Issue15

16th FEB 2015/ ISSUE 15 FREE

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Pangaea: Space Odyssey Victor

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Birth of Tatooine-Style Star System

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Opinion’s Valentine Special

University chiefs say fee cut threatens economy - Bosses from top English universities including Birmingham and Reading have harshly criticised suggestions from the Labour Party of cutting the cap on tuition fees to £6000 Charlie Spargo Deputy Editor-in-chief Vice-Chancellors from 20 leading English universities have added their signatures to a letter to The Times, claiming that Labour’s proposed cuts in tuition fees would cause substantial damage to the economy and students’ educations.

The letter, penned by Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, President of Universities UK and ViceChancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Surrey, has been signed by Vice-Chancellors and Masters from universities such as Bath, Exeter and Bristol.

The letter ran under the headline ‘The high price of cutting university fees’, and warned that “£10 billion of additional public funding would need to found and ring-fenced… to close the gap.”

The signatories state that a government being able to fund such a deficit alongside cuts to public spending, as all parties are proposing, is “implausible.”

The Labour Party has not yet revealed a specific policy on university tuition fees but Ed Miliband has stated his intention to lower the cap to £6000.

Doing so, say the signatories of the letter, “[would] not help poorer students and risks the quality of education for all.

“Applications for university are now at a record high, and the proportion… from lower socioeconomic groups has risen.

“Any move to limit the number of students attending universities as a way of reducing costs would remove opportunities for young people and those seeking to return to education, and act as a barrier to economic growth.

“Universities UK has consistently argued that our student funding system must be sustainable and support affordable, higher-quality higher education,” they state. “Any evolution of the current system… [should] prevent students from

poorer backgrounds from being deterred from study, and be financially sustainable for both universities and government.”

A 2014 study by the Sutton Trust found that the average student leaves university with a debt of £44000, and that 75 per cent will still have debts of around £30000 at the age of 50.

Last year, Vice-Chancellors from leading UK institutions were revealed to be receiving average salaries of £254692. Their pay increased by an average 8.1 per cent while benefits packages rose 5.2 per cent.

The Shadow Minister for Universities, Science and Skills, Liam Byrne, said that “the government trebled fees and now it is crystal clear that the student finance system is going bust, saddling students with debts most will never repay… and costing the taxpayer more than the system it replaced.

The letter from university chiefs highlighted that students do not have to pay back their student loans until they are earning a salary of £21000 per year.

“Simply cutting the headline fee provides most benefit to higher-earning graduates. A better way of supporting students, especially those from poorer backgrounds, would be for the Government to provide greater financial support for living costs.”

Harriet Pugh, Education Officer for the University of Manchester Students’ Union, said, “While it is frustrating to find out that Vice-Chancellors are lobbying for higher fees, there is actually little they can do under the present funding arrangements.

“With the impending withdrawal of government funding from HE following the General Election (at present, none of the three major parties has pledged to protect, let alone increase funding to, the department where universities are currently housed), universities will be forced to generate income in new ways.

“At the University of Manchester, the Senior Leadership have identified five ways in which

this will be possible; namely recruiting more international students, philanthropy, efficiency savings, research recovery on grants and distance learning. For many other universities, it involves increased fees.

“The only way to avoid these kinds of changes is a drastic revision of the way Higher Education is funded. We need the government to commit to fully funding universities through corporate taxation so that they can focus on delivering quality education accessible to all, rather than worrying about how this will be possible with further cuts.

“The only way to decrease fees is to campaign for a funding system which means universities no longer rely on that income to remain viable; and that system is a system of free education, which we as students, should be urging our Vice-Chancellors to ask for.”

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Fossil Free Campaign demonstrate for divestment Aidan Gregory Editor-in-chief The Manchester Fossil Free Campaign and their supporters have staged a demonstration in protest to the University of Manchester’s continued financial involvement in the oil industry.

Held outside University Place on Friday, the protest included several members of the Students’ Union Executive Team and students and staff from across the university. It also featured a large banner with the motif ‘Climate Change Kills’.

This demonstration comes after The Mancunion reported that the university’s shares in various FTSE 100 oil companies are worth almost £40 million. It was also revealed that as a result of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, the university lost £2.23 million in endowment value due to holding shares in BP. Joel Smith, Activities Officer of the Students’ Union and member of the Fossil Free Campaign, has been lobbying the university leadership for divestment. Smith hopes that the strong turnout for the demonstration and the delivery of the divestment petition to the office of the Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell will galvanise support for the campaign and aid further dialogue in the months to come.

Smith said: “It’s really exciting seeing so many people coming out to support the campaign.

We’re pushing for 2000 signatures in the next couple of weeks and we’ve got more events on campus in the pipeline too... Our approach to energy this century could be the defining issue for our society and we’re hoping the university will take its role as a leading institution for change seriously and start making sensible investment choices that benefit everyone.”

The petition, calls on the university to “immediately freeze any new investment in fossil fuel companies,” and to “divest from the fossil fuel industry and shift funds to lower risk, ethical investments within five years.” To date, it has over 1500 signatures.

Liam Byrne MP. Photo: RNIB @Flickr

Continued on page 2...

02 : NEWS

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Highlights P12 P13

Music: Music: Interview: Pearson Sound

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Picture of the week - “Climate Change Kills” Fossil Free Society protest against the university’s £40 million investment in fossil fuels, on Friday the 13th of February. Photo: The Mancunion

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Film: Oscar Predictions

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Fashion: Waxing Lyrical

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The university have now responded to both the Mancunion story and the criticism from the campaigners. In a statement, a University of Manchester spokesman said: “The university has a Socially Responsible Investment Policy, which is a public document available on our website. The university’s investment portfolio is managed by one of the world’s leading asset management firms, and is reviewed annually against this investment policy.

“The terms of the policy were agreed by the university’s Finance Committee and by the Board of Governors, which both have Students’ Union representation. We do not hold any direct shareholdings, so any influence is brought to bear purely by our fund managers, and because they work on behalf of a number of institutions, they can bring much greater influence than a single organisation.”

Professor Colin Bailey, the university’s Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, also responded to the claims about the university’s industrial collaborations. He said, “ignoring the global challenges of climate change and energy is not socially responsible and refusing any engagement with companies involved with fossil fuels is not the answer either.

“We are all dependent on energy produced from coal, oil, and gas, so we must work with these companies to ensure this precious resource is not wasted, while using the latest research and techniques,

together with regulation and investment, to reduce the impact any extraction of fuel has on the environment and ensure it is transported to its point of use without any waste and is used sparingly and effectively.

Photo: University of Manchester Students’ Union

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

Books: Top 5 – Romantic Reads

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com Facebook: The Mancunion Twitter: @TheMancunion Editor-in-chief : Aidan Gregory editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor-in-chief : Charlie Spargo deputyeditor.mancunion@gmail.com Postal address: Univerity of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone 0161 275 2933

“In parallel, we continue apace to research and develop all low-carbon forms of energy, in terms of its source, transmission and use, with the ultimate aim of significantly reducing the world’s dependency on fossil fuels.”

News Editors: Anna Phillips, Lauren Gorton, Jenny Sterne & Helen Chapman news@mancunion.com Science & Technology Editor: Andy van den Bent-Kelly

Food & Drink Editors: Elena Gibbs & Adam Fearn

Music Editors: Patrick Hinton, Samuel Ward, Lowell Clarke, and Daniel Whiteley

food.mancunion@outlook.com

music@mancunion.com

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

Sport Editors: Andrew Georgeson & Will Kelly Sports Reporter: Liam Kelly

Books Editors: Leonie Dunn & Ali Pearson

Features Editor: Roberta Rofman

books@mancunion.com

features@mancunion.com

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

Opinion Editors: Morris Seifert & Marcus Johns opinion@mancunion.com Fashion Editors: Aimée Grant Cumberbatch & Gráinne Morrison Beauty Editor: Nikki Patel fashion.mancunion@gmail.com

Lifestyle Editors: Robert Firth mancunion.life@gmail.com

sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Nicole Tamer theatre@mancunion.com Arts Editor: Holly Smith arts@mancunion.com Photography: Hannah Brierley If you have any comments or questions, or would like to contribute, please e-mail the Editor-in-chief or Deputy Editor-in-chief. The times of meetings are listed on our website.

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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University aims to hire 100 apprentices by the end of the year António Rolo Duarte News Reporter The University of Manchester has launched its 2015 apprenticeship campaign which will encourage managers across the organisation to take on apprentices when appropriate vacancies arise.

This move comes in the light of praise received from the National Apprenticeship Service which has commended Manchester for being the first university in England to commit to directly recruiting apprentices to its workforce on a sizeable scale.

After last year’s successful 44-pupil debut, University bosses have set a target of at least 100 apprentices in post by the end of the year.

Roles available include receptionists, accounts assistants, administration assistants, workshop and laboratory technicians, and chefs.

Steve Grant, Assistant Director of Human Resources and lead on the initiative, said: “I have been hugely encouraged by the success of our 2014 intake of apprentices.

“The feedback I have received from our apprentices’ line managers, and from the apprentices themselves, is that the program is hugely successful and that we could and should do more. I will be working with the National Apprenticeship Service and University colleagues to ensure we build upon this success.

“This is as much about what we can do as a major employer in the region for young people, or those wishing to take a different career path, as it is about changing the profile of our workforce, investing in skills development and bringing in new people with fresh ideas.

“It is clear that our apprentices are making a significant impact and I would encourage other employers in the region to actively consider recruiting an apprentice.”

According to calculations by the National Audit Office, this initiative should add £10 million to the regional economy. This will further consolidate the university’s position as the most significant employer in the city.

The University’s President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, who recently met some of the new recruits, said: “I was really pleased to be able to meet with a cross-section of our first cohort of apprentices and was impressed by their enthusiasm and commitment to the university and our ambitions.

“It’s important that we invest in future talent and equip people with the skills universities and other employers require.”

Claire Blott, Deputy Director for the National Apprenticeship Service North West, said: “We are hugely grateful for the University of Manchester’s continued support and commitment to apprenticeships.

“Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification; setting them on the road to success in their chosen career.

“For the university, hiring apprentices is a proven way of attracting new talent and developing a motivated, skilled and diverse workforce. We hope its 2015 campaign is a great success.”

An example of the programs success is Jamie Scott, a former soldier who joined the university as an apprentice chef last year.

Scott, 35, had been working as a scaffolder since

leaving the army in 2000. However, after a serious car accident which made him go through a number of medical operations, he was advised by doctors to stop work involving heavy lifting.

He said: “I had always enjoyed cooking as a teenager and the scheme allowed me to train as a chef, while getting valuable work experience in the university’s kitchens.

“It was invaluable to see what a professional kitchen looked like and how it operated. The

apprenticeship has changed my life.”

Now a father of two, Scott has acquired National Vocational Qualification levels 1 and 2 and is working towards his level 3 with Trafford College.

He was recently named Apprentice of the Year there, while at the same time working in the kitchens at Owens Park halls of residence.

Those interested in applying for the program should visit the National Apprenticeship Service website for more information.

The University of Manchester’s apprenticeship scheme aims to double its intake in 2015. Photo: The University of Manchester

Student binge drinking to Preview: Reclaim the Night Manchester’s annual march against sexual violence will light up blame for river deaths? the streets of Manchester on Thursday the 26th of February Kathryn Murray News Reporter After a plea for from students for more security in the river area where three students have drowned recently, Durham’s Chief Constable Mike Barton has ruled out providing more officers to patrol the banks of the river.

Barton said it was “ludicrous” for officers to be put on riverbanks to stop “bright young things falling in,” stating that students in the city need to drink more responsibly.

Over the last 14 months, three students have drowned in the River Wear after nights out in Durham.

Euan Coulthard, 19, is the latest student to die in the river. His body was recovered last month.

Durham University undergraduates Sope Peters and Luke Pearce have also drowned in the Wear following nights out.

After the most recent tragedy, a riverside safety review has been promised by Durham County Council.

Barton suggested that instead of fencing off the river, students “need to behave a bit more socially responsibly.”

York is another are of the country where several students have died due to drowning. In the last 15 years, 24 people have died in York’s rivers.

This included the death of York St. John student Megan Roberts, whose death sparked calls for improved river safety in the city, with a petition to improve CCTV attracting more than 19000 signatures.

In Manchester the case is even more extreme, with 61 bodies being pulled out from the city’s canals in just six years.

Action is being taken in Durham where a City Safety Group made up of the county council, the university, the Students’ Union, police and the cathedral in Durham, has said it would attempt to re-establish a night-time bus service and set up a high-visibility welfare unit for students.

More than £50000 will also be spent on a drink awareness

campaign in Durham City, as well as an assessment of the city’s riverside to be undertaken

by March.

Taxi firms are being consulted on methods to improve safety, and an education scheme has been organised to reduce the risks of students getting into difficulties.

As part of the action plan to tackle the city’s drinking culture, bars in Durham have begun to breathalyse customers before entry.

Anyone registering a reading of more than double the drinkdrive limit of 35mg could be refused entry.

It has also been revealed that 41 venues in Birmingham have signed up to adopt this breathalysing plan in a bid to cut violence.

Helen Chapman News Editor

On Thursday the 26th of February, the streets of Manchester will light up with storms of voices saying “NO” to sexual violence against women, street harassment, rape culture and victim blaming.

Reclaim the Night is open to the whole community and will be full of colour, light and noise.

The march will be lead by a selfdefining women-only block and followed by a mixed block, open to all genders.

A recent survey of young women showed that 43 per cent have reported being sexually harassed in a public place in the last 12 months. A 2013 Home Office study showed that one in five women have been sexually assaulted since the age of 16, yet only 15 per cent felt able to report this to the authorities.

Women’s Officer, Jess Lishak, says, “we will be raising our collective voices and making ourselves too visible to ignore when we take to the streets in

our hundreds.

“Everyone is welcome to join us to add their voice to the protest in our march against violence against women, street harassment, rape culture and victim blaming, which is unfortunately so pervasive in our society.”

The march will gather in Owens Park outside The Tower, Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield at 7:00pm.

A neon parade will head down Wilmslow Road and Oxford Road, which will be closed to traffic, towards the University of Manchester Students’ Union.

The evening continues with the Reclaim the Night free after party, a festival of the finest women talent, with live music, speakers, poets, community stalls and awesome DJs till late, at the Students’ Union from 8:30 – 2am.

The Mancunion spoke to Women’s Student Officer, Ellis Quinn. “Reclaim the Night is about empowering the whole community to speak out against sexual violence, street harassment and assault.

“It has so far been a huge success.

It engages with hundreds of people from all different walks of life to unite and stand up together.

“This year’s march is of exceptional importance given the incidence of student sexual assaults in the Fallowfield area. These horrific acts prompted action from the student community, with some individuals creating a petition to increase police patrols within the area.

“Reclaim the Night seeks to harness this enthusiasm and anger and turn into something positive. If you want any information please contact the women’s officer Jess Lishak at jess.lishak@manchester.ac.uk.”

Reclaim the Night T-shirts are now available from The Store for £12. There are four different styles available, all printed with glow-in-the-dark ink. All profits go to local charities that work with women who have experienced sexual violence, domestic violence, and street harassment.

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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Pangaea: Space Odyssey Fancy Dress Victors 1ST

Lauren Gorton and Anna Phillips News Editors Once again, The Mancunion teamed up with the Students’ Union for this January’s Pangaea event, Space Odyssey. We gave you our top ten to vote upon to decide who should be crowned our Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.

The voting closed last Thursday and over 1300 of you cast your vote online.

We can now announce that with 30 per cent of the vote

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you decided to crown Princess Leia, a.k.a. Toby Parkes, as our Pangaea fancy dress victor!

Toby has won two tickets for this Summer’s Pangaea event. To get your tickets please contact Joel Smith the Activities and Development Officer for the Students’ Union closer to the event.

Your runners up were, in a close second Wall-E, a.k.a.

Jake Shearer with 29.1 per cent, and in third place The Mustach-tronaut (thank you Sam), with 26.7 per cent of the vote.

All the photographs we took during the evening can be seen on The Mancunion’s Facebook page.

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19-year-old student sentenced for Vagina monologues grooming young girls in online scam raises over £1200 for

A 19-year-old student has been sentenced for grooming young girls from the Wigan area online, whilst posing as a modelling agency Lauren Gorton News Editor Mohammed Sarang, a 19-year-old student from Wembley, pleaded guilty to inciting a child under 16 to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent photographs of a child under 16 and causing or inciting child pornography at Harrow Crown Court.

He was given a two-year suspended sentence, a supervision order for two years, a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and was ordered to attend a 60-day training programme.

Sarang had remotely hacked into the Facebook account of one of his victims’ friends. He took over her identity and created a fraudulent account in the name of ‘Nicola Hay’, posing as a modelling agent.

Using this alias Sarang befriended several young girls from the Wigan area on social media sites, leading them to believe he could find them modelling jobs.

In order to check out their ‘suitability’ for these imaginary jobs, he would offer them a webcam audition, during which he would ask them to undress and perform sexual acts.

Sarang’s identity was uncovered when the mother of one of his victims

became concerned when she discovered an online conversation her daughter was having with someone called ‘Nicola’ and contacted Greater Manchester Police.

Following a joint investigation between GMP and the Metropolitan Police, officers arrested Sarang after carrying out a search of his home address in Wembley, where they found computers with online conversations between him and his victim.

Detective Inspector Joanne Clawson, said: “We worked extremely closely with The Met throughout their investigation and I am pleased that we were able to identify and put a stop to the actions of Mohammed Sarang, who used the internet to groom young children from Wigan and other areas within the UK. “As part of the investigation and alongside partner agencies, we visited more than 60 children in Wigan who had come into contact with Sarang, many of whom befriended him simply because their friends had.

“All of the children and their families received safeguarding advice during these visits, as our top priority is ensuring the on-going safeguarding of vulnerable people.

“This is a tactic that is used by sex offenders online who seek to cast their net as widely as possible and so I would encourage parents to be vigilant and intrusive about their child’s activities online.

“With them holding the internet in the palm of their hands it is important to scrutinise who they are ‘friends’ with on social media sites and alert us to any concerns they have.”

Project Phoenix is Greater Manchester’s multi-agency response to tackling child sex exploitation. Bringing together police, local authorities, NHS and third sector organisations, including Barnardo’s and Crimestoppers, Project Phoenix aims to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation, help people recognise the signs, encourage people to report it and provide support to victims and those most at risk.

Please visit www.itsnotokay.co.uk for information for children, young people, parents, carers and professionals on how to spot the signs of child sex exploitation and what to do about it.

women’s charities

The Students’ Union’s production of the Vagina Monologues was a sellout success Aidan Gregory Editor-in-Chief The Students’ Union’s charity production of the Vagina Monologues has raised over £1200 for women’s charities.

In total, the show raised £1278 from ticket sales and donations on the night, which will be donated to the charities Manchester Rape Crisis and Manchester Women’s Aid. Performed on Tuesday and Wednesday last week, both nights of the production sold out completely, and more tickets had to be made available to try and meet the demand.

In a statement on her blog, Jess Lishak, Women’s’ Officer for the University of Manchester Students’ Union praised the production as having “an amazing cast, an amazing script, amazing audiences both nights and most importantly an amazing amount of money raised for Manchester Rape Crisis and Manchester Women’s Aid, which is so desperately needed!”

The Mancunion also spoke to cast member Gráinne Morrison, who performed the ‘reclaiming cunt’ monologue. Reflecting on the success of the production, she said “It makes me really proud to have been part of it, and I think it’s a reflection of the students of this university that it has been so successful.

“The subject of the vagina has always been something of a taboo. The show has encouraged both the cast and audience members to talk openly about their relationship with their vaginas. The audience shouting the word ‘cunt’ in unison was a personal highlight as it was a collective reclaiming of a derivative word that we should, in fact, celebrate.”

She added further that, “the fact that the topics of the monologues range from masturbation to the harrowing subject of female genital mutilation, means that the play truly speaks to women across the globe.”

Originally written to “celebrate the vagina,” the Vagina Monologues is based on author Eve Ensler’s ‘vagina interviews’ conducted with women about issues such as rape in war, transphobia, sex work and the empowerment of women. It became an extremely successful Broadway show, attracting praise and criticism from around the world.

Fuse TV filmed the production and the Students ’ Union are currently in the process of editing and securing permission for distribution.

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Can you beat the Bogle?

Application are now open for the Bogle, a 24-hour walk around Greater Manchester which aims to raise money for charity António Rolo Duarte News Reporter

Registration has opened for the Bogle, a 24-hour charity walk around Greater Manchester. It will remain so until the 6th March, when the event is set to take place.

The walk is organized by Manchester RAG, the fundraising arm of The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union.

Starting from the University of Manchester Students’ Union, the event will go through Stockport, Manchester Airport, Fallowfield, Salford, Farnworth and Failsworth before ending back at the City Centre.

The organization anticipates that 250 people will be participating in the event this year and that £50000 will be raised for charity.

There are three categories in which contestants

can take part: the Bogle stroll, a 55 mile walk taking between 14 and 25 hours to complete; the Bogle ramble, a more relaxed 26 mile event; and the Bogle roll, a 72 mile cycle.

The Bogle stroll is the longest running sponsored event in the North West. The organization describes it as “taking the scenic route to the extreme”.

Kathryn Murray, a second year English Language student who completed the event last year, said: “I found it very draining. I didn’t do any preparation for the walk, I think the only training you could do is if you walked for 55 miles straight frequently, which is a crazy idea.

“My motivation came from the money I had raised for my chosen charity, I had to finish to get them the money.

“Walking through Manchester in the early hours was strange. We walked past people going on nights out, coming home the morning after, people going to work and lots of sleeping houses.

“Although it was hard, and I couldn’t walk for a few days after, it was a really rewarding experience and I am glad I did it.”

The Bogle Stroll started in 1961 when a group of lecturers from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (now part of The University Manchester) missed the last bus home in Lancaster and decided to walk the 55 miles back to Manchester.

Along the way some of the group started to hallucinate and saw the Bogle, a Lancashire imp of folklore. In their imagination the Bogle was taunting the walkers, willing them to give up. It is in defeating the Bogle that the event gets its name.

In the years that followed, the event became a highlight of the Mancunian calendar with up to 3000 people taking part each year during the seventies. The current circuit attempts to mimic the challenge faced by the lecturers five decades ago, while raising money for good causes.

In the challenge this year participants will be able to stop every few miles at checkpoints, where there will be access to toilets, food and drinks.

Checkpoints will be manned by volunteers who can provide moral support and offer first aid assistance to those in need.

This year the organization’s pick for main charity to be supported is the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which campaigns and works toward child protection in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands.

Still, participants can choose to donate their fundraising to different charities.

