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razz my berries ISSUE 12 AUTUMN 2012

image Sanja Bistricic cover image Zoe Melegari

‘RAZZ MY BERRIES!’ is fifties slang meaning impress or excite me.

the team features editors Jess Price & Zoe Melegari creative writing editor Charlotte Black online editor Katy McIntosh publicity officer Jenna Payne

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editors and society presidents: Rebecca Lodder & Kate Hird

a letter from the editors Welcome to the twelfth edition of Razz My Berries, the University of Exeter’s ONLY glossy arts magazine! Razz is a collaboration of student artists, writers, designers, models and photographers, aiming to showcase the best of Exeter’s creative talent. We are KATE and BECKY, your new editors for 2012/13, and this is our inaugural issue! We feel honoured to be given the opportunity to help Razz continue to grow and develop as one of the University’s most interesting and diverse societies. We would also like to thank last year’s editors Anna and Jess for establishing the platform from which we can launch even bigger and more creative ideas. Our first issue has taken a lot of hard work and dedication over the holidays, but we wanted it to encapsulate the individual summer experiences of our members in time for our freshers to enjoy! DRIFT through the pages to enjoy some truly unique STYLE and be inspired in time to get your name in print in the next issue. Keep creative,

KATE AND BECKY x

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…ironing This one took a while for me to get my head around as well. According to the Extreme Ironing World Championships held for the first time in Munich in 2002, “Extreme Ironing calls on you to take your iron and your board to extreme places to iron your clothes there. That can happen on a mountain, in a forest, in lakes, rivers, on crowded public places or wherever you like. There is no limit.”

There is apparently some debate about whether it is actually a sport or not, and I believe (luckily) it is widely considered to be a tongue in cheek activity. ...languages Fancy learning a new language? Esperanto is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language in the world. It was originally developed in the hope of creating a unified system by which all countries could communicate with each other.

I’m sure most of you have never heard of it but it actually has a substantial presence across Europe including it’s own World Congress. If that does not convince you, in February 2012, Google translate added Esperanto as its 64th language!

there are always those willing to take things to the next level: razz editor, Becky, explores

EXTREME…

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…RC car racing

A lot of you surely had radio-controlled cars as children and can remember driving them around thinking you were the best driver there ever was. Now there is a way for you to find out. Radio-controlled Car Racing is a huge competitive sport with entire companies dedicated to creating the fastest engines and technology for the miniature cars.

Though many enthusiasts practice at home or at the local park, you need to have raced on a dedicated RC track before you can take this hobby to the next level and get metaphorically, behind the wheel.

…pig racing

Now this happens to be Razz’ favourite extreme hobby! It is a sport thought to have originated in Southern American states as a warm up to rodeo events and at county fairs.

It also happens to take place less than an hour away from Exeter University’s Streatham campus. Pennywell farm in South Devon launched its very own ‘Ham Stakes’ earlier this year that has proved to be a huge hit. Red Runt won their first competition back in April and Pennywell’s owner Chris Murray says “its odds on we have a classic activity in the making”.

The young (miniature) pigs need to be in peak physical condition as well with obstacles like Bacon’s Brook and the Trough to overcome. The attraction takes place every day at 2.30pm and I am immensely grateful that there is no betting involved as I could see myself getting very, very addicted to this extreme hobby!

words Rebecca Lodder

image Pennywell Farm

RAZZ 4

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It seems that in the summer I, like many other people, adopt a new attitude towards the way I live my life. The restrictions of everyday routine fall away and I find myself wandering from day to day, under the influence of what I have coined “summer drift syndrome”. All the worries of the previous academic year float away and instead of stressing over plans, I feel free to simply mosey about and see where the day takes me.

The combination of warmer weather, a less restricting schedule, and mingling with old or new friends is all it takes to transfer me into my new lifestyle, permeated by an “anything can happen” attitude. I no longer spend half an hour deciding what to wear; I just throw on something comfortable and walk out the house. Makeup is not important. Planning what to cook is not an issue. I grab a snack of fruit along the way and the daily cravings for junk food and chocolate that pester me during term time disappear. And because of the better weather, even exercise happens naturally as I end up walking everywhere. Everything just flows.

