Exeposé Issue 656, Freshers' Issue 2016

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ISSUE 656 FRESHERS’ 2016 exepose.com

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XEPOSÉ Photo: Natasa Christofidou

THE UNIVERSIT Y OF EXE TER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

F• R •E • S • H • E • R •S FEATURES

Interview with Laura Bates, Everyday Sexism Project founder PAGE 10

EXHIBIT GUIDE TO FRESHERS’ week PAGES 13-27

ARTS + LIT

Stand-up comedian Josh Widdicombe chats to Exeposé PAGE 17

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

EXEPOSÉ FRESHERS’ WEEK 2016 EDITORIAL

Email: editors@exepose.com

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO EDITORS@EXEPOSE.COM

Editors Print: Jeremy Brown, Hannah Butler, Susannah Keogh & Ben Londesbrough Online: Theodore Stone & Jessica Stanier

Features Editors Print: Georgina Bolam & Katie Jenkins Online: Samuel Fawcett & Kate Jones features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Jade Beard & Laurel Bibby Online: Alma Crespo & Lucy Ronan lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: Emma Bessent & Natasha Ebbutt Online: Anna Blackburn & Izzy Hilliard artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Rory Marcham & Helen Payne Online: Sam Norris & Harry Williams music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Mark Allison & Zak Mahanifar Online: Cormac Dreelan & James Hands screen@exepose.com Games + Tech Editors Print: Jabez Sherrington & Sam Woolf Online: Ben Assirati & Jonathan Land games@exepose.com Science Editors Print: Victoria Bos & Beth Honey Online: Holly Belcher & Rebecca Broad sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Owain Evans & Lara Hopkins Online: James Angove & Ollie Lund sport@exepose.com Photography Satchi Minami & Wang Yong Yan photography@exepose.com With thanks to our proofing team: Copy Editors: Amy Batley, Jack Morgan Jones & Ashton Wenborn Proofers: Exeposé print committee

@Exepose facebook.com/exepose issuu.com/exepose Advertising Ross Trant R.Trant@exeter.ac.uk (01392) 722607 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.

The Exeposé Music Showcase 19:00 - Exeter Cavern

How To Become a Student Journalist

News Editors Print: Rachel Ashenden & Natasa Christofidou Online: Georgia Roberts & David Smeeton news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Bea Fones & Mattew Newman Online: Olivia Horncastle & Rowan Keith comment@exepose.com

Monday Tuesday

We’ll be there for you...

...when the rain starts to fall (because it’s Exeter, and it obvs will at some point).

Yeah, ok: this issue’s front page is ‘The One with the American Sitcom Inspiration.’ And no, we don’t do this sort of stuff all year. But Freshers’ Week is the time to break loose, throw caution to the wind, and go mad, right? Because it’s gonna be the best week of your life... right?!

The question is: could that be any more wrong? Sure, you’ve just arrived at “probably the best university in the world”. But here’s the thing: unless week-long hangovers, getting lost and awkward kitchen chats are your jam, there’ll probably be moments this week when you’re not feeling great. The good news though? We’ve all been there.

Check out Comment for a brutal (if slightly tongue-in-cheek) account of what could lie ahead - and our reassurance that yep, it does get better.

Of course, Freshers’ Week isn’t all bad.

A new city, new friends, diminished responsibilities… why not make the most of it? Music’s got the lowdown on Exeter’s hippest nightlife spots, while Lifestyle tells you where to satisfy the coffee cravings, and Arts

& Lit’s mapped out (literally!) how to get involved with those creative types. And of course, pretty much all of us will be letting you know which societies you should join this Saturday… ...Speaking of which: feel like getting involved with Exeposé? Great! We’re always on the lookout for new writers - so check out our events, or simply sign up. It’s only £7 (which is, what, two Marketplace meal deals?!) and don’t worry: we won’t be chasing you for articles all year. All that happens is you get added to our mailing lists for content calls - so when each new issue rolls around, you’ll have a chance to be a part of it! And equally, if essay stress is getting you down, you can just ignore our emails. We’re not clingy.

That’s about all from us! We’ll be on campus every fortnight with more uni news and student views... but for now, get some sleep and give yourselves another pat on the back for picking Exeter. In the words of Monica: “Welcome to the real world. It sucks. You’re gonna love it!” (last quote, we promise.) Oh, and those of you who ended up in Moberly: we’re truly sorry.

11:00 - M&D Room, Devonshire House

The Big Exeposé Pub Quiz!

16:30 - Old Firehouse

Exeposé Sport: Pizza and Press Passes 12:00 - A&V Conference Room

The Exeposé News Workshop 12:30 - A&V Conference Room

Wednesday

The Exeposé Debate: Introducing Comment and Features 15:00 - M&D Room, Devonshire House

Exeposé Sport: Meet & Greet 17:30 - The Imperial Pub

Exeposé Screen Big Fat Film Quiz 20:00 - Pieminister

Exeposé Science: Chemical Cocktails 20:00 - Urban Underground Bar

Exeposé: Meet The Editors

Thursday Saturday

11:00 - Media Suite Room Devonshire House

Exeposé Lifestyle: Coffee Crawl 13:15 - meet outside The Forum

Freshers’ Fair Come and find our stall by the Forum stairs!

Worldwide university news Pokémon Go helps freshers bond

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reshmen at the University of North Dakota have been welcomed to campus with a Pokémon Go hunt.

A current worldwide phenomenon, the app was used at the American university to familiarize new students with important on-campus landmarks. There were prize incentives for students who visited enough locations, for those who took a photo with a new friend, and for the player who caught the most Pokémon throughout the hunt.

Organizers claimed the point was to ease students into the environment and to educate students about the University’s available facilities, with specific emphasis put on the emotional support provided which can be found in places such as the campus chapel, and physical health, found at the Wellness Center.

Assault surveys to hit Australian campuses

Flirty student leaps and fails to impress

niversities across Australia have launched a national campaign to strengthen universities’ responses to sexual harassment on campus.

The campaign come into action after Anna Hush, woman’s officer of the University of Sydney, accused the university of deliberately and systematically ignoring sexual assaults for decades, in order to preserve the institution’s reputation. Hush told The Guardian that a reporting system does exist, but considers the survey ineffective as the information required discourages people from speaking out against harassment . It requires a name, email address and phone number of victims, which Hush criticised as “impersonal” and “generic”, adding that it is “no surprise” most rapes go unreported.

University of Pittsburgh student was trapped between two kebab shops for hours, allegedly in an attempt to impress a someone he met at a club in the student state of Pennsylvania. The student, 22, took the woman up to a rooftop and jumped from one roof to another, however fell between a 18inch wide shaft.

Witness to the fall, his love interest contacted campus police, who in turn contacted the city department. Police, Fire, EMS and Public Works crews then worked to free the student. After four hours of trying to remove him from the gap, emergency responders resorted to breaking down a wall to rescue him. He surfaced with a broken ankle, but greeted the Pittsburgh Action News cameras with a thumbs up.

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Student fees to fund political correctness

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he University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has launched a campaign called ‘Just Words’, warning students to avoid dismissing political correctness. The campaign criticizes the way that the umbrella term ‘political correctness’ has become a way to deflect the seriousness of languagem, such as “lame”, “man up” or “retard.” Student fees have been used to fund the project, which primarily uses posters to raise awareness of the impact of the words and to encourage students and staff to consider the origins of the words they use. Although the campaign has sparked concerns of censorship, the University has reinforced that this project does not intend to infringe on students’ freedom of speech. >> Contributed by: Print News Editors

News 4

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 |

NEWS EDITORS: Rachel Ashenden Natasa Christofidou

Students, academics and Guild slam £9.25k fees Rachel Ashenden News Editor

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ROM September 2017, the University of Exeter will raise annual tuition fees from £9,000 to £9,250, it announced in August.

The £250 yearly increase followed the government’s decision to lift the previous maximum fee cap of £9,000.

After Exeter announced the increase on 15 August., Guild President Toby Gladwin immediately wrote to students condemning the change - which he claims “further raises barriers” to higher education.

Only institutions with high quality teaching will be allowed to go above the £9,000 benchmark, the government has announced - on the premise that the teaching excellence will be maintained and increased.

Universities scoring badly will be limited to a new maximum fee cap of £6,000.

Students who graduate before 2017/18 will not be affected by Exeter’s fee increase and for those still studying here in September 2017 a student loan will cover the new fees.

Even so, the increase has caused distress within the student population, with many complaining they signed up under the impression that the fees would remain stagnant throughout their education.

Megan Davies, a third year student who has just embarked on a year abroad to Paris, expressed confusion at what the fees will be

EXEPOSÉ

on her return to Exeter.

She told Exeposé: “Going into my third year of higher education, I think I’ve now accepted the fact that, when it comes to finances, everything is up in the air. For a while it bothered me, but I’ve now adopted the c’est la vie attitude and remind myself that what will be will be. Maybe that’s defeatist of me - I often think I should be out protesting - but when it comes to Exeter’s fees, it feels like it’s all out of my control. Fourth year will be certainly be interesting. I currently know nothing and until things are set in stone, I’ve decided not to worry.”

Exeter academics have also voiced frustration regarding the growing student debt. One lecturer commented: “The £250 rise is arbitrary in the sense that it’ll simply get piled up on top of the already impossibleto-repay pile. The debt that defines my life is not really about money anymore… it’s about the contested margins of what constitutes a human being. Debt, living in debt, makes us frightened, insecure, disenfranchised”.

The £250 rise is arbitrary in the sense that it’ll simply get piled up on the already impossible -to-repay pile Anonymous lecturer

They added: “The £250 rise in fees also comes at a moment when executive and middle-management pay in the sector

is rising at alarming rates (while standard lecturers’ pay has decreased in real terms over the last 12 years).”

No university wants to charge less and look inferior John Maloney, Senior Economics lecturer

Senior Economics lecturer John Maloney commented that the main disadvantage of capping fees is that “what is meant to be a maximum has become a minimum. No university wants to charge less and look inferior.’

Professor Tom Quine, deputy ViceChancellor for Education, explained that the University intends “to apply moderate annual increases to UK/EU tuition fees in future years, in line with inflation, subject to meeting the terms set out by Government.”

He added: “the decision to charge £9,250 has not been taken lightly but follows four years in which tuition fees have been frozen, while the costs of delivering a world leading education have continued to rise.

We need to increase our fees if we are to maintain and build upon excellent education we provide as one of the top 100 universities in the world and to honour our continuing commitment to deliver an outstanding student experience.”

Most universities eligible for charging over £9,000 have not yet announced

their intentions to increase fees; some simply stating that the fees “may” increase according to inflation. Meanwhile, Durham, Royal Holloway and Kent were criticised for prematurely advertising their course fees at £9,250 without the government’s permission. Exeter only followed suit once this permission had been granted.

Russell Group universities increasing fees to £9,250...

• • • • • •

University of Birmingham University of Bristol Durham University University of Exeter University of Manchester University of Nottingham

...and those still undecided: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

University of Cambridge Cardiff University University of Edinburgh Imperial College London University of Leeds University of Liverpool London School of Economics (LSE) Newcastle University University of Oxford Queen Mary University London Queen’s University Belfast The University of Sheffield University of Southampton University College London University of Warwick University of York (data correct at time of print)

University urges freshers to get meningitis vaccine

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HE University has been encouraging freshers to take up the opportunity to receive the meningitis ACWY vaccine.

New students can be particularly vulnerable to the virus, after a change of surroundings from home to university.

The on-campus Student Health Centre is offering a free meningitis vaccine for all students enrolled on courses in the upcoming academic year. For more information and to book an appointment, visit exeterstudenthealthcentre.co.uk.

Iwan Evans, News team

Another Green Flag for Exe

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OTH the Streatham and St. Lukes campuses at the University of Exeter have secured The Green Flag award for 2016/17. The award confirms that the University’s grounds are of a high quality, maintained to an exemplary standard and composed of excellent facilities. Streatham is celebrating its sixth consecutive year holding this award, whilst St Lukes welcomes it for the fourth year in a row.

Notable projects imposed by the Grounds Team include the University’s Community Garden. Streatham has also recently launched its Diamond Jubilee Garden which showcases plants from five different continents. Iain Park, Director of Grounds, celebrated the diversity and quality on show at Exeter as “a great success”.

Emma Bessent, Arts & Lit Editor

How could Brexit affect Exeter? Lecturer’s climate change Hannah Butler Editor

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N the wake of the UK’s momentous decision to leave the EU, Exeter’s former Vice Chancellor Sir Steve Smith sent an email to all current students.

“This is not an outcome that we wished or campaigned for,” he admitted – yet went on to reassure readers: “we are, and will remain, an international and diverse community that welcomes colleagues and students from all around the world.”

Smith couldn’t say for certain what leaving the EU would mean for Exeter.

However, he wrote: “I am already in discussion with Universities UK, fellow Russell Group universities and our UK, European and international partners to ensure the future of UK Universities, and ultimately our university, is not adversely affected by this decision.”

A University spokesman confirmed: “As the process of the UK leaving the European Union has not started there is no immediate change for staff and students at the University of Exeter.”

Explaining: “Researchers are still

applying for and receiving grants from the European Union,” and citing government “reassurances that funding for European research and innovation will continue,” they concluded: “Through forging partnerships as part of the EU we are more influential. The UK must remain a place where the brightest and best work and study.”

According to official figures, 548 European staff currently work at the University,. while 1,153 European students work and study here. In light of Exeter’s close ties with Europe - and the uncertain future of these ties - Exeposé looked into how the University has worked with the EU in recent years, and what could be at stake when Brexit comes into force.

Between 2012/13 and 2014/15... ...9,801 EU students applied to the University of Exeter...

In 2015/16... ...1,474 Exeter students were members of international / EU-related societies.

In the past three years... ...and 3,888 of these enrolled here

In June 2016... ...84 University of Exeter projects were being funded by the European Commission.

This funding equated to €46.8 million

... 652 Exeter students completed year-long Erasmus+ placements in 18 different European countries...

game hits the App Store Natasa Christofidou News Editor

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GAME has been developed in collaboration with scientists at the University of Exeter to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change on the Antarctic ice sheet.

“Ice Flows” was developed by Dr Anne Le Brocq, a senior lecturer at the University, with the support of Exeter company Inhouse Visuals.

The British Antarctic Survey is the leading researcher in the project, which is being exclusively funded by the Natural Environment Research Council.

Other universities involved in the project include UCL and the University of Oxford. The National Oceanography

...and 980 students travelled from across Europe to study at Exeter on the programme.

Image: iceflowsgame.com

Centre has also contributed to the research, along with teams from outside the UK, including the Alfred Wegner Institute in Germany.

Le Brocq is optimistic about the game’s potential: “The use of a game helps not only to visualise the system, but also to provide an immersive environment for the player to fully understand the behaviour of the ice sheet and how it responds to changes in the environment,” she said.

“Hopefully it’s fun to play too!”

The game was launched at the SCAR (Scientific Committee for Antartic Research) Open Science Conference in Kuala Lumpur.

It is now free to download from the App Store, or can be played online at www.iceflowsgame.com.

Can Exeter house all its students?

Natasa Christofidou News Editor

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We have worked with the Uni to implement a cap on the number of students that study on the Exeter Campuses Students’ Guild by the University to offer to new students.

The Students’ Guild admits that

Photo: exeter.ac.uk

NCREASING student numbers have led to an extremely high demand for private accommodation in Exeter city centre - with many companies completely sold out before new students even have their places at Exeter confirmed.

Exeter’s Streatham campus currently boasts enough beds for around 4,000 students. However, with last year’s intake totalling over 6,343 (a figure that includes postgraduate students), and the intake for 2016/17 set to be even larger, demand for halls has overflown significantly into private accommodation in the city centre.

