Perhaps you chose to live a little bit further out to have a nice house for less money, or perhaps you just get a bit bored with your five minute trek from halls to the centre of campus.
Whatever your situation, here are a few (mostly serious) suggestions on how you can liven up your walk to university when week three rolls around and it begins to get just a bit repetitive…
Listento music. OK if you haven’t already picked up on this habit, it’s a good one. Plug into your iPhone/Android/MP3 player and get strutting. It’s like a movie soundtrack in your head and no one has to know what you’re listening to so it can be as embarrassing as you like. Time Lord rock, anyone…? No? Just me?
Invest. Image credits: juanpol
Choreograph. This one’s probably just me as well, but get some dance inspiration going on when you walk. See me in the street and you can pretty much guarantee that I have some new dance routine under construction in my head. It’s the perfect opportunity to work out your killer routine for later that evening.
Actuallydance. Go wild, let’s start a whole impromptu musical number! Depending on your levels of self-awareness, you might want to save this one until returning from your late-night library sessions when no one else is around, but kudos to you if you choose to lighten the rest of our mornings by busting a few of those Arena moves on the way to a 9am.
One for Vic Street, perhaps. Image credits: donald judge
Knock on everybody’s doors/sing really loudly as you walk past. Waking people up because you need to be awake when they don’t is a great way to make friends. And once they’re up, they might as well get on with some work. You’re only helping them, really, it’s a win-win situation for all involved.
Go on Tinder in the middle of a mass student migration to campus. You know the ones, I mean, when you suddenly find yourself on Union Road and surrounded by about a thousand other students. Whether you use Tinder to simply amuse yourself or to actually find someone for later, you’re never in a better place than in a huge group of students. Just try not to let anyone catch your eye, that might be awkward.
Get a bike. As my housemate so scornfully commented when I mentioned this topic. If the walk is so bothersome, perhaps it is not for you. Why not invest in a bike and learn to cope with the traffic instead? At least you’ll be able to lie in a few minutes later in the mornings… (As long as you can find somewhere to lock it up when you get there!)
Try to stay on it though. Image credits: Pascal Maramis
Yesterday evening saw The X Factor head to Exeter for Teignmouth-born finalist, Luke Friend’s homecoming and Exeposé was there to capture every moment.
[<a href=”//storify.com/Exepose/the-x-factor-came-to-exeter-campus” target=”_blank”>View the story “The X Factor came to Exeter campus” on Storify</a>]
Gamers, we stand before the ultimate gaming workout machine. Forget about the Kinect and the Wii Fit, because the Trixter is the mister. The biggest sports personalities train with them, and thanks to the £6.5 million investment on the Russell Seal Fitness Centre, now members of the campus gym can also use the Trixter Xdream machines.
How does the Trixter Xdream work? Well, put simple, it is a pressure-sensitive cycling machine which emulates and simulates the experience of riding a bike on an exterior track. It emulates the functions of cycling, breaking, gearing, turning and standing on an on-screen simulation of a track with varying slope and curve angles. Everything you do affects the simulation, and everything that appears on the simulation affects what you do.
When I saw these machines during an induction of the centre, I instinctively had the idea of reviewing them as an Exeposé Games editor. As I approached the idea, I stepped back from it and thought it would be an even better idea to use the Trixter Xdream’s multiplayer capabilities to face a mighty opponent; Matt Bugler, Sport editor.
Hernán (right) and Matt (left) getting ready to take the challenge.
And so it happened. Matt vs. Hernán, Sport vs. Games: the ultimate showdown. The aim? Demonstrate that a gamer and a sportsman have a balanced advantage…or not.
We started by creating our accounts, through which we could input our sex, height and weight to calculate the calories burnt during the races. We thought it would be good to try each of the four tracks, so the winner would be the best out of four.
Before we raced each other, Matt went on saying “I’ve got football after this,” already giving a go at intimidating me. I responded by typing in my details on the Trixter with speed and precision to show off my special abilities; too many high scores that I’ve had to register…(not really, though).
