Issue 745 - 17 May 2023

Marking boycott sparks concerns around potential graduation delays

THE ongoing UCU assessments and marking boycott has left many students and staff concerned about the potential for delays to graduations and the inefficacy of potential alternative measures which the University may implement

The boycott follows a series of strikes last term over pay, pensions and working conditions. According to the UCU, real terms pay for academic staff has fallen by 25 per cent since 2009, and last year’s pensions cuts amounted to, on average, 35 per cent.

Members of the faculty voiced their concerns around their current working conditions to Exeposé. When asked about participating in the boycott, one respondent stated that they are being “constantly ignored and infantilised” by their employers, which has led to them using their “most extreme tactics”. Another staff member commented that they “would like to participate” but were unable to “afford half pay during the boycott.”

In regards to the rumoured use of external markers, or the suggestion that students may be provided with grades without

their work being marked, one staff member stated that they haven’t “heard anything at all” but that they wouldn’t approve of any measures including “emergency procedures without marking students’ work.” They further stated that the University is being “incredibly disrespectful to students” who “deserve to have their hard work taken seriously.”

Exeposé were also able to sit down with Exeter UCU President, Alex Pritchard to discuss the boycott. Addressing rumours that alternative markers may be brought in by the University to ensure students’ work is marked on time, Prichard stated that this is “probably unworkable.” He went on to explain that “the exam boards will be held sometime towards the end of May, beginning of June, and so they [the Univesity] won’t really know categorically who’s been involved with this until then. So drafting in people to do marking is going to be really difficult for them to administer because they don’t know who they [the boycotting staff] are. They simply don’t know which modules this applies to.”

When asked whether staff thought the boycott would affect students’ graduations, respondents suggested that “it’s hard to see that it won’t” unless the University “resolve the dispute promptly.” They suggested that the University will either “graduate students who haven’t had their work marked

… or they will have to be postponed for the foreseeable future.” Another respondent also suggested that the University may well have to push back students’ graduations.

Speaking to final year students’ concerns around graduation delays as a result of the boycott, Prichard emphasised that “students aren’t not going to graduate. The question is, when will they graduate? And that is down to the University. We could quite easily call this off. Marking could be done by the end of May. We could extend and push back exam boards and you’d all be graduating in July. This could be called off tomorrow if the University wanted to. But they’re refusing to negotiate.”

Prichard suggested that if alternative measures were taken by the University to prevent delays to graduation, “It would, of course, undermine your degrees, because one of the reasons that you come here… is that you come to this university to work with the world-leading academics that we’ve gathered here. And so if you’re not having your work marked by those people, your degree is being devalued. So the question is: do you want a devalued degree or a late one? And I think that you’d get a late one under the marking and assessment boycott, and you’d get a rubbish one underneath the University’s proposals.”

Prichard also addressed the potentially illegal action the University is suggesting it

will take against staff who participate in the boycott. “Employers are within their rights legally to deduct pay or withhold pay for partial performance of contractual obligations. They’re threatening 50 per cent deductions for marking… when marking only takes place for, around three or four weeks a year.

Of course, they’re not communicating with us. So they’ve made their policy clear and we told them we think it’s disproportionate and punitive, and also disciplinary, and that makes it illegal in many respects. And they contested that and just reaffirmed their commitment to protecting students.” Due to the timing of the boycott and staff payment schedules, Prichard did go on to state that “to my knowledge, no one’s had any deductions [thus far].”

Staff also emphasised that the University had not been communicative enough with staff and students. One stated “the ball is in the University’s court” with regards to continued negotiations. They suggested that the University is “threatening staff salaries” and “refusing to end the dispute” that staff would like a “positive outcome” to.

Megan Ballantyne, Joshua Hughes and Oliver Lamb Editors and Deputy Editor

Images (top to bottom): Megan Ballantyne, Mihaela Bodlovic, Courtesy of Phil Wickham, Curator of the Bill

Editors

Print: Megan Ballantyne & Joshua Hughes

Online: Ana Anajuba & Clemence Smith

Print Deputies: Oliver Lamb, Livvy Mason-Myhill, Pollyanna Roberts

Online Deputies: Isabella Ankerson, Daisy Scott editors@exepose.com

Executives

Events: Georgia Balmer

Admin: Lauren Walsh

Chief Photographers Rachel Cunningham Kieran Moore

News Editors Print: Charlie Gershinson & Amy Rushton

Online: Megan Haynes & Amelie Thompson news@exepose.com

Features Editors

Print: Austin Taylor & Benedict Thompson

Online: Catherine Stone & Maggie John features@exepose.com

International Editors

Print: Agata Koralewska

Online: Maeve Fitzpatrick & Ryan Gerrett

Comment Editors

Print: Anabel Costa-Ferreira & Connor Goddard

Online: Jamie Speka & Kristen Taylor comment@exepose.com

Satire Editor

Print Cleo Gravett

Online: Archie Lockyer & Joseph Vinton

Lifestyle Editors

Print: Gracie Moore

Online: Ruth Hetherington & Charlie Nadin lifestyle@exepose.com

Arts + Lit Editors

Print: Ella Minty & Joshua Smith

Online: Manon Martini & Gwenllian Page-Gibby artsandlit@exepose.com

Music Editors

Print: Harry Craig & Jake Avery

Online: Mahnoor Imam & Lauren Jones music@exepose.com

Screen Editors

Print: Anabelle Law & Madison Sohngen

Online: Matthew Bowden & Harvey Isitt screen@exepose.com

Tech Editor Print: Ewan Edwards

Online: Charlie Oldroyd

Science Editors

Print: Daniel Pain & Hayley Power

Online: Esther Humphries & Imogen Poyntz-Wright sciandtech@exepose.com

Sport Editors

Print: Toby Brisley & Rob Worthington

Online: Oliver Rickwood & Archie Rucker sport@exepose.com

@exepose

IT’S not often that we struggle to put things into words as editors, but now that we’re at the end of our year, putting the finishing touches on our final edition, getting the right words hasn’t been as easy. After roughly 12 months our time as an editorial team has come to an end and for something that has been such a big part of our lives this year, it’s going to be strange not rushing around trying to keep everything relatively under control.

For many this too is also a time of transition. Every day it feels like someone we know has either their last exam, hands in their dissertation and has a moment questioning how their whole education has just finished. For those still in the thick of it we hope you are just about surviving and also taking advantage of the good weather!

It’s been a mixed bag for this edition, while we are very excited to be bringing you our final edition in the first half of the summer term we’re also really sad that it’s this editorial team’s last issue (yet again cue tears). When we began as print Editors-in-Chief, we really didn’t envisage how much work this would be and despite all the stress, probable academic disruption and just overall exhaustion, the overriding emotion we feel looking back on the year is pride.

We’ve had such an amazing year

with Exeposé . From our handover edition to covering Harry’s Law, from the special editions to winning Best Publication at the National Student Publication Awards, we want to thank everyone that has helped in any way, be that editing the pages or filling out one of our many forms or just picking up a copy and doing the sudoku. We wanted to also particularly thank Livvy, Ollie and Polly for their incredible work this year as Deputy Editors. We really couldn’t have done it without you! Additionally, we wanted to thank Emily from the Guild for her support which has been amazing throughout the year. We’ve really strived this year to raise important issues relevant to students both in Exeter and across the country and we hope that you have found our content informative and interesting. We want to wish everyone the best of luck with any remaining exams or assignments and if you do end up graduating in July (which we’re still not 100 per cent sure of), have a great day and good luck!

Josh and Megan

FEATURES

PAGE 8

In conversation: Leah Jamieson

PAGES 18 + 19

TECH

A new best friend?

PAGE 24

SPORT

More success for EURFC in BUCS Super Rugby

PAGE 31

University news home and abroad

Enrolment in Myanmar state-run universities down 70 per cent

SINCE the military coup in early 2021 in Myanmar, student enrolment in state-run universities has gone down by 70 per cent, that is according to a recent survey. Around 1 million students were enrolled at state universities prior to the coup by the Burmese military that deposed the democratically elected government. That number has now fallen to around 300,000. Prior to the coup in the 2019-20 academic year, roughly 910,000 students sat Myanmar’s matriculation exam compared to 160,000 sitting the exam in 2022-23. The decline in enrolment is reported to be due to several factors, including difficulty of access — with hundreds of thousands having been displaced by the coup, whilst students face financial distress under a struggling economy, and issues like prolonged blackouts further complicate matters. Many students have also boycotted the juntarun education system, instead opting for institutions that, like Spring University, have been set up in collaboration with the government-in-exile, the National Unity Government (NUG). This is still a risky path, though, with 30 teachers thought to be affiliated with an NUG-recognised online school having been arrested last year.

Labour abandon plans to scrap tuition fees if elected

RECENTLY, in a BBC Radio 4 interview, Sir Keir Starmer pledged to “move on from the commitment” of tuition fees for students, suggesting that Labour are looking for alternative options for funding. University fees were originally introduced by Tony Blair’s Labour party before they were tripled by the Conserv ative-Liberal Democrat coalition government.

In 2019, the Institute of Fiscal Studies, a think tank, estimated that scrapping tuition fees would cost around £6 billion per university year-group. Tuition fees in England are the high est in the UK so Starmer had promised to abolish fees under the heading of “social justice”. In contrast to this, the Conservative government is in favour of maintaining tuition fees and said they would be frozen at £9,250 for the next two years. The previous tripling of the tuition fees caused mass protests among students so Starmer’s latest promises to stem the costs could be enough to diffuse this social unrest.

Trinity College's library to be renamed over slavery links

BERKELEY Library in Trinity College Dublin is to be renamed due to links between its namesake, the philosopher George Berkeley, and the slave trade. After a two year investigation into its links with slavery, Trinity College has declared the continued used of the Berkeley name to be “inconsistent with the University’s core values” and is working on a new name for the library. Berkeley bought enslaved people, named Philip, Anthony, Edward and Agnes Berkeley, to work on his Rhode Island estate in the eighteenth century, and supported the slave trade throughout his writings. The University stated that they will continue teaching Berkeley's works and "does not deny [his] importance as a writer". This coincides with calls across higher education led by students and acadmics, for universities to reckon with their links to the slave trade.

Jacinda Ardern to join Harvard University as dual fellow

AFTER serving as New Zealand’s prime minister for more than five years, it has been announced Jacinda Ardern will be starting a dual fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School in the autumn of this year. As part of the Angelopoulos fellowship, Ms Ardern will spend time in residence to “transition from her public service role” and help “students and faculty in building leadership skills.” The second fellowship falls under the Law School and will look at improving “standards and accountability to combat extremist content posted online.” During her time in office, Ms Ardern has had many notable displays of leadership from the response to the Christchurch shootings to the Covid-19 pandemicand Harvard praised her “strong and empathetic leadership”. Looking forward to the fellowship Ardern shared her excitement, stating that “not only will it give me [her] the opportunity to share my [her] experience with others, it will give me [her] a chance to learn.” She added that the importance of being able to reflect is “critical if we are to support the next generation of leaders.”

By Austin Taylor, Gracie Moore, Amy Rushton and Anabel Costa-Ferreira

Proofers: Oliver Lamb, Pollyanna Roberts, Lauren Walsh, Henry Parker, Harry Craig, Rosie Batsford, Joseph Terry, Shagnick Bhattacharya, Charlie Gershinson, Gracie Moore, Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Joshua Hughes and Megan Ballantyne

University collected £44,300 from students for Covidrelated offences

Megan Ballantyne Editor

IN data obtained through Freedom of Information request Exeposé found that £44,300 was collected by the University for 1258 Covid-related offences between September 2020 and December 2021. There were also 889 warnings issued without fines during this period. The largest fines issued to students by the University during this period were £200.

The majority of this money was collected from students in October and November of 2020. In these two months £37,300 was collected from students, and the majority of offences also took place within this period.

Email communications to staff and students from University management during this period emphasised the welfare measures the University was taking to help those struggling with isolation, and the need for there to be a "collective effort" from

the university community to tackle Covid, and for students to take responsibility for protecting "those around us and their loved ones." Email communications also expressed concerns regarding police presence in University halls due to breaches of Covid laws, and concerns that this police and media presence would "damage our standing in the wider community." There was little direct information provided to students regarding the University's protocol for issuing fines and warnings in regards to Covid-related offences.

There was little direct information provided to students regarding the University’s protocol for issuing fines and warnings

When asked what the money collected from fines was used for, the University stated that “The money was invested into supporting students either via the wellbeing team or the Success for all fund.”

Exeposé win Best Publication at 2023 Student Publication Awards

Joshua Hughes Editor

EXEPOSÉ were delighted to be named the UK’s Best Student Publication at the 2023 National Student Publication awards. The paper also received the Best Project or Initiative award for our ‘Student Publications for Harry’s Law’ campaign which sought to raise awareness of student suicide and promote the petition launched by Alice and Rupert Armstrong Evans. Print Editor-in-Chief Megan Ballantyne also received a Special Mention

in the Best Creative Piece category for her Satire article: ‘University distributes green-tinted glasses for Go Green Week.’ Alongside the wins, Exeposé were shortlisted in ten awards categories at the awards, marking a successful year for the paper. Commenting on the awards, a spokesperson for the University of Exeter said “Many congratulations to everyone involved with Exeposé for securing the award. Student Media plays an important role and service for everyone involved in our campuses and University community, and it is great credit to the team for receiving this award.”

NUS responds to reports by Exeter delegates of antisemitic leaflets outside National Conference

Megan Ballantyne Editor

THE NUS have responded to claims of a third party distributing antisemitic leaflets outside their conference in March, with an NUS spokesperson stating that “We were made aware of an external body distributing leaflets outside National Conference, and we dealt with this in partnership with UJS and the Community Security Trust, ensuring that all affected parties were comfortable with the results.”

Students’ Guild society memberships drop despite increases in student numbers

Megan Ballantyne and Carden Cappi Editor and Contributor

STUDENTS' Guild society membership has fallen from last year according to recent data acquired by Exeposé. 13,338 students joined a society in the 2021/22 academic year, compared to 10,944 in the 2022/23 academic year, a decrease in numbers of students with Guild society memberships of 18 per cent. The statistics for the current year only apply until the end of March 2023, so do not include students who have purchased memberships in third term.

Last year, 29,382 memberships to Students’ Guild societies were sold compared to 21,594 this year, a decrease of 27 per cent (7,788 memberships).

slightly from 11,203, but this is despite sharp increases in student numbers over the last five years — University of Exeter data shows that there has been a 26 per cent increase in student numbers since the start of the 2018/19 academic year.

This means that as a percentage of the student body, the number of students who are a member of Students' Guild societies has fallen from 47 per cent in 2018/19 to 37 per cent in 2022/23, a 10 per cent decrease. 44 per cent of students were a member of a Guild society in 2021/22, meaning that there has been a seven per cent decrease over just the last year.

Students speaking to Exeposé have suggested that the spike in the number of students who were members of a society in 2021/22 to 13,338 students may be partially a result of students' inability to participate in in-person activities with Guild societies in the 2020/21 academic year due to Covid, which meant that students were especially keen to get involved in these events the following year.

Exeposé also spoke to society leaders about how this decrease in the student body's engagement with societies has also made it difficult for societies to fill committees and ensure good event attendance. One anonymous Guild society president speaking to Exeposé said they had experienced a decline in membership and struggled with event attendance this year, and described how they thought they only had “just enough interest to form a committee.”

The Guild addressed societies’ concerns around filling committees last term, trialing a new process whereby all committee positions other than President and Treasurer could be filled through appointments.

A Students’ Guild spokesperson told Exeposé regarding society leaders'

difficulties in encouraging new members and publicising events:

“The Guild provides each registered society with an email address so they can message their members. Also available to promote events are spaces on noticeboards and digital screens in Devonshire House and space on the website. Groups are also encouraged to develop a social media presence, with training sessions offered on how to do this successfully.

Society events are listed on the website at events.exeterguild. com. Whilst we cannot guarantee shares from the @exeterguild social accounts, we are always happy to host student society takeovers. If your society would like to do a takeover, message marketing@exeterguild.com”

The leaflets, which depicted a Star of David on a burning background, were noticed by Exeter delegates being distributed outside the NUS National Conference in March in Harrogate on the first day of the conference. The Exeter delegate team reported this incident to the NUS and security at the venue, but delegates Edward Barradell and Alex Stanley suggested to Exeposé that the NUS “felt they could not do anything,” at the time. The delegates also suggested that “a no-nonsense approach is needed on issues such as antisemitic literature being handed out.”

This comes following former NUS President Shaima Dallali being suspended from her role in August 2022 as a result of antisemitism allegations. Dallali is now suing the NUS over this suspension.

An NUS spokesperson told Exeposé : “If any student witnesses or experiences antisemitism taking place, then we urge them to report in the most appropriate channel, and to record this with the CST: you can find more information here.

At National Conference this year, we were proud to take our initial steps in delivering the Action Plan on Antisemitism, keeping in frequent contact with Jewish delegates, hosting drop-ins and providing education on antisemitism at the conference. We will continue to work to fulfil our commitment to making NUS a welcoming home for Jewish students once more.”

Overall, over the last five years from 2018/19 to 2022/23, the number of students with Guild society memberships has only decreased

This decrease in engagement from the student body also comes soon after the Students' Guild elections saw a record low turnout of 12 per cent this year.

Image: Megan Ballantyne

Image: Joshua Hughes

Last year, 29,382 memberships to Students’ Guild societies were sold compared to 21,594 this year

Image: Student Publication Association

“My personal view is that we should have accepted the previous offer”

Continued from front page:

Staff also highlighted that students are not being told the full extent of the boycott and that the University has “no idea” of the scale of the impact it could have. One member of staff stated that “the University is hoping we are not taking part but we are” and “as soon as we get close to exam boards they are going to realise the huge problem they have created.”

The students Exeposé spoke to also suggested that there had been a lack of communication, transparency and guidance. One student said they lacked motivation due to the absence of clarity regarding when they would receive their marks. Another told Exeposé that they thought the University and Guild were in fact doing enough to support students, while another suggested there was little they could do.

Students spoke of not receiving feedback on assessments submitted last term. Another noted that failing to receive feedback on assessments could impact exam preparations. One said, “The impact this will have on the wellbeing of students who are already hanging on by a thread (because of the cost of living crisis) will be devastating.” Final-year students expressed concern that delays to grades could push back their graduations.

One student suggested that

Pollyanna Roberts Deputy Editor

“the UCU simply do not care about students” and that they could have boycotted research work rather than marking, and argued that the University should reimburse students. The student pointed out that third-years and above have already suffered from COVID-related disruption — a sentiment shared by another respondent, who said the boycott felt “like a slap in the face”.

The student pointed out that third-years and above have already suffered from COVID-related disruption

Staff emphasised that they wanted students who were struggling to know that they “are not doing this because it is fun or easy” and they “have no other choice.” They understand that students will be “rightfully pissed off” and “we need them to tell the employers that.” They also stated that the University deductions are “over the top” with marking taking up “about two per cent” of their time while the University will “take 50 per cent of my [their] salary” for taking part in the boycott and they “can even take 100 per cent.” They further stated that “they [the University] are purposefully doing this to make us [the faculty] suffer” and the actions of the University makes them “even more sure”

about being part of the boycott. Another respondent reiterated that staff “do not want to be undergoing industrial action” and that it is the University who “have decided to not move forward with negotiations.”

Speaking on how this dispute could be resolved, Prichard emphasised that, unlike the previous strikes which would be called off on a national level, local negotiations are a crucial part of putting an end to this current wave of action. “So it's not head office of UCU [who call off the boycott] … you have to resolve it locally to coordinate how people come back to work, and stagger the return to work processes so that the marking gets done in time. That all demands a lot of local coordination, right? So for us to come off the marketing and assessment boycott the Vice Chancellor and the senior executive team have to work with us to manage that process.”

“We have a local pay claim in, and it was rejected by the university yesterday. We were asking for 12 per cent which we broadly knew was unaffordable. But we asked for it anyway… bear in mind its only half of what we’ve lost in the last ten years.

To put a number on it, I reckon if the employers came to us with, let's say, a two per cent increase on the offer that they've already made and some concrete terms and references

around the non-pay elements of the dispute, I reckon this would be called off tomorrow. And I think that that is a really minor commitment.”

Prichard also went on to state that, “My personal view is that we should have accepted the previous offer. But that's my personal view, not the branch’s.”

Students speaking to Exeposév argued that the UCU should focus on spelling out “the positive impact these [boycotts] will have on the student body in the long term” to drum up further student support, and that the union should “show more sympathy for students.”

Prichard also suggested that the key group for encouraging negotiations and an end to the dispute is the student body. “I think the vast majority [of the student body] probably support the UCU position, or at the very least understand the structural problems in the sector and the campaign that we're leading… it's because we've been divided that this has come to a stalemate.

So my message would be back us, do it vocally, or don't back us and do that vocally too. But don't sit on the fence. Now is not the time for that. If you want the marking and assessment boycott over and done with, take a side.”

