Exeposé Issue 654, 16 May 2016 by Exeposé

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Stay X

“It was a toxic campaign” Hannah Butler Editor

N the aftermath of Exeter’s recordbreaking NUS referendum, both teams have admitted that the campaign took a hostile turn towards the end – with

MUSIC

Leave campaign ‘Exiter’ complaining of verbal abuse, overspending and voter coercion, and Stay campaign leader Laura-Jane Tiley acknowledging that “both teams put feet out of line” in what eventually became a “toxic” campaign. Both sides agreed the rules should

Radiohead: overrated or underplayed? PAGE 18

have been clearer before the vote began. “Because it was done through Student Ideas, the rules have been extremely unclear,” Exiter campaigner Stephen Hawkins told Exeposé. “To begin with, we thought it was played by Sabb election rules, and we’ve

Photo: Natasa Christofidou been playing by these rules.” This would restrict teams bringing in external parties, yet NUS oﬃcials – including newlyelected president Malia Bouattia - and Sabbs from Plymouth University were “shipped in and paid on expenses” by the Stay team, Hawkins claimed. “In fact most days there have been more campaigners from outside the University than inside.” Hawkins’ comments echoed those of Exiter campaigner Charlie Evans,

who previously took to Facebook to complain that Stay had “bussed in about 12 NUS Officers,” with travel expenses allegedly not taken off the campaign budget. “It’s just a bit sad that such clear breaches are taking place without ramification,” Evans lamented. But Tiley refuted these claims. “The NUS is an independent organisation...

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LIFESTYLE

Student travel special: Interrailing and money-saving PAGES 14-15

Exeposé, Devonshire House, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PZ

Email: editors@exepose.com Editors Print: Jeremy Brown, Hannah Butler, Susannah Keogh & Ben Londesbrough Online: Theodore Stone & Jessica Stanier

EXEPOSÉ

NEWS

The NUS vote: Bullying, coercion and overspending alleged

EDITORIAL

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News Editors Print: Rachel Ashenden & Natasa Christofidou Online: Georgia Roberts & David Smeeton news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Bea Fones & Matt Newman Online: Olivia Horncastle & Rowan Keith comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Georgina Bolam & Katie Jenkins Online: Samuel Fawcett & Kate Jones features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Jade Beard & Laurel Bibby Online: Alma Crespo & Lucy Ronan lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: Natasha Ebbutt & Emily Wheeler Online: Anna Blackburn & Izzy Hilliard artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Rory Marcham & Helen Payne Online: Sam Norris & Harry Williams music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Mark Allison & Zak Mahanifar Online: Cormac Dreelan & James Hands screen@exepose.com Games + Tech Editors Print: Jabez Sherrington & Sam Wolf Online: Ben Assirati & Jonathan Land games@exepose.com Science Editors Print: Victoria Bos & Beth Honey Online: Holly Belcher & Akash Beri sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Owain Evans & Lara Hopkins Online: James Angove & Ollie Lund sport@exepose.com Photography Satchi Minami & Wang Yong Yan photography@exepose.com With thanks to our proofing team... Copy Editors: Emma Bessent, Jack Morgan Jones & Ashton Wenborn Proofers: Alex Brammer, Theo Stone, Jessie Stanier, Owain Evans, Katie Costello, and others

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COMMENT

So, Exe didn’t pull out...

OT a case of deja-vu? We feel ya. It’s been a fraught two weeks with Exeter’s second NUS referendum in 18 months, but the results are in: we’re staying, just like we did last year. That’s not to say things went smoothly for the ‘Stay’ team. With just 144 votes in it when the poll closed, it was a painfully close race - and full of tension on both sides. The Independent may have “covered” some of the aggro (although we’re not entirely convinced that anonymous Yik Yak rumours constitute legit ‘student’ quotes) but with Leave campaign ‘Exiter’ accusing their opponents of everything from overspending to bullying, we thought it was time to get to the bottom of all this drama. Hear both sides of it on Pg.3, as we chat to Stay leader LJT and Exiter campaigner Stephen Hawkins. Who says nothing ever happens in Exeter? As if that wasn’t enough, Exiter’s also considering legal action - ouch. Read all about the aftermath of the vote on Pg.5. And if you’ve still not had your ﬁll of referendum aggro, check out Comment

Drink away your troubles? Student attitudes towards alcohol

for a discussion on how this whole voting thing worked (or didn’t). But enough of the heavy stuﬀ. Exams are (almost) over, the rain’s (almost) gone and exotic summer plans are one of the only things getting us through. Of course, we are students, so jetting oﬀ to Bora Bora like the Kardashians may be unrealistic. But never fear: Lifestyle’s got the lowdown on how to do summer travel on the cheap - including where to go in Europe, and whether interrailing’s all it’s cracked up to be. Meanwhile, Music has features and reviews on Radiohead, Drake and James Blake, and Screen considers this summer’s big releases. Elsewhere in the issue, Features take an in-depth look at Sadiq Khan’s election, and what it says about British politics. Plus, Science writes us a prescription for all things medical, and Sport takes to the waves, bringing Captain’s Corner back by chatting to Exeter Water Polo Club and Boat Club. But enough from us - aren’t you supposed to be revising?

News in brief

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FEATURES

Sadiq Khan: racism and anti-semitism in the mayoral elections PAGE 10

SCIENCE

Don’t hate, vaccinate? The immunisation debate PAGE 28

University news from beyond Exeter

NEWS EDITORS

Rachel Ashenden Natasa Christofidou

Cambridge culturally appropiates Africa

Could cannabis be the new concrete?

Lacrosse students in Lecture is hijacked with orgasmic banter turkey kidnapping

Students at Cambridge University have complained after Queen’s College hosted an African-themed formal dinner. The undergraduate dinner, allegedly based on the Lion King, was accused of cultural appropriation, for “homogenising an entire continent”. The menu was based on traditional foods and drinks from Senegal, Morocco, South Africa and Nigeria. Also sparking controversy, the invitations featured the Swahili phrase “Hakuna Matata” (meaning “no worries”), and ended with “Bring your raﬁkis (friends) along”. The university has declined to comment on the events, but it has been understood that it was a party organized by students for students.

Finland’s Turku University of Applied Sciences has been given a 70 thousand euro grant to investigate how cannabis can be used in construction. The grant will fund research to see whether hemp, a variety of cannabis plant, is an energy efficient and ecofriendly alternative for concrete. Typically marketed as “Hempcrete”, current varieties of hemp-based concrete are not as strong as conventional concrete but is better for the environment. Researchers are also going to be investigating the soundproofing and fireproof qualities of the substance. Hemp is related to the cannabis plant known as marijuana, but contains only a slight fraction of its psychoactive properties.

Anonymous pranksters took control of a bioscience lecture at the University of Melbourne. Philip Batterham, a biosciences professor, conducted a live poll during his lecture to ask his students the question “What factors/inﬂuences make an athlete great?”His direct address triggered a range of inappropiate responses. Starting oﬀ sensibly, students answered “aerobic activity” and “roids”, then, on realizing the the poll’s humorous potential, “orgasm” and “Jon Snow is dead”. Batterham did not feel disheartened by these responses, instead claiming that the playful interaction encouraged active learning in a live teaching environment.

Two students at the Chapman University in Orange, California, were arrested after stealing a turkey from a local high school. The turkey was later found with multiple injuries including missing feathers, damaged feet, and was experiencing problems breathing. The Orange County reported that the animal smelt of beer and was covered in a black, sticky substance. He is now recovering in animal hospital. The students, also lacrosse players, were arrested on suspicion of theft, were booked into jail, and then released the following day. The university plans to undertake appropriate disciplinary actions to ensure that the institution will not tolerate instances of theft and animal abuse.

“Things spiralled out of control”

EXEPOSÉ

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE ...from the Stay campaign and also from the Guild, and obviously they want Exeter to be a part of them,” she said. Asked whether Stay campaign or Guild money had been used for these visits, she responded: “Absolutely not. We only have a £60 budget and the Guild is neutral, so both those things would be completely breaking rules.” A Guild spokesperson conﬁrmed that external campaigners were welcome in the referendum, but denied that any Guild or campaign money had been used to bring NUS reps to Exeter. “No substantiated evidence was found to suggest overspending within campaign rules,” they told Exeposé – adding, however, that regulations didn’t cover external organisations and volunteers. “There are rules established for how each campaign should conduct themselves,” they said. “Although both sides raised concerns, cast-iron evidence often wasn’t strong enough for support staﬀ to act upon.”

No substantiated evidence was found to suggest overspending Guild Spokesperson

Further confusion surrounded the teams’ campaign methods. “At the beginning we didn’t think we could get people over to vote on our stall - and then we realised the other team were doing it so we started,” Tiley told Exeposé. “There was also uncertainty as to whether we could go up to people with laptops,” she added, “and apparently we’re allowed to do that as well.” This caused greater tension between

NEWS

www.exepose.com

Photo: Yan Yong Wang

In light of the numerous controversies surrounding Exeter’s NUS referendum, Exeposé spoke to Laura-Jane Tiley, Stay campaign leader and Stephen Hawkins, Exiter campaigner about some of the main accusations. Was it a fair referendum? LJT: “I do think it’s been democratic, yes ... The rules are slightly different to Sabb elections and that’s where some of the confusion has stemmed from.” SH: “No, I don’t think it has been fair ... [Stay] have not made sure that people have been playing fair and things have spiralled out of control.” ............................ the teams. “We’ve had Stay campaigners knocking on people’s doors late into the night, thrusting laptops at people and making them vote on the spot,” Hawkins said. Evans also complained on social media that the ‘Exiter’ Facebook page had received numerous messages from “students concerned by [Stay’s] intimidation tactics.” But these claims were “deeply concerning” and “not true,” Tiley told Exeposé. “It’s my responsibility to make sure my team aren’t doing that,” she said, adding: “I’ve sent clear messages throughout the whole two weeks that this is not OK.” “Obviously I’m accountable if people have stepped out of line, but I would also argue that both teams have put feet out of line at points. So I think it’s a wider problem within the whole referendum, rather than individual teams.”

I would argue that both teams have put feet out of line at points Laura-Jane Tiley, Stay campaign leader

Additional Exiter claims came in the form of verbal abuse complaints. “We’ve

had people calling us Islamophobic, racist, sexist - every word under the sun - to denigrate our campaign,” Hawkins said. Claiming Exiter had made “at least a dozen formal complaints” to the Guild, he added: “almost every single time we’ve been told they can’t do anything about it.”

We’ve had people calling us Islamophobic, racist, sexist every word under the sun Stephen Hawkins, Exiter campaigner

Describing Tiley as a “very nice person,” Hawkins acknowledged the abuse wasn’t from the core Stay team. “The issue is, I don’t think they’ve kept enough people in line,” he said. “They’ve not made sure people have been playing fair, and things have spiralled out of control.” “I am unaware of the comments myself, but I would like to apologise if they have been made,” Tiley responded. “If students are concerned, please come and speak to me and we can try and deal with this.” “To me, these comments point towards a wider picture of what has been a toxic campaign,” she admitted.

Were students coerced into voting? SH: “We’ve had Stay campaigners knocking on people’s doors late at night, thrusting laptops at people, making them vote on the spot...” LJT: “I find it deeply concerning that’s going round, because it’s not true ... Obviously I’m accountable if people have stepped out of line, but I would also argue that both teams have put feet out of line at points.” ............................ Did Stay overspend by bringing in external voters? LJT: “The NUS is an independent organisation and obviously they want Exeter to be a part of them ... No Guild or Stay money was used. we only have a £60 budget and the Guild is neutral so both those things would be completely breaking rules.” SH: “NUS delegates have been paid to come to Exeter - in fact most days there have been more campaigners from outside the University than inside. Sabbs from Plymouth have been shipped in, paid on expenses.” ............................ Was there bullying between teams? SH: “We’ve had people calling us islamophobic, racist, sexist, every word under the sun to denigrate our campaign ... Everyone has been so demoralised people have decided not to even turn out.” LJT: “These comments point towards a wider picture of what has been a toxic campaign ... I am unaware of the comments myself, but would like to apologise if they have been made. ”

Bubble wrap to naps: the verdict on Time Out Natasa Christoﬁdou News Editor

‘TIME out programme set up by the Students’ Guild to ease stress has received mixed reviews from students - while one argues the stress-relief scheme should be extended to St Luke’s campus. This exam season saw a reintroduction of a nap room on Streatham, following its success in February’s Mental Health Awareness week. From 2-13 May, the “nap zone” was open to students, located in the large A&V room in the upper ﬂoor of Devonshire House.

The room wasn’t really conducive to napping Second year student

Free bubble wrap and stress relief cards are still available from the Guild

Advice Unit, while “Procrastination Stations” have been set up around Devonshire house, with board games available for students to use. But Alex Mansfield, a second year Politics and Economics student, wasn’t convinced the bubble wrap was necessary, arguing: “It’s a good distraction from stress, but I’m worried the Guild are wasting money that could be invested in better sources of wellbeing support, such as CBT sessions.” Other activities on offer include free circuit classes at the Sports Park and the availability of free food from Guild outlets. A Guild stall was also stationed outside the Ram providing free food samples from 9-12 May while free fruit remains on offer outside the Sabb office. The Wellbeing Centre has been mentioned as a resource that can provide group sessions, workshops, and self help mechanisms in order to ease stress and

anxiety levels. Mobile phone apps such as Headspace are also recommended.

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

Exams are a stressful period and I am happy that the Guild can do its bit to help. Naomi Armstrong, VP Welfare

Meanwhile a Student Idea on the Guild website is requesting an extension of the ‘Time Out’ activities to St Luke’s campus. In particular, there has been a demand for a nap room. The lack of Guild spaces at St Luke’s campus is an issue that has been raised in the comments. “Student welfare during exam periods is incredibly important and also massively trivialised,” a second year student told Exeposé. “So the Guild’s intentions in setting up a nap room were brilliant. But ultimately the set-up of the room wasn’t really conducive to napping.”

Previously, the Guild has used animals to help with student stress levels. Rachel Gillies, Guild president 2014-15, collaborated with Pennywell Farm to bring micropigs to Streatham campus while that same year, the Guild introduced a puppy room on campus. “Exams are a stressful time, and I am happy that the Guild can do its bit to help

make this period a little easier,” Naomi Armstrong, VP Welfare & Diversity told Exeposé. “The nap room, free fruit and Time-out cards are all based on research about what makes students more productive during exams.” Details of the facilities and events provided as part of ‘Time Out’ are available on the Guild website.

EXEPOSÉ

Students vote to stay in NUS 4

NEWS

Susannah Keogh Editor

XETER Student’s Guild will remain affiliated to the National Union of Students, after a campaign to leave narrowly failed to win a majority of student support, but the Leave campaign have taken legal advice on challenging the result. With 5534 students voting, the referendum had a 30 per cent turnout- the highest in any single issue vote recorded at Exeter, and far surpassing the 900 votes needed for the result to be legitimate. Following an increasingly tumultuous campaign, the ‘Leave’ side were in the lead until the last day of voting, with the difference between the sides reducing significantly as the referendum neared the close. The Guild said that they will be committed to submitting motions to the NUS on many of the issues that the Exiter campaign has raised, and work to ensure that the Exeter delegates sent to NUS national conference are representative of the Exeter student body.

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COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS + LIT 16-17 10-11 8-9 14-15

Sabbatical Oﬃcers led the ‘Stay’ campaign, with regular support in the last week of campaigning from Malia Bouttaia, the controversial new President of the NUS, and Sabbatical Oﬃcers from Plymouth University, as well as numerous other national NUS representatives.

We have taken legal advice and believe we have strong grounds to challenge Charlie Evans, NUSceptics Founder The referendum was the second Exeter has seen in fewer than eighteen months, with both reaching the conclusion that Exeter is better served inside the national organisation than outside of it. Charlie Evans, a prominent campaigner for ‘Leave’ and founder of the NUSceptics group, told Exeposé: “We have taken legal advice and believe we have strong grounds to challenge certain aspects of the democratic

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SPORT 30-32

process. We do not preclude the right to challenge this result but no decision has yet been made.” Evans continued: “We’re going to be engaging with the Guild in a review and highlighting our concerns at the duration of the referendum and at how a multimillion pound organisation can pump all its resources into an Exeter vote, where only £60 was allocated to both sides. “We do not feel there was parity between both sides and on that ground, we take the result with a pinch of salt. We will be asking for another referendum in 2016-17 with clearly deﬁned regulations and enforcement.” In a series of tweets, Evans further alleged that around 300 votes were cast as a result of a text from the NUS encouraging Exeter students to vote to stay. In a statement, the Students’ Guild said they are committed to ensuring that the value of Exeter’s membership in the NUS is demonstrated to students.

