Music:
Kaiser Chiefs
Interview on page 18
Video Games:
Playstation Vita
Sports:
Jason Gardener
Exeposé Review of Sony’s new console on page 30 Interview on page 33
Monday 5 March 2012 • Issue 591 • www.exepose.com • Twitter: @Exepose • www.facebook.com/Exepose
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Students hit by Guild VAT rule
Photo: Henry White
Henry White Editor
STUDENTS now have to pay 20 per cent VAT on all student group fees, tickets, event costs, stash and any other form of purchase. Exeter University’s Students’ Guild has announced a change to its Value Added Tax (VAT) policy, designed to bring the organisation, which is a registered charity, in line with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) department’s tax laws and regulation.
“A combination of unfortunate timing and a lack of clarity has made this VAT issue hard for students and societies”
Katharine Bardsley, President of Exeter’s Chamber Orchestra
The move is aimed at clarifying the Guild’s tax position and to avoid possible retrospective taxation in the future. Under the Guild’s new finance rules, all income earned by student groups and Guild activities will be subject to the UK’s national VAT, currently set by the Government at a rate of 20 per cent of all income. James Fox, VP Participation and Campuses, speaking for the Guild, said: “We recognise that this will be of detriment in the short term, as groups will have to pay VAT on all income generated. However, we are doing everything we can to make the transition as simple as possible, and will ensure that everyone knows exactly how to deal with the changes.” The change was announced on 29 February but the tax will not be fully integrated into the budgeting and financial systems until the beginning of
the 2012/13 academic year. Despite the application of VAT onto student groups’ income, changes are being made to the Guild’s financial systems, which will allow them to reclaim any VAT on expenditure whilst minimising the amount charged on income. However, the Guild stated these options would not be available until the next academic year. Katharine Bardsley, a third year English student and President of Exeter’s Chamber Orchestra commented: “A combination of unfortunate timing and a lack of clarity have made this VAT issue hard for students and societies [to understand], especially when any profit societies make is ploughed back into the system to ensure it carries on.” By charging VAT on income costs, it is hoped any confusion and uncertainty between the Guild’s financial position and HMRC, which is responsible for the collection of all UK tax, will be avoided. Both organisations have undergone significant changes in recent years and this has led to some confusion over the position of the Guild, and many other Students’ Unions, whose charity status and role as a provider of student services isn’t clearly defined under tax legislation.
“The move is aimed at clarifying the Guild’s tax position to avoid restrospective tax. All income earned will be subject to 20% VAT”
The rise in costs as a result of VAT will predominantly affect next year’s students, many of whom will also be paying £9,000 a year in tuition fees. The Guild is hosting a meeting on Tuesday 6 March in the Long Lounge, starting at 17:00 for any students who wish to know more.
Guild addresses cross-dressing
See page 3 for full story
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Screen ask: Is there a bias against comedy in the Oscars?
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New wave of Devon-themed fiction Helen Carrington Senior Reporter
EXETER UNIVERSITY staff and students have collaborated to make a new collection of short stories inspired by Devon. The seventh edition of Riptide journal was launched to wide acclaim on Friday 2 March. For the first time, the journal included a piece of writing from an undergraduate, Greg Hoare, a third year English student, as well as writing from other postgraduate students, staff and alumni of the University. The bi-annual anthology of short stories was produced in collaboration with Wordquest Devon and published work from both developing and recognised writers. Greg commented: “I am delighted to have a story included in Riptide Volume 7. As a young writer it can be difficult to get a foot into the literary world, as publications often seem intimidating
and distanced from their contributors. “Riptide are dedicated to publishing the best stories that they receive, regardless of reputation. I feel privileged to be able to see my work in print, alongside an excellent range of stories and memoirs, and I hope that people enjoy reading it.”
ers used the Devon-theme to reflect past and present lives and times. In this volume we have been able to prove that no matter what age - it is possible to get a good story published!” The Devon-themed volume includes
a short foreword by Ben Bradshaw, MP for Exeter, who gave an introduction at the event. Volumes 1-7 of the anthology are available for purchase on campus and online. Photo: Hannah Walker
“I feel privileged to be able to see my work in print, alongside an excellent range of stories and memoirs” Greg Hoare, a third year English student and contributor
The launch was held at the newly refurbished Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, and the programme included readings, music, and refreshments. Ginny Bailey, an editor of the journal, commented: “It’s been very interesting for us as editors to see how writPhoto: Keryl, St. Sidwell’s Centre volunteer
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News Editors Joe Johnston & Hannah Sweet news@exepose.com
Features Editors Clare Mullins & Sam Lambert
For the first time, Riptide Journal Volume 7 includes writing from an undergraduate
Exeter: South West capital for volunteering Maddie Alexander-Finch
features@exepose.com
Lifestyle Editors Cyan Turan & Zoe Dickens
UNIVERSITY students from Plymouth, Bristol, Bath and Exeter came together on Saturday 25 February to take part in the first South West Community Action project. The aim of the project was to create stronger links with other university Community Action groups in the South West. It provided the opportunity for students to meet other like-minded individuals, share ideas, and take part in a project together.
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Music Editors Andy Smith & Amy Weller music@exepose.com
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Arts Editors Zoe Bulaitis & Laura Stevens arts@exepose.com
Video Games Editors Jess Leung & Alex Hawksworth-Brookes
“Exeter continues to lead the way with volunteering in innovative ways that make a real difference to the local community”
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Photography Hannah Walker photography@exepose.com
Advertising Stuart Smith S.C.G.Smith@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722432 The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.
5 MARCH 2012
James Fox, VP Participation and Campuses
Students from universities throughout the South West came together to volunteer
The project, undertaken by the team of 35 volunteers, was the redecoration of St Sidwell’s Community Centre. The Centre is an integral part of the
Exeter community. Run by volunteers, it provides space for youth clubs, baby groups, Pilates classes and also a community café. James Fox, VP Participation and Campuses, described the project as “a great example of how Exeter continues to lead the way with volunteering in new and innovative ways that continue to make a real difference to the local community.” St. Sidwell’s Centre also currently hosts two weekly Community Action projects and so the redecoration was viewed as a way to give back to the centre for all its generosity. The team repainted three of the main rooms and each university decorated a canvas board. Exeter students also contributed a welcome mat, a painting for the wall and a photo frame which will be filled with photos from the day. Sarah Morton, Community Action Project Coordinator commented: “It was a most successful day with all those involved providing really positive feedback.” There are plans for the Community Action group to return to the Centre to work on other areas which also need updating.
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Exeposé WEEK twenty
News
Guild issues warning over “cross-dressing” Simon Dewhurst Senior Reporter
A STATEMENT released by the University of Exeter Students’ Guild has advised students to think carefully before “cross-dressing” or “blacking up” on a night out. The article entitled ‘A Response to Banter – the appearance of prejudice’ was released during Diversity Week and
advises students that “what is banter to you may be intensely insulting to another.” The release goes on to state: “The fact that a group of persons is a majority does not grant them the privilege of mocking and excluding others.” Although the article does not suggest that the practices will be banned, it states that the Guild expresses “disapproval of unthinking and insulting appearances against minority student groups.”
“What is banter to you may be intensely insulting to another” ‘A Response to Banter - the appearance of prejudice’
The article states that various students from “minority groups of several natures have notified the Guild recently Photo: Hannah Walker
of behaviour, which while not unlawful, is at least disrespectful and carries implicit prejudice.” Gary McLachlan, Research and Representation Coordinator at the Guild, has attached the reported behaviour to “incidents which occurred at around the time of the Sabbatical Election,” and “incidents that have occurred in TimePiece and during Pub Crawls by Societies and AU Clubs.” McLachlan continued: “None of the behaviour reported or observed crossed the line into threatening on that level - it was just disturbing, disquietening or offensive to certain individuals observing the behaviour.” The statement has received a mixed reaction with many national and local newspapers running the story and students taking a varied stance on the issue. Nick Davis, University of Exeter Students’ Guild President, replied to the criticism by explaining that there were no particular incidents which sparked the piece. He said: “We thought that Diversity Week would be an apt time to remind our members of the diverse nature of the student and wider community in Exeter. The article merely asks for students to be considerate of others feelings when they are out having fun.” Emma Payne, VP Welfare and Community, commented: “The statement isn’t binding. We cannot stop people from dressing up as they want but we hope that by having an official stance on the matter, people will perhaps think differently when they
choose their outfits.”
“I do not understand why the issue has been blown out of proportion and received such negative coverage” A third year student
Maddie Soper, Equality and Diversity Officer at the Student’s Guild explained: “The message was to simply be aware that what is often seen as a bit of fun can potentially become offensive to minority groups within the student body.” Stephanie Scott, Chairwoman of the Clare Project, a transgender support group disagreed saying that “Transgender politics is a minefield for the unknowing but the Guild should have sought advice before making this inflammatory statement.” A third year student said: “It’s fair enough that the Guild released this statement and I do not understand why the issue has been blown out of proportion and received such negative coverage.” However, a first year Economics student commented: “Personally, I think it’s a disgraceful move from the Student’s Guild. Not only does it raise the issue of differentiation between transvestites and others dressing up as women, but also crosses the line of civil liberty.”
Promote your society here. Email editors@exepose.com The man, who is a student at Exeter University but not originally from Exeter, was a pedestrian at the time of the collision
Student stable after collision
Charlie Marchant Senior Reporter AN nineteen-year-old Exeter student suffered serious head injuries after being involved in a collision with a taxi. The student, who has not been named, has been reported by The Exeter Express and Echo as having been discharged from the hospital on Sunday and currently making a recovery at home. The collision took place on Friday 24 February in Mary Arches Street – outside Rococos and Mosaic – shortly after midnight. The student was rushed to Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, where he remained in a critical condition over the weekend. It is speculated that the incident may be alcohol-related; however the police are yet to confirm this. Tom Wye, Managing Director of Original Sin, commented: “We work very closely with our partner venues to ensure the safety of all our customers. As far as we are aware this accident has no relation to the night or the venue.”
“All I heard was there was a lad walking along Mary Arches Street and then the accident happened. Thursday night is a popular night for students, especially with first years, and there were about 500 people inside the club at the time.
“As far as we are aware this accident has no relation to the night or the venue. We are relieved that the student in question is on the mend” Tom Wye, Managing Director of Original Sin
“Our staff are not medically trained so the bouncers and the paramedics attended to the victim, while our staff manned the door controlling entry. “We are relieved that the student in question is on the mend. We wish him
a full and swift recovery.” Mary Arches Street was closed while initial police investigations were carried out, although the area has now been reopened to traffic. Emma Payne, VP Welfare and Community has stated: “Regarding student safety, I would like to add that it is important that all students know their limits when it comes to drinking alcohol and really think about how much they consume. “It is a common perception that a ‘good night out’ involves drinking as much as you can, but many would say its the nights you remember are the ones you think most fondly of.” “I would like to state that I wish the student all the best for a speedy recovery.” Police would like to hear from anyone who may have been driving in the area at the time or may have witnessed the collision. Anyone who can help is asked to contact 101 quoting log 8 of 240112.
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News
Teaching Awards: Votes are in
5 march 2012
A celebratation of languages
Photo: Hannah Walker
THE Teaching Awards have received 2,021 nominations this year, compared to just 905 last year. 636 individual staff members have been nominated, with the majority of these within the College of Humanities. Last year 321 members of staff were longlisted, again with most nominees from the Humanities department. James Eales, VP Academic Affairs, said: “It’s really great to see over 2000 nominations this year, it shows how highly students rate the great work that University staff do. For over 600 individual members of staff to be nominated shows the breadth of this excellence across the University.”
Prune & plant for Queen’s Jubilee Mike Stanton QUEEN’S CRESCENT is to be renovated in time for the Queen’s Jubilee later this year. Queen’s Crescent, which is next to Longbrook Street and York Road, is in the heart of the St James Ward, a popular student area with 60 per cent of its population made up by students. The Exeter based charity ‘Harvest’ has been conducting work in the area for some time, with the aim of connecting local residents with the space through gardening. The charity aims to have the Crescent rejuvenated in time for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee later this year. The plan is to hold a tea party in the space for locals and volunteers as a way of bringing students and local residents together. The site has been associated with street drinkers for a number of years and the charity has been working with students and the police in getting the scheme up and running. The Guild and Community Action have agreed that the space needs work and could benefit from the volunteering schemes within the University. As a result a gardening day has been planned for the 28 March, with the aim of both staff and student volunteers working together.
Drama students organise Olympic Torch Procession Sarah Yeoman
Fire at James Owen Court
AT 23:15 on Monday 27 February, fire services were called to a fire at James Owen Court halls of residence on Sidwell Street. The fire occurred in the kitchen of a second floor flat and caused damage to both the kitchen and hall. A female received treatment for smoke inhalation. The fire is thought to have been caused by accident.
Exeposé
Community Action volunteers helped to organise International Mother Language Day as part of National Volunteering Week
Lorna Miller INTERNATIONAL Mother Language Day was celebrated on 22 February in the Lemon Grove as part of National Volunteering Week. This is the third year that this event has run at the University and it took over four months to organise, led by Community Action’s Global Touch Project leaders. Over 20 international students from local schools and their teachers attended, along with 18 volunteers. The day aimed to explore cultural differences and raise future hopes and aspirations
Highlights of the day included poster making, a performance by Dancesport Society, and guest societies, such
as Astrophysics and the Exeter University Theatre Company, running activity workshops. Mozhgon and Ying, Global Touch Project leaders, said: “This event was such a success and we are so proud to be a part of it. The best part was seeing all the students and volunteers coming together to share their cultural differences. We hope to see this special day being celebrated next year, with even more success!” Mozhogon and Ying added that the local schools who participated have already said that they would like to be involved next year.
cosmetic change, but it will revive the building, as well as making inhabiting it far nicer and warmer.” Some students have considered other recent redevelopments, such as that of the library, disruptive. With regards to Cornwall House however, Payne stressed that “the work that will be done will be mostly in the background.”
Students have generally welcomed the proposed refurbishment. James Marchant, a third year History student said: “Cornwall House is kind of an eyesore as is, especially after the recent Lafrowda redevelopment.” However, Lucy Webster, a third year Business Economics student was far more negative: “I think they should knock it down
of the children by taking them on a tour of Streatham Campus.
“The best part was seeing all the students and volunteers coming together to share their cultural differences” Mozhgon and Ying, Global Touch Project leaders
A GROUP of third year drama students at Exeter University are helping with the organisation and development of the Olympic Torch Procession, which will come through Exeter on 20 May 2012. The event, titled ‘The Battle of the Winds’, will see the Olympic Torch being carried through Exeter, the second destination on the tour route, beginning at Topsham Road and finishing at the Cathedral Green. There will be a variety of performances, the main one being led by Devon-based theatre company, Forkbeard Fantasy, who will exhibit puppet characters created especially for the procession. The drama students have taken on the responsibility of the organisation of the event due to their interest in arts management. They have taken on various roles including stage management. The group will be working closely with Forkbeard Fantasy in developing the performative elements, as well as liaising with other local participants, including Exeter College, regarding organisational aspects and student involvement. The progress of the project can be followed via the Olympic Torch Project Blog, which will be updated regularly as the project develops with posts, photos and information. The blog can be found at: www.exeterolympictorchproject.wordpress.com
Lemmy gets £1m for green cosmetic makover Peter Collins CORNWALL HOUSE has received £1million funding for a future retrofit that will make it more colourful and ecofriendly. The work on the building is expected to significantly reduce carbon emissions by limiting energy consumption and improving insulation. Development of the exterior will allow for a change in the colour and texture of the outer walls.
and start from scratch.” The funding is the result of one of two successful applications made by the University to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. It is part of a wider initiative aimed at reducing carbon national emissions by 18,500 tonnes a year.
“It is quite a cosmetic change, but it will revive the building” Emma Payne, VP Welfare and Community
The Guild intends to consult students on the retrofit. This includes making proposed designs available for student feedback and arranging ‘exhibition days’ that will showcase the work going on. Emma Payne, VP Welfare and Community, commented: “It is quite a simple
The Guild will consult students on what form the ‘new look’ of the Lemmy should take following the £1m investment
Photo: Henry White
5
Exeposé WEEK TWENTY
£9,000 fees: One year on FRIDAY 2 MARCH marked one year since Exeter University announced plans to charge students the maximum tuition fee of £9,000 a year. Beginning in September 2012, all 123 universities and colleges in England will be charging £6,000 or more for all undergraduate courses. The rise in the fee cap from £3,375 along with wider reforms to Higher Education was met with angry street protests and occupations nationwide. Twelve months later, Exeposé News catches up with the Guild, the University and the National Union of Students (NUS) to see what gains, and what losses, have been made for students. James Eales VP Academic Affairs “One of the Guild’s strategic priorities is the learning and teaching experience delivered by the University in the wake of £9,000 fees. The University has committed to improving its student staff ratio, with the appointment of 100 academic staff this year alone. We hope that this will help improve class sizes, assessment and feedback turnaround times, and assist with contact hour commitments (10-15 hours per week depending on discipline). Regarding hidden course costs, the first priority is to ensure accurate information is given to students as to additional course costs; furthermore, all year one students will have all compulsory course costs covered by colleges. £250k of additional recurrent funding has been committed to learning resources, while £20k has been provided to students in the Library champion scheme.”
Nick Davis Guild President
James Fox VP Participation & Campuses
“One of the most important advances since the announcement of £9,000 tuition fees has been the Office For Fair Access (OFFA) Access Agreement. The commitments to social mobility and supporting students from less well off backgrounds shows real impetus from the University to once and for all shake the stigma of the perennial white upper class institution, which has plagued Exeter for so many years.
“One thing that I have been working on is ensuring the provision of free use of space on campus for students for events, particularly within the Forum project. As well as this, I have been working on the way in which people perceive volunteering and making sure people see the benefits of it, both during their time at university, and when they graduate. In particular, I have been helping people see how more employable the extra activities they do make them and that now simply having a degree is not enough. I believe National Student Volunteering Week highlighted this and also showed how Exeter is leading the way when it comes to engaging its students in volunteering, and I firmly believe that we will be able to maintain that from 2012.”
“The commitments to social mobility and supporting students from less well off backgrounds shows real impetus from the University” Nick Davis, Guild President
The agreement has many pledges within it, most notably, ‘The University intends to allocate 31 per cent of all additional fee income over £6,000 (gross) for Home/EU undergraduates in 2012/13 to additional access measures.’ These measures will go a long way to not only diversify our own student population, but also contribute towards society at large, getting students from backgrounds not traditionally suited to University thinking more carefully about higher education. But with the focus on attracting AAB+ students, these Widening Participation targets will be a challenge to meet.” Photo: Henry White
Emma Payne VP Welfare and Community “One of the biggest challenges that students face in a 2012, £9,000 fee environment is ensuring that everyone is able to afford to keep the student experience that is enjoyed today. A key part of this is living on campus, especially for first year students.
“Now it is all about student choice. This puts students in a much more powerful position”
Professor Steve Smith, ViceChancellor of Exeter University
I believe that living in halls is an integral part of a first year experience, not only for the obvious social aspects, but for the support and pastoral care that comes with it. We are committed to making sure that there is a range of accommodation to suit all new students and that the service provided is value for money and meets the needs of the residents.” Professor Sir Steve Smith Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter
Thousands of students took to the streets in November 2010 to protest the fee rise
“Applications are only 1 per cent down for next year nationally (relevant to the size of the age cohort), so people have not been put off coming to university because of concerns about fee levels.
The raising of tuition fees to £9k has, however, massively changed the way universities are funded. Whereas in the past universities could rely on getting a big fat pay cheque from the government, now it is all about student choice. This puts students in a much more powerful position and has really focused universities’ minds on providing the best student experience they can. Exeter has always done well in the National Student Survey, never finishing outside the top 10, but we think we can do better by working very closely with the Students’ Guild and involving them in setting the University’s agenda. This is a very positive thing for both students and staff and will, I believe, result in a stronger and more responsive University.”
“The Government is charging full steam ahead with radical university reforms which extend far beyond this headline issue” Liam Burns, NUS President Liam Burns NUS President “Dramatic as the fee rise clearly is, the Government is charging full steam ahead with radical university reforms which extend far beyond this headline issue. The trebling of the fee cap was met with the complete withdrawal of public funding for teaching, for all but a few subjects deemed to be of particular ‘strategic importance.’ It is crazy that we have to argue for public investment in teaching History, Philosophy, English or Music, but we do. The Government are also working behind the scenes to encourage the influx of for-profit private providers in higher education - which would offer low-cost degrees, presumably attracting those more debt averse students who they expect to be scared off from traditional unis by their high fees. Examples of this in America show just how dangerous this would be. We’ve certainly got our work cut out - so do join us for our ‘week of action’ from 12-16 March and a lobby of parliament on Wednesday 18 April to make the necessary case for a pause in the reforms, and for an alternative fairer and more sustainable approach.”
News
National Student News Oxford graduate returns degree
A GRADUATE of Oxford University has returned his degree in a stand against his former college’s allowance of talks by a religious group that regularly opposes advances in gay rights. Exeter College English graduate, Michael Amherst, stated that he no longer wished to be associated with the University. The Wilberforce Academy, run in association with Christian Concern, has rented a space at the University to hold conferences despite claims that the organisation has frequently attempted to block gay equality measurements.
Sarah Holmes
Degree courses cut ONE in four university degree courses have been cut over the last six years, according to research by the University and Colleges Union (UCU). The number of full-time undergraduate degree courses has decreased from 70,052 in 2006 to 51,116 in 2012, showing a drop of 27 per cent. England faced the worst reductions, at 31 per cent. In particular, the South West were down by nearly half, at 47 per cent. The cuts have been attributed to soaring tuition fees and diminishing higher education budgets, fuelling fears about the declining standard of the British university system. Sally Hunt, UCU general secretary, said: “Although students in England are expected to pay up to £9,000 a year to study, there is much less choice for them.”
Counter-terrorism degree launched
THE University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) is launching degrees in counter-terrorism and airport security with a view to provide training for the next generation of security professionals. The airport security course, the first of its kind in the UK, has been designed in conjunction with the police and airline industry. Its introduction into the curriculum represents the increasing importance of relevant, career-focused university courses following the spike in tuition fees. Andy Johnson, Course convenor, said: “At a time when our border controls are under increased scrutiny, UCLan is proud to announce these two new courses which will help train security professionals so they are prepared for the evolving security landscape.”
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Comment Exeposé
The Exeter Student Newspaper
Is VAT necessary?
As one of the student media (Xmedia), Exeposé, like every other student society in Exeter, has been affected by the Guild’s decision to apply VAT to all income and expenditure. Whilst this is an unwelcome tax, one that is not beneficial to students, it has to be considered in the context of students’ unions and government legislation. The Students’ Guild is a UK based, public organisation as far as HMRC are concerned, and as our news coverage shows, HMRC does not clearly differentiate between students’ unions and other corporate businesses. This seems to be an issue which has been neglected by numerous administrations, and it is this uncertainty which has caused the current situation. The Guild is considering lobbying the government, along with the National Union of Students (NUS),
to clarify the current laws. Ultimately though, even if we may not like paying tax, blaming the Guild entirely for it is unfair. After all, it is HMRC and the Government which sets the tax laws and legislation in the UK, not the Guild. The short term ramifications may not be pleasant for students and it is a shame this is the case, but as of 1 August, all societies will be able to budget for VAT and claim it back on expenditure as well. It is crucial the Guild provides a clear, concise and efficient service for the students of the future, especially when it comes to VAT claims. Efficiency is key, and the Guild’s decision to implement the changes now will hopefully mean that, come next academic year, they will have an experienced and problem-free system in place.
Once again this academic year, the University of Exeter has been negatively portrayed in the national press after the Guild issued a statement, during Diversity Week, encouraging increased sensitivity regarding activities which could offend minority groups. The article, “A Response to Banter - the appearance of prejudice,” was released on the Guild website and covered by national papers, such as the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph. Although the statement advised students to think carefully about who they may offend before “cross-dressing,” it did not issue an outright ban on dressing up as the opposite sex, which the Daily Mail falsely claimed. In the aftermath of “Hackgate” and with the on-going Leveson Enquiry, one has to question the wisdom of the Mail’s article. Ultimately, from reading the Guild’s article, it is clear their intention was to make people aware that dressing up in drag as a joke, or “blacking-up” can be offensive. The article was published as a response to some societies’ participation in
these activities, as a drive to raise awareness as part of Diversity Week. Whilst some may feel the Guild went beyond its remit by interfering in students’ social activities, it is irresponsible and damaging for these national papers to portray the University in a bad light, based on a deliberate misreading of the Guild’s statement. The Daily Telegraph, for example, ended their article by referring to a statement actress Emma Thompson made several years ago, condemning the lack of black students in Exeter. Through this link, the implication was made that the Exeter student body is filled with white, British students who lack sensitivity towards other nationalities. In actual fact, 21.4 per cent of Exeter students’ are from outside the EU, making the University a multi-cultural hub of the South West. Inaccurate reporting will merely lead to misconceptions and spread misinformation. Whilst the Guild needs to ensure it doesn’t dictate to students how to live their lives, we all have a responsibility to pass on factually correct information and consider the thoughts of others.