The “syndrome” increased on my trip through Croatia and Italy with my close friend. We happily travelled from city to city and beach to beach. As those of you who have completed similar trips will probably know, the people staying at our hostels had the same happy, “summer drift” vibe. Everyone was open and easy to talk to. We made friends effortlessly, and went from hiking with them in a national park to having drinks in the town centre, and from walking the city walls to

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swimming in the sea at midnight. The pressure of everyday life, of commitments already made, of worrying about your image, did not exist, and, as a result, I achieved so much more each day.

I used an old Nokia instead of my iPhone to occasionally text my parents saying I was okay, and managed not to check Facebook for the whole 20 days I was away! It was all about experiencing and interacting with the present.

I achieved so much over the summer; can I do the same in Exeter? When I think about how stagnant, stressful, and repetitive student life can get, it seems ridiculous not to try to hold on to my “summer drift syndrome”. Would I not achieve so much more? Or would I forget my commitments to lectures and my part-time job?

However, a main factor does seem to be the weather. The sun provides so many free activities. While you can sit in a park chatting with friends about what a wonderful day it is, you cannot sit shivering in the pouring rain chatting about how muddy it is. So is it just England’s awful weather? Maybe a little bit. But I hope weather is not all there is to it. I would like to think that the majority depends on my attitude. I want to live each day to its fullest with a minimal amount of stress. I want to stop procrastinating from my reading just to spend all day watching TV shows. I want to stop thinking that I have already made all the friends I need at university. I want to keep on pushing to achieve more and get the most out of my last year at Exeter and so should you!

words Sophia Lawton image Beth Evans

“summer drift syndrome”

on the Okavango Delta razz writer, Alex, DRIFTS down the river… Part of the joy of travel is the ability to drift through time. You can amble from hostel to gallery, from café to market, from bar to bed as you wish. However, if you want to take your drifting a little more literally there is surely no better place than the Okavango Delta. Botswana may be landlocked but with a Delta the size of Switzerland you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

Now if Venice was the first place that sprung to mind as an excellent “drift” location, then it may help to think of this Botswana Delta as its post-apocalyptic counterpart. It is Venice if all the buildings had collapsed and were overgrown with reeds; Venice if hippos suddenly inhabited its celebrated canals; Venice if its elegant gondolas were now made with sausage tree wood (a single piece suffices compared to the two hundred and eighty necessary to construct a gondola).

Having drifted to a secluded clearing through an indulgent smattering of water lilies lit only by the fading sun, camp will be set for you and dinner prepared. There’s just time to try paddling the mokoro yourself before heading to bed early in preparation for a morning safari, life doesn’t get better than that.

words Alex Turton image Tom Hird

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the cellar door There was a huge BUZZ around The Cellar Door when it opened last year. The legendary queues of Tuesday nights stretching up the hill, all to get into what appeared to be a small, black shed with a BOLD white emblem on the door.... It has transformed the quiet cobbled streets of the Quay and offers an alternative Exeter night out. One year on, razz editor, Kate, asks the owner, Dan Poulson how it’s all going…

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What’s the story behind The Cellar Door? After running bars and pubs in Switzerland, France, Brighton, Reading and Exeter, we found the site for The Cellar Door. It was a wreck at the time, but the second I went down there I knew what it could be. Now, almost a year in, we've hosted some internationally recognized talent, pushed the local scene to some new places and allowed students not to be force fed the Baywatch theme tune every week. You must be delighted with your popularity so far? Yeah, it's great that we get to do what we love and get such a positive response to it. It's a super friendly place to come, the door staff are quite chilled, the bar staff enjoy the party, we get some excellent acts in and that creates an atmosphere that you want to come back to. You have a pretty unique and exciting location underground the historic quayside, is this why you chose it?

