None for the road?

Emily-Rose Rolfe, Lifestyle Editor, has never touched a drop of alcohol. Well, that’s not true, but she is at least mostly dry for January.

Image credits: brosner

The topic of drinking at University is documented time and time again in student media. It barely needs to be said that the most frequently noted stereotype of students is our hedonistic drinking culture. Do we drink too much? Is it necessary to drink at University to have fun? What will everyone think about my relationship with alcohol? Frankly, it doesn’t matter whether you drink or don’t drink. It’s whether or not you are enjoying your time at university: plenty of people get lashed under the weight of expectation, whilst many drink for the pleasure of being intoxicated. It’s not for anyone else to make a judgement on how much you should be drinking: the only person who should be ordering the shots is you. I am merely writing to give an account of my experiences of being a sober student.

Sobriety is not what students are notorious for, our reputation is intrinsically linked to the amount of alcohol we consume on an almost daily basis and how many scrapes we get into because of this. Binging is what students gear themselves up for in the summer leading up to Freshers’ Week, and we stampede through all succeeding nights out terrified that we will never see a drop of alcohol again when the sun sets on our university days. Excessive consumption of booze is what almost every anecdote arises from and what every student signs up for when they press ‘send’ on their UCAS application. However, there are students who stay sober throughout their university days. This is not to say being sober is being teetotal, Jesus was sober whilst still enjoying a nice glass of wine.

In first year I was stone cold sober throughout: I can count on one hand the amount of alcoholic beverages I drank. Your instant assumption after reading that sentence is that I spent every night sitting in my room watching Friends, eating lots of McVities, and fulfilling every sweet-as-sugar girly stereotype in the book. Whilst I freely admit I did spend evenings enjoying the comforts of a cup of tea, I was not a prude, and neither were the friends around me who lived the same lifestyle. Just because you don’t drink when you go out, doesn’t mean you don’t have fun. Monday Mosaic was teeming with acquaintances and awkward encounters;  I didn’t notice Arena’s cheesy Tuesday stench; Timepiece was absolutely mental; Rococos was raving; and I immersed myself in the disco vibes of the Lemmy. Just because I didn’t drink doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy fresher.

In third year, I have started drinking. I don’t know what happened over summer, but all of a sudden I seem to have caught the craze. I had a better time when I didn’t drink. I bounced off everyone surrounding me rather than being incredibly selfish. I never annoyed people when I was sober, whereas now I have accounts of taking up too much space on the dancefloor and saying incredibly stupid things. I was there to have DDMCs (Drunk Deep Meaningful Chats) with as well as to energetically run around with. I remembered my nights, and other people’s. I spent less money when I drank water not wine. And, being narcissistic, it was nice to not be a member of the pack and to stand out from the crowd. It was a stimulus for engaging conversations, something to define you amidst the furor of fresher confusion and identity crises. Personally I prefer drinking a maximum of three drinks a night, it keeps a buzz without stinging the night to death, and it also keeps your dignity and your liver healthy.

Is there peer pressure to drink at university? Of course there is. But if you don’t want to drink at initiations AU societies won’t make you, they’ll give you nasty concoctions of ketchup, peanut butter, egg yolk, milk, and brown sauce, but as long as you aren’t a bad sport and refuse to down it they won’t penalise you. I know a few prominent members of AU clubs who don’t drink but are not seen as any less macho or more boring because of this difference in lifestyle. Most people simply ask ‘why don’t you drink?’ in the same tone of voice as ‘I didn’t realise that pigs flew’, and they respectfully listened to my response. You might be called a shlad in Arena when you ask for tap water, but if anyone was judging whether or not they were having more fun than me, it didn’t impact on my hype. It’s easier said than downed, but if your place within your friendship group is based on the frequency of your chunders then I would swiftly either put them in their place or find more interesting friends.

The primary reason for me not getting trashed is because I’m a Christian. Specifically looking at the topic of drinking, probably the most relevant characteristic of the Christian life is balance: on not living excessively in any area of life. It is following the life of Jesus, who as we all know from Sunday school enjoyed a glass of wine, without downing it. He didn’t abstain, but neither did he encourage intoxication. Christians at Exeter University, despite occasional typecasting, do not live as monks do. They enjoy sobriety whilst sitting in a pub, party with and without drinking, have a huge variety of friends and are active members of many societies on campus. Christianity is not about abstention, but equilibrium. It’s also not being judgemental: I don’t walk into a club and sneer at the amount of antics and affection. I wouldn’t rebuke someone for stumbling home, it may not be my way of life but neither is it my place to reprimand.

You may think you’re a better person when you’re inebriated, but I have never met someone who is better drunk than sober. Ever. I just find that drinking doesn’t improve you: it can result in feelings of regret, embarrassment and irritation that you’ve wasted the rest of the day, and guilt if you’ve drunkenly confronted a good friend about a non-problem. Past the point of no return I can’t understand most of what you’re saying or where you’re going. You’re still great, and I don’t really care, but you’re objectively better company over a coffee or a casual pint.

