Exeposé Issue 659, 24 October 2016

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ISSUE 659 24 OCT 2016 exepose.com

Natasa Christofidou News Editor

Mind the gender pay gap

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

From creepy costumes and cannibalism to scary soundtracks and screams on screen...

Photo: Sachi Minami

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EMALE staff members at the University of Exeter are expected to earn 21 per cent less than their male counterparts - whilst the gender pay gap for academics is, on average, 16.7 per cent.

According to an Exeposé Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the University’s gender pay gap has a mean value of £8,476 for all staff members, whereas the gap for professors is £2.465. There is a distinct difference between pay discrimination of professors, compared to academics and staff members more broadly.

Dr. Emily Bernhard Jackson, an English lecturer at the University gave Exeposé her perspective on the issue, highlighting the University’s responsibility to “equalise pay across the spectrum” of all University employees. “There’s an overarching issue with lecturers’ salaries in that they all lag behind inflation and cost of living by roughly 14 per cent,” she said. “However, the gender pay gap specifically highlights the inequality of women in academia at all levels, from cleaners to professors.”

Furthermore, Dr. Bernhard Jackson emphasised the difference between the salaries of permanent professors at the University and those of staff members: “Equal pay isn’t just a question of justice for staff members, but a material necessity if they are to meet their basic needs.”

A professor from the College of Social Sciences and International Relations also offered their take on the pay difference: “Sociologically speaking, we gravitate towards people who are similar to us, so men will tend to employ and respect other men due to certain societal preconceived ideas,” they told Exeposé. “So as much as people like to deny this, prejudice is essentially subconscious and that’s something that should be tackled.”

Despite the University’s work in reducing the gender pay difference for professors...

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

Comment Editors Print: Bea Fones & Matthew Newman Online: Olivia Horncastle & Rowan Keith comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Georgina Bolam & Katie Jenkins Online: Samuel Fawcett & Kate Jones features@exepose.com Lifestyle Editors Print: Jade Beard & Laurel Bibby Online: Alma Crespo & Lucy Ronan lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: 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 Mahinfar Online: Cormac Dreelan & James Hands screen@exepose.com Games + Tech Editors Print: Jabez Sherrington & Sam Woolf Online: Ben Assirati & Jonathan Land games@exepose.com

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O, Halloween is here, and that only means one thing: it’s officially autumn, and the start of dreaded deadline season.

What better way to cheer yourself up then to check out our seasonal offerings in this week's issue?

Our front page story deals with an issue that’s unique not just to the University, but across the globe. We exclusively reveal the extent of the University’s gender pay gap - and by how much women are getting paid less then men. It’s shocking that despite winning awards for their commitment to gender equality, a significant gender pay gap still exists at Exeter, and it’s something we should all be concerned about. Why should men be paid more than women? Check out the story to find out the university’s justification.

Elsewhere in News, there’s been spooky and sinister occurances, not just in Exeter, but across the UK - in the bizarre form of clowns. Now, we understand that clowns are a bit of a Marmite subject, but these ‘killer clowns’ hitting our high streets aren’t your typical children’s entertainment clowns. Oh no...

Students have been left pretty freaked out after some close encounters in Exeter with the pranksters.

Stay safe over Halloween folks - and watch out for the Purge on 30 October...

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 Sachi Minami & Wang Yong Yan photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Amy Batley, Jack Morgan Jones & Ashton Wenborn Proofers Evan Jones, Helen Payne, Isabel Taylor, Giusy Urbano, Olly Telling, Jessica Stanier, Owain Evans, Theodore Stone, Rory Marcham

@ 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.

Over in Comment, we have an incredibly moving and personal piece from a writer who discusses the impact being sexual assaulted had on his mental health. Male sexual abuse is a topic that - wrongly - isn't often discussed, or even acknowledged, and we’re grateful to Nick for sharing his story publicly.

We're students and let's be honest, we all care about housing - specifically, how the hell are we ever going to be able to afford to live anywhere that's not uni, let alone London? Features interviews the Minister for Housing and Planning, Gavin Barwell, on all things accommodation.

Lifestyle checks out yet another new Guildhall eatery and tackles that most Exetah of problems: in favour of the avocado or not? Or if 'creepypasta' is more your kind of thing than smashed avocado on toast (don’t worry, we hadn’t heard of it until this week either), then Arts + Lit and Games + Tech have worked together to explore this bizarrely-named craze.

Screen check out Louis Theroux's debut feature-length film My Scientology Movie (viewing at the Picturehouse now.)

That's all from us, but as ever, we're always on our website as an interesting and (we hope) informative source for procrastination.

send your comments to editors@exepose.com

'Killer clown' craze reaches Exeter PAGE 4 Wikipedia

Flickr / Mathilda Samuelsson

News Editors Print: Rachel Ashenden & Natasa Christofidou Online: Georgia Roberts & David Smeeton news@exepose.com

Editorial.

Watch your step

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COMMENT Halloween costumes: everything goes! (except cultural appropriation) PAGE 7

FEATURES

'Every Last Girl:' How do you solve a problem like child marriage?

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SCIENCE Cannibalism: what's the harm?

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WRITE FOR US! Join all our writers' groups on Facebook to be first in the know on content calls and press passes Pitch your idea to the relevant section (emails to your left)

Worldwide university news Pennsylvania lecturers strike for their rights

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aculty members from 14 Universities across Pennsylvania went on strike on the 19 October, due to widespread tensions regarding their employment contracts.

The Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties has been working without a contract since 1 July 2015. The two sides have been debating over compensation, health insurance costs and pay and working conditions for temporary faculty.

The striking Union in Pennsylvania represents more than 5000 professors, with a combined enrollment of approximately 100,000 students from Universities across the state. The strike is one of the first walkouts in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, paralleling other strikes across the country.

Public Universities across the Unites States are facing administrative scrutiny due to declining government subsidies, leading to stagnant pay.

Getting sexual on camera for safe sex

Dubai students can now work part-time

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he University of Coventry are offering £400 to couples between the ages of 18 and 25, who are willing to have sex on camera, in an attempt to promote safe sex. By showing clips of real life couples having intercourse, the University aims to prove that protected sex, through using a condom is not a mood breaker. This initiative was triggered by statistics from the NHS, as it currently spends over £620 million a year, treating Sexually Transmitted diseases (STIs). As part of the project, the University will release a film titled ‘wrapped,’ which will become available to the public in due course. The film will also be given to people when they order a chlamydia self-testing kit, along with a variety 12 pack of condoms.

andslide regulations mean up to 26,000 students in Dubai can now legally take up part-time work across the United Arab Emirates. On 18 October, the Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA) announced the launch of a new ruling, meaning 4,500 businesses in nine Dubai ‘free zones’ – designated areas in which businesses face little or no taxation - can employ current students from DCCA-licensed universities. The DCCA is the first of the UAE’s 20 governmental free zone regulars to bring in this ‘Student Part Time Work Regulation.’ Most of the universities affected are in the Dubai International Academic City (DIAC) and Dubai Knowledge Park. "We are excited about this new regulation that will allow our 23 universities to attract the brightest and the best talent from around the world,” said Mohammed Abdullah, DIAC managing director.

Student who scored 98% flees parents

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University of Queensland student claims he has run away from his parents as he fears they will beat and starve him – for only scoring 98 per cent on a maths assignment.

The 19-year-old Science student posted a photo of his scoresheet on social media, showing a mark of 41/42, alongside a comment of “well done” from the marker. But this score wouldn’t earn praise from his parents, he told Daily Mail Australia. “When I was younger my mother smacked me if I didn't get A+,” he said. “Last time I got under 100 they told me "you are useless". The Chineseborn teenager claimed he had sought refuge with a friend, but feared his parents would find him soon.

Stories by Natasa Christofidou, News Editor and Hannah Butler, Editor

News

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

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NEWS EDITORS:

Rachel Ashenden Natasa Christofidou

Student Minds launches eating disorder support group Rachel Ashenden News Editor

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XETER Student Minds has set up a project providing peer support for those with eating difficulties, due to begin in term two.

The support group plans to hold fortnightly or weekly sessions, run by two trained specialists in eating disorders.

These sessions will be “drop-in”, so that students can come along whenever they are in need of extra support.

Having reassurance that I wasn’t alone would have made the world of difference Anonymous final year student

It seeks to act as a peer-to-peer support group within a pro-recovery atmosphere, for those struggling with

any form of eating disorder. The group encompasses all students in their individual experiences, whether someone is starting to struggle or is on the road to recovery.

Leah Fuller, project organiser and former student, told Exeposé: “Having witnessed students drop out of university due to the lack of services, I knew that something had to be done, even if only a small step. It was this, and seeing so many struggle, that fuelled me to run for Sabbatical Officer last year, and despite not winning, I still want to keep my promise to set up this group in the hope that it will benefit someone.”

“I’m so glad to hear something like this has been set up to help students,” one final year student and former sufferer told Exeposé.

“In my second year I struggled massively with the lack of support in Exeter for those with eating disorders.

It’s easy to feel like you’re the only one suffering, which makes you feel like you’ve somehow failed as a student, because everyone else is coping while you’re not – and of course that’s totally untrue. Having reassurance that I wasn’t alone and this was actually something I could work through and beat would have made the world of difference.”

Mark Sawyer, Head of Wellbeing Services, said: “We wholeheartedly support this initiative and are very pleased that it is due to launch.

“In the UK, and especially in our local area, there are relatively few communitybased NHS support services for people with eating disorders other than inpatient programmes. This provides an alternative, where people can work with and get support from their peers, build their confidence and be part of a community.

“It is important to remember though, that this would be part of a package of

Deloitte on his year abroad in Brisbane, Australia. He then secured a job at a UK venture capital company upon his graduation in 2014.

Grafton told Exeposé that Student High Street would “give student startups the infrastructure for creating a business,” including “access to funding, legal advice and support on how to scale up manufacturing scale when they grow, and developing marketing spend to take their products nationally.”

With a business model comparable to market leader notonthehighstreet.com hand-picked sellers will be charged 20 per cent commission for selling through the website. Student High Street will also allow users the opportunity to pay for

additional support.

Following its launch, the company will introduce an Ambassador Scheme in February. The scheme will see the likes of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, XERO, and small firm legal specialist Spring Law partner with Student High Street to offer assistance to student startups.

treatment for anyone with an eating disorder and would not replace any other medical or psychological therapy services.” The support group will be able to provide direction for those with more severe difficulties.

I knew that something had to be done, even if only a small step Leah Fuller, project organiser

The project has partnered with Student Minds to ensure that students in attendance will receive valuable support; Student Minds will provide full training and supervision to volunteer facilitators, who will run the group sessions. It will be financed by the University of Exeter Annual Fund, and the Guild Advise Unit and Wellbeing Centre have both pledged to help this group run successfully.

The peer support group is currently

seeking volunteer facilitators. More information can be found on the ‘Exeter Student Minds – Eating Difficulties Support Project’ Facebook page, and students can apply to be a volunteer at:: www.studentminds.org.uk/peer-support -application-and-training.html

É If you have been affected by any of the issues in this story, support can be accessed via Wellbeing Services: 01392 724381 Eating Disorders Devon: 07980 182118 Eating Disorder Support: 01494 793223 Guild Advice Unit: 01392 723520

Exeter graduate to help student Electric bike scheme entrepreneurs start businesses arrives on campus Jasmine Prasad News Team

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XETER University graduate Tom Grafton is soon to launch Student High Street, a website enabling student start-ups to market themselves to other young people.

Inspired by his time at Exeter, where he studied Politics and Geography, Grafton commanded an awareness of student-run businesses in the area, such as successful apparel company Young Ones.

While a student, he founded his own business, in which he ran a loyalty scheme connecting students to independent stores. Citing travel as another influence on his venture, he took up a position at Photo: Rob Parfitt

Student high street gives student start ups infrastructure for creating a business Tom Grafton, founder of Student High Street

Student High Street will be aimed at 17 – 26 year olds. The website will launch later this month.

Other examples of University of Exeter students who have become successful entrepreneurs include Solomon Akhtar, who was featured on the apprentice in 2014. Akhtar is the co-founder of ‘Instabear,’ which is a service that allows guests to share photos on social media, whilst simultaneously projecting them onto big screens.

Clothing company ‘Young Ones’ was also founded as a start up project by two students at the University. After Tom Carson and Chris Rea started the company whilst studying Business Management, their business was endorsed by Duncan Bannatyne on Dragon’s Den.

Jeremy Brown Editor

Photo: Co-bikes

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NEW self-service electric bike hire scheme called Co-bikes has been launched in Exeter.

Functioning like Santander Cycles in London (more commonly referred to as ‘Boris Bikes’), the scheme allows for bikes to be hired and dropped-off in various locations around Exeter. So far, there are docking stations at the University of Exeter (outside the Forum), Exeter Central Station, and Sowton Park-andRide, with each dock holding between four and eight bikes.

Members can pay as little as 75p for a 30-minute journey, whereas nonmembers would pay a minimum of £1.50.

A membership costs £60 annually.

The system utilises mobile app technology, allowing members to hire bikes on a pay-as-you-go basis, 24/7. The bikes last for an average of 40-60 miles of power-assisted pedalling, and can reach a maximum speed of 15mph.

The initiative was created by Exeterbased not-for-profit co-operative, Cocars, who offer hire-by-the-hour vehicles throughout the South West , linking Exeter to areas like Salisbury and Dorchester.

The company have plans to add docking stations at the Civic Centre and the County Hall later this year, building up to a total of eight sites in Exeter by mid-2017. Co-bikes is also a member of

the nextbike network, a worldwide project which has UK schemes in cities across the country, from Glasgow to Milton Keynes.

The University’s Travel Plan Coordinator, Joel Smith, explained: “We wanted to provide our staff, students and visitors with a sustainable and affordable way to get around the city.”

Devon County Council partially funded the scheme, which was also supported by a variety of companies and institutions, including the Department of Transport, Exeter City Council and the University of Exeter.

Killer clown sightings no jest in Exeter student Jess Bishop was forced to walk past a ‘killer clown’ on their way home from Fore Street. “It was so menacing!“ HE killer clown craze sweeping Bishop said. “If I had been alone I would have been scared to walk the country has finally past him. I hope there made its way to aren’t more, but with Exeter- leaving students Halloween coming fearful for their safety.

I’m not sure that’s The craze, which going to happen.” originated in the Meanwhile United States, sees one 22-year-old people dressing up local resident as clowns in a sinister told Exepose they move to scare passersFlickr / spotted a clown by. Although the prank Chris Rice on Barrack Road at often has non-malicious around 11pm. “There motives, would-be ‘clowns’ was a woman walking about 20 wear a mask covering their face and often act menacingly. At London’s Brunel feet away in front of me with a kid,” University, a clown terrified students after he remembered. “Suddenly the kid running through campus wearing the screamed and I looked up and it was because this clown had just run towards mask and brandishing a chainsaw.

Numerous students have told them from behind a wall.” The ‘clown’ Exeposé of sightings of ‘killer clowns’ in was laughing at the child, he said - but ran central Exeter. Third-year Law student, away when he approached it.

In light of numerous ‘sightings’ Jason Elward encountered a clown earlier this month on Gandy Street. He said: across the South West, ‘Clown Updates “Despite reading lots of reports recently Devon Somerset and Cornwall’ launched about the killer clown craze, I never on Facebook on 9 October. The page admin told Exeposé they had already expected to witness it myself.”

Along with friend Emma Farnsworth, had “eight or nine different people”

Susannah Keogh Editor

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message to report sightings in the city and a further 30 asking for updates “as they were being cautious before they went out.” Adding that they themselves had driven past a ‘clown’ in Exeter, they stressed that the craze is not something to be taken lightly. “People who say it isn’t real are just kidding themselves,” they said. “People have been hurt and injured by these clowns, which I’ve shared videos on my page about!”

When asked how students should respond if they see a clown, they advised: “Ring the police, no matter how stupid you feel about doing it, it could save yourself getting hurt! And also message my page about it so I can let others know about their sighting!”

“Hopefully this stupid fad is already becoming yesterdays news!”

If I had been alone I would have been scared to walk past him

Jess Bishop

In an email to Exeposé, Devon and Cornwall Police said “The safety advice is the same as we would give to anyone in any scenario; try to avoid walking alone at night and if anyone is causing you fear or concern (not just people in a mask!) you call the police.

In a statement, Chief Inspector Kath Farrin described the “pranks” as “completely unacceptable,” adding: “I would like people to consider if this prank is worth a criminal record? Those taking part are running the risk of arrest and a court appearance, and therefore could possibly lose their job.

“Those taking part in this ‘Clown Craze’ also need to realise that they are also putting themselves at risk by intimidating people; not all members of the public will run away and you could find yourself confronted by a scared member of public.”

Exeter residents have taken to social media in a bid to stop the craze escalating.

Facebook group ‘Exeter Clown Hunting’ has over 150 members, and greets newcomers with: “The bastards have started to invade Exeter. Post when you see one and hit it with a shovel” - advice Exeposé does not endorse.

did it with RAG because I liked the idea of raising some money for charity along the way.”

“The fundraising was difficult, standing for hours in the rain with collection buckets wasn’t much fun and there was a surprising amount of paperwork but the RAG team leaders were really helpful and supportive and it made running the marathon feel much more rewarding, especially because of all of the good luck messages people left on the donation pages.”

Hamish added, “As for the actual marathon day, it was brilliant. Conditions were perfect, I was less prepared than I wanted to be due to a slight injury , but everything turned out okay. I will definitely be doing more marathons in the future.”

Peter Gillibrand, President of RAG, ran the marathon separately in aid of charity Mencap. He told Exeposé: “As President of RAG and also a keen marathon runner, I am super proud of everyone who did it through us and raised so much money “With that money, the participants not only changed their lives by doing a marathon (a first for many), but also changed the lives of many who suffer with cancer. They were an amazing bunch who overcame the worst struggles to complete the whole 26.2miles.”

This is the second marathon challenge RAG has taken on, the first being Budapest in October 2015. RAG is next planning on doing the Bibao Night Marathon, in aid of Meningitis Research Foundation.

Is this prank worth a criminal record?

Chief Inspector Kath Farrin, Devon and Cornwall Police

Exeter RAG students take on Amsterdam Rachel Ashenden News Editor

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Photos: Sam Jackson

XETER’S RAG (Raise And Give) society raised a total of £29,000 from the Amsterdam Marathon challenge, contributing 12 per cent of RAG’s entire fundraising for 2015/16. Students took on the Marathon challenge on 16 October, in order to raise money for Worldwide Cancer Research.

A team of 26 students ran 26.2 miles through Amsterdam. Many exceeded their fundraising target of £1200 - half of which went towards the expenses of the marathon, and the rest to charity.

The first training meeting took place back in March, which outlined the hard work - and set backs such as injuries students would experience in training to

run over 26 miles. Mostly students used the summer period to increase their mileage to around 15-18 miles before reducing their running distance before the marathon day.

RAG’s fastest runner, Hamish Moreton, a 3rd year Geography student, completed the marathon in 3 hours 29 minutes.

RAG made running the marathon feel much more rewarding Hamish Moreton, RAG runner

Hamish told Exeposé: “I used to run before I signed up to do the marathon but never felt like I was improving as I didn’t have a goal so I signed up for to run the marathon with a goal of 3.30. - I

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No more Ram sport says Student Idea

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STUDENT Idea to stop showing sports on screens in The Ram has received a lot of attention from student voters. The student behind the idea argues sports being played is “loud and takes up space for people who want to go out and talk to each other”, adding that The Ram was never intended to be a sports bar Some students have retaliated, commenting that it “never claimed to be a music bar either” as the pub also hosts live music evenings and regular ‘Rameoke’.

Debate has thus ensued across campus on the rightful purpose of The Ram. The vote so far leans towards ‘Strongly Disagree’ at 70 per cent, with supporters of ‘Strongly Agree’ standing at 12.9 per cent. Voting closes on 26 October.

Rosie Shepard, Contributor

Historic pub faces demolishment

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LANS to demolish historic pub Honiton Inn in order to build a student accommodation complex has been highly opposed by Exeter locals residents. The online petition against the demolishment of the untenanted pub has received local support from over 1200 people, arguing that its history is of more value than more student accommodation.

