25TH FEB 2013 ISSUE 15 FREE
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MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
‘I’m gay, and if they send me back to Senegal I’m a dead man’
P8
Syria crisis: PhD student speaks out
P9
Food & Drink try out some horsemeat recipes
P22
Society in homophobia scandal shuts down after national outcry
- ‘Global Aspirations of Women’ disbands following outrage - Police receive complaint over homophobic language - Recording receives over 11,000 hits on YouTube attention,
Richard Crook Editor-in-Chief
the
Students’
Union
suspended Global Aspirations pending an investigation and the society have
The society embroiled in a scandal over a speaker accused of homophobia has shut down following national condemnation. Last week The Mancunion exposed Global Aspirations for hosting a student speaker who said at a public meeting they would have homosexuals killed in their ideal Islamic state. After
the
story
gained
national
since voluntarily shut down.
it was widely shown by other news
were drowned out by angry students
websites and has since been watched
and blog posts calling for action.
over 11,000 times at the time of writing. Some
students
said: “It is totally unacceptable that such
the suggestion that comments of a
Facebook to defend Global Aspirations
extremist views advocating violence,
homophobic nature have been made.”
and
of
and hatred towards homosexuals are
The
took
Gay Muslim advocate Omar Kuddus
to
accuse
initially
Mancunion
The statement provoked an angry
sensationalism. Sahar Rauf accused
allowed or even exist in modern Britain.
reaction on Twitter and drew analysis
The Mancunion of “shoddy journalism”
Especially when it is falsely made in the
But the original statement offered
from national news websites. Douglas
and added, “The mi5 and CTU are
name of my religion, Islam, which in its
by the Students’ Union was heavily
Murray wrote sarcastically for The
criticised for similar under hand [sic]
true form, as expressed in the Koran,
criticised and two updated statements
Spectator: “You see. Wrong done on
tactics where they have framed British
promotes peace and acceptance.
were subsequently released as the day’s
both sides. If everybody only admitted
Muslims, taken recordings out of
events unfolded.
that then perhaps we could all just get
context, infiltrated communities and
along. Can’t we?”
created mistrust and paranoia.”
It originally read, “We are deeply
But as the story spread to The
concerned with the covert filming
The Students’ Union prevented The
of a student event within the Union.
Mancunion from releasing the video
Telegraph,
We are also deeply concerned by
recording online for legal reasons, but
PinkNews, defenders of the society
Huffington
Post
and
Continued on page 2
02 : NEWS
ISSUE 15 / 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Highlights
Student commute an ‘accident hotspot’ for cyclists
600 people took to the streets for the Reclaim the Night march last week in Manchester. The event was described by organisers as a roaring success . And featured a sold out after party. Full story on page 7. Photo: Luchia HoughtonLloyd
News, page 5
Picture of the week
The Mancunion were right to publish last week’s front page
Comment, page 12
Interview: Mosca Music, page 18
Society in homophobia scandal shuts down after national outcry Continued from front page
“Have the Global Aspirations of Women members and chair actually read the Koran? Their comments are un-Islamic and have no foundation in my religion.” Kevin Peel, a Manchester councillor and member of the LGBT Labour National Executive, told The Mancunion: “I was surprised, I have to say, that people in a city as proud of its diversity as Manchester would hold these views. “We should absolutely support freedom of speech, but people don’t have a right to say things when those comments infringe on the freedom of others.” On Wednesday, BBC North West visited the Students’ Union to cover the events. Colin Cortbus, the 1st year student who took the re-
cording, told the BBC: “I don’t think this type of incitement has any place in a 21st century democratic society. We want equality for all and liberty for all.” Nick Pringle, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, said: “When this was brought to light, the Students’ Union took the decision to suspend the society pending investigation, and following that they took the decision to completely disband, which we welcome.” BBC North West Political Editor Arif Ansari concluded, “This case raises wider questions about radicalisation on campus and how it’s monitored. “It’s only through the initiative of one student, not the union or the university, which has led to Global Aspirations being exposed.” Khadijah Afzal, chair of now-closed Global Aspira-
tions and speaking on behalf of the society, told The Mancunion: “It was a hypothetical discussion in which people were open to discuss their views, which or may not have necessarily been that of the society. “The fact that you have pin pointed only the discussion on the punishment system in Islam shows that you are ignorant of Islam as a political system, and hence decided to play the media rhetoric of Islam equates to harsh punishments and lack of humanity.” Ms Afzal refused to respond to requests to identify the speaker. Greater Manchester Police confirmed a complaint had been made on Wednesday 20th February regarding comments made in the video, and that “enquiries were ongoing.”
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Lisa Murgatroyd News Editor Last week saw students take to sumo suits and speed dating all in the name of charity as Manchester RAG held its annual ‘RAG Week’. With an event every day, over £1,500 was raised by volunteers who helped organise a ‘Dare Night’ and the ‘Big Fat Pub Quiz’. Organiser, Megan Lyons, talked to The Mancunion about the experience. “RAG Week was definitely a challenge, but putting it together and seeing hundreds of people enjoying the events and raising money for charity at the same time was an amazing feeling and is definitely something I want to do again. We had a great turnout to events.” The most popular event was the RAG edition of Take Me Out, which raised approximately £700 alone. Hosted by presenters from Fuse FM, there were four rounds, including LGBT. The event was filmed by Fuse TV. “I can’t wait to watch the foot-
age of it as I spent most of the night running around backstage. Being backstage and hearing the audience laughing so much was a really good feeling,” Ms Lyons said. “Battle of the Bands was another massive success for us and our second biggest fundraiser, and the carnival outside University Place, sponsored by PwC, was a lot of fun.” The carnival included sumo wrestling, gladiator jousting, and Valentine’s Day themed treats. Also available was the opportunity to be serenaded by a Barbershop Quartet. “The RAG committee were fantastic at helping put everything together and publicise the events and I’m so thankful to them as it was a pretty crazy week, but hopefully it’s really raised RAG’s profile so that even more students know what we do and are excited to get involved with fundraising now.” The money raised will go to the Manchester RAG Community Fund, which is divided up between a range of charities across the north-west.
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ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
NEWS : 03
Manchester University’s sex services given an ‘F’ Manchester University comes 23rd out of the 24 Russell Group Universities in new sexual health league table Ellen Conlon News Editor
The University of Manchester’s sexual health services have failed to achieve even a ‘third’ in a new report card ranking the 24 Russell Group universities. The league table, compiled by Dr Ed, an online medical service places Manchester in 23rd place, just missing the bottom position, with only Cardiff University behind it. ‘Firsts’ were awarded to Nottingham University, who tops the league, Kings College London, and Bristol University. The report card aims to call attention to the state of sexual health on campuses nationwide by ranking them according to the accessibility of sexual health resources and information available to students. The 11 categories that each university were graded on included Sexual Health Information on Website, Campus Information, Student Rating and Website Ease of Use, all of which Manchester received a grade ‘F’ for. The University managed to scrape two ‘B’ grades in their availability of Drop in Sessions and their Contraceptive Access but this failed to save them from not receiving a university classification level. Manchester University has an Advise Service for sexual health,
which is open for five hours a day on weekdays and provides free condoms, panic alarms and pregnancy tests. They do not have their own sexual health clinic, and the Union website recommends students go to a GUM (Genito Urinary Medicine), Contraceptive or Sexual Health clinic to be tested on a regular basis. The closest to the University is the Hathersage Centre. When asked what she thought about Manchester’s sexual health services, Teresa Green, a third year History student at the University said: ‘There isn’t enough information around campus, I didn’t even know Manchester had an Advise Service. “The Union doesn’t provide much information on sexual health and more information would probably improve sexual health,” she added. Violet Short, a third year Classics student agreed. “I suppose they wouldn’t need [their own sexual health centre] if they promoted the Hathersage Centre because it is so big and close to the university, but I haven’t even seen that,” she said. When asked about the University’s online services both admitted that they had never used them. “I wouldn’t have thought to look on the university website for sexual health services, that should be better advertised,” said Violet. Teresa agreed: “I’ve never
Fresh Meat Treasure Hunt across campus Sean Doherty Reporter The cast of Channel 4’s Fresh Meat are coming to the University of Manchester as part of a Comic Relief event put on by RAG. The University campus will be turned into a Treasure Hunt on Friday 1st March, as the cast of the Manchester University based sitcom will join teams of students in a race to the finish line. Teams will have an hour to complete five challenges and a bonus head start will be given to those who raise the most money before the race. The cast, including ex-
University of Manchester student Jack Whitehall, will be competing against the clock to complete their own tasks. The event will start and finish in the Students’ Union, and spectators will be encouraged to come along and join in.
Manchester University managed to score a “B” for their access to contraceptives. Photo: Peachcy92 @Flickr
looked because I didn’t know the university provided sexual health help.” The Dr Ed website agrees that promotion of sexual health issues is a problem across many university campuses and says that student welfare officers, who helped with
The winning team will get to meet and have their photographs taken with the cast, as well as getting their hands on a collection of signed Fresh Meat merchandise. They will even have the chance to get on TV with the actors as part of the BBC Comic Relief programme. Teams of up to four people may enter to take part in the fundraising event, paying £10. All proceeds from the event will go to Comic Relief.
The Fresh Meat cast will be taking part in a treasure hunt on campus. Photo: Comic Relief
their research, reported that leaflets and posters promoting sexual health issues were often poor or not available at all. The National Union of Students Vice President Pete Mercer said that this new report card may help to encourage universities to improve
the services on offer to students and to address areas where there is room for improvement. “Although it probably won’t be a driving factor when choosing a university, this is just the sort of information that should be at a student’s fingertips,” he said.
Toilet bowl request kicks up a stink Mike Williams News Editor
The Students’ Union Exec team were asked for their help to flush out an unusual problem last week. Amongst the more normal requests for a nap room in the library and a Union boycott of Starbucks, a more unconventional idea was logged in the Executive meeting minutes. “Ask students not to step on the toilet bowl when doing their business,” the request pleaded, “so that ‘things’ don’t splatter out to the rim of the bowl where no flushing can be reached.” The request, addressed in the February 4th meeting, caused widespread bewilderment
within the Exec team. “There was confusion over the meaning of this, and clarity was needed,” read the meeting minutes. “Cat [Gray, Wellbeing Officer] to follow up.” Unfortunately, the idea had to be “deferred until [the] next round” because the University Assembly already had six ideas for discussion. However, the Exec team did carry out their doody of care, and, not wanting to leave the specifics of this case a crapshoot, contacted the student who submitted the request directly for some clarification. “Student has already been contacted to confirm that they meant the University”, the minutes show. Speculation has been swirl-
“If nothing else, hopefully the Dr Ed report card will increase awareness of student sexual issues and encourage universities to both tae them more seriously and to learn from the best examples already in existence,” he added.
ing around the Students’ Union that such a request was not sincere, and made faeces-iously. Rumours that this was an idea submitted simply to make the Exec team the butt of a joke are, as yet, unconfirmed. Bogged down with other Union business, the Exec team did not devote too much time to the issue. The proposal that The Students’ Union should boycott Starbucks was discussed at greater length – indeed, it appeared that on the list of priorities, students stepping on the toilet bowl is a distant number two. At the time of writing, the request had not yet been followed through. However, the Exec team were not prepared toilet the issue slip through the cracks. “Ask for clarity on the toilet idea”, read the note in the Feburary 11th meeting. Cat Gray could not be reached for comment.
ISSUE 15 / 25th FEBRUARY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
04 : News
David Cameron ‘insulting’ Indian students The Prime Minister has met with criticism following his attempts to attract more Indian students to the UK Anthony Organ News Editor
David Cameron’s attempts to encourage Indian students to study in the UK have been branded “insulting” by the Indian Society’s General Secretary. The Prime Minister was in India last week to try and forge a “special relationship” between the two nations. He hoped to persuade more Indian students to study at British universities following a dramatic fall in their numbers. Mr Cameron stressed that there is “no limit” to the numbers of Indians who can study in the UK and stay on in graduate-level jobs after they qualify. But a Home Office spokesperson confirmed to The Mancunion that there will be no changes to current visa policies, which require international students to find a £20,000 job with an employer willing to sponsor them if they are to remain in the UK after graduation. Arjun Thakur, General Secretary of The University of Manchester’s Indian Society, said: “He’s gone to India for a PR stunt. It’s kind of insulting. “I’d rather he made real changes to benefit not just Indian
students but all international students.” In 2011/12 there were 23.5 per cent fewer Indian students in UK higher education than the year before, according to data released in January by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Mr Thakur said: “That’s why Mr Cameron’s in Bombay, isn’t it? He sensed something is wrong, one in four students isn’t coming here any more. “I know he’s welcoming us, but the barriers are tightening here since the rule changes. It’s already difficult for international students and as soon as they introduced the sponsorship criteria, it’s just become harder.” Until April 2012, nonEuropean graduates could apply for a Tier 1 Post Study Work visa, allowing them two years to find work without the need for the employer to sponsor them. This scheme was closed last April, forcing these graduates to apply for a Tier 2 visa or return to their home country. Tim Westlake, Director of Student Experience at the University, said: “The problem with that is that the employer has to have a licence, so it’s a lot of hassle for them. Why wouldn’t they just take a British graduate? “In the same way that we’re the sponsor for our students
Students shift from Fallowfield to city centre Mariana Cerqueira Reporter
More students are choosing to live in the city centre instead of typical student areas like Fallowfield, recent Manchester City Council figures show. In the last four years, the numbers of students living in the city centre has increased by 29%, while numbers in the South of Manchester are dropping. Ripon Abdul, Manager of the city centre branch of Homes4U, confirmed the trend: “In the last four or five years, we’ve been busier in the Summer time because that’s when students let in the city centre. “There’s has been a growing availability for students in the city centre because landlords are more receptive to the idea,” he said. He added that while the trend was originally confined to international students, there has been “a growing number of UK students in the last three
Members of The University of Manchester’s Indian Society celebrate Diwali. Photo: Danish Chakarwarty
and have to monitor that they’re around, the employer has to take on those obligations. It’s more work for them.” He explained that whilst the numbers of undergraduate students from India at the University has increased, in the past two years there has been a 32 per cent fall in Indian Master’s enrolments, with Master’s applications from India down a further 33 per cent this year.
or four years”. Discussing her reasons for living in the city centre, one British student said: “I couldn’t face getting the bus to lectures. It’s great being able to walk to University in ten minutes and walk to my usual train station in 5 minutes. “Manchester has a beautiful city centre and I wanted to experience city life as well as student life. “Even though the city centre is more expensive, you don’t have to pay for travel in buses or taxis as much because you can walk everywhere.” Price can vary noticeably between the city centre and Fallowfield. A two bedroom flat in the city centre costs an average of £800 per month, but the equivalent property in Fallowfield costs only £600 a month on average. Elin McDonald, a student living in Fallowfield, said: “I’ve never thought of living in the city centre because of the cost of housing there. “Also, because there are so many students in Fallowfield the atmosphere is really good.” Elin has not noticed any decrease in Fallowfield’s student population, contrary to what the figures show: “I think Fallowfield is just as busy as ever. The queues for the bus in the morning are huge so it shows how many students there are around. Night life is still really busy around here too.” Mr Abdul agrees: ‘There’s still a very high demand in Fallowfield, especially for bigger houses
Mr Westlake said that the focus of the visa restrictions was around encouraging the employment of more UK-born graduates. He said: “From a political standpoint, this plays well to a large part of the UK’s population. “But people won’t understand that helping international students get jobs for a couple of years links to their interests in improving international trade
long-term.” Mr Thakur agreed, predicting: “In my opinion, these rules are going to cut international student numbers to a point where we might not even consider applying to the UK in the next 15 years. That will cost the UK massively.” Universities receive 10 per cent of their income from nonEU students and these students are estimated to contribute
£8bn a year into the economy. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills predicts that this figure will rise to £16.8bn by 2025. Mr Westlake said: “There’s a perception that the UK isn’t welcoming, because of visa policy, but I think the reality is that once Indian students come here we are exceptionally welcoming.”
Students are flocking to city centre accommodation, such as the new Student Castle. Photo: Alex Pepperhill
as you can’t find those in other areas like the city centre.” Student Castle, the new high quality student accommodation near Oxford Road train station, demonstrates the growing preference of students for the city centre. It is currently sold out in its first year, despite the drop in student numbers that led three halls to close in the Fallowfield Campus. An international student living in the Student
Castle said she chose it because of its location. She explained: “I lived in Fallowfield in first year but it’s really far away from campus so I prefer to live closer to university. “Living in Fallowfield is a good idea when you’re a fresher as people go out most nights and you can make friends easily but since it’s my 3rd year I prefer to live closer to university and in a quieter place.”
ISSUE 15 / 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
NEWS : 05
Student commute ‘an accident hotspot’ for cyclists
Manchester Business School graduates have created a new sweet, high in caffeine Photo: Kaffeination
Oxford and Wilmslow Roads have the highest number of accidents per year involving cyclists in Manchester Jonathan Breen News Editor Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road are the most dangerous roads for cyclists in Manchester and the Curry Mile is an ‘accident hotspot’, say police. The roads have the highest number of accidents per year, and the area in Rusholme is one of a few with high numbers of accidents involving cyclists along Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road, according to the Greater Manchester Police. “This road has the highest rate of accidents a year involving cyclists in Manchester,” said PC Andy Speed. “The Curry Mile is one of a few accident hotspots.”
Figures obtained from a Freedom of Information request by The Mancuncion show that from January 2011 to August 2012 there were 43 accidents involving cyclists, 4 of which were serious, along Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road. Whether the fault for these accidents is with cyclists or motorists has become a contentious issue in the cycling community. “We received lots of complaints from bus drivers about cyclists on Oxford Road. We investigated these complaints and found a lot of them to be genuine,” said PC Speed, responsible for running a cycling safety awareness campaign along Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road, this month.
As part of the campaign, on February 12 police were stationed at the Fallowfield end of the Curry Mile, issuing cyclists with £30 fines for any violation they made, such as riding through a red light. Cyclists caught breaking the law were given the option of paying the fine, or attending one of a series of cycling safety awareness events held at Withington fire station. Final year medical student Charlotte Hickson, who received a £30 fine for riding through a red light, told The Mancunion that people seemed to be “such bad drivers” and said “something needs to be done” about the Curry Mile. “The Curry Mile is the worst place,” she said. “It is basically a pedestrianized road. Almost all of my accidents have happened on the Curry Mile. “There are pedestrians walking out from in between parked cars, car doors opening, cars double parked next to parked cars, with taxis trying to go around them. And there are pedestrians in the cycle lanes using them as walkways. “Something needs to be done about Rusholme. I have never seen anything like it.” She added, “I often go through red lights, because there are so many of them. And I think it is safer to maintain a constant speed with traffic, I feel like I am in more control. “It is more dangerous to be constantly stopping and starting, because the buses don’t look when they pull out. “In general, everyone seems to be such bad drivers, and they are so angry.” Former University of Manchester student Sudhin Bajimaya, who also received
a £30 fine for running a red light, agreed with Miss Hickson. “Oxford Road is very dangerous. Curry Mile is horrible,” he said. “Bus and taxi drivers don’t care about cyclists. That is why I think people cycle on the pavements, which is an issue.” “I don’t usually ride through red lights. But I think it is safer to ride through on a red light than on a green light, because there is no chance of getting hit by car. Local resident and cyclist Martin Mayor, who was issued with a £30 fine for riding through a red light outside the BBC building on Oxford Road, felt strongly that the fault for accidents involving cyclists was with motorists. “Cyclists don’t kill people, drivers do,” said Mr Mayor. “Really cyclists cause very few accidents. It is a fact that the fault lies with the drivers.” He added, “Cyclists that are killed can’t actually ever give their side of the story.” Fourth year History and German student Tom Glasser felt ignorant cyclists were the ones causing problems on the road. “It’s a lazy stereotype, but it’s true that it is usually art students on ‘fixie’ bikes who believe they are meta-beings who think they are invisible and cars cannot see them,” he said. Inspector Paul Rowe from the GMP’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit, who has been running the cycling awareness presentations at Withington fire station, said he wants to educate cyclists, because they are the most “vulnerable”. “People can just pick up a pushbike and ride it with no training whatsoever,” he said. “I am just trying to highlight to people, be aware of what is going on.
“Trying to educate people everybody is a big issue. “A problem we have is a number of the different students that come, say from China and so forth, they don’t have rules and regulations like we have. So they’re not aware of what the rules are here. Insp Rowe added, “I’d love it all to change, I feel that the cycle lanes at the side of road are difficult in the fact that all it is is a lane. “You get people parking on the cycle lanes that are lazy and can’t be bothered to park around the corner and walk to get their curry. It is an offence to park on a cycle lane. Insp Rowe also supposed the high rate of accidents on Oxford Road and Wilmslow Road was down to the large number of cyclists using the route. Manchester City Council told The Mancunion that they have plans to improve cycle lanes in the city. “We have applied for some funding from the Department of Transport. That will go towards improving the cycle paths going into the city centre and improving junctions to make them better for cyclists,” said a spokesman for the council. “We are still at the phase of looking into exactly where that money is going to go and how it is going to be used. “Cycling is a big priority for the city council, to make it a better city for cyclists. Police were on campus this month with a bus and damaged bicycles as part of presentation on cycling safety, and will be on campus in March with a similar presentation for the University’s Wellbeing Week.
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ISSUE 15 / 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
NEWS : 07
Students and community unite to Reclaim the Night
Protestors march down Oxford Road as part of Reclaim of Night
Pippa Allen-Kinross Reporter
‘Reclaim the Night’ was hailed as a roaring “success” by organisers as community groups and students from across the country joined the annual march, last week. Approximately 600 people turned out to demonstrate women’s right to walk the streets at night “free from sexual violence, street harassment and assault”. The large turnout caused onlookers to stop and watch the march, with several taking photographs, cheering and clapping or beeping their car horns to show support.
The night was rounded off with an after party at the Students’ Union, featuring performances from Manchester former X Factor contestant Misha B and comedienne Kate Smurthwaite. All proceeds from tickets went to local women’s charities. Tabz O’Brien-Butcher, Manchester Women’s Officer and organiser of ‘Reclaim the Night’ said, “Well, last night was absolutely bloody amazing!” She was joined on the march by National Union of Students (NUS) Women’s Officer Kelley Temple and NUS VP for Union Development Vicki Baars, currently running for NUS President. The march began outside Owens
Park and moved down Wilmslow Road through the Curry Mile to the Students’ Union. The police closed part of the road for the march, and volunteers stewarded the event. Led by a women-only block, many male marchers also attended to show their support. Concerns over women’s safety at night has been a prevalent issue for many years, with the ‘Reclaim the Night’ organisers citing a 2005 More magazine survey that found that 95% of women don’t feel safe on the street at night, whilst 73% fear being raped and almost half are put off going out due to fears for their safety. Meanwhile, Britain’s rape conviction rate remains one of the
lowest in Europe, with findings last month suggesting that fewer than one rape victim in thirty can expect to see their attacker brought to justice. Sarah Cook, a third year Speech and Language Therapy student who attended the march, said: “As an issue, I definitely don’t think that women’s safety gets enough attention. Women are expected to just accept that it’s not safe for them to walk alone at night. I never feel safe on my own.” Many attendees brought placards, glowsticks, flags and banners to the event, whilst leaflets with suggested chants were handed out, for instance “whatever we wear, wherever we
go, yes means yes and no means no!” Susi Law, a member of Riveters Feminist Collective and planning to stand for Women’s Officer next year, said that “Reclaim the Night is so important because it brings together people who believe we shouldn’t live in a world where women are scared to walk the street at night. “By taking to the street and standing together with women and allies, we are calling for an end to the blaming of survivors for their attacks. Women should be safe everywhere, and the only person who is ever to blame for their attack is the attacker.”
