Issue10

24th NOV 2014/ ISSUE 10 FREE

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Interview: Owen Jones

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Let’s get our act together

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Students march against tuition fees

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Reported rape cases in Fallowfield increase by 100 per cent in one year - Greater Manchester Police have announced that the number of rapes amongst Manchester students in the first three months of the semester have doubled since last year with at least 30 reported cases in 2014 so far.

Lauren Gorton News Editor

In coalition with the Greater Manchester universities and Students’ Unions, Greater Manchester Police have launched a new antirape campaign aimed at students, with the strapline “Drinking is not a crime. Rape is.”

The new campaign is being launched in light of the news that in the past three months there have been double the number of reports of rape from students in comparison to 2013. As part of the campaign university premises and licensed premises will see new posters being put up and the hashtag #noconsentnosex will be reinforced across social media sites.

The announcement of the new campaign comes just weeks after a controversial story was ran by the Manchester Tab over a GMP poster claimed to be targeted at rape and telling students to “keep their assets out of sight”.

However, it was later established the poster was in fact over seven years old and was targeted at theft crimes towards students.

In stark contrast, GMP’s actual anti-rape campaign is now being heralded as an important step for the police in shifting emphasis from the victim to the perpetrators of rape crimes.

Speaking about the new campaign generally Detective Inspector Damian Simpson from GMP’s Serious Sexual Offences Unit said: “Unfortunately we’ve dealt with many an incident whereby two young people have met on an alcohol-fuelled night out, one thing has led to another and the next morning we’re arresting somebody for rape.

“It doesn’t matter whether there has been flirting, kissing or you’ve exchanged numbers— sex without consent is rape, and if somebody is too drunk to consent then the best thing for all involved is to assume it has not been given.

“Rape ruins lives for both the victim and perpetrator and you have my absolute word

that we will take each report seriously and are committed to bringing offenders to justice, whatever the circumstances may be.”

However, the campaign has not escaped student reservations focused on the extent of the campaign in terms of who the campaign is targeted towards and how effective it will ultimately be in reducing the number of rape crimes committed against students.

The Mancunion reached out to the Greater Manchester Police press office over expressed concerns and spoke with DI Simpson.

Speaking on the initial statistics, that there have been 30 reported cases in the first three months of term which is double from 2013, DI Simpson stated that on a national level 30 reports of rapes being committed is a low statistic in terms of students, but is higher than last year. However, on this matter he was quite confident that there would have been more incidents that actually occurred in 2013, but that these would have gone largely unreported.

In regards to concerns that the campaign was aimed specifically at student perpetrators following emphasis in press statements on drunken incidents occurring amongst young individuals, DI Simpson stated that this perception was misconstrued. The campaign is in itself aimed at discouraging all males of taking advantage of a drunken person and specifically targeting males to consider in drunken situations whether they really have been given consent.

Further on the issue of the intended audience of the campaign DI Simpson said that out of the 30 reports only one actually concerned a student perpetrator and that the wider remit of the campaign was evident in its launch on Thursday the 20th of November on Granada Reports and also in the wide range of bars across Manchester in which the posters have now been placed.

Speaking about expressed student concerns over the effectiveness of the campaign in preventing incidents of rape, DI Simpson stated that he disagreed with concerns over

The poster produced by GMP in collaboration with Manchester Students’ Unions. Photo: Greater Manchester Police.

whether the campaign would in fact prevent rapes occurring. Stating that the campaign was a proactive approach of deterring people to commit the offence and that if this prevents even a few instances then that will be a success.

Finally, DI Simpson wished to encourage any students who had views on how to improve the campaign or had a better approach to hitting a wider audience to express such views to either

the Students’ Union or The Mancunion in order to help GMP in the future with other campaigns.

To report an incident please contact police on 101 or, in an emergency dial 999. Calls will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Also follow #noconsentnosex on twitter to join the conversation.

02 : NEWS

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Highlights P12

Music: Interview: Move D

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Picture of the week - ‘Stop trying to make fees happen!’

University of Manchester students took part in the free education demonstration last week Photo: Rosie Dammers

Fashion: Fashion fails – a brief history

Jessica Weiss News Reporter

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Books: The life of C.S. Lewis

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Lifestyle: Blind Date

University accommodation too expensive for new students For the last 10 years University accommodation fees have been steadily rising. University accommodation fees are supposed to be rising at the same rate as inflation or CPI (Consumer Prices Index) and the rest of the housing sector. In mid-2004, University accommodation fees and the maintenance loan were rising at the same rate as inflation.

However data obtained by The Mancunion show that the University accommodation are becoming less affordable for many students.

Ten years ago inflation was at 1.3 per cent (sources range from 1.3 per cent to 1.34 per cent) and at the time of publication inflation in the British economy was at 1.5 per cent. Nonetheless University accommodation fees have increased as much as 22 per cent in comparison to inflation over the past 10 years. University accommodation is therefore becoming unaffordable option for many students.

The Students’ Union Executive Community Officer Ellen McLaughlin has expressed concerns as to how these new fees will affect members of the student body, especially those from less privileged backgrounds.

Fears within the Students’ Union that the new fees

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com

The Owens Park Fallowfield accommodation. Photo: Iris Chase @Flickr

will put even more pressure onto students as living costs are projected to increase. Some question whether it could further discouraged prospective students from applying to the University due to the combination of higher accommodation fees, living costs and tuition fees.

The exact amount University accommodation fees will rise by has not been announced, though it is believed that the changes will come into effect after the redevelopment of Owens Park scheduled for next year.

Sub-Editors: Morgan Hollet, Gemma Sowerby, James Jackman & Charlotte Pangraz.

Beauty Editor: Nikki Patel beauty@mancunion.com

News Editors: Anna Phillips, Lauren Gorton, Helen Chapman & Jenny Sterne news@mancunion.com

Food & Drink Editors: Elena Gibbs & Adam Fearn

Science & Technology Editor: Andy van den Bent-Kelly

Film Editors: James Moules, Thomas Bruce, Martin Solibakke, & Andriana Hambi film@mancunion.com

Features Editors: Haider Saleem & Roberta Rofman

foodanddrink@mancunion.com

features@mancunion.com

Books Editors: Leonie Dunn & Ali Pearson books@mancunion.com

Editor-in-chief : Aidan Gregory editor@mancunion.com

Opinion Editors: Morris Seifert & Marcus Johns

Games Editors: James Thursfield & Matt Cole games@mancunion.com

Deputy Editor-in-chief : Charlie Spargo deputyeditor.mancunion@gmail.com

opinion@mancunion.com

Lifestyle Editors: Robert Firth lifestyle@mancunion.com

Facebook: The Mancunion Twitter: @THEMANCUNION

Postal address: Univerity of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone (0161) 275 2933

Fashion Editors: Aimée Grant Cumberbatch & Gráinne Morrison fashion@mancunion.com

Music Editors: Patrick Hinton, Samuel Ward, Lowell Clarke, and Daniel Whiteley music@mancunion.com

Sport Editors: Andrew Georgeson & Will Kelly Sports Reporter: Liam Kelly sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Nicole Tamer theatre@mancunion.com Arts Editor - Holly Smith arts@mancunion.com Societies editor - Evie Hull societies.mancunion@gmail.com Interested in photo journalism, with an eye for colour and detail? The Mancunion are looking for photographers ! If you would like to get involved, contact Aidan Gregory at editor@mancunion.com

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 03

Disability support at University comes under scrutiny Jenny Sterne News Editor

Government plans to “modernise” the Disabled Students Allowances (DSA) were set to come into force for the next academic year 2015/16. However after intense lobbying from the NUS and other campaign groups, the decision was made last week to postpone it until 2016/17.

According to a poll of over 500 disabled students carried out by disability specialists Randstad Student Support Students’, 93 percent of students believe they would be unable to reach their full academic potential without support from DSA. David Willetts proposed that “HEIs are expected to consider how they deliver information to students and whether strategies can be put in place to reduce the need for support workers and encourage greater independence and autonomy for their students”.

However in response to these plans Randstad concluded that “Universities alone cannot fill the gap”.

Victoria Short, managing director of Randstad Student and Worker Support commented that: “Equality of opportunity is why schemes like DSA exist […] Shifting responsibility to universities is much more significant than it sounds. If disabled students must judge universities not by their teaching reputation, but on the likelihood of receiving the necessary support to study, then disabled students face a fundamentally different choice to others.

Of those surveyed only 4% believe

their university has the resources to provide the same level of support without central government funded DSAs. In light of this, The Mancunion spoke with a second year English Literature student who feels that: “Dealing with the Disability Support Office (DSO) has proved difficult for me, even though they seem to be a group of willing and helpful people.

The first assessment meetings are available only on a drop-in basis, but each time I dropped in I was told they were either too busy to see me that day, or that I would face a one- to two-hour wait.

After two weeks I managed to see someone and was assessed, however I was then informed that all subsequent support meetings were booked up until after Christmas and I would be placed on a waiting list until the New Year.

While more immediate support is available, these meetings are for a full support plan, such as library and exam support, and support within your department. These measures will not be able to be put in place until Semester Two for me, and for others who have visited the DSO in the past few weeks (I was assessed in Week Five of this term).

Not only is this problematic for many students, but the long waiting times I feel would cause some to give up, especially if they face mental health issues such as depression.

A member of staff at the Office of the President of the University informed me that my student’s tuition fees contribute to services at the university that form

Support for disabled students in Higher Education Institutions comes under scrutiny Photo:Chris Beckett@Flickr

part of the student experience; however I do not feel that my fees are being best used to aid my experience of University since I will have to wait all this time for a support meeting.

Yet this is not the only issue - the counselling system within the University also has a long waiting time, and a financial assessment from the DSA generally takes six weeks to come through, and until this money arrives the University cannot put certain measures in place.

Clearly, the whole system is struggling and needs to be readdressed.”

Rosie Dammers Wellbeing Officer said of this issue: “There has been a particularly long waiting list this term because the DSO has experienced staff

vacancies, long term sicknesses and maternity leave periods.

However, this is part of a wider issue which concerns government cuts to higher education which has led to a severe lack of funding available within universities for student support services such as the DSO. Disabled students are already discriminated against in higher education and the cuts to the DSA will only make it worse. The University has a responsibility to break down the barriers, and not let the governments’ right-wing discriminative agenda make it harder for disabled students to come to university.

The University has committed to making up the funding for 2015/16, but

no further than that. We need to be campaigning to ensure the University allocates adequate funding to the DSO and does not allow government cuts to effect disabled students on our campus.

We also need to stand in solidarity with disabled students across the UK, whose university may not be able to afford to plug the gaps, and make the government reverse its plans.

I think there is a lot of scope in the lead up to the general election to raise awareness of this issue and lobby candidates to come out against the cuts to the DSA. We have a disabled students campaign group who would welcome new members and support - if you would like to join the campaign please get in touch”.

Voting for the NUS Elections opens Global Week an eye-opening success for Student Union

António Rolo Duarte News Reporter

Voting for National Union of Students (NUS) delegates was opened online last Friday, November 21st, after a two-month period of application submissions.

Those who put their names forward will now dispute seats for eight different conferences. The National Conference, which is the highest decision-making body of the entire NUS structure, is the primary one, for which students are electing eleven delegates – to make a total of twelve, as the Students’ Union general secretary is elected automatically.

Besides the National Conference seats, there is an LGBT Conference with eight delegate positions available, a Women’s Conference with four, and Black Students, Disabled, International Students, Postgraduate, Mature & Part Time conferences, which elect one delegate each.

All seats are being contested, although some conferences have a disappointing number of students standing, such as the Disabled Stu-

dents Conference, with only two candidates. Ahead with the largest number of candidates is the National Conference, with 31 students disputing the seats, although this is still a 25 per cent drop in applications compared with last year, when over forty students were standing.

Charles Barry, Governance and Democracy Coordinator and Elections Administrator at the Students’ Union, does not expect that low application numbers will necessarily impact on the excellence of this year’s representation. Interviewed

by The Mancunion, he said: “Quantity does not necessarily equal quality. You may find that this year the calibre of candidates has gone up. There are certainly a few different candidates who are running in teams too, so students should have a look at their manifestos and see what all the different candidates are doing.”

Speaking about the NUS elections, General Secretary Charlotte Cooke said, “The NUS is very important.

There’s loads of stuff which students don’t see that the NUS do for unions, in terms of the research that it does, the training that it offers, and the col-

laborations, partnerships and networks which it creates and which are really crucial. ” After taking office on the 1st of December, elected delegates will go on to take part in nationwide conferences between February and May 2015. They will be setting the NUS policy in each of their areas, electing the NUS National Committee and Board of Trustees, and electing the national offices for fourteen fulltime paid positions, which include the National President of the NUS. All students in the university are eligible to vote for the National Conference delegates. Voting for LGBT, Women’s, Black, and Disabled conferences is open to every student that self-defines as belonging to the social group for which he or she is voting. Students may only vote for the Postgraduate, Mature & Part Time, and International conferences if their university registration shows that they belong to one of the categories.

Polls are open until next Friday, November 28th, at 12pm. Students can vote by accessing a link on the front page of the MyManchester portal.

Xiaoya Su News Reporter Global Week 2014 came to an end last Saturday. Throughout the week, University of Manchester students were given a unique opportunity to experience cultural diversity and raise international awareness. Among a series of activities, Global Night, held on November 20th, was the biggest and most impressive, attracting over 100 students.

For the Global night event the 1st floor of the Student Union was converted into an airport departure hall for Global Night’s ‘One World Airlines’, coming equipped with staff dressed up as airline stewardesses, and drinks, cakes and chocolate fountains carefully laid out for the boarding students.

From here the Global Night event proceeded with a fashion show, with students from India, East Africa, Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and Mauritius modeling their traditional costumes. One of the East African model said that she was slightly apprehensive whilst waiting backstage, but when her turn came and she saw the audience smile at her, the anxiety completely faded. Speaking on

the night she said: “I’m so glad that I can cheer them up and make them swing with me!”

After the fashion show, the One World Airline eventually ‘took off’ with a cultural talent show. With the audiences being shown dances, singing and band performances from different cultural backgrounds from around the world.

The eye-catching programs, including belly dancing, Chinese folk dancing, Jamaican Reggae, saxophone performance and guitar playing, which won waves of cheers and applause from the enthralled audience.

Tessy Maritim, Diversity Officer of Student Union Exec Team, hoped to provide a platform for students to showcase and celebrate their culture and background by organizing Global Week, and it seems that the effort was successful. Looi Ishiko speaking about the event said, “I have made new friends through Global Night. This event has widened my horizons and built my understanding of other cultures.” Global Week 2014, and especially Global Night, has certainly succeeded in leaving a remarkable impression on the University of Manchester Students’ Union calendar.

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 04

GMP launch new domestic abuse web app

A screenshot from GMPs new domestic abuse web app. Photo: Greater Manchester Police.

Elena Losavio News Reporter Greater Manchester Police are launching a new web app. Your call: Domestic Abuse is aimed at increasing awareness amongst people about this important issue, too often under reported.

Your call: Domestic Abuse gives members of the public an opportunity to walk in the shoes of police staff and officers who respond to reports of domestic abuse from members of the public as well as understanding it from a victim’s point of view.

A promotional event for this campaign was hosted by GMP at the Trafford

Centre on Wednesday the 19th of November. Explaining what the new key features of this app are, Detective Chief Superintendent Vanessa Jardine said: “The app is a scenario-based experience.

It is not based on real life, but from what we see regularly.

“It takes you through an incident and it makes you take some decision about what you may do. It gives you some suggestions: would you call the police now? Do you want the police to turn up? If you press the button and make a decision, the consequences of those decisions come as well. It encourages people to understand the issue and help them to make real choices.”

The web app has been launched ahead

of the festive period, because statistics show that usually during Christmas holiday there is a significant increase in this kind of crime.

For example, figures show that between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day last year there were 2096 reports made to police about domestic abuse.

This compares to 1444 the previous year.

The shocking statistics, showing a 45 per cent increase, highlight that the fight against domestic abuse is not over and that more work needs to be done.

Detective Chief Superintendent Vanessa Jardine observed: “This is a sad statistic which highlights the scale of the problem across Greater Manchester particularly during the festive period,

when finances become tighter and tensions get higher.”

This is why everybody should be actively involved in reporting what happens around them. Not only the victims can call the police, but family, friends and neighbours should also be aware of the support services which are available.

Nowadays, there are several ways to obtain help if you are being subjected to domestic abuse in any of it forms— physical, sexual or psychological. This web app is one of the methods that GMP started to use to reach a wider range of people, thanks to a new kind of technology.

Anyone who feels that they are being

abused by a partner, ex-partner or a family member can approach their GP or nurse for help. The Domestic Abuse Helpline is also available to offer support for victims on 0808 2000 247.

To access Victim Support’s services you can call, text, email, or self-refer. To find out more about the range of services we can provide go to www.victimsupport. org.uk or call our Victim Care Unit in Manchester on 0845 456 8800.

For more information or to report abuse, you should contact the police on 101 or the Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0161 6367525. You can also visit the GMP website for more information www.gmp. police.uk/domesticabuse.psychological.

Manchester students have Playstation Marking boycott suspended 3 seized after multiple noise complaints until further talks go ahead Lauren Gorton News Editor Following a series of noise complaints by neighbours dating back from October, Manchester students have had their Playstation 3, amongst other equipment, seized

by Manchester Council Officials and Greater Manchester Police.

The students living off Moseley Road in the Fallowfield area were from both Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University. They had already been visited by a Council Official prior to the seizure in regards to claims that they would have excessively loud 4am gaming sessions after nights out.

Further following the failure of the warnings of the council official the students had also been officially served with a noise abatement order on November 7th, although noise complaints from neighbours continued.

Besides the Playstation 3, the police on November 17th also seized a Samsung flat screen TV, a Phillips DVD

player and a total of seven speakers, two of which were laptop speakers and the other five Phillips surround sound speakers.

The items will now be held for 28 days at a council depot, at the end of which time the students will be able to apply to receive back the equipment in exchange for a fine.

Speaking on the case a Manchester council spokesman said: “This seizure demonstrates that we take these concerns from residents very seriously and we work closely with the police and universities to take action against any households that cause problems for their neighbours.

“Residents should not have to put up with noise until the early hours of the morning, and we will always investigate complaints, issuing noise abatement notices to people we find behaving in this manner. In rare cases when this does not bring the problem to an end, we will work with the police to seize equipment.”

However besides most students being innocent of such behaviour con-

cern has now been raised amongst the student community that this story is just one of recent stories which have been depicted as demonising Manchester students collectively.

This concern has arguably been supported by Fallowfield councillor Mike Amesbury comments on the seizure, which stated that despite the majority of students knuckling down, some amongst a selfish minority were “hell-bent on taking away the right for people to have peaceful lives.” Depicting the student’s actions to be purposely vindictive as opposed to idiotic and inconsiderate.

The story comes shortly after news of ‘chaotic’ Halloween parties tormenting the non-student Fallowfield community, which has also received national attention. Furthermore the story also follows shortly after The Mancunion’s expose of national newspaper The Sun attempting to gain Halloween pictures of Manchester students dressed controversially to run as a front page story.

Aidan Gregory Editor-in-Chief The marking boycott enacted by the Universities and College Union has been suspended, pending further talks over pay and pensions.

Fallowing discussions last week, union representatives agreed that the boycott would be postponed until the 15th January. This deadline has been set, with a view to coming to a settlement over the issue of pensions.

This also means that this semester, thousands of students no longer have to face the prospect of their work going unmarked.

In a joint statement, the Universities and College Union and Universities UK said, “both parties are committed to seeking a joint proposal for reform that offers an affordable, sustainable and attractive pension scheme, for both current and future members.

They added further, that they are “pleased that the agreement to suspend industrial action at this early stage will mean that students will not have been adversely affected and members of staff will not have had pay deducted”

Many students were quickly informed of the decision.

In an email on Friday morning, head of the history department, Professor Hannah Barker, said, “I am very pleased to inform you that the lecturer’s union, the UCU, today confirmed a suspension of all industrial action called by them in relation to their current dispute from 20 November until after 15 January 2015.

The suspension has been agreed to allow a period of intense negotiation with the aim of seeking an agreement on reforms to staff pensions.

“What this means for you is that marking and assessment activities should now be taking place as normal on all courses: though if you are waiting for some marking and/or feedback that was affected by the industrial action, there may be a delay before you receive it”.

One student described the news as “best news I’ve had all week!”

Another said “I’m glad it’s been stopped, because now I can get my essay marks back! But I hope they resolve the situation quickly”.

NEWS : 05

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Protesters take to the streets of London against tuition fees demands.

Helen Chapman News Editor

Last Wednesday, an estimated 10,000 flocked the streets of London in protest against tuition fees.

Students

assembled

in

Bloomsbury at midday and finished outside Parliament square later that afternoon.

The demonstration was organised by the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, the Student Assembly Against Austerity

and

the

Young

Greens; under the banner of ‘Free Education: No fees. No cuts. No debt’.

Organisers said the demonstration against tuition fees and wider cuts to education was the biggest mobilisation of students since 2010 when demonstrators occupied Tory party offices at Millbank.

The demonstration is said to be the first part of a larger movement against the marketization of higher education.

Strikes, occupations and walkouts are planned for later in the autumn term.

Hannah

Pugh,

Education

Officer at the Students’ Union, said: “Germany won free education recently but it took them around 8 years to build a student movement that was strong enough to make such

Students’ Union, said: “The gov-

“Winning free education can

ernment is gradually making

only be possible if we are to

Higher Education a fully mar-

change the public narrative

ketised environment and the

of austerity to one where the

next step to come is uncapped

advantages of tax and public

fees; an American-style system

spending on welfare, health

which will price a generation

and education are common

out of education.

sense. It is certainly not possi-

“Students and staff have to

ble by asking politicians nicely.

make our voices heard on

“In Germany, the student

these issues. University edu-

movement

public

cation costs the government

narrative through years of

changed

almost the same now as it did

hard work campaigning, dem-

when fees were only £3000

onstrating and participating

because the system is so inef-

in direct actions that required

ficient.

politicians and the general

“You only have to look across

public to begin to consider free

the channel at European Uni-

education as an option. We

versities who offer largely free

need to replicate that here.

courses, with some fees up to

agenda and dispelling myths

nah Sketchley reported in the

being treated as customers by

“In the past 4 years, we have

around €1500, to realise that

propagated by both the coali-

guardian:

Higher Education institutions.

seen the government unleash

£9000 fees are taking us in

tion government and labour

party is proposing free educa-

“The government is unwilling

unprecedented cuts to public

completely the wrong direc-

opposition.

tion in the way we envisage it,

to put the interests of students

spending

tion.

and yet it would be a popular

over those of private corpora-

policy.

tions eager to exploit the edu-

which

dispropor-

Fees are not Fetch! Photo: Anastasia Perahia

“Education is a right, not a

“No

mainstream

tionately affect women, work-

“Instead we should aim for

privilege, and is economically

ing class, black, disabled and

a fair, accessible system that

feasible. Whether it can be

“In a poll conducted this year,

young people.

allows

achieved will be decided by

96% of people surveyed said

“What we can take from yes-

how long and hard we are will-

they were in favour of a more

terday is the need for local ac-

progressive taxation system.”

tion, especially at Manchester

“It should come as no sur-

for

social

mobility

through learning.”

prise that it is also these peo-

Caspar Hughes, 3rd year Poli-

ing to struggle. Today is only

ple who are disengaged from

tics and International Relations

the start of a long battle for free

parliamentary politics perhaps

student, said: “We’re constantly

education.

