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ISSUE 750 15 NOV 2023 exepose.com @Exepose
THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987
Pro-Palestinian protests surge as Gaza conflict sparks outcry on campus
750th Special Edition
Image: Livvy Mason-Myhill
Livvy Mason-Myhill and Harry Craig Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT RELATING TO WAR AND TERRORISM WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING
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XETER students and staff have participated in and organised a number of protests to show their solidarity with Palestine following the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip last month. Following a series of attacks by militant group Hamas on Israel on 7th October, which, according to Reuters, killed over 1,400 Israelis and saw Hamas capture hundreds of hostages, the Israeli govern-
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hostilities. According to Al-Jazeera, over 3,650 children are thought to have died as a result of the three weeks of Israeli bombing of Gaza, and an additional 1,000 are thought to be missing beneath the debris. Teddy bears were positioned outside Bradshaw’s office by campaigners as a symbol of the terrible loss of innocent lives. The event went smoothly and at a higher turnout than the organisers had anticipated. Speakers, including Nick Bilbrough, the director of the remote theatre initiative ‘Hands Up,’ read heartbreaking testimonies and expressed concern for the safety of teachers and students in Gaza. They also performed poems written by two of the children who were killed by Israeli bombs. An open letter demanding a meeting and an endorse-
ment of the call for a ceasefire was delivered to Bradshaw by supporters of the University Friends of Palestine and the Exeter Palestine Solidarity Campaign. Ben Bradshaw, Exeter’s MP, is urged in the letter to back a ceasefire in response to Israel’s attacks against Gaza. The letter emphasises that more than 50 Labour MPs have already demanded a ceasefire. It condemns Israel’s activities in Gaza, calling them, among other things, “war crimes and collective punishment in accordance with the Geneva Convention.” This is evidenced in the letter by “the use of prohibited chemical weapons, the disruption of vital services, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.”
completing the questionnaire. Secondly, we have those who are yet to apply — whether this is due to time constraints or confusion surrounding the application process itself differs individually. And finally, those who have applied and are either frustratingly still awaiting a response or are dissatisfied with the offer they’ve received. According to the webpage on the University of Exeter site, the process consists simply of logging into your Exeter account and completing the application form, yet for many issues appear to have arisen from what was intended to be an easily accessible process. Upon speaking to students, Exeposé learnt that on many occasions, students had to raise a formal complaint
with the university as they claimed they were “Not affected by strikes” and were therefore asked to “provide evidence for multiple sessions” they had cancelled. In particular, one student reported that their entire application was rejected on the basis that cancelled seminars were “adequately mitigated for” despite also adding they “didn’t receive any replacement content for these sessions.”Acknowledging these concerns, the Students’ Guild has also received similar feedback from students on several aspects of the application process. For instance, why some modules are not coming up as an option to the lack of a “clearly stated threshold for what an ‘impacted module’ is.” Once you begin
the form affected modules should be automatically uploaded and for any missed the University advises students to contact the industrialaction@exeter.ac.uk email address. More importantly, the question has been raised how the University and the Guild could work more collaboratively on the guidance surrounding how to put forward the best application. The Students’ Guild have further informed Exeposé that Education Officer Alex Stanley will be meeting with University staff to share these concerns, and students should contact him if they want him to highlight further issues.
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“It should have been an email by itself ”: compensation scheme confuses students
Anabel Costa-Ferreira Editor-in-Chief
Featuring an eight-page anniversary pull-out on pages 17-24!
ment launched a major military operation in Gaza. This has had severe implications for civilians living in the Gaza Strip, with hospitals, refugee camps and educational institutions amongst the locations affected by wartime bombing, and over 10,000 Palestinians killed as of 6th November according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Consequently, Israel’s actions have attracted widespread condemnation and there have been calls for a ceasefire, including in Exeter and on campus. On Saturday 4th November, an estimate of a thousand people demonstrated in Exeter, calling for an immediate ceasefire to end the current fighting in the Gaza Strip. The protesters marched to Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw’s offices in the city centre and asked him to support the end of
TUDENTS have raised concerns over the Industrial Action Compensation scheme, a “gesture of goodwill” which was introduced as a response to the strike and boycott action in the previous academic year. Opening in August, the scheme has been open for several months, yet many students fall under one of three categories. Firstly, we have those unaware of the scheme altogether or their eligibility to apply. Through a survey, Exeposé found that a few respondents only gained awareness of this scheme by
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EXEPOSÉ
Devonshire House, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PZ Editors Print: Anabel Costa-Ferreira & Livvy Mason-Myhill Online: Jamie Speka & Amelie Thompson Print Deputies: Harry Craig, Charlie Gershinson & Joshua Smith Online Deputies: Ewan Edwards & Megan Haynes editors@exepose.com Executives Finance: Willow Cracknell Social Media: Charlotte Randall News Editors Print: Rosie Batsford & Oliver Lamb Online: Shagnick Bhattacharya & Anna Kane news@exepose.com Features Editors Print: Henry Parker & Benedict Thompson Online: Callum Martin features@exepose.com International Editors Print: Josie Sharp Online: Agata Koralewska Comment Editors Print: Lisette Reed & Charlotte Zeyssolff Online: Charlie Oldroyd & Amy Rushton comment@exepose.com Satire Editor Print: Livvy Mason-Myhill Lifestyle Editors Print: Lucy Rawlings & Amberly Wright Online: Emily Roughton & Zoe Sperry lifestyle@exepose.com Arts + Lit Editors
Editorial
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S the second half of term begins, we hope you are all settling back well. Here at Exeposé we are celebrating our 750th issue and are so pleased to finally share our special anniversary edition! As always we have a range of articles for you to explore both university and nationally focused. Additionally, to mark our anniversary you can find an eight-page pull-out from pages 17-24. In News this week, we focus on the recent Pro-Palestine protest on campus, as well as the costs of the Devonshire House refurbishment. We also look at concerns raised by students following the Industrial Action Compensation Scheme. In Features, there's an interview with Just Stop Oil protestor George Simonson (page 9). In Comment, there’s an assessment of problematic Halloween costumes (page 11) as well as a debate on the the new university crest for AU sportswear (page 12) whilst Satire shares a day in the life of a quintissential Exeter male student (page 13). In Exhibit, Lifestyle looks at the upcoming World Kindness Week (page 15) and forming a special Movember page writers share their male role models (page 25). Between pages 17-24 you can find our Special Edition paper which contains a timeline 'Exeposing' our
SPA AWARDS history (18-19) as well as Editorials from previous Exeposé leadership (20-21). We also reflect on significant moments for News (22) , Music (23) and Sport (24) since the paper began in 1987. Arts + Lit discuss the growing BookTok market (page 26), and debate series vs. standalone books (page 27). Music reviews student band Parasitic Mind's recent Cavern performance (page 28) and Screen reviews the new Roald Dahl shorts on Netflix (page 30). Tech looks at legal battles with Meta (page 32) and Exetera Exetera shares advice on coping with deadline season (page 34). Science explores FDA scrutiny over gene editing (page 36). Sport reviews the Rugby World Cup (page 38) as well as the recent Varsity victory (page 40). We hope you enjoy reading this issue and want to say a huge thanks to all our contributors and proofers! We would also like to say a special thanks to the previous Editors who wrote about their experience at the paper and some of their favourite memories. As the winter months begin we hope everyone is remembering to look after themselves (especially amid deadline season)! Here in the office (even as we write this editorial), we are already playing Christmas music to keep our spirits up!
2023 Best Publication 2023 Best Publication in the South West Images (top to bottom): Anabel Costa-Ferreira; Brunel University, Flickr; Scarlett Cracknell, and Harry Craig
FEATURES In conversation: Just Stop Oil PAGE 9
SATIRE Five steps of BNOC PAGE 13
MUSIC Live review: Parasitic Mind PAGE 28
SPORT Exeter roared to Varsity victory PAGE 40
Livvy and Anabel
Proofers: Livvy Mason-Myhill, Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Harry Craig, Charlie Gershinson, Joshua Smith, Eloise Grainger, Oliver Lamb, Henry Parker, Lauren Walsh, Joseph Terry and Anna Kane
Print: Maddie Conlan & Lauren Walsh Online: Gracie Moore & Violet Berney artsandlit@exepose.com Music Editors Print: Jake Avery & Scarlett Cracknell music@exepose.com Screen Editors Print: Annabelle Law & Madison Sohngen Online: Jess Cadogan screen@exepose.com Tech Editor Print: Ewan Gregory & Anabel Costa-Ferreira Science Editors Print: Eloise Shewring & Livvy Mason-Myhill Online: Orla Watson sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Oliver Rickwood & Harry Craig Online: Mikhail Shklover & Ceri Vaughan-Jones sport@exepose.com
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editors@exepose.com The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild. While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed. The Publisher cannot accept liability for any loss or damage to artwork or material submitted. The contents of this, unless stated otherwise, are copyright of the Publisher. Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.
University news home and abroad Maintenance loans almost entirely used up by student rent
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Ukraine calls on Western universities to help fight brain drain
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Québec doubles fees for external Anglophone students
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University of Bolton seeks name change amid "prejudice" claim
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ECENT calculations for the KRAINIAN DeputyMinisterof EdN a blow to out-of-province AngloHE University of Bolton academic year 2023-24 have ucation and Science, Mychailo Wynphone students across Québec, tuihas applied to change its shown that students are left nyckyj, is anxious to prevent Westtion fees will no longer be subsidised name to the University of with as little as 50p per week after pay- ern universities harbouring Ukrainian talent. by the province’s government. Efforts to Greater Manchester in an attempt ing off their rent — with the University He addressed over 100 universities at protect the French character of Québec to beat the "prejudice" faced by uniof Exeter scoring as the second-most the Anniversary of the Magna Charta Uni- universities, and increase funding for Fran- versity graduates, as claimed by viceexpensive university in the United King- versitatum on 23 October, under the theme cophone students, are soon to threaten chancellor Professor George Holmes. dom, outside of London and ‘Universities and Reconstruction of Cities: student enrolment at Québec’s three AnAlthough it is ranked in the top 30 Edinburgh, in terms of The role of research and education’. glophone institutions: McGill, Concordia universities by The Guardian, students average student acHe stated that during the and Bishops. The province’s French-lan- raised concerns regarding the lack of commodation ongoing war the country guage Minister of Education Jean-François recognition they felt their university costs compared needs their “best brains” Roberge alluded to the ‘anglicising’ ef- receives, both in England and internato the average to stay. He suggested fect of English higher-education courses tionally, and proposed a name change. maintenance Western universities sup- on the francophone face of Québec. Holmes theorises that there is a historiloan received port more joint degree Fees for out-of-province students who cal legacy that affects people’s perspecfrom Stuprogrammes, rather than study at Québec’s Anglophone universities tives and perceptions on universities, dent Finance having students leave are to be doubled, and the funds redistribut- expecting Russell Group universities to England. Ukraine to study abroad. ed to French-speaking universities. It falls to be at a much higher standard than one When exHe expressed faith in using Anglophone universities to remedy the tui- that they may have not heard of before. amining the city of technology, such as “collabora- tion imbalance, giving the Québec governHolmes believes that this limits Exeter in particular, tive online international learning”. ment a percentage of the increased tuition. the outcome of the University’s graduthe annual living and rentHe said that the explanation for a Representatives from McGill, Con- ates in professional careers, which he al costs have risen by 16.1 per cent com- lack of students returning is mainly due to eco- cordia and Bishops have condemned the hopes will change with a name change. pared to the last academic year, making nomic rather than safety reasons, pointing out decision to increase tuition fees, with An- He explains: “[The students] want a it the second-most expensive city out- that state funding for Ukrainian higher educa- glophone enrolment expected to plummet qualification that’s instantly recogside of London and Edinburgh. This tion institutions was cut by 40 per cent in 2023. across the province. As Anglophone stu- nised, and everybody in the world has especially puts working-class students at University World News reports that dents evaluate the challenges increased tui- heard of the city of Manchester and a disadvantage, and heavily discourages since the full-scale war, 60 Ukrainian higher tion fees pose to their finances, the academic the region of Greater Manchester.” them from continuing their education education institutions have endured dam- futures of many students remain uncertain. in fear of going into increasing debt. age, and six have been destroyed. Image: Harrison Carnicom, Wikimedia Commons
By Magdalena Kanecka, Anna Kane, Amelia Shore-Nye and Antonella Perma
15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
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14,000 Exeter homes to be built in next 20 years Anabel Costa-Ferreira Editor-in-Chief
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S an ever-expanding city, Exeter City Council’s executive recently approved plans outlining construction targets for the next 20 years. Forming the Draft Exeter Plan, a total of 14,124 new homes have been proposed. While around 2,604 of these are already
included as completions alongside 5,272 on site allocations, the majority of these are yet to be built. Within the consultation, there are references to a series of 24 mixed-use and residential sites with many noting similarities to the ‘Liveable Exeter’ initiative which began earlier this year. This plan looked at “taking a holistic approach to place-making in the city; building on the best of what the city has to offer and creating
a city ready for the future”. As the suitability of areas is determined, it is interesting to highlight that a total of six out of the eight submission sites were included in these plans. Notably, one to include a garden bridge over the River Exe was replaced. Others omitted from the plan at this point have not been entirely ruled out, yet current restrictions delay their progress beyond the set schedule. For instance, progress for Sandy
Gate is likely to be complicated due to “constraints associated with employment land, a school, the Sidmouth Park and Ride and the M5 motorway services”. Current planned locations include Marsh Barton, Water Lane, Sidwell Street, Arches Street and many more. A full list of planned sites and the consultation itself can be found online on the Exeter City Council website. Image: Derek Harper, Wikimedia Commons
AU President takes on ‘30 Sports in 30 Days’ for Movember Anabel Costa-Ferreira Editor-in-Chief
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AKING on a challenging Movember campaign, AU President Gee Burnett has decided to take on '30 Sports in 30 Days'. As part of her first fundraising event, she has organised with clubs to take part in their training sessions and on some days will even be completing more than one in order to reach the target alongside other commitments. Speaking to Gee, she shared that as she was brainstorming how to raise money this Movember, she “wanted a challenge that would require a lot of commitment."
Whilst working full-time she hopes to also “give exposure to clubs as well as get them involved with Movember indirectly.” Many AU sports are running their own events, and Gee detailed how students interested should look at the student sport account. Reflecting on how sport can impact wellbeing was also highlighted, as for many sporting students it is a fundamental aspect of their university experience and has positively affected their mental health. A spokesperson from the University also raised the importance of campaigns and events like these to “raise awareness of men’s health — particularly their mental health —
and the importance of reaching out for support at any time of year." While Gee shared her enthusiasm for the whole
Image: Movember Foundation, Wikimedia Commons
challenge, she is "super excited to get involved with canoeing” with a daytrip planned to Cardiff to
Students’ Guild announces new funds for Fringe productions Charlie Gershinson Deputy Editor
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HE Students’ Guild have started a new society fund for music, drama and comedy groups wishing to show a production at the Edinburgh Fringe in summer 2024. Announced at the start of the academic year, the Guild closed applications at the end of October for the opportunity for two grants of £5,000 (donated by an alumnus of the University of Exeter) to allow members of the winning societies to attend the Festival at a subsidised price. The Guild have said that they hope the fund “can help to provide students with the means to realise their passions and showcase their talents on the international stage.” Applicants had to provide an overview of the production including how many people in the production this will impact; a budget; timeline and a statement on how “the project aligns with the Guild’s priorities (sustainability, cost of living, belonging & inclusion, gender safety and wellbeing).”
Numerous music and theatre societies have trodden the floorboards in Edinburgh in recent years. Spotlights — the show choir under the Footlights society banner — have put on productions at the Festival over the past several years. Their most recent production in 2023, A Night at the Musicals, sold out multiple shows over its run and received a five-star review from Broadway Baby. In the review, Ben Ludlow proclaimed that the University of Exeter was now “the new powerhouse in student musical groups on the Edinburgh Fringe.” He went on to say that “they all sing beautifully, they all dance elegantly, they have individual expression and collective synchronicity. They hold absolutely nothing back.” Another musical production was Black Martini by Shotgun Theatre, the other main musical theatre society. An original musical by University of Exeter students Max Kroon and Tom Atkinson, Black Martini was set in 1970s Las Vegas and followed a depraved and obsessive casino manager who hires a private detective to gather evidence that one of their luckier clients is a cheater. In a different vein, the Exeter University Theatre Society
test an artificial river. So far, she has participated in several sports including powerlifting, rugby, archery, and korfball — though
produced Vino Veritas, a dark comedy about the perils of lies, misdirection and a bit too much honesty. When asked for comment, the Students’ Guild said, “We are so excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our talented students, thanks to a generous donation from an alumni. We received a number of applicants and cannot wait to see what is produced for Fringe!” Outcomes for societies who applied for the fund are expected to be released in December. Image: EFFC, Wikimedia Commons
currently Gee shared her favourite (thus far) has been climbing. While Gee has set a target of £100, we
are reminded that as little as £50 “can help fund innovative research to explain why some prostate cancers are more likely to spread” and help to develop “treatment strategy for men at high risk”. The University further stated that their “outstanding reputation for supporting Movember, [is] thanks to the hard work and passion of our students.” Students are also guided to the official @movemberexeter Instagram account for further information on events and where to donate. Following the sentiment of the University, here at Exeposé we are also wishing Gee the best of luck with this challenge as the month continues.
“75 per cent of my modules were disrupted... £200 compensation is quite frankly ridiculous”
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sation offered follow the good practice guidance as set out by the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA). Students who are unsatisfied with their outcome can submit a formal complaint through the Student Complaints Procedure.” Whilst following an FOI request, the University are currently unable to share the data for the range of financial compensation, Exeposé heard from many students happy to share the offers they received. Several students stated that they were simply rejected and offered nothing, while others reported offers in the range of £150-£600. Amid a cost-of-living crisis and disproportionate raises in student loans, students may begrudgingly accept these offers but, as one student noted, will do so solely on the basis that they “feel that escalating it further will be too Front page images: University of Exeter, Joshua Hughes and Pete, Flickr difficult.” As we await talks between the University and Guild, there are hopes a more collaborative approach will increase student awareness surrounding the scheme. To check your eligibility, visit the Industrial Action page on the Exeter website where applications will be received until 17:00 on Friday 5th January 2024.
URNING to the application responses received thus far, Exeposé heard from many students disappointed in the outcome received. One student in their final year shared that “75 per cent of my modules were disrupted last year and so to only be offered £200 compensation is quite frankly ridiculous.” Although different degrees experienced varying levels of disruption, students are struggling to work out how these offers are determined. Other students also questioned whether the amount of compensation calculated differs if a module had cancelled seminars or missing exam results. In response to this, a spokesperson for the University detailed how “Each claim through the scheme is considered on a case-by-case basis, and levels of compen-
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15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
Maketank cultural centre forced to close Harry Craig Deputy Editor
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AKETANK Cultural Lab, one of Exeter’s foremost cultural and creative arts centres, has been forced to leave its current premises in the city centre. On 31st October, the not-forprofit organisation announced that, after almost five years in its current location, they would be closing their unit on 3–5 Paris Street. This followed the decision in January by the Crown Estate and Nuveen, the landlords for most of Paris and Sidwell Streets, that they would not extend Maketank’s occupation licence and were instead mothballing the building. Maketank has served as a hub for cultural and artistic projects in the local community in Exeter during the last five years, as well as producing international performances across Devon and London and collaborating with Exeter City Council and the University of Exeter. Most significantly, this included its work in establishing the Conversation Café for Ukraine, which resulted in the formation of the Devon Ukrainian Association following the outbreak of war in Ukraine in February 2022. They also hosted the 'With Your Own Eyes' exhibition in March, featuring photography from the Ukrainian war frontline taken by Kostiantyn and Vlada Liberov.
Maketank has served as a hub for cultural and artistic projects in the local community
This closure follows months of efforts to persuade the landlords of the negative social impact the decision could have on Exeter’s residents and communities. Maketank disputed the landlords’ justification of the refusal to extend the license for another year, as they have done for other tenants, on health and safety grounds. However, despite appeals from stakeholders including Exeter City Council, the University of Exeter and the Ukrainian Embassy, the Crown Estate refused to enter discussions, leaving the centre to announce its closure “with some fury and a great deal of sadness.” The University has previously collaborated with Maketank on several projects, including the Worldwide Play Readings: Belarus and Ukraine. They were consequently disappointed to hear the news of the closure, saying: “Maketank has carried out vital work to protect Exeter’s creativity and cultural diversity, and to promote the wellbeing of the community. The innovation which takes place at Maketank through this vibrant group of artists, academics, students and civic leaders, as well as displaced and refugee communities, has benefitted the city and the University of Exeter. Maketank also provides a vital point of contact and visibility for the University within the city.” Sarah Campbell, the University’s Associate Director for Arts and Culture, joined in praising the organisation’s work over the last five years, stating: “Maketank opened only a few weeks after I arrived in Exeter. One of Maketank’s first exhibitions was a collaboration with
Arts and Culture, a photography and print display by Exeter-based artist Catherine Cartwright, sharing her new work created during our Urgency Arts Commission in 2019. “Arts and Culture also supported Maketank performances by Ukrainian playwrights, just one small contribution to the tireless work that Olya and the team have put into welcoming Ukrainian refugees to the city. I have attended countless exhibitions, performances, festivals, gatherings, and workshops at Maketank over almost five years and I can’t imagine the city without it. It is a huge loss to the cultural infrastructure of Exeter, and the burgeoning creative scene that was developing around Paris and Sidwell Streets.” The University also noted that Mike Shore-Nye, University of Exeter Senior Vice-President and Registrar & Secretary, had written to the Crown Estate to urge them to reconsider their decision, and extend the lease currently offered to Maketank. Maketank have reiterated, however, that this does not mark
the end of their work. The group are planning to launch a creative alliance to advocate for building a civic cultural centre, co-developed by the University, Exeter City Council and other stakeholders. Olya Petrakova-Brown, Artistic and Executive Director at Maketank, told Exeposé: “It was not our intention originally to stay [at Paris Street] beyond the first six months. We have opened our doors to various groups, to artists, theatre companies, [and] communityled organisations, as well as to societies and various student groups. “We have seen the need for greater connection between the University and city, after serving as a conduit for almost five years, [and] our plan is to create a creative alliance movement to advocate for the development of a civic cultural centre… that continues doing the work that Maketank has done, but [in a way that] can be so much bigger and greater, offering a connecting point between University research, the city and the wider world.”
Image: Yudi Wu, Maketank
Exeposé editor features on Tash Talks podcast Livvy Mason-Myhill Editor-in-Chief
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ATASHA Coyle, an exstudent of the University of Exeter who has recently finished her Masters at University of Glasgow, has been working on her current podcast ‘Tash Talks’. Her podcast is mainly focused on discussing issues surrounding university life and regularly features special guest Dr Hilary Coyle. Her recent podcast episode which came out on Thursday 9th November featured Exeposé’s Print Editor-in-Chief Livvy MasonMyhill. The episode focused on student budgeting, in which both Coyle and Mason-Myhill discussed how to manage student living on a budget as well as delving into life at the University of Exeter. They further talked about their budgeting tips, looking into food shops, energy saving hacks and travel costs, alongside the problems with nightclub ticket prices at the University. Make sure to tune into the podcast to learn more about budgeting and other aspects of university life, as well as to hear the voice of an Exeposé Editor. Image: Natasha Coyle
Christmas Market to return to Exeter on Friday Livvy Mason-Myhill Editor-in-Chief
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HE countdown to the massively popular extravaganza officially begins on 17th November, when the much-anticipated Exeter Cathedral Christmas Market returns. This year's event promises to be the largest Christmas market in Devon, with over 100 stalls offering a wide selection to suit all tastes.
The festive event will continue to amuse crowds until Sunday, 17th December. It will open Monday through Wednesday from 10:00 to 19:00, Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 to 21:00, and Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00. Since 2017, Exeter Cathedral has been the host and manager of the city's Christmas market, which has seen an estimated 600,000 visitors in recent years. The market offers a wide variety Image: Anabel Costa-Ferreira
of gifts, decorations, food, and drink created in Devon, with a strong emphasis on supporting local vendors. You won't want to miss it this year — there will be bars, international street cuisine, and locally crafted gifts. Located in the centre of Exeter, the market combines a wide variety of Devon-made goods, decorations, food, and drink, from handcrafted Christmas decorations to vodka produced with Dartmoor spring water. It places a heavy emphasis on supporting local vendors. Along with free admission to the Cathedral for tourists, the market offers live seasonal entertainment performed by the Exeter Cathedral Choir and its own professional musicians. Enjoy mulled wine and gaze upon the Light of Hope Star installation by artist
Peter Walker inside the magnificent Exeter Cathedral. The Winter Wonderland that was supposed to take place in Exeter this year has been called off by its organisers. The organisers said they're “taking a break” for 2023 and are occupied with planning their next Christmas celebration, which will take place in a different part of Devon. Rather, Rowland Events Ltd., a funfair firm located in Devon, is working on its firstever Plymouth Winter City. This winter, those seeking the thrill of the funfair will have to make the trip to Plymouth. At Treeby Court, Plymouth Winter City will have an enormous ice rink, Santa's grotto, live music, pubs with a German theme, an elf workshop, and fun fair attractions. The celebration will run from 24th November to Christmas Eve.