Despite our frequent moaning that we are all incredibly poor, lavish amounts of money are spent in bars and clubs across Exeter. Financially, drinking just doesn’t make logical sense: we live on a budget yet knock back pounds like they’re pennies. It is also bad for your body: there are seven calories per gram of wine, almost as much as pure fat. The health-freak mindset of gym bunny Exeter is completely at odds with the spoonfuls of indigestible sugar mindlessly devoured each night. Nonetheless, you are paying £3,000 / £9,000 for tuition fees, and we all applied to Exeter for the student experience; not just to join the Library Society. Any pounds that leave your purse or go on your hips on a night out will probably not be regretted by future you. It is still something to bear in mind though.

Choosing the sober student life isn’t inferior to boozy days and nights, and vice versa. University is about enjoying yourself to your full capacity, and finding what you’re made of before entering the scary realms of ‘the rest of your life’. Whether you choose Dry January or a liquid lunch, your pint glass is always half full at uni.

Emily-Rose Rolfe, Lifestyle Editor

International Honours for Exeter Students

Following the England Students squad announcement, Mike Stanton, Sports Editor, caught up with Rob Coote, Ollie Claxton and Jamie Gray before they head to Portugal for the first fixture.

Rob Coote, as well as Claxton and Gray, also plies his trade with Exeter Chiefs. Photo: exeterchiefs.co.uk

Three Exeter students have been selected for the England Students squad playing against Portugal on 24 January. Rob Coote, Ollie Claxton and Jamie Gray of EURFC made the squad following trials at Loughborough.

These selections mean a return to the squad for Coote and Gray following their successful season last year and, sees Claxton’s first call up for the Students’ side.

“It’s a massive honour playing for your country,” EURFC Club Captain Jamie Gray told Exeposé.

“You never know when is going to be the last time you pull on the England jersey, so it’s very special every time.”

“It really sinks in when singing the anthem,” said Claxton, who has previously represented England at a variety of age groups.

“It sends chills down your spine. That’s when it really sinks in that you are representing everyone in England.”

“It [the anthem] builds you up so much,” Coote continued.

“Once you are out there you are trying so hard, you’ve got the emblem on the shirt, the rose, it drives you on.”

The squad is made up of students from all over the country, a considerable contingent coming from the South West, and Exeter is one of the most well represented universities in the squad.

The Exeter boys are looking forward to playing the Portugal international side, who are ranked 22nd in the world on the IRB rankings. Following a close fixture last year, where the students won for the first time, they are preparing for a tough fixture.

“They will bring the same physicality.” said Coote.

“They like to hit the rucks and have some big boys.”

The England boys face a quick turnaround following the Portugal game, getting back from Portugal on the Saturday before flying out to France three days later, but the Exeter boys are confident for the upcoming games.

“It was a huge boost beating Portugal last year,” said Gray, “France are always decent, I don’t know when we last beat them.

“With regards to Wales,” who England Students face on 7 March, “we usually show some dominance against them.”

All three manage to balance studying full-time degrees with their rugby, as well as representing Exeter Chiefs at fifteen and seven-a-side. On the opportunity to represent their country whilst studying, the Exeter trio are very grateful and relishing the opportunity.

“Eight guys got contracts after England Students last year,” said Gray, “I think it’s a really good way to expose players to a higher level.

Turning from international duties to EURFC 1st XV, Exeter currently sit second in the table behind Hartpury, the boys admitting to a few performance hiccups.

“I think if we had beaten Bath everyone would be a lot more relaxed because we would be level pegging with Hartpury,” Claxton said.

“If we had beaten them all we would have to do is win our remaining games but now we have to chase bonus points.

“We’ve got four games left and I think if we win them and pick up some bonus points we can come top.”

Exeter face first placed Hartpury in their next game, which falls in the week of the England Students game meaning the squad will be missing three of its key players. Despite this they are very confident.

“We’ve got a great squad and fantastic individuals,” said Coote.

“We know how they play so we will look to cut them off wide and force them in, we got an interception try from that last year.”

“It was a close game last time we played them,” said Gray. “It will be an 80-minute game, it won’t be won in the first half.”

The 1st XV also welcome Bath in the annual varsity at Sandy Park on 19 February. Having lost to their rivals earlier this season, the men in green will be looking to make amends at their marquee derby match and are hoping for yet another large crowd.

“Even if you don’t like rugby it’s a great place to be, great atmosphere and everyone’s a bit merry!” said Coote.

“It’s the whole uni coming together for a celebration,” continued Claxton.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a rugby player, football player, hockey player; everyone is willing the team on and raising money for charity.”

Despite a demanding close to the season and admitting to putting pressure on themselves to perform, fully expecting to reach the BUCS semi’s and hoping to improve on last year’s outstanding season, the three internationals are relaxed, quietly confident  as they joke about Claxton’s impending initiation to the England Students and Jamie’s England Sevens prospect; the big second row stating “He may have a run out,” followed by laughs from the other two.

