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6th FEBRUARY 2017 / ISSUE 13 FREE
An estimated 5,000 people gathered in Manchester’s Albert Square to demonstrate against President Trump’s executive order on immigration Photos: Lucy Fletcher
Barney Weston Political News Reporter On Monday, the 30th of January, an estimated 5,000 people gathered in Manchester’s Albert Square to demonstrate against President Trump’s executive order on immigration. In the region of 1,000 students were at the demonstration, some opting to meet outside both the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University Students’ Unions half an hour before the rally to attend the event together. When asked, one said that it was important for students to get involved as they were “privileged to be educated”, and that Trump’s executive order dealt with “the moral issue of prejudice: xenophobia.” He had “had enough of sitting behind a keyboard typing”. A British-Iranian citizen and Iranian History lecturer for the University of Manchester affected by the ban expressed concerns over the “barriers” that were being put up in regards to academic research and academic exchange, “destroying” the notions, and “depriving” everyone. “We should steer clear of these measures […] We have to stand up now.” A range of speakers, including an NUS delegate and members from the University of Manchester Palestine Society spoke at the event. They said; “it is our duty to fight with everything we have […] In our spaces of learning and tolerance, we must do everything we can.” There were also calls for students to write motions to their student unions in solidarity with Muslims,
Anti-homeless spikes removed after public backlash
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using their “educational and outraged voice against injustice”. The NUS delegate told the crowd she was “unapologetically Muslim, Pakistani, Mancunian”. Ron Senchank, President of the Manchester Stop the War Coalition was granted the greatest applause of the evening. “Donald Trump has come deep, deep, deep, from the very asshole of America. He’s bought with him every racist, every bigot, every anti-Semite, everybody we despise, has come out of that asshole.” Both Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, President of Somaliland, and Haider alAbadi, Prime Minister of Iraq, are alumni of the University of Manchester, both serving countries affected by the ban. Somaliland students have voiced their concerns about the ban. The Abaarso boarding school in Somaliland has become a feeder school of sorts for elite United States universities. “I feel lucky that I’ve been accepted to an elite college in the U.S., but also sad that I might not be able to start my college education”, said Shukri Ali, a 19-year-old Abaarso student speaking to CNN, who was accepted last month to study at Wellesley College in September. However, Ali accepted Trump’s explanation that the ban was intended to keep the United States safe. “I will not take this personally because I know I’m not a terrorist.” A University of Manchester student from Kenya, speaking to The Mancunion , expressed a similar sentiment. He applauded Trump for being “selfish towards his own country.” Admitting the policy was a harsh way to deal with Islamic terrorism, he
Interviews: Izzy, Emma & Saffa
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stated “do you think this sort of thing can be done politely?’ Although Trump was the rally’s main target (referred to as an “orange, backward-looking, thick-skinned narcissist”, “he who shall not be named”, as well as subject to chants such as “you can’t build a wall, your hands are too small”), May was also targeted. Signs featured a picture of Trump and May with the caption, “The Undateables”; another read “Shame on Theresa – the fascist appeaser”. Theresa May has rejected calls to withdraw Trump’s state visit invitation. Andrew Gwynne, local Labour MP for Denton and Reddish has voiced concerns over whether Trump may
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Page 2 >>Trump’s executive order: Impact on students >>Manchester Mayoral candidate invites Trump
Top universities must do more for social mobility
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Trump’s executive order: Impact on students Highlights P6
Science : World’s first graphene dress revealed
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Ollie Potter looks at the impact of President Trump’s executive travel ban on foreign and US-born students in the USA
Several foreign students have been unable to return to their studies in the United States following President Trump’s highly controversial executive order, which has banned immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries. Iranian student Nazanin Zinouri, who has lived in Greenville, South Carolina for seven years, remains stranded in Tehran after being forced off the plane in Dubai, where she had been due to take a connecting flight to Greenville. She wrote on Facebook: “No one warned me when I was leaving [to Tehran], no one cared what will happen to my dog or my job or my life there.” In another similar incident, CBS News reported that an unnamed Sudanese Stanford University student returning from a research trip in Sudan was handcuffed and detained on Friday night and later released, as a Stanford spokesperson said he was a legal U.S.
resident. Dania Albaba, a 22-year old first-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, has seen her family torn apart by the travel ban. The first generation of her Syrian family to be born in the US and an American citizen, she has had several family members prevented from flying back to their homes in Houston, Texas. Her Syrian green-card holding grandparents are unable to return to Texas, their home for four years, after visiting Dania’s aunt and uncle in Jordan. Dania says she lives in an area that voted heavily for Trump and said she experiences intimidation from Houston residents because of her Muslim faith. She concluded an interview with Al Jazeera’s Barret Limoges saying: “With Trump’s statements on Muslims, Mexicans and his actions against women, I took him for his word. I think a lot of Muslims, many who even supported him, did not.” Many believed Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigration was
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‘few strokes of Trump’s pen’ banned some 218 million people from the US ” The executive order covers the states of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It has been condemned as “illegal under international human rights law” by the UN, declared unconstitutional by 16 US Attorney Generals and described as putting “American values at stake” by Barack Obama. Criticism also came from MSF, known as ‘Doctors Without Borders’, who called the refugee ban “an inhumane act against people fleeing war zones”. CNN wrote that six of the seven countries except Iran have been the target of US military operations over the last two decades, and that a “few strokes of Trump’s pen” banned some 218 million people from the US. Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely, with the ban on the other six states lasting 90 days. A UK petition to halt President Trump’s state visit to the UK, where he would be hosted by the Queen, has reached 1.6 million signatures. The visit has been widely condemned by a cross-party range of MPs. Photos: Lucy Fletcher
Features: A student life: Don’t Give A Damn
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Continued from page one... be invited to the Conservative Party Conference, due to be held in Manchester in October. MPs will discuss whether Trump should receive a state visit at a Westminster Hall debate on the 20th of February following an official petition receiving over 1,800,000
signatures at the time of writing. 100,000 signatures are required to merit a government response. Watch Fuse TV’s video from the march on their YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/user/ uomfusetv
Opinion: Is it okay to punch a Nazi?
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merely campaign rhetoric, not actual presidential policy once he was in office.
Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor-in-chief: Elise Gallagher deputyed@mancunion.com Postal address: University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone: 0161 275 2989 Subeditors: Gemma Sowerby, Robert Parris, Jane Simmons, Hannah Foy, Christopher Tchen, Lauren Bramley, Adriana Elgueta, Lauren Pizzey, Stevie Grieves sub@mancunion.com
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English Democrat Mayoral pick invites Trump to Manchester Kirstie O’Mahony News Reporter Stephen Morris, the English Democrat Mayoral candidate and North East Chairman and , has said that he will offer a ““Great Big Beautiful” reception for him in our magnificent Town Hall!”. Mr Morris has said that if elected, he would send an invitation to Donald Trump to make an official visit to Greater Manchester during his controversial State visit in June. He’s described himself as “a big fan of Donald Trump”, and has said that many other residents of Greater Manchester are as well, and would use every facility his position might provide him to make the occasion as grand as possible. The Mancunion spoke to Stephen Morris and asked him why he wished to issue such a direct invitation. He believed that whilst we “may not agree with his policies”, it was “in the interest of Greater Manchester and the devolved authorities to do deals” and talk trade with “the democratically elected leader of the United States.” The controversy surrounding his state visit sparked protests up and down the country, with Greater Head Lifestyle Editor: Rachel Adams Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Araddhna Patel lifestyle@mancunion.com Head Music Editor: Joe Casson Deputy Music Editor: Katie Shepherd music@mancunion.com Head Sport Editor: Harry Newton Deputy Sport Editor: Alex Whitcomb University Sport Editor: Ben Ryan sport@mancunion.com Books Editor: Roma Havers books@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Brogen Campbell theatre@mancunion.com
Manchester police estimating an attendance of 8000 at Albert Square on Monday night. In response to these protests, and the possibility of more if President Trump were to accept the invitation, Mr Morris replied “If he does come, are the protests going to help him change his mind? He also expressed disdain for the current popularity of no-platforming public figures, saying we “shouldn’t not invite them because of their views” and the conversations about trade and business between Manchester and the US are imperative. When pushed however, he did say that “I would say to him directly that I have an issue with the [policies] he’s implementing”, adding that he doesn’t “agree with a blanket ban on countries we are trying to help and assist”. Mr Morris also expressed great respect for President Trump, for “actually doing what he said he would do during the election campaign.” The Mancunion contacted the other candidates for comment on this story.
The Mancunion is the official student newspaper of the University of Manchester., established in 1969 with a readership of around 20,000. It is printed weekly for 20 editions and is distributed across campus and the city. All writers are volunteers and new contributors are always welcome. No previous experience is necessary, just a passion for student media and a good story. You can get involved by turning up to a meeting, the times of which are listed on the Mancunion website’s Join page. We gladly accept contributors from outside the University of Manchester.
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Anti-homeless spikes removed after public backlash Yinka Oyetade News Reporter The anti-homeless spikes on Marsden Street, Manchester, intended to deter rough sleepers, have now been removed after a massive public backlash. Jennie Platt, an estate agent and Manchester resident, was outraged by the installation of the spikes, located outside Pall Mall Court. She decided to take action and, with the help of her two sons, George, 11, and Sam, 10, and their friends, covered the spikes with cushions. The family also left sandwiches and chocolates with a sign that read: ‘take a seat and a bite to eat.’ After reading about the spikes in The Manchester Evening News, Platt was said to have had “a bee in her bonnet” and felt she “had to do something.” Speaking to the same newspaper, she described the installation of the spikes as a “really mean and scroogey thing to do” and said that “the building owners are treating human beings like pigeons. It’s a spot where people can keep warm and sheltered, people don’t need to be that mean.” A photo of Platt’s two sons in front of the cushion covered spikes was later posted to the ‘Helping Manchester and Bury Homeless’ Facebook page, where Platt and her family received plenty of praise for their efforts. One person described their actions as “lovely and thoughtful,” whilst another wrote: “love this inspiration to the rest of our generation.” In reaction to the spikes, the Homeless Health-
care Society were “highly disappointed that businesses still felt the need to deter homeless individuals from sleeping around their buildings.” A spokesperson for the society, which is based at the University of Manchester and works to improve homeless health through student education and volunteering, said: “businesses should be engaging with the local community of Manchester who are working so hard to put an end to homelessness.” This need for collaboration has also been stressed by Pat Karney of Manchester City Council, who spoke to the Manchester Evening News: “there are a lot of difficulties in the city centre the only way we can resolve them is for businesses and the council to work with homeless people and homeless charities.” The Department for Communities and Local Government found that 78 people were sleeping rough on Manchester’s streets in autumn 2016 — an increase of 11 per cent on the previous year. Karney had “a common sense conversation” with GVA, the company that manages Pall Mall Court, about the spikes and by the 30th of January — the next day — they had been removed. Pall Mall Medical only rents part of the building and insisted in a tweet that they “had no involvement in the installation of the spikes.” These spikes outside Pall Mall Court in Manchester were not the first of their kind; Tesco also removed a set of anti-homeless spikes from outside one of its Regent Street stores in central London after days of protest back in 2014.
Photo: r-a-v-e-n @Flickr
‘Zero’ Black academics employed in top roles at British universities Yasmin Mannan Head News Editor
The most recent employment records from The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), cited by both The Huffington Post UK and The Guardian, strongly suggest that there are currently no black senior officials, directors, or managers at British universities and that this has been the case for the last three years. Analysis by The Huffington Post UK has shown that of the 565 academics working in top management roles during 2015/16, 90 per cent were white. Only 15 were Asian, while 10 identified as “other including mixed” and 30 chose not to reveal their ethnicity. The Guardian has analysed further to show that British universities currently employ more black staff as cleaners, receptionists or porters than as lecturers or professors. This evidence of a stark lack of black senior officials in British higher education follows a statement from SOAS’ Students’ Union claiming that the success of BME students is limited, and the ‘BME attainment gap’ is perpetuated by a concerning lack of diversity in university lecturers. The figures are also coupled with evidence of black students struggling to win places at British universities. In January of this year, UCAS stated that only 70 per cent of black students received university offers, despite record numbers of applicants and comparatively better predicted grades than in previous years. David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham and a former higher education minister, told The
SOAS Jewish Students ‘do not have the right’ to define anti-Semitism Lily Sheehan Deputy News Editor The Students’ Union at London’s School of Oriental and African Studies has denied Jewish students the right to decide what constitutes antiSemitism. The motion for a ‘Jewish Equality Act,’ which petitioned for kosher options, access to multifaith rooms and rescheduling for Shabbat and Jewish holidays, was passed at a Students’ Union meeting last week. The University of London constituent college has just 39 students who identified themselves as Jewish during the application process. Whilst the motion’s requests were granted, the Union did not agree to a clause which demanded that “Jewish students should be given the right to self-determination and be able to define what constitutes hatred against their group, like all other minority groups.” Avrahum Sanger, an economics third year undergraduate who is the President of the SOAS Jewish Society, proposed the Act. He was “outraged” by the decision to remove the clause, believing that “removing this line tells me and my Jewish peers that we are not able to define our own oppression, that we are not able to self-determine our identity…that it is one rule for them and another for every other minority group.” A spokeswoman for the Union of Jewish Students echoed Sanger’s sentiments: “this was, once again, a room full of students who do not identify as Jewish, explaining to Jewish students how to define their own oppression. This is in contrast to the way that other forms of oppression are defined, as per the Macpherson principle, allowing the victim to define their own oppression.” Adopted by the Metropolitan Police after a 1999 investigation into the mishandling of Stephen Lawrence’s murder, the Macpherson principle gives anyone — not necessarily the victim — the right to describe an assault as racist, pending an investigation. The Community Security Trust charity recorded 1,309 anti-Semitic incidents in 2016, compared to 960 in the previous year — an increase of 36 per cent. The charity’s chief executive, David Delew, described the problem of anti-Jewish feeling in the UK as “getting worse.”
Guardian in response: “This is absolutely shocking. I am appalled that higher education is so deeply unrepresentative of the country.” An anonymous BME student who grew up in a largely BME-populated school said that he thought the lack of diversity in lecturers was “indicative of a wider problem” regarding the presentation of BME people in society. He told The Mancunion: “You rarely see BME people as MPs, judges, lawyers, or teachers... [and this] lack of role models makes it harder for BME children and students to see themselves in those positions of authority and perpetuates harmful stereotypes.” However, not everyone holds this view. The Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University, Sir Anthony Seldon, told The Sunday Times: “White people can’t teach BME students? Really? I think this claim is unfair and untrue and disrespectful to universities and members of staff.” The University of Manchester’s Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Patrick Johnson, said: “The University of Manchester — in common with the whole higher education sector — has a lack of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) staff in senior positions. “We acknowledge that we have work to do, which is why our Manchester 2020 strategy contains a key performance indicator to increase the number of senior BAME staff, and this is reviewed annually by the leadership team. “We are also one of only nine universities to be awarded the Race Equality Charter Mark, which demonstrates our commitment to supporting and advancing the careers of BAME staff.” Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The School of Oriental and African Studies was one of several universities, including the University of Manchester, that Baroness Ruth Deech identified as giving Jewish students “a feeling that there are certain universities that [they] should avoid — definitely SOAS.” In 2015, the SOAS SU voted to boycott Israel in a referendum, a decision upheld by the university itself. Last year, an ‘Israel Apartheid Week’ was held at SOAS in order to “raise awareness of Israel’s apartheid policies over the Palestinian people.” Additionally, the university is currently under investigation by the Government’s Charity Commission for an allegedly anti-Semitic speech made there last year. At a Palestine Society talk, Thomas Suarez described Zionism as a “racist, fascist movement.” After this talk, BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) graffiti appeared across campus; the University of Manchester Students’ Union voted to officially endorse this campaign in December last year. After an article entitled ‘SOAS students “scared to wear the star of David and speak Hebrew”’ appeared in the Evening Standard in late January, the university issued a statement on the issue of anti-Semitism. It expressed a desire “to be inclusive of all students of faith and we welcome suggestions about how to best achieve this...if we can do more, we would of course look at additional steps we could take.” Acknowledging the fierce Israel/Palestine debate on campus, the statement finishes: “a wide range of opinions and views are expressed at events held at SOAS and it does not mean that the school endorses or supports the views. However, this does not permit the expression of antiSemitic views or any other views that are illegal or incite racial hatred.” The Students’ Union later issued a clarifying statement on Facebook, stating that an amendment to the motion included “a definition of antiSemitism based on the definition put forward by Professor David Feldman from the Pears Institute for the Study of Anti-Semitism.” It also mentioned the university’s “proud tradition of anti-racist struggles,” and reiterated that “the student body at SOAS remains united in fighting against all forms of racism and bigotry including anti-Semitism.”
Pearson is looking for motivated final year students and graduates to join our general marking team and mark responses to Pearson exam questions where teaching experience is not necessary. This is a fantastic opportunity for recent graduates to earn that extra bit of cash to help fund their Summer. Marking will be carried out in our ‘Marking Centre’ in Salford Quays and in our central London and Manchester office for 3-5weeks from the 17th May. To be eligible to apply you need to have completed your degree within the last 10 years or be completing your degree this Summer. General markers will be paid as a rate of £8.45 per hour. Interviews will be held from March at our offices in Manchester. Impressive candidates will be invited back to interview for the Supervisor role, for which the pay is £11.45 per hour. To apply, please use the following link to access our online application form: https://form.jotformeu.com/62554442255354 or scan the QR code on this advert. Please email aaresourcing@pearson.com if you have any queries.
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ISSUE 13 / 6TH FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Manchester Students’ Union undergoing major refurbishment The commercial areas of the Students’ Union are set to close from May until next September whilst the building undergoes a huge renovation project
Eliza Slawther Head Film Editor
The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union building is undergoing a multi-million pound transformation, meaning access to the commercial areas of the Students’ Union will be cut off from May until next September. Although it will be open and functional in time for Welcome Week 2017, the work will not be complete until next April at the earliest. The University have provided the Students’ Union with a grant for the refurbishment, complementing the Students’ Union’s own funds. The foundations have already been laid for the extensions at the back of the building, and once built these will add an extra 1,000 square feet to the Union. We spoke to the Union Director Ben Ward, and the General Secretary Naa Acquah about the end goal of the renovation and the future vision of a
new and improved SU building. “The project is a long time coming,” began Ben. “We did a big survey of students in terms of what they wanted inside the building and so that’s shaped the plans since then.” He also made clear that whilst the ground floor will be closed over the summer, there will never be a time that the whole building will be completely shut down — even when the work continues next year. “We’re going to have loads of exciting new areas,” added Naa. “Downstairs, the cafe and shop area are being completely expanded to create a really cool food hall.” The ultimate aim is to provide more diverse food options for students and more space for them to enjoy these. The shop will expand and ‘enterprise pods’ will be opened. Naa told The Mancunion that these will “mini-shop fronts for Students to be able to use who have things to sell or ‘entrepreneurial’ things [to do]. They can take up that space — whether it’s for a week or a month — and use that.” According to Ben, another feature of the Union
will be a Job Shop, which will “promote part time work for the students both inside the Union but also to advertise local businesses.” The basement will also be renovated, and although Club Academy will remain largely the same, there will be many more meeting rooms created, as well as new toilets. There will be “two big studio spaces,” and as part of the overall plan, the work will “more than double the amount of meeting space in the building.” On the first floor Fuse TV, Fuse FM and The Mancunion will also have a bigger, better space created, as well as a new photographic darkroom, which is being brought up from the basement to the first floor. There will be a meeting space created for international students, as well as a space called the ‘Liberation Lounge’ and areas for mature students or students living at home. “A theatre space came top of the list when we did a student consultation of what [people] wanted,” noted Ben, and this will be housed on the third floor.
Naa has also told us that there will be some sort of opportunity to name the new rooms. “It should be quite nice to get people involved somewhat,” she added, noting that the SU already has rooms named after influential people who have been associated with the city or the University of Manchester. We asked what will happen for the summer’s Pangaea festival, as there have been rumours around campus that it may not go ahead. Thankfully, both Naa and Ben confirmed that the event will go ahead — however, it will be “off-site.” “It will give us an opportunity to do something really, really cool with it. I’m quite excited for the opportunity. We’ll be back in September in the main building.” More information can be found about the renovation works and the vision for a better Union on their website.
Photo: Manchester Students’ Union
50,000 nitrous oxide canisters Greater Manchester’s upcoming metro mayor election found at Fallowfield hosue Lily Sheehan Deputy News Editor Greater Manchester Police officers executed a raid on a house in Fallowfield, uncovering more than 50,000 nitrous oxide canisters. According to the ‘GMP Fallowfield, Withington, Levenshulme and Burnage’ Facebook page, “a warrant was conducted under Section 39 of the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 in Fallowfield [on Thursday 26th January]. This warrant was executed following various intelligence submissions received via various sources including Crimestoppers.” Whilst no other drugs were found at the address, “a significant number of items were seized, including what appears to be in excess of 50,000 nitrous oxide capsules.” Greater Manchester Police found 700 boxes, each containing at least 600 canisters, as well as “associated paraphernalia.” The sheer number of canisters is a clear indication of intent to sell. Nitrous oxide, or ‘laughing gas,’ is a gas inhaled to produce feelings of euphoria and relaxation. It was first used for this purpose in the 19th century by the English chemist
Humphry Davy. It is legitimately used in dentistry, engines and the production of whipped cream. A Tweet from Manchester Police even made reference to this, captioning a picture of the raid: “Not sure that’s for whipped cream…” Under the May 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act, it is currently illegal to supply or import nitrous oxide for human consumption in the United Kingdom. Whilst simply taking and/or possessing the drug is technically legal, the Act was intended to make its procurement more difficult. Mike Penning, a Crime and Policing minister, said of the Act: “Young people who take these substances [including nitrous oxide] are taking exceptional risks with their health and those who profit from their sale have a complete disregard for the potential consequences.” No arrests were made at the house in Fallowfield but one person has voluntarily surrendered themselves for an interview. A multi-agency criminal investigation is now underway.
Tom Patterson Senior News Reporter As part of the Government’s devolution agenda, Greater Manchester will be electing its first metro mayor on the 4th of May. In addition, six other combined-authority areas across England will also be holding mayoral elections this May. The appointees will be responsible for growing the economy and managing things such as housing, transport and skills across the region. A lot of the powers that the new mayors will have are currently held by local authorities. Going forwards, the coordination of crossboundary plans, such as new transport links and housing construction, will depend on agreements between the new office and the local authorities within the area. The BBC recently reported that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has estimated that the creation of the office could cost up to £5.4m, with an annual expenditure of around £2m. But a council spokesman told the BBC that the costs will be covered by “existing reserves and additional business rates income”. The Centre for Cities is an “independent, non-partisan think tank” that produces research on economic growth and change for “cities, business and Whitehall”. They found that 34 per cent of adults in Greater Manchester think that “health care provision should be the most important priority for local politicians” and 12 per cent think emergency services and housing should be
the next two priorities. Drawing on their research, the Centre lists their top three policy priorities for the new metro mayor as; building new offices and housing (a quick-win policy), making a case for a new congestion charge in the city centre (a strategic policy) and developing a sustainable social care budget (a long-term policy). Manchester is traditionally seen as a Labour stronghold so the Centre for Cities is predicting a Labour win for Andy Burnham. Continuing in the order of party vote-share in the region from the 2015 General Election, also standing are; Sean Anstee (Conservative), Shneur Odze (UKIP), Jane Brophy (Liberal Democrat) and Will Patterson (Green Party). Will Patterson is representing the Green Party after the tragic and unexpected death of Hulme-based candidate Deyika Nzeribe earlier this year. Former party leader Natalie Bennett told the BBC in January that “Deyika’s death is a huge loss for the Green Party, but also for the city of Manchester.” In addition to the more well-known parties, Peter Clifford will be standing for the Communist League and Stephen Morris for the right-wing English Democrats. The BBC has called the upcoming mayoral elections the “biggest change to our local political landscape for 40 years”. Ushered in as part of the government’s Devolution Deal, the new metro mayors are expected to have a swift and direct effect, as well as a lasting one.
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
British scientists advise May to welcome disaffected US counterparts 100 scientific researchers based in the UK have released statements urging Theresa May to be cautious of Trump’s administration, which may severely damage scientific research and data records Shivani Kaura Senior News Reporter
up carbon dioxide emissions to a level that becomes too toxic to breathe in. The EPA has a 14-page scientific integrity document which was created by Obama’s administration, giving permission for the EPA to research into new discoveries, file reports, and then submit them to members of Congress for review.