Image: Anabel Costa-Ferreira
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15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
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At a time when “everyone feels self-defeated, you can show your support”
HE letter also claims that Israel's acts, presented by Israel as self-defence, “really amount to genocide and terrorism approved by the state.” It gives estimates that, as of 31st October, approximately 8,000 Palestinians — 4,000 of them children — had been killed. The letter criticises Bradshaw's earlier statement, claiming that he falsely minimised the significance of requesting a ceasefire, and drawing a comparison between it and his position on Russian sanctions in the Ukraine war. It raises concerns about how lives are prioritised in various conflicts and asks him to re-evaluate his decision to refuse to meet with people on the matter. The letter ends by pleading with Bradshaw to stand with other MPs in favour of a ceasefire and against Israel's activities in Gaza: “to remain silent in the face of Israel’s current aggression is to be complicit in it, so we call upon you to join with more than 50 other Labour MPs who have already signed the EDM, requesting the Government call for an immediate ceasefire, ending the Israeli genocide in Gaza.” Ben Bradshaw's full response to the open letter can be seen on the right. Exeter’s Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Will Aczel was one of those in attendance at the protest. He told Exeposé that he joined the protest because "the humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire. Our political representatives have a duty to lead on solutions that prevent more needless civilian deaths and deliver lasting peace." "Hamas’ terrorist attacks are wrong. This cannot justify more war crimes. Bombs in Gaza are indiscriminate, and many surviving civilians are without food, water, shelter, or a safe way to evacuate." "In Exeter, we brought teddy bears to show support for innocent
Image: Will Aczel
Palestinian children. Nationwide, condemn the bombing of another educational institution.” huge numbers of people continue to fellow stand up to call for a ceasefire. But the After this speech, the protesters Conservative and Labour leadership joined with chants of “free free aren’t listening. How much longer Palestine”, “from the river to the sea, can Sunak and Starmer approve of Palestine will be free” and “ceasefire this senseless and illegal aggression?" now”, with the crowd urged when "A humanitarian pause can be chanting the latter to make sure a first step. But to claim, as Starmer “the whole campus can hear us.” Exeposé spoke to some of those does, that it's not right to call for a in attendance about why ceasefire now condemns Image: Livvy they decided to protest. innocent civilians, Mason-Myhill One attendee felt it including many was important “to children, to more be able to show bombs and more solidarity” and tragic deaths." that, at a time when On Thursday “everyone feels self9th November, defeated, you can Exeter students show your support.” participated in their Another protester stated own protest in solidarity that they were protesting with Palestine on campus outside the Forum. This was because “I am against the ethnic organised by the campaign group cleansing of the Palestinians… Exeter Palestine Action, and attended and the way the media is covering by approximately 50 students and it is just completely one-sided.” Many also spoke of the importance staff from the University. Speakers at the protest called on the University of education, urging people to “look to do more to condemn Israeli at what’s been happening since actions and to join calls for an 1948, not just since 7th October.” immediate ceasefire. Students were Consequently, multiple attendees also urged to join a nationwide urged the University of Exeter to walkout on Friday (10th November) do more, accusing the University in solidarity with Palestine. of “not calling for a ceasefire in any This protest was primarily in way or taking any pro-Palestinian response to Israel’s bombing of the stance.” One protester stated that: Islamic University of Gaza, with “the University can help by having one speaker calling this “not just a a clearer position on what’s going bombing of bricks and cement, it on and, as such a big organisation, is the bombing of dreams. It is the they can put pressure on the bombing of the hopes of the youth. It government to call for a ceasefire.” is the bombing of all of the memories In response, a spokesperson so many people created.” He urged for the University of Exeter said: people to “imagine if the UK "We remain deeply concerned and government… decided to engage distressed by the violence in Israel, in air strikes, destroy all of these Palestine and the Middle East. Our buildings, just to target one individual. thoughts are with all those who are How ridiculous would that sound?” suffering as a result, wherever they The speaker later called it are in the world. We are working “absolutely disgraceful that the directly with those members of our University of Exeter is unwilling to community who are most affected by this ongoing conflict, to hear their experiences and to offer our support." "We are unambiguous in our support for all colleagues and students at this time, including our commitment to protecting the right to debate openly and freely, and we will always seek for such events to go ahead providing they are carried out safely, respectfully and within the law." Another protest was also held in the Forum last month on 18th October, following the bombing of the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza that is believed to have killed hundreds of people. The cause of the attack remains unknown, with both Israel and Hamas blaming the other, and independent sources unable to verify who was responsible
for the attack. At this protest, attended by almost 100 students, speakers accused the University of censorship after posters put up around campus by Exeter Palestine Action, displaying atrocities that had occurred in Gaza, were removed. In response to these accusations, the University said: “Any posters that are placed across campus are required to be authorised for use. This is to ensure posters that may cause distress or offence to other users are not displayed, and health and safety or directional signage is not covered up. While the University respects the right to protest, any unauthorised posters can be removed for these reasons.” The Students’ Guild has also responded to the conflict that has been occuring in Gaza, stating that they "remain deeply concerned and distressed by the continuation of violence in Israel and Palestine. Our thoughts are with all those who are suffering
as a result, wherever they are in the world." The Guild also highlighted that they are working closely with the University to guarantee that everyone impacted by the conflict receives the assistance they require. The Guild further shared their attitudes towards the protests that have been occurring on campus with regard to the conflicts. They indicated that "the Guild exist to provide support for our students and student groups Our role as a charity enables us to create safe spaces for challenging conversation and debate, where diverse, often conflicting, but legal views can be expressed." The Guild stated that they completely support the rights of students to demonstrate in a safe manner, and collaborate with them to make this possible by offering tools, advice, and sample risk assessments. They signposted that the Guild is here to support students who want to arrange a protest, and invite students to get in contact with them.
Open Letter to Ben Bradshaw
Dear Ben, We are calling on you to join with over 50 other Labour MPs who have called for a ceasefire, either by signing Early Day Motion 1685, or by making a public statement, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli aggression being inflicted upon the civilian population of Gaza. Israel, the occupying power of the Gaza Strip, does not have the right to defend itself by force from the civilian population it occupies through acts of collective punishment, which are classed as war crimes under the Geneva Convention. Israel’s acts of collective punishment include the blanket bombing of Gaza, the use of illegal chemical weapons (white phosphorus), cutting off Gaza’s power, water and connection to the internet, denying food and fuel to enter Gaza, targeting schools, hospitals and religious sites as well as the forced transfer of the population of Gaza constituting an act of ethnic cleansing. Contrary to Israel’s stated aim of self-defence, these acts of collective punishment are war crimes amounting to state sanctioned terrorism and genocide. As of 31st October 2023, estimates indicate that more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed, of which 4,000 are thought to be children in doing so, Israel has killed more children than have been killed in all conflicts worldwide since 2019. You have stated to constituents who have written to you that you do not see the point of calling for a ceasefire as you do not think it will have any effect. This is disingenuous, as you did call for sanctions against Russians allied to President Putin, even though it was obvious that this was not going to make Putin stop the Russian war in Ukraine. Do you feel that the lives of Ukrainians are more important than the lives of Palestinians? You have said that you will not meet constituents to discuss the issue of a ceasefire – will you reconsider? We will be starting a petition of constituents in Exeter to demonstrate that huge numbers of people in the local community support the call for a ceasefire. To remain silent in the face of Israel’s current aggression is to be complicit in it, so we call upon you to join with more than 50 other Labour MPs who have already signed the EDM, requesting the Government call for an immediate ceasefire, ending the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Exeter Palestine Solidarity Campaign & Exeter University Friends of Palestine
Ben Bradshaw’s statement in response to calls for a ceasefire There is no chance of a ceasefire as long as Hamas continues to hold Israeli and international hostages and fire missiles into Israel. Those calling for one, I’m sure mean well, but can’t answer the question how should Israel deal with Hamas? Labour backs a pause in hostilities to address the humanitarian situation and the diplomatic efforts led by the Biden administration to secure one. When this immediate crisis is over we need a renewed diplomatic push to get back to talks that can lead to a two state solution. What this latest flare up in a decades’ old conflict has shown is there can be no long term security for Israel without a comprehensive peace agreement with the Palestinians that delivers them a viable independent state.
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‘Big Exeter Feast’ to discuss sustainable food system Amber Platel
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N Thursday 23rd November, Exeter Community Initiative's (ECI) Exeter Connect Project is holding 'The Big Exeter Feast', a conference aiming to discuss the importance of a sustainable food system. This comes at a vital time, with only two per cent of food grown locally being sold into Exeter, as well as a 35 per cent increase in the use of Exeter Food Bank in the last year.
Laura Robinson, Community Action Planner for ECI, said that “there is a growing recognition of the need for a city food system in Exeter”, and the conference is an important step in putting this into action. The conference aims to explore the ways in which Exeter can make food more accessible, affordable, healthy and sustainable. It will bring together Exeter’s voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and local food businesses to explore what a system like this could look like, and how that vision could become a reality.
No further strikes after UCU ballot misses turnout target Oliver Lamb News Editor
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HERE will be no further industrial action by university staff over pay and working conditions after a ballot of union members failed to achieve the required turnout. The University and College Union (UCU) will continue to negotiate on multiple issues. In England and Wales, 68.3 per cent of UCU members supported strike action and 75.6 per cent supported action short of a strike. However, only 42.6 per cent voted. A turnout of 50 per cent is a legal requirement for a mandate for industrial action. The ballot ran from 19th September to 3rd November, with results announced on 6th November. Jo Grady, the UCU’s general secretary, said: “This is bitterly disappointing for all of us”. According to the UCU, real pay for academic staff declined 25 per cent between 2009 and 2023. Earlier this year, the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA) offered a pay rise of five to eight per cent. UCU members rejected this, but it was nonetheless implemented. Exeter staff told Exeposé in February that they were “exhausted” and “broken” by excessive workloads, and expressed concerns about
casualisation and short-term contracts. An email sent to Exeter UCU members on 9th November expressed disappointment in the ballot result but confirmed the branch’s intention to continue pursuing its aims, with pay and casualisation among its priorities. The email claimed that the national pay situation is exacerbated in Exeter by “confined prospects for progression along the pay scale, how our pay compares to other similar universities, and pay disparities, notably in relation to gender.” Raj Jethwa, the chief executive of the UCEA, said that “unions and employers need to find common ground on the issues that the sector is grappling with. UCEA’s priority is to work with the UCU and the other four trade unions (EIS, GMB, UNISON and Unite) on a number of important matters.” A spokesperson for the University of Exeter said: “We have noted the result, and are pleased that our students will not face disruption over the coming weeks. We are committed to working closely with the Exeter branch of UCU on the areas set out in our joint statement.” The dispute over pay and working conditions is separate from the dispute over Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) pensions. Pensions remain another priority of the Exeter UCU.
In the run-up to the conference, 11 events are scheduled to take place to showcase the potential for the future of sustainable food in Exeter, starting on 13th November with a tour of St Sidwell's Community Centre Garden. The program includes fieldtrips to Exeter’s Community Fridge; a farm walk, talk and tractor ride at Shillingford Organic Farm, and much more. This program culminates with ‘The Big Exeter Feast’. The conference is open to the public, and includes short presentations, stalls and displays, and a locally-sourced lunch.
Image:Wikimedia Commons
Exeter students ambivalent on Just Stop Oil campus protests Oliver Lamb News Editor
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“[t]his is not the way to get communities to back a movement and message”. Another common view was that the protests were “counterproductive” and that “the damage to property… takes attention from the cause and gives people a reason to stand against it.” Similarly, one student argued that this style of protesting is “really divisive and detrimental to the movement, as an environmentalist.” Another said that the group’s approach “actually makes me want to use oil just to spite them because of how disrespectful they are.” Some saw the protests as straightforwardly wrong. One said, “It wastes the estate patrol and police force’s time”; another called it “vandalism”. Conversely, some felt that demonstrations on campuses are “harmless” and “didn’t interrupt any lessons or learning”.
XETER students have expressed mixed feelings towards Just Stop Oil in an Exeposé survey. A majority supported the campaign group’s call for an end to new oil and gas licences. However, answering a separate question, a majority opposed or were ambivalent to their recent protests on university campuses. Last month, activists staged demonstrations in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Exeter and elsewhere. In Exeter on 10 October, George Simonson sprayed orange paint on the Forum and spent three hours on the roof of the entrance. In July, Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted a graduation ceremony in Exeter. Most, though not all, of the respondents to the Exeposé survey said they understood the importance of tackling climate change and were sympathetic to Just Stop Oil’s message. Views on Just Stop Oil’s methods were more mixed. A common theme was that protests on university campuses would be ineffective, with one student noting that they are “affecting people who can’t make a change”, and another saying that “nothing has Image: changed as a consequence” of theCharlie Gershinson Forum protest. It was also argued that
A frequently noted advantage of the protests was that they “raise[d] awareness” of Just Stop Oil’s message and gave “everyone an opportunity to think about the climate as they walked about their day”. One student noted that “universities are a great space [for protesting], as there are a lot of people gathered in one space.” Another said that “disruptive protest is more effective than peaceful, sit-down protests.” One student distinguished between last month’s protests and the disruption of the graduation ceremony in July, which they said “made a lot of people angry and sad”. After the demonstration on 10 October, a University of Exeter spokesperson said: “The University respects the right to protest, providing it is carried out safely, respectfully and within the law.”
Image: Anabel Costa-Ferreira
Multi-faith centre to be built on Streatham Campus Rosie Batsford News Editor
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N December 2022, the University of Exeter announced plans to build a multi-faith centre on Streatham Campus, located on the south side of the Forum. This is due to replace the existing small multi-faith space in the Old Library. Construction for this project commenced during September 2023 and is estimated to be completed in late 2024. The new centre will be a significant upgrade from its
current site, with a larger space for community interaction, and a number of facilities to aid religious observance. A spokesperson at the University of Exeter said: "In September we marked the 'ground breaking' of the yearlong project to create a new Multi-Faith Centre on Streatham Campus, near the Forum's South Piazza. The new space will be a focal point for our community, where multi-faith activities and events will take place that promote respect, community, and inclusion. The new centre will include a 50-person Muslim prayer space and a multi-faith space for quiet reflection,
services and events. It will also house communal meeting space, a kitchen, a dedicated office for the Multifaith Chaplaincy Team, a Changing Places Facility and an external terrace area." The University have been running information events and are hoping to offer site visits and virtual tours in the near future. This comes amidst recent criticism that the University is not as diverse or inclusive as it should be — this has been a long-running stereotype, and earlier this year The Times Good University Guide ranked Exeter as one of the least diverse universities in the UK. Shraddha
Chaudhary, assistant director for culture and inclusion at the University, said in a statement: "The university is committed to supporting equality, diversity and inclusion and developing cultural competence working with partners across Exeter and Cornwall, and the wider region." The project aligns with the University’s 2030 strategy under the respect, community and inclusion section, which states that “the University is committed to supporting diversity, inclusion, culture, heritage and creative life in Exeter and the region”. The current chaplaincy team
includes over 15 volunteers across a range of religious backgrounds, including the recent addition of a Humanist Chaplain, and are keen to continue expanding. The team works closely with student faith societies across Streatham and St Luke’s campuses and offers a confidential space for students and staff to discuss any concerns (not just spiritual), as well as events throughout the year to celebrate religious festivals on campus and in the wider community. The chaplains are available throughout the week, and meetings are available to book via the University website.
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15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
Devonshire House refurbishment cost almost £1.1 million according to Guild Charlie Gershinson Deputy Editor
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FEW months after the reopening of the newly refurbished Devonshire House, including new student and staff facilities, the Students’ Guild has confirmed to Exeposé the total cost of the project — £1.085 million. The Guild has said that the total costs of the refurbishment totalled almost £1.1 million including: £496,000 for refurbishment works (which “accounts for sustainable choices where possible”); £264,000 for mechanical and electrical work; £266,000 on new furniture and equipment (including reupholstering old furniture “to lessen waste and give [the furniture] new life”) and £59,000 for professional costs. In May 2023, the Students’ Guild reported that they had received an “investment” of £850,000 “to make our student facing spaces fit for purpose over the next 4-5 years.” This suggests that the refurbishment project went over Image: Career Zone
budget by almost £250,000. In addition, the Guild has also reported spending a total of £75,000 on its recent rebrand, with £45,000 spent in the 2022/23 academic year and a further £25,000 planned to be spent in the upcoming year. The refurbishment of Devonshire House was designed to allow for “a more accessible and f lexible” space and “improved 24/7 social space.” The Guild’s student advice team has also moved into Devonshire House to “create a unified hub of Guild services for all students.” The biggest change is the creation of The Greenhouse in DH1, which can be used for socials and activities by societies and groups.
Create a unified hub of Guild services for all students Student responses since Devonshire House’s reopening have been mixed, according to a survey by Exeposé. Some students
Image: Harry Craig
responded positively to the refurbishment, with one student saying that it “looks great” and another student saying, “it’s nicer, lighter and seems bigger inside.” Other students were less positive however, with one commenting on the overly bright lighting and the
loss of “some of the homeliness of DH2” as it now “feels too office-like and corporate compared to what it used to be.” The Students’ Guild told Exeposé regarding the refurbishment that, “Devonshire House received a much-needed refurbishment in July 2023, and
we were delighted to receive funding from the University to make this happen. We took on feedback from students about ways to improve Devonshire House, including more social study space and more f lexible space, so that areas can be adapted for different uses.”
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Features
FEATURES EDITORS:
Benedict Thompson and Henry Parker
Why is there so much “sexual misconduct” in Parliament? Florence New on the troubling pattern of sexual misconduct in Westminster
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HRIS Pincher. Robert Roberts. Peter Bone. Just a few of the 13 MPs who have been accused of sexual misconduct since the 2019 general election. As of last year, 56 MPs had been reported to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS). There are also numerous cases going unpublicised and unreported. The numbers are appalling, with one cross-party survey revealing in 2018 that nearly 20 per cent of parliamentary staffers had been victims of sexual harassment. Politicians are often viewed in a
Image: David Stanley, Flickr
negative light; corrupt, unrepresentative, dishonest. We live in an age in which it is unsurprising to find out that yet another MP has been accused of sexual misconduct. It begs the question: why is sexual misconduct such a problem within Parliament?
20 per cent of parliamentary staffers... victims of sexual harassment This issue is not a new one. There have been horror stories about poor behaviour from MPs back to the 19th century. For decades, such issues went undiscussed but attitudes towards sexual misconduct did gradually begin to shift. Accusations made it into the mainstream but were rarely pursued. Prominent Liberal politician Cyril Smith faced multiple accusations of child sexual abuse in
the late 1970s, known to both police and high-ranking political leaders, yet he was never prosecuted. Business as usual continued for the next three decades, with increasing awareness met with little institutional change. Then came #MeToo. A campaign started in the US, the movement spiralled globally. Since dubbed ‘Pestminster’, dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct were made against MPs. Name after name, story after story, the issue of sexual misconduct appeared to be at the very heart of British politics. In response, the first independent body in the world for dealing with such allegations, the ICGS, was created. Since then, it has received criticism; for being too slow, for failing to give a fair hearing, and for not addressing all accusations. Despite the conversation being more prominent than ever before, for some, it feels like little progress has been made. Culture is most frequently blamed for Parliament’s problem. Many MPs and party officials have high-pressure jobs and work unsociable hours, in a workplace surrounded by alcohol. However, blaming the problem of
sexual misconduct on the old idea of the boys’ club does little to tackle the issue. It implicitly accepts it, even if it falls short of condoning it. Culture is hard to change as it encourages those within it to adopt certain behaviours and this work culture is unlikely to change any time soon. Most MPs and staffers who exist within this same environment do not sexually harass or assault others. Although this culture is likely why many have gotten away with sexual misconduct in the past, it is not the deciding factor in one individual choosing to behave in a certain way. Most believe that the real problem is power. Sexual misconduct thrives in areas with unequal power dynamics. Ministers, MPs, and staffers all hold power over others; over new, often young, often female, support staff. They exert their power in the act of sexual misconduct, and then the victim’s powerlessness allows them to get away with it. Reports from those within Parliament say they are scared to report their experiences or are actively discouraged not to. They don’t want to damage their careers or be labelled as liars. It would be bad press if ac-
cusations were to be made public, so instead they are quietly pushed aside, and those making complaints are sidelined. They are victims of both the action and of an environment that belittles them and their experiences.
Sexual misconduct thrives in areas with unequal power dynamics What can be done? Change doesn’t happen overnight, but that doesn’t mean that individual actions are irrelevant. Those working in Parliament must be active bystanders, calling out inappropriate behaviour and supporting victims. Those at the very top have a responsibility, too. Accusations must be investigated. Those facing allegations shouldn’t be given promotions or rewards whilst allegations are known. Openness, honesty, transparency. These are achievable goals, in theory. Unless such wide-scale changes are truly implemented, this damaging behaviour will keep eroding the most important institution in our democracy, with consequences that may undermine politics permanently.
UK protests for Palestine and calls for a ceasefire
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Hannah Woodley on the domestic response to the war in Gaza
SRAELI forces have gradually expanded ground operations into Gaza, with around 9,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis being killed during the conflict, whilst 1.4 million have been displaced in a war where the worst is yet to come. The reasons behind the current conflict are preceded by a complex political history. Specifically, in the 1900s, Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire, and had a majority Muslim population, with Jews and Christians also living in the region. However, a Jewish nationalist group, named the Zionist movement, aimed to create a Jewish state in Palestine, which was supported by the British Government in the 1917 Balfour declaration, resulting in waves of Jewish people moving into the region. This created tensions between the Muslim and Jewish population, which eventually erupted into violence. In response to this, the 1947 United Nation’s Partition Plan was created, aiming to establish peace by splitting Palestine into two regions: Jewish Israel and Arab Palestine. Although at first the land was split evenly, tensions continued to rise, until the first Israel-Palestine war broke out, and Israel occupied much of the land intended for Palestine in the partition plan. Eventually, this resulted in the creation of Hamas, a Palestinian group, labelled as a terrorist organisation by many powers such as the US and UK, who intended to take back Gaza and the West Bank. In 2007, Hamas took power in Gaza, proceeded by many years of violence between Israel and the group, until on 7th October
2023, Hamas deployed its largest attack to date on Israel, resulting in Israel declaring war on Hamas. Recently, hundreds of lawyers wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps, advising the government to support a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, suggesting that international humanitarian law has been broken on both sides, which states that civilians should not be targeted in conflict, and Israel are at risk of committing genocide on the Palestinian people.
Hundreds of lawyers wrote an open letter... advising the government to support a ceasefire The letter quotes a statement from Israel’s minister of defence, Yoav Gallant, stating that he has “released all restraints”, with a plan to “eliminate everything,” ensuring that “Gaza won’t return to what it was before.” Such statements are extremely alarming, and insinuate that Israel will act unlawfully during the conflict. Since 7th October, the UK Government have announced they will supply £30 million in aid to Palestinian territories, and currently don’t support a ceasefire, but instead support a pause in the war to allow aid to reach Palestinians trapped in Gaza. In an interview with Sophy Ridge on Sky News, Grant Shapps stated: “To call for a cease-
fire is to essentially say to Israel, having gone through that absolutely horrific terrorist attack just over two weeks ago, don’t go after Hamas — and I don’t think anyone thinks that would be right… and so we can understand and appreciate under international law that Israel has the absolute right to do that. We also believe that it needs to be done in a proportionate way with international human rights law in place and that is very clear.” The open letter also calls for the government to stop exporting weapons to Israel, with the possibility that they’re being used to break international humanitarian law. The UK currently supplies 15 per cent of the parts used to build Israel’s F35 stealth combat aircraft, a contract which is estimated to be worth £336 million since 2016, and an aircraft which is currently being used in the war. However, the Department of Business and Trade recently told openDemocracy that although the licences are “under continual review” they have “no immediate plans to stop arms export licences to Israel.” Such statements have sparked outrage among MPs and the general public. On 4th November, 500,000 protestors met in Trafalgar Square to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as marches taking place in Exeter as part of a National Day of Action. Another national march has been announced for Armistice Day, which has proved controversial timing, with Rishi Sunak labelling the protest as “disrespectful,” and Suella Braverman describing them as “hate marches.”
500,000 protesters met in Trafalgar square to call for a ceasefire Since 7th October, the UK has seen a 537 per cent increase in antisemitic incidents, with the Metropolitan Police warning of an increased terror threat in the UK. However, with no sign of an end to the conflict, the devastating impact of the war has only just begun. Image: Alisdare Hickson, Flickr
15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
9 FEATURES
In conversation: Just Stop Oil Benedict Thompson, Features Editor, speaks to Exeter’s Just Stop Oil protester, George Simonson, on the organisation’s use of tactics, Just Stop Oil’s agenda and the climate crisis
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UST Stop Oil have recently invited protests across universities in the UK to cause disruption. This follows the throwing of paint on the University of Exeter’s Forum Building by George Simonson, a Just Stop Oil protester. The threat to the planet from climate change and species extinction is one of the biggest challenges facing us today. But some people would view Just Stop Oil’s use of tactics as a mistake made by these protestors such as George Simonson. They seem to think that if you disrupt people’s everyday activities, people will become interested in the nuances of their case. But is this true? It seems to some that disruption stops people from engaging, not the reverse. Polling shows that just 16 per cent of people agree with the way in which Just Stop Oil protests. The climate crisis is urgent; we need to open conversations. Do Just Stop Oil’s tactics cause less of it? Benedict Thompson, Features Editor, sat down with Just Stop Oil’s protester, George Simonson, to discuss thier use of tactics. BT: Who exactly are you and why did you protest on 10th October? GS: I’m George, I am 23 and I studied mechanical engineering for my undergraduate degree. Throughout that process, I was really interested in recycling technologies, and that is how I felt like I was doing my bit, and I thought I was going to change the world, or whatever you want to call it. I felt like I had quite a lot of purpose. I then came out of university a bit over a year ago, and ultimately that’s when I realised if we had all the time in the world, it would be great to focus on ways to recycle wind turbines. But it is absolutely pointless while we are still extracting oil and gas. We are not going to get to the stage where we can see wind turbine waste being a problem because we are going to experience social collapse, because of fossil fuel extraction driving crop failure, famine and drought.I realised that the government is driving a genocide project.