With England Students caps hopefully coming for the trio in Portugal the boys from Exe will definitely be ones to keep your eye on in the future. And what better opportunity than the Varsity to see them and the rest of the 1st XV in action, just a month away?

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In the Clubhouse: Cycling

In the Clubhouse this week Peter Medhurst, Cycling Club’s Race Captain, freewheels with Mike Stanton and Will Kelleher, Sport Editors

Photo: Peter Medhurst

The Cycling Club has been growing a lot recently.

Several years ago there were barely a handful of ‘regulars’ who would turn up for rides. Now the club has over 100 members, more than doubling its size in the last few years.

Our University’s cycling club covers all disciplines of cycling including road, downhill, cross country, cyclocross, BMX and more.

With lots of people getting involved with road racing, probably due to the success of British riders on the world stage, the club’s results have witnessed a huge leap forward in the last two years.

For the first time, the club entered the BUCS Team Time Trial and finished second out of 50 teams, collecting a silver medal. They have also been competing in some of the top amateur races in the UK, including a five day mini Tour De France style race in Wales.

Last year’s riders also racked up six individual wins in the local Devon area.

The BUCS Downhill (DH) event was unfortunately marred by crashes, but three riders succeeded in getting through the qualifiers and finishing inside the top 100, a strong achievement.

Last term the club successfully organised their own mini varsity DH, using their own timing poles and equipment, between Exeter, Bath, University of West England and Bristol University clubs.

Exeter triumphed in the team competition, showing the strength and depth of the squad.

On the road side of things an amateur racing team has been set up. The project is sponsored by the Bike Shed and the University. The team will be known as BikeShed-UEx.

The squad will be made up of the best university riders as well as other top riders in the region. The goals for this season are to compete and race side by side with the best riders in Britain. The team is also hoping to improve on the silver and bronze medals won at BUCS last year.

The club has also just organised its first ever training camp which will be a weekend away to Exmoor taking in two long days of excellent hilly terrain.

The BUCS Downhill competition is in Scotland this year. It’s a long way to go, but the club is hoping to take a strong team of 12-16 riders up to compete and improve after last year’s misfortune.

There are also a few local races and a series in the Forest of Dean that some riders will be competing in.

The great thing about the Cycling Club is that all you need is a bike! To join up and find out more about the club and its events, contact the club on Facebook, Twitter or e-mail.

EUCC is one of the cheapest AU clubs and membership is only £30!

Devon is a great place to get out and ride. Be it on or off road, there’s a wealth of places to ride in the area that offer superb rides and some breathtaking views.

The club often rides along the scenic coastlines, as well as over Dartmoor, and head to trails such as Haldon and Gawton.

The road rides take place on Wednesday and Saturday each week. The Wednesday ride is normally a bit shorter (25-35 miles) and will split into two groups – one for everyone and one which will go a bit faster. This is for  those who want to train more intensely for races. On Saturday the rides tend to be longer, but steadier, and are normally 40 to 60 miles.

The Downhill riders also head out on Wednesday afternoons and Saturdays, driving over to the various local trails the area has to offer.

To find out more like University of Exeter Cycling Club on Facebook, follow @ExeterUniCC on Twitter or email cycling.captain@exeter.ac.uk

BUCS: Men's Hockey 1sts edged by Oxford in thriller

Sports Team reporter Alex Bonner was present for a breathless encounter between Exeter and Oxford at the Water Astro.

Photo: Edwin Yeung

Oxford University defeated a spirited Exeter side 5-4, in what proved a very exciting match from beginning to end for both sets of fans. Despite losing the match, Exeter performed well throughout, meaning the result could have equally gone in their favour. The visitors took an early lead in the first half, meaning Exeter had to perform the difficult task of catch-up from then on. The scoreline illustrated the quality of hockey on display, but also the apparent desire of both sets of players to gain victory for their team.

Having dominated the early phases of the first half, Oxford found themselves controlling both play and possession in the first ten minutes of the match. Exeter had to contain some early Oxford pressure to keep the score level, with some excellent tackling from Exeter captain Ben Upton symbolising Exeter’s resilience at this stage in proceedings. The significance of this match was clearly apparent to both teams, with a few sets of players clashing early on, much to the amusement of the spectators.

Dealing with the pressure of the first ten minutes proved significant, as Exeter began to reassert themselves, which resulted in a much more visible contest between the two sides. Oxford had to cope with successive short corners, with the visitors defending stoutly to keep the scores level.

Photo: Edwin Yeung

The resilience of Oxford’s defence at this stage was in evidence, causing much visible frustration for the Exeter faithful. Exeter utilised their substitutes well, with club captain Sam Plater’s introduction adding some much needed creativity to the Exeter setup. Achieving a breakthrough at this stage proved difficult, with both sides’ defences suffocating any notable chances.

In the latter stages of the first half, Oxford began to reassert control, with their creativity unsettling Exeter’s back line. Winning a free kick in a crucial area proved significant, with Oxford capitalising to secure a first half lead, much to the delight of the Oxford crowd present in the stands.

