commercially unsuccessful mariachi band who are touring British coastal towns and Butlins; they’ve recruited me to join them. Our first gig is at the King Billy.

What’s your best film-related fact about yourself?

JM: I once patted Bruce Willis on the head outside the premiere of A Good Day to Die Hard in Leicester Square. It was softer than I’d imagined it to be.

JM: Well firstly I’d need someone to bring the muscle, so I’d probably hop in a time machine and bring back a young Arnold Scharznegger for that. Then I’d

JM: Tough question. I’d probably say: ‘ola amigos!’ as an awkward way into the conversation before going off on some spiel about how Catch Me If You Can and Face Off are my favourite movies in the whole entire world ever.

They’ve both been known to dabble in method acting, so I think they’d proba-

CW: My uncle used to be friends with Dougal from Father Ted. I also once made a short video in philosophy class about Descartes, where I ending up running after my Geography teacher shouting, “How do you know you exist?” Is that what you were looking for?

IDRIS ELBA – Jon Favreau’s liveaction/CGI hybrid is set to star Elba in a voice-acting role as the terrifying villain Shere Khan. He’s going to be a tiger. Rawr.

300 – Picking up $87.8 million in its first weekend, Rise of an Empire slaughtered the likes of Non-Stop and other movies to rise to the top of the box-office.

Madness? No. THIS. IS. SPARTA!

GAME OF THRONES – A third trailer for the new season is out and we’re excited. It has all the thrills you would expect from the franchise, but what we really want to know is if Hodor is happy.

It’s the zombie apocalypse and you need to team up with three people in a bid to survive. Who do you pick and why?

As Hot As... the hot or nots of this week’s film news A-bomb

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BOOKS

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @ExeposeBooks

FOR our last issue as Books Editors we pass on some recommendations of our favourite books that you might not have considered reading before.

Elli’s Suggestions: The Green Hat (1924) Michael Arlen The Green Hat captures the desperate atmosphere that existed among the young in 1920s London. Iris Storm leads a lonely life as a twice widowed young woman with an alcoholic for a brother.

Even though the title is named after her green hat she remains as mysterious as ever to the narrator.

The Dud Avocado (1958) Elaine Dundy The heroine of The Dud Avocado succeeds in charming the reader even as she admits to herself that she’s not very good at living the correct Parisian life. She gets her passport stolen, is seduced by a married man and dyes her hair bubblegum pink but it still seems that she’s part of Paris anyway.

The Shadow of the Wind (2001) Carlos Ruiz Zafón Despite only reading the English translation, Zafón’s writing is the most visual I have ever read.

It encompasses a cemetery of books, a burnt man and loving descriptions of Barcelona from the perspective of the young Daniel.

Emma’s Suggestions: The Book Thief (2008) Markus Zusak The recent release of The Book Thief as a decidedly mediocre film confirms that you should never judge a book by its film adaptation (sorry Screen). In this case, as in many others, the movie fails to portray the novel’s full brilliance, missing the poignance and crushing inevitability of its heart-wrenching climax. Just read it. Please.

EMMA HOLIFIELD AND ELLI CHRISTIE, BOOKS EDITORS

BOOKS EDITORS

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

Exeposé Books talks to Ceri Maxwell and Elaine Roberts, Exeposé Books editors from 2008

HOW did you first get involved with Exeposé?

Elaine: I started off by just contacting the Editors and asking to write for my favourite sections: Books and Music. I was later given some great news stories to cover such as the Safer Sex Ball Ticketing Controversy of 2007, but I found that what I really enjoyed the most was reviewing the latest books and music. At the beginning of my second year the opportunity arose to run the Books pages.

I contacted Ceri, we told everyone why we’d be great at running the pages, and we got the roles!

Ceri: I had written a few reviews for the Books section as well contributing to some Lifestyle features but it wasn’t until Elaine asked me to run for Books Editor with her that I got really involved with the editorial side of things.

What was your favourite section to write for?

Elaine: Books – a little biased of course!

My favourite review - probably my favourite because it’s fun to be scathing about such godawful writing - was for the first Twilight book, which had just been released. I gave it one star.

It’s fun to be scathing about such godawful writing Ceri: Books, of course! I loved reading that section too, it always gave me something to add to my Waterstones’ wish list.

Were you involved in any other societies at uni?

Elaine: Welsh Society and Literary Society, as well as Creative Writing.

Ceri: Hockey, Literary Society and Welsh Soc – the rugby weekends in Edinburgh and Dublin were highlights!

What is your favourite memory of being a part of Exeposé?

Elaine: Probably the XMedia Awards

at the end of our second year. An award show, some food and a big party with everyone involved in XMedia. It was a brilliant night. In terms of Exeposé articles, I remember reviewing the debut album of a newcomer called Lady Gaga.

I predicted that she’d make it big…

How did you cope juggling your editorial role alongside your degree?

Elaine: Ceri and I split the work evenly.

We would work on it whilst we were on campus anyway, for example just after lectures or before a seminar. I don’t really remember it taking up too much of our time – it was mainly just commission, proof and design.

Ceri: Looking back, I don’t remember it taking up a lot of time. We did most of the work after lectures or while we were already on campus.

What is your favourite memory of being at Exeter?

Elaine: Too many! I miss it lots. The weekend trips to Exmouth, the various balls and parties, lying in till noon, meeting lifelong friends... but the standout memory for me was graduation week.

What did you do immediately after graduating?

Elaine: I worked at a bank for a year definitely not my dream job but the recession had hit hard! The entire year I was searching for a job in publishing.

Ceri: Immediately after graduating I went home to earn some money so that I could go travelling for a few months.

When I got back I did some work experience placements in the publishing industry, for a literature festival and in an arts PR agency where I ended up staying for three years.

How has being Books Editor helped you in your career?

Elaine: It has definitely been invaluable. I even took clippings of my Exeposé articles to the interview for my current job role. I also learnt essential InDesign skills, which I occasionally use at work now.

Ceri: Being Books Editor gave me a

chance to learn about the different areas of the publishing industry and stay up to date with lit-

job is to get books into the hands of readers through targeted promotion – reviews, interviews and features across print, broadcast and online media and through organising author events and festival appearances.

What is your favourite literary genre?

Ceri: I don’t have a favourite genre but I do love books with a very distinctive sense of place, be that geographical or historical, real or imaginary.

If you were stranded on a desert island and could take four books with you, what would they be?

Elaine: Jane Eyre, Robinson Crusoe, the entire Harry Potter series (is that allowed?) and How to Survive on a Desert Island!

erary news and trends, this was really important as it gave me things to talk about in my first inter-

I love books with a sense of place

views!

What is your current role?

Elaine: I’m a Marketing Executive at Routledge, Taylor & Francis. We’re an academic publisher and I work on the Journals side, promoting the latest papers and research to scholars. You may have even quoted from us in your own essays! I’ve been here over three years now and am still having a brilliant time.

Ceri: I’m a publicist for the Vintage Publishing division of Random House. My

Ceri: I would have to take my all-time favourite: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love this book and I don’t think I could ever get bored of it. I’d take The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I love reading anything about or set in the Jazz Age and for me, this is the quintessential Jazz Age novel. I’d also pick Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee to remind me why I fell in love with reading in the first place. Those are the four I’d pick if ruled by my heart but if I let my head take over for just a second I’d swap in the completely fascinating The Knowledge by Lewis Dartnell. The book explains how to restart the world from scratch after modern life has been destroyed. That could come in handy on a desert island!

Meet Chloe and Natalie!

The new Books Editors reveal which four books would comfort them on a desert island alie Clark at

Natalie: I’d have to take at least one Harry Potter, but which is the best?! I’d want something to keep me busy. So maybe The Order of the Phoenix because it’s the longest. If I took The Philosopher’s Stone I’d end up reading it over and over again.

I’d also take Atonement, but I only like the first half. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen it’s one of those cheesy teen romance books but I really like it - it made me want to buy an iPod! The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter just because I enjoyed analysing it at A Level. I like her retellings of fairytales.

lassonb eG u lo

ry

Looking For Alaska (2011) John Green After loving The Fault in Our Stars I appear to have finally been converted to the John Green phenomenon. His books may be found in the young adult section, but don’t (as I so misguidedly did) dismiss his work as teen trash!

Looking For Alaska is intelligent, strange and above all, brutally witty. And at a mere 250 pages you really have no excuse not to give it a try.

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A Blast From Books’ Past

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Chloe: I’d go with Dr Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go. It’s so moving. Shades of Grey, which is NOT Fifty Shades of Grey! I’d like to finish it because I’m half way through. Ulysses because I feel like I probably should read it and it’s epically long. So on an island I feel like I’d have the time. The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks because I’d probably read it 50 times over and not get bored. It’s a proper teenage boy fantasy book, pretty lame but I really like it!

Photos: Niklas Rahmel

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

Condensed Classic The Oxford English Dictionary 1884

“end - noun. a final part of something, especially a period of time, an activity, or a story. verb - come or bring to a final point; finish.”

POSTMODERNISM may have long been thought of as a movement centred in the 20th century, but just one look at the Dictionary’s spectacular history shows that perhaps scholars have long overlooked its place in the English postmodern movement.

Whether you look as far back as Robert Cawdrey’s A Table Alphabeticall (1604) or indeed Samuel Johnson’s masterful interpretation in A Dictionary of the English Language (1755), the text allows for multiple, synergetic readings where no one interpretation is dominant and the presence of the narrator is constantly being questioned within each fragmented entry.

Strictly speaking, there is no true beginning or end. In fact, there is no ‘beginning’ until a

staggering 58 pages into the book, and the ‘end’ is dropped disconnectedly in the first quarter with over 800 sides left to read. In a literal sense, we can gather that ‘A’ opens the story and is sent on an intertextual journey where the character comes to understand the full spectrum of the experience that the universe has to offer, be it abstract emotions or tactile engagements with physical objects.

But who is ‘A’? Is it a man? A woman? Is it even a person? It could be anything or anyone; the beauty is that we will never know. A mesmerising read throughout, if the OED doesn’t win you over then there’s always other instalments such as Webster’s Dictionary to snuggle up in bed with.

ROB HARRIS SCREEN EDITOR

Rob has been our top ‘Any Last Words’ contributor this year!

Sophie Beckett, Online Books Editor, on looking beyond reviews FOR most students, the time we are able to spend reading books outside of our course is limited at best. Choosing our own reading is a luxury that is often confined to holidays. But if the time we devote to reading for enjoyment is so precious, how do we go about deciding on which books to fill it with?

We’re certainly not lacking in choice. It’s unlikely that we’d ever be able to read all of the books in the average library or bookshop and that’s without mentioning the infinite titles available on Amazon. We have to be selective, to find some way of sorting through the hundreds of thousands of volumes and discovering something that we’re likely to enjoy. So how do we make these choices? And how are we influenced as we make them?

Reviews inevitably play some part in influencing our reading habits.

Whether it’s in the pages of the Guardian or our very own Exeposé, a good review of a book may pique our interest whilst a bad one will probably discourage us. Reviews can play an important part in the publicity campaign for a new book; following a few good reviews in respected publications, a new book by an unknown au-

Hannah Butler relives awkward moments from her childhood with potentially unsuitable literature time, managed to convince her granddad to buy her a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. Her granddad obviously had no clue what the book was about, but I doubt anybody would argue that this was the right sort of thing for a twelve year old to be stumbling across. So yes; there probably should be some kind of age rating system preventing young readers coming across ideas they don’t understand, and aren’t ready to be confronted with.

Convince her granddad to buy her a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey It seems almost too much of a cliché to be arguing that you “can’t judge a book by its cover”, but it’s absolutely true. The fact that JK Rowling’s novels, originally published with children in mind, are now available under more “adult” covers proves this as well as anything. The story is exactly the same, but dressed up so as to appeal to an entirely different audience, sparing their embarrassment at being spotted reading a book

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Reading Pressures

“Mum, what are testicles?”