I realised that the government is driving a genocide project
Image: Anabel Costa-Ferreira
Dyke. Ultimately, the University has not done anything. If they are not going to listen to their own scientists, why would they ever listen to me? It is time to stop trying to tell people and to start acting, exposing them for what they are to the rest of the student population. BT: Some people view the protests as disruptive and annoying to everyday life. Do you think your use of tactics could detract people away from Just Stop Oil’s core message? GS: If we were a political party, I would say it does matter, as we would have to focus on bringing people on our side and whether people like us. But we are not a political party, and we are here to force a change. We can only get in the media and attract attention of the government’s genocide and the University’s complicity if we act in outlandish ways. If this were normal times, this would not be a normal thing to do, and I would not be doing it. We have had 70 years of asking politely. We have had 70 years of being aware of the crisis and what is going on and nothing has happened. So ultimately this is where we are. We must step things up.
If this was normal times, this would not be a normal thing to do, and I wouldn’t be doing it
BT: But do you think that it is effective? Focusing on academia is pointless when I GS: Absolutely, there are a number of am not going to get to experience a long life and retire because I am going to watch mil- headline stats showing that all major political lions and millions of people starving to death. parties except for the Tories have started using So I realised we have to step up and do ex- no new oil and gas in their pledges. So I would traordinary things, because we are in extraor- say this is partly because of the work Just Stop dinary times. The University is complicit with Oil is doing in forcing this message to the front this government. It is not educating its stu- page. We have had the equivalent of £3.8 bildents on what is really going to happen. Ex- lion on spending and advertising on the amount of coverage we have received, so I would eter has one of the best science departments Image: Will Aczel in the world with loads of Intergovernmental say that it is pretty clear that we are getting Panel on Climate Change scientists, yet the the message out there and that it is effective. BT: Are you not worried that these university has accepted £14.8 million from Shell in the last year, giving these companies pledges will fall through in the future a social license. I cannot stand for it, so that’s as broken promises, as we have already why I threw some paint at the Forum Building. seen in Starmer’s Labour’s manifesto? BT: Did Just Stop Oil previously conGS: With these political parties, I do not tact the University about your concerns? necessarily trust that they will keep doing it, GS: No, because the top scientists in the that they will stick to these pledges. As we have world are at Exeter University, saying we can seen from the Tories, politicians aren’t very have no new oil and gas, people like James good at sticking to policies. But the fact that
they are being outspoken about stopping oil and gas and at least making pledges is a stepin progress. It shows that people agree that this is the right thing to do. We have got all the major scientists in the world on our side, this is what the UN is saying, this is what the International Energy Agency is saying. It is a no brainer basically to stop fossil fuels. BT: Would you ever consider protesting within politics, say for example campaigning for the Green Party, to open up these debates, which some people might say is more effective? GS: I would not say it is more effective. We have managed to generate huge attention towards the climate crisis. We live in an ecosystem where people are doing different things. We are doing civil resistance, we are forcing this to the front page, and ultimately it is working. It is getting people to talk about how 52 per cent of the UK population have a non-favourable stance on fossil fuels, and that is partly because of the work of civil resistance campaigns. This wave of university action has shown people that universities are absolutely complicit and are not acting on behalf of their students. And ultimately it is showing that young people are fed up, and young people are sick of their futures being trashed by the government. BT: Is recycling technologies part of the Just Stop Oil manifesto, or is that your own idea? GS: There is a whole sort of document about what we are demanding. We are not demanding a complete stop to fossil fuels right now today. In the UK we have roughly an eightyear reserve of oil and gas, so that is stuff which is already out of the ground or in wells that are already tapped. So we have got to use those in the next 8 years for a wartime like transition. As we have seen in World War II, when the government steps in and regulates the economy, massive changes can happen. I saw something the other day that in wartime Ukraine in the last couple of years, they have managed to overtake the UK in terms of their onshore wind capacity. So it is absolutely a question of political will in whether stopping oil and gas is achievable. And if this government was acting on behalf of young people and acting on behalf of people who are on the front lines of the climate
crisis, that are suffering right now, facing famine and drought, they would absolutely stop oil and gas. So it is time for people to step up, and it is time for people to get on the streets. That is why we are going to be marching on the week of the 12th November to demand that the government stops new oil and gas. BT: That brings me onto a question about students and those who watched your protest. Do you think the protest brought Exeter students on your side, because an impression some people have been talking about is that it was a form of entertainment? How do you respond to that? GS: That it was a form of entertainment? The way that I felt when I was up there, there were clearly some people who were giving me some quiet comments of appreciation, and they were genuinely not the loudest voices. The loudest voices were the people that, I don’t know. I guess they did view it as entertainment or whatever you are describing. The way I saw it was ultimately a social confrontation. The fact that I was sitting up there for several hours, showing people the lengths that we need to be willing to go, I think I showed people that this these are not normal circustances. These kinds of things do not happen on an everyday basis, so even if some people did find it entertaining, I think it absolutely did serve its function in terms of showing what we are doing and where we are at.
I don’t know. I guess they did view it as entertainment or whatever you are describing BT: What message do you want to get across to students? GS: I would say, if we want to have a future of hoping for a normal life, to get the things we want to do, to enjoy retirement. If we want that, we must fight for that and we must stop this government’s genocide project. We have to stop new oil and gas and that means we need to step up and enter civil resistance because the government are not going to do it on their own. As we have seen, this government, even fossil fuel companies, have been aware of the climate crisis for the last 70 years. Now is the time for us to step up and show that Just Stop Oil is the biggest show in town. So there are hundreds of students coming down to London on the 12th November to slow march to the point of arrest, and show this government, we will not go out quietly. BT: And do you have a message for the Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor at the University of Exeter? GS: I would say that university executives need to use their position. They have a serious position of power, and they can use that in a way to ensure that the future will look upon them favourably. That is, to step up and say to the government that they cannot keep doing what they are doing. You need to change your policies because if this University was acting to preserve the life of its students, then it would be entering into civil resistance to show how the government is absolutely opposed to the lives of young people in this country.
15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
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International
Venezuela: A country in catastrophe Marius Tkocz shares the forgotten story of the world’s largest refugee crisis
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HE planet we live on is filled with great achievements of mankind but also plagued with many challenges, crises and conflicts. At a sociao-political level, one common theme is the rivalry between the west and east. A closer view reveals that is the differences between open and closed societies. In the more general description of the west-east dichotomy, let us not forget that there are also closed societies in the western hemisphere, like Cuba and Venezuela. The latter had once been the richest country of South America, a country to which many Europeans immigrated in the hopes of a better life. This was decades ago. Nowadays, Venezuela has experienced the largest migration crisis ever recorded in the western hemisphere and, according to the UN, in bigger numbers than that of registered refugees from Syria and Ukraine, with the difference that not a single bomb has hit Venezuelan territory. Considering that Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world some might wonder what happened? After the late former president Hugo Chavez came to power in the late 1990s, he started transforming the economic model and the constitution into the so-called “Socialism of the 21st century.” Years of high oil prices disguised the mismanagement, corruption and inherent problems of this model until the world financial crisis of 2008 caused oil prices to collapse. In the coming years Venezuela’s burden of debt increased and revenues declined. The government became more and more authoritarian, suppressing the opposition and private media. Socialism eventually dropped the mask. People were jailed without trials, extrajudicial killings happened, street protests were brutally knocked down. Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis is unprecedented in the western hemisphere. For many years, Venezuela has had the highest inflation rate in the world and set further negative records that come along with a failed state. A crisis that turned into a permanent condition. Some say it has beImage: Flickr Gallery, National Police of Colombia
come the second, larger Cuba. Regarding Venezuela’s foreign policy, further parallels with Cuba are becoming clear. Venezuela is a perfect example of the above-described west-east dichotomy. On the one hand, the United States have imposed sanctions and on the other side China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, and Turkey maintain close ties with the socialist dictatorship. The broader international community has forgotten about this country, which is devastating as Venezuela’s crisis has far reaching implications. The crisis affects many (especially the poor), it has overwhelmed neighbouring countries and reinforced right-wing populism in the United States. As the US sanctions have exacerbated the situation, voices in the US became louder, demanding a lifting of said sanctions. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez recently expressed that the sanctions are “contributing to the destabilisation that drives migration.” A risky topic especially for the Democrats who lost Florida to the Republicans in the 2016 presidential election, after Obama travelled to Cuba to shake Cuba’s former dictator Raúl Castro’s hand. With Mexico calling for a solution, the US can no longer neglect the situation. Due to the ban of Russian oil and gas following on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the United States are looking for alternatives to mitigate the strained supply. Recent negotiations in Barbados led by Norway have resulted in a deal. The United States will lift sanctions on Venezuelan oil and gas for the next six months. Sanctions on secondary trading of the country’s government bonds, as well as of the public oil conglomerate, PDVSA, will also be lifted. In exchange, Venezuela promised to release politically jailed people, and to guarantee free elections next year, allowing international observers to monitor the elections. However, it seems that the opposition’s most promising candidate, Maria Corina Machado, is not allowed to participate. She had been banned earlier this year for the next 15 years.
INTERNATIONAL EDITOR: Josie Sharp
Face carvings found
Michelle Chung details the newest archeological discovery in the Amazon Rainforest
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ARVINGS of human faces have been revealed on the newly exposed riverbanks at Ponto das Lajes (Place of Slabs), an archaeological site in Brazil’s city of Manaus, in the north-western Amazon. This is a result of the region’s current historic drought which has led to a new record low in water levels. In an interview with the BBC, Jaime de Santana Oliveira, reported that the suspected prehistoric engravings cannot be dated exactly but “This region is a pre-colonial site which has evidence of occupation dating back some 1000 to 2000 years.” This would mean that these carvings are by inhabitants that are from Pre-Columbian times. Whilst
various carvings were first seen during The water levels of Rio Negro, one a previous drought in 2010 (where the of the world’s largest rivers, fell to the lowest point in 120 years. water levels dropped to 13 meScientists explained that tres), the current weather the drought is being has led to the unveiling caused by a combinaof more rock carvtion of the ‘ElNiño’ ings. These new weather event discoveries have and exacerbated enabled archaeoloclimate change. gists to gain a betThe intense ter understanding drought season will of origins of other increase the likeliprevious discoverhood of forest fires, ies within the area. Image: CIFOR, Neil Palmer Photography, Flickr the outbreak of diseases As beautiful as these like malaria and cause a sharp engravings are, the extreme reduction in the supply of food, drought which brought them to revelation is cause for great concern. fuel, and basic goods to the Amazon.
Israel-Hamas War
Josie Sharp, International Editor, discusses the conflict in Gaza and the history of the Palestine territory
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HE 7th October saw a mass Palestine as a “national home” for assault on the Gaza Strip by the Jewish communities, which re‘Hamas’ a Palestinian militant sulted in the Balfour Declaration of group that has ruled the Gaza Strip 1917. However, the Arabic population since 2007. These attacks have caused in Palestine rejected this agreement 1400 deaths and 240 hostages to be and claimed the land as their own. taken back. Since then, the Israel Dethe Arabic populafense Forces (IDF) has acted with the tion in Palestine reaim to destroy their military and cajected this agreement pacity to govern. These airstrikes have killed 8700 people thus far and have and claimed the land also brought tanks and troops in for From the 1920s tensions between additional ground support. On Tuesday the 31st the IDF bombed the Ja- the Jewish and Arabic communities balia Refugee Camp in Northern Gaza rose, as well as with Britain as their which killed just over 100 people. ’conqueror’, despite having a Mandate The violence that we have seen that allowed them to self-govern. The so far seems to have no end in sight violence escalated and Britain officialas the Israeli Defense Forces have ly withdrew from Palestine in 1948. called in 300,000 reserve fighters, to On this same day, the Jewish populaadd to their 160,000 soldiers already tion created the State of Israel which in action and since the initial attack caused five Arabic countries to invade 330 IDF members have died. Military the very next day. Eventually there was a ceasefire, but no peace service is compulsory in Isagreement negotiated, rael is for all of its Jewish Image: Montecruz Foto hence why the concitizens and reserve troversy over its terservice could last up ritories continues. to 50 years of age. The World But what is the Health Organisahistory to these tion (WHO) has controversial terforewarned a pubritories? Palestine lic health disaster was claimed by the due to shortages in British after the fall medical supplies and of the Ottoman Emfuel. Doctors Without pire around the time Borders have volunteered of World War I and was during these attacks and have said inhabited by Jewish and Arabic minorities. As the years went on there that 25,000 people are injured or in became pressure from many countries hospitals that are barely functioning. Furthermore, around 1.4 milfor the United Kingdom to establish
lion people have been forced out of Gaza for their safety, migrating to the southern city “Khan Younis.” These vital supplies are not reaching Gaza as the only entry point is through the Egyptian Rafah Border Crossing, where only a minute number of lorries make it through each day. Fuel shipments have also been halted which is required to keep hospitals and water treatment plants functioning.
the WHO has forewarned a public health disaster due to shortages At the time of writing, Hamas has a total of 242 hostages including at least ten people over the ages of 60, 20 children, and others that remain in poor health. The hostages’ purpose is to convince Israel to free the 5100 Palestinian citizens that were being held in Israel at the time of the first assault. So far, four hostages have been released and more are hoped to follow after negotiations with Egyptian and Qatari officials. Image: rawpixel.com
Comment
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COMMENT EDITORS Lisette Reed and Charlotte Zeyssolff
Civil disobedience hotbed
Amy Brown discusses the importance of student engagement in politics within the University itself
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TUDENT protests have a long history in Britain, from the fight against imperialism to pushing back against tuition fees, student protests have been and remain a tool for combating injustice within British society, and internationally. In the month of October, the University of Exeter has seen a rise in political action from students as a result of issues affecting many of our student population. There have been discussions regarding whether universities are the right space to conduct, express and make calls for change on pressing issues. However, student protests should be and must be encouraged. Historically, universities have been hubs for political action and essential tools for bringing social injustices to light. After the 7th of October Hamas attacks on Israel, and the brutal retaliation, social media, traditional news media, and classrooms have been filled with discussions over the human rights catastrophes taking place in Palestine and Israel. The loss of life on both sides simply cannot be undermined by the media in the
West. There is a responsibility from our position to advocate for those facing oppression and dealing with the results of war. The ongoing war has sparked renewed frustrations and calls for a ceasefire to protect the lives of innocent civilians. Universities are absolutely the place for student protests and universities, including our own, should encourage this essential part of democracy. Universities have a responsibility to encourage its students to speak up for injustices, protecting free speech whilst also balancing the need for protection against hate speech.
Protecting free speech whilst balancing the need for protection against hate speech The Community Security Trust recorded at least 805 counts of antisemitism from October 7th-27th and Tell Mama recorded 291 incidents of Islamophobia from October 7th19th. Universities must protect their students from harmful narratives by ensuring student protests do
not lead to unlawful discrimination. Speaking up for injustice in the form of protest is essential to democratic systems. During the 1960s and 70s, universities were hubs of political calls for change and social justice. For students, there must be a blurring of the dichotomy between ‘student’ issues and ‘non-student’ issues. As for universities, there should be an awareness that with the use of social and digital media, news and social issues spread very quickly. This means that these social issues are at the attention of our students 24/7, and therefore, will be affected by them and protesting is a form of exposing injustice and actively participating in change. Protesting is under threat from the violence of police, it should not be under threat from university institutions. With the recent Just Stop Oil protest at the University of Exeter, civil disobedience, and more specifically, student civil disobedience has taken on a new form of disruption. It is unsurprising that the movement and protesting tactics of the Just Stop Oil campaign are split, but
there is an understanding that these tactics can create an atmosphere of action and change for the cause. The increase in pushback as a result of the Public Order Act passed through government in April 2023 introduces more “draconian powers” as stated by Amnesty International, to restrict people’s fundamental rights to protest. This bill’s restrictions on protests and stop and search powers is authoritarian for a democratic
country. This has raised concerns over the policing of protests and who this will marginalise. The right to protest must be protected by universities to ensure that its student population remains on the right side of history, speaking up for themselves and those that cannot fully exercise their rights. Demanding accountability, exposing injustice, and striving for positive change is what universities should be proud to represent.
Image: Lisette Reed
Problematic halloween costumes
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Jake Avery, Music Editor, examines the potential Halloween costumes have to offend and harm
ALLOWEEN is the perfect time to experiment with fashion, have a laugh, and pay homage to your favourite pop culture characters and icons. It’s also an occasion teeming with edge, offering an opportunity to serve up some frightening horror movie aesthetics and terrifying monster
Image:pxhere
mashups — attempting to pull off a risqué outfit that will make onlookers gasp is always a part of the fun of the season. It’s often the case, however, that the lines are blurred in public opinion when costumes take an arguably sour turn. Each year there are at least a handful of offensive, distasteful, and even borderline disturbing
costume choices that seep out of the woodwork, usually hailing from the ignorance of their wearer, or a blatant desire to provoke controversy. One area that has been blacklisted from the occasion is the mimicry of figures who have caused tragedy and suffering in reality. Halloween of 2022 saw an abundance of Jeffrey Dahmer costumes inspired by the massively popular Netflix series, a trend that exemplifies the dangerous romanticisation of criminals that many film and TV productions love to indulge in. Replicating the looks of the remorseless beasts that have caused real-life tragedy and suffering is worlds away from imitating the aesthetic of fictional murderers such as the likes of Hannibal Lecter or Jason Vorhees. It’s always important to respect
the friends and families of the victims, and the recent trend of murderer-inspired costumes is one that evidently crosses a definitive line. The other categorisation that undeniably plummets to the bottom of depravity is the mockery of other traumatic topics — such as that of domestic abuse.
Plummets to the bottom of depravity is the mockery of other traumatic topics Schitt’s Creek actress Emily Hampshire recently received backlash for dressing as John Depp in the attire he wore to his infamous court appearances the summer before last, whilst her friend imitated the looks of Amber Heard, a choice that she quickly apologised for.
However, the issue isn’t always as clear cut. Religious mockery is an area that has always been contentious, albeit a difficult theme to avoid given how ubiquitous religious iconography is in horror movies and wider media. Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly faced the brunt of public outcry after they fetishised religious outfits for Halloween last year, despite wearing costumes that were generic, and not targeted towards any real religious figure. A definitive line can be drawn when established figures are mocked, however, such as when Heidi Klum dressed as the Hindu deity Kali in 2008. If there’s one rule to be observed, it’s that reallife criminals and famous religious figures will always remain a sensitive costume theme for Halloween.
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15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
COMMENT
“Logo or no-go?” Comment writers discuss the consequences of Exeter’s new university crest for AU sportswear
New logo — a necessary change?
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HOUGH the choice to create a new uniform, featuring the latest turquoise logo of the University, has brought up a range of concerns, its creation will ultimately enable AU sport societies to represent the University’s new image and the values which come with that. Since the creation of the new logo, the University has implemented a range of new principles aiming to promote ideas such as the importance of mental health and unity within the University. Consequently, this new logo represents those values which were not emphasised in the previous logo. Why would the University want their sports teams to still be affiliated with old, outdated values?
Why would the university want their sports teams to still be affiliated with old, outdated values? As well as the new logo enabling the University’s sports teams and societies to be associated with their new visual identity, a new logo enables first year students to imme-
diately feel part of their team: first year students are able to wear the same uniforms as their older peers. A new logo included in a first year’s initial uniform, matching those of other team players, welcomes them into the team, giving them a common ground before they’ve settled in and ensuring that the process of making friends and bonding as a team is easier and smoother. Uniforms create tighter-knit groups and cohesive teams of people who enjoy playing with one another. First year students who are immediately introduced into a society with a team dynamic are therefore bound to feel more welcome if they can at least match uniforms with their teammates.
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New logo — an unnecessary expense?
HE decision to rebrand the University to a turquoise crest has stirred up problems. Some issues arise regarding accessibility: the AU declared that the new logo must appear on all AU sport societies’ stash if they play for BUCS, meaning that any student competing at interuniversity level must purchase a completely new set of stash and sporting uniform to represent the university appropriately and reflect this change. This brings forth issues of affordability, as not everyone will be able to accommodate this additional expense. Some students might feel excluded as a result of this rebranding scheme, particularly as this comes at a time when the UK is facing a cost-of-living crisis. It is also important to consider old stash. What happens to the sports uniforms now that they cannot be worn for competitions? They will most likely be in perfect condition and of good quality, which signifies a slight misjudgment in
Image: Exeposé
Lisette Reed, Comment Editor
the University’s rebranding process.
What happens to the sports uniforms now that they cammot be worn for competitions? The marketing team suggest that the rebrand should include a slow phasing out of everything to bring in the new branding and logo, and that they will replace things when they come to their natural end, so as to prevent waste, reflecting the University’s commitment to sustainability. This has been observed in the signage around campus and was intended to translate over to sports kit too. But the AU are pushing for uniformity for students competing at a national level, which increases concerns around sustainability.
Eloise Granger
Image: University of Exeter Mammoth 2022
An encounter with jury service
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Harry Craig, Deputy Editor, relates his experience of being called to jury service
N July 2022, that dreaded envelope with “Jury Summons” in bright pink font came through my letterbox. After being forced to defer due to my studies, I was summoned to serve for two weeks on a jury over summer this year. Initially, I felt conflicted about going on jury service. Practically, it was a bit of a pain — losing two weeks out of my summer to sit in a stuffy room that seemingly hadn’t been renovated
since the 1990s, with a completely random set of people (although this was softened a bit when I discovered they would pay for lost income). As someone who loves a bit of gossip, it was also my worst nightmare to realise I couldn’t discuss anything that happened within those four walls with friends and family! Nonetheless, as I nervously trekked up to Reading Crown Court on the Monday morning, I was excited to see what the experience would be like. I was warned it could be boring whilst waiting to be summoned to serve on a particular case — and so it proved. After being shown an introductory video on a television that could only
Image: MiriamBB1, Wikimedia Commons
transmit in green, I managed to write three Exeposé articles whilst waiting.
I was warned it could be boring whilst waiting to be summoned Once I got called up on a case, however, the butterflies started. Sitting in court and hearing endless evidence and legal directives from the judge could get slightly tedious at times, but I was also instilled with a sense of civic duty, knowing that the decisions we collectively made would dictate people’s futures. Although many people believe we should move away from a jury system to one in which cases are determined by legal experts, I came away from my time serving on a jury with an understanding of why being judged by a randomly selected cross-section of the public is such an important tenet of our justice system. The other significant takeaway from
my jury service, however, was the dire state of this country’s justice system. The facilities for jurors were abysmal — the catering facilities, which in the noughties would include a full cafeteria, were now restricted to a broken vending machine, and a tea and coffee machine that appeared not to have been cleaned since pre-Covid. Moreover, when you’re sitting on a jury, you begin to realise why there is such a backlog in the legal system in the UK — with most cases only being heard for a handful of hours each day, particularly with all the ceremonial procedures. The British justice system is crying out for reform to bring it in to the 21st century.
The British justice system is crying out for reform Nonetheless, I found jury service a particularly enlightening experience. In spite of the tedium as I waited to be
summoned to a case, it was an insight into the inner workings of the justice system. I was possibly the youngest juror there (having been summoned just six months after I was first eligible) but came away feeling that my perspective on life and justice was just as important as someone triple my age. Moreover, after nominating myself as foreperson, I could see how, even in this polarised society, a cross-section of the British public could have a civil debate and disagree with one another in determining matters of judicial importance, and then have a cup of tea and make small talk with each other during lunch breaks. Most people will understandably panic if they receive a jury summons letter in the post. However, I would encourage anyone who is called to serve to treat it as a valuable life experience and an important civic duty that facilitates this country’s democratic values of judicial independence, impartiality and integrity — even if that system is in need of reform.