Jasper Llewellyn, third year

strong student body, only 50

told by politicians that there is

“There are three countries in

protest last Wednesday was

came down for yesterdays pro-

resented by the main political

no choice: we can’t afford free

South America with a quarter

a prime example of how the

test.

parties any more. If we are to

education and students’ £9000

of our GDP who have free edu-

student movement can still

“The Manchester branch of

reverse these trends, we need

fees are essential in this period

cation, so basically it would be

exceed expectations at every

the student movement meets

to encourage these people

of austerity and cuts.

economically feasible through

turn.“The fact that 10,000 pro-

every Monday at 5pm in the

“This is rubbish: the dem-

progressive taxation systems o

testers came down on the day

Students Union and there are

onstration last Wednesday is

have free education in the UK

demonstrates that the problem

going to be regular demos on

hopefully the start of getting

as well.”

of 2010 hasn’t gone away. Stu-

Thursdays outside university

dents are still dissatisfied at

place.”

to take back control in other ways.”

Joel Smith, Activities and Development Officer at the

free education back on the

Beth Redmond and Han-

student,

said:

where, despite having a 40,000

“the

because they do not feel rep-

Drama

cation sector.

LGBT Choir stand united in the face of homophobic attacks Jenny Sterne News Editor Last Monday Manchester Lesbian and Gay chorus (MLGC) along with many other local groups showed solidarity with victims of a homophobic attack on the Metrolink.

The event was in response to the homophobic attack on JeanClaude Manseau, 25 and Jake Heaton, 19 on 1 November last Monday an event entitled ‘Safe to Sing’, a mass sing-along was staged on Manchester’s tram network.

It started with 80 singers on board city centre trams bursting in songs such as “Somewhere”, from West Side Story, and a “Canal Street” version of Petula Clark’s “Downtown”.

Volunteers at the event handed out rainbow coloured cupcakes from a box marked “cake not hate” to the passengers of the tram.

The choir was then also joined by counterparts from the Hallé ensemble, as well as Manchester Community choir, Blackburn People’s choir, the Manchester Bach

A LGBT choir stage a sing-along on the Metrolink in solidarity with homophobic attack victims. Photo: Heartlover1717 @ Flickr

choir and other groups from the North West.

Several hundred people then filled Piccadilly Gardens with West End hits. The campaigners concluded their sing-along in Piccadilly Gardens with a rendition of Wicked’s theme song, “Defying Gravity”.

Manseau and Heaton had been on their way to Canal Street, the heart of Manchester’s gay village, before they were attacked at Piccadilly Gardens.

They say the attacks began after they had been singing tunes from the musical Wicked, which prompted homophobic taunts from a man aboard the tram.

After getting off the tram at Piccadilly Gardens the pair were pursued and attacked by a mob of 15 men shouting homophobic abuse at them.

Manseau was knocked unconscious and suffered a black eye, a split lip and broken nose.

Heaton told the Manchester

Evening News (MEN) “It’s completely shocking. Nowadays you think people are mostly accepting of people’s sexuality, especially in a big city like Manchester. We did nothing to provoke it. We were just having a laugh and a sing on the tram.

“It was definitely homophobic.

Throughout it all they were hurling abuse at us. I don’t feel safe now. You feel like you can’t be who you actually are when there are people like this walking the

streets.”

Manseau again speaking to MEN said: “It has destroyed every bit of confidence I have. It will be a while before I go anywhere on my own. I don’t know when I’ll feel safe to go into Manchester again.”

Neither Manseau nor Heaton felt up to attending the event. But speaking to the Guardian Manseau’s mother was moved to tears “To think that all these people have come out tonight for my son.

It’s just a pity the rest of the world isn’t so kind.”

Kath Fox, MLGC co-chair said in a statement to the Guardian that the event was “a way for us to reach out to Jo and Jake and to assure them we will defend the right to safe passage on public transport for all people, especially those from the LGBT community.

“Out of the ugliest circumstances, the most meaningful and powerful messages emerge and that is what we hope to achieve with Safe to Sing.”

The producers of Wicked also sent a message of support to the

victims: “On behalf of the entire Wicked UK companies, our thoughts and best wishes go out to both Jean-Claude Manseau and Jake Heaton, as well as their families, and we wish them a speedy recovery from the senseless and violent attack that took place in Manchester.”

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime commissioner, Tony Lloyd said the event was “the real face of Manchester”, not the “disgraceful” attack.

He added: “The Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus have organised a fantastic, positive response to an awful incident. I hope it will give the confidence to Jo and Jake – and the wider communities of our region – that when we say we will take a stand against hate crime, we mean it. This is about reclaiming our streets, reclaiming our public transport, reclaiming our city centre and showing that when we act together we are stronger than those who would seek to drive us apart.”

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 06

Black delegates The We Get It! stage walkout at UCU campaign enters its next phase annual equalities conference Jessica Weiss News Reporter

Anna Phillips NewsEditor At a University and College Union event in Manchester University last week, black members walked out in protest at the Union’s alleged failure to tackle race issues.

Members of the Union walked out over “racism, bullying and harassment,” and failure to support black members against victimisation.

The union’s longest serving black member Jim Thakoordin described the situation, saying there was “an outburst and walkout at the beginning of the conference by 75 per cent of black delegates present” on November 14th.

Jim stood up at the beginning of the conference and asked to speak about a statement released under the name of “black members of UCU,” but was refused permission to speak.

Members who protested were removed, and other delegates then walked out of the conference centre in protest.

In the statement, it states that “nearly 11000 black members within the UCU representing over 10 per cent of the union membership and contributing around £1 million towards the UCU annually.” It accusesNUSDE.NOV14.Mancunion.Half.pdf the union of “ignoring reports, petitions, letters 1 11/11/2014 and representations” from the Black Members’ Stand-

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ing Committee.

The statement read: “We have no trust or confidence in the UCU’s commitment towards fighting racism at the workplace and eradicating institutional racism from its structures and services.”

It demanded that the UCU ‘‘take race issues seriously... train, use and support Black caseworkers; set up Regional Black Members’ Networks; put into practice its anti-racist strategies and policies; challenge workplace institutions to end the workplace cycle of discrimination and let it be known that the UCU is committed to eradicating racial discrimination, bullying, harassment and victimisation at work and within the UCU.” Jim Thakoordin said: “The majority of black members remaining in the hall walked out in solidarity and as a protest against the chair’s ruling that restricted any opportunity to speak on the issues highlighted in their paper. They stayed out of the conference hall in protest during the Secretary General Sally Hunt’s address, returning to the hall for the keynote address and the rest of the conference.”

A UCU spokesman said: “UCU doesn’t comment on internal events. We strongly defend our record in standing up for all our members, including highlighting the continuing discrimination many black members face in the workplace.”

14:56

The We Get It! campaign, the Students’ Union’s zero tolerance to sexual harassment incentive has moved into its next stage.

Created in February last year, the campaign aims to end sexual harassment on campus by providing the student body and university staff with more support and training as well as raising awareness about the many forms of sexual harassment.

To date, the campaign has had over 5500 students and staff pledges against sexual harassment since its foundation.

In addition, a “report and support” button on My Manchester has been created, which enables students to report acts of sexual harassment faster.

The Students’ Union has also appointed at least two sexual harassment advisers to help

Photo: We Get It UoM@Faceboook

and support victims of sexual harassment.

The aim of the next campaign stage is to raise awareness of the differing sensitivity levels amongst the student and staff body through events and campus discussion.

Where do you draw the line? events, which took place last week, asked students to place a scenario on a harassment spectrum, from “harmless banter” to “potentially dangerous”.

A new campaign video is also out, which features Dame Professor Nancy Rothwell, members of the Students’ Union Executive, AU captains, and the Editor-in-Chief of The Mancunion. It can be found on the Students’ Union website.

Take action and report it online at: www.manchester.ac.uk/we-get-it, anonymously or for support. www.facebook.com/WeGetItUoM #WeGetItUoM

DO YOU GET IT?

You can now report bullying, harassment and discrimination on line

JESS LISHAK Women’s Officer, Students’ Union

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

08 : Features

Interview: Owen Jones

Photo: The Mancunion

On Tuesday the 18th of November, Owen Jones and Shami Chakrabarti were in discussion at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. We met with Owen just before Of Liberty began. Owen is at first an unassuming character; he is calm, polite and friendly—he even bought us a cup of tea. However, under the gentle façade Owen is as opinionated and passionate as even the most outspoken of characters, Russell Brand whom he interviewed recently on Guardian Live by the Guardian.

Owen jumped into every topic and question without pause, speaking to us in detail about a range of diverse topics.

On his career What I’m trying to do with writing is draw attention to issues, causes and people that otherwise are ignored. I’m trying to challenge the establishment and reach out to people to encourage them to oppose injustice and do something about it. That’s always what drives me, that is always what I’m passionate and interested in.

On his new book: ‘The Establishment: And How They Get Away With It’ It’s because, in this country, peoples’ anger is constantly and relentlessly redirected away from the powerful to the people down the street: immigrants, benefit claimers, unemployed people,and public sector workers. I’m trying to address this and shift peoples’ anger as best as I can, away from each other to those in power. So that’s what drove me to do it.

On Russell Brand The thing about Russell is that he discourages people from voting and I want people to vote. I try to encourage people to vote the best I can. I go to sixth forms and schools a lot where I meet a lot of young people who are disengaged and feel disillusioned. But Russell encourages them to talk about it. So on voting we don’t agree, but it’s good to get a debate going because people are otherwise alienated.

I just think: how many of Russell’s critics are having their articles published on the Facebook walls of working class kids debating issues in the society we live in? Not very many of them. So I find most of his critics just smug self-satisfied commentators who do nothing to address the cynicism of that debate, but just fuel it.

Young people aren’t voting in large numbers at the moment, not because of Russell—with his silly big hair, but because of people at the top;the way they have behaved has caused young people feel alienated.

Anything that gets people to talk about these issues in our society, anyone who gets them, particularly the young, to do that—I think it’s important. Even if you don’t agree with a lot of what he says that is still a useful contribution.

In regard to the criticism of Russell’s wealth—if you’re too poor they accuse you of envy, if you’re too rich they accuse you of hypocrisy, if you’re too young they accuse you of being naive, if you’re old they call you a dinosaur —you can’t actually win.

On student apathy I think it is more resignation than apathy.

When I meet young people it’s often the

case that they are aware of issues that will affect them: they are going to struggle to get a job; punished with debt, if they aspire to get university education; struggle to find an affordable home. Yet they don’t see politics as the route out of it, and it is something that occasionally attacks them. It scrapped the education maintenance allowance and trebled their debt to go to university.

What the Lib Dems did is just so outrageous as they actually inspired lots of young people back in 2010, which seems a bit odd to think now, but they did. They inspired lots of young people for the first time and that was their first taste of democracy.

Many of them will never trust a politician ever again; their faith in democracy is so undermined.

Politics needs to be about hope again.

It needs to be about offering solutions to people’s everyday problems, communicated in a way that resonates with people and their experiences. We need a more representative parliament. We need politics to reach out to communities again and actually give a voice to those who are otherwise just not given a voice.

All I’d say to students is that politicians would actually like you not to vote because it would stop holding them to account. Students: Use that power of the vote to make your voice heard, to punish politicians when they attack you and to give politicians an incentive to actually win over your support!

But don’t just see democracy as voting every five years: it’s using social media to raise issues; it’s taking to the streets; peaceful civil disobedience; join a political party, trade union, or campaign group.

There’s so many different things you can do as well as voting, it is part of it, but you’ve got to see politics as a vehicle which gives you a voice. What it should be about is addressing the issues that affect you and making sure you’re heard—and that’s what we should get back to seeing democracy as again.

On the demonstration for Free Education It needs to be on table the fact that education is a social need, not a consumer good. We all benefit from it, society is dependent on it at every level. We all depend on having trained teachers and doctors—a whole range of different people who society relies on to function.

For it to be marketised and treated as something for consumers means we need to fight back in a different direction. We need to shift the terms of debate and that is what happens when people protest.

Tax avoidance is on the agenda because people protested about it. So demonstrations do work, they do force politicians to listen. And if people aren’t arguing for that then what’s to stop the politicians going in a direction of constantly increasing fees and adding to people’s debt.

If no one’s protesting, if no one’s making their voices heard about this, what’s to stop the politicians?

So we have to keep making our voice heard and make the point that education is a social need, a social good, a social right not simply something that is a consumer good where people are indebted for aspiring to have a better education.

On the 2010 protest against the rise in tuition fees I think what that did is it solidified a sentiment of public opinion that tuition fees are wrong. If you look at the polls, people don’t support tuition fees. So the ground work is there to actually scrap tuition fees and have an education system as a right again. It’s important to realise with politics that change doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a big long running campaign to change things and it can take a while. There’s got to be patience and determination.

But the public mood is with students— people don’t think it’s fair, or right, or just.

So people just have to keep pushing in that direction. If you don’t do that, those fees will keep going up for the next generation of students. We shouldn’t be accepting that.

If you don’t protest then that will make sure that nothing will ever change.

On voting for the Green Party I don’t think any vote is a wasted vote. The rise of the Greens is partly an expression of frustration at a political system that is rigged in favour of the small elite. It’s an

expression of people who want social justice. And it shows the establishment is not offering the inspiring alternative that people want and so people have turned to the Greens.

I share a lot of platforms with Green campaigners like Carol Ann Lucas who I think is a fantastic campaigner, and they’re pushing ideas and policies which I think are really important.

Labour should not be given an easy ride, making them think they can do what they want and not offer an alternative.The rise of the Greens shows that people will go places elsewhere if they are not inspired, if they don’t feel that the Labour party is doing its job. So it’s a wake up call for Labour.

I don’t know if first past the post will carry on because the selling point for first past the post is that you get stable majority governments. That hasn’t happened with this election and it’s very unlikely it will happen after the next general election either. Politics is fragmenting in all sorts of directions. An electoral system, which is designed for a two-party government begins to look a bit silly.

If we end up with proportional representation then it would be a lot easier for parties like the Greens to be able to stand.People won’t have to make that sort of decision without first pas the post at the moment that’s what a lot of people do have to deal with.

On the voting system A conceivable outcome of the next general election is that the Conservatives could win the most votes, Labour could win the most seats, the Lib Dems could end up with 35 seats whilst UKIP get more votes than them but only end up with 3 or 4 seats – I just don’t think that would look tenable.

There’d have to be another coalition.

We don’t have a precedent for two coalition governments in a row happening in peacetime, so you end up with people then thinking that the electoral system is not sustainable in the long term.

With first past the post, parties can get a minority of the vote but form a majority government. But then in a system with regular coalitions, you could argue, no one votes for them. They come to power and they say: “all these promises we offered in the election, we have to discard them because we’ve entered a coalition.”

If you end up with coalitions in the first past the post system then you’re under a system that it just not representative. And I think minds will change on that quickly.

On UKIP I think there’s rampant disillusionment with modern politics and we’ve gone through the longest fall in living standards since the 1870s. We’ve got 5 million people stuck on social housing waiting lists. We’ve got people who are employed in insecure, low paid, zero hours work and all the rest of it. The next generation is set to be poorer than the last for the first time in decades.

All of that is fuelling a sense of anger and disillusionment and the sense that people’s needs aren’t being addressed.

It’s very easy in that situation to say, “Well hang on a minute, I can’t get a home, why is that immigrant being given a home. I can’t get a council house, but they’re getting a council house. I can’t get a secure job, why are they getting a secure job. My wages are falling maybe because those immigrants being imported to work for less than me.”

You can see why that anti-immigration backlash has really set in. But according to the polls, UKIP voters support public ownership of railways and energy, higher taxes on the rich, more council housing, a high minimum wage. These are mainstream ideas among UKIP voters. I think you can win them over to a progressive argument.

You have to ask who was it that causes the crisis? Was it Polish fruit pickers?

Lithuanian nurses? Nigerian cleaners?

Or was it the financial elite? The tax dodgers hoarding money while we all pay our taxes? The cuts in public services?

Poverty paying bosses who leave most of their workers in poverty? These are the real villains, and we’ve got to redirect people’s anger.

The political élite is so unpopular, it’s discredited and it’s not answering people’s basic needs. So there’s so much

Helen Chapman and Marcus Johns met up with the incomparabale Owen Jones for a cup of tea and a chat.

disillusionment and anger that you can see why an enterprising bunch of charlatans like UKIP will come along and exploit it.

We’ve just got to remind people that this anti-establishment party is led by that rare-breed of British politician: a privately educated white man who worked as a city broker. They’re funded by multi-millionaire ex-Tory donors. Their latest two MPs are two privately educated Tory men, one of who worked in the city, the other in asset management. Their policies are privatising the NHS and public services, slashing tax for the rich, attacking worker’s rights. That’s the so called anti-establishment party and we’ve got to expose them for what they are.

But unless, for example, Labour offers an inspiring coherent alternative that answers people’s everyday needs, then no wonder that people are going to end up flocking to UKIP, Greens or the SNP. They just feel that they’re not being listened to and their needs aren’t being addressed. And they’re not.

On Ed Miliband I think the leadership of Labour as a whole hasn’t really offered an inspiring alternative. If that were true, then they wouldn’t be in this current situation. All political parties are in crisis, true, but Labour often have scattered messages and no overarching inspiring message that resonates with people.

A lot of people aren’t even sure what Labour areo ffering. There’s a problem here and they’ve started to try and address it in the last week and a half but you can’t just do a big speech and hope it solves everything, you have got to stick with it and have a clear sharp message that you repeat over and over again—that’s what the Tories do actually.

As a whole, of course Labour hasn’t offered what it needs to; obviously they have odds stacked against them because parties rarely go from defeat to government in one term. Labour didn’t just get defeated last time, they suffered their second worst defeat in the post-war era.

They didn’t rebut the whole lie that the crisis was caused by Labour’s overspending— indeed the Tories backed their spending pound for pound until the end of 2008, they’re saddled with the image that they trashed the nation’s finances and they’ll do it again. They haven’t challenged it and it’s allowed a lie to become political commonsense.

They keep doing odd stuff; they keep attacking their own record in that way, for example in immigration. All that does is make people think, “well, you’re admitting that you were crap on immigration and why should we trust you then?” They’re driving up the agenda something that the Tories and UKIP always seem best suited to address.

They need to offer a message of hope, dealing with the crisis of falling wages, of lack of housing, of lack of secured jobs, of young people facing a future of insecurity and debt and being worse off than their parents. They have to have an inspiring answer to that and they haven’t succeeded yet, and time is running out.

On the TTIP I don’t believe anything is inevitable.

The defenders of any status-quo try to treat injustice like the weather, you can complain about it but there’s nothing you can do about it—I reject that. I don’t think anything like that is inevitable.

Labour have committed to protect the NHS from TTIP. That’s not good enough because TTIP gives multinational companies the same status as nations, and it allows them to sue governments for any actions that may endanger future profits.

It is an assault on democracy. The proposal will end up with secret courts.

It’s unaccountable, we don’t even know what the exact proposals are. We do know that they based it on consultations, secret consultations with all these big companies.

It’s undemocratic, totally unaccountable and a threat to our democracy. It should be opposed and it should be spoken about loudly. We should never think that these things are inevitable—saying that there’s nothing I can do about it is a short way of making sure they do become inevitable. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy.

On privilege or ‘champagne socialism’ Firstly, the Guardian isn’t a socialist paper, I’m just a socialist who writes for them and the editorial line is liberal, even though people construe it a socialist. It’s a liberal paper and it endorsed the Lib Dems at the 2010 General Election.

There’s a range of people who write for the Guardian but there’s this shtick that if you’re poor, and you believe in social justice, they accuse you of envy and if you’re rich, they accuse you of hypocrisy. There’s this idea that if you’re a socialist you should go and live in a mud hut somewhere and eat berries for a living and if you’re not then you are a champagne socialist, if you have a mobile phone and so on. We live in a capitalist society and it would be rather difficult to avoid it.

Socialism is not about people impoverishing themselves; it’s about making sure rich people pay their taxes. If people call themselves socialist and avoid their taxes, or they send their kids to private school, then that’s hypocritical behaviour.

It’s Victorian philanthropy to suggest that these people should give charitably to these causes, I’m not saying that people shouldn’t do that—but that’s’ the model of 19th century, the rich just give a bit of money here and there to the poor out of their generosity.

The whole point of socialism, or even just social democracy, is that you have public services and a welfare state which are provided on the basis of progressive taxation—the richer you are the more money you pay.

So, that’s what people should advocate in my view. That’s how society will be changed. Not just by bits of charity here and there which aren’t effectual, aren’t effective, and don’t come up with enough money to deal with social problems. As I say, obviously don’t avoid tax or send your kids to private school if you’re going to advocate socialism. But if you’re not living in monk style poverty and you believe in social justice then the idea you’re a hypocrite is silly.

Russell didn’t have to help the Focus E15 women who were being evicted. He didn’t have to use his profile to support them, but he did. It raises the whole issue of the housing crisis. The idea that he’s a hypocrite because he lives in a big house is wrong—he’s actually doing something, he’s trying to encourage people to fight back and to take on the housing crisis. You should judge people by their record and what they fight for rather than making ad hominem personal attacks. People only do that because they don’t want to talk about the politics, they don’t want to discuss the argument but they want to make it about the person themselves.

On the European Union In but it needs to be changed. It needs to be reformed. It needs to be made more democratic. The elements that enforce neo-liberal dogma need to be challenged.

No political discussion in the 21st century is complete without a selfie.

Photo: The Mancunion

If we want to bring the railways back into public ownership, there’s an EU directive that could prevent that because it enforces competition on the railways—but the British people didn’t vote for that and most people want public ownership of the railways. It’s the same with other things that limit state intervention and promote privatisation of public services.

It’s frustrating that the arguments for change in the EU have been surrendered to the right and to xenophobes. The left should be on the side of democracy and of challenging any authority that is unaccountable and is helping the interests of the rich—the EU is too like that at the moment. It has to be changed, but it can be changed without us leaving the European Union, of course it can.

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature : 09

Life on the streets of Manchester

Photos: António Rolo Duarte

Who are the homeless people of Manchester and why are they on the streets? António Rolo Duarte investigates...

It is six in the evening on a freezing November working day in Rusholme, Manchester. Students walk past, hurrying to get to their warm halls of residence, locals smoke cigarettes outside spicy-smelling restaurants, and some elders buy last-minute groceries for their evening soup.

But there is a strange smell in the air and some curious people, including myself, are intrigued by it. It is not an odour of food, but rather a more rustic scent, the kind you might find during a serene weekend stroll in the wood. “A. must be cold again”, says a shop owner knowingly, looking out of his shop front. “I wonder what he is burning this time around.”