WHEN I was about eight years old, my mum decided to pick out a book for me to take on holiday. I was already a keen reader, by this age having raced through the first four Harry Potter books about six times. So turning towards the ‘teens’ section, she chose The Princess Diaries

by Meg Cabot.

Now, with its pastel pink and purple cover, showing a cartoon of a grinning girl in a pretty, sparkling dress with a fat ginger cat by her side, my mum can be forgiven for thinking that, within those pages, there would be nothing at all inappropriate for me to be reading.

Little did she know that soon after, on a crowded plane to Menorca, I’d be loudly piping up with the question: “Mum, what are testicles?” Predictably, this was an embarrassing experience all round.

I’ll be honest: aside from the embarrassment, and the confusion caused by reading descriptions of fourteen year olds “sticking their tongues” down each other’s throats – something I’d never heard of before – and still think sounds like a pretty unromantic (and slightly dangerous) move - reading The Princess Diaries wasn’t too damaging for me. However, it does raise the question of whether books should have a more standardised and informative age category system. I know, for example, that a friend’s little sister, aged twelve at the

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apparently aimed at children. This restyling also highlights the fact that books aimed at younger audiences can often be enjoyable and engaging for adult readers as well.

For this reason, it’s true that such an age rating system could prove limiting – adult readers could potentiall y

thor can be propelled into the public awareness. Literary prizes go hand-inhand with reviews in this process. For a recent example, look no further than The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer, a debut novel which practically became a household name after it won the Costa book award in January.

Vent your annoyance if it turned out to be disappointing However, reviews and prizes often only cover the tip of an iceberg when it comes to the diverse array of books which are available to us. Although I know several people who determinedly work their way through the shortlists of all the major prizes as they come around each year, I can’t help feeling that this way of discover-

ing new books to read has its limitations.

If you spend all of your time reading the books that literary critics tell you to, how will you ever discover your own particular tastes in reading? Most of us will never have the time to read everything the literary establishment recommends. We risk allowing our reading time to become a constant game of catch-up, always chasing the most talked-about author of the moment.

If you’re tired of the narrow circle of critical recommendation, it’s worth looking to the other potential influences on our reading habits which we might otherwise ignore or dismiss. If a friend recommends a book, you’re likely to have more in common with them than with a faceless newspaper critic. Plus, you get to discuss it afterwards with them, and vent your annoyance if it turned out to be disappointing.

Browsing in a bookshop for unknown titles that might happen to catch your eye is also hugely underrated.

Reading the latest Booker Prize winner might give you a smug sense of wellread satisfaction, but that’s nothing compared to the excitement of discovering something for yourself that turns out to be brilliant. cast aside books labelled “ages eight and upwards”, feeling like there would be nothing within those pages to interest them. However, I do believe there is greater importance in making sure parents who don’t want their children to be exposed to certain ideas have the means of preventing this exposure. Categorising children’s books in particular would help parents and children pick out books they will enjoy and understand.

Besides, I’m pretty sure my mum would rather have faced the embarrassment of buying a book from a section titled “suitable for young readers” than that of explaining male genitalia to an eight year old on a plane to Menorca.

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Can originality be taught?

Connor McGovern argues that creative writing does not belong in the classroom

THE recent comments made by Mr Hanif Kureishi, a lecturer in Creative Writing at Kingston University on creative writing courses, claim they are “a waste of time” and that nearly all of his students are unable to even tell a story.

Needless to say, such vehemence had caused a divide in the world of readers and writers. But, although Kureishi is perhaps a little too passionate in his diatribe against his own subject, I find myself agreeing; this debate having ignited a thought that had been flickering away in my mind for quite some time.

First of all, it’s important to regard creativity not so much a discipline as a personal characteristic.

It is not a conventional ‘skill’ such as plumbing, baking, embroidery, driving or swimming, all of which are things you can pay to have taught to you. Creativity is a trait of which we all have a varying degree – Shakespeare, Picasso and Wagner all had a lot of it, and I doubt the cast of Geordie Shore could be classed in quite the same league. That aside, when you see creativity in this way, the argument becomes a lot clearer. Of course you can’t teach creativity in the literal sense of teaching – just as you can’t teach shrewdness, romance, pragmatism, compassion or sentimentality. Can you imagine a ‘Sentimentality Course for Beginners’? I

can’t.

The science of putting ideas onto paper in a creative w a y is,

Hannibal Thomas Harris

agent Clarice Starling. The plot revolves around the hunt to find Lecter, though Mason and Clarice have completely different ideas about what to do with him once they capture him.

The writing style is engaging and to the point. Even when describing the slightly mundane inner workings of the FBI, Harris does not bore. The characterisation of Dr Lecter is a great web that Harris slowly unpicks in this book, giving the reader an insight into the workings of Dr Lecter’s mind in a way that he had not done previously.

Though the narration jumps from character to character, the main protagonist is arguably Clairce Starling. As much as the story focuses on Dr Lecter, Starling is also the main thrust of the story, driving the action and the narrative.

The reader sympathises with the fact that she cannot excel as she deserves to due to grudges and prejudices held against her – you want her to win, to be the heroine of the book. This belief I held onto and that’s why when the ending came it was completely unexpected. Of all the possible outcomes I considered, what did in fact occur never crossed my mind.

It’s a testament to the writing of Harris that even on the last pages he managed to leave me dumbfounded.

antiheroes, making for the remarkably relatable characters that cause Green’s novels to be so effective.

Green’s writing style is a blend of the everyday and the elevated; combining colloquial, quotidian language with consciously poetic and artistic phrases.

As well as making his novels genuinely enjoyable reads, this leads to highly

there.

Although all Green’s works are shelved under Young Adult in bookshops, they deserve to transcend that limitation on readership. The fact that they all feature teenage protagonists does not mean that they all face the same problems, nor that the issues they are confronted with are exclusive to adolescents. The subject matter is wide ranging, and manages never to define the book: Will Grayson, Will Grayson deals with homosexuality but is not solely about being gay; almost every character in TFiOS is a teenage cancer patient but it has much more to say about life than death.

TFiOS is released in cinemas on 20 June this year, however, you should read the book first. In fact, you should read it even if you have no intention of seeing the film at all – just don’t blame me if, like many before you, you find yourself crying embarrassingly loudly in public.

Arrow 2009 HANNIBAL is the third book in his hit series following the disturbing, yet undeniably intriguing, life of the intelligent psychopath Dr Hannibal Lecter.

The book picks up some years after the second in the series, The Silence of the Lambs left off, with Hannibal living life freely and openly under a new identity and face in Italy. Whilst Hannibal is clearly the villain of the piece, other characters introduced in this book, notably Mason Verger, are almost as horrific as Dr Lecter himself. If one character in this story is to be labelled the hero, or in this case the heroine, then it is FBI

Author Profile John Green b. 24.8.1977 JOHN GREEN is the author of The Fault in Our Stars (TFiOS), the only book I have needed to take a full five minute break from in order to wait for the tears to clear. In addition to the heart-breaking brilliance of the novel itself, on one page you are immersed in the emotional turmoil of characters; on the next you have the smug satisfaction of recognising a T. S. Eliot quote.

TFiOS, however, is only Green’s most recent contribution to the Young Adult genre; it is his fourth independently-written novel, and he has written one other in collaboration with David Levithan. While each of Green’s works are concerned with teenagers of high school age, most with a male first person narrative, they stand apart from other teen fiction works. His protagonists are rounded, believable people, neither heroes nor

techn i c a l l y, teachable.

The idea of having a ‘creative writer’

His protagonists are rounded, believable people, neither heroes nor antiheroes quotable metaphors such as “if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane”. There is a hard-to-define quality to these books that compels everyone that reads them to recommend them to everyone they know - even if for no reason further than to prove that there is intelligently written, gender neutral, and vampire-free teenage fiction out

at the front of a lecture theatre, who explains ad infinitum oxymora and

onomatopoeia and the various joys of comma splic-

Villains can come in many forms The most interesting thing about Harris’s writing is that he highlights

MOLLY DEWHIRST

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The Very Last Word

ing, is a real one. It is also undeniably useful in providing a way of looking at language, which is perhaps what the students of these courses are looking for in the first place. But as Kureishi highlighted, even with all that, some of them might still have no idea how to write a story, because some of them just aren’t natural writers. I could spend thousands on Business Management degrees, and know how to run a business at the end of it, but I can tell you now – I couldn’t, because I’m not a naturally business-minded person. It’s like going into battle with all the weapons you could wish for, but being a pacifist.

That is where the innate creativity comes in. An author’s voice is something that is found, not acquired, and their style is something that is developed, not prescribed.

Without the natural understanding of how to creatively manipulate this arsenal we develop, what good is it?

We’re humans, after all: a species designed to interact with the world, and so through reading and writing, and listening and watching, can we really become ‘creative writers’. Experiences teach us to become creative, just as they teach us to be shrewd, romantic, pragmatic, compassionate or sentimental. There’s no need to sit at a desk.

IN honour of our last Any Last Words as editors, we asked you: ‘What is the most poignant goodbye in literature?’ Beware, these are spoiler heavy!

how villains can come in many forms; that evil can manifest itself in many ways. This just adds another interesting dimension to the story. Who is the villain? Clearly Dr Lecter is evil, but can the same be said about Mason, Krendler, Margot?

The story was engaging, the book impossible to put down, and the ending: shocking. This series is definitely worth a read, especially if you like crime thrillers. Out of all the books in the series, though, I have yet to read the prequel, Hannibal Rising, this was my favourite.

Fair warning, do not make the mistake of reading this before going to bed; you’ll end up having strange and unsavoury dreams.

It has to be Sydney Carton’s sacrifice in A Tale of Two Cities: ‘It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.’ Bone-chilling.

LIANA GREEN

EJONA REXHEPI

“Goodbye Mog” Why did it have to happen???? ;( KATE EVANS Before you could ever truly understand Skellig, he says goodbye. Is he a man? An angel?

Or something else all together?

Either way, I’d like to leave in the same way: confuse people, cure a baby’s heart defect and fly off with minimal fucks.

ROB HARRIS In Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby’s goodbye to sanity and rational thought as he finally realises he’ll live with football forever is pretty touching/ starkly, starkly evocative.

OWEN KEATING Tanya and Onegin - it’s so entirely necessary and the best thing for both of them, but why couldn’t their stories have gone differently...?

CARMEN PADDOCK

In Room, the boy saying goodbye to the room for the last time having experienced the outside world.

RICHARD BERRY “Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us.

It eluded us then, but that’s no matter-tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . and one fine morning – So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.“ CONOR BYRNE The Amber Spyglass (Philip Pullman): ”I’ll be looking for you, Will, every moment, every single moment. And when we do find each other again, we’ll cling together so tight that nothing and no one’ll ever tear us apart. Every atom of me and every atom of you” CHRISTY KU Lyra and Will at the end of The Amber Spyglass. Utterly gutting.

What is love you guys?

OLIVIA LUDER Massive spoiler alert! Rudy and Liesel. ALL THE TEARS. EMMA HOLIFIELD The final goodbye between the two sisters in A.S.Byatt’s The Game is haunting even before the end.

ELLI CHRISTIE

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

Art Devon Artist Network @The Northcott Ends 26 April S Mark Gubb @Exeter Pheonix 28 March-10 May

Comedy Eminent Comedy Club Exeter @The Tobacco House 6 April Roy ‘Chubby’ Brown @Exeter Corn Exchange 21 March

Dance Power Games @The Northcott 25 March UrbanFlow- Vision @The Cygnet Theatre 29 March

Theatre Translations @The Northcott 18-22 March Static @The Bike Shed Theatre 31 March Boxed In @The Barnfield Theatre 21 March

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QI: Question Inequality Jon Jenner, Editor , discusses the BBC ban on all-male comedy panel shows LAST month, BBC director of television Danny Cohen announced that the organisation would no longer be producing comedy panel shows that featured an all-male line-up. The decision comes following strong recommendations from the BBC Trust last year, as part of their wider set of sex-representation objectives. Shows like Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You – in which more than half of recent episodes feature no women at all – will now have to have at least one woman on the panel.

