Issue13

11TH FEB 2013/ ISSUE 13 FREE

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MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Library thefts double in just one year

P4

Interview: Prof Brian Cox

P8

Interview: Netsky

P18

Campus bar revenue drops £350k Richard Crook Editor-in-Chief Campus bars’ net revenue appear to be in terminal decline, dropping by over £358,000 in five years.

Figures released to The Mancunion following a Freedom of Information request shows that between the 2006/07 and 2010/11 academic terms, the Bars on Campus net revenue dropped from £830,742 to £472,224.

Bars on Campus are responsible for the Owens Park Bar, Grovel Bar, Squirrels, Arpy’s Bar, Nellies, Buttery, and Woolton Hall Bar. The university accommodation website describe their bars as “a great place to meet and socialise with other students.”

It also boasts the “competitive prices and events

planned throughout the year from quiz nights to karaoke.”

Squirrels draw significant crowds for Premier League games and sometimes host stand-up comedians. Owens Park bar meanwhile hold regular ‘pre-drink’ nights for The BOP, POUT, and Athletics’ Union socials. But the year on year fall in revenue suggests first years are branching out to the huge array of bars in the Fallowfield area.

Expenditure has also reduced to account for the drop in demand, falling from £757,573 to £519.605.

A spokesperson for the University cited the recession and the 2007 smoking ban when defending the disappointing figures.

They added that the “The availability of cheap alcohol from supermarkets and the trend for students to drink in their common rooms and go out later continues to hit our bars significantly.”

An empty Owens Park Bar. Photo: Lisa Murgatoryd Part of the loss may also be explained by the demand by the University to move The BOP off campus in 2009, resulting in the Owens Park Residents’ Association handing over the event to Social Junkies and Jabez Clegg.

Former Owens Park resident Tom Hickman said: “I chose Owens Park Tower because of the reputation The BOP had given the Fallowfield bars. But when I arrived, The BOP was gone and the bar was

dead every night.”

While the drop has been a year on year decline, the bar took its biggest hit between 2006/7 and 2007/8, falling almost £180,000 in one year.

Zedi Thomas worked at the bar in her first year and told The Mancunion: “When AU Social was on it was always really busy. But then there were nights where we were being paid to literally stand for hours at an empty bar.”

Multiple thefts at Warehouse Project Jonathan Breen News Editor

Police caught a man with over 40 stolen mobile phones on him outside the Warehouse Project.

Greater Manchester Police officers and event security seized 42 phones from Lulian Cojocaru in the early ours of Saturday February 2, after a night at the popular venue headlined by DJs Chase and Status.

“Hopefully this will send out a signal that the Warehouse Project is doing everything it can to combat this,” Director of the Warehouse Project Sacha Lord-Marchionne said.

Cojocaru, 28, from Dagenham, was charged with 25 counts of theft and was due to appear before Trafford Magistrates’ Court on February 4.

The theft is part of wider issue facing all large scale events added Mr Lord-Marchionne, with the arrest this month being the

second time this academic year a man has been caught with a large number of stolen phones from the Warehouse Project.

He said, “Talk to any large-scale venue, whether it’s the MEN, the O2 Arena, or Fabric in London, everybody is suffering from organised crime where people are going in with the intention of what I call ‘dipping’, which is stealing phones.

“We actually noticed a bit of a pattern starting to emerge when we moved to this new venue in September.

“Warehouse Project spent in excess of £46,000 during last season on undercover police, extra stewards, and extra security. And we pay for private policing at every event.

“Because of all these procedures and measure we put in place, this was actually our second catch of the season - we had caught another person prior to that, who again had 40 plus phones on him. It is a great result, and as far as I’m aware we are one of the only venues who actually have done this.”

The Mancunion spoke to fourth year French and Spanish student Sarah Yellowley, who had her phone stolen at the same

‘Metropolis’ event where Cojocaru was caught.

“I literally put my phone back in my bag and they must have seen me do it, because straight away I felt them take it, but I couldn’t do anything about it, they were gone,” she said. “They must have been ridiculously fast because they took three of my friends’ phones as well.

“I went straight to the cloakroom and told the staff it had happened, and they took down a description of the phone, but they couldn’t do anything really.

“I went to the police as well, and I heard from my friend that they had caught someone with 40 phones, so I told them the details of my phone and I had to go in to the police station and check if mine was there but it wasn’t.

“My phone was an HTC 1S, and it is actually really annoying because I found that HTC don’t make that phone anymore, so there is I can’t get the same one.”

Continued on page 2

02 : NEWS

ISSUE 13 / 11th FEBRUARY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Inanimate Carbon Rod labelled sexist Highlights

NUS VP says that joke NUS Presidential Candidate “may just be a little bit sexist” Andrew Williams Features Editor

Interview: Douglas Carswell

Features, page 9

The government needs to think again on student immigration

Comment, page 11

Review: The Sunset Sleep - UoM students’ short film

Film, page 15

One of the four candidates running to be the next President of the National Union of Students (NUS) has been called “sexist” – despite is an Inanimate Carbon Rod. The Rod, carried by “nominated bearer” Sam Guas, is standing in response to what it sees as years of failed leadership by recent NUS Presidents.

But Danielle Grufferty, NUS Vice-President Society and Citizenship, has used a ten-point post on her Facebook page to suggest that the Rod’s candidacy may be a deliberate attempt to undermine rival female candidates.

“I have nothing against Rods,” Grufferty insisted, before asking whether she

was, “ridiculous to even suggest something may just be a little bit sexist.”

The Rod faces competition from three other candidates – Vicki Baars, Toni Pearce and Peter Smallwood – in a race which sees the two frontrunners vying to become the first female NUS President since 2008.

Tabz O’Brien Butcher, Women’s Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union, was tagged in the post but told us: “I’m delighted that this year we have an NUS leadership contest between two strong women candidates, and I hope that a comedy candidate doesn’t derail the process.”

She continued: “I’m sure the novelty will wear off and we’ll get back to important discussions soon.”

Yet the Inanimate Carbon Rod’s campaign has garnered over 1,600 likes on

Continued from front page

Miss Yellowley added that she will still go to similar events, but will think twice before taking anything of any value.

“It hasn’t really put me off going again, because it always happens at these mass events, like at Pangea,” she said. “But I don’t know if I would even take a phone next time, but you kind of have to in case you lose your friends. I just don’t really want to take anything valuable, except money.”

In a statement last December the GMP said that Eastern European gangs were thought to be largely responsible for these phone thefts, which are part of a national increase in pick pocketing.

They also said the gangs look out for party-goers who use their phones openly and may be drunk.

Offenders then approach victims in busy areas and quickly pickpocket them, passing the phone to an accomplice immediately afterwards. Cases are removed to reduce the possibility of identification and the phones turned off so they cannot be traced.

According to a Students’ Union staff member there have been instances at Academy events when police outside the venue check peoples’ bags for stolen phones, after there have been a large number of phones reported stolen.

Mr Lord-Marchionne said he believes the thieves practice how to steal phones and are motivated by the high prices they can sell them for abroad.

“These people study how to do this, it’s an art to them,” he said. “This isn’t your local scally that’s going in to try and knick a phone. They are actu-

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1994 episode of The Simpsons, the Rod promises a full nuclear arsenal for the NUS if elected, and will officially declare April the “cruellest month.”

The Rod – “a cylinder of very few words,” according to its manifesto – was unavailable for comment.

Chauvinist cylinder? Or just a harmless rod?

Professors honoured for space research

Multiple thefts at Warehouse Project

Daniel Magnone Reporter

ally musically intelligent, they know which nights to choose, they know the demographic, and they know the music taste.

“So they are hitting the 18 to 21 market, where there tends to be the more boisterous crowd. It tends to be the urban nights, and low and behold, Friday was Chase and Status, which is obviously quite a moshy crowd. And it’s not a seated event, people are shoulder to shoulder. If you know what you’re doing it’s quite an easy thing to do.

“The reason they are doing this is because you can walk into a phone shop in Manchester today and take out a contract and get an iPhone free of charge, I believe. But in other countries you’re paying five, six, seven hundred pounds for one of these things, so it is very lucrative for organised crime.

Two scientists at the University of Manchester have been awarded prizes from the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

Dr Katherine Joy won the Winton Capital Award and she spoke to the Mancunion the day after she returned from two months fieldwork in Antarctica.

She said: “I’m very grateful to the RAS and Winton Capital for the award.

“I think I was the last to know actually, I was in Antarctica and I received a text from a friend, but it wasn’t until I got back and received so many congratulatory emails that I realised I’d won something.”

Her award was for using her research on moon rocks found in Antarctica to help unravel the early history of the solar system.

She explained: “We skidoo all over the place camping in tents similar to those of Captain Scott’s. It’s a great place to look for lunar meteorites because they are black rock on white ice and they stand out very well.”

Her work also involves her looking at samples of the moon that the Apollo astronauts brought back in the late 1960s early 1970s.

She said: “The moon’s surface is 4.5 billion years old which is nearly as old as the solar system itself so by studying the moon we can tell a lot about how the solar system and the earth formed.”

The RAS praised her contribution to MoonZoo, a project which uses public participation to analyse high-resolution images of the lunar surface.

“Anyone can get involved”, she said. “You don’t have to be a scientist but you are partaking in a serious scientific project and making your own discoveries.”

Another researcher at the University, Professor Michael Kramer, won the prestigious Herschel Medal for using his work on Pulsars, a type of very dense star, to test Einstein’s theory of relativity.

He said: “I feel very honoured by this reward and humbled to appear now in a list of my personal heroes who have previously received this reward.”

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Guas told a student media conference on Wednesday: “By virtue of being an inanimate object, at least the carbon rod won’t let the student population down.”

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ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 03

Leading Manchester professor signs anti-gay marriage petition - Petition “opposes any attempt to redefine” marriage - Signed by over 630,000 people

petition should make anybody

is at best disingenuous. His

feel uncomfortable”.

argument

legal definitions stay as they’ve

history and across cultures’,

Michael Williams News Editor

pursuit of equal rights should

been

then he would be suggesting

be a clear and obvious goal.”

across cultures. Changing the

distinguishable from ‘A + A’ or ‘B + B’, in mathematical terms.

A leading Professor at the

“I’m

not

proposing

She continued, “If Professor

that at all,” Professor Watts

Watts were proposing that the

continued.

legal definitions of marriage

“I’m simply proposing that the through

history

When asked whether his name

feel excluded in some way,

on such a public petition might

necessarily change anything of any great significance.”

University of Manchester was

they have my every sympathy,

dissuade

one of the top signatories

but I don’t really think that

from studying Dentistry at

Tabz

on a petition opposing gay

redefining marriage is going

the University, or make them

Women’s

marriage.

to change things in a big way.

feel uncomfortable, Professor

that Professor Watts’ name

Watts stated that he “failed to

on the petition was “very

see why anybody’s name on a

disappointing”:

David Watts, Professor of Biomaterials Science, signed

I just don’t see the point of it.”

Professor

Watts,

who

is

the Coalition For Marriage

also the head of the Adhesive

(C4M)

Biomaterials & Biomechanics

petition

stating

his

“support for the legal definition

research

of marriage.”

University, signed alongside

The

petition

continued,

such

group

figures

at as

Lord

Archbishop Clifton

one woman to the exclusion of

Chancellor Lord Mackay of

all others. I oppose any attempt

Clashfern. The public petition

to redefine it.”

Carey

is available online.

former

James Ashworth-Holland, a third-year Dentistry student,

never biologically or socially

expressed surprise at Professor

redefine ‘one man plus one

Watts’ stance.

woman’ as being equal to ‘one

“It’s a shame that people in

man plus one man’ or ‘one

positions of trust, so-called

woman plus one woman’.

‘professionals’,

are

endorsing

men

marrying

stated

“Professor Watts has every right to his faith and his belief, but to present this as scientific fact, backed up by

in Greece, China and Rome predating Christianity.”

“Marriage is not a monolith, it never has been.”

a Professorship in Dentistry,

unable

to use their best judgment

exist, along with some of the

in

other aspects like sociological

as same-sex marriage.” said

conventions, but at the core

James.

important

matters

such

as long as men and women

“No matter what level of

are distinguishable, ‘A + B’ is

education a person has, the

AU Social returns to Students’ Union On Wednesday 13th February, the longest running student night returns to the Students’ Union. The AU Social has been absent since 2000, and will be back for a monthly special for the remainder of term.

Gold Teeth and Fresh Fridays will each have a room, in the night branded “Audio Hijack”.

For the last two years, it has been held every Wednesday at Tiger Tiger, run by promotions company Funk Events. First starting at the Students’ Union

several wives, and ironically

of

Professor Watts said, “We can

Lisa Murgatroyd News Editor

that men be allowed to take

Lord

Speaking to The Mancunion,

differences

‘through

former

union for life of one man and

“Biological

same

the

“[marriage] is the voluntary

and

Professor David Watts Photo: University of Manchester

the

men, as happened frequently

O’Brien-Butcher, Officer,

remain

and

“Certainly if [gay couples]

students

lacks

homophobia or anything like

meaning of the word doesn’t

potential

obviously

teeth.”

in 1993/1994, what was then called “Horny” became a regular feature in the social calendar.

Every summer the contract is open to bids from clubs in Manchester. At the end of 2011/2012 academic year, a vote was held asking students where they would like to see the night and the overwhelming majority was in favour of moving to the SU. However, renovation of the building was not guaranteed to be completed by Welcome Week, so the Athletic Union chose to use Tiger Tiger for another year.

The Students’ Union Exec team show their support for gay marriage Photo: Tabz O’Brien-Butcher

Andy Cowan, Chair of the AU, seems optimistic for future plans. “This is what the students wanted, and we’re looking forward to working with everyone at the Students’ Union. It’s more accessible for everyone, and hopefully it’ll be a success.

“Think of this as a trial run.”

“It’s becoming less popular and a bit empty at Tiger Tiger,” said Asher Hillsmith, President of the Equestrian Team. “The Students’ Union might be more of a selling point and feel busier.”

Fourteen AU teams as opposed to the usual six will be selling tickets in a big promotional push, and they will also be available for purchase from the Students’ Union shop.

The next night at the SU will be on Wednesday 13th March, continuing weekly at Tiger Tiger in the meantime.

Trial for murdered police officers begins Daniel Harold Reporter The trial of a man accused of murdering police officers Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes began on Monday.

Dale Cregan, 29, is alleged to have made a false report of burglary to lure the police officers to a house in Tameside in September of last year.

When the PCs arrived at the house they came under fire from gunshots and a grenade. Cregan walked into a nearby police station less than an hour after the

attacks.

Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, described PC Bone as a ‘calm, gentle woman’ who had been planning her wedding, and PC Hughes was a ‘chatterbox’ who was ‘always smiling’.

At the time of the murders police were already conducting an extensive manhunt for Cregan, who was on the run after being accused of killing Mark Short, shot in the neck, and his father David Short, killed in a grenade attack.

Both were killed in the months preceding the attack on PC Bone and PC Hughes.

Around 150 police officers have been deployed to the court and the surrounding area as Cregan goes on trial with 9 other defendants who are variously charged with crimes ranging from murder to assisting an offender.

Cregan, along with five others, is also accused of the attempted murder of three other men at the time of the murder of Mark Short, the attempted murder of a woman at the same time as the murder of David Short.

All the defendants have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

04 : News Alumni donations to University set to soar

Library thefts more than double in just one year

Mariana Cerqueira Reporter

The University of Manchester’s Alumni Association has raised £350,000 in one year from 3,349 donations.

The Association employs current students to campaign by telephone, calling university alumni and asking for donations.

In the last five years the number of donors has increased by 1,000 and the Association now hopes to now see an increase of 1,000 per year.

The Annual Fund Manager Rob Summers thinks that this target is possible: “We do more and more to fundraise but people are also more aware of what this means to students,” he said.

“Former students are happy to help new students, especially those who attended university before fees were implemented. They are keen for new students to have the same experience they had in Manchester.”

Stephanie Sparkes, BA (Hons) Geography alumna who graduated in 2011, recently became the 10,000th donor. She chose to donate £20.11 to celebrate her year of graduation, putting her gift towards the Opportunity Manchester Scholarship.

This scholarship provides £1,000 per year to students who completed the Manchester Access Programme, which aims to widen participation in the University.

There are also scholarships that support university research.

More practical examples that alumni can donate towards are a laptop charger station at the library, or equipment for Fuse FM and Fuse TV. The Global Impact Awards are also financed by the fund, contributing £250 towards international travelling during the summer, allowing students to “bring practical or social benefits to an international community.”

Teri, a current student caller says that the majority of Alumni are receptive to the calls and think it’s a great programme.

She said: “Some alumni like the idea of supporting the projects, but they can’t make a donation at the moment. Still, it’s important to continue building the relationship with the alumni for future donations.”

University of Manchester Library. Photo: Jonathan Whiting Richard Crook Editor-in-Chief Stolen belongings left unattended in university study areas have more than doubled in just one year, according to information released to The Mancunion.

The number of burglaries and unattended items reported missing climbed from 17 in 2011 to 43 in 2012, with the majority of cases being laptops and mobile phones.

This appears to be a new problem for the university. In 2008 just four items went missing, including one laptop and,

quite unusually, “printing paper.”

But with expensive electronics becoming commonplace in the student itinerary, libraries now see thousands of pounds worth of equipment come through its doors every day.

Along with the occasional missing wallet and sunglasses, 13 laptops and 10 mobile phones were taken last year, all of which were cases in which students had left their goods unattended.

As would be expected, the main library saw the most incidents last year, though the Joule Library and the George Kenyon Cluster were not far behind.

Fans of the Owens Park Cluster can relax though, as there has been just one reported incident since 2008.

Third year Development studies student and Student Action Project Leader Josh Rowan said, “I leave my laptop when I’m studying to go for a cigarette and sometimes even when I get some lunch. I didn’t think it was an issue, but I guess it is silly to trust a random person next to you.

“We should be cautious, but at the same time you shouldn’t have to take your laptop to the toilet.”

A spokesperson for the University of Manchester said, “the University

issues regular warnings about the need to protect personal property, but unfortunately students still leave valuable items unattended.”

They added they were running a ‘Leave it. Lose it’ campaign and had sent 10,000 ‘Reduce Crime on Campus’ leaflets.

It wasn’t just student kit that was lifted though. As well as desktop computer burglaries in the main library, John Rylands Library in Deansgate reported missing brass and bronze door handles, suggesting the opportunism from library thieves have no limits.

Manchester researchers criticise census coverage Anthony Organ News Editor University of Manchester researchers have warned against being misled by the 2011 Census data.

Professor Yaron Matras, a Professor of Linguistics, claims that recently published figures about language use in the UK are “way out” because the question asked was flawed.

He said that the question, ‘What is your main language?’, is “interpreted by people in different ways” and admitted “I can’t answer that myself, I use three languages in the home”.

He recalled: “My colleagues and I suspected it would cause confusion when we first saw the census and this suspicion is confirmed when we look at the results.

“There are many very good social linguists in this country, it would have been so easy for the Office of National Statistics (ONS) to contact people first.

Everybody would have had similar reservations and given them advice.”

Prof Matras’ own research on the Romani Project

and Multilingual Manchester, which includes contributions from student volunteers, has shown the census data to be inaccurate.

As an example he explained that he knows of over two hundred Romani children at just two of the schools that he works with, but the census reports only 29 speakers. He said that this shows the data to be “obviously completely unrealistic”.

A spokesperson for ONS told The Mancunion: “These data are not intended to identify all languages spoken, or the total population who speak a specific language, only those people for whom each is their main language.

“These data can be used by Government Departments, Local Authorities and other users to target services (for example, translation services) and resources effectively.”

But Prof Matras argued: “When advising organisations on which languages to prioritise, the numbers are not enough, there needs to be some linguistic knowledge and knowledge of the community.”

The publication of the data, which saw Polish become the second most-spoken main language in the country, has seen a mass of coverage and comment

across the media.

Prof Matras said: “It’s good that we have a discussion about languages but there’s a bit of sensationalism going on.”

Another UoM researcher, Dr Stephen Jivraj from the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity, also warned: “Don’t believe the hype.”

Commenting on the media focusing on the increasing proportion of the population who were born abroad, he said: “Even though immigration brings its share of issues, we don’t need to panic.

“Being born abroad is a poor measure by which to assess the level of assistance required by immigrants to integrate into the communities where they settle.

“While it is correct that there has been an unprecedented increase in immigration over the last 10 years, the census overestimates the recent surge in numbers by excluding many people who have previously immigrated to the UK, but have since left or died.”

The first release of census data took place in July 2012 and ONS plan to continue to release more detailed statistics throughout 2013.

ISSUE 13 / 11th February 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 05

Prof resigns in protest from Manchester Metropolitan One of his PhD students at the time, China Mills, said “he just disappeared overnight.”

Student starts high demand book courier service Jonathan Breen News Editor

Prof Parker was suspended after circulating emails around the

department

questioning

workload and appointment procedures, but he argues, “MMU has insinuated in press comment that my suspension was for matters more serious.”

He was a campus representative for the University and College Union (UCU) and was publically supported by UCU as well as by the Manchester Trades Union Council.

Prof Parker asked to be trans-

MMU suspended Professor Parker in October on charges of “gross professional misconduct”. Photo: Joe Sandler Clarke

Professor Ian Parker has resigned and his students claim they have not been offered any alternative supervision Anthony Organ News Editor Professor Ian Parker, the internationally renowned psychol-

ferred to another department on a fractional contract to continue “As far as the university is concerned I just don’t exist.”

Dempsey added that he was not the only student in this situation and that he and others would be

fessional work as an academic

prominent American linguist and

demanding funding back from

has been undermined to the

philosopher Noam Chomsky.

MMU.

point where there is now nothing

Owen Dempsey, a PhD student

“I’ve been doing this PhD pro-

left to return to in the psychology

researching evidence based med-

gramme for a year,” he said, “but

department.

icine and over-diagnosis under

that entire year has now gone to

Prof Parker, was involved in the

waste so I’m going to have to start

campaign.

again somewhere else.”

ogy Professor, has resigned from

“Not only have my conditions of

Manchester Metropolitan Univer-

work changed, but the research

sity arguing he has been “person-

base I helped to build in the last

He said, “Not only have I not

MMU were unable to confirm

27 years at MMU has very rapidly

been offered an alternative su-

Mr Demspey’s claims but in

been dismantled.”

pervisor but I haven’t even had

October promised that “[Prof

suspension

any communication about what’s

Parker’s] PhD students have been

students and academics ran a

going on since the suspension.

offered alternative supervisors”.

and following a disciplinary hear-

campaign calling from his rein-

Nothing whatsoever.

ing he was allowed to return to

statement.

ally attacked”.

Prof Parker was suspended by MMU in October on charges of “gross professional misconduct”

Throughout

his

Students and staff were not told

“Even now that he’s resigned

of Prof Parker’s suspension and

An online petition received

I’ve still had no communication

many only found out days later

But in his resignation state-

almost 4,000 signatures from

from the university about my po-

when the news was made public

ment, Prof Parker says: “My pro-

around the world, including from

sition as a PhD student.

through the online campaign.

work in December.

Protesters delay tree felling in Alexandra Park

Manchester City Council’s plans to renovate Alexandra Park, Whalley Range, are put on hold as protesters takeover Lisa Murgatroyd News Editor

Plans to renovate Alexandra Park, on the border of Whalley Range and Moss Side, have come to a halt as protesters set up camp.

One person has been arrested after chaining themselves to a tree, whilst an eviction notice has been issued by Manchester City Council.