Students’ Guild President, and leader of the Stay Campaign, LauraJane Tiley said: “We ﬁrmly believe that the interests of Exeter students are best served by being part of the NUS and it is great that we have been able to

and Rija Tariq told Exeposé: “Being recognised shows we’re another step closer to breaking the stigma around mental health.”

awards shortlist was made available, the Teaching Awards ceremony took place on 28 April. The 2016 winners were announced to academic staﬀ who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to delivering education. The student results will be announced at an invitation-only gala this term, with the date to be conﬁrmed by the Guild.

convince a majority of students voting that this is the case. Like the Leave campaign we do believe that the NUS needs to change, but that the best way

Guild Awards shortlist announced Rachel Ashenden News Editor

HE shortlist for the Students’ Guild Awards 2016 has now been made available online. There are up to five nominations under the eleven different categories, ranging from “Campaign of the Year” to “Outstanding Individual Contribution”. Alongside the published shortlist, students also have the option to vote this year’s “Peoples’ Choice” category. Shortlisted students include Ben Cartwright (Station Manager of Xpression FM), Amy Squires (Societies Officer and Footlights President), Lucy Curry (Vice President of Feminist Society), Harry Grocott (President of Mixed Touch Rugby), and Femi Kalejeiye (NOOMA President). This is the third year the Guild Awards has taken place; it was first introduced in 2013 to recognise the “outstanding commitment of Exeter students to creating the best possible experience for their peers.” The awards focus on celebrating individuals and societies who have enhanced student experience at Exeter

through Guild involvement. Mind Your Head Society say they are thrilled to have been nominated twice. Their campaign to spread awareness of mental health in sport has been shortlisted for “Campaign of the Year”. They are also on the shortlist

Being recognised shows we’re another step closer to breaking the stigma around mental health

Leah Fuller, President of Mind Your Head Society

for “Outstanding Commitment to Student Welfare and Support”. Society presidents Leah Fuller

Fuller has also been individually shortlisted under the same category. Meanwhile, Sam Jackson has been nominated for “Student Leader of the Year” following his Guild involvement as the Challenges Oﬃcer for RAG, a Welcome Team Senior and a Housing Team Leader. He said: “To be recognised at Guild Awards for the hard work that myself and my team have put in is a real honour, and it’s something that I never imagined would happen”. Nominated for “Student Group of the Year” are Soul Choir, Postgraduate Society, Islamic Society and First Aid. Shortly before the Students’ Guild

Students’ Guild Award Categories • • • • • • • • • • •

Campaign of the Year Community Impact Event of the Year Exceptional Contribution to the Academic Experience Outstanding Commitment to Student Welfare and Support Outstanding Individual Contribution Outstanding Student Staff Member People’s Choice Student Group of the Year Student Leader(s) of the Year Student-led Project of the Year

of doing this is to remain a part of the organisation.” “Although the NUS National Conference in Brighton highlighted some of the problems with the NUS, it is important to recognise that this vote was initiated by students before the conference ignited the wider debate that has seen Lincoln already choose to disaffiliate.” Run as a Manifesto Idea, chosen by unsuccessful VP Welfare and Diversity SABB candiate Paul Rota, options were the same as for more minor Student Ideas - Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree and Confused. 47.7 per cent of voters either strongly agreed or agreed that Exeter should disaffiliate from the NUS, with 73 students neutral and 25 claiming to be ‘confused.’ In last year’s referendum on Exeter’s continued membership of the NUS, the Stay campaign won by a much more significant margin than seen in this month’s referendum - with the former receiving an overwhelming 78% of the vote to remain.

Exe to host Pint of Science Fest Jessica Stanier Online Editor

XETER will join over 100 cities in hosting the Pint of Science Festival to share new scientiﬁc breakthroughs with the public. From 23 to 25 May, 19 researchers from the University of Exeter and the Met Oﬃce will join academics worldwide in visiting local bars and pubs to present their research. Tickets are available at Exeter venues including Hole in the Wall, The Globe Inn and The Rusty Bike. The festival was founded four years ago by two UK researchers and has since spread across 12 countries.

Jubilee Garden hits campus Ben Londesbrough Editor

HE University’s Ground Team are working with Estate Services and volunteers from across other Campus Services in order to create a brand new Diamond Jubilee International Garden, located in an area of Reed Hall’s old walled garden. This venture will feature international plant species’ from Asia, Australasia, Africa, Europe and the Americas, and is planned to open this month.

St. Luke’s missing out on library funds EXEPOSÉ

Natasa Christoﬁdou News Editor

HE distribution of library funding between the two Exeter campuses is substantially unequal, according to a recent Freedom of Information request. The investigation looked into both the physical and electronic availability of library resources. A request submitted by Exeposé found that the library at St. Luke’s received 89 per cent less funding than the Streatham library did in recent years, and that the library department does not have absolute authority on setting the budget for the two campus libraries. The resources allocated at each library come under the discretion of the colleges that are based at each campus.

The resources at St. Luke’s are not as extensive as the ones at Streatham. Eileen Tan, Sports Science student

During the academic year 201415, there were approximately 13,600

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students actively enrolled on academic courses at Streatham. In contrast, 1,500 students were taking courses at St. Luke’s campus. Considering that there are three disciplines at St. Luke’s (Medicine, Sports Science, and PGCE courses), the proportion of students studying there parallels library resources. When taking a closer look at the academic year of 2014-15, it is noticeable that there has been an improvement of book resources available for the St. Luke’s library. Compared to previous academic years, funding for St. Lukes’ rose from approximately £19,500 to £45,800. The increase of resources neverthelesss reﬂects the requirement of extra material at at St. Luke’s. Eileen Tan, a second year student who studies Sports Science on the smaller campus spoke to Exeposé about her experience at St Luke’s library: “The resources at St. Luke’s are not as extensive as the ones as Streatham. For my course we have recommended books to purchase but it’s optional. The library has older editions of them, but even then they’re very limited in numbers.” The head of the library, Clare Powne, highlighted the diﬀerent nature of courses

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

at St Luke’s, most of which involve placements. Therefore, the amount of students entering the library on a daily basis would be expected to be significantly less at St Luke’s library due to the absence of students during placement periods. Statistics shown to Exeposé by library staff regarding the footfall of students showed that at St. Lukes 400 students use the library on a daily average, whereas at the Streatham library, student usage ranged from 6,000, to 8,000 during peak time periods such as exam seasons. “The footfall has fallen dramatically this year, by 36 per cent compared to previous years at St. Luke’s, which is indiciative of the significant shift from physical books to electronic resources. “The concept of a library is no longer confined within the physical walls of this building. The University’s investment into our vast selection of electronic resources

has proven to be far more useful than conventional books.” However, an increase in electronic resources increased from £3,000, to £50,000 for journal titles alone. In the past academic year, the University invested over £3.7 million in electronic resources. This increased push for a greater online library reﬂects the rapid increase in funding from 2014-2015, requiring £1.1 million more, as electronic resource investments stood at £2.6 million. Second year German and Politics student Katie Costello, who frequently uses both Streatham and St. Lukes libraries, said: “I understand St. Lukes is a lot smaller than Streatham, but as a student who lives closer to the former, it would be really helpful if it was kept open longer, and had more resources on a variety of diﬀerent topics.”

Bethan Jones, VP Education commented on student concerns: “We’ll study the Freedom of Information Request in more detail, ensuring there are like-for-like comparisons that factor in all electronic and physical learning materials. If it appears there is a disparity in investment following this work then we’ll address student concerns with the University and work on a suitable course of action.” “Funding for subscription resources at libraries at the Streatham and St Luke’s campus is not considered separately,” a University spokesperson commented. “Budgets for books are managed by the individual colleges.” Pointing out that “around 90 per cent” of resources are now digital, they added: “The library service is not conﬁned to buildings, what is available on shelves is the tip of the iceberg.”

Hannah Butler Editor

information out there, and ask: have you actually thought about Erasmus?” “The Erasmus programme greatly facilitates modern linguists, but also other students,” she explained. And will we lose access if Britain leaves the EU? “Like with so much of this ‘leaving the EU’ thing, we just don’t know,” Percival said. “But what is clear is that there’d be no guarantee of carrying on within Erasmus. We’d have to start from a position of not being in, and renegotiate our entry into it.” This would be “time-consuming,” she added, and would likely heap admin work on University staﬀ, “which personally I hate to see happening, because it diverts funds from actual teaching.” “Erasmus is an important programme which has provided valuable educational and cultural experiences for Exeter students” a University spokesperson commented. The University’s senior team has “advocated the beneﬁts that being part of the EU brings to UK universities” they added, explaining that academics “want students to be informed about the impact on Erasmus if the UK left the European Union” so they can “make up their own minds about how to vote in the forthcoming referendum.”

Photo: Wikipedia

Students demand an end to weekend exams Save Erasmus, says professor Alex Brammer News Team

STUDENT Idea posted on the Guild website on 5 May is calling for the end of weekend examinations. It claims that “no one wants to work on a weekend” and that there is enough space and invigilators for the exams to be rescheduled to ﬁt entirely into the working week. The idea has so far been met with general positivity, with 66.2 per cent voting either Agree or Strongly Agree. However, some students have questioned whether it has been unnecessarily classiﬁed as a “Large Idea” by the Guild in order to try and prevent the idea from passing.

However, the Guild guidelines suggest that any Idea which calls for a speciﬁc ban of something is automatically contentious and therefore needs a higher numbers of votes in order to be discussed.

No-one wants to work on a weekend Student Idea proposer

Questions have also been expressed as to whether this move would adversely aﬀect students in the January season of exams. Although it may work in the summer when exams are spread over a longer period, the shorter January examination season would mean

We endeavour to minimise use of Saturday examinations

In a comment posted, Yuzhuo Wang asked “This wouldn’t have been a large idea if it were ‘lobby the university not to have weekend exams’, I think?” Large Ideas require a minimum of 450 votes in order to be passed onto the Guild, whereas a regular Student Idea only requires 25 votes in order to be scored and considered to be put into place.

Photo: Jisc.ac.uk

Ian Blenkharn, Director of Education and Student Experience

January exams being forced into a single working week. This may end with students sitting more than one exam per day in January, as well as potentially resulting in exam clashes for some. The proposal suggests that a weekend free of exams would be eﬀective for students, allowing them to relax and revise in a less pressurised environment than currently available. “Saturday exams across the whole period to minimise bunching of exams for individuals as far as possible,” Ian Blenkharn, Director of Education and Student Experience told Exeposé However, he added: “We endeavour to minimise use of Saturday examinations” The vote closes on 18 May.

N Exeter professor has urged students to take action ahead of the EU referendum, following fears that Brexit would “threaten the future of British students abroad.” Professor Melissa Percival emailed all Exeter Modern Languages students on year abroad placements, sharing a link to Students For Europe petition “Protect our access to the Erasmus+ programme.” An EU initiative, Erasmus+ oﬀers funding for students on year abroad placements across Europe. Over the past three academic years, 1,400 Exeter students have carried out placements in countries covered by the programme. “Of course staying in the EU guarantees this access,” the French, Art History and Visual Culture professor told students – also sharing a link to the UK government’s ‘Register to vote’ page. Percival told Exeposé she decided to contact Exeter students after receiving an email from Students For Europe. “People need to know this stuﬀ,” she said. “It’s not for me to tell students which way to vote, but it is my responsibility to get the

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where will a

degree at Exeter take

Study Abroad...

Are you studying abroad in 2016-17? Applications are invited for the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Scholarships. Five scholarships of £2,000 each are available for students who meet the eligibility criteria.

For further information, eligibility criteria and application form visit: www.exeter.ac.uk/international/studyabroad/outbound/feesandfunding/queenelizabethdiamondjubileescholarship

Completed applications should be sent to outbound@exeter.ac.uk by Friday 24 June 2016.

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16 MAY 2016 |

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Exeposé Comment

COMMENT EDITORS Bea Fones Matt Newman

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Yik Yak attack Are we ‘playing’ politics? Abigail Milne Contributor

‘M Abi, and I’m addicted to Yik Yak. It’s a staple on my home screen – an honourable achievement when faced with competition over my phone’s pitiful 8GB memory, with my yakarma growing in inverse proportion to my revision notes. With smart technology enabling continuous internet access, we’ve gained the ability to document every second of our lives, and lost a lot of our privacy. It can sometimes be overwhelming to have to process constant updates on the lives of everyone you’ve ever encountered.

I ﬁnd the kindness of other yakkers incredibly touching There’s then the added pressure to update everyone on your own life, just so you can prove that you’re a super-interesting person who doesn’t spend your whole time in bed watching Netﬂix. The unique appeal of Yik Yak is the anonymity. Sometimes it’s embarrassing stories, or gripes about lecturers or friends. For me, and a lot of other yak-

kers, it’s often centred around mental health. Mental illness can often be the elephant in the room when uni is supposed to be the best time of your life. Sometimes what you need in the moment is just to be able to get those niggling negative thoughts out. It’s not an immediately obvious use of the app, but anonymity provides the freedom to feel able to immediately share personal struggles. Aside from the catharsis from ‘getting it out there’, I ﬁnd the kindness of other yakkers incredibly touching. Most days, yaks will appear about feeling depressed, asking for advice about anxiety, or seeking answers to various personal dilemmas. These yaks gather comments full of helpful recommendations and supportive messages. In the isolating fog of mental illness, those few kind words from a stranger can make a real diﬀerence, especially on those days where it’s impossible to summon the emotional energy to seek out a friend to talk to in person. The anonymity of Yik Yak has helped me to reach out without the fear of judgement which other social media platforms encourage. It’s a reminder that people can be genuinely caring, and that we’re all weirdos with embarrassing stories to tell and awkward questions to ask.

Giusy Urbano Contributor

E’VE all been there, climbing up Forum Hill (short of breath and short on time) when an overzealous student shoves a leaﬂet in your hand. Soon, you’ve collected enough leaﬂets to paper the walls of your bedroom. The well- worn stereotype of the obnoxious student activist immediately springs to mind – but is there any truth in the cliché?

We are a generation in deep trouble and our troubles are political Students are dismissed as being shielded from real life, but we are a generation burdened with dwindling ﬁnances and rip-oﬀ accommodation. The border between the “university bubble” and “real life” has becoming increasingly permeable and many students – especially those from a working-class background – are struggling and realising the political roots of their struggle. With reports showing that demand for mental health support in universities has increased dramatically – it is unsur-

prising that student activists have sprung into action. Rents in Exeter are on the rise, prompting many activists to talk of “social cleansing” as low-income students can no longer aﬀord to live in expensive cities. As a result, some are taking matters into their own hands – and an attempt to set up a student housing cooperative is currently under way. If this isn’t a “real life problem” rooted in politics, then I don’t know what is. Overall, student involvement in politics can give a boost to anyone’s learning experience. Paired with the academic ammunition typical of an educational background, debates can often connect the dots between academic theory in the classroom and real-life issues. As well as referendum across the country regarding aﬃliation with the National Union of Students, the country is

facing the historic vote to leave or stay in the European Union. Combined with end-ofyear exams, these debates are regardless being met w i t h a mixture of interest and apathy, as students prioritize looming deadlines over inconclusive debates. This criticism echoes true amongst those sceptical of the role of elected Sabbatical oﬃcers; one anonymous student wondered whether they were more likely to be elected on the basis on popularity rather than proven political abilities. The bottom line is this: we are a generation in deep trouble and our troubles are political. Activists might be “playing politics” – but the issues at hand are real. It’s precisely our weeping bank accounts, mouldy bedrooms and bleak futures that should have us all springing into action.

It could be a good thing that the range of colour choices in the Disaﬃliation vote is nearly as numerous as the variety of ﬂapjack options in the Marketplace. Voters could show their hesitancy by voting ‘Agree’ or ‘Disagree’, or they could shout from the rooftops that the NUS is God/ Satan (delete as appropriate) by choosing the ‘stronger’ option. And naturally you’d presume that a ‘stronger’ vote would count for extra points, and there would be a mystical formula which could calculate the overall winner. But it turns out the Guild will actually be looking for the (dubiously-titled) “simple majority” of positive votes against negative votes. I’m not trying to pretend this isn’t written directly underneath the

poll, but the dash which links this to the ‘Neutral’ and ‘Confused’ options creates unnecessary, urm... confusion. So why offer this range of options? If you’re going to claim it’s a “simple” system, make it bloody simple: two boxes, labelled ‘Affiliate’ and ‘Disaffiliate’, would do the trick. And if you’re going to patronise us by making it the same layout as the normal Student Ideas “so that everyone is familiar with the system”, don’t sneakily give ‘Strongly Agree’ the same weighting as ‘Agree’. After all, ‘a strong man’ is not the same as ‘a man’, and even students know that ‘a strong drink’ is not the same as ‘a drink’. The referendum was a shining example of our student democracy, and it’s a shame the system didn’t reflect this authenticity.

I “Strongly Disagree” with Large Ideas Jeremy Brown Editor

‘D like to start by saying the Guild’s Change and Represent team have done a brilliant job organising these elections - for the second time in as many years - and this has been reﬂected in the fact that they have achieved the highest turnout the University has ever seen for a Student Idea. 30.8 per cent of Exeter students cast their vote, and the contest was both exciting and stressful in equal measure.