As soon as Chris finished running through the controls, it all kicked off – and how! My virtual representation immediately kicked his head off with his foot when he crashed against a fence, two seconds in the race. The simulation was surprisingly precise, although for 6 grand for one of these bad boys, what can you expect? Instead of the usual effortless turn you might find playing with the Kinect or the Wiimote, in the Trixter you are supposed to really turn that handlebar if you want to get around those sharp bends – which may I say were more than plentiful in all of the tracks we played. The same goes for pedalling and braking – you have to assume that you are actually cycling on the track displayed. It felt really real.
I believe I lost the first race because I relied too much on my gaming experience with racing games, watching out for all the HUD elements, such as the map, the progress bar, and the gear counter. I acted against this habit and played instinctively in the second race, which made me win. I even developed the tactic of standing up on the pedals when turning, which made my turns sharper and made me look cool on the bike (definitely not in a douchey way).
During the third race, I proceeded to show off my extra-experience by placing the camera from third to first person, making it even more realistic. So impressed with the result, I got distracted and fell over countless times, but I managed to regain some terrain, losing to Matt by just a few seconds.
If I won the fourth race, I would equalise the result. I was willing to put every effort into it. For the first part of the race, Matt and I were neck to neck, but I had an ace up my sleeve. I knocked Matt off his bike, which somehow made me turn too much, making me jump out of the track. I managed to get back on the track when I realised I had taken a massive shortcut. I was definitely not cheating, since it was an accident and the Trixter did not complain about it. Leaving Matt far behind, I managed to win the last race, and ending with an overall score of 2-2.
Display showing calories burnt in a set time and distance.
After the last race, we checked the stats and realised that we burnt an impressive 200 calories in less that 20 minutes! We were amazed by the fact that we did not feel that tired whilst we were fighting each other to glory. Nevertheless, as soon as we got off the bikes, we felt the pain, which stopped us from taking one last conclusive race.
I am not sure if I proved the balance in gaming and sports with this challenge, but the hilarity of the experience was beyond what I expected, making it be worth it anyway. Matt was a very good, enthusiastic opponent and definitely made the challenge feel very animated. Maybe next time, we should make the number of races an odd number…
A Sport Editor’s experience:
When a certain Online Games Editor challenged me to a race-off on the Trixter virtual bike, I didn’t really know what to expect. All I knew was that the famous Bugler thighs would take some beating, as my rare gym visits usually end with me dripping with sweat having seen how many kilometres I can cover in an hour.
Post-race stats showing heart rate, speed, cadence and topography.
The Trixter bike is far more advanced than your standard gym bike machine. The handlebars move left and right, there are brakes and 27 gears, and it notices when you stand up on your pedals to create more power on the ascents. After creating a user profile, (which you can use anytime you come back) which takes in your height and weight in order to calculate the calorie burning statistics, I was greeted with the start-up, showing famous athletes including Gareth Bale and Fernando Alonso using the machines.
The single-player experience offers you full details on calories burnt, heart rate, cadence and all the other statistics associated with cycling. However, you also get this all on multiplayer, which is what it’s all about. The two bikes sitting side-by-side are crying out to be used in a race, which is just what Hernán and I did.
There were four different maps ranging from desert to highlands and with varying degrees of difficulty, and as you play more you unlock longer and tougher variations on them. We started on the easiest course, and with some help from the gym instructor Chris, got the race underway. We were both very wobbly at the start, but I began to find my consistency and held on to claim the first win.
The Trixter Xdream handlebar controls.
Everything I’d learnt in that first 5 minutes seemed to vanish in the next race, as I endured a bit of a horror show, blowing an early lead to let Hernán sprint off into the distance. Only at the end did I manage to restore some pride and reduce the gap, showing some promising signs for the next race.
The maps are very hilly, featuring numerous sharp turns and different levels of gradient. It takes time to work your way through a 2 km course, and tactics are just as important as pedal power. Which gear to use on this section? Should I stand up on the pedals on this hill? Should I go faster and break sharply, or consistently swing on the handlebars?
One thing was for certain, the start is important. In the third race I was the epitome of consistency, carefully measuring my attack on Hernán and leading from the front, Sebastian Vettel-esque. Hernán was snapping at my heels throughout, but a flawless performance saw me ride out the stage and win by just 3 seconds.
