Issue 668, 8 May 2017 by Exeposé

EXEPOSÉ

ISSUE 668 08 MAY 2017 exepose.com @Exepose

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

Current PhD student wins Best Lecturer Holly East was shortlisted twice

CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

FEATURES

Interview with former army captain Michael Crofts PAGE 8

this very early stage in her academic career, Holly has been commended by those who nominated her for collating a new module for ﬁnal year undergraduates inspired by her current research topic. Not content with contributing original research of her own to the academic community, she “has given [students] the opportunity to contribute to cutting edge research and the potential for [their] work to be published”; a truly student-centred approach to teaching. The awards ceremony was presented by Harry Reeve, VP Education, and Tom Murray-Richards, FXU President. Celebrations commenced with a drinks reception and was followed by a two course dinner in the Great Hall. In his speech, Harry Reeve expressed delight at the increased proﬁle and quality afforded to the event: “Exeter students really do value their academics and we wanted to...

Emma Bessent Editor

Owain Evans Editor

NOTHER chapter in Exeter’s electoral history was written on 4 May, as local elections were contested across the city and the entire county of Devon. Several students, including Azhar Chaudhry of the Conservatives and Bethany Payne of the Green Party stood in local contests for Devon County Council, whilst even more took on a role with the various campaign teams. Last year, four students who ran for Exeter City Council on behalf of the Labour Party were elected. No students were as successful this time around, with each of the candidates failing to take a space at County Hall. The election got off to a bright start for Labour, as they successfully defended the vacant St Thomas ward seat in a by-election for the City Council, bucking the national trend by gaining a 5% swing from the Liberal Democrats. The following morning, when counting for the County began, Labour successfully held its seven Exeter seats out of nine, despite the Conservatives taking the 60-seat Council as a whole. The ward in which the University is mostly located, Duryard and Pennsylvania, was won by the Conservative Percy Prowse, whilst the St Sidwell’s and St James ward was taken by Labour’s Su Aves.

997 nominations received overall

HE 8th annual Teaching Awards saw the Students’ Guild and FXU come together to formally recognise the excellent standard of teaching at the University of Exeter. The evening of 2 May saw a shortlist of 29 individual nominees and representatives from nine departments commended for their outstanding support and research. The most decorated individual of the evening was Holly East from the Geography department; the only nominee to make it onto two shortlists (Research Inspired Teaching and Best Lecturer), Holly was awarded the prestigious title of Best Lecturer. Having taken up her PhD in 2012, Holly has submitted her PhD and is awaiting her viva voce an oral examination within which the candidate has to defend their thesis. This sets quite the precedent, as it means the 2017’s Best Lecturer is actually a current student at the University of Exeter. At

Uni students take on Devon Council Elections

SCIENCE March for Science around the world PAGE 28

Image: The Electoral Commission

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Editors Print: Emma Bessent & Owain Evans Deputy: Tash Ebbutt Online: Phoebe Davis & Olivia Horncastle editors@exepose.com News Editors Print: Megan Davies & Natalie Keffler Online: Nicky Avasthi & Ruby Bosanquet news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Alicia Rees & Malcolm Wong Online: Harry Bunting & Hannah Weiss comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: James Angrove & Isabel Taylor Online: Matthew Phillips & Daphne Bugler features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Lauren Geall & Barbara Balogun Online: Bethan Gilson & Melissa Barker lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: Mubanga Mweemba & Maddie Davies Online: Ellie Cook & Emily Garbutt artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Alex Brammer & Maddy Parker Online: Chloë Edwards & George Stamp music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Ben Faulkner & Fenton Christmas Online: Johnny Chern & Molly Gilroy screen@exepose.com Science Editors Print: Leah Crabtree & Luke Smith Online: Ayesha Tandon & Rhys Davies sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Dorothea Christmann & Wil Jones Online: Michael Jones & Kieran Jackson sport@exepose.com Photographers Christy Chin & Léa Esteban photography@exepose.com Copy Editors George Pope, Graham Moore & Jaysim Hanspal Proofers Megan Davies, Maddy Parker, Evan Jones, Elly Angelova, Claudia Punt, Maya Belty, Fenton Christmas, Tash Ebbutt, James Angove, Alex Brammer, Mubanga Mweemba, Rowan Keith, Emily Garbutt, Ben Faulkner, Theodore Stone, Hannah Butler

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Editorial

NEWS Students stand in local election

Hello...

...Is it us you're looking for? No? Well, you're stuck with these mugshots on your editorial for the rest of the year. Sorry about that. On our ﬁrst ever front page, the two of us take turns talking about some of our favourite things - education and elections. A massive congratualtions to Holly East for winning Best Lecturer, and comiserations to student candidates who didn't get the roles they ran for in the local County Council. The world's been kicking up a bit of fuss over some kind of upcoming snap election. News (page 3), Comment (page 6) and Features (page 10) are all over it, with more than enough information and opinion to give you your political ﬁx. Exeposé will be there all the way through to the big day, and on the 8th we'll be joining up with our friends at Xpression FM and XTV to provide the most in-depth live coverage we ever have. Whilst we're on the topic, remember to register to vote by 22 May to get your all-important ballot. You can register in your local constituency and here in Exeter, but you can only cast your ballot in one - and if you're not sure where you'll be, postal votes are the answer. If you're feeling disenfranchised and questioning whether the paperwork is really worth it, turn to page 6 in Comment to read why Tash, our Deputy Editor, thinks visiting a stuffy room in your local community to tick a box is so important.

If the hashtag #GE2017 is already making you come out in a cold sweat, we recommend flicking through to pages 14 and 15 where Lifestyle have put together a selection of tips and tricks to get you through the other most stressful element of the upcoming four weeks: exams. If it's cultural respite you seek, look no further than page 19, where Arts + Lit gush about Barcelona exhibitions visited by the section editors over the Easter break (take us with you next time, ladies!). Screen goes from silly (Guardians of the Galaxy) to sombre (13 Reasons Why) as they present a selection of reviews and thinkpieces on the most topical films and series over pages 24-25. We delve into the local community as News give you the full update on the contentious East Park development on page 3 - it is going ahead, sorry Katie - and Music catch up with local artist CharlestonRay ahead of his debut gig at Poltimore Festival (page 23). Sport deliver a glowing report of Exeter 2s win against Northumbria, whilst Features remain tirelessly focused on global affairs, scrutinising attitudes to climate change, (page 9) and Science continue in a similar vein as they look back at the March for Science events taking place all over the world on Earth Day (page 29). It's a packed and punchy first issue which we are incredibly proud of. Big up to our new committee.

PAGE 4 Image: NUS

COMMENT NUS Conference 2017: a delegate's tale PAGE 7 Image: Wikimedia

FEATURES The politics of climate change PAGE 9

SCIENCE Octopuses capable of editing t their own brain matter PAGE 28

Image: Wikicommons

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Worldwide university news Law schools ﬁghting against the Drugs War

AY Paolo Santiago, professor at ALS in the Philippines, has been encouraging his students to stand up to injustices that the government are carrying out in relation to the ongoing drug war. Law schools are adjusting their curriculum to educate their students about the legal processes that take place when the authorities become exempt from punishment, sometimes even threatening the lawyers who are trying to defend justice. The drugs-related death toll has continued to climb, resulting in Santiago recruiting more volunteers from his students to work at a legal centre that provides free legal assistance to victims and their families, who would otherwise likely be clueless.

University building to be named after a slave

Bath head climate proof shelter designs

Cambridge photograph to promote diversity

EYTON Skipwith is the name of a new building at the University of Virginia, named after a slave who worked on building the original campus. Skipwith was a stonemason at a plantation belonging to John Hartwell Cocke, who established the University of Virginia along with Thomas Jefferson. According to the University of Virginia website, Cocke was opposed to slavery but still owned slaves. Skipwith was freed in 1833 but was forced to move to Liberia, and a book of his letters to his family was published in 1978. A naming ceremony was held in presence of 25 of Skipwith’s relatives and descendants. “It’s not only personally signiﬁcant, but it also helps us realize the impact of the University’s push for diversity," said Joe Creasy, one of the descendants of Peyton Skipwith in attendance.

K researchers from Bath University lead effort to design climate-proof housing for the many refugee camps across Europe, where the temperatures can range from 45 degrees to -10 degrees. Therefore, their current 20 shelter designs will moderate extremes of temperature, whilst ensuring privacy and comfort. This research will be the largest study so far done into thermal, social and airquality conditions into housing for refugee camps. Universities from Jordan and Turkey are also collaborating on this research, whilst current residents of the refugee camps will be asked for their contributions, helping beneﬁt these designs based on their previous experiences.

PICTURE of fourteen black male students at the University of Cambridge has gone viral, as it represents the number of black male students who were accepted for the academic year 2015/16. The photo was posted on Facebook by the Cambridge African Caribbean Society, alongside a message that "representation matters". Folajimi Babasola, one of the students pictured, told the BBC: ‘The aim of the picture was really to encourage more black students to apply here because many people get discouraged by a particular image or stereotype of a Cambridge student that they have in their mind, thinking that they won't ﬁt in or be accepted’.

Images: Wikimedia Commons (left), Cambridge University African Caribbean Society (right)

Stories by Natalie Keffler and Megan Davies, News Editors

News

NEWS EDITORS: Natalie Keffler Megan Davies

Exeter braces for General Election 2017

Natalie Kefﬂer News Editor

ACK on 18 April everyone, given that the Prime Minister herself had previously stated there would not be another General Election until 2020, was in complete shock after Theresa May announced there would be a general election on 8 June.

I ...that we mantain at least one voice who will ﬁght for Exeter’s interests. Ben Bradshaw

Not only does this snap election give candidates just seven weeks to prepare, it is also 3 years earlier than initially expected, leaving many to speculate on why it had been moved forward. The general consensus appears to be that due to Theresa May not ofﬁcially being elected as Prime Minister, but rather stepping forward to lead the country after David

Cameron stood down, another election would be more democratic, through the people being able to vote for their Prime Minister, rather than one being forced upon them. However, those who oppose the Conservatives fear the election is being held because Theresa May believes she is sure to win, and therefore by winning an election it’ll further consolidate her power and she’ll be able to push legislation through parliament that she has previously been held back on. Closer to Exeter, Ben Bradshaw from the Labour party is the current MP for the area, and will be standing again for this election. He is arguably the most likely candidate to win due to him having been MP for the Exeter constituency since 1997, and at the most recent election in 2015 he trebled his majority of votes. Ben Bradshaw has said that “I am currently the only non-Conservative MP this side of Bristol and I believe it is important for the health of our democracy that we maintain at least one voice who will

challenge the Conservative government and ﬁght for Exeter’s interests.” Bradshaw is known for having been a big supporter of the Remain campaign, however despite being a Labour MP he ﬁrmly emphasises he is not in support of all of Jeremy Corbyn’s actions, and rather states you are voting for him, not necessarily the Labour party as a whole.

The forthcoming election is undoubtedly the most important of a generation.

study, so we would urge every student to register ahead of the 22 May deadline. The Guild will be running events in the build up to the election with a number of student groups to engage as many people as possible.” It is important to be voting in the constituency you think your vote will have the biggest impact; whether that is your term time one or where you reside during the holidays.

Guild spokesperson

The Guild have emphasised the importance of all the students making sure they are registered to vote, something that can be done online, and takes as little as ﬁve minutes to do. A University spokesperson has said “Regardless of your political persuasion, the forthcoming election is undoubtedly the most important of a generation. Students can be registered to vote at home and in the location of their

Image: Electoral Commission

East Park accommodation project to go ahead Megan Davies News Editor

XETER City Council approved the building of new student accommodation on Streatham Campus, which should provide housing for 1,200 students, on 24 April. The East Park development is to be built on an arable ﬁeld on the eastern side of campus, accessible from Pennsylvania Road and Rennes Drive, and it has even been said it’ll have a café onsite. The University made several amendments to its plans after its original submission in October and comments from the February Planning Committee, including reducing the site by 18 per cent. It now leaves 73 per cent of the ﬁeld as green space, and will feature amenities such as a shop, café, common rooms and so on. They have been reduced from a proposed twelve-storey building to a maximum of eight storeys. The council received 701 letters objecting to the new development, some of which came before the revision in February. The issues that were raised in the most letters were about the design and scale of the development, potential problems with parking, and the loss of green space and amenities. In particular, residents objected that the development

might introduce an “urban character” to the area. The committee reminded the public that “a loss of the view” was not a valid reason to refuse the application. Others linked the new development with an increase in student numbers. The University has stated that the development would allow for an increase in postgraduate students and medical school students, however even without the increase of students the accommodation can be said to be necessary due to many ﬁrst year students living up to 40 minutes walk away from Streatham Campus. The area had previously been allocated for academic buildings in the 2010 masterplan. Additionally, the reduction in square meters since October is of 13%, and not 40% as requested by residents. Some residents attending the meeting were visibly opposed to the new development, with some shaking their heads and sarcastically calling it “beautiful”. Councillor Percy Prowse argued against the development, stating that “I won’t be voting for this. Not because it’s the elections, but because so many of the objections are valid”. Mike Shore-Nye, Registrar and Secretary of the University of Exeter stated on the University website: “We are pleased that, following on-going consultation with the local community and councillors, the planning committee

has approved the revised application for East Park. “Since the initial proposals for this new, on-campus accommodation were announced last year, we have held positive discussions with the community, and I thank them for their time, questions and suggestions. “We took on board their comments and, as a result, reduced the overall ﬂoor space of the development, and both the size and also number of buildings within

image: University of Exeter & Terence O’Rourke

the proposals, as well as ensuring more than 70 per cent of the green space on the site will be allocated to landscaping. “We are committed to easing pressures on the city’s housing stock, and are conﬁdent that by offering more student accommodation on campus we will be able to achieve this aim. The new residences will also create dozens of additional jobs for the local community both during the construction phase and when operational.”

Election of new NUS leadership Ruby Bosanquet Online News Editor

HE National Union of Students (NUS) held its annual National Conference on 25 to 27 April in which policy making and the election of the union’s new leadership took place. Shakira Martin, the NUS’ current vice-president for further education beat Malia Bouattia to become the union’s president. Bouattia was the first black Muslim woman to be president but was recently subjected to much opposition and contesting over alleged anti-Semitic comments. Bouattia closed the conference by congratulating Martin and stated “the level of abuse I received has felt completely unprecedented [...] I have put liberation at the heart of everything I do… We need to fight like hell to win for students”. Before the election, a Student Idea had proposed that the Students’ Guild support Tom Harwood as candidate, however this was unsuccessful and the Guild remained neutral. Guild President, Toby Gladwin, was a firm supporter of Martin and commented on this, stating “Not only did the idea not mandate delegates to support Tom Harwood but it received a ‘third class conditional fail’ score, which means if a student project leader did not come forward to continue the idea then it would have failed completely. This was bypassed because, even if it had passed, it would only notify delegates and, as this was done as a matter of course anyway, the idea was moved to completed.” Another Student Idea proposing a new referendum on NUS membership was withdrawn from the Exeter Students’ Guild website, the student stating that “I feel we need to wait until the Democratic Review within the NUS has been completed until this idea can go forward and students have the right information”. Despite running out of time to debate on all motions, some of the most notable decisions the NUS made were passing Motions 412, which aims to combat anti-Semitism, 206, which argues for free education, and 601, which supports the strengthening of NUS Democracy.

