Issue 776

The UK’s SouthBest West’s Best Publication Student Publication The Student 2023

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ISSUE 776 26 NOV 2025 exepose.com @exepose

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

Community-Wide Push Helps Exeter Lead UK Movember Fundraising What’s going on with performative men?

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Images: Carthaginians_cc

Harry Morrison Online Editor-in-Chief This artic le contains mentions of suicide and

Men’s mental health spotlight Page 22

The history of pizza Page 27

Images (top to bottom): Wikimedia Commons, Heute.com,Maria Sampaio on Pexels, Pxhere Title image: Amelie Redfern

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xeter’s student community is ending the month with remarkable ‘MO-mentum’ as this year’s Movember campaign draws to a close. Over the month of November, thousands of students, staff, and members of the local community have been raising money for Movember, a charity focused on male-related health issues — including suicide prevention, mental health support, and prostate and testicular cancer research.

As of November 21st, the University of Exeter continues to hold its lead in the national Big Moustache on Campus Challenge, standing at an impressive £76,211. This reflects an astounding fundraising effort supported throughout the entire city of Exeter.

Exeter currently sits narrowly ahead of Durham University — a recurring theme throughout the month — and has further extended its position at

the top. Exeter has raised around £3,000 more than Durham and a staggering £22,000 more than Cardiff University, which is in third place. Collectively, UK university teams have raised £966,780 as of November 21st.

Movember ambassadors Ved, Leia, and Ashton expressed their pride in the campaign’s success, saying, “Movember is going great, raising over £70k, and we have been constantly in the 1st place position since day 1.”

Across the month, a series of student-led events has played a crucial role in boosting donations. 4Play Events, one of the main student nightlife companies, has hosted several nights that were “absolutely phenomenal,” according to Movember Exeter.

These included a DirtyBeats takeover at Fever on November 6th and a special Timepiece event on November 13th, involving not only 4Play but also student DJs, making it a fully community-driven effort.

Campus-wide participation has also been a defining feature of this year’s campaign. Movember Exeter hosted one of its biggest “Brave the Shave” events on November 5th, raising over £1,000

with the support of local barbers Nova Rose, Male Focus, Lukas Barbers and Prestige Barber Shop.

Later in the month, the university community came together again for “Move for Mo” on November 17th, collectively covering over 1,000 kilometres.

The turnout from sports teams across Exeter demonstrated just how deeply the campaign resonates on campus, highlighting a shared commitment to men’s mental and physical health.

While the competitive spirit has been strong, Exeter’s student ambassadors have emphasised that the core purpose of the campaign remains awareness.

Movember’s mission extends far beyond moustache-growing.

Every year, the charity raises awareness of the critical issues affecting men worldwide, including the

alarming rate of male suicide, the impact of prostate and testicular cancer, and the stigma that still surrounds conversations about men’s mental health. The campaign encourages people to recognise early warning signs, engage in open conversations, and support loved ones who may be struggling.

Movember Exeter explained: “The reason we do so well year upon year is because we understand the true meaning of the cause. Movember was set up in 2003 by a group of mates looking out for each other. I think Exeter understands this and the importance we bring when raising money for this cause.”

Continued on page 3

MOVEMBER SPECIAL!

EXEPOSÉ Devonshire House, Exeter, Devon, EX4 4PZ

Editorial

SPA AWARDS

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HE cold has arrived, and we hope you won't be using this edition for Print: Kayleigh Swart and Emily Sara Rizzo kindling for a fire. Well, maybe you Online: Harry Morrison and Zandie Howells can, but only after you've read all the latest Print Deputies: Amberly Wright, Lauren Walsh and uni news we've got for you. We can't believe Nina Exton Online Deputies: Michelle Chung and Daniel Grayshon that term one is almost over, and we hope that you're not struggling too much through editors@exepose.com the deadline season. At least if you can't get a News Editors seat in the library, you can always get a paper.

Print: Isabella Brooks and Daisy Newbury We are also so happy to announce Online: Zandie Howells that our latest election results are out and news@exepose.com we have a new group of people joining Features Editors the editorial team. They will offically be Print: Ria Brown-Aryee and Bethany Last starting their roles next edition so keep Online: Lucas Taylor-Kent an eye out for some new names. We've features@exepose.com put an extra focus on Movember this issue, so keep reading to learn more about Climate Editors Print: Poppy Fellows what has been happening around campus.

Online: Freddy Purcell If there's an important issue at the climate@exepose.com University or in Exeter that we've missed, please email us at editors@exepose.com.

Comment Editors In this issue, News discusses the Print: Tom Richardson and Lucas Eley Online: Orlando McKillop and Lucy Parsons Movember events around campus and comment@exepose.com highlights world AIDs day. Features looks at why humanitarian crisis' are often ignored, Satire Editors Climate rounds up COP30, while Arts & Print: Christopher Lyndsay Lit looks at positive masculinity in literature.

Online: Daniel Grayshon satire@exepose.com In Excetera you can take a study break and try to complete all our puzzles. In SciLifestyle Editors Tech we look at new research that suggests Print: Yasmine Al-Saket and Betsy Heasman the expansion of the univerise is slowing.

Online: Hayley Bell and Sofia Tapia Finally, in Sport, we round up all the things lifestyle@exepose.com societies have been doing for Movember!

Arts & Lit Editors If you can't get enough of Print: Isabel Bratt and Amber Platel Exeposé, you can check out our podcast Online: Brook Cheadle and Zoe Fry which is updated on a weekly basis! artsandlit@exepose.com Editors

Print: Sarah Gould and Katie Roberts Online: Amelie Marah and Maya Dallal music@exepose.com

Print: Beth Casey and Charlotte Isbell Online: Kyle Cleary and Lachlan Evans screen@exepose.com International Editors Print: Jed H. Gibbins and Antoni Kałduński Online: Anoushka Dutta and Lola Milroy-Tompkins international@exepose.com Sci-Tech Editors Print: Julia Szewczyk Online: Anna Tennant and Rosie Merritt sci-tech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Annabel Gowling and Chloe Burrows Online: Connor Myers sport@exepose.com Social Media Executive: Megan Wynn Finance Executive:Orlando McKillop Welfare Executive: Sophia Cuschieri Events Executive: Audrey Yuen Podcast producers: Harry Morrison and Alannah Driscoll

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Reproduction in any form requires the prior consent of the Publisher.

Emily and Kayleigh

Images (top to bottom): Wikimedia commons, Wikimedia commons, Wikimedia commons, Pexels

FEATURES UK UNI'S FACE A FINANCIAL CRISIS Page 8

SATIRE STUDENTS MISSING PETS MORE THAN PARENTS

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INTERNATIONAL Scan for membership page

THE HISTORY OF PIZZA Page 27

SCI-TECH WHAT A NIGHT OUT DOES TO YOUR BODY Page 29 Scan for Exeposé Online

Proofers: Kayleigh Swart, Amberly Wright, Lauren Walsh, Emily S Rizzo, Zandie Howells, Sarah Gould, and Nina Exton, Amelie Redfern

University news home and abroad

Music Editors

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Once again, thank you so much to all our editors, interviewees, and general helpers who work so hard to make this paper possible!

2023 Best Publication 2025 Best Publication in the South West

Visa reductions threaten the Canadian research sphere

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ANADA'S new Prime Minister Mark Carney introduced his first federal budget on 4th November. It slashed international students admissions from 437,000 in 2025 to 155,000 in 2026, aiming to reduce Canada’s overall number of temporary residents. Many universities collect significant revenue from international student fees and will be financially harmed by the reduction.

When asked about this, Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne said the government had to reduce immigration, and noted additional money for universities in other areas of the budget. The budget allocated CA$1.7b (£921m) to recruit over 1,000 international researchers, nominally seeking quality over quantity. It also provided CA$400m (£217m) for research infrastructure, and various schemes totalling hundreds of millions of Canadian dollars for research, recruitment and talent relocation.

Images: Wikimedia Commons

India proposes plan to attract new scientists

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Ghana's president launches China intimidated UK no-fee plan for students university to ditch human with disabilities rights research

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HE Indian government is curHANA'S President, John Marently developing a new nationhama, recently announced the al programme to attract highly Free Tertiary Education for skilled Indian-origin scientists and re- Persons with Disabilities initiative on searchers living abroad to return to In- 24th October, stating that people with dia to help strengthen India’s academic disabilities admitted into tertiary educasystem. The policy has been stimulat- tion institutions in Ghana will no longer ed in particular by the Trump pay fees. This aims to promote equality administration’s restric- and justice, fostering a national identitive immigration and ty. Data from the 2021 Population and higher education poli- Housing Census highlighted that over cies which have led two million Ghanaians live with dismany Indian-origin abilities. Mahama noted that these indiresearchers in the US viduals face barriers of poverty, stigma, to feel less secure. The and lack of livelihood opportunities, new programme aims to emphasising that not cultivating their offer set-up grants to build talents “represents a national loss.” labs and research teams and to The government plans to facilitate relocation through housing, promote inclusivity by dishospitality and administrative support. tributing rechargeable, However, the plan faces key challenges. motorised wheelchairs, The biggest barriers are bureaucratic establishing a disabildelays, concerns about long-term fund- ity health and resource ing and autonomy, institutional rigid- centre in every district, ity and slow administrative culture. enforcing a minimum India’s initiative could turn brain five percent employment drain into brain gain, but its success quota for people with disabilities. will hinge on reducing these chal- "This is the inclusive Ghana we dream lenges, and providing stable, flex- of. A nation where opportunity, not disaible support for returning researchers. bility, defines our destiny,” Mahama said.

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HOP the weeds and destroy their roots; eliminate the evil until nothing is left.” Chinese politician Sun Jinlong, is quoted in Laura Murphy's Until Nothing is Left. Murphy's research explores human rights violations against the Uyghur people in China, suggestsing that the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, a paramilitary force and branch of Chinese government, "has been central to the development of some of the most egregious human rights violations of the 21st century". The Chinese Embassy in London told the BBC that Murphy had released ‘fake reports’ on Xinjiang. China then started going after Murphy’s university – Sheffield Hallam University (SHU), blocking its website in China in 2022 and visiting its China office in 2024. In 2025, SHU told Murphy she could not continue with her research on China. Murphy has been allowed to resume work but SHU struggles for funding while trying to maintain the academic freedoms of its faculty.

By Henry Adams, Isabella Brooks, Ria Brown-Aryee, Melissa Swift

26 NOV 2025 | EXEPOSÉ

3 NEWS

“Without their constant support, this campaign wouldn’t be what it is”

Continued from front The wider Exeter community has also played a vital role.

One of the standout supporters this year has been The Victoria Inn, a popular pub with students described by Movember Exeter as their “biggest supporter.” The pub has hosted quizzes, Fight Night pre-drinks, after-parties, and the Big Auction — all in aid of the campaign. The Victoria Inn said these events have “brought people together not just to raise funds but

to spark conversations and show that wellbeing matters.”

The pub also claims the campaign “resonates strongly with us, and it’s been inspiring to see the Exeter Uni students rally together in support for such an important cause.” Movember Exeter has extended its gratitude, stating the owners, Mark and Vic, “are absolute champions of the cause, allowing us to host Movember talks, interviews, auctions and pub quizzes.”

Third-year Exeter student Hector Greenwood, who works at the Victoria Inn, has been “crucial to the smooth operation of a lot of these events,” according to Movember Exeter. Hector said the pub prides itself on being “more than just a pub” and is the “hub of the community.”

The wider Exeter community has also played a vital role. One of the standout supporters this year has been The Victoria Inn

In a statement to Exeposé, he added that the team has “dedicated all our resources to assist Movember in their vital mission to raise both money and awareness for men’s mental and physical health.”

One of the biggest events Hector helped organise was the annual Movember Charity Auction, which raised over £1,700 and featured attendance from the Exeter City FC manager and local businesses. Royal Marines from Lympstone also joined, bidding on items of Hector’s clothing and Images: Harry Morrison even paying

£220 to ‘have him’ for 24 hours the following Wednesday.

While his “charitable efforts and loss of dignity” raised nearly £500 alone, the message from Hector and the Victoria Inn has remained clear “This month we have and will continue to raise our glasses and raise awareness together.”

“This month we have and will continue to raise our glasses and raise awareness together

Student societies and sports teams across campus have been instrumental in driving Exeter’s Movember success.

Movember Exeter said, “One of the biggest parts of making our campaign so successful is our wonderful societies and sports teams — without their constant support, this campaign wouldn’t be what it is.”

Leading the charge are the Carthaginians, also known as Carthage, who have raised £15,455 as of 20th November. Founded in 2023 as a social sports group, the Carthaginians have become a major force within Movember Exeter for two consecutive years. For Carthage, Movember’s mission closely aligns with their own values.

Jack Cartwright, President of the Carthaginians, has stated, “It’s a fantastic charity to encourage men to band together and support one another. Social sport is the perfect medium for this, and we’ve created a tight-knit group of friends through our society.”

As part of their Movember efforts, the Carthage undertook a 24-hour-a-day rowing challenge for an entire week on Forum Hill — amounting to 168 hours and covering over 1,887 kilometres, the distance from Exeter to Carthage, Tunisia.

Completing the challenge successfully on 17th November, Jack commented that it was “about being a visible push for Movember, and placement on forum hill helped enormously with this to encourage pas-

sers-by to come and have conversations about the charity.”

As part of their Movember efforts, the Carthage undetook a 24-hour-a-day rowing challenge for an entire week on Forum Hill The Carthaginians aren’t stopping there, as they aim to complete ‘the Ten Tors.’

This challenge includes a two day, 40-mile trek between ten tors on Dartmoor, which they have described as a “Devonbased recreation of Hannibal’s legendary crossing of the Alps.” It comes with a catch – they will be completing it in elephant costumes for “historical accuracy.”

Looking back on their efforts this month, Jack has said, “It means much more when awareness has been spread, as that is a large part of what the charity targets. Essentially, keep talking about these things and keep up the amazing fundraising effort across the uni.”

Ultimately, this year’s campaign has shown that Exeter’s success is not defined by its position on the national leaderboard, but by the strength of the

community behind it. With students, societies, local businesses, and individuals all contributing in their own way and collaboratively, Movember at Exeter has once again proven how powerful community action can be in raising money and awareness.

“It means so much more when awareness has been spread, as that is a large part of what the charity targets.”

If you want to find out more about what has been happening across our campuses you can check out the offical Movember instagram page at @Movemberexeter.

In addition, to find out more from individual sports societies, you can check out their respective pages. Finally, if you need to reach out and talk to someone, the university offers wellbeing services to all of their students, which you can reach out to.

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26 NOV 2025 | EXEPOSÉ

NEWS

World AIDS Day: HIV and STI awareness Image: Pexels

Amberly Wright Deputy Editor

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ACH year on December 1st, we celebrate World AIDS Day, a day which aims to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS testing, treatment, and prevention, and unites us to support those living with HIV, whilst remembering those whose lives have been lost due to AIDS-related illnesses.

There are many common misconceptions around AIDS. HIV, or Human Immunodeficiency Virus, can only be referred to as AIDS once the immune system has been attacked and severely damaged. This means that every person who has

AIDS will be HIV-positive, but not everyone with HIV will have AIDS. Pre-exposure Prophylaxis, known as PrEP, is an effective mainstream treatment for HIV-negative individuals if they are having regular sexual contact or sharing needles with someone who is HIV-positive, to prevent the transmission of HIV between partners. If used correctly and consistently, HIV can become untransmissable, meaning those with HIV and their partners can have happy, healthy, and safe sex life.

Historically, HIV and AIDS have been heavily stigmatised — unfairly so. In the 1970s, the AIDS epidemic hit the United States. In LA and San Fransisco in particular, there was an increase in cases of AIDS

in homosexual men. Initially, a lot of misinfomation spread, and this came with substantial homophobia, but after a lot of advocacy, it was understood that the reason for the queer community's increase in AIDS was due to unprotected sex, leading to the transmission of HIV. It was also found that intravenous drug users were at a higher risk for developing AIDS. Over 40 million have died as a result of HIV and AIDS, and around 39 million are diagnosed with HIV and AIDS, according to a World Health Organisation study in 2023.

Many of these cases could have been prevented if proper education around sex and AIDS was offered around the globe.

Over 40 million have died as a result of HIV and AIDS, and around 39 million are diagnosed with HIV and AIDS The spread of HIV, like many other sexually transmissable infections and diseases, can be prevented with testing and understanding. I spoke to Zoe, a Lead Crisis Support Worker at Exeter Sexual Assault Referral Centre, where they see people for forensic medicals after a sexual assault, about

the importance of support after sexual assult. Zoe also supports those with a history of sexual abuse by advocating for people that turn to them for support and signposting them to options such as therapy or emotional support.

The centre knows there are plenty of cases that go unsupported, due to a fear of getting the police involved — this isn’t the case — you can access the service regardless of involvement from the police or other external services. Zoe told me “There’s been a misconception for many years that to access a service like ours you need to report to police, and that has deterred a lot of people in the past”.

Zoe went on to say “There's never any pressure from us. We don't work for the police. We just want to know that you're safe, and that could be anything from physically healthy to mental health.” Reassuring the public that they can access support.

When asked about a main message for their cause, Zoe said “It's about being aware. If you do hear of a friend being in a situation, and they need that additional support, then just know that we're absolutely open to them approaching us.” You can access the centre via online referrals and their 24/7 helpline, at a time that feels comfortable. Zoe reiterates the message that the centre is a safe space, “there's never any pressure to report […] we don't work for the police. We just want to know that they're safe, and

that could be anything from physically healthy to their mental health.”

There’s never any pressure from us [...] We just want to know that you’re safe

I spoke to the student Guild about World AIDS Day and they said: “We’re proud to work with expert partners like the Eddystone Trust, who bring specialist knowledge and lived experience straight onto campus.

Bringing regular, confidential testing directly to the Guild removes so many barriers — no long journeys, no navigating external systems, just quick support in a space you trust.

"Our priority is giving students clear, judgement-free advice so you can make informed choices about your health and feel confident looking after yourself. Reliable information is one of the strongest tools we have for tackling stigma.

We want to build a campus culture where sexual health is openly talked about, where students feel empowered to learn, ask questions and look out for one another.

And if cost is a barrier, our wellbeing cupboard is stocked with free sexual health items, including condoms, lube, femidoms and more, so you can access what you need, when you need it.”

University of Exeter to help UK school pupils learn about LGBT+ scientists Phoebe Andrews

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N 2024, Exeter University academics held a Queer Science competition in collaboration with PRISM Exeter LGBTQ+ network, with the purpose being to challenge secondary, college and university students to discover the achievements of lesser-known LGBTQ+ figures in STEM.

The purpose being to challenge secondary, college and university students to discover the achievements of lesser-known LGBTQ+ figures

Now, the University, working with Schools Out, has developed educational materials based on the competition entries. Posters, postcards and class activities have been created by Schools Out, a charity which promotes LGBTQ+ education to combat prejudice and create safe environments where individuals can feel supported.

These materials include profiles of LGBTQ+ advocates and scientists including the mathematician Ron Buckmire, the physicist Nergis Mavalvala and the astronaut Sally Ride. The inclusion of these figures in education of young people will hopefully help to address the imbalance caused by Section 28 — a law that forbids positive education about LGBTQ+ people and relationships.

Even though this law was changed 20 years ago, aside from Alan Turing there are few well known LGBTQ+ role models in the STEM field.

the first time, marking an important milestone in LGBTQ+ education in schools. The resources will also be made available in institutions such

as We the Curious in Bristol and The Royal Institution in London allowing the general public to be educated about these pioneers in STEM.

LGBTQ+ advocates and scientists includ[e] the mathematician Ron Buckmire, the physicist Nergis Mavalvala and the astronaut Sally Ride The resources were launched at the Royal Society of Chemistry with a proposed release date of February 2026 in time for LGBTQ+ history month.

Dr Claire Davies, an Exeter University academic and founder of PRISM said that these teaching materials and figures will be integrated into Key stage three and four STEM classes for Image of Nergis Mavalvala: Wikimedia Commons

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26 NOV 2025 | EXEPOSÉ

Exeter’s taxi fares could rise 25 percent by Christmas Chandrayee Raha

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HE Exeter City Council has officially started seeking public feedback on a plan to raise taxi prices by 25 percent, the first such change since three years ago.

The consultation invites feedback on possible fare changes, which might take effect before Christmas.

If accepted, a typical two-mile trip could cost anywhere from £9.50 to £13.55 — up notably from today’s £7.60–£12.30 range. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting

Service, prices now differ based Image: Melissa Swift on time; higher fees apply at night or during holidays like Christmas.

