Issue 727 / 18 Jan 2022

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The South West’s Best Student Publication

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ISSUE 727 18 Jan 2021 exepose.com @Exepose

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1987

Outrage grows in response to inperson exams as COVID-19 infections skyrocket

Academic wins unfair dismissal case Page 3

Oliver Leader de Saxe and Lucy Aylmer Editor and Deputy Editor

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UMEROUS students have voiced their anger and frustration following the University’s decision to continue with in-person examinations despite a drastic increase in COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.

An email from the Registrar and Secretary Mike Shore-Nye on 4 January 2022 confirmed January examinations were to go ahead as scheduled, including exams scheduled to take place on campus, prompting concerns about the safety of students.

Following this email, an online petition to remove in-person exams and replace them with online exams was set up by a group of Business Management students at the University of Exeter

arguing that some students are “unfairly being made to take in-person/on campus exams.” At the time of writing, the petition stands at 3,242 signatures.

The decision to have in-person exams means that students who test positive for COVID-19 will be unable to attend their exam. As such, their exams will be deferred until August 2022. The University has stated that students who are deferring examinations will “receive a temporary graduation certificate and transcript in July.” Yet, according to a co-creator of the petition, “you could definitely still lose grad jobs.” As such, many feel compelled to go to the exam even if they have COVID-19, “they just won’t tell anyone they have it.” In addition, one co-creator has highlighted the unfair discrepancies with in-person exams and has stated that they “miss the 30 minute upload time which people get when they’re doing online exams.”

One second year Maths student said:

“It is despicable that the University is making me choose between exposing myself to a deadly disease I have otherwise done everything in my power to avoid catching, or deferring my exams to August resulting in cancelling my once-in-a-lifetime summer internship in Canada. I have genuinely considered changing university to one that actually listens to its students and cares about them as people, rather than numbers.”

It is despicable that the University is making me choose between a deadly disease or deferring my exams to August

Mental health impacts have been cited as a major concern, with one third year telling Exeposé that “if the travel restrictions for Guernsey were to change and I couldn’t make it back for the august deferral, I wouldn’t be able to complete my degree. So if I were to

Interview with the founder of Galaxy Live

have had Omicron over exams and then not be able to make it for the August deferral I couldn’t graduate. People in our group chat were saying they weren’t going to LFT before in case they had it and couldn’t take the exam. It basically just caused a lot of stress and anxiety leading up to the exam in case I got it.”

Another student put it more bluntly: “bar being hit by a bus, I will be in that exam room, COVID or no COVID.” Second-year Business Economics student Jemimah Ngu told Exeposé that she believes online exams are “in the best interest of the health of the student body” and that “Omicron is travelling faster than the speed of light […] so keeping students in an enclosed space together for at least two hours isn’t a good idea.”.

According to Devon County Council, current daily infection rates stand at 9,281 in Devon. Of these cases, 2,071 are those aged 20-39. Omicron cases have skyrocketed over the last month, with Britain seeing record high Covid cases on January 4, reaching 218,724 in one day.

People in our group chat were saying they weren’t going to LFT before in case they had it and couldn’t take the exam The University have insisted that only 20 per cent of exams will be taking place in-person and that additional safety measures are being carried out. According to Linda Peka, Deputy Registrar and Chief College Operations Officer, these include an “extensive review of our ventilation […] and socially distanced desks [ …] enhanced cleaning protocols and asking people to test before.” In addition, the University are following the Department for Education’s advice on examinations who have excluded the need for vaccination passports to ensure that students are able to complete their exams.

Page 11 Images (top to bottom): University of Exeter, Galaxy

Supported by the:

Continued on page 4 Image: Pete, Flickr

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

Editorial

SPA AWARDS

2020 Best Publication 2021 Best Publication in the South West

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T was a strange year in many respects. For much of it, the months trundled by in a strange and unwanted rehash of 2020, complete with pandemic anxiety, political uncertainty and godawful TikTok trends. But it was also a year where normality in its now-alien beauty decided to make an appearance, allowing us to reconnect with friends, family and the floor of Timepiece after a particularly heavy night on the town.

As such, remembrance is a key part of our first issue of the year.

In Features, you’ll be able to find a reflection of the inspirational life of Desmond Tutu (page 7), whilst Comment reflects on the root causes of the NHS crisis we’ve dealt with (page 11). Talking of reflections, Arts + Lit examines the absolute best books that last year had to offer (page 21). And Screen has decided to take a look at which Spider-Man is the best of all time (page 22).

Yet the new year is also a time to look forward to the future, and for many students, us included, this is our final year in Exeter and the finish line is in sight. Graduate jobs, Masters and a summer free from the stress of undergraduate study await, and this bubble of Exeter is finally

bursting. But to keep us wrapped until then, Lifestyle has us covered with a 'Winter Wears' listicle (page 15). And talking of work, Tech has that base covered with its article examining the role of the metaverse in the workplace (page 25). And if technological advancement is up your street, Science has an article analysing the potential impact the James Webb Telescope could have (page 29). To begin the year ahead, Music is making some big predictions on page 20.

In this issue’s News section, we look into an employment tribunal finding the University guilty of unfair dismissal. Sport has some great analysis on the Novak Djokovic situation on page 32 to round out our current affairs. And, of course, don't forget the menace that is the campus cat, in Satire on page 12.

With that all said, we hope you all had a super restful Christmas and we look forward to seeing what the University community gets up to this year. And last but not least, we want to thank the Exeter Alumni Fund for providing us with the financial support to keep us going; we really couldn’t have done it without you!

Ollie & Bridie

NEWS

Student takes action against malnourishment PAGE 3

FEATURES

Remembering Desmond Tutu PAGE 6

SATIRE

How to do Dry January without avoiding alcohol PAGE 12

TECH

Must-have gadgets for 2022 PAGE 25

Images (top to bottom): James Frost/Flaming Phoenix, John Mathew Smith, Pixabay, Mohi Syed

music@exepose.com

University news home and abroad

Screen Editors Print: Archie Lockyer & Francesca Sylph Online: Adam Simcox screen@exepose.com Tech Editor Print: Bridie Adams & Oliver Leader de Saxe Science Editors Print: Ellen Rogers & Nancy Stitt Online: Daisy Scott & Imogen Poyntz-Wright sciandtech@exepose.com Sport Editors Print: Oscar Young & Rob Worthington Online: Floris de Bruin & Henry Hood sport@exepose.com Copy Editor Oliver Lamb Proofer Pollyanna Roberts

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editors@exepose.com The opinions expressed in Exeposé are not necessarily those of the Exeposé Editors nor the University of Exeter Students’ Guild.

While every care is taken to ensure that the information in this publication is correct and accurate, the Publisher can accept no liability for any consequential loss or damage, however caused, arising as a result of using the information printed.

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UK universities took £89m UK students pay 60% more Tiananmen Square memorial from oil firms in four years for halls than a decade ago removed from HK University

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XFORD, Cambridge and Imperial College London are among universities to have received the most funding from some of the world’s biggest companies and oil firms, according to new research by OpenDemocracy.

This comes after last month more than 40 senior academics and scientists signed an open letter vowing not to work with the Science Museum due to its financial ties to major oil corporations, including Shell.

The new research showed that Imperial College London had accepted £54 million since 2017, including £39 million from Shell.

Due to a confidential private contract, Imperial could not reveal what the money was specifically used for, although they stated that the money went towards "energy transition, lowering carbon emissions in extraction and in carbon mitigation."

Cambridge received more than £14 million from oil companies, while Oxford received almost £8 million.

According to OpenDemocracy, the true figure could be higher, because many refused to provide specific details.

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ECENT research has revealed that UK students pay 60 per cent more for halls of residence than a decade ago.

This is on top of astronomical rises in tuition fees across the last decade.

The average yearly fee of accommodation is £7,347.

This is notwithstanding the cost of food and course materials.

On average, fees are said to rise by 4.4 per cent yearly.

However, statistics analysing 500,000 rooms suggest fees have risen by 16 per cent since the pandemic began.

While these rising fees impact students across the UK, London remains an expensive location as prices have skyrocketed to an average of £10,857.

The Vice President of NUS, Hillary Gyebi-Ababio commented that affordability "has a major impact on access and widening participation.

It’s disgraceful that so many young people are priced out, either deterred or unable to apply to university.”

Image: Wikimedia Commons

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HE Site of the ‘Pillar of Shame’ at Hong Kong University is under guard. The territory’s authorities have been accused of rewriting history after removing a statue mourning those killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests.

The removal of this memorial after 25 years came as Beijing has been increasingly targeting political dissenters in Hong Kong. This statue, an eight-metre-tall work by the Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt, was one of the few remaining public monuments in Hong Kong commemorating the protest, which is a taboo in mainland China, where it cannot be publicly mentioned. It was erected on campus in 1997, the year the city was handed back to China from Britain.

Court orders closure of illegal private universities in Pakistan

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N Wednesday 15 December, the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) gave an order to the Higher Education Commission (HEC), to shut down illegal campuses of universities across the country.

Preston and Al Khair had set up illegal campuses in Karachi and Lahore.

A threemember bench headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial in the SCP heard the case concerning the degrees from illegal campuses, and the SCP directed the HEC regarding the campuses’ closing down.

The SCP proposed that the HEC must consistently accredit degrees to the students affected.

Megan Ballantyne, Anabel Costa-Ferreira, Bridie Adams

18 JAN 2021 | EXEPOSÉ

3 NEWS

Mitigation process “better than last year” according to Exeter students Cassia Grace and Megan Ballantyne Deputy Editor and News Editor

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OLLOWING Exeposé’s previous investigation into extensions and deferrals, students with ILPs have reported an improvement in their experience with the University’s mitigation system.

An anonymous student said that they received an ILP quickly at the start of their first year: “I had a history of mental health issues and queried what support was offered.

“I had a phone call with someone and they gave me an ILP — it was honestly really easy and she was really willing to offer me extensions.

“I applied for longer extensions twice in semester one, providing a doctor’s note the first time and a letter from my tutor the second.

“I didn’t give much detail, just that things with my medical circumstances were much worse due to stress, and I was given both extensions within a couple days of applying for them.

“Overall I found the process really simple and felt supported throughout.”

They gave me an ILP - it was honestly really easy and she was really willing to offer me extensions Another anonymous student said that there was a marked improvement in how easy it was to get extensions with an ILP

this year in comparison with last year. “This year has been a lot better than last year.

“Last year I tried to get an extension of longer than a week, but was denied even though my ILP supported extensions, which was quite difficult because I still had to submit something. I ended up getting 19 on my coursework which was nowhere near my other grades for that class.

“I actually ended up having five three week extensions which is a ridiculous amount — whilst I have a plan with my doctors to get better, it would have been good for someone at the Uni to check in and potentially offer any support or at a minimum direct me to the Uni’s services.”

ficult to contact people at times, and they took a while to handle it.”

A fourth anonymous student reinforced the idea that putting an ILP in place was a time consuming process.

“It took about a month and a half for the testing process overall.”

Once in place, though, they found mitigation, “super easy in all honesty. I get unlimited one week extensions, which is amazing.”

This is following our previous investigation, where numerous students who had ILPs in place reported not being able to defer exams.

I actually ended up having five three week extensions this term which is a ridiculous amount A third anonymous student told us about how they were able to receive mitigation for an ILP which was not even in place yet: “I always had extra time due to what I thought was slow processing, however coming to the Uni, they said I must have a professional examination which cost north of £300.

“It took a while for me to decide to do so, so I asked to defer my exams.

“It was a stressful period, as I only found out that my deferral had been successful the day before my exam.

“On the whole they were accommodating, however I found it dif-

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R Annette Plaut, a senior physicist at the University of Exeter who claimed she was sacked because she had a “naturally loud” voice and passionate teaching style which was not tolerated by her employers, has won her case for unfair dismissal.

Dr Plaut was a member of the Physics team at Exeter for three decades and when she first started, she was the only woman in the department.

The tribunal heard about her character, as she was described as like “Marmite,” a lecturer valued by many but some considered her “overbearing.”

Plaut claims that she has been a victim of racial and gender discrimination as a Jewish female.

The tribunal agreed, stating in its judgement that: “the race discrimination claim is based on her eastern European Jewish heritage, which she says gives her inherent characteristics (in the way she interacts with people) which she

says were the reasons for the way she dealt with her students. She says that as a woman she was discriminated against as physics has long been male-dominated, and she says that a man would not have been treated so.” While working at the University of Exeter she claims to have struggled against unconscious bias.

Plaut claims she is a naturally loud, argumentative conversationalist who is very demonstrative in her body language.

She says she is only loud when excited or engaged in a topic due to her passion for the subject she teaches, which she says she had told her students about.

The University argued that she was dismissed due to her treatment of two PhD students, stating “Dr Plaut’s behaviour warranted dismissal, race and sex had nothing to do with it.” Since Dr Plaut joined the University, it says it is much more balanced in relation to gender, with a great diversity in the academic staff, many of whom had Mediterranean backgrounds. The University said that Plaut was perceived to shout at students and colleagues, which is the reason she was dismissed,

Bridie Adams Editor

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AMES Frost, a third year Economics student at the University of Exeter Business School, has created a “nutritionally complete” Phoenix Food Bar. The bars have been distributed to homeless people on the streets of Exeter. Frost said: “I did some investigating into what food was provided to those suffering food insecurity, whether due to disaster relief or any other reason, and found that in almost all instances the food provided was actually very lacking in nutrients and there was

no specific product provided.”

Frost has developed a food bar, containing environmentally-friendly, vegan ingredients, as well as all 26 micronutrients required for sustenance. He has distributed the bars to homelessness charities in the city.

He is also striving for ESG (environmental, social, governance) accreditation for his business, Flaming Phoenix. In order to begin manufacturing the bar on a large scale, more development will be undertaken “by an awardwinning food science and technology company.” You can find out more and give a donation to the cause via flaming-phoenix.co.uk.

Image: James Frost, Flaming Phoenix

University of Exeter offers drop-in COVID-19 booster clinics Livvy Mason-Myhill News Editor Image: University of Exeter

University of Exeter senior academic wins unfair dismissal case Chloe Pumares Deputy Editor

Student takes action against malnourishment by developing “nutritionally complete” food bars

not because she was female or Jewish.

The tribunal ruled in Plaut’s favour declaring she was unfairly dismissed and her claims of victimisation and harassment regarding her April 2019 suspension succeeded. The tribunal stated: “Senior management had decided that Dr Plaut would not be tolerated further. The good things she had done over the years were given no weight.”

The tribunal also decided that there was no way a fair procedure could have led to a dismissal, that the Acas Code had not being followed by the Respondent and compensation should be increased by 25 per cent.

The remaining claims of race and discrimination were dismissed according to the tribunal record, apart from one of harassment, by suspending her for making a comment at her return to work meeting on 3 April 2019 about her protected characteristics.

A spokesperson for the University of Exeter said: “We believe there are inaccuracies in this judgment and will be appealing the decision to the employment appeals tribunal.”

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HE University of Exeter is offering walkin clinics on campus that will provide students with COVID-19 booster jabs.

This follows the Government’s announcement that everyone over the age of 18 is now eligible for the booster jab.

Students getting their second dose must have had their first dose at least eight weeks ago and students getting their booster jab must have had their second dose at least three months ago.

Students getting their second dose must have had their first dose at least eight weeks ago The University has said that students do not need to book for these clinics and those eligible can get their first, second or booster dose on any of the drop-in dates.

The University states that most students will be offered a booster dosage of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine.

This means that for many students their booster dose may be different from their first and second doses.

Those who cannot have

the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine or Moderna vaccine will be offered a booster dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.

Those who are eligible for the booster dose, but have tested positive for COVID-19, need to wait four weeks (28 days) before getting their booster jab.

This starts from the day of symptoms or the day of the positive test if there are no symptoms.

Alternatively, students can book their booster jab online via the NHS website.

The University is encouraging students who are eligible for the vaccine to “act on it as soon as possible,” indicating how “millions of people are already benefiting from protection from the virus and this has contributed to dramatic falls in infections, hospitalisations and deaths.”

É The on-campus drop ins will be at the Innovation Centre on Streatham Campus, and the dates and times are: Tuesday 18 January, 10:30am-5pm Monday 7 February, 10:30am-5pm Monday 28 February, 10:30am-5pm

4 NEWS

18 JAN 2021 | EXEPOSÉ

New Exeter project provides transgender people with information on hormone therapy Megan Ballantyne News Editor

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NEW project at the University of Exeter will provide transgender people with evidence-based information about what to expect when they undergo gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). Dr David Matthew Doyle, has been awarded a €1.5 million European Research Council Starting Grant for the project, called AFFIRM Relationships.

GAHT is the most common type of medical intervention for a transgender person, and is used to align the physical characteristics of an individual with their gender identity.

Currently, there is a very limited body of research which examines how GAHT shapes feelings, behaviours and relationships.

Dr Doyle states, "the goal of this project is to provide scientific evidence about what sorts of outcomes they might expect, especially in terms of their emotional and social lives. In the past, transgender healthcare has often been about health professionals telling people what sort of care they should have. This is now shifting. AFFIRM Relationships will empower transgender people, ensuring they know what to expect and enabling them to give informed consent for their own care."

The University hopes that the project’s results could guide policy and practice for gender identity services in the UK and globally.

Dr Doyle said the project would also be the largest longitudinal cohort study of UK transgender people receiving GAHT. He is one of 397 early career researchers to win an ERC Starting Grant.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Partnership led by University of Exeter for women’s safety at night awarded £72,565 Megan Ballantyne News Editor

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PARTNERSHIP led by the University of Exeter has been awarded £72,565 of Home Office funding to tackle crimes against women at night. This is part of the Safety of Women at Night Fund, launched by Home Secretary Priti Patel.

This will be used to launch seven initiatives in the city centre. These include schemes targeted at the night-time economy sector, such as training and development packages for professionals, including training on how to deal with and tackle incidents of harassment. The Women and Girls Safety Charter for Exeter will provide a long-term approach for venues

in the city for best practice to keep women safe. The funding will also be used to install signage under CCTV cameras around the city centre with unique codes which allow callers direct access to the CCTV control room.

The ‘Best Bar None’ scheme will also be reintroduced, which promotes the responsible management and operation of alcohol licensed premises, encouraging positive relationships between the establishment and authorities.

It works to reduce the harmful public effect of binge drinking in town centres. A selection of training schemes to empower women are also underway.

Peter Scargill, Director of Commercial, Residential & Campus Services at the University of Exeter and who led the bid said: “We are delighted to have secured this funding, which reaffirms our commit-

ment to enhancing safety measures across the city, especially at night.