I led 2-1 going into the final race, but knew that a win was essential to take the overall prize. If the last race was a tactical masterpiece, this one was anything but. A frantic first 500 metres involved us repeatedly overtaking each other and jostling for position in the narrow pathways. Hernán then saw the need to employ some underhand tactics, including taking a big shortcut and knocking me off my bike in order to take the lead. I was rattled by this fierce behaviour and unable to claw my way back; the series ending 2-2.
Overall, it was a very fun experience and I thoroughly recommend this to anyone with a gym pass. The Trixter is definitely more Forza Motorsport than Burnout, and is all the richer for this. I had found my match in competitive spirit in the form of Hernán, and would love to return to take on more challengers.
A special thanks to Chris Belcher, Health and Fitness Manager at the campus Sports Centre, for allowing this to happen.
Hernán Romero, Online Games Editor and Matt Bugler, Online Sport Editor
Will Kelleher is not happy with the toilets on campus and shares an unfortunate experience.
What the hell is going on at our University? As Sports Editor, I spend quite a lot of time in and around campus, especially on my press day. Sometimes, and I’m afraid this is going below the belt quite early, I need to go to the toilet. I am human after all.
So I venture down to the Ram gents, you know the ones, not actually in the Ram itself but near enough. Between the Ram and Costa. Right, great, you’re with me.
I open the door, everything seems to be ok. Urinal. Check. Sinks. Check. Taps. Check. All seems normal. Might just go into one of these cubicles… Hold the f**king phone! This is where I am presented with the horror-show before me. Don’t worry, no-one has left a present for me!
Let me take you from right to left as I’m looking. Toilet one. Seems perfect, apart from the fact that it’s occupied. Not to worry, I’ll just pop into numero dos. But no, I can’t! Yep, this toilet is preposterous. The lock. A joke. I’m lucky I’m tall and can just about position myself on the throne whilst holding the door closed at full stretch, fearing that moment that an unsuspecting toilet-goer will burst in due to Toilet Two being impossible to lock, finding me trousers down, groping for the door.
Okay, so Toilet Two is a no go. But then we get to the mind-numbing ridiculousness of Toilet three, furthest from the door. Let’s cut to the chase. It has no bloody door! It hasn’t done for ages as well. What is going on? Do they expect us to be so laissez-faire with our defecating that we’d prefer it to be in the open? At least the unlockable Toilet Two has a pissing door!
Has the University spent so much that these are the cutbacks? What the hell is going on?
Will Kelleher
Have you had similarly demoralising toilet related experiences. We’d love to hear them (not sure we would really!) Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter@CommentExepose.
Lifestyle would like to introduce you to our newest columnist, Sophie Lloyd, as she shares with us her thoughts on the Exeter fashion scene week by week.
New year? New style? As I hiked up the forum hill completely out of breath this afternoon, I was distracted by how many different styles Exeter university students have to offer. For those of you who haven’t quite decided your style yet, or for those who fancy a change, I have raided my own wardrobe to show how easy it is to be a fashionista on a budget by laying down some fashion ‘essentials’ for the most common styles you’re guaranteed to spot on campus.
Geek Chic
This has got to be the quirkiest of them all. A certain confidence is definitely needed to make this look ‘intelligent’ but sexy. The ultimate must-have accessory is a pair of those thick-framed glasses! Be sure to pair them with a bold patterned shirt buttoned to the top and a cute skirt or skinny jeans. Alternatively, denim dungarees are a great way to create a fashion statement whilst being super comfortable at the same time. So what if you spend all your time in the library? That doesn’t mean you’re not an Exeter fashionista!
Photo Credit – Lara Dineen
Topshop, Polka dot shirt, £32
Urban Renewal, Dungarees, £45
White converse, £35
Hipster
This look is all about looking effortlessly cool in as many colours, symbols and dyes as possible. Influenced by the late 80’s and 90’s, you can honestly achieve some great fashion inspiration by looking back at your childhood photos. Remember your red velvet scrunchy as a kid? Well, its time to dust it off. Ask your brother or dad if he has kept any of his Reebok jumpers, this style is great for a student on a budget! Of course, we love Obey and Urban Outfitters’ updated ‘Urban Renewal’ section for clothes are a little more modern but it’s still a fab idea to try out local hidden vintage shops. Think bright, bold and fun! Don’t forget to crazy on those accessories.