If the plans go ahead, Exeter will have pricier short rides than any other part of Devon - matching only a few high-cost spots nationwide. Currently, similar trips cost £8.69 in East Devon but just £6.80 in Mid Devon.

“The drivers provide a really important service, and it is very expensive for them to provide it” Councillor Ruth Williams acknowledged the financial pressures faced by taxi operators, stating: "The drivers provide a really important service, and it is very expensive for them to provide it."

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Councillor Peter Holland emphasized the broader role taxi drivers play in the city, noting: "They are ambassadors for our great city. They are often the first people that folk meet when they come into our city. They go the extra mile."

A spokesperson from Exeter Students' Guild said, “We know many students rely on taxis every day - whether that’s because the housing you can afford is further from campus, you need accessible travel, public transport is unreliable, or you simply want to get home safely at night. A 25 percent rise in fares will worry a lot of you, especially when student budgets are already stretched thin.

We understand that fare increases are linked to wider living cost rises.

It’s not about blaming drivers, but making sure that students aren’t

priced out of safe, reliable travel.

We’re here to make sure your voices are heard. Your elected Officers are actively pushing for safer, fairer and more affordable transport options across the city.

Kira, your Student Living Officer, lobbied the council to bring back the UNI night bus. Now you can travel between the city centre and Streatham campus every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night between midnight and 4am during term time, subsidised by the University – or other locations for just £3". They also highlighted that if you want to make change or start a campaign you can do it through the Guild website.

The consultation period concludes on 20 November, providing residents with a limited window to submit their views on the proposed fare structure.

Fire at Exeter city stadium Image: Harry Morrison

Kayleigh Swart Editor-in-Chief

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FIRE broke out at Exeter City’s home ground, St James Park, on November 12. Firefighters were called to the scene at around 22:00 after smoke was spotted. While luckily no injuries have been reported, the club’s general manager, Clive Harrison, has estimated that the fire caused around £100,000 worth of damage.

At the time of writing, the club is working to fix the damages

in time for the game against Burton Albion which is set to take place on Saturday the 22nd.

the fire caused around £100,000 worth of damage It is reported that vast damage was sustained to the medical room and much of the cabling in the control room will need replacing.

All of which as essential to be up and running before any matches take place. The club is currently raising money from crowdfunding

to

help repair the damages.

Speaking to BBC Devon, Harrison highlighted how important the local community is and praised how they’ve acted in response to the event. "When you see people gathering around, offering their services, giving money towards these things, you can't help but feel really proud about the club and how it fits in the community."

“You can’t help but feel really proud about the club and how it fits in the community”

Exeter Christmas Market opens Image: Kayleigh Swart

Kayleigh Swart Editor-in-Chief

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HE annual Exeter Christmas market has finally opened again on the Cathedral green. It is Devon’s biggest Christmas market with over one hundred vendors, most of them selling West Country produce and hand-crafted items. In addition,to the stalls, there is also a big food market with cuisines from around the world.

Of course, there is also the beer hall which offers various seasonal drinks such as mulled wine and cider to anyone who wants to wonder in.

Image: Lizzie Palmer

The market is open until the 19th of December, so you have plenty of time to go check out everything on offer and do some Christmas shopping. The traders attending the market sell items under a whole host of categories, from food and drink to clothing, decorations and homeware.

There is so much on offer to browse.

You can see the full list of traders and the Christmas market map available

The market is open until the 19th of December on the Exeter Cathedral website.

Besides the market, Exeter Cathedral is also hosting other events

during this time.

The Christmas by Candlelight concert is set to take place on the 2nd of December.

Also, Exeter Cathedral choir is hosting a pub quiz and raffle.

Finally, the usual standard services and processions will be taking place during this time. If you want to find out all the events they’re hosting, a list of events is available to view on their website.

26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

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Features

FEATURES EDITORS:

Bethany Last Ria Brown-Aryee

Why are Humanitarian Crises being ignored?

Anvi Deshpande assesses why the world is failing to respond to humanitarian outcries THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT RELATING TO DEATH IN WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING

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OLITICAL disasters have long shaped nations around the world. Historically, crises have shaped the national and foreign policies of nations, influencing their strategic posture. But what happens when humanitarian disasters continue to emerge in distant parts of the world? The Sudanese conflict has emerged to be one of the worst humanitarian disasters ever, as the UAE-backed Rapid Support Forces (RSF) fight the Sudanese Army, disproportionately displacing people in the hundreds of thousands. In Gaza, Palestinians are rebuilding what limited territory remains theirs after a ruthless onslaught by Israel’s IDF forces that killed 68,000 and counting. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, political instability has lead to fighting between the Congolese army and the rebel group M23, with an estimated 21.2 million Congolese requiring humanitarian assistance.

Many complex details of these crises tend to be overlooked or unknown by politicians and the public alike due to a myriad of factors. Mostly, states tend to ignore humanitarian crises due to

their geopolitical and strategic priorities. Governments in the Global North are continually cutting humanitarian budgets due to economic pressures, leaving vulnerable nations at risk.

In many ways, powerful nations play a sustained role. The United Arab Emirates has been accused of funding the RSF in Sudan, obfuscating the conflict. The United States, while publicly calling for peace, prioritises broader regional alliances and counterterrorism concerns over decisive diplomatic intervention. Concerning Gaza, the U.S. continues to influence what aid enters the territory and under what conditions and is playing a large role in the Peace Plan aimed at redrawing the segregation lines between Israel and Palestine. In this way, powerful states are not merely bystanders; they are often enablers of the very systems that perpetuate humanitarian crises.

POWERFUL STATES ARE NOT MERELY BYSTANDERS, THEY ARE OFTEN ENABLERS However, there is hope. Humanitarian groups such as Human Rights Watch or the Red Cross continue to extend their reach across this divide, but many groups rely on private individuals and

public funding which oftentimes are limited.

Nevertheless, their research contributions are invaluable to awareness raising. Media awareness has additionally been the new front to awareness-building, with resources to support Palestine primarily being spread through social media.

MEDIA AWARENESS HAS ADDITIONALLY BEEN THE NEW FRONT TO AWARENESS BUILDING This, in many ways, has been essential as mainstream media channels in the West can be biased, or information emerging from conflict hotspots can be censored by the state. However, this is flawed as awareness of humanitarian crises is at the behest of the individual, which can be inconsistent. This may also sideline other con-

flicts, such as Congo and Sudan which struggle to maintain a presence in the public eye.

Ultimately, humanitarian disasters are no accident. They often reflect suffering that is influenced by geopolitics and mediated by media coverage. As students and global citizens, it is in our power to pay attention as a political act. Pressuring governments, amplifying voices, and holding powerful actors accountable are all necessary to ensure these crises are brought to the forefront of history.

Image:: TAPAS KUMAR HALDER on WikiMediaCommons

UK Universities Face Financial Issues

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Isabel Bratt, Arts & Lit Editor, discusses the cuts to university courses across the UK

S UK university tuition fees continue to rise, it appears that many higher education institutions are still facing financial struggles. The government says it is “committed to fixing the foundations of higher education”, but as more courses are cut, more staff are losing their jobs, and students face rising costs of living, it seems the UK higher education system is suffering, with no end in sight.

Tuition fees have been frozen since 2012, and in the years since, university budgets have been getting tighter. The Office for Students (OfS) has warned that 72 percent of universities could slide into financial deficit by 2026, an alarming figure. “We have called for universities and colleges to take bold, transformative steps to address the challenges, and we know that many are taking action already,” a spokesperson said.

What do these “bold transformative steps” mean for students?

72 PERCENT OF UNIVERSITIES COULD SLIDE INTO FINANCIAL DEFICIT BY 2026

Universities UK, which represents 141 for BA English and provided a significant list universities, states that the sector has been of courses they’re planning to scrap in fu“doing more with less ture years, including Image: Suicasamo on Wikimedia Commons for years.” A recent surarchaeology and anvey by UU, including 60 thropology, games institutions, revealed programming and 49 percent have closed games software encourses, a figure that gineering, nutrition, has doubled from the photography, and previous year’s 24 persociology and socent. The survey also cial anthropology. revealed that 88% perAs the cent said they may need rise of conservato consider further tism in the UK course closures over continues, cuts to the next three years. education in the huIt seems that UK manities, languages, universities are preferand arts have taken ring to cut or defund on a particularly the arts and culture sectors. The University eerie tone. In particular, as anti-immigraof Kent chose to “phase out” six subjects – tion parties such as the Reform Party grow art history, anthropology, health and social in popularity, and as fascist slogans such as care, music and audio technology, journal- “Keep England English” are appearing more ism, and philosophy and religious studies. and more frequently, the lack of protection Similarly, Nottingham University has made for modern languages courses signifies a significant cuts to its music and modern lan- concerning indifference to the importance guages courses. Bournemouth University has of studying and respecting other cultures. announced they will stop recruiting students What does this mean for

the

education workforce?

Universities across the country have been making announcements of staff cuts, giving rise to significant anxiety. Cardiff University has seen a great backlash following its announcement in January that it would be cutting 400 jobs. Faculties such as nursing and music are under threat of complete closure, and staff have been publicising their anger at the uncertainty of their positions. Alongside course cuts, the University of Kent has laid off 58 positions. Durham University have announced it wants to save £10 million in staff costs by cutting 200 professional service roles this year. Staff there have reported “already working at or above capacity”, and the cuts have only raised anxieties about workloads.

The Department for Education says the government inherited a “dire economic situation” and has taken “tough decisions to bolster universities’ financial sustainability”.

The OFS has similarly declared, “Whilst institutions are autonomous, we are committed to fixing the foundations of higher education to deliver change for students”, but as announcements of cuts, consolidations, and closures keep rolling in, the future of UK education seems to grow more and more dire.

9 FEATURES

26 NOV 2025 | EXEPOSÉ

A Disguise No More: The Downfall of Prince Andrew Bethany Last, Features Editor, looks at a royal scandal twenty-five years in the making THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS CONTENT RELATING TO ABUSE SEX TRAFFICKING AND SUICIDE IN WHICH SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING

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IME and time again, female victims have been silenced by those in positions of power. Not only have we seen the case with Sarah Everard and the police constable Wayne Couzins, but for a long time, there has been the Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew case, which has only now resurfaced.

Not to mention the hundreds of lives broken by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

The all-too-common belief that prohibits men from acting on abuse, based on the consideration that she could be your mother, your daughter, or your sister, fails to recognise women as real human beings. None of this is important; what is important is that she is a woman who should never have been abused in the first place, no matter the circumstances. In the recent Panorama documentary ‘The Fall of Prince Andrew’, Giuffre explains how she couldn’t comprehend that a man with two daughters could be capable of inflicting harm the way he did with her. She goes on to say how that particular period, when she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, “was a wicked time in her life”.

SHE COULD BE YOUR MOTHER, YOUR DAUGHTER, OR YOUR SISTER, FAILS TO RECOGNISE WOMEN AS REAL HUMAN BEINGS With Andrew, infamously known as the late Queen’s favourite son, concerns have been raised about the reliability of Andrew’s denial of the allegations against him at present. He dismisses that he ever even met Giuffre and that he was never involved or aware of Epstein, his friend at the time, of sex trafficking.

When Andrew was asked whether he regretted being friends with Epstein after a photo of them in Central Park together was released in 2011, he claimed that he did not regret it, as he was useful for networking and business ties. This only weakens Andrew’s pledge as it is made obvious that he stayed close to Epstein

Image: Wikemedia Commons

for money, and potentially relationships that were far more sinister. Not only does he avoid the hundreds of girls who have been subject to torment by Epstein, but he places money higher than the livelihood of so many women.

HE PLACES MONEY HIGHER THAN THE LIVELIHOOD OF SO MANY WOMEN In 2022, Andrew, with the help of the late Queen, brought the legal case and paid Giuffre twelve million pounds. The supposed hush money leaves cracks in Andrew’s testimony as author of Entitled, Andrew Lownie states that ‘you don’t spend twelve million pounds if you’re an innocent man’.

YOU DON’T SPEND TWELVE MILLION POUNDS IF YOU’RE AN INNOCENT MAN

Image: Wikimedia, Commons

The saddest part about this case is that in April this year, Giuffre took her own life. Before her death, she had been writing a memoir about her experiences with Epstein and the Prince, which was published this October — the much-anticipated Nobody’s Girl. Even the title reveals the carelessness with which her case has been handled. This was a way for Giuffre to keep her story alive, representing all women in a world that has only ever dismissed them.

From this publication, on the 30th of October, King Charles decided to strip Andrew of all his titles and honours and exile him to the royal estate of Sandringham. Does this seem like an appropriate punishment, living on a royal estate? The royal family later released a statement saying that ‘their majesties wish to make clear that their thoughts and utmost sympathies have been and will remain with the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse’. The question is, are the public fully content with this outcome? Giuffre never got to see the day that displaced Andrew from his royal powers.

But has enough been done for the years of shame Giuffre and other girls have endured?

In the documentary, Andrew is described as being entitled, but this extends beyond just men. Ghislain Maxwell, Epstein’s girlfriend, was complicit in sex trafficking and initially organised the trafficking of Giuffre by offering her a job as a masseuse. She was later convicted of sex trafficking in 2021 and jailed for twenty years. Also, it was made public this September that Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, had sent an email to Epstein in 2011. There are even women jumping to Andrew’s defence. The interview with Lady Victoria Harvey, a friend of Andrew’s, presents her sympathies for him and expresses her disbelief at how the royal family have essentially disowned him. This does not send a supportive message to women who are already scared to come forward. If those of their own sex are the enemy, how are they meant to be brave in a world without female solidarity?

With the reputation of the crown in mind

IF THOSE OF THEIR OWN SEX ARE THE ENEMY, HOW ARE THEY MEANT TO BE BRAVE IN A WORLD WITHOUT FEMALE SOLIDARITY and the late queen paying part of Andrew’s legal fees, something is to be said about the suppression of this royal scandal. Andrew is described as a figure who ‘used his royal position to dominate others’. His role as the Duke of York and being eighth in line to the throne allowed him to go under the radar and abuse his position from the inside out. This ongoing struggle is described as ‘a crisis of confidence for the royal family’, where if they did not do the right thing, they could lose the backing of a nation.

For other women like Giuffre, they havebeen stripped of their girlhood and are only now seeing changes that initially discouraged them due to a power struggle on the basis of wealth. Giuffre states that ‘I was still a human being with feelings, and emotions, and sadness’. With her new book, she offers a message of hope and resilience to those women who have been abused and encourages them to share their experiences, to speak their truth and fight for justice. Giuffre’s case is definitely not over yet, but the start of a princeless prince should show others that someone is not made stronger than you because of their status.

THE START OF A PRINCELESS PRINCE SHOULD SHOW OTHERS THAT SOMEONE IS NOT MADE STRONGER THAN YOU BECAUSE OF THEIR STATUS

26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

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Climate

CLIMATE EDITOR: Amberly Wright

COP30 Round-up

Ella Clarke tells readers about this year’s United Nation’s Climate Change conference

Image: Heute.at

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HE 30th COP has been held in Belém, Brazil (in the middle of The Amazon), nicknaming it the ‘Forest COP’, from November 10-21, 2025. The location itself has created a particular focus on channelling more money to forest protection, alongside the increasing pressure to hit the goals set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement, par-

ticularly limiting warming to 1.5C. In light of this, Brazil’s Environmental Minister, Marina Silva, is taking a key step, creating a voluntary path for countries to follow in the phasing out of fossil fuels – in a gradual transition to account for any possible economic issues.

More than 50,000 have been in attendance - 190 countries represented, but with 160 leaders no show, most notably China and India, as well as utterly no US presence. This is following Donald Trump’s dramatic campaign against climate science, “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world”, which since his re-election, has meant a breaking down of Joe Biden’s clean climate initiatives. Furthermore, Trump has also initiated his second attempt to remove the US from the Paris Agreement, a plan which will be implemented in January

2026, undermining the global movement. This has led to notable divisions between politicians, making agreement around the next steps for the climate crisis increasingly difficult. Keir Starmer recognised the waning support for the movement “today sadly that consensus is gone”, and urged for change in demonstrating that the UK is in full support. However, in a move that caused serious shock, the UK dropped out of a deal, ‘Tropical Forests Forever Facility’, that would’ve provided a critical £95 billion to protect the rainforests, which, in its position as a developed country, was a truly devasting loss, and a surprise considering previous heavy involvement in the planning of this fund.

In light of this, there are serious questions over what the next stepss are for the global effort to reduce the impact of climate change,

especially considering the record breaking temperatures of 2024. Countries are expected to submit action plans, which will allow scientists to figure out what is next, by technically considering how much emission will rise and how it will affect us etc. The Global cooperation at the COP has allowed greater progress in bringing down the anticipated level of warming, than the nations independently could have achieved, emphasising a strong almost-universal commitment to change. However, there is a definite change in attitudes following the political tide Trump has swept over the climate crisis, and there is significant concern that this will limit progress. “The golden era for multilateral diplomacy is over,” as Joss Garman, a former climate activist, places 2025 in the climate journey.

How do tropical storms form?

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Rachel Baldwin explores recent tropical storms and their formations

ATEGORY five Hurricane Melissa hit New Hope, Jamaica, on the 28th of October, and swept across Cuba, Haiti and Bermuda. High wind speeds of 185 mph have caused the deaths of 45 people (so far) as well as loss of infrastructure, homes and livelihoods.

How did this happen? Collectively referred to as tropical cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and tropical storms form between 5° and 30° latitude, where the ocean is at least 27°C. Firstly, winds cause warm water to evaporate, rise and cool, until condensing, forming storm clouds.

Eventually, creating a column of clouds, where winds begin circulating a centre, creating a tropical disturbance. Following this, air at the top begins to cool, becoming unstable, releasing heat energy, warming up the air, and creating higher air pressure. As a result, winds move outwards

and pressure around the surface drops, leading to air moving towards lower pressure areas, rising, and creating more thunderstorms. Upon reaching 25-38 mph, the disturbance has developed into a tropical depression. When wind speeds reach 39mph, a tropical storm has formed, winds circulate, clockwise (southern hemisphere) or anticlockwise (northern hemisphere) around the eye due to the Coriolis effect. Finally, if wind speeds reach 74 mph, and the storm is at least 50,000 feet high and 125 miles across, then a hurricane/typhoon has been created.

High winds coupled with low air pressure cause water to pool near the eye, which crashes onto land, resulting in storm surges. In addition, depending on the category of hurricane, ranging from one to five on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale, damage ranges from power cuts to whole

AI creates safer water systems Lauren Walsh, Deputy Editor, dives into how AI is helping to remove lead from water

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HE University of Exeter is working together with South West Water, through their Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste (or CREWW for short) to help make water lead-free using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

They are using AI to work out where old lead pipes are located in the water system, so they can remove them and make sure the system is entirely lead-free. This will involve removing 20,000 – 40,000 lead pipes, and is part of South West Water’s goal to be free of lead by the year 2050. The University of Exeter is designing the AI model with South West Water, and will apply machine learning techniques in conjunction with existing records, to find the location of existing lead pipes.

Lead can dissolve into drinking water,

and potentially lead to serious health problems if left to build up in the body. However, at the moment, this is tackled by water companies adding a chemical called orthophosphate to the water. By using the upgraded AI model to find and remove lead pipes, South West Water can reduce the need for chemical treatment, and lower the environment impact of the water production process.

Professor Raziyeh Farmani, from the University of Exeter, said, “This collaboration between the University of Exeter and South West Water demonstrated how data-driven insights using machine learning can help to tackle real-world infrastructure challenges by identifying lead pipes to protect public health and empower smarter infrastructure decisions.”

buildings being destroyed. For example, according to Gayle, director general of Jamaica’s emergency management office, Hurricane Melissa has caused severe damage to 146,000 buildings.

The IPCC have stated there has likely been a higher volume of category three and above tropical cyclones in the past 40 years; arguably, this is due to climate change leading to rising temperatures. In Jennifer L. Irish’s article, Hurricane Katrina’s flood levels were 1560 percent higher than they would have been in the 1900 climate, due to rising sea levels.

Whilst tropical cyclones cannot be stopped, their effects can be minimised. The GOESR series satellites scan the hemisphere every 10 minutes to check ocean conditions, allowing for early warning systems. Furthermore, by strengthening flood defence and infra-

structure to absorb the impact of winds and flooding, combined with sufficient advertising of evacuation routes and storm shelters, the risks involved with these natural hazards can be reduced, helping people to stay safe.