The protesters are seeking to establish walk ways and tree houses amongst the trees to prevent the work which is said to fell 280 trees, part of plans build new facilities, restore buildings and return the park to its Victorian glory.

The £5.5m project has had a mixed reception as groups such as Save Alexandra Parks Trees contest that the council has tried to hide the true figure of trees to be felled; they claim that

there are in fact over 400 trees shown on council plans which are marked for felling, and 3.3 acres of wildlife habitat will be destroyed.

Ian Brewer, a member of Save Alexandra Parks Trees, said, “We’re in support of the majority of the project restoring the park, the new shrubbery and facilities, renovating the buildings.

Do we really need 6 tennis courts though?

A petition against the council’s current proposal has reached over 3,500 signatures, whilst the project has received £2.2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“People amongst the Friends of Alexandra Park group, who have worked with Heritage Lottery Fund for the last 11 years trying to get this project going, have been disgusted with the level of felling. They had no idea. The level of felling has been hidden com-

supervising his current students but said, “The University has made it clear that it will not agree to this reasonable request.”

Mr Dempsey added, “The University was dragging it out and creating such an amount of emotional stress and pressure that at the end of the day he just felt that for the sake of his own health he needed to get out of that environment.”

Prof Parker’s resignation statement ended with, “The University was making me sick. It was time to get out.”

MMU refused to comment further on the issue, having previously stated, “It’s private and confidential as far as we are concerned.”

Hundreds of trees are being felled as part of renovations in Alexandra Park Photo: Alex Pepperhill @Flickr

pletely. We’re completely devastated … The council have been very secretive and deceptive.

We don’t think it’s a case of one or the other, we understand that some felling needs to occur for the plans to proceed but we can’t allow trees to be destroyed unnecessarily.”

Around 15-20 protesters have remained on site since felling was first attempted on 1st February, when over 70 people breached the security fence. “We’ve had involvement from students, we’re appealing to anyone who loves nature to come down and help.”

While many students spend their time watching television, laying in bed, or occasionally studying, one University of Manchester student has decided to try something a little different.

Third year Gerard Pitt setup his own book courier service, returning high demand books to the main University Library.

“The service is really for people who wouldn’t have got the book out in the first place, because they didn’t want to go back to the library, but now feel like they are facilitated to,” he said.

Pitt first had the idea when he had to take out a high demand book and couldn’t be bothered to return it, he told The Mancunion.

“I had to get a high demand book out and I wanted to take it home, and it occurred to me that it would be a massive pain to take it back the next morning,” he said. “And I thought, if I lived a bit further away from uni, or if the weather was getting bad, I might pay a little bit of money to send this back to the library.

“Then I thought, well if enough people think that, maybe I could make a go of this.”

Despite his enthusiasm Pitt has only had one customer, but vows to keep his service open, operating along Oxford Road as far as Withington.

“I’ve had one customer. A very satisfied customer,” he said. “But it is a numbers game.

“The trouble with a numbers game is that you need the numbers. And if you’re a one-man army, achieving that is very difficult, and that is the problem I am finding.”

“So what I’m going for now is more towards a tailored service.

“I am going to leave it as a when-you-need-it service, always operating.

“It’s slightly more expensive, but it is now worth my while to do maybe one or two collections in a day.

Part of his appeal would be to return books during severe weather Pitt added, “Even in blizzard conditions, I’ll be couriering.”

The service originally cost £2 per book, and would accept requests up until 8am every morning via the Manchester Book Courier Facebook page and a secondary SIM card Pitt purchased. But, due to lack of business the price is now £3 for up to three books.

“It takes me about 30 minutes on my bike on a round trip, so £3, that is minimum wage,” said Pitt.

Opportunity.

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News: 07

ISSUE 13 / 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Venture Further

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Original Thinking Applied

‘Heart of northern soul’ to be demolished for budget hotel - 330-room hotel to replace site of Twsited Wheel nightclub - Birthplace of ‘northern soul’ genre Jonathan Breen News Editor

“This will deal a big blow to that.”

A quote on Legends’ website, now just a page, says, “A massive farewell to every person who

The nightclub once known as the ‘heart of

came in for our last night. It was wonderful to

northern soul’ is to be demolished to make way

see so many friends in front of and behind the

for a budget hotel.

bars and DJ booths. I think we gave the old girl a

The club on Whitworth Street, known most re-

good send off.”

cently as Legends, originally opened in 1963 at

Third year English Literature student Dan

a venue in Deansgate called the Twisted Wheel,

Jones was at the Legends’ last night, and told

but moved in the early 70s to its current location.

The Mancunion he felt it was a shame that it had

London based developers The Olympian Group have bought the premises and are set to demolish it as part of a leasing agreement with

come to an end.

“It was buzzing to be there on the last night,” he said. “I wish I had gone before.

German budget-hotel chain Motel One, who plan

“That venue is iconic. I’m disappointed, it

to build a 330-room hotel on the site. There are

seems stupid to me to destroy that level of herit-

similar development plans for the nearby Lon-

age.

don Road Fire Station and Gateway House on London Road.

Fans of the nightclub started an online petition

“It is associated with Manchester like Hacienda was, but way before that it was the main club – people would come from all over just to go there.

to Manchester City Council called “Save Legends

“So it does seem it bit silly that they are turning

nightclub”, which received over 3,000 signa-

it into something that could be anywhere. And

tures. It said, “They will be destroying an iconic

it’s not as if there are not enough hotels in the

piece of Manchester history.”

city centre.

The petition also alleged that the Twisted

“I actually went on the last time with my mum

Wheel was the oldest running nightclub in the

and dad, and I was a bit wary because I don’t re-

world.

ally go out with my mum and dad. But it was re-

Along with other venues, including the Wigan Casino, it was renowned as one of the birthplaces of the ‘northern soul’ genre and subculture.

ally good, I’ve never seen that many old people going for it, sweating profusely.

“It was kind of like the ‘Sankeys’ of yester-year.”

In its heyday the club played host to artists

Chloe Glover, studying for a Masters in Journal-

such as The Kinks, Ben E. King, and Eric Clapton.

ism at the University of Salford said she felt the

And Since 2000 they have run nostalgia night

plans showed a “disregard” by Manchester City

called Twisted Wheel, and the popular ‘Bollox’.

Council for local musical heritage.

‘Bollox’ DJ and recent University of Manches-

“It’s a shame that the council has such a nar-

ter English graduate Andy Gott said, “The loss of

row definition of what has invaluable cultural

Legends is a massive step-back musically.

importance when it comes to music,” she said.

“Manchester is only just regaining its reputa-

“Losing yet another building important to music

tion across and outside the UK for different, al-

fans both from Manchester and nationally seems

ternative nightlife that can’t be found any where

to illustrate Manchester City Council’s disregard

else.

for its musical heritage.

08 : Feature

ISSUE 13 / 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Brian Cox on the wonders of the world of physics University of Manchester Professor Brian Cox talks to Callum Millar about Higgs Boson and the Large Hadron Collider Callum Millar Physics has, in recent years, undergone something of a metamorphosis. A subject that had seemed as aloof and distant as the night sky it described has suddenly become a fashionable topic of conversation.

Doing for astrophysics what Sir David Attenborough did for biology and zoology, Professor Brian Cox has wielded an ebullient enthusiasm for his subject and a gift for elucidating the seemingly incomprehensible with great flair; leaving viewers of his ever-growing catalogue of documentary series’ entranced by the beauty of exploding stars and amazed by the vastness of space.

Cox’s popularity is beyond question, but little known is the work he does in his academic career. The fabled Higgs Boson has been one of the particles that he, amongst a conglomeration of internationally renowned physicists, has been striving to find, and last year they did just that.

“There’s a particular kind of protonproton collision, where normally you think of these protons smashing together at 99.9999999% of the speed of light and you get this complete mess- hundreds of particles produced,” Cox explains. “You might, for example, produce a Higgs particle in that collision. But there’s a kind of collision called diffractive scattering, where what happens is the protons glance off each other and stay in tact, but

they lose a bit of energy and that energy can make new particles.”

“So the particular collision we were interested in was proton-proton goes to proton-proton and Higgs. And so these protons, because they’ve lost some energy, the magnets deflect them differently – they get bent more by the magnets. So they can pop out of the beam at some point, and in fact for Higgs masses they pop out around a particular region, about 420 metres from the collision point – almost half a kilometre away from where the particles collided!”

“The plan was to put little detectors close to the beam so you can detect those protons and from detecting them you can measure their energy loss very simply,” he continues. “That means you can measure the mass of the Higgs very carefully.

There are also very tight restrictions on what kind of quantum number of the particle and other properties of the particles produced in that collision. So I ran a project, which was a joint project, between the two big experiments there for several years. It involved drilling into the Large Hadron Collider and redesigning a small piece of it and putting the detectors in.”

“A philosophical point is they’re [scientific hypothesies] never confirmed.

A scientific theory is never wrong until it is shown to be wrong, but you can’t show them to be correct. So all theories essentially are models in some sense… well, maybe the second law of

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thermodynamics, you’d be very surprised [if it was disproved] because that’s a statistical statement!”

“But Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the standard model of particle physics, they’re almost certainly, well certainly I would say, approximations to some deeper theory we’ve yet to find.”

“So within the standard model there’s a very specific prediction for a Higgs particle, which is responsible for the generation of mass. It doesn’t predict the mass of the particle – there are some bounds within which you expect to find it – which is why we knew the LHC would either confirm or rule out the existence of a Higgs particle.”

“However, there are additions to the standard model like the minimally supersymmetric standard model in which there are five Higgs particles for example, so there can be different versions of a Higgstype theory which manifest themselves as different Higgs particles with different properties. So what we found at LHC was a Higgs-like particle, which has a mass of 125 times the mass of a proton or so which is roughly where you’d expect a Higgs to be, and it is a boson we know.”

“But in order to say it is the standard model Higgs you’ve got to measure how it decays into different particles with suitable accuracy so you’ve got to measure it’s properties and that hasn’t been done fully yet. But we’ve only detected hundreds of Higgs particles and you need to detect thousands to really pin down its properties. So it could even be one of many Higgs particles, we don’t know yet! So that’s why you hear there’s been a particle discovered, it has some of the properties you might exact of a Higgs boson, and indeed none of the properties

you wouldn’t!”

He leaves me in no doubt that this really is exciting, ground-breaking physics being discovered here. This certainly does seem to be one of the theoretical physics breakthroughs of recent years, but I’m also curious as to what events across all of physics he’s looking forward to.

“Undoubtedly in particle physics you’re moving into the era of precision measurements of the Higgs particle, which is genuinely profound, I mean right at the heart of the standard model.

So there’s that which will go on for many, many years and decades, and there are even plans, depending on what the LHC finds, to build a linear collider, possibly in Japan or elsewhere. And that will be an electron-positron collider which will be a Higgs factory, and the reason you do that is because that’s a way of making higher precision measurements because you

don’t collide protons together which are a complete mess, you’re colliding point-like particles together and making precision measurements of the Higgs. And that’s how the Z Boson measurements were done in the ‘90s.”

“But I think the great scientific discoveries, the exo Mars mission is going to be extremely exciting which is going to follow on from Curiosity Rover and that will be designed to look for life on Mars.

It’s planning to go in 2018, I think. So that’s one of the great questions, are we alone in the Universe- it won’t say we are alone, but it might well say that we’re not!”

The penultimate episode of Wonders of Life airs this Sunday at 9pm on BBC Two. Previous episodes are available on BBC iPlayer. To listen to this interview in full, visit www.fusefm.co.uk/listen/podcasts

ISSUE 13 / 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature : 09

Carswell: the man who is fighting politics, and winning ‘Dreadful, ill-qualified and parasitic’ politicians have contributed to the end of politics - but the internet is our saviour, says Douglas Carswell MP Andrew Williams Features Editor Another week, another political reputation in tatters. What started out a decade ago as (to put it mildly) an administrative ploy to escape a driving ban snowballed into a sordid affair of marital indiscretion and bare-faced deceit. Chris Huhne, pipped to the Liberal Democrat leadership by his fabulist colleague Nick Clegg by just 511 votes in 2007, has paid with his job and can look forward to spending some time at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

If trust in our politicians is not at an all-time low – the MPs expenses scandal surely represented the nadir of public faith in our esteemed representatives – the Huhnes of this world are doing their level best to strengthen our collective cynicism. There is a growing anti-political groundswell in this country; disaffected students and grumbling pensioners are, on the whole, united by a belief that politicians are little more than ceaseless careerists who employ the U-turn as their stock in trade.

Such sentiments are inevitably expressed by friends and colleagues over a pint at your local pub, but it is far from the rhetoric you would expect from a fully paid-up member of the political establishment. Yet here I am, having traversed the labyrinthine corridors of Parliament, sitting opposite an MP who is putting his colleagues to the sword to the extent that he declares politics “dead as we know it.”

“Of course politics hasn’t finished in the sense that elections still happen,” explains Douglas Carswell, a leading light of the Tory right whose book The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy paints a stark picture of the state we are in. “The winners still grin stupidly from the platform and make typical politician speeches during their tenure of office – all of that carries on as before – but politics is dead in the sense that none of that really makes much difference to how we live our lives.”

Carswell is not the first person to proclaim the death of politics, but his position as a sitting Conservative MP places him, quite uniquely, at the heart of the system which he believes requires a drastic overhaul. His is a wide-ranging attack on British political life, and Carswell clearly has no qualms when it comes to castigating the behaviour of his peers. On the contrary, he is positively appalled by a considerable number among them.

“Being an MP has given me a ringside seat so I can observe at close quarters the parasites. I have a very low opinion of many, many politicians. I think most politicians seek to justify more power for people like them, and they will jump on a particular bandwagon that they’re not actually fundamentally interested in, and they will feign compassion. But they

are fundamentally interested in giving themselves a greater say.”

“Have you watched the House of Commons recently?” he asks, folding his arms in defiance. “I’m sorry, but I have a very cynical opinion of most politicians.”

Can he think of any particularly egregious examples of the sort of behaviour he describes?

“A couple of days ago I listened to some MPs debating education, and they kept on talking about ‘our children’s future.’

And I just thought, what planet are these people on? My child is my child, your child is your child. If they care so passionately about children’s education, go and work in a school. It makes me angry.”

Scathing stuff, and it does not end there. “For years and years and years we’ve listened to a group of people who supposedly make collective decisions on our behalf, and we’re suddenly realising that they’re dreadful people and illqualified to make any decisions.”

To describe Douglas Carswell as ‘outspoken’ is plainly an understatement, but his diagnosis is not a publicityseeking ruse. A former hedge fund manager, he is driven primarily by his libertarian conviction and a loyalty to his Essex constituency. As such, he harbours

They talk about austerity, but on what planet is spending £108 billion more than you take in tax every year austerity? As David Cameron once said, we can’t go on like this. The pity is he’s kept on trying. absolutely no desire to climb the greasy ministerial pole, bemoaning repeated attempts by government whips to force him into line. “I see my success in politics as the extent to which I can reduce the size of government, not to join it,” he explains.

Not that he is likely to be invited to join their ranks. Relations between Carswell and those at the top of his party are frosty at best; last year, David Cameron flagrantly dismissed a question from Carswell in the Commons, spitting back, “I think the Honourable Member needs a

Carswell: ‘I see my success in politics as the extent to which I can reduce the size of government, not to join it.’

sense of humour”. The Prime Minister’s apparent contempt for Carswell does not appear to concern him in the slightest. “If I wanted to suck up to the government I would have applied for a career as a special advisor. I’m a Member of Parliament for Clacton, not for Notting Hill,” he explains with a mischievous glint in his eye.

His refusal to toe the party line has seen Carswell carve out a reputation as a maverick figure with a cursory regard for authority, and I sense that he is in his element as the outsider; the very big hitters are unlikely to darken the door of his Westminster office (complete with Eurosceptic motif ), but he has plenty of “massively frustrated” visitors who are far from happy with the government’s direction at the halfway point of this Parliament.

“I’m not betraying any confidences when I tell you that a large number of ex-ministers, and one or two current serving ministers, have sat in that very chair where you are and shared with me their incredible frustration about the complete inability of them to do anything that requires change in their departments,” he tells me.

Carswell has a particular gripe with the government’s ongoing deficit reduction plans which are, in his view, bogus.

“They ought to be straight about the fact that yes, the deficit gap is being closed, but the amount of public debt is being doubled… in five years the Coalition will acquire more debt that [Gordon] Brown managed to in thirteen years. There is a slight element of weasel words when we talk about ‘the deficit’. I don’t think they’re being straight with people.”

His accusation that the government is playing fast and loose with the truth, Huhne-style, is unlikely to see Carswell reinstated to David Cameron’s Christmas card list, but he is unwavering. “Look at it this way. They talk about austerity, but on what planet is spending £108 billion more than you take in tax every year austerity? It’s a massive fiscal stimulus.

The British government borrows billions of pounds of every year by lending to itself… as David Cameron once said, we can’t go on like this. The pity is he’s kept on trying.”

“In opposition I’m sure he was a free marketer,” he continues. “But in government, they’re all corporatists.

I think George Osborne has basically made very few changes to the economic policy of the government compared to when Gordon Brown was in charge.

It’s ‘continuity Brown’ at the Treasury, I’m afraid. There are a few marginal changes, but nothing significant. Look at the flatlining nature of the economy – no change, no chance.”

Much has been made of the scramble for the centre ground in British politics – “a completely fake competition between two and a half parties” who, Carswell suggests, basically agree 90% of the time.

It is yet another symptom of his utter disenchantment with the prevailing attitude of those in the Westminster village; inhibited by a constant regression to the status quo or, as he puts it, “dimly lit by second-hand political thinking.”

“The very first day I walked into the House of Commons I thought, wow, this is one of the most exalted days of my life,” he recalls. “Within six months of that day, I was bitterly disillusioned – so disillusioned that I basically thought, I’m going to jack it all in.”

His salad days instilled within him a ‘me against the world’ mentality which is evident throughout his book and peppers our conversation. “I started to kick out against the system, not really caring whether I stayed or went. The great game changer that turned me from a pessimist who was about to quit, into someone who is optimistic about the future of politics, is the internet.”

Carswell’s unshakeable faith in the power of the internet is at the epicentre of his theory of iDemocracy. The second half of The End of Politics is devoted to an explanation of the transformative power of new and evolving technology; not only do blogs and social networking sites enable the public to hold politicians to account, but online petitions allow us to apply pressure to the government and, ultimately, enact change in a way that our token general election vote every five years does not.

“It’s breathing new life into our politics,” he argues. “We’re not a proper democracy because government is no

longer accountable to parliament and parliament is no longer accountable to the people. The internet is changing that.”

“We can see what our representatives are doing and, bluntly, MPs can no longer bullshit the voters. One of the reasons why this is one of the most rebellious Parliaments ever is because they have to [serve their constituents]. Your MP has no wiggle room.”

Far from seeing Twitter as a hub of banal, frivolous gossip, Carswell praises “its ability to deconstruct bullshit. A budget, as we’ve discovered, can be unspun by teatime… it’s a wonderfully democratising tool. It allows us to collaboratively deconstruct what the elite is saying, and fact check, verify independently and crowdsource judgements.”

I put it to Carswell that the government has embraced the digital revolution to some degree; David Cameron has, for example, had an app installed on his iPad to keep him abreast of economic facts and figures. “Digital Dave’s dashboard – has it fixed the economy yet?” he asks with no small hint of a wry smile. “I think that the government desperately wants to be seen to be modern and with it and happening.”

When it comes to the future of politics, it is clear that Carswell ‘gets it’ – his blog, Talk Carswell, was featured by Total Politics as one of the best of the internet, and he understands the importance of harnessing people power. But there is, to some extent, a contradiction at play here; ultra-modern on the one hand, on the other he is openly sceptical about the scale of climate change and, only last Tuesday, voted against equal marriage.

His passion, however, lies in a determination to see British politics reinvented. “This place is beginning to get up off its knees, it’s beginning to do its job, and the internet has been massively transformative. The transformation has still got a long way to run – it needs to tear the two and a half party system apart – but that will come.”

Douglas Carswell’s book ‘The End of Politics and the Birth of iDemocracy’ is out now in paperback=

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEbruary 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Photo Credit: UNESCO/ Emilien Urbano

Politics & Comment “Stand up for Malala: Girls’ education is a right” event at UNESCO Headquarters

10

My Political Hero...

Viktor Yushenko

The shining light in Pakistan: Fifteen year old Malala’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination Declan Seachoy explains why fifteen year old Malala Yousofzai is symbolic of a much bigger fight for universal education The Nobel Prize for Peace is an award of the highest prestige, counting among its laureate Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, and Aung San Suu Kyi. For the 2013 award, after her nomination by the Norwegian government for her efforts to promote girls education, Malala Yousafzai, at only 15 years old, stands to be by far its youngest ever winner. In the UK, we are perhaps more accustomed to hearing 15 year old’s complaining about school, or possibly hoping it has been cancelled due to the snow.

This 15 year old girl has been nominated for her attempts to improve access to education – this certainly belittles anything I was doing at 15!

Malala Yousafzai is a girl who wanted to become a doctor but, at the age of 11, was denied an education. Writing in an anonymous blog for the BBC in 2009, she reveals how the Taliban issued a decree stating that there will be no more education for girls. Her articulate and down to earth style of writing gave a real insight into the difficulty she faced growing up in her region, and she gained global recognition for speaking out against her oppressors. At just 11 years old, Malala was becoming a global symbol for the fight for universal education. In a 2009 documentary for the New York Times, Malala’s heartfelt words about the desperate situation in her region of Swat, Northern Pakistan, effectively brought to the public’s attention with how much we take for granted in the West, and how difficult life can be for those elsewhere.

In one instance, we are told how a teacher at her school failed to show up. Malala’s father revealed that this is because the Taliban had

left the beheaded corpse of someone who spoke out against them on show on one of the roads leading to the school. For this region of Pakistan, these fear-mongering tactics, which we may associate with times long gone in our part of the world, appear to be commonplace.

The indifference the leaders of the Taliban have, with regard to taking life, along with the humiliating public beatings its members give out for seemingly meaningless acts (such as being out of the house without your husband) is truly shocking. One struggles to comprehend exactly how a situation of such severity has come about.

What is very clear, however, is the determined belief Malala has in her own sense of purpose, how she remains so dignified in the face of events, the emotional effects of which we cannot even begin to imagine, while all the time speaking of her right to education in terms which only few can disagree with. But what is perhaps most endearing about her is her unfaltering optimism that she will get her education. Despite the fact she frequently hears on the Taliban’s daily radio message that girls will not be allowed to go to school, she then turns to the camera saying how she has changed her wish to become a doctor, as she now wants to become a politician, because of the challenges the Pakistani society faces.

Upon winning the 2011 National Youth Peace Prize in Pakistan she called upon politicians to recognise the unhappiness there is for girls who, like her, dream of having more of a life than being confined to the home. Her willingness to speak out for her rights makes it easy to understand why comparisons to the

likes of Gandhi and Benazir Bhutto have been made.

Unfortunately, the similarities to Gandhi and Bhutto do not end there as Malala was, at the age of fifteen, the target of an assassination attempt. It goes without saying that her beliefs run contrary to those of the Taliban, and, perhaps seeing her as a threat to their way of life, a member of the Taliban boarded her school bus and shot her in the head. It was a miracle that Malala survived.

