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ISSUE 728 1 FEB 2022 exepose.com @Exepose

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

University faculty overhaul comes under fire Page 4

The pressure to be exceptional Page 11

Interview with Frank Turner Pages 18-19 Images (top to bottom): William Veerbeek, Pixabay, Nicole Kibert

SPIKING: IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE

Image: Canva

Senior Editorial Team

HE last few months have represented a sea of change in demands for student safety. For years, Exeter’s Sabbatical Officers and student groups have sought increased safety measures around campus and the city to make life safer for our community. The recent epidemic of spiking has revealed on a national scale how unsafe students feel on a night out. Cases are rising steadily; in 2019, the BBC reported that 2,600 cases of spiking were reported since 2015. Yet, as the Commons Home Affairs Committee recently heard, these incidents are being “underreported quite significantly.” As one YouGov survey reveals, one in nine women believed they have been spiked in the last year. The data in the South West is equally troubling. Information

we have obtained by Freedom of Information request shows Devon and Cornwall Police were called to 246 cases of spiking between 2016 and 2020. Worse still, 36 of these incidents occurred within the city of Exeter in the past six years. Given the sparsity of the data and the wealth of anecdotal evidence, the truth is these cases could be, and are likely to be, far higher. As one student told us “I wasn’t that shocked when some of my mates were spiked last term.” They added that as a result, “people are just numb to it.” But despite these numerous incidents of spiking occurring in Exeter, zero arrests or charges have occurred in the city as a result. The lack of accountability for these crimes is a terrifying prospect, and whilst spiking may no longer be dominating the headlines as it did late last year, the problem simply hasn’t gone away. There have been improvements, in no small part due to the excellent campaigning that took place across the country, with Exeter’s Big Night In ushering in much needed and welcome

action from clubs and venues. Yet many of the measures are arguably more performative than preventative, with the natural consequence being that responsibility is placed on victims rather than venues. We have identified several issues with current nightclub policies. Firstly, metal detectors are largely redundant when dealing with substances or plastic syringes. Secondly, security staff are often overly aggressive rather than supporting those in need, leading to victims of spiking being thrown onto the street rather than getting the support they need. There is also a lack of female security staff in many venues. As such, on 19 January, we launched an open letter directed towards clubs raising a number of practical policy proposals to address these issues. Specifically, our proposals encompass equipment to prevent spiking, safer spaces and compassionate staff. Continued

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Devonshire House, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PZ Editors Print: Bridie Adams & Oliver Leader de Saxe Online: Millie Betts & Anna Wilmot Deputies: Lucy Aylmer, Cassia Grace & Chloe Pumares editors@exepose.com Social Media Executive Emily Im News Editors Print: Megan Ballantyne & Livvy Mason-Myhill Online: Meg Allan & Orla Mackinnon news@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Joshua Hughes & Steffi Haselden Online: Issac Bettridge & Lucy Evans International: Ryan Gerrett & Elen Johnston features@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Evan Thomas & Kate Hall Online: Rachael Powell & Eirwen Abberley Watton comment@exepose.com Satire Editor Print: Cleo Gravett Lifestyle Editors Print: Danni Darrah & Zoe Sperry Online: Katie Edgar & Sophie Porteous lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors Print: Ella Minty & Ana Anajuba Online: Clemence Smith & Georgia Balmer artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Harry Hawkins & Loti Bend

Editorial

ERM two is now truly in full swing with all the challenges and anxieties that come with it. From fast approaching essay deadlines to the Herculean task of the dissertation, unwinding and stress relief have never been so important to our wellbeing. Taking time out to take care of yourself is vital, yet this is becoming increasingly harder for many. Supply chain drops and skyrocketing prices are putting pressure on tight purses across the country, and this too feeds back into university life. Many of our friends are working 18 hours a week to make ends meet, and the significant stress this can cause is monumental and disheartening. The catharsis of student nightlife is also at risk, with the spiking epidemic still rocking the country despite dwindling mainstream media coverage. With reports of spiking continuing to rise and authorities being slow to act, grassroots change is required to ensure that student safety is placed at the forefront. As such, if you are interested in making a difference, please scan the QR code on the front page to sign our open letter, which is addressed to all nightclubs in Exeter. You can read

SPA AWARDS 2020 Best Publication 2021 Best Publication in the South West more about this in News on page 4. In Features, we have a piece on the recent events in Tonga (page 6), and in Comment, one of our writers discusses whether 24hour exams should stay (page 11). Meanwhile, Satire exposes the latest scandal at Duryard on page 12. Lifestyle discusses the benefits of finding joy in the small (page 14) and Arts + Lit discusses the disparities between authorial intention and readers' interpretations (page 16). Music features an interview with Frank Turner on pages 18 to 19, and Screen writers review some of their favourite teenage TV shows (page 22). And in Tech, we discuss 'Everything wrong with ELE' (page 24). In Science, we look at the effects of wildfires on human health (page 28) and on the back page, our Sports Editor discusses Emma Raducanu's Australian Open defeat. Enjoy this issue of Exeposé, and remember to sign our open letter to help us make an impact across nightclubs in Exeter. As we say in our letter, "We look forward to working with nightclubs and students to ensure everyone can feel safe on a night out."

NEWS Open letter against spiking in Exeter PAGE 4

FEATURES Putin and the threat on Western power PAGE 7

SATIRE

Exmouth police crack down on seagulls PAGE 12

SCIENCE

The first pig-to-human heart transplant PAGE 28

Ollie & Bridie

Images (top to bottom): Pixabay, Nick Saltmarsh Flickr, Johnys_pic Pixabay, Flickr

Online: Tom Bosher & George Ward music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Archie Lockyer & Francesca Sylph

University news home and abroad

Online: Adam Simcox screen@exepose.com Tech Editor Print: Bridie Adams Science Editors Print: Ellen Rogers & Nancy Stitt Online: Daisy Scott & Imogen Poyntz-Wright sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Oscar Young & Rob Worthington Online: Floris de Bruin & Henry Hood sport@exepose.com Copy Editor Oliver Lamb, Clemence Smith, Danni Darrah & Sophy Cullington Proofers Harry Hawkins, Kate Hall, Evan Thomas, Daisy Scott, Henry Hood & Katie Jones

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editors@exepose.com 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.

Cambridge University halts US universities conspire to prisoner scheme due to attack limit students' financial aid

Plans for online university for Afghan students

N 11 January 2022, the University of Cambridge stated that in response to a report on the Fishmongers Hall attack they would be ending their Learning Together Programme. Learning Together was an educational programme which gave prisoners access to higher education, with the aim of breaking down prejudices and aiding rehabilitation. A deadly terror attack occurred at Fishmongers’ Hall at one of its events, leading to this decision. Judge Mark Lucraft QC was critical of the programme’s security measures, including the lack of risk assessments, and the ‘blind spot’ that Mr Khan’s ‘poster boy’ image created regarding his individual risk. In response, an open letter to the University has been signed by over 70 people criticising this move, noting that it goes against the progressive values Learning Together stood for. These critics include John Crilly and Marc Conway who are former convicts and graduates of the programme who helped lead Mr Khan, the aggressor onto London Bridge to protect the public during the Fishmongers Hall Attack.

group of 16 of the top US universities, including Duke and Northwestern, are being sued by their former students for working together to determine financial aid received by students. The lawsuit has been filed in a US district court in Illinois. T he complaint alleges that the involved private universities formed a cartel, to reduce or eliminate financial aid which, in turn, artificially inflated net price for students receiving financial aid. The filed lawsuit is a class action which will cover any US citizen or permanent resident who paid tuition from 2003 to the present. The plaintiffs involved want a permanent injunction, and are also seeking restitutions and damages determined by the court.

XILED Afghan academics have discussed plans with partners for an online university in Germany for young Afghans abroad alongside students and academics in Afghanistan. The scheme is supported by multiple higher education institutions, the World University Service (WUS), and organisations in Germany. Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan last summer, university research and teaching have come to a virtual standstill. As a result, roughly 37,000 students are facing dim prospects. Female students and academics are particularly at risk. Humanities and social science departments have also closed down. The WUS were contacted by hundreds of university members in the wake of the Taliban takeover who asked for support to leave the country. The organisation is currently helping Afghan students and academics gain a foothold abroad. Efforts are also being made to assist them through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Alexander con Humboldt Foundation in Germany.

Image: Pixabay

New SA university policy to ‘escalate multilingualism’

YRIL Ramaphosa, the South African President, has defended a new language policy framework for public higher education institutions as an attempt to nurture multilingualism, equity and common nationhood. South Africa has 11 official languages, and the privileging of English and Afrikaans above indigenous languages such as Ndebele, Sotho, Xhosa and Zulu, is a remnant of the former apartheid state. This amendment to the 1997 Higher Education Act to class Afrikaans as a "foreign language" was proposed to "intellectualise" indigenous languages and foster institutional inclusivity and social cohesion through increased government regulation of institutional language policies — requiring demonstration of plans and investment. The policy will address the "diverse linguistic needs of the student population" as language remains a barrier to access and success. However, Opposition MP Leon Schreiber is challenging the classification of Afrikaans, Khoi, San and Nama as "foreign" languages, and his party the Democratic Alliance has lodged a complaint with UNESCO.

By Victoria Shipp, Megan Ballantyne, Ayusha Pandey, Catherine Stone

1 FEB 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

3 NEWS

A survey of Exeter students: attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccination students feel that they haven’t had access to adequate information about the COVID-19 jabs, the majority of students highlighted that they used the BBC, NHS and Government websites as their main sources of information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. Exeposé additionally questioned students whether they trust that the UK Government is making decisions in their best interests to what vaccines are provided. Despite many students using the Government website as a main source for COVID-19 vaccine information, 13 per cent of students said that they don’t trust the Government’s decisions regarding the vaccine. One student suggested that “they are trying to push the vaccines to as many people as possible to help. But I believe the Government are doing this so that the economy doesn’t collapse due to pandemic disruption. I believe it is in their best interest more than it is ours”. Another response from a student was that they “don’t trust the Government full stop, but I do trust vaccines”. Moreover, students were also asked whether they believed that

Bridie Adams and Livvy Mason-Myhill Editor and News Editor

XEPOSÉ has conducted an anonymous survey among students at the University of Exeter to measure attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination. Of the 63 students who responded to the survey, 79 per cent had all three doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Many students commented on the necessity of taking the vaccine, with a student stating that, “if there is a new variant then I think we should nudge people to take the vaccine through mandates,” whilst another student argued that although there is adequate safety information available for the COVID-19 vaccine, “I don’t think enough people know how to access it or have had the opportunity to be scientifically literate enough to understand it.” When asked if they felt social pressure to take the vaccine, the majority of students (57 per cent) said they did, with one commenting that this pressure is “justified.” Although eight per cent of

the NHS had their best interests at heart. Three per cent of students answered that the NHS or their healthcare providers did not prioritise their interests. However, some students expressed concern about the vaccine, with one stating that they were “really ill with the first two.” Another student said that as they are on a Study Abroad programme, “the country I am in makes it more difficult.” Those who have recently tested positive for COVID-19 will likely have developed some immunity to the disease. In our survey, one student cited “recent recovery from COVID-19” as a reason for not taking the vaccine. However, it cannot be guaranteed that everyone will develop immunity or how long it will last. Although 25 per cent of students said they were concerned about side effects and adverse reactions to the vaccine, over twice as many said that they were not worried. Most side effects are mild or moderate and go away within a few days of appearing. If side effects such as pain or fever are troublesome, they can be treated by medicines for pain such as paracetamol. However, it is known

from the clinical trials that the most common side effects for all vaccines can occur at a rate of more than one per ten doses (such as local reactions). Exeposé also asked students about their attitudes towards other vaccines, such as MMR, PCV, HPV, MenB, MenC and MenACWY. Some students indicated a lack of awareness of vaccines, with one saying they “did not know I could” take them and another saying they were “unaware of them.” Three students also stated that they were “not offered” various vaccines. No students who answered the survey described the vaccine as unsafe. Vaccines are safe and effective, and getting fully vaccinated is the best way of protecting yourself and others. Information about the vaccines available on the NHS can be found at https://www. nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/. If you have not yet received the COVID-19 vaccine, you can drop in to one of the on-campus clinics. For the latest information and advice see the dedicated vaccine page for students: www.exeter.ac.uk/coronavir us/students/vaccinations/.

Image: Exeposé data collected using Google Forms

University of Exeter confirms Lemon Grove to reopen when “commercially viable” Oliver Leader de Saxe Editor

OLLOWING a Freedom of Information request, Exeposé has received confirmation from the University of Exeter that the future of the Lemon Grove is secure, with “no plans currently to convert the Lemon Grove for alternative use.” The student club has been closed since early 2020 due to the global pandemic, with the venue’s Twitter account stating on 30 October 2020 that “the Lemon Grove as an events and music venue will remain closed due to Government and University guidance.” Since that time it has come into University ownership following a commercial transfer from the Guild. The venue has continued to provide space for societies throughout the first term of this academic year. “It is our intention to reopen the Lemon Grove for entertainment purposes as soon as it is commercially viable and operationally safe to do so” stated a spokesperson for the University. They also noted they would need “sufficient staffing to operate it safely” and that any reopening would have to be in line with government guidelines on venues. The University of Exeter has not provided any preliminary dates or documents surrounding when the club will reopen and how it will function. The Lemon Grove has been a vital part of Exeter’s nightlife for over 25 years and has seen numerous high profile artists play over the course of its existence, including the Pigeon Detectives, Wu Tang Clan and Frank Turner.

Museum of the Moon arrives in Exeter Kristie Taylor

EATURED previously this year in San Francisco and the Netherlands, the Museum of the Moon exhibition will be visiting Exeter Cathedral from 3 to 27 February. Created by artist Luke Jerram, 2019 Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. The work is inspired by the varying image of the moon and the impact of tidal variation. Jerram is renowned for

his creation of sculptures, installations and live art projects, which he has displayed internationally for over 19 years. Presented throughout famous indoor and outdoor venues the lit orb shows a one to 500,000 scale depiction of the moon. With the lighting and technology composed from the latest NASA imagery, each centimetre portrays approximately five kilometres of the moon’s surface. Alongside featuring at events such as the New Zealand International

Science Festival, the Museum of the Moon also shares new musical compositions by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award-winning composer Dan Jones. The travelling work encourages reflection upon cultural similarities and differences across the globe, with its depiction varying in each venue it tours to. With every event consisting of local research in order to provide new ways of story-telling, the meaning of the art will shift and become unique and comparable around the world.

Images: Guild

Image: Wikicommons

1 FEB 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

Man injured in fire above Angel Bar Megan Ballantyne News Editor

IRE services were called after smoke was seen coming from a property above the Angel Bar on Queen Street. The incident occurred around 6:00AM GMT Thursday 20 January. An ambulance was called to deal with the injured man and Queens Street was closed in both directions. All other residents were uninjured. The flat was damaged by fire and smoke according to Devon Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. The fire service did not disclose the cause of the fire. The Angel Bar posted on their Facebook page saying ‘Everyone’s OK, thanks for everyone’s wishes. Yes, it’s bad, but we’ll be OK. See you on the dance floor next week.’ The bar remains open.

Lord Myners obituary

“We hope that this campaign will open up a healthy conversation about this issue” Continued from front page

E believe the implementation of clearer signposting, more accountable security that focuses on keeping attendees safe, widely available preventive measures as well as increased medical access will not only help reduce the dangers of spiking, but make clubbing safer for everyone in general. So far, the open letter has over 200 signatures from the University student body and local residents, with coverage from media outlets including BBC Radio Devon, as well as signatures from local businesses such as Exeter City Football Club and Exeter Distillery. We hope that with even more signatures and further local support, we can push for much needed change that will keep both students and local residents safe at night. As we mentioned in the open letter, we are not accusing nightclubs and venues of deliberate negligence. Nightlife is a formative aspect of the University experience and we also appreciate the difficulties these businesses have faced in coming out of the pandemic. Instead, we hope that this campaign will open up a healthy conversa-

tion about this issue, and bring both the University community and local businesses together in addressing the issue. A safer nightlife is a more profitable one after all. To add your signature to the open letter, please scan the QR code on the front page or visit https://docs.google.com/ document/d/13YDV-jNitPIe4Tx303Sd7L6nlCNbM63y12NReXMvfCY/edit.

É If these issues affect you, you can get in touch with: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/speakout/staysafe www.exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing https://www.exeterguild.org/advice University helpline 0300 555 0225 Devon Rape Crisis 01392 208756 National Rape Crisis 0808 802 9999 Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE) 03030 300112

Image: Canva

Major concerns over faculty overhaul

Chloe Pumares Deputy Editor

ORMER University of Exeter Chancellor Lord Paul Myners, died January 16 at 73. He was a former City banker who authored a review on “Institutional Investment in the UK” — referred to as the Myners Report — at the behest of the UK Government. This report resulted in the adoption of a recommended code of practice for pension funds and increased professionalisation of the pension fund industry both in the UK and abroad. In 2008, the former Labour Party minister was appointed City Minister in Gordon Brown’s government. He later joined the House of Lords as Lord Myners of Truro for the County of Cornwall. In 2016 Lord Myners joined the University of Exeter as Chancellor. Former Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Steve Smith, said “I’m delighted to welcome Paul, whose passion for the West Country stands him in great stead to champion our ethos of partnership working both across the region and worldwide. He is a perfect fit for Exeter and I know he will make a fantastic Chancellor.” A post on the University of Exeter’s Instagram had a caption which stated “We are deeply saddened to hear the news of the death of Lord Myners, who was our Chancellor from 2016 until he stepped down last year. Our thoughts are with his family. Paul was a proud Cornishman and a great supporter of the University, who presided over the graduation of 20,000 students, celebrating their successes and encouraging them to “go out and live purposeful lives. He will be greatly missed.”