As I look around, a thin cloud of smoke is visible about twenty yards away. The smoke comes from inside a visibly old paint can, where a thick mesh of eucalyptus leaves is burning. A man is sitting next to it, warming his hands on the heat of the fire, crouched in an almost foetal position, his eyes covered by a hood and his body wrapped in a dark synthetic cover. That man is A., one of the many homeless people of Manchester who struggle to get by in the winter months.

“I am very cold,” he tells me. “My temperature is dropping way too low. I was in Moss Side a while ago, but it was really snowy there. Really cold. So I came in here. Here is a bit better.”

Oxford Road, particularly the area of Rusholme, has significant movement even during the night, so the heat produced by vehicle engines allied with the larger income derived from begging attracts many homeless people to the area.

As I speak to A., two police officers approach us. They seem to know him well and are keen to talk to The Mancunion about the situation.

“We have been dealing with A.

for a long time,” one of the officers tells me. “We managed to find him a house to help him get resettled and we gave him the keys. But a few days later we found him living back on the streets.”

I ask about what the police officers do when they find situations like this.

“We have just radioed out the situation,” the officer says. “Someone will come and help. Something will be sorted out.”

No details were given about who was that someone or what was that something. When I went back two hours later, A. was gone—the fire now extinct, the rustic eucalyptus smell gone.

The Manchester City Council (MCC) Homelessness Data Review shows that as of 2012, there were 27 identified people living on the street in Manchester. Some would say these numbers are hard to believe, but according to Vice , the online news provider, that is because the figure is based on a one-day headcount done by council officials.

Still, besides the 27 rough sleepers, another 5834 people were classified as “homeless” by the MCC in the sense that they received essential assistance related to housing and living.

Most cases are triggered by relationship breakdowns and disputes with friends or relatives, which according to the MCC together account for 24.5 per cent of homelessness reasons in the city. Other main motives include eviction, domestic violence and loss of lodgings.

Homelessness comes with a type of freedom that is hard to find elsewhere in modern society, albeit a tragic one. Living in the streets can often mean that activities such as drug consumption are more

easily overlooked by authorities.

According to the findings of Theresa McDonagh, a researcher, 47 per cent of Manchester’s homeless have experienced illegal substance use— although some say the real figure is higher.

“Most of the guys I know around here do some kind of drugs,” says F., who lives under a bridge on Oxford Road. “Definitely more than half of them.”

“We help around sixty homeless people per day and most of them have issues with alcohol or drugs,” says Chris Fields, manager of St George’s Crypt, a charity.

But Mr. Fields also says that he doesn’t think that is the main issue in dealing with homeless people.

“I think substance abuse comes mostly from their social problems,” he tells me. “So if we can help with that, then it will be easier to deal with their drinking and stuff.”

Significant assistance to the homeless is provided by religious charities such as St George’s Crypt, which allows them to sleep in church halls and classrooms, and often provide a warm meal, under the condition that they do not consume alcohol or drugs and leave early in the morning. Some offer emotional and mental support as a well as access to day centers and job applications, and often distribute goods to those sleeping rough across town.

“The charities will often come around late at night,” confirms B., who sleeps at a narrow alleyway close to the Northern Quarter. “They will hand out food and clothes and stuff. It definitely helps.”

But B. himself cannot complain as much as others. He confesses to me that on a good day, he can easily make fifty pounds from panhandling—mostly at night, when

“people start drinking, loosen up and become more generous.”

Begging and sleeping on the streets is illegal in England and Wales under the Vagrancy Act of 1824. However, convictions are rare and if a person does have a priority need and has not made him or herself intentionally homeless, under section 193 of the Homelessness Act 2002 the local housing authority must secure that accommodation is available for them. But certain restrictions outlined in the document, relating to eligibility for council assistance, prove a significant barrier to the social reintegration of Manchester’s homeless.

F.’s issue relates to his official home town: “I am from Blackpool, so the Manchester council won’t provide accommodation because I am not a local. They said they would put me on a waiting list.”

S., a female from the city center who went homeless when her partner died six months ago, won’t be given accommodation because she owns a dog: “They say it can’t stay with me.

Well, I am not abandoning my dog, so that’s that.”

The main problem seems to be that institutions such as the Homelessness Emergency Service (HES), the main MCC body to deal with homelessness, operate painstakingly slowly.

A senior employee at the Directorate for Families, Health and Wellbeing, which oversees the HES, told me that chronic understaffing and budget cuts are further exacerbating the situation.

Official policies have at times had some positive consequences and there are definitely some promising ideas coming out of the MCC—particularly within their

recent strategy No Second Night Out, which targets fresh rough sleepers— but many are also too vague to understand possible outcomes. A solid structure and real results are still lacking.

Meanwhile, it looks as if the homeless are, to an extent, on their own. They must continue to clamber up the greasy pole of survival, trying, as they can, to claw their way out of these unprepossessing times.

Winter will arrive to town soon, bringing with it wind, cold and rain— the hardest challenges for those who are sleeping rough. Their best hope is that in struggle there may still be strength.

As I finished off this article I met J., a homeless man living in Piccadilly.

He doesn’t make fire out of burning eucalyptus leaves like A., so he keeps warm by having hot drinks— when he can.

I chatted to J. for a good fifteen minutes. And his life story is just one out of the many that exist in the hallowed alleys of Greater Manchester.

“Until three years ago I had a normal life,” he recalls. “You know, I had a girlfriend, we had a kid and I had a job. I was a painter, but I would do any labor work, really.

Then I found out she was with this other guy at the same time and we had an argument and she kicked me out. Our house was in her name so nothing I could do about that. I lived in a friend’s house for a while but then I lost my job and he kicked me out too. Then I lived in a hostel. But then they kicked me out. And then I came to live in the street.”

“What’s the best thing about living in the street?” I ask.

“They can’t kick me out of here.”

10

Opinion

Editors’ Foreword

Marcus Johns Morris Seifert

This week at the University of Manchester all the talk has been about the marking strike, thus we felt it pressing to deal with the issues here.

This edition focuses on unions, strikes and boycotts. Are they an unnecessary inconvenience or an inalienable right?

Do you disagree with something that’s been said? Tweet us with your thoughts and comments: @MancunionOp. If you would like to contribute tweet us or like our page on Facebook at facebook.com/MancunionOp

The Academic Cold War David Brierley Contributor

This is an abridged version of David’s article, find the full article at www.mancunion.com The Marking Boycott has raised many opinions and sentiments and it would be an understatement to say that not all of them have been exactly positive. For the time being, however, I am not concerned about the motives of the strike as today I would like to discuss the long-term implications.

It is an interesting thing with trade unions — they cannot directly attack the university employers. The Marking Boycott provides a prime example of this. The UCU cannot directly get ‘revenge’ on those responsible for limiting their pensions.

Therefore, they have had to express their disgust through other means, and those other means have ultimately come in the form of the boycott of giving back assessed work. While technically filling out their contractual obligation, they are able to still force their opponents into a stalemate.

But here lies the issue: by involving a third party in the process, they both implicate a sector of society that has no involvement in the argument and fail to directly inconvenience those at whom the boycott is actually aimed. Mainly because they can’t — there’s nothing the UCU can realistically boycott or strike about directly.

Therefore, they have to go about it via indirect means.

If we look at examples of other strikes, such as the famous example of the coal miners striking against Heath’s Government tell a different story; by not providing the coal essential for power generation at the time, they were able to force the Government to instigate policies and helped to cripple the Conservatives until the rise of Thatcher in the 1980s.

That word brings with it a lot of emotion: Thatcher. I, of course, speak of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher whose Conservative Government began a fiscally conservative policy that included the shutting down of the coal mines. In response, the National Union of Mineworkers chose to strike.

But this time the National Grid was able to provide power from other sources. The strike failed. The opportunity for the NUM to cripple a government had passed. The NUM itself collapsed and Thatcher’s policies ultimately shaped the modern British Landscape, for good or ill.

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@MancunionOp

Union of apathy: Let’s get our act together

Will Brown Contributor The social democratic services that served our parents and grandparents so well are gradually eroding, with the imperative of profit placed over the needs of people. Our climate hangs in the balance as greenhouse gasses emissions near the point of no return.

Today’s student will leave university with on average over £40000 of debt. Right now the average Arts student is paying on £70 to £100 per contact hour—something to think about next time your lecture starts ten minutes late.

Our own lecturers are facing cuts in pay, whilst the University does backdoor deals to outsource labour at below living wage standards.

If you want to live in London after all this, but you don’t have old money—good luck spending the rest of your life paying off a £400000 mortgage on some crummy one bedroom flat in a council-estate.

Make no mistake, as a student body and more broadly as a generation we have genuine political grievances.

We are facing systemic pressures on our quality of life and while it may seem all fun and drinking games now, you are

looking down the barrel of a life of debt; we are the first generation since 1946 set to be poorer than our parents.

Last week we saw 5,000 – 10,000 students take to the streets of London to protest against these grievances. Now I commend anyone who took part, but there are over 2.4 million university students in the UK - where were they?

Student activism used to be a force in this world. From the Vietnam War and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to South Africa’s Apartheid Regime, the student voice was heard.

Traditionally, the University of Manchester had been a hotbed for such radicalism but today, walking around campus, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any sign of political activism.

Save for a smattering Socialist Workers Party leaflets, which call for some vague and halfimagined utopian revolution and the occasional cake stall for malnourished children in Africa or India, the public space is apolitical.

Now for the vast majority of us, our activism, our philanthropy and our ability to empathise only extends so far as our own interests. We don’t vote, rightly so according to Russell Brand— the apparent spokesperson for our disillusioned generation.

We are the onesie-wearing, vodka-swilling, MacBook-wielding, selfie-taking, apathetic generation of students. If we’re angry, you’ll hear about it, through an irate self-justified Facebook status or a warrior hashtag. Or maybe, just maybe, we’ll sign an e-petition. The problem isn’t ours, but we’ll pass it along to you.

Volunteer work is done overwhelmingly on advice to nourish our CVs and personal statements. You might see a picture of some of the more affluent among us digging a well in Kenya—a mild case of self-congratulating bohemianism before a sedentary and functionary life in a pinstripe suit with a white picket fence. We stink of a generation who don’t know how to fight for ourselves.

The institutions that used to unite us are shrivelled, impotent to tackle our general political apathy, and are broadly complicit in the comprehensive privatisation of university life happening around us.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union, originally designed with the intention of representing and protecting our interests, is now loaned out to PR events for giant multi-national corporations such as Samsung or Lloyds TSB. I’m sure Steve Biko, the legendary anti-Apartheid trade union

activist, would be delighted to know that tax-dodging Starbucks was making a tidy profit under his name in Biko’s Café. In union elections last year, we got a dismal 7.5 per cent of students to vote online. Surely this speaks volumes of how much we as a student population value the institution.

However, if we look further to the National Union of Students, a key medium of student protest, then the reality gets ever more disconcerting.

An NUS Extra card now provides you with a healthy 10 per cent discount off all your favourite third world labour intensive clothing from ASOS. It’ll get you another 10 per cent off orders from Amazon UK—noone seems to have told the NUS that if Amazon paid its tax fairly,

Photo: Daggi@Flickr

Solidarity is the only way Joe Evans Contributor With the decision of The University and College Union (UCU) to boycott the marking of university work, the groans of students began again. Questions of why we should do the work if it’s going to take an age to come back or why we should revise for exams that they can’t be bothered to mark are edgy, but totally miss the point.

The importance of unions is irreplaceable in terms of providing employees of any institution their right to a voice. Nobody, especially not university professors and academics, gets into their profession with the intention of grinding that industry to a halt once or twice a year.

It is true that university staff are probably more politicised than most industries. It is true that they use their rights more often than some other industries. However it is also true that, as the next generation to join the workplace, we should show solidarity with those who make use of their employment rights.

One the major issues undermining the effectiveness of trade union activity and membership is the various myths that surround them. Cultivated through media fabrication and hearsay, the general perception of trade unionism is so far removed from genuine activity that it defies belief.

Ill-informed major publications (The Sun, The Daily Mail, we’re

all looking at you… again!) are perpetuating factually inaccurate ideology about trade union activity that is stifling their genuine activity.

While the activity of unions always hits the front pages, the perception that they can strike at will is simply a complete fallacy.

So too is the ridiculous suggestion

by The Daily Mail that unions pay their members to strike.

The United Kingdom has one of the most strictly regulated union mechanisms in the world with regulations far more stringently enforced than those of other EU nations. The vilification of unions through highly publicised action has begun to swing public opinion towards a right-wing, antiunion attitude.

This shift in public opinion also stems from the misappropriated conception that unions serve to destroy the economy and undermine any opportunity for recovery.

Bob Crowe, former British trade union leader and General Secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, was depicted as a having a lack of responsibility to society.

Before his death in 2014, he was described as demented by Boris Johnson.

Despite this, research has demonstrated that strong union activity promotes greater productivity, whilst their struggle for fair pay results in greater workplace community and values that value

workers.

The notion that unions redirect government funding away from more pressing issues and into their budget is also a fallacy. The Daily Mail, the country’s one-stopshop for accurate statistics, reported that £133 million per year is paid out by the government to unions as an issue of national importance.

In reality, it is provided to subsidise facility time, in which union representatives can perform their union duties without having pay docked; this saves between £476 million and £1.1 billion on average per year. Facility time has resulted in fewer workplace tribunals, accidents, wrongful dismissals and higher productivity. David Cameron’s assertion to put a stop to it then seems a little rash at best.

The mentality that trade unions exist solely to strike also serves to negate the importance of their other activity. The Trade Unions Congress runs Union Learn.

52000 representatives across the United Kingdom are responsible for providing education to those already in work.

Likewise they provide domestic workers with English and IT education in order to aid their social mobility. Social injustice support also occupies much of the Trade Unions Congress’s time, providing support to those oppressed in both the UK and across the globe.

The importance of trade unions is unfathomable. The suggestion that they do nothing for the na-

it would go a long way towards reducing our tuition fees from £9000 each year.

One survey conducted of almost 5500 students showed that 35 per cent don’t know what the NUS did, with only 7 per cent of students saying they thought the NUS was doing a good job.

It is easy to understand the sentiment behind these figures.

You can’t place much faith in an organisation that last month couldn’t even express solidarity with the Kurds (who are by and large Muslims) by condemning ISIS, for fears of islamophobia.

In the words of Amol Rajan, editor of The Independent, we the young “are being continually shafted.” Let’s be frank: as a student body, we need to get our act together.

Unions are intrinsic to our rights

tion’s workforce is simply untrue.

Paid holiday, eight hour days, paid sick leave, ending child labour, improved health and safety, the fight against workplace discrimination and the continued push for equal pay, all fall under the remit of the unions.

With the 2011 Truth and Veracity test showing that union leaders are more trusted by the general population than bankers, business leaders, politicians, and journalists, the societal importance of unions is clearly substantiated.

While the cold winds of the workplace may seem a thousand miles away to second or first year students, the blanket of university is going to be whipped away at

some point. And when it is, you’ll be cast into the same cruel world of work as your lecturers who, as we speak, are fighting to protect their pensions from meddling hands.

So don’t roll your eyes at their activity, show some solidarity and support: fight the good fight.

With trade union membership at a ninety year low, if we, the next generation, can’t support them, then no one is going to.

The corporatist and capitalist world is one of productivity and profit regardless of consequence.

Trade unions provide a necessary role in supporting the rights of the people who otherwise would get trapped in the confines of this morally corrupt mechanism.

Photo: Rob Philips@Flickr

Does no one ever take your rants seriously?

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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The Most Arrogant Lie: Voluntourism

Every once in a while, you may need a break from everyday life, whether it’s from work, university or general routine. In cases like these, a holiday would fit in perfectly — especially if it were to be justified by conscientious-seeming by-products.

Going on a volunteer trip sounds like the perfect package; it’s a break, it’ll look good on a CV, and there’s the fact that you might help some poor, disadvantaged kids on the other side of the world.

However, the latter reason is starting to turn into more and more of a mere consequence of an anything-but-altruistic endeavour. While travelling to help those in need seems like a great idea — and indeed one can’t deny that it does do a lot of good — but this new kind of tourism needs close scrutiny and analysis.

As students at the University of Manchester, we naturally face two problems: 1) the financial hardships that come with being a student, and 2) the advantage of being in a university with so many volunteering and travel opportunities.

These two aspects combined leave the average student in love with the idea of travelling to some exotic continent to help those who will probably never get the education or chances they have.

It also leaves them financially unable to do so because £2000 or £3000 is a bit of a fortune. Yet, this amount of money, especially when converted into local currency of the destination in question, could pay for professionals to do the services that students will attempt to provide, such as building a house or painting a school.

In this case, professionals would include manual labourers who leave their houses every morning hoping that someone will hire them if even for a day. Ironically, these labourers are just as unfortunate as the group the volunteers usually aim to help.

In fact, it seems extremely arrogant that we assume that as first-world citizens we are skilled at the jobs they have practiced their whole lives.

A university student may be knowledgeable in all sorts of areas but what does a first year law student know about planting a garden in the middle of Nepal?

The issue entices two huge economic rebounds: it’s a waste of money for an indirect implementation of an otherwise good cause and it establishes the condescending robbing of unemployed citizens of potential, and long-awaited, job opportunities.

Aside from the issue of potentially harming the destination country, one must also looks at where the volunteers themselves come from. Take Manchester — a city of all types of social classes

Opinion

11

Volunteering around the world whilst overlooking the needs of the native is a result of first-world boredom and western priveledge, argues Marina Iskander

and living situations. In fact, homeless men and women line our very own Oxford Road.

Speaking from experience, it seems that the importance of helping them is dimming in the light of travelling to help others who may be equally less fortunate. By travelling hours and hours to reach a different continent, it is easy to overlook the common cry for help in our very own city.

Volunteering here, within a very small radius, can even come in all sorts of shapes and forms; it could be through helping the homeless, volunteering at orphanages or nursing homes, working with disabled children. There are many, many more opportunities. In the long run, these seemingly smaller acts of kindness may make a much bigger change than travelling to plant a garden or take

eudæmon @Flickr

children to a beach.

There are two equally important misfortunes that may result from attempting to aid the targets of the volunteer project, which are often children.

First of all, spending time with these kids will naturally expose them to a type of lifestyle that they will probably never attain.

Of course, a volunteer will never purposely show off but, naturally, the kids will inevitably notice all the things they’ll never have; fluency in English, especially if you speak their language as well, nice clothes, or — without the slightest hint of irony — the liberty to travel abroad. Volunteers may cause problems or pains that did not even exist in the first place.

Secondly, one vital aspect of volunteering, especially when it is so personal and direct, is consistency. A once in a lifetime opportunity may sound alluring, but by definition, that itself is the problem; visiting these kids and growing close to them cannot cease to be once in a lifetime.

These kids may become too attached to the people that visit or to the fun that they bring with them. While schools or societies that plan these trips often plan to create long-term projects, chances are the volunteers themselves will never interact with the same group of kids again, tearing away one of the fundamental goals of volunteering.

Volunteering anywhere and for any cause is without argument a great way to attempt to make this huge world a better place. However, we must remember that what seems like a great opportunity may actually do way more harm than good.

While spending time and money on helping kids in third-world countries may be a worthwhile endeavour, we must first stop and check that it is not just a result of the boredom of first-world citizens seeking moral reassurance.

Strikes are the answer for powerless unions Despite the inconvenience of the recent university marking boycott, the strike is a necessary evil Lauren Wills Contributor Strikes are annoying because they inconvenience us when we’re the innocent party.

For example, Londoners grieve on a constant basis because their travel is disrupted due to tube strikes. LBC reports that 2.5 million Londoners struggle to get to work on time because of strikes on an “all-too-regular basis” over issues such as safety, pay, and working hours. For those just wanting to get to work, many feel it’s unfair that they risk being penalised by their bosses for being late through no fault of their own.

Similarly, my initial reaction to the UCU nationwide university marking boycott was the standard student reaction: “I pay nine-thousand pounds per year for this;” “I want my coursework to be marked;” “I want to graduate this year.” It’s difficult to stomach the fact that we, as third parties in this whole situation, are the ones affected by union decisions. In fact, there’s the potential to feel quite betrayed by being used as bait in order for lecturers to win their battle over changing pension schemes.

I then began to question my arguably selfish reaction to the issue. Because we’re still in the world of education and it seems so far away, it’s easy to detach ourselves from issues such as pension schemes.

What’s actually happening is that the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and the pension scheme for academics and administrative staff at pre-1992 institutions have been deemed unsustainable by Universities UK. The proposals for reform will affect employers in a range of ways, one main proposal being to end final salary arrangements and replace them with a

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

pension based on average earnings, up to £50000.

UCU claims these figures are misleading and are concerned with the lack of fairness in the reforms. Further meetings have been proposed and the strike has now been postponed. The Joint negotiating committee commented that: “The purpose of these meetings is to close the difference between the stakeholders’ negotiation positions with a view to reaching agreement.”

This makes both positions clear, and it’s all about negotiation. There are two sides to the argument; employees want a stable and affordable pension scheme, whilst at the same time universities want to minimise the effects of such strikes.

Yes, it’s annoying. And yes, it seems unfair to bring students into a dispute that doesn’t concern them.

Come to our meetings: Mondays 5pm first floor of the Students’ Union

However, on considering the options available to the union, there are no alternatives to ensure that individual voices are heard on such matters. This applies to all strikes, not just the marking boycott.

Being part of a union is about representation and strength in numbers. It’s difficult to think of alternative ways in which unions can get their way and make powerful bodies listen to their grievances without taking action, which stops us in our tracks and makes us consider their needs.

The media makes it worse, being so negative about striking workers, making out that they inconvenience people’s lives on purpose. If we are really honest, marking inconveniences are frustrating, but it would probably be worse to feel like the money for which we’ve worked extremely

hard and put into a pension scheme is being tampered with. People want to defend their rights and conditions of their pay, and being part of a union is the ideal way to do this.

Without deliberately trying to sound patronising, perhaps when we enter the world of full-time work, we will understand the frustration of not being heard. A recent example last year occurred when 95 per cent of British Airways workers who voted in 2013 said they would strike because of their pay claims being rebuffed. Workers were outraged that Willie Walsh earned £5oooooo that year whilst hundreds had lost their jobs and were working under inferior terms compared to other workers.

This really does emphasise the importance of being part of a union in which workers can exercise their rights and be heard collectively. It also emphasises the importance of holding those up in the food chain of workplaces accountable for their decisions and potential lack of integrity.

Strikes are effective. I hope the threat of a marking boycott doesn’t end up detrimentally affecting us as individuals who are paying for our education, and that it implements enough pressure in order that changes are made without affecting innocent individuals.

The marking boycott isn’t ideal for anyone.

However, if the majority of a union feels that something is unfair and that change is needed, I feel we should try and stop our initial selfish reactions to strikes and put ourselves in workers’ shoes.

In a time of financial struggle for many companies, the balance is difficult. Nevertheless, working conditions, salaries and pensions must be something consistent and secure for employees, otherwise they are left with no other alternative but to take drastic measures and strike in the most inconvenient of ways.