The decision has received both commendation and criticism, with debate raging over whether it is a positive step in the right direction or if it merely condemns female comedians to the slot of

Female comedians are less popular, less successful and less represented than men in comedy ‘token woman’. Dara Ó Briain, simultaneously one of Britain’s most-loved comedians and bald men, has strongly expressed his opinion in favour of the latter. He claims that the BBC “legislating for the token woman” completely underm i n e s comedians like Kath-

erine Ryan and Holly Walsh, who have featured on Mock the Week “millions of times”.

The stark reality of it is that Ryan and Walsh already end up playing the token woman. Between the two of them, they filled four of the five female guest slots in the show’s twelfth series, out of a possible 38. With numbers like that, it isn’t difficult to see why the BBC Trust is anxious to address the gender imbalance in its programming. Yet the statistics are frequently brushed off. Women are supposedly frequently invited onto panel shows, but turn the offer down... for every Katherine Ryan or Holly Walsh that grace the format, there is a Caitlin Moran or Jo Brand that consistently refuse to appear. Moreover, there simply aren’t as many female comedians as their male counterparts, particularly in the more “successful” bracket that panel shows are looking to draw from.

In a recent list of British comedy’s top ten earners, the only woman to feature was Sarah Millican, in at number nine.

Female comedians, then, are less popular, less successful and less represented than men in comedy. Worst of all, there are still people that will try and convince you that women are less funny to boot. Anyone that isn’t a white, middle-class male can’t possibly be universally funny about anything they choose to be; instead they must peddle to their status as a minority, using their gender, their race, their sexuality as their only

way to get laughs. Shappi Khorsandi is frequently reviled for being a woman and Iranian, having the cheek to be doubly different from a white man.

Mock the Week in particular often descends into a pseudo-dick-measuring contest of ‘my punch line is funnier than yours’ This opinion is either a fundamental misunderstanding of comedy, or wilful ignorance. The majority of good comedy outside of the white male norm isn’t funny because it portrays a minority experience, but a personal experience.

Khorsandi’s jokes about being a single mum or Iranian are no different to Mickey Flanigan’s jokes about being from the East End (big up, Mick), or Russell Kane’s reliance on his mildly abusive dad. The best comedy manages to be excruciatingly personal whilst still presenting a situation that everyone can find amusing.

Caitlin Moran and Jo Brand do not turn down a slot on Mock the Week because they are not as funny as the regular male panellists, but because they do not want to become the ‘token woman’ in an aggressively male environment.

Mock

the Week in particular often descends into a pseudo-dick-measuring contest of ‘my punch line is funnier than yours’, held between a group of friends with enough in-jokes and testosterone-fuelled aggression for a rugby team gym session. Even QI, though less aggressive, usually has the air of that group of old boys in the corner of the pub having inane chat. Is it any wonder that female comedians often refuse to appear on shows like these? Would you wander into the Duke of York on Karaoke Night and steal the mic from a drunken Devonian?

Would you f*ck.

The current culture of BBC panel shows is exactly why we should all be welcoming the BBC’s decision to formalise the requirement for female panellists. Despite Dara and co.’s patronising concerns for woman becoming the token gesture that they already frequently are in panel shows, it should hopefully prove to be a positive step for female comedy.

That one woman could and should turn into two or an unprecedented three, and maybe even a team captain or two, making room for a distinctly feminine style of comedy that would be a refreshing break from the all-boys’ club of panel shows.

The ban on all-male panellists should be seen as less the confirmation of a token woman, and more the token of change.

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Florence, frescos and fancy phalluses

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Emily-Rose Rolfe, Lifestyle Editor, reminisces about studying at the British Institute of Florence

I STILL have absolutely no idea why one hot July Wednesday afternoon I decided to fly to Florence to study History of Art and Italian for a month. I study Theology, I was absolutely terrible at art at school, and my year ten German exchange was a catastrophe.

But for some reason I boarded that plane with five different notebooks bought from the Royal Academy of Art (is that cliché enough for you?) to go and study at the infamous British Institute of Florence. Famous professors, publishers, journalists, and artists have sat inside these walls. Oh, and Kate Middleton - Florence is much preferable to St. Andrews if you want to marry Harry: it’s warmer, prettier, has nicer shops, and you don’t have the stress of whether you’re getting a first as they don’t examine you.

The British Institute, was the first British cultural organisation to operate abroad. Its original aim was to advance

comprehension between Italy, Britain, and the Commonwealth through the study of Art History and English and Italian languages. I took my art history lessons in Palazzo Lanfredini, on the south bank of the River Arno. The wood-panelled Harold Acton Library has the biggest collection of English books on mainland Europe. You will have an equal mixture of tours around galleries, famous churches and palaces, and lectures in Palazzo Lanfredini, all lasting around an hour and a half to two hours. The July course I studied was named ‘Art in Renaissance Florence’, the city where the Italian Renaissance was born, and took you from the Dawn to High Renaissance in one big swoop. Every lecture will give you a comprehensive view of the city and how beauty and harmony took precedence both in Renaissance and modern life. The Art History course appeals to amateurs and experts alike, putting

the art in its social, historical, religious and political context. However, almost everyone in my class was aged between 18 and 25, and the 7 girls I lived with were studying at Oxford, Bristol, Leeds, and Durham… You don’t even need Dutch Courage to get on with everyone there.

Richard Alston Dance Company

es were also particularly eye-catching with the dancers mirroring each other’s movement.

The company offered an entirely different piece of dance in their final piece, ‘Illuminations’, returning to more conventional ballet and presenting a much more distinguished narrative with characters and progression.

Using music from Benjamin Britten’s ‘Les Illuminations’ to engage with the poetic figure Rimbaud, the piece explores the intense highs and destructive lows of obsessive love. The central figure is haunted by hallucinations and his own imaginary creations – echoed by the equally haunting voice of Peter Pears which accompanies the piece. The addition of lyrics in a dance piece added to this notion of a story unfolding in front of the audience and exaggerated the musical and physical crescendos to give additional force to the dance.

While Alston’s company always provide a refreshing take on traditional ballet, the last piece provided a poignant reminder of the classical skills of the dancers on stage and an interesting point of comparison to its modern counterpart. The company celebrated the centenary of the composer Benjamin Britten last year and so by using ‘Illuminations’ as the finale it offered a moving homage to one of Alston’s own personal sources of inspiration.

The History Boys EUTCO

Exeter Northcott Theatre

4 March RICHARD ALSTON’s company return to the Northcott for their spring season with three more pieces of dance – ‘Brink’, ‘Shimmer’ and ‘Illuminations’ – rooted in classical ballet but with innovative choreography to bring it into the 21st century.

The first two pieces incorporated live musical performances alongside the dance with interesting effect. Indeed the two art forms seemed to play off each other and respond to changes in pace and rhythm more convincingly, giving the pieces an overarching sense of vitality and realism. ‘Brink’ was accompanied by renowned accordionist Ian Watson. The dissonance of certain chords throughout echoed the conflict portrayed on stage, the choreography alluding to the passion of traditional Latin dances such as the tango with sharp lines and sudden changes in speed to show the intensity of the relationship between the dancers.

‘Shimmer’ made special use of colour and lighting to enhance the delicacy of the ‘Debussy-esque’ piano piece being played by Jason Ridgeway. With costumes embellished with hundreds of crystals catching the light, the piece truly lived up to its name – particularly in the section reminiscent of water with blues and greens being played across the stage. Group danc-

BETHANY STUART

Florence is much preferable to St. Andrews if you want to marry Harry: it’s warmer, prettier, has nicer shops My last lecture is probably the best example I can give of what it’s like to study at the British Institute of Florence. I was situated at the back of the wood-panelled lecture room listen-

ing to Susan Madocks-Lister, the then head of the History of Art Department, primly instructing us on erotic art in the Renaissance. The night before I’d had lobster pasta and crème bruleé overlooking the River Arno and the Uffizi Gallery, in a restaurant next to the Ponte Vecchio. I’d then lounged in Piazza Santo Spirito, a square where every student drank amaretto and did nothing but gossip every night we were there. We had a big group exodus to an unashamedly Brit-edgy club where English artists from Charles Cecil Studios, the oldest known still working art studio in Europe if not the world, dominated the DJ decks with music from light rock and roll artists such as Johnny Cash until the early hours. A few of us then decided to watch sunrise on Piazza Michaelangelo, the square that overlooks the whole of Florence. We all rolled into our Italian class and Art History classes dishevelled and ready

to pass out when our softly spoken, chipper, jolly-hockey-sticks lecturer, who was draped in a beige cardigan with her permed hair bouncing around, started to discuss phalluses in classical art. Her perky anecdotes of the context behind artists such as Titian, Lorenzo Lotto, and Giorgio Vasari’s paintings of nude women was an insightful view into both the subject itself, the artistic method, patron and artist relationship, and an overview of Florence as a city.

This is typical of every lecture – every canvas, fresco, and building we looked at helped to paint a picture (excuse the pun) of early modern Florentine daily life and the transition of Renaissance themes.

If this does not sell this as a summer to you then I don’t know what will dear Arts readers. Go forth and email info@britishinstitute.it for more information.

M&D Room

4,7,8 March THE latest offering from Exeter University’s Theatre Company saw the third-year drama student and experienced director Katie Goodsell tackling one of Alan Bennett’s (and the Nation’s) best-loved plays. Telling the story of a group of eight boys who, after excellent A-Level results, return to school in order to prepare for their entrance exams to Oxbridge, it is a witty and thought-provoking coming of age story, in which more is learnt than inside the confines of the classroom. Admittedly it is hard to go awry with source material as flawless as Bennett’s, nevertheless this does ensure a production such as this is all the more highly anticipated, and disastrous should it go wrong.

With understated set design and a complementary eighties soundtrack, it is the cast who are deservedly required to shine in this production. And shine they do with the professionalism and talent of all those concerned blazing through in scene after scene.

The true success of this play rests on the strength of the cast as an ensemble, in which this production delivers in spades. The rapport between the company of eight students and four teachers is flawless, and pace of this challenging script excellently judged, with particular standout performanc-

Photo: Exeter University Theatre Company

es from Luca Owenbridge as Scripps (who plays the piano himself) and Eoin McAndrew as Posner, whose solos are melancholic and mesmerising in equal measure.

Similarly, Jack Sheeren delivers as a deliciously insipid school-master, and a staggeringly mature performance from Anya Williams as Mrs Lintott ensures she holds her own in this male-dominated cast. Ieuan Coombs is equally believable and impressive in the complicated character of Irwin.

But it was Aiden Cheng that was a true revelation in the challenging role of Hector, channelling the late Richard Griffiths’ original performance beautifully, whilst still managing to make the role decidedly his own.

The performance was a joy to witness from start to finish, with the

star moments of comedy perfectly placed to offset the more serious and thought-provoking aspects of Bennett’s script, whilst importantly never detracting from the intelligence of the performance. With no cuts made to the original source material, the performance clocks in at a little over two hours, yet the sheer quality of the production leaves you yearning for a third act. Tickets sold out early, and a change of venue occurred to accommodate public demand, one can certainly understand why: EUTCo’s The History Boys is an excellent example of how near pitch-perfect a university production can be.