NEWS

Cassia Grace Deputy Editor

N a University talk and Q&A, senior members of the University, such as Vice-Chancellor Lisa Roberts, outlined their plans to restructure the faculty system. Professor Roberts stated that these changes will introduce a “simpler structure” that will allow key research areas to “come together across disciplines.” She stressed that the restructuring will benefit both students and academics as it will strengthen academic departments so that they can “get on with things at a local level” and “put departments at the academic heart of the University.” Roberts went on to promise that these upcoming changes will not “affect how your degree programme is delivered or your student experience.” Instead the new faculty system will be “easier to navigate” and will “create a richer research culture” as the faculties will be more interconnected, making cross-discipline work easier. The three new faculties will be: Faculty of Environment and Sustainability, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences and Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. The Faculty of Environment and Sustainability will be made up of a combination of departments including economics and finance, management and accounting, physics and astronomy, engineering, geography and biology (which will be amalgamated into one discipline) and computer science and mathematics. The faculty will be focused on the 2030 goal of tackling the climate emergency. The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences will be built from a combination of medical school departments such as clinical medicine and genomics

and psychology and neuroscience, as well as the academy of nursing, biomedical sciences and public health and human performance. This new faculty will revolve around the 2030 aim to develop human health and wellbeing. The final new institute will be the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. This will be formed from: the University of Exeter Law School; the Graduate School of Education; drama and film; communications, creative writing and English; culture and languages; political and sociological sciences; history, theology and religion; and archeology, classics and ancient history. The faculty will be focused on pursuing a social just and inclusive society. Exeposé spoke to several members of the academic staff about their thoughts on the restructuring. All have asked to remain anonymous. One response stated that: “I think it is fair to say that academics’ reaction to the plan range from feeling tired of yet another big restructuring of the University, at best, to resistance to an ill-thought top-down move imposed on them at the worst possible time, at worst. Most colleagues question the “why” of this restructuring — what it is supposed to achieve is unclear, while it carries out many risks of destabilization and increased administrative burden on academics — especially following a big consultation a year ago where the overarching argument that transpired from the many online discussions was that top-down management reforms had to stop in favour of more democratic, empowering decision-making practices. The new proposal is in direct opposition to that collective voice. “Colleagues who are disillusioned that this reform is going ahead no matter what are trying to fight small battles about what mergers would make more sense

than others — bringing criminology to Law doesn’t make sense, for example, as is merging IAIS with languages, or brining economics into the new Faculty of sustainability alongside biology and geography.” Others had more positive thoughts on the merger, with one Head of Department commenting on the opportunity for improvement that the change provides. “I think this is a really good opportunity for us to organise in new ways so that we make sure our students get an even better experience at the University of Exeter. We need to increase the range of opportunities that will be extended to students through greater collaboration between our different disciplines. There’s also a student-centred approach to making sure we have better professional services systems working more closely with Departments — so we’re all hoping students will have even better support than you already receive from our terrific colleagues. And just to note — nothing is being taken away — the degree programmes students are already taking won’t change.” Students have been given a week

to provide feedback on the proposed changes, but many have said that they were unaware of the proposed changes, stating that “it has not been publicised,” and that they “haven’t had any emails.” When speaking to Exeposé, students voiced their concerns with the proposed changes: “I think that the whole University system needs to be updated as it is fundamentally broken but there are more important things they should focus on instead of this. It seems like they’re just doing this big flashy change just to make it look like they’re doing something instead of focusing on things that actually need to be changed.” Similar concerns were raised by other people, with one noting that “if they can’t take care of things like our concerns about exams, then why are they trying to do big things like this?” Another student added further criticism, commenting that it “seems unnecessary” and that although they see a need for change, they don’t see the rationale for “putting economics in Environment and S

Image: University of Exeter

1 FEB 2022| EXEPOSÉ

Features

FEATURES EDITORS:

Joshua Hughes and Steffi Haselden

Joe Biden’s Election Bill: The beginning of the end

RESIDENT Joe Biden entered the White House on a high. He had a 61 per cent approval rating, fawning media coverage and a sense that the tide was turning against the pandemic. His Oval Office was decorated with an image of four-term winner Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR); implying that Biden intended his legacy to be equally transformative. A President’s term may be four years, but there’s a reason much is made of their first 100 days; this is the honeymoon period. People are hopeful of the change that will be ushered in. This time

Evan Thomas, Comment Editor, assesses Biden’s John R. Lewis Act of cautious optimism is usually when a President’s mandate is the strongest. The circumstances of Biden’s win were, unfortunately for his administration, rather unremarkable. Predictions of a landslide did not come to pass. Particularly crucial was the fact that the Senate was split 50-50 between the two parties, with Vice President Kamala Harris acting as the tiebreaking vote. Even more concerning was the realisation that the deciding votes on much of the Biden agenda would be from the two most conservative Democratic senators: Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema.

A year into his term, Biden’s approval sits at 43 per cent. The most oft-touted achievement that’s passed during his tenure has been the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — the less popular companion to the Build Back Better Act. The latter act, which is synonymous with the slogan that launched Biden to victory, contains incredibly popular provisions. Long- term care investments drew support of 79 per cent, negotiating drug prices for Medicare at 73 per cent and modernising the electricity grid at 74 per cent. Through negotiations with Sinema and Manchin, the bill was whittled down from $3.5 trillion to $1.75 trillion, with many of its most popular provisions removed. To ensure its success, it went through the process of budget reconciliation, which allows a bill to bypass the usual 60 vote hurdle, instead only needing 50 votes, and the Vice President to break the tie on the side of the Democrats. And yet, the bill has not passed, with Manchin continuing to be a holdout. With the mid-term election cycle ramping up, the Democrats have found themselves scrambling to avoid Image: Flickr the reckoning that lies on the

horizon. They need a big win. One which addresses people’s priorities and one whose benefits they could clearly communicate to their voting base. Their solution; the Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act. It’s intended as a response to restrictive voting laws passed by Republican legislators. These take the form of measures such as requiring extensive identification, banning 24-hour voting and limiting the availability of absentee ballot drop boxes. While not directly targeting them, it often has the (arguably intended) effect of reducing turnout from ethnic minorities, the working class and other groups who tend to vote Democrat. The John Lewis Act aims to counteract these restrictions with provisions such as making Election Day a federal holiday, introducing automatic voter registration and increasing ballot box access. The importance of this legislation, for both voting rights and to avoid a mid-term shellacking for the Democrats, cannot be understated. However, Sinema’s opposition to reforming the procedural hurdle that is the Senate filibuster has all but ended hopes of passing the legislation this year. To many, Biden’s downbeat assessment of the failure has signalled an admission of defeat. Pundits from across the political spectrum have already labelled his presidency as unofficially ‘over’. Losing both the House and Senate, an outcome which mid-term intention polls currently

point towards, would decrease his legislative authority further still, likely setting the GOP nominee up for a 2024 victory. There may be hope yet though. For all the hurdles Biden faces, there exists solutions. He need not look far for inspiration; it’s nailed to his wall. The aforementioned FDR had little regard for procedure that hindered his agenda, which propelled him to win four terms in office. The Supreme Court currently leans conservative, so if they indicate they’ll hinder your agenda, threaten to pass legislation to increase justices and pack the court with moderates à la Roosevelt’s Judicial Procedures Reform Bill. Joe Manchin and Krysten Sinema won’t cooperate, so play dirty to whip votes. Both have corruption scandals that are ripe for investigation, or quashing, depending on if they play ball. If you’re frustrated with the rate of progress in Congress, whip out the Executive Order pen to directly address some of Americans’ most prescient concerns. These certainly aren’t moves for the faint-hearted and Biden’s flailing authority from his lacklustre popularity make them harder still. He’d likely be labelled a tyrant and have to weather a media storm even more intense than the one Trump endured. But Democrats see the writing on the wall and know now is the time to act. The success of Biden’s legacy rests upon what they decide to do next.

Tidal waves devastate Tonga

N 15 January, a huge undersea volcano called Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai, about 40 miles north of Tonga, erupted, leaving behind thick clouds of ash and a near- complete loss of power. One local, Mere Taufa, said the eruption had hit as her household was preparing dinner, and her younger brother had thought bombs were going off close by. The eruption brought about a tsunami, which surged onto the land at the coastline of Tonga. Reuters reported that the enormous submarine volcanic eruption had caused sea waves of 2.7 feet to slam into Tonga, as observed by the Tsunami Warning Center’s measuring instruments. Officials stated that tidal waves had washed boats and huge boulders on to the land, whilst social media platforms showed waves hitting and flooding residences on a coastline in Tonga, triggering warnings as far flung as Australia, Japan and the US. Whilst Australia sent off surveil-

Bridie Adams, Editor, explains the environmental devastation in Tonga

lance flights to evaluate the destruction in Tonga, the US and Japan gave guidance to people on their Pacific coastlines, telling them to get away from the seashore. Individuals on the seashore of Peru have also been recorded panicking in the fallout of the Tongan tsunami. The effects were felt on other Pacific islands, which heard the volcanic eruption as a sequence of loud booms. The Fijian Government opened evacuation centres for people, and footage from the ground shows individuals running away to the higher ground of Suva, the capital city of Fiji, as huge waves hit the island.

The world’s developing nations are more in danger In regard to British citizens living overseas in Tonga, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Offices

said it was lending a helping hand to British nationals and their families following the tsunami. Sadly, Angela Glover, a British animal charity worker living in Tonga, has been reported dead after being swept away. Just hours before the tsunami hit, she had uploaded a foreboding image of a dark crimson sunset to Instagram. The death toll has been low, but the huge waves have led to significant damage to coastal properties and tourist resorts. Among those to speak out in the wake of the disaster is Olympian Pita Taufatofuathe, who rose to global renown during the 2016 Rio Olympics. Taufatofuathe, who is both a top martial artist and cross country skier, wrote that his family in Ha’apai had all internet connections and phone lines break off after the disaster. Although Tonga has seen smaller eruptions before, for example in 2009 and 2014, the events of 15 January 2022 have been much more severe, especially as Tongan islands are in jeopardy when

it comes to circumstances beyond their control, such as natural disasters. And Tonga is not alone; the Philippines, China, Japan and Bangladesh are victims of more natural disasters than anywhere else in the world. Vulnerability to these disasters can be connected with a number of factors, like substandard design and construction of buildings, unregulated land use planning, social factors, economic factors and natural factors. The world’s developing nations are more in danger to natural disasters since people reside in areas at high risk, due to dangerous built-up areas and badly built homes which can be easily damaged. People in low income countries are also more at risk of the threat of major hazards, as a result of poor health services, deficiencies of critical care facilities and defectively built accommodation and structures In particular, families living in poverty, that may be fully dependent on raw

materials for their sources of income, are unprotected from financial losses incurred through flash floods and dry spells. Age can also have an impact on how natural disasters impact individuals; young children and the elderly tend to be more at risk as they are a lot more susceptible to certain diseases. Young children usually do not have much education, meaning they are also more likely to be completely helpless in a crisis. The explosion of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai was just the latest major natural disaster, and with the climate crisis ever-worsening, sea levels will continue to rise, wind speeds will continue to increase, water shortages will become more severe and extensive, and the Earth will inevitably experience more wildfires and flooding. The eruption and tsunami in Tonga have, thankfully, seen a low number of casualties, but sadly we might not be as lucky next time something like this happens.

01 Feb 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

7 FEATURES

Cat and mouse or Third World? The extremities of Putin and threat on Western power

Meg Allan, Online News Editor, reviews the crisis talks between Russia and Western powers

ension is building in Eastern Europe. Field hospitals, fuel dumps, and tens of thousands of Russian troops amass at the Ukraine border. Many state that Putin's manoeuvres are the most iconic ‘flagflying’ operation this side of the century has ever seen. But is Putin simply playing an over-militarised, over-ambitious game of cat and mouse, or is he really orchestrating the largest threat against not only Ukraine, but against Western powers since the Cold War?

Is Putin simply playing an over ambitous game of cat and mouse? Many believe, or perhaps hope, that these are empty threats, large as they are, made in support of his equally large demands of NATO. Jen Psaki, White House Spokeswoman, stated, “We have information that indicates Russia has already pre-positioned a group of operatives to conduct a false flag operation in Eastern Ukraine. The operatives are trained in urban warfare and using explosives to carry out acts of sabotage against Russia’s own proxy forces”. Not only this but from as early as summer of

2021, it is believed Russia has had data wiping malware, stored within Ukrainian Governmental databases, which resulted in cyber-attacks earlier this month. The threat appears to be real, and so too has real consequences. Within the last couple of days, the US has dedicated 8,500 troops to stand by ready for deployment, should Russia over-step the line they’ve been toeing. Additionally, NATO has committed yet more ships and fighter jets as they state they will take “all necessary measures” (Secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg) to defend their allies. Joe Biden too has threatened “an unprecedented package of sanctions”, although it should be noted that due to a large amount of private wealth, and the extent of Putin’s power, sanctions would perhaps achieve little in Russia. When assessing the threat Russia poses, we must also look at the man behind it. There are three things we should consider about Putin. Firstly, this year marks his 70th birthday, leaving him little time to fulfil his ambition of Russian expansion, a dangerous combination. Secondly, he has now found himself into what could be considered ‘the grand old Duke of York’ position. He has marched his men to the top of the hill and now he can either send them

over the top, or he can back down, at the expense of Russia’s face and credibility, and would signal a submission to NATO powers. And thirdly, a year ago, in an essay entitled, “On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians”, he consistently refers to Russia and Ukraine as “a single whole”, publishing 88 paragraphs on why he is “confident that the true sovereignty of Ukraine is possible only in partnership with Russia”. These are the long-agomeditated words of a man who sees his legacy as a greater Russian Empire.

A man who sees his legacy as a greater Russian Empire

So where do we stand now? Currently, there is a pause in the diplomatic discussion, as Russia counters NATOs offer of increased clarity in any militarised training occurring in Ukraine and information on missile placement. Tension continues to ratchet up as increasing reports filter in that the Russian artillery is ‘dressed’ (ready to fire), and Wendy Sherman, US Deputy Secretary of State, believes we are waiting on Russia. “Russia most of all will have to decide whether they really are about security, in which case

they should engage, or whether this was all a pretext, and they may not even know yet”. But many believe that if we are to contend with Putin’s patterns of behaviour, he will not be reasoned with. Over the weekend, the German Chief of the Navy resigned, amidst comments that all Putin wants is ‘respect’ and his belief that Germany is obliged to align with Russia due to mutual Christianity. We have tried

to fight Russian fire with respect before though, over a decade ago working to increase Russian relations and countenancing the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, yet by 2014, there was an invasion in Eastern Ukraine and the subsequent annexing of Crimea.

If ever there was a time for Russia to take advantage it would be now There is little doubt, ‘Western power’ has been a little off-balance in the last few months: Germany has had a reshuffling of government, the US conceded to the Taliban in their chaotic extraction from Kabul and the UK government has recently come under demands for restructuring. If ever there was a time for Russia to take advantage, it would be now. There are two potential military plays; the total invasion of Ukraine, the swoop for a ‘Greater Russia’, or the more focused targeting of Mariupol and Dnieper (eastern regions of Ukraine) to form a bridge with Crimea. Either way, Ukraine runs the risk of being economically and politically isolated, and either way, there is little NATO can do to prevent Putin from flying the flag. Only time will tell the extent of this power-play.

Image left and above: flickr

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1 FEB 2022| EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT EDITORS:

Kate Hall and Evan Thomas

To be or not to BBC: Should the TV licence fee be scrapped?

Connor Goddard

N the year of the BBC’s centenary, culture secretary Nadine Dorries has suggested that the TV license fee be scrapped in the coming years, which has sparked outrage amongst many journalistic circles. Of course, the TV license fee is just one aspect, but abolishing that raises many questions about whether we should have a state-funded media outlet at all. Is it a dangerous tool that could be used badly if in the hands of the wrong person?

the world as completely neutral? On paper, the term ‘state-run broadcaster’ sounds like a type of dystopian propaganda machine from a George Orwell novel or something you would see in North Korea, but

important tenets for an organisation to have. However, the BBC is far more than just a news outlet

world stage and has many positive repercussions within the British Isles. In defence of the organisation, especially when viewing it as an entertainment provider rather than a news

We should be allowing the BBC to evolve

The BBC is an excellent way of promoting British film and TV on the world stage In a time of great financial strife, there is widespread agreement that there will have to be spending cuts in certain sectors to compensate for the massive increase in spending due to things such as the furlough scheme. But many also agree that the government has to draw the line between thriftiness and cultural butchery. The BBC has always prided itself on being an independent broadcaster, but in the volatile political climate of today can we really class any broadcaster that discusses the tough issues facing

source, having a central media outlet that everyone has access to provides a sense of national unity that may not exist in countries without one. On the other hand, there is widespread public support for scrapping the fee; many just see it as another bill they can cross off of their list.

institutions like the BBC with such cultural importance are far more than a government press agency. Over the years, the BBC has gained a worldwide reputation for its neutrality and journalistic integrity. Neutrality and a lack of bias are extremely

Image: flickr Elliot Brown

as it has so many different aspects to it. The BBC is an excellent way of promoting British film and TV on the

Image: flickr

The BBC has also lost seven million viewers in the past five years thanks to the rapid growth of streaming services such as Netflix. This highlights how the BBC has become quite out of touch with the public and that their content no longer resonates with viewers. This raises the question of why people do not feel more sentimental towards an institution that has had such a cultural influence over its one-hundred-year history. For an institution with such a long and successful history, we should be allowing the BBC to evolve so that it can draw people in the same way that it used to. The threat of removal of the license fee could be exactly the kick that the BBC needs to reform so that it draws in the crowds that it would in its hay-day.

Khan-abbis: The Mayor of London’s new drug policy Ana Anajuba Arts & Lit Editor

EOPLE do drugs. That is not a controversial statement. According to the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 1 in 11 adults aged 16 to 59 had taken a drug in the last year (9.4 per cent and approximately 3.2 million people) and around 1 in 5 adults had taken a drug in the last year (21 per cent and approximately 1.3 million people). Around three million adults selfreported using cannabis in that year.