The half time interval proved the break Exeter needed, with the team starting the second half in much better fashion. Sam Plater, having come close to scoring in the first half, had a great chance to level proceedings, with his shot unfortunately falling just wide of the goal.

Exeter, having built on this early momentum, began to dictate play through some excellent displays of passing play. Having squandered a set of short corners in the first half, the first short corner of the second half proved much more beneficial to Exeter, with Andrew Ross capitalising to level proceedings.

After another string of good saves by the Oxford keeper, Ross again capitalised from a second short corner to propel Exeter into an early second half lead. Despite earning a well deserved lead, Exeter couldn’t contain subsequent Oxford pressure, as they Oxford responded well to Exeter’s performance in the early stages of the second half. The short corner again proved decisive, scored by Oxford to level the score at 2-2.

Photo: Edwin Yeung

Levelling proceedings proved decisive for Oxford, with Oxford now dictating play with some intrinsic and precise passing that certainly unsettled Exeter’s defence. Some precise passing created an excellent opportunity for Oxford, which they capitalised on to take a 3-2 lead.

Further pressure lead to another glorious opportunity, which was despatched with ease meaning Oxford now took a commanding 4-2 lead. Oxford’s clinical finishing was certainly in evidence in the game’s second half.

Despite finding themselves two goals down, Exeter began to reassert themselves again, with Tom Samuel latching upon a loose ball to give Exeter hope of staging a remarkable comeback. Andrew Ross found himself sin binned at a crucial stage of the match, with Oxford capitalising on the advantage of having an additional player to take a decisive 5-3 lead. Hope was restored following an excellent Exeter counter attack, with Exeter dispatching the chance well to give themselves a faint hope of staging a remarkable comeback.

Oxford’s defence proved too resilient in the game’s final phases, meaning Oxford triumphed over a bitterly disappointed Exeter side 5-4. Despite the loss, Exeter’s performance was full of merit, which should give them confidence when preparing for subsequent fixtures.

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BUCS: EUNC 6 win moves them up to second

Photo: EUNC 6s

EUNC 6s faced Winchester 3s at home on Wednesday with their full team together and fit for the first time this season. Exeter dominated from the outset, turning over countless Winchester centre passes in the first quarter, with great defensive communication and pressure from WD Helena Carter and GD Bryony Bowman.

EUNC 6s racked up an impressive 12-2 lead after the first 15 minutes and went into quarter two with a fresh set of legs on court. A full change of defence took a while to settle in, which Winchester tried to take advantage of, putting in eight goals across the quarter. However, our attackers paid little attention and still managed to net a further 14 for Exeter, leaving the half time score line a pretty comfortable 26-10.

Now settled into the game properly, instead of drifting through the last half letting Winchester have some space, EUNC 6s only increased the pressure, squeezing Winchester’s shooters out of play and off the back line allowing them only four goals in quarter three to our 16. The shooters, GAs Nelia Vartsaba; Katie Boaks and Player of the Match GS Meghan Honeysett supported each other and worked solidly, always providing options and movement as well as finishing this off with some splendid shots.

The final quarter continued in this vein, with the consistent efforts of EUNC 6’s attack netting a further 14 goals against Winchester’s efforts that resulted in only 2 goals. Most of their attack was denied half way down the court by a cracking defensive effort, with some great control from EUNC who did not loose focus for any moment and consistently converted turnovers into goals.

With three matches left EUNC 6s are second place behind Plymouth 2s, who they face this week away for a local derby. Their next home match is their final BUCS match of the season and likely to be a cracker against Winchester 2s on the 5^th March, supporters are totally encouraged.

Fayme Yeates, EUNC 6’s Captain

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Diagnosed with Depression

Depression and mental health are big issues needing more open discussion. Flora Carr investigates what happens when depression hits closer to home.

Image credits: Marco Raaphorst

A few weeks ago a message from an old best friend from primary school popped up on Facebook. “Fuck it coming home. I am.” I was bewildered. I began to question her further. I knew something was wrong; her inarticulate messages read as if she were mumbling through tears, her long pauses coming between sobs. To protect my friend’s identity I’m changing and withholding various details about her, but in our following conversation she said she’d been diagnosed with clinical depression.

Depression. Just one word and my world shifted slightly. Until that moment it had been a word associated with soap operas, or drunken, pitied family friends who seemed like caricatures in themselves. Never would I have associated it with my friend from school, where she’d been a prefect whom everybody loved. And yet there it was. Before I could even respond, things went from bad to worse. She began to express her ‘humiliation’ at her diagnosis, saying she’d just never thought she’d be ‘one of those people’ who’d get depression. Aside from her doctor, she’d only told me and one other friend; at that point she couldn’t yet face telling her family, saying how her mum would ‘freak’. I became even more worried when she told me that she’d lost two-and-a-half stone since going to university. Was this normal for people with depression? I felt hopelessly under-qualified. I said that I wished I could be there to give her a hug and chocolate; I immediately regretted it.  Would she think I assumed that just a hug and chocolate would make her ‘better’? Would she think I was belittling her condition? I was nervous that the slightest comment from me might make everything worse. But I was also annoyed; my loyalty towards her made it impossible for me to break my promise not to tell anyone else. And her family needed to know. They could assure her, better than I ever could, that the single word ‘depression’ wasn’t her new identity. From everything she told me it seemed that, for her, depression was an embarrassing label, not a condition. But of course, before I’d had time to think calmly, even I had fleetingly seen it that way: a label to neatly categorise the more embarrassing and hostile characters in a television drama.