Image: Flickr

Protests at COP30 Amberly Wright, Deputy Editor, explores the new oil licence in the Amazon ahead of COP30

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OLDING the 30th United Nations Climate Change conference, known as COP30, in Brazil has been one of the United Nations’ most controversial climate-related decision to date. This year’s COP conference is being held inside the Amazon rainforest, which is home to around 10% of the world’s biodiversity, in the city of Belem, in Para. The Para River runs through the city, a gateway to the Amazon River.

Before the conference even began, a new highway was constructed, cutting down portions of the rainforest to allow for visitors in and out of the conference – COP30 organisers and the state of Para have denied links.

These decisions angered climate protesters, with individuals from left-wing Brazilian Youth Movement Juntos breaking into the venue, tear-

ing one door off its hinges, and crossing the first security barrier and into the ‘Blue zone’ before being detained. The protesters injured two security guards, hitting one in the head with a drum, according to Reuters News Agency, with additional damage to the conference venue.

Outside of the conference, protesters demonstrated their love for the rainforest singing “free the Amazon” – it is the first year that demonstrations have been allowed to take place outside of the conference since 2021. Protesters, particularly those who are indigenous, are concerned their feelings and opinions aren’t being heard, after the Brazilian government granted permission to the Brazilian State Oil company to explore oil at the mouth of the Amazon, despite the local’s concerns around a decline in the rainforest’s size over the past few years.

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Comment

26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

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Woke: Anatomy of a Buzzword

EDITOR’S COLUMN Thomas Richardson, Comment Editor

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FTER a decade of its prosperity, the first real threat to the future of the ‘MAGA’ movement emerged last week. In the past, we have seen numerous attempts from within the ‘Neo-Conservative’ establishment of the party - well-intentioned or not to oust Trump. These include the likes of former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, the daughter of arch-establishment conservative Vice President Dick Cheney, and former Senator Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate for President in 2012. These attacks on Donald Trump from within the party have largely been superficial, criticising his conduct and behaviour as a person rather than any policy. Naturally, these attacks over the past 10 years have not been relatable to the MAGA super majority of the Republican party.

However, we now see for the first time attacks from the MAGA base itself, primarily concerned with the administration’s actions surrounding Israel and the ‘forever wars’, Immigration, and of course, the Epstein files. Trump easily deflected relatively upper-middleclass attacks about his demeanour using populist rhetoric. Riling up his base to defend the protection of billionaires who visited Epstein’s island clearly has not worked the same way.

This is, however, what Trump has tried to do against formerly staunch MAGA Republicans such as Marjorie Taylor Greene, who was a key leader in the efforts to overturn the 2020 election, and Thomas Massie, who is fighting for his political future against an Epstein Island billionaire-funded and Donald Trump-endorsed candidate.

Donald Trump has now urged Republicans to vote to release the

Epstein files, which has created a hilarious outcome. Certain Republican congressmen, such as Troy Nehls, bet their political strategy on continuing loyalty to Donald Trump, calling it the ‘Epstein Hoax’ that is ‘manufactured by Democrats’. Now they have the joy of deciding what political embarrassment to choose - whether to reverse their full-throated arguments to continue loyalty to Trump, or quietly continue to oppose releasing the Epstein files.

Republicans are now considering their futures, and some, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, now view the concept of ‘America First’ as a much stronger and more popular one than that of Donald Trump. One thing can be said - the next Republican Presidential primary will certainly be an interesting one. Senator Ted Cruz, a former Trump rival and begrudging supporter of Donald Trump, has been defending military action in the Middle East along with unquestionable support for Israel - taking a traditional conservative position. Marjorie Taylor-Greene described by many as understanding the nature of the Republican base better than anyone - is undoubtedly the populist, supporting ‘America first’ ideas and against Immigration and hiring masses of foreign workers, as supported by Donald Trump. An appealing platform similar to Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign, but without the same emphasis on culture war issues.

The Trump Administration now risks being sidelined as a thirdparty in the war over foreign policy, immigration, and elitism - with Vice President J.D. Vance’s position as a pretender to the throne no longer considered to be set in stone.

Image: Jnn13, Wikimedia Commons

COMMENT EDITORS Tom Richardson Lucas Eley

Lucas Eley, Comment Editor, discusses what makes a term and how “woke” got so popular

Image: Vox España, Wikimedia Commons

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MIDST the political tumult of recent years one meteoric rise has gone largely unnoticed. From its original meaning to use in the office of the President of the United States, woke has gone superviral.

The word originally stems from its use in African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and particularly African American centric political movements as the idea of being aware of racial injustices. It was further adopted by liberal social movements as a more general term to describe people who were aware of certain systemic discriminations, particularly against women and people of colour.

Following this the term was claimed in a way by conservative movements who used it more as a pejorative term to describe an apparent self-righteous attitude particularly among the American liberal left. This in particular started around 2016 with the arrival of television and social media personalities like Donald Trump in American politics. This catch-all insult was used to mock anything seen as overly progressive or “politically correct” particularly in an era where progressive ideology was seen by

A PEJORATIVE TERM TO DESCRIBE AN APPARENT SELF-RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE

conservatives as the dominant force.

Three thousand miles away ‘woke’ became a phenomenon all to itself in the United Kingdom, following a viral image of former footballer and manager Sean Dyche with the caption “utter woke nonsense” This particular phrase then

A POPULAR TERM TO EXPRESS JOKING DISREGARD OR DISAPPROVAL became a popular term to express joking disregard or disapproval towards just about anything.

The use of woke as a joking term arguably is its final resting place but it does open a wider conversation about the influence of the internet in determining the political lifespan and usage of words. The word ultimately serves as a lesson in the importance of the internet in recent politics, with figures, such as the late Charlie Kirk and Ben Shapiro, rising from and being propelled by the whims of online political movements. Its evolution from serious political value, to insult, to a joke used across the anglophone world, mirrors the journey of neoliberal governance in a shorter timeframe.

Largely the term represented the turning of politics in the States into something more resembling

reality television than the apparatus of power in the most powerful nation on Earth, “reality-politik”. It becomes in this era less a word with genuine meaning but more a symbol of the failings of two-party politics in the United States, and the wider failings of the political world order.

This raises also the importance of “buzzwords” in modern politics, how did short, snappy and repeatable phrases become the norm in political culture? This is a development that has its roots not just in social media and the modern “reality-politik” but also in the development of headlines and the shortening and reduction of news into digestible pieces designed to draw people’s attention. It is not shocking then that the figures of politics too are drawn to digestible and easily repeatable buzzwords. Woke is just one example of this, others can be seen on any American debate stage: echo chamber, gaslight, DEI. Ultimately, the rise of buzzwords

HOW DID SHORT, SNAPPY AND REPEATABLE PHRASES BECOME THE NORM IN POLITICAL CULTURE? is both a combination of the rise of the internet in politics, the increase in short form content, and the rise of figures like Trump who are willing to and effective in using them.

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26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT

Government Support for Veterans Orlando McKillop, Online Comment Editor, argues the Government’s delivery of support for Veterans and Serving Soldiers may be lacking.

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S the hour struck eleven on the second Sunday of November, time stood still for two minutes to remember the military sacrifices made by Britain and the Commonwealth. For those returning from conflict, and for those who have passed, there should be an expectation that valour is met with support. But does our government do enough for veterans and those currently serving?

THERE SHOULD BE AN EXPECTATION THAT VALOUR IS MET WITH SUPPORT Well, only since the 2000s has dedicated policy for supporting (ex-)service personnel developed seriously. This began with the Armed Forces Act 2006 whose updates form a legal footing for the Armed Forces Covenant – a promise to address disadvantages faced by the armed forces. The act’s aim to improve veterans’ welfare, pensions and compensation for injury, illness or death.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Yet evidence suggests delivery is inconsistent. A 2025 report by the Defence Committee found that the record of the Covenant is mixed.

Some local authorities have shown “clear leadership” in implementing the support, whereas others have admitted to doing ‘‘an absolute minimum.’’ Equal implementation across all local authorities is essential; otherwise, what good are national laws supporting the military

if they can be easily undermined?

WHAT GOOD ARE NATIONAL LAWS SUPPORTING THE MILITARY IF THEY CAN BE UNDERMINED? The NHS also provides dedicated physical and mental health support through Op COURAGE and Op RESTORE. The

Armed Forces Covenant provides priority access to NHS services compared to non-Service patients with the same clinical need.

However, ex-service personnel still rely on the wider NHS, and long waiting lists for routine procedures reduce the effectiveness of such schemes. Some serving personnel even lose priority access after relocating for work.

Public attitudes underline the

problems. A YouGov public perceptions report found 13 percent of the public feel veterans are forgotten or left behind, and more than two-fifths believe they are not looked after well by the state.

Three-quarters of military charities also share the view that the government does not do enough to support veterans. The lack of services for the armed forces is clearly noted by the population, and has wider public policy implications.

When the government has targets to increase its military personnel by 73,000 by next Parliament, it’s difficult to see how governments can encourage civilians to enlist when support is perceived to be so low. From a distance you might be forgiven for mistaking that a Walter Mitty has been steering defence policy, with the current government imagining Britains leading role in Europe’s ‘‘coalition of the willing’’, while neglecting the forces it already struggles to support. The government must do more to ensure support structures are effective, consistent, and meaningful for veterans and serving personnel, or face the consequences of future unpreparedness.

No-one mourns the Wicked

Emily S Rizzo, Editor-in-Chief, and Lauren Walsh, Deputy Editor, discuss the rhetorics of propoganda and political scape-goating in Wicked: For Good

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NE of the most highly anticiptated movies of the year, Wicked: For Good released in UK cinemas last Friday, and despite being marketed as a feel-good, familyfriendly movie, it presents one of the most overt socio-political commentaries seen in recent Hollywood films.

Much more than just a tale of two friends in a magical land, the hierarchical power structures of Oz comment on contemporary frameworks of systemic inequality and scape-goating.

IT CONTAINS ...

OVERT SOCIOPOLITICAL COMMENTARIES While the parallels drawn between Elphaba’s ostracisation because of her (green) skin colour and racial injustice are clear, the very world and its ideological political scheming is a lessernoticed, yet crucial aspect of the film.

Madame Morrible’s character in par-

ticular embodies the role that media plays in propagating the agenda of political powers through ideological manipulation.

She is the press secretary for the ‘Wonderful’ Wizard of Oz, and constantly blames any misfortunes and mishaps on a scape-goat (sometimes a literal goat) progressively widening the scope of her blame to ostracise any and all minorities.

From the animals, to the munchkins, her manipulation of media through the construction of polar binaries and the circulation of propaganda, segregates the society of Oz in order to privilege those in charge, and massively disadvantage those less fortunate. In this case, the less fortunate are the animals, who are losing the ability to speak due to being discriminated against and put in cages (also raising questions sur-

RESISTANCE TO SYSTEMIC INJUSTICE IS A BATTLE THAT HAS TO BE FOUGHT CONSTANTLY Image: Jukoff, GoodFon.com

Image: Jukoff, GoodFon.com

rounding animal cruelty in our world).

Essentially, the film doesn’t reduce the complexity of being caught in such ideological nets, but proves that resistance to systemic injustice is a battle that has to be fought constantly.

While the theatre show that the films are based on first played on Broadway in 2003, making the show as old as many of us students, the issues it raises surrounding political acitivism versus inaction are just as important today as they were then. Furthermore, the addition of

songs to the film that aren’t in the original show, such as ‘No Place Like Home’ strengthen the film’s political messaging, as it serves as a call to action that your home isn’t worth giving up on, even amidst rising hate and discrimination.

All in all, Wicked: For Good might be marketed as a heartwarming tale of magic and the power of female friendship, but while it is all of these things, it is also a scathing political commentary about racial injustice, propoganda and political actvisism.

26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

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Satire

SATIRE EDITOR: Lauren Walsh

The Louvre Heist: Mission Extremely Possible

Lauren Walsh Deputy Editor

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TEP aside, Ocean’s Eleven, there’s a new iconic heist in town: on the 19th October 2025, eight pieces of the French Crown Jewels worth €88 million were stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. The crime took place at 9:30am, giving the thieves time for a nice lie in, followed by a comfortable breakfast of black coffee and a few cigarettes, before heading off to rob the most-visited museum in the world.

Some Looney Tunes characters apparently helped to plan this heist, resulting in the cartoon-

ish shenanigans involved in its implementation, including dressing up as construction workers, with Bugs Bunny leading the charge, and Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote using the furniture lift to gain access to the museum’s first floor.

Witnesses also report hearing the thieves humming the Mission Impossible theme song as they carried about the crime. Another bystander said, “I thought the only daylight robbery taking place was the prices in the museum giftshop.”

The heist took eight minutes to complete, with the thieves only spending four minutes of that inside the museum (which, coincidentally, is

the speed at which my dad wishes I could be in and out of museums, because apparently no one needs to read any of the object descriptions, you just assess the vibes then leave with the feeling of being more intellectual). Authorities are also at a loss as to how this could possibly have happened, as the Louvre is the pinnacle of museum security, with state-of-the-art cyber security and such foolproof passwords as ‘Louvre’ and ‘123456’.

SUCH FOOLPROOF PASSWORDS AS ‘LOUVRE’ AND ‘123456’

Four suspects have been charged for the heist, while one Feathers McGraw remains at large.

Citizens are warned to be wary of any Claymation birds they see in the vicinity. If you have any information pertaining to the heist itself, witnesses are urged to please let suitably caricature-ish authorities know — and not just the incredibly dapper teenager who happened to be walking by.

The suspects are currently in negotiations with the major movie studios over who gets film adaptation rights to the heist, something that will inevitably make them more money than selling the stolen items on the black market ever will.

Study shows student missing pet more than parents Rachel Baldwin

“I

’VE missed you” The choked-out, tearful, blubbering words of the student returning home. Studies (from a totally legitimate source and NOT from a student pulling an all-nighter to hand in an essay due the previous week who could not find any evidence to support their argument) show that these words of affection are directed towards their beloved furry friend not the family members whom they call frequently asking about the washing machine; perhaps this is due to the classic exasperated sigh of the parents when they realise the student didn’t press ‘START’.

THESE WORDS OF AFFECTION ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS THEIR BELOVED FURRY FRIEND Not only do students miss their pets, but another study (definitely not from the same student) found that the bubbles made by goldfish represent the heartbreak and pain of being abandoned.

Coincidentally, this has nothing to do with the student forgetting to clean the tank… how strange.

All jokes aside, once the student has brushed past their parents, they receive a face full of saliva from their dearly missed dog. Nothing says “I’ve missed

you” more than that; clearly, dogs really do care.

Cats, on the other hand, despise the student.

Upon peering around the corner, they see their cat passed out on the rug. The naïve student can only assume that the cat was so elated to see them that, like a fan to a celebrity, it was so overwhelmed with joy it passed out. However, a top-secret interview with the neighbours revealed they often look after an identical cat (don’t tell the student).

(Note: the cat in question has declined to comment on its connection to the neighbour’s house, but did have to leave the interview rather quickly, something about a massage…)

What does this all mean? When students say they’ll miss you, they’re referring to Benji and Bruno, the pet grasshoppers. However, rest as-

sured that so long as the dog can’t fit through the cat flap, the dog will always love you, which is a plus because the cat has other priorities.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Lau20fe

Welcome to Starmer’s Nanny State: Where Joy Goes to Die wholesome by staying in and watching The Traitors and The Great British Bake Off, with a non-sweet-

Yasmine Al-Saket Lifestyle Editor

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REAKING news from Westminster, from Starmer banning BOGOF and other multi-buy deals for soft drinks, a new policy has come out. Keir Starmer announces plans to regulate joy by 2026. There’s now a national ban on happiness and a Class A status on nights out, week-long benders, hangovers and debauchery. Timepiece enthusiasts and pub goers moan, long are the days of post-work drinks and pres. The government has now mandated that we must all try to be slightly more

Image: pxhere

en drink in hand and no sweet treat afterwards.

From banning free refills of fizzy drinks in restaurants and cafés to a curfew of 9pm. Pubs and clubs are shutting down across the nation. Though there are some bandits who are still keen to keep the pub culture alive and well by running underground speakeasies. The incredible nanny state is back, with all its finger wagging and its condescending look. If you want to have fun, the government has proposed for you to write a 300 word application to explain why such ‘fun’ is necessary to your mental wellbeing or you could try and have fun, but don’t have too much fun or else you’ll get caught! The government’s outlawed behaviours including: no speakers

on the tube, drinks with one percent of alcohol, wearing any bright colours (though, I’m not entirely sure why you’d wear that to begin with), and family and friends gathering of more than one person.

We are now under diet dictatorship, next up mandatory 5-k runs and saying buzzwords like “gym” and “sober” gives you a tax write off for your compliance with the nanny. Prepare to brace yourself to keep hearing your friends say no to all social gatherings since they’ve hit their monthly quota. No longer looking forward to those Tuesday socials but rather forcing yourself to enjoy the quiet life and living like a real nanny, knitting and avoiding human civilization.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Black Friday Sofia Tapia Online Lifestyle Editor

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BEAUTIFUL American tradition has been slowly growing in popularity in the UK. No, I don’t mean the authoritarianism or the xenophobia. I am talking about the most festive and joyous time of all. Black Friday, truly the Christmas of all Christmases (‘cause let’s not kid ourselves, that’s when you do most of your gift shopping). This wonderful day is all the rage, celebrated right after Thanksgiving (the next best date for Brits to adopt, what with its erasure of the violence of colonisation and all).

The UK sadly doesn’t yet go to the same lengths

as the US when it comes to fighting in Targets for the newest pink Stanley Cup (so different to the previous five releases, of course!). Hunger Games’ UK fans wish they could have the same level of adrenaline and near-death experience. There’s no need for a Sunrise on the Reaping movie! Just watch the crowd of Americans run inside stores as soon as the underpaid employees fearfully open their doors. After all, how best to demonstrate you have sold your soul to the capitalist demons — I mean, gotten the best bargain — than tackling people at your local mall?

However, Brits need not fret. To show your beautiful capitalist pride, you need only to rush to the local Wilko and fill up your trolley to the brim with

underpriced plastic gimmicks. What better fulfilment than to purchase £80.99 worth of not-at-all-trashnor-products-of-exploitation, commonly known as ‘half-priced essentials’? Rejoice in the craze of discounts that, just like November’s Christmas decor, now continue long past the original Friday.

If you enjoyed watching Jeff Bezos try to make Venice his private wedding venue, you will be thrilled to know about Amazon’s crazy Cyber Monday! Hundreds of thousands of products made available for you at heavily discounted prices. What more is there to wish for? With your Amazon Haul’s free next-day delivery brought to you by warehouse workers working under hazardous conditions, can there be anything better?

Capitalism really is the best thing that ever happened to humans. Why wish for world peace when you have the privilege of ordering the best advertised garbage at a swipe of your fingers? And all of it at least 20 percent off! So forget about your grandma’s birthday and instead start counting down the days until the 28th of November. Let’s welcome Black Friday, the most gloriously consumeristic heaven of all! !

C A P I T A L I S M REALLY IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO HUMANS

LIFESTYLE

ART & LIT

MUSIC

SCREEN

EXCETERA...

EXHIBIT Images (right to left, top to bottom):Wikimedia commons, Rebecca Lockyard, wikimedia commons, wikimedia commons

Image frames: rawpixel, publicdomainpictures, Pickpik

WHAT’S GOING ON WITH PERFORMATIVE MEN?

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POSITIVE MASCULINITY IN LITERATURE

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NOTTINGHAM UNI SUSPENDS MUSIC COURSES

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MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH ON SCREEN

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STUDENT STARS

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STUDY BREAK

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LIFESTYLE EDITORS Yasmine Al-Saket Betsy Heasman

ARTS AND LIT EDITORS Amber Platel Isabel Bratt

MUSIC EDITOR Sarah Gould

SCREEN EDITOR Beth Casey

EXCETERA EXCETERA...

Kayleigh Swart Puzzles by Matthew

lifestyle What makes a "frazzled English woman"?

Lauren Walsh, Deputy Editor, explores the TikTok aesthetic and its fashion

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HE trend of dressing like a ‘frazzled English woman’ emerged on TikTok a few years ago, coinciding with the rise in other trends celebrating femininity like ‘girl dinner’ & the ‘coquette aesthetic’. I was introduced to it in 2023 when I came across a TikTok describing how to dress as one and found, to my dismay, that the outfit described was almost exactly what I happened to be wearing that day. It turned out that, quite without meaning to, I was a 'frazzled English woman'.

IT TURNED OUT THAT, QUITE WITHOUT MEANING TO, I WAS A 'FRAZZLED ENGLISH WOMAN'.

