2013/14 Week 6 Issue 614 by Exeposé

BFI Special: Screen cover the brightest and the best of the film world at the BFI London Film Festival Read all of the team’s reviews on pages 24 and 25

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Tuesday 29 October 2013 • Issue 614 • www.exepose.ex.ac.uk • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose

University hands out over £18.5m in scholarships EXCLUSIVE Owen Keating News Editor

• 49.1% overall increase since 2009/10 • 54.9% increase in means-tested bursaries in same period • Over 60% of funds go towards postgraduate research scholarships AN INVESTIGATION by Exeposé has revealed the amount awarded in scholarships by the University has increased by 22.5 per cent since 2011/12. This figure, in excess of £18.5million, has risen from just over £12.4m in 2009/10, an increase of 49.1 per cent. The figures, obtained using the Freedom of Information Act, cover from the start of the academic year 2009/10, while using the first eleven months of the last academic year, 2012/13. £6.2m of the scholarships were handed out to undergraduate students in 2012/13, a 47.8 per cent increase on 2011/12. There has also been a 54.9 per cent increase in means-tested bursaries

Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs

2012/13 was 87.1 per cent less than what was offered in 2009/10. £33,323 was offered for this form of bursary last year, as opposed to £258,412 in 2009/10. In terms of scholarships for taught postgraduate degrees, the amount being offered in scholarships has steadily decreased in the past few years, with the £1,118,549 being offered in 2012/13 constituting a decrease of 45.8 per cent since 2009/10. As part of this, there has also been a drop of 90.1 per cent in the funds offered as part of academic merit scholarships in this area, as well as a massive increase in the amount of maintenance offered to Home and EU fee-paying postgraduate taught students. The amount paid in maintenance has gone from £150 in 2009/10 to over £100,000 in the last academic year. The University could not be reached for comment. Alex Louch, VP Academic Affairs, said: “I am pleased to see the University investing more in scholarships in line with increasing student numbers. The precise allocation of scholarship funding is affected by complex factors but I am delighted to see that the overall value of awards made has increased strongly this year after a period of modest growth”. Megan Furborough, a third year English Literature student said: “As a recipient of the means-tested bursary, I think that it’s fantastic that the number of people who are receiving this and other scholarships has increased. The cost of living and learning at university is more expensive than ever before, so this monetary aid can go a long way in alleviating some of that pressure.”

and Graduate Research Assistants. The amount of money offered for this in

Additional reporting by Harrison Jones, Online News Editor

since 2009/10; last year, the University handed out over £5.5m worth of means-tested bursaries to undergraduates. Figures also indicate a 19 per cent decrease in academic merit scholarships handed out since 2011/12, with £256,000 being awarded in this way in 2012/13. The biggest portion of the University’s scholarship fund goes towards postgraduate research, with 60.4 per cent of the £18,517,635 awarded going towards postgraduate research projects. Just under £11.2m went towards postgraduate research scholarships in 2012/13, a 15.9 per cent increase since 2011/12. This also represents an 85.4 per cent increase since 2009/10, the first year which the Freedom of Information request covers. The University of Exeter joined the Russell Group in 2012, and the Russell Group website cites Exeter’s abilities to combine “world class research with high student satisfaction”, as well as stating that the Russell Group is “committed to maintaining the very best research”. Also evident is a significant decrease in the amount of money offered in bursaries for Graduate Teaching Assistants

I am pleased to see the University is investing more in scholarships in line with increasing student numbers

Features: Chat with Green Party leader Natalie Bennett - PAGE 12

Lifestyle: The infamous Blind Date is back! - PAGE 17

Free

Condemn and Remove: 38% No Ban and Condemn: 27% Result: No Ban and Condemn

Blurred Lines vote “a complete farce”

Music: Interview up and coming alt-rockers Wolf Alice - PAGE 21

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Anti-EDL group to march in Exeter Clara Plackett Deputy Editor A GROUP named Exeter Together has been formed in response to the planned English Defence League (EDL) national demonstration. The EDL have confirmed that they will march in the city on Saturday, November 16, despite the resignation of leader Tommy

It is heartening to see such productive, peaceful resistance to the vile ideologies of the EDL Beth Wright, third year English Literature

city on that day. I would imagine we would vastly outnumber the EDL”. Exeter Together received more than 300 signatures of support since its launch one week ago. Six national organisations have signed, as well as 50 regional and local organisations and 273 local individuals. There are several planning meetings coming up and the group wants to continue gaining as much support as possible. Packham added that: “We want all the different organisations to be represented and be part of the celebration so we are as inclusive as possible. We want to unite together in a celebration of diversity and the multi-cultural, multi-safe community we are all so proud of in Exeter. We need to stand

together when this is threatened by people who just want to spread bigotry and hatred. “When people know about what we are doing they sign up to it. They are horrified the EDL is coming to their city and everyone we have spoken to has been more than happy to support us”. Beth Wright, a third year English Literature student, told Exeposé: “It is heartening to see such productive, peaceful resistance to the vile ideologies of the EDL. The level of support that this group has raised in such a short space of time shows the depth of feeling against the prejudice that the EDL represents”.

student Robinson. The counter-demo group will meet at Belmont Park at 10.30am and march through the city centre to Bedford Square, where speakers and entertainers are also expected to perform in the Square. Hannah Packham, a spokesperson for Exeter Together, commented that: “We have met with the police this week and had details of the march confirmed. We don’t know where the EDL is planning to march, but we are pleased we have been able to arrange our celebration of diversity and make sure we have a strong presence in the

A MAN has been charged with attempted murder after stabbing his neighbour several times in an Exeter cemetery. Joseph Willis, 49, will remain in custody until appearing before a judge next month. Last week, magistrates heard how he dragged Helen Pearson, 34, into the cemetery before stabbing her three times with a pair of scissors. Ms Pearson’s wounds were not life-threatening, and she is currently recovering at home following hospital treatment. St Bartholomew’s Cemetery, on Bonhay Road and where the attack took place, is close to both the city centre and student accommodation at Point Exe and in the St David’s area.

Woman sentenced for Quay assault Owen Keating News Editor A WOMAN who attacked an Exeter student in an unprovoked, ‘racially aggravated’ assault at Exeter Quay in May has been sentenced to 150 hours community service. The woman also has to pay a fine of £75 after pleading guilty to the charge of racially aggravated common assault. As Exeposé reported in May, a British national of Chinese origin, who is based on the Tremough campus, was punched in the head by the local woman, who also reportedly called her a ‘four-eyed Ch***ky bitch’, as well as pulling her hair. The attack was captured on CCTV, and the arrested woman spent a night in the cells after being detained. Exeposé understands that the accused pleaded guilty as the case was about to go into court.

I’m really pleased that the attacker in this incident has been convicted and will now face the consequences >>Exeter Together march on November 16

Photo: Express & Echo

Woman stabbed in Exeter Jon Jenner Editor

Exeposé

The attack took place on Monday 21 October. Police were informed of the attack around 10.55am, and managed to arrest the suspect shortly afterwards with the aid of a police helicopter. There are believed to have been a number of witnesses, who aided the victim following the attack. Acting Exeter Sector Inspector Julian Pezzani told the Express and Echo: “We are grateful to everyone who has come forward already and we urge anyone else who may have seen what happened to get in touch with police. “We would also like to thank the members of the public who helped the woman after she was attacked”. A third year student who lives near the scene of the crime commented: “This kind of thing rarely happens in Exeter, and it’s upsetting to hear about the incident in what is generally such

a peaceful city. The rapid response of the police and emergency services is reassuring though”. Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare and Community, commented “I am shocked to hear of this incident and wish the victim a speedy recovery. I am in regular contact with the police and community partners to make sure Exeter remains as safe as possible for our students. If anyone has any worries about their safety in or around the city I would ask them to contact me or speak to the Students’ Guild Advice Unit so that we can work to address these concerns”. For more information about staying safe in Exeter visit Sense Exeter, a resource provided by the Students’ Guild, at http://www.exeterguild.org/ sense/.

Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare The attacked student said of the result: “I’m absolutely pleased that the attacker was finally convicted and brought to justice and that the whole case is finally brought to an end. I hope this incident has brought awareness that racism has no place in society, especially in an ethnically diverse place like Exeter. Thank you for everyone’s help and support!” Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare and Community, said: “I’m really pleased that the attacker in this incident has been convicted and will now face the consequences. I work closely with local police and community partners to make sure Exeter stays a safe and enjoyable place for our students to live, so it’s encouraging to hear that this case has now been resolved. I would advise any student who experiences any issues in Exeter to speak to the Students’ Guild Advice Unit.”

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Blurred Lines vote “a complete farce”

• ‘Condemn & Remove’: 38% (286 votes) • ‘No Change’: 35% (263 votes) • ‘Condemn & No Ban’: 27% (202 votes) Louis Doré News Editor A STUDENTS’ GUILD vote has determined that ‘Blurred Lines’ shall be condemned but not banned, despite this specific outcome receiving the lowest number of votes from students. A total of 752 students voted, a low number compared to the 2,441 votes cast upon whether to ban The Sun from Guild retail outlets in May, represent-

Guild survey on Alcohol Safety launches Meg Drewett Editor THE STUDENTS’ GUILD has launched a confidential alcohol survey that will run until 8 November. The survey, with questions collated by the Students’ Guild, the University of Exeter and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary, is intended to find out accurate details of student drinking habits and gather data that will help tailor future Guild drinking campaigns more effectively. Participants in the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win either a £50 Amazon voucher, a £10 Ram meal voucher or a Lomo Fisheye 35mm Compact Camera. The survey can be accessed online at the Guild website. Chris Rootkin, VP Welfare, told Exeposé: “The Students’ Guild Alcohol Survey is an opportunity for me to get an accurate picture of student drinking habits. The idea behind the survey isn’t to tell students off, but to shape the Guild’s welfare strategy and find the best ways of letting students know what effects alcohol can have. I want to support students to make their own educated decisions around drinking. The message isn’t ‘don’t drink’, but ‘know what you’re drinking’”. A third year Maths student said: “Students are stereotypically known to overindulge by drinking excess amounts of alcohol. I’m glad that the Students’ Guild are doing their bit to understand more about their members drinking habits.”

ing a 69 per cent decrease in student turnout. These 752 voters represent a mere four per cent of the University population, meaning that approximately only one per cent of students voted initially for the specific course of action that has been taken. The song has received an outright majority for condemnation, a total of 488 voters, but no action has been taken to remove the song from Guild Outlets, despite the highest number of voters (286) requesting that specific course of action among the three offered. The voting procedure in place was labelled as a “common sense approach” by the Students’ Guild, and required an outright majority (50 per cent plus one vote) to enact change around the notions of removal and condemnation. Exeposé has been informed that this voting system was agreed upon by the Democracy & Governance Committee in a meeting on 25 September. The decision was made for three-stranded campaigns on 9 October on by the Democracy & Governance Committee, resulting in the ‘Condemn and Remove’, ‘No Change’ and ‘No Ban and Condemn’ options present in the vote. This was agreed upon by the

leaders of the campaigns present at the time, with the hope that the decision would “inform better debate and prevent polarising debates”. Carlus Hudson, leader of the ‘Condemn and Remove’ campaign, stated “It’s fantastic that Exeter students have voted to condemn the song. That said, I don’t think there’s much to be happy about in terms of voter turnout which sheds light on the degree to which there is apathy on the issue of trivialisation of rape in popular culture and the need for a broader campaign to energise students and raise awareness on this point.” “Perhaps the turnout, as well as the way in which the voting system was arranged (meaning that the ‘Condemn and Don’t Ban’ campaign which got the least number of votes of the three campaigns was the motion which was ultimately carried), raises the further question of the way in which students can exercise democratic rights within the Guild, and look critically at how the vote has been put together in the past month.” The ‘No Ban and Condemn’ campaign commented “We’re pleased that a majority of voters didn’t want the

song banned and also wanted to condemn its misogynistic lyrics. At the same time, we’re disappointed at our own result, and it’s a real shame that an attempt to give students another option has turned out as a confusing, messy

The vote has been a complete farce and the result shows how empty the condemnation will be and how meaningless this whole week has been in terms of tackling the main issue Dan Richards, Exeter Labour compromise”. Dan Richards, President of Exeter Labour Students, has previously been critical of the presence of three separate campaigns in the vote. He told Exeposé: “The vote has been a complete farce and the result shows how

Exeter staff to take part in national demonstrations Helen Carrington News Team STAFF from the University of Exeter will be participating in a strike on Thursday 31 October in a row over pay. The University and College Union (UCU), the largest education union in the UK, has been joined by Unison and Unite in the national protest. 61.5% of UCU members voted in favour of industrial action to demand a pay rise, while 64% of Unite and 54.4% of Unison also supported participation in the strike. The unions claim that an offered 1% pay rise to teaching staff actually represents a 13% pay cut in real terms over the last five years. By comparison, the Vice Chancellor’s salary has risen by 15% above inflation over the last four years. Michael MacNeil, head of UCU, said: “Staff have suffered year-on-year cuts in the value of their pay. Quite simply, enough is enough.” Mike McCartney, Unite’s national officer for education agreed, saying: “Our members have had enough of the poverty pay increases of recent years. We have been left with no option but to fight for what is fair.” According to the University, around 25% of the workforce belong to a union, and figures released have suggested that up to 12% are planning to strike. The University will attempt to ensure that all contact hours can be rescheduled, and with the strikes taking place during Opportunities Week, many humanities students will already have free timetables on Thursday.

empty the condemnation will be and how meaningless this whole week has been in terms of tackling the main issue. However, it does show that most students want further action taken to combat sexism on campus on top of the condemnation and we now need to look into what our options are!” Lauren Swift, a second year English student commented, “It was a poorly designed vote in the sense that two of the campaigns had a mutual interest but also diverging actions. It should have been structured better and perhaps the Guild should have pre-empted a situation in which there was such close contention between the vote’s results”. Hannah Barton, Students’ Guild President, has stated that “A key purpose of the Students’ Guild is to support students to campaign on the issues close to their heart and it has been fantastic to see the student voice in action, with 488 students voting to condemn the song. Regardless of the outcome, I think the campaign has raised awareness of an ongoing issue and, if students will now think more about the issues ranging from rape culture to everyday sexism and ways to combat this, that is a very positive thing”. Photo: Niklas Rahmel

A statement released on behalf of UCU, Unison and Unite members within the University said: “We have decided to demonstrate our collective anger and frustration and to bring employers back to the negotiating table by peaceful protest in the form of a strike. For the first

In common with other employers during strikes, the University will withhold pay from any member of staff who participates in strike action Jacqui Marshall, Director of Human Resources time, all campus unions are agreed in a common objective of securing a fair reward for all staff.” “The University has recently announced it is to become a ‘living wage employer’. We welcome this announcement but maintain that the University could have led the way on this last year if management had engaged with our arguments for implementation at that time.” The University emphasised that the 1% rise recommended for 2013 is one for the entire Higher Education sector, and so is calculated on the basis of what every university can afford. However,

staff maintain that the below inflation rise is unacceptable, when workloads and responsibilities have steadily increased. Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) said: “Our Higher Education Institutions tell us that the vast majority of staff understand the reality of the current environment and would not want to take action that could harm their institutions and their students.” Jacqui Marshall, Director of Human Resources, said: “In common with other employers during strikes, the University will withhold pay from any member of staff who participates in strike action. As we have done during previous disputes, the University will donate the monies withheld to the student hardship fund. We very much hope that the on-going national negotiations will result in a quick resolution to the dispute.” The unions’ statement said: “There

is bound to be some impact on students during the day of action but we hope that the principles of fairness and a sense of common community, aimed at delivering the highest quality education with happy, motivated, staff in a safe and pleasant environment, are goals we all want.” Hannah Barton, Guild President, said: “The Students’ Guild will be doing everything we can to minimise the impact of strikes on students; working to ensure the University puts arrangements in place to maintain timetabled contact hours and keep services on campus open. As well as the issue at hand, I also know that it would be remiss of us not to keep an eye on the offering to future generations of students. Happy and properly paid staff are a vital part of Exeter’s continued growth and improvement and therefore I urge the University and the Unions to meet again at the earliest opportunity to end this impasse”.

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National Student News Christopher Bateman News Team

Universities must help students with eating disorders STUDENTS with eating disorders are struggling to get the treatment they need at university. A survey conducted by Beat, a charity who campaign on behalf of sufferers, found that almost a fifth of those interviewed said their condition forced them to withdraw from their degree course. Eating disorders not only disrupt education, damaging career prospects, but can also lead to premature death. The survey revealed that nearly seven in ten said they struggled to access treatment while at university. The National Union of Students is working to make mental health issues a higher priority in universities and colleges. Exeter University’s centre for Medical History has set up a “No Health without Mental Health” campaign in response to dealing with issues such as eating disorders. Beat is demanding student counselling services and unions to be more aware of the issues associated with eating disorders to improve the treatment given.

Demands for review of Fair Trading at UK universities THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISION are calling for increased regulations on trading in higher education. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) review will look into issues including consumer rights and competitions between further education establishments. Concerns are arising due to variations in teaching quality at UK institutions. The OFT has called for information to be submitted by students, universities, regulators, government bodies and employers. The review will focus on undergraduate higher education, primarily on whether changes to regulations to allow more competition and choice have been effective. Without regulations being in place there is a high risk of insufficient provisions being made for students at disreputable institutions. University regulation has become increasingly difficult with the fee increase implemented last year. Universities relied upon teaching grants, which came with regulations to adhere to; now however, the ability to regulate through funding has reduced. The commission consists of representatives from businesses, academia and politics, all seeking an insurance scheme to protect students at risk due to universities’ lack of accountability.

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

Forum wins international architecture award Laura-Jane Tiley News Team THE FORUM has won the Higher Education and Research Category award at the World Architecture Festival. Beating thirteen other worldwide projects, the Forum was described as a “hugely uplifting space for the students” by the judges. It was the only UK project to be shortlisted at the international festival which took place at the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore. Opened by the Queen in May 2012, the Forum was designed by Wilkinson

We are delighted that our investment in world class facilities has been recognised with this award Michele Shoebridge, Director of Academic Services Eyre Architects and constructed by Sir Robert McAlpine, a company which

has also worked on the O2, London’s Olympic Stadium and the Eden Project. Beginning in March 2010, it took 72,594 hours of work and 2409 metres cubed of poured concrete to complete. Recently, the Forum has also been awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) South West Award 2013 and has been short listed for the RIBA Stirling Prize for the best building 2013. Michele Shoebridge, Director of Academic Services and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, commented: “The Forum reflects and represents the importance placed on the student experi-

ence here at the University of Exeter, and we are delighted that our investment in world-class facilities has been recognised with this award.” Angela Potter, a second year Law student, said: “The Forum is a focal point of the university. It’s a great place to gather with peers to work, promote societies and socialise! It offers a real sense of community making you feel as though you’re not just on campus to go to a lecture, but that you are actually part of something, therefore capturing the spirit of Exeter.”

Grand Challenges winners University of Exeter scientists to feature in TV documentary attend international summit in Johannesburg John Chilvers News Team

Alexandra Lapshina News Team THREE students were sent to Johannesburg, South Africa, to represent the University of Exeter at the One Young World Summit as a prize for winning Grand Challenges 2013.

I was inspired by the number of young people that have done great things all over the world Hannah Theyer, Maths student One Young World Summit is a global conference that ‘gathers together young people from around the world, helping them make lasting connections and create positive change’. This year it brought together 1,250 young people from 190 countries and featured high profile speakers such as Arianna Huffington, Bob Geldof and Richard Branson. The trip was a prize for winning the Grand Challenges programme, an event for first year students from Exeter and Cornwall campuses. Grand Challenges aims to bring together students from

different disciplines and work together with leading experts to create ideas for solutions addressing some of the greatest challenges of the twenty-first century. Challenges are usually based on environmental, social, cultural and economic dilemmas of an interdisciplinary nature. Joe Osborne, postgraduate student, participated in the Grand Challenges scheme and attended the global conference along with second years Klinratri Pakdivong and Hannah Theyer. He said that he benefited from the experience: “I’ve made numerous contacts to help me in future initiatives and work”. He added “I would highly recommend participating, particularly if you are involved in some kind of social enterprise or social business. The contacts you gain and ideas others can supply you with could just make the difference in transforming an idea into action”. Hannah Theyer also added: “I feel fortunate that I got to attend an event where so many countries came together for one purpose. There were many great speakers and I was inspired by the number of young people that have done great things all over the world.” The Grand Challenges 2014 launch event will take place 28 October, with an opportunity to hear previous participant’s experiences. The scheme will run after the summer exams from 2-6 June 2014.

TWO Exeter academics have played a crucial role in the production of an international television show about climate change. Professor Tim Lenton (pictured below) and Professor Peter Cox of the Geography and Mathematics departments have been involved in a major TV documentary, ‘The Tipping Points: 6 Places on Earth Where Climate’s Changed’. The show is hosted by climate journalist and adventurer Bernice Notenboom, and explores the interconnectedness of the elements that make up our climate system. Based on a research paper by Professor Tim Lenton, in which potentially dangerous climate ‘tipping points’ were identified, the series examines which of these critical thresholds have

>> Prof. Tim Lenton on set in Greenland

the potential to dramatically alter the climate and tip the climate system past a point of no return. The show will also discuss how such drastic environmental change can lead to potentially irreversible “tipping points”, which could lead to floods, droughts, extreme monsoons, fires, heat waves and hurricanes. The series is set to air around the globe; it is already being shown on Dutch television and on the Weather Channel in the USA. It is expected to be shown on British television in early 2014. The news has been seen as a big success from the point of view of the university, and especially the Geography department. Jenny O’Dowd, a first year Bio-sciences student said: “It’s great that the university has professors that are at the cutting edge of their subjects”. Both Exeter professors acted as scientific consultants for the series, with Tim Lenton also appearing most prominently in the episode on Greenland and Peter Cox appearing in the episode in Amazonia.

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Exeter alumnus promoted in cabinet reshuffle Hannah Butler News Team Exeter Alumnus Sajid Javid received a promotion to Financial Secretary to the Treasury in the Government’s latest ministerial reshuffle. A former Economics and Politics student at the University, this promotion to the third most senior position in the Treasury follows Javid’s swift advancement through Government roles since his election as MP for the Bromsgrove constituency in 2010. After completing his degree at Exeter in 1991, Javid launched immediately into a successful banking career. At age 25 he became Vice-President of Chase Manhattan Bank in New York, the youngest individual ever to secure the role. Headhunted by Deutsche Bank in 2000, Javid joined as a Director, rapidly rising through positions until leaving his role as a Senior Managing Director in 2009 to pursue a career in politics. Considered a global leader in helping to raise investment in developing countries, Javid has partaken in community work throughout adult life, including fundraising for the Disasters Emergency Committee and leading a charity expedition to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro for Help the Aged.