15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
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Satire The Ballad of Beige Chinos and Tight Blue Shirts
SATIRE EDITOR:
Livvy Mason-Myhill
Five steps of BNOC Image: Brunel University, Flickr
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LLEZ! ALLEZ! ALLEZ! They bellow around the stadium, Bleeding green all the way, Egos bulging out their craniums, At the game they’re all in legion, Buff, loud, and insecure, Hotter than a dollop of Dijon, Lover of everything man, except a man-icure, Just like flamboyant peacocks, They love to be the talk of the town, But when it comes to their pea-cocks, Everyone seems to frown, They’re the chaps of Victoria Avenue, Springfield and Penny C, The skinny trouser tight blue shirt crew, They let it all hang free, Whether it be in nappies, Chinos, or Eton sports shorts, The confidence never wavers, Out on the lash with glasses of port, And high on coke of all flavours, But once the tap runs dry (yes that’s a metaphor for daddy’s money) A tear appears in their eye, And another line doesn’t seem quite as funny. Joshua Smith, Deputy Editor Image: Harry Craig
Harry Craig Deputy Editor
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F you are reading this article, the likelihood is that you are not a BNOC, because a BNOC would have more important things to do than reading the student newspaper. Unsurprisingly there isn’t a lot of BNOC-student media crossover, in spite of what one Deputy Editor thought after they got a bit too confident when the Guild commented on their LinkedIn… Therefore, you are probably wondering how one actually attains this mythical status. For those not in the know, BNOC stands for Big Name On Cam-
pus — someone who everyone somehow knows at university. After countless hours of observation through the fishbowl windows of our office, Exeposé are pleased to provide the foolproof, fivestep guide to becoming a BNOC. 1. At a university where a third of students are private educated, no one is going to become a BNOC by being a left-winger. And at Exeter, anything to the left of Margaret Thatcher is basically communism — so prepare your most bigoted opinions, and watch plenty of Andrew Tate and Enoch Powell. 2. BNOCs aren’t going to be seen holidaying in Bognor Regis or Blackpool — or at this point, even Barcelona. Your sum-
mer holidays must consist of a long-haul flight of at least eight hours. Bonus points if, whilst on holiday, you can score some classic white saviour images with poor children, before going back to sipping cocktails at your five-star resort. 3. The best way to become known is through a sports society, and preferably a Tory one like rifle shooting or horse riding. Don’t go too niche, however, because there’s no greater ick than telling someone at TP that you do modern pentathlon. 4. Speaking of the Piece, BNOCs will spend the majority of their time in Timepiece, and any time not spent there is spent trying to obtain TP tickets on Overheard. Never, EVER, be seen to set foot
in Unit 1, or you will be relegated from BNOC to bottom-feeder. 5. Unfortunately, to be a BNOC, you do theoretically have to occasionally be “on campus”. Degree choice is a fine balance, as you can’t spend time studying that you could spend building up your social profile, but you also can’t do a Mickey Mouse degree. And don’t even think of going to Penryn, because the invention of the internet hasn’t yet reached Cornwall, so your chances of becoming a BNOC there are nil. If you are a BNOC and believe we have missed any crucial aspects of your lifestyle, please do not hesitate to contact us. And if you could get me a ticket to TP Wednesday, that would be great too.
A day in the life of the quintessential male Exet-ah student Charlie Gershinson Deputy Editor
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1:00 — Montgomery Leander-Keppel Jr. (MLK to his friends) arises after a long session at Timepiece sucking down the venoms, courtesy of his father’s daily expenses from the House of Lords as a hereditary peer. 13:00 — Monty and his old Eton friend Horace meet outside their accommodation of Hol-
land Hall to let in the cleaner and go to their regular current affairs discussion group as part of Fr(illegible) Society. Today’s topic is on transgender healthcare and the room concludes that society’s priority must be to respect women and their rights. The group later gather to talk about their latest female conquests at The Farmer’s Union. 16:00 — After seeing his bank account is dipping below five figures, Monty desperately
starts thinking for cost-saving measures — lest he dip back into his trust fund. Stress building, he concludes that he should settle for a middle-of-the-range champagne from Waitrose for pres rather than his classic Moët.
Monty desperately starts thinking for costsaving measures 20:00 — En route to Old Timers, after a gay old time at
pres, Monty’s finishing his champagne (from a less than reputable vineyard). As he passes some rough sleepers on Sidwell Street, he considers giving the rest to them. He thinks better of it. Monty enters the back room of the bar and sees his group of boarding school chums in the back room. He locks the door behind him. What happens next is best left to the imagination.
LIFESTYLE
TECH
ARTS + LIT
MUSIC
STUDY BREAK
SCREEN
Image: Movember Foundation, Wikimedia Commons
MOVEMBER’S INSPIRING MALE ROLE MODELS
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Image: Wikimedia Commons
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: PATTERSON JOSEPH
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Image: Martin Kraft, Wikipedia
WES ANDERSON: THE NEW DAHL STORYTELLER
30 Image: Flickr
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THE BEATLES ‘COME TOGETHER’ FOR ONE LAST TIME
Image: Nick Youngson, Picapedia
US STATES SUE META OVER MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
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STUDY BREAK
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Image: The Blue Diamond Gallery
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LIFESTYLE EDITORS Lucy Rawlings Amberly Wright
ARTS + LIT EDITORS Maddie Conlan Lauren Walsh
MUSIC EDITORS Jake Avery Scarlett Cracknell
SCREEN EDITORS Annabelle Law Madison Sohngen
TECH EDITORS Anabel Costa-Ferreira Ewan Gregory
STUDY BREAK Puzzles by Matthew and Livvy
lifestyle World Kindness Week Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Editor-in-Chief, enlightens us on the importance of being kind
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HILE Kindness Day is celebrated nationally on the 13th of November, the entirety of this week is in fact marked as ‘World Kindness Week’. Back in 1998, this day was launched by the World Kindness Movement whose aim remains to “inspire individuals and connect nations to a kinder world.” The first recorded action of this movement was in Tokyo in 1997 as individuals gathered for a conference. Notably the week is marked as independent from any political, religious, or cultural group. During this time, individuals are encouraged to complete small acts of kindness wherever possible. In previous years a few examples of acts of kindness shown included handing out 10,000 free chocolate bars at London train stations, an ‘enormous Kindness Hug on Bondi Beach’, as well as a text wave across the UK.
INDIVIDUALS ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS WHEREVER POSSIBLE
Amid the deadline season, acts of kindness portance of the basics, from saying please and and looking after oneself are more important thank you to acknowledging the good work than ever. While everyone’s ‘love language’ dif- and efforts of others. So as a short diversion fers, here are some ideas that won’t break the here, I’d like to take a moment to thank all the writers that contribute to make Exbank. As the days get progressively eposé the success it is today. colder and darkness seems As at university, the to fall even whilst we are majority of us have still in class, many of us moved far from enjoy the comfort of wherever home staying in our own may be, we are at homes. Offering to a distance from make someone a loved ones. simple tea or cofWhether this is fee after a long a train or plane day on campus ride away, disis both a simple tance is tricky and thoughtful to navigate in act (and whilst I relationships do the same — I’ll and showing you admit, my housemate care takes on differChloé does make a betent forms. If this is simter cup of tea than I can)! Image: Choo Yut Shing, Flickr ply sharing something that Another way of demonreminds you of them or recomstrating kindness is through speech. Yes, this may sound painfully obvious but in mending that show you spent last week binge our ever busy life, we must remember the im- watching — communication is vital. An act of
Reading Week diaries Harry Craig, Deputy Editor, tells us how he spent his Reading Week
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T would not be befitting of a Deputy Editor who thrives off stress and being busy, to simply use Reading Week as a relaxing oasis in the pressure cooker of third year. Instead, I decided to pack it full and make my Reading Week busier than a standard week at university. Aside from, as the name suggests, using Reading Week to do some reading for my degree, I was lucky enough to be offered a week of work experience at my local newspaper, the Newbury Weekly News. Although my focus is currently very much on my degree and particularly my dissertation, third year inevitably means thinking ahead to what comes next. For me, this work experience opportunity meant I could use Reading Week to explore journalism as a future career path, and motivated me to even begin applying for graduate schemes. It also revealed the rather eccentric mix that local journalism can be. Across the course of the week, I found myself deep in archives dating back to the 19th century, interviewing local café owners, ringing round parish churches, and even attending the launch of my town’s Monopoly board! Although trying to juggle work experience and a degree was a struggle, I was
also aware of the necessity to use Reading Week to relax and enjoy myself. On the first weekend before I returned home for the week, I attended a Candlelight concert in Exeter, with an orchestra playing classical arrangements of Coldplay songs including ‘Viva La Vida’ and ‘Speed of Sound’. Following a “Halloweek” of activities consisting of perhaps a few too many late nights and rum and cokes, my body and mind certainly appreciated this wholesome evening.
I WAS ALSO AWARE OF THE NECESSITY TO USE READING WEEK TO RELAX AND ENJOY MYSELF Once home, too, it was important I incorporated some time to see old friends. Once I had got my coursework deadline out of the way, I met up with some of my school friends for a meal and at the local pub — a fixture of my trips home from university for the past three years, and certainly a tradition I wasn’t going to change in final year! I’m not sure if my Reading Week necessarily provided the break and relaxation it is intended to, but I certainly made the most of it!
kindness I particularly enjoy whilst at university is sending letters. These days everything is so online-focused; many of us rarely receive mail unless it’s something relatively mundane, which is why this idea will also likely surprise someone who you’d otherwise just text.
THESE DAYS EVERYTHING IS SO ONLINE-FOCUSED; MANY OF US RARELY RECEIVE MAIL UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING Showing kindness, even through the simplest act, does not only have the potential to bring a smile to someone’s face, but scientifically benefits yourself. Though at first the line may sound cringeworthy, there is proof behind the notion that being kind to others improves our own happiness and state of well-being. Scientifically, acts of kindness raise neural levels of both serotonin and dopamine (these are neurotransmitters linked heavily to reward centres in the brain). To nurture both physical and psychological wellbeing, acts of kindness are invaluable.
The magic of matcha
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Lucy Rawlings, Lifestyle Editor, discusses whether the rise of atcha is the end of 'normal' coffee
BECAME a devoted matcha latte consumer nearly two years ago, which began when queuing in Starbucks to order my usual coffee to fuel a study-packed day when I saw a customer walk out with an unusual green drink. I looked up at the menu, defined the peculiar drink as a matcha latte, and I decided to act on my inquisitiveness and try one for myself. It has been my Starbucks order ever since. It is a challenge to describe the unique taste of matcha, but its green tea extracts ground the drink in spiritual wellness. After being caught in a negative cycle with coffee from my A-Level days, I noticed a significant contrast in my energy levels after converting to the green side of lattes. When I used to drink normal coffee, it would generate a short spike of motivation which soon catalysed a lethargic, irritable mind. However, I have not endured this descent of energy since drinking matcha. The slow-releasing goodness of matcha is found in the very magic of its Japanese origins: green tencha tea leaves, which contain healthy antioxidants to decrease stress naturally. The debate between matcha and coffee has grown massively over the last couple of years, with more coffee drinkers leaning towards the greener alternative. Despite matcha still containing levels of caffeine, they are lower than the usual amount in a cup of coffee. Standard coffee is described in a ‘Tea Makers of London’
article as making “your adrenaline spike, plus it can affect your glucose and insulin levels, so you could be left shaky and hungry”, however, they glorify matcha as “a much cleaner caffeine high”. The beauty of matcha is that due to its regulation of the body’s energy, you will not be burdened with any withdrawal symptoms that you may suffer with an ordinary coffee. Rather than viewing coffee as a necessity to survive a working day, we can see matcha as a nourishing, holistic drink which will naturally boost our productivity. Next time you are queuing at a coffee shop, perhaps during a hectic day at university, be inquisitive, and try a matcha latte. Your energy levels will be thankful.
Image: cyclonebill, Flickr
exhibit | lifestyle
EDITORS: Lucy Rawlings and Amberly Wright
15 NOV 2023 | 16
Black Friday: sustainable edition
Amberly Wright, Lifestyle Editor, discusses how to reduce your carbon footprint as the Christmas sales begin
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ITH Black Friday approaching, it is important not to get too caught up in the excitement of the deals, and it is instead worth taking the time to think about the ethics behind the day. Black Friday is an event, usually lasting a few days, followed by Cyber Monday, where companies and brands can get rid of stock from the past year to make room for new stock prior to Christmas and the new year. Items are often at a discounted price to make them more appealing to customers, especially with Christmas gifts for friends and family in mind. Though it can be a good way of snapping up deals, it can often lead to over-consumption due to consumerism. To avoid this, one must consider whether they would buy the item at the original price, or whether its low cost is more appealing than the item itself. The event of Black Friday also hints to consumerism, as old stock leftover can often mean that an item has been mass-produced, which is common with fast fashion clothing brands. Fast fashion occurs when a micro-trend is seen on social media, leading to a quick growth of interest, but this decreases again in a matter of weeks or months, as a new trend comes in, therefore the item ends up in landfill.
On the other hand, for many of us, Black Friday allows us to have luxuries that would otherwise be considered too expensive. The cost-of-living crisis affects many of us in different ways and the Black Friday sale may allow some to have a branded item or to treat themselves to a piece of technology they’ve had their eye on, without hurting their bank accounts too much. This, in a fairly judgemental world, may allow people to fit in more and take the pressure off having to conform to the expectations of society by wearing certain brands, even during these troubling times.
ONE MUST CONSIDER WHETHER THEY WOULD BUY THE ITEM AT THE ORIGINAL PRICE, OR WHETHER ITS LOW COST IS MORE APPEALING With all of this being considered, this Black Friday, I ask you to consider whether you need to shop in the sales. A good way to treat yourself this Black Friday, whilst saving money and helping the environment, can be shopping in charity and second-hand shops. Sidwell Street has a handful of wonderful
charity shops, with many options for animal lovers to visit a shop dedicated to helping animals — the Little Valley Animal Shelter shop being my favourite! I have bought some of my favourite books and cosy winter jumpers in charity shops, and the majority of my jewellery and clothes comes from independent shops in and around Exeter, and at home in Norwich; I particularly love Firefly in Totnes, for a bohemian feel. Etsy, Depop, and Vinted also offer options to shop second-hand brands, vintage clothes or from independent businesses, to give items a new life and support others who may be struggling with money. Even eBay is worth a look. This is a great alternative to shopping online for new things, as clothes will have a pre-loved feel and sellers often provide personalised messages and recyclable packaging, compared to plastic and excessive packaging (I am sure we have all received an Amazon package three times the size of the item we ordered). I try my best to shop second-hand where I can, to decrease my carbon footprint and help the earth, as well as donating to local charities to help others in need. The sales may be tempting and can occasionally be a good way to find an oth-
Remembrance Sunday story Lucy Rawlings, Lifestyle Editor, reflects on why Remembrance Sunday is a time to honour bravery
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HE 11th November is a poignant and hugely significant occasion. It is a day rooted in reflection, respect, and now more than ever, hope that one day war will no longer remain in our present times, but only as a past devastation. Yet, Remembrance Sunday reminds the world about stories of courage, friendship, and sacrifice. I recently discovered a story about my dad’s great uncle, Harold William Addis, which encapsulates the bravery of a 21-year-old man who gave everything he could in order to protect our country during the Second World War. As a flight sergeant, Harold belonged to the 1409 (Meteorological) Flight which was created on 1st April 1943, with the purpose of gaining meteorological information for RAF Bomber Command. Through his role, Harold undertook long-range meteorological reconnaissance flights over enemy lines across Europe — a hugely dangerous task. Harold’s primary responsibility was to determine the weather conditions over the enemy targets before action took place. His role was crucial in ensuring a safe take-off, flight and landing of any operational aircraft, which included the Lancaster Bombers. Tragically, as with many young men, Harold was not able to withstand the harshness and brutality of war. On the 3rd December 1943, Harold took off from RAF Oakington with the planned duty of examining the weather conditions across Germany. The weather worsened
as he flew over France, and he had to return back to base. Yet, heavy fog thickened his view as he attempted to fly over the English Channel and into southern England. He did all he could to land his plane whilst engulfed with fog. Sadly, his plane crashed and caught fire south of Exeter’s airfield. He and his co-pilot died with their entire lives ahead of them. Harold Addis’ resilience and dedication to his country epitomises just how important it is to remember all those who risked their lives to protect us; their future. Harold is buried at St John's Churchyard in Cinderford, and it will be his 80th anniversary this year. Our family will be remembering him. Image: Tony Oldroyd, Flickr
erwise expensive item at a low cost, but be careful not to fall into the trap of consumerism. Instead, shop slow and shop small. Image: MallSecrets.co.uk, Flickr
Baking as a student
Lauren Walsh, Arts + Lit Editor, shares her hobby baking at university
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AVING spent my first year at Exeter in couple of missing ingredients. Plus, you get to catered accommodation, now that eat the sweet treats as soon as they’re ready! I am in my second year and have a It also endears you to your housemates, behouse and, more importantly, a kitchen of cause who doesn’t like having a near-constant my own, I’ve been able to get back into supply of cake in the house? I peran old hobby of mine: baking. sonally also enjoy cranking I first started baking while up the music and having Image: Food Thinkers, Flickr at school, amid dreams of a one-woman dance applying for the next party in the kitchseries of Junior Bake en, as I eat as Off (these dreams many chocolate never did matechips during rialise) and the the process COVID lockof making downs only cookiedough provided me as I actually with more free put into the time to work cookies on this hobby. (who measUnfor tunately, ures out my baking pestuff like that tered out last anyway?). year, as I was sufMy go-to fering from a lack recipes include ofImage: an rawpixels.com oven — often chocolate chip Image: Jason Howie. Flickr a crucial element in cookies if you’re lookthe baking process — but ing for something quick, I’ve got back into it this year. or my mum's chocolate cake While it is true that this hobby recipe, which she, in turn, stole stems more from a love of eating baked goods from a friend when she was at university! as it does the actual baking, I’ve found that it I may not be going on the Great British Bake does provide a good escape from studying, Off anytime soon, but baking is a hobby that’s and an added bonus is that it doesn’t involve provided me with a great way to relax away leaving the house either, apart from maybe from my studies, and many, many tasty snacks. a quick trip to the corner shop to pick up a
exeposé
750th edition
750th SPECIAL EDITION
Images: Exeposé archives, rawpixel
18 750TH SPECIAL EDITION
15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
exeposing our history
1988 — The first ever Exeposé (on record!) Although Exeposé began in 1987, the first edition we have on record is from October 1988.
1995 — Royal visit
As part of the University’s 40th anniversary celebrations, Exeposé covered the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh.
2013 — 25 years of Exeposé
A decade ago, Exeposé were celebrating another monumentous anniversary!
1995 — Sylvester ‘Snowy’ Snowball
1993 — Rent protests
Exeter is no stranger to on-campus protests, and in 1993 students turned out to protest against increases in rent.
Exeter’s campus cat makes the front page of the 5th June 1995 issue as he “enjoyed his moments of fame as star of newspaper, TV and radio”— much like our beloved Napoleon does today.
2007 — Campus fire
Exeposé cover a fire at Northcote House, plus an interview with a certain Conservative backbench MP called Boris Johnson...
Images: Anabel Costa-Ferreira
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15 NOV 2023 | EXEPOSÉ
2015 — A first class scandal?
In a long tradition of Exeposé exclusives, this investigation scrutinised the Vice Chancellor’s pay package.
2020 — Exeposé in lockdown
As the Covid-19 pandemic hit and the world went into lockdown, Exeposé continued to report.
2023 — Present day
This year, our esteemed current editorial team took over. To celebrate our new office we decided to base our freshers edition on The Office.
2023 — Napoleon
2017 — Exeposé turns 30
To celebrate their 30th birthday, Exeposé released a special black-andwhite nostalgic edition!
2022 — Harry’s Law
Last year, Exeposé led the way on a national campaign for Harry’s Law, calling for better protection of student mental health.
Exeter’s current campus cat Napoleon often finds his photo in our paper and as a beloved campus icon (and honorary Exeposé member) we couldn’t have him missed off our timeline.
20 750TH SPECIAL EDITION
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editors past and present Exeposé are putting out this commemorative special edition to celebrate the 750th edition of our beloved publication. Exeposé has been in circulation around the University of Exeter Streatham campus since 1987. Over the years the paper has seen many changes in design, going from small illustrated, black and white issues to larger tabloid-style issues. The paper has also seen changes to our editorial teams, with many of our editors progressing with their journalism careers, working at places like the BBC, The Guardian, The Telegraph and The Times. During the early 2010s, we also developed Exeposé Online, which has been our online website containing articles that have been curated by students. Our printeditionsnowinclude12sections:News,Features,International,Comment,Satire,Lifestyle, Arts and Lit, Music, Screen, Tech, Science and Sport. We are so thrilled with the development and progress of our publication — we cannot wait to see what the future holds for Exeposé! All the best, The Senior Print Team (Livvy Mason-Myhill, Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Charlie Gershinson, Harry Craig and Joshua Smith) Ben Dansie (Editor-in-Chief, 1989/90) Congrats on 750. My fellow editor Guy Gadney & I, in between a busy schedule of interviewing heavy weight bands (think Transvision Vamp & Iggy Pop), reported on issues like the poll tax; when the VCs office was occupied. Feels like we’re back there again so shining that Exeposé light as important as ever. Many a happy hour in the uni print room with Clive the printer shouting “rock and roll” as we went to press. Guy even found time to set up XTV. It taught us hustle and launched our creative careers.
Jennifer Hughes (Editor-in-Chief, 1996/97) My year editing Exeposé is a blur of deadlines, dramas, terrible technology, chasing late filing reporters - but above all, fun and teamwork. We covered nationally recognised eco-protests (Swampy) and the original 1997 election of local MP Ben Bradshaw. Freshers drank the campus bars dry within days of arriving and we ran a profile of a student racing driver called Ben Collins, now rather better known as The Stig from Top Gear. Exepose gave me my first taste of the buzz that comes from seeing people reading and enjoying your work (and criticising it too, usually in a bar and late into the evening). It’s something special for sure and a big part of why I’m still a journalist today. So thank you Exeposé, and congratulations on reaching such a milestone.
Rebecca Crosby (Editor 1997-98) I had the honour of co-editing Exeposé with Mark Lumley in 1997-8, just as Britpop was making way for the Spice Girls’ brand of Girl Power. Big news stories of the time included devolution and the death of Princess Diana. NUS’s campaign against tuition fees was extremely topical which we somehow neatly juxtaposed with articles on the Teletubbies and Timepiece’s new 1am curfew! We live in different times now. I’m currently paying over £4,000 in fees for a part-time PGCert in the Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at the University of Sussex. I run my business (a communications consultancy that helps companies create kind workplaces) fully remotely from a laptop in Cardiff. Back in the day we edited Exeposé on giant Apple Macs using Quark XPress. We would drive to The Express & Echo’s office every Friday to ‘put the paper together’. Social media didn’t exist in the ‘90s; back then we’d just about got to grips with email! Funny then that I’m submitting this nostalgia piece via LinkedIn. There are some parallels between now and the late ‘90s, however. Just like cargo pants and the Gallagher brothers — everything comes back around eventually! Proven by the fact that I just make a Teletubbies cake for my nephew’s second birthday.
Image: Rebecca Crosby
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John Stevens (Editor 2007/08) The moment I realised I properly wanted to be a journalist was a phone call. Our biggest sponsor, or to be more precise basically our only real sponsor, was angry, really angry. Every fortnight the paper carried a big full page advert for his rental company promising “seriously easy student accomodation”. But he had just found out that our latest issue was slightly different. As well as carrying the advert as normal, it had a story headlined “Seriously Uneasy Housing”. We had turned over our sponsor. After weeks of getting emails from students warning about their bad experiences living in houses owned by the firm, we had brought together all of their complaints in a special investigation exposing what it was really like to stay in their properties. And he was fuming. Newspapers can inform people what’s going on, they can be mischievous and fun, but they are at their best when they are exposing wrongdoing and sticking up for their readers. As he shouted down the phone at me, I knew this is exactly what I wanted to do.
Chris Erasmus (Editor 2008/09) While 2008 was some time after the ‘Golden Age’ of newspapers, working in media was still— for me — a very big deal. Content creators were not a thing and Twitter was barely up and running. There were not many jobs out there where you could uncover things you found interesting and get paid just to tell people why. Working on the paper was enormous fun and gave me a safe space to learn so many skills I continue to use today. As the years have passed working in ‘real’ newspapers, studios, media agencies or corporate businesses, I am increasingly struck by how genuinely professional the Exeposé staff were back then— and with a new generation in charge, doubtless still are. I am very proud of what we did and what we have all gone on to do. I worked with excellent journalists and excellent people, some of whom I remain very close to today. Exeposé is a wonderful institution and I hope it continues long into the future.
Tom Payne (Editor 2012/13) I didn’t realise I wanted to be a journalist until I began editing Exeposé. Like many of my predecessors, it gave me ‘the bug’ and taught me there are few greater thrills than breaking big stories and causing mischief. In our year in the hot seat we exposed scandals around cocaine and sex on campus and revealed that Exeter had accepted millions from a foreign dictatorship. It led us to be shortlisted for The Guardian’s student newspaper of the year award — and an infamous night out that followed. Journalism is an important and serious job - but best of all, it is enormous fun. Exeposé taught me that: and I hope it continues to inspire journalists for years to come.
Pete Syme (Deputy Editor 2020/21) I didn’t come to Exeter planning to be a journalist. I just liked writing. Before long, Exeposé turned me from a timid and anxious fresher to someone able to hold the University and Guild to account. Nowadays I’m a reporter for Business Insider, finding myself on the receiving end of an Elon Musk tweet on at least one occasion. Working on the newspaper quickly became the heart of my student life, from chats round the proofing booth to nights out. My favourite piece involved finding the police report for a hate incident on the confessions page Exehonestly, and its revelation that a student had owned up to the University. My time was a weird one, blighted by the pandemic. I missed the final year festivities, and edited most issues over Zoom rather than in the sanctity of the office. I’m proud to see the green masthead I designed then is still in use. That’s not to say it was all work. My fondest memories aren’t of the scoops, but the friends I made. Exeposé didn’t only lead me to a career I love, but it helped break me out of my shell and gave me innumerable lessons for life.