If you’re wondering what this trend looks like, think English romcom heroines of the early 2000s, like Kate Winslet in The Holiday, or Keira Knightley in Love Actually. Of course, it’s impossible to discuss this without mentioning the epitome of the 'frazzled English woman': Bridget Jones herself. Because of these films, this trend is also tied up with the recent resurgence of Y2K fashion, as well as the winter season, with the need for thick coats & chunky scarves during an English winter.

A proper 'frazzled English woman' outfit in-

cludes short skirts, denim, or maybe patterned tights, preferably colourful, and/or laddered, and a pair of knee-high boots. The importance of knitwear cannot be understated either: whether it’s scarves, jumpers, cardigans or even maybe legwarmers, if you’re especially daring.

You could try putting your hair up in a claw clip, but the main point is that it needs to be just messy enough to show that you were in a rush to leave the house. Minimal (but just enough!) make-up will also emphasise this. There is a focus on artfully layering clothes, and the inclusion of mismatched colours and patterns, and of course, you get extra points for awkwardness in conversations and liberal use of British slang, even if its authenticity is questionable.

However, at the core of this aesthetic is the unpolished, loveable-yet-slightly-erratic look.

You need to look dishevelled enough, but not actually too bad; you just need to be effortlessly beautiful. It isn’t overly prepared, it should look like something you just threw on (because you slept through your alarm, thanks to drinking one too many glasses of rosé last night, as you are wont to do) as you raced out of the house, so the idea of meticulously planning it undermines the frazzled aesthetic. But, as our main examples to look up to are from movies, where the costume department likely will have planned every single detail, so just the right number

of hairs are out of place, maybe the style we are aiming to imitate is impossible to achieve.

Furthermore, what the above films and this trend offer us is seemingly an Americanised idolisation of a quintessential ‘Englishness’ that doesn’t exist in actuality. And it is a very middle/upper-class ‘Englishness’ at that: all the characters previously mentioned have posh accents and live in London or Surrey. It is not exactly a representative picture of the English female population. But perhaps the rise, and continued prevalence, of the ‘frazzled English woman’ trend echoes a desire in all

of us to be accepted for our imperfections, to not have to be completely put together all the time. That is something we can emulate, even if the specific aesthetic might be harder to grasp.

AT THE CORE OF THIS AESTHETIC IS THE UNPOLISHED, LOVEABLE YET SLIGHTLY ERRATIC LOOK

Image: Pixabay, Flickr

What's going on with performative men?

Ria Brown-Aryee, Features Editor, dives into the trend of performative men and what it means within the social zeitgeist

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NOTHER trend has made its way into 2025, the performative man. The idea of the performative man is usually associated with men who adopt aspects of women's culture into their lives by pretending to read classics and philosophy, drinking matcha, and carrying a tote bag. The motive for the performative men? To appeal to the female gaze. The performative male, in his pursuit of female attention, resorts to performative intellectualism. In this context, he pretends to enjoy literature, mainly associated with feminism.

Thus, the more these men latch on to fashion trends and aesthetic choices absorbed by women, the more appealing they become to women.

THE MOTIVE FOR THE PERFORMATIVE MEN? TO APPEAL TO THE FEMALE GAZE The idea of performative men has grown in popularity. Last October, there was a competiImages: Wikimedia Commons

tion for the best performative male held in London and cities across the globe. Aiman Kaiden who the BBC interviewed, participated in the contest and finished third in the competition, claims he is not a performative man himself and claims that there are a lot of people who do this for “female gaze” and “female attraction”. The performative male contest is just one example of the growing competition online between the performative men, each trying to outdo the other and most of them doing it for a joke.

LAST OCTOBER, THERE WAS A COMPETITION FOR THE BEST PERFORMATIVE MEN HELD IN LONDON AND CITIES ACROSS THE GLOBE However, there is an extent to which the “performative man” is performative as many men claim to have been enjoying matcha, wear-

ing loafers, listening to Clairo etc for years and in many ways feel it reinforces toxic masculinity. Many agreed there is nothing wrong with men sharing their interests and not being afraid to enjoy pop culture too, it is more the combination and almost mockery of women's pop culture and aesthetic which is being called out as performative. The performative man is what men think is the new way to attract women, however from the feedback from women on this trend, one can say that it has not achieved its aim in attracting the female gaze.

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MEN SHARING THEIR INTERESTS IN POP CULTURE...IT IS MORE THE COMBINATION AND ALMOST MOCKERY OF WOMEN'S POP CULTURE

exhibit | lifestyle

EDITORS: Betsy Heasman and Yasmine Al-Saket

26 NOV 2025 | 17

Exeposing the Influencer: Annabel Clarke Adhya Shetty chats with the iconic TikToker about her time at Exeter, post-grad life and that viral M&S video

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NNABEL Clarke is one of Exeter’s most famous student influencers with 10.5k followers on TikTok and 1.2 million likes, easily making her one of Exeter’s biggest BNOCs. Graduating with her Law Degree in June 2025, she went viral in March, with her Marks & Spencers food hall shops garnering significant attention, both good and bad.

1.2 MILLION LIKES, EASILY MAKING HER ONE OF EXETER'S BIGGEST BNOCS Annabel started her influencer journey by casually posting TikToks here and there, but it wasn’t until her second year of university that it really began to take off. “I just started posting a day in my life since it seemed fun and to share a different experience of studying in Exeter”.

Addressing her viral M&S food shop video, Annabel acknowledges that the “hate was a shock at first”. She feels that people were taking the video in the wrong light and did not want to paint a negative picture of Exeter. Recognising the stereotypes that people have of Exeter, Annabel wants people to know there are many different experiences of Exeter, and hers was just one of them. While there were some funny comments, many were just mean. While Annabel acknowledges that when she posted the video, she “didn’t really see the bigger picture” and

understands her privilege, she also wants people to understand that she and her boyfriend are big foodies. When she started posting, she was just 21, not trying to rage-bait but rather share her experience and love for food. Additionally, she mentions how shopping at M&S is a rarity for her, normally sticking to more affordable supermarkets. Currently, she is moving away from posting this kind of content, not wanting people to gain the wrong perception of her.

THE "HATE WAS A SHOCK AT FIRST"' Despite this, it wasn’t all bad. Many of her audience are people scouting for universities, and her videos have convinced people to come to Exeter.

Her influence has secured her brand deals as well as free meals and drinks. She has also made genuine friends through social media and been able to share some gifted food with her flatmates. She was able to collaborate with a gum brand that launched in M&S due to her videos and work with Superdrug, who gave free products to her for videos.

COLLABORATE WITH A GUM BRAND THAT LAUNCHED IN M&S DUE TO HER VIDEOS AND WORK WITH SUPERDRUG While she understands the hate, evidently

many companies still want to work with her. In person, however, Annabel affirms that she has never gotten any hate, especially from the Exeter community, with it mostly staying online.

She is currently working on making her content more about herself rather than sticking to M&S. Currently, it is a mix of lifestyle, fashion and travel. Her recent Maldives series was especially delightful as she “enjoyed making those videos and it was fun!”, especially as a way for her to share her love of the favourite place with the rest of the world. She shares candidly how “lucky it is to travel with her friends, family and her boyfriend".

Beyond vlogs of her day, Annabel also loves fashion, focusing her content on outfit checks, a few of her favourite brands being Sezene, Charo Ruiz, Asia Resort and Love Shack Fancy.

When asked how it was balancing a law degree and a career as an influencer, she mentions how her law degree was a lot harder, and influencing is more fun. It was hard to balance her social life and academic life due to low contact hours, and extensive reading required for a law degree. During her time in Exeter, Annabel “just wanted to get a good classification”. In fact, she mentions how her work as an influencer helped her with jobs as she learned to communicate with businesses and negotiate. Many firms find it a good skill to have, and she made sure to never post anything she didn’t want her employer to see.

Currently, Annabel is spending time with her family and figuring life out, like the rest of us. She's on the job hunt, applying for various

jobs focused on people interaction. A law degree allows for flexibility to be in any kind of environment. She mentions the pressure after a degree, as many expect you to have a whole plan set, something I’m sure a lot of us can relate to.

We wrapped up our conversation reminiscing about her time at Exeter, the pubs, the friends she's made, as well as the funny stories about carrying her food shop uphill to Union Road.

MANY FIRMS FIND IT A GOOD SKILL TO HAVE

Image: Annabel Clarke

GCal Warriors: The Death of Spontaneity Yasmine Al-Saket, Lifestyle Editor, talks the infililtration of the Google Calendar into our work, social and even love lives

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'VE often caught myself being overly organised, filling up my day from the moment I wake up to the moment I sleep, attending to every minor detail. I am one of those Google Calendar (GCal) warriors, as all my friends know; I send invites for all our gatherings. So it was no surprise to read from the Wall Street Journal that university students are scheduling in their hookups, coffee chats, walks to their room and when to shower using GCal. In the new age of the hustle and grind mentality, it seems like we all can’t catch a break since there’s always something to be

Image: Pexels (Rdne)

doing, whether that’s your seminar readings, working on essays, networking or applying to internships. Sure, all of these are fundamental to what makes your university experience a “success” but it takes away what university is for, the friendships, relationships, experiences and getting to know yourself.

taneity and reducing life to time slots on a grid is rather dire, something that seems dystopian, maybe we should aspire for enjoyment. Without all its pragmatic approach, maybe the meet-up should just be to exist in each other’s company, without all of its complex reality of corporatising it with GCal.

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ARE SCHEDULING IN THEIR HOOKUPS, COFFEE CHATS, WALKS TO THEIR ROOM AND WHEN TO SHOWER USING GCAL.

DO YOU ALSO WANT YOUR PERSONAL AFFAIRS TO FEEL LIKE ANOTHER THING ON THE CHECKLIST?

I’m all for scheduling your days, respecting your partner's time, setting clear boundaries but maybe we should also just have a good time and not think so deeply about everything, or whether you are being productive enough or not! Scheduling intimacy can sometimes make it unnatural and overly structured. When everything in your life is already planned down to the second, do you also want your personal affairs to feel like another thing on the checklist?

I doubt it, having some spontaneity makes it so much more exciting. Eliminating any spon-

As I’m coming up to finishing my degree, I most likely won’t remember all of those days where I was stuck in the library, writing essays or those weekends that I spent planning my life out into time slots. But instead, those friends’ spontaneous gossip sessions, running into a friend in the hallways, or getting a random pint midday at the Ram are the ones I hold dearest to my heart. With this in mind, I’ve tried to be more intentional about being spontaneous. Not trying to schedule every minute of my day but just letting life work itself out.

Image: Pexels (Cottonbrostudios)

arts & lit

Acts of kindness

Daylyn Carriga explores kindness in literature

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HE Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry follows two young sisters, Hazel and Flora Linden, as they are shepherded away from their London home amidst the turmoil of the Second World War, and Flora Lea disappears without a trace. This mystery-oriented piece of historical fiction is packed with acts of kindness that juxtapose the destruction and grief that war brings, even when readers know the ending from the beginning. When Hazel and Flora, distraught to be leaving their mother behind and afraid of their uncertain destination, finally arrive in Oxford to be placed as evacuees across the countryside, it’s a rocky start; a strange woman expresses interest in separating the sisters, and Hazel’s knapsack breaks, spilling the few belongings she was able to take with her. This catches the attention of a local boy, Harry Aberdeen, who helps Hazel to recollect her items and convinces his mother to bring both sisters home with them to Binsey.

This first act of kindness sets the rest of the story in motion and highlights how a small

moment can bring unexpected light and relief.

In Henry’s work, the ordinary act of kindness evolves from a heartwarming moment to the backbone of the entire plot. Throughout the book, Hazel does her best to provide this light and relief for her sister by telling stories of a made-up, magical land called Whisperwood. When Hazel tells the story, it always begins with ‘Not very long ago and not very far away,’ which positions the imaginary world as one that is easy for the girls to slip into at a moment’s notice, which helps them to escape the grit of war-torn England. In this mystical land with a river of stars, the pair can be anything they want to be, often taking the form of woodland creatures like bunnies or birds. This act of kindness from one sister to another is the red string tying the entire mystery of Flora’s disappearance, and the indestructible bond between the pair, together.

The Secret Book of Flora Lea is altogether a commentary on how our actions, no matter how small, can change a life forever.

Devon’s art culture

Arts and Lit Editor, Isabel Bratt, explores art in Devon

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ITH its rural beauty and long history, Devon has long been an inspiration for artists, which I’ll be exploring.

Devon is known for its large number of stately homes, many of which are open to the public. These reflect various architectural styles, from the neoclassical Arlington Court to the Gothic Revivalist Knightshayes Court.

Ilfracombe, North Devon, is home to one of Devon’s most famous art attractions, Verity, a sculpture by renowned artist Damien Hirst. Standing at 20 meters tall, this stainless steel and bronze statue can be found at Ilfracombe Harbour, overlooking the Bristol Channel. The sculpture represents truth and justice, depicting a pregnant woman holding a sword and scales, standing on law books.

The town of Totnes is said to be a haven for art and indie galleries. Go and check out Aesthetica Art Gallery, renowned for its contemporary works, and Eastgate Gallery, which boasts locally crafted pieces.

The town also hosts an Artisan’s Market.

Dartington Hall, found in South Devon, offers a variety of art showcases. You can experience art programmes, live performances, film screenings, and workshops. The hall’s gardens also showcase an impressive artistic history, shaped by artists and landscape designers.

Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum boasts awe-inspiring art displays and historical exhibits. With a particular focus on Devonbased artists, you can find fine art exhibitions, with collections that range from antiquity to modernity. The museum rotates its displays, meaning there is always something new to see.

“WITH ITS RURAL BEAUTY AND LONG HISTORY, DEVON HAS LONG BEEN AN INSPIRATION FOR ARTISTS”

Paddington The Musical stuns UK audiences

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Adhya Shetty covers new musical sensation, Paddington The Musical

ADDINGTON bear is a beloved children’s character who has touched the hearts of many. Thus, when a musical adaptation was announced in the West End, many were wary of how this telling would be able to adapt a timeless classic in a way that feels fresh, yet doesn’t tarnish the original material.

Thankfully, the show runners, Luke Shepard and his team, Image: Flickr were extremely passionate about the material they were trespassing on. The new stage adaptation is based on the iconic children’s

books and the 2014 movie. Paddington the bear appears in London from Peru, where a chance encounter with the Brown family leads him to a wonderful new world in Windsor Gardens.

One of the biggest questions was how Paddington would look: will it be just a man in a costume, or is there something else? The final product was an innovative combination of puppetry and technology. The bear was created

by Tahra Zafar, a famous puppet and costume designer who had worked extensively with various West End projects in his belt. Rather than making it hyper-realistic

as the film had, the team took an approach that blended the toy-like nature with the human essence that makes Paddington special. The final product was a bear suit that was performed with two performers, James Hameed and Arti Shah.

Shah sits in the suit while Hamed provides the voice and remotely puppeteers Paddington’s expressions using a control panel. Shah had to

“WITH THE SHOW CELEBRATING [LONDON’S] DIVERSITY AND LASTING STRENGTH”

extensively train due to the bear suit requiring an enormous amount of physical control.

Currently, the show has not yet officially debuted on the West End. The initial previews, however, paint a positive picture. With most critics praising the performances, the writing, the story and, of course, Paddington himself.

One of the strengths of the show appears to be the depiction of London, with the show celebrating its diversity and lasting strength.

Though some critics have criticised the music and the general length of the show.

Paddington appears to be a new West End sensation. The show is set to officially launch on November 30th at the Savoy Theatre.

The Legacy of Korczak Ziółkowski and the Crazy Horse Memorial Antoni Kaldunski, International Editor, shines light on Native American art for Native American Heritage Month

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ATIVE American Heritage Month invites us to reflect on stories, art, and voices that preserve and celebrate Indigenous heritage. One of the most powerful examples I’ve encountered is the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota — a place I had the chance to visit in April this year. Seeing it in person was extraordinary. The monument’s sheer size, combined with the intention and persistence guiding it, elevates it beyond the realm of sculpture, positioning it as a lasting symbol of Native pride and resilience.

The sculptor behind this vision, Korczak Ziółkowski, devoted his life to carving the Lakota leader Crazy Horse into a mountain. His

journey began in 1939, when Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear invited him to create a monument that would honour a Native hero on Native land. Bear’s message was simple but powerful: “My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know that the red man has great heroes too.”

Ziółkowski accepted the challenge wholeheartedly. When he began carving in 1948 with little more than a bulldozer, hand tools, and stubborn faith, few could have imagined the generations of work it would inspire. His refusal to accept government funding ensured the project stayed true to its original purpose — rooted in Lakota vision, not federal influence. Although he never saw the sculpture completed, his com-

mitment laid the foundation for something far greater than one man’s artistic ambition.

After his death in 1982, his wife Ruth, their children, and now grandchildren continued the work with the same independent spirit. Today, the site has grown into the Indian Museum of North Im age: Flick r America and the Native American Educational and Cultural Centre, places dedicated to

showcasing Indigenous art, history, and contemporary voices. These spaces expand the memorial’s meaning beyond stone, turning it into a centre of cultural education and celebration.

Visiting the Crazy Horse Memorial showed me how deeply art can carry history, memory, and identity. During Native American Heritage Month, the story of this mountain reminds us that honouring Indigenous culture is not a onetime gesture, but it is a sustained commitment across generations.

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arts & lit

EDITORS: Amber Platel and Isabel Bratt

26 NOV 2025 | 19

Rebecca Lockyear: “A museum of botanical history” Alannah Driscoll in conversation with Rebecca Lockyard about her University of Exeter inspired art

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HE University of Exeter’s Streatham Campus has recently been awarded Botanical Garden status, recognising its extraordinary plant heritage and centuries-old connection to Britain’s history of botanical exploration.

Artist Rebecca Lockyear is shining a light on this hidden treasure through her latest series of paintings, which celebrate the University’s rare and historic trees. Her work captures not only the natural beauty of the campus but also its remarkable place in horticultural history.

“I was amazed to discover that Exeter had such an incredible collection of trees,” Rebecca said. “There are 120 champion trees on campus — 13 of them are the best of their kind in the entire country. It’s a world-class collection that most people walk past without realising its importance.”

“THERE ARE 120 CHAMPION TREES ON CAMPUS — 13 OF THEM ARE THE BEST OF THEIR KIND IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. IT’S A WORLD CLASS COLLECTION THAT MOST PEOPLE WALK PAST WITHOUT REALISING ITS IMPORTANCE” Rebecca’s interest in Exeter’s trees grew from her fascination with nearby Sidmouth’s civic arboretum — the first of its kind in the UK. This led her to explore the University grounds, where she was guided by Alex Adams, Chief Arborist for the Grounds Team.

What she discovered was a landscape shaped

by Victorian plant collectors and pioneering horticulturalists, particularly the Veitch family of nurserymen. The Veitch brothers, who had nurseries in Exeter and Chelsea, were among the most influential botanists of their era. They helped establish the Royal Horticul-

tural Society and the Chelsea Flower Show, and used Exeter’s mild climate and access to the docks to import plants from around the world.

Because of this connection, the campus became home to a wealth of exotic specimens — some of which are now among the oldest and rarest in the UK. “The Victorians were obsessed with statement trees,” Rebecca explained. “They imported species from America, Asia and beyond, experimenting with hybrids that changed the way Britain looked.”

One such example is the Lucombe Oak, found near Reed Pond, a hybrid of cork oak and turkey oak first created accidentally by Exeter nurseryman William Lucombe in the 1760s. The tree was prized for its evergreen leaves, a rarity among oaks at the time.

“Students pass by that tree every day without knowing it’s one of the originals discovered by Lucombe himself,” Rebecca said. “It’s part of Exeter’s living heritage.”

Reed Hall, one of the most picturesque spots on campus, also hides stories of Victorian ambition. Its Italianate Gardens once contained one of Britain’s largest heated glasshouses, built by the Veitch brothers in the 1860s. The only surviving remnant today is the Pineapple Chimney, a decorative brick and stone structure that once powered the glasshouse’s heating system.

“The man who built Reed Hall spent as much on the gardens as he did on the house itself,” Rebecca noted. “He wanted plants from every continent — it was a symbol of prestige and global connection.”

The campus’s diverse plantings also include two national collections — of Azara and Dierama species — along with remarkable specimens like the Swamp Cypress, a tree native to Florida that transforms into brilliant shades of red each autumn.

Rebecca’s paintings — Journey Through Trees and Forest Bathing — are inspired by the cam-

pus’s rich botanical story and the sense of peace found among its greenery. Though ar-

cover the real trees that inspired the work.”