The Honiton Inn was the only building left standing on Paris Street after the Blitz. The property has been derelict since 2008.

With rising student numbers each year, Exeter will be faced with the challenge of where new accommodation can be built.

The new student block would be ten stories high, one of the largest yet. It has also been suggested that tenants would have the benefits of a private gym and cinema, and the a central location - directly opposite the VUE cinema.

Daphne Bugler, Contributor

Pregnancy tests to arrive on campus?

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N 7 October a Student Idea was opened to voting on the Guild website: should the Guild shop and marketplace sell pregnancy tests? Voting closed on 20th October. The overwhelming majority of the votes were in favour of the idea, with 39 votes strongly agreed and 12 in agreement, 11 students were ‘neutral’. Only 12 of students opposed the proposal - and one was left confused.

One student commented that the motion should go further, making pregnancy tests freely available or at least partially subsidised, because “there shouldn’t be a price barrier for something as essential as this”. Jenny Tracey, FemSoc member, said: “easier access to pregnancy tests will help destigmatise them”, arguing that their ubiquity on campus would help reduce the stress associated with purchasing the tests that many students feel.

Matthew Phillips, Contributor

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Exeter pay gap is “outrageous,” says academic should give the cleaners a raise, as they need it the most.”

When comparing annual statistics, the gender pay gap at Exeter has risen in 2015-2016, compared to previous years.

Whereas in 2013-14, female professors earned 98 per cent of male professors’ wage,, in 2015-16, this fell to 96 per cent.

Over this time, the mean gender pay gap essentially increased by 154 per cent from £1,338, to £3,400.

Men will tend to employ other men due to certain societal preconceived ideas

Photo: Natasa Christofidou

CONTINUED FROM FRONT ...in comparison to other staff members, there still seems to be a significant gap between staff salaries as a whole. This is reflected through recent statistics showing a 0.3 per cent difference in the median salary gap since July 2016, which has fallen from 3.2 per cent, to 2.9 per cent, in light of the Professional Salary Review of October 2016.

In March 2016, The University and College Union (UCU) released a report in the run up for International Women’s Day, to expose UK Universities for unequal wages of academics. Exeter ranked 30th in a league table of the UK’s top universities for gender pay gap discrepancies.

In defense of the relatively low ranking, a University spokesperson commented: “We value our many talented female members of staff. We are passionately committed to gender equality and are working hard to address pay gaps, and invest in all staff. Gender equality is at the heart of everything we do and we work hard to create an environment where all our staff are supported.”

However, the UCU report highlighted the issue around female academics at The University of Exeter - who received an average annual salary of £41,821, £8,361 lower than that of male academics. This means that on average, female academics at the University are set to earn 83.8 per cent of what male academics earn over the course of a year. An anonymous senior lecturer in the humanities department of the University of Exeter has categorised these statistics as “outrageous.”

The gender pay gap highlights the inequality of women in academia Dr. Bernhard Jackson, lecturer One humanities lecturer said: “I’ve never believed that The University is as poor as it claims, especially when the Vice Chancellor even gets a free house.

Faculty staff are easy to exploit, as it can be difficult to find another job, an issue that’s exemplified with job descriptions requiring lower grade skills.” The lecturer also criticised pay imbalances between different job roles, adding: “The University

Professor of Social Sciences A 2005 UCU report seems to confirm this trend: the gender pay gap for academics at Exeter was nearly £1000 lower over a decade ago (£7,553, compared to £8.361).

This “downward trend over the past [few] years” is an issue that worries Dr. Paul Young, senior lecturer in English: “It’s a really important topic, and one that myself and many of my colleagues are concerned about,” he said.

More than four decades after the Equal pay act of 1970 was introduced, the University of Essex took the initiative and attempted to wipe out gender pay gap discrepancies at the University. A one-off salary hike was introduced in June 2016 to level the salaries of male and female academics. Dr. Bernhard Jackson remembered a similar initiative by her previous, American, employer, the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Bernhard Jackson focused on the complexities of the gender pay gap statistics: “Broad statistics don’t

differentiate between the Sciences and Humanities. There are fewer women in the Sciences, especially at higher levels, and simply because of that there are more men there making higher salaries.”

“Statistics that differentiate between Sciences and Humanities might show that the gender pay gap is not quite so high in the Humanities- but they might not.”

Times Higher Educdation conducted an investigation under their Higher Education Statistic Agency, showing that The University of Exeter has broadened the gender pay gap ratio, in comparison to University-wide national averages. When considering that all full-time academics in the UK, women are paid an average of £45,704, whilst men holding the same positions are paid £5,629 more, pushing their salaries to an average of £51,333.

The university should give the cleaners a raise, as they need it the most.

Humanities lecturer One Social Sciences and International Relations professor said: “The University remains to be a business and I often think it forgets that it is also a place of education and that it should use its ability to be a leader in a wave of socio- economic equalization in a more positive manner.”

Meanwhile a University spokesperson said: “We recognise that, in line with the national picture, women are underrepresented in the more senior academic roles and we are taking proactive steps to address this. Increasing the representation of women in professorial roles is of vital importance to both the senior management of the University and

its governing body.”

Support for female staff members at the University is nonetheless reflected through a Maternity Pay scheme, which includes full time pay for the first eight weeks. A part-time pay scheme takes over for the following eight weeks, in accordance to one’s eligibility with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The University of Exeter’s Feminist Society told Exeposé: “The gender wage gap has been proven time and time again to exist - our university has one of the largest in the country and it’s a symptom of our archaic elitism. While the situation has improved for white women we need to center the debate around women of colour, disabled women and trans-women who disproportionately face this injustice.

How representative are we if Exeter hasn’t managed to consistently hire from these groups, let alone pay them enough?”

The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award for its work in addressing the barriers faced by women in progressing in a higher education career. Each individual STEM discipline also holds Athena SWAN awards, along with the Classics and Ancient History department. Such attempts are in alliance with The University’s women-only leadership development initiative, Aurora, mirroring the University’s initiative to encourage females to advance themselves in higher academic positions.

É The male-female pay gap (all University staff): 2013/14: £8,116 2014/15: £8,461 2015/16: £8,467

Uni gets £29m in funding Students call on VC to help refugees Alexandra Luca Contributor

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esearch Councils UK granted £29 million in research awards to the University of Exeter for the year 2015-2016, constituting a £16 million increase from the previous year.

The increase has helped alleviate the blow of past cuts in research funding from the government. This comes at a time when research funding for all Russell Group Universities is in decline; the RCUK themselves have only awarded £1.1 billion to universities in 2015-2016, compared to £1.3 billion the year before.

The value of research awards according to RCUK’s own league tables have bumped the university up eight places, to 15th overall.

Dr. Astrid Wissenburg, Director of Research, said the increase reflects the high standard of research at Exeter.

She said: “This is really great

recognition of the breadth of expertise at Exeter, including our interdisciplinary strengths, and tribute to the extremely high standard of research being conducted here.”

Solid rankings and rank increases across all six main Research Councils substantiate the director’s claim.The University of Exeter is in the top ten for four Research Councils, has moved into the top 20 of the Medical Research Council and is first in the National Environment Research Council. It has also experienced a 24-place climb in the Engineering and Physical Sciences, along with a 10-place hike in the Biological Sciences.

The Times Higher Education Journal, providing overall estimates of Research Council funding increases for The University has also estimated that Exeter has the highest success rates of all Russell Group universities, standing at 38 per cent.

Hannah Butler Editor

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TUDENTS are pressuring Vice Chancellor Sir Steve Smith to support the national ‘Equal Access’ campaign at the University – which would allow students seeking asylum to benefit from fee waivers, grants and pastoral support.

Part of a campaign already launched in Bristol, Manchester, London, Leeds, Canterbury and Salford, Exeter’s Student Action for Refugees (STAR) society launched ‘Exeter Equal Access’ in September.

The group claims the University’s funding system denies students their fundamental right to an education, as those seeking refuge in the UK cannot access government fee or maintenance loans instead relying on state support of £5 a day plus accommodation.

They want the Vice Chancellor to agree to full fee waivers for student refugees, as well as maintenance grants calculated according

to a Living Cost Calculator, and pastoral care and support for those seeking asylum.

Back in September 2014 the University announced a partial fee waiver for student refugees – allowing these students to pay the ‘Home’ fee rate of £9000 rather than higher ‘International’ fees. However, the waiver came under fire when Exeposé discovered only five students had accessed these reduced costs in five months.

We could do so much more, and so much better Exeter Equal Access “Bright students who have fled atrocious circumstances deserve the basic human right of education,” Bhagya Silva, PPE student and leader of Exeter’s campaign told Exeposé, “but barriers such as the fact that asylum seekers are ineligible for Student Finance prevent them from rebuilding their lives.”

Exeter Equal Access plan to meet with University officials on 27 October to discuss

the proposals. The group has also released an open letter to the Vice Chancellor.

“We are an exceptional university,” they write. “We are ambitious, we are successful and we are driven to make a positive impact on society.” Stressing that ‘home’ fees are still “beyond the means of the vast majority of asylum seekers,” they argue: “We could do so much more, and so much better.”

“The University of Exeter already supports asylum seekers through a partial tuition fee waiver,” a University spokesperson told Exeposé, “and through the excellent pastoral support which is available to all students. There is specific help for international students which includes mentoring, advice and guidance on arriving in and living in the UK.” “As part of the University’s aim to work in partnership with its students, plans are already in place for Ian Blenkharn, Director of Education and Student Experience to meet with members of the Equal Access campaign on this matter.”

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

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Comment

COMMENT EDITORS:

Bea Fones Matthew Newman

Tears of a clown

Clive Clobb Campus Clown

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it wasn’t quite the SAS. Or so I once thought. The clowning

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S my girlfriend always said, it doesn’t matter if you’re ugly, as long as you have a sense of humour. For my young, pimpled self, it was the key to my heart; a self-validating rush I hadn’t felt since that final cathartic Twilight film. I may have struggled with body odour, drowned in love handles and felt more erotic in a game of Twister than in sexual contact… yet all of those problems fell to dust in my mind, as long – she said – as long as I could make people laugh.

Brixton - while if I made a pun about fish, it was a pretty good night.

Everyone says that’s why I became a clown. Where others would turn to Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, to psychotic phone calls at 4am and flaming parcels of poo, I did that and more. Jesting was when I felt alive.

An average gig offered about ten fans. Average age: five. You see the extremes of human life as a clown: the wailing, whining, screaming animal of the strife-ridden human, or a giggling little specimen that throws Party Rings on your shoes and is, in itself, a powerful advert for contraception.

It was an easy life as a clown.

It had its pitfalls of course, the worst being the additional birthday cake weight, or the drunken footballers who steal your wig at TP Wednesday. Still,

ot x Pe el s

Sadly, I couldn’t do that either, which was possibly why she left me for my brother. He had his own comedy show in

o:

Jesting was when I felt alive

profession has experienced many rogues in its time; The Joker, Stephen King’s It, Ronald McDonald… Yet none more sinister than the killer clown.

It’s fine for some of us made redundant; many went to join their fellow clowns in the BHS management.

Yet jesting, for me, is my life.

Gone are the party invites, the solo performances, the circus gigs; rotting is my red nose, my wig. In desperation, I’ve taken to haunting the local school in the hope that some four-year-old will take pity. Sadly the restraining order stopped that, along with the subsequent 219 from nearly every primary school in Devon.

The desperation has been tangible, trawling through job application after application; Great British Bake Off, the

Labour leadership… Hell, even Lord Sugar’s apprentice… Yet, the discrimination is even greater. No one wants a clown. Not even Alan.

You see the extremes of human life as a clown For days it was like a break-up, like Brangelina or Brexit in painful repetition: the tears, the agony, the ice-cream…

Still, I feel the stabbing remembrance of Waitrose, of circus stardom, of frolicking freely like my balloon animals, rather than surviving off of Sainsbury’s basics and mouldy Domino’s deals I robbed from The Ram. So – along with all other students – I string up my job prospects, my finances, all hopes of long-term stability… Yet never the make-up; never the nose; never the lust for vengeance that burns cruelly in my breast…

Students vs locals: whose fault is it anyway? dents aren’t a popular breed here in Exeter. Whether it’s our homes, our cars, our lifestyles, or our domination of the city centre, we’re definitely doing something to rub residents up the wrong way.

ERE’S a fun little study break Things came to a head after this year’s game: head over to the Exeter Football Varsity at St James Park Express and Echo stadium.. Exeter vs Swanwebsite, find any ‘bad sea? Nah. Students vs news’ story about the Locals was the real state of the city, play-off on 12 press Ctrl+F, type October. Express in “students” and Echo gleefully then scroll down reported one to the comdad’s video of ments.

Now, the night’s events, I’m not saying showing bottles every story will be and cans piled on the followed by raging roadsides and drunken locals blaming the city’s Geograph.org students struggling to walk woes on the student populahome. tion... but you know. It happens.

It’s particularly fun to do this on any article about new developments. The new There’s no denying it: bus station, for example. “How about a students aren’t a popular plan to make the city more bike friendly breed here in Exeter and therefore ban students from bringing their cars,” one commenter suggests.

During the video, this guy confronts Mention new student flats and you’ve got two students outside the stadium. “How yourself the ingredients for a killer comdo you feel about this?” he demands. He’s ment-section debate. “Exeter City Centre not blaming them, he insists – graciously is dead, long live Exeter University City adding: “most students are good as gold” Centre!” one reader declares on a story - but still. If I were one of those students, about plans for new flats opposite Unit 1.

I’d be feeling pretty uncomfortable.

Like I say, brilliant procrastination.

Sounding disturbingly like some wildBut jokes aside, there’s no denying it: stu-

Hannah Butler Editor

H

life documentary narrator, he then turns the camera on those leaving the stadium.

“So, we’ve got drunk students coming out... Why they let them in drunk in the first place I don’t know... One girl over there absolutely para, can hardly stand up... Absolutely ridiculous.”

We’re made to feel inconvenient at best, and unwelcome at worst I get it, I really do. I get miffed when I leave the house and find someone’s lined our front wall with empty bottles.

And don’t even get me started on when I get woken up by next door returning from Unit 1 at 3am. It’s not nice, being confronted with someone else’s mess and noise. And if you’ve got a young family, you’ll want to do all you can to stop it. The guy who made this video has obviously been driven to desperation.

But is a student-shaming video really going to improve anything? Let’s face it: this is basically the digital equivalent to passive-aggressive post-it notes. And we can all vouch for the hostility those cause.

It’s sad, then, that this kind of automatic student-bashing seems to have become the norm here in Exeter – and that even those who admit “most students are good as gold” feel it appropriate to approach students at random and demand an expla-

to work or travel outside the city. Is it any nation for the actions of a few inconsidwonder that some students feel no conerate arseholes. Yep, most of us hate the nection to the city? Of course, that’s no noise and mess too. And you know what? excuse for the kind of anti-social behavI cannot wait to shrug off the “student” ior and disrespect shown by some… but I label that apparently offers Exeter’s local can’t help thinking that if students weren’t residents a free pass to resent, patronise made to feel so alienated, things might and belittle me. I chose to live and study improve. here after falling in love with this city back And for this to happen, I guess loin 2012. I pay rent and utility bills – not cal media would have to stop capitalizing to mention extortionate student fees – to on student-hatred. I mean, what does it stay here. In Exeter there are students say when a local news story about ‘parkreading to the elderly in care homes, stuing horror stories’ (which, incidentally, dents helping stroke survivors use gym didn’t even mention students) links to a equipment, students collecting sanitary story headlined: “People are angry about products for Exeter’s homeless women…

Exeter’s Honiton Inn student block so it’s upsetting that we’re often plans”? Or when even that made to feel inconvenient headline sees the paper at best, and downaccused of “trying to right unwelcome at stoke resentments worst. to boost readerWe spend ship”? our first 18 The barriers years being between students told we’ll have and local residents no decent life aren’t anywhere choices if we near being broken don’t go to unidown – and it’ll take a versity... and the next Wikipedia change in attitude on both few years being told sides if this ‘Students vs Locals’ we’re spoilt, privileged and thing is ever going to go away. Not to undeserving of our place here. There are mention a serious change in how students calls to ban students bringing their cars to are slated in local press. But hey, what do Exeter. As if we’re some kind of pseudoI know. I’m just another spoilt Millennial, residents who couldn’t possibly need to, amirite? you know, go food shopping, commute

Halloweentown

COMMENT

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With Halloween swiftly approaching, our writers consider the pressure surrounding costumes, and the impacts they can have not only on Halloween night, but in a wider context Heledd Wilshaw Contributor

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HAVE this picture from years ago, hanging up on my fairy lights in my room. I see it and it makes me laugh; a dumb picture of my brothers in fairy costumes, me in the middle smiling ear to ear. Those were the good days of Halloween, with apple bobbing and cakes with black and orange icing.

Don’t get me wrong; I love clubbing - it’s always fun with the right people, and I’ve had so many fun (and messy) nights in Exeter. Getting dressed up with your friends for a night of spooky drinking games and Thriller on the dancefloor; it’s a great night.

There’s huge pressure to look sexy; one need only walk into a costume shop to see it But I can’t help but think it’s all a bit more stress than its worth. Picking my costume is a huge pain; trying to balance what I like and what I think

Gabriel Brook-Sulman Contributor

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S Exeter University dresses up for Halloween, the significant debate over what is culturally acceptable resurges.

Universities across America and the UK are warning their students against appropriating cultures they don’t belong to by dressing up in certain costumes.

Universities argue that repeated offenders such as those who dress up as ‘Cowboys and Indians’ misrepresent and reduce a culture to a stereotype, and that this should by no means be advocated. But do the challenges of appropriation go further than a poorly informed costume?

Do the challenges of appropriation go further than a poorly informed costume?

‘Folk costumes’ are detailed and accurate traditions of historical attire worn by a particular culture, ranging from a tra-

other people will like, whilst trying not to actually care what other people like.

Worried I’ll get the third degree if I wear a Harley Quinn costume, accused of not being a real fan and just joining the trend. No one would question a guy on his knowledge of kryptonite if he wore a Superman costume, but I’m asked the President of Gotham in the Batman series in 2006, if I’m to be accepted for my costume. I went as Captain America one year (my favourite Avenger), but I was asked repeatedly if I even know Marvel that well.

There’s huge pressure to look sexy; one need only walk into a costume shop to see it. If I see one more doctor outfit for guys, with the counterpart being a sexy nurse costume for girls, I might scream. Halloween brings with it slut shaming galore wherein women are judged on their costumes if they show too much skin, despite the constant pressure to do so. The fear of inadequacy is so present for everyone on Halloween night, but even more so when it’s a toss-up between being labelled boring or slutty.

In all fairness, the only thing I plan to be on Halloween is too drunk to care regardless.

Anna Phillips Contributor

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HEN we think of Halloween, we think of ghouls, ghosts, goblins – and of course, gobstoppers. Or at least I do, anyway. Is there a certain age that signals a transition from Day of the Dead to Night of the Drunk? If so, I think I’ve missed it.

If you like Unit 1 and the freedom to dress as a woodland creature, go for it As a child, Halloween parties involved smashing a papier-mâché pumpkin and squirting each other with ketchup blood: the only grief you got about your costume was that the blue socks didn’t match your skeleton outfit. But, as an adult (or to be more accurate, student-acting-as-adult) it means dressing up as a cartoon character, or wearing as little as possible.

The idea of using Halloween as a night to dress in revealing costumes was

conscious, the differences between ditional Welsh Costume to the Ugandan appropriation and exchange ‘Gomesi’; but would wearing and posiare becoming harder to tively engaging with an accurate depiction distinguish. of another culture be offensive? Furthermore, how can we define the offence being given? Where is the line drawn, if one exists?