The huge outpouring of support for her in Pakistan marked what many hope will be remembered as the major turning point in the fight against the Taliban, as the moment they could no longer conceivably claim to be working for Islam, and the start of their decline from power.

It is therefore difficult to think of an individual more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than Malala; she stands ready to lead not only her nation but the entire global community towards a world where all children have access to education. She fights for a world free from religious extremists who, afraid of losing their grip on power, resort to public executions, humiliating tortures, and terrorist attacks. The strength of public opinion is such that history has and always will be on the side of those who seek progress, strive for fairness, and refuse to bow down to oppression. In attempting to assassinate Malala, the Taliban have made it clearer than ever before to which side of history they belong; Malala, on the other hand, will continue to be recognised long after their inevitable demise.

Ukraine is a country that doesn’t crop up too often in our daily conversations or in the British media. Hence, its political affairs aren’t widely known in the UK. Therefore, the man I have selected as my political hero may be a little less familiar than some of the previous entries in this column. This is someone who would go on to become President of Ukraine, introducing pro-western democracy to a nation that had not had a happy history – Viktor Yushchenko.

Born in 1954 to school-teacher parents, he was brought up in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (the official name of Ukraine when it was a part of the Soviet Union). After graduating from university with a finance degree, he gained employment in the banking sector, working for the Soviet Union’s state bank, where he quickly climbed the ranks and gained a top deputy-director position.

When the Soviet Union collapsed, in the early 1990s, Ukraine was hit hard. Its economy plummeted into a massive recession, leading to a soaring inflation rate that peaked at over 10,000%. By this time, Yushchenko was the head of the Ukrainian National Bank, and he decided to initiate a new currency in the failing country – the Hryvnia.

From here, things got better, and inflation dropped to a mere 10% in just a few years.

In 1999, he was made Prime Minister of Ukraine by then-President Leonid Kuchma. While in office, Yushchenko brought about remarkable changes to Ukraine’s government; he successfully wiped millions of dollars off the national debt and built a great level of trust between the government and the people. However, the President and his inner circle disapproved of Yushchenko’s openness about the government, which was reportedly widely corrupt, and in 2001, ousted Yushchenko from his job. Over the next two years, he remained politically active and formed the ‘Our Ukraine’ party, which was dedicated to introducing a democratic government to Ukraine, and in 2004, decided to run for President. Current President Kuchma, who had been accused of murder and severe corruption, did not support this, and launched a campaign against him. This was a major blow for Yushchenko, and things went from bad to worse for this politician, who was now extremely popular with the people. In September 2004, weeks before the election was due to take place, Yushchenko was poisoned with the deadly poison dioxin, supposedly during a dinner with government officials who were opposed to him. Although this assassination attempt left him gravely ill, with temporary facial paralysis, he heroically pressed on with his presidential campaign. The election took place, and the winner was announced as the candidate supported by the current Ukrainian government and their Russian allies – Viktor Yanukovych (note – this is a separate person to Yushchenko!). However, the election was rigged, with several cases of the opposition being allowed more than one vote per person. This sparked massive protests in the Ukrainian capital Kiev, in a movement known as the Orange Revolution, so called because of the official colour of Yushchenko’s ‘Our Ukraine’ party. Eventually, a re-election was demanded by the state supreme court, and this ended with a landslide win for Yushchenko, who became the first freely elected President in Ukraine’s history.

Like so many other world leaders, his pre-election popularity did not last, such to an extent that his party only gained 5.5% of the votes in the next Presidential elections in 2010. But the reason I see him as a political hero is because he achieved something that so many thought was impossible – he achieved his goal of making a democratic Ukraine; a nation that retains fairly strong diplomatic relations with the West to this day.

Ben Marshall

Comment

ISSUE 13/ 11th February 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

11

The government needs to think again on student immigration Alex Goldhill tells us about the problems he sees with the Government’s policy A balancing act has been going on throughout the Coalition’s time in power. How best to appease the general public’s marked hostility towards immigration, without losing the benefits immigration brings to the UK? The government’s current strategy has gotten this balancing act badly wrong, by including international students in immigration figures. These numbers are easy to legislate and reduce, and so are an easy way to make it look as though net immigration is going down. But this gets rid of the exact kind of immigrants (soon to be well educated, and with money to spend) that the country desperately needs to help us out of economic turmoil. Now, the chairmen of five parliamentary committees have written to David Cameron urging him to reconsider his current policy.

This is yet another example of how this country’s immigration policy continues to inflict damage upon itself to such a degree as to border on self-mutilation.

The government’s current policy is designed to stop ‘them there foreigners’ coming over here, enriching our culture and fuelling our economy. By including overseas students in their net migration goals (which the coalition pledges to reduce) the government is placing an unnecessary restriction on the number of foreign students that can come to the UK.

Education remains one of Britain’s leading industries, with a glowing international reputation, a source of numerous jobs across all sections of society and a generator of both the vital skills needed to run an industrialised country and strong international economic ties. These restrictions, coupled with the current economic climate, ultimately serve to deter potential students from coming to the UK. This has an overall negative effect on the British economy and university system. The effects of this deterrence are plainly evident. Over the past year, the numbers of overseas students coming to the UK has sharply declined.

The home office has defended the current rules, as part of an attempt to stamp out ‘bogus students’ and prevent abuse of the immigration system. But this is just the same story that we have been told a thousand times before. Amongst the huddled and destitute masses fleeing persecution and violence, there may be a few that just want to come along for the easy jobs. Among the thousands of hard working men and women who leave their families and friends behind in order to travel half way across the world to work an awful job, for awful pay, with awful hours, there are a few who just want to leech off our bountiful

and generous welfare state. Among the thousands of foreign nationals coming to study in our world class universities, there could be a few that are sneaking in uninvited.

The Government’s current policy is effectively saying that we need to guard against these pretend students, by whatever means necessary. We of course don’t want to alienate the legitimate migrants, oh no.

But if a few refugees are sent back to warzones or a few boatloads of migrants sink in the ocean, then that is just the price that we have to pay.

The fear of a few potential free riders in the system drives our governments to enact increasingly restrictive and damaging measures. More often than not, all that these restrictions do is increase the number of people who can be classed as illegal, thus driving up the demand for further restrictions. As more channels of entry come under scrutiny, it drives illegal migrants to use other means of entry. This leads to more widespread surveillance and restriction in these areas. This is of course to say nothing of the phenomenal cost of maintaining such scrutiny.

Why should we, as students, care about this relatively tiny aspect of a much larger problem? Well there are a number of reasons I can think of off the top of my head. Firstly, diversity on campus. Part of the reason we go to university is to have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world. Secondly, you might want to consider the role that international students play in funding our universities, especially when you consider the negative effects the cuts have made to native enrolment rates. Such funds are sorely needed in these trying times. For example, just imagine what university life would be like without such vital public goods as the Learning Commons (But seriously, jokes aside, our universities could not survive without this money.)

And finally, there are economic factors to consider.

As mentioned, the universities play a significant role in the national economy, and a healthy rate of student migration is vital for maintaining the international ties that help to fuel innovation and the integration of the global economy in such a manner as benefits us all.

David Cameron got it wrong, let’s all hope he listens.

Disagree? Tweet us @mancuniondebate, or email us at comment@mancunion.com

The hidden skeletons in the political closet William Stobart asks why so few students are interested in about politics

There’s few things as likely to bore the average student to death than a good and thorough chat about politics. In the months running up to the general election, the Guardian walked up and down Oxford road interviewing people about their feelings about the upcoming political upheavals. The average student response fell roughly into three brackets. The first was ‘What’s an election?’; the second one was ‘I hate Tories’, while the others thought the Guardian were trying to sell them the Socialist Worker and moved swiftly on.

In such an environment, it’s utterly unsurprising that the subsequent election proved to be of little interest to students, who were often far too busy trying to clear LibDem leaflets off their doorstep to get to the polling stations. Nevertheless, thousands of students did turn out in the counterintuitive hope that voting would somehow stop the barrage. And when the Students Union was packed full on election night, one might be excused for thinking that the tide had turned.

But alas, the yells of joyous yellow jubilation soon abated as soon as people realised that the LibDems, oh horror, were politicians too. The ‘Community Champions’ of election night had turned into blue-tinged terror spawns, proffering tuition fees and taxes on booze and fags. The hopes of thousands were dashed within twelve months, and the party previously cheered to the rafters now permanently plunged in the polls, not to rise back since.

Whom then would students turn to for political inspiration? The Labour party briefly reared its head in the media, but it was just some nerdy guy strutting around in front of the camera while having his hand shaken by overweight union bosses. The sun was shining, essays and lab reports were due, no-one cared, the world moved on. A couple of LibDems jumped off the fence and joined Ed’s army, however there was no genuine

Clegg at Cardiff University Source: Wikimedia Commons enthusiasm there.

‘So hang on, what’s the point here?’, I hear you ask. It’s true; the concept of political apathy is nothing new. Neither is the limited nature of a student mindset, which emphasises (oddly enough) having a good time as being more important than knowing what Caroline Flint thinks about an integrated transport policy. But what in fact does more than anything else to deter people from a more active interest is the polished and squeaky clean characters that Westminster creates for itself.

Take David Cameron, take Nick Clegg, take any of the party leaders you don’t particularly like. Do you like them because of the person they are? Do you think they’re someone you’d go out of your way to kick if you met them on the street and they were just a normal person? Most people will say – probably not. Most successful politicians of the modern era are bland, in reasonably good shape, and avoid saying things that might get them in trouble. The media spotlight, even if it doesn’t reflect popular interest, has effectively neutered any personality they might have ever had.

The reason, therefore, why the Labour party decided to choose the two least interesting people in the world to contest their leadership positions is not down to some error in parenting by Mr and Mrs Miliband, but down to a perverse natural selection which promotes the inoffensive centreground and weeds out the Dennis Skinners and Ken Clarkes of our generation. The technology age (which somehow does not yet extend to America) means that the result of a British party leader ‘pulling a Romney’ would be disastrous for his party.

There are obviously benefits to this situation.

Having an established centre ground is great, it means you can tackle the big issues in real detail and come up with the best policies without random nutters pushing for crazy things like scrapping the welfare state or executing bankers.

It also makes things great for minorities because parties will eventually get around to actually wanting to appeal to the maximum number of voters in order to distinguish themselves. This means being nice to as many people as possible, which is probably a good maxim for government to live by.

On the flipside, it does kinda mean that everyone eventually comes round to trying to say the same stuff in a slightly different way. And it means you get lots of shiny faces on TV screens. It means more David Cameron, more Nick Clegg and more Ed Miliband. It means that politicians follow their voters rather than trying to lead them. And most importantly, it means that there is very little motivation to get involved in politics. When you can’t really change anything, why would you want to be in a position of power? Media constraints on the executive are good and well, but this generation hasn’t really had its own ‘great debate’ yet, and we’re a little bit bored.

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Comment

ISSUE 13/ 11th February 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Who does equal marriage benefit?

Emma Bean examines the effects of the equal marriage bill

LGBTQ Flag Source: Wikimedia Commons

In the past week we have seen a key battle for LGBT equality fought and won, with a healthy majority in the commons supporting the samesex marriage bill. This has been the culmination of a great deal of campaigning, including from our own Students’ Union and the NUS, and has been greeted with general joy and euphoria from most quarters of note.

The acceptance of a community whose very sexual preferences were seen as deviant and as a threat to the natural family unit in mere decades previous in this country into an institution so incredibly associated with traditional family values is undoubtedly a significant symbolic step for the community. Thank God that long gone are the days of legislative persecution, of section 28, of even the existence of similar but decidedly separate civil partnerships only (though of course those could do to be opened up to two-sex partnerships, but that’s a different issue).

Aside from the hypocrisy of this government’s attempt to appear queer-friendly despite cuts to key services that disproportionately affect the LGBT community, such as mental health provisions, homeless support, sexual health services to name but a few, and with less than 50% of Conservative MPs even backing the changes we certainly should not be too quick to congratulate the government, though a liberal conservative is better than the alternative, most certainly, though a relative scale.

Legislative equality is something all liberation movements strive for, and is no doubt an important and good thing, though it is not something which is without its problems. If we look to the women’s movement, there are few areas where women are not legally equal to men – however this has hardly meant an end to the patriarchy, indeed in many ways it has made

it harder to fight it as it is harder to persuade people of the very real issue of oppression.

For the pink-pound spending well educated middle class gay men of Brighton, marriage equality and introduction into the great institution is probably one of the few remaining hurdles for liberation, but for others within the community whether or not very liberal religious organisations can hold marriage services, or that civil marriages instead of civil partnerships can be had makes little difference to everyday realities.

Friction that already exists between the constituent parts of the community may well come to be exacerbated by the equalisation of marriage, as the differences of levels of liberation and oppression become clearer. Whilst some portions of the community might feel that much of the fight is behind us, and that events such as pride should be a celebration of how far we

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One hopes that such breakthroughs as equal marriage do not ultimately come to do the LGBT commmunity harm

have come when, for example, trans* people are unable to get passports or register their identity on even the most basic of forms (which normally ask to tick the box of male or female, as though there are but two options), when LGBT youths are eight times more likely to commit suicide than their straight counterparts and when twowoman sexuality is routinely sold and presented for the benefit of men on the pages of ‘lad’s mags’.

For many years the LGBT community has had friction between its constituent parts, one hopes that such breakthroughs as equal marriage do not ultimately come to do it harm.

Having said this, the effect of having LGBT issues discussed at such lengths in the House of Commons, and with the end of such debate being a win for our community (and all good sense) cannot be underestimated. For the LGBT youth seeing people clapping the victory in the chamber from the public gallery the feeling of not being alone, and no longer being ‘separate but equal’, is surely immeasurable. For the parts of the community that the legislation does not directly benefit, of which of course there are alas too many, it seems reasonable to assume that this legislation might herald more progressive legislation from future governments. Whilst there were of course the unfortunate members of the house who said stupid and bigoted things (including a beautiful moment when the classic ‘Adam and Steve’ reference was made, incorrectly), there were also great speeches in defence of the bill. Let us hope that Joe Biden was right when he pointed to trans* issues as the next great civil rights battle to come.

This is, by absolutely no means, the end of the struggle, but it certainly is a most important step forward, hopefully for all LGBT people.

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Play our brain-teasing games If innovation makes you tick, now’s the time to put that mental agility to use for the chance to win a Google Nexus 7 (32GB). We’ve developed some brain-teasing online games that will test your quick responses and lateral thinking against students across the country. Every week, the top of the leader board for each game will win a prize.

We’ll also be on campus on 11th February, so come and join us for more chances to win on our giant touchscreen.

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14

Film

TOP

5

Kids with attitude

5. Dash (The Incredibles) Undoubtedly the best character in one of Pixar’s most celebrated films, Dash pulls off the ‘spirited kid’ label with vigour. Super competitive and certainly a bit of a show-off, this gutsy character is well worth a place on the list.

4. Tallulah (Bugsy Malone) Jodie Foster’s A-list breakthrough in 1976 found her picking up two BAFTAs- one each for Taxi Driver and Bugsy Malone.

But I chose Tallulah over Iris as her feistiness is pure entertainment.

3. Mathilda (Léon: The Professional) Any kid with ambitions of becoming a hit man (or woman) warrants the opportunity to be considered for this list, but Natalie Portman embodied the grittiness of New York countercultureasMathilda, making her fully deserving of third place.

2. Hit-Girl (Kick-Ass) Despite her role in 500 Days of Summer, it was Chloë Moretz’s role in Kick-Ass that led her to burst, almost literally, into Hollywood. Defined more by what she does than by what she says Hit-Girl is cooler than any of us will ever be, and she’s only thirteen.

1. Sam and Suzy (Moonrise Kingdom) To be honest, I would give every spot on this list to these two if I could.

Whether climbing onto church rooftops, stabbing their pursuers with scissors or, even, getting struck by lightning, Sam and Suzy show that they have limitless attitude. Anyone who hasn’t yet, see this film.

We’ve told you enough times.

Daniel Davis

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Awards season brings fresh controversies Dylan Wiggan looks into a recurring theme of this years awards season Controversy. It’s an increasingly overused word that’s lately become synonymous with adulterous footballers or scandalous reality shows. But this awards season ‘controversy’ has been a recurring theme.

Firstly there’s Zero Dark Thirty. Directed

by The Hurt Locker’s Kathryn Bigelow, this thriller chronicles the struggles of determined CIA agent Maya (played by Jessica Chastain) in her 10 year hunt to find Osama Bin Laden. It’s only just been released on these shores but a political storm has been a-brewing since it opened in across the Atlantic in mid-December.

The main point of complaint was the films depiction of torture. Some argued that the film showed water-boarding as a contributing factor in the locating and killing of the al Qaeda founder in his compound in Pakistan. Mainstream media, typically liberal leaning, sought to condemn this seemingly pro-torture cinema. Bigelow, a life-long pacifist, responded to this criticism by correctly arguing that simply showing these actions does not equate to condoning them.

Whilst astute observers have questioned whether the information gleaned from the torture actually was a step towards Bin Laden.

Then there’s Django Unchained. Quentin

Tarantino’s spaghetti western follows eponymous slave Django ( Jamie Fox) and his quest to rescue his wife from the clutches of nefarious slave owner Candie (Leonardo Dicaprio) with the help of bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz).

Controversy and Tarantino films go hand in hand, but his latest opus seems to be

getting the most headlines of his career and not for the right reasons. Aside from the usual gripes on his use of graphic violence, many have gotten angry at the film’s depiction of slavery and question the liberal use of the ‘N’ word throughout the film. Prominent black filmmaker

Spike Lee, an open Tarantino critic, called the film ‘disrespectful’ making the fair point that ‘American slavery was not a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western. It was a holocaust.’ However, he also admitted to not having seen the film, so is clearly unable to judge the film accurately. Regardless Tarantino’s outburst on Chanel Four News clearly shows he has been feeling the pressure of this film.

And let’s not forget The Impossible. Juan Antonio Bayona directs Naomi Watts and Ewan M c G re go r as a family caught in the mayhem of the 2004 Tsunami in Asian.

Complaints of the films stem from the fact that the film chooses to focus on a white middle class English family, essentially ignoring the 100,000s of poor Asian people lost in the disaster.

But what do these swirling pots of controversy all mean? Is it pure

coincidence that all these awards contenders have hit the wrong headlines all at once, or is something else going on?

The old saying goes ‘all press is good press’, suggesting any talk of these films will be good for box office and awards no matter in what light they are being spoken.

And producers like Harvey Weinstein have turned awards campaigns into an art form to such a degree that it wouldn’t be too cynical to suggest this hysteria was, if not completely manufactured, fuelled by the studios.

Pure artifice or not, the most important thing perhaps is that these films are doing what great films ought to get people talking. And that’s one of the best bits about watching a film, arguing about it with your mates on the way home or in a pub afterwards. As long as a film itself isn’t completely overshadowed by its own buzz, getting interesting movies on the news and more people discussion ‘meaning’ is surely a good thing.

Dylan Wiggan Film Editor

Review

The Sunset Sleeps Anthony Steel reviews University of Manchester graduate Alex Browning’s debut short film The Sunset Sleeps is the debut short film debut of University of Manchester graduate Alex Browning. He sent The Mancunion an advance copy of the film for review ahead of its submittal to various film festivals later in the year.

The story depicts the loss of childhood in an idyllic setting that appears to be the West Country. We are presented with breath-taking sceneries that lull you into a tranquil world of comfort and ease. The film tells the story of three friends, two of which are enamoured with each other. They are all young adults yet roam the fields like children - playing hide and seek and appearing innocent in nature. This exaggerated feeling of the youth faces us with the reality of growing up. In the beautiful opening shot the camera flies over fields of golden wheat, accompanied by the sound of wind, nature and relaxingly ambient music. In the midst of these delicious aesthetics, we are presented with cuts to the couple sitting under the trees and reading together. All the while, a voiceover summarises the dying fate of the sun.

The peaceful visuals incongruously coupled with the factually based narrative bring out the film’s message: the transition into adulthood is a troubled yet exciting point in our lives.

The first-time director shows promising skills in film-making with his establishing shots of the fields as well as the stylised moments of visual metaphors and cinematography. However, things go slightly awry during the scene between the three friends. Here, the shots are just a tad awkward. The framing, particularly

Director Profile Name: Tom Hooper Age: 40 Best known for: The King’s Speech, Les Misérables

over “third-wheel” Blake, creates uncomfortable angles.

In addition, the point-of-view shots of John were slightly off-putting. Whether intentional or not, they alienated you from his character. It also created an uneasy balance as to who was meant to be the main focus, especially alongside the critically dominant gaze of his girlfriend.

The editing here also lacks the clarity and precision that is presented elsewhere in the film.

Nonetheless, the film effectively eases us back into its dreamlike montage of the lovers spending their last few days of romance together before “the sun goes down”.

When the game of hide-and-seek begins, the film rolls back into a more professional quality with amazing crane shots and fluid transitions. One particularly great moment was close-up shot of the lovers’ held hands; although somewhat conventional it still proved effective as classic romantic imagery. Even more pleasing was the way in which the wheat gently brushed against them. All the while, Blake commences the countdown, signifying the impending end to the lovers’ relationship.

Here’s where the editing works really well. Ranging from unusually pleasing blurs to hazy dissolves, it soothingly portrayed the lovers last moments together yet, thankfully, doesn’t edge into what could’ve been cheesy and melodramatic storytelling. Close-ups, dissolves, the music and the endlessly stunning vistas feed the eyes throughout and immerse us into the films complicated yet beautiful world.

Despite the minor blip in the middle, Alex Browning provides capability in filmmaking and direction. There

Tom Hooper is the man who took on the mammoth task of directing the film adaptation of highly popular Broadway musical Les Miserables, playing now in cinemas. Going on its Oscar noms, he has proved successful, but this wouldn’t be a surprise if you look at his career.

Hooper started out at the BBC, working on projects such as children’s drama Byker Grove.

He went on to direct Eastenders and worked on the BAFTA winning hour long episodes in 2000 and 2001.

Hooper’s ability to reconstruct the gritty, realism of history and politics became more apparent in his move to feature film, starting

are clear signs here of cinematic skill and understanding as well as a talent in visualising the beauty that surrounds us and incorporating it into well accustomed themes.

Browning is currently working on another project How It All Ends which, based on the standard of filming he has shown so far, is sure to be worth a watch. The Sunset Sleeps will be a worthy contender at upcoming festivals for independently made shorts such as this. It is sweet, simple and a positive onset for the freelance director’s work.

Anthony Steel

with Red Dust in 2004. It dealt with racism and torture in a state coping with political unrest.

Returning briefly to TV, his popular HBO mini-series John Adams further established Hooper’s credentials as a talented filmmaker, and spring boarded him swiftly into the big leagues with inspirational crowd pleaser The King’s Speech. It won 4 Oscars and 7 BAFTAs, including Best Picture/Film and Best Director for Hooper himself.

Les Miserables, Hooper’s next, was almost guaranteed to be good given his track record, but he had the difficult task of pleasing the musicals 60 million strong fan base. However, with $300 million and counting in the bank, it’s

safe to say he’s met that challenge too.

Suraj Vara

Director Tom Hooper (left)

Film

ISSUE 13/ 11th February 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Preview

A Good Day To Die Hard

A Year In Film: 2006

Director: John Moore • Starring: Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney A Good Day to Die Hard (release: February 14th) will follow on from previous films in the franchise by taking America’s most famous roguecop John McClane and placing him in a violent and unforgiving criminal underworld. A familiar plot involving weapons of mass destruction, evil Russians and this time a dynamic father/ son relationship will be the underlying premise of Die Hard 5 and promises an action-filled couple of hours for film lovers searching for a much needed mid-winter adrenaline rush.