Rebecca is currently working on a further two paintings.

The first is of St. Lukes Campus. Available to purchase in February, the piece is inspird by the mosaic planting set within the original quadrangle.

The second, a painting of Penryn Campus, will be availble for purchase in time for summer graduation.

Re b e c c a ’s archival-quality prints are available through Image: Rebecca Lockyard her website, www.summittistic in style, each piece draws directly from paintings.com. Each unframed print is £90 Exeter’s real trees, landscapes, and history. and designed to fit a standard A2 frame. A As part of the project, Rebecca has devel- special graduation edition, with a wide boroped interactive Google Maps guides, acces- der for friends to sign their messages, is also sible via attached QR codes, allowing visi- now available — a fitting memento for those tors to trace the routes and locations featured graduating from such a remarkable setting. in her paintings. Each painting has its own 20 percent of all sales will go to the Unimap marked with tree icons — click one, and versity’s ‘Gifts to the Estate’ fund, which you’ll see the exact location on campus, com- supports succession planting to protect and plete with embedded photos and details about renew the arboretum for future generations. the species. The central red icon reveals the “The campus trees tell a story that stretches painting itself with all the key points labelled. back hundreds of years,” Rebecca reflected.

“It’s a lovely way to explore the campus,” “Through my paintings, I hope people begin Rebecca said. “You can walk with a friend to see that Exeter isn’t just a beautiful univer— one person uses the map, the other looks sity — it’s a living museum of botanical history.

Frame: freesvg at the painting — and together you can dis-

Positive Masculinity in Literature Arts & Lit Writers share their favourite representations of positive masculinity in literature in honour of Movember

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ESCRIBED by author Caleb Azumah Nelson as a “love story to Black art and expression”, Open Water (2021) navigates movement through the world as a Black man carrying grief, love, and vulnerability, in a body perceived as violent.

Tenderly unfolding the love between the protagonist and his best friend, Nelson emphasises the importance of being truly seen for who you are. He shines light on the beauty of masculinity through mundane yet raw scenes, from lines as simple as “Leon, the barber, beautiful man”, to deep-cutting, vivid truths: “...love is to be whole, partial, a joint, a fracture, a heart, a bone. It is to bleed and heal.”

Written in second person, the direct feel of the book pushes and pulls at the pure vulnerability and emotion of our protagonist. Through raw sensory detail, Nelson

submerges the reader in moments permeated with fragile joy – “...the feeling that bounced about your chest, that these young men could be driving, yellow beams spilling from street lights onto their faces, the light in their eyes the brightest, a life uninhibited, even if it is only brief, it is theirs, this space”.

DEEP CUTTING, VIVID TRUTHS: “LOVE IS TO BE WHOLE, PARTIAL, A JOINT, A FRACTURE, A HEART, A BONE. IT IS TO BLEED AND HEAL” I deeply encourage you to read this book, and to hold space for male vulnerability and openness in your lives.

Lee Niedrum

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ASCULINITY refers to the traits traditionally associated with men, and positive masculinity emphasises the healthy traits while rejecting toxic ones. These expectations are often scrutinised, but I believe in embodying positive traits that benefit yourself and others. My favourite aspect is service, rooted in the idea that men are protectors. Still, I view it through humility rather than control.

POSITIVE MASCULINITY EMPHASISES THE HEALTHY TRAITS WHILST REJECTING TOXIC ONES. My favourite example of service is the character of Samwise Gamgee, Frodo’s gardener and friend in The Lord of the Rings. In

the third book, after six months of tribulations across Middle-earth in the quest to destroy the One Ring at the pits of Mount Doom. Frodo, tormented by the ring, collapses at the mountain’s base. Sam, his friend who has always supported him, says courageously, “Come, Mr Frodo!...I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well”. Although he cannot fully grasp his friend’s pain, he continues to lighten his burden, carrying him to their journey’s end.

This highlights Sam’s service not as a sign of inferiority but as a powerful act of moral kindness that uplifts others. Sam’s loyalty inspires me to embody a friend’s heart, to be motivated by love and respect, not entitlement.

Daniel Pratt

MUSIC

Grammy Award nominations: 2026 rundown Sam Hanlon gives us an insight into the important nominations for next years Grammys

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T'S Grammys season! Let’s start by looking at the big categories, and which artists, songs and albums are nominated.

Record of the year went to Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Not Like Us’ for the 2025 session, the anthem acting as a victory lap in the rap feud Lamar entertained with fellow artist Drake.

This time, ‘DtMF’ by Bad Bunny shines through amongst a very American popcentric list, bringing much needed musical diversity and showcasing Puerto Rican artistic talent. The nominations for Album of the Year are equally heavy hitters, with Clipse’s Let God Sort Em Out, and Tyler, The Creator’s CHROMAKOPIA and Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS being firm favourites of mine.

Leon Thomas and MUTT deserve credit, whether in the album or Best New Artist categories, for his successful breakthrough and curation of his sound.

LEON THOMAS AND MUTT DESERVE CREDIT. WHETHER IN THE ALBUM OR BEST NEW ARTIST CATEGORIES

I anticipate a win for Kendrick Lamar’s GNX, though, with its blend of the modern West-Coast rap game. Billie Eilish’s hit song ‘WILDFLOWER’ deserves merit for its emotional depth, although it is up against harsh competition for Song of the Year, with Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s ‘luther’ and Doechii’s ‘Anxiety’ (which I’m sure has haunted many of us through its extensive overplaying).

Producer of the Year is also a category of starstudded talent, with Sounwave (who worked on GNX), Dijon (showcasing soul-touching R&B production) and Cirkut (working magic for pop with Lady Gaga) all vying for the award. Best Rap Album would do well to recognise the talent of JID in his beautiful God Does Like Ugly, although it comes up against big names in GNX and CHROMAKOPIA. Best Latin Pop Album features Rauw Alejandro’s Cosa Nuestra, which definitely deserves a win in my books! Let’s hope that PinkPantheress comes away with an award Image: Heute.at

for Best Dance Pop Recording for ‘Illegal’, after releasing the endless fun that is Fancy That in May.

LET'S HOPE THAT PINKPANTHERESS COMES AWAY WITH AN AWARD FOR BEST DANCE POP RECORDING FOR 'ILLEGAL' The category for Duo and Group performances in Pop will also likely be tense, with Wicked’s ‘Defying Gravity’ battling it out against SZA and Lamar’s ‘30 for 30’ and ROSE and Bruno Mars’ ‘APT’, two catchy and very impressive duo songs. This is a rapid rundown of the various nominations for categories, although there are more - especially in rock, alternative and soundtracks. As always, questions and accusations fly around in Grammy season. Are the categories diverse enough? Is real talent or commercial success a more important factor? Snubs for Lorde’s Virgin, Playboi Carti’s MUSIC, producer Jack Antonoff, and The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow do come across rather glaringly, being major highs in

this year’s musical output. ‘Timeless’, ‘Birds of a Feather’ and ‘End of Summer’ are also noticeably missing, being major hits praised for their production quality and performance. It’s hard not to look at this year’s lineup and wonder how the Academy comes to its decisions. For all the amazing works recognised, the total omission of Hurry Up Tomorrow, one of the most beautiful, well-executed and critically acclaimed albums of the year, feels difficult to attribute to reasonable, transparent logic.

When a project of that scale fails to receive a single nod, questions naturally arise about how decisions are being made. Following the absence of After Hours in the 2021 Grammy’s and subsequent apology of the Academy to The Weeknd in early 2025, it remains clear that transparency is still needed from the Grammys.

Image: Flickr

Artist spotlight: RUBII

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Can Wilf Smith convince you to give RUBII a listen? Check out the writer's argument below

HAVE chosen Birmingham born and based singer RUBII for this artist spotlight, one of the most innovative forces in the UK’s RnB, neo-soul and HipHop scene, who recently dropped her first official album. I discovered RUBII last year and fell in love with her ambient jazzy production and gentle vocal delivery, described

by Dazed as “layered yet rapid and softly-spoken yet punchy.” RUBII herself expresses how her style blends genres and refuses to be defined in her lyrics: "I don’t rap, I talk with tap". The

word ‘BitterChill’ is RUBII’s only contribution to her Spotify bio, and it describes the unusual harmony in her music. It captures the relationship between her relaxed, lo-fi sound, and her lyrics, often personal, expressing her experiences and frustrations, with unapologetic attitude — hence an unmistakable ‘bitter’ streak. For me, what sets RUBII apart from the rest is her authenticity, a quality that feels so refreshing in the modern landscape. She is involved in all aspects of her music, drawing and designing all her cover art herself.

uct, RUBII is the antithesis. For those who listen to music while studying, her chilled vocals and instrumentals are certainty fitting for some background ambiance. A word of caution, personally I struggle with this, finding her songs too infectious to ignore when I’m working.

Nevertheless, I would thoroughly recommend all of RUBII’s short discography, and as introductions, I would point you to the dreamy melodies of ‘Night Drive’, or the hard-hitting ‘Jammin’, if that is more your thing. Go give her a listen!

WHAT SETS RUBII APART FROM THE REST IS HER AUTHENTICITY In an interview with Juice, she revealed how she channels her Synaesthesia into each project — the music in her breakthrough EP Olive Green inherently reflecting what felt green to her. In a world where the commercial process so often alienates the artist from their prod-

Music & Politics: do they mix?

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Michelle Chung, Online Deputy Editor, argues whether artists have a responsibility to comment on political issues

LIVIA Rodrigo has recently called out the Trump Administration for using her music, angrily expressing her disgust at the thought of her music promoting his “hateful, racist agenda.”

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift has remained silent at the face of both the White House and the official Democrats account using music from her newest album to promote their political videos. Many swifties on the internet view that she ought to have revoked permission from the White House like Rodrigo did, some pondering if she has “turned Republican”. What does that say about music and politics?

Does the “Death of the Author”, an idea coined by Roland Barthes, not apply? The modern rules on today’s social media can muddle the Image: Heute.at lines. When political accounts and institutions forcefully “tag” artists

to use their audio, their brand automatically gets associated on the post. Everyone can also assume that artists will make monetary gain from these posts based on copyright laws, meaning that one might make the assumption that Taylor Swift has no problem doing business with Donald Trump. This explains why the zoomers on the internet keep making theories on whether Swift converted from being a Kamala Harris “childless cat lady” voter to being a MAGA “tra[v] wife”. Of course, the swifties’ reluctance to face reality, that their favourite star might just be Hollywood’s most esteemed businesswoman - one who wouldn’t bat an eye to make easy money from both the Democrats and the current Republican administration, is blindingly obvious. Yet this also makes one wonder if artists have the responsibility to make their politics public. Are musicians not allowed to do their job of simply making music anymore? I think that making art is in itself a respectful endeavour, and being a politician is simply not in their job description. Just as a teacher or an accountant wouldn’t be expected to announce whether you vote blue or red, musicians

shouldn’t be either. Many on social media demand musicians to raise awareness of different political issues and speculate their politics, as they are free to do so.

They say with great power comes great responsibility.

However, that is a moral opinion and a societal expectation, not an obligation. They also don’t consider that with great power comes the great abuse of power, namely political misinformation masqueraded as political awareness in the same attention economy. Even though the link between music and politics seem intertwined in the digital age, I suggest that it is politics which have become increasingly entertaining, more so than entertainment being abruptly more political than average. As, the former Presidential Nominee, Kamala Harris had a wealth of celebrity endorsements at the Democratic National Convention, famously using Beyoncé’s hit Freedom to launch her campaign video.

Zohran Mamdami got viral edits out of doing the legendary TP boogie to Kendrick Lemar’s 'Not Like Us.' Zack Polanski recently led the crowd to chant “Tax the Rich” at a Rizzle Kicks gig. In the attention economy where Trump has to go on The Joe Rogan Podcast to woo the male electorate through their massive twitch headsets, politicians benefit from being the face of entertainment. Olivia Rodrigo has stopped allowing the

Image: PICRYL

Trump Administration to ever use her music because she doesn’t believe in his politics, and everyone, most of all, her PR manager, celebrate this. Playing brand association with MAGA not only rots your soul, it can also decrease your Spotify royalties within the Gen Z demographic. Yet perhaps we should divert our political demands to actual politicians who have decisionmaking power, who have political campaigning in their LinkedIn description, who are bound by their political mandate to serve the people, and let artists make art.

PERHAPS WE SHOULD DIVERT OUR POLITICAL DEMANDS TO ACTUAL POLITICIANS

26 NOV 2025 | 21

EDITOR: Sarah Gould

exhibit | music

Men's Mental Health Month

Music Writers cast a spotlight on artists who promote mental health

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Suga from BTS

S November marks Men's Mental Health Month, Min Yoon-gi — known as Suga from the worldwide hit group BTS — has become a key advocate, especially in parts of Asia where talking about emotional struggles is still often looked down upon. Upon dropping his first mixtape Agust D in 2016, Suga stepped away from the image of a typical K-pop star — instead exploring his struggles with depression and therapy experiences.

His song lyrics show raw honesty: “Behind the well-known rapper persona/I’m fragile, kind of unstable/OCD, depressive thoughts/They resurface now and then”, revealing emotional depth within an entertainment world that often expects flawlessness. In a 2019 Entertainment Weekly interview, Suga emphasized that people with platforms should talk openly about depression as if it were the common cold, making it more accepted and normalized. This approach directly challenges Asian cultural norms

where mental health struggles are often hidden or dismissed. In his Rolling Stone digital cover story, Suga stated that emotions "are not something that need to be hidden. They need to be discussed and expressed," adding that when fans find comfort through his words, it makes him feel very good.Beyond individual advocacy, BTS partnered with UNICEF for their LOVE MYSELF campaign and later supported UNICEF's #OnMyMind initiative, which aims to improve mental health for children, young people, and families. The group also presented their advocacy at a United Nations youth summit as part of their #ENDviolence partnership with Image: Wikimedia Commonsr U N I C E F. Through confessional songwriting, public interviews, and international campaigns, Suga continues dismantling the profound stigma surrounding mental health in Asian communities, proving that vulnerability is strength.

By Chandrayee Raha

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Sam Fender

HEN considering an advocate for mens mental health in the music scene, no one comes to mind as resolutely as Sam Fender. Since the dawn of his music career, vulnerability and stark honestly has been the epicentre of his art. I find his sentiments to be most concentrated in a track from his first album Hypersonic Missiles, called ‘Dead Boys’ released in 2019, written following the death of a close friend. It states: "We all tussle with the black dog, some out loud and some in silence/Everybody around here just drinks/That’s our culture/We close our eyes, learn our pain/Nobody ever could explain all the dead boys in our hometown".

These lyrics aptly describe the struggle that the ‘boys’ are facing within socioeconomically submerged cities, such as the repetitively referImage: Wikimedia Commonsr enced Newcastle.

They face repeated struggle and frustration of the ‘black dog’, an implicit metaphor for depression and ill mental health. He describes how some are able to share their struggles whilst others remain unable to air their suffering. Perhaps leading to these ‘dead boys’. Mental health in general is

overwhelmingly abundant within all three of Fender’s albums, mostly stemming from working class struggle but also bereavement and general anxieties.

MENTAL HEALTH IN GENERAL IS OVERWHELMINGLY ABUNDANT WITHIN ALL THREE OF FENDER'S In talking to NME when asked about the cause of the men’s mental health epidemic he states that “I genuinely think it’s toxic masculinity and the idea of what a man is supposed to be. This is really archaic […] if it (Dead Boys) gets to one person and they feel they should reach out and talk to somebody, then it has done a good job". Sam is an artist who has publicly shared his struggle, cancelling tours to focus on mental health. He is open, vulnerable and doesn’t try to preach, only empathise. This is why I believe he has had such an enormous reach across gender, class and age. He is one of the strongest advocates out there in music for mental health in this current age.

By Eve Buckley

Nottingham university suspends music courses

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Lauren Walsh, Deputy Editor, discusses why music courses are the first to be axed in times of financial strain

N the 6th of November, the University of Nottingham announced its plans to cut 48 courses from its September 2026 offering, to the surprise of staff and students.

The cut courses are from a range of disciplines, including music, modern languages, nursing and more. Students currently studying these subjects will be able to finish their degrees, but no new students will be able to apply for these courses going forward, and foundation level students will be unable to progress to undergraduate level. The University cited reasons such as “low demand from prospective students, declining populations on the courses and low research income – meaning that they are less financially viable for us to maintain” for the decision.

THE UNIVERSITY CITED REASONS SUCH AS "LOW DEMAND FROM PROSPECRIVE STUDENTS" A spokesperson for the university said, "A societal shift has significantly affected student demand for music and modern languages degrees over recent years, with the downward trend in recruitment reflecting changing demographics and educational and career preferences.” They are also proposing restructuring the faculties and departments at the university. These decisions are the “latest phase” in a “broad programme of transformation” the university is calling ‘Future Nottingham’.

This announcement comes amid proposals from a variety of universities to axe these sorts of courses; the universities of Oxford Brookes, Kent, and Wolverhampton have made cuts to their music courses. But on their website the University of Nottingham did emphasise that, “It’s important to understand that the proposal to close the suspended courses permanently is just that: a proposal.”

"IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE PROPOSAL TO CLOSE THE SUSPENDED COURSES PERMANENTLY IS JUST THAT: A PROPOSAL

Image: fullofheartmusic.com.au

on the 25th of November. And we shouldn’t lose hope just yet — Cardiff University proposed many cuts to similar department areas in January, including its School of Music, but did not go through with the plans after receiving backlash. And Nottingham is certainly receiving backlash for these decisions. Many students have started petitions against the cuts, with one petition started by music students amassing 13,500 signatures at the time of this article’s writing. Nottingham alumnus Sam Watts even posted to Instagram “I loved studying at the UoN music department and it would be a devastating blow to the UK’s arts for it to close.” Watts is a composer who writes music for film and TV, including writing the theme for The Traitors.

Furthermore, The University and College Union (UCU) has also been critical of NotImage: Wikimedia Commonsr tingham’s proposal, and members of staff

Further discussions and final decisions on whether these proposals go ahead will take place

began four weeks of strikes on Monday 10th November. “This development is sadly symptomatic of a wider malaise in music education, which has seen university after university axe music courses as state school music education — the talent pipeline for such university courses — experiences an existential crisis.” said Stephen Brown, Musician’s Union Midlands Regional Organiser. He went on to say, “On a wider note, the arts sector in the East Midlands has witnessed cuts of over 30 percent since 2010. It is up to the Government to step up and provide the funding for music education and the arts to stem this depressing tide of news and support the arts in the regions.”

THE UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE UNION (UCU) HAS ALSO BEEN CRITICAL OF NOTTINGHAMS PROPOSAL Image: Wikimedia Commonsr

screen

Movember: Men’s Mental Health on Screen The Holdovers Good Will Hunting

Lauren Walsh, Deputy Editor, discusses finding hope and joy in places we least expect it

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HE Holdovers is a 2023 independent film directed by Alexander Payne and written by David Hemingson. Set in the 70s, it follows Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) who is a strict and not-very-well-liked Classics teacher at an elite boys’ boarding school in New England, called Barton Academy. Mr Hunham is tasked with looking after ‘the holdovers’, that is, the boys who have to stay at school over the Christmas holidays, including one Angus Tully, played by Dominic Sessa. Also staying over the winter break is the cook Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) who has recently lost her son in the Vietnam war.

All of these characters are outsiders in society, but especially within the elite environment at Barton, and all feel alone in their problems. However, over the course of the film they bond over their shared struggles and, while they don’t necessarily solve them, they learn to live with them.

THEY BOND OVER THEIR SHARED STRUGGLES... THEY LEARN TO LIVE WITH THEM Giamatti’s acting as Hunham is incredible in this film; he is a man who is bitter at his lot in life, at the dreams he never fulfilled, and acts angry and grouchy because of it.

His performance is surpassed only by Dominic Sessa’s heartbreaking portrayal of sullen and sarcastic Angus Tully, left behind by his mother and her new husband at Christmas.

The Holdovers was Sessa’s breakout film role: he was a financial-aid student at Deerfield

Academy, one of the schools used as a filming location, and was discovered by the film’s casting director when students at the academy were offered the chance to audition.

Despite the raw emotion and heavier themes of the film, there are also moments of hope and joy as the unlikely friends celebrate Christmas together. There are some great instances of humour thanks to sharp, witty writing, and incredible line delivery.

One of my personal favourite examples of this occurs early in the film, when one student complains “I can’t fail this class!”, to which Images Heute.com

Hunham replies, “Don’t sell yourself short, Mr Kountze, I truly believe that you can.”