Cross-dressing controversy
Thanks to all those who helped proof this issue: James Crouch, Imogen Crookes, Fiona Lally, Clara Plackett, Adam Western, Alex Phelps, Alex Carden, Emily Tanner, Megan Furborough, Kirsty Joss, William O’Rourke, Meg Drewett, Owen Keating, Matt Bugler, Paul Douglas, Clara Warman, Mariene Stewart, Ella Williams, Jon Jenner, Kate Gray, Esther Privett, Amelie Doublet, Cressy Travis, Sofy Bevan, Elli Christie, Tom Bond, Ben Winsor, Emily Lunn, Charlotte Earland, Oscar Warwick-Thompson, Anna Béar, Thomas Ling, Ciara Long, Conor Morgan, Cameron Ward and members of the Exeposé Editorial Team.
5 march 2012
Exeposé
Editors: Ellie Busby & Henry White Deputy Editors: Ellie Bothwell & Rosie Scudder editors@exepose.com
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Holland Hall: Living the dream?
Rachel Smith
According to Unipol, the average weekly cost of student accommodation in 2010 was £98. Why then, are Exeter proposing the astronomical fee of £206 per week for students applying to Holland Hall next year? Admittedly, students living in Holland Hall have financial capabilities far beyond that of your ‘average’ university student; stereotypes aside, anyone who has a balcony in their student halls cannot deny being of a significantly wealthy background. Having never had the ‘privilege’ of entering Holland Hall myself, my opinion relies entirely on wordof-mouth, and the word on the grapevine is that it is comparable to a ‘hotel’. If these reports are to be taken as the truth, perhaps considering the suitability of cost should instead use comparisons with hotel fees. After all, expecting a palace at back-street terrace rates is hardly rational. Hotels.com identified the average cost of a hotel room at £82 a night in 2011, equating to £574 a week! With this in mind, asking prices for Holland Hall are clearly an absolute bargain!
to that would be arguably barbaric. However, Holland Hall is not, regardless of what you may be led to believe, the only accommodation Exeter has to offer. If you don’t want to pay £206 a week then there’s always Exeter Halls which start at £124.95, or, if you want to stretch yourself and venture into the realms of cooking for yourself Birks Grange starts at £116.48 (I daren’t mention Lafrowda – that’s hardly the luxury you HollandHallers are after). Admittedly, £206 a week is a ridiculous rate, but if people
want to live in luxury then they will have to pay the price. No, it’s not a price in the range of students but then again, Holland Hall scarcely even comes close to the reality of a student life. New students can bask in the beauty of Holland Hall if they like, but they will have to fork out the funds. As for the rest, they can sacrifice the Holland Hall dream and slum it in self-catered; maybe you’ll spare them some donations of baked beans on your way back from Jack Wills?
“If people want to live in luxury then they will have to pay the price” So, maybe I’m being a little unfair. Hotels are famously expensive and forcing a student to pay anything close
Student political parties need to engage with each other
Meg Drewett I’m not a member of any student branch of a political party, although were it not for the ridiculous queues at the Fresher’s Fair, I’d probably be in the Labour society. It’s my support for Labour that encouraged me to attend their ‘Drop the Bill’ health reforms event on Thursday, which was an extremely interesting and informative evening. But, as I sat listening to the speakers, I couldn’t help but feel that something was lacking. What was that, you ask? Cross party debate. Now, yes, this event was meant to be raising awareness about, not necessarily debating, the proposed NHS reforms. But the point here is that it represents a problem with the political
parties on campus. They don’t seem to be making enough effort to engage with each other in talking about issues they disagree on. Instead, they are becoming arenas for likeminded people to agree with each other, but provide only a very limited forum for cross party discussion. Think about it. When was the last time you saw a poster around campus, advertising a joint event from the political groups, offering a chance to challenge each other’s ideas? The politicised students at this university deserve to be able to argue about the issues they are interested in with people who vehemently disagree. It would provide more stimulating debate and allow policy we all think is important to be openly discussed. And, whilst benefiting students, increased engagement between political groups on campus would also undoubtedly benefit societies themselves. Everyone knows it can be difficult to
get high-profile speakers to come to Exeter when it’s relatively distant from major cities. But pitching an audience of 100 students from different political backgrounds willing to be persuaded, would attract more speakers than 30 students from the same party who already agree. Plus, the more political parties on campus that engage with each other, the more students will be interested in attending those events, and all involved societies will get extra publicity. It will boost membership, which can only be a good thing. So here’s the challenge, Conservative Future, Labour Students and the Lib Dem Society: host a Question Time style debate. Work together, pull your best strings and get the best, most highprofile speakers possible who represent your views to come along and talk to an audience of any students who want to listen. Please: it’s what your students and your societies deserve.
Exeposé WEEK TWENTY
Comment
7
Media mountains out of modest molehills
Photo: Alamy
Nick Davies
Guild President With the first edition of the new The Sun on Sunday being released last weekend, Britain goes kicking and screaming into a new era of newspaper history. It’s being hailed by Rupert Murdoch and his minions as a fresh start, but let’s face it – The News of the Wor... Sorry, I mean The Sun on Sunday is yet another example of a national publication made primarily to clad your fish and chips.
But the buck of morally dubious news does not stop there. Late February saw the University of Exeter Students’ Guild get caught up in the most almighty media storm in a teacup, with several national publications seeing how much they could stir out of a simple statement made on the Guild’s website. It was a suggestion to the student body, that before donning the attire of the opposite sex, they might like to spare a thought for those who define themselves as gender-queer. The piece had been live for less than 48 hours before the first newspaper came knocking. But at least they had the courtesy to do so. The following two days saw a myriad of articles appear nationwide, my favourite highlight being when
one paper ran the story in the morning and then called up for a quote later that afternoon. Investigative journalism at its best I am sure you would agree. Outrage surrounding the article reached as far afield as Wales and Ireland and the subject even found its way onto national television in the shape of a segment on The Wright Stuff. Now, Matthew Wright, if you are going to sum up the discussion with any sort of authority, why don’t you formulate your own conclusions and not paraphrase the statement I provided your producer with? You are an Exeter alumnus – didn’t they teach you about the many pitfalls of plagiarism while you were here?! I guess what I am suggesting is that we should all just calm down (I say,
dress could cause offence to transvestites, but as one transvestite member of the LGBTQ society remarked, when asked if they had ever been offended by seeing another male student in drag; “No. Why would I? They have as much right to express themselves as I do.” The fact is, the men wearing women’s clothes as fancy dress aren’t dressing up as drag queens; they’re dressing up as women. It’s not transvestites who might feel offended - if anyone it’s women, and I assure you, we don’t give a damn.
‘us’, but this misinterpretation of dressing up – be it because you are more comfortable in female clothes or getting a kick out of it – is more detrimental than any lad in heels and a dress could ever be. And how are we to identify who is a real transvestite and who is being offensive? The very point of diversity is to step away from the labels and allow people to do what they want and be who they are without fear or retribution. It seems this is very much a step in the wrong direction, and a poor move from a Guild who should worry less about over policing students’ self expression and more about the attitudes they are perpetuating with ill-conceived policies.
Daily Mail article photo: “Male students at top university banned from dressing as girls on pub crawls”
calming down myself), and take what we read with a hefty pinch of salt. It might not be great for your blood pressure but it sure makes our tabloid news a little
easier to swallow, and hey, at least you can be thankful for another blinding edition of Exeposé!
“Cross-dressing”: An “appearance of prejudice” or liberation for all sexes?
Madeline Joint Drag as fancy dress is “as offensive as blacking up” says our Students’ Guild, who recently released a statement asking students to consider the potential offence that may arise from both drag and black-face fancy dress during Diversity Week. The reaction of the majority of students has been, primarily, confusion. Not allowing “blacking up” strikes any reasoned human being as common sense, and the request is in itself worrying and patronising. It actually signals that Exeter students wouldn’t find blacking-up repulsive. Also, it’s hard not to find the equation of race and fashion offensive. The warnings against cross-dressing fancy dress, however, stand out as perplexing, ill advised and in fact terrifyingly counter-productive. How exactly does the Guild reconcile the logic that to respect peoples right to dress however they wish, restrictions must be put in place on how people are allowed to dress? Apparently, mimicking transvestite modes of
Alexa Sage
Gender Equality Representative In light of recent events, concern has been raised about the phenomenon of so-called ‘cross-dressing’. Some fear that ‘cross-dressing’ can be a form of mocking and thus prejudiced against
“It’s not transvestites who might feel offended - if anyone it’s women, and I assure you, we don’t give a damn”
That’s before you even start on the inherent sexism of demanding men stay dressed as men, but women can dress however they fancy. Are women no longer allowed to wear comedy moustaches or suits? By attempting to protect cross dressers what the Guild has done is actually drawn a very definite line between how ‘normal men’ are allowed to dress and how ‘transgendered men’ are allowed to dress. The fear was that “dragging up” was about ‘them’ and some sexes. But I put it to the reader to reconsider what it means to mock gender and that maybe ‘cross-dressing’ can be liberating rather than prejudicial. Personally, I am a great supporter of ‘cross-dressing’: it shows our ridiculous construction of gender for what it really is. The notion that you are either masculine or feminine, and wear trousers and a tie if you are masculine and skirt and heels if you are feminine, is prejudicial in itself. If all it takes to be a woman is to put on makeup and
a dress over shaved legs, then some men are a better woman than I could ever be! Dressing is a form of decoration and cover to protect our bodies and keep us warm, we should not be restrained to a set-list of items in which we can do that. As Eddie Izzard, comedian and part-time transvestite, puts it: “equal clothing rights for all.” So yes, ‘cross-dressing’ does mock and rightly so! I understand that one of the big concerns raised is that of the mocking effect that ‘cross-dressing’ may
First things first: the university are not banning students from cross-dressing; they are only suggesting that students take into consideration how their actions might offend others, much in the same way as blacking up is not illegal but might, y’know, possibly upset people. While we should all be thankful that the University is not instating rigorous gender-appropriate dress codes, it’s a little alarming that mocking a person’s race could be equated with dressing in the stereotypical attire of the opposite gender. It unnerves me to think that if tomorrow I decided to set out of the house in a man’s suit and tie, an offended male student could complain to a higher authority, demanding that I renounce my masculine clothing and return to skirts, out of some misguided fear that I am mocking him. Similarly, if I don a fake moustache for a costume party (which I often do) I would be confused and horrified to discover that men thought my phony facial hair was intended as crude ridicule of their gender. The way people dress – whatever
their sex or gender – is a form of expression; fancy dress is simply an extension of the freedom we allow ourselves in our everyday wardrobe. Cross-dressing, while ostensibly a joke, is also an outlet; an opportunity to express a side of ourselves society is not comfortable with our gender displaying. Yes, it is important to consider the potential feelings of transgender people, which is why the very raising of this point ironically seems quite offensive. Drawing a parallel between someone in drag and someone who genuinely feels they are a different gender from their biological sex undermines their identity and over-simplifies notions of gender altogether. It indicates a disturbing undercurrent of thought which views cross-dressing and trans-sexualism as practically the same thing. Moreover, gender is transgressive and limitless. If I choose to cross-dress, it is because I’m feeling more masculine. Equally, must a transgender person always adhere to the strict dress codes of their non-biological gender? Or is someone forbidden from ever wearing a dress again once they begin living as a man? Ultimately, if the behaviour of a person cross-dressing for a night out seems crass, irritating and offensive, chances are they would be just as objectionable in whatever clothes they’re wearing.
have on the trans-experience. Exeter University represents several transidentified people and after speaking to some of these people, I realise how incredibly difficult it can be to not feel ‘you’ in the body you are in. The trans-experience can take years of counselling, vast physical procedures and emotional difficulty, not to mention the huge mental challenge of defying society’s narrow view of sex and gender. But I am hopeful that in breaking down the norms of what is socially acceptable for a woman or
man to wear, the trans-experience, if anything, should be made easier. The body in which you are in will find itself with more options, as dresses become readily available to men, women are measured up for tuxedos, and a deconstruction of a male/female divide opens up an accepted space for gender identities inbetween. Maybe one day, ‘cross-dressing’ will be seen in its true light: as simply ‘dressing’, and we can work towards a less prejudiced, more liberated society regardless of sex or gender.
Jessamy Queree
8
5 MARCH 2012 Exeposé
Comment
Mental Health and Wellbeing Day Rungs of bureaucracy Jack Flanagan
Imogen Watson
I wanted to acknowledge what a positive point it is that universities – including Exeter – are stepping up the focus on mental health and wellbeing by dedicating an entire day (Wednesday 22 February) to it. For those of you who choose not to listen to commercial radio stations, you may not be aware that in recent weeks and months there have been advertisements encouraging people to talk about mental health problems rather than letting those that suffer from them feel like they have to do so in private and alone. It seems to be a topic around which I have heard rather a lot of discussion lately, and so I am pleased that the University joined in with this promotional day. Government statistics demonstrate that one in four people will experience some kind of mental health problem during their lifetime, and although it might seem like everybody at university is having a whale of a time, it can actually be a breeding ground for these kinds of issues. I myself have experienced long periods of depression and felt wholly alone, and therefore raising awareness and beginning to break down the stigmas against it is a determined step in the right direction. Let’s face it, for many of us
These past weeks I’ve been organising a small event: the idea was for ecoconscious students to put bird boxes up around campus: “Excellent”, I thought; “cute” they said. I needed ladders for said event, and, even though I realised this may cause some minor mayhem in the Guild safety procedure, I didn’t foresee the requirement for “laddertrained staff,” necessary to accompany students on a trip around campus; these students being aged 18+, and presumably familiar with the complexity of ladder geometry.
Mindapple: What five things do you do regularly to look after your mind?
our own heads can be one of the craziest and sometimes unhappiest places to be, (especially with so much to do!) so by bringing it out into the open as this day did, as well as giving advice on how to look after our minds, the first barrier was
“I climb stairs almost everyday, and bar the infrequent bout of vertigo, I find them quite amenable to the task of escaping to a higher altitude”
broken. So even if you didn’t go to any of the events put on by the University, it is, as the radio advert says, time to talk. I only hope it will continue, and not just on one single day.
It’s not all that ridiculous; ladders are fairly high as it happens, and in the gamut of tasks for any event it was something I wasn’t going to rue for very long. There was then the idea of using step-ladders - not very high,
a “natural science” is indeed correct, however this is a student newspaper. The readership of the publication is a highly sophisticated, informed and educated group of people. They are perfectly capable of deciding on the facts for themselves and it is not the job of the newspaper to tell them that “two plus two equals four”. I do concede that the sentence “some Turkish historians disagree with the term genocide” unfairly implies that only Turkish historians disagree with the term. The point about some nonTurkish historians disagreeing with the term is indeed accurate. However, as any history professor in a western university will point out to you, rightly or wrongly, there is at this time a consensus amongst western historians and historical establishments that genocide occurred. The newspaper is an open publication and serves as a forum for student debate, discussion and opinions. Alternative views on any subjects are indeed welcome and should be embraced in the spirit of intellectual discourse and free speech. The views of the Turkish society are very much
welcome on this issue. I would like to point out that the article was a features article and not a news report. A features article differs from a news article in that news reports are meant to present the facts and consider all sides of the argument. This is not the job of the features section which is meant to be more opinion than fact, our job is to analyse the news not report it. Given that this is a university, I would like to extend an invitation to the Turkish society for further dialogue on this topic. There should be an open discussion/debate on the topic of the events of 1915 presented before a university student audience. This is perhaps the best forum for discussion on such topic.
not impressively threatening certainly. Immediately there came an email forbidding the use of step-ladders without the ground staff, who had received the “appropriate training.” The “appropriate training” must be something truly gruelling – after all, I climb stairs (not too far in elevation from the stepladder) almost everyday, and bar the infrequent bout of vertigo, I find them quite amenable to the task of escaping to a higher altitude. Whether it is the personal opinion of Guild staff, or the rigid stubborn and impersonal regulations set by the Guild, I don’t know. What I do know, in fact, what I have been assured, is that there is no way students will ever be allowed to operate a step-ladder on University grounds. These are people who, in the majority, live a fairly eccentric and boisterous lifestyle – yet god-forbid we ascend several feet in the air and place a bird-box into a tree; who knows what aeronautical catastrophe might occur. I won’t plague the reader with rhetoric – this is an inane regulation – and I condemn not only the rules in place (by whatever tedious bureaucracy), but question who could enforce such insipid rules upon anyone else unless they were robotic. I understand it’s their job, but is it their ambition to make life so dull, tedious and moronic that the whole thing doesn’t seem worth it anymore?
Letters to the Editors
Send your letters to editors@exepose.com Re: “Denial is unacceptable” (Comment, p7, Issue 590) Exeposé This letter is written to you in response to the Turkish society’s criticism of the publication of my article entitled “Denial is unacceptable.” I have written this letter to you because I feel that my article has been taken out of context and misunderstood. I have also written this letter as I would like to address the issues raised by the Turkish society and to clear up some key points. The article itself was not about whether or not genocide took place. The article was dealing with a bill in the French parliament which outlawed denial of the Armenian genocide. I use the term “genocide” because this is the term the French parliament used and whether I agree with the term or not does not come into it. I do not see how I could have avoided this term, when writing an article about the French parliament’s bill. Not using this term in an article about this bill would have been inaccurate journal-
ism on my part. The article itself was questioning what “denial” really means and largely arguing against criminalizing it. I reject the assertion that the article used “Turkophobic” and “Islamophobic” terminologies. The wording in this article as with any other article was picked carefully and would’ve gone through editorial controls, to make sure that any article complies with the newspaper’s and University’s ethical policy. This includes tight regulation against racism, homophobia and other forms of phobias which malign a group of people or a person. Neither I nor the editors felt that any of the terms used in the article breached the ethical guidelines. I have also discussed the article with members of the Islamic society and no one there expressed concerns about Islamophobia within the article. I would also like to point out that I am personally very fond of Turkish people and culture and have nothing but the upmost respect for it. I extend this respect and admiration to other groups too, including the Armenians. The point about History not being
Best Regards, Usman Butt New VAT rules for societies Exeposé We are really unhappy as to the new VAT rules concerning societies. Most
societies at Exeter University are non-profit or even charity organisations and the fact that they should have to pay VAT is utterly ridiculous. When we run an event we don’t make money on it, we keep the cost down low and only charge to cover our expenses. The VAT is two fold; it seems members will be charged VAT on the materials and goods used for the event and then additional VAT on top of this. What have Exeter’s societies and students done to deserve this? We are hoping to plan a trip to Italy next year, but if we fundraise, the new rules mean that for every £500 we raise, £100 of that goes straight to the government. Surely the Guild should be a non-profit organisation; I can’t understand why these VAT regualtions are being introduced. To us they seem another unfair measure placed upon the increasingly cash strapped students. Rachel Bulcock and Lauren Laing, Communications Secretary and Vice President of Exeter University Slow Food on Campus Society.
SCH
Summer School in China
O AVA LARSH I ILA BLE PS
25 JUNE - 13 JULY 2012
Spend 3 weeks in Beijing, with access to one of China’s top universities for Politics and Law.
For the fourth year running, the University is offering Exeter students the opportunity to
• live in China’s capital city • discover first-hand how China views itself and the world • establish links with Chinese students
experience a 3-week Summer School at the
• taught by CUPL academic staff
China University of Political Science and Law
• immerse yourself in one of the world’s most ancient cultures
(CUPL) in Beijing.
• learn Mandarin with free language training before you go • explore Beijing, the Forbidden City and the Great Wall of China
Find out more by contacting studyabroad@exeter.ac.uk
The application deadline is Friday 16 March, 4pm
• International Exeter scholarships available Students from any College may apply, and this opportunity may be of particular interest to postgraduates with research interests in China. Participating students will be expected to make a financial contribution and meet eligibility requirements.
For a full range of approved Summer School opportunities and scholarships on offer, visit the International Exeter website:
www.exeter.ac.uk/international/abroad/summerschoolscholarships/
10
Features Sam Lambert & Clare Mullins - features@exepose.com
5 March 2012 Exeposé
Join the Exeposé Features Facebook group
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A new Sun shines on Sunday
Tom Payne, Books Editor, on the latest publication in Murdoch’s empire, The Sun on Sunday
IT’S hard to predict a certain future for Murdoch’s Sunday edition of The Sun, launched last month as a replacement for the ill-fated News of the World, although sales of the first edition soared to an unprecedented 3.26 million – the highest sales figure for any Sunday newspaper since February 2007. After all, in the last 10 years, Sunday newspaper sales have halved as readers and advertisers have reverted to alternative forms of digital media. The statistics don’t seem to matter to Rupert Murdoch, head of News Corporation – if anything, The Sun on Sunday appears to represent a tactical effort to reinstate and sustain his self-importance, as well as those of senior members and associates at News International. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. The gutter press stands for more than just the success and wealth of those senior businessmen and journalists behind it – in light of the Leveson Enquiry,
it is distinctly aligned with the very nature of press freedom and ethical morality. If the paper’s editorial was anything to go by, The Sun on Sunday is very much a highly cautious attempt at reclaiming News International’s worth as a reputable force of good. Perhaps rather surprisingly, the editorial addresses the paper’s stance on those 10 Sun journalists arrested as part of the phone hacking scandal, claiming that: “We believe those individuals are innocent until proven guilty.” A personal project, then – and one that knows its bounds. The Sun on Sunday is noticeably indebted to a new breed of public expectation dictating the manner and decency of the press. Branded as “mischievous and fun” in its editorial, there’s noticeably less of the sleazy kiss-n-tell stories which in the past have strayed too close to the realm of ethical misconduct. Nick Highman, an analyst at the BBC, has gone as
far as to call The Sun on Sunday an “upbeat family paper”, with fun stories and reasonably positive front-page splashes. With columnists including Katie Price, Nancy Del’Ollio and Heston Blumenthal, it also appears to be catering towards a broadly female readership, albeit with a hefty 28 pages of Sports coverage, covering every League match – an undoubtedly weighty selling-point.
“It is a wholly conservative newspaper without the tenacious bite and originality of its predecessor” There’s nothing particularly remarkable about it, in any case. Readers will miss the News of the World’s risky and exciting first-rate scoops, while The Sun on Sunday really can’t do any wrong, so
Photo: Getty (left), John Stillwell/AFP/Getty Images (right)
long as Katie Price is allowed to spout her predictably mundane pieces of cultural commentary week after week. (This week, tactically written in honour of Marie Colvin, the murdered Sunday Times reporter is depicted as a curious kind of martyr to the cause of good journalism). If anything, The Sun on Sunday’s editorial policy is Murdoch’s skepticism writ-large. It is a wholly conservative newspaper without the tenacious bite and originality of its predecessor. There’s no reason to suggest that expectations of ethical misconduct should restrain the creative drive behind newspaper production and coverage. I’d even go as far as to suggest that this is not, in any way, a true expression of a ‘new’ idea press freedom. It is rather an example of a press constrained by the idea of a set kind of readership which content must be tailored to appeal to. Perhaps this has always been the case – but with The Sun on Sunday, it’s hard to
The extradition of Christopher Tappin
disregard the phenomenal weight of public expectation and pressure placed on its journalists. This, coupled with an editorial policy that limits the paper to soft, frivolous town-tattle, suggests a paper that is deeply fearful of its readership and lacking the ingenuity and thoughtfulness to be anything more than a lesser, openly ‘softer’ version of its predecessor. If there’s anything positive that can come out of this new publication, it’s that Murdoch’s faith in print journalism remains as strident as ever. The real challenge in the future will lie in the task of reconciling risqué and engaging editorial and comment with decent ethical conduct, sustaining the readership and addressing the benefits of digital media as a productive compliment to print alternatives. This is the future of print journalism, and one that The Sun on Sunday needs to step forwards and wholeheartedly embrace before it can claim to be heralding a new era.
Sarah Holmes looks at the case of the retired businessman who finds himself in US courts ALMOST two years after being arrested at his home in Orpington, Kent, over claims he sold batteries for Iranian missiles, Christopher Tappin faces the first of many appearances in a US courtroom following his extradition from the UK on Friday 24 February. Throughout the case, the retired businessman has denied allegations, claiming he was the victim of entrapment by US court agents. It’s the kind of thing that you’d expect in a Le Carré novel, but surely not in the courts of Britain. Unfortunately, for Tappin, it has all too quickly become a reality. The 65 year old grandfather bade farewell to his wife of 37 years, Elaine Tappin, at Heathrow Airport on Friday morning, before being escorted by US marshals on to a transatlantic flight to El
Paso, Texas where he will be kept in custody. It must have been a strange sight for inmates at the Otero County Prison Facility to witness Tappin’s arrival in the Texas desert through towering razor wire fences, attired in his favourite golf club blazer, beige flannels and carrying a walking stick. If Tappin is denied bail, he will remain in Otero until his trial. If convicted of the charges, Tappin could face a 35 year prison sentence which could mean he would never return home, as his wife tearfully admitted in a recent BBC interview. Speaking outside a police station on the morning of his extradition, Tappin said: “I look to Mr Cameron to look after my rights and he has failed to do so. I have no rights. Abu Qatada is walking
the streets of London today. He has more rights than I have. If I was a terrorist I would not be going to America. I think it’s a shame, it’s a disgrace.” According to the current UK-US extradition treaty, which was signed in 2003 by David Blunkett, the US has no obligation to provide prima facie evidence when requesting the extradition of people from the UK. However, if the UK wants to extradite someone from the US they must provide ‘reasonable’ demonstration of guilt. No other EU countries accepted this US demand, yet in the UK the treaty was signed and implemented without any parliamentary scrutiny. The UK’s acquiescence to a treaty so heavily weighted in favour of US interests represents the failure of British gov-
ernment to protect and defend its own citizens. It remains a vestige of the manipulative political relationship between the US and British governments, and has faced opposition from MPs and peers on the joint committee for Human Rights throughout Tappin’s case. In June 2011 the committee called for the renegotiation of the treaty to ensure British citizens get the same protection as those in the US. Yet it was not until October 2011 when retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Scott Baker deemed the current UK-US treaty both balanced and fair in a long awaited review. Despite the general discontent of MPs surrounding the treaty, minimal effort has been made by the current Home Secretary Theresa May to challenge it.