And yet my friend is far from alone. Every year, one in four will experience a mental health issue in the UK. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, in the aftermath of Christmas there is a spike in the number of people diagnosed with depression, and the number of suicide attempts. Perhaps ‘January Blues’ really is a real thing. For many of us, the idea of Christmas is placed on a pedestal. The songs that we listen to non-stop from 1 December (or, if you’re like me, mid-November) until Boxing Day constantly tell us that Christmas is the best time of the year. And for many, it is. Despite the annual disputes about whether or not we’ll be able to fit everything in the oven, it’s also a time of family, cheer, fantastic telly and, of course, embarrassing knit wear. But at the same time, the songs tell us that “next year all our troubles will be out of sight”; or, to quote Slade, “look to the future now / It’s only just begun”. They imply that washing down turkey with six glasses of mulled wine will also wash away all our problems. And of course that’s not the case. In the rush of hitting the sales (and tutting at how your present to your Mum is now 60 per cent cheaper), New Years Eve suddenly creeps up on you. Sausages-on-sticks are eaten, parties are attended, your dad tries to turn Jools Holland on, and you awkwardly kiss a stranger. And that’s that. As the clock strikes twelve the nation breathes out.

It’s the annual anti-climax. After New Year’s Eve there is little to hope for except a few more days of back-to-back films and left-over turkey sandwiches. After a solid month of looking eagerly forwards, January is a month of last year’s bills and back-to-work, back-to-school. For students, it’s even worse. As you slide into bed at the end of Boxing Day, surrounded by chocolate wrappers, you’re fully aware that the pile of revision you’ve neglected over the past few weeks can no longer be avoided. For many universities, including Exeter, exams start less than a week into January; barely giving you time to recover from the New Year hangover. Is it any wonder that this sudden shift from festive cheer to cold exam halls results in young adults such as my friend becoming not only rundown, but actually depressed?

In the hope that when I next spoke to my friend I would be able to give more constructive advice than ‘hugs and chocolate’, I decided to research clinical depression. However, trawling through pages of chatrooms and self-help guides on the internet, it’s surprising the number of people out there who view depression as something which only the weak are afflicted with. It struck a chord with me; my friend, in expressing her ‘humiliation’ at being diagnosed, seemed to suggest that somehow she had been rendered weaker, unworthy. Many view depression as something you can ‘shake off’ or ‘snap out of’. As highlighted by the recent trending video ‘The Mask You Live In’ by The Representation Project, guys are told to ‘man-up’, the implication being that having depression in some way emasculates them. For others, apparently all it takes is for your tell-it-like-it-is friend to advise you to ‘lighten up’ before taking you on a night out. Getting with someone in a club, getting drunk. Even hugs and chocolate… that’s all it takes, right? As it turns out, no.  Despite the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal College of General Practitioners conducting a joint five-year ‘Defeat Depression’ campaign to reduce prejudice and educate in the UK during the 90s, studies have shown that social stigma surrounding depression still exists; many have little idea about its causes or symptoms. Depression can be caused by a range of factors, from biological or social factors to drug and alcohol abuse. You can even get depression from seasonal shifts in the weather, which is called ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder’ (SAD). Let alone January Blues, you can potentially become clinically depressed every winter. The symptoms of depression also vary: insomnia, hallucinations, appetite loss and insecurity all feature.

Image credits: Daniel Ogren

With such a range of causes and symptoms, ranging from the mild to the extreme, it is little wonder that so many people are diagnosed with it every year. You’d be shocked at the number of celebrities with clinical depression: Halle Berry, Alec Baldwin, Woody Allen, Jon Bon Jovi, Alistair Campbell, Kirsten Dunst, Harrison Ford, Anne Hathaway, Alicia Keys, Eminem, David Walliams, J.K Rowling, Robin Williams and many others. Stephen Fry’s struggles with depression and bipolar disorder have brought some publicity to the condition, particularly in his 2006 documentary Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive, which won Fry an Emmy in 2007. As mental health issues are gradually, tentatively explored, with documentaries such as Fry’s shedding some light on the real facts, public conceptions will, hopefully, begin to shift. The fact that so many successful celebrities have battled with and won against depression surely suggests that the condition is not in any way, contrary to my friend’s opinion, a defining label or an inhibitor. And there is help out there. For immediate relief there are many help lines, such as the Samaritans. But treatment for depression can be a slow process; this term my friend will not only be on anti-depressants but she will begin seeing a counsellor, who will hopefully help her far more than I or any number of bumbling well-wishers could. But in trying to understand what she’s going though, I hope I can still help in my own small way.  Besides – I’ll still be there with the big hugs and chocolate anyway.