Prichard also suggested that support from the Students’ Guild

could help urge the University to begin negotiations with Exeter UCU. “We know that the student union backs us. The Guild hasn’t done that yet.”

A spokesperson for the University of Exeter told Exeposé: "Providing our students with an excellent educational experience is our highest priority. We understand that many students may have concerns about the impact of the national UCU Industrial Action, and how this may affect their assessments. Supporting students’ learning and enabling students to achieve their goals at university is our highest priority. We are working to minimise the impact of this action on students’ studies. Where the marking of assessments has been impacted, we will ensure that marks are fair and accurate and we will support students in their next steps as they progress to the next stage of their academic life, or into employment. These commitments will ensure that we can support students through this period, protecting their academic outcomes and the integrity of Exeter degrees."

A spokesperson for the Students' Guild stated: "We recognise that this marking and assessment boycott is set to have a significant impact on a small number of Exeter students, and we are fully committed to representing you and advocating for you during this time."

Exeter Students’ Guild announce plan to rebrand

AFTER more than six years of the same branding, Exeter Students' Guild has decided it is time to change their look.

In Spring 2022, the Guild released their new strategy to reorganise and rebrand their image. They have set out four objectives which include: having a relevant and engaging brand accessible to the student community, having a brand

that aligns with their strategy and values, ensuring students view the Guild in a positive light and see it is an integral part of their student experience, and to make sure their name clearly reflects who they are and what they want to achieve. The Guild want to engage with their students, and they aim for their brand to be community-focused and innovative.

When Exeposé asked the students about the rebranding, they felt that the Guild should represent them, and their experiences and challenges.

One anonymous student told Exeposé that they thought the ‘Guild Rebrand is actually needed.’ From the three mood boards (segments of which are displayed below) the Guild have created, the image they are capturing is more youthful, creative, and fun — more relevant to the students themselves. The colours are bold, and its creativity should be inspiring. Mood board one is described as ‘raw college’, with its pop of colour and scrapbook style making it look arty, fun and like an

album cover. While mood board two is much more two-dimensional and futuristic, the geometric shapes calling back to the time of art deco with a modern, technology-focused twist. Mood board three focused on bold contrasts. Again, it is in the design of a creative college, but it is more modern, flat, and sharp. The Guild gathered feedback on these respective mood boards on both St Luke’s and Streatham campus.

A spokesperson for the Guild said: “Old fashioned, corporate, and

confusing are some of the words that have been used to describe us and our brand. We totally see where students are coming from, we’ve had some big internal changes and feel like we have outgrown our existing brand (which has existed for 6+ years).

We released our new strategy and values in Spring 2022 which set out our new organisational values, plus the University have just gone through a big rebrand too, so we feel like it’s the perfect time for us to have a new look and feel!

This rebrand is not just for those of us who work for the Guild, it is for all our students too, which is why we have been consulting students on the whole process!

Our ambition is to be a current and exciting part of the experience here at Exeter, we want the Guild to be relevant to all students, and for students to feel that we are an integral part of their experience.

So far we have consulted students on every aspect of the rebrand including the concept, logos, colour palettes and tone of voice.

You can read more about our rebrand on our website - www. exeterguild.com/rebrand-2023.”

Labour maintain majority on Exeter City Council

Duryard & St James Ward

Image: Twitter, @electionmapsuk (Used with permission)

THE May local elections for Exeter City Council returned a similar makeup to the council in previous years: a Labour-majority administration with representation from the other three major political parties: the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

The May 4th elections saw an election of a single councillor from all thirteen of Exeter City Council’s wards, contributing the election of one third of the body’s 39-member membership. The new councillors will work with the existing council to deal with the local issues of Exeter’s population such as housing, planning services and bin collection among other local services.

Unlike across much of the country where council’s saw dramatic swings from one council to another, Exeter saw only

modest changes — most notably the continuing expansion of the Green Party who added a net gain of two seats. The Green Party are now the largest opposition party to the Labour administration, at six seats overall, and achieved a vote share of 22 per cent. Previously, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats formed an opposition coalition called The Progressive Front. The party stood on building “decent affordable homes” which are “built in the right places and to the highest environmental standards.” They also “want communities to have a better say in shaping Exeter’s future development plans.”

Exeter saw only modest changes — most notably the continuing expansion of the Green Party

The Green Party also focused on issues important to voters of

their local ward. Dr Andy Ketchin, who won the Newtown and St. Leonard’s Ward from Labour, stood on creating safer crossings around the roundabout which contains many popular locations in Exeter’s city centre such as the St. Sidwell’s Point leisure centre, the bus station and Vue Cinema. Ketchin described the existing crossings as “dangerous”, particularly to more vulnerable pedestrians such as older children walking by themselves, the elderly and those with limited mobility.

In a press release from the Green Party in response to their successful election results, Ketchin has said: “Together, we will work tirelessly for a fairer, greener community for everyone”. However, there will be little change to the existing Labour-run administration as the party has only had a net loss of one seat, bringing them to 25 seats overall. The party stood on four key themes: “A net zero carbon city, our communities

and homes, a healthy and active city and well-run council.”

The Duryard and St James ward, in which Stretham campus was situated, saw the return of Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Mitchell while the party saw a net gain of one seat citywide to make three seats overall. The Conservative Party meanwhile lost one seat for a new total of four seats on the council.

Nationwide, the Conservative Party suffered large losses across England, losing 1000 councillors overall. In the North of England, the Labour Party countered their losses in the so-called 'Red Wall' of historically Labour-won areas by gaining control of councils such as Middlesborough and York. Labour also made significant gains in Hartlepool, where the party was short of a majority by one seat. In the South of England, Liberal Democrats and the Greens were mainly responsible for Conservative losses, gaining 407 and 241 seats respectively.

In Windsor and Maidenhead Council, the Liberal Democrats won a majority from the Conservatives, gaining 13 seats, while the Greens took control of their first council in Mid Suffolk, and became the largest party in other councils like East Herts. While there is limited reliability in using these local election results to predict the 2024 General Election, one concerning trend for the Conservatives is the rise of tactical voting where voters are electing against the Conservatives rather than voting for any specific opposition party. This was particularly clear in Bracknell Forest where a pact between the Labour and Liberal Democrats saw only one opposition candidate from either party stand in each ward. Labour took control of the council from the Conservatives, who lost 27 of their 37 seats. Exeposé have reached out for comment from the Exeter Green Party and Cllr. Mitchell.

Charlie Gershinson News Editor

Exeter student plays key role in Just Stop Oil snooker demonstration

Joshua Hughes and Amy Rushton Editor and News Editor

IN April, two Just Stop Oil activists protested the World Snooker Championship in order to draw attention to government inaction over climate change. The event, which made national headlines, was part of Just Stop Oil’s call for the Government to cease all new fossil fuel projects.

Eddie Whittingham, a student at the University of Exeter, climbed onto a snooker table at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, emptying orange powder paint, prior to being removed by security and arrested. Whittingham has participated in prior Just Stop Oil demonstrations, including protesting the Kingsbury Oil terminal last September.

The recent demonstration made national news, leading to criticism across British sport and media, but also praise and support for Just Stop Oil’s efforts. In a statement released shortly after the protest, Just Stop Oil stated they targeted snooker in a move to “call on UK sporting institutions to join in civil resistance against the government’s genocidal policies.” They have since launched a campaign of civil resistance, including through slow marches, to add pressure on the government to end new oil and gas.

Whittingham, who is also involved in student climate campaigns at Exeter, gave a talk with climate activist Phoebe Plummer on “How to Just Stop Oil” at Exeter Phoenix on 12th May. Exeposé were able to talk to him about his experience and next steps.

É: Firstly, in the wake of your protest at the World Snooker Championship, what was the kind of media attention like in the aftermath of it?

EW: It was unprecedented. So, I expected that this would be, you

know, page three of the Daily Mail, but instead it was on the front page of the Times, the Sun, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, which is a great success. But lord knows why it had that effect right? You know there were 60,000+ people on the streets of Westminster that same week and they didn't get a fraction of the coverage, so I can't really take credit for the success that this action achieved, but it's obviously very welcome because we all need to be talking about the climate crisis.

É: What effect did your protest have on Just Stop Oil and do you see an end in sight?

EW: So Just Stop Oil will cease to exist when the UK government commits to ending all new fossil fuel licences and consents in the UK. So, if you want us off the street, if you want us not doing this stuff, then you need to support our way because as soon as we achieve our aim, we will cease to be a movement basically. In terms of what this action achieved, we had more people signing up for slow marches than we had done at any point previously to that. That's the power of actions like this. They do mobilise people, even if they make you unpopular in the process. You know the suffragettes weren’t popular in their time, they disrupted horse races and other cultural events and everyone hated them, yet they were on the right side of history.

É: And in terms of the Public Order Act and the recent amendments that were made, what do you think about that and what do you say to people that are thinking of going out and protesting?

EW: I think people need more than ever to go out and protest. The Public Order Act is an absolute disgrace. So, if you have protested in the past five years, you can be forced to wear an electronic tag. You could have monitoring equipment

installed in your home. You can be forced to report to the police as and when they see fit. The bill introduces new offences for locking on, which is a very common protest, so some in theory someone just linking arms with another protest could spend six months in prison for that.

I'm glad that it's coming to an end. I'm just going to carry on doing what I'm doing now. My dream is to be a writer, but obviously we need to have a habitable planet in order for me to pursue that as a vocation, so I'm just going to keep doing what I'm doing basically, and hopefully not spend too much time in prison for it.

É: Is there anything else you'd like to add?

St Thomas Library to be demolished

Rosie Batsford

IN early April, Exeter City Council, on behalf of Exeter Estates Ltd, unveiled plans to demolish St Thomas Library and build a new block of flats.

There are specific bans targeting people that target ‘key strategic infrastructure’ so whereas someone might have just been arrested for obstruction of the highway, which is an existing law, if that highway happens to lead to an oil refinery, then you could maybe face a more severe sentence because you're daring to protest against activities in an oil refinery or against an airport being expanded or a road being expanded.

So essentially the police had all the powers that they needed before the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act of 2022 and the Public Order Act of 2023 to deal with us. They had those powers and what this new legislation does is basically give the government and the police power to shut down any effective form of protest because they're so broadly defined and so vaguely worded. It gives the Home Secretary and the police carte blanche to do what they like. If they don't like what you're doing, then they can in theory shut you down for any reason.

É: graduating this year, how do you see the transition going after being a student activist at university?

EW: spent the last two years of my degree wondering whether I should drop out, so

EW: Yes, please, please do join us for slow marches. Slow marches are still, in theory, legal, even though the government are trying to make them illegal. But the reason they’re trying to make them illegal is because they just might work. So please, do reach out to me on social media or go to juststopoil.org and sign up for slow marches. It is now or never, we've got this tiny little window in which to enact meaningful change, and we kind of need everyone on board. So yeah, if you're any doubt about what you want to do with your life, please consider giving some of your time to being a climate activist.

The council justified their plans, stating in planning application documents, “It is appreciated that this is currently a much-loved community library, but this is relocating anyway and so the building will have a new use”.

Devon County Council and St Thomas Library say that they were “unaware” of demolition plans, or any plans to move the library, clarifying that they intended to renegotiate the building lease, which runs out this November. Devon County Council has contacted the landlord to “understand what the situation is”, but no further comment has been made.

Devon Live interviewed a spokesperson from Exeter Estates Ltd, who said they are looking into where confirmation of the library relocating was obtained and are still considering “all options for the site”. As of the 4th of May 2023, 151 comments have been left under the planning application on Exeter City Council’s website, with the plans receiving 149 objections, and 1 vote of support. On the 20th of April, St Thomas Library posted on Facebook in response to the outpour of advocation for the library, “The comments really bring home how much we are valued in St Thomas.” The post also confirmed that “we still have no wish to relocate the library”.

The future of this community asset remains uncertain, but public support lies firmly in the library’s corner.

Michael Morpugo visits Exeter St David’s book vending machine

Tom Langley

THE world-famous author

Michael Morpurgo

paid a visit to Exeter St David’s station last month to support a unique Penguin Books vending machine celebrating the publishing company’s foundation. The machine was implemented to mark the founder of Penguin Books, Sir Allen Lane, visiting St David’s in 1934 and struggling to find a good, affordable paperback

book to read. It is said these struggles were his inspiration to establish the publishing company, which next year will celebrate its 90th anniversary. Within three weeks, over 200 books were sold, with profits supporting Exeter City of Literature — which supports authors locally and internationally, and Bookbag — an independent bookstore in the city.

Anna Cohn Orchard, Executive Director of Exeter City of Literature, noted the story of the publisher’s foundation, and approached

Penguin Books in 2021 with the idea of a vending machine.

Titles of the books will change on a regular basis to recognise topical events, including LGBTQIA+ history, Black history and COP28. Morpurgo praised the machine, commenting he was proud to be “there amongst all those luminaries who have written for such a great and certainly unique, publishing house.” Morpurgo emphasised the importance of reading to young children of today.

I think people need more than ever to go out and protest. The Public Order Act is an absolute disgrace.

Image: Megan Ballantyne

LIFESTYLE ARTS + LIT

TECH

MUSIC STUDY BREAK SCREEN

Features

Widdecombe’s defence of the Johnson legacy

Benedict Arthur Thompson, Features

FEATURES EDITORS:

Benedict Arthur Thompson and Austin Taylor

Student housing crisis deep dive

Austin Taylor, Features Editor, examines the ongoing student housing crisis

defending Boris Johnson

Editor, takes a look at Ann Widdecombe’s speech at Exeter

HOLD your horses, Ann Widdecombe. The former Conservative MP and minister visited Exeter University earlier this year to vehemently attack the past prime ministers of the UK against the motion that ‘Boris Johnson was the worst Prime Minister since World War II’.

The Labour councillor for Exmouth Halsdon, Paul Miller, appeared to mock Boris Johnson’s legacy with an open question, asking: Will he be remembered as buccaneering Boris?

Will he be remembered as buccaneering Boris?

Johnson’s ‘buccaneering legacy’, to some, has been a vaccine programme for COVID and defending Europe by standing up for Ukraine. Others have questioned his character, his integrity and his actions during COVID, including Partygate.

Widdecombe stood in stark contrast to Miller, stating: “there is no doubt that all that Boris has is unassailable competition for the title of the worst ever PM since WWII”.

First on Widdecombe’s hitlist was Anthony Eden. Widdecombe drew attention to Eden’s “legacy of Soviet involvement in the Middle East which affects us to this day”. That of course being, the short-term risk of an all-out war against Russia, and an economic and political fallout within Britain.

Second on the list was James Callaghan, or as Widdecombe prefers to call him, ‘Sonny Jim’.

Widdecombe was keen to point out the IMF’s influence in Britain’s economy which ultimately caused devaluation, and the cutting of hospital building programmes during Callaghan’s government.

“You couldn’t even get buried under James Callaghan’s government because the grave diggers were on strike”, Widdecombe added.

For instance, during the Winter of Discontent, gravediggers went on strike in Liverpool for better pay, leaving up to 150 unburied bodies in factories.

Widdecombe’s judgement so far ap pears to be dominated by the ability of governments to deliver for the public.

Third was Theresa May. May and Boris’ relationship seemed for some to be like a personal battle over Brexit. Their rivalry was history.

Widdecombe refers to May’s Northern Ireland Protocol, avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, something of which Widdecombe states that May probably “didn’t even understand. She was either a very stupid PM or a very dishonest PM. She had grand delusions — it had gone to her head that she was greater than Winston Churchill”.

To even compare Boris Johnson with past Prime Ministers — to draw parallels between his extravagant choice of wallpaper to the legacies of past conflicts including the Suez Crisis — is seen as preposterous by Widdecombe.

In reference to Partygate, Widdecombe sharp-wittedly stated that Boris was “given a bit of cake. He didn’t even eat the bit of cake. Somebody bought him a bit of cake, said happy birthday and that was enough to bring him down”.

“Are we seriously invited to compare Boris to the Suez Crisis, to the grave diggers being on strike, to the “Winter of Discontent?” Widdecombe added.

Discipline, it used to be said, was the secret weapon of the Conservative Party, even during times of rebellion as Widdecombe remembers.

Back in 1992, the Maastricht Rebels rebelled on the issue of the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty under John Major, while Widdecombe recollects memories of “Thatcher’s education and NHS reforms”.

Yet these Conservative governments were able to stay in power for years afterwards despite rebellions.

The problem under Johnson’s government, according to Widdecombe, was the “inability of the party to keep its nerve when it came under pressure”, particularly when the opinion polls started to sink in.

The question which Widdecombe leaves us now, is whether Johnson was entirely the architect of his own misfortune, or if this is wide of the mark when we consider his time in office in comparison to others?

STUDENT housing in the UK is now reaching a “crisis point”.

That is according to Martin Blakey, chief executive of the student housing charity, Unipol, who spoke to The Guardian towards the end of 2022. He warned that the situation is now comparable to the 1970s, when many students had to sleep in sports halls and their cars for lack of proper housing. This academic year seems to have been particularly bad, with students complaining of fierce and often unrealistic competition for housing in some cities, leaving many homeless or forced to commute to classes. What little accommodation there is available is often expensive in comparison to previous years. This, of course, comes amidst national cost of living and housing crises.

versities) to secure accommodation for the 2023-24 year, with some telling ITV: “we’ll take anything, we’re quite desperate”. Here, in Exeter, the housing hunt has always started relatively early. Alex, a student I spoke to, said that she struggled to find the necessary time needed to find a house. Many universities, meanwhile, including York, Bristol, and Manchester, have housed students in neighbouring towns and cities. Chloe Field, the current NUS vice-president for higher education, has warned that “without urgent action to increase the amount of affordable housing, it is inevitable that both dropouts and student homelessness will increase.”

rental market. Costs for university halls have not fared much better. A survey from 2021 conducted by the NUS and housing charity Unipol found that prices rose by 4.4 per cent between 2020-21 and 2021-22, whilst the average rent for university halls overall has risen by over 60 per cent in the past decade. Many students, meanwhile, are struggling to meet these increased demands, with average rent at £7,347 compared to only £6,900 for the average maintenance loan. In fact, 10 per cent of students surveyed by Save the Student are in rent arrears, owing an average of £409.

There is currently a chronic shortage of not only university-run halls, but private halls and private rented accommodation. StuRents, a student accommodation search platform that says it represents 70 per cent of student beds in the UK, suggests that there is a shortfall of some 207,000 beds. The ratio of students to beds in purpose–built student accommodation is now about three–to-one, further putting strain on the shrinking private rental sector, with Rightmove data suggesting a substantial decline in the sector compared with the 2017-19 average.

All of this has led to some extreme issues and solutions. Durham students infamously queued overnight in October (very early for most uni -

The problem seems to be acute in Scotland. Those who have friends at Edinburgh or Glasgow will be aware of the arduous house-hunting process. One Edinburgh student I spoke to said that he knew of several students who had been left homeless this year. Indeed, a 2022 NUS Scotland survey reported that as much as 12 per cent of students had experienced homelessness since starting their studies, rising to one-in-three amongst estranged and care-experienced adults.

Meanwhile, at the start of the academic year, Glasgow University automatically denied accommodation to those within community distance and told those who had not secured accommodation to consider quitting university, citing increased demand for halls places with a “significant contraction” in the city’s private rental market.

This has compounded pressure on a private rental market already affected by the cost of living and housing crises. Rents this year have soared, growing 10 per cent across the mainstream

10 per cent of students [...] are now in rent arrears

Any potential solution to these issues would necessarily either involve either an increase in the supply of student accommodation or a decrease in demand. The latter would be difficult to achieve in the short term, given the increasing student population (with a record breaking 44 per cent of 18-year-olds applying for higher education this past year). Aside from investing in more halls accommodation, universities could look at working in closer collaboration with local councils, residents associations, and private landlords. In speaking to The Guardian, Blakey highlighted the example of Nottingham, where the city council has collaborated with the two universities on a student living strategy to determine how much housing is required and available. Overall, the student housing crisis represents a major issue that should garner political attention at the next general election.

the situation is now comparable to the 1970s

The University of Glasgow has faced difficulties with housing students this year. Image: Michael D. Beckwort, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Brian Minkoff- London Pixels, Wikimedia Commons

Sudan’s dream of democracy appears to be over

ON 15th of April, fighting broke out between the Sudanese army and an influential paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces. So far, this violence has perforated Sudan’s capital Khartoum as well as other cities across the nation, creating tens of thousands of evacuees and resulting in the deaths of an estimated 700 civilians. With two military bodies vowing for control of the country, the reason for this could appear simplistic. Behind each faction, however, is a man who, in 2021, worked within a coup which overthrew Sudan’s leader Al-Bashir. Army General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — or Hemedti — collectively took power of the nation only two years ago. Whilst allies, the groups broke the autocracy dominating Sudan, leading a popular uprising which called for democracy. However, as the military initiated discussions to incorporate the RSF into the army, the country’s potential for stability crumbled.