While many commentators argue that the US government would not take such extreme measures if they didn’t have strong grounds for suspecting Christopher Tappin, the crux of the matter is that Tappin received absolutely no support or protection from his own government. Without a UK court hearing, Tappin must prove his innocence rather than the US government confirm his guilt, and following this controversial extradition they cannot afford to lose the case. Daily, we are bombarded with images of political exploitation from the Middle East which affirm a comparative sense of security in our British citizenship. But Christopher Tappin’s case issues a stark warning to us all. How much can we really trust our government?
Exeposé WEEK TWENTY
11
International Profile
Features
French Politics: “The Other Presidential Election”
From her year abroad, Ellie Steafel, looks at the drama developing in the French political arena
FRANCE
SO why should we care about the outcome of what the Huffington Post UK are calling “The Other Presidential Election”? Aside from the potential effects it could have on the future of the European Union - Hollande wants us in, Sarkozy (firmly one half of the Merkozy love affair) wants us out and Le Pen would destroy the EU altogether - it’s proving to be pretty good theatre. The agenda for the French presidential elections was set in October 2011 when François Hollande was chosen to represent the Socialist party and face up to the conservative incumbent, Nicolas Sarkozy. In a country which historically
does not value gossip, nor care for ‘celebrity’, this election has received the kind of attention that wouldn’t be out of place in Heat magazine. The sitting President fell behind in the polls as the glamour of his celebrity wife wore off and the vanity of the first couple became tiresome (with some even suggesting that baby Giulia Bruni-Sarkozy’s birth on 19 October was somewhat conveniently well-timed). His campaign has been rife with blunders and embarrassments from the outset.
“Mr. Sarkozy likened himself to ‘a captain that doesn’t abandon his ship’”
In the speech which launched his campaign for re-election, Mr. Sarkozy likened himself to “a captain that doesn’t abandon his ship.” This theme extends to his campaign poster which features a tan-tastic Sarko, staring out Photo: BBC
President Sarkozy in the middle of a media mêlée
across an ocean of bleu français towards his lofty future, with the words LA FRANCE FORTE emblazoned in the azure sky. Unfortunately, it turned out his aides had made somewhat of an error as the sea in question is not actually in France. Mr Sarkozy also chose this day to launch himself into the 21st century in joining both Twitter and Facebook, with a jovial “@NicolasSarkozy Bonjour â tous!”, and offering his (uncharacteristically humble) thanks to “those who will kindly follow me.”. Since then, however, the usually tame French press have alleged that Facebook France assisted the President’s staff in developing his page in return for “political favours”. Quelle horreur! Elsewhere, self-proclaimed ‘Mr Normal’, François Hollande, became embroiled in a fight to the death for the Socialist candidacy, ultimately coming up against his glamorous ex-wife and mother of their four children, Ségolène Royale. As Hollande pulled ahead in the polls, Ségolène was forced to put on a brave face, concede, and get behind her ex-husband and his campaign. Cue awkward embraces and pats on the back through gritted teeth live on television. Meanwhile, frighteningly, Marine Le Pen, daughter of the ever-bonkers Front National founder Jean-Marie, looks increasingly set to take the FN (repackaged as a Eurosceptic patriotic party a la UKIP, rather than a bunch of BNP-style fascists) into a second round ahead of Sarko. First, however, she will have to meet the requirements to appear on the first ballot. Now we come to one of the many “quirks” of the French political system. Each candidate must collect 500 signatures from amongst the
country’s representatives and submit them to the Constitutional Council by 16 March. This is problematic for smaller parties such as Le Pen’s Front National who, with less than two weeks to go, still have not achieved the full 500. Whatever you feel about her politics, Le Pen has a surprising amount of support amongst the French electorate, and the French media has certainly decided she is credible. Should she be refused a chance to stand because her party is smaller than the big two?
All of this is nothing, however, compared to what fun and games might have been had, had the disgraced politician and ex chief of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, been allowed to stand for the Presidency. Fortunately, rather than running an election campaign, Monsieur Strauss-Kahn is out of the picture and under investigation for all kinds of naughtiness, the latest of which has - entre nous - apparently been taking place in a hotel just 10 minutes away from my apartment. How was living in France compared to the UK? I think the main thing I’ll take away from this year is that the French are obsessed with bureaucracy. Getting anything done from internet in your flat, to setting up a bank account takes five times longer across the pond. Generally though, I’ve loved being somewhere new and having a really different experience.
Name: Ellie Steafel
What have you been doing on your year abroad? I’ve been in Paris since the end of August, doing an internship with a group of children’s newspapers. It was a massive shock going from being a second year in Exeter to having a full time job in Paris. I’ve been given lots to do from day one. My office is entirely French-speaking which has been so helpful for my language, but I get to write and edit articles in both English and French. So I’ve been very lucky!
Is there a big difference in the political scene? It seems that people don’t talk about politics in quite the same way, or quite as much as us Brits. People seem to instinctively know how you vote by what you do and what kind of life you lead, something which isn’t always true in the UK. For instance, I was told the other day, “journalists just don’t vote Sarkozy.” Simple as that. What’s been the best part of your year so far? I got to interview Mr Weasley (Mark Williams). Legend.
Is our media letting the world down?
Meg Drewett ask why some conflicts are completely ignored by the world’s media outlets
OVER the last month, a silent migration has taken place across North-West Africa. It’s a migration in which approximately 130,000 Malian people have fled their homes, many to their neighbouring countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mauritania, to escape the growing conflict between the Malian government and Tuareg rebels in the country. This outbreak is a return to a pre-existing conflict, where rebels from the Tuareg nomadic tribe are seeking an autonomous homeland in the region’s northern desert. Most recently, the United Nations Refugee Agency has issued an appeal for $35.6 million to attempt to stem the growing humanitarian crisis in Mali and its neighbours, who are struggling to cope with the overflow of refugees on their already strained resources. This is a silent migration, not due to the manner in which the Malians are fleeing their homes, but because barely anyone in the Western world knows about it. In the last week, as the number of refugees from the Malian conflict continues to rise, it appears that only one article has been published in a national broadsheet about the situation. This media blackout of the story creates huge
problems for the UN appeal for money to help the escalating humanitarian problem. Indeed, this blackout exposes a fundamental problem with the British media; far too often, it lacks any substance in the stories it chooses to report. The media coverage of the Malian conflict, or lack thereof, says a great deal about the British media culture today. We constantly hear about the extreme measures the press go to in order to find a story, the phone hacking scandal of recent months an obvious example. And yet, whilst parts of the British media seem to have a desperate need to discover celebrities’ information via their answer-phone messages, across the world, they are missing major stories across the world. It must, however, be noted that this issue is one caused by the media bosses, actively encouraging a write-to-sell culture in the world of news; it is not caused by journalists. Indeed, globally, journalists work tirelessly to bring the truth of world events to light and occasionally, in the case of Marie Colvin, have given their lives for their work. It is the superb work of journalists that has brought to the public’s attention the
wave of protests in the Arab Spring, the phone hacking scandal itself and the human rights atrocities in Syria at the moment. But we must ask ourselves why are these stories the ones to reach our ears? The truth of the matter is that there is a certain glamour to these stories that the situation in Mali just doesn’t have. In Mali, a fully fledged humanitarian crisis has not yet occurred. The violence remains largely isolated to military personnel and the rebels, and though civil-
Malian refugees who have fled to Niger
ians are fleeing in fear of reprisals on an ethnic basis, no significant conflict appears to have begun between the citizens themselves. In short, Mali isn’t as sellable as Syria or the Arab Spring. It doesn’t allow the Western world to continue in a bubble of egocentrism. It is difficult for someone to look at the situation in Mali and see how it directly affects our society. There is no need for Western military intervention or the chance to clap ourselves on the back for aiding the spread Photo: BBC
of democracy. To the mass media market, the Malian conflict isn’t sellable, and so its story doesn’t need to be told. This is an unacceptable situation. The fact that the Malian conflict will have to escalate into a full humanitarian crisis, in both Mali and its neighbouring states, in order to gain proper media coverage in the Western world is a disgrace. Only once people start to die will media corporations begin to run it. But am I suggesting that we force the papers to write and print stories that they don’t think will help them sell? No. I’m all for freedom of the press; it’s one of the founding pillars of any free society after all. But, as much as I’m for the freedom of the press, I’m also for the responsibility of the press. The self-regulated media cannot allow themselves to continue neglecting news stories around the world, just because they do not have the same glamour factor as stories nearer to home. Our press should keep the public informed on all issues, not just ones that are obviously linked with our own interests. It is a principle that must be adopted by media corporations before it is too late, both for the British public and, in this case, the people of Mali.
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5 march 2012 Exeposé
Features
Are we coming at secularism the wrong way?
Christianity isn’t about traditional values and national identity, argues Rhys Laverty Photo: Telegraph
Last week, Richard Dawkins’s debate with Rev. Giles Fraser hit the headlines
BRITISH secularism had a busy February. Comments from Baroness Warsi, chairman of the Conservative Party, lamenting the “militant secularisation” of Britain caused a stir in the press. The same week, Richard Dawkins appeared on Radio 4 and (before making a fool of himself for forgetting the full name of On The Origin of Species) discussed new figures revealing an increasing number of irreligious Brits who have no familiarity with some of the ‘basics’ of Christianity. Two events like this in the public
eye were a long time coming. We’re well accustomed to stories of employees banned from wearing religious symbols, nurses disciplined for offering to pray for their patients, and other debates about faith schools and such like. Unsurprisingly, (we might think), religious officials take exception to all of this. In Dawkins’ aforementioned appearance on Radio 4, he was countered by Rev. Giles Fraser, who took issue with Dawkins’ readings of some of his statistics. Even the Pope warned against an “aggressive secularism” at work in our
nation in 2010. As a member of the Evangelical Christian Union at the University, I must say I’m far more surprised by Christian reaction to this topic than I am with the decline of Christianity in the UK. As an evangelical, I view the Bible as the word of God, and the Bible tells Christians to expect just this kind of reaction. Jesus candidly tells his disciples when he first sends them out: “All men will hate you because of me” (Matthew 10:22). People may often view the Christian life as one of head-in-the-clouds optimism and goody-two-shoes moralising, but the picture that the Bible paints of the reception awaiting Christians in the world is never pretty. The New Testament is flooded with warnings that Christians talking about Jesus will face rejection in the world, and the impression you’re left with is that if you’re not experiencing that, you’re probably doing something wrong. One might think these words only applied to Christians in the Roman world two millennia ago. But if a Christian believes that the Bible is from an eternal God those words and warnings speak to Christians in any time and any place. The most staggering thing about
these warnings of persecution is the way that Christians are told to react to them. Wallow in lament at British religious apathy? Arrange another farcical and ineffective meeting of the Synod? Take up arms, or file complaints to the council,
“I’m far more surprised by Christian reaction to this topic than I am with the decline of Christianity in the UK” or try to put bishops on Question Time? In the New Testament, James writes: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds”. Counter-intuitive, but this is the attitude Christians are called to. I don’t rejoice in the fact that people are increasingly disconnected from any idea of God, but I count it a joy and a privilege to experience rejection as a Christian in this country, in the same way anyone would gladly suffer for someone they love. So when church officials bristle with affront at British secularisation, that reaction
jars with me quite strongly. I then ask myself: “Why do Christian public figures react in this way?” Now, I don’t know the heart of every bishop or politician in the country, but it seems to me that, when Christians react with surprise at secularisation in the UK, it’s because of their view of what Christianity essentially is. It appears that such people view Christianity primarily as a vehicle for tradition, national identity and the addressing of social issues; and when that comes under threat – as it inevitably has and will – they are of course surprised. They’ve set themselves up for a fall, believing that Christianity is an essential part of a world which the Bible says will always react against it. Christianity is in fact all about Jesus, who He is and what He did. Christian social action is important, but the Bible’s main concern and mission for Christians is not that we weave Christianity into politics, tradition or social issues. Instead, it’s to tell people about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, declaring we are all sinners in need of saving. And that’s a message that will be rejected and maligned – but one for which any Bible believing Christian will gladly suffer.
Corruption: It’s time to ‘unearth the truth’
The implications of anti-corruption legislation go further than you think, writes Laura Gardner
IT’S curious how some of the countries richest in natural resources are the ones with the lowest standards of living and highest rates of inequality. The wellknown paradox is that, although these countries have the material means to be self-sufficient (to the point where their exports are essential to foreign powers), they are dependent on international aid for development. Probably nothing of the above comes as news to you. You are certainly familiar with the reasons for this paradox: the fact that these countries are crushed with debt, starving for investment and painfully underdeveloped. But also, let us not forget that they are often rotting with corruption. Few countries are exempt from corruption but it is in continents as underdeveloped and rich in resources as Africa that the effects of corruption are most keenly experienced. It takes many forms: opportunistic bureaucratic behaviour, lobbying, bribing the often low paid civil servants and justice representatives, illegal transactions between governments and firms- the list goes on. It all amounts to a collection of unaccountable governments and crooked private and public economic networks. The social loss is tremendous: the World Bank estimates that corruption costs Africa, as a whole, around $148 billion a year, or 25 per cent of the continent’s GDP. The issue is that fighting corruption is an extremely tricky affair, since it survives on lack of transparency and traceability. There is often a pessimistic and passive stance towards corruption: it is regarded as a disease that will
eventually disappear thanks to development. But it is, in fact, a key obstacle to it and must be tackled as such. If transactions remain unpublished and state institutions unaccountable for their money matters, it will go on forever. That is why it is so important to put some pressure on these governments. Tearfund, an international aid and development agency, is running an anti-corruption campaign named “Unearth the truth.” Its goal is to expose revenue losses in the extractive industry, and make them accessible to citizens so that they can hold their governments to account.
“The World Bank estimates that corruption costs Africa, as a whole, around $148 billion a year, or 25% of the continent’s GDP” We are currently experiencing a global trend towards transparency: in July 2010 the US Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was passed, and now oil, gas and mining companies must communicate Project, and country, specific transactions to the US Securities and Exchange Commision in their annual report. This means that international authorities and individual citizens will know the precise amounts that governments receive from extractives sales,
and therefore how much they keep for themselves. The EU should follow suit, and this is where Tearfund’s “Unearth the truth” campaign comes in. This year the EU transparency Directive (TOD) is being amended, which means it is the right time to ask for more effective legislation on matters involving trade transparency. Since this amendment is the European Parliament’s competence, Tearfund is asking for citizens’ direct intervention to try and make their opinions heard at the EU level. It has created a petition, addressed to the Danish Prime minister Ms Thorning-Schmidt (since the Danes hold the presidency of the EU for the first 6 months of 2012) and to the local MEP, urging them to support the amendment of the TOD. How does this affect us as University of Exeter students? On Friday 9 March, a group of students will be posted around campus carrying the petitions, ready to be signed. So, if you want a direct say in the fight against corruption, two minutes of your time is all it takes. The petition is also available online and, if you need some extra motivation, if 1,000 of us sign we will be sponsoring Benjamin Palmer, one of the students involved in the campaign, to run the Exeter Half-Marathon on 6 May. However, as much as a cliché as this may sound, you have the chance to tell your politicians what you want them to stand for. So tell them that you want people around the world to know how much their own governments are really taking in from the sale of their countries’ resources.
Photo: Reuters
Miners dig for gold in an open-pit concession in Ghana
Graphic, from Transparency International,showing global corruption perception, 2010
Exeposé WEEK TWENTY
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The Great British drink debate
James Crouch discusses the government’s approach to excessive drinking
SCANDAL and outrage over the supposedly endemic drinking culture in Britain is not new, but for the first time leading politicians and policy-makers are seriously thinking of ways to reduce alcohol consumption. As part of this concern for the nation’s livers, the Prime Minister is trying to replace binge drinking with responsible drinking. A number of options are available, most of which are likely to be unpalatable to the average - or above average - drinker. But aside from the simple measuring of the number of units, there is some confusion about what the exact problem is and who is the main cause of it.
“No student is going to change their drinking habits because pre-drinks will cost a couple of pounds more”
For those in the medical profession, the problem is the damage done to our bodies. In the long-term, hundreds of units of alcohol could easily be consumed, causing irreparable damage. The annual cost of alcohol abuse and drunkenness to the NHS is £2.7 billion. On the
other hand, the problem for many town councillors is anti-social behaviour; we’ve all seen the images on the news of several dozen drunken louts on the streets of some otherwise nondescript city, either swearing, fighting or urinating in the street. Then there is the question of who is most in need of help? Is it students and twenty-somethings who haven’t quite grown up? If you listen to Daniel Radcliffe, who now seems to be the nation’s spokesman for teenage sobriety, then the focus should be on letting the young know that they don’t have to drink. On the other hand, is it the long-term drinkers, supposedly the middle class drinkers, that Alastair Campbell tried to highlight not so long ago on Panorama who regularly drink over the daily allowance in their own homes? This complexity is compounded by the options open to the government that fail to tackle any of these problems, and in summation penalise everyone. The apparently obvious idea is to put a minimum price on a unit, which does seem beautifully simple. Higher prices in supermarkets seem to make sense but in truth this is one of the worst thought through of all the solutions. No student is going to change their drinking habits because pre-drinks will
cost a couple of pounds more. Alcohol Concern suggests that drinks should cost no less than 50p per unit of alcohol, meaning a bottle of wine will cost a minimum of approximately £4.50, which is the price many students already pay to avoid the gag-inducing £3 bottles. And considering binge drinking in large quantities often leads one to spend into double figures on a night out (or in), I doubt 50p a unit will reduce alcohol consumption much.
getting out of control. But, it must be remembered this would do little to reduce the health concerns behind heavy drinkers, since many will go well over the guideline three or four units on a trip down the local. And, since one of the last times I went to a pub a grown man stripped at the bar before be-
“As ridiculous as it sounds, the whole idea of a binge drinking Britain is overhyped” A solution with at least some traceable logic is trying to move drinking back into pubs, primarily because they are supposed to provide an atmosphere where responsible drinking, and behaviour, is encouraged. The expectation is that trained staff will stop serving anyone who seems like they’ve had too much to drink. This would reduce the anti-social behaviour that is a problem in several communities, since it is most definitely in a pub’s interest to prevent their patrons
ing served another pint, it suggests publicans may not be perfect moderators. Aside from the
Features
possible pitfalls, there is alaways something which politicians may be missing: that there is no national problem. As ridiculous as it sounds, the whole idea of a binge drinking Britain is overhyped. Most students, for example, drink far less than what is assumed in popular mythology. Others often incorrectly gauge how much their peers are drinking and so feel pressured to drink more. Some student unions have started publishing real drinking statistics, demonstrating to many that their high-alcohol-consumption friends are far from the rule. Perhaps the answer is to stop tackling this as an element of ‘broken Britain’, because drinking has always been a part of our culture. Of course, diagnosed alcoholism and unruly and dangerous behaviour are not mere figments of the imagination. These are problems, but are particular to individuals, and we should not be painting all of the ‘drinking classes’ with the same brush.
Have we lost faith in our degree classifications?
Tori Brazier, Screen Editor, joins the growing discussion around current university grades
FOR many final years, March is the time of weighty essay deadlines and much dissertation-related agony. It becomes clearer as the library gets fuller that there is now no excuse for sub-par work, and reality bites as the job-hunting or further study applications become increasingly earnest . But how much time should students actually dedicate to applying for jobs right now? Surely every hour spent on preparing a presentation or stressing over the current trend for psychometric testing is an hour stolen away from revision or honing a dissertation? Although it is desirable to be employed as soon as possible, with the end of university rapidly approaching, as a friend recently reminded me, your degree classification is something you’re stuck with for life, and usually at this age it is the most important qualification you will possess for the foreseeable future. It only makes sense then that the vast majority of a student’s time should currently be occupied with producing their best possible work. Much has been written on the gap between the ‘good’ degrees at 2:1 and firstclass level, and those of a more average nature. It appears that as soon as you slip down to a 59 overall, the best graduate schemes and potential employers shut their doors to you; it is their first filtering system. The content of a degree should surely be considered, however: a student studying Physics who takes 60 credits in German and gains a mark of 59.9 per cent is excluded from the more academic category of a 2:1 by a Physics student
who managed 60 per cent exactly- the academic difference between them is negligible, and although of course there must be a cut-off point somewhere, the student who gambled and demonstrated breadth of interest is punished overly-
“Although there must be a cut-off point, the student who gambled and demonstrated breadth of interest appears punished for their ‘risk’” harshly for their ‘risk’. The same can be said for those students who are heavily involved with many of the societies, student groups and volunteering opportunities on campus, or those who are employed part-time alongside their degree. These activities showcase individuals who can balance multiple commitments, and who are talented and have interests in areas other than academia, and they should surely obtain some sort of credit for all their hard work outside of the seminar room. This is especially important for those people who plan to go onto careers or further study in areas not strictly relating to their degree subjects; their time helping with CA, working for any of the medias or running Campus Cinema should really garner them the true credit it deserves. Another classification gap that faces intense scrutiny from students at well-
reputed universities such as Exeter is the gap between a 2:1 and a first. It seems a continual complaint, and a bone of contention among high-achieving students, as many hover on the border between the two, and any ‘dent’ to marks in the form of a stray 60 can really affect the chances of attaining that elusive first-class grade. This is also a good illustration of the point that there is a vast chasm in academic merit between scraping a 60 and sitting pretty (but frustratingly so) on a 69. As far as employers and society on the whole are concerned, you have been equally successful in your academic endeavours but it’s difficult not to resent those students who surprisingly peak at (just) a 2:1 in time for graduation, when other’s efforts fail and they maintain their 69.9 per cent average.
Morale is not improved by the media’s constant crusade against perceived grade inflation: figures published at the end of 2011 revealed that a record-breaking 53,215 undergraduates, or one-in-six, graduated from university with a firstclass honours degree. This is a rise of 14 per cent in comparison to 2010’s results, and a rise of 125 per cent in a decade, so the opinion does have some legitimate basis. In our marks-obsessed culture however, when everyone is pushed towards 2:1s, and in some cases first-class marks in order to distinguish themselves from other candidates, it is only fair to expect students to work harder and complain harder if they don’t feel their grades are accurate. It is unsurprising to be significantly de-motivated when a 2:1 is seen as less impressive because
first-class degrees are apparently being handed out more frequently. There are some measures in place that attempt to re-address the balance between degree borders, such as preponderance. If a student achieves an overall mark of 68.5 per cent for their degree, as well as first-class marks in a certain number of their modules, then the University has the power to lift them up into the first-class category for their final result despite the fact that they have not numerically achieved this mark of 70. This does not solve the problem with the difference of standard represented in the two opposite ends of the 2:1 category however. Universities Minister Dave Willetts’ view that degree categories are “too blunt” and need “serious reform” is certainly one that needs developing.
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Lifestyle
Zoe Dickens & Cyan Turan - lifestyle@exepose.com
FASHION
5 MARCH 2012 Exeposé
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LFW: It’s not strange, it’s style!
