ANY POLITICIAN declaring there is still apathy among Britain’s youngest voters might have had to eat their words had they faced an audience of Exeter College students putting questions to three of the city’s candidates today.
At times there were gasps, at others cheers, and, occasionally, the odd boo, as Exeter’s Ben Bradshaw (Labour), Hannah Foster (Conservative) and Graham Oakes (Liberal Democrat) took questions from the floor, many of them from first-time voters.
A number of staff from across the College, including Principal Richard Atkins, were also present to watch the live debate, which was carried out in a similar fashion to the recent televised leadership debates with each candidate responding in turn.
St David’s Church was literally filled to the rafters, as around 400 students crammed into the aisles to take part in Exeter College’s Student Question Time Hustings, keen to hear the views of local party representatives.
Those who had no chairs chose to remain standing throughout the length of a one-hour head-on debate, which had been jointly-organised by Exeter College Students Union (ECSU) and the Humanities faculty.
Clearly in awe of the huge turnout, the city’s current MP Ben Bradshaw congratulated his audience, declaring: “This is the biggest public meeting I’ve ever been to in all my 13 years in Exeter, so don’t let anybody say that young people are not interested in politics.”
The national deficit, immigration, student fees, Exeter’s bid for unitary status and ‘Bigotgate’ were all topics hot on the political agenda this afternoon.
While Head of Politics, Phil Chappell, chaired the hustings, ECSU President Kurtis Schofield fielded the questions to the panel.
Praising the staff at St David’s for their help in organising the venue, Kurtis said: “We did unfortunately have to start turning people away because there were so many turning up that we would have been in danger of going over capacity, which was incredible.
“Before this afternoon, I had been worried that the audience might have sat quietly and not asked any questions on the day, and that everyone would have had to sit there in embarrassing silence.
“But there were so many people wanting to ask questions that the debate could have gone on a lot longer than it did, and I feel really proud of the students at Exeter College today.”
Exeter College Head of Politics Phil Chappell said: “The students will have seen the television debates, so this was their version of them. It is important for them to think about who they vote for as their candidate locally and not only about who they would like to become the national leader.
“Whereas the turnout among first-time voters has traditionally been very low, it seems more young people have become interested in this election as a result of the televised debates – particularly with it looking like it could be a close result.”
Head of Humanities Clare Flood added: “There was a real buzz in the air during the debate. The atmosphere was amazing. I was really impressed by the both the students’ involvement and the questions they put to the panel.
“I think Graham summed up nicely at the end why it is so important that first-time voters do recognise their right to vote whatever their allegiance; their vote can make a difference and they can have a say in the future of our country.”
From the 17th to 19th of May a group of talented up and coming contemporary artists who collectively work under the banner of Acute-art will be taking over Fahrenheit Nightclub in Exmouth for a three day guerrilla show of film, painting and installation pieces.
The show, which is titled: Acute#1 promises to excite and entertain and aims to inspire and connect with all generations!
On the opening night of the 17th guests will be able to view the work, chat, and party with the artists.
The event is admission free.
Any further information can be obtained by contacting the venue via e-mail at:
DEVON-based accountancy firm Simpkins Edwards has continued its support of Exeter College’s Reach Academy this Spring by sponsoring and judging an essay-writing competition for its students.
At present, around 50 gifted and talented students are undertaking extra curricular activities organised by the Reach Academy to help prepare them for entry into some of the UK’s top universities.
To date, these have also included a visit from the Bank of England’s Chief Economist and former Exeter College A level Economics student Spencer Dale, and a tour of Parliament and private meeting with Ben Bradshaw MP at Westminster.
Those taking part in the Simpkins Edwards competition were given the chance to win a new Sony Vaio laptop as well as the opportunity to undertake an internship with the firm during the summer break.
There were three titles to choose from:
How will social networking sites be relevant to businesses in future?
What do you see as the impact of the current recession on the Exeter marketplace?
What are the main barriers to young entrepreneurs in the South West?
