Issue 695 // 11 February 2019 by Exeposé

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ISSUE 695 11 FEB 2019 exepose.com @Exepose

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

‘Teaching is a lot more than standing in front of a board’

nomics said that they were concerned because “teaching is a lot more than standing up in front of a board and explaining how you understand something. “There’s lots of different ways, especially in a subject like Economics, of getting to the same answer through different methods. I feel like with students, you learn one method for the final exam, and that’s the system that these teachers have come through, when actually there are ways of students having different approaches that still lead to the same conclusion.

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This is not made clear to offer holders Questions raised about rights, conditions and disciplinary procedures Image: Edd Church

NDERGRADUATE students have been employed to teach in a programme that sees final-year students lead first-year tutorials. The programme has been welcomed by a member of the sabbatical team, but an Exeter UCU Officer expressed deep concern about it. Offer-holders are not informed that they might be taught by fellow undergraduates, the programme co-ordinator has

confirmed. This is despite University and OfS recommendations that they are to be informed of important information about modules. The Economics Scholars programme, which has been running since January of last year, has employed eight students this year to lead tutorials. According to the programme leaders, they are paid at the same rates as Graduate Teaching Assistants. Jess Bowyer, Exeter UCU PGR Officer said: “We are deeply concerned that undergraduates may be being recruited to fill teaching gaps. It’s not clear how widespread this practice is at Exeter, or whether

the University leadership is even aware that it is happening. It is imperative that undergraduates are not being recruited to plug gaps in teaching schedules that would normally be covered by more experienced academics. Although Dr Gary Abrahams, Economics Scholar Co-ordinator, cited opportunities to improve presentation and communication skills; minutes of PGR Executive meeting show that Gemma Delafield, Economics PGR rep, raised that this might be a solution for a lack of teaching staff. A second-year student taking Eco-

MUSIC

An interview with Exeter band I Say Flower Image: Natasa Christofidou

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Bryony Gooch Online Music Editor

ARREN Bingham-Roberts, VP Education, will face a disciplinary meeting this week, following the decision of Shadow Council on 6 February. Shadow Councillor Harry Burton spoke on behalf of college officers across the university regarding issues raised against him. These issues include the applicant process for the academic representation system, communication with college officers, and his response to criticism surrounding the Digital Check-in system. Bingham-Roberts faced questions of the success of the current academic representation system, an application process that has replaced the previous electoral system. Burton then noted that, of the three colleges that had given application figures, only the College of Life and Environmental Sciences had received an application for the role of an academic representative. Bingham-Roberts noted that efforts had been made to simplify the procedure with a five-box system where the relevant skills are put in the boxes. He also commented that elections were not open this time last year. Burton also asked what would count as a successful result from the application process, to which BinghamRoberts responded that he was unsure “numbers wise, but as long as the majority of positions were filled” it ...

Undergraduates recruited to teach on first-year modules

Megan Davies Editor

VP Education risks Notice of Improvement

SCREEN

Oscars: The Exeposé Screen Editors’ alternative winners Image: Disney ABC Television Group

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News Editors Print: Maddie Baker & Gwyn Wright Online: Edd Church & Hannah Stevenson news@exepose.com Comment Editors Print: Isabelle Gray & Deepa Lalwani Online: Bea Fones & Josh Gammage comment@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Niamh Elstone & Neha Shaji Online: Chloë Edwards & Bryan Knight Foreign Correspondents Co-ordinator: Ellie Cook features@exepose.com

Arts + Lit Editors Print: Lauren Newman & Tabi Scott Online: Emily Pirie & Kristina Werner artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Aaron Loose & Alex Wingrave Online: Bryony Gooch & Jaysim Hanspal music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Ben Faulkner & Chloe Kennedy Online: Harry Caton & David Conway screen@exepose.com Science Editors Print: Scarlett Parr-Reid Online: Lara Andreski & Finn Candy sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: René Bahar & Josh Brown Online: Luke Clarkson & Ben Hart sport@exepose.com Chief Photographer Chelsea Lee photography@exepose.com Copy Editors Peter Firth, Charlotte Forrester & William Harrop Proofers René #Rozzy5eva Baker-Bahar, Charlotte ''Fuzzy Fozzy' Forrester, Alex Wingrave, Amy Butterworth, Anna Wilmot, Isabelle Gray, Aaron Loose, Hannah Stevenson, Nicky Avasthi, Harry Bunting, Dorothea Christmann, Will Harrop, Edward Mills, Eed Church, Richard Ainslie, Alan Lennox-Boyd.

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HIS isn't a fun editorial to write. Not only is this edition of Exeposé coming out on the same day that we're receiving our exam results (a terrifying thought!) - we are also getting dangerously close to Valentine's Day, and we're not exactly excited. One of us is single while the other is in a long-distance relationship and should really have sent off a parcel before term started if it was going to arrive anywhere near on time. In other words, we won't be celebrating this week. We'll be desperately catching up on our work, trying not to think of the fact that we are through a third of the term already, and we feel five years older than we did in September. It can feel like everyone around us is in a slump. But this is not a time to give up. Instead - and we haven't covered this anywhere else in the paper - we want to encourage you to use your voices. There are two big opportunities for this in the near future. If you're a student, you still have a week to stand for a position in the Guild and make a change in everyone's university experience. Or you could stand in a comittee election - it's been lifechanging for us in the best way possible, and we'd love for others to have great experiences on committees! The second opportunity, is that for staff members, another UCU ballot is currently open - this time about casualisation, pay and equality. In other words, the vote is about tackling zero-hour contracts, the gender pay gap, insecure contracts and excessive workloads. We're not going to ask you to take a stance (just

yet). However, the union needs to reach a 50% turnout to be able to go on strike, and that's a difficult bar to reach, and the last ballot didn't reach this threshold. So we would encourage you to talk to your lecturers and tell them that you want them to vote. And to our own teachers: we'd rather you vote than that the ballot fail based on turnout. But in the meantime, more issues are facing us. Tim Quine, DVC for Education, has spoken about diversity in academic staff and diversity on campus - News have the story on page 4. Are you planning your summer already? Are you considering going on an internship? Comment have got you covered (page 8). Are these job applications making you worry about your online persona, safety and privacy? Features take a look at online privacy (page 12). Meanwhile, Lifestyle open up the discussion of the realities of penetrative sex (page 18), while Arts + Lit ask themselves whether bodies such as the Man Group should be funding literary prizes (page 20). Music have a great interview with I Say Flower's Alex Rose (page 25), while Screen are awarding their own Oscars (pages 30-31). Science have been busy too, reviewing astronomer Will Gater's show 'The Story of the Solar System' (page 34). And finally, Sport have been experimenting with innovative ways to present football data, focusing on EUAFC (page 39). Have a great week! Megan and Graham.

NEWS 'No link' between student racism and staff diversity PAGE 4

Image: University of Exeter

COMMENT

The Sabb system: indispensible or invisible? PAGE 8

FEATURES An analysis of the Yellow Vest protests in France PAGE 11

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SCIENCE Corruption and contamination: a discussion of fast fashion

Image: Eastgate Basildon

Lifestyle Editors Print: Bethan Gilson & Rhiannon Moore Online: Katie Baker & Rowan Keith lifestyle@exepose.com

Editorial

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Editors Print: Megan Davies & Graham Moore Deputy: Fenton Christmas & Katie Jenkins Online: Harry Bunting & Natalie Keffler editors@exepose.com

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Worldwide university news

Warwick students protest at group chat

UNDREDS of students at the University of Warwick participated in a protest last Wednesday against the University’s decision to reduce the ban for two men involved in a group chat threatening rape. Protesters say that the University is “condoning rape culture” as the investigative board chose to reduce the 10-year ban after the men in question appealed to a year. The ‘Reclaim Our University’ protest called for life-long bans for all the men involved. In a statement on Facebook, organisers wrote: “The higher education of privileged young men who would joke about endangering their fellow students is not more important than the safety and welfare of those they targeted, or that of all abuse and harassment survivors on our campus.” The University has said that an independent review of the disciplinary process will be carried out.

Ohio staff striking over contracts

RIGHT State University, Ohio, has been accused of using ‘scare tactics’ for advertising ‘long term’ contracts to replacement workers during a faculty strike. The strikes were triggered in January due to anger over new employment contracts. Industrial action by the faculty union entered its third week last Tuesday, with the University hiring adjuncts to replace striking workers. Faculty union president Martin Kich labelled this a ‘scare tactic’ designed to ‘undermine our members’ confidence’. Kich said the University had also exaggerated the amount of unionised academics who had crossed picket line in an attempt to demoralise protesters. The move was further described by associate professor of English Andrew Strombeck as a "desperate and reckless move".

Universities to rein in Australian universities unconditional offers tackling sexual assault

EVERAL universities have stated that they will cut down on the number of unconditional offers they give out each. Nottingham, which had been among the most prolific in the Russell Group in giving out such offers, have announced that they will discontinue the practice. Bolton University, the University of Chichester and St Mary's University in Twickenham have also recently announced that they will stop giving out such offers. Last year, less than 0.4 per cent of offers that Exeter gave out were unconditional. The practice, which means that students do not have to achieve specific A Level grades or even pass their exams to get offers. Teachers and ministers have been urging universities to rein in the practice.

Images: Kyrosho and City of Stoke on Trent Sixth Form College

USTRALIAN universities have been commended for their efforts to prevent sexual assault and harassment on campuses. The federal quality and standards agency praised “the significant and comprehensive work by Australian universities to prevent sexual assault and sexual harassment” in a report to the Education Minister. Universities Australia’s campaign, ‘Respect. Now. Always’ and the release of the Australian Human Rights Commission’s Change the Course report has launched widespread reform across universities. The review found that 95% of Australian universities had adopted the recommendations of the Change the Course report while 93% said they were reviewing sexual assault and harassment policies. Stories by Deepa Lalwani (Comment Editor), Gwyn Wright (News Editor), Edd Church (Online News Editor) and Katie Jenkins (Deputy Editor)

News

NEWS EDITORS: Maddie Baker Gwyn Wright

University pop-up markets facing setbacks

Maddie Baker News Editor

XETER University market, where local businesses sell food and drinks to students on both Exeter campuses, is only being held fortnightly, and the businesses involved have told Exeposé that they operating has been increasingly tough.

We have a young family and came to rely on our weekly visits as our primary income Business owner

The market, which has been held since 2015, prides itself on its student discounted prices and as offering an opportunity for local traders to trade with regular student and staff customers. As one business owner mentioned, the market sells “food to fit all tastes at reasonable prices.” This has caused businesses such as the Ceylon Curry House to struggle. Business owner Kumari emphasised that “We have a young family and came to

rely on our weekly visits as our primary income”, adding that as “the market has been reduced to a maximum of twice a month... we are struggling as a family.” Business owners have claimed that the fees involved to pitch at the market have risen. According to two business owners involved, the prices have doubled since 2017, which has meant that approximately half the businesses are unable to trade at the pop-up market any longer. However, the university claim that there has been no price increase and that the number of businesses is rising. The Forum has a range of largely private businesses running all year round – which creates further competition for the pop-up market. Several businesses stressed that they love interacting with students and staff at the market, whose positive feedback is seen as recognition of their hard work. George Gerolimatos from Polly Nostimo’s called the market an “opportunity to meet people we wouldn’t meet in other circumstances,” which gives him and other businesses “a sense of pride, as they can participate in something that is quite unique according to most students

and certainly parents on open days.” Even between businesses, there is a community feel as with each market there is “a sense of camaraderie”, making “every market feel like a social event”. Gerolimatos hopes that “in some small way we are contributing to making Exeter University a fun and inviting place to study” – in light of their trade at open days. This year, the dozen or so local businesses remaining will continue to prepare and sell high quality food and drink, making it clear that they are ‘not going to give up’ despite these setbacks. A spokesperson for the University told Exeposé: ‘‘The market continues to be a popular feature on the Stretham Campus- with lots of traders wanting to attend- currently we have seven traders registereed on our waiting list. “There are currently 22 markets scheduled for 2019 and 18 markets held in 2018 highlighting that the frequency has not changed in the past 12 months and there are in fact more planned for this year. Pitch prices have been held since December 2017 with no additional inflationary cost added in December 2018.’’

Image: Maddie Baker

NHS mental health practitioners to join Wellbeing Megan Davies Editor

N a project understood to be the first of its kind, Exeter’s Wellbeing Services will be supported by three NHS Senior Mental Health Practitioners, providing support for students with “moderate-to-severe” mental health problems. This aims to replace a system in which students with complex mental health issues were referred to NHS services in the city. Ian Blenkharn, Director of Education and Student Experience, explained that the service will provide a more unified experience of support. He added “I think it will mean that there are fewer expectations on staff and wellbeing services, managing situations that they’re not trained or clinically set up for, and that that can be passed over to trained senior mental health nurses who can support students in a correct way and refer onto the crisis team if necessary. “That’s not something that our Wellbeing Service can do, and it just

means that you’ve got a really tight working relationship between the Wellbeing Centre, the GP surgery, and that secondary line care the NHS provides. And I think for our students, that will mean that it feels much more like a kind of wraparound care, and I think that the expectations will be more met than they have been previously”. They have commissioned three full-time community psychiatric nurses, complemented with a psychologist who will be on campus a day and a half a week, a consultant psychiatrist who will be there for one session a week, and a psychotherapist delivering Cognitive Analytical Therapy, John Lilley, Community Service Manager for Devon Partnership NHS Trust, told Exeposé. Funding for the project was split between the University, Devon County Council and Devon Partnership Trust. The team in Exeter believe that they are leading the only project of its kind in the country. “I’m certainly aware of certain developments in for example big cities where there might be four or five universities and they’ve created kind of

mental health hubs, with the NHS, and that feed in from each of these institutions.

I think for our students it will mean that [Wellbeing] will feel much more like a kind of wrap-around care

Ian Blenkharn, Director of Education and Student Experience

“Now because of the particular location of Exeter, we don’t have that same setup, so we’re trying something different but along the same sorts of lines. And again, this may be of interest to other institutions that are geographically a bit more isolated, like Exeter is, from other institutions”, said Blenkharn. Alex Williams, one of the three NHS Senior Mental Health Practitioners, will be leading a series of talks in February and March. Lilley said that these are intended to help students deal with difficulties of being at university. Blenkhan described a number of review systems: “We have a student

board who help us to decide whether the provision that we’re offering is suitable so we’ll be looking at the kind of feedback that they’re getting through the contacts they have with student societies and other students, to understand what the experience is like on an individual basis.” Lilley described the problems the team was anticipating the most as “moderate-to-severe mental health concerns”. He estimated the largest group of referrals as people with eating disorders, as well as “thoughts of deliberate self-harm, or suicidal ideation and thoughts or wanting to harm themselves”. In order to be referred onto the programme, students will currently need to be referred from a GP, although they can go to the Wellbeing Service who will then refer them to a GP. Rose Ahier, Vice-President Welfare & Diversity at the Students’ Guild said: “We are excited about the collaboration between the University’s Wellbeing Services and NHS Mental Health team as part of a larger holistic approach to student wellbeing being implemented

by the University. Mental health is becoming a key priority for the University of Exeter, and this partnership will enable students with more complex needs to access long-term care at the centre of campus.”

Alex Williams’ talks are taking place on the following dates: ‘‘Mending a broken heart: How to overcome a break up’’ Wednesday 13 February, 12.30-1.30pm, Baring Court 112, St Luke’s Thursday 14 February, 12-12.30pm, Forum Alumni Auditorium, Streatham Campus ‘Creating a home away from home: Dealing with loneliness and homesickness’ Wednesday 20 February, 12.30-1.20pm, Baring Court St Luke’s Thursday 21February, 12-12.30pm, Forum Alumni Auditorium, Streatham Campus ‘Being your best: Silencing your inner critic’ Wednesday 27 February, 12.30-1.20pm, Baring Court St Luke’s Thursday 28 February, 12-12.30pm, Forum Alumni Auditorium, Streatham Campus ‘Turning faliure into success’ Wednesday 6 March, 12.30-1.20pm, Baring Court St Luke’s

11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

NEWS

Questions raised over undergrad teaching scheme CONTINUED FROM FRONT “I worry that would be lost by having a teacher just be at the front and be like ‘this is the only way of doing things’. The Economics Scholars Programme “draws from our very brightest third year students who combine outstanding academic success with excellent communication skills and a desire to want to share their knowledge”, Jack Rogers, Economics Director of Education, and Abrahams told Exeposé in an email. They were keen to stress that feedback had been positive. The Scholars are selected based on a combination of high achievement, an interview and a mock presentation, and are spread across a variety of modules. Some of the modules in question are compulsory for first-year BSc Economics students. One final-year Economics student who has taught on the programme said that they were the only undergraduate teaching on their module. They had the responsibility of leading tutorials, which were based on working through problem sets. The module’s lecture lead had created videos of themselves teaching the tutorials for the undergraduate teacher to replicate. Bowyer added: “It’s great that undergraduates currently employed to teach

on economics modules find the process enjoyable and rewarding. However, it is important that they are given a level of responsibility that is commensurate with their experience and that they are well supported. It’s not clear what mandatory training these students must undertake prior to beginning teaching, or how their role affects their position as a student. There are important questions to be asked over what disciplinary procedures they are subject to, and what their working conditions and rights are.

There are important questions to be asked over disciplinary procedures ... and what their working conditions and rights are Jess Bowyer, Exeter UCU PGR Officer

“It is also alarming to hear that incoming students, who are paying extortionate tuition fees, are not being informed in advance that they will be taught by other undergraduates who have not yet completed their degrees. It’s crucial that students are taught by staff who are securely employed, well trained and supported so that they can provide the best education possible.” The second-year student also raised concerns about undergraduate teachers’

Research ‘could provide lung cancer breakthrough’ Kamila Bell News Team

GROUP of scientists at Exeter University have recently developed an innovative method that has the potential to improve the detection of the earliest signs of lung cancer. The sensitive graphene biosensor developed by the team is capable of detecting some of the most common cancer biomarkers through its analysis of the chemical make-up of specific vapour mixtures from the body. The new method comes with added benefits of being reusable, making it a more cost-effective route for health services to utilise in the future. Postgraduate researcher and co-author of the paper, Ben Hogan, from the University of Exeter, explained; “We believe that with further Both images: University of Exeter

development of our devices, a cheap, reusable and accurate breath test for early-stage detection of lung cancer can become a reality.” Despite lung cancer being one of the most common and aggressive cancers, according to Cancer Research UK, 48% of lung cancer diagnosis’ do not occur until Stage 4. The research comes at a time where accurate techniques to detect the earliest stages of lung cancer is one of the greatest tasks to global health care. However, with the team from Exeter’s multi-layered graphene method, increased capabilities have been shown to detect the main lungcancer biomarks: ethanol, isopropanol and acetone. Ultimately, the research provides positive prospects for the detection of early lung cancer symptoms, allowing for effective treatment to be administered more readily.

ability to support undergraduates’ complex welfare needs, citing concerns about teachers’ ability to look out for signs of abuse. “I’m not sure that I would want a third year to be the one I would go to or to be the one to flag up an issue (...) “I wouldn’t see someone of that age as a senior, as someone to go to about that. I’d feel like we’re too similar in terms of where we were at. “Say if I had an issue, and I wanted someone to intervene at the uni, I’d want that to be someone who I didn’t perceive to be a student the same level as me. Because that would feel weird. “I’d want it to be someone who’s totally isolated from my life and have an outside point of view, and you don’t get that when you have a third year coming to teach first-years.” “(...) It would work really well if they were assisting a PhD student, that’s where I think it would work. But straight away on their own… if I was asked to do that next year, I’d feel so out of my depth teaching content in first year. I don’t feel like third-years are all necessarily in a place to do that themselves, they have their own [concerns].” Warren Bingham-Roberts, VP Education commented: “These roles present a great opportunity for those students who are looking at exploring a career

Image: Edd Church

in teaching either in the University or School Environment. As long as the Business School has appropriate quality assurance mechanisms in place these can be great experiences for those in the lectures too. To date we have not received any concerns about this through the Academic Representation Structure but we will address these as and when we receive them.” An Office for Students spokesperson said: “While each university is responsible for how it develops its courses, it is good practice for universities and other providers to be clear in the information they provide to prospective students on the teaching and teaching staff that they can expect on a course.” The University makes similar recommendations in the Teaching Quality Assurance Manual. A spokesman for the University of Exeter said: “The Economics Scholars scheme provides a small number of final year students with the opportunity to lead some selected, small-group, firstyear seminars. Last term, there were eight scholars participating in the scheme, aver-

aging around 1.7 hours of seminar work a week. “The scholars are selected through a rigorous and competitive interview process, are given extensive training from both internal and external providers before leading a seminar, and are also mentored, supported and observed throughout the teaching by academics to ensure that the quality, delivery and experience of the seminars remains to the highest standard. “The feedback received by the department has been overwhelmingly positive both from those on the programme - one of which received a Students’ Guild Teaching Award in the Best Teaching Assistant category - and from the first-year students themselves, and the scheme is regularly monitored and reviewed to ensure that it benefits both the scholars and the students equally.” Exeposé also asked the University whether the University’s management was aware of the practice, but did not receive a specific response. Julie Viollet, College Officer for the Business School, refused to comment.

‘No link’ between racist incidents and ethnic makeup of staff, claims Quine Neha Shaji Features Editor

HERE is no connection between racist incidents, such as the BLS incident and a lack of diversity in academic staff, Professor Tim Quine, Deputy ViceChancellor of Education, has said in an interview with XpressionFM. He also condemned the BLS incident, and said that the University is always open to diversifying its population. He said “we have to focus on a positively inclusive environment, not an environment which only deals with major problems.”