Though Die Hard 5 is unlikely to break new ground or redefine what it means to be a good thriller, it will be a safe bet for film lovers who enjoy fast-paced action and a light yet witty narrative (witty in the cheesy Hollywood sense anyway!)

This latest rendition sees McClane travel to Moscow in Russia where his estranged son Jack finds himself in the Russian slammer. McClane begins the movie blissfully unaware of the kind of trouble his son is in – but as the trailer makes perfectly clear, before long angry Russian criminals and exploding cars help spur McClane into the kind of action we have come to expect from

him over the past 2 and a half decades. Though little has been given away regarding the intricacies of the plot, we know McClane’s son is not as helpless as he initially believes – it turns out Jack is New Jersey’s answer to 007; so when both McClane and Jack realise they have been pawns in a much wider plot, with plenty of ‘gadgets’ and a car-trunk load of guns they set out to stop the Russian terrorists together.

Though the premise of the film seems water-tight it also seems as though Die Hard 5 will be about as generic as it can get without being Die Hard 4 with different bad guys. The head Russian terrorist Komorov is expectedly evil, self serving

and hates America whist his assistant Irina is a genuinely nice girl caught up with the wrong people – add this to the fact we have Russian terrorists and it all feels like a throwback to any action movie from the 1980’s.

Die Hard 5 will be worth a watch and may surprise its critics on release. But from what we know so far, its predictability and its tried and tested formula could be both its Achilles heel or its greatest strength depending on what you look for in a film.

Jack Crutcher

Cornerhouse: Pick of the Week Everyday

The film Everyday has been described as an ‘almost unbearably moving film’ and as it’s screening at The Cornerhouse for only a week, we should all be taking advantage of the opportunity to see this film which, according to The Evening Standard, ‘deserves the big screen’.

Many may recognise the film as a recent TV drama starring Shirley Henderson and John Simm – a married couple with four children (all siblings in reality) and their life over five years while the father, Ian (Simm), serves a jail sentence.

Directed by Michael Winterbottom, the film is reminiscent of Ken Loach’s gritty realism with the incorporation of real prisoners and wardens in the prison scenes and the bleak-winter Norfolk landscape as a backdrop. Even more realistically, Winterbottom has chosen to actually film over the story’s five years. Consequently, the children will genuinely age instead of a selection of very different looking, much older children suddenly appearing as time passes. These children also apparently impact this film more than the acclaimed actors, giving the film a poignant emotion and focus on the family’s survival over the period. No particular event is depicted and time change is not defined. This subtlety is key to Winterbottom’s directorial style, as his films are snap-shots of life, creating immense emotional impact.

Everyday is therefore full to the brim with promise and is definitely worth a trip to The Cornerhouse when it comes out on Sunday 17th February.

Ally Mitchell

LISTINGS

One of the most gifted directors that has ever graced cinema finally landed his Academy Award for best picture in 2006. After five times being snubbed at the podium for Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), Gangs of New York (2002) and The Aviator (2004) Martin Scorsese finally won with The Departed. The Boston crime film was a remake of the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs (2002), about the simultaneous deploying of a spy in the police force and the gang of organized crime. With an outstanding cast of Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Sheen to deliver this twisting action thriller it is a gangster film to rival that of Goodfellas.

The complexity of The Departed was only rivaled by that of The Prestige, where Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale pit their wits against each other. The two actors play rival magicians who look to brilliance and then deceit to overcome one another as the greatest magician. Christopher Nolan directs a film, following that of Memento (2000) that plays with the mind, bringing doubts to yourself and the characters. Nolan shows his genius in establishing and executing these elaborate plots

that turn you upside down.

The long awaited reboot of Britain’s favourite agent 007 in Casino Royale finally landed with the weight of the nation on Daniel Craig’s shoulders to deliver. Full of action, girls and martinis the film did not disappoint long-term fans of the franchise with Mads Mikkelsen playing the perfect nemesis. It was the start of a new Bond franchise that has labeled Daniel Craig as the best Bond ever, I’m sure Brosnan, Moore and Connery will have something to say about that though.

Other great films in 2006 come in the brutality of the Spartans in 300 and the eye opening Blood Diamond highlighting the diamond trade. 300 is the historical (sort of ) war epic of King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) and

his Spartan warriors against the almighty Persian army.

Blood Diamond was the hardhitting film headed by the brilliant Leonardo DiCaprio on the atrocious diamond trade in South Africa during the Sierra Leone Civil War 1996-2001.

2006 doesn’t stop there with the dark fantasy Pan’s Labyrinth that provoked our imagination and Little Miss Sunshine the charming comedy-drama of a family’s journey across the country. It is a year that even affirmed Will Smith’s Ali (2001) was not a fluke and that he was a top actor with the emotional The Pursuit of Happyness costarring his son Jaden Smith.

It was a great year of film, how could it not be, it brought us Sacha Baron Cohen’s Borat after all.

Lloyd Hammett

The Films are Alive with the Sound of Music Sophie James celebrates the importance of music in cinema Typically, award season hype focuses on the Big Four: best actor, actress, director and film. But, whilst they grab the headlines, there’s another category that’s just as vital a part of the filmmaking process – the soundtrack!

Directors throughout history, from Alfred Hitchcock to Danny Boyle, have proclaimed music as fundamental to their creative vision. Some of the most famous partnerships in film history have been those between director and composer. Duos such as Hitchcock and Herrmann or Williams and Spielberg have created films that are iconic both visually and aurally. Who could forget the melancholy violin melody from Schindler’s List or that blood-curdling, high-pitched string motif that instantly makes us all think of knives, blood and shower curtains?!

But it’s not just the directors who view music as vital in telling a film’s story. A soundtrack is also important for what it says about the composer’s musical reaction to a film and the characters within it. Leonard Bernstein composed his one and only film score to On The Waterfront. Although previously reluctant to break into the film-composition sphere, Bernstein could not resist. Having been so moved

by Marlon Brando’s incredible performance, he accepted the challenge straight away.

So, ‘Best Original Score’ is a category not to be sniffed at! And 2013 has produced a bumper crop of nominations, displaying a stellar line up of composers hoping to win big on the night, and no doubt presenting the Academy with some tough decisions. First up we have Michael Danna for Life of Pi. With previous film creds including Little Miss Sunshine and (500) Days of Summer, it’s surprising that this is Danna’s first Academy Award nomination. His score for Life of Pi is as stunning as the visual effects it accompanies and truly enhances the impact of Ang Lee’s cinematic vision.

Then we have four of the biggest current names in film composition, starting with Thomas Newman, who has managed to secure Skyfall with one of its few and valuable Academy Award Nominations – no mean feat when its director, Sam Mendes, didn’t even get a mention for best Director. No mean

feat, but not surprising either – after all, Newman is the mastermind behind such film scores as American Beauty, The Green Mile and the film that is in just about everyone’s top five, The Shawshank Redemption. This is Newman’s eleventh academy award nomination and perhaps it’ll be his first win. I think I know who the Brits will be backing…

The next composer has bagged Argo another of its GAZILLION nominations. It’s perhaps easiest to list the films that Alexandre Desplat HASN’T composed scores for, with recent films including Moonrise Kingdom, Rust and Bone and Zero Dark Thirty.

How does the Academy manage to single just one film score out of all of that?! Desplat has had much BAFTA success and is certainly no stranger to the Academy, with Argo being his fifth nomination.

Fourth nominee Dario Marianelli could well be in with a chance too. Anna Karenina is further fruit of his incredible partnership with director Joe Wright. Marianelli’s seductively sinister soundtrack to Joe Wright’s Atonement ripped it up at the award ceremonies back in 2007 and it’s no mystery why – the chemistry between these two always produces breathtaking pieces of cinema.

Last but not least we have the KING of the composers: John Williams, with his score to Lincoln.

With five academy awards under his belt as well as 48 nominations, Williams comes second in the “most nominated person ever” list, missing first place to some guy called Walt Disney. Name a memorable soundtrack and Williams probably composed it.

Jaws? Yep. Star Wars? You betcha. Harry Potter?

Check. Superman? Do you even need to ask?! As Lincoln is another collaboration between Williams and Steven Spielberg, I think most of us will have our money on Williams to win on February 24th.

So whether you stay up to watch the awards or trawl through the list of winners the next day – do yourself a big favour and look out for who won Best Music. And next time you’re in the cinema, open your mind and let the music in. I guarantee it’ll transform your cinematic experience.

Sophie James

ISSUE 13/ 11TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

ISSUE 13/ 11TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

This week: The Sporty Issue

Still chasing the American Apparel dream?

Joanna Dryden questions the American brand’s reliability and practicality as producers of quality sportswear With the start of every new year and our proclamations of ‘New Year, New Me!’ comes the inevitable dash to the shops to stock up on sportswear. However, it is no longer good enough to just be practically and comfortably dressed for exercise, you now need to look the part too. So where to shop for this workout chic look? Many of us, it seems, turn to American Apparel. This is a brand that prides itself on its ethics- the majority of the clothes are made in a factory in downtown L.A. by immigrant workers who are paid double the minimum wage, and the simplicity of the products is the unique selling point. Yet this is a brand whose fitness section sells thong bodysuits (£23.00) and unitards (£32.00), without a sports bra in sight; is it really workout friendly?

American Apparel may be a go-to for the

fashion conscious youth and it is rare that a day at uni passes without spotting at least one girl in a pair of ‘Disco Pants’, but trying to replicate this look for the gym is perhaps, even for the fashion elite, a step too far. We all want to look our best, but exercise is the one aspect of our lives where we should be a tad more practical (you’ll thank your young self when various body parts are still in the right places and you haven’t been struck by the arthritic limp).

However lovely the models wearing this ‘fitness wear’ on the website appear, as they contort their bodies into shapes a Yoga bunny would approve of, this is an unattainable look for myself and many of us who live in the real world.

Workouts in the real world end in a sweaty mess, not rosy glowing faces. One glance in one of the many mirrors lining the gym walls

Style Profile: Maria Sharapova

and my sensible alter ego reveals herself and praises the exercise Lord that I invested in those shock-impact trainers, sports bra (however unsightly we all know those things are) and clothes crafted from breathable fabric, rather than striving for the American Apparel look.

Just imagine this: me, in an Aerobics class, going for the high kicks in a V-neck thong bodysuit (minus the sports bra), cleavage on full display and a slinky pair of leggings: literally the makings of a horror movie.

And let us not disregard the scandalous antics of founder Dov Charney, various controversial and hyper-sexualised advertising campaigns and the ‘are-you-having-a-laugh?’ price tag. I beg each and every one of you to save the Disco Pants and bodysuits for nights out and be practical, just for once! For those who do want something fashionable and practical, there’s always Stella McCartney for Adidas and Liberty trainers for Nike. These products may cost a little bit more, but they are ultimately an investment; specifically designed for the gym, not the disco.

Since 2005, Adidas by Stella McCartney has been a unique partnership within fashion and sportswear, appointing her as the creative director for the British team kit for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. This year, combining the innovation and high-end technology of Adidas with Stella’s fashion-forward thinking, they have launched a line of high-performance sportswear for women across a range of athletic disciplines such as running, gym, yoga cycling and tennis. The collection was designed with professional players in mind and will in fact be worn by the likes of Laura Robson and Maria Kirilenko at the Grand Slam this year. Although most of us aren’t tennis pros, I can honestly say that with the sleek feminine tailoring, striking prints and bold colour contrasts of McCartney’s pieces, come gym time you’ll certainly dress to impress, making that post-uni workout just a little more bearable.

Beauty

Health is for life, not just for (after) Christmas

There is a trend emerging in the fitness and nutrition world, says Jessica Cusack

on the student budget either! (£4.19 at Boots) “OMG. He’s here. He’s here and I have no makeup on. Kill me now!”

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. Braving bare faced beauty in public is bad enough without your crush seeing you totally au naturel. Unfortunately the once-quiet workout spot in your local hometown is now a university social hub equipped with hotties, friends and coursemates. Statistics show that 7 out of 10 women admit to wearing makeup to the gym, so how can we perfect this minimal look without finding it sliding onto our sports bras minutes later?

Messy Up-Do Emphasis on the ‘messy’, this effortless style can be done in seconds and requires zero preparation or skill. Laziness disguised as glamour?! YES PLEASE.

Base: Your perfected-dewy-glow everyday routine isn’t going to cut it here.

Think “mattify” or say “goodbye” to your post-workout dignity. If you’re a skin conscious gal like myself, a powder-based foundation is best for you.

Award-winning bareMinerals Matte SPF foundation (£25) is a great choice for the gym, banishing any shine and any embarrassment when your friend starts checking her reflection in your face!

If you’re blessed with clearer skin, keep it bare or stick to just a concealer to hide those pesky late-night-essay eyes or the odd blemish. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer is a beauty guru fave and not too harsh

Fishtail Plait A quirkier relative of the French braid, the fishtail braid is pretty and compact. Keep it tight and tidy for cardio or loose and wispy for low-impact activities like yoga.

LOATHING: Untested tanks All too often have I seen ladies of a well-endowed nature, obliviously working out with a vengeance, as their boobs spill out all over the elliptical. We all want to make the most of our best assets, as well as impress the eye candy in the weights section but let’s be honest; an unsupportive or low-cut sports bra is a crime for cardio, bad for your back and downright distracting for all the wrong reasons. To prevent such disasters, Nike offers a range of high quality, stylishly designed sports bras in high, medium and light support. Lesson to be learnt? Strap ‘em down and get to work.

Nikki Patel

Halee Wells tackles the age-old problem of workout make-up

Swept Back

Sporty Ponytail Can make even the most docile amongst us look remotely athletic; this swept back style can be made even more sleek with a quick dab of serum over fly-aways pre-workout.

LOVING: Adidas by Stella McCartney

Make up to get down

Best for those with shorter hair that don’t want to scrape it all back, a simple elasticated headband will keep the hair off your face.

LOVING AND LOATHING: Gym Wear

Gráinne Morrison on one of sport’s Best Dressed

Russian Maria Sharapova has more than proved her tennis credentials over the years, and along the way she has exhibited herself as a champion of the style courts as well. Whether it’s on the red carpet or mid-set, Sharapova demonstrates her eye for well-tailored ensembles and striking designs. In 2010, the World No. 3 launched her very own line in collaboration with Nike and Cole Haan (The Maria Sharapova Colllection), furthering her place amongst the Fashion elite.

On the court, Sharapova has demonstrated her style prowess with daring and embellished cuts, this example (see featured image), from her very own collection which she debuted at the Australian Open in 2010, demonstrates her ability to balance her career aspirations with her unique sense of style, proving that athletics and aesthetics are not mutually exclusive. Sharapova’s fashion success can be attributed to her tasteful approach to dressing; her choice of ensembles accommodate never hinder - her game. I would even go so far to say that her performances could be improved by the confidence her stylish looks no doubt afford her. Off the tennis court, Sharapova is equally renowned for her impeccable presentation. In fact, after winning the 2004 Wimbledon tournament, one of Sharapova’s first courses of action was to hit up the Oxford Circus Topshop – yes, she’s always had her priorities right.

Snapped here in Alexander McQueen, the tennis pro excels at demonstrating strength and femininity in a delicate frock one might only associate with wafer-thin models. Female sport stars are all too often dismissed as too ‘masculine’ and are thus distanced from fashion houses like McQueen, yet Sharapova defies such stereotypes - leading the way for others who may see themselves as outside the Fashion world.

HOW TO: Gym Hair

Fashion

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Eyes: When reinacting a Baywatch run towards your crush on the treadmill, nothing says Pamela-chic like a sultry glance. Cheap and cheerful Maybelline Great Lash Mascara (£4.99) won’t move a muscle whilst you’re busting yours, and besides, everybody loves cute packaging. It’s a gym bag must!

Eyebrows: If your eyebrows are a little on the sparse side and you’re channelling more Voldemort than Ms.Delevingne, try using a pigmented brow gel. Me Me Me cosmetics’ Arch Angel brow and highlighter gel is a great 2-in1 must-have (£8.50). Not only will it thicken out your wispy brows but it will also add a subtle highlight to compliment your post work out glow.

Lips: Perfect your pout with a simple swipe of lip butter or balm. Nivea Pearly Shine will not only moisturise your lips, but give them a subtle shine and shimmer too. (£2.29 Superdrug)

So that’s it girls, whilst you’re working towards that perfect bikini bod, you’ll now have a flawless face to assist you along the way, voilà!

Gymwear 101 Gym wear is notoriously difficult to get right. Of course you could be the bog standard average joe in a pair of loose fitting cotton shorts, a t-shirt and a pair of trainers you’ve had since you were in high school, but you don’t really want this do you? You want to stand out, you want everyone present during your work-out to look at you twice or maybe even thrice and think, “who is THAT?” When you get on the treadmill you want the people running around you to remain, and when you get home, you want to open your gym bag and see no fewer than seven sheets of paper with phone numbers on them.

movement, they also have the added benefit of making you look like a douche.

Shorts should be above the knee, and baggy sweats should be left at home.

Extra fabric never hides it only ever amplifies and in the gym baggy sweats often catch on bits of machinery.

These sports trousers from H&M should do nicely.

5) Gym shoes are the least-governed article of clothing that one wears in the gym. As long as they are in reasonable condition, they are perfectly acceptable. So why not use this opportunity to be really expressive and dandy? How about these bright yellow running shoes from Nike?

In order to achieve similar levels of success, a delicate balance between fashion, practicality and modernity needs to be struck. Below are the five things you need to keep in mind when you’re dressing for the gym.

1) Do not go Commando. Especially when running on the treadmill or doing anything that involves a mat.

2) If you’ve got the guns, don’t be afraid to show them off with a sleeveless tee but remember to give your armpits a trim first.

3) Go easy on the techie gear. Yes, we all know about their sweat-wicking and heat-providing properties, but a man dressed completely in under-armour borders on the obscene. Mix it up with more conventional work-out clothes like cotton t-shirts or even dri-fit t-shirts if you dislike the way cotton tends to hold on to sweat and moisture. Alternatively, wear tees over your base layers. It is important to note that base layers and under armour are notorious for displaying all that there is to be seen. If there is anything you’d rather hide then avoid them like you would the bubonic plague!

Nikki Patel

4) It is all about the fit. While tight t-shirts might work for you in a night club they should never be brought to the gym. Not only do they constrict

Damilola Ade-Odiachi

In the new trend, fitness coaches, sportswear brands and nutritionists have rolled into one lean mean fat-busting machine, designed to not just change your body but your life. This new era of health and fitness hopefully spells the end of fad diets and crazes, which have thus far dominated the Noughties.

From the cayenne pepper and maple syrup detox (Beyoncé, how could you?!), to the baby-food diet (WTF?), via the masquerading-as-healthy-but-actually-crap Atkins, these fads have left us stressed, toxic and, most tragically, fat.

So thank Our Lord of Celery that a new breed of healthy heroes have come to our rescue. I’m talking about nutritionist and trainer James Duigan, fitness freak Tracey Anderson, and sportswear lifestyle brand Sweaty Betty. These names are just a few which are designed to be a choice for life, not just for January, aiming to make healthy food delicious and simple, exercise effective and manageable, and gym wear that makes you want to actually go to the gym.

Duigan’s ‘Clean and Lean’ lifestyle diet is not revolutionary or groundbreaking, but simple and effective. He preaches the necessity of cutting out processed, fake foods and instead sticking to a diet of clean and natural nutrition which will de-stress your body and your mind, enabling all your hard work at the gym to actually show. Check out the whole plan, including his supplements, exercise regime and workout gear (told ya these guys did the full package) at Bodyism.com.

As an aside, he is responsible for supermodel Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s utterly amazing body, and if that doesn’t convince you then I don’t know what will.

Tracy Anderson is another celeb trainer – see Gwyneth Paltrow: 40 years old, two kids later, and in possession of an incredible figure – and while she too has a nutrition plan very similar to James Duigan’s, Anderson is more known for her gruelling, result-producing workouts. Her books and DVDs are the best place to fully submerge yourself into the healthy thoughts of this lady, who packs a lotta muscle into her teeny-tiny frame. Once again, Anderson places emphasis on a lifestyle change, not just a period of extreme exercise to lose weight quickly, only to pile it all back on again.

And what to wear during this healthy excursion? Sweaty Betty of course. The UK super-brand has transformed itself from a sportswear label (yoga, cycling, running, dancing, gymming, swimming – you name it, they’ve got the threads for it) to a lifestyle label. With their free (yes, free) work out classes in Pilates, yoga, Zumba and circuits to name but a few, SB aim to get every Betty in the UK sweating, in a fun, friendly and stylish environment. Hey, if you’re gonna get gross, you may as well start out looking great.

I, for one, welcome this new crew of health. It’s high time we ditched the short-term fads and started looking after our bodies for the long run. It goes without saying that the effects of this healthy lifestyle are not only visible on your tummy or the number on your dress label, but in your skin, hair, nails and eyes (yes, your eyes can actually glow with health. I’ve seen it.) No doubt this fresh approach bears a strong relationship to the new figures we’re seeing on the red carpet these days.

Gone are the days of dangerously thin, Diet Coke addicted Lindsay Lohans and Nicole Richies, and in come the new stars such as Blake Lively and Rosie H-W. Yes, they’re still incredibly slim girls, and yes, they’re still not the average body type but at least they look healthy, strong and happy as opposed to stressed, skinny and starving.

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Music

ISSUE 14th 18th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Interview

Editor’s Column

Finger-picking folkies to fashionable frauds Tom Ingham Music Editor Even for the most unfortunate looking chap, the guitar is a sure fire way of spicing up that image and attracting the ladies. My slight inclination towards the 70s means I rank the electric guitar way above the humble acoustic on the sex-o-meter. But over the course of the last 50 years the acoustic has seen its robust, working image shattered by featuring in several episodes of Britain’s Got Talent.

The 1960s folk revival, spearheaded largely by Bob Dylan, introduced the acoustic as a lethal weapon for political song writers of the time, disenchanted with civil rights tensions and Cold war fever. From the anti-war cries to hippie anthems, the 60s and 70s spawned many acoustic wielding heroes. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell and the like made their way to the mainstream with the acoustic guitar, capturing the public’s imagination with tracks like ‘Heart of gold’ and ‘Chelsea morning’ even in the prog-rock sympathetic 70s.

Like its electric counterpart, the acoustic had its own technical wizards with artists like Richard Thompson, Roy Harper and the man dubbed the Jimi Hendrix of the acoustic guitar, Bert Jansch. These men would grace the pages of Rolling Stone, but I don’t think they’d have a full page pull out somehow. They were serious men with beards, they weren’t posers – you wouldn’t have caught Harper dead playing ‘More than words’ for a bird (even if it did exist at the time).

Shift forward to 2013 and

SONGS 5 IN THE FIELD OF...

Breakups Rachel Bolland

something has gone very wrong.

The acoustic guitar has now become associated with a crop of chino wearing, cloneazoid ponces. I nearly exploded when I saw X Factor rejects One Direction adopt the guitar for one of their routines. Then the pig-faced 2012 ‘winner’ James Arthur also dicked about with a guitar in a shallow attempt to gain some credibility, despite being made up like Julian Clary.