Photo Credit – Lara Dineen
ASOS marketplace blouse, £22
Newook, Leather pants, £25
Topshop, boots, £68
Girly
Floral prints, pastel colours and delicate accessories are easy ways to instantly achieve this look. This traditional style is one that seems to never go out of fashion. Looking back to the 40’s and 50’s, the classic floral dress or high-waisted skirt paired with a plain shirt was one that always won gentlemen’s hearts. How about having a modern twist? Cut out dresses are all the rage with a cheeky little bit of skin showing. Stick to the delicate jewellery but if you’re feeling adventurous, why not add some chunky boots or leather studded flat forms to create a hybrid of ‘grunge- chic’. This is a style that can never go wrong. Go on – embrace the girly girl in you!
Photo Credit – Lara Dineen
Urban outfitters, flower print cutout dress, £45
Biba Bag, £68
Urban outfitters flat forms, £35
Street
This look is perfect for those girls who appreciate the sporting fashion, but are tired of constantly wearing stash to lectures. Again, with inspiration taken from the 80’s or 90’s, retro basketball or football tops are a head turner. Nike, Adidas and evenRiver Island are really embracing this style right now, mixing bright logos with witty sayings, this look projects a fun and rebellious feel to sport. Always make these shirts the main attraction, wear with plain skinny jeans or your favourite pair of Levi’s and then add abit of bling with a chunky gold necklace. Keep it retro with a pair of your dirty high top Converse or go all out with your new Reebok classics or funky Air Max trainers.
Exeter has reached 8th place in this year’s joint Times and Sunday Times university league table. It rises from 10th place in the 2013 Times league table though has fallen from 7th place in the Sunday Times 2013 table.
It currently sits at 12th in The Guardian‘s 2014 university rankings and at 10th in The Independent‘s Complete University Guide.
According to the University of Exeter website, the newspapers cite 2013’s Sunday TimesUniversity of the Year award, along with entry to the Russell Group, as reasons for a 19% rise in applications to study at Exeter.
‘Consistently high levels of student satisfaction’ in recent years have also contributed to Exeter’s growing reputation as an established top-ten institution.
As the curtains are drawn and silence falls across the room, the Chorus move in unison, as they foreshadow the travesties that are yet to occur…
A typical rehearsal for what is shaping up to be one of the biggest extravaganzas of the year: Exeter Classics Society’s annual play, Euripides’ Hippolytus.
With last year’s production of The Bacchae gaining the place of runner-up in the Student Guild’s “Event of the Year” award, the stakes are certainly high this year, but the rehearsals display incredible promise.
Joseph-Désiré Court, La mort d’Hipòlit, 1828. Photo by Pilar Torres
Hippolytus follows the story of the eponymous hero, son of the legendary King Theseus of Athens, and the troubles that ensue when he refuses to worship the goddess of love, Aphrodite, in favour of Artemis, the goddess of chastity and hunting. Aphrodite has launched a rancorous plan to make Hippolytus’ stepmother, Phaedra, fall in love with him. As a sick insomniac Phaedra confesses her love for her stepson to a shocked audience of the Chorus and her nurse, she also declares that she will starve herself to keep her dignity. The nurse tells an enraged Hippolytus the truth, and although he swears an oath of secrecy, Phaedra nevertheless finds out… and hangs herself. When Theseus returns to find his wife dead, he assumes she was raped by Hippolytus and places the blame upon his son.
The question remains: will Hippolytus be able to protest his innocence, or will he be condemned to a terrible fate by his own father?
Using Ben Shaw’s translation, the Classics Society has created a unique viewing experience. Touches like the live cello music at the scene where Phaedra’s death is revealed add to the pathos and heighten an already emotionally charged production, full of powerful solos from the leads.
There is also some clever staging, with the use of a silhouette to portray Phaedra’s suicide in abstract, in line with the Greek tradition of not depicting death on stage.
Another feature which really stands out is the Chorus, who in some respects make this production. The use of only five members as opposed to the standard fifteen allows the choral odes to be performed, with actions complimenting the words of the story to very effective and moving dramatic effect.
One thing is for sure – this year’s spectacle is not to be missed. Hippolytus is being performed in the M&D Rooms in Devonshire House at 7PM on Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th March.
A petition has been set up by students within the Biosciences department to protest against the department’s decision to dispense with the services of Dr. Ronny van Aerle, a Lecturer in Environmental Biology.