With political commentators suggesting Javid is now in pole position for a cabinet position in the next reshuffle, this promotion is seen as extremely promising for one of the Conservative Party’s rising stars. Exeposé asked how his responsibilities have altered since his promotion to Financial Secretary, to which Mr. Javid replied; “First and foremost, I still have the same responsibilities to my constituents that I have upheld since being elected in 2010. That has not changed, and I am only able to work as a minister due to their support. In addition to my parliamentary duties, my role as Financial Secretary means that, alongside the Chancellor and the rest of the Treasury team, I have the opportunity to help restore the credibility of the British economy.” When asked about the relevance of his degree upon his new occupation, Mr. Javid stated “Studying Economics and Politics allowed me to gain much deeper knowledge of two subjects that fascinate me. This dual focus meant that I could prepare myself for finding employment in the financial world after graduating, while also concentrating on my longer-term goal of involvement in politics.” Mr Javid outlined his primary priorities and concerns: “My specif-

Guild launches sustainability initiative Emily Tanner Deputy Editor AS part of a two-year project funded by the National Union of Students, the Students’ Green Unit was recently launched on the 25 October in front of representatives from the Met Office, Exeter City Council and the RSPB. The initiative from the Students’ Guild will provide a framework for students to work on sustainability projects, locally, nationally and globally. The Students’ Green Unit will strive to actively engage communities in projects as well as offering students both practical and academic experience of sustainability. The Exeter Community Garden is an example of one of these projects which currently exists whilst other community initiatives which the Unit will support and encourage may include the production of local food, recycling student rubbish or increasing biodiversity in and around Exeter. A third year English student has noted “I feel a project like this is a very necessary move for the Guild. There are still many ways in which Exeter could make itself greener so it’s great that the funding from the NUS has been used in a way which will create an impact. It would be great to see the project extend into schools as well as engaging individuals at a young age”. Aims of the project will include bridging world class research, local and

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international change projects; positively changing students’ attitudes to sustainability; providing students with applied skills and experience in sustainability; and translating research into student-led action. The Unit hopes to establish a long-lasting legacy by engaging students in themes surrounding sustainability and the environment throughout the projects. Norrie Blackberry, the manager of the Students’ Green Unit has said of the initiative: “Sustainability issues are a high priority for the Students’ Guild and I am delighted that the project is now underway. The Students’ Green Unit will bridge the gaps that exist between academic excellence, community engagement and student action for the benefit of the communities we live in.” Intern Adam Rich, who supports staff who mentor students throughout the project, commented that: “The Students’ Green Unit is developing at a great pace. We are looking forward to assessing bids from students for the sustainability issues that matter to them and beginning project work that will deliver real impact and a lasting legacy.” With a £300,000 boost from the NUS Student Green Fund project, the Students’ Guild Students’ Green Unit is set to benefit the local community whilst bringing together students and staff through research and practical experience, and developing a variety of skills and employability prospects for those who take part.

ic responsibilities within the Treasury include banking and financial services reform and regulation (at home and in the EU), financial stability, City competitiveness, bank lending and access to finance, Help to Buy, foreign exchange reserves and debt management policy, and overseeing the Government’s holdings in RBS and Lloyds, amongst others – so there is always more than enough to keep me busy!” Mr. Javid stated that he was relishing “helping to fix the economy after years of mismanagement under the previous Government. This is no academic exercise – we are working to put the economy back on track, which means doing everything we can to promote growth and job creation, so that hardworking people throughout the UK can provide for themselves and their families and get on in life.” When asked if he had any particular advice to current students at the university hoping to pursue a career in politics, Mr. Javid replied: “To anyone interested in a career in politics, I would always recommend pursuing this alongside a primary occupation in another field. I think that experience outside politics, by which I mean everything from teaching to banking to the Armed Forces, is hugely important in preparing for public life and only enriches Parliament.”

University research disputes badger cull efficiency Natalie Garces-Bovett News Team RESEARCH released by the University of Exeter last week on the social structure of badger populations suggests that badger culling may be counter-productive.

The good news is that vaccination does not disturb social structure Prof. Robbie McDonald, University of Exeter

PhD student Nicola Wilkes studied a badger population over the space of a year to record patterns of tuberculosis infection within and between different social groups. Her findings suggest that TB infected badgers are isolated from their social groups, decreasing their risk of passing on infection. Any disruption to this social structure, including culling, could lead to more interaction and greater risk of infection between badgers and livestock. This research is judged to have sig-

nificant consequences in helping scientists to understand how and why culls can sometimes show correlation with increased TB levels within badger populations. Professor Robbie McDonald from the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute suggested an alternative to culling: “The good news is that vaccination does not disturb social structure. The sort of social structure we have observed – where relatively few individuals might be responsible for disease spread – lends itself to vaccination and could lead quite rapidly to herd immunity.” Mini Warren, a second year English Literature student, commented “In any situation where a vaccination can be proved to be effective, it is far more responsible to tackle the problem in that way rather than killing and damaging the entire badger population”. The news comes as officials admit that cull targets have not been met, and Environment Secretary Owen Patterson has told the House of Commons that the pilot culls may be extended. Bovine tuberculosis is carried easily by badgers and is a big problem for many farmers. Over the last ten years £500m has been spent in compensation to livestock farmers affected by the rise in bovine TB.

Bikeshed Theatre “Most Welcoming” in the country Photo: www.tripadvisor.co.uk

Clara Plackett Deputy Editor EXETER’S own Bikeshed Theatre has won the first ever My Theatre Matters! Most Welcoming Theatre Award, beating 225 other venues. The Bikeshed was chosen after a public vote placed on the Classic FM website. The award was presented at the UK Theatre Awards, held at London’s Guildhall on 20 October 2013.

We put great emphasis on the atmosphere in the bar, the quality of the food and drinks and the welcome of the staff David Lockwood, Artistic Director David Lockwood, artistic director commented: “We put great emphasis on the atmosphere in the bar, the quality of the food and drinks and, most importantly, the welcome of the staff. So this award feels like a vindication, and of something we felt was inherent in an evening out, and something so sadly missing in many other cultural venues”.

He also discussed the intimate nature of the 60-seater theatre: “The stage door is the door that the audiences go in and out of because the idea is that the companies and audience mix together. I ask the companies when they take a bow to say ‘Please join us in the bar after because we will be there to have a chat’. I think things like that – that connection is really important.” Emily Tanner, a third year Eng-

lish student and regular attendee at the theatre, commented: “It’s great to see a relatively new theatre win such a prestigious award. The Bikeshed has a great atmosphere and I always love chilling out there.” The My Theatre Matters! awards are the only nationwide awards to celebrate achievement in regional theatre throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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COMMENT

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Comment SEND US YOUR LETTERS: editors@exepose.com

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A vote that was unclear, disorganised and frankly laughable from the very beginning It seems to be down to a voting process that has been unclear and convoluted from the start. The question at the heart of the debate, “Should we ban the song ‘Blurred Lines’ because it could act as a trigger for victims of sexual assault?” quickly became lost in the phrasing of the motion, the voting options and the way the vote was counted. “Yes” and “No” to banning the song morphed into an argument with three strands: “Condemn and Remove”, “No Ban and Condemn” and “No Change”. With this change, the two campaign groups that had been arguing for completely opposite actions were now bizarrely united under the banner of “Condemn”. On top of that, “No Ban” were now united with “No Change”, in the sense that neither group wanted the song removed from campus. The clearly divided campaign groups were now hopelessly tangled in a way that made finding a democratic outcome almost impossible. The voting system did absolutely

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nothing to make that any easier. The initial implication that “first past the post” would be used actually turned out to be an STV (Single Transferable Vote) system where you rank your preferred votes. All votes apart from your first were promptly ignored, in favour of what has been described by Guild staff as the “common sense approach”. This approach, which sought valiantly for an overall majority, led to a situation where 202 people won a vote of 762 people, speaking for over 18,000. Common sense it is not. That seems, to us at least, to be ridiculous. Isn’t it ridiculous to hold a vote on something that matters if only 4 per cent of the student body will turn out for it? Isn’t it ridiculous that only 1 per cent of the student body has made a decision for the other 99 per cent? Isn’t it ridiculous that students were expected to exercise their democratic rights in a vote that was unclear, disorganised, and frankly laughable from the very beginning? The majority of us didn’t care enough about this to vote on it. But we should all care that student democracy at Exeter is so comically difficult and misleading that none of us want to be involved in it. A minority of students got involved with the ‘Blurred Lines’ vote, and it’s a minority of them that have somehow won the result. 286 students voted to remove ‘Blurred Lines’ from campus, which is more students than voted for either of the other options. They should be very, very annoyed that they have somehow lost this vote. In our view, we should all be annoyed for them - because democracy it ain’t.

Thanks to those who helped proof this issue: Vanessa Tracey, Lauren Swift, Charlotte Earland, Bethany Baker, Sarah Gough, David Reynolds, James Bennett, Tom Cambridge, Sam Foxall, Tom Davies, Georgina Choyce, Beth Gore, Isobel Buston, Sabrina Aziz, Jess Thomson, Carmen Paddock, Lucy Forsey, Elodie Tinslay, Sarah Merritt, Tristan Gatwan, Molly Dewhirst, Fraser Buchanan, Sophie Harrison, Gustav Handbachën, Stephanie Wilson, Pavel Kondov, Lucien Carr, Bryan Toh and members of the Exeposé editorial team MISSING CROSSWORD CLUES, ISSUE 613 14. Windpipe (7) 16. Japanese warrior (7) 19. Colorado city famed for skiing (5) 20. 18th century composer (4)

DEPUTY EDITORS

We know you didn’t want this WE don’t know whether to laugh or cry here at Exeposé. After weeks of largely invisible campaigning, ‘Blurred Lines’ will not be banned from campus. That decision has been made despite the Condemn and Remove option receiving the most votes. Democracy, eh? So how on earth did this happen?

EDITORS

Meg Drewett & Jon Jenner Clara Plackett & Emily Tanner

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Comment

Squeezing onto Campus “With just two weeks between the accommodation offer and the date of moving in, many had no choice but to go with it.” Kayley Gilbert WITH a 34 per cent increase in applications to Exeter University this year, it’s no wonder that not all first year students could be squeezed into the University’s on-campus accommodation. Those who applied for accommodation after 31 July, insurance offer students, were referred to non-University run companies to organise accommodation. I am one of these first year students. Personally, I think it was rather disorganised on the part of the University to convert several halls into office space mere months before accepting an increased number of first year students, though living off-campus hasn’t been all that bad. Living in the centre of Exeter does mean that the University is a 20-30 minute walk, depending on which alternative accommodation was assigned. But then that’s not exactly miles. Though, it could be a bit of a

nightmare if you sleep through your alarm! Especially if your assignment is due at 10AM. Additionally, the spread of students in off-campus accommodation does seem rather

Personally, I think it was rather disorganised on the part of the University to convert several halls into office space mere months before accepting an increased number of first year students strange. I have met first years that live in the centre of Exeter that are studying on St Luke’s, and people that live on St Luke’s campus that are based at Streatham Campus. Surely accommodation could have been organised so that students would be closest to their place of study. Nevertheless, it’s not all bad living off-campus. Being

in the centre of Exeter definitely has its advantages. Being right around the corner from the shops does mean I don’t have to lug the weekly shop up the hill and all the clubs and pubs are just five minutes away. So no late night taxi fee for us! But as much as I enjoy being close to Exeter’s nightlife, I would much rather be living on campus. All problems aside, it was great that the University forwarded us to an approved company that was located close to the university and full of other Exeter students. However, we were given very little choice in that it was either take the accommodation allocated or you would need to find a place on your own. With just two weeks between the accommodation offer and the date of moving in, many had no choice but to go with it. But with Exeter climbing the University rankings, and becoming a Russell Group University, I dare say this won’t be the last year that first year students are required to live off-campus.

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

COMMENT

Vanessa Tracey WE don’t even need to bring up the ‘Blurred Lines’ saga to understand that the culture surrounding popular music provokes accusations of sexism. Explicit lyrics and naked women often seem inherent features of the charts which do not get questioned, becoming normative and brushed aside on the basis that ‘sex sells’. Telling an audience member “I’ll be f***ing you tonight” however, cannot be ignored and the indefinite postponement of the Exeter Respect Concert due to accusations against Tim Westwood is both appropriate and necessary. The misogynistic comments reportedly made during a performance at Leicester University do not correspond with Exeter Respect’s celebration of equality, diversity and “saying no to all forms of prejudice”. Although students at Leicester University would not have been expecting elaborate proclamations

Megan Furborough Screen Editor IN light of the recent stabbing on Sidwell Street and rumours of a flasher on Pennsylvania Road, talk of student safety in Exeter is on everyone’s lips again. Whilst these incidents are worrying, particularly because of their serious nature, I strongly feel that they are largely isolated. Exeter, on the whole, is a safe city to live in – much, much more so than the West London town I come from. I have never felt at risk when walking around Exeter, even if it’s at night and I’m by myself. The nature of my role at Exeposé and as a member of the university’s canoe club means that there are often times when I am running across town to get to the office

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“Telling an audience member ‘I’ll be f**king you tonight’ cannot be ignored” of peace and egalitarianism from the former Radio 1 DJ, telling girls to “keep your p***ies tight and clean” still must have come as a bit of a shock. It may have been that ‘The Big Dawg’ wanted to be an advocate for female genital hygiene although he really should have considered that young adults know how to work a shower, and that talking about f***ing when you’re approaching your sixties

Intimidating young women who have paid to see a live act should never be tolerated is never highly esteemed. Neither Urban Treats Entertainment nor Exeter Respect can run the risk that Westwood’s sexist behaviour will reoccur and through postponing the gig, they demonstrate a zero

tolerance policy which correlates with their message against prejudice and discrimination. It would be excessively ironic for young women to be subjected to sexist slurs at a concert which promotes equality on all levels. It may be, as Westwood’s spokesperson has stated, that he was indeed misappropriating lyrics in order to introduce his songs, although I’ve yet to hear “security have told me you need to wear a sports bra” feature in the Top 40. What he can’t dispute is the video he later posted online of a couple dancing together during the concert with the caption “smash that homie” - I would just like to reiterate that this gentleman is 56 years of age. Regardless of the fact that it was a “late night gig” with an audience over the age of eighteen, intimidating young women who have paid to see a live act should never be tolerated, and the indefinite postponement of the concert was the correct decision.

“Pretending that crimes couldn’t possibly happen in Devon is silly, but agonising over what could happen won’t do you any favours” or to pool sessions and socials – and the ever-earlier nights mean that anything that happens in the winter evenings guarantees a walk in the dark. Obviously there are times when you are more vulnerable – namely when

I have never felt at risk when walking around Exeter, even if it’s at night and I am by myself you’re drunk and wandering back from town to the far-flung reaches of Mount Pleasant. Whilst it is always better to walk back in a group, if I do walk

back by myself I always make sure I tell someone when I leave and text my housemates to tell them that I’m coming home. More than anything, I just tend to keep my wits about me and try to be sensible; including keeping my phone in my bag away from sight and walking with purpose (which, seeing as I tend to stride everywhere anyway, is pretty easy!). Pretending that crimes couldn’t possibly happen in a city in Devon is silly, but agonising over the possibility of what could happen won’t do any favours for your confidence either. A benefit of the size of Exeter means that you’re never really more than 20 minutes away from your destination and you probably know someone on every street – so try not to worry!

Photo: Joshua Irwandi

Exeposé

Opportunities Week: The Debate Krissi Hill

I LOVE Opportunities Week. How else would I ever find the time to read the brick of a book that is Dickens’ Our Mutual Friend. Admittedly, we were warned of its size in August (who checks their email in August?) but, I’m sure I’m not the only one to have put off such a hefty text. 900 pages of small print, small margins, and bizarre Victorian jokes. I can’t wait. As an English student,

the prospect of a Wednesday 9am. Is it necessary though? I’m not sure. Realistically, I could easily have got around to reading Our Mutual Friend over the summer and the work per week is not so much that I desperately need the time. What it does do is give me some time to go home, write an article, and maybe get around to applying to some internships. However, without Opportunities Week I can envisage myself at the beginning of December: pale, ill, with two black eyes from lack of sleep and permanently welded to my onesie. Though it may not be necessary to cope with the work, Opportunities Week is a much needed break in our ridiculously long terms. Students at Durham and Oxbridge only have eight weeks at a time – slackers. After six weeks it’s time for some well earned rest and recuperation. Though it may not be absolutely necessary, without it I don’t know if I’d have enough presence of mind to navigate my way home. Opportunities Week gives me a chance to not be a complete zombie by Friday 13 December and I wish you unlucky, hard-working people who have not got next week off good luck; I certainly don’t envy you.

FOR

Students at Durham and Oxbridge only have eight weeks at a time slackers I’m one of the lucky few still to have Opportunities Week in second year and I certainly intend to make the most of it. Other than crawling my way through Dickens I plan to use it as an opportunity to sleep, bake, go home and finally make it to a Cheesey Tuesday without

Gemma Joyce Games Editor WHEN I first heard a friend talking about her plans for Opportunities Week I was happy to hear that the mid-term break had been afforded again to second year students, having enjoyed a quick trip home and a chance to catch up on reading in my first year. However, my happiness soon turned to jealousy when I realised that my timetable for week six was no different to any other week, and that Opportunities Week, at least for the Philosophy and Sociology modules in which I am enrolled, is non-existent. While many students take the ‘opportunity’ to have a quick holiday at home and not necessarily to take advantage of the activities provided by the University, the break from lectures is not something to be regarded as just an excuse for students to laze around. Opportunities Week provides not only the chance to get involved in University activities, but also to catch up on any work missed, particularly if you’ve been ill. You can also enjoy a week in which the stresses a strict timetable provides are lifted, which can only be healthy. Students can then return to study feeling invigorated and

fully prepared to continue the rest of the term. I can understand that outsiders, and some students, might regard the week as a waste of time and that high tuition fees should mean we get the maximum amount of contact hours possible, but it seems ridiculous to deprive a huge number of students of

The break from lectures is not something to be regarded as just an excuse for students to laze around a short break that they mainly find useful and relaxing. The fact that some subjects are providing Opportunities Week to their students and some are not is equally puzzling. Inevitably parties will be raging all over the city while the rest of the student population are grumbling about their 9am lectures and probably not attending them. To help us catch up, relax and recuperate after a busy and often stressful beginning of the year, Opportunities Week is a valuable break from study which is healthy for all students and for this reason it should be afforded to all.

AGAINST

Exeposé

| WEEK six

LETTERS

RE: Issue 613 Blurred Lines Coverage Dear Sirs, I am usually more reserved in writing to newspapers, however given the issues surrounding the ‘Blurred Lines’ debate, on this occasion I feel it absolutely necessary in order to protect ‘Free Speech’. The vilification of this particular song surely has little to do with its content. Certainly, Mr Thicke insinuates he would like to sleep with a woman, but at no point in the

RE: Issue 613 Blurred Lines Coverage Dear Editors, Where do you draw the line? Removing and condemning ‘Blurred Lines’ isn’t an issue of censorship. Those arguing for Robin Thicke’s catchy yet misogynistic hit to be removed from Guild outlets are not simultaneously arguing for the removal of student freedoms. The rights of students to listen to the song cannot be infringed upon by the ban - that would be illegal. What would happen instead is that Guild outlets (student run organisations like the Ram, Lemmy, Guild Shop etc.) would no longer be able to play it - but we could all carry on listening on our iPods, as the “Condemn and Remove” campaign points out. Great! It’s a persuading case for voting in favour of the ban this week, if (as I do), you find the lyrics sexist and the tune irritating. Exeter would be adding our voice to the University

COMMENT

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lyrics does he promote a rape culture. Indeed, the line “Just let me liberate you” is a question, or a plea to the woman in question. It certainly does not suggest “I’m GOING to liberate you” (whether you like it or not). Similarly, the third verse is about smoking weed, and nothing to do with sleeping with anybody. Let’s contrast this track with, say, Color Me Badd’s ‘I Wanna Sex You Up’. It received widespread play and acknowledgment, despite the title and general theme of wanting a woman for sex. Or even Britney’s ‘Slave 4 U’, a song about being tied up and dominated that receives widespread play in gentlemen’s clubs. Will the

university ban any of these songs? How about a different tack – say, Icona Pop’s ‘I Don’t Care’, featuring the lines “I crashed my car into a bridge, I let it burn…. I don’t care”, or the last lyric where she refers to herself as a “90s bitch”. Are these positive lyrics? Is wanton destruction of property and arson acceptable? How dare this woman refer to herself as a ‘bitch’ as it may undermine the equality that women have been working towards for so long? Why not ban all these songs? Perhaps we should also ban Tottenham Hotspur supports from campus in case they refer to themselves as ‘Yids’? And why did we not ban ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’?

of Edinburgh, Leeds, Derby, Queen Mary, Kingston, Bolton, Birmingham and West Scotland in condemning the song by banning it.

“Where do you draw the line?” Will the guild remove every popular song or film that is misogynistic? Is that even possible? Will there be a student vote every time an artist objectifies women or trivialises rape? Is there a certain level of sexism that is acceptable in music or cinema? These are all questions that are raised by the motion. If the guild is serious about removing and condemning one song due to its offensive content, it would have to commit itself to the same action for every other similar song that came along – which would mean a lot more votes on different songs and films. The ‘condemn and remove’ campaign is about sending a message that Exeter students are against the trivialisation and perpetuation of rape. However it sets a precedent that will be difficult if not impossible to stick to, which is why I will be voting to condemn but not remove Blurred Lines from guild premises.

Robin Thicke is not the first person to incorporate sexism in popular culture, and will definitely not be the last However I still feel there is a large issue with the ‘condemn and remove’ campaign. Regrettably, ‘Blurred Lines’ is far from the only example of misogyny in popular music. Take a listen to any mainstream American hip-hop and it won’t take long to find an example that objectifies women. Hollywood films such as the recent smash comedy “This Is The End” have come under fire for comments seen to promote rape. Robin Thicke is not the first person to incorporate sexism in popular culture, and will definitely not be the last; which begs the question

Michael Goodier

Send your letters to the editors to editors@exepose.com In some respects playing a track that glorifies the death of a woman who the majority of the country voted for is even more distasteful than Mr Thicke’s pop offering.

At no point in the lyrics does he promote a rape culture Indeed, with the Royal Charter into press regulation becoming a sticky subject, I find myself siding with Rupert Murdoch over David Cameron. We have always enjoyed

RE: Issue 613 Blurred Lines Coverage Dear Exeposé Editors, The problem with chasing down ‘Blurred Lines’ and banning it, or condemning it, is that this fails to address the actual issues that everyone is so utterly disturbed by thanks to this music video. The degradation of women, the lack of respect towards women, and ultimately, that our world is not always kind, equal and balanced. Feminism is a cause that I wholeheartedly, without a single doubt, back and support. I try and stand my ground when people make inappropriate comments, and I embrace womanhood and am not afraid of doing what I want. Yet what will banning, or even just condemning this song do to help this cause? Quite honestly, I think nothing. The discussions surrounding the song are much more effective. Essentially education is the issue; understanding women, their rights, and the problems they face in society. Understanding what could constitute rape, or degradation, or humiliation is what matters. Not whether or not someone is going to listen to ‘Blurred Lines’ for the twentieth time. A more positive approach is what is necessary to fuel change. This

RE: Issue 613 Monthly Makeover Lifestyle Dear Editors,

If there is anything in this issue of Exeposé which you would like to voice your opinion on then please send in a letter to editors@exepose.com . This can be a reaction to anything in any of the sections so if you loved the latest Lifestyle feature or couldn’t disagree more with a Games review send across your thoughts. Letters are also a great

place to engage in the news and comment from the previous issue, sharing your opinion on the stories or challenging the views of the others. Unlike Comment pieces, letters can be of any length so from an 800 word deluge of rage to 100 words of quiet appreciation it’s easy to have your responses voiced to our student readership. So, get

reading and get involved and you could see your letter top the editors in the nest issue of Exeposé! And of course we’re alway happy to recieve any opinionated comment pieces to comment@ exepose.com Emily & Clara Deputy Editors

I had an issue with the new feature in the Lifestyle section. Whilst I’m sure Jon is perfectly happy with his new outfit, I honestly see nothing wrong with his old one. In an effort to make Jon look stylish and individual, he now looks like just another rah. I have an issue with rahs. They’re annoying, and present an image of Exeter that is completely at odds with the principles of diversity and acceptance of students from all backgrounds that the University claims to believe in. Rather than running a feature that

freedom of speech in this country, and the idea of banning a song because a few people don’t like an artist is absurd. Should we check people’s MP3 players to make sure they don’t have it on there, just in case it spills through headphones and may offend someone? What happens if the radio plays the song whilst I’m driving through campus in my car? It’s up to DJs if they want to play it, and it’s up to people if they want to listen to it. It’s called CHOICE. Let’s not make a legal issue out of this. Yours, Tony Baker negative approach, negative in the sense that it is confining and restricting people, does not appear to send the right message. Is it truly going to be an achievement for feminism if ‘Blurred Lines’ is banned at a handful of university campuses? I am not trying to play devil’s advocate here, what I am really trying to get at is the heart of the issue. That is where the transformation can occur. Starting from the surface and evoking changes that are seemingly effective and supportive will not, in the long run, transform people for the better of society. What will happen in five years, or possibly just one year, when there are new popular songs, and this one is something of the past? Will everyone still remember the issues that were brought up surrounding this debate? I would hope so, but this is not so concrete. Accordingly, I would urge everyone to educate themselves, and maybe all the energy that is being put into debating the cons of this song could be redirected to women’s rights campaigns. Education and understanding formulates the core of a permanent change. Chloe Turner-Bloom

suggests students should work to fit in with the rahs, maybe Exeposé would be better off encouraging students to be who they want to be. Incidentally, whilst I know it was in jest, Eamonn

I have an issue with rahs Crowe’s dictionary article claims that you cannot truly be an Exeter student until you own a Jack Wills hoody, which had previously been intrinsically linked with being a rah. Perhaps it’s time to abandon the idea that Exeter students have to spend £80 per outfit to fit in. Jack Bristow

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WATCH out, it’s another one of those gap year tales. Yes, I went to Asia. But not the corner frequented by so many. No, my Asia was an entirely different experience, well and truly off the beaten track. Just north of Afghanistan and east of China, Tajikistan is not somewhere many of you will have heard of, let alone ever considered going to. Landlocked, it is the smallest of the Central Asian states and over 90 per cent of its territory is mountainous. It also holds the very dubious honour of having the third highest heroin and raw opium confiscations on the planet (followed closely by the Cellar Door). However, this is not why you should go there. Tajikistan is home to some of the most stunning hiking opportunities anywhere in the world. The Pamir Mountains in the east of the country peak at 7,495m and are known as the ‘Roof of the World’. For those of you who have heard of the Mongol Rally, many choose to make the considerable detour through Tajikistan just to experience the Pamir Highway. It is the second-highest altitude international highway in the world (4,655m), and enough to give you altitude sickness just driving along it.