We have to focus on a positively inclusive environment, not an environment which only deals with major problems Prof. Tim Quine, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Education

He expressed the difficulties of starting from a position of limited diversity when it came to engaging more BAME students and staff. He added however, that a lack of diversity in academics was unrelated to racist in-

cidents on campus, such as the BLS incident. Chloe Shaw, Head of News, mentioned a recent Freedom of Information request showing that only 13% of academic staff were Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic (BAME), and asked Professor Quine whether steps needed to be taken to improve these numbers. He replied that a diverse academic staff would be “beneficial to the university, as a diverse community is one way exciting conversations can take place, and we would benefit from different cultural perspectives.” In response to Shaw’s questioning on whether the lack of diversity had led to systemic and endemic racism such as highlighted in the BLS and preceding incidents, Professor Quine stated that he “didn’t think there’s a con-

nection between those – I think the behaviour that emerged through BLS is in anybody’s book – abhorrent. It’s on a different scale from addressing inequalities in terms of access.” He reiterated that he did not think that the “ethnic distribution of staff and the gender distribution of staff leads to situations where it is acceptable with racist and misognist social media.” He said that the university is always looking at how it could diversify its population, but expressed that “starting from a position of limited diversity in a part of the country that’s got really low diversity is one of our challenges.” Professor Quine expanded on the different levels of appointment, and how the academic committee are brought in to help identify potential candidates to be encouraged to apply for senior posts.

NEWS

EXEPOSÉ | 11 FEB 2019

4% rise in firsts at Exeter since last year

Casualisation and job security top UCU concerns Rhiannon Moore Lifestyle Editor

HE Exeter University and College Union (UCU) recently surveyed their membership to understand the issues that are at the forefront of University staff ’s minds. Out of 230 respondents, 15.3% raised concerns over casualisation and contracts, suggesting that job security is a primary issue of full-time staff, graduate teaching assistants, and professional services alike. The second largest concern highlighted in the report relates to pensions. Union members also raised concerns over pay, with 10.9% of members mentioning issues with pay, including gender inequality and exploitation. Further down on the list of concerns is workload and teaching load, wellbeing

and support systems, as well as university governance and micromanagement. At the bottom of the concerns mentioned by respondents is race and gender discrimination, with less than 2% stating that it should be the focus of local organising. 230 individuals responded to the survey, which represents approximately 20 per cent of the Exeter branch. There were respodents across every department except for Computing and Engineering, as well areas of professional services. A spokesperson for Exeter UCU told Exepose: ''The data and the comments members shared through the UCU survey highlighted some significant concerns including stagnating wages, pensions, workload, and increasing casualisation of the workforce. The findings are important because they provide us with a precise picture of the membership's concerns.''

Exeter to celebrate Chinese New Year

O celebrate the year of the Pig, the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA) have planned a day of celebrations throughout Exeter. The afternoon will consist of of fireworks, traditional dragon dancing and delicious Chinese foods.

We want to share our happiness with everyone and bring people a memorable expeience

Zhe Xu, Chinese Society Presdient

Chinese Society festivities will be taking place on Sunday 17 February at Streatham Campus. The celebrations will be open to Exeter students and locals alike. The event will begin at 1pm with dragon and lion dancing parading through the streets of Exeter. Beginning at Buffet City, before heading

Gwyn Wright News Editor

WENTY-NINE per cent of University of Exeter graduates were awarded first class degrees last year, representing a four per cent increase on last year, according to figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This figure is lower than the average for British universities, which was 28 per cent. Exeter was ranked 16th out of 24 Russell Group universities for the number of firsts it awarded last year. No Russell Group instititions recorded a decrease of more than one per cent in the number of firsts awarded. Imperial College London led the rankings with 41 per cent of all undergraduates recieving firsts last year.

A spokesperson for the University of Exeter told Exepose: ''These increases reflect not only the hard work and dedication of all our staff and students, but also the emphasis the University has, and continues to place on enhancing all aspects of its academic process.''

This spiralling grade inflation risks undermining public confidence iin our higher education system

Nichola Dandridge, OfS Chief Executive

''We recognised the importance of maintaing the academic vigour and value of our degrees, and every year monitor the percentage of firsts and 2:1s, carrying out a statistical analysis of awards data to ensure there is no grade inflation.''

Nichola Dandridge, Chief Executrive of the Office for Students (OfS) said last month: ''It is fundamentally important- for students, graduates and employers, that degrees hold their value over time.[...] there has been signficant and unexpecte grade inflation since 2010-11. This spiralling grade inflation risks undermining public confidence in our higher education system.'' The HESA figures also recorded the first change to the top ten most popular subjects in five years. History fell out of the top ten this year, and was replaced by economics. The number of students taking maths, business studies and vocational degrees also increased. These changes could be the result of the increased focus that the government has placed on STEM subjects in recent years.

Image: University of Exeter

Image: Smiarchy

Abi Taphouse News Team

through Cathedral Green, Bedford Square and along the main high street. The procession will then head up Streatham Campus where everyone can enjoy the grand finale at 3pm. After the parade the celebrations will move to The Forum which will be a buzz with numerous activities, such as lantern painting, and traditional tasty treats for all ages. At 5.15pm guests will be invited back into the Great Hall to watch and enjoy a range of fantastical cultural performances from students. The festivities will be wrapped up in traditional Chinese style with a fireworks display that can be viewed from the best seats in the house – the University’s XFI Building. Having planned the day for so long the University’s Chinese Society are really excited about the event. President Zhe Xu said, “We want to share our happiness with everyone in Exeter and bring people a memorable experience during this festive season.”

'We regret that it has come to this point' CONTINUED FROM FRONT ... would be a success. He also noted that the benefits of this new system were that “we can reopen [positions] because it’s not a set election”. When questioned about his relationship with the college officers, and what had been done to support them, Bingham Roberts commented that a Guild staff member had met with three of the officers and that they were looking for the best steps forward. The question of his response to the criticism of the Digital Check-in was also brought up, noting that there had been limited change as the system was still in place. The criticism of the Digital Check-in system was brought up in Term 1’s Student Ideas, with 89.6% of the 487 voters voting ‘yes’ to remove the system from the iExeter app. Bingham-Roberts responded that the promise of a debate was “poorly worded on my front” and that while there had been suggestions of an open

discussion forum, he had received “push back” from Shadow Council previously. He also noted that he didn’t pursue the debate this term due to less support. Instead, Bingham-Roberts noted that there would be a two-page report on the Check-in system, its focus being the “five main points that were in the original student Idea… and the impact it’s had on the student experience”. He noted that some of the points in the Idea were factually incorrect and this would also be addressed. He confirmed that this report would be accessible to the public and incorporated into a Guild statement. Commenting on what was expected of the disciplinary, Shadow Councillor Harry Burton said: “Following discussions with College Officers and Shadow Council scrutiny, we decided it was appropriate to begin the notice of improvement procedure against the VP Education. The NoI process is intended to be both positive and constructive, providing an opportunity to support

the VP Education in achieving a set of targets, whilst ensuring the interests of the Student Body are protected.” The disciplinary meeting will occur on 13 February with the aim of improving matters and working towards a notice of improvement. Due to the sensitivity of the circumstances, the meeting will be confidential, limited only to Shadow Councillors and support staff. Since then, the College Officers have collectively given a statement noting: “We regret that it has come to this point and hope that the process now in place will lead to more effective communication, engagement and support for academic representatives from the Students’ Guild.” A Guild spokesperson stated: “Meetings of this nature are an important part of the scrutiny process, and are to consider the validity of the evidence before proceeding with any further action if necessary. We are confident that once this has been done in the meeting the proper course of action will follow."

EXEPOSÉ | 11 FEB 2019

Comment

COMMENT EDITORS:

Isabelle Gray Deepa Lalwani

Celebrating LGBTQ+ history

Katie Baker Online Lifestyle Editor

APPY LGBTQ+ history month! As you may know, this February marks the 14th annual celebration of LGBTQ+ history month in the UK, often referred to as ‘LGBT history month’. It was initially created in 2005 by Sue Sanders and Paul Patrick as part of a Schools OUT UK project. This came in the wake of the abolition of Section 28, which stated that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”.

20% of LGBTQ+ people experience a hate crime every year

The introduction of the 2003 Employment Equality Regulations was also extremely important, as it prohibited employers from discriminating against employees on grounds of

It provides an opportunity to learn about important moments of history that are completely absent from the education system, and it also helps community

a collective and look after each other when it gets hard. So when someone gets particularly ill, and you are a fourhour train journey away, instead of upstairs in your room, it’s a whole new territory to face. You can’t make that classic panic cup of tea that will make things feel better for that person for five minutes or so; instead, you become confined to phone calls and WhatsApp messages.

not the fourth or fifth. And of course, the weekends are convenient for these matters, and being an English student I am blessed with very few contact hours so quick trips home are always possible. But I think what people forget about illness is it’s often not the big gestures or the planned visits. It’s the things you don’t consider or plan, it’s the needed help you never think of, like helping reach for the soup at the top of the cupboard, or a hug, a rushed trip to the hospital or even just going out to get more milk. It’s a strange sudden reality of growing up where you realise you are actually needed as a reliable member of the family. As you grow, your responsibility grows, and as your parents grow older, their reliance on you grows too. It is a weird complex of you yourself eating Coco Pops for dinner whilst checking in on the health and wellbeing of your own parent, not quite old enough to look after yourself but having no choice but to become

members feel supported and recognised. With over 1500 nationwide events, there are opportunities for many to actively access tangible queer spaces where individuals will be accepted unconditionally. Here, it is much easier to meet

new people with similar experiences than it is in day-to-day life. To just exist within these spaces can be a breath of fresh air, as you’re somewhere you don’t have to experience fear or judgement. Even if you cannot attend the events yourself, the existence of them is reassuring in itself. The presence of LGBTQ+-centric events gives more visibility online, particularly on social media which can be instrumental in allowing isolated queer youth to feel much less alone. This can be incredibly comforting to those unable to come out to see alternative experiences, one of acceptance, not fear. Most of all, the celebration of LGBTQ+ identities provides hope. The most recognisable names in LGBTQ+ activist history are often the more publicised Americans, such as Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official, and Martha P. Johnson who allegedly threw the first brick at the Stonewall riots. However, there are many activists working in the UK even now, such as Lily Madigan, who became the first trans woman to hold the position of Women’s Officer, elected in 2017 to

the Labour Party. Visibility for inspirational members of the LGBTQ+ community are now often most prominently in the entertainment industry, such as comedian Sue Perkins, or model Cara Delevingne, helping to normalise queer identities to their audiences.

responsible for those you love. It’s never easy to have that order of care reversed, but it is an inevitable part of life that can, in a bittersweet way, be quite rewarding. I have always felt the weight of all my family has done for me and giving back in any way I can is something I am always itching to do. But as I’ve mentioned, I am now a bit of a journey and a hefty price of a train ticket away.

have to do, and your family would want the same. All in all, there is no real conclusion to how to confront this conflict, but to face things as they come. It’s far from an ideal situation and in life acceptance of things being difficult sometimes is the best option you have. Perseverance helps. Looking out for yourself so you can look after others will help. Sometimes feeling hopeless, scared, or ‘over it’ is what will happen. We have to juggle so much at uni as it is, so having hardship in your personal life, especially when it’s far away from you is never easy, but you find your way because you have to - for them.

To just exist in these spaces can be a breath of fresh air LGBTQ+ history month is community-driven and promotes solidarity with activists who have paved the way for the liberation of LGBTQ+ people so far, whilst reminding us of the work still to be done. Its function of affirming these marginalised identities is vital to each of us, whether we are ‘out of the closet’ or not.

É If you’re struggling with issues relating to sexuality, seek advice from: Stonewall: stonewall.org.uk LGBT Foundation: lgbt.foundation 0345 3 30 30 30 Wellbeing Services: exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing Image: suzannademey / Flickr

The price of moving away

Isabelle Gray Comment Editor

sexual orientation, perceived sexual orientation, religion or belief and age. Despite these great strides in progress, a result of the painstaking work of activists, this month is still important as there is still so much to do. Research carried out by LGBTQ+ charity group Stonewall found that an estimated 20% of LGBTQ+ people experience a hate crime in the space of one year, whilst around 80% of LGBTQ+ students have not received relevant information on how to have safe sex. Additionally, 42% of trans people are not living in their preferred gender role due to fear that it would threaten their employment status. Although positive, significant legislation has been passed, clearly, attitudes and actions are far behind. LGBTQ+ history month differs from its more well-known counterpart of Pride month as it is not only a celebration of queer identities, but specifically focuses on history, and brings visibility to the struggles that the community are still working to overcome. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, this month is incredibly important.

EING away from home and being at university is a strange feeling, one that definitely takes getting used to. I felt this especially in the first year, as all of us probably did. You’re in a new place, you don’t really know what’s going on or where anything is. Now being in my second-year stint of university, I’ve realised a whole new feeling when it comes to being far away from home. At first, I was missing my family a lot and the comfort of being at home, and now I’ve realised how that can work both ways. My family have unfortunate luck when it comes to illness, we’ve dealt with all the classics: asthma, a number of broken bones (clearly we have a clumsy gene), acne, mental health issues, accidents, the lot. As a result of that and being in a singleparent household, we all are a bit of

Being away from home and at uni takes getting used to It was certainly a very surreal experience being in a lecture, checking your phone every now and then to see if there’s any news about a lifethreatening surgery your family member is in. Of course, I want to learn about the wonders of William Blake’s Romantic poetry, but I also really want to be in that waiting room, to be the first to know any updates,

You have to look out for yourself so that you can look after others University is often about learning to cope by living in two spaces all at once. People often mention that both your ‘homes’ never truly feel like one because it ends up that something is always missing, whether that’s physical or within yourself. And it’s a similar conflict when it comes to an illness in the family, you feel guilty for staying at uni but it’s something you know you

É If these issues affect you, you can get in touch with: Student Minds support group: exeter@studentminds.org.uk Wellbeing Services: exeter.ac.uk/wellbeing

COMMENT

The perks of being an intern

Emma Blackmore Contributor

WRITE this after sending, most likely, one of my last emails to my employer. A one-month paid internship, secured through the University, meant a new phone and a new LinkedIn connection. Vanity aside, an internship provided me with a plethora of opportunities that, in my view, supersedes the anxieties of sorting out any internship, whether that be paid or not. In the end, it’s an investment in your future.

11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

Internships offer invaluable work experience. Having an internship, whether it be a summer long or a month

is different to the pressure of academia as you know you only have four hours to complete the task, whereas, technically, you could have the whole day, to read or write an essay. Therefore, internships are beneficial to not only your CV but also your university career.

Internships also further your network. Have you heard of the theory of ‘six degrees of separation’? This is the idea that everyone is six or fewer social connections away from each other. Networking is vital as it increases your exposure to information, opportunity and professional advice. Therefore, having an internship broadens your network. In fact, my internship not only provided me with professional writing advice but also video editing and graphic designing, which I think will be helpful later in my career.

Image: mohamed_hassan / Pixabay

In the end, it’s an investment in your future

long, provides you with a glimpse of working in a professional environment. Tailoring your own internship and making the most out of it determines the nature of its success. The more you invest in your internship and commit to it, the more skills and opportunities arrive. For me, working in an office made me realise how different working and higher education are. In my experience, professionals care more about your experience than your education. In addition, the skills I gained, such as responsibility and discipline, have proved beneficial for me and my CV. Internships create better timemanagement skills. The phrase “time is money” is crucial here. Having an internship, especially during term-time, shows future employers that you can juggle your degree and employment and you may find that you treat your degree as more of a 9-5 job. For example, when you have tasks to complete in a limited time frame it pushes you. This pressure

Having an internship broadens your network

Internships help you stand out in the cut-throat graduate competition. Not many employers recruit graduates without any experience in the field and an internship can be your way in. The

hours of your internship can go towards the Exeter Award, which is an employability achievement award for students. The Exeter Award - and subsequent internships - could differentiate you from the competition because it shows you are being proactive and making the most out of your resources. The whole internship experience may also lead to you discovering that the particular career choice is not for you. To be paid or not to be paid? That is a difficult question, and one that doesn’t always end up being answered the way you wish it was. No one wants to (and not everyone can afford to) work for free, but if you remember that internships provide you with contacts, experience and skills for the future then this is equally as valuable as a salary in the long term. Visit mycareerzone.exeter. ac.uk for more information on jobs and internships

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Absolutely sabb-ulous?

Fenton Christmas Deputy Editor

S someone who’s now in their fourth year at this University (I feel so old), February brings me more dread and repressed exasperation than any other month. Yes, the upcoming Sabb elections once again loom – everybody try and contain your excitement. Once again, Forum Hill will transform into a minefield of campaigners trying to bombard you with manifesto points as you take your merry stroll up to your 8:30 lecture in Peter Chalk. But don’t worry if you manage to avoid them, they’ll still find you on your social media - normally in the form of those ridiculous campaign videos that make me cringe harder than a Nicholas Sparks novel. For me, these elections just become a symbol of all the disconnect I see between student reps and the student body itself.

Sabb elections are a symbol of disconnect

To be clear, I don’t blame the Sabbs themselves; it’s more the system they’ve become stuck within. Let’s start with the elections. I love the passion that the people running hold to do good, but there must be a better platform for their campaigning. Jumping on people on campus really cannot be the only method for stu-

dent engagement. You can be walking down Forum Hill with friends, having your own private conversations about the latest house drama, or who pulled at TP this week, when suddenly some stranger jumps in and thrusts a flyer at you. Either that or they prod chocolates or cakes at you like you’re a performing animal or some small child that won’t stop crying. I once had one follow me all the way down Forum Hill as they rattled off their friend’s manifesto even though I had already politely declined to engage. Top tip pestering might not get you votes. Of course, some people do enjoy the interaction with the candidates and their teams and that’s great. Yet, I wonder if those who feel uneasy in social situations enjoy this form of hard-hitting canvassing? Has anyone stopped and asked? But the campaigning is only one small part of my issue with the whole concept of the Sabbs. There is just very little there that encourages student engagement. I don’t feel like I would go to the Sabbs if I had a problem - I would go to a tutor, SID or even the head of my department first. I do know people who have and have had good experiences, but my point is that it’s not always the obvious solution. The Sabbs are locked away in their tiny office in the corner of DH1, obscured by all the super committed students with their Pret cups that swarm that corridor like bees to a flower. It’s an odd setup. Are the Sabbs approachable? Do

you need an appointment? Can you just email them out the blue? Which one do you email? It’s all very muddy. I know people at other universities in which the student representatives are much less involved, and others in which they’re so much more visible. It’s the culture of the uni. There isn’t a checklist of things I could take to the Guild and say ‘Do this to make things better’, it’s one part of the overriding issue. I’ve had the most interaction I’ve ever had with the Sabbs this year (which isn’t saying much) and they are all lovely people who genuinely work hard to improve this university. But the system doesn’t seem to help them. The rest of us, as part of the student body, are expected to vote these people in every year, and that’s where our input stops. If I wasn’t on a society committee, I’m not sure that I would even know their names. I still don’t even know the difference between each of the roles.

Once again, Forum Hill will transform into a minefield of campaigners

The counter-argument to all this, of course, is that maybe it’s down to me to get involved. Maybe I should take more of an everyday interest in these things. Take the leap. Talk to the Sabbs, join Shadow Council, go to the meetings etc. All fair points that I thought about before I started typing this very article, yet there’s something

in the back of my mind that says no. Why should I feel like I would have to do that to gain any interaction or knowledge of them and what they do day-to-day? I need more than an email every so often, or to see their picture in the corridors, or have them thrust a bloody pamphlet at me as I’m trying to get to my class. I want something more. My point simply is – what do the Sabbs do for me on a daily basis? That sounds super selfish at first glance, but I do struggle to see how they change my everyday experience. I don’t mean I want the Sabbs to jump out at me and show me all the good they’ve done, more that I would like it to be clearer what initiatives are theirs. That might be a start. You’ve done a thing – be proud of it and shout it at me. Don’t make it all about you, but at least tell me you’ve had a hand in it. Some might say it’s not about the individuals themselves, but the changes they make. In this case, it is precisely about the individual. We vote for them in terms of their personality and their policies. We deserve to see the results of our supposed faith in them. As I write this, without any googling, I couldn’t tell you more than two or three initiatives introduced in recent years the Sabbs have directly had a hand in. I know that digital check-in is still going even though the student body voted to get rid of it. How does that work? Do the students here have a voice for change, or simply just a voice that can be ig-

nored when it suits the University? There needs to be a whole culture change in the way this university deals with its student voice. Even our representatives seem marginalised.

The Sabbs don’t feel like a force for substantial change

The most annoying thing about all this is I can’t tell you specifically what that would be or how it would emerge. It’s not just one thing. The Sabbs feel like an afterthought, a box checked, rather than anything created as a force for substantial change. They don’t feel part of us. It won’t surprise you to learn that I’ve never voted in these elections, because why would I want to? I don’t feel represented by these people. Once they’re in office, they disappear. They fall into the background like wallpaper – always there, but nobody really stops to pay attention beyond a glance. I have friends at other unis that are in their respective Sabb positions, and they tell me how integrated they feel within the student body itself. They are at the heart of the uni, they live and breathe it. They lead from the front as pillars newer students look to and aspire to. Here, it feels a little bit different. I’ve never felt that the Sabbs are integrated into the student community. If anything, they’re enclosed within a tiny box room opposite a technology shop - obscured by the very people they wanted to help.