The judges – two Simpkins Edwards partners, John Coombs and Adrian Hemmings, and guest assessor Gary Waple, the Finance Director of London-based brand consultancy Acanchi Ltd – were unanimously impressed with the entries.
However, all were in agreement that one in particular stood out – that of Lukas Mackinder, aged 16, of Alphington.
The former West Exe Technology College pupil, who is now studying for A levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Economics, and Critical Thinking at Exeter College, says: “I entered the competition because I thought that social media was quite an interesting subject to write about.
“I was both pleased and surprised to hear I’d won, and I will be taking the laptop to university with me where I know it is going to be very useful.”
Hoping to go on and read Engineering and Science at Oxford or Cambridge, Lukas adds: “I think the Reach Academy is a really good idea for helping people like myself who are aiming for Oxbridge or other top universities.
“We’ve already been on trips to see different universities, we’ve had talks from leading professionals who have helped us to see what it would really be like to work in certain fields, and we are also being given lots of support to help us aim for the universities of our choice.”
Simpkins Edwards partner John Coombs, who was a Governor at Exeter College between 2001 and 2009 and is now an Associate, says that Lukas’s essay particularly stood out because he had explored a huge array of pros and cons surrounding social networking in his essay.
“While all the essays were very good, Lukas’s essay quickly emerged as the winner because he developed quite a number of strands of ideas and interlinked them well,” he explains.
“Most people who had chosen the same subject matter had looked at it from the advertising perspective. Lukas had taken his a step further and was exploring ideas such as immediacy of customer feedback, worker productivity, and human resources issues.
“What particularly hit home was his recognition that companies using social networking had to manage reputational risk.”
Asked why his firm has chosen to become involved with the Reach Academy, he adds: “We are very pleased to be associated with Exeter College’s Reach Academy.
“I think sponsorship from the Met Office and from other professional bodies gives the students direct access to the real world, rather than offering academic delivery in the classroom alone. It means that they are able to talk to real people and find out first-hand from them what is happening at local, regional and national level.”
IT’S THE kind of job many a catering student must dream of, and at the age of only 19, former Exeter College Professional Cookery student Daniel Bonner has landed it.
Having now completed his probationary period, Daniel – also a former pupil of Exeter schools St Peter’s and Walter Daw – is Demi Chef de Partie in the kitchen of top London restaurant Fifteen, famously founded by TV celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.
Born and raised in Exeter, Daniel left his family home in Broadfields just over three months ago to go on trial at one of the UK’s most fashionable eateries.
Having quickly settled into his new life in the capital and loving every minute of it, he says his exciting new career is largely thanks to the assistance he received from Exeter College, and local restaurateurs who gave him the hands-on apprenticeship experience he needed to get where he is today.
“My interest in working in a kitchen began when I worked at Le Petit Maison, which is a really good restaurant in Topsham. I was doing the washing up there and I became really interested and inspired as I watched the chefs at work,” Daniel recalls.
“Then, when I was 17, I went to work at The Cat In The Hat in Exeter where restaurant owner Phil Picton really showed me how to cook, and at the same time allowed me a great deal of freedom in the kitchen. I was able to play with recipes and write up menus, and I learnt a lot from him. I definitely part owe my success to him.
“I also owe it partly to Exeter College where I completed my NVQ Level 2 and 3 in less than two years. I’m particularly grateful to my tutor David Byford. He was very, very helpful and very supportive and he pushed me to be really good at what I do. He is a brilliant man; I can’t say more than that.”
Having also previously done stints working for Gordon Ramsay and Devon’s own top chef and former Exeter College student Michael Caines, Daniel says he is delighted with his new role.
Daniel says: “I originally came to Exeter College to study A levels in Maths, Physics, Geography and Graphics, but then I changed my course to Professional Cookery and completed Level 2 and then Level 3 last year, and I’ve never regretted my decision.
“I remember one day when I was 16 I was seated in an office in a shirt and tie waiting to be interviewed for a placement with an engineering firm. It would have been a really great opportunity had I taken it, but I suddenly realised it just wasn’t for me.”
