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13th FEBRUARY 2017 / ISSUE 14 FREE
Page 8-9: The last in our series of Exec team interviews
Student loans for sale Critics are sceptical as Universities Minister claims the sale will have “no impact” on those paying off loans Rosa Simonet Deputy News Editor Pre-2012 student loans are being sold as part of a £12 billion pound programme set to take place over the next four years. The first of the sales, announced on the 6th February, include loans that became eligible for repayment between 2002 and 2006. The government assures the sale represents value for money for the UK taxpayer, claiming the process will work to repair public finances. The sale had been attempted by George Osborne, in the coalition government, who promised the sale would fund higher education and pay down the deficit. New conditions, however, do not entitle education to the proceeds, despite cutting university funding by £4 billion in 2015/16 to £3.7 billion in 2016/17. Though the conditions of student loans and repayments have yet to change, critics worry the sale of education for private purchase will cause problems for borrowers. These concerns follow the sale of the pre-1998 student to Erudio in 2013 which left many bewildered by administrative errors. Roughly 7,000 were affected by the company’s failure to send vital paperwork, including deferral forms, and unexpected demands for early payments. The sharing of customer data with credit reference agencies were amidst the complaints against Erudio as students originally sold the loans were told the debt would not appear on their credit records. In the recent sell-offs, the administration of loans and collections will remain within the power of the student loans company. The government’s claim the move will secure future repayments has failed to derail critics. Many fear the marketisation of the industry could enable private companies to use education as a profitable business in order to meet the original face value of the loans. National Union of Students Vice-President, Sorana Vieru, has called the sale “an ugly move,” allowing bankers to “profit off the backs of graduates who took out loans because they had no other option.” Since the announcement, the NUS have begun a campaign to stop the sale. Minister for Universities and Science, Jo Johnson, claims the sale will have “no impact” on those paying loans.
Continued on page 2... Photo: Tom Swann
Time to bin Bercow?
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Homelessness in Manchester
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Valentine’s Day: Dine in or out
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Continued Highlights from page one... P12
Music : Live: Bloc Party
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Fashion:
Critics remain sceptical in light of the increasing financial demand placed on students. In 2015, the government announced plans to increase repayments for those who had taken out loans since 2012. This was not in accordance with the plans publicised when many students had taken out the loans. Many worry the financial pressure being forced upon students will discourage those from low-income households to apply for university. Chief Secretary to the Treasurer David Gauke said: “This sale makes sense for taxpayers and will play an important contribution in our work to repair the public finances.” In response, critics have questioned the value of money to the taxpayer. This proved both difficult and controversial in both Gordon Brown’s selling of Government gold and Vincent Cable’s of Royal Mail. The University of Man-
chester has refused to comment on the issue at this time. The Education Officer of The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union, Emma Atkins, stated it was a “moral issue” that “money that could have contributed to public services is now going to line the pockets of the private sector”. She further added that there is “already controversy over changing the terms of repayment once a student has started borrowing” and that it’s uncertain whether it’d be at the discretion of the companies not behave similarly. Atkins also highlighted how, even though the loans are from 2002-2006, this could “set a precedence and become the norm”. During the last sale of the student loan book to Erudio, Manchester’s Students’ Union took a public stance against government proposals to privatise student loans.
Greater Manchester tackles hate crime
Hate Crime Awareness Week is taking place in Manchester this month in response to the spike in hate crime across the country since June 2016’s EU referendum Tom Patterson Senior News Reporter Ten GMC councils are providing funding towards community-run events throughout Hate Crime Awareness Week. A large advertisement campaign across the city this week using billboards, newspapers, social media and radio as a way of helping to “raise awareness of hate crime in Manchester, encourage reporting, promote community cohesion and celebrate diversity”. Home Office figures on hate crime in England and Wales show a year on year increase in reported incidents since 2011/12. The 2015/16 “statistical bulletin” report suggests that this may be partly due to “the improvement of recording offences by the police”. However, there was a sharp increase between June and July 2016, immediately following the referendum. Speaking at the launch of last week’s events at Cheetwood Primary School, Labour Councillor Nigel Murphy (executive member for neighbourhood services), said “Emotions were really high last year when we had the referendum, and people for some reason thought it was sensible to voice their racism on the streets. Actually what’s been really significant in Manchester, is that people have stood up against it...[and said] ‘no that’s not acceptable...’, so as well as encouraging people to report it we encourage people
to stand together against it.” Jim Battle, Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner added that “it’s about being friends with people, it’s about including people, it’s about being involved and being together..” He highlighted the benefit of having events in schools and praised the pupils for their awareness of the issues around hate crime. The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union’s Diversity Officer Ilyas Nagdee told The Mancunion about the work the Union does in collaboration with the university. He said they “stand against all forms of discrimination” and run events throughout the year such as the We Get It campaign which deals with sexual harassment and discrimination and last November’s Islamophobia Awareness Month. They, along with the university, also provide spaces where students can raise issues anonymously and discuss topics in a safe environment such as the Student Union’s independent Advice Service. There are over 40 different events taking place this week across the city, the details of which can be found at makingmanchestersafer.com, and the week will finish on Sunday 12th February, 12pm on Market Street with the Lord Mayor speaking at the event. More information about tackling hate crime including advice and support for victims can also be found at letsendhatecrime.com
Vintage beauty – not just for the elite
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Theatre: Review: The House of Bernarda Alba
Picture of the week: By Tom Swann
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Editorial Adviser: Charlie Spargo
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Two dead in Withington housefire Lily Sheehan Deputy News Editor Two people have died and five more have been seriously injured after a house caught fire in Withington, Greater Manchester. Firefighters and police officers were called to the scene on Parsonage Road, in the Ladybarn area, at 2.30am on Friday morning. Neighbour Emily Puckering told The Manchester Evening News: “the first thing I heard was people shouting. The thing I remember was the popping of the windows expanding from the heat. It wasn’t loud but it was enough to keep me awake. I didn’t know what was going on or what it was.” Seven people were killed or injured in the blaze.
Four children — three girls and a boy, aged from 10 to 17 — escaped with injuries after jumping out of a bedroom window. The two adults who perished in the house fire are believed to be the children’s mother and father. A third adult, who is understood to be a relative who was staying with the family, is currently in hospital. He is in a serious condition, whilst the status of the children remains unknown. According to Greater Manchester Police, formal identification of the deceased and post-mortem examinations have yet to take place. Reverend Mark Hewerdine, from St. Chad’s Church in Ladybarn, offered his support at this difficult time. Speaking to a Manchester Evening News reporter, he said: “For something like this to happen in the Parish has really shaken people
up locally. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family. We will be praying throughout the day for them.” Police and the fire service have begun a joint investigation into what caused the fire. Councillor David Acton, who is Chairman of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, released a statement after the incident: “It is with great sadness that we hear of the loss of two lives following a house fire in Manchester early this morning. Our thoughts are with the family members of the man and woman at this awful time. “Our firefighters did a great job in tackling the house fire, which was well alight when they arrived, so praise must go to them for dealing with this difficult and extremely sad incident.”
Detective Inspector Tony Lea, of Greater Manchester Police’s City of Manchester Team, said that his team are “continuing to work closely with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service to establish exactly how this fire started.” He then spoke directly to “anyone who may have witnessed the fire, or anyone in the area in the hours before the fire: if you have any information at all, contact police as soon as possible so we can piece together what happened.” Anyone who has any information about the house fire should contact the police on 101, quoting number 140 10/02/17. Tips can also be made anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers (0800 555 111).
Post-Crash Economics Bristol students accused of ‘blacking up’ founders make waves in academic sphere Two students have been heavily criticised for their fancy dress outfits amidst a growing culture of racism at the University of Bristol
Lily Sheehan Deputy News Editor Two undergraduate students at the University of Bristol have been accused of wearing blackface at a second year house party. The party, sponsored by Reon caffeine energy sachets, was themed ‘Teams, Memes and 2016’. In a picture posted on the Reon Facebook page, two white female partygoers are seen wearing orange prison jumpsuits, cornrows and heavy fake tan. The pair claim that they were both dressed as Patricia Miller, a white character from Netflix prison drama Orange is the New Black. One of the students pictured told Epigram, Bristol’s student newspaper, that she “find[s] it deeply offensive to be accused of being racist for my hairstyle, make-up and outfit”. She also claimed that she saw the Reon house party as “a great opportunity to get a friend of mine involved and dress up as convicts from one of the most successful and viewed TV series of 2016,” despite the fact that the aforementioned character has not appeared in the show since its first series in 2013. The student then attempted to justify her appearance, saying: “The fact that I need to justify myself for what I want to look like or who I want to interpret at a fancy dress party, is in itself ridiculous. Wearing BB cream, which is not to be confused with foundation, is what I always wear on a night out: I wore the
exact amount at the party as I do every other time I go out. “Yes, it was badly blended particularly towards the top of my forehead, yet I’m sure most of us (myself included) wouldn’t even realise, as it seemed to have blended quite well with my beautiful ginger hair! Equally, even if I was trying to darken my skintone, am I not allowed to? Does it really look like I’m trying to mock black skin?” The other student claimed that her tan was the result of a recent holiday in Cape Verde. Speaking to The Tab, she said: “My make-up suited the hairstyle, clothes and fitted in with the character from the TV series. No more to it than that.” Despite these students’ arguments for their behaviour, the University of Bristol’s Students’ Union labelled the incident an act of racism. A spokesperson for the Union said in a statement: “This is just one of a number of incidents to have come to light over the past few weeks: it needs to be recognised that racism is pervasive at Bristol, and at Universities across the country. We’ve seen extreme examples of racist abuse in the press recently, but racially insensitive comments, language and dress are all part of the same problem, and contribute to a culture that is sadly far too common on our campuses.” The two students involved have been asked to meet with Professor Nishan Canagarajah, the chair of Bristol’s newly formed Equality Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group.
Charlie Spargo Editorial Adviser Three of the founders of the University of Manchester's Post-Crash Economics Society (PCES) have achieved huge success with their first book. Published through Manchester University Press, The Econocracy, released last year, aims to tackle the hegemony of the neo-classical school of thought which almost totally dominates economics teaching and research and has received pages of recommendations from hugely influential academic figures. It was recently given a glowing review in The Guardian by senior economics commentator Aditya Chakrabortty. "One hundred years ago the idea of 'the economy' didn't exist. Now, improving the economy has come to be seen as perhaps the most important task facing modern societies" runs the book's description. "[T]he majority of citizens, who cannot speak this language, are locked out of politics while political decisions are increasingly devolved to experts." Their ultimate aim is to demystify economics and shake the foundations of the subject. Joe Earle, Cahal Moran and Zach Ward-Perkins, graduates of the University of Manchester, founded the PCES in 2012, after seeing that the economics they were being taught had failed in any way to
predict the 2008 financial crisis, but continued to be used unchanged. It "wasn’t mentioned in our lectures and what we were learning didn’t seem to have any relevance to understanding it... We were memorising and regurgitating abstract economic models for multiple-choice exams.” Since then the society has grown in size, with sister societies being set up at Higher Education institutions across the country and world. This group of students had a larger impact on economics than anyone had had before, using the National Student Survey (NSS) to harshly reflect on the state of economics teaching at the university. PCES's website states they "believe that the mainstream within the discipline has excluded all dissenting opinion, and the crisis is arguably the ultimate price of this exclusion. "Alternative approaches... have been marginalised. The same can be said of the history of the discipline. Students are routinely taught that only one form of economics is ‘scientific’ and ‘correct’." Ultimately, they see this complacency as the root of the global crash. The Econocracy has received high praise from names including former Business Secretary Vince Cable, respected academic Noam Chomsky, and Professor Emeritus in Political Economy Lord Robert Skidelsky.
University Challenge contestant accused of raping girl to “help her get over her ex” Araddhna Patel News Reporter The police have received a report of alleged rape by a victim who saw the accused appear on an episode of the BBC television programme University Challenge. The 19-year-old victim, who remains unnamed, accused Bartholomeo Joly de Lotbiniere, a 21-year-old History graduate from York, of raping her in her room at the University of York student halls. The victim said the incident occurred in June 2014, but it was only after she saw Joly de Lotbiniere’s appearance on University Challenge that she went to the police in August 2015. According to her statement documented by The Telegraph, the defendant said: “It will help you get over your ex.” She alleges that Joly de Lotbiniere also told her to “tell no one about this” and to “pretend this never happened.” The woman sent a text to Joly de Lotbiniere after the incident saying: “I thought I’d let you know I wasn’t overly comfortable with what happened”. The defendant later replied with an apologetic text message: “Neither am I, I
was a disgrace, I did a very stupid thing and I am very sorry for what I did. I just hope you can forgive me at some point and I’ll try my best not to act like a bloody 14-year-old again and start acting my age.” Months later, when the pair met at a house party, Joly de Lotbiniere again texted the victim: “I wanted to apologise to you in person tonight. I wanted you to know I’m very sorry for what I did and that there’s no enmity between us. And that we can move on as mutual friends.” The jury at York Crown Court were played a video interview of the victim who said she “got angry and upset” after seeing a tweet by the co-host of television show Pointless Richard Osman about the defendant, according to The Telegraph. The woman stated: “It took a while to, sort of, sink in, what he did. Then, basically, he was on University Challenge and it was all over social media and certain tweets... I just wanted to do something about it.” The court heard how the victim and defendant were out with a group of other students the night Joly de Lotbiniere allegedly raped the victim. He is said to have tried to kiss her a few times, and after
she told him she was not interested, he followed her to her room. The court were also told that both students were drunk, according to The Sun. The prosecutor of the case, Gerald Hendron QC, said in court: “[Joly de Lotbiniere] took off her top, bra and trousers. She said she froze. She was telling the defendant to stop and was trying to push him off her. “She was a small, slight girl and the defendant was much physically larger and stronger than she was.” The jury heard from Detective Constable Adam Saggers that, according to the police interview, the defendant told officers the encounter was consensual, and his apologies via text message were because he was embarrassed at not being “good at [sex].” He also claimed that he was “not fully erect,” according to The Sun. The cross examiner, Judy Khan QC, suggested the encounter was a “disastrous one night stand,” which the victim denies. Joly de Lotbiniere has denied two offences of sexual assault and rape. The story is still developing as trial continues.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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Academics told to act like diplomats Shivani Kaura Senior News Reporter David Richardson, Vice-Chancellor at the University of East Anglia, has said that scholars need to use academic networks as “diplomatic networks to bring soft power to bear on politicians” during the Economic Policy Group’s Innovation Conference in London this year. Richardson stated that, “in addition to being academics and pursuing their research and research questions, they are actually also diplomats”. They cannot simply be satisfied with presenting results without substantive discussion, as their discoveries may “not be self-evident to others” and be subject to”pushback”. Professor Richardson said the university significantly damaged its reputation after the leak of emails by the Climatic Research Unit, who breached the concept of the Freedom of Information Act and deleted key evidence about investigations discussing results about man-made global warming to show data which aligned with its research. The Telegraph labelled the affair, which has come to be known as ‘Climategate’, the “worst scientific scandal of our generation”. At a recent summit for Global Education at the Presidency University in India, Richardson also told those present that we are living in a “post-truth age [after Brexit] and we need to show politicians and the public how it is that we enrich not only teaching and research but also the cultural and social fabric of the communities we work in”. According to Richardson, the problem UK universities are currently facing is the failure to acknowledge “working in a ‘posttruth’ environment”. The EU Referendum has caused academics to believe they are elite members of society and “scholars must think about how they’re going to portray hard work and get people to recognise the worth of it as they push back”. The value of academic and student research is highly commended in the UK by many leading figures, however, Professor Richardson believes in order to value the efforts made, academics must recognise their responsibility as diplomats to have an impact in modern-day politics.
Cambridge student burns money in front of homeless man Ollie Potter Senior News Reporter A Cambridge student has been expelled from Cambridge University Conservatives over allegations that he mocked a homeless man and burned a £20 note in front of him. The burning of currency is behaviour akin to the actions of the infamous Bullingdon Club at Cambridge’s arch rival Oxford University, with the lighting of a £50 note now an initiation ceremony for the Club. Drunk and wearing a white tie dress and tails from a night out, Ronald Coyne, from Pembroke College, was spotted on February 2nd by a stunned onlooker outside a Cotswold store on Bridge Street in Cambridge. Coyne filmed the incident himself, circulating the video on Snapchat, which was viewed by dozens of people. A fake profile of Ronald Coyne was made on February 9th, with over a hundred comments aiming abuse, scorn and disgust at
Ronald’s actions. The university’s Conservative Association released a statement on their website, disassociating themselves from Coyne and saying “there is no room for people who behave like that in our Association”, and decided to “revoke his membership and bar him from all future events”. They also claimed that Coyne was not attending an Association event before or after the incident, dispute his white tie attire. Coyne was the society’s communications officer, and he is being investigated by senior Cambridge University officials, their spokeswoman stating they are “aware of an incident” but could not add a further comment whilst the proceedings were under way. Conservative Manchester student Stephen said he “couldn’t believe a person could do something so heinous and spiteful in front of a helpless man”, adding that “men like Ronald Coyne give Conservatives a terrible name.”
Preview: Opportunity to ‘speednetwork’ with Andy Burnham The Labour Greater Manchester Mayoral Candidate, Andy Burnham, is offering the opportunity for one-to-one questions with students and young people around Manchester Emily Hulme & Sarah Casey News Reporters The Fabian society are hosting an event on Monday 13th February, inviting you to question Mayoral Candidate for Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham MP. Open to all ages, this event provides an opportunity for anyone to press Andy on his ideas about the future of Manchester. Last summer Burnham missed out on leading the Labour party, second to Jeremy Corbyn. Burnham has been an MP in Leigh for 15 years. Burnham’s campaign claims to centre around harnessing ideas from local young people. In his manifesto he says: “There is a real sense of despondency amongst young people who continue to get a rough deal from the Westminster government. Wherever they turn, they seem to have barriers put up in front of them.” He has promoted ideas such as introducing quality apprenticeships for all school leavers, creating an affordable home building programme and encouraging Manchester’s cycling bug. He adds: “In the face of post-Brexit Britain, it has never been more important for our young people to have the chance to decide what their future looks like... We should also look at how we can set up a Greater Manchester Rent-to-Own scheme to encourage home-ownership for the under 35s. And we must do more to end the blight of homelessness in Greater Manchester.” In recent statements, Andy has expressed a hope to oversee a radical project integrating the various regions of Manchester. If elected Mayor, Burham oversee a £6bn health and social budget, one of the busiest police services in the UK, and a potential revolution in city transport. The Greater Manchester Fabian Society is holding this event at the University Technical College at Media City, live in a TV studio. If you are interested and want to get involved, use this link to sign up and submit your questions.
Photo: The BMA @Flickr
London students striking with university cleaners Eleanor Forrest News Reporter Cleaning staff of King’s College London are striking under the slogan “all we are asking for is equality” and have been joined in protest by students. With the support of university students, the aim of their protest is to achieve a better working environment for staff and for the implementation of a support system for a regularly overlooked, but essential service. The staff and the students demand for the immediate increase of working hours necessary for staff to effectively clean the university and the introduction of a cover staff policy so that absences are covered by other staff. However, this is not a new issue as a number of universities, such as London School of Economics (LSE) and University College London (UCL) are, or have, experienced organised strikes in reaction to poor pay and an improper working conditions, as staff have been experiencing workplace accidents with no compensation as well as long-term health problems. The group KCL Justice for Cleaners state that reason this exploitation has taken place is that KCL outsources their cleaning through the company Servest, which allows for cleaners to be “employed on different terms and conditions”. As well as this, Latin American immigrants make up the majority of cleaning staff at KCL. The employment of
these demographics, according to a KCL cleaner named Martha who spoke to The Socialist Worker, is a deliberate tactic by companies such as Servest as a method of minimising chances of solidarity among workers. These workers don’t receive any form of income during the days in which they strike. In a show of support students have created a Gofundme page in order to compensate for the loss of income. As well as this, London students have attended protests with the workers and last week a petition was created that called for a reassessment from the university. Holly Henry, a student at KCL, speaking to The Independent, said: “I am disappointed with King’s. The conditions of these workers are shocking; I can’t believe that basic human rights are being ignored, and that workers and students are forced to protest as a result of this. “I am studying Spanish and Latin American studies at a university where many of the cleaning staff are native speaking from Spain or Latin America, and I feel disappointed that whilst King’s invests money into the study of these cultures, they cannot pay the basic living wage to the people of these countries.” KCL Justice for Cleaners said to The Mancunion that students “will stand with them on the picket lines again if this is what is needed to make King’s and the cleaning company hear their demands”.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Sunday 8 Jan - 17 Feb & BUILD THE FUTURE OF YOUR STUDENTS' UNION As an Exec Officer of The Students’ Union, you will have the chance to influence the Future; not only your Future but be a part of the first Exec Team that influences the Future Union developments. So STAND today and campaign on the issues that matter.
manchesterstudentsunion.com
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ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Manchester Science Festival 2017 announces first headliner The unique ‘Robots’ exhibition, showcasing the 500-year evolution of robots, is to headline the annual science festival held at Manchester’s Museum of Science & Industry
Aliya Ismangil Senior Science & Technology Reporter
The Manchester Science Festival, organised by the Manchester Science and Industry Museum, marks its 11th year running in 2017. Last year, the event garnered a record 136,000 attendees, and highlights included the Chronarium sleep lab in the Arndale and a performance by Public Service Broadcasting. This year, once again, the festival is not to be missed, and the first headliner has just been announced. Robots features an exclusive collection of over 100 humanoid robots, and this unique exhibition will come to Manchester on October 19th later this year as part of the Manchester Science Festival. Spanning a history of 500 years, the exhibition will present a plethora of machines; a 16th-century automaton monk, a replica of the robot in Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis’, the first bipedal robots, and Japan’s Kodomoroid communication android. Visitors will have the opportunity to gain insights into current robotic
Earth Week’s climate change plea Megan Harvey Science & Technology Reporter
The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union launched Earth Week with a panel discussion, including campaigners Asad Rehman, from Friends of the Earth, and Martin Empson, from Campaign Against Climate Change. Asad Rehman began with an enlightening speech about the effects of climate change on developing countries, and how intertwined the cause is with that of the #NoBanNoWall campaign. It is estimated that roughly 70,000 people die due to climate change related issues each year, but millions more are displaced from their homes and seek refuge elsewhere. It is estimated that 1 person every second is displaced from their homes as a result of drought, flood, or other climate change related disasters. So just as you have refugees of war, you have refugees of climate change. What makes matters worse, is it is beyond their control. 10 per cent of the richest countries are responsible for 50 per cent of the carbon emissions. Asad uses the analogy, “climate change is like the titanic, and we’ve hit the proverbial iceberg. But it is the richer countries that are the people getting on the boats, whilst the poor and locked in the cabin.”
Photo: reb gro@Flickr
It is therefore not surprising that those who are feeling the effect of climate change induced famine or other natural disasters are seeking refuge and help from us. But rather than villainising them as “economic migrants,” they need and deserve our legal protection. It is because of this injustice that Asad stressed that we must rebuild a system of justice, and give a face to millions that don’t have a voice. We have a social responsibility to support causes such as Friends of the Earth and Campaign Against Climate Change to “build bridges, not walls.” Although we may not see the damage we cause, it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Martin Empson elaborated that the way you can help such causes is to just get involved. Currently protests are everywhere and are certainly making the public’s voice heard, but he stressed that you should take part in all movements to do you bit. Or if that, sign a petition, write to your local MP or donate to make sure something is done. Everyone wants to protest Trump right now, but we need to ensure the environmental and migration movements work together to positively reinforce each other and make their voices louder. By doing this, Martin claims we can “create a positive agenda that creates hope.”
research and how scientists are creating robots that act and behave like humans. There will also be a chance for visitors to share their own views on what the robot landscape will look like in the future. Currently open to the public at the Science Museum in London, “this exhibition explores the uniquely human obsession of recreating ourselves, not through paint or marble but in metal,” says Ian Blatchford, director of the Science Museum Group. “Seeing robots through the eyes of those who built or gazed in awe at them reveals much about humanity’s hopes, fears and dreams.” Antonio Benitez, Director of the Manchester Science Festival, shared his excitement at the first announced headliner: “This exhibition will be an extraordinary opportunity for our audiences to explore the ways robots mirror humanity and the insights they offer into our ambitions, desires and position in a rapidly changing world.” You can find out more about Manchester Science Festival on their website and follow their upcoming announcements on Twitter and Facebook.