COMMENT

Shaggy is a god

There’s a new omnipotent being in town

After visiting a hypnotherapist, Shaggy apparently gains courage from hearing the word “bad”, but arguably much more than that occurs. There is a scene where he encounters an intimidating gang of muscly and mustachioed bikers who take an interest in beating this seemingly timid pile of lankiness and poor coordination: “lil buddy, this is gonna be bad”. Instantly, a switch flicks in Shaggy’s brain;

It is at this point that, arguably, the best fight scene in the history of cinema ever occurs (no offence to Matthew Vaughn and Jane Goldman, but Kingsman just doesn’t cut it). A gangly hurricane of skill and speed sends these bikers flying. Tables are broken, blokes are unconscious (possibly even dead at this point), and the only thing in this eatery to remain unscathed, is naturally a lacrosse trophy belonging to the owner of the establishment. Shaggy is not a monster, after all. It is at this point, that a hidden biker – a straggler if you will – sneaks up on Shaggy, hoping to catch him off-guard. Shaggy faces his final foe. The biker takes a look at his fallen friends, and begins to feel the crippling sensations of fear and shame. He quickly punches himself in the face, hoping to never have to remember this experience ever again. It is from this that the mythos was unleashed. And since then it has expanded - screenshots of the actors from the live-action Scooby Doo movies of 2002 and 2004 giving their behindthe-scenes accounts of experiencing

VALENTINE’S Agony Aunt

Dear Agony Aunt,

I thought I was happy being single, but all these thirsty posts on ExeHonestly and Sexeter have me questioning myself. Plus, the cold weather doesn’t help. What’s going on? Do I actually want to be in a relationship or is this just the most pathetic case of FOMO ever? Yours, Facebook Frisky

you can see the mechanics working, the whites in his eyes spinning as something practically ancient takes centre stage, and Shaggy replies: “This can go two ways, punk. One: you walk away. Two: I walk on your face.” And that he did.

Dear Facebook Frisky,

From the information you’ve provided, I’m sorry to say that you do fall into the category of ‘The Most Pathetic Case of FOMO Ever’. It’s natural to feel a little left out when it seems like everyone around you is coupling up, but keep in mind that you don’t have to be in a relationship to enjoy yourself! Not to mention, posting on an anonymous platform about how desperate you’ve gotten is the purest form of rock bottom, and you should be happy not to be there. Much love, Agony Aunt

Dear Agony Aunt,

So, I got with this lass a couple months ago, thought it would just be a standard cuffing season thing, you know? And the best bit? She didn’t want anything serious either! I’m sure you know how rare it is to find a couple that is actually on the same page. Sounds perfect, right? Well, small hitch. As Valentine’s comes ever closer, I’m finding myself wondering whether I want this to be casual after all. The even bigger problem is that I’m almost certain she is still very much on the casual bandwagon. Any ideas on what I should do? Couple Questioner

Dear Couple Questioner,

You and I both know what needs to be done here. Just talk to her! Check any rom-com out there - when one person has unspoken unrequited feelings for another, chaos ensues. Worst case, you’ll have to end it (which would be better than pining in silence, anyway), and best case, she feels the same way! Good luck! Much love, Agony Aunt

Dear Agony Aunt,

There’s this guy I’ve been majorly crushing on for a while now. Recently, we’ve been spending more time together and there have been a few moments when it’s seemed like he might feel the same way. I’ve just about worked up the courage to ask him out, but I feel like with Valentine’s being only a few days away, it might put too much pressure on a potential first date. Thoughts? Yours, Anxious Asker

Dear Anxious Asker,

I can see two potential solutions here: one - ask him out now and suggest a date that will take place postValentine’s. That way, the pressure of The Big Day won’t be looming over your first date. Alternatively, you could wait til Valentine’s Day passes before you ask him out. Again, you’ll be able to avoid the Valentine’s pressure. I hope it all works out for you! Much love, Agony Aunt

Dear Agony Aunt,

So, I’m broke. I’m sure you hear that a lot, I mean every student is broke - right? But when I say broke, I mean broke. Like £0.97 in my bank account broke. With Valentine’s around the corner, this isn’t exactly what one would call an ideal situation. How do I treat my boyfriend to a fun Valentine’s Day with no cash in the bank? Yours, Penniless Partner

Dear Penniless Partner,

There are a lot of ways to have a fun day on a budget. You could have a picnic by the cathedral, a romantic dinner over Netflix, a walk along the beach... the list is endless! Take this as an opportunity to get creative, it’ll be fun! Enjoy! Much love, Agony Aunt

Shaggy, with Sarah Michelle Gellar apparently being sent to “the dark place”. Matthew Lillard is quoted apparently discussing the struggles of embodying the powers of Shaggy, as he could only use 0.1% of his powers at a time.

Shaggy is the most physically powerful entity to exist

Comparisons have been made between Shaggy and Dragonball Z characters, giving him the name ‘Ultra Instinct Shaggy’ and commenting on his immense power. Videos have surfaced with Shaggy battling with Goku and other characters, but only using like… 10% of his power. Questions of whether Shaggy could defeat some of the most powerful creatures have come to mind: could Shaggy defeat Thanos? What about Big Chungus? We may never know. But there is something brilliant about turning a coward and making him into a godly entity.

Dear Agony Aunt,

I’ve been thinking about ending my relationship, but since Valentine’s Day is coming up, it feels like a terrible time to do it. But if I hold off, will I just be stringing him along? I don’t know what the right thing to do is here, and I really don’t want to hurt his feelings - after all, we’ve been together for two years now. I’m really in a jam, please help! Love, All Out of Love

Dear All Out of Love,

There’s no question about it. If you’re not feeling the relationship anymore, you should end it. I understand that the timing is horrible, but pretending to feel something you don’t for the sake of an ultimately arbitrary holiday would be much worse. If the tables were turned, wouldn’t you rather he’d be honest with you? I hope this helps, and good luck! Much love, Agony Aunt

Image: kaitlyn / SketchPort

N case you’ve been living under a meme-less rock, let me enlighten you: there’s a new omnipotent being in town, and his name is Shaggy. No, this isn’t the noughties reggae icon who brought us such hits as ‘It Wasn’t Me’ and ‘Boombastic’. This is the other noughties icon: Scooby Doo’s best pal, Norville ‘Shaggy’ Rogers. The tall, lanky one that says the words “like” and “zoinks” repeatedly, and can somehow eat his body mass in food without putting on a pound. Yeah, that Shaggy. Perhaps, you’ll remember Shaggy as the cowardly slacker; you might have grown up to assume that he was just a perpetual stoner and that’s why there was always an air of smoke surrounding him (and this would also account for the munchies). Wipe this slate clean, we are all wrong. Shaggy is the most physically powerful entity to exist. Nay, he is a god. I hear you cry “don’t be stupid. We

need proof of these almighty powers!” Well, step back in time to 2011. A lot of things happened in 2011: there was a royal wedding. Charlie Sheen was fired from Two and a Half Men. It was the designated International Year of the Forest. But arguably the most important event of that year was when the directto-DVD movie Scooby Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur hit the supermarket shelves.

Image: spadge6868/ Flickr

Bryony Gooch Online Music Editor

o Me m f m o th e n e th

EXEPOSÉ | 11 FEB 2019

Features

FEATURES EDITORS: Niamh Elstone Neha Shaji

On the streets (at the ballots?)

Daina Auzins discusses the causes and effects of the Gilets Jaunes protests

IOTS instigated by the socalled Gilets Jaunes (yellow vests) in Paris won’t have failed to attract considerable attention recently; they’ve almost consistently been in daily headlines for the weeks of the protests – and often mentioned in the media since. Images circulating on the internet and television show a Paris that hasn’t been seen for a while: smokefilled crowds, disintegrated cars, the Champs Elysées practically a ghost of a thoroughfare that is usually bursting with people.

Tensions against Macron’s government were already present According to French media, riots to this extent haven’t occurred for decades. What started out as a post on social media has grown to a national uprising

over rising fuel taxes, and more besides. It all began with the government announcing a rise in fuel taxes for January 2019, which led to a call for protest by two lorry drivers on 10 October – people were angry at the rise, and tensions against Macron’s mode of government were already present in the populace. An organised peaceful protest was then agreed with local authorities for 17 November. Initially, this began in smaller towns, with some road blockages and meetings calling for support of the movement. Despite it originally being a peaceful protest, the tensions rose further, until several injuries began to be reported. Soon after, a Facebook event was circulated announcing a collective march on Paris at the weekend, and this is where the situation grew more heated, prompting a protest to turn into a riot that spilled out onto the street. Almost 100,000 police officers have been deployed throughout the whole country, attempting to quell the

Fatigued citizens have, months on, returned to an ordinary life after the protests It’s hard to protest for something that may have a profound effect on your life while at the same time struggling to make ends meet. What’s more, the violence has meant that businesses and shops have been forced to close at what is arguably the most profitable time of the year, and on several Saturdays at that, when the Champs Elysées is probably at its busiest. We’re no longer thinking of a weekend break to Paris just before Christmas either; many hotels have seen hundreds of cancellations. What is normally a glittering city has now been left with a faint, dull glow of desolation and the glimmering of damage. It’s this sense of injustice and hopelessness which has arguably propelled the riots to be about more than just an increase in fuel prices, but about a failure to address the needs of a population, at least in the eyes of protestors. According to a YouGov poll published only last week in France, the French president’s popularity has shot down to a mere 18%. A stark contrast to last year just after he was voted in as head of state. His reputation certainly hasn’t been helped by the riots and cries of “Macron, démission!” up and down the country. There are some that feel that an increase in fuel will diminish their purchasing power and leave their fridges empty at the end of the month. But there are also those who

accuse the president of being inhuman and inconsiderate, which is just adding fuel to the fire. Macron made a speech after the majority of the protests in which he vowed to raise the minimum wage by €100, a tall order for millions of French earners. However, he also admitted that he knew that people were angry at him and that he would do everything possible to help those in the most precarious situations. These might seem like empty promises, but some found them convincing. Of course, it’s impossible to placate everyone at once, but the freeze on the fuel tax is one step of many in that direction. There are still simmering tensions across the nation, and the primary mood seems to be weariness: whether or not this will transpose into political action is still left to be seen. The Eiffel Tower has reopened, and fatigued citizens have, months on, returned to an ordinary life. The spark has, however, been lit and it remains up to the public whether the

revolutionary movement will translate into Macron’s government being voted out of power. It’s important to grasp the bigger picture in this situation with many differing opinions. Europe is at a turning point, and not just because of Brexit.

This sense of hopelessness has, arguably, propelled the protestors Macron’s replacement may not just be a candidate who will lower fuel taxes, as a wave of support for the far right is spreading across the continent and frequently become used as an outlet for dissatisfaction and anger at stagnating wages, climbing rents and insufficient social support. Worryingly, the farright party Rassemblement National (formerly Front National) have turned the anger of the Gilets Jaunes to a completely different issue.

Images: (from left): Kremlin ; Spencer Selover, Comfreak

Image: University of Exeter

worst of the violence, yet this seems to have led to even more clashes. But while French people have a constitutional right to protest, what are the consequences for others? While some are happy not to go to work and protest for what they believe is a justified cause, others have families and relatives to provide for, which they struggle to do without their cars. It gets worse for those in rural areas who are completely dependent on vehicles for their day-today lives, especially where other modes of transport are inexistent.

11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

FEATURES

Do we still have privacy? S

Kamila Bell analyses the importance of privacy on the internet

OCIAL media platforms today offer us the choice to restrict what information we wish to share about ourselves with other users, but how much of this information is kept private from those who run the sites? Does this data remain in a digital vault, only accessible to us or is there an authority given to a privileged few to access and exploit such information? With the internet being a shared space, a community of more than 4 billion people in 2018, the interest of keeping the private, private is becoming a growing concern. In April, it will be a year since Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, gave his testimony in front of the US Congress concerning the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the app users right to privacy. The hearing came after the British analytics firm acquired data on more than 50 million Facebook users without their consent. Cambridge Analytica gained access to this data through a firm called Global Science Research (GSR) that created a personality quiz that was completed by 270,000 consenting individuals to build psychological profiles. However, consent was never given for the friend’s profiles of the 270,000 accounts to be harvested and passed on to Cambridge Analytica to be used as part of voter modelling for political campaigns. Within the April 2018 hearing Mr Grassley from the Senate Committee stressed the issue of transparency to

Background Image: Anthony Quintano From Left to Right: WhatsApp Inc., Pinterest, Tumblr, Inc., MIH83, Josh Borup

the consumer as vital and called for an adaptation of the way consumers receive ‘Terms and Conditions’ to ensure they are fully aware what they are giving their consent to. Grassley further brought to light the pressing issue of the modernization of presidential campaigns. Most notably their utilisation of consumer data to create focused and personalised ads across multiple social media platforms. Grassley continued with the example of President Obama’s campaign, which developed an app that utilised data similar to that acquired from Facebook by Cambridge Analytica, to capture not just the data of app users but their friends’ data alongside. Within Facebook’s “platform policy” data of friends was to be collected for the sole purpose of enhancing the user experience and barred it from being sold or used for advertising purposes. However, following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it appears the issue of data and cyber security is becoming an ever more prominent issue of the 21st Century.

The British analytics firm acquired data on more than 50 million Facebook users Ultimately, this leads us to question whether the decisions we make not only in the consumer market, but also within the political realm can be deemed authentic. Can we really be

making autonomous decisions if the information in front of us is there only to manipulate our decisions and make us feel a certain way? CCTV surveillance is at an alltime high with an estimated 5.9 million closed-circuit television cameras around the UK, averaging around 1 camera for every 11 citizens in the country. If CCTV surveillance can be viewed and accepted as a protectionist measure for the safety of the British population, for what purpose is the harvesting of private data of such citizens to be understood other than merely exploitative.

Our internet and social media searches shape the theme of our timeline Of course, trigger words such as ‘bomb’ or ‘gun’ have an undertone of threat towards national security and the monitoring of internet searches of this nature makes sense. Indicating that the monitoring of citizens’ internet history checks can provide a feeling of safety to know that organised crimes can be prevented and that there is a constant aim to protect the UK population. However, the line between what data is needed to protect us and data that is endlessly collected to alter consumers internet behaviour is not so thin. With digital technology transforming almost every aspect of our daily lives, the Data Protection Act, 2018 could not have

come at a better time to enable people to take control of their data. The Data Protection Act came into force on May 25th, 2018 ensuring that everyone’s data must be secure and kept away from unauthorised access. This act not only sets out the rights of the individual, but will stress the obligations of organizations to uphold the security of personal data and their responsibility to acquire clear consent from the people they are collecting information from. Importantly, it will allow people to have easier access to the data companies hold about them which has clear benefits of giving the individual clear rights over their own information. However, if the data that is stored for marketing purposes is not deemed as ‘sensitive’ and our consent is given through accepting cookies the chance that the Data Protection Act will alter our social media experience is slim. Article 8 of the Human Rights Act states “Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.” With the fundamentals of privacy protected by human rights, are aspects of the internet such as website ‘cookies’ a breach of this? Has capitalism gone mad? Is data harvesting to create targeted clickbait personally designed for the consumer to be deemed as an act of altruism or merely a revolutionary new way to make more money? Technology seems to have

surpassed standard models of business, to a “catch-all” method that requires no face-to-face interaction between the consumer and the manufacturer. The worst part of the whole situation is that we give consent daily for such acts to occur every time we agree to a website’s use of cookies. We can often find ourselves intrigued by clothes or electronics ads that find their way into our timelines to entice us with “Last chance to buy!” or “Up to 50% off!”, as we pull our thumb away from clicking for more details and instead continue to scroll. Cookies are there to track our online decisions, our search preferences, pages we read, ads we click on, our very own digital self stored on our electronic devices to alter the way we interact with what we see online. However, it’s not all negatives in the world of a personally adjusted internet. Our internet and social media searches shape the theme of our timelines, organizing content in priority of what best fits the nature of our internet preferences. Such alterations can have some benefits of filtering out posts/ ads that are not related to our interests, bringing forward content we want to see and relegating the rest to the shadows of the web. Although the intent of such a personalized format may not wholly be for our benefit and enjoyment, it ultimately seems to be something we have become accustomed to in a digitally led 21st century.

EXEPOSÉ | 11 FEB 2019

FEATURES

The Davos meeting

Megan Aeron-Thomas analyses the Davos meeting between global businesspeople and politicians

HE annual gathering of business executives, politicians and wealthy individuals at the World Economic Forum in Davos took place last month. This year’s event was initially noted for the presence of David Attenborough who at the start of the conference urged attendees to tackle climate change before its damage becomes irreversible. However, arguably what gained the most publicity was the presence of Dutch historian Rutger Bregman who went viral for his critique of the attendees themselves.

Income inequality as a hot topic is reflected by the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Appearing on a panel with, amongst others Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International, Bregman denounced the overwhelming failure of the conference to talk about taxation, describing it as “the one thing we know could fight wealth inequality”. Bregman urged attendees to stop talking about philanthropy and start talking about taxes and the issue of the rich not paying their fair share. In a subsequent interview with Vox, Bregman stressed that philanthropy is not a substitute for democracy, proper taxation or a

Image: Kremlin

welfare state, expressing his preference for a world in which philanthropists and organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are not necessary. Byanyima also addressed the matter of tax avoidance, remarking that $170 billion is lost in tax revenue every year, denied to those who need the money most. She called for a further look into the business model and the role of governments to tax in order to put that money back into people’s lives. Unsurprisingly, Bregman and Byanyima’s comments were not wildly popular amongst their audience. Ken Goldman, former chief financial

officer at Yahoo, criticised what he characterised as a one sided panel, demanding that they discuss what could be done to solve inequality beyond taxes. Regardless of the reception at Davos itself, their comments proved popular elsewhere. The video featuring Bregman and Byanyima’s remarks has been viewed over six million times, clearly the topic of income inequality resonates with the wider public. Indeed, this is reflected by the rise in popularity of Alexandria OcasioCortez, who in November last year became the youngest woman ever elected to the US Congress at the age of 29. Ocasio-Cortez has suggested

a top marginal income tax rate of 70% and whilst this proposal has come under criticism there is in fact historical precedent as under President Eisenhower this figure was at 91%. That greater numbers of politicians are introducing and supporting these concepts reflects a genuine change in public discussion of taxation and the need to combat its pervasive inequality. Nevertheless, some of the concerns that have been raised regarding these proposals is that many wealthy individuals and multinational companies avoid paying tax in the first place, so raising the top tax rate would only encourage even more people to try and

avoid tax. However, more needs to be done in response to this, involving an open discussion of contemporary taxation issues as opposed to ignoring the matter and letting it continue. Given that Davos is frequently perceived as merely an annual retreat of an isolated global elite, the stimulating debate that Bregman and Byanyima have generated, and are part of as a wider discussion, can help the event to learn the benefit of addressing tough issues. Although there is undeniable controversy regarding the effectiveness of an increased tax proposal it is important to concentrate on solving the continued reliance on philanthropy in the twenty-first century, and debating such proposals rather than immediately dismissing them.

There is undeniable controversy regarding the effectiveness of an increased tax proposal Consequently, by actively focusing on efficient means of creating positive change rather than skirting around the topic, meetings such as Davos can prove to be powerful instigators of advancement and innovation. Participants including Goldman must be equally willing to be held accountable

A Venezuelan issue Katie Belej provides her perspective on the political unrest in Venezuela

HE Venezuelan opposition leader, Juan Guaidó, has opened what many believe to be a decisive chapter in the country’s battle to rid itself of Nicolás Maduro, the current president. During his time as leader, Maduro has been widely criticized and is held accountable by many Venezuelans for the downfall of their country. Maduro was elected by a thin margin in 2013, following the death of Hugo Chávez, the President under whom many claim the country’s problems, specifically regarding the common populace, had arose. Poverty and inequality increased under the politician, although his initial policies had not intended for the nation’s economics to travel down that route. Although his socialist policies did aim to help the poor they had a more adverse effect and business owners selling basic

products at a lower price went bankrupt. President Chávez is also responsible for a flourishing black market.

Since 2014, 3 million Venezuelans have left the country, which is 7% of the population Maduro inherited an economy in freefall. The annual inflation rate reached 1,300,000%, according to a study by the National Assembly. By the end of 2018, prices were doubling every 19 days on average. Despite the introduction of the new ‘sovereign bolivar’ last August, along with other economic measures, the nation’s currency has continued to fall. Food has become a luxury, many are living in slums and begging on the streets and mothers are putting their unborn babies up for adoption. The conditions in Venezuela are reported

to be unlivable by those who have previously left the nation, and many refuse to live out their lives there. Since 2014, three million Venezuelans have left the country according to the UN, a figure which represents 7% of the population. Under such circumstances it hardly surprising that a new voice has risen above the angry crowds. The voice of of Juan Guaidó, called on the armed forces to disobey the government and called on the country’s population and the world to recognise him as the new, rightful Venezuelan President. Guaidó first signalled that he was willing to challenge the country’s president in January when Maduro began his second term of office following elections which were widely denounced as fraudulent. The inauguration was met with international disapproval, and Guaidó, told the world he was ready to

assume the presidency until free and fair elections could be held. Venezuelans seem to be hopeful that an end to decades of hunger, misery and scarcity is in sight. Américo de Grazia, an opposition politician from the state of Bolívar, believed it a “matter of hours” before the country would have a new leader. A university professor states: “I guess this is what people in Germany felt in 1989 when the Wall came down.”