We are delighted to have recieved this funding which reaffirms our commitment to enhancing safety measures across the city Peter Scargill, Director of Commercial, Residential and Campus Services

This funding comes following a series of protests for women’s safety in Exeter last year. In response to these protests, the University put £25,000 toward student led gender safety initiatives, among other schemes.

In launching the national Safety of Women at Night Fund , Home Secre-

tary Priti Patel said: “Violence against women and girls in our country’s nightlife is still an awful reality for many, and horrific crimes such as sexual assault have devastating consequences.”

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If these issues affect you, you can get in touch with: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/speakout/staysafe Samaritans 116 123 Devon Rape Crisis 01392 208756 National Rape Crisis 0808 802 9999 Stop Abuse for Everyone (SAFE) 03030 300112

New Chancellor of University of Exeter appointed Lucy Aylmer Deputy Editor

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IR Michael Barber has been appointed the new Chancellor of the University of Exeter. He will replace Lord Myners of Truro who is stepping down after five years in the role.

Single most influential educational figure on earth Time Magazine

Described by Time Magazine as the “single most influential educational figure on the face of the earth,” Barber has a strong professional history working in the private and public sector.

Sir Michael was the Chief Advisor on School Standards for Tony Blair’s Delivery Unit and most recently assisted the Prime Minister and Government on delivering their domestic policy priorities during the pandemic.

Internationally, Sir Michael’s reputation is strong. From 2011 to 2015 he served as DfiD’s special representative on Education in Pakistan and led a significant educa-

tion reform with the Chief Minister of Punjab. This resulted in one and a half million additional children aged 5-16 enrolled in school.

Prior to that he was a partner at McKinsey & Company and Head of Mckinsey’s global education practice.

It is a huge honour Sir Michael Barber, Vice Chancellor

During his time at Mckinsey he assisted on several reports: ‘How the world’s best-performing schools come out on top’ (2007) and ‘How

the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better’ (2010).

Sir Michael has expressed enthusiasm for his recent appointment and stated that “it is a huge honour and privilege to be invited to take on the role of Chancellor of the University of Exeter, which is a world-leading institution at the forefront of research, scholarship and teaching.

“Its ground-breaking work in subjects such as environmental science, medicine and the humanities, is admired around the world.”

“I have genuinely considered changing university to one that actually listens to students” Continued from front page.

Some students have also felt confused by the necessity of exams for their courses or modules. One MA Classics and Ancient History student told Exeposé that they asked to be moved online for a specific exam in Spring term.

They say they were told by an advisor that there were no provisions for online and they should “just fail the exam and do well enough in the others to make up for it,” despite the course convenor stating there was online access and that exams for remote students were in the exact same format.”

In addition, Ngu has stated that “those of use who finished sixth form in 2020 and 2021 and current university 3rd years have not sat in person exams for a long period of time” and “haven’t been properly prepared to be ‘reintroduced’ to writing exams in a time pressured environment.”

Following the backlash, the Registrar sent an email to students clarifying that “whilst the majority of our exams

will take place online, some students are required to attend in-person examinations, and we have heard concerns from some of you this week.” The communication went on to claim that “we have designed exams to be online wherever possible, with only a minority of exams taking place on campus.”

Deputy Vice Chancellor, Tim Quine has defended in-person exams and stated that “these are academically driven decisions” which were only essential “where professional, statutory and regulatory bodies require in-person exams, where electronic submission is not possible, for example practical and languages exams, or where a closed-book exam is necessary.”

Quine further stated that it was essential to abide by these regulations as these regulatory bodies “provide the stamp of approval on degree programmes.”

Senior University staff and Guild Sabbatical Officers also hosted a Q&A with students on 7 January, with the

Zoom event being labelled “waffle” by one of the students in the chat. During the heated discussion, the Director of Education and Student Experience claimed that there has always been a deferral and referral process in August.

They also claimed that high levels of deferrals this year due to COVID-19 would be comparable to previous years.

Associate Dean Rob Freathy cited the burden of of additional revision as a reason against a May deferral period.

These are academically driven decisions... where professional, statutory and regulatory bodies require inperson exams Deputy Vice Chancellor, Tim Quine

Despite these apparent difficulties with online exams, Deputy Vice Chancellor Tim Quine did reveal that Imperial College London are doing all their exams online during the call,

as well as revealing Bristol have moved a number of exams online too.

However, the Deputy Vice Chancellor did also highlight that a “huge majority” were doing as Exeter.

Students have highlighted their disappointment with many of the University’s claims in the Q&A, with one student stating that “I do not understand how you can compare a student deferring due to failing their exams with them deferring due to your insistence on keeping exams in person.

“One is the student’s fault, the other is your fault.”

When asked for why they believe the University has pushed forward with in-person exams, one student stated that “I think the University is clinging in some places to the appearance that having in-person exams makes them look ‘better’ or more organised for not having to go digital but this push is making it unsafe and specifically inaccessible to disabled students too.”

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18 JAN 2022| EXEPOSÉ

Features China’s lockdown

Steffi Haselden, Features Editor evaluates the rigid restrictions

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in the city of Xi’an

Image: Wikimedia Commons

ROM 23 December more than 13 million people were placed under lockdown in the city of Xi’an, in light of the city’s COVID-19 statistics being the worst that China has witnessed in months.

Confronted with increasing COVID-19 cases, Chinese officials have enforced an extensive, incredibly restrictive lockdown upon the residents of Xi’an in the pursuit of their ‘zero-Covid’ strategy. Residents are not even permitted to leave their homes for essential reasons such as buying food, with the only exemption being to test for the virus.

Chinese officials have enforced an extensive, incredibly restrictive lockdown upon the residents Consequently the Government has taken responsibility for delivering free supplies directly to residents.

However, multiple reports express that many people are either yet to receive their Government supplies or have received inadequate provisions. Other accounts complain that there is an uneven distribution of supplies across districts, adding to the stresses of the city’s population who are already facing a multitude of uncertainties, including the length of this lockdown and how long such rigid restrictions will remain intact.

Xi’an is currently at the epicentre of China’s current COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 1300 virus cases since 9 December. It is in the interests of the entire population to contain the threat, especially with China hosting the Winter Olympic Games in February and the approaching Lunar New Year. However, whilst China’s ‘zero-Covid’ policy has in the past received significant praise and public approval, the conduction of this lockdown has attracted significant criticisms from residents and received increased international scrutiny.

Not only have inhabitants complained about food shortages, but there are also claims that medical care — external of COVID-19 related issues — is being either poorly provided or outrightly refused. One case remarked upon a heavily pregnant woman who

miscarried on New Years Day after being denied entry to the hospital due to her lack of a valid COVID-19 test. Likewise, there has been much outcry over a fellow resident dying from a heart attack after hospitals refused his entry, due to him coming from a ‘medium risk area’ of the city.

Such examples, along with the public perception that no one cares about what you die of… other than COVID-19, has given rise to the sentiment that COVID-19 statistics and international perception are more important to Chinese officials than ensuring the safety and health of the people they are responsible to.

In response, the Government tried to reassure the public by suspending several hospital managers or removing them from their jurisdictions and issuing health officials with disciplinary warnings in the hope of regaining public assurance and address the clear is-

sues prevalent within the health sector.

Sun Chunlan, a Politburo member and Vice Premier overseeing China’s COVID-19 response states that in the face of these potentially preventable fatalities, a “profound lesson” has been learnt, stressing that the entire reason for this lockdown and epidemic prevention is “to keep people healthy and safeguard lives,” despite public outcry saying otherwise.

Chinese reporting has revealed incredibly low COVID-19 related deaths of approximately 4,600 compared to 830,000 in the US and 173,000 in the UK, despite being the original epicentre for the pandemic.

However, spectators and residents are starting to question whether their ‘zero-Covid’ strategy and draconian style of lockdown is most effective, when it enforces such rigid restrictions and has resulted in extensive difficulties for individuals.

FEATURES EDITORS:

Joshua Hughes and Steffi Haselden

Ghislaine Maxwell trial

Isabel Langguth reviews the tribulations

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of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial

HISLAINE Maxwell, British socialite and former girlfriend and friend of Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted of five out of six counts she was on trial for since her arrest in July last year.

Maxwell will face up to 65 years in prison, and since she is 60 years old, will likely spend the rest of her life behind bars. There are expectations of a “very significant prison sentence” for Maxwell due to the involvement of minors and the extensive evidence presented throughout the trial. However, it is still unknown when she will be sentenced, and she is still awaiting trial for two counts of perjury separately, each carrying a maximum sentence of five years.

Arguably, this is the first time that any justice has been served in this intricate web of sex crimes. Epstein’s suicide in 2019 after pleading guilty to multiple counts of the sexual abuse of minors left many feeling that he escaped the sentencing that victims fought so persistently for. Due to the current lawsuit he is facing in the U.S., Prince Andrew has lost his military titles and banned from using ‘His Royal Highness’ in official context. It is understandable that this conviction in particular is gaining so much traction, with much public sentiment reflecting the belief that justice is finally being served.

Despite her conviction, Maxwell is adamant about her innocence, alongside her family, who have been given multiple media opportunities to proclaim her innocence and dismiss the testimonies of the victims. Inevitably, there has been a tremendous amount of backlash for this decision.

BBC News, in particular, has been criticised for its recent interview conducted with Ian Maxwell, the convict’s brother. During the interview, when Mr Maxwell was asked for his thoughts on the testimony of the 24 witnesses called to the stand during the trial, he responded: “the persecution didn’t put into evidence the prior interviews they had with these accusers, which showed a completely different case.

Memory is faulty, and so, in my view, the trial that has occurred was not a fair trial from Ghislaine’s perspective.” In an interview with The Telegraph, it also stated that Virginia Gi-

uffre, who testified that Maxwell had trafficked her, leading to her sexual abuse is a “very, very confused lady.”

Through looking at a number of interviews conducted after the trial in late December, it is apparent that Maxwell is adamant for an appeal.

During the BBC News interview, Mr Maxwell stated assuredly that on a legal basis “both in terms of pretrial process and indeed the trial process” he believes “she’s going to appeal, and […] she’ll be successful.’”

Ian Maxwell also had interviews with Sky News and the Daily Telegraph.

The Telegraph reported that Mr Maxwell felt that his sister was a “victim of a ‘shocking’ miscarriage of justice and that the prosecution had a ‘strong misogynistic element.’” Maxwell’s lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, commented that she has “already started working on the appeal” and is “confident” that Maxwell’s sentencing will be changed.

While legal experts firmly believe that it will be difficult for Maxwell to reverse the guilty verdict, it surely has the potential to cause anxiety for the public and victims of Maxwell.

Suppose a retrial or appeal is to be granted. In that case, this definitively means more emotional torment for the victims, whether it be the prospect of a reduced sentence or the strain of testifying again. Either way, if Maxwell is to appear in court again, the Maxwell family’s interviews could be of vital importance in a jury verdict.

The right lawyer and influential circles can lead to guilty parties receiving unsubstantial sentences Currently, public opinion is strongly against Maxwell. However, the influence of different perspectives in the media can have a strong effect on the views of the public, with preference in radio station choice presenting an example of this. It is not a new revelation that in the justice system, being surrounded by the right lawyer and influential circles can lead to guilty parties receiving unsubstantial sentences. One can only hope that Maxwell’s case does not follow the pattern seen when victims attempt to secure the justice they deserve.

18 JAN 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

7 FEATURES

Desmond Tutu: a man of infectious laughter and defiant morality

Joshua Hughes, Features Editor, remembers Desmond Tutu, South Africa's "moral compass"

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ESMOND Tutu, the retired Archbishop and South African anti-apartheid leader, died after a long battle with prostate cancer on the 26 December 2021.

In words and actions, he defended his belief of a future achieved without means used in apartheid

A Nobel Peace Prize winner, Tutu used his joyous voice of worship to sing loud enough for all to hear his pride, as well as aspirations for his country and for his people.

Desmond Tutu wielded truth as his sword in the fight against white rule in South Africa and to cut through the failings of post-apartheid

to deliver for poor Black people.

Yet his blows were always softened with humour, warmth and compassion.

He sang, danced and laughed openly, his high pitched giggles inspiring happiness in some of South Africa’s most troubled times.

As the South African President announced on his death, “another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans” has begun, with tributes from around the world flooding social media outlets to commemorate a man that helped “a liberated South Africa” emerge.

As a high-profile Black churchman, he was intimately involved in the anti-apartheid struggle. Thought of as one of the giants of the human rights movement in South Africa, Tutu worked alongside Nelson Mandela.

Appointed to head South Af-

rica’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in 1995, he guided the investigations into crimes committed during the apartheid era.

It was in this role that Tutu opted for restorative justice over retribution.

He defiantly drew lines between the Palestinian and Israeli conflict to that of South African segregation For Tutu the investigations were not about vengeance but sealing over the deep wounds of apartheid segregation. Healing, soothing and bringing together the deep fissures that cut through the nation. Here he invited people to come forward and give full public confessions of the crimes they

had

committed during apartheid.

It was not a justice commission but a truth commission, an opportunity for perpetrators and victims to hear one another and to forgive in order to pave the way forward for a peaceful democracy.

But he was not just a man that stood behind lecterns.

He campaigned actively against apartheid, risking jail when he called for a boycott of municipal elections. He was also arrested when he refused to leave a rally.

In 1985, a year after he won the Nobel Peace Prize, Tutu waded through vicious crowds to push aside angry Black youths who were attempting to kill a man identified as a collaborator with the white authorities.

Halting the screams to incinerate the man alive, Desmond Tutu saved the man from death, cleaning his bleed-

ing wounds as he carried him away.

He was a true humanitarian and committed advocate of human rights In words and actions, he defended his belief of creating a future that achieved its end without the means used in apartheid; one which included every person in the South African ‘Rainbow Nation’.

His voice was often heard on other global issues that echoed the conditions of apartheid.

He defiantly drew lines from the Palestinian and Israeli conflict to South African segregation, and in 2017 criticised fellow Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi for the Muslim ethnic cleansing which Myanmar faces.

For a man small in stature, he lived up to his nickname “the Arch”, a beaming bridge that spanned acros the world, touching many with his art of gentleness.

Even in death Desmond Tutu leaves his mark. It is reported that he will be aquamated, a more environmentally friendly form of cremation. He also specificed that he wanted to be buried in a cheap coffin. An eco-friendly cremation was his last call. Showing he cares not only for people but for our natural home.

While the countless tributes to him are too numerous to be listed, voices from the Queen to Barack Obama have commemorated his life.

However, it seems appropriate to end with the words from Desmond Tutu’s deep spiritual friend, the Dalai Lama. They have been known for dancing with one another, joking and teasing each other about their beliefs and sharing a passion for world peace.

“Archbishop Desmond Tutu was entirely dedicated to sevicing his brothers and sisters for the greater common good.

"He was a true humanitarian and a committed advocate of human rights. He was devoted to the serving others, especially those who are least fortunate. I am convinced the best tribute we can pay him and keep his spirit alive is to do as he did and constantly look to see how we too can be of help to others."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was an iconic figure in the fight for equality and justice, and he will be missed.

Image: University of Mount Union, Wikicommons

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Comment

18 JAN 2022| EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT EDITORS:

Kate Hall and Evan Thomas

Sir Tony Blair’s knighthood is long overdue overshadowed by Blair’s foreign policy mistakes. Although the Chilcot report criticised the Government’s handling of the second Gulf War, there are many strategists today who blame the war’s failure on the occupation — an operation primarily organised by the Pentagon, not Downing Street.

Whether the 2003 invasion was an error I will leave open to debate, but what is certain is that the foreign policy successes of the New Labour era overwhelmingly outweigh the failures.

Daniel Chappel

T

HE recent decision to award former Prime Minister Tony Blair one of the most prestigious honours in the country has unsurprisingly been followed by a litany of criticism from the hard-left.

For them, he is a neo-liberal sell-out; someone who buried the Old Labour ideas of nationalisation and powerful trade unionism. The most heinous of his sins though was the facilitation of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. These arguments have the capacity for validity but are hyperbolised by their supporters and outweighed by other matters.

Under the premiership of Blair, the economy flourished

Any self-described socialist or progressive should welcome the knighthood Blair won the leadership of the Labour Party in 1994 after the death of fellow moderniser John Smith and after the party had lost a record four consecutive general elections. He soon achieved his first political triumph by completing Smith’s modernisation project and transforming the Labour Party from irrelevance to a serious party of government. This ought to be the reason why any self-described socialist or progressive should welcome the knighthood. New Labour was born

Image: WikiMedia Commons

and with it a new hope. He shed the party’s image as one of high-taxers who are in the pockets of militant trade unions. For the first time in decades, the party was trusted with the economy, crime and national security — the fruits of which awarded Labour a landslide majority in May 1997.

What followed was a period of unprecedented progressive change in Britain: immense legislative achievements such as devolution, the National Minimum Wage, civil partnerships, House of Lords reform

and the raising of environmental standards, as well as a long list of improvements to public services. The hard-left like to focus on the introduction of limited private sector involvement in the health service but omit to mention that waiting lists reached their lowest point ever. They criticise the reforms to education, yet it provided the strongest results for decades and opened up higher education “for the many, not the few.”.

There exists a plethora of other policies (too many to mention) that radically improved life for working-class

families. Miners’ compensation and the creation of Sure Start were of great significance, but most important was a decade of economic success. Under the premiership of Blair, the economy flourished. Impressive economic growth was accompanied by stable prices that benefited all. This was only possible thanks to the personal determination of Tony Blair which secured three consecutive Labour election victories.

Even if this outstanding legacy of social and economic improvement is appreciated, some still believe it to be

Firstly, peace in Northern Ireland could not have been achieved without the political capabilities of Tony Blair.

The Good Friday Agreement is arguably the most significant accomplishment of British foreign policy of the past 50 years and his role in creating it should be acknowledged. Secondly, the 1999 NATO intervention in Kosovo was spearheaded by Blair. The decision to intervene has been hailed as preventing another Srebrenica. To this day one can find thousands of Albanian children with names like “Tonibler” in honour of their saviour.

They have honoured him for his achievements and it is long overdue that the people of Britain do the same.

Do UK universities specialise too soon?

Katie Jones

T

HE UK education system funnels students into specialisms earlier than most of the world. At 15 or 16 you must reduce your ten-ish GCSEs into typically three A-Levels, and from there into one subject for university.

This leaves many jacks-of-all-trades in a tight spot. So, what’s the alternative?

In the USA, students generally apply to a school rather than for a specific course. They can explore a wide variety of disciplines before selecting one subject to be their major.