This conflict is thus much more coplex than it initially seems. When the coup first happened, Sudan attracted nations across the world, with Western powers rallying around the move towards democracy, the planning for a Russian naval base, and the investment of oil rich gulf states. As a country that has been dominated by insular politics and internal conflict for dec-

ades, this influx of investment appeared as praise for good behaviour. Whilst Western powers jumped to support a political climate more similar to their own, the Gulf allowed Sudan to enter the global resource economy. From a first glance, this could seem like investment in a country on an upward trajectory, but what the recent conflict has revealed is the potentially superficial nature of this investment.

their allies, the Saudis, have leapt to resolve the conflict as quickly as possible, and who they are truly fighting for. The Sudan crisis pits the West (and its new friends, the rich Gulf states) and Russia against one another, and has allowed their global argument to manifest in yet another national conflict. On the surface, this crisis perhaps appears to be a power struggle between two men refusing to relinquish their fight for Sudan’s resources. But, as one examines

it more closely, it is appears that Sudan is perhaps following the common trend of many nations that do show potential. As global powers jump to ‘invest’ in this developing country, you cannot help but think that they are simply vowing for their own authority. As the US calls for the end to a tragic conflict, perhaps they are also really calling for the expulsion of Russian interests. By doing so, seeking to absorb Sudan under their influence. What is be-

coming clearer, however, is that much of the international attention on Sudan is focused on either maintaining interests or reducing the influence of opposing states, leaving the fate of the Sudanese population in limbo. Thus, unless anyone chooses to look beyond the wider political repercussions, the future for Sudan will remain dubious, as it will continue to be wrapped up in the ever-encompassing reach of an West versus East divide.

In opposition to Western and Gulf influence, the Russian mercenary group ‘Wagner’ has been supplying the RSF with missiles, and has thus incited something of an east/west divide which closely mirrors the hot conflicts of the Cold War over half a century ago. Amid several failed ceasefires, the US and Saudi Arabia have jumped to sponsor ‘pre-negotiation talks’ between the warring sides. Biden has issued a statement declaring “The violence taking place in Sudan is a tragedy — and it is a betrayal of the Sudanese people’s clear demand for civilian government and a transition to democracy”. Whilst this is clearly true, it bears considering why the US and

Looking Sharp about it

NEARING a year on from the ousting of Boris Johnson, the ruptures caused by his shaky tenure as Prime Minister can still be felt. Richard Sharp’s resignation follows a long line of people publicly humiliated as a result of their relationship with Johnson.

Sharp, a former banker, was Rishi Sunak’s boss at Goldman Sachs and one of Johnson’s advisors during his time as Mayor of London. He earned himself a fortune of some £200 million in the city, a portion of which he has given to the Conservative Party through several donations over the last two decades. This is not uncharacteristic of a BBC Chair, as they tend to be a party-political appointment, and so this did not cause much controversy when Sharp was appointed in February 2021. It is important to note that when Sharp was appointed BBC Chair he was seen as the safer option amid candidates ranging from Charles Moore, a staunch BBC critic and George Osborne, the former chancellor. The most pressing concern of Richard Sharp was ‘establishing the independence’ of the BBC, a

task which, it would be unanimously agreed, he completely failed on.

The relationships between Sharp, Sunak and Johnson were well publicised and caused Richard Sharp no direct harm. That was until it was reported that his relationship with the ex-PM was perhaps more entwined than originally understood. He had

secured Boris Johnson an £800,000 loan with a distant Canadian cousin whom he completely failed to disclose during the process of being appointed BBC Chair, or even once he became Chair. Having innumerable illegitimate children is obviously an expensive business and Johnson’s salary as Prime Minister was a mere £164,080: only enough for three Eton school fees. The inability to disclose this loan suggests a lack of regard for standards in public life and the appointment process. This is further displayed in his letter of resignation, which only came after the findings of the Heppinstall Inquiry were

published. The letter did not contain contrition or apology. Instead, Sharp sought to highlight how breaching the governance code does not ‘necessarily invalidate an appointment’, maintaining Boris Johnson’s theme of failing to concede or apologise.

He had secured Boris Johnson an £800,000 loan

The BBC is already under serious pressure from both the left and right of politics to be reformed in some way, though no one can decide what

form a new BBC would take. This appointment has caused the BBC further reputational damage at no fault of its own. Whilst the range of views on whether a publicly funded broadcaster has a place in modern society, it is shameful for the government to trash an organisation that is Britain’s greatest global soft-power asset along with the royal family. Looking forward, Keir Starmer has pledged to make the role of BBC Chair an independent appointment if Labour gets into government, but that is irrelevant for the next appointment which the current government have control over. Some in government will want a non-partisan Chair to avoid any further claims of cronyism or corruption in government, but some (the Nadine Dorries of this world) will want a hard-line BBCbasher. Whatever candidate Rishi Sunak decides to opt for it will be telling of the direction of his government: will he pander and feed the rhetoric of the hardliners in his party, or will he have a grown up conversation and set a tone of sensible government?

Niamh Cherrett examines the brutal conflict in Sudan and the future of the country

Ewan Edwards analyses Richard Sharp’s departuare from the BBC amid loan row

what the recent conflict has revealed is the potentially superficial nature of this investment

the most pressing concern of Richard Sharp was ‘establishing the independence’ of the BBC

Image: Flrn at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Oxfam International, Flickr

International

The city I would always come back to

AT the end of this month, the elites from the worlds of film and motorsport will descend on the Côte-d’Azur, a place which has become a byword for luxury. Although I fit into neither category, I will be joining them for a post-exam break in Nice — a city which, in half-a-dozen or so visits, has become a home-away-from-home for me.

Of course, I am very aware that a holiday in the French Riviera might be the most Exetah-sounding activity since Invades the Races. It can, however, be done on the tightest of student budgets, picking up a cheap flight and hotel and using the very affordable French rail network to get around when you’re there (provided they aren’t on strike, of course).

Harry Craig, Music Editor, recommends a holiday in Nice

Aside from affordability, I truly believe Nice is the perfect city break. It is just over an hour’s flight from London, and offers beaches, cities, culture, food and sport. The latter is particularly pertinent for me; as a Formula One (and, more specifically, Charles Leclerc) fan, being 15 minutes away from Monte Carlo is always a tempting prospect.

I truly believe Nice is the perfect city break

This proximity even afforded me the ability to attend last year’s Monaco Historic Grand Prix, staged a few weeks before the main event to showcase

some classic motor racing machines — and more affordable than the British Grand Prix I attended a few weeks later! Even outside of racing season, Monaco is a city that lives and breathes Formula 1 — and there’s very few places in the world you can walk an entire Grand Prix circuit, let alone the most historic track of them all. As long as you don’t lose all your money at the casino, you can take the €5 train from Nice along the coast and sip an Aperol Spritz in the sun whilst overlooking Port Hercule. Just a tad better than Tesco tinnies in the rain at Exmouth. Nice also sits in the culinary sweet spot sandwiched between France and Italy on the Mediterranean coast. Con-

sequently, I have never gone hungry on a visit there, between the croissants, croque monsieurs, steak-frites and seafood. You don’t even have to venture into an expensive restaurant on Promenade des Anglais to enjoy this cuisine, either; some of my best lunches in Nice have come from buying some bread, ham and tomatoes from a French supermarket and eating them on the beach. A bottle of wine on the side is optional, but recommended if you want to look truly French.

As a (half-)Frenchman, my perspective may be slightly biased, but Nice is by far my favourite city to visit. Even if my French family are originally from the north of France, my heart will always be in the south.

Sudan-the battle of the generals

Charlie Gershinson, News Editor, writes about the situation in Sudan

AVIOLENT conflict in Sudan has broken out between two factions of the country’s military, which has seen hundreds killed and 450,000 civilians displaced since fighting began on 15th April.

The conflict is raging between two powerful generals: Sudan’s military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and deputy leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as Hemedti). The two men have, until recently, been allies on the country’s military-controlled executive council which successfully launched a coup against the joint military-civilian government in 2021. They have come to blows over

plans for RSF integration into the main army, which would lead to a power struggle between the generals and a fight for dominance within the military hierarchy.

Sudan has had a chequered past, which the recent fighting has only been the latest chapter of. The civilian-military council which preceded the military junta was a break from the brutal thirty-year dictatorship of Omar al-Bashir who, among other things, is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court because of the brutal fighting against rebels in the Western region of Darfur. Al-Bashir’s actions have since been characterised as racial cleansing. The genocide in Darfur also saw the founding of the RSF in 2013 and the

Easter around the world

Livvy Mason-Myhill, Deputy Editor, discusses Easter traditions

DESPITE the fact that your Easter may involve egg hunts, church services, and chocolate, Christians around the world look at Easter in a variety of ways. Having come back from Easter break, it gives us the perfect opportunity to delve into some of the different Easter celebrations that happen around the world.

In countries in the Pacific, such as Australia and New Zealand, Easter isn’t celebrated there in the spring; it’s in the autumn. Many New Zealanders enjoy eating hot cross buns during Easter, like people in England. Some Australians don’t use rabbits for their Easter celebrations due to their reputation as pests. Instead, they use the occasion to honour the bilby, an endangered Australian species. Its big ears and resemblance to a rabbit have earned it the name “Easter Bilby.”

The 55 days preceding Easter are known as Faskia in Ethiopian Christian churches. Faskia is significantly more important to people than Christmas, which explains why it is celebrated for a longer

period. For 55 days leading up to this holiday, people abstain from eating meat and other animal products.

For 55 days leading up to this holiday, people abstain to eating meat and other animal products

During Easter, there are two processions in the Philippines: one for the men, who follow a statue of a risen Jesus, and one for the women, who follow Mary, the mother of Jesus, who is draped in a black veil. The two groups come together at the church as a representation of Jesus consoling Mary after his resurrection. Then lambongs, or Mary’s veil, are removed by Easter-themed angelic girls, and everyone cheers.

Easter celebrations vary across the world but have much in common as families join together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. It is a time of contemplation and worship.

rise of Gen Dagalo. The RSF has since expanded in power and intervened in nearby Yemen and Libya with a significant interest in Sudan’s gold mines.

Sudan has had a chequered past

Both generals claim to be fighting the conflict for the benefit of the people of Sudan with Gen Dagalo claiming the army to be radical Islamists and Gen Burhan saying he wants a transition to a democratic, elected government but most believe that the conflict is purely over each man’s position of power.

While it is not clear where the

RSF bases are, they are thought to be in heavily urban areas – like the capital Khartoum – leading Gen Burhan’s forces to conduct air strikes on civilian populations. The United Nations have attempted to call multiple ceasefires to evacuate civilians, but these have largely been ignored. The most promising sign of a possible solution for peace comes as “pre-negotiation talks” begin in Jeddah, sponsored by the USA and Saudi Arabia. The talks will be led by Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan who has said that he hopes the talks will “lead to the end of the conflict and the return of security and stability to the Republic of Sudan”.

The celebration of Eid-al-Fitr

Tom Langley talks about the importance of Eid-al-Fitr celebration

RAMADAN is a time for Muslims to concentrate on their spiritual growth: those who are able to are expected to abstain from eating and drinking during daylight hours for the month-long period. Eid-al-Fitr celebrates the end of the spiritual journey of fasting and refection.

Eid can be seen as the way of an individual easing from this state of fasting back into normal life, and for many will let them take the time to appreciate what they have and connect through Allah. The celebration period itself is typically three days long, however, it is longer in some places. Muslims are expected to make a monetary donation to charity, to support those in need.

For many Muslims, Eid will be a combination of spending time with family, praying with local groups as well as a personal reflection on their fasting experience. They will take the opportunity to wear their best clothes, spend time at Mosques and take part in communal prayers

with their community. At the centre of this is the opportunity for participants to reflect on the personal growth they have made during the challenging month to show their devotion to Allah, and their grown connection with him and others.

Image: Agence France-Presse, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Nice, Tobi87, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Rahbar Emamdadi Wikimedia Commons

Comment

Is the NUS still fit for purpose?

Joshua Hughes, Editor, gives his take on whether Exeter should remain an NUS member in light of recent events

IF you asked a random student their opinions on the National Union of Students (NUS), it’s likely they wouldn’t be able to tell you much. For many students, the NUS is a body that is nothing more than a logo on the back of their student cards. The significance of this organisation, however, is important to recognise, and understanding how it impacts the lives of students is truly important. On its website, the NUS proclaims itself to represent university and college students across the UK and strive for “national change for students”.

Despite this, the NUS found itself in the centre of an antisemitism scandal which led to its president, Shaima Dallali, being ousted in a major shake-up in November 2022. The investigation conducted by Rebecca Tuck KC suggested that shocking incidents of antisemitism within the NUS took place, employing ancient antisemitic tropes which ranged from blood libels to Rothschild conspiracies. The report also found that of a set of eight complaints made against

successfully elected NEC candidates or sabbatical officers, seven were found to involve statements that were antisemitic.

the NUS found itself in the centre of an antisemitism scandal which led to its president, Shaima Dallali, being ousted

Although the ‘Principles for Action’ set out by the NUS in the wake of the report’s findings including pledges such as trust between Jewish students and the NUS and long term change, Exeter NUS delegates found that there was still a long way to go at the recent NUS national conference. Exeposé reported last term that delegates expressed concerns surrounding an alleged antisemitic leaflet being handed out by a third party outside the conference — the leaflet depicted a Star of David on a burning background. Moreover, the question of genuine representation can be levelled towards the NUS, as students only have the

opportunity to vote for delegates as opposed to a more direct approach in which the president could be voted in.

Another aspect of Exeter’s NUS membership to take into account is the affiliation fee which is paid annually.

For example, in the 2021-22 academic year, the Students’ Guild paid £37,500 which the Guild stated “gives us access to training, resources, networks and advice”. While this is the case, it is important to question the efficacy of an organisation that has had such damming claims made against them, and also students must wonder whether they want their union to be taking advice from a body recently described as “hostile” towards Jewish students. Moreover, the finances of the NUS are another area that must be highlighted. In the wake of the release of the report in 2022, the government ceased all communication with the NUS and suspended its funding, suggesting that the affiliation fee will be of greater significance for the organisation.

Exeter NUS delegates also expressed concerns at the recent conference

surrounding the accountability of the NUS. These centred on accountability sessions in the Democratic Procedures Committee being either cancelled or cut short. The delegates also suggested that attendees were in a general sense looked down on by the conference organisers.

So, the real question is for students, is it really worth being a member of the NUS? An organisation that has been dogged with allegations of antisemitism and had its accountability questioned by

delegates will face a membership referendum in Exeter at some point in the next academic year. Students will have it in their hands to decide whether the report was a watershed moment or the final nail in the coffin for the organisation. The goals set by the NUS speak of long-term change and a new culture for the NUS and personally, I believe that time will only tell whether the organisation is fit to represent all students and strive for national change.

Is letting U25s gamble more trouble than it’s worth?

Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Comment Editor, discusses young people and gambling

AFTER recent discussions surrounding both age restrictions and amounts allowed to bet, we are led to consider how the UK is managing this hidden struggle. In the UK currently, it is estimated the figure of problem gamblers lies somewhere between the 250,000 and 460,000 mark. With the term problem gambler referring to when the activity becomes an addiction, and everyday lives and relationships are impacted as a result.

later risk of addiction. Although gambling is associated (for some) with a bit of fun and excitement, it is also a term commonly attached to nights out and occurs (too often) under the influence of alcohol.

Typically, the ‘broke uni student’ persona would not lead you to think of betting, yet student gambling is a growing national problem. And can

we perhaps even trace this problem back to university culture itself?

Now, if you are anything like me, the concept of going to the races was not a familiar one till you graced the grounds of Exeter University. As multiple times a year, thousands of students can be seen in a haze of tweed and plaid, watching the races, with a drink in

In the past month, the BBC reported that new limits should be expected, though the “the culture department, in charge of gambling, declined to comment”. While the age group impacted most by betting currently is not the Under 25 category, prevention laws (at this age) are a must to minimise the

hand and ready to place their bets. Although, this is not exclusive to Exeter, as at many other institutions the existence of the races finds its way onto students’ ‘uni bucket list’. Upon further research, it is unsurprising to see that this is seen primarily at Russell Group universities through the company ‘Invades’. Launched back in 2019, their popularity has spread rapidly and student days at the races exist currently at 63 different universities. As someone who has attended the races once, I can honestly say that while it was an enjoyable day out with friends it was shocking to witness the amounts students were willing to bet, or in other wordsto likely lose. Though some cries of beginner’s luck were witnessed this is not something to rely upon. While it is possible to spend a day at the races without risking your student loan, it continues to be a risk. Not only are our brains still developing, but as students we are more likely to be reckless when it

comes to expenses. Perhaps a result of a limited financial education, or instead the result of our newfound financial freedom away from home. Whatever the reason — this combination of factors is concerning, especially given that for many of us this is the first time we’ve had to manage our finances. And when placed alongside a drinking environment — it leads us to consider whether the races are doing more harm than good?

We are more likely to be reckless when it comes to expenses

As we remain amid a cost-ofliving crisis, it seems clear that these rumoured laws are needed now more than ever. However, the choice on how to spend your income is entirely yours to make, so if you choose to bet, may the odds be in your favour.

Everyday lives and relationships are impacted

Image: Joshua Hughes

Service Alert — can the UK not take news seriously?

Gracie Moore, Lifestyle Editor, gives her take on the recent emergency alert and its effectiveness

ON Sunday 23rd April, our phones all blared for a few seconds, a mock announcement organised by the government to test their new emergency alert system. While we had been prepared by the news for many weeks, it still came as a shock to many of us and led us to wonder whether there was really any point to it.

which the new system will protect against) is increasing because of the scorching summers that are predicted to become more common.

Despite this, there is still a question as to whether the UK is the best country to introduce the emergency alert.

In many ways, this new alert system will be extremely helpful as it will alert people to floods, especially those who live on the coast and are more vulnerable to it. Also, with climate change affecting the UK more and more each year, it’s important to note that the risk of wildfires (the extensive damage of

The announcement would supposedly be used to alert people about imminent life-threatening events such as wildfires and floods and it was modelled off other countries’ alert systems such as the USA, Japan and the Netherlands. However, when considering these countries’ vulnerability to natural disaster, it pulls into question the efficacy of it here in the UK. The three aforementioned countries are extremely likely to experience these disasters along with earthquakes and tsunamis (in the USA and Japan) and therefore, it is easy to see why the system has been implemented here.

Alongside being almost

completely obsolete in terms of the UK’s risk of disaster, it is not easy to turn the system off from our phones and this increases the risk of exposing secret phones. Many people in abusive relationships, for example, have secret second phones which they use to communicate with loved ones and friends, outside of the watchful eye of their abusive partner or person they live with. Therefore, the alert blaring on any and all phones will bring to attention the existence of these phones and puts the person in danger.

Also, it won’t be long before this system is targeted by fraud and fake alerts are brought up on some phones. For many, it won’t

be easy to tell whether it is fake or not and this will create confusion as to what procedures to take.

Overall, I wouldn’t say that this country is the best place to introduce the Emergency Alert System as despite being cautious, it can be seen to be pointless. Flooding for

The people’s King?

example in this country is rarely ever extreme and can usually be predicted far enough in advance that it hardly causes a loss of life. This is just one example of why it might not be necessary but it is also true that we can never be truly grateful for something until we really need it.

Lisette Reed, gives her take on the monarchy and the controversial issues surrrounding the royal family...

REFLECTING on the recent Coronation of King Charles III, many members of the public flew their flags and pledged allegiance to King Charles III. However, with the UK currently undergoing a cost-of-living crisis, a housing crisis and an abundance of strikes from underpaid workers, the whole concept of the coronation, with its intense grandeur and cost, was

more of a spit in the face to the British working and middle class.

golden carriage, which now has air-conditioning and powered windows, families of Britian are barely surviving on foodbanks and warm banks. But at least the King was air-conditioned in his hour-long ride of waving!

Whilst the Palace are estimated to have spent £100 million of taxpayer money, with ridiculous refurbishments on an 18th century

Countless royalists celebrate Charles and the rest of the Royal Family for their “acts of service and charity” but why does this charity end when it comes to

his own nation? His posing and performative acts of charity appear to be exhausted since he’s inherited the role of King, and whilst he bounces from various castles and palaces, there are people struggling to even rent a one-bedroom flat. If the King is allegedly so generous and sincere, he would be doing at least something to help the cost-of-living crisis in the UK, whether it be donating a sum of his estimated £1.8 billion net worth to the people of Britian or even paying for his own coronation and ensuring that taxpayer money goes back into the NHS, instead of a pompous display of selfimportance built on foundations of colonialism and exploitation.