It is an injustice of the highest order Additionally, top UK politicians have admitted to Class A drug use including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who used it at university, and top officials Michael Gove and Dominic Raab. Yet, hypocritically, they are more than happy to keep prosecuting people

who are not privileged enough to be let off with little more than a slap on the wrist. People prosecuted due to non-violent drug offences should unequivocally not be imprisoned. It is an injustice of the highest order that the government has decided that some drugs like tobacco and alcohol, which are arguably more dangerous to public health, are sold and taxed at every corner shop and high street, whilst cannabis is designated to negative stereotypes and policing. Sadiq Khan’s new proposal, which Downing Street has ironically “expressed concern” over, is based on the successful policy from Thames Valley Police, which offers classes or counselling in lieu of arrest, to youngsters caught with small quantities of cannabis. This will undoubtedly affect the lives of many university students who are within the 18–24-year-olds affected by this policy and likely one of the largest groups that engage in cannabis use. It is still just a policy proposal however, as it is still in

development and has not received any approval from the mayor’s office for policing and crime.

Addicts and users should feel able to seek help without the threat of prosecution and jail time. Whilst this is a step in the right direction for Khan’s office, who do not have the powers to fully decriminalise any drugs, it simply does not go far enough. What about older people caught with cannabis? What exactly qualifies as a ‘small amount’? And why is it assumed that people who smoke cannabis need some sort of counselling and are not simply engaging with a stress-relieving past time that is not necessarily healthy, but ultimately better than most other drugs? Further still, the self-confessed spokesman of cocaine use, Boris Johnson, stated that illegal drugs “destroy lives and fuel violence”. But what about legal drugs? Does

alcoholism and smoking induced of the drug. It is sad to think of the cancer not ruin lives? If cannabis were many people currently imprisoned due legalised, or at least decriminalised, to low level drug use, robbed of their then drug related crimes could be freedom and chunks of their lives due reduced and the safety of users could to the actions of a hypocritical and be better guaranteed; standards and self-serving government. It is a fact of health checks will be better maitnained life that people just do drugs. Maybe if they are sold by legitimate shops this policy approval, if accepted, is rather than dealers. There would be no a step in the right direction towards threat of violence and it could still be acknowledging and accepting that fact. illegal to sell to under 18s. Other drugs should also be decriminalised; addicts and users should feel able to seek help without the threat of prosecution and jail time. It is doubtful that this utopia would ever exist. There has been too much propaganda since it was first restricted in 1928. The allure of taxable cannabis profits and decreased violence can simply not convince those who are ideologically Image: Wikimedia Commons Elsaolofsson opposed to it and were raised during the continuous demonisation

1 FEB 2021| EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT

The Russell Group experience: stop trying to be exceptional I deserved to be in a classroom with people who seemed so much better than me at the subject I was passionate about.

Kate Hall Comment Editor

HETHER you’re an Oxbridge reject or the University of Exeter was your first choice, most of us at this University may have been hailed at some point as exceptional, in at least one subject. It was a place of comfort and safety and a source of confidence. For me, this was English. I did not have a lot of confidence at all in school, but most of the time I could trust my abilities in English lessons. When I got to university, that changed.

“Consider today’s graduation no more than a pause to catch your breath before continuing”

You will never have read everything or know everything you can, and that’s exciting When you feel like that, it’s easy to go down the route of self-sabotage by hiding and procrastinating, which I spent most of my first year doing. If you’ve ever had these feelings, remember this: Russell Group universities make up only 15 per cent of UK higher education institutions. You may argue then that attending the University of Exeter places you within the top 15 per cent of achievers in the country (depending on how you personally measure that).

I’d say that’s pretty good going, even if you’re potentially just hitting that 15th rank within 100. But secondly, and rather more importantly, you should learn to stop feeling competitive about your education. These feelings are perhaps inevitable at university for many of us, especially given how schools put so much focus on academic competition. But it’s a mistake to prioritise feeling like the most intelligent rather than viewing yourself as having a lot still to learn and gain. It took me a long time to stop worrying about what everyone else was doing and actually embrace the idea of my own potential. In an incredible graduation speech given at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois by Edith Sampson in 1965, she presented graduates with five choices regarding how to use the knowledge and experiences from their

degree in the real world. While the first four choices, taken perhaps by most graduates, focused primarily on using it as a stepping stone, ‘Choice Five’ suggests that graduates “consider today’s graduation no more than a pause to catch your breath before continuing the life-long job of education.” By this, she doesn’t refer to literally becoming a teacher, but rather staying in the student mindset. She notes that this way is difficult, and often lonely — but exciting: “Choice-five people have to live constantly with an acceptance of the fact that there are no simple answers in this world because there are no simple questions.” Discovering this speech for the first time genuinely had a huge impact on the way I approached my education. Being able to remove those feelings of competitiveness and replace them with

a genuine passion and openness to learn has been a far more reliable safety net in moments of academic stress than the false confidence I had in school. As I approach the finish line of my degree, I look back and accept the fact I am an average within a group of above averages, which is not a bad place to be. Now, I revel in the endless knowledge gaps. You will never have read everything or know everything you can, and that’s exciting. We have all worked hard to get here and viewing people more intelligent than us as opponents in a race is not the way to approach our education, or life in general. Embracing this fact has been a huge challenge in a world that shoves hustle culture down our throats, but it’s one which I hope to carry with me beyond my education and into the rest of my life.

Suddenly, I was surrounded by people who had read more than me, had more eloquence in their expressions and were able to grasp concepts far more easily than I could. I will admit, I was initially mortified to sacrifice this title -— or rather the confidence that comes with it. I’d enjoyed trusting my own ‘natural’ abilities to carry me all the way through my educational career until this point. No longer being that person led to me feeling a great sense of imposter syndrome as everyone seemed to know what they were doing, while I just couldn’t get into the rhythm of university education. I didn’t feel that

Why we should keep the 24-hour exam Zoe Sperry Lifestyle Editor

HE online exam format that many of us have grown accustomed to for the past two years has raised some important debates around the future of academic assessments. With the pandemic slowly teetering off and in person exams returning, the question still stands as to whether universities should keep the online format in place. Indeed, there are numerous benefits to doing so. Especially for essay-based courses, having the time to properly think through an exam answer is a massive advantage. When constrained to only a couple of hours, even the quickest of minds will not be able to fully explore the essay question at hand, leading to rushed answers filled with gaps. Producing a well-constructed

argument takes time, and expecting students to not only think on their feet but also memorise a term’s (or a year’s) worth of content is unreasonable. University isn’t school — it’s not about regurgitating information from a textbook — it’s about thinking through the course content analytically and developing fruitful answers. And while some may be capable of doing this in the span of two-three hours, many might agree that such time pressure only places more barriers within the thinking process.

anxiety of writing an exam over the course of a whole day rather than a couple of hours. Moreover, they may be less practical for non-essay-based subjects outside of the humanities where an open book format is harder to justify. But they nonetheless offer a productive alternative to traditional modes of evaluation. Implemented correctly, this online format could offer a new way of looking at exams; not as a source of stress or a

competition in memory, but as a place for individuals to truly engage with what they’ve learned and retained from their course.

They nonetheless offer a productive alternative to traditional modes of evaluation That is not to say the 24-hour exam is perfect either. They stretch out the

Images (above, below): WikicommonsImIm-

1 FEB 2022| EXEPOSÉ

Satire

SATIRE EDITOR:

Cleo Gravett

Partygate hits Exeter: Duryard students tried Exmouth police crack down on holding illegal lockdown gathering, no one came seagulls Bridie Adams Editor

BRAND-NEW police station is set to be built in Exmouth, six years after the former one shut. This decision follows a soaring number of chip thefts by seagulls in 2021. Since the closure of the old Exmouth station, seagull-related crimes

have been referred to nearby towns and cities, spreading the threat further afield. One city severely affected has been Exeter. PC Gulle of Devon and Cornwall Police said: “In the last six years, we’ve had a lot of reports from Exeter students being harassed by birds, with many cases involving stolen Pret a Manger sandwiches. The new station will alleviate the stress caused by these vicious criminals.”

How-to: Exeter Sport app Cleo Gravett Satire Editor

ANY of us made a New Year’s resolution to get fitter, and the new Exeter Sport app launched by the University is here to help. After you’ve made the initial leap of downloading, it can be difficult to motivate yourself to actually start using the app. Fortunately, here are some steps

you can take to make it easier. Firstly, charge your phone — you can’t open an app on a low battery, can you? Second, make sure your brightness is at the right setting, so you won’t fatigue your eyes while searching for the app. Thirdly, turn on airplane mode to minimise potential distractions when opening the app. Finally, put on a pump-up playlist, do some finger stretches to warm up, then tap it. And you’re done! Well done you. Make sure you rest and rehydrate.

University addresses exams: “Quite frankly, we couldn’t give a shit” Bridie Adams Editor

UNIVERSITY email about exams has sparked controversy among students. The email in question read: “Dear reckless youths, We are writing to put your troubled and poisoned minds at rest by completely ignoring all of your concerns! Quite frankly, we couldn’t give a shit if you miss out on a grad scheme because you’ve deferred all of your exams. Maybe contact Wellbeing if it’s bothering you for some reason, though. You’re welcome, and may the odds be ever in your favour.” Second and third year students have branded the email “out of touch” and “dated” due to its closing reference to Suzanne Collins’ novel The Hunger Games, which came out almost 14 years ago. When we asked a group of freshers what they thought of the reference, many of them looked confused and asked if

The Hunger Games was a new cooking show on Dave, whilst one first year English student said, “Sorry, medieval literature isn’t really my area.” Exeposé also asked the University about provisions for clinically vulnerable students during exam season. A member of senior staff cackled menacingly and responded, “Pfft, everyone knows clinically vulnerable people don’t exist! Next you’ll be asking us about mermaids, or dragons, or Exeter students who don’t have trust funds! You lot need to get your heads out of the clouds, and bury them in the sand like us instead.” A spokesperson for the University of Exeter added: “We believe that our emails provided sufficient support for those students facing in-person exams, regardless of any of this supposed COVID-19 malarkey. We are baffled as to how such a clear message of support could be misconstrued so drastically. Seriously, we don’t know what students expect: basic human decency and compassion? Ridiculous!”

Al Nita Culture Correspondent

TUDENTS erupted with seething indifference on Monday following revelations that students at Duryard attempted to throw some “absolute monster ragers” during lockdown, with attendance rumoured to have hit as high as seven or eight people during the most heated moments of the illegal gatherings. The incidents were first made public when a former Duryard resident reportedly posted pictures of some “absolutely mental ones with the boys” during COVID-19 restrictions, including watching Blue Planet II with the flat upstairs, having a singular can of Strongbow Dark Fruit the night before an essay was due and engaging in chess-themed drinking games. “We were lucky the police didn’t

knock down our door or anything,” one of the hosts told Exeposé through his facemask. “Things got pretty rowdy. We turned up the TV so loud once that someone banged on our window. It turned out to be a tree branch, but that sort of thing does shit you up regardless.” The reaction to these wild and unprecedented stories has been clear and decisive, with many simply shrugging their shoulders in a fit of rage. “It’s crazy to think people were doing this sort of thing,” stated one bemused Lafrowda resident who we managed to corner outside Costa. “Like, Birks I can understand, or even Holland Hall, but going to Duryard? Truly wild stuff.” Other students commented on how dangerous this sort of behaviour is. One member of Expedition Society familiar with hiking through the Duryard wilderness stated that he wasn’t surprised that

the arduous and risky journey deterred potential partygoers, noting complete lack of access to vital supplies such as crisps and booze: “You’re completely cut off from the outside world out there.” One partygoer who did manage the journey was concerned about the police in the following weeks and months: “One day I received a strange notice in the mail and I was certain it was going to be a huge fine for going to the party. Just turned out to be a letter congratulating me on completing my Duke of Edinburgh Award. Guess I got something out of the journey at least.” When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the University responded that they didn’t have a clue what a “Duryard” was, but recommended people stay away from it as much as possible. Oliver Leader De Saxe, Editor

University pivots to Instagram to climb league tables Li Pfiller Education Correspondent

HE University League Tables are a leading factor on which tens of thousands of incoming students base their choice of university each year. The University of Exeter has adopted the tried and true methods of influencers everywhere in an attempt to catch the eyes of potential customers — I mean, students. The University’s new Instagram account @uniofexeterstudents intends to provide students with key information, student success stories, sports updates and beautiful pictures of campus. Disappointing news, such as in-person exams going ahead, and the refusal to consider tuition fee refunds to com-

pensate for the immense educational disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, will now be delivered with aesthetically pleasing filters and funky animations. The University has also generously expanded the Hardship Support Fund, offering new student aid in the form of likes and follow-backs. In the long-established influencer tradition of Instagram #spon posts hawking flat tummy tea, @uniofexeterstudents was seen promoting Flat Earth Tea, a “revolutionary,” if unfortunately named, product for students everywhere who complain about the gradient of Exeter’s hills. According to the Instagram post, simply pouring the tea down a hill flattens it, with pictures of a significantly less steep Forum Hill and Cardiac Hill included on the post as evidence. An undercover Exeposé investigative team found evidence of doctoring

and retouching on the images, and a walking trip around campus confirmed that the hills remained unchanged. As such, the investigative team had no choice but to report the new Instagram account to the Advertising Standards Agency, where it is pending investigation. When approached for comment on the new account, influencer extraordinaire Molly-Mae Hague issued a statement saying, “We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and I am pleased to see the University getting the best out of theirs.” She went on to state that she would now boycott Exeposé as providing this comment had taken 30 seconds out of hers. Nevertheless, with these brand new tactics, the University is expected to be snapping at Oxbridge’s league table heels in no time. Cleo Gravett, Satire Editor

StudentCrooks purchases business school courtyard Cleo Gravett Satire Editor

NLY a week after the announcement of the plans to build a new creative space at Streatham Court comes the news that it has been snapped up by a lux-

ury student accommodation company. In a furious bidding war, StudentCrooks Properties has acquired the planned site for the space, in the courtyard of the Business School, and aims to house Business students so that they “don’t lose a second of the hustle” in the commute to lectures. The University initially described

the creative space as a “flexible learning space designed to inspire our students to develop contemporary business skills,” and a spokesperson for StudentCrooks responded, “what’s a better example of these skills than a cash-grab development opportunity such as this one!”

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Coachella fashion trends Image: Wikicommons, Alan Paone

Art and politics

Image: Wikicommons, Matt Browne

Teenage wasteland Image: Wikicommons, MicheleLF

Image: Image:Marco Flickr, Verch Blogtrenpeur Flickr

Interview: Frank Turner

Image: Pixabay

power of short form content

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LIFESTYLE EDITOR Danni Darrah Zoe Sperry

ARTS + LIT EDITOR Ana Anajuba Ella Minty

MUSIC EDITORS Charlotte Bend Harry Hawkins

SCREEN EDITORS Archie Lockyer Francesca Sylph

TECH EDITORS Bridie Adams Oliver Leader de Saxe

STUDY BREAK Puzzles by Matthew and George

lifestyle Finding joy in the small things Bridie Adams, Editor, looks at how the small things in life can be the most meaningful

IMPLE pleasures can cushion the damaging effects of stress, anxiety and depression. Although they are certainly not a catchall solution to mental health difficulties or any problems you may be facing in life, they often have the power to put a smile on your face even in the darkest of times. Simple pleasures sometimes promote feelings of warmth, confidence and satisfaction, giving you a boost of enthusiasm when you need it. One way of appreciating simple pleasures is by celebrating small wins, which are like checkpoints leading to your ultimate dreams and desires. Focusing on these little victories can remind you why you are working or studying so hard, and why you enjoy what you do. When you gain an understanding of the importance of small wins, and start to commemorate them, you obtain the confidence to smash your bigger goals and challenges. Drinking a toast to small wins also encourages you to focus on the present rather than becoming too caught up in the future. Remember that your journey of achievement is sometimes more important than the end goal.

Another important aspect of finding joy in the small is self-care. To help out with balancing our life demands and maintaining our well-being, we need to implement self-care. According to Youth First, self-care is “a necessary human function which is purposeful, learned and continuous.” Therefore, it is important to be responsible for your own self-care. Matthew Glowiak, a counsellor at Southern New Hampshire University, says that engaging in a self-care regime has been clinically proven to lessen anxiety and depression. Benefits also include a reduction in stress levels, enhanced concentration, increased happiness and more. Self-care just allows you to be aware of your own needs, which by extension means you are in a better position to help the people you care about. Finding joy in the small can improve our ability to practice mindfulness and gratitude, both of which can be helpful tools for managing our emotions. Celebrating even the smallest of victories and taking time out for self-care truly allows us to appreciate the little things in life.

Image: mprietou, pixabay

How the pandemic changed self-image Ana Anajuba, Arts+Lit Editor, dives into how lockdown impacted her body image and self-worth

OR the vast majority of people, the pandemic was a constant hellscape filled with uncertainty and loneliness. For me, it was mostly the same. Of course, at first it was nice to have time with family — for everyone to be at home was a nice change of pace. The onset of boredom did not take too long, however, and soon there was the constant eating whilst watching videos of people who made big changes during the break from quotidian life.

THE PANDEMIC TAUGHT ME THE RESILIENCE OF MY BODY Coming out of the pandemic was hard.Suddenly, I had to fit into tight jeans and t-shirts, not jogging bottoms and over-sized hoodies. I had to get out of bed instead of staying inside all day watching videos. I had to interact with people who had not seen me for months and listen to them make comments about my weight, like I did not look in the mirror every day. A long time ago, I stopped following people on social media because of how they looked. It would be a lie to say that I never cared about looks; like any other teenage girl taught to preen and groom themselves to show their

self-worth, I compared myself to anyone and everyone, sometimes absent-mindedly commenting on things I hated about my body. It was to the point that when my mother asked what I liked about myself, I was lost for words. The pandemic taught me the resilience of my body. It got me through one of the toughest times collective moments the world has gone through. I learnt to appreciate and care for every single part of myself. I realised that in the absence of self-hate grew self-appreciation; not necessarily self-love but self-respect.