Flora Carr

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BUCS: Men's Rugby 2nds romp to victory

Sports Team reporter Freddie Turner was on the touchline at Duckes Meadow on Wednesday afternoon, witnessing a comprehensive victory for Exeter’s rugby men’s seconds.

Photo: George Keleney

An impressive performance all round performance meant EURFC’s 2s cruised past their UWE adversaries with a romping 39-10 win at Duckes Meadow, avenging their narrow away defeat earlier in the season and further moving them up the BUCS Premier South B table.

On a soggy pitch which was not conducive to running rugby it was evident that it would be a compact and physical affair with forwards dominant. Indeed, the first phases began the war of attrition with either side trading blows, with physical carries and dynamic rucking at the breakdown.

Exeter were unable to convert an early penalty chance with fly half George Kimmins pulling it wide. Instead UWE were the first on the scoreboard after a fumble at the back of an Exeter scrum left their winger with a gap to run through and score in the corner.

Exeter hit straight back with a rampaging run from no.8 George Skirlaw winning a penalty, allowing Kimble to reduce the arrears to just the two points. The game remained even with either side putting together phases of sustained pressure but being unable to convert chances.

That was until a missed tackle out wide allowed UWE through Exeter’s defence all too easily. Quick ball retention near the line then led UWE’s centre in for UWE’s second try of the game, making the score 10-3.

Photo: George Keleney

Exeter needed a response and this came with a cheap penalty with Kimmins duly converted. This was followed by a magnificent team try which put Exeter into the lead. Prop Rich Sinel picked up the ball deep in his own half and showed great skill to find a gap and put winger Luke Treharne into a gap. Treharne drew his defender before passing to flanker Doug Ebanks, who skilfully beat the last defender and romped home under the posts.

Exeter were now beginning to play the majority of the rugby and looked dangerous with ball in hand. A big carry from blindside Cameron Crozier broke the gainline and gave Exeter quick ball, where Sinel was once again able to show his dynamism by handing off the defender before offloading to the rapid second row Richard Adeniyi-Jones to score another well worked try.

Exeter were rampant, dominating up front which was creating space in dangerous areas. Another break followed after a great offload from centre Dante O’Rielly which gave Ebanks another chance to showcase his pace. His final pass was deemed to have been deliberately knocked on by UWE’s defender, resulting in him being given a yellow card.

Exeter tried to make this before half time but suffered from white line fever with the forwards going for glory and being stopped just short of the line. The half ended with Exeter having a deserved 18-10 lead.

Photo: George Keleney

The second half began slowly with Exeter unable to make the most of their numerical advantage. However, Exeter gradually reclaimed control and were rewarded with an important try. A solid foundation from  the consistent scrum, set up a backs move which gave full back Ali Chisholm a gap which he made the most of, showing great pace to finish expertly in the corner, which Kimble brilliantly converted.

Exeter now had a 25-10 and appeared to have the game won. They began to play with increased confidence, with breaks from wingers Treharne and Chris Crane entertaining the spectators. Consistent attacking pressure eventually resulted in a fourth try as Ebanks again showed his physicality beating a tackle and scoring his second of the game.

There was still time for a fifth as the impressive O’Reilly pounced on a loose pass to intercept and run the length of the pitch. The game finished with the scoreline a resounding 39-10, which was no more than Exeter deserved over the course of the game.

Ultimately greater physicality upfront led to a control of the breakdown and collisions which gave momentum throughout the game. Exeter will be hoping that they can continue this form next week away at Cardiff and continue to march up the table.

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Grape Expectations

Image credits: vitalsine

Flora Carr’s parents are the Jedi Masters of alcohol. But her housemates are little more than  rookies (or possibly Wookies). The dilemma presented to her: the bolt or the bouquet? Disarrono or decanter? The chunder or the Chardonnay?

In Freshers’ Week, you find yourself answering the same questions over and over. After a while, you find the answers come almost as an automatic reflex. “So what’s your name?” Flora. “What’re you studying?” English. “You in catered?” Yeah, I love the puddings. “What do your parents do?” They’re both wine tasters.

It’s around this point that people do a double-take.  “You’re serious? That is so… cool. That is such a cool job. It’s like being a chocolate taster, only for grownups.”

For a while I attempt to explain that wine tasting isn’t just getting drunk all day, before launching into a brief account of my parents’ separate careers. Usually, however, the talk then shifts towards whether or not I’m supplied with alcohol regularly, and it’s at this point that I remember that in the mind of the average student, the concept of ‘alcohol’ is quickly replaced with the word ‘DRUNK’. Usually in big, multi-coloured letters. I would know. Because I’m a student too. And apart from the usual challenges of getting lost on campus and spending a month’s worth of student loan on a single Cheesey Tuesday, a further challenge I’m currently facing is how to reconcile the ‘Student-Flora’ idea of alcohol with the way I have been taught to treat alcohol all my life.