08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

NEWS

Research labs to open for Digital Humanities

NIVERSITY experts will have the capacity to analyse and save important historical objects thanks to a new £1.2m Digital Humanities research space. The laboratory, based in the Queen’s Building on the Streatham campus, is due to open in early 2017 and will enrich undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research. In the space, 2D and 3D digitisation will be possible as well as the opportunity to curate digital exhibitions and create professional quality video and audio recordings. The Digital Humanities research space will be in collaboration with prestigious museums such as The British Museum and Archives des Musées Nationaux in the Louvre. Recent work includes the working of a storehouse of multilingual reports translating ﬁrst-hand accounts of the First World War. As stated by the University, “The laboratory will conﬁrm the University of Exeter’s position at the forefront of international research into historical and cultural artifacts”. Barbara Balogun, Lifestyle Editor

Image: University of Exeter

Queen’s honours awarded to Exeter staff

ROFESSOR Janice Kay, the Provost and Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Exeter, received a CBE this week, after being recognised for her services to higher education in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list, after two other outstanding Exeter academics received awards at early ceremonies; Professor Mike Depledge (CBE), and Dr Vicki Goodwin (MBE), both of the Medical School. Professor Kay said: “I’m delighted and humbled by this award… I am very proud of the University of Exeter’s commitment to putting students at the centre of everything we do.” In Exeter, Professor Kay has pioneered new, integrated ways of working with students, through programmes like Change Agents and the Exeter Award, which enable and acknowledge student leadership and personal growth within the University and wider community. Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice Chancellor, congratulating the academics on their achievements, cited the awards as “further evidence of the high calibre of Exeter’s pioneering work across a wide range of ﬁelds.” Bea Fones, News Team

Teaching Awards 2017 takes centre stage CONTINUED FROM FRONT ...showcase this by revamping the Teaching Awards this year. I am so proud to celebrate their efforts and achievements of our University colleagues and to be a part of such a fantastic event.” He was particularly proud to emphasise that, over the course of eight years, the Teaching Awards have collected an incredible 14,737 nominations - 997 of which were submitted this year alone - demonstrating the passionate, engaged and appreciative nature of students at the University of Exeter. Bringing staff, students and elected representatives together from Falmouth, Streatham and St Lukes gave an incredible opportunity for the academic community to show a uniﬁed front across their three campuses in their efforts to provide the best possible experience for the student body. It also allowed the Univer-

sity and two student unions to showcase their effective partnership. Tom Murray-Richards said, “I’m so happy to have been here to celebrate the Guild and FXU Teaching Awards 2017. It is so important to value our excellent teaching and professional services staff, and I feel privileged to be part of an event that exempliﬁes the excellent partnership between the Guild,

New journal for science students Jessica Stanier News Team

HE first issue of the Exeter Undergraduate Science Journal arrived in print on Streatham campus last week. The team celebrated with prosecco at a launch event on May 4th. The journal aims at publishing academic work from students in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences (CLES), and the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences (CEMPS). It joins with interdisciplinary academic journal, The Undergraduate Exeter, in providing opportunities for students to publish and share their work on campus. This issue of the Exeter Undergraduate Science Journal covers a range of writing styles across popular science, essay, and reports. Articles in this issue include “Bats aren’t bad: a call for greater positive media coverage of bats”, “How a better informed public could contribute to the prevention of antibiotic resist-

ances”, and “Negative temperatures on the Kelvin scale”. Writers were invited to discuss their work at the launch event, where the articles were on display. As a Students As Change Agents project, the publication has already been awarded SACA Project of the year in the VP Education Awards last month. The award recognises the success of selfcontained student initiatives leading change in academic experience, and has been running for nearly 10 years. The editorial team encourages students to submit for future issues of the Exeter Undergraduate Science Journal, posting on their Facebook page: “We are really excited about the future of our journal. Watch this space as we will be posting information about submissions for next year’s issue, along with ‘writing prompts’, which will hopefully inspire you to write for us.” Copies are free and can be found on all four campuses.

FXU and the University of Exeter.” Professor Timothy Quine, Deputy Vice Chancellor rounded off the evening with a speech congratulating all winners and nominees, particularly praising all employees of the university who facilitate a truly student-centred experience. In their retrospective appraisal of event, the Students’ Guild offered “A huge congratulations to all the win-

ners of the Teaching Awards and also to every member of staff nominated – without a doubt the competition was tough and the judging panels were impressed by the calibre of the nominations that we received.” They continued with a promise to “continue to work closely with students and the University, sharing experiences, supporting and facilitating innovative teaching and research in order to constantly improve the education and student experience here at Exeter.” The standard of teaching across the university remains high. The University of Exeter’s status as the highest-ranking Russell Group university based on the National Student Survey’s data for Overall Satisfaction is well-earnt. Events such as the 2017 Teaching Awards, which encourage communication and solidarity within the partnerships between the three campuses and the two student unions, continue to play a central role in facilitating an outstanding research and education community.

Counts in for County CONTINUED FROM FRONT In response to the results within the city, second-year student and Exeter City Councillor Lewis Keen (St Davids; Labour) told Exeposé: “Exeter staying red shows the confidence our community continues to have in us.” Despite the results not going in the favour of the students running this year, those involved still feel as though they got something out of the experience. Chaudhry, the Conservative Candidate for Exwick & St Thomas who ﬁnished behind Labour’s Rob Hannaford and is also a PPE student at the University, told Exeposé: “It was an all-around great and humbling experience to be involved in local politics in such a way. It’s also great to see the faith that the local Association put in someone young for County Council. “You may think that local elections are trivial but there is so much decided on a local level with affects your life. From waste collections to local infrastructure improvements, being involved and voting in local elections is crucial to what sort of are you want to live in and who you want to represent you at a local level. “I ran for council to try and engage and give the youth in Exeter a chance to

be heard at a County level. Given so many momentous decisions in which young people did not vote in, I thought that the best manner in which to start rebuilding the interest of the youth back into politics is to have someone they can relate to!” Aside from the candidates, several students also got themselves involved in other ways. One of them, History student Ollie Lund, served as a Counting Agent on the night. He told Exeposé: “I got involved with the election because I believe it’s important to engage with the community of Exeter and assure that we’re represented by the best councillors possible, especially given that local elections are often overlooked unfairly not just by students, but by local residents as well. “County Councillors represent us and our desires, and can have a large impact on our lives through the day to day services that the local authority provides. It’s through them that we have our best chance of getting local problems on the agenda and on the way to getting solved.” In total across the county, the Conservatives retained control with 41 seats to Labour’s 7 and the Liberal Democrat’s 7. 3 independents were also elected, along with 1 Green.

08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Comment

T’S that time of year again. Exam time. It can notoriously be a fairly stressful time, but at the Guild we’re doing everything we can to help. I thought I’d use this space to talk a little bit about what we’re doing, and how you can help yourself and each other make it through the exam season. This time last year I had a fairly intense exam timetable, but I am living proof that people can, and do, make it through (even graduate!). In terms of making sure you’re able to do your best, it’s worth remembering the basics – print out your exam timetable, know where you’re going, make sure you don’t have your phone on you! It’s also important to just take a moment to check in on housemates and make sure you’re all doing okay. It’s deﬁnitely okay to take a break, go for a run, go for a coffee, play some Fifa, or whatever helps you relax. If you are worried, the Wellbeing centre has some excellent resources online, including Silvercloud, a free online CBT package for Exeter students. Just search Exeter Silvercloud to get signed up. I’ve used it and found it really helpful, it’s completely private and geared towards students. Exams can place a huge amount of pressure on your mental health. Thankfully, the 8-14 May is Mental Health Awareness Week, and there’s loads going on. On Tuesday, we are looking forward to welcoming PIPS Programmes to campus where they will be delivering workshops to help you look after one another’s mental health. On Wednesday, the ever brilliant ‘Mind Your Head’ will be doing a cake sale in the forum, the perfect revision refuelling stop. On Thursday, as many of you know, guide dogs are coming to campus! Check out our Facebook event for more details, and if you haven’t been able to get a ticket this week, a few spaces are left on the day. On Friday, RAG are running a Wellbeing event in Reed Hall – it looks set to be one of the most relaxing days of the year. Finally, you’ll have probably seen mine and Harry’s exam stress busting tips in #TheHarryandAlecStory. Due to popular demand (genuinely, people wanted more of it!) it’s back, so do follow (@exewelfare and @exeeducation) and hopefully it will be helpful or at least mildly entertaining. Other than that, all that’s left to say is very best wishes from all of us at the Guild. I’m sure you’ll do a great job, and hope you’re able to enjoy the Devon sun when it’s all over!

Alicia Rees Malcolm Wong

Putting exams to the test

THE SABB Alec James VP Welfare & Diversity

COMMENT EDITORS:

Jasmin Wade Contributor

IG out your flashcards, highlighters, post-it notes, colourful fine liners, voice recorders and notebooks. The time has come again. When we browse ELE for recordings of those lectures we wish we hadn’t missed. Reams of past papers and mark schemes spill from printers, study sessions are organised, playlists made, phones off, kettles on. It’s exam season, and the fate of our degrees will be determined by what may be perceived as the longest, most arduous and stressful six weeks of the academic year. I’ve always had an issue with the examination system, having a strong preference for coursework and project-based methods of assessment. GCSEs were basically memory tests. For History, you would learn facts and dates, for English, obscure and impressive long words and technical

vocabulary, for Maths, you needed the people marking my essays were in a couple of formulas and a calcula- a good mood! Lucky me. However, it tor, and the worst was languages for wasn’t until I took my first university which you would simply need to ab- exams in the summer of 2016 that I sorb a few verb conjugations and lists truly realised the flaws in this system of topic-specific vocabulary. I got 7 of assessment. On the basis that exA*s and 4 As, because my memory is ams test your knowledge and recall of specific information, i.e. was pretty good, but someyour memory, the flaws thing changed when I are revealed. There came to university. are many factors Most-heard quote that affect your of GCSEs: “If cognitive funcsomeone [looks tions, for examat me pointedly] ple lack of sleep dies in the exam and stress (both today, we’ll all inevitable), but get A*s!” also mental health I don’t think problems, side effects people liked me Photo:Flickr.com of certain medication, very much in secondary personal issues that will unschool. A-levels were interesting – I took subjects that mostly doubtedly distract you, no space in depended on “how the examiner feels the library, whether you were breast when they’re marking your paper”, ac- or bottle-fed as a child, what the cording to almost all of my teachers. weather is like, Comida running out A*AB in English Literature, Spanish of cookie dough brownies, being in and Philosophy & Ethics, so I guess debt because of cookie dough brown-

ies, or possibly just a complete lack of motivation because the struggles of university have exhausted you to the point where you simply have no energy left to care… While I understand that exam conditions are the best way to achieve a fair evaluation of a students’ skills, providing an environment in which cheating and plagiarism are impossible; and perhaps exams not only test memory, but require studying methods that enhance your mental abilities to retain information – a useful skill for people with a future in accountancy, law, medicine, teaching, sales and such career paths. Nevertheless, I believe that one of Albert Einstein’s many famous quotes summarises my view on the matter perfectly: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” Grades do not define intelligence, simply our personal response to conventional, mass-produced methods of assessment.

The long walk to the polling station engagement is not present. It is your right to share your voice and strive to make the country the best it can possibly be. With Theresa May’s announcement of a GenH the age old question: why eral Election, it is the time that you should should young people vote? I be casting your vote and forgetting any have four words for you- it is previous apprehension that you will not your duty. You may ﬁrmly believe that matter! There is a plethora of reasons why your individual vote is worthless, in the grand sphere of events your vote is in- young people should go and vote and deed a tiny proportion. But it is still a pro- make sure their individual voice is heard. It portion, it still exists and it could still tip can be categorised very basically into social the election result. One only has to think and economic strategy. Socially, we need to vote to shape about the result of the EU issues that ﬂow through the govreferendum to think ernment body. Issues such as about how close LGTBQ rights, social welelections can fare and even tuition fees be. Arguably, are just a small selection of the governpotential affairs that young ment has put people as a voting body will its youth at a have a say in. For example, disadvantag e. the average student is now But taken from Photo:Sachi Minami saddled with £44,000 of student a purely data based debt. That could change (hopefully interpretation, they will for the better) if more people get out and respond the most to the largest group of voters, which at present tends vote. Of course, there is no guarantee. to be older generations. If more of the False promises often run riot within govyouth votes, democracy will indubitably ernment but, by offering your vote, you improve. The government is unlikely to are helping to decide which opinion on address the needs of young people if the social policy is the right one. You can show

Tash Ebbutt Deputy Editor

concern for your own generation as well as offering contemplation on protecting the next generation. Looking to the best interest for the country, socially speaking, is an important value which could very well dictate the policies that will inﬂuence a generation that are currently vulnerable and unaware of what the future might hold for them. You might be under the impression that the vote of the youth is not worth using but this generation will become the next politicians, lawyers, teachers, doctors and it is important to vote now to let your voice be heard for the alteration of our country for the future of our own generation and the next generation.

Let your voice be heard for the alteration of our country, for the future Moving onto economics, money is essentially the be all and end all. Of course I’m not advocating that money equates to happiness but it is necessary to running the country, funding services such as the NHS and education. Researching the policies of the various parties would prove useful in voting as different political viewpoints of-

fer different stances on what in laymen’s terms they are going to spend the cash on. Increasing the youth vote has the potential to change how economics affects different groups of people. Social policy and economic policy are closely intertwined and it is important to consider this when voting. Another example of the youth being affected by current government policies is the fact that more adults are now living with their parents than ever before. The amount of 25-34 year olds owning their own homes is down by one third. Economic policies surrounding wages and even the ﬁnancing of housing construction is important for the young voter to consider. To conclude, voting is a very complex system. It needs the votes of every single young person to change the perspective of the government system. This article is only a mere snippet of the various webs of government policy that affect our generation. I suggest you make an effort to research policies and parties and ﬁnd out more about them. But most importantly, I urge you to cast your vote on the 8th June. Forget the notion that your vote will not matter. It does. Just get out there and vote. Vote for change, vote for the future, vote for you.

COMMENT

Inside the NUS Conference Toby Gladwin Guild President

AST week was the National Union of Students’ National Conference – a bit of a mouthful but a truly fascinating experience. For those out of touch with the NUS, it’s the equivalent of the Sabb elections and a year’s worth of Student Ideas all being decided over three days. For those out of the Guild loop, it’s basically a student version of the General Election and Parliament in one. Twelve hundred delegates, hordes of campaign shirts and shed loads of impassioned rhetoric. I went with a mixture of excitement, to be a part of the world’s largest democratic gathering of student leaders, and anxiety for Exeter’s recent precarious relationship with the movement as well as my own reservations. It was, as I feared, mottled with factional infighting, political grandstanding and blatant private agendas, but there were also positive sparks of

unity, genuine debate and substantial policy adoption. The most significant of which was the democratic review that will look into redeveloping how the NUS operates and engages with students. On the elections, I made no secret of supporting Shakira Martin in her successful campaign to become the next NUS President. She has done unparalleled work as VP Further Education (interestingly, the majority of the NUS, roughly 4 million, are FE students) but more importantly, Shakira consistently calls out the factional, internal politics that are often the root of negative headlines about the NUS. I also have upmost faith in Amatey Doku, the new VP Higher Education, to be a clear and impactful voice for students in the coming year of uncertainty facing all UK universities. The NUS may not be perfect, but this year’s conference has put in place the right policy and the right people to make it a relevant, engaging and impactful voice for students once again.