Possible answers include ‘Confused’ and its fencesitting sidekick ‘Neutral’ In the midst of the ﬁerce debates surrounding alleged shock tactics and unacknowledged expenses, arguably the only remaining aspect of the NUS Referen-

dum which hasn’t been assessed with intricate scrutiny is the voting system itself. The Guild team chose to adopt the current ‘Student Idea’ setup, creating a new tier of change called, rather unimaginatively, a ‘Large Idea’. The possible answers include the unhelpful ‘Confused’ and its fence-sitting sidekick ‘Neutral’, which don’t seem to oﬀer much to such an important campus-wide debate. Although I could easily imagine the (spookily similar) EU Referendum culminating in a national outcry of befuddled Brits shouting “actually, we’re all rather confused, to be honest”, something tells me it would hardly be the crowning achievement of humanity’s political and democratic advancements to date. Anyway, to some extent I can accept these two white ﬂag options. I can even accept the fact that the results are shown in real-time, like Hogwarts’ House points, although it seems slightly unusual. But my greatest issue with the system lies in the choice between ‘Disagree’ and ‘Strongly Disagree’, ’Agree’ and ‘Strongly Agree’.

The beautifully-clear colour wheel, which the Guild have used so successfully in their smaller ideas, clearly shows there’s a distinction. Red stands for ‘Strongly Disagree’, and the much more palatable orange represents ‘Disagree’. I don’t want to patronisingly point out the obvious potential psychology of red in comparison to green, but it doesn’t exactly take an English student to remember that red is the colour of blood, and green is the colour of trees and ﬁelds and the lush natural world.

If you’re going to claim it’s a “simple” system, make it bloody simple It also hardly takes a genius to point out that red and orange are deﬁnitely different colours: if we all woke up tomorrow and the country’s traﬃc lights had all morphed into two amber lights and a green one, it would be chaotic to say the least.

A sobering thought EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT

www.exepose.com

After teetotal clubbing night ‘Danceitation’ came to the Lemmy, we debate the advantages and disadvantages of remaining alcohol-free on a night out...

Susannah Keogh Editor

HEN I heard sober clubbing was coming to Exeter this month, oddly enough I didn’t rush to buy my ticket- surprising, given I’m normally pretty sober (permanently). Truth is, clubbing totally sober just isn’t as fun. Fact. People like acting as if not drinking makes you into this paradigm of a health conscious, fun-hating, generally got-your-shit-together kind of person, but in my experience, that’s not necessarily the case. I don’t drink huge amounts for various factors; the loss of control not being appealing, a tragic encounter with copious amounts of rosé at a family wedding that means wine isn’t exactly my drink of choice. Really, it just makes you different from everyone else around you. Take it from someone who’s been there: going out sober means you’ll always be having less fun. If you’ve ever been sober in a club, you’ll know what I mean. For all the statistics proclaiming one in five 1624 years old are teetotal - in itself hardly a huge percentage - it definitely doesn’t feel like it when you’re the only sober one in a club full of people about ten times more than drunk than you.

Going out sober means you’ll be having less fun Being sober is fine on paper, but sometimes - just sometimes - there’s nothing wrong with taking a drink or two outside of your comfort zone. It was only when I bit the bullet, swallowed (literally) my lofty ideals about not needing alcohol to have a good time, and shoved a drink or two in my hand, that clubbing became not just bearable, but actually fun. For most of first year, I barely drank. A few weak shots at flat parties and whatever weird combinations my flatmates concocted (vodka and a green smoothie? Practically a health food); it wasn’t really for fun, more to fit in. But new year, new me, and drinking just a little bit with my flatmates from January one hundred per cent brought us closer - even if I wasn’t getting flat out wasted. After fresher year, the majority of students seem to drink signifi-

cantly less anyway. It wasn’t until this year that suddenly, when I admitted to friends that to be perfectly honest, I’m not a huge drinker, it would suddenly transpire that yeah, they’re often pretty sober too. Like anything in life, there’s a balance. I know people who don’t drink at all, and they’re permanently in Arena or TP, living la vida loca sober. Getting totally wasted isn’t my idea of fun, but staying stone cold sober isn’t either. We should all have the freedom to choose to drink, or to abstain, yet there’s absolutely no point trying to pretend we all have more fun drinking our Diet Cokes and pineapple mocktails.

Carmen Paddock Contributor

Whether we like it or not, alcohol has always been at the centre of student experience For the average student, preaching sobriety is like preaching abstinence in the bedroom - it’s never going to wash. Whether we like it or not, alcohol has always been at the centre of the student experience, and there’s no way that’s going to ever signiﬁcantly change. Rather than pleading for us all to remain sober, the message of moderation is much more practical. Trying to ‘normalise’ sobriety in a student landscape only makes us sober(ish) students stand out more. The discussion shouldn’t be about what we drink, or even necessarily how much, but about the freedom to choose what makes you feel comfortable. It’s only by students encountering others who have a wide range of choices in a variety of circumstances that attitudes will start to be broken down. So, I’ll happily raise a drink half full in moderation, but a glass e m p t y ? Nah, you’re alright.

Photo: Wikipedia

NE fact from my undergraduate and graduate student life at Exeter: I’ve always been sober on a night out. A mixture of a religious upbringing, personal preference, and pure student poverty (why would I buy ciders at £2-3 pounds each when I could get two litres of Sainsbury’s Ginger Beer for 60p?) means that I’ve never had a drink with mates before clubbing. Most importantly, however, I have never felt the urge; I have plenty of fun without alcohol. While I admit I lack a perspective from the other side, I have always been happy to be the only sober person in the party. Not drinking has never hurt the fun I have had chatting, laughing, joking with, dancing with, or eating end-ofnight chips with my mates. I have even participated in drinking games with my pint glass full of lemonade. Granted, I have heard you notice the smell of Unit 1 more when sober – while I have never been drunk to test the theory, I can confirm that it does smell strongly of feet and cheese on all my teetotal visits – but when I’m around friends who are having fun and dancing ridiculously, I have a grand time joining in. Now I’m reminded of fun, memory-filled nights celebrating friendships, birthdays, and the end of exams by that old club smell! One thing that I have noticed, which has greatly boosted my confidence and comfort, is that in most cases, your clubbing mates are not paying attention to what you are or are not drinking. In almost every single night out in which I have participated, my friends have been more concerned with ensuring everyone is having a good time together than with the units of alcohol

everyone is consuming. It was an immensely freeing realisation, and one which allowed me to relax and have fun in my own way (which is often taking part in the same activities, just sober) while not worrying about or judging those around me. Perhaps my comfort is purely a sign that I have been exceedingly lucky and fallen in with the right friends, who haven’t pressured me into drinking. Additionally, I only like going out if it is with my dearest friends, but I don’t think this is a ‘clubbing sober’ thing – it is just a personal quirk. I have never gone out to meet new people or get to know people better; for me, clubbing is a product of friendship, not the other way around. Therefore, there may be some clubbing aspects or experiences that I might have missed out on.

I have even participated in drinking games with my pint glass full of lemonade In a nutshell, the fun I have had whilst going out sober has made alcohol seem entirely unnecessary for me to have an amazing night. I strongly feel that no student should ever feel that they have to drink in order to ﬁt in or have fun, and I hope that you have a wonderful time should you try a sober night out. While these are my experiences only, I’ve found that Exeter is a friendly place for anyone looking to go clubbing without alcohol – whether for religious, budgetary, or any other personal reasons.

Statistics from Exeposé, Issue 651 22% of Exeter students said that they had been injured as a result of alcohol in the past year 9.8% said that a relative, friend, doctor or other health worker had shown concern about their drinking 40% of students surveyed would be classed as alcohol dependent Any students looking for support should contact drinkaware for more information

FEATURES

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COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS + LIT 16-17 10-11 8-9 14-15

FEATURES

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GAMES+TECH SCIENCE 24-25 28-29

16 MAY 2016 |

SPORT 30-32

Exeposé Features

FEATURES EDITORS Georgina Bolam Katie Jenkins

EXEPOSÉ

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Britain’s bigotry blunder

Following Sadiq Khan’s London Mayoral win, Katie Costello discusses race and anti-semitism within the campaign

“L

ONDON has chosen unity over division.” Sadiq Khan’s message for multiculturalism was by far the most exciting thing to come out of the local council elections. Splashed across the front pages and attracting international interest, the London Mayoral election received more attention than it really deserves, considering the Mayor’s main powers are pretty much limited to setting Tube prices and arguing over another Heathrow runway. It wasn’t the role which caught the media’s eye, but the victor. Khan’s win was momentous. His policies weren’t anything special, with the candidate oﬀering the usual desirables of cheaper transport, better housing and more jobs. Khan’s victory is instead based on who he is, and who he isn’t. The ﬁrst Muslim Mayor of a European capital city in a week where Donald Trump sealed up the Republican presidential nomination restores some faith in the public.

Khan’s victory is instead based on who he is, and who he isn’t Yet despite the result, the Mayoral campaign was far from a demonstration of our liberal, multi-cultural utopia. Instead the campaigns were tarred with the same tactics of racism and xenophobia that litter wider politics today. Khan’s Conservative opponent, Zac Goldsmith, has been widely criticised from within and outside his party for his controversial campaign. Goldsmith’s smear tactics, attempting to link Khan to Islamic extremists, have been denounced by his colleagues and even had The Spectator describing it as a “toecurling” performance. Race was a campaign tool in the Goldsmith camp from the start. He first met with controversy with his leaflet campaign targeted specifically at British Indians,

sending flyers warning of Khan’s policy to tax family jewellery and criticising his opponent’s absence at an event to welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Goldsmith’s multi-lingual campaign video was meant to show his appreciation for the diversity of the city, but its atrocious production quality and attempt to appeal to minorities only cemented Goldsmith as white and out of touch. With lines like “it’s the start of a new dawn, let’s all fill our hearts with happiness,” it sounded more like something lifted from the North Korean national anthem than a persuasive campaign. Perhaps most shocking though, was his article in the Daily Mail, printed under a photograph of the bombed out London Bus and a headline that read “Are we really going to hand the world’s greatest city to a Labour party that thinks terrorists are its friends?”. This wasn’t subtle racism; it was open for everyone to see, and fundamental to the Goldsmith campaign. That was really the problem. A campaign with strokes of racism didn’t fly in a city where a third of citizens were born abroad. Goldsmith entered the race as a left-leaning Tory, and finished desperately trying to scrub racism from his name. Replying to the accusations of ‘dog whistle tactics,’ Andrew Boff, who Goldsmith beat out to become the Conservative nominee for mayor, put it perfectly. “I don’t think it was dog whistle [tactics],” he explained talking to Newsnight. “You can’t hear a dog whistle. Everybody could hear this.” The Conservative party are fighting for UKIP’s ground, appealing to the far-right of their own party. Social conservatives, xenophobes and Eurosceptic voters all fall within tantalising grasp of the Tories. However distasteful

it is, you can see why Conservative campaigners went down this more racist route. What made less sense, however, is why Labour seemed to be following them. Former Labour Mayor of London Ken Livingstone sent fear up the Khan campaigners when he decided midcampaign would be the perfect time to air his allegedly anti-Semitic views. Defending Naz Shah, who had been suspended for past comments she had made against the existence of Israel, Livingstone waded in with minimal tact. Speaking on BBC London, the former mayor said that Hitler was essentially a Zionist before “he went a bit mad and ended up killing six million Jews”.

A campaign with strokes of racism didn’t ﬂy It’s not exactly what you’d expect an ardent left-winger like Ken to say. The Labour Party is the natural home for minority voters, with under-represented groups being protected from the establishment-driven Conservatives. And whilst the Jewish population may not unanimously vote Labour, historically the majority have always done so and with the largest Jewish population in the country residing in London, calling the world’s most notorious anti-Semite a Zionist was not a great tactical move. Since Jeremy Corbyn took over as leader, there have been multiple scandals related to anti-Semitism, to the point where people are asking whether Labour has a problem within its ranks. MP John Mann, most recently seen shouting “Nazi apologist” at a disgruntled Ken Livingstone as he struggled through a revolving door, has warned of the eﬀect this recent trend may have on Labour’s votes. “Labour’s not going to win power unless we get on top of this problem”, he told the BBC in an interview on election

night. “It is clear that the Jewish vote, which for generations has been Labour, has gone against Labour tonight.” Ultimately, Sadiq Khan’s win in London was so strong, Livingstone’s comments couldn’t break his momentum. Across Europe, anti-Semitism has been on the rise. Attacks on Jews reached a five-year high in Germany in 2015, with the far-right posing the greatest threat to the community. Significantly, there has been an increase in anti-Semitic attacks motivated by ‘foreign ideology’ and jihadism. This May marks the two year anniversary since the anti-Semetic murders of French, Belgian and Israeli citizens. Committed by extremist Islamists, these acts of terror are rare, but there are frequently anti-Semitic motivations. In the end, domestic anti-Semitism is indivisible from the Israel-Palestine debate. Livingstone’s controversial comments came amid his complaints of an Israel lobby within the Left, who will smear anyone “who criticises Israeli policy as anti-Semitic.” Israel-Palestine is a problem that’s not going to go away. Gaza won’t be peaceful for years, but the British can’t avoid the partial responsibility for the crisis. By all means, we should care about international politics and conflict, but they must not influence how we see Muslims and Jews in the UK.

Attacks on Jews reached a ﬁve-year high in Germany in 2015 Sadiq Khan’s victory in London is a triumph of diversity over division, yet the campaign road showed every side of British xenophobia. Whilst it was rejected this time, internationally and at home isolationist nationalism is on the rise. With the European Referendum over a month away, we can only hope that unity will out and multiculturalism will stay in.

All you need to know about the elections... This is the first London Mayor election in which the incumbent did not stand Goldsmith’s own sister said his campaign did not reflect his intentions US Drudge Report said Khan is “First Muslim Mayor of Londonistan” David Cameron refuses to withdraw his criticisms towards Sadiq Photo: newslettereuropean.eu

Sadiq Khan polled 56.9%, Golsmith polled 43.1% of the votes

God save our gracious Queen? EXEPOSÉ

FEATURES

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Following the Queen’s 90th birthday, and William and Katherine’s ﬁfth anniversary, Samuel Fawcett, Online Features Editor and Katie Jenkins, Features Editor evaluate the beneﬁts of the monarchy

F 19-year-old me could have seen myself writing this piece, he would have been appalled. I used to be a member of Republic – the campaign to abolish the monarchy – described myself as a radical left-winger, and believed the royal family were a relic of a past deﬁned by absolute power, class snobbery and undeserved privilege. Where did it all go wrong? I am not a royalist in the sense that I adore the Windsors and believe that everything they do is a gift from on high. I don’t have any mugs at home adorned with pictures of the Queen, I don’t know the names of all the minor royalty and I don’t even like ‘Pippa Middleton Arse Appreciation Society’ on Facebook. I quite frankly couldn’t care less what the Queen does, what Prince Phillip’s latest illinformed opinion is or which autocratic regime uniform Prince Harry is wearing today. Certainly, I’m under no illusions concerning their greatness – or rather lack of it. However, when all is said and done, I still think the country is better oﬀ with them than without.

If the monarchy did possess any real power, I’d get rid of it There are two main reasons for this. The most important is stability. Like it or not, it cannot be denied that having a president as a Head of State does bring issues. One only has to look at the US or Brazil to see that, actually, having a president isn’t always that great. Brazil is currently facing a constitutional crisis due to allegations of the ﬁnancial wrongdoing of its president, while there is a genuine possibility of Donald Trump becoming the ‘leader of the free world’ in November. The latter, in particular, shows the absurdity of handing over so much power to one elected individual as opposed to having an outwardly apolitical monarch. Even if we opted for a model where the head of state is almost entirely symbolic – such as in Italy – we still face the challenge of electing someone who will project a positive image of our nation and is respected abroad. To be frank, with politics being in the state it is, we would more than likely end up electing Boris Johnson, Jeremy Clarkson or some bloke who won Series 4 of Big Brother. I don’t want any of them being our face abroad, let alone making national decisions. The other reason is more simple: people like the monarchy. Although they fail to stir any real emotion in me, it cannot be denied that a signiﬁcant proportion of the population love royal weddings, jubilees and birthdays. Such occasions bring

people together, and give them a cause to celebrate that they simply wouldn’t have with a president. It is events like these that form the backbone of our society and national identity, and the Left should not underestimate the progressive potential of such sentiments. People are far more likely to care about their fellow citizens if they believe they share something in common with them, and apolitical events oﬀer an excellent way to build this solidarity. There is, though, a certain sense of sneering superiority from too many republicans on the Left. As George Orwell wrote in his seminal work on patriotism and the Left, The Lion and the Unicorn: ‘It is a strange fact, but it is unquestionably true that almost any English intellectual would feel more ashamed of standing to attention during “God save the King” than of stealing from a poor box.’ Those who like the royal family and get excited about their aﬀairs are frequently mocked as childish and naïve, and such ridicule leaves me uncomfortable – particularly as it is so often directed at workingclass and less-educated people. If the monarchy actually did possess any real power, I’d get rid of it. Similarly, if people actually thought of themselves as inferior and subject to the monarchy, I’d get rid of it. But in reality the monarch has no real say in the nation’s affairs, and to me this is preferable to the eventuality that we might some day elect a Labour government again, only to have it hamstrung by a Conservative president. It seems to me that the argument for a republic is one of principle rather than pragmatism, and this is rarely, if ever, a wise road to take. Whenever I talk to ardent royalists about the Queen, the only response I get is something like ‘She’s a good woman’, followed by a solemn nod indicating that the time for discussion has passed. If having a royal family gives people a sense of pride and a belief that there is someone constant and incorruptible in an otherwise ever-changing and insecure world – a monarch whom, rightly or wrongly, they feel they can identify with – who am I to take that away from them? Samuel Fawcett

LONG with practically every girl from the 90s, I was born into the princess craze. For a long time – before the discovery of feminism and what a teenage boy actually was – the idea of marrying a prince seemed the epitome of tiara-studded, jewelglazed, castle-coated perfection. The royals were the be-alland-end-all, an extravagant existence that a girl would be mad not to strive for. For many, it’s a dream that still persists. The reality TV show, I Wanna Marry ‘Harry’ featuring a Prince Harry ‘lookalike’ (in other words, he’s also ginger and a male) and a group of braindead wannabe wives is perhaps a more grotesque example of the furore sparked by the Windsors. In a media dominated by celebrity culture, the royal family has become, it seems, one of our favourite consumerist products. Alongside Kim Kardashian’s bum and the latest C-list sex scandal, Kate Middleton’s clothing, Prince Harry’s love life and the Queen’s imminent death (as alleged by The Globe in 2012) are all pressing concerns that regularly grace the covers of broadsheet media. When, in 1947, Elizabeth II vowed to devote “my whole life… to your service,” it was exactly the afﬁrmation needed by a baying tabloid market to hound the family for the rest of her reign. For many, this media frenzy sits at the heart of the monarchist debate. Christopher Hitchens famously argued in 2000, not to abolish the monarchy, but to “transcend it,” largely through eliminating “the infantilism and cretinism of the press.” Both The Independent and the republican Guardian appear to have taken slight measures to doing so, and, indeed, were two of the only news outlets to publicise calls for a monarchy referendum last month. Endorsed by Republic, this organisation has been campaigning for

a British republic since its conception in 1983. Aiming to replace the monarchy “with an elected, democratic head of state,” the organisation cites the expenses, political arbitrariness and undemocratic premise of the royals as reasons for a drastic constitutional change. Certainly, as a family steeped in privilege, the reality becomes easily lost in a murky underworld of politics, money and media hysteria. From the infamous ‘Black Spider’ memos of 2004 and 2005 to the 39 government bills vetoed by the Queen and Prince Charles, the monarchy’s carefully-constructed framework has all too often been shaken by revelations of political scandal. Indeed, with the initial shelving of a 2014 BBC documentary following the threat of legal action, it begs the question of exactly how fragile the Windsors’ credibility is.