Yet many of these were also fully booked from as early as February 2016 - with Printworks, owned by national accommodation company Victoria Halls, telling Exeposé their rooms have been

booked out since February for both the past and upcoming academic years.

The UCAS process does not require universities to respond to offers until 31 March, and this year’s applicants were able to wait until 4 May 2016 to confirm their university choices - meaning it would have been impossible for many of this year’s school leavers to even consider applying directly to Printworks. However, Exeposé has learned that “97 additional rooms at the Printworks” were reserved

Photo: Edwin Yeung

continually rising student numbers could cause problems. “We are aware that many students have concerns about campus crowding,” they told Exeposé.

“To that end we have worked with the University to implement a cap on the number of students that study on the Exeter Campuses.”

Similar to Printworks, Cricket Field Court - a new block of student halls close to campus - told Exeposé that all 159 available rooms were fully booked by the end of April 2016. This was approximately four months before A Level results and UCAS acceptance offers came through, meaning the private halls wouldn’t have been an option for most new students.

Most of Exeter’s private halls were either fully or almost booked out prior to the A Level results day in mid-August, preventing freshers from considering many alternative options.

Unite Students, who own three residences around Exeter and offer both shared flats and studios officially sold out by the second week of August - yet even before this, space was tight, with only three flats remaining since June.

When asked about accommodation bookings, a spokesperson for the University of Exeter admitted to the rise in demand for student accommodation Many student tenants who were living in private city centre accommodation blocks last year, will tend to re-book rooms for the next academic years, VITA halls told Exeposé.

Victoria Haley, the PR Manager for VITA confirmed that in comparison to last year’s statistics, the halls were fully booked a month earlier this summer. This shrink in availability over the summer months reflects a rise in demand for accommodation in Exeter - so much so that at time of print, the company has a waiting list with over 50 students on it.

A single studio in VITA costs approximately £250, which is £155 more expensive than Rowancroft court, one of Exeter’s cheapest accommodation options. However, even when comparing this price to more costly accommodations on campus, it still stands at a striking £85 more than an elaborate Holland Hall studio at the University, which costs students around £165 a week.

NEWS

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Mosaic gets a makeover

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OSAIC, one of Exeter’s longest running night clubs, has undergone a name change over the summer along with extensive renovation. The threestoreyed club has been re-branded ‘Rosie’s’ and opened officially on 12 August.

The club now offers three different themes under the same roof, known as ‘Missoula,’ ‘Popworld’ and ‘Dao.’ First floor Popworld offers pop music, while Dao on the top floor provides a ‘Las Vegas’ style theme. Missoula, found is on the ground floor, is set to offer relatively laid back surroundings for cocktails and a newly introduced craft beer.

The club has received mixed reviews since re-opening - with one Facebook user asking “Omg what have you done to the place????” Another, meanwhile, described having a “fantastic night” in a “beautiful new club.”

Nadia Zajancauskaite, contributor

Renovations for the Ram

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OTH the Guild Shop and Streatham’s on-campus pub The Ram have been renovated over the summer break.

The Ram, which is a popular student haunt, is the official bar of the Guild, and is located inside Devonshire House. It was last refurbished in 2011, and started its current make-over on 29 July.

Both the Ram and the Guild Shop are given significant support by the National Union of Students (NUS), who help in providing deals, promotions and discounts for Exeter’s students.

The Guild Shop, adjacent to The Ram, also offers a wide range of Universitybranded merchandise, food, and Fairtrade products. All of its profits go back into improving student services.

Both services are expected to be reopened and ready for business for the start of the new academic year.

Matthew Newman, Comment Editor

Uni forced to re-open “outdated and failing” residence Hannah Butler Editor

Moberly no longer meets the aspirations of the University New student residence proposal Whatever the verdict, work on the new residences can’t get fully underway this year – as Moberly House has been forced to re-open at short notice.

Back in June, Director of Campus Services Phil Attwell told Exeposé that Moberly was “in need of some investment.”

He explained: “we would like to enhance the facilities on offer by providing high

quality self-catered accommodation at Moberly.” July’s planned proposals went on to describe Moberly as an “outdated and failing” building which “no longer meets the aspirations of the University.”

However, these issues seemingly weren’t enough to stop Exeter offering the 1960s residence to this year’s intake of freshers.

“Due to the high number of academic applications […] Moberly House will be available for the 2016/17 academic year,” the University’s accommodation website explains - describing the block as a “budget residence” with “spacious rooms.”

“Moberly had been temporarily closed during the summer while it was being refreshed,” the University told Exeposé, “but will be used for new undergraduate students who will begin their studies this September.” This comes despite Attwell saying in June that project timescales and a timeline for Moberly’s re-opening were “yet to be finalised.”

“Options to invest in Moberly for

the future are still being considered,” the University explained.

“We believe the University’s offer should represent both consistent quality and affordability,” the Students’ Guild told Exeposé. “We’re working to ensure this is considered by the University when planning its portfolio of accommodation both now and in the future.”

We will work with students if they are unhappy with the option they have been given Students’ Guild A 32-week catered contract at Moberly costs freshers £4,530 for the upcoming year, compared with £4,570 in 2015/16 – and the Guild describes the block as “an affordable option for the coming year before other developments become available.” However, they added:

“Naturally we will work with students through the Advice Unit if they are unhappy with the option they have been given and help with potential solutions.”

Photo: Sachi Minami

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S space for new students becomes ever tighter, the University has revealed plans to expand its on-campus accommodation – albeit not until 2019.

In July, the Uni announced it would be submitting plans to Exeter City Council to create around 1,600 news beds for Streatham Campus students.

The three-pronged project would see Exeter’s notorious Moberly House completely demolished, to be replaced by up to 220 new rooms. Another building facing planned demolition is Spreytonway – a vacant block close to Lafrowda, set to be replaced with another 100 rooms.

However, the majority of new oncampus spaces would be created through construction of a completely new accommodation block – on East Park, a green space east of Streatham Campus.

A two-day public exhibition followed these announcements, inviting local residents to view the proposed changes and offer feedback. Online feedback closed on 11 August. However, according to the University this data is “still being collated,” and there is “no update yet” on the proposals.

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Comment

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 |

EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT EDITORS: Bea Fones Matthew Newman

The fresh they are a-changin’?

Theodore Stone Online Editor

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HANGE is an inevitability, and the beginning of student life will often lead to some of the most radical alterations in your physical, personal and social spheres since your conception, although perhaps less so than the nine months you spend gestating in the womb.

Since starting University, it’s safe to say that, whilst I haven’t changed as much as some of my friends have (I’ve always been a pretentious bastard), life is no longer what it used to be, but I guess that that’s what existential crises do to you.

Upon arriving, though I had long maintained an interest in politics, religion and its ilk, I failed to predict that I would be heading to Amnesty and Model United Nations Conferences within my first term, debating political legislation with other students from across Europe, whilst becoming heavily involved with the Atheist, Humanist & Secular Society, something which had never really crossed my mind before.

Musically, the bassoon and classical music have been placed on the backburner, largely thanks to Shotgun Theatre, and a far more lively and welcoming band scene than the one present in Jersey. I’ve been able to branch out to a far more expansive range

of music, a feature previously outside of my grasp.

Nonetheless, the most crucial aspect is writing. Before Exeter, the practice was a means towards an end, not a means in itself. I would write because I was assigned to by my teachers, because there was my future at stake. However, thanks to the ability to express my views through outlets such as Exeposé, I’ve been able to develop a more confident persona, and engage on a far greater range of topics with like-minded people on a more capable level. Such an endeavour has finally given me the confidence to speak with my own voice, and has been a wonderful asset when it comes to approaching new challenges.

This change was instantly noted by people I know back home. I was generally rather quiet and easy to walk over. Thanks to the confidence writing has provided me with, I’ve discovered how to voice my own views, and contribute more thoroughly to social gatherings. Although I’m still generally the quiet, slightly odd one, there’s a good deal more gusto than there was before, which isn’t always a bad thing.

Matthew Newman Comment Editor

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ACK in my first year at Exeter, a flatmate of mine uttered something that I haven’t been able to get out of my mind since. Flicking through an issue of this very publication, she mused over a certain article, announcing with relish: “that’s sooo Exeter”.

Hmm. Now, this may seem like a fairly innocent thing to say. After all, she was with a friend and prospective Exeter student, so it’s natural she’d want to big-up her affinity to the place. It’s something we all do, right? We secretly love and embellish the stereotypes attached to our University to assuage our desire to belong. This is the case even when those tropes are overwhelmingly negative. By indulging in the Exeter (or Exe-tah) construct – the perc e i ve d

notion of what the University and its students are like – we project an oft-exaggerated sense of our own fitting-in. When my flatmate announced, then, that whatever was on the page was “sooo Exeter”, it allowed her to show that she is privy to some sort of in-joke, and thus is part of something much bigger than herself.

It is a form of rhetoric and style of behaviour, however, that has increasingly infuriated me as my time at Exeter has gone on. What begins as a “soo Exe-tah” and a giggle among seminar “buddies” can easily evolve into a consumptive, ravaging form of new identity. Even the most cynical of freshers will soon be transformed into a Costa-wielding, legging-wearing, gilet-hugging creature, stomping around campus part-stereotype, part-desperate attempt at parody. “I’m so ‘Exe-tah’ I ate ten avocados for dinner last night…TEN!” you’ll hear one say to their herd; “Oh my god, did you know they now sell avocado spread at Tesco now? I just HAVE to get some” another will reply. Each friend will then take turns muttering something like “ya, so ‘Exe-tah’ hahaha” until the entire Forum is aware that this group is, indeed, quite ‘Exe-tah’, and that this is very funny a n d and em-

barrassing. Unfortunately, though, this is a worryingly common phenomenon. It is not the stereotypes themselves that are so troubling, but instead the twisted craving of many to purposefully inhabit them and milk them for all their comedic worth.

That’s not to say that this conduct is limited to Exeter students. Oh no. When one returns home for the holidays, it’s exactly the same. “They’re so Mildert” one of my Durham friends will remark, before clarifying their ‘mistake’ to us infidels who have no idea what that means. And this serves an identical purpose. Universities are big places full of people you do not know, and will most likely never meet.

When we pack our bags and set off for them, however, we expect so much, that when it doesn’t live up to expectations it’s inevitable that our insecurities will flare up spectacularly. So we cling on to the very things that make it appear as though we’re having a positively amazing time: the clichés and the ‘in-jokes’ and the monotony of stereotypes.

The result is a campus full of indistinguishable caricatures. Don’t be one of those. Don’t get sucked in to the fresher fad of flinging yourself into the first pigeonhole you can find. It’s genuinely fine if you don’t do what you presume every other Exeter student to do…your friends at home aren’t going to judge you for it.

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Fresher pressure: Mind Your Head tips

Sam Prior Mind Your Head

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RESHERS’ Week can be tough.

Like, really tough. Everyone has this idea of university being a place where you will reach your dreams, where you’ll meet friends for life and where you can find yourself, in the spiritual sense. This is an enduring idea and with good reason; university is all of those things and so much more. But it isn’t that immediately.

University is all of those things and so much more. But it isn’t that immediately When I started my degree, I was under the impression that all of the things listed above would just happen with a

click of my fingers. It was hard not to be disappointed when the first person I ever worked up the courage to talk to turned out not to be a forever-friend. It was difficult to come to terms with the fact that I wasn’t certain if I’d made the right choice of degree, and I wasn’t even certain exactly what my dream was. Add to that a general discomfort in my own skin, as well as social anxiety - you can imagine why my Freshers’ Week consisted of me watching Netflix alone. However, eventually I settled in, made friends and started

to have the time of my life.

In an effort to try and save people from going through the emotional turmoil thich I did, here’s a short list of some of the best tips that I can think of to get yourself through Freshers’ Week, and through the rest of university:

● Take part in as many activities as possible! It sounds silly to have to say it, but the best way to meet people is to go to places where they congregate. During Freshers’, there are heaps of events being hosted by every society under the sun. Like Game of Thrones? The GoT society has over

100 potential new friends for you. More interested on focusing on mental health?

Try one of Mind Your Head’s events. The options are practically limitless.

Freshers’ Week is what it says on the tin. It’s just a week, nothing more ● Have fun. For what’s meant to be the best week in the university schedule, freshers can have a lot of pressure attached to them. What if you don’t drink but your housemates are party animals?

What if you’re not interested in going out at all, and just prefer to curl up with a book? That’s fine, you do you. ● Take care of yourself! This one is advice for life, but becomes especially important during times of great change, like when you move away from your parents for the first time and are suddenly

expected to be an adult. It can be surprisingly easy to burn yourself out at the best of times, let alone when you’re starting to build a new life. ● Try to see the week for what it is, not what you think it should be. For a long time, I felt like I wasted my first Freshers’ Week. I didn’t do anything or meet anyone… at all! You know what though?

That’s ok. Could I have done more? Maybe. Should I have? No. At the time, my mental health was more important. The thing is, Freshers’ Week is what it says on the tin. It’s just a week, nothing more.

In summary, why does it matter if you don’t fit in immediately, or know exactly what you’re doing straight away?

Anyone that says that they know what they’re doing during their first week is either lying, or wrong. The important thing is to be open-minded and enjoy yourself, whatever that might include, realise that things don’t happen immediately, and begin to prepare for what will inevitably be a life-changing couple of years.

COMMENT

Dear Diary: Freshers’ Week Emma Bessent Arts and Lit Editor

I

T’S finally here. You’ve worked for years, spent months waiting for your results, peaked and troughed as you received your acceptance notice, and then realised how much reading you have to do. You’ve rounded off by buying up the whole of John Lewis or the entirety of Wilko’s home section (depending on whether you’re moving into Holland Hall or Moberly) in preparation for your new life in Exeter. Now you’re ripping the envelope open to get at your key, desperate to throw yourself in at the deep end of Freshers’ Week, and here’s what you can expect…

Arrivals Weekend:

You snoozed and you…well, losed?

The last one to rock up to your flat, you’ve forfeited any chance of snagging a decent storage spot in any communal areas. You’ll be lucky to get enough space in the shared fridge to store half-empty D o m i n o ’s boxes after a night out, and good luck living with the fact t h a t y o u r c u p board is the furthest away from the oven.

Those extra three steps may look insignificant now, but by the end of first term they will make your feet bleed. Not to worry; your flatmates are unlikely to leave much food in there for you anyway.

Whisk out for a last minute whip around Waitrose with your parents - enjoy the first and last high-quality shop of the term - sniffling the whole way around despite your adamant protestations that you won’t miss Mum and Dad at all, and you

are very ready to fly the nest. Just don’t set Mum off, or she’ll never leave you to bond with your flatmates over the extortionate prices in the Marketplace and the daunting nature of Exeter’s many hills.

Monday:

Probably best to get out to some taster sessions today before your week-long hangover kicks in. Log onto the Guild website and check out which tasters appeal. Note them down with a glowing enthusiasm which, let’s be honest, you might as well make the most of while it lasts.

Take a much-needed tour of the campus; you WILL get lost Don’t spend the day hitting snooze just because no one can forcibly turf you out of bed - that is, until someone on the floor below causes a whole block fire evacuation by spraying deodorant directly below their bedroom detector. Ask your flatmates if there’s any sessions they fancy joining you in, but if they’re t o o c o m mitted to being sullen and lazy, branch out and go solo.

Tuesday:

Slug it up Cardiac, gawp at Forum Hill and sneer at the Physics Building as you take a much-needed tour of the campus; you will get lost and you will spend a whole year taking the longest possible route to your lecture venues if you don’t seek the wisdom of age-hardened post-fresh. We know we’re wisened and terrifying, but if

you need to know the quickest way from Duryard to the Old Library to get to your eight thirty on time, we’ll tell you. And then we’ll tell you that you’re unlikely to make it again this term, so you might as well pack it in and start pres for Cheeseys now.