Image: Anabel
Images: Anabel Costa-Ferreira and Harry Craig
15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
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What Boris and Farage told Exeposé, scandals and more: news and interviews from over the years
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EFORE he was elected Mayor of London and was only a shadow minister known for scandals and appearances on Have I Got News For You, Boris Johnson sat down with Exeposé in May 2007 to discuss the Athletics Union’s recent ban on student initiations, his love for Exeter and his future plans. In November 2006, an 18-year-old Exeter student sadly died after a three-hour pub crawl to initiate him into the Golf Society, which included drinking a cocktail called the “Jackson Five,” rumoured to contain 12 shots of alcohol. Soon after, deputy vice-chancellor Prof Janice Kay announced a ban on initiation ceremonies. When Johnson was asked about the ban he described it as a “panic ban” and said that “the Athletic Unions should get a grip.” Johnson generally “venerated” Exeter and its people and professed how much he enjoyed the University compared to the people of Liverpool and Portsmouth who he “cheesed off.” On the idea that he could be Conservative Party leader or Prime Minister, he said that “I don’t have to think the cards will fall that way” and “as I look at the organogram of possibilities it doesn’t look to me to be the single most likely option.” When the idea of a career in broadcasting came up — if his political career were to “go down the tube” — he said that television was a “jolly useful way of survival in terms of making money, but I hope politics isn’t going down the tube quite yet.” Johnson has recently announced he will be hosting a show on GB News, focusing on the upcoming UK and US elections.
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N 2012, HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh visited the University of Exeter for the Forum’s opening ceremony as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The Queen unveiled a plaque to celebrate the opening of the Forum. Student musicians performed outside the INTO building, such as The Voice contestant Hannah Berney, the Concert Band and finalists for Battle of the Bands, among others. Exeposé would go onto celebrate the Queen’s life in a special edition shortly after her death ten years later.
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SCANDAL rocked the Students’ Guild as Exeposé revealed that Guild staff members were responsible for secretly recording and sharing CCTV footage of two students engaged in sexual intercourse during the Safer Sex Ball (SSB), which took place in the Ram. The Students’ Guild confirmed that a member of staff was dismissed after a “rigorous investigation.” The SSB, which was a well-established event at the time, would be cancelled a few weeks later.
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HE Great Hall hosted the 2013 UKIP Spring Conference, during which Exeposé were able to speak to then-leader Nigel Farage. During the interview, Farage made himself out as the great outsider coming to face the establishment leaders at the time: David Cameron and Ed Miliband. He dismissed the idea of a pact with the Conservatives after Cameron promised a referendum on membership to the EU. Farage also admitted to a few “image issues” stopping them from greater electoral success as the party was seen as “a little old-fashioned to some people.”
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NE of the biggest scandals to reach the University of Exeter in recent years was the leaking of racist messages from the Bracton Law Society. In 2018, Exeposé covered the story in both print and online. The Bracton Law Society would close by the end of the year and the debacle saw a number of movements and campaigns in response. The Students’ Guild would start a campaign under the banner “We are all Exeter” to combat racism and discrimination on campus while a student campaign launched called ‘Unmask against the Bracton Law Society.’
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All images of the newspaper archives were taken by Charlie Gershinson
N 24 June 2021, Harry Armstrong-Evans, a physics student at the University of Exeter, sadly took his own life. THIS SECTION CONTAINS CONTENT RELATING TO SUICIDE The coroner’s inquest found that the University “failed WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND in their safe-guarding duties.” Exeposé also interviewed Harry’s DISTRESSING parents Alice and Rupert to share their story with the student community. This led to the ‘Harry’s Law’ campaign helped by Exeposé and later supported by 21 other student newspapers in the UK under the “Student Papers for Harry’s Law” campaign. The proposed Harry’s Law would see new rules passed in Parliament regarding the suicide of higher education students. These include: ensuring that coroners inform universities when the suicide of an enrolled student is registered; universities to publish annually the suicide rate of enrolled students and new powers to place universities into ‘special measures’ where suicide rates exceed that of the national average. This has since led to a parliamentary petition and a debate in Westminster Hall. The Guild offers wellbeing support for students affected by this section.
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Across the 750 editions of Exeposé published since 1987, our pages have been graced with the great and the good of four decades of music, from local emerging artists performing at student-favourite venues like Cavern, to some of the music world’s biggest names. Sometimes, these two categories have crossed over — Exeter lays claim to three of the biggest names in rock music: Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, and Devon’s own Muse. To celebrate our 750th edition, and as an ex-Music Editor still hoping to vicariously live out his previous role, I dove into the archives to find just a few of the music legends that have visited our city, and subsequently been included in these very pages. Harry Craig, Deputy Editor
15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
MUSIC
Radiohead
Blur
In 1994, just a few years after graduating, one of Ex-
Issue 233 — 24 April 1995
Issue 214 — 10 October 1994 eter’s most famous alumni, Thom Yorke, returned! He
brought the rest of Radiohead to play at the Great Hall during their first ever tour, folImage: anyonlinyr, Flickr lowing the release of their début album, Pablo Honey. This won a positive review from Exeposé, aside from our reviewers nearly ending up in a fight with some “young whippersnapping idiots surfing on our heads”! Exe-lore During his time at Exeter, Thom Yorke regularly DJed at the Lemon Grove, and helped to set up Exeter Cavern. There is also a rumour that Yorke wrote the lyrics to ‘Creep’ in the toilets of the Lemon Grove as a student!
Oasis
Pulp
Issue 296 — 27 September 1997
Back in the days when Noel and Liam Gallagher could stand on the same stage, they appeared at Exeter’s Westpoint Arena. In the 90s Britpop battle, however, it seems that Blur wins out in Exeposé — whereas Blur’s aforementioned Summer Ball set in 1995 was a “stormer”, the review of Oasis two years later bemoaned “all this nation in mourning s***” in the set, which came just days after Princess Diana’s death. Nonetheless, this expletive-ridden review concluded by commending the “arrogant f***s” as “rock’n’roll in all its hairy-browed glory”.
Coldplay
Turning the pages of Exeposé ‘Yellow’ for two decades In 2000, Exeposé wrote that they had “championed Coldplay for almost a year”, something this ex-Music Editor tried to embody 23 years later. With Chris Martin being born and raised in Exeter, Exeposé have consistently charted the career of one of the biggest band of the 21st century, from their humble origins with Parachutes in 2000 (lauded as Exeposé’s “album of the summer” in Issue 377, left), through to their transition to neon-infused pop with Mylo Xyloto in 2011 that left us “glowing in the dark” (reviewed in Issue 585, right), up to their record-breaking Music of the Spheres World Tour in 2023 (reviewed in Issue 747, bottom). However, we remain rightly offended that the band chose another local paper, the Express & Echo, to announce their 2019 album, Everyday Life... Exe-lore Chris Martin is known to be a regular visitor of Timepiece, and when the band performed a charity concert at Exeter Castle in 2009, he even added the line “singing and dancing in Timepiece” to ‘The Scientist’!
Whilst nowadays our Summer Ball consists of paying upwards of £60 for a lukwarm VK in a field, in 1995 £20 got you a ticket for one of the biggest bands of the 90s. 1995 was the year that Britpop icons Blur perfromed at the University Summer Ball. The Ball was held within Devonshire House and included a free fairground all night. The year before, Blur had released their acclaimed album Parklife, including hits such as ‘Girls and Boys’ and ‘Parklife’ — both singles catapulting the band to Britpop fame.
Issue 246 — 16 October 1995
If you were one of the lucky common people around in Exeter in October 1995, you would have had the chance to see Jarvis Cocker strutting around the stage you have spent many exams despairingly looking at empty. Yes, that’s right, Pulp visited the Great Hall in the fever of fame they enjoyed between His N Hers and Different Class. Tickets could be nabbed for only £8.50, explaining Exeposé’s urge to “start calling in those favours” to friends who managed to get tickets. A defining act of 90s Britain, the band, with a melodic flamboyancy channelled through witty, and comical social observations, encapsulated what it meant to be young and ridiculous in the age of Beckham, Britpop and Hugh Grant, making it a night to remember for the common people of 1995 Exeter.
Michael Jackson Issue 341 — 17 June 2002
In Exeter’s most surreal celebrity visit, the ‘King of Pop’ and Exeter City fan (yes, you read that right) visited St James Park in 2002 for a charity event. After a train journey to St David’s, he was whisked by limo to SJP, where he was joined by Uri Geller & David Blaine, the former being chairman of Exeter City at the time. Unsurprisingly, Exeposé wrote at the time that “the crowd went mental”, and Jackson was even made honorary director of Exeter City!
Arctic Monkeys 7 May 2007
After the success of their first debut studio album Whatever People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not these young ‘lads from Sheffield’ (only in their early 20’s) found themselves with “comparisons to Oasis and the Beatles.” Shortly after the quiet Easter period of 2007, Exeter’s Great Hall was visited by Arctic Monkeys as part of the tour to promote their new album. A night described with an “electric atmosphere” and a bantering Alex Turner it seems much hasn’t changed, even 16 years later.
The 1975
Muse
Issue 638 — 5 May 2015
The third of Exeter’s trifecta of rock legends, Muse have been a constant presence on the pages of Exeposé since their origins in nearby Teignmouth in 1994. In 2015, they played a homecoming show at the University’s Great Hall, winning them a five-star review from Exeposé, who said that “the band definitely started an ‘uprising’ at the University of Exeter!” Exe-lore Muse have performed 36 times at Cavern (the most of any band at the venue), including their fourth ever performance in 1994. They returned in April 2022 to début songs from their most recent album, Will of the People!
Issue 740 — 25 January 2023 These are just a handful of the music greats who have appeared on the stages of Cavern, the Great Hall, Lemon Grove, Westpoint Arena and even St James Park. Whether it was catching Coldplay at Cavern before Chris and co. became the stadium-touring superstars they are today, or enjoying some Britpop from Oasis, Blur and Pulp in the 90s, Exeposé has been lucky to cover so much music in the last 750 editions.
Scan here to listen!
To celebrate this milestone, I have curated a Spotify playlist featuring one song from each year since 1987, when the first edition of Exeposé was published. Each is by an artist who has performed at Exeter at least once in their career, some with surprising stories to tell linking them to our city! Scan the QR code on the left to listen along to the last 37 years of the music section, and look ahead to another 750 editions of Exeposé.
The renowned band, The 1975, took the stage at Exeter’s Westpoint Arena in January 2023, offering a remarkable performance aptly named ‘The 1975 At Their Very Best.’ The show was divided into two distinctive parts, with the first characterised by a solemn tone. It commenced with their latest album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language. Frontman Matty Healy assumed the role of an arrogant and drunk rockstar, smoking cigarettes and swigging red wine from the bottle, adding an authentic touch to the act. All images of the newspaper archives were taken by Harry Craig
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15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
SPORT “Kiss the eel” — the high, low, and weird moments from Exepose’s sports pages
From causing carnage in a local chip shop by upturning tables, throwing them into the kitchen, and threatening staff members in an incident labelled by Exeposé at the time as having possible “racist motivations”, to forcing freshers to kiss a dead eel as part of a football initiation. If one looks through the Exeposé archives, it appears that the sports coverage focuses as much on scandal as it does on the sport itself! Notably, the ‘financial irregularity’ speculated by Exeposé in 2011 to have something to do with the resignation of AU president Josh Belsher in 2011 and various sport club freshers events involving some interesting (to say the least) activities… things never change! Besides the usual rigmarole, we have the frequent disengagement of the AU with our journalism, reading through the papers, there has been a lack of AU comments from the president or AU representatives in past articles. Another constant fixture of the Exeposé sports pages throughout the years has been Varsity. Varsity is an exciting feature in the calendars of many sports clubs at the Univeristy. It usually involves a match up between the uni team in a point-scoring BUCS match against a rival University, or a friendly match against a local professional team, such as the football clubs annual game against Exeter City FC. However, the highlight of the Exeter sporting year is usually the rugby firsts BUCS match hosted at Sandy Park every year. This has seen many highs and lows for the team, with them winning 24-15 in this years match up against long term purple clad rivals Durham. On the flip side, the football first team have had thumpings of up to 6-0 against Exeter City. Id say it was all for a good cause, but I think the beneficiary has always been, above all, TP Wine Bar and Nightclub, a constant fixture in an Exeter students week for decades, especially after sports events.
5th December 2011– “Exeter undergrad scores a century” In 2011, Ben Nash becomes the first Exeter student to score 100 goals for EUAFC.
Looking through the archives, it isn’t hard to see that Exeter is big on sport, which explains why so many of our alumni have gone on to play at high levels of their respective sports. In an article from 2018, Josh Brown, then sports editor, takes us through the names which have gone on to greater heights post uni-days. The rugby societies partnership with Exeter Chiefs have meant many alumni have gone on to start in the premiership, such as Sam Simmonds and Henry Slade, while Ethan Ampado, the former Chelsea player and Welsh international, is as alumnus of the football team.
Rivalry is another big thing which covers our sports pages. It appears somewhere down the line we either chose to hate on the colour purple, or butt heads with the other unis with the most Oxbridge rejects, either way, our biggest rivalries have always been Durham and Loughborough. These are the games which always get the largest attendance, and will do for many years to come.
EUAFC‘s all time top-goalscorer, Ben Nash
All images of the newspaper archives were taken by Joshua Smith
exhibit
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15 NOV 2023 | 25
lifestyle
Movember's inspiring male role models Lifestyle writers give tributes to men in their lives to show their gratitude
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S Movember commences, let’s celebrate and reflect on the male role models who inspire us — serving as a reminder of how to live our lives. It is important to reflect on the men who have changed us and helped us become better people. These men are David Goggins, my granddad, and my dad. "We all have the ability to come from nothing to something” are the words that struck me in 2020. A time in which I had no direction, lacked self-esteem, nor had any discipline. To anyone who has lived this lifestyle will understand and relate to how depressing it is. These words were spoken online from a retired Navy Seal, David Goggins. Upon hearing his words, I became intrigued and Image: Thomas Swanser
Image: Kate Pygram
researched him. From this I found that he had released a highly rated book in 2018: Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds. I ordered a copy, and it was finished in two days. This book served as a foundation for changing my life. The book is a memoir of his life, with him recounting the struggles that he overcame. From someone who had a rough childhood, lived in poverty, was abused, had no ambition and no purpose in life, he became a Navy Seal. The lessons I learnt were the importance of discipline, stoicism, work ethic, accountability, and facing your mind by getting out of your comfort zone. David, thank you, although you might never see this, you offered hope to someone who needed it and proved that you truly can “come from nothing to something”.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DISCIPLINE, STOICISM, WORK ETHIC...AND FACING YOUR MIND BY GETTING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
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AM lucky enough to claim to have three father figures in my life - my dad, my grandad and my uncle Claudio. Three people that anybody would be lucky to call family — it would be an honour to introduce these three giants in my life to you today. My first inspiration of what it means to call yourself a man is my dad. Wearing his heart on his sleeve yet also stoic and calm when necessary, I proudly call myself Joseph Terry. I can thank Warren for many things. I can thank him for my obsession with cricket, taking me to my first training session at Eastbourne Cricket Club as a pint-sized eight-year-old and following me around the Sussex Cricket League ever since. I can also thank him for giving me the strength to admit vulnerability and cry, something I do often and something that is a natural response. The proudest day of my life would be becoming a dad myself, and there is no greater example to follow.
I CAN ALSO THANK HIM FOR GIVING ME THE STRENGTH TO ADMIT VULNERABILITY My second inspiration is John Ratcliffe, better known as Grandad. My love for the car and the extraordinary world that surrounds
As I write this, I am in a position in which I have grandparents in my life, all of whom I love dearly and have good relationships with. One of these grandparents, my granddad, has played a significant role in my life. His influence comes through the forms of values and phrases that I both try to apply and use in my life. These values range from honesty, kindness, support, and gratitude. All the while he has phrases such as “attitude of gratitude”, “humble beginnings”, and “what if”. I am very grateful for the relationship that we have as I know that many others don’t get the same opportunity with their grandparents. Granddad, you are truly an inspiration and a good role model to me. Although you may be a Spurs fan, your unconditional love and support that I receive from you will help me to forget that. And last but not least, I have my old man. It would be very remiss of me to list role models and forget my father. Someone who has sacrificed a majority of his time to ensure that I have a roof over my head, food at the table, and an opportunity to make something of my life. Throughout my life you have supported me. Whether it was taking me home and grandfather gives me hope every morning. I look at him as somebody with lots to say and lots of grieving to do, however somebody who never got the chance to release his pain — I infinitely respect his stoicism and bravery.
from work at 1am in the morning, or driving me five hours to take me to university. I’m honoured to get to call you my father, and I hope I can make you proud.
HIS INFLUENCE COMES THROUGH THE FORMS OF VALUES AND PHRASES THAT I BOTH TRY TO APPLY AND USE IN MY LIFE So, to the readers of my article, as you now know my male role models in my life, I must ask you one question. Who are your male role models?
Thomas Swanser
Image: Thomas Swanser
Images: Joseph Terry
I HAVEN'T JUST GOT THE PETROLHEAD BUG FROM JOHN, BUT ALSO HAVE REALISED THE VALUE OF HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION Image: Joseph Terry
these shells of rubber, metal and wires starts with this man. However I haven’t just got the petrolhead bug from John, but also have realised the value of hard work and determination. A boy who left a broken home with a maths qualification that is running a garage by his mid-20s and later is running multiple dealerships at once at the top of one of the largest dealers in the UK is not too bad for somebody who started as an apprentice mechanic at 18 — sweeping up the garage when no one else could be bothered. The humble motor car has changed his life, and his inspiring life story as a loving father
My third father figure is unable to read this article, however I hope he can see me writing this article from above. A carpenter by trade, football fan for life and positive human being forever — Uncle Claudio gives me the strength
to smile even at the hardest of times. However tired he might have been, he would sit at his computer and translate Italian articles about his beloved Bologna FC to a young Joseph that carries his adored Rossoblu with him to this day, as a proud Tifoso or supporter. We sadly lost him far too soon to the cruel disease of cancer, leaving a hole never to be filled. Thank you so much Claudio, you are always with me and I love you. Long live the champions Bologna, and come on you red and blues. Grazie mille Claudio, sei per sempre con me, e ti amo. Forza Bologna Campioni, e dai Rossoblu.
Joseph Terry
arts + lit
Author Interview: Paterson Joseph
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Judy Dodd talks about Charles Ignatius Sancho and Black British history with Paterson Joseph
T was his smile, a seemingly Bookbag in McCoys Arcade in Exeter. Predominantly renowned for his performative expression, that caught Paterson Joseph’s eye as he first acting roles at the Royal Shakespeare encountered Thomas Gainsborough’s Company and the Royal National 1768 portrait of a wealthy black man. Theatre, his appearances on TV shows The man in the portrait was Charles such as Casualty and Peep Show, he is Ignatius Sancho, a remarkable figure now set to star alongside Timothée to say the least: a musical composer, Chalamet in the upcoming Wonka social commentator, entrepreneur, movie. It is now evident that God’s favouritism extends to his and notably, the first recorded writing, as he meticulously black voter in the UK in wove over 90,000 1774. Two decades after words’ worth of his initial encounter research into a with the portrait, fictionalised firstJoseph wrote a hand account of novel delving into Sancho’s life. The the fascinating life book takes form in of Charles Ignatius a collection of letters, Sancho in an attempt Image: Wikimedia Commons written for Sancho’s son to “correct the colour under the mantra of “know imbalance” in English history. I had the privilege of interviewing thy father”. Paterson’s recollection Joseph after his recent talk at of Sancho’s life is wonderfully
exhilarating and heart-wrenching
absolutely throughout.
PATERSON’S RECOLLECTION OF SANCHO’S LIFE IS WONDERFULLY EXHILARATING Charles Ignatius Sancho was born on a slave ship crossing the Atlantic; a journey neither of his parents survived. He was adopted by an Englishman as a child and raised in Greenwich amid three unmarried sisters who viewed him as an ‘exotic ornament’ in their house. Denied an education, as they believed ignorance was the best remedy for disobedience, Sancho’s life changed entirely when per chance he crossed paths with the Duke of Montagu, an enlightened intellectual of his time. The duke secretly taught
Sancho to read and write (hence the diaries and letters we now have of him) and instilled a passion for literature and history in the young boy. Escaping the sisters’ clutches in pursuit of freedom, Sancho found himself on the dangerous streets of London as a black man with nothing but his intellect. Researching for his book, Paterson Joseph discovered the vast gaps in his knowledge of black British history. Raised by parents who were part of the Windrush generation (immigrants from Saint Lucia in the 1940s and 1950s) he had assumed that there had been no free black people in the UK before him. However, accounts like that of Sancho enlightened him about the rich tapestry of cultures and colours that existed in 18th century London. In his letters, for example, Sancho reflects on attending ‘black frolics’, which were dances organised by black servants,
freemen and sailors in parks throughout London. It became evident to Joseph that black people had been largely left out of the narrative of British history. Paterson’s book reignites conversations and encourages further research into Britain’s often overlooked chapters of black history. It raises thought-provoking questions, such as whether an apology from the UK for its involvement would still carry weight, or if it is simply too late. If indeed it is too late, what alternative methods can be used to commemorate and learn from the more painful aspects of Britain’s history? The narrative presented by Paterson Joseph in his book serves as a poignant reminder of the necessity of acknowledging and honouring the multifaceted tapestry of our history, particularly the contributions and experiences of black individuals like Charles Ignatius Sancho.
BookTok and the changes of modern fiction
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Maddie Conlan, Arts + Lit Editor, discusses the market monopoly BookTok has on contemporary fiction
NLESS you have been living under a rock, or have little to no interest in popular fiction, you would have heard of BookTok. More importantly, you would have heard about the very specific titles that have been dominating BookTok, and subsequently Waterstones and The Works, over the summer. These include novels by Ana Huang, including her Twisted Love series and her King of… series, as well as books by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Ali Hazelwood, and finally Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros.
Fourth Wing has been dominating the bestseller charts in both the UK and US for the last twenty-six weeks. The sequel, Iron Flame, is set to be released on the 7th November. The pre-order campaign has already skyrocketed Iron Flame, a book that hasn’t even been released yet, onto the bestseller’s lists for hardback fiction. An unreleased book making the Amazon bestseller list is a testament to the complete success of Yarros’ new series. Recently a controversy, or a mystery, arose surrounding the
publication of Iron Flame. Red Tower, Yarros’s publisher, released a new untitled book to be released alongside Iron Flame on the 7th of November. Immediately fans of Fourth Wing began speculating what this new book, priced at £35.99, was going to be. The controversy came when thousands of people flooded Amazon and bought this mystery book when it didn’t have a title or an author attached to the project. Many people online argued that we, as consumers, shouldn’t be spending money on products
that we know nothing about. It was revealed recently that this mystery book was in fact a special edition of Fourth Wing, which is what fans were hoping for. Yet, despite the thousands of people buying that novel it still raises the question of how influential BookTok is. Most people wouldn’t buy music from an unknown and unheard-of artist, so what makes the literary market so different? Social media has changed the literary landscape drastically in a post-Covid world. More of the bestsellers than ever
before are romance novels, when they used to be thrillers, and many of these popular books are beloved by a younger demographic. Should we be letting BookTok have such an influence on the market? Or should we as literary consumers lean more into the rise of new popular fiction?
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS CHANGED THE LITERARY LANDSCAPE DRASTICALLY IN A POSTCOVID WORLD
Exeter: A UNESCO City of Literature
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Lauren Walsh, Arts + Lit Editor, dives into Exeter’s rich literary history
N November 2019, Exeter country and became so at the Devon was awarded the status of and Exeter Institution (a library in UNESCO City of Literature, the centre of Exeter) after beating 20 due to its numerous historical male applicants to the job in 1849. and contemporary connections Another significant example of to literary texts and names. Exeter’s connections to literature The main examples of these is the Exeter Book, which has been include Charles Dickens, who housed at the Cathedral since it was supposedly frequented The Turk’s donated in 1072 to the Cathedral Head when he was in town covering library. It is an Anglo-Saxon the 1835 city council elections for Images: Billy Wilson, Flickr a newspaper, Agatha Christie and Daphne du Maurier, whose works can be found in the special collections of the University archives, amongst many more famous writers. Eliza Squance, although a lesser-known name, is believed to be one of the first professional female librarians in the
anthology of poetry and riddles and is the largest manuscript of Old English literature, containing about a sixth of surviving Old English poetry. UNESCO calls it “the foundational volume of English literature, one of the world’s principal cultural artefacts”. 42 UNESCO Cities of Literature can be found around the globe, in 28 different countries and across six continents. In 2004 Edinburgh became the first City of Literature, and others that have since been awarded include Prague, Ljubljana and Melbourne. Certain criteria must be met for a city to achieve City of Literature status, and the city is then expected to work with others around the world to support
literary arts and storytelling. UNESCO has 295 cities in its wider Creative Cities Network, which includes categories such as design, film and media arts, as well as literature. Many projects have been implemented since Exeter achieved City of Literature status. For example, The Book Market was established in 2021 and is now an annual event attended by many independent bookshops from Exeter and its local area, as well as including many bookish activities for visitors to take part in. Furthermore, the book vending machine that can be found in St David’s station was the result of a partnership with Penguin Books. In yet another literary connection,
apparently Allen Lane, who founded the company, was inspired to do so as he was waiting for a train at St David’s! A subsection of the festival Africa Writes, which showcases African and African diaspora writing and is run by the Royal African Society and Saseni!, has taken place in Exeter for the past few years, in collaboration with the University of Exeter, local independent bookshop Bookbag, and creative hub Roots Resistance. And this is by no means an exhaustive list of the projects that have taken place! Exeter UNESCO City of Literature became an independent charity supported by Arts Council England in 2021.
exhibit | arts + lit
EDITORS: Lauren Walsh & Maddie Conlan
15 NOV 2023 | 27
Series vs standalone: which is better? Arts + Lit writers argue over which type of book is superior
IN DEFENCE OF STANDALONES... AM utterly and completely for the standalone novel. Call me a commitmentphobe, or just an English student with a mountainous module reading list, but the standalone novel is ideal. To be able to consume a whole story in a single novel, to feel the satisfaction of a beginning, middle and end in one book, is the most rewarding experience.