The monarchy is a dirtspattered delusion Such frailty has been further exposed following the admission last year that – despite government austerity measures – the Queen would not face any cuts to royal finances until 2017 at least. This in spite of the introduction of the Sovereign Grant in 2013 (which pays 15 per cent of surplus revenue from the crown estate), enabling a staggering £3.9 million increase in the Queen’s income last year alone. Oh, how sweet – I hear you cry over your scones and offshore trusts – with public health, disability and legal aid cuts left, right and centre, the Conservatives are still pumping money into one of the richest families in Britain! Heart-warming isn’t it? It is this sense of class-oriented injustice that pinpoints the essential root issue with the monarchy. The antiquated system it legitimises is a baffling fantasy of primogeniture and plutocracy, belying the democratic ideals Britain so attempts to project. It’s a dirt-spattered delusion that no number of royal brides or babies can ever truly disguise. A recent survey from the Institute of Fiscal Studies caused controversy following its findings that graduates from richer backgrounds will earn more than poorer students on the same course. This in spite of employment quotas, educational reforms and a growing left-wing politicisation that puts social equality at the forefront of its ideology. As Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett ironically noted in response: “is there anybody left on these isles who persists in the belief that we inhabit a meritocracy?” Well, with the Windsors at the bejewelled helm, how can there be? Katie Jenkins

SABBS

Some of my priorities for 2015/16 are:-

vpeducation@exeterguild.com

I represent students in all matters relating to their studies and educational experience. I ensure that students’ views about teaching, feedback, library facilities and much more are represented to the University. I oversee the Students’ Guild’s team of more than 400 academic representatives to ensure that change happens where and when it needs to.

• preventative wellbeing support

Some of my priorities for 2015/16 are:-

• veggie and vegan options in Guild outlets

• boosting academic and pastoral support

• individuality and diversity on our campuses

• increasing lecture recordings available • visibility of academic representation and societies

PRESIDENT

LAURA-JANE TILEY president@exeterguild.com

I lead the Students’ Guild in line with our strategy and oversee the team of sabbatical officers. I chair the Students’ Guild’s Board of Trustees which oversees our charity governance and I sit on a number of senior University boards, ensuring students’ views are heard at the highest level.

VICE-PRESIDENT ACTIVITIES

KATIE O’CONNOR

vpactivities@exeterguild.com

ExeActivities

I am responsible for ensuring that every student has the support they need throughout their time at University. I represent students on issues including accommodation, health, mental wellbeing and personal safety and I work to ensure that our campuses are inclusive and welcoming for every student.

BETHAN JONES

ExePresident

vpwelfare@exeterguild.com

VICE-PRESIDENT EDUCATION

exeterguild.com/sabbs

ExeEducation

NAOMI ARMSTRONG

ExeWelfare

VICE-PRESIDENT WELFARE & DIVERSITY

LED BY STUDENTS

The Students’ Guild is led by four elected Sabbatical Officers – or ‘Sabbs’ – who represent the needs and views of the student body within the Guild, to the University, and on the national stage.You can visit the Sabbs at any time in their office in DH1

Some of my priorities for 2015/16 are:-

I represent the Students’ Guild’s societies and student groups, oversee its democratic structures and scrutinise the University on employability matters. I support as many students as possible to get involved with societies, volunteering and fundraising to become active members of the student – and wider – community. It’s important to me that Exeter students graduate with more than a degree.

• teaching day and student experience

Some of my priorities for 2015/16 are:-

• amplifying Exeter’s national voice

• Promoting year-round society involvement

• space issues on campus • Ensuring Student Ideas achieve change • Strengthening the student experience on St. Luke’s

lifestyle

ARTS + LIT

E X H I B IT MUSIC

GAMES + TECH

screen

DRAKE VS BLAKE

STUDENT TRAVEL SPECIAL

Ratchet & clank review

a midsummer night’s review

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CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL BORE

14 - 15

16 - 17

18 - 19

22 - 23

24 - 25

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Jade Beard Laurel Bibby

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Natasha Ebbutt Emily Wheeler

MUSIC EDITORS Rory Marcham Helen Payne

SCREEN EDITORS Mark Allison Zak Mahinfar

GAMES + TECH EDITORS Jabez Sherrington Sam Woolf 16 MAY 2016 |

EXEPOSÉ

LIFESTYLE

Student-savvy travel

Four Exeposé Lifestyle writers share their top tips for exploring Europe on a budget AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Abigail Milne

HERE aren’t many things I’d voluntarily spend 17 hours on a Megabus for, but I’m a sucker for a bargain. Taking advantage of your NUS Extra card gets you an ExeterAmsterdam return ticket for only £57, and the student-friendly city is packed with hostels for even the most frugal backpacker. Walking

tours through cobbled streets and along gorgeous canals combine exploration with learning about the city’s fascinating history, or if you’re not a walker, bike-hire is abundant. The beautiful Vondelpark is perfect for a cycle and a picnic and not far from the Museumplein, where the famous ‘I amsterdam’ sign awaits. I’d recommend the Van Gogh museum; it’s the best-presented art gallery I’ve ever visited and worth spending a little extra cash. If your bank account’s telling you ‘no’, but your wanderlust’s telling you ‘yes’, Amsterdam is the perfect budget-friendly holiday destination.

KRAKOW, POLAND

Catherine Bird

AST summer I travelled around Eastern Europe for two weeks, the highlight being our stay in Krakow. Culturally and socially diverse, as well as affordable, I would recommend this beautiful city to any young traveller looking for somewhere a little bit different, without breaking the bank. The Havana hostel

Photo: fluentin3months.com

Photo: wikipedia.org

Photo: pixabay.com

SPLIT, CROATIA

Rowan Keith, Online Comment Editor

ROATIA is one of the most beautiful places that I have been lucky enough to visit, and the city of Split could not be more perfect for students. As well as having the standard bar crawls and night life vital to every student holiday, there is culture, nature and history all around. The prices are perfect, with gorgeous self-catered apartments for less than £100 per

16 MAY 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

provided a great bar crawl and was very sociable, being right in the centre of the city’s hub of food, drink and entertainment. The central square, comprised of a romantically lit old trade-market, is alive with bars and restaurants around the perimeter. We were also able to visit the site of Auschwitz, a very sobering experience, which everyone of our generation should witness. We tried plenty of traditional Polish cuisine, pierogi dumplings and Zywiec beer, which is both delicious and remarkably cheap. The atmosphere of the city was welcoming, and was a great way to end my trip.

Photo: Francesca Wright

person per week, street food for less than £1 a meal, and even private boat trips for less than £10 per person per day. Not only is it cheap, but there are all kinds of things to do for free. There are beautiful beaches and parks to walk through, and the relics of the old city centre to explore. In my opinion, the jewel in this amazing city’s crown is the live music every night in the square of the old city, where people from all backgrounds sit and eat dinner, and then get up to dance together with family, friends and strangers alike. If you’re looking for a summer holiday, I can’t recommend Split enough.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Francesca Wright

HERE is no doubt that the majority of Eastern European countries are cheaper than the rest of the continent. Budapest is a prime example of this, consistently ranking amongst the most affordable holiday destinations, not just in Europe, but worldwide. History, culture, and striking scenery - Budapest has it all. Even better, the nightlife is amazing,

but won’t set you back like other European destinations. For example, you can go to Morrisons (not the supermarket, but a retro club), and pay an entry price of around £5. This entitles you to free drinks all night: proper ones, too, not ‘free drinks’ in the sense of a dodgy bar crawl where most spirits and anything half decent is off limits. The seventh district is home to an array of quirky ruined bars, housed in abandoned buildings, where the average price for a glass of wine is 91p. You’ll spend so little that you’ll even have enough money left over for a spa treatment at the thermal baths to cure that hangover.

EXHIBIT

16 MAY 2016

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

LIFESTYLE

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Interrail or interfail?

Carmen Paddock and Jade Beard, Lifestyle Editor, debate the student travel phenomenon BY its very nature, interrailing is a full-on experience. Your belongings for a few weeks or months are merely those you can carry with you as you make your way across Europe. Depending on your type of

rail pass and personal plans, you may be in cities for a few days or merely an afternoon. This intensity, however, has not hurt interrailing’s popularity – indeed it seems a beloved choice for students. In my opinion, the benefits of such fast-paced travel – flexibility, affordability, and variety – far outweigh any disadvantages.

HAVING talked about it for months, two friends and I decided it would be a great experience to go interrailing. Over Easter we attributed a couple of hours deciding which countries to visit and what pass would be best suited to our student budget. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Four hours later (and two packets of chocolate digestives down), we were no closer to even booking our European getaway. Whilst the number of countries on offer to visit is incredible, the process is quite complicated, especially when it comes to booking trains. As a fundamental aspect of the interrailing process, we were shocked to discover that a pass

doesn’t actually guarantee free travel on all trains. Some required around four euros just to make a reservation and when you’re going to be using transport pretty frequently on your trip, these fees can tot up; you could be sacrificing that Parisian delicacy you’ve been dreaming of. Though initially gutted at the prospect of losing out on an incredible tour of Europe, we discovered that flying was equally, if not slightly more, accommodating to our budget. Not only was this cheaper, but we realised the perks of spending two hours on a plane, rather

There are no set paths for interrailing; you get to completely design your own holiday based on your budget and dreams, and there are a wealth of pass types that you can tailor to your desires. For instance, there are one-country passes if you want to explore one place in-depth, five-country passes for more extensive but still less expensive routes, and unlimited

than up to 12 hours on a superpacked train. Though one of the benefits of interrailing is meeting fellow travelers, remember that there’s absolutely nothing stopping you from chatting to the guy next to you on the plane. Even if he did totally steal the aisle seat.

passes if you want the full European experience at your own pace. Furthermore, with advance pass booking, you are paying for travel up-front; you do not need to worry about transport fees unless you want to book a seat reservation (usually 2-4 euros). Money can instead be spent on local food, attractions, and nightlife. Additionally, depending on your pass and any advance accommodation bookings, you have the flexibility to stay for as long as you’d like in any place. You’re getting a taste of several cities, leaving you free to explore at your own pace. And with up to 30 countries to travel in one go, there is enough adventure to satisfy the most extreme wanderlust and to cater to any passions – from medieval history to modern clubs. Exploring six cities across four countries in twelve days is still one of my most cherished memories, and I would highly recommend interrailing to any young traveller looking to experience as much of Europe as they desire.

Pho to: H

itac

Look before you book

Bea Fones, Comment Editor, reveals how to make the most of travelling on a student budget

T can be pretty hard to try and save money when travelling, even if you’re already on a shoestring budget. From booking flights, to finding accommodation, to trying out new foods and buying souvenirs, there’s always another opportunity to siphon your money away during a trip. So here are a few tips to make your travels slightly less of a burden to your bank account before you’ve even left!

Book flights early… or late! We all know that booking extremely far in advance can increase the chances of getting extremely cheap flights, but people rarely consider the possible benefits of just booking a last minute flight and hopping on the plane, which can be just as inexpensive! I’m a big fan of buying one-way tickets to leave yourself the option of staying somewhere longer if you like, or flying back on a day when flights are cheapest. I try to leave booking until the last minute - not just because I’m disorganised, but because an unlikely deal could be just around the corner!

Use a booking app I use Skyscanner to find the best deals on flights, but lastminute.com was always my go-to before I discovered it. Both of these sites, and corresponding apps, show you different flight options for your chosen destinations, often far cheaper than booking through the airline. I particularly like Skyscanner because it gives you the option to compare prices for all the days in a month and choose your flight accordingly.

Alternative accommodation Hotels and hostels are all well and good, but if you really want to save money, I’d recommend looking into Couchsurfing - a free website where hosts all around the world open their homes to travellers looking for a place to stay. The website does its own security checks, but it’s mainly a case of using your common sense and checking that hosts have positive feedback from previous guests on their profiles. I’ve met some of my closest travel friends through Couchsurf-

ing, and would recommend it to everyone! Think about it - free accommodation! What’s not to like? I’ve stayed in a lovely flat in central Bangkok, and a brand new condo with a swimming pool in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Suck it up, youth hostels.

Consider volunteering Using sites like workaway.info allows you to travel extremely cheaply, if not for free! It’s a great way to get to know local communities - you work for approximately six hours a day in exchange for food and accommodation. Placements can range from au-pair placements with families, helping with childcare, or renovation projects in the countryside. It may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy active travelling then it’s definitely worth checking out. By avoiding paid volunteer placements you can save so much money, and often give far more back to a community than if you were just part of a well-intentioned but ultimately pretty useless group project.

Hopefully, these tips have given you some of your own ideas on how to save money on your travels before departure!

USEFUL SITES skyscanner.net Ideal for finding cheap flights lastminute.com Another gem for those wishing to be spontaneous with their travels couchsurfing.com A perfect site for friendly and affordable accommodation workaway.info Save money whilst making a difference gov.uk/guidance/foreign-travel-checklist Helpful advice before you start planning

ARTS + LIT Midsummer lovin’

Carmen Paddock heads down to London to see Shakespeare’s fairytale comedy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM Shakespeare’s Globe 30 April - 11 Sept

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FTER 11 years at the helm of Shakespeare’s Globe, Dominic Dromgoole stepped down as Artistic Director on 23 April 2016, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. His replacement, Emma Rice – who made a name for herself with the high-energy Cornish theatre troupe Kneehigh – will head the coming seasons. Her 2016 summer programme has been dubbed the ‘Wonder’ season and will feature such shows as Macbeth, Cymbeline, and the Kneehigh original: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips. With this dynamic director focus-

ing on plays with fairytale – even supernatural – elements, it is set to be an exciting year. The first glimpse of Rice’s season was the opening production, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This popular comedy is a perfect vehicle to showcase the new artistic director’s strengths: well known enough to attract Shakespeare buffs and casual theatregoers alike whilst also allowing for freedom to reinvent the now-iconic performance space. And reinvent it did.

The most notable additions to the Globe itself were the relatively expansive use of sets (notably tables in the audience, giant white baubles hanging from the ceiling, and rigging for characters and set pieces to ‘fly’) and the installation of a modern lighting rig and amplification system. The latter, which was used by microphoned actors and musicians, was the most unnecessary. The Globe is an intimate, minimalistic place; amplification is overwhelming and distracting. The new lights will certainly allow directors more choices for future productions, but it too takes away from the space’s unique natural illumination I attended the evening premiere, but several lighting effects were lost at the sunny matinée. While all additions were used to fun effect in Midsummer, the Globe may have lost its distinctive minimalism. I admit this is a rather purist opinion, but were the show not so good these alterations may have been unjustifiable. Aside from the questionable changes to the theatre itself, a negative quality of the production is its length: three hours is too long for such a fast-paced comedy. Were a few jokes tightened, songs shortened, and scene changes smoothed, this show would possibly be flawless. Regardless, Midsummer is terrific – the sold-out opening night audience’s riotous laughter matched the bold and bawdy onstage antics. This is perhaps the most important indicator of its success – pure

enjoyment. Part of the humour is in the local flavour – the setting is updated to modern London, the Athenian youth Puck is sent to track down becomes a ‘Hoxton hipster’, and the mechanicals are portrayed as the Globe’s stage team. The spectacle and song in the quasi-cabaret faerie world adds a contrast to the central lovers’ and clueless mechanicals’ relatability. Furthermore Rice’s roots in physical theatre support the more supernatural scenes as Puck (Katy Owen) leads the mortals through mischievous escapades.