Wednesday:

If you have a morning lecture on Wednesdays, eight thirty or not, our prayers are with you. Post-Cheeseys hangovers will corrode your mind, body and soul, but it is a good idea to go to that seemingly pointless induction activity on your timetable so that you can meet someone to go to lectures with next week. When you get home, you can spend some quality time staring into your already empty fridge before agreeing to split a Domino’s with your thus-far favourite flatmate. When you find out that she shares your taste in TV series, you can spend the whole night binge-watching Netflix with her. Finally, that gnawing sense of homesickness has started to ebb away.

Thursday:

Deception. An outrage. Disgrace.

You were worried that you were moving on too fast, but your BFF from home, now at UWE, just posted a selfie taken in The Bunker with their new flatmate, with the hashtag #bestie. Ah well, if you love someone, you’ll let them go… Bristol can have that disloyal trashbag. Soothe yourself with a jägerbomb and a couple of VKs in Unit 1 and a mountain of cheesy chips from Sidwell’s chippy; the most mature, adult way to deal with your homesickness, now back with a vengeance.

Finally, that gnawing sense of homesickness has started to ebb away

Friday:

After a morning spent asleep and an afternoon spent trawling YikYak in bed with a mouth drier than the Sahara, it’s

time to get up and face the music. Scrape your hair off of your face, put some real clothes on - why not go the whole hog and have a good, long shower? Sit down at your desk and pull out the five lines of notes you took in your intro lecture for your favourite module, get next week’s reading in front of you and tell your flatmate when he knocks on your door that yeah, you’d love to go to T h e R a m for a burg er a n d you’ll be ready in ten minutes. Watch as though floating, disembodied, above yourself, as the fresher within goes into autopilot, and the burger is chased by a few drinks, then Rameoke starts and you just have to sing but you’re wanting a bit of liquid courage - before you know it, you’ll be swaying to Justin Bieber in Top Top at 2am. We just hope you’ve left £7 of your first student loan payment to join Exeposé at the Freshers’ Fair tomorrow…

Saturday:

Well, it’s time to phone home and do your best to avoid talking about the root of all evil; after the Freshers’ Fair, you’re working on about three weeks’ food budget for...oh, twelve weeks. Your family can kiss goodbye to any Christmas presents already, unless, of course, your little brother would like a hand-me-down Guild tee?

That is if you dont need to hold that back for last chance saloon uniform to wear down to the laundry.

The Freshers’ Fair may well have financially crippled you, but that’s alright.

You’ll be skint for the next few years of your life, so you may as well start as you mean to go on and hold your society memberships closer to your heart than your

9

debit card, even if you will only use two out of twelve of them over the course of the year. The dense crowds, chirpy committee members and unsufferable heat (a crisis point when you’re already bathed in hill sweat from getting onto campus in the first place) of the Fair has claimed many an inexperienced negotiator, but trust me on this one: it’s better that y o u sign u p for too much a n d have to drop a few commitments than it is to get half way through first term and realise you haven’t been to a single social since Freshers’ Week. First year is the time for trial and error; don’t be afraid to experiment, and most of all don’t be afraid to fail. University is one of the safest places in the world to make mistakes, and sometimes getting it wrong is the best way to learn how to get it brilliantly right next time.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, and most of all, don’t be afraid to fail

Sunday:

Before you go about drastically changing your life though, a day in bed is probably a good idea. It’s easier to face your lecturers on a Monday morning when you aren’t questioning the necessity of an education because you’ve had a grand total of twelve hours’ sleep all week. Besides, Freshers’ Flu is coming for you. Best not try to square up to that unconquerable, untreatable disease without a duvet day in preparation.

Photo: Students’ Guild

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Features

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 |

EXEPOSÉ

FEATURES EDITORS: Georgina Bolam Katie Jenkins

Everyday Sexism with Laura Bates

Georgina Bolam, Features Editor, discusses gender inequality and rape threats with the Everyday Sexism Project founder

P

OLITE and softly spoken, Laura Bates seems reserved, almost quiet. But ask her about any of the women’s issues she’s passionate about and Bates has much to say. What else would you expect from a woman who has engineered a social media movement so successful it now has a platform in 25 different countries? The Everyday Sexism Project exists to catalogue instances of sexism on a day to day basis, or as Bates explains: “It is about raising awareness and forcing people to acknowledge that gender inequality exists, but it is also about creating a community of solidarity, to hear and respect women’s stories and to let them know that they aren’t alone and they aren’t to blame.”

Born in Oxford, Bates grew up in Hackney before moving to the West Country. She attended Cambridge University and then tried her hand at acting. It was while awaiting auditions that she began to notice stark comparisons in the briefing notes for male and female actors.

“Going to auditions definitely opened my eyes to the enormously unequal way in which the media portrays men and women!” she asserts with utter vehemence.

“I would receive casting breakdowns that said things like ‘sexy nun, must have great cleavage’, or ‘a character who is naive yet fuckable’.

I turned up at

auditions and was told to take my top off.

I read scripts where the women... were just there as stereotypes and window dressing.

I saw male actors being judged on their talent and ability, and women being judged on their looks alone.” Observing these injustices, Bates felt compelled to start up the Everyday Sexism Project in 2012. Four years later, she’s as surprised as anyone to see how well it’s taken off.

I get messages saying... “I’d like to rape you until you die” The project has now accumulated almost a quarter of a million followers on Twitter. But if anyone can testify to the lifeaffecting positives and disturbing negatives of social media, it’s Bates. The positives: she has pioneered an Internet movement so well-known it’s now become an almost throwaway phrase women use to describe casual sexism. The negatives: the long and horribly descriptive emails she receives from trolls fantasizing about how they will rape and murder her for speaking up about women’s rights.

“The threats would often be worse if I’ve recently been interviewed

or spoken publicly about sexism - I recently did a Sky News interview and came home to a message saying, ‘I’d like to use your hair as handlebars and rape you until you die.’”

Yet for someone faced with such violent threats, she’s remarkably optimistic about how social media can be changed for the better: “I think it reveals just how much people had previously prevented women from speaking out about their experiences - they had been dismissed, belittled and disbelieved so many times before that the strength of speaking out with a collective voice became a very effective way to counter the argument that you were ‘overreacting’ or ‘asking for it’.

We launch into a discussion on the distorted impression some people hold that all feminists are men-haters. When contemplating whether feminists should focus equally on the inequalities that men face as well as women, Bates suggests “feminism already does focus on things that would be beneficial for men, because gender equality will bring great benefits for everybody, and stereotypes and sexism hurt us all. For example, we might receive an Everyday Sexism entry from a man who has been denied parental leave and consequently bullied in the workplace, and from a woman who has been denied a promotion because she’s considered a ‘maternity risk’ - these aren’t two separate problems, rather it is an example of both men and women suffering from the same outdated stereotype that a woman should stay at home and look after the children and a man should go to work and earn money.”

Despite this, Bates believes that women remain the conspicuous victims of sexual harassment and gender inequalities: “It is also important to acknowledge that gender inequality hugely disproportionately affects women - it is women who are systemically affected by it and women who have borne the brunt of

sexual violence for centuries, so it is right that feminism focuses on women’s rights.”

In which case, the obvious question must follow: Have things improved since you began the Everyday Sexism Project?

“I think the problem is still hugely present, especially in the media today. But I do feel hopeful that at least we have moved forward in becoming more aware and vocal about it and we are seeing it being called out and challenged more when it happens.”

Nevertheless, Bates is still very disappointed with the way the media seems obsessed with presenting sexual harassment in the workplace as a ‘debate’ rather than a problem. A good recent example, Bates explains, “is that of Isabel Hardman, a journalist who was called ‘totty’ by an MP in her workplace.

Instead of condemning this or discussing the problem, it was ‘debated’ throughout the media with commentators being asked to argue about whether or not women should just put up with workplace sexism and whether it was really a problem.

Gender equality will benefit everybody...

Sexism hurts us all Now the 29-year-old has set her sights closer to home, writing a survival guide for a younger generation of feminists with her new book, Girl Up. Aimed at girls aged 14 through to women in their early 20s, the book offers practical and witty advice to help young women navigate those turbulent years. From a ten-step guide to how to start a protest, to open advice on sex and relationships, the book is informed and inspired by Bates’ conversations with female students while touring schools and universities across the country.

“I’m in Dublin at the moment as part of my book tour - I’ve been travelling

throughout the UK over the past few weeks talking about Girl Up, which aims to tackle the stereotypes, double standards and hypocrisy young women are bombarded with.”

That’s why a key element of the book is consent, as well as sex education (including a chapter called ‘Clitoris Allsorts’) and positive body image. Down-to-earth, entertaining and illustrated with dancing vaginas, the book “unapologetically addresses what teenage girls are really dealing with”, to quote the prologue written by another super feminist, Emma Watson.

Bates said she wanted Girl Up to provide advice that understands the complexity of the decisions and issues facing young women today: “Young people are getting a huge amount of information, the majority of which is negative. As adults, we have a choice to make: do we shy away from those topics or do we counterbalance that with positive information?”

Where does she go from here? Bates is passionate about the Everyday Sexism Project and hopes that with this platform she can create concrete, discernible change for the future. “We are using our entries and working with politicians and police forces to tackle the gender pay gap and sexual offences on public transport, with schools and universities on sexual consent and healthy relationships, and with businesses and organisations on workplace discrimination. I think it is very powerful to use our project entries this way.”

Bates concludes that “this kind of collective action is likely to be safer, and have a bigger impact on changing the cultural normalisation that lets harassers think they will get away with it in the future. This will influence the public on a much greater scale.”

The Everyday Sexism Project can be found at everydaysexism.com

“So done with women being called “psycho” or “crazy” just for talking about their emotions, or calling men out for their rubbish.

Double standards, hello? Not to mention, it completely belittles mental illness.”

“The endorsement of ‘masculinity’ is an incredibly damaging construct to male mental health. The pressure to ‘be a man’ encourages a culture of silence, which is perhaps why suicide is the biggest killer of young men.”

“The objectification of women across international media is insidiously commonplace. Not only does it legitimise sexual and domestic violence against women, but it significantly hinders girls’ intellectual ambitions.”

Bea Fones

Jeremy Brown

Katie Jenkins

FEATURES

The end of the American Dream?

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On the eve of the US election, James Angove and Ollie Lund, Online Sport Editors, evaluate Barack Obama’s legacy

I

N January of 2009, America stood on a precipice. Unemployment was at 7.8 per cent and rising, and over 33 million Americans lacked health insurance. Climate change had been systematically erased from the agenda, and many were unable to marry the people whom they loved.

Yet, as Obama vacates his office, he will leave a changed country and a legacy of a strong and modern America that has maintained its place as world leader, despite the external and internal challenges that could have seen its ruin. A level-headed and pioneering President, Barack Obama may not have given the huge promises of ‘change we can believe in’, but he has delivered a belief we can change.

The economic stimulus packages delivered by the Obama administration have seen America haul itself out from the doldrums of The Great Recession, showing that progress is possible. The US economy has been creating jobs at its fastest pace this millennium, particularly in the automobile industry, where over 500,000 new jobs have been made in the past five years. As a result unemployment has fallen below five per cent, without inflicting the crippling austerity seen in the UK. An attitude of change has entered healthcare too, as Obama passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: the most significant change to the American healthcare system in 50 years.

Over 12 million more people have health insurance compared with when Obama’s tenure began, and this includes increases of ten per cent amongst Blacks, Hispanics and low-income adults. This legislation proves President Obama’s progressive credentials and the gains made are even more impressive considering the background of economic uncertainty, which often drives people to cancel their health insurance.

Progressive policy came also in the sphere of LGBT rights. Clearly the most significant step is that same-sex couples can now marry in all 50 states, but throughout his presidency Obama has fought for gay rights. In late 2009 he passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which recognised hate crimes against gender, sexual orientation, disability or gender identity. In 2011 Obama ended the ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy which prevented members of the LGBT community from serving openly in the military. Further, just last year the federal government gave the right for same-sex couples to adopt across all 50

states. President Obama has enacted legislation that has undeniably improved the lives of the LGBT community.

However, whilst I doubt anyone could have lived up to the grandiose expectations laid upon the shoulders of the Senator from Illinois, Obama’s tenure has not been without disappointment. Although the first African-American to hold Presidential office, Obama’s words on race did not always match his deeds. He failed to visit Ferguson and has done precious little nothing to address the rightful concerns of the Black Lives Matter movement.

This does not mean that legislation targeting discrimination has been totally absent. An important programme is the ‘My Brother’s Keeper’ initiative which helps young men of colour promote racial justice in their communities and overcome the challenges they face. And perhaps this is the key to understanding what the President will leave behind. His legacy is bound up in that symbolism of overcoming.

For the word, embodied in the Presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, possesses much significance. It contains the struggles of African-Americans before who fought racial discrimination and segregation. It holds the beliefs of people who dreamed of a better day. It has the ecstatic joy of those who thought they’d never step foot in the White House. For all the pioneering policy Obama leaves behind, the second line of his Wikipedia page will still name him as the first AfricanAmerican to hold t h e office o f

Obama will leave a legacy of a strong and modern America.

President, and this remains substantial (if only symbolically so to some in the black community).

Faced with increasing political polarisation from house, senate and public alike, Barack Obama passed transformative legislation into law, largely without Republican support or positive reaction from the public. Thanks to him, America is more stable and more liberal than it was in 2008. Behind he leaves a legacy as the President who not only pulled America from the brink, but pushed it to new heights. Thanks Obama.

James Angove

“W

ELL, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America.” These are the words of Barack Obama at the 2004 Democratic Convention. That night a star was born.

Four years later he was the Democratic nominee, campaigning on a platform of hope, unity and above all, change: “Change We Can Believe In”. Sadly, believing in it and executing are two quite different things. With six months remaining of Obama’s presidency, he has to face the music.

Ineffective. Divisive. Unpopular. This is the harsh truth of Obama’s time in office.

Obama’s signature achievements include health care reform, same-sex marriage and economic recovery. The Affordable Care Act has reduced the number of Americans without health insurance by 11%. It is a major accomplishment, but we must remember that it had been on the Democratic agenda for decades. Legalising same-sex marriage represents a key step forward for LGBT rights but, in reality, marked little more than a step forward in line with large parts of the developed world. I do not mean to undermine these achievements but they have to be contextualised. Whilst they are impressive, they cannot be seen as visionary or remarkable, when they mark such a little break from conventional centre-left principles.

A s for the economic r e covery, unemployment is down a n d profits are up.

Yet to take this at face value would be overly simplistic. Whilst corporate profits have rocketed, income and wealth inequality have followed suit. Obama

has stuck to many of the regressive neo-liberal ideas championed by Ronald Reagan and the breach between the rich and the poor is wider than ever.

In spite of the symbolism of being the first black president, Obama has failed to provide a bridge in terms of racial equality. Black income has stagnated and the pay gap between white and black Americans has grown. He will leave office during a period of extraordinary racial tension in the aftermath of police violence and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. As for foreign policy he has been erratic at best. The assassination of Osama Bin Laden is his signature achievement but he has been largely inconsistent and unproductive in the Middle East.

Not only has Obama been ineffective, his promise to be a figure of unity has been disastrous. In 2008 he made promises than he would rise above partisan nature of American politics in order to get things done. Two years later then Senate Minority leader, Mitch McConnell, said the Republican party’s “top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.” He has failed to build a relationship with Congress and there has been legislative gridlock for large swathes of his time in office. An aloof figure, he has failed to engage swathes of the population, resulting in a political polarisation that has seen the emergence of the Tea Party, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Obama has been one of the most divisive presidents of the post-war era.