Appropriation is often separated f r o m cultural exchange, with the latter being a system that has O n e seen music, food issue which has and language develop Pexels gripped America is the through a history of overlapping cultures. Halloween, after all, is a Christian exchange of an earlier pagan rite, subsequently passed back to Britain via America. In our globalised world, people are rightly more conscious of where these exchanges take place and what that means. Respect and awareness are paramount. Yet as we become more

commercialisation of African American culture and, in a particular case, black hairstyles: a video of an African American woman challenging a white man wearing dreadlocks at San Fransisco State University went viral earlier this year and has raised hundreds of debates surrounding the topic of appropriation. Was

Sexy or scary?

the greenish pallor of your face when you only brought to my attention by watchstagger into your 8:30 seminar the morning Mean Girls, and even then I thought ing after, hungover from Unit 1. it was an American tradition Maybe I’m old before my exaggerated to increase time; a twenty-something tension among Grandma who can’t The Plastics. understand the But it appears youth of today. that Regina Fear not, I’ll pipe George down now and isn’t the shuffle off to only one get my slippers. in a leoBut remember tard with this: if you like a ball of Unit 1 and the cotton wool freedom to dress as tapped to her a woodland creature, go butt. I’m focusing Wikimedia for it, and have a blast. If on female dress code, Commons not, don’t feel compelled to. The I know. Ideally, I’d like to only thing you’re obligated to do on Halbe more balanced, but it’s not like Aaron loween is ignore the amount of chocolate Samuels had to wear anything like that to your flatmate has consumed, and they’ll join the party. There’s nothing wrong with do the same for you. As for me, I’ll spend dressing like a bunny if you want to; it’s my evening on the sofa with The Night not like anyone can say Regina wasn’t hot Before Christmas, and maybe holding out a as hell. However, I have to admit that I’m bucket of sweets with trembling fingers, confused by this new (well, new to me) hoping that the five-year old witch standHalloween hype. I suppose the scary side ing at my door won’t try to trick me. of wearing fishnet tights on Halloween is

Appreciation or appropriation?

i t okay to disregard the Pexels history of dreadlocks and wear them “because they look cool”? Do dreadlocks belong solely to black culture, or is that a further appropriation of a more specific regional and religious tradition?

Is it possible to challenge the overcensorship of expression as being a guilt spawned from a history of westernised oppression? And by endorsing this censorship, are we potentially exacerbating a

divide in race and society that already exists? Social equality and integration are a positive and ultimate aim for our society and whilst cultural sensitivity and respect is important, perhaps the focus of these arguments takes away from the more disturbing issues surrounding racial and minority prosecution, such as the tensions between the police force and the Black community in America.

Bringing that back to Halloween, have these costumes become so cartoon and caricatured that the costume now represents the stereotype rather than the stereotype representing the culture; perhaps the wearing of these costumes is a means of mocking such ridiculous and naïve appropriations.

Appropriation should continue to be challenged and debated over Halloween and any other time of year, but is censorship and concealment the appropriate response to an issue that needs greater interest, respect and recognition?

COMMENT

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Photo: Pexels

“What man wouldn’t want it?”

Pain, prejudice, and the reality of being a male victim of sexual assault

Nick McAlpin Contributor CN: sexual violence, mental health

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ost people think of sexual assault as being something totally unacceptable and reprehensible that a man does to a woman.

But for me, and millions of other men and boys who are just like me, there’s a different reality. A reality in which we are also victims and the perpetrators are of any, or no gender identity or sexual orientation.

Friends and acquaintances poked fun at me and joked about it The problem is oftentimes ignored, which makes it hard to find data and statistics that we can put our faith into. However a 2014 study co-written at UCLA

by Lara Stemple, JD and Ilan H. Meyer, PhD entitled The Sexual Victimization of Men in America: New Data Challenge Old Assumptions and published in the American Journal of Public Health found that “the rates of nonconsensual sexual contact basically equalized between men and women in the USA, as of 2010, with 1.270 million women and 1.267 million men claiming to be victims of sexual violence”. This seems unbelievable to many, but the culture we live in makes it so that men are approximately four times less likely to report sexual assault in comparison to women and are often ridiculed when they do. A large part of the problem is to do with patriarchal gender roles and standards, which include the belief that men always

want sex or sexual contact (from my experience especially in a heterosexual context) but also, and more dangerously, the oftenignored discriminatory legal classifications of sexual assault which often fail anyone with a penis, or anyone whose rapist or abuser happens to have had a vagina.

Under UK law, rape can only be committed with the use of a penis, which systematically relegates many cases of male rape and the rapes of many trans and non-binary individuals to a few different emotionless legal terms, such as “assault by penetration.” Whilst it is true that assault by penetration carries the same possible maximum sentence as rape, this terminology doesn’t do victims justice and continues to reinforce the societal message that men simply cannot be victims of rape.

At least one petition has been launched on the UK government’s website to try and change the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to be more inclusive but the Conservative government has sadly asserted that it has “no plans to amend the legal definition of rape,” leaving many victims feeling disenfranchised and let-down by those in positions of power.

Knowing all of this makes it incredibly important for me, as a man who has been sexually assaulted on two occasions, once by a man and once by a woman, to take a stand and encourage a better approach to male sexual assault and its victims. Aside from men being vastly less likely to report being victims of sexual crimes than women, there are very few resources available for male victims. Most resources that are currently available apply only to male survivors of childhood sexual abuse, so as a male assaulted during adulthood resources are even further limited. I have personally come to the conclusion that campaign groups need to be much more inclusive of male victims and give them more of a platform from which to speak.

Thankfully, in 2014 the coalition government set up the first dedicated fund to support male victims, which is a good start but much more needs to be done with regards to funding. If you are a male victim of sexual assault or rape, there are thankfully excellent charities out there, like Mankind, a charity benefitting from National Lottery funding and which provides specialist support for men who have been sexually abused. There are also more general charities like Samaritans, who really helped me in my darkest hours and are able to direct you to other charities with specialist resources in the field. Suffering mental health complications as a result, I contacted the University’s Wellbeing Services who were extremely helpful and whom I would thoroughly recommend to any student.

The whole experience really did affect my mental health. In fact, I spent a week at a Buddhist festival just outside Taunton with a couple of my closest friends, not having fun, but crying in a nearby field and having repeated panic attacks.

Campaign groups need to be much more inclusive of male victims Perhaps the greatest challenge for me personally was the reaction of my friends.

During both episodes, two different groups of friends seemingly stood by and did nothing (in one case despite my repeated pleas for help). I was confused as to why, and was very angry at them for a long time, but I realise now that they acted the way they did simply because society tells them that because I’m a man, they couldn’t possibly have been watching me be sexually assaulted because that just doesn’t happen to men. It’s part of our social conditioning and we all have a collective responsibility to point this out and challenge it wherever we see it. Moreover, in the aftermath, friends and acquaintances poked fun at me and joked about it happening again - particularly with regards to the incident where a woman was the perpetrator. Women are seen as incapable of sexual misconduct and of course, what man wouldn’t want it? Well, I certainly didn’t! There was also

a knockon impact, particularly in regards to the closest of my close friends. My understandable need at the time for a great deal of protection and support from one very close friend in particular caused a real rift in the relationship and hurt her very badly too. I’m eternally grateful that the bond between her and I is entirely mended now, but the fact that me being sexually assaulted could so badly damage someone else in addition to just myself really put everything into perspective for me. It’s never okay, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

I’ll close by addressing the two people I was victim to. I give you both my total forgiveness and all my love; I don’t even hold a grudge. The only recompense I ever want from either of you if you happen to someday chance upon this piece is that you think about what you did to me and that you never do it to anyone else in the future: it’s never okay. ...

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this piece, please contact one of the following helplines for support: Exeter Nightline: 01392 724000 Wellbeing Services: 01392 724381 Devon Rape Crisis: 01392 204174

É 75,000

Approximately men are victims of sexual assault each year in the UK

9,000 of those have been raped Fewer than 3,000 cases of sexual assaults against men were reported in 2013/2014

1 in 10

More than victims of rape or sexual assault in Britain are men

Pho-

Features

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

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FEATURES EDITORS:

Georgina Bolam Katie Jenkins

“By all means, call me Gavin”

Victoria Bos, Science Editor, discusses Brexit, Labour and housing prices with Minister for Housing and Planning, Gavin Barwell

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AVIN Barwell won the seat of Croydon Central in 2010 and in the 2015 election he maintained the seat with a majority of just 165 votes, making it one of the closest results in the country. He currently holds the positions of Minister for London and Minister of State for Housing and Planning within the Department of Communities and Local Government. On a recent trip to speak to students at the University, the Minister was kind enough to answer some questions regarding his positions as well as more general political affairs.

The interview began cordially, with the Minister insisting “by all means, please call me Gavin.” The first question I put to him was how he felt Theresa May’s premiership was going in her first few months as Prime Minister. “Well, I would say she is off to a very strong start,” he explained, “I suppose the way I judge it is I spend a lot of time knocking on doors in my constituency, I think most people lead busy lives, they don’t pay too much attention to politics, but occasionally something big happens and people do tune in. I think the remarks that she made outside of Downing Street, when she had just come back from Buckingham Palace and been formally appointed, that’s one of those moments where people think, ‘Oh, it’s a new Prime Minister, what has she got to say?’ and I’ve had lots of very warm feedback about the tone she struck there.”

Barwell then went on to clarify, “there’s clearly still a lot of difficult work to do, particularly in the light of the referendum, building our new relationship with the world and how we are going to make that work, but it’s definitely a strong start.”

Occasionally something big happens and people do tune in Moving onto the discussion regarding the EU referendum, I ask a question that many people are currently asking: what exactly does Brexit mean? “I think the detail of it is going to have to emerge over time from negotiations,” he stated simply, before continuing, “What we need to do is try and bring the country together, accept that this is the decision that we’ve made, and try and make the best success of it that we can.” But Barwell was then quick to reiterate, “It doesn’t mean Britain turning in on itself, we still

want to be a country that engages with the rest of the world and has positive relationships.” From there the Minister elaborated on what he believed were the core issues of the Brexit vote, “From my perspective there were two obvious things that came up again and again. People thinking ‘I want the laws that affect me in this country to be made by the people that I elect’ and the second being the levels of migration into the country and therefore having control over our own borders.”

With Jeremy Corbyn having increased his mandate as leader of the Labour Party to 61.8 per cent in September 2016, discussion now turned towards the 2020 elections: “Well, I don’t think it’s my place or business to predict elections.” Barwell stated firmly, before continuing, “In the short term, it is very good for the Conservative Party that the Labour Party is in such a mess, but actually it’s not good for the country. At the moment the Labour Party is too divided and distracted to present an effective opposition and if you’re doing a job like mine, you see that first hand.” He continued: “It is not a healthy position for the country to be in, to have one of the two main political parties in such a mess and unable to present itself as a possible alternative government.”

A major part of Barwell’s role involved shepherding through the Housing and Planning Bill, which received the royal assent on 12 May 2016.

Despite this bill aiming to assist people getting onto the property ladder, there have been significant criticisms. Terrie Alafat, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Housing, claimed that the bill is abandoning those “who simply cannot afford to buy.” The Minister responded to this: “I think one of the things people have got very concerned about is a

policy called ‘pay to stay’: just saying that people who are earning significantly above the national average should have to pay a bit more, they shouldn’t get the same levels of subsidised rents that most council tenants get. I think there is a strong justification for that.” Barwell then moved onto another popular issue raised: “The other thing that people have got quite concerned about is ending what are called ‘lifetime tenancies’. Historically, if you got a council house you were given what was called a secure tenancy and that basically meant you could stay in that house for the rest of your life. The Government’s argument is that for many people, that

might not be the right thing because people’s circumstances change over time. So, if a family was later in a more prosperous position they could go and get their own home in the private market and that property can then be released to someone who needs it more. It’s not an attack on social housing.”

It is very good for the Conservative Party that the Labour Party is in such a mess The next issue to be tackled was the low social housing stock which has led to many people on social assistance being forced into private rentals and into the hands of unscrupulous landlords. When I put this to the Minister, it appeared he misheard the question, or indeed wished to answer another one. “I’d say the fundamental thing, in my job, is differentiating between the long term goal of what we are trying to do and trying to deal with the immediate issues.” He went on to explain that his main role is to ensure the young people of today have the chance of owning their own home, but acknowledged that it is getting tougher with higher prices. With no explanation as to how the legislation would achieve this or indeed how it affected those on social

assistance or the social housing stock. In my attempt to diverge, the Minister quickly interjected “I must stress that there is a sort of survey that is done every year of English housing and actually the level of people satisfied with their housing in the private rental sector has been going up overtime, so most landlords do a good job.”

The final topic: a recent survey of house prices in capital cities across Europe suggested that the average piece of property in London is worth £4922 per square metre; a truly eye watering amount.

I asked the Minister if his government had any plans to help tackle this. “The only way fundamentally that you tackle it is to build a lot more housing.,” he began. “I have to be honest with you there is not a button I can press to make the problem go away, it’s going to take some time to get this right.” Barwell then elaborated on some improvements the government is making,.“We are looking at starter homes, and also looking at things like shared ownership and ISAs to help people save and the Government. We are trying to look really creatively at all the things we could do to try and help people....

London’s prospects in the world have been transformed, it’s now one of the most successful cities in the world, so people from all over are looking to make their home there and that is what has led to this issue. We haven’t built houses to cope with that surge in demand, so it’s actually good news that has caused the problem.”

There is no button I can press to make the problem go away The Minister provided one more insight before ending the interview, one which seems to be a common theme by all politicians. “In politics, whenever something goes well, it always creates a new problem and that’s one of the challenges of the job.”

Photo: Flickr/Cabinet Office

Girls not brides

FEATURES

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In light of Save the Children’s ‘Every Last Girl’ report, Emma Bessent, Arts & Lit Editor, evaluates the educational and cultural measures that can be taken to end the practice of child marriage

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LMOST 20 per cent of the global female population were children on their wedding days.

UNICEF say that 700 million women in our world – just a few million less than the entire population of Europe, to put the statistic into perspective – are victims of child marriage. 250 million of these were married before they were 15 years old; almost four times the total population of the UK, with a 15-yearold attending her wedding every seven seconds according to Save the Children’s “Every Last Girl” report.

The proportions of this seem unfathomable, in part because most believe it to be a third world issue which more socioeconomically advanced countries should be working to relieve.

However, child marriage also happens on a significant scale much, much closer to home. The Forced Marriage Unit, set up by the Foreign Commonwealth Office and the Home Office in 2005, supported 1,220 individuals in cases of possible forced marriage in 2015 alone. Their report for the year states: “In 2015, 980 cases (80 per cent) involved female victims and 240 (20 per cent) involved male victims. This highlights that men can also be forced into marriage… Where the age was known, 14 per cent of cases involved victims below 16 years of age, and 27 per cent involved under 18s. The largest proportion of cases (35 per cent) involved 18-25 year olds.”

Almost 20 per cent of the global female population were children on their wedding days The last statistic is particularly frightening, given the age bracket’s correlation with the average age of the student population. Our own country’s legislation enables child marriage: the legal loophole of 16 and 17 year olds being able

Child marriage: survivors’ stories in the media

to marry with parental permission poses a serious risk of still vulnerable older children being forced into marriage.

However, this risk is nominal when compared to the routine marital subjection of girls and boys in other countries. Girls Not Brides, who describe themselves as “a global partnership of more than 600 civil society organisations from over 80 countries committed to ending child

marriage”, estimates the children of Niger ia as the most at risk, with an astronomical 76 per cent of women aged 20-24 having been married or placed in a union before they were 18 years old. This demographic in Chad, Central African Republic, Mali, Guinea, Bangladesh, South Sudan and Burkina Faso have a 50 per cent or higher chance of being in the same circumstance.

Quality of life is drastically reduced for any girl who is married before she reaches adulthood. The child within the marriage is less likely to remain in education, more likely to experience domestic violence, often separated from family and friends and regularly experiences a loss of personal freedom – if she ever had any in the first place. She is also at higher risk of contracting life-threatening STIs such as HIV and has a strong chance of dying due to the complications of a still-developing body falling pregnant. According to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report from 2009, “maternal deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth are an important component of mortality for

girls aged 15–19 worldwide, accounting for 70,000 deaths each year.”

Aside from the risk to the child herself, the risks to her potential children are chilling. The report warns that the infant of a girl under 18 has a 60 per cent higher chance of dying in its first year of life compared to infants born to mothers older than 19. “Even if the child survives,” the report continues, “he or she is more likely to suffer from low birth weight, under-nutrition and late physical and cognitive development.”

However many resources are devoted to it, this is not an issue that will simply

disappear overnight. UNICEF’s statistical work suggests that by 2030, the number of women who were married as children will have increased by 250 million if our world does not come together to fight this abuse of girls and their human rights. Girls Not Brides have a useful four-step policy when it comes to tackling the socio-politically embedded practice: “Empowering girls, mobilising families and communities, providing services and establishing and implementing laws and policies.”

It is hard for those of us protected by our privilege to understand that child marriage is seen as not only acceptable but a beneficial practice in many communities; although its harm to the girl cannot be denied, marrying a child off early helps families to support their other children better and often offsets the cost of a dowry significantly. Besides, in communities where educational opportunities are limited or denied outright to women and

“I wanted to stay at school and get a good job, but my parents could not afford it. They did not want me to live in poverty forever. I did not understand their decision to marry me off - only that the same thing happened to most girls my age.”

- Noora, Yemen, married aged 11. (The Guardian)

tradition imposes restrictions on women’s presence in the public sphere, there is little else for a girl to aspire to except marrying well and producing a healthy family.

To end child marriage, the world must understand that children are people, not assets To end child marriage, the world needs to understand that children – both boys and girls – are people, not assets and certainly not objects. They are no less human than those who happen to have lived on this planet a few years more. At the same time, they are, generally speaking, a much more vulnerable demographic who need their right to choice protected and guided in a moral, conscientious and responsible manner. It is a balance which is hard to

strike, and even harder to police in communities whose social discourse prohibits autonomy in children, especially females.

How, then, can we hope to ever see a world in which no child is forced or manipulated into marriage? The alteration and imposition of legislation protecting children and sanctioning adults responsible for such arrangements may seem like a good start. This, however, will never be enough. In the same way that criminalising abortions in the West is met with a storm of disgust – see the recent protests in Poland – for the way in which it restricts a woman’s power over

her body, so the social systems in countries that practise child marriage would revolt if preventative legislation was immediately brought into effect because of the way it limits a father’s power over his family. We cannot simply demand that other cultures change their way of living because it sits badly with our own moral system; it will only make the situation worse.

Education, as with so many sociopolitical crises, would be the best remedy: teaching children that they are worth more than what is presented to them as their only option, and teaching families and communities that they will profit so much more from healthy, liberated, educated women than they do from scared and abused girls. If tradition dictates a set path for a certain gender, it can be difficult to shake off the feelings of guilt, shame, confusion, even fear, when diverging from that path both for the individual and the community they belong to. It is understandable that even the more progressive parents in such communities fear their daughter being labelled as promiscuous then ostracised and refused the prospect of future romantic happiness if they do not have her wed young. Some of the worst damage to others can be done with the best of intentions at heart.

It is difficult to tell someone that they have a choice when that choice is to accept the status quo or potentially lose everything and everyone they have ever known. This is why it is so essential that charities such as UNICEF, Save the Children and Girls Not Brides focus not only on the child bride, but on solving the anxieties of the people who put her there. Prejudice is rarely the fault of the individual who practises it; it is a collective, historical blame, and showing people a different way is much more productive than simply telling them that theirs is wrong.

“I have become accustomed to my new life... But I worry a lot. I worry about money, my husband, my child and my chores, but most of all I worry that my own daughter will be married off early.”

“Each time my husband wanted to make love to me, he would beat me. He wouldn’t allow me to leave the house. I felt so depressed that I tried to take my own life.”

- Sadia, Bangladesh, married aged 14.

(Plan International UK)

- Lamana, Cameroon, married aged 16.

(Plan International UK)

FEATURES Photo: Tim Boyle

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Clowns through the ages...

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ANKIND has always been quite ruthless, filled with an insatiable greed for power and riches, and blessed with a sense of cruelty matched only by his cunning. He will stop at nothing in his tracks to satisfy his basest desires, however, and he loves to laugh. From almost the beginning of time, man has been clowning around in the name of entertainment and good humour.