Led by volunteers, mostly students, the event is produced at a low cost to enable as many people to take part as possible. There is an entry fee which is discounted if the walker is a student.

Those interested in participating in or contributing to the event can obtain more information from the Manchester RAG website.

Photo: Manchester RAG

University hosts TTIP discussion Earth Week event follows up a trip by University of Manchester students to Brussels to protest the proposal

António Rolo Duarte News Reporter

On Tuesday the 10th of February, University Place hosted a talk on the controversial proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The talk was the main event of Global Inequalities Day, an initiative within the University’s Earth Week.

This occasion follows up a trip by University of Manchester students and Young Green members Hannah McCarthy, Khinezar Tint and Natasha Brooks to Brussels on the 3rd February to demonstrate against the future deal.

TTIP is one of the European Commission’s proposed free trade agreements between the European Union and the United States and is designed to result in multilateral economic growth.

According to Global Justice Now, a campaigning organisation, the deal would also engender a more significant role for big business in political affairs.

Amongst other outcomes, corporations would be able to sue governments if their laws or policies damaged the company’s future profits through an international arbitration process which overrides states’ domestic judicial systems.

The main speaker at the event, Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden, said: “If completed, this will be the biggest bilateral deal in the world.

“Our own National Health Service, food production standards, banking standards and digital privacy laws will be affected. This is not only a trade agreement. It is a rewriting of the rules of the global economy.”

In a statement for The Mancunion after the

event, Manchester student Hannah McCarthy, member of Stop TTIP MCR and Manchester Young Greens, said: “The talk was brilliant in making the effects and impacts of this convoluted, confusing and murky trade deal more accessible for students.

“Few opportunities are provided which shed light on the ins and outs of TTIP, with the UK national media being largely silent on the issue.

“I fully expect the No TTIP movement to grow and grow in the coming months. Students have a key role in generating this change and should be empowered to oppose TTIP and take control over the direction of our future world.”

University of Manchester student Natasha

Photo: Global Justice Now

Brooks, member of Stop TTIP MCR and Co-Chair of Manchester Young Greens, who like McCarthy travelled to Brussels to oppose the deal earlier this month, said: “The talk was really informative and the angle Nick took about the Stop TTIP campaign was really encouraging.

“After the No TTIP train to Brussels I am feeling optimistic about the campaign. It was so energising to meet comrades from across the region with such positivity levels.

“It’s important that we collaborate our campaigns and build a strong network, both of student and non-student activists to keep the campaign moving. Stop TTIP MCR is keen to collaborate with

other groups in the region so we will be focusing on strengthening those ties in the coming months.”

During the event last Tuesday, those in the audience also voiced their opinion on the proposed deal. One member of the public said: “This is an international agreement that will destroy democracy as we know it.”

Another person noted: “While some excellent arguments have been pointed out, activism against this kind of treaties must be based on facts. I am unsure how much credible investigation there is on this matter.”

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NEWS : 06

“That’s no moon” – Birth of ‘Tatooine’ star system seen by astronomers Andy van den Bent-Kelly Science and Technology Editor

For the first time, astronomers have witnessed the birth of a multiple-star system and the observations could provide groundbreaking information about how these stellar systems form.

Scientists from a whole host of universities, including Manchester and Liverpool John Moores, have produced stunning images showing huge clouds of gas that are in the process of turning into stars.

The scientists focused on a cloud of gas roughly 800 lightyears from Earth. A particular section of the cloud already contains one young protostar, as well as three dense pockets of matter that are expected to collapse in on themselves within the next 40000 years, forming stars. The team are optimistic that three of the eventual four stars may form a triple-star system.

Although the Sun has no stellar companions in our Solar System, not all stars are found on their own. If two or more form from the same gas cloud, they will be bound by gravitational attraction and it is possible for them to orbit each other.

Binary pairs, which involve two stars, are the most common, although it is believed that systems containing as many as seven stars exist.

It is even possible for multiple-star systems to have planets orbiting them, although it is significantly more difficult for these to form. In 2012, two amateur astronomers discovered a Neptune-sized planet within the quadruple star system Kepler-64, the first

of its kind to be observed.

The concept of planetary systems involving more than one star was perhaps best visualised in the Star Wars films, in which the planet Tatooine orbits a binary pair. One of the most iconic images from the series showed Luke Skywalker looking out at a double sunset.

Although many of the concepts illustrated in Star Wars are a tad unrealistic—I can’t imagine that there are many Death Stars floating around—multiplestar systems are actually remarkably common throughout the Universe. Indeed, it is believed that systems containing as many as seven stars exist.

While plenty of these systems have been observed, this recent discovery marks the first time that the creation of one has been witnessed.

Professor Gary Fuller of the University of Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics said, “these kind of multi-star systems are quite common in the Universe. Think of Tatooine in Star Wars, where there are two ‘suns’ in the sky.

“That isn’t too far away from something that could be a real formation. In fact nearly half of all stars are in this type of system.

“Seeing such a multiple star system in its early stages of formation has been a long-standing challenge, but the combination of the Very Large Array (VLA) and the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) has given us the first look at such a young system.”

The scientists used the VLA and GBT to observe a small area within the constellation Perseus. The zone in question was a dense core of gas called Barnard 5 (B5). It was already known that this area contained a young forming star.

Upon mapping radio emission from ammonia molecules in the cloud, the team realised that gas filaments in B5 are in the process of fragmenting.

Some of these fragments are contracting to form new stars that may eventually join the current protostar in a multiple-star system.

The project leader, Dr. Jaime Pineda of the Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, said: “We know that these stars eventually will form a multi-star system because our observations show that these gas condensations are gravitationally bound.

“This is the first time we’ve been able to show that such a young system is gravitationally bound. This provides fantastic evidence that fragmentation of gas filaments is a process that can produce multiplestar systems.”

Several other mechanisms have been proposed for the creation of multiple-star systems, including

gravitational capture, fragmentation of the main gas core and fragmentation within a disk of material orbiting a young star.

Dr Pineda concluded, “we’ve now convincingly added fragmentation of gas filaments to this list.”

The stars that are expected to form in B5 will range from roughly one-tenth to more than one-third the mass of the Sun. Their separations will be between 3000 and 11000 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. By analysing the dynamics of the condensations, the astronomers believe that when they collapse and form stars, a stable system of an inner binary pair will be produced. The other two stars are expected to be ejected from the system.

Don’t feel too sorry for them though. I’m sure Palpatine will find a use for them.

A binary star system in formation. Photo: University of Manchester

Jan 26 - Feb 22 2015

“Here at the Students’ Union, everything we do is for students, by students.

Sounds like a cliché, right?

Think about it.

15th Dec - 19th Feb

Ever been to Pangaea?

Joined a society? Needed advice on an academic, financial or wellbeing issue? Or simply eaten a delicious burger down in our bar?

All of these amazing facilities and events are provided with the direction of our elected Exec Team, who work full-time to implement your ideas, run campaigns, support student-led activities and ensure your voice is heard by the University.

manchesterstudentsunion.com/elections

08 : Feature

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Photo : War on Want

TTIP: A serious threat to the United Kingdom?

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) has been described as one of the most controversial pieces of legislation that the European Commission has tried to bring about. Roberta Rofman talks to Natasha Brooks, co-chair of Manchester Young Greens, about her thoughts on TTIP, her campaign in Brussels, and US politics.

Roberta Rofman Features Editor

U

niversity of Manchester students and Green Party members Hannah McCarthy, Khinezar Tint and Natasha Brooks travelled to Brussels on the 3rd of February 2015 as part of a 100-person delegation for the next round of negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a controversial free trade deal between the EU and USA. It has been described as one of the most controversial pieces of legislation that the European Commission have tried to implement.

The Independent highlighted some fears of the damage that TTIP could create. Damage to the NHS is a main concern as the TTIP legislation wants to make Europe’s public health, education and water services available to US companies. This makes the privatisation of the NHS more probable. Many have argued that such a privatisation would make the services of the NHS worse and increase its price.

The Independent also highlighted that TTIP is a big threat to democracy as the legislation wants to introduce

Investor-State Dispute Settlements (ISDS) which allow companies to sue the government if the policies of the government harm the profits of said company. However, Peter Chase of the US Chambers of Commerce stated that companies would only be able to take the government to court in specific cases such as where there is discrimination, so there was no real reason to worry.

EU standards of food safety and environment would also be brought closer to that of the US. The problem with this is that US regulations are less strict meaning more dangerous chemicals may not filter out of regulation. Furthermore, the US adopt a policy of using a substance until it shows negative impacts, unlike the EU who impose a policy of not using a substance until negative impacts are shown not to be there.

The US have also adopted tight restrictions on bankers to avoid financial crises such as the one of 2007/08. There is fear that TTIP will remove these restrictions and give power back to bankers.

TTIP may also cause the public’s privacy to be compromised as there is fear that it will bring back internet service provider requirements of

monitoring online Independent reports.

activity,

The

Demand for a raise in minimum wage would be ignored because the country can’t afford the legal costs. The NHS would be irreversibly privatised.

Finally, the EU has also admitted that TTIP will likely cause unemployment as jobs switch to the US, which

serves to fuel the already-existent unemployment issue. In addition, labour standards and union rights are lower in the US than the EU, so TTIP may bring down EU union rights and standards.

In January 2015, it was noted that 97 per cent of the public opposed TTIP. The #noTTIP Eurostar to Brussels has been organised by Global Justice Now, a London-based campaigning organisation that is in coalition with non-governmental organisations, trade unions and activist groups, all who oppose TTIP. The cause is also supported by War on Want, 38 Degrees and Unison.

Natasha Brooks, co-chair of Manchester Young Greens and member of Stop TTIP MCR, has said: “TTIP is a trade deal that’s been negotiated behind closed doors between the EU and the USA. If it’s passed it would have enormous consequences on so many aspects of our lives, from the food we eat to our public health services. Ordinary people from across the UK are travelling to Brussels to make their voices heard.

“Democracy is about what’s best for everyone, not what’s best for the world’s richest and most powerful corporations. The TTIP deal is a hijack

of democracy, and we need to stop it.”

Guy Taylor, the trade justice campaigner for Global Justice Now and the organiser of the #NoTTIP train, also stated: “It’s unheard of to see so many people travelling to Brussels to lobby their MEPs like this, and that’s testament to just how hugely controversial and unpopular TTIP has become.

“David Cameron waxes lyrical about national sovereignty, but in pushing for this deal he is wilfully handing sovereignty to big business. The deal is not really about trade, it’s about entrenching the position of the one per cent. It should be abandoned.”

John Hilary, executive director of War on Want and author of TTIP: A Charter for Deregulation, an Attack on Jobs and End to Democracy, said: “Our politicians need to wake up and recognise the levels of anger coming from ordinary people on TTIP. The public is outraged when they learn the level of threat this agreement poses to our common futures. MPs and MEPs alike must reflect public opposition to TTIP, not simply pander to the big business lobby.”

I talked with Natasha Brooks about her thoughts on the TTIP, US politics and her time in Brussels.

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature : 09

Photo: War on Want

What is your biggest fear of TTIP, what can it change?

TTIP would fundamentally change our economic system and in doing so it would have detrimental effects on our democracy. Ultimately, TTIP would distort the balance in favour of corporation interest; those corporations who hold power that would weaken the influence of the public. The investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) element of the treaty would allow private court cases against the government with no right of appeal—a dangerous setting.

Having an active ISDS mechanism in place would effectively undermine the reach of parliamentary power. In theory, law could be changed, but in reality, the prospect of being sued for millions would act as a heavy weight on government decisions, but the scary thing about TTIP is its scope. It will affect workers’ rights, public services, food standards, banking regulations, the environment; the scope for change really is huge.

Is there any way it can be salvageable or good for us? Are there any benefits?

There is a lot of talk from Labour MEPs of a good TTIP, it’s something that David Martin MEP mentioned while we were at the European Parliament but it seems to be a fictional image.

The main advantages suggested as a result of TTIP are jobs and growth but research has shown that it will in fact lead to job losses, estimates range from around 1.3 billion for the EU and 700000 in the US. I do not believe there is such a thing as the ‘good TTIP’ that has been discussed. John Hilary, the Executive Director of War on Want, has also said that he considers the idea comparable to child friendly landmines.

If not, why do you think that politicians are trying to bring it about?

During the trip to Brussels the

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) provided a tour of corporate villains to highlight who is involved in the lobbying process for the development of an agreement such as TTIP. It is crucial that we realise that TTIP has not stemmed from politicians, MEPs have not been consulted, and when the day arrives that they are, they will have a simple yes or no vote.

Similarly, our national politicians in the UK have not been consulted, and there will not be an opportunity for either MPs or MEPs to suggest amendments to the agreement.

The corporate lobbyists have been instrumental in developing TTIP, the CEO estimate was around 92 per cent of the influence is from private sector lobbyists and only 4 per cent from public interest groups, so it is clear who the beneficiaries are.

What would happen if it got passed?

We have reached our conclusions on the extent of the threat of TTIP from leaks and there is a lot that we don’t yet know. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been finalised and it is now possible to view the 1600-page document online so we can draw some judgement both from that and from previous trade agreements. If we look at the effect of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), we see huge job losses and negative implications for the parties involved, we expect similar repercussions as a result of TTIP. A world with TTIP would be a world in which one sits down for dinner to find chicken washed in chlorine on their plate. Much to the dismay of local farmers, facing business closure as they struggle to compete with cheap US beef fuelled by GM hormone growth.

A world in which one finds their demand for a raise in minimum wage ignored because the country cannot afford to cover the cost of ISDS cases. The NHS would be irreversibly privatised and opened up to the US

market. All of this alongside a race to the bottom on the standards and regulations that we have developed as the European Union.

Those same standards have seen us ban 1200 chemicals that pose a risk to our health, compared to the significantly lower standards of the US that have banned only 12. In this world our politicians would be, even more, the puppets of corporate power, held accountable to them through the use of private courts—the verdicts of which would not have to be publicised.

Do you think there are any aspects of US politics and way of living that should be desired and brought into the UK? The US currently has more stringent banking regulations to prevent the speculative banking that occurred prior the economic crash of 2008.

Whilst such regulations are not in effect in Europe or the UK, we continue to reap the benefits of them.

TTIP would make way for the harmonisation of regulations but this does not mean that our regulations would increase to meet the current US standards. As with food and chemical standards, there would be a race to the bottom. So whilst it is possible to argue that this is an area in which the US is excelling, TTIP would decrease it to our lower standards—again posing a detrimental risk to the stability of our economy.

What did you do in Brussels? Do you think you were able to make some sort of impact?

Brussels has allowed us to make invaluable connections with fellow campaigners from all over the UK, so for both myself, and other Stop TTIP MCR campaigners, it has been of great benefit. The protest was lots of fun and hopefully the demonstration will raise awareness of the issue to members of the public and reinforce our strong opposition of TTIP to those involved.

It was the first time that negotiators

had been confronted face to face so I believe that the group was very effective in reaching them and reminding them that we will continue our battle.

However, the main purpose of our visit to Brussels was to meet with local MEPs in the European Parliament.

Initially, we had lengthy discussions with Green MEPs Jean Lambert, Molly Scott Cato and Keith Taylor, which we found encouraging and productive.

Unfortunately, the Labour MEPs were not as accommodating. David Martin shocked the group when he slammed his fist on the desk in temper and exclaimed “if you aren’t going to listen, you can piss off!” He was asked to apologise by the chair but the overreaction set the tone for the remainder of the meeting. Theresa Griffin then spoke directly to the group of North West activists but seemed disillusioned and did little to satisfy our concern which was incredibly disappointing.

Nevertheless we left Brussels energised and positive. Stop TTIP MCR have a meeting, together with 38 Degrees, with Julie Ward and Afzal Khan, the two other North West Labour MEPs, coming up on the 13th of March in Manchester and further action planned for the EU action day on the 18th of April.

How can people, particularly students, go about preventing this? Is TTIP known about enough?

The momentum of the campaign is really picking up speed now so in the coming months we will focus on developing our connections with other Stop TTIP groups and ensuring that TTIP is discussed in the run up to the general election. The most important thing at the moment is to make people aware of the issue, it is important that we relate the TTIP campaign to wider issues, particularly the secrecy that surrounds trade deals more generally and the lack of democracy that occurs as a result of it.

I would encourage people to discuss TTIP, unfortunately it continues to be an issue that the public are not widely aware of and it really is something that will affect everyone, whether you are a minimum wage employee, the owner of a small business, or a worker within the NHS. Do you think students participate in politics enough these days? You are a member of the Green Party, what about it appeals to you?

As an active member of the Young Greens within the University of Manchester I am surrounded by politically active students.

It would be great to see larger numbers involved but I think it is understandable that young people feel disillusioned from mainstream politics and it’s great to see so many students at the university being politically expressive in an alternative way.

The Green Party appeals to me as a party that connects with people; Labour MEP David Martin’s absurd demonstration of frustration during our trip to the European Parliament highlighted how far Labour has come from reality and ‘real people’.

Our politics emanate from an interest in creating a fair society for the benefit of all, and crucially, a sustainable society, no other party appears to have long-term concerns in the way that the Green Party does and to me, that sets it apart.

TTIP is continuing to go through discussions at the moment and it seems the best thing people can do is continue talking about it so knowledge about it is known to more people.

10

Opinion

Editors’ Foreword Marcus Johns Morris Seifert

Love is in the air; some of us find it completely insufferable and others rather enjoy it. As it is Valentine’s Day this week, we are celebrating with a one-page soppy special in addition to our usual comment.

Let us know your reactions, opinions, criticisms and your heart’s desires by tweeting us at: @MancunionOp. Or, if you would like to contribute tweet us or like our page on Facebook at facebook.com/MancunionOp

Smoke ‘Em Out Isaac Atwal Contributor Bristol has banned smoking in two of its public squares. It is the first of its kind in the UK and will be watched closely by smokers and anti-smoking groups alike as a tentative test case for further outdoor public bans.

I am not saying that all measures to improve public health are bad, the majority are good for us as a society, but with a smoking ban that could marginalise almost 20% of our population that contribute over £12 billion in taxes a year to the economy in our public spaces, we are in danger of becoming less accepting.

We think of ourselves as an immensely tolerant society, and for the most part, we are. However, more and more we are seeing the marginalisation and demonisation of certain lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking alcohol and eating unhealthily. Admittedly these are problems that we as a society need to face, they harm our population and cost us money every year, but the insidious manner in which something can be thrust into the realm of public health and then instantly demonised to the point of an unfairness unbefitting our traditional tolerance has become worrying.

Since the indoor smoking ban was introduced in 2007, rates of smoking have decreased. People who smoke are well aware that the habit is bad for them and on average 70% want to quit but many are also perfectly happy to continue, at least for the time being. I myself was happy to continue smoking until the 26th of January, which was my first day of not smoking since I started at 16. The decision to stop was purely my own.

There are countless other factors in determining when someone will stop smoking such as personal experience, cost, social influence from family or friends or their health. Surveys have shown that around 70% of smokers actually do want to stop but making the decision to try and do so is very much a personal one.

It is often and easily forgotten by many people that nicotine is an extremely addictive drug and first and foremost what is needed to kick the habit is will power, not to be shouted at and pushed out of a public space.

We need to recognise as a society that the issue of smoking is an extremely complex one. Public spaces belong to smokers too, and the considerable tax they generate pays for their upkeep. With talk of bans and prohibition we are in danger of losing the tolerance and acceptance that benefits our society so much.

This is an abriged version of Isaac’s excellent article. Please find the whole piece online at: www.mancunion.com/opinion

Valentine’s Day Special

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@MancunionOp

V for Valentine Spend your special Valentine’s day doing what you love, not just doing who

Marina Iskander Contributor With social media becoming almost vital to our daily lives, trends and fads are bound to spread like they never have. These trends, however, have gone beyond fashion choices and music taste: people of the 21st century, especially teenagers, are constantly facing pressure and suggestion as to what to like and what to criticize.

It is unspoken, and almost unexplainable, that Beyoncé is the queen of just about everything, we’re all ‘90s kids’ and Valentine’s Day is atrociously lame. Being the sheep we are, it’s rare to stop and think that maybe, just maybe, a day to celebrate affection towards someone (or something) cannot be all that bad.

It seems as though the main point of criticism is that if two people did really love each other, they wouldn’t need a pre-determined date to realize it. There are two problems with this idea: one, that it really doesn’t have to be two people, and two, what is it that is so wrong about being extra cheesy for one day?

Maybe it’s the movies we watch or the books we read, but recently, the definition of love has become exclusively romantic; boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy likes girl.

Then something goes wrong, they fix it, and end up together. The word love, therefore, now rarely

describes the feelings that you, for example, may hold towards a certain area of study, or a book, or a stanza in a poem, or a town in a city.

By turn, Valentine’s Day has come to exclusively include those in a romantic relationship, ridding us of the possibility of taking a day to appreciate the amount of love our bodies can hold towards anything or anyone. Let us not forget that ironically, the word love is often thrown around meaninglessly – which in fact gives even more reason to spend a day actually realizing what you love.

That mere realization of what you as a unique individual are passionate for is not a matter to be taken lightly; we’re all wired differently, so imagine if everyone would invest themselves in what they saw to be important.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about the lovey-dovey adolescent couple or the fact that your grandparents have been together for the past 50 years, it could just as well be about finding and basking in what, rather than who, you love.

Nevertheless, a big part of Valentine’s Day is celebrating romantic feelings. It is easy to deem couples as overly cheesy and clichéd when it comes to the big day, often criticizing them for not being that way every other day. From a greater perspective, this fallacious argument is like saying that you should celebrate your age every day and not just on your birthday,

or that people belonging to their respective religious beliefs should fast all year and not just during lent or Ramadan.

In turn, there is nothing wrong with couples choosing one specific day to manifest their love, no matter what their expression of it is like on any other day of the year.

Call it an excuse or a celebration, setting aside time to ponder at this unique bond can rarely result to any harm.

The question is, then, why we find it so important and trendy to

criticize affection and shy away from it. In fact, it seems incredibly ironic that the modern hipster of the internet, one who prides themselves in their support for world peace and anti-discriminatory campaigns, finds it silly to designate time to acknowledge what, arguably, their beliefs revolve around.

If love were to be seen in its purest form – a fiery passion that leads to tolerance and acceptance – then said hipster should be its biggest advocate. It thus seems that this

passing internet fad doesn’t have much of a basis, and is no reason to cruelly ridicule Valentine’s Day. Whether you use it to celebrate your hobbies or your loved ones, there is nothing embarrassing about being human enough to be in touch with your feelings. Yes, Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be the only day we do this, but it could easily serve as a starting point or a reminder of a special class of feelings that, commonly-put, may just be what ‘makes the world go round.’