No masters? No problem Kate Jones Contributor

S a third year, I’m just a few months shy of graduating and having to prepare for a life after university. I’ve become accustomed to hearing about the Master’s/further education offers or paid internships my friends have gained, yet do not have any such offer myself. Am I worried? Not at all. It’s not for lack of trying. I’m reluctant to do a journalism Master’s degree when I feel I can ﬁ nd a way of getting into the industry I want to get into – the media – in a cheaper way, and have been applying for paid internships as well as an unpaid one in the hope the latter would open up opportunity. However, today’s job market is intensely competitive. The sad fact of the matter is, regardless of the good degree you’ve got, the work experience you’ve done, the extra-curricular activities you’ve undertaken or other recognition you’ve gained, there will be so many other ambitious graduates with the same skills as you. Yet, I’m optimistic that by trying

hard and staying resilient, I will be able to secure employment without initially resorting to the full journalism Master’s course.

There’s nothing wrong with taking a bit of time out I don’t think there’s any shame, as a third year, in not graduating with a further education course or job lined up straight away. Master’s courses are costly, and you shouldn’t feel you have to take one up straight away if you feel you can secure a job you aspire to with a bit of patience and hard work. Moreover, completing a degree is a big achievement, especially after years of prior study, and there’s nothing wrong with taking a bit of time out to take stock of life after university or to experience more of the world before you begin working full-time. You’ll have plenty of years to work once you get a job, and it’s good to make the most of the time before you’re tied into the world of employment.

Photo: NUS Press Team

500 days of summer Bea Fones Contributor

N the stress of preparing for exams and visualising that sweet, sweet freedom which comes at the end of May, you’d not be wrong to think, well, what is Term 3 really for? We’re paying for a couple of exams and the odd revision lecture. But whilst we’re here, surely, we might as well make our last months of the university year productive ones? There’s quite a bit you can do around Exeter other than the usual, basking in the sun, visiting cafes and cycling along the quay. Dull though it may sound to be doing productive things once you

don’t officially have to anymore, it’s beneficial and will stand you in good stead with employers, to show that you know how to make good use of your free time. In Term 3, there are plenty of opportunities to fi nd a part-time job, look for work experience, and take part in University-organised activities. People start to leave for home after their exams, coming back just for the balls at the end of term, so a lot of pubs and cafes will be losing their student employees for the summer; a great opportunity for those who are sticking around to pick up a job and earn some money over the summer months. The Career Zone also continues to offer opportunities like the Creative Careers talks, and various

workshops for us to take part in after our exam season ends, to prepare us for, gasp, the “real world”. There is also the Grand Challenges programme running in the last week of term (5-9 June), where you can take part in specialist lectures, focus groups and research projects on your chosen topics. The themes this year are Climate Change, Food for Thought, Global Security, Brexit and Mental Health. These programmes look good on a CV, and will make you feel a lot more productive than your friends, who will probably be passed out in bed until the afternoon with nothing but Netﬂ ix to motivate them to wake up.

Photo: University of Exeter

Photo: Jonathan Farrell

08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Features

FEATURES EDITORS:

Security, seperatism and social media O

Emma Bessent, Editor, discusses the role of community in countering terror culture with Captain Michael Crofts

psychological impact of any harrowing event on the individual. Crofts listed a series of questions which may help this process along: “How physically involved were you? What was the risk to your life? What was the severity of the incident? Did anybody die? Who were effectively the participants? Were they removed were they doing it on television or social media?” When moving away from the Westminster attack itself, it became clear that Crofts’ central concerns about terror threat hinge on the social conditioning which precedes attacks. “We have to be aware as a society what is causing these attacks. If you look at when these terrorist attacks do occur - Khalid Masood, Richard Reid, Karim Cheurfi - these are all men who have generally spent time in prison for petty crime. They’re not originally ideologically motivated. It’s time that we We have to be put more effort into how we treat very aware as a society what is isolated and damaged young men staying in prison who are becoming radicalised causing these attacks or are very susceptible to radicalisation because they are so isolated. The solution When discussing the event itself, is not to keep locking up young men Crofts noted “The thing that shocked who are involved in gangs. That further me [about the Westminster attack] was deepens the problem. The solution is to that it was completely unexpected. In create better outreach.” He continued, “The high profile Afghanistan, you are prepared to face traumatic circumstances. When you’re attacks that we’ve experienced have been coming out of a meeting in Westminster perpetrated by previously very wellwith an MP trying to encourage and known offenders. There’s not just Islamic develop a project for young people, you fanaticism within Europe, there’s also a don’t expect to be confronted with such rise of right wing terrorism.” Whatever an extreme situation.” He indicated that the political agenda of perpetrators at the his background was useful in dealing with time of an attack, Crofts is clear that earlier a domestic terror incident. “My military intervention is crucial. “Sending men to experience helped me to understand prison at a young age is not productive. I and access the proper support network see that every day in the project that we of friends and family that you need work on with 3 Pillars.” Within the interview, isolation after something like that happens.” In recuperating from involvement in a is construed as a central cause of traumatic event, Crofts suggests that the radicalisation. Crofts blames current day most useful process is “not to isolate shifts in the social concept of community yourself. The solution is not immediately - particularly increasing reliance on begin talking and over-analysing the event. the Internet for communication and Sometimes you need to give your body interaction. “People are increasingly living and your mind the time to process and in their own silos. They’re not looking get back to normal. And normally with beyond their immediate community. a traumatic event, things should have If you’ve got a Facebook account, it calmed down after about three or four offers you suggested friends. If you look weeks - if you’re still really struggling after at these suggested friends, they’re all three or four weeks, you should probably clones of yourself because that’s how the algorithm works. If we increasingly seek more professional support.” In terms of independent wellbeing live on social media in these closed social strategies, self-awareness and present- groups, then you’re not going to meet mindedness were indicated as a useful people and open up; you will have a very narrow-minded way to predict and mitigate the bodily and Emma Image: Woolf view of the world.” As N 22 March 2017, Khalid Masood, a British man with a substantial known history of criminal and violent activity, launched a solo attack on Westminster, ending the lives of four civilians and a police officer and critically injuring dozens more. Captain Michael Crofts of the University of Exeter’s Security and Strategy Institute was one of the first responders on the scene, involved in the early efforts to save the life of PC Palmer. His military history confronting insurgent forces and his current work with 3 Pillars Project - a prison mentoring programme targeted at young men who have had few positive role models in their life which aims to reduce reoffending rates - puts him in a unique position to comment on the relationship between social conditions and terror threats.

well as the inherent bias of social media communications, Crofts worries about the active misrepresentation that takes place on social media. “If you take social media at face value, that’s not healthy. One of the problems is that the people who run these companies who are multi-billionaires hold up what they’re doing as the great opening of truth to society. But actually, they also allow the spreading of lies, fake news. How does a man who repeatedly lies and misogynises women - how does he come to be president of the most powerful country in the world? It was with social media. I think actually we’ll come to realise, in a decade or so’s time, how unhealthy the situation is. It’s absolutely toxic - particularly when you’re looking at radicalisation, polarisation and politics, division of community.”

The high profile attacks that we’ve experienced have been perpetrated by previously very well known offenders Alongside his concerns for how social media filters the real experiences of so many individuals, Crofts expressed worries about the ethics of formal journalism. “The press is a great driver of how we perceive things, and the press is increasingly controlled by a select group of individuals. That we know to be true. Society influences politics and politics influences society. The press have a responsibility to behave properly, to ensure they’re not influenced by commercial interest. The majority just want to make money now. It’s not about just reporting the news and being honest and decent. It’s about the increasing Americanisation of our society. The traditional values of journalists that exist in our country have been eroded.” Crofts implied that it is not just prominent public figures who need to hold themselves accountable; we all need to take responsibility for our part in perpetuating the social conditions which produce

terror threats: “There’s too much talk about the government and security services needing to do more when, actually, what they’ve faced in the last ten years is a lot of breakdown of community. Violent crimes and mental health issues ﬂourish where there is a lack of community - it produces a lack of accountability and a lack of support.”

Whatever community you’re living in, it’s important that you don’t isolate yourself When asked whether there is anything that the student community in particular could do to counter the harmful results of these cultural changes, Crofts responded that it is crucial to “be open minded about other people in society”. He continued to say that, “Everybody reading your newspaper is privileged because, whatever their background, they’ve got the ability to work hard, the intelligence to go to a good university. They all have the power over the rest of their life to inﬂuence the people around them.” There was a clear sense of responsibility stemming from this privilege in his response. “Whatever community you’re living in, it’s important that you don’t isolate yourself within the small world that exists in and around you. Look beyond where you currently live, your current environment, and actually you’ll ﬁnd a great sense of reward in engaging with young people and your neighbours. If you play rugby, support a local rugby team. Be involved and central; coach the young people, particularly in deprived areas. If you’re a footballer, do the same. If you have a love for reading, volunteer on a reading project. Make an effort for the young people in your community. There are so many ways that we can get involved in strengthening and building our community and actually that is what has always been at the heart of being British.

Photo: pri.org

James Angove Isabel Taylor

For me, when I think of Britain, I think of a strong sense of community.” When the conversation moved on to how the current political climate might complicate community relations, Crafts responded that, “as people, we get the politicians we deserve. We get the representation we deserve. If we’re just going to look inward, if we’re not going to have stimulating, challenging debate, if we’re going to shout down people with different views to us, then I think we shouldn’t be surprised that we have an increasingly polarised political climate.” He expressed a genuine belief in politicians caring for the underattended vulnerable demographic of impressionable young offenders. “I’ve worked with a couple of MPs from both of the major parties at the moment [on the 3 Pillars Project] and actually I’ve found a huge number of people that are really good local constituency MPs who care about young people in prison. Whether they’re Conservative or Labour, they care about young people in prison and they don’t want them to be there. That’s the reality of what I ﬁnd.” He rounded this off with a warning to be wary of the sources which you develop your opinions from. “We also have to look at what’s driving our interpretation. The key point behind that is look beyond your social environment.” Crofts made it clear that, at a time when the world seems more divided than ever, we must push against any tendency toward acerbic degradation of those we disagree with. When there is always a side to pick and someone or something to challenge, we must be willing to open our minds to divergent thought. Vitriol will never resolve violence, terror or prejudice. Now, more than ever, unity matters.

FEATURES

Image: Pexels

It's getting hot in here... C

Billy Brooks, discusses the politics of climate change in the age of Trump

LIMATE change is happening, and it is a monumentally serious issue. If you doubt either of these things, you need look no further than the NASA data on our planet’s water levels and changing weather patterns, which are published for your perusal on their website. Despite these realities, a climate change sceptic currently holds the most powerful political ofﬁce on Earth, a fact which could only be scarier if his stubby orange ﬁnger were not hovering over the button, ready and all too willing to beat the only leader more narcissistic and powerhungry than he is to the draw on total nuclear annihilation. You may be tired of reading about the incumbent President of the United States, dear reader, but no contemporary article on climate change would be complete without him, as his inability to accept the overwhelming consensus of climate scientists is currently posing a genuine existential threat to human civilisation. It has the ring of the snotnosed kid from school that thought he knew better than teacher on their own subject. This is the kind of attitude that allows the maintenance of a stalwart faith in the opposite of what the most recent science can show us. That Donald Trump still hasn’t mastered the basics of data based evidence at age 70 says a lot about the way his mind works, though it is at least consistent with his particularly suffocating brand of narcissism. However, even if they will have a dreadful impact on the environment, some of Trump’s policies at least appear to have come from a good place. One thing that he does have right (though

LEADING FROM THE FRONT?

In early 2016, the Australian government sacked around 120 climate scientists

even a stopped clock is right twice a day), is that there are lots of very poor mining communities in the central and Southern states, living in impoverished conditions because of limitations placed on fossil fuels, and they are in dire need of attention from Washington. Having said that, it should be obvious that the long-term solution to the problem is not to remove these limitations. Implementing it as a solution at all represents a failure in cost beneﬁt analysis – and that’s not to mention that cloaking this move in concern for the downtrodden of the USA may just be a ploy to line the pockets of lots of Trump’s super rich buddies and make them seem less cartoonishly evil.

A climate change sceptic currently holds the most powerful ofﬁce on Earth Trump’s cabinet is populated entirely by people who don’t belong there. Did I say entirely? Of course, he’s so bumbling that he’s only ﬁlled 22 of the 554 positions he ought to have done by now. One of these 22 is Scott Pruitt, incumbent administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, who has criticised the body’s ‘activist’ tone in the past and is unconvinced that CO2 contributes to global warming. When there are still people in the governments of world superpowers who don’t understand climate change, one can hardly blame the EPA for adopting something of an activist tone. On the plus side, we probably won’t have to deal with Pruitt for long,

because Trump is keen on making the EPA a thing of the past by the time he’s finally done aiming wrecking balls at the very structure of American democracy itself, and totally altering the matrix of truth while he’s at it. This is all dreadful and we must do what we can to prevent the financial interests of nations and multi-national corporations from ensuring a dystopian future for the rest of us. Unfortunately, these economic juggernauts are precisely the entities involved in the issue at the moment in an area where vast amounts of money are involved and a good environmental conscience is not necessarily a significant factor. Despite whole reams of ballsy promises and ensuing rhetoric on the matter from more national leaders than you can shake a stick at, the countries who should be leading from the front – Canada, China, Australia – are either stagnating in a home-cooked toxic soup of chimney smoke, or taking monumental steps backward for economic gain. Justin Trudeau appears to have backed off on his promise to impose limitations on Canadian mining companies, such as Tahoe Resources, that are responsible for horrible ecological and social damage beyond Canada’s borders, most notably in areas of Latin America. On the other side of the world, Malcolm Turnbull has allowed Adani, an Indian coal-mining corporation, to begin a project in Queensland, which flies in the face of native land ownership titles and is currently under dispute. But 21 billion Australian dollars is pretty tough to say no to, and I wouldn’t be surprised

Australia's four biggest banks invest three times as much in fossil fuels than in clean energy

Despite strong words from Trudeau, the Canadian government is pushing forward with expanding their oil pipelines

if Adani can afford signiﬁcantly better lawyers for this case than the aboriginal residents of the Australian outback.

The countries who should be leading are either stagnating or taking monumental steps backward China, meanwhile, has emerged as a new self-described frontrunner in the ﬁght against climate change but I’ll believe it when I see it. China is only a stone’s throw away from the kind of national propaganda that issues forth from the ofﬁces of the Dear Leader, semantically as well as geographically. Foreign news coverage of China is censored, and what the Chinese public have been force-fed instead is unblushing dishonesty concerning the smog obscuring their cities. China is apparently beginning to table discussions about huge tree-planting initiatives in and around major cities to clean up the atmosphere. However, it’s not long ago that the government were trying to convince the population that necklaces of greenery around city centres were precisely the cause of the stagnant fugs of pollution, and that dense forests were preventing the pollution from moving elsewhere on the wind. That China began its own industrial revolution decades behind Western industrialised nations is no fault of its own, but that until recently they refused to learn from the example of London in regulating its cities’ pollution absolutely is.