Zoe Dickens, Lifestyle Editor, discusses the weird and wonderful from London Fashion Week ANOTHER February. Another London Fashion Week. Another round of stunning Autumn/Winter collections to lust after. Once again Exeposé was there, suffering the pain of skyscraper heels, hoardes of celebrities and endlessly delayed shows to bring you a first look at the trends you’ll be coveting come September. It’s a tough life. It has been almost impossible to miss the hundreds of blog posts which are all over the Internet, so it will be assumed that you are aware of the trends advocated by the big fashion houses. If not, here’s a quick round-up: Versace and Prada returned to their roots with iconic signature styles and prints, Burberry Prorsum and Aquascutum opted for British classics with flat caps and plenty of tweed and Mulberry created a textural wonderland of fur, wool, lace and chiffon. Now, with no disrespect to these sartorial dons, who season upon season
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create truly inspiring collections, it is the lesser known designers exhibited at fashion week who often create the most captivating, outrageous and interesting collections and are, for many attendees, the biggest draw to Somerset House. Take, for example, Julian Hakes’ wonderfully innovative sole-less shoes. Hakes, who initially posted the design on the web as a realistically impossible joke, designed the ‘Mojito’ shoe, which on first sight appears to be more of an ornament than an object for practical use. Made from a ribbon of carbon fibre which wraps around the foot in a single sculptural movement, the shoes are tough but ultra-lightweight and delicate, lined with leather for luxurious comfort. Coming to the attention of the fashion mainstream when used in the Ann Sofie Back Atelier Presentation for SS11, their futuristic yet feminine design made them an instant hit with the sartorially adventurous and, having returned to every LFW since, their appeal has yet to wane. Often it is the extremely new sartorial talents who create the most outlandish collections. Student designers have long been renowned for toying with the boundaries of fabric, cut, pattern and aesthetic set by more established designers. Unfortunately this often goes horribly wrong but every so often a student designer creates something truly stunning which
redefines what is acceptable as modern dress. Take Phoebe English’s collection of dresses made entirely from hair which were shown off schedule for SS12. Her designs were so fresh and innovative that they took the fashion world completely by surprise and saw her pegged as THE one to watch by the mainstream style magazines, including British Vogue. London Fashion Week is unique in allowing students from the prestigious Central Saint Martins MA Fashion course to showcase their graduate collections on the same runway as the biggest fashion houses. Coupled with the Vauxhall Fashion Scout off schedule shows, it is this support and spirit which has led to a perception of LFW as the hub for upand-coming designers and edgy fashion, and this season was no different. The CSM show featured nearly 200 looks, for both men and women, with inspirations taken from such diverse places as the Olympics, religion, minimalism, middle-Eastern culture and ancient Egyptian symbology. Looks ranged from entirely wearable to eccentric and utterly impractical but, with each student keen to display their instinct for style as well as their technical dress-making skills and knowledge of the human body, there was never a dull moment. Of course, there are always those designers who, despite fame, age and experience, never fail to amuse with their youthful playfulness and spirited designs. The prizes for true imagination, occasionally verging on insanity, go to
Meadham Kirchhoff and Ashish. Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff, in their signature eccentric style, dreamed up a collection that was fancy dress meets charity shop meets 1970s disco queen. Think flared ankle swingers, stripy tights, patterned wool jumpers and sequins, sequins, sequins – difficult to pull off for everyday but, applied appropriately, extremely cutting edge. Ashish, on the other hand, went for a youthful, urban collection inspired by street styles and vintage pop cultures. Sequins were the order of the day here too, with over- sized t-shirts sprawled with slogans like ‘Say No To Drugs’, ‘Relax’ and ‘Home Sweet Home’ or emblazoned with Acid House smiley faces and Buddha’s heads. Mixand-match with tie dye shawls and baggy paisley trousers made for a look which can only be described as ‘high-end hobo.’
Charity begins at home (and at university)
Emma Watson tells Exeposé about her double life as head of The Moldova Project AT least once a week I find myself being asked “So where actually is Moldova?” It probably wasn’t a favourite destination on your gap year, being Europe’s poorest country. It might consume the highest amount of alcohol per capita in the world but it certainly doesn’t offer the bustling nightlife of Prague or Munich. It’s a small nation bordered by Ukraine and Romania, somewhat left behind by the advancements of modern life that we take for granted. Many of its inhabitants live in villages so remote that it is difficult for them to find work to provide for their families, meaning that they have to put their children into orphanages. I run a charity called The Moldova Project, which aims to keep families
together and enable them to live selfsufficiently through sponsorship, building projects and donations. We also work with orphanages to make big changes such as rebuilding playgrounds and creating playrooms, as well as smaller gestures like rare days out for the children. Running a charity and doing a degree at the same time has been difficult, but it’s worth it when I see how happy the children are with the results. During my latest visit in December (riskily crammed in between essay deadlines) we delivered 100 stockings to children who had never had a Christmas present before, and were humbled to see how excited they were. We also took them to the cinema and were reminded how much of a difference
we can make with a small amount of money, as none of them had ever been to the city before and they were fascinated to see life outside of their village.
“Moldova probably wasn’t a favourite destination on your gap year, being Europe’s poorest country”
When I first visited Moldova in 2008 to volunteer in an orphanage, I certainly didn’t expect to end up running a charity. The work was enjoyable but frustrating,
as it promised no long term solution for the children and no-one seemed to be helping the people in the villages, which I saw as the root problem. Upon my return to England I endeavoured to find a charity that helped those I had visited, but to no avail: there wasn’t one, so I ended up organising donations and collections myself. By 2009 we were sponsoring five families, three of which are now self-sufficient, and since then we have expanded and now help 13 families. Moldovan social workers visit the families every month and decide what they need the most, ranging from food to school equipment for the children, or help with paying their bills. It is very rewarding when the families decide that they can manage
by themselves as a result of our support and makes any amount of time and effort worthwhile. I constantly miss the orphans but I am looking forward to our ambitious summer project: a 10 day trip to Moldova for a group of eager volunteers, who will repair and decorate the damaged houses where the sponsored families live and plan activities for the children. It will be amazing to have a big enough group of people to make a real difference, and we are still looking for more to join us! If you would like more information about the trip, please email emma@ themoldovaproject.com or visit www. themoldovaproject.com.
Exeposé week TWENTY
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Trials and Tribulations of a Fresher
Top tips for surviving your first year
For his first column, fresher Jonny Buck reflects on his first year and passes on some pearls of wisdom MY fellow freshers, the end of our first academic year is fast approaching, and thus I think it is time to conduct an actual review of our first year, and provide next year’s newcomers with a more realistic guide to their first year at Exeter. Too many times have we all read fresher’s guides on ‘making friends’, ‘making the most of opportunities’ and being forced to feel guilty for not joining 14 different volunteering groups during Welcome Week. Here are some top tips that extensive personal experience (see number five) has allowed me to give with utmost assurance. Safe to say these probably won’t be in the Welcome Week guide, so keep your eyes wide and your ears open. 1. Know your limits – This one is on most of the welcome week guides, and you may well dismiss it upon arrival, however, that advice is there for a reason. Many students have a story to tell on this one. Some of the funnier ones involve passing out in the local Co-op, breaking into a museum, and ending up in Plymouth. These sound funny but in reality, you really don’t want that reputation, at least not in the first term of your first year. Read about other idiots exaggerating about their antics on ‘Unilad’. 2. Be shrewd with societies – The range of societies at Exeter is terrifying; it is both wonderful to think there are that many things you can actually do with your life, and scary that you feel you’re missing out. Therefore you will,
inevitably, be tempted to go nuts and join every single one you can before your student loan runs out, especially ones that are ‘businessy.’ Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that just because you join ‘BEsoc’ or ‘the entrepreneur society’ that this automatically means you’re odds on to win The Apprentice: you do actually have to go to stuff if you want to reap the benefits. By all means join whatever you fancy; there is literally a society for absolutely everybody, whether you are interested in business (less likely) or you love gaming (more likely); but save your money and only join ones you’re actually going to go to. Don’t kid yourself or book up every week-night before you’ve even started.
“You don’t want a reputation, at least not in the first term of your first year”
3. Buy plastic sheets, preferably the sort you can wash with a hose – One of my closest friends rues the decision to avoid the practicality of the plastic sheet, and not only has he been scarred for life after that fateful night, but is also around £38 out of pocket. Maybe a freak occurrence, but better safe than sorry. Trust me on this one, a plastic sheet can save you a whole world of humiliation. 4. Do English – No one seems to
hate English students, even though they only have six hours of lectures a week, and most of their weekends start on a Tuesday. English is perhaps the perfect stealthy course to do if you’re lazy; all you do is read a few books and talk about them. What’s more, it makes you sound clever and cultured when you tell people you study English, girls think you’re “sensitive and stuff” and it’s better than geography as no-one knows that it is actually really easy. 5. Prepare for Failure – You know you’re going to fail your exams, because obviously you’re too cool to revise, but then again, that sort of failure bothers you the least. But there is a worse kind of failure, a failure that risks denting the confidence of even the most brazen fresher. You will hear many stories about how much casual sex happens at university, and how easy it is for anyone to achieve coitus, because we’re all swept up in the journey of self-liberation that is our first year at university, or put simply ‘because its Unay.’ This doesn’t happen – most girls are in fact very picky, and most boys are too drunk having not heeded reason number 1; most nights it’ll be you and a Subway (open 24 hours, precisely for this reason). There you have it! I think many will admit that had they known these five tips they might have actually fared better in the minefield of their first year. Now, don’t all thank me at once...
Lifestyle
Your problems solved Aunty Laura and Uncle Harry are here to help
“Dear Lifestyle, It might sound ridiculous, but I’m really homesick. I’m in my first year and struggled at the beginning of my first term with feelings of homesickness, which I thought I’d got over. However, at the beginning of this term, these feelings started coming back and haven’t gone away. I really miss my family, and also my home friends. There were only a couple of us who went to uni so most of my home friends are still together and I feel like I’m missing out. I do like Exeter, and most of the time my course is fine, but I’m not having the “once in a lifetime” experience that I thought I would. Yours, Forlorn Fresher”
Laura Greenfield
Harry McCarthy
FEELING homesick is not ridiculous, and it’s not like a sickness that you can just get over in a few days. Take control and realise that you can be as happy here as you are at home. Remember that you’re living a “once in a lifetime” experience right now and it’s up to you what you make of it. It might take a little time, but finding a new circle of friends here doesn’t mean you have to lose old friends. We’ve all experienced homesickness and know how hard it can be. Is there a uni friend who you could talk to? The chances are they will understand. Enjoy opportunities here, socialise and keep busy. Short and regular Skypes should keep the homesickness at bay. Don’t forget - a long summer is ahead of you and uni’s not forever. You’ll soon realise that you can find happiness in both sides of your life and before long even the thought of being away from uni will make you feel unisick!
HOMESICKNESS, although it may not seem it, is an extremely common problem among first years, and is certainly not ridiculous. Moving away from home is a massive step for anyone. The first step is to not put any unnecessary pressure on yourself by thinking that you’re not normal for struggling with it. Having the majority of your friends at home will, of course, make things more difficult, but the chances are that they feel like they’re the ones missing out on all of the exciting opportunities that going to University affords you. Keeping in regular contact with things back home is important, but always bear in mind that going to university is about making a fresh start. This doesn’t mean that you have to forget about your life before, but making the most of the experience will enable you to strike a balance and remind you why you’re here.
Campus Style Spotter: Mid-Term OUR roving photographer and style aficionado, George Connor, brings you the best style on campus!
“IT’S that time of term again; the student loan is dwindling, as is your attention span in lectures. Christmas seems like forever ago and the recent sunny weather seems reticent at the very least. Basically, we all feel a bit rubbish. However, February bought with it something to make us smile. London Fashion Week has supplied us with another six months of ambition in the Autumn/Winter 2012 collections. And to show us some of the hints of trends to come here is your fortnightly StyleSpotter roundup. Kate’s pastel green jumper is a great example of the loose, light knitwear that’s brilliant for lounging around in at festivals. Her scarf is from the student-run business www. weave-scarves.co.uk. Debs’s coral top is a unique take on the pastel trend, Left-right: Debs, Kate and Maria-Rose
and layering it underneath a geometric print cardigan means that she doesn’t look too “fashion victim.” Pastels are key this summer, think mint greens and cornflower blues and you can’t go wrong. Maria-Rose, on the other hand, is channeling one of this year’s more unusual trends: the equestrian, English country look seen in the shows of the likes of Tommy Hilfiger. Definitely the time for those who can pull it off to invest in some leather brogue boots and tweed. Pairing them with neutral tones, as Maria-Rose has, really completes the look. So, fear not, in a month the highstreet will be flooded with “inspired” looks from the catwalks and you’ll be able to spice up your wardrobe all over again.”
5 MARCH 2012 Exeposé
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Lifestyle
BLIND DATE
When Tom met Victoria
This fortnight, Lifestyle sent Tom Jenkinson and Victoria Bresslaw off on a blind date. Did sparks fly? Read on to find out. If you’d like Lifestyle to send you on a blind date, email lifestyle@exepose.com Tom on Victoria
BEFORE the date what were you hoping for? My future wife who I’ll spend every single day of the rest of my life with, until we both pass away on exactly the same day. Okay, that’s not true. I took the tactic of having pretty much no expectations, meaning that if anything positive came out of it, I would feel like I won, or something? First impressions? Yeah as first impressions go she was perfectly nice, confident and talkative, although the kind people at Exeposé did send us to the pub on quiz night, so the first real test of the evening came in trying to find a free table. What did you talk about? A multitude of topics, ranging from the delights of daytime TV, to the many, many reasons why we both despise Mosaic. Conversation seemed to flow fairly uninterrupted throughout the evening. Any awkward moments? There probably were, but I’m a pretty awkward person anyway so they may well have passed me by. Best thing about her? She was just a really good conversationalist, very easy to talk to and with most of our conversation topics she had an interesting story or anecdote to tell. Worst thing about her? I’d have to start getting pretty picky,
I’m not really sure I know her well enough to pick up on any bad habits or qualities. Did you go anywhere after? No I don’t think either of us were up for a particularly late night so we called it quits after a good few hours at the pub. Would you like her to meet your friends? If I ran into her on a night out then sure, but other than that there’s no real need I feel. Did you kiss? Of course not, we’re not animals. Marks out of ten (and reasons). 7 – I enjoyed the evening and her company, and although we by no means shared all the same interests, there was still plenty of common ground. 3 points deducted due to the quizmaster intermittently drowning out our conversation with his microphone. Also when I mentioned that I liked house music she gave me a bit of a death stare, but I’m over it now.
Victoria on Tom BEFORE the date what were you hoping for? Having heard nightmare tales of horrific blind dates, my highest expectation was that I wouldn’t have to resort to running away under the pretence of going to the loo! First impressions? I was initially nervous but Tom soon
put me at my ease. He was relaxed and appeared to be very comfortable. What did you talk about? We began with the standard list of university topics covering subject studied, year, gap years etc. We also talked about travelling and Tom’s band (which, to do some advertising for him, is called Beautiful Abyss and is competing in the Battle of the Bands!) Any awkward moments? Amazingly, we managed to get through the night without any especially awkward moments. Best thing about him? Tom was very articulate and the conversation flowed freely. Worst thing about him? I was slightly aware that Tom seemed to be more interested in the football match that was being shown on TV rather than our conversation! Did you go anywhere after? No. Would you like him to meet your friends? Yes - as a friend. Tom was extremely friendly and I’m sure he’d get along well with all my friends. Did you kiss? No! Marks out of ten (and reasons). For a casual drink with a friend the night would have scored highly. It would rank considerably lower with regard to romantic prospects.
FEATURE
The flip side of Internet stardom
Thomas Ling questions our relationship with the viral celebrity IF you happened to pass a man you had an immediate dislike for on a street corner, it’s unlikely you’d ask him to wait as you write out a letter in your own blood demanding that he should leave the country or face having his scrotum stapled up his nostrils. Well you might. We all know about you and your ‘urges’, but for the rest of us normal people the whole idea seems a bit weird. However, the rise of ‘viral celebrities’ has exposed an army of seemingly ordinary people heaving endless abuse to strangers down the world’s moron megaphone, commonly known as the internet. It wasn’t always like this. Initially viral sensations appeared to be offering celebrity culture a facelift, with adorable stars such as the Davies-Carr brothers from the YouTube classic “Charlie
Bit My Finger!” demonstrating that even a gurgling baby could achieve overnight stardom. However, in recent years these online personalities can increasingly be seen as part of a sinister freak show in which the hopeless acts are continuously wheeled in to face a mob so angry they make the hulk look like some sort of stroppy gherkin. For instance, take Rebecca Black, the viral star who received 167 million views and a few thousand death threats for her music video of her debut single ‘Friday.’ The video wasn’t anything too blood curdling, merely showing Black participating in what can only be described as the world’s most frustrating game of musical chairs before leaping into an evangelistic verse centred on the accurate chronology of weekdays. Even her 13 year foetus of a chauffeur,
played by Top Gear’s Richard Hammond, doesn’t pose a massive threat to mankind. Although you’re probably entitled to be a little annoyed after watching a video that even the guinea pigs operating the levers inside Jedward’s heads could have better produced, in no way would it make you angry enough to send a death wishing e-card. Sadly, thousands of people did just that, which was especially hollow in light of Black sending proceeds from ‘Friday’ to the Japanese Tsunami relief effort. The same abuse was also dished out to Ghyslain Raza, star of the YouTube hit the ‘Star Wars Kid,’ where online death threats led Raza to take leave from his education to seek psychiatric care. Increasingly it seems that many online celebrities now only function
as hate punch bags for morons, with the scope for possible targets growing ever wider, as shown in the recent Uni Unay affair. In case you’re not aware, in recent weeks students around the country threw endless Facebook posts at an Indonesian teenager simply because her name, Uni Unay was loosely linked to the increasingly popular chant of ‘UNAY!’, essentially meaning lad university banter. Yet the initial popularity of Uni Unay felt more like a discovery of phonetic spelling rather than any genuine internet sensation. I would sarcastically say “clap clap” to the whole notion, but Christ knows the outrage that’ll kick off if onomatopoeia is unearthed too. In short, Uni Unay was eventually forced to change her Facebook name after weeks of harassment by conde-
scending slurs such as “Hey slut, how do you feel about going viral?” which when translated probably is about as charming as sewing a woollen effigy of Hermann Goering onto somebody’s forehead. Although yes, she probably deserved all these comments by accepting friend requests from strangers, much in the same way that your hospitality would be at fault if a friend stamped their faeces in the shape of a dead polar bear across your bedroom carpet if you invited them round for a drink. By all means everybody should be free to bitch about any online celebrity, but it seems to have gone a little far when you’re feeding a teenage girl a bucket of her own salty tears just because she can’t speak English. The line’s there for a reason, people.
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6/03 - Thick as Thieves, Cellar Door Amy Weller, Music Editor, chats to the Kaiser Chiefs about their return 8/03 - Jabbrock, Mama Stones
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Wild Beasts write beautiful, intriguing, slightly offbeat but incredibly catchy pop songs. They signed to Domino Records in 2007 and released their debut album Two Dancers to critical acclaim. In 2011 they released their hugely anticipated follow up Smother. Highly original and a great live act. Support from Alt-J Tickets: £ 13
THINK back to 2004 when we were on Bebo and the Brad-Ange-Jen love triangle was the most serious our topics of conversation ever got; meanwhile, the guitar band was at its peak. They were ubiquitous, headlining every festival and dominating radio playlists with an army of leather jacket wearing, floppy fringed front men and repetitive chrouses, ‘Ruby Ruby Ruby’ being a case in point. Nothing ever lasts and this was certainly the case here. Left behind was a rather sad graveyard of post-Brit pop acts. Remember Maximo Park and The Bravery? The Fratellis, Futureheads and Razorlight? I could go on, but the list is tragically endless. So it came as a surprise to hear that the Kaiser Chiefs were back on the road touring their new album The Future is Medieval after a very long and very silent hiatus. We meet the Kaiser Chiefs in a tiny dressing room at the back of Colston Hall, Bristol as they are approaching the end of their tour with only two performances to go. Having not done a UK tour since 2009, it is evident that they are buzzing and excited to be back on the road delivering a fourth record to live audiences. It has been a while though and Peanut admits it feels good to have survived the cull: “Guitar music was dominant and I think it got too much, the weaker ones got weeded out which wasn’t nice. They were friends and they were the bands that
we went on tour with so that was really rubbish.” Rather than being intimidated by returning to a very different music market, they seem to be capitalizing on it. “We’re rejoining new crowds who want to come see a good live band. I think listeners are realising that the tracks that are on the radio at the moment can’t be played live.” Pretty true considering the onslaught of X Factor style auto tuned contributions to pop music in recent times. It’s not only the music scene that has changed, however, Kaiser Chiefs have picked up on the different age group of their audience: “Kids who were 11 or 12 when they bought the first record are now 17 or 18 so it really has changed the make up of our audience which we didn’t expect. We’re getting circle pits and moshing; we had a fight last night in Plymouth so that was nice, well, a good point for the tour.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a charmingly worded description of a brawl. The niceness of this band is striking, they are down to earth, friendly and refreshingly original in their approach to touring and releasing an album. Part of the tour’s premise was to not play at big city venues, avoiding Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, and instead opting for smaller provincial shows in places like Guildford, Derby and Grimsby because “not everyone can afford a night out in a city, a hotel and come see an expensive
gig. We’ve realised that our fan base are spread right across the country. Not many bands like us go to those places so it sells out immediately and it’s a really great night.” It’s clear that despite having four albums under their belts and eight years touring, it is still a learning curve for Kaiser Chiefs and they are now focused on connecting with a different type of fan.
“We had a fight last night, so that was nice” This willingness to connect with their supporters is not just ‘talk’, they really have demonstrated this in the release of the Future is Medieval. It took 18 months of work behind the scenes and secret planning to prevent anything being leaked like their previous record. “I didn’t even tell my parents about the album, I just let them see the Twitter and Facebook updates, and then wait for my mum to call me up about it.” Peanut expresses how they didn’t just want to produce a normal CD, they felt it would just be underwhelming. Collaborating with design agencies they came up with an idea that actually worked: the bespoke album. They decided to “make a 10 track album which invited fans to make it themselves from an offering of 20 songs. This meant we had to create 20 songs that were good enough to be picked in any combination
of those 10.” The potential for the fan’s creative participation doesn’t end there, you can also design the album cover and the website exhibits a gallery of different cover designs made by the fans. Peanut says: “We could see that people had spent a lot of time on the website proving how much the public are willing to engage with a different method of enjoying music if you offer it to them.” Kaiser Chiefs perceive the “click-download” process of current times as damaging to records as a whole entity, removing the track from their context. He also terms it rather profoundly as the most “soulless experience ever.” He says the band wanted to focus on “what it is to own an album and how you are proud to own it. I don’t think anyone is proud to own a download.” They are clearly conscious of the changes occurring within the music industry; “everyone is rushing forward all the time, making everything faster, smaller, cheaper, quieter but you shouldn’t forget what made music great – the album format was the world celebrated format.” These opinions seem to set the Kaiser Chiefs in a new light, but despite these changes “we’re the same people. I feel like we make the same noise on stage but obviously we have evolved. If the 20 songs from The Future is Medieval all sounded like ‘Ruby’ that would be fatigue for the ears.”
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Exeposé week Twenty
Music
FEATURE
Brit Awards 2012: The best of British? Sophie Parker dissects the event which once defined the British music scene THE biggest night in the British Music Calendar, The Brit Awards, this year relocated to The O2 Arena. However, bigger does not always mean better, and the event was overshadowed by recent American music events, which included Madonna’s triumphant return at the Super Bowl and Adele’s domination at the Grammys. So lack lustre were the Brits this year, it is a tough argument to decide whether Adele’s ‘flipping of the bird,’ or Blur’s eccentrically placed kebab, wins the highlight of the night. Ultimately, it is a sad night for British Music if these are the memories generated from our premier music awards. The ceremony, once renowned for its rock and roll antics, has become a calmer affair over the past few years, deliberately deviating away from controversy, which is a shame, as no one will remember Ed Sheeran strumming along to Lego House next year, whereas Jarvis Cocker mooning to Michael Jackson’s ‘Earth Song’ at the 1996 Brit Awards, has gone down in music history. The controlled, calm mood often came across as sombre, following lengthy memorials to both Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse. This put James Corden in a difficult spot, trying to balance his mood between pained grievance and celebrating the Best of British. His language when swapping between moods often came across as crass. Phrases such as ‘moving on’ should never have been said after a moving tribute following the re-
cent death of one of the world’s great divas. He religiously abided to the auto-cue, which again, failed to ignite excitement. Ultimately, Corden was at his best during events which were unplanned, which included two people walking across mid-camera shot. This mood was not lifted with randomly placed short films, following the artists who had been nominated for the night’s coveted prize, Best British Album. These segments, which documented the nominated artists describing their journeys and inspiration behind their EPs, attempted to bring credibility to the awards, demonstrating to the average viewer just how much time, emotion and money goes into creating their favourite songs. And yet, by cutting Adele off after 30 seconds, the woman who has single handedly saved the British music i ndustry, the organisers threw away this credibility, and again reiterated the message about everything which is wrong with the music industry. Somehow, I don’t think the outcry which has occurred would have happened if the ten o’clock news was late by five minutes, or we weren’t treated to yet another advert for Olly Murs’s debut album. Although the evening threw up no massive surprises, with favourites Adele and Ed Sheeran taking home two awards each, I do have to question the decision to award Lana Del Rey the title of International Breakthrough Act. Although ‘Video Games’ stormed charts around the world, her album
Born To Die, which was only released on 27 January, has been critically panned, and subsequent performances on Saturday Night Live and Letterman can only be described as painful. Bon Iver might feel robbed, but with previous recipients of this award including Justin Beiber, it might be one award they feel they can miss out on.
ferent dynamic to the album. The tinny piano melody on ‘Lady Stardust’ sounds as though you have been transported into some shabby back street jazz club full of desolation, hopes and dreams. Yet, just a few tracks later, Ziggy’s story seems to take its listeners right back to the roots of rock and roll during ‘Hang On To Yourself,’ with the fifties style handclaps and a melody that you cannot help but jive to.
In 2000, an NME poll declared Bowie to be the most influential artist of our time. With artists such as Suede, Radiohead and now Lady Gaga with her on-
stage characters, the influence and genius of Ziggy and his spiders from Mars is still felt today.