A person is not the only thing you can love.

Photo: Tim Hamilton @Flickr

50 Shades of indulgence: Valentine’s Day Lauren Wills Contributor With social media becoming almost vital to our daily lives, trends and fads are bound to spread like they never have.

These trends, however, have gone beyond fashion choices and music taste: people of the 21st century, especially teenagers, are constantly facing pressure and suggestion as to what to like and what to criticize.

It is unspoken, and almost unexplainable, that Beyoncé is the queen of just about everything, we’re all ‘90s kids’ and Valentine’s Day is atrociously lame.

Being the sheep we are, it’s rare to stop and think that maybe, just maybe, a day to celebrate affection towards someone (or something) cannot be all that bad.

It seems as though the main point of criticism is that if two people did really love each other, they wouldn’t need a pre-determined date to realize it. There are two problems with this idea: one, that it really doesn’t have to be two people, and two, what is it that is so wrong about being extra cheesy for one day?

Maybe it’s the movies we watch or the books we read, but recently, the definition of love has become exclusively romantic; boy meets girl, girl likes boy, boy likes girl. Then something goes wrong, they fix it, and end up together. The word love, therefore, now rarely describes the feelings that you, for example, may hold towards a certain area of study, or a book, or a stanza in a poem, or a town in a city.

By turn, Valentine’s Day has come to exclusively include those in a romantic relationship, ridding us of the possibility of taking a day to appreciate the amount of love our bodies can hold towards anything or anyone. Let us not forget that ironically, the word love is often thrown around meaninglessly – which in fact gives even more reason to spend a day actually realizing what you love.

That mere realization of what

Do we really need another excuse to buy eachother chocolate?

Photo: Shawn Anderson @ Flickr

you as a unique individual are passionate for is not a matter to be taken lightly; we’re all wired differently, so imagine if everyone would invest themselves in what they saw to be important. Valentine’s Day isn’t just about the lovey-dovey adolescent couple or the fact that your grandparents have been together for the past 50 years, it could just as well be about finding and basking in what, rather than who, you love.

Nevertheless, a big part of Valentine’s Day is celebrating romantic feelings. It is easy to deem couples as overly cheesy and clichéd when it comes to the big day, often criticizing them for not being that way every other day. From a greater perspective, this fallacious argument is like saying that you should celebrate your age every day and not just on your birthday, or that people belonging to their respective religious beliefs should fast all year and not just during lent or Ramadan.

In turn, there is nothing wrong with couples choosing one specific day to manifest their love, no matter what their expression of it is like on any other day of the year. Call it an excuse or a celebration, setting aside time

to ponder at this unique bond can rarely result to any harm.

The question is, then, why we find it so important and trendy to criticize affection and shy away from it. In fact, it seems incredibly ironic that the modern hipster of the internet, one who prides themselves in their support for world peace and anti-discriminatory campaigns, finds it silly to designate time to acknowledge what, arguably, their beliefs revolve around.

If love were to be seen in its purest form – a fiery passion that leads to tolerance and acceptance – then said hipster should be its biggest advocate.

It thus seems that this passing internet fad doesn’t have much of a basis, and is no reason to cruelly ridicule Valentine’s Day. Whether you use it to celebrate your hobbies or your loved ones, there is nothing embarrassing about being human enough to be in touch with your feelings. Yes, Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be the only day we do this, but it could easily serve as a starting point or a reminder of a special class of feelings that, commonly-put, may just be what ‘makes the world go round.’

Did you ruin Valentine’s Day by arguing with your other half?

Opinion

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

facebook.com/mancunionop

11

One death is a tragedy, 173 deaths is a statistic

The glorification of violence and killing on the battlefield is as abhorrent and disgraceful as celebrating it anywhere else Rich Jinks Contributor In the midst of an array of Superbowl hype-fuelled stories, links to Will Ferrell’s comically lip-synced performance of Beyonce’s Drunk in Love on the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and widespread speculation on transfer rumours during the Premier League’s Transfer Deadline Day, a contrastingly shocking headline emerged from Facebook’s ‘trending’ panel: “British Royal Marine reportedly deadliest sniper in history with 173 kills.” Something was immediately arresting about the line. Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of the story against a background of filtered club selfies and comedy Vines; or perhaps it was the horrifyingly colloquial and pluralised use of the word ‘kills’ that read more like a Call of Duty scoreboard than it did a news story.

The morning before social media took to the story and made it viral, it was introduced to the country on the front page of The Sun. No doubt composed to sell papers through patriotic feeling, the paper made sure to emphasise the Britishness of the unnamed marksman, and pitched his actions against those depicted in the current Top10 blockbuster, American Sniper.

The late Navy Seal Chris Kyle recently became famed for his heroism in the Iraq war after Bradley Cooper brought his story to the attention of the British and American public in the film, but David Willetts of The Sun was keen to assert that “the world’s deadliest sniper is,” in fact, “a British Royal Marine” whose “173 confirmed enemy kills… beats the 160 of American Sniper marksman Chris Kyle.”

Before I continue, two distinctions must be made.

I do not intend to doubt the heroism and courage of either of these soldiers. Both joined their respective armies in order to serve their country and both excelled in their military duties. Neither do I intend to bring the legitimacy of either the Afghanistan or Iraq wars into question. However, “And it’ll look good on my CV!” How often is this awkwardly pegged onto the end of a list of positives: “I’d love to volunteer somewhere, to help people, and grow as a person, and it’ll look good on my CV!”?

This phrase, a throwaway statement uttered by almost all of us at some point, embodies an interesting array of issues.

Anybody who has passed through sixth form or college knows of the UCAS hunting culture that thrives. Anything that can set you ahead of the pack is obviously seen as a positive when applying for over-prescribed courses at top universities; an opportunity that must be exploited. Out of this has risen an atmosphere in which teachers drill into students that extracurricular excellence is pivotal to achieving.

An extra bullet point on a UCAS application, evidencing the fantastic contribution you made to a local care home or primary school does play a large part in showing yourself to be well rounded. I am not denying this and I am as guilty as anybody.

Indeed, during my sixth form career I volunteered in a local primary school and I hated it, every second.

What I realised is that I wasn’t there for me, that working with children was so low on my list of future interests. I was there, like so many others, to tick another box off on my eventually successful application form.

While I don’t wish, through this article, to demean the work of students who legitimately love the causes they support, this does raise a question.

How many of us are really providing our services for those who need them and how many are doing it to increase our attractiveness on our applications?

The popularity of digging for application fodder has now permeated beyond the school gates into the working world. Arrive at university and following the frenzy of first year the cold wind of the world comes whipping under the door. “And it’ll look good on my CV,” becomes the new keyword for anybody looking to get ahead.

To see the effect of this shift one only has to look to the rise of voluntourism. The popularity of companies offering trips abroad to gap year students and to fill out the long university summers has gone through the roof. To hear that somebody had travelled to Africa in order to perform voluntary work is a fairly frequent, if nonetheless impressive, story.

It’s true that this can also be attributed simply to

there is something highly unsettling about tallying the amount of people killed by each soldier against one another in order to determine who beat whom.

The front page of last Monday’s the Sun turned war into a competition, a game where killing is the measure of deadliness and, consequently, fame.

The Sun was not solely at fault; over the course of the day the rest of the country’s major newspapers followed suit, reporting the story in much the same style. The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Mirror, and other major newspapers mimicked the original story, universally noting that the Briton’s kill tally put him ahead of the American.

This disturbing slant of reportage opened the floodgates for the proliferation of increasingly informal and inappropriate dealings with this story. In between promotion of an American advert featuring Breaking Bad’s Walter White, and a photo of a 20-year-old ironically celebrating escaping teen pregnancy, the story even got an airing on UniLad. With the story spreading in such unfit forums it was hardly surprising that, amongst honestly respectful commendations for the Royal Marine’s military service, jokes such as: “Navy seals suck ass,” and: “They should have a 1v1,” filled comments pages, competing for likes against memes featuring Adolf Hitler: “Kills: 17 million, deaths: 1”.

According to The Sun’s own quoted source, for the Royal Marine: “Every shot was judged and balanced, not indiscriminate. He always saw the men between the cross hairs as humans, not as targets… He is not interested in scores or kill counts.

He took no satisfaction in the job he had to do.”

In light of this statement, the article has done the exact opposite of what the unnamed soldier has been suggested to want. The anonymous Royal Marine, supposedly amazed at the public response, has been made to look the very thing that the source said he is not, an indiscriminate killer, and one who dehumanises enemies to mere kill numbers.

At a time when heavily Oscar-tipped films such

as American Sniper come under attack for turning “the Iraq war into a saccharine, almost PG-rated, two-hour cinematic diversion about a killing machine with a heart of gold,” at least according to Rolling Stone, it becomes clear that articles such as this one commit the same crime. If the media have the right to criticise portrayals of war in film and games, they must also consider how their own stories are presenting war.

War is not a simple comparison of kills to determine who beats whom, and it is must be presented in a mature, considered, and balanced fashion. If Clint Eastwood glorifies war in American Sniper, then the UK media have unanimously proved that he is not alone. In this country we are in the privileged position of being able to separate

Photo: DVIDSHUB @ Flickr

It’ll look good on my CV!

Photo: markunti @Flickr

Joe Evans Contributor the world getting smaller. A trip to Africa similarly no longer takes a few months and with modern medical support provided to visitors on these trips the risks are relatively small. Nonetheless the appeal of such trips due to their value to an application form is clear.

Again this is not meant to undercut everybody who has ever travelled to Africa or any underprivileged country in order to provide voluntary work. Many people care wholeheartedly about the cause. Where the hypocrisy is somewhat highlighted is when the leaflet itself promoting the trip highlights it as a “great addition to your CV”.

This corporate line, lifted incidentally from a leaflet advertising a summer trip to Malawi, is less heart-warming and more cold-as-steel. My

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

ourselves from war. It is ignorant to suggest that anyone is oblivious to the ongoing fighting in many areas of the world but for those of us who aren’t unlucky enough to be born into a warzone war is a faraway reality, far enough away that we can fictionalise it.

War is something we can make entertainment of, something we can boil down to the thrill of inconsequential danger and kills without realising the innate morbidity of what we are doing. And so the number of kills a soldier has recorded can become something to celebrate, a testament to a remarkable skill rather than a horrifyingly neglectful insult to everything that our society’s code of law and ethics teaches us is right.

secondary school had a link to a school in Uganda and I’m absolutely sure the teachers cared deeply about that school’s preservation. On the other hand, the utterance “it looks wonderful on your UCAS form” somewhat numbs any sentimentality.

That said, hands on the ground providing support in such cases is, in my eyes, fundamentally good.

Whether it is encouraged by a greater opportunity at marketing ourselves to employers, or is a 100 per cent committed expression of a need to help, is possibly not important. For many, this work style is unsustainable as a career. Gap years and university are a great chance for people to invest themselves into it whilst they still can. If one side-effect is a bolstered CV, then that is a positive too, but by no means always the driving force nor should it be.

As I feel the need to repeat, this article is not meant to shame anybody who has undertaken voluntary work whilst keeping one eye firmly fixed on the job market.

The reason for my repetition of this mantra is that the truth is we have been conditioned this way. We have been moulded by teachers, visiting students from universities, and careers advisors into making ourselves employable whatever the cost.

It’s not even really their fault either; the job market promotes itself as a cut-throat environment, the type Patrick Bateman and functioning psychopaths flourish in.

After years of being told everything is a competition, from university to jobs, of course we will look for any means to set ourselves apart and that is not really a fault within us.

The competitive world needs competitors. The outlook of doing anything to beat down those around us in order to thrive, by doing anything whether we care or not, provides for this circularity of ruthlessness.

A lecturer at this university, who will remain unnamed, is a shining beacon for a more utopian outlook. On being asked to promote a job fair for industry he blatantly inverted convention, stating that we shouldn’t do anything we didn’t want to.

In a short—probably throwaway—rant, he shone a spotlight directly onto what I had wanted to be illuminated by somebody ever since my arrival.

Anything that you are not truly committed to, or that you do simply to set yourself ahead of a rival serves only to turn you more into the machine that industry wants you to be. I can’t really offer a solution because the truth is most of us will need the, “it’ll look good on my CV” material to get a foothold in the job market.

Many of us will throw ourselves into the things that we really love. Art or sport for the sake of it— or even with a view to the future, it doesn’t really matter, or just volunteering because you want to give yourself to a cause. It might be less appropriate and these people might fail at them, but they will do so much more fulfilled.

All that I can assert is that this mentality serves to numb us into a state of mind that perfectly suits the work environment, but damages us. Committing to what you love and truly investing yourself in something are the greatest things a person can do.

It is fulfilling and life affirming and that is surely what we should all be chasing, not the next bullet point of our CV.

12

Music

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Patrick Hinton, Lowell Clarke

Samuel Ward, Dan Whiteley

Interview

MUSIC INTERVIEW Pearson Sound the

Patrick Hinton catches up with Pearson Sound to discuss his debut LP, Hessle Audio’s release selecting process, and the essence of DJing Patrick Hinton Music Editor As a founding member of the renowned Hessle Audio label, Pearson Sound aka David Kennedy is amongst the most influential figures in the UK club scene. The label has built a reputation of consistently being at the cutting edge of dance music, while Pearson Sound, Ben UFO and Pangaea mirror this in their varied and accomplished DJ sets.

With an extensive back catalogue of EP releases under his belt, Pearson Sound is due to release his debut fell length LP next month. “I’ve always been asked about doing an LP and the timing just felt right now. I had a particular signal chain set up in the studio and had switched up my way of making music a couple of years ago. After I had got a few tracks together I realised that I wanted to write an LP.” The excellent artwork for the album features heavily edited photos of the producer (see pictured). “Andrew Stellitano was the art director for the project. We should be doing a couple of features near the release date which will explain fully the process we used to create it.”

With two or three track vinyl releases being by their design very club focused, a full length release can see producers head in experimental directions, however Kennedy asserts that the LP is still very much aimed at the dancefloor. “I still see the album as a club record, several of the tracks have featured in our DJ sets over the last year or so.

It’s about presenting what I’ve been up to for the last couple of years, and presenting a cohesive body of work. The LP format allows for a greater breadth of material. With a 3 track single, sometimes throwing something ambient on there can feel a bit token, and I wanted to present my work at different tempos with a bit more context.”

Hessle Audio had a quiet 2014 yielding just one release from new addition Bruce. “We’ve always favoured taking our time and making sure the music is right rather than rushing anything out.

All of us always has to be in agreement about the track we put out.” Hessle Audio artists seem like a tight knit crew that get along well; I question if a producer’s personality impacts upon selecting them for release. Do they get to know each producer before making this decision? ”Not always personally no. Our first release was by a Romanian who was sending us tracks online for the radio show. But a lot of the artists on the label we know from the music scene in London and we see each

other socially.”

Pearson Sound has released a number of collaborations in the past with the likes of Midland, Joy Orbison and Boddika. “I’ve done other collaborations although none of them have been released. I prefer to wait until we have actually finished some music though before announcing anything though as it doesn’t always work out to plan.”

The Hessle trio are currently in the midst of a UK tour which sees them play a number of all night long b2b2b sets. Despite being well versed in playing together over the years: “We always surprise each other, there will always be tracks that the others play that I will have never heard before, or even have overlooked.”

“We’ve known each other for approaching 10 years now and have also been Djing together that

Even if I’m really ill before Djing, getting in the zone normally makes me forget about anything else

long, so we are very comfortable playing together.

Sometimes we play separate sets in addition to playing b2b if it feels right.” The tour stops off in Manchester this Friday, 20th February, at Sankeys.

Hessle will be joined in the basement by techno heavyweights Karenn, whist Spektrum sees a Nonplus takeover with Boddika and Joy Orbison.

Pearson Sound is no stranger to Manchester crowds, I fondly recall his all night set at Soup Kitchen last February with one of my favourite ever ends to a night: HudMo’s ‘Ooops!’ into DJ Gunshot’s ‘Wheel n Deal’. “I’ve been playing in Manchester for a while, and in a variety of different venues. I really enjoy playing at WHP, the sound and tech setup is always spot on and the crowd are up for it. But then sometimes it is nice to play in a more intimate surrounding, such as at Soup Kitchen. That was definitely a highlight of 2014. I’ve

Photo: Courtesy of Pearson Sound

never played the main room at Sankeys before so I’m looking forward to checking that out.”

Expanding on how he approaches sets in these varying settings, Kennedy continues: “That’s the essence of Djing really, to be able to judge what’s appropriate for a particular venue, crowd, or set time. What might work in a sweaty basement with 100 people at 5am might be wildly out of place when playing to 5000 people in the middle of summer at a festival.”

“Playing all night long allows us to pace the night as we see fit, rather than having to adjust your set because of who is playing before or after you. Also doing the warm up too gives us the chance to play slower or more experimental music that we don’t often get the chance to play.” How does he mentally prepare for, say, an eight hour-long DJ set? “A nice meal and some peace and quiet before the night normally helps, especially if it’s a long set. Even if I’m feeling really ill before Djing, getting in the zone normally makes me forget about anything else if

the gig is going well. If I’m not enjoying myself at a gig it’s normally because I’ll be having trouble with the equipment or monitoring.”

Finally, reflecting on his favourite places to play worldwide, Kennedy shares: “In terms of a city, the fact that Berlin doesn’t have a curfew is amazing.

Nights finish when it feels right, rather than when a bouncer comes and shines a torch in your face at 2.55am. As a DJ when you are given an openended slot it’s great! Clubs like Berghain, Under Bron, Golden Pudel, Wire, Sub Club, Output are all a pleasure to DJ in. And previously venues like Plastic People and Trouw but they have sadly closed now.”

Pearson Sound’s LP is released March 9th via Hessle Audio.

He plays Sankeys this Friday, 20th February. We have 5 pairs of tickets to give away, simply e-mail your full name to musicarticles@gmail.com before Thursday 19th for a chance to win.

Opinion Dan Whiteley

Lowell Clarke

Disclosure and Rudimental will surely attract their fair share of punters come headliner time, but this year’s biggest names are definitely found elsewhere.

Fatboy Slim’s Chibuku stage set is one to catch for anyone wanting to follow the Super Hans’ Big Beat Manifesto, whilst New Wave legend Grace Jones is sure to bring an air of glam to the main stage. As far as I’m concerned, though, it’s a rather left-field booking—the king of slacker pop Mac DeMarco— that’s the must-see, and it’ll be interesting to see how he holds his own amongst an otherwise dance-heavy lineup.

Despite the comments of “its not Disclosure so I don’t care who this guy is” on the Facebook announcement for Kaytranada, I will be sure to catch his sunday evening set. With a bit of luck, we may see him MC’d by rappers Earl Sweatshirt and Vic Mensa.

But before that I will be on a mission to correctly pronounce Nicolas Jaar (Jar or Har?) And if the mysterious unknown tracks Jamie xx played at WHP are anything to go by (the xx singing anthems over a heavenly choir with an 80s beat) his sets are definitely not to be missed. Lets just hope the album is out in time.

Who I’ll be Seeing this

year

at Parklife

The sun, the sweat, the snapbacks; love it or hate it, you can’t deny Parklife’s place at the heart of the Manchester summer.

The Mancunion’s music editors share their thoughts on the new line-up.

Samuel Ward

Patick Hinton

WHP’s dankness provided optimum conditions for James Blake’s fantastic show last year, so it’s going to be interesting to see how he copes out of his natural habitat. Likewise for giants Modeselektor who you’ll probably hear no matter where you’re stood. My personal flavour of the month BBNG are also sure to bring some flavour and set the tempo for a chiller and jazzy afternoon.

With Illmatic being one of the best hip hop albums ever, seeing Nas perform it in full tops my list.

Our featured interviewee this week Pearson Sound is a must see on Saturday, playing b2b with Ben UFO. If the weather delivers, Innervisions men Dixon and Henrik Schwarz will be the pick of the DJs that are certain to provide some euphoria in the sun., along with Todd Terje & the Olsens.

My fix of chaos will be provided

by Glaswegian b Hudson Mohawke, before buggin’ out with Joy Orbison, Heidi and Daniel Avery.

Despite all this dark-sounding stuff though, you can expect me (and probably everyone else) to abandon post and sprint to main stage as soon Uptown Funk drops.

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@ MancunionMusic /TheMancunionMusicSection

the

Opinion

Stephen Miller The 57th annual Grammy Awards ceremony on Sunday night got off to a devilishly rousing start. AC/DC had kicked off proceedings with their firstever Grammys performance, and Sam Smith received the first award of the evening, the highly-coveted Best New Artist.

Everything appeared to be running smoothly. If we fastforward about two and a half hours, we arrive at the Album of the Year category. Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Beck, Sam Smith and Pharrell Williams are all contenders. It was the surprise award of the night, as longserving indie troubadour Beck scooped the prize for his 12th studio LP, Morning Phase.

No-one seemed to be as surprised as Beck himself, yet what was most surprising to the audience and viewers was the sudden appearance of Kanye West on stage, who moved

Music

13

Saving the West ‘till Last: 57th Grammys Beck with a Bang

Stephen Miller peels away the hype and hypocrisy behind Kanye’s latest stunt at last week’s Grammys. towards Beck as if he was about to take the trophy from his hands. Instead, West turned away, quickly jumped down and disappeared—presumably further up his own arse. In what was clearly a reprising nod to his meltdown at the 2009 MTV VMAs, when Taylor Swift was accepting her Best Female Video for ‘You Belong With Me’, West probably thought he was being funny, but once again he couldn’t help but make himself the centre of attention. This was not his moment. He tarnished what was ‘arguably’ Beck’s crowning achievement in music.

But, worse was yet to follow.

Fast-forward again to West’s after-show interview: “We ain’t gonna play with them no more. Beck needs to respect artistry and he should have given his award to Beyoncé.

At this point—we’re tired of it, because what happens is, you

W e s t telling Beck to “respect artistry” is similar to a toddler taking a break from finger painting to tell Michelangelo he’s shit keep on diminishing art and not respecting the craft and smacking people in the face after they deliver monumental feats of music, you are disrespectful to inspiration.”

Let’s put this into some kind of context, shall we? Kanye

himself has won 21 Grammys in his 11-year career. Beyoncé, who through no fault of her own has been dragged into this mess, has won 20. Hardly ‘disrespectful’ or ‘diminishing of art’, is it? If I wanted to get really pedantic, I could point Kanye to the list of credited writers on Beyoncé’s album, which stands at 25. The total number of writers credited on Morning Phase stands at one.

Beck. Beyoncé only contributed vocals to her album, whilst Beck not only contributed vocals, he also happened to play 13 other instruments on there as well.