Both systems have their benefits and their problems. The US system is great for students who are unsure of what they may want to study, or simply enjoy learning widely about the world in an academic setting. However, for those who know what they want

to do, this may sound torturous. In UK schools, you can drop subjects at 14 that in the US may be required at university — for example, history. If you’re a writer who cannot get your head around numbers, then being forced into the Maths 101 class may feel like a waste of time, money and effort. Similarly, I’m sure there are many scientists who couldn’t stand the idea of a close textual analysis of Dickens being required for graduation.

The closest the UK has to multidisciplinary study is Joint Honours degrees, and they are becoming increasingly popular. Joint Honours students currently make up around ten per cent of the undergraduate student population. However, the major problem of subject selection at 17 remains in these degrees. What if you made a mistake? What if the subject isn’t what you were expecting? Many people have never studied their degree subject before university, and even for

those who have, the approach may be significantly different. There is a little more freedom in a Joint Honours degree to tailor what you study. This freedom to switch your major does exist in the American system, especially early on in your course and without retaking years.

The UK system is brilliant for those with a singular passion or who are studying for a vocation Is there a happy medium to be found, where you can study a variety of subjects without the requirements of subjects that do not interest you?

I believe there is. The expansion of Liberal Arts-style degrees could be one way to achieve this. It would be particularly beneficial with the creation of Liberal Sciences and general degrees where you can take both science and arts

subjects. There is an important place for traditional UK degrees. Nevertheless, many students would benefit from the ability to change their study focus after they’ve had a taste in their first year.

The UK system is brilliant for those with a singular passion or who are studying for a vocation (for example, medical and law degrees).

Image: PxHere mohamed hassan

The US system is preferable for the undecided or those interested in many things. Both pathways leave some students behind whilst favouring others. If we could expand access to American-style degrees without the replacement of traditional degrees, we would provide an environment in which every student could thrive.

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18 JAN 2021| EXEPOSÉ

COMMENT

COVID-19: a blueprint for disaster Evan Thomas Print Comment Editor

I

T may seem odd for a postmortem while the pandemic is still very much ongoing.

Despite COVID-19 being a minor respiratory disease for most, the UK has sustained a shockingly high death count. The Government has kindly offered us a myriad of explanations for this, take your pick. Blame the reckless youth. Perhaps it’s down to everyone being so fat and old.

Think back, did you clap hard enough for the NHS to actually hear you?

As long as you look the other way and don’t delve any deeper into the disastrous austerity policies that defined the last decade and just stick to the plan, it’s foolproof: enforce restrictions, encourage vaccinations, go (or don’t in this case) to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint and wait for this all to blow over.

We’re not all in this together though. Our leaders weaponised our love for the NHS to deflect from policy critiques in an almost “don’t you support the troops?” level master stroke.

The truth is, the NHS was already being stripped for scrap metal going into the pandemic. Right before the Government began taking serious action against COVID-19, the think tank Institute for Public Policy

Research (IPRR) shared a press release revealing the extent of the emergency. It showed critical underfunding, dangerous hospital bed occupancy levels and staff shortages of tens of thousands of doctors and hundreds of thousands of nurses.

A thriving NHS was far down the priority list in 2010, and it’s apparently nowhere nearer the top in 2022. I used to think this was because of apathy, but the evidence of creeping privatisation continues to strengthen.

Just last month, Rishi Sunak, while shirking his responsibilities of sorting out sick pay and supporting struggling businesses, instead attended a roundtable discussion with a private healthcare company in California.

If there’s anything we should have learned by now, it’s to respect the unpredictability of nature.

Learning to live with COVID and returning to normal is essential as it slowly transitions from the status of pandemic to endemic. To most that will mean more effective in-person teaching, a much healthier form of socialising and reduced anxiety.

I fear that a return to normal for the Government means a very different thing than it does for the general public. The return of our

social freedoms is welcomed by all, but to treat this pandemic as a one-off would be a fool’s errand. Throughout the pandemic, the Government has repeatedly shown their tail with the propensity for short-term fixes instead of building infrastructure that would help us cope with incoming waves and new pandemics.

Draconian measures such as a lockdown should be an absolute last resort. It is an admission of a profound failure that the only way to keep people from dying is to shut down society as we know it.

If you cast your mind back to the first lockdown, there was a sense of comradery as we were all in it together to save the NHS. As long as we all stayed at home, didn’t go on any non-essential outings or see our loved ones from other households, it would flatten the curve. This would allow the NHS to make preparations for an incoming flux of hospital admissions without becoming overwhelmed. Did this happen?

After this initial wave, we went back to normal for a bit, participated in ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, then Delta hit. There was hope; shots were going into arms at an extraordinary rate.

However, due to last-minute decisions and flip-flops from both the executive and the opposition, this wave was significantly worse. NHS staff were taken beyond the brink, but we were assured they would receive thanks.

The free market cannot outrun a virus Senior epidemiologists and virologists emphasised that if we wanted to avoid serious issues with new variants, down the line we’d have to employ a global vaccination strategy.

Nurses received a one per cent pay rise and the UK strongly voiced its opposition to waiving vaccine patent protection, arguably contributing to the global vaccination rate still only being at 50.3 per cent. Many of the things promised in the first lockdown, and those to follow, have yet to happen.

To be clear, the Omicron wave seems to be milder and won’t have the same impact as the Delta wave. As new antivirals come to the market, vaccines with crossprotective immunity are developed and natural immunity increases, the tide of COVID-19 may be turning.

Then we can rest on our laurels for another 100 years until the next pandemic comes along. Happy days.

Or maybe not. I’d like to think that each subsequent variant will be less severe, but if there’s anything we should have learned by now, it’s to respect the unpredictability of nature.

That’s not to mention, with rising temperatures we will be introduced to a fantastic new array of bacteria, parasites and viruses which are likely

to greatly increase the frequency of world-stopping pandemics.

There is very little evidence to suggest that the UK Government wishes to prepare for this future.

Any movement to tackle the climate crisis has been insufficient and glacial in pace. The bogeymen here are China and India and as we’ve learned from our COVID-19 case study, as long as there’s someone to blame, our leaders will relinquish all accountability. I suppose saying Britain would be a global leader post-Brexit was just a nice slogan.

A return to normal for our leaders means penny pinching at every available opportunity. For a cabinet sourced predominately from bankers, their understanding of investment seems to be that of a coked up goldfish. They will save a few quid up front, but it’ll end up costing them, and more importantly us, an arm and a leg — or a life — in the future.

If we don’t treat pandemics and other crises as what they really are, global events, it is almost a guarantee that we will meet our tragic end in one. The social Darwinism that is intertwined with capitalism is no match for the real Darwinism of a virus. The free market cannot outrun the apocalypse. If the developed world comes together like it did for COVID-19 for the next major event then we are completely screwed.

Image: Pixabay

18 JAN 2022| EXEPOSÉ

12

Satire

SATIRE EDITOR:

Cleo Gravett

Campus cat exposed as an anti-masker

Cleo Gravett Satire Editor

S

HOCKWAVES continue to ripple through the student community due to the newfound knowledge that the beloved campus cat (informally known as Napoleon) is an anti-masker.

Napoleon needs to stop living in the past and wake up Despite an ongoing pandemic and various Government advice to wear masks, he is yet to have ever been seen wearing one.

An excerpt from his personal blog Cat Amongst the Sheeple reveals

his involvement in the growing “MewAnon” movement, as well as his many gripes with both facemasks, and broader issues relating to the pandemic: “My issues with masks are numerous: practically speaking, there are none made to fit my face — they don’t go around my ears and they restrict the movement of my whiskers! And you’re telling me I’m supposed to wear it when I pounce on my prey, then take it off when I go to eat it? Come off it — by the time I’ve finished fiddling with my mask my dinner has usually run away! And morally speaking, I’m standing up for individual rights and freedoms, like the freedom to spray piss when you’re stressed, knock random things off ledges when you feel like it, and cough up hairballs at the most inappropriate moments.”

The blog further revealed that

Napoleon has refused to take the vaccine, on account of the fact that he “doesn’t know what’s in it.”

Eyewitness accounts have reported that despite this apparent skepticism towards what he puts in his body, he seems more than happy to regularly eat out of the Mega Kebab wheelie bins.

Once considered a cornerstone of campus mental health services, Napoleon has now become a threat to the student community, a deadly superspreader on account of his numerous cute interactions with Exeter students.

Though he may be named after a historical figure, some may say Napoleon needs to stop

living in the past and wake up to the wonders of modern medicine.

Image: OpenClipArt

How to participate in Dry January without avoiding alcohol Cleo Gravett Satire Editor

A

LL of your closest and most righteous friends doing Dry January? Have a load of booze left over from Christmas that it would be a shame to waste? Don’t want to feel left out but don’t actually want to abstain from drinking? Exeposé has you covered — here are just some of the ways you can misunder-

stand the word ‘dry’, and still take part.

No washing: Chances are, if you’re a rugby boy you’re already doing this. Stay dry by avoiding the shower, after all doesn’t your body clean itself or something if you leave it long enough?

No going outside when it’s raining: Taking on this challenge in the Exeter winter is only for the bravest of competitors, and would definitely make those at the Met Office on the edge of town feel lis-

Doomsday Clock updated to reflect Masters plans

T

tened to for once. However, with the current overwhelming Omicron wave, doing this may soon become the only option, with no going outside regardless of the weather!

Many people are avoiding sex whether they want to or not No sex: Again, in pandemic times, many people are avoiding sex

whether they want to or not. However, you may be in the uniquely unfortunate position of both being sexually active and participating in Dry January if your partner is clueless about lube and foreplay. Ouch.

No baking decent cakes: While it may be a Devonian hate crime to bake a bad scone, this Dry January, consider making one that crumbles to dust with a single touch. No jam, definitely no cream — not a drop of moisture in sight.

VC cast as Batman’s Joker

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Dry January is enough to make most people switch off No good chat: Keeping to dry, uninteresting conversational topics for this challenge shouldn’t be too difficult, as simply mentioning that you’re partaking in Dry January is enough to make most people switch off from conversation.

Positive LFT does not count as “passing January exams”

T

HE Doomsday Clock symbolises the vulnerability of mankind, the ever increasing risk of global catastrophe.

Currently we are 100 seconds to midnight. This could be blamed on poverty, disease (shout out to COVID-19), conflict or any number of things. But, I think it’s time we all faced up to the real cause of our impending doom. The Doomsday Clock has changed from “mild alarm” Masters plans, to full blown “panic Masters.” This crisis is worsening every year; with a 20 per cent increase in the number of students applying for postgraduate study in 2021 (according to the Guardian). We can practically feel Exeter sweating at the thought of the increased diversity it might bring. Now is the moment to make a change. Only you can make a difference to save our planet. So please, go get a goddamn job.

HE Vice-Chancellor of Education has been cast as the Crown Prince of Crime in a regional Batman play following a maniacal performance during a Q&A over a week ago. According to the casting director who watched the recording, they had “never seen such a chilling smile in their life,” observing that the Vice-Chancellor could barely contain his smirk during a Zoom call where University staff faced questions about the safety and reasoning behind in-person examinations. The VC himself is reportedly “grateful” for the casting decision, stating he “had been preparing for a role like this for as long as I’ve worked at Exeter.”

HE University of Exeter has predicted record results during January’s exam season, citing increasing COVID-19 cases among students. However, confusion has arisen among students who have misconstrued this prediction as referring to exam results. “We must be the smartest cohort to date,” said student Wally Simpleton. “My parents will be so proud — they’ve been asking me to hold off coming home to visit because of COVID-19 cases in Exeter, but I’m sure they’ll make an exception when they hear the news!” The Registrar is due to send an email to students this week to correct the misunderstanding and remind students of the precautions that should be taken against COVID-19.

Cassia Grace, Deputy Editor

Oliver Leader de Saxe, Editor

Bridie Adams, Editor

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NEW YEAR, NEW ME?

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BATTLE OF THE SPIDEYS Image: Gemma Ryles

Image: Marco Verch Flickr

FOR THE RECORD

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JOB INTERVIEWS IN THE METAVERSE Image: Pixabay

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LIFESTYLE EDITOR Danni Darrah Zoe Sperry

ARTS + LIT EDITOR Ana Anajuba Ella Minty

MUSIC EDITORS Charlotte Bend Harry Hawkins

SCREEN EDITORS Archie Lockyer Francesca Sylph

TECH EDITORS Bridie Adams Oliver Leader de Saxe

27 STUDY BREAK Puzzles by Matthew and George

lifestyle Surviving grief Gracie Moore discusses how she dealt with loss in 2021 and how to get through it

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AST year, in many respects, felt identical to 2020. One day bleeding mindlessly into the next with the threat of COVID-19 looming over our heads like a storm cloud. This year, however, the cloud expanded horribly with the death of my Nan. The milestones in 2021 like my 18th birthday, passing my driving test and attaining my A-Level Results did not merit a raised glass — because there was one raised glass missing around our table. Her pass-

ing bled into every aspect of my life and I thought the sadness would never cease.

THERE WAS ONE RAISED GLASS MISSING AROUND OUR TABLE

But one day, I began to recall memories with laughter rather than tears and I started

to look forward to life outside of my grief. With time, I was able to move forward, never forgetting my Nan but allowing myself to open up new opportunities without feeling guilty that she wasn’t physically with me anymore.

My first experience of grief has taught me that life is simply too short to not spread your love and kindness.

I never got to say goodbye to my Nan so the people around me have been paramount in my healing process. Be vulnerable around

loved ones, give yourself time to cry and be sad because I have learnt is that there is no such thing as grieving for too long. Once you start opening up about your feelings of grief, the weight on your shoulders begins to lift.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS GRIEVING FOR TOO LONG

Virgil Abloh: burning the rhetoric Joshua Smith looks at the life and work of the late fashion designer

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IRGIL Abloh, artist and designer, died on 28 November 2021 of cardiac angiosarcoma, a rare form of cancer. He was 41.

It was Fifth Avenue on a Saturday in April when I first came across the semiotic deconstruction construed in the artwork of Virgil Abloh. Printed on two separate panes of the windows of a department shop were the words “architecture" and “music.” Experimentation with question marks, and the isolation of aspects of language are trademarks of Abloh’s artistic rhetoric, used to draw attention to the semiotic, material and functional contexts of his work.

I see Abloh’s design as a fusion of the deconstructive art of the '60s, especially that of Jasper Johns, and the ironic and controversial work of Marcel Duchamp with a dose of the postmodern philosophy of Jean Baudrillard (without the Marxism, of course). Placed in-between high fashion and modern art, Abloh revolutionised techniques by bringing his designs closer to themselves in substance and meaning. He did this by toying with the high-fashion ideal of

Edenic perfection and a burning rhetoric to squeeze adventure out of design. The product and the idea of the product worked in a symbiotic relationship to penetrate the limits of possibility; in an interview Abloh stated that he once walked into his studio and asked his team “What is a shoe?”, a starting point for defining a product’s essence to build original ideas. A design of his of a boot that has “for walking” imprinted on the side exemplifies this approach.

The duchampian code gives voice to the negation in his work. The stripping back or reconstruction of his products has incited comparisons with everyone from Andy Warhol to John Cage, who’s ‘composition’ “4:33” (complete silence for four minutes and 33 seconds) works in the same theoretical sphere as a pair of shoes by Abloh which details manufacturing specifics and bare stitching. They both make us aware of something else beyond the matter of music and design.

Abloh moonlighted as a DJ, leading him to be described in his New York Times obituary,

in response to his self-description, as a "maker" who had an "omnivorous creative mind."

Abloh grew up in a suburb of Chicago, Rockford, Illinois to Ghanaian parents, leading a childhood obsessed with skateboarding, graffiti, hip-hop and streetwear (before it was cool), in the '80s of Basquiat and Warhol.

He went on to gain degrees in Civil Engineering and Architecture before interning at Fendi with Ye West, a figure who was vital to his emergence in fashion, appointing him creative director of DONDA in 2010. Abloh went on to found his fashion brand Off-White in 2013, and with it the motifs of design that have become iconic ever since. These motifs caught the eye of the high fashion industry, and in 2018 Abloh was the first Black man to be appointed artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear line. He felt in 2019 “like Bernini just sculpting away, defining a moment of enlightenment.”

Abloh was kaleidoscopic, able to capture the colours in the details of an evolving culture. Liberal by borrowing off other designers,

sometimes controversially, but always with a wit and inimitable but undefined ‘ablohism.'

He was without precedent, “being a Black man in Paris fashion.” Abloh once told the fashion journal Vestoj, “there’s no context for someone like me, no path to follow”. He instead created paths; in 2020 he established a “Post-Modern” Scholarship, raising $1 million to encourage Black students into fashion.

His mere presence in an industry crowded by elitism broke barriers, and captured new territory for abstract thinking and marginalised groups. His fusion of street and high fashion shook the ground below the ivory towers he entered and gained him a huge following.

We shall see how far Abloh’s “figures of speech” extend into the future. For all his hyperbole, irony, metonymy and metaphor, it will take many years for the fashion industry to really become something that is as diverse as real life. What Abloh did was play with it in a way necessary for our times, leaving the record playing for new voices to riff on, forever.

Image: Pixabay

EDITORS: Danni Darrah and Zoe Sperry

exhibit | lifestyle

18 JAN 2022 |

15

New year, new me?

Lifestyle writers discuss the benefits of new year's resolutions

Yes, please!

T

HIS set

year I have decided to myself some resolutions.

I have decided to embrace the trend of 'new year, new me', and now more than ever I think a little goal orientation goes a long way.

Talking to people in and around university, at work and at home, et cetera, it seems that people have lost a lot of their 'get up and go' attitude.

People don’t want to go out as much, they’ve dropped hobbies, or they simply haven’t got the social confidence they had before the pandemic.

I think setting realistic targets to get us back to our slightly more assured selves is a great idea.

Of course, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of trying to change too much all at once.

However, considered and reasonable change based on behaviours that you may already have started to display may help to ease you into seemingly bigger resolutions.

For instance, I have this year decided to go totally vegetarian.

I was already largely on a vegetarian diet last year, only really eating meat when I was at home outside of term time for convenience’s sake — all my family eat meat, so cooking separate dinners somehow felt like an inconvenience.

There is no one size fits all, but a little reflection on your 2021 could O my surprise, I woke illuminate something you up on New Year’s Day did that was beneficial. the exact same perMaybe you started son I was the day before. exercising somewhat And that’s okay. Every regularly during lockyear, toxic hustle culture’s down, but lost mofavourite recruitment trend tivation once things shows its ugly face on our opened and it became social media timelines. more difficult to strike a The ‘new year, new me’ work/life balance again. fad, albeit a bit of light motiA simple goal to set might vation to some, is a suffocating Image: Pixabay be to attempt to do at least 15 minunnecessary pressure on others. utes of exercise for three days a week.