In ancient Greece comics were baldheaded and padded to appear larger than normal. They performed as secondary figures in farces and mime, parodying the actions of more serious characters.

No laughing matter...

In Roman mime, the clown wore a pointed hat or vibrant hair, a patchwork colourful robe and was the target for tricks and abuse.

Sam Woolf, Games & Tech Editor, discusses the “killer clown” craze sweeping the nation

W

E all have those crazy, irrational fears. Some people are scared of enclosed spaces, others are left petrified at the concept of public speaking, there’s even a fear of long words – ironically referred to as hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia.

Yet one of the most well-known phobias is that of clowns.

Logically, coulrophobia (the fear of clowns) makes little sense. There is arguably nothing more innocent than an entertainer of children whose job it is to dress up in brightly coloured clothes and perform exaggerated slapstick routines incorporating balloon animals, squirting water flowers, and juggling batons.

Yet one of the most well-known phobias is that of clowns Nevertheless, there has always been a certain ambiguity surrounding the clowning profession. The emotions and intentions of the performers always remain a mystery, masked behind the unrelenting smiles. A clown may well be all smiles on the surface, but who really knows what is going on underneath?

Fundamentally, it is the not knowing that has generated an aura of creepiness around clowning. Furthermore, the stereotypical image of the scary clown is no stranger to the horror genre with properties such as Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Batman reinforcing the idea that clowns are hiding something more sinister than just their identity underneath their makeup. Being scared of clowns may be illogical, but there is nothing illogical

about feeling uneasy when presented with the unknown.

Copycat clown sightings shortly followed in neighbouring states and quickly escalated However, in some cases this uneasy feeling has recently been replaced with full-blown horror. Originating in the US, a craze involving individuals dressed as creepy killer clowns has steadily been gaining steam over the last few months.

The first sightings came following an incident in a small town in South Carolina back in August. According to a witness, an ominous figure could be seen wearing “a scary clown mask, red curly wig, yellow dotted shirt, and blue pants and shoes” as he attempted to lure children into the woods.

Thanks to the viral nature of trends spreading through the internet, copycat clown sightings shortly followed in neighbouring states and quickly escalated to terrifying heights. Clowns outside-andin, clowns following children to school, even threats made through social media with one individual going so far as to tweet: “We will be at all high schools this Friday to either kidnap students or kill teachers going to their cars…”.

In the US alone, creepy clowns have been sighted in over 20 states, with 30 arrests having been made, and four schools put on lockdown over fears for the safety of students and staff. Fears that sadly have been realised following an

alleged dispute over a clown mask which resulted in the tragic stabbing to death of an American teenager.

It would also appear that – in spite of originating in the United States – the craze is by no means a wholly American venture. Creepy clowns have started popping up all over the place from Canada to Australia, with some recent sightings having taken place in the UK. One of the first of these sightings, which took place on 30 September, involved the arrest of a Newcastle teenager who had been carrying a blade and terrorising children.

An axe-wielding clown was also sighted in Loughborough by a witness who stated “I have never been so terrified in my life.”

Closer to home, it seems that the craze has even come to Exeter, with sightings having been reported around the city.

Killer clowns sighted in Exeter News, page 3 In light of these sightings the Metropolitan Police have issued a statement urging individuals to “remember to act in a responsible manner and understand that they could be prosecuted if a criminal offence is committed.”

Undeniably there are mounting concerns with regards to public safety. However it could be argued that the real victims of the situation are those professionally involved with clowning itself.

Contrary to the belief that there is no such thing as bad press, actual clowns have not exactly benefited from all the attention inherent with a viral trend of this nature. All due to a near rampant state of hysteria, Clowns have been rejected to

perform at public events. They have had lined up work cancelled, and are even avoiding going out in public over fears of backlash. To an extent it is understandable that many have faced arrest for going out dressed as clowns. As one student stated “It is very difficult to differentiate between an innocent or hostile clown, since either type has a creepy vibe anyway”. But, it should go without saying that people should not face arrest and discrimination based on the attire associated with their career choices.

It is very difficult to differentiate between an innocent or hostile clown A big question mark surrounds the whole occurrence. What started the initial craze of people dressing up as creepy clowns? Why, nearly two months after the first incident, is it still going on? Is there even a deeper meaning? Some have theorized that the craze is some sort of viral marketing campaign ahead of next year’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s It. Others suggest that the clowns do in fact have malicious intent. But then there is always the possibility that the entire debacle is merely a prank in poor taste gone viral.

The scary thing is, nobody knows for sure. As a witness from the US puts it “We don’t know if it’s a prank, or if they’re really trying to harm people”. Ultimately, just as there has always been a certain ambiguity to actual clowns, the “Creepy Clown” craze shall remain shrouded in mystery for a while yet.

The clown emerged as a professional comic actor in the late Middle Ages.

Court jesters and fools were influences for travelling entertainers.

Then, the clown ran off and joined the circus....

The clown is firmly entrenched in modern culture, finally coming into our living rooms in the 50s with the advent of television.

However, sometimes the wacky buffoon turns a bit evil. Now, they roam the streets of England with murder weapons, frightening the students of Exeter and everyone in the surrounding area.

YOUR EVERYDAY EXETER ESSENTIAL

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TERRIFYING TRACKS AND Alarming albums

Photo: halloweencostumes.com

HALLOWEEN SPECIAL

SPOOKY OR SEXY? FEAR IN FASHION

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Photo: suchanartist13.deviantart.com

“Monsters are real.

Ghosts are too.

They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win...”

- Stephen King

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Photo: footwa.com

GREATEST VILLAINS OF CINEMA

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CREEPYPASTA

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LIFESTYLE EDITORS Jade Beard Laurel Bibby

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Emma Bessent Tash Ebbutt

MUSIC EDITORS Rory Marcham Helen Payne

SCREEN EDITORS Mark Allison Zak Mahinfar

GAMES + TECH EDITORS Jabez Sherrington Sam Woolf 24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

lifestyle Halloween how-to

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Rowan Keith, Online Comment Editor, reveals how to work the ultimate Halloween get-up

ALLOWEEN is just a week away, and it is time to plan your costumes. This is the perfect way to procrastinate from all the ‘reading’ you are supposed to be doing during reading week (if you are lucky enough to have one) so it is worth investing some time in. You will be judged on your costume and, if your friends are anything like mine, could even be denied entry to a party if you decide you are ‘too cool’ to dress up, so this is not a decision to take lightly.

Of course, the minefield of planning a Halloween costume is a tricky one to navigate, but don’t worry - I am here to help. These are my essential dos and don’ts for designing the perfect Halloween costume.

MEAN GIRLS TAUGHT US THAT HALLOWEEN IS AN EXCUSE TO DRESS SEXY, BUT THERE IS NOTHING TO SAY THAT SCARY AND SEXY CAN'T COMBINE

DON’T half-arse a mainstream costume.

DO make it scary: Yes, Mean Girls has Every Halloween, there will be countless numtaught us that Halloween is an excuse to dress bers of zombies, witches and Jokers. This year sexy, but there is nothing to say that scary and there will be, without doubt, an abundance of sexy can’t combine. You can wear a regular Harley Quinns and creepy clowns. If you are gocostume on any night of the year; only at Haling to dress in one of these loween are you allowed to try and scare the costumes, you have to be living crap out of everyone without people the best one there. Go hard thinking you are insane. or go home.

DON’T just wear a ripped DO go in group cost-shirt. This is almost as lame tumes. The ultimate as not wearing a costume at squad photo opportuall. At least have the decennity is when everyone is cy to throw some ketchup dressed up as a famous on it and slap on some squad, as long as it isn’t zombie makeup.

Taylor Swift's. What is DO involve puns Halloween if it isn’t in your costume. for the ‘gram?

A serial killer cosDON’T be tume consisting a cat. Come of ripped up and on guys, bleeding cereal you are boxes will always better than be hilarious, no that. matter how many times that joke has been made.

Photo: halloweencostumes.com

DO make relevant pop culture/political references. There have been some pretty brutal celebrity feuds and political break ups this year. Taylor Swift alone has had enough fights to inspire twenty different costume ideas, and the massacre of the European Union could be the grounding for an amazing individual or group costume.

DON'T HALF-ARSE A MAINSTREAM COSTUME DON’T commit cultural appropriation. It is offensive, it is overdone and it is not worth the many conversations you will have trying to explain why your costume isn’t racist, when it almost definitely is.

DO feel free to ignore any of this advice.

Halloween is supposed to be fun, and if you want to be a slutty mouse or show up in a ripped t-shirt then you do you. I’m probably going as a pineapple this year, so who am I to judge. That said, you still shouldn’t be a cat.

Trick or Treat?

Salomé Savary and Lizzie Hobbs dish the dirt on the culinary pumpkin phenomenon

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HE pumpkin craze is upon us; a quintessential autumnal flavour that is so versatile you will find it everywhere this month.

The UK wastes an astonishing 18,000 tons of perfectly edible pumpkin flesh when carving them out for Halloween jacko-lanterns. So, why don't you

put the rest of your pumpkin to good use, in both sweet and savoury dishes.

Sri Lankan Pumpkin Curry

This really is the simplest, easiest curry in the world. Dice up your left over mangled pumpkin, plonk it in a stove pot, add your spices and leave to stew. Voila, a feisty curry with a kick.

Sri Lankan cuisine has largely been overshadowed by that of its colossal neighbour, but its fiery and fragrant food really deserves attention in its own right, although there are some parallels with coconutbased south Indian food such as from Kerala. A land famed for its spices, Sri Lankan cooking knows how to pack a taste punch.

Photo: Lizzie Hobbs

Ingredients - 300g of pumpkin - 1/2 tsp of turmeric - 1 tsp of curry powder - 1/2 tsp of mustard powder - 1 crushed cinnamon stick (or a tsp of ground cinnamon) - A large pinch of garam masala - 1 tsp of chilli flakes - 2 green chilli - Handful of chopped shallots - 1 garlic clove - 5 curry leaves - 2 cups of coconut milk - 1/2 cup of coconut cream (SS)

Method 1 Chop the pumpkin flesh into small chunks.

2 Add all the ingredients together in a large pot, except the 1/2 cup of thicker coconut milk.

3 Place on the stove until the coconut milk starts to bubble.

4 Then turn down the heat and leave to stew with the lid on for about 20 minutes.

5 Once this is done, stir in the 1/2 cup of thick coconut milk.

6 Serve up piping hot.

Velvety pumpkin soup

I chose an old favourite recipe for an easy and basic, nevertheless delicious, pumpkin soup which you can make in batch and keep throughout the week or freeze for later on this season.

Ingredients - The flesh of one pumpkin - 2 potatoes Pumpkin photo: publicdomainpictures.net

- 1 sweet potato - 1 garlic clove - 1tsp of ginger - 1tsp of turmeric - Salt and pepper to taste Method 1 Roughly cut up the vegetables and boil until soft enough to blend.

Remove some of the boiling water depending on desired consistency.

Add the spices and garlic before blending until smooth.

2 Serve with bread, a dollop of coconut yogurt, salad, or on its own and garnish with fresh coriander.

3 Don’t forget to keep the seeds!

Rinse them and rub dry, spread out on a baking tray and bake for around 15mins until pale golden; you could toss with olive oil and spices for extra flavour.

4 Allow to cool and use to top the soup or sprinkle on cereal, porridge, toast, salad, soups… They’re a great healthy source of zinc, fibre and omega 3.

(LH)

EXHIBIT

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LIFESTYLE

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

24 OCT 2016

| 17

The great avocado debate Melissa Barker and Clara de Montfort argue for and against Exetah's favourite fruit

OUR INSTAGRAM FEEDS HAVE IMPROVED AS A RESULT OF THE AVOCADO High in fibre, folic acids, vitamin e, potassium, and monosaturated fats, the avocado also boasts enormous health benefits, making this a perfect addition to any meal. Yes, any meal.

The avocado is one of the most versatile foodstuffs, whether this be as a salad component, converted to guacamole or even added to ice creams and iced coffees for a guilt free treat, you won’t even notice you’re gaining one of your five a day.

Even better, avocados are in season all

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his avocado obsession is overrated. I enjoy an avocado as much as the next person, but what is this hype really about?

First things first, avocados are temperamental fruits; they’re never ripe when you buy them, then suddenly overnight they become way too squishy.

Then there’s the issue that avocados are the root of all evil, at least in terms of their environmental impact. All you fans of avocado are effectively sponsoring illegal deforestation in Mexico, as it has become vastly more profitable for farmers to grow avocados than other crops. The unpalatable truth is that you are also sustaining the drug car-

Exespresso yourself

tel known as the Caballeros Templarios who control the Mexican avocado trade. Though, of course, this is only one small facet of the avocado industry.

Yeah, they do have health benefits but this comes at the pricely cost of 300 calories per fruit. What’s more, avocados represent the end of originality. There’s got to be more out there than the cliché poached eggs and avocado on toast on brunch menus. The fact it has become so mainstream you can get it in McDonald’s is surely in itself a reason for concern?

AVOCADOS ARE THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL Then again, at the other end of the spectrum, some people resort to extreme lengths to include avocados in their diet. I mean, is it really necessary to whizz it up and drink it?

Or, even worse, add it to your brownies with coconut flour. Seriously though, if you are going to eat a brownie you may as well enjoy the experience without all these gross, ‘healthy’ substitutes and combinations.

Let’s be honest, avocados are over. It’s all about the aubergine now.

Clara de Montfort

Lifestyle get the lowdown on Exespresso, the latest society on the block

xespresso Society is one of the latest and greatest names on campus, and a hugely exciting opportunity for everyone with an interest in coffee.

It is a society giving a chance for students to learn more about this amazing drink. Coffee’s popularity is consistently growing, and through Exespresso you can grow to have a greater understanding and appreciation of it.

This society was created by like-minded individuals, and we want to unite student of all ages and experience to come together through the common interest of coffee – from those whose love for pumpkin spice lattes is what gets them going, to serious coffee enthusiasts with all the gear who want to learn what to do with it - and even to the aspiring barista.

The aim of Exespresso is to broaden our members’ understanding of coffee culture and, importantly, the specialty coffee from our own front door of Exeter and the great SouthWest. We want to get you thinking about what makes coffee coffee, where it came from and what processes are involved in transforming this little bean to that cup of coffee that gets us going in the morning.

Although we are a society just starting out, we have already had a hugely successful social that took place down in one of the local coffee shops in town and run by Crankhouse, a speci-

ality coffee roaster. The committee and members took part in what we call a ‘cupping’, or in more simple terms a coffee tasting, so that we can select our favourites, think about why this is and even get it on the guest roast list at Camper Coffee on campus for all to enjoy.

WE WANT TO GET YOU THINKING ABOUT WHAT MAKES COFFEE COFFEE Looking ahead, we have a lot of ideas and events in mind, and are so excited about what we can bring to those coffee loving individuals out there. To name a few, we would love to bring to Exeter Uni an Espresso Martini evening, a tour of a local coffee roastery, introductory barista trainings, further cuppings,

classes on creating the perfect coffee at home and so much more. All of this will lead us to the final trip to London’s Coffee Festival in April.

Throughout the year, we will also be featuring a coffee of the month where we will select a local coffee that we love and get it to our members at the best price possible so that everyone can enjoy delicious speciality coffee.

If this sounds like the society you’ve been waiting for, have any questions or just want to see how you can get involved then please look us up on Facebook at ‘execoffeesoc’, and we will be happy to hear from you. If you’re keen to

Pexels

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year round, meaning your obsession can be maintained through the year. Nothing is worse than being left with cravings for nine months of the year whilst your favourite foods are inaccessible, or, even worse, of unsatisfactory quality.

Perhaps most importantly, we must consider the lengths to which our Instagram feeds have improved as a result of the avocado hype.

What can cause more jealousy than a feed of perfectly plated avocado-based dishes on a Sunday morning? If that’s not motivation to get out of bed and start your day (especially on a hangover), I don’t know what is.

And as a final statement; avocado on toast.

Need I say more?

Melissa Barker

Flickr

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ow can you even make an argument against avocados? These delicious, creamy delicacies should form a staple part of any diet.

Revolutionising breakfast experiences, they add an extra dimension to your otherwise standard plate of sourdough toast, scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. What would this dish even be without the topping of avocado?

Beige, that’s what it would be, to the fear of every conscientious university student.

get started then joining is easy - just bring along £5 to one of our events to become an Exespresso member.

We can’t wait to involve you in our events, get your input and showcase the great coffees around Exeter and the South-West.

Luke Storey Exespresso Source Officer

EXHIBIT

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LIFESTYLE

EDITORS: Jade Beard and Laurel Bibby

24 OCT 2016

| 18

The Terrace review

Jeremy Brown, Editor, reviews Queen Street’s new rooftop restaurant

AN ARTSY, ‘URBAN BALCONY’ AESTHETIC That’s the sort of establishment I’m lucky enough to find myself in this Tuesday evening as I escape from the impending essays, the pesky freshers’ flu, and the annual debates about turning the heating on. This is The Terrace, a swanky new rooftop restaurant crowning Exeter’s Queen Street redevelopments, and as I walk out of the cold night and up the monotone industrial staircase, I don’t entirely know what to expect.

What I find is an artsy ‘urban balcony’ aesthetic: the brick interior is framed by glass on three sides, with potted plants perched stylishly along the windows. The bar itself oozes sophistication, and I can’t help but notice the 6 litre bottle of Grey Goose on the shelves as

I sit down; a quick Google when I get home reveals the £750 price tag. Despite this showmanship, as the meal progresses I’m glad to see that The Terrace doesn’t just talk the talk: the food is just as impressive.

Take the venison, for example: mediumrare, and nicely browned, it’s a real treat, especially in combination with the light salad of crunchy quinoa and mild beetroot. Picture a marriage between a lean, Barbour-wearing English aristocrat and an exotic stranger from a holiday abroad.

The grilled fish of the day — hake — is snow-white and blanketed in a crispy skin; although it’s nice, it arguably isn’t enough of a showstopper when accompanied by such a mild dish of buttery, lemony leeks.

Oddly enough, it’s the side-order of smashed carrots which elevates itself to become the highlight of the meal. I recently read that when people are randomly asked to name a vegetable, nine times out of ten they’ll choose the carrot, but this dish manages to transform the humble into the extraordinary, resulting in a silky mix of tender carrots with chilli, feta, and mild spices.

Looking around after a fulfilling main course, it’s nice to see people are already try-

ing this place out — even though it’s only been around for a few weeks. The middleclass chatter bubbles comfortably around us, and the amber lighting, set against the night outside, is reminiscent of street lamps. Exeter Cathedral is lit up over the rooftops too: a great selling point for visitors. Coupled with the fancy (but never snobbish) atmosphere, this would be the perfect place for a classy celebration: either with friends or - more likely - with family. Although it’s busy, this is a genuine restaurant experience, so the gaps between the courses are hardly noticeable when the conversation is in full swing.

THIS DISH MANAGES TO TRANSFORM THE HUMBLE INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY Nonetheless, I’m relieved (and excited) when the desserts arrive. Passionfruit, along with its cousin, the mango, is a particular vice of mine, and unsurprisingly I polish off the passionfruit eclair in rapid time. The passionfruit purée itself is divine, and the vanilla cream is perfect, but my deep-rooted Bake

Off instincts tell me the eclair was a bit too flat, and probably a bit too sweet.

The salted caramel cake is as expected, featuring rich, thick caramel, enclosed in a delectably salty crumb. I probably couldn’t finish a whole one myself, but I’d give it a damn good try. The accompanying toffee popcorn ice cream, meanwhile, is practically a Heston Blumenthal invention: watching a film at the cinema distilled into pudding form.

The entire dining experience is bookended by a friendly team of waiters, dressed in smart-casual attire, and always ready to help.

Although clearly run off their feet at times, they still find the time to wish us on our way.