Photo: Museum of Science & Industry
Smokers have 72 per cent risk of fatal lung disease Serena Holloway Senior Science & Technology Reporter
This month, it was revealed that some smokers have a 72 per cent chance of developing a fatal lung disease. A recent study, published in the journal Nature Genetics, found that certain members of the population are at a higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), including bronchitis or emphysema. Scientists studied 2.4 million genetic differences in 350,000 people across 13 different countries, and discovered that the most susceptible individuals were 3.7 times more likely to develop COPD within their lifetime. Out of 100 smokers within this high genetic risk group, 72 per cent will go on to develop COPD. COPD currently affects 3 million people in the UK and costs the NHS more than £800m a year. Its symptoms include breathlessness, a persistent chesty cough, and frequent chest infections. There is currently no cure for COPD. However, results from the study have revealed several drug targets that could be used for its treatment in the future. Professor Ian Hall told The Independent: “The study [has allowed us to] understand the mechanisms which underlie disease risk, which in turn will provide a stimulus for drug development.” Smoking is the main cause of COPD, as well as many other diseases. Despite increased public awareness of the associated health risks, the NHS report that almost a quarter of 16-34 year olds are smokers, compared to just 11 per cent of those aged over 60 years. An individual’s level of education is also thought to play a factor in
the likelihood of smoking – those with a degree are least likely to smoke at just 9 per cent compared to 19 per cent overall. But when the risks to health are so high, why do so many students smoke at all? Lev, a 21-year-old engineering student at the University of Manchester, said: “I know that smoking is bad for me and that I probably shouldn’t do it, but it’s a habit that I enjoy and I find it an important stress reliever.” His friend, 23-year-old Maths student, George, agrees: “I personally started smoking socially when I was out drinking with friends, and then it just developed into a habit. I smoke now to de-stress, especially at work and university.” Researchers of the study found that by stopping smoking in early adulthood, smokers within the high-risk group could reduce their chances of developing COPD by half. On this, George said: “I worry about the effects of smoking and I keep telling myself I’ll quit after uni, but I know it’s going to be harder than I think. If I knew I had a higher risk of developing COPD, I probably quit right away.” It is this notion that Professor Martin Tobin believes will persuade some smokers to quit, and says that “information [from this study can be used] in prevention, such as for targeting smoking cessation services.” Last year, the Government took drastic action to reduce the number of smokers in the UK. New laws ordered cigarettes and tobacco to be sold in standardised plain packaging, and for pictures of the harmful effects of smoking to cover at least 65 per cent of the box. It is believed that removing all branding from packs of cigarettes will make smoking less attractive for individuals, preventing more people from picking up the habit. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Disabling brain cell tap causes neurodegeneration Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor
A new study by Manchester scientists, focussed on the Golgi apparatus of cells, has found that disabling a cell tap, which regulates the flow of proteins, can cause the onset of neurodegeneration. The research was focussed on the Golgi apparatus of a cell, which is involved in the processing, transport, and release of proteins, such as hormones and neurotransmitters. It also plays an important role in the growth of the cell membrane. This study was centred specifically on the Golgi apparatus in neurons, cells that are found in the brain and other areas of the nervous system, and used mice as an animal model. They found that mice with a disabled Golgi apparatus developed developmental delay, postnatal death, and severe ataxia, a
group of disorders that leads to difficulties with coordination, balance, swallowing, and speech. The research, which was carried out in collaboration with the Shilai Bao Lab at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, is one of many studies in recent years that have tried to link Golgi apparatus to neurodegeneration. How much it contributes to associated disease, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, is still unclear. Professor Martin Lowe, the lead researcher of the study, said: “Our results, combined with previous work, suggest that during the cellular changes that occur, loss of the Golgi function could be an important intermediary step that contributes to cell death. “Together with other published work our findings suggest that in certain neurodegenerative diseases the loss of function of the Golgi apparatus may contribute to the pathology that is occurring.”
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ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
In theThenews this week... important and interesting stories from the wider world this week. Stories by: Chloe Hatton, Macarena Martín Martínez , Lily Sheehan and Julie Henri
‘Space twins’ no longer identical US The results of the 2015 – 16 NASA mission have finally been published. Two twins were studied; one of them (Mark) remained on Earth, while the other one (Scott) was sent into space. Now their genetic material has been compared, and it has been found that it is no longer the same, as it is normal for twins. The changes observed in Scott are similar to the ones of a person on Earth under stress. Scientists at NASA attribute this change to his lifestyle in space — it could be the result of “zero-gravity” sleeping or the fact that he ate freeze-dried food.
Pet snake gets stuck in earlobe US A woman from Oregon has shared photos of her pet snake, seemingly stuck half way through her earlobe. Ashley Glawe said her snake, a ball python called Bart, had dashed for the hole in her earlobe, attempting to make it through before she could stop him. However, the hole proved to be rather too small for the snake, getting wedged half way. She ended up at the hospital, with a doctor cutting her ear to widen the hole, and Bart was removed with Vaseline and string. However, some on Facebook have since doubted the validity of her story, branding it a selfie effort gone wrong.
Cockroach found in woman’s skull
India
A woman in India has found a live cockroach in her skull. After waking up in the middle of the night with an itchy pain in her head, she decided to take a trip to the hospital. Whilst conducting an endoscopy, the attending doctor couldn’t see anything unusual initially, but slowly the legs of a creature emerged. Unable to tell what type of animal it was, doctors spent 45 minutes removing the cockroach from the woman’s brain. It was an inch long and had been alive in her head for around 12 hours. It is lucky that they were able to find it quickly — if it had died inside her head, it could have caused an infection that may have killed her. Unluckily for everybody else, there’s no way of preventing this.
Putin oppostion leader convicted
Russia Alexey Navalny, the leader of the Russian opposition, has been convicted of embezzlement in a retrial. This conviction will most likely ban him from standing for president in 2018, as Russian law prevents convicted criminals from running. After his sentencing, he tweeted in Russian: “We will continue our campaign and our fight for a better Russia despite this verdict dictated by the Kremlin. We do not recognize it and will overturn it.” He was convicted for misappropriating half a million dollars worth of state owned timber, although he claims this was a fabricated case. This could be seen to reduce the legitimacy of the upcoming election, with Putin’s main threat safely out of the way.
Trump aide promotes Ivanka’s clothes US Kellyanne Conway, a senior aide to US President Donald Trump, has come under fire for promoting Ivanka Trump’s clothing line. Appearing on TV show Fox & Friends, she told viewers to “go buy Ivanka’s stuff,” after it emerged that US retailer Nordstrom had decided to drop her brand from their stores. She even acknowledged she was giving Trump’s daughter “a free commercial.” It has been described as a violation of federal ethics laws. White House press spokesman Sean Spicer said: “She has been counselled on that subject, and that’s it.”
Man shoots cat for looking at him funny
US A 69-year-old Florida man has shot his neighbour’s cat because “it looked at him like he owned the place,” he told officials. After this heinous crime, as well as that of relieving itself, the man became so irate that he shot it, apparently not realising that it was somebody’s pet. The animal later had to be put down, due to the severity of its injuries. The shooter may now face charges of animal cruelty. Although the man claimed it was a “poor judgement call,” he also admitted that he had attempted to shoot cats before, but had previously always missed. His neighbour, a 60-year-old Mr Hung, still has eight cats left.
Presidential hopeful’s wife’s ‘fake job’ France French media last week revealed that Republican leader François Fillon had “falsely” employed his wife for 15 years as a Parliamentary assistant, earning her over €800,000. So far, there is no proof she ever did any work for her husband. These revelations damaged Fillon’s campaign, who is now struggling with dismal approval ratings, even among his supporters. Last Monday, Fillon delivered a crucial speech in which he apologised, but maintained he had not done anything illegal. He restarted his presidential campaign the very next day, defying his critics. However, apologies might not be enough to win the first round next May.
In Science this week... Male contraceptive trail 100 per cent effective US A male contraceptive gel, that is set to rival reversible vasectomies and condoms as a viable contraceptive alternative, has been found to be 100 per cent successful in monkeys. The expected pregnancy rate under normal conditions is 80 per cent but no pregnancies occurred during the six-month trial. Vasalgel™ is injected into the vas deferens, the tubes through which sperm travel from the testes to the penis. The gel acts as a barrier to prevent sperm from moving. The non-toxic and non-hormonal gel is also reversible, as it can be dissolved using ultrasound.
Mexican car ban fails to improve air pollution levels Mexico Scientists have found that banning cars on Saturdays in Mexico City, in a bid to reduce vehicle emissions by at least 15 per cent, has been unsuccessful. According to the new study, residents avoided the restrictions by carpooling, using taxis, and purchasing extra vehicles. The system is based on number plates, so only certain cars can drive. Mexico City was once named the world’s most polluted city, in 1992. The city’s pollution problem sees thousands of people hospitalised every year with related issues.
Photo: jenniferbarnard@Flickr
Tour guide’s translation trouble Tanzania A tour guide at a game park in Tanzania has been arrested after inaccurately translating a tourist’s speech in a viral video. Speaking in Swahili in the popular clip, the guide claims that the woman wants Tanzanians to “stop complaining about hunger.” In reality, the woman said that the country’s people are “fabulously wonderful.” The guide, employed at Serengeti National Park, was arrested on unspecified charges on Thursday , on the orders of Tourism Minister Jumanne Mshembe. It is unclear what he will be charged with.
13,000 hanged in Syrian prison, says Amnesty
Syria As many as 13,000 people have been hanged in the Syrian prison Saydnaya, according to the charity Amnesty International. Their report has found that most of these, killed between 2011 and 2015, were citizens opposing the government. Witnesses say that prisoners were taken from cells in the middle of the night, given a death sentence, and hanged. According to Amnesty, a former judge said: “The judge will ask the name of the detainee and whether he committed the crime. Whether the answer is yes or no, he will be convicted... This court has no relation with the rule of law. This is not a court.” The Ministry of Justice has denied these claims, asserting that they have been made to damage the international reputation of the government after victories over rebels.
Spanish film award put up for sale Spain A Goya, a well respected Spanish film award, was put up for sale at a shop in the Basque country capital of Vitoria-Gasteiz. It was awarded to a pair of Basque brothers, Juanma and Eduardo Bajo Ulloa, who won the famous statuette in 1992 for the best original script for the film Alas de Mariposa. One of the brothers took it to a second-hand shop, where it was available to buy for €4,999. Now the Goya award has been given back to its owners, due to the stir that this attempted sale has created.
Science by: Georgie Hines
Injection could permanently lower cholesterol France A new injection replicates a natural mutation that causes people to have a lower risk of heart disease, without unwanted side effects. The mutation means the PCSK9 protein is produced, which lowers cholesterol levels. This permanent change to DNA is yet to be tested on humans. Heart-related problems, often caused by high levels of cholesterol, are responsible for a quarter of deaths each year. For now, Dr Lambert, of the pioneering team, says the idea is still ‘very far-fetched’ and a decade off from being successful in humans.
Alien worms destroy African farms Africa The fall army earthworm is spreading rapidly across Africa, ruining maize crops and putting farmer’s livelihoods at risk. Scientists have called for urgent action as the spread could be harmful to food security and agricultural trade. The worm is not native to the continent, and is thought to have been brought over from North or South America. Dr Matthew Cook, of Cabi, has said: “This invasive species is now a serious pest spreading quickly in tropical Africa and with the potential to spread to Asia. Urgent action will be needed to prevent devastating losses to crops and farmers’ livelihoods.”
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Feature
ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Meet the Exec Following the last two weeks of discussions, we finish our series of Exec team interviews, with this week being students last chance to stand to be on next year’s team
Ilyas Nagdee – Diversity Officer Jennifer Sterne Editor-in-Chief
“I
don’t think anyone can say I’m particularly silent on issues, I’m quite a gobby person”. With his interview at almost three times the length of some of the other Exec’s, you get the sense that Ilyas wasn’t lying. Despite this self-confessed “gobby” nature, Ilyas paused when trying to pick just one event from last semester that stood out for him as his biggest achievement, instead listing Welcome Week, Global Fest, and Islamophobia Awareness Month among some of his “favourite small little moments from July to December”. In contrast, he did not struggle to answer when asked if he had encountered any challenges: “I’ve definitely encountered a lot of personal challenges […] I didn’t realise how deeply I was going to throw myself into it”. He spoke of his struggles to find a sustainable work/life balance, but claims to have now found a work level that means he is “actually functioning and not just thinking I’m a robot”. I don’t think anyone can deny that Ilyas has thrown himself very “deeply” into his role, with his passions for student politics often made apparent on social media, where he regularly passes comment on issues and debates surrounding the NUS. One such debate grew out of the exposé that revealed a Vice-President of the NUS was working to undermine the President. Richard Brooks, VicePresident of the NUS, wrote after the news broke that the “documentary shows [him doing] politics
and disagreeing with the far left”. I asked whether this incident could just be put down to the fact that people in politics have different opinions, even in the NUS, to which he said, something he repeated often throughout our discussion on the issue, that “this was never an investigation into the NUS”, which he thinks people forget.
“It’s easy to paint yourself as a moderate” “This was an investigation into a foreign embassy that led to the NUS, and that in itself is an issue”, he added, arguing that as far as he was concerned “this is beyond differences of opinions or factionalism within the NUS. This is an active attempt to try destabilise the NUS while the Higher Education bill is making its way through Parliament”. Brooks had also stated that his actions were due to the fact the current leadership is “ineffectual and damaging”, and I suggested to Ilyas that it may be fair for people to organise in this way if there are students who believe this, so was Brooks not just acting as a voice for these views within the movement? Ilyas responded by arguing Brooks’ statement had been “vague”, suggesting that “it’s easy to paint yourself as a moderate, wanting to be perceived by people as the rational person or the person who’s on the centre ground,” but claimed that Brooks still needs to outline exactly what has been
ineffective about Malia Bouattia’s Presidency. Another NUS debate that Ilyas has been vocal within was the black student walkout over institutional racism, after the report, now released, took over a year to be published. The report revealed that the the “NUS as an employer has seriously failed to support Black staff”, something Ilyas said he “absolutely endorsed”. “The organisation has seriously failed not only the Black Students’ campaign, the volunteers, fulltime officers and the staff within the organisaiton”. When asked whether that now the report had finally been released he was confident of change, he said: “I genuinely can’t say that I’m confident until I see what happens […] I just want to see a massive change in behaviour”.
“So many students see the NUS as nothing more than a discount card” A criticism of this report however, was its lack of scrutiny into anti-Semitism, despite the Home Affairs Select Committee saying the NUS had failed to take the issue seriously. This is particularly relevant in Manchester, after BDS was backed in senate, despite Jewish students voicing that they would not feel welcome or safe if it was passed. I asked Ilyas whether this motion passing meant he had failed in his manifesto pledge to make sure the “Union was an inclusive and accessible place for all students”. He claimed he was aware prior to the debate
that it was always going to be “a very emotional conversation”, but that he wanted to sure the people in the room felt confident that they were able to have an opinion on the matter, and that conversations are being had with students in the room on that day to ensure that the Union remains an open space for everyone. When asked if he accepted that anti-Semitism is on the rise on UK campuses, and if so whether he thinks more could be done to take the issue seriously, he recognised it was an issue and said: “I think there is a lot being done, if people want to see more being done, I hope they’re making their views known”. Everything we had just discussed was painting a very unstable picture of the current state of the NUS, but when I asked whether the NUS can continue in its current form, particularly in light of various disaffiliation campaigns, Ilyas’s response suggested many students may be oblivious to such NUS instability. Ilyas spoke of his experiences campaigning on three different campuses for Students’ Unions to remain affiliated to the NUS — Warwick, Essex and Nottingham. “So many students thought of the NUS as nothing more than a discount card”, arguing that this is directly due to the NUS’s top-down approach. “We’ve done the top-down approach for 15 – 20 years now and we’ve lost so much. “We have lost so many battles in the last few years, and it can’t continuously be these battles or factions or things like that, there just needs to be a genuine commitment to working bottoms-up because top-down has just failed”. To read the rest of our interview with Ilyas, head to mancunion.com, and to see all of it, go to Fuse TV’s YouTube channel.
Jenni Smyth – Women’s Officer Jennifer Sterne Editor-in-Chief
W
hen I sat down with Jenni she was deep in midst of the preparations for this year’s Reclaim the Night, explaining that “not just about organising one march, on one night, on one street — there’s a lot of preparation that goes into Reclaim the Night itself,” adding that “it’s definitely [her] most busy time of the year”. However, Jenni’s role is not just about Reclaim the Night, as much as it may dominate her time as an officer. Her biggest achievement in her mind this year has been her ‘Sticks and Stones’ campaign launched last year. She explained that she set up the domestic abuse campaign for students, centred specifically around emotional abuse and coercive control, as she had witnessed from being involved in the Women’s campaign that there are lots of students who have been in abusive relationships, and she wanted to “let students know what that looks like, that’s it’s not OK, that it’s unacceptable”.
“Yes, we have a female Vice - C h a nce l lor, but she is generally surrounded by men” When asked about the challenges she faced, she said that while the biggest challenge for her is probably expected to be the many students coming to talk to her about issues such as sexual harassment
and violence on campus, she was prepared for that. Instead “it’s more the logistics of the job, the board meetings, finance meetings, and the things I wasn’t aware of” that challenge her more, she tells me. Jenni prefers “getting [her] hands dirty working with the students, being out there in the community, and empowering students”. One example of how Jenni pledged to work with students was around consent education for students, however such proposals have created controversy on other UK campuses, with students refusing to attend or staging walk outs calling the workshops patronising.
“There’s now a president in America that openly brags about perpetrating sexual violence” Jenni acknowledged that the workshops need to be very carefully packaged so as not to appear patronising and her plans to achieve this are to incorporate “some element of active bystander training into this”. She believes “you can’t have one without the other,” and that by teaching students how to be active bystanders, giving them the ability to recognise when sexual harassment or victimisation is occurring, this will necessarily mean they gain a greater understanding of consent. Another topic of debate which often surrounds the role of Women’s Officer, is why there is not also a Men’s Officer. On our current Exec Team there are
seven women and one man. I asked if this meant that men lacked representation within the Union. She admitted that at the level of the Exec Team and staff and students at the University there is greater or equal female representation, however the higher you get up that ladder to senior levels it is still dominated by men, claiming “yes, we have a female Vice-Chancellor, but she is surrounded generally by men”. However I suggested that one of issues is that while people accept that men at the top of society have more privilege, at the bottom with students, men are more likely to have mental health issues and have higher suicide rates. Is there not more we can do to represent these students? Jenni argued, however, that these issues have grown out of precisely what she is trying to tackle: “I feel it isn’t about lack of representation for men but this feeds into patriarchy, studies show how toxic masculinity feeds into the issue”. Although she thinks that “in the same way women’s campaigns have been championed by women […] men’s campaigns need to be championed by men”. While she continues to work on these issues, Reclaim the Night still dominates most of her time: “For about six weeks of the year you just become: eat, sleep and breathe Reclaim the Night”. I asked her why she believes it has become such a
big event within the Students’ Union calendar, with Manchester hosting year after year the biggest Reclaim the Nights in the UK. Jenni explains that what makes the march special is that it brings people together who may have previously been involved in feminism, or women’s empowerment, and then they “come along to events such as Reclaim the Night and feel really inspired by them”. Which in her mind is what Reclaim is all about, “not only is it about sexual violence, using our collective voices to say ‘no more’… it’s also about bringing people together and to start, perhaps for the first time, to facilitate those conversations and getting people interested in the values of Reclaim the Night”. When asked if she imagines a time when marches like this will no longer be necessary, she simply said “in a dream world — yeah”. This is when the interview inevitably turned to Trump. “There’s now a president in America that openly brags about perpetrating sexual violence, so if anything it’s needed more now than ever”, she argued, adding that “a lot of progress had been made, but now it’s almost like a slap in the face”. To read the rest of our interview with Jenni, head to mancunion. com, and to see all of it, go to Fuse TV’s YouTube channel.
All Photos: University of Manchester Students’ Union
Feature 9
ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Tamara O’Neil – Activities and Development Officer A student life: Jennifer Sterne Editor-in-Chief
T
he second Pangaea of the year was just around the corner when I spoke with Tamara, her time dominated by décor and marketing meetings with the students who help bring it all together, in her own words a “very very busy time” for her. As the interview went on however, it became clear that anyone who thinks the role of Activities and Development Officer simply requires knowing how to throw a great party would be sorely mistaken. In just the first few weeks of term Tamara was involved in the many events, including the first ever Societies Conference, the Refreshers’ Fair and the planning for the Give it a Go campaign running throughout February, to name just a few. However, she did not seem to mind how much she was balancing, telling me that “it’s a very fun time at the moment”.
“Getting 35 societies to both bid for the funding and then listen to those bidding against them is “very challenging” Something she did seem to struggle with however, was deciding on what her biggest achievement was. Instead she settled to describe what she had most enjoyed — her involvement in developing more support for student enterprise. Tamara explained that this had been “quite unexpected because I hadn’t planned to get involved with enterprise at all”. The interest, she explained, had sprung out of attending a university meeting about employability and graduate destinations for students, where she discovered that only two students graduated last year and
went on to set up their own business. This sparked her engagement in the project, claiming that “there was a massive gap in the market”. She went on to set up the Student Enterprise Christmas Market and is looking to develop more projects around the subject this semester. She seemed genuinely excited talking about the subject, as she spoke of how in her mind there are many students who want to set up their own business “but there doesn’t seem to be an easy and accessible platform”. After chatting about the areas she enjoyed about her work we moved on to the challenges she has faced. She was much quicker to settle on a choice for this question — Fund It. Fund It is the new method by which societies can gain Students’ Union funding, implemented, as Tamara explained, because it is “a lot more democratic and transparent”. Societies pitch why they want funding and then those in attendance vote. But apparently, democracy and transparency do not come easy to student society, as Tamara revealed that at early events students were found cheating during the voting process. Apparently getting 35 societies to both bid for the funding and then listen to those bidding against them is “very challenging”. Tamara explained that they now have new rules in place and a limit on societies who can attend, making the last one “really calm” with no evidence of cheating. Something I imagined was less calm was the organising of Pangaea, the largest student-led festival in Europe. I wanted to find out if her manifesto pledge of a ‘Pan-DAY-ea’ was still in the cards. The last Pangaea, while it was able to go ahead in the Union, was disrupted
by the ongoing building works, but the summer one will probably have to move elsewhere. Tamara couldn’t give much away in the interview
“We could put on a night here and it would be successful”
Chair of the Craft Beer Society
however she heavily hinted that it could be moved off-site for a day party, “meaning a much bigger event”. On the subject of events, I questioned Tamara as to whether she had been able to fulfill her manifesto pledge to make the “Union as the place to go on a night out in Manchester”. She admitted that the market is saturated but still insisted she thought “we could put on a night here [and that] it would be successful”. However she admitted her focus instead had been on the gap she’s perceived in the market for non-alcoholic events, Photo : @Josh Hodge the inspiration behind her ‘Café Sessions’ nights, evenings of societies showcasing their talent in the Union Stevie Grieves café . Features Contributor We then moved on to discuss her osh Hodge could not be described as thoughts on us, an odd move in an someone who doesn’t take his hobbies interview — but looking after student seriously: the second year student is not media falls within Tamara’s job only the chair of the university’s Craft description, so was hard to avoid. Beer Society, but he also works in a craft beer bar and is planning on linking his Ancient History and Archeology degree to a dissertation on Egyptian beer making. To read the rest of While the extent of my beer knowledge our interview with stretches to a pint of Stella at our local — maybe Tamara, head to even a San Miguel if I’m feeling extravagant — mancunion.com, and Josh’s knowledge of beer is clearly much more to see all of it, go to extensive, a passion that led him to running the Fuse TV’s YouTube society as Chair, while only being in the second year of his degree. channel. “We were only founded last year by two students who have now left, me and two of my housemates took over the society. Originally we just found it in the Societies’ Fair last year, and I like beer so I thought let’s give this a go!” “Basically I organise the events, so we do brewery tours and tasting events, or meeting at the pub, it’s basically me who does pretty much everything.” ground last semester really”. Homelessness is a major issue, but it has also For a society that revolves around drinking, I proven to be something of a challenge for Sorcha want to know if this is something that requires to tackle, as some student campaigns can actually as much dedication as the sports teams, be detrimental in the long term. “So basically, because the idea of competitively tasting fine homelessness is a bit of a difficult one,” she told us, ale all afternoon on Wednesdays sounds like as “the idea is that lots of people give money or food most students would be going for gold. to homeless people or, you know, street beggars “We’re not that regular, because it can be quite and actually this isn’t necessarily the solution an expensive hobby at times when we go out, because whilst it helps in the interim it sometimes but we try and keep the prices down, like when detracts from charities and services who are able we have a tasting event, you buy a ticket for 10 pounds and then you get to have 15 to 20 quids worth of beers out of it.” His dedication is very apparent when talking about the Craft Beer Society events that really enable students to access an expensive hobby otherwise reserved for the world of the Northern Quarter. “Yeah, we have a deal with Font, who have really good ale, and the general manager loves us because he loves the beer more than the cocktails! So he’s always happy when we come along and he gets to talk about the beer as well, so he gives us a bunch of beer for a lower to give long term actually sustainable support from price, which gives people a chance to try a lot of doing their work properly”. different styles of beer.” Clearly then, the issue needs careful managing, I wonder if living in the beer capital of the North, and part of this is increased collaboration between where there are lots of independent bars and those who want to help: “So the idea is there’s micro-breweries, is a reason for having the something called Manchester Homelessness society at the University of Manchester. Partnership,” Sorcha explained, “and in the “Yeah, we keep it mainly local,” he said, “as last year different charities who were working Manchester is the second best city in the separately are now working together”. country for beer, nothing else comes close to the In addition, Sorcha has also organised some amount of breweries we have got around here. events on campus. “So, I’ve done a few things, so One of the breweries in Manchester, Cloudwater, last semester JustFest, the evening event was was awarded fifth best brewer in the world, so it’s centred around homelessness. It was really great a very good brewer and they’re one of the ones actually because we had The Mustard Tree which we went and visited last year, and it’s really great is a charity in Ancoats and they give services to see their beers.” but through drama and songs, and people with lived experiences who Mustard Tree had helped To read the rest of our with through therapy, arts and drama did a performance.” interview with Josh, and all
J
Sorcha Floyd – Campaigns and Citizenship Officer Jacob Nicholas Features Editor
S
orcha has chosen two main focuses as Campaigns and Citizenship Officer. Firstly, tackling the ongoing homelessness crisis and secondly, Go Green, a campaign to increase sustainability and encourage healthier, greener lifestyles.