He will leave office with the second worst average approval ratings of the past fifty years. Worse than George W. Bush, worse than Gerald Ford, worse even than Richard Nixon. National consensus on Presidents, like a fine wine, tends to improve with time, but even so that is startlingly poor. He suffered some of the worst mid-term losses in history in 2010 and his failure to control Congress since 2008 is seen as a rejection by the American people. His victory in 2012 can be seen as much a rejection of the cold and gaffe-prone Mitt Romney as anything else.

Barack Obama’s time in office has been a crushing disappointment. The rhetoric of hope that raised him up to begin with has been impossible to put into practice. Neither a deal-making pragmatist nor a uniting idealist, he has trodden an unhappy middle ground. Ultimately he will not leave a United States of America, but one divided: more divided on race, income and party affiliation than ever before.

Ollie Lund

Ineffective. Divisive. Unpopular.

This is the harsh truth.

lifestyle

ARTS + LIT

E X H I B IT MUSIC

GAMES + TECH

screen

the freshers’ guide to exeter’s culture

Photo: wikipedia.org

josh widdicombe interview

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Photo: Alison Peters PR

Ratchet & clank review

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no Man’s sky or no man’s lie?

24 Photo: Trusted Reviews

14 - 15

16 - 18

20 - 21

24 - 25

26 - 27

LIFESTYLE EDITORS Jade Beard Laurel Bibby

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Natasha Ebbutt Emma Bessent

MUSIC EDITORS Rory Marcham Helen Payne

SCREEN EDITORS Mark Allison Zak Mahinfar

GAMES + TECH EDITORS Jabez Sherrington Sam Woolf

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

lifestyle Freshers’ 101

F

Rowan Keith, Online Comment Editor, gives the lowdown on how to survive the week

RESHERS’ Week is upon us, one of the most fun but gruelling weeks of the year. You’re hungover for the seventh day in a row, living on about three hours sleep a night and about to face your first 8.30am lecture of the year. Here are the things you will need to make it through the week in one piece...

Tissues Whether for the inevitable first bout of Freshers’ flu that you’ll undoubtedly suffer, or for the person that starts crying on a night out (there’s always one, and it’s okay if it’s you!), the tissues will need to be on hand. They’ll help you make friends with other sufferers, and stop your coursemates

despising you for the rest of the year because you sneezed on them in a lecture.

FRESHERS’ WEEK WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO A NEW LEVEL OF HANGOVER Ibuprofen Freshers’Week will introduce you to a new level of hangover like you have never experienced. Painkillers are the only option if you want to survive.

Coffee Equally, Freshers’ Week will introduce you to

a new level of tiredness. You’re not yet close enough with your flatmates for them to experience you uncaffeinated and sleep deprived, so whether it’s Sainsbury’s Basics instant or from the Costa on campus, get it in your system.

Lemsip Another indispensable drink. After a night of screaming along to S Club 7 at Cheesy’s or roughly two days in to Freshers’ flu, this is the only thing that will revive your throat. Making friends is a lot easier when you can speak.

Condoms Because, let’s be honest, it’s better to be safe than sorry...

Decisions, decisions

Glitter At the start of the year, everyone’s favourite fresher is the one that provides the glitter at predrinks. At the end of the year once everyone has realised it takes about two weeks to get the last of it out your hair, not so much, but for Freshers’ this is a guaranteed win.

Beach towel One of the best days is when you head down to Exmouth and spend a day lying on the beach, enjoying the last of the sun before the reality of lectures kicks in. As we all know, sand gets everywhere, so unless you want your bath towel to become part of your exfoliating routine, bring a separate beach towel.

Photo: exeter.ac.uk

Three Exeposé Lifestyle writers share their advice for joining societies at the Freshers’ Fair After a long, slow summer, having received your results and BEA successfully made it to Exeter, FONES your inaugural week of moving into halls, settling in, attending taster sessions and predictably messy nights out is about to begin. At the end of it all, there’s the long-awaited Freshers’ Fair, where you sign your soul away to your chosen societies for the year. Okay, so it’s not quite that dramatic, but the societies you sign up for may well become your family this year, so choose wisely... You’ll chose about ten, attend around three, and always intend to get around to that one obscure society you joined on a whim but never quite make it to.

Joining something on your own is a good idea. If you can’t find a flatmate to go with you, you’ll make new friends doing something you really enjoy. And even if you don’t sign up in Freshers’ Week, it’s never too late! Signing up late often means a reduced joining fee too, so not choosing a society at the start doesn’t mean closing the door to it forever.

I joined pole fitness society in first year, on a whim. After JESS quickly realising none of my HUGHES friends had joined I went to the A & V desk and cancelled my membership. In second year, I decided to join the ballroom society (DanceSport) because I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance properly and thought it would be fun.

I actually made it to a class before cancelling my membership this time, and even though I had no friends to go with and could think of plenty excuses to not go, I’m glad I went. I really enjoyed every class I went to and everyone was really friendly.

Even though I didn’t get round to competing this year, it was definitely worth the nerves on that first class. It was a major lesson for me that I need to bite the bullet sometimes and brave something new to make new friends.

This year I’ll be joining Pole Fitness and Ballroom again.

Moral of the story: do things your housemates or course-mates aren’t doing and you may find a hobby you love!

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

With so many sporting options here at Exeter, deciding which MIA to go for may be a little dauntVINCENT ing; as a fresher arriving last year, I was faced with the same dilemma. Having played hockey throughout my time at school, joining EULHC (Exeter University Ladies Hockey Club) seemed like the obvious decision; however, after the third set of (cold) trials in Freshers’ Week I was beginning to feel a bit out of my depth..

IF YOU DON’T SIGN UP DURING FRESHERS’ WEEK, IT’S NEVER TOO LATE Now in my second year, and having had a year playing for the 5s within the club meeting and playing alongside an amazing group of girls, I can honestly say I’d spent those trialdays during freshers’ in the right place. Whilst dragging yourself up to campus with a raging hangover may seem a little too much like hard

work, the trials are important if you want to be a part of the club. Not only are they a great opportunity to meet other newcomers, it’s during these first few sessions that the teams are formed (for those interested, this year the first trial will take place between 12 and 2pm, up at the Sports Park on Monday 9 September). With such a range of ability, inevitably not everyone makes the club, but there’s always intramural, mixed hockey which is good for socialising and quality of play! Like many of the BUCS clubs here at Exeter, EULHC boasts a great Wednesday night social so for the party-goers amongst you, have your onesies, UV paint and charity-shop-attire at the ready!

Photo: blogs.exeter.ac.uk

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EXHIBIT

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LIFESTYLE

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016

| 15

Eateries in Exeter

Laurel Bibby, Lifestyle Editor, rounds up the best nearby cafés and pubs The Glorious Art House One of Exeter’s best kept secrets, The Glorious Art House is tucked away out of sight at the bottom of Fore Street. Combining a range of amazing cakes and lunches with vibrant decor, it’s definitely worth a visit.

Perfect for A catch-up with a few friends.

Lifestyle recommends A Glorious Hot Chocolate and a slice of banana bread.

Boston Tea Party At the end of Queen Street, this popular chain has a huge menu ranging from breakfasts and brunches to toasties and salads. With lots of large tables and comfy sofas upstairs, Boston is always a safe bet when searching for a bit of extra study space.

Perfect for Procrastinating seminar work with your study group.

Lifestyle recommends Smoked salmon, scrambled eggs and avocado on sourdough toast #Exetah

The Old Firehouse Famous for its selection of affordable pizzas and fruity ciders, the Firehouse is a must-visit for any self-respecting Exeter student. It’s a great alternative to a night out, and leftover pizza for lunch the next day isn’t so bad either.

Perfect for A cosy Sunday night at the end of the week recovering from your weeklong hangover with your new flatmates.

Lifestyle recommends Greek pizza and a pitcher of toffee cider please!

Tea on the Green An Exeter classic, Tea on the Green is the ideal place to relax and make the most of the Devon sunshine. Located in the centre of town, it’s an easy meeting place for a quick break from exploring the local shops.

Perfect for Overlooking the Cathedral as you have a bite to eat with your visiting relatives.

Lifestyle recommends A cream tea, of course. Grab a table outside and enjoy the fresh air whilst arguing over whether the jam or the cream should go on the scone first.

The Ram There’s no denying that the Ram’s curly fries are truly legendary. As well as a great selection of pub food, the Ram is always a fun

place to be with a pool table, a weekly pub quiz and Rameoke on a Friday.

Perfect for Meeting up with friends or doing a bit of extra reading in between lectures.

Lifestyle recommends Curly fries, obviously.

The Imperial Everyone’s favourite local Wetherspoons, The Imperial, or the ‘Impy’ as it’s affectionately known, is the perfect summer pub - there’s nothing better than enjoying a cider with friends on the benches outside.

Perfect for A quick lunch with coursemates; particularly ideal for Drama students who have classes in Thornlea opposite.

Lifestyle recommends A classic cheese and tomato panini with chips.

This one time...

Keeping fresh

Two writers share their funny fresher stories

Editor Susannah Keogh’s favourite recipe

So it started with a potato. All HANNAH the best stories do, I guess.

Now, they say you’re unlikely to BUTLER stay friends with the people (or potatoes) you meet in Freshers’ Week, but Spud was a keeper. Literally.

After first taking up his watch on our Moberly kitchen windowsill in that first week of madness, Spud became the guardian of the flat. With his never-ceasing smile, he witnessed 3am toast trips, collapsing ironing boards and homemade under-the-toiletdoor flamethrowers*… and did he grass us in to the cleaners? Never.

It was sad when Spud grew weak at the knees, his very foundations crumbling into a kind of mouldy goo that got too vilesmelling to leave in the kitchen. Aside from his green hue and lack of limbs, he’d been one of us. *Disclaimer: a) this wasn’t me, and b) we don’t condone homemade flamethrowers.

As a mere fresh a few weeks in, I was still getting used to camHELEN pus. I returned back to my flat PAYNE from a gruelling 2 hour poststructuralism seminar, past the back of the Lemmy up to Lafrowda. The back door of our block was broken at the time, so I wasn’t surprised when I didn’t need my key fob to get in.

THE DOOR STAYED LOCKED. I TRIED AGAIN. A RED LIGHT AND A BEEP I climbed five flights of stairs, and went to go into my flat. But the door stayed locked.

I tried again. A little red light and a beep. I knocked on the door. No one answered. I flew back down the stairs towards the reception to tell them my key wasn’t working.

However, on leaving, I realised I’d gone into the wrong block! I was pretty embarrassed - but it would’ve been worse if someone from that flat had answered the door!

S

O, it’s September. Your family have driven off, abandoning you in the luxury of Holland Hall or in your prisonlike Old Lafrowda cell. The alcohol’s all been drank, your student loan’s gone on takeaways, the work’s piling up and the realisation hits you - it’s time to fend for yourself.

By that, I don’t mean a Bear Grylls style hunting mission. Instead, that Sainsbury’s basics aisle (or if you’re feeling Exetah, Essential Waitrose). Stroll past the champagne, caviar and smoked salmon - there’s no place for them in your new frugal student lifestyle.

Cooking for yourself isn’t hard. Open up a cookbook, check out the recipes on the Exeposé website and dust off that set of Wilko’s finest pans.

Food is a great icebreaker- knocking up a batch of biscuits for your new flatmates will make them love you for at least a day, whilst taking it in turns to make a flat meal is a great way to get to know one another.

Even if you’re in catered halls, you still have to rely on your inner Jamie Oliver a few evenings a week. And, of course, that sophisticated microwave. Or just order Domino’s.

TURKEY CHILLI - 250g turkey mince - 1 onion, diced - 1 can chopped tomatoes - 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp chilli powder - 1 tsp paprika - 2 red peppers - 1 can sweetcorn, drained - 1 can kidney beans - 1 square dark chocolate 1 Heat your pan to a medium heat, pour in 1 tablespoon of oil. Lightly brown the mince, breaking it up with a spoon. Add the onion and the chilli powder.

2 Add the peppers, sweetcorn and beans to the mix and stir.

3 Stir in the tomatoes, add the cumin and paprika, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

4 Let the chilli bubble for half an hour, tasting for spice. Five minutes before serving, add the dark chocolate. It adds a richness to the sauce.

5 Eat! Leftovers can be frozen or served on a jacket potato the next day.

arts + lit

F

Art attack

“Exe-pelliarmus!”

Rowan Keith, Online Comment Editor, discusses the rising cost of art

Natasa Christofidou, News Editor, describes the overlaps between Exeter and Hogwarts

OR artists, the ability to share work for free is very much a privilege and not an option for the majority. In such a technology and science obsessed world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make a career out of being an artist, and to claim that all art must be free could inhibit many artists and delegitimize artistry as a career. Other goods and services cost money; why should art be any different?

Having said this, many forms of art do remain free. As it stands, although they may be under threat, the arts are currently supported by our education system. As part of our free, compulsory education, we are taught drama, art, music and literature. In this country we are also fortunate enough to have access to the internet, free museums and public libraries to allow us to discover and explore art regardless of wealth. On top of this, in our

everyday lives we are surrounded by graffiti, music, performance art and architecture, all forms of art we often take for granted.

TO CLAIM ALL ART MUST BE FREE COULD DELEGITIMISE ARTISTRY AS A CAREER Unfortunately, the rising cost of art seems to be inescapable. Forms such as theatre, opera and ballet have become almost impossible to access without a considerable disposable income (unless you opt to go for a live stream in a cinema, which even then is pretty pricey). However, if we are willing to open up to a broader scope of art, it becomes an almost unavoidable part of your life.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

W

ITH a further trio of Harry Potter stories in the works, interest for J.K.Rowling’s work seems to only grow with time - and Exeter might just be the perfect university for any fans of her literary witchcraft.

If you’ve already wandered through the common room of Exeter’s Mardon Hall, then you’ve pretty much experienced being in Gryffindor. The wood-paneled library and grand staircase were allegedly Rowling’s inspiration for the Gryffindor common room.

Washington Singer, the psychology hub of Exeter, hosts a bathroom furnished with transparent green pipes and multi-sink units, which draws distinct comparisons with Moaning Myrtle’s cloakroom habitat.

However, if you thought that J.K. Rowling exclusively drew inspiration from the campus itself, then you’re missing out on some intense wizardry vibes around town.

The Old Firehouse has more to offer than just a rustic, fairy-lit venue for pizza eating

competitions. There are unavoidable comparisons to be made between the Leaky Cauldron and Exeter’s three-floor wooden pub.

The melted candles found scattered across the wooden tables frequently charm students into blowing their loans on magical meals.

Unsurprisingly, picturesque Gandy Street, tucked away just off of the main high street, may also have won a spot in J.K Rowling’s £11.5 billion franchise. Diagon Alley, completely hidden from muggles and the outside world, perfectly parallels the unique charm that Gandy Street has to offer.

It seems fitting that J.K. Rowling delved into the medieval heritage of Exeter Cathedral for one of her most central, iconic settings. Boasting the longest uninterrupted, vaulted ceiling in the world (96m), it is rumoured to have inspired the Hogwarts Great Hall itself.

So, next time the whizz kid from your sixth form boasts about getting into Oxford, just know that you’re closer to receiving your Hogwarts acceptance letter than they’ll ever be.

Meet your editors...

EMMA BESSENT PRINT

ANNA BLACKBURN ONLINE

TASH EBBUTT PRINT

IZZY HILLIARD ONLINE

2nd year English BA

2nd year English BA

2nd year English BA

2nd year English BA

Favourite art form: It’s a very close call

Favourite art form: I’m a theatre nut through and through , but always with a novel close to hand.

Favourite art form: Without a doubt has to

Favourite art form: Tricky, but whilst I love

Artsy summer highlight: The Cotswold

Arcadian’s outdoor performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Really good amdram is such a brilliant source of culture!

