Issue18

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13th MARCH 2017 / ISSUE 18 FREE

Only 16 per cent of students vote in Exec elections

36% drop from 2016 turnout | 9.7% mandate for Activities & Development Harry Newton Head Sports Editor On Thursday 9th of March, a packed Club Academy heard the results of the new Exec team, after a 36 per cent drop in student turnout from the 2016 elections. 6,500 voted in the elections this year, falling from the 10,169 from last year, and the record-breaking 13,264 in 2015.

This means the new Exec team have a mandate of only 16 per cent of the University’s student demographic. The University of Sheffield’s most recent Exec team had a 26 per cent mandate.

The fall in turnout may be linked to the crashing of the voting system, Mi-Voice, for periods over Wednesday and Thursday. A spokesperson said that the company are aware and are investigating. These figures come in the wake of statistics this year pointing out that 95 per cent of students could not name the last Exec team, and there was more than a 50 per cent drop in students putting themselves forward in this year’s elections.

Alex Tayler was victorious in the General Sec-

retary election, with 1,478 of the 3,591 votes cast for the role. He spoke to The Mancunion after the results.

“Rather than students engaging with the SU I want to engage with the students. It’s about getting into halls, into places where students live, cafes, shops, trying to get them in, telling them about what we’re doing, ask about their views.

“And also, try and follow policies that are going to benefit students, really on stuff for students, that’s what we’re here to do, and that’s what I want to do.”

The role for Activities and Development Officer saw the highest turnout of all the roles, with 3,834 voters, which saw Kitty Bartlett elected. Kitty has the largest mandate on the Exec team, with 9.7 per cent of the 39,700 students at the University of Manchester voting for this position.

With 1,300 of the 2,751 votes for Education Officer going to Emma Atkins, she was the only candidate to be re-elected for a second term.

When asked what the first thing she will do when she gets back into the office, Atkins said “I have no idea — catch up on my emails”.

The position of Community Officer was the closest battle of all the positions, as Jack Houghton won the election by eight votes; 1,261 votes to Madeleine Martin’s 1,253.

Saqib Mahmood was voted as Wellbeing Officer, and thanked his mother for “for making me Asian.” On his personal Twitter account, current Diversity Officer Ilyas Nagdee stated “Manchester voted for its highest amount of Muslims onto the Exec Team.”

Sara Heddi became the new Women’s Officer, Riddi Visu the new Diversity Officer, and Daniel ‘Deej’ Lashley-Johnson was elected as Campaigns and Citizenship Officer.

Wellbeing candidate Dee Dixon spoke to The Mancunion before the results, discussing accusations of Saqib Mahmood making transphobic comments towards them.

“I think, whilst generally the campaign was fantastic, I still think student politics itself can eat itself sometimes. We’ve all related really positive campaigns, but there was one moment which was extremely not positive. One of my people who was running with me, and he’s absolutely fantastic and brilliant, he was accused of trans-

phobia, and he wasn’t actually transphobic at all.

“And apparently, it was against me, but I wasn’t really spoken to or engaged with before the accusation went ahead. So, I feel like there can be a bit of politicking about for something which can be easily sorted out just by talking.”

Mahmood also spoke with The Mancunion , and he also echoed the good relationship that the two have.

“She is an amazing person, she is everything I want to be in a Wellbeing Officer, and I really hope that person gets my number 2 vote.

“I made a comment about their gender which I wasn’t really aware about. We spoke about it and it just got out of context, and I think it tarnished my campaign a little bit, but I think maybe I could work on that… learn from my mistakes.”

The election results see Naa Acquah leave her position of General Secretary after two successful campaigns in a row. Talking to The Mancunion she said: “It’s really bittersweet, because I think there are some great people in the elections, but yeah I’m sad, but you know, time to move on with my life.”