The debate has also been taken up online, with several sides weighing in Even children seem to feel change is imminent, five year old Joswald Castro stated he wants Maduro to resign so he “can eat.” Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Argentina and Paraguay have recognised Guaidó as president. Canada

has also given its backing to Mr Guaidó, while European Council President Donald Tusk said he hoped the EU would “unite in support of democratic forces”. Western media is conflicted on the matter, with several sources questioning the legitimacy of either side – and celebrities and Venezuelans settled abroad are also weighing in on the matter. The debate has also been taken up online, where it has expanded into a heated series of viewpoints that transcend the two individual politicians. Tens of thousands of Venezuelans are, according to news reports, on the streets fighting once again for the long awaited abdication of Maduro and for their country to fall into the hands of Guaidó. This is a new time for democratic rule in Venezuela and the long yearned for change in leadership is now, potentially, only weeks away. Image: Cesar David Rodriguez

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smear tests: the FEAR debunked

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2019 EXEPOSé SCREEN AWARDS

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CELEBRATING INDEPENDENCE

30 + 31 study break

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16 -18

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LIFESTYLE EDITORS Bethan Gilson Rhiannon Moore

ARTS + LIT EDITORS Lauren Newman Tabi Scott

MUSIC EDITORS Aaron Loose Alex Wingrave

SCREEN EDITORS Ben Faulkner Chloe Kennedy

STUDY BREAK Puzzles by Alfred and Katie 11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

lifestyle

A day of love, or capitalism? Two Lifestyle writers discuss why they love or hate Valentines Day

For

Against

LOVE love. I love flowers, hearts, pink, glitter, gooey messages that make your heart feel full of joy, all of that mushy stuff. As a result, I especially love Valentine’s Day. Now, whilst I may not always have had someone to share this holiday with, I’ve still loved it regardless. I think it’s really sweet that we as humans have picked out a special day dedicated to telling the person you’re with how much they mean to you. Sure, your partner should know how much you love them anyway, but if you got a card and/or flowers and/or a gift every day, I think it would make things a little less special and exciting. I have genuinely never been bothered about being single on Valentine’s Day; I love asking my Mum what her and my Dad have planned, or gushing with my friends about the cute things that they did for their significant other, even just hanging out with my other single friends because whilst I'm not in love with them, I still love them. I think sometimes it can be quite easy to get bogged down in the mundanity of everyday life, especially during the cold and grey season, and to

have a special day dedicated to love during one of the coldest months of the year puts a little spring in my step. Also, let’s be real, the deals on chocolate a t this time of year are amazing, so even if you don’t have someone special to snuggle up with, you can always grab a kingsized chocolate bar whilst your and your single friends m o a n about all the happy couples Image: Denise Johnson you’ve seen that day. You can’t deny that Valentine’s Day brings people together, even if it’s over how much they hate Valentine’s Day, an that makes the most romantic day of the year pretty special in my book. Olivia Powell

ALENTINE'S day has become a day many of us dread every year whether we’re in a relationship or not. Supermarkets and the like are filled with cringeworthy cards, budget heart-shaped chocolates, balloons and inconveniently oversized teddy bears that none of us really want or know what to do with afterward. Dinner must be booked in advance to ensure you get in anywhere half decent and then you have to endure an overpriced meal surrounded by other couples whose conversations you’d rather not overhear anyway. It places pressure on new relationships and on those that are struggling – no one wants to end a relationship over Valentine’s. Meanwhile perceived pressure to have sex is another argument altogether. For those of us that are single however,

Valentine’s serves to make us feel lonely and unworthy when, for the most part, we’re comfortable being on our own and even really enjoy being single. Somehow the smug couples that seem to pop up everywhere on Valentine’s never fail to turn us into bitter and depressed individuals that end up either eating ice cream alone or getting sad-drunk by 10pm. I can’t begin to imagine the carnage that will ensue at ‘Quids In’ next week. Everyone also has horrible childhood memories of Valentine’s from when nobody chose you and someone sent you a fake card to make you feel less bad about yourself. I think the best one I got was signed from my dog and I still don’t know whether to laugh or cry about it. Furthermore, if you are lucky or unlucky enough to receive a card from a secret admirer, I cannot tell you how stress-inducing it is trying to figure out who it is or whether it’s just a joke. For my own sanity, please just tell me you like me not on a capitalist commercially-driven day of the year. Likewise, don’t buy me roses because you feel you have to; buy them for me because you want to. Lauren Fawke

An ode to homesickness

Bethany Saunders explores struggling with homesickness whilst at university

T'S not cool or interesting to be homesick; it doesn’t get you friends, recognition, the ability to move forward. Or does it? Nearing the round (albeit hollow) sound of 22 years of age, I still feel homesick. It is a feeling that has suffused my three years at university. A strange nostalgia. A twinge at the base of my stomach every time my phone pings with texts from my Mum, or brothers. Every time I scroll through my backlog of images to family holidays, birthdays, small celebrations. Every time I hear my Dad speak on the phone. Home is shifting. It is difficult to define. Connections with family and what family means is under constant reparation; these terms are malleable. Language is plastic and strained. We build our own families online, with friends, colleagues and those we feel teach and define us. Our existence as human beings is interdependent, and there is a certain liberty in the idea that this interdependency relies on our own ability to connect and sever connections at will. There is freedom in indeterminacy. I admit, I was lucky to grow up in a loving family. I have shied from talking about them

were the closed boundaries of home. for fear of exhorting this certain privilege, bePeople from my family do not move away, cause I wanted to reach people, to extend my and if they do it’s only to a house family beyond simplistic ‘blood down the road or around relations’ to peers and those the corner; my immeI thought ‘needed’ it. diate generation is I grew up in the the first to go to same house, on University (on the same street, my Mother’s with the same side). When people unI hit teentil I was 19 age cogniyears old. tion, it felt I took this like a comcloseness mune. I felt for granted, dizzy. I had often feelambition. I ing unheard wanted to see or suffocated: more, be more, as though I write more. I had no space to thought moving be individual, or away would make to breathe. University me realise my potential, was my chance to define Image: Duong Nhan although I worried distance myself in opposition, to build would make me callous. Yet, first year a separate life; to make something of at university, bright-eyed and expectant, I myself that reached beyond what I believed

waved my mini-van of family members away from the front door of my halls and have missed them ever since. I am not ashamed to say that I love them, that I want to be close to them. That I still call home on the phone every day just to hear a warm voice and feel re-connected, hear myself reflected. These conversations are always emotive (but words have always made me feel too much). Since moving away, I have felt closer to my family. Homesickness never goes away, but it does get easier. I found home in seminars, talking to people I felt understood me. I found home with flat mates, talking until the small hours over bowls of cereal, lying in bed, walking to lectures. I found home at church, in club smoking areas, in cafes, lying on friend’s sofas drunk with happiness. Home trails behind us, we shouldn’t have to let it go if we don’t want to. Home is a bruise for some, but it doesn’t have to define us. In that sense it is an oxymoron. We can fix it up like Legobricks and re-build it, if that’s what we desire. Home is in our hands, and that’s beautiful to me; but my hands are always guided, cupped around my family.

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EDITORS: Bethan Gilson and Rhiannon Moore

Don't fear the smear

11 FEB 2019 |

Katie Baker, Online Lifestyle Editor, discusses the importance of attending your smear test

F you haven’t heard, Smear For Smear was a campaign at the end of January this year, aiming to encourage women to go to their smear tests in light of the shocking statistic from charity ‘Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust’ that at least a quarterof women miss their smear test and at a 21-year low in attendance. This stems from a few places, firstly a misunderstanding of the importance of the screening with 25% of the women surveyed saying they didn’t feel the need to have one because they felt healthy, and a further 30% believing a screening wouldn’t reduce cancer risk. In reality this test is massively important already saving approximately 5000 lives per year by detecting abnormal cells before they even turn cancerous. This life saving test is only takes around five minutes and feels like nothing more than a slight discomfort.

THE TEST IS MASSIVELY IMPORTANT, SAVING APPROXIMATELY 5000 LIVES PER YEAR Secondly and notably the biggest influence is embarrassment, over body shape, pubic hair, appearance of vulva and obvi-

ous discomfort at a stranger interacting with your intimate area. It’s absolutely okay to feel embarrassed or strange, (most people do,) but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push through it because it really is so important. It’s important to note that when making the appointment you are within your right to ask for a female doctor or nurse to carry out the appointment, should this be a barrier for you getting the test. Remember that nurses and doctors see all kinds of body types – that’s literally their job! And they have a body

Image: Nursultan Bakyt

Thrifty Valentine's

Ariane Joudrey gives her top tips for doing Valentine's Day on a budget

HE day of love is approaching and al- and stores. This would be a great present to give to though having a love life on a student your loved one so that they will be able to wake up budget can be difficult at times, a shortage and look at your beautiful face every day and reof money should never stop you having fun with member all the good times you have had together! the one you love! There are plenty of exciting and Brunch – if you still fancy doing the classically romantic meal out, heading out romantic activities to enjoy whether for brunch will likely be much you stay in or roam the romantic cheaper than going out for streets of Exeter. Here are my dinner(where the majority of top thrifty Valentine’s tips: restaurant chains will take Cosy movie night-in – full advantage of the You’re already paying occasion). There are rent on your place and plenty of unique and you most likely have tasty brunch spots a Netflix subscription. in Exeter, such as the Why not get cosy with Glorious Art House, Broblankets and fairy lights dy’s, and Boston Tea Party. and have a movie maraWrap up warm and take a thon snuggling up with your walk – Exeter is one of the most partner? To make it even betImage: Alisa Anton picturesque places. A walk down ter, head to Poundland and stock to the Quay to run away from all the up on sweets and treats to indulge seagulls and swans will have you clutching to your throughout the evening! Photo prints, a present on a budget – With to- loved one out of fear, if not out of love! If you fancy day’s technology driven world, we take so many trying to escape Exeter in need of a break, for less photos yet rarely look at them on a day-to-day ba- than £4 for a return ticket, why not get the train to sis. Printing these digital photos can cost you as lit- Exmouth? Enjoy a winter walk along the beach, or tle as 7p per print from a variety of online websites even spend some time in the arcade.

themselves too, they know how you must feel. If you feel uncomfortable you can always take a friend with you (don’t worry, they can sit at your top end!) Then make a plan to go along with them for their smear test! If you’re completely unsure what to expect, Babylon Health have recently sponsored a range of YouTubers such as Lex Croucher to film their experiences getting a smear test in order to demystify the process. Chloe Delevingne (yes, the sister of Cara Delevingne) and cofounder of Lady Garden gynaecological cancer fund even had a smear test live on television, cam-

paigning after a smear test discovered abnormal cells when she was 21. You may have heard of the recent petitioning of the government to lower the age for smear tests from 25 to 18. This was started by the sadly now-deceased mother-of-four Natasha Sale after she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Surely, it’s best to lower the age and help the highest number of people possible, especially as prevention is so vital to the development of cervical cancer.

NURSES AND DOCTORS SEE ALL KINDS OF BODY TYPES - THAT'S THEIR JOB If you ever have any concerns don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment with you GP for a smear test or just to talk though any worries.

É If these issues affect you, you can get in touch with: Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust: 0808 802 8000 Reed Mews Student Health Centre: 01392 676606

Megan Cammidge presents her Chicken Tarragon Pasta INGREDIENTS: •

• • • • • • • •

200g dried pasta, tagliatelle or spaghetti works well with this dish 2 tbsp Olive Oil 2 Chicken breasts, diced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 100ml carton double cream 3-4 tablespoons of Tarragon (fresh or dried) 1 chicken stock cube 100g Spinach leaves Lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD: 1.

2. 3.

5. 6.

Heat the oil in a large frying Image: pan andBecca fry the McHaffie chicken over a high heat for 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 10 minutes, or as suggested on the pack. Dissolve the chicken stock cube in boiling water and add to the frying pan, along with the garlic, double cream and tarragon. Gently heat. Once the pasta is cooked through, stir in the spinach until it has wilted in the hot water and then drain. Either toss the pasta into the creamy chicken sauce or serve the sauce on top. Season with lemon if that tickles your fancy!

Images: Petr Kratochvil, Ronmar Lacamiento

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EDITORS: Bethan Gilson and Rhiannon Moore

lifestyle

11 FEB 2019 |

Just so you know, it can hurt

Yudy Wu on why we need to represent painful penetrative sex

ENETRATIVE sex is overrated, because it hurts – that’s my most honest review of sex. I'm not alone in holding this opinion. According to data from the American college of obstetricians and gynecologists, nearly three out of four women experience pain during intercourse at some time during their lives. Fortunately, for some of them, it’s only a temporary problem; for others, it could be a demon that follows them around for a lifetime.

GROWING UP, NO-ONE IN OUR LIVES TOLD US THAT HAVING SEX COULD HURT However, there seems to be a taboo surrounding the discussion of painful sex. Growing up no one in our lives told us that having sex could hurt. We're constantly told to “protect" ourselves and practise safe sex through contraception; the Sex Ed in high school is more like a boring biology class, explaining the science behind sex instead of making us aware of what might happen during sex. No one said it’s painful, no one said it could be like a hammer punching your vagina – all you can see in every movie sex scene and every depiction of

more sensitive, and our cycle can affect whethsex are happy faces of people 'making love', er we are “wet” or “dry” during sex. This can lead making you ask yourself “what's wrong with to more pain or more pleasure. The newest Dume?” rex advertisement for their lube highlights the One reason for your pain could be pathofact that most of us don’t seem to be aware of: logical, sometimes referred to as female sexual pain during sex can exist past the first time. It dysfunction. Thanks to all these ads of Viagra brings the reality of painful sex for women to and sex supplements, we all know that male the spotlight. It shows that whilst women have sexual dysfunction is a thing that exists and benefitted from sexual liberation and a heightthere’s a solution for it. However, we never see ened awareness of women's sexual urges, we advertisements for female sex supplements are still putting up with uncomfortable sex (and yes, surprisingly they do exist.) and ultimately ignoring our pleasure. Durex is And all you can see on the Boots’ posing the possibility that there might be shelves are pregnancy tests solutions for our pain. and pregnancy vitamins. All We all know that the female orgasm of these seem to be giving is commonly ignored and out one message: it’s fine poorly portrayed in the media. as long as you can still get In these portrayals, women pregnant or didn’t get are denied their sexual the unwanted pregnancy agency. Whilst femibut sexual dysfunction? nism has made amazing You don’t have a penis, strides towards equalwhy would you have sexity in areas like employual dysfunction? ment, culture, the home Though many women and - to an extent - sex, only have occasional pain, our discussion of the there needs to be awaretopic needs to be more ness that for women with nuanced. female sexual dysfunction, Image: Charles Deluvio Painful sex is not easy. Not sometimes our vaginas feel

only is the physical pain itself torturing you, the way we talk about female sex can be emotionally distressing. We see trolls online launch into sex based attacks calling females “dry”. Porn is especially bad for its portrayal of penetrative sex. That porn star on your screen seems to enjoy everything about penetration. So, it’s all the awkwardness, embarrassment, shame, guilt and fear that makes you feel like you are not good enough as a woman.

WOMEN DESERVE TO FEEL HAPPY HAVING SEX, A HEALTHY AND FUN PART OF OUR LIVES There might be hundreds of solutions for women experiencing painful intercourse, but we need to know about them. We need to realise that painful sex is a common problem and the first step is talking about it. We must realise that women deserve to feel happy about sex, it's a healthy and fun part of our lives. We should make the decision not to be ashamed by what’s actually happening in our life, reach out for lube; tell our doctors, tell that person who’s sleeping next to us: “Just so you know, it hurts.”

A fresh face in politics

Deepa Lalwani, Comment Editor, discusses Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, her skincare routine and her internet presence

LEXANDRIA Ocasio-Cortez is a name that now pops up more and more in news stories about US politics. As the youngest woman to ever be elected to Congress, Ocasio-Cortez is clearly revolutionising not only the state of American politics, but also the way in which politicians interact with the public through social media. Gone are the days where the intricacies of a politician’s daily life were discovered only through invasive paparazzi or an elusive interview; leaders like Ocasio-Cortez are actively showing and talking about parts of their private lives publicly – in this case, her skincare routine. In a few consecutive posts on Instagram’s ‘stories’ feature, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez gave her followers some details about her skincare and makeup preferences, which she says she regards as a hobby. Naturally, the internet responded violently – many criticised her, saying that her interests in cosmetics made it hard to take her stances on immigration and the environment seriously. Others said that she should be using social media to focus on political issues, and that her posting about such topics was merely a performative push for more young fans. There is probably some truth in the notion

that Ocasio-Cortez posting her skincare routine is to seem likeable and relatable – but what’s wrong with that? The fact is that Alexandria OcasioCortez is a young woman, 29 years old, with an extremely successful career in politics already under her belt; She’s popular amongst young people in particular, many of whom use Instagram. The post in question was a response to a follower who wanted to know how, in her stressful job, Ocasio-Cortez was keeping her skin breakout-free – it’s not like she was advertising a particular brand (she herself said that she wanted to avoid being “too prod-

uct-placementy”). She had some pretty solid advice, telling her followers to let their skin breathe, and to remember to remove makeup properly and use sunscreen every day. The controversy around Ocasio-Cortez’s post tells us a lot about how we think female politicians should present themselves. Entering into a maledominated field of work should not force a woman to sacrifice her interests (or aspects of her femininity) – we’d hardly expect Image: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a male politician Wikimedia Commons to stop talking about his golfing or reading hobby. Similarly, talking about skincare does not make Ocasio-Cortez less intelli-

gent or thoughtful: her post was considered and well thought-out, acknowledging the negative effects of stress, that everyone’s skin is different, and that sometimes she doesn’t want to wear makeup and “everyone just has to deal with it”. As the age-old (or very millennial) adage goes, “get you a girl that can do both”. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is that woman – with her support for abolishing ICE, her recognition of healthcare as an inherent human right that should be available for all, and her support for the implementation of gun-control, Ocasio-Cortez is pushing the bounds of the contemporary American political landscape. It seems likely that anyone that disapproves of her social media presence actually has more of a problem with her democratic socialist views, rather than her fondness of double cleansing and red lipstick. The recent reveal of a video from Ocasio-Cortez’s university days that depicted her dancing on a rooftop had her haters similarly up in arms. Apparently, the concept of an attractive woman of colour having fun and being an intelligent and influential political figure is just too much for some to bear. At the end of the day, I think these people are just jealous – her skin does look pretty damn amazing considering the stressful position she holds in US politics.

arts + lit Who’s the Man?

Zach Mayford investigates the controversial funding of the Booker Prize

HE Booker Prize Foundation has lost a £1.6 million sponsorship deal with London-based hedge fund managers, The Man Group. Despite the Foundation’s grace under pressure, this is a huge deal in the literary world. In a statement, Thomas Keneally, winner of the prize in 1982, called the chaos a “climactic change in the book industry”, suggesting that literature without the Booker is like “navigating without a north pole”. It seems that in 2019, polar vortexes are wreaking havoc in literature as well as weather. Literary climactic change sweeps the globe.

THE MAN GROUP SOUNDS LIKE A DASTARDLY CONGLOMERATE FROM A SPY NOVEL The Man Group, a global, multi-billionpound corporation, has always been an odd bed-fellow with creative writing. The name Man Group alone sounds like a dastardly conglomerate from a spy novel, so bad it wouldn’t get a second glance from a Booker judge. Much has been made of writer Sebastian Faulks’ criticism of The Man Group’s involvement. In a statement, Faulks recently called them “the enemy”. Faulks suggested that literary prizes

ought to criticise “the kind of people” in the aldson speaks fairly clearly on the topic in his Man Group, and that he “wouldn’t feel hapessay Hedge Fund Ethics. Basically, Donaldpy accepting money from them”. Luckily for son says that they evade tax through a legal Faulks, he’s never had to endure that unhaploophole where their profits aren’t taxed as piness, as his work was never longlisted for income. The secretaries of hedge fund manthe Man Booker, but such sentiments keep agers often pay a higher tax rate than their surfacing. employers, according to DonaldIn 2011, two poets withson, while they make hundred drew from the prestigof millions of dollars. ious T.S. Eliot Prize, This, amongst othin due to “personal er claims of dodgy politics and ethdealings like exics”. John Kinploiting investors sella, quoted, and a general and Alice lack of transOswald were parency, often shortlisted leads poets for that year’s and creatives to prize. The pooppose them. ets took a morAurum, who al issue with funded the T.S. Eltaking money iot prize, has headfrom a main sponquarters in Bermuda, sor, Aurum. Aurum, or which was declared the Aurum Funds Manageworld’s worst tax haven by Image: congerdesing ment, is (you guessed it) a Oxfam in 2016. hedge fund manager. So what is As much as it was nice and generthe problem with hedge funds managers? ous for The Man Group to fund The Booker What about them makes poets drop out Foundation for £1.6 million per year, they of prizes, and what makes them Sebastian make well over £1 billion in revenue and Faulks’ enemy number one? get unfair tax benefits every year as well. One of their crimes is that they’re crimiThe deal that the T.S. Eliot prize negotiated, nally boring to research, but Thomas Donprompting poets to politically withdraw,

Digital takeover

came after the prize was defunded by the Arts Council. Perhaps public bodies like the Arts Council would have more money to invest in arts prizes, and get more people reading and writing, if hedge fund managers paid fair taxes.

THE SECRETARIES OF HEDGE FUND MANAGERS OFTEN PAY A HIGHER TAX RATE THAN THEIR EMPLOYERS Clearly, large hedge fund groups like Man and Aurum have mountains of cash to spare. These firms seem to hope that charity initiatives and literary prize funds will give them enough moral credit to be above suspicion. The donations and deals are generally well under what they would have to pay to the state, if taxed fairly. However, as nothing is being done to combat the issue, perhaps the hedge fund managers are right. 2019 will see ‘The Man’ leave The Man Booker Prize. No one seems worried about The Booker Foundation’s funding crisis. In January, the Foundation announced that its trustees are negotiating with a new sponsor already, and ‘are confident that new funding will be in place by 2020’. Here’s hoping that the top-secret new sponsor is actually the government, pending hedge fund tax reforms.