2012 Brit Award Winners British Male: Ed Sheeran British Female: Adele British Album: Adele - 21 British Single: One Direction What Makes You Beautiful British Group: Coldplay British Breakthrough Act: Ed Sheeran Critics choice Award: Emeli Sande International Male: Bruno Mars International Female: Rihanna International Group: Foo Fighters International Breakthrough Act: Lana Del Ray
classic album review The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars David Bowie (Released 6 June 1972) ON the 8 January this year some guy called David Jones turned 65. Turning on the radio each morning in the week before I would hear yet another advertisement for some feature about the life of this man and as I arrived back in Exeter on the same day that Mr Jones celebrated this seemingly unexciting birthday, I unpacked to a soundtrack of seventies rock/ pop and stories about outer space, all because some guy was 65.
“One of the most influential and exciting albums of our time”
But of course, David Jones is not just some guy; he is not even just some guy in a band. He is David Bowie, a man to define the music of a generation and, quite probably, the most unique performer our country has ever produced. In the early 1970s he released an album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, which would
become one of the most influential and exciting albums of our time. In 1972, when David Bowie rocked up on stage with his hair dyed a startling shade of red, dressed in a cat suit and declaring that he was Ziggy Stardust, a man who had fallen from Mars, not everybody would have been impressed. But if Ziggy himself did not please everyone then surely the story of life would. The album’s title track, ‘Ziggy Stardust,’ is probably one of Bowie’s most widely known anthems with its wonderfully psychedelic opening guitar riff beside the typically rock star guitar chords one would expect from a man who makes “love with his ego.” The equally popular ‘Starman’ sounds like the perfect track to float back into outer space to, with its chilled out acoustic guitar and soaring string section. However, if guitar heavy space anthems don’t quite take your fancy, the story of our protagonist provides so many more musical delights, with lesser known tracks offering a completely dif-
“The true emotion of the opening and closing tracks are moments to really humanise Ziggy” The true emotion of the opening and closing tracks are the moments to really humanise Ziggy and throw you straight into his story. ‘Five Years’ offers a cinematic opening with its orchestrated score, but distorts towards the end giving some warning to the fame hungry Ziggy. However, the finale ‘Rock and Roll Suicide’ and Bowie’s shouts of “you’re not alone” over the forceful score is the moment to really pull at the heartstrings of Ziggy’s followers.
EMILY TANNER
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Music
Exeposé
feature
Eleventh heaven with Ben Howard
Annabel Crowhurst recounts her live experiences with Ben Howard, folk’s young rising star THERE is a feeling of smug satisfaction every time I hear Ben Howard on the radio or see his album advertised on television at the moment. Although there are certainly people who have listened to his music for far longer than I have, I have now seen Ben Howard live eleven times and therefore I feel like I can speak with some level of authority on the matter. The first time I saw Ben Howard perform live was in fact a complete accident. He was supporting Xavier Rudd in Exeter; I hadn’t heard of him before, or heard any of his music and he only played a few tracks before handing over to the main event. He was then very mellow and pretty reserved as he tapped his guitar to create a rhythm to the old tracks such as ‘Cloud Nine’ and my own favorite ‘London.’ Since then I have seen him in all sorts of nooks and crannies, from an empty old church in Colchester to Lusty Glaze Beach in Cornwall and,
the end into a dramatic jam sounding different every time. Similarly, ‘Depth Over Distance,’ which did not in fact make the cut for Every Kingdom, is the track Ben uses time and time again to open the set, installing a haunting calm before he unleashes the storm. The best moments are always when Ben lets loose on his guitar and turns to face his band mates, India Bourne and Chris Bond. It seems as if he loses himself and the audience in the unique sound they are creating. It is so refreshing to listen to and watch a band that is clearly having so much fun with their music and with each other. Over the last two years the show has been transformed, the venues have grown, the band has developed, the crowd has multiplied and the songs have been polished – but Ben Howard himself has remained exactly the same. He is still introvert, shy and incredibly unassuming. The last show finished with an exclusive premiere of
a new track called ‘Burgh Island’ and he also played another new one called ‘Oats On The Water’ for Zane Lowe recently. Both show a progression into a darker and more haunting sound that
has yet to be perfected. With these ideas in his arsenal, and the potential and talent we know he’s got, something tells me that Ben Howard isn’t even nearly finished with us yet.
perfectly merged every track and I was barely aware when one song ended and the next began. Before I knew it I was on my fourth way through the album, dreading my 9am as my clock read 2am. For those of you unfamiliar with the band, this four-piece British act blends together metal aspects, such as screaming and double-bass drumming, with electronic influences, such as dubstep drops and synthesisers, to produce a wholly different sound labelled ‘electronicore.’ I’m not going to lie to you; this is most definitely a love-it-or-hate-it genre, but it’s worth indulging for a song or two in case you happen to be one of those that love it. A Flash Flood of Colour is a relatively gentle introduction to the music, providing catchy beats and melodies that will have you doing more dancing than anything else. By its very definition the genre exudes diversity and Flash Flood does not disappoint. Radio-friendly tracks such as ‘Pack of Thieves’ and ‘Search Party’ are instantly memorable, ‘Stalemate’ and ‘Constellations’ offer gentler interludes and ‘Sssnakepit’ and
‘Hello Tyrannosaurus, Meet Tyrannicide’ entertain those of us who like a good old scream. The lyrics are, as always, flooded with political undertones and in-yourface social comments, displaying an intelligent side of the band and it is perhaps this, above all other aspects, that makes this album so damn memorable. Enter Shikari tell it like it is, and whether or not it’s all an act, you simply can’t help but be provoked when Rou begins shouting about the melting ice caps in the middle of ‘Arguing with Thermometers.’ If you’re already a fan of Enter Shikari, get this album; it picks up where Common Dreads left off and leaves you lusting for a fourth album. If you’ve never even heard of the band before this review, take a risk. Flash Flood is the album to induct you into the electronicore sound, offering up the gentler side of the genre alongside the really intense stuff, and presented in a very clever manner.
Born To Die Lana Del Rey
ONE artist to go and listen to this year before you’re sick to death of them, courtesy of horrific overplaying on Radio 1, is Blood Orange. Devonté Hynes is the man behind the name and even if you haven’t heard of him before, you’ve probably heard his work. Hynes has produced for many years, under his own moniker Lightspeed Champion, and with artists such as Basement Jaxx and Florence and the Machine, but now he is taking centre stage. ‘Forget It’ is Blood Orange’s latest offering and album opener from Coastal Grooves, the much acclaimed record released in August 2011. Despite the fact that Domino Records describe Blood Orange as “the music of a seedy yet inspirational New York night time,” it
seems that a more West Coast vibe permeates the track, and indeed the rest of the album, perhaps due to the fact that Coastal Grooves was recorded in L.A. The lyrical simplicity effectively creates the shrug of a carefree attitude, especially the repetition of “I’m not your saviour.” Short, sweet and poignant. The layering of melodies and charming riffs come together seamlessly, evoking the effortless cool that Blood Orange incessantly exudes. In my opinion, Blood Orange has been massively overlooked and after listening to ‘Forget It’ I have fallen head over heels with the rest of the album.
ple lyrics (“I will love you to the end of time”) complimented by hooks and hip-hop beats. Del Rey has been accused of over-producing her songs, but they are so easy on the ear it doesn’t matter. The unique combination of deep, remorseful voice and strings with pulsating drums ensures she stands out in the charts as an exciting new artist. There is a lot of ambiguity in Del Rey’s lyrics; in one song she is the wide-eyed daddy’s girl exposed to the corruption of the music industry, the next she is the femme fatale sticking a finger up to her critics. She won’t win them over with a song like ‘Radio,’ with its taunting “How do you like me now?”, but to the rest of us it’s another hit in her arsenal of catchy choruses. The best of these is in track ‘National Anthem.’ Del Rey playfully satirises tales of Hollywood fame and excess; “Money is the anthem, God you’re so handsome,” before exploding into an unforgettable sing-along chorus, a juxtaposition that epitomises the muddle behind Del Rey’s identity. Perhaps the one fault with Born to Die is that in the last few songs it sounds a little too similar to what has been before. The songs are not weak in themselves, they’re just slightly lesser versions of previous tracks with the same formula and production. This is a minor problem, considering how strong the album is as a whole. Del Rey is well aware of her ability to manipulate words and rhyme, proclaiming herself a “gangster Nancy Sinatra.” With such confidence, it’s lucky she’s so talented at crafting melodies.
most recently, in the Queens Hall in Edinburgh. Although the album, which debuted at number seven in the charts, has done well to retain the fresh and rough sound as well as it could have done, there is no denying that the tracks are bought to life in live performance.
“The best moments are always when Ben lets loose on his guitar; he loses himself and the audience in the unique sound”
‘Black Flies’ is a track that gets slightly lost on the album to the more ‘poppy’ tracks such as ‘Keep Your Head Up’ and ‘The Wolves,’ however, it stands out when heard live along with ‘Only Love’ as the band break loose at
ALBUM REVIEWS A Flash Flood of Colour Enter Shikari
FROM the moment this CD started spinning in my stereo, I knew that Enter Shikari had managed to pull off another successful album. The steady electronic pulse and irresistibly catchy vocals of Roughton “Rou” Reynolds in the first forty seconds of ‘System...’ had me hooked and singing along before I even knew the words. The following 40 something minutes flew by as Enter Shikari
single review Forget It Blood Orange
MATT KNIGHT
DAISY MEAGER
AFTER the breakthrough success of ‘Video Games’ last autumn, Born to Die is the hotly-anticipated debut album from Lana Del Rey. Having reinvented herself from her past as the struggling Lizzy Grant, Del Rey has been the subject of much criticism concerning her rich parentage and questionable live performances. The best response would be to release a fine pop record, and by and large this is what she has done.
“Del Rey is well aware of her ability to manipulate words and rhyme, proclaiming herself a ‘gangster Nancy Sinatra’”
‘Video Games’ is the obvious highlight, with a more stripped-down feel than the rest of the album. The melancholic lyrics of a flawed relationship run through several other songs, such as ‘Off to the Races’ and ‘Blue Jeans.’ The latter is the closest it gets to mainstream pop, with sim-
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NEWSREEL
BREAKING news everyone: Adam Sandler not only beat Eddie Murphy’s record of five Razzie nominations, but more than doubled it with a whopping 11: that’s 11 nods for god-awful films in this calendar year alone, equalling the record for actual Oscar wins by classics such as Ben-Hur, Gone With the Wind and LOTR: Return of the King. He even has the dubious honour of nods in both the Worst Actor and Actress category (Jack & Jill)... Moving onto happy-clappy news, The Artist did indeed triumph at a pretty predictable Oscars ceremony this year winning five awards including Best Picture, Director and Actor, although Midnight in Paris nabbed Best Original Screenplay. Hugo also equalled The Artist’s haul, although in slightly more specialist categories such as Sound Editing (robbed from Drive!) as well as Cinematography. And fear not as it is now officially ‘the Oscar-winning Muppets’ after signature ballad ‘Man or Muppet’, written by Flight of the Conchord’s Bret McKenzie, enjoyed success in the Music (Original Song) category. For some much-needed relief concerning the Oscar-nominated films, visit Jest.com to see children re-enact the nominees with adorable consequences. Finally, Luke and I have carefully scoured the internet just now to bring you the best new trailer options: animation? Disney-Pixar’s Scottish adventure Brave. Sci-Fi? Ridley Scott’s new Alien prequel Prometheus. Bat-shit crazy? Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Interestingly, there’s another film coming out later this year about good ol’ Honest Abe, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, simply entitled Lincoln. This president’s clearly having ‘a moment’ here.
It’s no laughing matter
Following the Oscars, Tom Nicoll ponders whether or not there is a bias against comedy ANOTHER Oscar ceremony, another year in which comedy has been underrepresented (no, The Artist doesn’t count). Comedy’s flagbearer this year was Bridesmaids, produced by Judd Apatow, the comedy super-producer of the recent Frat Pack comedies. A couple of months ago he announced that the Oscars should have a Best Comedy category. It got me thinking about how neglected comedy is by the big awards ceremonies: even when a comedy receives glowing critical praise (like Bridesmaids), it never gets nominated for best film of the year.
“If you laugh at a film, does its lack of gravity make it less award-worthy?”
Why is this? If you laugh at a film, does its lack of gravity make it less worthy for awards? I think it’s just all a matter of taste. The standard ‘Oscar bait’ movie - films like Milk, I Am Sam or Dances With Wolves - deals with ‘the issues’. Gay
rights, mental illness, historical revisionism: these worthy subjects provide these films with a facade of progressive values that conceals the calculated machinations of awards marketeers. And people buy it. It’s why films such as The Reader, which is objectively an awful film, can get five Oscar nods. It’s a ‘good taste’ film, or rather, a ‘good conscience’ film, trading on a mythic ideal humanism to bag some gongs. Comedies, on the other hand, (very generally speaking) push the limits of taste, perhaps alienating too large a proportion of the awards voters. Bridesmaids, for instance, has a woman pooing in the middle of a street. Perhaps it would be wrong to offer an award for that because, if we follow the thought process applied to the ‘Oscar bait’ films, this would condone street pooing. My point is that the judgement of what constitutes the year’s ‘Best Film’ is
decided with a very narrow set of criteria. From this viewpoint, comedy can be seen merely as ‘bad taste’. Yet Bridesmaids has also been championed for its genuine progressiveness: women can be as funny, and as disgusting, as men in films, and do it well. Isn’t this film doing more for social perceptions than The Blind Sides of this world? For reshaping expectations and thoroughly enjoying oneself, good comedy films, like Bridesmaids, deserve mention among the year’s best films.
“Bridesmaids shows women can be as funny (and disgusting) as men”
Bridesmaids went home empty handed from two nominations. It has been repeatedly said that at least it got two nominations, but this merely highlights the prejudice the genre receives. Of course, whether or not it matters if these kinds of comedies are thusly recognized is a completely different argument. I know I’ll still be watching. And laughing.
What I’ve Been Watching:
Coach Trip
I ADMIT I am a Coach Trip fanatic. Devoid of a television in halls, I catch up on 4OD when I go to bed and spend half an hour trying to muffle my laughter from my roommate, and then proceed to bore my non-Coach Trip watching friends with the exciting events of the previous episode; which couple is annoying me most, the dramatic showdown at the vote and how much I love Brendan. Sometimes it’s surprising I still have friends. But everyone should be a Coach Trip fanatic. Short and sweet at 25 minutes an episode, the series follows a group of tourists as they embark on a 30-day trip of Europe, all led by the brilliant and extremely lovable Brendan. But it’s not as simple as that, as each couple can vote for the couple that they like the least, and whoever gets the most votes is awarded a yellow card. If they are voted for again they receive a red card and are sent home to be replaced. Coach Trip has all the bitching, back-stabbing and hilarity that you normally associate with reality TV, but what sets Coach Trip apart from other reality TV shows is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously; the narration from Dave Vitty (long-term contributor to The Chris Moyles Show) is akin to that of Dave Lamb on Come Dine With Me, whilst Brendan himself regularly mocks the diverse range of contestants in each episode. This coupled with the beautiful backdrop of Europe makes for a highly entertaining and worthwhile watch. Arguably the programme’s best attribute is that it requires very little brain power. It’s fun and entertaining but not particularly intellectually stimulating, so when the pressures of university life get too much, consider popping on Coach Trip. You won’t regret it. Multiple series of Coach Trip are available on 4oD
Films to see before you graduate: Flashdance (1983) Director: Adrian Lyne Cast: Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri, Lilia Skala (15) 95 mins
BEFORE he got sidetracked producing blockbusters based on Disney pirate rides and/or revolving around multiple world-ending explosions, this is what Jerry Bruckheimer focused on: a fantastic monstrosity of an 80s dance-movie extravaganza. Flashdance follows young Alex Owens (Beals), a dancer by night and welder by day (obviously), as she embarks on a romance with her older boss (Nouri) and debates whether
or not to chase her dream and apply to ballet school, despite her lack of formal training. While this film might not necessarily win “snaps” for originality with regard to its plotting, Beals is convincing as a naïve, rough-aroundthe-edges girl, stumbling on through her days in two male-dominated workplaces: a construction site and a seedy club, where she keeps good company with other hopeful performers.
“When you give up your dream, you die”
Despite being no Footlose or Fame, Flashdance certainly has kitsch appeal,
and nowhere is this more obvious than in its epic soundtrack and gloriously gratuitous dance numbers. We’re talking ice-skating to Laura Branigan’s fabulous ‘Gloria’, sweaty close-ups to ‘Maniac’, and that pretty damn recognisable audition scene (y’know, the one where she has to start again) to the titular ‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’inspiring, and award-winning, stuff… There are also some classic ‘situation scenes’ to enjoy including the group female workout at the gym (“He’ll call!”) and the ‘accidental’ seduction scene when Alex removes her bra from under her sweater pretty smoothly. Having been introduced to this
film via its undeniably catchy anthem at a vastly inappropriate age (‘Flashdance… What A Feeling’ is the first song I ever remember listening to, on tape in the car aged approximately two) I am perhaps biased towards seeing it as brilliant entertainment. Nonetheless, I can promise anyone looking for a happy 95-minutes-worth of distraction that Flashdance delivers on the 80s nostalgia front (even if you weren’t there, Drive has certainly re-invigorated interest) and can be new fodder for your inspiring-walk-to-campus playlist.
TORI BRAZIER, SCREEN EDITOR
MEGAN FURBOROUGH
Exeposé week twenty
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TV Review: Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan
TV Overview: Playing it Straight “OUR princess needs to find her prince, and avoid the ones who like to mince!” With the series now at an end, Playing It Straight had all the components to make you want to switch the channel over. With fake Spanish troubadours, a catchy theme tune and a comic Alan Carr voice over, it should belong to the worst kind of reality TV programme. However, the modern day phenomenon of ‘it’s so bad, it’s good’ definitely applied here. The aim of the game was for Cara, the single lady looking for love, to successfully scout out the gay competitors in order for her and her chosen straight man to win £25,000 each. Of course, there’s a catch. If Cara picked a gay man to run off into the sunset with, he wins the total £50,000. Set in sunny Spain at La Hacienda, the gags made the show with their great sophistication. Some of my favourites include: “home sweet homo”, “ready, steady, cock” and “Gaywatch.” This sexuality stereotyping show leaves you screaming in frustration at the television, “but he’s so manicured and knows all the words to ‘I Will Survive’, surely he’s gay!” Straight-forward this sounds but straight-forward this was not in our
metrosexual world, meaning all the lads have to act less camp in order to be believed as straight. Such a state of anticipation occurs when Cara lines up the boys and tells them who is going home, that you can’t help but be sucked in.
“The show endorses the message that you just can’t tell!”
With the finale leaving four boys, at least one of which was gay and at least one of which was straight, the suspense created was nothing short of a guilty pleasure. After the not so surprising revelation that Sam was gay, Dean stepped forward with his tramp stamp tattoo and AussieBums and viewers all over the country held their breath in anticipation. The surprising result emerged that Dean was in fact straight, much to the delight of Cara who picked him as her winner. However, the big shocker of the series was Sven’s revealed homosexuality, which endorses the important message that you just can’t tell!
CHRIS TERRILL, the 55-year old Commando, takes on the bombs and bullets of Helmand in Royal Marines: Mission Afghanistan. Embedded with the Royal Marines of Lima Company 42 Commando, Terrill looks at how, after a decade of war, Afghanistan and its people have changed as well as life as a frontline soldier. This series is a move away from the slew of documentaries relating to the machinations of modern warfare. Terrill is instead fascinated by the Royal Marines on an anthropological level. He wants to examine what these men go through and what it takes to function in such a dan-
CLARA WARMAN
HUGH BLACKSTAFFE
Playing it Straight Series catch-up available on 4oD
Five: Mondays, 9:00pm Series catch-up available on Demand 5
A Dangerous Method Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley (15) 99mins
A DANGEROUS METHOD is an historical drama about the often fraught but always fascinating relationship between psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. The dangerous method of the title is, of course, Freud’s so called controversial ‘talking cure’. Despite Knightley’s top billing here (and kudos to her agent for that),
Young Adult
Director: Jason Reitman Cast: Charlize Theron, Patrick Wilson, Patton Oswalt (15) 94mins I REALLY liked Young Adult, the new Charlize Theron vehicle written by stripper turned Juno-scribe Diablo Cody, but I can’t help but feel it has been as badly
gerous and unconventional environment as well as the situation in Afghanistan. Because of Terrill’s remarkable achievement of becoming an honourary Royal Marine Commando, he is able to get very open and honest interviews from the Marines, where they explain what it feels like to kill someone, what it is like to see a best friend blown up and their opinions on the war, their elusive enemy and what it is to be part of the elite. Mixed in with these interviews are unflinchingly brutal battles, with Terrill lying right next to the Marines as they take on the Taliban, ‘Afghan Wasps’ snapping over their heads. Terrill manages to expose the complexities of the human condition in war; the coping mechanisms of the Marines as they face extreme adversity, the unshakeable bond of a warrior brotherhood united in the hostile Helmand and despite all the protection and training, just how fragile the human body is. In Episode Two “Venus Fly Trap”, Terrill sums up the Marines perfectly: “So brave, but so vulnerable.” This is an outstanding documentary, hard hitting yet honest, intense yet intimate.
publicised as The Grey was in January. Just as that movie was promoted to be the “Liam Neeson punching a wolf” saga that it really wasn’t, this seems to have been marketed as Mean Girls: The Reunion - an elongated comedy sketch of a film with Theron playing an over the top, ageing, playground elitist who returns to steal an old flame.
“Young Adult tells the story of a psychotic ex prom queen”
I went into the cinema expecting something like this, but came out having seen a very different film. Okay, so it does actually tell the story of a ‘superbitch’, a borderline psychotic ex-high school prom queen who returns to the hick town she did everything to escape from to get back a now married old boyfriend (pause for breath), but it’s so much more than that. Theron’s Mavis is not a sketch character we can simply laugh at; she’s damaged, real, and mostly makes it uncomfortable for us to follow her around. Her performance is dynamite and all
the main focus of the film is on Fassbender’s Jung; the man who would be king of Freud’s psychoanalytic empire once the cigar-chomping Austrian pegged it. As always, Fassbender doesn’t disappoint, putting in a well balanced portrayal of a man who wants so badly to emerge from Freud’s shadow but, at the same time, does not want to undermine his ‘father figure’. The film follows his successful treatment of Spielrein (Knightley), his friendship and subsequent falling out with Freud (Mortensen) and his battle with his own personal demons. The film immediately appealed to
credit is due, as well as the usual voices moaning discontent at her lack of Academy nomination for the role being warranted, but the real gem of this piece is undoubtedly Patton Oswalt playing the school geek 20 years on with heartbreaking grace. His nomination should have been secure; it’s a travesty he was forgotten. The trailer does Young Adult a real disservice, but it’s not a perfect film by any means. Yes, it does provide the odd dark chuckle, and yes, the two central performances are excellent, but the execution of the story and its emotional tone is patchy and one plot addition towards the end of the movie seems awfully tacked on and, at best, can only be described as extremely clumsy. Audiences’ fascination with Cody has always been odd: Juno was good but overrated, and the less said about Jennifer’s Body the better. Young Adult, on the other hand, whilst not being brilliant, should be remembered as some of the writer’s best work to date.
CHRISTOPHER PRESTON
me as a psychology student but even I struggled with some of the psychobabble spouted by the characters. To anyone not familiar with psychoanalysis, this film will leave you either bored (it’s VERY talky) or wanting to go out and read up on the subject straight away. The film also suffers from a lack of depth. However, it has its fun moments too; at one point Freud says, with no hint of irony, “in a hundred years from now they will still be debating my theories.” And keep an eye out for the smoking habits of Freud, Jung and the aptly named Otto Gross (a delightfully licentious Vincent Cassel);
Screen
Screen Asks: Which iconic films have you (embarrassingly) not seen and why?
Tom Bond: “The Godfather, because he made me an offer I couldn’t understand.” Tori Brazier: “I finally managed to sleep through the original Star Wars trilogy, so I guess I haven’t really wached them...” Luke Graham: “Shawshank Redemption, because it’s over two hours long and Family Guy spoiled, well, the whole plot.” Jessamy Queree: “American Beauty, funnily enough, because the one copy we have in our house is only compatible with American DVD players.” Calum Baker: “Dog Day Afternoon, because I fear it may resemble my own life a little too uncomfortably.” Tom Payne: “I’ve seen very few Disney films because I had a deprived childhood (First World Problems).” Dan Orton: “Top Gun, because I’m worried it might emasculate me...”
each of their choices of what to smoke is very telling of their personalities.
“I struggled with the psychobabble spouted by the characters”
Overall, a well acted (although I’ve seen them do better) and thought provoking piece which, whilst it may only be appealing to those interested in psychoanalysis, will still provoke long discussions and many a debate.
DAN ORTON
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Director: Mark Neveldine, Brian Taylor Cast: Nicolas Cage, Ciarán Hinds, Idris Elba (12A) 95mins ‘NOUVEAU shaman’ Nic Cage returns to play the man he has tattooed on his own back, in an ampedup sequel that sets out to do to its predecessor what Sam Raimi did between the first two Evil Deads; whilst entertaining, it perhaps errs more towards an Army of Darkness comparison (read: OTT, but no longer prodigiously so). While Cage’s beautiful insanity is worthy of adding some extra minutes to ‘Nic Cage loses his shit’, said instances are, in comparison to recent Cage-fests, few and far between while the action sequences, which should be filling in the Nic-less blanks,
are sadly not as meticulously absurd as directors Neveldine and Taylor’s previous Crank franchise. The result is less than the perfect marriage it should be; more like a tentative first date.