Following the recent inauguration of President Donald Trump in the United States of America, Marcia DeLonge at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington D.C. stated that “the USA cannot take a four-year break [from implementing climate change regulations]” after Trump claimed in 2012 that climate change was a “hoax created by China to damage US manufacturing”. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) situated in America has been told to remove its data about climate change from its website by White House Federals and its directors have been told to not talk to the press about any research studies it is curObama’s administration effectively protected the rights of rently involved in. This has now put pressure on employees who scientists and their research. However, without this barrier of are working for environmental research in state-funded careers defence, American Scientists may never have the freedom to such as NASA, the USDA, and CDC with many wanting to leave disclose any information of their investigations, nor facts and figtheir jobs as an outcome. ures which show damage to the USA nature reserves and highly Prof Piers Forster, a signatory of the letter and director of the populated cities. Priestley International Centre for Climate at Leeds University, has Thousands of Americans are becoming distressed with the stated that May could “open up opportunities for UK universities topic, exclaiming to the rest of the world that Trump does to make some fantastic appointments and we are internot share the views that represents majority of the ested in giving these [US scientists] jobs as we have population. The CNN has reported that every 7 to readily take up the slack”. Other scientists in 10 Americans believe in climate change. involved in the letter were Prof Jim Hall, Jeremy Symons, who works for climate director of the Environmental Change politics, has stated that Trump’s cabiInstitute at Oxford University, and Prof net sees “an unprecedented amount Phil Jones, director of the Climatic of influence from the fossil fuel inResearch Unit at the University of dustry” after the Environmental East Anglia. Protection Agency representaPeter Frumhoff, a director of tive Scott Pruitt, who has already Science and Policy in Massachuaccepted just over $250,000 setts, has pleaded for scientists from oil companies to maintain to “not leave,” because if they do business, believes scientists are so “we will lose your ability to still unsure about the extent of know what’s going on.” The new climate change. President wants to focus more These claims have been immeon protecting our air and water, diately denied by scientists as the which both are greatly affected EPA and other agencies. This has by global warming. led to Symons to question, “What’s Trump has already started conmissing from the cabinet? It is the scripting information by freezing any balance one would expect to bring to funding that is endorsed to the EPA, the other side of the equation because with Michelle DePass, a key member of clearly oil companies are well attended, but the EPA during Obama’s presidency stating Photo: Dr James Rothwell who’s looking out for us?” that, “scientific integrity is incredibly important, Theresa May has refused to comment on the and keeping that integrity ensures that decisions are whether she has spoken to Trump about the topic in her remade in the right way, detracting from education and transparcent trip to Washington D.C. May stated before she left that, “[She] ency and free and open ideas sharing is a very disturbing turn in hopes he recognises the commitment that this Government has the way our democracy operates”. shown to this issue of climate change with the legislation that Controlling scientists in federal agencies and leaving them in we’ve put through”; referring to the Paris climate change agreethe hands of political figures can be seriously detrimental to the ment which was signed under Obama’s administration. citizens of America. Constantly ignoring and walking-over seriForeign secretary, Boris Johnson has retorted to MP’s that the ous scientific issues, prioritising harsh immigration laws, and UK is committed to producing excellent scientific research but encouraging anti-abortion support can lead to America depleting must allow Trump to decide the future of his country. their sources of food, increasing the risk of disease, and building
“Obama’s administration effectively protected the rights of scientists and their research.”
Fuel cells could provide new green energy solutions Prabhuraj Balakrishnan Science & Technology Reporter
Scientists from University of Manchester, in collaboration with National Graphene Institute, have obtained ground breaking results by utilising 2D crystals in fuel cells, solving a huge fuel permeation problem that remained a major obstacle for commercialisation. This key step is considered as a main route to opening doors for viable green energy systems, whilst also decreasing currently used ones. Fuel cells are often perceived as the energy technology of the future, as they provide sustainable, clean energy by using alcohols as fuels by a simple reaction. Hence, they are used widely in chargers, military applications, or other scenarios where the access to electricity is difficult. However, their efficiency is greatly hindered by the fuel permeation phenomena occurring in their engine room, creating undesired reactions inhibiting their performance. Several materials have been reported in literature to date that have seen a reduction in fuel permeation but also restrict the flow of protons, which is also desirable for activity of fuel cells.
Nobel Laureates Andre Geim and his co-workers discovered the process of proton transfer in 2014, through graphene and other 2D materials. One additional feature with these materials is that they also restrict the passage of chemical components, which is an attractive for fuel cell usage. Unfortunately, their actual application in fuel cell systems has not yet been realised. Manchester chemical engineering researchers have used this selective permeation phenomenon of graphene and 2D materials in their system and obtained tremendous improvement in performance of system by up to 50 per cent. In their recently published paper in Advanced Energy Materials journal, they have shown that these 2D crystals have prevented the fuel permeation, decreasing undesirable reaction to a great extent with no restriction to the movement of protons observed. This is expected to create a new trend in the usage of barrier layer materials in fuel cells. So far we have tested in methanol fuel cells systems. We predict that this if this material could be properly utilised, this would lead to fuel cells undergoing massive size reduction, since the thickness of these materials is in 10-10 meters. We also plan to extend this phenomenon to fuel cells operating on different fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, propanol formic acid etc.
Bob Ward, Policy and Communications Director at the London School of Economics, has said: “Scientists believe that the United Kingdom could now have a great opportunity to work alongside the United States in strengthening the evidence base, supporting the development of innovative technologies, and leading international cooperation to manage the risks of climate change.” UK and US Scientists can only hope that politics does not dignify the potential of research which could derail the future for funding and higher education learning. Groups of scientists have already been in talks about ‘Marches for Science’ in Washington D.C., and across the US, in the wake of Trump’s inauguration, as politicians who have degraded the risks of ignoring scientific research have not reflected the reality in which doing so could be dangerous. It is hoped marches will also held worldwide, with some set to be organised in both London and Manchester.
Manchester reveals world’s first graphene dress Serena Holloway Senior Science & Technology Reporter
During January, shoppers at the Trafford Centre witnessed a fashion first; a little black dress containing the University of Manchester’s wonder material – graphene. The dress, which was produced by a collaboration between the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester and Cute Circuit, a London fashion company that produces wearable technology, is being hailed as the world’s most ‘hi-tech’ dress. Graphene was used to power small LED lights within the dress whilst also acting as a sensor of the model’s breathing. The result: a dress that is able to change colour by adapting to the wearer’s breathing patterns. A million times thinner than a human hair, graphene is thought to be the thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material in the world. It was discovered in Manchester in 2004 by university professors Kostya Novoselov and Andre Geim, who received the Nobel Prize in physics for their work with the material.
Photo: National Graphene Institute
A form of carbon, graphene is thought to be 200 times stronger than steel, and the fastest, most efficient conductor of electricity out of all known materials. Just in case that does not impress you, despite being just a single atom thick, graphene absorbs 2.3 per cent of light, which makes it visible to the naked eye. With this in mind, Francesca Rosella, the chief creative director for Cute Circuit, who has also produced futuristic dresses for the likes of Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger, described it as a “real honour [to] showcase graphene’s amazing properties”. Meanwhile, Dr Paul Wiper from the National Graphene Institute said the dress is an example of what “creativity, imagination and a desire to innovate can create”. Away from the catwalk, scientists at the Graphene Institute believe the Nobel-prize winning material holds an abundance of potential for future technologies including flexible mobile phones, lightweight planes and electric sports cars. The wonder material is also being researched for its role in water purification, by using graphene membranes to produce clean drinking water. In June last year, advancements in graphene research came under threat following Britain’s decision to leave the EU. Manchester’s National Graphene Institute is an important part of the EU’s Graphene Flagship project, which is set to supply £830m worth of funding to graphene research. As a result of Brexit, there are worries that the University will lose over £1m in EU funding for the Institute.
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
In theThenews this week... Messy important and interesting stories from the
wider world this week. bedroom
Stories by: Chloe Hatton and Macarena Martín Martínez
Roger Federer wins his 18th slam
Australia
Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis legend, won his 18th slam last Sunday after defeating his long-term rival Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open. Winning in Melbourne at the age of 35 has made Federer the second oldest holder of a major title in the open era. After six months inactive, he not only returned to the court, but to the ATP Top 10 list again. Nadal, the Spanish player, also went up in the rankings, advancing from ninth to sixth. The invincible Andy Murray is still top of the list.
Could a cat be the next Mexican President?
Mexico Morris, a black and white cat, will run as a candidate for the presidency of Mexico in the 2018 elections. He previously ran for the mayor of Xalapa in 2013, winning a respectable ten per cent of the vote. Now he is hoping to become the successor to Peña Nieto. The Mexican press calls him the “candigato,” a portmanteau of “candidato” (“candidate” in English) and “gato” (“cat”). One of the most famous slogans of this “candicat” is: “If you are tired of voting for rats, vote for a cat.”
Moose loose in family’s house
US An Idaho family was given a rather rude awakening in the early hours of the 29th of January when a moose crashed through a window well into their basement. The unusual break in was put down to deep snow in the area, forcing wildlife to come closer to human habitation in order to look for food. A call was made to Hailey Police Department at 2:20AM, but upon arriving at the house, the Police found the moose rather more difficult to deal with than they had originally anticipated. The moose charged at officers several times as they attempted to herd the animal up the stairs and out of the front door, resulting in the need to tranquillise the animal. It was then carried out by police, and woke up and wandered off after fifteen minutes. The moose was unharmed in the process.
France bans unlimited soft drinks France France has outlawed unlimited soda “fountains” as they contribute to the country’s growing obesity problem. The government had already imposed measures in the fight against fatty foods and fizzy drinks. In 2004, school vending machines were limited to selling fruit and water; in 2011, ketchup was banned from school cafeterias and chips were only allowed on the menu once a week; in 2012, sugary drinks were taxed. Now, a new decree makes it illegal to sell unlimited amounts of these fizzy drinks at a fixed price or for free. The policies seem to work as the French consume fewer soft drinks per person than any other Western European country.
Motorist gives long-winded excuse for speeding Australia What’s the worst excuse you have ever given? It surely can’t be as pathetic as that of an Australian man caught speeding by police. When asked why he was driving twenty kilometres over the speed limit, the man claimed ‘the wind was pushing me.’ Deeming this excuse certainly insufficient, the officers fined the man A$200 (£120) and gave him two points on his licence. This can perhaps be taken as a cautionary tale - don’t speed in the first place, or if you’re going to, at least come up with a better lie.
leads to injury
US Julia Pechar, an 18-year-old Nebraska high school student, caused herself a horrifying injury - by not keeping her room clean. She had been watching Netflix when she heard her popcorn finish cooking. When Julia jumped up to get it, she accidentally stood on her phone charger, which had been thrown on the floor. In a graphic picture posted on Twitter, the teenager’s foot clearly has the charger’s plugs embedded in it. She told Buzzfeed: “Right before I screamed for my mom to come rip it out of me, I crawled to my phone to take a picture. For all of the people demanding blood, yes, it did bleed…a lot. It still is.” Despite her injury, Julia still apparently has no desire to tidy her room.
Miss Universe title won by Miss France Phillipines Iris Mittenaere, a twenty three year old French dental student, has been crowned Miss Universe. She is the first French contestant to do so for over sixty years, and will use her title in order to promote dental hygiene and helping children, especially girls, to access education around the world. The competition was held in the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines, with host Steve Harvey quipping that he ‘got it right,’ after accidentally crowning the wrong winner last year. The first runner up was Raquel Pelissier, Miss Haiti, who was a survivor of the 2010 earthquake, and second runner up was Miss Colombia Andrea Tovar.
In Science this week... UK Antarctic Base Moved
The Antartic Following the recent extension of a 100-mile-long crack in an Antarctic Ice Self, the UK Halley Antarctic research station has been successfully moved 23km further inland. The research station has been located on the ice shelf since the 1950s, but for safety reasons the base was forced to move. The sudden extension was discovered on the 31st of October, and continues to grow due to increasing global climate temperatures.
March for Science date confirmed International Scientists have officially declared the date on which they will be marching in Washington. Americans will be taking to the streets on 22nd of April 2017, which coincides with Global Earth Day. The walk has been prompted by the increasing threat to scientific research, funding, and evidence-based policies, because of the new US president’s recent decisions. This includes recently leaked presidential plans to completely eradicate the Environmental Protection Agency by the end of 2018. Many satellite marches have been planned in the US and globally, with similar protests in place for London and Manchester on the same day.
Photo: hellie55@Flickr
Are you a rooster? International
Chinese New Year celebrations took place across the world last weekend, including in Manchester. The year of the rooster is back again (2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969) as there are twelve animals which are repeated in a cycle, these being the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has their own characteristics associated with the people born in their year. For example, 2017 is the year of the fire rooster, which means that those born this year are trustworthy people with a strong sense of timekeeping and responsibility at work.
Starbucks pledges to hire 10,000 refugees
US In response to President Trump’s controversial executive order, which temporarily bans Muslims from seven countries from entering the United States, Starbucks will hire 10,000 refugees over a period of five years. The Chief Executive says the company ‘will neither stand by, nor stand silent, as the uncertainty around the new administration’s actions grows with each passing day.’ Starbucks is among a growing number of companies that has spoken out against Trump, including Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Lyft. The move has been met with a mixture of both support and criticism, with some Trump supporters planning on boycotting the company in protest. At least this threat could reduce the queue for morning coffee.
Improvised ice skating rink on Austrian river
Austria
People have taken to ice skating after Austria’s Danube river froze over for only the second time in thirty years. This phenomenon comes as a result of the extreme weather conditions experienced by Europe since the beginning of January. Officials warn that the thickness of the ice has not yet been tested, but this has not stopped the people of Vienna from skating and playing ice hockey on its surface. However, it’s not all fun and games, as the deep freeze means that river traffic has been stopped, and boats and rafts have been stopped on its bank, amid rising safety concerns about floating chunks of ice.
Science by: Megan Harvey
“Super-Yield” GM wheat trials to begin UK A new genetically modified wheat strain has been given the go ahead to begin planting in the UK. The wheat has been engineered to increase yields by up to 40 per cent under normal growing conditions. With the rapidly growing global population, food production will need to increase by over 70 per cent by 2050 to match the demand. This project is one step towards reaching that goal.
Mysterious child mortality linked to lychees India A mysterious illness that kills more than 100 children a year in northern India has been linked to eating lychee berries on an empty stomach, a new study reports. This solves a mystery that has been under investigation since 1995. Lychees contain toxins that inhibit glucose production, which in turn causes low blood sugar. When combined with an empty stomach, the result can lead to seizures, loss of consciousness, and even death. New measures have now been taken to treat children with these symptoms for low blood sugar.
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Meet the Exec After speaking with General Secretary Naa last week, we continue our series of Exec team interviews, to see what they have been up to
Emma Atkins – Education Officer Jacob Nicholas Features Editor
T
he biggest challenge facing Emma as Education Officer is the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), which the Students’ Union is strongly against. She was not surprised by the university opting in, as “all the other universities in England are opting in as well, the only ones we know that aren’t opting in are in Scotland”. She even admitted that there was never any chance that the university was not going to opt in, claiming that “Manchester University isn’t exactly known for putting its head above the parapet or anything.”
“Manchester University isn’t exactly known for putting its head above the parapet” However, despite campaigning against the TEF last semester, Emma does not believe their work was pointless. “We were expecting this to happen but we wanted to try anyway, and have a constant dialogue with the university. We wrote a position paper and had lots of meetings and they absolutely knew our position. So now when we do the NSS [National Student Survey] boycott we’re absolutely
justified in doing so because we did all this work to try and get them not to opt in, and so now we’re at loggerheads.” The NSS boycott is now Emma’s main focus, and she aims to “have a show of discontent”, explaining that “last year 72 per cent of students in final year completed it, and we want to drop that to 62 per cent. We want to have a show of discontent around it, and also to undermine the TEF, because ultimately we want to show that the NSS is not a suitable metric for measuring teaching quality because it’s so biased, it’s inherently biased if you can show that students can affect it so easily.”
“I think it’s a sign that they’re panicking” She also rejects the idea that students should deliberately sabotage the NSS rather than boycott it, arguing that “because the National Student Survey is now linked to fees, even if you do complete it, even if it’s in a negative area, then you affect the university’s ranking in the TEF. You’re still complicit in engaging with it and therefore you’re also complicit in raising fees.” Emma emphasised the importance of the national issue: “It’s not just about Manchester anymore, it’s about the national movement, and if enough unions undermine the TEF by not filling it in, and therefore not having enough data, then that’s a bigger show, that’s a bigger signal than just sabotaging it.” Furthermore, Emma believes that Ipsos MORI sending out the NSS earlier than expected has shown the effectiveness of the boycott. “I think it’s a sign that they’re panicking and that they’re taking
the boycott quite seriously. They’ve actually gone behind the backs of the institutions and done it, which suggests that they’re not that convinced that the universities will be able to do an effective survey, because we’re boycotting, so I think it’s partly a good sign.” She also contends that the early release shows a lack of respect for students as “it means that the survey was released when people had exams and essays and important things to concentrate on. The reason we’re launching our campaign after exams, or when exams are winding down is because we respect our students and we want them to focus on their work before actively thinking about something else.” This focus on the TEF has partially got in the way of Emma’s ability to fulfil her other pledges, but she does not mind this, stating that “it’s a very important thing to be working on, so I’m not resenting it at all.” Despite the huge nature of the TEF, she has managed to achieve some of her goals, “I’m going to do some life skill workshops in the part-time fair, I was going to do them all throughout the year but this TEF thing sort of overshadowed everything, and I’ve managed to introduce textbook rescue… so the library has this initiative where students can donate their old textbooks and new students can get them so they don’t have to pay so much... I’ve been running
student rep workshops since September as well, which I’ve found really good, and I think it’s really important to empower student reps.” And finally, applications are now open for next year’s Exec team, and Emma believes that running for Education Officer is a great opportunity. “You’ll get so much experience working with people, team building, communicating, writing papers… you’ll meet some great people and you’ll make some friends for life. And because the union is a charity it means you also become a trustee of a charity which is great to put on your CV too, and it means you have all these other responsibilities that no other job will give you, so run. It’s a great thing to do.” To see all of our interview with Emma, head to Fuse TV’s YouTube channel.
Izzy Gurbuz – Wellbeing Officer Jacob Nicholas Features Editor
A
s Wellbeing Officer, one of Izzy’s main focuses is mental health. In October, she worked with Open Mind Network to put on “a health fair outside University Place, a coffee morning and a panel discussion in the evening” for World Mental Health Day. Last semester she worked on improving “LGBTQ accessibility to the counselling service”. “I’ve been working on getting a training day on LGBTQ issues, varying from language used to the societal prejudices that people face, for the staff there… and that should hopefully happen sometime this semester.” This semester Izzy hopes to do the same for BAME students: “I’ll be working with some students with a professor from Psychology and the counselling service to look at currently what training is in place and what more we can do there,” she told us. She is also working to organise mental health training for the security staff, although there is currently “a logistical issue with organising
it, because the counselling service are going to deliver it to them. So, everyone’s on board, it’s another one of those things that’s ongoing in terms of getting it actually sorted and in place.” One of Izzy’s key manifesto pledges was to expand the university counselling service, although she has had to change this slightly. “Waiting times in the counselling service are still a big issue. The university is currently looking at how they tackle that issue. So, when I was writing the manifesto I was just thinking, ‘Yeah we need more funding’ but the university are looking at doing different things such as potentially having the wellbeing support in schools strengthened.” Her priorities now are “essentially trying to make sure that only people who need to go to the coun-
“They are not meant to be a long-term therapy kind of treatment” selling service actually do, and our lower level support is strengthened in other areas. That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about funding — I’m still hoping at least in the short term to increase funding so whilst these bigger plans are happening that gap’s still being plugged.” Izzy also believes that “there is currently an issue around expectations” within the counselling service, and that “they are not meant to be a long-term therapy kind of treatment. Their service
is meant to be maybe three appointments and it’s about setting up an action plan and doing more first line intervention, but it’s not meant to be longterm support — that’s really something the NHS is meant to be doing. And that’s really a problem as Manchester NHS services have been slashed, so people are finding it really hard to access treatment that way as well.” Another manifesto pledge was to tackle the Food on Campus prices and end their monopoly, although she has had to change her plans on this pledge as well. “I think the biggest issue is probably the meal deals really, because we’ve seen with the new stuff in Uni Place that the quality of food has been getting better, and then perhaps the pricing isn’t such an issue. The problem is when you have to pay in excess of four pounds for a crap sandwich a drink and crisps, and that’s something I’m hoping to tackle this semester.” And is this huge task achievable? “I think it’s very difficult, and I think lots of people have tried in previous years, and the pricing is the hardest part. But it doesn’t mean I’m not going to try, it might not work but I’m going to try my best and see what happens.” Izzy has also aimed to increase awareness of available support in general, and has had some success. “I worked with the advice service in terms of how they advertise in the welcome week pack, so we included things like STI testing, pregnancy tests and panic alarms in the advertising that weren’t
“It might not work but I’m going to try my best and see what happens”
there before, so I’m hoping that’s increased peoples’ knowledge of it. I’ve also had on my part of the website the wellbeing timetables all there together, so I’m hoping that’s been useful for people to see everything all together in one place as well.”
“Wellbeing really makes an impact on pretty much everyone at university” A successful year so far then, and with a lot of changes hopefully coming through for all these issues, as well as potentially reforming the mitigating circumstances system, Izzy’s success should hopefully continue. With the elections coming up, why does Izzy think students should stand to be Wellbeing Officer? “Wellbeing really makes an impact on pretty much everyone at university — everyone gets stressed during exams, everyone needs to be in a good place mentally to achieve academically. So I think it’s a really key area that goes through all areas of academic life!” To see all of our interview with Izzy, head to Fuse TV’s YouTube channel.
All Photos: University of Manchester Students’ Union
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Saffa Mir – Community Officer Jacob Nicholas Features Editor
O
ne of Saffa’s key pledges in her manifesto as Community Officer was safer streets. As part of this, Safe Zones have been relaunched: “Not many students were aware of them, but they’re essentially businesses (normally along the Oxford Road corridor) that have these stickers in their windows that say Safe Zone. If you feel like you’re not safe you can go into that business that has that sticker and you can use their phone if you need to call a taxi or emergency services, you can ask for a glass of water and you can just have a place to chill while you feel a bit better,” she explained. She also told us that the key part of relaunching them was “training them and making sure that not just the employer but the employees know that if a student, or anyone, was to come in then they know what their duty is.”
“It’s just about mobilising students and making them more aware and Reclaim the Night couldn’t be a better opportunity for this” Reclaim the Night is also going to be a huge part of this relaunch, as “it’s just about mobilising students and making them more aware and Reclaim the Night couldn’t be a better opportunity for this.” However, Saffa argues that the introduction of G4S patrols has not helped improve student safety, as “I don’t think they were implemented to make the streets safer, I don’t think that was the purpose behind them, and I think the university has made that very clear — I don’t think they ever claimed that it was to make the streets safer. So I’m not going to say that it has, as I fundamentally disagree with the using of G4S.” Despite this objection to the G4S patrols, Saffa admits that “there were reports that they helped some vulnerable students that had got too drunk and took them home”, but says that this is the limit of their help towards student safety, and that she has “been able to look at the recordings and most of the time it’s was just parties and just saying ‘can you turn the volume down?’ so I don’t think that’s necessarily making students safer.”
“I fundamentally disagree with the using of G4S” G4S were instead introduced to improve the relationship between students and the wider community, a relationship which is currently “a rocky one,” according to Saffa, though she argues that “you’re always going to have some students that are going to cause trouble, and you’re always going to have some residents that, no matter what, will always complain.” Instead, Saffa believes that students need to “better the relationship with those who are willing”, and that “it wasn’t all about not having parties, it’s nothing about that at all.” Rather, students need to work on being “mindful of those around you, and the way most people are more mindful is when they know their neighbours.”
“Unless we act upon those results nothing’s going to happen”
A student life: Don’t Give a Damn
Another key pledge was to prevent exploitation of students by landlords. Saffa is continuing Rate Your Landlord, which she says has “given a good knowledge of what students are feeling… what experiences students are facing and what difficulties they’re facing as well”, but admits they still need to do “a lot more,” accepting that “a survey’s good for collecting results but unless we act upon those results nothing’s going to happen”.
“A lot of students either don’t know that or they can’t be bothered with the hassle” Saffa plans to tackle these issues with “Get to Know Your Rights, a big campaign that the advice centre are trying to do”, explaining that “if students before they sign their leases know what their rights are, it’s really important so that when they are facing issues with their landlord they have a leg to stand on.” She highlights such problems as “landlords not paying their deposits back, which is literally illegal, and a lot of students either don’t know that or they can’t be bothered with the hassle.” The bulk of the work on Get to Know Your Rights “is there and it’s been done, and it’s just about publicising it a bit better now,” according to Saffa, and that this should hopefully improve things, as “knowing your rights will lead to better housing”.
“Knowing your rights will lead to better housing” Finally, applications are now open for students who want to be on the executive team next year. Saffa believes people should stand for Community Officer because “it’s an amazing role”, unique in that it requires “dealing with external people… I have meetings with the police, the council, councillors, I’ve had meetings with MPs”. So “if you’re interested in widening your horizons beyond the university and the Students’ Union” but still want to remain a key part of student life, community officer is the role to stand for. To see all of our interview with Saffa, head to Fuse TV’s YouTube channel.