Dr. van Aerle (Photo: University of Exeter)
The petition, which has gained over 300 signatures since being set up last week, says that ‘Dr. Van Aerle is such a great lecturer and it would be a great loss to the students and to the department if he was to leave this summer. This petition is to show that the students believe he is a great teacher and we strongly encourage him to stay with the help of the University.’ The 300-plus signatures include messages of support from current students, alumni, and members of staff.
Dr. van Aerle told Exeposé that he has received ‘no indication’ that his contract was going to be extended, and also that he ‘never expected such a demonstration of support by the students’, before adding that he was ‘extremely thankful’ for said support. He also said that ‘from the start my contract has always been on a fixed-term basis, so it was likely that at some point it wouldn’t be extended’.
When contacted by Exeposé, Amy Chadwick, the student who set up the petition, said that she was ‘amazed’ by the response that the petition had provoked. She added that ‘the students love him’ and that ‘he is one of the best lecturers in the Department’. Comments left on the petition also pay tribute to Dr. van Aerle; Dr. Mark van der Giezen, a Senior Lecturer in Evolutionary Biochemistry, posted that Dr. van Aerle is ‘a great colleague and even greater bioinformatician and fish biologist’, while other signatories described van Aerle as ‘by far the best lecturer in a department full of good lecturers’, and ‘an incredible asset to the university and its students’.
The Biosciences department have given Exeposé a statement on the matter, saying that while the department understand the situation and can appreciate the views of the petitioning students, Dr. van Aerle is leaving because his post is a short-term one which expires in the summer.
A recent FX protest march through Falmouth. (photo: Flex)
Students and staff based on the Tremough campus are protesting against Falmouth University’s decision to transfer the contracts of 130 members of Academic and Support staff to a private company owned by Falmouth and the University of Exeter, known as FX Plus. This is the first time that a UK university has transferred its entire Student Support service to an external company.
The employees at the University, which gained full university status in December, work in a variety of student support roles, including Library and IT Services, academic skills assistants and disability support teams. Their new roles within FX Plus will mean that they are no longer entitled to receive pay in line with national standards, since university-owned subsidiaries such as FX Plus are allowed to operate outside these pay scales.
One member of staff at Falmouth, who did not wish to be named, told Times Higher Education that a librarian newly recruited to FX Plus could be paid as much as £5,000 a year less than staff moving over from Falmouth.
“That is a very significant amount when you are on the lower end of the pay scale,” she said.
In a statement on behalf of FXU (Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union), Falmouth President Scott Pearson said: “We have been assured by both Falmouth University and Falmouth Exeter Plus that there will be no adverse effect on the delivery of services to students”, while FX Plus Chief Executive Niamh Lamond has assured staff that their contracts will not be altered.
Speaking to Flex, Falmouth University’s student newspaper, a member of the FX Protest who wished to remain anonymous said of FX Plus: “It’s not directly accountable to the students in the way a University is. Our concern is that it takes away that accountability.”
The falmouthexeterprotest website has also expressed concerns over the move, as staff will potentially be linked to regional pay scales in Cornwall, one of the poorest counties in England, rather than the national scales to which they were previously associated. They claim that the move will disadvantage students undertaking Higher Education in Cornwall, as they believe that a lower pay scale will reduce institutions’ capacities to attract the best applicants for their job roles.
The protestors have said on their website that “there has been no clear argument or evidence presented to us that demonstrate how [the outsourcing] will improve services. We know that no alternative models have been looked at and staff have not been consulted on the decision making process.”
News of this protest comes amidst a national backdrop of university privatisation controversies, after 400 students at Sussex University protested against the outsourcing of catering and support staff earlier this year, with 200 students occupying a lecture theatre.
COCAINE traces have been found in eleven buildings across campus, an Exeposé investigation can reveal.
Tests were carried out in a total of fifteen toilets in both academic and non-academic buildings across campus using specialist swabs that detect cocaine residue. The results indicate abuse of the Class A drug extends beyond the recreational spots on campus to academic and administrative buildings.