As a teenager I found myself in the midst of the ‘down-it’ culture. The familiar chant of ‘We like to drink with —’ became the background music of my years at secondary school. At house parties, whatever was tucked at the back of the cupboards – be it whiskey, beer, rum –  was emptied into single containers and downed as quickly as possible. No-one wanted to be left sober and joyless in the corner – it became a competition to see who could drink the fastest, get drunk the soonest, stay drunk the longest. I loved it. Like any young teenager I was swept away by the heady, seductive appeal of losing myself in a haze of almost hysterical happiness, a world where you could do anything you wanted, say whatever you wanted, dance however you wanted, and blame it the next day on the tequila. It’s a culture that unsurprisingly is still going strong a few years later; between 2012-2013 an estimated 6,500 people under the age of 18 were admitted to A&E. Drinking is part of the young teenage culture, a means of experimentation whilst also standing as a yardstick for popularity and ‘coolness’.

Looking back at my 15-year-old self, remembering how a house party wasn’t a party until someone was locked in the bathroom throwing up WKD, I can’t be judgemental. How can I be? My entire social group held the exact same views at the time. However, there’s a difference between a 15-year-old whose only worries included the faint threat of GCSEs and where to hide empty beer cans and a 19-year-old thinking about finding a house – a REAL house – with bills and rent and cleaning rotas. And yet I feel nothing has changed. I still drink to excess. My new friends drink to excess. There are even charts on certain floors in my accommodation that award points for each person’s number of ‘chunders’. A survey conducted by MoneySupermarket.com in 2012 showed that, during Fresher’s Weeks across the country, an average of 14 shots would be consumed per student, 1,258,881 pints would be drunk by male freshers and 7,133,659 single spirit measures would be drunk by female freshers. I have friends who staggered home after sports initiations, hair threaded with beads of sweat, traces of vomit around their mouths, mumbling to themselves. Ironically their nappies were usually the only part of their appearance still intact. Even after Freshers’ Week this culture of excess remains; friends who decide last-minute to go out down half a bottle of vodka to ‘catch-up’, whilst I’m regularly sent Snapchats of the inside of A&Es across the country, the tag line being ‘Not where I expected to be on a Monday night’.

I can forgive 15-year-old Flora for neglecting her upbringing. After all, isn’t that what those early teenage years are all about? Rejecting everything your parents ever tried to tell you? Going through (with relish) the checklist of exactly what they told you not to do? But Student-Flora should-theoretically- know better. She has come to realise that yes, she should have listened more closely when her mother told her how to warm milk for hot chocolate (in a microwave, not a kettle). She has accepted that there are things her parents know more about. Like budgeting. And the correct footwear for the ever-rainy Exeter. And, again, budgeting. So why can’t she – I – also remember what my parents taught me about how to treat alcohol?

My parents are both Masters of Wine. This makes them Jedis of the wine-tasting world. There are only 303 in the world, whilst my parents are – last time I checked – one of only three sets of married Masters of Wine. The ‘MW’, as my parents refer to it, is a qualification, requiring the entrant to take a bunch of written exams as well as the expected wine-tasting and food and wine matching. In all honesty, there’s probably even more to it, but at home wine is so often a topic of conversation that you learn to tune it out very quickly. In fact, the only interesting thing that ever came out of their jobs was the time my mother came to my school to give a talk during one of those ‘Parent Career’ days. She gave volunteers Jelly Babies whilst they were blindfolded and asked them to identify the flavour. This, she said, is the basics of wine-tasting. But once the sweets were gone I soon lost interest again.

However, I do remember the repetition of a single word: savour. “Savour that, Flora. Savour the flavour –  what does it remind you of?” At first I would usually respond to this question with a made-up response, the more ridiculous and pretentious the better.

“Tarmac. It tastes like tarmac on a spring day. With a solid grounding of- wait for it- mahogany. Yes, mahogany. It’s that autumnal smell that gives it away.”

But as I grew older, I began to appreciate the easy access to quality wines. I would be given a glass of Chardonnay in exchange for a pause, a slowly taken sip, a comment or two on how sharp it was, whether or not I liked it. Liking an alcoholic drink or not doesn’t even matter for most students. If it’s alcoholic, who cares? You drink. You get drunk.

So how can I even begin to reconcile these two contradictory outlooks, my two contradictory selves? How can I pause to appreciate a drink whilst trying to bolt it in ten seconds? Slowly however, I am trying to find a middle ground. As the honeymoon period of Term One wears off, friends are less intent on getting me and themselves paralytic. After a weekend trip home, I arrived at Exeter St David’s armed with a bottle bag filled with Prosecco my mother had got from work for free. At first during pre-drinks I would pour some into a mug to mask the contents, nervous of being branded an alcohol snob. However, after giving a friend a sip, the word has spread about the beauty of my mother’s wine, and I now feel able to wander into the common room with a bottle of white wine tucked neatly under my arm. Although I’m sure there will still be nights to come where Student-Flora will take over and leave me with the hangover to prove it, I’m giving her – and me – a rest. Just give me a moment to savour it.