MADDIE SOPER

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Exehibition

Every issue, Exeposé Arts features a piece of student art. This week, it’s our Screen editor and student artist, Rob Harris I’VE never considered myself artistic in any way, at least not in the traditional sense. Sure, I enjoy messing around with software like Photoshop, but give me a pencil and tell me to draw and you would be lucky to get anything more than a stick man in a tank. But out of a mixture of light peer-pressure and the general attitude of “fuck it, it’s the last issue”, I put my marker pen drawings forward.

I started doing these drawings when I realised that my essay ritual of writing a few words, playing FIFA,

Exeter Revue Improv Night M and D room

10 March “I’M going to go right to the back, that’s where the giggles are”, Edd Cornforth, the friendly and funny host said as we drew the scenarios and lines out of the hat. Within five minutes we are laughing beyond restraint, a trend that continued sporadically throughout the hour long show, chock-full of improvisation and confusion.

The Exeter Revue’s Improv Night plays on bizarre scenarios and characters being thrown together to create unrestrained laughter, sometimes from the actors themselves, with no topic or joke off-limits. The laughter rises and crashes throughout the evening, with a few awkward pieces and gags that fall foul of taste – but these are all in the spirit of the night.

I was in tears as they gyrated to ridiculous comic effect The recurrent game “World’s Worst”, which plays upon a format of one-liners on topics determined by the audience, runs throughout the night to mixed, but engaging effect. For instance, “Worlds Worst Teacher” pro-

vided great satire, from incompetent cover tutors to raucously inappropriate caricatures. The repetition of this particular game allows the audience to think up suggestions, a fun distraction from other, more complicated games.

The Revue used role play in various longer games to hilarious effect.

Sarah Gough and Oli Gilford are standout performers in these various skits with brilliant commitment to their ridiculous roles. Belly-laughing is unavoidable when Gough throws herself on the floor to imitate a jealous slug without hesitation, or when Gilford assumes the role of a lovestruck Disney character, awkwardly breaking out in song to the point of hilarity. Poppy Harrison’s musical renditions, both with Gilford and solo, should also be commended for sheer whimsy.

Sadly, there are a few sketches that fall a little flat. Replaying common movie scenes in different formats plays heavily upon stereotype and simplicity of obvious tropes, struggling to warrant such a large amount of the Revue’s precious hour. There are also a few jokes which can feel stagnant due to subject matter; a lead balloon regarding women and reverse parking comes to mind.

The Revue could possibly benefit with shaking up pairings. Ricky Freelove and Sarah Gough spent most of the night performing brilliantly with each other, but I would have loved to seen things mixed up with Jack Smail or Oli Gilford, who also predominately worked together. There are also a few

minor teething problems with organisation, such as performers stood on stage waiting for a topic that has not yet been chosen, but these are minor problems and very easily forgiven.

The Revue’s night of bolstered comic chaos was a success My most enjoyable moment featured Sarah Gough and Ricky Freelove sparring fantastically, mimicking the infamous “I’m king of the world” Titanic scene, as if in a porno. I was in tears as they gyrated to ridiculous comic effect, not the only time the theatre was swallowed by my chortling hysteria.

Regardless of a handful of flat notes, the Revue’s night of bolstered comic chaos is a success. All of the cast can be proud of their sharp wits and the natural rapport they all have on the stage, which leaves the audience giggling infectiously. Unscripted comedy is always a risky move, but the Revue have asserted themselves as a reliable night at the theatre for a laugh.

LOUIS DORÉ NEWS EDITOR

getting frustrated and then repeating the process was maybe not the most relaxing way to approach my deadlines. As an avid Breaking Bad watcher, I had a few pictures saved and began to mess around with them on Photoshop.

After applying various filters and fiddling around, I ended up with basic images made out of black, white and grey. I then realised – I have paper, I have a black marker pen, I have a pencil, and I have extreme apathy towards my work; let’s do this.

The advantage of working with thick, obvious shapes is that you can

be extremely rough with your preliminary sketches. In the end you’re just going to lather on black in like there’s no tomorrow, so as long as the gist of the image is there you have a lot of leeway. I may not be able to do fine detail to save my life and each stroke of the pen or pencil is painfully obvious, but the result is satisfying all the same.

I may not be able to do any pictures without wringing it through Photoshop and constantly looking up at the screen, but it’s become a mainstay in fighting essay tedium.

Interested in having your art published? Get in touch with arts@ exepose.com

Gilbert and Sullivan’s Iolanthe Northcott Theatre

12 - 15 March GILBERT and Sullivan Society’s Iolanthe was full of floaty fairies, plenty of light humour and an excellently rendered score. Despite this, it was unfortunately underwhelming. Catering for their ‘town’ audience, it was a particularly gentle comic operetta which lacked pace in certain places.

That being the case there were definitely stand-out performances from several of the cast members, and the wind and percussion sections of the band deserve special mention.

Opening on a woodland scene, we were introduced to the vast cast of fairies who populate the production with appropriately vapid smiles and an air of faux mysticism. Amidst the glittering flounces of fairy dances, the scene is set; the protagonist Strephon has fallen in love with Phyllis, who is protected as a Ward of the Court. In the fairies attempt to reconcile Strephon’s station with his love, misunderstandings ensue. The climax of the operetta is the most emotionally convincing scene, but the tension breaks a moment later when all loose ends are tied up in an amusingly neat conclusion to the show.

Unfortunately, Iolanthe doesn’t live up to previous G&S shows or other Northcott productions, which is

perhaps partly to do with the choice of operetta and possibly to do with what seems to have been a lack of direction.

The show had some topical applications, with satirical commentary on politics and equal rights, but there was a lack of narrative which made the production stodgy rather than witty.

That’s not to say that the show was not successful in other areas of humour. Olivia Luder was clearly on form as Fleta, and Charlie Hughes had impeccable comic timing as Private Wilkes. However the comic entertainment of the evening definitely came from Daniel Morris as the Lord Chancellor – his rich voice and expressive face was the source of many belly laughs, which broke the monotony of the slower musical numbers. The Fairy Queen, played by Lucy Harrison, is also worth a mention – her husky deep voice was lovely to listen to. It made a stark contrast to Nicola Wilkes’ clear high voice who had an incredible vocal strength as Phyllis.

The cast and production team obviously had a blast creating Iolanthe and it really comes through in the performances, but it was obviously a first night, and there seemed to be quite a lack of new faces. Overall, however, the show was an uplifting and a pleasant evening of light entertainment.

NATALIE GARCES-BOVETT

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Stealing gamers’ hearts?

Sophisticated stealth game or glorified magpie simulation? Adam Smith gives his review of rebooted Thief Thief Square Enix

X360/XOne, PS3/PS4, PC

Out now STEALTH games are few and far between, which is why I’m always excited when a new one comes out of the AAA market. The idea of sneaking and not having to kill every enemy that comes your way is a novelty that occurs far too few times.

Thief is technically the fourth in the Thief franchise but is, for all intents and purposes a reboot. Square Enix’s Eidos Montreal, the developers behind the reboot of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, made the game and thus I expected great things. Unfortunately, my aspirations were set too high, and Thief ends up tripping over its own feet in the darkness it’s

trying to master.

The plot is based around Garrett, a master thief who accompanies a female thief Erin for general thievery. On the rooftops, the pair stumbles upon a mystical cult and Erin falls through their glass ceiling into the magical force they’re generating. Garrett jumps down to save her, but the magical charge causes the walls around them to collapse, with a large bit of debris hitting Garrett, giving him amnesia. Yeah, that route again.

In Thief, the magic backstory does not seem to have any influence on the plot other than just as a maguffin so that we can traverse the city (which is called The City. And is run by a baron called The Baron. Whoever works in the ‘Naming Stuff’ department of this game is not pulling their weight).

Mechanics and gameplay-wise, it does not get much better. The first-per-

son platforming is still better than it was in EA’s Mirrors Edge, but only because the game will not let you jump to your death off a ledge, so any gratification of performing a difficult manoeuvre is removed by the game’s hand-holding.

While the stealth is quite good, and the adjustable HUD means you can have as much or as little help as you want, Thief has chosen to adopt one of the worst (I feel) game controls ever: the Assassin’s Creed “Omnipotent Spacebar”, as I’ve fondly dubbed it. By this, I mean rather than have a jump button, usually assigned to the spacebar, the game will check your surroundings and decide whether the player is in a situation where they want to jump. Which would be great if it appeared natural, but the difference between what is climbable furniture and what is just texture on a wall is not clear - to escape some guards

I ended up pressing spacebar frantically against a crate that did not really exist.

In Thief, failure is almost an inescapable option and this is not a good thing.

In Dishonored, you could run away and hide, or at least clumsily fight your way out of capture. Garrett is only armed with arrows, and does not have the speed to escape a pursuing guard. So in Thief, if a guard finds you, you are dead. You cannot escape through a window ledge like you could in Dishonored, because the level design and the “challenge” of finding all the stealable items means that some rooms just have one entrance, boxing the player in. Not only is this frustrating, but inevitably having to leave the same way soon gets dull, and actually puts players off exploring the world more. On a lighter note (literally) everything that can be stolen has a very notable shine to it, which really puts the

player into the perspective of a kleptomaniac with the tendencies of a magpie.

However, I do not know how Garrett can move so stealthily when I have just stolen about 20 inkwells and a greater number of spoons than are in the screenplay for The Room.

Thief 2014 is a solid game, but there was so much more it could have been.

A few more hours on some of the level designs, a few more days work streamlining the plot, and completely removing the ‘Focus Vision’ mechanic that is basically ‘Detective Mode’ from Batman Arkham Asylum would have made this game really great. While it is definitely a good game, and one I would recommend, the £50 price tag associated with it for the Xbox One and the Playstation 4 is…Well, it’s robbery.

Brown, sticky, and taking the mickey

The latest in the South Park series may remain true to the TV show, but is that enough to make it a decent game?

South Park: The Stick of Truth Obsidian Entertainment

X360, PS3, PC

Out now SOUTH PARK games have a reputation for being pretty bad. The original on the Nintendo 64 was a bland shooter, Chef ’s Luv Shack was a poor Mario Party rip-off, and the recent Scott Tenorman’s Revenge was a mediocre platformer. Can The Stick of Truth finally redeem the South Park game franchise?

The first thing to note is the game looks exactly like South Park. Obsidian has done a fantastic job in replicating the crappy animation of the series in game form. The characters move exactly like they would in the show and the town is fully mapped out for the player to explore. You are

definitely playing in the remote little mountain town, complete with all the Underpants Gnomes, Crab People and talking pieces of poo that you’ve come to know and love. The sound design is true to the show as well, with classic songs like ‘Blame Canada’ and ‘Vote or Die’ playing when you enter shops.

The writing in the game is also what you would expect from Matt and Trey. South Park’s glorious crudeness is kept intact, with item descriptions calling back to previous episodes, side-quests dealing with fan-favourite characters and the language as filthy as always. Some parts are shocking even for South Park, but are still goddamn hilarious. However, the writing struggles to find the balance between call-backs to previous South Park lore and creating original jokes. One plot point about undead fascists being overdone in videogames is a nice little gag the first time, but then becomes tired

when it gets integrated into the main plot. However, these are minor niggles at what is a brilliantly written game.

However, the game does suffer from something I have termed ‘Ni No Kuni Syndrome’. This is where actual gameplay takes a backseat to the game’s writing, score and art design. The battle system in the game is just not that interesting, without any ma-

jor departures from typical turn-based combat found in other RPGs. By doing sidequests, you can quickly have the best equipment to breeze through any fight.

Hilarious writing means the game should be picked up by any South Park fan right away There are no innovations in the dungeon department either, with simple corridors and the occasional branching path now and then. Solving puzzles is not very intuitive, with fiddly quicktime events that take a lot of getting used to. Also, the game is quite short, with the main quest taking no more than eight to ten hours to complete and side-quests adding only two to three more hours to the overall playtime.