Tajikistan holds the very dubious honour of having the third highest heroin and raw opium confiscations on the planet (followed closely by the Cellar Door) Hiking opportunities abound throughout this area, but for those who don’t have the time or money then turn your eyes west towards the Fann Mountains, something of a younger sibling to the colossal Pamir’s. This is where a school friend and I spent nine days hiking through some of the most exceptionally beautiful scenery we had ever seen. The background to our trip was one of mild chaos and confusion. My friend,

Freddie, had just finished his first year at Bristol. Being on the other side of the world for the six months before, our ‘plan’, if you can call it that, was essentially to get out there and see how we got on. Both of us had some experience of mountaineering, and we certainly had all the gear. Laden with 25kg of kit and ration packs we flew, via a few

Before the hiking could begin though, we had to survive another of Tajikistan’s dubious claims to fame. Officially known as the Anzob Tunnel, it is more affectionately known as the ‘Tunnel of

It’s certainly not somewhere you go for a quiet Sunday drive! Our taxi driver was clearly experienced at the whole thing and quite

nd r seco valley u o m o n the ew fr the vi e, back dow it camps

Scorning the traditional Gap Year, and declining to chunder anywhere at all, Robin Butler ventured to the little known beauty of Tajikistan with a friend to hike along the stunning scenery of central Asia, enjoy the local hospitality, and sample the local narcotics. He brought his tales of this far-away corner back to Exeter and to Exeposé...

our fire blazes awa few logs we could

t len s u c rd c su towa e h s, t ine up d r he rav hep the s the t and f o on one in fr behind t goa pass the

days in Istanbul, to Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. T h e r e isn’t much to Dushanbe. In just over 12 hours there we got ripped off by a taxi driv-

The Anzob Tunnel is more affectionately known as the ‘Tunnel of Death’ er, saw what Tajikistanis claim is the highest free-standing flagpole in the world, before cramming into a taxi headed towards Iskanderkul Lake.

the camp’s children struggle to get 25kg off the ground

Death’. Only one lane was completed before the Tajikistanis got excited and started to use it. We’re talking running water, huge broken fans that loom out of the gloom as evidence of the failed attempt at ventilation, metal bars sticking out from the ground threatening to puncture the unwary, and a large number of lightless vehicles.

pho alon to of Isk glas gside, mou anderk slik u es urf ntains l from ace shi mm the tr erin a go c n it day day

happily overtook lorries with others coming straight towards us as we both said a quiet prayer in the back and hoped for it to end. There was even at one point an abandoned tractor in the middle of the road that we avoided with inches to spare. Coming out into the clear light of

on the other side of it was one of most relieving moments of both our lives! Alive and well, we reached the lake. To give you an idea of its beauty, the President has a house on its shores. Named after Alexander the Great, and rumoured to be the place where his horse threw itself following his death, its piercing blue waters are breathtaking to behold.

Good Morning

ck s

Exeposé

| WEEK six little children played on our phones. We might have only shared 20 words with our hosts, but they led to hours of laughing and drinking beside the lake until the mosquitoes descended, the sun began to set and we had to continue further up the valley to find our campsite. It was with a drowsy head and heavy heart we bid them farewell, groaned into our packs and plodded on. The vodka really began to take its toll here, and one steep hill was nearly the end for us. Somehow we safely made it to the top of that little chal-

roundings kept the aches from our legs and the blisters from our feet. As disorganised as we were, we had managed to buy a map from a couple of lovely Israeli girls during our few hours in Dushanbe. However, it was rubbish. Yes, it gave a general idea of where the path was. Yes, it did have the names of all the passes, villages and rivers we would come across. But Ordinance Survey map it was not. We spent a good three hours following what we thought was the path, only to find ourselves confronted with an un-fordable river and no bridge in sight. Annoyed we may have been, but again the kindness of the locals came to our rescue. Retracing our steps, we came across a campsite. Slightly confused, w e

the view that gr eeted us at the end of our morning’s climb

Hiking along its shores, we began to realise quite how amazing the next week or so was going to be, and quite how unlike it was to anywhere else we had ever seen. What we certainly hadn’t expected was to find a Tajik family tucked away in a pagoda beside the President’s palace. What you will find if you ever visit Central Asia is that the guest is king, and you will be thoroughly embarrassed by the generosity of the locals. Here was the first of the many times we ex-

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extricate ourselves after much apologising that we couldn’t stay for dinner. Our aim for the day had been to reach the foot of the Dukdon Pass, the first and highest of the passes between our final destination and us. Waylaid by raging rivers and generous locals, we set ourselves on a campsite at the bottom of a ravine which led on to the base of the Dukdon Pass.

Again, the view down the valley was stupendously beautiful, and we felt as far away from civilisation as we ever had Again, the view down the valley was stupendously beautiful, and we felt as far away from civilisation as we ever had. But we were not alone. As the sun began to arc towards the mountains behind us, a pair of shepherds rounded the corner with 50 assorted goats and fat-tailed sheep. These sheep have absurdly large t a i l s

Fr get eddie n to gri aps w ps wi hile th t Ca his k ndy id Cr atte us h mpts

perienced this kindness, as the shouting and beckoning drew us towards the pagoda. Beneath its canopy, sheltered from the 30 degree heat at over 2000m, was spread a feast of delicious bread, watermelon and a copious amount of vodka. Their sense of hospitality dictated that we must join them in a toast, or five, to England, Tajikistan and life in general. I should point out that this was not a small shot of vodka, but a bowl filled near to the brim and seen off in one! Within an hour of this we were both snoring happily on the rugs as the

lenge, pitched our (rather small) tent and collapsed in a still slightly drunken state, both snoring loudly through the night. The next morning we woke to appreciate quite how beautiful our campsite was. Looking up the valley, framed by the mountains on either side, the blue sky lifted us onwards towards higher things. Discounting the previous day’s drunken ramblings, this was our first day putting in a real shift. And yet, although we walked for a good eight or so hours, failing to find a river at one point and getting very confused at others, the sheer beauty of the sur-

w a n dered through and were accosted by some children who wanted to play football. Now, football is a universal language, so while Freddie got to grips with the beautiful game, I tried to have a conversation with the adults who had appeared. Language was again a slight barrier, but it turned out they were geologists based there for the summer. Or at least that’s what I think they said, could have been anything really. Before we had any chance to stress that we needed to get a move on, a rice dish emerged from one of the tents and was thrust in front of us. Hungry, and keen not to offend, we devoured it all and finally managed to

that are, as the n a m e suggests, full of fat – in Tajikistan the fat is worth more than to the meat for the flavour it brings. As we had begun to realise, there’s something people find intriguing about maps of the area that they know. By the lake the family were keen to point out where their villages were, and again the shepherds took great pleasure in recognising all the passes and mountains that surrounded us. Taking some of our Kenco instant coffee they happily built a fire and brewed up a steaming pot that we all shared. This wasn’t the only thing they shared. As we watched, one of them removed a small plastic bag, tapped some of its green contents into his hand and then proceeded to chuck it back into his mouth. We were intrigued. Furtively we indicated we

wanted to try some and he tapped a little into our outstretched hands. Doing what we thought he had done we opened wide and chucked it straight in. Turns out we had missed one crucial detail; he put the green powder UNDER his tongue. We put it ON our tongue. Cue frantic coughing and spluttering as it burned away at our taste buds. After spitting it all out, the two shepherds smirked wonderfully as we started to sway. At this point I should point out that it is in fact the local tobacco known as nus, and not anything more…ahem, exotic. Still, it was too much for us and we took a good few minutes to get our brains back in order. As if to thank us for entertaining them so much, they then unfurled a satchel that had been strapped to one of their donkeys and produced a mound of cooked goat. Freddie turned his nose up at this, clearly not trusting them anymore, but I got stuck in. Anything would have been an improvement on our cold ration packs, but it actually turned out to be deliciously tender. Dusk began to settle and the shepherds set off up the ravine towards the base of the Dukdon Pass, clearly in more of a rush than us! We settled down, shoulder to shoulder in our tent, and enjoyed everything that had already happened and wondered about what else possibly could. The morning of day three was colder than the others, and as we shook out some of the stiffness we decided to take it easy and just get to the bottom of the pass before tackling it the next day. ‘Acclimatising’ was the euphemism we gave it, and we wanted to enjoy our time as much as possible. The ravine up to the base of the pass was a little trickier than we had expected, so it was only after a few hours that we finally reached a grassy valley dotted with car-sized boulders, relics of the once great glacier which now only clung on near the top of the pass itself. Guarded by precipitous mountains on either side with a glacial stream running through the middle, it was one of the most beautiful sites we camped at. With the midday sun raging above us, we set up a little shelter and snoozed away. Agreeing that after three days hiking we probably smelt quite bad to say the least we decided to go for a bath in the stream. Bear in mind that we were all of 500 meters below the base of a glacier, and you can understand why we didn’t hang around as we dipped in and out. That night for the first time we built a fire and enjoyed some of our ration packs warm rather than cold. With the extra 400 or so meters alttitude really dragging down the temperature, we curled up in our sleeping bags, a mug of tea to warm our insides, with little idea how tough the next day really was going to be…

g, Tajikistan!

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Exeposé

The grass is always greener

Catching her just after an impassioned talk on fracking, Features Editors James Roberts and Imogen Watson speak to Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party, about fringe politics, Australia, protests, and being one of precious few women in politics. IT’S a quiet Saturday afternoon and the Green Party are taking over campus. Natalie Bennett has shale gas on her mind, and is preparing to introduce a video starting Exeter’s fightback against fracking. “We’re on the path to catastrophic climate change,” Bennett explains with an urgency rarely seen outside the Green Party, “we have to leave at least half of our fossil fuels in the ground.” No doubt, Natalie Bennett is on a mission that’s far bigger than Queens LT1. Bennett arrives early for our interview. Our unnecessary large and unthinkably excitable XTV camera crew are still scurrying around with cables and lenses, yet Bennett seems utterly unphased. “If you think this is bad, you should try being in a BBC studio,” she says warmly, before beginning some gentle politician’s patter about our respective degree courses and her own experiences as a journalist and civil servant in Thailand. “I couldn’t speak to most peo-

ple there,” she jokes, “I had to get into taxis with something written down and hope for the best.” The first thing that strikes you when meeting the leader of Britain’s fifth largest party is her Australian accent. “My accent is classless,” Bennett explains, “it’s quite useful really.” She was born in Sydney, and worked for many years on provincial Australian newspapers before her big break in Bangkok. Was it in the Australian bush that she was first bitten by the political bug, we ask? “Australian country politics is mainly conservatives, and people who think conservatives are soft and wussy and not good enough on the death penalty. There wasn’t much politics to be involved with,” Bennett an-

swers with a chuckle. She is surprisingly adamant about her own real world credentials for a civil servant-turned-journalist-turned-politician, perhaps aware of the particular public wrath reserved for the cloistered and the careerist. “I joined the Green Party on 1 January 2006,” she recounts with an intriguing mix of precision and surprise, “seven years later, here I am, leader of the Green Party!” Despite her genuine warmth, B e n -

nett is clearly a cool political operator in British Green politics. Currently the only female party leader in Britain, Bennett has a lot to say about the role of women in politics, explaining that her “first politics is feminism.” She is worried that, in 2013, women do not have enough of a role in decision making at the top tables. “There are very few women making decisions which run the country, outside Theresa May,” she points out with no small dose of exasperation, “and I think that really is a problem.” Bennett is acutely aware that her election as leader marked “the first time a woman leader had taken over from another woman leader in British political history.” Will she be handing over to another female party leader when she leaves office? For the time being, Bennett is committed to both running for a parliamentary seat and remaining as leader, unlike her predecessor and Exeter alumnus Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion. “The seat I’m likely to stand in is in London,” says Bennett assuredly, “and it’s no more than 20 minutes from the Milbank studio s of

the BBC and Sky, so it’s quite handy.”

She is surprisingly adamant about her own real world credentials, perhaps aware of the particular public wrath reserved for the cloistered and the careerist Presumably then, we can expect to see much more of Natalie Bennett on our television screens; much like Caroline Lucas herself, who was recently arrested at a protest against fracking in Balcombe. Bennett is startlingly forthright about the prospect of her party’s foremost eco-champion appearing in court. “The Green Party has always believed that sometimes nonviolent, direct action is an essential step because people just don’t hear otherwise,” Bennett states with rehearsed certainty. With an impish smile and knowing glance, she adds, “we were getting a lot more attention after she was arrested.” Clearly then, despite her ambition to become a London MP, an attachment to the established political process has yet to manifest itself. At the same time, Natalie Bennett seems both encouraged and put off by the recent success of their friends on the fringe, UKIP. “You can understand a number of reasons why UKIP is attractive,” she says, though quickly pointing out the considerable ideological differences between them, “a lot of [their supporters] just look back to some golden age of the 1950s that they think existed, and would like to go there.” Are there similarities between these two very different maverick movements? “A lot of UKIP voters are disillusioned Tories who think that the Tories are horribly incompetent in government,” Bennett explains, adding, “Which is true.” Beyond this, and the somewhat mischievous tendencies of their party leaders, one cannot help but feel that Bennett sees little else in

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

common. On the attack, she deplores that “UKIP has what sounds like a superficially simple message that looks attractive to some people: if we just got out of the EU and stop immigration, everything would be wonderful, sweetness and light.” Her contempt for their policies seems as clear as her jealously of their performance. Green with envy, indeed. How then will the Green Party catapult themselves to a main part on the national stage? For Bennett, who spent much of her time as an understudy to Caroline Lucas’ rise to stardom, success lies in proving “the Green Party is more than an environmental party.” Policies like the campaign for a living wage, which recently attracted attention here on campus, form the basis of her drive to “absolutely change direction” in Britain. “We need to create jobs you can build a life on,” Bennett passionately pronounces, “and live within the limits of the one planet.” While these policies have yet to infiltrate politics proper, Bennett clearly sees universities as a good place to start: “and the one that I always mention in universities: we believe in zero tuition fees.” Apparently, with a new Green Society on campus, Exeter maybe poised for its own Green revolution. So what’s ahead for the Green Party in the 2015 election? “Brighton Pavilion did it, and any seat in the country could do it too,” Bennett prophesises. Change in the political climate or not, after 2015, the grass may be Greener on the other side.

Exeposé

| WEEK six

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Eight-Legged Invasion? Or Web of Lies?

FEATURES

After wide reporting, and more than a few images horrifying enough to keep arachnaphobes up all night, Chloe Forsyth separates fact from fiction on the terrifying topic of the creepy-crawlies invading the UK. “KILLER False Widow nearly made my leg explode” “False Widow Alert: Millions of killer spiders on loose across the UK” “Black Widow spider invasion from USA sparks fears of lethal bites” The False Widow headlines certainly make for interesting reading. If the hype in many of the papers is to be believed then we are on the verge of being invaded by the infamous Black Widows, and their False Widow relations, who have already made their home here and are beginning a savage attack on us. But what truth is there to the hype?

The number of articles about bites are quite frightening. There were several unfortunate victims who had been at risk of amputation I, along with half the female population according to statistics, hate spiders. Even the miniscule 1p sized ones that stay out of your way on the ceiling are enough to make the hairs stand up on the back of my neck and get me reaching for the handy spider catcher. And let’s not even think about the occasional Shelob sized monster that I find sitting smugly on my bed knowing that there’s not a chance i n hell I’m going within a three mile r a dius of my room until someone exterminates it. OK, I exaggerate, but I know there are many of you reading this and sympathising with my plight. Arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias around. It’s perhaps why there are so many depictions of monstrous spiders in books and movies: Shelob, Rowling’s Aragog - even Bond faces a poisonous

tarantula in Dr No. Perhaps the worst one for me was Arachnophobia. I can still remember being forced to watch it with my cousins one Christmas and then spending the rest of the holiday in abject fear of my life. However, while we may not like the clichés “they’re more scared of you than you are of them” or “they won’t hurt you” at least we can live secure in the knowledge that it is true and we don’t have to fear poisonous beasts like people in some tropical countries do. Until now, apparently. But before we shut all the windows and move the bed into the middle of the room to protect ourselves, I think we should

s o r t the fact from the fiction when it comes to the Theridiidae family. Arachnophobics out there may want to stop reading as, according to new research, the infamous

If you stay out of its way then the likelihood is that you will not get bitten Black Widows are invading Britain. Two days ago it was reported that the number of America’s most dangerous spider coming over to Britain was increasing, with six being found alive on

one boat from America. OK, so only six spiders may have made Arachnophobia a slightly more boring movie but it was enough to attract several headlines in British papers. However, while they may have survived the journey over the Atlantic they would not have survived our damper climate, so

the likelihood of a fatal Black Widow attack is slim to none. The False Widow, or to give it its full name steatoda nobilis, is more of a pressing, and perhaps more realistic, problem. Also known as the Black British Widow, and a cousin of the infamous Black Widow, it is Britain’s most poisonous spi-

der. It is similar to the Black Widow in appearance as it has the same bulbous abdomen; however, it is brown with pale markings unlike the famous black and red of the Black Widow. Trawling through the internet and newspapers while doing research for this story, the number of articles I saw about bites were quite frightening, and the previous hyperbolic headlines are only a smattering of what I found. There were several other unfortunate victims who had been at risk of amputation, and even death, because of reactions to the bite. While they

threatened or if they are accidentally sat on. Ironically, the most likely time to get bitten is when you are trying to remove

are Britain’s most poisonous spider, that’s a little like winning the hundred metres when your competitors are toddlers. There are only ten species of spider in Britain that can even bite and it is pertinent to remember that no one has ever died after being bitten by a British Black Widow. Usually the area around the bite will swell and t u r n yellow while other

them from the house as the upheaval makes them feel endangered. So if you want to get rid of one, it’s best to use a cup or, even better, a handy spider catcher. From the spate of recent newspaper interest you’d be forgiven for thinking that the British Black Widow was a new phenomenon but actually, while it is not a native species, it has been in Britain for over a hundred years after it came in a shipment of fruit from the Mediterranean. For a long time the population was localised around Devon but it has recently moved further across the South and even into Wales and London with experts predicting that as our climate becomes milder the population will increase and continue to move further North. So there you have it, a quick guide to the British Black Widow. While not something you’d ever want to keep as a pet, if you stay out of its way then the likelihood is that you will not get bitten. And even if you are unfortunate enough to get on a False Widow’s bad side then most people will only suffer mild irritation around the wound. Hopefully this will put anyone unnerved by the recent spate of headlines at ease about the dangers of Britain’s most poisonous spider but if not then it may be time to get a petition going at the marketplace for spider catchers.

symptoms may include a fever and chest pains. However, the headline inducing bites that nearly prove fatal are only experienced by people who are allergic to the venom. Dangerous, yes. Painful, yes. But it’s similar to there being an article every time someone suffers an allergic reaction. It’s unfortunate for the victim but hardly newsworthy. It’s important to note that these aren’t the malicious creepy crawlies from Arachnophobia which kill person after person. They are only believed to attack out of self-defence, if they feel

Before we shut all the windows and move the bed into the middle of the room to protect ourselves, I think we should sort the fact from the fiction when it comes to the Theridiidae family

Most venomous spiders THE false widow spider (Steatoda), pictured right, are often mistaken for widow spiders (latrodectus) and are significantly less harmful to humans. They are shaped similarly with bulbous abdomens, with a lighter colouring. They are also significantly smaller. Most bites from this genus do not have any long-lasting effects, and are medically considered less severe

than black widow bites. The false widow can be considered the most venomous spider native to the United Kingdom. The spiders range in size from 7mm to 14mm, forming tangle (irregularly shaped silken) webs to catch their

prey. They do not bite humans unless provoked and have very poor eyesight, like most web-weavers. The Brazilian wandering spider, pictured right. is the world’s most venomous spider, and was recognized as such in the Guinness World Records from 2010. Although the venom is the most toxic spider venom known to man, an effective antivenom is available and few fatalities occur. The spider is considered to be aggressive and its venomous bite

is of potential medical significance to humans, resulting in few, yearly, fatalities in South and Central America. The Brazilian wandering spider has been known to be transported in banana shipments, sometimes to the United Kingdom. One such instance happened in 2005 with a shipment of bananas arriving at Bridgwater, England, when a man was bitten by a Brazilian wandering spider. Due to quick medical care he survived, taking nearly a week

to recover from the bite following treatment.

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Tweets of the week Tweet us @ExeposeLStyle LAURA CABLE @laura_cable24 Last night escalted v quickly #lovearena HUGH GRAY @HughDGray what kind of heartless person steals a guy’s apple and blackcurrant squash? ELLIE BARTON @elliebarton13 might have to go on a Devil Wears Prada diet after all the pasta and rice I’ve eaten since I got here #cubeofcheese EAMONN @EeamonnLC Fire alarm at 7:30...i would rather have got burnt. SARAH SMITH @smmmithy Reckon 30% of my tweets are about Waitrose. #lukieproblems BEN GILBERT @BenGBT I see you mouth ‘fuck’ at me sir. it’s only a 303kg hack squat. R I C H @richdrain When people out ‘casually’ into a sentence it makes me want to casually shoot them in the face. ZOE GRAY @zoe_grayy My housemate just put pepper on her apple crumble and custard #whoareyou #vilecreature ALEX PHELPS @Phelpsy93 Feeling horrific. #3rdYear MIKE STANTON @MikeStanton1992 Sermon from the taxi driver on the way back from hospital on how to cross the road #cheersmate LAURA-JANE TILEY @laura_j141 Genuinely considering changing my course from English to Sports Science just so i can spend more time at St Luke’s #itssopretty NICOLE GASSON @NicoleGasson Thought that being on the top floor would mean I didn’t get woken up by drunken returning housemates #iwaswrong #tired #grump VANESSA TRACEY @vanessatracey I have broken two spoons in two days trying to eat Ben and Jerry’s out of the tub. #bridgetjones #sendhelp

Unsafe S-execapades An anonymous student gives you the scoop on STIs, condoms and unprotected sex I MADE a few mistakes during freshers: snapchatted my mum when drunk, left the oven on, and had unprotected sex with someone on my course. Hormones, freedom and alcohol are a toxic mixture – one which led to me throwing up in the sexual health clinic at the mention of HIV on the last day of freshers. It’s okay, I can laugh about it now. I watched ‘Unsafe Sex in the City’ with my flatmates and couldn’t help but point out that Nurse Abby – who features heavily in the first episode – had taken what effectively looked like an ice cream scoop to my private parts. I’ll leave it to your imagination on how that felt.

I went for the full MOT, which includes swabs of the genitals and mouth, bloods and a urine sample

The receptionist was lovely at the walk-in centre on Sidwell Street when I made the appointment over the phone, and even nicer in person when I failed to remember my new address and postcode. The waiting room was filled with the heady stench of shame.