I went out for walks only to appreciate the freedom of fresh air and the beauty of nature. Ironically, even though we are not postCOVID, the apparent slowing down of the virus’ intensity led to poorer treatment of myself. People now comment on my weight in a favourable way, with the first thing coming out of their mouth being a compliment of me "slimming down". The way I feel inside is almost immaterial; if the outside looks good, so too must the inside. The pandemic taught me a lot of things. It taught me about the truthfulness of fiction

that only years ago seemed all too fake; about the intangibilities of sacrifice, solitude, and serendipity. Mostly, it taught me about who I am and that who I am is not what I look like. Days would pass where I would not look my best and every so often, I would pick out a nice outfit, play some music and feel so beautifully alive. There was no one to compliment me; I had nowhere to go. If I did go somewhere, half my face — everyone’s face — was covered. Still, I could smile to myself and feel good. Maybe other people could

IN THE ABSENCE OF SELF-HATE GREW SELFAPPRECIATION

Image: adam, stockvault

look better. Maybe they thought I looked mad. I am probably half mad — half mad with a happiness I wish everyone could feel. I do not believe in body positivity. I do not believe in body negativity. I believe in body neutrality. My body is a tool, an object — my tool, my object — for me to treat, love, and care for as I wish. Some people spent the pandemic losing or gaining weight whilst I stayed mostly the same. Yet, I think I probably changed the Image: mostPixabay of all.

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lifestyle

EDITORS: Danni Darrah and Zoe Sperry

1 FEB 2022 |

Coachella leads the way for fashion trends Bridie Adams, Editor, discusses the past and current fashion trends of the Californian festival

F there’s one UK event that has always defined festival fashion, it’s Glastonbury. With icons like Kate Moss and Alexa Chung being among the festival’s best dressed campers, it’s no surprise that festival fashion has become popular even beyond the muddy fields of Glasto. Flower crowns, quirky sunglasses, crop tops with tassels, denim shorts, wellies and as much glitter as you can fit in a two-man tent are all must-haves on the UK festival packing list.

seem to take inspiration from ‘60s fashion. From groovy, retro prints, to floaty, bohemian dresses, Coachella fashion feels very much like a blast from the past. As Vogue noted in 2014, “Coachella attendees

could literally be their grandparents. After all, flaunting their designer outfits every year. fashion and nostalgia have always gone hand in hand, and the classic flower child/grunge hybrid look many Coachella-goers opt for feels reminiscent of bygone eras.

AN ABSOLUTE PARADISE FOR INSTAGRAMMERS

H&M COLLABORATED WITH COACHELLA IN 2017 But across the pond, festival culture is slightly different, with Coachella being a leading source of fashion inspiration for American festival-goers. Coachellainspired trends are so popular that some fast fashion companies bring out whole collections devoted to the Californian festival. For example, H&M collaborated with Coachella in 2017, bringing out “sheer femi- are almost exact Coachella is nine layers mixed with embellished denim replicas of […] Woodstock.” also an absolute paradise for women, and the perfect graphic prints And in some cases — do the maths — at- for Instagrammers, with social media floodfor guys.” Interestingly, many of these pieces tendees of the famous 1969 Music and Art Fair ing with images of the rich and famous

That was until Coachella became one of COVID-19’s first victims within the entertainment sphere, and two years passed with no festival fashion, no festival music, and absolutely no festival crowds. Sigh. But this year, Coachella will undoubtedly be back with a bang, drawing its usual 'wowfactor' with countless VIPs in attendance. If you’re lucky enough to be going, you’re sure to encounter some huge names headlining on the stage and dancing in the audience. And if, like most of us, you won’t be flying out to California any time soon, the festival will be broadcast live on YouTube, so you can experience the ultimate FOMO from the comfort of your own home. But thanks to the vast array of clothing stores in Princesshay, the Guildhall and along the High Street, we can dress for a party in the Valley even when we’re only headed to Unit 1. Happy Coachella!

Image: Nikita Charuza, Popsugar

Let's get coffee! A stretch a day Danni Darrah, Lifestyle Editor, gives advice for second term friendships

Katie Edgar, Online Lifestyle Editor, explains the benefits of regular stretching

HE pressure that always comes with a new academic year can often mean we rush to make connections at Fresher’s events and societies. Some (that random girl you have on Snapchat from that one time in TP) won’t last, but others will continue to blossom. If you were to ask me, the thing that sets university apart from a workplace or school is the the constantly shifting circle of people that surround you. From changing housemates, to changing modules and timetables, it can be difficult to feel settled in a group of familiar faces. Although it can be an exciting time to spread those social butterfly wings, it can also feel daunting and overwhelming. The first thing I noticed about retaining and nurturing the friendships I cared about is that coffee mornings become your best friend. Moving the connection away from the loud venues and the alcohol to a tame catch up on a Saturday morning can be a great way to know someone on a deeper level. Simultaneously, if you are one for a bigger group of people, a dinner down at On The Waterfront or The Imperial has the ideal atmosphere for an evening of getting to know each other. Alternatively, you could choose a regular activity that you both do on a weekly basis, such as a running or studying. Sticking

together during these activities will naturally strengthen any friendship because you are incorporating them into your everyday, just as you would at school or at work.

IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FEEL SETTLED Meeting people in second term, although more organic, can be tougher after the Hunger Games of the first term. Course mates, especially during the lockdown, sometimes go unnoticed. Sharing a common view in a seminar or enjoying the same reading can often be a good indicator of shared interests. Messaging them about this and grabbing lunch after a lecture is an easy way of making a good (and useful) connection. Ultimately, if I were to summarise this article into two and a half words, I would say, stay open-minded. Don’t close yourself off from the great potential connections that surround you. It is easier said than done to step out of your comfort zone and initiate a friendship, but your efforts will almost always be gratefully received and returned. Everyone wants to have people they can rely on after all!

Image: j4p4n, Openclipart

OMETHING I didn’t expect to get for my 21st birthday was constant back pain. But here I am, struggling to get through a full day of sitting at my desk, and not being able to relax even when I lie down. However, I have found a way to make it bearable, and have slowly started to feel better — by stretching. To make a noticeable difference, I have to do it many times a day, but over time, stretching the muscles in my back has helped to strengthen them, and I now feel much better generally. Even if you don’t have a problem now, the student lifestyle of hunching over your laptop might catch up to you eventually, and getting in a routine of stretching now could help you in the future. Stretching is not just beneficial for your back; there are a whole host of physical and mental benefits to stretching regularly. It improves your mobility, flexibility and posture, which can help deal with regular aches and pains, as well as keeping your body strong as you age. Stretching can also improve your mood, as it eases the tension in your muscles (where we hold stress), and can increase levels of serotonin. It’s easy to feel sceptical about whether stretching can actually bring you these benefits (particularly the mental ones), but it’s important to re-

member that the benefits only come with time and regular practice. It can be hard to notice small improvements in your physical and mental health, as there doesn’t seem to be much difference from the day before, but one day you might look back and see how much better you feel now than you did a month ago. One form of stretching I was personally sceptical of is yoga, as it can seem like something people do to look "cool", rather than something that will actually improve your health. But, stuck in my room with Covid and desperate for ways to pass the time, I started doing yoga and have found it a calming distraction from the stresses of life. Although it might not be the same type of exercise as going for a run, it’s still a good way to get your body moving, particularly on the days when you can’t be bothered to go outside (or when you legally can’t). So, for the sake of your body, and your mind, clear a space in your room, lay down a yoga mat (or if you’re like me, your dressing gown) and start stretching.

arts + lit

New Year’s book reviews As we head into 2022, Arts + Lit writers talk about their favourite reads to liven up the New Year

James Bowen A Street Cat Named Bob

N 2007, James Bowen found an injured stray cat in the hallway of his shelter accommodation. At the time, Bowen was a street entertainer, living rough and fighting a heroin addiction. Despite his own struggles, he selflessly decided to keep and look after the abandoned cat and he named him Bob. What began as an act of kindness towards an injured animal quickly bloomed into an unlikely friendship from which Bowen drew inspiration to pen his memoir A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life. I would recommend the memoir to anyone who is recovering from drug or alcohol dependence, as it captures the realities of recovery: from the good, to the bad, to the gutwrenchingly awful. But whether you have experienced addiction or not, A Streetcat Named Bob is an important book for everyone. Of course, everyone is confronted with unique situations and issues, and this story tells us how, with as much will and strength as we can muster, we can work to overcome our difficulties. The memoir shows us how there is kindness and beauty almost everywhere, even though they can sometimes be hard to find. With Bob by his side, Bowen managed to change his life and create a new start for himself — and the book follows this journey with humour and hope. Image: Hodder & I recommend it as a new year’s read for Stoughton anyone looking for an inspiring book to start 2022; it will have you laughing and crying all in one sitting.

Jeff Vandermeer Annihilation

DON’T like writing about Annihilation. Don’t get me wrong, I love recommending it, but I don’t like writing about it. There’s something so intangible about Jeff Vandermeer’s searingly unsettling expedition novel that even the attempt of putting it into words feels not only futile, but wrong. With every syllable, letter or turn of phrase, I feel I am yanking a petal from the beautifully twisted flower of Area X, leaving behind a stem of blunted thorns that would ordinarily hook into you on a first read; thorns that never let you go, no matter how hard you try. All I can say is that this a fundamentally unnerving book, terrifying in its primal immediacy, in its awareness of both the horror and wonder of change. Vandermeer transforms a world we’re familiar with into something unforgivably alien and disturbing as much as he transforms his human subjects into inhuman depravity. Nature comes for us all, Image: Trevor and theDobson, voidFlickr comes for nature. We cannot run away from that fact. Change is inevitable. As is entropy. As is annihilation. Utterly desolate, paradoxically brimming with life, and truly astonishing in its depth, I cannot express what an astonishing read this is, and if you make one change to Image: FSG Originals your life this year, it’s putting this at the top of your reading list.

Bridie Adams, Editor

Joan Didion The Year of Magical Thinking

N 23 December 2021, we lost one of the greatest writers and observers of contemporary America: Joan Didion. For over 60 years, Didion was a singluar voice across a multitude of subjects, often blending the personal and political. It seemed only fitting then, to return to her acclaimed memoir on grief, The Year of Magical Thinking. “Life changes fast , life changes in an instant. You sit down to dinner and life as you know it ends.” These are the first words of The Year of Magical Thinking, and the first words Didion wrote after the death of her husband. The memoir is an account of the year following the death of Didion’s husband, John Gregory Dunne, and the hospitalisation of their daughter, Quintana Roo Dunne. Quintana sadly died before the book’s publication, but instead of revising the manuscript, Didion wrote a second book, Blue Nights, devoted to the loss of her daughter. Didion’s words on grief are honest and deeply comforting to anyone who has ever lost someone they loved. Her writing is never flowery, but instead raw, occasionally clinical and above all unapologetic. She intertwines medical and psychological research alongside her own experiences in an attempt to make sense of feelings of insanity and derangement that come hand in hand with grief. Image: Fourth Estate

Oliver Leader De Saxe, Editor

Francesca Sylph, Screen Editor

Hand of God vs death of the author Daisy Leason discusses the discrepancies between authorial intention and readers’ interpretations

E all know what it’s like when someone over-analyses a book. Just think back to GCSE English when every single word had a deeper meaning, each colour represented an emotion, every verb choice a subtle hint to the author’s life story. But is this analysis what literature is about? And at what point do we stop caring about the author’s original intention altogether?

A SINGLE PIECE OF WORK CAN HAVE COUNTLESS PIECES OF COMMENTARY Of course, the artist writes with an intention and a purpose. Perhaps when they write: “the room was dark with black curtains,” they are representing depression, or they are referring to the weather, or perhaps they mean that the room was

dark with black curtains. Only they know for certain. Except now, in the age of social media and literary conventions we can ask authors about their intentions in the blink of an eye. All it takes is to message an author on twitter or attend a Q&A for them to confirm or deny all of your burning questions about their books. Furthermore, they have it within their power to add to their books. All they must do is send out 280 characters in a tweet and suddenly you have new information about their books or characters. However, as authors are more present than ever before, is anything they produce the only correct interpretation, including tweets or other digital works? It would be easy to argue against this. We cannot say that the only valid interpretation is that of the author. One could argue that the purpose of a text is in fact to be interpreted by the reader; each person will have a different perspective according to their own background.

Thus, the intended interpretation of the author is not necessarily the be all or end all. People will read whatever they want into a piece of work, and this is especially important for minority groups. When a group of people have less representation in mainstream media, they might interpret a character as queer or a POC even if this is not explicitly said. Even if an author then goes on to disagree they cannot control other people’s interpretations.

AUTHORS WILL ALWAYS HAVE A UNIQUE UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR WORK This leads on to how we interpret literature. A single piece of work can have countless pieces of surrounding commentary, plays, reviews, museum exhibitions... Who is to say these

interpretations are any more valid than a book club discussion or a work of fanfiction? Some of the world’s most famous books draw deliberate inspiration from previously published texts, such as James Joyces’ Ulysses, based on the Odyssey, or Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea, a prequel to Jane Eyre. The only thing separating these from fanfiction written online is that they have reached a level of notoriety; all could be considered legitimate interpretations or additions to books. Authors will always have a unique understanding of their work. Readers, however, will always look between the lines and try to explain away gaps the author has left behind and even with an ever-increasing connection between author and reader. We cannot stop people having their own interpretations. The author is a creator but not a god. They must create their work and let people come to their own conclusions.

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arts + lit

EDITORS: Ana Anajuba & Ella Minty

1 FEB 2022 | 17

Painting political action with art Kate Hall, Comment Editor, explores if art is inherently political

HE question of whether art can — or does — exist outside of politics is an age-old argument. It may even be unanswerable, purely because it works upon such loosely defined terms. But can we, or have we ever, detached the two? To even fathom such a question, we first have to ask three questions: what is art, what is politics and how are the two related? Art is concerned with expression, whereas politics is more concerned with action. However, politics arguably exists — at least in a democratic society — as a reaction to expression. Whether art has political agency is an entirely different question, however defining the two side-by-side does suggest that the two are reactionary to one another. To create art is to create meaning. Many artists and writers who claim to be apolitical are often met with the argument that the

decision to create is a political act in itself. George Orwell famously noted in ‘Why I Write’ that “the opinion that art should have nothing to do with politics is itself a political attitude.” To be silent about politics in art is an action as much as being vocal perhaps. Amanda Gorman, who stole the show with her poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ at the 2021 inauguration of Joe Biden, said during a TED Talk on the subject in 2018 that “the decision to create, the artistic choice to have a voice, the choice to be heard, is the most political act of all.” She explains that poetry is inevitably political in at least three ways: what, when, how and why we tell stories through art; who gets to tell them and in what contexts; and the very fact that art — specifically in the case of literature — is primarily concerned with people in private and public spaces. All art is created by people and for people. The artist, no matter their intention, can

rarely control how their work is perceived. In a lot of art, meaning is not inherent but rather projected onto it by those consuming it. I think a good example of this would be the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, whereby protestors projected their own counter-meaning upon an art piece erected to celebrate a slave trader. This was a case where art needed politicisation, not de-politicisation. Another argument worthy of mentioning is perhaps that certain political contexts seem to fuel political art. The world is increasingly becoming a place in which the arts, though perhaps consumed more widely than ever before, are devalued within our political systems. Questions increasingly thrust upon us seem less to do with the essence of art, but rather the need for art at all. In such a sense, it is hard to depoliticize art when it is under attack from political systems. The more you impede upon

something, the more it resists, and resistance is undoubtedly an inherently political act. Art is increasingly becoming a form of resistance. Throughout history at any time of mass censorship, the arts have consistently been attacked, whether it’s book burning, destruction of sculptures and paintings or tampered photographs. Whether you believe art is inherently political or not, there’s no arguing about the powerful fear its ability to impact people’s causes. Art is everywhere, from the wallpapers on our phones to the buildings we spend the day moving in and out of. The question of whether art is inherently political ultimately lies with how those consuming it choose to perceive it. Art will become more politicised when it needs to be, become resistant when the political system demands it and affect people based upon their willingness to be affected by it.

Exe-hibitions Arts + Lit writers recommend their favourite exhibitions off and online Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear

The Unfiltered History Tour

V&A

VICE World News

HE Unfiltered History Tour is a set of ten podcasts, each focussing on a different artefact from the British Museum. It invites historians who have close personal and ancestral ties to these objects, often from colonised countries, to discuss their cultural significance and why they believe these artefacts were unfairly taken and ought to be returned. These include the Gweagal Shield, taken by James Cook when he first came to Australia in 1770 as discussed by Rodney Kelly, who is a descendant of the Gweagal tribe and is campaigning for its return to the Gweagal people. Kelly helpfully contextualises the theft of this shield within a broader social climate in Australia which already dismisses Aboriginal Australians, and logically explains how the continued separation from the shield separates the Gweagal people from their history. Other podcasts are on artefacts such as the Rosetta Stone and Benin Bronzes. These podcasts help viewers to understand colonialism and discussions around museums’ possession of colonial objects from a human point of view, and ‘history,’ as something that, especially for the colonised, can be both personal and objective. The complexity of colonialism’s legacy can all too often mean that colonising nations like Britain are dismissive of the concerns of the colonised, but in the Unfiltered History Tour, we see the genuine emotional damage that separation from cultural ancestry has on colonised people, and the role museums play in this.