Exeter’s dining culture consistently blows my mind — you could comfortably eat out in a different high-class restaurant every week here — and The Terrace is a brilliant addition to this tradition. It slots itself comfortably in at the upper end of this hierarchy, although the prices (around £15 for a main) aren’t unassailable. My advice is simple: next time your parents are visiting and fancy splashing the cash, take them up to this rooftop paradise, and spend a stylish night wining-and-dining under the friendly gaze of Exeter Cathedral.

AAAA

Photos: The Terrace 2016 Collection

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ORRECT me if I’m wrong but, as a student, I normally find it’s not every day I’m being offered a £28 lobster for dinner. A half lobster, that is (the whole one was something like £52, but I was so shocked I might have misheard.)

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O P E N M O N D AY T O F R I D AY 1 0 am – 6 pm E X E T E R S T U D E N T S ’ G U I L D – I N D H 1 , U P S TA I R S F R O M C O M I D A 1ST FLOOR, DEVONSHIRE HOUSE, STOKER ROAD EX4 4PZ

arts + lit

Something wicked this way comes

In collaboration with Games + Tech, Arts + Lit present the new (creepy) kid on the literary block...

I

Zoe Case talks freaky online stories

N the year 2006, many households around the world still had a well-frequented room entirely dedicated to the desktop computer. This was the very tail end of the era of chain emails and forums as online social hangouts. 2006 was a year before the fateful introduction of the iPhone, and those who owned computers still needed to sit down to start scrolling.

Out of this era came the ‘copy pasta;’ the online fictional story that, whether through email distribution or forum, needed to be ‘copied’ and ‘pasted’ into each new medium. Of course, this instrument of information-sharing was soon turned on its head and fashioned, into a tool to spread scary stories around the net. Thus, the ‘creepypasta’ was born and adopted as the new campfire story forum, making up for the lack of s’mores with its spine-chilling invasion of your private space.

THE LINE BETWEEN REALITY AND CREEPYPASTA HORROR FICTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN THIN The line between reality and creepypasta horror fiction has always been thin, especially in the case of the Slenderman. Originally a character from a creepypasta, this tall, slim, grey, alienlike monster started cropping up in real-life Wisconsin, where a twelve-year old child, claiming to have seen and listened to the monster, held down and stabbed two of her classmates in 2014.

Then there are those creepypastas that warn their readers that the actual reading of the story will invite the horror into their own homes, The Ring style. One of the best examples of this is the legend of ‘Smile Dog,’ a story about the lone survivor of a group of people who all viewed the same JPEG of a smiling dog online. According to the story, those who succumbed to Smile Dog’s

And now for some decidedly lighter material...

Anna Broadbent and Alice Palmer, Exeter Medical School

Winnie Fiorensa gives a crash course in creepypasta

haunting died horrible deaths, often suicide or uncontrollable epileptic fits. Of course, scrolling to the end of the story, the reader will be shown the picture of the smiling dog.

Creepypasta is ever evolving as it takes on new platforms and sharing-sites. Some of the most popular ‘modern’ creepypastas are those written as diary entries and shared on sites like Reddit and Tumblr. Many of these new stories focus on the uncanny within nature or dilapidated buildings. The setting for the latest creepypasta is simply ‘the woods.’ And within these fictional woods, protagonists find displaced staircases which lead to nowhere, whole fields filled with chunks of rotting meat which seem to be the leftover prey of grizzly bears, or even travelling communities of Victorian circus freaks who are there one minute and gone the next. The rise of proto-documentary style filmmak ing (for example within the original Blair Witch Project) even shows how the online creepypasta has snuck onto our screens.

The killer clown craze, recently spread to the UK from the US, seems at least a little creepypasta-like, comparable to stories such as ‘Laughing Jack’ and ‘The Clown Statue.’ On the other hand, Stephen King has been writing about killer clowns since the late eighties. Either way, if you want to know which monstrous creature will be stalking your town next, you need not look further than your own laptop.

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REEPYPASTA has slowly crept its way into people’s minds, haunting the darkest corners of society whilst blurring the boundary between reality and fantasy. Sometimes, the writers of creepypasta are so good at provoking this intense state of paranoia that even I, an avid reader of creepypasta, am often left deeply disturbed by what I read.

CREEPYPASTA HAS SLOWLY CREPT ITS WAY INTO PEOPLE’S MINDS Such disturbing material combined with simple vocabulary makes every day fear radiate from the genre’s very heart. This makes famous pasta such as Slenderman lege n d a r y.

This type of writing focuses m o r e on the big central idea as well as special emphasis being placed on the originality of the story told. Cliché creepypasta with typical plot is usually ineffective in its incisory purpose, so there must be a sense of uniqueness within the plot. As these stories are crucially focused on creating new material, creepypasta writers often spend gratuitous amounts of time simply recording new ideas; a good creative habit for any aspiring writer.

Jeremy Brown, Editor

Creepypasta is surprisingly detailed in its description of the characters and settings, working to achieve a realistic and therefore more fearful effect. However, it is not as simple as making blood splatter on the fourth wall of every scene. It needs to be “subtle,” where writers slowly build tension and lure readers in. Rather than describing a situation explicitly, writers will need to set a certain mood and recreate the nauseating experience of new fear. As mentioned previously, this fear is essential to the heart of the genre. This is the beauty of creepy pasta; the skill of subtlety which every writer has to master, with the only way to acheive this being to keep writing.

Popular, effective creepypasta usually revolves around unexplained phenomena readily observed in our real world. Nothing is more terrifying than “the unknown” who live beside us, breathe with us and cannot wait to sidle out of the shadows toward us. With proper use of what everyday objects have to offer writers as subjects, the realm of possibility is limitless! Even something as lifeless as a concrete wall can be transformed into something spine-chilling if the writer gives life to it and creates another form of fear.

With this in mind, creepypasta writers are selftrained to be observant and find opportunity in mundane things; seeing normal things differently and being inspired by them.

EFFECTIVE CREEPYPASTA USUALLY REVOLVES AROUND UNEXPECTED PHENOMENA The difficulty of pulling off a creepypasta story tells you a lot about the complexity of the creative process that goes into producing the content. If you’re interested in challenging yourself, creepypasta can be a wonderful genre to start or practice with. Even if the pasta you have written is a flop, at least it’s still entertaining - is it not?

Anna Broadbent and Alice Palmer, Exeter Medical School

Fancy putting your carving skills to the test? Post your pics on Twitter or Instagram by 30 October and hashtag #MedicalPumpkin to enter Exeter Med School’s spooky competition!

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

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EDITORS: Tash Ebbutt and Emma Bessent

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Ghoulish art

Nadia Zajancauskaite comments on freaky art

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T is undisputable that art has a certain power over our minds, but some people claim that it is even capable of driving them to the edge of madness. Please be aware that the following paintings can influence you in an unpredictable way if you are susceptible.

SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THAT ART IS CAPABLE OF DRIVING THEM TO THE EDGE OF MADNESS I was quite sceptical at first, thinking that no work of art can move anyone that profoundly.

Now, take a look at this painting by Bill Stoneham called “The Hands Resist Him”, where two children seem to be planning mischief, until you notice that one of them is a doll, and the other has a rather spooky countenance.

The hands behind the window add to the general atmosphere of uneasiness. When I first saw this painting, I started shaking and was close to having a panic attack. Other people were tell-

Arts in the news

ing about having similar effects, often fainting or being seized by a sudden fear. The owners of the painting insist that the children would move around and sometimes even leave the frame altogether.

Perhaps these strange stories could be accounted for by the advanced sensitivity of some people (myself included), but what would you say about this painting called “The Anguished

The Hands Resist Him

House of Lords attacks Commons over library closures

Man” by an unknown artist.

The whole story of its creation is rather creepy – its creator mixed paint with his own blood before committing suicide. The owner of this work refuses to sell the painting, since people become affected whenever they see or stand close to it.

It is possible that these two paintings were made with a clear design to scare people to

The Anguished Man

Beirut to build new modern art museum

death, but there are other classical works that are capable of causing anxiety in a viewer.

“Death Looking into the Window of One Dying”

by Jaroslav Panuska could be the inspiration for the stories about the Slender Man – an unspeakable creature with a long body that follows you around.

Stay safe this Halloween, and beware of the watchful paintings!

Death Looking into the Window of One Dying

Art History axed from A Level curriculum

Cheap thrills B

Indulging in a thriftier form of seasonal consumerism, Jasmine Prasad praises second-hand book shops

EING students, it’s practically mandatory that we spend huge amounts of money on books; upwards of £50 per year. When we get even a little bit of free time to read for pleasure, sometimes it’s really satisfying to unearth those bargain book buys, from places you wouldn’t even think to enter. Exeter is filled with charity shop gems, where you can find great books for next to nothing. Here are some of my top picks for your next charity shop crawl!

The Oxfam Book Shop on South Street may at first seem quite unassuming, but once you enter you’re really in for quite a treat. Not to judge a charity shop by its book displays, but this Oxfam has a way of arranging its books so that everything looks wonderfully appealing. Oxfam is always a great start and Exeter’s site is no exception at all.

Book Cycle is an Exeter treasure nestled into the roads off of Fore Street. With a cool system in which you choose how much you pay for up to three

books, Book Cycle is worth rooting around in.

What’s more, Book Cycle is all about providing free access to books, so they have Shelf Cycles (or places where you can donate and pick up books) in locations all over Exeter. These include The Angel Bar on Queen Street, Boston Tea Party on Queen Street, and The Glorious Art House on Fore Street.

shop. A little more expensive than the previous two picks, The Topsham Bookshop specialises in out of print and antique books. But you can definitely find some great bargains on certain floors.

They’re known for their seasonal deals. Your time in Exeter would be incomplete without a visit. The village itself is also rather quaint so you might as well stay for a while whilst you’re there.

The Topsham Bookshop. Okay, so this one isn’t quite in Exeter, but a short train ride to Topsham will get you to this great little secondhand book

“EXETER IS A REAL DREAM FOR FINDING SNEAKY DEALS”

University Secondhand Book Sales. Some of our greatest deals come right here on campus!

Keep an eye out for each academic department’s own book sales, because you can pick up classic texts for your uni book shelf! The Modern Languages and English departments sell books for as little as 30p! Some bigger books are even available for a pound! The Students’ Guild also hold book sales, which go on throughout the year, usually outside of the RAM Vintage Store Exeter. Not quite a charity shop, but offering really good deals on brand new and secondhand books, Vintage Store Exeter allows you the opportunity to shop for clothes and your fave reads at the same time! Pick up classics like Kerouac’s On The Road and Virginia Woolf’s The Waves for as little as £3 or £4. If you’re browsing, it’s definitely a good idea to pay attention to their seasonal deals.

Exeter is a real dream for finding sneaky deals. You definitely do not need to spend a pretty penny to find wonderful books.

music

Spooky soundtrack

Photo: Pixabay

Alex Brammer gives us the rundown of his five favourite Halloween inspired albums HALLOWEEN is here again, and that can only mean one thing – it’s time to listen to some music guaranteed to terrify the living daylights out of you.

In any case, you’re going to need a spooky soundtrack, so here’s a selction of Halloween albums you may not have heard of.

THREE 6 MAFIA – MYSTIC STYLEZ You know those hi-hats you hear in the background of nearly every pop-rap song lately?

You know the ones. They originally grew out of trap music, and that element of Southern hip hop needed to come from somewhere – so, Mystic Stylez. It’s crazy hearing those same drums on an album recorded a full 21 years ago, and it makes the album feel incredibly fresh while you listen to Juicy J and Gangsta Boo rap about stabbing cops and worshipping Satan. It’s shocking, ludicrous, and a whole lot of fun.

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR – F#A# INFINITY

“The car’s on fire, and there’s no driver at the wheel.

And the sewers are all muddied with a thousand lonely suicides. And a dark wind blows.” This is the beginning of the exceptionally jaunty monologue which opens F# A# Infinity. It’s one of only two or three times on the album where you can hear speech – it’s like the world that Godspeed have created is so awful that language has ceased to be relevant. Instead, heavily treated guitar and violin – even recordings of rambling strangers fuzzed up to the point of incoherence – paint a portrait of a world gone irrevocably wrong. If you choose to listen to this album by yourself late at night, it will reach into the darkest recesses of your brain and grip onto you with a leathery hand which just won’t let go.

BOARDS OF CANADA – GEOGADDI This is probably the most subtle of the albums on here when it comes to the unsettling stuff, which isn’t saying much, given that Geogaddi lasts exactly 66 minutes and 6 seconds. Yeah. Nevertheless, there’s a lot of density to the creepy stuff going on during Geogaddi, including the classic cliché: Satanic messages being played backwards! This is one of the few times where there’s actually some sinister stuff going on in the background; “You Could Feel The Sky” has a reversed sample of a man talking about worshipping the devil, some screams and the crackling of a fire.

Makes Led Zeppelin look like amateurs.

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‘Potion Approaching’ - Arctic Monkeys ‘Poltergeist’ - Banks ‘Monster Mash’ - Bobby ‘Boris Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers Mummy Dust’ - Ghost B.C. ‘Night Wail’ - Public Service Broadcasting ‘Bella Lugosi’s Dead’ - Bauhaus ‘Stayin’ Alive’ - The Bee Gees ‘Thriller’ - Michael Jackson ‘Dragula’ - Rob Zombie ‘Psycho Killer’ - Talking Heads ‘Superstition’ - Stevie Wonder Alex Brammer, Agnes Emeney, Beau Hayes, Graham Moore, Lucy Ronan, Theo Stone, Harry Ward

CHELSEA WOLFE – PAIN IS BEAUTY Please don’t just write Chelsea Wolfe off as being the woman who had her song in the Game of Thrones advert. This album is doom-laden, depressing folk, but it’s still somehow able to be immediately accessible and as catchy as it gets. Her floating voice is endlessly listenable, even when she’s telling the listener to kill themselves (“House of Metal”) or discussing how her urge to kill is getting stronger (“Ancestors, the Ancients”). Her work essentially sounds like Grimes trying to make a black metal album. Take that how you will.

DEATH GRIPS – THE MONEY STORE The Money Store seems to draw on an almost infinite amount of raging energy, which ends up being translated into thirteen frenetic and deafening tracks.

Tracks like “I’ve Seen Footage”, a paranoid ode to having seen some “crazy s***”, or “Double Helix”, which manages both to be the closest thing the album has to a laid-back ballad and to include lines like “Off the cliff in a blur of black blood and hoodoo hexin’ guts” in the midst of an orgy of blood-drenched bass and savage drums. Be as prepared as you can before going in – because you can never really be ready for it.

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EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

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The times, they are a’changing Olly Telling eloquently explores why Bob Dylan deserves this year’s esteemed Nobel Prize for literature

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T was the first year of my English literature degree, and I had earnestly proposed to my seminar leader that I write my summative essay on Bob Dylan’s lyrics to ‘A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall’. I was more than a little upset when the bemused professor replied I could not write an analysis of a pop song.

I found Bob Dylan in the dithering eventide of my youth. Not fancying to be caught up in the burgeoning Pop Idol illiteracy of my peers, nor the conceited Oxbridge intellectualism my grammar school was wantonly moulding us into, I had begun to look for someone else’s thoughts I might sequester as my own. I sunk into the wide, treacherous ocean of books; in my earnest juvenile pretensions leafing through the works of Kerouac, Keats and Rimbaud, and the records of a certain folk/rock/pop musician: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde On Blonde, Desire, Blood On The Tracks etc.

The writers I was drawn to were pennants of vernal isolation, which for me stood far above the compressive grasp of academia. As far as I was concerned, if I ventured to dissect the poetry then I would lose all interest in the poet, then I wouldn’t want to be Bob Dylan anymore.

The right words with the right melody; the lyrics may be as simplistic as a tactless slogan, or as complex as Dylan’s dreamlike landscapes, the ability of lyrics when fitted to music to express the inner life of the listener is a profound experience unparalleled in any other art form. This is why, in spite of the fact that his lyrics quite blatantly are literature, Dylan seems to many to be so doubtfully distinct amongst the previous recipients of the Nobel Prize. As with the greatest writers, there’s a perpetual depth of ideas to plough from his work, but you don’t have to work at what he’s communicating, you understand it

as soon as the Muse begins to sing.

“But who will be next?” those usurped fore holders of good taste cry uproariously from the seats of Pandemonium. Does this pave the way of our high gabled library halls for the likes of Jim Morrison? Sid Vicious?

Rap?!

SO SUPREMELY BEYOND THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ANY OTHER LYRICIST

Bob Dylan stands so supremely beyond the achievements of any other music lyricist.

All of us have felt a connection with something he’s written. Perhaps that’s why we all felt some little elation at the intellectual sphere finally recognising his achievements, not that we needed their recognition anyway. Given that through the past ten years or so, the Nobel Prize seems to have been decided predominantly on the recipient’s literary merit, as opposed to their cultural influence and public acclaim, it seems possible that someday other musical bards may come to be contenders for the coveted award.

MUSIC TO EXPRESS THE INNER LIFE IS A PROFOUND EXPERIENCE I looked at the record covers, I watched him in films; in No Direction Home he was willowy, ethereal, as captivating as those imponderable verses he penned with his guitar.

I said “have your academia, and your institutions!” I went to gigs and saw the rock stars promenade sentimentale upon the wooden stages, joyously feeling the sweaty embrace of grown men who would never confess to reading a single line of poetry or criticism.

Is Bob Dylan’s music literature? To those already familiar with his work, it is an utterly banal question. I could rattle on about the lyrics legitimacy to such a claim, I could extract snippets of close reading from the essay I insisted on writing in spite of my seminar leader’s specious apprehensions. Emerging from the crepuscule of my stubbornly profound teenage years and trying to find some place for my juvenile obsessions amidst the profundity of a literature degree, I find that comparing pop lyrics with poetry and prose is no greater a problem than comparing the Modernists with Renaissance theatre, Romantics with Medieval verse. Have it like this: any great novelists’ attempt at lyricism would be as bewildering as Dylan’s own misguided attempt at a novel, Tarantula.

Photograph: Wikipedia

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EDITORS: Rory Marcham and Helen Payne

Jagwar Marmite

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Jagwar Ma’s latest contribution to the psych-dance scene might not be for everyone, says Annie Tricks JAGWAR MA Every Now and Then 14 October

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HE psychedelic dance trio are at it again with their latest album Every Now and Then. Like the last album, Gabriel Winterfield stuns on the lead vocals and guitar, Jono Ma and Jack Freeman support him with synths, beats and bass guitar. Although widely acclaimed by bands such as The xx and Foals after touring with them, these guys definitely could get more credit if they were not under the shadow of fellow Aussies Tame Impala and did not release their album the same week as other well known bands. With tremors of acid house years from the late 80s, this album takes us back in time, giving a retro and alternative vibe throughout the album.

TREMORS OF ACID HOUSE YEARS FROM THE LATE 80S Personally I had never heard much of the band before, only hearing the name once or twice, here or there. Listening to their new al-

making you want to strut along as you listen to bum transports me to a Magic Hatstand night it. It certainly has a clear definition to its sounds in Cavern, or a warehouse rave in Bristol; bucket which their debut album, Howlin, lacked, sendhats and glitter definitely come in tow with these ing out smooth impulses which echo throughfunky tones. out the whole album. One of the The intro song, ‘Falling’ sets the other strongest songs of mood for the album with the the album is ‘O B 1’, with sultry synths and electro the opening repetibeats. The way it seamtive lines of “what” lessly moves into sending shivers the shuffling beat down to your of ‘Say What You feet, forcing Feel’ is also adyou to move. mirable, highThe chorus lighting how is also bold, the whole further album is highlighttightly kniting the conted together fidence the to form an band have overall collage gained since of the psychetheir first album. delic world. Song However a lot of the such as ‘Loose Ends’ songs seem to merge are very catchy, and afinto one, except for ‘High ter a few listens definitely Photograph: Toast Press Rotations’, which makes you make you want to belt out the feel like you are rotating round in slow lyrics alongside lead singer Gabriel. motion on a spinny office chair. A darker tone Their lead single ‘Give Me a Reason’ no perhaps compared to some of the other songs, doubt is one of the best of the album. Despite its however it adds well to the collage of psychelength, coming to seven minutes long, the elecdelic tunes as every journey should have a bit tronic beats slip you into a head bobbing trance,

of variety. ‘Don’t Make It Right’ is also a powerful one, oozing into pores and under skin with its seductive synths. Gabriel’s echoing voice vibrates through you, illuminating the range of talent the group has.