“Homelessness around Manchester is just so visible” These two were chosen because Sorcha is “personally passionate about” them and she went on to explain that “homelessness around Manchester is just so visible and people are like ‘this is just awful, how can we help?’ so I think that’s quite a big one, and then with sustainability just because climate change is happening and students would like to act about it.” Sorcha highlighted the lack of green campaigns prior to her taking office, saying that “before I came into post, in terms of what there was going on with green issues and sustainability issues there was [only] the Fossil Free campaign… but that is actually quite niche.” She continued by claiming that for those who are “into talking and learning and activities and events related to sustainability and becoming more sustainable and encouraging others to
there wasn’t really that much”. Much of Sorcha’s work for Go Green so far this year has been tackling this lack of opportunities for students to campaign, and this was inspired by an event she attended over the summer. “There’s a national group called People and Planet and that’s student action on world poverty and the environment, and was a summer gathering thing over the summer which I attended, and there were people from different People and Planet societies at different universities working on green campaigns and green issues and I thought this would be great because it’s actually a group that gets people together. So, we set one up, and it’s going, so that’s great.” According to Sorcha, this has been a major success. She told us she is “really pleased,” with the new society, “because I knew that people were interested and I was hoping that people would get involved”. This makes setting up new campaigns for environmental and sustainability issues much easier, as “now there’s a core group of people who are interested and if someone says ‘I want to do something on sustainability’ I can say ‘well that’s the best place to go’, and then we work from there, so at least you’ve got other likeminded people doing the same things.” However, this has been the extent of Sorcha’s work for Go Green so far, beyond continuing work with the Fossil Free campaign, and she admits that she “ w a s j u s t getting t h a t off the
“If someone says “I want to do something on sustainability” I can say “well that’s the best place to go””
To read the rest of our interview with Sorcha, head to mancunion.com, and to see all of it, go to Fuse TV’s YouTube channel.
our other features, head to www.mancunion.com
Opinion
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ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Stoke Central will test post-Brexit Labour
With the Stoke Central by-election on the horizon, Opinion Writer Cameron Broome gives a political weather forecast: cloudy with a chance of purple rain Undoubtedly, the EU referendum result was seismic. 33.5 million citizens participated in one of the biggest exercises of direct democracy in British political history, with 17.4 million voters opting for Brexit. Be it for better or for worse, the referendum politicised the nation; it’s safe to say that the result has well and truly shaken the political establishment to the core.
How social media sculpts politics “Spin Joseph Whitfield Contributor Social media now has gifted everyone a voice and a soapbox on which to present their opinions to fellow beings. This has led to an extremely rapid dispersion of ideas — whether they are dangerous, stupid, or brilliant. Suddenly, in every moment, we are presented with something entirely new and exciting. This group of young people is presented with politics, opinions, and bias every day. This effect is the ‘super-spread-
““We are presented with something entirely new and exciting in every moment.” ing’ principle, a term originally coined for diseases which spread extremely quickly, but also applicable applied to social dynamics. The people with many followers and multiple connections beyond the averages of their peers are ‘superspreaders’. When these people share ideas, their influence is spread very quickly, especially when super-spreaders interact with others like them. This effect may be said to be responsible for the recent popularisation of memes. The combination of super-spreaders and memes as a profound impact on youth culture. And, since memes are often politically charged, they are part of the rush of insight and opinion that this generation faces day-to-day through social media. However, there is a somewhat darker side to such memes. A very basic understanding of politics is required to enjoy them, therefore making Wikipedia and the like the primary pool of political research for the younger generation. Though this is a somewhat banal form of political participation, it has an impact on the the thinking of young people, pushing them to think more about politics, whether they like it or not. With the strong platform of social media outlets, this increased political awareness has led to more general engagement with the issues of the day, as the rising in number of petitions shows. One particularly contemporary petition stands above the rest: the petition to prevent Donald Trump from making a state visit in the UK.
This is an excerpt. To read Joseph’s full article, head to www.mancunion.com
doctors, such as Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson, believed that some voters, especially in Northern England, would always vote Labour”
But what will the aftershocks of the result be? In the EU referendum, individuals who don’t typically vote in general elections came out to the ballot box. Turnout was 66 per cent in the 2015 UK general election, 65 per cent in 2010 and 61.4 per cent in 2005. But 72 per cent of the electorate voted during the EU referendum. In fact, this was the biggest reason why polls predicted the result incorrectly; these additional voters (which polling models had assumed were unlikely to vote) overwhelming backed Leave. But the big question now is: will these newly energised voters continue to be politically active? And if so, which party will they opt for? In his first BBC interview as newly elected UKIP leader, Paul Nuttall made it explicitly clear that he will seek to exploit divisions in the Labour party and target Labour voters: “I want to replace the Labour Party and make UKIP the patriotic voice of working people.”
Photo: Euro Realist Newsletter @ Wikimedia Commons
Labour has long had an “identity” crisis. During the years of New Labour, the party was professionalised: fewer and fewer Labour MPs came from class backgrounds or had previously held “serviceclass” jobs. Spin doctors, such as Alastair Campbell and Peter Mandelson, believed that some voters, especially in Northern England, would always vote Labour: the “tribal vote”. Thus, they argued that electoral success arose from targeting what is often termed “Middle England” — the middle-class voters. In the short-term, this strategy appeared to be hugely successful, with Blair winning three back-to-back general elections. However, over time, the “tribal” vote diminished; empathy is important in politics and an increasing number of “traditional” Labour voters no longer felt the party spoke for them. This chasm between Labour MPs and a disillusioned electorate was exposed during the EU referendum. 218 Labour MPs are said to have campaigned for Remain, despite many of their constituents backing Brexit.
Tristram Hunt was emblematic of the professionalisation of the Labour Party. An academic historian and former broadcast journalist, Hunt was parachuted into the seat of Stoke Central in 2010 by Blair et al., despite having little support from the local CLP. However, upon accepting a position as Director of the prestigious Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Hunt has triggered a by-election in Stoke Central which will take place on the 23rd February. This will be the first opportunity to assess the impact of the referendum result on the Labour party. 69.4 per cent of voters in Stoke Central, the highest of any city in the UK, backed Leave. In the 2015 general election, UKIP positioned second in the seat, acquiring over 7,000 votes. Stoke Central is exactly the sort of seat that will have UKIP licking their lips and Labour looking behind their shoulder. UKIP leader Paul Nuttall MEP has decided to stand for the party in the by-election. Nuttall is an experienced media operator, having made regular appearances on
programmes such as Question Time during his time as deputy party leader. In addition, his regional Scouse accent and working-class background differentiates him from the “typical” politician that voters have come to loathe. But a UKIP victory in Stoke Central is by no means definitely on the cards. In a deleted post from his website, Nuttall thanked the coalition for “bringing a whiff of privatisation into the NHS.” Aware that the NHS is a big issue for voters, as highlighted during the referendum with the controversial Vote Leave “let’s give the NHS £350m instead” slogan, Labour has tried to make political capital off of Nuttall’s support for a US-based insurance system. Politics is complex and thus it is difficult to assess whether voters will care more about local issues or national issues in the by-election. Nuttall has no real connection to Stoke Central, whereas Labour candidate Gareth Snell is a councillor for the local ward of Silverdale and Parksite. However, national issues undeniably shaped the recent by-election in Richmond Park; Leave supporter Zac Goldsmith lost his seat following his resignation over the proposed expansion of Heathrow airport. More than 70 per cent of voters in Richmond Park backed Remain, and the Liberal Democrats’ winning strategy involved campaigning hard on Brexit issues. Should Nuttall be successful in Stoke Central, the doom and gloom narrative espoused by most media commentators about the current state of the Labour party is likely to be fuelled. But should Labour hold off UKIP in Stoke Central, commentators may have to re-assess the party’s prospects for the 2020 general election. The 23rd February is certainly a date for your diary.
Bye Bye Bercow Opinion Writer Colm Lock argues that Parliament should retain its various traditions, and that those who oppose it ought to leave An election is approaching, one that will shape and characterise our politics for the better part of the next decade. The electorate number is just 650 — all members of the House of Commons. This small-scale, but hugely important, election has come about ever since John Bercow announced his decision to leave the post of Speaker after an impressive 8 years in the role. He has been celebrated both inside and outside of the Commons and has been an ardent reformer of Parliament. Some will praise his modernising drive, but I will avidly welcome his departure. To me, he will always be the Speaker who disregarded tradition and procedure in the name of “modernism” and “inclusivity”. Bercow must be given credit. He has kept a firm control of the chamber during his tenure and has been an ardent supporter of the back benches, giving them the primacy and ability to scrutinise what they lacked. This was especially important in the height of the Blair years, when debate was dominated by the two opposing front benches. But, Mr Bercow also suffers from an inflated ego. Since he became Speaker, he has relentlessly pursued an agenda that will, he clearly hopes, leaves him remembered as the biggest moderniser the Commons has ever seen. This is likely in the distinct hope that he will go down more favourably in history than his predecessor, The Right Honourable Michael Martin. However, he has done something that usually is beyond the Speaker’s remit: he has become political. To have taken such action not only sets a dangerous precedent, but it also shows us that, for all we
thought of the Speaker, he is no more of a pitiful virtue signalling snob than the likes of Anna Soubry or Yvette Cooper.
“He will always be the Speaker who disregarded tradition and procedure in the name of ‘modernism’ and ‘inclusivity’” While he has correctly stated that there is no automatic right granted to a foreign leader to address Parliament, it is a courtesy that we often grant to our most important allies for its symbolic importance; the Speaker appears to have taken leave of his senses recently. He now appears to believe that we live in a world where he can give the finger to the President of the United States and not expect any retribution or knock-on effects that could prove detrimental to the UK in a post-Brexit world. The President has been shown to have a very delicate ego, one that we should seek to massage and not knock. The Speaker is managing to hurt our foreign policy, over which he has zero authority, with his own personal opinions. He has put his own personal feelings before the good of the country, which to me, demonstrates nothing but the most abject selfishness. His reasons for blocking Mr Trump have been that the President is “racist, sexist” and so on, but the Speaker clearly has a very short memory. In the past, he has
Photo: Julian Mason @ Flickr
welcomed the Emir of Kuwait, who rules a country which bans homosexuals and Israelis and has a dire record on women’s rights, along with the President of China, whose country isn’t known for its racial tolerance or its respect for the rule of law. The Speaker’s actions are rank hypocrisy, plain and simple. Furthermore, the Speaker is a man to whom the traditions and processes of Parliament seem to barely matter. With regards to the Trump scandal, he neglected to consult Lord Fowler, the Speaker of the Lords, about his decision. Yet, I am afraid this is not even his greatest offence against the traditions of the house. During his time as Speaker, he has refused to conform to the dress code of his office, which traditionally consisted of a court dress, a wig and a gold embroidered robe. He has shown his displeasure for this ceremonial garb, opting instead for a simple black gown — seemingly without care as to whether or not he upholds the traditions and procedures which he is expected to protect and steward. He committed another great offence last week when he decreed that the clerks of the House of Commons will no longer be obliged to wear wigs or court dress. With
a single decision, he has cast aside centuries of tradition. What was his reason you ask? To make Parliament “less stuffy”. Any country would wish to have these valuable traditions; they’re upheld in the mother of all parliaments. The Commons and the Lords have governed this sceptered isle ever since the Act of Union in 1707, and 300 years of unbroken democracy and tradition are what has kept Britain stable and made it what it is today. We are not continentals! We do not cast aside our past because some of it doesn’t quite fit with the world of today. We embrace it. It is all part of our unwritten constitution and part of what makes this country great. His imminent departure would be most welcome. It is high time he took his radical ideas to the back benches where he can mutter to himself about the superiority his unnecessary reforms. But do not worry, for all is not lost; The Honour Jacob ReesMogg is being tipped as the likely favourite to succeed Mr Bercow. If this comes to fruition and Rees-Mogg is invested into one of the greatest offices in the land, the House’s traditions and the dignity will be restored. What a glorious thought.
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ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Homeless in Manchester: “It’s nice to see a face”
Contributor Harriet Brady shows that while homelessness remains a prevalent issue in Manchester, volunteering at shelters for charities such as Crisis can make a big difference During the Christmas holidays, whilst most people ate their body weight in celebration chocolates and spent extortionate amounts on presents, I decided to do something a little different. Teaming up with the charity Crisis, I volunteered for 9 days at a homeless shelter. It wasn’t your typical shelter of serving up soup to a long queue; at Crisis, we had salsa lessons, played football, sang karaoke and simply talked to the residents. For 9 days, over 150 people who found themselves homeless over Christmas became residents of this shelter. Meanwhile, doctors, opticians, dentists and hairdressers offered up their services to help them. As much as Christmas day was filled with singing and dancing and topped off with a beautifully prepared Christmas dinner, it was extremely disheartening and emotional knowing that these 150 people were warm, safe and full for only 9 days. One resident cried as he told me that “it’s nice to see a face, I only ever see shoes” whilst another said “homelessness isn’t just for Christmas, it happens every day.”
“Even in the most economically developed countries, people are sleeping on the streets and rooting through bins to find food” Homelessness is an issue prevalent throughout society, and those who find themselves on the street are often ignored by the mainstream. Even worse, individuals who live on the streets are often blamed for their fate received. After spending Christmas connecting with homeless people, it
is clear that their reasons for becoming destitute were not so simple, and that all they wanted was a bit of kindness and to reintegrate back into society.
“The number of people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester is six times higher than the official figure” Years ago, Mother Teresa stated “we think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” The issue of homelessness is of vital significance across the globe and it affects all types of people. Homelessness is not confined to certain genetic makeup, religion, race, gender or age, but it can destroy the lives of any human being. The notion of homelessness is burdened with stigma and prejudice and must be emphasised as a serious issue. The reality of homelessness must be abolished and forever prevented. It is sickening to know that even in the most economically developed countries and the most affluent of cities, people are sleeping on the streets and rooting through bins to find food. According to Steve Robson in the Manchester Evening News, “Greater Manchester has more multi-millionaires than anywhere in Britain outside of London, according to new research. There are 375 super-rich individuals living in the region according to financial experts.” Now, one would presume that in such an affluent, prosperous and modern city, homelessness
Photo: garryknight @ Wikimedia Commons
would be a nightmare in history or a horrible element of the past, but this is far from the truth. To make matters worse, although one might agree that this should be impossible, it is apparent that the government and its official statistics are hiding the truth and severity of the situation. For example, the official figures in 2015, collected by town halls, showed that the number of homeless people in Greater Manchester streets was 24. But, homeless organisations believe the figure was, and still is, much higher. An article from The Telegraph states that “research, published jointly by Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), argued that official figures are masking the true scale of the problem.” Daniel Gillard, who has just recently concluded a Manchester Council inquiry on the issue that spoke to dozens of homeless organisations, believes that the number of people sleeping rough in Greater Manchester is six times higher than the official figure. Manchester is renowned for the small community of homeless people known as ‘tent city’. More than 40 homeless people live in tents, sectioned off with ‘gates’ made out of pieces of cardboard. In
a world of isolation and alienation, creating a small community and having somewhere to call home, albeit a tent on the side of the road, created some normality for those individuals. However, last year they were evicted from ‘tent city’ as the University of Manchester gained a possession order for the site. A year on, homelessness is still a significant issue in Manchester. Evicting the homeless from ‘tent city’ did not lead to the community being rehomed or put in temporary accommodation; they simply moved to another street. In order to tackle the issue, more needs to be done. The root causes of homelessness like drug addiction, alcoholism, abuse, or unemployment, need to be addressed. There are many wonderful charities that have been founded to combat homelessness and offer a helping hand, including societies at the University of Manchester. Often, all these people want is a kind word, a friendly smile, a cup of tea or a spare cigarette. Get involved with the charities at University or volunteer in a soup kitchen, so that one day homelessness can be eradicated.
US imitates China: foreign policy for domestic support In an ironic turn of tact, the US is now mimicking its great rival, China, by using an aggressive foreign policy to shore up patriotic support at home In its aggressive use of foreign policy, the Republican Government is in turn making an indirect yet powerful impact on domestic affairs, imitating the authoritarian processes that the Chinese Communist Party use to maintain their power over the population and state. Chaos ensued after an executive order designed to severely restrict Muslim travellers from entering the US was signed into power by President Donald Trump. Protests of thousands of people followed the detention of eleven people who had attempted to enter the country from Iraq and other barred countries at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport. In 2015, then-Governor Mike Pence tweeted that a state of similar affairs was “offensive and unconstitutional”. However, nodding and applauding along, the Vice-President has clearly changed his public opinion on this matter since his and his party’s unexpected entrance into power. What could be construed as nothing more than a pressured political flip-flop also seems like a cunning political strategy to strengthen Republican control over the White House.
“President Tump’s ‘Muslim ban’ lacks in rather glaring areas.” President Trump claimed the move intends to “keep terrorists out” of America. If this is truly the primary objective of the order, then it certainly can be said that, despite its severity, it lacks in rather glaring areas. The seven countries affected by the ban do not encompass many of the largest Muslimmajority countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia: the very same countries which have also proved some of the worst sources of terrorism and terrorists in recent years. Perhaps the real aim of this executive order is exactly what it achieved: to stir up chaos in the US itself. America could be making use of an aggressive line of foreign policy to impact domestic politics, in a similar style to China. Since rejoining the international community and global economy under Deng
larly the Second Sino-Japanese War and the bloodthirsty Rape of Nanking. Through their Propaganda Department, the Communist Party convert this anti-Japanese sentiment into pro-Chinese nationalism to maintain public support, presenting themselves as a patriotic force, protective of its people and territory. State propaganda calls the Senkaku Islands ‘Diaoyu’ and says they have always been Chinese.
“Perhaps the real aim of this executive order was exactly what it achieved: to stir up chaos in the US” Photo: U.S. Navy, Ben A. Gonzales @ Wikimedia Commons
Jack Greeney Contributor Xiaoping in the 1980s, China has gone on to take an ‘assertive turn’, escalating territorial disputes and taking tougher stances in diplomatic negotiations, as seen in the Copenhagen Climate Change Talks in 2009. In militaristic avenues, China insistently claims territory over most of the South China Sea, through which an estimated £2.5 trillion worth of ship-borne trade passes annually: a third of the world’s shipping. An economically vital area for the potential superpower, China is aggressive in its claim over the marginal sea against its rivals, neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In doing this, they have reached so far as to ignore and reject the 2016 ruling of a United Nations tribunal against their extensive maritime claims. This aggression is not merely an act to accrue economics. The Senkaku Islands, an archipelago in the South China Sea controlled by Japan since
1895 after being found to be ‘nobody’s land’, can be considered a case in point. China only launched their claim over the islands once evidence of the possibility of oil reserves surfaced. However, the evidence is uncertain and, even so, the largest of the oil reserves would be relatively tiny given the island’s size. Beyond any aim to acquire oil, the real primary objective for the Chinese government in this dispute is to stir up nationalist sentiments in their own country to combat a crisis of governmental legitimacy. Given the combative history between the two countries, it is important for the Communist Party to be seen by the population to be fighting Japan over territory, in efforts to motivate Chinese people to rally behind its government and to colour any opposition as unpatriotic. Chinese nationalism heavily relies on the ‘national humiliation’ of past Japanese invasions, particu-
A protective patriotic force is also exactly how the Republican Party desires to be seen. They too have a crisis of legitimacy: for the 2020 election, having lost the 2016 popular vote tremendously. To maintain their stranglehold on power, Republicans want to rally people against a common ‘enemy’ of foreign countries and people. They know it works: after all, why else would primary voters have responded so well to the promise to “build the wall”? Why else would Trump, fittingly, publicly rail against China’s sea disputes after labelling them “our enemy” throughout his campaign? This order was intended to be divisive. As the partisan gap grows the political centre ground will vanish, all of which plays into the hands of the Republican Party in their efforts to build support for 2020. Many fear that the attempted imposition of the order risks multiplying foreign radicalisation. A terrorist attack involving Middle Eastern perpetrators would only strengthen the mandate and support of a Republican Party with these policies. For many US politicians, this is all just political strategy. 2016 was lucky: they do not want to leave it down to luck next time. If President Trump truly does believe that China is the enemy of the United States then he certainly has no qualms with learning from his enemies.
Music
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Live Album
Live: Bloc Party
8th February at Albert Hall
A timid set leaves Bloc Party stuck in the disappointing space between their beloved early material and more exploratory present, writes Jacob Hopkins Jacob Hopkins Contributor
6.5/10
Like many bands which have been around for over a decade, Bloc Party in 2017 have a problem. Their older material is what the fans seem to want to hear night after night, and so in a live setting this raises the question of how to balance out their early, frenetic indie rock with the new line-up’s more laid-back, blues and soul-influenced focus. While their set last week at the Albert Hall was enjoyable, it was a little too short and had an air of hedged bets. I arrived in time to catch the support act, Liverpudlian electro-rock outfit Haarm. Although their first few numbers suffered from sounding fairly indistinguishable, their later songs introduced some more interesting elements of blues and funk and by the end of their set they seemed to have won over the crowd (in particular, their sheer joy at playing a large venue was rather sweet) - hopefully we’ll hear more of the latter from them in future. Half an hour later, Bloc Party arrived on stage, kicking off their set with two fairly understated songs from their latest album Hymns. It wasn’t until the third song that they played ‘She’s Hearing Voices’, a fast-paced number from their criticallyadored debut Silent Alarm and the crowd really started to feel energetic. From this point onwards, the band decided to play it fairly safe by focusing on older material,
Photo: Mykee Alvero @flickr
dropping a couple of rarer tracks from their politically-charged sophomore effort A Weekend In The City in lieu of much commentary on current affairs. Frontman Kele Okereke cryptically told us that “we can only overcome hatred with our
love.” The ever-growing moshpit in front of him seemed to favour a more direct approach. A mere seventy-five minutes later, a pair of safe bets in the form of early hit ‘Helicopter’ and dance-punk-rap crossover ‘Ratchet’ closed out a satisfying if slight-
ly rushed set. As a big fan of Bloc Party, I did enjoy the gig, but the choice of songs did feel a little timid at times. I got the impression that the band wanted neither to completely rely on past hits nor properly explore their newer material and back catalogue, but the resulting set list just felt a bit muddled as a result. Their third and fourth albums, Intimacy and Four were largely ignored and newer material was approached in an almost defeatist manner, as if they felt the crowd would merely tolerate rather than lap it up. This was a shame – they have great material across the board and should play it with pride. Indeed, a furious rendition of ‘Where Is Home’ from A Weekend In The City was my highlight of the evening whereas versions of ‘Two More Years’ and ‘Mercury,’ reworked to the band’s new sound and multi-instrumental rhythm section, got great reactions from the crowd. Going forward, if Bloc Party are brave enough to expand their set lists, reimagine material from their back catalogue and have more confidence in their newer efforts then they can avoid having to be overly reliant on nostalgia for 2005. There’s always one though – as the band walked offstage, someone next to me shouted “No…don’t go…you’ve got so much more of Silent Alarm to play!”