ASHIONING Masculinities: The Art of Menswear is the first major V&A exhibition to celebrate the artistry behind masculine attire, showcasing a diversity of possible masculinities. Contemporary looks by Harris Reed, Grace Wales Bonner and many more will be displayed alongside historical treasures such as classical sculptures and Renaissance paintings. The exhibition presents 100 looks alongside 100 artworks displayed thematically across three galleries: Underdressed, Overdressed and Redressed. Underdressed explores the male body and underwear, looking at how classical European ideals of masculinity have been perpetuated and challenged over the centuries. Overdressed demonstrates how historic ideas are beginning to shift with the elite masculine wardrobe: oversized silhouettes, lavish materials, daring colours and expressive patterns. Redressed will explore the origins of the suit alongside paintings and photography, from Oscar Wilde, Marlene Dietrich and David Bowie to Harry Styles, Billy Porter and Sam Smith. Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear opens on Saturday 19 March and runs until Sunday 6 November 2022 at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Francesca Sylph, Screen Editor

Cora Davies Images top to bottom: Wikimedia Commons, Flickr (Francisco Anzola)

Reading corner Anabel Costa-Ferreira reviews Tayari Jones’ An American Marriage

LTHOUGH there remains a multitude of literature to celebrate from my reads in the previous year, I would hold the spotlight to An American Marriage byTayari Jones. A newlywed’s nightmare tests the strength of young couple Roy and Celeste’s relationship as Roy is arrested and sentenced for a period of 12 years for a crime he did not commit. A painful testimony composed of letters, readers follow the heart-wrenching perspective of both individuals as chapters alternate in giving each a voice. The way in which Jones uses the epistolary form is empowering and impactful as we watch

the years pass and love dissipate between them. Phrases such as “two years down and ten to go (This is my idea of a joke)” are particularly striking, and as readers, we hold out hope that their relationship will withstand the test of time. The author creates a profound moral conflict as we follow Celeste falling in love with their closest friend Andre. Without spoiling the end for those who have yet to read it, both Celeste’s character and the reader remain painfully torn as to the end they want to see. As a result of racial discrimination and injustice, this plot (though fiction)

really leads us to question the presence of inequality in our justice system today. This novel remains her most recent work, however, Tayari has also written the infamous Silver Sparrow which also centres around ideas of the family and torn loyalties. The most acclaimed out of her four publications, this novel was praised by critics, winning the 2019 Women’s Prize for Fiction alongside appearing on Barack Obama’s reading list. If it has won the praise of the literary world, it most certainly deserves a place on all our reading lists.

MUSIC

Interview: Frank Turner E

Oliver Leader De Saxe, Editor, talks to the folk-punk legend about mental health, Cavern and his new record

NGLISH singer-songwriter Frank Turner has made a name for himself with his visceral live shows, brutally honest song-writing and outspoken support for local venues during the pandemic. I sat down with the former Million Dead vocalist to discuss New Years resolutions, working with a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame icon and what might be next for the troubadour. Exeposé: So, with it obviously being the beginning of the year, I wanted to start by asking if you have any New Year’s resolutions? Frank Turner: Good question! I do, but it’s slightly vague so bear with me. My resolution is to have more fun, which may sound a little selfindulgent, but I found, like a lot of people, that 2021 was a lot harder than 2020 in a weird way. We all kind of know this, but there was a blitz spirit vibe going on in 2020, whilst 2021 was just grindingly awful for the most part. I spent a lot of the year not doing anything in case I couldn't work if you know what I mean? So my wife and I decided that this was a miserable way of existing and what we were gonna do was that this year we’d resolve to see more friends, have a bit more fun and be a bit more human really. É: Do you have any predictions about the year ahead, generally or just in terms of the music landscape? FT: Haha, predictions for the year? First thing I’d say would be, and I’d like to think I thought this anyway, but if the last two years have taught me anything, it's that making predictions makes you look like an idiot. I’d love to sit here and say that we’re in the pandemic endgame, but I have said that before, more than once, so I’m just going to shut up about that for now. I’d like to think we’ll have Image: Henry W. Laurisch, Wikimedia Commons

a new Prime Minister quite soon, that would be nice, but then again, he seems to be Teflon so I don’t quite know what’s going to happen with that. I will have a new record out, that is for sure, so that’s my prediction: that my record will actually come out this year! It’s a safe one.

IT IS A MORE AGGRESSIVE RECORD THAN SOME OF MY PREVIOUS ONES É: If you had just ten words to sum the album, what would they be? FT: [Counts on fingers] This is my nineth album, I hope you like it. [Bursts out laughing]. I mean ultimately, it’s a funny thing, it’s like the age-old question where someone goes “oh, you’re a musician, what sort of music do you play?” and I'm here like “don’t ask me, I’m the worst person to ask!” I’m way too close to the issue to make any sort of objective statement about it. I mean, I hope you enjoy it. I can be more specific, I can be less facile about this, it is a more aggressive record than some of my previous ones. Choosing this word is probably going to cause me more sadness than joy, but it’s arguably a more "punk" record than its predecessors. But ultimately, the nature of the beast, and this is going to sound perhaps overly philosophical, but one of the things I love about art conceptually is that it sort of ceases to be mine once it goes out into the public, and whatever you or anyone else thinks it is, is right, and that’s kind of cool. In a way, art is a kind of conversation and it’s really exup

citing to me when people turn around and have a completely bizarre take on the record that I’ve made or say something that I hadn’t thought of… that was more than ten words. É: Your new record FTHC does feel punkier or heavier, however you’d phrase it. Not to say albums like Be More Kind didn’t have punkier moments on them like '1933', but this does feel heavier than your last two records. What was the catalyst for a return to the sound you cut your teeth on? FT: Well, a whole bunch of different stuff. I’ve long toured with punk bands and as a musician, I’ve had one foot in the punk world and one foot outside of it. And the last two records I’ve made have been left-field detours, which I’m very proud of because, as an artist, I think you should push your boundaries. But I remember in the summer of 2019 when touring festivals was a thing, if you can remember that, and we played a festival called Punk Rock Holiday in Slovenia that’s an awesome punk festival. I felt kind of honoured to be there and walking around, thinking “this feels like home”, and it felt like I had been away from home for a while. So there was that, and there was also the split [album] with NOFX, which first of all was a dream come true for me, and secondly that puts you in a certain world. So, I was thinking of going that direction anyway and then the pandemic meant that I had very little to do for a long time like everybody, and what would have been a couple of steps down a certain stylistic road ended up being a fullboard sprint, because I had all this time to just work things through. And if there wasn’t a pandemic, it would have still been a bit more aggressive, but not like this. So this is a very small silver lining I'm clinging on to here, but that is a silver lining of the pandemic.

I'VE HAD ONE FOOT IN THE PUNK WORLD AND ONE FOOT OUTSIDE OF IT É: Songs like 'Non Servium' and 'My Bad' have a properly aggressive edge to them, with their almost blast beats and borderline screamed vocals. Did writing these songs ever make you feel nostalgic for the Million Dead days and playing hardcore punk shows? FT: 100 per cent! There is a physicality to playing that kind of music which you don’t get anywhere else in my experience. When you finish a song and you’re exhausted that’s kind of fun. I mean, I tend to finish my songs exhausted

in the normal run of things, but that’s normally because I’m jumping up and down and running around when I’m doing it. With this record I’m exhausted if I’m standing still, which feels like a good thing, but it should also be noted that it will be interesting playing these live and trying to do the running around thing. We’ll have to see how it goes. I might have to get in shape before we go on tour, because like most people, I’m pandemic-fit currently. É: If we’re talking about the drumming, obviously Ilan Rubin of Nine Inch Nails and Angels & Airwaves fame has provided a lot of the drumming for the record. How did this come about? FT: So I parted ways with my long-term drummer in 2020, which was a personal thing; it was a sadness and I wish him all the best, that’s the way things worked out. But basically, and with that in mind, I now have a new permanent drummer in my band, Callum Green, who is fantastic, but I need someone to play on the record. I was working with Richard Costey, who I’ve worked with before on Tape Deck Heart back in 2012. Richard is one of the biggest rock producers in the world so he knows a lot of people and has quite an impressive phonebook. So I mentioned the drummer thing to him and he was like “well, let me have a think about this”, and then for the first single we did he turned around and just said “oh yeah, Dom[inic Howard] from Muse is going to play on this” and I was here like, “is he now?” which was pretty amazing as he is a pretty great drummer. Dom wasn’t able to do the whole record and so we were casting around for someone to do the rest of it, and Richard mentioned Ilan, and I was just like “I assume you’re not kidding and go for this.” It is a very strange thing, you know, the way we made the record. I still have not met anyone who played drums on this album because it was all made remotely. That whole process was very strange. In the run up to it I was quite worried about it. I’m used to making a record in a room full of people, and everyone talks about the “vibe” and the magic in the room and all that stuff. There is mileage to that but ultimately what surprised me was, whilst I was in Oxford, Richard was in Vermont of all places, and when we were doing drums Ilan was in Los Angeles. It was crazy. We were all three thousand miles apart from each other. But because of the nature of it, it was very, very focused as you couldn’t spend half the day mucking around, trying out weird guitars or showing each other funny cat videos you found on the internet, or whatever it might be. You had to just work. Even though it was slightly odd in many ways, the end result was a really, really focused working environment, which I was quite pleased with.

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1 FEB 2022 | 19

EDITORS: Harry Hawkins & Charlotte Bend

music

"Just love it and live it 25 hours a day" É: FTHC is a very transparent and honest record, with you tackling a lot of things like masculinity and mental health, with some really personal songs about anxiety and abandonment on tracks like “Haven’t Been Doing So well” and “Fatherless”. Do you think the pandemic made you more introspective and forthcoming in your music? FT: I think so to a degree. I think when I said this record would’ve been a smaller run down a similar road without the pandemic, it is the same for the lyrics too. In the past I have written very confessionally, very autobiographically, and I haven’t done that for a few records, quite consciously. I made a political pop record and then I did a history podcast album — I mean, what? — very proud of both of them, don’t get me wrong. But it was nice to come back to writing about my own stuff, and it is a different time in my life. I just turned 40, and that’s mostly rubbish, but as you get older one positive is that you get settled in yourself in a good way, and weirdly, being more secure means I was ready to talk about some stuff which I wasn’t previously ready to talk about before, things about my childhood and my dad. This is true of every record I’ve made in a way, but I couldn’t have made this record five years ago, in terms of the lyrics. I needed to be comfortable talking about these things, as much as the uncomfortable things.

that happened happened, and some were good and some were bad.” It is a waste of a life spending one eye over your shoulder. I never thought I would leave London, but for a whole host of different reasons I decided it was time to move, and what I want to do is look back at it with joy in my heart. There were some good times and there were some pretty fucking bad times as well, but I want to accept that, and accept where I am now. In regards to where I go from here, first things first, this is a record that is meant to be played live as far as I’m concerned. Obviously, we had to postpone the tour at the start of this year, and that really sucks, but at the end of the day we did it for what I think were the right reasons. I’ve never wanted to be part of making people sick or whatever, and we will get that back in the diary. So the first thing is I want to make sure we tour this record properly, and we will be back down with you guys in good time. After that, who knows? I might make a country record, I might make a drum and bass record, time will tell. É: Talking of live music, you supported one of Exeter’s very best venues: the Exeter Cavern. It is a fantastic venue with great club nights and live music. As such, do you have any interesting or exciting stories about the Exeter Cavern? Image: Chuffmedia

I MIGHT MAKE A COUNTRY RECORD, I MIGHT MAKE A D&B RECORD, TIME WILL TELL É: One of the tracks that has resonated with me the most personally is “Untainted Love”. It’s a really relatable portrait of addiction and pushing people away. Do you have any advice for those in the University community that are dealing similar issues? FT: The first thing I would say would be there are professionals in the world of mental health and that means something. I spent a long time thinking the only therapy I needed was with my record collection, and my record collection is still a necessary part of my therapy, but ultimately, old Canadian indie records aren’t talking back to you. Mental health professionals can do a lot of good and that took me a long time to learn. Specifically on the topic of addiction issues, the reason people get into substances is because they can be fun, and I’m not going to sit here and say they’re never fun, and I had a lot of fun at certain times. But there is a point where things change from recreational into medical and you really need to pay attention to that and be prepared to say “I’ve had enough today, I’ve had enough of it fullstop.” I’m at risk of sounding like an American Presidential First Lady, but it is possible and it is cool and it is self-assured to say no if you’re not into something. É: Obviously, the final leg of the record, particularly the closing track “Farewell to my city”, feels like you’re putting a wrap on this part of your life, especially living in London. It’s quite relatable as there are many third years leaving Exeter soon. Which raises the question: What is next for Frank Turner? FT: First of all, just to talk briefly about what you mentioned there, one of the things I feel I’m getting to grips with as time goes by is there are phases in your life and that’s okay. If you finish Uni like I did a thousand years ago, or if you move, or whatever it is that happens, it is very easy to lose your shit about those kind of changes, but there’s another way to think about those changes as saying “that was that time in my life, it was cool and I did my best, and the things

FT: I do! I have a story that will tell you everything you need to know about the Cavern. The first time I played at the Cavern was in 2002 with Million Dead, and we were just starting to play shows outside of London. We drove down to Exeter, which is a long way, and everyone still had work at the time. I think it was a Sunday night, it was a club night, and we got there, we were on at midnight. There were some forty people there, but you know when there are two halves to a room. Like everyone was dancing to the DJ, and then we came on and everyone moved to the bar, like no one cared at all. So, we basically played to no one, drove home overnight all the way back to London just in time to drop everyone off for work and take the van back. It was a pretty rough time, but Pippa and the whole crew at the Cavern looked after us and they were so kind, so welcoming and lovely. I’ve been back there so many times over the years, and they were some of the first tour circuit friends I made outside of London and they remain so now, 20 years later, which tells you something. It tells you good people run that place and they run it for the right reasons, and I love it. É: Having spent most of your adult life playing shows and making music, do you have any advice to stu-

dents at Exeter who have dreams of climbing onto the live music ladder? FT: Hopefully this will be obvious, but it is a huge undertaking, and if you are doing it for the right reasons that fact should be a source of joy. I think this was always true, but it is particularly true now in the social media world we live in that you can forge you own path and make your own luck to a huge degree. You don’t need to wait for a record label or a booking agent or any of those things. Get your social media presence going, find gigs, get to know the promoters, just start playing and playing. Be the harshest critic of your own music, every single song should be the best one. Push yourself and find out what you can do better. Just love it, and live it 25 hours a day.

BE THE HARSHEST CRITIC OF YOUR OWN MUSIC, EVERY SINGLE SONG SHOULD BE THE BEST ONE FTHC will Mile records

be released on Xtra on February 18th.

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EDITORS: Harry Hawkins and Charlotte Bend

music

1 FEB 2022 | 20

Out with the new, in with the old Harry Hawkins, Music Editor, explores the effects of the music industry's priority with the past

AVE you been enjoying more throwback music recently? I posit this question with no shame or judgement attached, but it may ring true when put in context with this next figure. In the last two years, 70 per cent of music listened to in the US has been older than 18 months (collectively termed as the Catalog). This means that new music accounts for only 30 per cent of music listened to in 2020/21. And this is on a downward trend (something previously never documented). Why are older tunes gaining speed, particularly when you consider the magnitude and quality of modern music?

WHY ARE OLDER TUNES GAINING SPEED, CONSIDERING THE MAGNITUDE AND QUALITY OF MODERN MUSIC Streaming may provide clues into this phenomenon. Yes, streaming is still at present one of the newest forms of music technology, but that doesn’t mean that all the music is new — and older music has already had its time to be cast into specific types and genres, making it easy to slot into playlists. Challenging and emerging music is eye-catching and interesting. But, by its very nature, this new music is hard to predict and thus risky — imagine signing early Pink Floyd, seeing them experiment wildly on some outlandish (occasionally unlistenable) work and still believing

that they could create landmark music. Modern artists are rarely plied with longterm support, so combine this with the negligible income from streaming (which is actually made worse with label backing, in many cases) for a recipe in which brilliant artists come and go like fireflies. The priority of the music industry can be found in many of the stories at the periphery of music publications: buying up major artist catalogues. Fleetwood Mac, Bowie, Taylor Swift and more have had their recording libraries sold, which is presumably seen as a hugely appreciating asset. Early adopters of the idea that music IP is a financial asset include the Hipgnosis Songs Fund which started obtaining rights in 2018, and the practice has spread like wildfire. With music from the past, songs have already been developed and reputation is already made. It might be expensive to buy royalties to a venerable artist’s songs, but no further work is required once you do so. Earlier in their musical “life-cycle”, artists like the Pixies and MCR have found a boon in reuniting (in the former band’s case, with far more commercial appeal than they started out with), and recent festivals slated for 2022 even toy with nostalgia in their title. The recently announced When We Were Young festival demonstrates the demand (and more importantly, spending power) of generations who are more than one decade behind the zeitgeist. But at what point is this truly a concern? I do feel that there is something rather nice in artists receiving retrospective success when they previously enjoyed none, and old music can teach us about recent history, down to the very emotions ex-

perienced at the time. However, my concern comes for the future of musicians. Creative methods with an excess of focus on the past blindside themselves to their present. It happens in paintings, literature, and in audio. Jazz and classical are similarly tethered to previous centuries. And I totally understand why composers are canonised, or that we track great works of fiction. But if we keep our eyes away from emerging artists, we cause them to exist in a world which isn’t even actively hostile to their attempts to make a living, but blind to their existence.

Image: Unsplash

OLD MUSIC CAN TEACH US ABOUT RECENT HISTORY You will not get the next ‘Sgt Peppers’ without a litany of investment, and the music industry has for a while just been giving not taking. It isn’t surprising that many important musical milestones map closely to incredible technological milestones made possible in part by music and entertainment (wax to magnetic tape to laser disk in 100 years is an incredible development). The fruits of the labour of millions of creatives who make art are exploited with no incentive to do anything other than sit on money or invest it into other sectors. It is clear that some kind of sea change needs to happen for modern music to not be at the behest of those whose motives are devoid of any passion for it flourish.

Future flops or soon-to-be bops

Oliver Leader De Saxe, Editor, discusses his most anticipated music records of the year Black Country, New Roads Ants From Up There

FTER delivering one of the most visceral, impactful and startlingly unique debut records the post-punk genre has ever seen, seven-piece experimental rock outfit Black Country, New Roads are seemingly channelling their best Arcade Fire impression on their next record. After dropping the bombastic ‘Chaos Space Marine’ late last year, the band have gone from strength to strength, with each subsequent track being a smorgasbord of brilliant ideas and melodies tied together with a beautifully unnerving vocal delivery. Far more pastoral in texture than their previous work, and with a greater emphasis on dynamic violins and brass over jazzy discordant passages, this project may be as divisive as it is daring, and I cannot wait to give it a spin.