I took my seat in the corner and quickly hid my head in a well-worn copy of ‘Womens Own’. After what felt like an age, Abby came to collect

I was convinced that I’d contracted every STI there is and conceived triplets me – my guardian angel in pink scrubs. I rambled out a pitiful tale, and whilst I may have been cringing, Abby herself didn’t even bat an eyelid – now I know this is because in the first episode she dealt with Chantelle who managed to have a threesome and a gangbang in the same day. They really have heard (and seen) everything. The actual examination was as expected: awkward. I went for a full MOT, which includes swabs of the genitals and mouth, bloods and a urine sample. I went within two days of intercourse, so whilst they couldn’t do a pregnancy test I was advised to take one in the next couple of weeks. Abby couldn’t have been more professional, talking me through all the procedures in a calm voice which has been clearly developed to put people at ease. In 20 minutes the whole ordeal

was over and I was left to await the results – and two weeks later I got the all clear. Whilst my sex-capade had a happy ending, for two weeks I was convinced I’d contracted every STI under the sun and conceived triplets. It doesn’t take long to stop what you’re doing and grab a condom, and I really wish I’d taken that time. It would have saved a lot of worry and embarrassment.

Never mind having a stranger taking an ice cream scoop to your bits, the shame of taking a pregnancy test in Starbucks and then waiting with your friend to find out the result is enough to ensure that I will never, ever make the mistake of going without a condom again. Our sexual health is something that we should really take care of, so it’s just as well the staff at Sidwell Street are so lovely.

Useful Information >> The Student Health Centre is on campus at Reed Mews. Tel: 01392 676606 The Student Health Centre is able to provide information and advice regarding family planning, contraception, sexual health and sexually transmitted infections. The morning after pill is available at the health centre. >> The Family Planning Association Contraception Clinic is in the NHS Walk-In Centre at 31 Sidwell Street. Tel: 01392 284982. This service provides contraception including free condoms, emergency

contraception and pregnancy testing. It’s open Monday to Friday (some evenings too) and Saturday mornings. Booking appointments is advised, though drop ins are possible. >> The GUM Clinic (Genito-Urinary Medicine) is also in the NHS Walk-In Centre at 31 Sidwell St Tel: 01392 284983. The GUM Clinic is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. It provides free confidential advice, treatment for sexually transmitted infections, HIV testing, Hepatitis B vaccination, safer sex information and free condoms.

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Exeposé

The Battle of Social Media

In this issue, Ifeoluwatolani Omotola and Maddy Everington discuss their different views of creating an online identity using social media AS a product of the internet age, I am always immersed in some form of social media or another. At first it was Bebo, Myspace, hi5, and for those who have so easily abandoned the old favourites, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are the new fad. Much as I had to be forced kicking and screaming into the world of social media by friends, I’ll be the first to admit that I am hooked.

Much as I had to be forced kicking and screaming into the world of social media by friends, I’ll be the first to admit that I am hooked My initial introduction to Facebook was many years ago but I was one of the last of my friends to have a Twitter account, and after months of resisting, I finally succumbed by rationalising to myself that I wasn’t going to like it much anyway. Boy was I wrong, one thing I can say for social media is that it is addictive. It is my belief that social media is so popular because it taps into that part of us, the exhibitionist who wants to put it all out there while simultaneously seeking approval. How else do we explain the desire to get as many ‘likes,’

‘followers’ or ‘retweets’ as we can, hoping that other people find us as funny or interesting as we find ourselves? Social media does not just give us a way to let people into our private worlds but also allows us access to other people’s. I often find myself having to self-reflect when a constant string of party pictures appears on a friend’s account, should I be having more wild crazy fun? Of course there is the whole point of how social media keeps us connected, making the world a true global village (forgive the cliché), friendships can be nurtured and destroyed over the internet just as easily as in real life. Social media has truly taken away the need for face-to-face interactions, if you want to know anything about the person next to you no need to ask; just add them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, watch their lives unfold on Instagram, read their blog or a million other options. After all, that is always where we put our best and most interesting foot forward and if you are yet to be sucked into that world, if you’re still holding on for some good old-fashioned conversation, I salute you. IFEOLUWATOLANI OMOTOLA

LOVE

I DON’T have a Twitter account. I do have a Facebook one. I still hate both equally. It’s not that I don’t find social networking sites entertaining. Indeed, a friend of mine spent most of last year regaling us with ‘new and random’ facts each day from someone on Twitter whom she was following, causing us on one occasion to lose all power of speech for a good twenty minutes over some anecdote about a banana. My Facebook newsfeed on occasion also throws up mildly amusing stories, ranging from “Tripped and spilt coffee all over myself in front of everyone in my 10am today…LOL” to “TP tonightt, come get it boyz”. It’s the pure narcissism of both Facebook and Twitter that just gets to me. What do I care that you’re “Eating jaffa cakes at two in the morning #YOLO”? Why am I interested in the “Most Amazing Weekend Ever! Love you guys so muchh xx” that you had? There’s always that person who posts ridiculous quantities of selfies on their own wall and the other one who gives you five minute updates on how they’re day is going… WHO CARES THAT YOU PASSED YOUR DRIVING TEST?! It may be that I’m just bitter because I’ve failed twice, but the point still stands: what is it about these sites that make you think that everyone who is “friends” with y o u (“friends encompassing anyone from that boy who was in your class when y o u were five years old to that

A real Discovery

Online Lifestyle Editor, Ben Gilbert explains why Discovery Food products are a meal not to be missed

QUALITY food on a student budget. It’s a tough thing to master, isn’t it? Wrong. It can actually be surprisingly simple to cook great food for a low cost. Back in June, Exeposé Online featured an article on Discovery Food – arguably the kings of fajitas. For any freshers out there, you should have received a sample of Discovery’s Fajita Seasoning Mix in your welcome packs – and it is this which is

such a phenomenal thing. If you like Fajitas, Discovery is great, with their

I tried one of their Mexican BBQ fajitas and can honestly say it was delicious range of sauces, spices and, of course,

the fajitas themselves, but their combination of spices is their most versatile product. Add it to any kind of meat, any dish, and I can guarantee that you won’t regret it. Earlier in the year, I tried one of their Mexican BBQ fajitas, with mild seasoning, soured cream sauce and jalapeño salsa, and can honestly say it was delicious. Even the chopped jalapeños I also had were a delight (though

girl who you think you possibly recognize from Arena/somewhere but you’re not really sure) or who follows you wants to know about what you ate for breakfast this morning? Recent studies in Germany have actually shown that most people feel more depressed after logging on to Social Networking sites (Facebook in particular) and have decried it’s ‘lack of humanity’. It’s ironic that the site that urges you to ‘Connect with friends and the world around you’ should in fact make you feel more despondent that you weren’t at that party from which all the photos on your newsfeed this morning came. It’s atrocious that you find yourself thinking that it was a good night just because there was a really good photo of you from it (new profile picture obviously). It’s worse when you’re counting how many likes that photo got, and feeling happy because it’s more than thirty...My cousin even brought up as a comeback in an argument we were having this summer, “Oh yeah, and how many likes did your last status get on Facebook?” I wish I could say he was joking. Sites such as these are well and truly becoming a part of our everyday lives, but this surely isn’t a good thing if they’re pressuring you to have the ‘ideal’ lifestyle? Is the satisfaction w e

glean from living our lives now being drawn from the amount of appreciation we get for it online, as opposed to the actual experience itself? Log out of Facebook and interact with real life! What happened to those days when you could go and run through fields for the hell of it and feel totally happy just because you did, not because everyone you told afterwards wished they could have thought to do the same? Maybe I am being harsh. Whilst Twitter in my opinion is mostly nothing short of a load of useless information, Facebook is useful for keeping in contact with those people you don’t see very often, and nowadays the only way to organize events and keep people up to date. I think with such sites there will inevitably be growing pains, but I do have faith that most people now know how to use them without letting them take over their lives. If you’re reading this, you’re most definitely not checking your newsfeed at the same time, for which I congratulate you. If you’re about to go and check it now, I can only hope that some of what I’ve said has sunk in, and that perhaps you’ll ring up that person to say “Happy Birthday” instead of posting the generic message you write to everyone on their timeline. MADDY EVERINGTON

maybe refrain from popping too many in your mouth in one go!). As I have said, it was the sachet of fajita seasoning that really stood out as being the jewel in Discovery’s crown

satisfying and filling and yet somehow made me want more on top of that. One tip though – be modest with your packing. Make sure you are sparing with your condiments and consider the proportions of ingredients. The perfect fajita is made with care, and overflowing tortillas can be a complete and utter nightmare! But the best part of it all? It’s quick. It’ll only take as long as it takes for your chicken (or similar) to fry, so you don’t have to go wanting! Fast preparation, and dynamite results – what more could you want from a product? Luckily for you, Discovery products are very easy to find in most supermarkets, so what are you waiting for? Not convinced yet? And that seasoning I kept mentioning? Quite often it is less than £1. What’s not to like?

LOATHE

The perfect fajita is made with care, and overflowing tortillas can be a complete and utter nightmare – perfectly balanced spices, in several varieties, that transformed the diced chicken fillets into something magical. Combined then with the condiments, the tightly packed fajitas were both

Exeposé

| WEEK six

lifestyle

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

What happened when Victoria Ramsey met the big baddy of Exeposé, Ricky Freelove, Arts Editor? Blind Date

Back by popular demand, we sent our blind-daters for a slap up complementary meal at Strada

What Victoria thought of Ricky What were you hoping for before the date? To meet my soul mate (and have free food). What were your first impressions? Seemed like a nice guy but he didn’t know if the door was push or pull. What did you think of the venue? Nice restaurant and decent food - the staff were really friendly. What did you talk about? Drunken escapades, sports, music, Scottish independence, history (as we both study it), whether my friends were hiding at a table in the restaurant to see how it went - pretty much everything.

home at the end of the evening. By the end of the night, was there a hug, kiss, or something more? We hugged, not sure what there is to say about a hug to be honest. What mark would you give the evening out of 10? 8. Did the evening exceed your expectations? Yes, I thought it might be awkward and it was really chilled and good fun in the end.

What was their most attractive physical feature? His height. What was the worst thing about them? A bit needy, he insisted on walking me

What Ricky thought of Victoria What were you hoping for before the date? To meet my wife. If Rachel Riley was to crossbreed with Laura Robson then we’d be talking. If not, I was hoping to have a relaxed yet entertaining night, which would hopefully make for some good stories to tell in the future.

I sensed she wanted me on caffeine for a reason

Any awkward moments at all? Yes, when she asked if I wanted to come inside for ‘coffee’ and I told her I only drank hot chocolate… and so therefore could not come in. I sensed she wanted me on caffeine for a reason. Did you feel there was any romantic tension? There was more romance during D-day. What was their most attractive physical feature? Her hair. I want to say Herbal Essences, but

she may be Pantene Pro-V girl. What was the worst thing about them? She didn’t always get when I was joking! At the end of the night we were both handed a glass of lemon liqueur. She asked what it was, I replied “hand wash” and she responded “I don’t think we’d wash our hands in a glass”. By the end of the night, was there a hug, kiss, or something more? At the end of the night, I walked her home due to the nudist roaming around Exeter. We had an awkward encounter, but it was certainly less like a medical procedure. What mark would you give the evening out of 10? In terms of romance, a solid 3. But in terms of a person, 7. Did the evening exceed your expectations? Well it wasn’t like Rachel Riley and Laura Robson both turned up to Strada.

What were your first impressions? She wasn’t Rachel Riley or Laura Robson, and that our first hug of the evening was a bit forced and aggressive. I’ve had Heimlich manoeuvres more caring and less jolty.

Any awkward moments at all? When I told him my dad was from Barbados and he asked me if he was black and if my family were slave owners... Did you feel there was any romantic tension? Nope.

Snog, marry, avoid? Snog as he’s not bad looking but just as friends.

Would you meet up with them again? We have three History modules together. One of which has about 16 people in it. So... yes, I’ll pester her for lecture notes.

What did you think of the venue? Strada was a really lovely venue to go to for the blind date. I’d definitely go again. The food was excellent, although Victoria did opt for the innovative choice of margarita pizza. Would you meet up with them again? Yes, we had a laugh so it’d be fun to do something else. I also have no choice as it turns out he’s in one of my seminars.

What did you talk about? After the small talk of “Where are you from?” and “Where do you live in Exeter?”, we came to realize we both study History and got down to business. She began with ‘the breakdown of Soviet-American relations after the Potsdam Conference in July 1945’. I saw her Potsdam, and raised her ‘the ineffectiveness of Sherman tanks and superiority of Tiger tanks in the Battle of Normandy, Jun-Aug 1944’.

Snog, marry, avoid? Marry. All of our children would have fantastic hair and impeccable table manners.

Life Experience vs. Work Experience

Wan blind t to go on lifest date? Em a yle@ ex ail com! epose.

Work experience and good grades: don’t leave school without either, says Bryan Toh A COMMON conundrum amongst modern students is that of whether work experience or grades count for more in the eyes of an employer. Judging from experience, I for one would choose to take the middle ground; both are as important to a graduate’s prospects of securing a job. Before I traded the metropolis of Singapore for the Exeter countryside, I spent a good deal of time gathering work experience for my portfolio. The benefits of doing so were obvious enough to me, that work experience was, in a nutshell, a way to dip my toes into an industry without taking the plunge. From public relations firms to

newspapers, I set out to try my hand in the industries that allowed me to exercise my preferences of writing and communication. It gave me a platform to put the knowledge I gained from

My naivety was exposed when I decided to ask my editor for a job during a stint at the national broadsheet school into practice, and the best possible chance to learn about the poten-

tial banana-peels that were workplace etiquette or office politics. I picked up valuable life lessons, skills, and contacts that I would never have gained had I believed that my education would make me the consummate employee. At some points, it even felt as if I was learning more on the job than in school! But best of all, employers in Singapore love work experience, much like the ones here in the United Kingdom do if the findings of surveys by firms like High Fliers Research or Internships.com are to be believed. I was confident that work experience was what would get me that job. The naivety of that was exposed,

however, when I decided to ask my editor for a job during a stint at the national broadsheet. “I’d hire you, but you don’t have a degree,” was what my editor said, before going on to explain how despite my obvious experience in the industry, my lack of a degree would put me at a disadvantage against colleagues who had one. Other employers I had worked with echoed her sentiment, as I sought in vain to establish that my editor’s rejection was just a one-off. The whole fiasco taught me that a degree goes hand-in-hand with work experience when searching for a job. While gaining work experience is a hugely worthwhile endeavor, it should

not come at the expense of a quality degree. Unless you are applying for a largely skills-based job, the latter is still what employers will gauge your ability, potential, and suitability on. The key of course is finding that balance between the two. How can I get sufficient work experience while studying for my degree? That, is a question I am trying to solve as my university education edges on. In general, all the advice I have been given so far has been to ensure that I get involved and commit to a society or two, and then use the skills and knowledge I pick up along the way when applying for work experience.

lifestyle

29 october 2013 |

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Exeposé

Best friends forever?

Sophie Killip points out that the dishes aren’t worth the drama, you’re not a bore if you’re sensible, and sharing a fridge doesn’t equal a longlasting friendship

FLATMATES: they’re the first people you meet when arriving at university, wide-eyed and full of excitement for the three years to come. Later, they’re the steadfast friends you choose to live with, for better or worse, in accommodation you’ve found yourself and have to try and organise. Most of us, upon arriving at uni, will jump straight in and get to know our flatmates without a care in a world. They’re the safety-net group of people that we can’t help but know; the ones we cook with, or go to Timepiece with when everyone else says they can’t (ironically, to be with their flatmates), and (hopefully) they’re the ones who take care of us when we throw up into buckets or break up with a significant other. But what happens when that girl down the hall starts dishing out the cleaning duties – but just happens to leave herself out of the rota? Also, where have your eggs started

of the building to kindly shut the hell up. If they have any moral conscience, they won’t mind, and the next time you see them,

you should remember the night as something to laugh about. On the other hand – try not to be That Guy. If the posters you’ve put up, to try and stop people stealing your food, haven’t worked, and if

you know that there were way more cookies in that Tupperware box than there are now, buy a Fridge Locker. Seriously, get one off

They’re the safetynet group of people that we can’t help but know mysteriously disappearing to? Why is there a sudden lack of cutlery? Suddenly, you realise that maybe sharing a house with that bestie you met on the second-last day of term probably wasn’t a good idea. Well, here’s some news that should help when you feel like hiding in the cupboard if there’s a knock at your bedroom door. Firstly: it’s okay to be the sensible one once in a while. It’s three in the morning on a Monday night; you’ve got the flu and a 9AM start for a complicated physics lecture – go ahead. Tell That Guy in the next room playing house music so loud it’s shaking the foundations

eBay; they work. On the other hand, if you’ve already spent that student loan on other, more important things, keep the chocolate in your room, not a communal space. Be aware of the drunken snackers who will look on your loaf of bread like a gift from God – before promptly devouring it. At least they left the heel, that crustslice that no one seems to like. Oh, no. You don’t like that either, do you? But make sure you have a think about accusing anyone of downing all your milk; it could have been you who committed that crime, stumbling in at the crack of dawn in desperate need of a drink – anything’s possible. The truth, which we all have to face, is that not everyone is compatible. Not everyone you meet is going to instantly like you or, potentially, ever like you. It’s a hard fact to accept, especially when that person you don’t quite get on with is best friends with your flat mate, or is living down the same hall from you. As long as you’re civil, friendly and smile, sometimes being an acquaintance to someone is more than enough. Relationships are a juggling act, and at a place like uni it’s going to be one hell of a circus. Flatmates may or may not become your greatest friends, but if they do that doesn’t mean they’ll always wash their dishes. It does mean they’ll be there for you – they’ll always have your back.

Sorority sister Our columnist, Holly Alsop, is studying for a year at the College of William and Mary, Virginia. She tells us about her Bucket List, including an unconventional Triathalon. sauce’ has been my favourite so far. The Cheese Shop sells delicious sandwiches $10 a slice but for the more

THERE are a few things I have yet to complete on my Exeter Bucket List, things such as ‘run up Cardiac hill’, ‘go clubbing and be really edgy in the Cellar Door’ and the most terrifying entry, number five: ‘Get a pint in the King Billy and survive.’ Fortunately I have one more year to conquer these but with only a year at William and Mary, I decided I better get moving achieving some of their ‘things to do before you leave’. Eating ‘bread ends and house

I better get moving achieving some of their ‘things to do before you leave’ frugal there are bread ends. They are literally the ends of the bread they don’t use for the sandwiches, which have been sold at a buck a bag for a hundred years. Then the ‘house’ sauce that you dip them in, a yummy mus-

tardy, mayonnaise concoction. You also have to experience a ‘Wren Ten’, where each week a different a capella group sings on the steps of the Wren Building at ten o’clock. It’s all very informal and fun. But be sure to get there 40 minutes early to get decent spot. At W&M they have this tradition called the ‘Triathlon’. To complete the triathlon you must 1.Swim in the Crim Dell 2. Streak across the Sunken Gardens 3.Jump over the Governor’s wall in Colonial Williamsburg. It’s all very dangerous, people have been known to get ill after braving the Crim Dell, streaking, of course, has its own unique problems whilst jumping over the Governor’s wall

is illegal and police patrol the area. The Crim Dell is a swamp. It has a bridge with a tradition: if you walk across the bridge alone, you’ll be forever alone but if you walk across with a boy you’ll be together forever

Streaking, of course, has its own unique problems It actually looks like a scenic pond with a delightful bridge crossing it but when you look through the illusion, the water is infested with dirt, mud, and alien creatures. Last night, a fel-

low Brit and I swam in the Crim Dell. It was raining, so we hoped it would dilute the manky water a bit and distract the man-eating turtles. We weren’t bitten, thank god, but my swimming needs some work and I almost drowned from exhaustion. We weren’t 100 per cent sure what was required so we swam to the bridge and back which was a deceptively long distance. However, we survived to tell the tale and are now on to the next challenge. Now thar I’ve swum to the bridge and back, which football player can I lure to walk across with me?!

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Music

Listings Tue 29 October Big Country Phoenix Tue 29 October Brother And Bones Mama Stone’s Wed 30 October Eric Bibb Phoenix Fri 8 November Dub Pistols Phoenix

MUSIC

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Who’s afraid of the big bad Wolf Alice?

Magda Cassidy, Music Editor, chats to Wolf Alice before their gig at the Cavern

Lewis’s Love It or Loathe It

Interview

Sun 10 November Editors Great Hall

Columnist Lewis Norman tackles this week’s releases Cults: Static Indie-pop duo Cults slot into a genre that has the capacity to either be beautifully haunting, or simply dull. Fortunately, new album Static has proved that they are not a one-trick pony. Although the album is not without its weak points, (e.g. ‘TV Dream’ which doesn’t really seem to have a purpose on the album other than to fill time) at its best Static is a tantalising listen that does not disappoint. 7/10 Paul McCartney: New With 60 gold discs under his belt, you don’t need me to tell you that Sir Paul can write a brilliant pop song in his sleep. Unfortunately, despite his legendary status, New sounds like an awkward string of pop songs that constantly try to be hip but miserably fall short. McCartney’s experimentation with electronic sounds is a commendable effort but he cannot help sounding like everybody’s middle age uncle trying to convince himself that he is ‘down with the kids’ – and let’s be honest, Sir Paul’s voice went stale a number of years ago. 4/10

Mon 11 November Mount Kimbie The Fleece Tue 12 November Chase & Status Plymouth Pavilions Fri 15 November Future of the Left Thekla Mon 18 November Gabrielle Aplin Great Hall Sun 23 November Mallory Knox Phoenix Wed 27 November The Lumineers Plymouth Pavilions Sat 30 November The Wurzels Lemmy Mon 2 December Don Bronco Lemmy

One to Watch

Future OfThe Left @Thekla Bristol The perpetually underappreciated odd-rockers ought to put on a high-octane, energetic show. Make sure you’re there.

MEETING Wolf Alice in a tiny backstage room with what appears to be a massive glory hole in the wall is quite a surreal experience. With the four of them perched on whatever surfaces they can find and enough carrots, melon slices and loaves of tiger bread to survive a nuclear war, it’s not the most glamorous setting. But it’s clear this is where the band are at their happiest, cracking jokes non stop and full of energy despite their hangovers. Only one day into their tour and preparing for a gig at Cavern’s new Wednesday night ‘Kink’, the band are in high spirits. “It’s just a little tour of the South West; nothing we cant handle” laughs drummer Joel. “We played Bath last night in a venue which ended up hosting a horrific student night. Needless to say we went for it pretty hard.” After a brief chat about Exeter nightlife, which basically involved dampening their enthusiasm for Wednesday nights at Timepiece, we got talking about Blush. The new EP, released a couple of weeks ago, has

already had a lot of positive attention, particularly from NME, who also featured the band in their Radar section in April. “We really appreciate their help; I grew up reading that magazine so it actually means a lot to me. This is what we want to do so it’s great that they’re supporting us - they’re legends!” laughs Joel. Despite the success of ‘Fluffy’, the band are surprisingly relaxed about comparisons to their early single. Lead singer Ellie, who has up to this point been remarkably quiet adds, “as long as we think it’s better than ‘Fluffy’, which we do, it doesn’t really matter. I’d rather everyone said our first song was great and have mixed opinions on ‘Fluffy’ than think it was shit”. “The speed at which ‘Fluffy’ became popular was mental” laughs Theo. “We went from no one knowing about us, to just a couple of f**king people knowing about us and then suddenly we were on Radio 1.” Keen to know more about the band’s progression from cutesy folk to a more

guitar driven alt-rock sound, something that seemed to happen early on in their career, I asked how far they’re willing to go with their new angst driven material. “Eventually we’ll be verging on death metal,” jokes Theo. “There’s no way of predicting what direction we’ll take next. We’re getting angrier – the longer we spend with each other the more we want to break things.” EP tracks ‘She’ and ‘Nosedive’ are certainly packed with the rough and ready sound that really began to capture the public’s attention. However, despite their evolving sound, the band don’t share any collective influences. “It’s why we work so well together. We each bring a diversity in what we listen to, we argue over what music we want on all the time” laughs Ellie. After an incredibly successful first year, the band were keen to talk about their summer. “We played loads of festivals” says Theo, biting into a handful of carrot batons. “End of the Road was sick! We were actually playing at the same time as Eels, which was a lot

of pressure, but we had a great crowd and it was an incredible festival”. Despite spending a couple of days trapped in tents avoiding the rain and getting steadily drunker, they’re all hungry to repeat the experience next year. “If we could get Reading, that’d be awesome. Glastonbury would be insane too” says Ellie. “We don’t miss playing in London,” chuckles Joel. “There’s an element of romance looking back, but those early days when you’re still finding your feet are tough. Touring is much more fun than being paid nothing to play to two people who think you’re shit.” So what’s next for Wolf Alice? “An album is on the cards” says Theo, “we don’t know when or how or what but the material’s there; we’re playing lots of our new stuff tonight so the album’s hopefully not too far off.” With their charisma and undeniable passion for what they do, big things are definitely in store, and I for one can’t wait to see what they might be.