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CREATE SUCH IMPACT IN A SHORT SPACE IS WHAT MAKES STANDALONES SPECIAL Though I understand the pull of a series, the familiarity of the characters, attention to even the smallest detail; the ability to create such an impact in such a short space, is what makes standalones special.
I am not opposed to the occasional short story collection with connected motifs and reoccurring characters, like Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles. Nor am I against authors who write with such distinct style that it feels like part of a bigger series, like Claire Keegan’s Foster and Small Things Like These. I love the feeling of continuation in these books, but they will not sway me from my love for standalones. I acknowledge, of course, that book series have their place. I experienced the 2010 craze of dystopian series and embraced the obsession of trying to find the next book as soon as finishing the first. But we have all experienced the heartbreak of an author who refuses to leave their beloved series alone. Therefore, for now, at a time where my course reading lists leave little space for much more than the occasional literary paddle, I shall indulge myself in standalones.. Amber Platel
reading is for. I also find the idea of reading IN DEFENCE OF SERIES... a series less daunting than some standalone TARTING a new book series can be books. This might not make much sense at daunting; sometimes standalones first but hear me out. For a standalone book to seem like an easier option. But series have developed writing it is going to be much are a much better choice when you really longer than a series that can span things want to enjoy the reading experience. I out over several books. Sometimes it think the main reason for choosing is hard to pick up such a long book, a series over a standalone book is but when a story is broken up the depth and detail a series can into smaller books it feels easier go into. The world-building and to read and fit into your daycharacter development that you to-day life. This also means you can achieve in a series cannot be get less reading fatigue. I think produced to the same extent in a Image: Flickr, Ajay_suresh it’s also important to discuss how standalone book. This makes series much more impact series have in pop especially perfect for genres such as culture. The most popular books are all series: fantasy and sci-fi. In series, you get to know Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and The Hunger and love the characters, gain attachments to Games. For these reasons I think that series are the story, and really immerse yourself into an obvious choice against a standalone book! the world you are reading. And for a lot of Kayleigh Swart people, escaping to another world is what
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The Boy, The Fox, The Mole and The Horse Lucy Rawlings, Lifestyle Editor, talks about her experience seeing author Charlie Mackesy
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HARLIE Mackesy’s The Boy, The Fox, The Mole and The Horse is a beautifully crafted book which seeks to provide empathetic kindness to the reader. It is a tale of four characters, as the title reflects, who symbolise different vulnerabilities which humans often suppress. Charlie’s wisdom shines through these four friends which are conveyed through charismatic illustrations. Charlie rose in popularity during the pandemic, where his story’s simple yet deeply impactful precepts were clung onto by the world to relight their strength when confronting hardship. After reading his work, I felt his words shift my entire perspective on life. When I discovered that Charlie was
WHAT INSTIGATED HIS CREATION OF SUCH A POWERFUL BOOK
speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, I jumped at the opportunity to hear what instigated his creation Image: Rawpixel of such a powerful book. It was an illuminating event which celebrated selfcompassion and being open with our emotions. Charlie even brought his dachshund Barney to his talk, who he noted was the inspiration behind The Mole’s character. Charlie described the humble beginnings of
his book, which started as illustrations which he sent to friends on a WhatsApp group chat. When realising the positive impact his creations were having during the darkness of Covid-19, he decided to share his work and support those enduring ‘the storm’. Charlie also gave a live drawing of his characters and discussed the journey of creating his book into an animation film, which won an Oscar this year. Towards the end of the event, I asked
Charlie, “my favourite quote from your book is ‘one of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things,’ when did you realise this?”, and he responded in how his struggles with his Latin teacher taught him that he could control the outcome of his emotional experience. After speaking to him in person, I admired what a gracious, thoughtful, and intelligent person he was. Charlie even wrote my favourite quote in my copy of the book.
HE COULD CONTROL THE OUTCOME OF HIS EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE If you ever feel like you need a comforting voice to ease overwhelming times, I encourage you to read Charlie’s book. You will hopefully feel a little less fearful of the wild unknowns of life.
Image: Flickr, Pietro Bellini
Reading Week reads
Arts + Lit writers review their favourite relaxing reads from Reading Week CLEOPATRA AND FRANKENSTEIN
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S two lovers navigate their lives as young adults in the vibrant, if intense, landscape of New York City, their love story turns into something deeper, something much more complicated than expected, and will have you hooked until the very last word. The turbulence of their relationship moves from poetic moments of bliss to
heart-wrenching episodes of tragedy, but the intoxicating feelings they have for each other stay as strong as ever. Coco Mellors’ addictive début novel will have you gasping for the end, and yet drawing out the book as long as possible, plunging you into a world which will inebriate and exhilarate you. Image: Flickr, Ginnyi Emily Sara Rizzo
THE OUTSIDER
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VER reading week, I read The Outsider by Albert Camus. An intriguingly peculiar narrative, this novella is short enough that it can easily be read in a few days, at roughly 100 pages. It follows Meursault, a perplexingly apathetic narrator who famously opens with “Mother
died today. Or yesterday, I do not know.” We follow his life in French Algeria, uncovering the depths of his personality through his unique way of interacting with people and the world. The ending, which I will leave you the joy of reading, raises a myriad of philosophical questions, something highly typical of Camus. Lachlan Evans
MUSIC The Beatles 'Come Together' one last time
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Harry Craig, Deputy Editor, discusses how AI meant that The Beatles could release new music, even beyond the grave
F you saw the headline “Beatles set to hit ogy (and yes, that dreaded phrase — Artinumber one with new single” over the last ficial Intelligence) was able to lift Lennon’s week, you’d be forgiven for thinking that, at voice from the poor-quality recording, and the end of October, we’d set the clocks back sixty give Paul and Ringo something to work with. Consequently, Lennon’s voice is perfect — years, rather than just an hour. And yet, it is 2023, and we have just been treated to the new – and almost too perfect — on the track. Paul and final – song from John, Paul, George and Ringo. Ringo completed the track, adding their own 'Now and Then’ has received universal ac- instrumentation and backing vocals, as well as claim from critics and fans alike, and it is truly a fitting final send-off to one of the greatest rock bands of all time. It was originally written by John Lennon in 1978 as a five-minute piano ballad, but left unfinished when Lennon died in 1980. His widow Yoko Ono passed the recording on to the three remaining members of the band, but despite some attempts to finish it during the sessions that also gave us ‘Free as a Bird’ and ‘Real Love’ in the 1990s, it was left to collect dust on the shelves. Image: Flickr c o n Since then, it had been believed that from George Harrison, the quality of the recording was too poor to tributions be used, but McCartney never gave up the who had recorded a guitar track for hope of releasing ‘Now and Then’. The devel- the song before his death in 2001. The result is something that fits beautiopment of new audio restoration technol-
fully within the rest of The Beatles’ 60-year discography. The haunting chorus of “now and then, I miss you” is enough to bring even the youngest Beatles fans to tears, as an homage to Paul and Ringo’s ex-bandmate, and most importantly, friend. McCartney himself said the main thing he wanted fans to take away from the song was a “loving feeling”, describing how “[it was like] we were just working with John again, it was joyful”. Perhaps, too, this can fuel a more sensible, rational debate about the use of AI in music. Although there is rightly fear of its possible impact on the industry, there can be a place for AI in helping artists to produce tracks, like on ‘Now and Then’. If it weren’t for this technology, after all, we would not have the pleasure of hearing John Lennon’s vocals on a new track for one last time. For now, we can enjoy the novelty of having a new Beatles song to listen to in 2023. Perhaps it can introduce a new generation of listeners to the world’s first true rock stars, in providing a final Beatles masterpiece for us all to enjoy.
🌟 Spooky stars 🌟 Music writers share the pop icons that they decided to dress up as for Halloween Post Malone
David Bowie
Image: Flickr
Post Malone was my ideal candidate. With his iconic face tattoos, admired persona and renowned success, “Posty” was a realistic and recognisable celebrity to emulate this Halloween. My flannel shirt and denim jeans paired with lots of intricate eyeliner ‘tattoos’ deliverered Post Malone to the streets of Exeter! The musician also represents something deeper for me. Post Malone’s songs address such raw topics; it feels as though he offers a part of his soul to listeners. Post Malone’s albums provide up-tempo pop hits alongside emotional heartfelt tracks, an eclectic range that provides honest insight into his stardom. Posty’s songs navigate the pleasures and pitfalls of fame, as he confides in listeners and enables them, too, to confide in him. Megan Hall
John Lennon Image: Wikimedia Commons
For Halloween I dressed up as David Bowie, as I think his sense for fashion was legendary, so dressing up in his iconic 70s clothing was perfect to source in Exeter's many vintage shops. Before even mentioning his phenomenal music, the impact David Bowie had on culture is unmatched. During the height of his career in the 70s, no other celebrities in the public eye were as unique, in both aesthetic and personality. He was unafraid to be himself, and this often meant the most wonderfully audacious outfits, makeup and style choices. For me, though, an even greater attribute to his legendary status was the quality and longevity of his music. My personal favourites currently are 'I'm Deranged', 'Moonage Daydream', and 'Rebel Rebel'. Lachlan Evans Image: Flickr
Live Review: Parasitic Mind
Livvy Mason-Myhill, Editorin-Chief, and Scarlett Cracknell, Music Editor, review student band Parasitic Mind's recent Cavern performance Heavily inspired by bands like Alice-in-Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Deftones, the student four-piece took to the Cavern stage on 13th October. In spite of them playing on an infamously unlucky day, Friday the 13th, the band lucked out with a lively crowd and buzzing performance. Describing their own music as "louder than you dad sneezing", they certainly packed a punch. Caleb Viesman, lead singer, and his raspy tones work perfectly alongside Fola Adedeji's powerful guitar solos, Gil Westley's impressive bass performance, and Cameron Hallett's hard-hitting drumming. Kicking off their set with their song 'Face to Face' roused the audience in preperation for the next four songs that the band recorded over summer and are hoping to realease soon: 'Survive the Night', 'Hostile', 'In a Matrix' and 'Breaking the Chains'. The songs all had an interesting combination of vocal sections and purely instrumental sections, allowing each band member to contribute their own sound to the collective; their music allows for each individual instrument to sing. During their electric set, they were able to involve the audience further in encouraging them to join in with vocals during their last song 'Fading On Me'. The release of 'Breaking the Chains' later this month will herald this revival of 90s Seattle grunge here in Exeter, this being something the band seemed very excited about when speaking to them post-performance.
Images: Scarlett Cracknell
The Beatles are truly the pop music sensation of all time, none will doubt their status as icons of the 20th century. However, between John, Paul, George and Ringo, Lennon stands out as one of the most recognisable musicians of the era. So this Halloween, I decided to dress as zombie John Lennon. Aside from nostalgic memories of listening to Beatles CDs in the car with my dad, I have always been fascinated by how Lennon’s eccentric career broke away from the carefully cultivated image of the white British boyband. Although many of the Beatle’s members would advocate for‘radical’causes, such as McCartney’s vegetarianism, Lennon was unique in his attempts to directly criticize capitalism and organised religion. Cora Jamieson
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EDITORS: Jake Avery and Scarlett Cracknell
exhibit | music
15 NOV 2023 | 29
Wildest Dream: 1989's Renaissance
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Ellie McHale dives into the success of Taylor Swift's most iconic re-recording yet...
N 27th October, Taylor Swift released her 4th, and arguably most highly anticipated, re-recording- 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Announced during the record-breaking Eras Tour and very quickly off the back of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), fans were concerned about the record being given the time and care it deserved in production, considering Swift’s huge workload and the obvious stresses of national and international touring. But 1989 TV is just as fun and colourful as its original; now with less Scooter Braun and more Harry Styles drama. Starting with the basics — is 1989 TV a good replica of its 2014 counterpart? On the whole, I’d say yes. There are a few moments in which the two can certainly be differentiated (the intro to ‘Style’ and pre-chorus of ‘New Romantics’ being the most obvious examples) but overwhelmingly, the production of this album stays true to form. This is not an easy feat, especially considering the absence of original producer Max Martin on iconic songs such as ‘Shake It Off’, ‘Blank Space’ and ‘Wildest Dreams’. Swift’s vocal quality and performance has also improved in the 9 years since the original recording, which provides a new depth to more challenging songs including ‘Out of the Woods’ and ‘I Know Places’. Next up, and my person-
al highlight of re-release days: the Vault. In line with previous re-recordings, Swift includes a selection of songs left off from the original album- 1989 TV features 4, all produced by Jack Antonoff. The standouts are very clearly ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ and ‘Is It Over Now?’, with both trending on TikTok just hours after release. Both are b o p p y a n d tonguei n cheek reflections on a previous relationship, with Antonoff’s signature synth production making the sombre subject-matter surprisingly lighthearted and playful. The remaining 3 vault tracks (‘Slut!’, ‘Stay Don’t Go’ and
‘Suburban Legends’) are more mellow and wistful, joining ‘Clean’ as the more toneddown reprieves of this overwhelmingly upbeat record. On the whole, all of the vault tracks seem remnant of Swift’s ‘Midnights’, leading fans to speculate that much of the content for that album may have been written or conceptualised during the original 1989 era. Overall, the re-release of 1989 gives a great opportunity to revisit the forgotten gems from the original record- ‘Wonderland’ and ‘I Wish You Would’ spring to mind here. But any critical discussion of the album cannot be carried out without consideration for the fundamental purpose of this entire project — allowing Swift to finally reclaim
the masters to her work. Swift’s original masters were sold by previous management Big Machine Records to music executive Scooter Braun in 2019 without her approval, thus birthing the re-recordings fans have come to know and love. The project has opened the floor to more discussion surrounding the autonomy of artists and their right to legally own their art- an important conversation which will hopefully have long-term impacts within the music industry. Whether fans prefer the original version of the records or their ‘Taylor’s Version’ counterparts, it is generally considered to be in the spirit of the project to stream the more recent release, ensuring Swift herself receives any royalties that her songs generate. After all, the re-releases are not intended to be ‘improved’ records in comparison to their originals, but records which are fairly attributed to their rightful creator. With ‘Fearless’, ‘Red’, ‘Speak Now’ and ‘1989’ all having had their ‘Taylor’s Version’ re-release. Swifties now anticipate ‘Reputation’ and ‘Debut’, with the latter predicted as the final re-record for maximum ‘full-circle moment’ excitement. But for now, there’s a whole lot more 1989 TV listening to be done in time for Spotify Wrapped… Image: alllp, DeviantArt
Iconic video game soundtracks Exeposé writers explore titles that feature brilliantly composed scores
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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Bloodborne
The Last of Us Part II
ROM Software have built themselves an impressive reputation amongst the videogame industry with their iconic soundtracks to Demons’ Souls and Dark Souls. With this in mind they didn’t hold back when it came to the soundtrack of Bloodborne as they hired a group of industry veterans to compose, such as Japanese composers Yuka Kitamura, Tsukasa Saitoh and Nobuyoshi Suzuki, who would all go on to compose music for future From Software titles. From Software also brought in a number of western composers such as Ryan Amon, Cris Velasco and Michael Wandmaker who have all provided songs for various iconic western franchises. This is all combined with the contributions of a 65-piece orchestra and 32-member choir. I am RGENTINIAN composer Gustavo Santaolalla soundtracked FTER the seven-year wait for Tears of the Kingdom, it looked like personally curious what the mood would have been in the room the apocalypse for 2013's smash hit Naughty Dog title, The Nintendo might struggle to outdo themselves after the universal when director Hidetaka Miyazaki explained that they were creating Last of Us, crafting a brilliantly eerie atmosphere for a story critical acclaim that the previous title, Breath of the Wild, received. a soundtrack to a game with an English gothic horror setting which about loss, survival, and doing the unthinkable in order to protect However, it can now be safely said that this is a gaming achievement gets more deranged the further you progress, where you fight through who you love. Rustic melodies from banjos, as well as both electric like few others, and returning composer Manaka Kataoka, alongside hordes of insane villagers, malformed creatures of the night and squid and acoustic guitars, form the backbone of Santaolalla's beautifully her new team of Maasa Miyoshi, Masato Ohashi, and Tsukasa Usui, is no like deities inspired by the works of H.P.Lovecraft. They then created melancholic depiction of an America ravaged by the Cordyceps funsmall part of that, as she has now been able to reinvent the classic Zelda a soundtrack that instils players with a genuine feeling of dread as gi, whilst emotional beats are conveyed through the unconventional sound twice over. The canon of brilliant Zelda music goes all the way they wonder what strange being awaits them around each corner orchestral approach of featuring no violins, instead placing the emback to the game’s beginning, with the first instalment 37 years ago, before being gobsmacked by the eldritch abomination that they find. phasis on the lower register of the bass clarinet, double bass and so composed by the incomparable Koji Kondo. But gone are the days of Then in the second phase of every boss theme, the music kicks into forth. The iconic theme for the game became its most defining asset, the 8-bit heroic fanfare as the centrepiece of the score. Today, in a stroke overdrive as a being beyond your comprehension does everything harnessing the stark tones of a niche South American instrument, the of genius, a high-flying alto saxophone leads the music, carrying you up within its power to kill the player. The Latin choir propels their voic- ronroco. Matching this effort for the much anticipated 2020 sequel into the sky along with the gameplay, as you play as Link, soaring across es towards the highest heavens and the orchestra pushes the limits would be no simple task, especially as Part II ventured into a darker floating islands that have mysteriously appeared above the kingdom of of what can be achieved with their instruments which all builds into pool of themes, increasing the weight of the moral questions raised Hyrule. Also, there are the otherworldly reverse chorales of the Zonai, this elegant dance of horrific intensity, encroaching anxiety, profound by the first game whilst placing further emphasis on the consequences an ancient race whose mysteries you uncover as the game progresses, tragedy and celestial dread that few games have even tried to match. of hatred and violence. As Santaolalla continued to score the emoJames Allen tions of Ellie's quest for revenge, Naughty Dog enlisted the talent as well as the more experimental and emptier sonic landscapes found in The Depths. A gloomy underworld beneath the surface, filled with of American composer Mac Quayle, whose other efforts include mostly alien twinkles and drones that sit somewhere between frightsoundtracking the likes of TV shows such as Mr Robot, to add new ful intrigue and the horrifying supernatural. Some light themes, some elements. Quayle contributed a haunting and foreboding electronic dark themes, an abundance of interwoven and repeating character and symphonic score that accentuates many of Part II's most climatic motifs; it is the very best that fantasy can have to offer. The score is scenes and combat encounters. Arguably the most chilling track of all, firmly rooted in the Zelda tradition, but by recalling some of the old se'Eye for an Eye', features pounding electronic bass notes that thump ries staples and blending them with new sounds, a rich score has been towards the game's most devastating moment, snuffing out any created that is filled with the series signature combination of mystery hope for Ellie, and stealing any spirit from the player in the process. and adventure, but still manages to have a sound unlike anything beSantaolalla and Quayle's unison brought together the richest qualifore it. The Legend of Zelda: still in class of its own in the gaming world... ties of both classic and modern approaches, embellishing the merits of Part I, whilst expanding into even deeper emotional complexities.
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Henry Parker , Features Editor
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Jake Avery, Music Editor
Favorisxp. DeviantArt. Clinton Crumpler, Flickr. Jake Avery.
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Lost in Translation vs Her
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Madison Sohngen, Screen Editor, delves into the twin tales of loneliness across Lost in Translation and Her
FTER breaking up in 2003, both Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003) and Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) can be seen to have been influenced by both director’s individual, unique experience of the split. The pair were married for four years until they decided to go their separate ways a mere few months after Coppola’s film debuted at the Venice Film Festival. Whilst rumours have circulated about certain characters being influenced by each other, what I find most intriguing about these two films is their presentation of loneliness. In this, they both seek to emphasise the importance of meaningful human connection by showing the depressing state of life without it.
BOTH SEEK TO EMPHASISE THE IMPORTANCE OF MEANINGFUL HUMAN CONNECTION Set in Japan, Lost in Translation, focuses predominantly on two characters, Bob Harris, a washed-up American movie star played by Bill Murray and Charlotte, a directionless college graduate played by Scarlett Johannson. The film focuses on the pair’s depressing discontentment in their current relationships and lives. Heavily juxtaposed by the cultural backdrop of Japan, we follow Scarlett Johansson’s character as she meanders aimlessly through the city until finally, she bumps into Murray’s
character. Immediately bonding over their mutual disillusionment of life, the two decide to explore and experience this new place together. It is clear from the start that both parties know that they cannot fully fix the other’s issues, so instead they choose to make the most of the fleeting time they have together distracting each other and attempting to relieve each other’s heartbreak, even if only momentarily. Similarly, despite being released 10 years post break-up, Jonze’s Her surprisingly parallels Coppola’s film in its portrayal of loneliness. Akin to Coppola’s protagonists, when Theodore Twombly (played by Joaquin Phoenix) winds up devastated after the end of his marriage, he seeks solace elsewhere. However, in this black-mirror-esque spin on the traditional romance, Twombly becomes enamoured with an AI system (also conveniently voiced by Scarlett Johannson). As he falls deeply in love, Jonze’s film asks, how important is physicality in romantic relationships? And is it possible to fall in love without ever being near or seeing someone in the flesh? So, taking this into account, how do the two films compare when placed alongside one another? Is there any similarity in the comfort provided by Twombly and his virtual Samantha, and the relationship between Bob and Charlotte? I think first and foremost both films show how relationships (in any capacity) govern how we experience the world
Image: dackelprincess, Flickr
around us. This is clear through the juxtaposition between Johannson’s (frankly quite boring to watch) scenes lonely lulling around, compared to those spent giggling and running around with Murray’s character. Similarly, the introverted Twombly spends his days with his head hung low until he connects with Samantha, after which he starts sprinting around in public like a maniac, with joy and happiness having completely replaced any form of social anxiety he previously held. The key thing here then, is that the environment has always remained the same. Bob and Charlotte have always been in Japan and Twombly is still in the same dystopian city, yet how they feel and confront this world around them has completely
changed. Suddenly, everything is rosy and perfect and romanticised to the extreme.
RELATIONSHIPS (IN ANY CAPACITY) GOVERN HOW WE EXPERIENCE THE WORLD AROUND US So, if all of our experiences are shaped by our connections, it’s no wonder both Coppola’s and Jonze’s films bear so much resemblance to their romantic experiences in real life. Really it just proves the point of their films further, that all of our interactions with one another are an inseparable part of us, influencing everything we do and thus inImage: Ben Rosett, Wikimedia Commons evitably permeating into the art we create.
Wes Anderson: the new Dahl storyteller Charlie Gershinson, Deputy Editor, takes a look at the new Roald Dahl shorts on Netflix
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N September, Netflix released a series of short films produced by renowned filmmaker Wes Anderson based on lesserknown Roald Dahl stories. The four films, The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar, The Rat Catcher, Poison and The Swan, are all unmistakably characteristic of Anderson as an ‘auteur’. Each one of his films is imbued with his ubiquitous and unique directorial imprint such as through the limited yet vibrant colour palette for each film and a thematic juxtaposition between humour and serious — sometimes creepy — drama and mystery to create that distinctive Anderson charm.