“Cage’s beautiful insanity is worthy of adding extra minutes” All in all, the craziness just doesn’t quite add up. Between the wonderful moments – Cage pissing fire here, an inexplicable Anthony Head cameo there – everything seems a little autopilot; and as any accomplished biker will tell you, that can never be a good thing.
CALUM BAKER
24
5 March 2012
Books
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FeaTures
Inspiring a new generation Schools are failing children, argues Cameron Milne
An experiment in social media
With plans to produce a book through Facebook, Alex Tindall takes a look at publishing
IN an age where social media wields almost frightening power over us, we should never underestimate the power of the Facebook ‘like.’ One page appears to have struck a chord with people all over the country, having grown from a small circle of undergraduates at Durham University to having nearly 300 followers.
“We should never underestimate the power of the Facebook ‘like.’ ‘Written By Britan’ seems to have struck a chord” ‘Written By Britain’ is a Facebookbased project with the simple description: ‘20,000 people, 20 original words, 1 published book. What do you have to say Britain?’ It aims to provide a platform for people’s voices in Britain, whatever they have to say. The creators are keen not only to provide an outlet for expression, but also to demonstrate that Britain is not apathetic - particularly its youth. One of the incentives for people to contribute to this project is to be part of the written legacy it aims to create. It appears that many people are drawn
to the idea of leaving a mark in a book, perhaps partly because it reinforces the idea of being heard, but I suspect it is also attractive because people feel that when we write something down, it somehow gains gravity. Scrolling through the entries so far there are a variety of ways people wish to express and present themselves. Some use their 20 words to vent against current affairs; politics, society, the media: “I just wish for once the people in charge would tell us the truth!” Some attempt to make a meaningful insight, some use theirs for an entirely personal tribute: “I love cats, tea and sleep.” And then there are those which are just ridiculous: “If guns dont kill people, people kill people, does that mean toasters dont toast toast, toast toasts toast??” By many, the end product - the published book - will undoubtedly be dismissed as meaningless, not being a ‘proper’ book. Yes, there is no common thread or theme between the comments for the book, they are all random and unrelated, and yes it will probably be self-published. However, does that mean it carries less meaning? I don’t think so. Whether or not the project is your cup of tea, it’s doing something original and it’s an opportunity for people who complain about
Exeposé
having no chance to be heard, to get heard. Not only that, but the final mix of comments will present the musings of Britons in a creative way that is more readable than a ‘proper’ book, and less exclusive than art.
“The final mix of comments will present the musings of Britons in a creative way that is more readable than a ‘proper’ book” I also think the final book will have a positive effect on our changing view of publishing. As the production of written work has become less elite in recent years with the increase in self-publishing schemes, it seems unsurprising that something like this has developed. Though this project will not be a great work of literature or be marked with the stamp of approval from a publishing heavy-weight, it will provide a unique snapshot into current thought - and can there possibly be anyone more qualified to do that than a random bunch of Brits?
NOT enough children, or adults for that matter, read. Something needs to be done in order to tear our eyes away from the digital screen and onto the page. It all starts in the classroom. The current educational system forces every child to take a GCSE in English Literature where they are force fed some Shakespearean tragedy. They are told how brilliant, meaningful and clever it all is. Children are confronted with words that may as well be Sanskrit, meanwhile being told it is the best thing ever written. According to a recent study, less than two out of five teenagers in England read for pleasure. It’s not a surprising statistic when you consider that a child’s first experience of ‘serious’ literature makes them feel stupid and alienated. I’m sure many of us are secretly glad to have some Shakespeare tucked under our belts. As an English student, compulsory reading opened my mind to one of the few areas of academia that interested me. However, those who drop out of the academic system at 16 are potentially put off novel reading for life, subjugating their minds to celebrity drivel and 142 character updates. My solution: general reading sessions. It’s quite simple, pupils bring a book of their choice into the classroom and they read it. Imagine, children actually enjoying and understanding what they read! Perhaps they could actually relate to the characters on the page rather than a womanising Essex playboy. We should have enough faith in children to choose something that is fulfilling to read. There’s no point in
frowning on someone’s book choice. Replacing it with a ‘better’ doorstop classic is futile if it won’t be read with enthusiasm. Kids shouldn’t be intimidated by the bookshelf, they should be inspired. It would be beneficial for both pupil and teacher to adopt general reading sessions. Kids enjoy the process of reading. It will be seen as a liberating time where imaginations flutter unrestrained by the shackles of national curriculum. Teachers won’t get frustrated, attempting to force the most widely accepted interpretation of Othello onto their unreceptive class. If we can encourage children to see reading as an enjoyable pastime rather than a classroom chore we may have a more creative and artistically engaged nation rather than one that sees the non-intellectual stance as ‘cool.’
So we’ve deduced that compulsory reading is good, to a certain extent. The national reading curriculum is killing literacy in this country. We need to reinvigorate the love for books in an attempt to encourage cultural engagement for all people, not just the minority.
Waterstones: it’s a ca-postrophe!
Tori Brazier, Screen Editor, takes time out of attending to Screen duties to lament the sad decline of the humble apostrophe THERE’S a new kid on the Twitter block with around 5,000 followers, tweeting such gems as “I’ve just found the comma from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in a fur coat in my cupboard. What the HELL happened last night?” Its name is @SadApostrophe, and this particular
“Apparently, in this digital age of URLs and e-mail addresses, it is simply better for a company promoting literacy to go without the correct usage of the English language”
piece of punctuation has just found itself jobless after Waterstones’ managing director James Daunt’s recent announcement that the bookshop chain was ditching its traditional apostrophe. Apparently, in this digital age of URLs and email addresses, it is simply more “practical” and “versatile” for a company promoting literacy to go without the correct usage (or
any usage) of the grammar of the English language. Surely it is not too horrendously difficult though for the average human to work out that the Waterstones website address, rather than being ‘waterstone’s.com’, is likely to be ‘waterstones. com’ without blowing a brain cell, let alone their mind? ‘Waterstone’s’ as was, also had purpose and a true meaning behind their faithful apostrophe of yesteryear, as it pointed to the fact that, as with Mr. John James Sainsbury, a certain Tim Waterstone founded the company in 1982, thus legitimizing their appropriation of the possessive apostrophe. Jesse Boot and William Morrison may have waved goodbye to founding
acknowledgement in their respective establishment’s names a while back, but these chaps sold food predominantly, not knowledge. Seriously, Waterstones shoddy work.
“I despair for the future of the state of the English language. Feel free to join me in a candlelit vigil” With the growing popularity of the opinion that capital letters are no longer ‘cool’ or ‘streamlined’ enough for marketing products, and the Americanisms of adding ‘-ization’ to any word to make it
a noun, or just going the whole hog and making up a word when there is still a perfectly serviceable one in use (‘normalcy’- ‘normality’). I despair for the future state of the English language. My receipt from Waterstone’s in Exeter already says ‘Waterstones’ on it, but the signs on both of the High Street’s branches still staunchly cling onto their apostrophes: the day those signs are replaced you will most likely find me huddled outside, tearfully lamenting the death of grammatical accuracy. Feel free to join me in a candlelit vigil on that day
for the apostrophe… or just follow it on Twitter.
Exeposé week twenty
25
Books
feature
The price of perfection: What they didn’t teach you in writing school Routine discipline, liquid courage or white noise? Nick Armstrong looks at the surprising writing habits of authors old and new WRITING, for most of us, is something done out of necessity: we may email or message friends to keep in touch or, perhaps more familiarly, we may labour late into the night putting pen to paper to meet a deadline. Writing is, in many cases, a chore and although we may, having reached that thousand-word mark of a three thousand word essay, grow to enjoy the task – even think to ourselves, somewhat surprised, that this is actually quite good, you know? – and yet writing still remains an activity we have to be coerced into undertaking. Yet, for some, writing is a profession, and whilst not always a pleasure, something that needs to be accomplished in vast quantities. These hardy souls can’t spend a few minutes every other day jotting down a line or two – Tolstoy would never have finished a single book; Shakespeare no more than a single play. And whilst some may lament the tenacity of
REVIEW
The Waterproof Bible
Andrew Kaufman
Telegram ISBN: 1846590868
THE WATERPROOF BIBLE introduces Rebecca, a woman who can’t help broadcasting her emotions to everyone around her and so stores her emotional baggage (quite literally) in Unit 207 E.Z. Self Storage; her brother-inlaw Lewis who, inconsolable after his wife’s death, changes his hairstyle and meets a woman claiming to be God; Rebecca’s ex-husband Stephen who is building a boat in the middle of the Canadian prairies; and Margaret and Aberystwyth, two green skinned, gill-
these long dead authors as we struggle through the week’s required reading, we can’t doubt that they knew how to write – quantitatively, at least. So how did they do it?
“Writing still remains an activity we have to be coerced into undertaking”
Some authors have opted for that oft praised virtue: discipline. Routine, we are told, is the key to success. Ernest Hemingway may seem an unlikely source of hard work and discipline, but once he had started a novel he woke each morning at six and wrote into the afternoon. Hemingway’s early morning habits also had some element of imposed discomfort to them: he wrote standing up, drawing paper from a metal clip that had “These Must Be Paid” written upon it.
necked Aquatics (one ex-communicated) very uncomfortable out of water.
“The Waterproof Bible is thick with allusions to the search for the meaning of life. It’s got quirky humour and sweet sincerity”
Although this may sound like the beginning of a very long, very bad joke, these characters are actually the foundation of Kaufman’s brilliant second novel, a charming and whimsical tale in his trademark magical realist style. The Waterproof Bible follows a number of characters whose lives begin to intersect after an unexpected encounter between them. As each pursues their own personal missions, Kaufman’s funny and surrealist second novel explores the uncertainty and beauty of love and life. As the title of the book suggests, The
Jonathan Franzen (pictured right), a modern American writer, also favours a highly organised daily routine. He uses a studio flat, emptied of all but the bare essentials, and disconnects himself completely from the outside world. He has no internet connection, his computer has been scoured of potential diversions (those pesky in-built games deleted) and his phone is turned off. Now, in order to completely cut out those last residual external distractions Franzen writes with earplugs in and headphones on over the top that play white noise. What’s more, in times of desperate need, Franzen removes sight from the list of disturbing factors and touch types whilst blindfolded. It may be encouraging to know, however, that some writers can’t get by without some sort of distraction or supplement. Hunter S. Thompson needed liquid inspiration when writing the appropriately named The Rum Diary, while Waterproof Bible is thick with allusions to and metaphors relating to the search for the meaning of life, complete with totems, various religions, floods, and sudden blindness. The success of the plot comes from the way Kaufman approaches it – with all the quirky humour and sweet sincerity that his debut (and cult classic) All My Friends Are Superheroes demonstrated. With lines such as “Being God isn’t a full-time gig? Who would I invoice?” Kaufman takes what could be a dividing and boring subject and creates a surprising and refreshing love story injected with his darkly funny observations. Although I would argue that All My Friends Are Superheroes does this all in a slightly more carefully constructed manner, The Waterproof Bible, despite its surrealist nature is a brilliant read that will definitely not disappoint. MEGAN FURBOROUGH
Coleridge thought opium essential to his creative process. For some, writing need not even be laborious. Inspired by his previous adventures involving drugs, alcohol and transnational road trips, Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road in three weeks. William Faulkner claims he managed to finish As I Lay Dying in six weeks – moreover, he didn’t need to edit a single word (so he claims).
“Franzen uses a studio flat, totally disconnected from the outside world”
Writing can be accomplished using all kinds of tactics and routines. Yet, for all the different methods – ascetic routine or drug-fuelled binges – there is one constant ingredient: actual writing. And as for editing? It might be dispensable – Faulkner managed to win a Nobel Prize for Literature.
REVIEW
Pigeon English
Stephen Kelman
Bloomsbury ISBN: 1408810638
GANG culture and knife crime are words that feature on the news more frequently than anyone would like. Yet this problem is often reduced to statistics: the number of victims of knife crime, the rise in number of such attacks, or the increase in the number of youths carrying weapons. Pigeon English is a unique book, as it humanises the victims behind the crime. Set in a poor, urban estate, it follows the experiences of newly immigrated 11 year old Harrison Opoku.
Epilogue . . . reviews of essential literary classics The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848)
Anne Brontë Penguin Classics ISBN: 1853264881
ANNE Brontë is probably one of the most overshadowed siblings of all time. With sisters who wrote Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, it is easy to see how people might not get round to reading the quiet and often neglected sister. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall has something that the other Brontë sisters did not seem to understand: a nice man. Gilbert Markham is a well off and educated country gentleman who also has a sense of humour. This may sound bor-
ing in comparison with the passions of Heathcliff or the powerful Mr Rochester but Anne presents these brooding characters in very real situations and suggests that they might not be quite so nice to live with, having experienced this with both her brother, Branwell, and during a short disastrous job as a governess.
“Anne Brontë is probably one of the most overshadowed siblings of all time - she has something the other Bronte sisters don’t understand ”
Gilbert becomes attracted to a mysterious Mrs Graham, a widow who moves into the neighbourhood but is
very reclusive. It soon transpires that she is in fact still married but to a drunken, abusive husband who she has run away from to protect her son. The narrative then turns into Helen’s (Mrs Graham) diaries of young married life with Arthur Huntingdon and her attempts to stop him corrupting their young son with alcoholism and her resistance to being a meek domestic wife. When Helen slams the bedroom door in her husband’s face Anne demonstrates that women have equal right to independence, and she creates a picture of what actual marital life was probably like for the women of titled leisure who were still considered property of their husband. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was very controversial when it came out and Charlotte Brontë herself attempted to discredit the novel by saying that it “hardly seems to me desirable to preserve,” acting this
out by preventing republication after Anne’s death. The neglect of Anne’s work suddenly seems much easier to explain when it is seen how she was challenging all expectations and conventions.
“Anne’s work challenged all expectations and conventions”
Toby Stephens has recently acted both Gilbert Markham and Mr Rochester for TV adaptations so if you don’t believe me that Brontë’s ‘nice men’ can be equally as attractive as brooding ones then let him do the persuading. ELLI CHRISTIE
When a fellow schoolboy is murdered, Harri sets out to solve the crime, unaware of the real dangers around him. As the tale progresses, Harri’s experiences paint the hierarchies, complications, and power of the gangs in the reader’s mind. The warm humour of Harri softens the tragedy of the story, so that Kelman’s debut novel has been compared to Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. This is a fair comparison to make, as Kelman’s novel leaves you with the same gutwrenching feeling, despite how Harri’s innate jolliness attempts to mask the darker undertones. Kelman captures the optimism of a child, peppering the narrative with Harri’s imagination, cheekiness, and also painful naiviety. Although the symbolism of his friendship with a local pigeon seems a little contrived at times, Harri’s humour and honesty can’t fail to make this a startling read. EMILY LUNN
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5 march 2012 Exeposé
Arts
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Zoe Bulaitis & Laura Stevens - arts@exepose.com
FEATURE
A picture to sing a thousand words?
Exeposé Arts explores the relationship between musicians and their album artwork
Emily Tanner investigates the status of the artwork on the sleeve compared to the more traditional art within the gallery I DOUBT anyone ever picks up their iPod and thinks that in their hands is an art gallery. Nor do people go to HMV to look or admire any visual works of art. It seems a little ridiculous to suggest that we should hang the latest Arcade Fire album cover beside the works of Picasso or Monet, but should we be so discriminatory? Is it fair to say that the covers of our favourite albums can survive alone as pieces of art? As statements about society? Or do they belong with the music they accompany, hidden behind the scratched plastic and tucked away on the shelf, out of sight? On some occasions cover art and gallery art collide. Fleet Foxes debut used the 1559 piece Netherlandish Proverbs as its cover design whilst the iconic artwork of Velvet Underground’s debut Velvet Underground and Nico, features an Andy Warhol print of a ba-
nana which is arguably not much different from any other piece of Pop Art. Yet, we define the image largely through its relation to the album and not as a piece of art in its own right. However, if this print hung in a gallery it would raise fewer puzzled looks, due to the renown of its creator, than say if the ambiguous cover of Warpaint’s debut, Warpaint was hung on the wall.
“Album art can challenge the audience and should not be out of place on a gallery wall”
As technology progresses, photography plays a significant role in the creation of both cover art and exhibition art. Kasabian’s West Pauper, on the surface appears to be a photograph of
the band in fancy dress, but on a closer inspection one band member is dressed as a priest, another clutching a copy of a book called ‘Labyrinths,’ and the whole image is reflected in a mirror. But where’s the photographer? The artwork clearly fits with the album’s concept of insanity, but alone in a gallery the technical skill would be more apparent. The question of what constitutes art is one which will always be a subject of debate, but in the most simplistic terms art is something which may raise questions, challenge audiences, provide some aesthetic satisfaction and is ultimately a form of expression. The pieces mentioned, which are merely a scratch on the surface of album artwork, fulfil some or all of that criteria and it seems wrong to dismiss the art simply because they exist alongside a disc of music.
DANCE REVIEW Strictly Gershwin @ Bristol Hippodrome 14 - 18 February A LEGACY to the well loved songs of brothers, Ira and George Gershwin, The English National Ballet’s Strictly Gershwin really was quite spectacular. The performance combined the beauty of ballet with jazz, tap and ballroom, transporting audience members back to the sparkling age of Hollywood musicals in a flurry of glitz and glamour. Wayne Eagling, director of ENB said that with Strictly Gershwin he hoped to “enthuse new audience members who might not have thought to
attend a traditional performance” and he undoubtedly met his aim. We were taken from Broadway in the twenties to the charming streets of Paris and met no end of delights along the way from roller skating ballerinas to fabulous ball gowns and superb tap duets. Every audience member failed to resist tapping their feet or singing along to well loved songs such as ‘S Wonderful’ and ‘I Got Rhythm’. Even the conductor, Gareth Valentine, joined in with a wiggle and a wave every so often. It became quite obvious when watching Strictly Gershwin why ballet is considered the core dance discipline; the dancers added such poise and elegance to every style they performed.
Indeed, they managed to make being dressed as the Eiffel tower whilst pirouetting elegant in a way only a ballerina could. A particular highlight was an exquisite pas de deux danced to the music of ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’. The magic only fell short in the full cast performance of a scene from ‘An American in Paris’ where the stage simply looked overcrowded. Strictly Gershwin managed to subvert the norms of traditional ballet in the most bizarre but beautiful of ways. Above all the dancers seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely and this was contagious; one couldn’t help but leave the theatre smiling. ALICE GIBSON
ART ATTACK
photo manipulated, which has been done since the camera obscura was invented.
THIS week it’s Nevermind by Nirvana. Does the front of an album count as art? Can a picture represent music? Is it more important for an album cover to tell a story or to be iconic?
Nick Vines: In an age when computer generated images were primitive I actually think that this was quite an irresponsible thing to do!
Ella Williams: Of course a picture can represent music, more so than people think. I wish there were more album covers with Hockney, Emin and Sherman... and fewer with nude photo-shopped pretties exposing themselves to the world. Oscar W.T: The primary message is pretty simple: an indictment of American capitalism and greed as the baby gazes at the dollar bill within his sights. Will Roberts: Was going to leave a willy bad pun, but decided to be genital... Richard Graham: The image is an excruciatingly crass and naive way of ‘sticking it to da man’. Well done Nirvana for blowing the whistle on capitalism. When social class systems become redundant and we sit around holding hands in our communist utopia we really must remember to thank such an insightful band for getting the ball rolling. Henry White: It’s not photo-shoppped because it didn’t technically exist, it’s
Jack Flanagan: I’m not a Nirvana fan, so I don’t know how the album played out, but perhaps the image was appropriate for the time in which it was designed. If it were to be released now, it would be a fairly blundering attempt to capture something much more subtle than what is being displayed. Henry White: Nirvana were never as good as nostalgia seems to think so anyway, as far as the artwork goes, it does stand out through its simplicity. Ella Williams: The art isn’t really that good: it is an interesting composition and it is shocking with the nakedness of the infant and the symbolism of money etc. But, today it appears a bit predictable. Calum Baker: I’d have to disagree with Richard, hilarious though the comment was. The completely meaningless nature of the way the cover and sleeve were designed is pure punk, as intended before history appropriated the band - there’s no considered statement, just ‘stoopid’ f**kuppery.
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Exeposé week TWENTY
phoenix preview
IN the heart of Exeter, tucked down Gandy Street, lies an Arts Centre unchampioned in Exeter. The Phoenix boasts a music venue, art gallery spaces, a cinema, and an extensive education programme that goes far beyond the facilities availbale on campus. Without a doubt the Phoenix offers more than just the renowned Itchy Feet! Looking through this season’s eclectic programme, it’s hard to find something that you won’t enjoy. Hadouken and Charlie Simpson head up the music scene, but for those looking for an alternative to Cavern, Rinseout is a must-go to night of drum and bass. For a more chilled night out, the vocal talent of local girl Ellie Williams is sure to soften any heart. For those who crave a bit more artistic flair in their student life, there is a great range of exhibitions which you can wander into free of charge - for instance
SET in a high school auditorium in 1936, Reefer Madness is a satirical take on the similarly named American propagandist film, also of the same year. Originally intended to educate parents about the dangers of marijuana, it took on a life of its own as a cult comedy in the 1970s among pro-cannabis supporters. Reefer Madness (the musical version) hit the stage in 1998 to cult and critical acclaim. Playwrights Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney deliver a damning attack on America’s oppressive government; like a modern day Rocky Horror, Reefer is a sexually charged vision of the sublimely ridiculous.
“The all singing, all dancing marijuana zombies made it clear personal space was no longer an option!”
Shotgun, never conventional, set this production on two stages – with one stage as a dedicated Reefer Den, home of the drug addled Mae (Stephanie Lysé) and her abusive husband Jack (Alex Worsfold). The quirky staging allowed for more audience interaction – definitely intentional, definitely funny. The audience were close to the action at all times: the all singing, all dancing mari-
7 Day Drunk @ Exeter Phoenix 21 February
the upcoming Perfect Nude is a multimedia and modern collection. The Phoenix, however, is more than just a music venue: comedy acts, open mic nights, spoken word and touring dance troupes are to name but a few of the creative opportunities that are available within the Centre. Speaking to Patrick Cunningham, Director of the Phoenix, he keenly suggested that “we would be really interested in hearing from students and societies if they have event ideas.” The Phoenix is there as a space that students can use. University of Exeter’s ArtSoc recently held a successful exhibition with every painting being sold! Student bands, poets and societies are welcome to drink at the bar, and the creative team at the Phoenix are open to new suggestions about how the arts centre and students can interact. The Phoenix is what you want to make of it, especially given the student ticket prices and 20 per cent discount on hot drinks and food at the bar.
musical REVIEW
Reefer Madness @ Kay House 22 - 25 February
theatre review
juana zombies who opened the show made it clear that personal space was no longer an option. The effect was wholly bizarre and unnerving – which was the satirical point, to convince the audience that ‘‘this is what marijuana does to you! It destroys your soul!’ The show tells the story of Jimmy (Marcus Beard), a wholesome, hard working teenager, and his equally wholesome and hardworking girlfriend Mary (Hollie Morgan), and how both succumb to the temptations of the ‘demon weed’, and the disastrous consequences that ensue. By the beginning of Act II, Jimmy has killed (and kicked) a puppy, stolen a car, killed a man, French-kissed his mother, while Mary turns from virginal to reefer slut in one short toke, and soon, we find that we have witnessed the murder of Mary. Jimmy, obviously accused, awaits his death sentence. The finale came with Jesus flanked by singing angels, and a wheelchair-bound President Franklin Roosevelt – a descent into the absurd indeed. Yes; it got weirder. But they pulled it off. The show’s success relied upon a core of talent, both on stage and off, complemented by the musicians, the choreography and the costumes. Even if Shotgun do have a slightly dubious, yet highly entertaining, taste for onstage orgies and wayward plotlines, they have proved Exeter to be brimming with musical theatre talent. KATHARINE BARDSLEY
AS we walked into the darkened auditorium, Bryony Kimmings put her arms around us and invited us to come and sit with her on the stage. The surprise of the question led us both to agree before we had even thought through the absurdity of the proposition. Kimmings then went on to select six other twenty-something year old girls to join us. It was a brilliant seat!