Oliver Tree Cowboy Tears

Charli XCX Crash

HARLI XCX may have risen to fame as a hyperpop sensation, but with each release she proves to be one of the most dynamic gamechangers in recent pop history, crafting truly breathtaking songs that sound like no one else whilst ensnaring a host of equally daring collaborators. Her 2020 instant classic 'How I’m Feeling Now' is perhaps the best lockdown record ever produced, capturing the sheer, abrasive horror and beauty of those moments of total, unified isolation, without compromising the danceability and joy that a hit song should drench itself in. Given the calibre of her past work and most recent single, I for one will be rubber necking this Crash very intently indeed.

O artist has the same level of memetic power as auteur, alien boy and genre-fusion master Oliver Tree. From giant scooters to ludicrously expensive music videos, this is an artist that is so good at going viral that the WHO is currently monitoring him as we speak. 'Ugly is Beautiful' was a fantastic debut record, blending pop-punk, rap and rock music in such a captivatingly ungodly concoction that it slightly broke my heart when he announced his retirement following its release. That has now thankfully changed, and Cowboy Tears is shaping up to be the musical oddity we all hoped for, with the lead single having a real Britpop and country swagger to it. I have no clue what this record could end up being, but whatever it is, I’m sure it will turn some heads.

Image: (L to R): Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Rough Trade

screen

Teenage wasteland Following the release of Euphoria season two, Exeposé Screen Writers share their favourite television teen dramas

KINS takes a gritty look at adolescence, following three separate groups of Bristolian teenagers (with the cast being replaced every two seasons) as they tackle the agony of growing up and trying to find themselves. It’s almost hard to imagine how shocking and unique Skins was compared to other TV shows when it started back in 2007 — especially considering how desensitised we now are to the topics explored in Skins. The show follows young people as they juggle life, sex, college and relationships. Specifically, there’s wild parties, there’s drug use and there’s nudity. So it’s certainly no Songs of Praise. According to Tim Winter, Skins “makes light of lying to parents” as it shows young people recklessly engaging in, and gaining pleasure from, “all manner of harmful, irresponsible, illegal, and adult-themed behaviour,” and it makes “sexual objects of almost every single one of its characters.” Winter isn’t entirely wrong — it’s definitely not a particularly appropriate show for younger audiences when you look deeply into it. But did that stop any of us crushing on Cook, aspiring to be just like Effy, laughing at Sid’s constant incompetency or crying over Grace’s tragic accident? The beauty of Skins is that it’s emotional, it’s funny and it’s gripping. One of the things often said about it is that it’s heightened — an unrealistic portrayal of teenage life. As teenagers most of us probably didn’t experience half of the things depicted in Skins — but we might have experienced a handful of them, and that’s impactful in itself (take your pick out of recreational drug use, underage binge drinking, casual sex, teenage pregnancy, dysfunctional families, mental illnesses, eating disorders, love, death and heartbreak). There’s also a subtle but distinct difference between relating and understanding; say what you will about Skins’ realism and relatability, but I have no doubt that teenagers who watch it will understand it utterly, in all its glory.

SKINS

KAM (English: Shame) is a Norwegian television drama following the day-to-day lives and relationships of teenagers in Oslo. If you’re anything like me, and your teenage years weren’t nearly as dramatic and exciting as Skins made you think they would be, then maybe Skam is for you. Each season follows a different character and their struggles: Eva, Noora, Isak and Sana. Eva’s season deals with the themes of loneliness, identity, belonging and female friendship (a reoccurring theme throughout the show as we always return to our favourite girl gang). Noora’s season (my personal favourite) depicts a difficult relationship with bad boy William while exploring issues of sexual assault, child pornography and eating disorders. The show really gained international success with season three, which follows Isak on his coming out journey, depicting one of the most sensitive portrayals of bipolar disorder that I’ve seen onscreen with Isak’s boyfriend Even. This was also the season to gift us with Skam’s famous taglines: “Alt er love” and “Livet er nå” (English: “Everything is love” and “Life is now”). The final season follows Sana as she struggles to maintain her traditional Muslim lifestyle while fitting in with Norwegian culture and exploring her budding relationship with non-Muslim Yousef. While the themes explored in Skam may seem typical of any and all teen dramas (that doesn’t make them any less relatable, though), Skam was most notable for its innovative format. While airing, clips (and social media posts) would be published in real time throughout the week, before being edited together to create full episodes every Friday. If a character was having a crisis at 11:52 on a Tuesday, the clip would be posted at exactly 11:52 on a Tuesday. That meant we never knew when content was going to drop. It was actually quite stressful, looking back: waiting to see how quickly someone could translate the clip into your language and frantically refreshing shared Google Drive folders. It was absolute chaos, but that’s what made it so fun.

Bridie Adams, Editor

HEN it comes to teen drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is an undisputed classic. Revolving around Buffy Summers — girl turned destiny-appointed demon hunter — the 90s show was praised for its radical reinterpretation of horror tropes. Its heroine is no damsel in distress, but an action hero, with all the funny, emotional complexity and high-kick ability usually reserved for male characters. But underneath the wacky monsters and dodgy special effects, Buffy’s real focus is the ups and downs of teen life. True, most teenagers face smaller problems than stopping the latest apocalypse, but even Buffy’s most supernatural opponents are metaphors for adolescent life. Whether it’s alienation so devastating it causes bouts of invisibility, or two-faced vampires acting as a stand-in for first love gone wrong, Buffy doesn’t shy away from the loneliness, awkwardness and anxiety of adolescent life. As devastating as those metaphors could be — depictions of depression, illness and the fear of being used for sex lend the show moments of heart-breaking realism — the backdrop of Sunnydale High and its cast of quirky outsiders ensure Buffy is never short on light-hearted humour. Her college experience alone is a reminder when stumbling hungover to an 8:30 that Uni students could have bigger, demon-shaped problems. Even as the show grew with its characters — later stories becoming darker as Buffy and her friends faced the reality of the adult world — it never lost that essential Buffy charm. Buffy was never perfect; its storylines surrounding addiction, homophobia and sexual assault in particular are flawed. Recent allegations against Joss Whedon highlight problems behind-the-scenes, with the show runner’s abuse of power being one of its more toxic legacies. Nevertheless, as Buffy’s longevity proves, something about it understood what it’s like to be a teenager. Alongside grand narratives of tough choices and facing your destiny, it tells a story about growing up. That it does so through a comforting blend of comedy and demon attacks is just a plus.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER

Amy Rushton

SKAM

Francesca Sylph, Screen Editor

F course shows like 90210 and Gossip Girl are classics, giving us all the glamourous drama of teenagers with too much money and questionable morals. But my favourite teen drama has to be The Fosters. It is about a couple called Steph and Lena who are doing their best to raise their one biological son and the four foster children they have adopted. Like all teen dramas, this show is full of intense and unlikely situations; the cliff-hangers have you binge-watching all five seasons in a week. The show deals with lots of social issues like race, immigration, transgender and gay identity, foster care and the injustice of the judicial system in America. But what makes you come back to watch it and feel nostalgia for your teenage years is the feeling of family. Alongside the social commentary, the characters are all dealing with normal teenage issues like first boyfriends and girlfriends, dyeing your hair so you can follow trends and fit in, and the frustration of living with siblings who won’t get out of your room and keep using your stuff. Despite the unconventional family dynamic, the importance of home is the most key and relatable part of the series. Watching it again, it is interesting to notice how much of the story is told from the perspective of the mums, seeing how differently they perceive their children’s problems and understanding why our own parents were so over-protective and annoying to us as teenagers. There have been three seasons of a spin-off series called Good Trouble, following the two daughters Callie and Mariana as they navigate adult life. Having grown up watching The Fosters, it brings a sense of comfort to watch them come into the adult world making mistakes at the same time that we are. When their family do cameos, it gives a feeling of security and reminds me that although I’m meant to be an adult, it’s okay to call my parents for help every once in a while.

THE FOSTERS

Maddie Luke Top images (L-R): Skins, Company Pictures. Skam, NRK. Bottom images (L-R): Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 20th Century Fox Television. The Fosters, ProdCo Original.

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screen

1 FEB 2022

EDITORS: Archie Lockyer and Francesca Sylph

Paul Thomas Anderson spotlight Exeposé Writers discuss their favourite film by the six-time Oscar nominee

Phantom Thread

VERY watch of Phantom Thread feels as magical as the first. The idea was born when Anderson realised that his wife looked at him most lovingly when he was sick and helpless. If there’s such thing as a cheesy love story, then this is a chalky one. Despite the refined and potentially alienating world of a distinguished fashion house, the film retains a humanity and empathy, as well as a great sense of humour. PTA’s skill for crafting unique characters is highlighted by the film’s limited cast (including Daniel Day Lewis’s triumphant final role before his retirement), and the pacing is perfect. I love Phantom Thread because it’s quiet, bizarre (what kind of name even is Reynolds Woodcock anyway?), sexy and horrifying — it’s an absolute treat. The cinematography is gorgeous (the shots of the car speeding through the little village are a personal favourite) and the New Years ballroom scene is one of the most exquisite things I’ve ever seen. Without sounding like I’m coughing up a thesaurus, it’s the kind of film that no written review really does justice. Also worth noting is Johnny Greenwood, longtime PTA collaborator, who provides a particularly beautiful soundtrack to this utterly intoxicating film.

There Will Be Blood

AUL Thomas Anderson’s (PTA) grimy thrilling There Will Be Blood oozes intrigue nearly as much as the black oil that is the obsession of the protagonist, Daniel Plainview. Paul Thomas Anderson creates a modern American epic that characterises the roots of capitalism and American civilisation through Plainview, portraying it as what it truly is, bloody and inhuman. Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Thomas Anderson are a match made in heaven; their ability to communicate this cold, brutally commercial force on screen produced one of the best performances of the 2010’s, if not in cinematic history. As well as Daniel Day Lewis, Paul Thomas Anderson also made another vital collaboration in There Will Be Blood with Jonny Greenwood’s piercing score. Whether it’s the dank church Paul Dano’s Eli Sunday preaches to Plainview in or the titanic oil spill that causes the sky to fill with flames, Greenwood’s score fills and infects every scene. Archie Lockyer, Screen Editor

Cleo Garrett, Satire Editor

Magnolia

AUL Thomas Anderson is arguably my favourite director and I love his entire body of work. But Magnolia, his 1999 three hour long ensemble epic which features quiz kids, police officers, fathers and their tumultuous relationships with their children, is arguably my favourite. I even have a Magnolia tattoo. In the film, the character Claudia, a woman broken by her toxic relationship with her father, has a painting with a quotation, “but it did happen”, collaged in the bottom corner. PTA chooses to zoom onto this incredibly small print of text, but it is a quote that perfectly encapsulates the absurdities of this one day in California and the colourful cast of characters we meet in the film. The film has an excellent star-studded cast including William H. Macy, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and the bonkers but wonderful performance of Tom Cruise, who plays a pick up artist. It is about their intertwining lives whilst dealing with the overwhelming emotions of love, loss and death alongside difficult general knowledge questions of a kids quiz show. It’s eccentric in its absurdities, from its Fiona Apple musical number and a downpour of frogs from the heavens. But PTA brings to life a beautiful entourage of characters that don’t hide away from their faults and flaws or their chance encounters with one another. Anderson just allows the tangents of the film to take their course. Ella Buckley

Images: (left, right, below): IMBD

The Hidden Gems of 2021 T

Archie Lockyer, Screen Editor, highlights his lesser known favourites of last year

HROUGHOUT 2021, there were a number of films that seemingly went under the radar for many moviegoers, whether it’s due to a limited release, a small budget or just studio incompetence. I felt that these films deserved the attention of readers. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: When you read the name Louis Wain, there’s probably one thought that springs to mind: ‘Who’s that?’ Yet, this psychedelic directional debut by Will Sharpe highlights a fascinating artist whose sensationally surreal pictures of andromorphic cats became hugely popular during the late 1800’s. Benedict Cumberbatch is certainly having a great year, with The Power of the Dog being lauded as his finest performance to date. I disagree. His portrayal of Louis Wain is at once tragic, funny and strangely beautiful, mirroring the real-life artist to a T. Among the supporting cast, it’s a who’s who of British treasures, with Claire Foy putting in a heart-renching performance of the endlessly charming Miss Richardson, Olivia Coleman as the comedic narrator, and minor roles from Richard Ayoade, Adeel Akhtar and Asim Chaudhry as well as Taika Waititi. Technically, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain excels. The cinematography by Erik Wilson pays homage to Wain’s work with many shots looking as though they are a painting in themselves

as well as matching the frantic and often confused nature of Wain, particularly in the fantastic New York s e q u e n ce.

things small, focusing on a chef’s trials during an evening in his highly reputable restaurant. Think the Safdie

I would whole-heartedly recommend The Electrical Life of Louis Wain for its heart-rending recollection of an artist that may have faded from public memory. Boiling Point: This exhilarating thriller keeps

Brother’s Good Time mixed with Hell’s Kitchen. Stephan Graham once again highlights how he is a dramatic tour-deforce with his portrayal of the foul-mouthed, stressed-out head chef. Yet, there is a strange

pity that the audience feels for him as he deals with issues in the kitchen, tensions among staff, personal problems as well as keeping up all health regulations at all times. We know from the offset, that there is a tower of spinning plates, yet Boiling Point is able to keep us on edge throughout. The choice to make Boiling Point appear as though it is one take, allows for the film to grab the audience and never let go. Making us cover our eyes as the seemingly inevitable car crash of differing personalities collide. Annette: Now I acknowledge that Annette won’t be for everyone. I’ve had several discussions with friends about this film and the adjective “pretentious’was thrown about quite a lot. Yet, there is something that I find so deeply poetic and intriguing about this bizarre rock-opera, telling the story of an opera-singer and comedian relationship and the raising of their child. Directed by Leo Carax and written by Sparks brothers Ron and Russell Mael, Annette combines the duo’s sense of wit with Carax’s ability to successfully tell this ludicrous and often unhinged narrative. Adam Driver’s performance of an even darker Bo Burnham is something to see alone. Although Driver’s singing leaves much to be desired, the music has such heart in its critique of Hollywood and media in America that I would at least recommend giving it a chance.

TECH

Comments: the good, the bad and the toxic T

Clémence Smith, Online Arts + Lit Editor, explains the implications of toxic comments online

HE internet connects us with more people than we will ever encounter in real life. Although this has revolutionised the way we interact with our loved ones (par ticularly during the pandemic), it has also changed the way we perceive strangers. There is no unanimous social etiquette among internet users; the lack of communication barriers is a double-edged sword, as good-natured and malicious individuals are on a level playing field. Comments sections, in which users are seemingly free to express themselves, epitomise much of the internet’s toxicity. Does hiding behind a username mean that anything goes? Words always have consequences, whether spoken or typed. Internet trolls swarm their victims’ comments sections, hurling insults regardless of context. For some, it seems, all publicity is good publicity: Jake Paul, when referring to his haters, states that “either way they are gonna tune in and watch me fight, and it translates to pay-per-view buys.” Victims of online abuse, however, cannot brush away the problem like Jake Paul does. As hatred picks up momentum and becomes a trend, mob mentality ensues, mak-

ing each humiliation worse than the last. The internet highlights the instability of public opinion as, from one moment to another, a revered celebrity becomes the target of vicious cyberbullying. Lizzo explained her experience of racism and body-shaming, saying that “when we don’t fit into the box that you want to put us in, you just unleash hatred onto us.” Behind the comfort of a screen, the world seems to be your oyster; unfortunately, anonymity separates action from Ima consequence. It ge: Vaa din is not, however, Icon s entirely negative: paradoxically, anonymity also protects individuals from the hatred it enables. Victims of real world abuse, for example, can find solace in sharing their experiences without jeopardising their safety. The content of a comments section varies greatly depending on the website. Platforms such as Facebook, which has more than 2.6 billion monthly users, are bound to see sparks fly when contrasting opinions clash. Facebook comments sections, one could argue, only superficially enable discussion. Face-to-face debates allow for both parties to interject at any time during the conversation; commenters, however, may easily ignore the opposi-

@%*&!!!

...

tion by logging off. An easier escape, mind you, doesn’t lessen the weight of another’s words. Frequently reading negative comments can have very real consequences, ranging from body dysmorphia to depression. But if the negatives outweigh the positives, then why have comments sections at all? It is not unusual to see a closed comments section under a controversial YouTube video. But is removing comments the right way forward? In November 2021, YouTube made the dislike count private, explaining in a blog post that it “experimented with the dislike button to see whether or not changes could help better protect our creators from harassment, and reduce dislike attacks — where people work to drive up the number of dislikes on a creator’s videos.” This decision, however, was met with backlash, as some claimed that the dislike ratio was an important aspect of judging the credibility of certain videos. Vice, a popular news website, fully removed its comments section in 2016: “too often,” claimed the then editor-in-chief Jonathan Smith, “they devolve into racist, misogynistic maelstroms where the loudest, most offensive, and stupidest opinions get pushed to the top and the more reasoned responses get drowned out in the noise.” I am not convinced, however, that eliminating spaces for feedback is the best thing to do. Prohibiting debate will merely divert it towards a different platform for it to grow and potentially worsen. To target the problem on a more personal level, YouTube introduced a feature that asks users, “Is this something you really want to share?” before they post something that might be offensive. This digital version of ‘turn your tongue sev-

en times before speaking’ is easy to bypass: the message might deter some, but I doubt that a small pop-up message will make internet bullies reconsider their life choices. Instead of trying to sway individuals’ opinions, social media companies have turned to AI to restrict offensive posts. Algorithms flag up content that might be offensive, subsequently hiding it from other people’s view. While some websites such as Instagram have automatic comment filters, others such as TikTok let users select which keywords to block from their comments section. On paper, this seems like the perfect way of tackling floods of comments and separating the wheat from the chaff. The problem, however, is that machines do not account for the subtleties of everyday language. The New York Times, for example, has dedicated employees who sort through flagged comments: this avoids misinterpretation and, although painstaking, creates a fair environment for readers without restricting any incoming criticism (or so they claim). Unless these AI systems magically learn to interpret individuals’ linguistical intentions, they will never be able to operate autonomously. There seems to be no immediate fix for toxic comments sections, despite AI’s attempt to keep up with social media. The best we can do, in the meantime, is to be mindful of our social media consumption. The internet can be an overwhelming place; there is no shame in logging off or speaking out about online abuse. Your mind will undoubtedly feel a lot clearer once you step away from neverending Reddit debates; besides, they will still be there if you wish to go back to them.