Live
Live: Bry 7th February at Club Academy
Bry’s performance had everything needed for an enjoyable indie-pop show, but was shrouded by a persistent sense of insecurity, writes Katie Shepherd
Katie Shepherd Deputy Music Editor Irish singer and songwriter Brian O’Reilly, or Bry, like many others before him, forged his own way onto the music scene through YouTube. His online presence gained rapidly, securing him a worldwide fanbase. It was with the release of his latest album Bry, produced by Greg Wells, that his name really started pricking the ears of those of us outside that fanbase. While Bry, rather self-consciously, has described his sound as “sad indie music”, there is definitely far more of merit to it than that. It was this selfconsciousness, however, that seemed to dominate his performance at Manchester’s Club Academy on Tuesday. One of the reasons Bry so abruptly seems to have burst
5/10 under the covers of popular music publications is the fact that a certain, rather popular band, took him on tour across Europe late last year. Unfortunately, this resided over the entirety of Bry’s set like a dark and pervasive cloud; he entered the stage to a slightly altered version of Twenty One Pilots’ ‘Ride’ and unfortunately the ride was almost a consistent downwards slope from then on. He proceeded to make six more references to the fact that he’d supported Twenty One Pilots on tour and the result was a performance that, completely unnecessarily, rode on this fact. His endless references to them by no means enhanced his performance, but rather dampened it with an imposing feeling of
insecurity about his own music and place on the stage. Bry is a funny guy, and there were moments throughout the set where I genuinely laughed out loud, but self-deprecating humour can only have so much of a place in live music. Similarly, lack of confidence can be endearing, but it needs to be set off by the right amount of certainty in what it is you are delivering in order to truly work out. What was most frustrating about all of this, was the fact that behind this shadow Bry seemed to hide behind, his music was really very good. Guitar-based and simple, the show carried an air of a genre that is both classic and forgotten, yet new and effortlessly cool. Songs such as ‘Adventure Time’ and ‘You’re Al-
right’ captured a subtle feeling of nostalgia in bursts of brilliant indie pop. Whilst the song he closed his set with, and his most recent single, ‘Disarm’ is a track that threads the nostalgia Bry has expertly integrated into his music, with a beat that even the parents lingering at the back of the room could not resist bobbing up and down to. Bry is a truly great songwriter, and with that he carries the essence of a great performer, but he needs to realise and convince the rest of us – and perhaps himself – of what it is he can do. And ultimately, show what he does is good enough to stand alone, not hover behind another band’s success, because in my opinion, it is. Photo: Katie Shepherd
3. ‘Real Death’ by Mount Eerie
2. ‘My Old Man’ by Mac DeMarco
1. ‘Ran’ by Future Islands
Last year, Phil Elverum’s elusive personal life
Mac DeMarco has been teasing a change for the last few years: the
After a lengthy victory lap following their 2014
was laid tragically bare as he was forced to open
fairground keyboards creeping into tracks on 2014’s Salad Days
breakthrough Seasons, Future Islands return
a Crowdfunder to help treat his wife’s terminal
and the next year’s Another One hinted at a transformation into
with new track ‘Ran’ from their upcoming
cancer, which took her life months later. This
something even stranger and less lucid. Turns out, after a few years
album The Far Field. It sounds much the same
stark reality is reflected in ‘Real Death’, a song
spent sitting on demos, DeMarco has gone in a different direction
as their last few records, having carved a simple
grim subject matters
unlike anything Elverum has produced in his
entirely. Scrapping the bendy, squeaking guitars and semi-ironic soft
but effective niche out of eccentric vocals,
twenty years of recording. Abandoning the foggy
rock affectations he made his name on, ‘My Old Man’ is considerably
anthemic keyboards, New Order-ish basslines
make for compelling
atmospherics of the Pacific Northwest and mystic,
brighter and more contemplative. The instrumentation is sparse
and a whole lot of pathos. This time, though, the
cryptic lyrics that arose from this in his previous
— just a crisp acoustic guitar with some quirky drum machines
stakes feel even higher, and this probably has a
work, on this track Elverum turns inwards for a
sputtering away in the background — and the songwriting is
lot to do with the addition of a live drummer
stark and sparse rumination on his grief centered
surprisingly mature. Years on the road seem to have aged Mac, as he
providing some skitterinh hi-hats in the chorus,
on the discovery of a secret gift his wife bought for
spots in the mirror someone “familiar...but surely not me”. Turns out
giving more vitality and urgency the usually-
their daughter before she died — “Death is real...it’s
“there’s a price tag hanging off of having all that fun”. An interesting
blocky rhythms. Not much has changed, but
not for making into art.” Really, truly sad and just
development promising welcome tweaks to a formula that was just
who’s complaining? A fine cut to add to an ever-
as compelling.
starting to show its age.
expanding library of quality singles.
Tracks of the Week Death, aging and loss:
songs in a strong week for new music, writes Joe Casson
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Album
Cloud Nothings – Life Without Sound
Released 27th Jan via Carpark Records/Wichita
After a three-year wait for new material, Cloud Nothings have released their fourth studio album which holds a rather pensive feel, writes William Bain William Bain Contributor
8/10
After a three year wait for new material, Cloud Nothings have released their fourth studio album: Life Without Sound represents a slight change in production, with a rather pensive feel surrounding the record. Fans of Cloud Nothings will be glad to know that the album’s title doesn’t suggest a complete toning-down of the fast and ferocious indie-rock style that the US band have channelled through their first three studio albums. However, album-opener ‘Up To The Surface’ begins with a somewhat despondent piano solo and suggests a different approach from the group to their songwriting compared to earlier releases. Earlier and more angst-themed records from Cloud Nothings, Attack on Memory and Here and Nowhere Else for example, were propelled through the vocals of Dylan Baldi and the fastpaced drums of Jayson Gercycz. Life Without
Sound, on the other hand, shows songs progression to develop more slowly, which songs such as ‘Up To The Surface’ and ‘Strange Year’ both show, culminating into a heightened climax. This new direction provides some of the best moments of the album, highlighting the group from Cleveland are able to break new ground. Despite this, the group seems keen to retain an element of their earlier work in this effort. Mid-album tracks ‘Internal World’, ‘Darkened Rings’ and ‘Modern Act’ are reminiscent of the sounds of 2012’s Attack On Memory, and should please those who have followed the group since their debut EP release in 2010. Baldi himself has called this latest record a reflection of the band’s approach to new age music. Together with producer John Congleton, Cloud Nothings have managed to successfully broaden their musical range despite
the difficulties over moving past the heavier sounds, from which the alt-rock group found their success. Perhaps this will be seen in later years as a transitional album from Cloud Nothings. The promising seeds of development and change are evident, no more so than in ‘Enter Entirely’, a song which grows from a quiet introduction to a thumping and emotional chorus. A lack of pacey guitar hooks shows the direction with which Cloud Nothings are heading with their new sound. While Life Without Sound may not become an instant fan-favourite amongst other releases, it ranks as a strong effort. The emotional touch of Baldi’s lyrics and heaviness of new guitarist Chris Brown’s guitar imply the group are making their next distinctive statement through new, more thought-out compositions.
Album
Album
Elbow – Little Fictions
Cherry Glazerr – Apocalipstick
Elbow dig into new, soulful territory, with mixed results, Released 3rd February via Polydor writes Jay Plent Jay Plent Contributor
6/10
Photo: album artwork
Elbow are a modern curiosity. Despite having a cult following for years, it was only with the release of 2008’s The Seldom Seen Kid that they were finally legitimized as one of Britain’s most soulful bands. However since then, Elbow have been somewhat hit and miss in recapturing the magic of that seminal album; they’ve always taken the prettier, but slower scenic route to reach their destination. So along comes Little Fictions, their latest album. If you caught the release of ‘Magnificent (She Says)’ prior to the album dropping, with its rousing symphonic arrangements and gentle swooping approach to romance, you’d be forgiven for assuming that it was business as usual for the Ramsbottom lads. But not so, as this album represents the band’s most palpable shift in sound yet.
This isn’t to say the band have dropped everything in pursuit of a new avant-garde punk direction. Rather, the band have allowed themselves to swoon more, to relax into some patient, elongated grooves, and new, spacious arrangements that certainly suit the powerful husk of Guy Garvey’s splendid voice. Their exploration of percussion and new sonic palettes certainly adds to the flavor of Little Fictions. From the samba-infused intro of ‘Gentle Storm’ to the handclap-laden ‘Firebrand & Angel’, the band rely on their backbeats like never before, and they pay off, on the whole. There’s a great deal more melodic space incorporated to allow for these new, busier drum arrangements, and there are occasions where it really works, particularly in the aforementioned
Photo: album artwork
‘Firebrand & Angel’. Sinister and atmospheric, it’s by far the best track on the album. The ringing piano lines dance slyly and seductively around Garvey’s growling vocals. It’s a very different, but very rewarding track from the band; you can forgive it for having a title that sounds like a Lynx Christmas Gift Set. Other tracks benefit massively from this new patience. The U2-esque ‘Head For Supplies’ is a beautiful, laid back ballad, and ‘Trust The Sun’ is equally pretty, filmic in fact. It would sit comfortably in the background of a tense BBC drama. However, this album’s lacking sense of urgency is also a major drawback, and not just for casual listeners. Undoubtedly, Little Fictions’s arrangements are more subtle, and they’re pleasant. But is this album exciting? Do the next tracks beg to be listened to? No, not really. The songwriting just isn’t quite there, something about it doesn’t quite come together. Hard as it is to admit, part of the problem is Garvey’s vocal performance. Yes, it’s beautiful, but it lacks clarity. He doesn’t stay on a melody long enough to establish a strong memorable hook. Furthermore, there’s little distinction in the structure of the songs; they all bleed into each other, and some songs finish seemingly without having even really started. For an album that’s only ten tracks, it feels long, and at times uneventful. Overall, whilst Little Fictions sports exquisite production and some of the band’s most delicate pieces yet, it doesn’t have the unshakable foundation of fantastic songs to make it anything more than a passive listen.
Having replaced all but one of their members, Cherry Glazerr are back with a charismatic yet at times uninspiring new album David Newman Contributor
5/10
Photo: album artwork
Secretly Canadian’s latest fulllength release comes from LA grunge-pop outfit and one-time Odd Future collaborators Cherry Glazerr, who I first encountered two years ago opening for The Growlers (definitely worth checking out). What hooked me was the energy of their performance as they bashed out stripped-back catchy indie-pop from their debut Haxel Princess, featuring a song about a grilled cheese sandwich aptly named… ‘Grilled Cheese’. As well as singer-songwriter and guitarist Clementine Creevy’s jumps from highpitched soft melodies to rabid, glaring screams at the sweaty faces, I was impressed by the band’s relaxed shared charis-
ma. It surprised me then to hear of a full change of members in 2016 with only Creevy remaining, and wondered where they were headed next. Their new Apocalipstick follow-up LP brings many changes. Enter classically-trained synth sister Sasami Ashworth adding a layer of atmospheric fuzz and disco melodies which never before existed in their sound, while new drummer Tabor Allen means they no longer use a human drum machine. Gone is the stripped-back, slowed-down garage sound of Creevy wistfully recording angsty bedside demos. Instead, Cherry Glazerr begin to sound (a little) more like grown-ups, moving past half-baked lyrics
to exploring more cryptic and intriguing stuff. The album has a strong start with the single ‘Told You I’d Be with the Guys’, which exhibits the full range of Creevy’s vocals as she screams “where are my ladieeeees?” before exploding into a thumping heavy chorus. The following song ‘Trash People’ is a comedic disco take on tour life (“we wear our underpants three days in a row”) with some great guitar work and pedal effects. Unfortunately, they seem to lose pace with a succession of less inspiring filler tracks like ‘Humble Pro’ and ‘Only Kid on the Block’ with unimaginative instrumentals and unoriginal pop-rock riffs, similar to Bass Drum of Death’s more bland output with just as questionable lyrics. On many songs Ashworth’s keyboards barely manage to progress further than a neat accompaniment to the guitar, leaving me wondering whether firing half the band was worth it. Thankfully, redeeming grungy ballad ‘Nuclear Bomb’ and the catchy and high power riffs of single ‘Nurse Ratched’ bite back to make an overall enjoyable listen. This feels like a step in the right direction for Cherry Glazerr, but with more originality they could rival the likes of Alvvays as masters of indie-pop. Released 20th January via Secretly Canadian
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Interview
Top Five: Pre-Summer Warm-Ups
Interview: Tom Walker Amy Matthews joins Tom Walker moments before his sellout show at Fallow Café to talk about extensive touring, Paolo Nutini, and his next secret mission
We’re on the home straight, we can almost see the summer sun from here and it’s time to start working-out. A couple of reps of this playlist every month and you’ll be summer-ready just in time to hit the beach.
Amy Matthews Contributor blues, hip-hop, a little splash of reggae and credible pop,” Tom notes that he gets lots of different descriptions of his sound, with one listener describing him as having a voice like Amy Winehouse. “I was like wow.. I’ll take that!” Tom himself cites artists like Paolo Nutini as a source of inspiration: “I like the fact he takes time to write an album and then takes it out and plays it.” Tom has been working on his craft for many years, dividing his time between Manchester,
“Recounting his sold-out London gig at the Camden Assembly a few days prior, he beams “there were two hundred and forty people singing the words. I choked up a bit.””
Photo: album artwork
My interview with singer-songwriter Tom Walker takes place just before his sold-out show at Fallowfield’s hipster haven Fallow Café on the last night of his debut UK tour. Speaking with Tom is like meeting an old friend: he is vibrant and in high spirits ahead of tonight’s eagerly anticipated show, the final of five sold out shows across the UK. Raised in Chelford, tonight’s show feels like Tom’s homecoming, and later in the evening the amass of friends and family in the crowd confirms this. Reminiscing about the past few days, he says “It’s been a sick tour, really really good… it’s been a real eye opener for me.” Having extensively toured in the past Tom remarks, “It’s the first tour that people have actually come out to see me.” Talking about previous tours he mentions how this tour has been a step up from previous ones, reflecting on how he used to drive himself to shows in his Volkswagen Fox: “It was great, but it was hard to enjoy yourself when you know you
got to drive later that night.” During this tour, Tom has been upgraded to his own tour bus, “with a TV in the back...we’ve had a sick time just rocking about”. Result. Tom seems in awe at having sold out his own tour, reminiscing about his Bristol date the night before: “I don’t even know that many people from Bristol.” Recounting his sold-out London gig at the Camden Assembly a few days prior, he beams “there were two hundred and forty people singing the words. I choked up a bit.” Talking about his recent success with single ‘Just You and I’, a recent BBC Radio 1 track of the week, it’s no surprise why Tom is making a name for himself. “It’s all happened organically… we’ve not really pushed it”,” he says, but with over four million plays on ‘Just You and I’ in the past two months alone, the fans are clearly enjoying Tom’s sound. Recently selling out an Amsterdam gig with little promotion, there’s clearly a buzz for Tom’s music. Describing his sound as soulful “with a bit of
Leeds and London. He tells me about a house share with twelve other musicians in Southgate, North London, which he cites as a hub of creativity where he was able to perfect his craft. “You’d walk round the house and everyone would have their own studio set up,” he beams. Tom praises his parents as being very supportive with his career path, and seems genuinely elated that they will be coming to the show tonight: he mentions a previous show that his dad attended but couldn’t approach him afterwards due to the fans surrounding him. They bought Tom his first guitar age eleven, preferring to buy him music instruments rather than more traditional game consoles for boys his age. “Until I got out of Chelford I was doing everything on my own, recording things and putting them all together.” Tom’s plans for after the tour include an afterparty in their swanky tour bus, a well-earned skiing trip, and the release of a four-track EP recorded with Jim Abyss, who has worked with the likes of Adele and Arctic Monkeys. He also teases a twelve-date European tour with a band whose name he can’t reveal. One thing that’s no mystery is that this is just the start of Tom Walker’s rise to musical stardom, with this much buzz surrounding just a few songs. You can follow Tom Walker on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @iamtomwalker.
Photo: album artwork
5) ‘For Free’- DJ Khaled (feat. Drake) There’s nothing like last year’s summer anthem to remind you to get in shape for the mad one you’ll be having this year. But take it light with this one – you don’t want to overdo it. 4) ‘Money Made Me Do It’ – Post Malone (feat. 2 Chainz) At only 21, Malone is one of the hottest artists in music right now. His light beats and chilled vocals are the perfect accompaniment to your morning run, so get up and go! 3) ‘Let Me Show You How’ – Royal Deluxe Let Royal Deluxe show you how to get ripped with an intense session of modern jazz. With sounds reminiscent to James Brown, this track will have you up, moving, and out of breath in no time. 2) ‘By Design’ – Kid Cudi (feat. Andre Benjamin) A collab of Cudi and Andre is what the world has needed for a long time now. This track is just what you need to conjure up motivation for that gym session you’re dreading.
7/10
1) ‘Run Up’ – Major Lazer (feat. PartyNextDoor & Nicki Minaj) Feel the heat with Major Lazer and Nicki doing what they do best. We finally got PND regressing back to his island beats similar to the tracks off his debut album – it’s good to see the mind behind ‘Work’ has found is sound again.
Student Spotlight
Student Spotlight: Fionn Connolly – Lyra, Lyra
Self-released on February 19th
Fionn Connelly’s debut is a promising combination of calming ambience and wistful apathy, writes Tristan Parsons
Tristan Parsons Head Opinion Editor Ambient and ambitious, Lyra, Lyra is a promising debut from student songwriter and producer, Fionn Connolly. We begin with that ambience: a gorgeous piano line and (perhaps Connolly indulges here) birdsong. ‘Dust’ continues the introduction — featuring an effective sampling of the 1967 film, Bonnie and Clyde — before moving away with measured pace with a simple arrangement. ‘Half/Answers’ brings us to key themes of expectations, realities, and uncertainties. Its verses flow well but the chorus comes a little short. ‘Interlude I’ brings back that piano line, and offers snippets of the next track, ‘Real Fear’. This, as the sluggish intro of ‘Real Fear’ picks us up and away alongside Connolly’s falsetto, is a highlight of the album.
7/10 After the “hope in beautiful things” of ‘Real Fear’, ‘Summer Heart’ transforms through tension to outburst, and back again. ‘You Always Knew’ leaves us alone with Connolly and a piano, helpless, standing “breathless with you”. The washes, guitars, and airy backing vocals of ‘Smoke Signals’ contrast nicely to the simplicity of its predecessor. We come up with a compelling synth line and then back down to challenges of love: “Too busy listening for signals in the smoke,” though perhaps this number is a little too comfortable in melody and subject. Back to Bonnie and Clyde. Halfway through ‘Interlude II’, we are transported to the cinematics of what feels like an adapted Allan Watts lecture. Truly beautiful. Connolly comes to face his insecurities in love
and in life in ‘Rebel/Slave’, dreaming away in guitar, more air, and multiple layers of vocals, before driving upwards: “I’d rather be a rebel than a slave”. With “rise up above the clouds”, ‘Evaporate’ takes us away from the struggles that the rest of the LP centres around and into rest with the final and title track, ‘Lyra, Lyra’. The song sits into a bliss of apathy: “I wonder which stories will come to pass.” Charlotte Rowan, only the second person to contribute to this album, brings a sharpness in voice that nicely cuts through Connolly’s more rounded tones. Calm piano chords and humming bring the album to a gentle close. At 55 minutes, Lyra, Lyra is some achievement from a 19-year-old working from a laptop and a home studio. It has a few too many lengthy songs, but he gets
Photo: album artwork
away with it, for long and slow is the mood where the best of this album is found, particularly from ‘Interlude II’ onwards. Full of beautiful moments, Connolly has delivered a consistent album that calms us into the relief that things might not matter as much as our youth presumed.
Fashion & Beauty
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The perennial trend: corsets From the constrictive bodices of the 1600’s to the waist training craze of the present day, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Talia Lee-Skudder traces the history and questions why we are still so obsessed with corseted fashion With its origins tracing back some five hundred years, the corset has been the ultimate tool for creating the hourglass silhouette for generations of women. Whilst in the 16th Century the corset was designed to disguise a woman’s curves through compressing the stomach and breasts, by the 17th Century the corset was being used to create the hourglass figure. The design changed and instead of disguising womanly curves, corsets were used to slim a woman’s waist and elevate the breasts therefore resembling the desired look that many continue to seek today. Even during the mid 19th century the trend continued and corsets were being used to give women the ‘S’ shaped silhouette. What made these women endure years of discomfort just so that they could achieve the ‘perfect’ hourglass figure and from where did this definition of perfection originate? Despite warnings from physicians about the dangers of corsets, the trend persisted for many years. It is known that women often struggled for breath and even fainted due to the restrictive nature of the corset. Who can forget the scene in Pirates of the Caribbean when Keira Knightley plunges into the sea after fainting because she could not catch her breath?
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Whilst this was a scene was emphasised for cinematic satisfaction, the threat posed by the wearing of corsets was real, yet the related health issues were not enough to deter women from this popular style. Whilst nowadays women are willing to go under the knife or try extreme diets in the quest for body perfection, it seems that this is not a new a trend and as for centuries women have compromised their health in order to achieve what is believed to be ‘perfection’. Over the years, the stiff and restrictive nature of the corset became more relaxed and by the beginning of World War 1 it was not mandatory for a woman to wear a corset. By the 1920s when the straight, waist-less dresses of flappers were all the rage the necessity of a corset diminished and was replaced by a girdle and a bra and this became the trend for much of the 30s and 40s. By the early 1950s, we see a return to the popular style created by corsets with Christian Dior’s post-war collection that once again placed emphasis on the small waist. Dior’s designs were an effort to revive the once booming Parisian fashion industry. The collection accented the allure of the female body with cinched waists and full skirts, bringing femininity back to womenswear. This flirtation with the style made popular by the corset was relatively short-lived and the swinging sixties brought with it mini-skirts and shift dresses. For the years that followed, the corset seemed to have taken a back seat until Madonna made her debut in Jean Paul Gaultier’s corseted bodice for her ‘Blonde Ambition’ tour. The coned bra is now synonymous with Madonna and Gaultier. Although the corset experienced a brief revival thanks to the two, it was short-lived and the desired figure for women was that of the supermodels of the moment: Claudia, Christy, and Naomi. The cinched waist was out and super slim was in. This trend continued into the noughties with the likes of Kate Moss being the cover girl for the ideal figure of the moment. This look was just as unattainable as the hourglass figure promoted by the popularity of corsets, yet it prevailed for a number of years and became the ultimate body goal for women. It is only in the past couple of years that we have seen the hourglass figure make its way back into the spotlight. Thanks to the Kardashian-Jenner clan, who shamelessly promote waist trainers, the look favoured during the 17th century is once again the sought after silhouette of present day. The promotion of the waist trainer by said celebrities is further endorsement of the hourglass figure, with these women claiming
that this product will be the answer to the current search for body perfection. The waist trainer most obviously resembles a corset; it is incredibly tight yet without the inclusion of steel stiffeners sewn into the lining, however it is still likely to pose health threats if worn for a long period of time. Women are still willing to put themselves at great discomfort to attain the ideal body shape and adhere to the fashion of the moment. Centuries later, we are still obsessed with the allure of the corset and the effect it creates because we are told that this is what equals beauty. Over the years, the corset has been inspiration for designers who have incorporated them into their collections with great success and even today bodice style tops are widely available on the high street. These designs are simply intended for fashion purposes, they are not attempting to alter our figures. The issue lies with the popularity of the waist trainer, a replica of the corset of earlier centuries, and what this demonstrates about what is expected of women and the idea that they must alter their figures. Embrace the fifties style silhouette and take inspiration from Gaultier circa 1980, but with the popularity of the hourglass figure once again reaching prominence, let’s avoid the threat of fainting a la Keira Knightley and instead love the figures that we have.