Flora Carr

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BUCS: Tennis Women's 3rds survive trip to Aberystwyth

Photo: Josie Vickers

The Exeter Women’s 3rds completed a 12-0 whitewash on Wednesday in the freezing cold of Aberystwyth in Wales.

Unusually, the girls journey started on Tuesday afternoon. The team picked up their rather deluxe hired vehicle and began the extremely long drive to the deep depths of Wales. With Christmas songs on full volume, Natalie took to the car like a duck to water and whizzed up the M5.

After nearly four hours of driving a Burger King was at last on the cards; four chicken royale meals were ordered (a top quality pre match dinner). Natalie was then back at the wheel, fantastically navigating the very tricky and twisty Welsh roads, and finally arriving at an incredibly luxurious B&B – which turned out to be an entire house with a tasty breakfast included.

After a very comfortable sleep, the girls were up and ready to face all that Aberystwyth could throw at them. All four girls played their singles first, with Nami Urata and Natalie Hatton finishing within a blink of an eye and sealing two fabulous wins, dropping only a game between them.

Captain Josie Vickers was next to finish, polishing off her opponent 6-1, 6-2. Ciara Svensen fought a much tougher match with a high class opponent – with support from her fellow Exeter team, even after being 6-1 down in the third set tiebreak she managed to clinch a great 10-8 win.

The girls went confidently into the doubles with 8 points already in the bag, but knowing concentration was going to be a key factor in the next to matches. Vickers and Urata took on Aberystwyth’s first pair, and despite their close to freezing hands, the girls kept their focus and won 6-0 6-0, meaning Nami kept a completely clean sheet for both matches – a quite impressive feet. Meanwhile, Ciara and Natalie were destroying their opponents with crosses and smashes occurring very regularly, finishing off the day with another win, 6-2 6-1.

After blearing some celebratory tunes including One Direction and Katy Perry, the girls began their treacherous journey back to the life and soul that is Exeter.

Josie Vickers

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In the Clubhouse: Trampolining

Photo: University of Exeter Trampolining Club

I’m sure you’ve all heard of trampolining, it’s that thing you do at home on the garden trampoline right? Well no, not exactly. Trampolining is a competitive sport (although many people just take part for fun) and became part of the Olympics in 2000.

The University club was founded in 2002, starting out with just one trampoline and a small group of people. This soon expanded and by 2006, the club had acquired three trampolines, 85 members and a nomination for AU Club of the Year. Since then the club has gone from strength to strength, making it what it is today.

Training takes place three times a week with the sessions held on Wednesdays (3.30-6pm), Fridays (5-7.30pm) and Sundays (3-6pm) in St Luke’s Sports Hall.

These sessions are varied and relaxed, enabling members to choose what they want to practise, and how often they want to get on the trampoline.

This can involve learning individual moves and tricks, as well as routines for competitions (a set of ten continuous moves).

The club has three fantastic coaches who give all members encouragement and support to learn new moves or skills at the pace they feel comfortable.

The club has members right from novice up to elite, so all abilities are welcome and encouraged to join.

This year the club is part of the Southern Universities Trampoline League (SUTL), which involves the team travelling to Bath and Southampton later in the year to compete against other Universities from the South.

The club will also be heading to Sheffield for BUCS and not forgetting Plymouth for the annual Varsity match.

Competitions typically take place over a weekend, with a social on the Saturday night (including a big fancy dress theme!), and competition on the Sunday.

Members complete two routines, one of which is set by the host club and the other is a voluntary routine which you can make up yourself.

These events are open to all members of the club and although entered as individuals, everyone is very supportive and synchronised competitions are also offered to add a team element.

Competitions are a great way to get involved with the club, and to get to know fellow trampolinists from all over the UK!

The club took part in their first competition of the term last weekend in Bristol (also part of SUTL), with 19 of their members competing with over 350 competitors from many different universities.

Exeter brought home a silver medal in the inter-advanced men’s category and two other competitors finished in the top ten of their categories.

A ‘best back landing of the day’ was also given to their captain! Last year was also a very successful one for the club, with a win for the second year running in the annual varsity against Plymouth as well as many medals in other competitions.

Outside of training and competing, EUTC like to get together for socials, be it a fancy dress night out, a pub quiz, or a casual night in relaxing and watching a film together!

Their big socials of the year include the infamous Topsham Ten, an annual summer boat party, and numerous competition socials where everyone gets involved with fancy dress.

The club also organises a 100 mile walk every year to fundraise for both the club and a charity of their choice. This involves walking 100 miles over four days (almost a marathon a day!), ending back in Exeter. It is an amazing, albeit challenging, experience with many memorable moments.

Feel free to come down to training, and have a bounce! You can also find them on Facebook (Exeter Trampolining) and on Twitter (@ExeterTramps).