Photo credits to Joshua Irwandi
Cocaine was discovered in the toilets in the Lemon Grove, Northcott Theatre and the Forum, as well as in the following academic buildings: the Physics Tower, Washington Singer, INTO, Queens Building and Amory, and the disabled toilets on Level 0 of the Forum Library.
Positive results were also obtained in a toilet tested in Northcote House, the administrative hub on campus which houses the offices of senior University staff. There is no open access to Northcote House for students.
Similarly, two separate toilets at the end of the Guild top corridor tested positively for cocaine residue. These toilets are open for staff and student use, as well as visitors to the university.
Toilets in the Peter Chalk Centre, Harrison Building, the first floor of Queens Building, Streatham Court and Level -1 of the library were also tested, but the swab results were negative.
The strongest results were found in the disabled toilet on the ground floor of Queens Building and the disabled toilet on the first floor of the Physics Tower. In both of these locations, a much larger trace quantity was detected in comparison to the other locations tested
According to Estate Patrol, the number of reported drug-related incidents on campus increased by almost two-thirds in 2012. In 2011, only eight cases were reported, in comparison to the 23 cases that were reported last year.
A spokesperson for Estate Patrol said that it sometimes receive phone calls from students who have noticed a suspicious smell in Halls of Residence but confirmed that in virtually all cases cannabis is the drug being used. The spokesperson also told Exeposé that generally, Estate Patrol do not seize large amounts of drugs on campus.
A spokesperson also commented that they were not surprised by Exeposé’s findings, considering the large number of people on campus.
When presented with the evidence obtained by Exeposé, a spokesperson for the University said: “The University has a zero-tolerance policy towards drug taking, and informs the police of all incidents as and when they occur.
“If students see anything suspicious or would like to report an incident, please contact Estate Patrol.”
The University also stated that the high number of positive test results in multiple locations across campus is not unexpected, considering that “most of the toilets tested are used by hundreds if not thousands of people each year.
“Last year we had 23 reported drug incidents among our 18,000 students, the vast majority of which were related to cannabis use.
“Whilst we’re not complacent, the evidence does not suggest that we have a significant drug problem at Exeter.”
The Guild agreed with the University regarding the extent of drugs abuse on campus, emphasising that “the Guild operates a zero tolerance to drugs use amongst students and staff”.
They added: “The Guild does not believe that there is a significant drugs problem at the University. The Advice Unit is available 24/7 to discuss any issues surrounding drugs use.
“The Advice Unit works closely with the Wellbeing Centre, should anyone wish to discuss the matter in confidence.”
However, Dr Vik Mohan, who practices at the Student Health Centre said that Exeposé’s findings were concerning.
She said: “Evidence of such widespread use of cocaine on the campus is deeply concerning to us at the Student Health Centre, as cocaine use poses such a huge risk to the health and wellbeing of our students. These risks include addiction, death from overdose, heart attacks or seizures, and mental health problems (or worsening of pre-existing mental health difficulties).
“Of course we strongly advise against the use of cocaine, and all other recreational drug use.
“However, at the Student Health Centre we offer a full range of confidential support for anyone with concerns about their health as a result of any drugs they may have used or are using, and are very experienced at supporting students with drug-related problems.”
In addition to the Student Health Centre, Dr Mohan advised that there are many other places students involved in or affected by drugs can go for confidential advice and information. These include the NHS Direct, NHS Choices, Exeter Drugs Project and Talk to Frank websites.
Dave Rigg, the Director and Founder of Crackdown Drug Testing, the company that makes the brand of swabs used in Exeposé’s investigation, stated that the swabs obtain results that are between “95 to 99 per cent accurate”. He also confirmed that the swabs can detect traces of cocaine up to a month after the surface has been used for snorting substances, even after repeated, direct contact with cleaning products.
Rigg explained the science behind the swabs: “The test is based on the reaction between cobalt thiocyanate and cocaine. Cobalt thiocyanate in solution is a pink colour, when cocaine comes into contact with it an immediate blue colour develops.
“This simple generic test is widely known and used throughout the forensic science community.”
Rigg explained the swabs are regularly used by Devon and Cornwall and Metropolitan Police, as well as dozens of other UK constabularies, prisons and customs to detect cocaine abuse.
Words: Beccy Smith
Additional reporting: Tom Payne, Zoe Bulaitis, Ellie Steafel and Ben Murphie
exeposedev 