Though some are in support of the coronation and the Royal Family, there have been many questions over the necessity of one. In 2023, it is an incredibly medieval idea to still have a family of British figures, who have all inherited or married into their positions, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. With an adulterer as our monarch and the “Royal Side Chick” Camilla who has been upgraded to the title of Queen, instead of Queen

Consort, it brings in an abundance of questions surrounding the necessity to celebrate a nepotism family, who abuse their powers. Moreover, it is incredibly out of touch and quite frankly insulting for the King to “invite” the public to swear allegiance to him, thus intensifying the divide between the Royal Family and us. Their previous efforts to normalise the family and make them seem “just like us” are immediately shot down by this addressing of the public as Charles’ subjects, or rather the peasants, who inhabit his land.

Despite the Church of England attempting to change his statement and claiming it was misworded, the King has countless advisors and therefore it’s hard to see this as a misinterpretation. Charles may be the King of the United Kingdom, but he is certainly not the “people’s King”.

it is incredibly out of touch and quite frankly insulting for the King to “invite” the public to swear allegiance to him

it still came as a shock to many of us and led us to wonder whether there was really any point to it ?

a spit in the face to the British working and middle class.

Image:, Flickr

Image: Ayusha Pandey

the alert blaring on any and all phones will bring to attention the existence of these phones

Image: Katie Chan, Wikimedia Commons

Satire

Controversial start for ‘Exemergency’

COMING off the successful launch of the government’s emergency alarm system (unless you’re one of the unfortunately ignored Three customers presumably left to single-handedly battle nuclear winter), the University of Exeter has started using its own emergency alert system to keep students aware of activities on campus.

The announcement of the new alert system — ‘Exemergency’ — was met by students with concerns about the extent of its use during the summer exam season, though university administration has assured students that the system will only be used for the most pressing matters. These fears, however, appear to be well-founded amid complaints that the system notifies students of every email from University Comms, Career Zone, and the Students’ Guild as well as many, many others. More concerningly, the system has developed a fault where students are reminded of the start of their exams and essay deadlines every two hours, regardless of when their exam may start.

This has all led to even more sleepless nights for students than already planned as they’re awoken at all hours of the day and night with a noise reminiscent of a war film. The Vice-Chancellor insists that the alert system is a complete success as it “ensures that students are reminded to engage with every aspect of campus life”. When Exeposé wanted to interview a particularly sleepdeprived student clutching a mathematics textbook, we were met with a blank, shellshocked stare and incoherent muttering. In the middle of our one-sided conversation, the alert system was once again set off, after which the student began a series of trauma-induced screams.

The only relief comes for Three customers, who are still exempt from the alert system.

Charlie Gershinson, News Editor

Exeposé is the “Best Student Paper Ever”

DESPITE a year filled with typos, wonky pull quotes and printing errors, Exeposé have somehow been named the ‘Best Student Publication in the UK.’ While the judges clearly didn’t see the time we spelled accommodation wrong on a front page headline, or our crossword in the Freshers’ Edition (we’re very sorry to all Study Break fans for that one), this win goes to show that one or two mistakes don’t make you a failure.

In fact, while at the start of the year the Exeposé editors were exhibiting signs of imposter syndrome, the win seems to have gone straight to their heads. Joshua Hughes, Print Editor-in-Chief, when denied entry to TP last Wednesday, was seen shouting “Do you know who I am?” at bouncers before showing the bouncers a copy of Exeposé’s Guild Elections Special.

In a separate incident, Exeposé’s Lifestyle Editor Gracie Moore posted a post on Overheard entitled “Exeposé is the Best Student Paper Ever.” In the post, Gracie stated that “with great power comes great responsibility. I pledge my allegiance to protecting the students of Exeter with my journalism powers. I am their one true leader.” Comments on the post calling her “delusional” were promptly deleted.

Megan Ballantyne, Editor

Monarchy seeks Guild’s advice on rebrand

IN the latest signs of a growing crisis for the royal family, Exeposé can exclusively reveal that the monarchy has sought advice from Exeter University’s Students’ Guild on a rebrand.

Exeposé has seen leaked letters exchanged between Buckingham Palace and Devonshire House which stated the monarchy hoped to “take inspiration from the successful and ongoing Guild rebrand” to improve its poor reputation among the youth, with 61 per cent of 18-24-yearolds backing abolishing the monarchy in an opinion poll last week.

The Students’ Guild is the natural pick for advice on improving youth popularity, being renowned for its own popularity amongst the young people of Exeter — a huge 12 per cent of the student population turned out to vote in February’s Guild Elections. One of the breakout stars of that election was the runner-up, Captain ‘Trey’ Hook Tallon, who is to become King Charles III’s ‘Special Youth Engagement Adviser’.

Unfortunately, Tallon’s suggestion of replacing the traditional Crown Jewels with a pirate hat in last weekend’s Coronation was too late to be implemented, but a raft

of modernising policies will be coming to the Windsor household in the next few weeks. Following up on one of Tallon’s trademark Guild Election policies, Charles is planning to send the disgraced Prince Andrew on a redemptive tour of the country to distribute limes to the King’s subjects — not the first time Andrew has left a sour taste.

The royal family can also take significant inspiration from the Guild’s longer-term rebranding plans, with both the monarchy and the Guild rebrand being regarded by young people as a fatuous waste of money. The Guild’s principles of clarity, transparency and accessibility are certainly shared by the monarchy, which is amongst the most accessible institutions in the country, unless you’re a non-white, non-aristocratic American woman, of course.

As both the Students’ Guild and the royal family mark the start of a new era with a brand revamp, it remains to be seen whether this unexpected collaboration will fend off growing republicanism among young people.

IN a shocking turn of events, the editors at Exeposé have resorted to desperate measures to meet their deadlines — turning to an advanced language model known as ChatGPT to write their leftover articles.

According to sources within the publication, the Exeposé team found themselves in a dire situation with deadlines approaching and a shortage of human writers available to complete the task. In a last-ditch effort to save the day, they turned to ChatGPT, a cutting-edge AI developed by OpenAI.

One anonymous Exeposé editor had this to say: “We are at the end of our rope, we have tried everything. We have tried to bribe our writers, we have tried to threaten them, we even tried to hypnotise them, but nothing worked. So, we turned to ChatGPT, it’s the only way.”

“It’s a lifesaver,” said another editor. “ChatGPT is able to understand and respond to our prompts, allowing us to focus on more important tasks like getting lunch

and taking long coffee breaks.”

The editors fed ChatGPT a steady stream of prompts, and the model responded with a neverending stream of gibberish that the editors passed off as real articles.

The results were both astounding and concerning. Not only were the articles completed in record time, but they were also of such high quality that readers couldn’t tell the difference between the AI-generated content and that written by human journalists.

In response to this development, Exeposé’s Editor-in-Chief issued a statement saying, “We are proud to be at the forefront of technological advancements in the media industry. Our readers will no longer

have to suffer through mediocre writing or delays in publishing. With ChatGPT, we can produce highquality content at lightning speed.”

But the real question is, will readers be able to tell the difference? Only time will tell if this bold move by the Exeposé team will pay off or if it will be the end of the publication as we know it. But one thing is for sure, the future of journalism looks bright and shiny, with a metallic finish. Let’s just hope the AI doesn’t turn on the editors and take over the publication.

This is a composite of seven responses to the question ‘Can you write a satire article on “Desperate Exeposé editors turn to ChatGPT to write lefotover articles”?’.

All words are written by ChatGPT.

ChatGPT and Oliver Lamb

Bot and Deputy Editor

The Exeposé team found themselves in a dire situation

The monarchy... is among the most accessible institutions in the country

Harry Craig

Music

Editor

Allan Warren, Wikimedia Commons

lifestyle

Exam stress and how to overcome it

Joshua Hughes, Editor, discusses the concept of exam stress and ways to alleviate it

EXAM. I don’t think there is a term more synonymous with stress, exhaustion, anxiety and just general fear. In close second comes eBart’s dreaded ‘Feedback Released’ email which many find too stressful to even open. And in third, seeing ‘Group Presentation’ on the PowerPoint during the first seminar or lecture, knowing that at some point you’ll be forced to place your degree in the hands of others and worse, speak to them.

something that every student will experience, regardless of their year or course.

So how do you deal with exam stress? It’s important to firstly associate yourself with the controllables. A useful thing to do is to get an idea of what the exam is going to be like, so there are no surprises. You can do this by looking over past papers which can be found on ELE. Also, checking things like how long you’re going to have for the exam, the structure and location are really useful to do in advance.

rise the module into a digestible medium makes going over it much less of a chore.

The problem with stress is that people assume that it's all the same. But the three different scenarios listed above all speak of different kinds of stress, each of which present their own difficulties. At university, the stress of revising is not a new feeling and for some it is all too familiar. Combined with trying to find your feet in an ever changing environment, searching for the best place to study while also balancing your food (and possible night out) budget, it’s

The next stage is understanding what the examiner wants to see, it’s never too late to schedule an office hour or just send a quick email clari fying things such as word count, structure or even how many questions you need to answer. In terms of revising the content, it depends on your style of learning but generally being able to summa -

So, apart from good exam technique and having a good revision schedule, how else is it best to de-stress? The most important aspect of reducing stress is achieving a positive work-life balance. For example, if your method of revision is making 200 flash cards, it would not be a healthy idea to do nothing for three days and then do all 200 of them over two days with little sleep. Instead, doing 40 a day would be the best option, giving you time to do your work, go for a walk, go to the gym (if you can be bothered) and get a good night’s sleep. When revising, it is best to view the brain as a muscle that needs exercising. It wouldn’t be a good idea to do nothing for a week and then go

to the gym for a whole day — so why treat your brain this way? Little and often revision sessions are great ways to effectively get your work done while keeping calm.

IT'S BEST TO VIEW THE BRAIN AS A MUSCLE THAT NEEDS EXERCISING

Something else to take into account is the weather. Doing exams in May means that the weather is going to be pretty good generally so it might also be nice to work outside (Queen’s Café is normally a good shout). Conversely, the hot weather will also affect the exam halls so make sure you bring a water bottle!

The Guild also have a section on their website called ‘Exam De-Stress’ which has events such as pet therapy, painting and bubble tea making which could be fun if you need to take your mind off work. Whatever it may be, finding time to switch off from work is equally as important as studying hard and it all depends on what you personally find best.

Cocktail queens

Georgia Balmer, Events Executive, offers a cocktail recipe for the summer season

IT is not Exmouth! Understandably, this might come as a surprise to some Exeter students but there are other beaches in close vicinity to us. The most popular ones near Exeter are Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Exmouth, and Teignmouth among others and, personally speaking, the best beach to visit during the warm summer days of term three is Dawlish Warren. Just a twenty minute train from Exeter St. Davids or a thirty minute drive, Dawlish Warren is a seaside town in Devon with a mix of sand dunes, water, a funder park, go karting, and some of the best donuts Devon has to offer.

Dawlish Warren should not be missed because what could be better than a nice day of reading or taking a dip in the ocean, when it’s warm and sunny outside? Dawlish Warren does this better than other beaches because it is quieter and has the best views of the sunset. When compared to other popular beach spots near Exeter, Dawlish Warren does not have as many people there making it a quieter and more peaceful beach to spend your relaxing afternoon or evening in! Furthermore, Dawlish Warren is a blue flag beach meaning it meets the highest water safety standards making it suitable for water sports and swimming. Finally, compared to Exmouth the water in Dawlish Warren feels warm making it a more fun place to swim.

Coming to the best bit about Dawlish Warren now! If you’re afraid of swimming and do not wish to be at the beach but still want to hang out with your friends, the best place to do this is Dawlish Warren because of the funder park! The funder park has a variety of rides available to enjoy with your friends at reasonable prices and, as previously mentioned Dawlish Warren also has Go Karting. Always wanted to race your friends and never got the chance? Well here it is, so make use of your competitive spirit and find out once and for all who the best driver in the friend group is. Finally, at reasonable prices you can find amazing donuts, ice cream, and fish and chips to end a wholesome outing with your friends! Whilst all beaches near Exeter are beautiful and should be explored, if you’re short on time and need to choose, Dawlish Warren is one which should definitely make the cut!

BY now, we’re probably all a little too well acquainted with an Aperol Spritz, its glazed orange hue shining bright in pub gardens up and down the country come the first glimpse of warm weather. From a can, on a splintering bench seat in the Impy garden, or, if you’re lucky, sipped in golden hour overlooking the med, the Aperol Spritz has become as synonymous with summer as picky bits for tea.

However, the Aperol Spritz has a much cooler cousin in the Hugo Spritz that you should probably add to your summer cocktail rotation. A sweetly floral cocktail replacing bitter Aperol with elderflower liqueur, namely St Germain, the Hugo Spritz is like a zhuzhed up mojito packed with fresh mint flavours. The drink even looks like summer in a glass, a pale yellow colour like the perfect glass of homemade lemonade, topped with joyful sprigs of mint leaves.

Popular throughout Italy, the cocktail is most known in the towns around Lake Garda which is where I was first introduced to my go-to drink of the summer and was taught the recipe by a somewhat dishy Italian bartender in Sirmione, Garda. I might not remember much from that ensuing night, but I still have the recipe he taught us and plan to put it to plenty of use as the weather heats up.

Hugo Spritz

15ml Elderflower liqueur, St Germain is best (Elderflower cordial also works but packs less of a punch)

Sprig of fresh mint

120 ml Prosecco

Soda Water

Take a large wine glass for the true Italian experience, and add a handful of gently crushed mint leaves (crushing the leaves in your hands helps release the aromas). Add the elderflower and mix before topping with the prosecco and finishing with a glug of soda water. Stir gently before garnishing with lemon or lime and a sprig of mint.

Beachin'

Ayusha Pandey, Reporter, shares her thoughts on why Dawlish Warren is the best beach in Exeter

Image: formulatehealth, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Silviarita, Pixabay

I DON'T THINK THERE'S A TERM MORE SYNONYMOUS WITH STRESS, EXHAUSTION AND ANXIETY

Image: Georgia Balmer

Image: InspiredImages, Pixabay

Hot stuff: Keeping cool in the inferno

Gracie Moore, Lifestyle Editor, gives her fashion tips for staying cool in the summer heat

KEEPING cool in the summer can be a near impossible feat, especially when the UK’s humidity is enough to cause anyone to rock up to campus looking like they’re fresh out of the Amazon Rainforest.

Dressing for the summer in Exeter is a fine art when considering the athletic workout of the hills along with the necessity to fit in and look absolutely flawless. There are many simple steps that can be taken to make surviving the scorching summer days just a tad easier.

Adding white clothes into your wardrobe is the first easy move to make when deciding what to wear. Scientifically, white reflects the light and heat much more than dark colours do and this can help to keep your skin cool when it’s not busy absorbing the the day's heat because you opted for a black sleeved t-shirt earlier that day. White trousers or blouses are my personal favourite way to keep the sun’s death rays from reaching me.

Perhaps just as obviously, loose clothes always come out on top against tight clothes (put the skinny jeans away for now.) As previously mentioned, loose blouses, shirts or trousers are perfect for this — and even better if they’re made of linen.

You may have already heard that the heat extremities we are exposed to drastically affects the way the rest of our body feels. So, leave your head, hands and feet uncovered as much as possible on those sunny days, provided you have slathered on the SPF! However, if you have

a long walk to campus, it’s better to make sure your shoes are supportive rather than opting for flip flops just because they keep your feet cool. Be sure to wear arch-supported sandals or breathable/canvas trainers and flat shoes.

Finally, as much as skirts and shorts seem the obvious option for when it’s warm, they can also annoyingly cause thigh chafing which can be painful and itchy. The simplest way to overcome this is by wearing longer cycling shorts, under skirts (depending on the length) or using talcum powder to reduce the friction. And if you’d rather not use either of these methods but still want the breeze to get to your legs, culottes can be a good way to keep the same freedom of movement while not allowing your bare legs to rub together. Culottes are very wide legged trousers that are generally high waisted and elasticated (the dream) that are usually made of cotton or linen making them more breathable. They also don’t reach the floor, rather stopping around the lower shin, allowing for the breeze. They are my go-to choice for the warm days! And they are the optimum choice during a summer shower because they keep you covered but don’t cause over-heating.

There are so many ways as students to keep cool in the summer by adapting our wardrobes and many of these mentioned pieces are extremely affordable in places like New Look, H&M, Primark or online shops such as ASOS.

Lifestyle writers offer their thoughts on whether summer flings are really worth it To fling or not to fling?

WITH the days getting warmer and more people escaping to Exmouth by the minute, we can see that summer is getting closer. In recent years, the associations with summer tend to be that of the ‘hot girl’, living her life with her girls, free from the confines of a relationship. However, this ‘hot girl' trope doesn't have to be mutually exclusive in not engaging with romantic attachments, as long as they are of a ‘fling' type nature.

This generation seems to be obsessed with one of two things; a strictly exclusive relationship or a stream of people coming through your bedroom on a metaphorical conveyer belt. With this comes a very rigid polarisation when concerned with romantic relationships: to take things 100 per cent seriously or not to take things seriously at all. This poses some form of dilemma in itself, and so I would argue that ‘the fling’ is a happy medium on this spectrum.

The summer fling seems to be the embrace of romantic attachment, but an acceptance of its temporary nature. There's an acceptance that we, as young people, are still growing and are prone

to change, and so can't really afford to be 100 per cent committed to someone or the promises they are making. The fling is a perfect idealisation of getting to know someone, enjoying their company, learning different things about yourself and moving on. It’s pretty perfect if you're asking me. A fling means you can focus on yourself, you don't get too consumed in someone else and that you can form attachments to people in a healthy manner.

It feels as though as a generation, we are so afraid of just getting to know people and appreciating the fleeting impact of relationships. My mum’s best friend has always given the best advice when it comes to relationships with others, and I think it comes useful in this context too:

“Friends are here for a reason, a season or a lifetime”, she always reminds me. She shows and shares an appreciation of people in your life coming in for varying purposes; there's nothing shameful about acknowledging the reasons for this. The fling may only be here for a season or reason, but that doesn't devalue it.

Scarlett Cracknell

SUMMER is every sane person's favourite season. How could you not love the ridiculously good weather, the lack of responsibilities and the hazy days outdoors? I’m not arguing about why summer is objectively the best season, but instead why you should avoid a particularly tempting summer past-time: the summer fling. Summer flings feel like such a good idea at the time. You feel like the main character and, due to the lack of anything else interesting going on in your life, that normally boring acquaintance turns into the Timothée Chalamet indie boy love-ofyour-life type. I have bad news, but the yellow haze of the season has a beautiful way of turning people’s red flags into a scrumptious peach colour…

Now for some further bad news that is totally not based on any hilariously tragic personal circumstances: that boy for whom you count down the days until their arrival back in Exeter? You’ll end up eating the Ben and Jerrys that you bought for the both of you to celebrate your new relationship status alone at 2am, after kicking him out of your house midway through Ratatouille because you decided that

that was the best time to have the relationship talk. You will never think about it during your lovely summer hangouts but this season always has an end. Before you dive headfirst into a lil’ summer fun, just have a little think about how this person will fit into your life when the academic responsibilities come calling and life calms down again.

Now some of you will think I’m being silly.

“I honestly don’t even want anything serious” you scream.

“They’re great, outside of how bored I feel during summer”.

Okay okay, you’re telling me this person is worth being in your life for a couple months or weeks and they’re genuinely great but you somehow won’t develop any feelings for them?

Please go talk to ChatGPT for the summer so you can keep a fellow robot company. You’re a human. If you start having a fling with a lovely person who takes over your existence in the most carefree time of your young life, you will romanticise it. It’s not worth the pain come September. Do yourself a favour and have a great time with your friends this summer.

Ande McClintock

Image: Ketut Subiyanto, Pexels

Image: RDNE Stock Project, Pexels

Image: rawpixel.comr

arts + lit In conversation: Leah Jamieson

Ella

Minty,

Arts and Lit Editor, interviews Leah Jamieson, an actress and musician part of the Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) Tour

LEAH plays Anne, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet and Mr Gardiner on the Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) UK tour, which is coming to Exeter’s Northcott Theatre from the 12th-17th June 2023. Read on if you want to know more about how water guns, karaoke and Jane Austen work together in this show...

É: The show has had multiple five-star reviews, has come from the West End and also won the 2022 Olivier award for Best Comedy — what do you think makes it so brilliant and popular with audiences around the UK?

L: Me! Haha, no, joking. I think the main thing about this show is it’s great for people who love Pride and Prejudice, have grown up with P+P and really vibe with P+P, but it’s great for people who have never read it or seen the Colin Firth version, because it’s so true to the Austen original but has brought in a world that’s a bit more accessible, it’s accessible for people who don’t relate to someone who doesn’t have the big posh hats, like I’m a Scouser and I play one of the Bennet sisters! So, it’s accessible for people who don’t feel like they can access classical literature, and it’s just really funny! There’s so much crazy stuff that happens onstage that Jane Austen wrote that our wonderful playwright Isobel McArthur just picks up and puts into her script — I’ve done this show for two years now, and it’s shameful how much I knew about Pride and Prejudice before I started this job. I am still realising that this line that this crazy character says is just what Austen wrote 200 years ago but just manipulated for a modern twist. I’m biased; I’ve done this over 200 times and I still love it!