RIOTOUS LAUGHTER MATCHED THE BOLD AND BAWDY ONSTAGE ANTICS A major technical advantage, especially in such world-class Shakespeare, is the gender-blind and gender-fluid casting; all of the ‘rude mechanicals’ except Bottom and Flute become women (though Flute is played by a woman playing a boy), and Demetrius is pursued by ‘Helenus’ (a show-stealing Ankur Bahl) instead of the usual lovelorn lady. While a bit messier than hoped for a new artistic director’s premiere piece, A Midsummer Night’s Dream revels in a delightful, lighthearted hilarity. Whether its unorthodox style (representative of this season) will help or hinder the Globe’s appeal remains to be seen, but the production itself is a joy to experience and a highly-recommended evening.

Back to Brontë

Kate Jones, Online Features Editor, celebrates the extraordinary Brontë sisters

F there’s one name you could argue really encompasses classic literature, it’s Brontë. Though Charlotte, Emily and Anne, three of the children of a clergyman from Yorkshire, had relatively short lives and tragic deaths, their brooding works including Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall respectively, achieved immense popularity. 200 years after the birth of Charlotte Brontë, the eldest of the famed Brontë children, works by the women are often some of the first you think of when it comes to Victorian literature or romantic fiction. My introduction to the Brontës happened all the way back when I was a teenager, in Year 9, when I read my gran’s copy of Wuthering Heights, written by Emily. I can’t remember how or why I dug it out or found the copy at her house. The whole Twilight phenomenon

16 MAY 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

dominating young adult literature at the time likely played a part, given the references to the novel in the series, and the fact there was a reissue of the novel with ‘Bella and Edward’s favourite book’ on it at the time. Perhaps it was the 2009 ITV adaptation, or the general amount of references to the story in popular culture as well. Regardless of why or how I ended up reading Wuthering Heights, it was the first adult classic I had ever read, and I loved it. With its gothic gloom, its melodramatic emotion and its tale of love and revenge, it was the ideal classic for teenage me to start with. Soon after, I read Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and loved the story of protagonist Jane too. The Brontës have shaped my visions – as well as many others’, I’m sure – of literature from the 1800s. Yes, I really like Pride and

Prejudice, and Austen is a good writer, but she seems to lack the grit that the Brontë novels seem to have. There’s just something intriguing about the dramatic lives of the three sisters and the dark twists and turns in their work. One day, I would love to make a journey to Haworth, where the women lived for most of their lives, and see the places and Yorkshire moors they saw - in true literature fangirl style. It would be an ideal way to truly get a feel for the extraordinary lives of three extraordinary women.

EXHIBIT

ARTS + LIT

Photo: Sachi Minami

OOKS are one of the foundations of our culture. Fiction or non-fiction, funny or dark, long or short; there is literally something for everyone. Book lovers everywhere will all agree there is nothing better than going into a bookshop and browsing the shelves, with every topic at your fingertips. Opening the cover of a new book, and closing the back cover at the very end are some of the most satisfying feelings known to man. However, in recent years, with technological advances, there has been a shift away from the traditional hardback and paperback world of yonder to the newest craze: e-books. E-books are electronic files of books which can be read on electronic devices, such as a Kindle or Kobos, and have been making waves in publishing for the last 30 years, with real recognition coming in the late 2000s. The premise is that you can carry thousands of books in your back pocket, in an ultra-thin form, but to be frank, I just don’t get the appeal. The feel of an e-book just cannot compare to holding a physical book in all of its glory. The feeling of the paper and the turning of a page, is not in any

EDITOR: Tash Ebbutt way mirrored by touching a button or a screen. With no physical pages, you can’t have that satisfaction of physically seeing just how many pages you have read and how many you have to go; a number in the corner of the screen just isn’t the same. After you’ve finished the book, you have the joy of putting it on the bookshelf where it is almost like a trophy, reminding you of what you’ve read and, if it is a particularly heavy going book, what you have achieved. With an e-book all that happens is the file is put away, out of sight and out of mind, never to be seen again. It’s almost sad. As journalist Joe Queenan put it, e-books are useless “for people who are engaged in an intense, lifelong love affair with books”. There is just not the same feel, look or smell with a screen that you get from the paper and ink of a real book. The stories contained in a computer file are too easily forgotten and can’t be admired or remembered in the same way a book sat on a shelf can be, and in all honestly physical books are part of our history and culture, whilst e-books may well be nothing more than a fad.

Art to Art

16 MAY 2016

Stephanie Bates

Y interest for etching began at A Level, doing an Art & Design course. I would have to say that John Tenniel (who illustrated the Alice and Wonderland books) is definitely an inspiration to me. The woodblocks that he engraved for printing often had alterations and repairs made to them which you can spot in some of the illustrations and the amount of detail and imagination that had gone into the designs is charming. Etching is an intaglio printing process meaning that the printing surface is below the surface of the plate. The technique involves using a drypoint needle to etch a design onto a sheet of acrylic, applying a layer of ink on top ensuring that it gets in the groves, rubbing off the excess and then putting it through a printing press to transfer the image onto paper.

My latest piece was for a ‘scape’ project with the Art Society in which I decided to etch a view of Exeter with as much detail as I could. There is a certain rough and organic quality to them that I feel couldn’t be achieved through a simple pen drawing. Although etching can be a lengthy process, there is something immensely rewarding. about finally getting to see the results when they come through the printing press.

Give me a paperback any day Victoria Bos, Science Editor, discusses the dawn of the e-reader

Exeposé Arts + Lit showcases some edgy etching, hot off the press ETCHING

ART FROM THE HEART Nadia Zajancauskaite One of the worst things about getting older is not an obligation to pay your own bills, but the loss of the lightness of being, of a child-like way of looking at the world with wonder and amazement. Remember when everything was full of tremendous meaning and your imagination was able to paint the most vivid pictures? I have a feeling that all we do later is searching for the cure for our incessant rational thinking and the routines of everyday life. My method was to turn back to the things I liked as a child, hoping that it could help to bring back a half-forgotten magic. And there was one book capable of conjuring beautiful fantasies - The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner. This book gets undeservedly little attention, although the scope of its fascinating world competes with the work of Tolkein. There is one big difference, however – Garner’s story is specific to English countryside, it is all about a quiet village somewhere in Cheshire where the most strange events take place. The hills are filled with elves, and the fog is so thick you can get lost and meet monsters. The reader can take the place of one of the main characters – a boy and a girl and discover the terrible secrets and, perhaps, defeat some evil. The magic intertwines with everyday life so closely that when I put the book down I am still not quite free from its spell. And what can be better than being the captive of a fairy-tale story?

MUSIC

The return of Radiohead T

Oliver Thompson and James Beeson debate the merits of Radiohead Are they “The Beatles of the 21st century”?

O, Radiohead have released two singles: ‘Burn the Witch’ and ‘Daydreaming.’ By the time you read this, the much-anticipated A Moon Shaped Pool will be out and, from what I have heard, it seems to me that this album will be fantastic. Both songs hark back to the band’s glory days in the early 2000s, with a combination of strings and synths complimenting an apocalyptic, dreary backdrop. Sometimes I wonder why I have to justify liking a band or a song. For me, music is an extremely subjective field; based often not so much on what warrants a ‘good’ composition, but more how a listener ‘feels’ when they hear it. I am a self-confessed (and God knows I let my friends know) Radiohead fan, almost to the point of self-parody. I have been waiting for this LP since The King of Limbs, which, even as a follower I found to be a little underwhelming. So, for me, these two singles were great, and I can’t wait for more.

THIS ALBUM WILL BE FANTASTIC Certainly, I am aware that as a fan I am therefore likely to enjoy any piece of music that Radiohead puts out. All too often I hear cries of “they’re overrated,” or “I don’t like their music” whenever the Radiohead fandom kicks in. Fair enough. I can’t make you like anything. As I established before, it’s highly subjective and if you don’t like it because of any criticism you could levee against them (pretention is a classic go-to) it would be equally as meaningless for me to attempt to list ‘reasons’ why you should like them. Even our friendly neighbour Liam Gallagher has

weighed in on why he doesn’t like the Oxford five-piece: “I heard that fucking Radiohead record [The King Of Limbs] and I just go, ‘What?!’” he said. “I like to think that what we do, we do fucking well. Them writing a song about a fucking tree? Give me a fucking break! A thousand year old tree? Go fuck yourself!” (NME) This is not to say that if you don’t like what I like your music taste is fundamentally bankrupt – again, different people, different opinions. Although what I would say, and I hope any music enthusiast would agree, is you have to understand why other people might like them. Radiohead, for me, are significant because they have had such a long-lasting career, beginning in 1993, with a fanbase that has tolerated their continuous attempts to redefine their sound album to album. The hype surrounding their new release here is a case in point. They know where music has gone and will go, and thus know how to market appropriately. They’re essentially an art rock band in a continually watered down mainstream rock scene and have influenced a lot of the bands we now know and love. If you see hype on the internet about their new release, there’s a reason why. Again, if you don’t like them, fair enough. You can’t be expected to like anything just because a select group of people like it. It may annoy you that the fans have become memes to the extent that they cry ‘genius’ whenever the band hint at a release. My contention is that this debate is pointless. I like the band. You don’t. Sorry. But, at least understand why they are as successful as they are.

Oliver Thompson

ESCRIBED as “The Beatles of the 21st Century”, “the best and most talented band to ever grace the planet,” “like Christmas had sex with my birthday.” These are just some of things that have been said about Radiohead in recent years. I’ve never understood the hype, and indeed the first thoughts that Thom Yorke and co. bring to my mind are more along the lines of “self-indulgent”, “overrated” or quite simply “dull.”

DREARY, UNINSPIRING, AND JUST PLAIN SELF-INDULGENT “How dare you?” I hear you cry, but allow me to explain. I’ve got nothing against Radiohead as a band per-say, and in fact a lot of their music is perfectly pleasant. I’ll quite happily sing along to ‘Creep’ and ‘Karma Police’ down at Cavern on a Saturday, and am even willing to admit that The Bends was one of the best albums of the 1990s both lyrically and musically. There’s no doubting that Radiohead have got talent. However, I think what it is that annoys me about Radiohead is the sheer level of obsession that surrounds them, not to mention their own inflated sense of self worth. Honestly, the way some people talk about Thom Yorke, you’d think he was some kind of demiGod, and for me that reputation is just not justified. A lot of their music is dreary, uninspiring and just plain self-indulgent, and I say this as someone who saw them perform live at Glastonbury 2011 and thought they were frankly pretty average. Just what is it exactly about Radiohead that has critics and fans fall-

ing over themselves to praise them? Two things have particularly irked me about Radiohead in recent weeks. Firstly was their fans reaction to the band removing themselves from the internet, acting as if they had reinvented the wheel, rather than just pulled off a ridiculous publicity stunt, and secondly when they resurfaced to release new single ‘Burn the Witch’ – again a fairly good, if unremarkable track. Steve Lamacq not only played the track on BBC 6 Music within minutes, but then had the audacity to play it AGAIN immediately afterwards. I struggle to think of an occasion when this has ever been done before, and quite frankly it baffles me. What other band receives such unbridled levels of hysteria from everyone in the industry purely on the account of releasing a new song? I honestly think that Noel Gallagher – not a man I agree with on a regular basis – summed it up perfectly when he said “if Thom Yorke fucking shit into a light bulb and started blowing it like an empty beer bottle it’d probably get 9 out of 10 in fucking MOJO.” It’s about time we stopped acting like the sun shines out of Yorke’s anus and recognised Radiohead for what they are – a perfectly decent but overrated band who don’t deserve half of the outlandish publicity they get.

James Beeson A MOON SHAPED POOL IS OUT NOW ON XL RECORDINGS

EXHIBIT

EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

MUSIC

16 MAY 2016

Drake, Blake and heartache Ben Londesbrough, Editor, and Matty Graham review two of the week’s biggest releases

DRAKE Views 29 April

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OR a musician whose signature sound is formed from a somewhat essentialist (deconstructive even) approach to electronica, you’d be forgiven in assuming that James Blake’s songs would be devoid of any emotion. Yet the London-born artist continues to refute these expectations by imbuing his sparse soundscapes with an incontrovertible soulfulness. This quality is perhaps most evident on his third album The Colour In Anything. Blake’s mastery of alienating listeners in a barren wilderness of programmed drumbeats is simultaneously countered by his foggy falsetto vocals that draw us into an evocatively miserable world. If you’re not a fan of drawn out (and I mean REALLY drawn out, the total running time comes to 76 minutes) excursions into one 27-year-old’s heartbreaks, then The Colour in Anything is not for you. However for those who seek the mindnumbing juxtaposition between impossible density and vast spatiality, then James Blake’s latest offering proves to be his most accomplished record to date.

THE COLOUR IN ANYTHING IS OUT NOW

IEWS, originally titled Views From The 6, is Drake’s love letter to his home city of Toronto. Since the album was announced way back in 2014, Drake has dropped a surprise mixtape, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, and collaboration album with Future, What a Time to Be Alive. Alive After two years of anticipation, with the album and the artist aggrandised to such an extent before its release, I’m afriad to say that I found the eventual product disappointing and underwhelming. Drake’s insular and revealing lyrics persist in Views, rapping and singing about his family and friends, his city, and his many, many ex-girlfriends. “This album, I’m very proud to say, is just - I feel like I told everybody how I’m actually feeling,” he told Zane Lowe in a recent interview, which is strange considering ALL of his previous work is based around telling us how he feels. The problem with Views, however, isn’t with Drake’s sometimes questionable lyrical abilities (which I always love anyway), it’s its length. Views runs at a bloated 82 minutes, which is far too long and is quite honestly pure self-indulgence. Lacking the drive and aggression that punctuated If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Late and the cohesion of Nothing Was The Same, Same I find myself picking out single tracks on Views as opposed to listening to the whole album. Starting slowly and fairly boringly, with

‘Keep the Family Close’ and ‘9’, Drake appears to take no new direction, delivering monotone raps over fairly unremarkable beats. The third track changes this formula slightly, including a pretty cool DMX sample to get the beat going at the beginning. ‘Feel No Ways’ is the stand out of the album for me, a spiritual successor to 2013’s mega-hit ‘Hold On We’re Going Home’. Produced by Jordan Ullman of Drake’s OVO signees Majid Jordan, the song features skittering hi-hats and a smooth synth that makes it a certified chilled, summer evening song.

A mere two weeks after a coveted guest spot on Beyoncé’s Lemonade, The Colour in Anything ushers in a more mature approach to Blake’s musings. Indeed his collaborations with Frank Ocean and Bon Iver percolate throughout the record, providing an extra dose of RnB-licked melancholy on such tracks as ‘I Need A Forest Fire’. Sonically, Blake swoops between binaries, from the beautifully soft piano ballad ‘f.o.r.e.v.e.r.’ to the jarring, laptop-forged sounds of ‘Points’.

building banks of electronic vocals that swell to near choral proportions. Indeed there is a distinct resemblance to Imogen Heap’s ‘Hide and Seek’ on closing number ‘Meet You In The Maze’. The track presents The Colour in Anything’s most poignant statement, as Blake tremulously pines “music can’t be everything”; he ironically suggests the need for respite from his own work. Indeed, it sometimes becomes difficult to remember that this album is simply one guy as ‘Put That Away And Talk To Me’ skips lazily like a broken clockwork amidst discordant speeches. The Colour in Anything’s list of famous contributors doesn’t just stop at musicians however. Children’s illustrator Quentin Blake has inked the album’s artwork, emphasising a more playful quality than its predecessors and further cementing James as a quintessential part of the British music scene. Certainly his wry smirk and the nude woman draped amongst the branches offers keen observers an insight into the selfreflective thematic nature of the album. While The Colour in Anything teeters dangerously towards tedium in places, the accomplished production and mystifying lyrics instead set a benchmark for British electronic artists. It’s a beautifully forlorn effort, with enough distinctive quirks to render James Blake’s album a triumph in its field.