Music

Placebo Loud Like Love Universal .......................

I SIMPLY could not wait to hear the new album by Placebo. Never ones to experiment excessively but also never too safe, Brian Molko and Co. always deliver a mix of zestful and addictive alt-rock, and I expected their latest offering to be no different. In this I was mistaken. It seems to me that Loud Like Love has all of the shortcomings of its predecessor and none of its redeeming qualities. Battle for the Sun, while far from their best album, was still catchy, energetic and strangely “sticky”. The present collection of songs, however, sounds predictable, forced and dull. The tracks blend into each other and it took a good five spins before I could even distinguish them from one another. The two singles (‘Loud Like Love’ and ‘Too Many Friends’) are beyond forgettable and sound more akin to an amateur garage band than veterans with almost 20 years of experience. The odd little signs of freshness here and there (parts of ‘Rob

29 october 2013 |

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the Bank’ and ‘Purify’) are mercilessly drowned out in Brian Molko’s signature nasal vocals which are about a hundred times louder than the instruments. The only song with any real repeat value is the melancholy-ridden ‘Hold On To Me’, but it is barely sufficient to wash away the bad taste from the tediousness of overlong tracks ‘Exit Wounds’ and album closer ‘Bosco’. Formerly original and clever, now ever more tiring lyrics come out of Molko’s pen, repetition and daftness being their main characteristics. While I could live with the mindless chanting of “Breathe, believe” in the title track and the informative lesson in banking and geography in Rob the Bank, rhyming gay with Champs-Élysées (‘Too Many Friends’) is where I draw the line. In this album more than ever before the lyrics seem to be a collection of phrases rather than a coherent work of any poetic value.

It sounds more akin to an amateur garage band than veterans

Production-wise the album is as crisp as can be, with some nice electronics here and there to liven up the soundscape which, as already stressed, is otherwise dominated by the vocals. The conclusions of the dissection seem clear: a number of anomalies in development have affected the overall condition of the patient. I prescribe that previous treatment with simple placebos should be replaced with strong antibiotics... I may have taken the medical metaphor a bit too far. PAVEL KONDOV

James Blunt Moon Landing Custard Records .......................

WHENEVER I am asked who my favourite artist is I always hesitate before coyly replying with two of the most frowned upon words in the musical world; James Blunt. Yet every time someone responds with a look of disdain, I fail to understand their reasoning. It may be true that he has the ability to hit notes of a pre-pubescent boy whilst maintaining perfect Queen’s English and an accent right out of Made in Chelsea, but that didn’t stop his debut album Back to Bedlam becoming the biggest selling album of the noughties in the UK and it certainly hasn’t hindered him since. With the first single ‘Bonfire Heart’ debuting at number 6 in the airplay chart, it would be fair to think that his latest album Moon Landing is set for success. However, if you were a fan of his earlier albums you will be sorely disappointed. The collaboration with OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder on Bonfire Heart lures us into false enthusiasm. The truth is there

is very little in this album which stands out, aside from Blunt’s new found love of drums. What makes this album different from his others is that there are very few slow paced tear-jerkers with which he is most associated. Indeed, even the depressing tracks on the album have a significantly stronger back-beat, which actually loses the indulgence of his other music. After all, who hasn’t treated themselves to a wail along to ‘You’re Beautiful’, at least once? Furthermore, for some reason his latest album is an acute obsession with all things astronomical, complete with twinkly piano pieces and the odd moment which seems as though someone is hiding in the studio playing the triangle. The combination of this and the somewhat clichéd, unadventurous lyrics set the album up to be disappointing. Unlike his first two albums, Moon Landing tries to be far more buoyant in its composition, giving half the tracks a vaguely seventies aura and lavishing the other half in technological embellishments. Whilst the track ‘Satellites’ could be mistaken for a David Bowie tribute, the chorus of ‘Miss America’ appears to almost imitate an Elton John song. Despite this, the album has the potential to thrive in the music industry. Though it is far from revolutionary in both its music and its subject matter, sticking to self-deprecation and general pessimism as a rule, Moon Landing is a natural progression from the hammering ballads of his previous work and, if you are a James Blunt fan, you will probably end up listening to it more times than you’d like to admit. EMMA SUDDERICK

“What a waster, what a f**king waster”

Josh Gray, Music Editor, catches Babyshambles’ performance at the Great Hall “HELLO TORQUAY” mumbles Pete Doherty, swaying gently and staring at his feet. “I’m joking” he reassures the silent, worried crowd before smashing into a rocked up version of ‘I Wish’ and letting the tension dissolve. How were we meant to know? This is a man who delayed the set by over an hour because he was allegedly sleeping in, who sat for a good five minutes with a towel over his face and who downed an entire bottle of Champagne when he was meant to be singing. How can we expect Pete Doherty, a man whose bloodstream is 50 per cent wine and 50 per cent heroin, to even be able to stand up and perform?

How can we expect a man whose bloodstream is 50 per cent wine and 50 per cent heroin to perform?

Yet perform he does. His bandmates Mick and Drew, plus various touring musicians, are solid, tight performers; but they lack the pure charisma and unpredictability of their frontman. Like John Lydon, Ozzy Osbourne and Lux Interior before him, Pete Doherty captivates your attention through his capacity to keep you constantly on your toes. At one point he chucks an empty bottle against the back wall, smashing it to pieces, and I honestly wouldn’t have

been surprised if he chucked it into the crowd, so internalised is Pete’s perception of reality. His performance both helps and hinders their wide-ranging set. For the (relatively) sober start of the show the whole band share the spotlight, bassist Drew and Pete trading Carl’n’Pete worthy harmonies over a perfect ‘Delivery’ and ‘Seven Shades’, the scratchy thoughtless twiddling between songs serving to highlight the tightness of the tunes themselves. However, somewhere after ‘The Man Who Came To Stay’ the fact that Babyshambles don’t have the same number of hits as, say, the Libertines becomes apparent. The songs start to blur together and the focus is increasingly drawn onto Pete whacky antics. Things become more settled after new album highlight ‘Farmer’s Daughter’, but by the end of the set Pete’s intoxication really starts to affect the set. Occasionally, while the audience wonders how he’s still alive, he manages to pull a cracking guitar solo out of nowhere; but he gets completely lost during set closer ‘Fuck Forever’, managing to nearly ruin one of the best songs of noughties indie. Alternately hilarious and sad to observe, Babyshambles delivered a decent show against the odds. Pete is both their greatest blessing and their greatest curse, but few new frontmen are as engaging and watchable as this wreck of a man.

Exeposé

THE FIRING RANGE Eminem - Berzerk EMINEM is back and he’s brought along a wild, bloodthirsty animal that is his latest single, ‘Berzerk’. By blending crunchy guitar riffs with a punchy drumbeat (evoking the instrumental grind of Beastie Boys’ ‘So Whatcha Want’), Eminem brings a stronger pulse to his music since the release of his previous album, ‘Recovery’. The ‘old Eminem’ seems to have returned with his fun, child-like attitude using his verbal turret to fire cheeky lyrics in beat with the head-spinning tune. ‘Berzerk’ is a ‘big bag of swag’ that is itching with rhythm and carrying a breath of fresh air to present-day Hip- Hop. DAVID HOLT

Angel Haze - Echelon (It’s My Way)

HOW boring. The synths? Boring. The bass? Boring. And don’t even mention the lyrics or that jarring addition of Spanish strings. The Super Mario vibes were on point, but what happened to the raw swagger of ‘New York’? Do I care about what you wear to Fashion Week though? Haze doesn’t even begin to match the flow of her proclaimed successor, Steppe N Here, so do yourself a favour and give ‘Echelon’ a miss and go and listen to Steppe N Here’s ‘Think U Got it Made’ instead. Angel Haze, you haven’t “CPR’d the game” you’ve lost it. Worth listening to. LOUISA LING

Cheating- John Newman

JOHN NEWMAN is a talented guy; with a No.1 debut single under his belt, there’s no doubt he’s firmly made his mark on the UK charts so far. In ‘Cheating’, we hear Newman crooning over a neat little riff of trumpets and piano, cumulating in a soulful choir at the end – but I couldn’t help wondering: haven’t we heard this all before? Don’t get me wrong, the song is good, but at times I felt like I was able to sing along with the lyrics of ‘Love Me Again’. I’ve heard of the phrase ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, but it would have been nice to see Newman move in a slightly different musical direction SOPHIE PRESCOTT

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Newsreel I Walk With The Dead Finds Writer Director Nicholas Winding Refn’s newest venture, an all-female horror film rumoured to be starring Carey Mulligan, is to be penned by playwright Polly Stenham. Refn, who hopes that the film will be less ‘man-centric’ than his previous projects, is already under some fire for describing the movie as featuring ‘a lot of sex’. Still in production, I Walk With The Dead is yet to be given a solid start date for filming.

Josh Brolin and Idris Elba linked to Jurassic World The newest instalment in the colossal Jurassic Park franchise is rumoured to have both of the much-lauded actors on board with the project. While no formal negotiations are currently underway, reports have circulated from multiple sources concerning producer Steven Spielberg’s and director Colin Trevorrow’s interest in the stars.

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Exeposé Screen attended the first weekend .of the London Film Festival, now in its 57th year, to see the latest and greatest films and documentaries that the world of cinema has to offer. From established directors to rising stars, here are our top picks from the weekend. Kill Your Darlings Director: John Krokidas Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan, Michael C. Hall, Elizabeth Olsen 104 mins (TBC)

After a fantastic few weeks in the capital, Pawel Pawlikowski’s drama Ida has been crowned as “Best Film”, with the competition jury describing it as “a courageous film that handles, with subtlety and insight, a painfully controversial historical situation”. Elsewhere, screenwriter Jonathan Asser received the award for Best British Newcomer, and legendary actor Christopher Lee was named as BFI’s latest addition to the Fellowship.

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler back as Golden Globes hosts

Drinking Buddies Director: Joe Swaberg

After the resounding success of the previous awards back in January, the duo have agreed a deal to host the awards for the next two years. Allen Shapiro, CEO of Dick Clark Productions, said that the two have “a truly unique chemistry making them one of the most talented and captivating pairings of all time”. This move has certainly raised serious questions over whether the controversial Ricky Gervais will ever be called to host the awards again, particularly given the wider public appeal of Fey and Poelher.

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The 57th Annual BFI London Film Festival EVER since the Harry Potter film series was put to rest, Daniel Radcliffe has tried his best to escape forever being labelled as ‘the boy who lived’. Whilst his parts in The Woman in Black and the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying did well to help distance himself from the franchise, no single role has managed to help him rise above the legacy of his earlier career, with the public mind-set still fixed firmly in J.K. Rowling’s universe. Thankfully, John Krokidas’ directorial debut may have finally put those gremlins to rest. Following the early college years of American poet Allen Ginsberg (Radcliffe), the film covers the rise of the original circle of writers responsible for the Beat Generation in their efforts to start what they believed would be the next literary renaissance. Based on real-life events, the story soon departs from the world of writing to one of murder and forbidden love as Ginsberg’s friend and love interest Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan) is imprisoned over the murder of former lover David Kemmerer (Michael C. Hall). With Radcliffe presenting the au-

BFI London Film Festival awards announced

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Cast: Olivia Wilde, Jake Johnson, Anna Kendrick 90 mins (15) IN his most commercial film to date, Joe Swanberg introduces the world of good friends, complicated relationships and brewery life to us in Drinking Buddies. The film follows Kate (Olivia Wilde) and Luke (Jake Johnson) colleagues and beer fans. The line between

dience with a considered and powerful performance, the movie is in no way weighed down by the pervading spectre of Harry Potter (even despite the fact he’s sporting a fetching pair of circular glasses). However, even in light of strong showings from the rest of the cast, there is still the general sense that the over-romanticising of every aspect of the Beat Generation prevents Kill Your Darlings from truly realising its full potential. By not allowing any real downtime between the partying, drinking, drugs and turbulent relationships that the script holds so dear, it does at times come across as too overly dramatic. That said, beyond the perceived melodrama, the relationships between the characters do maintain a definite believability, with each passing event straining and evolving who they are as people. Ginsberg in particular soon becomes a phantom of his former self. Starting the movie as a mild-mannered, yet free thinking introvert, his transition into a radical poet, as he allows his dealings with Carr and the rest of the group to envelope and alter his personality, is approached with enough care as to not seem too jarring a change by the time the credits roll. As a generally entertaining insight into the wild beginnings of Ginsberg’s career, this is one story that should not be so hastily overlooked. RH their friendship becomes increasingly blurred, assisted by the many nights of drinking, and further complicated by Luke’s relationship with his fiancée (Anna Kendrick) and Kate’s with her boyfriend (Ron Livingston). Taken from a small record label, the songs used reflect the laid-back attitude of the characters and provides a delightful score to the film, the first non-original Swanberg’s used. The improvised script and great characterisation provided by both cast and Swanberg himself creates an incredibly re-

laxed, natural sense of realism in the film, while providing great moments of awkward humour. It genuinely feels at times as if you’ve stepped into their lives with the various sarcastic comments, talking over each other and a spontaneous arm dance at the bar. The ambiguous, yet uplifting end could delight or annoy viewers, as it fails to satisfy the storyline you think it’s heading towards. However, this only goes to highlight the unconventionality of the film. I for one look forward to seeing more work like this, and luckily, won’t have to wait long. A heart-warming and enjoyable film, Drinking Buddies is sure to make you smile. Cheers Swanberg!

ALICE NICHOLSON

Labor Day Director: Jason Reitman Cast: Kate Winslet, Clarke Gregg, Josh Brolin 111 mins (12A) BASED on the novel by Joyce Maynard, Labor Day is a moving drama from Jason Reitman, director of Up in the Air and Juno. After a traumatic end to her marriage, reclusive Adele (Winslet) relies on her teenage son Henry (Griffith, in his debut performance) for care. However, when the pair shelters a wounded, escaped convict, Frank (Brolin), over a fateful Labor Day weekend their lives are changed forever. Told as an extended flashback by the older Henry (Tobey Maguire), Labor Day is a mixture of coming-of-age

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Blue Is The Warmest Colour Director: Abdellatif Kechiche Cast: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux, Salim Kechiouche 179 mins (18) “IT’S all or nothing with you” Emma (Seydoux) laughingly tells Adèle (Exarchopoulos) at one early moment in the film. With this sentiment in mind, Kerchiche’s demanding three hour film requires your complete investment or you risk the complex beauty of this stunning film passing you by – and that’s not a chance you should take with Blue is the Warmest Colour. Blue is very much the story of Adèle and Emma, and the rest of the cast, although excellent, merely circulate around this phenomenal cen-

tral pairing. Adèle meets university art-student Emma when she is 17, still at school, and in the moment of flux between childhood and adulthood when everything seems both possible and futile. This is a coming of age story, as well as a coming out story, and the audience closely follows Adèle through the beginning of their relationship, to the tentative first steps of jobs and living together, to the – perhaps inevitable – break up.

Adèle’s expressions tell the audience everything there is to say about love by saying very little There are a lot of clashes in this film. Emma is older, a middle-class student of art history and philosophy,

whose family is entirely comfortable with her sexuality. Adèle is poorer, has aspirations of becoming a teacher and has to hide her relationship after she is ridiculed and spat at when her friends find out. But the clashes are coupled with an intense focus on pleasure: art, literature, eating and, of course, sex. With Seydoux and Exarchopoulos claiming the central ten minute sex scene took days to film with Kerchiche making them fight and hit each other again and again, it’s no wonder that these scenes have been the centre of great debate. Critics have lauded them pornographic, but I would argue that the sex was dealt the same level of detail and scrutiny that every other emotion was shown in the film. These scenes show Adèle’s growth – she has gone from an awkward teenager constantly playing with her hair to a woman in full control of and enjoying her sexuality. Blue is beautifully intimate in that it

Don Jon Director: Joseph GordonLevitt Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlet Johansson, Julianne Moore 90 mins (18) JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT’S directorial debut of a New Jersey lothario with a porn addiction is a smart, funny and surprisingly heart-warming story. This film is clearly a labour of love, and the passion that director, writer and star Gordon-Levitt has put into it is evident in the sharp directing and clever dialogue. Gordon-Levitt is the titular Jon, who only cares about a few things in life – his body, his pad, his ride, his family, his church, his boys, his girls, and his porn. Such is the complex character of Jon, dubbed ‘Don’ by his two “boys” due to his success with women at the nightclub he frequents. The only issue is that he can’t lose himself in sex with real women (it seems like a lot of hard work without much pay-off) – so the internet’s vast porn resources come in, an addiction that

Enough Said Director: Nicholas Holofcener Cast: James Gandolfini, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Catherine Keener 93 mins (12A) drama and mature romance. Darker and more melodramatic than his previous work, Reitman captures the sweaty claustrophobia of the family home and creates moments of incredible tension as the police hunt for Frank. The dynamic between the characters is brilliantly realised by strong performances throughout, including a small role by Clark ‘Agent Coulson’ Gregg as Adele’s ex-husband. However, flashbacks to Frank’s past

Reitman captures the sweaty claustrophobia of the family home interwoven with Henry’s story seem to contradict the storytelling device of his narration and rarely create the tension they seem intended to. Worse is the reli-

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ance of stereotypical devices for revealing Frank’s potential as a husband/father; the mother and son saved by a man who can change the oil in the car and clean the gutters – all seemingly without being seen by a neighbourhood on high alert for a man matching his description. Despite some well-constructed sequences, the film rarely offers the same wit and invention as we’ve seen in Reitman’s other films. Although I confess that I have not read the source novel, his script also has the occasional awkward line that cuts through the conviction of the scene. Nevertheless, Labor Day is still a solid, emotive and absorbing drama, albeit one that is ultimately unremarkable.

CHRIS DAVIES

BILLED as one as James Gandolfini’s last undertakings into film before his untimely death back in June, Nicole Holofcener’s latest endeavour immediately stands out as one of the best comedies of the year. By taking a refreshingly mature approach to the traditional rom-com formula, it stands as a prime example of how a film should handle the seriousness of a relationship without neglecting the all-important laughs. And boy, how there are laughs. After meeting at a ritzy middle-aged party, Eva (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), a divorced physical therapist, forms a relationship with Albert (Gandolfini), a slob-

shows what isn’t beautiful. When Adèle cries snot runs down her nose and mascara streams down her face, spaghetti is

Like any great love story, this nearperfect film will leave a lingering stain on your heart noisily slurped as characters chew with open mouths and as Emma and Adèle kiss, beads of saliva hang between their lips – at times it seems to be so real that I felt like an intruder on their relationship, particularly as it is filmed almost entirely in widescreen close-ups. During the ten years that the story takes place, Adèle’s emotional highs and lows are anchored in her expressions. They tell the audience everything there is to say about being in love by actualmeans only the chime of an Apple Mac turning on to get him going. He dutifully confesses his sins on Sunday, does his hail Marys and walks away only to start it all over again Montages of the club, masturbation and confession scenes were clever, and clearly show the relentless cycle of Jon’s life under the grip of unconscious addiction. That is until he meets Barbara (Johansson), a brassy New-Jersey blonde who is seemingly the woman of his dreams.

Joseph GordonLevitt’s directorial debut is a smart, funny and surprisingly heartwarming story But in the same way that Jon’s porn gives him unrealistic expectations of women, a scene where Jon and Barbara go to the cinema – which contains a movie (starring Channing Tatum and Anne Hathaway) within the movie, and is one of the funniest moments – shows the unrealistic expectations Hollywood bish but deeply kind and humorous giant of a man. As the two become closer, the relationship is gradually poisoned by Marianne (Keener), one of Eva’s clients and awkwardly for her, Albert’s ex-wife. As the plot progresses and she is fed more and more stories about her boyfriend from the unknowing Marianne, Eva soon becomes locked in an internal struggle as she tries to balance Albert’s good and bad qualities without him or his former wife finding out about her connection between the old couple. Usually, declaring the movie’s humour as ‘adult’ throws up

Ch onlin eck revie e for mor e ws ysis o and analf the B ly saying LFF! FI very little ,and despite the explicit sex scenes the most prominent bit of flesh on display is her heart. Blue is the Warmest Colour is a story about love, from the thrill of first glances and first kisses to the bitterness, sadness and lingering affection that remains when that feeling dies. Like any great love story, this near-perfect film will leave a lingering stain on your heart.

MF romcoms advocate in their tales of ‘true’ love. Both formats are as false as the other – “Movies and porn are different, Jon. They give awards for movies,” Barbara says. “They give awards for porn too,” Jon fires back. He wants Barbara to be the submitting woman of his fantasties; she wants Jon to be The Man of her movies, making him go to night school and give up doing his own cleaning. It’s not until Jon meets Esther (Moore), a classmate at night school, that this all changes. Gordon-Levitt replaces the search for love with the search for acceptance, and despite the slightly awkward interaction between Moore and Gordon-Levitt, the ending of the film is heartfelt and sweet with Jon finally finding the kind of acceptance he was looking for all along. Whilst Don Jon may not pull off its feminist sub-tones as well as it intends, this is a fun and likable film with a fantastic cast – and shows great promise for Gordon-Levitt’s future in directing.

MF connotations of nudity, swearing and cringe-inducing sex jokes, Enough Said brings it back to reality by tackling a multitude of very real issues. From the stress of divorce to their kids leaving home and going to college, these genuine moments engage superbly with the sincerity displayed by the film’s two leads, generating witty but never tiresome dialogue as well as a relationship just as believable and warm as any you would find in the real world. Whilst the usual rom-com tropes may prevent some from enjoying the flick as a full-fledged comedy, Enough Said does more than enough to keep you entertained from start to finish and definitely warrants more than just one viewing.