I am by no means criticising Beyoncé, her album (despite the overwhelming and seemingly unnecessary quantity of writers, producers and composers) is wonderful, and by Beck’s own admission it should have won the Best Album award, and she is a truly exceptional singer and role-model. My issue here

is with West’s hypocrisy. West telling Beck to ‘respect artistry’ is similar to a toddler taking a break from finger-painting to tell Michelangelo he’s shit. His argument carries no weight behind it, yet it is one that has got

people talking. Perhaps that’s what he wanted all along. If that is the case, then it has seemingly backfired. His stunt(s) have boosted Beck’s album sales by more than 1000 per cent in the two days since the ceremony.

Photo: Alistair Hart@flickr Photo: Courtesy of CBS

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Live

Boys Noize

Gondwana Records Showcase

Sankeys – 7th February 2015 Will Ellis When the weekend starts the mancs come out to play, and the boozed up students that fill Sankeys for Full Moon get replaced by some pretty decent DJs playing to a mix of locals and students on something else entirely. February onwards is usually the season for dance music at Sankeys with lovers of dance music searching for nights to fill the void till Warehouse Project starts up again. But with WHP extending its reach from the handful of winter/spring nights to an extended stay at the Albert Hall with it’s Transmission

nights, Sankeys has a lot to do to keep its foothold. The pull of a big name DJ like Boys Noize should, in theory, be everything that Sankeys is looking for. And with Transmission presenting Dusky on the same night it’s a straight shoot out between the two promoters. This divide was abundantly obvious from the lack of numbers in Sankeys that night. Confined to the ground floor the warm up acts attempting to build up the atmosphere before Boys Noize fell largely on deaf ears.

The crowd filled out just as Boy Noize came on for what was a phenomenal show. The strobes and compressed the air were a

8/10

great addition to a set that drew from a cross section of dance music from several genres.

Throwing in a few well known dance classics to supplement his own. The great mix of acid house and techno that has given Boys Noize came out in full force with heavy bass thrown in for good measure. This heavy dance sound raised the mood compensating for the lack of a crowd. Ultimately, Boys Noize gave a top quality performance that suffered only due to the abundance of choice for dance nights in Manchester. Which, at the end of the day, just gave you more room to dance.

Photo: Pangaea Festival

RNCM – 7th February 2015 Lowell Clarke Music Editor There are few genres as broadly misunderstood as Jazz.

After a night of Manchester based jazz label Gondwana Record’s best live offerings, I was no closer to understanding the world of Jazz – but I was suddenly excited about a genre I had previously ignored.

From the moment Mammal Hands kick off the night, their creamy smooth blend of piano, saxophone and soft drums starts to show me what this whole jazz is all about. Although it was great easy listening, those hoping for something more challenge would be left disappointed – but not for long.

It was clear that the evening peaked in both energy and excitement with GoGo Penguin’s performance. As Manchester locals who played their first show in Sandbar, its great to see them playing the RNCM. This is the first time playing their hometown since becoming last year’s oddball nomination for the esteemed mercury prize for their album v2.0.

Their sound doesn’t diverge much from the record, but the sheer experience of seeing the trio frenetically exorcizing twisted compositions from their instruments is an absolute joy.

Piano, double bass and drums are each pushed to their limits by players right on the edge their own world class skills. Never steering their songs into typical jazz territory, the trio manage to incorporate snippets and the subtleties of electronic music; breakbeat drums, build ups, even glitches and drops. GoGo penguin are a 2-step ahead of you and the rest of the audience.

Acting as a comedown from the fractal complexity of GP, Matthew Halsall (founder of Gondwana records) & the

Photo: Courtesy of Gondwana Records

7/10

Gondwana Orchestra close the evening on jazz’s calmer, spiritual side. Playing trumpet himself and joined by an entire ensemble featuring Rachel Gladwin on jazz harp, the audience are guided through a slow meditative hour of Halsall’s own music. As easy as it was to fall into the intended trance, it was hard to shake off the energy left behind in the billowing void of GoGo Penguin, who’s earlier performance was shorter than usual due to the nature of the night.

14

Music

ISSUE 14/ 9TH FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

What’s Right... Or Shite....

The Mancunion Recommends

This week in Music

Charli XCX – Sucker

Yeezy Season Approaching Atlantic Records; 16th February

7/10

At the time of writing this, the new Kanye album is not in existance.

Any day now could see the suprise release of one of the years most highly anticipated albums...

Aileen Rose Duffy Charlotte Atkinson, the real name of Charli XCX, has been making music since she was 14 and it seems like the constant years of hard work have paid off. Her as yet unreleased album Sucker already boasts three top-ten UK singles including ‘Boom Clap’, ‘Fancy’ and ‘Super Love’.

It’s hard to go anywhere now without seeing her iconic messy black hair and audacious attitude; she’s seen praise from The Guardian , Billboard , NME , Vice , Radio 1 and she’s chilling with the best of them—collaborations with Iggy Azealea, Rita Ora and Marina and the Diamonds have only further propelled her success into the music scene.

It’s unsurprising then, that Sucker has already had such great commercial success in the United States. She’s regarded as a sweetheart to those across the pond and for good reason.

Sucker is track after track of sure-fire hits.

They’re undeniably catchy—XCX has certainly struck the right chords (literally) with this album.

It differs a lot to her first official album, True Romance , which was a beautiful dark mixture of gothic electro pop. Sucker feels more like the sassy older teenager that’s modelled itself on Mean Girls and doesn’t give a fuck if it’s part of the plastics—like Regina George, it’s fabulous but it’s evil.

XCX hasn’t held back on this album with songs such as ‘Breaking Up’ stating “everything was wrong with you/so breaking up was easy to do/hated your friends and your family too.” It’s a step up from ‘Stay Away’, the shy older track that’s the root of the former, and is a hella catchy break up anthem.

Photo: peterhutchins @Flickr

King Kendrick Lamar

If the album had to be summed up in five words, they’d be “Charli doesn’t give a fuck’” Literally, she introduces the album by shouting “FUCK YOU, SUCKER!” There’s no soppy longing songs about lost lovers, Sucker is just a constant party the whole way through. There’s even a song about how masturbation is better than anything a guy could give (‘Body Of My Own’).

It seems Charli really is living like a “London Queen.”

It’s definitely a pop album above the rest; it has diversity and direction, sass and seduction, and Sucker is an undeniably good album.

The Decemberists - What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World Rough Trade Records; 19th January

8/10

Jacob Evans As soon as What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World begins, something seems wrong.

The Decemberists, masters of storytelling, of hiding behind chimney sweeps, Japanese folklore and a nine minute revenge epic that climaxes inside a giant whale, are singing about themselves? ‘The Singer Addresses His Audience’ is the first time the band have ever written anything so direct, and it’s a jolting change, singer Colin Meloy singing “you know we had to change some,” a song aimed directly at the fans perhaps annoyed with their recent output – the enormous concept album behemoth The Hazards of Love was accused of being overlong, confusing, a messy sprawl as much as it was called a masterpiece of storytelling through music. Its follow up, The King is Dead, was the opposite—the band retreating into traditional middle of the road rock that sounded more like R.E.M. than Picaresque, and the response was again mixed—either overly simplistic or a cut down, lean rock album. The Decemberists simply couldn’t win.

As a result of this, their hiatus, or perhaps Meloy’s recent novel writing, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World is the sound of the Decemberists simply doing what they want.

Largely gone are the characters, and in their place are songs about Meloy himself—he is “seventeen and terminally fey,” on the beautiful ‘Lake Song’— easily the album’s standout song. Elsewhere, on ‘Anti-Summersong,’ he is declaring his intention to never play another “summer suicide song,” referring to their own fan-favourite, The Crane Wife’s ‘Summersong.’ However, the Decemberists have not entirely abandoned their literary past— as soon as the dust from the opener settles, a fanfare blares, and Meloy sings “I am the Cavalry Captain!” breaking into a classic Decemberists

And with rumours that Kendrick’s as yet unnamed album is shipping to stores as you read this, could the suprise rap album hype get any more... hypier?

Photo: cavalierhorn @Flickr

BBC Radio 1 Residencies

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

Kicking off this season of Radio 1 residents were Flying Lotus and Kaytranada—we’ll be tuning in again to the next session of John Hopkins and George Fitzgerald.

YOU GET IT? JohnDO Frushiate Former RHCP guitarist John Frusciante released his first acid house track last week. Admittedly, it’s not that bad—although he could’ve tried releasing it ten years earlier. How about some dubstep?

You can now Cowell Pat report bullying, harassment and discrimination on line

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Simon Cowell’s pure shite sounding Ultimate DJ talent show has secured itself a home on online streaming platform Yahoo Screen. Clanged mixes and EDM are a certainty.

character piece, about the Charge of the Light Brigade. This is followed up with another character track, ‘Philomena,’ a plea for sex from a young man, tongue nailed to cheek. The music is again traditional indie rock, but with more of their folky flourishes from their earlier works, as on ‘Lake Song,’ and spirals across the genre— girl-group backing vocals join throughout, and the album moves from full on anthemic rock in ‘Make You Better,’ to sea-shanty-esque menace on ‘Better Not Wake the Baby.’

Whilst it is hard to tell where this release places in their canon, and despite not breaking any musical new ground, with What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, the Decemberists have finally decided to be themselves, and in doing so have created another excellent album.

Photo: vagueonthehow @Flickr

‘ill Louis

Tragic news arrived this week that certified house DJ Lil Louis may have been permanently deafened by a manager at Sankeys testing an obnoxious new piece of kit. Get well soon.

Photo: Press shot

JESS LISHAK Women’s Officer, Students’ Union

Games

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Editors: James Thursfield, Matthew Cole

Review Papers, Please Developed single-handedly by Lucas Pope in the space of nine months, Papers, Please is on the surface an unassuming indie game with a modest price and modest ambitions, but hidden beneath its plain-faced visage lies loftier ideas about videogame narrative. So groundbreaking was it that it won a Bafta in the Strategy and Simulation category last year.

Read the following in a crap Russian accent.

You are proud citizen of Arstotzka.

You are immigration officer of Arstotzka. You inspect passports and legal documents to approve or deny citizens entry into Arstotzka. Do not let ze terrorists into Arstotzka. Your duty is to protect Arstotzka. Your one true passion is Arstotzka. Glory to Arstotzka! [end accent] If that amusing but unpolished paragraph failed to make it clear, Arstotzka is the fictional communist state of Papers, Please, and it has all the aesthetic and ideological trappings of Soviet Russia. Your administrative job in sifting through citizens’ paperwork to check for discrepancies is commissionbased, which means you’ll struggle to put food on the table if you only deal with a few arrivals every day. The game thus becomes a battle between the competing pressures of supporting your family, of serving your nation, and of respecting the lives of the countless hopefuls seeking a new life in the country.

If the paperwork stuff sounds dull to

Retro Review Toy Story 4 was announced in November 2014 to mixed responses. I for one am sceptical about this new film as Toy Story 3 ended on such a perfect note. However, the announcement did spark my interest in finally playing a game that I had only recently heard about, the 1999 release, Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

The first Toy Story game was a 2D platformer for the SNES and Mega Drive that had you playing as Woody. The sequel was instead a 3D platformer that had you playing as Buzz. The game was made by Travellers’ Tales who are now known more for their Lego series of video games.

The plot of this game follows that of the film. Woody has been stolen, so Buzz and friends head out to save him. The entire game is done from the perspective of Buzz, with Woody only appearing towards the end of the game. We are shown the story through a series of FMVs at the beginning and end of each level. These scenes are directly taken from the movie with the exception of the Nintendo 64 version which uses comic panel style stills. All the actors from the film return to do the voices in this game which is a nice treat, although I am not quite sure how many of the lines were new and how many were ripped from the film itself.

The gameplay feels very much like your typical 3D platforming game of this

you, then well done. Nice observation mate. The work is indeed fucking tedious, but that’s the point. The game makes each day at the office more taxing than the last by heaping new rules and stipulations onto your previous set of checks. When a terrorist attacks the border, in a scene that unfolds in 8-bit fashion outside your office view, and the newspaper headlines contribute to the hysteria of the event, you can be sure that your work the next morning will be that extra bit fiddly. Barely a

Photo: Simmone Henne @Flickr

week into the job you’ll find yourself interrogating subjects, cross-checking verbal explanations against written records, matching specific regions to

their designated nations, and even conducting full body inspections to expose subjects’ concealed weapons.

And as Arstotzka becomes increasingly paranoid about immigration, so your fastidiousness becomes increasingly all-consuming. Your earnings will start to slip, your family will grow ill, and the faces of the migrants will blur into Matrix data.

Then come the concessions. You’ll send some innocent bastard packing to save yourself time, or suffer a lapse in concentration and unwittingly set a terrorist loose on the streets of your beloved nation. And there are more considerations on top of all that. Will you accept bribes, for example? Will you help the woman who is being stalked in the queue? Will you betray your morally dubious nation? Or will you sack the whole game off because the bureaucracy has driven you insane?

All of these conundrums must be faced at one stage or another.

It all works so well because the playing process is mimetic. A shifting of the mouse corresponds to an onscreen shifting of the paperwork. Like the customs officer, you are sat at a desk inspecting information. To study the face of a passport holder you must turn your attention away from the paperwork, which is to say, your ability to multitask is also symmetrical to that of your invisible bodily counterpart.

But, more importantly, the story can’t be separated from the mechanics. The frustration brought about by paperwork

Toy Story 2 – Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue! time. The camera follows behind Buzz as he runs, jumps and blasts enemies

that you will not be able to see the next platform as the camera will not allow

Photo: Sorethumbretrogames @Flickr

with his laser. For the most part, the platforming sections are easy, however the difficulty does increase as the game goes on. Sometimes it makes the game more enjoyable and challenging, but other times it is really frustrating.

For example, in later levels there are platforming sections with fans that can blow you off the level. If you get caught in these you have no chance of escape.

They will throw Buzz across the room and back to the beginning and there are no visual cues without looking at the fans themselves. However, this means

you to see both at once so you end up carefully performing leaps of faith and praying that you do not have to restart.

This game can feel very repetitive at times. The game has 15 levels and follows the same pattern. Each zone is made of 2 platforming levels, each with 5 pizza planet tokens that you must collect, and then a boss level. These zones each have their own theme taken from the movie such as Andy’s house, the city, Al’s Toy barn, an apartment complex and an airport. You get the pizza planet tokens by performing tasks given to you

Matthew Cole does paperwork in his spare time like the tragic man that he is piled on a desk that is not sufficient to accommodate it produces various reactionary behaviours in the player, which in turn produces consequences that can only be learned through the experience of playing (although this explanation will no doubt have spoiled that journey for you slightly, for which I apologise). The same cannot be said of a typical FPS or RPG scenario, because at some level a decision to no-scope a Nazi in the plums, or to goad a homeless man into jumping from a bridge, is a conscious one, and the effects can be witnessed or anticipated immediately.

In Papers, Please, the pressurising mechanics prevent clear-headed decisions, and the security of your office obstructs your thoughts from turning to those outside of it.

I have a confession to make though. I only played through a third of the game.

Things got a bit too meta for me. When I was playing, I was not only rushing the customs procedure so that I could feed my virtual in-game family, but I was also rushing it in order to stockpile impressions for use in this ‘review’, and thus collect my wages from the paper and feed myself in real life. Of course that isn’t strictly true because this ‘ere rag pays me jack shit –my parents fund my sumptuous repasts – but the point is still half relevant, so I made it anyway.

I was facing dual pressures, and I cracked.

It reminded me too much of my data entry job.

For half a year I filled out meaningless

membership forms for nosey dweebs who wanted to poke around our country’s heritage sites. It was mindnumbing. I’m by no means suggesting that Papers, Please approaches such levels of tedium, though. For one thing, the days in Papers, Please are only a dozen minutes long in real time, compared to the harrowing four to eight hour shifts of my old, real job.

Second, every day in Arstotzka serves up several oddities to dispel your ennui, come they in the form of eccentric migrants or terrorist plots. Compare this again to my data entry work, where only two notable events occurred during the entire six months of my employment: one being The Great Bumblebee Interruption on some day in mid-April, when the entire crew temporarily suspended their operations as they watched their colleague haplessly shoo a pesky bee out of the window.

The second and final notable event was The Great Fire Drill of June, when everyone enjoyed a merry half hour’s reprieve spent staring into the void on the staff car park. To be honest, I’d have preferred a terrorist attack.

I’ll end abruptly by assuring you that Papers, Please is undoubtedly a work of genius, just be wary about signing up for it if you don’t have the patience or endurance to play through the pain.

Josh Goldie reviews a Toy Story game that reaches for the skyyy!

by NPCs and every level has the same tasks with a different coat of paint. There is always a token for collecting 50 coins and always a token for finding 5 objects in the level. Every level also has a miniboss that you must defeat and there is always one token hidden away behind a puzzle or platforming section. Only 1 of the tokens changes every time, but even then it is always a time-based challenge.

The first level of each of these zones also has Mr. Potato Head who is missing a body part. If Buzz finds it for him then he will reward the player with an item that is essential for getting some of these tokens. What this means is that some levels must be backtracked to in order to get all 50 of the tokens in the game.

While the gameplay may come off as repetitive, the presentation is what really makes this game shine. For a PlayStation 1 movie tie-in game there is a lot of detail put in here. Each of the characters sound, look and act like they do in the films; even the original characters that make up some NPCs and bosses fit right in. There are also some minor graphical details that I really appreciated. Areas such as Andy’s room are rendered really well with great detail and aspects such as the reflection of Buzz’s face on his visor when you enter first-person mode, really contributes to immersing the player in the Toy Story universe.

Despite the graphics being excellent, especially for a Playstation 1 title, the

music in this game is still by far the game’s best aspect. Almost every level has a catchy and memorable tune that really fits with what the game is trying to offer. I even have the music from the second level playing through my speakers as I write this review. Despite all the qualities this game possesses in its presentation, everything seems to dramatically decline at the airport zone.

All the presentation, and even gameplay, just becomes boring and dull. The last airport level is especially boring and unvaried, and it consequently ruined the ending of the game for me.

I definitely had a good time with Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

The earlier parts of this game when everything is new and the presentation is stunning and truly made this game something worth playing. It is just a shame that this game fails to keep that consistency. The last part just seems lazy to me and there is no reward in getting all 50 tokens. That being said, if you are a fan of Toy Story, then you would certainly enjoy this game. It does a great job of representing the film and it does not feel like a lazy cash-in that most movie tie-in games end up being. I liked the Toy Story 2 game and it is a shame that it is just short of being a great game.

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/mancunionfashionandbeauty

Editors: Gráinne Morrison, Aimée Grant Cumberbatch, Nikki Patel

@MancunionFash

Waxing lyrical

Feminist fashion: Decisive decades

The Fashion Editors take a look at the defining decades of feminist fashion

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Readers respond

Opinion

Feature

Fashion “ We

Ask You Answer ”

Adrienne Galloway takes a deep breath and delves into the prickly world of hair removal

This week we’re asking you: “Can you be a feminist and a fashion follower?”

“My thigh-high boots have nothing to do with my support for gender equality.”

Claire Cottis

The 1920s During World War I, women were allowed to work on the Home Front meaning for the first time ever they held positions of power in society. With the war over, the suffragette movement took off and you may recall that in 1928, the government even allowed women to vote.

Social and political boundaries were being broken down and the female voice was beginning to be heard. Political and economic change post-war was mirrored in rapidly evolving fashion designs.

Gone were the restricting corsets; replaced with dropped waists, raised hemlines and more ‘masculine’ cuts. A female identity began to form through the flamboyant and daring designs of flapper dresses; androgyny was suddenly sexy, as opposed to being frowned upon. Most importantly, women’s wear needed to match women’s lives which meant they needed to be both functional and fun. Dresses were less heavy and outfits smarter.

These were clothes that women could actually do stuff in, like work, vote, speak and at times, be taken seriously. Most importantly, these were the clothes that were made with women in mind and not the patriarch.

Photo: fanpop.com

Photo: likeabalalaika @Flickr

Photo: Wikimedia

The 1960s The 1960s was the home of feminism’s second wave and as women fought for contraception and better representation in the workplace, they wore their opinions on the outside. From miniskirts to go-go boots and space-inspired trends, ‘60s fashion looked forward to a very feminist future.

There are few decades which have seen as many feminist fashion breakthroughs as the swinging ‘60s. With the introduction of the mini skirt in 1964, Mary Quant sparked a style revolution that hemlines are yet to get over. Freeing female knees up and down the country, skirts became a statement of political persuasion and a call to arms to other women. So those still silly enough to think short skirts are about attracting male attention, take note.

In the 2nd half of the decade women took the borrowed-fromthe-boys concept and blew it out of the water, wearing trousers in a vast array of styles including some indistinguishable from male versions. This act of leg liberation reflected women’s growing freedom and desire for professional and social recognition. The new androgynous look, as embodied by supermodel Twiggy, riffed on 1920s influences. But contrary to popular belief, no bras were burned in the making of this new aesthetic.

The 1980s Power dressing packed a punch in the in the 1980s as women began to dip their toes into the unfamiliar world of androgynous fashion.

A decade laced with ties, tailored skirt suits and double-breasted jackets had dawned and the sheer strength of their masculine silhouettes reflected a new era of female empowerment, as more and more women gained a sturdy foothold in the male-dominated world of business.

Love or hate them, shoulder pads were an embodiment of the ‘dress for success’ mantra as women set their sights far beyond the glass ceiling of gender inequality. This powerful trend eventually permeated popular culture, with strong female protagonists sporting powerful sartorial looks in shows such as ‘Dallas’ and ‘Dynasty’ and the 1988 cult classic ‘Working Girl.’

Previous more traditional notions of the aesthetics of femininity had begun to fade and designers such as Giorgio Armani, Thierry Mugler and Claude Montana launched new arguably outlandish designs which featured razor sharp tailoring in understated yet commanding hues and channelled the masculine. Feminists in fashion were making a clear statement about their refusal to be confined to a single sartorial mould of restrictive dressing which consequently liberated them socially, professionally and politically.

Profile

Beauty

Is my face a feminist Profile: Jenna Lyons issue?

Kirsty Marsh on the feminist face of make-up mavens

As a child nothing could compare to the glee of sneakily raiding my mum’s makeup bag to paint my lids mauve and draw on some wobbly red lips without getting caught. I continued to innocently play around with cosmetics until secondary school when I decided that wearing make-up everyday was a necessity akin to brushing my teeth. Spidery black lashes, mismatched foundation and pearlescent eye shadow (sourced from quality publications such as Shout and Mizz) possessed the same innocence and naivety as my earlier experiments.