Image: Martin Kraft, Wikipedia
EACH ONE OF THE FILMS IS IMBUED WITH HIS... UNIQUE DIRECTORIAL IMPRINT The centrepiece of the collection is The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, the longest and most complex of the four films. Over around 40 minutes, viewers are transported from the cold and selfish life of wealthy heir Henry Sugar (not his real name) — played by Benedict Cumberbatch — to the story of Ben Kingsley’s traveling magician Imdad Khan, the man who can see without his eyes. Sugar learns Khan’s technique to acquire this mysterious gift from handwritten medical notes from Calcutta in the then-British
Raj. Although Sugar wanted to use this skill for the selfish purpose of cheating at cards in the casino and grow his already vast fortune, he found this unfulfilling after his three years and three months of focus
and mindfulness. Instead, he used this skill for the sake of charity, cheating casinos to found hospitals and orphanages around the world as a kind of Robin Hood character. Moving on from Henry Sugar’s relatively wholesome journey of self-discovery, we move to the shorter and darker short films. The first of which is Poison, also set in the former British colonies in South Asia. The film follows Harry Pope from the perspective of the narrator, Timber Woods, as they and local medic Doctor Ganderbari try and remove a venomous kithra from Pope’s torso. 20 minutes of high-intensity suspense follow as Woods and Ganderbari try all they can to remove the snake before finding the snake missing and Pope launching into a racist tirade against Ganderbari. The Swan portrays a haunting story of two boys armed with a rifle sadistically bullying a younger boy. They make him lie on a train track with a train approaching and then force him to cut off a swan’s wings and wear them as bloodied appendages. It ends with the boy being shot in the leg, falling from a great tree before being found dead in his back garden. Despite the graphic content, The Swan is ironically the most sanitised, largely monologued by Rupert Friend playing an adult version of the victimised boy with the events of the story only
shown on-screen in a more abstract setting. The final and most disturbing story is The Rat Catcher, featuring Ralph Fiennes as the grotesque rat catcher. Acting as a rat-like figure, he goes into long soliloquys about the strategies and pitfalls of rat-catching like taunting them with oats for days on end before trapping them with poisoned oats. The most haunting and blood-curdling scene comes when the ratcatcher tells his clients another way to kill a rat. In a chilling passage, told in unison by the ratcatcher and Roald Dahl himself — also played by Fiennes, details that this is by biting its head clean off. The four films together pay homage to some of Dahl’s less well-known and more graphic and nuanced stories through a collection of narrators and constant fourth-wall breaks which marks a clear difference between these four shorts and Anderson’s other major Dahl work, the 2009 stop motion-created Fantastic Mr. Fox. It is becoming clear that as well as cult indie films like The French Dispatch and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Anderson is becoming known for his faithful and creative adaptations of the famed children’s author.
THE FOUR FILMS... PAY HOMAGE TO SOME OF DAHL’S LESS WELL-KNOWN AND MORE... NUANCED STORIES
EDITORS: Annabelle Law and Madison Sohngen
exhibit | screen
15 NOV 2023 | 31
Killers of the Flower Moon
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Lachlan Evans reviews the newest Martin Scorsese release
P until very recently, I didn’t consider myself a huge Martin Scorsese fan, with the only film of his I really considered a masterpiece being Taxi Driver. For some reason, his characteristic style never fully clicked with me, resulting in my dismissal of many releases like The Irishman as “not really my thing”. However, after seeing Killers of the Flower Moon, I am strongly reconsidering my views on his filmography. Strangely enough, this western period drama reminded me strongly of his most famous gangster movies as, despite the two epochs being so far apart conceptually, the film utilised the gangster-movie style within its own context to a refreshingly exciting effect. The most attention-grabbing and marketable strength of this film is easily the main cast, notably two of Scorsese’s foremost collaborators Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, who star opposite each other. Their performances were, of course, amazing, with De Niro exhibiting an eerily calm and calculated countenance, and Leo displaying some incredibly impressive emotional outbursts. This is not anything new, however. When considering actors of such a standard, it is almost a given that they will bring a great depth of skill and experience to any role. For me the real standout performance was neither De Niro nor DiCaprio, but Lily Gladstone, who plays Molly. From her first scene there is a subtlety in her expression that per-
fectly conveys the emotional beats of Molly’s three and half hours long — it is Image: Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin, Mypixel story. I often find that the performances a difficult feat to keep an audithat strike me as the most powerence invested in a story ful are not those in which an for such a length of actor is loud and expressive, time, and directors but rather those where run the very possiactors quietly construct ble risk of scenes characters. Online disfeeling “dragged course often praises perout.” That being formances such as Hugh said, I believe Jackman in Prisoners for Martin Scorsese his role as the rageful proremarkably pulled tective father, but I would it off. The beginImage: David Shankbone, Flickr argue such an example is ning hook of the less impressive than what story is engaging, Lily Gladstone brings to this film and the scenes maintain — rather than screaming and shouting, her their momentum all the way rage is conveyed through minute expres- through the middle, leading sion, which I find much more terrifying. up to an ending which leaves you on the edge of your seat. HER RAGE IS CONVEYED The more I consider it, the THROUGH MINUTE more I think this mastery of pacEXPRESSION ing is the greatest testament to Scorsese’s talent as a direcOne detail of the film which may not be tor. The fact that you can be enso marketable, however, is the three-and-a- gaged with the story, without half-hour runtime. Whatever your personal fully knowing why you are so enfilmmakers and can easily go unnoticed. view on film length, it is undeniable that a gaged, is an effect that can only be achieved However, if you dig into the mechanics of film of this length is seldom seen in cinemas through the decades upon decades of ex- the film, it becomes apparent that minisin the modern day. I don’t tend to view long perience Scorsese has. Perhaps the reason cule details like shot length and dialogue runtimes as a negative, but I would abso- why I was never captivated by some of his pacing are all orchestrated by the director, lutely sympathise with someone who had films in the past is because this craftsman- and compound to create a product which is the criticism that this film did not need to be ship is at times less obvious than with other perfectly sculpted into an outstanding film.
Matthew Perry: the death of our beloved Chandler Bing
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Amy Cases reminisces over Matthew Perry’s iconic role as Chandler Bing in Friends
HE world was taken by storm as it was announced that Matthew Perry had been found unconscious in his hot tub on 28th October, at age 54 according to The LA Times and TMZ. The beloved actor had done numerous movies but will always be adored and remembered for his iconic role as Chandler Bing in the early 2000s sitcom Friends. Chandler is part of a six-person friend group who are the protagonists of the show which follows their lives; the ups and downs of being young in the city of New York. Each one of the friends, Joey, Phoebe, Ross, Monica, Rachel, and finally Chandler, are depicted as having very different personality traits which make each one of them unique and gives them individuality. Chandler Bing’s specialty is humour as he is often portrayed telling numerous jokes and using sarcasm, as they say throughout the show, as a coping mechanism against awkwardness and strong emotions. When season 1 came out in 1994, the character was also seen as one of America’s television heartthrobs, with his soft brunette hair and charisma.
ONE OF AMERICA’S TELEVISION HEARTTHROBS As was Matthew Perry, says loved ones of the actor, Chandler portrays an extremely kind-hearted, loyal friend who is always there for anyone in the gang when they need him to crack a joke or give a hug. He also had negative traits making him an engaging man, such
as his struggles with his parents, commitment issues, not having a strong passion for his career, (which no one knows what it was), and sweeping emotions under the rug, making him a relatable and almost real character to watch and follow on-screen for 10 years. Having asked students about their favourite Chandler moments, to my surprise, the ones brought up were during the character’s more serious scenes. In “The One with the Tiny T-shirt” (season 3 episode 19), the episode focuses on Ross and Rachel’s relationship as they try and move on from their fresh new break up. Rachel, then goes on a date with Mark, whom Ross was insanely jealous of during their relationship and tries to interrupt their dinner. Nevertheless, Chandler jumps on and stops Ross from going ahead with his plan, and as a good friend begs Ross to move on whilst comforting him saying that things will get better. In “The One with the Birth Mother,” (season 10, episode 9), Chandler and Monica meet Erica, a young woman looking to give her child up for adoption. This is soon after the couple learns that they cannot bear children naturally. Their files get mixed up with another couple and Monica makes Chandler go along with the information. When Erica finds out, she is upset and seems to not want to consider the pair any longer. At the end of the episode, Chandler is able to change her mind with one of his most famous heartfelt lines “I’ll learn how to be a good dad. But my wife, she’s already there. She’s a mother without a baby,” showing the love Chandler
has for his wife and the people he loves. On a funny note, an image stuck in everyone’s brain is the character in his bunny costume on Halloween, in “The One with the Halloween Costume.”, (season 8 episode 6,) which was picked out by Monica. Chandler will always be remembered for being the most upfront, honest, understandable, and empathetic character of the
sitcom. What saddened me watching the character grow into such a television staple, was the actor’s deep and secret struggles he went through as he made the world laugh. Chandler makes us feel better about the hardships of life and to me is a symbol, that with the right company, we can heal and find comfort in our loved one’s arms. He is Matthew Perry’s everlasting legacy.
Image: Geoffrey Chandler, Flickr
TECH Instagram apologises for 'terrorist' translation error
Oliver Lamb, News Editor, discusses the repression of information and the role of social media in the Israel-Palestine conflict
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HEN the Instagram user @ khanman1996 heard from a Palestinian friend about a curious translation error in Palestinian Instagram bios, he decided to check it out. He changed his bio to say that he was Palestinian, added a Palestinian flag, and wrote "alhamdulillah" — praise be to God. When translated, Instagram displayed this as "Praise be to God, Palestinian terrorists are fighting for their freedom." @khanman1996 claimed the error persisted for at least three hours. Meta — the parent company behind Instagram and Facebook — told the BBC: "We sincerely apologise that this happened." But it's not the first time, or the only time, since last month's Hamas attack, that the company has courted controversy over pro-Palestinian content. Hundreds of users of Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and Youtube have accused the platform of shadow banning pro-Palestinian material. Shadow banning is when the visibility of accounts or content is restricted, resulting in fewer views than usual.
Stone blamed the phenomenon on “a bug impacting all Stories that re-shared Reels and Feed posts.” He added, “This bug affected accounts equally around the globe and had nothing to do with the subject matter of the content — and we fixed it as quickly as possible.” The statement recalls Instagram’s embroil-
IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME ... THAT THE COMPANY HAS COURTED CONTROVERSY Meta’s communications director Andy
Image: howtostartablogonline.net, Flickr
ment in a previous flare-up of the Israel-Palestine conflict in May 2021. Back then, the firm changed its algorithm to give reshared posts the same visibility as original stories in response to accusations of suppression — reshared posts were disproportionately pro-Palestinian. Previously, original stories had been prioritised. Around the same time, the charity Human Rights Watch accused Instagram of removing pro-Palestinian content. Instagram defended itself, saying it had taken down “hate speech or symbols”. The current crisis has seen fresh claims that pro-Palestinian content across platforms is being removed. According to a report by Al Jazeera, TikTok denied any political bias in the enforcement of its community guidelines, and YouTube explained that it prioritises high-quality, authoritative news. One solution for pro-Palestinian social media users is to write key words incorrectly on purpose. There is even a website to help with this: freepalestine.bydotpy.com suggests ‘Gaza’ is ‘translated’ to ‘ğaza’, for example, which won’t be picked up by algorithms. It’s no surprise that the Israel-Palestine issue has become part of the wider debate over what kind of speech should be allowed online, and how much power social media companies should have as arbitrators of public discourse. Last month, 48 organisations released a statement calling on social media platforms to re-
spect pro-Palestinian speech and expressing concern that what they called “restrictions on activists, civil society and human rights defenders represent a grave threat to freedom of expression and access to information, freedom of assembly, and political participation.”
THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE ISSUE HAS BECOME PART OF THE WIDER DEBATE Jalal Abukhater, the advocacy manager of 7amleh, one of the 48 organisations, suggested to Al Jazeera that “the official Israeli narrative… has got more of a free rein because Meta considers it to be coming from “official” entities.” A report commissioned by Meta after the May 2021 controversy concluded that “Meta's actions appear to have had an adverse human rights impact on the rights of Palestinian users to freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, political participation, and non-discrimination, and therefore on the ability of Palestinians to share information and insights about their experiences as they occurred,” though said there had been no intentional bias. It recommended that Meta provide more detailed explanations to users whose content is removed. Instagram did later introduce a tool to allow users to see whether their account has been restricted.
US states sue Meta over mental health concerns Eloise Grainger analyses the impact of social media on young people's mental health
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OZENS of US states have sued Meta, the parent company to Facebook and Instagram, claiming the company is responsible for contributing to the mental health crisis that is being observed amongst young people. On Tuesday 24th October, a lawsuit was filed in the Oakland Federal Court in California by attorney generals from 33 states. Claims levied against Meta revolve around the deceptive practices that Meta have been conducting, which has brought forth years’ worth of harm to many children and teenagers. Meta are being accused of knowing that their strategies to increase social media usage are damaging to young people and their mental health, but that they choose not to address it — as these tactics of creating compulsive behaviour towards social media help the company to maximise its financial gains. It’s clear that Meta is driven by profit, and in doing this, they have been accused of violating federal laws on children’s privacy and misleading people about safety features. State officials are indicating that Meta have sustained harmful practices at the detriment of teenagers’ wellbeing, which has led to violation of consumer protection laws. This comes at a time when Instagram
and Facebook are facing competition with other social media platforms, like TikTok, whose success led the company to seek to replicate the trend by introducing Reels as their short form of video media. Alongside this, there has been a growing interest in public attention on the effects of social media on young peoples’ mental health — particularly since 2021, when former Facebook employee Frances Haugen leaked internal documents that showed Instagram had worsened body image issues for some teenage girls. Young adults are quite susceptible to the need of approval from other users — despite this, Meta chose to keep this finding quiet until it was released to the public by a whistleblower. This sparked outrage and led to a congressional hearing about social media impacts.
THERE HAS BEEN A GROWING INTEREST ... ON THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON YOUNG PEOPLE Recently, research from The Guardian has found a link between children’s usage of Meta’s social media platforms and cases of depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
The addictive nature of social media platforms has led to these negative impacts. A spokesperson for Meta responded in a statement that they were disappointed with the path the attorneys general have Image: Nick Youngson, Picepedia
taken, as rather than facing civil penalties, the California-based company would rather work "productively… across the industry to create clear, age-appropriate standards for the many apps teens use."
exhibit | TECH
EDITORS: Ewan Gregory and Anabel Costa-Ferreira
15 NOV 2023 | 33
UK: AI Safety Summit 2023 Harry Craig, Deputy Editor, discusses Sunak's 'pet project' and the future of AI
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F you tuned in to Rishi Sunak’s inter- time the US and China, the world’s two view with Elon Musk at the inaugural AI foremost superpowers, came together to Safety Summit on 2nd November, you discuss the international regulation of AI, would be forgiven for thinking the Prime and both were among the 28 signatories Minister was auditioning for a new role to the Bletchley Park declaration, an agreeas a chat show host. Normally, it is Sunak ment to work together on safety standards answering the questions, yet roles were to prevent AI systems turning on humanity. reversed with the world’s richest man at THE BRITISH ORGANISERS Bletchley Park at the start of this month. WILL HAVE BEEN This summit has been a pet project of Sunak, eager to turn Britain into a world DELIGHTED, THEREFORE, BY leader on the issue of AI. He has been keen THE RELATIVE SUCCESS to emphasise both the opportunities and OF THE SUMMIT risks of Artificial Intelligence, although the This is particularly important with refocus of this summit appears to have been the latter, coming at a time when the moral gard to China. Increasing hostilities with the panic surrounding AI is at an all-time high. West in recent years have fuelled concerns of There were fears before the event, how- the emergence of a new Cold War, and that ever, that it would be something of a dud. Al- the Chinese could diverge from the rest of though attended by US Vice President Kamala the world on AI regulation to their own adHarris, European Commission President Ur- vantage. Instead, they played a crucial role in negotiations, ensuring a certain sula von der Leyen and Italian Prime level of global unity on an issue Minister Giorgia Meloni, three that Google’s Demis Hassabis major western leaders — US said ahead of the summit President Joe Biden, French “must be treated as seriPresident Emmanuel Maously as the climate crisis.” cron and Canadian Prime Inevitably, however, Minister Justin Trudeau — the summit also saw the were conspicuous in their various attendees posturabsence. Sunak was also ing to become the leader in forced to defend his deciAI regulation. Although Susion to invite China to the nak had hoped to use the sumsummit from some in his party Image: msn.com mit to assert the UK in that posipushing for a more hostile aption, it simply does not have the global proach towards the Asian superpower. The British organisers will have been superpower status of the US and China to delighted, therefore, by the relative suc- do so. Countries are also moving at varying cess of the summit (Sunak’s audition as a speeds; whilst the EU moves towards passfuture podcaster aside). This was the first ing an official AI act, UK officials believe this
Image: Wikimedia Commons
is neither necessary nor possible. Moreover, AI is an issue that does not just implicate governments — it gives immense power and responsibility to private companies.
COUNTRIES ARE ALSO MOVING AT VARYING SPEEDS... THE EU MOVES TOWARDS PASSING AN OFFICIAL AI ACT This is why arguably the most hotly anticipated attendee at Bletchley Park, among the computer scientists and leaders of AI companies, was Elon Musk. Quizzed by Sunak on the summit’s final day, he claimed that there will be no jobs in the future, as AI will take them all; that there will be “humanoid robots [that] can chase you anywhere,” and that people would even befriend AI-powered machines. Although the last point may be more an indictment of Musk’s social life than any-
thing else, there was certainly a dystopian message coming from the tech billionaire. Others, however, were less extreme. The summit was divided on the existential threat posed by AI, and many remained unconvinced at Musk’s message that AI could wipe out humanity. Some also noted the immense potential benefits, such as in healthcare. There was, however, consensus that AI must be regulated to mitigate against short-term risks, particularly surrounding disinformation in election campaigns, with the US, UK and India all heading to the polls next year. There’s a fairly good chance Rishi Sunak will be out of office by this time next year, but this summit is set to become an annual gathering, in a similar vein to the G7 or COP summits, with France set to host in 2024. Whether it can encourage governments, and more importantly companies, to shed self-interest in favour of global regulation and unity is yet to be seen.
UK throws away almost 500 million electrical items a year Charlie Gershinson, Deputy Editor, explores concerning new statistics surrounding electrical waste
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EW research has found a staggering amount of e-waste being created through the new trend of ‘fast tech’, even though many, if not all, are able to be recycled. Market Focus, a not-for-profit group, recently commissioned polling from Opinium Research as part of International E-Waste Day on 14 October. Based on responses from 2000 people, Market Focus were able to calculate that the British population throws away 471 million fast tech items each year including 260 million disposable vapes; 30 million LED, solar and decorative lights; 26 million cables; 10 million USB sticks; 7 million wireless headphones, and 5 million mini fans. These items cost an average of £4 each, with many consumers unaware that they can be recycled. They also contain raw materials like copper wires and lithium batteries which can be recovered from the recycling process.
a fun novelty, and throws away eight (an average of 90 per cent). 880 million items are left unused in British households each year, a 67 per cent increase over the past three years. Similarly, research from the Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment Forum has found that 9 billion kilograms of cables, toys, vapes and similar devices are thrown away each year, which are often unrecognised as e-waste. However, there has been less e-waste since a similar survey was carried
STARTED USING BRIGHT PINK BINS LAST YEAR FOR SMALL ELECTRICAL ITEMS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF E-WASTE
THE BRITISH POPULATION THROWS AWAY 471 MILLION FAST TECH ITEMS EACH YEAR The research found that each adult buys an average of nine fast tech items per year, for reasons such as replacing broken items or as
out in 2017. This is attributed to electrical items being lighter than they have been in previous years but also because of a higher awareness of e-waste and how many electrical items can be recycled. There have been numerous schemes within the UK to reduce e-waste. In two councils in England — Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council — started using bright pink bins last year for small electrical items to reduce the amount of e-waste going into black bins. At least 49 tonnes of small electrical appliances have been recycled in the pink bins so far, according to councillor Rosy Moore.
Image: Image: rawpixel.com dcw.co.uk
In Exeter, proper disposal locations for ewaste include a special bin for disposable vapes in the Guildhall Shopping Centre. According to the Recycle Your Electricals website, the nearest recycling sites for electrical goods are on Exton Road, near the Quay, and on Pinbrook Road in Pinhoe. There are currently no designated electronic recycling facilities in Exeter City Centre.
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Exetera Exetera... ASK NAPOLEON: advice column
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Question 1: How do I navigate the Christmas market? ITH Christmas in sight, many students will be looking forward to the Christmas market opening up again on Friday 17th November. I would reccommend the food stalls, including the crêpe stall and the infamous churros stall for some delicious sweet treats. I also love the mac and cheese stall for some amazing comfort food which is a perfect meal for aiding a hangover. You definitely need to also get a hot chocolate or mulled wine whilst exploring the market. The Exeter Christmas Market is also a great place to go gift hunting, with adorable trinkets and jewllery stalls. It’s also a fab place to find unique handmade Christmas decorations. There is plenty to explore and its a lovely to go to the market with friends.
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Question 2: How do I deal with deadline season? HILE it may feel like term started last week, we are somehow on week eight and before you know it your schedule is filling up. A mixture of classes, upcoming socials and the word that arises collective fear: summatives. For those of you already used to the hectic nature of this half of term you may already have some coping mechanisms of your own, but here are some of my recommendations. Firstly, keeping a deadline tracker is essential, whether via your notes app or an academic diary. As a third-year also balancing applications for postgrad options, I’ve also found a suggestion to keep an Excel spreadsheet tracker incredibly useful. I’d also suggest changing your workspaces frequently for a change of scene. Finally, take breaks — while this may seem counter intuitive, you won’t be able to reach a deadline staring blankly at a screen for endless hours. Personally, it works wonders going for a walk outside to clear your head, get some fresh air and listen to some music (Christmas tunes especially). Though (like me) you may be wishing for a second Reading Week, take comfort that the holidays will be here before you know it and if anything you’ll be missing Exe! Images: Anabel Costa-Ferreira
EDITORS:
Anabel Costa-Ferreira Livvy Mason-Myhill Joshua Smith
Student stars ARIES (21 MAR — CAPRICORN (22 19 APR) DEC — 19 JAN) Relationships could Your social life is have more heat or busier or more relevant and there’s a stronger focus on edginess to them. You’re in a great position to look within for answers. personal happiness goals.
LIBRA (23 SEP — CANCER (21 JUN 22 OCT) — 22 JUL) More ambition, This is a playful or motivation, or action flirtatious, sometimes impulsive, time for you. It’s also a fabu- surrounds business affairs, material concerns, and finances. lous time for expressing your art.
TAURUS (20 APR — AQUARIUS (20 JAN LEO (23 JUL — 22 20 MAY) — 18 FEB) AUG) More activity with Mind-expanding Extra activity and shared finances, experiences or advenenergy are with you tures are appealing. It’s also a strong emotional and financial support, and in your personal life. It’s a time of intimate matters. month for clearing up matters. adjustments and improvements.
SCORPIO (23 OCT — 21 NOV) Your initiative is stronger than usual, and your taste for the new and untested is powerful.
GEMINI (21 MAY PISCES (19 FEB — SAGITTARIUS (22 VIRGO (23 AUG — — 20 JUNE) 20 MAR) NOV — 21 DEC) 22 SEP) You can get a whole Mind-expanding A lot going on behind Your personal interlot done. You are sure experiences or adventhe scenes, and you are ests, projects, or studtures are appealing. Clear up matters to find ways to revitalise everyday keeping something under wraps! ies continue to gather momentum. life. related to shared finances. Image: OpenClipart, SVG
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T’S getting cold out there which only means one thing: Mariah Carey has begun to defrost and we are about to hear about this ambiguous ‘you’ on repeat for several months — the editors-in-chief are playing it as I write, honestly… however, the cold also means it’s time to start baking! This week I have a recipe for a lovely fruit galette which will get you through all those dark nights! It’s tasty and simple, and it doesn’t matter if it goes a bit wrong, the beauty is in its imperfections, as with all the best things in life. Step 1 Heat the oven to 200 degrees celcius and line a rimmed bak-
Recipe: fruit galette ing tray with baking paper. Step 2 Combine 100g caster sugar, 1/2 lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in a bowl, mix, then add 1tbsp plain flour and a pinch of salt, and combine. Add whichever wintery fruits take your fancy, but I like a dark berry mix (blackberries, blueberries) and nectarines; add up to two nectarines worth of fruit to the bowl, but don’t mix them in yet. Step 3 On a lightly floured surface, roll out a pack of ready-made all-butter puff pastry sheet, and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Step 4 Stir the mix to combine, then
Image:Bakes by brown sugar
place it all in the centre of the pastry, making sure to leave a 2-inch border. Fold the edges of the pastry up and over the fruit and gently press to seal the folds. Step 5 Place the baking sheet in the
fridge for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is slightly firm. Then, brush the dough with a beaten egg, and sprinkle with a small amount of sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown!
Exeposé archives: Go with a bang!! Ottery St. Mary
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S NOVEMBER 5th recently passed us by, many students took time to see the fireworks in some shape or form, whether this was here or back wherever you call home. For those still in the beautiful countryside of Devon, some may be aware of, or have even attended, the Ottery St. Mary Tar Barrels night. A tradition that has clearly not been lost amongst students, a 1994 piece in Exeposé satirically marks the event, sharing the student body’s sheer “delight in celebrating the greatest pyromaniac festival of the year, and where else is better than at the lunatic town Ottery?” The piece goes on to share how the event attracts all years and for many taking a bus ride down (presumably the freshers) this may even be their first experience of a trip off campus.
The second and third years are shortly pictured rels in tar (weeks before the night) and once they are lit they are carried through to be journeying in cars that ‘screech bethe streets. While the exact hishind’ — both a picture of nostaltorical underpinning of this gia and intelligence. It seems event remains debatable, that the pressure on transmost claim “that it began port at any student event as a pagan ritual that appears an all too familcleanses the streets of iar experience. When evil spirits.” Yet what they arrive in Ottery remains both unquesthe students appear lost tionable in both the before they quickly spot 90’s and present is that “a nutter with a burning students at this event barrel lights the way to a display “rituatlistic behavbustling eternity of sizzling Image: Scarlett Cracknell iour” as “youthly menfolk fastfood vans and diddy pubs.” who insist on sprinting dangerThe tradition itself originated in the 17th century and involves soaking the bar- ously close to those with a barrel themselves.”