Of course, setting personal goals It does not have to be intense, and working to look after yourself and those just anything to build a routine. around you better is something we should Whatever it may be, I feel a resolution is a great all place importance upon as human beings. statement for reclaiming our lives from COVID-19.

But why wait until a specific time of year to start doing these things?

Charlie Nadin We are free to reset any time we like, and

No, thanks!

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Winter wears

Cleo Gravett, Satire Editor, gives advice on winter fashion must haves

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UCCESSFUL winter style is all about striking the perfect balance between practicality and pizazz, which can sometimes prove difficult.

Here are some tips for getting the sartorial best out of this season.

Coat will always be king Especially in Exeter, where the wind and rain rule winter skies with an iron fist, you need a decent coat that will shield you from the elements.

Look on the second hand retail app of your choice, or in local charity shops for good deals on hardy pieces (anything Gore-Tex is good).

Shopping second hand will guarantee a unique look. If you’re going to wear a coat everyday, it should make you feel happy, so choose something with a feature you really like, for example, a bright colour or a nice lining.

WIND AND RAIN RULE WINTER SKIES Supercalifabriclistic While coats should be waterproof and reliable, you can play with fabrics and textures in your outfits underneath (a striking fabric can be just as eye-catching as

a bright colour), and according to the runways, the favoured fuzzes and fluffs of the past year are still very much en vogue.

Glass scarf full Scarves are the hardest working accessory in fashion.

This winter, invest in a good, warm statement piece in your favourite colour or pattern.

My simple red scarf rarely leaves my neck between October and April — but you can switch between a few funky scarves or styles!

As well as helping you to express yourself (which is what fashion is all about), a good scarf will keep you warm.

SWITCH BETWEEN A FEW FUNKY SCARVES

we all have different timescales for these things.

People shouldn’t feel obliged to have an action plan for self improvement purely because of the calendar date — God knows we all have enough deadlines as university students.

The concept of a ‘new me’ is problematic to me. On 1 January, you’re supposed to completely throw yourself out the window and suddenly your subconscious is rewired?

That’s not how people work. It takes a lot more than some Gymshark leggings and a pack of pastel highlighters to shed one’s entire personality for an unachievable fictional social media caricature.

Genuine self-betterment is often lost in a myriad of false idols, false smiles and false concepts. Throwing the ‘old you’ out will leave a shell which can’t be filled by these things.

This year especially, people deserve to feel happy with themselves purely just for making it through 2021.

So yes, always aim to be a better you, but don’t be tricked into defining your self-worth by the impossible hype of the ‘new year, new me’ craze.

It is a short-lived trend; you are not. You’re doing great just as you are.

Kate Hall, Comment Editor

Veganuary

Bridie Adams, Editor, explains how to make the switch to veganism

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EGANUARY is a UK non-profit operation which challenges individuals to go vegan, or not consume animal products, for the whole month of January each year in an attempt to foster healthiness and protect the natural world.

VEGANUARY IS A UK NON-PROFIT OPERATION Since 2014, millions of participants have joined in with the Veganuary pledge.

Here are some of the best foods to stick to if you want to make it through the rest of the month, meat-free!

Of course, the first thing you need to do during Veganuary is attempt to give up each and every food based on animal derived ingredients (such as meat, fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy and honey).

Get a grip Make sure you have a pair of shoes with decent grip in your arsenal in the event of the wet weather mud and puddles (as well as any potential sleet/snow).

PERSONALLY, I SWEAR

BY VEGAN STEAK

Let down your hair If you have long/thick hair and don’t often wear it down, give it a try!

Nature’s neck warmer can save you from fannying about with a scarf when you overheat halfway up Cardiac Hill.

You’ll want to sub these out with whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds for a good selection of vegan food. Exchange your favourite non-vegan items with vegan alternatives. You may not realise the number of options that are available until you have a look in the vegan sec-

tion of your local supermarket, but the variety of plant-based options available is ever-increasing. Personally, I swear by vegan steak, ham and dairy alternative soy drinks. For the best vegan experience, you’ll also need to gobble down, at a minimum, five portions of a variety of fruit and greens daily, and use carbohydrates like potatoes, bread or oats as a base for meals.

INDIVIDUALS WHO PARTAKE OF VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN FOOD LONGTERM ARE AT A MUCH LOWER RISK OF SUFFERING FROM HEART DISEASE A lot of people try vegan for a month in January because they want to see if it will make them feel healthier. According to Veganuary, some who participate describe positive physical changes in these first 31 days — from better sleep to improved digestion and clearer skin!

And according to The Guardian, individuals who consume vegan and vegetarian food long-term are at a much lower risk of suffering from heart disease.

So even if you didn’t start Veganuary on the first day of the year, you’re not too late to give it a go! Veganism is a beneficial diet all year round, not just in January.

EDITORS: Danni Darrah and Zoe Sperry

exhibit | lifestyle

18 JAN 2022 |

16

The Mix : the UK’s leading support service for young people Henry Hood, Sports Editor, speaks to CEO Chris Martin about the services The Mix provides for young people Trigger warning: mental illness, self-harm and suicide

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HE Mix is a digital charity which formed in March 2016. It is a merge of two other charities: YouthNet founded in 1995 and Get Connected founded in 1991. The former provides online support while the latter runs a telephone helpline.

Exeposé: Just to start for our readers , what does The Mix do?

Chris Martin: The Mix is a national charity that provides advice and support to young people aged 11 to 25 right across the UK. We do this through digital and virtual channels, so we have big outreach through social media — we have a website with over 1500 articles on it. There are articles about everything in a young person’s life from exam stress, to drugs, to homelessness, to family and personal relationships. We have a big online community and we have a multi channel helpline, via phone, web chat and email and we have a small counselling service. You can come to The Mix to talk about anything you want in your life, any challenge which you are facing, but we have to be realistic that mental health accounts for about 80 per cent of the conversations we have.

The Mix is a national charity that provides advice and support to young people

É: So in that 80 per cent of the people coming to talk about mental health what are the main things that come up?

CM: Anxiety and depression are pretty much the most common ones. During the pandemic there’s been a big rise in young people who are self-harming and also a

rise in young people talking about body image issues. We’ve also seen a lot more people seeking support for suicidal ideations and suicidal thinking. As you might imagine, we call an ambulance for a young person at risk of loss of life about one to two times a day through our various services.

There’s a range of young people struggling to cope with their day-to-day experience and feeling anxious or depressed, and thus might stop them from going on and doing things. Some are feeling they actually can’t cope at all and they just want it all to stop; the reason why in my view, that addressing mental health is so important is because mental health robs people of opportunity.

If you’re really struggling with your mental health you don’t do as well in your exams as you should, or you don’t go to that party or you don’t play your sports, and it’s just robbing you of being your brilliant self. And that’s something that we have to address, and the reality is, the day-to-day causes a hell of a lot of misery for young people.

There are articles about everything in a young person’s life from exam stress, to drugs

É: Why do you think that the pandemic has affected the mental health of young people so much?

CM: We do a lot of research with our young ambassadors and what we found more than anything was that it’s a sense of powerlessness. They’ve lost their liberty and have had very little consultation with the Government around what was happening, and that’s pretty disempowering. Isolation and loneliness are an issue too, and losing your ability to go out and be outside of your family environment or your academic environment is detrimental. There were also wider

anxieties about health, with young people feeling they aren’t looking after themselves while they’re stuck at home all the time, or worrying that they’re eating badly which massively drives body issue concerns. É: In an ideal situation, what would you like schools and universities to offer in hindsight of what has happened in the pandemic, but also going forward?

CM: In my view there’s been nowhere near enough investment into the support of student mental health and school mental health. There are still unacceptable waiting lists, and while many universities have wellbeing services you just can’t get into them. Students are often faced with waiting 12 weeks, which is longer than an academic term, to get their referral to the wellbeing services. After that young person feels they need that support and they’ve been brave enough to ask for it, it’s not acceptable that they should have to wait that time.

I also feel they need a little bit more around the workforce to allow them to have some sense of how they support and signpost young people. I don’t need them to be mental health experts but teachers are often not in positions to help with mental health, they could really help you out with Latin but can’t do anything about self-harm, and something needs to change about having that wider understanding. É: So many young people use social media today, so what kind of issues do you think social media brings up and what would you like to see be done from social media companies to perhaps help tackle that?

CM: When you look at Facebook’s own research on repetitive scrolling without engaging or talking to people I think it says a lot about what we are using it for. Social media can be a great way to connect but say just endlessly scrolling through pictures of someone going on holiday in Dubai never helps. I think there are some things which

we can probably learn about our own usage of social media, as algorithms will give you more of what you want, but they’ll also give you more of what you don’t want if you start going down a poor path so we do need to take a bit of responsibility there. We want to be careful we don’t allow social media to lead us into behaviours. We should be able to do what we want with it and not let social media tell you how you should be living your life. In terms of what companies can do, there’s a very good analogy for this. When you go into a private apartment block, what the landlord chooses to do in there is, to a degree, up to them. But when you go into a Public Library there’s a lot of regulations on how you keep that space safe. Social media is so commonly used, it is a community space and it should be as safe as going to the shopping centre because we use it as much.

You can come to The Mix to talk about anything you want in your life, any challenge

É: We’ve seen massive progress in breaking down the stigma on talking about mental health in the past ten years. What would you like to happen in the next ten years or so?

CM: I think the goal is that prevention is always better than cure. The reality is that everybody has mental health and it fluctuates over their lifetime and the things in their lifetime will challenge them. I think a really good future vision is where we are all very well trained and supported to keep ourselves in good physical and mental shape because it will allow us to deal with the ups and downs of life that we will inevitably face.

Then hopefully it will mean that, though there will be people who will need that additional support and want it, we will have more of the resources available to help them.

É If these issues affect you, you can get in touch with: University helpline 0300 555 0225 Wellbeing wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk Or contact The Mix: Telephone helpline: 0808 808 4994 Website: https://www.themix.org.uk/ Image: https://www.themix.org.uk/

arts

+ lit

Favourite novels of 2021 As we head into 2022, Arts + Lit writers talk about their favourite reads of last year

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Gerald Basil Edwards The Book of Ebenezer Le Page

HIS book is an intimate analysis of the corrupted temporalities of the 20th century and the memoirs of a cantankerous, individualistic and hilarious man at the end of his long life on the channel island of Guernsey. The novel contains one of the finest and most saintly literary characters British fiction has never heard of. Its residence in obscurity strikes a parallel with the novel’s undercurrent of lamentation for the passing of time. Ebenezer recounts tales of the men lost to The Great War, the German occupation of World War Two, his many loves and losses, and life itself in the folds of time and memory. Its unique style takes it beyond merely being a provincial novel, but a tale that transcends its spatial constraints, exposing a sense of common longing and life’s ultimate subjection to time reminiscent of Woolf’s The Waves. Sad and joyous, you can fall in love with Ebenezer just as you would with a grandparent, equally riddled with stories and a glimmering sense of humour under a veil of apathy.

This led me to realise upon finishing it, which was an emotional moment, that we all know an Ebenezer Le Page, and if we don’t, we just haven’t met them yet.

Image: NYRB Classics

Joshua Smith

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Anthony Doerr All The Light We Cannot See

F you asked me how many times I’ve read this book over lockdown, I’d be embarrassed to respond truthfully. The sheer beauty of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel is unmatched, inextricably coming together in the crescendo of the story making it impossible to put down. Doerr invites us to watch two children grow: Marie-Laure DeBlanc, a blind girl living with her father in Paris, and Werner Pfennig, a German orphan who is drafted into the Hitler Youth. Doerr presents both characters in such a way that you can’t help but care for them. As you watch them grow, you feel protective whilst they experience war from contrasting perspectives, both suffering at the hands of violence. The element of supernatural is also incorporated to provide a more fantastical read. I feel I must provide fair warning — this novel is utterly gutwrenching. Described by The New York Times as “hauntingly beautiful’’, Image: Trevor it’s no wonder that the film adaption Dobson, Flickr comes to Netflix this year, with newcomer Aria Mia Loberti playing MarieLaure, providing accurate disability representation. If you’re like me and prefer to read the book before watching the film — definitely put this book towards the top of your reading list!

Image: Fourth Estate

Cora Davies

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Hank Green An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

F not for a certain pandemic this book might have seemed completely insane, which for the most part it is. Like the unexpected addition of COVID-19 to 2020, in An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, ten-foot-tall Transformer-like statues, or Carls as they come to be known, appear unannounced across the globe.

April May, an unassuming, slightly selfish, post-graduate student, stumbles across one of these statues on a New York street. April and her friend Andy decide to film the phenomenon, creating a video which goes viral overnight, thrusting them and the Carls into the public eye. The novel’s outlandish nature makes for an engaging and entertaining read from start to finish, which is carried by Green’s flair for storytelling. However, it is equally thought-provoking with some serious undercurrents. Green explores problems with social media, through the confusion and masses of opinions it arouses in the novel, and influencer culture as April grapples with her newfound fame and subsequent challenges with identity.

Albeit the scenario is crazier than anything we would experience, the idea of how we cope individually and as a society in times of crisis is close to home, and certainly why the book is one of my favourites from 2021.

Image: Trapeze

Milly Earnshaw-White

Should museums return colonialist artwork?

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Mahnoor Imam discusses whether Western museums should return stolen artifacts

N any museum in the UK, one can observe through the little placards of information that often preserved work in museums sport a hidden, sinister history of colonial conflict and violence. The convoluted history behind these collections is not regularly taught in schools, leaving many unaware or even misinformed.

THERE IS AN EXCRUCIATINGLY LONG HISTORY OF BRITAIN’S COLONIAL EMPIRE Yet controversial headlines behind this heated discussion are usually mentioned in popular discourse. Many institutions, most notably the British Museum are known to have the most amount of looted collections in their possession.

There is an excruciatingly long history of Britain’s colonial empire which led to the museum’s substantial possession of stolen loot. Through research, one can find the numerous village raids, theft during

colonial expansion and illegal trading that allowed masses of British soldiers to steal valuables such as gold, salt, ivory, sugar, tobacco, valuable gemstones and more from colonial settlements.

In geographical terms, throughout the 400 years of British colonial rule, historians are still discovering new evidence of British rule over more than half of the world: from large areas of North America, Australia, New Zealand, a large majority of South and East Asia, Africa as well as Central and South America. It was statistically stated that at one point in time, the British Empire owned more than 50 per cent of the discovered world.

By spreading its power beyond borders, Britain began the process of imperialism.

Notably in India, the British colony set up the British East India Company which further exploited Indian workers to operate the docks by which they shipped valuable metals and spices across to Britain. In setting up their capitalised, exploitative institutions British soldiers were employed to raid villages and homes in towns in order

to find more valuable items for trading.

To this day, the valued 105.6 Carat Kohi-Noor diamond, the biggest diamond in the world, remains in the UK and was even briefly showcased at the British Museum before being taken to fit into a royal crown for Queen Victoria. It was acquired in the Mughal-era owned by various emperors in South Asia until being taken by British soldiers and given to Queen Victoria in 1849 during the Punjab annexation orchestrated by the British.

THE CONVOLUTED HISTORY BEHIND THESE COLLECTIONS IS NOT REGULARLY TAUGHT Additionally, there are substantial exhibitions and collections in the British museum which showcase all these goods, from Elgin marbles, Benin bronzes and the Rosetta Stone to the Solomon Island collection. Indigenous communities today

are still trying to reconnect with their heritage threatened by British erasure; one way is trying to get their valuables back.

Popular discourses led to the public demanding the British Museum to return the looted treasures however the institution has remained adamant in their position that the artefacts were not acquired illegally, instead they were given willingly. Moreover, in 2016 a protest group “BP Or Not BP?” Organised a “Stolen Goods Tour” at the British Museum, highlighting artefacts such as the Gwaegal shield stolen by the British from Aboriginal Australians in the 18th century.

This is on the list of the many artefacts taken from former British colonies.

To this day, countries have publicly asked for several artefacts back. In hopes of expiating the years of resulting damage from British colonial forces, public discourse continues to pressure this part of British history to hold it accountable and encourage us to return the artefacts to their country of origin.

exhibit | arts + lit

EDITORS: Ella Minty & Ana Anajuba

18 JAN 2021 | 19

The ethics of bookstores: reading between the lines

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Henry Hood, Online Sports Editor, explores the ethics of buying from large corporations

VER wondered why there are so many Waterstones, and so few independent book shops nowadays?

The answer lies in a law called the Net Book Agreement, which was deemed to be “against public interest” back in 1997.

Originally, the agreement was designed to make book prices equal across all stores, meaning a brand new release from a bestselling author had to be sold at the same price regardless of where you went. This protected publishers and authors, since their product would never devalue, and it also benefitted smaller bookstores, since they did not have to worry about competitive pricing elsewhere.

That law was abolished to make the book world a competitive market, yet

twenty years later only two companies remain standing: Waterstones and Amazon.

Because these bigger companies can afford to sell books for less, they have undercut those beloved cosy high street book stores and enticed their customers away.

BIGGER COMPANIES CAN AFFORD TO SELL BOOKS FOR LESS Now, as with many of the purchases we make today, a question of ethics arises. Do we spend more to support the smaller businesses, or save some money as cash-strapped students

and go with the more convenient option?

‘Indie bookstores’ do have their upsides. While they may be marginally more expensive, customer service is almost always better. Being able to ask staff for reading suggestions, or the option to order in any book of your choosing, as Exeter’s indie bookstore Bookbag offers, is easily worth spending more. Equally, the range of books on offer at an indie bookstore will inevitably be more diverse than your average Waterstones. Authors that do not meet the prescriptive marketing ideals of major publishers are more likely to be found in indie bookstores, and supporting them helps diversify today’s literature world and prevents it becoming dominated by rigid tropes.

As an English student, the best advice I can offer when buying course books is to buy them second hand. Any trawling through second hand shops in Exeter is likely to result in you finding your course books. More simply, buying from the ‘Used’ tab of Amazon is a handy way to save money and the planet.

This is not all to say that buying from Waterstones or Amazon is unethical, nor is this to say big publishing and bookselling firms are ‘evil’.

But do be aware that booksellers now have the power to dictate how much a book is worth, not the publishers and not the authors.

Bookbag is open Tuesday-Sunday

Love thy enemy

Bridie Adams, Editor, discusses the popular trope in fiction

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AND Y dislike each other and sparks fly — it’s a classic romantic plot line that we are all familiar with.