A Student Life special: Two extended editions of

our weekly column showcasing Manchester students who do something different

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Highlights P11

University of Manchester to offer Master’s bursaries

General Secretary Naa Acquah has secured one hundred postgraduate bursaries for students set to begin courses at the university from September 2017

Opinion: Response to “We do not live in a rape culture”

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Music: Review: Thundercat: Drunk

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Photo: Alicia Love

Araddhna Patel Lifestyle Editor

Fashion & Beauty: The feminist fashion journalist

The University of Manchester will now be offering 100 bursaries each worth £3000 in funding for master’s students.

UK and EU students who qualify will be able to apply for this bursary if they are starting a taught or research master’s course in September 2017.

Naa Acquah, the current General Secretary, told The Mancunion: “The postgraduate bursaries are something that I am very proud of working on alongside a great team in the university. It is something that I have always been really passionate about and have now ensured that at least a portion of Postgraduate tuition fees will be used towards bursaries for at least the next year.

“I really hope these bursaries are able to support

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Editorial Adviser: Charlie Spargo

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com The Mancunion @TheMancunion

Arts: Fight like a girl

students who need a bit of extra cash to support them doing their degree as money gets tighter and tighter for students. I encourage anyone eligible to apply and make the most of this important scheme.”

These bursaries are to help students from underrepresented groups gain access to master’s courses by removing barriers to postgraduate education. A number of criteria will need to be met to be eligible for the award, but because of the limited number of bursaries that are available, meeting the criteria is not a guarantee of the award.

Eligible courses include LLM, MA, MEd, MBA, MEnt, MPhil, MRes, MSc, and MusM. The courses can be studied full-time or part-time for a maximum of two academic years. Students who already hold a master’s degree or a higher qualification, such as a doctoral degree (PhD), or postgraduate certificates/ diplomas (PGCert, PGDip, PGCE) are not eligible.

Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor-in-chief: Elise Gallagher deputyed@mancunion.com Postal address: University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone: 0161 275 2989 Chief Subeditor: Gemma Sowerby Subeditors: Jane Simmons, Hannah Foy, Lauren Bramley, Adriana Elgueta, Lauren Pizzey, Stevie Grieves, Izzy Oldman sub@mancunion.com

Head News Editor: Yasmin Mannan Deputy News Editor: Rosa Simonet & Lily Sheehan Science Editor: Georgie Hines news@mancunion.com science@mancunion.com Head Features Editor: Jacob Nicholas Deputy Features Editor: Emma Shanks features@mancunion.com Head Opinion Editor: Tristan Parsons Deputy Opinion Editor: Marina Iskander opinion@mancunion.com Head Fashion Editor: Sarah Kilcourse Deputy Fashion Editors: Sophie Soar and Talia Lee Skudder fashion@mancunion.com Head Food & Drink Editors: Lily Carden & Miriam Mizzi foodanddrink@mancunion.com Head Film Editor: Eliza Slawther Deputy Film Editor: Shema Begum film@mancunion.com

Students who identify as BAME are encouraged to apply, although this is not part of the master’s bursary criteria.

Students who are eligible for a School or Faculty award or discount can apply too, but only be offered the higher value award. The only exception to this rule is if a student has been awarded a University loyalty bursary — in that case, they will receive both awards.

The deadline for applications will be Wednesday, May 31. Applications must be submitted online — the form can be found on the University of Manchester website, along with other criteria that apply. This bursary scheme is competitive, so applicants are requested to complete their form and give the essential evidence as soon as they can.

Head Lifestyle Editor: Rachel Adams Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Araddhna Patel lifestyle@mancunion.com Head Music Editor: Joe Casson Deputy Music Editor: Katie Shepherd music@mancunion.com Head Sport Editor: Harry Newton Deputy Sport Editor: Alex Whitcomb University Sport Editor: Ben Ryan sports@mancunion.com Books Editor: Roma Havers books@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Brogen Campbell theatre@mancunion.com Arts Editor: Laura Joyce arts@mancunion.com Head Online Editor Rebecca Carr Deputy Online Editor: Holly Smith online@mancunion.com Copyright belongs to the photographers. If you wish to reproduce them please contact them directly

The Mancunion is the official student newspaper of the University of Manchester., established in 1969 with a readership of around 20,000. It is printed weekly for 20 editions and is distributed across campus and the city.