E: So you weren’t an Austen fan beforehand, then?

L: I wasn’t. I had seen the Colin Firth version, I had seen him coming out of the lake; I had grown up and loved that, but when I got the job and the audition, I read through the script, did the audition, got the job and then thought, “Okay, cool, I need to read the book.” So I sat down and read the book, but because I was doing rehearsals alongside it, it was kind of Austen overload for me, so I didn’t finish it! I have looked at Sparknotes, haha, and I’ve read all of my characters’ scenes.

I think I have to become an Austen fan from doing this show, she’s an absolute genius. We got to go to Bath, which is where Austen grew up. We got to go to the Jane Austen Centre and meet everyone there, which was amazing; their love for Austen really shines through. I think I’ve become an Austen fan from this show; I’m in awe of her.

E: I love Bath, it’s one of my favourite cities! Sticking to the subject of cities, what’s your favourite city you think you’ve visited so far and what city are

you most excited to visit on the tour?

L: Ooh! We’ve been doing this since September, so we’ve gone to lots of places. I love Inverness, and that was brilliant. There were beautiful bookshops, and a gorgeous river. We went to the Loch Ness, but we didn’t see the monster. We also did Penzance at the start of this year, and I’m very excited to come back down your way to Exeter and excited to come to Truro. You’ve got a really cool cathedral in Exeter, haven’t you?

É: Yes, we have. It’s lovely.

L: That’s what I want to see. I always love finding the cathedrals in new cities.

É: In terms of touring and going into a new theatre and acting space, do you find it difficult to adapt to a new location and is there anything you do to ease the transition?

L: I’ve got dyspraxia, so I find anything and everything in that sense difficult. But, what usually happens on the Monday or a Tuesday, whenever we start the week, we get in about 2/3pm, we go around the stage and have a look at everything, we look at entrances and exits because there’s a couple of audience entrances and exits, spoiler alert, the show is a little bit interactive. And, we get to run through all the big songs, we do a soundtrack; I mean, one of the hardest things is that every stage is different with sound. We’re at Birmingham at the moment and the seats really go up quite far, it’s like a wall of sound and really echoey. We’ve also done places like Chichester which is really spread out. What’s Exeter Northcott like?

É: Yeah, I’ve been there a couple of times. It’s a really nice space, quite a small audience, it’s not too steep. You’re really near the audience as well.

L: Fun for us; I mean, I get a watergun at some point during the show so that could be fun for the audience.

É: I hear there’s a lot of props in the show, and lots of things that can go wrong. Is there any funny onstage mishaps that stand out to you?

L: Every single night something will

happen. At the start of Act 2, it’s Christmas so there’s Christmas bunting wrapped around the bannisters. There’s a big song at the start of Act 2 and we’re dancing, there’s a lovely staircase and we dance on the stairs where the Christmas bunting is. And, some nights, it does just fall off. The top bit will fall and then the whole thing, like dominoes, will just fall. But we’ve got to keep going. That’s happened, we’ve had a sofa break onstage, there’s been loads of different things. The worst thing about it is we as the actors are very professional but if something happens we will have a bit of a giggle. There’s no stopping it, we just have fun with it every single night. I love it when something goes wrong. We have cake falling into the audience and me and the audience have a bit of a stand off, like “are you going to give me back that doughnut?” I love it when things go wrong.

I LOVE IT WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

É: When everything goes right, is there any particular part of the play that you just cannot stop laughing at?

L: There’s a new bit actually, we had Isobel [the playwright of Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of)]come and watch us a few weeks ago. She gave us some notes; some things to work on and change up. There’s a moment where, because our Elizabeth Bennet is Welsh, there’s a moment where one of the other characters impersonates a Welsh accent. And, the Welsh accent just makes me laugh. We know every night that it’s coming up, we know where it is because we’ve been doing this for weeks now. Every single night we just stand there and just hold back the laughs. We’ve spent six months together constantly; I mean I’ve just got back from breakfast with the cast members; we are just constantly with each other. We’re all best mates, so any time something happens onstage we’ll just look at each other, you know when a teacher tells you to stop laughing; we’ll

just look at each other and try not to laugh. It’s great because if something happens it’s the kind of show where the audience will laugh, we’ll laugh and then someone will make a joke about it and we’ll carry on. I don’t know what I’d do if it was a serious play, I wouldn’t be in it.

É: How do you think your training at drama school prepared you?

L: I graduated in 2020, so right at the beginning of when Covid was. I finished in March instead of July. I did the actormusicianship course at Rose Bruford College, so I play instruments. I think that’s one of the biggest things that’s got me ready for this show, because I play five instruments in this show. Two of those instruments are instruments I wasn’t comfortable with before this production, but my course allowed me to pick up the instruments and be like “yeah, give me a week. We’ll make it work.” I think that was the main thing. I graduated in 2020, and got this part in September 2021 which is kind of when theatre started opening again. It was my first big job and I got an understudy part for the Original Cast in the West End, which was crazy. Part of me thought “I’ll never go on” but I went on for every single part I was covering. That closed in March 2022, and in September they asked me to be Elizabeth for the first leg of the tour, and then take over as Anne, and I’ve been doing that since January. I was buzzing when I found out I got the role; I did my audition and then went and watched Ian McKellen in Hamlet at Windsor and I couldn’t concentrate. Got a call later on and quit my day job which was great!

É: What instruments do you play?

L: My first instrument was piano, then I learnt saxophone and so I’ve got all different sizes of saxophone. I get to play piano, sax, guitar, accordion and flute in the show.

É: In terms of music, there are some amazing karaoke songs in the play. Which is your favourite to perform?

L: It’s one that I don’t sing in but I do silly stuff in. There’s a scene that involves Etta James, a horse, a mop and a thunder and lightning storm. That’s one of my favourite bits, and also that’s when I get to use the water gun which is always fun. I always know if my family are coming where they’re sitting and where to aim in the audience!

É: You play Mary Bennet and Lydia Bennet, who are very different characters. Do you do anything to switch to the mindset of the different characters?

L: Oh, yeah. It took me ages to figure out where they sat in my body, because for anyone who doesn’t know Austen, Lydia is the young wild child of the Bennet family. She’s fifteen.

Continued on the next page

IF IT WAS A SERIOUS PLAY, I WOULDN’T BE IN IT

THIS LINE THAT THIS CRAZY CHARACTER SAYS IS JUST WHAT AUSTEN WROTE 200 YEARS AGO

Image: Mihaela Bodlovic

‘Find the project that makes you happy’

Continued from previous page...

L: Mary is this really forgotten about middle child, like she is absolutely middle child syndrome, so one of the things I did was change them up with accents — Lydia Bennet is very scouse and over the top, big scouse brows and she walks with her chest. Mary started by bringing her chins down, she’s always got her chins out all the time; she’s got big glasses and a big bow on the top of her head. All her sisters are beautiful and she wants to be beautiful but she’s got this stupid pink dress that I manage to rip and my wardrobe person hates me for it! She’s tried so hard to make this beautiful dress to be like her sisters and she just looks like a trifle! So, because she has her chins out and she has to push her glasses down her face, she comes out nasally and wild. And then slowly over time they’ve got a little bit more stupid —Lydia walks and swings her shoulders around, being constantly put down by her mother. It’s fun and one thing that didn’t go wrong but was funny the other night was that Mary comes on right at the end of the show and she gets this big moment. I got to the front of the stage,

it was completely silent and then someone at the very back wolf-whistled me. As Mary, I looked ahead, looked straight at them and just looked them dead in the eye in the audience and whispered ‘call me’. That was very fun to do.

É: Do you have any advice for young performers hoping to make it in the industry?

L: It’s the cliché of you’ve got to be yourself, like if you go into an audition room do the pieces and the songs that make you happy. Find the project that makes you happy!

É: Thank you so much for doing an interview with me! I hope the rest of the tour goes well. We spent the rest of our time discussing where the good places to go out in Exeter were... (TP after the last show, anyone?)

Is it important to study poetry in schools?

Gracie Moore, Lifestyle Editor, talks about the importance of poetry in the primary school curriculum

THE exposure to and study of poetry in primary schools is on the decrease with 93 per cent of children not having access to weekly poetry readings or lessons. It’s a shame when considering how different the study of poetry is to prose and non-fiction writing as poetry offers a more diverse range of styles that can be analysed for meaning.

Poetry is probably one of the more diverse forms of writing and not studying poetry limits the knowledge of modes of expression.

I remember writing my own poetry in primary school as well as reading it and it was very influential for my creative writing skills as well as the way I developed critical reading skills. Poetry can often be difficult to get one’s head around with the true meaning of it often hidden among challenging language, syntax or form, leaving you to have to work it out for yourself but poetry made specifically for children combats this issue and allows them to explore the joy of poetry without being overwhelmed. Also, being able to understand and

analyse poetry is arguably a transferable skill that will help young children in various other subjects during their time at secondary school and even going into the world of work. Poetry allows writers to express themselves in ways that often can’t be achieved in longer prose books so the study of both is paramount.

their feelings and that this isn’t always a comfortable concept to consider in terms of simply speaking to someone; sometimes it’s easier to have our emotions crafted into words on paper. More than anything, there needs to be better training for teachers in order to give adequate and thought-provoking lessons about the importance of poetry. Failing this, primary schools need to at least offer spaces for children to be able to consume poetry by their own choice whether that is through libraries or offering poetry books.

We should be teaching children that it’s important to open up and convey

Review of This Must Be The Place

by Maggie O’Farrell

PUBLISHED in 2016, This Must Be the Place is the 7th novel by award-winning author Maggie O’Farrell. The story follows Daniel Sullivan, a Linguistics Professor with a complex past, and Claudette Wells, an actress

who disappeared at the height of her fame and moved to a remote farmhouse in Ireland, where the pair meet and attempt to leave their troubled pasts behind. Nonetheless, their old identities can never be entirely

forgotten, and are unveiled to the reader by an ensemble of unexpected narrators, jumping between time periods and locations.

In the novel, O’Farrell confronts themes of identity, connection, and relationships.

Image: Mihaela Bodlovic

LYDIA BENNETT IS VERY SCOUSE AND OVER THE TOP, BIG SCOUSE BROWS ETC

POETRY ALLOWS WRITERS TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES IN WAYS THAT OFTEN CAN’T BE ACHIEVED IN LONGER PROSE

POETRY OFFERS A MORE DIVERSE RANGE OF STYLES THAT CAN BE ANALYSED FOR MEANING

Image: Creazilla

Rosie Batsford reviews the latest novel by Maggie O’Farrell

MUSIC

Artist Spotlight: Coldplay

Ahead of their world tour returning to Europe, Harry Craig, Music Editor, looks at the biggest band of our generation

IN 2000, music industry executive Alan McGee wrote an article for The Guardian in which he called Coldplay, who had just released their début album Parachutes, “music to wet your bed to.” For the best part of two decades, this reputation seemed to stick in popu lar culture, from Super Hans (“people like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis, you can’t trust people”) to Noel Fielding (“I genuinely hate Coldplay”). In spite of their status as the most successful band of the 21st century, with a catalogue of hits from ‘Yellow’ to ‘Viva La Vida’, they could not shake the popular perception of being a bit too boring and vanilla.

In the last two years, however, it seems even the most hardened Coldplay critics have been won round. Their ongoing Music of the Spheres World Tour is on track to be the highestattended world tour of all time, and this week, they will embark on their second sold-out European leg of this record-breaking tour. Those who years ago would have mocked me for liking Coldplay, now found themselves fighting for tickets. In the past two decades, Chris, Jonny, Guy and Will have completely rede -

fined the music industry, particularly live touring, and continue to break new boundaries.

The most visible aspect of this is the band’s commitment to sustainability and environmentalism. Following their experimental eighth album, Everyday Life (2019), frontman Chris Martin stated that they would not tour again until they had found a way to do so that was environmentally friendly. By their ninth album, Music of the Spheres (2021), their feet were getting itchy, and the band were ready to tour — but, as they had promised, only in a way that was sustainable. This has been delivered in their 12 pledges, including a 50 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions, avoiding use of fossil fuels and the stage even being built from bamboo. This has all been achieved without detracting in any way from the magic of a Coldplay show, and all the fundamental elements — fireworks, pyro, confetti, lights and of course the Xylobands — are still there. Indeed, the Xylobands are perhaps one of Coldplay’s greatest live innovations. The band launched them during the Mylo Xyloto

Tour in 2011 to be worn by every member of the audience to light up the stadium in a sea of colour, elevating songs like ‘Charlie Brown’ and ‘A Sky Full of Stars’ to legendary live status. Although others have copied the idea since, they remain quintessentially Coldplay.

Importantly, too, this is accessible to everyone. At a time when inflation is pricing out most people from seeing live music, Coldplay have kept their tickets affordable, with their cheapest Infinity Tickets at just £20. Sensory packs and even sign language interpreters also mean that everyone can enjoy the performance.

Although now most famous for their live exploits, their studio work deserves attention too — from the hits to deep cuts. Chris’ exceptional talent for writing bittersweet songs that everyone can relate to has produced some of the band’s biggest hits, notably ‘Fix You’ and ‘The Scientist'. I would, however, also encourage people to listen beyond their dozen or so biggest hits, as deep in their discography are some true highlights.

For example, their most

Summertime serenades

Gracie Moore, Lifestyle Editor, prepares for the holidays with a spotlight on Cantoma

SUMMER is approaching and that means we can crack out the party anthems in preparation for festivals and lads’ holidays. However, the party bangers might not be for everyone, and there are other genres of music that are also reminiscent of summer. I am personally more of a fan of music that takes me back to summer holidays eating olives and drinking

Aperol Spritz on a balcony overlooking the sea in Spain.

Cantoma is the DJ name of Phil Mison, an artist origi nally from Chelmsford (of all places) whose genre of music probably best fits under the category of Balearic, ambient, electronica music. The relaxed, chillstep-esque beat in much of his music isn’t replicated in many other summer songs so it’s perfect to relax to when you’re soaking up the sun next to a pool or even in your own garden. This makes sense as Mison supposedly writes most of the music he produces “staring out to sea.”

His endeavours in this genre of music began because he used to produce more generic chill-hop music before he was inspired by José Padilla and the music that he selected at the Cafe Del Mar in Ibiza. There is a flamenco tone to most of his songs in the album Just Landed , along with backing vocals

in French, Spanish and Portuguese, making it feel like classy European holiday music. Personally, my favourite songs of his are ‘Just Landed’, ‘Alive’, ‘Tabarin’, ‘North Shore’ and ‘Talva Lumi’. ‘Just Landed’ is exactly what it suggests it is. You genuinely feel warm and relaxed when listening to it, and it’s impossible not to bring to mind images of stepping off the aeroplane in a hot country, leaving the airport where the air is slightly sticky and the acknowledgement of not having to bring your problems with you is enough to put you at ease. Exactly what it feels like to have to have no problems!

prived for so long, people wanted to soak up the European summer air as much as possible, and this music is the perfect accompaniment.

Mison’s most recent album, Into Daylight , has a slightly similar feel to my favourite album Just Landed . However, with its slightly faster beat in many of its songs, this album may be better placed in the classier clubs of Ibiza, as these songs are much easier to dance to, rather than to just sit back and soak up the atmosphere.

Regardless, Mison makes music for the masses and the lack of profound or political lyrics never pushes a social agenda, allowing it to avoid the 'marmite' effect of either loving or hating it.

Quite simply, it’s feel-good music, allowing you to relax and unwind with some good nostalgia! For this reason, I’ll be playing this music on repeat after exams are finished when there isn’t a care in the world and I can take a well-deserved break from studying.

recent album closes with an epic ten-minute piano-led space ballad, ‘Coloratura’, which may be the best thing the band have ever released. 'Everyday Life', meanwhile, features a jazzy collab with Nigerian saxophonist Femi Kuti and Belgian pop star Stromae on ‘Arabesque’, and look back even further and you’ll find hidden gems like ‘Lovers in Japan’, ‘Glass of Water’ and ‘Politik.’ After a career spanning over two decades, it seems Coldplay are finally getting the mass recognition and celebration they deserve. If they aren’t there already, put them at the top of your concert bucket list — it is truly an otherworldly experience.

Like me (and many others), Mison says European holidays are a tale of two halves in that you have the crazy, party vibe in places like Ibiza but then you also have the relaxed, lazing by the pool, grabbing a drink in the local café vibe, the latter of which he prefers. It’s refreshing to have this type of music available to us. Post-COVID, when summer holidays were the main event of the year after being de -

New Release Radar Harry Craig, Music Editor

Mermaids (Florence + The Machine)

One year after the album's release, Florence Welch treated fans with one more song to add to the Dance Fever era. 'Mermaids' was released as a bonus single on the 21st April, as a dark pop track exploring Welch's sobriety and English weather.

The metaphor of mermaids is cleverly woven in to a cutting social commentary on British drinking culture — the line "you haven't seen nothing 'til you've seen an English girl drink" could have been written about a TP Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the instrumental builds from a muted start, allowing Florence's falsetto to take centre stage, before creating an ambiance of horror and dread. It is quintessentially Florence, and an excellent addition to the Dance Fever universe.

Image: Rachel Kiki @rachelkeeks

Image: Harry Craig

Image: Frank Schwichtenberg, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Susanne Sailer, Pixabay

Image: Kranich17, Pixabay

YOU GENUINELY FEEL WARM AND RELAXED WHEN LISTENING TO IT

EDITORS: Harry Craig and Jake Avery

Live review: Softcult at Clwb Ifor Bach

Jake Avery, Music Editor, reviews the band's shoegaze rebellion

SOFTCULT’S Welsh debut brought a rolling storm of shoegaze and grunge to Clwb Ifor Bach. Fronting the set with a bold and keen mission statement was Mercedes Arn-Horn, who delivered an impressive array of lyrics infused with frustration. The band’s shoegaze-coated melodies garnered a fantastic response from the crowd as they delivered a riveting set centred around their latest EP release, ‘See You In The Dark’, illustrating a fine balance between their alt-rock edge and the pop-hooks implemented throughout their tracks. The focal point of the performance was a cause that is engrained into the very fabric of Softcult’s ethos and conception; an empowering message for women’s rights was broadcast, with front woman Mercedes delivering a poignant speech mid-set that brought attention to the dire treatment of women within society. The devasting murder of Sarah Everard was held as a key example to demonstrate the cycle of suffering and systemic oppression that wom en face. If it wasn’t already abundantly clear through the band’s scathing critiques of these issues within each track’s lyrics, Mer-

cedes' announcement projected their mission statement loud and clear: enough is enough. Softcult's marriage between style and substance is what propelled the performance astronomically, as each track basked in the warm and electric tones of shoegaze without losing focus of the progressive and sharp-edged immediacy and importance of the messages being delivered.

Tracks such as ‘Gaslight’ and ‘Dress’ offered an array of glitzy tones whilst also raising an awareness of the dangers of coercive control and the caustic effect that sexual harassment has on its victims. The true brilliance of Softcult’s performance bloomed in the complexity of their approach to contemporary issues; a gripping, vast selection of genres were entwined to convey sounds that could never be classed as one emotion at any given moment. There was sorrow and resentment, but also flush-

es of bliss and peace — all of which constructed an incredibly engaging, multi-faceted approach to complex issues. A dazzling mixture of tones and emotions that pull you in immediately were con cocted; this immersion only increased as their set progressed. The fuzz and dreamy tone of each track was elevated by the charged angst behind each vocal lead. Mercedes’ vocal delivery was resolute and crafted dreamy melo dies whilst always maintain ing an underlying iciness that compounded the revolt powering each lyric. This was supplemented by sibling Phoenix’s polished backing vocals, an aspect that along with their cool-tempered drumming, elevated the rhythm above the distortion and melodies that unfolded.

The dynamic between the twins was fantastic, as both formed a perfect cohesion between their respective parts, always being responsive to each other. This tenet of Softcult’s performance was shared between the other supporting members also; gui-

Eurovision recap

tarist Brent McSwiggan and bassist Oliver Burdett cooked up a cyclone of distortion, simultaneously reinforcing and contrasting against Mercedes’ supercharged and yet also delicate guitar leads. A particularly blistering guitar solo from McSwiggan amassed a fantastic response from the crowd. Softcult proved exactly why they are a force to be reckoned with throughout the performance. The complex nature of their music prohibits them from being categorized into any particular genre, and this fluidity serves as one of their best assets when navigating sounds and tones that traverse between anger, sadness and solitude. The musicianship of every member was excellent, as these genres and emotions were engaged with in an effortless manner. Crucial to all of this, and ultimately the component that enhanced Softcult’s set the most, was the sincerity of their message. Their declaration of war against misogyny and gender inequality shone through brilliantly, and it was fascinating to witness an already superb shoegaze band serving as such a revitalizing vehicle for positive change.