Oxford University college sued for ‘elitism’ Michael Williams News Editor
A Salford student is suing an Oxford University college after being refused a place on financial grounds. Damien Shannon applied for an economic and social history masters course at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, and was awarded a place. However, his offer was then withdrawn by the college because he could not provide evidence that he had access to £12,900 in living expenses. Mr Shannon is now taking legal action against the college for what he calls a breach of his human rights. On their website, St. Hugh’s College claim that they “aim to admit the brightest students […] regardless of their educational, social or ethnic background.” Mr Shannon, on the other hand, claims otherwise. “How can [this rule] not dissuade poorer students from applying? In order to take up a place at Oxford you must prove access to wealth,” Mr Shannon told The Mancunion. “It is a case of elitism, for the simple reason that
the University appe=ars to be trying to preserve its traditions by only admitting those wealthy enough to partake in them.” The requirement itself is not the only aspect coming under criticism. How St. Hugh’s College arrived at the figure has also been called into question. “The College have admitted in court that the figure includes the entry fees to local nightclubs, cinema tickets, mobile phones, sizeable and unexplained sums for clothes and ‘leisure’,” Mr Shannon explained. “On any objective assessment of the figures that the University has set out, they are excessive and are designed to allow a student to live a rather generous lifestyle, rather than designed to allow them to complete their studies.” “The idea that not being able to afford to visit nightclubs regularly will render a student incapable of succeeding in the seminar room is laughable.” Oxford University claims that the rule is in place to help students. “At Oxford, we require a financial guarantee before the start of a postgraduate’s course to ensure that students can cover their fees and living costs,”
explained Ruth Collier, Head of Press and Information Office at the University of Oxford. “We consider this preferable for the welfare of the individual student, as it lessens the risk of people dropping out part way through a course.” Damien Shannon dismissed this claim as “simply not true”. “People drop out regardless of this rule existing, including for financial reasons.” he said. “The College have revealed in court that students already studying, who run into financial difficulty, can draw on College and University funding for assistance.” “These are freedoms not open to applicants, who must have all the money upfront […] and cannot draw on any means-based support.” Director of graduate admissions Jane Elizabeth Sherwood had to apologise last week in court for previously falsely claiming that other Universities had the same admission practices. The hearings are ongoing. Judge Armitage QC will return to Manchester country court with a judgment at an unspecified future date.
Nominations close for Student Union elections Lisa Murgatroyd News Editor The nominations for this year’s Students’ Union Elections have now closed, and the candidates for the next Exec Team have been announced. 53 candidates in total are currently standing for eight roles on the Exec Team, a significant increase on last year when only 39 people stood. This might have been helped in part by a last minute blast on social media announcing that two positions remained unopposed with only five hours to go; Campaigns & Citizenship, and Education. The latter is now the most contested with 14 candidates in total. The least contested position is Diversity, with four people running. The current Diversity Officer, Saad Wahid, is now standing for General Secretary. Receiving over 4,000 votes in total for the position last year, it is the fiercest competition which last year saw candidates taking over campus with chalk messages, hundreds of posters and banners. Also standing this year for Gen Sec is Colin Cortbus, James Johnson and Choudhury Haziq. Grace Skelton is the only female candidate. The other current Exec Team member to stand this year is Tabz O’Brien-Butcher, who is rerunning for her role as Women’s Officer. Voting will open through the student portal at 10am on Friday 8th March and closes at 6pm on 14th March. Results will be announced the same night, held in the Students’ Union. Fuse FM and Fuse TV will be teaming up with The Mancunion to host the hustings for all candidates where everyone will be encouraged to pose questions on the night and online. Last year, almost 8,000 students voted, making it the most well attended election to date. The Students’ Union aims to beat that figure this year and will be encouraging all students to get involved by setting up voting stations around campus, and even bringing in an ice cream van outside the library which will be free for the first 300 voters on the day. There will also be a by-election for the role of NUS Conference Delegate (women only), and an unopposed position of Humanities Postgraduate Representative. There are two ideas which were submitted to Assemblies that will available for an All Student Vote; “Should the Students’ Union have Interfaith Reps as an elected non-sabbatical position?” and “Should the Union campaign to make all lecturers in a unit use the same format or all lecture slides in that unit?”. Full list of candidates is available on the Students’ Union website.
08 : Feature
ISSUE 15 / 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
‘If they send me back to Senegal, I’m a dead man’ Senegalese student Tacko Mbengue faces deportation unless he can prove he is gay - raising questions about our society’s attitude to homosexuality Andrew Williams Features Editor ‘Prove you’re gay or go home.’ It is the kind of stark ultimatum we might expect from a faraway backwater, rather than a challenge laid down by the UK government. Yet here in Britain a Londonbased student has been told exactly that. Next Tuesday, the latest in a string of hearings will decide the fate of 26-yearold Senegalese student Serigne ‘Tacko’ Mbengue, a man whose sole crime is his sexuality. No less than 76 countries continue to prosecute people on the grounds of their sexual orientation, with punishments ranging from a short spell in prison to, in seven countries, death. Whilst our government is content with raking in billions through the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia – as our royal family frequently cavorts with theirs during state visits – homosexual Saudi citizens face execution back home. Senegal imposes a comparatively liberal penalty of up to five years imprisonment. Legality aside, the near-constant persecution Tacko would be faced with on return to West Africa doesn’t bear thinking about. “Senegal is a very homophobic country,” Tacko lamented as he spoke to The Mancunion. “Of course there are some homophobic people in Britain, but it is safer here.” When Tacko landed at Gatwick Airport over four years ago, it was not on a whim. This was not, as some of the shadier elements of the right-wing press would have you believe, a journey made in the name of aspiration or self-interest; it was the desperate act of a man whose primary instinct was survival. His immediate family having been killed years previously, Tacko was taken into the care of his aunt, who promptly disowned him on discovering his sexuality. Unable and unwilling to hide who he was – “I was very young when I first realised I was gay,” he says – Tacko was tortured in his homeland. Now the Home Office is asking for “credible evidence” of the abuse he suffered, as if the physical and emotional scars he wears to this day are not significant enough to merit his asylum. “When Tacko first arrived in this country he was escaping persecution, but he was basically taken into detention as soon as he arrived,” his friend Antonia Bright, a leading figure in the student campaign group Movement for Change, explained.
The appeal process to allow him to remain in the UK drags on; the Home Office requires Tacko to prove that he is gay. If his lawyer fails to substantiate Tacko’s homosexuality, he will be unceremoniously dumped back into a culture which has no desire to accept or understand him. “I won’t get on the plane alive. If they send me back I will die, because they will be up in arms if I go back as a gay person”, Tacko says without a trace of doubt in his voice. “I’m not going back to Senegal as a human, as someone who’s alive. If they send me back they send me back as a dead body.” The Home Office told The Mancunion: “It would be inappropriate for us to comment as the case is ongoing. We don’t routinely comment on individual cases.” It is a statement Christine Burns MBE, an equality and diversity campaigner who has spent decades fighting for the rights of LGBT people, finds “bizarre.” “Is gay only defined by the fact that you are currently having homosexual sex with somebody, or have had in the past, or plan
I won’t get on the plane alive. If they send me back I will die, because they will be up in arms if I go back as a gay person.” to have? In which case, how do you prove that you’re heterosexual – how does the Home Secretary [Theresa May] prove that she’s heterosexual?” Burns argues that the crux of the matter lies not in the issue of sexuality, but in the fundamental human response – or lack thereof – to Tacko’s plight in Senegal. “I think you can actually strip
away the sexuality part of it, because the whole principle of asylum is that we are one of the few countries who provide a genuinely safe haven for people at risk of imprisonment, persecution or death in their own countries,” she maintains. “And that [persecution] would probably be meted out without test – people in those countries will say, ‘you’re a homosexual, I’m going to hang you.’ So requiring a test in the UK is absurd, because the test that matters is the standard that would be applied in the country that you’re proposing to send somebody back to. It’s the reality of the persecution that is the important fact.” Ms Bright shares these concerns, and has no intention of holding back when it comes to criticising the government’s stance. “How does someone prove that they’re gay? It doesn’t matter, because really the policy is to reduce immigration. Someone can be escaping violence and persecution, but the policy of getting rid of people is just so much more important to them.” “I think the Home Office may be split in some way,” she suggests. “Tacko has been openly gay for two or three years now, and it’s even been reported in Senegal; so you would think that they ought to just grant asylum.” “Our immigration laws don’t start with the human being – I think that the racism and anti-immigrant policies are overriding. The government is willing to send women who have been trafficked back into incredibly dangerous situations… they’re literally calculating ways to send these women back as soon as possible.” Naturally, Tacko is concerned about the impending hearing. “I’m not feeling very well,” he tells me. “I’m not happy about what’s happening.” Yet his response to this unimaginably turbulent period has, by all accounts, been one of dignified resilience. “When [Tacko] looks around at the movement that’s been growing up around his case – there are people who have never been political before who are coming out and campaigning on his behalf – then I know that he feels very encouraged and upbeat about that. But he’s not naïve about the struggle that he faces and the way the Home Office are, and regularly treat people,” Ms Bright accepts. Just as Tacko has taken great strength from the support of those around him, it is clear that he has been an inspiration to countless people in the LGBT movement. A prolific NUS activist on LGBT issues, Tacko has worked tirelessly for the cause ever since he arrived in the UK. “He has always been someone who wants to speak out and encourage people to be who they are,” says Ms Bright. “He’s someone who has come right out of his shell and spoken on lots of different campuses on LGBT rights and asylum issues, talking about who he is so that he can show other people what’s happening,” She continues: “When you’re coming out of a culture where you really have
Tacko is aprominent NUS campaigner for LGBT rights. Photo: Antonia Bright
been so in the closet, and there’s no expectation that it will be accepted… just in talking about himself, it has made other people feel more confident. He’s someone who the student movement and the LGBT movement can unite around.” As we approach the end of LGBT History Month, there is some sense that we are in the midst of a defining period for the movement. A bill to introduce same-sex marriage sailed through the House of Commons despite a significant rebellion by Conservative MPs – a development which, on the face of it, suggests a fairer, better, more tolerant society than at any time in our history. Yet the last week has seen this very paper expose vicious homophobia at the heart of our university campus. The incident, coming just days before Tacko Mbengue faces a hearing to decide his future, begs the question: is homophobia more prevalent in our society than we would care to admit? Labour councillor Kevin Peel pointed to a generational gulf in attitudes to homosexuality. “A lot of older people do support LGBT issues, but the numbers are quite stark between those who are under fifty and over fifty,” he stated. However, he is concerned that ‘casual homophobia’ remains a problem amongst young people. “Homophobia in schools is still a really serious problem that we still have to
tackle. At every opportunity, when people say casually, ‘oh, that’s gay,’ we need to be challenging those attitudes. We need robust anti-bullying behaviour and we need to be making sure that schools are properly recording these incidents because at the moment they don’t.” Thankfully, homophobia is met with disdain in today’s student community, but it wasn’t always thus. One of the leading transgender figures in the country, Christine Burns puts the prevailing attitude of students today into the context of her time at the University of Manchester in the 1970s. “I clearly remember the consternation amongst students in those days when members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) proposed a stunt that there would be a day when wearing jeans to lectures was taken as an indication that you were gay,” she recalls. “On my first night in my halls of residence in 1972, somebody stood up to warn students about Canal Street… basically telling them, ‘this is where the queers hang out.’ So it wasn’t a good place to be for gay students in the 1970s; forty years on, I think it’s transformed completely.” Actions, as ever, speak louder than words. Tacko Mbengue’s imminent hearing will be the ultimate test of just how far we have come as a society.
ISSUE 15/ 25TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature : 09
‘This pressure is making it impossible to study’
Syria independence flag flies over a large pathering of protesters in Idlib. Photo: FreedomHouse
The civil war has left Syrians studying in the UK fearing for friends and family and struggling financially. Joe Sandler Clarke talks to Husam Helmi - a Syrian PhD student at Brunel University - about how the crisis is affecting him
O
verwhelmed by worries about family and friends and his own financial difficulties, Husam Helmi – a 32 year-old Syrian studying for a PhD in Economics and Finance at Brunel University – is close to tears as he talks about the pressures of studying many miles from home at a time when his country is tearing itself apart. “It’s been very tough for me. I’ve had so much to do, and there’s been bad news from Syria. Last week, my cousins and my wife’s cousins were killed,” he says. A United Nations report published in January estimated that as many 60,000 people have died in Syria since the conflict there erupted in 2011. That number was revised to 70,000 this month; with UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon warning that as “the Security Council stands on the sidelines” the country is “selfdestructing”. As well as increasing fears about the safety of family and friends back home, the war has left Mr Helmi and his compatriots who are also studying in the UK struggling to support themselves financially. Unable to get access to his funding
from Syria due to the war and the subsequent closure of the country’s embassy in London, Mr Helmi has not been able to pay his tuition fees. With a wife and a two-year old daughter to support, he has had relied on his savings and been forced to take up part-time work at a college to support himself. He says he was promised some teaching work at Brunel, but that failed to materialise. His hours at the college have also been cut. “I’m trying my best. I’m investing my time and trying to study, but it’s very difficult,” he sounds emotionally worn out as he speaks. Earlier this year The Mancunion told the story of a number of Syrian students who were struggling to fund their “daily lives” because of the conflict. We heard from people who felt let down by their university, and from a student at the University of Salford who had received a letter from their institution warning them that they could not “graduate or complete their studies” unless fees amounting to £10,140 were paid. Following a campaign led by the National Union of Students and coverage in the national press, support for Syrian students has been more forthcoming; though the Coalition government have failed to
directly intervene to support those caught up in the crisis, but say they are examining how they can offer support to Syrians. A statement published in January from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said that: “We recommend that universities and scholarship awarding bodies use their own discretion over fees.” A number of universities - including Salford and Brunel - have agreed to defer the payment of fees to a later date; allowing those affected by the Syria crisis to continue their studies. Other universities have waived fees entirely. For students like Mr Helmi – who are studying in the UK under the terms of the Higher Education Capacity Building Project – the British Council offer a hardship fund amounting to £2,000 for students affected by the war in Syria. After a long delay he was set to receive the money at the time of writing. He says that it will offer his family short-term relief, but little more. “It will be good to have for a short time, but it’s not enough. Monthly we pay more than £1,200 for housing and living costs,” he explains, before stating that he feels that support from Brunel has been lacking. “Brunel have done nothing to be
honest. They promised a hardship loan, or something like this; but nothing has happened.” In a statement, Brunel University insisted that they were sympathetic to the plight of Syrian students: “Syrian students come to Brunel on a variety of different schemes and we have offered advice and support on a case by case basis. Since the spring of last year, when the situation in Syria
My family took the decision to leave Syria and save their lives. My brother was studying to be a doctor at the local hospital. He has sacrificed his studies to save his life.” deteriorated, we have been referring our students to our International Hardship Fund, and in other cases have helped them to apply to the British Council’s hardship fund. We
are very sympathetic to the plight of our Syrian students and will continue to provide assistance and support on an individual basis.” Back home, having been forced to move from place to place to escape the bombing, Mr Helmi’s family have fled Daryya, a city south-west of Damascus which has seen a lot of fighting, and gone to Egypt. “In my area, and in other ‘hot areas’; areas where there is support for the revolution, people have been killed at check points. People are killed for no other reason than because they come from my city,” he explains. “My family took the decision to leave and save their lives. My brother was studying to be a doctor at the local hospital. He has sacrificed his studies to save his life.” After finishing his PhD, Mr Helmi had wanted to return home to help his nation develop. He admits that this is now impossible given the civil war. To highlight this point, his home university in Aleppo was bombed in January. 87 people were killed and many more were injured. “My ambition was to finish my PhD and to use all my experience from here in the UK to develop my country: to make better universities, to improve the education system. “Now everything has changed. Everything has become harder. I’m still ambitious about putting some effort into the education system, but it’s tricky. It’s more dangerous.”
10
Politics & Comment
Last orders for the Nanny State: The problem with minimum alcohol pricing Sam Dumitriu tells us that minimum alcohol pricing won’t fix the country’s alcohol problem Minimum Unit Pricing is probably the most
elsewhere.
Drinkers already pay for the social cost of
regressive, illiberal, and outright snobbish
Economic analysis suggests that alcohol
drinking through heavy taxes on alcohol
policy being debated by parliament today,
consumption is unresponsive to price
(£1 on a £2.50 pint). The costs to the NHS
yet it enjoys near universal political
changes; a 50% increase in the cost of cider
and the police are more than met by the
support from the NUS and the Labour party
won’t lead to a 50% fall in consumption.
heavy taxes. The other costs associated
on the left, to the Tories on the right. The
This means less money for keeping the
with drinking, such as lower productivity
problem is, the support is based on junk
heating on, cooking healthy food, and
and worse health outcomes are borne by
science, state-funded lobbying and outright
buying schoolbooks. The regressive nature
the individual not society. Drinkers choose
prejudice against the poorest. The policy of
of the policy could have the unintended
to drink in spite of the large costs because
imposing a minimum price of 45p per unit
consequence of harming public health.
they consider the benefits to outweigh the
of alcohol will nearly double the cost of a
The policy will hurt students, making the
bottle of Sainsbury’s Basics Cider, put an
NUS’ support of it even more ponderous.
Adults should be free to pursue their
extra 2 quid on a 70cl bottle of Vodka and
With clubbing and drinking such an
own happiness in whatever way they
will raise the price of a bottle of wine to
important part of student culture, an
choose provided they do not burden
around £4.20.
increase in the price of drinking will either
others unfairly. Minimum Unit Pricing
The policy claims to target heavy drinkers
costs.
lead to one of two things happening:
restricts your ability to do that, because
who binge on supermarket booze, although
students
drinking
the modern-day temperance lobby believes
not heavy drinkers who binge on fine wine
environments like pubs and instead pre-
you’re making the wrong choice. The idea
or whisky. Advocates claim evidence such
drinking at home, or students purchasing
that the poor can’t decide what is best for
as that from the Sheffield Alcohol Policy
black market booze. Gaff ’s may have gone
themselves is a Victorian attitude that’s
Model, which claims it will reduce alcohol
dry, but where there’s demand there’s
sadly back in fashion. We have councils
related deaths by over 1000 per year.
avoiding
safer
supply. Again, this could make public health
forcing benefit claimants to go to the gym,
This speculative model assumes that
outcomes worse, the Government’s failure
the DWP investigating stopping jobseekers
a minimum price of 50p will lead to a
to investigate either of these possibilities is
from spending their benefits on booze and
reduction in alcohol consumption of
damning.
fags and we have Minimum Unit Pricing,
6.7 percent, causing 3,060 fewer deaths
Advocates claim that this policy will shift
per year. Yet between 2005 and 2010
drinking from supermarket booze to the
weekly alcohol consumption declined by
safer drinking environment of the pub,
To impose legislation that restricts choice
20%, while alcohol related deaths were
where drunks are refused service. But a
like this represents a fundamental failure
unchanged. Others might like to point
recent YouGov poll suggested the opposite
to treat people as equals. Suggesting that
to evidence from British Columbia, yet
will be true. Four out of ten respondents
some people have less of a right to consume
hospital admissions for alcohol overdoses
said it’ll lead them to drink less at the pub,
what they want should offend our liberal
since
while just 0.36% said they would drink
values, doubly so because of its basis in
the
policy’s
introduction
have
increased by 18%.
which attempts to price the poorest out of drinking.
more at the pub. The logic behind this is
class. Minimum Unit Pricing won’t make
The policy is also highly regressive,
obvious: when a heavy drinker sees the cost
the public healthier; it won’t help pubs and
squeezing the pay packets of the poorest
of a can of Special Brew increase from £1
it won’t save the public money. It will make
in our society and increasing inequality. As
to £1.35, he isn’t going to rush down to the
the poorest poorer and boost the illegal
the wealthy and middle classes tend to buy
local and spend £3.50 on a pint of weaker
trade. It should be last orders for the nanny
alcohol that is already above the minimum
beer.
state.
price, this policy won’t affect them. The
Even if this policy could achieve its goals
poorest however will be forced to either
of reducing alcohol consumption through
cutback on the drink or on spending
higher prices it would be wrong to do so.
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Source: Wikimedia Commons
My Political Hero... Deng Xiaoping While you are sat reading this article it is highly likely that you will have on you or about your person something that has the motif ‘Made in China’ emblazed on it. This is of course taken for granted nowadays and may seem completely irrelevant to consider if I was to cite Deng Xiaoping as one of my political heroes, when I could have easily chosen someone much closer to home. However, it is exactly for this reason that I am advocating the Sichuan-born paramount leader of the Peoples Republic of China from 1978 to 1992 as a political hero. “Hero” may be a slightly inaccurate phrase, as I would describe my admiration more for his views and foresight on the rapidly changing world than I would for any one single or series of bold and brave decisions that he took in the face of adversity. To highlight all the ups and downs of an action packed 92 year life would be far too futile and superficial for this article but an outline of Mr Deng’s life helps but things in perspective. Born in 1904, and aged just 15 participated in the Mouvement Travail-Études which saw Chinese students travelling to France with the young Deng commenting wished “To learn knowledge and truth from the West in order to save China.” Even from an early age this to me set him out as a pragmatist and having the vision that China would have to change to save itself. He continued to work in menial jobs on low pay and only returned to Northwest China in 1927 via Russia, and was later forced to flee as a political dissident. By the time of the famous Peoples Revolution in 1949 under Mao Zedong, Deng was in charge of obtaining the last area of China in the Southwest not under Communist Party authority, later becoming Mayor of Chongqing. Upon his arrival in Beijing, he occupied posts with the Party and was purged during the Cultural Revolution for being too capitalist, but showed true grit and character emerging as a leader after Mao Zedong’s death in 1976. It was at this time that Deng instigated measures helping peasants began to have more freedom over land and what quantities they produced crops in, lifting citizens out of poverty and instigating the Four Modernisations Programme (in military, science, industry and agriculture) and focused China’s energy on exports and attracting foreign investment to create a socialism with a Chinese slant (a kind of social market economy). Human rights issues aside, Deng Xiaoping’s vision and foresight from his dealings with other world leaders, must set him down as someone who has helped change the world as we know it, and throughout the whole of his life was ahead of his time in his views on how the world was changing. Deng did not reject the Marxist doctrine that Mao and Russia had advocated but merely adopted and extended it, made it more practical and fitting with the world which surrounded him. This is what I would argue is the hallmark of all great leaders and thinkers in history and the journey from political outcast to global statesman, set Xiaoping apart for his pragmatic approach to life and holistic view of the world and even as an outsider his famous thought of ‘Crossing the river by reaching for stones’ maybe one that would serve us well in today’s day and age.
Mark Coles
Comment
ISSUE 15 / 25thth FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
11
As the University considers creating alcohol-free halls, Ella Speakman and William Chambers debate the pros and cons
YES If being a massive Uni Lad (or Lass) is your top priority when it comes to choosing first year accommodation, perhaps halls that intentionally place less emphasis on alcohol wouldn’t be for you. However, if you’re like me and you’re a boring sod upon whom middle age has dawned prematurely, you’d rather be smashing the first year of your degree than anything else. Exactly what a reduced focus on alcohol entails is hard to decipher. If by this they mean banning alcohol from halls, we all know how prohibition went down, yet for many of us averse to the effects of excessive alcohol consumption, avoiding the almost inescapable freshers culture of getting as pissed as possible may have been an inviting opportunity. So if it’s merely the option of an alternative welcome week that doesn’t involve spending every night inebriated in some dingy club busting outrageous dance moves accompanied by slurred shouting and saliva swapping with people you’ve just met, I’m all for it.
William Chambers The opposition to the notion of setting up designated low alcohol halls is clear. How would it work? Will these new halls get any demand? Why not just choose appropriate accommodation from those currently available? All of which are valid concerns, highlighting that this initiative could be better channeled into offering realistic information to students about what the different residences are really like, along with expanding current provision. Hence this proposal still draws attention to an important issue: the need for halls to cater for a variety of social interests. Rather than lazily allowing the first week’s events to be almost exclusively set up by self interested club promoters, perhaps the onus is on accommodation to take responsibility for putting on a variety of their own activities, as is done at many other universities. Further, the £40 per student which goes towards the residences association fund could easily be put into weekly social events if such groups were organised effectively by staff.
Should Manchester create alcohol free halls? Examples of such things already exist, although sporadic, the free comedy nights on Campus are a resounding success and more should be done to build these events. Why stop with this focus on halls? Contrary to the hairy chested stereotype, I can see a strong desire for sports and other society socials that don’t place excessive focus on drinking. Although many of us may prefer not to leave uni with three years under a loosened belt that provides more chance of securing liver disease than job opportunities, a found cultural shift away from binging may be a bit optimistic. But I think that ‘low alcohol’ events in halls may be one step in the right direction.