In the early ﬁfties, Londoners could hardly see their hands, which is how our great capital earned its nickname, 'The Big Smoke'. Undoubtedly tree-planting initiatives will help, but I can’t help but see it as the ecological equivalent of placing a saucepan under a leaking roof. The long-term solution to the problem must be clean energy and China is currently cutting down on its coal consumption at a commendable rate. Consumption has been in steady decline since 2014, with the energy deﬁcit this necessitates being made up in solar, hydro and wind power. This is a step in the right direction, but the country still currently accounts for half of the world’s coal consumption, which is wildly disproportionate to its population. One thing that no amount of data has yet proven is the extent to which human activity is actually responsible for climate change. There are some not entirely unconvincing arguments to suggest that climate change would be happening whether or not we were burning fossil fuels. Indeed, Al Gore has said that he believes our efforts in environmental protection may be too little too late and that at this point we’re essentially doomed to suffer the consequences of extreme climate change. However, ethically, we absolutely need to behave as if we have a major impact on global ecology, because unfortunately, we have exactly one planet on which to run the experiment. Screw this up, and there are no colonies on Mars to jet off to on an interplanetary Noah’s Ark, and if you remain unconvinced on any of this, then it’s high time you got serious.

In January, China announced spending of 2.5trn yuan ($360bn) in renenwable or low-carbon sources in the coming three years. In 2016, coal consumption in China dropped by 4.7% - the third successive year of decline Images: Wikimedia

08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

FEATURES

Things can only get better...?

Theodore Stone talks about the approaching general election and the future of the main political parties

ELL, here we go again. Again. The Prime Minister has called an election for June 8th, and Parliament responded accordingly, so now we’re stuck with it. This is the fourth major vote by the British electorate since I started university, or even the fifth if you wish to count the combination of the London Mayoralty and Assembly, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections. I haven’t even taken a year abroad, and as somebody who gets a little too invested in politics, I am happy to confirm that this election is sadism at its finest. I'm not particularly excited about this vote, and it’s not just because all the party leaders are terrible. But it’s a little bit depressing when the 2015 line-up of Miliband, Cameron and Clegg becomes the dream-team, but here we are. I’ll level with you, I care little for Theresa May as a politician. Her time as Home Secretary was marked by never-met targets and bizarre anti-immigrant campaigns and strategies, whilst her sudden and decisive turn from Pro-Europe to the advocate of the Hardest of Hard Brexits is something that would usually earn automatic disdain, as well as her decision to ignore the pleas of the 48.1% and settle on falling out of the Union as quickly as possible.

This is the fourth major vote by the British electorate since I started university May’s popularity is largely down to her courting of the combined Conservative and UKIP votes. By simply obtaining a signiﬁcant chunk of the UKIP vote, she has been able to jump to over 40% in the polls and is thus in the clear victory threshold. She isn’t any of the other candidates either. To many, she’s a strong pair of hands who will guide the country through this process. Hence, people are sticking to her. The opposition, offers nothing better, so they might as stick with the current state of affairs.

As for Labour, the best way to describe their predicament is by observing that parties have experienced slower and more painful campaigns. Jeremy Corbyn sits as well with the electorate as Morrissey’s autobiography does with Penguin Modern Classics, and if the polls are anything to go by (which they are if you bother to look at them properly), then Corbyn is the least popular Leader of the Labour Party ever, and has yet to cause people to consider otherwise. The Party will thus fight a local battle for survival, and try to do what they can to hang on and fight the Conservatives where possible. Then there’s the Liberal Democrats. After years of solid leadership from a number of legendary politicians, including Paddy Ashdown and Charles Kennedy, they’ve wound up with Tim Farron at the helm. Although they are arguably the most well-run of the parties in terms of press campaigns and message, Tim Farron’s personal views, as well as his lack of charisma or warmth, have already led to the Party faltering in the realms of public support. With a more capable figurehead, and one willing to branch out to more than just the 48%; many of whom will stick with their old parties for a variety reasons rather than flocking to the centre, they could make deeper gains in areas such as London and the South-West. At the moment however, they could be held back from making the gains many hope for, and thus further aid May’s quest for a mandate. UKIP and the Green Party are also contesting seats in this election, but with UKIP almost literally on fire at this stage and the Greens failing to offer a succinct and persuading message to those outside of their current grouping, it’s unlikely that either party will deeply impact upon the results of June 9th although both could prove decisive in marginal constituencies. But even if this is a terrible election, that infamous question niggles away at the back of your mind. Why did she call it now? Why not earlier? Why catch so many off guard? The answer comes from the economy. The recession that was predicted by the Treasury and other forecasters following the Referendum never came. But this doesn’t immediately put the government in the clear. In the first quarter of 2017, the UK’s GDP grew by just 0.3 per cent. Individually, however, growth can’t be found. GDP per capita has risen by 0.1 per cent to a total of 1.7 per cent

over pre-crisis levels. Higher inflation and the most stagnant growth of wages since the 19th century have led to our source of growth floundering. Last year, 100 per cent of our per capita growth came from consumption, and was the driving force behind the oddly unexpected economic events of the post-Brexit vote. The current recovery is, in short, the worst living standards recovery on record, especially when compared to the 16.3 per cent rise after the early 90s recession and the 24.5 per cent that followed the 80s recession. With a renewed squeeze on living standards almost inevitable, it becomes increasingly likely that a 2020 General Election would have been suicide for May. If she is to be believed that the United Kingdom will potentially leave the European Union without a deal, or access to the single market, then the shock from said exit could easily lead to a recession in 2019, and, through that, extra cuts in the budget. Had she fought in 2020, she would be fighting it, like Brown, amongst an electorate ready to embrace the idea that change will lead to their dreams of a swift recovery. Furthermore, the possibility of Corbyn being replaced by this point with a more skilled leader, combined with a public more susceptible to the Liberal Democrats' charms, and her future suddenly begins to look a lot bleaker. 2022 also provides an ideal time-frame for recession repairs, since to head to the polls beforehand would risk too much at the hands of financially nervous voters. Furthermore, May has been incapable since her election to divorce herself from David Cameron’s manifesto. For all her talk of the return of grammar schools and such ilk, she has been unable to define what she wants out of her party, and has been economically hampered by Osborne’s “tax lock”, which forced them to abandon the rise in National Insurance, and ensure that the triple lock on state pensions will continue, ironically leading to this becoming an election where pensioners would receive more money under Labour.

An increased majority also allows her to not only dispel the need for an extended manifesto (the short length of time and high polling suggests that one is not required) and thus make the pledges up as she goes along, but would also lead to her being able to crush the resistance in her own party through waves upon waves of lackey newcomers. May currently rules over the smallest majority since 1974, and rebellion from just 17 MPs is enough to offset the balance of power. As such, a rapid increase in seats would be more than enough to see off any revolts.

May has been incapable since her election to divorce herself from David Cameron's manifesto And yet, I wouldn’t hedge my bets on the number of seats they’ll acquire, not because I don’t expect them to win a comfortable majority, but because it’s still hard to predict where they could come through the middle, a factor that could swing a number of seats one way or the other, including Exeter. A surge in support for the Liberal Democrats here would be enough to end Labour’s success, and potentially turn every South-West seat beyond Bristol a deep shade of blue. The same goes for Labour in seats such as Twickenham, wherein the split between the aforementioned and Vince Cable could see the Tories hang on. Regardless, a Conservative win will see Theresa May stay on as Prime Minister, whilst success for the Liberal Democrats will likely see Farron do the same, although the possibility of the party making next to no gains, which is likely because of the UK’s voting distribution, could see him replaced by Norman Lamb within the hour. If Labour is savaged as viciously as the polls suggest, then I can see one of three things happening. Firstly, Corbyn could step down as Leader, leading to a candidate being voted in by acclamation. This is currently likely to be either Yvette Cooper, Lisa Nandy or Keir Starmer since nobody on the hardleft possesses enough

allies to break through the 15 per cent nominations barrier needed to run, whilst the rest will either be gone, lacking in proﬁle or willing to stand aside for a spot in the Shadow Cabinet. However, Corbyn might instead be inclined to remain Leader regardless, and either steps down in the event of the McDonnell Amendment which would reduce the number of MPs needed to nominate a candidate to 5 per cent, and thus dramatically increase the chance of a Corbynesque successor, such as Rebecca Long-Bailey, of winning. In the event of this, or, thirdly, if he stayed on after the amendment failed, then the party is likely to implode. In this election, many Labour MPs will run on a self-based platform and seek a personal mandate from their constituents. Because of this, they’d be able to argue that any split they join is legitimised by them winning in spite of, not because of, the Party. This split would likely lead to the more centrist MPs - think Liz Kendall, Margaret Hodge, Stella Creasy, Dan Jarvis, etc. - forming their own collective in Parliament, and potentially replacing Corbyn’s remaining faction as the Opposition. In this event, be prepared to expect a lively ounce of courtroom drama as the two clash over who gets to call themselves ‘Labour’. In other words, if you dislike the Conservatives, you’re going to have to swallow your pride in this election and vote tactically, for somebody a little to the right or left of your own political views who probably isn’t so bad as somebody very much to the right of you. As for those of you who are of a more right-wing disposition, I’m pretty sure that you’ve already made up your mind. As for me, I’ll be packing for The Netherlands. At least I might be able to spend my year there not having to worry about yet another national vote. Personally, I’d have preferred Ed Miliband’s brand of chaos than the agonising smorgasbord that we’ve been delivered so far. At least there’d be some great memes available.

lifestyle

ARTS + LIT

E X H I B IT MUSIC

STUDY BREAK

screen

Photo: Pexels

REVIEW: guardians of the galaxy

Photo: Marvel

Lifestyle’s Exam season boot camp Photo: Wood Awards

INTERVIEW WITH RISING STAR TOM GRENNAN Photo: Pexels

Is BIBLIOTHERAPY A SOLUTION TO EXAM STRESS?

14 - 15

18 - 19

22 - 23

24 - 25

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Barbara Balogun Lauren Geall

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Mubanga Mweemba Maddie Davies

MUSIC EDITORS Alex Brammer Maddy Parker

SCREEN EDITORS Ben Faulkner Fenton Christmas

STUDY BREAK Puzzles by Alfred 08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

lifestyle Take a breather

Rebecca Broad, Emily Collie and Olivia Haworth, offer their exam season advice...

O matter how much time you have, take your pick from F you’re looking for a new avocado, spinach, Gwyneth Palthese scientifically-backed methods to help you detrow-inspired 'this will take your exam for you' breakfast stress: smoothie… look away now! This is practical exam food ad30 seconds: Sit up straight. Breathe in through your nose, aimvice. If you want real life, proper exam snacks that you can eat in ing to send the air right down into your belly, and hold it for a the library then take note of the categories below: couple of seconds. Breathe out, and repeat twice more. ChancNobody likes a loud eater, that means crunchy crisps are es are, your heart rate has already slowed. Good job! not your friend. Keep it quiet. Stay away from Kettle Chips and 6 minutes: A Sussex University study found that readDoritos, but Mini Cheddars and Popcorn are a safe bet. ing aloud for 6 minutes reduces stress levels by It can’t be something with residue – if you’ve two-thirds – it can ease muscle tension! ever had Wotsits, you’ll know what I mean. 15 minutes: Mindfulness reduces anxiety by Don’t ruin your handwritten notes before letting intrusive thoughts drift by and conthey’re even finished. centrating on a repetitive sound or moveChoose something you actually like: ment. Try doodling, humming a favourite exam season is not the time to limit yourtune, cross stitching or check out mindfulself. Buy the Kinder Bueno and be done nessgames.com. with it. Exams are far more bearable with35 minutes: Use tomato-timer.com to work out self-denial on top of minimal Easter reviin 25-minute bursts, followed by 10-minute sion. breaks away from screens and notes. Keep it cheap: no matter what you tell your1 hour: Meet up with that friend who always has self, it’s not the last time. You will be hungry later. @ikilledmubanga a hilarious story to tell, or YouTube your favourite coBe honest with yourself and don’t spend your whole median – laughing lowers the stress hormone cortisol. student loan in the Forum in one go. PSA: Prêt does £1 2 hours: Stressed people entering a room of plants experienced Filter Coffee and Haribo Packets are 79p in Market Place. double the drop in blood pressure that a control group did, in Try to keep it low-cal: as above, you will be going back for more. a Washington State study. Reap the stress-busting benefits of If this is an issue for you I would recommend chocolate covered exercise too, by walking to a shop to buy a houseplant, or go rice cakes. budget and pick some daisies to put on your windowsill. Hummus: enough said.

Rebecca Broad

Emily Collie

Insta-lovin'

URING the revision period, time is precious, but studies repeatedly show that exercise improves brain function: getting moving might just be the ticket to better exam

results! There are numerous ways to work during your workout, like listening to podcasts or recordings, but I prefer to treat my workout as a time-out; focusing purely on the task in hand. HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) consists of completing short, timed bursts of exercise, followed by rest, for a set number of times. HIIT forms the foundation of Joe Wicks’ 'Lean in 15' workouts and gym classes such as Metafit and Insanity, and requires no equipment. Time yourself: 30s on, 30s off for 10-20 times (there’s an app for that - look up “interval timer”), and choose exercises which get your heart pumping: sprinting on the spot, mountain climbers and squat jumps, for example.

TIME IS PRECIOUS, BUT STUDIES REPEATEDLY SHOW THAT EXERCISE IMPROVES BRAIN FUNCTION Whether using bodyweight or a machine, HIIT fires up your metabolism, so the positive effects on your physique continue to take place long after you’ve finished your workout. You don’t have to choose between good grades and feeling your best!

Recipe for success Exeposé Lifestyle offer up the perfect method for this exam season

e all know how confusing exam season can be, so if you want to succeed, make sure to give this recipe

a try.

Preparation Time:

@mattjjeffs

feast

@lauren

gilroy @mollyy

@k_andrws

Olivia Haworth

As much as you can get! Ingredients: •Three cups of positivity and confidence • A bucket full of revision cards and post its • One cup memorisation and repetition • Two cups of sleep • One tablespoon of exercise • A pinch of stress Directions: •In a large mixing bowl, cream together the positive attitude and confidence until completely combined. • Slowly add repeated lecture recordings and piles of notes. • Beat the stress in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Make sure it is combined well. •Slowly add the exercise (please note, this may

be hard to blend at first. • Line the tray with a good night's sleep. • Bake in the oven using the pressure of dwindling time, leave until golden brown. • Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Increase cooling time with meditation and mindfulness. • Breathe, breathe, breathe! You're well on your way to the perfect exam season (if such a thing exists!).

EXHIBIT

EDITORS: Barbara Balogun & Lauren Geall

LIFESTYLE

08 MAY 2017 |

First-class organisation

Barbara Balogun, Lifestyle Editor, reveals the key to being organised

O you often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work you have to do and find yourself missing deadlines? Or do you sometimes just forget to do something important? Then this article is for you! We all have those days when there are a million things to do, and we don't know how we will complete it all. It's easy to become overwhelmed by the tasks that we should do from day to day. Sometimes we have so many balls in the air, that we may even lose track of some loose ends and forget to do important things. When this happens, the four key words you need to remember are organisation, improved memory, productivity and motivation.

Organisation One of the most important reasons for keeping a to-do list is for organisation. Organising your errands with a physical rundown can make everything much more manageable and make you feel grounded. Seeing a clear framework of your finished and uncompleted tasks will help you feel organised and stay focused. As you check things off your to-do list, you'll feel a sense of progress and accomplishment that can be missed when rushing from one

activity to the next. The affirmation that you are making progress will help motivate you to keep moving forward rather than feeling overwhelmed.