I have worn make-up every single day from the age of 14 and over time the bare essentials have gone from black mascara and Vaseline to a minimum of foundation, face powder, brow filler, mascara and winged eye liner. This dependence on a fully made-up face will no doubt be deemed

years by both men and women from hundreds of tribes and cultures. They were used for various reasons: for hygiene in Ancient Egypt; to define social class in the Chinese Dynasty and to intimidate the enemy during battle by Aboriginal Australians and Native Americans.

Ultimately, wearing a bit of make-up to improve your appearance certainly does not make you a slave to the patriarchy. To me feminism is about a woman being equal to a man and being free to make her own life choices. And what’s more empowering than a woman choosing her own look and to wear make-up because she wants to, not because she is conforming to social expectations?

appointment, being told to ‘relax’ whilst a stranger gets up-close and personal with your intimate areas, enduring the stinging sensation as the hair follicles are ripped away and finally, obeying the aftercare rules.

Exposing your most intimate areas to a beautician can seem a bit daunting at first. But it is the beautician’s duty to act in a professional manner and not be intrusive; in my experience they have understood and respected this.

Pubic hair has always been a controversial topic in the discussion of hair removal with many women arguing that intimate hair removal is simply conforming to the expectations of a patriarchal society.

Numerous celebrities have gone public with their decision not to remove pubic hair, such as Lady Gaga when she graced the cover of Candy Magazine Winter 2013 – ‘14.

Although the beauty industry is constantly growing, and shows no signs of slowing down, this does not mean that you have to keep up. Like many arguments involving feminism, patriarchy, and conformity, I’d argue that waxing is ultimately the decision of the individual.

“The cosmetics industry thrives on women’s insecurities. Leave my face alone.”

Alicia Cipolletta

My dress is not a yes

“Fashion brands use feminism as a marketing ploy. Come off it!”

Fintan Kavanagh

Gráinne Morrison on the harrowing attitudes towards what women wear

Along with brunch, Woman’s Hour and what happened on Friday

our personal safety when dressing but we don’t have to accept it.

night, outfit choice is one of my favourite talking points. When I’m

Along with cat calling, Page 3 and the gender pay gap, victim blaming

listening to a friend’s story about a date from hell or a night of drunken

is never in fashion. What was she wearing? None of your business.

debauchery, I like to know if it was done in her new checked trousers from Zara or her leopard print dress from the Cancer Research shop in Withington. I just like to know, I’m pretty nosy.

“The fashion industry is so inherently sexist, I refuse to be another sheep in the herd.”

Petra Swinton-Black

It’s all about context. But do you know when asking what someone was wearing isn’t relevant? When she has been sexually assaulted.

Yet it happens. All.The.Time. An ICM poll commissioned by Amnesty

Photo: Mancunion Fashion & Beauty @Instagram

Photo: ondiraiduveau @Flickr

“What’s more feminist than being able to wear whatever the fuck you want?”

Gráinne Morrison

Opinion

International in 2006 found that over a quarter of British people think

“un-feminist” by many people and it has, on occasion, made me consider why it’s so important to me.

The simple reason that I wear make-up is to look and feel more attractive, because funnily enough, seeing my spotty, shiny, bare-faced reflection in the mirror doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.

I see nothing inherently wrong with disguising my flaws and accentuating the features I do like. To me it is no different from anyone - male or female - having a regular haircut or buying a t-shirt they like. You only have to look to nature to see how the laws of attraction are a part of the existence of many organisms from plants to birds.

For most of these creatures it is necessary to their survival as they use their appearances to attract mates or deter predators.

Cosmetics have also been used for thousands of

Sarah Kilcourse takes a look at a powerful female figure who proves that fashion and feminism are a perfect match

Photo: hudo.com

Female hairlessness has become the norm in society, so much so that when it is not adhered to it seems strange, unnatural even… which does not make any sense at all. For many years there has been endless debate about the methods of hair removal: creams, razors, waxing, threading, tweezing, and even laser treatment. After all, why wouldn’t any woman want silky smooth legs or her eyebrows on ‘fleek’? I recognise that men increasingly partake in hair removal too, but because of the nature and association of hairlessness and femininity it’s often considered a feminist issue. It’s time we talked about waxing and why, even though there is some method to the madness, ultimately hairlessness is your own individual choice.

The aim of waxing is to remove the hair follicle from the root causing long lasting smoothness along with thinner and slower growth.

There are several methods of waxing including: professional, DIY hot wax or using cold wax strips at home. As the warm wax is spread thinly over the chosen area and ripped in the opposite direction of growth, it makes me wonder why many women make a conscious decision to go through a painful and sometimes inconvenient method of hair removal. After all, there is the hassle of growing your hair to a suitable length, resisting the temptation to shave, booking an

“Can you sneeze with your eyes open?”

Simran Chauhal

There is no doubt that it is on trend to be a feminist in fashion right now. Somewhere between Chanel’s riotous protests for the SS 15 runway show and fashion darling Emma Watson launching her He for She campaign at the UN; feminism is being given a new lease of life by the crème de la crème of the industry. Powerful voices, like that of Vivienne Westwood (who prefers the term ‘antifeminist’ by the way), have always supported the roles of women in the fashion world but the influx of youthful support has made feminism headline news again.

Behind the magazine headlines are the females who prove that women are a fashion force to be reckoned with, and a perfect example is J. Crew creative director and president Jenna Lyons. A brief synopsis of Lyons’s life so far: she joined J. Crew aged 21 as an assistant menswear designer, got married, had a son, got divorced all while working her way through the ranks of J. Crew. Now at the helm, Lyons has creative and financial influence over the company as a whole, tripling profits in 10 years, and

rebranding a former catalogue-only company.

Other women running the show like Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo and Donna Karan prove the growing influence of women in today’s world.

Even if the term ‘feminism’ is itself currently undergoing a rebranding in fashion culture, it is the work of these women which has shaped it from the inside out. They, like Lyons, work hard and encourage women to dress however they please.

This combined with a few cover stories has ensured that it is not feminism as a trend but women as a force within fashion.

“Women have fought for years so that I don’t have to answer stupid questions like this.”

Anjana Selvanathan

that a woman is ‘partially or totally responsible for being raped if she was wearing sexy or revealing clothing’. What the victim is wearing is besides the point; she is not the person being investigated. Well, she shouldn’t be.

All too often a woman’s safety is linked to how provocatively

“Can I live?”

Kim Kardashian

she dresses. In fact, I have a close friend who brings leggings in her handbag on a night out to put on underneath her skirt for the walk home. She doesn’t want to attract unwanted attention. Keys in hand, rape alarm at the ready and safety trousers on. It is not okay. I often overhear friends discussing the ‘slutty’ top someone was wearing or how someone had too much cleavage on show. It may seem harmless but it contributes to the culture of victim blaming prevalent in today’s society, and comments made by the barrister David Osborne only last week serve to reaffirm such attitudes.

Most female students know what it’s like to take into consideration

Photo: Reclaim The Night

On the 26th of February, students and residents of Manchester will take to the streets to Reclaim the Night. Join us to protest victim blaming and violence against women.

Next week is our Sports issue and we’re heading to the streets of Manchester to ask you: “Does it matter what you look like when you work out?”

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Film: Oscars Special

ISSUE 15/ 16TH FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Tom Bruce, Andriana Hambi, James Moules, Martin Solibakke Feature

TV Binge

Orange Is the New Black

Photo: Netflix

“God, this is the loneliest place I’ve ever been, and I lived in a tree for eight months!”

I’d be insulting your intelligence if I were to formally introduce you to the international TV phenomenon that is Orange is the New Black. This Emmy Award-winning Netflix original series has dominated screens and headlines alike since its inception back in July 2013, so if you haven’t already partaken in the riveting and raunchy action it has to offer, then you’re truly missing out on a treat.

Jenji Kohan’s expertly crafted comedy-drama, loosely based on the real-life prison memoirs of Piper Kerman, seamlessly blends humour with heartache as it details Piper’s story and complicated love life, alongside her interactions with fellow inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary. Among the multitude of things to love about this profound and innovative series are its equally as loveable characters, each with their own creatively developed backstories which are interwoven throughout various episodes of the show’s two seasons. Indeed, its writers and actors truly bring these characters to life with their painstakingly convincing depiction of the plethora of problems which plague their pasts, be that addiction, loss or mental illness.

Orange is the New Black explores the dynamics of a women’s prison and touches on the web of corruption, romance and animosity which unfolds within the walls of Litchfield; the amalgamation of an array of personalities all attempting to live under the same roof in (relative) harmony. Don’t let its depth mislead you, however, as the show is as comedic as it is insightful, and the twists and turns of each episode are sure to leave you smiling.

The acting throughout both seasons of the show is second to none, with the cast not only vividly exhibiting the fear and uncertainty of prison life, but also pushing boundaries and breaking down TV barriers. Notably, Laverne Cox plays the prison’s trans inmate, Sophia Burset, and is one of the first trans actors to be cast in a role of this nature. She also went on to become the first openly trans woman to win an Emmy Award for her role.

Orange is the New Black is one of the first in a new wave of Netflix original productions, and it most definitely isn’t for the faint-hearted. Its ability to maintain its heart-warming and hilarious appeal, coupled with gritty and hard-hitting storylines is a true testament to the talented team of writers behind the scenes. With the production of its third season underway and reportedly heading to screens in June this year, there’s still plenty of time to catch up with the show’s first two seasons. Do the ladies of Litchfield truly live up to the hype? See for yourself. I highly doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Hosts with the Mosts Andriana Hambi reflects on the M.C.s of the acting awards world. Will Neil Patrick Harris lose his cool and pull a Franco?

Let’s be real, we all know who‘s going to win everything. Even if we don’t, who really cares? If you’re going to put in the time to watch the three-and-a-half hour show starting at midnight, you’ll need something to hang on to besides humourless acceptance speeches and name pronunciation mishaps.

In recent years there has seemed to be a host archetype; your controversial Ricky Gervaises and Seth McFarlanes, your safe choice Ellens, and, best of all, your all singing, all dancing Neil Patrick Harrisses.

Three-time Tony host NPH has broken the child actor mould effortlessly by being an allround great guy. Beloved by all, you’d struggle to find a person who explicitly dislikes him.

“So a safe choice then,” you’re thinking. If being guaranteed an amazing performance with the perfect balance of charm, humour and sincerity is safe then yes, perhaps he is a safe choice. Last year’s Ellen was a safe choice; she’s America’s sweetheart. But instead of the usual Ellen charm, we got boring jokes, forced shtick, a #selfie level of cringe, and all very uncomfortably so because only a heartless demon could hate-watch Ellen. Instead, you persevered to find the glimmer of hope within a poorly constructed show which, unfortunately, never came. But with a new year brings new blood in the form of actor/ singer/magician Neil Patrick Harris. If you’ve never seen any of his Tony opening numbers, run to YouTube right now and get ready for your life to change (a personal favourite ‘It’s not Just for Gays Anymore’). So I have every

Photo: AMPAS

hope that he’ll bring so much more to The Oscars this year.

Award season opened with the slightly more informal Golden Globes, hosted for the second year by the dream team that is Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Hyperbolic as it may sound, they are perfection in every sense of the word. They’ve got the charm and charisma to cut down the biggest names in Hollywood without coming across as bitter old hags, although there are a lot of the media who’ll try and paint them this way. Their own friendship oozes out of their performance and in this world of woman vs. woman, it’s very refreshing to see. It’s well

noted that The Oscars and Hollywood itself is not representative of the movie industry or the world and the term ‘whitewashing’ has been bandied about lately. Some will laud films like 12 Years a Slave and Selma above our heads and say, “look, we did a thing,” as if we should be applauding something that ought to be a given in a time where more and more independent film makers are becoming mainstream. And let’s also just mention the fact that there have only ever been four women nominated in the Best Director category, most recently in 2009, in which Kathryn Bigelow won for The Hurt Locker.

This is absurd if you think about it, and goes a long way to undermine award ceremonies as a whole. But back to this year’s white male.

Easy as it may be to brush him off as another safe choice, it’s not all majority privilege. The fact that this is the second year in a row to have a gay or lesbian host has gone a little under the radar, probably due to the loveable nature of Ellen and Neil, and their similarly angelic hair.

The awards themselves don’t matter. Even Andy Samberg performing with Tegan and Sara doesn’t really matter. What matters is that Neil Patrick Harris is almost definitely going to put on a great show. He is the definition of a showman, and I’m positive that he’ll bring laughs and tears, and hopefully minimal How I Met Your Mother references.

So, dust off your tap shoes, pull up those leg warmers and get ready for what is sure to be a true spectacle.

Debate

The Oscars: Yay or Oy Vey? All the nominees for this year’s Best Director at the Academy Awards are male. Also, not a single black actor or actress has been nominated for an award this year. This is clearly because the Academy consists of white, racist misogynists who do not want women involved in cinema. Or, could it be because most directors are male, and as a result men get the nominations? In 2014, only seven percent of directors in the 250 highest-grossing films in America were women. This is obviously problematic, as we want greater diversity in cinema, but Hollywood is at fault here and not the Academy.

As for the lack of nominees within ethnic minorities, you have to go all the way back to 2014 to find the last time a black woman, Lupita Nyong’o, won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave. The film itself won Best Picture. And in 2012, The Help got a Best Picture nomination and won Best Supporting Actress, while the Taiwainese-born genius Ang Lee won for Best Director two years ago. Maybe this last year’s best acting performances were genuinely achieved by white men and women—is that a possibility? If one year the ten best films are directed by black women, I would want them to get all the nominations and awards.

But I love the Oscars, and I believe Hollywood deserves to pat its own back once a year. We all get to see the most beautiful, talented artists stuck under one roof; DiCaprio not winning anything; and Jennifer Lawrence falling over everywhere and looking for pizza.

Martin Solibakke

Georgia Welch

Photo: Plan B

Photo: Warner Bros.

The Oscars are meaningless to anyone outside of the industry. Yet, every year, we collectively go mad over them. The reason being is that we all use award ceremonies, whether aware of it or not, as a way of validating our own film tastes. If my favourite film of the year wins the Best Picture award and yours doesn’t, then obviously you are a cretin and I am enlightened on the subject of motion pictures. Ridiculous, right?

The actual harm, though, lies in the anachronistic inequalities that remain in the Academy’s selection process, regarding gender, race, and, to a lesser extent, foreign representation. I saw Selma last week, and, while it has a nomination for Best Picture, questions have to be raised as to why the film is not represented in the acting and directing categories. Many believe Selma to be deserving of at least a nomination in such areas, ahead of some others chosen (Bradley Cooper? Really?!). Is it due to David Oyelowo being a British, black actor, and Ava DuVernay, a female, African American director? I couldn’t possibly say, but it has sparked the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite. Any issue about equality faces the argument that you shouldn’t force equality for the sake of it. I agree; equality for the sake of equality is merely flipping an inequality over.

If I think the Oscars are meaningless, then why does any of this matter?

Because, I’m in the minority in thinking this. Awards drive film sales, which in turns drives participation and appreciation. If a film is unduly omitted from an award due to race, gender, or nationality, then it unfairly impacts the size of the audience it will reach. Now, that is a much bigger issue that affects everyone, inside the industry and out.

Elliot Coen

ISSUE 15/ 16TH FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM /MancunionFilm @MancunionFilm

Film: Oscars Special

Review

19

Oscars Drinking Game

Selma

Our newest film critic Arne Dumez hopes this well-balanced biopic gets the recognition it deserves.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is known across the world as an icon of freedom and equality, but Selma conveys more than Dr. King’s symbolic presence.

This Oscar nominee is a powerful telling of the story of a man, his fears, and his beliefs. Made all the more relevant in the wake of the Ferguson riots and the ‘whitewashing’ allegations recently made against Hollywood, this film brings a crucial issue back to the foreground of popular attention.

From its very first seconds, the film conveys an authentic feel. The viewer finds themselves thrown into the southern American 60s through realistic costumes and settings. An unpretentious soundtrack is tailored for a movie that highlights the humility of a movement that has gone through the decades as a bookmark in black history. It is through this approach that the director draws the focus of the film to the human element of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and its mission. Selma lets the viewer experience the history written behind the speeches and the marches, away from the cameras. I connected to the characters, felt inspired by their

Oscar-Watch

Photo: Plan B Entertainment

courage, awed at their sacrifice and underwent genuine catharsis the moment the credits rolled.

It is clear that the highly talented cast is directed by an experienced director and I can only wonder why Ava DuVernay was not nominated for an Oscar. British actor David Oyelowo’s portrayal of the iconic Dr. King successfully exposes the multiple facets of the character; the husband, the father, and the social hero.

While the entire world revered him as the man who fought to march ‘the American negro’ to freedom, his entourage knew him as a man with weaknesses and flaws fighting a system that abused even the sanctity of his marriage. The role of Mrs King was given to Carmen Ejogo, who appeared as a resilient and

loving woman who—sometimes reluctantly—sacrificed her own happiness for her husband’s dream. The two other British actors, Tom Wilkinson and Tim Roth, embodied President Johnson and George Wallace with great credibility, and denounced the hypocrisy of the stubborn status quo of the Johnson administration. Oprah Winfrey too brings the moving story of Annie Lee Cooper to the screen with great ability.

The only area that deserves slight criticism is the character development of FBI Director J. Edgar and governor George Wallace, portrayed by Dylan Baker and Tim Roth. Due to a lack of focus on their motivations, personalities and background, both men are shown only as narrow-minded, racist and ignorant.

They come across as archetypal, twodimensional villains that slightly take away from the depth of Selma.

I highly recommend Selma to anyone looking for a movie that suitably combines intensity and depth through the capable performance of a talented cast.

Welcome, one and all, to The Mancunion’s first ever annual Alc-ademy Awards booze-up. Please join us in getting drunk to honour the year of film that has just passed us by. And what a year it has been! There’s been drunken castration in the Inebriation Game; wavy cinematography in The Grand Brewdapest Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures Hotel; blood, sweat and single tears in Whipsmashed; alcohol-fuelled paranoia in Beerdman; jingoistic, trumpet-blaring idiocy from Bradley Cooper in A Very Large Snifter; inspirational perseverance in The Theory Developed on Everclear; arguments between hammered customers and barmen in Sell-me; and who can forget those underage purchases of malt liquor in Boy-from-da-hood? Here be the rules: 1. Make written predictions on the winners of the main categories (or all of them, if you’re an idiot) before the show starts and do a shot for every one you get wrong.

2. Salute the Daily Mail by downing your drink when someone complains about the lack of privacy for actors and everyone nods.

3. Beers for Tears: Down a half-pint every time someone starts crying on stage.

4. Grimace, then swig your drink whenever a camera pans to Brad and Angelina.

5. Down your drink if Will Ferrell makes an ‘unscheduled appearance’.

6. Take a shot whenever an actress is asked who they are wearing instead of a question of actual worth.

7. Down your drink and take a bow when somebody gets their speech cut short by the ‘get the fuck off the stage’ music.

8. When Boyhood wins Best Picture, call your entire family and organise a massive pissup to celebrate the beauty of life.

9. If John Travolta mispronounces another name, take a shot of De Kuyper Blue Curaçao, Courvoisier or (god forbid) Angostura bitters—or, basically, any other spirit that is difficult to utter correctly.

10. If Oscars host Neil Patrick Harris spews forth his HIMYM catchphrase (“Legen –wait for it-dary!”), spend the next seven years of your life drinking cheap beer in a hipster bar as you try to forget.

Don’t forget to tweet us pictures as you play along with our Oscars drinking game rules @MancunionFilm, accompanied by the hashtag #WreckedCarpet.

Tom Bruce

Oscar Predictions Photo: TWC

James Moules shares the results of The Mancunion’s Oscar Predictions Poll, in which the Film Section’s editors and contributors told us who they think will win in the major categories on Oscar night, and who they reckon really should win.

Best Picture: The Nominees: American Sniper, Birdman, Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game, Selma, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash.

Will Win: Richard Linklater’s Boyhood has been winning every ‘Best Film’ award in sight, and our contributors reckon that the Oscars won’t be an exception, with 86% saying that it will be taking home the top prize on Sunday. The remaining votes were divided evenly between a couple of bold voters saying that Birdman (7%) or Selma (7%) will pull off an upset victory.

Should Win: Boyhood is the contributors’ favourite in an ideal world too, albeit with a slightly less convincing 44%. Birdman (25%), Whiplash (25%) and The Theory of Everything (6%) have devoted fans as well.

Best Actor: The Nominees: Steve Carell (Foxcatcher), Bradley Cooper (American Sniper), Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game), Michael Keaton (Birdman), Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything).

Will Win: Lead Actor is apparently going to be a closely fought battle between current frontrunner Eddie Redmayne (47%) and sentimental favourite Michael Keaton (40%). A few contributors reckon that Bradley Cooper and Steve Carell have a chance too, with each of them taking 7% of the vote.

Should Win: It’s an even closer contest among our contributors’ personal favourites, with Michael Keaton and Eddie Redmayne tied on 40%. Steve Carell also has a decent base of support with 13%, and Bradley Cooper took the remaining 7% (sorry Benedict).

Best Actress: The Nominees: Marion Cotillard (Two Days, One Night), Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything), Julianne Moore (Still Alice), Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl), Reese Witherspoon (Wild).

Will Win: Julianne Moore has been sweeping just about every award out there for Still Alice, but while our contributors as a whole reckon she’ll win, only 47% say she has it in the bag. Many of our contributors think that Rosamund Pike (27%), Reese Witherspoon (13%) or Marion Cotillard (13%) could emerge as a surprise winner on Oscar night.

Should Win: All of our leading ladies have supporters, but Rosamund Pike was the ultimate favourite in the fantasy scenario, with 33% saying that her chilling turn in Gone Girl should win. Julianne Moore, Felicity Jones and Marion Cotillard each took 20%, and Reese Witherspoon found favour with 7% of our voters.

Best Supporting Actor: The Nominees: Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman), Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher), J.K. Simmons (Whiplash).

Will Win: J.K. Simmons is the runaway favourite to take home gold on Oscar night, with 80% saying that the statuette has his name on it. The remaining 20% is split between a few ballsy voters who reckon that Mark Ruffalo, Ethan Hawke or Robert Duvall will shock everyone by beating Simmons to the win.

Should Win: 69% of our contributors think that J.K. Simmons deserves his near-certain win, but Mark Ruffalo (19%) and Edward Norton (12%) also have fans.

Best Supporting Actress: The Nominees: Patricia Arquette (Boyhood), Laura Dern (Wild), Keira Knightley (The Imitation Game), Emma Stone (Birdman), Meryl Streep (Into the Woods).

Will Win: Things seem to be looking positive for Boyhood’s Patricia Arquette, who has 67% of our contributors saying she’ll win. Keira Knightley and Emma Stone both have a shout as well with each getting 13% of the ‘will win’ vote, and Laura Dern has some hope with 7%.