I found myself even more infuriated recently with the hype surrounding the latest 60s throwback, Jake Bugg. Oooo he’s got an accent and a guitar he must be good – come off it. I found it frankly insulting that some derivative piece of nostalgia was being sold to me as the savour of rock n roll. Then there was the final straw last week at the Grammy’s – bloody Mumford & Sons, a band who’ve managed to create the musical equivalent of beige, with their slick, inoffensive folk are now Grammy worthy it appears.

Surprisingly the one acoustic artist I don’t despise at the moment is Ed Sheeran - he’s a real talent on the guitar, which makes it a shame that he looks like a complete plonker. But, sadly, I don’t actually ‘like’ him; I just don’t ‘hate’ him. The acoustic guitar has been cheapened at the hands of these school girl pleasing impostors who’ve hogged the spotlight from the genuine talent of artists like Fleet foxes and Ron Sexsmith.

The latest acoustic starter packs come with a tub of hair gel and a sob story, ensuring your half way to stardom before you’ve even tuned the thing.

Frightened Rabbit Frontman Scott Hutchison speaks to The Mancunion on life on a major label, breaking America and how he really feels about Mumford and Sons Joe Goggins Music Editor “I think we had a bit of an identity crisis on the last record.” Scott Hutchison is referring to The Winter of Mixed Drinks, the third Frightened Rabbit album, which was a hit with the critics but seemed to fly under the radar commercially, failing to deliver on the promise of mainstream success that its predecessor, The Midnight Organ Fight, hinted at.

Plenty’s changed in the three years since; the Selkirk band have finally made the indieto-major label crossover, making Atlantic Records their new home, and frontman Hutchison divulges that the switch allowed them to make a clean break as far as their approach to making music was concerned.

“I don’t think we really knew what kind of album we wanted to make with Mixed Drinks, whereas with the new record we’ve achieved what we set out to do. There was a lot more collaboration in the writing process – we wanted to actually sound like a band this time round – and lyrically, I was keen to go back to the more personal stuff I was writing on the earlier records.”

This vision has brought the band their first top ten album with Pedestrian Verse, and Hutchison is confident that the change in approach was key. “We’d actually never recorded live as a five-piece before; we’d usually start with the drums and sort of layer the songs upwards from there. It took longer and there’s obviously some overdubs, but the core of each song was recorded live and you can’t really get achieve that energy any other way.”

Pedestrian Verse also sees Hutchison return to the more personal lyrical style that served as his signature pre-Mixed Drinks. “I think

I suddenly became aware of revealing too much; when you’re writing songs in your bedroom, you’re kind of in a vacuum because you’ve got no audience. Once you do find yourself with an audience, you’re thinking, ‘fuck, I’m not sure if I should be so revealing about myself, I don’t want to hurt certain people who might end up hearing this.’” That diversion, though, is something he felt ran contrary to what Frightened Rabbit represent: “I think you’re compromising yourself as a songwriter if you start censoring yourself in that way. It really watered down what the band is about.”

The passion and honesty that drive the band lyrically is reflected in the ardent response of their fanbase. “I don’t think I could ever be blasé about how into the songs the crowds seem to be,” says Hutchison. “Where a lot of the older songs are concerned, the original sentiment that inspired me to write them isn’t there anymore, and you realise that they’ve become more about the reaction from the vans; it’s like the band have become a vehicle for the crowd’s catharsis. In that respect, they’re not really my songs these days.”

Mixed Drinks seemed to meet with greater commercial success across the pond, certainly in terms of the live circuit, with a clear disparity between the sizes of the venues the band were selling out on either side of the Atlantic. “I think we’ve bridged that gap to some extent now, although I’m not entirely sure why things started moving quicker for us over there,” confesses Hutchison. “There’s definitely a great affection for Scottish music over there, and I think that maybe allowed us a faster track than maybe an English band would have. A lot of my influences when I started writing songs were American, like Wilco and Ryan Adams, so maybe the

audiences over there picked up on that, too.”

Even the nicest guys have breaking points, and for Hutchison, his came after a string of American journalists repeatedly compared Frightened Rabbit to Mumford and Sons. It’s an association so absurd that it borders on offensive. Hutchison, quoted by the NME as having said he ‘fucking hated’ the waistcoatbotherers, reveals he drew tired of discussing the link. “I’d been in a stream of interviews and in every single one, that band came up. I suppose I can hear it in places, but overall it’s not a very valid comparison. I’m trying not to talk about it now, in case I get in trouble,” he laughs.

The evolution apparent on Pedestrian Verse is due in no small part to the band’s move to Atlantic. “People assume you have less creative freedom once you’re on a major, but if anything, moving to Atlantic has been liberating for us. Having a bit of money for once has allowed us to make a huge step forward creatively; we could afford to go away together for a few weeks and work on nothing but the record. Even things as simple as not having to worry about having a day job can be really freeing in that respect. Nothing’s changed for the worse.”

A tour of obscure towns in the Scottish Highlands was documented in the form of Here: The Highlands Film. “Bands I admired, like Idlewild and Biffy Clyro, had done that kind of tour, and spending so much time surrounded by beautiful scenery and playing to crowds that usually wouldn’t get to see us was obviously a positive experience all round,” recalls Hutchison. “I mean, I suppose we might not paint the most flattering picture of Scotland at times,” he laughs, “so it was nice to show people there’s another side to it, too.”

1. Frightened Rabbit Keep Yourself Warm

2. Sharon van Etten - A Crime

3. Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes

4. Caitlin Rose - Things Change

Coming in the middle of Frightened Rabbit’s heart wrenching break up album, the line “It takes more than fucking someone you don’t know to keep yourself warm”, sums up that feeling of self loathing and doubt we all get after an illadvised tryst. Are those feelings really worth it?

Another almost anti-love song, “To say the things I want to say to you would be a crime/To admit I’m still in love with you after all this time.” Everyone wonders if their ex is doing better than them after a break-up which always throws up the question, how long does it take to get over someone? How long is a piece of string?

Throughout your life you’ll always come across people who, for your own mental and emotional well being, you shouldn’t enter into any kind of romantic relationship with. But sometimes you just don’t care.

This song sums those feelings up brilliantly. The temptation, the restraint and the moment when you just give in.

This is another absolutely heartbreaking one, but one that is also sensationally beautiful.

Rose perfectly captures that ‘what-if’ feeling after a relationship comes to an end and that desperate desire to forget and move on while still being haunted by old memories.

Were they the one? Probably not.

5. Dry the River - No Rest Peter Liddle’s pain during the chorus is one of the most effective summations of heartbreak you will ever hear.

It’s not hard to imagine what happened when he sings the line “I loved you in the best way possible” encapsulates the confusion and hurt you feel after being dumped, that awful ‘how could you do this to me?’ feeling.

Music

ISSUE 13/11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

19

Feature

Music and design: a dying art?

It’s the year 2013 and we still don’t have flying cars.

We can’t teleport and the world isn’t overpopulated with robots (other than infuriating self service checkouts at supermarkets). But what we can do is purchase and download an album wherever we are in the world, right from our mobile phones.

The downloading of digital music, whether by legal means or otherwise, has seen such incredible growth over the past 10 years that it’s no wonder independent record shops are a dying breed, and even high street giants like HMV are plummeting into administration. Digital downloads actually overtook physical music sales in the US last year.

CDs are dead, long live the mp3! It’s a shame then, that I’m vehemently against this new digital craze, but effectively powerless to stop it.

I’m not some ignorant vinyl aficionado so obsessed with his latest purchase that he can’t see further than its 12” diameter. I know digital downloads are cheap, and their instant accessibility satisfies the impatient needs of the iPod generation. There is, however, a lot to be said for the feel of a tangible product in your hands: the physical manifestation of an artist’s musical output, the anticipation as you rip open the packaging, pore over the liner notes

and prepare yourself for what could be the greatest hour of musical ecstasy you’ve ever experienced.

Music and design go hand in hand, a relationship explored most famously by Manchester’s very own Factory Records in the ‘80s. They brought together music and design in a union that would forever shape Manchester’s cultural identity, turning industrialism into genius design. Everything they did was branded with its own FAC catalogue number, even co-founder Tony Wilson’s coffin was catalogued as FAC 501, forever securing his position as music legend and Mr. Manchester himself.

Their attention to detail was so immaculate it eventually ran them into the ground. New Order’s single Blue Monday may be the most recognisable dance anthem of all time, but it holds a special significance in the Factory legend for other reasons.

Designed by Peter Saville, its packaging was so intricate and meticulously produced that they actually made a loss on every copy sold. This wouldn’t have been too problematic, if it didn’t go on to become the biggest selling 12” single of all time. It’s stories like these that epitomise the Factory ethos.

Just run your fingers over the embossed cover of

Unknown Pleasures, the actual banana peel sticker on The Velvet Underground & Nico; admire the contrasting black and white sides of the fantastical Queen II, and the minimalist design of The Beatles’ White Album. In fact the best example of all comes from The Durutti Column’s debut album, which had a sleeve made of sandpaper to destroy the adjacent records in your collection. The charm of the story

knows no bounds, as it turns out many of the sleeves were hand-made by Ian Curtis of Joy Division, who wanted to earn a bit of extra cash, while the other members of the band watched porn in the same room. Now if that isn’t reason enough to mourn the decline of the physical record, I don’t know what is.

George Bailey

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Live

Dinosaur Jr. The Ritz - 1st February 2013 Dinosaur Jr. occupy a peculiar place in rock history. They certainly never achieved the kind of commercial success as Nirvana or Pearl Jam did, but their early records served as influences to both. They aren’t held up to be the musical pioneers and embodiments of cool that their peers, Sonic Youth, are, but their gain-heavy, feedbackdrenched guitar sound was as instrumental in dictating the musical trends of the 90s alternative scene as anyone else’s.

It’s difficult to pin down specifically why they aren’t held in quite the same esteem, critically or commercially, as some of their contemporaries – maybe their well-documented eight-year hiatus cost them some momentum, or the heavy influence of classic rock on their material that’s kept them in relative obscurity, but a solid cult following is evidenced by a sold-out Ritz.

Dinosaur Jr.’s association with Manchester goes back a long way – the video for arguably their biggest hit, ‘Freak Scene’, was filmed in West Didsbury in 1988 – and tonight’s crowd isn’t limited to any one age demographic. Accordingly, the band line up a set that covers their entire career, opening with ‘Thumb’ from 1991’s Green Mind.

They sound remarkably tight for a band who’ve been off the road for

8/10 a while, with the slew of cuts from last year’s I Bet on Sky particularly sharp.

J. Mascis, a man who looks every inch the elder statesman of the alternative scene with his greyed beard and long white hair, punctuates the group’s signature sludge with incendiary guitar solos, but the real musical triumph for Dinosaur Jr. is that they’re capable of making songs that, despite often sounding like they might collapse under the weight of their own reverb, are still replete with sparkling melodies. So formidable is the Dinosaur Jr. canon at near thirty years in the business that grumbles over the setlist are inevitable, and whilst disappointingly light on tracks led by bassist Lou Barlow, its diversity is to be admired, with a cover of The Cure’s ‘Just Like Heaven’ given a rare live outing. Dinosaur Jr. are masters of their own unique live style – often imitated but, on this evidence, highly unlikely to be bettered.

Joe Goggins Music Editor

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Music

ISSUE 13/11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Album reviews

New: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Push The Sky Away Bad Seed Ltd. - 18th Feb

Daniel Jones Music Editor This album, the Bad Seeds’ fifteenth in all, could arguably their most anticipated. It’s been five years since the gothic cabaret rock of Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! and the longest gap between two releases in their 30 years together. But where Lazarus and the two Grinderman albums packed a weighty punch, Push The Sky Away is much more of an exercise in restraint. It’s as though Nick Cave has taken off the gloves and sat down for a good old think.

His trademark, almost gospel-style delivery is at its brooding best on ‘Wide Lovely Eyes’, ‘Higgs Boson Blues’ and lead single, ‘We Know Who U R’.

Lyrically, see ‘Water’s Edge’ for four minutes of tense imagery, set to an incessant bass riff and straining

8/10

guitars. The songs frequently rise into crescendos of strings and cymbals before falling gently back into the tickle of a hi-hat, the echo of a guitar or the murmur a sighed sentence. Cave somehow manages to be entirely sinister and entirely graceful at the same time.

‘Jubilee Street’, ‘Mermaids’ and ‘Finishing Jubilee Street’ are also well worth a listen. They ease the transition through the halfway point of the album and again, those hypnotic vocals captivate your attention, jolting you awake with an occasional menacing line. At times, Cave is downright creepy.

He howls and moans his way through most of the tracks but when it seems like it all could get a bit much, the next transition is already easing you back into some sort of aural stability. The moments of disturbance are craftily scattered throughout what is, on the whole, a very serene and tranquil soundscape. If you compare it to many of his previous releases then there’s definitely a lot less of the in-your-face references to sex and death. As an album it feels much more calculated and somehow more complete as a finished article.

After a few runs through, it becomes harder and harder to predict where the Bad Seeds can actually go from here. Expansion seems impossible off the back of such a well-crafted record. It’s gentle, yet fierce. Tender, yet raw. Calm, yet vicious. These seeds sprout on the first track and mingle with each other over the next forty minutes, intertwining like vines up a brick wall. You might even catch yourself sitting, open-mouthed, staring at nothing in particular. But that’s not a bad thing at all.

From the vault: Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Warner Bros - 1977 Jack Armstrong There is a quote that goes, “a rumour without a leg to stand on will get around some other way”.

On re-listening to Rumours, the 1977 Fleetwood Mac album which was re-issued last week to mark its 35th anniversary, it seems that that other way is likely to take the form of the frequent recycling and repackaging of its content.

Saying Rumours doesn’t have a leg to stand on is certainly harsh. It features as a favourite and even a classic for many, promising endurance rarely matched by the punk albums of the era it was competing with, but the refusal to wane in popularity seems inseparable from its commercial exposure.

Yes, it features in the top ten selling albums of all time - along with AC/DC’s Back in Black and a Shania Twain record - but it stands to reason that sales are not always the test of quality. For me, Rumours demonstrates this perfectly. Its re-issue is a blatant attempt to re-brand and recoup what expenses are left to be had, a frequented criticism of recent spates of reformations and sparsely distributed arena tour dates.

Before anyone gets me wrong, I don’t deny that there are or maybe were, some greatly appreciated songs that are unlikely to die. But on re-listening, I am staggered by the insensitivity of modern ears to its overwhelming naffness. The arbitrary guitar solo at the end of ‘Second Hand News’ the sentimental cheesiness of ‘Dreams’. Its best songs in themselves, notably ‘Go Your Own Way’ and ‘The Chain’ have had any glimmer of virtuosity sucked from them after years of synonymy with the sphere of advertising or formulaic inclusion on top one hundred albums lists.

Ultimately, the critical attention and commercial success of Rumours appears unwarranted given its content, especially average when compared to previous albums. My opinion is that the early Fleetwood Mac of the Peter Green era was a better and considerably less naff band that still stands the test of time. I predict Rumours will prevail in popularity terms, but at the expense of becoming a kind of classic rock artefact that serves as a reminder of the unbelievable emotional upheaval the band experienced during recording.

For now, its remaining members can be assured that Rumours will continue to be lapped up by average suburban fans of anodyne dad rock. Roll on the stadium tour. I wonder if Status Quo will support them?

Books

ISSUE 13/11THFEBRUARY2013 WWw.MANCUNION.COM

See your creative writing printed in Books

21

The Pride and Prejudice 200th Anniversary Quiz Which Pride and Prejudice character are you? take pleasure in it all. b) Flirting – nothing like exercising a bit of charm, especially when it could lead to financial gain. c) Listening to others play music and criticising it – you could have been a great musician, if only given a proper chance. d) Reading – the only way to escape the drab life and the annoying people around you.

Image: Annie Muir Writing on any genre welcome, of around 500-600 word length. Email

submissions or queries to books@mancunion.com

Feature

Lost and disenchanted: Murakami and the student experience Ross Graham explores the parallels between Murakami’s evocation of ‘60s students life in Norweigian Wood and 21st century student life...

Vintage, 1987

How many times have you stared blankly as a copy of the Socialist Worker is pushed into your hand on Oxford Road? How many times have you gone to the library intending to work and instead repeatedly refreshed Facebook, read Charlie Brooker’s column and browsed The Mancunion online? And have any of us actually worked out why we go to terrible clubs with sticky floors and sticky drinks, only to miss every morning lecture?

Norwegian Wood is the 1987 book

by Haruki Murakami, titled after the eponymous Beatles song; a novel about coming-of-age and the loss that goes with it, that, for me, encapsulates perfectly the disillusionment, boredom and the often paradoxical nature of university life.

Set in the anti-establishment atmosphere of student culture in early ‘60s Tokyo, Norwegian Wood follows student Toru Wantanabe as he wanders passively through further education. Toru takes drama. He has little passion for the subject, nor sees it as a viable career – a situation that may sound familiar to plenty of undergrads today in Britain’s degreeobsessed culture. Toru does not react with anger or vitriol to the banal realities of university life, in fact he seems not to react at all, but casts a disinterested eye over the hypocritical nature of Tokyo’s student movement. His own interest lies in a fondness for Western literature, which few of his peers care about.

But it’s not all self-loathing and midnight brandy swilled down with Fitzgerald, Toru also likes to get ‘crunk’. Toru periodically plays wingman to highflying, Owens-ParkTower-type, Nagasawa. Nagasawa has a

charming and long-suffering girlfriend, Hatsumi, to whom he pays little attention.

These two students go out and do what male students tend (or try) to do: pick up women. His experience is unfulfilling and pointless, but that doesn’t stop Toru.

Murakmi captures something of the essence of university social life in this complex semi-recluse’s sex life. Toru isn’t sure why he continues to seek out casual sex. And I’m not sure why I’ve ever been to BOP. Toru’s anti-climactic, doubt-filled university experience is interrupted intermittently by the two central female characters in the novel. Female no. 1, Naoko, represents the perennially tragic undercurrent of the book, whilst no. 2, Midiori is an exciting and vivacious female who embodies an escape for Toru from his university peers. Midiori rails against the chauvinistic nature of a Marxist reading group she joins, and bemoans the use of ideology as a means of self-promotion and vanity. Having been involved in the utterly uninspiring world of student politics myself, Midori’s complaint unfortunately does not ring false.

Murakami’s detailed and understated prose chimes with Toru’s unassuming nature. His writing allows the reader to share in the complex relationships and passive skepticism that characterises Toru’s feelings toward his university life.

Current British university culture seems to share Toru’s ambivalence, a nihilistic obsession with the possibility that it all may be a bit meaningless. It’s a cliché of French new-wave films and Sartre-reading poetry students, but the ‘What is life?’ student mantra is sadly only too symbolic of the disillusion many idealistic high feepaying students feel, given wads of student loan and 6 contact hours a week; with far too much time on their hands to stare out of windows and refresh Facebook.

Norwegian Wood is the perfect story of student disenchantment, never more relevant than in 21st century Britain.

Screen adaptations through the ages: (from top left clockwise), 1940 version starring Greer Garson and Laurence Olivier as Elizabeth and Darcy (with screenplay by Aldous Huxley) (Loew’s production Co., and MGM) ; 1980 BBC adaptation, with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul in the lead roles (BBC); BBC 1995 Colin Firth version: Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth, (BBC); 2005 Joe Wright feature, Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfayden (Focus Features and Universal Pictures).

28th January marked the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which passed with fitting media flurry – testament to its enduring popularity. From the screen adaptation of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary, starring Colin Firth (who else?) as Mark Darcy, forever ingrained in the British psyche as the definitive Mr. Darcy, to P.D. James’ murder mystery sequel, Death Comes to Pemberley, references to P&P in popular culture abound. But why has Pride and Prejudice retained its relevance, remaining such a steadfast public favourite?

For us, it’s because Austen was more than just a storyteller: she was a satirist of her characters – one so subtle that their traits remain universal, mirrored in each reader’s own acquaintances. That gorgeous but seemingly up-himself guy? Clearly a Mr. Darcy. The girl who posts videos of herself on YouTube singing like a strangled cat? A veritable Mary Bennett. So which Pride and Prejudice character are you?

Take our definitive quiz to find out…

1. Which mode of transport are you most likely to use? a) Your own two feet – nothing like a brisk walk for clearing the mind. It is only three miles after all. b) Your horse – such a beautiful creature always elicits people’s admiration (as does its rider). c) Your fancy sports car – what’s the point of having money and not showing the world? d) You don’t – you’re going to spend all you time hiding from people in the library so no need to go anywhere.

2. What is your favourite pastime? a) Anything and everything – reading, music, dancing; you

3. What do you look for in a partner? a) Someone who is kind and clever – you’d rather marry for love than money. b) Someone who is attractive, charming and most definitely loaded – gambling debts don’t disappear by themselves. c) Someone who is of equal rank – anything less would be insufferable. d) Nothing – you’re not going to be able to put up with their silliness after a year anyway so what does it matter?

4. What is your favourite song? a) ‘Respect’ by Aretha Franklin – you like women who can think for themselves. b) ‘Sex Bomb’ by Tom Jones – obviously. c) Anything by Mahler – for someone with your musical ear, it’s not pretentious. d) ‘A Well-Respected Man’ by the Kinks – you enjoy sniggering at your neighbours’ expense.

5. How do you view your family? a) As flesh and blood – they might be objectionable but you can’t change them. b) As disadvantaged – they were cheated by others and so were you. c) As nobility – after all, social standing determines all. d) As stupidity personified – not a wit among them.

6. What is your favourite book? a) Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment – witty, gritty political drama. b) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – you’ve never read but it gets people into the bedroom. c) You’ve got a whole library full, you couldn’t possibly choose one. d) J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings – nothing like a long trilogy to pass away the dull hours.

If you answered mainly… a) you are an Elizabeth Bennet – bright and witty, but a bit headstrong. b) you are a Mr. Wickham – an enchanting rouge who loves to woo but is ultimately a gold-digger. c) you are a Lady Catherine de Bourgh – stinking rich and not afraid to show it. d) you are a Mr. Bennet – you have a cynical sense of humour, which hides your good heart.

Esmé Clifford Astbury and Elizabeth Mitchell

Bookshops and Libraries

The Art of Tea, Didsbury Ella Westall recommends curling up for a few hours with coffee, cake, and old books at The Art of Tea Tucked away down Barlow Moor Road, The Art of Tea is an arty-chic café/bar combined with the Didsbury Village Bookshop. On first impressions, the eclectic collection of chairs and tables and dark wood interior makes for a relaxed and creative mood, and the red sofas are perfect for curling up with a book.

Their tea, coffee and cakes all come highly recommended, so you certainly wouldn’t go hungry or thirsty if you were to work here for a few hours!

At the back of the café a few steps lead down into a chaotic second-hand bookshop.

Hundreds of Penguin Classics, and some lovely old leather bound editions are piled

The Art of Tea’s book-lined haven, picture: AoT

precariously on every available surface – not only on a maze of mismatched bookcases, but on boxes, chairs and floor-space. If you had the time to trawl through the thousands of volumes there are sure to be many hidden gems, but, as in most second-hand bookshops, finding anything in particular would be tricky.

On a quiet morning The Art of Tea would be a charming place to read or study. When I was there last week, however, most people were discussing their latest reads or socialising over a few drinks, so maybe leave the work behind and spend time with the books (or even some friends).