Artsy summer highlight: Waving my savings goodbye whilst bingeing on Globe, National Theatre and RSC shows. Or finishing my colouring book. Tough call.

Artsy summer highlight: I want to impress

Artsy summer highlight: Having the spare

Favourite book: Does anyone really have one? If I have to pick one, Edith Pattou’s East of the Sun, West of the Moon ranks very highly on my list. I’m a sucker for a fairy tale.

Favourite book: Impossible question so I think it’s best to go with The Hungry Caterpillar... timeless, with a reassuring display of the perks of over-eating!

Favourite book: Too much choice! One Day,

Favourite book: Re-reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz over the summer reminded my why it’s one of my all-time favourites though.

between novels and theatre for me.

be the sonnet, especially when they’re of a romantic nature, that or the theatre.

you all with something fancy but I’m going to have to say scrapbooking my first year because I’m a huge softy at heart.

by David Nicholls. I believe I even discussed how much it influenced me in my personal statement.

the theatre, novels are still my favourite.

time to get through my “to read” bookshelf that I’ve built since starting university last September. So incredibly lush.

EXHIBIT

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ARTS + LIT

EDITORS: Tash Ebbutt and Emma Bessent

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2016

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17

Just Joshin’ N

Jeremy Brown, Editor, chats to comedian Josh Widdicombe about Devon, The Impy, and Postman Pat

ESTLED on the hillside of a lush valley in Dartmoor is a predictably-picturesque Devon village called Widecombe-in-the-Moor. It was from this idyllic landscape that (aptly-named) stand-up comedian Josh Widdicombe emerged, albeit from the tiny hamlet of Haytor Vale, just down the road. With hair like the curls of the local WhiteFace Dartmoor sheep, the 33-year-old comedian is instantly recognisable on our screens, but he seems to have combined his past (a light Devon accent) and his present (the non-stop life of London) comfortably in recent years.

I ask what he thought about growing up in this isolated corner of rural Devon. “It felt normal to me, but then you move away and you realise it was a bit weird.” But Widdicombe plans to make the most of this intriguing upbringing, bringing the stories into his new stand-up tour, What Do I Do Now. As he tells me more about his youth, I realise how well-suited his observational style of comedy will be to the landscape of his past. “I had four people in my year at school, and lived in a village with just a Post Office and nothing more. It was like growing up in Postman Pat — although I never got any mail.”

The comparisons to everyone’s favourite postie are, I suppose, actually quite appropriate. In the recent blockbuster film, Postman Pat enters a talent show, and quickly sees himself whisked away from the narrow country lanes of Greendale to find stardom in the capital. Widdicombe has seen a similar rise to success since his early performances in 2008, and now lives in London. “I’m never leaving,” he joked on the radio a few weeks ago, and I can’t help but think he’s serious: he’s clearly suited to the fast-paced life of the big city.

Nowadays, Widdicombe is a regular face on the vast array of talk shows and panel games that bless our TV screens. From The Last Leg to Mock the Week, QI to Would I Lie to You?, he’s probably done them all. But he says he still sees his work on the stand-up circuit as his “proper job”, and it’s clear to see why when he’s back on stage, clasping the mic against his chest in his trademark fashion: like a comforting pint of ale.

Widdicombe has been skilfully riding the wave of observational comedy’s popularity to new heights. It’s reminiscent of Michael McIntyre, but less simplistic, with each concept taken to its exaggerated conclusion until his voice reaches that trademark high-pitched peak. Every routine covers a vast array of society’s flaws, from contactless payments (using what he calls “touchy-downy debit cards”) to receiving homemade jam as a gift (“the worst thing is, it always comes in a jar that used to contain proper jam”).

This style quickly found traction on his first tour at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2010, and it hasn’t changed much over the years (if it ain’t broke...). Does Widdicombe miss his time performing in the capital of comedy? “I miss

Catch Josh Widdicombe’s What Do I Do Now tour at Plymouth Pavilions on 24 September

Photo: Alison Peters PR spending a month getting drunk with all my friends,” he admits, “although I think my liver is happier these days.” It’s definitely an apt sentiment for Freshers’ Week, and Widdicombe confesses that “being a comedian is probably my way of keeping the student lifestyle, though somehow I work more hours than a normal job. Stick to being a student as long as you can, guys.” This is advice I plan to stick to.

The idea of Widdicombe having “a normal job” is probably hard to imagine, but his life nearly went in a completely different direction: he started out working for Dora the Explorer magazine. Even his university days studying Linguistics at the University of Manchester didn’t exactly suggest a future as a comedian. Nonetheless, he’s effusive in his appreciation of Manchester: “loved it - I think it is a great city to go to uni in (though Exeter is obviously also great)”.

In an ideal world, though, he’d have probably been there twenty years earlier: he originally chose the city thanks to his love of Manchester icons, the Smiths. Music is clearly an

important part of his life; he used to present a radio show for indie station Xfm, and he won Celebrity Mastermind in 2013 with a chosen subject of Blur. When I point out that driving around on tour must be a pain, he’s happy to contradict me. “It’s great, you get to sit and listen to Spotify for hours and not feel guilty about it.”

IT WAS LIKE GROWING UP IN POSTMAN PAT ALTHOUGH I NEVER GOT ANY MAIL So I offer a twist on the classic desert-island scenario, asking what song he’d choose to have permanently playing in his car. “I think that would slowly send me mad... so it would have to be something I could block out, maybe something off Brian Eno’s Music for Airports.

That or ‘Mr Loverman’ by Shabba Ranks.” Both these references go straight over my head.

Sport is another key passion of his. He’s one of the co-hosts of Channel 4’s The Last Leg, which started life at the Paralympics in 2012 and has been a runaway success: thanks largely to the electric chemistry between Widdicombe, Adam Hills and Alex Brooker. With Top Gear arguably dead-and-buried, they might even be the strongest presenting trio on TV at the moment — although they’re a lot less controversial.

Rio 2016 is a special anniversary for the show, and although the Olympics are now over, Widdicombe is clearly looking forward to The Last Leg’s Paralympic special. I asked him which events he was looking forward to watching, and he responds jovially: “I didn’t get to go into the athletics stadium in London as I was so busy, so that is my one aim this time. That, and avoiding the Zika virus.”

When Widdicombe isn’t jet-setting off to international sporting events, he’s busy touring the country. On the last leg of his tour, he tweeted that “The Imperial in Exeter is definitely the best Weatherspoons [sic] in the world” (quite right, too). So is he a fan of the city? “I went to sixth form in Exeter, so I associate it with the personal trauma and excitement of being a late teenager. I killed a lot of time there, some of that in The Imperial, and the rest of it in record shops. Maybe that is why I had to fall back on comedy.”

The British public is certainly lucky Widdicombe chose comedy in the end. Now a household name, as confirmed by his status as the headline act for Live at the Apollo’s Christmas special, the BBC recently took a gamble on his debut sitcom, Josh, based on his life four or five years ago. The plot revolves around the constant blunders and gaffes of Josh and his flatmates, as they live out their twenties in London. The sitcom was recently renewed for a second series, and Josh hints that things won’t really be looking up for the trio: “far funnier that way, no one wants to see someone be happy!” Widdicombe and the team clearly have a knack for pulling in impressive celebrity cameos, having instigated the return of The Chuckle Brothers to British screens, so I ask Widdicombe if he could reveal any new faces. Sadly, he keeps his cards close to his chest: “Jennifer Saunders is back, and there are others I can’t tell you about, but they made me very excited.”

From his humble roots in Devon to headlining Latitude Festival’s comedy bill, Josh Widdicombe — still aged just 33 — has seen his career go from strength to strength. The logical next step is filling up Wembley Arena, but I get the impression he’d be just as happy going there with his mates to watch England play (until they lose, of course).

I ask him how he introduces himself these days. “I always say I am a stand-up comedian when people ask... Wish I was still a student, though.”

EXHIBIT

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ARTS + LIT

EDITORS: Tash Ebbutt and Emma Bessent

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2016

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Yo ho ho and a bottle of fun!

Exeposé Arts + Lit guide the way to the fountain of youth this Freshers’ Week THE EXETER REVUE

DEAD POETS SOCIETY

What: Meet and Greet - looking to split your sides? Pop down to The Ram to meet the Revue crew, fresh from the Fringe, for the sharpest student comedy around.

Where: The Ram When: 18:00-20:00, Wednesday 14th

What: Poetry Slam - For a glimpse into the world of performative literature (a much friendlier place than it’s often given credit for), join the Dead Poets for their Freshers’ Slam.

Where: Grove Diner When: 17:00-22.30, Friday 16th

SHOTGUN THEATRE, FOOTLIGHTS and GILBERT & SULLIVAN

THE FORUM

What: White T-shirt Social - the musical societies of Exeter harmonise for one night only. Not one to miss.

Where: The Ram When: 19:30, Tuesday 13th

EUTCO, DRAMA SOCIETY, SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY and THEATRE WITH TEETH

What: Writing Workshop - Indulge your inner creative and get a flavour of the creative writing culture in Exeter.

Where: Thornlea Studios When: 14:00-15:00, Wednesday 14th

RAZZ MAGAZINE, EXETERA, THE UNDERGRADUATE, and PEARSHAPED MAGAZINE

THE RAM

What: White T-shirt Social - Every drama society on campus under one roof; grab yourself a pitcher and get to know the committees.

Where: The Imperial, moving on to Unit 1 When: 20:00, Tuesday 13th

CREATIVE WRITING and THEATRE WITH TEETH

THE LEMON GROVE

What: Joint Magazines Cocktail Social - if you’re interested in working with a student magazine, but you’re not sure which one, meet the four committees at Hatt’s to find out a little more.

Where: Hatt’s Bar and Restaurant When: 20:00 at Hatt’s, or meet at 19:45 at The Forum, Thursday 15th

EXEPOSÉ

What: Pub Quiz - Arts + Lit will be presenting their own round of questions, so bring your artistic expertise and indulge in some fantastic (and brilliantly priced!) food and drink at Exeposé’s favourite haunt.

Where: The Old Firehouse When: 16:30, Tuesday 13th

ART SOCIETY

What: Sketch Crawl - Get to grips with your pencils and Exeter, as Art Soc take you on a tour of their favourite spots in the city.

Where: City Centre; meet at Thornlea Rannoch House When: 11:00-13:00, Wednesday 14th

THE IMPERIAL

PHOTOGRAPHY SOCIETY

JANE AUSTEN APPRECIATION GROUP

THE OLD FIREHOUSE

Event: Afternoon Tea - if “indeed, (you) would rather have nothing but tea” join the Jane Austen Appreciation Group for some of the best tea in Exeter, served up right next to the Cathedral Green.

Where: Tea on the Green (meet at Stocker Road roundabout at 15:30) When: 15:30-18:00, Wednesday 14th

What: Walk Tours - Allow yourself to be ushered around the most photogenic places in town before refreshing yourself with a tea or coffee at Boston Tea Party.

Where: City centre; meet at Forum Plaza When: 13:00, Tuesday 13th and Thursday 15th

LITERATURE SOCIETY

EXETER CATHEDRAL (CITY CENTRE) With special thanks to our graphic design artist, Ben Durston

What: Book Crawl - take advantage of LitSoc’s insider knowledge to find the cheapest and best bookshops in Exeter.

Where: Exeter City Centre (meet at the rear entrance to The Forum at 11:30 When: 12:00-15:00, Tuesday 13th

18

music

Freshers’ Survival Guide

Venues ON CAMPUS The two most important musical hubs on campus, both the Guild run Lemon Grove and the University’s Great Hall are prone to putting on some of the biggest gigs in Exeter. Having previously hosted the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen, Clean Bandit and Frank Turner, these venues punch well above their weight in terms of pulling power and often provide great opportunities to see some of your favourite artists in a more local setting. The Lemon Grove, as well as being a popular clubbing destination for students on a Saturday night, is where the heats and semi-finals of the fabled Campus Bands’ Battle of the Bands competition takes place: a great place to discover some of the cream of the crop of Exeter’s student bands. However, whilst both venues do often plump for some less inspired choices (insert washed up mid 00s indie band or pastit pop punk act here), there are enough positives to make both the Lemon Grove and the Great Hall two of Exeter’s best venues. And let’s be honest, it’s quite cool to say that you sit your exams in a venue once headlined by Muse.

Notable acts: Muse, Years & Years, Catfish and the Bottlemen

OLD FIREHOUSE It’s a winning combination. Any type of cider you could dream of, glorious famous pizza, and a showcase of some of Exeter’s finest local musical talent. Glittered with fairy lights and bunting in the cosy dark wood décor, our favourite Exeter pub might not be your first choice for a music venue, but every Sunday ExTunes – the umbrella society for all your musical tastes and talents –hosts an evening of local bands, ranging from acoustic acts to indie bands to heavy metal. With free entry, you can bring all your friends along for a cosy gig in one of the most lovable places in Exeter.

Notable acts: Delmer Darion, The Allergens, Sweet Nothings, EUJO

PHOENIX Situated on the infamous Gandy Street, Exeter’s Phoenix is commonly regarded as the cultural hub of Exeter, and the home of performances of many different kinds. Whether it be music, film or art there is a plethora of eclectic events on offer all year round, as well as a number of student themed nights. In the past Phoenix has brought artists as diverse as Wild Beasts, Mike Skinner, Michael Kiwanuka, Mr Scruff and Lucy Rose to Exeter, all performing in the venue’s grand, stately building. Most recently, Phoenix played a huge role in this year’s BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend, which came to Exeter for the first time in the summer of 2016. As part of the the Corporation’s month long engagement with the city, the BBC took up a week’s residency in the venue, bringing with it the prestigious Live Lounge series (played by the likes of Jake Bugg, Laura Mvula and AlunaGeorge) alongside a number of other workshops and showcases. If ever you’re looking to branch out or find something new and interesting, then Phoenix is your best bet in Exeter. Alternative, but without the grit of Cavern..

Notable acts: Jake Bugg, Everything Everything, Public Service Broadcasting

CAVERN Venture down Gandy Street post 9 o’clock and you’ll find groups of edgy people queuing up to go through some double doors and down some stairs. This is Cavern, aptly named because it is underground, in a kind of, well, cavern. Opened in 1991, its bare brick underground space is a hotbed of musical talent. This smaller, more vibrant venue has over the years hosted the likes of Muse, Coldplay, Biffy Clyro, La Roux and, more recently, Frank Turner. From metal, to drum and bass, to indie, to acoustic, to disco, to the University’s own events, Cavern may not be the biggest venue in Exeter, but it has a whole lot to offer. An underground music haven, not one to miss as an Exeter fresher.

Notable acts: Biffy Clyro, Frank Turner, Royal Blood

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 | 21

Connoisseur club nights Aside from the regular TP Wednesdays and Saturday Lemmy, the Exeposé Music Team takes a look at their favourite musically inclined club nights

CHEESEY TUESDAYS Oh, Cheeseys. The place of dreams for Exeter students who want to regress to their childhood every single Tuesday at Unit 1.

Playing the best 90s and 00s hits, the club night stole my heart the first time I went, all the way back in Freshers’ year. You can always rely on DJ Wilby’s bangers, and amazingly large queues.

With the event having already sold out for Freshers’ Week 2016, its popularity is clear and unwavering. (I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t have a ticket). While it’s not a night for everyone, such as those edgy “I only go to Cellar Door” types, its target audience are always satisfied. With Mosaic now being rebranded as Rosie’s (a totally different club that includes Popworld), Cheeseys is likely to have more competition - but will always have the monopoly on Tuesday nightlife.

For fans of: The Lion King soundtrack, Grease medleys, shameless pop Iwan Evans

INDIE NIGHT For those less inclined towards the Top 40 or the sticky floors of the Lemmy, Indie Night at Cavern provides the perfect antidote.