Furthermore, The Holdovers has the added bonus of being festive, without being an outright Christmas movie. There are lots of charming shots of snow-covered Barton and Boston, looking almost like a Christmas card, meaning it is perfect to watch in November, as we gear up for the festive season proper.

It is a film that has the feel of a modern classic and shows us that sometimes those that help us most, are the ones we least expect.

Antoni Kaldunski, International Editor, examines honest vulnerability in Good Will Hunting

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OR decades, mainstream cinema has offered a narrow image of masculinity: stoic, emotionally distant, and defined by toughness rather than depth.

Good Will Hunting stands out as a rare exception. Since its release in 1997, it has become one of the most honest portrayals of men’s mental health, largely because it treats vulnerability not as weakness but as something necessary and normal in a young man’s life.

fect, and deeply human. He offers empathy instead of judgement, and their conversations quietly challenge the idea that men should stay silent about what hurts them.

In one of the film’s most powerful moments, Sean repeats “It’s not your fault” until Will finally breaks down, releasing years of buried pain. Many men relate to that sense of entrapment—the fear that showing emotion will be held against them.

The truth is simple: men need to talk.

What makes Good Will Hunting especially IT TREATS VULNERABILITY significant today is its refusal to glamorise NOT AS WEAK BUT AS the “tough exterior” that men are so ofSOMETHING NECESSARY ten encouraged to maintain. This doesn’t mean traditional masculine traits have no place, but they should sit alongside emoAt the centre of the film is Will Hunting, tional openness. The film argues that cona mathematical genius from a working-class nection, self-understanding, and vulnerBoston neighbourhood, whose intellectual ability take far more courage than silence. brilliance is matched by the emotional tur- Will’s transformation isn’t about becoming bulence he carries. Bestronger; it’s about beneath his sharp wit and coming more honest— defiant confidence sit a shift that reflects a deep-rooted traumas— growing movement neglect and a lifelong challenging outdated belief that opening up is ideas about masculinity. dangerous. Matt Damon Mental health concaptures a truth many versations have admen still recognise: the vanced since the 1990s, pressure to appear inbut stigma remains, and vincible, even when many men still strugImage: Wikipedia Indoneisa struggling. His fear of gle to express vulnerabandonment, especially in his relationship ability. Good Will Hunting serves as a rewith Skylar, shows how emotional closeness minder that emotional expression is not a can feel threatening rather than supportive. rejection of masculinity—it is a vital part The film’s emotional core lies in Will’s of it. By showing a young man confront relationship with Sean Maguire, played by his trauma with the support of someRobin Williams. Sean isn’t a flawless men- one who listens, the film invites us to retor or authority figure; he’s grieving, imper- consider what real strength looks like.

Review: Die My Love

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Saffron Norman offers her thoughts of Lynne Ramsay’s latest film on postpartum pyschosis

IE My Love was marketed as a ‘comedic thriller’, yet it neither thrilled nor amused, more accurately, it bored and depressed. This film aimed to explore the reality of postpartum depression, in which Jennifer Lawrence starred as a new mother str ug gling with her mental health; however, there was little focus on maternity and a greater focus on convoluted montages and meaningless metaphors.

Robert Pattinson played her partner, grappling with the extent of his wife’s descent into madness. Whilst Lawrence and Pattinson’s acting was stellar, with raw emotion and relationship dynamics, they did not outshine the pretentious self-indulgence of the script. The label of a ‘thriller’ on a story about the non-fictional horrors of postpartum depression seemed shallow and insensitive. Die My Love was a mismarketed, hollow, carnal waste of two hours.

THE LABEL OF A ‘THRILLER’ SEEMED SHALLOW AND INSENSITIVE From needless animal cr uelty to nonsensical motifs and enough wailing infant cries to give you a mig raine, this film was a plotless mess from star t to finish. Gratuitous nudity and a failed attempt at dark comedy culminated into a soulless jumble of repulsion and boredom. I was not anticipative of how the plot would prog ress, but rather the possibility of any plot somehow materialising midway through — it never did.

Pretentious audiences may be inclined to label those who did not enjoy or understand this film to be ‘stupid’, however, this attitude assumes that ambiguity and so-

called ‘ar tsiness’ makes for an intellectual film, when this is not the case. Admittedly, the decision to shoot on film did somewhat improve the experience of this movie, with its vivid colour-g rading and intentional g raininess making it pleasing to the eye.

ITS VIVID COLOUR-GRADING AND INTENTIONAL GRAININESS MAKING IT PLEASING TO THE EYE However, like the incredible acting by Lawrence and Pattinson, this did not make up for the sheer plotlessness of this film.

Die My Love was an unremarkable waste of its perfor mances which relied on futile motifs to carry its non-existent plot arc. Zero stars.

Image: Wikimedia Commons Movie ticket: openclipart

exhibit | SCREEN

26 NOV 2025 | 23

EDITOR: BETH CASEY

Movember: Redefining Masculinity

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Molly Panagi Williams discusses how The Birdcage reflects the message of Movember

HE message of Movember is that cal of any set he graced. The film’s plot surof encouraging openness, friendship rounds Williams’ character, Armand, who is and caregiving the owner of a drag nightclub, Images: Wikimedia Commons, among men and lookalong with his partner, Albert, ing at films which depict played by Nathan Lane, one of this can be a great way the drag artists who performs to start these kinds of at the club. Williams’ son, Lawconversations or show an rence, returns home saying he alternative viewpoint on wants to marry a girl he met at ‘traditional’ masculinity. university. Armand and Albert Older films can often are unabashed in affection and create this energy in a overjoyed for their son while beautiful way, and one terrified of letting him go; you I watched recently and never doubt how much they which feels like a fantaslove him. There are no coded tic depiction is The Birddeclarations of pride or manly cage featuring Robin Wilback pats – instead they hug liams and Nathan Lane. him tightly, kiss his cheek, and As with any film featuring Robin Williams, tell him how they want him to be happy. The it has a heart and an openness to it that is typi- two are asked by Lawrence to help him im-

press his fiancé’s senator father by performing a life of heteronormality even though it goes against the life they have built for themselves.

THERE ARE NO CODED DECLARATIONS OF PRIDE OR MANLY BACK PATS Working to make their apartment above the club look a little less like the apartment of two gay men and instead the second home of a diplomat and his wife is a painful sacrifice for both, but they do it to ensure their son’s happiness. The plot is heartfelt and hilarious, with Albert trying again and again to be a part of proceedings and avoid being sent away for the event, hiding his silks and feathers for a suit as an uncle and then as Armand’s

‘wife’ dressed in middle class drag. It paints ‘toughness’ as going against societal norms of the time even when they might reject you.

Even Lawrence, who spends the film trying to push Albert away, recognises that he is hurting him and their relationship, eventually acknowledging that in every way that counts, Albert has been his mother/other parent.

IT PAINTS ‘TOUGHNESS’ AS GOING AGAINST SOCIETAL NORMS OF THE TIME The undertone of love and chaotic ways of caring for one another is weaved throughout. It is a beautiful representation of non-traditional masculinity, family, and what you do for the people you love.

Review: The Running Man

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Louisa Gautrey considers the unsettling remake of a classic Stephen King adaptation

AVING not read Stephen King’s novel The Running man before I stepped into the theatre, I did not know what to expect from its new adaptation. What I found, however, was an unexpectedly dark but humorous take on the dystopian novel. For viewers who similarly are unfamiliar with the narrative, certain elements have strong resemblance to The Hunger Games franchise that it occasionally felt like watching it all over again.

Have you watched a film or tv show recently that you’d like to review for us?

Send an email to screen@exepose.com to pitch

AN UNEXPECTEDLY DARK BUT HUMOROUS TAKE ON THE DYSTOPIAN NOVEL The narrative unfolds in a futuristic America where Ben Richards, a charismatic, hard-working man, played by Glen Powell, is blacklisted from his job and cannot earn money to heal his sick daughter. Out of frustration that his wife Sheila (Jayme Lawson) is being exploited at the club where she works as a waitress, Ben visits the network to find a TV show to join for some money. However, his honest and provoking personality results in him being coerced into ‘The Running Man’, an infamous game show where three contestants battle against the public and assassins for 30 days. If he survives, he could win 1 bil-

lion US dollars, enough to drag him and his beloved family out of the depths of poverty.

Along the way Ben realises the network is not g oing to play fair; he is merely a pawn to cor r upt in a system of power and wealth. Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), the manipulator behind it all, uses ar tificial intelligence to twist public perception, painting Ben as a psychopathic man who deser ves to be hunted.

HE IS MERELY A PAWN TO CORRUPT IN A SYSTEM OF POWER AND WEALTH This raises the unsettling question.

Was the show needed all along when they could have produced it through AI? Per-

Image: Flickr, frame: drydenart

haps Director Edgar Wright was making a wider point to demonstrate society’s lust for violence. Overall, this new film is a thrilling watch, blending action, satire and social commentar y into an entertaining production well wor th the watch.

Review: Chainsaw Man The Movie Reze Arc

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ANG. This film is bombastic. The animation is fluid. Even a character walking is animated with such energy that you can’t help but be entranced. The action scenes have impact and creativity, all while holding an emotional weight so that it isn’t gratuitous. The acting is superb, with such infectious charisma in its comedic scenes, yet an understanding that sad moments call for calm delivery. A complete soundtrack with every single flavour of song that pairs perfectly with every type of scene: the first song, Iris Out, underlines the colourful opening sequence (yet with insidious undertones), and the credits song Jane Doe highlights the melancholic ending. With a runtime of one hour and fortyeight minutes, this film doesn’t overstay its welcome and is definitely worth the ticket price.

Yet it would be disingenuous to call this film a blast of dumb fun that often characterises the perception of Japanimation.

Daniel Pratt discusses the new Japanese manga film

tween our two main leads, which felt so uplifting.

IT WOULD BE DISINGENUOUS TO CALL THIS FILM A BLAST OF DUMB FUN

AN ENIGMA WHO SEEMS SWEET AND THEN SADISTIC

Like most great fiction, this film uses its bizarre setting to tell a touching story. Despite it being a sequel to a TV show (2022), this is a self-contained narrative where we follow our emotionally stunted protagonist, Denji, experiencing intimacy for the first time with the eponymous Reze. An enigma who seems sweet and then sadistic with untold intentions towards him.

The film is expertly divided into two halves, the first being a love story be-

Yet this all builds up to the action-packed second half, when all the secrets come out, changing the genre to horror-action. I won’t spoil anything, but the ending demonstrates an expert understanding of genre to reflect the emotions and setting of the main characters, to help understand their actions.

This film is amazing with engaging thrills yet deep subtext that has me thinkImage: RoboflowUniverse ing about it days later.

Image: DeviantArt

Excetera Excetera... Student Stars CAPRICORN (22 DEC — 19 JAN) People talk. Everybody knows everybody at this uni.

AQUARIUS (20 JAN — 18 FEB) Don’t worry, I’m sure next year will finally be your year.

PISCES (19 FEB — 20 MAR) Selling TP tickets for more than £10 is crazy, please stop.

ARIES (21 MAR — 19 APR) A coat may ruin your outfit, but there is no outfit if you’re sick in bed.

TAURUS (20 APR — 20 MAY) Bring in your own coffee to uni for once, save £5.

GEMINI (21 MAY — 20 JUNE) You’ve commited to the degree, time to see it through.

CANCER (21 JUN — 22 JUL) Have you ever considered that you’re the noisy neighbour.

LEO (23 JUL — 22 AUG) When is the last time you drank water, just plain water?

VIRGO (23 AUG — 22 SEP) Overpriced mulled wine at the Xmas market is not a good financial idea.

LIBRA (23 SEP — 22 OCT) Give yourself more than a week for that assignment.

SCORPIO (23 OCT — 21 NOV) Now is the time to try something new.

Term 1 is almost over!

SAGITTARIUS (22 NOV — 21 DEC) It is never too early to get started on your Christmas shopping.

Images: OpenClipart, SVG

Let’s Talk About It...

It...

Emily Sara Rizzo, Editor-In-Chief, discusses the transgender day of rememberance Contains discussion of mental health which may be triggering for some students

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OVEMBER 20th is the International Transgender Day of Remembrance, created in honour of those transgender people whose lives were taken as a result of transphobia. Observed across the world, and memorialising important members of a community increasingly under fire in today’s political climate, this is a crucial opportunity for our society to come together and show support for those who deserve not only that, but so much more.

As many advocate groups organise vigils across the country, it is important to not only grieve the lives that have been lost, but to celebrate the lives they did lead, and to let this shared knowledge move a political awareness in us for issues that remain topical to this day.

Indeed, the week leading up to November 20th is also Transgender Awareness week, and there are many ways to engage with this on a series of levels.

The library at the University of Exeter has curated a selection of books (both fiction and non-fiction), but here are a few more titles that could interest you: As far as non-fiction, you could pick up books such as Julia Serano’s Whipping Girl, Alexander Walker’s Finding Masculinity: Female to Male Transition in Adulthood, or Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More. It might also stoke your interest to peruse the works of Ciara Cremin, to not only read about trans issues, but also trans theory — though this may be a little hard to digest. If biographies and autobiographies are what you’re looking for then you’re spoilt for choice, but Elliot Page’s Pageboy is a particular favourite.

If you’d rather opt for fiction, try Alex Gino’s Melissa, Meredith Russo’s If I Was Your Girl, or Imongen Binnie’s Nevada. A personal favourite is Torrey Peter’s Detransition, Baby, which isn’t scared to stray away from the uncomfy or awkward parts of the transgender experience, and which proves that,

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no matter your orientation, your stage in life, or your previous beliefs, gender expression is always in flux, in the same way every other identifier does.

For films and visual media, take a look at Anything’s Possible (2022), Disclosure (2020), or Monkey Man (2024). A different perspective comes across in the New Zealand film Rūrangi (2020), following a trans activist returning to his country home town after being away for ten years. The production team worked closely with the transgender community, and a big part of the cast and crew (59%) are gender diverse, with all the transgender roles played by transgender actors. Among many other options, is the sitcom Boy Meets Girl, which brings a more light-hearted side to trans joy, focussing on the positives while giving the trans experience depth.

Whether you decide to take a more politically activist role, or opt to read up, or watch pieces of trans media instead, we encourage you to take part in raising awareness. For those interested in local events, a vigil will be held in Exeter — those interested can find details on platforms hosted by Trans Pride Exeter, and the University of Exeter’s LGBTQ+ Society.

Image: Flickr

Recipe: Mushroom Risotto

HILE risotto can sometimes feel like a paint to cook, this recipe shares an easy way to make a comforting bowl.

Makes 2/3 servings Cooking time: 45 minutes Ingredients: · 1 tbsp olive oil · 1 white onion, finely diced · 2 tbsp minced garlic · 500g mushrooms (any variety), finely sliced · 250g risotto rice (Arborio works best) · 1L hot vegetable stock · 1 sprig fresh rosemary,

finely chopped · 100ml dry white wine (cheap or leftover works perfectly) · 50g butter, cold and cubed · 60g parmesan, finely grated · Salt and black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until softened and golden. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms, reduce the heat slightly, and cook until the mushrooms are tender.

If the garlic starts to catch, add a splash of water to deglaze.

2. Stir in the risotto rice and chopped rosemary, cooking until the grains look slightly translucent around the edges.

3. Pour in the white wine and stir until it has mostly evaporated.

4. Add about one-sixth of

the hot stock and stir continuously until it has been absorbed.

Keep repeating this process, adding the stock a ladleful at a time, stirring often, until the rice is creamy and just cooked through (about 18–20 minutes).

5. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the parmesan and cold butter until melted and the risotto is glossy and thick. Season generously with salt and black pepper to taste.

6. Serve immediately, with extra parmesan on top if you like.

Bella MacLusky

EDITOR: Kayleigh Swart

exhibit | excetra excetra

CROSSWORD

26 NOV 2025 | 25

SUDOKU

Across 1 One of five born in the same birth (4) 4 Working together (with) (2,6) 8 French city (5) 9 Athletic - GNC, IMY! (anagram) (6) 10 North American country (6) 12 Continuing - carrying on (6) 13 Stinging insect (4) 15 Brazilian port, in short (3) 16 Loud bang (4) 18 Asian country, capital Bandar Seri Begawan (6) 20 Method (6) 22 Heels - Sale CC? (anagram) (6) 23 Form of oval-balled football (5) 24 Fixed - implanted (8) 25 Prickly flower (4)

Down 2 Swedish city - a US Lapp (anagram) (7) 3 Roman (anagram) - constellation (5 4 Stipulations - conditions (3) 5 Eaglewood - goal lines (anagram) (9) 6 Medusal (anagram) - (Spanish) units of volume (7) 7 Wedding (5) 11 Simulated an osculation (3-6) 14 Capelin (anagram) - loose cluster of flowers (botany) (7) 17 Nocturnal Madagascan primates (3-4) 19 Kingdom (5) 21 Sweetening agent (5) 23 Rubicund colour (3)

Trivia Corner 1. WHAT IS THE ONLY MAMMAL THAT CAN FLY? 2. JASMINE MITCHELL RECENTLY WON WHICH TV SHOW? 3. WHICH SINGER HAS THE MOST GRAMMY WINS OF ALL TIME? 4. HOW MANY CEREMONIAL COUNTIES ARE THERE IN ENGLAND? 5. WHEN WAS THE FIRST ISSUE OF VOGUE PUBLISHED?

ANSWERS Air-kissed, 14 Panicle, 17 Aye-ayes, 19 Realm, 21 Sugar, 23 Red

6. WHAT IS A MALE SWAN CALLED?

Down: 2 Uppsala, 3 Norma, 4 Ifs, 5 Lignaloes, 6 Almudes, 7 Union, 11 24 Embedded, 25 Rose.

13 Wasp, 15 Rio, 16 Slam, 18 Brunei, 20 System, 22 Calces, 23 Rugby, Across: 1 Quin, 4 In league, 8 Paris, 9 Gymnic, 10 Canada, 12 Adding,

Trivia: 1. Bat 2.The great British Bake off 3.Beyonce 4.48 5.1892 6. A cob

How to write for us All you need to do is scan the QR code here in order to purchase your society membership from the Student’s Guild. After that you can join our Exeposé Members 25/26 facebook group in which you’ll find content calls from section editors on pretty much any topic you can imagine! We’ll have a link to this page on our instagram!

If you see a content call that takes your fancy, simply comment under the facebook post, write your article and send it to the editor. Whilst they may send you some feedback or ask you to make a couple of changes, no articles will ever be rejected and we encour-

Image Credits: Wikimedia commons

age writers to get involved regardless of previous experience.

If financial hardship prevents you from gettng involved, the Guild offers a Society Hardship Fund, aimed at any student awarded the University Hardship and Retention Fund or who is unable to take part in societies due to financial barriers.

We can’t wait to see all the amazing writing you guys get up to!

26

International

26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

INTERNATIONAL EDITORS:

Jed H. Gibbins Antoni Kałduński

US Government Shutdown Drone Attacks on Airports Henry Adam explores the consequnces of the longest government shutdown in the United States ever

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HE longest-ever US government shutdown, 43 days, ended on 13th November. What is a government shutdown, what caused it, why did it end and what were its consequences?

US government spending must be agreed to by the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the President. When a fiscal year begins without a spending bill passed, the government cannot spend money that hasn’t already been agreed to, and the government shuts down.

This is a highly unusual system – in the UK, failure to pass a budget is rare and typically results in an early election.

During shutdowns, government services are significantly reduced and thousands of government employees are furloughed. This wasn’t always the case: only since 1980 has the law been interpreted to necessitate government shutdowns. Since 1980, there have been eleven shutdowns, the longest two under Donald Trump.

The recent shutdown began on 1st October, after Congress failed to pass a 2026 spending bill. Republicans control the House, Senate and Presidency. However the Senate filibuster requires 60 votes to end debate on a bill and progress to a final vote. Republicans, who have 53 Senators, needed seven Democrats to join them.

The Republican bill failed 14 times to pass the Senate. Democrats withheld their votes as

leverage, primarily seeking extensions for expiring healthcare subsidies. Each party blamed the other for the shutdown. However Democrats were highly successful in sub-national elections on 4th November. Trump blamed Republican election losses on the government shutdown, saying it was a “big factor, negative”.

Surprisingly however, on 9th November, eight moderate Senate Democrats voted to pass the Republican bill despite it not including healthcare subsidy extensions. They feared Republicans would otherwise end negotiations and abolish the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold, giving Trump greater control over Congress. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives, and signed into law by Trump on 13th November, ending the shutdown.