“An audience member downed seven shots in five minutes” Luckily we managed to shrink away from the limelight, however, some of her other chosen girls were not so lucky. A brave university student called Alice was presented with a beaker full of vodka and cranberry that she had to down in five minutes. This was no normal mix however, but one with a whopping seven shots in it. By the end of the show the giggly Alice was asked to cuddle up with Kimmings on a beanbag and became a central character in a story about a drug addled Fri-
Arts
day night in London Fields. Two other girls, Danielle and Lisa, were whisked up onto the stage for a dance and even a cheeky kiss with two complete strangers. All of these mad-cap ideas were part of the magic of Kimmings show. And it certainly was a magical show including nauseatingly pink costumes, teddy bears and Kimmings violently stuffing doner kebab meat inside her own bra! However, amidst all of the nonsensical props and frenetic raving there were poignant stories about Kimmings’ own experience with alcohol. The use of film footage emphasized the delusional nature of drink, with one particular clip of Kimmings sipping from her beaker with tears rolling down her smudged made-up face, standing out. Other footage of an ex-alcoholic housemate epitomized the horror of this addiction when your entire life revolves around the next bottle or can. The performance was a great mixture of thought provoking and fun, culminating in the final scene where everyone came onto the stage for a boogie. A great night out for any student - and who knows, you may be one of the lucky few selected to sit on stage! ZOE BULAITIS AND LAURA STEVENS ARTS EDITORS
OPERETTA preview
Patience @ Northcott Theatre 6 -10 March
WITH their Exeter-esque wellies on, members of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society swapped the safety of the stage for a visit to the local Taverners Farm. Principals of the upcoming show Patience left the cosy theatre to fully embrace some method acting. The English operetta they are performing follows Patience, a simple dairy-maid, as she searches for the ‘utter unselfish-
ness’ of true love. So what better way to get into character than learning how to milk a cow?
“Principals left the cosy theatre to fully embrace some method acting”
The cast members visited Taverners Farm, a local family business, to learn this age-old skill. Ironically, the leading lady Rebekah Brown, taking the role of Patience, was the most apprehensive about getting to grips with
her character’s profession. On the other hand, her soprano performance along with the rest of the cast take the cream of the crop, displaying some of the University’s finest singing. Patience will be at the Exeter Northcott Theatre from Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 March. If you haven’t experienced any Gilbert & Sullivan before, this is the perfect opportunity to discover something different and eccentrically English. REBECCA RYAN Photo: Tom A J Smith
28
Arts
5 march 2012 Exeposé
art review Yayoki Kusama @ Tate Modern 9 February - 5 June YAYOKI Kusama is a tortured soul; this was apparent throughout the Tate Modern’s retrospective of her work which spans for more than 60 years of obsessive creativity. Kusama is a name unfamiliar to most but with a highly recognisable style; her works are brimming with that déjà vu quality which makes them appear familiar even to the unacquainted viewer. Kusama claims to be affected by a disorder which causes shapes and patterns to visually multiply, violating physical barriers and swamping her within her mind. She has often been quoted saying that “If it were not for art, I would have killed myself long ago.” Her artistic output has therefore been focused on an attempt to communicate her mental suffering; she voluntarily resides within a hospital for the mentally ill. Rather than focusing on one medium her work uses painting, writing and installation. The Tate’s retrospective is not simply a journey of an artist’s development passing through different avant-garde movements, but an extremely personal display of a lifetime spent in distress. Kusama does interact with art movements and due to her long
art review career the exhibition reads like a history of later twentieth century art ciphered through one simple, elegant and all encompassing style. Kusama’s artistic perseverance is overwhelming; her lifetime’s efforts cohere into one overriding concept in a way many artists’ do not. Despite the variations, manipulations and transformations, Kusama’s career has undergone, my emotional response was that of pity. Her experimentation is obvious and her innovation communicative but as a collection it is Kusama who is projected to the foreground and not her work. Even her comparatively positive recent works fall into a narrative that describes a woman’s suffering. This is an exhibition of pain and sorrow at odds with the colourful polka-dot advertisements, a moving experience of a creator rather than her creations. RICHARD GRAHAM
ICE SKATING REVIEW Holiday on Ice - The Passion Tour @ Westpoint Arena 14 -19 February WESTPOINT ARENA was full of excitement, as Exeter waited in anticipation for Holiday on Ice – The Passion Tour. Exeposé Arts joined winners of our caption competition to enjoy what was set to be a night of sensational skating. In terms of talent the show did not disappoint, with skaters from across Europe, including Russia and Ukraine, giving their all in a performance that thrilled the audience. The skaters conjured up a tropical party atmosphere within the cold cattle shed that we know as Westpoint. The show also featured young skaters who were winners from the Ice Factor competition. This gave up and coming skaters the rare chance to perform in a sell-out show. Freya Gidman, eight, and 11 year old Jack O’Sullivan stole the limelight with their routine. The effort these young stars put into the performance was heart-warming enough to melt the ice in any sceptics’ hearts! All in all, the show was a welcome splash of colour to the foggy February feeling. Who can deny the fact that a
team of bejeweled ice skaters wearing artificial fruit makes for a great night out? Whilst the Barry Manilow soundtrack had more appeal to pensioners than a student crowd, they definitely made a change from ‘Baywatch’ in Arena for an alternative night’s entertainment. ZOE BULAITIS
Lucian Freud Portraits @ National Portrait Gallery 9 Feburary-27 May LUCIAN Freud’s enduring career spanned over seven decades, featuring highly personal portraits of those closest to him. The show deftly explores the artist’s often disturbing intensity, fleshy brushwork and animalistic instincts, which chiefly contributed to his unique, realist style. Freud experienced a troubled relationship with his mother, Lucie. Large Interior W9 is another double-portrait, illustrating a young adult Freud lying in a sexually suggestive position in bed and his mother staring down at the floor in an armchair. Similarly to Hotel Bedroom, there is an emotional detachment between the two subjects, largely instigated through Lucie’s prior intrusion into her son’s love life as she secretly read his love letters, for which Freud never forgave her. The artist’s move to a spacious West London studio in the late 1970s contributed to his larger-scale and more experimental approach to portraiture. The period witnessed the overtly sexual and compositionally complex, Painter and Model. In this image, there is reversal of roles as one of Freud’s lovers, Celia Paul, paints him as the male nude, though not
glorified. Celia steps on the paint tube, oozing pigment, forging visibly sexual undertones. The collision of the diagonal and vertical forms of the floor is disorientating and reveals a newfound experimentation in composition. By his eighties, Freud was remarkably energetic as ever. He had always been a physically demanding painter to his sitters, such as David Hockney, whom he took over 130 hours to paint. The inscrutable, SelfPortrait, Reflection, depicts his own prominently bulging neck and hand veins, and reflects a continuing experimentation, even in late age. The impasto background threatens to engulf the artist who appears on the verge of disappearing into the wall behind him.
comedy review
Edge Comedy @ Barnfield Theatre 25 February
COMEDY compilation shows can often be a tricky thing to get right. You need an MC who can hold proceedings together, an assortment of performers who will keep the audience entertained and a spectacular headliner to conclude. Often shows get it drastically wrong with mediocre comics who do anything but warm up the audience for an unexciting headliner. But thankfully this was not the case here!
“Comedy compilation shows can be a risky business. You have no idea what to expect, but you’re usually guaranteed at least a few laughs”
MC Scott Adams’s high energy opening led nicely into the night’s first act, Cal Halbert, whose excellent performance set a high standard. Cal entertained the room with some scarily accurate impersonations of individuals such as Peter Dickson, the voice of the X Factor, and Billy Connelly. But, it was his Michael McIntyre impression, complete
Lucian Freud’s expansion of the boundaries of portraiture was highlighted by his extreme likeness of the human figure and psychological engagement with the subject, likely influenced by his grandfather, Sigmund Freud. Freud’s art arguably improved as he grew older and today he is acclaimed as one of Britain’s greatest artists of the twentieth century. The exhibition wisely allows the viewer to directly study the frequently graphic images, as Freud did to his often unnerved sitters. OSCAR WARWICKTHOMPSON
DON’T MISS
with a ‘pivoting head,’ that had the room in fits of laughter. After a brief interval, the second half was packed with four shorter sets all tied together brilliantly by Adams’s humorous chat with audience members. Kicking off proceedings with the standout performance of the half was Stephen O’Neill, whose superb joke on comments made by Nike’s chairman couldn’t help but raise a smile. It was however the night’s headliner, Danny Ward, who stole the show. He declared that his set would teach us that being cheap in life will ultimately cost more. Ward managed to plough through topics from the random goods aisle in Lidl, a place in which you can buy “a gravy boat, a woman’s thong and fire extinguisher without moving your feet,” to camping holidays on the Isle of Wight, which had those of us who have ever experienced the joys of a ‘pop up’ tent in tears. Overall it was a fantastic night of comedy with an outstanding headliner that finished the show off on a real high. One of the great things about compilation shows like this is that you have no idea what to expect but you’re usually guaranteed at least a few laughs. With Edge Comedy’s show this evening you were guaranteed many more than that. EMILY TANNER
The Morning After @ M&D Room 14-16 March
Top Girls @ Northcott Theatre 13 - 16 March The Perfect Nude @ Exeter Phoenix 9 April - 12 May Patience @ Northcott Theatre 6 - 10 March David Blandy @ Exeter Phoenix 3 February - 17 March Into The Light @ RAMM 15 December - 11 March
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30
Video Games Alex Hawksworth-Brookes & Jessica Leung - games@exepose.com
5 MARCH 2012
Exeposé
Join the Exeposé Video Games Facebook group Follow us on Twitter @ExeposeVG
Viva la Fiesta! Viva la Vita!
Jonathan Jenner gives his verdict on Sony’s latest attempt to dominate the handheld market: the Playstation Vita IT’S hard to think of a console that has ever launched in the face of such derision and scrutiny. “Handheld gaming is dead!” the industry analysts cry. “Long live the smartphone!” Others complain that it’s two years too late, that it’s too expensive for what it is. Yes, it costs a fair bit, and it isn’t going to slay the Goliath that smartphone gaming has become. But for the precious few of us left that want to do more than chop melons in half, the Vita is a revolution.
casing, a four-core processor, SIXAXIS, Wi-Fi, 3G, GPS and Bluetooth support combine to create a complete gameplay experience, as well as one that’s completely connected. The Vita has positioned itself as a hardcore games machine – it will live or die on the games available for it. Thankfully, the launch line-up features AAA titles, including FIFA Football, Wipeout 2048 and
Sony’s golden boy Nathan Drake in Uncharted: Golden Abyss. The presence of these titles is vital to the Vita, and the way they play proves that the Vita lives up to its own hype. FIFA plays almost identically to its home console brother, and Uncharted is graphically
now you can play them, with no compromises, wherever you like. Its selection of core games is certainly one of the Vita’s key strengths,
“The Vita has positioned itself as a hardcore games machine - it will live or die on its choice of games”
For a start, Sony have packed a host of features into a sleek and well-made design, only slightly larger than the PSP. Alongside the holy grail of two analogue sticks (proper sticks too, none of that nub business) are two shoulder buttons, dpad, four face buttons, start and select buttons, front and rear cameras, microphone, a 5” OLED multi-touch screen, and, most interestingly, a multi-touch pad on the rear of the console – an exhaustive list of input options that developers are already putting to interesting uses. Beneath the black and burnished aluminium
comparable to Drake’s PS3 debut, Drake’s Fortune, one of the prettiest games on the platform when it was released. Games like this are the best PS3 has to offer, and
REVIEW
REVIEW
Uncharted: Golden Abyss: SCE Bend Studio; PSVITA 22 Feb 2012 AH, Nathan Drake. How many PS3s have you shifted with your chiselled jaw and witty one liners? In this action packed prequel to the Uncharted trilogy, Drake may have worked his magic on the Vita. The first question, and definitely the most important, is whether or not Golden Abyss plays anything like its PS3 counterparts. Uncharted has become Sony’s biggest franchise, combining puzzling, third person shooting and a truly cinematic flair for storytelling. Thankfully, the series has made the leap to the small screen and landed perfectly, gameplay and storytelling woven together into a genuinely compelling title. The game performs brilliantly. The first time you roll that right analogue to survey your surroundings is genuinely thrilling on a handheld, and that thrill pops up again throughout the game, during tense firefights with hordes of enemies and dramatic set pieces. Overall,
however, the game feels somewhat slower than the average Drake game, due to its frequent (perhaps too frequent) pauses to admire, obtain and uh, polish, various treasures using the Vita’s innovative controls. You’ll perform charcoal rubbings with the touchscreen, spin ancient helmets for a closer look with the touchpad, and take photos of your surroundings holding the console like a camera. There’s an enormous amount of content treasure-wise meaning you’ll almost certainly need a second playthrough to grab it all – which is no bad thing. The story is great too, although Chase, as lovable as she is, is no Elena Fisher. It’s hard not to miss her at times, although the pain is easier to bear once Sulley enters the fray halfway through the game. The voice acting is top notch as always and really draws you into the game. Putting it simply, if you’re buying a Vita then you need to buy Golden Abyss. It’s the perfect demonstration of what the system can do, and I wouldn’t be surprised if in a year’s time it’s still one of the best games on the platform. The perfect launch title. Jonathan Jenner
8/10
Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection: Kojima Productions; PS3, 360 3 Feb 2012 IF there was ever one series that grew up with me from being a child to the student I am now, it was the Metal Gear series. From 1-4, I have followed the story of Solid Snake as if we were the best of friends, sharing that cardboard box in Shadow Moses on those cold Alaskan winter nights. The good people of Konami have taken MGS2, MGS3 and MGS Peacewalker and brought them to the next generation in stunning HD glory and as you can imagine I jumped for joy. The story of the MGS series is the stuff of legends, spanning 70 years of history from the Cold War to the near future. I will not go into detail because I would not dare ruin what is probably one of the greatest story lines in gaming history but I guarantee you will forget whatever was on TV last week. The transition from PS2 to next gen PS3 and 360 is handled expertly. Visually
its other has to being its connectivity. Over Wi-Fi you can play multiplayer matches (Call of Duty is out in November if you’re interested), send messages to your PSN contacts, and create parties with cross game chat, something the PS3 still isn’t capable of. Games come with full trophy support, and using innova-
speaking, the game looks sharp. Though they are not perfect, the graphics are a significant improvement from the PS2 version; with lip syncing improved, more detailed backgrounds and facial features much clearer. The main problem is with Peacewalker, which, making the transition from PSP, does look sharp but is still very basic. The gameplay has been adapted well to the new consoles. The control system will feel a little bit odd but that is just how the game is played; the shooting will often feel slightly sluggish, especially with sniper rifles where Snake has frequent panic attacks sending bullets in all directions. The gameplay does lack consistency between the three games and it may have been nice if a universal control system was used to make new gamers feel more comfortable. If you are a big Metal Gear fan, get this and give yourself a dose of nostalgia. If you are not give it a try as you have a whole new, cinematic story to dive into. For all us MGS fans, let us pray for an MGS1 remake! Alex Phelps
8/10
tive applications like Near, you can see what everyone around you is playing, then drop items for them to use in game. It should be really interesting to see how developers utilise the “always connected” nature of Vitas with 3G, with some games already allowing you to upload to leaderboards and view friend activity in game. As I said, however, the Vita is expensive, and the fact that the mandatory memory cards that most games need to save data aren’t included with the console means you’ll be spending about £300 for a 3G Vita without a game (most retailers are offering decent bundles though). Most people simply aren’t willing to pay that sort of money for a handheld anymore. The 3DS was forced into an embarrassing price cut mere months after its release, and it isn’t hard to imagine something similar in the Vita’s near future. Once the price drops, the constant connectivity, top quality gaming on the move and the possibility to continue a game from where you left off on the PS3 should prove irresistible to most gamers. Developers will make more and more use of the Vita’s impressive suite of features and maybe, just maybe, Sony will prove that people still want a machine capable of delivering console quality gaming on the go. I know I do.
n
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Exeposé week TWENTY
RETRO
BEFORE Facebook became the owner of our persistent online identity and before Zynga created their ‘-ville’ empire, Habbo Hotel (a glori- fied chatroom) was where tweens went to get
their fill of browser-based social gaming. I was about 11 years old when I first started frequenting this free-toplay virtual world, which makes my last visit to the hotel around 2003. The features that stick in my mind are public rooms filled with chat-bots and people trying to block exits (an early form of trolling) and private rooms decorated with pixelated furniture (‘furni’ essentially formed the economy of the virtual hotel) where users would exchange niceties such as ‘hi qt u lk soooo hot’, and generally play a big game of pretend while trading ‘furni’ with each other. It wasn’t long before this wore thin for me, and I looked for ways to exploit the game (making clones of myself to flood rooms was particularly entertaining) before finally hanging up my Habbo hat. Today I check back in to Habbo Hotel, to see what has changed. I am immediately dropped into my own room – and it’s already furnished. I get a rush. The possession of ‘furni’ has been hardwired into my brain as a sense of achievement. This feeling quickly resides as I realise that every guest at Habbo will have been treated to the same thing, there is more ‘furni’
in the economy than before – a form of quantitative easing, if you will.
“The hotel is populated by barely literate tweens”
Things in the hotel haven’t changed in principle - interaction is still driven by two things: the acquisition of ‘furni’ and tween hormones. Granted, an extensive ‘quest’ system has been implemented, though it is driven by simple achievement-style goals rather than any story, and the carrot at the end of the string is the ohso-coveted virtual furniture. Yet, this is largely ignored. The rich culture of ‘pretend’ is more prevalent and stronger than ever, a quick hop through the private rooms led me to virtual
adoption centres, military academies, Starbucks cafés and ‘date hotels’ (in fact now Habbo have officially sanctioned date rooms – which was forbidden in my time), each meticulously decorated and populated with barely literate (what I presume to be) tweens. While there have been some additions to the mechanics here and there, the old hotel is in a shockingly similar state to how it was when I checked it out in 2003. 12 year olds never change, all desperate to find an accepting social circle, and seeing myself in the kids logged on today almost brings a tear to my eye. The most popular room right now? ‘*~S£XY TEEN PARTY~*’, closely followed by ‘HABBO HIGH SCHOOL’. Never change Habbo.com, never change. MARCUS BEARD
Video Games
Exeposé Video Games asks ‘Who Is YOUR Favourite Game Character?’
Let us know on Facebook and Twitter
Tom Bond: “Vivi from Final Fantasy IX because no one can rock the magician hat quite like him.” Alice Scoble-Rees: “Altaïr IbnLa’Ahad because I like my men strong, silent and flippin’ lethal (just like I like my coffee).” Rachel Bayne: “Crash Bandicoot, because he bounces, crash lands into boxes and eats lots of apples.” Jess Leung: “Professor Oak because he came when he heard that I’d beaten the Elite Four.” Kate Gray: “Desmond from Assassin’s Creed, because I like my men pathetic, wet and devoid of personality. Like my coffee...” Jonathan Minter: “Vector from Shadow the Hedgehog for hilariously awful catchphrases and supreme knowledge of computers (when in doubt, smack it with a hammer).” Hugh Blackstaffe: “John Marston because he is a game character that I genuinely invest in and care about.”
Feature
Adam Koziol assesses the economic viability of handheld consoles IS there any room in today’s market for dedicated portable gaming devices? It’s a question that has been coming up a lot in the press over the last 12 months. By and large, the answer that journalists have been giving us is ‘no’. We are that told that in the world of the iPhone®, multimedia functionality is everything. After all, why buy a device that mainly plays games when everyone has a phone that can do that anyway? Why carry two devices around when you could just carry one?
“Once killer software was available the situation changed completely” Next-gen portables were derided as archaic even before their launch. The media focus is on Apple versus Google, not Sony versus Nintendo. With the 3DS selling below expectations and Nintendo forced to cut prices, the prophecy seemed to have come true. Its poor performance compared to its predecessor was largely blamed upon the dominance of smartphones. Analysts and investors alike told Nintendo that the only way to be profitable was for them to either release a phone or put their games on the App Store. I disagree. I accept that the 3DS had a bad launch and I expect Vita to have an even worse one. But the problem isn’t to do with competition from smartphones; the problem is the 3DS and Vita themselves. Far from new circumstances the 3DS and Vita have been brought down by the oldest rules in the handheld market. The first of these is price. His-
torically, Nintendo has been excellent at this point; from the original Gameboy to the DS, Nintendo has undercut its competitors and dominated the market. With the 3DS, they got greedy. They fooled themselves into thinking the popularity of the DS brand would allow them to get away with a $250 price tag for the 3DS, $80 more than the price the DS launched at. As the sales have shown, the market will simply not support a $250 handheld, and with Vita launching at that price it
is unlikely to do well. Furthermore, the past 20 years of videogame history have shown that above all else, by far the most important factor in the success of any platform is games. Software sells hardware. At launch, the 3DS simply did not have
killer software. Nintendo stood aside to give third parties more of the market but this strategy failed spectacularly as the games third parties brought were either ports or had only niche appeal. Once killer software was available, the situation changed completely. The release of Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart
7 gave the 3DS a massive boost and since then, sales have been very strong. In Japan the holiday season also saw the release of Monster Hunter 3G exclusively for the 3DS, which pushed
sales even higher. All three games have already sold over a million copies each in Japan alone and continue to top the charts months after release. For Japan, the effect of this trinity of mass appeal software has been for the 3DS to go from being a complete failure to selling five million units faster than any other game platform ever.
Outside Japan, the two Mario games have had a similar effect. In the US, 3DS sold more in its first eight months than the DS did after a whole year on the market. Figures released from Germany, Spain and Italy also show the 3DS selling faster than
its predecessor. Unfortunately hardware figures from the UK have not yet been released. Overall the future of the 3DS looks very bright. In Japan third parties are betting heavily on the platform. Resident Evil Revelations and New Love Plus have kept momentum at a very high level and the 2012 line up is very strong with games such as Kingdom Hearts 3D and Metal Gear Solid 3D. The handheld faces a tougher challenge in the west where third parties traditionally don’t care about portables. Luckily for the 3DS, Nintendo is the strongest games publisher in the industry. Guaranteed multi-million sellers are already confirmed for this year including new instalments in the Brain Training, Animal Crossing and Super Mario Bros. franchises. Even after their release, Nintendo has several more such franchises in the bank, including the behemoth that is Pokémon. Clearly, the market for dedicated gaming portables is still very strong. The sales of the 3DS are proof that with the right price and right software, success is all but guaranteed. However, this isn’t especially good news for Vita. Whilst it isn’t doomed to failure for not being a smartphone as many might think, it has neither the right price nor the right games. Of course, neither did the 3DS at launch. However unlikely it may seem, if Sony takes the drastic steps taken by Nintendo, the Vita could very well be a success after all.
5 MARCH 2012 Exeposé
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Video Games
review
Asura’s Wrath: CyberConnect2; Capcom; 360, PS3 9 March 2012
QUITE early on in Asura’s Wrath, I find myself fighting a boss by repeatedly head-butting him. This is because at this point Asura has no arms. So the question is: how did he lose them? I want you to try and guess the answer while you read this review, because I bet you won’t be able to get it right. In any case, it’s pretty clear that the demi-god Asura has an anger management problem; in fact his ‘rage’ is basically his super power, and is often referenced by the other characters. It’s kind of understandable though, since his former allies framed him for a crime he didn’t commit, murdered his wife, stole his daughter, and proclaimed themselves gods. And
review
then killed him, too. But after 1200 years, Asura is back! And it’s your job to wield his massive rage for vengeance through a cyberpunkmeets-feudal-Japan world. This isn’t as exciting as it might sound. Playing Asura’s Wrath is like watching an anime – and not just because it’s badly dubbed; it’s a deliberate stylistic choice. The game is divided into ‘Parts’, in turn divided into numerous chapters – and each of those has a little interlude half way. Not only that, but the actual gameplay-to-cutscene ratio is probably about 2:3. There’s a lot of watching exposition until somebody says something nasty about your daughter, and Asura goes ‘Raaarrrrgh!’ Then you get a couple of
minutes spamming the attack button at drones, until you power up enough to launch your rage-y special attack - really just a quicktime event. Repeat until you have defeated the giant demonic tortoise (this is actually a thing). You can’t even relax and watch the cutscenes because as soon as you do the game is guaranteed to spring a quicktime event on you there too.
“Asura has an anger management problem”
Despite the actual gameplay being a bit rubbish, I enjoyed Asura’s Wrath because, like an anime, it is hilariously insane. Despite all its foibles I can’t get too angry at this game. It’s like it has AI. Every time I started to get bored it would make something entertaining happen to keep me going. It’s big and loud and unashamed of its idiocy, and for that I salute it. The answer to the question is: Asura punched a fat man bigger than the entire world. He punched him so hard his arms exploded. All six of them.