Photo: rocor@Flickr
Vintage beauty – not just for the elite The comeback Think vintage beauty is an unattainable of millennial look? Kitty Mitchell-Turner says think again! fashion
Photo: The Mancunion
Vintage beauty is one of those looks I have always associated with unattainable flawlessness. The china doll skin and perfectly sculpted curls often seen on the likes of Dita Von Teese, burlesque dancers, and in stylised TV dramas always look like such a work of art that I couldn’t imagine them on the likes of me. A person who tends to take a more slapdash, hope-for-the-best approach to my appearance. However, vintage style amongst celebrities and on the red carpet has always been evident and its influence seems to be increasing, whether it be a modern twist, full blown 40s style, or just a nod in that direction. I began to think if these people are managing it (let alone the ladies of the 1940s who produced this look, without half of the beauty items we now have, every day) then maybe mere mortals such as myself could delve into the art of vintage beauty. So you can imagine my delight when Bethany and Simon at The Vintage Beauty Parlour in Chorlton invited me to take part in a complete vintage makeover experience. When I arrived with Frankie, my friend and photographer for the day, I thought we’d taken a Tardis there rather than an Uber. The salon had this beautiful old Hollywood look, complete with a black and white tiled floor and Hollywood bulb mirrors. I was presented with a huge book full of hair and makeup styles, and after um-ing and ah-ing for a while I chose the looks I liked and Bethany set to work. Frankie and I spent most of that morning with our mouths open. Frankie was totally taken aback by Bethany’s talent and the beauty of the parlour (she is an architecture student after all) and I was drooling over Bethany’s make-up collection and her unending knowledge. I felt
quite inadequate really, learning about how Bethany brushes shoulders and kabuki brushes with famous burlesque dancers, working on sets and even styling Dita Von Teese herself. Add that to her list of awards like the National Vintage Award and publishing her own step-by-step book, you can safely assume I was awestruck. But what I really took away from the experience, more than anything else, was how accessible vintage beauty really is. It really isn’t the elite, all-or-nothing style like I initially thought, and so it is no wonder that its popularity is continuing to increase. While I’ll admit I spent just over two hours in the chair being completely made up, it has been easy to introduce elements of the look into everyday life; big winged eyeliner, pale foundation and pink blusher have definitely made an appearance in my day to day look since my vintage experience. So even if you, like me, have perhaps thought that vintage beauty wouldn’t go with your look or that it is too time consuming and complicated — think again! Or if you’ve never considered it as something you’d be interested in, here’s your chance. There is a whole world out there consisting of YouTube channels, books, websites and even how-to classes like those run by Bethany that all provide a more comprehensive understanding of what vintage beauty really means. The thing I have fallen in love with most about vintage beauty is how much you can make it your own, and do as much (or as little) as you like. It is a world that Bethany and Simon opened up to me and one I definitely want to learn more about. If you want to learn more about The Vintage Beauty Parlour and the services they offer, you can find ‘The Vintage Beauty Parlour’ on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. As well as at: www.bethanyjanedavis. com Bethany’s book Vintage hair Styles of the 1940s is available from the salon and online, and is a totally comprehensive guide on how to style your hair vintage. It’s a purchase I cannot wait to make!
Photo: The Mancunion
It began subtly with the odd Reebok here and choker there. Then, one day we awoke to find ourselves in season 1 of The O.C. Sophie Walsh discusses how turn of the century (1995-2005) fashion is back
Photo: urbanoutfitters.com
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An Alternative History of Fashion: Costume in The Man in the High Castle
Sophie Billington discusses the alternative approach to post-war fashion in the hit series The Man in the High Castle
This week I took it upon myself to watch the pilot episode of the TV show, The Man in the High Castle. This series is set in an interesting alternative reality in which the Nazis had successfully risen to power in the aftermath of the Second World War, and I must admit that it is let down by an intensely unoriginal script and mediocre plotline. However, what the episode did not fail to deliver on, was an abundant force of wonderful costume. Since the show is set in America circa 1962, one might expect to see bursts of colour and some bold patterns à la Mad Men, however, under the tight military regime that the plot entails, both of these aspects are controlled and brought under somewhat of a wartime theme. A palette of olivey greens and various shades of brown make up the show’s wardrobe, creating a dull and modest aesthetic yet one that is full of elegant vitality. Not only are these colours parallel to military uniform and thus suggestive of a parallel civilian lifestyle, but in their earthy tones, they reflect a natural existence, one of subtle pride, rather than gaudy vanity. The women in the series are seen in shapely formal dresses that define and smooth curves into perfection, and on these dresses, where pattern is concerned, the past is seen to float into the present in decorative yet simple florals, reminiscent of the western 40s and 50s. In keeping with the theme of definition and simplicity, fronts are kept either pristinely smooth across the chest, or buttoned down. Buttons often frequent the screen, attaching the show with a childlike and humble aesthetic, in a world nearly bereft of technology and modern advancement. Moreover, what would one expect of fashion-focused wartime but tweed jackets and trench coats? Practicality takes hold of the lives of the cast in sheer textural perfection. Further inspiration, especially for these cold winter months in the grim north, is the frequent use of corduroy in the show, which should find a place in
1) Puffer Jackets: Saunter around Manchester and I guarantee you will pass a bevy of bright young things sporting the puffer jacket. Once worn by the likes of The Backstreet Boys, it has fast become a staple in every student wardrobe (also doubles up as an extra duvet in the icy depths of student housing). Today, everyone from Skepta to The Duchess of Cambridge have invested in this marshmallowy delight. It has filtered down to mainstream fashion so that even Annabelle from Surrey can strut down the isle of the magic bus in her infamous green puffer. 2) Silky. Short. Sassy. Underwear is the new outerwear. Kate Moss of course did (and still does) reign Queen of the slip dress. It was a go-to during her modelling (and Johnny Depp) years. No wonder as they can be worn with everything, for literally every occasion. Night out? Sling on the heels. Daytime? Combat boots/trainers. Bed? Slippers. 3) Logos. Logos. Logos. In the past few years anything with a cocky logo has been avoided by the self-respecting citizen, a preserve of the daring fashionable few. However, during the teen movie era of the early 00’s, we learn two things: don’t trust anyone named ‘Chad’, and the bigger the logo, the better. Now, once the SS17 runway shows tell us we are at the height of logo mania, with Gucci and Dior graphic t-shirts, Louis Vuitton’s collaboration with Supreme and of course Vetements collections. Labels, logos and lettering is everywhere. 4) In a time long ago everyone owned a tracksuit/ shell suit (just look at respected judge Philip Banks in The Fresh Prince). Once again, athleisure (roadman chic) is making strides on the runway. Peep it-model, Bella Hadid for the ultimate tracksuit styling goals and of course sporty spice! Cigarette cut trackies are super comfy and versatile, wear when attending lectures, shopping, legging it from the feds, exercising etc. I will also add that if you are feeling brave and over the Adidas thing, there has been an alarming comeback of the two-piece Juicy tracksuit (available at Topshop), synonymous with Paris Hilton in the early 00’s. 5) Dear all boys and girls owning snapbacks, bucket hats and bandannas, please if you haven’t already (particularly snapbacks — you know who you are), throw them out to sea like Rose with the diamond in Titanic or burn them on a pyre at least. Instead, welcome the baseball cap. Specificallyskater style. Think late 90’s skater culture. Somewhere between full on Thrasher and Hansons MMMBop music video.
Photo: Amazon Studios
your wardrobe. The pockets in the clothes featured on the show have two purposes: not only are they in keeping with the 40s inspired look, but they also have the more practical use of concealing the character’s secrets, a completely practical fashion statement that we can all get on board with. The show perfectly executes the interweaving of histories to present a wardrobe of both a rough yet poised wartime texture, and that of progression, into a softer, more casual world of youth and material enjoyment. The soft round-cornered square collars truly sum up the confusion of the wardrobe of the alternative era, they offer an impression of something that is simultaneously soft and coarse. In my opinion, the show contains revolutionary fashion despite it being grounded in familiar history; what an alternative history provides is a space in which there are no fashion rules, only inspirational guidelines. The 40s and 60s are knitted together alongside military life to create a diverse and strict, but multi-tonal wardrobe. This is a wardrobe that is not difficult to weave into one’s own, one of cosy hand-knitted vibes and subtlety. A couple of pairs of cord trousers and a button down trench coat, and you are well on your way to looking and feeling effortlessly elegant and composed, in the style of the hit series The Man in the High Castle.
Next week we’ll be looking at London Fashion Week with a special nod to the boys...
Photo: siblinglondon.com
The livery companies
With the ceaselessly unsatisfied temperament of today’s society, demands on fashion designers increase season by season. In search of a solution, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie Soar looks to the past for unique and insightful inspiration To describe the fashion industry’s current climate as intense and challenging would be a gross understatement. In recent years, consumer culture demands immediate access to fashion lines, so much so that some designers now allow for clients to place orders directly from their front row seats. Contemporary society expects completely unrealistic turnovers from designers. At the age of 83, one can hardly contemplate how many designs and shows Karl Lagerfeld creates for his own line, Chanel and Fendi, showcased biannually during fashion seasons and haute couture weeks with the added challenge of continually making shows bigger and better. Lagerfeld is however an example of almost inhuman capabilities and he still sits elegantly at the top of his game, showing no signs yet of slowing down. In reality, the turnover of creative directors at fashion houses suggests the enormous pressures inherent with such a career. However whilst designers’ personal teams provide physical and psychological support both inside and out of the work place, the stress still soars. This is an increasing phenomenon considering the vast pressure that comes with the impatient and endlessly unsatisfied temperament of today’s society. Everyday, international cities including London and Manchester are agog with deliveries, turnovers, “new season” and “end of season” sales, shoppers, bloggers, Instagrammers, tweeters… the list is endless, as is their ceaseless desire for something new and exciting. Whilst the fashion industry rolls on at an alarming pace, it realistically cannot continue at such a speed without wearing out. Fresh, innovative creations will undoubtedly remain the industry’s goal but occasionally it is worth returning to the past to inspire the future. After all, their own history remains intrinsically important as each label’s trademark style oozes historical significance to represent each house’s inherent characteristics. However when I suggest a look to the past, I do not refer to routine forty-odd year cycle when fashion trends resurface (although we may still need to prepare for the return of the eighties shoulder pads soon). Instead, I would suggest that inspiration can perhaps be gained from a far older tradition that remains ticking quietly in the background and has done so for hundreds of years. In the heart of London, the City square mile continues to operate as it has for centuries. Although it is now only a small proportion of England’s capital, the City boasts the oldest customs and traditional roots in contemporary culture, which inherently includes the livery companies. The first livery companies evolved from medieval guilds, believed to have been formed in the 12th century. Livery companies gained status as corporations under Royal Charter and represent their specific profession or trade. There are currently 110 companies, which includes the Worshipful Company of Glovers founded in 1349 and granted its Royal Charter in 1638 to the Worshipful Company of Information Technologists, formed in 1986 and granted full livery status in 1992. These companies represent a vast range, with the latter demonstrating the modernisation of the centuries’ old tradition. In and amongst these trade representatives rests those essential to the fashion industry. The Worshipful Company of Woolmen, The Haberdashers’ Livery Company, The Merchant Taylors’ Company, The Worshipful Company of Feltmakers and The Clothworkers’ Company all represent professions fundamental to the starting point of every fashion house, whilst The Worshipful Company of Glovers and The Worshipful Company of Launderers demonstrate further trades intrinsic to the industry. As is expected with surviving establishments of longevity, the companies unite their traditional heritage with modern society. The companies thrive for community and their ethos heavily functions upon charitable work. The environment enables a unity amongst tradesmen and women, allowing a support system amongst professionals as well as students. For instance, the Glovers run annual awards for those studying glove design, devised to encourage young professionals and enable their introductions into a proficient atmosphere; it is a support system that spreads across generations. Lagerfeld famously denotes his success to always looking forward; as soon as one show finishes, his thoughts are on to the next and the preceding is all but forgotten. However there is perhaps some inspiration to gain by returning to the tradition of livery companies and their supportive community within their chosen trades. In such a demanding environment, the fashion industry requires generational support for young and established designers but also all involved with aspects of the industry. Livery companies exemplify the pride and passion each professional should take in his or her work; it is an historical system that should not only be celebrated but most importantly one from which the fashion industry could learn.
Film
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Feature
Review
Second Oscar nomination for Orlando von Einsiedel The former University of Manchester Anthropology student has been nominated for the second time in two years
Photo: Netflix
Eliza Slawther Head Film Editor Orlando von Einsiedel is a director, producer and writer who is most well-known for his short documentaries. His 2014 documentary, Virunga, was his first Oscar nomination. The film was the tenth Netflix original documentary ever made, and it explored the last of the mountain gorillas in the Virunga National Park. Orlando is also known for his 2012 film Aisha’s Song, a documentary which follows Aisha Sani Abdullahi and her life in Nigeria. Orlando’s latest nomination, however, is for his documentary The White Helmets, a 40 minute film which shows the volunteer rescue workers in Syria risking their lives to save the civilian victims trapped under debris and rubble in the bomb-stricken country. The White Helmets has received very high critical acclaim, with Julia Raeside describing it as “a film you need to see to begin to understand day-to-day life in war-torn Syria”, and Jack Moore describing The White Helmets as “also succeed[ing] in the delicate balancing act of impartiality.”
“A film you need to see to begin to understand day-to-day life in war-torn Syria” It is, it seems, this impartiality which makes the Orlando’s documentary such an informative and poignant glance into the war-stricken country. The film completely avoids dehumanising the Syrian people in order to show the politics behind the war, and instead focuses on the lives of the individuals and the devastation that surrounds them. Simple shots of a father and son playing with a bicycle helmet, with the father’s voice over describing the importance of family to him, are not commercial or being used to evoke a false sense of empathy from the viewer. Instead it reminds the viewer that The White Helmets and their families, friends and other Syrian civilians are ordinary people with real lives and personalities caught up in conflict and crisis. It is all to easy to analyse the political aspects of war, and forget about those who instead are only focusing on day-to-day survival. More information about Orlando’s university course and The University of Manchester in general can be found on the University website.
Photo: Netflix
Moonlight
A Modern Masterpiece
Imran Bukhari Film Critic
In one of the stand-out moments of Moonlight there is a defining conversation that takes place between two characters. Having spent a decade apart, Kevin (André Holland), looks inquisitively upon his long-lost friend Chiron and asks “Who is you?” Chiron (Trevante Rhodes), replies unconvincingly with “I’m me”. This brief exchange encapsulates the theme of Moonlight; an exploration of one’s life long search to find their true self. Moonlight chronicles Chiron’s evolution by splitting his life story into three distinct chapters. i. Little ii. Chiron iii. Black Each chapter heading refers to a different name given to the film’s central protagonist. In the first chapter, a nine year old Chiron is derogatorily referred to as “Little” by his schoolmates. His lack of friends and exclusion for being different define the early stages of his life. With a drug addicted mother, Chiron finds an unlikely father figure in Mahershala Ali’s Juan. Despite being a drug dealer, Juan cares more for Chiron’s well-being than his mother Paula. He imparts critical wisdom upon Chiron stating “You got to decide for yourself who you’re going to be” which harks back to the film’s central message of self-discovery. Ali is magnetic as Juan and creates a vivid and complex character with minimal screen-time; one who has to come to grips with his own survival causing the destruction of others. Moonlight is intent on breaking down stereotypes and conveying a truth seldom found in film. The second chapter hurdles seven years forward, and the bullying inflicted on
Review
Chiron has infinitely worsened. The title ‘Chiron’ illustrates Chiron’s desire to be who he really is and to not have to suppress his basic desires. Life at home has also deteriorated, as Paula’s cocaine fuelled descent is harrowingly brought to life by an excellent Naomie Harris. Moonlight is based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue but for director Barry Jenkins, whose own mother was a crack addict, Paula’s arc resembles a highly personal struggle. The closing chapter sees Chiron ten years later; his muscular growth has changed him into a hulking figure of quiet intimidation, thus challenging the preconceived notions of masculinity. In order to be accepted, Chiron has learnt he must adapt to fit the exterior world. Now going by the name ‘Black’, echoing a nickname given to Chiron by Kevin, their reunion and rediscovery is where Moonlight truly excels. This is due to the emotional intimacy and resonance brought to the film by Holland and Rhodes. Holland conveys a confident charm to Kevin while also suggesting the weariness of a man who has made many mistakes. Rhodes is the third actor to portray Chiron in succession and what he accomplishes with half the
dialogue of his co-stars is phenomenal. Despite a dramatic off screen transformation, his subtle expressions enable the audience to still see the ‘Little’ boy in the depths of his eyes. Moonlight is a beautiful film to behold, as Jenkins bathes the film with stunning imagery. Miami itself feels like a character, coming to life at night, drenched in neon and with an ethereal quality thanks to the titular moonlight. The film further creates its own signature style with an eclectically diverse soundtrack; ranging from orchestral pieces to modern hip-hop. As a delicately understated and compassionate portrayal of homosexuality within the African-American community; Moonlight illuminates a subject matter rarely seen on screen. There is no doubt this is a film for the LGBT community and a film for the black community. However Moonlight will also resonate with anyone who has had a past love linger in their memories and throughout their life, which truthfully makes Moonlight a film for everyone.
5/5
Photo: A24
Santa Clarita Diet
Never mind ‘Netflix and Chill’, this is ‘Netflix and Kill’ Myriam Raso Film Critic The new Netflix series starring Drew Barrymore is a wonderful new addition to the TV series that Netflix has invested in. A typical suburban American family of realtors find themselves in a spot of trouble when Sheila (Drew Barrymore) finds herself craving raw meat and having no heartbeat. On a typical day in the life of the Hammonds as they show an off a new house on the market, Sheila finds herself profusely vomiting all over the living room floor with her clients standing right beside her all over then fresh cream carpet. Quietly excusing her self to the bathroom she is left vomiting her guts up, literally. When she arrives home she realises that her heart has no pulse, her blood is a thick tar-like substance and all she wants to eat is raw hamburger. The undead becomes completely driven by their ‘Id’ and Sheila changes from this boring woman stuck in her ways to an outgoing, crazy lady who does whatever she desires whenever she wants to. Obviously, these are not normal symptoms for a human and they are well aware that if she was to visit someone for professional help they would laugh in her face or lock her away to do crazy tests and experiments on her. Left with no choice, they visit the neighbour’s
son, a young boy with a keen interest in the supernatural. You can probably guess what the diagnosis is, no heart beat, no blood and a taste for raw meat, yep you’ve got it, a zombie. Without giving too much away as the series wastes no time in explaining how she is going to deal with it, one thing is certain, her life won’t quite be the same again. We haven’t seen much of Barrymore in these days as she has turned towards more television roles and tried her hand at directing and producing, in fact being an executive producer of this new series. However in this role, we can see why she was cast, her funloving nature is showcased to the max and we see the Barrymore that we have all grow to love over her career, since her earlier roles as the cutest little girl in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Overall, the great thing about this program is that they’ve taken a theme that so many people have tried to recreate, and done it in a way where instead of them being dressed head to toe in fake blood and gloop, we have a very normal family, who look normal, act normal but have to intertwine being a zombie into their everyday lives. You’ll see that trying to be a zombie in modern day American is rather difficult, especially with the added cop and sheriff being your next door neighbours.
Photo: Netflix
Film 19
ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Trump’s Muslim Ban affects Asghar Farhadi
Georgia Welch Film Critic Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last week, which given the current state of events doesn’t actually sound too unappealing, you’ll be familiar at this point with President Donald Trump’s new domestic security policy, in which he has barred citizens of seven majorityMuslim countries from entering the US for a 90 day period. Naturally, the overwhelming global response to Trump’s process of ‘extreme vetting’ has been one of outrage, with residents of the UK’s major cities even taking to the streets in a simultaneous protest on Monday 30th January, not only expressing their disdain for the ban and Theresa May’s complicity with the policy following her visit to the US and liaison with Trump, but also uniting in support of Muslims and refugees. Needless to say, the shockwaves felt in the wake of such an act have emanated throughout the globe, with many reporting their feelings of surprise and repulsion at Trump’s commitment to a policy which he put forward in his 2016 presidential campaign; one that few people expected would actually materialise. The effects of Trump’s attack on members of the Islamic faith have been felt by countless citizens of the seven targeted countries, with many left stranded and unable to return to relatives in the US, or even detained at airports. A creative sphere that has also been affected by the ban is the film world. A notable example is that of Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian director
Nominated Iranian director Asghar Farhadi barred from Oscars under Trump’s Muslim ban behind the critically-acclaimed 2011 marriage drama, A Separation, whose 2016 film, The Salesman, earned him a nomination for Best Foreign Language Film at the upcoming 2017 Academy Awards. Farhadi, who has been working as a successful director and screenwriter since 1997, was born in Iran in 1972, and has received a multitude of award nominations for his work. Under the conditions of Trump’s recently-imposed Muslim ban, the question of whether or not Farhadi will be legally permitted to attend the 89th Oscars ceremony hangs in the balance. Trita Parsi, director of the Iranian American Council confirmed via Twitter that Farhadi would not be allowed to attend the ceremony, but whether or not an exemption will be granted for Farhadi is still unclear.
What is perhaps most ironic and saddening about the possibility that Asghar Farhadi won’t be permitted to enter the US for the Oscars is not only the fact he won’t be able to reap the rewards and recognition he deserves for his contributions to cinema, but also the way in which his films explore the differences between communities, genders and classes in such a nuanced way. At such an uncertain and formidable time for the world, it’s uniting forces we can all take solace in, such as cinema, which ought to be celebrated. President Trump’s actions seek only to drive an even greater division between communities, and Farhadi is one of the many undeserving citizens of these seven Muslim countries who have been affected.
Photo: Doha Film Institute
Review
Sundance Film Festival Elo ïse Wright Film Critic The Sundance Film Festival came to a close at the end of January, leaving us with a selection of innovative content to keep a lookout for over the upcoming months. Three films stood out to me as particularly interesting in relation to the cast, plotlines and quality. Independent film festivals such as Sundance are vital to help the smaller budget films gain a larger audience. A main attraction of the festival was the emotionally fraught Golden Exits directed by Alex Ross Perry, a film about ties and connections, about unvoiced feelings and forbidden desires that silently dismantle relationships. Nick (Adam Horovitz) has established a monotonous daily life for himself and his wife in Brooklyn, where he works long hours on a case for his father-in-law. As he does every year, he employs a temporary assistant for the season. Young and alluring fresh faced Naomi (Emily Browning) arrives from Australia into this foreign city, consequently filling the role Nick required, and despite himself, becoming the subject of his fantasies. The only other familiar face she knows in the city is a loose family connection to Buddy (Jason Schwartzman), a record producer who lives in the same small area of Brooklyn. For the little time she is around, her effect on Nick and Buddy seeps into their respective relationships, weaving uncomfortable ties between them and wrecking the fragile balance of their lives. Golden Exits doesn’t have a great deal of dialogue, as most of the action is happening below the surface. The unstated angst, desire, suspicion, frustration and emotional distress is instead conveyed through Keegan Dewitt’s musical score. This film will probably not be a commercial success, but a definite mark of Alex Ross Perry’s talent as an auteur. The next movie worth bringing attention to is Dee Rees’ Mudbound — a thought-provoking and moving story of two families in racially divided Mississippi.Set during World War II, the film features Jason Clarke and Carey Mulligan as Henry and Laura McAllan, who with their very last savings have purchased a parcel of land to work. Sharecropping on the same land are Hap and Florence Jackson (brilliantly performed by Rob Morgan and Mary J. Blige), who are struggling to make sense of this new-found freedom lacking equal rights. This is exaggerated by them having to deal with constant aggravation and racism, with Henry’s father also indulging in the obscenities
(Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks). What distinguishes the film from others in its genre is how it depicts the military experiences of Henry’s brother (Garrett Hedlund) and Hap’s son, Ronsel (Jason Mitchell). Both characters end up serving in World War II, which forces them to step outside the common mindset of class and race of the deep South in particular. Returning home, the concavity and shallowness of racism has never been so blatant, as they are now aware of the disease that riddles America. Refreshing in its simplicity, Luca Guadagnino (A Bigger Splash) has conjured up an instant classic for Sundance this year, entitled Call Me By Your Name. The setting is the summer of 1983, Northern Italy, and the 17-year-old Italian-American Elio Perlman (Timothée Chalamet) spends his days lazily transcribing music and flirting with his friend Marzia (Esther Garrel) in his family’s 17th century villa. Soon into the film, Oliver (The Birth of a Nation’s Armie Hammer), a charming 24-year-old American working on his doctorate arrives as the annual summer intern assigned to aide Elio’s father (Michael Stuhlbarg), a renowned professor specializing in Greco-Roman culture. Amidst the sun-drenched splendour of this sensual setting, Elio and Oliver discover their mutual desire, the effects of which will be profoundly life-altering. These films are but a selection of many from the Sundance Film Festival of 2017, but are of such an emotional maturity and impact that I suspect we will be hearing much more about them in the months to come.