22

Food & Drink

ISSUE 13/ 11TH FEBRUARY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Coeliac in Having a butcher’s Discovering horse DNA in your burger is just one of the reasons Manchester not to buy meat at supermarkets Emily Clark Food & Drink Editor Eating out as a coeliac can be onerous. However, as the disease is becoming more commonly recognised, the task of finding a restaurant that caters to coeliacs is becoming easier and easier. Many restaurants now provide glutenfree menus, and as a result, staff are becoming more aware of the food types containing gluten.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, allow me to explain. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease which affects the villi in the small intestine, interfering with the absorption of nutrients from food. This results in an intolerance to gluten, which can be found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It can often be diagnosed later in life, due to its cumulative nature.

20 years ago, the disease was barely recognised, however, in recent times many restaurants have become considerably more ‘coeliac friendly.’ For example, Dominoes and Pizza Hut – as of a few months ago – offer gluten-free pizza bases for their pizzas, without charge.

Zizzi’s and Carluccio’s menus now include an option for gluten-free pasta – however, Pizza Express is still behind these Italian giants in both respects.

I’ve noticed the superiority of butcher meat since I made the same cottage pie twice. One had butcher minced beef and the other was made with Sainsbury’s minced beef. The meat in the first one had an incredibly rich flavour and the texture was really beautiful, melting and soft. The Sainsbury’s version was disappointing - bland and the meat slightly chewy.

I forgot my discovery until I chanced upon some handsome minted lamb chops from the butcher in the Arndale. After half an hour in the oven, I had before me some of the best lamb I have ever eaten.

So I stopped and thought about it. I decided never to buy supermarket meat again. Like, ever. Not every butcher is likely to be great but I think it’s worth finding a good one.

Supermarket meat often just isn’t as good on the three most important counts - taste, value and source.

Arndale Food Market I’ve been to a few butchers now, and particularly rate the one in the Arndale. The produce looks so much fatter and healthier than the miserably packaged meat on the supermarket shelf.

But let the price tempt - chicken legs, drumsticks, wings, breasts are all £5.70 per kilogram, whereas chicken breasts from Sainsbury’s typically are around £9 per kilo. Minced beef is £4.96 per kilo, whereas Sainsbury’s mid-range is around £8 per kilo.

Go chew the fat with your nearest butcher for cooking tips. Photo: sheffieldhammer@Flickr Six free range eggs are £1.10 and six duck eggs are only £1.99.

Their sausages are also delicious - lean, stayed fat through cooking and were packed full of meat, rather than pillowcasing or some such.

The sausages are all £5.25 per kilo, whereas Sainbury’s mid-range are £4.38. I love both brands, but felt that the butcher ones had more meat.

It’s worth mentioning the variety of produce, a great improvement on supermarket stock - cow and chicken feet, goat, rabbit, chicken frames for homemade stock, duck, quail and plenty more.

It’s nice to know where the meat is from their website tells us it is all sourced from local farms, using the company name Gabbot’s Farm.

Axon’s of East Didsbury - Ben Walker This butchers is expensive but justifiably so.

Situated in this middle class self-contained suburban village you must expect to hear mummy shouting after baby Hugo who has nabbed a jar of hollandaise. The establishment, though pricey, is very traditional and of the highest quality. The counters are continually resplendent with richly marbled joints of sirloin, the plumpest poussin, and luscious legs of lamb.

The selection of sausage is deservedly awardwinning, containing experimental fillings as well as an ancient Didsbury recipe which is pure pork delight. Axon’s is a family-run operation with real love for butchery and high quality meat. It’s a real treat to shop here.

Robinson’s in Withington - Maddy Hubbard This family butchers in Withington is pretty much the ultimate local butcher. They are incredibly friendly, always have brilliant suggestions on how to cook something new and can source you pretty much any meat you could want if you suddenly decide you just have to cook that recipe for ox cheek stew with dumplings. Try sourcing those in Sainsbury’s!

Not only is their meat really tasty and good quality, lots of it is actually cheaper than Lidl, and that’s before they throw in a couple of bits of bacon or a piece of lamb’s liver for you to try for free. One of their best deals is a huge ham hock you can get for £2.30, which can be stretched to feed four with the recipe below.

Butcher’s ham hock and lentils by Maddy Hubbard Buy a meaty ham hock for only a couple of pounds from your butcher, and make this delicious meal!

Ingredients for the stock - 1 ham hock (or 2 if you want it extra meaty and don’t mind spending a little extra), 1 quartered onion, 2 quartered carrots, 2 roughly chopped celery sticks and 2 bay leaves.

Put all these ingredients in a pan, cover in cold water and simmer for 3 hours, skimming of any froth if it appears on the surface of the water. When they are done the meat should come away from the bone easily. Remove and set aside to cool for 20-30 mins, which will allow the meat to rest and soften, and save the liquid that they cooked in, discarding the vegetables.

Ingredients for the lentils- 1 tbsp butter, 1 diced onion, 1 diced carrot, 250g green lentils (or Puy if you prefer, although check the packet as the cooking time may be different) and 1 tbsp chopped parsley.

Address lineand 1 when softened add the lentils along with 1.5 pints (about 900ml) of the cooking Meanwhile, fry the onion and carrot in butter, liquid from the ham. Simmer for around 20-30 mins or until tender (you may need to add a little more stock as they cook). At the same time, remove the fat from the ham hocks and shred the meat. Once the lentils are cooked then drain them, season with salt, a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley, and serve topped with the shredded meat.

It won’t come as a surprise to you to hear that I very much enjoy finding new eateries which cater to coeliac

Teacup

needs. Recently, I discovered a quaint café in Manchester’s Northern Quarter which does just that. Having received a recommendation from a friend, I went to check out their gluten-free options. Home Sweet Home, situated on Edge

53-55 Thomas Street Northern Quarter 0161 832 3233

Street, is a tiny and beautiful cafe which is worth a visit for anyone, not just coeliacs.

The menu had limited gluten-free options besides chilli, but any of their sandwiches (which come with some incredible fillings) can be done on gluten-free bread.

The Signature Toastie caught my eye – it came with burger meat, gherkins, tomatoes and a double helping of mozzarella and cheddar. The bread was delicious; it’s often the case in cafes that the gluten-free bread is dry or crumbly but this was wholesome and lovely, and the fillings were brilliantly flavoursome. My only criticism of the toastie was that there wasn’t a white bread option, but the granary was delicious all the same.

Jonny Breakwell

Frideswide O’Neill On an uneventful, rainy Tuesday afternoon I went to visit Teacup on Thomas Street.

The scent of fresh tea filled my nostrils and the sight of the rainbow cake lit up my eyes.

As I waited for the £4 slice of carrot and coconut cake to arrive, my inner grumpy cat calculating that £4 would cover the cost of the entire cake, I took in my surroundings.

There were scrubbed wooden tables, posters for David Shrigley anti-psychotic tea blend and Mr Scruff memorabilia and a commendable lack of the standard teashop frippery. Despite the pleasing aesthetics of the place I was still attempting to work out just how good this tea and cake would have to be to merit costing the best part of a tenner.

If I were a physicist I might be able to work out an equation, which I could then proudly and conceitedly write on the bottom of the

bill. Being a philosopher, I just carried on thinking about it without coming to a conclusion. The cake was good, but what combination of eggs, butter, flour and sugar wouldn’t be? At £4, a slice of cake had to be better than good.

My tea had arrived along with a cup and saucer, a strainer, a sand timer, a jug of milk and another empty teapot. If these theatrics were supposed to beguile me,

“At £4, a slice of cake had to be better than good ” they failed. Tea is tea; it is not a circus act. I dreamt of the potential savings they could make if they forwent unnecessary empty teapots and pretentious timers.

So, my trip to Teacup left a lot to be desired. However, as I ambled back to Piccadilly, taking the long way round the Northern Quarter, I noticed a huge array of other shops, cafés and restaurants which may well fill the taste void left by Teacup.

Takk, a new Icelandic coffee house has recently opened on Tariff Street and the bread and wine bar Bakerie on Lever Street looks like a great evening option.

Manchester’s Northern Quarter has, underneath its run down outer layer, an assortment of glittering jewels: tea shops, wine bars, record stores, vintage clothing, tiny galleries and music venues.

Teacup is certainly not the jewel in the crown but perhaps soon I will come across something that is.

Food & Drink

ISSUE 13/ 11TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

23

‘Food porn’ censored With restaurants banning customers from taking photos of their meals, we explore the irritating side to harmless food snaps on Instagram and Twitter - do we have a right to tweet what we eat?

Jessica Hardiman Food & Drink Editor Amateur food photography has hit the headlines lately with the news that it has been banned in various establishments across New York City. Many restaurants have prohibited flash photography, whereas others have gone the whole hog and barred all types of camerawork. The basis behind this is that it can be off-putting to other diners, as well as to the chef, and that it can also be offensive to those that have served you as you sit and click away rather than gratefully tuck in. However, I think there’s more to it.

This phenomenon is often referred to as ‘food porn’ and is usually preceded by a hashtag so that photos can be found within the extensive online communities of Instagram and Twitter. The hashtag (#foodporn) implies that those who are lucky enough to see such snaps will not only be left drooling, but that they will also be aroused.

Many of us are guilty of this – whether it is with or without the ridiculous ‘food porn’ label – but there are right and wrong ways to do it. There are certain things that are genuinely enjoyable to see, but these must look interesting, the photo must be good quality and, above all, they must look tasty.

For instance, nobody needs to see a photo of the McDonalds you had for lunch because we all know what McDonalds looks like; the very nature of the franchise is that it produces homogenous food across the globe.

You must also enter into the mind-set that when it does look good, this does not render you immediately or necessarily talented. I think there is a lot of art to be found in food – through its colours and patterns or the connotations of deliciousness and indulgence – but it does not make you an artist.

If your food photographs mark a celebration, then maybe you can be forgiven. Photos are taken with the very intention of capturing memories and sentimental moments, so if you post a picture of your Grandma’s 90th birthday cake, it should be given some respect. Food is a big part of many people’s lives and is often used as a means to come together, and is thus something that should only really be promoted.

Furthermore, you might be able to get away with it if it’s informative. No one wants to see a pile of unknown slush on a plate because it is irrelevant to everyone else and generally pretty disgusting to look at, but if you were to say that the pictured slush was the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever eaten and proceed to explain how it was made, then people might stop and think twice.

Nobody will ever really understand the concept of photographing and ‘Instagramming’ food, even though it’s something so many of us do on a regular basis. In the past, I have personally felt that I can get away with it because I’m a self-confessed foodie, but perhaps that was just an excuse. However, the phenomenon perhaps deserves some degree of defence, as long as it is done well. It sometimes works to the advantage of restaurants, as it can act

Sexy soft-focus burger. Photo: matrianklw @ Flickr

as free advertising - but take a bad picture and it will have the adverse effect.

What you must remember is that you can’t polish a turd, and you also can’t use a pretty filter to make your food look appetising. Maybe just think twice about subjecting your fish pie to that unnecessary ‘70s filter, and please, please don’t ever degrade your food with a black and white effect.

You have been warned.

Black and white.

Photo: See-ming Lee @Flickr

Entertaining on a budget: French dinner party Profiteroles aren’t as tricky as you may think, but will still be a chocolatey crowd-pleaser. Photo: Astrid Kopp @Flickr

Esmé Clifford Astbury and Elizabeth Mitchell While most students were recovering from the previous Saturday night, we set out on an uncharacteristically sunny Sunday morning for Sainsbury’s, Fallowfield. Inspired by our mutual love of all things French and the desire to line our stomachs after a weekend of drinking, we had ambitiously invited about 20 friends over for a French-themed dinner party.

French cuisine is renowned for its liberal use of cream, eggs, cheese and meat, so we were preparing ourselves to live on nothing but Basics bread for the next few weeks. However, we were pleasantly surprised – it is possible to entertain on a student budget.

We began with a smoked salmon and asparagus quiche, which sounds very fancy – but with various cheats is both cheap and incredibly tasty. For the pastry, combine 75g unsalted butter with 175g plain flour until crumbly. Then add a little water to bring everything together. Chill the pastry for 30 minutes and line a 20cm tart tin with it.

Smoked salmon trimmings and tinned asparagus sound nowhere near as appealing as their proper counterparts but, once cooked,

Catering en masse isn’t as expensive as you might think

give the same flavour. For the filling, combine 425g can asparagus spears with 120g smoked salmon trimmings, 4 eggs, 100ml milk and 200ml single cream, then bake at 180°C for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

To make sure that our guests did not go hungry, we whipped up a Dijon Potato Salad.

Boil 1kg baby potatoes, allow them to cool and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Combine 2tbsp olive oil; 2tbsp cider vinegar; 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard pour over the potatoes.

The French are renowned for their pastries, and we felt it was time to bring out our piècede-resistance. Despite being notoriously difficult to make, this cheat version of profiteroles proved straightforward.

Most importantly, don’t panic! This is all about timing so make sure you have everything weighed out and at hand. Heat 250ml water in a saucepan. Slowly add 100g butter in evensized chunks and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and quickly add 125g flour and a teaspoon of sugar. Beat, and once the mixture is coming away from the sides of the bowl, allow to cool.

Beat in 4 eggs, spoon the mixture out, in blobs, onto a baking tray and bake at 200°C for 20 minutes. Once cooked, they need to be left to cool and dry out. Although terribly messy to

eat, they were a massive success and a brilliant end to the evening.

For the chocolate sauce, heat 4 bars of Basics chocolate slowly over a bain marie, and serve with a tub of Basics vanilla ice cream.

And what was the damage of this lavish affair?

Well, having supplemented these dishes with 2 more quiches, a savoury tarte tatin and a green salad as well as copious amounts of Basics Brie, we managed to spend no more than £30.

In other words, we made an elaborate twocourse meal for £1.50 per head. Bon appétit!

Top dinner party tips: - Have a ‘bring your own booze’ policy to keep guests merry and costs down.

- Don’t try and cook everything. Simply buy some things such as nibbles or bread to save time.

- Don’t be afraid to delegate. Guests will often be happy to help, even if it’s just opening the wine.

- Always make enough food, as there’s no greater sin than a hungry table of friends.

- Pad out your menu with carbs, which are cheap, cheerful, and everyone’s favourite.

- Opt for dishes that you can prepare in advance, such as slow cooked meats.

William Chambers tells us the reasonsto go vegetarian one day a week, which will benefit more than just your purse strings

Meat-free Mondays William Chambers Meat tastes good and vegetarians are hippies.

These are just a couple of generalisations to get the ball rolling, but do they entail that a little bit of vegetarian food is a bad idea? The global campaign ‘Meat-free Mondays’, as backed by the University of Manchester and The Beatles front man Paul McCartney, suggests otherwise. So, Paul, when it comes to our meaty western diets, why shouldn’t we just Let it Be? There are various reasons as to why cutting down on meat in your diet can be beneficial, but unbeknownst to many, these aren’t all healthrelated. A total of 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to livestock production.

This almost exceeds the share of such pollution from the transport sector. Meat can have a pretty

bad effect on the planet and it’s true that many of us, in such a meat-rich society as this, just aren’t aware of the impact our diet is having on the warming of our world.

Yet, all is not lost. You don’t even have to be a raving green to make a difference. If everyone in the UK was merely to convert to a single vegetarian day per week (this is where Monday comes in) it would be the equivalent to waving goodbye to a total of 5 million cars from our roads. Plus, if we’re peddling the ethical argument, you can consider the positive effect on animal wellbeing by reducing the demand for the indiscriminate stuff going into your soggy late night kebabs. That’s not to say there isn’t a time and place for a tasty bit of the good stuff, but while we’re on the subject you may as well make it as morally justified as possible (such as free range and organic.)

Truly decent, ethical meat production is extremely inefficient; consider how much grain it takes to fatten up a chop relative to just eating the stuff straight. Meat consumption has always been associated with wealth, and hence as our economy developed during industrialisation, this skyrocketed. A similar trend can be witnessed in many developing countries, which, coupled with Western demand, is now putting a strain on global food supplies. More than a billion people remain malnourished, pretty sickening, considering we produce enough grain to provide everyone with 3000 calories a day.

Okay, so if you don’t buy into all this saving the world malarkey, you probably don’t go in for the altruistic motivation. I should therefore also mention that vegetarian food is often extremely cheap. If you’re still a hater, perhaps the fact that

even many medical professionals are advising a reduction in meat consumption may go some way to swaying you, thanks to the decrease in saturated fats.

If vegetarian food screams out sloppy salads and tasteless tofu, I bring good news. Manchester has some ridiculously tasty food. The Veggie Cafe by the University of Manchester’s main library and the 8th Day Cooperative on Oxford Road are good examples. The world of vegetarianism does not have to be bleak or bland, nor does it have to be a lifetime commitment. ‘Meat-free Mondays’ offers a middle ground, so why not give it a go?

William Chambers will return in fuure issues to explore the vegetarian scene in Mancheser, as well as giving us some tasty recipes to wean us off our beloved meat.

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Arts & Culture

1 0 T H I NG S

you should know about

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM /TheMancunionArtsCulture @ArtsMancunion

Exhibition

Stepping on the toes of Ghosts Esme Clifford Astbury finds Rosa Barba’s film revisits relics of an analogue past, repurposing what may now seem obsolete in our increasingly digital age

Miss Lucy J sitting for Lautrec

ART HISTORY LESSONS w it h L u c y J

He was born Henri Marie Raymond de ToulouseLautrec-Monfa in 1864, the firstborn child of Comte Alphonse de ToulouseLautrec-Monfa and Adèle Tapié de Celeyranan, an aristocratic French family His parents were first cousins, meaning Henri suffered from congenital health conditions often attributed to inbreeding. He was unable to take part in the physical activities many men of his age took part in, so he became an artist He put himself into his painting ‘The Moulin Rouge’, and is pictured walking next to his cousin Dr. Tapie de Celyran He fractured his legs at 14, and they stopped growing, meaning as an adult he only stood 4 ft 6 in tall He contracted syphilis from one of his favourite models, a prostitute named Rosa la Rouge His paintings often depict the music halls, circuses, brothels, and cabaret life of Paris He invented a cocktail, a mix of absinthe and cognac, called the ‘Earthquake,’ and owned a cane that hid alcohol so that a drink was always on hand Although his paintings were not received well in his lifetime, his painting ‘La blanchisseuse’ sold for 22.4 million dollars in 2005 He was an astonishingly productive painter - 1,000 paintings, 5,000 drawings, and 350 prints and posters Toulouse-Lautrec died aged 37. His last words are said to have been “Le vieux con!” (the old fool), directed at his father, His mother contributed funds to a museum in his birthplace, to house his best works.

The Toulouse-Lautrec Museum owns the world’s largest collection of works by the painter

Berlin-based artist Rosa Barba’s work explores the medium of film - its material properties as well as its narrativity. It seems particularly appropriate therefore that her solo exhibition, Subject to Constant Change, should open at Cornerhouse, Manchester’s centre for independent film.

A collaboration with Turner Contemporary, the exhibition presents Subconscious Society, Barba’s most recent film installation, which considers the end of the industrial age, and was filmed at locations in Manchester and Kent.

The exhibition occupies Galleries 2 and 3, with Gallery 3 dedicated entirely to Subconscious Society (2013), while Gallery 2 contains two of Barba’s earlier works: Time Machine (2007) and Coro Spezzato: The Future Lasts One Day (2009).

Leaving behind the hustle and bustle of the café, I climb the stairs to Gallery 2. As I enter the darkened room, I am confronted by a wall of words.

A single spotlight illuminates a large silkscreen print, evoking a film projection. The whirring sound of projectors further contributes to the feeling that I have walked straight into an old-fashioned

Everyday Analysis

‘Subconscious Society’ at Cornerhouse. © Rosa Barba cinema. The print consists of a screenplay for a feature film based on H.G. Wells’ 1895 novel, Time Machine. As I read along its lines, I can envision the narrative unfolding. The screenplay describes the setting, the characters, the music and the dialogue, and camera directions indicate precisely how the sequence will be shot. And yet, there is neither motion nor any sense of the passing of time; Barba has effectively stripped film of two

@EDAnalysis

Worbining

of its most essential properties.

As I turn the corner, I discover the source of the whirring sound: five 16mm projectors are projecting scrawled words onto a white wall. The projectors, dotted across the room, serve not only to produce images on the wall but are themselves an integral part of the installation.

They form a chorus, sometimes projecting in unison and sometimes producing a veritable cacophony of images.

Barba took her inspiration

for this multi-projector installation from the Venetian polychoral style, coro spezzato, which involves spatially separated choristers singing in alternation. And so, as I watch these fragments of text flash in synchronicity across the wall, I find myself almost involuntarily piecing them together, making connections between them and constructing, or rather reconstructing, a narrative.

I head up another flight of stairs to Gallery 3, a spacious,

high-ceilinged room with bare white walls and exposed pipes. A film is projected onto a large screen suspended from the ceiling in the centre of the room. Scenes shot inside Manchester’s derelict Albert Hall are interspersed with fragments of text and views of post-industrial landscapes in Kent, including a collapsing pier and Margate’s dilapidated Dreamland amusement park.

The film’s protagonists, a group of local residents, move about the hall in strange, choreographed movements and muse over relics of the industrial age. In voice-over, they ruminate on the past.

The effect is eerie: I feel like I am, in the words of one local, stepping on the toes of ghosts.

These elements combine to produce a sensitive reflection on the end of the industrial age, where analogue technology is fading into the distant past and being superseded by digital technology. This theme is echoed in Barba’s use of celluloid: Subconscious Society was filmed using one of the last available shipments of Fuji stock.

Esme Clifford Astbury Contributor

Exhibition

Four at Cornerhouse

The Everyday Analysis Collective explore ‘Chillaxing’ via Freud

Three young curators, four emerging artists, and a little help from Cornerhouse

These days sandwiching two words into one is everyday practice; perhaps the most common is ‘chillax’ (chill and relax) though ‘granter’ (great banter) also seems topical. One can pretty much say anything, even ‘that house is shit, it’s a shouse’ and get a laugh without even having to explain oneself, as long as it is clear which two words have been combined. We recently heard that this process can be referred to as ‘worbining’ (word-combining).

Though it seems to be increasingly common, this is by no means a new thing. Freud notices several examples in his joke book (1905) including ‘alcoholiday’ (alcohol holiday) and, from Thomas De Quincey, ‘anecdotage’ (anecdote and dotage, something old people often fall into). And Freud tells a joke now famous in psychoanalysis to illustrate the point, in which a man meets the wealthy Baron Rothschild and having expected him to be snooty and alienating remarks, ‘he treated me quite as his equal – quite famillionairely,’ meaning; both familiarly, and ‘as a millionaire would.’

Freud doesn’t take the analysis all the way, but he does suggest that it might have to do with economising – something is saved in shortening and

As the name suggests, ‘Four’ showcases the work of four emerging artists in a variety of mediums, from oil painting to installation. Housed in Oxford Street’s conveniently located ‘Cornerhouse’ and running until February 24th, this exhibition forms part of the gallery’s brand new January showcase, treating viewers to some truly interesting and enticing examples of contemporary art, with a focus on the appreciation of emerging artists and curators.

Arguably a welcome change from exhibitions commonly seen in the likes of The Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery, ‘Four’ certainly doesn’t disappoint where viewing experience is considered, and there isn’t an eighteenth century oil painting in sight. Entering into a small, dimly-lit room, visitors are greeted by the central, ominous presence of Nicola Ellis’ ‘Peragro’, an intriguing sculpture which seems to resemble some sort of oddlyformed creature, instantly conveying the exhibition’s theme of nature, with a degree of surrealism and intrigue.

Interspersed throughout the room are triptychs by both

blending words which we derive pleasure from.