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Underground was quite a big selling point because you can make a lot more noise when you're subterranean [laughs]. It's cool down here too, I love coming to work in the morning/early afternoon and grabbing a coffee by the river. Many student club nights in Exeter feature mainstream chart or cheesy music. You, however, offer something a little bit different… We probably play a wider variety of music than anywhere really; you could bracket a lot of it as Dance music but that's like saying anything created with a guitar is rock music. Drum and Bass, Hip Hop, Rock, House, Ska, Metal, Dubstep, Reggae, Techno, Garage, Punk, Dance Hall as well as newer stuff like Glitch, Fidget, Bass Hop etc. You’re a young team; do you think this makes the night a better experience because you know what students want? Yeah, not specifically students but we certainly have a stronger connection to youth culture than most other places and just by our

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nature we're always on the hunt for new music and art that pushes boundaries or changes the game a little bit. As the alternative night out for students, would you say you strive to be something unique? (The Magic Hat Stand night comes to mind!) I think we are doing things a bit differently; giving promoters and artists the space and support to create what they really want to goes a long way, and encourages the customers to embrace that creativity and be actively involved in it. It's hard to describe but when the people who have come to be entertained become such a big part of the entertainment themselves it's a pretty cool vibe.

“you can make a lot more noise when you're

subterranean” You describe yourself as an art venue and platform for up and coming artists, tell us more about this creativity… It's all part of the same thing for me; music, dance, painting, singing, its all a performance and that is what The Cellar Door is a platform for. We've hosted plays, turned the place into a makeshift cinema, had dance performances and live painting; it is really an art space. If you need a place to let

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your creativity out of its cage then give us a shout. Any future plans for The Cellar Door? We've just opened a new pub venue upstairs called ‘The Revelry’ which is going to host loads of live music. It has a much more traditional pub vibe with a few quirks. We’re putting a kitchen in soon as well so Toast'a'Rama will be getting a bit of a face-lift. Freshers’ week is looking rad too with some real big acts getting involved. There are always plans, I'm the worst bored person in the world - if there's not too much to do then we're not doing enough [Laughs]. Lastly if someone asked you to ‘razz their berries’ what would you say? Stand in front of that speaker and have a listen to this.... facebook ‘TheCellarDoorExeter’ twitter @thecellardoorex www.thecellardoorexeter.co.uk

words Kate Hird

images cellar door

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“style is a sense of the individual” razz writer, Anna, runs through the autumn trends…

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If you have ever been caught in an eBay bidding war, you know that style is not slow paced. English fashions have not evolved gently drifting from one hemline to the next, but rather chaotically charge in a passionate, anarchic way. To keep up with new trends, you have to be running at 100mph leaving all sense of rationality and logic behind. In a blink, what was once new and revolutionary is now passé - and SO last season.

It is our style that determines what is considered current in everything from Onesies to One Direction. So, as we move into Autumn/Winter 2012, it is out with the old and in with the new. Floating through the fashion closet are pieces with a new spin on an old idea. Prints are no longer psychedelic, but symmetrical. Leather is not a thing of fetish, but rather ladylike and tailored. What’s more, black... is the new black. Not a hint of gradual change in sight.

It has been said that as the economy falls, hemlines get longer. The futuristic edge and short skirts of 2010 gave way to the ageless classics and clean lines of 2011. Now in

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autumn 2012, the fashion world has been swept up in the new opulence of the Edwardian trend: demure necklines, empire waists and brocade prints fine enough to make the Downton Abbey aristocracy swoon. Recession? What recession? Looks like we will just have to ‘fake it ‘til we make it’.

But before I go all Gucci on you, I know a few tricks to help you follow this season’s biggest trends on a student budget. For the prints, think shift dresses and oversized jackets with a head to toe pattern. So long as it is symmetrical, you’re home free. Try Asos for your geometric hit. Sleek Black leather must be pared down with a natural softened look: no smokey eye and red lip here! Hold back on the jewellery, and try a blue hue for a change. Feeling the pinch? Faux leather is the way to go, particularly at Warehouse. Finally, we may not have a title or knighthood, but this does not mean we can’t wear baroque and OTT jewels, just head to River Island this season for an everyday answer to aristocratic glamour.

Fashion may always be in flux, but style is a sense of the individual.

words Anna Riddiford image Ellena Deeley

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Stuck for CASH but have a creative buzz to satisfy? Take the charity shop challenge and make clothes that show off a truly UNIQUE style for half the price of a high-street outfit. Student loans do not even cover the cost of our accommodation anymore, let alone fund our wardrobes. But Charlie and I (Daryl), two students, show it is possible to look stylish for less. Fighting through the racks of a few charity shops in Exeter, they put together outfits that you won’t find in your average H&M.