The enemies to lovers trope is wildly popular, and is defined as when two characters who start off enemies end up in a romantic love relationship over the course of a book or series. These individuals have to overcome their differences or misconceptions about each other and in the process, they fall in love. Romance tropes like this often get criticised for being too ‘same-y’ or cringe-worthy, but tropes aren’t the same as cliches, and they definitely aren’t formulas.

They are actually one of the main reasons why the readers buy romance; romance is, after all, typically a comfort or guilty-pleasure genre, which many read for enjoyment rather than education, so knowing what to expect when you pick up a book from the shelf is usually not a bad thing. No two enemies to lovers relationships are the same. The trope has a depth and nuance

Reading corner Danni Darrah, Lifestyle Editor, reviews Bukowski’s poetry

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OETRY always intrigued me. To string words together in an abstract way, to create a melody of emotion and thought, is fascinating. But reading Charles Bukowski’s Although No Help For That transcends that. When Bukowski wasn’t busy

to it as two people on opposite sides fall in love and work together to give end to conflict.

Shannon’s The Bone Season is a perfect example of an evolution of the trope, and Bell’s The Devil’s Fire is another classic enemies to lovers story, with a fantasy setting and a forced marriage between royals.

If you’re a writer hoping to create a piece of enemies to lovers fiction yourself, here are some suggestions for helping characters realise their true feelings for their rival.

Give the characters some internal struggle Give background information that will interest readers, then let character behaviour come from their detailed inner life. Each character must have an empathetic backstory and be likeable to the reader, even if not to each other.

It’s a way of inserting conflict into the story, but

drinking or cynically criticising the joys of life, he listened to classical music and wrote.

Despite writing plenty of prose, his poetry is arguably what Bukowski is notably famous for and there’s no question as to why.

There’s a way that Bukowski’s work echoes and reverberates through you that allows you to see the beauty in pain and everyday life. The lines, “everything burning, / everything wet, / everything fine” epitomise the tone that he adopts within his poetry. Being comfortable with the cynicism he shrouded himself in allows you to feel able to do the same when dipping into the pages of the book.

Although No Help For That is considered slightly overrated among Bukowski fans, this piece introduced me to his melancholy in a way that I had never experienced before.

for the characters to somehow feel drawn to each other at the same time.

Describe the setting so readers can imagine it Setting is the time and place an author chooses for a literary work. Setting also includes the physical landscape, climate, weather, and the societal and cultural surroundings that serve as a backdrop for the action. Reveal setting through the exposition of the story using sensory details. Use all five senses Image: Pixabay to describe the immediate surroundings of your story. For example, if your setting is the beach, you could describe the feeling of sand between your character’s toes, the salt in the air, the sound of the waves,

Starting with the line, “There’s a place in the heart / that will never be filled” ironically filled me with hope in a time of loneliness; I felt somewhat understood.

Another poem that Bukowski wrote about sexuality and the experiences he had, which was only later revealed in a collection written to Pamela Brandes, embodies the raw feelings of lust in a crude but powerful way. In it, he writes about a sexual experience alongside the menial activities happening: “my tongue entered your c*** and your soul / and the blue bedspread was there / and the children in the alley.” These background disturbances heighten the intensity of the poetry and make it difficult to read. His secrecy, nuanced personality and writing make Bukowski’s works an immensely interesting collection to dig into.

the smell of the water, the shape of the sand dunes. Show, don’t tell, and use real locations and figurative language. Keep it simple. Creating really atmospheric descriptions allows us to truly understand without the romance getting in the way.

Make two main characters work together Force the characters to work together and present more and more opportunities for them to show all their qualities through actions.

Create sexual tension between the characters The flirtatious banter should be clever and witty but never cruel or mean-spirited.

Let the characters evolve Show them starting to learn more about each other and becoming good friends. That friendship can then blossom into something much deeper.

Image: Flickr, Thierry Ehrmann

MUSIC

What's up in 2022?

Exeposé Music writers make their predictions on what may arrive on your music calendar One Direction will reunite

Heavy music will increase in popularity

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S someone quite frankly confused by the whole devil horns and Metallica thing, I have to say that I never thought I’d become much of a fan, but the last year has made me really appreciate the craft and appeal of heavy music (my succinct term for metal, genres with ‘death-’ as a prefix, and whatever Yeezus is). The influence and concept of ‘big scary noise make song good’ stretches from the speaker-rippers and screamers of the '60s right into modern 808 thumps and raging rappers, and I feel like musically we are currently transitioning from delicate balladry into more boisterous pastures.

Many of 2021’s breakout modern pop artists have been full of grit — whether it’s the pileup of voices and guitars in Billie’s single ‘Happier Than Ever,' the solid riffs that form many tracks on Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour, or WILLOW’s spiky guitar and chains.

At the same time, hardcore and metal bands are reaching bigger crowds, which comes from a focus on passionate performances, provocative imagery and stagecraft. Through the hyperactive indie-punk-pop of Turnstile, the stargazing djent of Spiritbox, or the collaboration punk monsters Code Orange made with federation wrestling, there are many avenues for modern metal and hardcore to reach new audiences this 2022. In the UK we especially have a lot of great home talent which could burst in the rock and metal scene —whether it’s the MCR stylings of Creeper, or Bob Vylan’s new approach to raprock.

I’d like to address one little bandshaped hole in the room — does ‘heavy’ music just mean guitarripping masculinity? I’d argue that in our current age it absolutely doesn't — not just because of the plethora of female artists making dark and extreme music in the underground (Liturgy, Lingua Ignota and Chelsea Wolfe to name but three musicians making superbly challenging modern metal-analogous music), but also the kinship of rock and rap culture. It’s evident in the

aesthetics of many cutting-edge rappers, like Playboi Carti’s shock-rock inspired Die Lit. Musically, you can find a kinship of aggression in artists as diverse as clipping, Denzel Curry, and Tyler, The Creator (don’t believe me? ‘Who That Boi’ is heavier than ‘Enter Sandman’ — no elaboration needed). The fusion of rap with guitars in the style of MGK, Kenny Mason and KennyHoopla could also gain a lot of traction this year. Whether it’s the radio, live shows, or your neighbour on their Bluetooth speaker, you’ll probably be requesting others to turn the racket down in 2022 a lot more (unless you’re the one blasting it yourself…).

Harry Hawkins, Music Editor

Images: Sven Mandel, Wikimedia and The Come-Up Show, Flickr

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NE Direction fans, 'Directioners,' have, for a considerable time, been waiting for the band to set aside their differences and reconcile to produce fresh music.

The gossip about the potential reunification of the boy band in 2022 has been widespread even at this early stage of the new year.

The boy band One Direction was set up back in the 2010 season of British televised singing competition The X-Factor UK. Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson entered the competition as individual candidates and were later combined to form a group. Although they finished in third place and the victor of the competition was Matt Cardle, 1D w a s

pushed to worldwide acclaim on social platforms, which stirred up an enormous audience. They swiftly became the most well known contestants from that series. Of course, Simon Cowell's deep pockets and powerful label, Syco Music, also worked wonders for their fame.

One Direction dominated the music scene in the 2010s, released hit singles like ‘What Makes You Beautiful,’ sold out numerous tours, topped charts in many countries, delivered five albums in five years and went on to become one of the world's favourite boy bands.

The band’s official Twitter account also broke the World Record for most followers for a music group in 2015 with 23,393,106. However, after smashing out chart-topping records throughout their six-year sprint, the band started to decline.

In early 2015, it was announced on Facebook that Malik would be going his separate way from the group, before later, in 2016, the rest of the band issued a statement about its 18 month (eye roll) hiatus as Styles, Horan, Tomlinson and Payne went solo. One Direction has been on a very vague, definitely not 18-month-long, hiatus since.

Sadly for fans, the band are yet to explain when they will re-form, and in October 2019, Payne claimed the band won't be getting back together at all. "Everybody outwardly in the press has said something but we haven't really spoke as a collective together," he said. And with Styles expecting to tour the UK and Europe in 2022, his schedule will be restricted, which casts a shadow over predictions of a reunion.

But One Direction fans are one of the most committed fandoms in the world and they have shown to be super devoted — of course, many fans will be delighted if 1D decide to reunite, but will undoubtedly continue to support their solo careers otherwise.

Bridie Adams, Editor

exhibit | music

EDITORS: Harold Hawkins and Charlotte Bend

18 JAN 2021 | 21

Reflecting on #FreeBritney

Bridie Adams, Editor, looks at the changed perception of the singer's conservatorship since the 2000s

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N investigation done by the University of Westminster and MusicTank revealed that 71.1 per cent of musicians have undergone very bad anxiety or panic attacks. These results show that musicians are three times more vulnerable to mental instability than the average individual. All of this begs the obvious question: what mental health support is actually in place for musicians? According to the MU, “The industry is now taking action to combat mental illness in musicians,” and there are brand new initiatives popping up here, there and everywhere from both corporate giants and grassroots organisations — such as benefit gigs by companies and artists to increase recognition of mental health.

But for Britney Spears in the '00s, this was a completely different story, with the entertainment and news media providing overwhelmingly dramatic and chaotic perceptions of her illness to the public. Britney also faced involuntary psychiatric treatment and the creation of a conservatorship, which is a form of guardianship. This court consensus gave her dad, Jamie Spears, jurisdiction of her $60 million estate (roughly calculated by the Cable News Network) and more aspects of her life.

A conservatorship is a case granted by a court of law where a judge appoints a person or firm to be responsible for the keeping of an individual person (called the ‘conservatee’) who is unable to make their own decisions or be in charge of financial affairs, like those with de-

mentia or other mental disorders. To initiate a conservatorship, someone has to file an appeal with the court, often Adult Protective Services or similar. In Britney’s case, it was her dad who filed.

The court sends an investigator to observe, to see whether there’s actually adequate proof to order conservatorship and to see if the subject’s conduct meets the requirements for that state.

Britney’s conservatorship was split into two parts — one for her property and economic affairs, the other for her as a person. This is the most common conservatorship, and for Britney, meant that her dad could access her private accounts, represent her in contracts and more. Fans realised the arrangement was actually calculated to take advantage of Britney instead of helping her.

In the last couple of years, you might have seen #FreeBritney or #SaveBritney appear on social platforms as a means to set Britney free from the conservatorship. The hashtag #FreeBritney dates back to a 2009 site FreeBritney.net.

The site said: “During the twelve years of Spears’ conservatorship she has repeatedly toured the world, released multiple albums, and worked on a variety of television shows […] Brit-

ney Spears needs permission from her conservators to leave her house or spend any of her own money.” She recorded a whole documentary and released an amazing album — which the #FreeBritney movement believed were indicators that she was being used for profit by her conservators.

The #FreeBritney fans were correct, and a large amount of their suspicions were proven to be accurate. But the truth was even worse than anybody expected. Official court papers showed Britney was permitted $2,000 each week, while her dad’s pay as conservator was around $16,000 each month, with added cash for workplace rent and a chunk of numerous deals he signed for Britney.

Britney later claimed that she was not permitted to marry her boyfriend, and that she had an IUD in her body against her will, stopping her from having more children.

As recorded by the police in Ventura, California, Britney called 911 on the day before her 23 June 2021 court speech. Records of 911 calls in California are, in general, within reach of the public, but the county, referring to an inquiry in progress, sealed up the accounts. What we do know is that Britney told the police she was a victim of conser-

On the record

vatorship abuse — which is essentially stealing.

Next came her explosive court address where she spoke out about the contentious conservatorship, and the rest is history. Britney Spears has been set free from her dad and her case has reinforced her prominence in the public eye, has sparked global complaint and contributed to extensive scrutiny of the murky guardianship arrangement that has an effect on millions of people.

Now we need to consider the millions of other women who face exploitation, oppression and legal or physical captivity at the hands of men — conservatorships or otherwise. We need to look further and push for change in these women’s lives just as hard as we pushed for change in Britney’s. And more broadly, we can learn from what happened to Britney by treating celebrities with the same kindness we would treat anyone with or would like to be treated with ourselves. Mental health has long been a huge issue in the music industry and this needs to change. Much of this is to do with how the industry, and labels, treat artists, but we can all take steps to work on it by simply refusing to engage in harmful celebrity 'gossip' and not consuming malicious media content that drives cancel culture. Because #FreeBritney is proof that rallying together for justice, and holding people, and corporations, accountable for their cruel actions, can make all the difference.

Image: Flickr, Mike J Maguire

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Oliver Leader de Saxe, Editor, takes a deep-dive into why vinyl is making such a comeback

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IKE a record, the debate about vinyl goes round and round in circles. But regardless of your opinion, the numbers speak for themselves. More than five million vinyl records were sold in the UK in 2021, the highest in 30 years and up eight per cent from the year before according to the British Phonographic Industry. Vinyl is back, and it is here to stay. The meteoric return of vinyl may owe some debt of gratitude to big artists like Adele and ABBA, but the trend was going long before 2021. According to Statista, the US saw vinyl sitting at sales of just around five million units in 2010; now that number has skyrocketed to 41.7 million.

Given all of this, the question shouldn’t necessarily be about whether putting vinyl back on the turntable of the modern music landscape is a good thing, but why the resurgence? Why now? In a consumption culture dominated by instant gratification, vinyl feels antiquated. New releases can be accessed with a flick of your finger the moment they hit streaming, whilst TikTok has made that dopamine rush a fifteen second affair. Vinyl meanwhile is clunky, expensive and isn’t nearly as accessible as Spotify. Putting your favourite song from an album on repeat is difficult when a finnicky needle drop stands between you and the unstoppable urge to bop.

Whilst all of those points are fair to some extent, I think that misses a big appeal of vinyl: it forces you to take your time. Sure, you can order from Amazon, but why do that when you can go to your local record store, browse through different sleeves like a bookstore, find something that truly speaks to you? Why not read the lyrics, study the album art, put off listening to a record until the limited-edition press arrives? Vinyl has taught me to love albums again, not just skip through to my favourite tracks. Music for me isn’t about background vibes, but sitting down, relaxing, simply enjoying the tracks rather than consuming them. But even then, that’s just my fairly pretentious opinion formulated by grazing my own arsehole for the most hipster take imaginable. There has got to be a more tangible reason, surely?

The answer I think is, as always, about money. As vinyl has increased in sales, so too has streaming began to dominate the market. In 2010, it made up just seven per cent of music industry revenue; by 2020 it is now 83 per cent. The market domination has only served to hurt artists trying make a living off their craft. As of 2019, Spotify reported that it pays between $0.00331 and $0.00437 per stream. That means an artist would need roughly 366,000 streams on a track to make minimum wage, without considering the split between record labels, band members, royalties… It’s just not sustainable anymore. Artists make their money through touring and merchandise nowadays. Records and cassettes can be sold to ravenous fans at higher margins, especially if those fans are older or more likely to shell out for their

expensive hobby. If you want to see the push for vinyl first-hand, just look at ABBA’s Voyage. It shifted 29,891 copies in its first week alone following an extensive pre-order campaign. This gave fans early access to tickets for virtual concerts, a bizarre idea that also happened to balloon the amount of money ABBA could rake in, not just from vinyl but from other revenue streams.

So do not be mistaken. The shift towards vinyl may be heralded in some quarters as the return of physical media, as analogue sound winning out, but sadly it’s not the case. The truth is, no matter how great vinyl records can be, their explosive growth over the last few years is more a response to the failures of the music industry to support artists than a litmus test for demand. Until artists can make money off streaming services, heavy marketing campaigns and pleas of support will ensure vinyl will continue to make a comeback. And in the age of NFTs, this unsustainable environment in the music industry could birth far more sinister consequences than selling a few more collectible plastic discs wrapped in vibrant artwork.

Image: Wikicommons, Evan-Amos

screen

The dramatisation of mental illness in horror Bridie Adams, Editor, discusses the often problematic representation of mental illness in horror films

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N Fear of Rain, Castille Landon tells an amazing, theatrical story about the psychological illness of an adolescent girl. The film is extremely heavy in its depiction of schizophrenia, and I was generally impressed by its subversion of mental illness stereotypes. This got me thinking about the ways in which mental illness can be more harmfully dramatised in other horror films, such as in the work of M. Night Shyalaman.

But first, what did Landon’s Fear of Rain do right? By embedding us in the mind of an adolescent girl diagnosed with schizophrenia, whose concerns are constantly dismissed as neurotic, Landon highlights how ridiculously ignorant society’s treatment of mental illnesses can be. In the end, the main, schizophrenic, character saves a kidnapped child. This solidifies her position as the heroine, a character archetype which we don’t usually see associated with severe mental illness. This was incredibly refreshing to see, especially as horror films have long represented those with mental disorders as mere villainous copies of Psycho’s Norman Bates — mad, menacing and controlling.

Mental illness isn’t, in most instances, as murderous as horror makes it out to be — there isn’t usually anything menacing about psychiatric disorders at all. Horror just tries to convince us

that there is so that we’ll return to the cinema with adrenaline pumping every time we hear of a new ‘psychopath’ movie. Of course, these disorders can be very distressing and scary for those who live with them (and Fear of Rain is brilliant at showing this side of the story) but usually they simply do not amount to crazed killing sprees. However, filmic impressions of antagonistic ‘craziness’ tend to preserve the excruciatingly outdated idea that mental illness always results in extreme and scary behaviour.

STEREOTYPICAL VIOLENT DEPICTIONS OF PATIENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS ARE OUTDATED AND HAVE TO GO Dr. Danny Wedding diagnoses some of these important matters in his book Movies And Mental Illness: “Films such as Psycho (1960) perpetuate the continuing confusion about the relationship between schizophrenia and dissociative identity disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder);

Friday the 13th (1980) and A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984) both perpetuate the misconception that people who leave psychiatric hospitals are violent and dangerous; […] These films […] account for the continuing stigma of mental illness.”

The negative media portrayals — mainly those that are aggressive — of individuals with severe mental disorders still cause stereotyping.

In Shyalaman’s psychological thriller Split, we follow our protagonist Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), a man with multiple personalities. McAvoy, famed for his work in the X-Men Series, has been given the seal of approval from critics for Split. However, according to CNN, “mental health advocates warn that the film stigmatises dissociative identity disorder and may directly impact those living with it” and a comment on a Guardian article on “why cinema fails dissociative identity disorder” reads, “other than a few close friends, I choose not to disclose my medical condition to anyone else primarily because of the awful stigma associated with the condition, thanks to films like Split.”