Music

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ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Patrick Hinton, Lowell Clarke

Samuel Ward, Dan Whiteley

Interview Feature

the

Photo: Press Shot

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Patrick Hinton Music Editor

Patrick Hinton speaks to Move D about Manchester being better than Berlin, Britain’s position in the EU and red wine.

David Moufang, aka Move D, is a vinyl purist and veteran of the house and techno scene. Opting to shy away from the limelight, he has steadily built a devoted fan base across his long career.

We spoke to the German selector prior to his appearance in Manchester at Sankeys on New Year’s Eve. Move D has produced in a range of genres varying from deep house to experimental spoken word; his 1995 album Kunststoff is hailed as a seminal techno classic. I questioned if this variation in his production process is planned or naturally occurs: “The latter.

Usually I start off with a musical idea that could be done as anything: loungey or house or whatever. Then it will naturally shape and evolve in a certain way because of what the music is like or my mood at the given time.”

Move D is an active collaborator, having worked with numerous other producers on tracks. He next explained how these initiate: “One of the first collaborations was the one with Jonah Sharp—Reaganz. I became aware of him through records he put out on his own or with Pete Namlook, and through Pete I got his phone number.

I was going to go to California anyway but thought I should try and ring this guy. I was actually just eager to meet him in the first place, but then he said ‘oh yeah, let’s jam’ so that’s how this came together. Since then obviously I’ve been really into collaborations. It’s not that I really actively look for people, it happens naturally. I think the reason I really like collaborations is relevant to the first question in a way, producing is open to even more surprises when you work with other people. You get different kinds of input and I think it’s kind of refreshing to deal with different input instead of being locked into your own mind frame.”

Is there anyone new he’d particularly like to collaborate with? “Well, Larry Heard for instance would be really

Top 5

TOP

Songs

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awesome. I met a lot of guys in Detroit at the Movement this year, or I knew them before, like Keith Worthy and Big Strick. They’re all great guys; I would definitely be up for jamming with them.

In December we have Jus-Ed coming back to Heidelberg; it’s not my party but we’re using this as an opportunity to work together again. We did some stuff before it just never really got properly released—it’s only a video on YouTube.”

Europe is super cool and England better stay in!

“Yeah, so pretty much anyone,” he continues, before drily adding “I mean, not anyone—but it could be a lot of people. Essentially though, I’m not really looking for more people to collaborate with because I’ve already got so many.

Primarily of course Juju & Jordash in Magic Mountain High.”

On the mention of Heidelberg, talk turns to the trend for DJs and producers to move to large European cities. I ask if there’s any particular reason Move D has rejected this trend and remained in his aforementioned hometown: “Well, I did kind of fancy London in the 90s but it’s so fucking expensive and all my friends—heroes of mine—like Baby Ford were going to get the dole to pay for their living you know? I thought no, I can’t put up with this so I stayed at home. I’m not saying Heidelberg is cheap but it’s not as ridiculously expensive as London.”

Berlin seems to be the current number one destination. “I like Berlin, but it’s becoming more and more like a hipster

centre and also getting more expensive.

It was more exciting to me when the wall came down about twenty years ago, it was a lot more open. But even back then I was never that much of a real Berlin fan, I mean it’s great to be there for a while but it’s always great to come home.

I think even Manchester is more homely and beautiful in the centre, it’s amazing.”

Move D has been a frequent visitor to our fine city over the years, playing several times for club night meandyou. as well as for Sankeys and Warehouse Project. Elaborating on his experiences he shares: “I think I came to Manchester the first time in 2006 and since then it’s gotten a lot cleaner and you can tell how neighbourhoods are rising, it’s really fun to go there. I would consider living in Manchester anytime over Berlin. It’s great; I love it.”

“I love the north of England and Scotland and Ireland in general, there’s always good parties there. It could be Leeds or Glasgow as well, or Edinburgh or Newcastle. But Manchester is special because of the meandyou. guys and the friends I’ve made there. It’s also a lot bigger than these other places I’ve named so in the north it’s kind of the metropole in a way.”

His next visit is on New Year’s Eve, to play at Sankeys alongside Kerri Chandler. “I’ve played for them once— well, a couple of times for the Sankeys in Ibiza—but played once for the Manchester Sankeys before in the upstairs room. I really hope that’s where I play again, it’s beautiful. I really love the upstairs in Sankeys. Honestly, I’m really into small intimate parties like meandyou. kind of stuff, but if it has to be a bigger scale I guess New Year’s Eve is a good excuse. Although actually even the Warehouse Project, which was a massive event, is a night I really enjoyed myself at, I must say,” he reveals, before continuing with a laugh, “proper Mancunian party attitude, loving it!”

A career DJ gets to visit many different

1. The Velvet Underground & Nico – Sunday Morning

2. The National – This is the Last Time

3. Kurt Vile - Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze

It’s in the name. A sure Sunday morning classic.

...that you’ll drink again. Or at least that’s what you promise to yourself.

Don’t stress, Kurt’s got you covered—10 minutes of sonic bliss.

For a recovering Sunday morning Matthew Staite

Move D

places, what have been Move D’s favourites? “There are places I go to that I would never end up being even if I had loads of money, like I played in Central Siberia, in Omsk, which is really far away from everything. These places have been really special because they show you spots and parts of the earth that you wouldn’t know about and the people are extremely nice there. They have hardly any English and a very basic kind of way of living: no fancy iPhones or BMWs— forget all this. They seemed a lot more happy and content in a way than other people. I think it is a really big blessing that I can visit these places. Taiwan as well, not only playing in Taipei but also seeing Kaohsiung. It’s the other major city on the island and it’s out in the jungle somewhere; it’s amazing.”

“Last year in 2013 my two favourite parties were in Chicago and Taipei, but this doesn’t guarantee that the next time around it will be the same and it could be another place. It’s really hard to generalise. But if we have to generalise I really think Europe is super cool and England better stay in!” Take note, politicians. “I feel the scene is still kind of growing and evolving or turning to new generations, it’s a lot of fun.”

Move D does hold reservations on one country’s scene however—his home nation: “I think maybe Germany is the only scene that isn’t evolving. I mean I’m not saying it’s bad here but there’s this prevalent attitude of still relating and referring to stuff that’s been around forever like Sven Väth. I’m not dissing Sven, he’s great, but I think we lack the openness for something new really. You always have the new trends breaking in the UK and kind of crossing over with stuff that’s been around or influencing stuff that’s happening. I think in Germany we’re a lot more conservative when it comes to music and parties which I think is a shame.”

I note how I’ve never seen Move D draw for one of his own releases in a DJ set, and question if this is something he doesn’t tend to do: “Sometimes I do, but because I play vinyl I’m very limited on the records I can bring and I always have to leave stuff behind that I would ideally like to play. I’ve heard my own stuff the most so that’s probably why it often leaves the bag pretty soon and I only play it once or twice. It’s not like I’m militant in not playing my stuff, it’s just that I want to play music that excites me as well, so chances are higher that I prefer other people’s music.”

Move D has been playing improvised live sets with Magic Mountain High. I question if this ability to do sets of his own music that he’s not become bored by was the inspiration. “That’s a whole different game. Essentially if you’re DJing you’re serving the people to make them have a good time and you can’t really do it with too much of a dogma. You really have to feel the moment and the place.

I would go to all sorts of places if I had the records with me and I feel that it’s appropriate to: I’d play some techno or bass or whatever. I’m really flexible like this. Because live sets of your own music only last an hour or something, I don’t think you should try to please the crowd too much. Instead you should be true to yourself and your music.”

Move D has spoken at length of his great love for the festival Freerotation at which

he is a resident. A heart wrenching clash took place this summer with perhaps the only event that could be better taking place on the final night: Germany winning the World Cup final. “I saw that coming! I just wasn’t sure they would be in the final and then they were and I knew I was going to miss some essential hours of the festival; I missed out on doing a great set in the ambient tent. But I mean it’s been like 24 years or something and next time will come around.”

Manchester is beautiful

Move D keeps his Facebook feed regularly updated, speaking about whether maintaining a a human connection with fans is important, he reveals: “Well, that’s the way I do it. I know others who don’t have Facebook or only have their agency doing it for them. For me it’s kind of essential. I’ve been around for a long time, but I also had a few years dip in my career around the year 2000 shortly after my son was born. I was staying at home not playing out and not making much in the studio either so I kind of dropped off the radar.

Just when I was just starting to think about job opportunities someone told me that I should join Myspace which was happening at that time. I did it and it had an amazing dynamic to it.”

“People I hadn’t talked to in years from all over the world, Birmingham to San Francisco, would all of a sudden pop up saying ‘You’re still around! Would you like to come and play for us? We can only pay your flight and accommodation and a little symbolic fee but it would be lovely’. That’s how I got back into the scene without an agency, I was doing it myself via social media so I couldn’t diss it at all.”

“I think it’s fair, these people make my living and at least I should be humble enough to be accessible and talk to them.” Possibly an opinion that gets revised every time he’s flooded with guest list requests. “I must be doing something right because I think I get the nicest crowds in my parties and the nicest people so they never bother me.

Sometimes, especially at Freerotation where everybody wants to have a word with you, it does get a little much.

Especially if you’re kind of trying to buy some time off and get a little drunk or high or whatever, and then it can be too much physically or timewise. But I always feel bad about it and I’m sorry about the individual ones because they all deserve to be talked to; they’re interesting and I’m interested in who they are and what they’re doing.”

Move D’s skill set expands beyond music. He only ever drinks red wine in the club, and I think he’s a bit of a connoisseur. My final question, which is his favourite? “That changes when I discover new ones. Lately I’ve been really into Primitivo.”

Move D plays Sankeys on New Year’s Eve alongside Kerri Chandler and more.

4. Real Estate – It’s Real You realise you have an assignment in for tomorrow.

Shit.

5. Mac DeMarco – Goodbye Weekend It’s gone so fast. The next time you can (supposedly) relax is a week away.

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@ MancunionMusic / TheMancunionMusicSection

the

Opinion

Stephen Miller When Sky News presenter Jayne Secker aired suggestions from critics on social media that if some, or rather, ‘most’ of the musicians who recorded the Band Aid 30 single ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ paid their taxes in the right way, Bob Geldof’s rather colourful response was to suggest that they were ‘talking bollocks’. What Geldof took as chastising victimisation, Secker highlighted a perfectly valid and legitimate point, but seemingly all discussions about ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ have been centred on these political and moral contexts, which should always be treated with the greatest respect, consideration and sensitivity.

However, as this is an opinion article, this is what I have to say: While it may be all good and

Music

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Bob Geldof: Should he give up,

or should he keep chasing payments?

Stephen Miller discusses whether the third time really is the charm for the Band Aid campaign well for Geldof to retort ‘bollocks this’ and ‘bollocks that’ to any form of criticism, constructive or not, he just doesn’t seem to be taking any of it on board.

Time, they say, is the greatest gift a person can give, but what Geldof is asking for is not our time, he’s asking for our money.

If we say ‘no’ and don’t buy the song, do we therefore not care? Of course we care. Giving money to a worthy charitable cause isn’t necessarily the issue, as we Brits, generally speaking, are a very generous bunch.

The issue I have is the pretence and hypocrisy from Geldof and co. that has finally poked and prodded our conscience to question why we should hand over our money on the demands of a man worth an estimated £32m.

I for one feel rather uneasy

handing over my hard-earned money, especially as a working student, because multimillionaire singers happened to

If we say ‘no’ and

don’t

buy the song, do we therefore not care?

Of course we care. give up a few hours of their time on a weekend to record a song that still isn’t right at the third attempt.

In West Africa, where the Ebola epidemic is concentrated, a different song is gaining

attention. Some of West Africa’s most famous musicians have joined together to make their own Ebola appeal song, Africa Stop Ebola, with profits going to Médecins Sans Frontières, the non-governmental humanitarian-aid organisation who have been on the front line since the outbreak started earlier this year. The lyrics of the song are meant to educate Africans about the disease, as opposed to Band Aid’s ‘one song fits all humanitarian crises’ model.

Band Aid seems to portray the whole of Africa as a place where the only bells you hear are those of doom and despair, so while the initial idea to bring out the song, again, is commendable, scratching beneath the surface reveals how trivial and out of touch with the crisis it actually

is. The debates about Band Aid haven’t focused on the Ebola crisis, instead, the petty side dramas have grabbed the headlines, most notably the dispute between Geldof and Adele, who perhaps quite

rightly, didn’t take part in the recording, instead choosing to make a charitable donation on her own terms. The Band Aid crew need to put their money where their mouths are and follow suit.

Photo: Screen Grab (Sky News)

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Live

...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Barrence Whitfield & The Savages

The Ruby Lounge – 16th November 2014

9/10

Henry Scanlan

....And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead have a reputation (and ominous band name) that precedes them. They break shit, and anyone attending a gig of theirs is bound in an unspoken contract that acknowledges the fact. White trainers and smart phones may not leave in the pristine condition in which they arrived. Trail of Dead don’t mean to cause any harm, but when they fly off the handle, collateral damage is part of the deal.

Frontman Conrad Keely begins with an apology for their previous appearance in Manchester at Deaf Institute.

“We’ve got violent memories here in Manchester. I’d like to apologise for our last gig at Deaf Institute. Things got...out of hand.” A half hearted sentiment perhaps – are they really sorry? “...Tonight, we’ll play until the instruments explode”. I guess not then.

The crowning centrepiece of the pit is a shirtless man with hair down to his waist, windmilling his locks in a 3-metre radius about him. Elsewhere, a woman heroically crowdsurfs to the bar to order a beer.

Then, an impossibly perfect

Sound Control – 16th November 2014

7/10

Elizabeth Rushton

Photo: Uglynoid @Flickr

moment midway through the thunderous ‘Homage’: someone starts blowing bubbles in the centre of the moshpit. A dozen delicate little balls of light drift into the airspace, floating above an anarchic mass of flailing arms and contorting bodies. I can think of no better visual snapshot of Trail of Dead’s music: glints of beauty emanating from a fury of chaotic noise.

Their current tour appears to be about bringing the chaos back to their live shows, which means a simple, exhilarating formula of build up/freak out/repeat,

but the craftsmanship on show in classics such as ‘How Near, How Far’ and ‘Claire de Lune’ is a reminder that Trail of Dead are about so much more than the volume. I’m normally loathe to giving too much credence to the snobs over at Pitchfork Media, but the notoriously rare ’10.0’ rating they gave to Source Tags & Codes in 2002 speaks for itself.

After nine albums and 14 years of bad behaviour, Trail Of Dead have become a cult unto themselves. I’m a member, and you should be too. Just don’t jump ship when it gets a little loud.

After two support acts who displayed a disappointing and total lack of variety and range in their songs, Barrence Whitfield and the Savages brought a welcome mix of blues, soul and rock’n’roll to the stage.

The band is currently touring a string of dates around the country following last year’s release of their album Dig Thy Savage Soul, their first since 1995. However their musical cohesion and chemistry made it look like they’ve never been away.

Barrence’s powerful vocals and sense of fun in his performance shone through the best on such soulful numbers as ‘You Told a Lie’ and their cover of soul legend Lee Moses’ ‘I’m Sad About It’. Opener ‘Bip Bop Bip’ is classic 1950s rock’n’roll with extra kick, while ‘Willie Meehan’ had distinctly punkish flavours.

There was a satisfying blend of music from throughout the band’s career, including tracks such as the blues-rock crossover ‘Bloody Mary’, written by bassist Phil Lenker, which featured on their very first album in 1985.

The closing track ‘Walking with Barrence’, which hails from the band’s sessions in 2010 when they reunited for a new album,

Photo: Olatz Eta Leire @Flickr

is five minutes of pure blues fun, and is a worthy conclusion to the evening’s entertainment.

Unfortunately the enthusiasm of the performance was neither fully rewarded or met by the crowd, who consistently disobeyed Barrence’s command to dance and sweat a little, and the number of people in the room seems to drop slightly as the night goes on— quite surprising, given that the majority of the audience seemed to be made up of dedicated fans the band have accumulated over their 30-year

career, as opposed to curious newcomers. Despite the huge enjoyment all the band were clearly getting from the music, they fell just short of recreating the magic common at gigs in such tiny venues as Sound Control.

14

Music

ISSUE 10/24TH NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

What’s Right... Or Shite....

Mancunion Recommends

This week in Music Diplo’s Tiny Member

Pink Floyd - The Endless River Parlophone/Columbia; 10th November 2014

Having endorsed a fundraiser to ‘give Taylor Swift a booty’, Diplo got his arse handed right back to him when Lorde replied with “Should we do something about your tiny penis while we’re at it hm?”

Ouch.

Photo: Press shot

5/10

Joe Evans Pink Floyd’s fifteenth and final studio album is serene, but slightly on the dull side. Serenity is by no means a bad thing… but when ambient lulls you into a coma, it has gone too far.

Composed to the backdrop of the continued saga of Gilmore, Mason and Wrights fractured relationship, it is a shame none of that energy transferred to the album. Written in tribute to the recently deceased former band member Richard Wright, the album lacks any real fire, sometimes feeling like a float down the eponymous Endless River.

‘Side 1, Pt 1: Things Left Unsaid’ is a tempting title in terms of reading between the lines, however the near five minutes of floating ambience really do not entice further listening.

Ploughing on, the same can be said for both tracks two and three, ‘Side 1, Pt 2: It’s What We Do’ and ‘Side 1, Pt 3: Ebb and Flow’, the second of which does rise and fall as the title might suggest, but never really rises to any kind of climatic point.

‘Side 2, Pt 2: Skins’ sees the album gain some momentum with drum rolls aplenty and swirling synthesizer. This said the blueprint laid out by Gilmore, who proclaimed he wanted to make “a 21st century Pink Floyd album”, is by no means fulfilled. Already the album feels dated before the halfway point.

‘Side 2, Pt 4: Anisina’ is an accessible point on the album… however it is accessible in that it sound much like a Phil Collins tune minus the vocal track. It does however feature a great, however once again dated, saxophone solo.

‘Side 3, Pt 2: On Noodle Street’ has more attitude than anything before it on the album.

It grooves slightly more than anything else and pushes the album slightly close to its supposedly “21st century” tag. ‘Side 3, Pt 4: Allons-y’ likewise grooves, but does feature the most awfully dated guitar sonics, reminiscent more of the 80’s than even the 21st century - it

Jamie XX Ballet Jamie XX has scored a soundtrack for an upcoming ballet right here in Manchester. ‘Tree of Codes’ will be part of the fifth Manchester International Festival this july. does sound as if nobody in Floyd has updated their pedal board since Dark Side of the Moon.

‘Side 4, Pt 2: Eyes to Pearls’ is the album at its closest to achieving the goal of a modern sound. The sonics are far more 21st century, while the dark guitar line is reminiscent of something released far more recently than anything else on the album.

The albums final track ‘Side 4, Pt4: Louder than Words’, notably the only track to feature vocals provided by Gilmore, is a nice moment.

The album is unapologetically retrospective, referencing the breakdown of Pink Floyd’s relationship.

The album sounds like a band that are tired.

While it’s not a car crash, it sounds like a swan song. The thing that undermines the whole listening experience is the feeling that it is a band hammering a well worn methodology, producing something that sounds dated and past it before you’ve got through your first listen.

4/10

Matthew Staite Neil Young’s 35th album is certainly an interesting one. Storytone contains two discs; one of Neil performing the album solo; the other consisting of the same songs yet this time backed by a 92-piece orchestra or jazz big band (talk about extravagant).

To put this experiment in duality simply, some of it works, and some of it doesn’t.

Romantic opening track ‘Plastic Flowers’ is a classic demonstration of Neil’s knack for good song writing, even if its lyrics sound like they are written by a passionate adolescent, rather than a man approaching his 70’s. ‘Who’s Gonna Stand Up’ is Neil’s attempt at a modern day environmental protest song. However it’s calls for listeners to “stand up and save the earth”, by protesting against fracking and fossil fuel extraction just seem a little hollow.They are especially weak when the track following it is called ‘I Want To Drive My Car’, and is truly the most naff song on the album. Both ‘Glimmer’ and ‘Say Hello to Chicago’ feel very middle of the road in relation to Neil’s impressive past output. Thankfully this is where the second disc saves the day, as the big band backing on ‘Say Hello to Chicago’ blasts it full of life. The backing band thankfully also save the day with ‘When I Watch You Sleeping’, and ‘Like You Used To’ (a song you can’t help but connect with Young’s recent divorce to his wife of 36 years).

Storytone picks up towards its end with ‘I’m Glad I Found You’, my personal favourite song on the album. Its beautiful sweeping orchestral sections serve their purpose of heightening the songs emotiveness. Seeing as the tracks rarely work

New Radiohead Album The soundtrack to the time you had to eat on your own in the school cafeteria is getting yet another sequel, as Thom Yorke and the Radioheads announce they’re working on their ninth album.

Photo: Flickr User matthew.hickey

Mac Demarco Arrested

Neil Young - Storytone Reprise Records, 6th November 2014

Photo: courtesy of RIA Novosti archive

Mac Demarco’s show in Santa Barbara was brought to a premature end, after campus security arrested the singer himself, along with two other fans.

Having dived into the audience, he was nabbed as he returned to the stage.

Photo: Flickr User Sprat504

Craig Charles Got Outta Here Manchester sweetheart DJ Craig Charles became a celebrity getting out of here. The Robot Wars host left the show after news of a family death.

Our deepest condolences.

Photo: Screen Grab courtesy of ITV

on their own AND with backing, you wonder whether it was worth making this a double album (of sorts).

Whether it works or not, it’s certainly interesting to see both sides of the story. The last year has been an interesting year for Young: he became a tech entrepreneur; released his second book; released an album of lo-fi covers with Jack White; and divorced his wife (and subsequently has found a new girlfriend a month later). The fairly average Storytone feels like it may get lost in all this commotion.

Stringer Bell-End As if the cringey EPs weren’t enough, Idris Elba continues his crusade against ear drums as he gears up to release an album about Nelson Mandela. We ain’t gotta dream no more, man. We got real shit real shit music.

Photo: Flickr User DFID

Games

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Editors: James Thursfield, Matthew Cole

Feature

Assassins Creed Rogue: The Sainsbury’s Basics of Video Games

James Thursfield explores how Assassins Creed Rogue is currently superior to its next-generation counterpart Assassins Creed Unity. In doing so, he establishes the game as the Sainbury’s Basics of video games.

It was a dark and cold evening in November. I was leaving Sainsbury’s with my orange-labelled gin in one hand, with the other occupying a cloudy lemonade mixer. My evening was sorted, yet I was troubled by something. Upon reaching the mealdeal section, I noticed a video game that shocked me. As a games editor, I like to think that I have a decent knowledge of video games, particularly those that are soon-to-be-released. However, standing on a shelf next to the newly released Assassins Creed Unity, was a title that had, until now, eluded my radar. It was called Assassins Creed Rogue.

Assassins Creed Rogue is a title currently living in the shadows of its next-generation counterpart – Unity.

Early reviews have emphasised the superiority of the latter, which gives the impression that Assassins Creed Rogue is merely filler for the franchise and is a form of appeasement for lastgeneration owners. However, from some limited time playing the game and gauging criticisms vocalised by reviewers and the online community, it appears that there are some aspects where Rogue is in fact the superior of the two games.