6/10
Dear Esther: The Chinese Room; PC 14 Feb 2012 ORIGINALLY a free mod built using the source engine, (the same used for The Orange Box collection) Dear Esther has now been refurbished and updated after nearly four years, since debuting in June 2008. Despite mostly containing graphical enhancements and selling digital copies at a mere £6.99, the game became profitable after only 5.5 hours. Controversy over its status as a “game” has much of the industry at odds, resulting in either nineword-long hyphenated cross genres or simply named unconventional. Either way, it has brought with it a distinct example of the pointedly problematic nomenclature of ‘gaming.’ Dear Esther begins with your character standing on the jetty of what seems to be a desolate island. However the term ‘character’ may be presumptuous, as the player is neither given a motivation, nor an identity - being addressed only by an ethereal voice from beyond, in the form of a letter to a woman named Esther. There is
no plot, goal or action in the game, instead there exists only a mellifluous progression in a male voice-over - triggered by exploring the nameless island’s mythical serenity. Contrary to the assumptions these aspects leave, the game does have a definitive ending - but not a closed reading. As the narrator travels poetically through characters’ minds, the truth as to where, who and what is driven further from logical assertion. This results in a feeling more like the traversing of thought and exploration of memory instead of conventional explanation. Lasting around two hours, Dear Esther has proven that players want more than just guns, guts and gore. Its required thought and inherently melancholic atmosphere are clear examples of the deep-seated potential for gaming and its ability to convey emotion with integrity and complexity as a medium for visualised fiction. Being entirely narrative-driven and without closure, Dear Esther promises an intelligently ambient vapour of a story - one you won’t want to come back from.
alice scoble-rees
Preview
Mass Effect 3: Bioware; EA 9 March 2012
BEFORE you read any further, let me put a little warning label on this article: I LOVE Mass Effect. If Mass Effect 3 were a person, instead of a plastic box of pure disc-shaped joy, I would be one hell of an embarrassing fan. I’d be throwing my oversized knickers on stage every time I saw him/it, wearing T-Shirts saying ‘Marry me Mass Effect’ and other slogans that indicate others should steer very clear of the crazy person who is pretending to be drunk in the hope that Mass Effect will sweep them off to its hotel room for a night of heart-pounding gameplay and interesting moral choices. Ahem, on to the preview. In the Mass Effect series you are
a Rambo/Captain Kirk hybrid known as Commander Shepard, who gets himself embroiled in a fight with the Reapers, a race of scary aliens. In this third instalment, they waltz straight into humanity’s back yard, i.e. Earth, and begin to blow things up. And you have to stop them. Mass Effect 3 will apparently pull ‘over 1000 variables’ from the previous games into your particular playthrough. Basically each person who
buys it gets their own individual copy with their own personal storyline. “You want Shepard to punch an asteroid to death with his bare hands in your copy sir? Hang on, we’ll get coding” is presumably a well-repeated phrase around the Bioware studios. It’s also worth mentioning that Bioware apparently view Mass Effects 1 and 2 as buildup to the third, so they’ve saved their juiciest storyline twists, turns and explosions for this game. Not only does the storyline have more punch, but the combat and weapons have been overhauled. There’s also room for Kinect functionality on Xbox 360 so you can actually yell at your teammates to some effect. There will also be some fresh faces in the squad, including some very interesting and rather unusual teammembers... I’ll say no more. To unveil all these cryptic hints and fill your head with spoilers, and also to pick up all the information I haven’t mentioned like online multiplayer, the three new modes of play, weapon customization etc, I suggest you search online. It’s coming out on March 9th over here, and I am unbelievably excited, and with giant aliens coming to eat your house, you should be too. Alex Carden
9/10
Cameron Ward
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Exeposé week TWENTY
Sport
Golden Olympic inspiration Rachel Bayne, Andy Williams and Will Kelleher, speak to Jason Gardener, MBE, about his Olympic Gold Medal and London 2012
IT is very rare for Exeposé to meet a world beater. In the 2004 Athens Olympics, Jason Gardener and his relay team wrote their names in the history books by winning Gold in the 4 x 100m. A win by one hundredths of a second turned out to be the pinnacle of these athletes’ careers, a lifetime achievement completed after years of hard graft. From the age of seven Gardener ran in competitive races, “totally inspired” by the British athletes at the 1984 LA games. He ended up spending ten fruitful years as a professional athlete and his dedication and hard work booked his place in the sub-10 second club - one of only 70 sprinters ever to achieve this. Whilst studying media in his home town university, Bath Spa, Gardener found it demanding to balance his degree and sporting commitments, but enjoyed the challenge nonetheless. Despite a difficult start to life as an elite performer, having been disqualified in his first Olympics in Sydney 2000, it seems that nothing could stop him from achieving his ultimate goal. This determination and desire that was integral to living his dream follows Gardener into every chapter of his life. Jason now works as a non-executive director on the board of UK Athletics whilst also holding roles with several different sports partners, namely Oakley, Redbull and Alfa Romeo. Although he misses the buzz of competing on the main stage, Jason tries to get his “buzz” from other work and enjoys inspiring young athletes. Gardener came to Exeter to give a careers talk; Exeposé were lucky enough
to catch up with him afterwards. Having heard a lot about his current work within the world of sport, we were keen to shift the conversation back to that magical moment in Athens eight years ago. “Well, it was truly an incredible evening, an incredible journey. We were written off by the British media before going into that race, but the power of the team, the camaraderie, the spirit amongst us, the belief was truly indescribable. We generally believed we were going to seize the day. Carpe Diem was our motto.” Gardener reflected on missing out on a medal in the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and when asked whether that experience went through his mind on the start line in Athens, he responded: “No, it didn’t cross my mind on the line, because I had my focus and I do my job and that’s what I’d trained for for years and years. “But before, especially when I’d had my surgery after winning the World indoors in March, realising that my dream could be over, I realised that my game plan had to change. If I had any chance of getting to an Olympic Games, I had to do everything I possibly could in terms of working with sports teams just to get there. But, I knew, in my heart of hearts, that it would be an absolute enormous battle to stand on that rostrum. “In the relay, that was where the biggest opportunity led for both Darren Campbell and myself, we were coming to the end of our careers and we knew that was the opportunity to exploit. We knew we could get slick change overs and we knew that would be the greatest difficulty for the USA.
“But, literally, when we crossed the line and we got together as a team, and we were on that track, the reality and realisation and the disbelief. We couldn’t quite believe what we’d achieved.” Gardener described that moment of euphoria and excitement when Mark Lewis-Francis crossed the finish line: “It’s that instinct and I knew that there was no way that we could run that close to the USA, to be in the lead by two metres on the last leg. I just knew it...You could taste it in the air that evening.” Moving forward to London 2012, Exeposé asked if he thought there were any surprise GB athletes to look out for who were currently under the radar. He thought this was unlikely: “It’s very rare that someone comes from nowhere and becomes a hero overnight and when that happens, you tend to have quite a few question marks next to those people’s names.” Looking ahead to London 2012, Gardener was cautiously optimistic about putting hopes in the medals department after the stunning medal tally of 19 in Beijing. “We finished fourth in Beijing, and to think from where we were in the 1996 Atlanta Games, we won one gold medal - that was Redgrave. That was the tipping point that brought about change and brought about investment into sport. “I benefited from that change in the systems and processes which were put in place through the funding. When you look and dissect where the medals are going to come from, we think from track and field we’re going to win four gold medals - Dai Greene, we’ve got Jessica
Ennis - they’re our big hitters. We’ve got Phillips Idowu, who in the past year, the landscape has changed for him now, there’s just three or four guys who are jumping better than him. “There’s Holly Bleasedale she’s ranked 2nd in the world, she just lost to Isinbayeva on points. She’s young, she’s fantastic, Rio 2016 will be where you’ll really get to see her in her absolute prime.” Even though London 2012 will be a huge global event, the event that everyone always ends up talking about is the 100m final. With Usain Bolt’s meteoric rise to cult status across the globe since his medal haul in Beijing, Gardener mused that perhaps Bolt can be matched. “I think Bolt will be beaten. I think if there’s a healthy Tyson Gay, I think Tyson Gay can beat Bolt. The reason why I think Bolt will be beaten, is that he’s achieved everything. You talk about pressures, what motivates him to run faster than what he’s done, he’s destroyed the record books, he’s achieved all those gold medals, what boxes has he got left to tick?” Also, he remarked: “I’m always a big backer of the underdog and I’ve been the underdog throughout my career.” As our time with Jason came to a close, Exeposé asks Gardener; who was his most intimidating opponent? Without hesitation, he commented: “Linford Christie. “He has the presence of a superhero, if he walked into a room the whole mood would just change and you knew he was somebody great. I’ve been in so many
Photo: Josh Irwandi
teams and met so many successful people, but I’ve never met anybody who had the presence or aura that he has.” Gardener glowingly described to the team his hero when he was growing up: “Daley Thompson. Yeah, I wanted to be like Daley Thompson. At that time, he could have walked down the street and I could have walked past him not knowing who he was...I wouldn’t have recognised him, but all I knew is that I wanted to be like him.” Gardener genuinely looks forward to this summer’s Games and left Exeposé with what London 2012 means to him: “I’m looking forward to seeing the world’s biggest performers from our country on the biggest stage to perform and I’m looking forward to being in that Olympic stadium - and, that’s the only tickets I’ve got - in the Olympic stadium.” He added, laughing: “So, I have to look forward to that, because that’s the only tickets I’ve been able to access. But I’ve got the golden ones, I’ve got the golden days, but not golden seats, I’m up in the clouds. “My main reason for being there is because of work, but primarily, I’ve got the opportunity of taking my children there to be inspired and that’s my number one priority.” With our time up, we thanked Jason. Despite reaching the pinnacle of global athletics, it is touching to see how down to earth he is, and his genuine passion and enthusiasm for the next generation of British athletics is something to really admire.
5 MARCH 2012
34
Sport
In the news...
EUWBC Cup Winners Basketball
Ellen Gibbins EUWBC
After a brilliant season in the Exeter District and Local League, Exeter went on to win the captivating cup final 56-43 on Sunday 19 February. Coming up against a notoriously speedy and experienced Isca Bolts, it was obvious that the match was going to be a tough one. For most of the match, the points difference was minimal between the two teams, with Exeter edging the lead in the first three quarters by six or seven points, and only truly widening the gap in the last quarter with a lead of 13. As a result, the match was a physical one; in the first quarter Rhyanna Bunniss was stunned by a hard pass to the face, and post player Elsa Crowther was repeatedly fouled through-
Exeposé
EULFC trounce Bath 11-
out the game as the Bolts tried and mostly failed to defend against her at the basket. By the end of the match, five out of the eight Bolts were one foul away from being permanently benched. By the second half of the match, both teams were determined to come out on top and the quality of play made for a tense twenty minutes. However, Isca couldn’t seem to find a way through Exeter’s zone defence, once falling foul of the 24 second clock due to their inability to get to the basket. Despite the intensity of play, neither team let up, with the strongest battles being fought on the inside of the key for both teams’ defensive efforts. Although nine attempts were made at three-pointers for Exeter, none hit their mark, and so Exeter swung the ball religiously on offence to stretch the Bolt’s defence and find an opening for a cutter.
EUNC 1sts beat Cardiff Netball
EUNC
EUNC’S 1sts beat Cardiff University 5427 in BUCS. This result on Wednesday 22 February has moved the team out of relegation danger. The girls were nervous approaching the match after the close 55-44 victory over Cardiff in October. The hosts, however, remained calm and composed and went into the game determined to win. Exeter’s determination was evident in the first quarter, despite having a significant number of the team injured, which meant new combinations of positions on court. However, the drive was there in every girl on court, pushing the ball forward to the goal which ensured a reputable lead at the end of the first quarter. With Exeter’s defence hot on Cardiff
attackers, they managed to win ball, feed through to attackers and meet the targets set. Vice Captain Jenny Souter stated “It was evident we just want a clean win, we had a good home crowd which just increased our adrenalin rush, and we just put all our hard work into practice up against them.” Unable to make many changes due to injury, the girls powered through again, dominating the third quarter. The team showed great reaction and speed, forcing errors from defence and dictating the circle in attack. Captain Clare Jones stated: “We were all ecstatic with our win, it has made us really want that third place even more, to stay in the Premiership this year would have been a great achievement for us, but now we really see ourselves competing at that top end of the table. It has been a really exciting season.”
Football
Alice Poole Captain
EULFC had another great win against Bath 2nds as they continue their bid to reach promotion. On Wednesday 29 February, Exeter 1sts won 11-0 at Topsham to solidify their fantastic goal scoring record this season. EULFC 1sts are currently top of the
Western 2A BUCS league with an incredible goal difference of 47. They have 22 points from the season and with one league game left this season, the ladies have a great chance of winning promotion. The pressure was on for EULFC as any slip-ups in the match could cost them the league. After a slow start, goals kept shooting past the goal keeper courtesy of Rosie Alda, Louise Carr, Tanvie Hans and Jyoti Burrett. The team went into the half
time break with a comfortable 5-0 lead.
“EULFC 1sts are currently top of the Western 2A BUCS league with an incredible goal difference of 47”
Knowing that goal difference may be the only thing between them and promo-
BUCS Indoor Athletics EUMHC triumph in BUCS Cup, while Athletics
Sam Harris Publicity Officer Saturday 25 February saw a team of 15 athletes go to Sheffield to compete in the BUCS Indoor Athletics Championships. The weekend got off to a great start with Tyler Johnson qualifying for the semi-finals of the men’s 60m in the second event of the day. Following on straight after in the 800m’s Helena Corbin also qualified for the semi-finals. Helena went on to qualify for the final as fastest loser, with Tyler unfortunately missing out. The boys’ relay team had an unfortunate race; Chris Tucker got caught out by
a poorly placed trackside flag causing him to drop the baton, great runs from the rest of the team brought Exeter back into the race but sadly not high enough to qualify for the final. A special mention must go to Alex Warna, who ran in the 1500m, although not qualifying, his time of 4.21.61 puts him one second off the Sri-Lankan indoor record! On day two, Rhiannon Dunlop and Laurence Thill started Exeter off in the Women’s 200m. Tyler Johnson and James Clayton raced in the 200m with Tyler cruising through his heat and easing over the line, securing automatic qualification for the semi-finals. Tyler won his semi-final in 22.15 (his fastest time of the day). A tough race in the final saw Tyler place 6th.
One to watch... Swimming Varsity on 17/03/2012
Hockey
Andrew Miller & Claire Thomas ALL three EUMHC sides came through tough encounters in the BUCS cup to proceed victoriously into the next rounds. The 1st and 2nd XI’s respectively won their semi-finals, which means a trip to Sheffield for the BUCS Finals in March. The 4th XI next have to overcome Plymouth in a tricky semi-final prior to competing for a BUCS Gold medal. The 1st XI finished off their old rivals Loughborough 3-1 in a tough Semi-final. Exeter had their opponents on the back foot from the start and capitalised on early pressure through Tom Woods, netting from close range. When Loughborough equalised soon after the floodgates could have opened but a resolute Exeter team, toughened through bitter encounters up
and down the country in the National Premier League, dug-in and fought back courtesy of a Tom Carson penalty corner flicked low past the stranded Loughborough keeper. The lead was soon doubled, again courtesy of a Tom Carson drag flick.
“EUMHC has a side remaining in every knockout entered at this late stage of competition for the first time”
Both sides squandered opportunities to increase the scoring but this was of no concern to EUMHC who held on for a historic and memorable victory. EUMHC 1st XI returns to the BUCS final for the first time since winning gold in 2010. The side remains undefeated in BUCS and will play Durham on Thursday 15 March.
There was also similar success for the 2nd XI who overcame a determined and stubborn Reading side, away in Berkshire. At half-time the score line stood at 2-1 to Exeter. Midway through the second-half this had risen to 3-2. Two dragflicks from the ever imperious, Andrew Ross had cemented the smallest of leads for the green army. Fighting tooth and nail for a place in the final, Exeter clung on and played out the clock. Whilst the Reading fans left disheartened the men in green were jubilant and euphoric. The 2nds now meet Newcastle in the BUCS Trophy final, again in Sheffield on `15 March. This is the sixth time in a row an Exeter side has featured in the Trophy final. In the highest scoring encounter of the round, EUMHC 4th XI knocked out Bath 3rd XI 7-5. The victory sees the 4th XI enter the semi-final stage for the first time ever.
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Exeposé week TWENTY
0 to top BUCS league
Crossword
No. 31 by Raucous
Sport
Photos: Josh Irwandi
tion, the team started the second half strong, scoring another two goals within the first five minutes. Charlotte Poole put in another excellent performance, standing for most of the half outside of her box observing the game and shouting encouragement to the strikers. Substitutions in the form of Nicola O’Conner and Jenny Frost put in a good run, with Frost managing to score a golden goal, following Claire Wilson’s absolute screamer.
“The final score for EULFC was 11-0, with this result leaving Bath rooted in 5th place in the BUCS table”
Nicola O’Connor nearly made it 12, but unfortunately ended up in a goalmouth scrap with their goalkeeper.
The final score then for EULFC was 11-0, with this result leaving their opponents Bath rooted in 5th place in the BUCS table. The final league game is Wednesday 14 March against UWE at Topsham. Before then, the team will have to face UWE in their Semi-final cup game. The Ladies 2nds are also having a good season in their local league and recently won 6-5 on Sunday 26 February.
EULHC compete in their 1st Semi-final A first-half hat-trick superbly executed by Matt Marshall set the tone for the match. Following the interval, goals from Phil Cuming, another from Matt Marshall and one from Max Kempe brought Exeter’s tally to seven. Despite Bath’s commendable efforts the number proved insurmountable. The 4ths must now defeat Plymouth 1sts away on 7 March. A victory would assure them of a place in the Conference Cup final. Exeter University Ladies Hockey 1sts competed in their Semi-final against Durham on Wednesday 22 February. This is the first time that the girls have reached the Semi-final in the last three years. Both teams went into the match as unbeaten in their respective BUCS league but Durham being the favourites - fielding seven England age group players. Durham started strongly and managed to open up a 1-0 lead within the first 10 minutes demonstrating their ex-
perience of playing at this level. Exeter managed to settle and despite Durham having much of the possession and showing what a quality well drilled side they are, Exeter were still well in the game. With 10 minutes left in the first half, Exeter managed to force three short corners in a row and were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty stroke as a result. Unfortunately Durham picked up the pieces of the third short and immediately countered, catching Exeter on the break and making it 2-0. This is how it stayed until halftime.
“Exeter threw all they had at the game trying for consolation”
By no means out of the game at this point, Exeter came out after half-time and worked hard to put Durham under pressure when on the ball showing a belief that a comeback was still possible having turned over similar deficits in
previous games. Soon the best chance of the game arose with Amy Sheehan and Claire Thomas linking around the Durham defence and forcing the keeper to make a great last ditch save at the far post in what seemed a certain goal. The game remained at 2-0 and within reach until with 15 minutes left Durham hit the killer blow making it three and dashing Exeter hopes of a comeback. Durham managed to score two more cheap goals in the last few minutes of the game as tiredness hit. Exeter threw everything they had at the game to try and gain a consolation – which they came very close to doing in the dying seconds of the game. It ended 5-0, with Durham deserving the win albeit by a rather flattering score line, not representative of the efforts shown by the Exeter team , who only conceded two short corners all game and gave Durham few other opportunities than the ones they scored.
Across 1. Benedict’s sauce (11) 7. British nickname (5) 8. The only Catholic US President (7) 9. British irregular warfare organisation of WWII (3) 10. Capital is Niamey (9) 11. Of the middle-east (7) 15. Protects the eyes (7) 17. Prague-born creator of Joseph K. (5) 18. Centre of a wheel; covered by a cap (3) 20. First British Prime Minister (7) 21. Goes well in a Martini (5) 22. Front man for The Doors (3,8)
Down 1. Lysander and Demetrius love her (6) 2. Mutton (4) 3. Il Duce invaded in 1935 (9) 4. & 6. Down. Local public house had 10,000 men (4,2,4) 5. Red Bull gives you this (6) 6. See 4. Down. 10. The person next door (9) 12. Old horse (3) 13. Used to hold meat together whilst cooking (6) 14. The 35th and 36th US Presidents (3,3) 16. Organ (6) 18. Byron’s uncommon want (4) 19. What makes sharks visible (4)
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MOnday 5 MARCH 2012 Exeposé
Sport
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James Hooker Publicity Officer
American Football
WITH two hard fought, close victories at home, the University’s American Football team has continued its steady rise towards the top of the league standings. On Sunday 19 February, the Demons pulled off an incredible comeback against UWE Bullets. The comeback was made possible by a dominating defensive performance and it was this same style of hard hitting football that provided triumph over the Plymouth Blitz in the American Football Varsity on Sunday 26 February. Having lost the away leg in Plymouth earlier in the season, the Demons were determined to make amends in the Devon Bowl. An outstanding first half from Exeter’s linebackers and defensive ends, coupled with a fairly anaemic performance from both offenses, ensured that at the interval the scores were tied at zero points apiece. However, the defences began to tire in the second half and gaps began to open in the running game. Running backs Charlie Hall and Cody Yellowlees-Bound both broke big rushing gains in the third quarter. The former eventually bulldozing into the end zone from a yard out for the game’s first score. Plymouth replied soon after, and following a failed two point conversion Exeter held a precarious one point lead. The turning point of the game occurred on the Demons next possession, when quarterback Finlay Brown faked two reverses before taking off downfield. Some determined blocking from Exeter’s linemen and receivers opened a gaping hole in the Plymouth defence and Brown took it home for the score. Exeter’s defence held out comfortably to win 14-6. The Demons pulled off a miraculous victory over UWE Bullets. The game entered the final minute with Exeter down nine points and seemingly out of the contest. However, an improbable reverse play with nine seconds left by Will Budge ensured that the Demons still had a chance if they could convert the onside kick into possession. Sancto chipped a delightful kick over the first line of the Bullets’ receivers and the onrushing Exeter players fell on the ball and recovered it with two seconds left on the clock. Down two points, a field goal would give the Demons an incredible one point victory, but there was the small matter of forty-eight yards still to overcome for kicker Jamie Sancto. A distance that is challenging even at the professional level. With the entirety of the game resting on one kick, Sancto trotted out, teed up the shot and let fly with an absolute monster of a kick. By mere inches, it flew over the goalpost and raucous celebrations erupted on the Exeter sideline.
Photo: Josh Irwandi
Tennis
Tennis 1sts smashed Oxford 8-4 in a BUCS tournament match-up on Wednesday 29 February. Ashtey Pauls was the first to finish after beating his opponent 6/4 6/2 in convincing fashion. Alex Parry then lost 6/2 6/4 to a strong Oxford number one after coming close to levelling the match at one set all.
“Again, Exeter controlled the net with exquisite touches from Chris and monstrous serving from Alex”
Strong showing at BUCS for Exeter Squash Squash
David Breakey Publicity Officer Last weekend 15 members of the University of Exeter squash club travelled to Birmingham for the BUCS Squash Individual championships. Exeter were represented in the Men’s B category by 1st team captain Alex Cope and mercurial Frenchman Jon Taubert. Jon cruised through his first round but faced a much tougher task in the second and despite being 10-8 up in the 5th, collapsed to a 12-10 loss. Meanwhile, Alex made good progress in the plate before being beaten in an epic five set final. Exeter had three players in the Men’s D category. Brett Norman cruised to a 3-0 victory over Chris Horne formerly of Exeter but now playing for fierce rivals Plymouth. Seb Posner clinched a first round victory despite suffering from an injury but again couldn’t get past the 2nd round. The Men’s E draw contained Exeter’s two flair players in Tim Moseley and Andrew Hill. Tim was back on home
soil but couldn’t make it count and lost his first round against very strong opposition. He was more successful in the plate though, reaching the semi-finals before crashing out. Consistency has always been the problem for Andrew Hill but he seemed to have turned over a new leaf here as he cruised through the opening rounds without being troubled. After an arduous 3-2 win in the semi-finals he was through to the final to face Tim’s first round opponent. The final was another epic and it seemed Andrew had done enough when he had 6 match points in the 4th. His nerves got the better of him though and his opponent came back to win the match.
“Overall it was a very successful weekend for Exeter showing just how much the club has improved in recent years” In the Men’s F category both Luke Christian and Rich Carter lost out in the 1st round. They both turned it round though and managed to set up an all-
Exeter plate final. While Carter was the favourite on ranking positions, Christian was looking to cause an upset. In a tight match it was eventually Luke who came out on top winning 3-1. John Howell was Exeter’s only player in the Men’s G draw. After being pushed all the way in the first round in a 5 set thriller he cruised through the next 3 rounds to take the title, dropping only 1 more game. Sophie Williams enjoyed first round success in the Women’s B category, crushing her opponent 3-0. However, she became another victim of Exeter’s 2nd-round syndrome and succumbed to a 3-0 loss. Sarah Tyrrell easily dispatched her first opponent in the C category. She continued to improve and cruised into the semi-finals. Unfortunately, this was the end of the track for her though and she lost 3-0, despite some impressive running. Overall, it was a very successful weekend for Exeter showing just how much the club has improved in recent years and the potential it has to be even better in the future.
Chris Gardiner seemed to be cruising in his match after he won the first set 6/1; however, he couldn’t quite finish off Oxford’s number two who put up a determined fight to level the match at one set a piece. In the 3rd set Chris seemed to tire, giving his opponent the opportunity to come back in the match. Both Alex and Chris would have revenge for their losses later in the doubles ties. Next up was Exeter’s number three Julien Herriso to level the tie. Julien was made to work hard in the first set but came through to win it 7/6. The second set however was somewhat different. He lost the second set but then recovered superbly to win the 3rd set 6/3 with some devastating groundstrokes. Exeter needed to win both doubles matches in order to win the tie and keep their chances of winning the league alive. Herrison and Pauls played in a determined manner jumping on every opportunity that came their way and won the match with some great returning. Alex and Chris then had to win their match to win the tie. The match ebbed and flowed into a first set tie break which Exeter won with some brilliant net play from the pair. The second set was the same, with both Exeter and Oxford locked in a battle of wills, both refusing to lose their serve and so another tie break was on the cards. Again it was Exeter who controlled the net with some exquisite touches from Chris and monstrous serving from Alex, as they took the set and the tie. Exeter’s 1st team now look forward to their next match at home against London Met. The 2nd team put in a solid performance against Bristol, winning 12-0 overall, without dropping a rubber. This continued the team’s long unbeaten streak in the BUCS league.