Emma Shanks Features Editor
Photo : Facebook@Bethan Turner-Harrod
T
hough taking the leap to decide to go to university for most will bring some of the best years of our lives, that is not to say it doesn’t come without its issues. I spoke to one University of Manchester student taking an alternative approach to dealing with this stress which studying can cause. What began back in the summer of 2015 for final year French and Spanish undergraduate, Bethan Turner-Harrod, as a project calling for people to be more true to themselves, has since developed into its very own online community blog: Don’t Give a Damn. The blog seeks to break down the stigma of mental health “one post at a time.” For someone who personally lives with mental health problems, she came to the realisation that “to be myself I had to be truthful to everyone — that was what my first article was about: “Does my mental health make me who I am?” “I’ve been through a lot of the support systems but they’re all just lacking in what they can offer, which is mainly down to funding. It was something no one was talking about and I couldn’t be quiet about it anymore.” In light of Theresa May’s recent pledge to improve mental healthcare, which received much media attention, I asked Bethan whether she thought it actually got to the root of the issue. “She talks about pumping money into the problem once it’s already occurred but I think more should be done for prevention. The government could do with funding things like Don’t Give a Damn — which are filling in those gaps!” As soon as Bethan launched the website with a story about her own experience of anxiety, she received endless messages from people telling her that they felt the same way. This was the leg up she needed to drive forward what she was doing — “I felt like I’d made myself quite vulnerable but the response that I got made it a lot less daunting.” Her key focus on Instagram, where the most mental health activism is currently taking place, sees posts varying from contributors’ pictures, to personal stories, to anonymous testimonies. She makes clear that the blog tries to avoid any presumptuous or unrealistic guidance, with the most recent examples including suggestions of plants and doodling as positive pick-me-ups for one’s mental wellbeing. “I wanted to keep the optimistic aspect. So many mental health blogs I read online are informative but a bit too heavy. I want mine to be a bit more uplifting, not to be taken lightheartedly, but easier to read.” One of Bethan’s fundamental focuses is highlighting the recognition of all mental health disorders, not just anxiety and depression, of which we are most aware, to
keep readers informed that symptoms come in all shapes and sizes. Hence equally, as much as Bethan wants Don’t Give a Damn to be for those with previous or ongoing experience, another prime target of hers are the friends and family of those living with mental health problems. “People often lose friends when trying to deal with their mental health issues, and that’s partly down to the fact that their loved ones don’t know how to support them through it.” When asked how she strikes a balance between university work and the blog Bethan says apprehensively, “I don’t — I’ll go through spurts where I just want to post loads and my followers will rocket but then I won’t do anything for weeks and I’m just back at square one again.” But, with the helping hand of another friend, Sarah McKeating, who helps run the Facebook and Twitter accounts, Don’t Give a Damn has big plans to advertise for more website contributors in the coming months. If you’re looking to get involved Bethan encourages anyone to just drop her a message. “You don’t have to have personally experienced mental health [issues] yourself, even if it’s that you’re just interested in expanding your own knowledge then I won’t say no to any input.” Where from: Nottingham Course: French and Spanish Undergraduate (BA Joint Honours) Balance: 70:30 study/blog on a good week, but can be 80/20 with lots of work. Best part: “The response I’ve had from other people who feel like they can finally relate to someone else.” Worst part: “When my own mental health stops me from working on the blog — if I’m having a down day I don’t feel like telling everyone else to be happy, but that’s something I want to work on because promoting that it’s ok to feel rubbish sometimes is good too.” Where she sees herself in 15 years: “I would like to pursue Don’t Give a Damn not as a full-time career but as something into which I can invest a lot more time. I’d like to go into schools and discuss mental health issues with teenagers, because that’s when I first started having problems, along with organising events and workshops in other cities.”
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Opinion
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LGBT History Month: coming out Michael Petch Opinion Writer Coming out is still a pivotal and terrifying necessity for LGBT people. Although many presume that parents and friends will be accepting, many still feel fear that coming out will result in them losing contact with those close to them. No two experiences are the same. Even talking amongst my friends I know of people who came out when they were 13 and some people who only really did so at university.
“You find yourself questioning the love of your own family” This can be a very daunting time, as you begin to assess which people in your life you are close to, and who you feel that you can most trust. You find yourself questioning the love of your own family as you hear the awful stories of parents rejecting their children, forcing them out onto the street, or sending them to conversion therapy — which is still legal in the UK. Arguably the worst part of many of our lives is the time that we as LGBT folk spend in the closet, constantly being afraid of being caught and hated. I know that for me, I felt a lot of pressure to be straight and have children. It was always just how I had envisaged my life, owing largely to my predominantly Catholic upbringing. This sense of guilt that many religions put upon LGBT people cannot be underestimated, as guilt is often a common emotion that prevents people from feeling as though they can come out. There may be a sense that they will be letting down their families, or in some way will be damaging their social group by coming out. Often these fears are unfounded, and indeed many LGBT people are in fact religious, but these initial feelings are still a temporary barrier to happiness. In this way, perhaps the worst place for an LGBT person to be is stuck in a sort of coming out limbo. Many LGBT people will be out with their family and friends, but not at work. Perhaps a more familiar setting for students are those who are out in the university setting where [often in contrast to home] liberal politics allow for open thinking and expression.
This is an excerpt. To read Michael’s full article, head to www.mancunion.com
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Which way will the French election go?
With the final candidates decided by the primary round, and amidst Fillon’s scandal, Opinion Writer Lioui Benhamou juggles with the potential outcomes of the election With the results of the the Socialist party’s primary, we now know the definitive list of all the candidates for the upcoming French Election. Benoît Hamon, a young socialist, won the primary with 59 per cent against Manuel Valls, the ex-prime minister of François Hollande. This vote shows us many things. The most obvious is that the French left voters wanted to break free from the previous government of Hollande — Valls being its embodiment. Hollande’s government, whilst supposed to be a left-wing government, brought in laws that would have been normal under a right wing government, and that left voters saw as treason. Thus, Hollande didn’t even try to run for a second mandate, and instead let his prime minister do it. But the left voters did not see it this way. This result shows that, rather, they wanted a renew of the left, of which Hamon embodies.
“A month ago, I would have a bet on a Fillon victory. but this recent scandal has created plenty of doubt” Thus, France will have Hamon to represent the Socialist Party. His policies, more on the left than the socialist party is used to, were very popular amongst young voters and people who thought that the socialist party needed a left turn. Amongst other ideas, he proposed to establish a universal income, renew the institutions of the Fifth Republic by creating the Sixth, and create special visas for refugees so that they can work. His victory is a very good news for Emmanuel Macron, the ex-Minister of the Economy and Finance, who left his post to create his own ‘movement’ called ‘En
young people, and on YouTube; Hamon, the supposedly most legitimate left wing candidate; and Macron the centrist. And the right that will have to choose between Le Pen, now a more unlikely victor; Fillon, who needs to respond to the aforementioned allegations; and again, Macron, who occupies the centre ground. If Fillon’s campaign is severally affected by this scandal and he cannot recover, and if Hamon’s campaign does not gain traction, I would argue that Macron is most likely to win. I believe that he may be able to represent the French consensus and a more right-wing economy, without going as far as Fillon’s Thatcherism, coupled with some left-wing social policies that do not stray too far into utopia for right-wing voters.
Photo: Remi Jouan @ Wikimedia Commons
Marche!’ (a French expression meaning ‘to walk’ or ‘working’, too). Macron will be smiling because many people think that Hamon is too far to the left, and will instead come to the former’s more central politics. Hamon’s election has polarised the election, with Macron set to benefit. Something else that has changed the game is the recent scandals surrounding François Fillon last week. Fillon was undoubtedly the favourite, as he was the candidate of the party ‘Les Républicains’ — the main party in France. But Fillon’s chances have been put into doubt, owing to the revelation that his wife, Penelope, was paid a total of €830,000 (£700,000) for being Fillon’s assistant over several years, when he was a Parliamentarian. It is legal for MPs to hire family members, but some have claimed that the ‘assistant’ role was, in fact, fictitious. Penelope said herself several times in interviews that she never got involved in her husband’s work. This event has destabilised the French presidential run. A month ago, I would have a bet on a Fillon victory. If we were
to have the election today, he could still win. But if his team is unable to prove that Penelope did enough work during those years to deserve such an amount of money, then come April his chances will be undermined. Now, in the age of ‘alternative facts’ you might think that this won’t be such of a problem, and that scandals nowadays can be overcome. But if there is one thing everyone can agree on in France, it is that the future president will have to keep his promises. Because Fillon presented himself as the candidate that would fight against this kind of corrupt practice, he, and the politics that he represents, will be severely affected. Trump built his character around his ability to bend the rules to get what he wanted. Fillon built his character around his respect of the rules. That is where the difference lies. Many will be disappointed if the scandal is indeed true. The left will have to choose between Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a far-left wing candidate who is very popular among workers,
“The fear of a Le Pen presidency is legitimate, but not justified” The fear of a Le Pen presidency is legitimate, but not justified. Because of the two turn voting system of France, the person elected is one that has the ability to create a strong consensus, and while she will undoubtedly have a strong score at the first turn of the election, and could end up at the second one, it won’t be enough to beat whomever is against her. In a nutshell, Hamon has a complicated task: to prove his legitimacy and accumulate a lot of support from a wide spectrum of the left. To win, Fillon will have to find a way to prove that he is more of a politician than the scandal has made of him. If both fail and Macron keeps growing his campaign, he will win.
Trump needs to know the wrongs of torture With Trump having shown his support for torture, Opinion Writer Alex Pigott looks into why it is both unjustified and unnecessary Trump’s first week as President has been a storm of policies and soundbites for journalists to get their teeth stuck into and citizens of the world to campaign against. Although many of us were optimistic that he wouldn’t live up to his campaign promises, he has done so. It’s hard to choose which of his beliefs are most inhumane, but his recent expression of support for torture is certainly a contender. In his first television interview since becoming president, when asked about torture, Trump said that: “We have to fight fire with fire.” Although he goes on to say that he will listen to the advice from defence secretary, James Mattis, and CIA director, Mike Pompeo, he proceeds to assure the interviewer that torture “absolutely works.” Given his position, when the President of America is expressing such strong support for the method, it appears that the issue requires explanation. Torture comes in many forms, can go many ways, and all are absolutely wrong due to their inhumane treatment of people. Take the ideal situation: one guilty terrorist has planted a bomb on a plane. If we torture him, he will reveal its whereabouts and hundreds of lives will be saved. In this hypothetical scenario, torture is guaranteed to achieve the goal it sets out to achieve: the prevention of innocent deaths. The terrorist will give up the information we want under a certain amount of force, and innocent lives will be saved. Supporters of torture see this situation as justified, and possibly deserved, because the victim of torture is guilty and
those in danger are innocent, and the lives of many innocent people are seen as worth more than the well-being of a guilty terrorist. Despite the act remaining wrong, it is understandable and possibly excusable. Nevertheless, it remains wrong due to how it makes people a means to achieve a certain end, not human beings. However, in these circumstances alone, it may be excusable since there are many innocent lives at stake and the infliction of harm upon the guilty is necessary to save them.
“Only seven of Guantanamo Bay’s 779 innmates have been convicted but a large majority have been tortured. It seems that torture is not reserved for the guilty.” But the situation, in reality, is a long way off this ideal one. With a higher amount of variables, the chances of success are far from likely. So, with the reasons for support as tenuous as they appear in our ideal situation, we cannot defend torture when placed in the unpredictable realm of reality. To start with, the individual captured may not be guilty and would therefore be as deserving of as much torture as any normal citizen: none. Despite the
Photo: Einzelheiten zur Genehmigung @ Wikimedia Commons
fact that only seven of Guantanamo Bay’s 779 inmates have been convicted, a large majority have been tortured. It seems that torture is not reserved for the guilty. According to Amnesty International, Shaker Aamer was held for 13 years, while being tortured under the watch of MI5 agents, and then released to his family without conviction. By his own account, he was captured while working for a Saudi Charity. Though of course, it’s his word against the US’; the amount of detainees that have gone without conviction suggests a severe lack of evidence to support the guilt of the majority of prisoners. But even if the terrorist were to be found guilty of some form of terrorism, if they hold no valuable information, there is no longer any excuse for torture. Since even those with the knowledge would profess their ignorance when encountered with torture initially, the torturers have no idea who to believe. So they press on, assuming that with the right amount of force, the guilty will crack. High profile agents, such as Ali Soufan, a former CIA operative, has said: “Most of the time, they will lie, make up anything to stop you hurting them.” This leads to two more major issues with the method. If the
tortured will often lie anyway, the false information they give may be detrimental to the goal of preventing terrorism and result in indescribable harm regardless. If the only excuse for torture is to prevent the deaths of innocents, this method is inexcusable since this is in no way helpful to achieving this goal. It is simply sadistic. Although there are many more variables to look into, I will conclude with the unlikelihood of success of using torture. Even if the information required has been obtained, we would still need a team to actually prevent the attack. The amount of things that could possibly go wrong in this situation are countless, leading to the likely situation of a failed rescue. Once more, this leads to the only excusable end of torture being thwarted. It’s unlikely that Trump has put as much consideration into his support for torture as I have into attacking it. That’s not to say it took much. Although the unlikelihood of success and the torturing of innocents would deter most from a commitment to the method, based on the clear lack of compassion behind his policies so far, we could be forgiven for doubting Trump would be persuaded.
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Top universities must do more for social mobility After experiencing discrimination whilst she attended Imperial College London, contributor Martha Hilton was driven to establish the researching charity, Educating All at RECLAIM Higher education is often a rewarding life experience for young people. It encourages independence and critical thinking, and helps to enable social mobility by enhancing career opportunities after graduation. Despite this, Britain’s ‘elite’ universities often remain unwelcoming for working class and first generation students. Hidden codes, cultural capital, and access to influential networks still remain significant barriers to working class young people applying and progressing through higher education. Successive governments have driven up social mobility’s presence on the public agenda and pressure is being put on universities to increase admissions of students from ‘disadvantaged’ backgrounds. Theresa May, in her speech as the new Prime Minister, promised that her government will be driven “not by the interests of the privileged few” but by the needs of working class families. She also pointed out that “if you’re a white, workingclass boy, you’re less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university [and that] if you’re at a state school, you’re less likely to reach the top professions than if you’re educated privately.” Despite this, it is too often the case that our country’s higher education system entrenches rather than eliminates inequality. Not only are working class young people less likely to go to university in the first place, they are also more likely to drop out and less likely to achieve the highest degree classifications once they are there. Research from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) showed that from those who achieved ABB in their A-levels, 77 per cent of students from the most advantaged areas go on to gain a first or upper-second class degree, compared to 67 per cent of those from the most disadvantaged areas. Having transitioned from a state school in Man-
chester to studying physics at Imperial College London, I was shocked by the level of privilege I experienced at university. Being female, I was already in the minority, there being a female/male ratio of 1:5 on my course. On top of that, I struggle to think of one person I met at university who did not go to a selective school.
“Through hidden codes, cultural capital, and access to influential networks, Britain’s ‘elite’ universities often remain unwelcoming for working class and first generation students.” Imperial have recently commissioned a report into the institutional culture and the impact on gender equality. It found evidence of “ingrained misogyny”, of women “being silenced”, and of bullying and discrimination linked to the “elite white masculinity” of the majority of the staff population. The report stated that it is difficult to embrace equality and diversity within an institution which is “so profoundly gendered, classed and raced”. Having experienced classism and racism at university, I applaud these findings but recognise that immediate actions are needed. At Imperial, I witnessed a lecturer referring to Emmy Noether, one of the greatest theoretical physicist of the 20th century, as a “clever girl” and was asked to serve drinks at the Imperial College Boat Club after the men’s boat race. Gender inequality was a serious issue for me at university.
Photo: Tejvan Pettinger @ Wikimedia Commons
Having become increasingly passionate about gender and class equality within higher education and academia, I was motivated to start the Educating All project. Educating All has been led by myself and Terry Manyeh, another recent graduate originating from Manchester, and has been commissioned by the social change and leadership development charity, RECLAIM. Having both experienced significant barriers at university, myself and Terry are campaigning for the student voice to be heard in the debate on social mobility within higher education. Talking to working class students for research purposes made me realise that scale of the problem we are trying to address. Xavier Greenwood, Classics student at Balliol College, Oxford said that the university is, “a place too steeped in privilege to champion social inclusivity in any meaningful way.” He went on to say that “success and happiness at Oxford is massively geared towards the neuro-typical, well-financed, white, male, privately-educated student”.
We hope that the Educating All report starts a meaningful conversation around class at university that delivers real, practical change. It is clear to me that much more needs to be done in order to truly provide a level playing field for working class young people at university. We will be working with universities to make this happen in 2017. In this era of political uncertainty, social mobility and education need to be a top priority for government, employers and educators. Universities have a responsibility to provide equal opportunities to students, regardless of postcode, background or income. Education is a right, not a privilege, and universities need to make sure they are accessing and supporting pupils from the wide and diverse talent pool that this country has to offer. If you are a student that would like to contribute to our campaign or have an opinion about issues raised in this article please email m.hilton@reclaimproject.org.uk.
Is it okay to punch a Nazi?
Opinion Writer David Moseley looks into the question of punching Nazis and whether or not it only makes them stronger While the sight of a white nationalist taking a sucker-punch to the face is probably what we all needed to get us through these tough times, we should be more critical of violent acts. The video of white nationalist and Alt-Right leader Richard Spencer receiving a blow to the side of the head was a welcome sight for many. On Inauguration Day, Spencer was interviewed on a street corner explaining the significance of his Pepe the Frog pin when a masked figure blundered into the frame and landed a solid hit the suited neo-Nazi’s face.
litical activism were asked for their opinion on the all-consuming “punch a Nazi” debate. Nitzan Lebovic, an academic of Holocaust Studies and Ethical Values, drew on the tradition of fascists justifying the expansion of their power on the basis that they have been attacked: “In any of the cases I know, it plays right into the hands of the regime, and is used as an excuse to harshen punitive measures against critics.” Unfortunately, attacking Nazis physically only contributes to a persecution complex, and deepens their sense of being wronged by the system.
“The obvious and popular answer seems to be an emphatic ‘yes’” The brief clip was immediately swallowed by the internet and, as one might expect, regurgitated in the form of various cuts and remixes. You can watch Richard Spencer punched in the face set to Phil Collins’ ‘In the Air Tonight’ or to Disney’s ‘Let it Go’. You can even watch Richard Spencer punched in the face set to Celine Dion’s ‘My Heart Will Go On’, which is a personal favourite. As former speechwriter for Obama, Jon Favreau tweeted, “I don’t care how many different songs you set Richard Spencer being punched to, I’ll laugh at every one.” But amongst the cathartic release of the reviled Alt-Right leader being force-fed a fist, a more philosophical strain of conversation arose in the Twittosphere: the question being “is it okay to punch a Nazi?” The obvious, and popular, answer seems to be an emphatic ‘yes’. Many have noted that punching Nazis is a time-honoured tradition in the US. Indiana Jones and Captain America number among pop culture icons who are renown for punching Nazis, or ‘fash-bashing’. One Twitter-user noted: “You know what WWII was? America collectively punching the Nazis”. Indeed, if confronted with, say, Hitler or an SS guard or an Imperial Storm Trooper, most of us would probably duff them on the nose — if not worse. It stands to reason that our response to
“One person’s Nazi is another’s freedom fighter, is another’s feminist, is another’s Obama” Photo: Vas Panagiotopoulos @ Wikimedia Commons
a modern day Nazi would be the same. If we accept that it is okay to punch Nazis, we are left with another difficult question: how do we decide who the Nazis are? In the case of Richard Spencer, the answer is quite definitive. He, of course, denies being a neo-Nazi, claiming that Nazism was specific to Germany in the 1930s and ‘40s. However, he chairs the National Policy Institute, a white nationalist think-tank based in Virginia which has run blog pieces such as ‘The Jewish Question And Some Answers’, in which the author claims “Jews have been pioneers of what has been termed ‘anti-Semitism’.” His position, as stated in a National Policy Institute column, has a certain Nazi-esque flavour: “Martin Luther King Jr., a fraud and degenerate in his life, has become the symbol and cynosure of White Dispossession and the deconstruction of Occidental civilization. We must overcome!”
He is also credited with coining the term ‘Alt-Right’ to describe the emerging extreme right wing populist movement in the US. Spencer has also called for ‘peaceful ethnic cleansing’ in order to maintain European heritage. He may not be a German National Socialist, but whichever you cut it his views smack of Nazi-ness. Since Spencer conforms to the broad definition of Nazi, one may be excused for punching him in the face. Unfortunately, it isn’t always so easy to agree on an answer to the question; one person’s Nazi is another’s freedom fighter, is another’s feminist, is another’s Obama. How can we decide whether or not it is okay to punch someone, if we can’t even work out which people we should be punching? Socking a Nazi, then, is not always very pragmatic. It may also be damaging to the cause of fighting Nazism. On mic.com, ethicists and academics of po-
Violence also has a nasty habit of begetting more violence. Even if it is morally defensible to punch a Nazi, and we are sure that they are indeed a Nazi, there’s a chance that they will punch back. It is likely that this will deteriorate into a fight where the person with the biggest stick wins, regardless of whether your initial sucker-punch was ethical or not. Perhaps the whole fash-bashing debate is completely inane. Why, after all, should we second guess leathering someone with views as abhorrent as Richard Spencer? On the other hand, it raises the wider question of whether violence has a place in the political discourse of our liberal democracies. We would be wise to think twice before condoning acts of violence. Nevertheless, if you yourself are not a white supremacist, watching one take a hit to the tune of ‘My Heart Will Go On’ will brighten your lunch break — just make sure the guy is definitely a Nazi before you bloody your knuckles.
Music
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Live Album
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Pangaea – Land Before Time Hannah Brierley, a Pangaea regular, reports back on what was a damp and unimpressive Pangaea
Hannah Brierley Contributor
6/10
I can honestly say I have never missed a Pangaea. Whether you think that’s sad or impressive doesn’t really matter. My 9th Pangaea in and still going strong. For the most part, things were as usual, but many things had changed and this was not necessarily for the better. It must be said that the building work between the Students’ Union and the Ali G, literally put a dampener on the mood as the peculiar one way route between Academy 1 and the Union made it difficult to get anywhere in haste. It wouldn’t have mattered so much if the tents outside had made an appearance as usual, however due to the changes this wasn’t possible. Such a shame, because this is where the usual buzz and hub of people tend to gather, and without it the night lost an element of magic. That long, sodden walk was cheered up, however, with the sight of Piggie Smalls and their huge cheesy chips and burgers — can’t go wrong really can you? But I wasn’t going to let the rain get me down, no way no how. I pandered over to the Union with my food where I was met with amazing cheesy tunes with everyone singing and dancing along together. I feel we need more cheesy music to make for some variation — ultimate cheese room anyone? So hats off to you guys in the Union Bar, you were
Photo: Lorimer McAndrew
class. As the night went on, the enchantment began to resurface as all the rooms began to fill up with glittery dinosaurs, questionable cave girls and other strange mystical creatures. Headliners Wild Beasts were less than impressive. They fit the recurring theme of EDM music
and while they were good and I did enjoy their set, the room seemed pretty empty considering they were the headliners. A shame considering in the past we have had HUGE names headlining like Example, Everything Everything and even Sister Sledge — whether you openly like them or not is debatable but you can’t deny that they’re huge. I
was more bothered about finding my cigarettes than listening to the rest of their music. My highlights of the Night included Zak Abel who performed in Academy 1, despite there being dribs and drabs coming through the doors at the time, the music was hypnotically enticing and really grabbed the audience. Horse Meat Disco, who also played Academy 1 with their infamous disco revival, delivered an impressive mix of songs from the well-known to the more obscure. Horse Meat Disco have the right ingredients for a good time and always keep it vibrant and fun. Go check them out if Disco is your thing, they will be right up your street. Also quick shout-out to Gold Teeth too, again as upbeat and energetic as always. There was a great vibe on the upper floors of the Union; music blared from every room and with such a range of different themes there was a array of places to choose from. This is where it was really going off — or at least it felt like it did, probably because of the size of the rooms and because this is where the majority stayed as it meant avoiding the outdoors, which makes sense really. I know the building work can’t be helped, but please can we have some kind of variation in music style? And where has the outside silent disco gone?!
Live Album
Live: Psappha play Maxwell Davies and John Horne
Hugh Morris reviews Psappha’s dramatic performance of David Horne and the late Sir Peter Maxell Davies at Hallé St. Peters 23rd January at Hallé St. Peters
Hugh Morris Classical Music Contributor
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The late Sir Peter Maxwell Davies spoke of the “honour to have one’s music performed by an ensemble who understand it intimately”. An artistic inspiration for Psappha, the programming of some of his finest chamber works was a poignant reminder of how well they understand this music, and how sorely he will be missed both in Manchester and beyond. The opening concert of Psappha’s 25th Anniversary Season should have been (and, to its credit, was) a celebratory occasion for those involved in the mightily successful project involved in bringing professional contemporary classical music to Greater Manchester.
8/10 And yet, David Horne, whose commission Resonating Instruments was given its world premiere alongside two pieces by Maxwell Davies, alluded to his sadness at memories of his last encounter with ‘Max’ being on that very stage. The performance outlined the importance of the wider, non-musical experience in contemporary music, a tenet executed superbly throughout. The intimate yet flexible performing space of Hallé St Peter’s combined with dramatic lighting to aid the more atmospheric and theatrical parts of the programme, particularly in the first piece, Maxwell Davies’ Stedman Doubles, a piece once labelled ‘unplayable’. The members of Psappha certainly demonstrated the gulf in class between themselves and the intended performers sixty years ago, conveying a hugely assured performance. Led by clarinetist Dov Golberg, the piece opens with a restrained, understated woodwind line, eventually accompanied by 3 percussionists, progressing through a series of edgy soundscapes. Similar music is often scoffed at for being too extreme, but, in the case of Stedman Doubles, any extremity was replaced with the feeling of stillness and situation, the piece being based on the principles of Indian raga improvisation. The contrast in quiet dynamics (the final clarinet swell in particular) was thrilling, even if generally, some more overstated passages could have articulated the three section work more clearly.
Tracks of the Week
1. ‘Believer’ - Imagine Dragons
Drama, rebellion and demand for change
Brimming with that typical Imagine Dragons drama, this track is a punchy combination of powerful lyrics and a fierce beat. The twang of the elecric guitar with Dan Reynold’s vocals results in a track that could make even the most passive person call to arms.
are all evident in this week’s tracks, selected by Katie Shepherd. Themes which are all too relevant yet unsurprising considering the current political climate.