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The Fifth Estate Director: Bill Condon Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch,

Daniel Brühl, Carice van Houten 128 mins (15)

WITH the polarising, political, and current WikiLeaks at this drama’s heart, it is surprising that The Fifth Estate makes no attempt to moralise on this divisive issue. Neither Assange nor the US government come off as the ‘good guy’ or ‘bad guy’ - they are merely conflicting parties each convinced that their stance is the ethically superior one. This lack of stance may be one reason why some critics have complained that the film sheds no new light on this exciting controversy; however, it is relieving that the creative team chose to focus more on the people embroiled in the leaks - their lives and motivations - instead of on their international implications. The star-studded cast does not disappoint on any level. With the help of bleached hair and an Australian accent, Benedict Cumberbatch morphs into WikiLeaks’s elusive prophet. He uses his well-honed talent for sociopathic characters to its full effect; as with his Sherlock, his Assange is multifaceted, by turns charismatic, compulsive, idealistically visionary, ruthless, and unforgiving to those who fail to live up to his vision of a new society. The film, however, could almost be said to unfold through the eyes of Assange’s slowly-disillusioned disci-

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ple, Daniel Berg. Daniel Brühl, fresh off his success as Rush’s Niki Lauda, immediately wins viewers over with his slight naiveté and uncompromised idealism upon joining Assange’s quest, and this sympathetic relationship to the audience is a stark, powerful foil to Assange’s unreachability.

the metaphorical ‘WikiLeaks headquarters’ in a dream like physical setting is odd and does not quite fit the rest of the film’s realistic aesthetic. CARMEN PADDOCK

Headshot: Benedict Cumberbatch TODAY the unmistakeable name of Benedict Cumberbatch conjures up some well-worn preconceptions. Privately educated, well-spoken and unfailingly courteous, Cumberbatch’s demeanour does nothing to dispel these images. He’s about as typically ‘British’ as his name suggests. As an actor riding the crest of his career, it’s perhaps surprising that Cumberbatch retains a tangible humility towards himself and his work. When asked what he considers his greatest achievement, he replies, with transp a r e n t h o n e s t y, ‘I wish I could say children.’ A realistic and grounded individual, Cumberbatch was carjacked in South Africa whilst filming To The Ends of the Earth, and frequently cites it as a

It is surprising that The Fifth Estate makes no attempt to moralise on this divisive issue Viewers expecting the film to be all about the two ‘stars’ will be surprised by the extremely strong supporting cast. Alicia Vikander (A Royal Affair, Anna Karenina) captures the mixed devotion and understandable frustration with Assange’s all-hours approach as Berg’s girlfriend, Anke. Peter Capaldi has his same fantastic Malcom Tucker-esque air, albeit toned down and with less swearing, as the Guardian’s Alan Rusbridger. As two American cabinet workers bent on sorting out WikiLeaks’ implications, the consistently marvellous Laura Linney and the never disappointing Stanley Tucci (where to start with their past credits?) round out the show. The script is tight and well-written, allowing the characters to define themselves and their actions without monotonous explanation. The production design is, for the most part, solid. However, the decision to represent

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life-changing experience. Consequently he isn’t inclined to take his considerable success for granted, far from it; openly amused and baffled by his newfound ‘sex symbol’ status, Cumberbatch’s attitude to fame is philosophical. It is only since the arrival of acclaimed BBC drama Sherlock that Cumberbatch’s career has really taken off. His distinctive interpretation of a twenty-first century Holmes has single-handedly earned him the respect of an industry, landing him a string of prestigious roles worthy of Hollywood’s finest. With a reputation for playing intelligent, awkward and sometimes unsavoury characters, his recent roles as Khan in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness and Julian Assange in The Fifth Estate demonstrate his incredible capacity for empathy. Nevertheless, Cumberbatch’s past achievements feel like a preface to an illustrious career. From playing Alan Turing in new film The Imitation Game to starring alongside Meryl Streep in August: Osage County, it is certain that Cumberbatch will continue to impress. BETHANY BAKER

Don’t know much about history? Thomas Davies discusses whether there is any merit in representing the historical greats on screen EVEN before the release of The Fifth Estate, the new biopic starring Benedict Cumberbatch, it had already come under fire. The ‘star’ of the film and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange launched a well-spoken critique, going so far as to call Cumberbatch a “hired gun” for distorting the “truth”. Assange’s criticism begs an interesting question: what can we do about biopics? As a history undergraduate, I have very clear views about the fictionalisation of biopics. Bluntly, they shouldn’t happen. Biopics to me are history documentaries with a bigger budget and I don’t like anything that defies the ‘facts’ to any significant extent. But the more you look into the historicity of biopics the more errors you find – some minor, others quite significant. In fact there isn’t a single biopic that I’ve watched that doesn’t contain an error of some kind somewhere. In reality, therefore, I’ve accepted there’s always going to be something

wrong with them. Some biopics like Lincoln and Schindler’s List I’d be more than happy to recommend. Others (don’t even get me started on Braveheart) are not nearly as good. Some are useful even if they don’t do accurate biography; Saving Private Ryan does a poor job of telling the story of the real ‘Private Ryan’ but it’s a brilliant depiction of the Second World War. We must take every historical film with a pinch of salt and remember they aren’t time machines, more like paintings that get the points across – but not always in a realistic way. You could argue that this would be less of an issue if we had the real figures giving their input. To some extent you’d probably be right, but in actual fact I don’t think it helps. People like Assange are just as capable of distorting their own life as Hollywood is. They aren’t impartial and they would want to portray themselves in a certain way. I’m not saying that would be bad, but the same issues would come up. There’s even

something to be gained from not letting them influence the writing process. Niki Lauda, whose career was chronicled in Rush, said the film “helped me understand why people were so shocked [at his burned face]”. It’s always going to be someone’s interpretation, and we should embrace that and take it as such. Impartiality is in short supply. Annoying as it is, we know there are errors and we know biopics are no replacement for good traditional reading. But if we know all this, what is the point in even having this discussion? Why did Assange feel the need to speak out if he knows that biopics aren’t accurate? Sadly it’s because people don’t check the facts, and I’m as guilty as anyone. What Assange’s criticism highlights more than anything is the extent to which Hollywood influences popular perception and the regularity with which it alters our views to one thing or another. When sitting down to watch the next big biopic, we would all do well to remember this.

As Hot As... the hot or nots of this week’s film news ENDER’S GAME – The trailer has been slammed for giving too much screentime to Harrison Ford and not focusing on the major characters. We love you Harrison, but Ender’s Game without the kids is like Screen without the Gos.

A Ford Estate

ARMY OF DARKNESS - Cult film actor Bruce Campbell has confirmed that a sequel to the popular B-movie is currently in the works. Despite its predecessor’s gory charm, the reality is that it will more than likely turn out to be just another zombie movie.

DEL TORO – Currently, writing the script for the second film in the Pacific Rim franchise, del Toro said that he “would love to continue telling stories about that world”. It was fun, Guillermo, but we feel you may want to focus your talents on new projects.

DOCTOR WHO – The 50th Anniversary trailer has now been released. Whovians around the world have lost their minds. Check it out as soon as you can to get a much needed sci-fi fix and reminisce about the Doctor Who tales of old.

TIM BURTON - Said to be “seriously considering” a sequel to the classic Beetlejuice, Burton is currently working his way through the latest script. If everyone says Beetlejuice three times at once it’s bound to happen.

The Fifth Estate

books

Books

Book Shelf With Halloween approaching why not have a read of some of these books, which have been deemed so scary that they’ve been heavily challenged and even banned... 1. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis This book has been banned from being sold to under 18s in several countries including Germany and Australia. Deemed ‘harmful to minors’, the book was even linked with inspiring Canadian serial killer Paul Bernardo, who supposedly held the book as a Bible. But far from being concerned, Bret Easton Ellis has dubbed the bans ‘adorable’, commenting ‘I think it’s cute. I love it’. 2. Carrie and Cujo by Stephen King Carrie is one of the most frequently banned books in US schools. The strong language and violence has led it to be dubbed unfit for young people. Similarly Cujo’s sexual content led many parents to complain that scenes in the novel were upsetting their children, many of whom were teenage boys. Teenage boys, upset by sexual content? Something about that doesn’t quite add up... 3. Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

Believe it or not this beloved classic from Roald Dahl’s fantastic imagination was banned by some libraries in England. Some accused Dahl of being misogynistic, with his terrifying witches supposedly overtly portraying women in a bad light. Dahl denied the claims - “I do not wish to speak badly about women. Most women are lovely.” EMMA HOLIFIELD, BOOKS EDITOR

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

As a student, recent Exeter graduate Charlotte Pike cooked from scratch on an impressive £10 a week. Now a cookbook author, Charlotte gives Exeposé Books some welcome culinary tips When you were packing for university, a student cookbook was no doubt thrust into your hands by a well meaning parent, alongside concerns that you would give yourself food poisoning or set fire to your flat. These kitchen catastrophes may or may

Make the nicest food you can on your budget, rather than cheap, dreary food not have happened to you. However, you have probably found yourself abandoning these cookbooks, resorting to a somewhat monotonous diet of pasta broken up by the occasional TP burger. Many cookbooks, in trying to offer simple recipes, spend pages patronisingly explaining how to boil an egg, so it is easy to understand why students are often unethused by them. Charlotte Pike, an Exeter graduate, was keen to avoid such obvious content in her Hungry Student cookbook series. “My aim with these books is to offer plenty of

4. Scary Stories series by Alvin Schwartz

5. The Witches by Roald Dahl

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Hungry for cookbooks?

During the 90s the Goosebumps series was not only at the height of its popularity, but it was also topping the list of most challenged books. Consistently finding itself among the top 20, it was criticised by parents who disliked the supposedly occult themes. However, with memorable villains including Slappy the Dummy and the Lawn Gnomes, how satanic can it really be?

Schwartz’s books have topped the list of most challenged books for years. Merging urban myths and American folk tales into one, these classic campfire stories are famed for exhausting the parents of terrified children who refuse to sleep alone after reading them.

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The Hungry Student Easy Baking Charlotte Pike (Quercus £7.99)

As a passionate baker, I was keen to review Charlotte Pike’s book. I am glad to say it did not disappoint. The front cover exudes a ‘student’ image with simple pictures of equipment which compliment the achievable bakes inside.

The pinkness risks alienating the male bakers out there This becomes a recurring theme for the rest of the book. Skills are printed in bold with page references for instructions on how to carry them out. Such explanations

inspiring but realistic ideas,” she told Exeposé Books. Stressing how her books “have been written from a students point of view, from a recent graduate”, Charlotte spoke about how she was inspired to write cookbooks by her culinary adventures in her university kitchen. She was also acutely aware that many cookbooks fail to offer interesting choices for those on student budgets: “I really felt as though there was a gap in the market for student cookery books that show you how to make the nicest food you can on your budget, rather than how to subsist from cheap, dreary food.” She has therefore tried to ensure that her recipes are not only great price wise but also appealing to the pallette. Living on an impressive £10 a week food budget whilst at Exeter, Charlotte held monetary concerns in high regard when coming up with recipes. “I used my time at Exeter to experiment and try and cook the most creative recipes I could whilst sticking to my tight budget,” she said. “I always made time to cook - not that

I was cooking elaborate food every day. Eating out and buying takeaways wasn’t really an option, as I just couldn’t afford it, so cooking for myself was essential”. Citing the benefits of home cooking, Charlotte encourages others to turn away from microwavable meals and cook for themselves “You’ll save money, you’ll eat better and home cooked food is much better for you. Cooking from scratch need not take up as much time as you think, too”. Her favourite university recipe is a perfect example of her love of simple but tasty food. Taking a basic pasta dish, a well loved student staple, she offers a meal that is full of flavour: “I love Spaghetti Amatriciana. It’s an Italian tomato and bacon sauce for spaghetti which tastes amazing, but can be made from store cupboard ingredients extremely quickly”. Charlotte is especially proud of The Hungry Student Easy Baking book. “the first ever baking book, just for students”. Citing baking as a therapeutic pursuit, she frequently baked scones at university, easy bakes which she says “really have the wow factor”. Her culinary escapades must have made Charlotte very popular with her housemates and she fondly reminisces about involving her friends in her passion for food in trips they made to The Nobody Inn at

are invaluable to the student baker, whether starting out or seeking to brush up on their skills. Similarly, there is a double page dedicated to testing whether the bake is done. When using dubious student ovens this can be a sticky issue, so having tried and tested methods to turn to is a great advantage. Put together, these tips and tricks mean that every recipe can look and taste just as good as the glossy pictures inside lead you to believe. Perhaps the cleverest addition to the book is the list of equipment needed below the ingredients. There is nothing more disappointing than mixing the batter only to find you lack the right tin. This is a problem many students face with

limited cash to buy equipment, not to Perhaps a more neutral colour theme mention limited storage space! Pike is, would have widened the audience for therefore, on to a winner by ensuring this book. Similarly, more could we know exactly what we need be done for catered students. C No-bake cheesecake recipes before we begin. As a student, on heck out line f I for one, have got the are included, but, there is a or mo revie r freezer bug. ws of e lack of oven free options, Char So, the like the popular chocolate lot c ookb te’s inclusion biscuit fridge cake. This is ooks of freezing to an extent understandable, but I feel the book would have periods for the bakes is also a great benefited from a few more options for idea. the catered student baker. The Hungry Student Easy Baking Whilst the cover emanates a suitably embraces student baking with success. simplistic ‘student’ vibe, It provides all the information and tips the pinkness risks alienating a student baker could need and is packed the male bakers out there. Yes, full of delicious recipes. Having tried baking is often more popular and tested the shortbread, I encourage with women. But, you only need any student baker to give it a go! to watch The Great British Bake Off to see that men can bake too. Why LAUREN FRASER should male students be an exception?

Doddiscombesleigh (only half an hour away from Exeter) several times a term. Indeed, although some of her favourite places in Exeter have closed down since she graduated, a recent visit to Exeter left her enthusing about The Real Food Store on Paris Street and The Exploding Bakery near Exeter Central Station. She also recommends the Devon Farmers Market on the high street which she remembers selling “lots of lovely fresh produce for a reasonable price”.

Eating out and buying takeaways wasn’t an option Charlotte is meticulous in making sure only the best dishes make it into her book. She began compiling recipes whilst at university before spending months developing these; “I cooked everything over and over until I was happy with it, and then had every recipe triple tested independently, which was a lot of work”. With Halloween approaching, we ended our interview by asking Charlotte for a spooky recipe. “There are some fantastic pumpkin and orange muffins in The Hungry Student Easy Baking. They are so delicious and so easy to make too.” We can’t wait to try making them with leftovers from carving our Halloween pumpkins! The Hungry Student series includes The Hungry Student Cookbook, The Hungry Student Vegetarian Cookbook and The Hungry Student Easy Baking, the first ever baking book just for students. Each markets at £7.99. EMMA HOLIFIELD, BOOKS EDITOR

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| WEEK six

Condensed Condensed Classics Classics Doctor Faustus Christopher Marlowe (1604)

“Why this is hell nor am I out of it Think’st thou that I saw the face of God And tasted the eternal joys of heaven, Am not tormented with ten thousand hells In being deprived of everlasting bliss?” Marlowe’s story homes in on a respected German scholar, focusing on his character (and its many moral flaws) from an Elizabethan, Protestant standpoint. Whilst the avant-garde, fearless Faustus begins by questioning many universal concepts (such as the existence of a Heaven and a Hell), we as readers are also drawn in to questioning how respected this man really should be. Faustus’ desire to transgress human achievement and even divinity (“divinity, adieu!”) to be something even greater leads to dark deviances; what follows are various visits from Lucifer himself, the conjuring up of ghosts, and even a parade from the Seven Deadly Sins. With the nights drawing in and Halloween just around the corner, I would definitely recommend giving the chilling classic a little read. It has to be done!

Lucy Forsey

BOOKS

www.exepose.ex.ac.uk

Does the Turn of the Page Still Terrify?

Thomas Davies and Maddy Walters discuss whether paper or celluloid gives them a bigger fright and whether books or screen provide nightmares for longer

FILMS IN my mind to have a successful horror story you need three things: involvement, tension and the ‘whoa factor’: the actual scare. In all three of these areas films and games are far better at creating a good scare than books. As for involvement, a film is more accessible than a book to most people. I’m not saying books are difficult, it’s just films are undoubtedly easier. With a book the words create a barrier of sorts that could stop you from accessing the full dread of a page; the elaborate nature of the language takes away from the raw horror of what unfolds. Games throw you right into the action - you can’t get more involved than that. For build-up in films and games we have sound. A well-placed soundtrack can do wonders for a scary scene: the odd noise, the whistle of the wind, the dramatic score of Psycho or Jaws, from creepy to heart-pounding. A book can’t provide quite the same experience. It can describe scary sounds but you, the

The Bloody Chamber Angela Carter

AS year. It is not something I would ever have chosen (the gothic romance of Wuthering Heights is about the clos-

With her collection The Bloody Chamber, Carter described herself as taking the “latent content of fairytales”. This could be otherwise read as taking everything that Disney deemed remotely unsavoury, then magnifying it until you are left with a series of ‘fairy tales’ that no child should ever read! Hauntingly gothic settings displace the enchanted castles usually associated with the ‘fairy tale’. The damsel princess is long forgotten and the collection instead sees the emergence of a strikingly bold and autonomous female. I first read this collection in my

Carter exposes the innate horror of the fairy tale est I’ve ventured!) However, it is one of those reads where, although you are so horrified that you don’t want to read further, the mesmerising prose, daring exploration of taboo subjects and refreshingly progressive illustration of femininity compels you to keep reading. Part of Carter’s skill lies in her quite satirical allusion to society’s ge-

reader, have to make them up in your mind which doesn’t have the same effect as actually hearing a sound. The anticipation of hearing a twanging string piece as the full moon rises is unparalleled in the world of literature even by some of the most evocative descriptions. Finally, it’s the ‘whoa’ factor where films and games triumph over literature. It’s one thing to read about a goblin jumping on someone from behind, it’s quite another to watch it happen. The horrified expression of the victim, the repulsive look of the monster’s face and the desperate struggle that unfolds before your eyes is much more powerful on screen than when you read about it. This is particularly true in games where you are the victim; there’s definitely an added adrenaline as you fight off demons or zombies that appear out of nowhere. We humans use sight as our primary sense, and it’s films and games that exploit that to their fullest. Horror films, games and books have a lot of things in common, but it’s only films and games that fully use all the tricks to their advantage. The visuals, the sound and the action suck the audience into the scene and force you to believe in the tale. You may create your own chills from books, but horror films are your worst nightmares.

BOOKS

We’ve all had the night: innocently drowsing, the mind wanders, and eyes lose their focus. Suddenly, the shadow created by the clothes hanging on the wardrobe transforms to the shape of the murderer/villain/mad-person from the horror story you haven’t quite been able to shake. For me, it’s Jack Torrance, protagonist of The Shining. However, it is not Jack Nicholson who haunts my nightmares, but the image I invented for myself when reading the book as an innocent 15-year-old. Since then, I’ve watched the film, and, masterpiece though it is, there is no way the motion picture can compare to the captivating horror of the book. This is due to the inherent process of reading itself. A book only provides descriptions, and leaves it up to the reader to colour in the details: the look, the person, the setting. The reader becomes part of the story and more importantly, the story becomes part of the person. The direct communication reading provides

neric concept of ‘the fairy tale’. The title story, a rewrite of the tale ‘Bluebeard’, has the makings of a popular Cinderella type tale: impoverished young girl (Cindy) marries the much older Marquis (‘Prince’). He courts with fine jewels and whisks her away to his castle… Poor girl ‘rescued’. Check Beautiful gifts. Castle. Check. Disney box-office gold, surely? However, throw in Carter’s hauntingly evocative imagery – “His wedding gift, clasped around my throat. A choker of rubies, like an extraordinarily precious slit throat.” Here is that ‘latent content’, no reservations! Yet it is her exploration of these darker themes that expose how, conversely, these outwardly ‘revolutionary’ stories may bear closer resemblance to the original tales than

the more ‘censored’ stories we recognise today. Take a look at Grimm’s tales, for example. Hansel and Gretel – two children are nearly burnt alive… not exactly an innocent bedtime story! Beauty and the Beast, a tale Carter reworks at least twice, is heavily Gothic in atmosphere and deals with the themes of entrapment and death. What Carter does is expose the innate horror of the fairy tale, yet within this then conveys quite thought-provoking, feminist ideas. An example of this is in The Tiger’s Bride; this Beauty and the Beast interpretation really stood out for me, where the ironic twist at the end sees Beauty metamorphose into the Beast’s animal form: “each stroke removed all the skins of a life in the world, and left behind a nascent

to the imagination-centre of the brain, the area that (for me, anyway) kicks into gear in the minutes before sleep, means that these are the images that greet my closed eyes on the night the wardrobe and its shadows begin misbehaving. Despite watching horror films before and after reading this book, it’s Jack that haunts my dreams, never the Ring-girl or Jigsaw. When reading, the mind is active; it cannot look away. When watching, the mind is passive, we can close our eyes, hide behind the pillow, and shield ourselves from the images on the screen. When the images are inside the mind, they become harder to ignore, and possess us in a very real way. I’m not going to deny that films can be terrifying. Many a night I have spent regretting my decision to watch The Ring, The Exorcist, or Saw, but the fact is that the two hours-or-so spent in front of the television are far more fleeting than the week-or-so spent with a novel. They take up more of my time, and thus become a greater part of my life. And while these films have the power to scare, they exist and will always exist as things in the physical world, regardless of whether I watch them or not. For me, however, a book comes alive when it is read, and much like a horror-story character, once I have given them life, they never seem to leave me alone. MW patina of shiny hairs.” Here, it was the idea of the fur being underneath the skin that I found so effective, exposing society’s construction of the female as a commodity and a key example of Carter’s depiction of emerging female autonomy. If you are looking to read more in the gothic genre and approach with an open mind (the three-page story The Snow Child is not for the faint-hearted!) then The Bloody Chamber is a unexpectedly brilliant read; I definitely recommend giving it a go!

Any Last Words? In preparation for Halloween, we asked you to scare each other with tales of literary deaths... Peter Rabbit’s father from The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The nonchalant way the whole family act towards the fact he was KILLED AND EATEN is frankly chilling. ROB HARRIS

Hedwig. Absolutely devastating.

GEMMA JOYCE

Renly Baratheon, Game of Thrones: he’s just hanging out in his tent and suddenly is stabbed by a cold shadow. That’s a rather ghoulish way to go... CARMEN PADDOCK

The last person to die on Soldier Island in And Then There Were None. Everyone else being killed off around you...so sinister and creepy! BETHANY PRATT

Any Last Words is a quick and easy way to get in the paper, with a question every fortnight which can be answered through the Exeposé Books Facebook group, twitter @exeposebooks, and email: books@exepose.com.

SOPHIE HARRISON

Develop your enterprise and entrepreneurial skills Here are a range of options to help you develop and enhance your enterprising skills: Think about it

Try it

Enterprise Education: Raising Awareness

Do it

Enterprise Education: Experiential Learning

Business Start-up Support

Develop your enterprising skills during the workshops outlined at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/workshops Attend workshops run by external organisations. Visit www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/workshops Make informed career decisions by networking via the eXepert scheme with entrepreneurial alumni. Find out more at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/exepert

Attend talks by entrepreneurs (www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/talks) and be inspired by their success stories (www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/success) Book an appointment at the Career Zone to ask any questions you may have about self-employment, entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship

Acquire work experience and undertake internships in small and medium-sized enterprises. Find out what’s available at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/parttimejobs and www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/internships

Career Zone (CZ) www.exeter.ac.uk/ careers/enterprise

Work for an entrepreneur as part of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme. Find out more at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/workforanentrepreneur Volunteering will also help you develop your enterprising skills. Visit www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/volunteering

Early entrepreneurial support at the Enterprise and self-employment desk, Career Zone

Join a student enterprise society such as Exeter Entrepreneurs, Enactus, Bright Futures or Be the Change. Read about their projects at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/societies Showcase your business and sell your products at Enterpreneurs Fairs as well as in the Enterprise shop in Devonshire House. Find out how to book at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/runyourownenterpriseshop Drop-in at the Career Zone to find out about Entrepreneurs Fairs, business plan competitions and other events planned just for you

Attend interviews

Enter enterprise competitions such as business plan or idea competitions Students’ Guild www.exeterguild.org

Take part in SETsquared activities organised between the universities of Exeter, Bath, Bristol, Southampton and Surrey. Find out more at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise/innovationcentre 1. Idea development and realisation; 2. Access to networks and mentors; 3. Incubation facilities; 4. ‘Bootcamp’ style support; 5. Growth funding; 6. Investment readiness and access to funders.

Global Entrepreneurship Week (November) and Spring Enterprise Week (March) Enterprise and entrepreneurship modules

Research and Knowledge Transfer: Innovation Centre (IC) www.exeter.ac.uk/ research/rkt CZ, Guild and IC Colleges

www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/enterprise

As a second year student, get valuable guidance on setting up a business from entrepreneurial mentors. Find out more at www.exeter.ac.uk/careers/research/mentor

ARTS

Arts

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

Art Essentially Me @RAMM Opens 1 November Kit Poulson @The Phoenix Opens 15 November

Comedy Exeter Comedy Club @Corn Exchange 1 November Andrew Lawrence: ‘There Is No Escape’ @Corn Exchange 1 November

Theatre A Strange Wild Song @The BikeShed 5-8 November Twelfth Night @The Northcott 5-9 November The Merry Wives of Windsor @Cygnet Theatre 2 November Tomorrow’s Parties @The Phoenix 12 November

29 OCTOBER 2013 |

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Exeposé

ARTS EDITORS

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

Sculpting Streatham

Hannah Butler explores the Exeter campus to support the claim “that art is all around us” “ART is all around us,” insisted the secondary school teacher intent on evoking some creative epiphany in the minds of 30 adolescents already counting down the agonising minutes until lunchtime. Even as one of the few with an actual interest in drawing and painting, rather

Perhaps the most meaningful art is that which feels as though it’s speaking to you

than flicking PVA glue across the classroom and taking extended toilet trips to “wash the paint off our hands”, this was a difficult concept for my 12-year-old self to appreciate. However, these first few weeks of life, work and play on Streatham Campus have truly opened my eyes to the exhilaration of finding art in everything around us. Not that artistic influence is difficult to come across here, the pulsing heart of Streatham activity: The Forum is no exception. While Alexander Beleschenko’s ‘Path’ adorns the windows of the building in swathes of colour, a walk through the current exhibition on the Paris Fine Art Salon feels like a momentary trip to the gallery, a bubble of culture and reflection to escape into between lectures. On the southern Piazza, the smooth marble teardrop of Dominic Welch’s ‘Rising’ draws from organic influences, whereas Roger Leigh’s ‘Partition 8/6 x 3’, a short walk away towards Queens Building, brings about sharp

contrast with its harsh folds and corners. However, learning how the “orange side responds to the warm ochre of the cornfields in the distance” and the green “reflects the lawn beyond it” inspires new interpretations of this seemingly inorganic structure. Outside the Peter Chalk Centre, the human form intertwines with nature in Vivien Rhys Pryce’s ‘The Minoprio Fountain’ and in Queens Building’s the dedicated Art Society studio space demonstrates students’ art being displayed and admired freely. However, my first true realisation that I was in fact surrounded by art came during a walk between Peter Chalk and Queens. Happening to glance up, I saw for the first time the spectacular clock tower of Northcote House, and found myself pausing in amazement that this beautiful structure had escaped my notice for so long. Stepping closer, the Exeter University crest above the door awakened a sense of elation as I saw myself connected with this structure

The art you feel responsible for seeking out and appreciating in a way noone else does. For me, the first few golden leaves on a tree awakened that feeling. A visual r e -

The feeling evoked shouldn’t be a forced sense of obligation

minder of the time which had somehow already passed since that tearful goodbye at the start of Freshers’ week, those few yellowed outliers surrounded by green seemed to represent something to me which I couldn’t immediately explain. Perhaps those few tiny emotional alterations I’d begun to make; the tentative steps towards independence, and adjustment to this new life, which a few weeks ago hadn’t seemed possible. And yet to the next person walking by, these colours would almost definitely evoke an entirely different response, or none at all. We’re fortunate here at Streatham: the work displayed around campus is admirable, inspiring and innovative. Arguably, however, art is anything capable of awaking feelings and inspiration in an individual, then embodying these feelings. All it takes is one moment of realisation to truly appreciate the assertion drilled into us by our exasperated art teacher all those years ago. Yes, art is all around us.