NOBODY IS CAPABLE OF REMEMBERING EVERYTHING AT ALL TIMES Improved Memory Nobody is capable of remembering everything at all times. To-do lists are a useful external memory aid that gives you permission to forget. Without some kind of outer memory help, we are guaranteed to forget things due to the nature of our short-term memories Scientists have shown that the average person's short-term memory can only hold 7 pieces of information for about 30 seconds. If you have more than 7 tasks that you need to remember, you are already set up for failure.

Productivity By keeping such a list, you make sure that your

tasks are written down all in one place so you don't forget anything important. And by prioritising tasks, you plan the order in which you'll do them so that you can tell what needs your immediate attention, and what you can leave until later.

•APPS - There are so many different applications available on both laptops and phones these days, that there will be something for everyone. Have a look around online to find the way which works for you.

Motivation

•TIMETABLES – These can be nice to plan

Motivational speakers will tell you that to-do lists are a useful motivational tool when used as a way to clarify goals, as having a reminder of your tasks in front of you can make achievement seem manageable and realistic.

your month, week or even. For example, I have a diary where in March I planned my whole month of April, dividing how many days I will work on each course.

•POST ITS – Post it notes are great to stick everywhere and help you remember important bits of info or tasks you need to achieve but be careful not to lose them.

Key Points: •TO-DO LISTS – You have read a lot about them in this article, but to do lists are great to classify and prioritise your work. Plus, every time you cross something out, you’ll feel like you've achieved something. It is sometimes important to pause and realise what you’ve accomplished.

@rocknfro

Exam survival

So, start making your todo lists today. You'll soon be less stressed, more organised and find yourself with more time in the day than you ever realised you

had!

Three Lifestyle writers reveal their revision tips to make your life easier

ON'T you just love it when people ask 'how's revision going?'. I daydream in the library about moments like these where I can tell people about my coloured flash cards and how many facts I've memorised... wait sorry no. I hate being asked about revision, it's the elephant in the room and the monster under my bed and I can NEVER ESCAPE. Revision is kind of like a tornado and I must admit that I really enjoy my nice cosy protective bubble of procrastination and avoidance issues. The thing that I hate most about revision is the passivity. Revision is such an empty activity, just endlessly going through notes, highlighting, memorising, and then you show up to the exam and hope to the gods you remember it all. At least with essays and question sheets you have short term goals, so I can compartmentalise what needs to be done, but exams are a seemingly never ending slog. And although I admittedly have a good memory, it takes hours of writing and rewriting the same thing over and over again. Great. Without a doubt, I always go into exams feeling like I'm going to fail, and who knows maybe this term will be the one. Working hard or hardly working? My brother will cheerfully joke, and the answer, as I look at a fourth (45th) Tasty Buzzfeed video on my phone, is always 'hardly working'.

Heledd Wilshaw

VERY exam season, we make the staunch resolution to start preparing earlier, to actually make a revision timetable but somehow… We don’t. Or at least, I don’t. Surely there’s some things we can do to get our act together? Please? Anyone? I’ve got some friends who swear by working in groups, but that’s not for me. If there’s another person around, I can guarantee that my time will be spent chatting and laughing rather than actually working. And then you’ve got the added guilt of having distracted someone else too. Everybody is different, and a revision technique which works for others may not work for you. Don’t let it get you down, but try different things. Maybe it is the multi-coloured revision planner. Maybe it’s flash cards. Whatever. Different strokes for different folks, after all. And lastly, don't beat yourself up if it doesn't go to plan! This is definitely something I’m guilty of. It’s rare that we stick 100% to our revision plan, and you know what? That’s okay! You’re allowed to take time off, and it’s important to pace yourself and take a breather, rather than running yourself into the ground in a panic.

Bea Fones

EVISION struggles? We have all experienced that familiar stress and anxiety that lingers as we await our exam date(s).

IT IS OKAY TO DIVE INTO THOSE MUCH NEEDED CARBOHYDRATES Treat yourself. This phrase is promoted endlessly in the media, but it is something to live by when you are in the depths of exam revision. Whether that be a new ASOS purchase or a scrumptious sticky toffee pudding. Forget stressing about your bank funds becoming exhausted and embrace it, because peoples’ appetite during exam period expands rapidly. Ever sense those constant hunger pains despite having just consumed your lunch? Eating a huge tub of ice cream cannot be a sin if its purpose is to aid you in sustaining that motivation and energy to study. On days where turning to food seems the only effective mechanism, I justify my actions by reassuring myself that body may be expending the energy I consume at faster rates due to heightened concentration and stress levels. So it is okay to dive into those much needed carbohydrates; at whatever hour.

Harriet Iles

arts + lit A book a day...

Arts + Lit writers explore books as a form of therapy

ANNY the Champion of the Word, by Roald Dahl, is the first book that always springs to my mind whenever anyone mentions stress, or indeed just books. It was my favourite book when I was younger, and I have yet to find one to replace it. Some have come close, but it goes beyond just being a fantastic book. It’s got tension, the hairs still go up on my arm when they’re in the forest poaching pheasants (it is a great plot), I can hear their whispers because I am still holding my breath. Roald Dahl captures what it is like to understand things about your parents at the age of being told things you may not want to know yet. It also has the greatest description of a pie in the history of literature, which makes my mouth water just thinking about it. But these reasons aside I know why I return to it time and time again: it is an escape, a get-out card. The old copy is familiar in my hands, whereas the stress in my head is a new form I’m not sure of. I can anticipate the moments, I know when

RE you weary in brain and body? Do you desire a positive cure for your pessimism? May we administer Austen to curb your arrogance? Hemmingway for your headache? Ease your pain with Woolf or Wodehouse? May we prescribe a literary tonic?’

HAVING TOO MUCH SEX? CONSIDER BUKOWSKI’S ‘WOMEN If you’re going to invest in one book this week, this month, or even this year, make it Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin’s The Novel Cure. Stuffed full with literary medicines for any and all ailments, this book will provide you with the tools to conquer the world or, more likely, renew your love of reading. The literary world is dark, and full of texts, how are you supposed to know where to start? It’s easy to feel bogged down under the weight of all those books you haven’t yet read. BUT DON’T DESPAIR! Bibliotherapists Berthoud and

those hairs will go up, or when that pie will be eaten, where as the present can sometimes be filled with the unexpected. I used to force my dad - who hates reading aloud - to sit and read it to me, which adds to the safety of the book, and some of the descriptions remind me solely of him.

IT IS AN ESCAPE, A GET-OUT CARD This book is my little remembrance of home as much as a distraction for my imagination. This won’t be the book that does this for everyone, nor am I saying that escaping to your childhood is a long-term help, but I’m sure everyone has that favourite book from when they were younger and maybe it is good sometimes to return to it, give yourself a break from your stress vortex and see how far you have come.

Sally Wood

Elderkin give you some well needed direction. Anything you’re feeling, they’ve got a literary cure for. Stuck in a rut? You need The Towers of Trebizond by Rose Macauley. Broken heart? Take a look at Niall Williams’ As it is in Heaven or Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Having too much sex? Breathe and consider Bukowski’s Women. Too little? Maybe sneak a peek at The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell. And these are only a few examples. Not only does it gift the cure for every conceivable ailment, it provides handy lists for when you’re feeling a certain way: take a look at the shortlists for the ten best break-up novels, escapist novels, novellas or post-nightmare novels. Novels for twenty-somethings, thirtysomethings, seventy-somethings; for plane journeys, gap yahs, to make you weep, to make you laugh, to cure wanderlust, to lower your blood pressure. I promise you, you’ll find your relief within the pages of this book, no matter what you are feeling. Now go and buy it for all of your friends and thank me later.

Emily Anderson-Wallace

AT, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is a book which I had wanted to read for years, but didn’t quite get around to until I found it propped on a bookshelf in a hostel in Bangkok. This was a couple of months after I’d dropped out of my Law course at Exeter and taken off to volunteer and travel before coming back to study something new the next year. I wasn’t sure where my life was going, and I was prone to bouts of depression, anxiety, and my eating disorder of a year prior was starting to rear its ugly head once more. I au paired in Germany, volunteered at a women and children’s shelter in India, and now I was backpacking my way around Thailand and Cambodia solo. I was running from my own demons of uncertainty and depression, and my trip to Asia seemed to echo Liz Gilbert’s pretty accurately. Reading her memoir, I was struck by the tales of people she met along the way, who ended up helping her more than she could

S a socially anxious, newly inaugurated first year student I was burdened with the endless list of existential questions, the loudest being “what on earth am I doing?” The voice ebbs and flows, but was prominent particularly in the transition from secondary school to university, from child to adult, I felt this weight upon me to be happy and successful — happily successful, successfully happy? I don’t know. It was a hazy period of my life and it was difficult, despite me trying to convince myself otherwise. Reading week arrived after six weeks of barely holding on and I went back up across the border into Scotland. I had free time, I fell back into the place where I was known and understood and loved. I bought Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive. It was a book that arrived to me at the exact right time, a lifeline in the current ocean of doubts I was barely swimming within. Going home was hard because I knew coming back was going to be difficult (insert sobbing to your mother whilst you’re at your friends flat in Edinburgh at 1AM, as the realisation of going back dawned

have imagined. It made me appreciate the little things more; the book didn’t make me take the journey I’d always wished I could, it opened my eyes to appreciating the one I was already midway through. I’ve never been a spiritual person; there were no prayers or transcendental breakthroughs in my own journey. There was a heck of a lot of crying though, in a city where I felt completely alone, wondering how I was going to keep going.

I WAS RUNNING FROM MY OWN DEMONS OF UNCERTAINTY Stories like this one made me realise that a lot of my problems could be slightly alleviated by allowing myself to be happy, and just spending time with myself and a good book.

Bea Fones

upon you.) Dawned is a tame phrase, more like it crashed upon you like waves on a boat at sea. I’ve always been comfortable being on my own but the first time in my life I felt truly lonely. I felt like I was doing everything wrong. The expectation of life had seemingly betrayed me. Then I got angry. Then sad; depressed and unfeeling and disconnected from what made me feel alive. Then afraid as soon I got out of the low points because what if it happened again? Then the book.

THIS IS EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO HEAR The book didn’t save my life but it certainly encouraged me to find the help I needed. It was also a comfort, a long awaited comfort from a voice that was honest in ways I hadn’t been for a long while. When I reviewed the book all I could say to summarise it was, “This is everything I want to say. Everything I needed to hear.” I think the statement still stands.

Mubanga Mweemba, Arts + Lit Editor

EXHIBIT

ARTS + LIT

EDITORS: Mubanga Mweemba and Maddie Davies

08 MAY 2017 |

Outward bound: the Barcelona edition Mubanga Mweemba, Arts + Lit Editor and Emily Garbutt, Online Arts + Lit Editor review their Easter culture fixes

Photo, ‘Airbone’. Dennis Adams

UPRISINGS (INSURRECCIONES) AAbAbAa A Curator: Georges Didi-Huberman Where: MNAC, Barcelona Open: 02 May - 21 May

URING the German occupation of France in the forties, Spanish painter Pablo Picasso was shown a picture of his mural Guernica by a Gestapo officer. The officer asked, “did you do this?” and Picasso replied, “No, you did this.” The painting Guernica and the response from Picasso embody some of the fundamental ideas in the Uprisings (Insurrecciones) exhibit being held at the Museu de Nacional Art Catalunya (MNAC). The mural hosted in Madrid, depicting the tragedy of Francoists bombing the town of Guernica during the Spanish Civil War, represents a singular moment in time. But simultaneously it illustrates perennial acts of horror that occur throughout history. The painting criticises Franco just as much as it criticises Hitler, just as much as it could criticise countless villains in multiple international contexts, past and present. Uprisings was first hosted by the Jeu de Paume in Paris, a city equally familiar with revolution and rebellion as its current host city, Barcelona. Philosopher and art-historian Georges Didi-Huberman who curated the exhibit tells the classical tale of revolt, removing it from time as easily as the exhibit itself can be transplanting from era to border. Didi-Hubermans sees art and philosophy, politics and poetry as allies. That leaders, journalists, artists, photographers have common purpose, all of them attached to a centre of collective emotion.

DIDI-HUBERMANS SEES ART AND PHILOSOPHY, POLITICS AND POETRY, AS ALLIES The exhibit is comprised of five main sections: elements (unleashed), gestures (intense), words (exclaimed), conflicts (flared up) and desires (undestructibles). These sec-

Photo, ‘Panoramic Sea Happening’. Eustachy Kossakowski tions, added together provide an answer to the question that Didi-Huberman first poses: “What makes us rise up?” And so the story is told; reincarnation of terrors parallel to the manifestation of hope, resistance and courage. The civil and the uncivil disobediences of ordinary people doing extraordinary actions in the hope that a better future is possible. The exhibit is a call to arms, a beacon of promise that flashes the message, “we got through this, and we will get through this again”. It reaffirms what we are prone to forget: that history is a cycle that repeats itself and we have not learnt from the parables history has created out of our ancestors. But as long as there are injustices to fight there will be those unafraid to fight them.

THE EXHIBIT IS A CALL TO ARMS, A BEACON OF PROMISE Uprisings includes interdisciplinary works that occupy themes of raising the world up and rising against it. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films and documents; works from Catalan artists like Joan Miró and Francisco de Goya but also Nietzsche, Victor Hugo, Walter Benjamin and anonymous figures who are as much a part of history as any other. The images detailing the efforts of children, students and mothers; images captured from Japan to Chile to Russia to America; images interchangeable, set apart by the individuality of the artist and the subject. It would be easy to see these images as proof of humanity being powerless to escape its inherent inhumanity, but the exhibit displays glimmers of light within the darkness. Uprisings emphasises uplifting the burden known as submission, created by our cowardice, our cynicism or our despair. In times like these such sentiments are in abundance. But Didi-Huberman leaves us with a message to inspire hopefulness: “In any case, whenever a wall is erected, there will always be ‘people arisen’ to ‘jump the wall,’ that is, to cross over borders. If only by imaging. As though inventing images contributed-- a little here, powerfully there-- to reinventing our political hopes”

Mubanga Mweemba

Photo: Mubanga Mweemba

FENOMEN FOTOLIBRE AAbAAbbAa Curator: Irene Mendoza, M. Neumüller Where: CCCB, Barcelona Open: 02 May- 27 August

F photobooks are a current phenomenon, it wasn’t something I was aware of until I visited the Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona. Their current exhibition, Fenomen Fotolibre, is a collection of over 500 photobooks from the 19th century up to the present day.