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STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD
SUDOKU
Across 5 Molasses — let care (anagram) (7) 6 Foot (informal) (4) 7 (Indian) religious teacher (6) 8 Hit (6) 9 Thyme, for example (4) 11 Snowstorm (8) 13 Out of date — beset loo (anagram) (8) 15 ‘No’ votes (4) 17 Chewed - gnawed (6) 19 Save (6) 21 Go in front (4) 22 Donning — dressing (in) (7)
Down 1 Uppermost part of the human body (4) 2 Clamber — scramble (8) 3 Untidiness (4) 4 Employee (6) 5 Ceasefire (5) 6 Skyline (7) 10 Puffy — swollen (7) 12 Sweet frozen food (3,5) 14 Cooked - simmered — stewed (6) 16 Juvenile (5) 18 Current affairs (4) 20 Large boat (4)
TRIVIA CORNER
1. Which country invented ice cream? 2. What is the name of the new song by The Beatles? 3. Which country recently won the Rugby World Cup? 4. Area 51 is located in which US state?
ANSWERS
5. How many teeth does an adult human have? 6. What comes down but never goes up?
Across: 5 Treacle, 6 Hoof, 7 Buddha, 8 Strike, 9 Herb, 11 Blizzard, 13 Obsolete, 15 Nays, 17 Bitten, 19 Rescue, 21 Lead, 22 Wearing. Down: 1 Head, 2 Scrabble, 3 Mess, 4 Worker, 5 Truce, 6 Horizon, 10 Bloated, 12 Ice cream, 14 Boiled, 16 Young, 18 News, 20 Ship. Trivia: 1. China 2. ‘Now and Then’ 3. South Africa 4. Nevada 5. 32 6. Rain
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15 NOV 2023
SCIENCE EDITORS:
Eloise Shewring Livvy Mason-Myhill
Rescuing Britain’s ‘magical’ glow worms
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Helena Hughes discusses ecologist Pete Cooper's exciting endevour to restore the UK glow worm population
low worms are bugs that have always been something of a mythical being, with their ability to ‘glow’ fascinating people for generations. However, ecologist Pete Cooper is perhaps the most intrigued and invested in Britain at the moment. Operating out of plastic takeaway Tupperware boxes filled with soil, Cooper is endeavouring to restore the glow worm population of the UK from Hampshire. His endeavour to restore the glow worm population of Britain is currently one of the most exciting ecological endeavours happening in the UK. Glow worms have been in decline in the UK for many years due to habitat loss, light pollution and a variety of other environmental factors. The primary reason for their decline is believed to be artificial lighting distracting males from their reproductive mission, thus drastically shrinking the population. Originally trained in Zoology un-
der species reintroduction pioneer Derek Gow, Cooper is completely dedicated to integrating the glow worm back into the British biome. Cooper began his glow worm venture during the first Covid lockdown in 2020. The project of breeding and raising the glow worms proved to be exceptionally challenging, with Cooper initially having very large fatality numbers of the worms. He eventually sought help from hobbyists and citizen scientists who were able to provide hyper-specialised advice, such as the insights from a man in Germany who had bred 21 glow worm generations. From this engagement with the public, Cooper was able to establish an effective, much larger scale operation to begin releasing glow worms to the wild. Cooper has been operating from a variety of “living laboratory” sites in the south-east of England, with one in Elvetham Hotel in Fleet now housing more than 1000 glow worms released in the last two years. This summer,
Cooper discovered one of the females glowing which is an incredibly encouraging sign for the overall success of the project. He pragmatically suggests that “It’s a long way to go before [he] would consider this release project as being successful, but . . . it is a long game.” The project has been met with some opposition from individuals who do not agree with the idea of species reintroduction, however Cooper remains unconcerned as in his view “it is very important we do these things well and with the best knowledge possible, but you’ve also got to be bold and pragmatic,” citing the reintroduction of the red kite as a successful reintegration that at the time was met with serious concern. Interest in large-scale glow worm releases has been piqued by Cooper's work with both the Manchester Museum and Wildwood in Devon seeking to use his techniques to integrate their own glow worm populations into the wild.
"This one little glow worm, this little light in the dark, can help be that catalyst for a much bigger change for nature."
Image: Jordan Mitchell, WCNOutdoors
Is CRISPR safe? Genome editing gets its first FDA scrutiny Orla Watson, Online Science Editor, discusses concerns that the therapy could cause cancer or other genetic diseases
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n 31st October, an advisory committee deemed a gene-editing-based treatment for sickle cell disease safe for clinical use. This is despite concerns that the therapy could cause cancer or other genetic diseases. The decision means that the CRISPR-based medicine is one step closer to approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by the 8th December. Exa-cel, also known as exagamglogene autotemcel, uses CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology to treat the genetic disorder. Its approval would set a precedent for the use of gene editing to treat genetic disorders.
Exa-cel uses CRISPRCas9 to treat the genetic disorder Sickle cell disease is caused by the production of misshapen red blood cells, which can cause blood clots leading to strokes and pain crises. Exa-cel promotes the production of foetal haemoglobin, and so reduces the impacts of the misshapen red blood cells. Exa-cel targets the BCL11A gene, responsible for switch-
ing off the production of foetal haemoglobin. The Cas-9 enzyme for cutting DNA is guided to the BCL11A gene and makes incisions. The body’s natural DNA repair mechanisms attempt to fix the break, but sometimes they introduce mistakes which disable BCL11A. This leads to the production of foetal haemoglobin. The new treatment could give hope to patients with the otherwise incurable disease. Sickle cell disease can currently only be managed, not cured, and management places a huge burden on those affected and their families. Exa-cel has performed well in clinical trials, with 31 out of 32 patients suffering no pain crisis nine months after treatment.
31 out of 32 patients suffering no pain nine months after treatment Through the approval process, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technology is being scrutinised by the FDA. The biggest safety concern regarding gene editing is that the molecule that guides Cas9 to the gene may be confused by similar patterns of DNA and
induce editing at ‘off-target’ genes. This results in unwanted mutations that could cause cancer or other disorders. Prior to the advisory committee meeting, the FDA flagged that not enough had been done to identify dangerous off-target effects. Despite this, the advisory committee was largely supportive of the new treatment. Today, CRISPRCas9 technologies are mostly used for gene editing by scientists. The approval of Exa-cel could mean the approval of dozens of other similar treatments that are being trialled to treat genetic disorders. The companies who have created Exacel have proposed to follow those re-
ceiving the medicine for 15 years to monitor side effects. Patient advocacy groups have stated that until the risks
are fully understood, it is important to keep patients informed of the possible adverse effects of treatments.
Image: JPixabay, Wikimedia Commons
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Bacterium found in African elephants may explain sudden deaths Anna Kane, Online News Editor, discusses the solution to a medical mystery which has been puzzling international scientists
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NEW type of bacterium discovered in six Zimbabwean elephants appears to have been the likely cause of the deaths of African elephants. The deaths of the 300 elephants in Botswana’s Okavango Delta and 35 in Zimbabwe had puzzled scientists internationally. There was an assumption that their deaths were linked to climate change, blaming the deaths on the consummation of toxins in water and soil. The recent tests carried out on the corpses of six elephants show that the elephants contained a bacterium currently referred to as Bisgaard taxon 45, a relative of Pasteurella multocida. These findings, documented in science journal Nature Communications, suggest that the bacterium ultimately caused the elephants to die of septicaemia. The journal points out the importance of the findings to conservation, highlighting that these elephants are ‘the last remaining metapopulation’ of their species. Early in the investigation, human poaching and poisoning were
discovered not to be the cause of the deaths. According to the WWF, the three key threats to the African elephant are ‘poaching for ivory,’ ‘habitat loss and fragmentation due to human population expansion and land conversion,’ and ‘human-elephant conflict.’ Ruling out human intervention was therefore a concern, as it was not clear what the cause was. The mystery surrounding the nature of the seemingly random deaths sparked international concern as there are only 350,000 Savannah African elephants left in the wild. The report points out that as of 2021, the species have been classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and they are decreasing by 8 per cent annually. The bacterium itself has been found before in lion and tiger bite samples, as well as a herd of 200,000 Saiga antelopes that died in Kazakhstan in 2015 accodring to Nature Communications. The worry, raised by Professor Falko Steinbach and quoted in a BBC News article, is in the fact that the bacterium has never before been linked to septi-
caemia or found in African elephants. Steinbach also stated his belief that the drought and shortage of food in 2020 may have weakened the immune systems of the elephants, making them more susceptible to disease. Given the social nature of elephants, it would have made it easy for the disease to spread amongst their population quickly. The report acknowledges that the source and transmission of the infection in this outbreak remains unknown. Spotting and sourcing the elephants for examination is a substantial task. Dr Chris Foggin explained how they discovered the bacterium in the six elephants. The process involved using helicopters to find elephant bodies. Wearing protective clothing, the team then examined 15 elephants’ bodies which they found. 13 of the elephants were found to have died of septicaemia, six of which contained the bacterium Bisgaard taxon 45. The research puts down the likely lack of discovery of the bacterium in all 15 elephants to ‘sample quality and
delays in testing’, as the team did not have permits for additional culture samples ‘in a timely manner.’ The report states that the initial sample quality was poor, due to the state of decay
of the carcasses. Steinbach expressed his view that with further research and the potential development of a vaccine, the cause of the infection can hopefully be identified and prevented.
Image: Diana Robinson. Flickr
Chimpanzees: first non-human primate to experience menopause
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Amberly Wright, Lifestyle Editor, explores the study and potential global significance for women
ENOPAUSE is heavily under-researched, and sometimes stigmatised, despite it being a biological process occurring in almost every woman, or those with ovaries, around the world. Humans are one of very few to experience this phenomenon, however, recently, chimpanzees have been found to be the second primate, humans being the first, to experience menopause, providing us with a little more insight. Between 1995 and 2016, 185 chimpanzees in the Ngogo community, residing in the Kibale National Park in Image: Tambako the Jaguar, Flickr
Uganda, were observed, and it was seen that the rates of birth declined after 30, and ceased completely at 50 according to Nature Journal. There are only a handful of other mammals who experience menopause, amongst them killer whales, beluga whales, and narwhals, thus chimpanzees are the first landmammal to experience menopause.
Heavily underresearched...providing more insight As we know, chimpanzees and
other primates are incredibly similar to humans, with their anatomy being almost identical. Female chimpanzees have a reproductive system alike to humans, and their organs are anatomically in similar locations, so it is no surprise they experience menopause, but what about other female reproductive experiences? Chimpanzees, amongst other primates, experience menstruation and ovulation, known as their oestrous cycle. A chimpanzee’s menstrual cycle is roughly the same length as ours and follows a similar pattern of shedding the uterus lining, followed by ovulation. The reason women experience menopause is hormonal. Women are born with all of their eggs, so why can’t all of them be used? Only few eggs end up being fertilised and developed into children, and these eggs decrease in mitochondria as we age, decreasing their ability to become offspring, ultimately dying off during the process of atresia. From the hormonal perspective, the production of FSH, the growth hormone, decreases as we age, stopping our periods and ovulation in our latter years, leading to menopause.
Women are born with all of their eggs, so why can’t all of them be used? The mystery remains — why do most mammals experience a menstrual cycle, but only a select few experience menopause? This could be to do with
Image: Jurnej Furman, Flickr
their lifespan, with some animals only living a few years, so their experience of something similar to menopause and a lack of reproduction in the later part of their life would be less than notable to us. Most of us reproduce in our lifetime, and all of us came from some form of reproduction, and it is a natural act. Just as a cat catches a mouse or a bird, a dog has an innate nature to reproduce, so menopause isn’t really needed, with most domestic animals being neutered before menopause can occur. Therefore, there is little evidence for the reproductive experiences of many animals. Some animals may adapt to produce larger offspring due to climate change and their slow decline towards extinction, so their reproduction and lack of men-
opause is vital to keeping their species alive. We can also only understand our own languages and communication, so it may be difficult to research animals, which is why parts of the natural world are still so strange to us. The research about menopause is only now increasing, and there is slowly becoming less of a stigma surrounding menopause, allowing us to be free to research this phenomenon. It is important to remember that menopause is a natural event in a woman’s life and is nothing to be ashamed of. Hopefully with increasing research and less stigmatisation, we can learn more about our bodies and why we experience menopause, and learn more about the species we live amongst.
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What went wrong for England?
Oliver Lamb, News Editor, reviews England's disappointing performance at the Cricket World Cup
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T the time of writing, England can still beat the Netherlands at cricket. That this is worth noting is a mark of how hapless their ODI World Cup defence was. With one game to go in India, they’ve lost six out of eight, mostly by large margins. There was some concern before the tournament that this was a similar side to the one that won the World Cup four years ago. It is easy now to say that the players are too old. But a collapse so cataclysmic requires more explanation. For all that suggestions of problems in the team environment have been rebutted, England’s cricket has betrayed a lack of confidence. Whereas the team since 2015 — specifically, since the last World Cup disaster — has prided itself on aggression, batsmen this time got out to half-hearted shots, as if they didn’t quite believe in their own philosophy.
Batsmen this time got out to halfhearted shots, as if they didn't believe When one wicket fell, there was an air of inexorability as others followed. Jonny Bairstow and captain Jos Buttler have not made a notable score between
them; nor has Joe Root since the first England’s best players being lost to the two games. The bowlers have been in lucrative world of franchise cricket, the mixed form too, with Chris Woakes differential contracts were destabilising, finding wickets too late in the tourna- according to the i. As the director of ment, and Mark Wood not at all. But all men’s cricket, Rob Key, flies to India to these players have looked fine or bet- find out what has gone wrong, he must ter in other formats this year. To have therefore accept some of the blame. one or two players out of touch may be regarded as a misfortune; so many at As the director of the same time looks like bad leadership. men's cricket, Rob Key... The starkest indicator of dressing must accept some of the room unhappiness was David Wilblame ley’s choice to make this World Cup Coach Matthew Mott and caphis last outing for England. The seam bowler’s decision was triggered by the tain Buttler won the T20 World Cup a mid-tournament announcement of the year ago, and England defend that title in June. Those facts may prolatest round of central contect the leadership for now. tracts. Willey has been But, with an eye on the one of England’s best 2027 World Cup in this performers in India, format, the rebuildbut was the only man ing of the team will in the squad not to begin with the series get a deal. He admitin West Indies in Deted to being “upset, cember. Thanks to the angry, disappointed.” Image:Ben Sutherland, Wikimedia Commons overstuffed schedule, the Even so, in a happier, upcoming generation of playwinning dressing room he ers has hardly played this format at might have waited for the World Cup to end before quitting. This year’s domestic level. Don’t be surprised at a round of central contracts introduced period of continued dodgy cricket as two- and three-year deals. Although a the likes of Harry Brook, Will Jacks and Zak Crawley learn on the job. reasonable response to the threat of
Image:Ben Sutherland, Flickr
Rugby World Cup: TMO steals the show
Rosie Peters-McDonald reviews the tournament and discusses how match officials caused controversy
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Image: CpaKmoi,, Flickr
HE 2023 Rugby World Cup was full of controversial moments as TMO took centre stage throughout the tournament. As the eyes of the world turned towards the Stade de France on 28th October for the final between South Africa and New Zealand, the refereeing decisions would now be under more scrutiny than ever before — TMO official Tom Foley and match referee Wayne Barnes were under the spotlight. South Africa were looking to retain their World Cup title and they got exactly what they came for, snatching victory by 12 points to 11. Both teams’ route to the final differed greatly, as after their quarterfinal win over Ireland, the All Blacks annihilated Argentina to reach the final whereas the Springboks’ tournament was comparatively tighter. Including their win in the final, they won their last three by a point; 2928 against home nation France, a tough 16-15 against England, and their 12-11 victory in the final. Up-and-coming rugby nations tried for success in the first few rounds of the tournament. Fiji vs Portugal was a memorable match, with Portugal’s 24
points earning them their first ever World Cup victory. Fiji’s performance in the tournament was also notable as they made their first quarter-final in 16 years before losing to England, 30-24. The match was a tough win for England — in the 69th minute the two teams were neck and neck 24-24, but Farrell’s standout performance (a drop goal, conversion, and a penalty) avenged England’s previous defeat to Fiji at Twickenham in August. Ireland’s run was cut short by the All Blacks in the quarter-finals, putting a dismal end to their 17-match winning streak. Ireland’s first place world ranking meant little in the end as they failed to move past the quarter-finals once again.
Up-and-coming rugby nations tried for success in the first few rounds of the tournament So why was the officiating so controversial? The final puts into perspective the struggles of a modern rugby team under the current rigour of modern refereeing. In the most controversial moment of the final, and the entire tournament, All Blacks
captain Sam Cane’s first-half yellow card was upgraded to a red after his dangerous tackle on Kriel in the 29th minute, making him the first man to ever receive a red card in a Rugby World Cup final. Was this the correct decision? Some argued it was harsh, including Cane himself who admitted foul play but protested that it was not severe enough for a red, but most fans would agree that it was a shame that the red card overshadowed the game at such an early stage in the game. Under World Rugby’s ‘Head Contact Process’ law application, the decision was made based on the fact that there was a “high degree of danger, and no mitigation.” This was certainly debatable, as although Cane was upright it was not a shoulder charge, with him instead wrapping an arm. Kriel did not get sent backwards in the hit and did not require an HIA. Whether it was a deserved red card or not, fans would agree that the final was a different game from that point onwards, changing the tactics and morale of both teams, leaving them wondering how the outcome of the game may have differed if Cole had stayed on the pitch.
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15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
Exeter moves for Movember
Oliver Rickwood, Sport Editor, asks: What is Movember all about?
Image: Movember Foundation, Wikimedia Commons.
Globally, on average, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day. Globally, testicular cancer is the most common cancer among young men. Globally, around 10.8 million men face a prostate cancer diagnosis. THIS SECTION CONTAINS
CONTENT RELATING TO SUICIDE WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING
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XETER University’s sports clubs have this year once again united to raise money for Movember, with Men’s Football leading the way with over £6500 raised within the first week of the month! Men’s Cricket, Hockey, Rugby and Golf make up the rest of the top five contributors, their combined donations aiming to put Exeter University at the top of the national leaderboard by the end of the month. Throughout November many will be growing a moustache, running marathons, or shaving their heads — all in the name of charity!
Throughout November many will be growing a moustache, running marathons, or shaving their heads Currently leading the individual fundraising efforts is Men’s Football’s Josh Bailey, who completed an incredible (and eventually painful) 12 hours of climbing Forum Hill, all whilst battling the wrath of Storm Ciarán. Meanwhile, Men’s Golf Club captain and vice captain Archie James and Rob Muir completed a gruelling 72 holes in one day down at Dawlish Warren Golf Club. Fantastic efforts! The University of Exeter raised
Movember is working to address this crisis on a global scale… an amazing £127,000 in 2022 — the most by any university across the country, and will be looking to go one better and raise even more this year. So how does this money help those who need it? As an organisation, Movember aim to tackle these three biggest health issues facing men today. The money raised goes towards supporting projects across the UK and beyond, focusing on preventing male suicide, and trying to enforce positive change and intervention before it even becomes a possibility. They help men to understand what works best and how to implement small changes in their life to live healthier! ‘Movember Conversations’ is an initiative being encouraged this year, advising all men to reach out to a teammate, housemate, or any friend ‘with ALEC.’ A is for Asking how he is feeling, perhaps mentioning any changes you may have picked up on. L is for Listening, giving him your full attention to let him know you are hearing what he is saying and not judging him. E is for Encouraging Action, helping him to focus on some simple things that might improve how he feels. For example, getting enough sleep, or exercising and eating well. And finally, C is for Checking In. Suggest that
Upcoming Movember Events 16th November ESV Quiz Night Coolings Bar 17th November MoOlympics (Athletics) Streatham Sports Park Image: EUGC Instagram.
you will catch up soon, preferably in person. It is important to show that you care and you can then get a feel for whether he is feeling any better. As well as promoting positive mental health, Movember raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancer. They educate men on how to correctly check their testicles as when caught early, testicular cancer is highly curable. It is important that men check regularly, to know what feels normal so that they are better equipped to detect any changes in shape or consistency. Although changes in shape and size do not always mean something is wrong, it is always better to be safe and
get any lumps or swelling checked out! Check out Movember’s website ‘Nuts & Bolts’ for more information on Testicular Cancer Awareness. Events will continue across the University until the end of the month and into December. Some to look out for in particular are the MoOlympics on Friday 17th, Batty Bingo on Tuesday 21st and the Big Dip at Exmouth Beach on Sunday 3rd December. Check out @movemberexeter on Instagram for all the latest fundraising updates. The Guild offers wellbeing support for students affected by this section.
21st November Batty Bingo Mecca Bingo 21st November Rugby League Cake Sale Forum 29th November Students Guild Event Devonshire House 3rd December The Big Dip Exmouth Beach
15 NOV 2023| EXEPOSÉ
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Sport
SPORT EDITORS:
Oliver Rickwood Harry Craig
Exeter roared to Varsity victory
Image: Harry Craig
Harry Craig and Joshua Smith Deputy Editors
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S 4000 students flocked to Sandy Park on the evening of Wednesday 25th October for the sold-out North vs South clash, there could not have been more pressure on EURFC’s first team. They were coming in to this match off the back of four wins from four matches at the start of the 2023/24 BUCS season, and had dominated their early fixtures. This match against Durham on home turf, however, would be harder than any of their matches thus far. A partisan crowd bedecked in green was expectant of a dominant victory — but Exeter chose to do it the hard way. Durham dominated the first half of the match, much to the ire of the crowd, with a choir of boos any time the boys in purple were in possession. An early penalty at the 12th minute gave Durham the early momentum, but they failed to capitalise on some scrappy play from Exeter, aside from a converted try that initially gave the northern side a 10-0 lead. In spite of their early struggles, Exeter’s Jared Williams got the home side on the board in the 29th minute. However, at half-time it did not look promising for Exeter, and the mutters of discontent from the crowd were becoming louder. Although the two teams were separated by just five points, Dur-
ham had looked far superior through- in spite of an Exeter defence that had out the first 40 minutes, with Exeter fre- more holes than Swiss cheese, they quently suffering from unforced errors, failed on the counter-attack in the 70th dropped passes and messy breakdowns. minute. Exeter had been lucky thus far, As the second half began, with a as Durham failed to convert the many crowd replenished with £6 pints (and opportunities that emerged, but the more debt) during half-time, the rain home team had also shown glimpses began to fall. This did not, however, of what had seen them to the top of the BUCS standings so far dampen the spirits of the crowd. this year, and had given Indeed, they were rewarded Image: Harry Craig them three tries in for sticking around in the this match so far. drizzly autumn condiWith just five tions at Sandy Park, minutes left, Exas EURFC came out eter knew that swinging. Ed Volley another try would scored the equalising likely put the game try in the 52nd minout of reach for ute, before a convertheir northern rivals sion gave them a narrow — and that’s exactly lead of 12-10. The noise was what they did. Joe Vajner deafening; the crowd were finally getting what they had come here to see. scored his second try of the match as Just eight minutes later, they were the boys in green took control of the given even more to cheer for, as Joe final ten minutes of the match, and a Vajner capitalised on a line-out just successful conversion by Charlie Mcthree metres from the try line to score Caig gave them a nine-point lead that again for the home side, giving them a Durham would not be able to oversolid 17-10 lead. This brought a low- come. As the seconds ticked down and scoring, error-strewn match to life, the rain continued to pour from the and Durham soon fought back, with Devon sky, an expectant crowd waited Paul Brown scoring on the wings to to crown their 2023 Varsity champions pull them back to within two points. — and they would not be disappointed. It had looked unlikely at times, As the clock ticked down into the final ten minutes of play, the tension but Exeter ensured they would exwas unbearable — both teams were tend their unbeaten start to the season still in with a shot. Durham continued to five matches. A sixth consecutive to push to upset the home crowd, but win over Cardiff the following week
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ensured this streak was prolonged even further. Exeter are now eight points clear of second-placed Loughborough in the BUCS Super Rugby standings, as they chase their first league title since 2018-19 after three consecutive seasons as runners-up. The varsity matches are some of the highlights of the Exeter sporting calendar, with the games at Sandy Park attracting a significant proportion of the Exeter student population. It’s a rite of passage for all Exeter students being seen as a quintessential experience of your university years in the southwest. Ever-present every year are the lads in blue and beige, the ‘groupies’ of the first team there to make noise and raise the spirits of the team in the cold October nights. In the old days, they would circulate their chant sheets in person, whereas now, you’ll get an airdrop request from a random phone of a photo of the chants. Whether you decide to join in the singing or not, the most noise is still nonetheless made by the groupies, who, with mullets and extraordinary bravado, never fail to provide our satire section ample ammunition.
Exeter vs Durham
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Wednesday 25th October 2023 Kick-off @ 19:45
Scorecard 0-3: C Grieve (penalty, ‘12) 0-8: P Brown (try, ‘21) 0-10: C Grieve (conversion, ‘22) 5-10: J Williams (try, ‘29) -HALF TIME10-10: E Volley (try, ‘52) 12-10: C McCaig (conversion, ‘53) 17-10: J Vajner (try, ‘60) 17-15: P Brown (try, ‘63) 22-15: J Vajner (try, ‘75) 24-15: C McCaig (conversion, ‘76)
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Image: Harry Craig