Review Feature
Toni Erdmann
As a father searches to rekindle his relationship with his daughter, he adopts the alter ego of Toni Erdmann Alasdair Bayman Film Critic As 2016 came to a close, one film that was on the lips of numerous esteemed critics was Toni Erdmann. Voted Sight & Sound’s best film of the year, I longed to watch the magazine’s most acclaimed film. Written and directed by Maren Ade, this 3 hour German comedy focuses upon Winifred (Peter Simonischek), a junior school pianist, who adopts the alter ego of Toni Erdmann to prank his 30-year-old daughter, Ines (Sandra Hüller). With a flowing brown wig and a set of decaying yellow teeth, Toni is equipped well to embarrass Ines and her modern working life. Working as an exploration of modern life and its repercussions upon family relationships, the film is not without its poignant moments. It is strangely within the empathetic scenes of Ade’s work that charm you — a stark contrast to its overly long comedic acts. Visiting his daughter on a surprise birthday lunch, Winifred is taken aback by Ines’ distance and over attachment to her phone which constantly rings with business calls. Working in the dizzy heights of the oil industry in Bucharest, Romania, Ines is the epitome of the hard-working independent woman. Visiting from the city, she makes little effort to engage in human contact with her now-divorced parents. Fathoming her distance, Winifred leaves the surprise party early. When he arrives home, his overly chubby dog has passed away. With this, he decides to surprise his daughter in Bucharest to restore some balance to their relationship. Arriving in Romania’s capital, it soon becomes clear to Winifred that his daughter is even more religiously attached to her job than he initially thought. Using Toni to sabotage her working life, he does not shy away from intruding upon his daughter’s working and social life. Their first encounter is hilarious in its narrative execution. Working as an accumulation of the opening, Ines’ first encounter with Toni lingers long after the film has finished. The cinematography of Patrick Orth is still and calm within the upper echelons of numerous Romanian Kardashians and Ines’ co-workers. Capturing the hustle and bustle of modern city life, Ade’s film attaches itself upon the diegetic sounds of taxis frantically racing about the city. Through setting this tale in an Eastern European city, Ade creates the impression of sleaziness and overindulgence in Ines’ VIP executive life. One scene that springs to mind on this matter is a scene based in an EDM-based night club. In the relationship of Ines and Winifred, it foregrounds the volatile nature of their ongoing joke — one that is starting to have serious repercussions for both parties. Numerous emotional moments, such as these, work to deepen this relationship. Over its duration, little comedic moments clearly channel European absurdist work, such as the recent The Lobster. Yet, a climatic nude scene leaves an aftertaste of too much self- knowing and Office-esque awkwardness. It is not that these scenes are not funny: it is that a work’s self-embarrassment has had its day in the sun. Some would claim the verisimilitude of such scenes are the beating heart of the film, but largely its impact is one of tediousness. Although some scenes do indeed drag with this conscious comedy style, moments of affection and sadness are allowed to breathe like their trip to the Romanian oil fields and a glorious Whitney Houston number. Like a fine wine that needs time to breathe and come up to room temperature, Toni Erdmann will either leave you wanting more — which audiences will get in an American remake with Jack Nicholson and Kirsten Wiig — or want to throw the bottle down the sink. Although I am neither of these categories, I can see the pleasure in such a film.
3/5
Photo: Bow and Arrow Entertainment
Photo: IBTimes UK
Books
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Top 5
Top 5: Beginners comic books
Brocha Goode recommends graphic novels and comic books for those who don’t like superheroes From Kickass to Watchmen, from V for Vendetta to Dr Strange, graphic novels and comic books are now happily in the main stream. Some series have been running for many years, such as DC and Marvel, and to fully understand them can take hours of wiki searches and lore videos on youtube. You’d be mad to go in to 2016s Secret Wars event blind. Luckily there are some comic series’ independent of all the lore and past history, praised for their writing and art styles. Here are 5 brilliant comic books to get you into the genre: 5. The Walking Dead The most famous and the longest running on this list, The Walking Dead began in 2003 and has spawned two TV series, numerous games and is near competing with Disney for merchandise. If you haven’t heard of this series chances are you haven’t been anywhere near a telly or the internet in the last half dozen years. Praised for revitalising the zombie genre, The Walking Dead comic focuses on one small group of survivors as they try to survive the apocalypse without losing themselves. If you’re willing to put in the time, it’s a rewarding series with very well written characters. However if you’re looking for something easier to catch up on and far less soul crushing, I present to you…
fantastically realised. Well worth a read. 3. Y: The Last Man When Steven King praises it as one of the best graphic novels he’s read, you know it’s got to be good. A complete series, you can read it from start to end without worrying about the next release. Y: The Last Man is set in 2002 where one day all XY creatures on earth died. All of them. Save for two. Yorik, a young man with a magician membership card in his wallet, and Ampersand, his young pet monkey. And for some reason he thinks his smartest move is to find his girlfriend on the other side of the world, in Australia. The question is, will he survive the trip? Smart, scary, gritty and unfortunately still as relevant now as it was 15 years ago. An investment you won’t regret. 2. Seconds A delight from start to finish, the graphic novel Seconds is brilliantly drawn and wellpaced. Written and drawn by the mind behind Scott Pilgrim, the book follows a young chef as she looks to start her own restaurant. But things aren’t going to plan. Her boss is mean, her ex is dating someone now, and the money for the new place is running dry. But then
she finds a mushroom which when eaten grants her a wish. She should have stopped at one mushroom. Instead, she went back for seconds. An easy read, and one I’ve found I’ve picked up time and again for a pick me up, Seconds deserves its place on your book shelf. 1. Saga Raising a child is hard. Raising a child in war time is harder. Raising a child in war time when you’re members of two different species, who have been at war with each other for centuries, is damn near impossible. There aren’t many comics I’d pre-order the next volume of. Saga volume 7 I pre-ordered the second it went live on Amazon. This Science-Fantasy stars a cast ranging from a half blown up teenage ghost/nannie to a king with a television for a head, and despite that it tells the personal and intimate story of a family just trying to get by with their first baby. Set across multiple worlds and with many different interweaving story lines, the comic book earns its title and if you have a tenner spare, volume 1 should be the first thing you buy after reading this article. You won’t regret it.
A Minger’s Tale is an autobiographical story of R.B.N Bookmark growing up in Manchester as the son of Irish immigrants through the latter half of the twentieth century. Once you get past the odd title the book is an engaging reflection of the author’s youth in Manchester set against the social, economic and political unrest of the 70s and 80s. The book is an insight into everyday life in that era, whether that’s the stories of industrial strikes or the occasional offensive stereotype. A Minger’s Tale tells Ribban’s story from school to college to a variety of jobs including but not limited to waiting tables in a luxury hotel in Piccadilly, a kitchen porter in isolated, winter Cornwall, and fruit picking in a former prisoner of war camp. The structure of the book with most short chapters boiling down to a single anecdote works well if you’re planning on picking the book up sporadically. However, reading it in a couple of sittings made it feel a little disjointed. The author’s humour and frankness meant I felt like I was listening to Rickon tell me these anecdotes after bumping into him in a pub in Hulme, which I enjoyed. From the beginning of the book, it is clear that this is a reflection on the author’s love for his recently deceased
Flowerbeds I should have known from the dirt under your fingernails where you’d been, you had the roots of my sisters tangled around your thumb, i couldn’t see then, that you were the one who had pulled them from our flowerbed. the soil beneath my toes had always grounded me, and though soft petals scarred faded brown around me, i did not heed their warning,
when you wrapped your hands around me, i could only see that you were pulling me closer, Photo: Comma Press paid no mind to my leaves as they crushed inside your fist,
Review: A Minger’s Tale
Ellie Welch Books Contributor
Alle Bloom is a 2nd year Sociology and Politics Student, she is a performance poet who recently competed with the Manchester team at Uni-Slam and is a member of Young Identity.
the shadow you cast made me feel safe, i made sure i always turned my head to face you, lest you stop looking at me, and fell for sweeter rosebuds,
4. Sex Criminals Not one for the prudish, as you may have gathered from the title. Sex Criminals follows a young couple as they meet and fall in love. But this couple is somewhat different than most. Both of the protagonists have a special gift. That gift being they can stop time with an orgasm. Yep. You read that correctly. And what do you do when you find you have this power? Rob banks to fund a library. Obviously. One of the funniest and most well written love stories I’ve read, the series has yet to release a fourth volume. The art style is beautiful, the language explicit and the characters
Review
Poet of the Week: Alle Bloom
father, Manchester United, and the city itself. The book truly shines when Ribban is talking about his life in various Manchester suburbs moving from Ardwick to Hulme to Moss Side through the 70s and 80s. His narration touches upon the economic decline of industrial areas like Manchester as we ricochet from unsuccessful job opportunities to the dole queue in Aytoun Street with our narrator. The chapter on the 1981 Moss Side riots is an obvious stand out. Ribban’s story of attempting to get to and from work whilst buildings are ablaze and the threatening presence of riot vans are on every corner is a fascinating insight to this piece of British history. Another highlight is Ribban’s story about his very short stint at signing up for the Army. His internal battle between unwillingness to follow through his sign-up and his refusal to disappoint his father was one of the few times in the book I felt genuine emotional investment in the author’s story. Side characters appear fleetingly, apart from his parents and a couple of friends, and each chapter seems to introduce several coworkers, friends, or acquaintances made on public transport who disappear as quickly as they’re introduced. His younger siblings appear occasionally throughout the book but oddly not as much as you would imagine when living in a two bedroom house with
three children. If you’re curious about discovering local history through a series of authentic anecdotes then this book is a great insight to life in Manchester in the latter half of the twentieth century.
you did not give me the same look you gave my sisters, instead, recoiled back, red bloomed on your soft palms, you do not have the hands of a gardener, i guess you should’ve learned by now, though we may look fragile, some of us have thorns.
Book contributors meetings are at 5PM every Tuesday. Join our Facebook group to get involved!
Mancunion Books Contributors 16/17 If you would like to be our poet of the week and have your poetry published in The Mancunion, please email : books@mancunion.com, with a selection of work and a short biography.
FINAL YEAR STUDENTS! The University will use the National Student Survey (the NSS) to put up tuition fees.
Tuition fee increase
Genuine student feedback
SAY YES
You will be told to fill in the National Student Survey (the NSS) from the 30th of January to the 29th of April. What you will NOT BE TOLD is that the NSS, your feedback, will be used to increase tuition fees for future generations of students.
Student feedback is important, so fill out the Manchester Student Survey (MSS) instead to have your say. The MSS, unlike the NSS, will not be linked to tuition fees. Fill in the MSS to say NO to increasing tuition fees!
Find out more: manchesterstudentsunion.com/nss
Food & Drink
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ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
A Valentine’s Meal In
Miriam Mizzi Food & Drink Co-Editor
Maybe you’ve left booking a table at your favourite restaurant a little bit too late, maybe you’re saving your pennies, or maybe you just fancy a change? Cooking a Valentine’s meal in is not only cheaper, but also more fun. This Valentine’s day, pop to the shop and get that bottle of red, get messy, and enjoy a three-course dinner you never thought you could cook!
Italian Bruschetta I didn’t want to scare you with a complicated starter and, to be honest, I didn’t want to embark on one myself — who would when they’d probably rather be sat down with a glass of wine? Well, this easy, refreshing recipe for bruschetta is the perfect way to start your stay-at-home Valentine’s meal: Serves: 2 Cooking (assembling) time: <5 minutes
Ingredients: 1 small french baguette 1 pack of cherry tomatoes 1 clove of garlic Basil leaves A splash of olive oil A splash of balsamic vinegar
Duck Breast with Rosemary Potatoes, Pea Purée and a Plum Jus Yes I am going to use those fancy cooking terms, and so should you — why not, when it makes you feel a thousand times more confident in the kitchen?! The key to this main is preparation. Serves: 2 Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
One packet of baby potatoes A sprig of rosemary 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 200g garden peas 2 Gressingham Duck breasts 20g salted butter For the Sauce: 1 shallot 2 plums, diced 50g white sugar 50ml of red wine 150ml beef stock
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 200 degrees. Wash and place your baby potatoes into a large roasting tin, douse with vegetable oil, then add the crushed garlic cloves and the rosemary. Place the potatoes in the oven, occasionally giving them a loving shake, and continue with the rest of the dish. For the sauce, finely chop the shallot and fry in a medium-sized saucepan until soft, then add the diced plums and the sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved and the plums have started to soften, add the red wine and stir. After 5 minutes, add the beef stock and leave to simmer (stirring occasionally). Whilst the sauce simmers, begin on the pea puree by placing the peas in a small saucepan of boiling, salted water. Once cooked, strain the peas and briefly blitz with a hand-blender (if you don’t have one of these, this step isn’t essential).
These truffles give you the intensity of dark chocolate ganache with a slight hit of salt to cut through all that richness. Make these the night before, so they’re all ready for your date the following evening.
Once the chocolate is melted, add it into the cream, and mix. Pour the mixture into a tin lined with greaseproof paper and cool overnight.
Ingredients:
Next morning: Firstly, prepare a tray lined with greaseproof paper and then melt the remaining milk chocolate the same way as before.
Method: The evening before: Melt all the dark chocolate and 100g of the milk chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water. Be sure the bowl isn’t touching the water underneath, you don’t want that horrible texture of burnt chocolate! In a separate saucepan, heat the double cream until it just begins to simmer, making sure to take it off the heat as soon as this happens.
Cut the baguette in half with a bread knife and then cut into the size and shape that you prefer. Then place the halves into the toaster and toast until golden brown. While the bread is in, chop your cherry tomatoes into quarters and dice your garlic into as small pieces as possible. Next, roughly chop your basil. By the time this is done, the baguette should be finished toasting. Drizzle some olive oil onto the freshly toasted bread and then layer your tomatoes, garlic and basil on top. To finish, drizzle over a small amount of balsamic vinegar. Hey presto! A super simple, yet very tasty starter.
Place the mixture into a sieve and place over a bowl, and with the back of a spoon push the peas through the sieve to create a smooth puree. Once finished, place this to one side until serving. Remove the duck breasts from the fridge, score the fatty skin with a knife and season with salt and pepper. Heat up a frying pan and, once hot, add a knob of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the duck breasts skin side down. Leave for 5 minutes and then turn. Leave for a further two minutes. Then, remove the duck breasts from the frying pan and place into an ovenproof dish, before placing into the oven for 6 minutes. When doing this, simultaneously remove the potatoes from the oven and check they are soft through to the inside. Get some plates ready, and once the 6 minutes are over, remove the duck breasts and place them onto a chopping board to rest. In the meantime, it’s time to plate up. This part is entirely down to you, but, if you want some ideas, take a look at my messy presentation in the picture. First, I placed two spoonfuls of the pea puree in the centre of the plate and gently hit it with the back of a teaspoon to cause a splattering effect; next, I placed a serving’s worth of potatoes in the centre of the pea puree. Once this has been done, the duck should be ready to slice, again how is down to you. Place the sliced duck onto the plate and drizzle over the now ready sauce. This dish may seem a little bit complex, but, it’s worth it for sure and if you put your mind to it, and use those fancy words, you can do it!
Chocolate Disc Truffles with Himalayan Sea Salt
Serves: Many Cooking time: 20 minutes Fridge time: Overnight
150g dark chocolate 400g milk chocolate 300ml double cream Himalayan sea salt (or whichever you fancy)
Method:
Once it’s melted, remove your now-set chocolate and cream mixture from the fridge and shape it into balls (or in my case discs) with two spoons (you could definitely do with a miniature scoop here, but unfortunately, my dwindling budget meant spoons had to suffice and this shaping method caused me to rename my truffles, ‘truffle discs’). Hold one disc onto a spoon and dribble the melted milk chocolate over until covered. Slide the disk off onto your tray. Complete with as many as possible as quick as possible — it does get messy and fairly frustrating — but just think of the end product! Sprinkle each disc with a pinch of sea salt and place the tray back into the fridge. Once set, remove, and prepare yourself for a little bite of heaven.
Photos: Miriam Mizzi
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Restaurants for all occasions
With Valentine’s Day soon, we thought it would be appropriate to offer a roundup of our favourite destinations for first daters, to long term relationships, to groups of friends who want a fun night out
Lily Carden Food & Drink Co-Editor
Refuge – For Something New Joe Taylor
Photo: The Refuge
The Refuge is the second culinary endeavour from Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey, two DJs who were active in the Manchester clubbing scene in the latter half of the 90s and early noughties, curating a night called ‘Electric Chair’ (now no longer in circulation, RIP). Having opened their first restaurant Volta, known for its relaxed atmosphere and frillfree platters, in Didsbury in 2013 to critical acclaim, the ravers come restaurateurs jumped at the opportunity to curate the food and drink in the newly refurbished Palace Hotel. We ordered four starters to share: Slow cooked ox cheek with egg and Sriracha, Serrano ham with olive oil and bread, Baby squid, ink and lime, and Tuna tartare with avocado and passion fruit. The ox cheek was beautifully cooked, it was tender and wonderfully accompanied by a runny fried egg scattered with spicy Sriracha. The squid starter was interesting, for the accompanying ‘ink’ was presented in the form of a black aioli, something that I’d never seen before, which gave the whole platter an interesting look as it offset the green of the lime and the yellowy deep-fried squid. ‘The glamour of Manchester’, inscribed on the beautiful tiles, encompasses the feel of the building, its high ceilings and pillars, dimly lit dining room, granite bar, red felt pool table, and its beautiful glass atrium. It all works to evoke the past of this historic hotel, while fusing it with the present day, with Volta, and with contemporary food trends. The dishes need refining, but the taste is there in abundance, with Crawford and Cowdrey curating not just a restaurant but a milieu of class and style. Oxford Street Manchester M60 7HA
Thyme Out – For Breakfast Dates Charlie Spargo
Photo: Thyme Out
If you prefer being out early than up late, a trip to Thyme Out in upmarket West Didsbury might be your ideal Valentine’s destination. Off the beaten track slightly, this area of town isn’t nearly as regularly visited by students as
its East sister but is well worth the trip. Neatly tucked away down a side road, Thyme Out serves breakfasts that both taste and look gorgeous. As well as classics like Eggs Benedict and a Full English, they also do a lovely breakfast burrito, avocado & feta on sourdough, and Eggs Cocotte — duck eggs, cream, mushroom and cheese baked to perfection in a ramekin. Everything on offer is presented beautifully too, garnished neatly but with no sacrifice on taste. Thyme Out serve brilliant coffee too, as well as a wide range of teas as well as fruit smoothies and more decadent milkshakes, all of which can be enjoyed with some homemade cakes which line their counter. On your Valentine’s date you might even push the boat out with a Mimosa or Bloody Mary. Inside, its walls feature works by local artists, but, weather dependent, you might take the chance to sit outside to enjoy your brunch, in either of their pretty front or back seating areas. 147 Nell Lane, Didsbury M20 2LG
63 Degrees – For Pushing The Boat Out Lily Carden
Kyotoya – For Friends Gina Castellheim and Kate Savin
Dusk til Pawn – For Cocktails Charlie Spargo Photo: Miriam Mizzi
Stepping from a typical dodgy Manchester road into Kyotoya is like stepping through a magic wardrobe into food Narnia. The restaurant is afloat with red paper lanterns and fairylights, which give a lovely scarlet tinge and orange warmth to the intimate restaurant. For our main course we decided to be daring and chose the Mixed Sushi 12 pieces, letting the expert chefs choose our sushi for us. The dish arrived in a delightful wooden boat, with ginger and wasabi tucked into the helm and flowers positioned delicately amongst the Maki and Nigiri. Prepared to order, Kyotoya’s sushi is some of the freshest and tastiest in Manchester, without the normal drawback of robbed pockets. One word of advice — don’t go here on a first date, as the large sushi pieces don’t exactly make for dainty eating! However, if you want a truly satisfying meal that doesn’t cost the world and leaves you wanting to come back the very next day, this is the restaurant for you. 28 Copson St Withington M20 3HB
Photo: 63 Degrees
63 Degrees is tucked away in the Northern Quarter (as all restaurants in this area of town appear to be). It is a family-run French establishment with an expensive à la carte menu and an ultra reasonable set menu at £20 for 3 courses (available Tuesday to Friday from noon until 2.30pm, as well as Saturday and Sunday from midday until 5.00pm) which is well balanced and to the point, with three starters and three main courses. I often think that the bread offered by a restaurant serves as a good barometer for the quality of the restaurant as a whole, and this bread was no exception. Served both with the terrine and for the table, was a light walnut bread that was so good that I went back for more. The main courses were just as good as the bread, featuring their signature ballottine of chicken stuffed with mushrooms and an elegant plate of sea bass served with braised fennel. The à la carte dessert menu features macarons and cakes from the amazing Didsbury patisserie, Bisou Bisou, among other offerings, which make for a delightful end to a well executed meal. 104 High Street Northern Quarter M4 1HQ
with the meal then might I suggest buying the divine Catalan almonds (my favourite snack) and the spicy sour cream dip called crema catalana, best served with the soft white rolls that are also sold in the shop. Barton Arcade Deansgate M3 2BB
Lunya – For Big Groups Lily Carden
Photo: Dusk ‘til Pawn
Taking you and your date back to the days of Prohibition in America, even finding Dusk Til Pawn is a challenge in itself. Situated on Stephenson Square next to its less-hidden away sister NoHo, look for the neon “Pawn Shop” sign and the window displays of guitars, TVs and jewellery. Behind their doors, though, is a cosy, welcoming and classy cocktail bar with one of the widest selections of drinks in the city. It’s comfortable and calm, quite a different atmosphere to some of its loud and bustling NQ neighbours. Dusk Til Pawn has a great range of special cocktails but their friendly staff would also happily whip up a personal favourite of yours with great skill, or recommend a drink based on your tastes. They also produce their own special infusions — popular spirits instilled with new flavours, such as banana and rhubarb. To top it all off, they have a free jukebox full of 20th century classics. Stevenson Square Northern Quarter M1 1FB
Don’t forget to check out Photo: Lily Carden
Originating in Liverpool, Lunya expanded into Manchester’s Barton Arcade in in 2015. A bright and airy tapas restaurant with a fantastic deli attached, this restaurant has an extensive menu covering cuisine from across Spain. Ordering bread at Lunya means choosing between multiple fantastic oils and vinegars in which to dip the bread. While all of the menu is excellent, I highly recommend the croquettes and anything involving tender acorn-fed pork. Another highlight, even for someone who doesn’t like squid, is the succulent calamari, covered in airy batter and served with a lemony aioli. Before you leave, make sure to fill in the feedback card and take it down to the deli for 10% off purchases. If you didn’t already get them
happy hour across the city. We recommend Twenty Twenty Two for their ping pong tables, and Fumo for elegant surroundings.