OOZING INTO PORES AND UNDER SKIN WITH ITS SEDUCTIVE SYNTHS Overall, as a new listener, I feel the album is one to try. It may not be to everyone’s liking, however there are certainly songs that everyone will be compelled to bop their little heads along to. Whilst listening to them you will definitely feel like you have been on a life journey with them, reflecting on your past and future as you slide across the streets towards your next destination.

EVERY NOW AND THEN IS OUT NOW ON MOM + POP

No jackpot for this Gameshow Sarah Morrish weighs in on Two Door Cinema Club’s long-awaited return TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB Gameshow 14 October

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WO Door Cinema Club’s sophomoric record, Beacon, garnered rapturous critical acclaim, catapulting the Irish trio into the breadths of stardom and cult iconography alike. Debuting at number one on the Irish Albums Chart and number two on the UK Albums Chart, Beacon was certified gold shortly after its release, serving as the band’s first taste of gritty chart success. Though their debut effort, Tourist History, proved equally as rich in quality, the band were now the headliners as opposed to the supporting act.

One might consider it apt to continue this trajectory further, but Beacon was actually released four years ago. In keeping with successful rock band tradition, they found themselves plagued by a myriad of personal issues.

It would be something of an understatement to describe this period of inactivity as a hiatus, as that does not truly justify the extent of their toils: hospitalisation, depression, and alcoholism. Nonetheless, this break was not all

doom-and-gloom. Lead vocalist Alex Trimble launched a photographic exhibition, bassist Kevin Baird explored Eastern religion and yoga, and lead guitarist Sam Halliday got married.

Borne of this bittersweet phase was Gameshow, a radical upheaval of the meticulously alternative sound that the band became so renowned for. Veering away from their ultracatchy indie roots, Two Door Cinema Club’s latest reincarnation acts as an embracing of purified pop – the type of which they previously appeared desperate to keep at arm’s length.

The lead single, ‘Are We Ready? (Wreck)’, personifies the kitchen-sink approach to a substantial pop song, its synth-heavy instrumental enveloping its castigation of consumerist culture: ‘’you should be comfortable, don’t think at all.’’

Lyrically speaking, Gameshow is simply brimming with thought-provoking gems. ‘Bad Decisions’ lambastes the rise of social media, claiming that we ‘’don’t need to know what everybody’s thinking,’’ whilst Trimble protests that he is ‘’made of plasticine’’ on the album’s title track. On the surface, it would seem as though the band are complaining about an invasion of privacy which is virtually non-existent to them. Despite their commercial success in terms of sales and gigs, one would suspect that

an overwhelming majority of the public would struggle to identify a member of the band. In this way, the album is very much paradoxical: the listener is presented with a series of contradictions and a conformist pop aesthetic that quickly dismisses others in the same field.

A RADICAL UPHEAVAL FROM THEIR METICULOUSLY ALTERNATIVE SOUND Ambitious as it is, the album occasionally falls short. The sickly balladry of ‘Invincible’, for instance, is incredibly tepid, similar to something you might come across in a John Hughes film, and Pink Fever’s ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’-esque introduction was so painstaking that it is portentous. A couple of other tracks on the album are so indifferent that they simply fade into the background – ‘Surgery’ and ‘Lavender’ aren’t anything we haven’t heard before.

That’s just the problem though. This kind of music can be found just about anywhere.

Whilst there is probably somebody who could distinguish ‘Ordinary’ from any other song in

the charts, it simply does not sit right at a Two Door Cinema Club gig. Then again, that’s what evolution is all about, though instead of trailblazers, the band are reduced to conformists.

Despite this, certain sporadic pangs of greatness can certainly be noted amongst this collection. Closing track ‘Je Viens De La’ is infectiously euphoric, concluding Gameshow with an upbeat reprisal of the glossy-pop/1980sfunk vibes the album seems to collate. Another highlight of the album is ‘Good Morning’, in which Trimble’s vocals blend perfectly with the instrumental fronted by Baird and Halliday. If there were any lingering discord between the three, this album suggests that it has been eradicated. Though the album is certainly not perfect, nor overly original, it places Two Door Cinema Club in prime position to soar once more.

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screen

The best villains of cinema Jodie Russell ranks the best movie villains in order of evilness

Princess Mombi

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FFECTIVELY, if this were a list of films that disturbed me as a child, then the often overlooked sequel to the Wizard of Oz, 1985’s Return to Oz, would be at the top. Consequently, one of the film’s villains has to make my list. Jean Marsh plays two terrifying characters. Firstly, the psychopathic Nurse Wilson, who treats Dorothy with electric shock therapy after she returns from Oz the first time. In true The Wizard of Oz fashion, Jean Marsh is also the terrifying Princess Mombi, a witch with a room full of cabinets containing attractive heads , any of which she is able to switch with her own. She is terrifyingly beautiful, but unlike Catwoman, vanity is her greatest vice, and when she takes a liking to Dorothy’s head she holds her captive.

Without giving too much away, there is nothing like a room of screaming heads to give you nightmares. If the Wizard of Oz is a warm and fuzzy memory from your childhood, the image of a headless Princess Mombi chasing you down will instantly kill that.

Newsreel

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

Hannibal Lecter

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IOLENT and crazed Thomas Harris’ character has received much love over the years, the focus of much praise has been on Anthony Hopkins’ chilling portrayal. As a huge Fannibal, I can say with certainty that that praise has not been misplaced, but I think more credit it due to Mads Mikkelsen’s and Bryan Fuller’s interpretation of everyone’s favourite psychopath. Where Hopkins was unsettling with his perpetual stare, Mikkelsen is unfathomably charismatic.

You cannot help but like him. You have to give points to Dr Lecter for being a twenty-first century gentleman; his knowledge of music, wine, food, languages, etiquette and women is unparalleled. And this is what makes Lecter so villainous; you are drawn to him in admiration and quickly become ensnared. The horror in Hannibal borders the artistic, so the show as a whole leaves you very confused and makes you wonder, ‘Who really is the monster here? The one doing the murdering or the one finding the beauty in it?’

I

Catwoman

N terms of villains that come immediately to mind, most of them tend to be men.

Norman Bates, Freddy Krueger, Dracula, the Joker (and many more). This is no coincidence - the number of male villains are probably statistically higher - but among the best villains are some deliciously evil women. My first instinct is to jump to Mrs Robinson, the manipulative seductress from The Graduate, but to call her a villain is perhaps tenuous.

She’s cruel, yes, but a little too human. My choice instead is also debatably not a villain; Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman from Batman Returns is certainly unhinged, and allies herself with the predominant villain in the movie, Danny DeVito’s grotesque Penguin, but her motive is (in a twisted way) just. Her character oozes sexuality, which is very confusing for the audience; she’s seductive but scary in her tight leather, Frankenstein-esque costume and blood red lips. In this way she represents the two extremities of human life: sex and death.

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Kylo Ren

ASTLY a controversial opinion: Kylo makes a better villain than Darth Vader.

I feel a great disturbance in the force while I type this, as if millions of voices cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced (after admitting to themselves that I am right).

While Vader tops a lot of people’s lists, when we compare the cinematic portrayal of Darth Vader to Kylo Ren there is infinitely more depth to the latter’s character. Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren with such terrifying vulnerability at moments that you question whether he is a villain at all, instead just a very damaged individual on the precipice of evil. He is almost redeemable. But, conflictingly, you know he is too far gone. His attempt to control Rey is disturbingly intimate as he tries to penetrate the most sacred, spiritual privacy of another’s mind. This is deeply metaphorical for one of the most frightening of violations. His body count may not rank as high as Vader’s but you sense he is not far from tipping over the edge with his uncontrollable rage.

The Fantastic Five?

Hope springs eternal

Moore or less

Ahead of the upcoming November release of Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, J. K. Rowling announced at a fan event on Thursday 18th October that original plans for a trilogy had been expanded, with an additional two films in the pipeline bringing the series total to five.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is the latest film that’s set to be adapted in to a TV series off the back of several similar ventures, including Fargo and The Departed. Steve Golin, producer of the 2004 film, is on board, but the project is still in development and yet to be picked up by a network.

Michael Moore recently revealed a new project he has been working on secretly, based on none other than presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The surprise documentary’s release date is yet to be confirmed but it is currently titled: Michael Moore in Trumpland.

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EDITORS: Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar

24 OCT 2016

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Theo Stone, Online Editor, gives his top five books that would make great films

HENEVER a book achieves a certain level of success, it is near-inevitable that it will shortly see an adaptation to the big screen. Some, such as the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings franchises, have transformed our relationship with cinematic series, whilst the Marvel Cinematic Universe has rewritten the rules of the Blockbuster. Of course, there are then countless others which fall flat and die on the road to success. Twilight was a massive success, but has no legacy, and As I Lay Dying and Batman V Superman have received nothing but cries of anguish from infuriated patrons. Nonetheless, where there is talent, there is hope. Here are five books which I think deserve the silver screen treatment.

RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA HAS LANGUISHED IN DEVELOPMENT HELL My first choice is Stoner by John Williams. Republished by Vintage in 2013 after being unjustly unloved for 48 years, Stoner has been restored to the public consciousness as a lost gem and an iconic piece of fictional biography; featuring some of the most soul-wrenching and beautiful writing you’ll ever read. Telling the story of a downtrodden and underappreciated academic in Missouri, Stoner’s gorgeous prose is married

with rich characters and serves as a fascinating meditation on the human condition for those just beyond the realms of success and happiness. With the right cast and the care and attention this story deserves, an adaptation would likely prove to be a serious Oscar contender.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt is another must. Here’s a novel which seems to be destined for a big screen adaptation, and yet is still waiting for one. This massively successful novel, set primarily within a picturesque private university campus in Vermont, is an ideal piece of potential cinema. By amassing a series of dark and often disturbing characters, all of whom willing to go above and beyond the realms of depravity in order to obtain their prize, Tartt was able to create one of the most notable inversions of the whodunnit genre - it is only a matter of time before The Secret History receives the big-screen treatment it deserves.

For years there have been rumblings of a screen adaptation of Arthur C Clarke’s Rendezvous With Rama. Despite being authored by the arguable king of contemporary science fiction, for years this film has languished in development hell, with no reels in sight. Nevertheless, the cries for a film adaptation still ring out, and for very good reasons. Rendezvous With Rama is a masterpiece of extraterrestrial worldbuilding, effortlessly presenting to the reader the spectacle of an organic alien world, and recapturing a spirit of wonder that has been sadly

lacking from many recent science fiction films, whilst also playing true to Clarke’s devotion to hard science fiction. Many have attributed the lack of development to be down to script problems, with many fearing that an adaptation of Rama would lead to a production which shies away from Clarke’s original intentions, however, if the eventual writer is able to rise above the need for romance, villains, and action for the sake of action, and focus instead on the sense of discovery synonymous with then novel, then we could have a true classic on our hands.

important physicist since Einstein and perhaps the greatest communicator of science in history. Both of these people represented the very peak of their disciplines, and both graphic novels brilliantly succeed in bringing them back. to life, with rich and honest characterisation. These are two people, and two stories, which need to receive the big-screen treatment they deserve.

THE ACADEMIC BIOPIC IS A STAPLE OF THE FILM INDUSTRY My final suggestions are the seminal graphic novels, Logicomix by Apostles Doxiadis and Christos Papadimitriou and Feynman by Jim Ottaviani. The academic biopic is a staple of the film industry, with The Imitation Game, Creation, The Man Who Knew Infinity and The Theory of Everything, to name but a handful. As such, it’s high time that we cross over into the territory of two of the leading figures of their respective fields from the 20th century: Bertrand Russell and Richard Feynman. The former a philosopher, logician, public intellectual and tireless campaigner for social justice, the latter, arguably the most

Black Mirror Returns

W

Daniel Brock looks forward to the new series of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian anthology

ITH Black Mirror returning to our screens following its recent Netflix revival, it seems only fitting to reflect on the previous two series and take a look at what might be in store. Granted the dark satirical series requires a somewhat unique taste to behold and maintains a limited cult following, but it has received critical acclaim for its bleak and creative portrayals of the not so distant future which pivot around the weaknesses of today’s society. Above all, the success of the series can be attributed to its surprisingly soulful take on human nature and the ways we both enhance and subvert through use of technology. Such characteristics are thanks to Charlie Brooker who created the series and has written most of its episodes, claiming at least partial credit on all six

instalments of the show’s brand new third season, which launched on 21st October and will air exclusively on Netflix.

THIS SHOULD BE THE BEST SERIES YET Plots in the previous series including the housing of a murderer in a zoo-like attraction and the replacement of a dead spouse with an anatomically correct android seemed almost nonsensical. Yet when the allegations of Piggate emerged in 2015, the series’ pilot episode, The National Anthem, was suddenly validated.

Likewise, an episode from 2013 titled The Waldo Moment, which follows the story of how an animated blue bear came to become a world leader owing to the political apathy of the electorate, seemed to be beyond the bounds of possibility.

However, on reflection perhaps it wasn’t such a far-fetched narrative if a certain individual with an IQ inferior to an animated bear is capable of running for US President.

So, what can be expected from the new series? As every episode functions as its own entity and there are no specific running themes of characters it seems that the best way to approach the new series is to take a look at the most highly anticipated episode: Hated in the Nation. Prior to its premiere screening to critics and journalists in Mayfair on the evening of October 12th, Brooker

confirmed this to be the finale of the hotly anticipated series. Starrng Trainspotting’s Kelly Macdonald alongside Game of Thrones’ Faye Marsay, the episode tells the story of an investigation into a string of mysterious hate figure deaths with a sinister link to social media and surveillance. Whilst the more specific details remain a mystery, if the the critical reception for Hated in the Nation is anything to go by, this should be the best series of Black Mirror yet, aided no doubt by an expansion to feature-length 90 minute long episodes and an ability to achieve higher levels of production than the previous two series. Furthermore, Brooker’s promise of “a positive use of technology” during the series, signals a break from its often dystopian nature which will perhaps make for some lighter viewing!

EXHIBIT

|

SCREEN

EDITORS: Mark Allison and Zak Mahinfar

24 OCT 2016

Louis’ latest

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28

Image: cubecinema.com

Thomas Evans reviews Louis Theroux’s feature-length venture, My Scientology Movie LOUIS THEROUX: MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE Director: John Dower 2016, 99 minutes.

THRE ARSAA

M

Y Scientology Movie marks the first venture by veteran documentary maker Louis Theroux into the world of feature-length documentary movies. It follows Theroux’s attempts to investigate the inner workings and power structures at play within the world’s most secretive ‘religion’, using dramatic recreations of alleged events within the high command of Scientology (the Sea-Org), and attempts to understand the highly reclusive figure of David Miscavige, the current leader of Scientology.

It has all the tropes of a Theroux documentary: awkward stares, awkward silences, awkward Louis doing his usual awkward facial expressions; but what’s absent is the most

important characteristic of Theroux’s documentaries: access. It’s access that is the key to Theroux’s unique documentary style and he thrives on analysis and interviews which are only available through his position within groups, seeing the people and movements through his own eyes.

In contrast, the drive behind My Scientology Movie is the movie within a movie, the reconstructions of alleged events as described

by Mark ‘Marty’ Rathbun, the former senior executive of Scientology and the group’s most high profile defector. Due to lack of access the film relies heavily on Rathbun’s expertise and memories, and it’s Rathbun who’s the architect of the film, telling Theroux and the audience about how the group is run. The result is that we’re treated to an image of Scientology and its leader as seen through Rathbun’s eyes instead of Theroux’s own. It’s ‘Rathbun’s Scientology Movie’ not Louis’.

Theroux fails to push Rathbun over his role in Scientology and some of his self-confessed tactics. He seems to hold back when Rathbun

rebuts him and surprisingly doesn’t push to clarify what he meant by his self-portrayal as the ‘baddest assed dude in Scientology’.

There’s a feeling throughout that Rathbun is deliberately holding back, leaving a sour taste when it dawns that the reconstructions are possibly being edited by Rathbun to remove unsavoury images of his own past and the role he played within the organisation. Frustratingly it hints at a better movie waiting to come out.

IT’S FUNNY, BUT ULTIMATELY DISJOINTED The film sacrifices seriousness and detail for laughs, and there are some genuinely hilarious moments including the bizarre scene of fake David Miscavige playing Jenga with fake Tom Cruise, and a protracted argument regarding access to a disputed road. Juxtaposed onto this is a genuine atmosphere of paranoia throughout the whole film, includ-

On the right track?

ing shadowy tailgating SUV’s and mysterious camera crews from Scientology filming Theroux (we later learn that the organisation will be making its own documentary about him).

The reconstruction of alleged beatings by Miscavige of “subversive” Sea-Org members, and apparent threats to Marty’s family makes for some extremely uncomfortable viewing.

While it’s easy to laugh at the strange world of Scientology the movie isn’t afraid to let us know that the organisation can be dangerous if you cross it.

In short, My Scientology Movie is a solid documentary film that posits a novel way to get around the problem of access inherent throughout the film. It’s funny, at times dramatic, but ultimately disjointed and confused.

By including reconstructions, frustrating encounters with Scientologists that ultimately lead nowhere, and interviews with ex-members, the film doesn’t settle or pick one medium to focus on. It’s likely to delight and shock audiences, but it feels hollow when compared to Theroux’s previous work.

Sofia Hartwell praises Emily Blunt’s performance in what she deems a mediocre picture THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN Director: Tate Taylor Emily Blunt, Luke Evans.

2016, 112 minutes.

THRE ARSAA

T

HE Girl on the Train was a film that I had been anticipating from the moment I heard about its release. I had not even heard about the novel until this summer, yet I was captivated from the first page – the dark thriller pulled me deeper and deeper into the tangled web of Rachel’s life and I was finished within a matter of days.

Naturally, due to the sensation this book caused across the world, there was significant pressure on the US director Tate Taylor to pay it justice. However, given his indisputable success in directing The Help, I trusted he would be

able to mirror this novel in the film. Of course, after falling in love with a book so quickly and then watching the film, there is always the slight fear that the image you created in your head will become distorted, as with Harry Potter’s many discontented fans. Nevertheless, I decided to remain positive and even felt that it had the potential for a brilliant thriller film, given the right use of effects, music and actors.

IT HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE A BRILLIANT THRILLER So, when I cuddled up in the Odeon cinema seat with my popcorn and accompanied by my five housemates, I was expecting a brilliant and memorable film. I was disappointed.

From the second I saw the American setting I knew the film was not going to live up to my

film, given that the ending was an unexpected expectations, and the whole picture I had in shock. Here, it is undeniable that the director my head of Rachel’s life in London had crumdid a flawless job increasing the tension, leadbled. Despite Emily Blunt’s stellar perforing to a clear peak in the film. mance, she too was a disappointment Unfortunately for me, many compared to my vision of Rachel. of my criticisms stem from my Blunt, however, was nowhere reading the novel, because near as disappointing as I had images of the charAnna and Megan, with acters and settings that both actors (Rebecca FerI did not want to be disguson and Haley Bentorted. Despite this, the nett) stumbling behind film is undeniably worth Emily Blunt’s proven a watch, particularly if acting capabilities. you have no experience However, all is not a with the book. Tate Taylor disaster. Having read the does a brilliant job in involvbook, I was prepared for the Image: Universal Pictures ing the audience and ensuring most tension filled moments that they form an emotional relaof the film, therefore dulling the tionship with the characters, leading to effects on me compared with someone a flawless ending which will shock even the who did not know what to expect. My househardest of hearts. mates who had not read the book adored the

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games + tech Not ready to die

Z

James Freeth, Online Games + Tech Editor, discusses the videogame enemies that refuse to stay dead

OMBIES are almost as big a part of popular culture as superheroes or Donald Trump, and nowhere is this truer than video games. The living dead infest the open world tropical paradise of Dead Island, the abandoned shopping malls of Dead Rising, and the Cold War alternate dimension of the upcoming Metal Gear Survive.