Having given up alcohol for several stints over my university life, I am readily willing to admit that the thought of facing the bitter cold to catch the 143, queuing for a blocked toilet and escorting your drunk friend home as she throws up into a plastic bag does lose some of its appeal without the protection of half a bottle of basics vodka. However, creating purposely alcohol free halls is not the answer to the negatives of the university drinking culture. The best part of my halls experience was being thrown together with 7 people from different backgrounds with different values and opinions
Ella Speakman who became some of my best friends. This kind of diversity is what makes UoM a great place to spend your academic years. Mixing drinkers with nondrinkers is just another part of this experience. Segregating people never provides an effective solution to social differences and instead only conforms to an ‘either-or’ mentality. If alcohol-free halls are created as a place to avoid the prevalence of binge drinking, surely that suggests that the other alcohol-fuelled halls are being accepted as places where you’re expected to live on a diet of gin? Separating two groups supports the idea that the only two approaches to alcohol are excess or prohibition, when really we ought to promote moderation. The reality is that everyone consumes alcohol in different ways, and a more positive relationship towards booze comes from integrating people with different
NO perspectives. I can accept that for someone who doesn’t drink, the experience of being in halls could be a difficult one. However, creating more alcohol free events provides a way to socialise with people away from drink without creating a divided community. As a third year student, I’m by no means tee-total, but when I look back now to how much I drank in first year, I’m shocked. However, the excess of halls was all a part of growing up, and it reflects the initial excitement of freedom. (Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents anyone?). Being around people who drank a lot and people who didn’t taught me about my own relationship to alcohol and what I enjoyed. It gave me the confidence to say no to going out and the knowledge that I didn’t need alcohol to have fun. If we want people to have a healthier relationship to alcohol, it’s important to promote balance. Cheers!
Disagree? Tweet us @mancuniondebate, or email us at comment.mancunion@gmail.com
Why I’ll be marching against EDL this week
Jak Dyehouse explains why the only way to protest the EDL is with a counter march to theirs Oh what do we owe the pleasure, to have the English Defence League call a demonstration in our city centre on March 2nd? After attempts to stir up racial hatred in the south of the country ended in humiliation, the EDL are trying their luck in the north where living standards are generally lower and so rifts between people are more easily opened. With economic prosperity bumping along the bottom, job security under threat through the proliferation of practices such as zerohours contracts and the cutting of welfare provision occurring in a country where the stoking of racial and class tensions is a familiar strategy of newspapers to prop up their dying craft, it’s not hard to see that conditions are in their favour. Add the media’s cyclical whipping up of UKIP support that has given them a frequent platform to spout nationalist sentiment and it’s obvious that more than ever is a robust counter-demonstration is needed to combat the harmful bigotry that these groups encourage and perpetrate. In response, I’ve heard a few of reasons as to why counter-demonstrations are a bad idea or are unnecessary. Though varied, they all rely on an understanding of the EDL which is abstract, naïve and totally ignores the very real harm these racist groups can cause. Some like to cast the ongoing EDL demonstrations and counterdemonstrations of anti-racism groups as a numbers game. That it is a pastime for the far-left and far-right that involves very few people and so it would be better to
leave the EDL alone, let them protest, tire themselves out and go home dejected that no one is listening to them. Further it is argued, by turning up to protest against them, anti-racists and anti-fascists actually draw attention to the EDL’s odious politics and give them greater presence. Yet this understanding of groups like the EDL is an abstract portrayal which totally removes them from the context of their surroundings and places them in vacuum where they are safe and harmless. In doing so, it renders them as something they are not. It is a view based on the assumption that the EDL will stick by its false promise of “peacefully protesting” when not provoked, when repeatedly their members have shown that they are willing to do otherwise. It is also a view which is far too long-sighted, missing the smaller picture. The risk of the EDL storming parliament is probably quite low, but there are numerous instances where individuals have been attacked, regardless of whether they are actually Muslim or not. No one should be forced to avoid the city centre due to the presence of a group of drunken racist thugs, regardless of whether there are 20 or 200 of them. What’s more, by ignoring the EDL you allow them to set the discourse, define the boundaries of debate and effectively allow them to prepare an intellectual home ground, giving them a more favourable identity. By demonstrating against them, anti-racists and anti-fascists are able to contest this and give the EDL the image they deserve. Their name may be spread more
EDL demo in Manchester last year. Photo: T. Harrison
widely, but in association with the violence, racism and fascism they perpetuate. Finally, it is not just the EDL whose portrayal is twisted outside of reality. Anti-racists and anti-fascists are often confronted with three condemnatory words that is quite possibly the all time most incredible misuse of a political principle in order to derail debate: “freedom of speech.” Detractors of counter-demonstrations argue that by protesting against hate groups like the EDL, their right to protest and air their views is infringed upon. This is often followed by an argument that it’s the “thin end of the wedge”, “the start of a slippery slope” and that despite their awful views and intentions of stirring up racial hatred, their rights should be defended at all costs, just like any other group. But here’s the kicker: anti-fascists and anti-racists are not part of the state or in
a position of institutional power, trying to silence a dissenting group from the topdown. They are grassroots organisations of individual people who are concerned about the activities of the EDL and for whom anti-racism is a cause worth fighting for, and racism a cause worth fighting against. Freedom of speech is a principle applied against the state, to protect us against the activities of the state, and to invoke it against anti-racists and anti-fascists removes it totally from its proper context. In fact if the EDL are exercising their legitimate freedom of speech it seems a shame not to do the same: I urge anyone who wants to stop racism and fascism to exercise their freedom of speech, join the counter-demonstration and tell the EDL on 2nd March that they’re not welcome in Manchester!
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Comment
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
The Mancunion was right to report on homophobic comments made in the Students’ Union Andrew Joslin defends The Mancunion’s decision to report on the controversial Global Aspirations of Women There’s been a lot of controversy in
these? People hold various views and
aren’t accountable to the very people
the past week over Global Aspiration
opinions about a number of issues on
providing them with the resources
of Women. The Union society put on
campus, including fascists who are
to do so is ridiculous. People act
an event in which a speaker answered
openly allowed to propagate their
differently when they know they
“absolutely” when asked if that “in the
views, under the guise of freedom of
are being recorded and when they
Islamic society in which they “strive
speech. What we ask of you is not to be
believe they are speaking freely to a
for”, they would “feel comfortable,
intolerant towards debate especially
likeminded audience. That’s exactly
personally and morally, to kill a gay
when it goes against the grain of what
why we need people like Mr Cortbus
man”. The meeting was brought to
you ardently hold on to.”
bringing
these
speakers
to
the
light by an undercover recording by a
Putting to one side for a moment
attention of the student body.
Middle Eastern Studies student, Colin
the reprehensible things they were
Global Aspirations of Women then
Cortbus.
saying, their complaints go to the root
said the recorder and those who were
The society “voluntarily disbanded”
of some of the issues with the way
expressing outrage were intolerant
this week, but not before posting
we look at political organisations on
to the debate. That The Mancunion
their complaints - which were quickly
campus. The first issue was that the
was trying to shut down the society
edited when it was picked up by
recording made by Mr Cortbus was
by running its front page article. The
national news - about the coverage
underhand; that the speaker didn’t
Mancunion has a duty to report things
criticism of their actions. Because
student engagement with political
they received on their Facebook.
know they were being recorded, and
that are of importance to students,
they represent a minority religious
societies, so next time one of these
These complaints are important when
would have acted differently had they
and hate speech being promoted in
belief, they claim that to criticise
events takes place (and it will) we
looking at the way student politics
known.
the union building should be at the
is equivalent to intolerance and
have people ready to speak out.
top of that list.
defaming.
Until we have that, we at least have
and news coverage in general is
People do not have a right to privacy
viewed. To quote them directly: “As for
when they are speaking on public
Equally, societies also have a duty
I believe the people who preach
watchmen like the recorder to bring
whether these discussions should be
property in an advertised event. The
to check their speaker’s opinions
hate on university campuses will
to help bring to light hate speech on
taking place on campus, and whether
Students’ Union is here to represent
before a public event is held, and
never be successful in converting the
campus, and ensure it does not carry
they are a cause for concern then we
all of us and the building, while we
decide if they should be representing
student populace to their opinion
on without consequence.
would say is it not the very value by
pay for it, is all our property. The
their society. When they claimed The
because the student populace are as
which you decided to sneakily record
idea that student societies should
Mancunion wanted to shut down
a whole a forward thinking, liberal
our workshop, that we are discussing
be able to hold secret meetings that
debate, they had one goal: Shut down
population. What we need is more
Horsemeat hysteria is helping no-one Alex Goldhill explains why he believes the horsemeat scandal has been over-exaggerated So it seems that the issue of horsemeat has once again reared its head in the news and demanded the indignation of the nation. But is anger and outrage really the way to go about it? We are inundated and replete with the war cries of politicians, newsperson and other public commentators calling of blood and advising all of
there are issues of false advertising. If I buy a Tesco ready burger I intend to get something that contains beef, and hopefully little else. I suppose if you have some religious aversion to horsemeat you may be justified in your indignation, but then I am fairly sure that most religions with significant dietary requirements would automatically rule
have to devour somewhere in the region of 500600 pure infected horse burgers before the Bute causes any serious harm. Suffice it to say, if you manage to eat that many burgers your demise would probably be for the best, environmentally speaking of course. Some might say that I am promoting apathy
significance should seldom resort to this sort of juvenile demagoguery, where each commentator tries to outdo each other in childish fury and extreme measures, especially not over such an insignificant issue. Letting emotion rule politics is a bad habit for politicians to get into, it drives them to more extreme measures whilst the
us to feel deeply outraged at this travesty that has befallen our unsuspecting nation. When the issue was first brought to public attention it struck me as odd that so many seemed to take offence to the issue. Surely if it had been discovered that beef burgers had been contaminated with lamb there would have been nowhere near the level of impassioned response. In many ways it’s a cultural issue. We in the UK are not accustomed to regarding equines as good eating, unlike say sheep babies or bird embryos, associating them more with pageantry and racing. They are very much an animal that serves us best as decoration than served to us as a main course. Yet in such distant and exotic realms as Mongolia or France the humble horse can make for a tasty entrée. So what is there to be concerned over? Certainly
out Tesco ready meals and the like, as would a decent appreciation for good food. The issue of untraced meat in the food chain is of course worrying. We have regulations on the industry for a reason, and if those regulations have been flaunted, then something has definitely gone wrong. There remains the potential for all sorts of nasty things entering the food chain that I would rather not think about. But at present this doesn’t seem to be the case. True there is the more recently discovered issue of Bute, a painkiller given to horses and may pose a possible threat to humans. But this is mostly a non-issue. Bute provides an infinitesimally small risk to a tiny section of the public, and thus far no traces of Bute have been located in any horse enhanced produce. In the possible event that Bute is present in some of it, then you would
in the light of a possible crisis, and to a certain extent I am, if we were to use the term as the ancient Stoics understood it: acting rationally without emotions clouding our judgement. Have sane laws and regulations been violated? Possibly, and those who have done so should face justice. Is it wrong to sell a product under the wrong name? Yes, and we should take steps to ensure that the practice stops. Has anyone actually suffered? Not to my knowledge, but if they have they should be compensated. But the impassioned calls for blood from sycophantic politicians desperately trying to show that they are more offended, more impassioned and more willing to unleash all the forces at their disposal, whenever their ire is raised, than their political opponents are, is neither helpful nor intelligent. Figures of political
more moderate voices are portrayed as weak and indecisive and thus become marginalised. Furthermore, when emotion and rhetoric become virtues of public office, and the people, likewise emotionally charged, reward that sort of behaviour at election time, it only reinforces the problem in a vicious cycle. So how should we deal with this? Although most meat is probably safe to eat, there does remain a small chance that there might be contaminants. So eat less meat. Loath as I am to condone the propaganda of vegetarianism, cutting back would probably be for the best at the moment, especially given the environmental, health and economic considerations involved. But there’s no need to lose our heads over it.
ISSUE 15/ 25TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
13
Want a career in the media? This year the Media Club (University of Manchester Careers Service) Insight into Broadcasting & Journalism event will be taking place on Monday 25 March 2013 at a venue on campus. It’s a one day practical course for any students who want to gain experience of what it’s like to be at the heart of news-reporting and media production. You will work on a full day case study, in TV, Print/ Online or Radio groups, alongside professional guest tutors from the industry including the BBC, The Guardian and The Independent.
Venture Further
Many previous attendees have secured work experience and other opportunities as a result of participating in the course. The course costs just £15 which includes fees, materials, lunch and refreshments. Places are strictly limited and you are advised to apply early to avoid disappointment. You can choose TV, Print/Online or Radio but please note that allocation will made on a first come, first served basis. To apply for a place, download the application form opposite or email mediaclub@manchester.ac.uk if you would like it sending by email. If you have questions, please contact mediaclub@manchester.ac.uk The closing date for applications is Tuesday 12 March 2013.
Business start-up competition Want to start your own business? Here’s your chance to win £10,000 and make it a reality. • Enhance your CV - enterprise and entrepreneurship skills • Advice, mentoring and support workshops • Produce a business plan and progress your idea It’s open to students, researchers and recent graduates from all subject areas at The University of Manchester – so get involved! The closing date for entries is Friday, 22 March 2013.
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@MEC_UoM
Original Thinking Applied
Film TOP We need a hero!
14
5
Food In Film
5. Bicycle Thieves (1948) Antonio and his son Bruno, bond over food after a difficult day searching for Antonio’s bicycle. But the waiter informs them they are in a trattoria, not a pizzeria, so Antonio improvises and orders fried bread with mozzarella.
4. The Godfather (1972) Food is linked to family and wider kin throughout The Godfather. Even when on ‘business’ Clemenza manages to mention food, with the famous line, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” The references don’t end there, with the gang relaxing in their spare time, as Clemenza explains the secret to his spaghetti sauce and imparts valuable life lessons to Michael Corleone.
3. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café (1991) FGT is ripe with images of food, the most memorable being a food fight between Ruth and Idgie, a sequence director Jon Avnet has described as symbolic of a sex scene.
2. Lady and the Tramp (1955) First dates rarely go better: the moons in the sky, Tony’s romantic music is blazing and there’s a steaming bowl of fresh spaghetti to share. Not to mention the eponymous Tramp proving he’s a keeper by offering a blushing Lady the final meatball.
Dylan Wiggan looks at the state of action stars If you were to take a cursory glance at the listings of your local multiplex lately you would be forgiven for thinking there was some sort of Last of the Summer Wine theme taking over your cinema. It seems, back-to-back for almost a month, we have been forced to watch geriatric thesps hobble around the silver screen. ‘So what?’ you, probably, ask. ‘What’s wrong with old people acting?’ you, might, add. Well, my engaged reader, nothing per se. Old people obviously have great roles in films. Personal favourites of mine include septuagenarian, nerd royalty and Coronation Street enthusiast Sir Ian McKellen AKA Gandalf. How much people shouting ‘YOU SHALL NOT PASS!’ at him annoys him will be something I look forward to learning if we ever meet. There’s Clint Eastwood too. He, despite making himself look as relevant as a floppy disc with his infamous Republican Party conference appearance last year, still has that Dirty Harry vibe when he acts. I’m not sure if it’s his grisly voice or deadly stare, but something about his performances in the likes of Gran Torino makes me think he could still jump off bridges onto moving buses, or scare ‘punks’ by questioning them how lucky
Katie Palfrey
they feel. But these actors are not the problem. The problem lies in that particular 80’s action hero that just refuses to politely fade off into the sunset. It all started with Sylvester Stallone. In 2010 he assembled the ‘ultimate’ line-up of (mainly) old action ‘super stars’ in one film, The Expendables (a full two years before The Avengers).
There is a dearth of new action heroes in Hollywood forcing us to rely on figures from the past As you’re probably aware the ‘beefcakes’ included Sly himself, Dolph (Russian guy from Rocky IV) Lungren, Jason ‘The Stath’ Statham, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin and
a confused looking Jet Li. Messrs Bruce ‘Yippi Kay Eh’ Willis and Arnold ‘Get to the chopper!’ Schwarzenegger, though heavily featured in trailers and posters, only briefly cameo-ed in the film. It came out and was a big hit which lead to a sequel, The Expendables 2. Joining in on the fun of killing and blowing things up this time was the man who spawned a million jokes, Chuck Norris and muscledBelgian, Jean-Claude Van Damme with also beefed up roles for Willis and Schwarzenegger. This film was a hit too and now plans are afoot for a third instalment of the new franchise. Now this would be all well and good if the films were not terrible. And it is this that is precisely my problem with the Last of the Summer Wine festival happening at my Odeon. Sly’s ensemble pic seems to have inadvertently created a subgenre of old man action films (cleverly dubbed ‘geriaction’ online). In the past month The Last Stand, Bullet to the Head and A Good Day to Die Hard (starring Schwarzenegger, Stallone and Willis respectively) have all come out to the general annoyance of cinema goers. All were generally panned by critics, and only Die Hard was anywhere approaching a hit.
This may have started with The Expendables but the underlying problem here is perhaps not that Arnie ‘came back’ like he always threatened, but that he was able to. There is a dearth of new action heroes in Hollywood, forcing us to rely on ageing figures from the past, figures that unfortunately just aren’t up to snuff anymore. Newish faces like The Rock or Vin Diesel have not really made transition into superstar status, whilst 90s breakouts like Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Matt Damon are starting to get on in years too. So, like Bonnie Tyler before me, I’m calling for a hero. He doesn’t have to be larger than life, but I just hope they can save the day on their original hip.
Review
Hitchcock Director: Peter Jackson • Starring: Sir Anthony Hopkins, Dame Helen Mirren Alfred Hitchcock is a name revered by film critics and fans. His identity as the master of suspense has ensured his legacy in academia and cultural art and one need only look at the last couple of months to see how Hitchcock has been culturally resurrected; dealt with firstly via the BBC’s drama The Girl (UK. December, 2012) and now, Sacha Gervasi’s biopic Hitchcock (UK. February, 2013). Hitchcock attempts to adapt Stephen Rebello’s nonfictional account of the story behind the creation of the cult horror Psycho (1960) whilst also providing insight into the fractured psyche of the genius behind the film that brought horror to suburban America. What Gervasi actually delivers is a shallow and mediocre glance at Alfred Hitchcock as he gambled his reputation and wealth on a “nasty little piece of work” that was met with scorn by Paramount Pictures executives determined to squeeze a final contractually obliged film out of the ageing director, whilst upholding the Hays Production Code. Rather than a film which delved into the fragility of the iconic director, Hitchcock instead felt like a naïve and self-conscious production, intent on winning silverware. Anthony Hopkins dons the fat suit and prosthetic jowls and, whilst he visually resembles Hitchcock and has the accent near perfect, this is as far as the resemblance stretches. Hopkins delivers a safe performance which fails to deliver the depth of character to compliment his aesthetic strength. Scarlett Johansson is a convincing archetypal Hitchcock blonde girl, and James D’Arcy delivers a brilliant Anthony Perkins as the scopophilic, infantile adult, Norman Bates. These latter moments of conviction were fleeting and, as the story became concerned with the relationship between Hitchcock, his wife and Psycho, both Johansson and D’Arcy were shunned. We are left with a film which looks good but fails to bring the narrative or
1. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) In this Spanish Civil Warset fantasy, heroine Ofelia finds a table laden with glazed hams, glistening jellies and sumptuous tarts. Though forbidden she cannot resist taking (somewhat inexplicably) a couple of grapes, leading to one of the most chilling sequences of the film.
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
I’m sorry but...
Skyfall is overrated
character development to compliment the aesthetic detail. Bemusement arises at the fact that a film sold as a biopic of Alfred Hitchcock seemed more focused on the life of Lady Hitchcock, Alma Reville played in a routine performance by Dame Helen Mirren. Mirren plays Hitchcock’s unsung collaborator who feels the pressure of marriage to the director and battles to support Psycho whilst growing increasingly distressed at her husband’s intimacy with his leading ladies Janet Leigh ( Johansson) and Vera Miles ( Jessica Biel). Mirren’s plot creates sympathy greater than any felt for the anxious Alfred which undermines the film’s initial premise. In the rare interludes when Hitchcock tries to deliver an alternative insight into the director’s delicate psyche it does so by exaggerating the influence of Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein upon Psycho’s twisted anti-hero Norman Bates. Gein appears in Hitchcock’s visions, guiding him through the mind of a psycho killer. These moments do little more than offer cheap scares and the suggested level of influence Gein had upon Robert Bloch’s original creation of Norman Bates is over played. This film promised so much and failed to deliver. Overshadowed by the opinionated and controversial line of argument within The Girl, Gervasi’s biopic seems to be at pains not to alienate Hitchcock fans who may have felt insulted by Toby Jones’ sinister portrayal. If you are looking for something which breaks the veil of the legend behind such films as Psycho and The Birds then locate The Girl. More could have been made of the fragility of a legend staring disrepute in the face and yet a lack of bravery failed to carry this off. Hitchcock is only mildly entertaining and at its best it is a good way to avoid the Manchester rain. Calum Ousby With its BAFTA win the other week the Skyfall whirlwind seems to have finally died down and talk of the next film has begun with producers courting director Sam Mendes for a return. After a record breaking £100 million at the UK box office and $1 billion worldwide Daniel Craig’s latest 007 outing is by far the most successful. Add to that its nearly universal acclaim from the critics and audiences making this 50th anniversary film a slam dunk. All of this just makes it harder to say: it isn’t that good. I know I’ll come under more fire then the MI6 agent himself for this but, I just
wasn’t that impressed. Sure Javier Bardem was great, chewing up the scenery with aplomb, and Judi Dench was a reliable as always- but something was missing. I much preferred the gritty hard hitting action of Casino Royale. The Roger Moore –esque moments seemed noticeably from another era and was cheesy step back for the franchise for me. And don’t get me started on that nonsensical ‘Home Alone’ third act. I don’t know, maybe I’m just more of a Bourne guy. Dylan Wiggan Film Editor
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Film
: @mancunionfilm : /MancunionFilm
15
Preview
Year In Film: 2003
Side Effects Director: Steven Soderbergh • Starring: Jude Law, Channing Tatum In what is believed to be Steven Soderbergh’s last big screen effort behind the camera (he announced his impending retirement in early 2011), he brings together a cast of A-list stalwarts and younger stars who are quickly becoming Hollywood heavyweights, in a twisty psychological thriller warning of the dangers of prescription drug use. The story follows a young woman (Rooney Mara), who starts to unravel due to the unexpected side effects of the medication prescribed to her by her therapist ( Jude Law), to help cope with the anxiety of the return of her husband (Channing Tatum) from prison. Intentionally only releasing a vague plot outline, the marketing of Side Effects has focused on uncertainty and the unknown in order to increase anticipation and mirror the themes of the picture. Influenced by Hitchcock, the aim was to create a sharp film - all impact without any of the extra elaboration of some of his previous works. The trailer reflects this devotion to mystery and tension with dramatic cutting, as any real plot details seem to be in danger of giving away major spoilers. Therefore we are left
with a panicked sense of fear, danger and the idea nothing is truly as it seems. At advanced screenings viewers were turned away if they arrived late as an early twist is seen as so crucial to the plot that much of the impact would be lost if it was missed. Law has previously worked with Soderbergh on plague thriller Contagion, as has Tatum on action flick Haywire and the unforgettable Magic Mike; so the director must have been confident of their performances and their ability to cope with the complexities of the characters, having covered such diverse fields together. Rooney Mara always seems to bring it, no matter what the
role, and it will be interesting to see the intensity of her performance without the safety blanket of a full gothic makeup and wardrobe, as she had in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, to help her dive into character. Whether the intricacy of the plot trips itself up or not remains to be seen, but as Soderbergh’s previous efforts have shown he knows how to crank up the tension, as well as how to create visually striking and memorable moments. Side Effects is still sure to be a dark, stylish and gripping swansong for the respected director. Lucy Gooder
The year 2003 offered a unique mix of turmoil, legend and madness. America and Britain went to war with Iraq, Johnny Cash passed away, England won the Rugby world cup and Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of California. Thankfully the film industry offered up some of its greatest triumphs and gave us some much needed consistency during a year of upheaval! In fact 2003 may well be remembered as the year of the sequels, r at least the largely successful continuation of some of our most loved franchises. The Lord of the Rings trilogy was brought to a monumental close with what was probably the most highly praised of Peter Jackson’s three forays into middle-earth. The 3-hour epic Return of the King became the highest grossing film of the year and only the second film of all time (now the 6th) to earn over 1 billion at the box office. It was not just the fantasy nuts who were kept happy. Millions of kids (and adults) were thrilled by the release of Disney-Pixar’s Finding Nemo. It is one of the most successful animated films of all time and signalled the end of, what felt like, an eternal hiatus for Pixar following Monsters Inc in 2001.