THE DIGITAL AGE HAS ONLY PUSHED US BACK TOWARDS TANGIBLE OBJECTS Some of these are propaganda books and protest books of the 1960s and 70s, representations of state and counter-state laid out side by side. “Protest books have an immediacy, […] the desire to demonstrate the scale and energy of the protest,” reads the curator’s commentary. Does this make the protest book redundant in the internet age? In an era of online immediacy where pictures of political demonstrations can be on our news feeds in a matter of seconds, does anyone have the patience for print publications? The answer appears to be “yes”, as the popularity of photobooks has surged in recent years. The digital age has only pushed us back towards tangible objects. Another part of the exhibit that perfectly showcases this hybridity between new and old is Doug Richards A New American Picture, which is a collection of images from Google Street View. This is the first book of its kind where the photos are screenshots of a computer monitor. Just as the internet could be making some elements of the photobook obsolete, the photobook is adapting to use the web for its own development. Print and digital co-exist throughout the exhibition. Many of the photobooks are presented in electronic form alongside their physical counterparts, so that visitors can flick through the pages using touch screen technology without

Photo:Mubanga Mweemba damaging the original copy. The descriptions are in Catalan, Spanish, and English, so useless British tourists such as myself don’t miss out. Interestingly, aside from a small section on photojournalism in the Spanish Civil War, the artists displayed are mostly British, American, and Japanese, despite the exhibition’s location. Photobooks dealing with social issues are evident in abundance throughout the collection, one of which is Jim Goldberg’s Open See, which focuses on refugees. He gets his subjects to write on his pictures, as well as combining his photography with found imagery, meaning the people he photographs get a say in the making of the project. Photography, and particularly white photography of people of colour, can often be voyeuristic. Goldberg’s attempt to combat this adds another dimension to his work. Gentrification is also emanates through Stephen Gill’s Hackney Wick. The photos in the book were all shot with a plastic lens camera that cost a grand total of 50p, purchased from the market in Hackney that he then went on to photograph. This market is now defunct, part of the “sanitisation” of this area of East London to prepare for the Olympics in 2012. The book serves as a kind of pre-emptive obituary for the diverse range of lives that were about to be altered irrevocably by the transformation of their part of the city, but also retains visions full of life and character that allows for mourning without being reduced to morbidity.

A REASON FOR THE PHOTOBOOK PHENOMENON IS THIS DESIRE TO MEMORIALISE Perhaps a reason for the photobook phenomenon is this desire to memorialise, whether that’s an event or a person or simply a moment in time. The majority of these books are independently or self-published, so maybe that’s a part of it too; the desire to carve out your own space for your voice and your art. As always, and particularly in politically turbulent times, the presence of independent photojournalism is much needed. But, so too is the presence of art, and Fenomen Fotolibre gives you both.

Emily Garbutt

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music

Chasing status

Ahead of Reading Festival, Maddy Parker, Music Editor, catches up with singer-songwriter Tom Grennan

AST week I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with Tom Grennan, a Bedfordborn singer songwriter who was thrust into the spotlight after featuring on the Chase and Status song ‘All Goes Wrong’. Despite being a little tired from a photoshoot earlier that day and a gig he’d played the night before, he was instantly friendly and charming, asking if he could call me Mads and telling me that getting to talk to me had brightened up his day. Aware of his busy schedule, I jumped in with my questions.

had the backbone of the song already written, though it wasn’t called that at the time. So I brought it to them, and after messing around with it we created something that became ‘All Goes Wrong’. It was mad, I was a fan – I still am – and I thought I’d be a bit nervous but it was fine.

You went on tour with Chase & Status last year - what’s it like performing with them? It was great, though it was hard to get my head around it at first. Drum and bass is really fast and I’d never done anything like that before. I got thrown in at the deep end, big time. But if you get thrown in at the deep end you’ve got to swim, or you’ll drown. So I swam, put a backstroke in and got out the other side.

How did you end up collaborating with Chase & Status? I’d just signed a publishing deal, and my publisher showed them one of my songs and they just said, “we want to work with him”. I

Do you have a best live moment from the tour? My best live moment is probably doing Wireless, my first ever gig with them. It was my first big gig in front of a huge crowd and no one knew me – no one really knows about me

now but no one knew who the hell I was then.

After being the supporting artist, how does it feel to be playing solo at big festivals like Reading and Leeds? Amazing. I never thought this would happen. I went to Reading in 2013, when Eminem played, and he’s playing this year as well, and Chase & Status actually supported them. I just remember saying, “I would love to do that.” It’s mad even seeing my name on the poster.

Chase & Status’ style is very different to your solo music. Do you prefer to stick to blues, like your EP Release the Brakes, or would you be interested in branching out into other genres? Right now I’m doing what I do, do you know what I mean? But one day, maybe, I’ll become like Calvin Harris or someone like that… I definitely won’t be that but right now I’m sticking to what I’m comfortable with and what I think I know, which suits me, and people seem to be liking it.

Who would you say are your musical influences? Blues and jazz are my biggest influences, for example Amy Winehouse and the way that Little Richie performs. I take a bit of influence from Elvis, but then also grime artists… To be honest, I just try and do me.

I read that you haven’t always had musical ambitions, that one day you just discovered you could sing, is that right? Yeah, the truth is I just got drunk and it happened. I just started singing at this party and my friends asked me if I would join

Remember This?

their band. At the time I was like, “no way”, but I did it, and I loved it. And after practising for a while I kind of found my own voice.

Did just

song as

writing come naturally as

to you singing?

Yeah, I’ve always just written about what I felt. I never thought people would hear it, I just did it for me. When I decided I wanted to do music, I just thought, “I don’t want to sing other people’s music, because, like, fuck that.” I’d rather just sing about what I’m singing about, not about what someone else is singing about. Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, Ray Charles, they sang about what they felt like.

What write

was your favourite song to on Release the Brakes EP?

‘Praying’ was sick to write. I really love all of them but I definitely enjoyed writing ‘This is the Age’, which is about my dad. I wrote ‘Giving It All’ with my friend, which was sick, doing it together, and we were really happy with it. I like all of them, they’re all different. The final question I asked him, about what we can expect from him in the future – the answer being a summer of festivals and a tour in the Autumn – got side-tracked as, while trying to find my nearest gig, he began asking me questions about my hometown. This tangent ended up taking up the last few minutes of our allotted time, and while I didn’t get to ask more about him I feel that this really demonstrated how down to earth and easy-going he is. Our conversation ended with me promising to go see him perform this summer and and his farewell: “big up, Mads, see you in a bit.” Tom Grennan’s EP Release the Brakes is out now.

Issy Marcantonio reflects on an album she considers criminally underrated: Hole’s Live Through This

OU know how diamonds are formed from highly pressurised carbon? Well, consider Hole’s 1994 album Live Through This, the diamond of the Seattle grunge scene amongst the larger but not necessarily better forces of carbon like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and even Nirvana. Live Through This is feral, it’s fierce and it’s far too often forgotten, given

that it was released only days after the suicide of lead singer Courtney Love’s husband, Kurt Cobain. But Courtney created a caterwaul that demands to be heard. This is a record that explores open wounds, vulnerability and the ache of the human condition in particular, an ache felt by female identifying humans. ‘Doll Parts’ is the record’s emotional core as

‘Love Whisper’ turns to wailing as she sings “Someday you will ache, like I ache” connecting people through her own scar tissue. But the record is a battle cry with tracks like ‘Violet’ and ‘I Think That I Would Die’ which are so full of rage and yet expressed in such a feminine way that some people may neglect to recognise the threat within them. Ultimately, Love speaks to more than just her generation in her call to Live Through This she speaks to all of us, and that’s something that is far too often now eclipsed amongst the portrayed masculine history of grunge. Live Through This was released on April 12th 1994 by DGC Records.

EXHIBIT

MUSIC

EDITORS: Alex Brammer and Maddy Parker

08 MAY 2017

Return to an old ﬂame

Graham Moore, Copy Editor, charts the growth of Little Dragon LITTLE DRAGON Season High 14 April

AAAB

ITTLE Dragon – hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden – are certainly a well-established name. Now on their fifth studio album, and featuring collaborations with the likes of Gorillaz and Flume in their back-catalogue, Dragon have been quietly working near the top of their game for some time now. Given their impressive resumé, and the fact that we live in an age where electronic genres are apparently solely reliant upon throwing nouns at a wall to see what sticks, you would be forgiven for expecting Season High to be an album in the more experimental style. This is not the case. Season High is not cutting edge, nor is it avant-garde, or

any other synonym to that effect that could be thrown up by a reviewer’s perusal of a thesaurus. Instead of breaking new ground, Little Dragon have opted – quite refreshingly, actually – to simply revisit some old ground, and build a very tasteful metaphorical house on it. Season High is, at its heart, a trip-hop album. This 1990s/early 2000s vibe is unmissable throughout, as if the nostalgia setting on the synths got stuck on eleven. By the minute mark of opening track ‘ C e l e b r a t e’, feet are guaranteed to be tapping along, and this won’t let up for the duration. But then,

to simply leave my description at “trip-hop” and be done would be to do Little Dragon a serious injustice. Although never fully departing from that core focus, Dragon aren’t afraid to bounce around a selection of influences and sounds. ‘High’ is suitably trance-inflected, with airy vocals and spacey instrumentals. Further on, melodic breaks in ‘Should I’ ring out in atmospheric, psytrance-esque layers. ‘Sweet’, meanwhile, hints at everything chip-tune could be but so often isn’t – the type of track I can imagine coming on at around 3am in an 8-bit rave.

AS AN ALBUM UNIT IT IS UNARGUABLY AN ACHIEVEMENT Little Dragon’s talent shines through in Season High, but not ostentatiously. Vocal work is strong throughout (particularly on ‘The Pop Life’), but never overstated; layering is carefully curated, and nowhere in the album

does the mix risk becoming “noise”. It may not be amongst the most ambitious electronic albums coming out at the moment but it shines through by being so very well put together. For an album as a whole, cohesive and strong production is just as valuable as the merits of the individual tracks, and whilst Season High is not stocked to the rafters with outstanding standalone tracks, as an album unit it is inarguably an achievement. A fulfilling listen from start to finish, Season High may not be setting any new trends, but it certainly succeeds in bringing together a refined palette of influences into a definitive and expertly constructed sound. While not an eye-opener, Season High is certainly an ear-pleaser.

SEASON HIGH IS OUT NOW

A ray of light

Alex Brammer, Music Editor, examines CharlstonRay’s debut EP CHARLSTONRAY NMNSLND EP 21 April

AAAAB

T’S always been my policy to lean my heaviest compliments regarding the Exeter music scene on electronica wunderkinds Delmer Darion, but as they get further from the scene (going to these places ‘Bath’ and ‘London’? I’ve never heard of them either) it has become necessary to name their successors – and, just at this perfect moment, CharlstonRay have arrived.

A GLITTERING CRYSTAL OF AMBIENT-INFLECTED GOODNESS Their debut, NMNSLND, dropped on the 21st April and is a glittering crystal of goodness. Particular praise needs to go to ‘Interlude’, the name of which throws unnecessary obscurity onto a track which flirts with straight-up ambience without becoming the new-age pretentious shit that so much of am-

exam-Time MIXTAPE

bient music falls victim to. Instead, it consists of delicate guitars cast over deep, relaxing tones which recall Random Forest at their best. However, just because this track delves deeper into the experimental than the rest of the EP doesn’t mean that it’s not worth listening to outside of ‘Interlude’. Far from it. In fact, the EP is borderline flawless in terms of its hypnotic, housey production, particularly in ‘Contrast’, which also busts out the EP’s biggest and best element – the mesmerising vocals.They are confident and beautiful whilst remaining just spacey enough to let the music breathe. Vocalistproducer combinations are as delicate a balancing act as it gets; if you get it wrong, you get any number of tropical house songs with far more memorable vocals than beats, but if you get it right all of a sudden you’re Snoop and Dre, DOOM, and Madlib, Frank Ocean and anyone really. I’m hugely happy to report, then, that this is the latter; great beats and great vocals meshing together to produce something more

than the sum of their parts. If anything, the one problem I have with the EP comes at its end. No, this isn’t some cheesy “why isn’t it longer” signoff, though I wish it was. Instead, the problem is that the final track, ‘Glass Breaker (Ode to Iver)’, aside from being named like one of Jez and Super Hans’ bands in Peep Show, goes on for about two minutes too long. Although the first three minutes of the song are an absolute treat, the EP fades out with an entirely unnecessary instrumental which puts a sour note at the end of an otherwise stellar release, which deserves to go out with a bigger finale. Still though, this is me at my most nitpicky, and shouldn’t put you off immediately streaming this EP on Soundcloud

right now. This is the most accomplished release from Exeter in a long while, probably since Delmer Darion’s All Over Again, All Over Again. Over the last couple of years, it’s become the trend to release bloated, overstuffed albums and mixtapes, with the likes of Drake, Gorillaz and ScHoolboy Q releasing albums that could really do with some brutal cuts (as could pretty much anything released on the ironically named label Quality Control Music.) So, then, it’s incredibly refreshing to hear an EP with barely a wasted moment, which so is brilliantly packed with ideas, which so clearly marks the beginning of a band that with a couple of deft moves could be not only at the top of the Exeter scene but become the best in the South West. If their upcoming debut live show at Poltimore Festival is anything like the quality of this EP, it definitely shouldn’t be missed.

NMNSLND IS OUT NOW Catch CharlstonRay’s debut gig at Poltimore Festival on the 28th May.

Issy Marcantonio -

Emily Garbutt -

Graham Moore-

‘Fuck With Myself’ - Banks

’Oh No!’ - Marina and the Diamonds

’The Great Procrastinator’ - Stornoway

Theodore Stone-

James Angove -

George Pope -

’Please Please Please Let Me Get What I

‘Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)’ -

’Kill Me’ - The Pretty Reckless

Want’ - The Smiths

Run The Jewels

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screen

Welcome to our tape...

Bethan Gilson, Online Lifestyle Editor, investigates the issues with Netflix’s hit show 13 Reasons Why

EW shows have prompted such fervent discussion in such a short space of time as 13 Reasons Why. In preparation for this piece I must have read hundreds of articles, blog posts, Facebook posts and tweets, to see whether or not it was appropriate or responsible for Hannah’s suicide to be depicted so graphically on the show. The producers have defended their decision, insisting that their depiction of the suicide forces the audience to engage with the brutal reality of suicide through powerful visuals. However, many mental health charities have spoken out in criticism of the show, suggesting the potential for ‘copycat suicide’ and the romanticisation of suicide through the show’s narrative. I passionately believe that it is the responsibility of art to open up much needed conversations and not to shy away from ‘taboo’ subjects. Teenage suicide has reached epidemic proportions and is the second leading cause of death for ages 10-24. It is estimated that over 5,000 young people aged 12-18 attempt to take their own life every day. Teenage suicide is an incredibly real issue. I whole-heartedly agree that it needs to be discussed and I admire the producers of the show for their intentions of bringing the discussion to a mainstream platform. However, I do have res-

ervations about how sensitively and realistically the issue was handled. Shakespeare’s seventeenth century play Hamlet famously deals with the suicide of Ophelia. Her suicide is not depicted graphically; in fact there is question as to whether or not it is suicide at all. However, this is not to say that her story and ending did not resonate with its audience. Though her suicide was not graphic, it in no way meant that an audience did not identify with or have sympathy for Ophelia’s struggle.

TEENAGE SUICIDE HAS REACHED EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS I understand that we live in a different age, but I think to assume that such graphic visuals are needed in order to create an emotional impact in an audience, is to assume that they have been desensitised to these issues far more than they actually have. I think the show should have

poured more effort into exercising the capacities of the narrative in terms of creating emotional impact.