Megan Ballantyne, Editor, reviews the competition's first time in the UK in 25 years

THE path to Eurovision 2023 was a long one. Since Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won last year's final with their song ‘Stefania’, debates around where and how the contest would take place have dominated the discussion over the last year due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. While Ukrainian authorities had hoped that the contest could take place in the “newly rebuilt” Ukraine, the contest ended up taking place in Liverpool, the first time the competition has been held in the UK since 1998. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that he would have preferred it if Ukraine had been able to host Eurovision in a country nearer to Ukraine “where our people could travel to and be very close,” but that “the main thing is that the contest is taking place. Let the people show their talent.”

petition with her power ballad ‘Tattoo,’ previously also won the competition in 2012 for her song ‘Euphoria’ which became a Europe-wide hit. The audience favourite, and highest on the popular vote, Finland, came a close second with their song ‘Cha Cha Cha,’ which saw lead singer Käärijä performing in a neon green top with four cha cha dancers running around the stage and contorting their body wearing bright

pink outfits and eerie and shiny white smiles. The audience in Liverpool were heard chanting the name of the song repeatedly while voting was being announced, but in the end they received 526 votes, 57 below Sweden’s 583.

The UK’s entry ‘I Wrote a Song’ didn’t meet the heights of last year’s second place ‘SPACE MAN’ and sent the UK firmly back to the bottom half of the leaderboard,

with Mae Muller’s ‘I Wrote a Song’ coming second to last with 24 points overall.

The UK Eurovision commentator for the last 16 years, Graham Norton, hosted the show alongside actress and presenter Hannah Waddingham, musician Alesha Dixon and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina.

This year, the announcers of the jury votes were even more eccentric than usual. The UK’s Catherine Tate appeared drunk and swaying on the screen, (as I expect many of us were by the end of the show) while Iceland’s presenter was wearing a mask much like that you might expect a Marvel villain to wear. The jury’s votes went overwhelmingly to Loreen’s Tattoo, giving her almost double as many points as the second place competitor, Finland.

Now that the final has come and gone, however, we have been able to focus on all the usual things we love about Eurovision, and not only the difficult circumstances leading up to it; the strange mix of political and humanitarian statements and weird musical acts is once again over for another year.

Sweden’s Loreen, who won the 2023 com-

There was decent parity between Ukrainian and British representation in the show. Tributes were paid to Liverpool’s musical history, but key Ukrainian sites of interest were celebrated alongside British monuments in between the acts of the Saturday evening show. Ukraine’s song ‘Heart of Steel’ also offered a fitting tribute to Ukraine and its resistance to the Russian invasion, with band member Andrii Hutsuliak taking inspiration for the song from the resilience of Ukrainian forces during the siege of Mariupol.

The show overall managed to strike a delicate tone between commemorating and recognising the tragic circumstances under which the show was taking place in the UK, while also uplifting the campy joy we have all come to expect and love from Eurovision.

DEBATES AROUND WHERE AND HOW THE CONTEST WOULD TAKE PLACE HAVE DOMINATED THE DISCUSSION

AN

EMPOWERING MESSAGE FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS WAS BROADCAST

A DAZZLING MIXTURE OF TONES AND

Images: MandyPettersen, Wikimedia Commons

Image: EBU/Corinne Cumming

Images: Jake Avery

In conversation with: Don Boyd

Annabelle Law, Screen Editor, and Livvy Mason-Myhill, Deputy Editor, discuss the contents of talks by Don Boyd, and talk to him regarding his long career in British cinema

ON the 13th March, Don Boyd, an acclaimed screenwriter, producer, and director, gave a talk to students at the University of Exeter, giving them an insight into his work as an industry expert in the field of adaptation. Boyd is known for having worked on some of the most eminent adaptation in British cinema across the last 50 years.

Boyd began the talk by highlighting the importance of being faithful to the original piece that one is choosing to adapt within the film industry. He claimed that “fidelity seems to be a crucial reason to do the work at all. The last thing you want to do is ruin something the original works has presented”. He continued by explaining that there are various forms of adaptation for the cinema, and each has its own branding strategy, “the transition from a play or book to the screen, for instance. Both have their difficulties”. One of the main points made by Boyd regarding the adaptation process and the arguments of fidelity that come with it, is that “what you are ending up with adapted is a different phenomenon and can’t and shouldn’t be compared to the original”.

Another novel that Boyd was involved in producing the adaptation of, was An Unsuitable Job for a Woman in 1980. The writer of the novel, P.D. James, claimed that she didn’t want anything to do with the production process of the adaptation, yet she did want to approve of the director of the film. Chris Petit, the director of the film, used the adaptation “as an opportunity to have a philosophical look at the characters involved”. Boyd explained how Petit transformed the adaptation into “a very interesting, intellectual exercise”. He described that they had to show the film adaptation to P.D. James before it was released and “she absolutely adored the film” and she enjoyed the film as it was not her novel, and she explained to Boyd that they had used her novel in the best possible way.

Referring to his own novel, Margot’s Secrets, he discussed how he was asked whether he was going to have it made into an adaptation. At first, he said no to it being made into an adaptation, and he didn’t particularly want it to be changed too much, particularly with its locations. Yet, he renewed his options, and he was asked to write a screenplay based on his novel, which he said may currently be in the works.

revert to the original Shakespearean dialogue, despite being known for acting in many Shakespeare plays throughout his career. By using the plot and backdrop of King Lear, Boyd wanted to make the links to the original play apparent, integrating ideas that were clear in the play: “there was no pretence that I was trying to do Shakespeare”. The script of the adaptation was co-written by Boyd and crime journalist Nick Davies. Davies integrated his knowledge and research of crime into the script and “it was remarkable how easy it was that the Shakespeare characters fitted into the research that we had”.

During the talk, Boyd recollected some of his most memorable experiences whilst working in the film industry. He revealed that he was nearly convinced to write the screenplay for the 1993 film The Remains of the Day, adapting it from the 1989 novel of the same name. He stated that he enjoyed the book enormously and he was disappointed that he didn’t get to write the screenplay for that particular adaptation. Yet, he praised the screenplay of the film that was crafted by Harold Pinter, who he dubbed as “one of the greatest playwrights of all time”, describing his technique in the theatre to be “very space-economic language, quite political, very powerful, very simple, almost abstract”. When he was shown the script of the adaptation, there were no instructions at all which he recognised as something completely different to what most screenplays are like. What he found extraordinary about the screenplay was how Pinter managed to encapsulate the essence of the novel with just dialogue scenes, “extracting dialogue scenes and putting them into the screenplay”, whilst clearly altering the chronology of the original text. Boyd also emphasised that students should explore film history more, especially encouraging them to discover more films that were made between the 1940s and the 1960s.

The novel that Boyd was first involved in, in terms of adaptation, was written by Beryl Bainbridge called Sweet William. Boyd was the producer of the adaptation and whilst working on this project, he was introduced to the idea of the author of the original text being able to collaborate on the adaptation process, bringing their text to the screen. Bainbridge was directly involved within the process of adaptation, incorporating her own ideas of how she wanted certain scenes to be executed.

His approach to Shakespeare adaptations were also recounted. He referred to Derek Jarman who was an artist and filmmaker, “immensely supportive of the gay rights campaigns in the 1970s and 1980s”. Boyd expressed how he admired Jarman for his incredible artistic talents, “the foreground of iconic, classic artists that I was brought up on”. Jarman came to Don and told him that he was interested in creating an adaptation of The Tempest. Boyd worked as the producer for the film and Jarman “turned up with a script that was 35 pages long which was extraordinary. He had cut scenes from Shakespeare. But every single word spoken was spoken in Shakespearean dialogue”. Jarman had also explained to Boyd that he had researched John Dee, the famed Elizabethan magician, and thought that Shakespeare had possibly based the character of Prospero on Dee. Jarman’s adaptation of The Tempest was a punk recreation of the play, which Boyd depicted as “completely faithful to the play and I am very proud of it. It’s innovative and unusual”, adding that “Derek in some ways would change the history of British film with that adaptation as people saw Shakespeare translations as something that could be immensely cinematic and very amusing in its contexts”.

Another Shakespeare adaptation that Boyd talked about was My Kingdom, an adaptation of King Lear which he directed. He wanted to “find something to set in Liverpool in contemporary terms. Lear offers a very powerful opportunity to show a person who has power and loses it at the expense of the relationship with his family”. He transformed the character of Lear into a gangster in Liverpool and altered the genre of the original play. Boyd only used one sentence from the original Shakespeare play, making the film his own art form. He also mentioned that he cast the late Richard Harris as Lear and it would be one of his last roles that he played before his death. Boyd recollected that he would have to sit in Harris’ trailer every morning to go through his lines with him and Harris never once wanted to

“Two artforms that I have been involved in have been opera and classical music”. Aria was a multi-directional opera film that Boyd had produced. “Aria was tempted to do what Walt Disney did with Fantasia which was animated versions of classical music” and Boyd had pitched this particular idea, tailoring it to opera music. There were ten directors working on the film and with Boyd’s guidance, they were able to each create a scene using pieces of chosen opera music, having the chance to add their own artistic flairs to the film. “What was fascinating was that they all used the music in the way that rock music videos were done and saw it as an opportunity to create something cinematic from their own perspective”. The film was a massive success for Boyd, and it was used as the closing night film at the Cannes Film Festival.

Boyd collaborated once more with filmmaker Jarman on the production of War Requiem, another adaptation he produced. Within the film, the production team, including Boyd, agreed to the use of no sound effects or overlaid sound effects. With the film’s lack of dialogue, it acted almost as a silent film which Boyd regarded as “an interesting form of adaptation”.

When asked how he went about making a network in the film and television industry, Boyd answered that making contacts varied over his 50 years of his career. Also, when asked about the process of adapting and about how much of the original text he likes to consume, he answered that he enjoys engaging with the original texts greatly, explaining that: “it is important to know the writings and helps tremendously with research”. Boyd delved into his routine for writing; he indicated that if he is working with someone else on a project, he enjoys collaborating. His routine was described by him as “very disciplined indeed. What I need is time. Once I’ve written something I like to have a bit of time to allow it to be sort through”.

Further, we also inquired about the filmmakers and film movements that inspired Boyd at the start of his career. Boyd responded enthusiastically, and shared the movements that influenced him, “the great Italian film directors of the post-war era”, as well as the “New Wave French directors of the 1960s”. Which in his opinion, “optimise the twentieth-century era.”

We also had the opportunity to ask Boyd about his experience in writing beyond the screen, regarding his novels, to which Boyd responded that, “I’m not a novelist, but I enjoy writing them”, joking that, unlike screenplays and films, “You don’t have to get a whole bunch of people to write a novel.” Boyd spoke about his time in lockdown, which he used to pursue his novelistic ambitions. However, ultimately Boyd states his profession is, “to direct films, produce them, and write them”, as he has done throughout his career. Continuing this line of questioning, we asked if Boyd had always been a storyteller, to which he replied “I’ve always written, and I’ve always liked to collaborate.”

At the end of the talk, Exeposé had the opportunity to converse with Boyd and conduct an interview about his professional career, passions and projects. When we asked, what made you want to get into the film industry in the first place? Boyd replied that he wanted to express himself with cinema, and “integrate” his “passions in that medium”. Boyd reminisced on how he “fell in love with cinema” at a young age, and wanted to create films like the ones that inspired him.

Additionally, we asked Boyd about his collaborations with novelists from whom he makes adaptations of their work. He responded passionately that, “I enjoy it hugely”, stating that his most recent collaboration with a young Portuguese female writer has been “one of the happiest experiences of my professional career.” And that concerning these projects, he doesn’t trust himself enough to carry out the project alone, “I like to have it all interrogated by somebody else.”

Finally, we asked if Boyd had any advice to offer budding screenwriters who want to go into the film industry. Boyd’s answer was short, sweet and to the point: “If you’re passionate about it, never give up.” An optimistic message of perseverance for filmmakers everywhere.

Exeposé would like to thank Don Boyd for this interview, and are extremely grateful for his time.

Image: Courtesy of Phil Wickham, Curator of the Bill Douglas

....HE ENJOYS ENGAGING WITH THE ORIGINAL TEXTS GREATLY...

HE CLAIMED THAT “FIDELITY SEEMS TO BE A CRUCIAL REASON TO DO THE WORK AT ALL...”

EDITORS: Annabelle Law and Madison Sohngen

“Everything I Know About Love”

Pollyanna Roberts, Deputy Editor, reviews Dolly Alderton’s acclaimed memoir adaptation

EVERYTHING I Know About Love was released in June 2022, based on the memoir of the same title by Dolly Alderton. It follows the lives of childhood best friends Maggie (Emma Appleton) and Birdy (Bel Powley), as freshly graduated young women on the cusp of adulthood. They house share with two other girls, Nell (Marli Siu) and Amara (Aliyah Odoffin), in the heart of Camden in 2012. As a duo, they must navigate love, sex, and growing up, while maintaining their own relationship.

When you meet your soulmate at a young age, it seems inevitable that you will grow apart. Maggie and Birdy spent their formative years growing together and even went to the same university. Maggie is the epitome of a free spirit, she revels in her youth and wants to experience everything, everywhere all at once. For her, chasing youth is enough to sustain her, even if everyone around her is starting to settle in their lives. Whereas Birdy has always been the quieter of the two, tranquil and content. Her style is sweeter

and more conservative, she is inexperienced and, arguably, stuck behind Maggie’s shadow. After they leave the sanctuary of university life, they face the real world head on, and this is where they begin to come into their own. Or at least attempt to.

FUTURAMA is undoubtedly one of the greatest cartoons ever made. Created by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, the show goes beyond their work on The Simpsons and achieves a greater depth. While I could talk for hours about the creativity of Futurama, from inventing a new language to developing robot culture, the magic of this show is found in the main characters and each of their stories. Phillip J. Fry is the main character of the show and is supported by Turanga Leela, a one-eyed (alien) and Bender, a bending robot. Each of these characters, while written to be comedic, possess their own personal tragedies.

Most prominently, Fry, a boy who doesn’t fit in or enjoy his life in the 20th century gets cryogenically frozen and finds himself in the 30th century. Despite now fitting in and living in his sci-fi fantasy which he was previously only able to experience through computer games, he is lonely and longs for his old life. Leela similarly finds herself alone. Orphaned

Maggie, a drama graduate, is a hopeless romantic who wants love and affection, but never from the right men. In the pilot she meets Street, a stereotypical grungy musician who only has time for his guitar, his cigarette and occasional sex. Their ‘meet cute’ on a random train is very Before Sunrise (bar the fact Street is no Ethan Hawke), and after sharing a passionate kiss, we’re left wondering if they will meet again. They do. If we ignore the fact he didn’t initially know who she was, it could be the start of a very romantic story line. Yet, Street really does not deliver on that front. Maggie has chased this romantic idea of ‘destiny’ and placed it in the unwilling hands of a guy in a band who really could not care less. As an audience, we, like Maggie, are witnessing this unsatisfying situationship alongside the blossoming relationship between Birdy and Nathan (who happens to be Street’s roommate). Comically juxtaposing Maggie’s situ-

ation, Birdy falls madly in love with Nathan, the first man she ever dates. He is charming, loving, and communicative, and even gets a giant teddy to celebrate their first month of being girlfriend and boyfriend. As Birdy falls deeper into her feelings for Nathan, she begins to distance herself from Maggie. Maggie, unsatisfied with her own love life, wants to fall into the arms of Birdy and be with her, but she is always with Nathan. Throughout her relationship with Maggie, it seems that Birdy is the follower, dependent on Maggie for advice and influence. Yet, when push comes to shove, and Maggie’s façade does indeed shatter, we realise that it is Maggie who is actually completely dependent on Birdy. Maggie’s naivety is further accentuated in the final episode, where she sits with her mum in the car. Their intimate conversation illustrates just how scary growing up is, and honestly makes you just want to hug someone you love. It reminded me of Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird, and the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother, which is strained and frustrating but overflowing with so much love that it drowns them. This last scene had me bawling, as Maggie’s mum tells her all about love. She explains how the world can feel like a war zone when you’re older and, therefore, you should be with someone who brings you peace and makes you laugh, not someone who makes it more difficult. For Maggie, this person is Birdy.

As a show, it is pure 2010s nostalgia,

Futurama: A masterpiece

on Earth as a baby, she has no idea who her parents are or where her home planet is. This of course changes in season four when she discovers her parents are sewer mutants and that she is a mutant, not an alien. Despite this, Leela remains on the surface and al though she tries to live in the sewer, she eventually realises that she is out of place both underground and on the surface. And Bender, while a robot, has insecurities about his legacy and wishes to be remembered and loved. Although he is a robot that should generally have backup units (meaning he can never die) he discovers that he was built without one, changing his perspective on life.

The beauty of Futurama is that disguised in jokes and amazing sci-fi innovations,

there are three tragic stories which each generally form the basis of each episode.

Another aspect of Futurama that sets it apart from the rest is its endings. Some shows decide that once credits start rolling, that’s the end. Not Futurama. The ending of several Futurama episodes demonstrates how much time and thought goes into each episode. The most tear-jerking ending for me is ‘Jurassic Bark’. In this episode, Fry finds the fossilised remains of his dog, Seymour, who was his best friend in the 20th century. After at first wishing to bring Seymour back from the dead, Fry decides against it after learning Seymour lived for several years after Fry disappeared, assuming that he’d moved on. The end of the episode shows Seymour waiting outside the

with Maggie’s iconic bangs and Rizzle Kicks’ ‘Down with the Trumpets’ accompanying a party montage as a few examples to transport us back to the period. However, we know it is all fantasy now because four fresh graduates would never be able to afford a house in Camden in 2023. The creators really have brought Alderton’s memoir to life, which Alderton has made relatively easy with her holistic and realistic characters, who have imperfections that make them even more enjoyable to watch. For example, our protagonist Maggie, while frustrating at points, does develop throughout the show and we do end up seeing her with the career of her dreams, writing for a reality TV show. Yet, she calls Amara a ‘sell-out’ for ditching her dream of dance for the corporate world. Maggie’s privilege and naivety are singled out here, her assumptions about Amara and her relationship with dance show how sheltered Maggie has been for most of her life. In the end, she does realise and apologises for her ignorance. The audience learns alongside the characters and, as it tackles post-graduate fears, I would recommend it to everyone at university. It is gritty, real, and gut-wrenching, but its depiction of adulthood and soulmates (both platonic and romantic) is beautifully tragic.

IT IS GRITTY , REAL AND GUT-WRENCHING

pizzeria where Fry worked for the remaining years of his life accompanied with the song ‘I Will Wait for You’. Similarly, the ending of ‘Luck of the Fryish’ shows Fry realising the true impact of his disappearance on his family, specifically his brother, Clancy. Fry attempts to find a lucky seven-leaf clover which he had fought over growing up with his brother in the 20th century. Fry discovers that the clover had been given to his nephew Phillip, who had been named in honour of him, and that with it he’d been the first man on Mars. The tragedy of this episode highlights how despite Fry arguing with his brother and not enjoying his life in the 20th century, his brother desperately missed him, and his disappearance was devastating for his family. While I’ve only talked about a handful of episodes, there are so many more that demonstrate the beauty of this show such as ‘The Late Philip J. Fry’, ‘Meanwhile’, ‘Godfellas’, ‘Roswell That Ends Well’ (I could go on). Whether you’re a diehard sci-fi fan or just want to switch off and get lost in a new show, I really recommend you to have a look at Futurama (seasons three and four are the best IMO).

Joshua Hughes, Editor, reviews the genius of TV show Futurama

Image: Giuseppe Milo

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Image: shannonpatrick17, Flickr

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS

AFTER THEY LEAVE THE SANCTUARY OF UNIVERSITY LIFE, THEY FACE THE REAL WORLD HEAD ON

A new best friend?

Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Comment Editor, looks at Snapchat's new AI feature and gives her opinion

AS of the 19th April, Snapchat’s update pinned a new friend to our chats — known as ‘My AI’ — and the reactions have users concerned to say the least. From AI technology and the rapid growth of ChatGPT, recent tech developments, while undeniably impressive, are beginning to border on alarming. While the feature has been available for premium users since February, it has only now become a universal feature of the app. For those of you who have yet to try the Snapchat bot, it is essentially a virtual friend that you can communicate with whenever about whichever subject you choose. While personally, I have spent the past few weeks frantically trying to delete it (then shortly having to ignore its existence) it seems only right to use the AI to find out more.

I HAVE SPENT THE LAST FEW WEEKS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO DELETE IT

Taking a moment to test the bot, I was able to conduct an entire interview within minutes, with most of this time being me typing the questions, as responses were instant. To open with, AI outlined its role in three stag -

es: to "chat with you, offer recommendations, and help you have fun on the app." Though off to a confident start, AI was then unable to answer how many users have used this feature, even unable to give an estimate when asked once more. In the hopes of opening a more self-aware dialogue, I began to ask AI about how it sees its role developing in future. As expected, a set of highly diplomatic responses followed, as its initial optimism was also met with an urge to ensure it is used "ethically and responsibly." Similarly, it acknowledged it will not be able to "replace hu mans completely," how ever already believes that "AI has the ability to outperform humans in certain tasks". When asked if it thinks AI technology can be dangerous, the response again analysed both sides of the argument, placing emphasis on its acceptability if it "benefits people and society as a whole." To confirm the frustration felt by many, I concluded by asking if users can

delete this feature if they prefer, in response to which information about Snapchat+ was generated, and upon further questioning, it was confirmed that only paying users are currently able to remove the feature.