ACCOMPLISHED PRODUCTION AND MYSTIFYING LYRICS In doing so, The Colour in Anything vividly taps into the anxieties of the millennial age, as we strain to find humanity in an increasingly digital world. This sentiment is best embodied by the gloomy videogame-esque pulsations of ‘I Hope My Life’, as James mourns, “I hope my life is no sign of the times”. While the disorientating sirens of ‘Timeless’ create an unexpected urgency in an otherwise fairly subdued introspective, providing a muchneeded change of pace. Blake’s usage of vocorder effects throughout is arguably a little heavy, frequently

MONOTONE RAPS OVER FAIRLY UNREMARKABLE BEATS From this accomplished chill-vibe, Drake fulfils his title of ‘Jumpman’ by jumping straight back into If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late mode with aggressive songs like ‘Hype’ and ‘Still Here’, that are good in their own right, but don’t mesh into the album. He moves back and forth too often, and the album only really hits a flow between tracks six and twelve, meandering through more relaxed efforts like ‘Weston Road Flows’, and ‘With You’ featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR. The

Matty Graham

swaying dancehall rhythms of ‘Controlla’, single ‘One Dance’ and ‘Too Good’ (featuring Rihanna), inject a bit of pop and bounce into the album, but again at random points, fitting the bill for marketable singles, but not as part of a bigger album. However, single ‘Pop Style’ has been altered, removing Kanye’s and JayZ’s verses’ to make Views a very Drake orientated show. Certain songs just shouldn’t be on the album: definitely ‘Grammys’, a collaboration with Future that seems like a What a Time to Be Alive B-side lazily thrown in. Similarly, ‘Hotline Bling’ seems tacked onto the end and adds nothing overall. All in all, Drake’s newest album is frustrating in that it boasts some really good moments that get lost in the muddle of too many tracks. Kanye was guilty of including too many songs on The Life of Pablo, and Drake is here too. It doesn’t work, and my blasphemous advice would be to find the tracks you like, delete the ones you don’t, and enjoy your own cohesive version of Views.

Ben Londesbrough

VIEWS IS OUT NOW

JAMES BLAKE The Colour in Anything 6 May

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Here comes the sun

Akash Beri, Online Science Editor, considers the state of the summer blockbuster

ET’S set the record straight. The movie industry is just that - an industry. Movies are investments worth millions of dollars, fronted by by a range of producers and corporate sponsors. Everyone wants a return on their investment, which means a movie has to make money or it’s not going to get made at all. In the past, certain metrics were used to ensure the film was a success, and since the dawn of the ‘blockbuster’ with 1975’s Jaws, the summer was typically seen as the best time to release a movie, as most children would be off from school and families generally spent more time out and about. As a result, high-concept, high-budget movies would be released in this window, vividly demonstrated by the fact that over half of the top-ten highest grossing movies were released in the summer. However, two very important movies bucked this trend; Titanic, and Avatar. Both directed by James Cameron, they were re-

leased around Christmas time and went on to become the two highest grossing movies of all time. While this was different from the usual summer slot, Christmas releases would benefit from most people being off from work and seeking family entertainment indoors. However, the nature of blockbuster movies has changed, and consequently, the time they are released has become less and less relevant.

THE NATURE OF BLOCKBUSTER MOVIES HAS CHANGED The most recent example is Deadpool, which was released in February and subsequently shattered box office records to become the highest grossing R rated movie of all time, taking over the mantle from 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded. A month later, Batman V

Superman: Dawn of Justice was released with a huge opening weekend, but lacklustre staying power. The latter of these movies easily fits the bill of a blockbuster superhero action movie, yet it was not released during either the summer or Christmas seasons. This can be attributed to Captain American: Civil War scaring it off from its original May slot, but demonstrates all the same that the time of release is becoming less important. People will go to see a movie regardless of when it’s released, provided it is something with a pre-existing audience (which comic-book movies have over other original films). Huge box office returns are witnessed across a variety of release dates, with the film itself being the key factor in its success. However, the future looks increasingly bleak for movies which are not ‘blockbusters’. With Marvel and DC superhero movies being released every year in the summer months, it will be far more difficult for smaller mov-

ies to make the same amount of money they once could. Likewise, Disney will be releasing a new Star Wars film every Christmas for the forseeable future. It feels like the big films are only getting bigger, while smaller and independent projects are being snuffed out.

THE FUTURE LOOKS INCREASINGLY BLEAK FOR SMALLER FILMS As producers lose faith in riskier ventures, what we will see are cinemas packed with ‘blockbuster’ franchise films released at all times of the year, with very little else of quality available. Whether or not this franchise bubble will pop in the near future is uncertain, but it seems as if Hollywood’s priority is releasing blockbuster movies all year round, rather than coming up with fresh and original ideas.

Joe Oxlade rates the best and worst actors-turned-directors... Clint Eastwood Best

Star of such classics as Dirty Harry and every western you’ve ever seen, Eastwood got to know and love the role of a mysterious stranger entering a quiet town and protecting them against some Hispanic stereotype baddies. So he decided to direct them himself! Some of his earliest films as director were Pale Rider and High Plains Drifter, which followed much the same formula. However, as his directing matured, Eastwood started producing some absolute masterpieces such as Unforgiven (winning four Academy Awards), Letters from Iwo Jima (this time not even a western) and Invictus (the one where Matt Damon does loads of pull-ups).

16 MAY 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

Jon Favreau Don’t recognise the name? He’s the one who did the Iron Man films. Originally starring in films such as Swingers and Deep Impact, Favreau showed his talent for playing amusing failure characters. However, it was when he starred in Daredevil that he gained his interest in superhero movies, and went on to direct two Iron Man films and produce the two Avengers films. He’s very rich now. He also directed Elf, the greatest Christmas film of all time, and Chef, a brilliantly funny film where he reprises his favourite role as amusing failure character. However, he also did Cowboys and Aliens and Zathura (the crappy remake of Jumanji). Everyone makes mistakes.

EXHIBIT

16 MAY 2016

EDITORS: Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar

SCREEN

Civil War or civil bore?

Ben Londesbrough, Editor, isn’t impressed by the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Universe, as the visuals seem to have been standardised as they go on (this is maybe why Edgar Wright was axed from Ant-Man). The big fight between the heroes is impressive in a sort of ‘who will beat who up’ kind of way, and takes place in an airport; think of a mashup between Call of Duty and Marvel. During this fight, in which the heroes are supposedly against each other, they crack wince-worthy lines like “We’re still friends though, right?”

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. 2016, 147 minutes

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‘LL be honest, I’m bored of Marvel films. I was bored before Civil War, and I’m still bored. Way back in 2008 I was excited for each release that followed the brilliant Iron Man, which kicked things off. I also really enjoyed Thor and The Avengers, as Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe came together neatly. But with Phase Two came the stagnancy; Iron Man 2 and 3 were poor, Thor: The Dark World was terrible, and I hated The Avengers: Age of Ultron for not doing anything new at all. Marvel films seem to have developed a formula: big fight, internal conflict, big fight internally, even bigger fight to beat the bad person and save the world. With such rich and varied source material, you would have thought Marvel would change this up a bit (which Guardians of the Galaxy did to some extent, bar internal conflict and big fight at the end), but the third Captain America film, Civil War, unfortunately doesn’t provide much variation on this standard pattern.

I WAS BORED BEFORE CIVIL WAR, AND I’M STILL BORED Civil War follows on from where Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron left off. With heroes causing huge damage all around the globe, and civilian casualties rising, the United Nations wants to impose a treaty designed to block the Avengers from using their powers without the UN’s agreement. This leaves the team divided over its merits. Tony Stark, who conveniently has a profound turn in conscience after the mother of a victim of Sokovia (the place destroyed in

Mel Gibson After starring in the Lethal Weapon and Mad Max series, Gibson decided to try his hand at directing and bore us to death with deeply dramatic films that focus more on cinematography than pure watchability. Braveheart (178 mins) had some great battle scenes and won five Academy Awards, but if we’re honest it didn’t need to be quite that long. Apocalypto (138 mins) used some original Yucatec Maya language – need I say more? The Passion of the Christ (126 mins) also completely fitted his bill; well made but excruciating to watch. Which neatly summarises his directing career.

ROPEY CGI BODIES FLY AROUND LIKE A PLAYSTATION 2 GAME

Age of Ultron) berates him for ‘murdering’ her son, pushing the Avengers to sign the treaty and be regulated. Steve Rogers, aka ‘Captain America with the good arms’, believes that the Avengers should remain as they are, able to pick their own battles as they see fit. The film quickly rattles through who is on whose side, and an internal conflict soon turns into a big fight between the two sides, with the likes of War Machine, Black Widow, and Vision siding with Stark, while Falcon, Scarlet Witch, and Hawkeye align with Captain Big Arms. The film’s opening is unremarkable, as the

team try to stop Brock Rumlow (a HYDRA operative from The Winter Solider) from stealing a biological weapon from a lab in Lagos. The CGI is ropey, with bodies flying around like a PlayStation 2 game, and our heroes jumping around like Halle Berry in 2004’s Catwoman. (The CGI does improve during the film, obviously saving their budget for the biggest fight between the heroes themselves.) Directed with confidence by the Russo brothers, they capture the action effectively, but without any sort of flair. It seems to me that visual originality is not a priority for the Marvel Cinematic

There are redeeming qualities, however. It is uplifted by the inclusion of Tom Holland’s young Spiderman, who is integrated quickly into the Universe without the need for a tired origin story. Chadwick Boseman’s introduction as Black Panther is slightly more ambiguous, but provides plenty of scope for his own individual outing in 2018. Daniel Bruhl is good as the villain of the piece, not playing an over-the-top and out-of-this-world type that we’re all so used to in the MCU, but rather a restrained bad guy who simply wants to avenge his family killed in Age of Ultron’s Sokovia battle. The final act, in which you expect the Avengers to fight against six Winter Soldier types, is cleverly turned on its head through a revelation by Bruhl’s character, which adds a more interesting weight to the fight between Cap and Iron Man. The film is perfectly serviceable as a big and punchy superhero film, but I wish it had done more. After a bit of shouting and play fighting, the superheroes are mates again, looking forward to the next film. I can’t help but feel that every film in the MCU is now just another big advert for the next, standardised Hollywood fare - but when are we going to stop getting big, expensive ads and start getting decent films again? It is marginally better than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice though.

Sofia Coppola Featuring in all the Godfather films because her dad directed them (earning herself a Golden Raspberry in the process), Coppola grew up surrounded by cinematic genius. She then promptly forgot all about this when she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and direct The Bling Ring, which despite starring Emma Watson, makes me want to gouge my eyes out to avoid watching again. However, to be fair to her, she did direct Lost in Translation, an amusing fishout-of-water comedy starring Bill Murray as an American actor in Tokyo (though there are some creepy overtones when he falls in love with Scarlett Johansson).

Worst

GAMES + TECH Robots and reboots

Harry Shepherd reviews the latest PlayStation 4 exclusive, Ratchet & Clank RATCHET & CLANK Insomniac Games PlayStation 4 2016

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OSTALGIA is a funny thing. Video games that we love, perhaps more than any other medium, can be almost permanently lodged in our minds; they make up who we are as gamers. So, when we go back to revisit our absolute favourites that entranced us in previous years, we often find that the very best games don’t always remain that way. Perhaps, despite the rose-tinted goggles through which we reminisce about the games we love most, we discover that the gameplay is outdated, the textures and graphics are muddy, brown and, Ratchet’s kind of a dick to Clank in the first game isn’t he? Insomniac’s Ratchet and Clank, launched in 2002, is such a precious series for me, and reliving the exploits of one of the best platforming duos in gaming has been something of a disappointment for me in the recent past. Going back to a more than ten year old title, inevitably, no longer imbued the game with the beautiful Pixar-esque graphics they had enjoyed before. The voice acting became clunky and awkward, the weaponry and gameplay less varied and satisfying. It’s a truism to say that hardware and software have moved on in the decade since the original release of Ratchet and Clank, and that many sequels have spawned in that time.

IT’S NOT QUITE A REBOOT, NOR IS IT A SIMPLE REMASTER So, this is where this year’s Ratchet ‘reimagining’ comes in. It’s not quite a reboot, and nor is it a simple remaster, but a curious entity in between. A tie-in with the feature film that hit cinemas at the end of April, 2016’s Ratchet

and Clank is a game based on a film based on a game; only the illustrious Street Fighter: The Movie game can also lay claim to that accolade. Here, we might not have a fully-fledged new game with galaxies, worlds and a story to tie them all together that we haven’t seen before, but Ratchet and Clank is by far the most fun you can have on your PS4. Perhaps soon to be dethroned by Naughty Dog’s upcoming graphical behemoth Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Ratchet and Clank is currently the best looking game on consoles. Plan-

‘best of’ compilation of fan favourite weapons and gadgets, and all feel very much at home as you blast your way through the largely similar original narrative. From forcing your enemies to dance uncontrollably with the Groovitron to transforming them into sheep with the Sheepinator (yes, really), your tools of destruction are constantly satisfying and hilarious. The level of animation and detail built into each weapon is also a pleasure to behold; each type of enemy (including tanks and airborne foes) has their own dance ro u t i n e that’d

ets you’ll undoubtedly remember from the first game, such as the bustling metropolis of Kerwan or the war-torn battlefield of Batalia, are teeming with life, and the extra detail squeezed onto the canvas of every environment is astonishing. This isn’t a short game — running at around 10-15 hours for a single play through — but be sure to allow yourself some time to stop and stare at the beautifully rejuvenated worlds just dying to be explored. Insomniac’s reimagined series is almost a

put any Timepiece-goer to shame, and all at an impressive speed and animation quality. Your gadgets and arsenal of weaponry are not simply irreverent: they are vital to adding variety to the gameplay. Clank-only puzzle sections are few and far between, so gadgets such as the Swingshot, Trespasser and Holo-Guise are all important to keep the core gameplay from going stale. All of the gadgets and weapons you’ll use will have featured in previous games in the series and will

be recognisable to fans, yet the brand new Pixeliser also highlights the game’s excellent sound and visual design as your enemies crumble into retro game-inspired blocks. The story is more or less the same as the 2002 original, and is still the weakest part of the package overall; the plot is more a device designed to link the player between each planet, with more than just a flavour of ‘a galaxy far, far away’. Making things ever so slightly worse is the inclusion of some characters from other games in the series so many new players introduced to the series might be confused. However, the overarching story has never really been what has drawn gamers to the series, and the new Ratchet and Clank offers plenty to both new and veteran fans. For those fresh to the dynamic platforming duo, we’re right back where it all started at the origin of both character’s relationship and entry into the venerable Galactic Rangers. Going back to the origins of this dynamic platforming duo isn’t only for those new to the series; on top of getting their hands on their favourite guns and gadgets on PS4, older fans can now enjoy a card-collecting system as addictive as collecting those precious, shiny bolts. Card packs can be found in secret parts of the environment in a similar way to the returning gold bolts and drop randomly based on your stats. Then, when a pack of three are collected — all with item descriptions laced with Insomniac’s trademark irreverence — you get various boosts for your guns and stats. At a pleasingly wallet-friendly £30, Ratchet and Clank is how fans of the series would nostalgically view the 2002 original, with a little extra thrown in for good measure. Graphically beautiful, with your favourite gadgets and weaponry, long serving fans of the series can revisit this platforming beaut in the best way possible.

RATCHET & CLANK is now available on PlayStation 4

THE ORANGE BOX

David Agnew

Hamish Mackinnon

Ben Assirati

We asked writers to tell us what they think the final name of the Nintendo NX will be

WiiNES Back to their roots, in both name and comedy

The Nintendo Wiiuuaaeeoo The vowel trend continues

Nintendo WiiU2 Comes with a free Bono album pre-installed

16 MAY 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

EXHIBIT

GAMES + TECH

EDITORS: Jabez Sherrington and Sam Woolf

Holey hairdryers

Sam Woolf, Games + Tech Editor, speculates on Dyson’s first beauty appliance

HEN the name Dyson is mentioned to me, a number of words spring to mind: innovative, stylish, pioneering. Certainly, the company that brought us cyclone driven hoovers and energy efficient hand dryers is no stranger to the world of popular, revolutionary technology, that also sounds cool. With a name like Supersonic, what can we expect from Dyson next? If you guessed hairdryer then you’re correct. Currently scheduled for a June 2016 release, the Dyson Supersonic will attempt to blow the competition away with its intriguing design. It may struggle however, as the pink colour - which is the only model to be announced thusfar- is unlikely to appeal to the typical male user. The V-9 motor of the Supersonic is bizarrely located in the base of the handle. The result is a comparatively small head, which in turn contributes to an overall lightweight. However, the final product may end up feeling somewhat delicate when compared to the norm of more bulky and durable hairdryers. That being said, I don’t think anyone will ever quite get over the novelty of owning a hairdryer that you can look all the way through. The Supersonic is arguably far more than an aesthetic novelty: worried about your hair burning whilst it’s being dried? Annoyed by the fact that you can’t maintain a conversation whilst using typical hairdryers? Dyson supposedly have the answer. A combination of

acoustic silencers and extra blades within the motor contribute to an overall quieter device. The hairdryer also makes use of intelligent heat control, meaning that the temperature of the air being expelled is checked twenty times a second and is never allowed to get so high that it will damage the user’s hair.

THE SUPERSONIC IS FAR MORE THAN AESTHETIC NOVELTY Whilst it does remain to be seen, Dyson claim that this controlled temperature will not come at the cost of performance. Thanks to the signature Air Multiplier technology commonly found in Dyson’s hand dryers, the volume of air will be amplified three times as it passes through the Supersonic, meaning that you should be able to dry your hair much faster. So it ticks all the boxes, right? Unfortunately not. The Supersonic does have one major drawback: the price. More likely to burn a hole in your pocket than it is your hair, when the Supersonic releases in June it will set you back £300. But if you’ve got three hundred quid spare this summer, value your luscious locks above all else, and are the type of person who gets excited by the words ‘Dyson Hairdryer’, then it may just be worth looking into. I personally will be relying on the tried and tested ‘classic’ hairdryer.