The shutdown had major consequences: 670,000 government employees were furloughed, and 730,000 worked without pay – they will now be backpaid. Thousands of flights were disrupted, and 42 million nutritional assistance recipients lost benefits. The shutdown is estimated to cost America’s GDP US$11b (£8.4b).

As for political consequences, calls grew for Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer, 74, to resign. He is accused of failing to unify Democrats, allowing eight Senators to ‘fold’ without gaining any concessions. Trump said “[Schumer] thought he could break the Republican Party, and the Republicans broke him.”

The Sudan Situation

Houman Hosseini asseses the dire blood-shed in Sudan

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HEN the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan overran El-Fasher city this autumn, satellites caught red stains on the city’s streets, clusters consistent with human bodies and blood. Those images hint at the scale of Sudan’s crisis.

Since rival generals turned their power struggle into war in April 2023, nearly twelve million people have been driven from their homes, and over twenty-five million more are now on the brink of famine. Tens of thousands have been killed, perhaps as many as 150,000, yet the suffering barely registers compared to other conflicts. One reason is that the soil beneath those red patches glitters with gold. A Chatham House study notes that most of Sudan’s bullion comes from artisanal mines and ends up in the United Arab Emirates, and that Abu Dhabi and Cairo back opposing factions in the war. Reuters adds that the army relies on gold exports to the UAE even as it accuses the Emiratis of backing the RSF. In other words, foreign powers extract wealth from Sudan while its people bleed.

The conflict is between Mohamed Hamdan “Hemedti” Dagalo’s RSF against Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

RSF fighters are going door-to-door, massacring families, while the army has flattened residential neighbourhoods and besieged cities, using hunger as a weapon of war. “This war is not a civil war; it’s a counterrevolutionary war against civilians,” says Sudanese scholar and organiser Nisrin Elamin.

The Council on Foreign Relations notes

that Egypt has close ties to the SAF, while Russia-backed Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar and, reportedly, the UAE have armed the RSF. After the RSF seized El-Fasher following an 18-month siege, Sudan is effectively split along an east–west axis – Darfur and much of Kordofan under RSF control, the capital and Red Sea coast held by the army. Analysts warn that this de facto partition could become permanent.

Sudan’s story, however, is not only one of suffering. The December 2018 uprising that toppled dictator Omar al-Bashir was built by farmers, students, and workers who crossed ethnic lines.

That spirit endures in today’s resistance committees and mutual-aid networks. They note that the December Revolution became “one of the most powerful movements for emancipation in the 21st century”. To honour that legacy, the world must look beyond the glitter of Sudan’s gold and heed the blood on the sand. Sudanese lives are not bargaining chips, and Sudan’s future should not be dictated by generals or foreign countries.

Image: Flickr

Lucas Taylor-Kent, Online Features Editor, exposes the recent drone disruption across European airports

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HORTLY after 21:00 on 19 December 2018, a Gatwick airport security officer reported seeing two drones. The airport’s only runway was immediately closed and all flights were suspended. 140,000 passengers were affected. The incident was a harsh warning of the disruption drones can cause, and an ominous foreshadowing of the nuisance that is now haunting European air travel.

In recent months, airports across Europe have had their operations disrupted by drones entering airspace. The first major incident was in Copenhagen on 22 September, when up to three large drones caused a four-hour suspension. The next day, Aalborg and Billund airports were also forced to close temporarily, and in the following weeks Kastrup Airbase, Norway’s Brønnøysund Airport, Berlin Brandenburg Airport, Germany’s Bremen Airport, and Sweden’s Gothenburg-Landvetter Airport, all joined a growing list of victims.

Drones are so effective at causing chaos because although the threat they pose to larger aircraft is small, it is not negligible. Research has suggested that they could inflict more damage than bird collisions, and their lithium batteries may be a fire risk. This, combined with being difficult to detect, the complexity of countermeasures, and the stringency of airport safety protocols, mean even a small drone can bring an airport to a standstill.

The nature of the incidents, including

a concentration on Ukraine-supporting and NATO states, has led to suspicion that Russia is secretly orchestrating a shadow drone war. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the incidents as “hybrid warfare”, adding that “Russia wants to sow division”, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that she could not rule out Russian involvement, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it “the closest we have been to open conflict since World War II”.

Regardless of their cause, the phenomenon of drone-driven disruption appears unlikely to slow. Although Heathrow’s chief executive Thomas Woldbye assured that the airport has “one of the best systems” in the world to prevent them, he also added that he was “increasingly concerned”. Civil Aviation Authority chief executive Rob Bishton said that it was “entirely unrealistic” that similar incidents won’t cause disruption in the future.

Image: Live and Let Fly

Zohran Mamdani: The Mayor of New York City

Evie Merrilees explains why Mamdani won the NYC mayoralty election and the challenges he faces

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HE name is Mamdani, a 34-year-old self-proclaimed democratic socialist and former rapper who has defied all odds by making history through his landslide election as the first Muslim mayor of New York City. This monumental victory was aided in part by his charismatic campaign, with him having concise and clear policies fundamentally focused on tackling the dire cost of living crisis. His bold solutions which included implementing rent freezes to tackle housing problems and providing universal childcare seemed to speak directly to struggling citizens who felt disillusioned with the current political system prioritising businesses over workers.

However, it was not only his policies that made him popular with voters, with Mamdani masterfully utilising social media to transform himself from an underdog to a household name. Thus, this media presence allowed him to broadcast himself to younger voters as a more appealing and hopeful candidate who aimed to show that authenticity and compassion were at the heart of his campaign.

This messaging was shown in his video titled “without the night shift there is no morning” where he took to the streets of New York to better understand and highlight the stories of struggling taxi drivers. The video has since

been viewed a staggering nineteen million times on Tik Tok and just under one million times on YouTube, thus showing the influence this form of political messaging can have in making one look relatable and genuine to voters.

Nevertheless, his road to becoming mayor has not been without its challenges, with US President Donald Trump launching a tirade of attacks such as branding him a “communist” and suggesting the possibility of arresting him and stripping him of his citizenship. There has also been concerns about the plausibility in the implementation of his policies with some deeming them unrealistic due to the potential pushback they are likely to face from both influential businesses and Republicans.

So, what messages can the Democrat and political parties in general take from Mamdani’s rise to success? In a time where politicians seem to appear uninspiring to the public, voters are evidentially looking for skilled statesmanlike orators who can deliver their key policies in a transparent way, regardless of if they personally agree with them or not. The triumph of Mamdani thus will have implications across all sides of the political spectrum as a display on how to run an efficient campaign that can invigorate the masses.

EXEPOSÉ|26 NOV 2025

INTERNATIONAL

27

COP 30 Brazil Felix Massey discusses the 30th Conference of the Parties in Brazil

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S a plurality of the worlds’ nations congregate in Belém, Brazil, this month for the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) Summit, you might be wondering how on earth it’s still taking place given the current geopolitical climate.

And with good reason: the U.S. government controversially decided to skip the summit despite a delegation of over 100 local American leaders attending (including California Governor Gavin Newsom), and China and India exert increasing tensions on the EU over a proposed ‘carbon border tax’.

THE U.S GOVERMENT CONTROVERSIALLY DECIDED TO SKIP THE SUMMIT.

These are both unfortunate examples of how self-interested negotiations often take over the very stage that leaders of the most vulnerable nations rely on to advocate for their future.

It would be easy to look at these stalemate negotiations and recent public statements such as that from Tuvalu’s Environment Minister calling out Donald Trump’s “shameful disregard for the rest of the world”, as fatal for the multilateral discussions that make COP possible. And whilst they may not completely derail the international cooperation at the centre of COP30, they certainly show an increasing fracture between wealthier developed nations and those struggling to adapt to the most brutal and unfettered forms of climate change, particularly in the global south.

The very treaty that created the COP summits, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, has at its very

core the spirit of addressing the challenges of climate change as a global community.

However, this spirit is clearly under threat at a time where the world appears to be sailing past the prospect of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

It might be too late according to many to save the prospects of a productive COP30 amidst a “swamp of lobbyists” and “lack of urgency”, but pockets of optimism still remain.

COP is not dead, but it is up to the global community to use diplomacy to keep it alive.

INCREASING FRACTURES BETWEEN WEALTHIER DEVELOPED NATIONS AND THOSE STRUGGLING TO ADAPT.

Image: Wikimedia Commons, Palácio do Planalto

MULTILINGUAL ARTICLE

Image: Sergeant Matt Hecht, rawpixel

La storia della pizza

The history of pizza

Emily S Rizzo, Capo-redattrice, mangia un sacco di pizza e vuole che tutti lo sappiano

Emily S Rizzo, Print Editor-in-Chief, eats a lot of pizza and wants you to know about it.

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A pizza: un piatto multiforme di eterna bontà. Mi chiedo se la gente si ferma mai a pensare alle origini di tale capolavoro gastronomico - e oggi vi svelerò i segreti del cibo più amato della mia patria.

L’unica altra pizza riconosciuta dall’ ‘Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana’ - i giudici delle pizze autenticamente napoletane — è la Marinara. Meno conosciuta all’estero, questa pizza si condisce con pomodoro, aglio, origano e olio. Spesso si aggiungono acciughe, capperi e olive nere — chiamata così perché solito a essere la cena dei pescatori tornati dalle lunghe ore alla pesca nella Baia di Napoli.

FU IL PIZZAIOLO ... A DEDICARE LA COMBINAZIONE ALLA REGINA MARGHERITA DI SAVOIA Si possono rintracciare le origini della pizza alle focacce prodotte in Sardegna almeno tremila anni fa — chiamate probabilmente “pitta” dal greco. Infatti Virgilio stesso fa riferimento ad un pane schiacciato nell’Eneide, antenato delle pizze di oggi, e solito a essere servito con olio d’olivo, formaggio, e basilico.

A NAPOLI .... LA PIZZA AL POMODORO SI DIFFUSE TRA SIA POVERI CHE NOBILI Dobbiamo aspettare il Settecento per finalmente sperimentare l’unione tra pizza e pomodoro. Molti trovavano sospetti i pomodori provenienti dal Nuovo Mondo, credendoli velenosi, come molti altri frutti del genere Solanum. A Napoli, invece, la pizza al pomodoro si diffuse tra sia poveri che nobili, e fu la casa di Savoia a dar vita alla pizza “Margherita.”

Anche se esisteva già il concetto di unire pomodoro, mozzarella e basilico sulla base di pizza, la leggenda narra che fu il pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito a dedicare la combinazione alla regina Margherita di Savoia, in onore del vessillo tricolore (conosciuto al giorno d’oggi come la bandiera della Repubblica d’Italia).

Per la maggior parte dell’Ottocento, e gli inizi del Novecento, la pizza non esce dai confini napoletani, e solo a ritmo lento si diffonde nel resto d’Italia, grazie agli immigrati italiani, che portarono il fenomeno non soltanto nei centri industrializzati dell’Italia Centrale e del Nord, ma oltre i confini nazionali, a finire addirittura a New York e Chicago, negli Stati Uniti.

Quindi la prossima volta che mangiate una pizza (e posso dirvi ora che quel genere di focaccia condito con ananas non conta come pizza), pensate alla lunga storia che ha portato questo lusso fino alla vostra bocca.

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IZZA: a versatile dish of eternal joy.

I often ask myself if anyone stops to think about the origins of such a culinary masterpiece — and today I will reveal the secrets of my motherland’s most loved food.

The origins of pizza can be traced back to the flatbreads made in Sardinia over three thousand years ago — probably known as “pitta,” from the Greek. In fact, Virgil himself references discs of bread in his Aeneid, ancestors of today’s pizzas, and usually served with olive oil, cheese, and basil.

It’s not until the eighteenth-century that we finally come across the union between pizza and tomatoes. Many were suspicious of these tomatoes from the New World, believing them to be poisonous, as many of the fruits from the Solanum family are. In Naples, however, tomato pizzas spread from amongst the poor and the nobles alike, and it was the House of Savoy to prompt the creation of pizza “Margherita.”

to Queen Margherita of Savoy, in honour of the tricoloured banner (known nowadays as the flag of the Republic of Italy).

The only other pizza to be recognised by the ‘Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana’ — the judges of authentic Neapolitan pizzas — is the Marinara. Lesser known, especially abroad, this pizza is topped with tomato, garlic, oregano, and oil. Often this is complimented by anchovies, capers, and black olives — known like so (roughly translated to ‘Of the Sea’) as it would have been the dinner that fishermen came home to after long hours fishing in the Bay of Naples.

For most of the nineteenth century,

THE PIZZA CHEF ...

DEDICATED THE COMBINATION TO QUEEN MARGHERITA OF SAVOY and the start of the twentieth, pizza doesn’t stray outside the confines of Naples, and it only gradually makes it way to the rest of Italy, thanks to immigrants who took the dish not only to the industrialised cities of Central and Northern Italy, but far beyond the nation’s borders, to places like New York and Chicago, in the United States.

So the next time you eat a pizza (and I can tell you that those flatbreads topped with pineapple cannot be called pizzas), have a little think back to the long history that has brought this culinary luxury to your mouth.

IN NAPLES ... TOMATO PIZZAS SPREAD AMONGST THE POOR AND THE NOBLES

Images: Wikimedia Commons

Although a recipe blending tomato, mozzarella, and basil was already in circulation, legend says the pizza chef Raffaele Esposito dedicated the combination

Images: Maria Sampaio on Pexels, Pxhere

Sci-Tech 28

26 NOV 2025 | EXEPOSÉ

SCI-TECH EDITOR: Julia Szewczyk

Feeling Under the Weather?

Amberly Wright, Deputy Editor, explains how the cold and grey weather can affect our mood and shares tips on how to manage the winter blues

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S the days get shorter and the deadlines pile up, it's common to feel overwhelmed and a little down at times.

The winter blues phenomenon happens every year, and yet each year it comes as a surprise when all I want to do is crawl under a blanket, eat soup, and watch my favourite rom coms.

The winter blues affect one in five of us in the UK — so, it’s not uncommon. The winter blues happen when we feel under the weather mentally, not just physically. This may be due to stress and burnout, which often rises during deadline season at university, but it can also be due to external factors, like the weather and darker mornings.

Our eyes contain retinal ganglion cells that detect sunlight and send signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus in the brain, maintaining circadian rhythms and consequently managing the secretion of melatonin. When the clocks change and more of each day is in darkness, these chemical reactions change, and our bodies think it’s time to sleep; hence, we feel sluggish, tired, and want to retire to our beds early, yearning for summer in our diaries like Bridget Jones.

A paper by Nature found fluctuations in

more than 4,000 protein-coding genes could be involved in the winter blues phenomenon.

Increased levels of soluble IL-6 receptor and C-reactive protein, which increase the risk for cardiovascular, psychiatric and autoimmune diseases that peak during the winter, which explains why we may feel under the weather.

There are many ways to combat the winter blues. SAD lamps emit 10,000 lux of brightness, effectively mimicking sunlight within just 20 minutes. If you're an early bird, getting some fresh air and sunlight in the early morning helps to reset your circadian clock, improving alertness and suppressing the release of melatonin.

Sunlight also produces vitamin D which aids serotonin regulation, and in turn boosts mood.

GETTING SOME FRESH AIR AND SUNLIGHT IN THE EARLY MORNING HELPS TO RESET YOUR CIRCADIAN CLOCK Want more ways to manage the winter blues?

Enter hibernation. Though we’re not woodland animals and have to go to lectures rather

than spending hours burying acorns, allowing ourselves to rest during the colder months gives our body and mind a break from stress and gets us to slow down. The Guardian quotes a Chinese text from 300BC, saying “retire early and get up with the sunrise” and encourages us to keep “desires and mental activity quiet and schedules, as if keeping a happy secret”.

If you’re still wanting to seize the day, reframing winter into a positive can prevent your plans from being ruined by colder, darker days. Winter is bursting with opportunities, from celebrations like Christmas, Hanukkah, and Burns’ Night, to activities like ice-skating and exploring Christmas markets.

If in doubt, pop on a warm coat and a pair of gloves and head outside; you never know what opportunities may present themselves.

Some may suffer from the more serious version of the winter blues, known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), sometimes referred to as seasonal depression, which arose as a diagnosable condition in the 1980s by psychiatrist Norman Rosenthal. SAD is categorised with similar symptoms to major depressive disorder (MDD), such as changes in appetite, sleep, and mood, and reduced interest in hob-

Image: Pexels

bies. These symptoms will occur when the seasons change, most commonly in winter. In the UK, SAD is less common than the winter blues, affecting just 2 per cent of people.

If you are experiencing symptoms similar to those of depression in the colder months and think it may be SAD, please reach out for help.

TWO PER CENT OF PEOPLE IN THE UK SUFFER FROM SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER

Microsoft launches ‘Superintelligence Team’

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Michelle Chung, Online Deputy Editor, explores Microsoft's next steps in AI development

T is starting to feel like every week brings a new, often dizzying, development in the world of Artificial Intelligence. Amidst the global, high-stakes race toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), Microsoft has announced a significant strategic pivot, launching a dedicated ‘superintelligence team’ with a profoundly different mandate.

The mission is to pursue research not for a theoretical AGI, but for what the company terms Humanist Superintelligence (HSI). This advanced form of AI is explicitly designed to be “problem-oriented, contextualised, and within limits,” ensuring that the technology

THE AIM IS TO DEVELOP AI THAT IS "PROBLEM-ORIENTED, CONTEXTUALISED, AND WITHIN LIMITS" always works for humanity, not in place of it.

Leading this ambitious charge is Microsoft AI CEO, Mustafa Suleyman, the influential cofounder of DeepMind, whose appointment signals Microsoft’s intent to be a dominant force in defining the next era of smart systems.

Suleyman has publicly warned that unchecked superintelligence could be too pow-

erful to control and should be considered an “anti-goal”. He is shaping this new division to be a technological anchor which keeps human interests at the core. The team’s remit is to leverage AI’s power to tackle some of our most pressing global challenges, specifically citing improvements in digital companions, diagnosing diseases, and generating renewable energy.

The most immediate and transformative impact lies within the medical field. Microsoft is targeting the arrival of what they call “Medical Superintelligence” in the near future. This involves creating AI capable of expert-level diagnostics and treatment planning. This looks like an AI agent who is able to process a patient’s entire medical history, genomic data, and thousands of global research papers in seconds, achieving a diagnostic performance which surpasses the most seasoned human specialists.

This acceleration is already showing progress, with the team confirming its focus on targeting medical diagnosis. For patients, this could translate to earlier detection of preventable diseases and highly personalised treatment regimens. For doctors, it means an expert collaborator who can reason through complex cases, offering crucial support in clinical settings. HSI in medicine is, thus, not about replacing healthcare professionals, but about amplifying their capabilities

THE TEAM IS FOCUSING ON AI FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS to drastically improve global life expectancy.

While digital companions might sound dystopian, their impact on education could be revolutionary. The pursuit of sophisticated digital companions can translate directly into personalised education systems. Humanist Superintelligence promises bespoke, one-on-one virtual tutors who can adapt to a student’s precise learning style, pace, and knowledge gaps in real-time. This level of personalised instruction could fundamentally democratise access to high-quality learning, ensuring that every student has an “AI companion” who provides tailored support, closing the gap between students who receive different forms of education.

Perhaps the most crucial, yet often overlooked, application area is the energy industry.

The challenge of climate change requires breakthroughs in materials science, battery storage, and clean energy generation. This is where the sheer computational power of HSI is being directed.

Superintelligence can accelerate breakthroughs by simulating billions of material

combinations or optimising the efficiency of complex systems like renewable energy grids far faster than human researchers. Microsoft’s bet is that AI can speed up the development of next-generation batteries or even fusion energy research, providing a transformative boost to the global economy and achieving a necessary step toward carbon neutrality.

By anchoring its superintelligence quest in a humanist philosophy, Microsoft is trying to walk a fine line between relentless innovation and necessary restraint. It suggests a future where the next stage of AI power is not sought for its own sake, but as a practical, controllable tool designed explicitly to make humanity healthier, wealthier, and safer.

Image: Pexels

EXEPOSÉ | 26 NOV 2025

SCI-TECH

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Research Finds Universe Expansion May be Slowing

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Julia Szewczyk, Sci-Tech Editor, dives into new research that suggests a shift in our understanding of the universe may be on the horizon

N 1929, American astronomer Edwin Hubble — building on Vesto Slipher’s previous work on galaxy velocities — made the groundbreaking discovery that galaxies were moving away from each other, and that the further away a galaxy was from Earth, the faster it appeared to be moving away from our planet.