– a part of the artwork. Moments like these, I believe, capture the true meaning of the all too common saying: “art is all around us”. The feeling evoked shouldn’t be a forced sense of obligation, or a struggle to find meaning in reputed and renowned pieces. Perhaps the most meaningful art is that which feels as though it’s speaking to you.

Art... for the mind, soul and heart Stephanie Wilson advocates turning to art to survive the intensity of university life UNIVERSITY life is one giant bubble. With its focus on rampaging sport socials and academic vigour, it can all get a little too much... and so we burst. Naturally, it is not our fault. Our creativity as individuals is shoved straight under our student sofa, along with that month-old pizza box, mouldy sock and battery-less remote. Our imagination is exactly the same; we know that these items need tidying up but we choose not to. The crippling pressure of deadlines, dissertations and the demands of sustaining a thriving social life leave us feeling deflated. And so the bubble that was once whole is now punctured. However, how we choose to deal with these problems is the bigger question. Whether we see them as peasized or catastrophically life threatening, the fact remains that a problem is

still a problem, size disregarded. Yet what is more unsettling is our perceptions of ‘self-help’ and taking that all-important step to seek therapy. And by therapy, I do not mean, take a seat on the chaises longue whilst I unpick your self-confidence in an hour. On the contrary, I am talking about a therapy that lies within us – our artistic needs. Clearly we are not all gifted with Picasso’s talent. But that’s exactly the point. Everything we encompass in our daily lives - institutionally, socially, personally - is rendered by expectation; we are measured by our actions, achievements and life choices. But with art it is different. Art’s only expectation is what we desire to get out of it. Just as we select what top to wear by how it looks on us and how it makes us feel, art operates exactly in this way; it’s not

about pleasing others but about pleasing ourselves. And whether this means holding a brush to canvas or pencil to paper, we are the ones taking control.

I am talking about a therapy that lies within us - our artistic needs Tactically, colour is key. It is surprising how dependent we are upon its impact, in terms of its ability to reshape emotion. Our choice of colour reveals feelings we may not have known existed within. In this respect, artistic expression redirects us to our unconscious desires, whether we wish to admit them or not. We are free to be ourselves through whatever medi-

um we choose, or more importantly, chooses us. This may all seem quite trivial. But at some point in our lives, be it tomorrow or ten years from now, we will find ourselves standing at this very point, questioning how our problems got so big. One moment we’re calm and collected, the next we feel like a distressed hamster rolling around in a ball that it can’t break free from. Or is that just me? It is at this moment where art can swoop in and save us. Talking about an issue is not always the answer. For one, we get frustrated when the solution isn’t kindly handed to us on a plate. But by temporarily putting that essay on hold, plugging in some music and reopening those childhood paints, you become the priority and not the world around you.

ARTS

29 OCTOBER 2013 |

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that, in my mind at least, look appealing. I tend to find my medium of choice is 2B pencil on paper/sketchbook for ease of use, but I occasionally dabble in charcoal. However, if I want to lend time to a piece I inevitably paint in oils, as I find it the most therapeutic, time consuming and rewarding medium. The still life included is probably one of my favourite pieces, despite the morbid presence of the skull. I reIT brings me a little shame to say I ally enjoyed creating a piece around a give no great thought to subject softer colour palate of cream and grey-blue, working against matter or what my art supInterested posedly ‘says’. As a third the brown/purple shadow. I find self-portrait a year student of English in having your Literature, questions refun genre to explore as art published? lating to subjectivity and it allows you to repreGet in touch with sent yourself as criticalinterpretation have surrounded my day to day arts@exepose. ly or perversely as you existence in Exeter, leavchoose to. I really enjoy com making angular sketching me too weary to tackle them in my recreational art. es of the planes of the face, then using these in abstract image I paint or sketch pieces (either from life or my own photography), usu- manipulation, hoping to emulate the ally in the hope of manipulating them colour palate of David Bomberg and later on Adobe Photoshop, attempting Percy Wyndham-Lewis paintings. to render completely abstract images

Exeposé

Exehibition

Every issue, Exeposé Arts features a piece of student art. This week, it’s student artist and News Editor, Louis Doré

Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake Plymouth Theatre Royal

18 - 26 October WHEN Billy Elliot springs onto the stage in the final scene, it is undeniably an iconic moment. Not only is he dancing away from the stigma of his society, but also the shattered relationships of his hometown, and the loss which has rocked his family. The ballet he so eloquently participates in is Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, a performance which, although controversial, is a stunning interpretation of the classic Russian Ballet. Dubbed a ‘miracle’ by Time Out magazine, this is a modern take on the traditional story. In the original, a prince falls in love with a swan - a princess - who has been cursed by an evil witch. Instead of this classic storyline however, Bourne’s take is homoerotic and most famously features a bevy of male swans in place of the classic female group. The story begins with a depiction

Tchaikovsky’s eerie and haunting musical score is one of the highlights of the Prince’s life – his sheltered upbringing, and participation in court etiquette. Unable to form functioning relationships, and denied the love of his mother, he is driven to despair and turns to drink. On the brink of throwing himself into a lake, however, he is intercepted by a flock of swans. Falling in love with their beauty, his obsession with his encounter goes on to shape his relationships for the rest of the play, controlling his life and driving him to the point of madness. Bourne’s take is very loosely based on the original narrative, although it can hardly be described as a ballet at all – there was only one scene in which pointe shoes were used, and this was a satirical play-within-a-play. Instead, it is more an interpretive, contempo-

rary dance, with the inclusion of ballet techniques. A particularly striking feature which was prominent throughout was the use of shadow, especially within the mental asylum where the Prince is surrounded by illusions and visions. Tchaikovsky’s eerie and haunting musical score (one of the only things preserved from the original ballet) is one of the highlights, although it would have been nice to have this performed by a real orchestra. Throughout the past 18 years of production, Bourne’s Swan Lake has deliberately been left ambiguous, and this was no less evident in this performance. Do the swans express the love the Prince is starved of by his cold, unwavering mother? Is the passionate dance in which he engages with the male swan so intensely a sexual relationship, his mental instability, a figment of his imagination, or an expression of freedom? This is left open to the audience’s interpretation. Although Bourne has de-

scribed the performance as “a duet about the need to be loved, not particularly sexual” this feature is emphasised, with whips, touchy-feely dances and insinuations throughout; definitely inappropriate for the young children in the audience! A particularly striking moment

This can truly be described as a modern classic was the scene in which the swan (disguised as an exotic stranger) shatters the already fragile relationship between the Prince and his mother. In a final, painful act of betrayal, the Queen, a figure whom the Prince so earnestly wanted to be loved by, but who constantly rejected his attentions, so quickly and freely gives her love to another man and a stranger, no less. The only criticism I have of the performance is the ‘clubbing’ scene. I was not the only one to find the bumping and grinding to Tchaikovsky’s orchestration a little weird, to say the least. The addition of the ‘girlfriend’ – the prince’s only true relationship apart from his mother’s, with her long blonde extensions and WAG-like persona – was also a character that was lost on me. Ending with a deafening five minute standing ovation to a packed theatre, this can truly be described as a modern classic. It expresses a growing liberal outlook in current society, and is beautifully and powerfully executed. Even if you do not like ballet, this is much less like a dance and more like a sequence of complex human emotions, and if even that does not change your mind, at least go for the clenched buttocks! Get down to Plymouth to see this stunning performance by the end of October... it will change you.

REBEKAH CRON

Once Phoenix Theatre

On now AS a winner of eight Tony Awards, a Grammy and tremendous critical acclaim, since its debut in 2012 ‘Once’ is a musical which had a lot of hype to live up to when it came to the WestEnd. Acquiring a ticket for just £25, I didn’t know what to expect as I headed out to see it, and it is safe to say that I was not disappointed... it turned out to be one of the best musicals I have ever seen! Once is based on the 2006 Oscar winning film by the same name and is incredibly unique when compared to other Broadway and West-End shows. There are no flashy sets, just one standard backdrop which remains the same for the entirety of the show. Unusually, there is no orchestra, the actors play all of their own instruments, which sounds strange, how can that possibly work? When thinking of West-End shows, the idea of big, loud, hair-raising orchestral numbers spring to mind but Once is not like that. The music takes on a ‘folky’ feel which doesn’t mean it is not powerful, far from it the lack of an orchestra gives the music a sense of intimacy which is incredibly moving to listen to and ties perfectly into the exhilarating love-story that acts as the base of the plot.

The story is simple; an Irish Busker (Declan Bennett) and a Czech-girl (Zrinka Cvitešić) meet through a shared love of music and through their song writing, an unexpected connection and romance blossoms. The combination of the uncomplicated story and the unadorned stage makes Once a truly original piece of theatre and the cast of actor-musicians are extraordinarily talented, being able to sing, dance and play their instruments to an incredibly high level all at the same time. The whole performance

Members of the audience even go onstage for a drink felt warm and intimate, like being invited into the world of the characters. It truly felt like being in an Irish pub, helped by the fact that audience members even go onstage for a drink and listen to an ‘improvised’ pub open-mic night before the action starts. Once dares to break the rules of traditional musical theatre, it exudes charm and is a truly unforgettable experience that I recommend taking a trip to see. It is unusual, different and absolutely brilliant.

NICOLE DAVIES

Recommend Ed Byrne - ‘Roaring Forties’ Plymouth Pavilions

6 November

with open arms, and reminds us that it

ONwillthe be evening over beforeof we October know it. 20,

At the top of his game and just a

at ashort ceremony train ride away, at thethisGuildhall comedian is

definitely worth the journey and prom-

in the ises to city leave ofyou London, in stitches it from wasstart to finish.

announced “It is rare that for The a comic Bike to merit Shed the

STAR of television shows ‘Live at the word ‘masterful’ but in this case it is no Apollo’ Theatre and ‘Mock is thethewinner Week’, nationof the My overstatement” Theatre Matters! – The Scotsman Most ally renowned comedian Ed Byrne is bringing Welcoming his newTheatre stand-up Award. show to Tickets cost: £22.50, to book contact Plymouth. the box office on 0845 1461460 or visit Situated Perhaps Britain’s at thebest endobservationof an alleywww.plymouthpavilions.com in the heart of Exeter, it is al funny man, his new tour explores theatrials hidden and tribulations treasureofofturning the city. 40. With a 60 seat subterranean Whilst for many the big 40 may seem daunting, auditorium Byrne embraces and adjacent middle-age vintage cocktail tavern, the

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GAMES

29 OCTOBER 2013 |

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Exeposé

Games Pokémon X and Y GAMES EDITORS

Gemma Joyce & Becky Mullen games@exepose.com

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP Exeposé Games

Revisit your childhood with the latest and greatest monster-catcher of all time Pokémon X/Y Game Freak

Nintendo 3DS Out now I REMEMBER playing my first Pokémon game as a kid - getting my first Pokémon and heading out into the world, catching and training as many as I could, creating a team which would help me win in gyms and defeat the organisations trying to do evil. With the series’ latest iteration, Pokémon X and Y, the classic formula is much the same, but this time the developers have added new dimensions - in more than one way. Pokémon X and Y take place in the Kalos region, a

Pokémon-ised northern France. Once again, you take up the role of a young boy or girl beginning their Pokémon journey, and the story follows its usual route. You get a choice of starter Pokémon, you train and battle gym leaders and other trainers, while trying to stop an evil organisation, Team Flare,

The story is both as predictable and enjoyable as it’s ever been from taking over the world using legendary Pokémon. This time, though, you have four supporting characters instead of just your traditional rival, adding something new to the mix. The story, however, is as predictable as it’s ever been. The characters, though fun, don’t seem to develop much which is disappointing for what is effectively an RPG. But you can forgive the character faults in a Pokémon game, and the story, while same-ish, is pulled off well and enjoyable. Being on par story-wise with previous Pokémon games doesn’t mean the Pokémon themselves don’t shine in comparison. In terms of graphics, Pokémon X and Y are the best-looking handheld games in

the series, and arguably one of the best looking on the 3DS platform entirely. Fully 3D models replace sprites in the battles, which move in a variety of ways depending on the attack, giving battles a whole new feeling. The world is also beautiful, with changing angles in different areas to allow you to see its detailed design. The new Pokémon also have decent designs; you don’t have to worry about rubbish bags and ice cream cones this time. But there are still over 450 Pokémon from all generations in the region, which should appease the more old-school fans. The mechanics of the game have also been improved greatly, and the new ones further immerse you in the game. New battle styles add flavour and challenge to the game, including ‘inverse battles’, where type effectiveness is flipped, and ‘horde encounters,’ where five Pokémon appear simulataneously. Terrifying, considering that you can have five Zubats appear at once. There’s also the controversial inclusion of the Fairy-type, which are super effective against the much-loved dragon types. There are also the mega evolutions, which happily makes the game easier with even stronger Pokémon. But as only one is allowed per battle,

it makes PvP more strategic. Along with that, players can now customise the look

of their characters, choosing skin colour, hairstyle and clothing, giving more scope to make unique and personalised characters. None of the new features are particularly revolutionary, but they certainly add new aspects for players to enjoy. Pokémon X and Y are

LUKE PILCHOWSKI

Pokémon, what happened to you? Joshua Creek looks at the history of the franchise and asks if its time to turn in the Pokéballs BACK in 1990, an ardent bug collector and his friends formed a game studio called Game Freak and, after many failed pitches, eventually managed to convince Nintendo to fund their project, originally named Capsule Monsters. Six years of development later and Pokémon Red and Green were born, each including one additional secret Pokémon added after the final debugging was completed. Despite facing imminent bankruptcy, the Game Freak team successfully released the first generation of Pokémon games in Japan. Following the discovery of Mew by the public, Pokémon sold in vast quantities, and Blue was released with enhanced graphics and sounds. By 1998 Pokémon had been unleashed on the rest of the world in the forms of Red and Blue, and eventually Yellow. The first worldwide Pokémon generation had begun! Generation One presented the very first foray into the world of Pokémon. Starting with an eccentric and clear-

ly gender-confused professor (“Are you a boy or a girl?”), we all lovingly recall many hours spent levelling up our Charmander near Pallet Town and running away from hoards of Zubats with escape ropes. But it was the multiplayer capabilities of this Generation which really won the hearts of players. The hours spent levelling up your team and beating AIs had real world applications – there was no higher accolade than beating your friends’ Pokémon. The Pokédex was also a challenge gladly accepted by gamers worldwide. To say that you had managed to “catch ‘em all” proved in the eyes of many that you were “the very best”. In 1999 Generation Two hit Japan and then, in 2000, the rest of the world. Gold and Silver (and later Crystal) introduced another 100 Pokémon and the very first shinies as well as a real-time element. It built on Generation One’s strongest features and

essentially acted as an extension of the earlier games with some additional features and technologies. Pokémon definitely looked better in colour. Generation Three was unleashed in 2001 in the forms of Ruby and Sapphire. For many it felt like a natural finale, particularly when Emerald was released. A third region, another 135 new Pokémon and wireless multiplayer, really enhanced Generation Three and the introduction of Double Battles, Abilities and Natures really ramped up the levels of strategy and competitiveness amongst players. Howe v e r, for me a n d for many players this also represented the point at which the Pokémon games be-

exactly what you expect them to be - another set of decent Pokémon games. The story is good as any of the previous ones, and the added mechanics don’t drastically change the game, but satisfy the fans. Full 3D rendering, the massive number of available Pokémon and the character customisation are all designed by the developers to bring players old and new back into the fantastic world they created over 15 years ago.

gan to lose their magic. Aside from the now vast number of Pokémon (386) the games introduced Pokémon Contests: the start of a slippery slope. A spate of games followed Ruby and Sapphire: Fire Red and Leaf Green (remakes of Generation One using the newest gaming technology) came out shortly before Emerald, a number of spin-offs such as Pokémon Dash and the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games for the Nintendo DS, and eventually the Generation Four games in 2006 and 2007, Diamond and Pearl and then Platinum in 2008 and 2009. But Generation Five featured yet another 107 new Pokémon from the dregs of someone’s imagination (Trubbish and Vanillite, for example) and irritating mini-games clearly aimed at a primary school market. Now in 2013 we are onto Generation Six with X and Y being the current ubiquitous carts in everyone’s 3DSs. But will they be the saviour of the series? I’ll let the reviewers decide.

Sandbox

What’s your favourite moment from the Pokémon series and why? Hernán Romero: Finding leftovers in the bin. Niklas Rahmel: Finally getting through the Trick House. And if you’ve never met the Trick Master, you haven’t had the full Pokémon experience. Alex Phelps: Calling my Metapod “Penis” Jon Jones: Penis tried to use harden...but it failed. Penis used harden! It’s not very effective... Josh Gray: Heading back to Pallet Town after levelling up all my guys to smash heads and take names Alice Nicholson The moment when you find out what colours they’re going with. I really like colours.

Exeposé

| WEEK SIX

GAMES

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Do you dare to scare?

Zombies, scary children, mutants - Alex Phelps counts down his top 5 terrifying treats

5. Silent Hill 2 AH, Silent Hill. The only thing scarier than this classic are the games that followed - so very bad. It was my first ever horror game that I snuck downstairs at night to play, at the tender age of eight. I soon learnt my lesson after just ten minutes of playing and one spare pair of pants later. Nightmares for weeks. Silent Hill remains terrifying because of how dark it is and because you constantly feel under threat. Everything can get you and, in what was a horrible new experience for me, monsters actually sneak up behind you.

4. F.E.A.R

THIS is probably more a personal phobia of mine, but I just can’t stand creepy little girls. Especially the ones with the long hair and psychic powers that can tear you limb from limb. F.E.A.R is great fun, as it combines really intense action with suspenseful moments of terror. The game get progressively less scary, but the first really resonated. Particularly the moment I found myself crawling through a vent and then a small child leapt screaming into my face. That is one Xbox controller I am never getting back.

3. Resident Evil

WHEN you first jump into this game without having a clue what to do, you find yourself in an endless spiral of the most elaborate police stations and castles in the world. All the while, zombies and other gross creatures are trying to eat your brains. The early Resident Evils were one of the last games that made their zombies scary, rather than just cannon fodder for players to slice and dice. The more you play it, the more you enjoy it, making it one of the most challenging and still chilling games.

2. Amnesia: Dark Descent I HAVE yet to play the sequel, purely because of the psychological trauma the first instilled in me. The setting of a creepy Victorian castle combined with the fact you can’t kill any enemies, only hide, makes this game one of the worst I have ever had to deal with. There was not a moment my heart wasn’t racing. It takes the puzzle game genre and shoves it in the darkest hole only Lovecraft could possibly have dug. Above all else, it makes incredible use of sound and lighting to build a petrifying atmosphere that puts me off even glancing at its sequel.

1. Slender

NO matter how many times I play this game it still remains horrendously terrifying. You pick up a page of a creepy story about this anorexic monster, and the sound gets louder. You notice his slim figure in the corner of your eye, and you have no choice - just look away and sprint! Those moments are what makes Slender the scariest game I have ever played, and consistently so. It is a heart pounding experience that’s greatness is in its simplicity. Turn off the lights, put the headphones on, and bring a teddy bear.

Spooktacular Fun James Dyson argues why horror games should be your Halloween pick

AS we once again approach Halloween – the most glorious of yearly events where we unashamedly flirt with our subconscious, explore our innermost fears and cultural legends, we once again start up those time-honoured traditions to mark our celebration. Cheap, poor quality costumes are donned, pumpkins are mutilated, B-movies

It’s us hiding from the monsters, and so dangers confront us more directly surface to be watched in bed with ice cream, and, for the younger generation, the chance to liberally gorge oneself on candy from strangers rears its sugary head. To these customs I should like to add another. I’d like to dedicate this column to discussing what exactly it is that makes video games so good for the horror genre. What is it that videogames offer that other mediums don’t? To experience vicariously those fantasies that we otherwise couldn’t – unfortunately we can’t blue-shell our housemates to oblivion in real life like we can in Mario Kart. The same concept holds for horror games; it’s a genre where we can immerse ourselves in being scared, but on a much more visceral level. In a film or a book, the protagonists are the eyes through which we witness horrible things, but that’s as far as it’s possible to go. In games, on the other hand, we’re

directly responsible for what happens on-screen. It’s us controlling the character hiding from the monsters, and so dangers confront us much more directly. Horror games can make us confront our own fears a lot more personally than other mediums. Why is it that some horror games disarm the player? There are a good few titles that do this – Amnesia, Outlast, Silent Hill: Shattered Memories – but why? This simple game mechanic works on a very basic fear; the fear of helplessness. It’s not just the on-screen protagonist who can’t defend him/herself – it’s us. All we can do is run and hide. From a design perspective, a lot of the staples of horror are easy to recreate in a game. Isolation is a key element of many a horror story, so all you need is an environment devoid of NPCs and

This simple game mechanic works on a very basic fear; the fear of helplessness away you go. These games can also focus a lot more on simply scaring us, without needing great graphics or complex AI. It’s the reason why so many small-budget horror games are often a success (such as Slender). So if you’ve got time to spare this 31st, before the lash at Timepiece begins, why not give horror games a stab. It could leave you in stitches.

Nostalgia Hit: Alfred Chicken Chicken out of Halloween with our delicious no-scare alternative I’LL be honest from the start, I was a late bloomer to the gaming world. I bought my first system, a PS1, in 2002 after the Playstation 2 had launched. As a result it came with some late releases, one of them being a certain platform title by the name of Alfred Chicken. No, he isn’t fried and served as a meal, rather, a short version was on the McDonald’s demo disc I was forever playing at my friend’s house before my own console purchase. I was hooked! As a late release, the game isn’t very well-known on the system. But as platform titles go, it’s pretty self-explanatory. Having an ill-proportioned chicken as the protagonist seemed very appealing and so my love for the game began. The aim of the game is to ascend through the bright and vivid levels, collecting eggs, watering cans and gems in order to rescue Alfred’s love, Floella, from the game’s villain, Meka Chicken.

It sounds like a textbook hero story, aside from the fact the levels you’ll encounter vary from blocks of cheese to trees, a sink and baby’s crèche. The gameplay is typical of a platform title; battle your way through the various enemies, objects and death traps, collecting the required number of balloons, as well as watering cans and gems for extra points. When it comes to eliminating the opposition, Alfred’s main form of attack is a jumping peck onto enemies. But in some scenarios where the vertical height of the level is great enough, Alfred can perform a downward rocket attack, blasting through any breakable object. The cheesy sound effects, used in conjunction with fitting music for each level, provides a very enjoyable experience throughout the game. Although the level design and enemy positioning is the same each time, there’s always an opportu-

nity to mistime a jump or an attack. Naturally, the difficulty increases as the game progresses, requiring luck rather than just skill to avoid the pitfalls and aggressive enemies. For replayability, there are various eggs hidden throughout the level, providing extra lives on obtaining them, but they’re not easy to come by. Level exploration is a must! Alfred Chicken is one of the first platform titles I played and remains a sole favourite, even today. The game plays as you would expect a platform title to do and, unlike the first iteration of Rayman, the game isn’t particularly long-winded. However, the music and sound effects alone make the Playstation One version a nostalgic classic and I’d recommend checking it out just for the novelty value of playing as a plucky chicken!