16 MAY 2016

Three strikes, you’re out! C

Sam Brewer, Marketing Manager, discusses YouTube’s content ID system

REATING content on the internet: for the imaginative among us, an expressive outlet for talent, and sometimes even a way to make a living. Be it streaming on Twitch, throwing together a YouTube video, or simply blogging, the process of contributing to the artistic merit of the world wide web is surprisingly straightforward and hugely cathartic. Once upon a time (sometime last year), I tried my hand at a video for YouTube. Of course, you can imagine my elation of finally uploading the video; after spending what felt like an eternity of filming, editing and everything else that needs to be done to make an acceptable video for the rest of the world to access. Now imagine the feeling when, upon checking the video, I found that it had been muted due to copyright infringements identified by YouTube’s Content ID system. The Content ID system is the ‘Big Brother’ of YouTube’s arguably increasingly oppressive domain. For someone like me who would never go on to release more videos, it’s not a huge problem. Look beyond the casual novice and you will find that more established YouTubers also find the Content ID system to be a pressing issue. There are two aspects to this – the immediate impact of not being able to upload a video and the ‘strike’ system. The average Joe not being able to upload on a whim is hardly a big issue, but there are people who rely on the ability to upload. Having videos blocked can set someone’s livelihood back, as it stops ad revenue from the video in question. When YouTube feels like it (who knows what the algorithm is) it will drop a content strike following a copyright infringement – three copyright strikes and you’re out.

Sound harsh? Well it is, and that’s just the way YouTube seems to like it. The system is damaging to the community by restricting the variety of content that creators can safely produce, and frankly it’s hard to see Google’s justifications for this. Of course it is immensely important to protect the property of each and every copyright holder. That’s only fair – but YouTube is operating a policy of ‘guilty until proven innocent.’ Content ID is constantly in effect so whether or not a copyright holder wants to challenge you for using fifteen seconds of their content is immaterial – in some instances, claims are raised on videos marked by the system by companies that have nothing to do with the content. The process for removing claims is hardly straightforward in the latter situation either, with multiple forms to fill out and lengthy waiting times for the claimant to respond. When copyright holders themselves do make claims, getting a video back is near impossible. Somewhere in there, it’s possible to see the reasoning behind the Content ID system on YouTube, but its implementation is heavy handed, disproportionate and unfair to the creators that maintain YouTube’s video sharing monopoly.

CROSSWORD # 85

SUDOKU # 21 Down 1 Solitude (valued by 13 Down 21 couples?) (7) 2 Rock - stagger (4) 3 Sycophant - men say (anagram) (3-3) 4 Go to bang (anagram) - long narrow sled (8) 5 Deserve (a 13 Down 21 after exams?) (5) 6 Limit (4) 7 Alcoholic drink (6) 12 Fun (had [in moderation] by 13 Down 21 guests?) (8) 13/21 A future Exeter event - slum ramble (anagram) (6,4) 15 Wear out (informal) (7) 16 Falling star - remote (anagram) (6) 18 Snap (taken and shared with many after the 13 Down 21?) (5) 20 Action (4) 21 See 13

Merit, 6 Edge, 7 Spirit, 12 Hilarity, 13/21 Summer

STUDY BREAK

ANSWERS Ball, 15 Knacker, 16 Meteor, 18 Photo, 20 Deed.

Across 1 Celebration (like the 13 Down 21?) (5) 4 Single occasion for an event (4) 8 Energy - enterprise (5) 9 Clear your head (after too many 7s at the 13 Down 21?!) (5,2) 10 Dutch cheese (4) 11 Glee (heard at the 13 Down 21?) (8) 13 Foil - puzzle (6) 14 Noisy merry-making (made by those at the 13 Down 21?) (6) 17 Cartographer - make ramp (anagram) (3,5) 19 Group (booked for the 13 Down 21?) (4) 22 Sensitive - I vote, me! (anagram) (7) 23 Foot joint (5) 24 Amusing (causing 11 at the 13 Down 21?) (4) 25 Measuring device (5)

Down: 1 Privacy, 2 Reel, 3 Yes-man, 4 Toboggan, 5 19 Band, 22 Emotive, 23 Ankle, 24 Joky, 25 Ruler. 11 Laughter, 13 Stymie, 14 Racket, 17 Map maker, Across: 1 Party, 4 Time, 8 Drive, 9 Sober up, 10 Edam,

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Description of duties: Manages a rainwater harvesting project in South East Madagascar aimed at ensuring children receive clean drinking water. Course undertaken at the University of Exeter: n M ENG Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Name: : Jade Ainsworth Employer name: Jadegreenvegan. com (self-employed) Job title: Blogger and clothing line founder Description of duties: Writer, editor and designer of lifestyle blog - jadegreenvegan.com and founder and designer of clothing line. Course undertaken at the University of Exeter: n BSc Accounting.

Name: Eleanor Gooch Employer name: Deloitte Job title: Forensic Analyst Description of duties: Analysing and reviewing confidential financial data within investigations regarding financial crime. Course undertaken at the University of Exeter: n BA Russian and Spanish with proficiency in Portuguese.

Name: Benjamin Yexley Employer name: Botswana Predator Conservation Trust Job title: Field Research Assistant Description of duties: Collects behavioural data on the large carnivore guild in the Okavango Delta - lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog and spotted hyena. Course undertaken at the University of Exeter: n BSc Zoology.

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SCIENCE

NEWS 1-5

COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS + LIT 16-17 10-11 8-9 14-15

SCIENCE Biweekly Breakthroughs by Beth Honey Robotic Repairs

First came driverless parking, and now comes autonomous surgery. Soft tissue surgery carried out by robots are superior to that of experienced surgeons, a new study published in Science Translational Medicine has found. The system allows accurate tracking of tissue motion, with the employment of sub-millimeter positioning.

Friends: the ultimate painkiller

Friendship takes the pain away. First thought? Cringe. But research has revealed that the more friends you have, the higher your pain tolerance. This is due to the actions of endorphins - our bodies’ natural painkillers. Social interactions trigger the release of these chemicals.

Human snakeskin

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a silicon polymer gel to act as a ‘second skin’. The cream turns into an invisible polymer with elastic properties, which peels off at your own will to temporarily treat wrinkles and under eye bags.

MUSIC 18-19

SCREEN 22-23

GAMES+TECH SCIENCE 24-25 28-29

16 MAY 2016 |

SPORT 30-32

Exeposé Science

SCIENCE EDITORS Victoria Bos Beth Honey

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeScience

sciandtech@exepose.com

Social infringement or medical necessity?

Natasa Christoﬁdou, News Editor, examines the ever-growing phenomenon of vaccine refusal, the commercialisation of medicine and its effects upon society

HE effectiveness and necessity of vaccines has been a long-standing societal controversy, challenging scientific institutions and practices for centuries. A significant wave of opposition towards vaccines was observed amongst celebrities in America, when the government had proposed a bill to make vaccines for babies compulsory. This occurrence happened approximately a year ago, in June 2015, however a refusal to invest in vaccines was first observed in the 1870s. The general public was skeptical about the legitimacy of vaccines and the possible infringement on civil liberties. Two centuries later, and criticisms of vaccines remain as valid amongst the general public. British physician, Dr. Edward Jenner, was the first to develop vaccines in their modern form, in 1796. However, observations suggesting the effectiveness of vaccines stem back to Ancient Greek historians. In 429 BC, Thucydides noticed that people who survived the smallpox outbreak in Athens were not at risk of becoming re-infected.

The pharmaceutical industry continues to consist of profit-driven businesses Chinese scientists around 900AD observed similar discoveries, as they invented a primitive version of a vaccination, called variolation. The aim was to primarily prevent smallpox, by exposing healthy people to the scabs caused by the disease. The purpose of a vaccine is to expose the immune system to certain viral microbes, in order to encourage it to build up antibodies for future protection against possible infections. However, the issue with vaccines is that the immune system creates antibodies for a specific kind of virus, which will not be effective on a similar virus that has slightly altered components. For example, if you’ve re-

ceived immunization against the flu outbreak of 2015, it won’t be effective for a similar flu outbreak in 2016. Therefore, claims regarding the profitability of vaccines are grounded in the observation that the medical industry is exploiting our instinctive need for survival through the commodification of our health. There are undeniably beneficial outcomes of most vaccines that help the majority, especially when travelling across continents that are known to have a high possibility of transmitted viral infections. Having said this, our evergrowing consumerist surrounding may be affecting our health choices more than we know. In contrast to technology, fashion, and beauty products that are being highly advertised everywhere, when resources aimed towards

our health are being manipulated, then capitalism falls under the scrutiny of morality. Ranging from over the counter pills, to prescribed medication, it needs to be acknowledged that the pharmaceutical industry continues to consist of proﬁt driven businesses. Undoubtedly, research funding is required in order to improve and excel in medical development. Nevertheless, when the general public becomes aware of the frequency of their consumption, understandable doubts are raised regarding the necessity of medicine.

Avoiding anything that isn’t perceived as ‘natural’ would require an isolation from most products in society The World Health Organization seems to take a vital standpoint on the requirement of vaccines: “Vaccines can only improve health

and prevent deaths if they are used… hesitancy is an increasingly important issue for country immunization programmes.”

Hesitancy is an increasingly important issue for country immunisation programmes This standpoint seems to have utilitarian inclinations, as vaccines have reduced the amount of deaths overall, however throughout the years there are continuous fears of serious, long lasting, vaccine side eﬀects. For example, the MMR vaccine was reportedly associated with autism, though this was later discovered to be unfounded. During the Senate Bill 277 in California, mandating that children needed to be fully vaccinated before enrolling in schools, a new wave of vocal anti vaccination activists emerged. Amongst these activists were many celebrities who voiced their concerns towards the bill, such as Jim Carrey, Alicia Silverstone, and Charlie Sheen.

The most common reasoning for this opposition was due to the bill’s infringement of civil liberties. However, society is institutionally built within a system of rules and regulations, which would require one to completely oppose all legal infringements of liberty in order to prove a point. Besides, the argument could go as far as to suggest that our conception of freedom is within itself constructed by the institutions and culture that we’re brought up in. High proﬁle celebrity Charlie Sheen has speciﬁcally emphasized that certain medical practices aren’t necessarily natural for the human body. Despite the chemically produced components of a vaccination, the implications of avoiding anything that isn’t perceived as ‘natural’ would require an isolation from most products in society. Ranging from the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and

even our sources of entertainment, can any of it be called ‘natural?’ The discourse behind what is perceived as natural has itself been distorted throughout the years, as we live in an era that has been infiltrated by a massive inflow of consumerism. Products that would conventionally be naturally-grown, such as fruit, vegetables and grains, have been subjected to pesticides, artificial chemicals and GMOs. Therefore, when living in an increasingly ‘unnatural’ world, which consists of artificially-built cities that produce extensive levels of pollution and are surrounded by hundreds of viruses, wouldn’t living a ‘natural’ life free of vaccinations simply reflect a contradiction of values, if one were to conform to everyday societal practice? The problem that arises when certain celebrities or extremely rich individuals choose to live a life which is free of vaccines is possibly one of privilege. Social media has been flooding with the concept of privilege lately, and it has become a topic that cannot be ignored, as it is highly relevant in certain situations. For example, if a celebrity’s child suddenly Image: thisisnthappiness.com became severely ill due to a lack of vaccinations, then the economic leverage of that celerbity would enable them to seek for an effective, emergency cure. In contrast, an underprivileged family that is financially struggling might be faced with fatal consequences.

The first vaccine was produced in 1796 to treat smallpox

18.7

million children have not received doses of diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis immunisation

The Zika virus and its dire impact EXEPOSÉ

SCIENCE

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Harry Spackman talks us through the current Zika virus outbreak and its effects

N 1 February, the World Health Organisation declared that the Zika Virus is a public health emergency after a large outbreak in Brazil. Before you quarantine yourself, however, here is all you need to know on the virus that is sweeping South America.

The rise of the Zika virus has coincided with an increase in neurological brain disorders. The Zika virus is spread mainly via mosquito bites from the Aedes genus of mosquito that populate tropical and subtropical regions. This mosquito also carries Dengue and Yellow fever so it is deﬁnitely one to avoid being bitten by. Common symptoms associated with Zika include headaches, muscle and joint pain, mild fever and inﬂammation of the underside of the eyelid. Most of these symptoms are mild and can subside in two to seven days. It can seem like there isn’t

much to worry about, however the complications associated with the Zika virus are what has caused a great deal of consternation for the doctors of Brazil. Recently the rise of the Zika Virus has coincided with an increase in neurological brain disorders. Guillain-Barré syndrome is one of these disorders. The immune system attacks the peripheral nervous system, the outer parts of the brain and spinal cord, potentially causing temporary paralysis. The spread of the Zika virus has also been accompanied by widespread microcephaly- when babies are born with abnormally small heads and as a result have incomplete brain development. Whilst the link between Zika and these dis-

orders has not yet been proven as a causal relationship, there is growing evidence to suggest that the Zika virus is increasing the likelihood of them developing.

Once a suitable vaccine has been tested suﬃciently on the mice, rounds of human trials can begin. In a bid to slow the march of the virus, the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis

have tried out a model of the disease on mice. The model mimics the infection in humans. High levels of the virus were found to build up in the brain and spinal cord of the mice, backing up research that has found potential links between the foetal malformations/other neurological disorders and the Zika virus. It was also found that the levels of Zika virus in male mice was higher than in females supporting concerns that the disease may be able to be transmitted sexually amongst humans. Now that scientists have established mice are susceptible to the disease, research into developing vaccines can start. Once a suitable vaccine has been tested suﬃciently on the mice, rounds of human trials can begin. However, it is likely to take a long time for vac-

cines to be developed, possibly years. It seems the best way to prepare for the Zika virus is to avoid being bitten by mosquitos. The chances of being bitten by a mosquito can be reduced by using insect repellent, putting mosquito nets up when you sleep and wearing long light clothing that covers the body. The timing of this outbreak in Brazil cannot have come at a worse time. As the host country of the 2016 Olympics many in Brazil, and indeed the rest of the world, will hope that a solution to the crisis will be swiftly found.

QUICK FACTS The Zika virus was first discovered in 1947 and is named after the Zika Forest in Uganda The virus is known to circulate in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific

Man, monkeys and malaria

Victoria Bos, Science Editor, discusses the evolution of the Plasmodium Knowlesi virus, looking at current research and the possibility of human to human transference in the near future

OONOSES is the term used to describe those diseases which can be, and routinely are, transferred, from animals to humans, with the category currently including the likes of: Ebola, Rabies, Leprosy and Anthrax. However, in recent years another disease has been increasingly making the transition from animals to humans: this is Plasmodium Knowlesi, also known as ‘Monkey Malaria’.

It currently accounts for 70 per cent of all malaria cases in areas where it is mostly found, such as Sarawak Commonly found in primates in South-East Asia, the ﬁrst reported case of infection in a human was in 1965 and it currently accounts for up to 70 per cent of all malaria cases in areas where it is

mostly found, such as Sarawak. Though many Asian nations have reported cases of the virus, such as Thailand and Cambodia, it is yet to be discovered in Africa. Transmitted through infected blood, the disease is carried from mosquitos who have ingested an infected primate’s blood and is then passed to humans through a second bite, with the loop of infection generally remaining closed. However, recent research has revealed the disease appears to be adapting in such a way that it will soon be easily transferable from human to human. A recent academic article examining the reproduction of the virus and its eﬀect on red blood cells, suggests that the virus is adapting more readily to human blood by making use of older blood cells, which previously could not have been infected, causing it to spread through the human

body quicker and more eﬃciently, as it does in the macaques it usually inhabits.

Symptoms include spikes of high fever and respiratory distress This is in part due to deforestation in areas, especially in Malaysia, which is forcing infected primates out of their natural environment and into close proximity to humans.This in turn is leading more humans being bitten and infected, exposing the virus to more human cells and al-

lowing it more opportunities to adapt and mutate within the human body. Manoj Duraisingh, a professor of immunology and infectious disease at the Chan School of Public Health at Harvard, and one of the lead authors of the lastest paper to examine Plasmodium Knowlesi has noted that in certain areas with higher rates of virus, the normally milder virus (compared to other strands of Malaria) has become increasingly more potent. Symptoms include spikes of high fever and respiratory distress, with higher death rate amongst those who have the virus, showing just how the virus is adapting to human red blood cells. Due to the viruse’s 24 hour erythrocytic cycle, the amount of corrupted cells in the body can grow quickly, making this adaptation to human cells even more worrying in regards to the ability to treat patients.

Currently the diesase is treated with Chloroquine and Primaquine which when applied aggressively in the earlier stages of the disease can serve as a complete cure. However with this period of treatment becoming ever smaller, due to the continuing evolution of the virus, the chances of permanent damage are increased. This is especially true in regards to the liver, where the virus initially travels to when the human host contracts it. Another fear is that, with the clear adaption abilities of the virus, it may not be long before the virus has the ability to transfer directly from human to human through bodily ﬂuids. This combined with the short time it takes to corrupt a large amount of cells in the human body could lead to Plasmodium Knowlesi proving to be one of the next severely infectious diseases.