Yet, doesn’t it seem that worbining is funny not because it is able to contain two words and mean both (‘I am chilling AND relaxing’) and also not because it means neither one of the two words (‘I am chillaxing, not chilling OR relaxing’). Rather, worbining is funny because it erases the gap between two words – the thing which usually keeps them apart as meaning two different things.

And yet, the meaning is there nonetheless, almost but not completely undistinguishable from the original. A third word is created, and it operates just like the two words it combines. The message of worbining is: each word doesn’t relate to a different thing which exists anyway, but it creates them, I can now chillax, where before I could only chill and/or relax.

Everyday Analysis Collective

Tristram Aver and Kate Sully.

Sully’s three-dimensional pieces, resembling colourful petri dishes are said to ‘explore ideas of artificial cultivation’, whilst Aver’s chaotic pieces, comprising oil, acrylic and spray paints focus on contemporary societal issues, from hunting to the influence of the police. As well as this, Liz West’s installation ‘The predicament of in here and out there’ uses mirrors, lighting and video encased in a wardrobe to encourage visitors to take initiative and explore the piece, resulting in a degree of interaction which is so often lacking from popular exhibitions.

Not to be sniffed at, the four

artists in this exhibition, all based in northern England, have showcased their work in exhibitions in an array of locations from Bolton to Berlin, and although each has their own distinct style, ‘Four’ has a brilliant sense of coherence. This can solely be attributed to the work of the exhibition’s curators; three students ranging from secondary school to University age. The jury’s out on whether you think this exhibition is a work of genius or a nonstarter, but if you’re looking for contemporary, vibrant and thought-provoking work, ‘Four’ is a must-see.

Sarah Jones Contributor

A diverse audience at the Young Curators’ event (© Paul Greenwood)

Theatre

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

What’s On 11-18 FEBRUARY

More Mouse than Man Joshua Val Martin reviews an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ at the Bolton Octagon

Dancing with the Orange Dog Using theatre, dance, music, artwork, photography and animation this is a ‘quirky tale’ about the nature of stories and story telling.

Runs 15th-16th February at The Lowry. Tickets £10

The Lion King The much loved musical has had its run extended in Manchester, now running until late April due to many of the performances selling out at high rates. Offering a performance which ‘explodes with glorious colours and stunning effects all set to the enchanting rhythms of Africa’.

Runs until 20th April at The Palace Theatre. Tickets £20

Be Like Water Following his critically acclaimed debut Hetain Patel brings his latest piece to the North. This is an exploration of culture and identity using video projection and live music.

Runs 14th-15th February at the Contact Theatre. Tickets £6

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Photo: The Salinas River recreated in the Bolton Octagon’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ Photo: Bolton Octagon Just a fifteen minute train journey from Oxford Road station, The Bolton Octagon has a well-earned reputation for creating some of the (if not the) best original theatre in Greater Manchester.

This must be made a point of, before I go on to suggest that this particular interpretation of the literary classic Of Mice and Men falls slightly short of the mark.

Taught widely on both sides of the Atlantic in its original novella form, Of Mice and Men is about the brutal lives suffered by migrant workers of Depression struck America and their dreams, or more frequently, a feeling of sheer hopelessness.

The inconsistent accents are compensated

in a few instances by performances of considerable, heart-wrenching sincerity.

Colin Connor convincingly plays bully Carlson with a nuanced vulnerability and Kieran Hill steals the show for his sensitive handling of Lennie. The ‘star’ of the show was set and lighting designer Ciaran Bagnall.

The walls behind the audience had wooden planks fixed to them and from the ceiling dangled long strands of rope. Furthermore it would seem the audience is thrusted into the ranch itself, which effectively strangles the ordinary emotional distance between the viewer and performers to forge a wonderfully claustrophobic atmosphere.

Whilst the unrelenting chugging of the

Review

Game Over Rachel Hastings-Caplan reviews the Contact Theatre’s ‘Game Over’ In his new production Game Over, actor and playwright Abas appropriate, which often destroyed the atmosphere of the ElJanabi fuses traditional Arabic storytelling with modern more climatic scenes. Furthermore, the end was rather abrupt media in an innovative reinvention of the popular collection and left me unsure as to whether the play had actually ended. of tales known as One Thousand and one Nights (or Arabian If I had not seen ElJanabi being handed flowers by a member of Nights). the audience I would have been waiting for the second half of The play merges two subplots: firstly an airport official (played the play for some time! Although the performances were strong

by ElJanabi) interrogates a woman (Sepideh Nazari Pour) about both of the actors’ parts, the dialogue was not always clear the contents of her novel, which she reveals to be One Thousand due both to the volume and thick accents of the performers. and one Nights. She reads aloud from the book, transforming As the play is driven greatly by the dialogue, this did affect my the two actors into the novel’s protagonists. This subplot acts enjoyment of the production. as a continuation of One Thousand and one Nights, in which the Despite this, I found the performance of Game Over to be female protagonist Scheherazade tells Shahryar, the king of interesting and thought provoking, both in concept and Persia – medieval Iran - a series of tales in order to delay her execution. The play claims to “[encompass] themes of gender impending execution. Having won her liberty, she is requested and power in the Arab world,” which I felt was done effectively to tell the king a story that he could not possibly imagine, to through the juxtaposition of the female author and male which she responds with a foreshadowing account of recent airport official and king and queen of Persia. Although the events in the Arab world. She tells him of the Arab Spring, the situations take place in different times and places, the dynamic tide of revolutionary unrest that has been rising since 2010. of the powerful male and the threatened female is shown to The title Game Over refers to the slogan that has been used by have stayed constant.

Arab Spring demonstrators towards the oppressive regime. The changes between settings are done effectively, and helped by a Three out of five stars minimalistic set.

The play blends the traditional and the new by including a projector screen in the background that is used both as a backdrop and to accentuate the horror of what Scheherazade describes, by showing images of the Arab world’s recent struggles.

This mixing of media reflects not only the form of One Thousand and one Nights, which uses many different modes of storytelling but the methods of the Arab Spring, which employs traditional form of protest with the use of new social media.

There were a few aspects of the performance that I found distracting and unfortunately detracted a little from my enjoyment of the piece. The music was often introduced suddenly Abas Eljanabi in Game Over at the Contact Theatre. and at points that did not feel photo: Contact Theatre

smoke machine was perhaps dramatically unconvincing and unnecessary, I suppose it did make the lights look pretty. Like all productions at The Octagon, Of Mice and Men really is a visual feast.

Unfortunately, the impressive set (which one shouldn’t forget to mention includes the Salinas River flowing through the main space) was let down by some clumsy scene changes. Albeit a personal pet hate, blackouts accompanied by excited stage hands and vaguely contextually relevant music seem to be a missed opportunity for something a little more theatrically fulfilling. This, in part, was responsible for the uneven pacing of the production. The dramatically irregular rhythm to an extent robbed impetus from the final scene.

The unusually off-beat execution of the final moments was an interesting choice from Olivier-winning Thacker, which for me personally left the story feeling somehow incomplete. I was left with the impression that this production never really got to the heart of Of Mice and Men, despite a few exceptional performances and undeniably glorious visuals.

Three out of five stars

The Best Thing/The Worst Thing I’ve Ever Seen on Stage Sophie Lipton gives us the best and worst of her theatre experiences The best I’ve seen: Billy Elliot The worst I’ve seen: Wicked Even if dancing isn’t your forté, your mind will be taken on an emotional tap dance, back to Northern England in 1980s. This musical is bursting with talent from fabulous harmonies to intricate dances. What blew me away was the poignant scene where Billy portrays his anger through tap dance. This minimalist yet extremely moving theatrical performance paints a picture of all his emotions, speaking more clearly than words. Normally if you were fixated on someones feet it would be seen as slightly creepy, but when watching Billy’s ‘angry dance’ it becomes socially acceptable to honour them. Therefore it is no wonder this musical danced its way to success in the West End. Without such a talented cast, the musi-‘cool’ would be music-‘not cool’ as they have the power to completely tamper with emotions. Honestly, I’m not a big crier, but songs such as ‘The Letter’ and ‘Electricity’ trip my circuit.

It has such a powerful presence and Elton John’s phenomenal soundtrack gives Billy Elliot flesh, never failing to light up a room.

Billy Elliot is guaranteed to recharge your batteries, leaving you wanting to get up and dance right out of your seat.

This is going to shock many people, but in all honesty, Wicked is not that wicked at all. In fact it is wicked to have to sit through it (enough with the puns, I know). Yes the set is amazing, but everything else seems secondary to it. My eyes were constantly feasting on the scenery, because the plot was so dull with many predictable twists down the yellow brick road. No offence to women with green faces out there, like Fiona from Shrek, but I have no emotional connections to a person with a bit of green face paint on, and felt the story just corrupted The Wizard of Oz. The only performance where painted faces is acceptable, and an exceedingly good watch, is the Blue Man Group, and they don’t even talk. There is only one song which comes to mind when talking about Wicked, and that’s ‘Defying Gravity’. To be honest, I was still stuck to my chair by the end of it, certain that I hadn’t been challenged by this downward pull keeping us on the earth, and ultimately was not blown away. If anything I wanted to sink into my chair and fall asleep.

Wicked may not have defied gravity, but I was definitely defied to keep my eyes open.

Lifestyle

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Vale ntine’s Day

Valentine’s Ventures Lucy Gardner takes us through the best mini breaks to celebrate the end of exams. overnight, accommodation by the Docks starts from around £38 on Booking.com.

Day

York Night While it may not be Paris, York provides beautiful architecture, shops and cafes just like the city of love itself, but at a fraction of the price. So if quaint tea shops and quirky independent stores are your kind of thing, head to this historical town.

Trains run from Manchester frequently. If purchased with a railcard, a return will normally cost you about £15. If you have a bit of extra cash and fancy staying the night, check out Booking. com for accommodation. You can get a cosy B’n’B from just £50.

If you are brave enough, you could always finish your day in York with an official ghost tour.

Guides leave from outside the Minster and take you all around the spooky haunts of the town.

If ghosts aren’t your thing and you fancy some laughs instead, head to the Post Office Club. On 14th February, Mace and Burtons’ very popular Edinburgh Festival show, ‘Rom Com Con,’ with be on. Tickets are just £4.

Day

Liverpool

Take a stroll around the city walls and head to one of the many charming coffee shops in the centre for a cream tea. Betty’s tea shop is always a favourite, with the sounds of a live pianist to accompany your treats. Alternatively, you could head to Deans Park for lunch. This lovely garden setting is a great place to have a cheap and cheerful picnic lunch. Another daytime option is a boat trip down the Ouse River.

If you would prefer something a little more modern, then Liverpool is the place for you.

With a thriving night life, fantastic shops and a great art and music culture, this city has everything to cater for the contemporary student.

Again, trains from Manchester are frequent.

With your railcard, a return will usually amount to a tenner – cheap as chips! If you fancy staying

Start your day with a stroll around the docks.

Pretend to be regal for the day and take a boat trip on the Yellow Duck just like the Queen did on her visit to the city. If modern art is your thing, head to the Tate. With numerous exhibitions, this museum is a must-see.

If you happen to be a fan of the Beatles, make a trip to the Beatles Story. The museum dedicated to the Fab 4 has a new exhibition by photographer Paul Berriff, displaying unseen photographs of the group. For music lovers this is not to be missed.

For the shopaholics, there is Liverpool One which is full of all the high street favourites.

If you fancy window shopping somewhere a little more upmarket, try your hand at being a WAG and browse the Met Quarter. For the more student style boutiques, cafes and bars, head to Lark Lane where you can explore the bohemian side to the city.

Evening If you want lively night life then you’re in the right city. With numerous clubs to suit every style, price and music taste, you won’t have any problem finding somewhere to go out in Liverpool. However, if you want a more relaxed night then head to Baby Blue on the Albert Dock, where there is a comedy set showing on Valentine’s day.

Alternatively, if you are on a date, the Unity Theatre is the place for you. The play ‘I love you because’ will be showing, and has been described as a witty musical take on Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice.’

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THE FLAVOUR OFLOVE Florence Gale on how to have safe and tasty sex this V Day. The day of love is approaching, but let’s be honest, nothing quite kills the mood like having a lubed up condom in your mouth. The texture and taste can’t be far off from eating a water balloon. However, safe sex does not need to be unsexy sex. There are a wide range of flavours and textures to ensure that your sex is a success this Valentine’s.

I tested the taste-buds of students at The University of Manchester to try and establish which condoms are delicious and which trigger the gag reflex. The verdicts on strawberry ranged from ‘burnt plastic’ to ‘calpol,’ banana was a firm favourite, but blueberry was not. Mint was described as ‘refreshing’ by a third year Drama student, while a Psychology student deemed vanilla to be ‘lovely.’

Fortunately, there are many flavoured lubes to accompany your flavoured condoms. Many students I asked had tried the appropriately named passion fruit variety. A second year Politics student described it as smelling and tasting like ‘shampoo,’ whilst another guinea pig said that it had left her boyfriend’s penis with an unwelcome burning sensation.

Perhaps not the best choice for your evening of romance then.

As a responsible journalist, I took it upon myself to investigate vanilla fudge lube, employing my flatmates as test subjects.

Each tasted the product and the overall verdict was positive; seven ladies decided that it was a hit (although a brief plasticlike after taste was reported by one), while one gentleman complained that it was a miss, as it was ‘too sweet.’

Deciding that this was simply not enough evidence to go on, I investigated further and roped my disgruntled partner into giving it a go. To cut a long story short, everything became incredibly sticky and a shower was needed. My tip: use flavoured lubes in moderation.

The overall conclusion is that bringing fruity flavours into the bedroom usually leads to a lot of laughter and maybe even shower sex if things go wrong. So I’ll leave you with what one student said to me, “It’s a bit much, but like, most things taste better than genitalia.”

Valentine’s Day debate: Is V Day a commercial conspiracy or a romantic tradition? Lifestyle investigates ‘Commercial hoax,’ says Lauren Arthur:

‘Either or’ says Dana Fowles:

‘Truely Romantic’ says Beth Currall:

Birthday, Christmas, Valentine’s Day. The three days of the year that I can count on my mother to send me a card. Even now at eighteen years old, 240 miles from home, I will be receiving a pink envelope with my carefully calligraphed name and a question mark at the bottom. The Bridget Jones within me hates her for it - why, mother dearest, would you point out once again that I am still single? Yet what annoys me more is that she feels obliged to send it to me in an attempt to make me feel loved.

When indulging in post Christmas shopping, before the influx of chocolate eggs hits, one must mentally prepare themselves for the onslaught of heart-shaped boxes, dozens of roses and cuddly toys. Call me a cynic, but whilst Christmas has become commercialised enough, it seems that Valentine’s Day was born from card companies and florists, with few people knowing the origin of the day or anything about St. Valentine’s story.

Countless establishments benefit from the holiday, and for all the wrong reasons. From what I gather, love is supposed to be spontaneous and passionate, personal and thoughtful, not restricted to one day a year in which couples feel forced to show their adoration. For those without romantic love in their lives, the commercialist humdrum of St Valentine has the potential to cause indifference at best and annoyance or upset at worst.

However cynical you are about the occasion, few can truly say that they are actually indifferent to the mention of 14th February. It puts pressure on those in relationships to show their emotions whilst belittling lone individuals to feel as if they are somehow inadequate. How is it an emotion as powerful and all-consuming as love has been reduced to a single day of materialistic red rubbish? Surely you should show your other half you love them on a daily basis?

Whether you choose to embrace the romantic occasion or dodge the dreaded day, I shall be taking my Bridget-sized measure of vodka, predrinking to Chaka Khan before heading down to Sankeys and perhaps ‘accidentally’ bumping into any PDA couples that get in my way.

At the grand old age of twenty, I am still yet to receive my first Valentine’s card. Yes that’s right, I was never sheepishly handed one during my primary school years, my mum and dad have yet to take pity on me and I have certainly never received one of the genuinely romantic variety. Cue the violins.

The truth is I’m not really all that bothered. I don’t think that it has impacted on my psychological health; I don’t feel unloved, in fact, far from it. I have wonderful family and friends and, until Ryan Gosling proposes, that will do me just fine.

The day is easily ignored and just as easily celebrated, even if you aren’t part of a couple. It really is just another day in the year, which you can choose to remain indifferent to, or you can use as an excuse to indulge in some self-love and buy yourself a good bottle of wine and a nice box of chocolates. You could just go about your normal daily routine; believe it or not, this isn’t put to a stop just because it’s Valentine’s Day. Or, at the risk of sounding like a hippy, why not spread the love and plan an evening with your housemates or coursemates?

I won’t be crying into my pillow because I’m not spending February 14th with the love of my life, nor will I be giving the middle finger to any blissfully happy couples whom I encounter. If the mood takes me and I happen to feel the need to acknowledge the day in some way, shape or form, what I might just do, is put a bit of a twist on the traditional theme of romantic love and let my aforementioned family and friends know that they are fabulous human beings. Cheesy though that may sound, it’s got to be better than being bitter and it’s not quite as vom-worthy as writing reams of Shakespearean sonnets to some poor guy.

Ever since I was young enough to know what ‘love’ is, I have found myself in love, with love. My first crush was Nick from Heartbeat, and despite the thirty year age gap (I was six at the time of said obsession), I was convinced that ‘Nick’ would one day requite my love and express his feelings in the form of gifts, love letters and poetry. To this day, I still believe that Valentine’s is the one day in 365 that people can feel comfortable with following their hearts over their heads, expressing their emotions; whether it is towards a husband or a wife, a partner or to someone you are plucking up the courage to ask out on a first date.

Sometimes it seems like it is completely unacceptable to be seen as romantic nowadays; being ‘soppy’ is often regarded as a weakness.

This is exactly why I feel that it is more important to emphasise the true meaning of Valentine’s Day. An increasing number of people lose sight of the significance that is held within a simple card, a chocolate heart or even in those three little words.

Valentine’s is slaughtered by those who brand it commercial, but that is not the way it has to be. A home-cooked meal requires so much more thought and attention than splashing out on a threecourse meal in a Michelin starred restaurant ever would. A single rose has more romantic connotations than the most expensive diamond ring, and a card containing the kindest words is kept within the heart, long after the paper version has been discarded in the bin or put to the back of a drawer.

The key factor of Valentine’s Day is that it is solely a celebration of love, and that requires no money or materialism. So enjoy being in love, and for those without a partner, enjoy the excitement that comes with finding love! But just a note to my influx of admirers, who I’m sure have been reading this: don’t send those 42-carat diamonds back just yet.

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Games

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

THQ Bankruptcy: Has your favourite series been saved?

Games publisher THQ forced to auction off studios as it files for bankruptcy Games publisher THQ has sold off major development studies as part of Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The publisher sold off franchises and studios to raise £100 million, amongst the studios sold off were the developers of popular franchises such as Saints Row and Company of Heroes.

THQ’s financial situation had worsened to the point where Take Two Interactive boss Strauss Zelnick’s prediction of THQ not being around in six months seems more astute and less arrogant.

THQ have been forced into bankruptcy by a number of factors. The key factor was a complete misunderstanding of the market, which led to the release of uDraw on the 360 and PS3. While uDraw was originally a success on the Wii, they failed to foresee the much greater competition on the PS3 and 360. That, coupled with the more mature, hardcore gamer audience led to 1.4 million unsold units and a loss of over $100 million dollars. THQ experienced further losses when flagship titles Homefront and Red Faction: Armageddon failed to sell as well as expected.

All of this lead to them reporting a $239.9 million loss in fiscal year 2012, and after defaulting on a $50 million loan in December it was time for THQ to call it a day. Unable to find a buyer for the entire business, THQ were forced to sell off individual development studios to a variety of publishers.

Ill-judged FPS franchise Homefront has been taken over by Crysis developers Crytek. Hopefully Crytek’s take on the franchise will be a bit less jingoistic and avoid the borderline racist stereotyping of Korean people that the first had.

Much awaited South Park RPG South Park: The Stick of Truth has had its publishing rights sold to Ubisoft, in spite of South

Park studios objection to be removed from the auction. Ubisoft have also purchased THQ Montreal hopefully saving 500 jobs in Montreal.

Koch Media have purchased Saints Row developers Volition for $22.3 million, giving them the right to publish Saints Row 4, which will hopefully continue to maintain the high standard of chaotic and irreverent fun. Koch Media were busy during the auction, also picking up Metro for $5.8 million.

Sega were also active in the auction, picking up the Company of Heroes and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War developer Relic entertainment beating Bethesda owners Zenimax Media to the punch.

Evolve; a new co-op creation from Turtle Rock Studios of Left 4 Dead fame has been bought for $11 million by Take Two Interactive. Turtle Rock Studios had hoped to have avoided the auctioning and purchase the franchise themselves, The fate of some studios remains up in the air. The hottest unsold property is the WWE wrestling game franchise. Gaming website IGN has published rumours of Take-Two Interactive making a sweep for the WWE franchises. THQ’s relationship with the WWE has recently deteriorated after it was revealed that WWE were

unsecured creditors and are owed $45 million dollars, which they will most likely never get back.

Whether or not developer Yuke’s will continue to develop the WWE series depends on whether or not the buyer feels that a change is needed after Yuke’s stewardship for 13 years. The declining popularity of the series after a number of weak releases increases the likelihood that the new buyer will purchase the franchise and leave the developer behind.

Critically acclaimed series Darksiders developed by Vigil entertainment will likely survive although it wasn’t able to find a buyer at the auction. Vigil will be buoyed by the high review scores and can pass the buck on bad sales to management problems at the struggling THQ. Still publishers may be cautious about taking a chance on a developer that produces good games that nobody buys.

THQ weren’t the only games company to file for bankruptcy as Pong publisher Atari filed for bankruptcy on January 21st.

Sam Dumitriu

Years ago, my brother and I wouldn’t settle scores over Mario Kart, nor Smash Bros. We wouldn’t even use Goldeneye. For us, a man’s worth was measured in his ability to play Bomberman 64.

The fast paced, pseudo-strategic multiplayer battles were the only way for us to decide, for example, which one of us had actually started a fight. The results were often shocking and incorrect.

Major injustices aside, I loved Bomberman. There was nothing quite like the varied stages and challenge of multiplayer matches.

Finding hidden items in the single player game unlocked many silly costume items for dressing up your multiplayer Bomberman, which could then be saved to the revolutionary new technology that was the memory card.

When the people (Bombermen?) of the imaginatively named Planet Bomber come under attack, Bomberman rushes to fight off the invading flying fortress with the aid of the mysterious Regulus, and a shit-ton of bombs. I still remember the pain of beating what I thought was the final boss only to discover that Bomberman’s only ally suddenly, but inevitably, betrayed him. I learned to never again trust strangers.

There were five areas, each made up of two adventure and two boss stages. Adventuring was across 3D stages, a first for the series, and required careful practice and bomb-bouncing skills to complete, skills that took young me considerable patience and commitment to achieve. Bomberman 64 remains one of my benchmarks for boss fights. There were several beasts to despatch and bomber rivals to fend off. One in particular stands out as a childhood nightmare, a giant ice spider with long stabby-legs. It played to both my fears; that of spiders and that of being stabbed by a giant ice spider.

I could go on about Bomberman 64 for days, however my brother just questioned my journalistic integrity and now must back up his arguments with bombs.

Alasdair Preston

Feature

Preview

Crysis 3

Budget tips for student gamers

EA Games • RRP: £44.99 • PS3 / 360 / PC The much-awaited sequel to Crysis 2 has whet gamers’ appetites with an online multiplayer beta featuring two playable maps and modes. The King of the Hill style Crash Site returns, now allowing you to pilot a Pinger. For the uninitiated, that’s an 18 foot armoured tripod, able to kill multiple enemies with a single plasma mortar blast.