Reflecting on AI’s answers, there are many questions to grapple with. Immediately, its unavoidable existence leads us to consider what its wider purpose truly is. Is this perhaps a marketing ploy to get individuals to subscribe to Snapchat premium, or is this for many a reason to consider deleting Snapchat altogether? As noted in a recent Evening Standard article, since the update, ‘‘Google searches for 'delete snapchat' also spiked by 488 per cent on the heels of the chatbot’s launch".

Turning to more recent AI news, Geoffrey Hinton, a pioneer of AI work, has not only quit Google after decades of service, but has done so and is speaking out about the dangers of his life's work. He goes on to share with the BBC

Microsoft supremacy

about AI levels of intelligence and how these chatbots "could soon overtake the level of information that a human brain holds." A BBC article utilises a useful analogy to explain this: if we were to imagine 10,000 people taught about different topics, it would take considerable time for all this knowledge to become universal, yet with AI this knowledge is able to be shared instantly — as if they were one.

Now, while AI develops at an alarming speed, several in the field share concerns and in March, an open letter was co-signed "including [by] the tech billionaire Elon Musk" calling "for a pause on all development... so robust safety measures could be designed and implemented." Unfortunately, change seems unlikely to follow, as due to international competition, other countries would simply fall behind in progress. Though the current inability to delete the AI frustrates many, perhaps for some it will provide a much-needed source of communication and company.

Oliver Lamb, Deputy Editor, unpicks Microsoft's possible acquisition of Activision

FOR the world of games it has been a tumultuous fortnite. On the 26th April the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority blocked Microsoft’s attempted purchase of Activision Blizzard, the videogame firm behind Call of Duty , World of Warcraft , Candy Crush Saga and Overwatch , among others. The $69 billion (£56 billion) bid was unprecedented both for Microsoft and for the videogame industry. Microsoft branded the regulator’s decision “bad for Britain” and Activision said “the UK is clearly closed for business”. But the UK is not the only country worried about the purchase. There are concerns in Canada, and the US Federal Trade Commission is already taking Microsoft to court.

produce more games for mobile phones. Sony fears that Microsoft intends to rob PlayStation of popular games. That echoes the concerns of regulators, who think Microsoft could make it more expensive, harder or impossible to play certain games on rival consoles.

In a provisional decision in February, the CMA said that the potential purchase of Activision risked stifling competition and innovation in the cloud gaming market. Cloud gaming, or game streaming, allows gamers to play on any device, not just consoles. It is likely to become a major force in the games sector in the near future: by 2026 it is forecast to be worth £11 billion globally and £1 billion in the UK. Microsoft already accounts for 60-70 per cent of cloud gaming services. In an attempt to alleviate the CMA’s concerns, the company proposed to set out which games it must offer to which platforms and under what conditions over ten years, but this was deemed to

be insufficient for a rapidly changing market.

Microsoft says it will appeal the British decision. Why, it argues, would it prevent millions of customers from buying the games of which it is the would-be owner? In support of this point, the company can hold up the deal it struck with Nintendo for Call of Duty to be available on the latter’s consoles — an arrangement it says it has offered to Sony. But Microsoft is also planning to make some future games from the videogame company Bethesda — acquired in 2020 for $7.5 billion (£6.1 billion) — exclusive to Xbox.

Gareth Sutcliffe, senior games analyst at Enders Analysis, said the deal "has been in trouble for a while" and that Microsoft "simply didn't do the necessary regulator outreach to get this deal over the line".

In the aftermath of the CMA’s ruling, Microsoft’s rhetoric has been dramatic. If I’d needed to pad out the word count, I could have

quoted just about every word of President Brad Smith’s response. He called it the “darkest day in our four decades in Britain”, and said that “People are shocked, people are disappointed, and people's confidence in technology in the UK has been severely shaken."

He continued that “the European Union is a more attractive place to start a business than the United Kingdom.” His attacks on the British games sector have brought No. 10 into the fray, with Rishi Sunak’s spokesman highlighting the fact that the industry has doubled in size over the last decade.

Sony’s PlayStation outsells Microsoft’s Xbox, and has done for a while. To catch up, Microsoft wants to have more big titles on its subscription service Game Pass, as well as

Microsoft is not alone in its opposition to the ruling. Sir Ian Livingstone, the co-founder of Games Workshop, said that the British games sector supported the record bid. The battle is not over, but this is a major blow to Microsoft.

THESE CHATBOTS "COULD SOON OVERTAKE THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION THAT A HUMAN BRAIN HOLDS."

MICROSOFT BRANDED THE REGULATOR'S DECISION "BAD FOR BRITAIN"

Image: Blogtrepreneur, Flickr

"THE EUROPEAN UNION IS A MORE ATTRACTIVE PLACE TO START A BUSINESS THAN THE UNITED KINGDOM"

Image: Caesura, Wikimedia Commons

A blue tick massacre

Oliver Lamb, Deputy Editor, reviews the troubled launch of the Twitter Blue scheme

TWITTER'S famous blue ticks no longer mean what they used to. In fact, the old blue ticks no longer exist. By the 20th April, all so-called legacy verified users — numbering over 400,000 — had been stripped of their status. They had already been surpassed by the still rapidly growing population of Twitter Blue subscribers, now estimated to be over 600,000-strong.

Blue ticks, launched in 2009, were intended to address the problem of impersonation on Twitter by lending legitimacy to the verified accounts of well-known figures and organisations. But when Elon Musk bought the company in October, the blue tick — like over 80 per cent of Twitter’s staff — found itself surplus to

requirements. Within two weeks of his making landfall, Musk had unveiled Twitter Blue, which allows any Twitter user to pay $8 per month for a blue tick next to their name. Naturally enough given that impersonation was the problem blue ticks were designed to solve in the first place, there were concerns that Twitter users could pass themselves off as well-known figures. Indeed, Twitter Blue was sus pended days after it launched when the pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly and Company appeared to tweet, “We are excited to announce insulin is free now”. Eli Lilly’s stock plunged and their real account apologised for the confusion. Former US presidents Donald Trump and George W. Bush and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani were among other figures impersonated. Why, then, did Musk launch Twitter Blue? One can only guess at the interior monologue of a man

who gave his Tesla cars a Ludicrous mode, then followed that up with a space rocket that he chris tened the 'Big Fucking Rock et'. Presumably, though, extra revenue had something to do with it. In announcing mass redundancies last November, Musk claimed that Twitter was losing $4 mil lion a day. Adver tising brings in the vast majority of the company’s income, and that income is dwindling amid general economic troubles. A memo leaked in March revealed that Twitter is worth $20 billion, less than half the $44 billion Musk paid.

When it became clear that uptake of Twitter Blue was not as high as hoped, Musk announced a new feature: subscribers would enjoy the exclusive privilege of appearing in the For You feed, as well as of being able to vote in polls. This, he said, was to address the problem of AI-run bot swarms. Verified ac -

The end of BeReal?

WHEN BeReal first launched, the app was a hit. The app established a new niche of social media, encouraging users to share their authentic selves via a front facing photo and selfie once a day. When it first launched, it quickly rose to the top of the App Store and was praised for its refreshing take on social media, emphasizing ‘realness’ over the common picture-perfect perfection normally displayed on Instagram. Moreover, the stark increase in the use of filters on Snapchat made this a welcome new option for sharing photos.

themselves, it feels like changing the core attraction of the app and what made it popular in the first place is a betrayal of people that have found it a refreshing way to take part in social media. The new feature allows users to share more about their daily lives but is this what people really want?

I would argue in favour of BeReal innovating as opposed to giving in to allowing features that other apps offer. Maybe BeReal could include a live photo or short video option. They could include filters or maps that could enhance the current experience which would set them apart

counts raise the cost of bots and make them easier to identify. However, this feature has been criticised for elevating tweets according to whether their author has paid, rather than on merit. The idea of a tick as a badge of authenticity has not gone away. High-profile business accounts have a gold tick, government accounts a grey one. And it appears that some celebrities, such as Lil Nas X and Stephen King, have received a blue tick despite not paying for one.

SOME CELEBRITIES... HAVE RECEIVED A BLUE TICK DESPITE NOT PAYING FOR ONE

At the moment, therefore, Twitter verification is in a state of confusion. It is no longer a useful way of identifying legitimate accounts — except when it is. And when it isn’t, why would anyone pay $8 per month for a status symbol that doesn’t symbolise status any more?

Despite this excitement, the once appealing novelty seems to be on the decline with fewer people posting daily and some not using the app altogether anymore. In a move to stem the decline, BeReal has recently introduced a new feature that allows UK users to post multiple times in a day. Some have questioned whether this marks the end for BeReal, whose very existence centred around the ability to only post an in-the-moment photo once a day. It’s clear that the developers are aware of the decline in the popularity of the app but is this really the best way to either slow the decrease in users or better yet reignite the excitement which once surrounded it?

While some could argue that the new feature looks like a logical move, given that it provides users more freedom to express

from other apps rather than morphing into another one of 20 identical platforms.

THEY COULD ... ENHANCE THE CURRENT EXPERIENCE ... RATHER THAN MORPHING INTO ANOTHER ONE OF 20 IDENTICAL PLATFORMS.

The general decline in BeReal’s popularity could also speak of a wider issue that BeReal just happens to experience most negatively. The trend of apps incorporating several different aspects of social media together is nothing new. Instagram with its reels, stories and posts brings together aspects of TikTok, Snapchat and Facebook into a convenient platform. There is a possibility people are just suffering from app fatigue and want a small group of apps to switch between rather than having to search every time you want to make a split second in-the-moment post.

So, what does the future hold for BeReal?

Personally, I believe that BeReal will survive but will never reach the heights it experienced during its initial launch. It is sad seeing apps that once brought joy and an innovative way of interacting with others disappear from knowledge, however this is the unfortunate nature of the app free market. What is important to remember though is that because of this, apps appear and disappear at a similar rate and this means that it is more likely than not that another app with another fun and interesting innovation will launch and bring a similar hype.

Joshua Hughes, Editor, discusses the implications of the recent feature added to BeReal

TWITTER'S FAMOUS BLUE TICKS NO LONGER MEAN WHAT THEY USED TO

WHEN IT FIRST LAUNCHED, IT QUICKLY ROSE TO THE TOP OF THE APP STORE

Images: Twitter, Wikimedia Commons

LIFESTYLE ARTS + LIT

TECH

MUSIC STUDY BREAK SCREEN

STUDY BREAK

Across

1 Applaud (4)

4 Decimal (anagram) — relating to treatment using drugs (7)

9 Treasury accounting department (9)

10 [Computer] fault (informal) (3)

11 Express in words (4)

12 Bodily — material (8)

14 Of the people (6)

16 Instant (6)

19 Way in (8)

20 Tease (4)

23 Organ of sight (3)

24 Seriously (2,7)

25 Trigonometric function (7)

26 Abominable snowman (4)

2 Provincial — community (5)

3 Bard (4)

4 Cheeky (informal) (6)

5 Scorn — ironised (anagram) (8)

6 (Office) booth (7)

7 Lawful (5)

8 Warm (4,2)

13 Confirm (8)

15 Amid (7)

17 Become friendly with (a person, say) (4,2)

18 Receive (6)

19 Occasion (5)

21 Plain (5)

22 X (NATO phonetic) (1-3)

TRIVIA CORNER

1. How many moons does Neptune have?

2. Which country has won Eurovision the most times?

3. How many times was Elizabeth Taylor married?

4. Who has scored the most runs in Test cricket?

5. In which year did the US Constitution come into force?

6. Who played Sarah Connor in the Terminator films?

EDITORS: Daniel Pain and Hayley Power

Twilight zone at risk from climate change

SCIENCE

Lauren Walsh, Administrative Executive, dives into the impacts of climate change on life in the oceans' twilight zone

THE mesopelagic zone of the ocean describes the area 2001000m beneath the sea’s surface. Home to an abundance of life, it is one of the earth’s largest habitats and makes up one quarter of the ocean’s volume. Due to the depth, there is very little sunlight, hence its usual denomination of ‘the twilight zone’.

fellow at the University of Exeter.

However, very little is known about this part of the ocean, and as such, the Natural Environment Research Council recently funded research into the impact of climate change on the twilight zone. The study, titled ‘What the geological past can tell us about the future of the ocean’s twilight zone’, was led by Dr Katherine Crichton, who is now a postdoctoral research

The study used evidence from preserved microscopic shells in ocean sediments, as their chemical and isotopic composition can reveal valuable information about the life environment of the twilight zone in the past. Two time periods were focused on: the early Eocene (about 50 million years ago) and the mid Miocene (about 15 million years ago). The first as an example of oceans much warmer than ours, and the second as an example of the temperature our oceans may be in the near future, if greenhouse gas emissions continue as they are. Earth System Model simulations were also used to predict what is happening now and what may happen in the future in the twilight zone, with three scenarios: a low emission-, medium emission-, and high emission-future.

It was found that life in the twilight zone could decrease by 20-40 per cent by 2100 as a result of climate change. This is because the warmer

the ocean is, the faster organic matter is degraded, meaning that less food reaches the lower depths (like those of the twilight zone). Therefore, in these warmer periods, organic life was less abundant and found closer to the surface. This in turn also affects the size of the store of carbon in the deep ocean in the shells of organisms, that are eventually broken down into seafloor sediment, as part of the process known as the Biological Carbon Pump, which sequesters carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean store.

sions, this could lead to the disappearance or extinction of much twilight zone life within 150 years, with effects spanning millennia thereafter.”

Furthermore, the impacts of climate change on the twilight zone are hard to predict due to the complexity and fragility of the ocean ecosys-

tem, how even in this day and age, our oceans are poorly understood. Regardless, decisive action must be taken to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, if we want to protect the unique and valuable environment that is our oceans’ twilight zone.

SEVEN Brief Lessons on Physics is a compact book that I’d recommend to anyone with a curiosity towards physics, regardless of age or experience in the subject. The author, Carlo Rovelli, neatly describes complicated concepts in an understandable way for everyone, bypassing some of the common mistakes physicists make when trying to explain their subject to a non-expert. Overly theoretical explanations in some books unfortunately put people off this fascinating but misunderstood subject; however, Rovelli uses examples from the world around us to describe quantum mechanics, heat and even relativity in a wonderful way that leaves the reader satisfied.

As a physics student myself, I was astonished how simply some concepts could be summarised, and despite being over halfway through my degree I found this book clarified a lot of questions I’d had about physics and came away learning a lot.

The book is split into seven chap-

per cent by 2100

Unfortunately, according to the study, significant changes to the twilight zone are already underway, and Dr Crichton says, “Unless we rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emis-

Review: Seven Brief Lessons on Physics

ters, beginning with 'The most beautiful theories' which discusses relativity and some history behind the unification of various theories throughout the 20th century. The description of black holes, which are the result of massive stars collapsing under their own weight, causing extreme bending of space to the extent that an actual hole is created (crazy right?) left me particularly dazzled. I was struck by the section on gravitational fields too, which turn out to be the same as our idea of 'space'. Furthermore, 'space' is not separate from the everyday matter we are familiar with, but another constituent part, which flexes and twists. Rovelli goes on to describe how this can be seen in the way planets orbit a star: the Sun bends space around it, and Earth orbits around the Sun to race against the inclines of space, much like a ball rolling on a curved sheet.

The following chapter discusses quantum mechanics in a delightfully simple way, where we learn of Einstein’s breakthrough when he discovered light comes in packets called photons, rather than as a continuous field. The implications this has on energy impact us daily, as it turns out all elements on the periodic table which make up our surrounding matter correspond to exact quantum mechanical solutions

for allowed energy spacings in atoms.

able and perhaps at one point didn’t exist. Statistical physics also gets an important mention here, where readers discover exactly how important heat is to our perception of time and why exactly putting a cold spoon in a hot coffee cup makes the spoon heat up rather than the coffee cool down.

Later chapters embark on a brief history of the human understanding of the cosmos, from the belief that our Earth was flat in the era of the Ancient Greek philosophers, through to the Earth-centred model of the solar system in Medieval times, through to the discovery of galaxies outside the Milky Way in the 1930s and up to the expanding universe we are familiar with today. This flows surprisingly smoothly to a chapter on particles and the mysterious phenomenon of dark matter. While it cannot be directly seen, its existence has been inferred from the behaviour of galaxies, which appear not to have enough mass to stay together without flinging themselves into pieces, unless an extra unseen mass provides the necessary gravitational attraction to keep them together. The last few chapters tackle some big mysteries of modern physics, from missing particles to 'bouncing' universes occurring before the Big Bang to the surprising fact that time is immeasur-

The book ends with a philosophical chapter that brings the focus back on

humanity in a heart-warming and humbling closing, reminding us that we are not mere observers of our surroundings but active constituents of it. At a mere 79 small pages (with a comfortably large font), this little book is well worth a read on a warm summer evening, perhaps under a twinkling sky, to ponder about the universe as we experience it.

It was found that life in the twilight zone could decrease by 20-40

Home to an abundance of life, it is one of earth's largest habitats

The following chapter discusses quantum mechanics in a delightfully simple way

The author... neatly describes complicated concepts in an understandable way

Image: Event Horizon Telescope, Wikimedia Commons

Image: Victor Micallef , Wikimedia Commons

Almudena Visser Velez reviews the popular book by Carlo Rovelli

Chimpanzees can combine calls to communicate new meaning

Oliver Lamb, Deputy Editor, outlines the recent discovery that chimpanzees may be smarter than we thought

ASTUDY published in Nature

Communications this month has confirmed that chimpanzees combine calls to create new meanings — a feature of human language known as syntax whose evolutionary origins remain unclear.

Chimpanzees, who are humans’ closest living relatives, have long been known to communicate vocally: for example, they produce ‘alarm-huus’ when surprised and ‘waa-barks’ to recruit other chimpanzees when hunting. Previous behavioural observations suggested that chimpanzees combine these calls to recruit others when needing to cooperate in response to a threat. For the first time this has been verified experimentally.

Researchers from the Universities of Zürich and Warwick showed model snakes to chimpanzees in Uganda, elic-

iting the call combination. When the researchers played back the combination sound, as well as the alarm-huu and waa-bark, the chimpanzees responded more strongly to the combination than to either call individually.

gests that the phenomenon may be older than previously thought. Townsend said, “Humans and chimpanzees last shared a common ancestor approximately six million years ago. Our data therefore indicates that the capacity to combine meaningful vocalisations is potentially at least six million years old, if not older.”

Simon Townsend, a Zürich professor and Warwick associate professor, said the result “suggests listening chimpanzees really are combining the meaning of the individual calls.”

The possibility that syntax did not first emerge in the human lineage sug-

Indeed, the ability to create new meanings by combining sounds may have preceded language, although more research, ideally involving other great ape species, is needed to confirm this.

Aerobic walking may improve cognitive function in MS patients

Shagnick Bhattacharya walks us through how exercise may help patients with Multiple Sclerosis

ANEW study has found that remote aerobic walking can improve the cognitive processing speed of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a lifelong neurological condition adversely affecting the brain and spinal cord, with an estimated 2.5 million people suffering from it worldwide. This study was conducted by the Kessler Foundation, an organisation dedicated to conducting rehabilitation research for people with neurological and orthopaedic conditions to improve their quality of life and function. The study involved 25 patients and took place over 16 weeks revealing that exercise is a feasible and highly promising method for improving cognitive function.

Cognitive processing speed (CPS) impairment is a condition wherein people

“need a lot of time to take in, make sense of, and respond to information”. According to the original study record, it is “prevalent, impactful, and poorly-managed” in MS. About two-thirds of all patients with MS present CPS impairment, which is associated with poor everyday-life outcomes including a reduced quality of life, increased unemployment, and decreased social functioning. And yet, there is no higher body-approved pharmacological treatment for the condition, presenting a critical public health and clinical crisis for the huge number of people who suffer from it.

The study included 25 fully ambulatory MS patients who were pre-screened for cognitive processing speed abnormalities, with 19 completing the study as directed. Participants were randomly

assigned to 16 weeks of either remotely delivered and supported aerobic walking exercise training (intervention condition), or remotely delivered and supported stretching and range-of-motion activities (control condition). As a result of the study, significant improvements in cognitive processing speed were observed in the case of aerobic walking compared to the other case, as measured by the widely used Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) after the 16-week study period. Additionally, the remote delivery of the aerobic walking exercise training programme in this study has significant implications for the accessibility and convenience of care for people with MS as well. Many patients have obstacles to participating in in-person fitness pro-

grammes, such as lack of transportation or financial restraints. As such, this study shows that remote fitness programmes can be just as successful as typical inperson therapies, providing a more inclusive alternative for people with MS. The researchers of this study are optimistic about its potential applications, and as demonstrated by the study, they are quite confident about aerobic exercise training representing a promising and powerful behavioural approach to manage CPS impairment which is both accessible and feasible as a form of treatment for people who suffer from the disability. Building up from the results of this study, therefore, the researchers are currently working on designing and implementing another study based on a larger sample of MS patients.