Held every Saturday, the event does exactly what it says on the tin: expect to hear the best indie anthems, including the Smiths, The Cure, Stone Roses, Oasis, Arctic Monkeys and Royal Blood (to name a few!). Despite Saturday in town being considered ‘local’ orientated, Indie Night feels very student friendly, and considering the intimate venue, it is difficult not to bump into (sometimes literally) people you know. Personally, I know as a fresher I was apprehensive towards Exeter’s limited club scene and the thought of having to resign myself to awkwardly bopping to Bieber all night long brought me out in a cold sweat. So, to find an event like Indie Night really felt like discovering one of Exeter’s hidden gems - one that is now my staple night out every week. While you can expect to see your fair share of checked shirts and other ‘wavy garms’, it is by no means exclusive; most of the time you’re simply surrounded by people who just love good music. Yet, despite evidently being reserved for the indie genre, every DJ sets their personal tone, so the music is never overly repetitive. However, if you really want to whet your musical appetite then there are always live bands from 8pm. Combine all that with cheap drinks and you can easily have a fantastic and cheap night out in a unique venue bursting with personality, all while dancing to some amazing music – what is not to love?

For fans of: indie rock, festival bangers, anthemic riffs Ellen Mitchell

MAGIC HATSTAND Normal, it is not. The Magic Hatstand travels that bit further South West fortnightly to Cavern to fill the underground venue with glitter, rainbows and more hats than you ever thought possible. There’s no better way to bond with your new flatmates than spending your Friday night wearing a multi-coloured fedora smeared with metallic paint. But Hatstand offers up more than questionable head-wear. Those who pay a visit to this magical meeting point are offered more glitter than is perhaps sensible. In Cavern’s dimly-lit basement, this sparkly substance will be applied slightly more liberally than you intended to, meaning Hatstand-goers are recognisable up to a week later as that tell-tale glinting fleck is still determinedly stuck to their face.

Hatstand’s music is definitely not to everyone’s taste, but upbeat house and electro dance mixed by rainbow covered DJs sets a good mood for the night. It makes a change from the standard Exeter playlist and fits in well when you’re surrounded by mystical laser beams and disco lights.

It may have been dubbed “Tragic Hat Stand” by some of the crueller locals, and the repetitive house music can grate if you’re heading there completely sober, but the presence of stupid accessories, rainbow face-paint and giant lampshades which are passed through the crowd for no good reason guarantees you’ll leave Cavern in an upbeat mood and with new friends bonded through a unanimous beglittering.

For fans of: deep house, glitter, wavy garms

TERM 1 LISTINGS SEPTEMBER 11 Clean Bandit DJ Set, Lemon Grove 12 Exeposé Music Showcase, Exeter Cavern 16 S-Club Party, Lemon Grove 22 Moon Hooch, Exeter Phoenix 22 Diiv, Bristol Thekla 26 The Hunna, Bristol Thekla 28 Mura Masa, Bristol Thekla 28 Ratboy, Anson Rooms, Bristol 29 Pendulum DJ Set + My Nu Leng, Lemon Grove

OCTOBER 4 You Me at Six, O2 Academy Bristol 5 Kano + Little Simz ,The Lemon Grove 8 Aurora, Bristol Trinity 12 The Amazons, The Crofter’s Rights Bristol 15 Akala, Move Exeter 18 Michael Kiwanuka, Exeter Phoenix 20 Feeder, The Lemon Grove 20 MØ, SWX Bristol 21 Julio Bashmore, Exeter Phoenix 22 Simple Things Festival, Various Venues in Bristol 23 Jagwar Ma, Marble Factory 23 John Carptenter: Live, Colston Hall Bristol 24 Band of Skulls, SWX Bristo 26 Spring King, Bristol Thekla 26 Eagulls, Fiddlers 29 Corrine Bailey Rae, Colston Hall in Bristol 29 DMA’s, Bristol Bierkeller 29 Eskimo Dance, O2 Academy Bristol 29 Black Foxxes, Exeter Cavern 30 James Blake, 02 Academy Bristol 31 Sunset Sons, The Lemon Grove

Katie Costello

ITCHY FEET Itchy Feet is for people who fancy a more unconventional party. For anyone who wants to dance, (really dance, not just bop your head to club shite), Itchy Feet combines classic Rock n’ Roll, Ska, R&B, Swing, Funk and Soul music, in order to provide a different and exciting experience. After starting as a low-key vintage dance night, Itchy Feet now operates in some 25 towns about five times a year, where they “come to relieve the clubbing boredom of the musically enlightened”. Exeter is luckily one of these towns, using several different venues throughout the year including Timepiece, The Phoenix, and Unit 1. So gear up your fancy outfit, think polka dots and waistcoats, and get ready to dance the night away. Be quick though with buying your tickets, as they always sell out very quickly!

NOVEMBER 4 Birdy, O2 Academy Bristol 5 The Specials, The Great Hall 9 Skindred, Lemon Grove 9 Bear’s Den, O2 Academy Bristol 11 Slaves, The Great Hall 13 Crystal Castles, Lemon Grove 16 Will Varley, Bristol Thekla 17 Tigercub, Exeter Cavern 22 Palace, Bristol Exchange 15 Crystal Fighters, O2 Academy Bristol 26 Laura Mvula, O2 Academy Bristol

DECEMBER 1 Hinds, Bristol Trinity 1 Muncie Girls, Exeter Cavern 9 Frightned Rabbit, Bristol Trinity

For fans of: 50s swing, braces, polka dots

Editors’ Picks: Ben Londesbrough

Michael Kiwanuka, Jagwar Ma, James Blake

Music societies A Cappella Beats & Bass Big Band Campus Bands ExTunes Gilbert & Sullivan

Jazz Orchestra K-Pop Rock & Metal Soul Choir Symphony Orchestra + many more

Sign up at the Freshers’ Fair or on the Guild Website

If you fancy reviewing any of these gigs for Exeposé, email us at music@exepose.com

screen

Best societies for film buffs

Exeter’s film-focused societies tell us why you should sign up this Freshers’ Week

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Accio Freshers! If you’re looking for a society that will bring a little bit of magic to your life, then your metaphorical Mirror of Erised is the Harry Potter Society. A Sorting Ceremony puts you into the house you belong in, trips are arranged to go on the Harry Potter Studios tour, and there’s even a Quidditch team which competes nationally if you feel like you’re the one that can get us the winning snitch! We already have 200 fellow members to accompany you to the Yule Ball and the End of Year Feast so you’ll be well placed to make up for the fact that you didn’t get your letter to Hogwar ts.

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Star Trek turns 50

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Victoria Bos, Science Editor, asks why the sci-fi franchise remains so popular

PACE: the final frontier. These famous words were first spoken on screens on 8 September 1966, sparking the start of the science fiction phenomenon that is Star Trek. Initially gaining tepid reviews and modest viewing figures, that original show has gone on to spawn a franchise that includes five television series, 13 movies, an animated series, books, comics, toys, and adoration in the hearts of millions of fans across the globe.

It’s so firmly embedded in pop culture that you will struggle to find someone who, even if they have never seen the show or films, does not recognise the Vulcan Salute - doesn’t know that famous, if inaccurate line, “Beam me up, Scotty”. So, after 50 years, how does Star Trek continue to captivate us?

For one thing, the characters throughout the franchise’s history have always been rich and interesting. Gene Rodenberry, the man who conceived the premise of Star Trek in the first place, always insisted that the characters of the show should represent the whole of Earth, and the universe that the ship was exploring. This lead to a multitude of extremely

unique characters throughout the shows and films. The Original Series included a black woman as a crewman in Uhura, something unheard of at the time, as well as an alien in Spock, a character who CBS wanted removed for looking “like the devil”, but who went on to become one of the most beloved in the series’ history.

From there we had Klingons, Borg, Holograms, and Ferengi all taking leading roles and all possessing their own unique characteristics, which viewers could relate to, despite their alien appearances. Even the various Captains possessed their own motivations, never simply copying those who went before them.

STAR TREK HAS TOUCHED ON MANY SENSITIVE TOPICS Another major reason for the series’ continued success is its impressive story-lines.

Science fiction, especially that from the 1960s, was typically kitsch and light-hearted. Though

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

it could be argued the styling of The Original Series fulfilled this with its chrome sets and brightly coloured costumes, the stories mostly avoided this trope. Throughout its history Star Trek has touched on many sensitive topics other shows wouldn’t dare to, including sexism, racism, genocide, torture, religion, and many more. Indeed, the first interracial kiss that aired on US television was between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura in the Original Series, whilst Chief Engineer Torres in Voyager watched firsthand the effects of a holocaust. This has kept the stories grounded and relevant, often with a moral lesson for viewers. That isn’t to say these morals are stuffed down your throat - indeed the writers did a very good job of blending serious content and humour, which helped ensure the show’s ranging appeal and relevance.

A final reason for Star Trek’s success is how broad the basic concept has always been, and how large and imaginative the universe has become. The initial idea of the continuing voyage of a ship was borrowed from the Western genre, which is what Rodenberry originally intended the show to be; a space western. Though Deep

Space Nine and some of the films have moved away from this premise, this open world allowed the Star Trek universe to expand in such a way that there is now so much to keep exploring.

52 unique species of aliens have been created within the franchise, all of them with their own histories and cultures.

Through various mediums and generations of fans, the series has remained fresh and true to it’s roots.

There is no end point.

Star Trek has had an immeasurable impact on a great many people, leaving a legacy that carries around the world. So, with the new show, Discovery, due to start streaming on Netflix next year, all that is left to say is live long and prosper, Star Trek. Here is to another 50 years of boldly going where no series has gone before.

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Squad goals

Jack Devoy gives his thoughts on the latest entry in the DC Universe SUICIDE SQUAD Director: David Ayer Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto 2016, 122 minutes

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UICIDE Squad was definitely a contender for the most anticipated film of the year; an all-star cast including Margot Robbie and Will Smith, brilliant trailers - everyone was set for excellence. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite get excellence. To say the film is terrible would be too harsh, it’s just too middle-of-the-road for a film with this much talent involved.

The story, in case you have somehow

missed the extraordinary volume of press for this film, is that the US government recruits a collection of the world’s most abhorrent supervillains to carry out the suicidal missions (get it) that the good guys won’t do. The plot sounds simple enough, yet with the ridiculous amount of characters involved, the film feels like the world’s darkest sketch show. Some of these were enjoyable; Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn alongside Jared Leto’s Joker have the most fun, although I found Diablo (Jay Hernandez) particularly annoying.

After introducing all these characters, trying to herd them all into a traditional narrative appears to be an almost impossible task.

Which for me, is the biggest problem this film has; why do we need a traditional narrative?

The best parts of the film are when the squad

fight amongst themselves, anything beyond this just seems forced. I would have been happier with more of the squad interacting against the excellent soundtrack, rather than watching the usual big-fight and explosion nonsense we get with every other superhero film.

IT’S TOO MIDDLE-OFTHE-ROAD FOR A FILM WITH THIS MUCH TALENT Suicide Squad certainly has its moments, and it will keep you easily entertained for two hours. But this isn’t really enough for a film that had so much riding on it. Maybe my expectations were too high, but in a year in which

Deadpool demonstrated the potential of a non-traditional superhero film, Suicide Squad just feels very lacklustre. If Suicide Squad was at the Olympics it would probably come fifth; perfectly acceptable, but not much more.

Suicide Squad may be an underwhelming experience, but it looks like a sequel is almost a certainty. At the time of writing, this film has made over $572 million worldwide, making it likely that studio executives will commission another effort. That money could be better spent, but I still hold out hope. The characters are interesting enough to suggest that a good film is within reach - a whole lot more screen time for Jared Leto would be a good start. I really want the next one to be better, but this first attempt is conclusive proof that you can never judge a film by its trailer.

Critics: what are they good for?

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Mark Allison, Screen Editor, looks at the disparity between critics and the Box Office

LEX Proyas, the much maligned director of I, Robot and Gods of Egypt, recently called film critics “a pack of diseased vultures pecking at the bones of a dying carcass”. As part of a bizarre Facebook rant, Proyas said that critics “have no personal taste or opinion”, and would soon be going “the way of the dinosaur or the newspaper”.

Popular film critic Mark Kermode, never one to take a beating lying down, responded that if he really was a “vulture”, then surely that made Proyas’ films as good as roadkill.

Although Proyas may hope to blame critics for the financial failure of his films, the reality is that professional movie criticism has very little impact on the box office. To take just one example, Michael Bay’s Transformers saga has received intense critical savaging with every new instalment, yet the two most recent entries soared past the $1 billion mark at the global box office. A similar story is true of the various Pirates of the Caribbean sequels; universal derision within critical circles, but unadulterated hits among the

film-going public.

This apparent paradox has felt more prescient recently, as a number of 2016’s biggest films received a notably poor reception in the press. The newest entries in the fledgling DC Universe, Batman V Superman and Suicide Squad, are both sitting on a decidedly “rotten” rating on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Meanwhile, the two films have earned a comfortable profit during their theatrical runs, despite a quibbling notion of “underperformance”. As far as the money is concerned, these big-budget, glossy franchise instalments are often too big to fail, regardless of what the critics have to say.

Positive reviews have a similarly negligible impact on a film’s chances at the box office. The controversial Ghostbusters remake and Star Trek Beyond

were both released this year to a surprisingly upbeat press response, but neither has really succeeded in earning its keep, thus bringing the future of both franchises into doubt. Of course, critical darlings often fail to reap millions – you’ll rarely see a blockbuster sweeping the awards ceremonies – but the authority of critics remains limited even when their praise is focussed on mainstream fare.

If the influence of critics is really so limited, then why do people appear to care so deeply about what they have to say? Part of this phenomenon is surely down to the growth of review aggregate websites. Pages like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic attempt to condense often hundreds of reviews into some kind of binary compromise, usually a rating out of 100. While this is helpful if a film is genuinely loved or hated on a

mass scale, it entirely fails to take diversity of criticism into account. By aggregating a broad range of opinions into a single figure, these websites rob film reviews of all their nuance, enforcing a consensus that may not actually exist. Many film buffs will no longer go to a single reviewer that they know and trust, but rather check if the assembled might of the world’s press have deemed a picture “rotten” or “fresh”.

FRANCHISE FILMS ARE OFTEN TOO BIG TO FAIL The result is that far more weight is given to critical consensus than is really warranted.

Narratives are quickly built around a film’s quality or popular reception, and these narratives don’t always reflect the lived reality of the cinema going public. Outside of the critical bubble, audiences remain as fickle and easily pleased as ever. The job of the critic is not to decide which films succeed and which do not, and the truth is that they rarely do.

games + tech

Tried turning it off and on again?

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Sam Woolf, Games + Tech Editor, talks to iRepair about devices at university

EGINNING your time at university can be a really exciting experience. Getting to know the people on your course, living away from home, and of course the funfilled whirlwind that is Freshers’ Week. Another big part of starting university is deciding what kind of device you use in your studies. So to aid you in your choice, and to do away with many common misconceptions regarding the topic, we interviewed Nikki Stephens from iRepair – a computer, mobile, and tablet repair shop located right here on campus.

Many students at the University will be looking to purchase a device to aid them in their studies. Between tablets, laptops, personal computers, and smartphones, which type of device would you personally recommend for new students starting in September?

Regarding phones, we would recommend iPhones and Sony Xperia as they are tough and are relatively cheap to repair in comparison to other models such as Samsung, and also have a lot less manufacturing defects.

Tablets: we recommend brand names only as again they are affordable to repair in comparison to others which work out not necessarily viable to fix as the repair would cost more than what the tablet is worth!

Brand names are normally built better and can be less likely to break in the first place.