Everything wrong with ELE I

Oliver Leader de Saxe, Editor, shares his experiences with the University’s IT systems

F I asked you how you would define the University of Exeter, I wonder how you would respond. Could it be a rant about the agony of Cardiac Hill? A love letter to the bottle-strewn floor of Fever maybe? Perhaps a tirade about how the University really needs to stop investing in biscuits above wellbeing? Fair and valid answers one and all. But if you wanted an answer that could unify a room, reunite the peoples of the world under one banner and maybe even bring about world peace, it would be this: Exeter is defined by one of the most fundamentally flawed IT systems to have graced God’s grey world. I’ll start with the user interface (UI). Despite the Windows 8 nightmare vibes and a bit of expected jank, the distinct iconography and clear blue-and-white colour scheme of iExeter don’t make me want to eat bees. This being said, the constantly flipping tabs pop every blood vessel in my eyes. The faults come more from function than anything else. The attendance block,

once a staple of panicky first year seminars, now sits there untouched, gathering dust as I realise checking in is about as useful as a milkshake made of compost and snake oil. Combined with a mobile app that can be described at best as functional, it creates a system where adding your timetable to your phone is far easier than navigating iExeter.

ADDING YOUR TIMETABLE TO YOUR PHONE IS FAR EASIER But in reality, iExeter is barean appetizer for my frustrations. Sure, I could rail on about the often confusingly muddled if simultaneously expansive Encore library system with which I’ve developed a passionate hate-love relationship over the last three years. Yes, the email ticketing system for any of the College hubs is a painful reminder of the barriers that still ly

exist in human communication. But in reality, nothing is worse than the three-letter main meal that is ELE, a dish that is equal parts tasteless and horribly undercooked. ELE is a mess. Not the fun kind of mess that drunkenly encourages you to dance to ABBA on the sofa at two in the morning. No, ELE is a mess in the slobby and confusing sense, a confusing set of menus, options and tabs that all feel wildly unpleasant to use. The forum system is equally infuriating, and can easily see your emails bombed by feedback, comments and messages, leaving anything useful, or anything you need, hidden beneath the rubble of your inbox. Add two-factor authentication that happens to interrupt you at the most essayfrantic moment imaginable, and you’re left with the sort of blogosphere web design that feels like it should be in the prototype stage. So what can be done to CTRL+X these issues? Tighter UI designed for easy navigation and presentation as opposed to being

functional would be a great start, and ironing out bugs and kinks in the system would lead to smoother experiences for everyone. But more than that, what IT systems need to be is streamlined. Although a hyper technical, flexible system may be great for designers, bright colours and ease-of-access seal the deal for techno-novices. From ELE, to BART, to Encore, the University’s systems should all be built with accessibility in mind, with consideration of everyone from those with disabilities, to those who are not computer-orientated. I know I’m writing from a position of privilege and that these are the smallest of gripes compared to the nightmare fuel of the wider world. But University life is frustrating and difficult enough as it is already. Quite simply, what students don’t need is obtuse and confusing webpages rubbing salt in those wounds.

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| TECH

1 feb 2022 | 25

EDITOR: Bridie Adams

Best kitchen appliances Ana Anajuba, Arts + Lit Editor, lists the best affordable cooking gadgets suitable for students

OR me, the best part of going home for the winter holidays was undoubtedly the sheer number of smoothies and sorbets I could make with my blender, along with the simplicity of using my rice cooker. I enjoyed the pleasures of being surrounded by family and the lack of 8:30AM lectures; but I also appreciated the ability to make a wide range of foods, snacks, and treats. With the money I saved as a university student working over the holidays — i.e., not much — I decided to find the best rated cheap kitchen appliances I could treat myself to. Everyone knows that a student’s diet consists mostly of boiled pasta and ramen noodles. Nonetheless, if you want to swap out the heavy carbs for a healthier option, then a spiraliser is for you. There are many cheap versions found on eBay, Amazon and Argos but my personal favourite is a sevenin-one stainless steel Zoodle Maker which is currently retailing for £11.89.

FIND THE BEST RATED CHEAP KITCHEN APPLIANCES Since I became a vegan when I was younger, I have been obsessed with

'nice' cream. But if the £400.00 plus price tag of a Vitamix Blender makes you break out in hives, then look no further than the Cookworks 1.5 Litre Jug Blender on sale for £12.00 at Argos. For bakers and pastry chefs there is the Cookworks Hand Blender and Cookworks Electric Hand Mixer, retailing for £9.99 and £9.00 respectively. Cookworks’ cheap and well rated products speak for themselves with hundreds of five-star reviews from satisfied customers on the Argos website. Finally, there is the Russell Hobbs Go Create White Mini Food Chopper for £14.00. If you’re a lazy person like me who hates mess and clean up, as well as being semi-lethal with sharp objects, you will appreciate this device. With the three-year warranty, you can also be assured that it lasts for the length of your university degree, or at least for most of it. It can be found on Argos or ordered online with quick, and free or cheap delivery. You do not need any fancy devices like these to make a meal, but the variety they provide can mean a healthier diet. Ensure you shop around before making any unnecessary purchases — there is nothing worse than an unused kitchen appliance. Images: Pixabay

The power of short form content I

Sarah Decory discusses how short form video pushes traditional media boundaries

N the age of social media and fleeting attention spans, short form content is everywhere. Whether it be through Tweets capped at 280 characters, TikTok videos limited to three minutes, or Instagram Stories restricted to 15 seconds, short form content is a clear trend observed on the internet. According to Wochit, the average Facebook user will only spend 18 seconds watching a video. And this is partly why the content on social media has changed so much: to cater to this change in content consumption. Additionally, whether it is through notifications on our phone, ringtones, alerts or colourful and attention-grabbing posts, we are constantly stimulated, which means that it can be quite hard to stay focused on one thing, particularly if one grew up with smartphones. Ultimately, the recent short attention spans observed in people combined with the increase

of global screentime is a vicious circle; social media accounts will adapt their content for hasty populations, which ultimately implicitly encourages people to have shorter attention spans because everything they are consuming is fast paced. The shorter the video, the more likely it is to grab the user’s attention for the whole duration of it, as a long time commitment is not necessary. This phenomenon is also undeniably beneficial to companies, as production times and costs are largely reduced. This often encourages the production of a higher number of posts, creating more engagement within digital communities. It gives firms the freedom of a less formalaic structure, giving publishers the opportunity to experiment with different styles and concepts and offering their audiences variety while still delivering the information and entertainment they want. Short form

videos (particularly ones under one minute) have proven to be the most effective in terms of digital marketing strategies, reaching the biggest audience and having the most consequent overall impact. In addition, engagement on social media posts is crucial for any account (particularly for businesses) and so the share button is an extremely valuable tool. A study showed that videos that are between 30 seconds and one minute long are the most shared on Facebook, again evidencing an advantage of short form content. Considering companies have every incentive to encourage the distribution and production of shorter videos, this explains their raging popularity. Social media is a great business opportunity for the advertising industry as, on top of revolutionizing our content, social media has transformed our ad consumption. With social media comes the possibility to

softly influence audiences through people they trust and could almost consider part of their close circle. This close relationship between creator and consumer is golden for the advertising industry. This brings us back to the increasing popularity of short form videos produced by influencers, whether these are ads or not. Both seemingly unfiltered Instagram Stories and more edited Reels have a ‘home-made’ feel, which further reinforces this illusion of a close bond. Scrolling through an influencer’s social media is like a daily conversation with a friend, as we can catch up on what they have been up to with their lives through the short form videos they post. Aside from social media influencers, other companies such as the fast-food chain Wendy’s in the US, use a similar method of personalisation, which draws people in through humour. On Twitter, Wendy’s post memes, share funny videos, and even ‘roast’ their followers (or other brands). Usually, this content involves engagement with the brand’s mascot, a red-haired little girl, who engages with the community. These methods are ultimately very clever strategies, that seem to work extremely well in our society.

Images: Pixabay

study break

1 FEB 2022

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STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

Across 1 7 8 9

Down

10 11 13 14 15 17 19 21

Ounce - no slow padre (anagram) (4,7) Song for two (4) Group of troops in a fortress (8) Asp mp (anagram) - South American plains (6) Picture house (6) Betting chances (4) Foolish person (informal) (3) One and the other (4) Curly-coated dog (6) Antenna (6) Make movable (8) Graceful aquatic bird (4)

Promising beginning (6,5)

1 2 3 4 5 6 10 12 14 16 18 20

Steam bath (5) Eight-armed mollusc (7) Make laws - elite lags (anagram) (9) Paddle (3) Strange - extraterrastrial (5) A submissive person - to dorm (anagram) (7) (Spanish) percussion instrument (9) Fall asleep (4,3) Coffee maker (7) Yellow-disced flower (5) Expect (5) Local - pub - bar (3)

Trivia corner

1. When Michael Jordan played for the Chicago Bulls, how many NBA Championships did he win? 2. What year was the very first model of the iPhone released? 3. How many films did Sean Connery play James Bond in? 4. Which show is the highest-grossing production on Broadway ever?

Down: 1 Sauna, 2 Octopus, 3 Legislate, 4 Oar, 5 Alien, 6 Doormat, 10 Castanets, 12 Drop off, 14 Barista, 16 Daisy, 18 Await, 20 Inn. Across: 1 Snow leopard, 7 Duet, 8 Garrison, 9 Pampas, 10 Cinema, 11 Odds, 13 Ass, 14 Both, 15 Poodle, 17 Aerial, 19 Mobilise, 21 Swan, 22 Flying start. Trivia: 1. Six 2. 2007 3. Seven 4. The Lion King 5. Uruguay 6. 10,000

ANSWERS

5. What country won the very first FIFA World Cup in 1930? 6. About how many taste buds does the average human tongue have?

LIFESTYLE

MUSIC

TECH

STUDY BREAK

ARTS + LIT

SCREEN

Science

1 FEB 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

SCIENCE EDITORS:

Ellen Rogers and Nancy Stitt

Astronomers may have found the first exomoon

Katie Jones discusses the potential discovery of the first moon beyond our Solar System

CANDIDATE to be the first confirmed exomoon has been identified by astronomers at Columbia University. This new possible moon orbits a Jupiterlike planet called Kepler-1708b over 5000 light years away. If confirmed it would be the first verified moon to exist outside of our Solar system.

There is a one per cent chance that this reading is a false-positive Exomoons are particularly difficult for scientists to identify because they are, simply put, small. Exoplanets are identified by looking at stars and

measuring regular intervals of light reduction. This reduction indicates a planet is orbiting the star. To find an exomoon, the team reviewed data collected by the Kepler space telescope of Jupiter-like planets with long orbital periods. They then went through the data of the 70 identified planets with a fine-tooth comb looking for signs of moons, and on Kepler-1708b they found them. There was an additional small dip in light from the star that could only be explained by the existence of an exomoon orbiting the planet. After trying to determine an alternative cause of their findings, the researchers estimate there is around a one per cent chance that the reading is a false-positive. “We couldn’t kill this moon,” said David Kipping,

Astronomy Professor at Columbia.

The exomoon, Kepler-1708 b-i, is only slightly smaller than Neptune The exomoon, named Kepler-1708 b-i, is the second possible moon candidate to be found. The first (Kepler-1625 b-i) was identified in October 2018, but there remain queries after further research. One unusual thing about both of these possible exomoons is their size — they’re big. Really big. Kepler-1708 b-i is only slightly smaller than Neptune. However, this is not unexpected according to Kipping. He explains that only the

Kepler space telescope would be able to identify these mega moons, as even in this case, the signal is very small. Exomoon discoveries are a very exciting prospect for scientists as they can help us gain a greater understanding of planetary formation. They are also useful in the hunt for life. As moons can vary in size greatly, it is likely there are many Earth-sized rocky moons orbiting Jupiter-sized gas giants in the habitable zone of a star. This means some exomoons could have liquid water on their surface. Unfortunately, Kepler-1708 b-i does not meet these conditions, but the new possible exomoon does give scientists the opportunity to learn more about exomoons (and how to spot them) for the next one, which may hold life.

Image: Pixabay

The effects of wildfires on human health

Bridie Adams, Editor, discusses the different ways catastrophic fires can impact our health

ILDFIRES can affect the health of humans both directly and indirectly. Inhaling dense smoke can have a direct effect, causing coughing, nausea, tiredness and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. In an indirect sense, the impact of wildfires are also a worry when it comes to the mental stability of those affected, as evacuations can be distressing. However, the most considerable health threat from smoke is from

its fine particles. Breathing in these tiny fine particles can cause a variety of health effects, when they pierce deep down into the lungs, which can range from breathing difficulties, burning eyes, a runny nose and respiratory tract irritation to more urgent disorders — including bronchitis, aggravated long-standing heart diseases and worsening of asthma. Wildfire smog in the air can make anybody, even someone who is in good physical condition, feel unwell.

However, young children, pregnant women, responders and individuals with asthma, COPD or heart disease are most at risk. Vulnerability to contamination from wildfires has even been connected to premature death.

The most considerable threat from wildfire smoke is from its fine particles

Wildfires occasionally happen naturally, due to volcanos, meteors, coal seam fires and lightning (which frequently occurs alongside powerful air currents from thunderstorms, quickly turning organic matter into a blaze). But most wildfires are due to the carelessness of human beings. This can include campfires, which are commonly left without being properly extinguished, leading them to increase in size until they are uncontrollable. Humans should ensure they

dispose of cigarettes responsibly, and be careful when burning any kind of waste, as residue can be swept away by the breeze and lead to wildfires. Premier Integrative Medicine suggests several detoxification solutions after inhaling wildfire smoke, which include consuming plenty of warm drinks, making use of a saline nasal spray, inhaling water vapour with thyme and filling up your meals with ginger.

The first pig-to-human heart transplant

Ana Anajuba, Arts+Lit Editor, discusses the transplantation of a genetically modified pig heart into a human patient

FTER the recent success of transplanting a pig’s kidney into a comatose patient in October last year, there has been another successful animal-to-human organ transplant in the form of a pig heart. Doctors at the University of Maryland Medicine conducted this

surgery, which was the first of its kind. The process, known as xenotransplantation, involved implanting a genetically modified pig heart into a 57-year-old patient with terminal heart disease. The patient, a resident of Maryland, has been carefully observed by doctors to determine the level of success of the procedure. The United States Food and Drug Administration granted authorisation due to its compassionate use provision as the patient had been considered ineligible for a human-to-human heart transplant and the use of an artificial heart pump due to his arrhythmia. Although pig heart valves have been used

for many years, xenotransplantation has largely been discarded after the unsuccessful transplant of a baboon heart into an infant at the Loma Linda University in California.

This groundbreaking procedure gives hope to hundreds of thousands of patients Muhammad M Mohiuddin, Professor of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and known as one of the world’s leading experts in xenotransplantation, said “This is the culmination of years of

highly complicated research to hone this technique in animals with survival times that have reached beyond nine months. The FDA used our data and data on the experimental pig to authorize the transplant in an endstage heart disease patient who had no other treatment options. The successful procedure provided valuable information to help the medical community improve this potentially lifesaving method in future patients.” This ground-breaking procedure gives hope to the hundreds of thousand of patients currently waiting for organ donations around the world. Whilst it has its own set of risks, like causing a dangerous immune response which could result

in death, it does increase the possibility of saving many lives each year. However, like the previous pig kidney transplant, there have been some objections. Some religions like Judaism and Islam have moral and ethical issues with the use of pig organs. In addition, the general public may have fears about this science fiction-like procedure which echoes Malorie Blackman’s Pig Heart Boy. Nevertheless, the benefits do seem to outweigh any opposition. If it can save the lives of thousand of people, is it not worth trying? As to the extent of its success, we will have to wait and see. Image: Nick Saltmarsh, Flickr

EXEPOSÉ | 1 FEB 2022

SCIENCE

The future of nanotech in our (left and right) hands Ellen Rogers, Science Editor, discusses the potential applications of the newest ‘supermolecule’

MULTINATIONAL research team led by Professors Chenguang Lou of the University of Southern Denmark and Hanbin Mao of Kent State University, USA, have recently created the first ‘supermolecule.’ This could potentially revolutionise nanotechnology and help develop therapies against Alzheimer’s disease. This breakthrough is the result of interdisciplinary research, with the team including experts in chemistry, biophysics and biochemistry. This supermolecule is a hybrid of DNA and peptides, two biomolecules that are essential for life and that can be used in nanotechnology. DNA is well known as the molecule that contains our genetic material and peptides, which provide structures that can be used to create artificial proteins and nanostructures. However, they rarely interact naturally, as they have different chiralities. Professor Mao, describing chirality, said: “imagine you want to stack your two hands by matching each finger while both palms face the same direction. You will find out it is impossible to do it. You can only do this if you can trick your two hands into having the same chirality”. Nature is naturally chiral as the ‘chiral world’

requires the lowest energy to maintain — and therefore is the most stable. In terms of this chirality, DNA is right-handed, whilst peptides are left-handed, thus combining these molecules together is difficult, as they naturally repel eachother. However, the team has managed to change the chirality of peptides, allowing them to bond DNA and peptides together to create a new artificial molecule. This is the first study to show that the chirality of DNA and peptides can interact when their chirality, or ‘handedness’ is changed.