CHRIS PASSEY

SPORT

29 OCTOBER 2013 |

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Exeposé

Feature

In the Clubhouse

In the Clubhouse this week Mathias Mortensen, Triathlon Club Captain, talks running, cycling and swimming with Mike Stanton and Will Kelleher, Sport Editors EVER been for a swim and thought “You know, I fancy going for a cycle and then maybe a run”? No? Well that’s triathlon. It involves swimming, cycling and running over various distances ranging from a sprint which covers 750m swim, 20km bike 5km run to a full ironman which covers 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42 km run. The sport originated in its modern form in America in the 1970s and first appeared in the Olympics in 2000. Many of you may have watched Alistair and Jonny Brownlee win gold and bronze in the Triathlon at last year’s Olympic Games. The University Triathlon Club was founded in 2010 by Chantal Cummings (who later competed in the world championships) and Tess Cosad and gained AU recognition the same year. Since then, the club has grown from sharing sessions with the Ath-

letics and Swimming clubs to being a fully independent club, although it still has close ties with the other clubs and runs a joint track session with Athletics on Wednesdays. As well as these Wednesday sessions, the club trains five days a week, swimming on Monday and Friday, Spinning on Tuesdays and club cycles on Saturdays.

Whether you are a beginner or competitive you can always find someone to train with The club prides itself on the fact that training sessions caters to athletes of all abilities. This is one of the best aspects of the club. Whether you are a beginner or competitive you can al-

ways find someone to train with. Although it is a very individual sport, everyone is always very supportive of each other and there is a real will for everyone to succeed in their own goals. This makes the atmosphere of triathlon very unique. Last year, club members competed in several local events, as well as the three in BUCS, and performed very well in all of them, with a highlight being Pete Wilby’s 7th place finish in the BUCS Olympic Distance race in the summer. Earlier that month Pete had won the World Championship for his age group in Belfort, France. With this year’s Triathlon season now over, the club’s main focus is on training over the winter in preparation for the local Aquathlon (swimming and running only) series as well as the summer triathlons. Before that though, the club will be travelling to Castle Combe race track

for the BUCS Duathlon (run/bike/run) this November where they hope to finish well, but mainly intend to have fun as the Duathlon is designed to give people their first experiences of triathlon whilst still being a challenge for those with more experience.

Last season’s highlight was Pete Wilby’s 7th place finish in the BUCS Olympic Distance race this summer All these events are open to all members and most compete in at least one event over the year. Triathlon club members aren’t limited to multi-sport events either. Members of the club have compet-

ed in the Amsterdam Marathon, while other members competed in the Great West Run and many are planning on doing the Exeter Half Marathon in February. This year, the club hopes to encourage people to come to the final round of the local Aquathlon series, organised by the Exeter Triathlon Club, which takes place at Cornwall House pool in early May. University club members always do well in the Aquathlons, so it will be a huge encouragement for them to see their fellow students rooting for them! If, like many of our members, you were inspired to try Triathlon by the Brownlee brothers’ success, you can get involved by contacting the club captain, Mathias Mortensen at triathlon.captain@exeter.ac.uk or by going to the website www.universityofexetertriathlon.co.uk.

Photo: Triathlon Club

60 seconds with... Nick Howe

Clare Parkin

Triathlon team member

What is the best aspect of Triathlon Club? Well the beauty of Triathlon is that you’re training for three sports really! So it’s full body fitness. Best sporting moment? Probably when I ran a marathon in a suit of armour, never been more proud to run a 6:25:27! Sporting Hero? Always been more of a swimmer, so it’s got to be Michael Phelps.

What are your pre-race preparations? Train, train and when I’m not doing that train some more! Then eat a lot of carbs! What are your goals for the season? Run a half marathon in under 1hr 30, and compete in my first sprint triathlon.

What is the best aspect of Triathlon Club? It’s good to learn from others who are stronger than you in certain areas. The fact you train for three separate sports makes it exciting. Best sporting moment? On the top of the podium for the well known Gaston Roelants (Olympic Gold Medalist) race in Brussels and meeting him was pretty cool. What are your pre-race preparations? Usually I always make sure I have my lucky underwear on, which isn’t an issue in triathlon (for obvious reasons). I make sure I’m in a positive mood by listening to “C’est La Vie’ by Bewitched. What are your goals for the season? I hope to race well in a Great Britain Age group qualifier and then be selected to represent GB.

Exeposé

| WEEK six

Selected BUCS Results

Badminton

Men’s 1st Southampton

Football

6 2

1 1

Men’s 4ths Plymouth 2nds

3 2

Women’s 1sts Plymouth 1sts

11 0

Mixed 3rds Bournemouth 4ths

2 4

Mixed 4th Plymouth2nds

1 5

Hockey

Men’s 1sts Cardiff Met 1sts

2 2

Women’s 2nds Cardiff 2nds

1 0

Women’s 5ths Plymouth 2nds

4 0

Netball

Women’s 1sts UWE 1sts

40 23

Women’s 5th Winchester 1sts

34 36

Rugby League

Men’s 1sts 32 Gloucestershire 2nds 16

Rugby Union Men’s 3rds UWE 1sts

17 19

Men’s 4ths Men’s 5ths

13 13

Women’s 1sts Cardiff Met 1sts

7 60

4s frustrated by Plymouth draw Photo: Akshay Mittal

Men’s 2nds Men’s 3rds

Golf

SPORT

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The opening stages of this match suggested we were in for a fast paced and action packed afternoon, and much to the delight of the spectators in the crowded stands, it did not disappoint. Within the first three minutes of play, a Plymouth shot narrowly missed the goal, hitting the crossbar, providing a lucky escape for a somewhat un-

A great sweep from Wooley hurtled into the bottom right corner, putting Exeter deservedly into the lead suspecting Exeter. Despite this, Exeter picked up the pace and began to completely dominate possession, leading to a short corner and a fantastic shot colliding with the post and hovering just short of the goal line, cruelly denying Exeter the early lead. With a sudden, revitalised approach in the following ten minutes of play, a great sweep from Scott Wooley hurtled into the bottom right corner, putting Exeter deservedly in the lead. This goal unquestionably gave Exeter

After two yellow cards for Plymouth a penalty flick was awarded and slotted home by Marshall Men’s Hockey Scarlet Freeman-Bassett Sports Team

EUMHC 4th XI Plymouth 1st XI

3 3

AFTER their comfortable 5-1 win over Bath 2nds last Wednesday, the 4s had a winning mentality and started this game against an aggressive Plymouth side on a highly confident note, with three impressive goals in the first half. However, Plymouth proved to be

no easy competition, valiantly fighting

Within the first three minutes of play a Plymouth shot hit the crossbar - a lucky escape for unsuspecting Exeter back to claim a last minute 3-3 draw.

a new found confidence, with the pace and aggression increasing. The yellow card frenzy that seemed to characterise the match was kicked off by Exeter with one issued for a foul a few minutes after the goal. After a series of brilliant saves from Mark Philpot and yet another two yellow card offenses-this time both for Plymouth - an Exeter penalty flick was awarded and slotted home with ease by Matt Marshall. The half time whistle sounded, with a comfortable 2-0 lead for Exeter.

The slower, calmer rate of the opening stages of the second half proved to work in Exeter’s favour, as they maintained consistent possession, held together by the strong collaboration of the back four. The subsequent series of constant Exeter attacks pressurised the opposition defence, after a painfully close shot once again hitting the post, eventually the deserved third goal came, due to a great reverse stick sweep from Scott Wooley. With a 3-0 lead, Exeter perhaps got a little complacent and despite the further two yellow cards against Plymouth, the opposition eventually redeemed themselves with two somewhat scrappy goals within the space of ten minutes. Two short corners and several Plymouth attacks later, Exeter were

The disappointment of the team at the draw shows their high expectations for the season caught unawares one more time in the last two minutes of play, after a powerful slap hit from the edge of the D levelled out the score sheet to 3-3. Less than one minute after this well timed goal, the dreaded full time whistle blew, much to the disappointment of the deflated 4s. Credit where credit is due, Plymouth fought boldly to the end despite being in a situation of what seemed a sure loss. Having said that, standout performances from Charlie Brooker and Joe McCormick along with the strong defensive force of the back four which prevented multiple goal scoring opportunities for Plymouth, proved that there were a lot of positives to take away from the match. The disappointment on the faces of the team at the draw demonstrates their high expectations and so suggests a promising season ahead for this determined squad.

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

CONTINUED FROM BACK

Squash

Men’s 2nds Cardiff Met

5 0

Men’s 4ths Bath Spa 1sts

5 0

Tennis

Men’s 1sts LSE 1sts

4 0

Men’s 2nds Bournemouth 2nds

4 2

Volleyball:

Men’s 1sts Bournemouth 1sts

0 2

Men’s 2nds Bournemouth 2nds

0 0

Back-to-back wins for Rugby League controversially as it appeared the try scorer was well held up by two Exeter defenders. This put the visitors to within two converted scores and alerted a few on the side-line to a potentially nerve wracking conclusion. However, fortunately these fears were soon put to bed, when Hugo Van Dorssen powerfully broke the Gloucestershire line, leaving their defence in disarray and unable to stop scrum half John Hodgson going over in the corner, for the try which put the game to bed at 32-16. The remaining minutes saw a number of exciting breaks, as both defences began to tire. Exeter were unable to put the pro-

verbial icing on the cake and had to settle for the 32-16 win. It was a win which at one point looked a certainty, but turned out to be more competitive than expected. Exeter will hope to have better performances this season, but the result remained emphatic and the team showed glimpses of stunning rugby league. Charlie Fricker, Club Captain, told Exeposé: “It was a solid performance from the guys with a deserved end result.” He added: “There were some great performances and our defence played a massive part in the win. There is plenty to work on, but two from two is a great start.”

SPORT

29 OCTOBER 2013 |

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Exeposé

In the news... EUNC 2s secure domin Squash Nathalie Hopkins

Squash Publicity Secretary THE season has started extremely well for Exeter Squash, in particular the Women’s 1st, Men’s 1st and Men’s 2nd teams, who are all undefeated. Wednesday’s home fixtures saw both the 2nd and 4th team beat Cardiff Met 1st and Bath Spa 1st 5-0 respectively. Special mention goes out to Men’s 2nd’s Thomas Seale who came back from 2-0 down in an intensively grinding match to win 3-2. An outstanding performance from Seb Posner at 1 and first win for Charlie Manthorp at 5 completed the Hawaii 5-0.

Women’s Lacrosse Sophy Coombes-Roberts Arts Editor

A NEW year, a new coach and a new top spot. This season Exeter Women’s Lacrosse team is creating a serious upset in the BUCS league. It started during the first week of term at the BUCS pre-season tournament. Going in as the underdogs, the 1st team shocked the opposition winning all their group games only conceding three goals. They went on to thrash Cardiff 9-0 in the semis and faced old rivals Bristol in the final. After a closely fought game, the greens came out on top in overtime winning 5-4, taking home the trophy. However, their winning streak was far from over after they pulled out a win against Oxford in the first BUCS fixture of the season, for the first time ever in the history of Exeter Lacrosse. Coming off such a big win, last Wednesday scheduled a dangerous re-

Men’s Badminton Cillian Dunn Sports Team

EXETER Men’s Badminton teams enjoyed a successful Wednesday afternoon, with the 1sts defeating a competitive Southampton side, while the 2nds secured an impressive draw with the University of South Wales Pontypridd and Cardiff first team. For the 1sts, singles players Rhys Thomas and captain Nick Halliwell both enjoyed unbeaten afternoons, not losing so much as a single game between them. The doubles teams, Harry Hacking and Toby Hung, and Ben Qiu and Brendan Foreman, produced a slightly more mixed bag of results, winning two and losing two between them, but this nonetheless resulted in a relatively comfortable victory for Exeter overall. In contrast, it was the doubles sides that went undefeated for the 2nds. Steven Ford and Jack Dyer were in excellent form, as were Tom Fenner and Spencer Teng, producing some of the most exciting rallies of the afternoon. Singles players Luke Blades and Andrew Wong were unfortunately less successful, both failing to win a single game, though this was more testimony to the quality of their opposition rather than any poor performances on their

Away from home the Women’s 1st team again won comfortably, with a 4-0 against Bath 2nd team, whilst the Men’s 1st team cruised to a 5-0 victory over local rivals Plymouth. There are high expectations for the club this year in BUCS, as we are aiming to beat the 108 BUCS points we recorded last year. The men’s and ladies 1st team in particular will be pushing hard to top the league and make it into the last 16 nationally, as they have both done for the last two years. This year we aim to take this one step further by reaching the last eight and achieving promotion to the Squash Premier League. match against Bristol. With both teams securing wins the week before, the game winners would top the BUCS table. Exeter started slowly going 2-1 down in the first ten minutes. However, fresher Lottie Van-Praag clawed it back with a lefty crease-role to equalise. In the remainder of the half they blew the game wide open, netting three more goals leaving the half time score at 5-2 to Exeter. The second half was a similar story with the Green Machine dominating all over the pitch. Goalkeeper Immi Bodimeade produced some spectacular saves to keep Bristol out of the game, resulting in a final score of 8-4. Exeter are now sitting in first place in the Southern Premiership, despite BUCS predicting them a poor season. Their next big test will be in November when they take on defending champions Cambridge. But if they can keep up this standard of play, a win is definitely not out of the question. part – Blades in particular was hugely unlucky in narrowly losing the last two games of his final match, having done well to win his first one. It must be remembered, however, that they were up against Cardiff’s 1sts, yet they were certainly not outclassed. This makes the fact that they managed to salvage a draw all the more impressive. Director of Badminton, Helen Ward, was certainly pleased, admitting her side’s performance had exceeded her expectations. “It’s a good result for us”, she explained. “Considering we were up against a side of the calibre of Southampton, we did very well, actually slightly better than I’d expected. “A draw for the 2nds isn’t a bad result either.” If the end result of the matches was impressive, then the manner in which they were played was all the more so. The level of technical skill displayed by all of the players was striking - an array of dropshots, slices and athletic jump smashes, resulting in some spectacular rallies. This made for highly entertaining viewing from a neutral perspective. For Exeter, the level of talent on show suggests that both Badminton sides are in for a successful season.

Netball

Lara Hopkins Sports Team

EUNC 2nd Southampton Solent 1st

43 36

AFTER losing their first game of the season in the Western 2A Netball League to Plymouth 1sts last week, Exeter 2nds were hunting for their first win. They achieved this, managing a 43 – 36 win that was never in any doubt over Southampton Solent 1sts. While the teams were busy warming up an Exeter 1sts player revealed that Solent’s play could be “a bit

rough”. However, it was Exeter who were slightly physical to begin with, giving away a penalty in the scoring area to allow Solent to open the point scoring. They then quickly extended their lead to 0 – 2 but after some impressive movement from Goal Attack Livi Rogers, Exeter got their first score on the board. Scoring opportunities then decreased rapidly with both teams struggling to break through the opposition’s defence and into a shooting position. Exeter managed to break the deadlock and after levelling the score, were never behind in the match again. With Wing Attack Katie May and Centre

Georgie Ormandy moving the ball quickly and effectively up the court, the first quarter ended with Exeter 10 – 6 in front. The second period began with some sloppy play from Solent, which allowed Exeter to quickly extend their lead to six points. Exeter’s shooters Holly Walton and Livi Rogers kept the Exeter points rolling, their accurate aim wasting no scoring opportunities while Solent appeared to need a few more attempts at goal. This meant Exeter managed to more than double their first quarter lead, finishing the half 23 – 14. Solent began the third quarter with an obviously greater hunger and

Exeposé

| WEEK six

SPORT

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nant win against Solent

Crossword No. 53 by Raucous

Photo: Lucrezia Scarapicchia

Across 1. Cooking competition (4,3) 4. Object detection system (5) 7. Imperial measure (4) 8. U.S. State (8) 9. Smell (5) 10. e.g. Stanley Clarke, RogerWaters (7) 11. Elks smash fort (anag) (7,6) 15. Daily travel (7) 16. Having three dimensions (5) 17.Widespread outbreak (8) 18. Cheese (4) 19. Huge (5) 20. European country (7)

Down 1. Abstain from using (not ban) (7) 2. Empty orchestra; popular in the Ram on Friday night (7) 3.The act of delaying parliamentary procedure through long speech (13) 5. Loss of memory (7) 6. Start again (5) 12. Islamic month of fasting (7) 13. North Asian region (7) 14. Club (7) 15. Political leader (5)

“Unbelievable Jeff! It’s raining goals!” Women’s Football

Emmott Leigh Sports Team

EULFC 1st Plymouth 1st

Exeter introduced two new players. This hunger meant Solent quickly upped the game tempo, managing to cut the point deficit by three within the first minute thanks to some precise shooting. Exeter were forced to match this speed to keep their dominant lead intact and, once the new players warmed up, the game regained its previous shape, with Exeter leading 34 – 23 going into the break. The Exeter defence were particularly strong at the beginning of the last quarter, forcing Solent to miss some simple scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, tiredness started to appear throughout both teams causing some

Katie May’s speedy play effectively linked defence and attack sloppy passing, making the game messy and untidy. This was particularly obvious with Exeter, who were less secure in the middle of the court and when they were in a shooting position, the shots on goal were less accurate than they had previously been. This was reflected in the final score of 43 – 36, the closest a quarter had ended since the first. Even though Exeter lacked con-

sistency in the last quarter, this was a well-deserved win over a Solent team who won their first match of the season. It was a great performance from all players which can only improve in future matches as they get to know each other better. Player of the match was awarded by Solent to Exeter Wing Attack Katie May, whose speedy play effectively linked defence and attack, putting her shooters in great scoring positions. Captain Louise Pearce, though pleased with her team’s performance, said, “We will set targets to improve on next week in terms of consistency.” Hopefully this will take the 2nds to an even higher level.

11 0

THIS derby match was not so much a contest but a demolition, wrecking-ball style. Exeter bagged eleven goals in style with shining performances from Lizzie Adama and Laura McCarthy, who netted multiple times each. The first half in particular was a breeze for those in green; they were camped out for much of it (complete with tents and sleeping bags) in the Plymouth half, largely because of the opposing keeper’s woeful performance with the boot. Not one ground kick reached the halfway line and many hummed straight to the feet of a player in green. Such errors led to goals from Adama and she may have been disappointed not to have scored more in the first half, a feeling possibly sympathised with by Nikita Frere, who could not convert despite making a mockery out of the Plymouth left back for and curling a couple of efforts into the side netting. The second half illustrated a few details: the brilliance of the Exeter forwards, the robustness of the defence, the further inadequacy of the Plymouth side and the incompetence of the referee. Exeter went on to score goals for fun McCarthy and Adama were joined

by Emma Askins in enjoying the spoils, the latter converting with a sliding finish after Adama struck the woodwork and popping up again to nod home from a corner. It was the pairing of the others, however, which deserves the spotlight. One finish from McCarthy was especially superb as she lofted the ball over the keeper’s flailing arms after a through ball to make it 7-0. One hapless goal kick struck the back of an unsuspecting defender’s head and ruled her out for the rest of the game with a possible concussion, she was worryingly hesitant to come off her line (one McCarthy goal had her rooted determinedly to the spot as her colleagues screamed at her to move) and she conceded a rather embarrassing score after attempting to outfox Adama with a trick that, well, didn’t exactly work. Exeter’s back four were rarely called into action, but they were active when they needed to be; Kirsten MacGregor showed impressive composure on the ball. The referee’s performance was decidedly abject; he regularly ignored his lineswomen when they indicated offside, failed to punish the Plymouth forwards at the kick-off for not passing the ball forward from the spot, and inexplicably denied Exeter two clear penalties. Maybe he was feeling pity for Plymouth. Exeter will bask in the glory of a goalfest that didn’t actually reflect the admirable quality of their performance!

SPORT

Sport

29 OCTOBER 2013 |

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EURL move top of the table

Photo: Niklas Rahmel

The Final Whistle Here is your guide to a few upcoming sporting courses, classes and events 30 October

Clip and Clip FREE 14:00-15:30 Quay Climbing Centre Contact: 01392 72209 p.d.mouland@exeter.ac.uk

9 November

Boxing Leader’s Award University of Exeter Students: £80.00 09:00-17:00 Contact: 01392 72209 p.d.mouland@exeter.ac.uk

9 November

Mo-Sistas 12:00-16:00 Netball, Lacrosse, Rugby and Football events to raise money for charity! Sports Park Teams of 10 – all abilities welcome £10.00 per person (includes a t-shirt) Contact: au@exeter.ac.uk

10 November

Emergency First Aid at Work University of Exeter Students £50.00 09:00-17:00 Sports Park Contact: 01392 72209 p.d.mouland@exeter.ac.uk Rugby League

Freddie Turner Sports Team

EURL 32 Gloucestershire 16 EXETER’S Rugby League 1st team continued their fine start to the season with a 32-16 win over Gloucestershire 2nd’s, making it back to back wins, following on from last week’s away victory against Bath. These results have catapulted the green army to the top of their BUCS ‘Western 1A’ division and raised hopes for the season ahead. Exeter got off to the much better start, with their opponents appearing to be struggling to adjust to the high intensity that Exeter were playing at. Before the visitors had been able to adjust to the pace of the game, they found themselves 20 points down thanks to four tries and two conversions. The pick of the tries was the fourth one, which came after a fantastic team move. Bertie Jones made the decisive break,

battering his way through the Gloucestershire defence before drawing the man with centre Alex Mills-Baker ably on hand to cross the line for a fantastic score. When Xander Seddon added the two points, Exeter were 20 clear and seemingly on the brink of a rout.

Exeter got off to the much better start, their opponents struggled to adjust to the high intensity game However, the early onslaught perhaps led to over confidence amongst the Exeter ranks, as they began to play too loosely. Offloads which earlier had been going to hand were now dropping to the floor and the home side stopped doing the basics well. They began looking for defence splitting speculative offloads, rather than playing the percentages, meaning they spurned a couple of opportunities before the break which

would have definitely put the game to bed. This kept Gloucestershire in with a sniff, albeit a long shot going into the second half. The visitors made the most of this after the half time break, returning to the field with renewed dynamism and belief. Errors and ill-discipline early on from EURL gave Gloucestershire all the possession and territory. Despite some heroic defence from Tom Shopland amongst others, it was not enough to stop Gloucestershire from crossing the line, making the score 20-6. If this was a slight warning to Exeter, the next piece of play had all alarm bells ringing; stronger running up the middle by Gloucestershire’s forwards, created space out wide for their winger to skip over the line, with the conversion taking them to within eight points. Exeter were beginning to look jaded and needed to rally and reorganise. Exeter regained control of possession and the impressive centre partnership of Rhys Biggin and Alex Baker-Mills began to come to the fore. After sustained territory in the Gloucester-

shire half, Exeter eventually capitalised, when Aled Jones, darted around the side of a tackle to sneak over the line, underneath the would-be tacklers.

The early onslaught perhaps led to over confidence amongst the ranks as Exeter began to play too loosely This allowed Exeter to regain the momentum and a magnificent break from Biggin created both quick ball and wide open spaces in the Gloucestershire defence, which Rory Firmin was able to make the most of to take the score to 2812. Unfortunately Xander Seddon lost his kicking boots in the second half and was unable to add the extras on either occasion, keeping the opposition just about within range. This was even more so the case when Gloucestershire crossed for their third try of the game, albeit CONTINUED ON PAGE 37

15 November

AU Olympics 18:00-22:00 Sports Park To enter a club contact: au@ exeter.ac.uk

Every Thursday

Rush Hockey 16:00 – 18:00 Free Lopez tennis courts All kit provided – All welcome p.d.mouland@ex.ac.uk

Mondays & Fridays

Tai chi/Yoga 12:00 – 13:00 Free Birks Grange Wear comfy clothes- mats and blocks provided p.d.mouland@ex.ac.uk