Although Split dramatises aspects of mental illness that create an incredibly unrealistic portrayal of such disorders, I would consider one of Shyalaman’s other movies, The Visit, to be the worst depiction of mental illness I have ever seen

on film. The conduct of the elderly couple in the film is put down to Sundowners syndrome: a real medical ailment which can have an effect on people with dementia. We later register that Nana and Pop Pop have escaped from a mental institution, and they come across as frightening and grotesque to scare audiences.

People with mental illnesses have historically faced extreme barriers, and continue to face barriers today. That’s not to say we shouldn’t talk about mental illness, and that the film industry should go completely quiet on the topic. But filmmakers need to tread cautiously when depicting mental illness, being careful to portray it accurately, sensitively and multi-dimensionally rather than sensationalising or mocking it. Ultimately, stereotypical violent depictions of patients with mental health problems are outdated and have to go.

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If these issues affect you, you can get in touch with: University helpline 0300 555 0225 Wellbeing wellbeing@exeter.ac.uk

Battle of the Spideys

Exeposé Screen Writers debate the best cinematic Spider-Man Contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home

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TOBEY MAGUIRE

OBEY Maguire’s Spider-Man is the original, undoubtedly best incarnation of the web-head. Maguire is able to quintessentially capture the inherent dorkiness of Peter Parker due to his ability to accurately show the innocence of the character. Whilst he does look ridiculously old for a teenager and sometimes his quips verge on cringe-worthy, Maguire remains so ingrained with the character of Spiderman that he unquestionably remains the most loveable. It’s also the little pieces of trivia, like Tobey Maguire having to do 156 takes to land the shot where he manages to catch Mary Jane’s lunch, that give me this almost indescribable attachment to this iteration. It shows that Maguire worked ridiculously hard on the role with little knowledge of the part, having read zero source material on the role. Talking about Spider-Man is almost impossible without referring to the direction of Sam Raimi, who has eternally linked himself with the superhero. No matter the director of any new Spider-Man, they will without question look back on Raimi’s work; you can see this in No Way Home with how Jon Watts pays homage to Raimi’s work in technical as well as narrative aspects. Raimi and Maguire have a symbiotic relationship with the character and I think the two together make the best Spider-Man with absolute certainty.

Archie Lockyer, Screen Editor

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ANDREW GARFIELD

ON’T get me wrong, I’m happy we are currently living in an Andrew Garfield renaissance. I think it was only a matter of time before he became Twitter’s next ‘white boy of the month’ (honestly I’m just relieved it’s no longer Noah Centineo — those were dark times). However, the feminine urge to gatekeep is strong. I have loved Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man since 2012. I have spent years, and I mean YEARS, defending him against TASM-haters.

Alright, I’ll admit it: those movies aren’t the best. But, I kind of grew up with them so they will always hold a sentimental place in my heart, and Garfield will always be my Spider-Man. I don’t want to trash talk any other Spideys (you’re all wonderful in your own way) but Garfield was the only one who managed to nail every aspect of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker: from his witty one-liners and awkward boyish charm to the more emotional and heavy moments. Considering he left under not so great circumstances, seeing Garfield don the Spidey suit once again in No Way Home — and getting a second chance at saving Gwen/MJ — was a healing experience for us TASM fans. I’ll never complain about fan service again.

Images (L-R): Spider-Man 2, Columbia Pictures, IMDb. The Amazing Spider-Man, Columbia Pictures, IMDb. Spider-Man: Homecoming, Columbia Pictures, Chuck Zlotnick, IMDb.

Francesca Sylph, Screen Editor

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TOM HOLLAND

O come into a role which has already been done, and done well, is no easy task, and to do so when you are also coming into the pre-existing world that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) made Holland’s task even harder. Tom Holland has taken this challenge on and made the part his own, establishing a fan favourite character in the larger scale movies along with proving himself to be versatile and emotive in his solo movies. I refer to versatility because of his willingness, and in some cases reported insistence, that he will perform his own stunts. I have found that through being able to use him in the majority of action scenes, the blend between Parker and Spider-Man is so believable in his portrayal. Along with enjoying the stories that his incarnation of the character has told, I am also admittedly an MCU fan, which means I find myself more inclined to look over some of the concessions made to the character in order to fit him into the cinematic universe. Ignoring all that for a second, perhaps the greatest indicator of Holland’s success in the character is the willingness of Maguire and Garfield to allow him to stand on their shoulders in No Way Home.

Their choice to participate speaks volumes to their character but also of their opinion on Holland’s Spider-Man. Clearly if he has the backing of his fellow Spideys, he must be doing something right.

Stanley Murphy-Jones

exhibit | screen

18 JAN 2022 | 23

EDITORS: Archie Lockyer and Francesca Sylph

Best of 2021

Screen writers discuss their favourite films from 2021 Titane

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ULIA Ducournau’s sophomore effort is a conflicting film in as much as it pits heart against mind, and perhaps against stomach too. Titane is extreme cinema with just so much heart, dead set on stirring the pot yet lacking the smug contrarianism to which so many of its peers seem attached.

This may prevent it from being the most universal experience released over the past year, but that doesn’t stop it from being the boldest and most emotionally raw.

It’s a film that deals in the visceral, ugly consequences of the ideas it’s interrogating, forcing relatively welltrodden metaphors such as the notion of found family, the blurring of bodily boundaries, and terror of aging into the blinding daylight of a fleshy, embodied world.

Though every performance (Agathe Rousselle is utterly vicious here), frame, and narrative beat betrays real confidence and talent, there’s also something risky and slightly on edge about it all. Since the acclaim her debut, Raw, drew, Ducournau has refused to rest on her laurels, demonstrating an entirely authentic commitment to her work.

Shiva Baby

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HIVA Baby is the most awkward film of 2021. Its premise is irresistible; young Jewish woman Danielle attends a shiva with all of her family and distant family friends when she happens to bump into her sugar daddy.

The script is hilarious and Rachel Sennott is incredibly likeable. You will struggle to find a more relatable depiction of being a young adult forced to be polite at a social gathering. Just as you think Danielle’s predicament can’t get any more unbearable, Seligman throws more and more at her; an ex-girlfriend, endless questions about her future and a very unhappy baby.

The frantic violins of the soundtrack sound like they’ve come straight from an Ari Aster horror film and, combined with the claustrophobic cinematography, the tension is unbearable while still being hilarious. If you’ve ever had to be polite while dying inside, this is the film for you.

George Ward, Online Music Editor

Adam Simcox, Online Screen Editor

Encanto

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ANY people who haven’t watched Encanto will have heard one song from the movie — a soundbite from ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ which is used in over 142k TikToks.

Encanto is set in Colombia, where the Madrigals have a magical home, ‘Casita,’ which was granted to Alma Madrigal after the loss of her husband. The miracle, along with granting the family the ‘Casita’, also means that each child of the Alma Madrigal family receives a magical gift. That is apart from our protagonist Mirabel, who is left feeling inadequate for not being able to serve her family, but finds her purpose when the miracle holding all their lives together is threatened — and she is the only one who can save it.

The film is painted in rich hues, inspired by the famously colourful Colombian landscape, while the songs are catchy, particularly ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ and ‘Surface Pressure.’ The musical score by Lin Manuel Miranda draws on a variety of styles, from salsa to hip-hop, and powerfully evokes the rich and complex community in the encanto.

Encanto depicts cross-generational and familial struggles with genuine compassion, and in typical Disney fashion, ends with the message that community is more important than any supernatural ability. The beautiful message, scenery and music make it one of my favourite Disney movies ever.

Images: IMDB, Disney’s Encanto

Megan Ballantyne, News Editor

Great Expectations: 2022

Exeposé Screen Editors discuss the films they think are the ones to watch in the new year Don’t Worry Darling

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N 2019, Olivia Wilde released her directorial debut Booksmart — a coming-of-age comedy about two best friends and straight-A students who realise on the eve of their high school graduation that they should have worked less and played more.

Attempting to cram four years’ worth of chaos into one night, Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) and Molly (Beanie Feldstein) get into all sorts of trouble over the course of their nightlong quest to reach a house party.

There’s an absolutely insane two-minute stopmotion sequence in which the girls turn into Barbie dolls after getting stoned on strawberries.

If that doesn’t make you incredibly excited to see what Wilde gets up to next, I don’t know what will.

Slated to be released in September 2022, Don’t Worry Darling is Wilde’s follow-up feature (hopefully she won’t be victim to the ‘sophomore slump’) which couldn’t be further from the buddy comedy Booksmart if it tried.

Don’t Worry Darling is a psychological thriller which follows Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles), a young couple who join an experimental utopian community in 1950s California.

Unhappy in her marriage, housewife Alice starts to worry that her husband is hiding a dark and disturbing secret.

That’s about all we know plot-wise, and the 11-second teaser Wilde dropped to her Instagram last September doesn’t reveal much else: just hot and heavy make-out sessions, Chris Pine screaming in a white tuxedo and Florence Pugh suffocating in cellophane.

A Vogue article released in December last year did send the internet into a frenzy though, with reference to a scene “featuring a hardworking Styles and a most gratified Pugh” which Wilde is hoping makes audiences “realize how rarely they see female hunger, and specifically this type of female pleasure.”

I don’t know about you but I for one am counting down the days until we can see Harry Styles driving vintage cars and the return of Florence Pugh’s signature frown.

Francesca Sylph, Screen Editor

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The Northman

ITH 2022 offering a range of films from favourite directors like Fincher and Raimi, I am absolutely hyped to be going to the cinema, yet what intrigues me the most is the Viking epic (The Northman) directed

by Robert Eggers of The Witch and The Lighthouse fame. Eggers’ tendency to bring in narrative elements that simultaneously bewilder and intrigue, fraught with moral and supernatural ambiguity as well as exploring gender and what this means.

Robert Eggers moving his visionary direction to a Beowulf-style epic definitely piques my interest.

A BEOWULF-STYLE EPIC DEFINITELY PIQUES MY INTEREST From the trailer, we get these beautiful displays of wide spanning shots, a welcome change of pace from the often static and haunting cinematography of Eggers’ other films; particularly in the combat sequences we

see the brutal coordination of camera movement with the axe slashes of the protagonist.

Additionally, the few static shots we see are glorious, gorgeously lit with natural light to fit with the ancient Nordic setting of the film.

In the fragments of narrative we see, we get a glimpse that this isn’t just a snapshot of someone’s life, like Eggers’ previous work, but is about a man’s journey fuelled by vengeance following his father’s death. It echoes Beowulf and Hamlet but I am certain Eggers will bring a post-modern take to the toxic obsession with revenge that the masculine protagonists of both texts manifest.

Alongside this, Eggers unites a cast of fantastic actors, reuniting with Anya Taylor-Joy as well as the astonishing Willem Dafoe who again seems to be playing another inexplicable role, yet if his performance is anything like Old Tommy in The Lighthouse I am certain that it will be worth the price of admission solely to see him.

Archie Lockyer, Screen Editor

TECH

Galaxy: “Instagram Live meets Depop” Bridie Adams, Editor, interviews Danny Quick, co-founder and CEO of Galaxy

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INCE the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers around the globe have been heavily dependent on e-commerce to buy everything from essential goods to holiday gifts.

Together with extensive stay-at-home commands and anxieties over COVID-19, the pandemic opened up the adoption of e-commerce by buyers and sellers seemingly overnight. But a unique and helpful variety of e-commerce provides retailers with a huge opportunity to generate profit: live streams. Companies using live streams to make sales report conversion rates of almost 30 per cent — up to ten times higher than in normal e-commerce (according to McKinsey). Additionally, live streaming gives an opportunity for a distinctive buying experience, and the personalisation helps to grow brand awareness and trust. Galaxy is a “live fashion thrifting” platform used by creators and businesspeople as a platform to sell vintage, homemade and upcycled clothing. Exeposé interviews Galaxy co-creator and CEO Danny Quick about how Galaxy’s sustainable marketplace is building a community, brought together by live streaming.

Exeposé: Tell us a bit about Galaxy.

Danny Quick: Galaxy is a place to hang out, shop and buy secondhand. The easiest way to think of the product is Instagram Live meets Depop. Creators can go live and anybody can join that live to chat, which is really nice.

It’s actually all built for the open web. We all have too many apps, and making live shows much more accessible through the open internet has been a powerful mechanism for inclusion, to make it easy for people to join in. É: Tell us about your funding and investments from companies in Silicone Valley.

DQ: The first investor into our company was actually Snapchat, which is really cool in terms of tech. We got $2.5 million in C round (a type pf venture funding). É: Are there any specific ways that Galaxy is tapping into the public’s growing appetite for buying sustainably?

DQ: We knew we wanted to spend whatever limited time and resources we had on something that could actually have an impact, a positive impact, on the climate and the world around us. We offset all shipping on Galaxy by supporting green projects. Shipping packages around the country and around the world absolutely creates emissions and we wanted to find a way to make sure that we were neutralising that impact on the environment. We’re still evolving how we do this and we’re always learning and tweaking, but today what we do is directly support projects that are working on sustainability,

and that’s really important to us. More broadly, shopping sustainably or vintage or secondhand is important. There’s this interesting discrepancy between what the narrative is and what the data says, and obviously a lot of our efforts really try to educate. We are trying to do very tangible things.

WE ALL HAVE TOO MANY APPS É: What tools are there that sellers can use to get a grip on audience behaviours and personal interactions?

DQ: For us, a big core of our business is helping people build community which means, in this case, repeat buyers. We think sellers should have access to information to better engage with their community and deepen those relationships. While a seller is live, they can see how many people are tuned in in real time, so as audience goes up and down they can kind of gauge how well the live is going. They see all the chats in real time. They see purchases in real time, when a purchase happens. And one of the coolest experiences that happens every single day is when somebody

the clothes. This experience is close to watching a sporting event or a football match on your television. That interactivity was the clearest way to build a community, and led us to live streaming. É: Why do you think so many people have started online side hustles, such as selling vintage clothing, since the beginning of the pandemic?

DQ: People building businesses and careers around their passion is a big trend thanks to the internet, and we’re focused on vintage fashion.

Because the internet has been around now for years, a new generation is realising that there are alternative paths they can take in their careers that are different. My parents were both social workers — very traditional. And for a lot of reasons, people in our generation have different aspirations and different goals. We’ve seen this proliferation of people really being able to build businesses online. eBay was the first actual moneymaking opportunity online in the mid to late ‘90s. Uber is a great company in some ways, and it’s great that drivers have an opportunity to have that as an income source if that’s what they want, but for the most part, nobody wakes up and says, “I’m so excited to drive Uber today,” or no child is dreaming when they’re growing up, “I can’t wait to be an Uber driver.” So although it’s a new opportunity to make money, it’s not necessarily something people aspire to. At Galaxy we’re trying to be much more aspirational, versus it only being a moneymaking endeavour. Fashion is the perfect example of that. If you look at some of the data on this, it’s really clear that consumer preferences are changing very quickly from buying fast fashion to buying vintage. Shopping secondhand is usually cost conscious — it’s affordable for the most part — and it has the opportunity to create a lot of jobs and a lot of new entrepreneurs. That shift in buying power, shift in demand, is really an opportunity for entrepreneurs to find what I would consider the intersection of a hobby and a passion. You can now build a real business and a real career with nothing more than your computer, some inventory and then putting your own unique spin on it driven by the individual. That’s one of the cool things about entrepreneurs doing this on Galaxy today: your personality can really shine through because it is video, it is live.

WE’RE FOCUSED ON VINTAGE FASHION buys something, everybody sees a little notification and usually the folks in the chat are happy and supportive, which is super cool.

Also, while folks are live, they can feature products and they can offer discounts to items. É: How did you develop the live stream component of Galaxy and how does it work?

DQ: The interesting and different thing about live streaming, and the special thing about it, is real time interaction between the people actually tuned in. It’s close to live sports, because it’s happening now and nobody knows the outcome.

You might ask a question in the chat and the person hosting the live will respond or show you

É: Can online shopping match up to being able to physically touch and examine products in brick-and-mortar stores?

DQ: On some level, the honest answer is I don’t think digital can ever fully replace IRL. Especially within clothing and fashion, there will always be something tactile about it; you may want to touch material. One thing, though, is that the digital experience is getting closer to reality. In addition to that, we obviously live in really crazy times with the pandemic and a lot of concern around gathering with people. Things are changing and a lot of businesses have had to adapt and, in many ways, move their business online. You can open up your business to the entire world.

Thanks to places like Galaxy, a lot of the advantages that online unlocks, like video interaction,

are hopefully balancing out lack of foot traffic that places are experiencing. There will always be a reason to go to a physical retail location, but until the pandemic dies down and probably even well beyond that, we’re really focused on trying to help support a lot of these businesses and bring them online to a larger customer base.

THESE SELLERS GET REAL FEEDBACK É: How does live streaming help brands, creators and entrepreneurs to meet their consumers’ needs, whether that’s through personalisation or the interactive element?

DQ: On a very tactical, maybe technical, level, a lot of the more legacy resale platforms have created a barrier between the people selling and the people buying in a bunch of different ways. I have sold on resale platforms, I have bought on all of them over the years and I talk to people buying and selling on them all day, and one of the main things that I often hear, and an experience I had myself, is there’s usually what I would call a disconnect between your effort and your results.

So basically the way things work on Depop, for example, is you upload clothes, you tag them with a bunch of key words and then basically you sit back and you hope somebody searches for those things. It’s actually a very passive experience: upload and hope somebody searches for it. And that’s fine — but it’s very limiting. In that sense, Galaxy is the complete opposite, where people can see the direct results of their effort in a very tangible way, meaning a creator might go live on Galaxy, talk about a piece they really love and somebody will buy it right there.

There’s direct connection and feedback. So in that sense alone, it brings people much closer to their consumer in a sense that their efforts can match the results in a very tangible way, in a very short feedback loop. Sellers and creators understand the needs and wants and shopping goals of their community, so, like I mentioned earlier, a huge part, if not the primary part, of Galaxy live stream, is the chat. These sellers get real feedback in real time. If you join a Galaxy live stream, inevitably at some point, usually early on in every single live stream, the seller is saying to the audience, “What do you guys want to see today?” É: What do you think online shopping will look like in the future thanks to this technology?

DQ: There are interesting sets of technologies that are emerging right now, that will continue to grow. One of the interesting things is that nobody knows how it will play out and we’ve seen this happen in technology a bunch of times before. If you went back to 1980 or 1990 it was very clear to everybody that the internet was going to be an important force in society. It went from the initial version which was just in colleges in the U.S., to AOL, to being driven by Facebook and Google. There’s these interesting sets of technologies (around 3D avatars, AR, VR, NFTs, live shopping); the question is what form they will take.