Hugo Beazley discusses how social media can hinder the experience of an art exhibition

F you didn’t take a photo, did it even happen, or more to the point, does anyone even care? In a world dominated by social media, and governed by ‘influencers’ of varying degrees, the impact of sharing something online today has a wider reach than ever before. One only needs to look at the ‘World Record Egg’ Instagram profile (@world_record_egg) to appreciate the way in which images can be so readily distributed across social media platforms. However, does seeing an image of an art museum or its contents online equate to seeing it in person? And by extension, what is the point of visiting these institutions, when visual traces of their masterpieces are so readily transmediated online? Granted, if you’ve ever seen Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris, you are probably familiar with the disappointing sensation that this iconic masterpiece is smaller, darker

and generally less exciting than it is made out to be. But, in spite of this, the sheer number of works of art housed in institutions such as the Louvre, the Getty Centre in LA or the V&A in London, cannot be fully appreciated by looking at an image on a screen. If you visit a gallery with a checklist of famous works just to say ‘I’ve done the Uffizi’, then perhaps you can save yourself the flights to Florence and stick to the ‘gram. But I would argue that the purpose of visiting an art museum is less about completing a checklist, and more about reflecting on your surroundings; this includes the works of art themselves, the buildings they are housed in, and the museum café for a restorative coffee (this is essential). It is the whole experience that contributes to the appreciation of artistic endeavours, and despite documenting a visit online to prove it happened; experience cannot be translated through social media.

Images, top to bottom: congerdesing ; Travailwiki

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arts + lit

EDITORS: Lauren Newman and Tabi Scott

11 FEB 2019 |

The play’s the thing

Ed Alexander gives his take on Matthew Lopez’s award-winning play The Inheritance

ANY people have a catalogue of artwork, literature, and plays that they cherish. These works could resonate within them for various reasons, whilst all having a similar value, evoking a similar feeling, for that individual. For others, however, there is one piece of particular genius that rises above the rest. For me, this is The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez, a play that delves into and examines the AIDS crisis and the scars it left behind. But what makes it so unique?

THE INHERITANCE IS THE ONLY PLAY TO DATE THAT HAS BROUGHT ME TO TEARS The Inheritance is the only play to date that has brought me to tears. As a regular theatregoer, a piece’s exceptionality depends upon how it impacts me; that is, whether it offers a message which I carry home afterwards, whether it leaves an emotional impression, whether I continue to rerun its scenes in my mind, and so on. Lopez’s masterpiece did all

LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH

Celebrate queer creativity in the arts with Arts+Lit

Image: Lee Boudreaux Books

this and more, yet the emotion driving my tears is rather difficult to characterise. Much like the play itself – with its sobering subject-matter often being explored via light-hearted, humorous optimism – the reaction it drew from me was so delicately balanced. Tinged with raw beauty, sorrow, and hope, a distinctive cocktail was mixed in that moment. That seminal scene came at the end of the first act. The earlier narrative had centred on the romantic, social, and working lives of a gay couple in modern New York, only briefly touching upon the darker elements that would gradually pervade the story. But, as the act concluded, a seamless transition from the jovial to the sinister began, tracing a path of elegance and horror as it did so. A survivor of the epidemic painted vibrant Less by Andrew Sean Green This Pulitzer prize winning novel tells the story of Arthur Less: a middle-aged, white, unsuccessful novelist who is left reeling after a failed relationship with a younger man ends. We follow Arthur literally around the world in his triumphant voyage of discovery.

images and pictures of blissful countryside during an extended monologue. However, his speech was a harrowing tale of watching one’s friends ravaged by the AIDS virus, detailing the vulnerability and guilt of being a powerless bystander. The scene’s juxtaposition of beauty and beastliness was what got me. There are, of course, other reasons that make the piece for me. I was astounded by the skill with which the story was told, creating such a vivid and colourful experience for the audience. What made this so impressive was the staging, or lack thereof; there is nothing beyond a rectangular platform in the centre of the stage and a black canvas hanging behind. This minimalist approach places all the emphasis upon the actors and their words, neither of which disappoint. Lopez has shown true artistry in The Inheritance.

That it confronts heavy issues, such as 1980s America’s marginalisation of the gay community, and relates these to present day is equally noteworthy. The analysis of the psychological impact it had upon the community, both then and now, demonstrates expert storytelling. Spanning decades, the play incorporates the perspectives of multiple generations, unifying viewers of all ages in the process. That Lopez and his team do this all with grace, poise, and startling humour, is endearing. Never seeking to be vengeful, self-indulgent, or gratuitous, everything is proportioned and relevant.

THE REACTION IT DREW FROM ME WAS SO DELICATELY BALANCED It is unsurprising to me, then, that The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish hailed it as ‘perhaps the most important American play of the 21st century so far’. I highly recommend you find out why he and I hold it in such high regard.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie This heartwarming musical, based on a true story, will have you dancing and singing in your seat. Catchy tunes punctuate the story of Jamie, a teen realising his dream of becoming a drag queen in his small community.

Absence

Image: squidoh

Image: Chrisdesigns

Trixie Mattel Skinny Legend Tour Fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race will no doubt know and love iconic Queen, and winner of All Stars season 3 Trixie Mattel. She’s back on tour, and coming to venues all across the UK, complete with the music and surrealist comedy that makes her great.

Lauren Newman, Arts + Lit Editor, discusses the lack of queer representation in our museums

OOKING for figures one can relate to growing up is only natural. We want to see reflections of ourselves in the figures populating our history books and museums. Whether they share the same gender, colour, upbringing, nationality or profession as ourselves, it all matters. They are our heroes, representations of our potential, people to emulate and admire, and (perhaps most importantly) reassurances for those struggling with similar experiences. They unknowingly wield so much power and influence, especially over young people still trying to figure out their places in the world. But when the only queer ones represented in cultural venues are usually genius, white, men it can be a rather alienating experience for those LGBTQ+ youth that do not fall into all those demographic categories. Even if these figures are applauded for their achievements in life, their downfalls or tragic deaths are immediately put at the forefront of their biographies. Look at the most well -known queer people and the way they’re bi-

ographised, like Alan Turing, Oscar Wilde and Harvey Milk, and you can see this pattern. Where is the representation of the people of colour, female, bisexual and transgender people within queer social history? How is it that there is still no national museum dedicated solely to queer history? The true spectrum of LGBTQ+ stories are not represented in our social history, for a variety of reasons. Historically, queer history is not something that is passed down through families, and what is known has been obscured; either actively through destruction of historical artefacts like love letters, or passively by lack of relay down the generations. Today, there aren’t really the opportunities for queer people to socialise intra-generationally, when LGBTQ+ spaces are centred around bars, clubs and generally over 18 spaces. Consequently, queer history is something rather amorphous to many. This sense of reassurance that people search for in when relating to historical figures is absent,

which only contributes to the stigma still surrounding coming out. Queer stories are often relegated to the footnotes in our history books, our curriculums and our museums. Queer Britain hopes to change this. As of March last year, a project spearheaded by them to establish a national museum was greenlit for 2021, where LGBTQ+ communities and straight allies can come to learn about this vibrant culture. This is such an important step in recognising the legacy of remarkable queer people, when their stories are often forgotten in the quagmire of the UK’s homophobic legislative past and in the attitudes that still pervade discussion of sexuality and identification today. But until 2021, there are other opportunities to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month in museums across the UK. The British Museum offers an audio tour of their items related to queer history, and the V&A has booklets called ‘Out on Display’ where visitors can locate LGBTQ+ items accompanied with brief biographies.

Image: Daniel Stockman

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arts + lit

EDITORS: Lauren Newman and Tabi Scott

11 FEB 2019 |

Oh, what a beautiful show

Edward Mills reviews the latest performance by Exeter’s Footlights

OKLAHOMA! Director: Sarah Dean Harry Lynn, Olivia Koplick, Charlotte Harris Northcott Theatre

HE couple sitting across the aisle from me surely weren’t the only audience members to be left asking themselves ‘are you sure they’re all students?’ after another astonishing Northcott production from the Footlights. Now into their 32nd year, the Footlights have once again done what they do best: taking a musical theatre classic and offering a bold new take that showcases some of the best of Exeter’s student talent. This year, though, they have truly outdone themselves, putting together the kind of performance a professional theatre company could be justly proud of. Their show for 2019, Oklahoma!, represented something of a return to old ground for the Footlights, who last performed the Rogers and Hammerstein classic in 2001 (starring a pre-Pop Idol Will Young). Before unveiling their choice of show the production team had teased on social media that ‘a storm is coming’, and this certainly proved to be apt. Set against the backdrop of Oklahoma’s incorporation into the United States, the show deftly examined social class, unrequited love and angst through the explosive love triangle between farm girl Lauren Williams, cowboy Curly McLain, and farm-hand Jud Fry. Such

an intensely personal plot placed enormous demands on the principal cast, all of whom more than rose to the challenge. Olivia Koplick and Harry Lynn were utterly convincing as lovers Laurey and Curley, whilst Charlotte Harris’ Aunt Eller skilfully provided both comic relief and narrative direction. Jacob Hutchings offered an astonishingly complex and sympathetic interpretation of Jud Fry, refusing to present him as a straight-up villain whilst still embodying the full menace of the character’s later appearances. Faced with this deep and developed character, Laurey’s damning judgement on Jud — ‘there’s something wrong inside him’ — almost came to say more about the farm-girl than it did about the farm-hand. Similarly, the sensitive performances of the supporting cast, all of whom offered well-rounded characters, eschewed cliché. The humour behind the peddler Ali Hakim, played to perfection by Stuart Duncan, was reliant on Duncan’s comic timing, rather than on the outdated ethnic stereotype the original role was based upon. Likewise, his fiancée Ado Annie — as whom Lucy Harris frequently had the audience in stitches — was a character whose amorous misadventures provoked not just mirth, but also empathy. Her interactions with Harry Elliott prompted director Sarah Dean’s desire to stress female agency, as the number ‘All ‘Er Nuthin’’ laid bare the double standards in gender roles behind their onstage relationship. Much of the company had been involved in previous Footlights productions, with

much of the ensemble and production team returning from the summer production of My Fair Lady. Remarkably, three separate members of the female ensemble had played Eliza Doolittle within the previous twelve months, and the influence of Covent Garden could definitely be felt in the southern US. The dancing talent of Molly Stokes and George Maddison work symbiotically with Kathryn Pridgeon’s remarkable choreography, transforming the production into a visual spectacle as well as a dramatic one. Accompanying this on-stage masterclass was an equally talented orchestra, directed by Harry Smith. Smith led an orchestra that ef-

fortlessly captured the myriad of styles that Oklahoma! evokes, from the raucous brass of ‘The Farmer and the Cowman’ to the darker moments at the heart of pieces such as ‘A Lonely Room’. In the face of such a slick and polished production, it’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that my neighbours were so sceptical that the team behind it could be anything but professionals. It was difficult to believe that our fellow students, juggling deadlines, social lives and the walk up Forum Hill, could possibly have produced such a scintillating show. If this show is anything to go by, the Footlights are ready for a golden few years. Image: Hanife Hursit

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Image: Martin Vorel

WRITERS’ CORNER To Eric - An Open Letter Agnes Chapman Wills Hey bro, I know I saw you last weekend but I miss you lots already. I hope that school is treating you well, that Mum is choosing your favourite bedtime stories at night, and that Dad has taken you for lots of strolls along the beach. I think people find it a bit strange when I say that I miss you, but they don’t have

a 15-year-old brother like you and I’m not sure that anyone ever will. You’re a bit unconventional I suppose in that you get upset about the little things, you still watch The Teletubbies and you can’t write your own name.

INTRODUCE YOU TO SOMEONE IN PERSON AND THEY OFTEN ARE SPEECHLESS Sometimes it can be a little tricky to describe you. Show someone a photo and they’d say you’re 10 or 12. Show someone a video of you and your incessant chatter, the way you talk to yourself and the content which you discuss, they’d say that you appear about 5 or 6. Introduce you to someone in person and they’re often are a bit speechless. It’s difficult to talk to an ‘ordinary’ (I use that term light) 15-year-old boy as they’re hormonal, naïve and exasperating, so you can see where people may struggle coming to terms with you.

Since your diagnosis all those years ago, we’ve slowly had to accept that our family is a bit different. We don’t eat out, the thought of taking you to the cinema has NEVER crossed my mind and really, we just don’t know how you feel or what you’re thinking about. I would pay millions to find out what was going on in that head of yours but, then again, maybe it’s best that I don’t know. For someone who is unaware of what is going on around them - the people who goverm, the latest crazes deemed popular – you have impeccable taste. Outside of context, you see things for what they truly are. Whether it’s Stevie Wonder’s ‘If You Really Love Me’, a classic episode of The Simpsons, or Michael Rosen’s ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’, you are drawn to that which sparks laughter, enjoyment and emotion. You have taught me many things: in fact, I would go as far as saying that you’re the best teacher I’ve ever had. You’re unable to hold a grudge, you tell everyone in your family that you love them on a daily basis, and you appreciate the little things – like apples, the beach or a nice relaxing bath.

You’ve never asked for anything and you don’t scream until you get an Xbox or the latest iPhone. In all honesty, I think the entire world could take a leaf out of your book; it would be an inherently more warm, loving and happy place. Instead of fighting over money or leaving a union, people would simply be glad that they’re alive or that they have someone or something worth fighting for.

I THINK THE ENTIRE WORLD COULD TAKE A LEAF OUT OF YOUR BOOK Although you will never (and probably cannot ever) read this, I hope you are having a wonderful week and that you know how much you are loved. Who knows what your autism has in store for us next. There is one thing I am sure of though, and that is that you’re an incredible brother and I’m an incredibly lucky sister.

music

Image: Pexels

No. 1 single

Rowan Keith, Online Lifestyle Editor, examines pop's representation of the single life vious reasons, the only truly joyous category we are left with is the masturbation bangers, and even these are often tinged by a bitter loneliness or have their true meaning hidden behind awkward metaphors and painful attempts to make w**king poetic. Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Party For One’ is perhaps the closest we come to a true celebration of masturbation, yet even this banger is break up motivated.

singledom only when that singledom consists of a constant search for miniature moments of intimacy and romance is not true celebration. Even for the most dedicated ho, these nights do not a complete single life make.

FEW ARTISTS PROVIDE A JOYOUS REPRESENTATION OF SINGLEDOM Likewise, I cannot ignore the power of a good revenge song. ‘Gives You Hell’ by the All-American Rejects is one of the most beautiful, era-defining songs to come out of the noughties. ‘Before He Cheats’ by Carrie Underwood is the best country song of the century. Beyonce’s ‘Irreplaceable’ achieves a kind of savagery that most hip-hop diss tracks could only dream of. But again, a singledom in which your behaviour is entirely dictated by your ex is not a celebration of you, it’s simply a romantic obsession turned sour. It also completely ignores those of us for whom our last relationship is but a distant memory and those of us who have never had a relationship at all. So, with sad songs being left out for ob-

WHAT SAYS LOVE YOURSELF BETTER THAN A HAVING A W**K?

Image: CarlyFan22

S Valentine's Day approaches, hearts across the land and loved up couples alike are manipulated by the crushing societal pressure to find a mate, being rinsed of all their money with two weeks left until payday. With the rise of events such as Valentine's Day, and it being embraced by corporations in a wash of surface-deep feminism in the name of larger profit margins, every year now the question is being asked: what about those who are alone this February? Don’t they deserve to be manipulated too? So, never one to miss out, I’m joining the trend and here to hide my bitterness with an article about pop music’s consistent failing of us unlovables. Although ever ready to ruminate on the single state, few artists provide a truly joyous representation of it. Historically, songs about singledom have fallen into four categories; sad ruminations on loneliness, revenge bops, hoe songs, and odes to masturbation. Whilst all extremely necessary, only one of these categories truly celebrates singledom, because what says ‘love yourself’ better than having a w**k? Now, I am not here to insult the hoe life. I am personally hugely partial to a good hoe anthem. However, purporting to celebrate

Of course, as single people, we have to look for hope, and for 2019 the light in the dark is Ariana Grande. With her most recent drop of ‘7 Rings’ and an album on the way, Ariana is bringing the attitude that all single people should aspire to. All my eggs are in her basket, and one can only hope that her album will bring the dawn of a new era of pop music for the chronically single. Until then, let’s celebrate singledom, as long as it’s a temporary, revenge-fuelled haze consisting purely of sex and w**king.

All the Stars are Born

The Academy's failure to honour original songs must be confronted, argues Neha Shaji, Features Editor

HE Oscar nominees for Best Original Song was a contentious affair this year, not because of the content or genre of the tunes, but rather due to an initial announcement to only have live performances of two of the songs. Whilst music isn’t highly represented at the Oscars (as there are numerous other awards dedicated to song and music production), the best original song and score sections are eagerly awaited by soundtrack aficionados. Hence the decision to only play 'Shallow', from A Star is Born and 'All the Stars', from Black Panther, proved quite controversial. It's suspicious, really. 'Shallow' soared to the top of the charts, with Lady Gaga’s trembling belt over Cooper’s gritty, countrybumpkin vocals getting well deserved attention as a song separate from its position in the film. It seemed interesting that 'Shallow', and the catchy 'All the Stars', with Kendrick’s muted verses and SZA’s uplifting hook, were the two chosen to be performed. They were also massively successful films in their own right – Lady Gaga’s breakthrough in film as a manifestation of a heartbroken underdog, and Ryan Coogler's afrofuturist alternative to

classical Hollywood's European fantasias. Whilst the Academy claimed it was due to having to cut the show down (they had also, equally controversially, forgone a host and relegated ‘craft awards’ to commercial breaks), some were bemused that the two songs to be performed were the more commercially efficacious. It could be said that this is either due to a commercialist drive for better ratings, or a prediction of the winner.

SOME WERE BEMUSED THAT THE TWO CHOSEN SONGS WERE THE MOST COMMERCIAL However, according to Variety, the performers put up an all-or-none approach when it came to the telecast, including Lin Manuel Miranda who tweeted about it being “truly disappointing” that 'The Place Where Lost Things Go' (Mary Poppins Returns) would not be performed. The song, performed by Emily Blunt, is lilting and motherly – prompting echoes of Julie Andrews whilst bringing a new light

to the character. The Academy then tweeted that the song would be performed, and by a “special guest”, who may or may not be Blunt. The other two nominated songs were the open-throated power ballad 'I’ll Fight', and the languorous saloon anthem 'When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings'. Offers have now, according to the same source, gone out to all five nominees to perform their songs in a truncated, 90-second version. This seems characteristic of the Academy’s approach to cut content for timing, although it's worth pointing out that removing even one of the unfunny mid-telecast sketches would give all five songs a full run through. Whilst it may be fairer that all five songs get to perform even if for a short while, the Academy’s decision to sacrifice music looks despondently like a turn away from the craft of cinema - and towards commercial success. However, regardless of whether the judges decide to go down the romantic power ballad route (vis a vis 'My Heart Will Go On') or rogue it with 'Cowboy', I truly am excited to view such powerful, diverse tunes concentrated into such a strict time limit. I did hope they didn’t have to be so brief though.

Images: Loren Javier; hds; Sarah Ackerman

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EDITORS: Aaron Loose and Alex Wingrave

music

11 FEB 2019

Smells like independent spirit

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Peter Syme celebrates the artists who resist traditional contracts

HE history of the music industry is dominated by the influence of record labels. Artists relied on them from the age of pressing vinyl through to the compact disc, because it was only through the label's ability to reach the mass market that musicians could become household names. However, in the internet age we increasingly see people make a name for themselves through YouTube and Soundcloud, with the likes of Post Malone and Sheck Wes exploding into the elite stratosphere of the music industry with one viral hit. A standout example is Chance the Rapper, who gained attention from the likes of Forbes and Complex after posting his first mixtape online in 2012. His next project, Acid Rap, was being listed on multiple best album lists just a year later, and by the end of 2015 he was the first unsigned artist to perform on Saturday Night Live. Multiple labels were reported to be fighting for his signature on a deal, but Chance maintained his independence, and became the first Grammy winner with a streaming-only album with 2016’s Coloring Book.

So, despite offers of big-money contracts and advertising funding, what is the allure of independence? The problematic nature of the music industry was brought to light in the mainstream during a 1994 fiasco involving Prince and Warner Bros, which was ultimately the cause for his name change to The Artist Formerly Known as Prince. The company refused to release Prince's enormous output in accordance with his wishes. Following this, he appeared with “slave” written across his face in protest at the controlling nature of the record company and its limitations on his artistic freedom. Frank Ocean experienced similar contractual difficulties, feeling undervalued at Def Jam when he was given little attention or support in his early career. His four-year dry spell leading up to the release of Blonde in 2016 largely involved a rebuild of the team around him to remove the influence of the company and become more independent. This then led to the unusual event of releasing two albums within just a few days of each other – Endless

fulfilled the end of his contract with Def Jam, and was described as a ‘visual album’ with minimal availability. Meanwhile, Blonde hit number one in the charts, giving birth to a further set of classics from the idiosyncratic Ocean. In short, independence is the new trend among artists, as seen in Kanye West’s recent lawsuit against EMI and Universal in an attempt to buy back his publishing. Record labels are increasingly being seen as nothing more than a corporate throttlehold, stifling creative freedom in an industry which needs it more than ever.