Writing for cimbalom is a medium few British composers have experimented with, yet David Horne told of his fascination of an Eastern European instrument that Stravinsky included in Les Noces and that Zoltan Kodaly wrote extensively for in his famous suite Háry János. Resonating Instruments is a twenty-minute concerto for cimbalom, accompanied by violin, cello, flute and clarinet. The piece explores the untapped timbres of the instrument, beginning with a dark, almost submerged impression, before gradually ascending through the instrument’s range. If Stedman Doubles was understated, the repetitions needed to sustain the cimbalom’s strings made Resonating Instruments anything but, with the string dynamics and expansion of register from a fixed point mirroring the techniques heard in the solo instrument. Many of the aspects of the piece came off in performance very well indeed. The contrasting use of mallets and beaters, and the muting of strings brought out even more interesting colours. There were lovely pairings of lines too; delightful duets came from the unlikely sources of bass flute and bass clarinet. The only downside of this was that the pairings of strings, winds and keyboards reduced the impact of the solo cimbalom, played wonderfully by Psappha’s Artistic Director, Tim Williams. To think that Eight Songs for a Mad King is almost twice the age of Psappha is a strange thought
indeed, yet nobody could deny its performance was the reason a sizeable amount of the audience were present. The piece, premiered in 1969, follows the famous tale of George III and his descent into madness, and is a classic in the repertoire. Kelvin Thomas reprised the role of the King, a role which he has played on tour with Psappha and in the video recording of 2013. As a visual spectacle, the drama was enticing. Thomas obviously loves the role of the Mad King, yet there was enough freshness to make the piece’s famous moments, such as the dialogue between the King and the ‘bullfinch’ part (and the smashing of the violin), unexpected even for audience members who had listened before. The piece features the Schoenberg-influenced Sprechstimme technique, placing the voice somewhere between speaking and singing; this technique was lost at some points by Thomas; his 2013 recording conveys the linear regression of the character to his eventual death more vividly through the continued use of that specific extended technique. Maxwell Davies’ humour was placed excellently however; the Handelian references, the ‘Country Dance’ foxtrot and harpsichord interludes fed into a very well-staged, characterful performance. The level of understanding of what Max really wanted is without comparison in any other group.
6.5/10
2. ‘Where’s the Revolution’ - Depeche Mode
1. ‘HeavyDirtySoul’ - Twenty One Pilots
Sultry vocals meet bitingly relevant lyrics in the three-piece’s latest release. While the choruses feel somewhat an anti-climax to the intensity of the verses, the song grows into itself and the result promises good things from the upcoming album.
This explosive opening track is the final single from the Ohio duo’s latest album, Blurryface and defines this band’s inability to be defined. Elements of rap, pop, even rock are threaded together to create a dark, grungy song expertly tinged with vulnerability.
Music13
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Interview
Top 5: Album openers
Interview: Frank Turner
Frank Turner talks to Katie Shepherd about his 2,000th show, the year everything ‘nearly came apart’ and the importance of emotional honesty Katie Shepherd Deputy Music Editor
Photo: wikimedia Commons
On Frank Turner’s official website, on the page titled ‘Live Archives’, there is a complete list of every single show Frank Turner has played as a solo artist; a career spanning twelve incredible years. Scrolling through the almost impossibly long list, it becomes clear that Frank Turner simply hasn’t stopped touring in all of that time. Indeed, it was just ahead of his 2000th show that I had the privilege of chatting with the man that never got off the road. While these twelve years have been seemingly non-stop hard work, however, it is abundantly clear that Frank Turner has by no means become disenchanted with it. The minute we began talking, the excitement for the upcoming 2000th show was spilling from him and it was wonderful to see. He was celebrating this personal landmark with a triumphant show to conclude the tour at Nottingham’s Rock City, which he told me is his “favourite venue in the world”. It was not just where he and his band The Sleeping Souls would be performing, but who would be supporting the set too, that made it such a special show. “For the support I’ve picked Beans on Toast,” he told me eagerly, “I moved into a bar in 2004 and it had this real culture of country and folk song writing. Two of my favourite acts were Beans on Toast and The Tailors, which is my friend Adam’s band. I love them and I used to go to all their shows, but they broke up nine or ten years ago and they hadn’t done anything since. But their songs remain one of my biggest influences as a song writer. So I asked them to get back together for the show and they said yes, but minus a guitar player, so I am now the guitar player in the Tailors for this last hoorah.” Whilst the prospect of not only performing such a special show with two of his favourite bands, but getting to play in one of them clearly filled Frank Turner with the kind of pure enthusiasm that was both humbling and infectious, I was intrigued to know whether after doing so many shows for so many years, they still retained that same magic, or whether performing had become more comfortable for him. “That’s an interesting word, comfortable…” He mused, “I definitely think I’m a lot better at what I do now than I used to be. But a long time ago a friend of mine once noted that the only place he’s ever seen me look comfortable in my skin is when I’m on stage, and that was a big boost of confidence for me.” “The thing I love about tour is that I have a
daily chance for reinvention. When you record, you make these decisions about each song about how fast it’s meant to be, what key it’s meant to be in, and you make those decisions as best you can, but there’s no perfect version of any song… Every night I get up and I get a chance to have another go at the songs and play them as best I can. It’s not just the songs, it’s also the way we present the show and the way we interact with the crowd… Because you’ve always got another go the next night there’s something redemptive about that to me, which I love. It’s been years since I’ve got nervous before a show, but that doesn’t mean I don’t get excited. I love playing and I’m so lucky to do it.” This love for what he does is integral to Frank Turner as a musician, as a live performer, and as a human being; something I found completely enthralling about him. And if it is not evident in the compelling and emotionally raw performance he puts on every night, it is certainly evident in the fact that, already, 2017 is brimming with tour dates. With this great joy, has come hard work, and along with hard work has come some very difficult times, something Frank Turner has always been admirably and unapologetically honest about. So honest, in fact, that he released a documentary on a year of his life. Get Better was originally intended to be a record of Frank and the band during the recording of his latest album, Positive Songs for Negative People. Life, however, seemed to have other plans; “Ben Morse is a very good friend of ours and tour photographer, and he suggested the idea. We knew it was going to go over the making of Positive Songs so he started filming and a month into it everything fell apart. I had this titanic fight with my record label and it was a moment where I really had my artistic integrity put on the line. That then coincided slash caused something of a collapse in my personal life as well, because it turns out I handle stress quite badly. Everything got really dark for a time and Ben kept filming. He ended up making a kind of character study that’s about a year where everything very nearly came apart but then didn’t.” “I think it’s ended up being a much more interesting film than it was originally going to be. But I find it very uncomfortable to watch because it’s extremely raw and there’s a lot of unforgiving documentation of me not being a very good human at places.” It is this striking openness, this willingness
to lay his emotions and his flaws out for the world to see, that lies at the heart of Frank Turner’s music. Positive Songs for Negative People is an album that, much like Get Better, isn’t afraid to show the ugly sides of humanity. But it is also an ode to human emotion, to hope, and to finding positivity in an abundantly negative sphere. Frank Turner is an expert at marrying the brutal with the delicate, and the result is an album that boldly celebrates all it means to be alive. It is brilliantly, beautifully and brutally human. “I’ve always been interested in emotional honesty.” He said, “One of my biggest influences as a lyricist is Aidan Moffat from Arab Strap, and his lyrics feel like somebody just jabbing a scalpel into their own chest whilst maintaining eye contact with you. It’s stunning.” “The title [Positive Songs for Negative People] came from a late night drunk conversation with one of my oldest friends. We were discussing what I do and the nature of what I do and the tone of what I do, and that expression sort of slipped out of my mouth. Instantly I was like ‘Ahh write that shit down! That’s an album title right there!’ … It seemed like a reasonable summation of what it is I am trying to do.” This emotional honesty has had a huge impact on Frank Turner’s fans, many of them saying that they have been helped with personal struggles and mental health problems by his music. “People come up and say heavy shit to me after my shows and they talk about mental health issues… and I haven’t quite figured out how to respond to that, even yet… Music is my therapy and I get to do it in public every day and it stops me from going crazy. Music has been a wonderful thing for me, I’m just not sure I’m fully equipped to deal with people saying these things. This is part of the reason I’ve done a lot of work with groups like CALM… I’d like if people need it, to point them in the directions of the professionals who can actually do something tangible other than just sing a song. I feel like sometimes songwriting… it’s a bit inadequate somehow.” Unsurprisingly, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls are still on tour now, bringing the New Year in with a series of shows across America and Canada, with his first arena show in the states. “That’s really exciting for me.” He told me, “The thing I like about America is that there are no short cuts. You can’t cheat in America, you just have to go there again and again and work yourself to the bone. I have a puritan streak in me, so I really like that.” It’s not long before Frank Turner is back on home soil, however, having recently announced ‘Lost Evenings’. The four-day event is in collaboration with OneFest and involves a series of sets including a performance of his album Sleep is for the Weak in full, and a number of his greatest hits, as well as collaborations with other artists and panels. The full line up is yet to be announced, but it is sure to be an unmissable event for any fan of Frank Turner. If that wasn’t enough, they are also touring the UK as support for Blink-182’s upcoming arena tour. “It’s always lovely to be in the UK.” He smiles, and it’s clear he means it. “It feels like walking into a warm house after a cold day.” Tickets for ‘Lost Evenings’ at The Roundhouse and tickets to see Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls supporting Blink-182 are available now.
5/10
Some of the best songs ever written have sat proudly at the top of their album’s track listing, after all, the opening track needs to sell the rest of the album to the listener. Ben Lomax lists his top 5 album openers. Ben Lomax Contributor
Photo: starbright31 @ Flickr
5. ‘Chloe In The Afternoon’ – St. Vincent Whimsical synths meet staccato drumming and spiky guitar riffs in the opener to St. Vincent’s wonderfully weird third album Strange Mercy. A song that feels simultaneously as inviting as it does like staring down the twins from The Shining. 4. ‘You Want It Darker’ – Leonard Cohen “If you are the dealer, I’m out of the game” Cohen rasps over the dark and moody opening to his final record of the same name. A standout single from last year, it’s a track that hangs heavy in the air, the greeting words to his final farewell.
3. ‘Ultralight Beam’– Kanye West Considered by many his masterpiece, Ultralight Beam is a rather subdued, spiritual start to what is a turbulent and tumultuous album. “We were just blessed to be in the room at that time when the ultralight beam came through us” claims Kanye. Whether by design or divine inspiration, the gospel number sticks out as a highlight of an already illustrious career.
2. ‘Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies’ – Biffy Clyro As unapologetic and direct as its title suggests, after a minute and a half of agitated strings, odd-timed orchestral hits, and dramatic choral parts, the bare-chested, Scottish rockers explode into a bombastic rock anthem. Perfect set up to an album that stares into the face of death and the associated mental anguish, it’s a visceral, twisted, triumph of a track.
1. ‘Five Years’ – David Bowie Even from an artist with such a long list of great opening tracks (Space Oddity, Modern Love, Changes, Young Americans etc all kicked off their respective LPs), the sauntering, laid back drum beat over Bowie’s proclamation that we only had “five years left of crying” stands out. While thankfully the world didn’t end in 1977, the idea that perhaps we might not have all that long left feels especially pertinent today.
Music
14
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Interview
Interview: Tegan and Sara Cassie Hyde talks to Sara of Tegan and Sara about their latest album, what it’s like being in a band with your twin sister, and their efforts to provide help and representation for LGBTQ women Cassie Hyde Contributor Joe Casson Head Music Editor
Photo: Press Shot
Having released their eighth album, Love You To Death, last year, Tegan and Sara have been working as performers together since 1997. When I asked Sara Quin was it like being in a band for 20 years, she laughs: “Well, you know, it’s strange because we’ve actually crossed an interesting threshold in the last year or two, where we’ve actually been in the band longer than we have not been in the band. I don’t actually know what else to say except that. It’s sort of hard to untangle all of it. … I think because the band is us and is both personal and professional, it probably takes up more time than other people’s jobs and other people’s bands because we are forced to think about it any time we’re together.” So, since she wasn’t here, what’s Tegan like to work with? “As we’ve gotten further into our career, it’s really collaborating with other
people that has allowed me to be more aware of how me and Tegan collaborate. Before, it was something very intuitive, it just sort of happened naturally, but as I branch out and Tegan branches out and works independent of me, I find myself thinking ‘Oh! These are the skills and approaches I bring to the band...’ There’s something very impulsive about her, she’s a very straightforward writer. She sort of uses her feelings, whilst I use my head a lot more.” The new album, Love You To Death, is produced by Greg Kurstin, who’s previously worked with Adele, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding and Sia, to name a few. When asked what he was like to work with, Sara said: “For us, there was no question that he was going to be a powerhouse and bring a lot to the table as a producer, but I think what we immediately connected to was his personality. He’s very strange, he’s really funny and he’s very hands on. In our experience, it’s just the three of us, so there aren’t a bunch of people around. It’s a very insular experience, it really appeals to us. I think, because he has this really strange sense of humour, he can take himself seriously, but can also laugh at the spectacle of it all and how crazy this industry is. So we really get along, I adore him! I think he’s wonderful!” So what did they bring to the table on the new album? What were their influences going in? “We both listen to a lot of stuff and I think that’s a deliberate choice, partly because a lot of our instincts as writers and even subconscious choices that come out in our music, they sort of come from the early music we listened to. I think marrying that with what is happening currently is a good thing. I don’t like the idea of being an electro band, I read a lot in the press people referencing that it’s very obvious that we have a very 80s, 90s influence, which is true and certainly is purposeful those sounds and those keyboards, I hope that people also hear how we are sort of re-framing it in a more modern context, and hopefully not just seeming like an a-ha cover band or something,” she laughs, “I want people to see that we’re actually trying to think of a new way to hear that music.” Tegan and Sara have also made a music video for every song on Love You To Death. Sara told us, “the idea of doing a video for every song on the record was born out of the experience that the record
Album
Live
Live: The Head and The Heart
The Head and the Heart filled Manchester’s Gorilla with a polished and passionate performance, writes Ruth Foran
Ruth Foran Contributor
1st February at Gorilla
8/10
Photo: wikimedia Commons
The Head and the Heart, having playing in Manchester seven years ago, filled Gorilla to the brim on Wednesday night providing the audience with a warm performance from start to finish. The audience were treated to hits from all three of their albums, including their latest Sign of Light. The band came on with a bang, belting out their hit ‘City of Angels.’ They received an excellent reception from the audience from the word ‘Go.’ Something absolutely breathtaking about this group was their ability to harmonise almost effortlessly, sounding exactly like, if not better, than their recorded album tracks. Each vocalist sang their own part with huge smiles on their faces while doing so. They looked just as happy to see the audience as we
company provided an appropriate amount of music for our band size for what will like be one, maybe two videos, that would be representative of the singles. I think we just had an intuition that this wasn’t going to be one of those records where there wasn’t going to be one song that everyone focused on. So, we decided to take the budget for those two singles and spread it out over the 10 songs. I feel happy with it – it was a creative, collaborative process and we used it as an opportunity to work with people who wouldn’t usually be considered as video directors. For ‘White Knuckles’, we worked with a choreographer, with ‘100x’, we worked with an artist who also happens to have a very successful dog grooming business. We wanted to stretch to envelop different kinds of artists and creative thinkers and visual people, so it was really fun for us!” On a more serious note, Tegan and Sara have been openly gay since the start of their career and have always put their activism at the forefront of their work. So, last December, they set up the Tegan and Sara Foundation, which “works for economic justice, health, and representation for LGBTQ girls and women”. “As our career has developed, I think there has been an effort to be more strategic about how we are working and interfacing with other organisations. So, instead of being like, ‘Oh my God! This is very upsetting to us! Everyone pay attention!’, we started thinking about how be a part of, not just education or amplification of issues in the LGBT community, but purposely bring[ing] funding and money and research to parts of our community who are often under focused on. Right now, we see that as being lesbians and trans women, specifically women of colour.” “We’re looking at launching actual programmes in the next 6-9 months. We’ve actually had a heavy education period, so we’ve been meeting with economists and professors, grassroots organisers in The United States and Canada, making sure that we are clear about our agenda and where our efforts would be most meaningful.” Love You To Death is out now on Warner Brothers. Tegan and Sara are performing at The Albert Hall, Manchester on February 14th.
were to see them, which helped everyone to feel so welcomed by the band. Every single member of this six-person band is immensely talented — there’s no arguing with that. They all showcased their talent through the ranges of instruments they played, each picking up a guitar, piano or percussion. Charity Rose, the only female in the group, completely complemented each song with her amazing sound from the violin. Yet what impressed me most were her vocals. Her tone differentiated from soft rasps to then grand power notes that had the crowd erupting in cheers. The drummer, Tyler Williams, despite being hidden at the back, kept catching my eye with his amazing energy, a huge beam on his face the entire show. Lead singer
Josiah Johnson showed off his amazing falsetto abilities channelled with husky undertones for their track ‘Oh My Dear’. The crowd at this gig felt homely, ranging from ages of 14 to even the likes of 50-plus, showing that this band’s music is relevant to pretty much everyone. People stood arm-in-arm, swaying to the music almost the entire time (with the exception of a few daring single dancers, waving their hands in the air.) They thrilled the audience with crowd-pleasers such as ‘Ghosts’ and ‘All We Ever Knew’, having the crowd bopping and chanting in unison. They also had the ability to completely move the audience, saying, “Just for a moment, let’s be still” — the soft blue and emerald lights reflecting waves, having a rippling effect on everyone in the room. To me, this band was a breath of fresh air. It was heartwarming to witness a band that even after a few years are still just as passionate about their songs. A woman on the bus home summarised their performance better than I could — “It’s when you feel you’ve finally got the right music — that’s when you know how to express it.” That they did.
Album: The xx – I See You
The interplay between the xx’s members is evident in an album which is both instrumentally varied and emotionally intimate, making I See You their strongest album yet, writes James Gill Released 13th January via Young Turks
James Gill Contributor
7.5/10
I See You is the third album from the London based indie band The xx. Surging into stardom in the late 2000’s, The xx is known for minimalistic production and sedated beats. However, this latest effort is their most musically complex to date. With each subsequent release, it becomes obvious that Jamie xx is incorporating more and more electronic elements into the band’s tracks. Their self titled debut album was noted for using very few artificial components, employing a laid back acoustic style. The follow up, Coexist, a more atmospheric work, is a perfect middle ground between the two. A key difference between this album and those before it is the use of samples. In order to easily transition from studio to concert, Jamie and co previously restricted the variety of their arrangements, however this is not the case for I See You. Using samples has allowed them to create a sound which is not only catchy but also familiar, and as a result we see some surprisingly lively tracks such as lead single ‘On Hold’. Released at the tail end of 2016, ‘On Hold’ wonderfully samples Hall and Oates’ 1981 hit ‘I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)’, becoming by far the poppiest track in The xx’s discography. Another new aspect is the use of additional accompaniment. The ballad ‘Performance’ beautifully uses strings to add to its emotional nature, discussing the illusion of pretending to be fine when in reality everything is falling apart. Furthermore, ‘Lips’ has a wonderful choral backing which is unlike anything we’ve seen from them before. Featuring a sample of David Lang’s ‘Just’, guitarist/vocalist Romy Madley Croft explained how the lyrics were written around the beat, which presented them with new challeng-
7/10
Photo: Album Artwork
es. Unfortunately, there are a few minor issues in the album, most notably the sudden endings to a few of the songs such as ‘A Violent Noise’ and ‘Say Something Loving’. It comes off as lazy songwriting and is immensely disappointing given the excellent buildups present. Additionally the vocal chemistry between Romy and Oliver seems nonexistent at times, especially in ‘Say Something Loving’. This leads to the emotive and often hard-hitting lyrics not having as much of an impact as intended. Shortcomings aside, I See You is the xx’s best album to date. They seem to be taking more risks by increasing the number of layers used and it pays off, creating a more mature and compositionally richer sound. The finale, ‘Test Me’, is a testament to the band’s previous struggles and a signal that they are far from finished.
Sunday 8 Jan - 17 Feb & BUILD THE FUTURE OF YOUR STUDENTS' UNION As an Exec Officer of The Students’ Union, you will have the chance to influence the Future; not only your Future but be a part of the first Exec Team that influences the Future Union developments. So STAND today and campaign on the issues that matter.
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Fashion & Beauty
16
Red carpet ready Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Talia Lee-Skudder reveals the colour that has survived through the ages from the screen sirens of the 50s right up to the stars of our latest award shows Bold and seductive, the colour red oozes confidence and has long been a firm favourite at award ceremonies. Our favourite celebrities are experts at incorporating the colour into their red carpet looks, whether it is with a slick of red lipstick, a full-blown gown or a flash of their trusty Christian Louboutins. The colour red symbolises passion and is an emotionally intense colour proving to have the capabilities of increasing your respiration rate and raising your blood pressure making it a sure winner if you want to set hearts racing with your look. Although a red dress on the red carpet may seem like over kill, celebs have proved that there is nothing more alluring than a floor length red dress. Who can forget Bella Hadid turning up to the premiere of Unkown Girl at Cannes film festival in the sensational thigh high split Alexander Vauthier gown? This show-stopping look certainly made Bella stand out from the crowd. The look was incredibly daring with the dress being backless and complete with a plunging neckline and thigh high split, yet Bella carried herself with confidence and exuded glamour. Whilst Bella kept her make up natural and let her dress do the talking, stars such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian have fully embraced the colour by matching their lipstick to their dresses. Kim rocked her red waist- cinching Celia Kritharioti at Elton John’s Oscar party back in 2014, whilst in 2013 Rihanna chose a red sheer chiffon Azzedine Alaia gown for the Grammys. Both embraced the red-hot look by adding a matte red lipstick, proving that the colour is a sure way to get you noticed. For some, however, a bit of red lippie is all that is necessary to spruce up their red carpet look. Take Sienna Miller, this girl knows how to work the perfect red lipstick and looks incredible in the process. From Marilyn Monroe to Gigi Hadid, red lipstick has long been synonymous with old Hollywood glamour and is the most classic of looks. This style has been popular since the early 1900s when Maurice Levy invented the first metal lipstick tube; from then major beauty companies including Chanel started selling this product and it became an essential for women. The screen sirens from the 40s and 50s embraced the red lip including Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth and of course Elizabeth Taylor who is famously quoted as saying ‘pour yourself a drink, put on your lipstick and pull yourself together’. If a bit of lipstick and pouring a drink is the answer to all of our problems, then it seems that the advice still applies in 2017. From full-length gowns to the classic red lip, celebrities and Hollywood legends have embraced the colour. Since its launch in 1991, many lucky ladies have had the pleasure of wearing the famous shoes designed by Christian Louboutin which are renowned for their bright red sole. Victoria Beckham and Blake Lively, who has even had a Louboutin named after her, are fans of the luxury brand. A Louboutin shoe is the perfect pop of red for any fabulous occasion and the perfect way to incorporate the colour into an outfit. With so many legendary icons and modern muses proving to be fans, the colour red has proved to be a timeless addition to any look and is pivotal in creating the perfect and alluring red carpet ensemble.
Photo: charlottetilbury.com
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Tangerine dream Considering all the colours of the rainbow, it’s not often that orange stands out as a favourite. Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie Soar asks how is it we come to love and favour one colour over another? When the obligatory ice-breaker sessions begin during group interviews or in second semester’s introductory seminars, a favourite question offered to stimulate conversation is: what is your favourite colour? Many possess an unshakable assurance in their chosen shade: “Well, that would be a slightly purple lapis blue or maybe a malachite green — but not too turquoise!” However some may nervously deliberate over a specificity of colour, fearful perhaps that a particular shade will denote each and every personality trait, childhood trauma, or maybe even your deepest darkest secret. In reality, our preference for favourite colours may simply arise from something as simple as happy childhood memories, a preferred colour to wear or an emotion evoked by a particular shade or hue. Mine certainly encompasses all three but when I state my favourite colour as orange, surprise or laughter often ensues, followed by the eternally hysterical question as to whether this arose from food shops at Fallowfield Sainsbury’s. Flicking through family photo albums, the same features arise continuously from the pictures of me: a box fringe, chubby cheeks, and orange clothes. In my opinion both then and now, I won out with the lesser of two evils; my elder sister suffered her youth in yellow whilst I lucked out in the slightly sickly (but maybe one could argue iridescent) orange aesthetic. Let’s be honest though, when matching outfits are involved no one wins. Orange and yellow may not be the most flattering of colours but who cares at the age of five? However as I grew up and became vaguely aware of my wardrobe, my preferred orange lost out to outfits styled around neon pink legwarmers, which eventually transformed into an all-black wardrobe. Since then, three years in Manchester converted my style into one with slightly more colour and I’d love to say greater maturity but that might be pushing it. Whilst Barbie pink eclipsed my tween years and my teenage self came scarily close to Wednesday Addams’ outlook on outfits, these undoubtedly fell neatly into my mother’s favourite self-reassurance: “It’s just a phase.” I denied this vehemently during questionable style experimentations, especially around the time I begged my parents to redecorate my room in bubblegum pink. How could I possibly ever regret that decision? Yet still orange obstinately remained my favourite colour whilst other phases dissolved as quickly as they appeared. My childhood undoubtedly honed my love for orange, including my first nail varnish from a princess magazine. Then there was my waterproof mac and matching hat, which boasted a radiant tangerine glow with white dots. Of course, my sister Photo: The Mancunion had the yellow version. I am now fortunate to say my taste has matured from the plastic sheen of crazy orange coats; I now assure people I prefer a sunset ambiance — evidently with maturity I adapted my justification to new levels of pretentiousness to oppose any haters. One reoccurring look during my primary school days included an orange velvet dress, often styled by yours truly with yellow wellington boots, a multi-coloured felt pompom hat and pink sunglasses. My mother later told me I wore the dress every day for a year; she’d wash it every night as I refused to wear anything else. Evidently my stubborn streak was born with my love for orange… Studies show that bright colours draw children’s attention for the energy and emotive responses they evoke. The ways in which we associate colours with different emotions or signifiers, like red represents danger or lust and green denotes envy or harmony, resounds with children who experience and grow through similar means. We are taught from a young age that the sky is blue, the sun is yellow, the red man means we cannot cross the road and any green food is healthy and therefore repugnant. I for one claimed an allergy to any green food at the age of seven. However even before the moment we denounce peas and beans as the bogey monster of nutrition, colours’ emotive powers have an effect before we can waddle, walk or talk. Therefore the colours for which we show preference at a young age is likely to stay with us, even if those reasons change and alter as we experience more of the world around us. Whilst my wardrobe may not often imbue sunset hues (it’s not the easiest look to pull off after all), I remain drawn to my favourite childhood colour. It just goes to show that our childhood shapes us in many unexpected, subtle ways, even if those ways present shades of the most unsubtle nature.