Again, this does not make The Stick of Truth bad, just a bit disappointing. With Obsidian’s RPG pedigree and Matt and Trey’s flair for pushing boundaries, I was expecting something a little less pedestrian than what they present.

Still, The Stick of Truth is a game which any RPG or South Park fan should pick up right away. The writing is hilarious the majority of the time, poking fun at gaming clichés in South Park’s trademark style. It looks exactly how South Park should and the gameplay, while uninspired, gives you enough fun and enjoyment to take you through what is essentially Season 18. If you’re ready to fight hobos, fart on people and laugh your arse off, The Stick of Truth is for you.

SAM FOXALL

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

GAMES

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Switching Screens

39

The Last of Us fungus spreads to cinemas

Naughty Dog in uncharted waters?

Following the loss of creative director Amy Hennig, Harry Shepherd discusses what’s next for the Uncharted series THE UNCHARTED series encompasses some of the best games that I have ever played. They have swept me away on excellent, Indiana Jones-esque adventures, complemented by graphics that have consistently set new bars for the industry. Imagine the amount of emotional turbulence I felt when, after the March announcement of a debut Uncharted game on Playstation 4, I read that its lead writer and director Amy Hennig will be leaving within a matter of months.

Hennig’s exit raises serious questions about how Uncharted PS4 and later instalments will be shaped. Having recently celebrated a ten year stint at Sony’s first party developer, Hennig played a central role in the creation of all three Uncharted games. Soon after the rumours had begun to spread, Sony confirmed the news: “We can confirm that Amy Hennig has left Naughty Dog. Amy has made significant contributions to the game industry…the development timeline of Uncharted will not be impacted”.

Massive sighs of relief all round then. But scrutiny has been levelled at Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann and

Bruce Straley. It has been rumoured that they forced out Hennig. This was swiftly debunked by Naughty Dog, who stressed that these stories were “unprofessionally misreported” in a statement issued on their company website. Reports prior to this statement implied that Druckmann and Straley would be filling Hennig’s intimidatingly large shoes, to take Uncharted in a new, grittier direction.

Both developers have been much praised for their work on The Last of Us, which told a richly emotive narrative in a hopeless, post-apocalyptic setting. Here, every bullet counted and every life taken weighed heavily on the heart of the player. Uncharted is a rather distinct beast in that sense, as everyman Nathan Drake will happily murder hundreds of assailants with a wink and a cheeky quip. This then will inevitably throw up questions as to how Uncharted will change under the new leadership.

Will Druckmann and Straley preserve the gun-happy, light-hearted adventuring seen in Uncharted’s past?

Work on the game is already well underway according to Hennig’s Twitter

feed, who was pictured working with new addition Todd Stashwick in a motion-capture suit before her departure.

The final product is currently TBA with regards to a release date, but it is expected late 2015. The narrative is likely all but finalised.

However, this still leaves the future of the Uncharted series uncertain, as there is significant scope for change in future instalments. This is a perfect time for a reinvention, or at least a development, in the series and developers such as Druckmann and Straley are perfect for the challenge. The narrative in The Last of Us, backed up by its thematically appropriate gameplay, simply left the comparably weak plots of Uncharted in the dust. With new leaders at the helm, Uncharted PS4 could be taking an exciting new direction.

I’m currently getting carried away by the romantic idea of a much more mature, interesting Drake, but the magnificent work Hennig has put in in her decade long tenure should not be forgotten. Nevertheless, the Uncharted series is in more than capable hands, perhaps even better hands than ever before.

Nostalgia Hit: Pro Skater

Skate into the past with the classic Tony Hawk Pro Skater series

WHAT better way to end the term than to reminisce about the first game I can remember playing and one which I have the fondest memories for in my earliest gaming years. It spawned a stream of successive sequels in its wake, with each iteration providing new challenges and modes. The franchise may have disappeared in recent years but playing any version of the series reminds you just how great they are. I’m of course talking about the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series, focussing on the legendary first release. As debut releases go, this is certainly up there with the best.

The most enjoyable aspect is its “pick up and play” factor - anyone can have a go The general aim of the game is to complete a series of challenges in each level, collecting enough video tapes to progress to the next. Yep, this was from a time when VCRs were still favoured!

The challenges range from more basic goals such as achieving a set score and collecting the letters “S-K-A-T-E” positioned throughout the level, to finding the elusive “hidden tape”, placed

seemingly way out of reach. As you progress through the levels, ranging from a school, to a shopping mall and even Roswell, the challenges become increasingly difficult.

The most enjoyable aspect about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater is its “pick up and play” factor. Anyone can have a go at this game and enjoy any of the game modes, fooling around and trying to pull off the most ludicrous of tricks. In no way is the game realistic, but that only adds to the enjoyment. What’s more, there is also a multiplayer mode with a variety of trick-based games to enjoy too.

Split-screen head-to-head action at its best! The large, vibrant levels are well-designed and packed full of ramps, rails and pipes; a skateboarder’s dream. You play as one of ten professional skaters, including the likes of Tony Hawk and Bob

SO it’s happened again. The latest masterpiece of the gaming world is being prepped for adaptation on the big screen. However, with its stunning visuals, gripping storyline, and brilliant mo-cap performances, why are we suddenly so desperate to see The Last of Us as a film, when many already see it as the pinnacle of immersive and cinematic gameplay?

Video games have moved on from the blank smiling faces of the PlayStation 1, with its dodgy linear movements from cube shaped characters.

Today characters are expressive, with intricate detail and muscle movement in faces. What’s more, with actors like Troy Baker, Nolan North and even mainstream film actors such as Ellen Page and Wilhem Defoe signing on for a piece of the action, your average game has the potential for rich character development and moving stories on a par, or perhaps even beyond the capabilities of your big screen blockbuster.

Yet still there is a desire to translate these narratives into film. The struggles of the character are enforced on the player in a way that film cannot always convey. We are carrying out the action, and feel more deeply affected when that character in which we have become so emotionally invested faces failure, defeat or loss. The entire infrastructure of The Last of Us is shaped by Joel’s paternal motivations, which we are inclined to be more sympathetic to having experienced the origins of this post-apocalyptic world from his perspective. So while there is great material for a move to cinema, something could be missing from a film if it were to pursue the same narrative. The majority of scenery and characters will probably have to be

There is great material for a move to cinema, but something could be missing This could be a great film: all of the key components are there, and it already has a loyal fanbase to push it past the eternal pending stage that has thwarted so many previous titles. But essentially, that is my problem. Gaming has already built itself up into an engaging cinematic experience, and the two just don’t lie in such different fields as people seem to think anymore. This film is either going to have to really push the boundaries, or risk feeling like a remake of what is now a classic game and visual narrative.

EMILY MCINDOE

Dark as Knight

Will the next Arkham title rise to the challenge?

ROCKSTEADY has been pretty sneaky with the Arkham series. Allowing Warner Bros. Montreal to create Arkham Origins as an incremental instalment means people are even more excited about the final part of Rocksteady’s own trilogy Arkham Knight.

I want to see what happens after Arkham City. The ending had interesting consequences for Batman and Gotham, and Scarecrow has united an impressive collection of rogues to take them down. The cast is also impressively strong, with Kevin Conroy reprising his role as Batman. I love it when franchises have the same cast, because it brings you back into the world after you’ve been away for a while.

Oracle and Commissioner Gordon will also be key players – isn’t it exciting?

– but most mysterious is the militarized version of Batman, the Arkham Knight.

Who is the Arkham Knight?

The most likely candidates seem to be either Thomas Elliot, or Hush, the serial killer who impersonated Bruce Wayne in Arkham City or Jason Todd, CHRIS PASSEY former Robin-turned-vigilante who

Burnquist, and you’ll probably find the character modelling highly amusing.

Considering this game was released in 1999 the skaters look a darn sight better than many characters in contemporary sports titles.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater spawned a generation of new skateboard lovers, even those who didn’t even skate! Subsequent iterations of the franchise built upon the debut’s success, adding additional features such as customisable characters, creatable skate parks and ingame monetary elements.

However, for me, it is in the first game where the nostalgia lies. As a kid I was forever playing this game and I even had a habit of violently moving the controller upwards in an attempt to make my skater jump higher (please tell me I’m not alone with that one!) It may not have been the most advanced graphically, but what it lacked in visuals it more than made up for in the entertainment department. I highly recommend trying to find a copy or even downloading the HD version. It’s an absolute riot!

computer generated anyway, leaving even less possibility for variation from the original game. The strong performances and visuals are already there, it’s just the player no longer will be.

One of the core elements of this game is survival, and fighting off either particularly tricky singular enemies or hordes of them all attacking at once.

These moments have great potential for expansion: the high school level has some great classic game-play that mixes stealth moves and a short boss battle, but I can imagine this being stretched out and played up a lot more for a film.

Taking advantage of the eerie setting and the use of school kids as enemies could be interesting to explore.

has fewer qualms about killing than Batman.

There are also big plans in store for the game itself. The world is apparently five times bigger than City with brilliant levels of detail, and there are new additions to the combat system which will include bigger fights. And we can drive the Batmobile, which is pretty much the Tumbler from the Nolan film trilogy. Enough said.

The Arkham trilogy has been consistently good, probably the best superhero titles by some distance.

Rocksteady has delivered with these games in terms of story, gameplay and characters and I love them to pieces.

So what do I want Rocksteady to do?

Well, have a decent story for one thing.

The Arkham games have had brilliant stories and the rest of the game will fall into place if they g e t t h a t right.

The Batmobile is a good start to new features, but it’ll be interesting to see what else they come up with. Don’t screw this up Rocksteady.

THOMAS DAVIES

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GAMES

18 MARCH 2014 |

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EXEPOSÉ

Some like it hot: the top five gaming dragons

Rob Harris, Screen Editor, pays tribute to the most majestic scaled fantasy creature of all time 5. Red Dragon – I’ll admit that I never got very far in Demon’s Souls. It was fantastic, but at the time I really did not have the patience. I would crawl hands and knees back to FIFA nearly every time I died and lost all my souls, that is if I hadn’t thrown my controller and gone to lie down in a dark room beforehand.

That said, I did get far enough to encounter the mighty Red Dragon. As one of the first major bosses you come across, he is intimidating from the outset. You may want to gear up beforehand, but chances are you’re just going to die and curl up in a ball and cry anyway.

4. Singe – This may be one dragon that was well beyond our time, appearing in 1983’s classic rotoscoped adventure Dragon’s Lair, but he still definitely warrants a spot on this list. He’s everything you could possibly ask for in a dragon: he’s big, he’s green, he’s evil and he loves nothing more than to kick back and relax in his gangsta castle chocked full of enough gold and treasure to make 2Chainz blush.

Not only that, he kidnaps princesses.

Try getting THAT one back, Mario…

(Luigi, you’re still really cool, you can achieve anything you want to in life).

3 . Paarthurnax – In Skyrim you are never going to be short of Dragons. I mean, you’re the dragon-born, so it kind o f comes with the job, y’know?

It was always going to be a tight race between him and Alduin, but whilst Alduin is evil incarnate and wields unimaginable power, Paarthurnax manages to replicate all of that badassery just through wisdom alone. He becomes your

Game over

The Games Editors bid farewell with their favourite video game ending

aid, helping you in the fight to save all of Tamriel from a second Dragon War. All I can say is, if you decided to team up with the Blades to kill him at the end, you are a very bad person; a very bad person indeed.

2. Spyro – Let’s think back; WAY back, all the way back to 1998 when developers Insomniac Games first let the tiny purple dragon loose onto all of our screens. Back then, all we had to worry about was collecting gems, hassling sheep and flying about

giving minimal shits. It was fun in its purest form and arguably helped define the Playstation 1 as everyone’s

go-to entertainment system. Of course, he may have been that one spot higher if he was still around to bring joy to our boring dragon-less lives. Skylanders doesn’t count. Like, ever.