Website: www.galaxy.live Instagram: @buyongalaxy Images: Danny Quick and Wikimedia Commons

exhibit | TECH

18 JAN 2021 | 25

EDITORS: Bridie Adams and Oliver Leader de Saxe

Meta versus work Lucy Aylmer, Deputy Editor, discusses the potential impacts of the metaverse on the world of work

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HE Financial Times has chosen 'metaverse' as its word of the year.

As such, it comes as no surprise that companies are increasingly using virtual reality (VR) to train and recruit staff. By accurately emulating real-life working experiences through VR, the metaverse can assist companies in recruiting staff and crucially, determining which candidates are the best fit. The job market is intensely competitive.

Each year many undergraduates undergo job application processes which are lengthy, tiresome and in some cases quite limiting. It is difficult for employees to truly gauge someone’s personality and ability through written applications and algorithm-inspired psychometric tests. The metaverse can fill this gap.

VR simulations could become standard recruitment practice. German railway company Deutsche Bahn use VR headsets to attract potential employees by simulating a real-life working atmosphere. Other companies like Israeli technology company Actiview have a recruitment programme that uses VR to assess candidates. The VR simulation provides a controlled sensory experience to establish how candidates behave in given situations. Candidates’ responses are studied to assess how they react to tasks and help to inform recruiters of their potential.

The metaverse can be used in wider working environments too. Already, Meta — previously Facebook — has pledged to become a “metaverse company” within the next five years. Mark Zuckerberg has boldly proclaimed that the metaverse is a natural evolution from the mobile internet. Undoubtedly, there is a movement towards three-dimensional remote working. Indeed, Meta launched a virtual-reality meeting service, Horizon Workrooms, where employees congregate remote-

ly and wear headsets as if they were physically attending an online virtual meeting.

Office spaces are becoming increasingly redundant because of COVID-19 work from home orders. COVID-19 has encouraged working professionals to become more digitally literate. From remote desktop to countless Zoom meetings, work has become increasingly digitalised, and employees have had to raise their digital game.

Companies are becoming more responsive to flexible working and there is a growing movement away from office culture. In June 2021, consultancy firm Deloitte announced that all 20,000 employees will be given the choice of when and where they work. The metaverse champions such agility. One can quite literally have a duvet day, every day.

Although, this approach to remote work is relatively tame in comparison to other companies that have already signed up to Zuckerberg’s metaverse. Apple, Microsoft and Nvidia amongst others are working on advanced VR gear to assimilate into the metaverse.

These ambitions are not so incredulous when you consider that much of our life is spent in digital spaces. From online shopping to social networking – the transition to the metaverse is already taking place.

News headlines may enjoy arousing our attention with sci-fi induced fantasies, but the reality is that the foundations for the metaverse are already here and in motion.

Yet are we moving too fast? Policing big technology firms has been challenging to say the least. The regulatory complications and ever-growing concerns regarding user privacy and data collection have called ethics into question. The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal heightened this abuse of power and broke public trust in Face-

book. Recently, amid Facebook’s rebranding, ex-employee Frances Haugen accused the company of putting “profits over safety”.

Meta may well argue that they have listened to critics and strengthened their ethics. Zuckerberg claims that no single company will own the metaverse. Instead, multiple organisations, developers and grassroots creators will build the metaverse.

This could help refute their monopolistic image that has come under scrutiny. However, much more needs to be achieved to overcome such entrenched issues. A successful launch of the metaverse into everyday working life will require improved data controls and market regulation to secure public favour if the metaverse is to become a reality.

Image: Flickr, Tumisa –

Must-have tech for 2022

Image: Quote Inspector

Tech writers share their best gadget picks for the coming year

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CarLock

HOSE who know me well have all at one stage asked themselves, “How is she still alive?”

Aside from giving unfortunate weight to the ditsy blonde stereotype, I am certainly more forgetful than the average person and am in fact becoming a bit of a hazard. If you, like me, have repeatedly left your car keys in the ignition of your unlocked car for over a week, then this is the device for you. CarLock is a GPS device that constantly monitors your car for any disturbances such as the engine starting, doors opening or even just unusual vibrations; if someone steals it, GPS allows you to track its location. It also tracks the maintenance of your car, keeping an eye on the battery to make sure everything is functioning as it should. It’s probably a safe assumption that 90 per cent of the sales are to paranoid mums of teenage drivers, as it also alerts the app owner of braking speed, harsh acceleration and provides a monthly safety score.

So if you're looking for a bit of security to protect your only asset from the dangers of yourself, head to Amazon to buy your £30 basic CarLock, with the first month free.

Cassia Grace, Deputy Editor

Image: Carlock, Amazon

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Furbo Dog Camera

HE Furbo Dog Camera is a new piece of technology which allows you to watch your dog when you’re away on holiday or at work. While it really serves as a combined security camera and dog camera in one, its main customer base is likely to be those who worry about their dog and miss interacting with it while they’re away.

For these customers, the button on your phone which you can press allows you to toss treats to your dog, and the HD camera will make you and your dog feel a little bit closer to one another. The Furbo Dog Camera also allows you to see if your dog is distressed, with barking alerts which notify your phone. You are able to talk to and listen to your dog, so that hearing its owner’s voice might calm it down.

It also lets you know when your dog is active, so you know when to talk to and interact with it. The camera also sends an alert if there is an intruder in the house.

The camera’s use of surveillance technology specifically for pet owners means it fills a lot of roles in one, making it a surprisingly versatile and fun new tech release.

Megan Ballantyne, News Editor

study break | 18 JAN 2021

exhibit | 25

STUDY BREAK CROSSWORD

SUDOKU

Across 1 4 6 8 9 10

Down

20 21 22 24 25

In front (5) Group (3) Opening (3) Shade of red (7) Poisonous snake (5) A-ha LP (anagram) - a constellation’s first star (5) Meat dish - our deal (anagram) (7) War ditch(6) Material (6) Negative electrode - the coda (anagram) (7) Satan (5) Rough - severe (5) Dawn (7) Peculiar (3) Moral offence (3)

26

Two under par (golf ) (5)

11 13 15 18

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 12 14 16 17 19 20 21 23

Donkey (3) Instance (7) Mouth of a river (5) Tropical humour (6) Japanese batter dish - a rum pet (anagram) (7) Am a GM (anagram) - ancient Greek letter (5) Small vegetable (3) Top room of a house (5) Stand out (5) Garments (7) Increasing the speed (of an engine, say) (7) Period of instruction (6) Weary (5) Thick (5) Expression of boisterousness - oho! (anagram) (3) Female sheep (3)

ANSWERS

Trivia corner

1. How long is an olympic swimming pool?

2. What states made up the original axis powers in WW2?

3. What is the name for a fear of birds?

4. What monarch officially made Valentine’s Day a holiday in 1937?

5. Who was the first female pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic?

6. What is the largest ocean on earth?

Down: 1 Ass, 2 Example, 3 Delta, 4 Satire, 5 Tempura, 6 Gamma, 7 Pea, 10 Attic, 12 Excel, 14 Clothes, 16 Revving, 17 Lesson, 19 Tired, 20 Dense, 21 Hoo, 23 Ewe. Across: 1 Ahead, 4 Set, 6 Gap, 8 Scarlet, 9 Mamba, 10 Alpha, 11 Roulade, 13 Trench, 15 Fabric, 18 Cathode, 20 Devil, 21 Harsh, 22 Sunrise, 24 Odd, 25 Sin, 26 Eagle.

Trivia: 1. 50m 2. Germany, Italy and Japan 3. Ornithophobia 4. Henry VIII 5. Amelia Earhart 6.

Pacific Ocean

LIFESTYLE

MUSIC

TECH

STUDY BREAK

ARTS + LIT

SCREEN

Science

18 JAN 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

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SCIENCE EDITORS:

Ellen Rogers and Nancy Stitt

Not so sweet

Ellen Rogers, Science Editor, discusses new evidence linking excessive sugar consumption to psychiatric disorders

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GROUP at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science has used mouse models to suggest that consuming high levels of sucrose during adolescence can increase an individual’s risk of later developing various psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

The World Health Organization acknowledged the potential consequences As early as 1995, the World Health Organisation acknowledged the potential consequences of high sugar consumption on our physical

health, including diabetes and hypertension, but there has never been much study into the effect of high sugar intake on our mental health.

This is especially relevant in a world where dietary-sucrose consumption continues to rise (and is highest in adolescents), and where everyday stresses are amplified by the pandemic.

Psychiatric disorders most commonly present before the age of 30 as a result of various genetic and environmental risk factors.

Studies with age-matched participants have revealed that, on average, individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder consume twice as much sugar as healthy individuals, and that symptom severity increases with increasing dietary sugar consumption.

Symptom severity increases with increasing dietary sugar consumption This correlation is also true for more general psychiatric symptoms, including mental distress and behavioural disorders.

Despite this, it remained unproven that sugar consumption was directly contributing to the disease development in these patients.

Researchers at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, led by Dr Haruo Okado, created mice with psychosis-related phenotypes to study the role of

sugar consumption and metabolism in psychiatric disorder development.

By introducing mutations in the genes glycoxylase-1 (GLO1) and disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) and exposing the mice to environmental risk factors such as sugar intake, they effectively produced a new mouse model that was capable of replicating various psychiatric disorder-like symptoms.

This also confirms that excessive sugar consumption during adolescence is a risk factor for the development of psychoses in adulthood.

Seeking to elicit the mechanisms through which these disorders develop, the researchers found that behavioural phenotypes associated with high dietary sugar consumption

— such as hyperactivity, sensory gating and dysfunctions in parvalbumin interneurons and working memory — can affect glyoxylase-1 function, and negatively impact the detoxification of sucrose metabolites in the body.

They also found that highsucrose diets induced angiopathy (the breaking of small blood vessels) in the brain, reducing its uptake of glucose, but this is preventable with aspirin administration.

These findings, for now, implicate high-sugar diets in the pathogenesis of various psychiatric disorders, but further studies must consider the interactions of other environmental stresses and genetic susceptibilities that may converge to result in angiopathy and disease development.

Clocking new memories

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Bridie Adams, Editor, talks about the cells responsible for timestamping memories

EHAVIOURAL research has determined that episodic memory traces are organised temporally by the brain.

Recently, research has led scientists to believe that ‘time cells’ — in the hippocampus — could be the ad-

hesive that sticks our memory together so that we can remember the right order in which things took place.

Researchers hypothesise that activity in this brain area could help with affixing timestamps to memories to allow time-related or-

ganisation of separate episodes.

The cells may contribute to memory by encoding the time and temporal arrangement of events.

More exploration will work towards understanding how time information joins forces with

contextual details to provide construction of time to our memories.

Memory traces are organised temporally by the brain

At their core, memories are stored in the brain as chemical signals.

The discovery of ‘time cells’ is a fantastic progression in the science of memory and will likely lead to many other interesting findings and technologies.

Fossilised dinosaur embryo found ‘tucked’ away in China

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Ellen Rogers, Science Editor, discusses what we can learn from ‘Baby Yingliang’

N a rare event, scientists in China have unearthed a perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo in an egg, estimated to be at least 66 million years old.

The egg, 16.7cm long and 7.6cm wide, was found in the Late Cretaceous rocks in the Jiangxi province of southern China and belongs to an oviraptorosaur — a toothless therapod.

This is one of the most complete dinsoaur embryos Oviraptorosaurs were feathered therapod dinosaurs closely related to birds and have characteristically deep and toothless skulls.

Due to variety in body size and beak shape amongst the oviraptorosaurs, these dinosaurs could have adopted herbivorous, car-

nivorous, or omnivorous diets.

Named ‘Baby Yingliang’, this is one of the most complete dinosaur embryos ever found. Explained by palaeontologist Dr Waisum Ma, from the University of Birmingham, “dinosaur embryos are some of the rarest fossils and most of them are incomplete with skeletons disarticulated.”

However, the embryo is also of interest to scientists due to the ‘tucking’ posture it has been found in. ‘Baby Yingliang’ was found to have its head below its body, with its feet on either side of the head and its back curled against the blunt face of the egg.

Comparisons made between this new embryo and other unearthed oviraptorosaur remains suggest that these ‘tucked’, avian-like postures are not adopted until late in their incubation.

This ‘tucking’ posture has not previously been observed in dinosaurs

but is common in modern-day birds and are associated with coordinated embryonic movements that are critical for successful hatching.

Scientists are thus interested in how prehatching behaviour such as tucking evolved in dinosaurs such as the oviraptorosaurs, rather than in modernday birds. Furthermore, they hope to answer questions about dinosaur growth, reproduction, prehatching behaviour and how birds may have inherited other traits from their ancient ancestors.

Image: Wang Dongming, China News Service via Getty

EXEPOSÉ | 18 JAN 2022

SCIENCE

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Human cells inserted into monkey embryos

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Nancy Stitt, Science Editor, discusses the growth of human cells inside monkey embryos

ESEARCHERS at the Salk Institute in San Diego have conducted a ground-breaking experiment inserting human stem cells into the embryos of macaque monkeys. While this may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, this research has very exciting future applications, while also having some ethical considerations.

The type of organism created in this experiment is known as a Chimera. In Greek mythology, a Chimera was a ‘magnificent monster’ which was a combination of many different animals: it had a lion’s head and feet, a goat’s head growing from its back, and the tail of a liz-

Are universal vaccines on the horizon?

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ASEIMMUNE, a biotech start-up, has developed an algorithm-based system that can produce antigens using informatics. Informatics process data for storage and retrieval. This data can be used to make sense of the ever increasing genomic and epidemiological data that is used for the design of universal vaccines.

Baseimmune are using deep learning to tackle current and future pathogens so that vaccines remain effective when the pathogen mutates. Co-founder Phillip Kemlo has stated that “the major problems with current vaccines is that they […] can’t protect against future variants or new mutations.” Baseimmune aims to predict likely future variants as well as responding to specific pathogens already in existence using an algorithm that draws on immunological, clinical and evolutionary data.

According to the World Health Organisation, 1.5 million deaths could be avoided by using more effective vaccines.

Indeed, Baseimmune’s vaccine deployment has already proved effective. In January 2020, Baseimmune used a small amount of data about SARS-CoV-2 in the algorithm.

This experiment helped predict the Alpha and Delta variants that emerged a year later.

Algorithms are an effective method in future-proofing vaccines against further mutations. Already, Omicron has developed into a new variant which has 46 mutations. A new mutation of Omicron named IHU has, at the time of writing, so far infected 12 people living in South-Eastern France. Current booster vaccine regimens are only effective against Omicron. This is a huge limitation given Omicron will mutate.

Therefore, Baseimmine is offering an intelligent solution to current vaccine deficiencies. By using algorithms, future vaccines can be prepared ahead of possible mutations and ensure that vaccines are efficiently distributed. Relying on vaccines to control the virus will not eliminate it entirely.

Yet according to McKinsey, learning to live with the virus is becoming increasingly viable as “diseases become an ongoing part of the infectious-disease landscape.” Therefore, harnessing the use of vaccines will become vital in defining the new normal.

Lucy Aylmer, Deputy Editor

ard. This mythical creature reflects today’s scientific definition of a Chimera, which an article in Stem Cells Dev defines as “organisms comprised of cells from two or more individuals of the same or different species.”

In the experiment, which was published in Cell in April 2021, the team at Salk created 132 macaque monkey embryos in the lab, outside of the monkeys’ body. After six days of embryo development, each of these embryos was injected with 25 human stem cells, which are cells that can develop into any cell type. They observed the human and monkey cells divide and grow together in a petri dish. After ten days, 103 embryos

were still developing, and by day 19 at least three of the embryos were still alive. The embryos that survived were found to contain an average of 3-4 per cent human cells, with one embryo containing 7 per cent human cells. Monkey embryos, even those that are not chimeric, can only survive up to 20 days outside of the womb before collapsing. This experiment had a much higher success rate than previous similar experiments.

For example, researchers at the Salk Institute also conducted an experiment in 2017 where they inserted human stem cells into pig embryos. This had a much lower success rate of the embryo survival due to how geneti-

cally different humans and pigs are compared with humans and monkeys.

The creation of chimeras has potential for lots of exciting applications. These include providing better models in which to test drugs before human trials, studying the earliest stages of human embryo development and, most excitingly, it has the potential for growing human organs that can be used in organ transplants. There is a massive shortage of organ donors: the NHS website states that there are currently 5963 people in the UK waiting for a potentially lifesaving organ donation, so the ability to grow human organs in other animals could provide a

promising solution to this problem.

However, there are lots of ethical issues surrounding this research.

Dr Anna Smajdor, a biomedical ethics researcher at the University of East Anglia, said that these experiments had “significant ethical and legal challenges” adding that “whether these embryos are human or not is open to question.”

Additionally, the animal welfare surrounding the treatment of the macaque monkeys also poses some problems.

Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua, who led the study, stated that their work had met all of the current ethical and legal guidelines.

The launch of the James Webb Telescope

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Catherine Stone discusses the launch of the most advanced telescope ever built

HE most ambitious space exploration vehicle ever made, the James Webb Telescope, launched from a complex near Kourou, French Guiana on Christmas Day, 2021. This location was chosen as a launch site due to its proximity to the equator, because the Coriolis effect (the spin of the earth) can give the launch additional power. The $10 billion project, named after the 1960’s NASA administrator James Webb, continues the scientific legacy of the Hubble space telescope and will build on its discoveries as Hubble comes to the end of its operational life.

The launch is the culimination of 300 organisations from 15 countries over 30 years Extraordinarily, the telescope is so big, it must fold up to fit inside the Ariane 5 launch rocket. The telescope will deploy gradually on its 29 day and one million mile journey to second Lagrange point (L2). Referred to as 29 days ‘on the edge,’ it is the most complex deployment sequence ever attempted in space.

On 8 January, primary mirror deployment was completed and the three month process of aligning all the telescope optics began. The telescope will start to deliver its first images this summer. The unfolded mirror is 18 hexagonal segments plated with 48 grams of pure gold.

The Webb team estimate that the telescope will have a lifetime of over ten years as less fuel propellent was needed for course adjustments than allowed for. The rocket will need to use fuel to do ‘station keeping’ manoeuvres and momentum management.

The mission of the telescope is to detect the light from the first galaxies and explore our solar system and exoplanets. Using the technique transmission spectroscopy, the observatory can examine the chemical compositions of planetary atmos-

pheres by analysing starlight. It will be able to collect valuable information about the formation of the earliest stars and galaxies, over 13.5 billion years ago – a couple of million years after the Big Bang. It has four state-of-the-art instruments with infrared sensors of extreme resolution to detect infrared light from the first celestial objects that have been ‘redshifted’ by the universe’s continual expansion. It must be cooled down to an operating temperature of -230 degrees Celsius using huge sunshields in order to minimise its own heat energy that will swamp the infrared signals.