Review: ‘Song For Marion’ Director: Paul Andrew Williams • Starring: Gemma Arterton, Christopher Eccleston, Terrence Stamp From writer/director Paul Andrew Williams,
story badly. The whole film is essentially the
say, ‘I’m not interested in doing kids’ movies,
Song for Marion is the story of Arthur
first ten minutes of Up, but without any of the
I’m not interested in special effects movies’.
(Terence Stamp), a grumpy old man whose
charm, fun or development of characters. The
Unfortunately, there’s a very good reason so
wife, Marion (Vanessa Redgrave), is dying of
ending is made painfully obvious throughout,
many of Stamp’s most iconic roles have been
cancer, but still takes part in a choir for the
to the extent that I found myself wanting
bad guys, he’s very good at it. However, this
elderly. When Marion dies Arthur eventually
the main character to remain grumpy and
does mean that when he tries to play ‘grumpy
joins the choir, led by Gemma Arterton, and
alone, just to give us something even slightly
man with a heart of gold’, he comes across as
learns to find happiness through song. If the
resembling independent thought on the part
a super villain, trying to take over the world
story sounds familiar, that’s because it’s been
of the writer.
one community centre choir at a time.
used by approximately every writer ever
Despite labelling itself as a “comedy
Not to lay all of the blame on him however,
when they want to create an uplifting tale of
drama” the only attempt at humour in
a lot of the problems lie with the script.
redemption.
the film comes from the old folks choir,
Williams spends no time building up Arthur
This would not be enough to condemn the
and the fact that they sing modern songs
and Marion’s relationship, essentially just
film in and of itself, as sometimes a clichéd
about sex (oh the hilarity). Performance-
telling the audience, ‘they’re in love because I
premise can be saved with good execution.
wise, Vanessa Redgrave is good as the dying
say they’re in love’ and leaving it there. I spent
Unfortunately, Song for Marion does the
Marion, and Gemma Arterton seems to be
half the film wondering why Marion would
trying her hardest, but unfortunately the
ever have married this man whose emotional
whole thing is let down by Terence Stamp,
spectrum seems to range from grumpy, to
whom I normally consider to be a fantastic
slightly more grumpy, with an underlay of
actor. During a Q&A with the actor prior
shouty.
Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions came out in May and November respectively whilst becoming the 3rd and 8th largest grossing films of the year, bringing a close to one of the most epic sci-fi trilogies in what was largely a post-apocalyptic sci-fi market. Marvel not being the types to miss out on a good party, released X-men 2 and Tom Cruise starred in The Last Samurai. Will Smith aced a successful sequel with Bad Boys 2 and Jim Carrey and Morgan Freeman fronted Bruce Almighty - one of the most successful comedies of the decade and making nearly half a billion in the process. If that was not enough, the girls and boys were kept sweet with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley all giving some of their most
memorable performances in the almost faultless Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The Cannes film festival witnessed one of its more visceral films in the form of Elephant - a Gus Van Sant fictional story based on the Columbine school massacre in the states. And the year was brought to a satisfying conclusion when Peter Jackson (best director), Sean Penn (best actor) and Renée Zellweger (best supporting actress) all picked up much deserved Oscars. A year of uncertainty was made special by the timeless films it witnessed and will no doubt go down in cinematic history as a year that put a smile on everybody’s face. Jack Crutcher
CORNERHOUSE ‘A Liar’s Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman’ It seems a risky proposition; have over a dozen animation studios adapt sections from Monty Python’s Graham Chapman’s fictionalised 1980 book , A Liar’s Autobiography. Such a combination of dissonant weirdness should come off as disjointed and it unquestionably does. But this is the singular charm of the film: a normal biopic would feel too safe, too cosy for the likes of Chapman. As a result, the schizophrenic nature of the film comes off as strangely befitting to the comic genius. “Anything for him”, John Cleese eulogised famously at his funeral “but mindless good taste”. The various animations are all, on the face of it, beautiful and/ or disturbing when the occasion calls for it.. There’s no real concrete connection between segments here (each studio has clearly gone in their own preferred direction with regards to the look and feel of the film); the film is more a series of vignettes, each with its own particular message. In other words, it’s more Meaning Of Life (1979) than Life Of Brian (1982).
to the film’s screening at the Manchester
To be fair, the film has some genuinely
Odeon, Terence Stamp commented on how
moving moments; it’s just that they all occur
he based his performance in the film on
when the main character is off screen. If
his own father, who had served in the navy
you’re one of those people who gets teary-
Compellingly attractive though the film is, there’s very little revelation into some of the lesser known parts of Chapman’s life. For example, why did Chapman fade from the public spotlight when the rest of Python only added to their comic legend? His homosexuality and alcoholism are explored in depth though and his various forays into sexual exploration comprise the most interesting parts of the film.
during WWII, and had apparently been very
eyed from films like Marley and Me, then this
The very good aspects of the film seem to be one and the same
distant as a parent. Stamp mentioned that
film will probably appeal to you. If you’re
he had been shipwrecked twice during the
absolutely any other type of person, then
war, and that this probably contributed to his
watch Up. It’s so very much better.
as the bad. The lack of structure feels befitting to the man who starred in the Flying Circus all those years ago, but this same lack of structure gives the viewer very little insight into the man himself. Charmingly weird doesn’t do it justice.
surly demeanour. He also stated how he was pleased to be doing a film like this, as it gave him a chance to play against type, going on to
Leo Mates Andrew Home
Fashion
ISSUE 15/ 25TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
This week: Androgynous Fashion
Meggings: marvel or monstrosity? Following the jeggings craze, Joanna Dryden gives her opinion on what’s next in line for lycra lovers with meggings. First of all, trying to masculinise them by swapping the ‘L’ for an ‘M’ just doesn’t cut it with me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking a stab at men adapting women’s fashions- just look how skinny jeans have improved the world. Well, maybe not such a bonus for men’s nether regions, but for their style at least. But men, if you want to adopt the meggings trend, have the courage to embrace the spandex and admit that what you are rocking is a pair of leggings. My second problem with meggings is a more general one: leggings as trousers. Girls or guys, I’m afraid that there are some things in life I just don’t want to see and that much skin-tight crotch action is one of them. To the glamazon guys and girls with fabulously toned figures, I’ll let you off (as long as there’s no VPL going on), but to the rest of society, who, like me, have some (to quote Beyoncé) extra ‘jelly’, I beg you to either pull on a pair of trousers or get down to the gym! All being said, I am now an avid supporter of men in skinny jeans, so maybe this time next year I’ll be singing the praises of meggings. But, if Bieber and Boy London are representing this trend, is it not just another sign of the individuality and uniqueness we are losing within fashion?
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ISSUE 15/ 25TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Drag: is it fashion?
Fashion
Gráinne Morrison on the credibility of transvestism as a method of liberation against the social norm. Yet, for most people, when one hears the word drag we’re more likely to think of Alex Reid’s alter ego Roxy – an image no one needs to see- than a fashion icon.
1) The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975 Nobody does crossdressing like Tim Curry as Frank N Furter, the ‘Sweet Transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania’. He brings us the most egotistical, narcissistic drag queen and seduces not only Brad and Janet, but also the audience.
2) The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, 1994
Transgender Models 1981 as Leandro Cerezo in Brazil. After being discovered by Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, she has since graced the covers of Vogue, Elle and Cover magazine, and even posed with Kate Moss for the cover of Love magazine. Lea stormed the catwalk at Milan Fashion Week this year, opening and closing the Philipp Plein show. After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 2011, she even modelled bikinis for swimsuit brand Blue Man at Brazil Fashion Week.
Bringing some colour to the desert, these drag queens (and a transsexual woman) combine feathers, sequins and boas along with platforms, fluorescent bellbottoms and wigs that resemble Marge Simpson’s hair to create some of the most fabulously tacky costumes.
3) Some Like it Hot, 1959
Cross-dressing for a slightly different purpose, Toni Curtis and Jack Lemmon give us the effortlessly frumpy Josephine and Daphne. With their matching cloche hats, strings of pearls and high neck pastel dresses, this comedy duo gave birth to cross-dressing in film.
Drag, not so much a trend as a way of life for those who do it, will probably never make it into the mainstream. From the ultra fabulous to the downright offensive, the fashion credentials of drag dressers are often overlooked because of OTT stereotypes. But with the feminine silhouette making its way on to the catwalk in many ready-to-wear menswear shows (you may have heard of J.W. Anderson, he’s only everywhere), it seems drag is finally having its fashion moment. The art of drag, for it is truly an art, is only just beginning to receive the recognition it deserves. So if drag is on the catwalks, does this mean it is fashionable? Cross-dressing is much more than an ill fitted bodycon dress paired with fishnet tights and makeup that can only be described as cakey. Done well, it is the ultimate example of statement dressing, breaking/questioning gender boundaries and forcing us to re-evaluate how we dress and why we do so. There was a time in which a woman wearing trousers was unheard of, decades later Androgyny in womenswear is considered seriously sexy. Throughout history, men have used drag as a form of self-expression,
Style Profile: A$AP Rocky Name: Rakim Mayers, aka A$AP Rocky Occupation: Rapper
4) Kinky Boots, 2005 The gorgeous Chiwetel Ejiofor becomes the impeccably dressed Lola: with sleek dark hair by day and platinum blonde hair by night. Humorous and oozing sexiness, Lola shows us how to be seductive by transforming the old-fashioned shoe factory into a producer of knee-high red PVC boots for transvestites.
Turning the pages of this month’s Vogue, one shoot in particular stood out. Staring at me from the Giorgio Armani ad was a broad shouldered, chisel-jawed and dark-haired model. I am not (unfortunately) talking about David Beckham in his underwear, but you wouldn’t be wrong in making the assumption I was talking about a male. However, the model in question was female. When compared to the picture on the opposite page, which features the same model looking ultra feminine in a blue satin dress, it becomes increasingly obvious that this Armani ad reflects
5) To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar, 1995
a widely emerging trend in the fashion world; androgyny. Yet the issue of androgyny within fashion is taken to a whole new level when considering the rise of the transgender model. The most prominent transgender figure in fashion circles is Lea T. Lea was born in
Lea is not the only model in the industry whose success and popularity is aided by her status as transgender. Take, for example, Andrej Pejic. Although Pejic is not technically transgender, he has walked the catwalk for Jean Paul Gaultier as a bride, despite having a totally masculine body. Regardless of whether transgender or androgynous models are considered suitably contemporary, or just simply controversial, there is no doubt that the fashion world is again testifying to its status as an art form by challenging the status quo of gender expectations. Chloe Letcher
Wesley Snipes and Patrick Swayze in drag, and they’re hot! With white feather hats and crisp dresses for Swayze compared to a more vibrant and street style of dresses with matching snap-backs for Snipes, these two create a variety pack of drag that undeniably delivers.
Susie Coen
Beauty
Don’t be a Drag, just be a Queen
Jessica Cusack interviews Amrou Al-Kadhi: Cambridge graduate by day, drag queen by night
Is this because all drag queens are simply too much to be taken seriously? No no no. Philippe Blond is a perfect example of drag done right; one half of the duo behind The Blonds (a label worn by Beyoncé and in SATC), his attention to detail in his presentation reveals the delicate and glamorous side of drag – he looks good and he knows it. Drag represents the fun and free aspects of the fashion world, the creativity channeled through Blond’s ensembles serves to remind us of this. The question on the tip of everyone’s tongue is how viable drag is as a ‘trend’, will it always be considered tacky and brash? The sentiment behind drag means it will certainly remain relevant in the fashion world, at least until a man in a dress isn’t considered abnormal. Like anything style related, we have disasters and triumphs – drag is no different. Yet daring looks, out-there garments and bold beauty will never go out of fashion.
Drag in Film
Meggings , a term that invokes sheer fear within me, to the extent that when Armani sent their models down the runway for their Autumn/ Winter 2013 Milan show, I felt like I was watching The Exorcist. I’d always hoped meggings (men’s leggings for those of you not in the know) were a joke, a big April fool, but Armani have proved that this is the latest trend to sweep the world of fashion and meggings are in fact becoming the next big trend in menswear. Already a concrete trend in New York and being sported by celebrities such as Justin Bieber, they’re now set to hit the UK too, with Topman discussing their viability and Uniqlo selling out on their UK website. Their emergence as a trend is all very well, but I have two major gripes
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Wearing: Ann Demeulemeester shirt dress Having blasted his way into the music limelight, hiphop rapper A$AP Rocky is also causing quite a stir in the fashion world. The Harlem born MC appeared on the music video show 106 & Park in what appeared to be a long black and white dress. As always, the internet was almost instantly abuzz with reactions; some questioned Rocky’s sexuality whilst others praised his original outfit choice. The rapper has since stated that the garment wasn’t a dress and was in fact an ‘oversized shirt’. Regardless, it appears the hip-hop artist is not alone: Kanye West performed at the Hurricane Sandy relief concert wearing a Givenchy leather skirt and meggings. Speaking to MTV and to his fans, Rocky stated: ‘If fashion is your life and that’s what you like and that’s what you’re about, express yourself, wear what you want and nothing matters, nobody else’s opinions matter, be the person that starts the trend.’ Spotted in the front row of New York fashion week, featured in i-D magazine’s ‘Alphabetical’ issue and having collaborated with Alexander Wang, this 24 year old knows his high fashion. His refreshing attitude that combines the two industries of music and fashion has earned him a lot of respect as he pushes the boundaries of one of music’s most hyper-masculine genres. Whether this hint of androgyny was a one-off ensemble or the beginning of a revolutionary hip-hop movement, Rocky, with his gold teeth and plaited braids, is certainly making a name for himself. Lauren Arthur
What inspired you to create Denim (a student drag night founded by Amrou in Cambridge)? Denim started in my head when I was about 13 - I’ve always wanted to perform in drag and to express myself in that way. In my second year at Cambridge I decided to just do it. I withdrew £400 from my bank, found a venue, bought some wigs and heels, and invited everyone I knew on Facebook and Cambridge’s first ever drag show/drag night happened. I asked friends who were close to me in the world of theatre and performance to perform with me; everyone was pretty open minded about the whole thing, and really supported my idea, and the first night felt like such a revolution, such a triumph! I’ll never forget it. What has been the reaction to Denim? Have you ever been met with any hostility or have you always been welcomed with open arms and sold-out shows? We’re lucky at Cambridge – the University has been so receptive to a night like this, partly because there’s never been anything like it. I think Denim really represents a post-Gaga age of sexual and political liberation which people are willing to be more vocal about, so I suppose Denim was put on at the right place and the right time. The ethos of the show is positive – revelling in your “otherness”, finding what’s unique about you and putting it on show. And its focus on the positive and liberating quality of drag has meant that the whole University has got behind it. It’s also not directly an LGBT night; Denim doesn’t really believe in labels, so even that’s way too categorical – it’s really open to everyone. That’s why I called the night Denim, everyone wears denim almost daily, but it can still be so special, so unique. Having said all that, there are some groups who find the implicitly camp and out-there nature of Denim to be too forthright, but they just don’t come to the night, which is personal preference, so I totally understand. How long does it take you to become Glamrou? Do you have anyone that inspires you when you’re deciding what to wear? It takes forever. Not only is there the small matter of Veeting every ounce of hair you have on you (which then really rather painfully, an incredibly slowly, grows back), the make-up process can take hours. From scraping wax on your eyebrows to make them disappear, to contouring your face, attaching feathers to your eyes... The pain of it can be quite extraordinary too. It can get as sadomasochistic as having to duck-tape your genitals (I’ll go as far as that), to fitting into heels which bend your feet the wrong way. Amazingly, the pain of it all helps to heighten the feeling of glamour. Sort of like, ‘the pain was worth it, look how awesome I look now’. Once I’m in drag, I feel totally different. So confident, so fierce, so excited, so euphoric. Glamrou loves everyone, and is a real mothering type (she’s sort of the mother-hen of the group). She can be quite harsh, but it’s only because she has so much love in her heart. Stylistically, Glamrou’s a mix between Amy Winehouse and Grace Jones: bold outfits with an element of craziness, even scruffiness, in her mad hair and make-up. She is also the most fashionable out of the group (AHEM). What would you say to someone who would like to get involved in drag but doesn’t know how or is too shy? Two of my drag queens in Denim are quite quiet, heterosexual men, who never thought they’d ever be in drag, ever. But it really is a process of transformation. Once you’re in drag, you’ll feel totally different: so powerful and free. Trust me. On the day of Denim shows I feel so nervous, so shy. But when I step out as Glamrou I feel like some sort of alien goddess. Think about it as performing a part of you that’s buried within. I honestly think that everyone needs to try drag. It can be so helpful and therapeutic. For the full interview, go to Mancunion.com
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Music
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Interview
Editor’s Column
Manchester, so much to answer for Joe Goggins Music Editor It’s difficult not to see The Courteeners, currently riding high on the success of their third record, Anna, as the embodiment of the slow malaise that has taken hold of my city’s music scene over the past couple of decades. You’re probably all familiar with the unspeakable likes of 5th Avenue and 42s by now, and I’ve always thought The Courteeners would make a good house band for those establishments, where they’d surely be held in high esteem by a consumer base largely unwilling to entertain the prospect of music made by anybody from further south than Knutsford any more recently than 1996 and who were probably surprised to find out that The Stone Roses had ever actually split up. Back in the St. Jude days, Liam Fray, in his own head, was some kind of divinely-crafted cross between Liam Gallagher and Morrissey, combining a sneeringly arrogant attitude with lyrics far less intelligent than he thought they were. On followup Falcon, he suddenly decided he was the spiritual successor to Guy Garvey, as reflected in some horrendous songwriting decisions - ‘The Opener’ is a take on Elbow’s ‘Station Approach’, with all the subtlety and nuance of Nuts magazine - apparently failing to realise that veering from idolising two of the most egotistical men in human history to modelling yourself on somebody as unassuming and likeable as Garvey isn’t likely to come across as the most genuine of personal progressions. That The Courteeners are one of the more commercially viable outfits to emerge from the city in recent times represents
5IN THESONGS FIELD OF... Bassists Alex Fenton
a sorry state of affairs. The ‘glory days’, if ever they were such, are unquestionably over; Liam Gallagher has become a hilarious caricature of himself, whilst Noel looks set to fart out records rivalled only, in the lack of invention and excitement stakes, by his football team, until one of the most depressingly lucrative reunions in history finally takes place when they both fancy a few quid more. Morrissey continues to carry out spectacular character assassinations against himself, with his pathetically childish animal rights opinions only overshadowed by his disturbing attitude towards race and immigration. Peter Hook’s socynical-it-hurts cash-in empire peaked when he turned the old Factory offices into a nightclub with about as much character as a motorway service station, where you can barely hear the alleged music over the sound of Ian Curtis spinning in his grave at Hook’s decision to tour both Joy Division records with a new band. The Stone Roses’ reunion was a triumph, so long as you like your vocals about as melodic as a pneumatic drill. Probably the most impressive feat pulled off by one of the old guard is the mere fact that Bez is, somehow, still alive. Fray mocks the city’s student populace on ‘Fallowfield Hillbilly’, but the grand tradition of the ‘Manchester band’ seems consigned to history. It’s like a part of the city died with Tony Wilson; his legacy looks less likely to be genuinely built upon with each passing day, instead hijacked for self-celebratory, faux-nostalgic purposes by LADs and football hooligans in shit nightclubs. So much to answer for.
Mosca The 26-year old producer shares his thoughts on vinyl, floppy discs and Ghanaian afrobeats Daniel Jones Music Editor Tom Reid’s output over the past three years may pale in comparison to many of his peers, but in that time he has still managed to cement his alias, Mosca, as a household name in bass music. Releases on Night Slugs, Numbers and 3024 caused very big ripples, leading to a residency on the radio and a legion of fans. But since last June’s ‘Eva Mendes’ EP, Reid seems to be building tension on the production side of things. “I’m sitting on loads of tracks at the moment,” he reveals, ”2012 was a great year for me personally but release-wise it was dry. 2013 is all about getting material out there on the right labels. If anything my production process has become more basic the last few years. I cut all my own samples and build tracks like that, no sample pack loops. I recently dug out an old Yamaha sequencer which was the first bit of hardware kit I ever got. No sampling ability and you save everything to a floppy disc!” “I’ve been on the road a lot lately, but I find that I make some of my best beats in the airport on Reason. Obviously you can only get sketches down and I need monitors to properly mix down and get the groove right but I find I get a lot of arrangement done that way. I can probably sum up my style in a couple of words – it’s rhythm or groove or whatever, and moodiness, a kind of darkness mixed with sexiness. That’s the kind of thing I’m generally drawn to.” Sexiness aside, Reid seems to have been enjoying his slot on Radio 1′s In New DJs We Trust. His selections draw from all four corners, indicating a freedom to decide what goes out on air: “Apart from swearing or, you
I take my Wray & Neph intravenously know, anti-police lyrics or whatever, I can play whatever. I’ve run some real headsy Hardwax vinyl-only kinda stuff on there, through to exclusives from the Ghanaian afrobeats scene, old ghetto house, grime with live MCs, dancehall, a tribal special, and loads of deep house and techno each week. I will have been on air for a year in March when I’ll be doing my final show. It was a six month contract so I’m happy to have had a year on there!” Despite the name of the show, Reid asserts that the DJs he mostly listens to are fairly established: “DJing is something that takes so long to get right, beat-matching aside there’s so much stuff to get wrong. Even if it’s running a tune that gets a great crowd reaction and then running something that normally goes down well but flops compared to the first record. It’s a lifelong learning experience, especially as crowds are changing all the time. In a nutshell I would say that experienced DJs are better than new DJs, including myself, but I’m working on it!”
Reid went on to talk us through a bit of his live setup, ahead of his date at Sankeys on the 22nd: “I use Serato with vinyl but I’m in the process of switching to CDJs instead. Vinyl in this day and age is too much hassle if you’re playing out twice a weekend or whatever, always different clubs, and the decks are rarely maintained properly. I bring my own needles and that, but there’s nothing you can do if a tone-arm is bent! I just wanna have peace of mind that I can turn up and focus on music and raving instead of sorting technicals or being on edge that something will go wrong. I know I won’t have to play what I call ‘promoter tunes’ at Sankeys. The crowd is wicked and I can get on with running underground beats and just building up a vibe.” When pressed further on his tendency to experiment in both production and selection, Reid comments that the genre argument has almost played itself out: “Fans are so open to everything nowadays it seems to be more about reeling it in again, telling people that yes I kinda play all over the board, but not literally everything. It’s definitely fans that are more open to new stuff; it’s the DJs that would have to find ways to run tracks they wouldn’t normally run that are less open. I don’t play breaks or trap or dubstep or whatever… but not playing everything out there isn’t a crime. It’s just called having a taste in music. I don’t mind ‘Bax’ being labelled as throwback garage considering it was a one-off throwback garage EP.” And I suppose he’s right; locating music in terms of genre isn’t a bad thing. It’s the clearest way to distinguish between and agree on what we do and don’t like listening to. One man’s trap might be another man’s Ghanaian afrobeat.
1. Led Zeppelin - Ramble On
2. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Aeroplane
3. The Stone Roses Breaking into Heaven
4. Warpaint - Undertow
5. Cream - Sunshine of Your Love
John Paul Jones gives a prime example of why less can so often be more with his sparing use of the blues scale on ‘Ramble On’. Add to that a rampant chorus and you have the spirit that defined Led Zeppelin as the apex of rock n’ roll.
“I like pleasure spiked with pain, music is my aeroplane”. For some funky bass look no further than original Chili Pepper Michael ‘Flea’ Balzary. His sound emulates his nickname, taking the fret board for a walk, with some added slap. His bass solo on ‘Aeroplane’ is an all-time classic.