One of Rogue’s superior characteristics over Unity exists in the game’s storyline. Rogue presents a story set in the mid-18th century

during the Seven Years’ War. It follows an assassin called Shay Patrick Cormac.

What makes this story more interesting than the usual Assassins Creed affair, is that Shay begins as an assassin, yet becomes disillusioned with the Order’s

Creed universe.

At this point in time the Assassins Creed franchise’s story is a convoluted mess. I will give a medal to any fan who can recount the entire story of all 8 major games and the numerous

Photo: Media .moddb.com

endeavours after a series of scarring events, which result in him betraying them and joining the Templars. Not only does this create an interesting character due to his conflicting loyalties, but it also provides a rare Templar perspective on events that take place in the Assassin

others in a concise fashion. Whilst Rogue does little to alleviate this problem, it embraces and celebrates all the confusing interconnected story-lines and consequently links them in a way that makes the story meaningful. In contrast, Assassins

Creed Unity presents a generic story of a Frenchman called Arno Dorian, who is adopted into an assassin family and ends up embarking on a quest of redemption. Similar to Assassins Creed III, Unity appears to prioritise its focus on an individual storyline that ends up fitting into the broader scheme of the franchise, whilst with Rogue, the interconnected stories are woven in on a more fundamental level.

Not only does Assassin Creed Rogue have a more interesting story, but it is currently a more polished and technically stable game. Due to the wide-ranging glitches, including players falling through the map, gamers have accused Ubisoft of releasing an unfinished game. The significance of the problem is reflected in how Ubisoft shares dipped by as much as 12.8% following the launch of Unity. In contrast, although Rogue only touts presentable last-generation graphics, they are far more stable and the game is far less susceptible to game glitches and crashes.

From a game play perspective, whilst not innovative in any form, Rogue is also a reliable and fun game. Game play wise, the game is unquestionably a sequel to Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag. Naval combat from Black Flag carries over practically unchanged and the combat system presented is also

Review Wolf on Boom Street Boom Street (or Fortune Street outside of Europe) is essentially Monopoly and has everything you would expect from the classic board game, from fortune cards to broken friendships. However the game is not just a Monopoly clone and it adds an ‘interesting’ feature: the stock market.

Another of Boom Street’s assets is its noticeable aesthetic: instead of playing as a top hat or an iron, you now get to choose characters from the Super Mario and Dragon Quest franchises. The game has a roster of 27 characters, four of which are unlockable with one being your Mii, so you can play as yourself. The game also lets you pick from 18 different boards based on various locales from the Mario and Dragon Quest series, from Delfino Plaza to Castle Trodain.

This game is fun in the same way that Monopoly is fun and the addition of a stock market really does help to add more strategy to how you play.

You can change the rules and length of the match to your liking, but the standard mode has you and three others battling it out on a board in a

race towards a target profit. Just like Monopoly, you make money from buying plots of land, shops in this case, instead of streets, and having people land on them. The more shops you buy in one coloured district the more money your shops are worth and the higher your net value. You also make money by going to the bank, much like passing GO in Monopoly, but thanks to the varying shapes of the board you have to collect four suit emblems (heart, spade, club and diamond) before returning in order to claim your money. The stock market works just like it does in real life; you invest your money into the stocks of a particular district and so whenever anyone spends money in that district you make a small profit. Of course, stocks are expensive and it is a gamble; if you invest all your money into one district and it fails, you have lost. It is also cheaper to invest early on when districts are not worth as much so you really have to analyse and predict which areas are going to make the most money, be it your own or your opponents’. Removing stocks can also

reduce the value of an area and can be done towards the end of the game to really mess with your opponents, but it must be done wisely, because it can also ruin your chances of winning. If all this seems too complicated for you then don’t worry, the game comes

Photo: 3.djuegos.com

with an easy mode that makes the gameplay just like Monopoly and nothing more.

It is pretty cool being able to see all of your favourite characters from the two series interacting with one another.

Each board also has a different set up and a different gimmick, whether it is

untouched from the previous game.

Consequently, in terms of game play, there is nothing new here – but is that a problem? Black Flag was very popular amongst a large number of gamers and, if you are a fan of the franchise and naval combat, and what you crave most is an engaging story, Rogue is the game for you.

However, despite what may appear to be glowing praise, in reality Rogue is not worth the £40 price of admission. There is not enough new content to warrant the cost of a brand-new game. However, the good news is that Assassin Creed games, particularly the spin-off ones, are renowned for plummeting in price after a few months from release. To the extent that Assassins Creed Unity is currently an unplayable glitch-ridden mess, it could be worth waiting a few months and purchasing Rogue first. Not only will the superior story of Rogue enrich the story of Unity, but the lack of innovation in Rogue may make you appreciate the changes which are on display in the next-generation release.

Ultimately, Assassins Creed Rogue is very much like buying Sainsbury’s Basics alcohol. It may be coarse, it may make your head spin and leave you aspiring for something greater. But ultimately, it is reliable, fun, and at the right price, you could do a lot worse.

Josh Goldie reviews the Monopolyinspired party game on the Wii

the board changing shape mid-way through a session, or the appearance of cannons that shoot you across the map. This makes each board play slightly differently and gives you another reason, aside from the aesthetic, to try something new.

Each level has music taken from that specific area, making them sound just like the original games. But here is where a problem arises - while the music selection does take from some of the best in each franchise, there is a limit to how many times you can hear the same track over and over again.

Each song loops after fifty seconds or so, and in a game that can last up to four hours, it’s easy to see why this grows tiresome. My friends and I just found ourselves turning down the volume as the game progressed. Another disastrous problem with this game is that you cannot unlock anything in multiplayer. The extra boards and characters can only be unlocked in the game’s single player mode and to be honest, playing monopoly on my own for four hours to get one character is not my idea of fun. It seems ridiculous

that you cannot unlock anything in the multiplayer mode of a party game and that means most of us will be stuck with the starting roster and stages forever. The graphics also don’t hold up very well - they are especially pixelated and blocky in the menus, which is a real shame.

Boom Street is definitely a fun game to play with friends and is a good alternative to Monopoly, but it is not as good as Nintendo’s other party games like Mario Party and Wii Party.

The game does not feel fully polished, with choppy graphics and repetitive music marring the experience. The single player mode can drag horribly, an issue compounded by the fact that players are refused access to unlockables in multiplayer. However, the stock market stands as a strong idea and adds some concrete strategy to the game, and the alternative boards offer a great deal of variety. Ultimately, Boom Street is enjoyable for what it is, just don’t put down your cash if you have a terrible attention span.

Opinion

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM Editors: Gráinne Morrison, Aimée Grant Cumberbatch, Nikki Patel (Beauty)

Fashion fails

/mancunionfashionandbeauty @MancunionFash

Opinion

Style file

Gypsy style Fashion went through a frumpy phase in the early noughties with limp cotton skirts, weird crochet shrugs and circle belts in various shades of sludge flying off the shelves. Plus that weird mum at school who fed her kids mung beans was suddenly so trendy. I briefly returned to the gypsy phase in year 9 with hoop earrings and my dressing gown belt tied around my head.

Year 5

Beauty blunders

Fleur Stevens lists the beauty fails we’d all rather forget 1. Foundation lips Let’s start with the dreaded foundation lip. Who in the world thought this trend was a good idea?

I think the most awful part about it is that girls smother it on chapped lips! While foundation may hide flaws on your skin, it most certainly doesn’t hide them on your lips! Sorry girls, but this is a definite no-no in my book. Whoever started this look needs to be stopped by the beauty police.

Kassi Allcock on the face-palm failures of fashion marketing

Awkward over-dressing Underage drinking is pretty awkward.

Underage drinking in small town pubs full of men three times your age is really awkward. The trick to getting served was to dress older, whilst still looking casual; it was important to blend in. I’d usually achieve this by starting with a base of a cardigan, a vest and a pencil skirt-in entirely clashing prints and colours. Next I’d add some obnoxiously big earrings, a quiff, black tights, red square-toed heels and a blue clutch with a giant corsage. I sometimes wonder if I got served simply because of the hypnotic effect of my dazzling colour and print combos.

Flat, open-toe sandals with flesh-coloured tights In my defence I committed this particular crime because I had sore heels and could barely walk in anything but flip flops.

However, 10 minutes into my night out I realised that even flip flops or hobbling in agony would be preferable to webbed feet. I wanted to die with embarrassment or, failing that, plunge into the canal and swim away as fast as my frog feet would carry me.

Year 11

Photo: Etsy

Photo: diyready.com

First Year

Photo: Etsy

Photo: Victoria’s Secret

Year 6

Sixth Form

Taste the rainbow A huge, multicoloured patterned fleece, multicoloured patterned rucksack, jeans and clogs. This was the outfit I chose for my induction day at secondary school—I was out to make friends that day!

Everyone else had nice, neat uniforms in navy, red or blue and I looked like a rainbow hippy catastrophe blundering through the corridors.

Jeggings with baggy knees and a corset-style back Moulin Rouge from behind, Nora Batty from the front; I really thought I was the shiz in these raunchy little numbers. You think they’re normal trousers but then I bend over and give everyone a flash of glittery silver lacing. Plus their high waist was great for tucking in those thermal vests my Mum used to buy me. Nice.

Photo: Fashion My Legs

Photo: Rumpus PR Photo: Pinterest

Special mentions go to: Footless tights worn with my massive PE trainers (year 8), dresses worn over trousers (year 9–10), large belts worn under the bust (years 9–11), over-plucked eyebrows (years 9–13)

Feature

Fashion: 1, Me: 0

The marketing industry has an unspeakable amount of power in its hands, controlling what we think we should be wearing, how we think we should act, and how we think we should look.

In the past, this power has been abused, forcing women (and men) to aspire to unattainable standards, creating an unnecessary wave of insecurities. Don’t have a skinny waist? Not good enough. Don’t have a thigh gap? Not good enough. Don’t have DDs? Not good enough.

Models are urged to mistreat their bodies, which are then photoshopped further away from reality, and closer towards the inexistent concept that we know as ‘perfection’.

In present day, we are definitely moving away from this toxic way of thinking, encouraging people of all shapes and sizes to be happy with the way that they look. Keira Knightley recently released images from a topless photo shoot, demanding that her body not be edited in any way once the photographs had been taken. Throughout her career, people within the marketing industry have enhanced her chest

without any consent, leading her to question what was wrong with her body in the first place.

Proud of her smaller chest, the topless photo shoot was an important message to be shared.

We have come so far in spreading the message that your body shape does not define you: enter the Victoria’s Secret ‘Perfect Body’ campaign.

The campaign’s aim was to promote their range of underwear ‘Body by Victoria’. Irresponsibly, they did so by stretching the words ‘The Perfect Body’ across ten thin models. The harmful message that this advertisement displays is that we should not be happy with our bodies unless we look like a Victoria’s Secret model—which isn’t even possible! They starve themselves and exercise manically in the days running up to a photo shoot, meaning that not even the models look like that normally. On top of the unhealthy lifestyle that these models are condemned to, any further blemishes and imperfections will have been removed via Photoshop.

Some people have responded to the campaign by saying that they should have used larger

Confessions of a former fashion victim Emma Victoria Orgill on how easy it is to take fashion that one step too far

Chloe Collingwood on when fashion trends just don’t have your back The things we do for fashion: that time you have to swap shoes with your friend because your feet are so crippled from a night in your extravagant (and excruciating) high heeled shoes, the ‘I’m not paying for a cloakroom’ attitude that sees you nearly freeze to death on the way home because you didn’t want your jacket masking your carefully put together outfit, the brisk autumn afternoon you brave bare legs because it’s your final chance to wear that slightly summery dress that you love so much. We put ourselves through pains, troubles and stresses for the sake of looking good, so why does fashion have to sometimes be, quite simply, so unforgiving?

We all know that fashion is famous for its at times nonsensical trends. Beyoncé’s enormous gold earrings were ...interesting, Kim Kardashian’s ‘waist-training’ corset certainly sounded painful and Lady Gaga’s 7 inch heelless shoes were just pain crazy!

I’ve recently even read about some seriously absurd surgical procedures such as ‘foot fillers’ and toe liposuction to allow women to walk more comfortably in their harrowing 6-inch Louboutins. While I hope no one would ever go as far as this when trying to look good, it does beg the question, can fashion fail us?

In June I was excited to put together an outfit for the ‘Summer of Love’ themed Pangaea and bought myself a blue vinyl mini skirt. Of

course I thought I looked the bees knees when I sported this sixties-inspired funky number; until I realised I couldn’t actually sit down. The plastic skirt was anything but practical and I was left grumpy and fed up when after a long night of dancing I couldn’t even sit down on the bus.

My best friend often laughs when she reminds me of my 18th birthday; I had my heart set on a pair of beautiful suede black shoes, but to my despair the shop only had a size 4 left, a whole size smaller than my feet. I was so determined to wear them I carried out my own D.I.Y. stretching method using newspaper and I even put Vaseline all over my feet just to get them on. Of course, it wasn’t long into the night that I collapsed on a chair desperate to get them off, and even stumbled out of taxi with them dangling from my hands….classy.

Maybe our style sacrifices are a lesson in how not to buy completely impractical clothes! Or perhaps we will never learn. One thing is for sure; while the best things in fashion may come at a price (and that price may be comfort) there is always going to be an important place in our wardrobes for our favourite sensible and snuggly garms. And while those disastrous birthday high heels may have once failed me, the everyday big cosy jumper and easy-peasy leggings never will.

Photo: tribeofmannequins.wordpress.com

3. Not gluing on false lashes properly Falsies are great because, let’s face it, the majority of us don’t have naturally thick eyelashes. However, one thing I can’t stand is when girls do the eye twitch. By this I mean blinking repeatedly until they either excuse themselves from the room, or they simply rip the false lash off right there in front of you. I know false lashes are a pain to put on; the glue never sticks, they never blend in with your natural lashes, but still, you wouldn’t go out with half your lash dangling on by the tiniest bit of glue, would you?

“Models are urged to mistreat their bodies which are then photoshopped.”

Photo: eBay

”

WE Ask YOU Answer

4. Overly dark foundation Girls, we all love a tan but applying a foundation shades darker than your natural skin tone isn’t going to achieve the glow you’re after. Doing this not only makes you look like you’re caked in make-up, but it also makes your face a different colour to your neck. I was once one of girls, desperate to cover my What’s the biggest fashion mistake you’ve ever these blemished skin. However, looking made? back, I wish I had just showed the Wearing velvet loafers on a night out. Never ever world my natural face. The key is: BLEND!

do it.

Office, £45 New Look, £17.99

models instead—but would this really have been better? We can see in the music industry at the moment that artists are attempting to promote bigger body shapes (Meghan Trainor with ‘All About That Bass’, and Nicki Minaj with ‘Anaconda’), which is fantastic, but they are definitely going about it in the wrong way.

Instead of spreading the positive message of loving your body no matter what shape or size it is, they have taken the opposite route to the Victoria’s Secret campaign, by shaming smaller women instead. Instead of body shaming at all, we should be body celebrating. We shouldn’t be claiming that a real woman has curves, or that she has muscles, or that she is skinny—a real

2.Over-plucked eyebrows They say the eyebrows are the windows to the soul....okay, so it’s actually the eyes, but to look into one’s eyes, one must also look at the eyebrows so why wouldn’t you want them to look nice and polished? This beauty faux pas has to be the worst.

I mean, aren’t we all supposed to be fawning over Cara Delevinge’s bold eyebrows? If you want to draw them in, fine, but at least make them look natural by using a pencil which is a similar shade to your brows, a light hand and follow your natural brow.

Don’t draw on brows that make you look permanently angry, shocked or confused.

Readers respond

Feature

Shopping

-Ben Murphy

New Look, £24.99

I once bought a pair of second hand shoes one

Failsafe fashion: * * the boy/girl edit

With our foolproof winter style guide, fashion fails are a thing of the past...

Asos, £10

Burton, £30

17

Top 5

My fashion fails: a brief history The ‘perfect’ fail Kirsty Marsh chronicles her style mistakes

Fashion

Missguided, £9.99

Photo: mystylebell.com

size too small. They said I could stretch them

5. Hair disasters Most of us have seen the Youtube video where the girl burns her hair off with a curling iron. If you haven’t, go and watch it. It taught me one thing; do not leave any hot items in your hair for too long. Your hair is just as sensitive as the rest of your body, and you wouldn’t leave a hot object on your hand for a long period of time, so what’s the difference? Be sure to use heat protector spray! It will save you from a thin-haired future.

out, no fucking way.

-Alex Black

Photo: Paramount Pictures With the current fast-fashion phenomenon that is ruling the retail sector, many of the high-street stores are cashing in on our vulnerability to take up the latest hot trend. Following a trend is something the majority of us have been guilty of, even if we are too proud to admit it. The fashion peril of our generation impacts upon the ability to have fun with our outfit choices. This is not to say that fashion fails don’t occur within charity shop or vintage purchases, but the dictated nature of the high street ‘look’ can brainwash a significant number of us. Our desire as a generation to consume every trend going can lead to a shameful heap of mismatched garments accumulating throughout the years.

In order to appear ‘fashionable’, the easiest way is to purchase the latest fashion item. Whether it be ‘that denim jacket’, ‘those Chelsea boots’ or ‘that oversized boyfriend jumper’, many of us have

walked around Manchester’s city centre and witnessed an identical item on another shopper. Whatever is currently ‘in fashion’ at that time, many of us will succumb to the spell and the next thing we know, the tag is ripped off and the next day it’s walking up Oxford Road.

Looking back, my persistence in wearing every trend under the high street sun all in one outfit has been inspired by an inner belief that I had to show off my fashion ‘knowledge’. The unforgivable mis-match of diamond-printed two-tone black tights paired with a floral ruffled mini-skirt and a navy and gold oversized belt is something I even find painful to write about. And that’s just half the finished outfit—already a far cry from a fashion success. It’s more than acceptable to experience these blunders, therefore the motto ‘learn from your mistakes’ has never felt more apt!

Spending all my Erasmus grant on designer handbags. Oh wait that was the best decision of my life.

-Molly Allen Buying a lemon yellow cardigan. It’s still languishing unworn at the back of my wardbrobe.

-Sarah McKey Buying a pair of shoes that weren’t Adidas Sambas. Big mistake.

-Meirion Jones

Photo: bugsbeautyblog.com

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Film

18

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Tom Bruce, Andriana Hambi, James Moules, Martin Solibakke Top Five

Feature

TV Binge: BoJack Horseman ”I’m responsible for my own happiness?

I can’t even be responsible for my own breakfast…”

Photo: BoJack Horseman Facebook

Meet BoJack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett), a miserable has-been famous for his main role in Horsin’ Around, a popular 90s sitcom about a horse adopting three orphans into his home. Now, the alcoholic washup is living in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills with his freeloading human friend Todd (Aaron Paul), and spends his days re-visiting his youth through watching old episodes of Horsin’ Around and laughing at its jokes over and over again. BoJack is still bitter about how the show got cancelled twenty years ago and the world subsequently forgot about him, and decides to write an all-revealing autobiography to get his career back on track so everyone can love him again.

Unfortunately, our protagonist is constantly drunk and too lazy to get anything done, so his penguin publisher hires Diane, voiced by Alison Brie (Community, Mad Men), to ghostwrite the story while he is too busy doing nothing productive with his life.

Before I go on, let me just point out how I really wanted to hate this show, for many reasons. Most importantly, the title character is a horse with a human body (or human with a horse head?) walking alongside normal people and his Persian cat on-and-off girlfriend. I hated the premise almost as much I hate Netflix, a mostly useless streaming service invented so single, white teen girls can pay money to binge watch out-dated episodes of a show the rest of the world saw two years ago, while sipping their Starbucks coffee and wondering why their lives are so boring and uneventful. Please trust me, though; I tried my very best not to like this show.

But I quickly realised BoJack Horseman is too unique, well written and absurd for me to hate. I have simply never seen anything like this freak show. In one episode, BoJack gets into a heated argument with the Navy SEAL seal Neal McBeal, as he accuses BoJack of stealing the box of muffins he had called “dibs” on in the store. The blue whale news anchor chooses to sensationalise the story of a war veteran being denied his favourite brand of muffins after returning from Afghanistan by a former sitcom star, and BoJack ends up doing a terrible job saving face on live television as he challenges the definition of “dibs” and accuses many of the troops of being jerks. Brilliant.

Actually, BoJack Horseman is nothing short of a masterpiece of existentialism. Our anti-hero is not only a highly dislikeable narcissist, but also a self-loathing cynic who is unsure of what he is anymore. It is something completely new and offers a break from the onedimensional “satire about the modern, American family” animated shows we have in abundance, and goes deeper than I thought a sitcom ever could. I recommend BoJack Horseman to anyone who has Internet, or knows someone who has Internet.

All 12 episodes of BoJack Horseman are available exclusively on Netflix, and the show has been renewed for a second season to premiere in 2015.

Untouchable Movies

Imran Bukhari discusses the contentious issue of the remake in today’s self-referential culture. Zane Lowe? More like Zane How-About-No! If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then surely any form of reimagining or reinterpretation of a classic film is a positive thing. Then again, it’s fair to say that some films are basked in a blinding untouchable light that prohibits them from being even uttered in the same sentence as the word remake. Nobody is going to embrace a modern retelling of The Godfather with open arms. That being said, film as an art form is subjective and one person’s Citizen Kane is another person’s Batman and Robin. So where do we draw the line on what can and can’t be touched?

In the modern Hollywood climate, unique creative films are becoming more and more sparse as there is an ever reliance on entertaining audiences with characters/stories that they are already familiar with.

It may have slipped under most people’s radar but in the recent weeks BBC Radio 1 rescored Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, starring Ryan Gosling, with the help of artists like Bastille, The 1975 and Chvrches providing brand new material. The film was shown on BBC Three with a very tepid reaction and varying degrees of success. The idea was backed by director Winding Refn but fans of the film saw no reasoning behind Zane Lowe’s vanity project. The songs themselves cannot be faulted and are beautiful to listen to in isolation from the film, but when placed against the original hypnotic beats... There really is no comparison.

Drive was released only three years ago but has already become a cult phenomenon,

boasting a legion of devout admirers. A rescore can sometimes be a refreshing way of looking at a film firmly etched in our subconscious. Drive is so heavily defined by its musical moments and what makes Drive so special is its tone. The 80s look is embedded in the film from the scorpion jacket to the muscle cars, but the music is what cements the neon feel. Once this is

the iconic ‘Nightcall’ by Kavinsky, which infused an evocative menace into the story, juxtaposing the shocking pink titles. During the homecoming party, ‘Under Your Spell’ seeps through into the driver’s apartment with the torturing lyrics “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep”. In the BBC effort this is substituted with extracts of songs as if from a poorly concocted playlist. Bring Me The Horizon add some loud noises for the car chase, a scene whose actual genius came from the absence of music. Now it just feels like a segment from a video game.