Scientists have stressed that the most exciting part of the launch is that they don’t know exactly what the Webb telescope will discover.

The Hubble telescope was launched in 1990 and detects visible and ultraviolet light (0.1 to 2.5 microns), whereas the Webb telescope only sees red and infrared light (0.6 to 28.5 microns). Therefore, it isn’t completely replacing Hubble, but exploring new capabilities. Webb’s 4.1m longer mirrors means it can see objects almost nine times fainter than Hubble can.

The mission of the telescope is to detect light from the earliest galaxies The excitement generated this winter by the launch is the culmination of the work of thousands of engineers and scientists from 300 universities, organisations, and companies from 15 countries over 30 years, all for a dream of the future understanding of the universe. And perhaps work will begin on Webb’s replacement, further pushing the edges of technological achievement, human collaboration, and astronomical understanding.

Image: Flickr

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18 JAN 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

SPORT

New year: same old Premier League?

Henry Hood, Online Sports Editor, previews the remainder of the Premier League season

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OVID-19 cancellations, Manchester City steamrolling the league, Chelsea having issues with their striker: haven’t we heard this before? In a season that is feeling all too familiar, here are some of the things to look forward to in the Premier League in 2022. Unless you are a Manchester City fan, it’s bad news: Pep Guardiola is on his way to his sixth Premier League title. Their squad depth has proved vital amidst injuries and COVID-19 isolations this season and Pep having the luxury of bringing Jack Grealish, the most expensive British player ever, off the bench speaks volumes of the squad quality. Keep an eye out for youngster Cole Palmer, who is bound to make a Foden-esque break into the first team any week now to bag his first Premier League goal. He’s already scored in the Champions League and the FA Cup this season, so in the youngster’s own colloquial words — "Prem soon come."

Below City in second sits Chelsea, who have recently had issues with their £97.5 million record signing Romelu Lukaku. In a bizarre turn of events, Lukaku came out in an interview saying he "wasn’t happy with his situation" at Chelsea and expressed his desire to move back to Inter while he was still in his prime. Much of this frustration likely stems from Lukaku’s desire to play in a 3-5-2 formation with Werner up top, very similar to the system he scored 24 goals in at Inter Milan with Lautaro Martinez last season. Due to injuries for the likes of Werner, Kovacic, Kante, Pulisic, Mount and Havertz this season, Thomas Tuchel has adapted exceptionally well by using a 3-4-3 formation and utilising Lukaku as more of a target man to pin defenders and hold up play. This evidently was not what Lukaku wanted though, and his interview was a surprisingly bold move, especially considering Inter’s CEO Giuseppe Marotta's recent statement that there "isn’t much difference" on the pitch between Lukaku and their new striker Edin Dzeko, who they signed for free.

Lukaku has since apologised in a sterile statement to the fans, but only

six days after the interview came out and after Tuchel dropped him from the squad. Given the precariousness of Chelsea’s season that has been blighted by injuries, the Belgian striker is likely to continue playing for now. But don’t be surprised if he’s offloaded for a fraction of his original fee in the summer. This is a continuation of Chelsea’s unshakeable curse when it comes to strikers, and Lukaku seems set to join Werner, Morata, Higuain, Torres and Shevchenko in the list of Chelsea’s striker flops. Another of Chelsea’s expensive mistakes will be playing soon too: the world’s most expensive goalkeeper Kepa is set to play whilst Mendy is away on international duty. Kepa was notorious, statistically one of the worst goalkeepers in Europe last time he played consistently for Chelsea, so it will be interesting, if not stressful, to watch how this affects Chelsea’s season as they sit in second. This may be his time to shine and finally justify

his £71 million price tag and may also help Chelsea secure a reasonable transfer fee if he leaves in the summer. Also hoping to justify an expensive price tag, Coutinho and Gerrard are linking up again, but this time at Aston Villa. Since the departure of Jack Grealish, Villa have done well to reinvest that money back into their attack, with Ings, Bailley and Buendia all playing well when not hampered by injury. Coutinho is another smart piece of business, and he’s been signed on loan with an option to buy for only £33 million. Better yet, Barcelona are covering 35 per cent of the Brazilian's wages while he plays abroad so the transfer seems a low-risk, highreward move for Aston Villa. Time will tell whether his move back to the Premier League is successful, as Coutinho’s form in recent years has been sporadic.

In the last five seasons since he left Liverpool, Coutinho has only managed 59 goal involvements, much lower than the

Credit: Paul Hudson

96 he managed with Liverpool in the six seasons he spent there. A silver lining is that Gerrard likes to set up his teams in a midfield diamond, and Coutinho has previously excelled in such a formation when playing for Liverpool.

Buendia also enjoys cutting in from the right, and Coutinho from the left, so the pair could become a nightmare to play against if they find their form. But, since Coutinho has lost much of his athleticism since his meniscus injury in December 2020 that required surgery, we may not see his brilliance straight away.

Another Brazilian who has shined though is Newcastle’s record signing Joelinton, who has been transformed from a lone striker to a marauding midfielder under new manager Eddie Howe. Joelinton previously enjoyed playing in an attacking midfield position as a replacement for Firmino at Hoffenheim, so why he was asked to operate alone upfront at Newcastle is a confusing conun-

drum. Steve Bruce was famously quoted as saying he "didn’t believe in tactics" which may help shine some light on why the 'Magpies’ £40 million signing wasn’t able to operate at his best under Bruce.

Teammate Sean Longstaff testified that Joelinton had long been the "best player in training" at Newcastle after the 25-year-old won man of the match in a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in late December and the Brazilian could remain a mainstay in the lineup as Newcastle attempt to avoid relegation.

Newcastle have already signed Ki-

This is a continuation of Chelsea's unshakeable curse when it comes to strikers eran Trippier from Athletico Madrid for only £12 million, which will be a smart piece of business if they can sign some more defenders by the end of the month. Ask any Newcastle fan and they’re likely to give a lively speech about their defensive woes this season, so any reinforcements would be welcome. Burnley’s James Tarkowski has been linked with a move up north for a long time, and it could also sabotage fellow relegation candidates Burnley in their battle for survival. While it’s difficult to predict whether certain players will perform, or sign for another team, one thing that remains unpredictable is the COVID-19 situation in the Premier League. The fixture list has been a mess this season because of match postponements due to Covid breakouts. Double game weeks have never been more common, which is great news for a Fantasy Football player but dreadful news for overtired footballers. Footballers are closely monitored to avoid them over-working and approaching what is known as ‘the red zone’ in the sports science world. Managers often don’t get the choice once a player has trained or played too much and entered said ‘red zone’ of fatigue, which is why we are likely to see a lot of chopping and changing in line-ups over the coming months. Only 84 per cent of footballers in the Premier League are vaccinated, much lower than the Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 which all have player vaccination rates of around 95 per cent. Until more players get vaccinated, the league will continue to be a chaotic mess of rescheduled games, a far cry from the Premier League we all know and love.

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18 JAN 2022 | EXEPOSÉ

Formula 1 — a season to remember

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George Edwards recaps an eventful second half of Max Verstappen's title-winning season

HE 2021 F1 World Championship was perhaps the most exciting season of the hybrid era (the collective name for the F1 seasons following the introduction of the hybrid engines in 2014). The 2016 season saw a titanic battle between Mercedes teammates Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. The 2007 season also comes to mind. That was Hamilton’s first year in F1 where he proved himself a formidable prodigy, placing himself second overall, ahead of his McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso, who had just won back-to-back championships, but just behind Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Yet the title fight we tuned into this year was even more dramatic. Halfway through the season, we recapped the first 14 races in Exeposé Issue 721 and looked ahead to the final eight.

The first half of the season gave us some of the most memorable drives and crashes of the year. At Monza, we saw Max Verstappen’s Red Bull mount Hamilton’s Mercedes in a collision on lap twenty-six.

In Britain, the two drivers touched at Copse corner, causing Verstappen to go spinning into the wall at

51Gs. The final eight races of the season involved two entirely new tracks and the upgraded Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Qatar saw the F1 cars racing around a well-known MotoGP track, with Hamilton coming out on top and Verstappen landing second place. Tyre issues for some drivers led to a Virtual Safety Car on lap 55, giving Verstappen a free pitstop. Yet Hamilton still swept across the line for the win.

By the penultimate race in Saudi Arabia, Verstappen still led the championship. Qualifying saw a blinding lap from Verstappen end badly after a bump with the wall, drawing an end to qualifying and leaving Hamilton on pole. The race itself proved exciting, with turn one causing issues for many drivers. Halfway through the race, Verstappen was

told to give a position back to Hamilton having seemed to have gained an advantage going off at turn one earlier that lap. Due to miscommunication, Hamilton was unaware of the position change and, as Verstappen slowed down suddenly to let him past, Hamilton went into the back of him. This led to a ten-second penalty for Verstappen, fuelling more rage across social media between fans of the two drivers. The race ended with Hamilton taking the chequered flag and Verstappen ending in second.

So it all came down to Abu Dhabi, with the drivers level on points.

On the first lap, Verstappen dived down the inside of turn six, causing Hamilton to take avoiding action by cutting off the corner, giving him the lead. With the leaders pitting on lap 13, Sergio Perez, Verstappen’s Red

Image: Flickr

Bull teammate used his position to hold Hamilton behind, resulting in an exciting battle. With Perez pitting on lap 22, Hamilton regained the lead and pushed on until a safety car came out on lap 53 after Latifi crashed. With five laps remaining, Red Bull pitted Verstappen for a new set of tyres, while Hamilton was left out by Mercedes. The FIA made a series of decisions, each overturning the previous one and, eventually, only the five lapped cars between Hamilton and Verstappen were allowed to unlap themselves seconds before the safety car came in.

It was all down to one lap. Verstappen made his move past Hamilton at turn five, with Hamilton attempting to re-overtake into turn nine, but nothing more could be done. It was over. Max Verstappen won his first World Championship to the cheers of the crowd but amid angry protests from Mercedes’ Team Leader Toto Wolff.

After the race, Mercedes filed an appeal to the FIA to have the result changed, their view being Hamilton would have won without a safety car and that the FIA’s decisions under

the safety car were unjust and lost him the title. Perhaps there is some truth to this, but F1 is a racing championship, and it makes sense for the title to be decided by racing, not by trundling over the line behind a safety car. Although I personally would have loved to see Hamilton take a record-breaking eighth Championship, I am sure his chance will come again, and I believe Verstappen has proven himself an incredible driver who undeniably deserved the title.

It wouldn’t be fair to just focus on the title contenders, however, as several other young drivers showed promise this year. Lando Norris proved his worth at McLaren, gaining four more podiums under his belt, though a risky gamble in the rain at Russia lost him a first race win. Perez showed Red Bull just how quick he could be, finishing in the top five in 13 out of the 22 races. Mick Schumacher began his climb to fame in F1 this year, finishing higher than his teammate in most races. Crucially, George Russell at Williams showed off his pace and skill, gaining himself a seat at Mercedes for 2022 as Valtteri Bottas moves on to Alfa Romeo.

Disappointment down under: Ashes review

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Senthur Shanmugarasa analyses what has gone wrong so far for the English Cricket Team

S someone who was raised not to support the English Cricket Team, waking up to see the fruits of another day's play this winter was something of a joy to drag me through the panic of deadline season. Former Australian bowler Glenn McGrath said there were only three faults with the English cricket team: batting, bowling and fielding. Never was that more the case than in the recent tour down under. As I write this, England have just managed to scrape a valiant (I use this word lightly) draw in Sydney. On recent tours of Australia, England have been simply outplayed by greats of the game, whether it was McGrath and Warne in 2006-7, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris in 2013-14 or Steve Smith in 2017-18. But this year there were no real standout Australian performers which shows how dismal England were this time round.

After off-field scandals such as the Azeem Rafiq racism case and the Tim Paine sexting saga engulfing the build-up, both teams might have been glad to get on the field on December 8th. This was not the case if you were England, who were comprehensively beaten in the first three Tests and

were lucky to escape with a draw in the fourth. Their turmoil down under can be encapsulated by the first ball of the whole series where Rory Burns was out for a golden duck.

To put it simply, England have been awful this series, being outclassed in every aspect of the game. Barring a miraculous turn around in the Fifth Test in Hobart, it will be 15 years since England won a game down under when they are on next tour.

Citing a rotation policy, England were unable to have their best XI on the field at one time. In the First Test this meant the exclusion of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, two of England’s greatest bowlers of all time with spinner Jack Leach playing instead (who subsequently went for more than seven an over).

From a batting point of view, England could not string a coherent opening partnership together with Haseeb Hameed making six consecutive single digit scores. The rest of the batting card did not make great reading with a number of unsurprising collapses from strong positions.

Where do England go from here is the question on every fan’s lips. This has been nothing short of being the

tour from hell, but it is not surprising. As often is the case, England's excellent home record with favourable pitches for their bowlers has been papering over the cracks for a while.

But now these cracks are far too large to show with even their home form faltering with a series loss to New Zealand, India and Australia over the last few years. With the exception of Joe Root, 2021 has been a poor year for English Test Cricket, with record losses and record number of ducks being two stats that highlight the gulf between England and the rest.

Yet we are still getting the standard excuses which have been around for a while — whether it’s too much focus on white ball, or the impact of T20 cricket. The problems with English Test Cricket are too deep “Root-ed” for any short-term fix.

The whole culture and attitude towards Test cricket needs to change and it has to be from the bottom up. Cricket in England is still dominated by the private school elite.

Radical wide scale changes (akin to ones that saw England become World ODI champions) from the

Image: Stuart Hamilton

ECB, such as greater accessibility, would allow England in the future be able to tap into a greater talent pool.

For all the English flaws (of which there are a lot), what must be stressed is this is an exceptional Australian team. Bowling wise, they have one of the great fast bowling attacks, spearheaded by captain Pat Cummins and ably supported by the pace of Mitchell Starc and the accuracy of Josh Hazlewood. Even when these players were unavailable due to injury or being victim to contact tracing, Australia were able to call on almost like-for-like replacements in Scott Boland (who has made an extraordinary start to his Test career) and the young Jhye Richardson.

Spinning Australia were able to call upon Nathan Lyon, arguably the greatest off-spinner the Aussies have ever produced, who consistently performs well on unhelpful wickets. In the history of the game only six batters have averaged above 60 in Test Matches, two of them (Labuschagne and Smith) form the core of the batting line-up. This, coupled with veterans Khawaja and Warner, makes this team a formidable one to face.

18 JAN 2022| EXEPOSÉ

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Sport

SPORT EDITORS: Oscar Young Rob Worthington

Djokovic - in or out?

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Stanley Murphy-Johns

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NFORTUNATELY, we cannot use ball hawk-eye on this one...

Novak Djokovic is an incredible tennis player; he’s now tied on 20 Grand Slams with Federer and Nadal, he’s held the world number one spot for a ridiculous duration of time and last year he almost managed a Calendar Grand slam, but what on earth does any of that have to do with his right to ignore a country’s COVID-19 regulations?

In Britain we are steadily becoming equated with the idea that those in powerful positions did not take COVID-19 as seriously as they should have and there are certainly vast similarities between Boris Johnson’s alleged lockdown garden party and Djokovic’s attitude towards the Australian boarder regulations. Arguably, both seem to exemplify an absence of consideration for wider society, along with a staggering sense of self-importance.

Here’s the story as it continues to unfold from the perspective of the Australian people and Djokovic.

Throughout the pandemic every

country has taken a different approach to tackling COVID-19, which means that now as the world begins to peer through bleary eyes into an open postpandemic world, each country is at a different stage in their restriction process.

What on earth does that have to do with his right to ignore a country’s Covid-19 restrictions?

Australia is an example of a country exercising extreme caution, they have kept their death toll throughout the pandemic to just 2465, to give context Britain has now lost 151,000 people during the pandemic to COVID-19.

Australia has been successful due to their harsh repeated lockdowns which are brought in even if cases are low.

In addition to this, Australia has also put a lot of faith in the vaccine, with 77.6 per cent of their population fully vaccinated. Finally, their border control has been strict, and they currently hold the regulation that without special medical exemption, everyone

entering the country must be vaccinated. I give this information before discussing Djokovic because I think it makes the outpouring of outrage in Australia for allowing him into the country, a lot more understandable.

The Australian people have been in lockdown after lockdown, and have been told that it’s all in service of the greater good, but if special dispensation is going to be handed to people who can hit a ball with a racquet well, then doesn’t that undermine their struggle? As such, I would argue it’s quite difficult to begrudge the argument that he shouldn’t be allowed to play, if only to honour the work done by the Australian people to keep the COVID-19 death toll so low for the past two years.

On the other side of this situation is Novak Djokovic, a man not unaccustomed to controversy. His distrust of authorities on the matter of COVID-19 and his unvaccinated status had been well publicised even before this debacle. So originally it was thought that given Australia’s regulations, Djokovic would not play the open but as it turns out he applied for a medical exemption, arguing that he had contract-

ed COVID-19 on the 16 December.

It was later revealed that on 17 December Djokovic was pictured with a group of young tennis players, which would have been a breach of his isolation period, but strangely whether Djokovic had COVID-19, doesn’t really factor into this situation. On 4 January he announced he was going to the Open which caused the backlash in Australia, so on the 5th when he landed, he was detained and told that his visa had been cancelled.

The problem in this situation has been one of media attention and bad management Since that point a judge has now overturned the cancellation citing a lack of evidence, as technically if Djokovic did indeed have COVID-19 then he is legally allowed to be there given Australia’s current regulations. Therefore, the situation becomes difficult to judge.

If Djokovic hadn’t have been detained but had simply not been allowed to compete in Australia due

to him being unvaccinated, I would argue that the Australian government were well within their rights.

However, Djokovic was detained when essentially, he had acquired a medical exemption lawfully, which was seemingly only overturned due to popular opinion within Australia.

Djokovic’s family also haven’t helped to calm things down, they have been holding press conferences and riling up Serbian communities around the world. His father claimed that the decision had nothing to do with Djokovic but was in fact a political decision. In truth there is probably a satisfying middle ground.

If Djokovic wants to refuse vaccination that is his right, but if countries want to place border control on unvaccinated persons that is their right also.

The problem in this situation has also been one of media attention and bad management. As former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli pointed out “he will have this problem elsewhere.”

So hopefully in future a situation such as this can be avoided by clearer cut regulations, which hopefully won’t end up upsetting entire nations and tennis fans around the world.

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