With a measly budget of just £15 per person, Charlie and I put our creative instincts to the test, customising some old clothes and making something new (and cheap). Charlie came in under at £12.72 whilst I took one of her left over pounds and spent just £16.

Charlie took an oversized men’s jumper

and with a quick snip and a few stitches made a cardigan fit to grace the slopes of Streatham.

I found an old ASOS top and oversized

Ralph Lauren mint green trousers and with a bit (or maybe a lot) of sewing and many bloody fingers, created a pair of bright, hipster-skinny trousers ready for a night at the Lemmy.

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“How to look Hipster on a budget – put your creativity into some old clothes and make yourself stand out at cheesy Tuesdays this term!” Charlie: Belt – 99p (Kidney Research) Jumper - £2.99 (Kidney Research) Originally from Marks and Spenser’s Dress - £3 (Cancer Research) Originally from New Look Assorted Jewellery – 74p (Kidney Research) Daryl Scarf - £2.50 (Scope) Blazer - £5.50 (Cancer Research) Originally from J. Crew (est. value £180) T-Shirt - £3 (Cancer Research) Originally from ASOS Trousers - £4 (Cancer Research) Originally Ralph Lauren Additional Costs - £1 (ribbon)

words Daryl Hurst images Charlie Tyjas

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Everyone’s familiar with British festivals: mainstream music, wellies, mud, and sinking tents. You’ll end the festival soaked with beer that’s been thrown on you, and count yourself lucky if no one drunkenly urinated on your tent. Singing ‘Wonderwall’ in the rain is only fun so many times, so this year I decided to go further afield to find the perfect festival experience, to Belgium.

Tomorrowland is a massive dance festival in the Belgian town of Boom. If you’re expecting Beyoncé or Lady Gaga, you’ll be disappointed. Tomorrowland specialises in electro music, including dubstep, drum and bass, house, hardstyle, synth, techno, and trance. We’re talking Fatboy Slim, Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, Afrojack, David Guetta, Bloody Beetroots, Alesso, Steve Aoki etc. The nice thing about this festival is that it’s the kind of music that you either love or hate which means a whole crowd of people who came for the music.

If you thought Britain’s

festivals were big, think again. Approximately, Glastonbury holds 130,000 people, Reading and T in the Park 85,000, and Latitude only 25,000! Whilst Tomorrowland consisted of 180,000 people with 400 DJs on 15 stages over 3 days. Unsurprisingly, tickets sold out within two hours.

Bigger isn’t always better, small festivals can often be more

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friendly. So if you’re going to organise a big festival you’ve got to go all out, and Tomorrowland certainly did. Renowned for its fairytale setting and spectacular stages, the main stage was made up of storybooks, each with witty titles like ‘Dance Around the World in Three Days’ and ‘Beauty and the Beat’.

However, the best stage by far was ‘Winter Clubbing’, nicknamed the ‘Cave Rave’. It was essentially a tiny tunnel with a massive rave going on inside. Health and safety apparently isn’t such an issue in Belgium but everyone was simply thoughtful enough to notice rather than crush you. Tomorrowland is a festival of quality, style and aesthetics. Despite its vast scale, there were lots of little details to make your experience special. Confetti was dropped over the arena from helicopters, there were fireworks and pyrotechnics, and the wristband even has a pendant that says ‘Made with love’. The organisers even tried to help with the inevitable issues of a three-day festival in hot weather, providing ‘refresh points’ with deodorant and hairspray. One of the smaller stages even gave out free sorbet! It’s the little things that make the difference.

Tomorrowland 2012 included people from 72 different nationalities. So if you’re interested in both travel and music, why not combine them and go to a foreign music festival?

festivals: Belgian vs. British

RAZZ 13 words Katy McIntosh

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I too am tired of the standard muddy British festival experience. Too many seventeen year olds who have just discovered sex, drugs and rock and roll (supposedly). And yes you are always soaked in beer (you’ll be lucky it’s nearly always piss), guarding your tent, praying the hundred-strong group of topless boys chanting ‘burn burn burn’ don’t get yours next. Although the big Festivals boast incredible sets and top artists, from arena to tent there isn’t much else to them. Latitude Festival in unsuspecting sleepy Suffolk has something a bit different to offer.