Mani had a feel for bass that cannot be taught. Crank the speakers and enjoy an underlying groove that few bassists have recreated. The Madchester scene would not have been complete without the Stone Roses, but they, in turn, would not have been complete without Mani.
Perhaps I have a slight crush on Jenny Lee Lindberg, but her bass skills are still top-notch. Some expansive bass effects in the verse are simple, but as the track picks up, so does her playing. Actually, I definitely love her (she’s the dream).
Written on a double bass ‘near dawn’, Jack Bruce created a track that has become a staple for budding guitarists the world over. The riff is smooth and every time I hear the transition to the chorus I remember why the oldies still have a place in my heart.
Music
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Interview
Jack Savoretti Phoebe Clarke
“You always have to up your game when playing an English crowd – they’re unique” explains Indie breakthrough Jack Savoretti. Lounging in one of the many cafés amid the concrete monster that is Salford’s Media City, he describes his UK experiences touring alongside Jake Bugg as distinctive. “I always find the English tougher because they’re very used to good music, whereas in other parts of the world, they’re not as spoilt for choice.” We’re flattered. However, with three successful studio albums under his belt as well as world tours supporting Gavin DeGraw and Corinne Bailey Rae, Jack Savoretti is no stranger to recognition, earning comparisons to Simon and Garfunkel and Bob Dylan for his lyrical fluidity. He comments humbly “it’s always flattering to get any comparison like that, granted a little silly. Although Simon & Garfunkel was the first time that I heard music and thought wow, this means something. It stopped me in my tracks - they were the main reason I started songwriting.” Many of his songs have featured in TV series, including the OC and the Postgrad, “I studied
cinematography at university and my dream was always to put music to film. A soundtrack can make or break a movie and it’s definitely something I’d like to explore further in the future. Simon & Garfunkel’s soundtrack to the Graduate made it one of my favourite movies growing up. It blew my mind.” Albeit ‘silly’ to the Italian stallion, the comparisons to old greats are certainly well-founded. Describing song-writing as make-up that colours lyrical intensity, Savoretti explains how he was never very musical, instead preferring poetry for artistic expression. “I used to scribble a lot of free verses. However, a poem is a very intimate thing to ask someone to read. People have a lot more time for what you want to say if it’s carried by music.” It is precisely these poetical parallels that give Savoretti’s writing such raw authenticity. He continues “thoughts on a page are freer rather than in a rhyme scheme. Free verse poetry is like complete freedom and I still enjoy it for that but whenever I want to share things I put it into a song! Song-writing is a craft and has been done a lot of times but if it means something to you then it’s likely that it’ll mean something to someone else too.” This ethos is shown no better than by his newest single ‘Not Worthy’ that embodies a self-deprecating
yet personal message. “Not Worthy is about looking at yourself in the mirror and thinking what a prat, how did I end up here? Why have I done these things? It ended up being quite self-reflective. Everyone can be a prick sometimes and these songs are my way of saying sorry. I think that’s the reason why their connecting more than anything else - they’re genuine.” Time has also seen Savoretti develop a more stripped-back sound. “I’ve slowly tried to go more towards the band sound. Every song you hear on Before the Storm is one full take.
It’s 4 or 5 guys in a room, locking the door and pressing record - it’s real.” However, with a new album on the horizon produced by Adele’s bass player and musical director Sam Dixon, Savoretti promises to “take it up a notch in terms of sound elegance”, involving some experimental collaborations. “I was in the studio yesterday with DJ Fresh. He’s an old friend and so we did a song together which is going to sound nuts if it’s ever released!” We have high hopes.
The Mancunion Music Monday’s, 4-5pm, Fuse
@FuseFM
Listen: fusefm.co.uk
/FuseFMManches-
Live
Jake Bugg
I Am Kloot
Academy 1 - 14th February 2013 From council estate to being announced as headliner at Reading festival, Jake Bugg has taken the industry by storm. Judging by his recent media profile, he’s unfazed by his success, but then he is not your average eighteen year old, with influences including The Beatles, Hendrix and the Gallagher brothers, and the less conventional Donovan, Don Mclean, Robert Johnson and a host of other folk and country artists. He has been complimented as sounding like a young Bob Dylan, and received the seal of approval from Noel Gallagher, who’s already taken him on tour. Bugg arrived at the Academy as part of a long-since-sold-out tour, with transatlantic support from Dublin’s Hudson Taylor and Tennessee’s Valerie June. Taylor delivered a stunning set packed with ballads and harmonies, followed by June’s charming fusion of blues and roots music. Bugg took the stage to the strains of Robert Johnson’s ‘Cross Road Blues’, and kicked things off with one of his - as he terms them - finger-pickin’ tracks. ‘Fire’. With only one record under his belt - albeit one that topped
the chart- Bugg needs to flesh out the set somehow, and b-sides ‘Kentucky’ and ‘Love Me the Way You Do’ make the cut here. ‘Kentucky’, as the name suggests, is inspired by American country music, and Bugg has come in for a fair bit of stick for the pseudoAmerican accent he adopts when singing. Not that he’s forgotten his roots - his album tells the story of his growing up in Clifton, and the songs ‘Seen It All’ and ‘Slumville Sunrise’ demonstrate
8/10
this. He saved the real crowd pleasers, ‘Lightning Bolt’ and ‘Two Fingers’, for last. On the whole, Bugg turned in an accomplished performance for such a young performer; in a world full of manufactured pop, he’s a real breath of fresh air.
Caitlin Downey
The Ritz - 15th February 2013 Jesca Hoop kicked off proceedings (I say kicked, though perhaps nudged would be more accurate), but her set was overshadowed by a murmuring crowd anxious to see Kloot and shockingly poor sound quality, perhaps a testament to a technical crew underwhelmed by Hoop’s relatively minor status. It certainly wasn’t, however, a testament to the quality of the musician – and anyone doubting her Friday night performance should first take a listen her Snowglobe EP before casting judgement. Kloot finally appear at around 9 to the roar of a restless, drunken, Friday night crowd. So restless, in fact, that during some songs lead singer Johnny Bramwell has to tell them all to shut up. Not that there was any atmosphere of contempt; “set my compass North, circumscribe the earth and go” sings Bramwell, an homage to the band’s Manchester roots and a furtherance of the nostalgic revelry Kloot bathed in that night. The night reaches its peaks with performances of ‘Twist’ and ‘Proof ’, where the increasingly intoxicated crowd sway to
Bramwell’s melodic repeats of “without you, without you”. ‘Hold Back the Night’ is met with a buzz of excitement, as well as a half-hearted attempt at an initial singalong that only made it as far as “hold back the night, these streets are filled with laughter” before descending into drunken ramblings. There was a fair balance between classic and more recent work, and it was frankly a joy to see the same level of energy and
9/10
excitement for both the old and the new. The session musicians fleshing out the live band were on top form, although the level of depth Kloot manage as a three piece remains much more impressive. A superb homecoming performance, marred only slightly by the boisterous crowd.
Lowell Clarke
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Music
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
BOOK NOW: 0161 832 1111 www.manchesteracademy.net Live Music and Clubs at the University of Manchester Students’ Union
FEBRUARY
The Alarm Saturday 16th March - £17.50
Double D Tour 2013 – The Drills (feat. PhilX) / Dorje (feat. Rob Chapman) + StormBorn Thursday 28th February - £10
SOLD OUT
Brantley Gilbert Saturday 16th March - £12.50
SOLD OUT
Eels Sunday 17th March - £23.50
MARCH
The Brew Sunday 17th March - £12
Steven Wilson
FM
Friday 1st March - £22.50
Disclosure
Thursday 21st March - £16.50
Upgraded from Manchester Gorilla
Friday 1st March - £10
SOLD OUT
Don Broco
+ Mallory Knox + Hey Vanity Saturday 2nd March - £8
Mamma Freedom
Frankie Cocozza Thursday 21st March - £10
Skunk Anansie Friday 22nd March - £24
The Black Crowes
(Album launch show) + Shooting Pigeons + Mysterians! + Jaded
Sunday 24th March - £33.50
Saturday 2nd March - £6
Wednesday 27th & Thursday 28th March - £21.50
The Portlands
+ Fear The Fallen + The Madding Crowd Saturday 2nd March - £6
Foals Saturday 2nd March - £16.50
Bastille Tuesday 5th March - £10
The Gaslight Anthem
Everclear Wednesday 27th March - £16.50
FutureProof Thursday 28th March - £10
Steve Harris British Lion + Zico Chain
Kvelertak
Saturday 30th March - £16
Wednesday 6th March - £10
The Stranglers
Twisted Wheel
Saturday 30th March - £23
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Hurts
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Monday 1st April - £15
Friday 8th March - £10
The Wildhearts – Earth Versus The Wildhearts 20th Anniversary Tour + Eureka Mahines
Wednesday 13 + Sister Friday 8th March - £13
Dan Reed Band Saturday 9th March - £14
The Last Carnival Sunday 10th March - £7
Huey & The New Yorkers + Mike Marlin
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Books
ISSUE 17/ 11th MARCH 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Book Club is back! Surprise and delight at The Harriet Hill-Payne, The Mancunion’s own Arts editor, talks to Books about Great Expectations Hi Harriet, how are you? Hello! I’m drowning in essays and trying to ignore looming deadlines. What are you reading? What’s it about? What are the characters called? Do you like them? I’m reading Great Expectations, by Dickens. So far we have Pip, Magwitch, Mr and Mrs Joe Gargery, Estella and Miss Havisham, amongst others, all carefully drawn, nuanced characters which have somehow, I think, crept into our cultural consciousness – Miss Havisham and her burning wedding dress, Magwitch suddenly coming into focus in the marshes…the images are quite haunting and don’t leave the mind easily. Is it great, just good, or not worth the trees? Pretty good effort from Dickens I’d say… It’s fantastic – the scope of the plot is extraordinary, chronicling the growing-up of the protagonist, Pip, and his relationship with Estella, the adopted daughter of the now-iconic Miss Havisham of Statis House, but that doesn’t inhibit the detail with which motivations are discussed, secrets revealed and identities developed. Do you generally go in for plot driven page-turners or word-by-word, sentence-by-sentence thrills? I like word-by-word thrills I think. I don’t think that much has to really happen in order for there to be something interesting to say about it. I was having a conversation with someone the other day about whether students read or not – I felt they didn’t (in general) and didn’t buy books, but the person said that if they (the students) do read they’re likely to read quite a lot, and buy all the books that they want to read. Do you feel that these types hold up? Which are you? Or alternatively, just tell us about your reading/book buying habits: I think some students don’t and some do much in the same way some people don’t and some do – I don’t think there is anything about students that makes them any more or less likely to read, if they have always read then they will continue to do so. I read a lot for my course, but I still don’t get through everything – I think you have to pick your battles to an extent. I buy a lot of books – I like the physicality of them and I like having books which have been well used and scribbled in, I think you get a very different reading experience from a Kindle or an iPad, even though both are useful for some things. There’s been a spate of literary anniversaries recently – Pride and Prejudice turned 200, 50 years since Sylvia Plath’s death – and more to come later in the year. How cynical do you feel about these, is it any excuse (and any arbitrary years since….) to squeeze some more publicity and more sales for already published books, or should we take the time to celebrate great writers and great books of the past? I think the book industry works as a business like any other – they have to shift copies to stay alive and if that means reprints of classics enable the publishing houses to keep supporting emerging writers, or rediscovering lost ones, then that’s fine by me. I do also think that we should value our classics, because so often newer books have been influenced by old stories or old styles of writing, and it’s interesting to get a sense of what a modern authors influences might have been, and how well they reimagine old texts, or reinvent old styles, for themselves. How do you choose your next book? Are you more likely to take a friend’s advice or a ‘professional’s’ (critic, journalist, lecturer…) in terms of recommendations? I try and mix between those – I read on friends and lecturers recommendation, and pick things up in bookshops a lot – I’m easily swayed by a nice cover. The Penguin English Library has made a lot of money out of me recently, from some nice cover art. If you could have written one book (that someone else has written) what would it be? The Tiger Who Came to Tea – Judith Kerr.
Castle Hotel
Bad Language’s spoken word event takes an evening in the pub into a realm of uncertainty and suprise BadLanguageisaliteraryorganisation based in Manchester that holds a free evening of spoken word performances every month at The Castle Hotel on Oldham Street. When I walked into the small pub on February’s evening last week, I asked the bartender where ‘bad language’ was and she must have misheard me because she directed me to the toilets. The actual room was small high ceilinged and low-lit, with chairs lined neatly in rows. I sat next to a young woman who offered me a cheese and onion crisp (I accepted) and told me about the novel she has been writing from her mother’s house in the middle of nowhere (Exton). Look out for a novel by Charlotte Haines! There were a lot of different acts: a mixture of first-timers and regulars, poetry and prose pieces, and one short play/dialogue at the end. Mostly I preferred the poetry, it was snappy and funny – such as Fat Roland reading a poem from his book HEY
HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY, and a confident first-timer reading his poem about porn. Sometimes when someone reads out prose in a crowded dark room it’s all too easy to switch off for a second and miss something vital to the plot. This was not the case, though, when, for the headline prose act, Sarah Butler read from her debut novel Ten Things I Hate About Love. I was sceptical when I heard the book’s title, but she read it as if it was poetry, full of pauses and internal rhymes, so that – despite the microphone problems that made it sound like she was beatboxing when she said any word beginning with ‘p’ or ‘b’- it was very enjoyable to listen to. I had passed the mass of people going into the Palace Theatre to see The Lion King on my way there, and I saw them flood out on my way back. I felt my evening compared favourably
David Judge performs, Photo: @dancarpenter85
to theirs, as a ‘show’ where you don’t have to spend money, can decide to go to an hour before, sit in any seat, and have the surprising of having no idea what you are going to hear or see that evening. Annie Muir
Profile
Jeffrey Eugenides’ flawless prose A profile of the author of The Virgin Suicides and Middlesex
“Jeffrey Eugenides’ writing is flawless.” When I opened up the Word document to begin writing this article that was my first sentence. And I believe it. But if a humanities degree has taught me anything, it’s that no piece of writing is ever perfect, so let me start again: Jeffrey Eugenides’ writing is beautiful. It’s just beautiful. Eugenides published his luminous, melancholic debut twenty years ago, and The Virgin Suicides has since been translated into over 15 languages, and feted by critics as a modern American classic. Deep in the haze of ‘70s suburbia, the ethereal Lisbon sisters kill themselves one by one. Years later, the boys who worshipped the girls as teenagers gather together in an attempt to make sense of the tragedy. The boys’ collective, anonymous narrative functions like a Greek chorus, reporting the action but remaining at a distance, and it is this sense of impenetrable space (the space between the sisters) that makes the novel so heartbreaking. Nothing is certain in The Virgin
Suicides; it’s all dreamy conjecture, theories strung together from high school memories and old diary entries. It’s not a story about teen suicide, not really. It’s a story about the sorrow of nostalgia, the mystery of youth, about how the most magical things are the ones we can’t understand. The Pulitzer-winning Middlesex (2002) seems worlds apart from Eugenides’ first novel, but there are glimmers of continuity. Like Suicides, it’s something of an elegy to suburban Detroit (where Eugenides grew up), and it’s also a work of sparkling romance and awful tragedy. Middlesex’s unusual narrator is Cal Stephanides, who is – to use the un-PC term the novel employs – an hermaphrodite. The novel locates the source of the mutated gene that caused Cal’s intersexuality and traces it down through three generations beginning in the 1920s with Cal’s Greek grandparents fleeing the Balkan War, and ending with Cal living as a man in modern Berlin. The novel gracefully addresses immigration and the American Dream, the Vietnam War, the Nation of Islam, the Detroit riots of 1967 and the “white flight” of middle-class families to suburbia, gender psychology, and the San Francisco LGBT scene (yes, all that). But Eugenides grounds the hugeness of this story with experiences
close to him; he has explained, “Because the story is so far from my own experience, I had to use a lot of details from my own life to ground it in reality.” He does so successfully: despite its ambitious premise and scope, this sprawling family saga never loses its generous, human heart. Next, and most recent: The Marriage Plot (2011), which, despite its serious themes – manic depression, religion, love, literature – is Eugenides’ most light-hearted and gossipy novel. It has also (perhaps not coincidentally) been his most commercially successful. It was on bestseller lists across America. A postmodern college-kids love triangle set in the ‘80s, The Marriage Plot tracks the lives of 3 Brown University students grappling with their academic, moral and romantic aspirations. It’s wryly self-referential – while Madeleine plans a thesis on the marriage plots of 19th century novels, her own marriage plot unfolds around her – but never smug. And as a student, The Marriage Plot’s nods to university life are delicious: the smug twat in your seminar who thinks he knows everything about everything, the horrified realisation of the morning after the night before, the threat of “real life” that lurks on the horizon. It’s all here. Eugenides is not the most prolific of authors. His track record suggests that it’ll be 2020 until he releases another novel into the wild. I have no doubt it’ll be worth it.
Moya Crockett
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Food & Drink
St David’s Day feast The glorious land of Wales is where we have branded leek and lamb, cockles and cawl, rarebit and bara brith the gems of our nation and our gift to the world. This land of baked cheese, creamy leeks and lamb stew is one that I am proud to call home. Here are a couple of my favourite Welsh recipes. Rarebit is sexy cheese on toast and bara brith is a fruit loaf flavoured with tea. Tidy.
Rarebit Serves 6-8 Ingredients 125ml milk 1 tbsp flour 400g grated farmhouse cheddar , or 2 x 200g quantities of cheddar and parmesan 175g fresh white breadcrumbs 1 heaped tsp English mustard powder 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 120ml ale, cider or Guinness (the last will give a stronger flavour) 2 eggs 6-8 slices, toasted crusty bread Method Heat the milk in a pan, whisk in the flour and bring to the boil. Allow to bubble until slightly thickened. Reduce the heat to low and add the grated cheese. Stir briefly until melted, then add the breadcrumbs, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce and your choice of alcohol. Cook, stirring, until the mixture starts to leave the side of the saucepan. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Beat thoroughly with a spoon whilst adding the eggs. Season with ground black pepper. Spread onto the toast and grill until browned and golden. Alternately, crack an egg on it and bake instead for Rarebit Madame! Recipe adapted from BBC Good Food website.
Horse meat: yay or neigh?
Frideswide O’Neill had the privilege of being sent horse mince and horse sausages from Kezie Foods in Scotland to review for The Mancunion I was sent 500g of horse mince and cooked a bolognese (or should I say bologneighs) in order to decide whether I had any gustatory objections to it. After stewing it in a heavily red wine laden tomato sauce for almost two hours (it was pretty tough meat!) I concluded, as did four friends who joined me, that it was tender, fairly rich and just as delicious as any beef bolognese I’ve had. One friend who cooked the sausages declared them a very satisfactory alternative to pork sausages - and proceeded to make horse meatballs with them. We thought that the horse meat was rich like venison, but all in all, not that different from beef. Everybody loves a good food scandal. Suddenly, the media are talking about something which might be relevant to many of us. So this time, it’s horse dressed as beef, and what have we got to say about it? Are we disgusted with ourselves, distressed over the fate of the horses or just disillusioned with the supermarkets who have lied to us? It seems that many of us have adopted the last stance. The presence of horse meat in beef products, whether the result of incompetence or deliberate deception, has somewhat destroyed consumer confidence in some of our larger supermarkets. It’s certainly right that we should be angry and concerned about food which has been wrongly labelled.
Luck, Lust, Liquor and Burn Maddy Hubbard
A slice of rarebit, cariad? Photo: Learning Lark @Flickr
Bara brith Ingredients 450g/1lb dried mixed fruit 250g/9oz brown sugar 300ml/½ pint warm black tea 2 tsp mixed spice 450g/1lb self-raising flour 1 egg, beaten Method In a large bowl soak the fruit and sugar in strained tea and leave overnight. Next day, preheat the oven to 170 ° C/325F/Gas 3. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. Mix the remaining ingredients into the fruit mixture and beat well. Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and bake the oven and bake for 1½ hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Recipe adapted from The Hairy Bikers: Mums Know Best
Emily Clark
ISSUE 15/ 25TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Luck, Lust, Liquor and Burn is a new Mexican restaurant in the Northern Quarter. As sister to Almost Famous and on the site of former cocktail bar Socio Rehab, it has excellent hipster credentials. It was inspired by a road trip from Las Vegas to Mexico ‘in a frenetic haze of food, booze and all the naughtiness the Golden State has to offer’, and they have managed to bring this spirit and inspiration back to rainy Manchester. The restaurant interior is dark with exposed bricks, gorgeous waiters, and a neon sign that says ‘Jesus loves tacos’ above the bar. You can’t help but love it the atmosphere is great, and the staff rave about their favourite dishes on the menu. I wanted to eat everything. In particular, I was eyeing up the burritos, such as the ‘Alabama Bone Suckin’ Slammer’ (£7.50) stuffed with pulled pork and three types of cheese, and the ‘Triple Threat Burger’ (£10), a double cheeseburger topped with bacon and pulled pork. It’s the kind of place where, despite all the food you’ve already put away, you watch dishes being carried past and wish they were headed to your table - although you can probably tell this is not really a place for vegetarians or those on a diet! My friend chose the ‘Dirty Chicken Street Tacos’ (£6.50) on the advice of our lovely waitress, which arrived on a car number plate. They were absolutely delicious, if a relatively small portion for the price. In contrast, my ‘Jailbreak Beef Chilli’ (£7.50) was an enormous bowl of falling-apart strands of slow-cooked beef brisket, topped with mounds of sour cream, crispy bacon and cheese. I scooped it up with tortilla chips and decided that for food this good I
However, a large proportion of the media coverage of the horse scandal has brushed over the real issue: the mislabelling of food products. Instead they focus on the supposed ‘contamination’ of the goods found to contain horse meat. Contamination, as defined by the OED, suggests defilement, pollution and infection, implying that horse meat is dirty, harmful or even poisonous and encouraging these incorrect beliefs in those who may already feel uneasy with the idea of eating it. Of course what you eat and what you don’t eat is entirely up to you but it is deceptive and provocative of the media to subtly suggest that
High Street, Northern Quarter, M4 1HQ 0870 757 3422 would take the heart attack any day. Desserts are provided by Home Sweet Home, a café around the corner, and we shared a salted caramel brownie with malted vanilla ice cream (£3.50), which arrived sitting in a lake of caramel sauce. We both agreed it was one of the best brownies we had ever tasted, and I haven’t really been able to stop thinking about it ever since. While the house wine can described as ‘drinkable’ at best, there is a hugely tempting
horse meat is in any ethical or nutritional sense substandard to beef or any other meat we happily eat. I wondered what exactly stops those of us who eat beef, lamb, pork, chicken, goose, turkey (you get the point) from eating horse? After all, the animals we commonly eat in Britain are herbivorous, non-house pets and non-vermin. A horse fits all of these criteria. Yet when I asked one of my housemates whether she wanted to join us for supper she exclaimed ‘No way! I have a pet horse!’ So perhaps the real reason is that some people are averse to eating an animal they feel emotionally attached to.
“You watch the dishes being carried past and wish they were headed to your table” cocktail list, and I will definitely be back for a ‘Break for the Border’ (£7) made from El Jimador tequila, elderflower, nettle, lime, mint and tonic or the ‘Dirty South Martini’ (£8) of Portabello gin and jalapeno-infused vermouth. There is a lovely bar downstairs with a more limited menu where you could sample these, but I would definitely recommend skipping the queues in the rain for Almost Famous and heading upstairs for dinner – just don’t forget to try that brownie!
Food & Drink
ISSUE 15/ 25TH FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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The Albert Square Chop House Jessica Hardiman visits The Albert Square Chop House to see how it fares in the shadow of its older brothers Jessica Hardiman Food & Drink Editor
The Albert Square Chop House is the newest addition to the Victorian Chop House Company, which already boasts two restaurants in Manchester and another in Leeds. Needless to say, I was very excited to be visiting the youngest member of the family. It claims to provide ‘classic British cooking with a modern twist’ - as a bit of a non-term, I was eager to explore and perhaps challenge this idea. Surely the nature of a chop house builds its own concept? It is housed in the Memorial Hall, a beautiful Victorian building that exudes regal splendour before you’ve even entered the establishment. Its interior then hugs you with dark wood, which not only bolsters the aura of tradition and hearty Victorian-era fare, but it is also somehow in no way oppressive or smothering. Sitting in the booths of the restaurant, you can see up to the bar above. Its upstairs floor doesn’t quite reach the large windows of the building’s fascia and thus creates some sort of semi-mezzanine to the restaurant. This, I loved, as you could hear the comforting, distant hum of conversation upstairs. However, some of the music drifting down from the bar left a bit to be desired, alternating, bizarrely, between the likes of Stevie Wonder, The Script and Rihanna. For starters, we ordered the scallops with pork belly and watercress purée, and the steak tartare.