Asked why he changed his mind and decided to become a chef instead, he replies: “I love food. That’s my honest answer. It might sound a bit cheesy, but if you have a passion for something then that’s all you want to do.
BEING diagnosed with ADHD has certainly not always made life easy for 17-year-old Aaron Sellick of Exeter.
In his mother Georgina Herbert’s words, he was “horrendously bullied” as a child and told that he would go nowhere.
However, Aaron has certainly proved sceptics wrong.
In addition to today being a popular student within Exeter College’s Foundation Studies faculty among staff and peers alike, he has just returned from Newport in Wales where, in an international speedway tournament against the Welsh Under-18s speedway cycle team, he and his seven teammates won for England.
As a boy, like so many others, Aaron was quite happy playing on his BMX until a trip to see Exeter Aces practising at their club in Marsh Barton one night would change his life.
Georgina recalls: “He was nine years old. They put him on the track and he never looked back.”
Since then, Aaron – who attends a Pre-Foundation course at the College – has risen through the ranks at the club within a team which has won the South West League for the last seven years in a row.
Georgina continues: “Aaron is one of the ones who crept through unnoticed, just plodding along until the year before last when he came third overall in the South West.
“Before he began speedway cycling, he was very inward-looking and was a loner. He lacked confidence because of the bullying, and would also become frustrated because he couldn’t express himself.
“Of course, when he gets on the track, nobody sees his disability; all they see is a person racing. He is accepted for who he is and is treated exactly the same as everybody else. He goes racing all around the country with his club and it is like one big family.”
Of Aaron, who lives in the family home with Georgina, her partner Simon Mortimer, and his three siblings – all of whom also race – Amy, aged 19, Charlie-Jane, aged 14, and ten-year-old Jack, his mother says she still remembers the moment she heard her son was picked for England.
“When I first got the phone call from the England manager to tell me Aaron had been selected, it certainly brought a tear to my eye,” she recalls.
“I thought about all that Aaron had been through and all those people who told him he wouldn’t succeed. He has certainly had the last laugh.
“On the day, his job as part of the English team of four was to stay in the third position in order to keep a Welsh team member at bay in fourth, and he did exactly what he was supposed to. England won with an 18-point victory over Wales and the whole family are very proud of him.”
Adding that she is grateful to Exeter College, who donated £80 towards travel expenses, she continues: “The support from the College was very much appreciated. Aaron was over the moon as it helped take him one step further towards his goal – to one day ride for England.”
Exeter College Pre-Foundation Team Leader Gemma Tozer adds: “We are delighted that Aaron has found an interest that he is so passionate about and has excelled in. This enthusiasm spills into the classroom too, and learners and staff very much enjoy hearing of his success. We are very proud of his achievements.”
Exeter Aces are based at Cofton Road, Marsh Barton, and practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 6.30pm and 9.30pm. To find out more about joining, call 01404 43954.
Exeter College’s Reach Academy has been boosted by the news that the ground-breaking initiative has attracted the UK Regional Law Firm of the Year as a new sponsor.
Michelmores LLP joins the Met Office and the Emergency Services in supporting the Reach Academy whose aim is to encourage high performing students to stretch themselves academically and to aim high in their university and career ambitions by providing a range of exclusive opportunities and events.
Michelmores partner Emma Honey said: “We have a long-standing association with a wide range of educational establishments and this, coupled with a robust corporate and social responsibility programme, made supporting the Reach Academy a very attractive option.
“We were attracted by the concept of broadening the horizons of the most able students and providing them with access to specialist programmes, participation in inspirational master classes and a range of extra-curricular activities not normally available to many young people.
“In addition to financial support, Michelmores will be providing work experience for six students so that we can play a positive role in helping students to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to progress their academic careers at top universities and perhaps to inspire them to pursue a career in law.”