These findings formed the primary evidence for the idea that our universe is ceaselessly expanding outwards, a phenomenon now known as Hubble’s Law. This may be difficult to wrap your head around, but a good analogy is to imagine raisins (which represent galaxies) moving away from each other as the dough they are in (the universe) rises in the oven. Galaxies aren’t moving through space at high speeds, but rather the space between them is expanding. The rate of this expansion is also believed to be speeding up (driven by a mysterious force known as dark energy) — a discovery that won the 2011 Nobel prize in physics. These have been the accepted understandings of the state of our universe for many years. But could this paradigm be set to shift? That’s what recent research may suggest.

HUBBLE [...] MADE THE GROUNDBREAKING DISCOVERY THAT GALAXIES WERE MOVING AWAY FROM EACH OTHER Researchers at Yonsei University in South

Korea observed and analysed type Ia supernovae (which are formed when a white dwarf star in a binary system accumulates too much mass from its companion star, causing it to explode).

This type of supernovae are used to measure distance in space because they are thought to emit a constant amount of light, and thus are known as ‘standard candles’. However, the team of astronomers at Yonsei may have found evidence to challenge this. Their analysis of 300 galaxies suggested that the brightness of these supernovae may actually be variable depending on the age of the star when it blew up. If found to be true, this would call into question the idea that the universe is expanding, as measuring the redshift (the stretching of light used to measure distance in space) of supernovae is used as key evidence for this theory.

After correcting for this bias, the team found that though the universe is expanding, the rate at which it does so has slowed down and that the dark energy that drives it is weakening.

But what does this all imply about the fate of our universe? Young-Wook Lee, who led the research, said that the study “shows that the universe has already entered a decelerating phase today”. If dark energy continues to wane over time, this would hypothetically lead to the ‘Big Crunch’ — a theory that proposes the universe’s expansion will eventually reverse, causing it to collapse back on itself (essentially the opposite of the ‘Big Bang’).

THE UNIVERSE HAS ALREADY ENTERED A DECELERATING PHASE TODAY

support, or oppose, their initial conclusions.

It therefore remains to be seen whether the understanding of our universe as we know it is set to change, or if the search for answers continues in a different direction.

While these findings all sound very exciting (and a bit alarming), the study has been met with scepticism from the science community.

Speaking to New Scientist, Adam Riess, one of the astronomers who won the 2011 Nobel prize in physics for the discovery of dark energy, pointed out that earlier work from these researchers had been refuted in 2020 and that the team’s “new work repeats the argument with little change”. He also noted that measuring the ages of type Ia supernovae at large distances is very difficult, and the team’s use of average stellar ages has “weak” theory behind it “because of a lack of certainty about how the [type Ia supernova] forms”.

THE STUDY HAS BEEN MET WITH SCEPTICISM FROM THE SCIENCE COMMUNITY Young-Wook Lee and his team are now studying supernovae solely from young galaxies (which they term an “evolution-free” test).

Alongside the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, they aim to find evidence to further

Image: Pexels

How Does Pulling an All-Nighter Affect Your Body?

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Suhaib Shaukat explores whether it’s worth sacrificing sleep to study for exams and meet your assignment deadlines

T’S that time of the year again when students will pull all-nighters to turn in their assignments at the last minute, disrupting their routines and sleep cycles. All-nighters might help you reach the finishing line, but there are consequences to our bodies. Interestingly, sleep deprivation can create the same level of cognitive impairment as drinking alcohol. The thing that gets sacrificed the most during allnighters is sleep. Having a good night’s sleep is essential to our well-being. Getting enough sleep is always a challenge, but it is more so during this intense assignment period. There is often the perception that sacrificing sleep will allow us to do more work, but this has been challenged scientifically. Research shows that it does the opposite, causing the memory to weaken and slow down our ability to complete a task.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN CREATE THE SAME LEVEL OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT AS DRINKING ALCOHOL Our central nervous system is the main information highway of the body, playing a vital role in ensuring the body performs effectively.

The lack of proper sleep makes our nervous system slow, causing the signals in our body to be delayed, which in turn slows the coordination.

Additionally, getting enough sleep is imperative for our digestive system as lack of sleep negatively impacts metabolism, causing weight gain.

There is often a misunderstanding in terms of what happens to our brains when we sleep. Before the 1950s, many believed that during that time, the mind essentially turned off, but nothing can be further from the truth. On some occasions, the brain is more active while we sleep than when we are awake. Having a good sleep lets our brain process and sort through information, providing the capacity to learn. Those hours spent memorising information will get much easier if you get a good night’s sleep!

Over a longer period, the all-nighter can cost your physical and mental health. Some studies have shown that sleep deprivation can increase the risk of developing heart problems, type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. A study from the University of California found that people who slept only six hours were 4.2 times more likely to catch a cold. Having a bad night’s sleep also impacts the way we respond to situations in our daily lives. With the lack of stable emotional health, managing everyday situations becomes difficult. A study done in 2022 found that people

Image: PickPik

with a poor sleep schedule may have a higher chance of developing depression and anxiety. To improve the chances of getting a good grade, it is imperative to schedule your day to manage your workload in an effective manner.

of hours you stay awake, but by the quality of the work you produce. By valuing rest, balance, and consistency, you set yourself up for genuine success — both in your studies and beyond.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION CAN INCREASE THE RISK OF HEART PROBLEMS The best way of learning is to have an evenly paced approach, which requires a good sleep schedule. It allows your brain to consolidate information, stay focused, and retain new concepts more effectively. By spreading out your study sessions and maintaining healthy habits, you’ll not only reduce stress but also build a stronger and more reliable understanding of the material.

Ultimately, prioritising sleep is an investment in both your academic performance and your long-term health. When you give your body the rest it needs, you sharpen your focus, strengthen your memory, and boost your overall resilience.

Instead of relying on last-minute rushes, building steady habits allows you to approach each task with clarity and confidence. Remember that productivity isn’t measured by the number

Image: Pexels Image: Pexels

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26 NOV 2025 | EXEPOSÉ

SPORT

F1 Championship race tightens in closing stages Madison McNair discusses the excitement of havin g 3 drivers still in the running and only three races left

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AS Vegas. Qatar. Abu Dhabi. That’s all that stands between three drivers and a chance at glory. Whether you’re a fan of Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri, both looking to win their maiden title, or a Max Verstappen fan, wishing for him to extend his winning streak to 5 consecutive championships, the final three races of the season are certainly something to look forward to.

Lando Norris, who was leading the championship for the first four races of the season, has spent the majority of the year being behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in the standings. However, it seems as though, after a mechanical failure in Zandvoort causing him to DNF from the race, Norris has found his rhythm. Having gone from being 34 points behind in the title fight, to winning the Mexican Grand Prix by a championship defining margin of 30 seconds, Norris has fought his way back up to being the championship leader. Not only has he done this, but Norris has also made it so that he has the chance to clinch the title in Qatar, though that is reliant on rather poor performances from Verstappen and

Piastri. However, even if Piastri wins all the remaining races, so long as Norris finishes second in each of them, the championship title is his.

On the other side of the McLaren garage, after some stellar performances and leading the championship for the majority of the season, it appeared that Piastri would be pretty much unbeatable when it came to winning the title. However, after a recent fall off in performance, Piastri’s hopes are slipping further and further away as he now sits in second in the standings. Given that he hasn’t stood on the podium since Monza, Piastri realistically needs to win every remaining Grand Prix to even stand a chance. Even then, he needs to hope for Lando to finish third or below in the races or else his efforts will be in vain.

STELLAR PERFORMANCES AND LEADING THE CHAMPIONSHIP Having raced with the number 1 for the last 4 years, this might be the year that we see Max

Image: bbc.co.uk

Verstappen forced to revert back to his classic number 33. The dominance of the McLarens throughout the year has left Verstappen with a pretty hefty point deficit. While anything can happen and there’s still a mathematical possibility, a lot would have to go wrong for both Norris and Piastri in order for Max to have a realistic shot at winning. Despite clawing his way back into contention, it’s pretty fair to say that the odds are more or less against him at this stage.

However, if there’s one thing we’ve learned in the past, it’s to never count out Max Verstappen.

With three races to go it’s still all to play for, and the championship is anything but decided, making for an epic conclusion to the 2025 season.

IT'S STILL ALL TO PLAY FOR

Tensions rise outside of Aston Villa's football stadium Kayleigh Swart, Print Editor-in-Chief, reports on the clashes outside Villa Park Maccabi Tel Aviv. Before match-day, Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were banned from attending the Europa league match based on safety grounds.

FANS WERE BANNED FROM ATTENDING Image: Flicke

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LEVEN people were arrested during simultaneous protests outside of Villa Park. The protests happened during a scheduled game between Villa and

This decision caused controversy and many people from both sides took to join demonstrations during the match. A large pro-Palestine demonstration took place outside of the sta-

dium, many protesters calling for that match to have been cancelled. In addition to this, pro-Palestine activists have been calling for the ban of all Israeli teams from multinational sports competitions. There was also a smaller counter-protest happening at the same time.

PRO-PALESTINE DEMONSTATION TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE OF THE STADIUM

During these protests eleven people were arrested, including a 17-year-old boy. Five people were reportedly arrested for racially aggravated offences from both demonstrations.

The rest of the arrests were due to failing to comply with police orders. More than 700 police officers were said to be in attendance. In addition, police dogs, horses and a drone system were also used throughout the protests.

ELEVEN PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED

Scotland join England as World Cup qualifiers

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Amberly Wright, Deputy Editor, rounds up the recent World Cup qualifing matches

HE 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers are under way, with usual competitors like England, Argentina, Brazil, France, and Germany already securing their spots. Joining that list are first time countries Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, and Uzbekistan.

FIRST-TIME COUNTRIES JORDAN, CAPE VERDE, CURACAO AND UZBEKISTAN

An unlikely team has already qualified, beating Denmark 4-2. The team in question: Scotland. Having cemented their name as an international football club at the Euros in Germany this summer, Scottish fans are getting ready to donne their kilts and fly across the Atlantic to America, to see their team play at the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

The match saw incredible goals from worldrenowed players like Patrick Dorgu and Rasmus Hojlund, but sadly these goals were not enough to beat the ex-Manchester United player, and now Napoli ledgend Scott McTominay, who al-

Image: essential.football

ready has 14 goals in 44 appeearances for the Italian clup, with his stunning overhead bicycle kick in the 3rd minute. The match was toopped

off by an incredible goal from the half-way line at 90+8 minutes by Kenny McLean, who plays for Norwich City and is on loan at Aberdeen Hoping to join Scotland and England to complete the set of home nations, is Wales and Ireland. Wales, who are so far successful, having only lost to Belgium are set to play Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, with Ireland facing a tough match against 4-time World Cup winners Italy. Excitingly, the winners of these matches will play eachother, so we could see Ireland and Wales come face next Spring to face for a spot at next year's world competition.

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26 NOV 2025

Experts to supercharge women's sport by 2035

Amberly Wright, Print Deputy Editor, discusses experts aim to transform womens sport by 2035

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UILDING on the success of the UEFA Euros this summer, and England’s victory at the Rugby World Cup, the Government hopes to make women’s sport grow over the next decade.

The FIFA 2035 Women’s World Cup is set to be hosted in the UK, as the only nation to bid to host the event so far. The UK Government has set out some aims for the event in a September press release, teaming up with Women’s Sport Taskforce, to become a world-leader in women’s sport by the time the event arrives.

Having already improved grassroot Rugby for young women and girls across the UK during the Rugby World Cup, selling over 400,000 tickets and investing almost £7 million into rugby clubs nationally, the team hope to grow the success and breadth of women’s sport across multiple sporting disciplines.

The government has committed to investing £400 million into grassroot sporting facilities, and £500 million into elite sporting events. The UK is set to host the Women’s Cricket World Cup

in 2026, and the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in 2027, hoping to persuade women and girls to become active, by breaking down the barriers that women face when entering sport.

The team will convene several times a year to ensure they are creating the most opportunities possible. In cohesion with Loughborough University, the team hopes they can support women’s health throughout all competitions, decreasing the gender gap in sport science research.

After an increase in online abuse and harassment on social media during the UEFA Women’s 2025 Euros, a deep dive into online abuse towards women will be undertaken, to protect the lives of female athletes. Alessia Russo has said she prefers to stay off of social media during major competitions, to avoid receiving damag-

ing abuse, which Lauren James said “never really stops”. The abuse was particularly present during the competition when Jess Carter received racial abuse; FIFA even found that women are 29% more likely to receive online abuse and threats, compared to men. With this deep dive into online abuse, the women playing in international events can feel safer, inspiring more girls and young women to follow their dreams.

Their theme for the work is broadcast and visibility, aiming to make women’s sport more accessible for both viewers and aspiring players and athletes. We already saw the UEFA Women’s Euros be the most inclusive event yet, with the largest number of LGBTQ+ athletes represented, with many athletes sharing their stories on coming out and meeting their partners, and we can hope this figure will only grow in years to come.

Image: koobit.com

BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS THAT WOMEN FACE

Emotional darts win for Michael Smith

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Harry Morrison, Online Editor-in-Chief, looks into Michael Smith's return IT BECAME WIDELY

N a dramatic and deeply emotional turn at the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts, Michael Smith produced a victory that was far more than just about statistics. Smith, a former world champion who has previously battled both injury and self-doubt, broke down in tears after his win over Nathan Aspinall.

PRODUCED A VICTORY THAT WAS FAR MORE THAN JUST ABOUT STATISTICS

Smith’s journey to this emotional win has been anything but straightforward. After a career peak in 2023, reaching the summit of darts, he suffered a string of setbacks, including arthritis in both wrists, a shoulder injury, groin and ankle problems.

This win was more than just a boost in his ability; it was a statement telling the world

ADOPTED DURING THE

that he still belongs in the big leagues. Smith COVID-19 PANDEMIC stated that “Winning matches — that’s what Image: The Sun.ie I’m about, that’s Micael Smith.” He additionally said “not sitting at Home. Being on big stages, listening to the crowds — that’s me.”

A tough win against Aspinall, Smith found the confidence and strength to dig in. Smith admitted that his opponent

“should’ve won that 5-0,” but he managed to turn his probabilities around and take the win.

After this win, Smith broke down in tears for what was his first TV win in eight months. It was evident that this was an emotional moment, saying it “pissed me off ” watching others succeed in his absence.

It’s rare to see such vulnerability from a top-level athlete, especially in Darts. Smith’s tearful relief resonated because it established the human side behind a professional façade. If this win marks the start of his elite resurgence, it might also be one of the more meaningful victories of his career.

Premier League: Match Week 11 round-up

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Wilf Smith writes a brief overview of Premier League Match Week 11 REMIER League Match Week 11 be-

Palace is a mere 3 points. In other news, Everton

nal, breaking their 8-match clean sheet run and

gan with a feisty 2-2 draw between Man

cruised over Fulham 2-0, while, unsurprisingly,

holding the Gunners to a 2-2 draw – firming

United and Spurs, the latter coming from

defences were leaky in the relegation matchup

behind to lead 2-1, but Richarlison’s overzeal-

that finished 3-2 between West Ham

ous celebration was silenced by a Man

and Burnley. Crystal Palace vs

SUNDERLAND PROVED TOO TOUGH FOR LEAGUE

United equaliser at the death. Both

Brighton was goalless, while

teams are now tied with 18

Nottingham Forest out-

points, amongst a group from

scored Leeds 3-1, and

The Stadium of Light as one of the most dif-

5th to 9th who stand only

Chelsea smashed man-

ficult grounds to visit in the league. In other rather

separated by goal difference.

agerless Wolves 3-0.

shocking results, Aston Villa rocked Bournemouth

In fact, such is the com-

In a very enter-

4-0 and moved into 6th, while Newcastle continue

petitive nature of the league

taining game, 4th place

to be in mysterious shape away from home, losing

table currently, that the gap from 3rd place Chelsea to 10th place Crystal

Image: insidesoccor.co.uk

Sunderland

proved

too

3-1 to Brentford. The last match of the week is one

tough for league leaders Arse-

that as a Liverpool fan I will begrudgingly mention.

NEWCASTLE CONTINUE TO BE IN MYSTERIOUS SHAPE AWAY FROM HOME On his 1000th managerial game Pep Guardiola proved why he is one of the greats, with a tactical setup that schooled Arne Slot in a dominating 3-0 win. Liverpool will feel rightly cheated by horrendous officiating whereby Van Dijk’s goal for 1-1 was ruled out, but regardless, 5 losses in 6 leave Liverpool miserably in 8th place, while Man City sit comfortably in 2nd, and look the most likely to challenge Arsenal in the title race!

Sport

26 NOV 2025| EXEPOSÉ

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SPORT EDITOR:

Annabel Gowling

Move For Movember: What does your society do?

Annabel Gowling, Sport Editor, reviews society spotlight events for Movember

Image: Kat Hoffman

Women’s Futsal kicks off for Movember

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OVEMBER has inspired some incredible initiatives across our sports societies this year, and one standout moment came from our Futsal club, who hosted a brilliant charity match against Cardiff. From the outset, the energy was high, supporters filled the top balcony and pitch side with vibrant signs, their voices rising in a wave of excitement that carried throughout the entire match. Alongside the action on court, a buzzing bake sale ran throughout the event, adding to the community spirit and raising even more for the cause.

Midway through the match, the Exeter Emeralds took to the court for a spectacular halftime performance. Their sharp choreography and infectious energy lit up the room, sending the crowd into cheers and keeping the atmosphere electric. It was the perfect boost heading into an already competitive second half.

The game itself did not disappoint. Both teams delivered fast-paced, high-quality futsal, complete with, smart defensive work, and some cracking shots that kept everyone on their feet.

In the end, Exeter secured a well-earned 5–2 victory, a brilliant finish to an intense and entertaining match. But far more important than the scoreline was the spirit behind the event: players, supporters, performers, and volunteers all coming together- on the court, in the stands, and at the bake sale- to raise awareness and funds for Movember. A fantastic match, an incredible crowd, and an amazing cause.

X: @Exeposé

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UOEBC Make waves for Movember

UR Movember spotlight continues with two societies making an incredible impact this year. UOE Boating Society, are hosting The Ultimate Swim Off — a multi-sport aquatic showdown created to bring our community together for men’s health. In collaboration with Movember, the event champions a charity dedicated to accelerating change around the issues men face, from mental wellbeing to physical health.

Swimming, Water Polo, Rowing, Surf, Windriders, and Triathlon are all joining forces for this high-energy competition. With fast-paced relays, team challenges, and a bit of friendly rivalry, each society will battle it out in the pool for bragging rights. It’s the perfect moment to dive in, raise awareness, and show up for Movember in a big way. As a club, Boating are committed not just to fundraising but also to making sure every member knows what support is available and how to access it.

A special spotlight also goes to The Carthaginians, whose dedication to the cause is nothing short of remarkable. They are rowing the equivalent distance from Carthage to Rome and back, an astonishing 1,500 km, in honour of the men in our lives and to shine a light on men’s physical and mental health.

Their challenge embodies resilience, solidarity, and the spirit of Movember.

The Boating Society is proudly backing their effort, providing a rowing machine (erg) and supporting them throughout the journey. After raising an impressive £8,650 last year, The Carthaginians are determined to surpass that total this time around.

To cheer them on, head up to Forum Hill- every bit of support, from donations to words of encouragement, is warmly welcomed. Supporting men’s health through community, challenge, and sheer grit.

Instagram: @exeposé

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Pickleball serves up for Movember

EXT up in our Movember spotlight is the Pickleball Society, who are bringing energy, creativity, and a whole lot of fun to this year’s fundraising efforts. Their lineup of events is designed not only to raise money, but to bring people together, and champion the importance of men’s mental and physical wellbeing.

Kicking things off is their Mo-Olympics, a light-hearted series of games and challenges where players can go head-to-head for prizes. Whether you’re smashing volleys, taking on silly mini-challenges, or just enjoying the atmosphere, the Mo-Olympics is all about getting involved and having fun.

The theme for the night? Dress as an iconic man — moustache optional but heavily encouraged. Expect creativity, questionable wigs, and plenty of laughs at a social that promises to be as entertaining as it is meaningful.

Throughout the month, they’ll also be hosting a Movember Tournament, woven into their regular sessions. Players can donate to the club’s Movember page to enter, then take to the court for matches full of friendly competition. Every rally, every serve, and every point goes towards raising awareness for men’s health.

To round out their fundraising, the society is hosting a Pub Quiz at The Stoke Arms—with a twist. Expect quirky rounds, surprise challenges, and maybe even a moustache-related bonus point or two. A lively evening, perfect for teams who want to get stuck in and support Movember in a relaxed, social setting.

From creative socials to competitive tournaments, Pickleball are serving up a month full of community, fun, and meaningful impact.

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