The scallops were perfectly cooked, their softness dutifully allowing my knife to slide through them effortlessly. The pork belly sat alongside in neat little cubes, the crackling of which was crisp but thin so that it could be eaten without jarring your teeth together, but with enough crunch to satisfy. The steak tartare also sung such succulence, with a beautiful pickled tang flecked throughout a generous portion size. My fellow diner had never eaten raw steak before, and I felt happy that this was her first experience. My main was the lemon sole with orange and chicory salad. The lemon sole was delicious, and the simplicity of the dish let the flavour of the fish speak for itself. The salad that came alongside the lemon sole did not overpower, instead adding a delicious citrus layer and a pleasant crunch. The loin of venison main was served with a humble mound of mashed potato, spiced red cabbage and a venison faggot. Once again, the meat’s flavours were central to the dish, and the life that had been taken for the purpose of our bellies was to some degree honoured. This is perhaps the charm of places like this: allowing the tastes of the meat or fish to shine through, without trying to mask them with trivial and elaborate accompaniments. Vegetarian dishes also didn’t appear to be a mere afterthought; the Homity pie sat high amongst my potential choices, as did the curd and beetroot salad starter. The raspberry soufflé for dessert did not disappoint, rounding the meal off deliciously. We also ordered the whimsically named ‘chocolate soup’, due in part to our cynicism. Oddly enough,
The Northern Quarter The ‘finest coffee in Manchester’ at North Tea Power. Photo: Craig Bush @Flickr
the supposed ‘soup’ had been baked, so that the consistency was not fluid like one would presume, but had the very slightest wobble to resemble more of a mousse. It came with rubbles of golden honeycomb and a scoop of milk sorbet. As to be expected, it was on the whole quite tasty, but it was by no means imaginative. It was nothing like the theatrical image its name put forward, with a lack of Wonka-styled novelty that might warrant its presence on the menu. Perhaps opt for the more traditional desserts that are on offer, with a buttermilk posset and ginger parkin just a mere sample of what I expect to bear more substance. Overall, I really enjoyed the food, and the staff were very friendly and attentive. Having napkins snapped for you feels a bit unnecessary in such a place - as though some of the wrong elements of fine dining have been embraced - but generally, service was excellent. However, the one thing that struck me most was just how quiet the establishment was. The bar upstairs was fairly busy when we first arrived, but after ascending from the restaurant below with a satisfied post-dinner plumpness, we were met with an eerie silence. The buzz of its older brothers, Sam and Tom, doesn’t appear to have spread to the baby of the bunch. After dinner, I decided to trawl the depths of the internet to suss out The Albert Square Chop House’s online presence. I found a neglected Facebook page and limited material online. The company website for the Chop Houses also appeared to be guilty of favouritism amongst its offspring, proudly displaying Sam’s Chop House - both its Manchester
and Leeds locations - and Tom’s Chop House, but failing to remind us that there was another. The Albert Square Chop House deserves a lot more by means of advertisement, as both building and food proved to be pretty much what I’d want from a restaurant. It has the finesse of more refined dining, but the approachability and comfort of somewhere much more relaxed. Portions are generous but not oversized, instead relying on the rich flavours of hearty meat and vegetables. For me, this is a great combination, and I just hope that others choose to seek it out for themselves - because it doesn’t appear to be enjoying much self-promotion.
The Albert Square Chop House exterior. Photo: Luchia Houghton-Lloyd
Ben Walker relays a few of his favourite Northern Quarter gems - think espressos, beer houses and elevenses
Ben Walker It seems that every other week some new place opens in the Northern Quarter, not just ensuring this inner city Manchester district continues to keep ahead of its Northern counterparts, but also creeping towards parity with some of the hip areas of London. First up, stimulate the senses at North Tea Power with the finest coffee in Manchester - though saying that, it’s the finest coffee I’ve ever had. Their espresso fulfils all the criteria for near perfect coffee: body, aroma and flavour. The delicate crema, sharp acidy of high-altitude Arabica beans, a full, almost syrupy body and heady fine and fruity aroma combine to make this the ideal place to start this tour. Perked up, head down Tib Street to the stylishly vintage Sugar Junction. Here, you will be nearly overwhelmed by the doily decoration and tables resplendent with beautiful china tea sets. This is the place for elevenses. A pot of tea and a slice of cake is just simple, traditional and absolutely spot on. Having taken the title off Teacup as the central
Manchester’s premier tea and cake joint, Sugar Junction is a must-visit venue. The morning by now will be old and the sun is nearly past the yard arm. We shall have a nose in the newest addition to the NQ, Beermoth, an outlet of the most exclusive and different beer. What is most impressive is that the collection here is completely different to those of Carringtons or Microbar and thus is a great addition to the Mancunian beer scene. Port Street Beer House dominates the beer scene of the North of England. I know Leeds fans will champion North Bar, but I feel PSBH shades it. A lot of bars in Manchester have a bottle selection out of this world, but it is the on-tap beer here that is truly outstanding. It is kept beautifully and is simply delicious. Of the dozen-plus taps there have been in recent months such choices as Seville orange beer, an Odell and Thornbridge collaboration, chocolate milk stouts, Magic Rock - basically something from here, there and everywhere. I cannot praise this place enough. Having built up a sufficiently ravenous appetite, head to Soup Kitchen. This is inexpensive, wholesomely satisfying food. I always opt for that
most classic of combinations, soup and sandwich; last time I had cheddar, onion and ale soup with a cheese and chutney sandwich. A splendid lunch to sate one’s hunger but the homemade pies and traybakes are worth a try too. By now, fed and watered, maybe just a half of bitter or a comforting latte? The serene atmosphere of 57 Thomas Street should do the trick here. This is a beer house for the Manchester Marble Brewery, offering cask and bottle versions of their tipples (their storage makes the same beer differ tremendously.) They also have a superb pub snack system, where you choose a selection of charcuterie and cheese to nibble at instead of the old dry roast. You can lounge over a beer and a game of chess or dominos to wile away the late afternoon, which is simply lovely. This is by no means an exhaustive list of places to go in the NQ, but I have endeavoured to assemble an itinerary that will allow you to sample the best in sweet and savoury food, tea, coffee and beer - all of which can be done without breaking the bank. Take the jump from Fallowfield and the University and reach out and embrace the NQ. You will be repaid with delectable rewards.
Books every foodie should read: #2
Songs about food
Maddy Hubbard
1. ‘Hey Pete! Let’s Eat More Meat’ by Dizzy Gillespie Do you have a love of meat that borders on obsessive? Do you have a persistently vegetarian friend? Is that friend called Pete? Then look no further for the perfect tool of persuasion.
The Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten Jeffrey Steingarten is the best food writer you have probably never heard of. He was the food critic for Vogue for many years and, despite most peoples’ assumptions that his readership was probably not particularly interested in food (or at least not in eating it themselves,) he is incredibly well-respected and a wonderful, inspirational writer. His first book, The Man Who
Ate Everything, starts with his decision to rid himself of all food preferences before becoming a restaurant critic. He feels that in order to do the job properly, he must be able to look at a menu and feel equally interested in eating everything on it. After a long struggle with oysters and Greek food, he eventually succeeds magnificently with everything except Indian desserts, going about it in a wonderfully obsessive way. This meticulous focus is evident in later sections too - for example, when he takes up baking bread. This seems
to involve not just practice and an oven, but trips around the world, chemical analysis of different flours and tests with various brands of bottled water, just to make sure the pH balance is exactly right. He is not a man who does things by halves. One brilliant episode in his quest to make the perfect pizza has him buy a laser-gun heat reader, so he can sneakily test out the temperature in the ovens of his favourite restaurants to find out how they make the perfect crust. The average reader will probably never go to quite his lengths
in the search for perfection, but he does provide tempting recipes at the end of each chapter so you can learn from his experience. As well as this, he gives amazing descriptions of beautiful meals - so amazing that you feel as though you have eaten them yourself, wishing you could give up living in the real world to simply travel and share in experiences like these. That’s still the dream, but until then, read this book, be inspired, and live vicariously through this wonderfully obsessive and truly passionate food-lover.
2. ‘The Coffee Song’ by Frank Sinatra This harrowing account of Brazil’s descent into caffeinated addiction is sure to put you off your morning cup of Joe. You’ll be dismayed when you hear how, ‘a politician’s daughter was accused of drinking water’ and promptly fined without even being given her day in court. Barbaric. 3. ‘Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off’ by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong A disagreement over the weekly shop sees this couple pushed over the edge. A tragic situation but also a unparalleled lesson on how to pronounce those trickier food staples.
Ollie Cartwright
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Arts & Culture
S U RV I V I NG SUPPER Dinner party essentials with Lucy J
IMPRESSIONISM
Impressionism was an art movement that emerged from France in the mid to late nineteenth century. Based in Paris, the young group put on independent exhibitions as a result of the Salon (the official exhibition of the Academy des Beaux-Arts in Paris) rejecting their paintings for annual exhibitions due to their inappropriate style and subject matter. Their first exhibition was in 1873 when Napoleon III, under the direction of Baron Haussmann, had rebuilt Paris which was to become both the inspiration and setting for many of the most important Impressionist works. The term ‘Impressionists’ was actually coined negatively by the critic Louis Leroy making a play on Monet’s painting Impression, Sunrise.
STYLE AND SUBJECT MATTER Obviously each artist has their own distinctive style but there are many similarities that run through Impressionist works of art such as: - Visible brushstrokes - Impasto application of paint (thick) - Bright colours and an avoidance of mixing colours to preserve their vibrancy - Particular attention to the affects of light and the colours it produces Paintings are often cropped in a way that evokes photography and the notion of a ‘snapshot’. Impressionism was greatly influenced by the development of photography both compositionally and in the way photography literally captured a moment. Japanese prints (Ukiyo-e) also influenced them with their bright colours, cropping, flatness and everyday subject matter - Depicting ‘modern life’ in a realist manner
THE KEY PLAYERS Claude Monet, PierreAuguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot - Edouard Manet - a key figure and a big influence although he never actually exhibited with the Impressionists - Charles Baudelaire – a friend of Manet’s who’s writings on modern life greatly influenced the Impressionists -Durand-Ruel – an art dealer who was vital in the appropriation of the movement
PAINTINGS TO KNOW Le dejeuner sur l’herbe – Manet 1862-63 (Musee d’Orsay, Paris) Impression, Sunrise – Monet 1872 (Musee Marmottan, Paris) Dance at Le Moulin de la Galette - Renoir 1876 (Musee d’Orsay, Paris) L’Absinthe – Degas 1876 (Musee d’Orsay, Paris) Paris street, Rainy day – Gustave Caillebotte 1877 (Art Institute of Chicago)
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUAY 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
/TheMancunionArtsCulture @ArtsMancunion
Exhibition
Bejewelled Lobsters and Hookah-smoking Monkeys The fantastical, beautiful and grotesque collide, but somehow Raqib Shaw’s exhibition misses the mark, says Esmé Clifford Astbury The entrance of the Manchester Art Gallery is wreathed in flowers, and beyond it lies the dark and deeply unsettling world of Raqib Shaw. Surrounded by lush foliage, a white swan lurches over a human-like figure, pecking out its innards. This painted bronze sculpture is a reworking of the myth of Narcissus. Shaw takes the moment of Narcissus’ self-discovery and turns it into something much more gruesome. Narcissus’ eyes have been gouged out and his bat-like features are contorted in agony. The artist used his own body as the model for Narcissus; beauty, in the shape of a swan, has turned on its creator. A collaboration with Rudolfinum Prague, the exhibition presents a dazzling array of Shaw’s paintings, sculptures and drawings. It occupies the entire second floor of the gallery and has spilled out into its permanent collection. Opposite George Stubbs’ Cheetah and Stag with Two Indians (c. 1765) is Shaw’s response to the piece, which he created especially for this exhibition. Rather than making any sort of political statement about the Orientalist undertones of this painting,
After George Stubbs “Cheetah and Stag with Two Indians”, © Raqib Shaw Shaw replaces one of the Indians with a monkey, who lazily smokes a hookah while chimeras engage in a fight to the death all around. It is hard to see what the point is here. Born in Calcutta, Shaw grew up in Kashmir and moved to London in 1998, where he studied at Central Saint Martins. His art, a luxurious blend of Eastern and Western influences, is filled with cultural contradictions: a snarling
macaque sports the Crown Jewels, Saint Sebastian has the head of a tiger, Krishna-like figures howl before classical ruins, and warrior monkeys engage in fierce battle by a picnic basket filled with champagne. Shaw’s ornate style is reminiscent of Kashmiri and Japanese textiles and Persian miniatures, and the influence of ‘great masters’ like Holbein and Bosch is also apparent in his treatment of dark subjects.
Shaw’s art is also highly personal. As I make my way around the gallery, I gain an insight into his fears and fantasies. The vibrant colours and jewel-encrusted surfaces of his paintings belie the violence and eroticism of the artist’s imagery. Shaw’s is a world that is free from restraint and morality, where debauchery is elevated to the sublime. His work, featuring a bejewelled lobster ravishing a bird-headed
Everyday Analysis
man and scores of monkeys in bondage, also reveals a fascination for sadomasochism and bestiality. These scenes, at once beautiful and grotesque, are executed with a precision that can only elicit admiration. Every detail is outlined in embossed gold, and Shaw works with metallic industrial paint, manipulating them with a porcupine quill. I cannot help but think that the artist takes a certain pleasure in the element of masochism involved in the production of his art. Raqib Shaw is a master craftsman. His intricate pieces, though often verging on garish, evidently involve a great deal of skill and are, in many respects, beautiful. And yet, they lack intellectual grounding. It feels as though he has thrown a bunch of elements together with no real thought as to their meaning. The breadth of his influences is at once his strength and his downfall. And, as I exit the gallery, I am left wondering: Is there more to Raqib Shaw than the sum of his influences?
Esme Clifford Astbury Contributor
@EDAnalysis
Freud and ‘The Gruffalo’
Everyday Analysis apply some Freudian criticism to Julia Donaldson’s much loved children’s classic, The Gruffalo We usually think of anxiety as being caused by fear; we feel anxious because we are scared of something or because we worry something might happen. We speak of feeling anxious ‘about’ something or of something ‘making’ us anxious. A strange man hanging around outside our house will make us feel anxious, because we fear what his presence might lead to. Freud argues in opposition to this that anxiety cannot be seen as an anxiety of something or because of something. For Freud this makes anxiety different to fear or phobia. A phobia, Freud says, is in fact formed as a response to anxiety. The phobia or fear centers unplaced anxiety around an object. Through this process `an internal, instinctual danger’ (that of unplaced anxiety) is replaced by an `external, perceptual one’ (that of fear directed at a particular object) and this allows the subject to stop feeling anxious. Anxiety exists first; we deal with it through fear. This seems to change the way in which children’s stories about monsters need to be read. In this reading it is not that we transfer our fears and phobias of real things (murderers, paedophiles, terrorists) into the imaginary figure of the monster-under-the-bed, but rather that we create a monster in order to create fear, to feel that there is some external ‘thing’ to be scared of, so that we do not have to face the more foundational anxiety within ourselves. But doesn’t ‘The Gruffalo’, the famous children’s story written by current Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson in 1999 but now a major series of books, television shows and theatrical productions, take this one step further. The first half of the story represents exactly what we have seen through Freud. A mouse takes a stroll through a deep dark wood, and is approached by three predatory hostile figures; the fox, the owl, and the snake. Each tries to convince the mouse to come
into their homes, so that they can eat the mouse. The mouse tells each of them that he is going to have lunch with a ‘Gruffalo’ and describes the horrible monster to them, saying that its favourite food is ‘roasted fox’, ‘owl ice cream’ and ‘scrambled snake’. The mouse creates this ultimate-scary image of the monster (description of whom takes one third of the book) not out of the things he really fears – it shares no characteristics with the fox, the snake or the owl – but instead as something so completely ‘other’ that he does not have to face anything which is really threatening to him. Each time the mouse fools his predators he remarks: Silly old fox/owl/snake, doesn’t he know? There’s no such thing as a gruffalo! The mouse is able to deal with the potential ‘fear’ of the Gruffalo because it does not exist, and this allows him to escape any more serious anxieties, to escape the anxiety of his real conditions. Then, at the midway point of the book, the story takes an interesting turn. Where we expect the mouse to sit down and enjoy his lunch, having fooled his enemies, the Gruffalo actually appears. At the very moment that the mouse has turned his anxieties into a fear that he can deal with, this fear is realized. The statement is that in dealing with your anxieties by producing an imaginary ‘Other’ – this imaginary Other is really and truly produced when it did not exist previously. But, ‘The Gruffalo’ has a third turn, and this third movement is the one which makes the story truly radical. Rather than being eaten by the Gruffalo (or having to run for his life to safety, which would amount to the same thing in more child-friendly terms), the mouse is able to control the Gruffalo by pretending he is ‘the scariest’ creature in the wood. The mouse marches back past the snake, the fox and the owl, each of whom run away screaming because of the Gruffalo (who doesn’t realize that he is the
scary one). Having proved his dominance over the wood, only then can the mouse do away with the Gruffalo, stating ‘now my tummy is beginning to rumble, and my favourite food is Gruffalo crumble.’ Isn’t this one of the most radical assessments of Western culture that contemporary literature has produced? The West (represented by the mouse) deals with its internal and real anxieties (represented by the snake, owl and fox) and now walks safely through the wood, with an imaginary Other which it has created (represented by the Gruffalo) beside it. The West appears to be the only thing which can control the Other which it has itself created, and this allows it to dominate over the rest of the woods. The West is the smallest and physically weakest creature, but it has control over ideology.
Theatre
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Preview
What’s On Whole 25 FEB-4 MARCH
Bolton Octagon • Runs from 25th February - 1st March
Ben Marshall
The Spiral An original piece of theatre about the inner city clash of generations as dub poet Leroy ‘Steppin Razor mentors grime artist Glitzy. This is a play that speaks for itself. Runs 27th-28th February at the Contact. Tickets £5.
Tull A drama which follows the story of Walter Tull, a real life First World War hero and the first black player in the First Division of the Football League. Focusing on his relationship with suffragette Annie Williams and the societal problems that they faced Tull is ‘inspirational, dramatic and moving – proving that through perseverance and a sense of community, divisions can be overcome’. Runs 21st February – 16th March at the Bolton Octagon. Tickets £9.50.
The Maenad – MIFTAs performance Timbrell’s piece charts the progress of the Maenad, a figure from Greek mythology, as she escapes the world of male cruelty. The piece explores the nature of gender and global suffering. Runs 28th February - 2nd March, 7pm at the Council Chambers, Students Union. Tickets £5.
Best thing/worst thing I’ve ever seen on stage Rosie Panter gives us her best and worst
20 Stories High in rehearsal for Whole. photo: 20 Stories High It’s unfortunate that youth productions are not shone in the same light as professional shows today. But if you really open your eyes to some of the promising works that are offered in this genre of theatre, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. And with only a small insight into 20 Stories High’s latest production Whole, due to be performed at the Bolton Octagon later this month, this already sounds like it is guaranteed to be one of those hidden gems in an under-explored treasure trove of theatre. Presenting us with a close group of teenagers who are telling the emotional story of their long-time friend Holly, this play deals with a wide range of social and cultural topics
that are sure to evoke deep thought about not just your own life, but also the perception of the world through these young people’s eyes. Julia Samuels, co-artistic director of 20 Stories High, kindly took time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to speak to The Mancunion; she gave us an insight into how the teenagers work with the Liverpool-based theatre company, which showcases a lot of youth theatre. “As well as the young people from Liverpool, we work with a lot of young people who come from Africa, and there’s a very interesting encounter that happens between these two groups who’ve been brought up in very different ways”.
She went on to describe how the way that these two groups of young people interact helped to shape the content of Whole; “Lots of the conversations they have are about things like sexuality and religion. They really enjoy debating and stretching each-others’ ways of thinking by talking about this, and that provided us with the basis of thinking about Whole. We explore the themes of sexuality, friendship, love, death and religion – some quite big questions”. It is evident that the ways in which two very different cultures of young people work together, and the chemistry between them, looks to create something special.“Our young actors have some real differences of opinion, but also places where they really come together”, Julia explained. “And this can be seen in Whole – a play based on the real experience of young people living in Britain today. The audience are on a journey with the performers and the story they’re telling – there’s a close relationship between the two”. And they’ve not sacrificed high production values either. “It’s quite an elaborate, exciting set, and also music is very important to us, of which we have singing and spoken word”. Clearly, there is passion and excitement in what Samuels and the 20 Stories High team want to show to their audience, and with great passion comes great theatre. And since ideas are being explored that are so relevant to young people in today’s difficult times, I wholly believe this production won’t let you down.
Review
Brecht’s classic set for success The Lowry • Runs from 22nd February - 9th March
The worst I’ve ever seen: Romeo and Juliet with Puppets
The best I’ve ever seen: Romeo and Juliet in a Church
Last year I was sent to review an adaptation of Romeo and Juliet at the Contact Theatre which used puppets. Initially I was intrigued, how would these puppets be used and to what effect? Sadly, it soon became apparent that these puppets were merely a gimmick, used to detract attention away from the shortened version – a version which missed out some key moments. What was perhaps the most amusing, however, was the varying size and style of the puppets that were used: from small film character inspired puppets to larger than life more life-like puppets. The role of Juliet’s nanny was memorable largely due to the fact that a flying Star Wars-esque puppet was employed to portray her. The use of the puppetry was merely distracting – I spent a large portion of the performance trying to work out who was who and this wasn’t what I imagine the director wanted to convey. There were of course funny moments but I couldn’t help thinking that this was unintentional. I was left feeling perplexed.
Ironically my favourite performance is also an interpretation of Romeo and Juliet: however, this time it was held in the atmospheric grounds of St Pauls Church in Covent Garden, London. What I really enjoyed about this adaptation was how interactive it was; the audience was moved around the grounds of this church to make the most of the scenery. This led to some incredibly poignant moments, in particular the moments in which Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, an act which was held inside the church itself – finally their ‘bodies’ were laid to rest on the altar. I am aware that the successful use of these scenes was due to the fact that this particular company has the unique opportunity to perform in such incredible surroundings. However, the play itself was engaging: the portrayal of Juliet highlighted her youth and naivety, something which I felt brought a new slant to this infamous play.
Mother Courage. photo: Library Theatre Company ‘I didn’t know anything about Mother Courage when I auditioned for the role, and I’m glad I didn’t’ laughed Eve Polycarpou, the title carrying character. I was surprised to hear this given not only the reputation of Brecht’s play, hailed as the best anti-war play ever written, but also the influence of the translation, they were using Tony Kushner’s who was recently nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay for Lincoln. However, Eve went on to say ‘I was lucky not to know anything about it’ due to it’s proud
heritage, and ‘started to discover things along the way about the play, and the people who I immensely respect, who formed it’s reputation.’ The play would prove not only a massive task for an experienced actress such as Eve, but also for two student actors from Manchester School of Theatre – Alex Bennett and Ben Boskovic. Alex described his acquisition of the role as ‘magic’. The director Chris Honer, who is praised by both for his broad casting, asked the school of Theatre’s director for two students who were simply picked out of the hat.