Latitude is a relatively small festival that was a well-kept secret but has recently gained in popularity. Their tag-line: “It’s more than just a music festival’ sums it up perfectly. As well as the various music stages this festival offers poetry, film, comedy, cabaret, theatre, dance, art and dozens of other interesting acts. This eclectic mix of all things creative makes Latitude one for the culture vultures. Regardless of your tastes you’ll stumble upon something you never thought you would enjoy which is a completely refreshing experience.

Smaller crowds make for a

more intimate scene. The jokes about class frequently cracked in the comedy arena are, to an extent true; Latitude does attract white middle class families but during the day that makes for a relaxed atmosphere. The mix of age groups

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cuts through music stereotypes and makes it purely about the art form you’re watching and sharing.

I was working at the festival this year (if you can call it working); my friends and I guarded valuable artwork during the small hours of the morning from drunken abuse. One night I was guarding an outdoor screen showing video footage of moths (as you do), some old Rastas danced around us to the Reggae soundtrack, whilst just down the path, Shy Fx played to hundreds of people and past that a cheesy DJ played Christmas remixes. Though completely bizarre, the moment was at the same time, sort of brilliant.

Highlights: Bon Iver, Ben Howard, Alt J , SBTRKT, the ‘new Beyoncé’ -Janelle Monae, classical genius pianist Lang Lang. Favourite comedian- Irish Abandonman (who freestyle rapped about the contents of the audience’s pocket), BBC Five Live political show, the contemporary dance and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

A few years ago

Radiohead legend (and Exeter graduate) Thom Yorke picked Latitude to do a solo set. You also often see the performers wandering around. This all says something about Latitudes laid back feel. Its weird and wonderful mix of culture and performance makes it an alternative but very special festival. experience.

words: Kate Hird

razz asks this issue’s contributors to look back to their TRANSITION from school to Uni and share some MEMORIES and ADVICE…

Bonnie Stephensmith: I didn't register that I was going to Uni until about two days before, unlike most of my friends who spent months getting excited. The only preparation I had was my parents quizzing me on the way about how much I thought different foods cost!

Zoe Wolstenholme: Moving to Exeter meant the beginning of lots of long distance relationships. Distance however has only strengthened my love for my friends, and my family. And, wonderfully, one long distance relationship is ending this year, as my boyfriend is coming to Exeter too!

Georgina Campbell: I was no longer the big fish with her head girl badge in a tiny pond, but an insignificant goldfish, completely lost in an enormous ocean. I’m still that goldfish, but after being at Exeter for 2 years, I think I have finally learnt how to swim along with the school.

Katy McIntosh: I didn't adapt well to Uni at first. Everything was new and scary. I was given a mentor to help me cope and soon I was enjoying myself immensely. My flatmates were amazingly supportive, even though I'd just met them, and they soon became the closest friends I've ever had.

Charlotte Black: All I heard during my gap year abroad was 'freshers' hype from friends, so I could not wait to get to Uni. And while the transition into a whole new lifestyle was still a strange upheaval (despite my anticipation), I was soon frustrating my mum by calling university - 'home'.

image Beth Evans

Cameron Milne: I was desperate for Uni: independence, new people, and endless things to do. Make sure you do something new every week (every day if you're ambitious!) You no longer have to be who people expect you to be; don't be afraid to start afresh.

Alex Turton: Taking a year out to travel helped the transition but my halls provided a great framework within which I made some great friends; getting up for 9am breakfast really promotes bonding!

Katie Wilkinson: Moving to Uni was pretty manic but also a breath of fresh air – I loved cooking, meeting new people, exploring Exeter, and having Dartmoor and all of beautiful Devon on my doorstep.

Charlie Tyjas: I was so anxious at first but luckily, within fresher's week, my fears evaporated. Being in catered halls for the first year was a bonus as it took the pressure off cooking every night! I did miss baking but I have more than made up for it this year!

Sophia Lawton: I moved a lot growing up, so the idea of starting over was exciting rather than intimidating. I still had some adjusting to do since I was used to a more international crowd but once I settled in I had a fantastic time!

Anna Riddiford: Making the change to Uni life was not what I thought it would be. I had ideas, but they turned out to be more like a Hollyoaks plotline than real life. My favourite memory of first year: an impromptu water fight that broke out between my adoptive flat!

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