Arts
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ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Review
John Hyatt: Rock Art
Photo: Isabel Oldman
John Hyatt, musician and MMU lecturer, puts on a punk inspired exhibition at HOME Isabel Oldman Contributor The forefront of this season’s exhibition series at HOME Manchester is John Hyatt’s punk and musically inspired Rock Art. Once a member of Post-punk outfit The Three Johns, Hyatt’s show is a small collection of visual art and mixed media pieces. The art itself is a precursor to the main event, a live show each Friday in the exhibition’s own pop-up nightclub, Club Big. I attended the exhibition’s opening night, which featured the musical talents of various local acts. The audience — many of whom seemed to be existing fans — got to witness a one-off performance by John singing with his old band. The live performance aspect of the night seemed to go down well, but for me, this part of the exhibition highlighted the overriding theme of self-indulgence
that littered the rest of the exhibition. The artwork itself was plethora of odes to Hyatt’s personal career. One of the most prominent pieces in the showroom, entitled The Collection, was a red, polka-dot, walk-in box containing the artist’s comic collection which visitors were welcome to borrow and read. These — alongside the new and exclusive Three John’s album which could be listened to in the Reading Room — might be enjoyable for a major fan of his life and work, but for a casual spectator the whole thing gave off a noticeable sense of selfpromotion. The running theme of personal exploration was also present in his video based instillation, Brainbox and Three Wishes. Brainbox is the first of the two and shows ‘a version of the artist as an academic… discussing how the human brain functions’. As the name implies, Hyatt’s depiction of himself is
unnecessarily grandiose and self-celebratory and this is not remedied in his second visual piece in which the product of the artist’s ‘experiments’ with sound-waves are inadequately presented and have little impact. The parts of the exhibit which showcase musical creativity seem to be its redeeming feature but any attempt at making local musicians the heart of the show was undermined by the fact that he was his own headline act and that the gift-shop sold only his own merchandise. If you ignore The Anticipation which was a rope barrier at the entrance of Club Big, the night itself provided an excellent opportunity for visitors to see free live music and for artists to showcase their talents. The addition of the live acts created a lively atmosphere of togetherness, which, in my opinion, was far more worthwhile than the artworks themselves.
Photo: Isabel Oldman
Feature
Never Going Underground: The Fight for LGBT+ Rights
Laura Joyce Arts Editor
Never Going Underground marks the 50-year anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK. The title of the project is taken from the campaign against the infamous Section 28 which forbade the promotion of homosexuality, which led to the UK’s largest ever protest for LGBT+ rights here in Manchester. The exhibition focuses on the on-going fight for LGBT+ rights, enlightening visitors with events both before and after the 1967 Sexual Offences Act. The exhibition comes as a precursor to Manchester’s feminist Wonder Women festival which will see a vast array of equality themed theatre, arts, and even conferences across the city. Following the controversial inauguration of President Trump, the general consensus from LGBT+ supporters seems to be that there has never been a more important time to fight for equality, and basic human rights for all. Never Going Underground explores the societal shift between a time when: it was illegal for men
Photo: People’s History Museum
to express themselves freely without persecution, lesbianism was passed off as a medical issue, trans rights were simply non-existent — and society’s attitudes today. Now LGBT+ legal protection and equality is recognised almost nationwide in the UK, though there is still a long way to go. The exhibition has been two long years in the making, and was aptly curated by 11 members of the LGBT+ community. The piece follows 60 years of activism, and displays the various types of struggles the LGBT+ community have encountered over this long period of time. According to the People’s History Museum website, the exhibition “will highlight that there is nothing inevitable about that progress, and that in the long and complex story of over 60 years of activism, it’s important to remember that there were steps back as well as forward.” Never Going Underground promises solidarity, power, and humanity. We are invited to witness the hardships that have been overcome by the LGBT+ community, that have led to the widespread knowledge of the cause, and the relentlessness of those fighting for their rights to equality.
Theatre 25
ISSUE 14/ 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Review
Feature
Review: Swan Lake
The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is open for submissions
Brogen Campbell Theatre Editor
Photo: Palace Theatre
Brogen Campbell Theatre Editor Swan Lake is ballet composed by Tchaikovsky, which depicts a tragic love story between a Prince and the Queen of the Swan. Swan Lake is one of the most popular and well known ballets and is being brought to life by Moscow City Ballet. Moscow City Ballet presents Swan Lake at the Palace Theatre. Never having seen a ballet I was unsure of whether I would enjoy Swan Lake or not. However, even without the skills or knowledge to critic the choreography, it was clear how high the standard of performance was. The dancers were perfectly in sync and left you wishing you were as athletically skilled. The company were able to create stunning imagery with impressive ballet routines. Without any dialogue, resting purely on the company’s physicality through ballet, Moscow City Ballet told the story of Swan Lake. The play revolves around a Prince who is looking for a wife. Many princesses arrive at the palace to meet the Prince. This resulted in some excellent and exquisite soloists as well as corps de ballet numbers. The Prince however is unsatisfied and ventures outside towards the lake. Here he meets the Queen of the Swans, whom he falls in
love with. The White Swan has been cursed and turned into a swan waiting for a Prince to break her spell. All is not well as an evil sorcerer plots to take advantage of their love, through tricking the Prince into marrying his daughter the Black Swan. This leads to tragedy for the lovers. With no pre-existing knowledge of the ballet I was able to follow and understand the main storyline, although more nuance details were lost on me till after I read about the plot. My one critic is that due to the lack in speech the ballet lies heavily on physicality. This physicality is showcased brilliantly through the companies dance ability, but had the dancers engaged their faces instead of expressing neutrality it would be easier for the audience to understand the storyline and how specific characters were feeling. There was a tendency for the dancers to appear disengaged with the events on stage, this is particularly true for the Prince who seemed to lack an emotional depth. Although this can be a critic of all ballet generally. The character which most easily identified to the audience what was going on within the dance numbers was the Jester, as he was the most facially dramatic, thus illustrated the Princes lack luster approach to his potential brides and his pining for the Swan Queen. The Jester also stood out for his exquisite dance ability and really did
demand your attention whenever he was on stage. The ballet is accompanied by a live orchestra, The Hungarian Sinfonietta Orchestra. The live music enhances the dancing onstage and helps to create a truly memorable and dynamic performance. No set except for gorgeous backdrop to allow for maximum space for dancing. The backdrops depicted the castle, banquet hall and a moonlit lake. The stunning costumes depicted the grandeur of the ballet. Every single dancer performed the complex choreography with ease and elegance. No wonder this is a signature piece in the group’s repertoire. The principle ballerina Liliya Oryekhova was sensational. Oryekhova moved with seamlessly between the white and black swan and somehow she was able to embody the swan like quality the two main roles desperately requires. All the swans were physicalized beautifully by the dancers. Fantastic leaps, unstoppable pirouettes and dynamic lifts were present throughout the performance. The entire production emitted poise, grace and beauty. It doesn’t matter if you have never seen a ballet before or have been to the ballet countless times Moscow City Ballet’s production of Swan Lake is certainly one to go and watch.
Are you an up and coming playwright? Do you have what it takes to write the next great play? Have you already written it? If so, The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is open for 2017 entries. It is the UK’s biggest national competition for playwriting. They are on the search for the next great play and the great playwright who created it. Europe’s largest playwriting competition is the product of a partnership between the Royal Exchange Manchester and property company Bruntwood. New and unperformed plays can be submitted and judged by a panel of experts. Four winners will then be picked and will win a part of the £40,000 prize fund. Since the competition began in 2005 there has been 15 prize winning writers and 8 winning productions have been staged. Each winner this year will enter into a development process with the Royal Exchange Theatre. The winning scripts will be announced at an award ceremony in Manchester this November. Katherine Soper became the fifth overall winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting in 2015. Her play ‘Wish List’ was premiered at the Royal Exchange Theatre and has since been transferred to the Royal Court Upstairs. You can find a review of Wish List on the Mancunion website. For any emerging talent this competition is not to be missed. The competition is open to anyone over the age of 16 and resides in the British Isles. All you need is a finished play that has never been performed and the courage and selfconfidence to submit your work. All scripts are judged anonymously and the final 10 are judged by an expert judging panel. To enter you simply need to go to The Bruntwood Prize website and apply there. The process is quick and easy. Submission closes on the 6th June 2017 at 6pm. So there is still time to finish that play or perfect it further. To apply visit: /www.writeaplay.co.uk/
Review
Review: The House of Bernarda Alba
Elete Nelson-Fearon Reviewer Federico García Lorca tells the tale of five daughters and their tyrannical mother, Bernarda, who relentlessly prioritises her reputation over her daughters’ wellbeing and her own emotions. The play is set in 1930s Spain, in a small Andalusian village where everyone knows everyone’s whereabouts and wrongdoings, on the day of the funeral of Alba’s second husband. The play opens with the maids walking around exchanging angry comments about their boss. The house, in this production, consists of a circle of six chairs. A striking feature of this production is the diverse cast: one of the maids and two of the daughters are hard of hearing, and another is a British Sign Language interpreter; this feature is also written seamlessly into the characters’ speech, with Bernarda often ordering the maid to “sign” for her. The setting is reflective of the oppressive nature of the house — La Poncia, the most outspoken maid and closest out of them to the family, refers to the house as “her little empire” that “she doesn’t want anyone else to see.” The maids set the tone of the play: by the time the Alba family arrives, the audience has formed an opinion of Bernarda’s character and is eager to see what this domineering is like. As the mourners arrive, there is a bright ray of light as if to precede the matriarch’s arrival to her empire. Bernarda is a small yet intimidating character whose first word onstage is an order: a foreshadowing feature that is very telling of her role in the play. It is
interesting to note the difference in relationship between La Poncia and Bernarda once Bernarda is onstage: the two characters exchange gossip jokingly about the neighbours, and we see that La Poncia also plays the role of mediator and advisor. However, the impersonal employee-employer relationship is reinstated when La Poncia dares to disagree with Bernarda: “You’re impossible to talk to. Do we or do we not trust each other?” “We do not. You work for me and that is all.” Lorca has written in and omitted features that develop the characters and build tension among them; these features were brought to the stage seamlessly by the director Jenny Sealey. Adela, the youngest daughter who is the most vocally opposed to the 8 years of mourning that have been imposed upon them, is the only character to break free of the monochrome dress code and wear a green dress, which is a foreshadowing sign of jealousy and a physical sign of her rebellion. Maria Josefa, Bernarda’s mother, is a symbol of all of the girls’ desire to be free; she escapes the room she is constantly locked in and declares her plan to run away to the sea to get married. Later in the play, she is a figure of brutal honesty as she says “Pepe El Romano [the love interest of the daughters and fiancée of one of them] is a giant; you all want him,” despite only three of them having declared a desire to be with him. The lack of a male cast member builds the tension among the women; having one prominent love interest allows their love to manifest in different forms: due to claustrophobia, loneliness, self-
deprecation and lust. The context of the play, when considered with reference to the characters and dynamics, is very interesting. Bernarda’s tyrannical nature foreshadows the dictatorship that Spain would live under for 36 years, with a desire to keep everything uniform and without any dissent from the given orders. However, the reversal in gender roles is significant. Bernarda, rather than feeling empowered as a matriarchal head of the house, says her hard work is due to “[toiling] like a man.” The stark difference in reactions to domestic violence by males and females was also made clear when the audience was amused by La Poncia affirming that “it’s true [she] used to beat [her husband].” This proud reaction from La Poncia may have been due to the fact that she resented having had her body taken advantage of by Bernarda’s late husband; both incidents display another facet of the toxic relationship between men and women in this play. The House of Bernarda Alba is a revealing, entertaining and moving play that boldly shows the different types of women going through life, with one overarching characteristic: survival instincts in a small, oppressive, 20th century Spanish village.
The House of Bernarda Alba, a Royal Exchange Theatre and Graeae Theatre Company coproduction, is at the Royal Exchange Theatre until the 25th of February.
Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre
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Lifestyle
ISSUE 14/ 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Valentine’s Day: Down with love
Polly Brown Lifestyle Contributor
It’s Valentine’s Day, we can cry if we want to. Similar to a scene from a popular rom-com, your life can sometimes and often feel like a walking cliché. Yes, the rained on window panes, the checking of your phone, and the Netflix pop-ups can feel like a rehearsal for the next twenty years of your life. ‘Do you want to carry on watching this?’. Yes, you do, because Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher are your only allies…until they get the guy or girl they want. But relax, you are not alone. Ok, you are alone, but you are not the only person that wants to stay “away” with Valentine’s Day. So what if you’re unlucky in love? There are several reasons that couples and singletons alike want to clothe Cupid too, and here’s why: It’s not nice to feel left out Okay, so you might not actually be alone. You may have your friends round for bro-to-bro, galto-gal support, but pizza and FIFA aren’t going to keep you warm at night, and the cuddles just aren’t the same. Whether singledom is by choice or misfortune, walking around with the couples of the world can feel a bit exclusive, especially on Valentine’s. You may know you’re only missing out on one day of expensive restaurant bills and wilting flowers but who doesn’t like being showered with adoration and being taken to Paris? Who wants to make their friends feel bad? Not us.
Photo: shezamm@Flickr
It takes money and effort So, Paris, dinner, watches — what have you — do not come for free. We have birthdays and Christmas, what else do people want? Inflation during commercial holidays is a real life thing.
Valentine’s means just more time worrying about loved ones’ faces when they open their petrol station chocolates and the spending of money that students often don’t have. Refer back to petrol station chocolates.
Facebook sucks Even for those in relationships, the Facebook newsfeed can become a bit unmanageable. It transforms into a battleground of who loves each other the most and, even, who cares the least. With hearts, sentiments and ‘Galentines’ filling your newsfeed, Facebook can be a cringe-fest worthy of non-attendance. Love is measured not by material possession but by emotional involvement. If your loved one shows you affection only once a year, the purchasing of a cat might be in order. The company is not significantly different. Supermarkets suck Are they supermarkets or are they fairgrounds? There are so many aisles conquered by teddies, the food industry must truly believe that love is all people need to survive. This is an exaggeration — of course there is food. You just have to embrace that the meal deal for two might not be for two. It’s for one. Of course, we’re not trying to sound bitter. It’s great if you’re loved up and get spoiled on Valentine’s Day. But why does it just have to be one day? Why can’t we treat every day like Valentine’s Day, and show affection all year round rather than just on one day? Give us singles a break, and spread your soppy messages and happiness throughout the year, rather than concentrating it on the 14th of February.
Climbing Mount Fuji overnight Jack Greeney talks about travelling around Japan, climbing to the top of Mount Fuji, and what not to wear “I’m fine!” I lied. My shaking limbs didn’t agree. The view though, we agreed, was unquestionably worth it. Far away, hives of city lights sprawled around themselves. We speculated which city was which. Not long after we entered the clouds, removing all sense of distance from what little sight we had, we rose above and peered over them. Excitement pressed us onward as the climb grew steeper still. Suddenly I placed foot onto carved stone: steps! We raced to the top and waited, early and frozen to the core for it. I sat, knees in shirt, anticipating the sunrise. The only problem was the barrage of thick cloud. Photo: Jack Greeney
After being fortunate enough to receive one of the Travel Awards given out by the University, I explored Japan for a month last summer. With only a couple of days remaining on my trip, I found myself aboard a coach leaving Tokyo, bound for Mount Fuji. As soon as I stepped foot in Fujikawaguchiko I stopped, stood, and stared at the mountain. Isolated and perfectly formed, it suddenly became obvious why ancient Buddhists considered the cone so divine. I broke my glazed look, trundled down to the town’s lake and stared some more. The temperature was 40°C. In A.M. hours. Burning, backpack burdened, I sat. Even in t-shirt and shorts alone I sweltered. Intending to leave as much weight behind in lockers as possible, and swayed by heat, I decided I needed a light kagoul ready for action and no more. Foregoing the bus, I walked to the mountain station straight from the lake: 26km in total, coiling gradually steeper onwards and upwards. Night had fallen when I arrived, though it was not yet cold. There I met others set to climb. “Shorts? That’s not brave,” I said. “It’s worse in England.” Like all clueless characters, I overlooked my foreshadowing of doom and set off. In darkness I needed light, and rooted in my bag to find a Japanese coin had somehow perfectly lodged
itself into my torch: useless. It was a good job I’d made friends. The journey began. A stroll soon evolved into a hands-and-knees climb. The higher we reached the colder the winds became, the mountain exposing chills and my own underestimation. I gritted my teeth and shivered my way on upwards. We blindly clung onto jutting mountain edges in fear of the gales throwing us off it. I like to think the monk who first climbed Mount Fuji 1,353 years earlier probably did so with the gift of sight. And longer trousers. Dammit, why hadn’t I worn actual trousers? We huddled at each station, shielding ourselves from relentless wind. We sapped morsels of warmth from doorways of rest houses. Windiest for some time, said one housekeeper. Humoured looks came my way.
I was one of them. I stood and gawked for hours, stole myself a small chunk of rock and trampled down the zigzag quicksand of the descent pathway. As light flooded the world the view became simply jaw-dropping: I almost fell down the whole path, unable to take my incredulous eyes away. There are sights from that day that will be etched into my memory for as long as I live. There’s one thing I’ll remember most of all, though. If you’re climbing a mountain: don’t wear shorts. The University of Manchester offer three different Travel Awards for students wishing to travel as part of their degree or within vacation periods. Applications for 2016/17 are open now and close in March 2017.
Photo: Jack Greeney
Photo: Jack Greeney
Disappointment bred around our group, fearing the famously shy peak would hide the sight we had all come to see. Groans surfaced and despair grew as time drew closer. Then, like a miracle, the clouds blew away with moments to spare and the sun rose. For the first time on that mountain I thanked the wind. Unless you’ve been up there too you’ve never seen anything quite like a Mount Fuji sunrise, soaring from beneath the horizon. People stood completely awestruck.
Photo: Jack Greeney
Lifestyle
ISSUE 14 / 13th FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Final year fear: get involved in student media
Photo: Manchester Media Group
Rachel Adams Head Lifestyle Editor The second semester is well and truly underway by now, and the more forward-looking of you might be thinking about what you’re going to do with the summer that’s fast approaching. For those of you who, like me, are final year students, even the word ‘summer’ fills you with dread. The inevitable questions from everyone begin about what you’re going to do with the rest of your life after you graduate; if you don’t know the answer, which is more than likely (and completely normal), then you’re met with shock and fear. “What do you mean, you don’t know what you want to do with the rest of your life when you’re 21 years old? Isn’t that what university’s for? Why did you pay £27,000 for something that doesn’t lead straight into a job?” Trust me, all of these questions are coming, if you haven’t faced them yet. It’s even worse if you know that you want to go into the media industry or anything creative. You’re greeted with a forced smile and a look of panic. “Don’t you need to do work experience for that?” people ask, as if they’re being friendly and supportive. Yes,
I’m well aware that I should’ve been looking for and getting work experience when I was binge watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix. Don’t make me feel worse. If this whole situation sounds familiar to you, then don’t worry! There’s an easy way for you to get some experience under your belt in those final few months before you graduate and you’re thrown out into the real world and expected to land on your feet. Working for or in student media looks great on a CV, as it shows that you can balance studying for a degree, the inevitable social life that comes along with it, and still manage to write articles or host a radio show. Plus, there’s a whole load of perks that come along with working in student media, such as contacts and opportunities for networking. Who knows, that person you emailed for a quote for an article might just be looking for a new journalist to take on. At Manchester there are so many ways to get involved with student media. Writing for The Mancunion couldn’t be easier, just come along to a meeting for whichever section you’d like to write for and think of some article ideas. It’s just as easy to get involved with Fuse FM or Fuse TV.
Anything you’ve got a passion for, student media can cover it. This applies to everyone, even those who aren’t in their final year — if you know that you want to go into the media industry, then start early and get a year’s worth of experience in student media on your CV before you start applying for those coveted graduate jobs! I only became a part of student media and The Mancunion at the start of my final year, and I’ve already learned so much and gained so many skills that I know are going to benefit me after I graduate. So to everyone who’s struggling to get work experience in the media industry, please consider becoming a part of the Manchester Media Group. It’ll give you so many opportunities and improve your CV, and you’ll have a great time doing it. Ultimately, the main thing to remember is that just because you’re in your final year, it doesn’t mean that all hope is lost and that you’ll never get a job in the media sector. There’s still plenty of time to get even a little bit of work experience that could make the difference between you gaining a place on a graduate scheme or not. Take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Manchester Media Group and you never know, you could be the BBC’s next rising star!
Learn your lesson: forget exam results Finding it difficult to adjust to university when the thought of exam results are still hanging over you? We’re here to offer some advice on how to put them behind you and focus on the now
of exams to your parents, let them know how you are feeling about your results — this way it won’t be as intimidating to tell them later on if you haven’t done as well as you hoped. Having said all that, try to forget that you’ve just done exams. It’s a cliché, but there is literally nothing you can do now. It would be much more useful to focus your attention on your next set of modules, the results of which you do have control over. As for the previous results, there will always be options to deal with them if they’re not what you were hoping for. Don’t forget, that whatever year you are in, the exams you have just taken will not entirely determine what degree you achieve. There are also some more specific things you could be doing if you are finding this period particularly difficult. Although the deadline for mitigating circumstances has now passed in most faculties, Student Support can still offer you guidance for exams you will take in the future. Getting in touch with them now ensures you will receive as much support as you can before entering the summer examination period. If there was something particularly difficult in the exam that you did not understand — speak to a lecturer, especially if the same thing is likely to come up in future modules. It doesn’t matter that the exam is finished, the reason you are at university is to learn. Although marks are important, if you can get to the end of your final year knowing that you have learnt something, you will have succeeded however well you have done in exams.
Cachella Smith Lifestyle Contributor Everyone argues that January and February are the most unpleasant months of the year, but for students it’s even worse. Returning back to university, rather frazzled, after a long stretch of too much food combined with too much revision, we are thrown headfirst into the hell that is exam period. Now that we’ve all come out the other side, you would have thought things would start to look up, but instead we continue plodding forward, straight into semester two. Tiredness certainly is an issue, but more than that, the disconcerting idea that we are working towards the next set of exams when we don’t yet know the results from the last, is playing on everyone’s minds. There are, however, a few things we can do to make this period slightly easier for ourselves. Firstly it’s so important to take regular breaks — this is a well-known study tip, but at the moment I’m talking about significant periods of time. Remember you’re only in the early stages of semester two; it’s okay to use your frees to take a coffee break instead of being curled up in Ali G. Keeping going is not always the most effective option. Dealing with the unknown is difficult. Perhaps you could try to help yourself by setting up an action plan for all eventualities. Speak to your lecturers and to your Academic Advisor to find out about your options. Having them clear in your head now will make results day that little bit less daunting. Also, introduce the subject
Photo: albertogp123@Flickr
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Gary Neville vs. Arsenal fans Gary Neville bites at Arsenal fans’ dissatisfaction, but his lack of understanding puts him completely in the wrong Jack Ford Sport Reporter
Gary Neville was completely wrong when he branded an Arsenal fan ‘an idiot’ for holding a banner, after witnessing yet another dire Stamford Bridge performance, telling Arsene Wenger: ‘Enough is enough — time to go.’ While he did seem to sympathise slightly with the fan’s sentiment, saying “obviously the Arsenal fans are disappointed”, he said it was ‘a joke’ to ‘pre-empt’ the defeat by bringing such a banner in before the game. What Neville seemed to forget here was the side’s embarrassing loss to Watford last week, and the rising belief among fans that it truly is ‘time to go’ for Wenger. Neville claimed “Arsene Wenger doesn’t deserve that”, but why not? If I was an Arsenal fan, supporting one of the biggest teams in the country and paying the highest prices in Europe to do so, I would feel it was reasonable to expect my team to win the Premier League and consistently challenge in Europe. In this respect, regardless of the constraints placed on the side by the move to the Emirates, I would feel I had witnessed Wenger oversee twelve years of failure. Not only that, it seems the manner of Arsenal’s failure is the same every season. Poor Novembers, not progressing from the Last 16 of the Champions League for 6 years, frequent Stamford Bridge drubbings and an apparent lack of physicality and fight on the pitch must make fans feel they are stuck in Groundhog Day. Arsene Wenger has singularly failed to fix these glaring problems, yet is given year-after-year to repeat them.