1. Charizard – First things first… he is a dragon. Yes I know he isn’t dragon type, but he’s reptilian, he’s got wings, he breaths fire – he’s a fucking dragon, OK? For me and millions throughout the world, Charizard was undoubtedly one of the series’ most memorable and beloved of Pokémon. Be it watching his cocky antics on the anime or tenderly rearing him from the first time you picked a starter all the way back in Gen I, he is in nearly every gamer’s hearts. He may not be the biggest and he may not be the strongest, but he is by far the best.

A new beginning...

The new Games Editors, Adam Smith and Josh Creek welcome in a new era with their favourite beginning

MY favourite video game ending of recent years has to be that of Square Enix’s Tomb Raider. After the epic battle with Queen Himiko and her army to save their friend, the survivors escape, taking to the calm seas as the skies clear and the evil forces that had control over the island evaporate.

Having fought for her own life and the lives of her co-workers, Lara looks out to sea and contemplates what the future could hold.

In many ways, my Exeposé Games adventures have mirrored Lara Croft’s experiences in Yamatai. Traversing the treacherous slope of Forum hill to get to the Exeposé office, wading through pages of content, suffering mul-

tiple paper cuts and dealing with Exeter’s hostile weather conditions have left me facing life or death choices: curly fries or Dominos pizza for dinner? Is Cheesey Tuesday really a good idea after press day? I can only look into the sunset and ponder.

Now that my time as Games Editor has come to and end, and the section goes on to new and exciting things I look forward to seeing how it can develop and grow. Equally, while my Exeposé adventure may have (so far) been more enjoyable than those of the unfortunate ship wrecked crew in the game, I hope the skills I’ve learnt will help me in my new position. Particularly archery.

GEMMA JOYCE

ALL the best characters have their flaws and the Pokémon professors are no exception. Your very first glimpse of the Pokémon world is dear old Professor Oak who, although not as gender-confused as his successors, has asked your name and now wants to tell you all about his grandson. You care about this, naturally, as “he’s been your rival since you were a baby” – there’s a catch though, Oak’s next question: “Erm, what is his name again?” Once you’ve entered a suitably comical/inappropriate name for his grandson he suddenly remembers it.

Convenient that.

Having exited the ethereal world of Oak’s introductions you awake in your bedroom as a young boy and, after spamming the A-button to skip over Oak’s deeply interesting conversation, find yourself playing your very own SNES. Neat.

Leaving the house you enter Pallet

Town, a land of black and white (or red and white on GameBoy Colour) grass and water. Right from the off you’re warned about the dangers of Pokémon.

Just try and leave Pallet Town and Oak’ll stop you telling you “it’s unsafe!” Everyone needs their own Pokémon to protect themselves against the wild ones. You don’t have your own or know how to get one. Cue Pokémon Red’s first deus ex machina. Oak has one you can have. You follow him to his laboratory where his grandson is waiting for him. Apparently Oak forgot he told him to come but to make it up to his grandson Oak gives you first pick of the three Pokémon he has available.

Whether you choose Charmander, Squirtle or Bulbasaur you’re guaranteed to love and cherish them. After you’ve been out exploring the world for a little while Oak gives you a Pokédex and challenges you to “Catch ‘em all”.

Then that’s it – you’re free to make your own way in the Pokémon world.

The graphics might not be up to much nowadays, but the low-bit loveliness of Pokémon Red still holds the power to rally players’ hearts to the cause – becoming the greatest Pokémon trainer and beating the Champion of the Elite Four to claim his title. For Adam and I our very own Exeposé legend is about to unfold! A world of dreams and adventures with Games and Technology awaits! Let’s go!

JOSH CREEK

ENDINGS are always difficult. The more time you invest in a game, the more a good ending is worth. But it can be hard to strike the balance between rewarding the player for a job well done and boring them with predictability. Should you pander to the player, or throw them a curveball?

I like my endings open. I’d rather be looking forward to future adventures than feeling like the story has totally stopped. Or finding out all the characters have died. That’s not to say that sad endings are bad, but nothing kills the replay buzz faster. Favourite doesn’t necessarily mean the best.

Mass Effect 2 is one of my favour-

ite games of all time, and a lot of that is down to the ending. How the story plays out relies heavily on your choices during the game, especially during the final mission. It’s quite simplistic, but does make you feel responsible and the ending more personal.

J u s t throw in some inspiring music, a few shots of the main character staring defiantly into space, and you’re all set for a feel-good euphoria.

So what makes Mass Effect 2 so great for me? Achieving something awesome, but looking towards the future where the stakes are suddenly higher. And it’s in space, just like the Exeposé office.

BECKY MULLEN

IN contrast to Josh’s better-known title, I’ve gone for something a little more mysterious. Bastion by Supergiant Games might be one of my favourite indie games ever made, and most of that is because of the elegance of its opening sequence.

Beginning in medias res, an unnamed ‘kid’ wakes on a floating platform to discover his world has been destroyed. The vibrant colours and cartoonish imagery perfectly contrasts the musky tones. Upon receiving your first weapon within seconds, and finding that almost all of the scenery can be destroyed, the player already feels like they have actual influence in the game’s world.

The narration also pushes the player into further exploration. With apparently no need for a greater explanation, the narrator tells the player about the enemies - “Squirts” and “Gas Fellas” - that inhabit the world. There is just enough mystery to encourage the player forward, without all the technical jargon that interferes with other games of this type. I’m looking at you, Skyrim.

Normally, this would not work. Normally, the mentions of placenames like ‘Caelondia’ would distance the player from feeling like they are part of the game’s lore. But because of the speed at which the first five minutes let

you change scenery – from your home, to an inn, to a jungle scenario – the player can feel at home with the unusual names. It feels accessible. It almost feels homely.

Finally, the game’s introduction is witty, poking fun at the idea of a tutorial.

As the ground rises under the kid’s feet as he runs across the map, the narrator says that “He don’t stop to wonder why” – because the player doesn’t think about why the mechanics of the game are like this, they just react to it. And when the kid finds his hammer, it’s called a “touching reunion”. Because I played this on my iPad, I found this a particularly nice introduction to the game controls.

While Bastion might not be the ‘best’ introduction, simply because games like Half Life 2 and The Last of Us also exist, it is one of the most fun and enjoyable ones that I’ve played.

ADAM SMITH

YOUR SABBS Negotiated

from Collegiate apartments

to hold a one-off

ASYLUM SEEKERS

pay Home fees not International fees

MUSIC EVENT in the

Secured University commitment to install

GENDER NEUTRAL TOILETS and baby changing facilities in the Forum

Conducted the

Exeter Experience survey which was answered by

Project Managed the first Guild-wide INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY celebrations

VP ACADEMIC Ran a campaign to

KEEP MOBILE PHONES OUT OF EXAMS

which saw a 60% reduction in phone-related academic misconduct in January 2014

Suppor ted the introduction of

secured

6 NEW COLLEGE OFFICERS

Forum Library study spaces

164 NEW

who are making impor tant changes at college level

114 new

Devonshire House study spaces Campaigned for the introduction of

150 NEW

eBART

plug sockets

36

which has already saved students

and

£40,000 in printing costs

VP PARTICIPATION & CAMPUSES

VP WELFARE & COMMUNITY

ALEX JAK

£10,000

HELPING ENSURE THAT

HANNAH

PRESIDENT

Secured a

new PGR bookable spaces

100% INCREASE IN SOCIETY FUNDING

for 2013/14

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING WEEK to raise awareness and remove stigma around mental health

LOBBIED THE UNIVERSITY to invest in wellbeing services resulting in recruitment of

2 NEW MEMBERS OF STAFF

Project Managed

The Housing Fair attended by over

2,000 students

65 20 &

LANDLORDS

LETTING AGENTS

re-launched

CHRIS

led

SENSEEXETER.COM to make it more accessible and student friendly

Worked with the COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICER to divert

10 tonnes of glass from landfill in 2013

bringing the total to £25,000 Lobbied the University to introduce a

MINIBUS SHUTTLE between

Streatham & St. Luke’s Revamped the ACTIVITIES FAIR which saw

RECORD SIGN-UPS for many societies

worked with

THE RAM BAR to introduce a

BREAKFAST MENU every day

and new,

bigger SPORTS SCREENS

42

SPORT

18 MARCH 2014 |

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

EXEPOSÉ

EULHC 1st XI lose out in BUCS Semis

Photos: Edwin Yeung

L�����’ H�����

Scarlett Freeman-Bassett Sports Team

BUCS Trophy Semi Final EULHC 1s 1 Loughborough 1s 3 DESPITE the fantastic amount of support on the sidelines, the firsts were outplayed this Wednesday by a determined Loughborough team, beating them in order to gain the sought after place in the finals by three goals to Exeter’s one.

Exeter began the match with great spirit and took control, gaining two long corners in the first five minutes.

Other than a few close calls such as Loughborough’s first shot on goal being a fantastic strike just wide of the goal on their first short corner, Exeter seemed to be comfortable and maintained possession well, above all

thanks to the strong defensive force of Izzy Grigg and Kathryn Lane.

The positive feedback continued; thanks to a well taken short corner leading to a great shot slotted into the bottom right corner from Bobbie Burkin, the morale was lifted and Exeter seemed bursting with a new found confidence, giving them the lead at this crucial point just before half time.

Whilst this was a confidence boost for the home side, it seemed to bring out Loughborough’s fighting spirit.

Their tactic of man-to-man marking finally took effect soon after the Exeter goal, leading to a change in possession and the eventual breaking down of Exeter’s originally faultless defence.

Loughborough’s inevitable goal eventually came, but it’s fair to say that it was due to their skill and teamwork rather than any error from Exeter.

After a brilliant cross in from the right wing, the ball was simply tapped in by the player on the post – a completely well deserved goal. This came just

moments before the half time whistle, leaving the home side feeling rather dejected going into the second half.

Loughborough’s inevitable goal eventually came, due to their skill and teamwork rather than any error from Exeter As the second half began, it was as if the home supporters could sense the despondent vibes amongst the players so the noise levels and supportive atmosphere picked up hugely in the early stages. After a brilliant mid-air early save from Lottie Winnett and some great attacking play from Vice Captain Alice Woods, it seemed as if the morale was picking up and Exeter were close to clinching the winning goal. Yet that wasn’t the case. Out of

nowhere, after a messy scuffle in the ‘D’, a penalty flick was awarded to a more confident Loughborough team, which was taken with ease, and slotted into the bottom right corner, making it 2-1 to Loughborough. This undoubtedly gave the opposition the exact boost they needed and not long after this, yet another great goal was scored by Loughborough’s rapid centre forward, giving them a comfortable two goal lead.

The rest of the match was very even, with end-to-end action throughout. Despite the brilliant defence, from those such as my player of the match Izzy Grigg, it seemed, for Exeter to be too little too late. The girls struggled to pick up their spirits, and with the added time pressure the dream of a victory and a place in the finals diminished, leaving the final whistle blowing at 3-1 and an ecstatic Loughborough team making their delight blindingly clear to all spectators.

Obviously, the loss at this stage in

the competition was gutting for all involved, yet you can’t deny the fantastic

Obviously the loss at this stage in the competition was gutting for all involved, yet you can’t deny the fantastic effort put in by every member of the team right up to the final whistle effort put in by every member of the team right up to the final whistle, and as Alice Woods stated post match, despite the disappointment, the team is “dominated by freshers so there’s still a lot more to come”.

EXEPOSÉ

| WEEK TWENTY-TWO

Golf 4s through to final G��� Chris Fleming Golf Captain

WITH three of the club’s four teams competing in BUCS Semi-final Cup matches, Wednesday 12 March had the potential to be a monumental day for the EUGC. The 1s made the long trip north to face last year’s beaten finalists UCLAN. The match proved to be a tight affair and, after the morning foursomes, the scores were tied at 1.5-1.5, the win coming from Chris Fleming and Tom Thornhill and the half from Chris Johnston and Laurie Potter.