One of the standout musical pieces of the film is the driver’s masked attack; in the original this is accompanied by the operatic ‘Oh My Love’, a deliberately unorthodox choice that provided a chilling atmosphere. This is replaced by a new Bastille track called ‘The Driver’ which is far less interesting and highlights the lack of bravery surrounding the choices. Ultimately nothing Photo: Film District struck the sweet spot of evoking the same response to the film taken away, the film becomes an entirely in a natural way. One positive that can be different experience. Cliff Martinez’s taken from viewing this version of the film pulsating score and many of the tracks is that it only reiterates the excellence and are all instantly memorable. Chromatics’ perfection of the original soundtrack. The ‘Tick of the Clock’ during the first heist clear failure of this whole debacle raises and College’s ‘A Real Hero’ haunting the the fact that Drive has now surely entered final desperate moments of the film are this pantheon of ‘Untouchable movies’. just a few examples. It is an incomparable Tinkering with a film revered by many was soundtrack and without it the film loses never going to please everyone; even if the its soul. Some of the musical choices in the intention is sincere and the talent involved rescore are puzzlingly different, feeling was high. Evidently it proved to be an out of place and others are remarkably impossible task to improve or even equal similar but not as boldly minimalist. The the original, and it brings to mind the old opening credits of the rescore sorely missed proverb; If it ain’t broke…

Classic Review

12 Angry Men It’s safe to say that nothing is impossible when it comes to the world of film. Modern audiences are now accustomed to seeing superheroes flying around saving the world and fantastical voyages to the furthest corners of space. This sense of spectacle can be sometimes taken for granted and many films are guilty of allowing their visual effects to outweigh the quality of plot. All of which is a crying shame as movies are gradually losing their essence and their true purpose. It should be the story and the narrative that captivates the viewer and holds them till the very last frame. There is no need for false gimmicks or flashy sets; movies can be simplistic in scope and still ignite the same profound emotions.

Take the premise of 12 Angry Men; the majority of the film takes place in one claustrophobic room as 12 jurors decide the fate of a young man under trial for murdering his father. At first glance the decision seems like a forgone conclusion, except for one juror, played by the indomitable Henry Fonda, who believes differently. The tension amongst the men slowly reaches fever point as Fonda goes about opening their minds to how ambiguous the case actually is. As the heat escalates within the confined room, the jury swelter under the enormity of the pressure placed upon them.

The prejudices and misconceptions of each juror are spooled out, shedding new light

Director: Sidney Lumet Starring: Henry Fonda, Lee. J Cobb, Martin Balsam Released: 1957

on each character’s vivid personality. The characterisation of each juror is so thorough and detailed that no actor is left under served. Special mention must be given to Lee J. Cobb who provides sterling work as the main antagonist of the piece. His emotional breakdown during the climatic moments of his stubborn confrontation humanises a character that may have seemed one-dimensional.

The acting showpiece however comes from Fonda. Even when portraying a character with no name or back story, he is still able to develop a complete and whole person that

the audience can place their support behind.

Most impressively, he does all this just through the power of passionate rhetoric. His calm persistence and determination despite being alone in his stance, displays a decency and courage that is inspiring.

He is the every-man that every man wishes to emulate.

Sidney Lumet directs the film with intensity and measured pacing to ensure the viewer has no chance to catch their Photo: United Artists breath and is left aghast after each dramatic swing of the justice pendulum. Lumet trusts in the taut script and knows there is no need for ostentatious camerawork or increased action and the absorbing dialogue itself is enough to maintain the high level of suspense. It’s hard to believe this was his directorial debut. With universal themes that are just as relevant nearly 60 years on, 12 Angry Men has proven to be a lasting reminder of how pure and essential cinema can be.

Imran Bukhari

/MancunionFilm

Film 19

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@mancunionfilm

Top 5

Review

The Imitation Game James Moules says that this Alan Turing biopic succeeds thanks to director Morten Tyldum’s strong eye for S odetail and Benedict Cumberbatch’s knockout performance. many filmmakers in recent years have lashed every drop of creative potential out of the two world wars that any moviegoer could be forgiven for assuming that any new release set in this grim period in human history will end up being ‘just another war film.’ But, thankfully, a promising number of directors seem to have realised how much of a crisis of originality in which the war genre finds itself – David Ayer was one man to thank here for delivering the refreshingly gritty and bloody Fury to us last month, and now Norwegian Morten Tyldum has given us an exciting new WWII spy drama to freshen the genre’s stale breath.

The Imitation Game tells the tragic tale of British mathematician and cryptographer Alan Turing (played with characteristic excellence by Benedict Cumberbatch). Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, he is summoned to Bletchley Park to assist with the battle against the infamous German encryption device – the Enigma. Convinced that Enigma cannot be broken by conventional means, Turing sets out to build a machine that will decrypt all German communications at the flick of a switch.

The problem – his co-workers like his idea about as much as they like his tactless and snarky attitude.

Turing’s own personal life also has the potential to sabotage the operation – he was a homosexual in the days when gay people were treated as the spawn of hell, so Turing’s agony at the forced concealment of his identity has a profound effect on the film’s narrative as well.

The quality of the film’s intricate plotting cannot be

overstated. The narrative hops between three points in Turing’s life – his schooldays at Sherborne, his time working in Bletchley Park during the war, and the later events surrounding his conviction for homosexuality that led to him taking his own life at the age

Photo: Studio Canal

of 41. Deception is always going to be a prominent theme in any espionage drama, but few biographical films manage to mirror this theme so well in their relationship with the audience as The Imitation Game.

Tyldum slowly feeds us information about Turing that ensures we always find him sympathetic, even when he’s being insufferable to his colleagues. The gradual revelations about the man’s past and future – which are perfectly positioned in the narrative frame – make what starts out as an entertaining spy drama turn into a deeply moving human tragedy by the end.

As anyone familiar with the extent of the man’s talent would expect, Benedict Cumberbatch is utter perfection as Turing. A biographical drama is dependent on the strength of its lead performance more than any other genre of film, and when you have as prodigious an actor as Cumberbatch in the

Cornerhouse Pick of the Week

Everybody Loves Louis

After attending the first ever Levis-wearing-athon, Tom Bruce had this to say: ‘34/32 would wear Levis again’. Sub-sub-par banter out of the way, this film is near-perfect.

Photo: Curzon Film World

writing) is actually done by a man named Andrey Z v y a g i n s t e v, who apparently learnt how to film his incredible l a n d s c a p e panoramas and deeply emotive close ups by reading

magazines.

Leviathan is no lightweight when it comes to drama, but at two hours and twenty minutes long it recognises the need for humour too, which it smatters seamlessly throughout the tragic story arc. The funniest moments are often the saddest, such as the party scene in which Nikolay and his knucklehead friends down more vodka than gets spilled on the floor of a Manchester student bar hosting a ‘cocktail’ night.

The harsh, wave-pummelled scapes of the coastal Russian setting serve as a constant reminder of Leviathan’s raging morality battle. Zvyaginstev occasionally taunts us with glimpses of great whales that are just out of reach, giant beasts of Poseidon who neither care for or know of the profound traumas unfolding just feet away. Leviathan is a beautiful film with perfectly understated acting performances, a smashing script, and an incredible soundtrack. The film is available OnDemand right now. See it.

Andriana Hambi thinks Louie is a show everbody should see. K? Listen to every podcast, every roundtable, every whisper in the wind; Louis CK is loved by all.

Despite being one of the highest grossing comedians in the world, he is, undoubtedly, a man of the people. It’s a mystery how he’s managed to win the hearts of comedians, critics and civilians alike, but here we are. It’s 2014, and we have a man that can do no wrong, surely a dangerous position for anyone. Louis balances fatherhood and crippling cynicism in everything he does, and its absolute magic.

I know what you’re thinking, and yes, loving Louis CK is in no way a truth you can’t handle. (See above: everyone knows he’s great) I’m saying, in the most hyperbolic way possible, he’s the best thing to happen to entertainment since Steve Martin went grey. The whole TV watching world should count their Lucky Louie stars that this man bestows upon us his creative output. I’m a mind reader; I know you’re wondering how significant one man can be, he’s just a comedian. Correct again! As much as other comedians can pontificate about the importance of comedy in today’s crazy messed up world, they all are, essentially, telling dick jokes. Louis CK the stand-up comedian is good, no argument. But Louis CK the story teller

5) 1408 (2007) In horror film law, a man who receives an unexpected postcard telling him, “don’t enter 1408”, must do the opposite. Fifty plus people have died in this one demented hotel room, so obviously checking in can only be a horrible mistake.

Surely the worst rated hotel on Tripadvisor.

Photo:MGM

4) The Mist (2007) Think the Mancunian monsoon is the worst weather gets? Try a deadly mist that traps the inhabitants of a small town into a supermarket. Full of drama, if B-movie visual effects or almost the entire cast of The Walking Dead doesn’t put you off.

3) Dead Zone (1983)

You Can’t Handle the Truth!

Leviathan

Thank Google for subtitles. Not that without them this Russian language film would be any less powerful- it is a triumph in every aspect, visually most of all – but they certainly come in useful during a particular courtroom scene wherein the main character, a downtrodden family man named Nikolay, is having the petition to save his house from demolition at the hands of the mountebank mayor ‘soundly rejected’. This two minute monologue is the greatest thing to happen to cinema all year: during the profoundly banal yet immensely consequential diatribe, as the camera panned in achingly slowly towards the chief magistrate, the entire audience arose from their slumping heap to a near levitational level of concentration, totally in awe of the power a single shot of a film can possess and entranced by the frantic, elliptical soundtrack.

So sublime is the pacing of the speech, so utterly mundane the subject, so Kubrickian the set design, you begin to wonder if our boy Stan didn’t really die after Eyes Wide Shut but instead pulled an Elvis by buggering off to the former Soviet union to work as a DoP for the remainder of his twilight years.

Alas, Stanley Kubrick is in fact dead (I asked Tom Cruise, who was present at the open casket funeral), and the cinematography (and directing, and

mix, you can only expect magic to happen. That said, he still leaves room for other performers to have their turn in the spotlight, most notably Keira Knightley, who does fine work as the sole female cryptographer at Bletchley Park.

The movie is not without its problems, though – a number of minor characters are set up who inexplicably disappear just when we want to find out more about them. Charles Dance and Mark Strong are two actors who fall victim to this waste of talent. And while the film avoids outright sentimentality, there are times at which it feels like it’s trying a little too hard to draw laughs and tears. Sometimes it’s almost as awkward as Turing’s own social skills. My biggest problem with the film though is that it veers alarmingly close to being too reverential to its subject in the closing scenes. When you’re humanising a character through a biopic, one of the biggest errors you can make is to nudge your audience with an unsubtle reminder about how wonderful they were. It comes within a fraction of a millimetre of completely derailing the movie – that’s how poorly thought through the film’s final moments are.

That being said, The Imitation Game is well worth your while. Within the canon of recent WWII films, it achieves brilliance but falls short of greatness. You can count on it being a big player come awards season, but I’m pleased to report that it’s more than a stuffy Oscar-baiting melodrama. It is still every bit as moving and entertaining as its subject matter promises to be.

Underrated Stephen King Adaptations

is on a whole other level.

There is nothing other than gushing admiration I can give for the TV show Louie.

It’s funny, not ha ha funny, more cosmically Photo: FX funny.

A humour that makes you cry, not laugh. A humour that makes you examine every facet of your psyche. What does a twenty year old English girl have in common with a forty-seven year old divorced man with two children? Nothing; but more importantly, everything.

Are the rambunctious adventures of Lena Dunham and her rag-tag team of ‘friends’ supposed to resonate with me? Because I feel I have a lot more in common with a pasty, past-hisprime semi-sociopath than I do with them. Let’s take Louie the character out of the equation. The show itself is constructed with such subtlety and finesse, it’s enough grip to you.

The casting, the infrequency, the digression; everything about this show screams pretension, but it’s so beautifully sincere you can’t help but be entranced. This element is what’s missing in a lot of shows right now, and why it’s difficult to make comparisons between Louie and anything else.

Louis, the man, is a poet unlike any other.

Christopher Walken brilliantly plays a teacher who sees the near future fatalities of those around him. Your sympathies are with Walken’s character, who clearly doesn’t have a superpower. His new condition obstructs all aspects of his life, especially his intimate relationships.

Photo: Tri Star

2) Apt Pupil (1998) Dark thriller in which Ian McKellan plays a former Nazi war criminal, hiding in the leafy Californian suburbs, who is discovered by a teen that blackmails him and balances high school with twisted tales of a terrible regime. Both are afflicted by this and begin to blur the lines of normal society.

1) Dolores Claiborne (1995) Kathy Bates plus King adaptation is a fine formula. She plays the titular character, visited by her estranged daughter after being charged with murder. Claiborne has lived a hard life and seeing her daughter again rekindles family memories - some jovial, some mundane and many grim. To survive she has to overcome the dominant patriarchy at any cost.

Jack Lunn

20

Books

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Books @MancunionBooks

Editors: Leonie Dunn, Ali Pearson

Profile

Profile: The Chronicles of C.S. Lewis Books Editor Leonie Dunn looks over the life and works of the founding father of many childhood dreams, C.S. Lewis, the creator of Narnia.

GEt.Tested.14.Mancunion.Half.pdf

Adrian Age@13:58 Flickr 1 Photo: 19/11/2014

This week marks the 116th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’ birth on the 29th of November 1898. Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland where the account of his younger life reads like a list of books that are the foundations for his later work. He first drew inspiration for writing and illustration from Beatrix Potter’s stories with their focus on anthropomorphic animals.

Yet Lewis’ fascination with legends of the Icelandic sagas and Norse Mythology with its strong connection to the natural world are an evident factor in his notorious work The Chronicles of Narnia. His extensive knowledge of the literary world and keen readings of his youth sharpened his skills in debate and reasoning leading to his scholarship to University College Oxford.

However, his scholarship arrived at a time of war and although Lewis was an Irishman living in Britain he wanted to do his part and thus signed up months after his arrival at university.

He was then conscripted into the First World War but shortly into his conscription at the age of 20 on 15th April 1918 Lewis was wounded and two of his colleagues were killed by a British shell falling short of its target and upon his recovery he was demobilised and returned to Oxford for his studies. His time as an army officer affected him profoundly, as it did many soldiers, the horror of the events confirmed his already present atheism which is a feature of alot of his work.

However there was one friendship that changed his life. Edward Moore, a fellow

Irishman, was one of the colleagues killed by the shelling. The two young men seem to have made an agreement that if either were to die in war the other would support their family.

Thus, Lewis returned to Oxford, and true to his word, he lived with Mrs Moore until her death. It is not known whether the two were lovers but Mrs Moore was willing to be a maternal figure to Lewis who was struggling as an Irishman in Britain. For Lewis the move to Britain was a cultural shock and as he wrote in Surprised by Joy “The strange English accents with which I was surrounded seemed like the voices of demons.”

In this he developed a particular fondness for W.B. Yeats, the Irishman rewriting Ireland through the language of his oppressors. It is in and through Yeats that Lewis developed a somewhat tongue-incheek prejudice towards the Anglo-Saxon race, as he often referred it.

Lewis is best known for his fictional works The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia and the Space Trilogy. Following Lewis’ death his fictional works gathered much acclaim and the books that made up The Chronicles of Narnia have followed onto reach the highest sales figures after being popularised on stage, TV, radio and cinema.

However Lewis’ work was prolific and outstretches that of his renowned novels as he was equally a poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist. Lewis’ work in the academic field led on from his studies

after obtaining three individual first class degrees from Oxford. He was eventually elected as a Fellow and tutor of English Literature at Oxford University’s Magdalene College, where he served for 29 years.

In Lewis’ later life he met Joy Gresham, an American writer, whom he regarded as an agreeable intellectual companion and it is at this level that he agreed to enter into a civil marriage contract with Gresham in order for her to have a permanent home in the UK. However after only a year of civil marriage Gresham was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and at that point their relationship had developed to the point of them seeking a Christian marriage. After only four years of marriage Gresham passed away in 1960. In what is possibly one of Lewis’ most raw and personal works, ‘A Grief Observed’ he describes his experiences of bereavement and it gives an intimate and personal look into Lewis’ life.

Exactly a week before Lewis’ 65th birthday he collapsed in his bedroom and passed away just minutes later from renal failure. While the media coverage of his death was almost completely overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on the same day, Lewis was and still is commemorated on the 22nd November in the Church calendar of the Episcopal Church and in 2013, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Lewis was honoured with a memorial in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Photo

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

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Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are common, symptomless STIs. If left untreated they can lead to infertility. Luckily, they’re easy to test for and to treat with antibiotics.

The test is quick, easy, free and you can do it yourself.

Societies

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editor: Evie Hull

21

MUSAC go to the Farnes Melissa Gaskell-Burnup MUSAC

make the most of their curious

that seals are ticklish).

nature and allow them to come

All in all, everyone had a great

to you, that way you get to inter-

weekend, and because it was Hal-

Sub

act on their terms. It is also impor-

loween we even took a carved

Aqua Club’s favourite trip has

tant to realise that they are wild

pumpkin diving! It just goes to

always been diving with seals in

animals and should be treated

show how the diving in the UK

the Farne Islands off the North-

with care. They always like to try

is not as bleak as people expect it

umberland coast. Every year

and sneak up behind you, nor-

to be and I can honestly say that

divers flock to the area to get in

mally appearing from between

diving with seals has been some

the water with the young seals,

bits of kelp. Their favourite game

of the best diving I´ve ever done

which can best be described as

is to try and sneak up behind and

around the world!

underwater Labrador puppies.

chew on your fins, and they are

If you want to see more pic-

After packing the cars to burst-

pretty good at it too, mine had

tures and even videos of our trip,

ing, 10 club members left Man-

quite a few teeth marks in them

visit our Facebook page at:

chester on Friday October the

at the end of the weekend. They

31st for our first residential trip of

really love anything colourful,

the year. Everyone was very ex-

and will have a bit of a nibble to

cited, especially the three mem-

see what it is!

Manchester

University

bers who were doing their first UK sea dive!

https://www.facebook.com/ groups/musacdiving/ If you are interested in joining the club or have any questions

Once the seals feel confident enough, they will appear in right

Using a local charter boat we

front of you. This is when you can

headed over to the islands on

really have fun with them, they

Saturday and Sunday, planning

will often nip at your hands, or

to do two dives each day. The

even roll onto their back and get

trick when diving with seals is to

you to rub their belly (it appears

please contact: manunisac@gmail.com

This year’s theme—Rumble in the Jungle.

Photo: Manchester Students’ Union The Young seals can best be described as labrador puppies. Photo: MUSAC

‘Aspiring Solicitors’ – what’s in a name?

Alyce Houldsworth Aspiring Solicitors

What is ‘Aspiring Solicitors’ and who is it aimed at?

Aspiring Solicitors is all about increasing diversity in the legal profession. It hopes to achieve this aim by: • Increasing awareness of the importance of diversity in law from academic study through to practice; • Providing increased access, opportunity and assistance to aspiring solicitors from underrepresented groups to enter the profession; and • Providing organisations with platforms through which they can increase awareness of the importance of diversity.

Aspiring Solicitors targets un-

and Aspiring Solicitors is commit-

Join us on Facebook at https://

all underrepresented groups in

www.facebook.com/AspiringSo

the profession.

licitorsManchester?fref=ts

Aspiring Solici-

also sign up to Aspiring Solicitors

groups to include, but is not lim-

for amazing opportunities, work

ited to, the following aspiring so-

experience and legal information

licitors:

at

• State-educated aspiring solici• Disabled aspiring solicitors; • Aspiring solicitors with accents; • Female aspiring solicitors; • Aspiring solicitors of all ages; • Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender aspiring solicitors; • Black and minority ethnic aspiring solicitors; • Aspiring solicitors entering the legal profession from “non-traditional” routes; • First-generation undergraduate aspiring solicitors; and • Aspiring solicitors from non-

aspiring solicitors from underrepresented groups but will offer sup-

ties.

‘Diversity’ has a broad meaning

http://www.aspiringsolicitors.

co.uk/

tors;

redbrick/Russell Group universi-

academic level.

and

tors consider ‘underrepresented’

dergraduate and postgraduate

port to all aspiring solicitors at any

tee!

ted to increasing diversity across

And here at the University of Manchester, you have your very own Aspiring Solicitors Commit-

Write for us or promote your society by emailing societies@mancunion.com

Photo: Aspiring Solicitors

22

Food & Drink

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Ellie Gibbs, Adam Fearn

Recipe Week

As semester one draws to an end, so does the remainder of our student loans. Compromise on the cost of eating out with delicious recipes from our top contributors.

Photo: Food Network

Chorizo and Harissa Couscous, Jose Harrington This recipe for chorizo and harissa couscous is seriously quick food, the whole thing done is under 15 minutes. This dish would make a fantastic quick lunch between lectures or after a hard day of essay writing!

Ingredients: Chorizo Onion Clove of crushed garlic Oil 1 tsp of harissa Couscous Frozen spinach (optional)

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Method: Start by peeling the skin off the chorizo and cut into half circles, cook in a heavy based sauce pan on a medium-high heat. Add a slice onion and a clove of crushed garlic and cook for a couple of minutes in all oil of the chorizo. Once soft, add a tsp of harissa and then add couscous and cover with water on a low heat. Also add frozen spinach, stir fairly frequently and couscous should take less than five minutes.

Scandinavian Meatballs, Adam Fearn Meatballs are cheap, tasty, and easy to make. In just twenty minutes, it is simple to create a filling dish that uses products that are very often lying around in students’ fridges and cupboards.

Ingredients: 300g pork mince 1 egg 1 grated onion 100g breadcrumbs Dill (or any other desired herb) 1tbsp olive oil 1tbsp butter 2 tbsp plain flour Beef stock (can be made from a stock cube)

Mix together the mince with the egg, grated onion, breadcrumbs and dill. Roll the mixture into meatball shapes of your desired size (from the quantities listed, I made around 15). Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the meatballs until brown. Once they are browned, remove them, melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour. Stir well. Cook the mixture for two minutes, then slowly whisk in the stock until thick gravy forms. Return the meatballs to the pan and cook them through.

Once cooked, sprinkle them with dill (or your chosen herbs) and serve. Cranberry jelly, apple sauce, green vegetables and mash perfectly complement the dish. Berry sauce also makes a wonderful accompanying dip!

Photo: Joanna Fox

Sweet Potato Patties, Joanna Fox Try these sweet potato, leek, mushroom and goats’ cheese patties for some pre-deadline energy .

Ingredients: 2 medium sweet potatoes 1 leek, diced 5 chestnut mushrooms, diced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely sliced 30-40g goats’ cheese, crumbled into lumps Salt and pepper to season Method: Bake the sweet potatoes, either in the oven at gas mark 6/180-200°C for about an hour (pricking the skins a few times with a fork to avoid exploding potatoes) or for about 8 minutes in the microwave.

Meanwhile, fry the leek and mushroom in a teaspoon of butter until soft. After a few minutes add the garlic and stir regularly to avoid the mixture

sticking.

When the potatoes are baked, cut them in half and scoop out the insides into a bowl. Break down the flesh with a fork but don’t purée them as you will want a few lumps.