Mellow yellow
It’s easy being green
The colour with just about the worst reputation in fashion gets a moment in the spotlight. By Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse
From H&M to Stella McCartney, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Talia LeeSkudder reveals how green fashion is a trend we will all soon be embracing
The fashion blues Sometimes it can be difficult to get excited by fashion when it all seems the same — this week Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse looks for a few rays of excitement We all know the feeling: you look in your wardrobe and find nothing to wear, so you attempt to go shopping, but see nothing to buy. Eventually you concede and wear your wardrobe basics and hope inspiration comes from somewhere. However, in 2017 finding original fashion inspiration is near impossible. Instagram feeds are filled with the same images over and over again, be it Kardashian-esque glamour, 90s chic, Alexa Chung wannabes, or rainbow queens, and eventually they all blur into one and the same. The blogger whose style you adored is dilated when Instagram suggests four other bloggers all dressing in exactly the same style. Slowly but surely the power of the internet has diluted our ability to find anything truly ‘new’. It is not just us as individuals scouring the internet for the latest looks to recreate, but also huge fashion retailers like Topshop, Zara, and H&M, are all looking for the next big thing that will capture the consumers eye. Consequently, the brief moment where you strike inspiration upon some fabulous idea is being sold worldwide in less than six months.
Photo: lobstar28 @Flickr
It is now widely accepted that no colour will ever be the new black; however, every season there is one colour that takes command of our sartorial imaginations. Spring/Summer 17 is set to be dominated by yellow. ‘Why?’ I hear you cry — because just about every designer of note sent it down the runway: Tibi, Lemaire, Emilio Pucci and Prada all gave a nod to the sunshine colour. Yellow can be perceived as a daunting colour: it is overtly bright, but at the same time can be pale, which as a result can make the fabric quite sheer. Not the easiest set of qualities in a colour. As fashion and technology advance though, the pigment of yellow fabrics manages to diminish the sheerness and create a broader spectrum of shades. Fantastic news for those whose skin tone doesn’t scream ‘I will look alive in yellow’ (that’s me). For some people yellow is an undoubtable showstopper, dark skin sets most shades of yellow alight, giving the colour the real star power it can muster — and lets be frank, drawing all eyes to you. Paler skin often fails to lift yellow; instead the pink undertones of pale skin leave both the clothes and the individual looking rather flat. This is where skin tone and shades of yellow must mingle together to find their perfect match, and this year’s Golden Globes gave a veritable fashion lesson in how to wear yellow. Viola Davis offered a masterclass in her yellow asymmetric Michael Kors dress: this was yellow at its very best, the colour was the statement, no fuss or detail was required, the yellow did all the talking. Reese Witherspoon donned pastel yellow, perfect for the fairer skinned, whilst Maisie Williams and Natalie Portman dabbled in classic canary yellow. Emily Ratajakowski showed how a subtle change of hue can liven yellow up, as the warm, soft yellow of her Reem Acra dress gave it a more boudoir, soft lighting feel. Even the most hotly-tipped film of the award season La La Land pays special attention to a yellow dress. Translating these subtle shade differences into reality means embracing yellow in all its forms. As the weather remains drab, mustard is the easiest shade of yellow to transition from winter into spring, as daffodils begin to peak from thawed ground, the warmer hues of yellow start to seem more fitting. If a full block colour yellow piece is too daunting, embrace spring florals, where you are always certain to find splashes of yellow: Nobody’s Child has some gorgeous floral pieces with varying amounts of yellow. Although fashion flits and changes with seasons, colour trends do tend to repeat themselves, and yellow often rears its head in the Spring/Summer season — so while there’s plenty of choice on offer, it may be the best time to invest.
Fashion & Beauty 17
Photo: stellamccartney.com
It is now, more than ever, fashionable to be green. Thanks to major brands including H&M and the trailblazer for eco-friendly high fashion, Stella McCartney, the myth that in order to be green your clothes have to be bland and made of hemp is being dispelled. Despite Donald Trump’s recent claims that climate change does not exist, this generation has been preoccupied with trying to ensure that we are reducing our carbon footprint and ultimately saving the planet. From recycling to making sure we remember our carrier bags when we head to Sainsbury’s — forking out 5p for a plastic bag is too much of a financial stretch — many of us are making choices that contribute to a greener way of living. So why has the fashion industry neglected to jump fully on board? In an age where consumers order clothes and expect them to be on their doorstep the next day, organically sourced clothing is less accessible, not to mention more expensive. However, major high street brand H&M has acknowledged the necessity of sustainable fashion with its ‘Conscious Collection’ and subsequent ‘Conscious’ beauty range. The ‘Conscious Collection’ includes clothing sourced from organically sourced materials. H&M went one step further from simply creating organic basics with their ‘Conscious Exclusive’ fashion range, which gained an elite celebrity following from Solange Knowles to Jessica Chastain. For their 2016 range, the design team took their inspiration from the archives at The Louvre and the centuries of Haute Couture. The collection included blouses, maxi dresses and a personal favourite, a stunning organic silk collarless coat. Their Conscious Exclusive range proves that H&M are serious about creating stylish but sustainable clothing for the masses, demonstrating that organic does not have to be in the style of hippie apparel. Whilst H&M have been major endorsers of sustainable fashion on the high street, it is Stella McCartney who has made waves and paved the way in the world of high fashion. McCartney is passionate about being green, her offices are powered by green energy and she too includes organic cotton in her clothing and also rejects using leather in her designs. Making clothing requires a great amount of materials, energy and labour plus exposure to harmful chemicals, thus ethical fashion addresses all of these concerns. When asked in an interview on her website whether she tackles all of these issues in her fashion line, McCartney replied that the brand is ‘committed to ethical production’ and that they ‘recently joined the Ethical Trading Initiative’ and began ‘working with the National Resources Defense Council on its Clean by Design program’. Unfortunately the fashion industry has not caught up with the demand for organically sourced materials, and McCartney states that colours are very limited in organic ranges and they lack the richness and texture of non-organic clothes. At present, McCartney accepts that is not possible to create luxury fashion out of completely sustainable materials. Perhaps in the future, when more designers join the green movement, sustainable fashion will be more widely recognised as an option for luxury lovers. It seems that the fashion industry is behind the times when it comes to saving the planet, with only a handful of designers embracing a sustainable way of fashion. However, with fashion powerhouses such as H&M and Stella McCartney driving the movement forward and challenging the myth that green fashion is bland and unstylish, the future is looking bright. These brands have proved that you can help the environment whilst still looking fabulous. I have never heard a better reason to go shopping.
Photo: elliotjames @Flickr
Even here in Manchester we are overrun with the Fallowfield look: we all know it too well, supposedly edgy and vintage but all too often bought in Urban Outfitters for £40. It’s a look that attempts individuality but in our suburb of south Manchester is de rigueur. However, through the doom and gloom of a particularly miserable and grey Tuesday afternoon spent writing this, I am forced to consider what can be done to break the melancholic outlook of my current fashion blues. When the political climate is so overwhelmingly depressing I know many consider fashion to be of little importance, but for me fashion should offer relief to the drudgery of the news declaring the latest cries of hate. Thankfully as January draws to a close, we can look forward to February and the month long fashion extravaganza that will travel from New York, to London, to Milan, and finish in Paris. It is not for the new hot item that these shows give me optimism, but because of how they can inspire me to look with a fresh pair of eyes upon what I already own. Runway shows are an opportunity to see something new: a new way of styling, layering, or combining your wardrobe. As trivial as it may seem, a fantastic outfit can lift the spirits, enabling your feeble brain to see some positivity in a 2017 that seems determined to compete with 2016.
Purple’s playmate In an effort to embrace a more adventurous make-up palette, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie Soar examines the pros and cons of using purple and its complementary colour, yellow Many of us resolutely stick to our favourite make-up palettes: it’s comforting, easy and we know what looks good. In retaliation of complacency and laziness, I decided to break free from my safety zone and set myself what I assumed to be a relatively easy New Year’s resolution, to experiment with my make-up. So inspired by a friend whose large green eyes blaze beautifully when rimmed with purple eye shadow, I chose my starting point: purple. I should confess now that when it comes to make-up, I’m about as lazy as they come: if I can get away with a tinted moisturiser for foundation I will, I haven’t owned a bronzer since my freebie from Cosmo smashed in Year 12, and I’ve used the same solitary make-up brush since I was 17. My make-up lethargy will hardly change overnight, but I’m taking it one step at a time. My first encounter with purple make-up came in the form of a roll-on grape scented lilac eye shadow around the age of seven, so it’s about time to reattempt the shade. After an exasperating and disastrous first, second and third attempt at a smokey purple eye, I almost threw in the face towel. I reassured myself with thinking that maybe it’s just an artistic gift some people are born with. However, not quite willing to give up, I turned to make-up enthusiasts to acquire some patience and skill. Unsurprisingly they did not disappoint, and I first learnt that when you apply purple to your face, you must inevitably dance with purple’s ever-present playmate: yellow. The first top-tip I discovered is to master a pale purple before attempting a dark purple smokey eye. Using purples and blacks might give you an air of mystery but the gloomy hues will undoubtedly rub off on your mood should you mess up. Instead, first embrace purple with its happier friend: place purple eye shadow on your underbrow and use a subtle golden yellow on the lid, giving a vibrant and brightening make-up look. The two work in perfect harmony. However whilst purple and yellow mostly go hand-in-hand, yellow will happily use purple for its own gains. Take purple shampoo for instance; it’s a favourite styling technique to give blonde hair a lightening lift. The shampoo is designed to take the brassy tones away but beware — purple will slyly get its own back if overused, and you may go more silvery grey than honey blonde. As with many friendships, purple and yellow can be the greatest of friends but sometimes this gives way to a tumultuous relationship. A prime example comes in the form of lipstick. Should you use a purple with bluer undertones, it will give your smile some extra shine, but apply a purple lipstick with a yellower undertone and those pearly whites will show up any yellowish imperfections. Therefore whilst embracing this often blossoming friendship, it’s worth staying weary of their occasional conflicts. Yellow isn’t always mellow; it prefers the limelight and might work against you should it not gain the attention it desires. Purple however will happily share the stage with its playmate and it’s best to embrace the two together for optimum results.
Photo: charlottetilbury.com
Film
18
Top 5
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Films about Food Eat with your eyes
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Myriam Raso Film Critic 5. Chef (Jon Favreau, 2014) Carl Casper played by Jon Favreau is a talented chef who doesn’t seem to be appreciated in his job: forced to cook traditional old recipes and unable to let his creativity flow. With his career on the line, a video going viral of his crazy rampage towards a food critic, and his family life breaking down, his wife gives him an eccentric idea to take up an old food van and transform it into a Cuban street food van. This film is not only about his passion for food, but his passion for life: do something that makes you happy and enjoy life, don’t just do something because it pays well. The film will not only open up your eyes to the glory of food but open your heart to the beauty of happiness. 4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton, 2005) & Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart, 1971) “Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination”. In case you don’t already know, this film explores the story of a poor young boy, Charlie Bucket, who is lucky enough to win a golden ticket to enter Wonka’s chocolate factory. These films allow for one’s imagination to completely take over with the creation of chocolates and sweets. In the world of Willy Wonka, there is nothing he cannot create to eat. A magical garden where everything is edible and chewing gum can taste like a three-course meal. Although we must give credit to the original cinematic recreation of Roal Dahl’s book, personally I find Tim Burton’s version more mesmerising. The combination of bright colours and unimaginable confectionery, along with the brilliant actors cast in this film, is truly a feast for the eyes. 3. Chocolat (Lasse Hallström, 2000) A beautiful, liberal, open-minded woman, Dianne Rocher played by the wonderful Juliette Binoche, and Dianne’s daughter Anouk, move into a small remote town to open a delicious chocolate shop. In this town the church reigns and because of this and the way she behaves they become rather unwelcome. However, through her kind desire to help others; including a woman abused by her husband, an elderly lady with family problems, a group of travellers referred to as ‘river rats’ — with Johnny Depp as the clan leader — and two lonely unmarried people who seek to have each other, she becomes welcomed into the community. This true passion for helping others is celebrated with a dinner party where everything — and I mean everything! — is covered in chocolate. 2. The Hundred-Foot Journey (Lasse Hallström, 2014) A family’s tragic loss of their house and mother leads them to leave behind everything they know and their home country, India, and try to rebuild their life in Europe until they finally land in France. With the father’s fiery ambition to open a restaurant, a son with an intense passion for cooking, but, despite some of the children’s wishes, they decide to open a classic Indian restaurant, 100 feet away from a Michelin-star French restaurant. We are shown the beautiful home-style cooking of traditional Indian cuisine and the meticulous classical French cuisine. After a rough and competitive start, both restaurants learn to appreciate each other and come together to create a phenomenal Michelin-starred chef. 1. Julie and Julia (Nora Ephron, 2009) Based on a true story and a book written by Julie Powel. It focuses on one woman’s story (Julie Powel) in finding herself. With the help of food and Julia Child — a pioneering woman who ‘taught America how to cook’ — Powel’s challenge is to work her way through Julia Child’s cookbook containing 500-ish recipes in 365 days. Not only will you delve into the life of Julie, but the director has explored the life of Julia Child during her time living in France with her husband Paul as she struggles to complete and publish her cookbook. It explores a whirlwind of emotions from both parties, including the traumatic event of killing a lobster, something magically made humorous; and Julia’s eye-watering scene of chopping kilos of onions as she tries to be taken seriously in an all-male cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu. Definitely a great watch for anyone who loves the beauty of food.
Review
Jackie
Pete Stallard Film Contributor Jackie takes place in the weeks immediately following the assassination of John F. Kennedy and almost claustrophobically centres on his widow Jackie’s attempts to make sense of the tragedy that has happened and do right by her late husband. Indeed, the camera rarely leaves Portman’s fraught visage, and lets us know from the offset that this is a film both about and inhabited by the figure of Jackie Kennedy, rarely deviating from this intense focus. The film is framed through an interview given by Jackie to a journalist eager to get his hands on the exclusive story from the former First Lady. However, Jackie is too smart for him and is keenly aware of the kind of story he wants to spin. From the off she lets him know that this will be her story and her history, and the journalist’s published article will be almost entirely the one she herself has crafted. It is a remarkable power dynamic which gives Jackie almost complete control over the narrative of the film. What then entails is a series of flashbacks/ flashpoints in which Jackie Kennedy goes about creating the myth of her husband how she sees fit, envisaging his legacy as one reminiscent of Arthurian legend. Recreated archive footage shows Jackie giving the first ever televised tour round the white house, and these moments reveal her singular, almost materialistic intent to cement her husband’s place in the pantheon of great presidents. Jackie wants the late president to be remembered in the same breath as previous titans such as Abraham Lincoln, and her uncompromising desire to memorialise her husband underpins the films best scenes; this is a woman who has just lost everything yet will bow to no one.
In Pablo Larrain’s Jackie, Natalie Portman gives a tourde-force portrait of grief counterpoised with a steely conviction, shedding new light on the character of the former First Lady of the United States Portman’s Jackie is also a woman of remarkable vigour and compassion, refusing to bow to pressures, to shy away from the public eye as well as consoling her children in the way only a mother could. In one potent scene, she refuses advice to change out of her blood-spattered clothes, wishing to make her husband’s enemies realise the gravity of their crime, stepping off the plane into the public eye bearing the grim reminder of the tragedy that had occurred just hours before. This same motif of blood is then used in a later, crushingly vulnerable scene and demonstrates the films fine balance between the grief and resilience of its titular character. However, despite the brilliance of Portman and wonderful writing from Noah Oppenheim (as well as an unnervingly sparse score from young composer Mica Levi) the middle section of the film does drag. After the initial displays of intense, feverish grief contrasted with Jackie’s iron will and uncompromising attitude to those who would meddle in the affairs of her late husband, the film lulls, not finding enough to flesh out the intervening period between JFK’s death and the imminent funeral. Perhaps it shows a lack of empathy on my part in not being able to sustain my sorrow for this woman’s plight, but after constant scenes of chain-smoking and sorrowful conversations I noticed my sudden desire for her story to be resolved; I wanted her to just get what she wanted and be left alone to
attempt to gain some modicum of normalcy back in her life. However, the final act of the film was a glorious return to form, and showed Jackie at her most compassionate and acerbic. The funeral arrangements become her own personal crusade, and woe betide any who wish to dissolve her ‘Camelot’ myth. Her desire to do right by her husband (who she admits was not perfect) cannot be understated, and it is this singularity which drives the film and kept me in awe of this woman, an individual who I will freely admit I knew nothing about coming into the film. Overall, the film delivers an Oscar-worthy (Oscar-bait? Cynical perhaps) performance from Portman, who imbues the character of Jackie Kennedy with enough nuance to carry the film forward and keep the audience enraptured by her. Credit should also go to Stéphane Fontaine’s camerawork, which if not focused on Jackie Kennedy’s face from the beginning of a scene will cleverly snake its way across the room and once again plant her at the centre of the chaos that surrounds the assassination. Although the pacing does suffer mid-way through the film, for anyone wanting to see a film about a neglected figure in American history, Jackie will leave you with an admiration for a woman you may well have known nothing about.
3/5
Photo: Fox Searchlight
Review
Denial: the repercussions of denying the Holocaust This real-life account of Holocaust denial leaves viewers with a sense of hope Isidora Cortes-Monroy Film Critic “More women died on the backseat of Senator Kennedy’s car in Chappaquiddick than ever died in a gas chamber at Auschwitz.” Like many, these words shocked and disgusted me when I heard them. It would seem unreal that anyone could have said them aloud in public. Yet the 90’s saw ‘historian’ David Irving pronounce them shamelessly, claiming that Hitler was actually the Jews’ “best friend”. As would be expected, he was met with angry protests from different members of society, particularly from historian Deborah Lipstadt in her novel “Denying the Holocaust”, where she labelled him as a Holocaust denier who distorted the truth to fit his own personal needs. Irving, outraged by the defamation of his name, sued Lipstadt for libel, just as he had sued historians Gitta Sereny and John Lukacs, although neither case made it to court. Lipstadt, however, was not prepared to stand down and so proceeded to defend her accusations in court. Winning this case would not only save Lipstadt’s reputation as a historian, but would defend the Holocaust’s victims right to be remembered. There were greater things at stake here than the financial cost of losing the lawsuit. Mick Jackson’s new film, Denial, dramatizes the real-life events of the legal dispute between Irving (Timothy Spall) and Lipstadt (Rachel Weisz), recreating the moments from Irving and Lipstadt’s first encounter to the judge’s final decision. The film centres around Lipstadt as she prepares the case with her team of lawyers, led by Anthony Julius (Andrew Scott) and Richard Rampton (Tom Wilkinson), who refuse to let the loud New Yorker speak her mind in court. It is a frustrating process, as it is her book that is under scrutiny. Lipstadt is, after all, the central character yet she is not allowed to speak in the key moments. However, thanks to David Hare’s artful screenplay, as well as Weisz’s talent, we are able hear Lipstadt’s silent irritation in the courtroom as the camera focuses on her agitated face, bursting with protests that cannot be verbally expressed. Here, Weisz’s skill as an actress shines not so much because of what she says, but rather because of what she doesn’t say. As to the structure of the film, I could not disagree more with The New York Times’ Stephen Holden’s comment that the film “leaves a frustrating emptiness at its center” and that “the creators could have found some compelling drama in the characters’ personal lives”. The fact that the film refuses to indulge in their personal
lives shows the extent to which the trial took over their lives. Their identities were defined by this trial: Lipstadt’s view of herself as a member of the Jewish community depended on the success of this trial, whilst Irving’s reputation among England’s educated elites was at stake. As a result, the trial becomes synonymous with the characters’ personal lives, therefore putting more weight on the judge’s final decision. Furthermore, to present a subplot of personal dramas would be to cheapen the main issue of the plot which was essentially the memory and the act of remembering the Holocaust. If I wanted to see strained romances or family disputes, there were many other cinema rooms I could have gone to. Yet by going to see Denial, I expected to watch a journalistic film about history, justice and memory, all of which was successfully delivered by director Mick Jackson. When I came out of the cinema, there was no feeling of “frustrated emptiness”, but rather a sense of hope. A sense of hope because Denial reminds its viewers to be critical of the ‘truths’ they are told by politicians and historians. Distorted facts are not rare in the news nowadays, therefore it comes as breath of fresh air to see one of these falsifiers be condemned for his actions.
5/5
Photo: BBC Films
Film 19
ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Review Feature
T2 and Danny Boyle Q&A After last year’s successful Steve Jobs Q&A, HOME Patron Danny Boyle returns to his hometown discussing T2. Choose to find out what happened on the night — choose to read Alasdair Bayman Film Critic Looking at any advertisement board, it is almost impossible to miss a T2 Trainspotting poster. Like the posters, the film’s director Danny Boyle has continually promoted his new work across the likes of The Graham Norton Show and Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review Show. The former provides great viewing as it showcases Boyle’s ability to go toe-to-toe with Norton himself, one the best chat show hosts on the market. Inevitably, as a patron of HOME, Boyle required a more intimate discussion with Manchester. Arriving at 6:30pm, I sat quietly on the second floor equipped with a lethal combination: a pint and a book. At the same time, Danny Boyle and HOME’s Artistic Director Jason Wood conducted a live Q&A via Facebook in Cinema 1 to soften the blow to all those who were unable to purchase a ticket for this premier event. Selling like hot barm-cakes on a Saturday morning, tickets sold out in early January. For those fortunate enough to have a golden ticket, HOME had prepared three screenings of T2 in Cinema 1, 2, and 3- with Boyle’s post-film discussion taking place in Theatre 1. Taking my place in Cinema 3 at roughly 7:35pm, the film promptly started. Startled at this swiftness, its opening music distorted my surroundings. Thankfully, the projectionist had been a wee bit trigger happy and prematurely pressed the start button. As the lights signalled my return to normality, I returned to my state of anticipation… Walking out of the cinema overjoyed at the film ‘‘not being shite’’, as Boyle later suggested, I rushed to the toilets. My consumption of that beer had been a novice error and for half the screening I had contemplated relieving my bladder of its discomfort. The sobriety and poignancy of T2 pinned me to my seat. Fortunately, HOME’s toilets were up to HSE’s standards, unlike those that Renton encounters in Trainspotting. I had not missed the start of the Q&A and to my relief I was greeted with Blondie’s ‘Atomic’ on Theatre 1’s sound system. As the music cut out, it was time for the pièce de résistance of the evening. Walking out onto the stage’s spotlight, Boyle looked delighted at audience’s thunderous applause. As Jason Wood calmly took his seat an early announcement was made: ‘‘Any jokes or questions that you see that were on the Graham Norton Show are purely incidental’’. After this, Wood asked the big question on everyone’s lips, ‘‘How much trepidation was there on your part?’’. Describing that a script had previously been created by John Hodge — the man
who adapted Irvine Welsh’s Porno which is set ten years after Trainspotting — Boyle suggested that the script fell through due to the original ‘’passing into the consciousness of people’’ and wanting to do the characters justice. It was not until 18 months ago at a workshop in Edinburgh that Hodge ended up writing “something much more personal”. It was after the completion of this script that Boyle sent the work out to McGregor et al. “I knew it was about something and when it is about something it’s everything’’. Logically, the script takes place 20 years after the events of the first film “so when Renton stands there and says I’m 46 and fucked that’s John who’s 54 and fucked. That’s where it came out from’’. The “logistics of getting all these people together’’ was moderately simple, as a result of Hodge’s powerful script and the original’s “power in attracting them back’’. Due to Jonny Lee Miller’s contractual obligations on Elementary and Robert Carlyle’s commitments to Once Upon a Time, the crew were only able to shoot in the Scottish summer months. “It was fine because it is about something — the script — you just know you are gonna do it’’ Boyle declared. Naturally, Boyle expected his cast to ‘‘tiptoe back into it’’. To his surprise, Miller and Carlyle were ‘‘blazing straight away’. ‘‘I knew then, and the crew knew, that we needed to raise our game as they are now much more experienced actors than they were the first time’’. The 60-yearold constantly referenced the ‘’blazing attitude’’ of his actors and the whole team. This attitude can be felt from the first scene to the last and clearly benefits the actors emotive performances. Interweaving the past into the present, the film’s editing was essential in creating T2’s poignant melancholy. To him ‘‘the really creative bit in this was the editing’’. Editor Jon Harris and Boyle treated the original like ‘‘an artefact’’ and wanted to open a direct conversation between the two films. ‘‘It was really fascinating as I had never done anything like that before’’. Alongside the iconic shots of the previous film, the music of the past also helps to echo and distort the present. Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ and ‘Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life (The Prodigy Remix)’ rarely get going at full throttle, yet, when they do, they intensify Anthony Dod Mantle’s cinematography. A clever technique from a visionary director and his crew, these sounds suggest that the past can never truly be experienced again by Renton, Spud and all the rest. Similarly, in scenes such as the one featuring Renton’s mother’s shadow the ghosts of the past are felt more literally. Boyle alluded towards the imprint of the past upon the present and its Proustian loops. “[Renton]
has to live with that and try and find some atonement’’. ‘‘It does look at change in a very physical sense’’, Wood later observed, and these fragmented songs and shadowy visuals represent humanities’ worrisome mortality. Revisiting the locations of Trainspotting ‘‘was a smart way of referencing’’ in Wood’s eyes. Boyle revealed that one minute of the original had been embedded in editing. This duration felt ‘‘weird’’ to the director as the ‘‘muscle memory’’ of the previous film is now embedded into audience’s minds. Even I was shocked at this fact. Still, these moments take on a whole different meaning with the decay of time. Broadly speaking, a sequel can be burdened by the silhouette of the original that deprives the follow-up of individuality. “T2 is much more set in the present and that enables you to make some really smart observations. The reason I like this film — as I told you in the wings — is because it is its own film’’. Wood’s astute examination is a near perfect reflection on T2. Although the editing, music and other cinematic components pay respect to Trainspotting, the nostalgia of the original does not affect any of T2 but adds a deeper layer of nuance. As the dialogue between Wood and Boyle transitioned to the audience, one member in particular referenced the director’s visual style in using multiple formats for shooting. “There is a real mixed bag there, there’s CCTV footage, mobile phone, film, digital go-pros. And you mix them all up, even in scenes where you might not think you would’’. Replying: “I think that is a modern audience that will take that, I think nobody is interested in the absolute purity of the visual expression anymore’’. Instead of capturing the “aesthetic” of these images, Boyle suggests that he shoots scenes to capture their tangible energy. At this point, the audience and I recognised that we were in the presence of a director who is still able to push the boundaries of film. After further intelligent audience questions it was inevitable for Boyle to receive a deafening ovation. Walking out into the cold Manchester evening, what was absolute, unlike the weather, was that I had witnessed a director who embraced the spirit of celluloid. Wood explained that on HOME’s opening weekend Boyle solidified the philosophy of this great place: “Culture is our life blood, it runs through all of us and we should all celebrate it and have access to it.’’ After their busiest ever day with sellout screenings after sell-out screenings, I personally could not think of a better way to conclude them than with a director who understands not only cinema, but wider culture and life.