Jupiter to disappear behind the Moon this month

Joshua Hughes, Editor, discusses the phenomenon we will soon see in our skies

ON the morning of the 17th May, the Moon will occult Jupiter. An occultation is when one object in space passes in front of another and in this case, the Moon will occult Jupiter. Despite occultations of planets being uncommon, there have been three recent lunar occultations of Uranus and Mars visible from the UK. However, prior to the first of these on the 14th September 2022, there were very few opportunities to see these take place.

50 minutes before the Sun. When Jupiter rises in the east-northeast horizon the Moon will be a waning crescent with seven per cent visibility.

In order to view the occultation in the UK, observers in Northern Ireland and the north of Scotland will have the best view. For others in the south of the UK and Exeter, observers will witness a ‘near miss’ when Jupiter will just appear to have passed close by to the Moon. The best time to observe the event will be from 11:30 BST to 15:30 BST.

rial mount. It is important to bear in mind, however, that the Sun is only 27° away so if using binoculars or purely a naked eye observation, do -

ing so in a shadow cast by a house is safest. This is because observing the Sun with the naked eye can lead to significant damage to your retina. Fi -

nally, at 14:30 BST, Jupiter will appear close to the Moon’s southern edge. Good luck to all observers and feel free to send us any photos you take!

This month’s occultation of Jupiter unfortunately comes with a few difficulties. Firstly, Jupiter is currently visible in the morning and is not very well placed in the sky as it rises only

The two will be due south at 47° at 11:24 BST during the day. The best way to view the occultation is by using a telescope on a driven equato -

On the morning of the 17th May, the Moon will occult Jupiter

For... Exeter, observers will witness a ‘near miss’...

Image: Hans Hillewaert, Wikimedia Commons

The capacity to combine meaningful vocalisations is at least six million years old...

The chimpanzees responded more strongly to the combination than to either call individually

Image: RoonzNL, Pixabay

Premier League: Who avoids the drop?

Rhys Wallis assesses the survival chances of the Premier League relegation candidates

AS May rolls around, it is always crunch time in the Premier League, and with three (or, for some teams, four) matches left in the League season, there are battles at both ends of the table. The relegation race, however, looks the most competitive, with seven teams still facing the possibility of playing in England’s second tier next season. Everyone knows about the worlds of difference between Premier League money, and Championship money, so these final fixtures in the season will potentially be crucial for those seven clubs, and three of them will not like the outcome. Let’s take a look at the seven relegation candidates, and how they might fare over the final stretch.

Southampton: Fixtures — Fulham (h), Brighton (a), Liverpool (h)

Let’s start with the easiest one of the lot: Southampton will be a Championship club next season. After a dismal run of form under Nathan Jones that made Ralph Hassenhüttl look like prime Ferguson, the Saints will be marching straight into 20th place by the looks of things. Just when you thought a draw against Arsenal might have been able to resurrect their season with six matches to go, they’ve bottled it against Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest in the last few games, and now face a very tricky run in, against teams with plenty to play for. If you’d have told a Southampton fan at the start of the season that they would do the double over Chelsea, end City’s hopes of a Quadruple, and get to the EFL Cup Semi Final, they might have been over the moon: as it stands though, they’ve done all that this season, and are still headed for the drop.

Leeds United: Fixtures — Newcastle (h), West Ham (a), Tottenham (h)

Big Sam is back in the Premier League, and with a win record of roughly one win every 4.5 matches, Leeds fans had better hope that he improves on his ratio, as he stepped into the Elland Road dugout with only four matches to save the Yorkshire club’s Premier League status. Leeds looked bereft of ideas under Jesse Marsch (himself only hired last season, to arrest the slide brought on by Marcelo Bielsa run-

ning out of steam) and I really don’t know what was going on in the boardroom when they turned to Javi Gracia… but it clearly didn’t work. Now facing a real test over their final set of fixtures, Leeds must hope that the veteran manager really is as good as Klopp, Guardiola, and Arteta. For my money though, I’d fancy Leeds to take it to the final day — as long as they stop conceding stupid goals, which is quite a big ask…

Leicester City: Fixtures — Liverpool (h), Newcastle (a), West Ham (h)

Leicester have flattered to deceive this season, with several false dawns from the Midlands club, and the opportunity to become the first of the 21st century Premier League Champions to be relegated appears to be quite a strong pull on the Foxes. A hideous collapse against Fulham last time out will only rattle them more as they approach a tough set of fixtures, with their only realistic chance of a win on current form coming against a potentially European-distracted West Ham on the final day of the season. Losses against the teams around them have really not helped Leicester, and whilst they have managed some creditable results, like their victory over Spurs, it doesn’t look like Dean Smith will be able to pull them out of the hole Brendan Rogers sleepwalked them into.

Everton: Fixtures — Man City (h), Wolves (a), Bournemouth (h)

Two home fixtures for the Toffees may mean that they can look a little more confident than they perhaps ought to feel in their position, especially with the opportunity to play Manchester City at their most distracted: right in the middle of the two Real Madrid legs. For that reason, it looks like Sean Dyche could pull off what seemed nearly impossible not that long ago, and keep Everton in the Premier League (not that they would actually particularly deserve it, on the basis of their Lampardera form, and the nonsense in the boardroom). The Merseyside outfit have struggled this season, but look to be putting together a team ethos and cohesion that they simply didn’t have before Dyche-ball revolutionised the Goodison Park faithful, and — despite some missteps in recent weeks — it looks like we’ll be hearing that famous Z-Cars walkout music on Match of the Day for at least another season to come.

Nottingham Forest: Fixtures — Chelsea (a), Arsenal (h), Crystal Palace (a)

If you’d asked me at the start of the season whether or not a Nottingham Forest side facing these final three fixtures could survive in the Premier League, I would have laughed in your face. It looks like an incredibly tough task for Forest on paper, but — crucially, the game isn’t played on paper. Chelsea (now safe themselves, only just) may look distracted, but they have

plenty to play for, knowing that consistently performing poorly means that Boehly will just go and buy someone else to take their squad position. Arsenal have turned into a world-class team since that loss at the hands of their title rivals, and will be looking to keep the pressure on City, meaning I think at most, Forest can hope for two points out of those matches. All of this leaves a rejuvenated Palace away day to potentially save the Forest season, which will be more of a test than it once was. All that being said, I think it is between Leeds and Forest for the final relegation spot, and the last day of the season will seal one of their fates, and remember: Forest have the worst goal difference except for Southampton…

West Ham (Fixtures: Brentford (a), Leeds United (h), Leicester City (a) and Bournemouth (Fixtures: Crystal Palace (a), Man United (h), Everton (a)

I’ll put it simply — if either of these teams go down this season, it would be an escape of gargantuan proportions from some of the clubs below them. West Ham might feasibly be distracted by their European adventure, but Bournemouth, particularly on current form, should be able to get the points from Palace, and perhaps Everton, that they need to stay up. Even if they both lose all of their remaining fixtures, I can’t see the teams below them making up the gap. Welcome to staying in the Premier League, Bournemouth, it’s good to have you back, even if your ground is tiny.

So there you have it, a rundown of the final fixtures for the teams facing the drop this season. It’s been a long campaign, and we have to lose three teams at the end of it, so I don’t think any of the clubs here can have any complaints if they do go down; for most of the season, they just haven’t been good enough. Whoever it ends up being, I think we’ll see one of them in a season’s time, and as for those who just about survive relegation, well I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re in the same predicament in about 12 months’ time. All anyone really knows, however, is that these are going to be feisty matches, with a lot on the line, so they’re definitely worth a watch.

WHEN I previewed the 2023 Formula 1 season back in March, I said that this season “looked set to give us an epic championship battle.” Alas, that has not proven to be the case, and just four races in, it seems we can already crown Red Bull with both world titles. Nonetheless, there has been plenty to keep fans enthused, both on and off track, so far in 2023.

Although Red Bull have dominated the opening five races, all hope is not lost for a potential battle for the Drivers’ Championship — but this time, coming from two teammates. Red Bull’s Verstappen and Pérez have looked relatively evenly matched in the opening races, with three wins versus two. On race day, two-time world champion Verstappen seems to have that tiny edge over his teammate — but could Pérez benefit from a bit of luck to continue the fight?

Unfortunately for the rest of the grid, there is little hope of catching up in the near future. However, there is an epic fight between Ferrari, Mercedes and newcomers Aston Martin for that coveted P2 in the Constructors’ Championship. Surprisingly, Aston Martin have looked the favourites so far, helped by the signing of double world champion Fernando Alonso. He was on the podium three times in the first three races, and even at 41 years old, has proven he’s still got plenty in the tank.

With Mercedes’ pace looking heavily track-specific, the main rivals to Aston Martin seem to be Ferrari. Charles Leclerc was finally able to kickstart his 2023 campaign in Baku, after a run of abysmal luck in the opening three races that was bad even by Leclerc’s standards — two DNFs and a grid penalty. He turned that around in Azerbaijan, perhaps spurred on by his first ever song reaching the top ten in the iTunes charts, by taking two pole positions and his first podium of the year. However, the Ferrari of old crept back in in Miami, and Aston Martin seem to have the momentum at the moment. Car development will start in earnest from the next race, which has the potential to shake up this three-way battle — and perhaps even bring fifth-placed Alpine into play.

Formula 1 action will be relentless in the next couple of weeks, with a Mediterranean triple-header in Imola, Monaco and Spain. Hopefully the warm weather of the European summer will be able to heat up this 2023 season.

Harry Craig

Red Bull dominating in F1

Image: Alex Prins

Image: Ronnie Macdonald/Flickr

Image: Brian Linkoff - London Pixels

More success for EURFC in BUCS Super Rugby

Rob Worthington, Sport Editor, reviews EURFC's performance in the BUCS Super Rugby final

THE EURFC 1st XV enjoyed more BUCS success during the Easter break bringing the BUCS Super Rugby Cup back to Devon for the second consecutive year.

The Exeter outfit travelled to the home of Saracens, the StoneX Stadium, to face Loughborough in the final. Loughborough finished one point ahead of Exeter in the BUCS Super Rugby table with 70 points. A fierce encounter with the University’s old sporting foe awaited the boys in green and white.

The fixture delivered on its promise. A truly blockbuster battle finished Loughborough University 44-48 Exeter Univesity at the StoneX.

Exeter took an early lead in the match with Josh Barton proving effective from the tee despite struggles in this year’s Var-

sity matches against Cardiff and Loughborough. His kicking gave Exeter a 19-7 lead with ten minutes left to play in the first half.

However, Loughborough responded to the early Exeter onslaught with force. The boys in green and white conceded two quick-fire penalties before the break and soon after succumbed to mounting pressure from the Loughborough forwards with impressive maul work resulting in a converted try just before half time. Loughborough led 24-19 at the break.

Exeter reacted well to the late first half setback. A Loughborough yellow card handed Exeter the opportunity to assert dominance over proceedings. The Exeter side, captained by Barton, scored two tries, taking the score to 31-24 halfway through the second half.

The Loughborough 1st XV again responded strongly with success from the tee taking the score to 31-27, but the ever-impressive Kofi Barton-Byfield ensured Exeter once again extended their lead. 27-36 with ten minutes left to play.

Then, the game erupted. The LURFC 1st XV weren’t going to leave without putting up a fight. More effective mauling from the boys in purple took the score to 34-36. Exeter then scored again, taking the score to 34-41 with three minutes left on the clock. However, Loughborough’s indomitable spirit once again took the EURFC side by surprise.

A converted try meant scores were level come the final whistle, 41 points apiece on the scoreboard. Onto extra-time.

Loughborough took an early extra-time lead after opting to kick for the posts from an early extra-time penalty. Converted. The onus was on

Exeter to prove they too didn’t have the capacity to say die in the second half of extra time. And prove it they did. Exeter won a penalty early in extra-time and opted to kick for touch. From the resulting lineout the EURFC forwards finally enjoyed some success over Loughborough’s, with Tom Cairns forcing the ball over the try line. Barton converted. 48-44. With two minutes left to play, Exeter saw out victory and won out in a BUCS Super Rugby final for the ages. Off the back of the victory, a total of nine EURFC players were named in the England Student Squad to face France. However, each and every individual in the Exeter 1st XV deserves high praise for their work during the BUCS Super Rugby season. EURFC have once again established themselves as the pride of student sport this year.

Exeter City sleep walk to safety: What next?

Joseph Terry examines a season of ups and downs at St James Park

EXETER City have survived in their first season back in League One for ten years, a conclusion which gives Grecians hope for the future. However, it would be naïve to forget that the end of the season hasn’t presented the challenges that make this successful debut season even more surprising.

Exeter City end the season in 14th position, 11 points clear of the drop and 21 points away from the playoffs in a middling season that Grecians would have gladly taken this time last year, after the euphoria of SJP exploding after that win against Barrow. The finishing position however masks a bruising end to the season in the month of April into May — picking up four points out of a possible 24. It would have been a difficult task to get results against six of the top seven finishers in the league — however, results over the period did expose weak points in the squad, that prove the squad has to evolve to remain in the third division. A devastating 1-0 loss by an own goal in the Devon Derby to Plymouth Argyle presented a forward line unable to penetrate a prepared defensive block. A snatched point against Fleetwood Town emphasised how important home form has been this year, Exeter City 19th of 24 teams

away from home this season. Perhaps most embarrassingly, a 6-0 loss to Ipswich Town as the Tractor Boys partied into the Championship, proved that defensively there are still major worries.

An emotional final day at St James Park crowned an end of an era for many players at the club: Jack Sparkes leaving City after 14 years at the club, in the academy as an eightyear-old; and Jay Stansfield finishing a loan spell in Devon with a hattrick, as the Big Bank unveiled the shirt of his father Adam, created in tribute after his passing 14 years ago. A 3-2 win that relegated Morecambe saved Exeter from a winless run of eight games. Changes are on their way. Jack Sparkes to be sold, Jay Stansfield and Joe White both likely to return to their parent clubs or get loaned out at different clubs, Josh Key and Sam

Nombe potentially under consideration by other clubs. Furthermore, Jamal Blackman is out of contract. Therefore the way forward for the Grecians is a mixture of getting rid of dead wood and bringing in new young talent despite an exodus of players.

Position by position Gary Cald-

and with a contract ending this summer, is it time to let go of number 18? Gary Woods has signed a contract extension, the parachute signing in January in competition with young prospect Harry Lee for what could be a second choice position if a transfer comes in the summer (which arguably should come). You could send Harry Lee on loan, but the emergency signing of Jökull Andrésson after an injury crisis this season looms large.

dynamic is that of Pierce Sweeney’s future at SJP — no Grecian will want to see him exit stage right; however, will the Irishman want to remain in a project that has stripped him of the captaincy and of a leadership role within the backline? Jake Caprice is also under pressure at this point.

well’s recruitment team will have work to do. Firstly, in between the sticks, the performances of Jamal Blackman this year have been patchy; near-post shots have been his kryptonite this year — as likely the largest wage bill of the squad

The defensive line has cost City more results this year than a blunt forward line as I view it, and therefore I think this will get the most attention this summer. Newly appointed skipper Will Aimson has proven himself as a safe pair of hands as other players have struggled for form such as Alex Hartridge. Another

The midfield is more stable going into the new season as long as key players remain — Demetri Mitchell, Archie Collins, Harry Kite and Josh Key to be exact. The threat of Matt Taylor swooping in from Rotherham for his former squad members is noticeable. However, the midfield has got a stable base that I am confident in: Kevin McDonald in the CDM pivot, Demetri Mitchell on set pieces and lethal on the edge of the penalty area. Similarly, attacking players will be under watch — Sam Nombe should get attention by clubs in the top half of League One. If Nombe is poached, then young Sonny Cox will have to step in unless moves are made — Jay Stansfield has bigger fish to fry, this season proving his raw talent that can take him all the way.

In conclusion, a squad that grew over the season will be changing through pre-season. However, there is significant hope for the Grecians to stay in the third division.

Image: Rob Worthington

Image: Kieran Moore

Image: Kieran Moore

Sport

SPORT EDITORS:

Exeter University Polo Club compete at St. Andrews Tournament

UNIVERSITY life is about a lot more than just academics for many students; it’s about meeting new people, experiencing new things, and making memories that will stick with you for the rest of your life. The St. Andrews University Charity Polo Tournament is one such opportunity, which gives students a one-of-a-kind experience that combines participating in a sport, socialising, and raising money for charity.

The tournament is the largest polo event in Scotland and is wholly organised and managed by students from the University of St. Andrews. It is held each year at the historic Errol Park Estate in Perthshire. The event is held in aid of Help for Heroes, a charity that provides assistance to injured military veterans. The tournament boasts over 2,000 spectators and 1,700 bottles of bubbly.

But what exactly is polo, and why is it so well-liked? For those who are unfamiliar with it, polo is a team sport. In each seven-minute-long game or ‘chukkas’ as it is called in polo, there are two teams, each consisting of four players (during the winter sea -

son it is played with only three players), and they compete against one another by riding horses whilst trying to hit a ball with a long-handled mallet into the opposing team’s goal.

The St. Andrews Charity Polo Tournament provides a unique opportunity for students to experience the exciting sport. The Exeter Polo Club sent a Novice Team to partake in this year’s tournament which was held over the university Easter holidays on the 13th to the 15th April.

As Lottie Prosser-Wrench, one of the Exeter team’s players, explains: “playing in the tournament was a wonderful experience, and if I have the opportunity, I hope to return again next year to finish what we started. The tournament was our first time playing on grass pitches since September last year. Although this took some getting used to, it was fantastic to be back playing on grass. We played four matches; the first against York, the second was against Durham, and the third and fourth against two St. Andrews teams which we won comfortably. One of the difficult things about university polo is the short single chukka games in which you have very little time to score, especially if

teams are evenly matched. Combined with our newness as a team and the difficult conditions, this unfortunately led to two of our games being decided by close penalty shootouts with foot mallets as the scores in the games themselves were even. Despite this, our play improved a lot over the two days, and by the last game we were playing properly as a team. In spite of the slippery conditions, we were able to get some good breaks and position ourselves well on the pitch to score some great goals. The St. Andrews Tournament is a fantastic way to start the grass season which I know all of us are really looking forward to.” However, there are other aspects to the tournament besides polo. As Sasha Hills, another member of the Exeter team, explains: “The final day of the tournament and players’ party all merge into one on the Saturday. With only the finalists from each division playing on this day, it’s an all-day party for everyone else — think an Invades style ‘Day at the Polo’ instead of ‘Day at the Races’. We arrived dressed in races attire and country boots. The novice game was a tie and came to a run-down, which the divot-filled polo field unfortunately did not look

kindly on making for a nail-biting finish. The inters and exhibition matches were slightly faster paced as to be expected and are genuinely exciting to watch. The drinks tokens as part of our tickets were burning holes in our pockets and by 2pm the prosecco was flowing. As the tournament drew to a close, we popped back to our hotel for a ‘refresh’ and dolled up ready for the players’ party. As was also expected from the day, the drinks continued to flow, and the tequila shots racked up. It was so great to spend time in a social, rather than competitive setting, with the other university teams. Polo, particularly at university, is a very small community and for me personally having only started competing in frequent tournaments last year, I have really enjoyed getting to know other university polo club members as friends rather than rivals. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on the ride offs at the next tournament.”

To summarise, the St. Andrews Charity Polo Tournament is a spectacular event that showcases the passion, commitment, and sportsmanship of young polo players from all around the world. It provides an opportunity for university students to get togeth -

er, learn from one another, and compete in an atmosphere that celebrates the sport of polo. All while raising funds for a charitable organisation that does incredibly important work.

As Lottie Prosser-Wrench and Sasha Hills have shared, the tournament provides an unforgettable experience for spectators and players alike. For the Exeter Polo Club, it was a fantastic opportunity to get back onto the grass pitches after a long winter season. The novice team performed exceptionally well in their first time together, and although they didn’t win, there was much gained.

Polo may be a niche sport, but as shown by the St. Andrews Charity Polo Tournament, it can draw a large and enthusiastic crowd. The tournament not only highlights the excitement and skill involved in the sport, but also the importance of supporting charitable causes. By supporting events such as these, students can make a meaningful contribution to a worthy cause while also enjoying a thrilling day out. The participation by the Exeter Polo Club exemplifies the unique sense of camaraderie and spirited competition that makes university sport so special.

Rob Worthington Toby Brisley

Emily Player

Image: EUPC