Exeter College’s Assistant Principal, Anne Oxborough added: “We are delighted that Michelmores are supporting the Reach Academy, helping us to step closer to our goal of having a professional partner for every specialist area that we provide support in for our Reach Academy students. The firm’s proactive approach to sponsorship is an endorsement of what we are trying to achieve through this unique programme and is a wonderful example of the educational and private sectors working together to achieve mutually beneficial objectives.”
Further sponsorship opportunities for other sector areas covered by the Reach Academy are available. Those interested in opportunities can contact Chris Lorimer at Exeter College.
Six Reach Academy students will be at Michelmores for work experience for three days in April with two students in each of three legal departments, business, property and privcate client.
DESPITE the doom and gloom in the media about the tough competition for university places, Exeter College has put measures in place to offer its students expert guidance aimed at maximising their chances of success.
Among its provisions for full-time 16- to 19-year-old students hoping to progress to Higher Education, the College – which has handled 1000 UCAS applications to date this year, an increase on last year’s total of 884 – held Higher Education talks for parents and students as part of its Parents’ Evening on the city centre campus this week.
In addition to representatives from Exeter College’s own well-regarded Higher Education faculty, members of staff from the universities of Exeter, Plymouth, Marjon, Bath Spa, Southampton Solent and the University of Wales Institute were also at hand on the night, offering out prospectuses and advice on course options for future applicants.
The College is also offering individual advice to any students during College hours with a view to helping them to focus on making the choices which are right for them at this crucial time during their academic year.
Among those providing support in addition to students’ tutors is Student Progression Officer Jill Ball.
She says: “Applications at Exeter College are up in line with those nationally. This nationwide trend may be for a number of reasons, not least the present economic situation which is meaning that some additional students who may have previously chosen to go straight into employment have decided to go into Higher Education instead.
“There is also the question about what will happen next year with regards to student funding, as the present cap on university fees is due to be lifted in 2011,” she adds. “With an election on the horizon, the future in relation to this is as yet unknown, so this may be another reason there are more students applying nationally for Higher Education this year.”
She continues: “The Government has acknowledged the situation with regards to university places and in its Budget last week announced the provision of extra places as a way of fielding some of them. However, it will not provide all of them, which is all the more reason why offering additional advice to would-be undergraduates is so important this year.”
With the May 5 deadline day for making university choices looming close, Jill says: “As students have to whittle down their five original choices to two, we are trying to encourage them to strategically choose offers which are not too alike; that way, if they find that their results were not as they expected them to be, they should have a second choice to fall back on.”
She adds that support is also being provided to those students who have already made a selection only to realise that the course they’ve chosen was not the right one for them after all.
“In these instances, we can tell them about a second application method known as UCAS Extra, or talk to them about taking a gap year and the various other options available to them.”
Exeter College have awarded former straight A Economics student, Ziad Khreisheh the ‘Spencer Dale Economics Student of the Year’, sponsored by the Chamber.
Ziad has won an exclusive chance to visit the Bank of England and meet Spencer Dale, Chief Economist and former Exeter College student. This is the first time the prize has ever been given and formed part of the Exeter College annual Student Awards, recognising achievement across the College. Funding from the chamber ensured that Ziad not only received the commemorative goblet and certificate but also an enhanced financial award plus train travel sponsored by First Great Western.
Of his former student Ziad, who is now studying Economics at Cambridge University, tutor Richard Taylor – who also taught Spencer Dale – says, ‘Ziad is an outstanding economist. Not only does he have an intuitive grasp of economic theory, but he has the ability to apply this to current economic issues and problems. There is no doubt that Ziad has the potential to be a truly outstanding economist, and we wish him luck in his future studies and career.’
Spencer Dale first studied Economics as a teenager at Exeter College before continuing his education at the University Of Wales, where he obtained a BSc in Economics, and then Warwick University, where he completed his Masters in the subject. Also a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Spencer is involved in making decisions and drawing up policies which have an impact on all of our lives – in fact those of us with record low interest rates on their mortgages have Spencer to thank!