ZOMBIES ALLOW PLAYERS TO IGNORE ETHICAL QUESTIONS They appear in almost every genre, on every platform, and at every conceivable price point, but why? Why does the industry continue to invest money in an idea that became overused in the noughties, and why do these games still prove so popular among consumers?

The most obvious answer is that they are

work, and a simple way to explain why they are considered scary, that the undead encapsuso prevalent is that zombies are cheap and easy late many concepts which we find intrinsically to make. For TV and movies all you need to do creepy. They are unrelenting and unreasoning, a force of nature that can’t be reasoned with, is hire a group of extras and a semi-competent a common trope in horror. They also repmakeup artist and you instantly have a terrifyresent the familiar turned ing horde of undead cannidangerous, another combalistic creatures, much mon horror trope. simpler and cheaper Zombies could than designing an be anyone, from original monster or a your grandma compelling villain. Zomto your postbies in video games fill the man, and exact same role, a cheap and that idea easy enemy, where the artificial of those that you love intelligence and animations rarely turning against you will remain go beyond ‘stumble forward slowly’. timeless in the horror genre.

Of course, zombies wouldn’t be While it explains why zomas popular as they are if it was just bies are scary, it does not exdue to their simplicity. They also plain their unprecedented need to be compelling, otherwise popularity in video games. consumers wouldn’t be willing to Image:BagoGam Something more is at spend their hard-earned cash on yet es

another zombie game.

A possible reason as to why gamers keep coming back to these predictable enemies is their perceived inhumanity, a common trait in video game enemies. Zombies solve the moral conundrum of allowing players to commit hideous acts of violence while simultaneously making them feel like the hero.

The living dead join the ranks of Nazis, aliens, androids, and masked terrorists as humanoid opponents that are perceived as inhuman or evil, satisfying the player’s violent tendencies while allowing them to ignore any ethical questions which may arise from their bloodthirsty slaughter.

As long as consumers continue to support zombie-based narratives, companies will carry on selling them. They’re cheap, they’re relatively easy to make, they’re uncontroversial, and they provide the all-important fear factor. They might not be original, but it looks like the living dead have a lot of life left in them yet.

Wanna play a game?

I frantically played the game, the best description for what he did is survive…but a part of him certainly died that night. Maybe he’s the sane one and I’m weird for liking the feeling of adrenaline pumping and screams flowing.

But what confused me was how we could both sit through horror films laughing whereas videogames seem to provoke genuine terror.

While it is true that a night of spooky gaming can be rather crudely used as a substitute for romance to bring you closer to that special someone, I was unfortunately not trying to seduce my flatmate (sorry Adam.) Although this form of vitriolic foreplay may genuinely be the explanation for some fans of the platform, my motives for playing horror games are much more simple.

BYTE-SIZE blast from the past

by Jabez Sherrington

Silent Hill 2 Konami PS2, Xbox, PC

2001 AAAAA

Image:BagoGames

ITH the flood of zombies, murderers, monsters, ghosts and ghouls hitting gamers this time of the year, controllers are starting to fly across the room and neighbours are calling the police with reports of manic screaming coming from “that weird one next door”. Whilst some relish in this world of horror games, many find the games nothing short of torture – so who are these digital sadomasochists and why do they do it?

As a horror fan myself, I’ve already hosted a handful of ‘horrorthons’ this month and the differences in reactions from my ‘victims’ are quite distinct. Last Saturday my flatmate and I sat down in front of Hideo Kojima and Guillermo del Toro’s mini masterpiece ‘P.T.’ Whilst I managed to retain some control as

Image:BagoGames

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Barnaby Ridley reveals why horror games are so good at giving gamers goosebumps VIDEOGAMES SEEM TO PROVOKE GENUINE TERROR After years of watching films that regurgitate the same jumps and tropes every time, games are the only thing that scare me. That is not to say that people love horror games because they are drastically more distinct and varied than films. But there is a certain level of fear that can only be reached when it is you controlling the idiot entering the abandoned old mental hospital.

According to a study of over 260 students from Indiana University, while “perceived realism” is important in provoking fear, the players’ perceptions of interactivity are “crucial to the games function of produc-

ing fright responses”.

So what really gets us needing a change of pants is the player’s control (or lack thereof ) and the sense that it is us running away, not some actor we know won’t make it to the last scene.

However, the question as to why some want to be scared is perhaps more convoluted. Clearly there is a psychological fascination; almost a base desire of curiosity that drives gamers. Additionally, the need to prove oneself - the need to beat the level - plays a part.

But fundamentally a rush of adrenaline and sense of strengthening oneself against the next jump-scare is to blame.

Silent Hill 2 is a true credit to the role that games can play within the horror genre. You play as James Sunderland, as he travels to the rural town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his wife - who has been dead for three years. Upon arrival, the town slowly starts to morph, preying upon the thoughts and psychological issues of our protagonist. However the thing about James is, he’s just an average bloke. Far from videogame superhumans such as Mario who can run endlessly, James runs out of breath easily, he has bad aim, and he isn’t too strong in combat. In constant pursuit of James as he tries to uncover the secrets of both his wife and the town, are a menagerie of splendidly disgusting creatures - all perfectly designed manifestations of the best and worst facets of his life. Their murmurs and screams meld in with fantastically arranged score, which is a mix of oddly upbeat acoustic guitar, and soul crushing diagetic creepiness.

EXHIBIT

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GAMES + TECH

EDITORS: Jabez Sherrington and Sam Woolf

24 OCT 2016

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31

Creepypasta Bob the Caver

The Lavender Town Tone - DannoW

Do you remember the original Pokemon games? Do you remember the unbelievably creepy location that was Lavender Town?

This area of the world was the designated cemetary for all dead pokemon, with a multi-story graveyard, and frequent ghost sightings. The sense of dread was ramped up to the maximum with the simple, slow tune that played in the background. The source of this creepypasta was that tone – the binaural sound that created an apparent auditory illusion for the children playing the game. According to the story, this sound caused over 200 children to commit suicide, as well as various detectives working on the case.

Slenderman

First appearing on a Something Awful post in 2009, Slenderman is arguably the most iconic of Creepypasta characters. But it’s not the paper white skin, or pinstripe suit that instill terror, no. From stalking travellers in the woods to abducting innocent children, the faceless figure truly is the stuff of nightmares.

Between intricately worded works of fiction and viral photoshopped images, Slenderman has appeared in countless posts on the internet over the years. Ironically, in spite of not actually having a face, Slenderman was the face of horror gaming for a brief period at the apex of the Creepypasta phenomenon with 2012’s Slender: The Eight Pages.

My Dead Girlfriend Keeps Messaging Me on Facebook - Nate SW

The most harrowing of the stories in the list, this one was a smash hit two years ago on the NoSleep Subreddit. A short story that focuses mostly on images of facebook chat logs, it details a guy who is messaged by someone on the account of his girlfriend, who had died in a car accident. This story not only has the fear-factor, provided by certain phrases and pictures posted, but it has an incredibly touching heart, with the reader unable to do anything but have sympathy for the writer, whose tragic loss seems so real and so heartbreaking.

Probably my favourite thing on the entire internet, this is a captivating story that straddles the line between a genuine tale of exploration, and a harrowing supernatural thriller. The site is still the same one from 2001, and a lot of the suspense comes from the presentation from the earlier days of the web - low resolution photos, eerily archaic design, and the fact that one day it just stopped being updated... Modern solutions to many of the problems lock the story in the time it was made, and it's a clinic on how the internet's style of storytelling can be used to great effect. Each click onto the next page gets more and more stressful, as you worry for things that never come, and are surprised by aspects you did not expect.

Written by: Ben Assirati, Jabez Sherrington, Sam Woolf

SUDOKU #26

CROSSWORD # 89

(sorry about last week's little hiccup...)

Roundel,

7

Mean,

8

Dawn,

13

Accredit,

15

21 Twitter, 24 Ice pack, 25 Blood, 26 Ante, 27 Cruelest.

Dracula, 11 Itemise, 12 Nude, 14 Instep, 16 Garlic, 19 Lucy, Across: 1 Cleavage, 5/18 Bram Stoker, 9 Unarm, 10

PUZZLES BY ALFRED

Down: 1 Crucifix, 2 Evade, 3 Vampire, 4 Gadget,

STUDY BREAK

ANSWERS 6

SPOOKY

Down 1 Figure of a cross (said to break 10's heart?) (8) 2 Avoid (5) 3 Dead person who revives to drink living people's 25 (7) 4 Gizmo (6) 6 Ruled on (anagram) - circular piece of armour (7) 7 Unkind (4) 8 Sunrise (10 can't seek 25 after this time!) (4) 13 Endorse - CID trace (anagram) (8) 15 Scholar (7) 17 Friendly (7) 18 See 5 Across 20 Period of 365 (or 366) days (4) 22 Treasure ___, a collection of treasured things (5) 23 In 5 18's 10, a victim of 10 who gains telepathic powers (first name) (4)

Student, 17 Amiable, 20 Year, 22 Trove, 23 Mina.

Across 1 Hollow between breasts (8) 5/18 19th-20thC Irish writer, the creator of 10 (4,6) 9 Remove weapons from (someone) (5) 10 Fictitious count first described in an 1897 horror novel (7) 11 List (7) 12 Naked (4) 14 Arched part of the foot (6) 16 Pungent bulb used to repel 10's attacks (6) 19 In 5 18's 10, a friend of 23 who becomes a 3 (first name) (4) 21 Birdsong (7) 24 Medicinal bag filled with frozen water (3,4) 25 (Red) fluid (needed by 3s such as 10 to survive) (5) 26 Betting stake (4) 27 Most savage (8)

SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY

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movies by moonlight

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Science

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

34

SCIENCE EDITORS:

Victoria Bos Beth Honey

Lights, camera, reaction

S

Victoria Bos, Science Editor, examines the trickery used by the horror film industry to create the fear factor we all love

. INCE the dawn of cinema, the horror genre has continued to delight audiences across the world.

Requiring humans to face the unknown, the frightening images on the screen speak to the primeval parts of our brain and activate the ‘fight or flight’ reaction within us, increasing blood flow, heart rate and adrenaline levels. This is something filmmakers have long since picked up on and, it is safe to say, they have now got the art of terrifying audiences down to a science.

So exactly how and why do these films affect us?

One major element used within horror is the music and score accompanying the images. From the harsh strings in Hitchcock’s Psycho to the booming chords in Jaws, they all serve to have us sitting on the edge of our seats. This is because these harsh and sudden notes fall into the category of non-linear sounds, which go beyond the normal range that an instrument can produce, and sound extremely similar to the noises produced by animals when attacked.

Movements in your peripheral vision are amplified, making you jump and triggering the fight or flight reaction This in turn sets off an intrinsic fear response within us, and a desire to get away from the presumed predator who is causing that distress, setting us on edge. This has served as a useful tool as science writer and author of The Music Instinct, Philip Ball, explains, “our response to certain kinds of noise is something so profound in us that we can’t switch it off ” meaning that these sounds are a sure fire way to get an audience trembling in the cinema.

This in turn has led to a new phenomenon in which directors are inserting infrasound underneath the overarching sound track, with French director Gaspar Noé admitting to having used them in his 2003 film Irreversible. These noises consist of extreme bass waves beyond the range of human hearing, but despite their inaudible nature they have been shown to have extreme results, causing anxiety, heart palpitations and trembling. Infrasound is often reported before natural disasters such as storms, which may explain the fear

reaction they trigger within us and, as Ball again explains, “it doesn’t affect everyone equally, but it does seem likely that in cinemas we will see, or at least feel, more of it in the future”. This is at least partly due to its impressively potent effects, with people reporting feeling ill after just 30 minutes exposure to extreme bass waves, meaning horror directors will have to walk the line very carefully, or they may find audiences fleeing the cinema rather than simply hiding behind their popcorn.

Another major element used to manipulate the scene is the lighting. It is no coincidence that a number of horror films embrace the darkness, literally as well as metaphorically. From the dark corridors of the psychiatric facility in Silence of the Lambs to the barely candle lit house in The Woman in Black, the darkness often surrounding the action may not be the centre of our attention, but slips easily under our radars to influence us. We are programmed to have a natural fear of the dark, going back to our prehistoric days when every dark night could be hiding a deadly predator, so this lack of light within the films serves to create a heightened sense of anxiety as we don’t know what may be lurking. However, this also works on a biological level. Dark lighting means the colour sensitive optical cones take a back seat to the light sensitive areas concentrated around the edge of the retina, which in a paradoxical way leads to a monochrome view of what is happening on the screen. This also means that any movements in your peripheral vision are amplified, making you jump and triggering the ‘fight or flight’ reaction at the slightest movement.

This leads into another major trope used

by horror film makers; the jump scare. As Robert Cargill, screenwriter on Sinister, said “a good jump scare is a magic trick” and it is one the industry rolls out often. The formula will more often than not involve creating tension, which is then released. It is in that moment, as the audience calms down and believes the danger has passed, that they strike. Often we will expect it.

Perhaps, if you’ve seen the film before you will know it is coming, but it will almost certainly still have you jumping.

This is because it activates the startle reflex, a reaction to potential threats we share with nearly every mammal on the planet, which gets the adrenaline pumping and your body ready to run. Ironically, as mentioned, even if you know something is coming, it will often still trigger this reaction and indeed may make it worse. This is because you become hypervigilant in the run up to the anticipated event, activating your amygdala, the part of your brain which deals with fear and anxiety. It is also the end point of the direct neural connection involved in the startle reflex, meaning when you know it is going to happen the connections are made quicker and the reaction can actually be more extreme.

This makes it the perfect tool for the film makers as, if they craft it correctly, it can have us screaming whether we know it’s coming or not.

A final major influencer used within horror films is colour; more specifically the colour red. From the flow of blood in slasher films to the stripes on Freddy Krueger’s jumper, the colour red is a staple of a large chunk of movies, due to its unique effect on the human mind.

As a primary colour red is very striking, easily drawing attention to it, meaning any amount of red on the screen is more likely

to draw your eye. Red is also obviously the colour of blood which speaks to our primeval brain and signals danger which, within the context of the rest of the film, serves to unconsciously put us on the alert.

So, a red tint to the lighting or a red dress can set us up for a fright without us even fully registering it.

A number of horror films embrace the darkness literally as welll metaphorically Clearly Hollywood has quite the bag of tricks up its sleeve, and with ever increasing advancements in cinema and an improved understanding of the human mind and reactions, these are likely to increase and become more profound in years to come. Essentially, the horror genre comes down to an equation which elicits a reaction for the human body. They make us scream, jump and swear we will never watch another one, but we will inevitably keep coming back for more; evidently it is an equation that works and there is nothing we can do about it.

Biweekly Breakthroughs

Space dementia Recent studies indicate that astronauts deployed on trips to Mars are at risk of long term brain damage, which may lead to cognitive impairments and dementia. The NASA Space Radiation Laboratory in New York subjected rodents to fully ionized oxygen and titanium and found severe neuronal damage six months after the inital exposure. Preventative treatments are being sort to prevent neurotransmission damage, through the use of pharmological strategies.

Unearthing Titanosaur One of the largest and best preserved dinosaur footprints has been unearthed by a joint expedition of Japanese and Mongolian researchers in the Gobi desert. At 42 inches long and 30 inches wide it is believed to be from a Titanosaur, a large long-necked herbivore.

This footprint may allow scientists to obtain a better understanding of the size and dimensions of this species and the world it inhabited millions of years ago.

publicdomainpictures.net

SCIENCE

35

Photo: Flickr/Marcelo Braga

Aiman Khairulla, disproves the myth of the Ouija Board, examining the psychological causes of the supposed spirit forces and the experiments around the phenomena

T

HE Ouija board has been a subject of many discussions during the last centuries since it became popular in the 19th century.

It has developed into a symbol of occultism and claimed to connect to the spirit world. As it is now a popular game for kids’ sleepovers, most of us know the process- you put your fingers on the pointer or planchette and let spirits do the rest- glide it over the letters and numbers on the board, sending you a message.

Despite the popular scepticism, there are millions of terrifying stories related to the Ouija board and claiming to confirm that it does actually work.

Not only could people connect with the spirits of their loved ones but also receive threatening messages from the souls they didn’t have intention to con-

Not only could people connect with spirits of their loved ones but also receive threatening messages To test if it’s true or not, the Brain Games television series decided to conduct an experiment. At first, participants

in the experiment had to get in contact with a spirit using the Ouija board. The choice fell on a young woman’s grandfather, who passed away in 2010.

When contact was set up, volunteers asked a number of questions and as the planchette was moving, letters and numbers were turned into words. The answers were extremely clear, without any mistakes and everyone taking part claimed they did not move the planchette at all. However, later they were asked to wear blindfolds and repeat the questions. Surprisingly, this time the spirit could not answer what year he died as the planchette kept pointing at empty spaces on the board.

So what happened to the spirit and was it the spirit who moved the pointer?

The scientific explanation of the Ouija board is very simple: people taking part

are actually moving the pointer themselves without realizing it. This subconscious movement is called the Ideomotor Effect, which are the psychological effects when your expectations and beliefs cause unconscious motor movements in your body. Because this movement is created subconsciously, some people are convinced that the powers of Ouija board are real.

Despite the popular scepticism, there are millions of terrifying stories related to the Ouija board In 1853, a scientist called Michael Faraday created a test to discover where

the moving was coming from during similar paranormal demonstrations.

The purpose of the test was to place layers of cards on a moving item. As an item moves, the layers of card also move. However, this movement differs depending on where the force is coming from.

If an object was being moved by a spirit, then the layers of card would drag along behind, sloping away from the direction of movement. But if the movement was coming from one or more of the people touching the object, the layers of cards would move first, sloping in front of the glass. Faraday’s experiment confirmed that the force was being applied by the people touching the moving object and supernatural powers of Ouija board are, in fact, a myth.

The sixth sense

Ruth Braham explains the new research focusing on the basis of schizophrenia and its side effects

ALKING into a darkened room and you feel them standing behind you, just out of sight, breathing down your neck.

You jump around, no-one’s there. What you’ve just experienced is called feeling of a presence (FoP), and you’re not the only one. Legends of ghosts, spirits and other such ethereal presences have been found in almost all cultures across the centuries.

Many subjects reported the feeling that someone was standing behind them But how do these presences come about and can we generate these feelings in experimental conditions? That is what a group of scientists, led by Giulio Rogini at the Swiss federal institute of technology, have been investigating in a recent article published in Current Biology.

The researchers were able to inves-

tigate this using a robotic system, the subjects controlled a robot using their finger inserted in a mechanism which controlled a robotic finger located behind the subject. Whilst blindfolded the subject moved their own finger and the robotic finger imitated this movement, touching the back of the subject.

All the test subjects were aware of how the machine functioned and none knew they were meant to experience anything creepy. When the patient’s movements were in sync with the robot nothing unusual was reported. Subjects experienced the feeling of touching their own backs, despite their arm being in front of them.

However, when the robot’s movements were made “Asynchronous” (delayed by 5 seconds) things started to get spooky. Many subjects reported the feeling that someone was standing behind them, two subjects were made so uncomfortable they asked to be allowed to stop. Many subjects unconsciously began to drift backwards towards this imagined presence. When asked how many

people had been in the room, close to the subject, almost all subjects paired with an out of sync robot counted extra people, on average one more than those who had a synchronous robot.

The results of the study go far towards explaining an interesting cultural phenomenon “Several of them really did say the sensation was spooky and creepy, even though consciously they knew where the touching came from,” Rognini says. The researchers concluded that the “feeling of a presence” reported by the subjects was bought about by the conflicting sensorimotor signals being experienced.

The fact that the experienced signals were spatially and temporarily incompatible was resolved in the brain of a subject by the presence of another person in the room who was responsible for touching the subjects back.

The results of the study go far towards explaining an interesting cultural phenomenon, but also have huge relevance with regards to the study of schizophrenia. It may be the case that schizophrenic symptoms are caused by abnormalities in the integration of sensorimotor signals and their respective cortical representations.