By manipulating the chirality of peptides and changing their shape, the team believes that they could replace their traditional amino acid skeletons with nucleic acids that make up DNA, effectively producing proteins that are more robust to ultraviolet light, heat and chemical reagents. These engineered proteins

could help researchers determine how to produce artificial enzymes equally as efficient as natural ones for use in industrial processes and could even be used to develop new medicines. In particular, the researchers are interested in the supermolecule’s potential applications in treating Alzheimer’s disease, in which mal-

functioning peptides cause amyloid plaque formation and neurodegeneration. The researchers also hope that this technology will lead to major advancements in nanotechnology and facilitate the development of other hybrid and complex nanostructures and even some that can detect, or treat, various diseases.

The team has managed to change the chirality of peptides The resulting supermolecule is composed of a three-stranded DNA structure with three oligonucleotides wound around eachother in a three-stranded peptide structure, which is very difficult to imagine! When the oligosaccharides (carbohydrates formed when three to six sugar molecules link together) bind to the DNA helix, it facilitates the self-assembly of a peptide coiledcoil, producing a stable structure.

Image: : Unsplash

Lying in wait

Image (all): : Shutterstock

Daisy Scott, Online Science Editor, discusses new evidence that the Epstein-Barr virus can cause Multiple Sclerosis

T has long been suspected that the common EpsteinBarr virus can trigger multiple sclerosis (MS), with the findings of a recent study of US military personnel suggesting that almost all cases of this devastating disease are ultimately triggered by the virus. Multiple Sclerosis is a condition that affects the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). It is the result of damage to the myelin that makes up the coating of nerve cells. The myelin sheath is crucial for the efficient transmission of signals up and down the nerves and insulates these electrical signals as they travel through our bodies. In the case of MS, the immune system, which normally helps to fight off infections by foreign microorganisms, mistakenly attacks the body’s myelin. The disease is characterised by inf lammation and

lesion formation and can cause a range of symptoms including problems with vision and arm and leg movement. MS is most commonly diagnosed in people in their 20s and 30s and its two to three times more common in women than men. In the UK, currently more than 130,000 people have MS, a life-long condition with no cure currently available. The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV ) which is also known as human herpesvirus 4 (HHV-4), is a common member of the herpes virus family which mainly spreads via saliva. Most people are unknowingly infected with the virus at some point in their life. Many people become infected with the virus as a child but, as it does not usually cause symptoms in children, only realise that they have been infected when they develop a related disease or are blood-tested later in life. Once the virus has invaded our bodies, it can remain latent in the body in the B-cells (a key component of the innate immune system), for decades. In some cases, the virus can reactivate much later in life and cause diseases such as hepatitis and IBS. It is estimated that up to 95 per cent of all adults have been ex-

posed to EBV during their lifetime.

It is estimated that up to 95 per cent of adults have been exposed to EBV during their lifetime A recent study by Alberto Ascherio, a professor in epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, compiled data from more than ten million US military personnel over 20 years. The US military was selected for this study as they regularly have blood taken and stored, which can then be tested for EBV infections. The researchers observed a 32-fold increase in MS incidence after infection with EBV. The study found that only five per cent of recruits were uninfected with EBV when their first sample was taken. Of the ten million personnel monitored, 995 developed MS, typically ten years after their first sample was collected and only one of those who developed MS tested negative for antibodies against EBV. The findings provide new and compel-

ling evidence that EBV may be what triggers the immune system that leads to MS. The hope is, that from the findings in the new report, scientists will be able to help advance both the prevention and treatment of MS. Although there is currently no way to effectively prevent or treat EBV infection, Ascherio has stated “an EBV vaccine or targeting the virus with EBV-specific antiviral drugs could ultimately prevent or cure MS”.

EBV-specific antiviral drugs could ultimately prevent or cure Multiple Sclerosis Since the release of this study in Science on 13 January, Moderna announced that it had begun testing a candidate for an mRNA vaccine in people. This mRNA vaccine introduces a piece of mRNA that corresponds to a protein on the virus. Once taken up, the cell can then produce and express these proteins. The immune system recognises these foreign proteins as foreign bodies and marks them for destruction, effectively immunising individuals against EBV, and ultimately, the diseases it can trigger in its hosts later in their lives.

1 FEB 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

SPORT

The Premier League's calendar cancellations

Stanley Murphy-Johns criticises the top tier's handling of game cancellations

T is a strange and completely pointless tradition that every year, Premier League managers will complain about the Christmas schedule, so every year we hear interviews bemoaning the ‘tough run up to Christmas’, and the fact that this sort of thing ‘doesn’t happen in any other league’. It is also tradition that every year these complaints fall on deaf ears, as the British public and punditry alike dismiss the complaints as nonsense, explaining that this is what makes English football so brilliant. However, what if the managers had a mechanism in place where they could actually make life easier on their players during the Christmas break, what if a set of regulations had been put in place which had more contradictions in it than Boris Johnson in PMQs, what if we had exactly that? Well, to spell it out for those of you who are still amused by my mention of Boris Johnson, we do have exactly that. The Premier League’s regulations for cancellation of matches due to COVID-19 is a strange document which seems to have been (at least in part) abused over this Christmas period. As of Sunday 23 January, a total of 23 Premier League matches have been cancelled due to ‘Covid’, in the entire of last season (which was played whilst Covid cases were at their highest in this country in January 2021) only six matches were postponed. This discrepancy clearly indicates that the regulations or the restrictions on clubs are not working as they should be. Due to the current regulations, is it possible that instead of Covid, matches are being cancelled to protect the Premier League

as a product, and at the discrepancy of clubs? If this is the case then it is vital that the regulations are changed or re-written in order to ensure fairness rather than a case by case basis. This article will delve into the cancellations made thus far, and attempt to suggest some counter measures for the future. In order to tackle such a question, we should first look at the problem which in this case is the regulations themselves. The first of which reads as follows: ‘The impact of COVID-19 infections on a club's squad, as well as injuries, illness and those isolating, and the number of players available on the squad list and any Under-21 players with appropriate experience. Where a club cannot field 13 outfield players and a goalkeeper either from its squad list or its appropriately experienced Under-21 players, the match will be postponed.’ At first glance this seems fairly watertight, and in all fairness, this is perhaps the regulation which is closest to being appropriate. I think a problem is caused by just one choice phrase: ‘Appropriate experience’. This is the phrase which allows big clubs with huge squads to still cancel matches, it would be almost impossible that with squad sizes of over 50 players that they couldn’t field a team of 13 outfield players and a keeper and yet all of the ‘Big Six’ have had matches postponed this season. This piece of wording is almost certainly used in order to protect the Premier League as a product. The reason the premier league is so marketable is because it is so competitive whilst also maintaining a high standard of play, and the fear of those

making the rules within the Premier League is that too many younger academy players would dampen this standard. I would argue that removing matches entirely on this basis actually hurts the brand more, and that in the long run, experience for academy players during this time could actually assist the League and raise the standard higher. As such, my argument here would be to remove the phrase ‘appropriate experience’ and allow matches to go ahead even if it means fielding a mostly U21 squad. The second and more problematic regulation I’m going to discuss is the final one, almost tacked on at the end of the list, just to ensure that clubs and the league can bend and shape the regulations as they go, it reads; ‘Any other exceptional circumstances.’ Any? Any other exceptional circumstances? Any? How on earth has that managed to sneak under the radar? Essentially what this is saying is that if the regulator (Appointed by the league) deems there to be any extenuating circumstances which may negatively impact the league (the same league the regulator works for) then a match can be called off. I mean it seems like a joke rule, why have the other rules at all? Just put down- ‘We will call off matches if and when we feel like it’, because that is essentially what this regulation allows them to do. So of course there have been discrepancies, it is not possible to have consistency when the regulations are this lackadaisical. Last week the North London Derby was called off due to Arsenal claiming they did not have enough players citing

injuries, Covid and AFCON as reasons for their application. The problem here is that because they applied using Covid as one of the reasons, they were able to use the regulations I have just discussed when under review. Arsenal had just one player who was confirmed Covid positive hence the uproar from Tottenham and Pundits alike when the game was indeed called off. Gary Neville called for the Premier League to draw a line in the sand as, ‘what started out as postponements due to a pandemic has now become about clubs not having their best team.’ Whilst Tottenham called for more ‘clarity and consistency in the application of the rule’ . If nothing else, what this example clearly demonstrates is the power to manipulate the current regulations, as whether or not Arsenal had the players to play that match, they certainly weren’t unavailable due to Covid. Intriguingly, during their statement Tottenham also exemplified the inconsistencies of the rule, ‘we ourselves were disqualified from the European Conference League after a significant number of COVID-19 cases meant we needed to reschedule a fixture and our application to move our Leicester fixture was not approved — only for it to be subsequently postponed when Leicester applied.’ This proves the issues with using a case by case basis, even if each club needs to be treated differently, the regulations should be firmer and more settled in a way where they can be applied equally to every club in the Premier League. There are moments within the pandemic that I believe the Premier League

has handled well, pausing the league early enough in 2020, then managing to put in place adequate regulations for the 2020/21 season to go ahead, with only minimal disruption was very impressive, and it proves that they are at least somewhat competent. Which makes the

This piece of wording is almost certainly used to protect the Premier League as a product current situation even more frustrating, we know they have the capacity to handle these issues and yet they allow for the Premier League to have lower vaccination rates than other countries in Europe; 90 per cent of players are fully vaccinated in Spain and Italy, whilst only 77 per cent in the Premier League, and they allow these flimsy COVID-19 regulations to remain in place, despite the fact there are clear inconsistencies. COVID-19 probably isn’t going anywhere, there will be new variants, there will be the reintroduction, and removal of regulations across societies in the coming months and years, but it feels as though the Premier League has decided not to think long term. As though Covid will disappear in March and never have to be considered again, this apparent absence of foresight could be deeply damaging to the Premier League in the long run. Changing the regulations is the obvious way forward, and it’s for that reason that I think they won’t.

Image: Pixabay

1 FEB 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

The greatest week in NFL history?

Oscar Young, Sports Editor, looks at the NFL Playoffs and how they've impacted the games' biggest names

HE Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs is one of the multiple challenges a team has to face on the way to the Super Bowl. It has always made for high drama, with some of the most memorable moments in both recent and overall NFL history coming at the stage — thinking back to the Minneapolis Miracle of 2018, and the ‘Immaculate Reception’ of 1972. However, last weekend’s games might have just provided one of the greatest weekends of action in the sport’s long and illustrious history. All four games were decided on the final play, keeping viewers glued to their TVs in a way that is reminiscent of the days of Terry Bradshaw back in ‘72. It is no surprise, therefore, that the NFL set records for TV audiences on multiple games. There are so many storylines from the round, it is hard to know where to begin. Perhaps the best place to look first is at the futures of two of our era’s greats. Two stalwarts of the game, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, probably the two main faces of the sport for the last 15 years, both conquered on one week-

end. This was an upset that leaves their two seemingly Super Bowl-favourite teams cast aside, and their own careers in question. Brady, now 44, has been known for consistently disregarding "father-time," playing to a high level for 22 years and never seeming to lose a step. However, he has openly considered retirement, acknowledging that his wife, supermodel Gisele Bündchen, wants him to call it quits and spend more time with his family. Rodgers, slightly younger at 38, has also been one of the league’s premier Quarterbacks for the better part of two decades, but the Green Bay Packers most recent loss has brought up questions as to whether he’ll be gone sooner rather than later. That’s not to say that the old guard have been taking all the headlines. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, two of the most exciting young players in the sport, put on their own show on Sunday. Displaying prolific firepower on offense all game long, Allen’s Bills and Mahomes’ Chiefs went back and forth right the way until the end. The lead changed hands multiple times right at the end of regu-

lation time, and with 13 seconds left it seemed as if Gabriel Davis’ touchdown receptions from Allen had secured an upset victory in Kansas City for the Bills. However, if NFL fans have learnt one thing since Patrick Mahomes was drafted in 2017, it’s to never count number 15 out. Overcoming all odds, and the clock, Mahomes drove his team down the field to get them in field goal range, for Harrison Butker to drill a 49-yard field goal. This tied the game at 36-36 and took it to overtime. The Chiefs won the toss, and at that point Allen’s fate was out of his hands. Mahomes did what he did best, throwing a walk off touchdown to Travis Kelce, sending the Chiefs to their third AFC Championship game in a row. The win probability graph from the end of this game looks like some sort of extreme rollercoaster. While Allen and Mahomes have been doing this for a few years now, it’s Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback, Joe Burrow who is possibly this season’s biggest story. Drafted in 2020 to a Bengals team that had been the laughing stock of the league for a while, Bur-

row, along with young receiver Ja’Marr Chase, has completely turned around the fate of his franchise. They defeated the Titans 19-16 on a game winning field goal by rookie Evan McPherson. Burrow later said that McPherson confidently came up to him before kicking the field goal and said, "‘I guess we’re going to the AFC Championship".

At the time of writing, the Championship games are still ongoing and the outcome is unknown. Only time will tell who those will be, but here’s my prediction for the big game: Chiefs 27-21 Rams. Game winning touchdown in overtime, Mahomes to Tyreek Hill. A bit more magic to add to his already highly successful young career.

Image: Joe Glorisco, Wikimedia Commons

Eddie Jones announces England squad Bridie Adams, Editor, assesses the England Rugby squad ahead of the Six Nations

DDIE Jones has announced his 36-man training squad that consists of six uncapped players ahead of this year’s Six Nations. However, there are also some noteworthy players missing from the training squad named for the opener against Scotland on 5 February. For example, neither of the two Vunipola siblings have done enough to be victorious in gaining back a spot,

Image: Flickr

and team-mates Elliot Daly and Ben Earl have also been omitted. Although Eddie Jones left out older athletes due to health concerns, he did originally opt to keep Owen Farrell as England captain for the Six Nations. Farrell’s inclusion came in spite of his injury in November, yet Jones maintained his solid endorsement of the returning captain. 12 months ago Farrell’s perfor-

mance was inadequate and he struggled for form. Despite this, Farrell was picked to reclaim the captaincy at England’s Six Nations opener against Scotland on 5 February, on the condition that he demonstrated his capability. However, following further injury, Farrell will be out of action for the foreseeable future, and George Ford has been called back in at fly-half, after being left out of

the

initial squad announcement. Meanwhile, during this year’s competition, Ben Youngs is in line to trounce Jason Leonard’s record to become England’s most capped player. It will also be interesting to see the warmly welcomed return of a slimmer Jack Nowell, who Jones describes as now looking “more like a rugby player.” Eddie Jones told the England website: “Selecting this squad has

been a difficult task, we’ve got plenty of good young players coming through and some of our more experienced.” He is convinced that his six rookies are prepared to make a big impact with a ‘new England’ - two examples being Bath's Orlando Bailey and Ollie Chessum, one of five Leicester Tigers named in the mix. Eddie Jones believes this is a new era for England rugby, and he is looking to the future.

1 FEB 2022| EXEPOSÉ

Sport

SPORT EDITORS: Oscar Young Rob Worthington

What’s wrong with Raducanu?

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Rob Worthington Sports Editor

UDDENLY a household name in British media, Emma Raducanu appears to be struggling with the pressures her celebrity status has brought to her tennis. The 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year won the awe of the nation, and the world for that matter, as she stormed her way to US Open victory last September. Things haven’t quite gone to plan for the 19-year-old since. Her second-round Australian open defeat to Danka Kovinić, albeit hindered by hand blisters, compounded what has been a miserable set of tournaments for Raducanu since her US Open win. She’s won a grim total of three matches since her defeat of Leylah Fernandez at Flushing Meadows despite entering five separate tournaments in said period. So,

what’s wrong with Emma Raducanu? Emma Raducanu has almost exclusively operated as a Grand Slam competitor since entering the professional scene. Her breakthrough came at 2021’s Wimbledon, with the Brit impressively reaching the fourth round. All the while, in non-Grand Slam competitions, she has managed to reach a final just once in her five tournament entries since Wimbledon. She’s not a relentless winner at this stage in her career, nor should she be expected to be.

Her lack of consistency is hardly anomalous Raducanu is just 19 years of age. If she were to attend university right now, she’d be a young first year student. She is not alone in the female game as a youthful star who struggles with pressure. The likes of Coco

Gauff, 17, who reached the fourth round at the last Wimbledon Championships, and Raducanu’s US Open final opponent, Leylah Fernandez, 19, have both found difficulty in building on their early career promise. Her lack of consistency is hardly anomalous. Not only is inconsistency common among young professional tennis players, but also in the women’s game in a more general sense. Just look at the last six Grand Slam victors. Since January 2020, Sofia Kenin, Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek, Barbora Krejcikova, Ashleigh Barty and Emma Raducanu herself have all enjoyed Grand Slam success. Only Osaka has won a major tournament more than once during that period. Currently, women’s tennis is quite vividly characterised by its lack of a dominant figure. Credit to Raducanu for taking advantage of women’s tennis’ unpredictable landscape. Her inability to add durability to her success

has no doubt frustrated her and her fans, but it’s not unusual. It could well come with experience and maturity.

Women’s tennis is quite vividly characterised by its lack of a dominant figure currently Her inconsistency isn’t only explained by age, either. On the training pitch, Raducanu has been caught in coaching havoc, splitting from her now ex-coach Andrew Richardson weeks after the US Open. This drama has doubtlessly impacted Raducanu’s on-court activity, with many questioning whether Raducanu herself wanted to axe Richardson, or whether she was influenced by those in her camp. Speaking to Eurosport after her dismissal of Richardson in September last year, Raducanu spoke of her

desire to find a coach with “WTA Tour experience at the high levels.” She has indeed found that in the form of Angelique Kerber’s longterm mentor Torben Beltz, but the supposed improvement in coach quality is yet to translate to improved performance on the court.

Coach quality is yet to translate to improved performance Emma Raducanu is young. She is learning. Looking at the general landscape of women’s tennis, her inconsistency was to be expected. If anything, it makes her remarkable US Open victory even more admirable. She remains a hero to British sports fans. Perhaps with a little less pressure on her young shoulders, she can rise to the top again.

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