Continued…
Derek Phillips, Chamber Chairman said, ‘We were honoured to sponsor this award and fantastic prize as it’s invaluable for any aspiring economist to visit the central bank of the UK and really a once in a lifetime opportunity. The idea for the award came to light when Spencer Dale visited the College earlier in the academic year and as he is an ex-student himself. We wish Ziad much luck for the future and hope he has a truly rewarding day.’
First Great Western have kindly sponsored Ziad’s train travel to London. Julian Crow, General Manager said ‘We are very pleased to support Exeter College and the Chamber with this important initiative and to provide Ziad with complimentary travel to London to collect his well-deserved prize.’
“RUN a mile on one of our cookies” was the slogan that city students used to do their bit for Sports Relief last week.
The Exeter College students managed to raise £100 for the charity, collecting donations for their cookies in the Guildhall Shopping Centre after spending the morning baking them.
The students are part of the College’s Learn To Work programme, which engages Year 10 and 11 school pupils who need an alternative option to the National Curriculum.
Beforehand, they had written a letter to Sainsbury’s asking for help with the ingredients, which resulted in the supermarket donating everything they needed on the day.
Tutor Rob Harding said: “The group wanted to do something to raise money for Sports Relief and looked at different ways of doing this. They decided they could raise more money by running a baking sale than trying to get sponsorship to take part in a run.
“I’m really proud of them because they worked so hard in the morning to bake all the cookies, and then they spent the rest of the day behind a stall in the Guildhall collecting the money.”
He added: “They got a lot out of it too. Initially, they were a bit wary of the selling part, but by the end of the day they had become much more confident and the people they spoke to were really generous. What they did also fits in well with their qualification, part of which requires them to show they can promote and sell a product.”
All the money donated has gone straight to Sports Relief.
LOCAL children, parents, staff and businesses will be celebrating on Thursday when the Prince’s Trust Team 63 hand over the beautiful garden they have spent the last three weeks fundraising and cultivating for Exmouth Children’s Centre.
The brief for the Exeter College students taking part in the project was to create a low-maintenance sensory garden on land belonging to the Centre that would make it attractive to both the parents and children who use it and the local wildlife.
As a result, a border of pretty flowering and evergreen climbing plants have been planted along the boundary of the site while within the garden there is now a fire pit, complete with a seating area, as well as herb containers, bird feeders, and a selection of fruit bushes within a raised bed.
Prince’s Trust Team Leader Sophia Carmen says: “Through the efforts of the team, we have transformed unused areas of garden into vibrant spaces which will now serve as a safe and educational environment in which children will be able to experience and enjoy the great outdoors.”
In order to raise money towards the community project, the eight team members, aged between 16 and 19, washed motorists’ windscreens in fancy dress outside the Bovey Straits Esso garage, which alone earned over £300 towards their good cause.
Further items were donated by local businesses Ireland Construction, Bernaville Nurseries, The Perfume Garden Plant Centre at Powderham Castle, and The Embercombe Building Company, totalling an estimated further £500, while product discounts were offered by B&Q and Greenfingers Garden Centre in Exmouth.
Currently half-way through their 12-week Prince’s Trust Team programme, the Exeter College students who were involved in the Exmouth Children’s Centre project were: Jess Letheren, Carl James, Dan Williams, Luke Miller, Nathan Steer, Frank Nomah Koneh, Rebecca Rowlands and Brett Newbery. Assisting them were Development Coaches Charlie Plackard and Leah Ackford.
The programme’s aim is to promote personal development through teamwork and making a contribution to the community, while also gaining a City & Guilds qualification with a strong vocational element.
Sophia adds: “‘I’d like to congratulate all the students for undertaking the planning, fundraising, and practical activities that have enabled them to contribute so richly to their local community. They’ve done a great job for those who use the centre, and have also benefitted themselves in the process by learning a host of new skills.”
Exeter College delivers three Prince’s Trust programmes a year for 16 to 25-year-olds. To find out more about the course or to take part in the next Taster Day on March 19, contact Sue Dart on 01392 205920, or sophiacarmen@exe-coll.ac.uk or shevekpring@exe-coll.ac.uk. Our next team starts on May 31.