All writers are volunteers and new contributors are always welcome. No previous experience is necessary, just a passion for student media and a good story. You can get involved by turning up to a meeting, the times of which are listed on the Mancunion website’s Join page.

We gladly accept contributors from outside the University of Manchester.

The Mancunion is part of the Manchester Media Group, along with Fuse FM and Fuse TV. This body encompasses all of the Union’s official media outlets, and organises training, outside speakers, and social events for Manchester students interested in student media.

If you have any comments, questions, complaints, or would like to contribute, please e-mail the Editorin-chief or Deputy Editor-in-chief.

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Withington hero who saved child from fire faces deportation

A Withington resident of 15 years who saved two children from his burning neighbour’s home faces being sent back to Zimbabwe following his asylum rejection by the Home Office Ollie Potter Senior News Reporter A man who was proclaimed a hero last month for rescuing two children from a house fire is to be deported from the UK. Zimbabwean national Robert Chilowa, 46, saved the two children from a burning Withington house on February 10th.

The two children, 10 and 17, were taken to hospital, whilst their grandparents, 56 and 47, were killed in the fire. Greater Manchester Police said Chilowa’s “noble” actions “demonstrated community spirit”.

Chilowa heard screams in the early hours from the neighbouring house before rushing to the family’s aid. After being taken to hospital, he said “the nightmares will always be there” and that “when I heard that cry it touched my heart”.

However, Chilowa was told by British immigration services on

March 1st that there was “no case to answer” his application for British residency, despite his heroic actions last month. Chilowa has also been told by British officials he cannot use the National Health Service before he is deported.

A letter from public services firm Serco informed him of a “notice to quit” his house within 12 days after Home Office support was withdrawn.

The government’s decision to deport him was one which, in the words of Chilowa, “broke my heart”. He has launched a formal appeal against the decision.

He clearly felt aggrieved by the news, feeling as though “I did a great job but now what they are saying is, get lost”. Coverage in the national press means it is likely that greater scrutiny and pressure will be added to Home Office officials dealing with Chilowa’s appeal.

Chilowa said the deportation news was a “slap in the face”, adding that friends had asked him “When are you going to see the Queen? When are

Student suicides at alltime high

you going to be knighted?” following his life-saving act.

Over 6,400 people have signed a petition demanding the prevention of Chilowa’s deportation, who has been in the UK since 2001, over which Home Secretary Amber Rudd holds the final say.

Chilowa said he came to the UK “for political asylum”, claiming that his life was “very difficult”. He left his family behind in Zimbabwe, currently under the rule of long-serving President Robert Mugabe. Chilowa also said that “there isn’t any change [in Zimbabwe]. There are still sanctions”, suggesting that his safety would be jeopardised if he returned.

The Home Office disputes this, their spokeswoman saying that “the UK has a proud history of granting asylum to those who need our protection” but that “if someone is found not to need our protection we expect them to leave the UK”. The Conservative government’s intention to reduce immigration and asylum numbers mean actions like Chilowa’s intended deportation will be pursued more regularly.

Manchester backpacker saved from kidnapper

A 22-year-old women from Manchester has been rescued from her kidnapper by Australian police during a routine traffic check

Photo: Chris Suderman @Flickr

Aliya Ismangil Science News Reporter Figures from the ONS (Office for National Statistics) show that in 2014 there were a reported 130 suicides among students, compared to 75 in 2007.

Sir Anthony Seldon, Vice-Chancellor of Buckingham University has told The Metro that: “There were 134 suicides reported in universities last year, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg”.