When it comes to laptops we would suggest Mac or Windows laptop with minimum i3 processor in order to keep up with the work load the students may have.

just turning on. Most of us know Windows and one tab of Google Chrome eats up 4GB of RAM. Tablets do not make good main machines for university!

Are there any specific devices that you would personally recommend to these students?

Macs have great reliability but you can also pick up great laptops with three years warranty that are perfect for uni students. Get what you can afford as this is an investment in your degree and future! Don’t put your degree on the line to save a few quid!

Which operating system would you say best fulfils the needs of the average student; Windows 10 or OSX? Also, between Apple and Microsoft, which company would you say provides the most reliable operating system?

The average student will only require a Windows laptop; we recommend the minimum specs of i3 processor 4GB RAM and a decent size storage drive. Some courses will require a Mac due to the software used etc, but this is not always the case. Ultimately OS X is more reliable, but not invincible. Macs not being able to get viruses is a myth, we remove just as many viruses from Macs as we do Windows machines. It’s just that you can’t always see them, which in some cases is more dangerous!

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BYTE-SIZE BLAST FROM THE PAST

Mini Retro Reviews ENDLESS OCEAN Arika - Wii 2007 David Agnew AAAB

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

In your experience, are there any specific devices or brands that you frequently have to repair due to unreliability?

HP laptops having a serious overheating and hinge issues; we see a lot of these devices! All too often we are now seeing laptops and Macs which aren’t fit for purpose. 64GB isn’t enough storage space for the average Mac user and we are now seeing machines with 32GB SSD’s and 2GB RAM being advertised as great for students: they really aren’t. Their processors struggle

What are the most common technical problems that students come to you with?

Unfortunately, accidents happen and we see a lot of water damaged devices, broken screens, and viruses which have been downloaded whilst streaming movies.

DON’T PUT YOUR DEGREE ON THE LINE How would you recommend students back up their data?

We suggest backing up onto the cloud via such services as Dropbox. When it comes to uni work, save the file there, and open it from there as it will be 99% safe. Every now and then, send any important docs to yourself via email just in case. A USB shouldn’t be used as a storage device, it should be used for transferring files or a last resort backup. USB sticks fail a lot and data can be extremely hard to recover, and in some cases impossible!

Does “turning it off and on again” genuinely work as a computer repair technique?

On some faults this works, a lot of updates can disable features until the restart has been done or the machine goes into a system protect mode as something has happened that it doesn’t like.

Cracked phone screens are a common problem for students. What precautions can students take to prevent any screen related incidents?

We always recommend tempered glass and a silicone/rubber or a tough case if possible, but we know people don’t like putting cases on their nice phones. Unfortunately, each new model that comes out is getting more expensive to repair so it’s definitely worth protecting your phone to help prevent it breaking. When insured there can be an excess which is more expensive than a screen replacement but it is still worth having as this covers liquid damage and theft etc.

Any other words of wisdom?

Laptops aren’t really called laptops any more.

They are now notebooks, and the reason for this is they aren’t designed to be used on your lap, bed or any other non-flat surface. The reason for this is that on the base and back/ side of all of these machines is the in/out take for the laptops cooling system. When this is obstructed the laptops can hit extreme temperatures of over 90C which is when internal components begin to get damaged. Whilst on your lap/duvet/sofa a notebook fan will slowly pull the fibres out, and will result in the cooling system being blocked. This would then require the laptop to be fully taken apart and serviced. It’s also a fire risk!

Thanks very much for taking the time to talk to us. Where can students find you?

We are on the ground floor of Devonshire House, next to the Hair Pod. Also, our Facebook page currently has loads of deals just for students. iRepair also have a branch on Fore Street

Endless Ocean is a game all about the experience of scuba diving… and that’s all there is to it. All you do in the game is dive underwater and explore the depths of the ocean. You can go spelunking in submerged crystalline caverns or delve deep in to the dark depths, but beyond exploration there really isn’t much to the game. Similar to series such as Fallout or The Elder Scrolls, Endless Ocean gives you this vast game world to explore at your own pace but unlike those series there are no enemies, no power ups, and no obstacles in your way. Endless Ocean ignores the conventions of modern gaming and instead urges players to just relax and lose themselves in its vibrant marine world dominated by colourful coral reefs and vast stretches of open water. Think “No Man’s Sea”.

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EDITORS: Jabez Sherrington and Sam Woolf

No Man’s Lie

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RETRO GAMES SOCIETY

tions involving new and exciting features and mechanics such as space worms, portals, and multiplayer. A proper response would have been to manage expectations and simply state “we are not currently implementing it in the release version”. Instead, Sean would often slyly smile, shrug his shoulders and say “maybe”. To the almost-religious fans, this was nothing less than a confirmation; Sean did not deny it, so it must be there. The only way on from this point was down – a game that reached peak hype could never perform as well as expected (the Half-Life 3 conundrum).

Only a week before the game was set to be released on PlayStation4, a Reddit user by the name of ‘Daymeeuhn’ voiced his thoughts on the game due to having received a pre-release copy. This proved to be a major blip in the community’s excitement, as the footage and review provided by the user were highly negative. His criticisms later proved to be justified, as Hello Games were forced to rush out a Day One patch for the game to add in some of the features missing in Daymeeuhn’s copy, as well as fixing some broken mechanics that allowed him to reach the centre of the universe in around 30 hours, which was a far cry from the 100 hours promised by Murray in another interview.

Frustratingly, it is unlikely, this game will prove to be the turning point with regards to the pre-order culture that is overwhelming the gaming community. Despite the fact that many have been aggravated by having to spend £50 for what was essentially an indie game still in development, Sony and Hello Games have still made staggering amounts of money. Also, it’s only fair to mention that many fans feel happy with the released product, so I doubt any long-term repercussions await the studio.

Nonetheless, No Man’s Sky will certainly be recorded in the annuals of gaming history as an example of how hype can make, and break, a game.

Known for their weekly fun-filled arcade sessions, Retro Games Society is the place to be if you want to meet fellow gamers studying at the University. You’ll get to travel back to a simpler time of polygons and pixels, and experience titles such as Star Wars Battlefront II, TowerFall, and Crash Team Racing.

POKÉMON SOCIETY Whether you’re an experienced trainer or merely a rookie wandering around playing Pokémon Go, if you have an interest in Pokémon, Pokémon Society is the place for you! This year the society plan to host events such as 3DS tournaments, movie showings, Pokémon GO pub crawls and a trip to the midnight release of Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon in November.

E-SPORTS SOCIETY From Overwatch and Rocket League to Heroes of the Storm and even the occasional fundraising LAN party it’s all here for you to get stuck into. E-Sports society is also part of the National University e-Sports League (NUEL) and often sends teams to compete in official competitions. Additionally, there are frequent social sessions featuring online and offline games.

GAMES SOCIETY Who said that games have to be all about fancy high definition displays and button mashing? With the Games Society members focus on board games, card games, and roleplaying games. Meeting on a weekly basis, the more traditional gaming sessions held by the society really can be a great way to unwind.

POKER SOCIETY Do you know your straight flush from your royal flush?

Whether you’ve always wanted to get into poker, or if you’re a seasoned pro looking to put your bluffing to the test, the Poker Society have you covered. The society holds a weekly £5 buy in tournament, and if you do well enough there is a chance to travel to the UK Student Poker Championship.

CHESS SOCIETY With the Chess Society members can spend time socialising through friendly matches, honing their skills through competitive battle, and even working towards representing the University on the society’s official team. You don’t have to be a pro though; the society welcomes players of all skill levels.

CROSSWORD # 86

SUDOKU #23 Down 1 Identical (4) 2 Satisfy (a person, say) (7) 3 Juicy fruit (5) 4 Aromatic spice (6) 6 Broadcasting (2,3) 7 Diminish (7) 8 Get the better of (someone) (6) 13 Hotel porter (7) 14 Piece of playground equipment (6) 16 Vigilant (2,5) 17 See 12 Across 19 See 22 21 Come next (5) 22/19 1 Across 13 Across 15r and 12 17 holder, the winner of Britain’s first 5 9 at the 2016 Summer Olympics (4,5)

PUZZLES BY ALFRED

12/17 World record, 13/15 Breaststroke, 18 Lapse, 20 Energy, 23

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Across: 1 Swimming, 5/9 Gold medal, 10 Tsunami, 11 Plunge,

Across 1 Aquatic sport (8) 5/9 First prize (in athletics, say) (4,5) 10 Destructive sea wave - am I nuts? (anagram) (7) 11 Jump (into water, say) (6) 12/17 Global best time (5,6) 13/15 Type of 1 Across (12) 18 Mistake (5) 20 Get-up-and-go (6) 23 Swagger (7) 24 Rise to your feet (5) 25 Child’s toy (2-2) 26 Dud named (anagram) - appendix (to a book, say) (8)

Bravado, 24 Stand, 25 Yo-yo, 26 Addendum. Down: 1 Same,

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INSERT COIN TO PLAY Gaming societies at the University of Exeter

Ben Assirati, Online Games + Tech Editor, has a close encounter of the worst kind with Hello Games

O Man’s Sky was inarguably one of the most anticipated games in recent years, generating buzz across many communities with its promise of exploring the ultimate sandbox: space. The hook was deceptively simple: you have a spaceship, and you travel through the universe, exploring planets and discovering new biomes, minerals, plant-life, and animals as you go. All of this would also be procedurally generated, so every single player would have a completely unique journey.

The excitement only increased upon the game’s E3 debut at Sony’s E3 2014 conference. The trailer was everything players wanted, and more; lush planets, herds of interactive animals, and full-blown interstellar travel. This was Hello Games’ first mistake. Trailers are meant to capture the imagination of the public, reeling them in with both concept and creativity. A trailer should exaggerate the positives and brush over the negatives – it should portray the game in the best possible light. Hello Games, and Sony, went one step beyond, and showed mechanics, animals, and graphics in the trailer that were nowhere to be seen upon release of the game – in other words, the trailer was a lie.

The hype surrounding these prospective space adventures was only consolidated by the interviews and press snippets involving lead designer, Sean Murray. His public appearances were few and far between, and whilst this was not necessarily a bad thing, Murray appeared to have no grasp on the hype that quickly snowballed out of control. In the few interviews he did, he was bombarded with ques-

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016

2 Indulge, 3 Melon, 4 Nutmeg, 6 On air, 7 Dwindle, 8 Outwit, 13

| GAMES + TECH

Bellboy, 14 Seesaw, 16 On guard, 21 Ensue, 22/19 Adam Peaty.

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Science

FRESHERS’ WEEK 2016 |

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SCIENCE EDITORS: Victoria Bos Beth Honey

Invisibility cloak: fact or fiction?

Jessica Stanier, Online Editor, looks at the new research that could make the invisibility cloak an industrial reality

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NVISIBILITY cloaks have been the stuff of legend for millennia. From the mantle of Welsh fairy-tales to the Japanese kakuremino, people the world over have imagined fashioning a magical fabric that can hide anything or anyone in plain sight. Closer to home, Exeter alumna JK Rowling famously included an invisibility cloak in her fictional trinity of magical objects - the Deathly Hallows.

Thanks to new scientific breakthroughs at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), this iconic object of folklore may be a step closer to reality. Researchers at the School of Electronic Engineering have succeeded in disappearing

an object using nano-particles in a composite material.

While we may not have reached Harry Potter levels of invisibility yet, the principles behind the magic are similar. To make an object invisible, it should be indistinguishable from its background. The cloak should affect any wavelength or colour of light to fully disappear the object from the viewer.

The cloaking device at QMUL allows curved surfaces to appear flat to electromagnetic waves. By applying seven distinct layers of the composite material, the resultant structure is able to cloak an object that would have caused waves to be scattered, and therefore be detected.

Co-author, Professor Yang Hao from QMUL’s School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, said: “The design is based upon transformation optics, a concept behind the idea of the invisibility cloak.

The cloaking device at Queen Mary allows curved surfaces to appear flat to electromagnetic waves

Previous research has shown this technique working at one frequency. However, we can demonstrate that it works at a greater range of frequencies making it more useful for other engineering applications, such as nano-antennas and the aerospace industry.”

The principles behind this design can be applied elsewhere, from acoustic to optics, to control of any kind of electromagnetic surface waves. Invisibility cloaks are transitioning from their fictional origins, being demonstrated with the laws of physics, and may find application in industry within a matter of years, with objects being able to be placed in locations that would have previously caused the waves to scatter.

These claims are, of course, to be taken with a pinch of salt. The materials used in these research experiments are often highly dispersive and face the challenge of resulting in strong refraction. Also, some light may still be absorbed by the material and object, so the object is slightly opaque and therefore detectable. We’re still a far throw from donning invisibility cloaks ourselves.

Perfecting the process is still something of a dark art, but this research is an important step towards real world application within various different industries across the world. Who knows, JK Rowling may have been predicting our futures? The cloak may not be simply fiction after all.

Booze on the brain

Katalina Karamani explores the various effects of alcohol on our brain chemistry and her own experiences

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LCOHOL is one of those things that will come up a lot at university, particularly during Fresher’s Week. When I first started at Exeter, I was determined not to make a fool of myself and do something I might regret. This lasted for about a month, and once I started to drink, it was very difficult to stop. This led me to feel exhausted all the time, needing naps nearly every day.

Many people think that when you drink you go to sleep really easily, especially as a lot of people just pass out once they get in from a night out. However, even a few drinks can cause you to go straight into deep sleep, thereby missing out on rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. On an average night, one has 6-7 cycles of REM sleep which allows you to wake up feeling refreshed but when drinking you often only have around 1-2 cycles of REM sleep,

leading to exhaustion.

One night in particular, I drank far too much and remember very little of the evening. ‘Blackouts’ are caused by a rapid increase in blood alcohol concentration, which then distorts the activity of neurons in the hippocampus and therefore impairs the ability to form new episodic memories.

I fell over a lot that night and had to be carried up the lift and to bed; the reason

Darwin’s Dogs A new project labelled Darwin’s Dogs has been set up at the University of Massachusetts in order to identify specific genes that underlie a multitude of mental illnesses. Over 7000 dog owners have voluntarily provided behaviour profiles as well as their dog’s DNA to the project, which will then be analysed for mutations correlating with a specific illness.

for ‘falling-down drunk’ is the effect that alcohol has on the cerebellum. It is the centre of movement and balance and so when alcohol affects this area, there is often a lack of control.

There were also nights where I was surrounded by lots of new people and felt out of my comfort zone so drank to compensate. And yes, it did make me feel more confident and therefore more able

to be myself but only up until a certain point. Alcohol increases levels of norepinephrine, which is the neurotransmitter responsible for arousal. This explains why someone experiences more excitement and happiness when they start drinking.

Alcohol also increases levels of dopamine in the brain, which makes people feel good due to the strong role this neurotransmitter plays within the brain’s ‘reward center’.

However, it should be noted that this feeling can diminish over time, which is what leads to alcoholism, and also depending on the quantity of alcohol being consumed can serve as a depressant.

Alcohol can be extremely fun though and I’ve discovered that more in my second year. It’s sometimes nice to be completely care-free and act a bit silly and alcohol is one way of achieving this state, but it’s important to remember that you don’t need to compensate for being a little shy with a lot of alcohol. That way you can enjoy your week and your university career here at Exeter without looking back on it with any alcohol induced regrets.

If you’re struggling with any issues covered by this article or others, search for Wellbeing Information Directory for support and advice.

Biweekly Breakthroughs Coma Brain Stimulation The University of California are the first to use an effective, but non invasive, technique of stimulating thalamic brain cells back into function in a comatose man. Ultrasound technology was used to excite the thalamic neurons in the brain, which play a crucial role in consciousness and voluntary movement. Responses of consciousness and language comprehension remarkably improved following treatment.