JUST THE KNOWLEDGE ALONE THAT YOUR ACTIONS CAN LEAD TO ANOTHER PERSON CHOOSING TO TAKE THEIR OWN LIFE CREATES AN EMOTIONAL IMPACT As a person who has never experienced suicidal thoughts, I could not watch Hannah’s suicide scene and can only imagine how triggering it would be for someone who has experienced such feelings. This is not to say that Hannah’s story did not have emotional resonance with me. I was still able to feel her pain or internalise the show’s ultimate message that “the little things matter”. If the narrative of the show was strong enough, such graphic imagery would not be necessary to portray its message. The positive response of so many of those who have watched the show is testament to the strength of the narrative. So many young people have come out in praise of the show, claiming that it has encouraged them to think more consciously about the way they interact with other people and to consider that everyone has their own struggle. Those who engage

with the content who have exhibited the behaviours of some of the individuals that the story holds to account, would feel uncomfortable; and so they should. Though Hannah is a character wrought with imperfections and complexities, she still did not deserve to be treated in the way that she did. Just the knowledge alone that your actions can lead to another person choosing to take their own life creates an emotional impact, you don’t necessarily need a graphic depiction of that consequence. Whilst the show deals very well with the issue of high school and online bullying, I feel where the narrative is lacking is surrounding the issue of mental health. Suicide is often the result of underlying, complex mental health issues - not just what happens to you - that were largely ignored by the story’s narrative in the case of Hannah. If anything, 13 Reasons Why is a beginning; the beginning of a much deeper conversation that needs to be had about suicide. If you have been affected by the issues raised in this show and would like to talk to someone, contact the Wellbeing team on 01392 724381 or email wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk

Barely out of this world

Johnny Chern, Online Screen Editor, takes a look at Marvel’s latest big screen adventure GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY: VOL. 2 Director: James Gunn Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper 2017, 136 minutes.

THRE ARSAb A

UARDIANS of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has a tough act to follow. Its predecessor broke out in the best way possible. Space opera had been done before, superhero flick had been done before, irreverent comedy had been done before, but the three hadn’t been blended together, and who would have known the final result would be so tasty? Maybe the success of this first film harmed what came later, because unfortunately Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 lacks the charisma and sense of awesome adventure that its predecessor so brilliantly displayed. The under-cooked and messy script lacks the plot direction that one has come to expect

in superhero movies. Marvel films have been more bold and inventive in their storytelling structures (to positive effects) but there was a sense of loss in the whole of this movie: loss in the plot and of what the film was meant to be about. The whole thing was underwhelming. I spent the entire time waiting to be amazed. Maybe this is because, (like another recent film, Kong: Skull Island), we’d seen the best part of the film in the first act, and nothing later on could match that. In the first 15-20 minutes, we’re shown a pretty cool slow-mo action scene complete with all members of the team set to the tune of ELO’s ‘Mr Blue Sky’, as well as a pretty stunning space battle reminiscent of a certain sequence from The Empire Strikes Back. The battles later on in the film, now that the

story had “progressed”, were meant to be more tense, with more to play for. At this point it was no longer that… fun. We were told the stakes were high, but speaking for myself at least, I did not feel it. Maybe this is because the stakes had gone, in not much time, from being rather low to unbelievably high, with no credible progression and little foreshadowing. The film feels like two films in one or, rather, like two episodes of a series in the vein of Doctor Who stuck back-to-back. Each “episode” has its own villains, one serving as a clear McGuffin to get us to the more important villain. The first half undercuts moments of heart with humour and when the film reaches for sentimentality in the latter stages, it feels rushed and undeserved, like it was making up for the time wasted. Constantly

being told about the character’s emotions, rather than actually seeing it, undermines the central theme of the Guardians coming together as a family. That part of the film, at least, just does not work. Alas, I am almost certainly being too harsh. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is not a trainwreck of a movie, and maybe the trick is to judge it by its own merits irrespective of its predecessor. Unsurprisingly, it’s visually pleasing with a number of striking images. Its humour is at times clever and there are enough jokes to warrant its presence in the comedy genre. There is enough in the film to stop it from being an objectively bad movie. Though the brain and the heart of the film move in opposite directions, they both have enough to offer. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 did have a lot to live up to, and maybe I was naive to expect it to match or surpass the original. If you are yet to see the film, lower your expectations a notch, and I sincerely hope you will enjoy it far more than I did.

EXHIBIT

SCREEN

EDITORS: Fenton Christmas and Ben Faulkner

Spoiler alert: it’s in the trailer Callum Newens critiques how films are now promoted

Fenton and Ben give their weekly recommendations Fenton ’s F il

the Week

The Guest, 2014 Ben’s F il m of

We the

ghost all along’. Oh, erm, spoiler alert by the way. My second tip to all the trailer creators out there is to avoid running a trend into the ground; sometimes, a trailer comes along that really captures the imagination. How cool did the first Inception trailer look with its literally mind-bending visuals punctuated by the iconic foghorn blare between flickers of action? Yet, when watching the trailers of other movies that sound cropped up again. And again. And again. Transformers: Dark of the Moon, The Avengers, World War Z, Battleship, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. All of them polluted by that blaring once dramatic noise. Thankfully this died out to be replaced by the trailer trope of a slow and haunting cover of a popular song. With movies from Insurgent and Transformers 5, to Power Rangers and 50 Shades Darker each utilising this trope to create a silly rather than sultry effect. It has become overdone and boring. Special mention goes to the San Andreas trailer for combining these two tropes in its trailers which had Sia’s cover of ‘Californian Dreamin’ punctuated by that hollow cry. Good job, guys.

What To watch

SOMETIMES, A TRAILER COMES ALONG THAT REALLY CAPTURES THE IMAGINATION Although, avoiding these mistakes won’t guarantee a fantastic trailer it’s a place to start. Assembling a trailer that captures the imagination is tricky, but essential to get right to ensure commercial success.

Moneyball, 2011 Foreig n

Fil

m of

the Week

What’s going on?

IT IS INCREDIBLY TRICKY TO GET TRAILERS RIGHT

However, despite the money invested, it is still incredibly tricky to get trailers right. Whilst The Last Jedi trailer (and other trailers in this new Star Wars canon) have been great successes, some trailers are still duds. Based on watching far too many trailers recently as a form of revision procrastination, I’ve come up with two key things to avoid when creating a modern blockbuster trailer: Don’t spoil too much; with most blockbuster films certain things won’t be surprising. A Marvel movie will have the villain introduced, defeated and forgotten all within one film, whilst the hero quips. A Michael Bay movie with have supermodels who can’t act and over the top explosions. Including twists which an audience wouldn’t see within the trailers does nothing but ruin the surprise when it is revealed in the film. Batman vs Superman’s second trailer was widely lauded for including a shot of previously secret secondary antagonist Doomsday, as well as Wonder Woman’s entrance. Terminator: Genisys (remember when Daenerys and forgettable actor Jai Courtney were in a Terminator reboot? No? Not surprised.) unwisely gave away the reveal that John Connor was actually a Terminator, achieving nothing except spoiling a major plot point. In fairness though, this isn’t a new trend. James Cameron’s Terminator 2 spoils the twist that Arnie (this time round) is the good guy, and movie trailers before that for films such as Carrie and Free Willy also gave away the crucial endings. You’d have thought Hollywood would have learned by now - show the characters, show some of the settings, give a flavour of the film, but don’t advertise The Sixth Sense as ‘the film where Bruce Willis is a

A look at recent news in the world of screen Jude Law has been officially cast to play a young Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them sequel. Although Law has stated he is too busy with theatre commitments to really think about the role, people are still very excited He will star alongside Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald in the sequel, which will be followed by a further three sequels.

The Hunt, 2011 Direct or o

he ft

The trailer for Michael Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle has finally landed, which got social media pretty excited. After the success of the first instalment, fans have been awaiting an equally fun follow-up. They will have to wait until the 29th September to actually see the sequel, but the trailer has left us with much to talk about in the meantime. Like, for example, how on earth Colin Firth’s character is still alive.

Week

Jonathan Demme has died at age 73. He won an Academy Award for his directing of the classic, Silence of the Lambs, and was also the man behind the 1993 drama Philadelphia. Known for his compassion and deep care for what his films represented, he was a loved and respected filmmaker. Although not a household name, his films have had a major influence on modern filmmaking.

F you’re anything like me, on the 14th April your internet search history consisted of entries such as “star wars trailer’” “last jedi trailer”, and “last jedi trailer release time”. Finally, the trailer dropped, offering a short preview of Rian Johnson’s entry in the new Star Wars trilogy. In my eyes it was the perfect teaser. It reestablished the major players from the previous films and introduced what is likely to be the central plot for the film. It teased the action, and also left the audience with questions. It whet the appetite without spoiling anything. It was what a trailer should be, just enough to get you interested and excited for the final result. Trailers are big business. Created by independent companies, rather than the moviemakers themselves, a trailer can help make or break a movie. Indeed, Suicide Squad’s bombastic trailer was so good that it actually made the incomprehensible mess of a movie look brilliant rather than the flop it was to become. It even led to Warner Bros. getting the trailer company to construct the final cut of the movie. Studios also often shell out massive amounts of money for their trailers, they need to lure the audience into wanting to see the film. It is common practice for movie studios to tease their upcoming cinematic releases during the Superbowl, leading to some companies shelling out upwards of $5 million on a 30 second spot in the breaks.

08 MAY 2017

Spike Jonze

08 MAY 2017

EXHIBIT

STUDY BREAK

STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD # 97

SUDOKU # 34

Across Since - past (3)

Starter (to a meal) (9)

Initial (the best 17) (5)

Fertile desert spot (5)

Wonder (3)

Go wrong (you won’t and can’t after 11

Strong feeling (7)

Cite (5)

Dead ___, spitting image (6)

Trial - examination - assessment (4)

Great! (8)

Studying (for a 10, - 21ing means you

Current ___, matters of public interest in

for a 10!) (4)

can’t 3 Down?) (8)

progress (7)

Moment (a good 17) (6)

Organ of hearing (3)

Type of puzzle (6)

Geordie’s city? (9)

Roll - record (8)

Impartial (3-5)

Neighbourhood (4)

Be aware of - ice song (anagram) (7)

22/17 Ruthless interrogation (a low 17?) (5,6)

See 22 Across

Saltire (anagram) - pragmatist (7)

Horned animal (5)

Be in debt (3)

Succeed (in a 10, say, earning 26 a 17?)

Uniform (5)

Single (after 22 Down, a good 17) (3)

(4) 22

Duo - pair (3)

ANSWERS

Coalition of chaos

Down

Find the EIGHT strong and stable differences...

shirt colour moustache, shop sign, window frame colour, Diane Abbott and Spot the Difference: coffee cup colour, EU badge, bacon sandwich, 21 Pass, 22 Two. Affairs, 7 Ear, 12 Newcastle, 13 One-sided, 15 Cognise, 20 Rhino, Down: Down: 1 Appetiser, 2 Oasis, 3 Fail, 4 Ringer, 5 Terrific, 6 degree, 23 Realist, 24 Owe, 25 Dress, 26 One. Revision, 14 Second, 16 Jigsaw, 18 Register, 19 Area, 22/17 Third Across: Across: 1 Ago, 3 First, 6 Awe, 8 Passion, 9 Refer, 10 Test, 11

08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

Science

SCIENCE EDITORS: Leah Crabtree Luke Smith

Marching for Science

Leah Crabtree, Science Editor, introduces the march which spread across the globe

ATURDAY April 22 2017 was a special day for science. Coinciding with Earth Day, tens of thousands of scientists (and sciencelovers) attended the March for Science rallies across the globe. They aimed to make a stand against the rise of ‘alternative facts’ and ‘post-truths’, to show opposition to the regressive

policies of the Trump administration and, ultimately, to celebrate the unparalled role science plays in each of our lives. Whilst originally stated to be non-partisan events, the weeks and months preceding the marches saw an alarming trend towards the discrediting and elimination of scientiﬁc evi-

dence. The abhorrent anti-scientiﬁc rhetoric being perpetuated within the White House and beyond threatens not only scientists’ abilities to perform and communicate their research but our health and livelihoods, too. While debate remains over whether science and politics should become intertwined, the organizers of the

March for Science released a statement on their website, explaining “The application of science to policy is not a partisan issue… Science should neither serve special interests nor be rejected based on personal convictions. At its core, science is a tool for seeking answers. It can and should inﬂuence policy and guide our long-term deci-

Exeposé Science explores different marches across the globe

VER one thousand Vancouverites and others from all over British Columbia marched to give a voice to the importance of peer-reviewed scientific knowledge in politics and in our daily lives. This march highlighted the importance of teaching science and promoting general curiosity within society instead of suppressing it. We marched from downtown Vancouver to the the Science World museum. It was a wonderful sight; physicists, chemists, engineers, biologists, economists, paleontologists, and scientists from all fields (yes- even the geologists!) marched together to promote real facts.The march was quite energetic. The sound of trumpets, tubas and saxophones filled the morning air alongside peoples’ chants. “What do we want?!”, one of the organizers shouted from a megaphone. “Scientific Facts!” “And when do we want it?!” “After peer-review!” the crowd replied. We arrived at the Science World Museum at around 11, where various scientists elaborated about why they were marching and what science meant to them. These speeches ranged from the importance of peerreviewed facts, to the ignorance of some politicians on the effects of human activity on climate change. While the march focused on ideas of scientific recognition and importance, the speakers also made sure to highlight local issues in Vancouver as examples of the widespread negativity and stigmatism towards established scientific methods. This proved to be very welcoming as it turned an event with 1000 attendees into an intimate, relatable and extremely amazing event. Al Awadi

OSTON, USA, home of Harvard and MIT, has long been renowned as a scientiﬁc hub. Biomedical companies and research hospitals make up a huge proportion of the city, employing a staggering sixth of Boston’s population. It is no surprise, therefore, that the satellite march in Boston was one of the largest. Amongst the rain-sodden signs and cheers of “Stand Up For Science”, a particularly poignant moment came in the form of the second grade winner of their scientiﬁc essay contest. Asked to write about why he was marching for science, Ethan January

explained: “Science may help scientists discover a new plant that that could cure something. Maybe you or someone you love could live longer because scientists could cure that sickness.” He went on to state “Next I think that scientists could discover new planets to see if people could potentially live there! We might need a new planet to make like Earth if there is a solar ﬂare that destroys Earth. The third thing I want you to know is scientists might discover a new house pet that you could have as a friend. That is why I think we should stand up for science.” While the rain-sodden crowd was

ﬁlled with a chorus of ‘aww’ and ‘how sweet’, many were nodding in ﬁerce agreement with this 6 year old explaining so perfectly just how much we need science. As funding is cut and truths are being ignored, issues such as the dismissal of climate change have become not just an issue for scientists but a human rights issue. Turning our back on science now means turning our back on truth. While a march on its own won’t necessarily stop regressive policies, it is so important to stand alongside our scientists to try and protect the planet and our health. Leah Crabtree

sion-making.” This sentiment was spread humourously across the marches through an array of posters and puns. Some of these, and the stories that arised from the day, can be seen below. From Canada to Spain, Exeposé Science explores the global support for science and future discoveries.

FEW hundred people gathered in the streets of Sevilla to demonstrate the importance of the scientific community in the 'Marcha por la Ciencia'. I was disappointed to find that the event had not been publicised much in advance, so no one I told from the city knew it was happening. Although they had some banners and a couple of police officers in charge of stopping the traffic, the event showed poor preparation, perhaps due to the lack of resources. For example, the only way they could communicate with the group was by using an old microphone that could only be heard in a 4m radius, which, I should say, made their final speech much less impressive. The lack of resources was the focus of many mottos shouted during the march. All showed outrage and exasperation towards the government's lack of caring for the scientific community, constant cuts on research funding, the corrupted status of many incompetent political figures, and the lack of grants and scholarships for the young bright minds. Despite it being a warm afternoon in a beautiful location the day had a bittersweet feeling. Most researchers in Spain feel they have to leave their home country to make a living in academia, or give up and become a school teacher. The sad truth is that being a researcher in Spain is a constant struggle for opportunity and validation. Nonetheless, the March for Science brought together a community that is still strong and optimist and keeps fighting for what is right: the road to discovery and advancement. Edita Chavez-Heredia

SCIENCE

Our new editor... the octopus O

Tash Ebbutt, Deputy Editor, looks at the recent research on the cephalopod family

CTOPUSES are magniﬁcent creatures. What with their instantaneous colour changing skin, their ability to see polarised light and having blue blood, it is no wonder they are the established aliens in our world. They have three hearts, can squeeze their large rubbery forms through the tiniest of spaces and have a venomous beak to protect themselves from the natives of this world. They can even solve puzzles, use tools and communicate with colour. One only has to think of Paul the Octopus (RIP) who was renowned for predicting the results of football matches, most notably the World Cup. It is already clear that octopuses are wonderful, yet our resident aliens have surprised scientists yet again.