Andrew Georgeson Although believing there is an ‘immense pressure’ that comes with performing such an influential play, there is a notable excitement, not only, as Ben believed, because it is ‘our first insight into the professional process’ but also to just to ‘sit and watch maters such as Eve.’ It is a respect that is reciprocated between the cast, Eve stating she believes it is ‘invaluable’ to have young actors like Alex and Ben alongside her, not only for the enthusiasm they bring, but also for the skill of the young men involved. The reality of this production is startling. Not only because of the reputation that it carries but also from a performance perspective. The play is over two and a half hours long and has 12 scenes, with Mother Courage present on the stage for all but one scene. There is a heavy reliance on musicianship which all three are involved in, not only do they sing but they also form part of the ensemble when not on stage. Ben said ‘there is an extreme challenge to switch between acting and musicianship and an added pressure from being a character on stage to then playing the glockenspiel, not many writers demand so much of a challenge in one show’. Alex reaffirmed the challenge posed by the production but added ‘once you’re exhausted, you know you’ve told the story well.’ There is a message that
transcends generations in Brecht’s play. Eve commented on the piece saying ‘one of the things I find incredible is it is today’s piece, not only in the context of overseas war, but also the horrific reality of internal wars, such as mothers and fathers bringing up children without enough money’. The character of Mother Courage is also one that she believes encompasses the idea of contemporary struggle. Despite continually coming across as heartless during the play, Eve does empathise with the character ‘because she is really struggling to keep her children alive, and keep them out of the war,’ however, she does concede that ‘she doesn’t always do it in the best way.’ There is an irony within the play as it carries the concept of Epic Theatre, which rather than allowing the audience to become enthralled with the characters themselves, is more focused on the message, which is one of the reasons for the constant scene changes, as well as the fact that Ben and Alex will play more than one character. However, judging by the experience and enthusiasm of the cast, it may be hard not to become captivated with the characters, and alongside the skilled musicianship, it all suggests that Mother Courage will be a must see show.
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Lifestyle
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
What’s in a name? Beyoncé’s world tour will be called ‘The Mrs. Carter Show.’ Independent woman no longer? Beth Currall and Lauren Arthur debate Beyoncé has announced that her forthcoming world tour will be named ‘The Mrs Carter Show.’ It is now being widely debated whether this shows that she is abandoning her trademark ‘independent woman’ status, marked out since her Destiny’s Child days, for that of the traditional wife and mother. The Mancunion joins the debate:
Reinventing herself, says Lauren Arthur: Beyoncé and Jay-Z - music’s royal couple. Announced as the Power Couple of 2013, the pair beat real royalty, Kate and Wills, to the top spot. However, there can be no doubting that Beyoncé is still strikingly successful on her own. Announcing a huge worldwide tour, fifth studio album and a personal documentary, 2013 is set to be a big year for B. Outnumbered though I may be, I see absolutely no problem with ‘The Mrs. Carter Show.’ Having been married to Jay-Z for five years and being mother to year old Blue Ivy, Beyoncé has come a long way from being a third of the (admittedly amazing) flarewearing 90s pop group. True, much of her musical image has been based upon the idea of female independence and empowerment, yet I don’t believe that this is lost by her choice to use her married name. The fact that she is comfortable enough to do so shows her security
Abandoning the independent woman, says Beth Currall: When we think of Beyoncé, what images do we conjure up? Do we see a beautiful, curvaceous woman on stage, belting out powerful lyrics such as, ‘If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it?’ Normally, I would argue yes, but this latest turn of events has changed minds, including my own. I understand that when a woman marries, she willingly takes her husband’s name and legally becomes his ‘other half.’ There is no problem with that, but, when a woman has built her entire career and persona on her maiden name, such flighty abandonment of her surname makes her entire career seem like a bit of a sham. This is the Beyoncé
and happiness: independence in another form. Beyoncé herself told Oprah that she considers motherhood to be her greatest achievement. She has not lost her unremitting independent attitude, but is merely merging her two worlds. The tour promo hardly shows her as an apron- wearing 50s housewife; she looks amazing as ever, wearing a Thierry Mugler haute couture corset, a crinoline, crown fascinator and a satin robe. It is clear Queen B is still very much self-governed. Beyoncé’s albums mirror her growth and maturity both as an individual and as a musician. Mrs. Carter has arrived as a more mature Sasha Fierce. It is unfair to criticise Beyoncé for wanting to celebrate the fact that she is also a wife and mother. She may be a superstar, but she is also an individual. It’s not like she’s given up her career as result of marriage and motherhood - far from it. It’s hardly like this is the start of her transformation into a dependent submissive wife either. After all, this is Beyoncé we’re talking about.
who, up until now, has inspired millions of women to go out and enjoy being single and independent, rather than sit at home crying every Saturday night because they don’t have a man. What message does this new tour name send to all of Beyoncé’s fans across the globe? Being an independent woman is cool until you reach about 25, and then you should mature and surrender your liberties to your man because that’s what ‘love’ and ‘marriage’ are all about? Work hard, build a fortune in your own name, but don’t think twice about giving all that up in one fell swoop? I just didn’t think that Beyoncé would ever be part of this frankly out-dated cliché, and can’t help but wonder whether we are turning our backs on the female independence our ancestors worked so hard to gain.
Blind
Date George , 1st year, Maths
Lucy, 2nd year, Psychology What were your initial thoughts when arriving? Really tall and really friendly, my first impression was that I thought he looked like a nice guy.
What were your initial thoughts when arriving? That she looks nice (laughs) I didn’t really know what to expect, but she looked really nice.
Did the date get off to a good start? Yes he was really easy to get on with, so we just started chatting straight away.
What did you like best about Lucy? She was interested in just about everything we talked about, she wasn’t just talking for the sake of it, and she was a really genuine person.
What did you like best about George? He was very easy going; I learnt lots of interesting things about him that I didn’t expect – like having two snakes!
What were the topics of conversation? There were quite a lot! How much of a nerd I am (laughs) people we both knew, what we thought about Manchester and places we’ve both been.
What were the topics of conversation? A range of things, lots of past experiences, mutual friends, things we liked doing, just constant chat.
Did she make you laugh? Yes, we lol’d… We laughed quite a lot.
Did he make you laugh? Yes, he was really funny guy, and he had a really nice laugh.
What was the weirdest thing she told you? We discovered we’ve both spent time in Manchester with students but not as students, and that we’d both gotten into strange sleeping patterns.
Any awkward moments? No, none at all, so we carried on the evening and ended up buying more drinks afterwards because we were having such an enjoyable time. What was the weirdest thing he told you? It turns out that he’s a bit of a geek, which I wasn’t expecting but thought it was funny. What happened after you finished your meal? We were having a really nice time so decided to get more drinks and ended up staying for quite a long time, chatting away, the conversation was flowing. Snog, marry, or avoid? I guess out of the three, I’d snog... What did he say? (laughs) How did you say goodbye? We walked back together, and I was really cold so he gave me his jumper which was really sweet! Then I gave him his jumper back and we parted ways… Kiss? Hugged and kiss on the cheek. Any potential future plans? It would be nice to see him again some time.
L uc y
What happened after you finished your meal? We were going to go onto somewhere else, but as it was a Sunday we had many more drinks at Trof and chatted the night away.
&G
eorge
Snog, marry, or avoid? Seeing as she’s going to read this, marry and avoid are both very weird things to say! So snog. How did you say goodbye? We walked back together, even thought she could’ve cycled, and then said see you soon? With a question mark! And I got her number, being the smooth talking guy that I am! Kiss? A friendly hug and kiss on the cheek. Any potential future plans? Yes I think so. She was ‘humouring’ me it seemed. Yeh potential, it would be nice to see her again.
By Leah Dawson As always, a special thank you to Trof Fallowfield as well as both Lucy and George. If you would like to take part in blind date please email Leah at leah.dawson@student.manchester.ac.uk or Ollie at oliver.taylor-2@student.manchester.ac.uk with your name, age and degree.
Lifestyle
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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S P I H S N 101 O I T A L E R
Advice
Stress busters
Say goodbye to second semester stress and flu with Lifestyle editor Dana Fowles’ simple tips
Molly Allen on the Facebook PDA
3) Reorganise your schedule Sometimes something has to give. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by trying to balance everything at once, give yourself a break. If you need a day off – take it. Your body is telling you that it needs to rest for a reason. Write down your weekly schedule and then list the activities in order of priority. Remember that you are here, first and foremost, to do well in your degree. If you are stuck in a rut with your academic workload, contact your personal tutor or a seminar teacher. They are there to help and will be able to give you some constructive advice to help get you back on track. After all, they’ve done it all before.
Exams ended, we had a couple of days to breathe a sigh of relief and then it was straight back to lectures, seminars, essay deadlines, part-time jobs and extra-curricular activities (The Mancunion, I’m looking at you). So, if like me, you are already run down and in a perpetual state of cold and flu, it’s time to think about minimising stress. With the Easter break still a while off, here are some tips to help make everything that bit more manageable:
2) Shop yourself better Sadly, when I say shop yourself better, I mean at the supermarket, not the Arndale (and yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to go in your onesie). Stock up on the relevant tablets and medicines, along with soups. Chicken is the best option. Your mum was right – science has proved that it’s top of the list for its curative powers. Some people also swear by spicy foods to help clear congestion, such as those which contain chillies.
1) Get yourself to the doctors If Lemsip and Iboprufen aren’t doing the trick, seek some professional advice to speed up your recovery. If you haven’t registered with a GP then do so. It’s a quick and easy process – pop down to your local surgery and make sure that you take your student ID with you. Some practices also require proof of address. You can have the form filled out in a few minutes.
You will need to keep yourself hydrated with plenty of liquids – fruit juices are particularly good. Try orange juice for a good source of vitamin c. Probiotic-rich yoghurts are another flu fighting suggestion made by some. Opt for a plain flavour with minimum added sugar, and add fresh fruit or a table spoon of honey. Finally, treating yourself to a few magazines or DVDs may also be a good idea. Although such products have no proven healing powers, being bed bound may be slightly more bearable with them by your side.
If you work part-time, you will probably find that your company is flexible and understanding of other demands. If you need to drop a few hours here and there, it can probably be done. If it’s your extra-curricular role which is pushing your timetable to its limit, remember that there will probably be someone who would be more than happy to share the workload and add the experience to their CV. Additional interests are supposed to be enjoyable, not stressful.
In 2013 we can communicate with each other through the Internet without really having to get out of bed. However, the problem with Facebook is that nothing seems to really be private. Potential employers can see our drunken photos from Bop, we know far too much about people we barely even know and various ‘hip’ family members know all about our current relationship statuses.
With the relationship statuses come the cyber-monsters who plaster their happiness all over our news feeds. We see their unnecessary statuses detailing what a wonderful day they had together. There are usually multiple nauseating photos of said couple kissing and doing ‘couply things.’ Now, I have no problem with people being in relationships. I want them to be happy, but I don’t want it shoved in my face via the Internet. It’s the sort of thing I would expect to see on (cast your minds back) Bebo.
4) Relax Make sure you put time aside to procrastinate with your housemates, coursemates or boyfriend/girlfriend. University days are supposed to be the best, so don’t let your workload stop you from going to see that film, pigging out at Nando’s or going on that much needed and well deserved night out. After all, that lazy student stereotype has to come from somewhere. Sometimes, Ali G can wait and daytime TV cannot.
You Say
Uni: myth vs. reality
This unnecessary form of online PDA suggests to me that the golden age of true romance is over. Would Romeo be writing “spending the night with my beautiful girl Juliet Capulet, not supposed to but #YOLO?” Would our grandparents behave in such a way? The idea of my grandmother writing such soppy platitudes is laughable.
So, to those of you who successfully maintain a relationship with minimal Facebook posts, I salute you. You are clearly not 13 at heart. To those who feel it necessary to display to the world a photo of you with your tongue down your significant other’s throat, I hope this article is enough to make you think twice next time.
We are told what to expect before starting uni, but just how much of it is true? Asks Dana ‘University is easier than A-Levels’ Most of us heard this one before starting university. Second year students will probably beg to differ and final years definitely will. While first year may not be the most academically challenging (it literally counts for nothing), the workload does steadily increase throughout the course of your degree (and it does start to count, unfortunately). The conclusion: if you want to come out with one of the top classifications, you have to put in the hours at Ali G. So, in hindsight, this should probably be corrected to: ‘First year is easier than A-Levels.’ Verdict: myth. ‘Your University days are the best of your life/ University is one big party’ University offers freedom, independence and the opportunity to grow as an individual. There are new people, new places and a whole host of new things to get involved with. You will probably attend more nights out than lectures in your fresher year, this much is true. However, there are other things to contend with, which people fail to mention.
Homesickness, money worries and exam/essay related stress certainly don’t feel like a party. Plus, once you progress to second or third year, you may find that you hit the dance floor less (due to the previously mentioned increase in workload). It’s not all doom and gloom once the first year is over, though. On the whole, the good times definitely outweigh the bad times, and the shenanigans of your University years are never to be forgotten. Verdict: reality, with a pinch of myth. ‘You meet your best friends at university’ Opinions on this differ, but university does give you the opportunity to build life-long friendships. Living together can make you really close, or it can highlight tensions within your friendship. Generally speaking though, as family support is not immediately on hand at uni, flatmates or coursemates often rely on each other to fill that gap and perform a similar role. It can be easy to lose touch with friends at home or feel as though you no longer have much in common with them once you move away to start your degree. Having said that, there are always those friends you see at home during holidays, with whom things always stay the same. It seems like people find out who their real friends are
during this period, and this can often consist of a mix of uni and home based friends. Verdict: for some a reality, for some a myth. Student loan = shop until you drop
relationship status on another’s Facehall t-shirt. Then there are those who meet a long-term boyfriend/girlfriend at uni and of course, there are those who become or remain single, and have as much or as little fun as they want.
Now, I don’t know about you, but I was quite disappointed when I found out that my student loan literally covered my rent and tuition fees. AND NOTHING ELSE. There was not even a penny spare to be spent on alcohol, clothes or Nando’s, as I had been led to believe that there might be. Before arriving in Manchester, I was under the impression that students spent a high percentage of their time happily squandering their loans in the Arndale (using their discount of course). Unfortunately not, that’s where the overdraft comes in. Verdict: myth. ‘You will have soooo much sex’ This really depends on the individual; there are those who shag anything with a pulse during Freshers Week. Equally, there are those with other halves back at home or at other universities, who are too loved up to so much as glance at the
Uni: thumbs up or thumbs down? There are only five issues of The Mancunion left this year. If you would like to write for Lifestyle, email dana. fowles@student.manchester.ac.uk or join us at one of our weekly meetings (Tuesdays, 5;30 pm in the Student’s Union ground floor cafe.
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Games
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
REVIEW: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Raiden takes the lead in the new Metal Gear, but will it disappoint longtime fans? Metal Gear games have always been absurd, but Metal Gear Rising takes that absurdity to new extreme levels. Metal Gear Solid had Snake performing Bond-like feats. Within the first half hour of Metal Gear Rising, Raiden is using missiles as launch pads and running vertically up skyscrapers. Clearly, the game is set in a world where the laws of physics do not apply. Rising also marks the biggest change in the series, instead of Snake skulking around corridors in a cardboard box; you play as Raiden who lands hundred strike combos with his electric blade. Limbs fly across the screen without care, a little counter tells you how many parts you’ve cut you’re enemy into. While a little morbid, it’s certainly satisfying when you’ve literally delivered death by a thousand cuts. Beyond the grotesque aesthetic value, chopping off limbs can unlock certain secrets; some soldiers have holo-chips in their arms that can unlock secrets. You can also replenish your health by ripping out enemies’ spines and consuming the electrolytes. A cut scene underlines the ridiculousness of it all where the electrolyte mechanic is explained. “Just remember these are people with families” to which Raiden responds “I need to replenish my electrolytes.” The cut scenes are an endless source of joy, the dialogue is so over the top as Raiden throws out cod philosophy and cheesy one-liners. The wackiness becomes almost unbearable when we encounter Blade Wolf, a highly intelligent robotic wolf with a chainsaw for a tail. Upon hearing of the Wolf’s high level of intelligence Raiden asks, “If you’re so smart, what’s the meaning of life” to which Blade Wolf responds, without irony, “The meaning of my life is to kill you”. In theory, this could be one of the greatest satires in gaming; sadly Platinum Games’ capacity for irony doesn’t stretch that far. Throughout the game Raiden is fighting for his ‘socially responsible’ Private Military
Banjo Kazooie
Company, which takes on other more sinister organisations that look to restart the War on Terror and use the brains of children to turn them into cyborg killer soldiers. As far as I could gauge from cut scenes, the game wanted to raise a philosophical point about conscription, but it’s hard to get that across when five minutes earlier you’d achieved an S rating by chopping the legs off of everyone you encountered. Platinum Games have a strong pedigree producing the universally acclaimed Bayonetta and the gloriously violent Madworld. The studio know how to make a hack ’n’ slash game, combos are easy to learn but hard to master, learning how to parry every attack and land vicious limb chopping combos will take time. The game provides added replay time, by giving you a ranking at the end of each fight. Perfectionists will chase the gilded S rating, which usually requires stringing together massive combos without taking any damage in the entire. The campaign itself lasts from 6 to 10 hours depending on ability of the player. I spent a fair bit of time on some of the bosses on normal difficulty. Although the game is quite forgiving, never did I reach the point of rage quitting.
The story mode is padded out with VR missions where you develop new skills and practice combos in virtual reality. You unlock these levels by finding laptops throughout the game. These add a couple more hours to the game, and with potential for more DLC missions. Metal Gear Rising should give you quite a few hours of fun. The boss fights are challenging but hardly unbeatable, paying attention to patterns of attack and honing your parry ability should be enough to defeat most enemies. When you defeat a boss, you unlock their special weapon. Including a Polearm that allows you to rapidly deal damage to multiple enemies, Pincer Blades that are slow to use but deal big damage and Sai that stun faraway enemies and drag you towards them. Fundamentally, the combat works and the game stay true enough to the franchise not to alienate long-time fans. It’s certainly worth a purchase, although be warned if you’re looking for stealth, you’ll be disappointed, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is available on Xbox 360 and PS3.
Anthony Organ
Sam Dumitriu
News
Review
Aliens: Colonial Marines SEGA • RRP: £44.99 • 360 / PS3 / PC Aliens: Colonial Marines is like buying a romantic present for your significant other, then writing an ex’s name on the card. The thought is there, but the execution is sorely lacking. After numerous delays, and a handful of different developers, the title resembles a mismatched jigsaw. Since 1979’s original Alien film, several games based on the franchise have been released. None of them come close to matching Colonial Marines attention to detail and fan service. A surprising number of the original cast lend their voices to this title, and there are many audio-logs and collectibles hidden away in the campaign. The story takes place between Alien and Alien 3. Marines are despatched to investigate mysterious goings-on on board a derelict ship, and quickly learn that they aren’t alone. While it’s no Dead Space, Colonial Marines does a fairly good job of creating an atmosphere in the early stages. Most people will know the deadly predators that are lurking in the shadows, and how dangerous they can be. Creeping around in the first level, motion sensor in one hand and rifle in the other, is a rare thrill of the
Banjo-Kazooie was released in 1998 on the Nintendo 64 and is often dismissed as being too similar to Super Mario 64. But to ignore this game on these grounds can only be described as foolish. Developed by British company Rare during their golden age, which also saw them release such titles as GoldenEye and Donkey Kong 64, this game took what was good about Super Mario and improved on it in every way. It looked better, it played better, its characters were better – it was better. You play as Banjo, a well-mannered bear, and his foul-mouthed companion Kazooie, a bird who lives in Banjo’s backpack. The two heroes must combine their abilities as they make their way through the evil witch Gruntilda’s lair after she kidnaps Banjo’s sister Tooty to steal her beauty. You visit many varied levels full of interesting and colourful characters as you collect musical notes and Jiggys (jigsaw-pieces). The characters are the highlight of the game, since it’s the humour which makes the game really special. Kazooie insults everyone she meets, and the witch Gruntilda constantly speaks in rhymes. A personal favourite – when flying on her broom, she says: “This broom is hard and as it streaks, across the sky it chafes my cheeks!” A sequel, Banjo-Tooie, was released in 2000 and was even bigger and better, with even more jokes crammed in. With its release also came the revelation that Rare had included secret areas in the first game which would only be unlocked once you played the second game. Unfortunately, the plan was too sophisticated for the N64 hardware to cope with and so it never worked as it was intended. If you own an Xbox then you should buy the HD remastered versions of these games from the Arcade. After all, what other games let you transform into a pumpkin so that you can flush yourself down a toilet to search for treasure? Exactly.
game. It is, however, quickly spoiled by the frankly rubbish enemy AI. When a Xenomorph finally pops out, it does little more than stroll slowly forwards (on hind legs, weirdly) and feign a swipe at you. Hardly the lethal beasts we were expecting. The less said about the human enemy AI, the better. Multiplayer shows more of the touch that we’d expect from Gearbox. Dropping in and out of co-op campaign is easy, there are challenges to complete for XP (although in a nonsensical order), and online multiplayer has interesting modes that pit a team of Xenomorphs against human soldiers
Manchester music students make games Alasdair Preston
in objective based modes. Again, the ideas behind these parts of the game are smart and interesting, but the execution simply isn’t good enough to warrant much playtime. Controlling the aliens is clunky, and the more adventurous attack options are almost unusable. The graphics in this game are as sub-par as the rest of it. The effects of the lengthy development process and the many different minds that tried to shape this title have really taken their toll, leaving Colonial Marines feeling unfinished and undervalued.
University of Manchester music students have been involved in video game design as part of their degree. The twenty-credit module entitled “Special Option in Composition” allows students to choose between either film music and game audio. I spoke to third year students Emily Mitchell and Jamie Ross about the course and the games they were making. The aim of the module is for students to learn about making interactive music, and exploring sounds in new and exciting ways. They showed a project produced by their course leader where you controlled balls of light with the accelerometer in an Android phone, when the balls make contact with spirals different sounds are produced. The sounds made differed depending on the speed the ball was travelling at. While not your traditional goal oriented game, it did show the potential for creating
interesting art through interactive sound. I was reminded of the DS game Electroplankton, which encouraged gamers to play with sound using their stylus. One student planned to make a maze game where you explored the maze without the assistance of visual cues and instead relied only on sound. Emily was producing a game where you had to collect bubbles. Different bubbles made different sounds as you approached them and depending on the sound collecting a bubble could increase or decrease your score. Jamie was creating a
game similar to the board game mastermind, where players had to match patterns of sounds in different circles on a map. I asked them whether a taste of game design would lead them to pursuing a career in game audio, for Jamie it didn’t look likely although he said it was a welcome break from trawling through articles for his dissertation. Emily, on the other hand, told me that she’d certainly consider working in game soundtracks.