It would have been ‘a joke’ for the fan to have not predicted such a capitulation at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal have not won there since 2011, were thrashed 6-0 there in 2014, and before last week’s consolation had not scored there since 2013. Once again, history repeated itself for Wenger’s Arsenal. In fact, the fact he brought the sign showed this wasn’t just a reaction to a derby-day defeat but a display of a long-held dissatisfaction with the direction the club is heading. That Neville had such a strong, emotive reaction to the sign is particularly surprising when you consider how civil a protest it was. Compared to the equal parts brave and stupid Crystal Palace fan that confronted Damien Delaney on the pitch following their 4-0 drubbing to Sunderland on the same day, this was absolutely civil — and had no effect on the game itself, unlike Blackburn and Blackpool fans throwing tennis balls onto the pitch during their FA Cup tie the previous weekend. This was a fan, who had paid good money to support his team despite having little hope for a positive result, peacefully displaying his dissatisfaction at the man leading his team. Perhaps Neville, having played his entire career under Alex Ferguson, is particularly sympathetic to Arsene Wenger both as his former manager’s main title-rival for much of his playing career but also as the last Ferguson-style manager in topflight football. It may be that Neville’s own managerial experience at Valencia, where he himself was subject to fan protests much harsher than this, has also made him more sympathetic to managers under pressure — and especially appreciative of those who succeed in the job as he did not.
Photo: Ray Booysen @Flickr
However, I believe the reason I and so many others were so taken aback by Neville’s reaction to the sign have more to do with his lack of understanding of what it means to be a supporter of a football club. Yes, Neville played for his childhood club — a club he loved and served all his career with distinction — and would have felt the heartbreak and disappointment along the way as intensely as any fan, but there is a crucial difference between his experience and that of a fan. Neville would always know that he could influ-
ence his team’s performance, he could have a say in the direction his club was heading, he would never have to resort to protesting at a match to have his grievances heard. Most importantly, Neville has never had the frustration of paying hardearned money, for many a considerable proportion of their income, to watch the team he loves fail time and time again to meet his expectations. This is why he could not understand the fan’s actions, because he has never been in his shoes.
Great Britain through to Davis Cup Quarter Finals
Great Britain have progressed to the quarter finals of the Davis Cup to face France after achieving a bruising victory over their Canadian opponents Luke Maguire Sport Reporter
Photo: Jake Britton @Flickr
Great Britain have progressed through to the quarter finals of the Men’s singles of the Davis Cup (often dubbed the World Cup of Tennis) after victory in the deciding match over a Canada side that lost by default, due to its player Denis Shopovalov being disqualified. His disqualification occurred in bizarre fashion as he hit the umpire with a tennis ball after angrily losing a point to his British opponent Kyle Edmund. The match ended 6-3, 6-4, 2-1 and despite having just been hit and having a highly bruised eye, the umpire, Arnaud Gabas, and both players shook hands amicably at the end. This will have been a wake up call for Shopovalov, the young 17-year-old Canadian, who clearly still has much to learn at the higher levels of professional tennis. He was visibly upset and distraught, as he knew how much that moment of loss of control had cost him. He has let himself and his country down, but if he hopes to one day see significant success in the sport, he cannot let his anger on court lead to him lashing out as he did — evidently, it only leads to bruising repercussions. He clearly did not intend to hit the umpire but it could easily have struck someone else in the crowd. Such behaviour is unprofessional and has no place in tennis. Shopovalov has since been fined $7000 (£5600) by the International Tennis Federation for the incident. He issued an apology in the wake of
his disqualification and will hopefully learn from this experience to keep his temper under control in the future. Great Britain, and specifically Kyle Edmund, will take a win in whatever form it comes and the team will overall be pleased with their performances so far in the tournament, but aware there is still room for improvement. The British doubles team had success with duo Jamie Murray and Dom Inglot sweeping aside Canadians Vasek Poposil and Daniel Nestor 3-1 but Edmund himself suffered a shock defeat to Poposil in straight sets and while fellow Brit, Dan Evans, had a good start with a victory over Shopovalov in straight sets, he then lost to Poposil by 3-1 making the final match between Shopalov and Edmund the decider. Britain will now face France in the quarter finals in April, with real belief that they can push to the final and win the Davis Cup. Great Britain have only won the Davis Cup once since 1972, in 2015 thanks to Andy Murray’s victory over the Belgian David Goffin. The USA and Australia have historically dominated this tournament with more wins between them than all the other countries combined. However with Andy Murray’s dominance of men’s tennis in recent years, and the likes of Dan Evans, Kyle Edmund and other young British talent beginning to come into prominence, an era of European dominance and possibly British dominance in this tournament could possibly be upon us.
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Alastair Cook and the end of an era
With the retiring of Alistair Cook, Guy Williams has a look at the recordbreaking England cricketer Photo: James Cullen @Flickr
Guy Williams Sport Reporter Alastair Cook, the England Test captain, resigned from his role last week after four years in charge. Although he has said that he wishes to continue playing for the foreseeable future, it is in many ways the end of an era. This may seem like an overstatement. When Rachel moves out of Monica’s apartment in Friends, Monica calls it ‘the end of an era’. The two debate the meaning of ‘era’. Rachel thinks that six years is too short a time to be called as such. Monica, on the other hand, takes a broader view. For her, an era is not defined according to a specific length of time but rather a ‘significant period’ of time. In the latter sense, then, an era’s definition takes on a subjective dimension: if the period in question was significant in some way, perhaps emotionally significant, it may be deemed an ‘era’. Under this broad definition, Alastair Cook’s captaincy tenure was, in hind-
sight, an era. It was enormously significant. The bare facts are that he captained England in 59 Tests, a national record, and of those he won 24, the joint-second highest number after Michael Vaughan (his 22 defeats as captain were also a national record). In 2012, he became the first captain since David Gower in the 1980s to win a series in India; he triumphed in two home Ashes series wins in 2013 and 2015; and in 2016 won in South Africa, the then top-ranked team in the world. These are all mighty achievements. Over and above his successes, however, Cook’s era will be remembered more for the groundwork he laid in preparing the next generation of England cricketers. Cook’s predecessor as captain, Andrew Strauss, enjoyed an England team at the peak of its powers. James Anderson, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Jonathan Trott, Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen were either approaching or passing the age of 30, the prime of a cricketer’s career. When Strauss’ team achieved the
#POGSTOP
top rank in 2011, these players were veterans and had the habit of winning. By the time Cook became captain in 2012, however, this ageing team was beginning to creak. It won in India, but fell apart spectacularly the following year. A fresh start was needed. Under Cook’s captaincy, many players were introduced. A fair number of these will enjoy long careers, and one or two may even become England, and perhaps international, greats. Haseeb Hameed, Keaton Jennings, Jonny Bairstow and Mark Wood have serious potential. Meanwhile Joe Root (the probable new captain) and Ben Stokes are already world class players. What’s more, these men are all in their early to mid-twenties and are likely to be around for a long time. It is possible that only James Anderson, who is 34, and Cook himself, 32, will retire at some point in the next few years. This allows the next captain to build the team after his own fashion. If Cook had to contend with several powerful personalities when he first
Whatever else, come rain or shine, the farmers meet for a beer at the local on a Friday evening. It signs off the week in a communal way that says we take care of our own.” As captain, Cook was brilliant at ‘taking care of his own’. Keaton Jennings, who debuted against India in December, said recently that “Cookie was brilliant for me: he was very welcoming, warm, friendly, I suppose caring, in terms of being very aware when I came into the tour of the need to make me feel part of the group immediately.” Cook’s personal qualities endeared him to the public and his teammates. He was not a tactical genius like a Michael Vaughan, nor as inspirational as Andrew Strauss. But his integrity, honesty and sense of duty was unrivalled by previous captains. When he returns to the playing ranks, a veteran among young guns, these qualities will continue to command respect as both the mark of an old era and the beginning of a new one.
Fancy haircuts and dabbing: is the image of Paul Pogba affecting his game? George Green Sport Reporter
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
took the job, the next captain has young players whose only desire is to win cricket matches. The England team of today has an ebullient, carefree attitude which may be down to its youth. But it is also explained by Cook’s desire to revolutionise its style from dour but relentless to entertaining but lovably naïve. There is an honesty around English cricket which cannot but be celebrated. Much of this fresh attitude is down to Cook himself, an utterly decent man. Andrew Flintoff, the former England all-rounder, once said: “When my daughter grows up, if she brought a bloke like Alastair Cook home, I’d high five the wife.” Off the pitch, Alastair Cook is endearingly old school. He is not on social media and spends his down time working on the family farm in Essex. Like the ancient Roman Cincinnatus, who was called from his plough to defend Rome from attack, Cook returns to the farm when off-duty. It keeps him grounded, he says: “I like perspective and the farm gives you that.
Paul Pogba seems to care more about his image rather than the way he performs on the pitch. He signed for Manchester United in the summer for a world record fee of £89 million. Since his arrival, although producing some good moments, has performed below par. Some people think this is due to his off field antics. He frequently treats us to his rehearsed dance routines through social media, which is embarrassing to say the least. Also, he broadcasts a variety of eccentric haircuts that look slightly odd. It can be said that he’s just trying to have a bit of fun, but what is this achieving? Some of the people we spoke to this week claim that he’s put too much effort into boosting his franchise. Yes, Pogba is well-known for the dabbing and dancing, but it would be better if he went down in history as a fantastic footballer, not a showman. However, being in the limelight and having the pressure of the media on your back every day must play a part in all of this — it’s understandable that a popular footballer would want to embrace the fame. Still, it’s evident that there’s perhaps a lack of discipline in the way he’s being managed. Rio Ferdinand blasted Pogba live on BT Sport this week by saying that he “hasn’t won anything yet” and dancing like this would “never have been allowed under Sir Alex Ferguson”. There’s a strong argument that spon-
sors can be held accountable for affecting his image. In the summer of 2015, Adidas struck a £750m sponsorship deal with United, and since 2016, Adidas have made Pogba into a brand and appear to have evolved the trend of #Pogboom. They’ve done this through adverts, mostly of him performing weird dance moves which, to be honest, make him look like he’s got something wrong with him. It could be said that Adidas have almost brainwashed Pogba into thinking that he’s God’s gift to the footballing world, when in reality, he hasn’t made his mark on the pitch enough to be considered influential at all. He’s done everything to broaden the fan base of his club, but has failed to play well consistently, which is surely the number one priority? We spoke to Manchester City fan Emptyhad, who said that “some footballers act like they are in a circus”. He then added that it’s their obligation as professionals to “get the job done and bring success to the clubs they represent”. After asking twenty random yet experienced fans who they thought was the best Premier League midfielder in the last 20 years, seventeen of them said Paul Scholes. Scholes was the perfect example of a player dictated football matches, won multiple trophies and received a phenomenal reputation from the footballing world; he wasn’t interested in haircuts or inane dance routines, he just wanted to play. Scholes is the fitting example to use because Pogba has all the attributes to reach this level, but favours theatricality over simplicity.
Admittedly, though, Pogba has helped in providing encouragement for young disadvantaged fans from the Manchester United Foundation, making him a popular figure amongst supporters. Footballers are role models, as a child you always wanted to emulate a Beckham free kick or a Ronaldinho step over — young fans today will instead copy Pogba’s clothing and his dancing, not the way he plays football. Cristiano Ronaldo is the definition of hard work and dedication to the sport. Even though showing signs of arrogance, Ronaldo can back this up with stellar performances and frequently breaking records. Pogba on the other hand, cannot support his cockiness due to his inconsistency. Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest footballer to play the game, recently bleached his hair white. Even though it looks like polar bear fur, his image hasn’t affected how much of an outstanding footballer he is week in week out. Pogba bleached his hair and proceeded to get outplayed by Stoke City’s midfield. There are a number of supporters who criticise his image, calling for the return of the way football used to be, a no-nonsense profession, with players who don’t care about style over substance. It’s obvious that Pogba’s image, in some way, has surpassed the importance of playing football to the best of his ability. The sad reality is that he’s become a brand, although that’s an obvious statement — his image is very much a part of the player he is, but ultimately, the football should come first.
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Italy’s growing national prospects Italy are enjoying a talent boom like no other this season, but who are the ones to keep an eye on? Magnus Henderson Sport Reporter One of the most marmite aspects of modern football is the ‘player comparison’ trend. Jamie Redknapp is the biggest culprit out of all the cliché-obsessive pundits gracing our televisions, describing Dele Alli as “the next Steven Gerrard”. Obviously the Tottenham youngster has the potential to reach the calibre of Gerrard, but he looks nothing like the Liverpudlian legend in terms of play style or individual strengths. Memphis Depay was not “the next Cristiano Ronaldo”, Antony Martial will not be “the next Thierry Henry” and Reece Oxford will not be “the next Rio Ferdinand”. Despite the clear inaccuracies in this habit, it is stil exciting and interesting to explore the “what if?” of youngsters, especially when they have particular traits relatable to the footballing gods who have come before them. Many of the youngsters exploding onto the stage this campaign are in Italy’s Serie A, where the likes of AC Milan, Fiorentina and others are promoting the next generation of Italian superstars. It has been clear for a number of years now that the Serie A is not what it once was. While the Italian top division used to be graced with the likes of Ronaldo and Maradonna, now Carlos Bacca and Gonzalo Higuaίn are the star strikers; a notable downgrade. The former giant clubs, AC Milan and Inter Milan, have languished in mid-table since the former lost Zlatan Ibrahimović and the latter lost José Mourinho. However, this season has seen an upturn in quality, most notable from the fact that Juventus have not walked to the title already. Napoli and Roma have looked unplayable at times this season and are giving the Old Lady a few things to think about. The Campanian trident of Dries Mertens, José Callejón and Lorenzo Insigne have illustrated attacking ca-
pability on a similar level to Barcelona’s famous front three, and the Capital’s club have fully exploited Edin Džeko’s talents to put themselves third in the table. The Milan clubs too, despite showing major inconsistencies, have improved this season with AC filtering through some very promising talent, and Inter splashing the cash due to new Chinese investment. The real winners of the Serie A season so far has been the Italian national team. During Euro 2016, Antonio Conte took Italy’s tattered squad past Spain’s technical team and only lost in the quarter finals to Germany on penalties, which, as Gary Lineker once stated, is one of the “inevitabilities of football”. Despite doing so well, Italy’s squad last summer was one of the worst group of players that they had banded together in decades, and Conte overachieved with the ability at his disposal. One of the more well-known talents to emerge is the gargantuan Gianluigi Donnaruma. The AC Milan goalkeeper has made it to 50 appearances for his club this season, at just 17 years of age. Obvious comparisons have been made between Donnaruma and the aging Juventus legend, Gianluigi Buffon. The narrative was further exploited when Donnaruma made his debut for Italy, replacing Buffon against Spain in September. The young goalkeeper has a huge career ahead of him and is already being groomed as the successor of one of the best goalkeepers in recent history. Also at AC Milan are the Italian prodigies Manuel Locatelli and Alessio Romagnoli. The former, Italy’s newest regista, plays as a destructive midfielder with an eye for a ‘thunderbastard’, as can be seen with his two strikes this season against Sassuolo and Juventus. Romagnoli, on the other hand, is cut from the same cloth of the Old Lady’s Georgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli, a hard centre back with the ability to play the ball out of the defence.
Photo: Oscar@Flickr
Further bolstering Italy’s defensive prospects is Juventus’ Daniele Rugani. While the 22 year old has struggled for game time with such immense quality in front of him in the pecking order, the potential is visible from his composure and capability to slot in and adequately fill the boots of one of Chiellini, Bonucci or Barzagli. The prospect has started eight games and scored three goals. In an attacking capacity, Italy have struggled to rely on a single forward since Mario Balotelli went awol, and Circo Imobile and Graziano Pellè consistently fail to achieve. Step forward Torino striker Andrea Belotti. The ‘number 9’ is renowned for his all-round ability, scoring four headed goals as well as five left footed strikes and six right footed. At
just 23 years old, if Belotti keeps improving at the same rate Italy could have one of the best European strikers leading their line. On the wings, Fiorentina possess two of Italy’s most promising wide men in recent years, Bernardeschi and Chiesa Federico. The former, and more established of the two, has carried on his fine growth this season, capable of playing anywhere across the front three and grabbing an impressive haul of nine goals and four assists in 21 appearances. Chiesa, on the other hand, made his breakthrough this season and has proved a useful squad player filling in anywhere on the right side. The 19 year old’s quick feet and ability to go past a player are his most notable features.
Two goals and one assist in six starts is a decent return. The final, and most recent, prodigy to come out of the Serie A this season is Roberto Gagliardini at Inter Milan. Not only does Gagliardini have a fantastic name but his primary function of breaking up play from the base of midfield is impressive too. His presence in Inter’s midfield has seen the Nerazzurri go on the best run of form in the Serie A this season. While the Italian domestic league still may be way behind the likes of England, Spain and Germany, there is an impetus of growth and promise in the league which has not been apparent for a long time now.
UoM Women’s Cricket Club on the rise We take a look at a small University of Manchester women’s sports team with big ambitions Rebekah Parkinson Sport Reporter Women’s cricket is a sport that is currently on the rise, with England’s Women recently winning the ODI series against Sri Lanka and qualifying for the World Cup. There is plenty of cricket to watch, but why not give it a go yourself? Here at the University Cricket Club we always welcome new members of all abilities so it really doesn’t matter if you’re a county level spin bowler or you’ve never picked up a cricket bat in your life! We are a small club with around 15 members attending weekly sessions. Our club has a wide membership base with some people having club or county experience and some total beginners, with many of our players going on to play for local women’s teams after graduation. The most important thing is that everyone enjoys themselves! Cricket is not just a summer sport and we compete in both indoor and outdoor BUCS competitions, and we have already completed the indoor tournaments for this academic year, celebrating a win against Leicester at Old Trafford in November. Our focus is more on club development than BUCS points so we also play short indoor games every weekend in the ICL and IPL leagues at the Armitage. These are much more relaxed games where we play against other students (and sometimes staff) to put into practice what we have learnt in training. This includes playing against the Sporticipate team on Sunday afternoons. If you haven’t heard about Sporticipate it is a great way to get involved with free sports at university and as the name suggests,
it’s all about getting people participating in sports, especially if it’s something you’ve never played before. We train once a week on Tuesdays 6pm-8pm at
the Armitage in Fallowfield and the sessions usually involve some skills based exercises followed by a game or two. We have two great coaches on hand who come down every week to help us develop
Photo: Rebeka h Parkinson
our cricketing skills and are always willing to help you achieve whatever it is you want to get out of the club. All equipment and protective kit is provided, the only thing you need is something comfortable to wear and yourself, we will provide the rest! We will be continuing indoor training until around Easter time when we move outdoors for the summer season — so no training outside in the snow! When this happens there will be another round of BUCS matches, outside this time, and all of our members are encouraged to give BUCS ago as it is a great way to get match experience. Because we are a small club, we all get along really well and enjoy going to AU socials as well as our own events organised by our two social secs. This means that when it comes to training, everyone is very supportive and the relaxed atmosphere makes it much easier for beginners to learn new skills. We are intending to go on tour this year too, location to be confirmed, but we usually go away for a long weekend in the summer to another university city and try and squeeze a cricket match in amongst all the trips and socials we do. This is a brilliant way to round off a great year of cricket and meet club members from another university whilst having really good fun. We are always looking to grow the club so if you think this might be for you, come along to one of our training sessions on Tuesday evenings or come along to the Sporticipate events on Sundays and give it a go! Alternatively you can find us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram, or get in touch with our Club Captain Emily at uomwomenscricket@ gmail.com.
Photo: Keith Allison @Flickr
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Tom Brady: the greatest of all time With the dust settled on Super Bowl LI, we reflect on Brady’s unprecedented career Toby Webb Sport Reporter The 51st Super Bowl was arguably the greatest of them all. The New England Patriots, down 28-3 to the Atlanta Falcons with little more than a quarter to play, produced a thrilling comeback, rallying to an overtime victory of 34-28. This was a feat unparalleled in any previous Super Bowl: the largest deficit previously overcome was 10 points. Since the match, several explanations have been given for the overcome. As a team, New England’s 4th quarter performance was flawless. Moreover, Atlanta’s Super Bowl naivety was evident: their play-calling in the game’s latter stages was foolish and their aggression in defence was simply unsustainable. However, it was Brady, his ability as a quarterback and a leader of the highest quality, who was ultimately able to exploit Atlanta’s flaws. Brady’s post-game interviews have been fascinating: he maintained that he, as well as the team, never believed they were beaten. Head Coach Bill Belichick added that the halftime message was the “Same thing we told them in the first quarter and the second quarter — just kept coaching and just kept trying to get better.” It is difficult to believe doubt hadn’t entered the minds of the New England players, with the unprecedented scale of the comeback task they faced. However, anyone who has watched the Patriots over the years will understand that Brady and Belichick have unwavering belief in both their own ability and each other’s. This shone through in the Patriots commitment to their game-plan, and their subsequent victory. Brady’s performance set new records for QB’s in the Super Bowl: Championship game records for most passes (62),
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completions (43) and passing yards (466) were recorded. It was extremely fitting that these records were set in the game where Brady surpassed Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as the most successful QB in Super Bowl history: Brady now has five Super Bowl wins, to Montana and Bradshaw’s four. I, for one, was delighted that Brady surpassed the record. It is now indisputable evidence that he is a player of the highest calibre, and true testament to the level of consistent excellence that he has demonstrated over his 16-year career.
“Brady’s post-game interviews have been fascinating: he maintained that he, as well as the team, never believed they were beaten.” While Brady’s achievements are unparalleled, his beginnings offered no indications of the career he would have. Unlike Peyton Manning (drafted first), Brady’s main QB advisory throughout his career, Brady was selected 199th in the NFL Draft. New England really stumbled upon a diamond. Initially serving as back-up QB, Brady only became a starter in his second season, 2001, when the starter Drew Bledsoe got injured. Brady secured his first Super Bowl that year, il-
Italian Resurgence
lustrating his capabilities and leadership qualities. Brady would go on to lead the Patriots to Super Bowl victories in 2003 and 2004. Two of Brady’s best season statistically, 2007 and 2011, ended in harrowingly narrow Super Bowl defeats to the New York Giants, led by QB Eli Manning. In 2007, Brady amassed 4806 passing yards and threw for 50 touchdowns. Brady benefitted from having Randy Moss, a Hall of Fame-level receiver, to hit. Analysts have argued that his 2007 season was one of the best ever produced by a quarterback. However, despite having a 16-0 record, the Patriots were unable to cap off the perfect season, narrowly beaten 17-14 in the Super Bowl. In 2011, Brady amassed 5,235 yards passing and 39 touchdowns. 2011 was about Rob Gronkowski, the juggernaut Tight End that Brady has formed a fantastic footballing relationship with. While 2007 was about offense, 2011 is considered by most to be the most archetypal Patriot season, killer in all phases of the game. Again, however, Brady and the Patriots were defeated by Manning in the Super Bowl, this time 21-17. Joe Montana won all of the Super Bowls he played in. Having won 5 and lost 2, Brady is player that has experienced both the glory and the despair. Super Bowl losses have provided greater fuel for his drive and determination to be successful, despite being nearly 40. Super Bowl losses have made him a more complete player. 2014, Brady’s other Super Bowl victory, consisted of the Patriots taming the mean defence of the Seattle Seahawks. In similar style to this year, the Patriots completed a 10 point comeback in the 4th quarter. Brady has accumulated a magnificent repertoire of Super Bowl victories, the latter two, 2014 and this year undeniably made sweeter by the defeats in 2007 and 2011.
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While blessed with talent, Brady’s consistent level of excellence is down to his sheer dedication to his craft. Even following Super Bowl winning season, he
“Super Bowl losses have provided greater fuel for his drive and determination to be successful, despite being nearly 40. “ rarely takes more than two weeks off, desperate to get back and begin preparing for the new season. An example of his dedication is his diet. He follows a
strict 80% alkaline, 20% acidic diet; in a 2014 interview, he described it as providing “balance and harmony through my metabolic system”. Despite his unrivalled dedication, the single most important reason for Brady’s success has been Bill Belichick, his head coach throughout his playing career. Brady and Belichick have a true symbiotic relationship: Brady’s consistency marries perfectly with Belichick’s system. Together, they have reached 7 Super Bowls while largely lacking the amount of star players other teams have had. Brady and Belichick’s respective successes cannot be divorced from each other’s. Ultimately, they have formed an unrivalled dynasty, comparable to the one Alex Ferguson and the class of ’92 achieved. Brady, in partnership with Belichick, has the quality that all sportspeople crave. By whatever means, they win. They have winning in their blood. In Super Bowl LI, Brady immortalised himself. He is the greatest QB ever.
Photo:Wikimedia Commons
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Gary Neville vs. Arsenal