Internet Memories As the breadth of technology grows year on year, so does our reliance on it to help us with memory recall. Memory recently published an article detailing how increased use of the internet to aid in memory dependent tasks inflates subsequent use of this tool in future situations.

Accurate memory appears to be becoming less essential in daily life.

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More than just a kickabout

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Lara Hopkins, Sport Editor, speaks to Declan Read, EUAFC’s Social Secretary, about trials, Freshers’ Week and football’s biggest event of the year, Varsity

HEN asked what they expect to do at university many future freshers reply with “socialising”. This mixing happens on flat nights out, during subject events and, of course, at sport team socials.

These socials don’t come out of nowhere. They are the product of a special type of committee member: the social secretary. It isn’t an easy job, and in the past socials have, rightly or wrongly, landed teams in hot water. To learn more about this responsibility, as well as more about the club as a whole, I met with one of Exeter University Football Club’s social secs, Declan Reed.

Sitting in the rather appropriate setting of a Devon pub that Declan helps his father run, we dive right into one of the more controversial topics many social secs have to consider: how new students are treated. Declan, quite rightly, defends the rules sports clubs enforce. He explains, “Part of my role is to try and build characters throughout the year and see who excels. Those who have the right personality and attitude will have the opportunity to lead the club in the future.”

Having been a member of a couple of Exeter’s sports clubs myself, I have seen how events can help highlight those with potential for committee positions.

Those who have the right attitude have the opportunity to lead the club Whilst on the topic of club fixtures, Declan revealed plans for a new mentor system. All new members will be paired with a third-year student to guide their way through the club, whether this be advice with training, support during socials, or just plain explanations of how university works.

This is also a great idea to help junior members get to know the elder members better, as many of them will be in different

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Photo: Natasa Christofidou teams and therefore different socials.

Individual team socials are held once a month at that captain’s house to make meetings more personal, with all club members gathering at Timepiece after, an Exeter student’s favourite Wednesday night haunt.

During his first year Declan found these team socials to be an easier way to show his personality, and it was in this smaller group where he found some of his real friends.

EUAFC has five teams competing in the British University and Colleges Sports (BUCS) leagues, making it one of Exeter’s biggests BUCS clubs. These teams, and another two, also play in local leagues, with

yet another four competing in intramural.

“Anyone joining the football club will have a place in the club, and anyone who wants to play games will play games,” states Declan. There is clearly plenty of football at a variety of levels, so whatever your ability don’t be afraid to have a go.

Although trials are in Freshers’ Week, Declan stresses that this is not the be all and end all - he didn’t even turn up to his.

Despite skills being assessed and players being put into teams for practice games, committee members and coaches are merely trying to find the obvious talent for immediate matches.

Even if you are not instantly picked for one of the top teams, things can quick-

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Also a chance to grab some press passes to Exeter City and Chiefs games!

ly change. As Declan explains, “You will have chances to work your way up; someone even went from 7s to 1s in their first year.”

Declan himself didn’t play for one of Exeter’s BUCS teams during his first year, instead he played for the 7s, moving up to the 4s and BUCS competition for his second year. In true social sec style, he says “This was a great experience, travelling around the South West with many different clubs”.

Playing outside of BUCS didn’t dampen his enthusiasm either. Instead, it allowed him to fully enjoy everything Exeter has to offer, from Wednesday socials to other events, such as Exeter Racecourse’s

student day and paintballing. Both of these more sober events will hopefully become part of EUAFC’s calendar.

For those with a first year workload, Declan’s advice is to “enjoy yourself in first year and take your football more seriously later on.”

Another thing for all students both new and old to look forward to is the football varsity. This will be held on 12 October and probably against one of the 1s rivals in BUCS Western 1A Division.

As usual, the event will be held at St James’ Park, the home of Exeter City, which is surrounded by student houses and is only a very short walk from campus.

Cheerleaders, the Exeter Emeralds, will also be performing.

Hopefully the match will be as exciting as last year, where Exeter drew 2-2 with the very last kick of the game. With tickets selling for only £5, this is a brilliant chance for the whole university to go and support their footballers.

This ticket is included in the price of joining the club, which at £160 may seem a bit steep. However, for this you receive all the Exeter branded football kit you need (and sports stash is a necessity here), all entries and travel to matches, and the opportunity to make your best university memories with your favourite people.

Whatever your level of ability, don’t be afraid to just have a go The most important advice Declan has for football freshers is, “get involved.

Be committed. Some of the best things happen outside the main socials, such as the Exmouth beach day. Put yourself out there from the beginning.” To everyone else, “join a sport. Your best memories will be made there, with the best people.”

EUAFC can be joined at the Freshers’ Fair or online at the Guild website.

Sport Meet and Greet The Imperial 14 September at 17:30–20:00 The Exeposé Sport team will be taking a trip down to every Exeter student’s favourite Wetherspoons, The Imperial. Join us for a chance to meet the Sport Editors, as well as the opportunity to get to know some of the other sport writers.

Print team: Owain Evans Lara Hopkins Online: James Angove Ollie Lund

The ones you didn’t think of...

Committee members of the more unique AU clubs why you should visit them this week

Sub Aqua

Ultimate Frisbee

I quickly felt welcomed by the friendly EUSAC atmosphere.

Throughout the year I enjoyed frequent dive trips all around the South coast, with weekend outings being regularly made to Vobster Quay for new diver training. These trips allowed me to hone my diving skills.

The club offers many training opportunities, including its most popular ‘BSAC Ocean Diver’ course for people who are completely new to diving.

‘Ocean Diver’ trainees can complete the course and join us on the recreational trips as soon as Christmas.

The pinacle of the year is the club dive trip, which this year went to the clear warm waters of Tenerife. This is a highlight for divers throughout the club and is consistently filled with those new to the sport.

Therefore, whether you are completely new and fancy giving diving a go, or have vast experience of the sport, you will not regret joining EUSAC.

I joined Exeter Ultimate Frisbee at the beginning of second year, and I greatly regret having not joined as a fresher. Ultimate is a fantastic sport for beginners. Don’t worry about everyone being better than you because almost everyone who plays starts at uni and top players are very keen to help everyone develop their abilities.

It is a fast paced game, requiring speed, athleticism and technical ability. Ultimate is built on ‘spirit’, meaning the game is completely self officiated. The more experienced players are always there to help you learn and remember the rules!

The spirit of the game is reflected in the Ultimate community which is very warm and welcoming. I have made many friends from all over the southwest and beyond in just one year of playing!

Whether you’re a fresher or a returning student looking for something fun and different to do this year then why not sign up for Ultimate Frisbee.

Cheerleading You may have heard Exeter University’s unofficial slogan: “Probably the best university in the world”.

Well, I can tell you that at probably the best university in the world, Cheerleading and Gymnastics IS the best club at the university. I wanted to join a sports or dance society that was fun and welcoming, but also trained to a high standard. This club was the perfect answer.

Each year our squads win award after award and we continue to push ourselves further to master harder stunts, more complex choreography and new impressive tumbles. The club is the definition of “work hard, play hard”.

All of our nine squads work incredibly hard, yet still let loose at our legendary Wednesday night socials!

The club does, by no means, live up to the American stereotype, with most of us having started out not knowing anyone else in the club and as complete beginners!

Everyone is always willing to help.

The society has always been inclusive of everyone - and yes boys, that means you can join too! All of our members make friends from Day One! So if you’ve been doing flics since you were two or have never even heard of the sport before, try it out! Joining was the best decision I made whilst at Exeter and I’ve never looked back.

Riding Societies and clubs are what make your university experiences truly memorable, and joining Exeter University Riding Club was certainly the best thing I’ve done.

From never having ridden before to potential GB team hopefuls all of our members have a wide range of abilities The best part about being in the Riding Club is how fun, friendly, and integrated all of our members are. We have weekly group riding lessons for beginners, intermediate, and advanced riders, so you’ll find a group to suit your ability.

More experienced riders can trial for one of our four teams; our 1s were BUCS Nationals Reserve Champions this year and compete up to 1m20!

Societies and clubs are what make your university experience Being in Exeter, we’re so close to both Dartmoor and an abundance of beaches along the Devon coast. We make the most of the riding opportunities these bring us, including beach ride, swimming with horse, mock hunts, and hacks across Dartmoor, to name only a few!

By joining the Riding Club you’ll make some memories you’ll never forget and go on nights you may never remember!”

Basketball W h a t I love most about the Men’s Basketball club is that it is so diverse in what it offers for people who are either new or experienced have a lot of experience of the sport.

The teams themselves are always fun to be around and to play with, combining both the competitiveness needed to play the matches, but keeping the fun of the games really visible too. The social aspect of the club is also very strong. Everyone in the club knows each other and mix outside of the basketball court.

The club is always welcoming new members at any time of the year, regardless of their skill level, as we are a club that values enjoyment over anything else.

Intramural leagues allow for players who are completely new to the sport to learn some of the basic skills, and play competitive games against each whilst having a great time.

We hope to see many new faces in the club this year, so join us!

Rifle As someone with little previous shooting experience, the prospect of joining a shooting club seemed, at first glance, fairly illogical and hard to justify.

However my first year as a member of the University of Exeter Rifle Club has done more than justify my daring decision to sign the membership papers.

Not only does shooting with the club develop your self-confidence whilst also improving your ability to work well under pressure, it also places you in a community of friendly, peer-motivating individuals who have everyone’s best interests at heart.

I’ve made a plethora of new friends during my year in the rifle club, helping me engage in a range of socials in and out of the club.

Some of the best days of my first year have also certainly been on our shooting trips to the National Shooting Centre in Bisley, with the shooting side and the social side being an experience like no other.

If concentrated on, shooters can progress in the sport with ease. Therefore, new shooters are not at a disadvantage at all, as I have learned.

This is exemplified by the US shooter, Ginny Thrasher, won gold at the Rio Olympics this year after having only been shooting for four years.

So, if you want a shot at Tokyo 2020, come and speak to us!

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AU President Josh Callander

Polo The world of polo may seem wildly beyond reach to many university students. It certainly did to me. However, after a friend recommended the club I soon became addicted. Not many things compare to galloping down an open stretch of field, with five other people in hot pursuit as you attempt to hit a tennis ball sized object from a horse.

Many of our members have never sat on a horse, yet sometimes end up playing better than our experienced riders. With subsidised lessons and no obligation to commit to training every week, this is the best opportunity you’ll have to be able to play polo. This year will also see the beginning of a national tournament, organised to help polo become part of BUCS. Forget the stereotypes, our members are from all walks of life. We are working to make polo as student budget friendly as possible. Join us for life long friendships, a few bruises and the opportunity to tell some great stories.

Fencing Have you ever wanted to push your physical ability? Try a completely unique sport? Or see how long you’d last if you were actually in Game of Thrones? If the answer to any of these is yes, then maybe it’s time you gave fencing a go. At the fencing club we can offer you the opportunity to be trained in a unique kind of sport and one-on-one combat.

Have you ever wanted to push your physical ability?

Our two fantastic coaches will help you hone your skills to compete against each other, rival universities, or even nationally should you wish to try your luck again. Training allows you to test and develop your skills against one another, engage in socials with both beginners and squad members, and be a part of a friendly, competitive and welcoming environment.

Want to try it yourself? Come along to one of our taster sessions for a peek into how the club runs and ask our committee any burning questions, or take a look at the Olympic coverage online to see how the professionals do it.

Fencing is fun, competitive, fast, and addictive. Besides, what other sport do you get to fight with swords?

CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE Such student athletes are incredibly impressive. To name only a couple, Sam Skinner captains the Men’s Rugby 1s whilst training and playing for Exeter Chiefs, whilst Poppy Leitch similarly turns out for both Exeter and England women’s rugby.

You’ve just got to go and do something fun However, this does not mean there is not room for you to get involved with the top teams. Exeter University Women’s Rugby Club is one example of where beginners can play with top players and world class coaches.

It was not only Josh’s love of sport that made his campaign. “I always wanted to be involved and give back to Exeter because it gave me a fantastic three years,” he explained. “I also really like this up and coming trend of university sport to embrace social media and video content” In recent weeks this has become very clear, with two promotional videos having already been released. “Both have gone very well on social media. They’ve been seen over 20,000 and reached over 50,000 people!”” There are many more videos from the Sports Park in the pipeline, so keep an eye out for these over the next few weeks.

Josh’s main advice for Freshers’ Week is, “Reject your hangover! You can go and fall in love with a new sport, you can go and meet your best friend for life, but you can’t do that in bed complaining that your head’s hurting. Drink some water have some paracetamol and just embrace it. You’ve just got to go and do something fun and thankfully at Exeter there’s loads of fun stuff to do, whether that be sport or something else.”

Go on, get out, and try something new today.

Sport

FRESHERS’ ISSUE 2016 |

Try something new: Have a go at a different sport

A Fresh Start: Meet EUAFC’s Social Sec, Declan Read

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EXEPOSÉ

SPORT EDITORS: Owain Evans Lara Hopkins

It’s time to #BleedGreen

Exeposé Sport chats to AU President Josh Callander about all things Exeter

J

OSH Callander is a man who loves Exeter University sport.

He loves it so much he spent a very hard week campaigning in order to be elected as the President of the Athletics Union. His role, primarily, is to represent the students at the University of Exeter on all matters sporting and physical activity.

Mixed netball on a Sunday night is great fun, although the rules completely baffle me This does not just mean Exeter’s elite sports clubs and athletes - Josh wants everyone to get involved. As he explains, “one of the areas I think we’re almost missing are those students who come to university and don’t become a member of an AU club, so we

are targeting those students by putting on more informal sporting activities.”

One such activity that has already been approved is a free weekly circuit session, which will be held every Monday from 5-6pm in the Sports Park. This will be capable of hosting around 150 students, including those who come to university “not knowing their spin bikes from their weight machines,” joked Josh.

“I hope this will allow students who have an interest in physical activity and want to maintain physical wellbeing to do so without having to be intimidated by walking into the gym, or worrying about what gym shoes to purchase or what outfit to wear.” It certainly sounds like a great way to get people started.

Another way to encourage the less sporty at Exeter are the intramural competitions. With ten leagues involving both mixed and single sex teams across hockey, football, touch rugby

and netball, there is something for everyone.

“Teams can be flats, subjects, anything really,” said Josh. “Mixed netball on a Sunday night is great fun, although the rules completely baffle me.”

With a very approachable nature it’s easy to see why he was elected. Despite not being one of Exeter’s headline athletes, Josh threw himself into university sport during his time as an undergraduate.

A lot of our main rivals have lower grade tarriffs than ourselves As we’ve been advising you to do, the new AU President tried a new sport at Exeter. “I’d played a lot of football, rugby and cricket at school, had a few injuries, so thought I would

stop all that and play something a bit less intense, not quite realising what American Football involved,” he explained.

“I dislocated, tore and fractured my shoulder in pre-season training.”

Ouch. Despite missing all of second year and most of third with this injury, Josh still threw himself into club duties. Having been elected Publicity Secretary he went on to become Club Captain for his final year.

Supporting Exeter is another way students can really get involved with sport. Having been named the Times Sports University of the Year 2016, our university not only boasts brilliant facilities and a fantastic sports science programme, but also some incredible teams.

One of Josh’s highlights of last season was when the men’s rugby team beat Loughborough, our main rivals, at Twickenham to take BUCS gold.

Another great event was the hockey

Varsity, which saw over a thousand students go up to support both men and women at the Sports Park.

With a very approachable nature, it is easy to see why Josh was elected Unbelievable performances from these teams and many others helped Exeter to secure their joint best ever finish in the BUCS table - 5th position - and it’s Josh’s aim to consolidate that.

“Many of our main rivals have lower grade tariffs then ourselves, which can be annoying for recruiting student athletes. Here, you have to be a student first and an athlete second. This can be a juggling act at times but we have services in place to help people.”

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