Turn the corner of the complicated interior for the photography institute (well complicated for an Exeter student who had no idea where she was going!), pass the ever-growing stream of people holding bold star-spangled red magazines and you find the launch of Subculture – the newest student-led print publication.
I’m attending to support my housemate Emma, an author for the magazine, and run into more people I know than I ever expected. It’s an eclectic mix of Falmouth and Exeter students the boundaries becoming ever less defined, ambient lighting, a pink bathroom suite and excited chatter over the sounds of the live music. The atmosphere is one of positivity, relief and a general sense of wonder at the professionalism of the magazine and the occasion. Add a glass of complimentary wine/soft drink and it feels like an industry event, but with the relaxed vibe that accompanies all university functions. Ending the night with the political witticism’s which litter Will Hawkin’s songs (check out his EP Unoriginal Songs) and the evening encapsulates not only Subculture the magazine but the subculture of the university. If you’d have asked me who I thought I’d bump into tonight I’d have listed most of the friends I know through my housemates’ Falmouth courses, I didn’t expect to run into the Exeter President, several English students and a whole variety of others. Once again, I have been reminded of the diversity of this campus and the unusual experiences which it presents us with, I spent most of my Saturday at the Open Day telling all the future freshers to embrace their artistic sensibilities (the magazine is supported by Exeter’s Annual Fund as well as the AMATA Edge Award), because you never know where it might lead, the opinions it will introduce you, the fun things you might end up doing on a Tuesday evening or simply the new reading material it’ll provide you with. I’ve got one year left and I’ll be embracing every Exeter/Falmouth crossover I can.