Split
Split is a messy patchwork of horror tropes, poor characterisations and dissatisfying plot Eliza Slawther Head Film Editor Perhaps I was naïve to think that yet another psychological horror film could possibly avoid cheap, flat representations of mental health, but I did have high hopes for Split. I thought, at worst, that it would portray the mentally ill in a poor light, using the sickness and misfortune of others for entertainment — something which I decided is a whole separate ethical debate — but accepted this as a general problem when making any film about a psychiatric patient. Split had far more flaws than its portrayal of Dissociative Identity Disorder, however. There were points of the film which were very promising, and James McAvoy succeeded in every personality he portrayed. If anything, he was the glue that held Split together. Other parts were messy, inconsistent and downright bizarre. (Please note that this review contains significant spoilers from here onwards). Split was problematic from the offset, with the three girls who were kidnapped falling all too heavily into infuriating stereotypes. The popular, pretty girls were dressed provocatively and sexualised. The other girl (and, ultimately, the survivor) was an outcast, quiet and strange, considered to be a bit weird by the others. This set-up felt like the start to any low-budget, poorly-written slasher film. Was it really necessary? No. Plus, Casey (the aforementioned outcast) came across as infuriatingly slow and pathetic rather than deep and intelligent. A scene at the very beginning where she remains silent after noticing an intruder in the car, before attempting to escape in a painstaking, slo-mo shot of her grabbing the handle of the car door summarises how boring both her character and some of the scenes in the film were. Possibly my main qualm with Split was its deviation from being a psychological thriller to a paranormal one. There was something genuinely interesting and very human in McAvoy’s depiction of the varying personalities. It was actually quite insightful and began to pose questions about representation for people who suffer from DID in the medical and scientific world. For some reason, Shyamalan decided to completely deviate from this, turning Kevin (the patient) into a literal beast with superhuman powers. In the end, he was climbing up the walls, veins protruding from his torso, and Casey was unsuccessfully shooting at him from inside a cage. It felt like a horror parody, like a B-side that had used every trope and stereotype imaginable. Perhaps I missed some crucial element to the film but it for some reason ended in a zoo, where Casey’s (rapist) Uncle had come to collect her. This twist meant that the film ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. We know he is a rapist because throughout the film Casey experiences flashbacks to her childhood, a film technique that has not at all been overused. Aside from the clumsy use of flashback, rape is actually a horrible thing to happen to someone, especially from a trusted family member, and it was borderline disrespectful that Shylamalan had used it in order to create one final twist. I’m not saying that it couldn’t have been used as a sub-plot at all, it was just very poorly done. Despite the multiple, major issues I have with Split, it did have a huge amount of potential. Hedwig and Miss Patricia were characters (or different personalities living within Kevin’s body) who showed how one person can seem so completely different just due to their identity and mannerisms. Perhaps a film which showed the conflict between each personality due to the entrapment of the girls would have been better, rather than a film which ended with a flesh-eating monster and a loner girl who escaped.
2/5
Photo:Weinstein Company
Photo: Chris Payne
Photo: Blumhouse Productions
Books
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Review
Manchester poets come an incredible third place in national UniSlam contest Kayleigh Hicks reviews the events of UniSlam 2017, where Manchester’s poets performed a piece about art dying and, ironically, were penalised for going over the time limit
As some of you may know from the team’s relentless posting on every social media website, on the 29th and 30th of January, the University of Manchester entered a student team (Roma Havers, Damani Dennisur, Alle Bloom, Liv Barnes and myself) into a national poetry championship called Uni-Slam. It was held in DeMontfort University and after taking several photos of graffitied walls to put on our Instagram, we went in to register. After a few workshops and an underwhelming lunch from Spar, it was time for our preliminaries. After four performances each from UCL, Leicester, Dublin, and Manchester, it was announced that both the latter teams were through. We spoke to Dublin, and naturally they wanted to go for a pint, on a Sunday, in Leicester. We eventually found a small, quiet pub full of regulars who just wanted a quiet night out, and screamed over their small talk. Obviously, we were asked to leave. Alle, only had to smell the cider and hear an Irish accent and she was inebriated, which was fun as we had another hour of preliminaries to watch. The other team from Manchester named Salford Speaks were performing against Goldsmiths, Sheffield, and Loughborough. Despite Salford not making it through, it was clear to see that they made an impression on both the audience and the judges. The semi-finals were at the Curve Theatre. We had a few drinks the night before, so our rehearsals were nicely accompanied by the sound of Damani dry heaving. For this half of the Semi-Finals, we were up against Exeter, Leeds, Glasgow, and Sheffield. Before our performances, I could not help but feel sick with nerves. None of our performances were similar to the groups that went before. However, when Damani stepped on stage, he performed it completely differently anything we have ever witnessed him do. I don’t know if it was the threat of blowing chunks all over the judges or whether something was put in his drink, but Damani completely brought something new to his performance which was well needed.
Roma and Alle followed with a poem about being sisters separated due to university, which again gave a nice contrast. Liv Barnes (as seen on the BBC) performed a new poem about having walls up in a relationship, but with a twist: the character puts up walls to hide the fact that they are not a good person, at all. To finish our round, Roma performed ‘You Smell Different’ — a plea for a friend to be honest about the suffocation and abuse they suffer from in their home life. A standout performance in the whole competition came from Sheffield — a deeply ironic piece about the best piece of poetry ever created, reminiscent of Tenacious D’s ‘Tribute’. It brought out my witch laugh, which isn’t a good thing, but a compliment regardless. We finished in first place in the Semi-Finals, with Exeter coming in second. The other Semi-Finals saw two teams get through. Birmingham, who combined comedic poetry with interesting messages, and added performance elements such as beginning with their backs facing to the audience. And Goldsmiths, a group of five incredibly accomplished poets, did what they do best, performing incredibly high quality poetry to the audience. The finals were at seven, and by then I had been thoroughly drained by the colander of poetry. In the final, we had Damani’s ‘Mr Pissed at Politics’ which our team has been reciting for the past few days, Roma’s ‘Blood in the Water’, a hard-hitting middle finger to distant family members, and Liv’s ‘Pubs’, in which we re-arranged the microphones to look like a bar that she stood behind. (It does not count as a prop! We were given five mic stands, nobody told us what we could and could not do with them!) We finished off with ‘Art is Dead’ a piece featuring the whole team. It was intended to be three minutes and we finished at around the fourminute mark. We each embodied a character, I was the person who banned art, Roma was a covert rebel, Alle was a political protester, Damani was an art addict and Liv police enforcement. At the end of the day, whether we went over time or not does not matter. We had come to Uni-Slam
with the message that slam poetry is a space for variety and exploration of the form. We did not come to Uni-Slam as winners, and I’ve never been in a competition, so the fact that we did not win does not mean a pig’s ear to me. We showed everyone how Madchester does it, and we did what we wanted to do. The rules of Uni-Slam state that the time limit is three minutes with a ten second grace period, and looking back, I would not have cut anyone’s part of the group poem to fit inside that criteria. It is difficult to mark the subjectivity of poetry, so it is best to do what the fuck you want and hope people enjoy it. The end scores were: Spirit of the Slam – Dublin 4th – Exeter 3rd – Manchester 2nd – Birmingham
1st – Goldsmiths Goldsmiths were incredible, and worthy winners. They featured poets Laurie Ogden (whose final poem we’re still shaken from), Tommy Sisson (award-winning international wordsmith), Sara Hirsch (2014 Hammer & Tongue finalist) and Jack Emsden, who has no Facebook page for his poetry so I can’t steal his bio from there. However, I can say that he has a cracking poem about a TV show regarding Pigeons — both unique and entertaining. If you’re feeling gutted that you missed such a great weekend of poetry, fear not! The teams from Manchester and Salford are running a night at 256 Bar, Fallowfield, at 7pm on the 17th of February in order to showcase all the pieces performed in the slam.
Photo: Alle Bloom
Feature
Hardy’s Well: a surface level re-reading
Elliott Mills Books Contributor
Have you ever seen those upbeat words on the outside of that closed down pub just before curry mile? Now and then it catches my eye, and the rundown building turns into a kind of poetry. Only once have I entered Hardy’s Well. It was not a haunt of mine. But, having had a meal with my parents who were visiting, and walking back to Fallowfield, I thought that we ‘waterless wonderers’ might as well. On entry, the first thing the three of us noticed was that the amount of people inside the pub had just increased by four hundred percent. This place did not seem like the ‘wonderous world’ of which its eponymous poem spoke. I looked through to the back of the vast room where there was a table on which stood speakers and children’s toy disco lights. It was unattended, but cheery pop music played. I looked to my right as we approached the bar and saw that in lieu of decoration a dying plant lay draped over the edge of its flower pot. Oh well, I thought, despite the air of discordance created by the clash of happy music and symbols of mortality, at least we would be able to get a drink ‘whereafter waves of wonderment will
wash all weakness.’ I had interpreted this line from the poem on the outer wall of the pub to mean that you can get pints inside, so we got some pints. Or at least we tried to get some pints, only for the girl behind the bar, lonesome as a seafarer in the middle of this empty ocean, to tell us that the pumps were not connected to any beer. The message on the surface of the outer wall of the pub was beginning to appear more and more distant to the internal reality. Briefly we drank from bottles, for they had bottles, before deciding we should escape the scene. My dad said that this was the sort of place where you might return to the site the next day only to have an older local tell you the pub had burnt down seventy years ago. That seemed about right. It seemed not to be anyone’s haunt at present, but haunted by those from an age gone by. As we left Hardy’s Well, Lemn Sissay’s poem, from presumably simple uplifting and sincere intentions, had reached an almost deafening pitch of situational irony. The words ‘why wait’ were once intended to encourage you to come on in, whereas in our experience they might more readily have been a suggestion to leave swiftly.
And now this dichotomy is even more extreme. With Hardy’s Well boarded up, the once cheerful poem of goodwill seems to take on the tone of the loveable friend who always tries to put a positive spin on things, even when it seems overly romantic to do so. But perhaps this chirpy message on the surface of Hardy’s Well was only ever doing an impression of joyfulness. Maybe it was merely putting on a brave face. For life is not all ‘wonderment’. Even that word itself appears too gregarious, too ostentatious, too consolatory to be a consolation. It wants us to read it as a feeling of awe, but instead becomes a hybrid utterance. When we are faced with unequivocal happiness, such as this word wears on its outer layer, we begin to doubt whether things are really that perfect on the inside, we begin to wonder… is everything alright? Lemn Sissay reacted despairingly on learning of the proposed demolition of Hardy’s Well. Though Sissay — and this is where he and I differ — sees the poem and the building as separate entities, as he has suggested the words might be transferred to a different building in Manchester. ‘The building may be condemned but the poem is not!’ he says.
Yet, in my view, the poem becomes something more interesting precisely because of its placement. Form here does not just influence content but constitutes it. The joyful words are literally superficial, surface level, as thin as a layer of paint. The three dimensional thematic network then arises out of the tired, abandoned, and potentially soon to be demolished building that draw the words into dynamic conflict. I want neither the building nor the words to be condemned. But it is only in this suspended position of soon-to-be-condemned that the poetic scene has finally reached its most provocative dramatic state. The brave smile is fading but still stands; it has not fallen from the face of Hardy’s Well, yet is doomed to fall. The poem announces that the pub is ‘a world which will waken the wilting wallpaper of work and worry.’ But those evenings at any pub, where one can forget the stress of work, are forever soonto-be-condemned by their own ephemerality. The smiles and laughs as the third round is bought are always poised on a knife-edge. The end of the evening will eventually come. The building and the words will be destroyed. We will all have to return to work and worry. But not quite yet.
Food & Drink
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Bundobust Jenny Sterne Editor in Chief
Photo: Bundobust
The Manchester branch of Bundobust finally opened their doors at the end of 2016, proof that the year could produce some positives. Bundobust first opened in Leeds, a collaboration between two award-winning establishments: the restaurant Prashad, a finalist in Gordan Ramsay’s Great British Restaurant series, and The Sparrow, named by The Guardian as one of the UK’s top Craft Beer Bars. They have quite a legacy to follow, but seem to be doing so effortlessly. Finding this new Indian street food and craft beer bar off Piccadilly gardens was a bit of a task, with scaffolding surrounding the entrance and stairs down to its basement home — but it was well worth the few minutes it took to realise we were standing in front of it. Once able to make my way down the stairs, I was greeted with a mess hall-styled restaurant, its décor dominated by exposed brick, bright signs, and a wonderful skylight offering a view of the rain-speckled typically Manchester scene of old brick buildings with broken windows. At three o’clock on a Saturday afternoon the
place was bustling, the energy of the upbeat music and our lively dining partners creating a contagiously enjoyable atmosphere. After deciding to sit at one of the long shared dining tables — if you are looking for an intimate meal then perhaps look elsewhere — we began to look through the extensive and entirely vegetarian menu. If you are an ardent meat eater I would advise against letting this aspect put you off, especially due to the very student-friendly prices on offer. While we waited for our food we ordered a beer snack of popcorn and mini poppadums drizzled with green chilli and garlic oil, just one example of how Bundobust can transform simple dishes — it is not often popcorn gets a mention in a food review. One of the standout things about this restaurant is the focus they place on their drink as well as food. The house Indian witbier ‘Bombay Dazzler’ was the perfect accompaniment to our food. Brewed with coriander, ginger and cardamom, it was a highlight of the meal. Our five small dishes of Indian street food
were presented to us in disposable paper bowels, and we quickly got stuck in. The dishes included punjabi kadhi, a warm yoghurt soup with bhaji dumplings; paneer and mushroom tikka served with a red pepper ketchup and spinach chutney; and one of the specials, pav bhaji, a deconstructed bhaji with brioche buns, all equally delicious and original, unlike any other Indian food I had ever eaten before. A cold Bundo Chaat, a mixture of samosa pastry, chickpeas, chutney, turmeric noodles and yoghurt, complemented the spicier dishes perfectly, a nice alternative to simply ordering your average yoghurt dip.
the best dish of the meal has to be the okra fries, described confusingly (perhaps just for me) on the menu as ‘fried lady’s fingers’ — tip: they do not mean the cake part of tiramisu. Coated in chickpea batter and seasoned with black pepper and mango powder, this wonderfully flavoursome side-dish was the perfect alternative to your average side of fries, yet another example of how Bundobust manage to turn a modest dish into something you can print on a T-shirt — yes, they actually print okra fries T-shirts. When a restaurant is able to sell T-shirts with one of their dishes printed on, you know they are probably doing something right.
‘One of the stand-out things about this restaurant is the focus they place on their drink as well as food’ But I have to admit, despite the wonderful reprieve this dish gave to my delicate taste-buds,
61 Picadilly Manchester, M1 2AQ
Tariff and Dale I have a strong opinion on Northern Quarter bars and eateries, I think that some of them try to do both things but don’t quite manage to do either well enough. I could reel off a list of times I’ve been disappointed with texture-less tacos and flavourless burgers in an underwhelming environment. So, when I had a foodie friend recommend Tariff and Dale to me, I was interested to see whether, finally, somewhere had got it right. On arrival, the bar looked much like all the others, shabby, lots of exposed brick, and, semi-comfy looking seats. We were ushered downstairs by a trendy waitress and were met with a fairly empty restaurant, possibly due to their January food deals just having expired. However, we didn’t let this put us off as we slid onto the leather benches and made ourselves comfortable. We settled in easily and the two of us spread ourselves across a table that could have been filled by four. The drinks were priced similarly to the rest of the Northern Quarter, so we had neither a shock nor a surprise when we ordered a glass of Spanish sauvignon and a pint of ‘Outstanding 4’ lager. When they arrived, we took large deserved gulps like we had been undertaking dry January, which by the way, we certainly had not. Tariff and Dale’s food menu is something that needs a fairamount of time to be fully explored. Its offerings range from classic English dishes under the heading ‘Antipasti’, a sprinkling of Asian options, and, of course, Italian pizza. Despite my guest and I both being appalling at making decisions, we managed to decide on two starters and two mains, oh, and, some
artisan bread. The bread came accompanied with a harsh but pleasant balsamic vinegar and a luxuriously thick olive oil, we dipped and tore to our hearts’ content. Simultaneously, our two starters were brought out and the strange menu options looked even more so when paired together in front of us. On one side of the table we had a rustic lamb and rosemary sausage roll, and on the other, a Thai squid salad. I started by taking a piece of lightly battered squid in my fingers and biting into it, feeling nervous that it may be chewy and inedible. However, in contrast, I was met with the purest perfection. I had never tasted squid cooked so well, even on the shores of Italy and Spain, and I immediately knew I needed to compliment the chef. Underneath the generous portion of beautiful squid, lay rice noodles mixed with strips of carrot and chilli, and large leaves of fresh coriander. After being so blown away by the hit Thai starter, I wasn’t sure I wanted to move on but the flaky pastry of the sausage roll was rather tempting. The strong deep flavour of the lamb meat was classically paired with rosemary — in my mind a winning combination — and the pastry that encased this marriage was excellently golden and buttery. We reluctantly shared the slices and fought over the spicy burnt onion ketchup that was spread on the plate.
Miriam Mizzi Co-Editor sheer love for the combination, we powered on for as long as possible. Our second pizza was topped with mushrooms, truffle oil, and, our added extra of sun blushed tomatoes. The result was, again, outstanding. The mushrooms gave us the earthy flavour we had ordered this pizza for, but the bursting pockets of tomato gave a freshness that took our mouthfuls to a whole new level. We struggled to finish, despite being completely in love with this new pizza heaven we had found, but it just meant we could take some home in cardboard boxes to fight over the next day.
‘Tariff and Dale’s food menu is something that needs a fairamount of time to be fully explored’ Photo: Miriam Photo: MizziMiriam Mizzi
Photo: Miriam Mizzi
Once we had finished our starters, we wondered how we were going to attack the large pizzas that we knew were on their way. But, we felt relaxed, un-rushed, and comfortable in our seats and eagerly shazammed songs, such as ‘Up & Down’ by Urbs & Cutex, from the playlist that felt like it had been made personally for us. The music was not too loud though, like some of restaurants and bars that offensively blast out songs that nobody really wants to hear. Our pizzas arrived, and the look of them made our stomachs feel empty and ready to be filled again. The sourdough crusts looked hearty and the amount of gooey cheese and colourful toppings were plentiful. Our pancetta and brie choice was so indulgent we quickly felt our bellies bulging again, but due to
2 Tariff Street, Manchester, M1 2FF @miriammizzi @hungoverhabits
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Sorbet
A sorbet can be a challenge for even the most talented of student chefs. But trust me, try it for yourself and give it a go!
Lily Carden Food & Drink Co-Editor an impressive dessert for your date and/or friends but it’s a cheap one too. It takes about 12 hours in total but not much of that is active time Place your receptacle (a big Tupperware box or clean metal roasting pan) for the sorbet in the freezer a few hours in advance. Photo: Lily Carden
Ingredients 125ml water 125ml sugar Photo: Lily Carden
Method Place the water and sugar in a large, heavy based pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat once the syrup is clear. For the Lemon/Orange Sorbet: Finely zest 3 of the lemons/oranges and add the zest to the sugar syrup. Using a citrus squeezer, juice all 6 and add the juice to the sugar syrup.
Repeat this until it gets to the consistency of a slushy and then break the crystals up one last time. Hopefully, by now it’s almost set and you can just leave it until you want to serve it (no more timers required). The whole stirring process tends to take me about 4 hours.
For the Raspberry Sorbet: Allow the raspberries to defrost and then add them to the sugar mix, along with a squeeze of lemon juice. Blend until smooth using a stick blender, then strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Help it through by pressing the back of a spoon into it, discarding the seeds once you’ve finished.
Fruit to make 400ml liquid:
The reason for including this recipe in a freezing February issue and not a balmy summer one is that blood oranges are currently in season. They make wonderfully tart sorbets but can only be bought in January and February. I found mine at McAlls in Church Street Markets, just above the Arndale, at 3 for £1. As you only need three per tub, not only is it
6 lemons OR 3-5 blood oranges and 1/2 lemon OR 600g defrosted raspberries and 1/2 lemon
Allow both of the sorbets to cool and then transfer them to the tub that’s been stored in the freezer. Set a timer for 30 minutes and when it goes off, use a fork to stir it or a stick blender if you have one, making sure that you get into the corners and it all gets mixed up.
Photo: Lily Carden
@gorgeousgateaux
Spaghetti Carbonara
Lily Carden Food & Drink Co-Editor
Serves 2 Takes about 15 minutes to make
Ingredients 140g dried spaghetti 100g pancetta, diced 2 medium eggs 50g grated parmesan, plus more to finish Black pepper
This recipe is one for a dish that seems like it should be really easy to make but often isn’t. It’s pasta carbonara and I’ve made Theo Randall’s, Antonio Carluccio’s and countless other recipes before, all with varying degrees of success. Until I found a version of this one from BBC Good Food that is straightforward and tasty.
Method Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile cook the pancetta in a frying pan that is large enough to add the pasta to later. Beat the eggs and grated parmesan together in a bowl and season to taste (if the pancetta is salty then you won’t need salt, just lots of pepper, but do check first). Once the pasta and pancetta are cooked, add 3 tablespoons of the pasta water to the frying pan before draining the pasta and adding to the frying pan. Toss to combine and take off the heat. Pour the egg and cheese mix over the pasta and toss to coat. Leave the heat to cook the eggs for about 5 minutes, stirring often. You want the eggs to coat the pasta and thicken but not scramble. To that end you can return the pan to a very gentle heat if you need to, turning the pasta constantly, add more water if it seems very thick. Transfer to bowls and top with more parmesan and black pepper before eating.