Sam Dumitriu
Societies
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Society Swap In this week’s Society Swap a member of the She Choir and the Dance Society swapped for one session
Members of the She Choir. Photo: Rosie Webster Rosie Webster is a member of the University of Manchester She Choir and went along to a beginner’s tap dance class. ‘I really enjoyed the session, although I definitely found it pretty tough! It is so fun to do a dance that also makes music. I even learnt how to do a Susie Q, although not sure I quite mastered it. It is a very rewarding thing to do because you can see and hear the improvements. Although you can also hear yourself go wrong, and so can everyone else. I was impressed by how prompt it was at starting, which was good and something that we could perhaps do better at with She choir. It has got me thinking that it would be great to incorporate a bit of dancing into our choir, though I’d definitely have to check first with the other girls on that one.’ What were the bad things, if
any? Perhaps there wasn’t enough of a warm up or stretch session at the beginning. The warming up bit in She choir is always an excuse to mess around a bit and have fun. How well organised was it? Pretty well organised I think, although the class was quite small. But that suited me as I was a bit nervous, so I was glad there were not a lot of people watching. Is it what you expected? It is noisier and perhaps more exciting. There is something quite empowering about the effect you can have just by tapping your toe on the floor, especially when you are in sync with the people next to you. It is also more of a work out than I imagined, and I realised there is more to it than just what you do with your feet. It is important that your whole body
embraces the rhythm. I think I had associated it too much with being forced into a leotard in nursery school and hadn’t realised what a great dance it is. How did you find the instructor? Very helpful, I think she was a really good teacher. She was really nice and smiley and very patient of people’s varied abilities. She was also really good at tap, which was quite intimidating, but very impressive. The teacher was lovely though, and really supportive even when I was clattering about. And she picked good songs, we were all tapping away to Britney Spears! I think I would go again, I have been practising a couple of the moves around my kitchen and I would recommend other societies taking part in the society swap as well. 8 out of 10! Tap Classes are from 6pm – 6 45pm on a Thursday. Check the Facebook page for the location by searching ‘The Dance Society, The University of Manchester’. Molly Byrne is the Chair of the Dance Society and she went along to a rehearsal with the University of Manchester She Choir. ‘I had a really great time, everyone was very approachable. There was definitely a family atmosphere and I could tell everyone gets along in the society. It seemed to be really relaxed, in a good way.’ How well organised was it? We were a bit too early and
they were a tiny bit late but it was very well organised once we got going. One of the society members called Ruth conducted and I thought the songs we were taught were really well prepared. I think the main thing which struck me was the relaxed atmosphere, I could tell the people who were there had a genuine passion for singing in a choir and everyone was so welcoming so I wasn’t made to feel like a visitor. What were the bad things, if any? The only drawback was on the day there was no pianist, which was a shame because it would have been fun to have the music from the piano. However I am pretty sure they do normally have a pianist but she just wasn’t there that day. What did you think about their songs chosen to sing? The timing was difficult to get the hang of but I was really impressed that she took it on and it sounded lovely. I would go again and Absolutely recommend the swap to other societies as it’s a great way to meet new diverse people, have fun and it’s great publicity for the societies involved. 8 out of 10! She Choir rehearse at 5pm on Wednesdays at the Catholic Chaplaincy opposite the Student Union. Find them on Facebook by searching ‘SHE women’s choir’. Kate Bullivant
Bridge Charlie Boorman talks to Chair of the Bridge Society, Mike Coop
played by four people in two competing partnerships. Each player is dealt 13 cards, and players subsequently bid on how many tricks they think they will win over the course of the hand. It is, as Society Chair, Mike Coop, told us ‘hard to describe’, but he does assure us that it ‘has to be tried to be believed!’ And plenty of people are
trying it: four years ago when the society was first set up it only had three members, now it boasts ‘over 120 interested members, and a steady number of 16-20.’ Of those members there is ‘a secretary (responsible for keeping the society social and informed about union events) and a treasurer (to make sure the Chairman doesn’t pocket all the cash!). We also have two University Bridge teams, who travel around the UK representing the UoM in inter-university Bridge tournaments.’ Every year, for example, the society enters the Portland Bowl knock-out tournament. Last week, the B-team narrowly lost to Durham by seven points, and the A-team are currently in Coventry playing against Warwick University. The Bridge Society also enters the London Cup, and closer to home ‘we also attend Manchester Bridge Club and Manchester Country tourna-
Monday 25thFebruary
Tuesday 26th February
JUDO TRAINING Armitage Conference Room 7pm-8.30pm
Photo:Ralf Krause Contact Bridge - the card game of James Bond in Moonraker, of Agatha Christie’s Poirot, and also of many UoM students who meet every Wednesday (2-5pm upstairs in The Oxford pub) and Thursday (7.30-close in The Student Union in the Khalid Said Room) as members of the Bridge Society. Bridge is a trick-taking game
Societies
Events
ments and competitions.’ It’s not all about big competitions, though. The Bridge Society caters for members with varying degrees of ability: ‘we assume new members know nothing about a deck of cards and go from there. No matter how late in the academic year, we’re always up for teaching new members.’ This teaching seems to be doing the trick; novice members who only joined in September are already competing in tournaments and holding their own. If you would like to get involved in Contact Bridge, then contact details are: E-mail: bridge.society@gmail. com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UoMBridge/ Or just turn up on a Wednesday or Thursday!
Society Spotlight Rachel Heward goes to Fuse FM’s The Societies Show to meet the Ip Man Wing Chun Kung Fu society
Ip Man at work. Photo: Edwin Lee via Flickr After some technical difficulties we finally got into the studio and wasted no time getting down to chatting about the unique style of Kung Fu that the Ip Man Wing Chun society practice. Kate Bullivant and Alix Roberts asked former Chairman and Instructor, Oliver Von Herder, about the interesting history behind the Chinese Martial Art. He explained how ‘it was developed in secret about 250 years ago in the Shaolin temple. China was under occupation at the time and rebel monks wanted a style that was lethal and could be quickly taught to fighters. They supposedly put together the most effective techniques from all the styles in the temple. Today, the whole point of Wing Chun is to do away with any inefficient movement and to keep everything as simple and as direct as possible. It is this emphasis on technique over strength that makes Wing Chun so effective for street combat - its original founder was not a monk, but a nun. Wing Chun remained a secretive art for a long time and only a few people at a time ever knew about it, and this is common for a lot of styles of Kung Fu. It wasn’t until the 1950’s in Hong Kong that a Grandmaster called Ip Man began teaching it to the public. Ip Man taught a lot of people, including Bruce Lee. One problem with Wing Chun today is that a lot of people have positioned themselves as the head of their own variations of the style so there are a lot of “flavours” of Wing Chun. Unfortunately only about ten percent of these schools are any good, in my opinion. It is important to me to teach Wing Chun exactly as Ip Man taught it to Bruce Lee. We even go to Hong Kong each year and train with Ip Man’s son’. Gemma Presky who was member of the society but has since graduated, also spoke to us and said that quite a few girls practice Ip Man Wing Chun, especially in comparison to other styles of Kung Fu. She said, as well as being a great work-out it is also a good self-defence skill to learn, and is fairly easy too as it doesn’t rely on strength. She also said that when practicing, full force isn’t applied anyway and you do not get hurt. Ip Man Wing Chun relies on grounding the lower half of your body, providing a good solid base so you can use your hands freely. To demonstrate how powerful this technique is, I had a go at the stance that is to be adopted when practicing this kind of Wing Chun and found that it was hard to lose footing, even when strength was applied against me. To give us a further idea of the unique style of Ip Man Wing Chun, Oliver and current Chairman Joseph Butler showed us the impressive “one inch punch”, which demonstrates a tremendous amount of force from a very short distance. In one move, Oliver was able to send Joseph flying across the studio with from just one inch away from his body. When asked how it felt Joseph said that he’s ‘had worse’. I was unconvinced. If you would like to have a go at Ip Man Wing Chun, they meet several times a week for different kinds of classes and any level of experience is welcome. Their core classes meet Tuesdays 8.15pm - 9.15pm in rge Student Center, Meeting Room 2 and Fridays 6.00pm - 8.00pm in the Students’ Union, Room 6 For further class schedules and contact information, visit manchesterstudentsunion.com/groups/ip-manwing-chun-kung-fu.
If you would like your society to feature of Fuse FM’s The Societies Show, contact mancunion.spotlight@gmail.com
Thursday 28th February
MANCHESTER ART GROUP
Wednesday 27th February
Sandbar, Grosvenor Street
CIRCUS SKILLS
Hardy’s Well
5.pm-6pm
Burlington Society
8-9pm
2pm-3pm
29
RAW MANCHESTER ROCKS
For more events, visit the socieies page on the Mancunion website: www.mancunion.com
30 : SPORT
The Voices of Sport
ISSUE 15/ 25th FEBRUARY 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
The Mancunion asks some of the country’s best sport broadcasters for their tips from the top Matthew Barber and Ciaran Milner Sport Editors
THE WRITER/BROADCASTER: DOMINIC MCGUINNESS Dom McGuiness has worked for the BBC, Sky and ITN as a writer and broadcaster, and has independently produced documentaries for ITV. He is currently north west correspondent for TalkSPORT radio. McGuiness’ biggest tips for prospective sport journalists are to show enthusiasm and be useful. “Get as much experience as you can,” he says, “there is luck involved with the timing. But if you show you are willing and contact producers and reporters then you can show that you have that bit extra.” McGuiness cites his own route into sport journalism as evidence of the enthusiasm needed. “I managed to meet the then sport editor of BBC Manchester. He offered me a game to cover - Stalybridge. I was just helping out in my part time, but through that I learned a little bit more about it and made contacts within the station.” Once you get the contact, that isn’t the end of the story. “They don’t want people just coming in and hanging around,”McGuiness is keen to stress. “Then they just end up babysitting, and you are a drain on their time. Show you can help. Once you get into places be yourself be friendly and try to learn, not be a spare part.” As a freelance broadcaster, McGuinness is constantly aware of the competitive world of journalism.”It is an excellent job and I’ve been very lucky,”he says, “but I’ve always wanted to do new things and mix it up a bit. That creates pressure: you’re constantly mindful that you have to fill your diary.” ‘Fill your diary’ is an understatement for McGuiness, who balances his writing and broadcasting with community work and education. When asked for his career highlight, he struggles to single out one achievement; he is clearly proud of everything he does. “If I had to choose, it would be my Hatton book [‘Ricky Hatton - the Real Hitman’, published in 2006] I had to work to get a publisher involved, to get Hatton involved. I was pleased to get it off the ground and see it come to fruition- to see it there in black and white is fantastic, as I’d worked on it from start to finish.” One of McGuiness’ current ventures is ‘The Sport Business’, a Community Interest Company based in Manchester that he co-founded. As McGuiness puts it, their purpose is to“get people involved in sports at a grassroots level, playing or watching, and do some good for the community.” One aspect of this that is particularly relevant is the Broadcasting Masterclasses, provided by the company, where attendees can learn more such tips fom McGuinness and other top sport journalists-and many of these classes offer a student discount. Find out more at www.thesportbusiness.co.uk
THE COMMENTATOR: ROB PALMER Rob Palmer is Sky’s main commentator for their coverage of Spanish Football. He began his career with Granada Television and ITV before making the switch in 1996. Palmer was present at Balague’s book launch in Manchester, and we took the opportunity to find out how he managed to make it as a commentator. Interestingly, despite playing football professionally as a goalkeeper, Palmer’s first steps in the world of sport media came in Rugby League, where he then moved onto football. This is the path that he feels is most successful. “I would say, to anyone, to not try and go straight into football.” Of course, there are reasons for this. Everyone wants to talk about football; even more so today than when Palmer first started doing it in the early 1990s. Now, there are countless blogs and websites out there, all competing against each other and often working for little or no pay. “It’s an oversaturated market”, Palmer says. “Try and find a niche sport, to begin with, and then make the step.” Within the football world, Palmer’s emphasis is again on ‘niche’. When he and Guillem first started to cover La Liga for Sky, it was very much an ad-hoc affair with little professionalism and little interest. However, they had found a niche area at the time, and once it began to take off with the Galatico era in the early2000’s, their careers followed. Palmer’s advice: keep a keen eye on the Bundesliga. THE PUNDIT: GUILLEM BALAGUE Guillem Balague is a Spanish football expert, probably best known for his appearances on Sky’s show Revista de La Liga, in which he provides consistent, accurate analysis. He is also a regular columnist for Spanish paper AS, and appears as a guest writer for a host of other sporting outlets, including the European football magazine Champions. Balague has an intimate knowledge of Spanish football, and much of his journalistic approach comes from sources close to the heart of some of the biggest clubs and names in Spain. In January this year, for example, he correctly denied that Guardiola was resisting the overtures of Ambramovich, and would not be heading to Chelsea. The common remote: David Seaman’s worst enemy. In early November, Balague came to Manchester as part of his book launch, Another Way of Winning, was a biography on Guardiola. We caught up with him Photo:which Sharon Drummond @ Flickr. to try and prise some secrets of the trade. “Trust,” he says, “is key.” Balague’s style is heavily reliant on sources in good positions. Keeping them sweet is essential, in his eyes, to good journalism. His success, and respect as a journalist, has stemmed from building up a strong and loyal base of sources; as he says, he’s “been knocking on doors for years”. They know that they can trust him not to reveal who they are, and that he will feed the information out to the wider world at the correct time. Cross-checking sources to validate information is also crucial to Balague. “You normally check at least two sources”, he says, “as long as you as you have as much information and checked it with enough sources... then you report it.” Balague also stresses the importance of adding an element of character to the stories that he builds. “You should not just give the results, you should be talking about the characters behind it”, he says. “Give it three dimensions!” This element of Balague’s style is most prominent in his biography of Guardiola, in which he was given unprecedented access to the Barcelona coach. The result is a captivating character study of the Catalan.
Tenth cup dream still alive for Madrid Alex Underwood
As the bitter final throes of winter give way to spring sunshine in Madrid, most “madrileños” (residents of Madrid) begin to dream of “La Decima” – “the Tenth”. It is a mystical, unfulfilled ache that consumes a city and its football club; it is the pursuit of a tenth European Cup trophy. It was a theme that motivated the Spanish press before Manchester United came to town; Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas both mentioned it in interviews and Cristiano Ronaldo took pains to reference it in the British press too. But after Wednesday night the consensus was that Real had blown “La Decima”, that the dream was over. They were unable to overcome a fearless Manchester United performance, epitomised by the English youngsters Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones, who both sparkled
at the Santiago Bernabeu. Welbeck was rewarded with the opening goal while Jones was lauded for limiting the considerable powers of Cristiano Ronaldo. The 1-1 draw leaves Real with a difficult task at Old Trafford. Nevertheless, it would be imprudent to call time on “La Decima” just yet. Real Madrid still have a few things to count on when they arrive in Manchester on March 5th. Firstly, their recent record at Old Trafford is impressive. In 2000, inspired by Fernando Redondo and Raul, who scored twice, they turned United over 3-2 in Manchester before winning the trophy against Valencia. In 2003 Brazilian legend Ronaldo spearheaded a remarkable attacking display with a breath-taking hat-trick (for which he was given a standing ovation by the United faithful); although Real went on to lose 4-3 on the night, they comfortably won the tie. In both instances Real played
the second leg away from home and on both occasions they produced outstanding performances. Secondly, in Jose Mourinho they have a manager who knows how to win the Champions League and how to win at Old Trafford. Reports of fall-outs between Mourinho and his players and of unrest in the Real Madrid camp have all but destroyed Madrid’s season but if any manager can overcome these difficulties it is Jose Mourinho. His record at Old Trafford is reasonable; 2 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses. He famously took Porto to Champions League glory after Costinha’s late equalizer in 2004. He guided Chelsea to 2 wins in one season at Old Trafford, an achievement for any team, and has the better of Sir Alex Ferguson when factoring in all their results against each other. Finally, they have Cristiano Ronaldo, who returns to Old Trafford
for the first time. It would be typical of Ronaldo to rise to the occasion and win the tie for Real. The Champions League, as much as anything, seems to be about momentum against adversity. Chelsea demonstrated this last year; they seemed to be dead and buried so often that by the time they reached the final they knew it was there for the taking. Winning against the odds makes a Champions League winner. In the same way, if Real Madrid can get a result at Old Trafford, it could kick-start their season. Just like Chelsea before, they are struggling for form in the league, they are underachieving and their ultimate goal is to win the Champions League. It is therefore too early to rule out “La Decima” being the eventual result at Wembley in May.
Ronaldo and co. head to Old Trafford for the return leg on March 5th Photo: Wikimedia Commons
SPORT : 31
ISSUE 16/ 4th MARCH 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM/
Samaggi Games come to Manchester Over 2,000 students from across the country descended on the city for annual Thai sporting event Carissa Sirikitputtisak
On Saturday February 23rd 2013, the Thai Society of Manchester (TSM) hosted Samaggi Games at Sportcity sports district. This year over 1,000 Thai athletes from 55 universities came in from across the United Kingdom to participate in the annual Thai sports tournament. The event was sponsored by Samaggi Samagom, the Thai Student Association in the UK, which was founded in 1901 by Thailand’s (then known as Siam) King Rama VI. Another 1,200 Thai students came to cheer on the athletes making this year’s event one of the largest Samaggi Games ever held and marked the first time the games had been hosted in Manchester. The event was organised by Samaggi president Pongnakorn “Tone” Pochakorn and his staff: TSM president, University of Manchester Chemical Engineering PhD candidate Tule “Tyun” Sirikitputtisak, and a group of 60 dedicated TSM volunteers from the Universities of Manchester, Salford, and Manchester Metropolitan. Sports played included men’s and women’s squash, men’s and women’s 4 x 100m relay, mixed 8 x 100m relay, men’s and women’s doubles badminton, mixed doubles badminton, men’s and women’s doubles tennis, basketball, and football. The
event also included cultural play including tug of war, a three-legged race, an eating game, and the Thai games of wing-peaw and chairball. Chairball is a popular Thai sport that resembles basketball or netball. The baskets are held up on each side of the court by a person standing on a chair who can move the basket to catch the ball thrown by their team to score points. Each basket is assigned a blocker from the opposing team who stands in front of the basket holder to block any incoming passes. Similarly to netball, the ball is moved by passing player to player. Running with the ball or dribbling is not allowed. Chairball is predominately a female sport but each team is permitted a maximum of three male players who can play the positions of blocker and basket holder where height is an advantage. The universities were divided into six regions: Upper North, Lower North, Midland, South, West, and London. Manchester competed for Lower North Region along with Leeds, Lancaster, York, Huddersfield, Liverpool, Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam, Nottingham, and Nottingham Trent to take third place overall with two gold medals and four bronze. The Midland Region came in second place with three gold and seven bronze, and London Region placed
The University of Manchester Thai Society pose for a photo during the games. Photo; University of Manchester Thai Society.
first with six gold, six silver, and two bronze. Imperial College London won the trophy for the school with the highest medal count with an impressive three gold, three silver, and one bronze. The Midland Region was awarded the trophy for the best cheering section. Students from the University of Manchester won two medals at the games. Materials Science
PhD student Poonsuk “Nook” Poosimma won a gold medal in Women’s Squash after a 2-0 victory in the finals over the University of Southampton. Badminton Men’s Doubles duo Tanapat “Kan” Wilaingam, a second year Civil Engineering student, and Jirapas “Pao” Tantipiriyakij, a first year Architecture student, took home the bronze medal after a 21-18 win over the
University of East Anglia. In addition to Thai athletes and students, the event also welcomed distinguished visitors from the Royal Thai Embassy in London including the Education Minister from the Office of Educational Affairs, Dr. Piyawat Sivaraks, and the Thai Ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, H.E. Mr. Pasan Teparak, who presided over the opening
and closing ceremonies. “[The] Samaggi Games was a great success, thanks to our volunteers and athletes,” posted TSM president Tyun Sirikitputtisak on the society’s facebook page. “Our facilities, organization, volunteers, and attendance have set a very high standard for years to come.”
Beautiful game, ugly fans Can Football supporters learn lessons from the conduct of Rugby fans?
James Thomas
It is interesting to note how rugby has developed as the gentlemen’s game compared to its petulant little brat of a brother, football. Sure the players in rugby don’t commonly attempt to feign injury or dive to gain an advantage, but that cannot be considered to be the full story without at least considering the gulf between supporters of the ‘beautiful game’ and the ‘gentlemen’s game.’ Since watching Derren Brown’s The Gameshow, built on the idea of whether evil can be harboured more easily within the vehicle of a group rather than by an individual alone, I have
become oddly suspicious of any activity where one can hide themselves within a crowd and use this to justify thuggish behaviour. This has become painfully evident at football grounds up and down the country where week in, week out, fans gleefully shout expletives at the referee, opposing players and, even more disgracefully, slurs about some of the darkest days in footballing history such as the Munich Air Disaster and Hillsborough. Taking stock of such conduct, it is difficult to see how the difference between the respectability of these two sports is largely attributable
to the men on the pitch and not between the groups within the stands. One can look at any Six Nations game over the weekend to see how beautifully civilised fans of rugby are towards each other. The fierce passion to spur on their team is not compromised, yet there is general endorsement of friendly banter between home and away as enjoyed over an ice-cold Tetley’s. It must be acknowledged that it is increasingly becoming the minority of football fans who participate in the violent or abusive culture which has dented the credibility of genuine football fans. Yet, it cannot be ignored
that such conduct means that supporters must necessarily be separated; often with a couple of hundred seats reserved as no man’s land between them. Although perhaps an optimist’s pipedream, one can only hope that football fans can take a leaf out of supporters of rugby’s book and realise that they can retain commitment to their team without wanting to abuse or physically injure followers of opposing clubs, all the while acting behind the ugly face of the crowd. Spartak Moscow fans clash with police Photo: Wikimedia Commons
SPORT
25TH FEB 2013/ ISSUE 15 FREE : @Mancunion_Sport : /TheMancunion
MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Equestrian Club gallop to glory
P30
Netball: UoM vs Manchester Thunder
Manchester edged out of cup quarter final
WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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BUCS Rugby Union PREMIER NORTH B P
W
D
L
GD
Pts
Durham 2nd
9
9
0
0
198
39
Edinburgh 1st
11
5
2
4
114
31
Manchester 1st
9
5
1
3
-49
24
Nottingham 1st
10
5
0
5
120
24
L’borough 2nd
10
4
0
6
62
23
Birmingham 1st
8
4
0
4
3
19
Sheff. Hallam 1st
9
3
1
5
72
19
Nott. Trent 2nd
10
1
0
9
-520
6
RUGBY UNION TROPHY QUARTER FINAL RESULTS: Wednesday 20th Feb UoM 1st 3-6 Durham 2nd L’borough 3rd 3-34 L’ borough 2nd Bath 2nd 24-32 UWE 2nd Reading 1st 0-57 Bristol 1st SEMI FINAL FIXTURES: Wednesday 6th March Bristol 1st v UWE 2nd L’borough 2nd v Durham 2nd There were no tries for Manchester or their league-topping opponents. Photo: Shabab
University of Manchester 1st
3
Durham University 2nd Andrew Georgeson Patience was needed by all involved when Manchester took on Durham seconds in the BUCS trophy quarter final at a freezing and windy Armitage Centre. It seemed as though it could be a long day for Manchester from the outset, after the first phase of the game saw Durham’s powerful flanker Birds break through the Manchester line and gain significant yards. The threat came to nothing, however. Manchester slowly got themselves back into the game, particularly through
6
the strong kicking of Waldin and full back Shaw, pinning Durham within their own 22 for long periods of the opening exchanges. It came as a surprise that after 8 minutes Durham found themselves in front through a Bromley penalty. Durham made their way up the pitch through a series of scrums before Manchester were caught offside within their own 22 creating a comfortable kick for the Durham centre. Manchester responded well after the restart, quickly finding their way into Durham’s half before handling errors ended the attack. Manchester
kept the pressure on Durham despite the turnover, and a great tackle from centre Koskie forced Durham into making a panicked clearance. The home side were camped inside the Durham half for much of the remainder of the half, and there best chance was soon to follow. Despite initially being unable to break Durham’s defense, a great step by Waldin saw him cross the line, only for it to be deemed held up by the referee. The attack continued, however, and Manchester were rewarded with another scrum under the posts. Poor hands and over ambitious offloading, though, cost Manchester dear. Manchester finally got onto the scoreboard after 39 minutes, After receiving a penalty in Durham’s 22, Waldin converted, meaning the first half ended 3-3. Manchester started the second half with the same intensity wih which they
had finished the first, captain Shrimpton twice breaking the Durham line before more handling errors ended the attack. Manchester’s defense was then put to the test by Durham, who managed to get all the way to the try line before conceding a penalty. Half way through the second half Manchester were again on the attack, but unnecessary offloads caused a turnover, just when Durham appeared to be struggling to recover and keep up with the pace of the Manchester attack. Manchester’s Coskie then found himself clean through after breaking the Durham line again. However, he was dubiously pulled back for a forward pass by the referee, who was becoming an increasing frustration to Manchester by this point. In what was essentially a replica of what had just happened to their opponents,
Durham’s Bromley broke the line before being called back for a forward pass. The first score of the second half came after 30 minutes had been played, as Manchester were penalized for not releasing in their own 22. The Durham centre slotted the ball over with ease making the score 6-3 to the visitors. Manchester had one final chance to get something from a game in which they were unlucky to be behind. After receiving a penalty within Durham’s 22, they elected to kick for touch rather than attempt the three points. The resulting line up was not secured by Manchester, finally being cleared by Durham. The match ended 6-3, and ultimately handling errors proved very costly for Manchester. Despite this, they were defensively solid and can consider themselves very unlucky not to get more out of the game.
BUCS
league standings PTS 1
Loughborough University
2852
2
Durham University
2173.5
3
University of Birmingham
1964
4
University of Bath
1891.75
5
University of Exeter
1869
6
University of Nottingham
1744.5
7
Leeds Met Carnegie
1677
8
University of Manchester
1606
9
University of Edinburgh
1366
10
Newcastle University
1323.5
11
University of Bristol
1316
12
Oxford University
1274.5