Onto the afternoon singles where the first four points were shared between the two teams, wins coming from Chris Johnston and Jack Irwin; who both fought back from three hole deficits. In the end it came down to the last match, with Fleming needing to win two of the last three holes in order to force the match into extra holes. However, he couldn’t quite manage it, and

UCLAN ran out 5.5-3.5 winners and will go onto face Stirling University in the final at Formby in May. The 2nd team made the slightly shorter trip north where Birmingham 3’s were to be the opposition round a tight Edgbaston Golf Club. After another tense morning of foursomes the score stood at 2-1 to Birmingham, the winning pairing being Katie Bradbury and Stuart Patrick. In the afternoon singles, wins from James Roberts, Katie Bradbury and Stuart Patrick were not enough to overturn the deficit and Birmingham held onto to a 5-4 win to progress through to the final.

This meant the 4th team were the club’s only hope of reaching a BUCS final this season and they did not disappoint. Carrying on their excellent form of late, they defeated Southampton 1s 3.5-2.5. The points came from Ben Alexander, Ben Smith and James Pratt whilst Jack Sears secured the all-important half. They will go onto to play the final against Swansea’s 1st team in Wales at the end of the month.

£1079 raised by EUSC varsity

S������� Anne-Marie Clifford EUSC Secretary

THIS year’s EUSC’s Varsity event was a huge success, with Exeter A Team defending their title as winners, narrowly beating their rivals Bath by 11 points.

Exeter Legends came 3rd, just ahead of Bristol, who unfortunately beat the Exeter B team. As a result of all the fundraising that took place on the day and in the run up to the event, EUSC

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Photo: EUSC

managed to raise a staggering £1079 for the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice, the only adult Hospice caring for terminally ill people and their families across the whole of West Surrey and part of North East Hampshire. This is the most that EUSC have ever raised for a charity, and the club are very proud to support the hospice. The committee members of EUSC would like to thank everyone for their hard work and commitment to fundraising, as well as everyone who helped with the running of the event.

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Windriders defend title

K���������� Naomi Pacific Windriders Club Member

LAST week Exeter Windriders returned triumphant after a weekend of sun, rain, wind and waves, bringing home Gold from the student kitesurfing freestyle nationals at Westward-ho! securing their position as the top UK University Kitesurf club for the second year in a row.

First up were the intermediates, from the three strongly contended heats only six riders made it through to the finals, four of which were from Exeter.

After an epic 10 minute final with winds up to 30 knots, the six finalists threw down their biggest moves. In the end Exeter cleared up the podium with Josh Clarkson taking bronze, Ned Aufenast in silver and Ross Brown getting gold.

After a short break it was time for the advanced riders. Exeter’s Oliver Rubenstein and Sam Evans (both having earned podium finishes last year in the intermediates category) put on an amazing performance but both narrowly missed out on the podium.

Finally, the most anticipated category, the Pros. As the crowds lined the waterline the winds picked up and the four professional kitesurfers headed out into the swell, among them Flexifoil rider and University of Exeter student

Liam Proctor.

This was an amazing display of skill and bravery with riders jumping in excess of 50ft above the water. Exeter’s Liam Proctor came in first, without doubt due to him pulling off a world’s first ‘salmon to blind’, a trick both impressive and risky.

Photo: Adam Barstow

“I was delighted to be able to announce (Exeter’s) names during the prize giving”, said Proctor, part of the SKA committee and the judging panel.

“There were definitely some personal best performances, even for the guys that didn’t make it onto the podium”.

Exeter also received special mentions for the biggest air of the day from Oliver Rubinstein in advanced, and the quickest crumpling kite for Thibault Bain in intermediate.

The intermediate category pulled off a wide range of well executed tricks, Billy Parr in intermediates and Zeynep Karabuda in particular having stand out performances.

These accumulated achievements made Exeter the overall winners of the SKA 2013/14 trophy, making it the second consecutive year that the club returned to Exeter victoriously.

“Exeter were under a lot of pressure as the previous national champions, and were presented with far from ideal conditions”, said Ned Aufenast, kitesurf captain.

Despite the grey sky, varying wind speeds, and the final gush of rain, the competition was fantastic to watch with many successes throughout.

Exeter’s success could undoubtedly be related to their strong support squad, who accompanied the kitesurfers for the weekend, providing strong encouragement on the beach.

The weekend was a huge success for Exeter University Windriders, especially considering that many of the intermediate category from Exeter, including Browne who got gold, had never kite-surfed before coming to University.

“The spirit of the competition was great”, Proctor said.

“I was riding with friends and Flexifoil team mates and just went out to have fun on the water during my heat”.

The overall weekend saw the Exeter team come home triumphant and the Exeter support squad eager to get kiting and make Exeter proud again at next year’s round of nationals.

ly found themselves in, achieving the Championship high of three strikes in a game, including a double.

Special mention must go to Emily Tanner, whose unconventional technique led to throwing the ball directly into the gutter, only for it to bounce out and floor nine pins.

Owen Keating, following the defeat

for Team Drewett, said: “Despite underperforming, abdicating our responsibilities and proving generally inadequate, we remain validated by the fact that we put our heart and soul into it, giving 110% for the duration of the contest”.

Following the event’s success, the next Exeposé Bowling Championship is scheduled for March 2015.

Exeter were under a lot of pressure as the previous national champions, but they all performed well

Team Jenner bowl over the opposition E������ B������ Jon Jenner Editor

LAST Tuesday saw the inaugural Exeposé Committee Bowling Championship, which ended in a comfortable 2-0 win for Editor Jon Jenner’s team.

The first game dramatically ended with a high score draw between Rob Harris and Kitty Howie, with Jenner’s team narrowly taking the average score 109-106.

The second game was a far clearer win, with the barriers coming down and separating the professionals from the amateurs. Jenner put in a captain’s performance to deliver a high score of 118, with his team destroying the average score by a clean 20 points, winning

97-77.

The first game started slowly, with only a handful of spares across both teams in the first few frames. It exploded into life in the fourth frame with a strike from the unlikeliest of sources – Emily Tanner, Deputy Editor and member of Team Drewett.

The scores started climbing quickly for both teams; two late strikes from Lifestyle Editor Kitty Howie, of Team Drewett, led to her high score, with a strike eventually coming for both Jenner and News Editor Louis Doré on the opposing team. The game ended with a first strike from Ricky Freelove, Arts Editor, of Team Drewett. Billed at the start as the most talented player available, he undeniably struggled to find form, and was frequently found shout-

ing at pins and friends that he had failed to bowl over.

The barriers fell for the second game, opening floodgates of mediocrity for both teams. Gutterballs became infinitely more common than spares, plaguing Team Drewett in particular, ultimately costing them the game.

The game descended swiftly into bad bowling and worse chat, with the two teams roaring their approval for anything above a seven.

The strikes finally came, two from Coombes-Roberts, and Jenner and Doré again notching one each. Megan Furborough, Screen Editor of Team Drewett, also achieved a strike, with Freelove finally finding form with a double. Drewett did her best to drag her team from the gutter they general-

Photo: Jon Jenner

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EXEPOSÉ

Exeposé Sport’s Top Ten

1.

Richie Goulding

2.

Polo Open Team

3.

Snooker & Pool 1st

4.

-81kg BUCS Champion -First Boxer in Exeter history to win BUCS -Selected for England Students v Ireland Universities “I’m only the second boxer from Exeter ever to enter BUCS and I managed to win!

We’ve proven that we have the potential to win medals and produce champions in the future”.

Fleet Racing Team

-Best university polo club in the country -SUPA National Champions -Unbeaten season including Varsity win v Bristol

miles beyond the rest. Harold

-Captain Harold Hodges se- Hodges is now widely regarded as one of the best university lected for GB Students “Our open team has stood out

-Southern Universities Pool Champions -Midlands Universities Snooker Champions -BUCS Eight-Ball Pool Champions -The club are unbeaten in 21 matches “We’ve been a class apart all year, looking to take a clean sweep of the four biggest events in the snooker and pool calendar. No-one gets near our records this year, no-one has ever won these four events in the same year, our club hadn’t won a single championship level title until this season.

James Littlefair

players in the country”.

Lucy Gibson

5.

Squash Men’s 1st

6.

Rugby League 1st XIII

-Most successful medal haul and rac were fa ever at BUCS -Three individual medals (two gold, one silver), five silver medals for the overall team prize and six bronze medals for the ladies entry.

fewer ra course m for error formanc ing, the not have such a s team wh across a

“This has been our strongest performance for the past three years and our highest number Tamsin of medals ever. The conditions at the event were incredibly difficult due to very strong winds

-10 wins from 10 in BUCS Western 1A -Promoted to BUCS Premier League for 2014-15 “The Mens Squash 1st Team have had an incredible season.

An undefeated league season, followed up by promotion to the elite BUCS Squash Premier League and a top eight finish in the BUCS Squash Championship”.

Richard Carter

-Unbeaten BUCS League season -Western 1A Champions with one game to spare “With a team including a lot of freshers and inexperience to go unbeaten in the league shows how they have consistently performed against the odds.

“The 1st XIII won all seven of their BUCS league fixtures scoring 272 points in the pro- “The sea cess, and in three matches lim- in the la ited the opposition to a solitary phy”. try.

Charlie “We finished the BUCS Western 1A league season nine points clear of second placed Bath.

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n Teams of the Year 2014

cing in conditions that ar from ideal, with far aces and a much smaller making very little room r. Whilst individual perces were also outstande overall result would e been possible without strong and determined ho performed so well all classes” Davies

ason’s only defeat came ast 16 of the BUCS Tro-

e Fricker

7.

EURFC 1st XV

8.

Karate BUCS squad

-BUCS Championship semi-finalists (Leeds Metropolitan match tomorrow) -Five representatives for England Students: Jamie Gray, Rob Coote, Ollie Claxton, Paul Davies and Ben King “Despite the postponement of the Varsity versus Bath EURFC have had another

stellar year. Having beaten the reigning champions Durham last week the 1st XV will aiming to reach the Twickenham final against Leeds Met. tomorrow”.

Will Kelleher

45

9.

Emeralds Cheerleaders

-A team of seven took eleven universities is a testament to the quality and proficiency of the medals at BUCS

-11 trophies at various competitions (Five 1st places, four 2nd and two 3rd)

-Two Silvers and one Bronze in Kumite entries, five Silver in Team Kumite and three Bronze in Team Kata

10.

karate our squad practise.

“The same squad also swept away the competition at the South West regionals last term, the chief referee complemented me on the quality brought to the “Eleven medals between a team competition by Exeter Univerof seven is a fantastic achieve- sity”. ment for the Club. Many of the larger universities send squads Jon Lee of fifty and above yet still don’t match the success we have achieved.

“For us to be able to compete at such a high level with the larger

SO, HOW DID WE PICK OUR TOP TEN? Having received 21 very worthy nominations from across the full spectrum of our AU clubs we have compiled our Top Ten Sporting Teams and Individuals for this year.

It was a very tough job, as you can imagine. The selections were based on improvements on last year, strong performances in BUCS and excellent representation on a local, regional and national scale.

It has been another stellar year for the Green Machine with more success to come. It has been a pleasure to cover your sporting achievement in 2013-14. Bleed Green.

Volleyball Women’s 1st

-Promotion to BUCS Premier League for 2014-15 -BUCS Final 8s -Haven’t dropped at set since November with 11 wins from 11 since then “The BUCS volleyball women are having their best season in recent memory. Just back up into Division 1 last year, this campaign they set their sights on the highest league finish and first advancement to BUCS Final 8s in over a decade and achieved both those objectives”.