Images, top to bottom: Rodrigo Ferrari; Ole Haug; Warner Bros; Chance the Rapper

I Say Flower opens up

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Aaron Loose, Music Editor, sits down with Alex Rose, frontman of Exeter's very own psychedelic folk group You’re an award-winning filmmaker and bandleader of one of Exeter’s hottest groups. Tell me, where does this creative drive come from? From the ether man! I dunno, I guess it’s hard to pin down a unifying factor. I mean, my dad was a painter. Some of my earliest memories are when he would tell me bedtime stories that he wrote, so I have really strong memories of being entranced by him talking about these characters, and knowing that he had come up with them himself. I guess that really inspired me into the whole world of creative expression, but I don’t know. I need to make art; it’s like breathing or eating. If you’re really hungry, you just need to eat a sandwich. I need to make art What’s behind the name of I Say Flower? It comes from an essay by the French poet Mallarmé, where he says: "I say flower and I create something that exists in no earthly bouquet". He’s talking about the power of artistic creative, that the word "flower" in all its

sonic and phonic and aesthetic beauty is not a flower in a bush; it’s something in this sphere of our own that we have created on top of the world around us. That’s what he wants to do in his poetry, to make this world more expansive and beautiful, that’s where it came from. There's always a sense of bliss in the music, especially in songs like 'Heaven'. Is this something that interests you? Definitely, yeah. There’s the middle eight, for instance, which is only two bars. That isn’t great in harmonic theory, to use the right terms, but it is minor chords, and has a slightly more crooked emotion. I want to make art that has a deeper sense of bliss, not just something quick and easy, but a feeling of bliss that accepts and incorporates suffering and pain. What’s the value of working on something together as a union? I think there’s quite a lot of different values for different reasons. An overriding one is that

it’s benefitted our lives. Working with other people and making something we care about is rewarding, on a personal and emotional level. Sonically and musically as well, it just creates a different kind of music. That might not be necessarily better or worse than the great solo artists, and I couldn’t necessarily say which one I prefer, my solo music or playing in a band. It’s a different kind of thing.

I WANT TO MAKE ART THAT HAS BLISS BUT ALSO NOTICES SUFFERING Last year, you were involved in the Northcote House occupation. Do you think it had any long term impact on the university culture? I think it was fantastic. The long term impact was numerous. It did really help with the cause we were specifically working for. The lecturers told us that it was the pressure from

the occupation that swung the VC to basically be democratic and represent the majority of his lecturing staff. Because he did U-turn in the end, and it was successful, it wasn’t just a show of solidarity, we actually achieved something. I Say Flower is competing in Battle of Bands. What can we expect from the performance? We only get 20 minutes, don’t we? We don’t have the time to create something as long or as interesting as maybe we usually would, so I think we’re going to go for short and sweet. There’s maybe time for three or four songs, so we’re going to keep it full and concise. Since we last performed, we all have got a lot more equipment and tech. I built a pedal board and have some vocal processors, which I can now use to live create all sorts of effects and loops on my vocals, so that is something maybe you could expect. *This interview has been edited for clarity and length. A longer version is available online.

Editors' Picks

Images: Polydor, Arista, Universal, Thierry Curo

Self Titled (2019) by Better Oblivion Community Centre

Shedding Skin (2015) by Ghostpoet

Technology (2018) by Don Broco

Best in Show: Neneh Cherry, Trinity Centre, 17 Febuary

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music

EDITORS: Aaron Loose and Alex Wingrave

This ain't heavy metal

11 FEB 2019 | 26

These Steel City rockers are paving a new route ahead, argues Alex Wingrave, Music Editor BRING ME THE HORIZON amo 25 Jan 2019

B Image: 2eight

RING Me The Horizon didn’t need to change their sound up. The arena-ready rock that they perfected on 2015’s That’s the Spirit catapulted them into the mainstream, and they could have easily rested on their laurels and churned out a similar effort with great success. Instead, the group have spent well over a year tearing up the rulebook and crafting their sixth album, amo. It’s a record which jumps from pig squeals to beatbox-

ing to string arrangements, and while it may not please older fans, this is an admirable experimentation from the former metalcore act that sticks the landing.

AMO FEELS LIKE A BRAVE AND NATURAL STEP FORWARD The lead singles ‘MANTRA’ and ‘wonderful life’ are the closest that the album comes to Bring Me, at least on the surface, with chugging guitars and splashy drum beats. The rest of amo is a different beast. Gone are frontman Oli Sykes’ tortured screams and the band’s signature breakdowns, and in their place are daring, murky synth lines and airy falsettos. Third track ‘nihilist blues’, which features artpop singer Grimes, comes completely out of left-field. It’s a shadowy reimagining of Eurodance, and a standout leap of faith – the existential lyrics are lifted by pulsing dance beats in a song that wouldn’t feel out of place at a rave. This electronic influence is pleasingly scattered throughout the record, whether its in the broody musical interludes ‘I apologise

Image: Sony

if you feel something’ and ‘ouch’ or elevating more rock-oriented numbers. Many fans have accused the band of selling out, or abandoning their core sound, but dig a little deeper than the surface and I think amo feels like a brave and natural step forward. With the exception of the unashamedly romantic ‘mother tongue’, the album is aggressive and dark, often dealing venomously with the fallout of Sykes’ recent divorce. ‘in the dark’ melds poppy guitars with a lament about a lying ex, while ‘why you gotta kick me when I’m

down?’ is bursting with rage about the ruthless nature of modern fanbases. Heavy guitar lines are still an anchor of the sound but are crafted into catchy and tasteful riffs, rather than mindless breakdowns. ‘sugar honey ice & tea’ and ‘heavy metal’ are both stunning songs in this regard, bringing the sensibilities of metalcore in 2019. The latter is a hilarious takedown of metal music gatekeepers, which features beatbox passages from the iconic Rahzel – it really shouldn’t work, but it’s a delight. Guitarist Lee Malia ends the album with a soaring solo on ‘I don’t know what to say’, which mourns the passing of a friend with a gorgeously melancholy string arrangement. The shiny production from Sykes and Jordan Fish doesn’t always work, with catchy radio hits ‘medicine’ and ‘MANTRA’ in particular feeling a little too sanitised. Songs engineered for popularity aren’t necessarily bad things, but many tracks do overstay their welcome with one too many choruses. As a whole, however, amo never feels stale. It’s an album that reflects the genre fluidity of the streaming age and genuinely innovates rock music, without straying from Bring Me the Horizon’s angsty roots. Don’t pronounce rock dead quite yet.

The Instrumentals Megan Davies, Editor, harps on about the instrument of her childhood

LAYING the harp started for me because my harpist grandma conveniently left a gargantuan lever harp in my family’s living room, marking the start of seven years of terrible music. I had a two-piece repertoire (‘Brian Boru’ and ‘Greensleeves’), and made excuses when friends asked me to play. I was really, really bad. It probably didn’t help that harps are big and that where you play doesn’t depend on preferences but on space. In my case, that meant that I was positioned practically between my mum and the TV, and that I had to fail over and over again while she was watching a soap and the rest of my family were going about their normal lives where they could still hear me. To be fair to them, they hid the pain well. My sister, who played the clarinet, got to practise in her room: no such luxuries when your instrument is taller than you. Instead, picture a child behind a gigantic harp dragged as far as possible into a corner so as to not stand between the sofa and the TV. Now add my mum, watching a soap, using headphones on a multiple-metre cable, trying to reassure me that no, I’m not bothering her at all. Held for some mysterious reason in a completely different location an hour’s drive from my home, recitals were posh but tiny affairs. So I gathered all of my courage as well as my total of five minutes of practice, hoped that I could borrow someone else’s harp (I couldn’t - most of the time, my mum and I had to try

to load the harp into the car, out again, hope there was a lift, and onto the stage. My teacher, a wonderful harpist but very petite woman, was just as overwhelmed as I was), and hoped that there would be free food (there usually wasn’t). When you share a recital with other instruments, everyone else can play their piece, pack up their violin and leave. Result: the last few kids play to an audience made entirely of their own parents, their exhausted teachers, and the single harpist child with their family who are, by then, pretty hungry, bored and an hour’s drive away from home. As to actually playing in the recitals, I have few memories, which is probably for the best.

PICTURE A CHILD BEHIND A GIGANTIC HARP, DRAGGED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE INTO A CORNER There would have been a way to actually be a decent harpist: practice. Practice, however, meant picking out the parts I was worst at, which is a hard selection to make, and then playing those parts over and over again until it became muscle memory. I can’t remember ever reaching that point but I was assured that that’s what’s supposed to happen. There are two broad categories of harp: harps that have levers and harps that have pedals. I was told around the age of 12 that I was too tall and

Image: Guto Davies

GEORGE BENSON

Image: Interscope

Remember This? THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME 1968

Image: Hassle

that it was time for me to switch to the larger, pedal harp. The change was painful. Suddenly everything was too serious: I couldn’t play the fun Celtic repertoire I loved but was told I had to wear formal shoes everyday I played. In my case, that meant that my mum lent me a pair of too-big shoes. The result of this whole debacle is that I’ve never quite understood what others find so magical about harp music. I have a lot of respect for people who play music professionally, and there is a lot of value in learning to play an instrument. Even in my desperate case, learning to play music probably had an impact on my work ethic, my concentration, my ability to understand patterns. Even though I was terrible and didn’t enjoy it, I learnt a lot, and I wouldn’t want it any different.

EORGE Benson. After the success of his album Breezin’, which went triple platinum and reached the top spot on the Image: A&M Billboard chart in 1976, it’s safe to say he’s somewhat of a legend in the jazz world. But we’re not here to talk about the music that made him famous. We’ll be focusing instead on Benson’s early album, The Shape of Things to Come. Although short, at seven tracks and 33 minutes, this album is what one might refer to as a ‘certified banger’. The album begins with ‘Footin’ It’ – an easy breezy tune with relaxed melodies and rich instrumental layering. Later in the record, we have ‘Don’t Let Me Lose This Dream’, a perky little number littered with a combination of trumpets and jazz guitars, amongst other instruments that create a thick but spritely jingle that’s bound to put a spring in your step. I would recommend this highly underrated album to anyone. Particularly if, like me, you’re drowning in the stress of deadlines; it makes for one hell of a study album. Nicky Avasthi

screen Let’s Dance!

Amelia Chisholm discusses the feminist implications of dance films

ANCE films are female coded. Now, I agree that marketing a film to a specific gender is stupid, and that your pronouns have little to no effect on what genres of film you enjoy. Much like the genre of the musical film, their association with femininity has always been connected with their flamboyance, grandeur and ‘lack of action’. I certainly recognise the irony of the last descriptor; I don’t know if you’ve ever met, say, a ballerina, but dancers are typically some of the most athletic, and able-to-withstand-pain humans that I have ever known. And that’s not just true of real life – if you’ve seen Dirty Dancing, Step Up, even Black Swan, you’ll know the physical and emotional intensity is typically the very crux of the dance genre narrative. So why are these films considered typically feminine?

ITS THEMES ALLOW AN EXPLORATION OF WOMEN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR BODIES

of their sexual relationship is no accident. Her skill and grace are both an establishment of her own control over her body, and a metaphorical representation of... offscreen developments. This film may be popular due to its incredible soundtrack, beautiful routines, and solid story, certainly, but the explicit statement of female control of the feminine body stems both from the plot, and the dance genre.

THIS FEMALE CODED GENRE IS ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL TROJAN HORSES OF POP CULTURE The link between control of the physical through dance, and control of the mental, is also present in the absolutely wonderful film series Magic Mike. And yes, Channing Tatum is incredibly attractive. We already know this. But that’s not the point of the film. These films disguise themselves as sexy dance films. And they are! But they’re also a touching exploration of male

friendship, and the masculine identity. They’re a reminder to their female-coded audience that men aren’t necessarily as disappointing as the leads of most action-films. At least, some fictional ones aren’t. So – this female coded genre is one of the most useful Trojan horses of pop culture out there. The flamboyant, physical genre allows honest and important narratives regarding gender, whilst simultaneously offering physical metaphors as a reminder of bodily control. But I also think it’s important to remember, at least, sometimes – dance movies are just fun. And that’s okay. A lot of emphasis is placed upon films having some kind of ‘deeper meaning’. Whilst emotional depth is certainly important – just because an upbeat, optimistic film lacks ‘grittiness’ – that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad. So whether you’re looking for an in-depth narrative about women controlling both their own bodies, and how they’re viewed, or you just like watching people have a bit of a boogie – remember to watch a dance film this week. Oh, and don’t leave Baby in the corner.

Images (from left): Vestron Pictures; FilmNation Entertainment; UGC Distribution

The answer is simpler than you might think. The majority of these stories have female protagonists (I consider Magic Mike an outlier. Both Strictly Ballroom and Step Up have male and female leads). I’m fully aware that I’m writing a think piece rather than a film essay – so please, indulge my opinion, complete with lack of academic support. In my mind, this can be traced back to the ‘Flapper’ films of the 1920s. Due to inequality in the workplace, women were the primary attendees of the cinema, meaning films were made with a majority female audience in mind. This gave birth to the films that followed ‘Flapper’ culture, featuring stars such as Lucille Ball in films including Dance, Girl, Dance. And thus, the female tradition of the ‘dance film’ was born! Whilst the feminine reputation may not do much for box office numbers, it certainly has some advantages. The most notable being the representation of minorities, certainly, but a second, arguably less discussed feature being the ‘Trojan horse’ nature of these films. When Jenji Kohan, creator of hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black, spoke about show’s protagonist Piper Chapman, she stated that “Piper was

my Trojan Horse. You’re not going to go into a network and sell a show on really fascinating tales of black women, and Latina women, and old women, and criminals. But if you take this white girl… you can then expand your world and tell all of those other stories.” Namely – serious issues can be discussed when an unchallenging, orthodox face is used as a facade. Take what is, in my opinion, one of the greatest films of all time: Dirty Dancing. On the surface, this film seems simple enough. A young woman, feeling invisible, discovers the art of dance at a summer retreat. She feels passion both for the sport, and Patrick Swayze’s character Johnny – but most importantly, she rediscovers her passion for life. And that’s the story that was sold to audiences throughout the world. However, an even slightly analytical viewing of that film will give you a deeper insight. Dirty Dancing is about reproductive rights. The character Penny and her unwanted pregnancy is the catalyst for the film’s events. The protagonist Baby takes pity on her and aids the young woman by securing money for her abortion, standing in when she is unable to dance, and even enlisting the help of her father when the character’s abortion goes terribly wrong. Penny is never punished by the narrative, and never shown to be ‘in the wrong’. Because she is not. As the narrative continues, Baby confesses her attraction to Johnny, wordlessly, they dance, and then she spends the night. The sex is implicit. The lack of narrative ‘punishment’ for Baby is explicit. Not only is this genre so tightly tied to women merely due to genre development, its seemingly passive themes allow a deeper exploration of women’s relationship with their bodies. The intimate dance scene between Baby and Johnny followed by the beginning

Editors’ Picks Images: variety.com; ;Film4; deepestdream.com; British Lion Film Corproation

Private Life (2018)

An Evening With Beverly Luff Lin (2018)

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

screen

Take a dub-step back

11 FEB 2019

Luke Masters considers the issues met in dubbing films

OORLY adjusted masking. Incorrect projection. Audiences who don’t talk constantly. Those were the luxuries I became accustomed to after being on Campus Cinema Committee for two years, now so far away from my year abroad in Madrid. Broadly the Spanish multiplex experience is the same as at home. But now I have a new cinema pet peeve: dubbing foreign-language films. In 2018, of 3500 screens in Spain, only 200 were showing films in VOSE (Original Version with Spanish Subtitles). Despite its roots in Francoist censorship and imposition of the Castilian language, nowadays the dubbing industry Spain employs around 30,000 people, which coupled with making film more widely accessible, is an undeniable positive. I’m far from suggesting that Spanish dubs are poorly done: if even I, someone with a very sketchy grasp on Spanish, can still enjoy the cinema experience, then clearly they’re being well done. Maybe if I wasn’t a picky spectator in general, it wouldn’t be as jarring for me, but dubbing is inherently imperfect. You inevitably lose part of the film’s essence when you dub it into English, same as whenever Hollywood inevitably remakes every foreign

EDITORS: Ben Faulkner and Chloe Kennedy

language hit. Even in established industries, dubbing actors inevitably deliver most of the nuance of a performance. But there is something quite perfunctory to me about spending €8 on a trip to the cinema, only to get a fraction of the experience. That’s not to say listening to the original version with subtitles will always give you 100% of the experience - but it’s the closest we can get. Of course, there are films where dubbing really excels. Arguably, animation lends itself amazingly to dubbing and translation, because visual kinks can be erased, and design adjustments can be made to communicate the same sentiments across cultural barriers. For example, as a result of Disney’s distribution, Studio Ghibli releases always receive star-studded, great quality dubs. Especially with animations, taking proper creative care for younger audiences is only going to create a new generation of ten year olds to write into Kermode & Mayo, to make us feel stupid and inarticulate. Dubbing’s greatest strength is obviously in making film more immediately accessible regardless of age, nationality or disability. Film

and TV remain the most powerful and accessible art forms we have. Although with streaming platforms now allowing viewers to tailor their viewing experience to their own tastes, not having access to a VOSE cinema is becoming progressively less restrictive. Especially with Netflix now holding its own in awards territory (like Roma), it’s likely that market demand will become less and less a driving force on the Dubbing v Subtitles debate. However, there remains one more arrow in my quiver of whining. It’s been repeated anecdotally ad infinitum that watching media in other languages helps improve comprehension of the target language. Although this is of course no substitute to plugging away at conjugation tables and Duolingo, a recent study in the Journal of Economic Behaviour and Organization suggested that in countries where VOSE is more prominent than dubbing, students received up to a 16.9% better grade in the TOEFL English exam. I mean, how else am I supposed to learn Spanish slang? Talking to Spanish people? Don’t be silly…

Image: Studio Ghibli

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F-rated

Izzy Cole discusses the origin and merit of the F-rated film label

E all love a film, right? But, whilst we’re all guilty of aimlessly scrolling through Netflix for a good half an hour, the question is: what do we actually look for in a film? The standard choice is based on genre, rating, and familiarity of actors and actresses, but maybe it is that our decision should delve deeper into the politics of film, such as the placement of women and their relevance within the film industry, both in front and behind the camera. With blockbuster films such as James Bond, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Indiana Jones, I cannot help but wonder why the leading protagonists are male, leaving women with the limited position of the sidekick, so called ‘eye candy’ or dumb blonde.

There has been a large misrepresentation of how women are portrayed on screen compared to their actual capability and intellect, therefore denying them of their credibility within film and limitation to the supporting role. Issues such as these need to be accounted for and are what sparked the creation of ‘F-Rated’, which is a rating system given to films with a strong female lead in all aspects, hence the use of the letter ‘F’ , which stands for female. It was developed at the Bath Film Festival and derived from the Bechdel Test, which requires films to have more than one woman whose role does not revolve around the interest of men. F-Rated films such as Frozen, Bridget Jones’s Baby, and Freaky Friday invite cinemas and film festivals to F-Rate their programs, something which Exeter Phoenix is a part of.

IT IS ABOUT CELEBRATING WOMEN’S POSITION IN THE INDUSTRY

Image: Disney Channel

There is no doubt that the scheme highlights the proficiency of women within the industry, however it is also important to recognise how its exclusivity can come at risk of creating a divide between films with a strong female or male role, in which the meaning of equality can become blurred. Should we focus on watching

F-Rated films? If so, does this strip other unrated films of their relevance and achievement, especially if they’re not female related? Such questions like these create cause for confusion, that the F-Rating system is a feminist movement which belittles films that incorporate male contribution; something which is far from the truth. Personally, I think the rating is not about trying to make all films solely focused on women, but that it is about celebrating their stance in the industry. By accentuating the female role, we will

Rachel Morrison

start to realise the notions of sexism and inequality, which sometimes go unnoticed in films. Moreover, as soon as audiences start to recognise these issues, it is likely filmmakers will both consider and alter the way in which they depict women on and off screen. Just think, by choosing to watch media with a strong female lead, your decision has the power to become part of the knock-on effect in erasing the imbalance of gender and equality within the film industry, something of which needs to be addressed.

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NAME that perhaps doesn’t jump out to many straight away, Rachel Morrison remains one of the most exciting and talented cinematographers in the industry. Having studied film and photography at New York University, Morrison has spent the last 13 years cultivating a strong reputation within both cinematographic circles and the independent film community. Her work on Fruitvale Station and Cake exemplify her style: grounded camera work, often handheld or on shouldermounts, which employs the use of heavy natural light and reflections as well as short depth of fields to isolate characters. She reunited with Ryan Coogler last year for her first work on a major Hollywood hit, in the worldwide smash Black Panther. But character remains at the forefront of her work, most notably in Mudbound. Her frame construction strikes a remarkable balance between worldbuilding and the individual. The characters remain at the forefront of a short focus shot, yet placed within a consistent and authentic background sphere through her specific capture of light. Her work on the film earned her an Academy Award nomination last year and cemented her place as one of Hollywood’s leading cinematic artisans. Fenton Christmas, Deputy Editor

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EDITORS: Ben Faulkner and Chloe Kennedy

11 FEB 2019

Screen Editors give their alternative Oscar w Image: Curzon Artifical

Cold War This film is near perfect. Every shot is thoughtful and carries a depth of meaning that Pawlikowski achieves with the grace of a real auteur.

Image: Netflix

Desiree Akhavan, The Miseducation of Cameron Post. It is not very often that LGBTQ+ narratives get told outside of cliches, but Akhavan establishes complex characters and colourful frames (figuratively) even when the harshness of realities hits. Olivia Colman, The Favourite Hilarious. Olivia Colman can do no wrong. She is flawless. Lakeith Stanfield, Sorry to Bother You. Often comedic actors are forgotten. Whilst Stanfield beautifully plays STBY’s serious tones, he equally effortlessly portrays humour; with the help of the mastery of the film’s screenplay.