Should Win: A slightly closer call in the ‘should win’ category, but Patricia Arquette still leads at 53%.

Emma Stone follows in a close second with 40%, and Keira Knightley won the hearts of the remaining 7%.

Photo: IFC Films

Best Original Screenplay: The Nominees: Birdman, Boyhood, Foxcatcher, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Nightcrawler.

Will Win: The Original Screenplay category appears to be relatively up in the air, with Birdman ending up in an unconvincing lead with 33%. 27% reckon that The Grand Budapest Hotel is winning this, 20% say Boyhood, 13% say Foxcatcher and 7% say Nightcrawler. This is one to keep our voters on the edges of their seats as they watch the ceremony, it seems.

Should Win: It’s almost as closely contested in the dreams of our voters, but with a different order of preference. 38% are rooting for Nightcrawler to win the Original Screenplay trophy, while sizeable support was also found for Birdman (25%), Foxcatcher (19%), The Grand Budapest Hotel (12%) and Boyhood (6%).

Best Adapted Screenplay: The Nominees: American Sniper, The Imitation Game, Inherent Vice, The Theory of Everything, Whiplash.

Will Win: It’s going to be a battle of the biopics in Adapted Screenplay if our voters are to be believed— The Theory of Everything is at the head of the pack at the moment with 40% of the votes, while The Imitation Game and American Sniper each took a healthy 27%. The final 6% was taken by some hopeful voters saying that Whiplash will win.

Should Win: 50% of the wishful-thinking votes went to Whiplash, with Paul Thomas Anderson’s adaptation of Inherent Vice following in second place with a decent 18% of the vote. The Theory of Everything and American Sniper took 13% each, and The Imitation Game brought up the rear with 6%.

Best Animated Feature: The Nominees: Big Hero 6, The Boxtrolls, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Song of the Sea, The Tale of Princess Kaguya.

Will Win: With the shocking absence of former frontrunner The LEGO Movie, How to Train Your Dragon 2 seems to be in prime position to take this prize, scoring 53% of the vote. But Disney’s Big Hero 6 (20%) and Studio Ghibli’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya (13%) are also in with a sound chance, and there’s even a small possibility it could go to Song of the Sea or The Boxtrolls, each of which have 7% of our contributors’ votes.

Should Win: The LEGO Movie, of course. But seeing as we’re restricting ourselves to the given nominees, we’ve ended up with a tie between How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Big Hero 6 (31%) for our contributors’ favourite. There were also fans of Song of the Sea (15%), The Tale of Princess Kaguya (15%) and The Boxtrolls (8%) among our ranks.

Best Foreign Language Film: The Nominees: Ida, Leviathan, Tangerines, Timbuktu, Wild Tales.

Will Win: Russia’s Leviathan is the clear favourite to win this trophy, with 64% saying that Cannes won’t be its only place of recognition. Poland’s Ida was the only other film to get votes, taking other 36%.

Should Win: Same two-way battle here with the same result, only slightly less decisive this time.

Leviathan ended up with 57% of the votes here, and Ida took 43%.

Best Cinematography: The Nominees: Birdman, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ida, Mr. Turner, Unbroken.

Will Win: Our contributors think that Emmanuel Lubezki can already celebrate a second consecutive win in this category—his showy and daring work on Birdman got 60% of the vote. The distant challengers to Lubezki are The Grand Budapest Hotel (27%) and Mr. Turner (13%).

Should Win: If our contributors had it their way, it would be Robert Yeoman’s cinematography for The Grand Budapest Hotel (63%) that takes home gold. Surprisingly, veteran DP Roger Deakins’ work on Unbroken got no votes, with the rest of our team voting for Birdman (19%), Mr. Turner (13%) and Ida (5%) as their personal preferences.

20

Books

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Books @MancunionBooks

Editors: Leonie Dunn, Ali Pearson

Satire

Bedlam: LIBOR faints as Quantitative Easing needle becomes contaminated with Ebola

* The Historian Magazine will this week be releasing a special issue called ‘Lessons from History: The Delhi Belly Interest Rates of 1858’

Photo: ZaldyImg @Flickr

The Bank of England’s infamous policy of Quantitative Easing is reported to have infected global financial markets with the deadly Ebola virus. In an unprecedented turn of events, the LIBOR is now unconscious and there are numerous reports of Ebola in financial markets across Europe. The Mancunion cannot yet confirm these reports. One analyst described the outbreak as “the beginning of financial Armageddon.” No one is safe.

The GBP LIBOR (the London interbank lending rate) increased from 0.12% to 34.8% in just over two hours of chaos yesterday morning. The interest rate then appeared to stabilise at around 29% for

12 minutes—no one is quite sure why. This proved to be merely a devastating mirage as the LIBOR preceded to ‘faint’. The faint resulted in a complete freeze in all banking activity as credit temperatures came close to absolute zero (–273°C). Monopoly® mortgage rates are being used in the interim, with the rate fixed at “the equivalent of three houses on The Angel, Islington.”

‘Faint’ is a financial term defined as a “loss of quantitative consciousness.” There is only one previous instance of the phenomenon in human history—in Delhi in 1858, when colonial interest rates suffered from a week-long outbreak of ‘Delhi belly’. In scale

and severity, there is no blueprint. The nature of the Ebola virus and globalised financial markets make this a threat not just to stock markets worldwide—but the whole of human civilisation. While the Ebola death rate is around 50 per cent for humans, the death rate for treasury bills is closer to 90 per cent.

The root of the crisis is simple: Quantitative Easing (or QE). The Bank of England’s 19-foot long ‘QE syringe’ was being used by the Central Bank of Liberia just 2 days ago, in an attempt to stimulate economic activity. While there, the needle became contaminated with the Ebola virus. The same needle was then used to inject the viscous QE liquid into the British economy when financial markets opened yesterday morning. As the QE injected new forms of liquidity into the British financial sector, LIBOR, one of the most important interest rates in the world, almost immediately contracted the virus. The ‘incubation period’ for Ebola in flowing finance is just five seconds.

The LIBOR is currently receiving treatment in the Bank of England, but what is of most concern now is the global financial sector as a whole: mortgage rates, lukewarm money flows, bank deposits (i.e. personal savings), oath yields, etc. The reports of contamination across Europe represent terrifying warning signs. Switzerland have also introduced Monopoly® mortgage rates in anticipation of infection, using “the equivalent of rent-only on Fleet Street”—they do not have a set. G7 leaders have been attempting to formulate a response since yesterday evening. As yet, there is no news.

North Korean state television have reported that

Top 5

Creative Writing

Untitled Short Story, by Moira James-Moore A short story about the events that ensue after a near-death experience

Photo: jjpacres @Flickr

You blindly place your feet past the curb on the pavement, wandering carelessly out on to the road, act first, think later being your poorly thought-out motto.

The moment when you realise your stupidity hits you; a small compact car appears to be gaining momentum as it rapidly travels towards you—complete panic. A stage of acceptance follows and you comprehend the possible variations of events, one of which involves getting hit, surrendering to the inevitable. Then, safety! In a purposeful rush your feet magically manage to pass the car as you reach the sanctuary of the familiar pavement.

Looking back, it took that insignificant near-death experience to place the series of bizarre events in to context, I wish to point out that at the beginning of this particular scenario I had been heavily shaken up and had not quite reached complete sanity in time, as the minute I had stepped to safety a peculiar man came thundering towards me with great speed. He was wearing an ill-fitting,

Kim Jong-un is “amused” by the developments. His reaction is shared only with IS (we think)—for everyone else, the overwhelming emotion of the day is fear.

Boris Johnson is drunk in Churchill’s underground bunker. Gordon Brown has spent the whole morning pouring Irn Bru® on his dog—he has not spoken since the faint. Many of the students The Mancunion spoke to last night were physically sick on hearing the news. “Is this because of the news?

Is this because of the news?” we asked a vomiting student on Corporation Street at 4am. We interpreted her mumbled response as “Yes.” Amongst the chaos and confusion, there are numerous requests. Manchester Business School is closed for the foreseeable future and has been rigged with dynamite in anticipation of infection.

The presence of students in the building at the time of infection will “have no impact on the nature of the university’s immediate response.” The British government has told the media to urge the public “to handle all forms of money with rubber gloves, regardless of circumstances.”

Furthermore, the Monetary Policy Committee has this morning revealed it will employ Russell Brand and Bez (from Manchester’s Happy Mondays) in a bid to resolve the crisis. There have also been widespread calls from experts for the injection of antibody default swaps into the financial sector. Non-experts have no suggestions.

Policy makers will have to act fast but there are no obvious solutions. The next few days will likely prove crucial in determining the fate of finance.

The Mancunion awaits that fate.

dishevelled coat that came down to his knees, matched with the unusual combination of an extravagant scarf that covered most of his frame. As soon as he reached me, he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me through a particularly grubby and narrow alleyway.

There was a small moment of silence as the man rammed his face towards mine, his face flushed, reminiscent of a man who had spent too much of his youth and probably his later years drinking strong alcoholic drinks, and his curly mane of hair looked unwashed and greasy. It soon became apparent to me that the man was about to speak; an unusual experience as I longed to remain ignorant of his intentions.

“Did anyone see you?” The man placed an abrupt stop to my trail of thought.

It took a brief period of time for me to understand the individual words in his sentence. Before I could reply with a reasoned and well thought-out answer, my trail of thought was interrupted once more as the man ignored his

abrupt questioning and whispered, “it’s important that the living world can’t see you now, it can be confusing for them whether they understand it or not.”

A short burst of laughter exploded from within, the mention of the ‘living world’ being detached from me was too much.

“Who are you?” I spluttered, unsure of how I wished the question to be received.

Was I asking for the name of the man, or was I really questioning who he thought he was and what he was doing?

Fortunately, the stranger did not take offence as he simply replied, “my name’s Jeremy Crowe. I used to live just up there on Cedar Street.” After a few minutes of him hopelessly attempting to convince me that I had met my end, he shoved a local newspaper in to my face.

It stood there, printed boldly in black and white, validation. He had told me to check a small article in the back of the paper. I did so in an almost comical fashion, faking a vague interest whilst all the while knowing the make-believe aspect of Jeremy’s story was soon to become obvious. I knew he would present me with such little evidence, perhaps a random name in the obituary section that could be anyone’s. I was not, however, expecting a picture, the same man stood in front of me telling me he was dead, was being presented in the local newspaper as the tragic victim of a drink driving accident.. I needed further confirmation before I completely lost my mind. If the ‘living world’ could still respond to me, see me even, I knew I was alive. Before thinking things over I avoided Jeremy’s grasp, violently rushing out of the dark alleyway in to the crowded street. Jumping on to a nearby bench with Jeremy one step behind me I bellowed a loud, unrecognisable sound. The closure I needed was found as a short, elderly lady stopped in her tracks, pointed at Jeremy and barked, “you’re not bloody dead, he does this to everybody!”

Moira James-Moore

Top 5 Romantic Reads A list composed by Books Editor Leonie Dunn of the top 5 Romantic reads just in time for Valentine’s Day

Photo: Thalita Carvalho @

1. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 1. Jane Pride Jane AustenAusten’s is the icon for classicand roPrejudice Jane is the icon mance novels soAusten it should come as for no classic romance so ittop should surprise that she novels holds the spot. come as no surprise she holds Not only is Pride andthat Prejudice onethe of top spot. only isbooks Pride in and Prejudice the mostNot popular the English one of theever, most the language it’spopular also onebooks of theinmost English language ever, it’s of romantic love stories youalso canone find. the most Bennet romantic love the stories you Elizabeth is facing prospect can find. Elizabeth Bennet facing the of marriage, along with herisfour sisters. prospect of marriage, alongwith witha her An unpleasant relationship Mr four sisters. unpleasant relationship Darcy turnsAn into a much more compliwith arelationship Mr. Darcy as turns a much cated the into two play the more complicated relationship dating game in the 19th century. as the two play the dating game in the 19th century.

2.

Nicholas Sparks’ The Notebook Nicholas Sparks has to be the most 2. Nicholas Spark’s TheofNotebook popular romance author our time.

Nicholas Sparks has to becould the most While many of his novels have popular author of is our made theromance list, The Notebook thetime. one While many of his novels could have that stands above the rest, perhaps due made the now-classic list The Notebook is the one to to the film adaptation. that above the rest,like perhaps due Afterstands a summer romance no other, to to the film apart adaptation.

Noah andnow-classic Allie are pulled by soAfter a summer romance like no other, cial class in the early 1900s.

Years later, Noah and Allie arebut pulled apart by the two reconnect, it might be too social class in isthe early 1900’s. Years late since Allie engaged. later, the two reconnect, but it might be too late since AllieWuthering is engaged.Heights 3. Emily Brontë’s Possibly the most heartbreakingly 3. Emily Wuthering beautiful loveBronte’s story ever written, Heights Wuthering Heights was initially called Possibly theit most heartbreakingly vulgar when was published and it beautiful loveforstory ever written, was criticized its difficult characWuthering Heights called ters. Of course, nowwas we initially can recognize

the complexity of this relationship, vulgar when it was published it which showcases that societal and standwas its difficult ardscriticized shouldn’tfordictate our characters. happiness.

Of course, we can This novelnow depicts the recognize romance the becomplexity of this relationship, which tween Catherine and Heathcliff, whose showcases that love seems to bothsocietal destroy standards them and shouldn’t our happiness.

This keep themdictate going throughout their lives. novel depicts the romance between Catherine and Heathcliff, whose 4. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone Withlove the seems Wind to both destroy them and keep them throughout theirmany lives. conFirstgoing published in 1936, sider this novel historical more than 4. Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With romantic, however the Civil War rothe Wind mance between bad boy Rhett and First published in 1936, Southern belle Scarlett is not many to be consider this apart novelbyhistorical missed. Torn war, it’s amore relathan romantic, howeverseem the Civil War tionship that doesn’t possible romance between until they’re reunitedbad manyboy, yearsRhett, later. and belle, Scarlett,romance is not It’s a Southern beautiful yet extensive to be missed.

Torn apartlives by war, it’s a novel whose reputation on today relationship seemAcademy possible with thanksthat to doesn’t the classic until they’re reunited many years later.

Award-winning film adaptation.

It’s a beautiful yet extensive Romance novel whose reputation today 5. Shakespeare’s Romeolives and on Juliet with to the Classic Academy Onethanks of William Shakespeare’s most Award-winning filmand adaptation. celebrated works quite possibly the most influential love story of all 5. Shakespeare’s and Juliet time, how could theRomeo list not include this One ofThis William most classic. tale ofShakespeare’s ‘star-crossed lovers’ celebrated works and quite time possibly has been told and interpreted and the story of all timemost again.influential A story alllove lovers can relate time, how could list focuses not include to, Romeo and the Juliet on this the classic.

This taleaccompany of “star-crossed tragedies that the lovers” loss of has truebeen love.told and interpreted time and time again. A story all lovers can relate

Photo

On February 26th, we will light up the city of Manchester, amplify our voices and say ‘No!’ to Sexual Violence Against Women. Meet at Owen’s Park, Wimslow Road, Fallowfield at 7pm!

Followed by an afterparty at the University of Manchester Students’ Union

manchesterstudentsunion.com/reclaimthenight

22

Food & Drink

Editors: Ellie Gibbs, Adam Fearn

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review: Bourbon & Black Co-editor Ellie Gibbs samples the steak in Didsbury.

It’s not difficult to get your hands on a grill these days. In the centre of Manchester, Living Ventures somewhat have the monopoly on the trendy-butaffordable steak scene; most notably Grill on the Alley/New York Street and Artisan are the ideal destinations if you want to chomp on a good hunk of meat in a subdued, ambient setting. A far cry from the everyday student haunt, the prices reserve these eateries for special occasions. It is a shame, then, that every one of my previous visits (there have been a few) have resulted in disappointment; overcooked steak, underseasoned salmon, ambivalent staff. For this reason, I was excited when Bourbon & Black opened, promising the same thing as these disappointments, but without the disappointment.

Located on Wilmslow Road in Didsbury Village, the restaurant requires less effort to reach than heading into town. For the Fallowfield dweller, the bus there is significantly quicker, and for the many who have already migrated in the direction of Didsbury, the only thing easier would be a Domino’s delivery (the choice is yours).

Our waiter for the evening enthusiastically led us through the warm, well-lit interior to a roomy booth. He then recommended two cocktails to go along with our nibbles of baby chipolatas glazed in a honey and mustard jus; their twist on the classic Old Fashioned was particularly impressive, with a mellow and memorable smokiness. The ‘Bourbon and Blackberry’ is also worth a go, its long, fruity freshness complementing the indulgent food.

The sausages were a promising start to the meal; thick, succulent and slathered in a sticky sweet sauce, the portion was generous and the price modest. For starters, we sampled a shallot Tarte Tatin, which piqued our interest due to the unconventional savouriness of the well-known French dish.

Light and crisp, it was a welcome change following the heavy pre-starter. Alongside, the hand-dived scallops with Bury black pudding and minted pea purée balanced silky, buttery and fresh flavours beautifully.

All enjoyment, however, had been somewhat obscured by the apprehension and excitement of the main event. We were recommended the ‘Tomahawk’ steak by the restaurant manager and owner; a colossal warrior of a cut which is recommended for two and boasts premium quality. With bated breath we awaited its arrival, dreadfully anticipating what a waste of meat it would be if it wasn’t cooked properly. Fortunately, it was velvety and pink—executed to perfection. The huge bone left at the end was also rather fun to wield. The smoked mash we chose as a side had a lovely light woody flavour and complemented the richness of the meat. We also opted for the restaurant’s speciality sauce (the ‘Bourbon & Black’) which was, frankly, phenomenal; thick and treacly and ending in that warming sensation that only whiskey leaves.

Having selected from every category on the menu thus far, it didn’t make sense to skip dessert.

We were glad to have soldiered on; a sizeable slice of New York Cheesecake slipped down a treat. More importantly, the old-skool Cornflake tart booted my tastebuds assertively down memory lane, amped up by a slather-it-yourself jug of cheeky bourbon custard which made the dish strictly for adults. Our cheery waiter then proceeded to whip out an oldstyle Polaroid and hand us a souvenir photo; I felt like I had just come off a rollercoaster, only with a different kind of wobbly legs and light head.

Well and truly satisfied, we rounded it all off with a taste of a couple of the impressively extensive selection of bourbons housed here. To any fans of that profound warmth that you feel spreading

through your body the moment a quality liquor hits your lips: I implore you to pay this place a visit.

Bourbon & Black is not just a destination for sampling fine whiskies; with an enticing atmosphere, personable staff and well cooked food which adds (usually alcoholic) quirks to the classics, this place provides a much more personal and memorable experience than you could hope for in the centralManchester chains.

704 Wilmslow Road, Manchester, 0161 448 038 www.bourbonandblack.co.uk/ Photos: The Mancunion

Dinner and Dessert Our top recipe contributor Tilly Embling gives us some cost-friendly ideas for making delicious food at home.

Chorizo Skillet

Maple and Bacon Popcorn

This skillet is a perfect lunch that won’t break your bank or rip your jeans and best of all it can be eaten straight out of the pan! Hopefully this recipe will go down well with any of you who, like me, are struggling with the miserable, freezing weather. The chorizo gives it a fiery, smoky hit and the oozy egg yolk brings a silky delicious texture. An added bonus is that you can chuck just about anything in it. If you don’t have potatoes, sweet potatoes work well or you can stir through a handful of quinoa. Equally, tinned tomatoes work just as well as fresh ones. Spring onions, courgette and parsley all go really well with this too so it’s a great one for cleaning out the odds and ends of your fridge. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Photo: The Mancunion

One chilli A handful of cherry tomatoes A potato Half an onion Quarter of a chorizo sausage 2 eggs Half a pepper

Ingredients:

1 rasher of bacon 2 table spoons of maple syrup half a cup of corn kernels

Method:

Use the largest pan you have with a secure lid. If you only have a small pan you may have to cook the popcorn in a couple of batches. You want the base of the pan to be almost covered in one lever of kernels so that none of them burn. Put the pan on a medium heat with a dash of vegetable or sunflower oil. the kernels will start to pop open, leave it until the popping subsides but shake the pan often so the kernels do not stick to the bottom.

Grill the bacon until really crispy on both sides. Then crumble it up or finely chop it. Lay the popped corn out flat on a tray and pick through and remove any burnt bits or unpopped kernels. Pour over the maple syrup and sprinkle over the bacon. Leave out for 30 minutes to dry off or put in the oven on a very low heat for 10/15 minutes. Bag it up and sneak it into the cinema!

Method:

Finely dice the chilli and onion and fry over a medium heat. Once they have softened down, add the chopped chorizo. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the potato and pepper.

Once everything is pretty well cooked stir through the tomatoes and leave for a minute until they soften. Now create two wells in the mixture for the eggs. Crack in the eggs and continue to fry for a few minutes so that they cook on the bottom. Now put the pan under the grill to cook the top of the egg. This should only take two minutes if you like your eggs runny. Cook it for one or two minutes longer if you want them to firm up a bit. Serve on its own or with crusty bread.

Recently I have been indulging in a fit of cinema going, occasioned by the reappearance of slightly watchable films. From June to January there is a serious dearth of exciting cinema, and suddenly, as award season looms, like buses, all the good films come at once. If I decide to continue to indulge this habit, however, I will have to seriously re-evaluate my snacking habits.

One night of cinema junk blows my food budget for the entire week (and my post-Christmas diet, obviously). As such I decided to have a go at making my own snacks for all those cinema lovers out there who don’t fancy paying £4 for what is essentially a bag of sweet or salty air.

Photo: The Mancunion

Total cost: £1.15 (Cinema price is around £4!!!)

Total Cost: £2.20

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

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The Mancunion: Food & Drink @MancunionFood

Food & Drink 23

Review: Phetpailin Review

Tom Bruce and fellow Mancunions assert their presence in Chinatown’s BYOB Thai restaurant If Chinatown is a fortune cookie, then Phetphailin is the scroll of randomly generated wisdom found within. Not that the abovementioned establishment serves Chinese cuisine—it’s actually Thai, and pretty authentic too. Besides, fortune cookies are a superfluous 20th century invention of the West, so the analogy has no bearing whatsoever. Basically, Phetphailin is roughly in the middle of the Asian food quarter of Manchester; more precisely, it can be found at 46 George Street.

Quite frankly, our small squad of ravenous scholars probably left more of an impression on Phetphailin than it left on us.

We approached the restaurant full of expectation, weighed down with beer and top shelf rum in pre-emption of its bringyour-own-bottle policy. A word of warning: soft drinks are not allowed inside, something we discovered when cracking open the ginger beer mixers needed for our Dark ‘n’ Stormy cocktails. We ended up paying a fiver for the privilege of our own fizzy drink, but it was worth it.