Photo: Lily Carden
Arts
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Feature
And Now We Are Plastic
Photo: The University of Manchester’s Whitworth At Gallery
Whitworth Young Contemporaries: And Now We Are Plastic plays with the idea of our physical and digital worlds merging into one Laura Joyce Arts Editor
And Now We Are Plastic is the first exhibition at the Whitworth to be curated by young people. The show focuses on the modern world’s relationship with technology, and the youth’s dependence on it. This is a concept that appears to be at the centre of modern literature, TV and Film which sees the evolution of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and even augmented reality. With regard to the ever-changing technological environment with which we are faced, the Whitworth states, “As technology helps us to constantly evolve, the boundaries between our physical and digital spaces are blending, yet our ability to adapt and change remains visible in our art, marking the world we leave behind.” Whitworth Young Contemporaries are a group of
15-25 year olds who have the chance to collaborate with emerging artists to create exhibitions of their very own. This particular exhibition was produced using various items from the Whitworth’s collection of works, including textiles and sculpture, to aid the exploration of “consumerism, technology and the selfie”. The artwork within the exhibition explores a vast array of art across time. From early Egyptian textile, 18th century satire drawings, to 20th century works by Eduardo Paolozzi, Richard Hamilton, the first showing of experimental textile works by Georgina von Etzdorf, alongside contemporary artists such as Lynn Hershman Leeson, Laure Prouvost and Marc Quinn. The inclusion of the idea of society being ‘plastic’ refers to the idea that plastic comes in many different forms, some disposable and some in the form of necessities, and plastic can also be moulded and changed, just as society can be influenced by
Editor’s Picks
What’s on this Week? ARTIST ROOMS: Martin Creed At The Harris Museum and Art Gallery Until 3rd June 2017
This Turner Prize-winning artist brings some of his rare works to the Harris. Featuring sculpture, neon, painting, video and performance work, the exhibition includes several pieces on display outside London for the first time. Creed himself has said that his work is “50% about what I make and 50% about what other people make of it” — which sounds like a challenge to visitors if ever there was one.
Deanna Petherbridge At the Whitworth Art Gallery Until 4th June 2017 “A solo show of pen and ink drawings from across a 45year career.” Since the 1960s, Deanna Petherbridge has pioneered critical thinking on drawing and its place in art and architecture. This exhibition brings together over 40 works from across her career, including the Manchester Suite a collection of drawings made during her six-month residency at Manchester Art Gallery in 1982. Her studies of the city’s Victorian architecture during its first wave of regeneration in the 1980s led to a consideration of the resonance of history in cities, places and landscapes, a central theme of the exhibition.
its surroundings. Technology in particular has had a huge impact on every generation, whether they use technology or not. Its presence is constant, ever changing, and ever evolving — just as we are. This exhibition is certainly thought-provoking, even before seeing it, and so relevant to society today — particularly the youth of today. So many of us go from day to day with our heads in our phones that we miss the world going by. Are social media and TV taking over from the real world? We live in the age of selfies, where getting likes on Instagram is the highlight of our day. Does this just reflect society’s constant need for approval? Maybe it’s just a reflection of our basic human desire to fit in. But where does it end? Where will our obsession with technology lead us? It goes without saying that we will look forward to more of Whitworth Young Contemporaries’ forward-thinking in their future works.
Fancy getting involved? If you enjoy art, and would like to write
for the Arts section, join our Facebook group : Mancunion Arts Contributors 2016/2017. Come along to our weekly meetings in the Activities Space in the Students’ Union. at 4pm on Mondays.
Feature
David Hockney designs special edition logo for The Sun
Georgia Welch takes a look at David Hockney’s most recent work In a bizarre and unprecedented move, celebrated Yorkshire-hailing artist, David Hockney, has designed a logo for a special ‘oneoff’ edition of The Sun newspaper, which was displayed as the paper’s front page masthead in its February 3rd issue. The copy also featured an interview with Hockney, centred around his upcoming exhibition of unseen works at Tate Modern, opening this month. Having studied at the Royal College of Art in the early sixties, he produced a multitude of iconic works throughout that era, and Hockney is arguably one of the most seminal and well-known British pop artists of the 20th century. It is with this in mind that his decision to liaise and collaborate with The Sun, a tabloid newspaper characterised by its frequent xenophobic, homophobic and misogynistic remarks, comes as such a surprise. The logo itself, however, simply uses the same colour scheme and typeface as can always be seen in The Sun’s logo, but accompanied by a series of crudely-drawn sun rays in the upper-left corner. This has led to a great deal of speculation as to whether Hockney’s
contribution to the newspaper is all just a joke. The logo was allegedly drawn using an iPad, and when discussing his work Hockney was noted as saying: “Once I thought about the idea it didn’t take me long. The sun and The Sun. I love it.” It certainly isn’t one of his most
enigmatic or complex works, and whilst we may not be able to definitively comment on whether Hockney’s contribution was genuine or simply ‘trolling’ as some suggest, we can certainly hazard a guess that it may well be a case of the latter.
Photo: News International Newspapers
Theatre 25
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Review
Review
Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Review: Narvik
Photo: HOME MCR
Brogen Campbell Theatre Editor
Photo: Press shot
Rhiannon Symonds Contributor Mark Haddon’s immensely popular novel Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has received the perfect stage adaptation from Simon Stephens, and its West End success is absolutely justified by the touring production. The performance is an emotional rollercoaster; Stephens has excellently navigated the playful elements of Haddon’s writing, whilst not shying away from the obviously challenging storyline. Stephens himself believes the play has succeeded because the script is “faithful to Mark’s novel — and the novel is so brilliant”. Without question, Christopher Boone is a beloved character within fiction’s canon, and Scott Reid tells his story with a beautiful honesty. After all, Christopher doesn’t know how to lie. The technicality of the staging is incredible; just to look at the set upon entry to the theatre sets the perfect atmosphere. Featuring a cubed stage, lined with graph paper on every side, the set is the perfect first-look for the show. It’s carefully considered and a little bit alternative, just like the whole production. With touring shows, one issue that often occurs
is with sound levels, for example actors not being heard or music being too loud for comfort, but with Curious Incident, there is a different issue for the cast to contend with — rowdy school trips. The first instance of swearing, early into the production, causes ripples of giggles from the circles of schoolkids, forcing actors to strain to be heard. It’s a big disappointment, as the story isn’t lacking in comedy, but laughter often erupts at inappropriate times, at bad language or an exceptionally acted fit from Scott Reid. Reid’s portrayal of Christopher is so incredibly devoted that the laughter from above feels insulting, but Reid does not seem fazed, but rather interacts, with a puzzled expression to the audience. The childish honesty of Reid’s performance is so beautifully moving that by the second half, there was not a whisper from the theatre except for scripted gaffs and the occasional sniffle of tears. It’s impossible to praise Reid enough for this show, he interacts with his fellow cast members in such an open and sincere way that no heart stays shut to him. His onstage chemistry with Lucianne McEvoy brings Siobhan and Christopher’s relationship to life, and makes a profound statement about the importance of specialist teachers in society for those such as
Christopher. The comedic relief found in the inept headteacher Mrs Gascoyne is an excellent role for Eliza Collings, but truthfully said, as there is no sugar-coating the effect a bad teacher can have on a child who’s just a little different. The production is physically impressive too, a positive masterclass in incorporating physical theatre in place of pages of prop lists. The ensemble is slick, moving as one body where required and fading incredibly well into just being props. The whole cast is exceptionally talented and brings to life this intelligently conceived show. It must be said, while Christopher Boone is of course a mathematician first and foremost, Scott Reid must either be very good at learning lines, or a pretty good mathematician himself. For any theatre-goers who make the correct decision to see this show before it closes, it would be rude to give away spoilers, but it must be said — stay till the very end, as there’s one special, very impressive treat left. You can catch The Mancunion’s Deputy Editor Elise Gallagher interview Lucianne McEvoy and Sam Newton in the first Dressing Room Diaries of 2017! This episode and much more can be found here: youtube.com/user/uomfusetv
Review
NT Live: Amadeus Elise Gallagher Deputy Editor-in-chief
The evening of the 2nd of February saw me take my seat, not at the National Theatre, London, but a cinema seat in Manchester’s HOME. This was a screening of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, streamed live from London brought to us by NT Live. For those of you just as oblivious as I was when I first entered the screening, Amadeus is the story of Antonio Salieri (Lucian Msamati: Luther, Game of Thrones) a court composer and his journey with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the young prodigy (Adam Gillen) in the musical city of Vienna. Salieri grows engulfed in an obsessively jealous war between himself, God, and Mozart. Many have had mixed opinions on Adam Gillen’s portrayal of Mozart, indeed, at times his childlike spectacles did border on the extreme, however I think this was cleverly done. The play itself is through Salieri’s eyes: the narrative, the spectacles, the characters are all illustrated and animated through and from Salieri’s memory. As the narrative moves along, the level of obsession, jealousy, and bitterness escalate in Salieri’s mind, and thus Gillen’s portrayal of Mozart seems to be predominantly highlighted by exaggerated mannerisms, faecal fantasies and a gaping mouth — they are amplified by
Salieri’s hate. Only when Mozart plays does the audience see the talent, grace and majesty of what he produces. The audience are just as in awe of Mozart as Salieri is at that moment, which makes Salieri’s bitterness escalate tenfold. There is a scene towards the end of the first act which includes the Southbank Sinfonia being conducted by Gillen’s Mozart complete with opera singers and Msamati’s Salieri crestfallen, a mere mortal below them. That, and the monologue delivered by Msamati sum up, for me, what theatre is capable of. Having lived a virtuous life and laboured incredibly hard due to his promise to God, Salieri delivers a biting and ultimately devastating monologue in which he questions his position in history and his relationship and promise with God. Being the only person capable of hearing Mozart’s talent and potential, he says that God’s voice only says one name: Mozart. “Him you’ve chosen to be our sole conduct... And my only reward, my sublime privilege is to be the sole man alive, in this time, who can clearly recognise your incarnation!” Msamati shines. Even the name of the play, to add insult to injury, is the name of his great rival, despite Mozart not even being the main character.
This is an extract of the full review. To read the full article, please go to www.mancunion.com. Photo: Marc Brenner
Narvik is a play that features songs written by Lizzie Nunnery. The play revolves around the central character Jim Callaghan (played by Joe Shipman), a liverpudlian sailor who is reminiscing about his life during world war two, a man who sailed under the Royal Navy to liberate the Norwegian port of Narvik in April 1940. The play begins with Jim as a 90 year old man clearly coming to the end of his life, who falls and struggles to get back up all alone. The physicality by Shipman to showcase the pain and weariness of the 90 year old version of Jim is outstanding. Throughout the play the actors physicality was beautifully used to create haunting and memorable images. The story reminisces about Jim’s Norwegian sweetheart Else Dahl (played by Nina Yndis), who he meet before the war but keeps in mind throughout. The other major character is Kenny Atwood (played by Lucas Smith), who was Jim’s naval comrade and best friend during the war. All these memories are interwoven throughout the play along with recollections about his parents. All three actors and the three actor-musicians remain on stage at all times. The 90 minute play certainly packs a punch and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions as it revolves around love and war. The fact there is no interval means the audience are really drawn into the world of the characters, along with the exceptional acting of the three actors. Shipman carries the show and his seemingly effortless switch between child to man to old age continuously throughout the play is a pleasure to behold. Shipman has to be commended for his physical encapsulation of his character as with a simple body shift the audience were quickly transported to a different memory in a different time period. Smith was able to carry an easy charm and was the source of most laughs. This cheerful character clearly had a troubled past and Smith was able to showcase both aspects to keep the character from simply being one dimensional. Yndis had a mysterious nature, which resulted in a truly haunting end with the last physical pose leaving a truly unforgettable image. Music is integral to this play. The few songs, which I would classify as folk, are entwined into the play. They add to heighten the emotions that drive this play. Yet the music does not simply stop and start again. The musicians create a stream of music to accompany the acting, from creating the atmosphere of a naval boat wading across the sea to the upbeat nature of a drinking tavern. Melodies mysteriously appear and disappear seamlessly it is a testament to both the incredible talents of Lizzie Nunnery and the band (Vidar Norheim, Maz O’Connor, Joe Hirons). The seemingly effortless use of music definitely sets this play apart from others. The play explores the themes about what actions are acceptable during war and what can be forgiven and forgotten. Is the war real or is it simply an illusion before you get back to real life. The staging was simple yet extremely effective as the box shaped piping allowed for all cast members to weave around the set. There was no set changes. Different locations and time periods were instead highlighted by a simple light change. Yet this was not a drawback of the play. Instead the simplicity aloud the audience to be truly engrossed and not distracted as the play seamlessly moved though time and different locations. Director Hannah Tyrell-Pinder’s production for Box of Tricks is truly mesmerising. It is both chilling and haunting. There was more than a few tears flowing by the end of the performance. Narvik is at Home till the 4th of February as part of its national tour. Tickets can be found on the HOME website.
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
How to handle a breakup at university
Ella Kashti Lifestyle Contributor
Photo: randar @Flickr
Let’s face it — there is no right way to handle a breakup. Everyone who’s been through it has tried a different route and, hopefully, everyone reaches the same end point; happiness without them. That’s not to say the road there isn’t long and winding, with many a bump and the occasional
pothole. We all wish there was a useful 10-step guide readily available that we could find after a quick Google search of ‘how to get over someone,’ but life doesn’t work like that. Unfortunately, I’ve found out the hard way — for me — there is no quick fix or ultimate solution.
Feel the love in Manchester this Valentine’s Day
Megan Byrne Senior Lifestyle Contributor
Whether you’re all loved up or loving being single this Valentine’s Day, there is a multitude of things to do in our city. You can choose to fully embrace all the cheesy cliches, hearts and confetti of the season or opt for events which provide an alternative. 1. Power Ballad Disco at AATMA — Friday 10th February from 11pm (£6) The perfect opportunity to purge yourself of all of your heartbreak by singing/screaming along to the likes of Cher, Aerosmith, Whitney and Mariah. This is touted by the organisers as the ‘the most depressing night of your life’ but if you love a good cheesy ballad and a laugh, this could be your perfect night out. 2. Moonrise Kingdom at Victoria Baths — Friday 11th February (£10.50) Wes Anderson’s sweet kitschy film about two children who fall in love and run away on a small New England island is the perfect choice for a screening in a swimming pool where you can cosy up in in deck chairs (make sure to dress warm — it gets chilly!). Lose yourself in Anderson’s gorgeous cinematography and enjoy snacks from the street food vendors. 3. Fletcher Moss Botanical Gardens, Didsbury — Open every day from dawn till dusk, free entry If Christmas has left your budget a bit tight for Valentine’s Day celebrations why not go for a romantic stroll around one of the prettiest parks the city has to offer. Just a quick trip on a Magic Bus will get you to Fletcher Moss where you can enjoy the unusual and exotic plants and escape the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon. If you get too chilly there’s always The Alpine Tea Room where you can grab a warm drink and bite to eat with your beau. 4. Student Action Homeless Projects: Street Support — Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday 5.45 – 8.30pm If you really want to spread the love, why not eschew the usual activities and do something to give back to the community? Street Support is a mobile soup kitchen which provides food, hot drinks, clothes, and information for people living on the streets of Manchester. The project is run by the Student Action Homeless Projects which is based on the first floor of the Students’ Union in the Student Activities Office. If you want to find out more about volunteering opportunities with the university check out the volunteering website.
Nothing riles me more than those who believe there is a ‘right’ way to handle a breakup. Classics include not talking to your ex at all, as well as the mass deletion of all photos, texts, and their number, pretending that you haven’t actually broken up at all, thinking going on loads of dates as soon as possible is the answer, and wallowing with food and TV for days crying over your life because you think it won’t ever be as good again. Regardless, none of them are ‘right’. It’s all completely subjective. It’s ludicrous to think that one person’s experience that worked a dream for them will be your saving grace, because you’re not them, and their relationship wasn’t yours. To suggest cutting them off entirely is not always the correct thing to do. You have to do what feels natural to you; if you feel like you’ll move on better and more quickly without any trace of them in your life, then go ahead and erase every trace of them from your phone, social media, etc. You’ll know what makes you happy in the moment, and seeing as you’ll find peace eventually, any hour of escape from the heartache you’re enduring is surely worthwhile. My second piece of advice is to find those who understand, listen, and support you and your way of doing things. Those who criticise you have chosen the wrong time, and they’re useless in these circumstances. When you’re facing
something so personal, no one understands. The world understands heartache, yes, but not yours personally. So don’t try and tell someone they can do better, or that he or she is not worth it. Just listen — that’s all they really need. Lastly, and I know it’s a cliché to say this, but have patience. Breakups are weird. Turning up to a party and seeing your old best friend and exlove-of-your-life pretending like they don’t know you is like bumping into your mum in town and pretending you’ve just met. It’s alien. Whilst you may be totally comfortable, your ex may still be a bit emotional or upset and incapable of being fine with you yet. So let them. Their issue is with themselves, not you. More than that, emotions will change drastically after a breakup for many days, weeks, or months to come. Whilst you may start out in denial, thinking “they have every right to dump me, they didn’t do anything wrong!”, it usually won’t take long for feelings to dwindle and reality to show itself. Love is blind, and nothing truer has ever been said. So accept the change in emotion wherever it flows, and this is where those understanding, accepting friends will prove themselves. If anything, trust me when I say that you will get there. Take your time, be yourself, and work it out as you go along. There’s no rush, and no pressure. You will get there.
Sticking to New Year’s resolutions Struggling to keep your New Year’s resolutions going now that February has started? We’ve got some advice on how to achieve your goals
Rachel Adams Head Lifestyle Editor
Photo: dailymotivation @Flickr
We’ve all been there — the goals that you drunkenly set on the 31st of December for the year ahead suddenly seem impossible to achieve as soon as January’s over. One of the biggest challenges facing us when we make these resolutions is how to keep them going throughout February and the rest of the year. Like any habit that we want to establish, the most important thing to remember is why we want to keep our resolutions in the first place. Is it to improve our everyday life? To help others? To improve our productivity? Keeping that reason, whatever it is, in your mind when you think about your resolutions will help to refocus your mind and make you more determined to keep them going throughout the year. If going to the gym is your resolution, you might find that your eagerness to see results means that you get disheartened when you don’t have the body you want by the 31st of
January. Bear in mind that you’re unlikely to see results straight away — in fact, it might take a couple of months for you to start seeing progress. One of the best ways to keep your gym resolution is to find someone to go with — you can both encourage each other, and give each other motivation when it’s needed. If you’re determined to stay organised this year, buying some new stationary could help make it easier for you to stay on top of deadlines. A diary or daily planner would help to keep everything organised by day, week, or month depending on your preference. Different coloured pens and highlighters could help to make important deadlines stand out and help you keep things organised. If giving up alcohol or nights out form part of your resolution, try to surround yourself with like-minded people, or friends who are going to help you stick to it. Giving up alcohol doesn’t mean that you have to stay in every night —
Manchester has loads of activities that don’t involve alcohol, such as The Escape Room on Chapel Street, or Black Dog Ballroom for bowling in the Northern Quarter. Speaking of the Northern Quarter, why not try out some of their independent cafés and restaurants? They cater for all different tastes at reasonable prices. Ultimately, sticking to New Year’s resolutions is something that has to come from you. If you’re feeling like your goals are unrealistic, why not change them? There’s nothing that says that you’re not allowed to change your resolutions throughout the year if you feel like they’re not working for you. At the same time, it’s more than ok to drop a resolution if working towards it is making you unhappy. Set realistic goals that you think you can achieve within a realistic timeframe, and you shouldn’t have any problems sticking to your New Year’s resolutions the whole year round.
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Get away for a weekend
Feeling blue about being stuck in Manchester? Why not book yourself a weekend away; here’s some tips on how to make it as cheap as possible Jack Greeney Lifestyle Contributor As your average perennially penniless student, I’m no stranger to grand dreams of a weekend away in far-flung lands being crushed by the reality of a bank balance. The summer after my second year, however, when I travelled abroad sans parents for the first time, I discovered that hope is by no means at all lost. In fact, I now firmly believe that great travels can be had by anyone, even with the tiniest of budgets. It doesn’t come without a little effort or extra open-mindedness in searching, though. Usually the most effective way to shrink the price involves a little bit of planning beforehand. Don’t get the wrong idea, you don’t have to turn your weekend away into an authoritarian regime, unless January 20th got the US on your itinerary. All it means is that when you start out, you should aim to be flexible about everything you do and measure up your priorities against your
budget every step of the way. The very best deals on transport in summertime always come with planning and booking early on in the year. Luckily for you it’s barely February, so I’d recommend getting to it right away if you plan on leaving as much left over in your piggy bank as possible. Exams are over and uni is as light as it’s going to get from here on out, so make use of what little extra free time you have now and you won’t regret it. Flights skyrocket in price after school terms end in July, so get in there sooner while you’re free. Exams end June 9th, so give yourself a few weeks to celebrate then get out there and see the world. Aside from this, the most important factors of your weekend away that can be bent to trim costs are your travelling origins and destinations. Naturally, different places abroad are cheaper to get to from different airports in the UK. Plan to stick around after your exams and search cheap flights from Manchester and Liv-
Photo: tina-koyama@Flickr
Photo: PMillera4 @Flickr
Photo: skyscanner.net
erpool airports. Stay flexible and keep your eyes peeled: Leeds sees the occasional good deal too, as does Newcastle, and if you’re willing to book a Megabus to London, Stansted Airport always has plenty of budget flights. Getting out of the UK can be an expensive affair from many places, so look a little wider and you’ll get results. To find out exactly how to escape Britain as inexpensively as possible, I recommend Skyscanner. Rather than specific destinations, the search fields allow you to search for travel from all of one country’s airports to another’s. The ‘Everywhere’ feature works well too, allowing you to search for the cheapest flights from anywhere to, well, everywhere. Nonspecific searches allow you to quickly and easily find the best
options, dates, and times, to string together a plan of how you’re going to get to and from every destination on your list. It could even open your eyes to a new destination entirely! Squashing down flight costs and surrounding expenses is a crucial factor in ensuring the whole trip is as cheap as possible. I suggest entering into it with a mind open to all possibilities, and taking some time to search around online for which airports appear cheapest to fly from and to, in any given countries. This will help you come up with a concrete framework of flights on which to base your trip around. Get going with it all now, while everything’s still as cheap as it’s going to be. After you’ve got all that bother sorted is when the real fun starts. Good luck!
Valentine’s Day for singles Single this Valentine’s Day? Not to worry, we’ve got a list of reasons why you should embrace the single life, and why it’s not all doom and gloom
Nicole Oloo Lifestyle Contributor It’s that time of year again – the 14th of February has rolled around and you find yourself once again with no sweetheart to cuddle with, no cute dinner to take a picture of, apply a filter to, and post on Instagram, and no risque snaps to send. There’s no denying that Valentine’s Day could be a complete bummer, but it’s 2017, and having no significant other to play out pretentious romantic movie scenes with is no problem. Especially when you have these 4 things to look forward to… Watch chick flicks with no remorse: For as long as I can remember, the only time it’s ever been completely socially acceptable for you to sit down with a tub of Ben and Jerry’s and a Netflix lineup of soppy romance movies is after a bad break up. Frankly, I resent that! You’re meant to aw and laugh at these movies, not watch them for consolation when someone insignificant has made you feel
unworthy. Hopefully, spending this Valentine’s being single won’t mean feeling lonely or heartbroken. Here’s hoping that this year you can watch 10 Things I Hate About You without comparing your lacklustre ex to the amazing Heath Ledger. Just enjoy your choice of romcoms and allow them to give you all the feels. Show yourself some love: I get it, Valentine’s is all about romantic love, but there are many types of love. I propose that, this February, you show yourself some love. Pop into Zara or New Look and get a cute outfit for yourself, get fragrant bath bombs from Lush, and take a long soak with your favourite Spotify playlist. Or, just spoil yourself and get the pedicure you’ve desperately wanted since last year. When you show yourself love, you open the door to more love coming your way. Instead of obsessing over being single this V day, you get to love yourself and that for sure will attract people to you. #NoEffort: Yes, the Facebook posts are cute, and sure, eating by candlelight is an amazing way to dine, but Valentine’s Day is
honestly a whole lot of effort for just one night! Think about it – there’s the dieting for the two weeks prior to the 14th to look cute in your dinner dress, the saving up to buy an adorable gift plus the time it takes you to brainstorm, the ridiculously expensive dinner that honestly neither of you can afford. Being single this Valentine’s means that you can just be free of all of that, and focus on doing things you genuinely enjoy. You get to eat with no guilt and still have money at the end of the month which you can put towards travelling in the summer, or buying festival passes. Cheap chocolate and flowers: This one is pretty simple. Valentine’s Day is an awesome opportunity to get beautiful flowers to brighten up your flat or room. The weather may still be gloomy, but at least you’ll have some aspect of spring to look forward to. As for the chocolates, think of this as an incredible sweet tooth investment. Go on, treat yourself! You deserve it.