Image: Fox Searchlight

BEST DIRECTOR

Tamara Jenkins, Private Life Jenkins moves this quiet drama along purposefully, seamlessly landing the camera on exactly the right character in every frame. She navigates all the sore spaces in between the torn couple at the film’s centre.

BEST ACTRESS

Yalitza Aparicio, Roma A remarkably sensitive, natural debut, as Aparicio seamlessly navigates the laughs, pains, and mundanities of being a housemaid.

BEST ACTOR

Jim Cummings, Thunder Road Cummings plays his unstable policeman with a remarkably watchable energy, and behind his assured comic command, it’s a performance that’s disarmingly moving.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You

A very, very close second for my personal Best

Picture race - Riley’s bombastic, startling satire is written with all the bravery and nerve that a film with such an astute social commentary deserves.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Desiree Akhavan et al Beautifully pure and authentic. A story that really needs to be heard.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

BlacKkKlansman Both an impressive and important piece of writing, Spike Lee et al. have produced something that is challenging in its uncomfortable humour and self-effacing socio-political awareness.

Robbie Ryan, The Favourite I was so torn between this getting Best Picture, but, seeing as it will (I hope) receive a lot of attention, cinematography is second best. Fish-eye lenses and warped edges, this film is a feast.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Alfonso Cuaron, Roma We see Cuaron’s rich story through series of breathtaking sweeps, all packed with immense natural detail, but swimming on an undercurrent of grayscale tranquility.

Gina Rodriguez, Annihilation. Rodriguez is stunning in this: brutal and badass. Armie Hammer, Sorry to Bother You Hammer plays an exploitative capitalist very well. He perfectly balances pure evil with a hint of humour.

Image: Fox Searchlight

Image: FilmRise

Image: Netflix

Davis and McNamara, The Favourite “You look like a badger” will never fail to be funny to me. This script is packed with nonsense that is completely bonkers, but brilliantly works.

BEST PICTURE

Annihilation Annihilation’s brooding atmosphere sucks you in and spits you out in one surreal, provocative, disturbing burst. Heightened by a phenomenal and predominantly female - ensemble.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jennifer Jason-Leigh, Annihilation Disarmingly heartbreaking and at times disturbing, Jennifer Jason Leigh’s dogged, broken scientist is a subtly layered powerhouse.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Armie Hammer, Sorry to Bother You Armie Hammer’s egotistical, corrupt businessman is the villain that Riley’s provocative satire needed. Charm, wit, and absolute repulsion. It’s a magnetic performance.

Isle of Dogs Meticulously and visually perfect. Gorgeous wide frames with so much to take in within every frame. Wes and his team have really got it down.

BEST ANIMATED

Barney Pilling, Annihilation Changing the game in a film that is arguably the future of sci-fi.

BEST EDITING

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse A tightly wound, visually throbbing story of inclusion and belief. Hilariously self-referential and so lovingly created - this should have been a Best Picture runner. Barney Pilling, Annihilation The film has an overwhelming sense of emotional and physical dread. Pilling shakes our expectations in devastating ways.

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EDITORS: Ben Faulkner and Chloe Kennedy

11 FEB 2019

Ethan Hawke, First Reformed Reverend Toller is choking. Or he seems to be; Hawke plays him as a man repressed, searching his empty soul. It’s an assured take on anguish, as a man with pretences to morality comes to terms with the immorality of all he holds sacred.

BEST ACTOR

Zain Al Rafeea, Capernaum It’s quite possible this might be the best child performance the screen has ever seen. The way Rafeea balances both his innocence and furious anger at the injustice of his surroundings is a contrast most adult performers cannot do.

Bo Burnham, Eighth Grade Burnham’s careful observations of Gen-Z life pay off in a script that treats these kids conscientiously, teasing them while still remaining empathetic the whole way through.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Davis and McNamara, The Favourite A glorious mix of excessive historical pomp, cutting dialogue and deeply unnerving psychodrama.

Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen, Widows Flynn and McQueen transform the premise of an 80s crime-thriller into an excoriating glimpse of the various intersections of power in modern America. Apt and angry in equal measure.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Robbie Ryan, The Favourite Deep shadows and endless dollies, whip-pans and some uncanny chromatic aberration: The Favourite puts an exciting spin on the period aesthetic.

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Josh Singer, First Man A very brave choice to focus so primarily on Armstrong’s domestic life, whilst keeping the big spectacle to a minimum, which pays off in how high the stakes seem when the huge setpieces do happen. Linus Sandgren, First Man Switching between 16mm, 35mm and IMAX stock, this is a piece that uses its look to tell its story just as much as its narrative.

Thomasin MacKenzie, Leave No Trace Mackenzie, playing a character somehow both canny and naïve, provides the bellweather of morality in this exploration of belonging. Daniel Kaluuya, Widows With a constant gaze that betrays almost nothing at all, Kaluuya stakes out an imposing presence amongst the many villains of Widows. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Manic in the extreme - yet never without purpose - Spider-Verse both owns and casually-redefines the limits of animation. A bold example of storytelling in and through a colourful whirlwind. Tom Cross, First Man Skilfully weaving between dense CUs and awesome vistas with the jitter of some sort of intensified-Leone, First Man nonetheless maintains an impressive legibility amidst all the stylisation.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR BEST ANIMATED BEST EDITING

Emma Stone, The Favourite Stone is just a pleasure to watch: an absolute powerhouse of charisma and sharp wit.

Image: Sony Pictures Image: 20th Century Fox

BEST ACTRESS

Toni Collette, Hereditary. A painfully honest portrayal of grief, and a mother trying to hold herself together whilst her family breaks down around her. Immediately a classic horror performance.

Image: Universal Pictures

Viola Davis, Widows Languishing in the depths of grief, Davis’s Veronica displays an arc of growth in unexpected ways. Her performance gains a bathetic gravitas in a cruelly un-intersectional world.

BEST DIRECTOR

Boots Riley, Sorry To Bother You Screw it, you’re getting a double dose of this film in my picks. The sheer invention of Riley is so bold - every frame has something going on. A modern Gilliam, an explosion of detail and humour.

Hugh Grant, Paddington 2 2018 was the year of Grant, with both this role and a star turn on the BBC’s A Very English Scandal showing the public what a versatile and skilled character actor he truly is. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse A whole new step forward in the way we think of animation style. Visually stunning. Bob Murawski and Orson Welles, The Other Side of the Wind Over 40 years in the making, with a fresh and unique feel, it’s an achievement to be lauded.

Image: Amazon Studios

Lynne Ramsay, You Were Never Really Here It takes some serious gumption to introduce a film with close-ups of your protagonist jacking off while crying for his mother. Ramsay’s flair is unmistakeable, unsettling, and unforgettable.

BEST PICTURE

Sorry To Bother You One of the most unerringly original films of the decade, let alone the year. And the third act… well, I don’t think there’s an audience out there who won’t be speechless.

Image: Annapurna Pictures

First Reformed Such a rumination on faith and masculinity clobbers you with the sheer weight of its concern. But it’s never too much, grappling with its own thematic portent in a thread of earnest anxiety.

Image: Annapurna Pictures

winners in the annual Exeposé Screen Awards

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study break

| 11 FEB 2019

STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

Down

Across

2 1/4/8/9/22 UK Top 10 single originally 3 recorded by Jimmy Ruffin in 4 1966 (4,7,2,3,13) 5 10 Blueprint (4) 6 11 Genuflecting (when popping the question?) (8) 7 12 Inner membrane surrounding the foetus in 13 mammals - Minoan (anagram) (6) 14 14 Hate (6) 15 16 Disappear gradually (4,4) 17 19 Soft spot - tendresse - affection (4) 18 20 Fight - encounter (6) 19 21 Paul ___, British singer who covered 1 4 8

Small-time criminal (7) Gigantic (person, say) (5) Burglary (5-2) Strong chain (5) Limo not (anagram) - illuminated by a natural satellite? (7) Shine - lustre (5) Motionlessness (7) Unmoved - tearless (3-4) Criticised harshly (7) Strike with embarassment (5) Grab with force (5) Wingless parasite (5)

922 for a 1991 film soundtrack (5) 22 See 1 23 Objects - aims (4)

trivia corner 1. red roses were the favourite flower of which goddess? 2. THE FIRST recorded VALENTINE’S card WAS Sent in WHICH CENTURY? 3. what was the original purpose of candy hearts? 4. who invented the first valentine’s chocolate box?

ANSWERS

5. Why did people traditionally not sign valentine’s cards? 6. WHICH ENGLISH KING OFFICIALLY DECLARED 14 FEBRUARY AS VALENTINE’S DAY?

Richard Cadbury, 5.It was considered bad luck, 6. Henry VII Trivia: 1. Venus, 2. 15th century, 3. They were medical lozenges, 4. 13 Inertia, 14 Dry-eyed, 15 Savaged, 17 Abash, 18 Wrest, 19 Louse. Down: 2 Hoodlum, 3 Titan, 4 Break-in, 5 Cable, 6 Moonlit, 7 Sheen, Battle, 21 Young, 23 Ends. 11 Kneeling, 12 Amnion, 14 Detest, 16 Fade away, 19 Love, 20 Across: 1/4/8/9/22 What Becomes of the Brokenhearted, 10 Plan,

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11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

Science

SCIENCE EDITOR:

Bringing science to life

Scarlett Parr-Reid

Scarlett Parr-Reid, Science Editor, reflects on Will Gater’s latest space science theatre show

CIENCE and theatre. A curious marriage. A matrimony seldom celebrated. Yet, as I gaze admiringly out of my bedroom window at those bright “points of light” against a dark sky – stars as we know them from whence the history of the Solar System was telescopically deciphered, I ask why ever not? What we know of its journey began with Hans Lippershey’s musings over a wondrous night-sky in 1609, discovering a patented telescope. A year later, the telescope was improved by Galileo, discovering Jupiter’s four moons - Io, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. The humble telescope has been our ultimate tool to study the Solar System. It’s the portal through which we, as humans, are able to step outside of ourselves and see, in Lippershey’s words, “things far away as they were nearby”. And what better a way to sow the seeds of the Earth’s becoming than through exploration of the Sun and its orbiting planets. With his theatre show, The Story of the Solar System, the astronomer, presenter and science writer, now freelance – Will Gater – had the audience captivated from the start. With homemade models and props (black spandex and all), celestial stories told with the utmost appreciation and a sprinkle of humour, there was something for everyone to savour. From the Sun’s birth to nebulae formed from expulsion of gas and dust from a supernova (dying star), to the New Horizons flyby passing 2014 MU69 this New Year’s Day (the furthest object ever reached in the Solar System), the show was teeming with celebration.

...Celestial stories told with the utmost appreciation and a sprinkle of humour

Image: Geralt, Pixabay

As I sat thoughtfully in the front row of the Exeter Phoenix in anticipation of the show, I was momentarily transfixed by the seeming impossibility of condensing 4.6 billion years of astronomical history into a couple of hours. I now believe I was vastly missing the point. The show was more than a history lesson. It was a appreciation of the rawest of human faculties; that which we are born with, though take for

granted: curiosity. Watching footage of the Curiosity Rover travelling the surface of Mars, like a child taking their first steps, I was taken aback alongside the NASA team by the realisation of their pivotal mission. It was fruition for all those men and women, whose lives’ work had been illuminated in those moments. Fruition for humanity in reaching outside of itself. That is a true testament to the power of collaboration. As the rocket-fuelled sky-crane lowered the rover – much more than a technical feat - the whole audience felt a reverberating spine-tingle of truth. Too often I hear it said that “space science is too difficult to comprehend”; its vastness and distance seems frightening. This belief highlights our propensity to shy away from what is bigger than us. Knowing this, Gater unhesitatingly set the scene by inviting audience members on stage with dazzling lights to represent the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto, from the back of the stage to the far end of the auditorium, respectively. This gave us all a sense of the scale - though negating the distance between asteroids, which would’ve sent an audience member ~47 km away on the late bus to Tavistock high-street, as Gater jokingly pointed out. Suffice it to say, the makers of sci-fi films have got a long way to go, pardon the pun, until they achieve full accuracy, given their dodge-ball-esque representation of space-ships wading through the asteroid belt, as seen in 2001: A Space Odyssey. With this interactivity, and the show’s myriad bursts of audience participation, I, and many others, were able to get our teeth into some fundamental astrophysics without purchasing a hefty textbook. You don’t need a telescope or hightech camera to visualise some of the fascinating facets of astronomy. Take that jar of coffee in your cupboard, the bag of flour sitting there ready to make that cake you promised you’d bake, or even the last of the milk before it runs out. With just these basic ingredients, you can model space phenomena. Gater conveyed this fact by re-creating the formation of a crater on the surface of Jupiter by throwing a rubber

object at a thinly-spread layer of coffee mixed with flour. Further, Gater explained the science behind the origin of the name ‘Milky Way’ in reference to the galaxy containing our Solar System. The name comes from the fact that the blue skies we see on Earth during the day, and amber-orange glow we observe during a sunset, can be seen by shining a bright light (in our case, the Sun) though a mixture of water and milk.Closer to the light source there is an orange colouration, yet further away there is a blue tinge. By far my favourite demonstration – and judging by the roaring applause from the audience, a memorable moment – was when Gater concocted a comet from just a few household items. Whipping out a polystyrene box containing dry-ice (frozen CO2), he proceeded to add a slosh or two of water, a glug of vodka, splash of balsamic vinegar and a clump of dust containing various organic compounds, all mixed in a plastic bag. After giving the bag a tight squeeze to let most of the gases out, one last twist and he opened the bag to reveal something quite spectacular. The frozen clump of ingredients, that he held up with gauntlets to protect his hands from the icy cold, bore a striking resemblance to the photograph presented on the projector. It’s believed that from these comets landing on Earth that the nucleic acids that make up all organisms arise. The circle of life. I felt the infectious wave of amazement ripple through the theatre, as we sat in collective awe. As if the evening wasn’t humbling enough, Gater excitedly opened up a black box: a symbol, as I saw it, of the ‘black box’ of unknowns that astrophysicists and humans have for hundreds of years been reaching into. From it, he championed a small transparent container in which, to our surprise, was housed a slice of the tongue-twistingly named carbonaceous chondrite meteorite. Within it was a snail-shaped calcium-aluminium-rich patch, thought to predate the formation of Earth. It’s from these rocky substances that the initial bodies of the solar system were pieced together to eventually form

planets. You could almost hear the gleeful gratitude as the entire audience smiled brightly. This revelation truly set the tone for the evening.

My favourite demonstatration was when Gater concocted a model of a comet If you’ve ever seen one of those spiral wishing well coin-collectors that are often placed in shopping centres, then you might have inadvertently witnessed a model of the Earth and moon collectively orbiting the Sun. This neat model, Gater re-created during the show using a black spandex sheet (the space-time continuum), an orange tennis ball (the Sun) and two marbles (the Earth and moon). For the sake of accuracy, Gater resorted to a Blue Peter-style “here’s one I made earlier” demonstration, which from a clip that he admitted took him four hours to perfect. This exemplified the fact that the moon spins at the same rate during its elliptical orbit of the Earth as the Earth rotates on its axis, meaning that we only ever see the illuminated side of the moon. Furthermore, the elasticity of the black spandex mimics the distortion effect of planets on the space-time continuum, where the more massive they are, the more the spandex stretches. Perhaps, something worth trying out at home, that is if you can get hold of a large sheet of black spandex for an experiment without receiving strange looks from shop-keepers, as Gater recollected. So, if you’re an avid Astronomer, regular Exeposé Science reader, or simply an inquisitive human being, then this show is for you. For more information about Will Gater and upcoming show dates, you can visit his website at https://willgater.com. And if you’ve been following the updates from the New Horizons mission – capturing images of the snowman-shaped 2014 MU69, then you’ll take pleasure in eye-goggling over the latest images over on https://www. nasa.gov/mission_pages/newhorizons/main/index.html. Its neighbourhood, “The Kuiper Belt, is a Jurassic Park for space geeks”, in the words of Gater himself.

SCIENCE

EXEPOSÉ | 11 FEB 2019

Wear today, throw away tomorrow

Lauren Haughey divulges the drastic impacts of fast fashion

HAT was once filled with thousands of fish is now trekked by camels. The 2018 BBC documentary, Stacey Dooley Investigates: Fashion’s Dirty Secrets, shows how Kazakhstan's Aral Sea has been stripped back to a wasteland. All that is left is depleting water sources on a salty ground. How can one not ask what happened to this place? Why has it been torn away? The answer is simple: fashion. Day to day, cotton is presented to us as something white, simple and soft, but in reality, it is the product of one of harshest industries in the world. According to The Journal of Mountain Science, in the last 50 years the Aral Sea’s water sources have been drained in excess of 20 metres. As the cotton industry soaks up the water from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers that source the Aral Sea, it is creating one of UNESCO’s worst man-made ecological disasters. But this is only a fraction of the problem. Let’s travel to London’s high streets. You’ll see an array of shops displaying an extensive range of clothing brands: Topshop sales, Primark bargains, or even some Levi jeans. But behind the

smoke and mirrors of an attractive design, last year the BBC highlighted that just one pair of Levi jeans requires 3,781 litres of water during its production. Just imagine calculating the water usage of all the jeans within that shop or worse every item of clothing on sale across that high street. In the moment though, who thinks of that? Who even knows that? Those jeans are just what you need right now so, of course, you just have to take them home - and you do. And, as quick as that, they’re hanging in your wardrobe, but how long will they stay there? In 2018, Assefeh Barrat explained in her documentary, The Price of Fast Fashion, that on average it’ll be just over two years. This is given because high street brands are tactical in encouraging consumers to buy more and more clothing. In fact, CBC News revealed that the demand for fashion has shockingly increased by 400% from the 1970s. And so, once your jeans are looking a little tired and you think it’s time they’re booted from your wardrobe, they’re likely to be chucked into a heap of clothes ready for landfill, just like the 235 million items of clothing that were sent to landfill last year, ac-

cording to the BBC. This is a massive problem, causing soil pollution, land destruction and greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, Vice News stated that 2018’s fashion industry produced more greenhouse emissions than aviation and the shipping industry combined. As a consequence, to the surprise of some, fashion is up there with fossil fuel extraction as one of the worst polluting industries on Earth. And it’s one of the most abusive, too, with Bangladeshi employees working at wages of approximately £25 per month, according to War on Want, a charity tackling the root causes of poverty and human rights violation.

The Aral Sea's water sources have been drained in excess of 20 metres That’s why we have a problem. Across the globe each year, we are fuelling a system of high mass-consumption: fast fashion. And if the levels keep rising, more workers will be subjected to these conditions, and more resources

Image: War on Wanr, Wikimedia Commons

will be gobbled up. In fact, the Boston Consulting Group predicts that 35% more land and 50% more water will be required. But if we look back on the catastrophe of the Aral Sea in the last 50 years, we know that this cannot be sustained; the future would be fatal. That’s why Professor Williams at the London College of Fashion tells Assefeh Barrat that ‘fast fashion’ is a myth. There’s a hidden history behind fashion; resource collection, the production, the distribution, and then there’s the scarring impacts on the landscape. She feels that the phrase ‘fast’ fashion only focuses on one problem - the presence of boredom and the desire to wear something new. But hold up! Not all hope is lost. Awareness of this unsustainable cycle is why Professor Williams, and many other designers, are now striving towards a different, more ethical, future for fashion, attempting to amend the damage before it’s too late. In the documentary, Assefeh Barrat talks to Professor Williams and many other revolutionary designers to figure out the future of fashion. Fashion designers such as Sadie Williams think that recycling is the way forward, as she merges and transforms clothing to produce something new and creative. In this way, Sadie is extending the lives of clothes that could otherwise go unwanted, preventing them from being sent to landfill sites. Charity shops, trading clothes with friends and vintage sales are also good solutions for extending the lives of older clothes and donating money to those who need it. On the other end of the spectrum, Assefeh spoke to the designers at the Future Fabrics Expo, where The Sustainable Angle showcased some amazing new biodegradable fabrics that have a mission to make fast fashion much more sustainable. These materials included photosynthesising algae fabric, quorn starch sequins and leather alternatives such as apple or orangepeel waste. Not only does this approach address the issues of fast fashion pollution, but it also appeals to a vegan audience who disagree with the use of leather for clothing. The BBC have also acknowledged that in 2018, Britain’s MP’s were writing to top fashion retailers to urgently ask what could be done to help this cause. So, next time you’re shopping, don’t run too fast towards the fashion sales, despite the urge to grab a bargain. Take a step back. Charity shops, vintage sales or maybe trading with your friends could be a more sustainable alternative, one that could benefit us all.

Did you know? 1) The 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment has been signed by many companies, including Adidas and Lacoste.

It features initiatives such as using monofibres in place of mixed-fibre and synthetic fabrics, which are more difficult to decompose during recycling.

2) Research by theWaste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) suggests that extending the life of clothes by a further nine months could reduce the carbon, water and waste consequences of the garment by as much as 20-30% in the UK.

3) In 2015, 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 was produced by the global textiles industry.

It's estimated that, of this figure, a single polyester T-shirt contributes 5.5kg of CO2 emissions, compared to 2.1kg CO2 for one made from cotton.