Suicide still remains the highest cause of mortality in young people, and is an increasing cause of death in men under 30.

Last year, York University revealed that 50% of all ambulance call-outs were for self-harm or suiciderelated incidents. An investigation was carried out regarding the five suicides at York University in just one year, and since then they have pledged £500,000 toward mental health services on campus.

Currently, mental healthcare for young people is based on a four tier procedure as Anna Taylor, a final year medical student at the University of Bristol, explains on the Manchester Global Health blog. The tiers depend on the severity of ill-health. For example, Tier 1 is care provided by professionals who can identify common mental health problems, such as GPs, teachers, and social care workers. However, a problem with this is that many people who suffer from poor mental health do not show any signs. Taylor urges that Tier 1 professionals should be trained to raise awareness of mental health as well as identifying or referring patients. A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach is warned against.

“These statistics are extremely saddening but unsurprising… students are under immense pressure to perform academically, during a period of their lives which is often confusing and demanding emotionally”, says Emma Kenny, Psychologist and Director of MakeYourSwitch.co.uk.

Sakib Moghal, co-founder of Manchester Open Mind Network, also shares this sentiment: “Whilst we are deeply saddened at these new statistics, we can’t say that we’re surprised...almost 80% of students will go through some kind of mental health difficulty during their time at university. Poor mental health is the first step towards suicide.”

In response to these concerns, the national charity Student Minds have been visiting campuses with their ‘Look after your mate’ workshops, helping students identify mental health problems among their peers and provide appropriate support. The campaign page offers a guide, as well as an opportunity to improve awareness on your own campus.

Jess Steele, a first year English Literature student at

the University of Manchester, explains that the help a student receives is extremely dependent on the service “and that can be so horrific. From one service, I got told I wouldn’t be eligible [for help] until a 3rd hospitalisation.”. She adds: “I was very lucky I found the OSAARC programme... and YASP [Young Adults’ Services and Projects] in Manchester… [and] that my parents had the resources to pay for a private therapist for a few sessions.”

Ms Kenny adds: “It is vital that schools and universities are given the appropriate resources so that they are able to provide the necessary help to students or, at the very least, be able to signpost vulnerable students to an appropriate service.”

“It is important to ensure that these interventions are not done in isolation — good nutrition, physical fitness and mental well-being all go hand-in-hand.

Universities should address these services to ensure student welfare is top of their priorities.”

Jess further comments that she would like to see “more funding, more awareness and more encouragement for people to join the NHS as counsellors. But mostly more money, I’ve seen so many places be shut down back home and it frustrates me so much.” She also encourages students who are going through difficult times: “trying to kill yourself is basically rock, rock bottom but it’s not the end. Just don’t be scared to build something new”.

A spokesperson from the University of Manchester stated that they are “currently in the process of expanding same day provision within the Counselling Service, reviewing the level of provision for mental health assessments and expanding the reach of training on recognising risk and responding and referring appropriately.”

They also highlighted a range of broader support systems on campus, including the Disability Advice and Support Service (DASS) and Occupational Health, as well as “the support of a large team of Residential Life staff who can offer initial support and urgent referral” for those living in student accommodation.

Sakib asks of those “struggling with mental health issues at university, please, get in touch with us at the Open Mind Network. We’ll either support you directly or will refer to you somewhere that can. You can message us via Facebook (/manchesteropenmindnetwork), or email us at hello@manchesteropenmindnetwork. co.uk. We’ll do our best to help.”

Further sources of support can be found through Nightline, the number of which can be found on your student card or email nightmail@manchester. nightline.ac.uk. You can also access the University’s Counselling Service through their website: www. counsellingservice.manchester.ac.uk

Photo: s2art @Flickr

Amy Bradley News Reporter A 22-year-old woman from Manchester has been rescued after two months of being held hostage in Queensland, Australia.