Piloting the Pinger will be vital to capturing the crash sites and winning the match. The crash sites now come with two shields allowing players to defend the site as waves of players try to take it back. As crash sites shift across the map, strategic usage of vehicles and teamwork is required to come out on top.

Hunter mode is a new arrival to Crysis 3. You play as either a standard C.E.L.L operative or as a Hunter; a special class with invisibility and a powerful bow and arrow which takes enemies out with a single hit.

As a Hunter you are given just two minutes to take out every C.E.L.L operative before the next

Bomberman 64

round starts and the roles are reversed. Whenever a Hunter kills an operative, the operative becomes a Hunter, making the game increasingly difficult for the remaining survivors as more and more hunters arrive to take them down. The game seems balanced towards surviving rather than hunting with more points gained by surviving to the end than taking out even four or five C.E.L.L operatives.

Both modes are playable on two maps Airport and Museum.

Airport is set in an abandoned airport with lush green foliage

Sam Dumitriu

covering disused planes and stretching to inside the terminals.

Museum, is water damaged and been long out of use. Both maps show the power of the CryEngine 3 with realistic lighting and high levels of detail pushing even the best PC builds to the limit.

Crysis 3’s multiplayer excels when you move through the map, sprinting from cover, jumping over obstacles and between floors. It all flows, making every match exciting and unpredictable. Crysis 3 ships in February 19 and is set to be one of the year’s most exciting titles.

The Mancunion’s top tips for gaming on a student budget Gaming at university is a challenge, while you’ll probably have the time; it’s unlikely you’ll have the cash to keep up with the latest releases. Making every penny stretch is vital to maintaining a gaming habit at uni, to help our readers out The Mancunion has decided to share our best tips for gaming on a budget.

For games light on multiplayer content, buy pre-owned. It may seem obvious but the best way to cut costs is to buy second-hand.

Buyers beware though; more and more games are coming with DLC included, so the costs of buying the DLC again might cancel out the savings made. Still, I managed to get Max Payne 3 for £7.99, which for the single player alone is a bargain.

Follow @SavyGamer on twitter for regular updates of the latest deals in gaming. There are literally hundreds of sites selling games out there and to keep up on every deal is nigh on impossible.

Thankfully, SavyGamer regularly collates the best deals and

voucher codes online keeping you up to date.

The Humble Bundle is a great source of good games for low prices. Every six months or so, they release a pay-what-you-want bundle of indie games. That’s right you can get great games for pennies. If you decide to pay more than the average payment you can get additional games. Oh and did I mention a proportion of the proceeds go to the charity.

Humble Bundle recently outdid themselves by partnering with the beleaguered publisher THQ to put out the Humble THQ Bundle, featuring great games including Saints Row: The Third, Metro 2033, and Company of Heroes.

You can subscribe online so you never miss out on the best deals.

Finally, it’s impossible to talk about deals in gaming without mentioning the Steam Sale. Steam sales are like Boxing Day on crack.

You have the power to grab a years worth of games for under a hundred pounds, however as the great philosopher Uncle Ben once said, “With great power, comes great responsibility”. You need to set yourself limits or else you’ll be knee deep into your overdraft with more games than you could have ever hoped to play. Train Simulator 2013 anyone?

Sam Dumitriu

Societies

ISSUE 13/ 11th February 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

29

Pangaea Festival

Society Spotlight

Tommy Fish explains why this Pangaea was such a success, and how the next is going to be even better

Rachel Heward goes to MUGSS’ rehearsal of The Grand Duke

Pangaea is the largest student festival in Europe and I spoke to the organiser Tommy Fish who explained why this year’s Pangaea was such a success.

This year’s theme was Wonderland, and encouraged students to dress up as anything from the Mad Hatter to the Wizard of Oz. ‘The most important thing about Pangaea is the visual.

In the months leading up, I spent a lot of time talking to different production companies, to make sure we had the best lighting effects, staging and overall decorations. My issue with previous years is it has never looked like a festival, just lots of different venues so

my priority this year was to make sure it looked amazing.’

Over 50 volunteers made up the creative team, and are to be thanked for transforming the Student Union into a Winter Wonderland, complete with Narnia, ice caves and magical trees.

As Pangaea is a festival specifically for students, the most important thing was to promote students and societies. There were guest performances from the Bhangra Society, the Drum and Bass Society and even the Knitting Society got involved.

The involvement of societies is very important to Pangaea, and the summer festival hopes to have performances from the

Beat Boxing society as well as others who will be announced nearer the time.

Headlining were Grandmaster Flash and Miss Dynamite, along with many other bands from The Other Tribe to Kaleidoscope Orchestra. ‘My favourite act of the night had to be Grandmaster Flash, although there was confusion at the beginning of his set to do with equipment. For a moment I thought he wouldn’t play at all, but after a lot of grovelling and generally massaging his ego he performed. Who is to blame for the embarrassing technical hitch is still a mystery. My biggest regret of the evening was not seeing the set of

Kaleidoscope Orchestra with Dynamite MC who were playing upstairs in the Union, which was different to the other acts as it combined classical music with a live MC. I heard raving reviews about them from many students and colleges.’

For the main part, the night was a success however there were issues when it came to the ticket sales. ‘The organisation of the event was running smoothly until it came to the tickets. We set up a system to prevent touting, which was 100% successful but it meant people could not get refunds for their tickets. We did set up a system where 150 students were refunded however this did not include everyone. The problems with the tickets were unfortunate as it meant our energy went into organising refunds instead of into the actual night.’

Despite this the night was a success, and the June Pangaea is promising to have even better visuals, with incredible live acts and outdoor staging. If you want to start planning your outfit, there is talk of the theme being toys.

Kate Bullivant

Open Media Richard Les talks to Grace Wilson from the Open Media Society The aim of the Open Media Society is to show thoughtprovoking documentaries on a whole range of subjects.

Founded seven years ago, the society shows documentaries which might have escaped the mainstream media’s attention.

Whenever possible the screenings are followed by a question and answer session to give the audience a chance to discuss the film and anything they found challenging about it.

Society Chair Grace Williams told me: ‘I think that sitting as a collective watching a film is a much more powerful experience than sitting in front of a laptop and watching a film.

There’s a big difference, I think, in the fact that there is a space there for people to discuss what they think with their peers.’

Open Media also collaborate with other societies when the opportunity arises. This gives its members an opportunity to learn more about the documentary being shown and having

Societies

Events

people with a particular interest in the topic of the film also helps generate discussion.

The society committee try to keep the programme varied, with a mixture of both lighthearted and more serious films.

‘That’s what’s good about it being quite a casual thing, so people can pick and choose which screenings they want to come to.’

In the future Open Media are keen to show a student-made film, to try and encourage student participation. This is something that has worked well in previous years, and the society hope to promote student films.

This Wednesday 13th February, Open Media are showing ‘Paris is Burning’ in Room 8, University of Manchester Student Union at 6 15pm.

You can find out more about Open Media Society on the union website, on Facebook and on Twitter. Facebook: http:// www.facebook.com/groups/ uomopenmeadia/?fref=ts

Last week I went along to the rehearsal of Manchester University’s Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s production of The Grand Duke and spoke to Secretary, Dan Magnone, about what they do.

Dan explains exactly what MUGSS is, and why it is unique as the ‘largest’ student theatre society in Manchester. He says, ‘every year we put on a large scale production of a Gilbert and Sullivan show in the Opera theatre in the RNCM, with a large and varied cast and our own back stage crew. Our aim is to carry on the tradition of the comic light operas and bring them to a new audience who may not be familiar with these works of musical genius and hilarious comedy. We also aim to give everyone the opportunity to get involved, so we don’t audition for our chorus and anyone can be on stage in any of our productions. We do however audition for the principal roles ensuring that we have a high standard of performance. Many of our soloists aspire to be the next generation of professional singers and musicians.’ I was also told that many members go on to have careers on the stage, including a former member of MUGSS who was in the recent film adaptation of Les Misérables. Dan said, ‘we also have our own crew who build the sets and run the entire productions and anyone is of course welcome to be involved in this as well’.

The Grand Duke Their current performance of The Grand Duke is showing at the end of February. With just under a month to go, I was intrigued to see how far along they were, and I was surprised at how finalised the rehearsals seemed to be. As is the intention of Society Spotlight, I wanted to have a go and join in with some of their rehearsal, thinking it wouldn’t be too difficult to pick up on some of the songs the chorus were singing. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Optimistically, I was handed a copy of the music and was all set to chime in but was instantly thrown off guard by the sheer decibels, rapidity and skill of the people who surrounded me. Not being familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan’s work, I had no idea of the speed of the music, how quickly the words had to be sang, and also how funny it actually was. Needless to say I soon gave up on attempting to join in and just sat back and enjoyed the extraordinary sound of the twenty plus voices singing perfectly in unison and harmony.

I also had a chance to see some of the ‘blocking’ that goes into their rehearsal time. This involves the practice of acting, dancing and stage positioning. Director, Joel Fisher, definitely knows what he’s doing here, commanding the group with ease and humour to achieve a high level of performance, whilst still letting the cast have their fun. As I soon came to realise with Gilbert and Sullivan performances, the most important aspect is the element of humour and fun.

If you’d like to go and watch The Grand Duke (which I strongly recommend) tickets are on sale at £5 each from the RNCM Box Office which can be found by following a link from the MUGSS website.

The show is running from Wednesday 27th February to Saturday 2nd March at the RNCM, at 7.30pm, with an added Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Described by the RNCM as a ‘musical tale of treason, deceit, love, heartbreak and sausage rolls’, it will be a spectacle not to miss out on.

Get Involved You don’t have to have any previous experience to get involved in a Gilbert and Sullivan production, and as Dan says, ‘we have students from all areas and disciplines and it seems to be an activity which suits everyone. It can also be fun to meet and socialise with people from different subject areas to yourself.” Visit www.mugss.org or email committee@mugss.org or chair@mugss.org.

Monday11rdFebruary

Tuesday 12th February

Wednesday 13th February

Wednesday 13th February

DODGEBALL SOCIETY SOCIAL

ROLE PLAYING SOCIETY

CIRCUS SKILLS

MANCHESTER SHE CHOIR

Owens Park Bar

Council Chambers, Barnes Wallis

Burlington Society

Catholic Chaplaincy

8pm onwards

Building, 6pm-7pm

2pm -4pm

5pm -6pm

For more events, visit the socities page on the Mancunion website: www.mancunion.com

30 : SPORT

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Captain Cook set to lead Kiwi expedition Lessons learned in India can help England in New Zealand Adam Steedman Thake

When England made their recent trip out to India, there were fears that the England team could not adjust. The Indian subcontinent is a notoriously hard place to tour as the conditions are so different. The ball does not bounce and pitches tend to favour crafty spinners rather than tall, quick bowlers. In the first test, England performed dismally and lost. Over the following three tests, however, England played like a team reborn. They looked assured with the bat in compiling runs and bowled resolutely to limit India’s scoring ability.

Alastair Cook has blossomed since taking on the role as captain, leading from the front by mercilessly accumulating runs. Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar showed that England have a squad with real depth, and the additions of Joe Root and Nick Compton hint at the new pool of talent that is starting to come through. England went on to win the series 2-1; their first series win in India since 1984-5.

The test series showed a return to form after a disappointing year in which England lost their number one test ranking following defeats to Pakistan

and South Africa.

The One Day Internationals offered some glimmers of hope. England won two of the five ODIs comprehensively.

Their nine-run victory in the first match belies how dominantly they performed. In the final match, England played commandingly, chasing down the total after bowling India out; Ian Bell’s magnificent unbeaten 113 led the charge. These were England’s first victories in India since April 2006.

The other three matches, however, told a different story.

England were thoroughly beaten, their fragile batting line-up twice bowled out for 150. Some of the greatest current limited-over batsmen, such as Hashim Amla and Kumar Sangakkara, can turn a defensive shot into a scoring opportunity. England’s batsmen often did not exhibit the same kind of ingenuity. Samit Patel and Craig Kieswetter found it especially difficult to score runs.

In the bowling department, Steven Finn and James Tredwell bowled very well, but without Stuart Broad and James Anderson there were weak links in England’s bowling attack. Without a genuine all-

rounder, England selectors struggled to get the correct balance in the side. Fielding only four out-and-out bowlers meant that at least ten overs have to be made up by parttime bowlers. This is a problem, especially when one of your front-line bowlers plays badly: Jade Dernbach often bowled poorly and was dropped for the final match.

“It’s disappointing in a couple of those games we didn’t play as well as we could have done” England captain Alastair Cook said, “but with a young squad we’ve learned a lot.” Looking forward to England’s tour of New Zealand, beginning on the 9th February, it is important to see what lessons can be learnt from the India tour.

Cricket pitches in New Zealand are more akin to those in England, so England should fare better as they are suited to the conditions. In the test arena, moreover, New Zealand are a weak side. Mike Hesson, New Zealand coach, has stated that “We’re a long way off the pace in test cricket, we have to acknowledge that, and we know we have a lot of work to do.” In the test series, England should win comfortably

especially considering that New Zealand are without key players, especially Daniel Vettori.

In the limited-overs format, however, New Zealand should not be underestimated.

New Zealand recently recorded an historic away series victory over South Africa.

New Zealand possess a destructive player in Brendan McCullum and the recent reconciliation with Ross Taylor means that they have the ability to cause upsets in the fifty-over format.

England had a turbulent tour of India. The victory in the test series indicate that England have the ability to win, but the following trouncing in the one-day matches shows that there are still weaknesses which can be exploited. In limited overs, the abilities to play to the conditions and match situation are invaluable, especially if England wish to challenge the best teams across the globe and be attain supremacy as the number one team in the world.

Alastair Cook led England to impressive test victories in India.

Photo: cormac70@Flickr.

SPORT : 31

ISSUE 13/ 11th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM/

Manchester left ‘gutted’ at cup defeat University of Manchester

59

University of Chester

69

Jessica Benson Manchester Men’s Basketball are ‘gutted’ having suffered their first cup loss of the season to Chester on Wednesday.

Neither the coaches nor the players denied that it was going to be a tough game prematch, but team talks revealed quiet confidence and steely determination from both sides.

Manchester’s coach claimed he was never nervous despite Chester having held them to their lowest point score when they last played, and Chester’s J. Howes (no. 9) said that although it was tough playing a team you’ve played so recently ‘we should take them’- and sadly, that’s exactly what happened.

The game was an intense one, with on and off pitch drama coming to a climax in the final quarter. Chester came out aggressively with some early fouls but equally two early scores, putting Manchester on their toes right away. They quickly stepped up their game; some hot rebound snatches from T.Marks (no. 13) and an impressive 7th point from S. Berbet (no.7). Chester’s line up seemed less flexible, they were running the same players continuously, very hard- but they definitely made up for that in gel and flow. Star player N.Gillard (22), BBL player for Cheshire and my ‘one to watch’, put a spanner in the works for

Manchester too, scoring some beautiful 3-pointers where our boys were lacking.

A disappointing first quarter soon gave way to a faster, harder second one catapulting Manchester into the lead- but only just. Just as Chester equalized the tension mounted on the sideline with Chester’s coach and players contesting that B. Thomas (no.12) had committed five fouls. Manchester seemed frustrated with the time wasting as Chester’s attitude got the better of them, arguing with the referee and the desk despite having no one doing stats to back them up. The end of the second quarter was swamped in controversy with an angry Chester and a tense 30- 31 lead against our boys- looking to smash both coaches’ predictions of neither team breaking the thirty boundary. The first point in the third quarter was smashed in by another ‘one to watch’ C.Serban (no.10) and Manchester managed to show their aggression and dominate the majority of the quarter. But fate had decided the game was to be a tense one, much to the dismay of the one-man desk, and there was rising frustration as technical difficulties with the score board brought the game to a halt several times.

Manchester take on MMU last season. Photo: Jonny Whiting The game intensified tenfold in the final quarter, every player trying his guts out, coaches sweating on the sideline. A whole new level of basketball entered the building.

Manchester team became increasingly frustrated with Chester’s smashing scores and fearless runs, though they put up a fierce defense and ran their hardest- the team just seemed lacking that tight communication that fuelled Chester’s fire power. After a

few outstanding three-pointers there was an un-sportsman-like call made by the referee against Chester’s E. Raka (no. 20) for aggressively pushing a player in the chest. He then became violent and was asked to leave the building for the safety of others; the smashed drinks machine he left in his wake, much to the disgust of the other players, made this seem like an all round good decision. The drama off pitch only spurred the boys to run harder and

faster, and though Manchester kept fighting till the very last it wasn’t enough to claw back from their ten-point loss.

Manchester 59 to Chester 69.

After an intense game Chester’s N. Gillard said that he was ‘chuffed’ and Manchester had made them ‘play out of their skins to win’- it sure looked like it. J. Lake, Manchester’s number 5, admitted they were gutted; they could have played better but that Chester just ‘shot harder’. A sickening loss

to end their 9 game winning streak but Manchester don’t seem too despondent, ‘we want to be undefeated in the league’, no.5 told me positively. They travel to Chester next weekend hot on the heels on the heels of this weeks loss so there will certainly be added pressure and extra tension when these rivals clash again- hopefully they can maintain that fourth quarter intensity and bring back their winning streak in style.

New season yet to bring new hope for Salford Super league campaign starts with heavy defeat to Wigan Warriors Lisa Murgatroyd Super League XVIII kicked off on Friday 1st February, and for this reporter this meant taking a trip to see the Cherry and Whites play at Salford City Stadium.

Anticipation was high, following talk from Salford City Reds’ millionaire new owner of turning the club into a Super League superpower and Wigan Warriors narrowly missing out on a place in last year’s Grand Final.

The bailout of Salford City Reds

by Dr Marwan Koukash was a welcome relief to fans following the failure to secure a loan from the local council. The club faced administration at the end of last season until the successful racehorse owner stepped in, with high hopes of bringing silverware home.

Salford were no match for Wigan, conceding no points with an eighty-try romp. A final score of 0-42 saw Man of Steel Sam Tomkins score a hat trick, and Ireland international Pat Richards put injury woes behind him to notch 14 points to his

personal tally.

The ground itself, located near Eccles, is shared between the League club and Union Sale Sharks. Salford City Stadium is certainly a step up from the old Willows ground, with a 12,000 capacity that can be extended to 20,000. This is likely to come in handy when hosting the Rugby League Wold Cup Scotland vs USA match in November this year. It’s not an easy one for fans to get to however, especially when you find that the accidentprone A57 has been closed when you try to leave, as happened on 1st February.

The away end, North Stand, has a capacity for 2,500, but Warriors fans quickly spilled out in to East Stand in comparison to a subdued Salford crowd. It was a quiet atmosphere, certainly missing the benefits of the large TV screen brought by Sky. With no fanfare of music or even announcements throughout the match, it was easier to find out what was happening on Twitter.

The novelty of being able to take alcohol on to the terraces was a nice change from the restrictions at football grounds, and it was nice to see prices weren’t extortionate.

Pint and a pie for £6? Bargain!

The one thing I couldn’t understand was the new kit for the officials – they wore a pink and blue chequered shirt that blended in with the players’ colours. Sort it out ref!

2013 looks set to be a good year for Rugby League, culminating in the World Cup. Tickets are up for sale already, and matches are being spread throughout England, Ireland, Wales and France, with the final being held at Old Trafford. Reigning champions New Zealand will play their first match vs Samoa at the Halliwell Jones Stadium in Warrington, with tickets starting as low as £5.

Salford City Stadium is home to both Salford City Reds and Sale Sharks

SPORT

11TH FEB 2012/ ISSUE 13 FREE : @Mancunion_Sport : /TheMancunion

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Cricket: England prepare for Kiwi series

P30

Basketball: Manchester ‘gutted’ after defeat

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

P31

Tyrants cage MMU Eagles

BUCS AFL North West 2012-2013 P

W

D

L

PD

%

Derby 1st

6

6

-

0

205

1.000

Sheffield 1st

6

6

-

0

190

1.000

Manchester 1st

6

4

-

2

32

0.667

UCLAN 1st

5

3

-

2

-5

0.600

Sheffield H 1st

4

2

-

2

0

0.500

Liverpool JM 1st

6

2

-

4

13

0.400

Huddersfield 1st

6

2

-

4

-83

0.333

Bangor 1st

4

1

-

3

-76

0.200

Staffordshire 1st

5

1

-

4

-70

0.200

Lancaster 1st

5

1

-

4

-89

0.200

Man Met 1st

6

1

-

5

-117

0.167

RESULTS: Wednesday 6th Feb Sheff. Hall 22-8

The game was dominated by running plays, with UoM coming out on top. Photo: G Longstaff

Manchester Tyrants

30

MMU Eagles

14

Matthew Barber & Ciaran Milner Sport Editors

The Superbowl was not the only American football event to entice the student population earlier this month, as on the same day UoM’s Tyrants took on MMU Eagles in the American football Varsity.

It is a fixture in which the Tyrants dominate the history, having won the previous two

contests, and they took to the field looking to maintain their 100% Varsity record and continue their push for the playoffs. The Eagles, on the other hand, rooted to foot of the BUCS league, were looking for only their second win of the season.

The match took place on the artificial pitch at Burnage Rugby Club, and the handful of supporters who made the journey into the fringes of Stockport were witness to a competitive display from both

sides that was worthy of the Varsity tag.

Before the tie was allowed to start, there were rallying cries from Tyrants and Eagles alike, as some even applied war paint for the battle ahead. As was perhaps to be expected, the match consisted of mostly running plays, rather than the expansive passing showcased by the top-level NFL. This was typified by the Eagles’ attempts to commence the game with an onside kick, though possession ultimately came under Tyrant control.

Play continued in a typically combative fashion, with each team’s defense giving rousing support to the offense, and vice versa, when they were not in action. Though the Tyrants made more substantial

territory in the first quarter, it ended with the scores still level.

The Tyrants continued to dominate in the second quarter, but it was only through an Eagles’ fumble which they made a breakthrough; the resulting turnover leading to a quick touchdown. The offending Eagles defensive back was clearly furious with himself, kicking his removed helmet in frustration as he left the field.

It proved to be a crucial point in the match, as the Tyrants pressed home their slim advantage.

Tyrants quarterback Christopher Payne (who gets the Mancunion vote for MVP) was particularly effective as the Eagles’ defensive floodgates

seemed to open.

The Tyrants continued their dominance over their increasingly weary opponents in the remaining quarters, and though the Eagles rallied to score 14 themselves, there were to be none of the heroics of the San Francisco 49ers.

The Tyrants held on to secure their third successive Varsity triumph, though the battling Eagles also left the field with their heads held high.

Both teams headed back to Manchester to enjoy their respective Superbowl parties, and with the American sport’s continual rise to prominence in the UK we feel that both clubs could do more next time out to make this one of the biggest events in the university sport calendar.

UCLAN

Sunday 3rd Feb UoM 30-14 Derby 34-0 Lancaster 6-0

MMU Huddersfield UCLAN

Saturday 2nd Feb Sheff. Hall 20-40

Sheffield

BUCS

league standings PTS 1

Loughborough University

2629

2

Durham University

1970.5

3

University of Bath

1762.75

4

University of Birmingham

1753

5

University of Exeter

1722

6

University of Nottingham

1554

7

Leeds Met Carniege

1522

8

University of Manchester

1475

9

University of Edinburgh

1333

10

Newcastle University

1246.5