SCIENCE

11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

Reading the genomic book of life I

Laura Butula considers whether DNA testing should be part of normal medical protocol

GUESS it’s true what they say: science never sleeps. Just recently finalising the 100,000 Genomes Project within a timespan of five years, the NHS has already moved onto a new endeavor. England’s leading health service is aiming to gather five million volunteers (together forming a sum of 100 billion genes) to take individual blood or tissue samples, with the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the genetic influence on human health and disease. This method of ‘DNA testing’ was initiated in early October 2018, however developments are still being made so as to create the rich, personalized database that is imagined.

Rare diseases affect three million people - predominantly children - in the UK

denly ignorant of the report. Many conditions are still untreatable due to the uncertainty of genetic causes, something that is likely to worry a patient. Still, the true concern of routine DNA testing is the accessibility of highly personal data. Much of the data is said to be needless towards the overall aim of the project, so I’m sitting here wondering, why is it taken? Not only is the public providing intimate statistics to a national health service, but is doing so voluntarily, and those doing it have expectedly trusted the confidence of the NHS. Not trying to sound like a conspiracy theorist here, but should we fully believe that whole genome sequencing will provide the promised advantageous outcomes without any undesirable

side effects? Either way, results for these analyses are generally ready within several weeks; however, the time it takes for the results to be complete depends on the complexity of the test, and this implies that a wait of a few months is possible,

too. So, if you want to follow the trend and determine what the inimitable 0.2% of your genetic code offers, take a look at what England’s Chief Medical Officer, Sally Davies, says: “We need to take the science to the patients and not the patients to the science.”

Images: Marsusspiske and Janjf93, Pixabay

Patients, researchers and clinicians are all expected to benefit from this new scientific approach. The abundance of genomic information that will become available is anticipated to advance healthcare and spark the discovery of novel treatments for diseases associated with gene mutations, such as cystic fibrosis. This will make the NHS the first national health service to im-

plement genomic medicine focused on precision medicine, which is currently at the forefront of the field, accounting for people’s genetic differences and thus minimizing side effects from medications. The progress in healthcare varies with the type of genetic test used, whether it is to identify genetic conditions within a symptomatic individual, to determine if an individual is a carrier of an inherited disease, or to calculate the probability of a child acquiring a heritable condition. Rare diseases affect three million people – predominantly children - within the UK alone. With the incessant spread of infectious diseases and the rising threat of antibiotic resistance, routine DNA analysis sounds increasingly promising. Although, numerous experts think otherwise. Even though the genetic tests are all to be complemented by a thorough annotation from a doctor, some say that counseling and conveying the significance of one’s genetic material may cause avoidable panic. If you were to find out today whether or not your genes encode for an illness, would you? Or would you rather live your life impartially walking toward an unknown fate? If you choose the first option, just know this: there is no way to be sud-

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A huge stride for genetics

Fenton Christmas, Deputy Editor, outlines the world’s biggest ever genome project

HE UK has completed the world’s largest gene sequencing project with the goal of better understanding the causes behind diseases. The hope remains that this groundbreaking work will allow for faster diagnosis of some of the world’s most common and deadly illnesses.

The data from just one genome occupies 200GB worth of space The human genome consists of billions of pieces of DNA and is found in every healthy cell of the human body. Genomics is therefore the study of the whole genome and how it functions within the human body. This

type of study allows for predictions on how likely a person is to contract certain diseases and how they will respond to certain treatments. The potential for genomics to lead to more precise and earlier diagnostics, new technologies and the potential devleopment of more effective drugs. Launched by the government in 2012, the 100,000 Genomes Project sought to collect more genotic information than ever before. It aimed to focus on patients with rare diseases and their families, as well as those with various stages of cancer. The selection of these specifc diseases stemmed from their strong links to changes to the DNA of those affected. Cancer is triggered by mutations in genes and the majoroty of the rare disease included are also caused by errors

in genomes. Over 2,500 UK and international scientists took part in the study that utilised institutions from around the globe to compile the full 100,000 genomes needed. The project sequenced the genomes of around 85,000 people, including NHS patients. These cancer patients had their tumour DNA also mapped, which succesfully took the total over the 100,000 mark. Around 15,000 cancer patients had their DNA sequenced, as well as the genomes that they inherited from their parents. Some of these patients were then able to received personalised treatments or included in clinical trials. It’s hoped that the work completed in this trial will allow for more treatments to become targeted to the genetic makeup of individual patients.

The sequencing itself was undertaken at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, near Cambridge, and overseen by Genomics England. Although the sequencing was finished in December 2018, the analysis of the data collected continues into this year. To effectively collect and sequence this amount of genomic data, the latest state-of-the-art technology was used. The data from just one genome occupies 200GB worth or space, and the annotations alone could easily take up the space of a whole DVD. All of this data requires individual analysis and then presented in a way that would be easily understood by doctors and patients alike. With the project now having come to an end in terms of its collection phase, work now begins on the analysis

of the data. The project’s legacy hopes to at least lay a foundation for the transition towards the NHS having its own genomics service, to allow for greater targeted treatments.

Over 2,500 UK and international scientists took part in the study As well as this, there have now emerged even more ambitious plans to sequence one million genomes within the next five years in the UK. This type of genetic work looks set to be embedded within the NHS over the coming decades to further increase the level of efficiency and high-quality care that the institution remains known for. Image: Christoph Bock, Max Planck Institute for Informatics

SPORT

11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

BUCS silver for EULCC

C a c pt o a rn in er 's

Josh Brown, Sport Editor, caught up with 1s captain Georgia Relf after success in Manchester

XETER University Ladies Cricket Club made a strong start to their 2019 BUCS season with a silver BUCS medal in Manchester, at Old Trafford – home of Lancashire CC. The 1s made finals day after a resounding round of performances in their regional league, winning each of their five games. Their final group consisted of Sheffield, Nottingham and Worcester – whom they all beat comfortably – before overcoming Cardiff Met in the semi-final. A narrow defeat to Loughborough in the final was agonising, but for 1s captain Georgia Relf, it was a day full of positives for her side.

It was a day full of positives for Relf's side She credits a “strong all-round team performance” as the driving factor behind comprehensive group-stage wins; EULCC initially beat Worcester

– recovering from the loss of early wickets to make 120 off their allocated 10 overs – before their batting strength proved too much for Sheffield as well.

Exeter produced another superb performance in their semi-final Once again, the 1s batted first, and a similar story to the previous game saw them put a good score on the board before restricting the visitors with a stellar bowling display. If batting strength had seen them victors in the first two games, it was definitely the bowling that won them the third. They bowled Nottingham out for 60, amassing the runs required with ease. In the semi-final, Cardiff Met succumbed to another superb performance in the field from the women in green – having batted first, Exeter put a very respectable score on the board before bowling the Welsh side out very cheaply to assure them a place in the fi-

nal. Here, they would meet Loughborough, perhaps the strongest women's cricketing university in the country. The final could have gone either way, Relf said – “we blew them away at the start - batting first, we were 26-0 off the first two overs – but they recovered well, and unfortunately for us they got the runs with an over to spare. But for us to be competing with them already is a sign of fantastic things to come”. Indeed, positives were in abundance for Exeter. Relf highlighted the individual performances of Amy Weir, who retired on 25 in three of the five games played on the day – including the final – and whose bowling exploits

matched her batting, as she took important wickets. Loughborough took the final on the day but captain Relf believes that “to be competing at that level already is fantastic”. On another day, Exeter would have won the final – Loughborough recovered well, and showed mental resilience to stay in the game before going on the counter-offensive with the bat, hitting important runs late in the day to win gold, and inflict a rare defeat for the 1s.

On another day, Exeter might have won the final; they lost narrowly The silver medal bodes well for the future, and shows that EULCC are capable of competing for the highest honours both in the upcoming outdoor season and in future indoor tournaments. Squad: A Weir, I Bunn, G Relf ©, E Wilson, C Heywood, L Dean, E Bourne.

Image: Jack Bradbury

Rules of the Game • • •

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•

There are 10 overs a side Each team has six players Runs scored off the back wall act as a normal boundary - four runs are awarded if the ball bounces, six if not Hitting any other wall awards one run A run between the wickets awards two runs Runs are accumulated - hitting a side-wall with a shot and then running once thus awards three runs Batsmen can be out all the normal ways - caught, LBW, bowled, stumped, and runout - and can be caught off the net. Batsmen must retire at 25, but can return if every other batsman is out or retired.

These hips don't lie

Harry Scott-Munro analyses Andy Murray's potential return from a devastating hip injury

FTER a second operation on his hip (unfortunate Twitter post aside) Andy Murray is pinning his hopes on one last surgery to get him back to the top of the game. The surgery, which involved shaving down the hip and replacing the joint with a metal ball, the same operation which allowed legendary doubles player Bob Bryan to return to the sport. For Murray however, it is a step into the unknown, a serious operation and extensive recovery program which has never before been attempted by a top-level singles player.

His recent surgery is a step into the unknown The operation itself has seemingly ruled him out of Wimbledon 2019, the scene of his greatest triumph, but Murray hopes it will give him the opportunity to prolong his career. In his 5-set defeat to Roberto Bautista-Agut at the Australian Open, we were treated to the most Murray-like of performances. Sheer grit, determination, stretching every fibre of his body to fashion shots most would never even consider, let alone attempt. It was vintage Murray, an outstanding performance against the dying of the light. Sir Andy has matured from the hot-

headed promising youngster that first burst onto the scene almost 13 years ago, to a beacon of hope for not just British tennis, but British sport as a whole.

Murray ended a 76 year wait for a British Male Grand Slam winner The tears of Wimbledon 2012, followed weeks later by the Gold Medal winning performance against Roger Federer finally endeared him to the British public, despite not everyone warming to his rather prickly disposition. The mental resilience just a few months later to drag himself off the proverbial canvas to defeat Novak Djokovic in the U.S Open final was momentous. In winning his first Grand Slam title, Murray ended a 76 year wait for a British male Grand Slam winner, before backing it up on a glorious summer's day to finally achieve his lifelong dream of winning Wimbledon in 2013 - perhaps the outstanding achievement of any British tennis player of the last century. It was a victory that endeared Murray to the entire British nation, and dispelled the adage

that had pervaded him up until then that he was British when he was winning games, but Scottish when he lost. Replacing this was a public desire to see Murray as our British player, irrespective of results, as his story - that finally had its fairytale moment at Wimbledon - inspired millions up and down the nation. Suddenly, Murray became a household name even to those with no interest in the sport, and raised the profile of the sport almost single-handedly at a time

Image: Christopher Johnson (Wikipedia)

when football and rugby dominated the media.

A true sportsman in every sense of the word After injury in 2014, Murray slipped out of the world’s top 10, with questions raised as to what level he would return. Those doubters needn’t have worried as Murray put everything into helping close friend Leon Smith achieve another goal that few thought possible - a British Davis Cup win. The final moments of the title-deciding match with Belgium’s David Goffin encapsulated everything that Murray is. The refusal to give up, the sheer belligerence of thought to continue to run for the ball, even though his legs were screaming for him not to and the final, stunning lob that few players would dare try after such a lung-busting effort to seal the tournament for GB - he was mesmerising. However, it was the moments after that point that summed up Murray the man. Whilst wild celebrations began around him, Murray was already on the side-line, commiserating with his opponents, be-

fore returning to the celebrations. A true sportsman in every sense of the word. After a second Wimbledon title in 2016, Murray scaled even greater heights, as he became the first man to retain an Olympic Singles Title. With a winning streak culminating in a showdown at the ATP World Tour Finals with Novak Djokovic and subsequently the world number one ranking on the line - his victory in straight sets guaranteed Murray a spot in the pantheon of British greats.

The first man to ever retain an Olympic Singles title That continued effort in keeping pace with Djokovic, Federer and Nadal has finally taken its toll on Murray’s body and regardless of whether we see him in a competitive tennis match again, he will go down as one of Britain’s greatest sportsmen. It would be fitting and typical of Murray to appear at Wimbledon one last time this summer, despite the heavily stacked odds against it. In the meantime, we can only marvel at his ability and hope he can grace the stage he has lit up so much, just one more time.

SPORT

EXEPOSÉ | 11 FEB 2019

EUAFC 0-3 Swansea

CONTINUED FROM BACK

60th minute. Exeter's desperation to attack, however, began to leave them exposed to the pace of Swansea’s Hopeau, who pressed the backline hard and began forcing mistakes. As play entered the 65th minute, Swansea’s effort finally yielded dividends as a hurried pass out of the Exeter defence was intercepted by Hopeau who lifted the ball over Aurelius, caught in no-man’s-land, for a simple goal from 35 yards. Now two goals behind, the men in green started to lose momentum with Swansea’s size and strength hindering their efforts. Time wasting from the visitors, combined with a penalty call

by O’Neill that was immediately waved away, led to increased frustration from the home side who began to shoot on sight.

The men in green started to lose momentum due to Swansea's physicality A large majority of the shots whistled harmlessly wide and Harry Churchill, the Swansea goalkeeper, was not overly challenged despite the significance of the game. Despite some heroic tackling, in particular by Matt James, Swansea’s counter-attacking added a third in the dying embers of

the second half with a clinical finish at Aurelius’ near post by Tom Johnston. A comically long 10 minutes of added time yielded limited further action, and the game stuttered to an end under the weak Devon sun. Swansea, 3-0 winners, had ensured their place in the 2nd tier of BUCS football, whilst newly-promoted Exeter faced relegation.

The loss was largely of their own making; Swansea were not creative on the ball Worst of all, the loss was largely of their own making - Swansea were well drilled but hardly creative, although

In numbers

the visitors were opportunistic with all three of their goals. Rather, mistakes by the home side left them with a mountain to climb, and the superior physicality of Swansea disrupted Exeter’s position-heavy game. A disappointing end to a hard season for the EUAFC 1s, who will resume life in the Western 1A come September. EXETER: Aurelius, Langley, Bratt, Jenkins, James, Cunningham, Fetherstone, Banks, Ambler, O'Neill, Rees, Najafi. Substitutions: Smith, Barner. SWANSEA: Churchill, Holt-Larsen, Richardson, Roberts, Jones, Sheehan, Houpeau, Johnston, Wilson, Toms, Knudson, Owusu. Substitutions: Langan, Hill, Hughes.

Josh Brown, Sport Editor, analyses EUAFC's defeat with a statistical approach

O begin, some explanations of the terms that will be used. Expected goals (xG) is the metric used to describe the probability of each shot resulting in a goal, and is measured by a result between 0-1. The (albeit very basic) model Exeposé Sport have created for the purpose of this analysis only takes into account a few basic factors when creating xG values for each shot: shot type (header, volley, half-volley, ‘standard’ - each with increasing probability of finding the net), shot location, and goalkeeper position.

The visitors took their biggest chance in the first 45 and Exeter missed theirs The goals are illustrated by the pink squares, every other chance is blue for Swansea or green for Exeter. The above illustrates the importance of some of these factors – the Swansea second goal, the one from distance, has a higher xG than a shot from an equally difficult area – say, one of the Exeter shots from a similar range – because Aurelius was considerably out of position when the shot was taken on. In terms of what this tells us, it shows that Swansea outscored their expected goals. This can be credited to good finishing, or defensive errors – individual or collective – not assessed within the model. If we were to analyse the firsthalf only – the teams went in at 1-0 to Swansea – the xG figures were essentially identical; the story of the first 45 was that the visitors took their biggest chance while Exeter

missed theirs, and were unable to compensate with any of their other shots. In terms of the rest of the game, Exeter’s attack were limited either to shots from outside the box, or efforts inside with low xG scores. The effort that might naturally seem the closest to finding the net has such a low xG because it was a header from a corner; The ball played in at pace and with the defensive zones clustered with Swansea players makes the chance much harder than the goal that Swan-

The aggregate values say the visitors' chances were of much better quality sea scored to open the scoring from a similar area; For the visitors, a deflected shot rebounded at the feet of their #9 with the goalkeeper already on the floor. The Swansea third goal, scored late on in the game on the counter, is a save one might reasonably have

expected Aurelius to make at his near post. Indeed, the Exeter goalkeeper got two hands to the ball and will have been disappointed to see the strike beat him. What the aggregate values tell us is that, even though Exeter amassed 9 shots and Swansea only two more with 11, the visitors’ chances were of better quality and with this in mind, the result, if not the scoreline, come as less of a surprise. But, it’s important to assert that the visitors didn’t necessarily create these chances. Which brings us nicely onto the other more complicated metric: expected assists. This is the value that tells us what the probability of a pass becoming an assist is – if this seems complicated, let’s elaborate some more with some professional examples. Eden Hazard’s mazy run and finish against Arsenal a couple of years ago is reflected, ultimately, by an xG of around 0.7 on the final shot, with a the ball at his feet and less than six yards from the goal. But this value

doesn’t capture the complexity (or the excellence) of the preceding run to manufacture the chance; in terms of xA, Diego Costa’s knock-down header on the halfway line has an xA value of less than 0.01, which reflects the true probability of that pass leading directly to a goal. It goes without saying that all shots taken without a preceding pass (so directly as a result of obtaining the ball off the opposition or direct from a free-kick) have no xA value. With an estimated xA of 0.9 for Exeter and 1.1 for Swansea, this shows us that a majority of Exeter’s chances were created by the home side, which the eye-test confirmed – Exeter played

In truth, Exeter was mostly to blame for their defensive woes

a more possession-based approach that relied on their own quality in the attacking third seeking to penetrate the deep block that Swansea occupied once they scored the opening goal. Perhaps more telling is the figure of 1.1 for the visitors; this tells us that the home side’s problems were generally of their own making and that Swansea’s attack wasn’t overly successful in terms of creating chances with passes. The fact that these figures are very similar, yet the scoreline emphatically in favour of the side from Wales, shows that Exeter’s mistakes were significant and that their errors led to Image: Josh Brown goals conceded.

Eleventh Heaven for EUMHC René Bahar Sport Editor

AST Wednesday saw EUMHC 2s face Imperial College 2s in their BUCS Cup campaign. The extremely strong Exeter side obliterated their opponents 11-0 in a game, which only consisted of one-way traffic. The men in green were 4-0 up at half time seeing 7 additional goals scored in the second half. Despite no hat tricks, 4 of the Exeter men (Elliot Everson, Freddie Perkins, Max Sydenham and Charlie Taylor) got a brace. Such a significant win at a very crucial point in their campaign sees the Exeter team in a strong position for their upcoming cup games. They face Cardiff in the next round and then Leeds Beckett 1s or Manchester 1s in the following game, providing that they beat Cardiff. Despite only winning three games from eight in their domestic season, the team are looking in great form for the upcoming matches. However, their next game is set to be tougher than the previous as Cardiff currently sit a position above the greens in the BUCS table.

They are in a very strong position regarding their upcoming games

Captain of the 2s, Ed Lowe, stated how they "won the Cup two years ago in my first year and it would be amazing to repeat that with this team" and that their "aim is to definitely win the BUCS trophy", a brilliant aspiration for a relatively young team. The 2s are also pushing for promotion into the National Premiership League with their Saturday fixtures and it would be a phenomenal achievement to have two Exeter University teams playing at the top level of the sport. They face Cardiff on Wednesday 20th February and a large crowd could make all the difference in a pivotal game. Despite the 1s domestic season not having started yet, they have been keeping busy with a number of charity events in support of their charity of the year, MIND - most notably taking part in the Exeter park run last weekend and completing it with a team average of under 20 minutes. As a result of this, they smashed their £250 target by raising £320 - a valiant effort from a club who is continually seeking to arrange events for charitable causes.

Image: Megan Davies

Sport

11 FEB 2019 | EXEPOSÉ

SPORT EDITORS:

All at ‘sea

René Bahar Josh Brown

A frustrating defeat to Swansea sees EUAFC’s 1s relegated

Image: Rory Selvey

Men’s Football Exeter 1s ...................................... 0 Swansea 1s .................................. 3 Will Byford & Lauren Fawke Sport Team

N extremely cold day at Topsham last Wednesday saw the EUAFC 1s’ hopes of surviving relegation from the BUCS Premier South division fade away against a physical Swansea side. As expected, for a game in which anything but a win would result in relegation, Exeter named a strong side captained by former Birmingham City youngster George O’Neill.

Exeter started strong as winger Levi Rees cut inside and fired just wide, as Exeter aimed to pressurise the opposition in the opening first ten minutes. O’Neill also broke through the Swansea line and hammered a shot past the keeper off the post which allowed Rees a chance to shoot, but he snatched the rebound wide after 15 minutes. It would prove to be one of the best chances Exeter would create all game.

Rees snatched the rebound wide in one of Exeter’s best chances The home side continued to grow

into the game, however, and compensated for the bumpy pitch by playing it long to Rees who was positioned high down the left flank.

The visitors lurched into life and led after an unfortunate deflection A few corners were earned but ultimately came to nothing, before the visitors lurched into life with a speculative shot from Swansea was deflected back into the box, leaving James Aurelius, Exeter’s goalkeeper, helpless on the ground. The guests made no mistake with the rebound, allowing them to go

1-0 up in the 26th minute.

Exeter dominated possession but struggled to create chances However, while Exeter continued to dominate possession, they failed to fashion meaningful chances, as Arthur Ambler dropped deeper and deeper to collect the ball and their two wingers struggled to cross accurately. The physical dominance of Swansea was apparent as midfielders Elliot Jones and Tom Johnston controlled the centre and forced Exeter play out to the flanks. The size of Ian Wilson, the visiting

#9, also proved a constant threat for Exeter’s central defence, although Matt James played superbly against the larger forward. After half time, Exeter distinguished themselves as the brighter of the two teams as they threatened down the right with superb interplay between Sam Fetherstone and Jack Banks. Banks then went on to test the visitors’ keeper with a sweetly struck free-kick before Ambler came painfully close to connecting with a whipped cross in the...

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