Photo: cause.perdue @Flickr
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Respect our referees
Photo: James Savage @Flickr
George Green makes the case for less criticism of officials and more updates to decision making Criticism of referees in the Premier League has reached new heights, with hard-core fans becoming increasingly less forgiving of controversial decisions. Earlier this year, experienced top-flight referee Mike Dean was demoted to the Championship. He came under scrutiny after making a series of controversial decisions throughout the Christmas period and then into January. West Ham hosted Manchester United in January, and Mr Dean was criticised heavily for sending off Hammers midfielder Sofiane Feghouli- which was later rescinded. Later on in the match, United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored an offside goal which stood- leading to a United victory. But how much of this was really the referee’s fault? It’s not as if he or the other officials have a videographic memory allowing them to rewind and play what’s just happened. This is just the example from one game, but it happens frequently. Referees dictate the key decisions in a football match. As a consequence of this, if they make an incorrect decision, thousands of fans in the stadium and millions of fans across the world see red and proceed to hurling abuse at them. Of course the crowd are obliged to a good shout, that’s to be expected – especially after paying absurd amounts for a ticket. Although, fans for the most part, underestimate exactly how hard it is to referee a football match, especially at the highest level. A referee has to make a decision as quickly as possible with only the aid of a linesman or fourth official, Alan Shearer and Robbie Savage can review a controversial decision on Match of the Day
and still fail to make their mind up weather it’s a ‘penalty’ or a ‘handball’. The get out of jail free card for pundits is the phrase “we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this one”. This is wrong, there should only be a yes or no answer. This is where technology comes into play. If unsure, the officials should be given the opportunity to consult the footage on the screen. It seems as though there’s a constant expectation from referees to always get it right, that’s why the Football Association should seriously consider bringing in some technology. If goal line technology has been a success, then there’s no reason why the same process can’t be adopted for decisions in general play, such as a high tackle being a yellow or a red card. Top-flight Aviva Premiership Rugby matches use technology to review disputable tries which will affect the balance of the match — and referees will watch the replay over and over until the correct decision is made. Why can’t this be the same for football? After recently speaking to a number of fans about this issue, their main line of argument is that this change can’t happen because they “like moaning about referees”. However, one fan, who’s had a season ticket at Old Trafford for seven years, said that “at the end of the day, lazy decisions can cost teams vital points, technology would be great thing”. It seems strange for a fan to hurl abuse at a referee and expect them to make the correct decision, even when they don’t know if it is or not themselves. Fans should vote whether they want technology, and if the majority don’t vote in fa-
vour, they’ll have to accept the consequences of occasional bad decisions. When watching a match on the telly and there’s an arguable shout for a penalty, which the referee is unsure of, Sky and BT sport commentators, as well as the viewers, have the chance to examine the shout. This just shows how easy it would be for the officials to see the footage and come to a decision. The right decision is there for everyone to see, but the person who actually makes these decisions does not have access to it, which is not logical. Even though there’s an increasing need for such action, this process should be implemented gradually, allowing the more hostile fans and referees themselves to ease into this change. Rather than humiliating referees by demoting them to a lower league, the FA should either bring in some technology or come out and defend the decisions made by them. One positive is that managers are fined for harsh criticism of referees, but at the same time there would not be criticism if there was technology, absolutely none whatsoever. One day more technology, will be interoduced to the Premier League, and maybe other lower leagues — it’s only a matter of time. The introduction of goal-line technology has worked well since its introduction to the English game, so there is no reason why more cannot be introduced soon. There is certainly a need for it. Until this happens, fans and pundits should ease off refs and instead try and present the issue to the FA, this will be the best way of matches achieving fair results.
EURO
WATCH
EuroWatch: Ligue 1 In the latest Eurowatch, Josh Jenkins looks at the French first division
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Teams to watch: Nice and Monaco Players to watch: Anyone who plays for Monaco Ligue 1 has not been your standard European league over the past few years. A glance at the ultra-impressive modern stadia situated throughout the league – thanks to the country hosting the Euro 2016 finals last summer, would
suggest that the league is the place to be when it comes to the millions being splashed around in modern football. Marseille’s Velodrome and Lyon’s Parc Olympique Lyonnais are just two of the many huge arenas that wouldn’t look out of place hosting a Champions League Final. Yet this is not the case. In recent years the league has been plagued by the fi-
nancial discrepancy between the capital’s Paris Saint Germain and the rest. A mixture of their millions and a lack of TV money for the rest, has led to the French Top Flight ceasing to be a competitive competition for a number of seasons. In 2011, the Qatari Sports Investment group purchased the club and ploughed in their millions and millions.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
This discrepancy is clear when seeing the Deloitte Football Money League, who reported that PSG have the sixth highest revenue in world football. Lyon were the only other French represented in the top 30, with them placed at 24th. Lucrative marquee signings such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Edison Cavani, and Lucas Mora to name a few, has led to Ligue 1 often looking like a display of men against boys. Every season since 2012/13 PSG have won the league, with each season seeing a margin of over seven points between them and second place. This culminated in a whopping 31 points between themselves and Lyon once the 38 game season had concluded. The title was wrapped by March 13th, following a 9-0 demolition against Troyes. But PSG’s dominance is not apparent this season. After 22 games they find themselves in 3rd place, three points behind the joint leaders Nice and Monaco. Manager Unai Emery finds himself under increasing pressure in every week that goes by. It would be easy to criticise a PSG side who clearly have not reached the heights of previous years, but the brilliance of Nice and Monaco has also played its part. Monaco have become Europe’s entertainers this season. With the principality Club scoring more goals than any other team in the continents top five leagues so far with 65 – just under an average of three goals a game. And they are achieving this with some of the most exciting young players around – Benjamin Mendy, Fabinho, Bernardo Silva, and Tiemoue Bakayoko are all under 24 and are generating interest from many of Europe’s top Clubs due to their consistently excellent displays.
Tie this in with the goals of a revitalised Radamel Falcao and the steal of centre Kamil Glik then it’s not hard to see why Monaco are enjoying such a good season both domestically and in European competition. Nice are Ligue 1’s surprise package this season. Last winning the top flight in 1959, there hasn’t been any real suggestion that the club were capable of the dizzying they are currently enjoying. They did finish 4th last time out, but were closer to the relegation places points wise than they were to PSG. But with a new manager following Claude Puel’s move to Southampton, Nice have been in the top three virtually all season. Their success has been built from the back, with only 15 goals against they currently have the tightest defence in the league. They know where the net is as well, scoring 38 goals, 10 of which have been scored by Mario Balotelli. Though is the wing-back Riccardo Pereira, on loan from Porto, who has been the standout. Pereira possesses all the attributes that a modern day wing-back needs. Defending, attacking, and clocking some of the fastest speeds of any footballer in Europe – he has the capabilities to be playing for the top clubs throughout the continent. WhoScored currently have him as the joint highest rated player in the league, along with Alexandre Lacazette and Maxime Gonalons. It remains to be seen whether Nice and Monaco can keep their form up and hold off PSG for the rest of the season. Even if they are unable to, the fact that Ligue 1 is finally a competitive competition again is a victory story in itself.
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Manchester United mid-season review
Tariq Chastanet-Hird reviews Manchester United’s season so far
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Back in late-August, when Marcus Rashford’s 92nd minute winner at the KCOM Stadium assured José Mourinho of four wins from his first four matches as Manchester United manager, all appeared well for the Red Devils in their road to rectifying the growing mediocrity of the post-Ferguson era. The signings of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly had, it was proclaimed, re-installed the ‘fear factor’ at Old Trafford and would propel United to the heights of title challengers — even winners — once again. Behind the euphoria of this ‘new beginning’ certainly lay doubts, Mourinho’s capitulation at Chelsea during the 15/16 season was cut short in and reminded us of a familiar capacity for the Portuguese to blow up, with the club’s technical director, Michael Emenalo, speaking of “palpable discord with the players”. Fast-forward 5 months and United lie in 6th position, 14 points off the pace before the upcoming midweek fixtures and facing an uphill struggle to finish in the all-important Champions League places. The story of the Reds’ season is a much more complicated one, however, than a linear slide down the Premier League table and a sobering mitigation of
expectations. United remain the only English side competing on four-fronts and the improvement in playing style, despite the bar being set exceedingly low by Louis Van Gaal, is undeniable. So, how has United’s season shaped up so far? For a man who has historically prided himself on results and setting the pace in league competitions, it’s fair to say Mourinho has enjoyed mixed fortunes at his time with United. A 100% record in August was ended by a painful home-loss in the first Manchester derby of the season and followed by a series of damaging defeats to Feyenoord, Watford and Chelsea in mid-October. Despite evident improvement, emphasised by a December-January nine-game winning streak and an unbeaten run sparked after that embarrassing defeat at Stamford Bridge, a succession of home draws has left United on the outskirts of the top 4. The emergence of the ‘top-six’ this season is indicative of a return to type in the Premier League, particularly after Leicester’s efforts to de-stabilise the traditional league hierarchy in the previous campaign. In a season in which the top-six are losing fewer points to the ‘bottom 14’ than ever before, games between these clubs will have a greater im-
pact on their final positions. In the top-six mini-league United lie 5th, with 6 points from an available 18 and challenging away trips fast-approaching. With the league title all but out of reach, Mourinho’s men will need an almost perfect second half of the season to finish in the Champions League positions, including an improvement in results against their direct competitors. United’s players have been subject to both the good and ugly side of Mourinho’s approach to manmanagement. The Portuguese’s public criticism of Luke Shaw for his part in Watford’s second goal during the 3-1 defeat at Vicarage Road in September showed on many accounts a lack of empathy for a left-back only just recovering from a horrific double leg fracture sustained a year earlier. Shaw has spoken out about the profound mental impact of his injury; the English international’s restrained attacking ambition in recent performances is the latest sign of a lack of confidence. Anthony Martial has experienced similar treatment after a lively first season at United in which he bagged 17 goals in all competitions. Mourinho
has challenged the Frenchmen to follow a similar to route to that of Mkhitaryan in order to secure his place in the first-team. Indeed, we have witnessed a contrasting approach from Mourinho towards Marouane Fellaini, whose recent form can only be taken as a consequence of the manager’s public praise of the Belgian. It remains to be seen, then, whether Mourinho’s notoriously abrasive management style will inspire the United players to success, or engender another squad mutiny. United are the only English side that remain competing on four fronts this season but this can easily act against them rather than in their favour. Realistically, the EFL Cup is Mourinho’s most achievable source of silverware, with the Premier League now out of reach and the FA Cup and Europa League yet to kick into full competitive swing. Attention now turns to Champions League qualification, and even that cannot be guaranteed. Questions remain at Old Trafford as to when — and if — Mourinho will return United to the heady heights of the Ferguson era; league success will define his career in Manchester, and it remains to be seen whether he can deliver.
Randy going to Wrestlemania… outta nowhere!
This year’s Royal Rumble was one to remember, though not necessarily for the right reasons
Photo: MacDara Conroy @Flickr
Joe Murphy Sport Reporter All WWE were telling its fans for the months leading up to the Royal Rumble was to ‘Remember the Rumble’. After a chaotic, controversial but, on the whole, good event on Sunday, there is no danger of forgetting it. On the Pre-show, as always, there wasn’t much to talk about in regards to surprise. The only thing
was the unexpected move to put the WWE RAW tag team titles on The Club, so shortly after Cesaro and Sheamus ended the record run of The New Day only last month. With only five matches on the main show, and four hours to fill, this should have been on the main show to give Gallows and Anderson their true moment. Charlotte v Bayley – a match that was, for me, underwhelming. It was obvious that daughter of Ric Flair; Charlotte was not going to lose considering she has now won her singles matches on pay-per-
view shows the last 16 times straight. This run may come to an end in a couple of month at Wrestlemania, but was never going to happen here. As well as the lack of surprise of the result, the match was average, with both women having had better bouts in the past. A few botches made the match made it feel less special. One positive was the devastating finisher used to win the match; the ‘Natural Selection’ on the apron looked like it really hurt. Overall – DOWN. Kevin Owens v Roman Reigns – it was a pleasant surprise to see KO retain his Universal title against the Big Dog. The match lasted an impressively long time but never got boring. Furthermore, considering how many times these two have fought in the last few months, it is testament to both wrestlers that we were entertained at all. A few nice chair spots, 3 broken tables, a surprise interference from Braun Strowman and everything Chris Jericho did from the shark cage above the ring was brilliant. The spot that topped all others thought was a frog splash from the top rope from KO putting Reigns through a table outside of the ring, simply outstanding. Overall – UP. Neville v Rich Swann – the Geordie Neville is arguably the best heel on the roster at the moment, possibly with the exception of The Miz. He has brought live to an otherwise dead Cruiserweight division and winning the title here was fully deserved. Take nothing away from Rich Swann, he can more than hold his own in the squared circle, but the emotion and understanding of the character simply isn’t there because the cruiserweights aren’t being given enough TV time on Raw to tell their story, hence people aren’t invested. A good match here however and a lot longer than one could have hoped for. I just hope they get some big names into this division and Neville holds on to the purple belt for a good while. Overall – UP.
John Cena v AJ Styles – MATCH OF THE NIGHT. From bell to bell this was simply outstanding. Both men are extremely talented and when you couple the star power of Cena with the ability of Styles it is a match made in heaven. Can’t pick a fault in this, I was glued to the TV screen from start to finish. The result is questionable but as long as Styles gets a decent Wrestlemania match then I’m happy that Cena equalled the record of 16 World title reigns. Watch this match if you get the chance. Special mention to the kick out of Styles after the Super AA from the top rope, really had me fooled. Overall – MASSIVE UP. Royal Rumble match – Winner Randy Orton. This is where all the controversy is coming from. Overall it was a pretty good rumble, and I would say it was a lot better than previous ones. Braun Strowman looked strong; Orton himself looked great, as did Chris Jericho, The Miz and Sami Zayn. However, with so much build up, this was a let-down. Undertaker came in to the match for barely 5 minutes, Goldberg the same and despite Lesnar looking strong to begin with, he was eliminated far too easily. Moreover, where were the special returns? Where was Samoa Joe (who has since debuted)? Where was Balor, Angle, Nakamura or anybody that would be considered shocking? Only Tye Dillenger from NXT was a welcome surprise. The Rumble has to have that element of shock and it simply didn’t. And finally, ROAN REIGNS AT NUMBER 30! WHAT ARE YOU THINKING? Of all the people WWE could have chosen to be that coveted number 30 spot and they chose the world’s least popular man. In regards to the winner. I would rather they gave it to Bray Wyatt or another upcoming star, but if this gives us Bray in the main event of Wrestlemaina, I would be happy with that. Overall - DOWN
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ISSUE 13 / 6th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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The football loyalty debate
With Dimitri Payet forcing himself a move from West Ham United, player loyalty has been called into question, but is football loyalty even a thing?
Payet is right
Jack Ford Sport Reporter The January transfer window has served to, yet again, highlight the double standards we inevitably apply when we criticise players for a lack of ‘loyalty’. Whether it is in treatment of players choosing to move to China, or the vitriol directed to Dimitri Payet by those involved with West Ham and even neutrals in the media, we hold players to standards we do not expect to see in employees — including ourselves — in any other industry. If I was unsatisfied at my place of work, perhaps feeling underpaid or experiencing a lack of opportunities, I would logically and understandably look to move on. Similarly, if I was approached by another employer offering improved wages, or if I successfully applied for such a position, I would take that opportunity for myself just as anyone else would. There would be no fear of being criticised by those at my place of work or elsewhere. Yet, for some reason, football players are expected to be loyal to clubs even to their own detriment. Much of the anger directed at players seeking to move clubs, especially in the case of those moving to China, is fuelled by a perception that for those already earning astronomical wages, a desire for more money is symptomatic of an all-consuming greed surrounding the sport. While I object to this on the simple ground that I believe that anyone should be able to earn whatever they can for their work, there are also several factors particular to football that should be mentioned. For one, the vast majority of players are earning not just for themselves but for their family and childrens’ futures and, particularly in the case of South American and African players, support their extended families and even home communities
with their earnings. The pressure placed on a player by this consideration, both by himself and those around him, will be considerable and will likely outweigh his feelings towards his employer. I also find it objectionable that the same people criticising modern footballers’ earnings are seemingly not troubled by the similarly high earnings of F1 drivers, golf players, and boxers despite their lack of worldwide popularity compared to football. While I understand that issues surrounding Payet’s transfer, such as the £1 million loyalty bonus paid to him prior to his transfer request, are perhaps distasteful, his desire to leave West Ham for Marseille was done not for materialistic reasons — he is accepting a pay-cut to move — but for the sake of his wife and children who were struggling to settle in London. The lack of understanding of this from his critics reveals an attitude widely-held towards players: if they’re being paid millions to play football, they must not have any issues in their life whatsoever. We all adjust to our own realities, and as a result we will all experience problems in our lives that may seem catastrophic to ourselves but are trivial in the grand scheme of things. If players are unhappy at their clubs, and feel a move will improve their lives, it is their right to do so. Even if those reading this entirely rejected my above arguments, and argued footballers should be loyal to their clubs in a way other employees are not, I would like to highlight the blatant hypocrisy that this attitude reveals in the clear majority of cases. Where are the calls to loyalty when a club chooses to sell or release a player who has served them for years? Where were the champions of loyalty when Payet left Marseille to join West Ham initially? Where were the pundits and ex-players demanding
he remain in France and ‘rot with the kids’ for even daring to cross the channel for the ‘best league in the world’? As a fan, I have no problem with a foreign player leaving his childhood club to join my team, so why should I expect a player born in another country or even continent to be loyal to my provincial English club in the same way I am as a fan?
Payet is wrong
Toby Webb Sport Reporter Firstly, I would like to address the Payet situation. While I will tackle the ‘loyalty’ issue later, my initial problem is with his shameful attitude and actions. The whole fiasco has shown him to be immensely egotistical and
disrespectful. His decision to go on ‘strike’ has illustrated a new level of footballing pomposity. Let’s compare him. This January, both Jose José and Leonardo Ulloa expressed the desire to move away from their respective clubs. Fonte acted with dignity, being fully dedicated to Southampton until his move to West Ham was complete. Similarly, while Sunderland were unable to acquire Ulloa’s services, the player has since stated that he will remains dedicated to Leicester for the rest of the season. My problem with Payet was not that he showed ‘disloyalty’, it was that he was egotistical, demonstrating that he fully believed he was bigger than the club. When it comes to the notion of ‘loyalty’ in football these days, I believe the whole concept is archaic; footballing loyalty is an antiquated ideal that predates the modern game. However, with the speed in which he disregarded, and eventually pressured the club to end, his contract, Payet did something many people could only dream of. For most, a work contract is a binding agreement that can only be altered with months of notice. Few will ever get the luxury of being able to go on strike from their job, fully well knowing that another will become available almost simultaneously. The Payet situation was so distinct from reality. Criticism of his egotism is rightly justified, but questions over his loyalty are a desperate harkening to a past world. Yet, I believe in the instances where loyalty still exists, praise should be given. While there should be no expectation that a player will stay at one team for any significant amount of time, they should be nevertheless praised if they accumulate years of service. While there is no valid reason to highlight ‘disloyalty’ in this day and age,
loyalty should be praised. When I think of loyalty in the current Premier League, I think of Mark Noble, Troy Deeney and Vincent Kompany, amongst others. While I completely understand why playing for a club is viewed as merely a job, it is still refreshing to see players exhibit true sentiment and devotion towards their club. In terms of ‘loyalty’, it clear to me that it is more prevalent amongst the lesser team, specifically the lower reaches of the Premier League and the subsequent divisions. Given these teams have smaller budgets, there is more continuity in personnel year on year; players are likely to be at these clubs for longer, subsequently demonstrating a level of so-called ‘loyalty’. However, the most mercantile of clubs, Chelsea and the two Manchester teams, have a large turnover of players. While the Premier League is forever graced with new and exciting talent, the sheer volume of player turnover has had a detrimental effect on the feel of the clubs. Many Premier League teams, not just the big spenders, appear soulless: there is little continuity or continued identity. The identity of teams can vary massively year-on-year with the high-level of player/coach change. While spending money is effectively a necessity for success these days (Leicester last season being the anomaly), the level of personnel change is producing teams that are difficult to associate and connect with. I think the criticism players received from fans and the media for apparent disloyalty is really an expression of anger and frustration at their clubs becoming these soulless entities.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Athletics & Cross Country athletes set to excel We take a look at the prospects for the UoM Athletics and Cross Country clubs in a busy 2017 Ben Ryan University Sport Editor The Athletics indoor season begun with the first open meeting being held early December in Manchester. A lot of the athletes use these competitions as warm-up events for the indoor season highlight: BUCS indoors. This is a championship competition where all the universities in the UK come together and compete across a range of disciplines, provided they can be held indoors. Indoors BUCS is being held in Sheffield on the 17th-19th February. The club is expected to have one of their best performances ever in terms of BUCS points. This is thanks to the club’s four scholarship athletes who are all expected to medal this year at BUCS. Four is the most the Athletics club have had for some time, provided they do all compete at BUCS. The highlight of the outdoor season is BUCS outdoor Championships which is to be held on the May Bank Holiday weekend in Bedford. The four scholarship athletes boast remarkable profiles. Seren Bundy-Davies, a fourth year
Biomedical student, competed in the Rio Olympic Games in the 400m. She also finished her 2016 outdoor season and ranked third overall (as a senior) in the 400m. Her time clocking in at 51.26 seconds. Bundy-Davies was also runner-up at the British Championships in June 2016, as well as runner-up at BUCs outdoors in 2014. She could potentially run at BUCS this year although it remains to be seen whether she opts to focus on the World Championships in London. Naomi Ogbeta, an 18 year old fresher studying Politics and Social Anthropology, is currently on the TASS scholarship programme. A talented Triple Jumper with a PB of 12.99m, she is set to compete at the indoor and outdoor BUCS, aiming for the top three. Ogbeta represented Great Britain in 2015 at the World Youth Championships and in 2016 won the English Championships at U20 level, as well as the English Schools Championship in 2014. Ogbeta capped of a good year finishing the 2016 season ranked 1st at U20 level and 7th as a senior. She will be competing this year at U20 level. The 2015-2016 season Men’s Athletics Captain, Jerome McIntosh, was the Northern Indoor Sen-
ior Champ 2016 in the 200m with a PB of 21.91s. He just missed out on a medal at the BUCS indoors championships in 2016 as he finished in 4th place and finished in 7th at the outdoor BUCS championships. However, McIntosh was a BUCS indoor 4×200 relay bronze medallist in 2015 and is hoping to medal in the 200m at BUCS indoors this year. Jenny Robbins boasts a Pole Vault PB of 3.75m and was a BUCS indoor bronze medallist in 2016, whilst in the 2015 BUCS outdoors she also won a bronze medal. In the England Athletics Championships at U23 level she again won a bronze medal in 2015. Set to compete at BUCs indoors and outdoors in 2017, this time she is aiming for the silver and even the gold. For the Cross Country club, there was a great showing at the Edinburgh University Braid Hill XC race. The Men’s team came 1st in the 5k and 3rd in the 10k. The women’s team also came 3rd in the 10k. A special mention goes to Beth Ansell who was a finalist at the 2016 BUCS outdoors. Gemma Kersey, a GB international recently joined the club as things look bright for the future. Photo: University of Manchester Athletics Club
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6th FEBRUARY 2017 / ISSUE 13 FREE Photo: Sport Manchester
The Purple Wave returns
The University of Manchester are running the 10K for charity again this year In 2016, the University of Manchester raised over £75,000 for charity through the Great Manchester 10K. Over 1,100 staff and students took part in the run and the University beat the record for the biggest non-charity team entry into the race. This year we are aiming to top this and get 3,000 students and staff involved. The Great Run team have promised the University our very own start time and ‘Purple Wave’ if we reach this target – with all runners
In this issue...
receiving a purple t-shirt for the run. The money that was raised last year was split between the British Red Cross, Marie Curie and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, alongside other charities chosen by individual runners. Alumni will also be able to sign up and run with the University. Jenny Coldham from the Sport Manchester office said ‘within the University of Manchester Sport Office we are very excited about the op-
Photo: University of Manchester Athletics Club
portunity to raise money for worthwhile causes and to create a buzz within the university community. Yet again we will be running in the university purple and will be joined by our mascot ‘BarnaBee’ the bee.’ AU Clubs and sport societies are welcome to join the wave as a team. The team with the most runners based on Club membership, will be given free tickets to the AU ball. However, even if you have never run before, this is still some-
London to Paris Charity Cycle The 2017 Manchester RAG’s (Raising and Giving) London to Paris team has now been recruited and are extremely excited to start fundraising (however not so excited to start the training). 23 remarkable people have signed up to undertake the challenge of a lifetime, all to raise funds for Breast Cancer Now. The work of Breast Cancer Now focuses on four critical areas: risk prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatments, and secondary breast cancer. Currently one in eight women in the UK will face breast cancer once in their lifetime. Research holds the key to a world where everyone who develops breast cancer lives. Breast Cancer Now believe by 2050 we could live in that world. All our participants are truly inspiring for merely having the drive to sign up however one of our participant’s stories is exceptional. This is Sarah Jane Thoms’ testament on why she is taking part in London to Paris 2017: “As most people do, I feel very pas-
thing to get involved with: people from all over the University will be together striving to raise money for our important charities. If you are a University of Manchester staff or student you can purchase your ticket for a heavily reduced price of £20 for students and £25 for staff (down from £38). One of the charities that proceeds will go towards this year is the Equity and Merit Scholarship scheme within the university.
sionately about wanting to end the reign of the cruel disease that is Cancer. However, the primary reason that I am participating in the London to Paris cycle in order to raise money for Breast Cancer Now is because of my Mam. In 2013, my Mam was diagnosed with breast cancer. My Mam was so brave throughout the fight and I will always be proud of her for facing the terrible disease head on. She continues to attend regular checkups but at the moment, she has the all clear! “This is why I feel so strongly about raising money for Breast Cancer Now as the charity believes that by the year 2050, no one will have to die because of breast cancer again. This will be down to the medical research that the charity is conducting. The cycle will also be a personal achievement for me as I was diagnosed with a form of bone disease when I was ten years old and thus underwent full joint replacement surgery in 2014. I had to completely learn to walk again (zimmerframe and all) and now I’m going to be cycling approximately 220 miles over three days. I am so excited and determined to raise money for this life-changing charity that is so close to my heart.” There are still spaces to sign up to London to Paris if you’re feeling really inspired. It is important each year to do something that mentally and physically pushes you, it helps us grow as individuals and make the most out of our lives. If you want to get involved with a challenge get in touch with Manchester RAG for details.
UoM Athletics & Cross Country athletes look set to excel in 2017 Read more on page 31... Wrestlemania
Read more on page 30...
Referee respect
Read more on page 29... Photo: Breast Cancer Now