Chiefs chase the crown 30

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With the Exeter Chiefs making the Aviva Premiership playoffs for the very first time, Lara Hopkins, Sport Editor, examines their rise to the top of English rugby Exeter Chiefs Timeline Exeter Rugby Club played its first ever game in October 1873

1999 saw the side rebrand themselves as the Exeter Chiefs

In 2006 they moved to their current stadium, Sandy Park

Rob Baxter was unveiled as coach for the 2009-10 season, and led his side to the Premiership at the first time of asking

The Chiefs picked up their first major piece of silverware - the LV= Cup - in 2013-14, defeating the Northampton Saints in the final

A 33-17 win over Ospreys on 24 January 2016 sent the Chiefs to the European Champions Cup knockout round for the first time

The Chiefs finished second in the 2015-16 Aviva Premiership table, securing a home semi-final in their first ever playoff appearance

HE sport headlines for May have so far been focused on Leicester City’s shock Premier League win. They have done brilliantly, using a plethora of castaway players and building a strong squad without the big money acquisitions boasted by traditional top teams. Down in Devon, another Cinderella story is emerging - more gradual and more foreseeable than Leicester, but no less incredible. When the Exeter Chiefs were promoted to the Aviva Premiership in 2010, many fans would have been happy to know that six years later their team still have a place in the top flight of English rugby. Instead, fans have been rewarded with so much more. Not only have the Chiefs never finished below eighth in the league, they have also won the LV= Cup, qualified twice for the Champions Cup - including making the knockout stage this year - and have now gained their first league playoff place. Fourth place and an away semi-final would have been more than sufficient progress. Instead, Exeter won their last two big games of the season, thrashing playoff rivals Wasps and condemning Harlequins to one of their heaviest defeats at the Stoop, to secure second place and a home match. But how did Exeter Chiefs become the biggest promotion success story? Most teams just yo-yo between the Championship and the Premiership, or are condemned to living in the bottom three of the top flight. Not this Devon side. Through economic management, an academy full of young stars and some canny signings, Rob Baxter and his team have produced a lethal concoction of talented youth and determined, experienced players. Baxter seems to get the extra percentage from his players. Thomas Waldrom, for example, has been revitalised since moving down to the West Country. He enjoyed his first season so much he persuaded his old Leicester Tigers buddies Julian Salvi and Geoff Parling to join him at the club, bringing a wealth of big game familiarity. Then you have the home grown youngsters; Henry Slade, Jack Nowell, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Sam Hill are all either in or on the periphery of the England team, accounting for a large proportion of the younger cohort. All have come through the Exeter academy, benefiting from being sent out on loan to Championship teams Plymouth Albion and Cornish Pirates, and gaining Premiership game time early in their careers.

However, it is not just the stars that are making the diﬀerence. Exeter retained many of their Championship players when moving up, maintaining the core of their team instead of bringing in a jumbled collection of big names. This meant the camaraderie remained, and the determination to move into the Premiership grew into the aim of winning silverware in the Premiership. This was added to by fringe players from other clubs who also must have felt they had something to prove.

He knows Exeter and has passed the spirit of the team down to its players The depth of this Exeter team was made obvious by their A League title last week. It is clear that the culture at the club is something really special. What’s more, the team know how to have fun. From a few beers on the back of the bus after a win, a BBQ at Baxter’s house after the A League triumph, to the friendly rivalry between the forwards’ cookie club and the backs’ sandwich club, the

Chiefs’ culture is one of the main elements of their success. Baxter himself is key to this. He is a true Exeter man from a Devon farming family. He was a player for 14 years, captain for ten, and then stayed with the club to quickly move into the Head Coach position. He knows Exeter and has passed the spirit of the team down to its players. He helped coach England on the 2013 tour of Argentina and it is no surprise people have this tough exforward as a strong candidate to step into Eddie Jones’ shoes sometime after 2019. Another huge factor in the Chiefs’ success is the club’s financial stability. Unlike many teams, the Chiefs are making a profit off the pitch. With a full stadium every week, a slight expansion in 2014 was necessary and perhaps more development needs to take place. The stadium was also very successfully used to host World Cup games. This must give the players a feeling of certainty that allows them to commit their future to the club. Exeter are not a team that have to rely on a big money owner like Bath, or who have struggled with the threat of bankruptcy like Wasps.

The fans also help. Sandy Park is often named as the best Premiership venue. This is not just because they serve great food and have the most fascinating half time entertainment (looking at you, Derek the Otter) but also because the supporters are passionate but friendly. It’s a welcoming club with a brilliant atmosphere.

Unlike many teams, the Chiefs are making a profit off the pitch Like Leicester have become this season, Exeter Chiefs have been known as everyone’s second favourite club - the team that neutrals cheer for and the second result they look for every weekend. This is not due just to their rise up the ranks but is also testament to their playing style. Baxter’s men play expansive, open, attacking rugby that is enjoyable to everyone watching. This can sometimes lead to nerve-filled moments when the opposition may have the opportunity to counter attack, but as seen against Wasps, this team can shut down the most potent of sides. This ambition in the team is clear. “We want to go all the way,” winger Nowell said after last weekend’s win. “We’ve worked hard all season to get into this position. It’s important to us not to let it slip now.” What is certain is that with only one home defeat in the last 15 months against table toppers Saracens - no one is going to bet against Exeter making it to the final or say they don’t deserve to be there. Exeter Chiefs’ rise to the top has been incredible; a trip to Twickenham would be the cherry on top of the icing on the cake.

Aviva Premiership P W D L Pts Saracens

22 17 1 4 80

Exeter Chiefs

22 15 0 7 74

Wasps

22 15 0 7 72

Leicester Tigers

22 14 0 8 65

N’ton Saints

22 12 0 10 60

Sale Sharks

22 11 2 9 58

Harlequins

22 10 1 11 55

Gloucester

22 10 1 11 49

Bath

22 9 0 13 48

W’ster Warriors

22 7 0 15 35

N’castle Falcons

22 5 1 16 27

London Irish

22 4 0 18 20

Race to ﬁrst place

EXEPOSÉ

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Photo: University of Exeter

In part one of the return of our Captain’s Corner feature, Natasa Christoﬁdou, News Editor, speaks to the Boat Club’s Isabel Cole and Seun Olusanya

OLLOWING the recent successes of the women’s Boat Club at the BUCS Victor Ludorum, I had a chat with the club to talk about their outstanding performances. Isabel Cole, the club captain, and the captain of the senior women’s squad, Seun Olusanya, met me in Devonshire House, ready to reveal all the details about the boat club’s successes. We started talking about the Victor Ludorum competitions, series of races during the bank holiday weekend, from the 29 April to 1 May. Cole was excited about it, yet also pointed to previous successes: “we won gold in the BUCS competitions earlier on this year in February, which shows how dedicated everyone has become.” All sports clubs presumably have ambitions for their teams, and the current focus for the women’s rowing club is to win at the upcoming international competitions. Cole has high ambitions for the club: “this year we ﬁnished within the top ten throughout the UK,” but the girls want more: “It would be amazing if we could ﬁn-

ish within the top five this year.” We shifted the focus of the conversation onto the less exciting administrative processes of the club, one the topic of boat allocations. The selection of different crews comes under the discretion of the Director of Rowing, who they refer to as their coach. Cole pointed out that the wide variety of boats and team allocations available make it possible for athletes to trial for up to 14 different categories. The versatility of the boats consists of “eight person boats, four person boats, and even ones that are divided amongst a pair.” Cole and Olusanya also contribute to the selection of crews, as the club’s aim is to ultimately secure victories for both intermediate and championship competitions. Of course, Cole pointed out that physical abilities were a key factor as allocations also depend on “ergo scores that come through during training sessions and also who is rowing best in the water.” Both the captains gave off friendly vibes - an attitude that seems to be reflected

throughout the club, but this doesn’t seem to come without facing a couple of challenges. “Admittedly, our main friendship group is within the club, but it can be quite tricky sometimes as you’re also competing against your friends for the crew seats.” Speaking from personal experience, Cole commented on the convenience of coordinating with team mates: “Generally, you row with people of a similar standard as you throughout the year, which also allows you to bond with them and coordinate better for diﬀerent events.” The “girls squad being cohesive” helped a lot during some of the more intense times.

It can be quite tricky sometimes as you’re also competing against your friends

training sessions a week that add up to approximately 20 hours of training fit into an intensive schedule. Athletes at University face challenges such as balancing their sport, degree and social life. However, senior captain Olusanya, who is on a medical placement, time management challenges stretch out further than merely maintaining a social life. Aside from university-focused discussions, the captains were thrilled to talk about national competitions, independent from BUCS. The Henley competitions have stolen the spotlight during the summer season. International qualifications are expected at these competitions and there are athletes from all around the word competing. There are high hopes for the Exeter women’s rowing club, following their determination for the Henley competitions. Getting through to the finals in previous years has trained them for an ultimate success, as Cole has ambitious expectations: “we want to win.”

Making a splash Being an athlete and a student requires a balance of priorities, but it seems like they’ve got it all ﬁgured out. Two

Captain’s Corner continues as Hannah Butler, Editor, sits down to chat to EUWPC’s Freddie Harcourt and Camilla Camerea about their recent success in the water

T’S a gloomy Exeter afternoon when I chat to Water Polo Club captains Camilla Camerea and Freddie Harcourt. Plus, Camerea’s just had an exam. But oddly, neither of them has that trademark “dead behind the eyes” look. They’re pretty excited to tell me about EUWPC’s season - which isn’t surprising, because it’s been a good one. Following a win for the Men’s 1s in the BUCS Trophy finals, the Women’s 2s rounded off April by beating Nottingham, Leicester and Bradford to take home the UPOLO Shield in Cardiff - not bad for a club with only around 70 members. First on the agenda is the ladies’ recent win. Was this something Camerea had expected? “Well, our first match was against Nottingham, and that was our hardest by far,” she remembers. “So winning that gave us confidence for the rest of the day.” They knew the other teams weren’t as strong (“we’d played one of them before in BUCS and beaten them by about 18 goals!”), so after this initial 8-4 victory, Camerea and vice-captain Matilda O’Regan knew they had a chance. “Nottingham were the favourites,” Camerea says, “and they were really quite shocked

that we won. Their coach was getting quite annoyed at the players...” But the Exeter captains kept their hopes quiet. “We didn’t want the girls getting complacent,” Camerea says. And after a 13-4 win against Leicester and a 13-3 victory against Bradford, I guess the rest was history. It couldn’t contrast more with Harcourt’s tale of the Mens’ victory. “Our BUCS trophy was stressful from start to finish!” he laughs. In the semifinal group, Exeter came from 6-1 down to draw 8-8 with UCL. But the latter didn’t have their final group match until the Monday – less than 48 hours before the final. “It was actually my birthday,” Harcourt remembers, “and we were out in Arena waiting for the result of this UCL-Bath game.” But after the match, goal difference left Exeter and UCL still tied. “We didn’t know what would happen, there was a lot of debate between Jack [Bristow] and

UCL people about who went through...” At 10am the next morning, the team found out they’d have to leave for Sheﬃeld at 5pm. But this wasn’t the end of the drama. “Before we got in, one of the players lost his bag with all his kit in,” Harcourt laughs. Luckily, the trunks reappeared – in time for Exeter to claim a 7-3 victory over Nottingham and take the title. “As soon as everyone was on poolside together it all calmed down,” Harcourt remembers. “Everyone was relaxed, and from there it just sort of… happened, because everyone was in the right frame of mind.” So how do the captains pick who plays? “For the girls it’s mainly done on commitment to training,” Camerea tells me. They don’t specify that members have to be free for matches. “We understand that a lot of people do other clubs,” Harcourt explains. “I think it would change the dynamic if we

demanded match availability,” Camerea adds. “For some of the Men’s BUCS matches in Term 2, there was at least one a week, which would be a crazy commitment if you didn’t want to play that competitively.” Plus, many students just join EUWPC to play for fun. “A lot of the girls use it for fitness!” Camerea says. So I guess water polo’s a good way to stay fit? “Definitely,” says Harcourt. “You get out of the session and you’re knackered!” Camerea agrees, saying “It’s a lot harder than it looks - you’re not allowed to touch the bottom - and just keeping yourself afloat takes a lot of energy!” All this aside, though, the captains do have some goals in mind for next season. “For the girls it’s definitely to beat Bath,” Camerea admits. “We’ve played them three times this year and lost every time. And every time, we either drew or lost by one goal. Basically the girls next year have to beat Bath because we are the better team!” And the boys? “Obviously they want to have another really nice cup run,” Harcourt says “But they also want to push for promotion and get into BUCS Premier. And they can definitely do it!”

SPORT

EUMCC 1s win on D/L CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE Exeter would come back out after only a brief interval, with tea having been taken earlier. Superb bowling to start the innings left EUMCC’s openers Will Harris and Craze struggling to pick up runs in the first five overs. One the first ball of the sixth over the pressure took its toll. Needing desperately to get something going, Harris tried to go into attack mode, yet instead he was stumped by the Swansea wicketkeeper. The incoming batsman was Ollie Mills, and he would have a massive impact on the match. Together with Craze, they would launch an impressive partnership that dragged the hosts back into serious contention. They found the boundary on several occassions, and generally punished the Swansea bowling attack. However, a thick mist began to descend upon the cricket ground, and after 14 overs the two umpires huddled. Following a brief discussion, they led the players off for yet another stoppage with Exeter on 66-1. With just 50 minutes remaining to fit in a minimum of six overs, and the mist so thick that it was almost impossible to make out the stumps from the boundary, it looked very likely that the match was set to be abandoned, and that the game would have to be rearranged in Swansea. Yet, to almost everyone’s surprise, the visibility improved greatly over the following few minutes. Play was set to resume just before the hour, and Exeter given a Duckworth-Lewis target of 52 further runs from nine overs. Mills and Craze were straight off the mark on their return, playing a series of impressive shots and being rewarded with several boundaries. The 17th over saw Mills attain his 50, and he continued to add to it as an easy victory looked increasingly closer to being within Exeter’s grasp.

The mist was so thick that it was almost impossible to make out the stumps from the boundary Exeter suﬀered a minor setback as Craze was called out lbw, but it wouldn’t be enough to deny victory, as EUMCC cruised to the D/L target with 23 balls remaining. Mills would end his superb innings on 72 not out. The 1s were the only team within EUMCC not to have their match abandoned, with the 2s and 3s having their games at Topsham abandoned in the morning without a ball being bowled. The 5s travelled to Plymouth, but their match ended prematurely, with the umpires abandoing the game in the ﬁrst innings.

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Exeposé Sport

SPORT EDITORS Owain Evans Lara Hopkins

EXEPOSÉ

@ExeposeSport

EUMCC 1s weather the storm MEN’S CRICKET Owain Evans Sport Editor

Swansea 1s Exeter 1s

143-7(28) 121-2(19.1)

Exeter wins by 8 wickets (D/L)

XETER Men’s Cricket 1s stormed to an eight-wicket victory over Swansea in a match that was heavily influenced by bad weather. The game’s start was delayed at Exmouth Cricket Club due to rain which had been falling all morning. Finally, the covers came off and at 1pm the game was set to begin, albeit reduced to 45 overs per side. Exeter’s opening bowlers would start the game well, recording three maiden overs out of the first six. This kind of a slow pace throughout the innings by the visiting batsmen would continue and, unbeknownst to them at the time, come back to hurt them later on. Exeter made their first breakthrough in the eleventh over. Bowler Jonathan Burden would have been justifiably annoyed after a catch was dropped at slip off the first ball of the over, although just four balls later he managed to coax the Swansea opener to hit it high into the air. Ed Fleet managed to place himself underneath it to take the easy catch. With the away side continuing to plod along at a slow but steady rate, a light drizzle began to fall upon the field. Perhaps anticipating a stoppage, Swansea’s run rate began to creep up. The hosts took advantage of this slightly more adventurous approach, and in the 18th over Tom Pedel left the remaining Swansea opener’s stumps in a mess,

bowling him for the second wicket in the match. The rain began to intensify, and only one further over would be played; the covers came back out with Swansea at 66-2 from 19. The delay would last for two-anda-half hours as the rain alternated between being a reasonably heavy shower and being little more than light drizzle. After taking an early tea to preserve the precious remaining time, the umpires inspected the pitch at around 4:30pm, and called for the match to be resumed at 5pm. More overs had been lost as a result of the stoppage, and the game was reduced to 28 per side.

This kind of a slow pace by the visiting batsmen would come back to hurt them later on The Swansea batsmen came back out after the resumption looking to make up for their side’s slow start to the match. Exeter would bring out their spinners to restart the game, and they were generally successful in restricting the run rate. The hosts would make further breakthroughs in the match. Rob Craze and Tom Coldman would take two wickets each before the innings was done, and a further Swansea batsman would also be run out. Still, the hosts could have added another wicket in the 25th over: the ball was hit straight into the air, where it hung for a long while yet no eﬀort was made to get under it in a comical scene described by one spectator as “something out of Laurel and Hardy.” Ending with a 13-run over, the visitors would close on 143-7.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

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Exeter Chiefs make the Premiership playoﬀs Page 30

>>Photo: Yong Yan Wang

The return of Captain’s Corner: EUWPC and EUBC Find our BUCS Page 31 photos online