Mathilde Pavis

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The Final Whistle Here is your guide to a few upcoming sporting courses, classes and events: 29 - 30 March

UKCC Level 1 Award in Coaching Volleyball U of E Students: £180.00 01392 722039 p.d.mouland@exeter.ac.uk

23 March

Yoga Workshop – Building self-practice St Luke’s Sports Centre 13:00-16:00 U of E Students: £15.00 01392 724940

24 March

Tennis Clinic - Volley and Overhead Exeter Tennis Centre 18:00-19:00 Member: £6.00 Non-member: £7.00 01392 723699 xtc@exeter.ac.uk

26 March Tennis Clinic – Serve and return Exeter Tennis Centre 10:00-11:30 Member: £8.00 Non-member: £9.00 01392 723699 xtc@exeter.ac.uk

31 March

Mixed American Doubles Tournament Exeter Tennis Centre 10:30-13:00 Members: £8.00 Non-members: £9.00 No partner required 01392 723699 xtc@exeter.ac.uk

7 - 11 April

NPLQ Course St Luke’s Sports Centre 09:00-17:00 U of E Students: £200 01392 724940

31 March - 4 April

UKCC Level 1 Award in Coaching Football U of Exeter Students: £90.00 Contact: 01392 722039 p.d.mouland@exeter. ac.uk

18 MARCH 2014 |

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EXEPOSÉ

EUVC Men’s 1sts score four to bo 2s lose out V��������� Emmott Leigh Sports Team

EUVC 2s Bournemouth 2s

1 3

THE EXETER Men’s 2nd team were dispatched in four games by a fearsome Bournemouth outfit, despite winning the first and dominating early in the second.

The early stages were very tight, with neither side able to formulate any significant advantage on the scoreboard. With the tension mounting at 20-20 after a technical timeout and the excitement garnered by the spectacle rising, Jhaveri and Dawe came up with some vital attacks to push the home side into a 23-20 lead. They still required over 25 points to finally take the game 26-24, but the display of ability was breathtaking.

Bournemouth marched out for the second game with determination in their eyes. “We should be nailing them!”, chastised their coach as Exeter drew level early in the game, and the players responded by opening up a 9-15 lead, utilising various techniques to confuse the home side and ‘nailing’ some notably accurate spikes. Exeter only managed three more points as their opposition took the initiative and racked up the scores, sealing it 12-25.

Although it might have been assumed that Exeter would crumble after this setback, they proved the audience wrong by wrenching the advantage right back again.

Exeter seemed to be cruising with a 20-13 lead and only five points needed to leave Bournemouth in the unenviable position of requiring two games to win. However, this proved to be the turning point of the contest; perhaps sensing that they had nothing to lose, the Bournemouth side turned up the intensity and fired back at their oppressors.

Bournemouth claimed the game by two points and roared into the fourth with a head of steam, egged on by their delighted coach and yelling more loudly than ever in celebration after each success.

Bournemouth started to gain momentum as the lead increased. With the writing on the wall at 3-14, Exeter roused themselves momentarily with a couple of unreturnable attacks, but their opponents were finding it ever easier to defy their blockers and had cottoned on to the decoy tactic involving Sawer.

It was all over after another quarter of an hour as Exeter fired the ball into the net and a Bournemouth player unsportingly and melodramatically hurled himself to the floor in his best ‘new champion’ impression. Exeter had ultimately suffered from the results of inconsistency, but at their best they were unstoppable, as their ‘disappointed’ coach surmised.

M��’� H�����

Ben Pullan Sports Team

BUCS Semi Final EUMHC 1s S. Hallam

4 1

IN a brilliant all-round team performance, Exeter’s Hockey Men’s 1st XI ensured that they will be featuring in the semi-finals of the BUCS Championship by beating Sheffield Hallam 4-1.

The game itself was a fantastic advert for university hockey, as two top-class teams put on a thrilling spectacle of skill, pace and power in front of a large and responsive crowd.

The warm spring sunshine ensured

that the perimeter of the Water Astro was packed with supporters for the home team at the pushback. The hockey club had turned out en masse in their shirts and chinos, and were looking to carry their team through this crucial match.

The game began quietly enough, with both sides looking to hold the ball by keeping it on the floor, but then burst into life ten minutes in via a brilliant goal for Exeter.

Midfielder Ross began a long dribble, cutting his way through the Sheffield defence, before drawing the goalkeeper and squaring the ball to Cooper, who finished. It was a neat little move, the like of which was seen time and time again during the match. It also set the tone for what would turn out to be a brilliant game for forward Cooper, as

his pace and ball control continued to give the Sheffield defenders nightmares throughout the match. This was seen again only moments later, this time he made a sharp break, which was halted only by an inch-perfect tackle from the Sheffield centre back.

Exeter continued to press hard. They varied their attack well, willing to use lofted long balls as well as the tiki-taka stuff to prize open their opponents. Sheffield in reply also favoured the passing game, but they lacked the crispness and creativity of the men in green.

It was not long before Exeter’s quality was rewarded with a goal, as forward Godfrey made the most of a one-on-one to put the home side 2-0 up, prompting scenes of jubilation from the raucous crowd. He almost got another minutes

EXEPOSÉ

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ook place in BUCS semis

Crossword No. 60 by Mishka

Photos: Daniil Orlov

Across

1) Makeshift barrier (9) 5) Pendulum’s path (3) 8) Yawn-inducing (4) 9) Alehouse (6) 10) May be up ones sleeve (3) 12) Sine’s reciprocal (5) 13) Close inspection (8) 15) Limb (3) 16) Drunken movement (6) 17) Greek letter (3) 19) Latin, for one (8) 21) Place for a pin (5) 23) Winter weather feature (3) 25) Cocktail crustacean (6) 27) Mine car (4) 28) Sushi fish (3) 29)Vague (9)

later, but this time the Sheffield goalkeeper was equal to the task.

It was now time for the prowess of Exeter’s goalkeeper – Jack Bannister – to be tested, and he saw off his first assignment well, keeping out a powerful Sheffield strike with his right boot. Nevertheless, amidst the chaos in Exeter’s ‘D’, a short corner was conceded. Suddenly, Sheffield had a great chance to get back into the game, which they duly took with aplomb, executing a neat finish in the bottom left-hand corner. This meant that the game would go into half time still very much alive.

Exeter needed a strong second half to secure their passage into the semis. They duly did this – and more – so that by the end of the game, there was only really one team out there. The shots came in

thick and fast for Exeter. Ward made a great effort at reaching to try to guide a ball that was always drifting away into the goal, and Cooper continued his incisive runs into the Sheffield ‘D’.

It was only a matter of time until Exeter would score again. This third goal was set up wonderfully by Upton, who dribbled with perfect control across the Sheffield box, setting up his striker with the easiest of finishes. With a two goal lead, it seemed as if Exeter’s cup semi final was within sight.

Tempers in the Sheffield camp were beginning to fray. Both the players on the field and their coaching staff on the touchline were showing their frustration at being a distant second in the contest.

One of their players was sent off for mouthiness towards the ref and their

manager was given a stern talking to after continually disputing the decisions of the match officials. Needless to say, this was all accepted with glee from the smug home fans.

On the field, Exeter were letting their superior play do the talking. Their front three continued to display the attacking prowess that had caused Sheffield problems all day, and it seemed fitting that Exeter were awarded a penalty in the dying stages of the game.

This was slotted home by Ross, giving him a second and his team a deserved 4-1 victory, as their Cup campaign now marches on into the semis.

Do they have a chance? The Head Coach said to Exeposé: “Certainly. You always have a chance”.

Down

1) Coin type (3) 2)Waterway (5) 3)Vex (8) 4) 24 Down’s colleague (3) 5) Northon State (6) 6) Sports day event (4) 7) Game ender (9) 11) nag a ram (7) 13) an orbiter (9) 14) Sonic’s species (8) 18) Courtly plea (6) 20) Spanish Friend (5) 22) Unit (4) 24) She has a day in May (3) 26) Infection symptom (3)

47

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Will Kelleher & Mike Stanton sport@exepose.com JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Sport

EURFC soar into BUCS semi-final

M��’� R���� U����

Mike Stanton Sports Editor

BUCS Quarter Final EURFC 1st XV Durham !st XV

26 3

EURFC 1st XV got their revenge over Durham University 1st XV in a replay of last year’s semi-final, winning this quarter-final clash 26 – 3.

Durham were the first on the board after Exeter gave away a penalty at the scrum and the Durham full-back gave the visitors an early three point lead.

Exeter soon got a chance to level the scores. Beau Archer came off his wing to break through the middle and Durham were forced into conceding a penalty just inside their own half. Exeter full-back Ali Chisholm stepped and calmly slotted the ball between the uprights from 40 yards to tie things up at

three a-piece.

Exeter looked the more dominant in the early exchanges, building their play and linking phases well. Chisholm soon had an opportunity to take the lead, as Durham were deemed offside, and the full-back made the most of the opportunity, giving Exeter a slender 6 – 3 lead.

The breakthrough for Exeter came shortly after, Will Burton finding a gap in the Durham defence and charging 60 metres up field.

The big second row was dragged down five metres out and the Durham scramble defence could not deal with the quick ball generated by Exeter as flanker Justin Blanchet crashed over from short range. Chisholm was unlucky as he struck the upright in his conversion attempt, leaving the score at 11 – 3.

Durham upped the ante as the first half drew to a close, winning themselves two penalties and both times opting for the corner. Exeter were forced to

In this issue of Exeposé Sport...

EXEPOSÉ

defend hard, and with Rich Sinel being sin binned for collapsing the maul the Exeter pack had their backs to the wall.

Despite the one man advantage, Durham were unable to break down Exeter up front, the Exeter pack holding on long enough to make it to half time with score still 11 – 3.

Hitchcock ran it in from his own half to claim his second and to certify Exeter’s place in the semi-finals Exeter started the second half with intent. After claiming the restart the backs whipped the ball wide, and centre Ant Hitchcock slid in at the corner, making the score 16 – 3.

Following this flying start from their opposition, Durham looked to pile on the pressure, spending prolonged pe-

Exeposé’s Top Ten Teams of the Year

- page 44-45

Photo: The AU

riods camped in the Exeter 22.

However, following a big hit from the Exeter centre partnership, Durham spilled the ball giving Archer a 60 metre sprint to the line to extend Exeter’s lead to 21 – 3.

Again, as the game entered the last quarter, the Exeter defence turned over Durham in the shadow of their own posts. Using the turnover to their advantage and catching the Durham defence unawares Exeter shipped it wide, this time allowing Hitchcock to run it in from his own half to claim his second and to certify Exeter’s place in the semi-finals as they went ahead 26 – 3.

Durham threw everything they had at Exeter in the closing stages of the game, fly-half Hammersley even resorting to the cross-field kick but Exeter held on and Durham were unable to cross the white wash. This solid defensive effort from Exeter booked them a slot in the semis, as they retained their perfect form at home, with a final score

of 26 – 3.

“It’s an awesome feeling”, Exeter captain Jamie Gray said after the game.

“We owed them one after last year’s semi and to not even let them score is a huge credit to the boys”.

Looking ahead to the semis Gray said; “we have to play our game, play it wide and fast and back our fitness will see us through”.

“We felt we let ourselves down in Durham”, Exeter 1st XV head coach Tony Yapp said. “The focus today was to really get stuck into them.

“Our defensive effort was superb, fair credit to Durham, they threw the kitchen sink at us and to only concede three points is a massive positive.

“We spoke before the game how horrible that bus drive back from Durham felt last year, so this result is excellent, it’s a great feeling”.

Exeter will face Leeds Metropolitan in the semi-finals, who beat Bath 34 – 21.

EUMHC through to BUCS Semi - page 46-47