Resident food critics Elena Gibbs and Hester Lonergan made the meal selections from Phetpailin’s basket-weave menus while the boys prepared the libations. Our starter was a round sharing platter pooled with sauces surrounded by a variety of Asian snacking foods: deep fried prawn, sesame seed toast, prawn crackers, dumplings, vegetables, and some fleshy meat discs of unclear origin which our vegetarian fell foul of, mistaking it for fried tofu. It was fine as an appetiser but between the five of us it didn’t last long.

Our meat fiesta mains came promptly after the first course, at which time we also demanded chopsticks like the uppity,

Dark ‘n’ Stormy

well-travelled connoisseurs that we think we are. The steak was done as requested; the prawns were mutant-large; the cashew chicken was reportedly fine and there was almost definitely one more item that I’ve forgotten. There were vegetables and Ingredients: sides too, of course. As well as two kinds Ice of rice (sticky and coconut) there was a 50ml (aka 2 shots) Dark Spiced Rum deep bowl of perfect, succulent noodles Ginger Beer swimming in its own spicy juices. That’s Lime actually another point for Phetphailin’s Fresh ginger authenticity: everything was very hot, and that was without eating the numerous bright red chilli slices lurking in every Method: Fill glass with ice. dish. This is how it should be.

When all of that was polished off there Add rum top up were murmurs of a second food order, but with ginger beer this was mostly the drink talking. It should (because of the be said that the staff were very accommo- spicy kick) but nice reginger ale. dating of our uncouthEaten studentanywhere ways, even NEVER Lightly squeeze giving us a chef’s knife and unlimited ice something cently?

Created so that we could prepare our rum-based and drop a quardelicious? We want to know! cocktails just how we like them. All said, ter lime into glass. rim of Tell usjust about it atGarnish food.manour two courses contained enough glass with lime food for five, but an extra starter couldn’t cunion@outlook.com have hurt. The bill came to just under £15 wedge. Oh and a each, which includes the price of the lux- slice of fresh ginger.

Adds to the aroma, ury of drinking our own mixer. though in no way helps you to get drunk.

46 George Street,

If you’re going to BYOB to Phetpailin, why not make the same cocktail as Tom Bruce?

Manchester M1 4HF 0161 228 6500

www.phetpailin.com/

Photos: The Mancunion

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Paying for your time at Ziferblat Mancunion editors Marcus Johns and Charlie Spargo visited the Northern Quarter’s newest quirky social space Up a small lift, behind a small door on Edge Street in the Northern Quarter is Manchester’s newest quirky café experience, Ziferblat. The concept is very simple: you only pay for the time you spend here—your drinks, toast, cereal, fruit, biscuits, board games, and cake is all free; all they ask that you wash up after yourself.

Relaxed design and friendly staff embody the Northern Quarter ideal of enjoying the time you spend here.

Upon arrival, you’re buzzed in and follow the signs; up the lift, round the corner, and you arrive to ‘check in’.

Here, you choose your favourite clock from a wide range, including Colin (a gold phone box, chosen by Marcus) and Horse (an old alarm clock with a horse on it, chosen by Charlie). Check-in is simple—all that is required is your name, e-mail, the name of your clock (Colin), and time of arrival.

The name Ziferblat is derived from Zifferblatt, meaning ‘clock-face’ in Russian and German, which seems apt given the pay-as-you-stay method the socalled ‘anti-café’ employs.

We were checked in by a genuinely friendly member of staff, who reminded us to wash up and of the important rule in Ziferblat; this is a shared space, so be respectful to those around you, “but apart from that just relax and enjoy your time.” At £3 per hour, it’s hard not to.

The communal space itself is littered with mismatched old furniture—from green leather sofas arranged around a fireplace to ornate red settees with plush cushions and a matching rug. The space seems perfectly designed to relax and pass the time. As we were told by the staff, it’s “your home from home.”

We arrived late in the afternoon, as the fluorescent lights were turned off in favour of small table-lamps.

These created a gentle orange glow, which further emphasised the relaxed atmosphere created by Ziferblat, perfect for the end of a long day.

The space is surprisingly large, yet intimate. Small stations are provided with kettles, coffee machines, and condiments—which allow you to set your own pace as you browse the free Wi-Fi or enjoy some scones. In one corner of the space is a small kitchen, with labelled drawers to help you find plates, cereals, bread for the toaster, and milk if the coffee machine runs dry. It’s easy, friendly, and, most of all, it works.

At half past three, it was busy, but not cramped.

We found a comfortable sofa easily and went to get coffee, a scone, and some toast. It feels like being at home; toasting your own bread, looking in the fridge for butter, and finding a spoon for your Nutella. While moving round an unfamiliar kitchen with strangers felt a little awkward at first, it was soon clear that people were polite and accommodating, and the strangeness of the situation quickly felt normal.

With a wide range of cereal, fruit and, cake on offer for £3 an hour, it would be hard not to overindulge.

Yet the atmosphere and ideals of the social space seem to worm their way in; it’s hard to want to. All you want to do is to sit back, relax and take it all in.

Should you find yourself bored of the free Wi-Fi, you will find a large selection of board games and puzzles. It feels like an old ideal, left over from a time when cafés didn’t provide internet access, but there’s something about Ziferblat that allows the board games a space in the present day. Groups of strangers could be seen playing Scrabble, Cluedo, and Jenga, something that would definitely not be seen in a Starbucks or Costa.

Open from 10am – 10pm, it offers almost anything.

You could come for breakfast and enjoy a bowl of cereal with toast, or enjoy a sandwich you’ve made

yourself at lunchtime. As well as those chatting and playing Connect-4, we could see people using it as a calm and comfortable place to get some productive work done.

The coffee’s good and the contents eclectic. Of course, at 5p a minute, you could use it on the fly to down a cheap coffee and a sandwich, but the atmosphere is so relaxed and friendly that you’d gain so much more value from spending a little time there, really appreciating the cosy, attractive surroundings, and not feeling as if you’re being rushed out of the shop for another paying customer.

We’ll be back very soon. It has a great atmosphere and a great price, if only we had had longer to spend there.

Photos: The Mancunion

HOW WILL WE USE THEM?

YOU DECIDE...

On May 07 2015, the country will turn out to decide who governs for the next five years.

With around 100,000 students in Manchester, we could finally make our concerns heard over poor housing, high crime, extortionate tuition fees and more.

Even if you were registered last time, you must register to vote for these elections.

Register at: www.votebooster.org/register/umsu

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ISSUE 15/ 16TH FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Camilla Lindner

Nicole Tamer

The Royal Exchange Theatre showcases a gripping play about Manchester’s criminal street gangs

Review

From the first moments of the rehearsal, it is clear that the whole cast is incredibly engaged and despite the Preview humourous atmosphere, everyone takes their role very seriously. “Patience is my favourite Gilbert and Sullivan opera and I proposed it because the society hasn’t performed it since 1989”, explains Rachael Lewis who is part of the chorus. The plot mocks the aesthetic movement of the 1870s and ‘80s in England and showcases extremely silly yet likeable characters.

Patience is the name of a dairy maid that everyone tries to woo, but who is not interested in anyone. Not even the admired yet self-absorbed aesthetic Bunthorne can win her heart. But when her childhood friend Archibald comes along who is even more aesthetically inclined, the tables drastically turn. The performance next week promises a rollercoaster of satire and a room full of laughter. During the rehearsal, the dull performance room was transformed into a world of wonder and it couldn’t cope with the volume of the professionally sounding voices. Amy Barker, a member of the committee, mentions that everyone is very excited and everyone put a lot of effort into it. The society started rehearsing mid-October and the adaption is pretty faithful to the original opera but more melodrama is added. Especially impressive is the choice of the cast. As soon as the actors entered the stage, their characters told the story with fantastic singing and accompanied marvellously by the score. A definite must-see, if the show is better than the rehearsal, it will have the whole audience in stitches. The society’s next endeavour will be a concert on the 2nd of May.

emphasises both her strength and stubbornness that she had to create because of the death of nearly every family member. Thomas (David Judge), who wants to be part of the gang and later will be, describes her as ‘mad and loud’.

Two of her best friends, Polly (Chloe Harris) and Margaret (Caitiona Ennis), are members of the ‘Tigers’. Whereas Margaret is traumatised of the rape of her mother’s boyfriend, Polly seems to be the stronger person. But when the other gang steals her trousers, bell and jacket and puts her into a dirty Petticoat – she loses all of her strength, confidence and identity as a Tiger and leaves the gang.

The last scene combines past and present: The trial scene of Thomas, who killed two people, vanishes behind the cotton yarn, while the water on stage takes the colour of red. The actors walk hectically over the stage in modern clothes while Polly stands ghostlike between them. Her repeated sentence ‘Don’t walk there. It’s a man’s blood. A man died here.’ is not heard by the others. Her voice chokes off in between the vivid sound of the city of modern Manchester.

‘Scuttlers’ is a play for everyone. Especially the sounds, the stage setting and lightning make the performance strong and leave the audience astonished and in thought. Wednesday 18th, £5 - Saturday 21st Feb: 7.30PM, £8 Sunday 21st Feb: 2.30PM. £5 tickets@mugss.org

Elise Gallagher

Monday night saw the Octagon Theatre (Bolton) open its doors to SBC’s latest production: ‘Inside’, a thought-provoking performance

Manchester Grammar School M13 OXT

Review

25

Editors’ Picks

Hindle Wakes

Set in the fictional mill town of Hindle in Lancashire. It is the end of the Wakes weekend and Alan Jeffcote, the son of a mill owner has returned from a weekend away in Llandudno with Fanny Hawthorn, one of the mill workers. The only problem is, they are returning to Alan’s fiancée Beatrice. When their affair is exposed, both pairs of parents are drawn into conflict with their children and each other. Fanny decides it is time to ‘become an honest woman’. When released Hindle Wakes was extremely controversial due to the fact the main character was both working class and female, and so it is seen as a hallmark in the history of theatre, championing female independence.

Bolton Octagon Theatre – 19/02 – 15/03

Bad Company

In a vastly run down Bed and Breakfast live the lonely Cabreras, Martin and Helena. Their lives have become trapped and plagued by their now cold, abrasive marriage. Soon their bubble of existence becomes disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious but charismatic new lodger, Quentin, with strange unknown motives for being there. Slowly it becomes apparent that his presence there, and the strange actions he takes are drastically changing the Cabreras’ lives, and things are only blown apart more by two more eccentric and unpleasant strangers, Pearce and McMahon, who are looking for someone there, and will not leave until they get what they want.

Students’ Union - 21/02 - 23/02

Aimée Grant Cumberbatch

Photo: Ed Lilly

Finding critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival ‘Inside’ is a psychological thriller exploring the conflicting mind of a kidnap victim suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Stockholm syndrome is a psychological phenomenon which sees a hostage express empathy, sympathy or in severe cases positive feelings of affection towards their kidnapper.

Both written and performed by Rosie MacPherson ‘Inside’ is an hour long monologue manifested with harrowing innocence and realism. Never leaving her character, you enter and take your seats as she sleeps in front of you, you leave as she gazes at the blank camera screen. It is clear that a great amount of research has gone into her performance allowing her to craft a character riddled with such complexity that makes for a truly exceptional character study.

Most effective about MacPherson’s performance were the fragments of personality that would expose themselves for only a brief moment like mere echoes of her old self. Taken as a child and having suffered twelve years of both physical and mental abuse,

Drawing: Tegan Gilmore

‘Scuttlers’ shows the street fights of youth street gangs in Manchester in the 1880s. The play does not only show their desperation, aggression and created societal anxiety, but also displays a different perspective of helping each other and giving them a place of belonging.

While dust is rising on the stage, small pieces of cotton wool are descending from the theatre ceiling similar to snowflakes. On stage, people are working in a cotton mill, which is represented by a cylinder like construction of yarn hanging down from the top of the ceiling. The loud sound of the working machines can be heard all over the stage.

‘Scuttlers’ is written by Mona Munro and directed by Wils Wilson. It places the audience into the back streets of Manchester set in the 1880’s. Youngsters are living on certain streets which they call their territory. With empty eyes they walked silently around in the foyer of Royal Exchange Theatre before the start of the performance and the action was repeated during the interval. Because of the difficult situation they have to face in their daily lives, they get together and create gangs. The ‘Tigers’ is one of those.

Here, female teenage power holds the group together.

Theresa is the leader and played persuasively by Rona Morison. Her motto “No one looks after me but myself”,

Inside

Preview

Theatre

Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre

Scuttlers

@themanctheatre /mancuniontheatre

MacPherson does a superb job of portraying a much older victim taking refuge in their premature childhood.

A pivotal aspect for audience members is the victim’s excitement and obsession with her school disco, a chapter of her life she never got to experience – further reiterating the sheer innocence of the character. However, the most heart breaking aspect is the fact that we never discover the victim’s name.

Thenarrativelacedwithinthemonologueiscraftedsothat our victim’s situation isn’t explicitly revealed all together but is allowed to bleed out from her lucid mind, making for a raw portrayal and keeping the audience hooked.

The Octagon’s Studio performance space was perfect for the production, if situated in a larger theatre the intensity of the performance would have been diluted.

Being in such a small audience made for a bigger impact, making spectators feel as if they were intruders prying.

The set was just as gritty and real as MacPherson’s character, a mere shell, just like its inhabitant.

Based on true events ‘Inside’ is raw and powerful with a truly chilling ending. A show not to be missed.

What would your vagina say if it could talk? And if it were a person, what would it wear? Vagina Monologues asked all these questions and many more. Women’s officer, Jess Lishak, described the play as an act of ‘talking about the untalked about’ and after the production’s hours were up, there wasn’t a single vagina-related taboo left intact.

With worrying rape rates in student areas plus cuts and closures threatening Manchester’s already strained women’s’ support centres, the production could not be more pertinent. And in her closing speech Jess mentioned some shocking statistics that are worth repeating: Manchester Women’s Aid faces cuts of up to 40%, when even a 20% reduction in funding would mean closure, while at Manchester Rape Crisis, the waiting list for counselling currently stands at 6 months. Despite the seriousness of some of issues the production touches upon, it never lost its sense of humour. The performance began with some of the more light hearted monologues, including a helpful reminder (for anyone wondering what to call their cooch) of the many different names for what’s down there.

Lawrence of a Labia and the Grand Canyon of Fallowfield were some of my personal favourites. Telling the stories of women from 6-60, the play was an utterly inclusive affair

which took intersectionality and gender issues in its stride. As you sat back and watched each actor conjure up a vivid portrait of their character, the play guided you through the complex emotions having a vagina can cause, from pleasure to pain and back again.Some of the most moving and thought provoking monologues were those which tackled the struggles facing trans and cis gender individuals.

Written by a trans member of the cast especially for the production, the ‘My impossible vagina’ monologue was eyeopening and heart-breaking in equal measure.

From invasive doctors’ appointments to constant questioning, the speech addressed the process of what its author called ‘waiting for permission to be myself’. The production also paid its dues to what is undoubtedly the vagina’s greatest ever achievement: giving birth.

Coming close to the end of the play, this particular performance left a lasting reminder of the vagina’s power to give life. In fact Vagina Monologues as a whole delivers a message that is as relevant now as it ever was: every person on the planet has a vagina to thank for their existence. So perhaps it’s time we straightened out our attitudes towards our downstairs mix ups and gave vaginas the lifetime’s service awards they deserve. Or at least a little respect.

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Lifestyle

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Robert Firth, Kitty Treverton Jones, Molly Allen Travel

From Manchester to Marrakech

Photos: Josepha Griffin-Parry

Wanting to take a break from the Manchester drizzle? Josepha Griffin Parry recommends losing yourself in the souks of Marrakech As a post-January exams treat to myself, I decided to get away from Manchester with a few friends and have a mini-break in Marrakech. We stayed in a beautiful Riad in the heart of the Medina. The area was constantly filled with vibrant street sellers, colours, people and smells, though not all of these were particularly pleasant.

The street sellers were continuously heckling at us: “Fish and chips,” “Lady Gaga” and “Shakira” being the most popular. Although top originality marks (and my personal favourite) goes to the guy who screamed, “I do not want to kiss you because you have Ebola!” Why they think that would make anyone stop and buy their products is beyond me.

However, by day three we considered ourselves experts at negotiating our

way around the bustling streets, and filled with confidence, we decided to brave the street food.

Each evening in the main square, tents, stalls and benches were constructed selling all sorts of local dishes. We finally decided upon braving a weird kind of egg and potato sandwich, which the Australians in our Riad had assured us was delicious and cost the equivalent of 80p. Value for money was ideal and I would definitely recommend trying it, as the whole experience of sitting amongst the locals was rather amusing, although eating it once was probably enough!

Near our Riad there was a small stall selling fruit smoothies which always had a group of locals surrounding it.

Presuming they must be pretty decent,

I ordered a date and banana smoothie, which didn’t disappoint. The plentiful stands selling orange juice were always a safe bet for a super cheap, delicious and nutritious drink costing a mere 40p.

Finally, after walking past numerous women selling what looked like a cross between a macaroon and a cookie my friend gave in to craving sugar, buying a bag full of them. The sweet, chewy biscuits were a favourite from that point onwards and we made several purchases, much to the confusion and surprise of the woman selling them, especially since we chose to only buy them from her.

I would definitely return to Marrakech, it was such a different kind of culture and was an amazing way to take a break from university and the north west.

Housing

Tell that loser you’re not living with them Top tips on how to perform a house-breakup, without spilling too much blood, by Robert Firth

It’s already February, so you should have got your house sorted for next year. If not, you better get marking your territory in the Learning Commons quickly, because that’s where you’ll be sleeping for the next nine months come September. And if you’re one of those individuals who’s thinking of kicking some poor wretch out of your cute imaginary house, think twice, because that’s the future you’re condemning them to. If you still choose to evict them, then here’s how to do it in veritable student style.

The Cigarette Break Take the loser outside for a cigarette. Allow some time for them to calm themselves on toxic inhalations. Then mention that you’re going to have to find a new cigarette buddy next year since they’re not living with you. Keep a distance though, sometimes these types have known to become violent and stub out the cigarette on you.

The Drunken Breakup There’s not much that’s impossible with half a bottle of vodka down your throat. If you keep reneging on that promise to tell them today, then alcohol, for once, really may solve all your problems. Students rave about the method. One second year enthused: “Last year my friend vomited over this girl in 256, before telling her that she didn’t want to live with her. We were worried it would be awkward but it’s great. We never see her now, except sometimes running from the kitchen to her room.”

The Text OMG I hate technology too! Like, I’ve deleted Facebook three times, but like you’ve got to have it at university or you’re out of the loop and like you might miss out on something, right? Of course: instant messaging allows you to compose eloquent essays on why Chloe is no longer part of your house, the bitch. Like, I know that dumping by text is totally outrageous but this is different, you see? You can even sugarcoat your words in smiley faces and love hearts to show just how much you appreciate their friendship, and kissing is obviously a big taboo in person but it’s totally fine to send them in double figures by text.

The Grapevine Then again, why bother prolonging their misery by forewarning the vagrant of a future spent catching a nap on the Ali G sofas? It would be mean to smugly inform them of your refurbished six bedroom house in the centre of Fallowfield (£85pw), bills included. Just let everyone else know about your crib instead and wait for their envious gossip to get back to them. How can they be annoyed at you?

Nothing was concrete anyway, except some drunken promise.

Whatever your method, just tell them as soon as possible and then you’re free to cry with glee into your double duvet, whilst your poor ex-housemate looks longingly southwards through the window of Ali G towards the promised land of Fallowfield.

Photo: smgerdes @Flickr

Want to write for Lifestyle?

E-mail: mancunion.life@gmail.com

Photo: Elina Baltina (Flickr)

Meetings: Thursdays at 5pm, 1st Floor of the Students’ Union

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The Mancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife

Lifestyle

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Finance Sex

We need to talk about: UoM female masturbation Overheard Photo: Andrew Taber (Flickr)

Molly Allen explores the problem we have with discussing female masturbation

Photo: nikmorris @Flickr

The funniest things you’ve been saying around campus this week

“I’m never taking MD again. Oh, wait, no, apart from next weekend. After next weekend, I’m never taking it again.”

Photo: The Alchemist

Overheard on a magic bus

“I don’t know why but I have a feeling Chile would be really cold.”

Photo: MGM Studios

With the recent sexist censorship laws on porn (yes they are sexist and there’s no denying that) and after having a discussion with my house mate, I decided it was high time someone came out and said: “there is nothing wrong with women masturbating.”

Growing up with two younger brothers, I lost count of the numerous conversations I overhead between them and their friends.

It’s no secret that teenage boys can be disgusting and my brothers and their smelly friends were no exceptions. There was endless talk about masturbation. It’s difficult T to imagine a group of teenage girls having the same discussion, at school my friends were repulsed by the idea and anyone who admitted to indulging in a bit of self-love was treated like some degenerate. Similarly,

even aged 22, it is something that is just not discussed.

But why? Woody Allen once said, “don’t knock masturbation. It’s sex with someone you love,” and how right he was. Part of the reason for the lack of discussion around the issue of women masturbating is because of the puritanical, Victorian myth that women don’t enjoy sex. Or if we do enjoy sex, we’re sluts. Science says aside from the obvious biological differences, men and women are the same and I believe this to be very true; therefore, why can’t women openly discuss masturbation when men brag about it till the cows come home?

Again, this comes down to the distinct sexual categories women fall into: virgin and slut (admittedly it can be argued there’s

a third which is ‘frigid’ but I like to think that comes under ‘virgin’). I wish I could tell you when women will eventually be able to be sexual in the same way men are, but I’m afraid I just don’t know. I do know this though, ladies: enjoying sex and your sexuality, which includes masturbation, does not put you into either of these ridiculous ‘categories’, it makes you human.

And who’d have known? The way people react you’d think we were a whole other species.

“there is nothing wrong

”

withwomenmasturbating.

Stereotypes

What is your course stereotype?

Overheard in the Samuel Alexander building

“I had a sex dream about my lecturer last night.”

Overheard outside the library

“He’s really annoying me at the moment, he acts like he’s better than everyone because he’s an aspiring DJ. This is Manchester, who isn’t an aspiring DJ?” Overheard on the bus

What does your degree say about you? Kitty Treverton Jones presents the stereotypes from a selection of university courses

Medicine – There are two kinds of medics: the ones that work super hard and never go out, and the ones who work hard and go out ALL THE TIME. Most of the latter group would not be your first choice of future doctor, but who really cares because they throw the best toga parties.

Politics – Politics students have an opinion about everything and they take it as a personal insult if you don’t vote.