Schizophrenic symptoms such as voices and delusions of control, may be caused by deficits in integrating the predicted sensory consequences of one’s own movement, schizophrenic patients under certain conditions may not perceive self-generated sounds and movements as such, but may misperceive them as being generated by an external agent. This data may account for a loss of agency in such patients and also shows that a conflict between motor signals and tactile feedback at a physically impossible position results in the feeling of being in the presence of a foreign agent and being touched by that invisible person.

Feeling of Presence is a cultural

phenomenon that has fascinated mankind since time immemorial, and has had an impact on many areas of society, from the stories told around campfires to modern day horror films. This study provides important information in understanding the phenomenon, as well as leading to a greater understanding of complex neurological diseases such as schizophrenia.

EXEP OSÉ

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nect with. One of the most famous stories related to the Ouija board is a story of Joshua Tucker, who is known to have carried out murders while possessed by the devil. Pulitzer Prize winner James Merrill, Sylvia Plath, and Bill Wilson also consulted with spirits occasionally and are only some of many other famous Ouija board users. But the question is: does it really work?

Photo: goodfreephotos.com

SCIENCE

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Hannibal Lecter, eat your heart out...

Source: https://vikasacharya.wordpress.com

Tash Ebbutt, Arts & Lit Editor, looks at cannibalism and the serious ethical, social and health concerns it carries

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ICTURE the scene; you have been stranded on a desert island for weeks, water supplies are running scarce but food is the real issue. Your companion, Frank, died a couple of days ago and his sun-burnt flesh is looking all the more tempting as the minutes tick by and you feel like you are being devoured from the inside. But would roasting Frank on a spit actually do your starving body any good?

A single leg will provide 7150 calories, with a pair of lungs providing 1500 calories Firstly, it turns out that cannibalism is one of the more fat-based diets you can undertake. James Cole, a lecturer at the University of Brighton, conducted a study into how many calories the human body would provide if consumed. At a whopping 81,500 calories, there is no denying that taking a quick bite out of your friend

would provide you with energy. A single leg will provide 7150 calories, with a pair of lungs providing 1500 calories and if you feel like taking your Daenerys Targaryen impersonation to the next level, a heart will provide you with 722 calories. But, in addition to committing a social blunder; around half of the calories found in the human body are adipose cells. Yes, half of the cells in our bodies are fat. Gastrocannibalism is not healthy for anyone and the fattiness of eating a roasted cadaver is not the only con of cannibalism, believe it or not.

Kuru Disease is an incurable condition contracted from eating a human brain or by coming into contact with an open wound of an infected individual. Fortunately, the delicacy of the human brain is only appreciated in a limited area; specifically the Fore Tribe in Papua New Guinea. The

tribespeople do not eat brain for its taste though; they consume the organ as part of the funeral rites of the recently deceased.

This is known as cultural cannibalism.

The disease peaked during the 1950’s in an endemic fashion and was the most common cause of death amongst the female Fore. The decline occurred almost a decade later, once scientists had identified the cause and educated the populace to not ingest brains. The scientific name of

such a deadly disease is Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy. The existence of the disease is down to the unnatural shape of proteins or prions within the brain. Symptoms include tremors, headaches and a loss of balance, due to the disease affecting the cerebellum part of the brain. Because the incubation period is so vast (up to 60 years), symptoms can take time to emerge but once they appear, life expectancy depletes to just a few years. If you’ve already managed to get past the social stigma of human brain consumption and have perhaps always wanted to be a zombie, think again.

The spongiform component of Kuru disease means that it leaves your brain resembling a sponge. If one eats a brain, instead of wanting more, the disease makes the consumer’s brain devour itself. A similar disease of the same family is ‘Mad Cow’ Disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy.

Bovine creatures contract this from eating parts of their own species - essentially cow cannibalism. Research on this disease has led to discoveries that it may cause Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease so there is potential for both Mad Cow and Kuru disease proving useful to the medical stratosphere.

If one eats a brain, instead of wanting more, the disease makes the consumer’s brain devour itself Such horrific consequences of cannibalism would surely put anyone in their right mind off the thought of eating a brain or body. So, though hypothetically you could go and get yourself a socially unacceptable snack, with high levels of fat and the potential of contracting a lethal and incurable disease, maybe you should just stick to the salad this Halloween?

Scientific research or simply sickening?

Marti Marks talks us through some of the most terrifying experiments that have been conducted in the name of “science”

Speech Experiment

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O, could you imagine being in an experiment that affects you for the rest of your life and not be told that it ever happened? In 1939, 22 orphaned children were recruited into a study on stammering., spilt into two groups named ‘good’ and ‘bad’ speaking - these contained and equal mix of stammers and those without stammers. The group that was labelled ‘good speaking’ was given positive reinforcement for speaking, but the ‘bad speaking’ group was verbally abused for small slip-ups, such as “don’t talk unless you get it right.” By doing this the experimentors induced anxiety in the children, causing many to refuse to speak. Their schoolwork fell and one even ran away from the orphanage. The physiologists realised that what they were doing was going to have an impact on the children for the rest of their lives, but the children were never told about the experiment until 2005, having lived with the devastating effects for the whole of their adult lives.

Milgram Experiment

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AN you be covinced to kill someone? Turns out you most likely could be, if a person in a lab coat told you to keep going. The experiment set up was simple; a volunteer was in one room and an actor in the other.

The actor would have to answer a question; if incorrect, the volunteer would give them an electric shock. The actor never received it, but would pretend to. For every incorrect answer the intensity of the shock was increased. After a number of shocks the actor began to complain.

At some point many volunteers indicted their desire to stop, but were told by the supervisor “please continue”. If that failed the supervisor would increase the persuasion. If they still wished to stop after this, the experiment was stopped. The results showed that 65 per cent of the volunteers administered the final ‘deadly’ shock. This experiment shows how people will follow commands from an authority figure. It could very easily be you.

Prison Experiment

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RE you a nice person? Would you abuse and torture people just because you could? Science has proven there is evil in us all. In August 1971, Professor Philip Zimbardo set out to discover the psychological effects of becoming either a prisoner or a guard by using 24 male university students assigned to the roles. The experiment was meant to run for 14 days, but was quickly shut down. The guards immediately set up methods to reward and punish behaviour.

After 36 hours, one prisoner went ‘crazy’ and had to be released, but they continued with the experiment anyway. Guards forced prisoners to chant their assigned numbers. Sanitary conditions declined and the guards became violent. Prisoners were forced to sleep without mattresses, to strip, and forced into solitude. The experiment was shut down after six days, as 12 normal university students had been turned into power hungry sadists.

Project MK-Ultra

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IGHTLY or wrongly, most of us believe our mind is our own.

Well, maybe you shouldn’t. In the early 1950s, the CIA started a human experiment trying to create militarised mind control. They used various methods: drugs, torture, sexual abuse and more. It was a massive project with over 80 institutes involved. Although many of the experiments used volunteers, the CIA exploited mental patients and prisoners.

Some of the most disturbing experiments in this project involved young women being hypnotised, and then instructed to shoot at a dummy. Once out of the hypnotic state they denied shooting the gun.

Another was inducing multiple personality disorder through torture and drugs. Worst of all, due to the secretive nature of this project, we will never know the true extent of the torture that occurred. But it does raise the questions: is this still happening?

And if it is, do we really want to know about it and how exactly it is being used?

Nazi Experiments

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OU will all know that the Nazis killed millions and millions of people before and during the Second World War. However, this was also a time when science took a very dark turn.

There were experiments on twins, transplantation experiments, head injury experiments, freezing people to near-death, injecting them with Malaria, injecting people with various poisons, and so many more. Though it sounds more like a horror movie, these were very real and terrifying procedures. Twins were sewn together, no anaesthesia was used in transplants, young children were continuously hit on the head with hammers, dropped into near freezing water or cut to see how their blood would clot. Can you imagine it? Blood everywhere, ear-piecing screams and people tortured to death in the name of so-called “scientific progress”. Never before has there been such a time where so little was discovered and so much life lost.

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ce a l p e h t n w #o u o y l l i w ow

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Exeposé Sport catch up with Cheerleading and Gymnastics captain Hollie Savage

HEERLEADING: an American obsession yes, but how big is it here? This, and many other questions, led us to a discussion with Cheer and Gymnastics captain, Hollie Savage.

We started off by chatting about the club itself. "Our cheer side compete at three national competitions, whilst our gymnastics side compete in BUCS. Last year we came twelfth overall, with two gold medals, and cheerleading came second nationally." With such success the team certainly have raked in a lot of trophies, as Hollie joked."They're all displayed up at the Sports Park. They're huge as well so you can't even miss them: they're as tall as me!"

More impressive is the amount of success that the team has had given the comparative obstacles they face. As Hollie points out "compared to other cheer

gyms, we don't have a coach and we don't have any equipment. We train on judo mats. Everyone thought of us as the underdogs, but we managed it."

Despite this, Hollie remains optimistic about how they'll perform in the upcoming year. When we asked her what the side were aiming for, she replied instantly with "gold, always." They are also venturing overseas to find more competition, with Paris as the next destination.

"It's hosted in Disneyland," Hollie tells us. "There will be mostly British teams, but it'll be our first year going so I don't really know what to expect."

We moved onto a slightly riskier question; given our talk of competitions, can we consider cheerleading to be a sport? Hollie immediately bursts out laughing: "Oh, don't even get me started.

It really winds me up. YES!" She moves on to tackle the stereotypes, adding "It's not just girls standing around having a drink bitching! We train almost every day - the only day I don't have training is a Tuesday and all our girls go to the gym. It's not just turn up, twirl around and go home.

I get so annoyed when people say

'oh it's not part of BUCS, it's not a sport.'

It is!"

So how can we change that perception? "I think we're already doing that, by winning national titles. Even our recent Varsity performance shows people that we're not just wearing our uniforms.

There is a reputation, but the girls in the club are doing such a good job at combatting it because they're all so committed and determined to show people that we're not just dancing around."

They're also going to try and reach out to show their doubters how wrong they are: "We've got 'Bring a Boy session' on 4 November, for all the boys who think it's not a sport, they can come and try it."

How much effort goes into Varsity, we ask? "The Football Varsity doesn't get as much attention as our comp squad, because we're

representing the club but we're not competing." It isn't quite the same for Rugby Varsity though. "We're having auditions [this] week, and the game isn't until February, so we have a lot of time to work."

We jump over to the other half of the club: gymnastics. Last year the club finished 12th, so we ask where they aim to be this year. Hollie jumps in immediately: "Higher, much higher. We train externally, halfway across Exeter, which puts girls off right away. This year we've had to split our session into two because we've had so much interest, so we'll get more points just by having more girls competing. It wasn't that last year we didn't have the talent, we just lacked the numbers."

And thus our chat came to a conclusion. Yet, with their first competitions coming up next month, there'll be no rest for a club with rising ambition.

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In honour of Halloween, we asked the members of our Writers' Group who they thought were the biggest villains in sport

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'S IN A ER PT N A R C O C

Rising to the top

SPORT

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Netball 2s beat Devon rivals Netball

Exeter 2s....................................38 Plymouth 1s...............................30 Lara Hopkins Sport Editor

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UNC 2s managed to put a season opening loss against Bath 3s behind them when beating Plymouth 1s 38-30 in their first home game this year.. This triumph has left them in second place in BUCS Western 2A division.

The win against Exeter’s closest rivals, at least geographically, was never really in doubt. The Plymouth team only led for about ten seconds, after they eventually got the ball into a shooting position from the first centre pass. When it was Exeter’s turn to start proceedings the ball raced down the court and straight into the net. This was to be the story of the first quarter.

This Player of the Match title was awarded to Tianna Fletcher The defensive opponents were no match for Exeter shooters Emma Borch and Rosie Minderides in the first quarter. They seemed oblivious to any effort to put them off their shooting and goal after goal went in., with

great movement gifting them ideal shooting positions. It was a different story down the other end of the pitch where the Plymouth girls, having been brought up from the 2s due to a lack of shooters in the club, were put under a lot of pressure from defence pair Emma Grob and Tianna Fletcher. With these two winning rebounds from the visitor’s failed attempts on goal, the Exeter midfield moved the ball quickly down the court to their accurate shooters to race into a 13-8 lead.

The second quarter was more competitive. Despite Exeter still having the more competent shooters the game became messier in midfield, giving Plymouth more opportunities to convert chances to points.

The Plymouth defence also fouled less, meaning they could put more pressure on their opponents’ shots to help reduce their impressive success rate. The 2s still won the quarter, but only just, going into halftime 22-16 up.

Plymouth, knowing they needed to do something special to catch up, tried to gain quick momentum at the start of the second half. They were within three points of their rivals, scoring three goals in quick succession and were rushing their passes. However, Club Captain Flora Munro, coming onto the pitch at centre, introduced much needed leadership to the team.

Once her players took her advice to slow down they stopped Plymouth’s momentum and regained their comfortable seven point lead. The visitors' frustration was clear, with their

goal keeper warned to get her distance before putting her arms up when defending the post, and to clean up her game.

The ball raced down the court and straight into the net Exeter’s lead was quickly cut to just four points, with Plymouth battling hard in a final comeback attempt.

However, the home team turned the game around and suddenly it was their midfield who showed more fight and determination to win the ball. Their extra skill proved too much for their competitors and the home side scored the final five goals of the game, to finish 38-30 up.

This was an impressive performance from EUNC 2s in front of good home support, especially after their away loss against Bath last week.

Munro hopes this is an indicator for future games, “This was a really strong game by a new team who are coming together as a great unit. We hope to build on this win for the rest of the season. Despite the shooters having brilliant games, the Player of the Match title was awarded to the outstanding goal keeper Tianna Fletcher, who was very successful in limiting Plymouth’s opportunities to score.

EULHC grind out 2-0 win CONTINUED FROM BACK PAGE Exeter got the game back underway after the break, and play essentially resumed in the same way that it had left off. Exeter continued to threaten at times, even if not too convincingly, and their lead never looked significantly in doubt thanks to some solid work at the back.

For our first home match of the season, it was really great to get a win

KATIE TAVERNER, EULHC 1s CAPTAIN

Two minutes into the second half did see one significant change, however. Exeter were awarded the first short corner of many, and despite this particular incident ending in failure, they would turn out to be pivotal later in the match.

In the 50th minute and again shortly after, Emily Davies came close to doubling EULHC's lead, yet ultimately failed to convert on both attempts.

Exeter finally doubled their advan-

tage from a short corner in the 64th minute.

Some trickery on the part of the hosts saw Helena Evans get a shot on goal, and she didn't disappoint.

From that point, Exeter's victory was all but sealed. Cardiff's inability to mount any kind of serious attack simply made it look impossible that they would score one goal, let alone two. When the final whis-

tle blew, it simply confirmed what had been known from the moment that the second goal had been scored.

Katie Taverner, EULHC 1s captain, told Exeposé: "For our first home match of the season, it was really great to get a win to continue our BUCS campaign.

Cardiff tried to put on pressure, but fantastic defence from Rebecca Cadwallader and Emma Dalton stopped any on-going attacks. I'm really happy with the result, and really appreciate all the supporters that came to watch!"

It wasn't just EULHC who enjoyed success in BUCS, as their counterpart men's 1s side found themselves on top of Reading by seven goals to nil in what was also their first home match.

BUCS Roundup: Wednesday 19 October Men's Badminton 1s..............6 Men's Badminton 2s..............2

Men's Table Tennis 1s.........15 USW 1s...................................2

Women's Tennis 1s................4 Bath 1s...................................8

Gloucester 1s.........................7 Women's Rugby Union 1s....32

Men's Hockey 1s....................7 Reading 1s.............................0

Women's Table Tennis 1s....15 Cardiff 1s...............................0

Men's Volleyball 1s................3 Cambridge 1s.........................1

Oxford 1s...............................6 Women's Lacrosse 1s..........14

Men's Lacrosse 1s...............48 Southampton 1s....................1

Men's Tennis 1s.....................2 Loughborough 1s.................10

Bristol 1s................................2 Women's Football 1s..............3

Bristol 1s..............................34 Netball 1s.............................46

SPORT

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EURFC 1s chalk up first Super Rugby win Men's Rugby Union Exeter 1s....................................59 Northumbria 1s.........................12 Peter Gillibrand Sport Contributor

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HIS BUCS Wednesday saw all seven EURFC teams out on the rugby pitch, with five of the squads facing other universities' first teams. There were five wins for EURFC in total and the standout of these was the 1s, who beat Northumbria 59-12 in their first home Super Rugby game.

The 1s impressed both on and off the pitch at Topsham. Chants were heard as the famous supporters club showed the great Green and White support that Exeter University students always provide to their teams.

The first 10 minutes was fought only in the visitors' 22 as Exeter demolished their opponents' scrum to score an early 11 minute penalty try in the corner. They immediately struck again after the restart, when the ball was passed through hands to Ned Warne who saw the overlap and took the opportunity in the corner. This set the precedent for the high scoring game. EURFC, still completely beating their rivals at scrum time, forced Northumbria to concede many penalties. This set the platform for Callum Young to score the third try.

Despite easily winning an impressive early lead EURFC showed great passion throughout the game to really put their opponents to the sword. They hit the gaps and put their bodies on the line as they took the ball through multiple phases to reach the try line.

Exeter demolished their opponents' scrum to score the an early penalty try The second half, albeit less dominant, showed composure on the pitch and proved why Exeter are one of the best rugby clubs in BUCS Sport. Matt Eliet, recently back at Exeter to study for a Masters, returned to the squad with a bang, scoring two tries. The boys fought tirelessly on the pitch and despite injuries from key players they scored nine tries, with seven of those being converted by Ted Landray.

Despite winning BUCS gold at Twickenham last March, EURFC 1s have not had the best start to the season.

They lost away to last year's fellow finalists Loughborough 20-11, and suffered a surprise 41-18 defeat to a very good Hartpury College team. However, they will have a chance to hit back at Topsham when thay face Loughborough on Wednesday 9 November.

Sport

24 OCT 2016 | EXEPOSÉ

Captain’s Corner: Cheer and Gymnastics’ Hollie Savage takes the hot seat

Netball 2s defeat Plymouth and EURFC 1s demolish Northumbria

Page 38

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SPORT EDITORS:

Owain Evans Lara Hopkins

Photo: Yong Yan Wang

Double success for hockey Women’s Hockey

Exeter 1s......................................2 Cardiff 1s.....................................0 Owain Evans Sport Editor

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ULHC 1s played their first home game of the season with a 2-0 victory over Cardiff at the Water Astro.

Last year’s side finished second in the BUCS Championships, falling in the final

at Big Wednesday in March. Prior to the start of the match, it was clear that the hosts were more relaxed and confident.

The visitors got the match underway in chilly conditions in front of a reasonable crowd of Exeter supporters. The start of the match was characterised by sloppy play, as each side struggled to work their way into the match. It was Cardiff who found their feet first though, and for the first ten minutes looked to be the side on top, although they struggled to pressure the Exeter goal.

Katie Taverner rifled it in off the far post By the 15th minute Exeter had worked their way back into the match. However, it would take until the 25th minute for a serious chance to unfold. The ball found its way to Elly Yard in a threatening position in the circle, yet she was unable to set it under control quickly enough and the

Cardiff defence promptly cleared.

Shortly after, Beth Marriott found herself with a chance as well. Successfully rounding the Cardiff goalkeeper, she unleashed one of Exeter’s first shots on goal. Unfortunately, several defenders had retreated back to their goal line and managed to keep the ball out and maintain the scoreline at a deadlock of 0-0.

With the match approaching the halfway stage, a spectator could have been forgiven for believing that neither side would find the net. A general dearth of

significant chances meant that the goalless scoreline accurately reflected play.

Exeter, however, were not willing to go along with this storyline. With the break approaching, the ball was bouncing around inside the circle, and team captain Katie Taverner latched upon the opportunity and rifled it in off the far post.

The match resumed, but the umpire’s whistle was heard and the teams went into the interval with the score at 1-0.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 39

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