They have three hearts, can squeeze their large forms through the tiniest of spaces and have a venomous beak They are part of the group known as cephalopods, and this branch of the animal kingdom does not obey the rules of DNA. Almost the rebels of the sea,

cephalopods can interfere with the code as its being carried by the molecular messenger. They change their genetic instructions with a rare form of alteration known as RNA editing. RNA is a close cousin of DNA which is used to transfer instructions from genes to the protein making machinery in cells. The ability octopuses possess to interfere with the RNA causes diversiﬁcation of the proteins that their cells can produce, which is highly unusual. Ce phalopods are essentially editing their own brains in order to develop an organ that is incredibly complex. They possess thousands of RNA editing sites within their genes which enables them to complete such a task. But this extraordinary ability comes at a price. The access to large swathes of genetic information has meant that the cephalopod group have sacri-

ﬁced evolution to some extent. Perhaps the current political climate has meant that they don’t want to hang around

Image: Wikicommons

(*cue laughter*). To them, editing is more important and scien-

tists are starting to believe that this could explain why octopuses especially have such a high intelligence and why they demonstrate complex behaviours. Joshua Rosenthal, a neurobiologist at the Marine Biological Laboratory and Eli Eisenberg at Tel Aviv University have led this discovery and have concluded that the practice of this gene alteration allows cephalopods to fine tune the information encoded by their genes without altering the actual gene itself. They use it to recode genes that are incredibly important to their nervous system. These genes as discussed by Rosenthal “make a nerve cell, a nerve cell”. They do this extensively, way more than any other group in the animal kingdom. Specifically, only the intelligent coleoid cephalopods such as octopuses, squid and cuttlefish do this. In fact, in other animals this occurs less than one per cent of the time. As previously

mentioned, it is suspected that this ability in the cephalopod group because of their already highly developed brains. Kazuko Nishikura from the Wistar Institute who studies RNA editing in mice and humans has stated that he wonders “if it has to do with their extremely developed brains”. It’s impossible to say if RNA editing is responsible for their intellect but members of Rosenthal’s team such as Noa Lisco-

They possess thousands of RNA editing sites within their genes vitch-Brauer are starting to think it is likely. Despite this wonderful discovery, the mechanics of cephalopod RNA editing are still be further investigated. Factors such as how this editing is controlled, how environmental factors such as temperature affect it and whether the process of memory is involved are all different directions which researchers may take in learning more about these fantastic almost extraterrestial beings. If only we could edit our braisn for all those foreboding exams....

Frail, pale, and destined to fail I

N 2016, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef experienced record high water temperatures which caused the worst mass destruction of corals ever, a recent study has discovered According to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies; up to a staggering 67 per cent of corals died in the worst-hit northern area of the famous reef. This amount dwindles to 6 per cent among the centralised area, all the way down to primarily healthy corals in the very southernmost area. However, the northern parts have been deemed at risk due to climate change, and scientists believe it will struggle to recover. Coral bleaching occurs due to a rise in the water temperature, which lasts for a sustained period of time. Between February and April 2016, the surface temperature of the sea across the Great Barrier Reef reached a record high with an increase of around one degree celsius higher than the monthly average. This increase may seem small but the temperature puts extreme stress on the fragile life below. Professor Terry Hughes

Frederick Black looks at the deterioration of the Great Barrier Reef

of the ARC Centre study has stated, “Some of the initial mortality was down to heat stress… The coral was cooked.”, emphasisng the nature of the problem.

The temperature puts extreme stress on the fragile life below Bleaching occurs for numerous reasons, but the most prevalent is gradual starvation. This happens as a result of the coral expelling the vibrant Zooxanthella Algae, which it uses to turn sunlight into usable chemical energy. This in turn ends up with the corals turning white, with a skeletal appearance. With an absence of the main source of its energy, bleaching also drastically increases the predation rate of the corals. As a result it makes them more susceptible to attacks from snails and crown of thorns starﬁsh. In the past the Great Barrier Reef has been subjected to two major bleaching events: one in 1998, and the other

in 2002. However, the event recorded in 2016 has been the worst ever witnessed, and scientists believe this is only the beginning. Reports from the ARC centre study show a correlation between the increasing water temperature and the level of carbon emissions. This means that within just 20 years this event is highly likely to become an annual occurrence. The northernmost part of the reef has, in the previous two events, only seen minor damage. This resulted in the reef recovering and becoming one of the most pristine parts of the Great Barrier Reef. However, after the damage during last year’s (2016) temperature rise, it is unlikely to ever fully recover. Even though the central and southern parts of the reef were reported as largely healthy, scientists are beginning to believe that it was misreported. With the local and national tourism industry of Australia reliant on the health of the reef, it is easy to speculate the reasons for such misinformation. Tour operators like Michael Healey from the Quicksilver Group are keen to

point out that many sites were unaffected. This has been proven, in some cases, and yet the overall ongoing health of the reef is still undecided. Without the Great Barrier Reef it is arguable that the Australian tourist industry wouldn’t survive, leaving even more at stake in this race to save the corals. Mr Healey says “It is absolutely of the utmost importance that we ensure that our politicians and everyone else in our community and around the world are doing what they can.”. As a result of all the research from ARC, the Australian Government published a long-term sustainability plan for the reef, and pledged ﬁnancial support for research into coral bleaching. This is a massive step towards saving not just the Great Barrier Reef, but also countless other reefs affected by bleaching worldwide. By discovering and understanding the root causes and effect of such devastation we can strive towards a goal of safe guarding and protecting the natural beauty of our oceans for generations to come. It is not just companies, or people living on or around the reef, that have stake in its survival. Everyone does!

Image: Wikicommons

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07/09/2016 13:08:51

SPORT

Sporting meltdowns Exeposé Sport looks at the do's and do not's of dealing with pressure Gareth Southgate

OU work so hard for something. You put so much effort into it. And then, just like that, it crum-

bles. Gareth Southgate worked so hard, he

Tom Jones

ERE'S one for the linguists. There’s nothing better for settling the nerves than a bit of

Dutch courage…perhaps.

John McEnroe F when you get your results back you’ve missed a grade boundary by a mark and find yourself asking

Paula Radcliffe

INALLY, if University were a race, it would be a marathon, rather than a sprint. When you

“you cannot be serious”, there are three

hit the wall, you either push on through, or

things you can do.

crash and burn. If you’ve decided to live

put so much effort in. And then, just like that,

Tom Jones’s attempt at the Welsh national

with one swing of his boot, saw the hopes of

anthem before Joe Calzaghe fought Bernard

The first is to scream and shout at an in-

Hopkins is a lesson in what not to

vigilator, marker, or anyone in a position of

and leftover Easter

authority within earshot.

eggs this exam

a nation crumble. England were out of the European Championships; at the

do when you’re lost for words.

off a diet of energy drinks

semi-final stage; against Germa-

For starters, don’t be so out

The second is to smart smashing any-

ny. Probably couldn’t get much

of your depth that making

thing and everything you feasibly can be-

fair to say

worse.

it up as you go along seems

fore Estate Patrol intervenes.

it will catch

Don’t be Southgate – although

like a good idea, but if that

the money he raked in with the

is the case, maybe give drink-

infamous Pizza Hut commercial

ing a miss altogether.

wouldn’t be too bad.

season,

it’s

The third is appeal for a remark.

up with you

Of course, Exeposé Sport advises indi-

some

vidual discretion in these circumstances.

time.

down the line.

There’s a fine line between

Premier League round-up

Dorothea Christmann, Sport Editor, assesses the teams at the top of the league

Chelsea

Tottenham Hotspur

Liverpool

Manchester City

FTER a disastrous 2015/2016 campaign which led to the sacking of Jose Mourinho halfway through the season and saw them scrape to tenth place, Chelsea have been revitalised this year under the command of master tactician Antonio Conte. Having had a rare season where they have not been distracted by European football - after failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 2002/2003 season - Conte has built on the weaknesses of last season by overhauling the tactics and bringing in N’Golo Kanté from Leicester City. The Frenchman's exceptional workrate is paired with a surprisingly high pass success rate of 88.7%. Chelsea have been dominant at the top of the table since Manchester City’s ten match win streak ended on the 11th matchday, and they went 11 points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in second place in late February. Despite their recent dip in form which has seen Tottenham put pressure on them and reduce the gap to only four points, Chelsea will surely win the Premier League after a stellar season where both Diego Costa and Eden Hazard have scored over 15 goals. With an FA Cup Final to look forward to on the 27th May, few would have anticipated Chelsea's performance at the beginning of the campaign.

HILST Tottenham have been remarkably consistent throughout the 2016/2017 season, there are questions over whether they should have pushed Chelsea a little bit closer. Their four draws in a row compared to Chelsea’s four wins by the eighth matchday dented their Premier League hopes; together with their embarrassing exit from the Champions League in the group stages, which significantly lowered both their confidence and morale. However, despite this Tottenham have enjoyed a successful season, reaching the semifinals of the FA Cup before being beaten by Chelsea. In what could prove to be a power shift in North London, they also ended Arsenal’s annual joy on St Totteringham’s day by ensuring they will finish above their rivals in the Premier League for the first time since 94/95. Tottenham’s success this year has been fuelled by the addition of Victor Wanyama to the squad who arrived for £11m from Southampton in the summer. This has led to Wanyama and Dembele establishing arguably the most powerful central midfield partnership in the league. A late comeback by Spurs seems unlikely to lead to a triump over Chelsea at this stage, but their secondplace is highly deserved and their aim for next year should be bettering their poor showing in the Champions League.

HIS was Liverpool’s first full season under Jürgen Klopp, who became manager in October 2015 after Brendan Rodgers’s sacking, and it has been a mixed season for them. Plagued with their leading goalscorer Sadio Mane’s absence due to the Africa Cup of Nations during January and February, they lost their way slightly, drawing two and losing two games in that period. The season has also been blighted by numerous errors, the inability to close out a lead, and dropping points against the so-called smaller teams. However, Liverpool’s position in the table has come from their imperious performances against the teams in the top six, with wins against Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. Having topped the table for two consecutive matchdays halfway through the campaign, there is a sense they could have challenged for the title. As it is, Liverpool’s position is still slightly precarious, and should they fail to qualify for the Champions League, it will be a disappointing end to the season. With the two Manchester clubs stuttering towards the finish line, they are in control of their own destiny, and winning their remaining games would see them finish 3rd. The test will come next season, when what has been threadbare squad at times this season has to meet the demands of both European and domestic football.

N incredible start to the season by Manchester City that saw them win ten games in a row under their new manager Pep Guardiola went downhill rapidly with a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham at the beginning of October. Their struggle to get to grips with Guardiola's tactics and 4-4-3 formation, and the loss of reliable goalkeeper Joe Hart, resulted in their early confidence disappearing. Three consecutive weeks at fourth in the table led to dropping out of the Top four to 5th on the 21st matchday. Manchester City’s biggest weakness has been Guardiola's persistence with goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who has a shockingly poor five clean sheets in 22 appearances. Nevertheless, new addition Sané is an incredibly promising young player, and versatile in attack as both a creator and finisher, scoring five goals this season. Sane and Raheem Sterling have proved to be an unstoppable force going forward, especially during counter-attacks. City should qualify for the Champions League due to a favourable fixture list involving teams in the bottom half of the Premier League. However, due to their defensive weaknesses, they remain vulnerable, and a loss in their remaining games would conclude a first season of frustration for Guardiola's City.

Star Player: N’Golo Kanté

Star Player: Harry Kane

Star Player: Philippe Coutinho

Star Player: David Silva

Correct as of 05/05/17

Sport

08 MAY 2017 | EXEPOSÉ

SPORT EDITORS:

Dorothea Christmann Wil Jones

Golf 2s: Moortown Trophy Success EUGC 2s see off Northumbria to claim second title of the season “Astonishing performances from everyone in the afternoon”

UGC 2s have triumphed in the BUCS National Trophy Final by defeating Northumbria 2s at Moortown Golf Club in Leeds. After a long Winter of 14 hard fought league and cup matches, fittingly the Arctic temperatures returned for the final, with Exeter’s team of six donning mittens in the deceptively crisp April sunshine. The morning session consisted of three foursome matches. Daniel Lane and Harrie Llewellyn failed to find form early on, losing four of the first five holes. Despite a late rally, they succumbed to their opponents, 7 & 5. Another mixed pair - freshers Jack

Pope and Claudia Ovens - pushed their opponents to the final hole, but were narrowly beaten. In need of inspiration, Exeter would find it in 2s captain Nico Colomer and his partner Jacobo Labat. Concluding the morning session, the pair provided an exhibition of shotmaking on Moortown’s demanding back nine to clinch victory on the long par 16th, and gain a vital point for EUGC, now trailing Northumbria 2-1. Lunch in the grand clubhouse allowed the team time to compose themselves. Following a talk from coach Darren Everitt, the 2s returned to the first tee excited for the 18 holes

Sporting Meltdowns

Photo: Harry Judd

that would determine their season. Evidently refreshed, Exeter produced golfing excellence in the afternoon. The team took control in the opening stages, and after ten holes Exeter led in all six matches. Colomer carried his form from the morning into the singles, winning the first five holes to claim a comfortable 5 & 4 win. Pope and Ovens made amends for their narrow defeats earlier by clinching vital points, 4 & 3, and 2 up, respectively. Llewellyn dispatched her opponent early on in a steady display, before Lane concluded the play in a tightly fought match.

Feeling the exam stress? Exeposé Sport takes a look at infamous struggles in the sporting world. PAGE 31

Calmly sinking a slippery par putt on the 18th to halve his match, Lane sealed an unbeaten afternoon session for EUGC 2s, and a 6.5-2.5 victory overall. In a fitting conclusion to the season, as none of the players will be graduating this Summer, the team can now look forward to defending their title next year. Colomer told Exeposé, “All in all it has been a great season for the 2’s and it was incredibly special to top it of with a win at Moortown in the finals. We knew Northumbria was going to be a tough match and after being 2-1 down in the morning foursomes we had a difficult task to ac-

complish in the afternoon. Astonishing performances from everyone in the afternoon gave us the title. We all felt elated and happy with our accomplishment. It is great to see that hard work pays off.” Harry Judd

BUCS Trophy Run Portsmouth 1s A 1-5 *First Round*

Bournemouth 2s

3.5-2.5

Warwick 1s

8.5-0.5

Bournemouth 3s

2.5-6.5

*Second Round* *Quarter Final* *Semi Final*

Northumbria 2s

*Quarter Final*

6.5-2.5

Premier League Run In

Dorothea Christmann assesses the top four as the season draws to a close. PAGE 31