Mix the leek, mushroom and garlic mixture into the potato and leave to cool for a little while – this is so that the cheese doesn’t completely melt when you add it. Add the cheese to the potato mixture.

Form patties from 1-2 tablespoons of mixture – I made mine quite small, but when my mum makes these at home she usually makes them larger and they’re equally as good. Brush with olive oil and bake in a hot oven on a lightly greased baking tray for about 30- 40 minutes, or until starting to brown.

Leek and Black Pudding Tart, Jose Harrington Tarts are a great summer recipe, easy to make (especially if you have bought the pastry!) and they look fabulous. Black pudding is a favorite of mine at the moment, some people think it is a bit gruesome but personally I love the taste, even more so mixed with the sweet gently cooked leeks.

Winning combo!

Ingredients: Leeks Black pudding Eggs Milk Creme fraiche Oil Pepper Grated cheese Shortcrust pastry (shop bought if you’d like to

cheat – it works perfectly!)

Method: Start by heating a generous glug of oil in a frying pan. Add 2 washed and sliced leeks and allow to stew gently for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes until the leeks are soft and sweet.

While the leeks are cooking line a tart dish which shortcrust pastry and turn the oven on to 190c.

Make the filling by mixing 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, 100ml of milk, 100ml of creme fresh, 100gm of cheese (which ever flavour takes your fancy but cheddar does work well) and season with a little salt and pepper. Once the leek mixture is cooked and cooled slightly mix with the egg and spoon into the pastry. Top with cut pieces of black pudding-in whichever pattern desired and cook for 45 minutes. Serve with salad leaves.

If you fancy your hand at food and drink journalism, whether it be interviews, recipes, reviews, or some interesting culinary anecdotes, email us at food.mancunion@outlook.com or get in touch via Facebook.

Food & Drink 23 EVERY TUESDAY ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Food & Drink @MancunionFood

Review

Dessert: Salted Caramel Chocolate Pots

Food Co-Editor Ellie Gibbs stumbles across the Uni’s very own food market.

Food Editor Adam Fearn shares his easy recipe for these indulgent delights.

Salted caramel chocolate is becoming increasingly popular within England after its surging popularity in both America and mainland Europe. Rich and luxurious, the sea salt perfectly balances the intensity of the dark chocolate.

Here’s an easy recipe on how to make delicious chocolate pots!

Ingredients:

each pot.

3 tbsp canned caramel ½ tsp sea salt 100g of dark or milk chocolate 2 tbsp demerara sugar 100ml double cream 100ml milk

Photo: Th

Eaten anywhere nice recently? Created something Method: delicious? We want to know!

Mix the caramel and sea salt Tell us about it at food.mantogether, and divide the mixture cunion@outlook.com into two separate glasses. Place the

Photo: Ellie Gibbs

How have I only just discovered this foodie lunchtime haven? Every Tuesday from 10am-3pm, street food vendors of Manchester gather to provide the hungry student with mouthwatering delights that can’t be found in the campus canteen….Correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt you’ve had a venison burger or peanut butter snickerdoodle brownie in Uni Place.

Photo: Ellie Gibbs

On the mention of the latter dessert, I don’t expect much more persuasion to visit is necessary. However, for the sake of ensuring your attendance, I’ll continue.

Opposite George Kenyon Hall – behind Uni Place, you’ll find a campsite of delicious hot and cold food offerings. For hot days, there’s ice cream. For cold, there’s coffee and hot chocolate. The amount of pudding selection is difficult for the sweet-toothed, like me, as there are hot waffles, pancakes with syrup and ice cream, about 12 varieties of fudge brownie, and an array of freshly baked muffins. Due to my unplanned visit I did not have the funds to try everything I wanted to, and only purchased the salted caramel brownie, which at £1.50 or 4 for £5 was a bargain, and a great idea for some early Christmas gifts for friends.

glasses into the fridge to set. Melt the chocolate and set it over a pan of simmering water. Stir the double cream and milk together with the chocolate until it is smooth. Once done, pour the mixture on top of the caramel. Put back in the fridge for a couple of hours to set. To serve, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on top of

Photo: Bakerella

All of the independent vendors were friendly and eager to chat and offer tasters. The cheese stall in particular was great for providing samples and a genuine knowledge of each taste, I plan to return and stock up for a preChristmas cheese & wine evening. Relatives Got any delicious recipes of your own? Be it sweet, would also probably appreciate a rare cheese savoury, bitter or sour, we want to know! Email us at for Christmas, with types ranging from tangy food.mancunion@outlook.com to get involved. manchego to deep, earthy Montgomery cheddar. A friend had introduced me to the blue sheep’s cheese which, after polishing off with any cheese-holding carb available, drew me to visit the market itself.

After starting course-backwards due an irresistible brownie, I moved on to the ‘northwest game’ stall for a hearty venison burger with extra chilli sauce. It was great to have a meat I wouldn’t usually buy, and at the reasonable price of £3.50. Other options were the regulars ‘pheasant nibbles’ and ‘game sausage’, which I intend on returning to try, as well as their special of wild duck in plum sauce. At less than a fiver for an innovative lunch you probably wouldn’t make at home, it would be a crime to Photo::@wrapscallion_co not a least have a look.

As I turned up at almost 3pm, the majority of stalls were packing up so I didn’t see the market it its full glory. But I did observe the quesadilla van serving rabbit and chorizo amongst Mexican classics like chilli con carne. Delighted with my find, I’ll be back again next week.

Term time every Tuesday 10am-3pm.

Opposite George Kenyon Hall. (Behind Uni Place – keep going through the doors!)

Vendors: @nuffinbutmuffns @lushbrownies @wrapscallion_co

Photo: Ellie Gibbs

24

Arts & Culture

ISSUE 10/ 24th November 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM /TheMancunionArtsCulture @ArtsMancunion

Editor: Holly Smith Spotlight

Turner Prize 2014: Artists

In the run up to the Turner Prize being announced on December 1st, The Mancunion Arts & Culture brings you introductions to the four 2014 nominees.

Established in 1984, the Turner video (James Richards) and live Prize is awarded each year to a performance (Tris Vonna-Michell) contemporary artist under 50 James Richards, born 1983, is a living, working or born in Britain, Welsh video artist is the third of Archives New Zealand@Flickrthis year’s artists to be nominated who is judged to have put on the best exhibition of the last 12 for the £25,000 prize. He is a months. Previous winners graduate of Chelsea School Of Art include Gilbert & George, Antony and his work has been exhibited Gormley, Grayson Perry, Jeremy in countries such as Japan and Deller and Damien Hirst. This Turkey. year’s shortlist showcases artists ‘Rosebud’ is the video piece that whose work spans film (Duncan gave Richards his nomination after Campbell), prints (Ciara Phillips), being showcased at the Venice

Photo of the Week

Photo Of The Week

This Photograph is from Georgia Dolan, a second year Spanish and German student. If you would like to enter Photo Of The Week, email us your photographs at mancunion.arts@gmail.com

biennial in 2013. This controversial artwork mixes censored pornography, found in a Japanese library with his own footage, filmed out in the countryside. This piece was put together to explore the pleasure of art of looking. With an accompanying soundtrack, the emotional and psychological response is heightened in order to convey a sense of tenderness and claustrophobic intimacy, making this original piece one to remember.

Including ‘Rosebud’ Richards also has an exhibition at the Tate Modern which includes a variety of blankets containing photographs associated with the artist Keith Haring.

With three video artists in running for the Tuner Prize this year, competition is high and with two weeks left, James Richards is currently one of the critic’s favourite.

Exhibiton

Holly Smith

In Partnership with the Students’ Union

NO MONEY TO GET HOME? The Students’ Union has an exclusive partnership with Street Cars which means you can get home, even if you don’t have any money!

Download the booking app or call:

Even if you don’t need the SafeTaxi scheme, you still get 10% student discount off your fare.

StreetCars are the Union’s approved supplier

For more information on how to use the Safe Taxi Scheme visit manchesterstudentsunion.com/safetaxi or pick up a business card from the Union helpdesk.

0161 228 7878

ISSUE 10/ 24TH NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Theatre 25

/mancuniontheatre @themanctheatre

REVIEW

Nicole Tamer

24 November – 30 November

Something for everyone to enjoy in the cold of November

Othello Tue 18th to Sat 29th, The Lowry £16 – £24.20

Purgatory Photo: UoM Drama Society

What’s On

Allie Liu

This is a mating ground. There’s tension around the pool table, cues in hand. A world of broken glass and beatings in the car park.

Frantic Assembly return with its mordern take on Shakespeare’s thriller-tragedy of paranoia, jealousy, sex and murder. Fusing an adaptation of the classic text with a hard-hitting choreography.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 30 Oct – 29 Nov, Royal Exchange Theatre £7.50 – £15 Maggie the Cat and her husband Brick return to his home of the night of the patriarch Big Daddy’s 65th Birthday. The evening spirals into disaster as the family scramble to secure their futures and renegotiate their relationships. This tense, heart-stopping story uncovers a passionate and dangerous world.

Roger Allam Q & A Session 3pm, Wed 26 November, Martin Harris Centre The University is hosting a free of charge Q&A session with Roger Allam to celebrate his Outstanding Alumni Award. Since graduating from The University of Manchester in 1975, Roger is probably best known for his parts as Peter Mannion in The Thick of It, but has also appeared in Game of Thrones, Bad Education and V for Vendetta. His stage career spans five decades and has made him a triple winner of the Laurence Olivier Award.

A fast-paced, exhilarating performance graced the stage of The Martin Harris Centre on the opening night of Purgatory. I had the privilege of seeing the play in progress as I filmed behind the scenes and interviewed the cast and director, Rob Paterson, during one of their rehearsals for FuseTV. It was a new experience for me to see the process of what Rob envisaged, and the messages he wanted to portray to the audience, come to life on stage.

There was a heavy use of props and the focal point was a projector that projected images and videos onto a large screen upstage, which the actors interacted with in various ways. Having not seen this in rehearsal, the technological element of the performance certainly added an interesting aesthetic. The scenes I watched in rehearsal, with the added dimension of visual and aural technology, were made all the more engaging.

Tue 25 November - Sat 29 November, The Lowry £29.00 - £41.00

A Number Photo: Lily Ashton

The Mikado: Hot or not?

Last year, I performed The Mikado with MUGSS here in UMSU, set as the original in a Japanese garden, complete with red arched bridges and a flowing river. The Mikado is seen – for those who know G&S – as a revival of their partnership, and this is reflected in the freshness of the words and of the music. So a bunch of us travelled over and had a wonderful time at The Hot Mikado, finding it even funnier than our own (it’s so obviously written in the ‘80s, camp and ridiculous!) and loving the swingy twist on tunes we know so well.

But one thing I loved about SAMT’s production of The Hot Mikado was how accessible it was. Yes, there were jokes that we knew, and people too that we cheered on individually, but the script and music had been re-vamped in such a way that it was still a surprise. I will always enjoy the original G&S shows, but I enjoyed The Hot Mikado not because of its origins, but because it was a really enjoyable show.

Manchester Universities Gilbert & Sullivan Society will return to Manchester Grammar School Theatre with Patience from Wednesday 18th – Saturday 28th March 2015.

Sam Ebner-Landy

REVIEW

Amy Barker

What happens when you have the crazy idea to take something that’s already fairly niche and try to reinvent its form? You end up with The Hot Mikado. Written in 1986, a hundred and one years after Gilbert and Sullivan’s original comic opera, it was – perhaps surprisingly – rather successful!

Running for four months in Washington D.C., it was then revived on the London West End in 1995 for three months and even nominated for the Olivier award for Best New Musical!

At the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale last week ran a hugely enjoyable amateur production of The Hot Mikado, performed by the Sale & Altrincham Musical Theatre society (SAMT). The show was swingy, glitzy and hilarious – but I have to ask myself, is this because I know (and have performed) the original? Now if you ask your typical man-off-the-street if they know Gilbert & Sullivan, you’d probably not have much luck.

However, universities are exactly the place for the niche to become commonplace, and Manchester has a huge cohort of students performing G&S. Students from all Manchester Univrsities team up to put on the comic operas of G&S under the flag of the Manchester Universities Gilbert & Sullivan Society (MUGSS).

John’s anxieties surrounding his own death closer to home, and closer to the audience.

Rob talked to me about inspiration he took from films like Scott Pilgrim vs The World, and this influence is clear to see, as several scenes in Purgatory are set as if it was a video game where the aim was to win against death. The light-hearted moments of the play complimented the more sombre and actionfilled scenes well. The comedic and absurdist element boded very well with the audience even though the play is primarily about the decline of John’s sanity and rationality – a very serious issue, indeed.

I hope the ambitions Rob and the cast had have been surpassed by the fantastic and gripping performance delivered. It has been a truly unique pleasure, from an outsider’s perspective, to have had a glimpse of the journey from rehearsal to performance.

The first Love Theatre Day was celebrated on Wednesday 19 November as the Hashtag #lovetheatre was trending on the 24-hour event. It was started by the Guardian Culture Professionals Network, Twitter UK and CultureThemes and theatres and theatre fans across the UK were expressing their love for the world of drama. The action is supposed to highlight the importance of theatre in a time of severe funding cuts and company closures. It gives theatre companies the possibility to reach out to a wider audience and to collaborate with other venues. For more information and to support the cause, visit mytheatrematters.com

Edward Scissorhands Based on the classic Tim Burton movie and featuring the beautiful music of Danny Elfman and Terry Davies, specially recorded for New Adventures in magnificent surround sound, this touching and witty love story tells the bittersweet tale of a boy left alone and unfinished in a strange new world. It is a parable for our times about the ultimate outsider.

The play focused on the protagonist, John, who suffers from hypochondria and experiences events that seem to be either unlucky coincidences or just a figment of his paranoid imagination. Even the first scene where John gets shot by a co-worker, which sparks off various flashbacks that construct the rest of the play, is later questioned as to whether or not it really happened. Throughout, questions about morality, reality and mortality are raised; John is portrayed as always having these doubts ever since childhood.

The protagonist also grows more distrustful of religion, likening God to a ‘placebo’ effect; the play is unafraid of critiquing the hypocrisy religion incites for John. This complex character was taken on flawlessly by actor, George John, who gave a truly commendable performance. The rest of the cast executed their multi-roles effectively, each embodying the character of death, bringing

On one of Manchester’s typically chilly winter evenings, when the thoughts of the city’s student majority would usually be turning either to the following morning’s lecture or the pub, around sixty avid theatre-goers were held in a palpable state of eerie anticipation during the Drama Society’s production of Caryl Churchill’s 2002 play, A Number.

Set in a near-future dystopia, Churchill’s script tells the story of a father’s relationship with his three estranged sons, each of whom reacts drastically and uniquely to the revelation that they are one of “a number” of clones.

In this production, the depth of Churchill’s sobering play was entirely realised and it was clear

that director Monique Touko had the understanding and, for that matter, the cast to not only carry through the delicate themes of human cloning, experimentation and identity, but also to give them an added feminist gravitas.

Touko made the decision to swap each character’s gender, the all-female cast granting the audience an insight into the wildly misunderstood world of postnatal depression and, as the play went on, a growing sense of mistrust towards the mother, so often portrayed by society as a figure of parental perfection.

A Number seemed to achieve a rare harmony of almost all the theatrical aspects required for a production. The cast used their minimalistic set intelligently, constantly arranging tables and chairs, whilst shifting the patterns and topographies seen in

Camilla Lindner

REVIEW

Othello

¬¬Modern music at the beginning of the play and the setting indicate from the start that Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Othello’ is a modern adaptation. The Frantic Assembly and Theatre Royal Plymouth production at The Lowry in Salford does not put the audience into a 17th century setting in Venice, but places them into a filthy Northern pub full of gang members during the race riots of 2001 in Yorkshire.

Shakespeare’s timeless themes of jealousy, paranoia, otherness and distrust are represented well in the production.

The sinister choreography underlined by blaring music is

the staging as a means of emphasising the differences in each daughter’s relationship with her mother.

The acting, however, was where this performance truly came into its own. Emily Smith, Alice Walker and Roma Havers were all individually impressive as the three daughters, each bringing a wholly different dynamic to their scene, but the old cliché of a “stolen show” applied mainly to Emma Young, who was truly harrowing in her brilliant portrayal of the mother. Young’s understated performance gave Churchill’s script the strange sense of reality that it so required, and indeed all of the characters evaded hyperbole well, though dramatic lines such as “we both hate you” or “I’d kill it [the clone]” might have sent this excellent performance in a different direction entirely.

melted together in scene settings changing from the pub to the dark street, where fights take place.

Othello, played by the talented Mark Ebulue, is married to the fair lady Desdemona (Kirsty Oswald). But because of societal prejudice, they are not supposed to be in love. Cassio, poignantly portrayed by Ryan Fletcher, therefore tries to turn Desdemona black. Iago (Steven Miller), Othello’s lieutenant, helps Cassio in doing so. The audience quickly notices that he is the one, who is the catalyst of the plot. He spins a web of lies for his own enjoyment, while other characters

have to suffer and even die.

Due to Shakespeare’s timeless topics and modernised costumes consisting of jogging attire and trainers, and the Northern accents of the actors, the play manages to resonate with the young audience. ‘Gosh that was amazing’, one teenage girls said while leaving the performance.

But the question remains if the play was too modern and thus failed in dealing with current issues. Adapting Shakespeare should also mean to question the representation of men and women and not to portray them in an inflexible, gendered and rather conservative way.

Male brutality and superiority were emphasised on stage and the role of Desdemona was portrayed as a character lacking intelligence. Emilia was the only character who tried to break out of the fixed boundaries with the outspoken well-known sentence about the relationship between men and women: ‘They are all but stomachs, and we all but food, They eat us hungerly, and when they are full / They belch us’.

The play managed to impress young and old and the performances of the actors despite the portrayal of not so modern gender stereotypes.

26

Lifestyle

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editor: Robert Firth Advice

Porn

ask

Kitty

Photo:: Jetske @Flickr

This week our resident lifestyle guru Kitty Treverton Jones deals with a house at breaking point over relationship issues and smelly students. in my second year living in a house of five Q I’m people, and two of my housemates became a couple at the end of first year. It has completely changed the dynamic of the group and recently they have started to argue loads. The girl always confides in me about their relationship problems but the guy is also one of my best friends, I constantly feel awkward in the house and I don’t know what to do! best piece of advice I can offer to you is to stay out A The of the relationship as much as possible! Try not to offer a strong opinion to either of them and leave them to sort out their own problems. They have changed the dynamic of the group by being a couple so embrace that change: focus on your friendships with your other two housemates. Make the friendship between the three of you the dominant relationship of the house, have loads of fun together and don’t let the couple’s issues control the house.

Prudes and Porn Stars Parental Advisory, explicit consent: Molly Allen talks porn.

Last week I joined my friends, and Mancunion fashion editors Aimée and Gràinne on their radio show, Fuse FMinism, for a good old chat about porn, sex and the education surrounding the whole affair. They also spoke to Carly Rae Summers, a fashion design student at Manchester Metropolitan University who performs in porn films.

I think a lot of people have preconceived ideas about the whole porn industry. Some responses I got were “oh well that’s a hugely exploitive industry, “women who work in it are always so vulnerable”, “all the men are gay.” I am want to tell you that all these ideas are wrong.

On meeting Carly Rae she was like any other student: she was funny, sweet, friendly and down to earth. She was empowered: she loves her job and there is nothing

wrong with what she does.

She made the choice to enter the porn industry and what’s great about that, is that we live in a society where women can make this choice.

She took the same stance as me that the education surrounding porn, and to a certain extent sex, is abysmal.

The only way people are going to stop talking about how “damaging” porn is for children, is by improving education and reinforcing the idea that porn is not an educational thing; it’s for enjoyment.

Censorship doesn’t work, thinks David Cameron.

Personally I didn’t receive any education about porn at school. My sex education teacher was an ageing woman who promptly retired after ‘teaching’ my year. ‘Teaching’ here meant subjecting us to a hideous video of a weird cartoon family going through

their various ‘stages’. Most memorably, the bizarre scene when a cartoon boy got an erection, to a serenade of church organ music” and then saying matter-of-factly “well that’s that”.

Sex education is shunned aside: schools leave it to parents and parents leave it to schools. I think we can all agree nothing was more mortifying than getting ‘the talk’ from our parents.

Schools need to step up, sex education needs to be taught from years 7 to 11 and the teachers need to be young.

Everyone needs to get over being a prude and accept that porn exists. There is nothing wrong with it. Children will look at it. The only way to prevent potential harmful effects is through education.

Listen to Fuse FMinism on Fuse FM, Wednesdays 9 – 10.

Photo: hansol @Flickr

Crime

Post-burglary blues

With some statistics showing that Manchester has the highest student burglary rate in England, Robert Firth talks to one student who had more than a usual fright on Halloween

of my course friends has really bad B.O. It Q One was bearable when it was just in lectures but now I’ve started to see her outside of them and I’m embarrassed to introduce her to my friends. I don’t think I know her well enough to tell her, what can I do? really is no excuse in this day and age for body A There odour, but if you insist on continuing your friendship with her, here is a four-day guide to make her aware of her problem: Day One: Drop into conversation that someone you live with really smells because they don’t wash every day.

Day Two: Quote an article you have “read” and make up a statistic like “73% of people unknowingly suffer from body odour.”

Day Three: In a lecture, sniff the air and ask if she can smell anything. Looks puzzled for a minute, then point to the person in front of you and wrinkle your nose in disgust.

Day Four: By now she will either think you are obsessed with people’s odours or she will have cottoned on that it is her and made an extra effort to wash properly. If it hasn’t worked, try asking light-heartedly if she forgot to put on deodorant this morning.

Got a problem? Unsure who to turn to?

Just ask Kitty: mancunion.life@gmail.com

Photo: West Midlands Police @Flickr

Trying to find someone who doesn’t know a student who has been burgled in Manchester is an almost impossible task. Since the beginning of September five of my friends alone have had items stolen from their houses and with every story you begin to count down each finger on your hands, until you become the next victim.

You’re not paranoid to do so either. 1 in 10 crimes in Manchester are against students according to the police. Manchester has the worst student burglary rate in England according to figures published by The Complete University Guide: 12.77 burglaries per 1000 residents in May 2013 – April 2014, for residents living within three miles of the University of Manchester. It’s an unfortunate reality that for many of us at university, burglary is as much a part of everyday life as late buses and tiredness.

As expected, the targets of most burglaries are laptops and smartphones, something that was seized upon by GMP’s student safety initiative this year which claimed that the average student household has £5000 to £10000 worth of high-tech

items. Whilst most will be in envy of the occupants of this average student household, it corresponds without fail that every person who’s burgled has their laptop taken.

Charlotte Mason, a second year languages student explained to me how four laptops were stolen when they were burgled on Halloween “through the smallest window imaginable,” which was shut but not locked. For most students, it’s not the loss of property or even the inconvenience that burglaries cause them which distresses them the most but the idea that a stranger has been in their home. Charlotte commented that being burgled has made her household “much more conscious of the area, we will never leave a window open again.

I know that it [burglary] was an issue, but I’ve never considered that it would happen to me.”

