Volunteers brave Freshers' Week rain

Photo Credit: Liam Trim

A fresh batch of eager student volunteers braved the intense rain showers covering Streatham campus on Tuesday to find out more about some of Exeter’s charitable societies.

The afternoon-tea event in Queen’s Building, organised by Jodie Dewberry, brought together a range of student groups. Despite terrible weather throughout the day the gathering attracted a steady stream of students, old and new.

Whilst attendees did enjoy free refreshments, from cake to sausage rolls, the interest in supporting good causes amongst the student community was clear. Societies such as STAR (Student Action for Refugees), Oxfam, Mind Your Head, Gender Equality, Amnesty International, Friends of Palestine and Bollocks to Poverty all attracted curious newcomers to Exeter.

Jodie told Exeposé that several of the societies were planning a joint social in a few weeks time to build on the success of the afternoon-tea.

All of Exeter’s student volunteer societies will be at the Freshers’ Fair on Sunday the 22nd if you wish to sign-up, and you can also do so online via the Guild Website.

Liam Trim, Online Editor.

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Weekend weather causes havoc in Exeter

Photo credit: Estate Patrol

Adverse weather conditions over the weekend caused road closures in both the St. James’ and Pennsylvania areas of Exeter. Sustained heavy rainfall through Friday night caused the collapse of the embankment which supports the visitors’ stand of St. James’ Park Stadium, while a burst water main on Pennsylvania Road caused an excess of surface water which led to the closure of St. Germans Road for a period on Saturday afternoon.

The collapsed embankment is due to undergo repairs from today, amidst concerns that the collapse, which damaged a student’s car, might threaten Exeter City’s home fixture against Rochdale on Easter Monday. It was feared that the damaged wall might necessitate the closure of the visitor’s stand for the match, but Exeter City’s Chief Executive Julian Tagg is confident that the game will go ahead. Saying that an initial assessment of the damage cooled fears surrounding the fixture, he added that “it is yet another challenge which I have no doubt that the club and supporters will rise to and resolve as they always do.”

Firefighters were called to the scene early on Saturday morning after receiving a call about a collapsed structure with the possibility of people trapped, but the use of thermal imaging and a rescue dog soon showed that no people were hurt in the incident.

Photo credit: Owen Keating

St. Germans Road was also closed on Saturday afternoon after surface water on the road made driving unsafe. Both Maintenance and South West Water staff were on the scene, and the road was soon reopened. Despite warnings to the contrary, Exeposé understands that local water supply was not disrupted.

The weather outlook for Exeter is unlikely to improve this week, with freezing temperatures predicted up until Good Friday, when sleet is expected to create hazardous driving conditions that should last throughout the Easter weekend.

Owen Keating, News Editor

Updated: Forum floods

The Library and the Alumni Auditorium have flooded this evening, as heavy rainfall continues to sweep across Exeter.

Photo: Joshua Irwandi

An area of Level -1 has been cordoned off after rain started to seep through the ceiling. Campus services have used tarpaulins to protect books from damage, as pools of water deepen. Campus services assured Exeposé that the situation is being “managed”.

They added : “The sheer amount of water seeping in through the ceilings is because of the torrential rain. Normal service to these buildings will resume in a few days.”

The Alumni Auditorium has also flooded, causing a lecture to be abandoned.

Heavy rain has hampered travel services across Devon, and many train services to and from Exeter have been cancelled. The Express & Echo are reporting that a number of roads have been closed due to excessive flooding.

The deluge has also forced the organisers of tonight’s Christmas lights switch-on to reschedule the highly anticipated event.

Are you in the library? Tweet us your pictures and thoughts: @Exepose

Tom Payne, Editor