Philosophy – Slightly aloof, they can’t really give you a good reason why they chose to study philosophy or where it will take them in the future, but if Freud comes up in a pub quiz there is no one else you’d want by your side.

Physics –Physicists think of themselves as far superior to both Biology (who they think just sit in lectures singing ‘The Bad Touch’) and Chemistry (whose degree consists solely of learning the periodic table). They have already seen ‘The Theory of Everything’ twelve times and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ is the source of all their comedy.

Pharmacy – For those who weren’t clever enough to do medicine, pharmacy is a scientific alternative that gets you a good job

and a stable career. They know too much about medicinal drugs to ever take illegal ones.

Engineering – They know the country needs them and are slightly smug about the fact they’re guaranteed to earn loads of money. They also adore going bowling and discussing how bridges stay up.

History – History students spend the vast amount of free time they have doing essays/socialising in Blue 3, looking down on everyone who doesn’t know how to reference because they were taught it from day one.

Geography – Moving on from the school stereotype of colouring in with pencil crayons, students who study geography

at degree level have been given more responsibility and are now allowed to use felt tip pens. They’re not sure what to do with all this power, so avoid university altogether by taking 20-credit holidays to Malta.

Languages – They chose their degree for the year abroad and never shut up about it. You will find them in the language centre watching foreign films and complaining about people who assume they are going to become teachers.

Art History – Made up of blonde girls from the south, they spend their university career trying to assure everyone History of Art is a proper degree.

Photo: azrasta @Flickr

“Would you rather have a vagina on your forehead or penises all down your back like a stegosaurus?”

Overheard in the Learning Commons café

“I don’t give a fuck about Withington!”

Overheard in Sainsbury’s, Fallowfield Overheard anything hilarious this week?

Tweet us @MancunionLife

Photo: Olga Pavlonsky (Flickr)

Kitty Treverton Jones

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ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

SPORT

/TheMancunion

Sports Editors: Andrew Georgeson, Will Kelly

@Mancunion_Sport

Contact: sport@mancunion.com

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More money must equate to a living wage

A 70% increase in the television rights for the Premier League must be used to pay workers Andrew Georgeson Sport Editor

£5.1 billion pounds. FIVE (POINT) ONE BILLION. That is how much the TV rights for the Premier League were sold for this week for the upcoming season.

This unfathomable amount of money astonishingly isn’t the highest a TV company pays for the rights to show a sport, that accolade, of course, belongs to the NFL in America. Followed by the NBA then, amazingly for anyone who has watched the sport, MLB. Yet in the United States, there is a feeling that sport, particularly the coverage of it, is designed to make money. The constant breaks in play, time-outs and quarters times, instead of half time, makes plenty of time for advertising.

Of course we are gradually edging towards America every day in our television coverage, and sports are no different. Just look the absolute farce before Wales played England in this year’s 6 Nations. For a while now Sky Sports has been sponsored by Ford, and before each live football match starts we hear an instrumental version of a Tinchy Stryder song whilst a Ford Mondeo drives around the Emirates Stadium.

But Sky, and now BT’s, money cannot be seen as all bad. £10.3 million per match may seem steep, but the reality is that football needs it. Sky has revolutionized the game; we are now bought closer to

Canal+ cameramen are known putting their body on the line to bring you closer to the sport.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

the action, have unprecedented access to players and managers and can even watch the game in 3D. Sky doesn’t reveal how many of its 10.5 million subscribers pay for the sports package, but the reality is if they couldn’t afford to pay for the Premier League, they wouldn’t.

But the only way that £5.1 billion cannot be seen as the final nail in the fan/club relationship is this: first, more money must be invested in grassroots and women’s football and second, the clubs must start paying the living wage to their workers.

Starting with grassroots football. A

reported £168 million will be spent on building 152 all-weather 3G pitches, but beyond that, as little as 5% will be spent.

Lord Sugar was particularly critical of the lack of investment into youth football, describing Sky’s income as the ‘prune effect’, that is, the money goes in one end and comes out the other and is usually spent on players.

BBC this week joined criticism of the money citing that agent fees alone in between October 2013 and September 2014 were £115 million.

Although any charitable effort cannot be criticised, it’s not a stretch to suggest

that the Premier League as an instituion should be doing more, considering players like Danny Ings have set up their own foundations without support.

The second point regards to the living wage of those who work for football clubs. Richard Scudamore, the Chief Executive of the Premier League who praised the recent contract, said it was the clubs, not the Premier League’s responsibility to pay their staff a living wage, and that he doesn’t feel any guilt over players receiving quarter of a million pound a week and stewards receiving minimum wage.

It’s seems a brash statement, and shows how far out of touch football is becoming, especially since recent statistics have come out suggesting that Chelsea are the only Premier League team in London who pay the living wage to their staff.

I work at Old Trafford and get paid minimum wage to pull millionaires pints in the boxes. I am on minimum wage for someone under 21 which is £5.13. On the pitch there is Angel Di Maria who is on £280,000 a week, Wayne Rooney who is on £300,000 a week and Ramadal Falcao on a reported £265,000 a week.

Of course, I don’t deserve the money they do, and working at Old Trafford for the rest of my life isn’t a long term ambition, but for some I work with it is.

There is a difference between what the minimum someone can legally be paid, and the minimum someone can live on, this difference is emphasized if you live in the nation’s capital.

So despite the Premier League essentially receiving a sum bigger than the annual budget of Sudan, a reported 70% increase on last year’s income, this doesn’t translate to a 70% increase in community projects or wages. It is also worth mentioning the ludicrous increase in income that ticket prices look unlikely to fall.

Unfortunately, football looks destined to spiral out of control, with fans not seeing a penny of the money invested in their game.

Alternative XI: Nights out

In the second installment on Alternative XI’s, the Mancunion Sport pick the best team to go for a night out with Manager: Roy Hodgson After his recent defending of Jack Wilshere’s smoking habits you know he would always make sure you get a taxi back, he’s also bringing the Shisha too the party.

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmiechal. After wining the ‘92 Euro Championships, no one quite knows what happend to the Danish Football teams in the following few days. I’m sure after a few Peter would regain us with some tales.

Left Back: Paul Dummett. Token Geordie, he reportadly got a bit merry after the recent derby and chanted ‘I DON’T CARE, PAUL DUMMETT’ to the chune of Icona Pop’s hit song ‘I don’t care’, which has since rung around St. James’ Park.

Defender: David Luiz. Defenders are pretty boring, as a whole. But Luiz seems like he would be a nice guy, although he would inevitably end up spilling drinks everywhere.

Defender: Ronald Koeman. The tactician of the group, he will have sorted out que jump and have a bottle of Grey Goose waiting on the table for you

What a man. Alonso and his family at Octoberfest Photo: @thomasmullerHQ

when you get in. He also would have some fun stories to tell, being part of one of the best football teams on all time.

Right Back: Mathieu Debuchy. The looker of the group, as long as you could deal with him getting all the attention he would be a good addition to any party.

Midfield: Paul Scholes. Mr. Sensible.

According to the ‘Class of ‘92’ he was abit of a whipping boy, so at least you could stitch him up a bit.

Midfield: Xavi. We’ve all seen the photos of him carrying Messi out of a nightclub after a few too many. Quality on and off the pitch, you feel that he and Scholesy would turn in early.

Midfield: Michael Laudrup. A classy addition to the line up. The ex-Swansea manager took his players to Paris for a weekend following a Premier League defeat, which in turn apparently cost him his job. After getting knocked out of Mexico ‘86, the Danish team apparently drank for three days solid to celebrate/

cry.

Midfield: Xabi Alonso. Pretty much any Bayern Munich player could have made it into this list. We all revelled in the photos of the Munich team at Octoberfest, complete in lederhosen, but it was Alonso’s inparticular with his wife and kids that made us all realise how much he was winning in life.

Forward: Peter Crouch. He became an internet senation after crowd surfing at a Kasabian gig, and we know after a few pints we’d all be doing the robot like it was Germany 2006. He also seems like an all round nice guy.

Forward: Diego Maradonna. You would invite him along at your own risk.

You know you would have a great time, but would end up in some pretty sticky situations and end up not going home or sleeping for three days.

Forward: Mario Balotelli. You wouldn’t even have to say anything to him, but you know something interesting would happen. There would be an interesting dynamic between him and Maradonna too. Expect fireworks.

ISSUE 15/ 16th FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

SPORT : 30

The Dortmund dilemma

Daniel Jenkins dissects Dortmund’s dire decline Daniel Jenkins Sport Reporter As the final whistle blows, Borussia Dortmund record another damning defeat to the hands of 10 man Augsburg, rooting them to the foot of Germany’s Bundesliga for the first time since 1985.

The once feared outfit of Dortmund has seen its empire quickly crumble, a return of 16 measly points after 19 games. Calculating at a return of 0.8 points per game, with undoubtable needed context to understand the true nature of this capitulation, Burnley have amassed the same average points return, in what is indisputably a harder and more competitive league.

With Dortmund possessing, world class players, pragmatic manager and loyal fans, the footballing ‘holy trinity’, this begs the question… What has happened to the once feared Borussia Dortmund?

With over 80,000 spectators witnessing Dortmund’s latest defeat at their home ground; Westfalenstadion. World cup winner, Mats Hummels and goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller were compelled to converse with fans. Pictures quickly circulated of the pair who were seen leaning over to the home supporters, in an effort to quell tensions which reached boiling point after the game. Hummels, a transfer target for numerous clubs stated, “If one is in this position after 19 games then it would be unacceptable not to have understanding for the fans’ reactions.” Even from such an unfamiliar position within the league, the handling of the situation is truly admirable, reiterating why so many English football lovers, incandescently fell for the German team, such respectable actions are incomparable to recent behaviour from QPR players who aggressively demonstrated with their travelling fans.

Recent sales to rivals Bayern Munich have inevitably damaged the club, with notable key players; Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski leaving in search of larger contracts at the Allianz Arena. However with manager Jurgen Klopp still possessing immense talent in his ranks with the likes of; Marco Reus, Hummels, Gundogan and Aubameyang all still present at the club, a champions league position cannot have been classed as an unrealistic target at the start of the year. With progress out of their Champions’ league group comfortably secured, presenting a desirable distraction away from their disastrous domestic league year, especially after drawing a beatable competitive Juventus would have caused delight at dodging one the Europe’s higher calibre teams. However with Europe’s titans; Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich still firmly of track of progressing to the latter stages of the cup, it’s hard to form a case in favour of Dortmund winning anything this year.

That is if cup glory is even on the mind of anyone involved within Dortmund, who are currently

playing catch up just to stay afloat in German’s elite league, let alone bring any form of domestic or European success to the once formidable team.

Injuries have been highlighted as greatly hampering their horror season, one look at the appearance stats for Dortmund’s key players and it comes apparent that injuries are not being used as an excuse but a justified reason. Key player, Marco Reus, has only appeared 10 times for Dortmund within the current season, Mat Hummels has only been used slightly more times, accumulating a measly 13 appearances. Their replacements are being fast tracked through youth ranks, and are extremely inexperienced at the top level, their talent is obvious but within this extremely demanding position Dortmund find themselves in are unproved youngsters, able to cope let alone drag Dortmund out of this mess and into safety.

The club have remained calm with little talk of Jurgen Klopp bearing the brunt of the poor season, something which is almost unthinkable within English football, where the need to blame someone is seen to be paramount. However Klopp has maintained that he is able to regain Dortmund’s previous success, stating ‘There is no chance I will resign. I am convinced of our mission in the second half of the season’. Klopp’s managerial value has not fallen with Dortmund with his services still being courted apparently for the Arsenal job after Arsene Wenger ‘finally’ leaves according to SkyBet. However while I’m sat highlighting Borussia Dortmund’s abysmal capitulation of a season, they are currently playing out an unfamiliar regelation battle against SC Freiburg where they are currently 3-0 up. Surely a performance of this magnitude demonstrates that Dortmund are just too good to actually be relegated? However it is undeniable to not be ultimately perplexed by the situation that the once recent champions of Germany and Champions league finalist find themselves in.

Dortmund held onto win 3-0… Remain in relegation zone.

The sudden decline of Dortmund isn’t the first nor will be the last for a football club to suffer in this dramatic manner. Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester City have all seen their clubs suffer greatly in the past through relegation after being at the top for so long. However the reasoning behind Dortmund’s capitulation isn’t clear or understandable. Injuries, player departures, playing style have all been assessed however Dortmund have achieved great records, titles and praise in the past with injuries, departures and adaptable football.

I suppose then, no one is still any closer to answering why Borussia Dortmund find themselves in this worrying unfamiliar position, or even worse If they’ll actually be able to drag themselves out of this predicament.

Are Premier League footballers overpaid?

Harry Newton Sport Reporter

The average earnings of a person, in full-time employment in the UK, is approximately £27,000 a year. Meanwhile, England captain Wayne Rooney earns up to £300,000 a week.

Rooney could pay 11 students’ tuition fees for three years, just with a week’s work. He’d then have three grand left for university essentials; he could even afford to buy his books from Blackwell’s instead of Amazon. Then, with all his sponsorship and media deals, he can afford to top up his hair-do and do his bit for the retired community by taking a few OAP ladies out for dinner. But, is he overpaid? No. Skill In employment you are paid in relative to the skill that you need to possess. Despite how I like to think otherwise, in my job as a part-time pot-washer, I need no skill, and because of that I am paid a measly minimum wage.

A Premier League footballer begins his career as early as six or seven, and works ridiculously hard along the way to fight off competition from all angles and reach the pinnacle, where he is an elitist at the sport he has such a specific talent in.

There are few professions that require the skill a footballer must have and therefore few are as well paid. Just because the skill to be a footballer doesn’t particularly require a great amount of intellect, does not make a footballer any less well skilled than a doctor. Could a doctor train every day and play two football matches a week against some of the most physically fit athletes seen? No. Indispensable If I decide to quit pot-washing tomorrow morning, a spotty sixteen year old with a passion for potwashing will be in the next day raring to go. I am dispensable.

If Sergio Aguero quit Manchester City tomorrow morning, City would lose more games and lose millions of pounds for not finishing as high in the league and being knocked out of the Champions League (though City need to sign Hercules to get past Barcelona in the next round anyway). He is indispensable. So, how do you keep a player like Sergio Aguero? Do you pay him £5.13 an hour like me? Or, do you pay him hundreds of thousands of 1 him 13/02/2015 pounds toSkills.For.MANC.QUART.pdf keep him motivated and keep at the club?

Paid Per Hour If I work a six hour shift, I earn £30.84. If I work a seven hour shift I earn £35.98. The more I work, the more I earn. It’s the same with any job, and a footballer is always working. He must stay constantly in shape to compete at such an incredibly high level; he must eat healthily, train vigorously and as he’s always in the public eye, he must behave and have his job dictate his life.

Jack Wilshere was snapped having a cigarette recently, and the media jumped on him quicker than INSERT SOMETHING. If I was found by my employers having a cig, they’d ask me for half.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger condemned Wilshere and the rest of the league live in fear of touching a cigarette or doing anything the press would determine equally as horrific. A footballer doesn’t just play 90 minutes a week and earn a wage, a footballer works 24/7 and earns a wage. Albeit a bloody good wage.

Working-class Man With the growing interest by the masses, football has become an incredibly rich business to be involved in! The more attractive football becomes, the more people buy tickets, which gives football money to become more attractive - football becomes richer and richer as the days pass. It’s a vicious circle that we are all jealous not to be involved in. But, a footballer is involved in it! So, why should they not earn the bulk of the money?

Imagine that – despite the billions of pounds in football – footballers were only paid the average £27,000. There would be uproar! You simply can’t have football without the footballers. Surely, in a business with this amount of money, they should be paid in relative to that money and be paid the most money within it. These are working class men that have climbed the ladder in a businessman’s world and earn themselves a merry wage doing something they love. We should be happy for these men, mostly from humble backgrounds. Envy, but don’t enrage.

Manchester United’s revenue last year was £433,300,000 – whereas the average Premier League footballer earns between £25,000 and £30,000 a week. In relative to the amount clubs earn – footballers don’t earn enough. The bulk of that money should be theirs… but somehow I don’t 09:35 think they’ll be complaining too much anyway.

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Matt Hummel’s incredible apology to the Dortmund fans after another defeat.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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We need to be conscious to the danger of concussion

Will Kelly discusses the need for change in the way head injuries are assessed Will Kelly Sport Editor Sport can be frustrating can’t it?

Especially when it comes down to things that appear so simple to the eye such as the lack of technology in sport. For years we have cried out for the use of goal line technology in football and only now are the football authorities reacting. With margins for winning and losing being so thin, football fans have often turned to Rugby to show how they have got it so right with their use of technology. The technology is fantastic for asserting a fair outcome of matches but as the recent clash showed between England and Wales, it appears that there is still something lacking in the “common sense” department.

George North remained on the field following a second blow to the head in the 21-16 loss to England and it seemed to bring about some moral outrage amongst the public. TV replays appeared to show him being knocked out in the 61st minute and was investigated by World Rugby- the world’s governing body- in which they declared George North should not have played on. However, they have accepted that the medical staff did not see the incident.

At the time of the incident, it sounds ignorant but I did not seem to think it was a big deal and the reaction I saw on Facebook was over the top. Head collisions are always going to happen in such a physical game and I thought suggestions that Doctors should be dragging off players seemed ludicrous. I myself played rugby and had experienced concussion once. I took a blow to the head during a tackle and remember when a kick up was coming straight to me. I wanted to move my legs to jump but they felt like jelly and I could not propel myself into a jump to catch the ball. I knocked the ball on, and probably looked a bit silly. I played on the

In Partnership with the Students’ Union

George North took several blows to the head against England yet played on.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

last 5 minutes of the game but it was only when I asked my coach at the end that he started asking me medical questions in the fear I had been concussed. People kept arguing about the “long term effects” to George North, but if you are playing England in the six nations and hyped up on adrenalin, he’s not really going to be entirely bothered is he?

However, it was only when I googled “concussion in sport fatality” that I really understood how dangerous it really was. The first link that came up regarded a 14 year old Ben Robinson, a teenager playing for his school.

After being treated 3 times for blows to the head, he was sent back onto the field after each occasion. He eventually collapsed and died in hospital. Ben was the first person in UK to die of Second impact syndrome while playing. It was particularly shocking how the parents, the referee and the coach could not have seen any warning signs. According to the Guardian’s statistics, whilst making a tackle, concussion is 12% of all injuries obtained. Whilst being tackled, it stands at 11 percent. Considering different parts of your body are more likely to be injured in both situations, it is staggering to put in reality how vulnerable your head really is.

It is perhaps it is of no surprise then that North had been subsequently dropped for the

clash against Scotland, a decision cited by Wales head coach Warren Gatland to be a welfare decision, not a rugby decision, because he had previously suffered concussion in the 34-16 defeat to New Zealand. George North is reportedly unhappy about this, as in his examination he was found not to have suffered concussion. However, as Gatland asserts, “the decision [not to select North] was about him being a young man and needing to be looked after.”

I just find it staggering that the World Governing body had not thought in a game played at the highest level and the amount of staggering hits people make, to have introduced technology for doctors sooner? Players will always want to play on but injuries like this could be a matter of life and death. We all enjoy passion and the determination not to let anyone down. However, just imagine if you were in the footsteps of Ben Robinson’s parents. Their son went to play a game he loved playing and never came home. Players need to understand that their wellbeing should come first. Hopefully one day, all sports will get the technology question right!

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In pictures: Launch of Equality and Diversity Charter

Women’s Netball featuring Rainbow Laces Photo: @UMRFC1

(L-R) Lou Englefield, Director of Pride Sports, Jasmine Titmuss, Lancashire Women’s Cricket Captain, Rory McCloskey, Athletic Union Chair, Katy Young, Sport Development Officer.

Photo: SportManchester

Jasmine posing with the men’s football team and the Equality and Diversity Charter Photo: SportManchester

Men’s Rugby’s boots kitted out with rainbow laces Photo: @UMRFC1

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Concussion Debate

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Manchester laces up against homophobia

This week sees the AU launch a Equality and Diversity charter in light of LGBT History Andrew Georgeson Sport Editor To mark LGBT history month, this week the AU launched their Equality and Diversity Charter, in conjunction with the Student’s Union and Pride Sports.

Pride Sports ambassador Jasmine Titmuss, Women’s Lancashire Cricket club captain, was present at the Armitage last Wednesday to oversee BUCS fixtures and officially launch the pledge.

University Sport often make the news for outbursts of heavily criticised phenomenon of ‘lad’ behaviour, such as the University of Bristol Rugby Team who came to national attention last week for naked antics in their favoured watering hole, as well as LSE Men’s Rugby teams outbursts regarding the opposite sex.

This movement by Manchester shows a marked improvement of attitudes with Lou Englefield, head of Pride Sports saying, “We were approached by the Athletic Union to work with them on their Purple and Proud initiative for LGBT History Month. Last week Pride Sports delivered training to captains from all AU sports clubs, which resulted in the development

of an Equality Pledge. The opportunity to introduce Jasmine as our ambassador at tomorrow’s event is tremendous and we hope she will inspire students in the Athletic Union to work hard to make their clubs inclusive of everyone.”

Rory McCloskey, AU Chair and Katy Young, Sport Development coordinator, told the Mancunion that Lou Engfield also provided the first ever Equality and Diversity training to the AU committee members.

In light of LGBTQ History month and the newly formed pledge, three of Manchester’s largest sports teams laced up against homophobia. Men’s Rubgy in their 63-3 defeat at Nottingham Trent, Men’s basketball during their 52-63 defeat to Salford, and women’s Netball during their 23-39 defeat to MMU, all donned rainbow laces against their opponents to show solidarity with LGBT athletes.

Titmuss was also present for photographs with officials and team players, holding up signs saying ‘Purple and Proud’ in rainbow lettering.

Many AU teams also tweeted the ‘Purple and Proud’ logo with rainbow lettering.

The Rainbow Lace campaign was launched by Stonewall last

year and championed by Paddy Power as well as influential sports people such as Joey Barton and Alan Pardew.

Despite receiving criticism from certain quarters for the slightly inappropriate slogan ‘Right Behind Gay footballers’, the movement has generally been well received.

The launch of the charter also corresponds with the Football v Homophobia conference which took place in Manchester last sunday. The movement has recently been taken on by Premier League clubs, with Manchester City wearing Football v Homophobia shirts during their warm ups.

To find out more about Pride Sport visit www.pridesport. org.uk or to purchase Rainbow Laces for your team visit www. stonewall.org.uk/football.

See more photos from Wednesday’s launch on page 31.

Men’s Rugby were one of three teams lacing up against homophobia Photo: Sport Manchester

Manchester men’s seconds were among the teams wearing rainbow laces.

Photo: Sport Manchester

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