According to Greater Manchester Police, 1 in 3 burglaries are the result of an open or unlocked door/window. As well as the student safety initiative, this year the police also launched Project Ark, which aims to reduce burglary in the student hotspots of

Fallowfield, Withington, and Ladybarn.

Being a victim of burglary has made Charlotte much more aware of her house’s safety “If you think a window is too small to get through, you are wrong—these people find ways. Be conscious of every window and door, making sure it’s locked.”

Whilst every little helps, it’s unlikely burglary is just going to vanish from the Fallowfield area because of a few extra police patrols and locked windows.

Charlotte herself knew of four other people who had been burgled before the Halloween incident. Whilst students have laptops and laptops cost, thieves will target them, it’s just a pity they don’t realise nonstudents also have smartphones and laptops, but then again they probably have burglar alarms too.

Advice on keeping your property safe: www.facebook.com/mcrstudentsafer http://www.gmp.police.uk/students

ISSUE 10/ 24th NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife

Lifestyle

27

Blind Date

It’s...

Chantei, 1st Year Politics and International Relations First Impressions?

Scott, Postgraduate Law student

I was surprised because he looked a little older than I expected him to initially be, but he was very friendly and confident and made a very good impression.

First Impressions?

What did you have to eat?

A great girl who seemed very easy to be around.

Butternut squash coconut curry.

What did you have to eat?

Best Features and why?

Fish and chips. I’m from the North East so am somewhat of a fish and chips connoisseur but was still thoroughly impressed.

He was really confident and funny. I like when guys are easy to talk to and keep the conversation going.

Is he your usual type?

Her best features and why?

Generally he wouldn’t be the guy I would be initially attracted to, but after talking to him he is definitely the kind of a guy I could find myself liking.

Gloriously big hair equals fan!

Did you have much in common?

I don’t really have a usual type.

We both like red wine and finished the bottle, which was really all that mattered.

Did you have much in common?

Most interesting thing he told you?

Most interesting thing she told you?

He was studying law after finishing a history undergraduate which was cool.

That she has lived in Canada, Singapore, and Nigeria.

Weirdest thing he told you?

There wasn’t anything that was particularly weird. I found it funny the amount of times he brought up hangover restaurants in the area.

Is she your usual type?

A sickening love of wine/alcohol.

Chantei & S

Weirdest thing she told you?

cott

Once did jelly shots with OAPs at an 80th birthday party.

Any awkward moments?

Any awkward moments?

I’d never met anyone who kissed both cheeks to say hello, so there was a bit of an awkward pause there when he went to say hi.

What happened after you finished the meal?

We drank some wine for a bit and then left the restaurant and said goodbye.

How did you say goodbye?

We walked down the street and he kissed my cheeks goodbye and we walked put separate ways.

So you kissed?

Many thanks to Fallow Café, 2A Landcross Road, Fallowfield.

As well as serving tasty meals, it also holds free gigs, regular film screenings and club nights. www.fallowcafe.com

A beaten and drunken local tapped on the window to attract her attention, Amsterdam-esque.

Fancy a free meal and a date?

Email: mancuion.life@ gmail.com with your name, year and course.

New York

I wouldn’t mind seeing him again, but no plans were made.

Went our separate ways.

How did you say goodbye?

A kiss on the cheek, but nothing Shakespearean.

Will you be meeting again?

He kissed my cheeks to say hello and goodbye.

Will you be meeting again?

What happened after you finished the meal?

Unlikely, but she is a very interesting person who’s very fun to be around. A fantastic catch for somebody out there!

Josepha Griffin-Parry and Robert Firth

Marks out of ten?

Marks out of ten?

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Travel

New York by a New Yorker

Photo: stuckincustoms @Flickr

After I tell people that I’m from NYC, I often get asked if it’s anything like the TV show “Friends.” It isn’t at all.

“Seinfeld” is a much more accurate representation. Every neighbourhood is like its own mini-city, and you don’t need to walk more than five or six blocks to get anything you could need.

Within a two block radius from me, I have two hair salons, five banks, three super markets, two gyms, a movie theatre, three delis, four bars and fourteen restaurants.

My favourite thing about New York City is the food. There are tens of thousands of restaurants to choose from. Neighbourhood staples are Jewish bagel stores, diners, bodegas (little shops that sell candy and drinks), delis and- like Manchester millions of Starbucks. In New York, people order takeaway like it’s their job. Almost every meal I have at home is takeaway, as is the case

for most people I know. Weekend brunch, like they have often in “Sex and the City,” is also very popular, but you can end up waiting hours for a table.

Aside from the rent, New York City is a very affordable place.

Everything in New York sells for roughly half the price as it does in England. An Abercrombie jumper that sells for £90 here costs about 35 dollars, or 22 pounds, in America. Food is also considerably cheaper and portions are much larger. I can get a high quality meal at most restaurants for £7.50.

Many think that in New York it’s very likely you’ll see a celebrity walking down the street. If you make a conscious effort, by googling different TV or film locations for the day you are guaranteed to see a celebrity.

However, seeing a celebrity on the street is a rare occurrence.

Most New Yorkers don’t actively seek out celebrities, because

after the first couple of meetings everyone realises that most celebrities have a “can’t be bothered” attitude towards fans wanting pictures.

Photo: Duncan Harris (Flickr) People see a “New York” attitude in films and TV which makes them believe that New Yorkers are cold and rude, but this isn’t true. Many times complete strangers strike up conversations on the subway or the bus. Native New Yorkers share an irreverent style of humour, however, which may be why some think they are rude.

Living away from home makes me realize all the things I take for granted in New York. I regret the time I spent watching TV all day at home when I could’ve been at an amazing museum, or a Broadway show. That being said, Manchester is by no means a bad place to live, especially the City Centre which to me is like a miniversion of New York.

Photo: joshowaa @Flickr

Our resident New Yorker Natalie Greene destroys some preconceptions about The Big Apple

HOW WILL WE USE THEM?

YOU DECIDE...

On May 07 2015, the country will turn out to decide who governs for the next five years. With around 100,000 students in Manchester, we could finally make our concerns heard over poor housing, high crime, extortionate tuition fees and more.

Even if you were registered last time, you must register to vote for these elections.

Register at: www.votebooster.org/register/umsu

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Sports Editors: Andrew Georgeson, Will Kelly

@Mancunion_Sport

Contact: sport@mancunion.com

No need for England to worry—yet

Tom Cheetham calls for calm amongst England fans after a string of poor results Tom Cheetham Sport Reporter Before I get started, I would like to issue a disclosure. I am a Saracens fan, and a biased one at that, so if at any point you catch me waxing lyrical about how Owen Farrell is Jonny Wilkinson 2.0, or that Brad Barritt is the best thing since sliced bread, or that George Kruis is arguably the greatest human being since Martin Luther King, I apologise in advance, my emotions sometimes get the better of me!

(But to be fair to me, even I don’t think Chris Ashton should be anywhere near the squad—so Mr Lancaster, you’ve got that one spot on, keep it that way.)

England have narrowly lost to the first and second ranked international teams in the last two weeks by a cumulative 6 points. This was England’s, currently the fifth ranked team in the world, fifth consecutive defeat and it continued their terrible record against the southern hemisphere heavyweights. Despite this, is there really cause for concern?

A defeat by 3 points, whilst disappointing, is easily overcome. A slightly more disciplined ruck here, a drop goal there and England could’ve won these games.

The score versus South Africa however, from an England point of view anyway, was not reflective of performance.

England failed to change their game

Ben Morgan has been one of the posItives to emerge from the Autumn internationals.

Photo: EatSleepRugby

plan to suit the conditions presented to them at Twickenham, proven by Jonny Wilkinson 2.0 deciding that he would try and run the ball from under his own posts that resulted in an easy penalty for South Africa, and arguably the difference, on the scoreboard at least.

The sin-binning of Victor Matfield caused a brief resurgence for a flailing England pack, and allowed England to register 14 points. Unfortunately for England, in the World Cup teams will be playing

with 15 players for most of the time.

There were signs of encouragement there, however, especially for a team devoid of debatably its 3 best props in British and Irish Lions; Mako Vunipola, Dan Cole and Alex Corbisiero.

New Zealand is a whole different proposition. The Kiwis are the world’s best and have been for a while and whilst England’s performance was very respectable in the 21-24 defeat, New Zealand found a way to win,

and the 3 point gap belittles the ease the Kiwis had in claiming victory.

England have 10 games to go till the World Cup starts against Figi. The first of these is versus Samoa.

In that time a lot needs to change.

England need to develop the knack that is synonymous with our Southern Hemisphere rivals: winning when not playing well.

Three years into Stuart Lancaster’s reign and the ‘project’ to get England to

peak in time for the World Cup is under threat, England have not lost five games in a row since 2006. Now we all know England made the final the following year then, but International Rugby is very different now. Firstly, it is now Jonny Wilkinson 2.0, not Jonny Wilkinson 1.0.

Secondly the competition is stronger all round, Wales have George North, amongst others, Ireland are as good as ever, even without the presence of the best rugby player of the past decade; Brian O’Driscoll (controversial I know, but just watch his ‘best bits’ on YouTube). England are trying to blood youngsters in the International games, and this has certainly been the case.

England have the Six Nations as the final dress rehearsal, but it will be impossible to judge the success of the Stuart Lancaster regime until next September.

I call for calm and optimism amoung England fans for this team. When we have a semblance of our full strength front row, (which in my opinion should be sans Dylan Hartley, but that is a debate for a whole other time!), when exciting youngsters like George Ford have another ten games under their belt, and when we find the Southern Hemisphere method of winning when being rubbish, I see no reason why England can’t win the World Cup on home soil next year.

Do I think they actually will? No. My reason? New Zealand.

What can City can learn from United’s European success?

Sam Cooper identifies the current problems with City’s European campaigns Sam Cooper Sport Reporter Manchester City’s European adventures haven’t gotten off to the best start, but is there something to be learned from their city neighbors?

When the blue side of Manchester was purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008, the amount of money being pumped into the club led many to believe that it wouldn’t be long before they could start challenging for major honors. While this is largely true, the team won the FA cup in 2011 as well as league titles in the 2011 – 12 and 2013 – 14 seasons, many fans have been disappointed at their inability to establish themselves in Europe.

Their debut season in the Champions League saw them drawn in the same group as Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal. This acted as a wake-up call to some of the fans expecting immediate success as City faltered and finished third in the group.

The next season, they were again drawn into a difficult group. Real Madrid, Ajax and eventual finalists Borussia Dortmund all stood between them and a place in the knock-out stages and City exited the completion bottom of the group without a single win to their name.

The 2013 – 14 campaign did see progress though. City finally made it out the group stages, but were drawn against Barcelona in the next round. They lost 4-1 over two legs, which lead to captain Vincent Kompany saying his team had lost their “mojo.”

Manchester City are becoming over-reliant on Agüero Photo: FootballTweets

This season, again, has been a frustrating one for City fans. Facing a familiar foe in Bayern Munich as well as Roma and CSKA Moscow, they are currently without a win and need two big results, at home to Bayern and then away to Roma, if they are to progress.

While City continue to be a domestic force, it is becoming apparent that it is continental success that most fans crave.

So can they learn a thing or two from their rivals across the city? A club that has won two Champions Leagues and a European Cup? The answer is yes, and the first point to acknowledge is that it takes time.

Manchester United first entered European completion in 1957 but didn’t actually win the cup until 1968. Chelsea, likewise, won their first Champions League trophy just two years ago despite playing in Europe since the early 60s and Liverpool won their first European Cup in 1978, 31 years after first qualifying.

This gap allows you to build a squad with plenty of European experience, a vital ingredient to winning the Champions League.

During United’s eleven year gap between starting in Europe to winning the competition, United had just one manager, Sir Matt Busby.

This season, despite it only being his

second year in charge, rumors are floating that Manuel Pellegrini’s job may be at risk. City have to show patience and allow Pellegrini time, remembering this is a man who has taken two different teams to the quarter-finals of the competition.

Secondly, they need to identify what helped United to European success- a strong spine through the team.

In the 1999 final, despite having both Paul Scholes and Roy Keane suspended, the likes of Peter Schmeichel, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole were all present. In 2008 they had Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidić, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.

These men all know how to lead a team and while Kompany looks to be a natural leader, he needs support if they are to mount a serious challenge.

They also need to not rely so heavily on Sergio Agüero. Pretty much every Champions League winner has had a star player. Barcelona had Lionel Messi, Real Madrid had Cristiano Ronaldo, Bayern Munich had Arjen Robben and this is a pattern that is repeated throughout the tournament’s history. Agüero can be this player for City, but they need to realise these players didn’t do it entirely on their own. To win the Champions League you really must be a strong team and not one that relies so heavily on individuals.

Finally, they must look at the attendances at Old Trafford during European nights. The stadium is alive with noise and this spurs on the team. Conversely, the Etihad seems mysteriously quiet.

However City are taking steps to combat this, they offered two-for-one tickets for the CSKA Moscow game in the hope of filling the ground and establishing a strong, vocal supporter base. But, similar to taking time for the team to grow, the fans will need a moment to adjust to their new surroundings and start creating the Ethiad a place to be feared.

So it seems there are many lesson to be learned by City if they hope to become as successful as their arch rivals but whether they will take these lessons remains to be seen.

What do you think?

Tweet us your opinion @mancunion_sport

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Why I love the FA Cup

Tom Cheetham argues against last week’s article and defends the FA Cup Tom Cheetham Sport Reporter

“The FA Cup is dead!” is a headline I hope to never see in my lifetime.

The oldest football competition in the world, The Football Association Challenge Cup is still in my humble opinion the best football competition in the world; let me justify this.

Look back just over a week to Friday 7th November 2014, the time is 20:03; we’re in the Cheshire town of Warrington. Suddenly through the cold, dark Friday night there is a roar, so loud that it wouldn’t be out of place at a rock concert. What is the reason for this eruption of noise in a small corner of the country I hear you ask?

It was thanks to a professional plasterer enjoying his hobby. His hobby? Playing football for his local club, Warrington Town. Craig Robinson, younger brother of MK Dons manager, Karl, is a plasterer by day, and is now a local hero by night. That night Warrington Town FC wrote a new chapter in their history, they had defeated Exeter City; a team sat 100 places above them in the football pyramid. To put 100 places in reality, it is the equivalent of current Premier League leaders Chelsea losing to Forest Green Rovers (9th in the Conference at the time of writing).

Exeter’s team that night featured young England U20 star, Matt

Grimes, alongside former Premier League veterans Matt Oakley and Danny Butterfield.

Warrington’s closest link to the Premier League, apart from being geographically between Liverpool and Manchester, was captain David

their heroic triumph over Exeter, Warrington have been rewarded with an away trip to Conference high-flyers Gateshead.

The consequences of this will mean that Warrington or Gateshead will have the possibility of playing at

FA Cup winners Wigan captured the beauty of the cup.

Photo: LaticsOfficial

Mannix, who was a youth player at Liverpool and was there for That Night in Istanbul.

Mannix never played for Liverpool; Oakley played more than 250 games in the Premier League, yet they both pitted their wits against each other for the evening, thanks to the FA Cup. After

Old Trafford, Anfield or maybe even Vicarage Road, home of the mighty Watford FC (I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t name drop Watford) in the next round.

What other competition in the world gives Warrington, with it’s team made up of plasterers,

fencers, and window cleaners, the opportunity of playing against multi-millionaires?

None.

People argue the cup has lost its romance; just two years back Wigan Athletic became the first team to be relegated from the top division as winners of the FA Cup. As a result of this, and the accompanying place in the Europa League granted to the winners of the FA, teams from around Europe could look forward to Thursday nights in Wigan… What more romance is necessary?

Every year there is at least one team who far exceeds expectation, Hull City (HULL CITY!!!) reached the final last year, more shocking than the fact Hull City (Tigers?) reached the final, Arsenal (yes Arsenal, it is not a typo, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal) won the competition.

The FA Cup is not only about the shocks that it never ceases to provide, it gives small clubs the chance to secure their finances for many years to come, with Warrington being awarded £18,000 for their defeat of Exeter. This sum on top of the estimated £32,000 they’ve received in the preliminary stages of the competition will help stabilise the clubs finances, for the short term at least.

Football primarily is about goals, and the FA Cup promises goals in every round, so if you like goals, who doesn’t, you should love the FA Cup. In the first weekend of fixtures in the first round proper of the FA Cup, there were 111 goals in

37 games, which is an average of 3 goals per game. The highest scoring tie was to be found in Hampshire (I had to Google that), where Gosport Borough from the Conference South took on League 1 Colchester, with the final score a 6-3 victory for the away side. Only in the realms of video games can a 6-3 score be realistic, but the FA Cup perfectly bridges the gap between video game and reality.

If anyone still argues that the FA Cup is dead (that means you Georgeson), I would like to invite you to personally discuss this with me. The greatest football competition in the world lives on as strong as it did all those years back in 1871.

What do you think?

Tweet us your opinion @mancunion_sport

Sporticipate interview: Ashkan Nazary and Max Gibbs Jessie Benson speaks to Sporticipate about why you should get involved course mates together then why not dress up in Christmas attire and take part in our Christmas themed events?

What is the future of SPORTICIPATE? Sport England will fund the project for three years where two new interns will manage the programme each year, thus allowing for new creative input each year. We are hoping that the Sporticipate programme and name will become synonymous with SPORT Manchester and be well known throughout the University with a strong infrastructure of coaches, venues and sessions.

The aim is for the University to see the benefit and value in running the programme and hopefully continue to support it after Sport England funding no longer becomes available.

Jessie Benson Sports Reporter

What is SPORTICIPATE and how did it come about?

In March 2014 Sport England announced their new Active Universities Project to provide £10 million to universities with the aim of engaging more HE students in sport. SPORT Manchester was keen to seize this opportunity having seen the success of the Sport England funded ‘Hall Sport’ project. The team pulled everything together to put forward a strong bid and received the news of success in July when Sport England published the activation fund list, which included The University of Manchester. Around £236000 would be granted by Sport England along with £106000 in kind from the University to provide more opportunities for students to get active over a three year period. SPORT Manchester now has an additional programme ‘SPORTICIPATE’ to deliver to their vast array of existing programmes on offer.

SPORTICIPATE is made up of a weekly timetable of FREE sports and activities, as well as one-off events and welcomes all abilities take part in any of the sessions and events. It’s a fantastic opportunity for any student or staff at the University to engage in free activities on campus.

Photo: Manchester Students’ Union

How can you get involved?

The two ways to get involved are through our weekly timetable or through our one off events.

Simply register and turn up to any of the sessions for FREE where equipment will be provided. The timetable will have additional sports included next semester so keep your eyes peeled for changes.

Events In terms of one-off events there will be 3 to 4 more mega events where students and staff can turn up as a team or individually and

compete against other teams in a fun environment.

The inaugural SPORTICIPATE event was held at the Armitage Sport Centre on the 18th October where 150 students took part in various tournaments and activities.

For the second event, Sporticipate will be hosting Christmas themed events taking place on Saturday 29th Nov and 6th Dec at the Trinity Sport Centre (located right behind the main library). If you are in charge of any group or if you can get your friends, flat mates or

To get involved with Sporticipate, or to find out more, contact: Like the Sporticipate Facebook page for more information about the weekly timetable or events. If you have any queries or feedback regarding the Sporticipate programme then drop us an email (Sporticipate@manchester.ac.uk), raise it on Facebook or pop in to SPORT Office for a chat.

Get SPORTICIPATing!

Christmas Events:

Saturday 29th November 5-a-side – 12pm (Women) 5-a-side – 2pm (Men) Mixed Hockey – 2:30pm Volleyball – 3pm Ultimate Frisbee – 12pm

Saturday 6th December 5-a-side – 12pm (Women) 5-a-side – 2pm (Men) Mixed Netball – 3pm Mixed Basketball – 10am (Trinity and Sugden centre) Mixed touch Rugby – 4pm

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Galacti-bores

The Galacticos in Manchester proved to be nothing more than a finacial honeytrap Andrew Georgeson & Aidan Gregory Sport Editor & Editor-in-Chief The epic duel between Messi and Ronaldo in Manchester lasted only 45 measly minutes.

Then, as if from nowhere, the DJ packed up, and it seemed as if he took the crowd, some of who had paid £60 for this nonsense with him. Few can blame the dishevelled crowd for losing their voice after half time. There were the inflated ticket prices, twice of what the Argentina match was at Upton Park last week, you had to fork out £5 for a glossy programme, £4 for a plastic bottle of watery Singha and £3 for a stale pie. Then there were the clackers on sale outside by some guy with an IKEA bag full and half & half scarves just to add to the fun.

All of this could be forgiven if the football was at least watchable. But hauling off the two headline players after 45 minutes was absolutely un-

that he touched the ball. This didn’t seem to bother him too much though, and if this match was going to be used to help judge the Ballon d’Or winner, his contribution, little though it was, surpassed that of CR7.

Unfortunately for the Red Legion in the stands, the occasion seemed to be a bit too much for Ronaldo, who looked like he was enjoying being the Belle of the ball a bit too much and was totally ineffectual. His only decent moment was a bit of neat footwork in Argentina box before he blasted the ball over the crossbar.

The one certain thing that came out of the match however was that Nani, the Manchester United player currently in exile at Sporting, will never, ever, play for the Red Devils again.

His first return to his old hunting ground after a summer move wasn’t one to remember, and the fact he escaped the litany of substitutions and stayed on the pitch for the entirety of

forgivable, and that act will ensure this match is remembered as nothing more than the biggest financial honey-trap in recent footballing memory.

Now I understand that this was a friendly, that it was midweek, and nobody seriously expected Ronaldo and Messi to play the full 90 minutes, but at least 60 would have been nice, especially since both barely did anything in the first half.

For what it’s worth, the match was fairly entertaining for the opening exchanges. This had little to do with the actual football on display, more the crowd’s reactions to the ‘superstars’.

Messi played the pantomime villain perfectly, getting jeered every time

the game severely limited fans’ enjoyment and he affirmed his place as the least popular winger in Manchester. His only memorable contribution was a crunching tackle on Angel Di Maria, who luckily escaped a serious injury.

Di Maria, who wears Ronaldo’s old number 7 shirt, created a bit of noise midway through the second half after curling a left foot shot seemed for the entire world to be going in, yet was met by the big right glove by Rui Patricio. The save was probably the best bit of skill shown by any player on the pitch that night, considering he hardly touched the ball before the shot.

Messi & Ronaldo failed to light up a half filled Old Trafford Photo: Mancunion Sport

Yet the substitutions kept coming, and with Louis Van Gaal in the stands one can only think he wanted Di Maria to be taken off, and on came Tevez to a relatively mixed reception. But by this point the crowd, which only just filled the bottom tier of Old Trafford, were too ambivalent by this point to care.

With 20 minutes to go an enormous Mexican wave broke out which went round Old Trafford at least five times.

This was an omen that we weren’t the only ones in the crowd bored and disappointed with the quality of by game.

By time the deadlock and apathy were broken by Portugal’s Guerreiro,

we were long on our way to the tram stop, wanting to get as far away from the Theatre of Dreams as possible, as subdued cheers sounded up behind us.