The young backpacker, who had been beaten and raped, was found minutes after entering a petrol station with black eyes and strangulation marks around the neck. A 22-year-old man from Cairns, Australia, has been charged with multiple counts of rape, assault and strangulation.

A worker at the petrol station, near the outback town of Mitchell, Queensland, became concerned about the victim after she appeared “shaking and crying” before fleeing in a car without paying for the petrol.

Nearby police were notified and caught up with the vehicle shortly after the incident was reported. Police have described that the woman displayed physical face injuries and uncontrollable distress after what has since been revealed to be a two-month abusive hostage taking.

The charged attacker was found to be hiding in the back of the car in a storage compartment during the routine stop. It is believed that after meeting in Cairns, the two made plans to travel together on a road trip around Australia and became involved in a relationship.

Police say this makes the case not just one

of hostage taking but also of severe domestic violence with the female backpacker sustaining facial fractures and scratches. The 22-year-old abuser also damaged the woman’s passport in attempts to prevent her escape as he kept her in captivity.

Local authorities and friends in Australia are looking after the woman, who has not yet returned to Britain. The victim’s attacker has been described by people close to the girl as a ‘psycho’ and is believed to be in the Cairns drug scene.

He is facing drug charges along with abuse and is being held in custody until his court appearance due to his application for bail being refused. Friends of the young woman have praised her stunt in the petrol station as an effective ”cry for help,” knowing that police would have to be notified if she could not pay for the petrol.

Fortunately, Mitchell police were conducting routine breath tests down the road at the time and were able to attend to the petrol station’s report immediately.

Authorities have claimed that the young backpacker, who has been commended for her courage in revealing the ordeal to police, had her life “potentially saved” after she and her abuser were discovered in the car.

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Sexual harrassment ‘epidemic’ at UK universities Guardian A

investigation has revealed a serious problem with staff-on-student and staff-on-staff sexual harassment at UK universities Lily Sheehan Deputy News Editor

Photo: european-parliament @Flickr

The Guardian has reported that sexual harassment at universities in the United Kingdom is at “epidemic levels”. It has been suggested that reported incidents are just “the tip of the iceberg”.

In the academic years from 2011–2012 to 2016–2017, 169 allegations were made against university staff by students, according to Freedom of Information requests granted by 120 UK universities. A further 127 complaints were made by staff members about their colleagues.

The University of Manchester has had less than five reported sexual harassment incidents since 2011, in terms of both staff-on-student and staffon-staff allegations. Manchester Metropolitan University did not declare any statistics to The Guardian. Oxford University reported the highest number of sexual harassment claims in both categories. 11 allegations of staff-on-student harassment were reported to the university’s central administration, with a further 10 recorded by colleges. 17 staff-on-staff allegations were submitted centrally at Oxford and another 3 were received by colleges. However, due to the nature of the university’s administration, some complaints may have been recorded twice. Georgina CalvertLee, a barrister at McAllister Olivarius, a law firm specialising in sexual harassment cases in the UK and US, said: “The one [institution] that surprised me in its blatant disregard for the weaker party was Lincoln College, Oxford, which says overtly

that the reason that it wants a reporting of these relationships is to ensure it will not have an adverse effect on the reputation of the college.” It is unclear if this is a university-wide attitude.

A University of Oxford spokesperson said: “A wide-ranging campaign across the university in recent years has made clear that sexual assault and harassment, whether by staff or students, will not be tolerated anywhere at Oxford. We see the number of students now coming forward to disclose or report incidents as reflecting the progress made.”

Of the universities that responded to The Guardian’s Freedom of Information requests, 136 of the 169 staff-on-student allegations were investigated. The vast majority of these investigations were internal, with only a few involving the police. 109 of 127 staff-on-staff complaints were investigated, resulting in 48 staff leaving their university or changing jobs. The University of Edinburgh and the London School of Economics reported the highest numbers of staff leaving or changing their jobs after investigations, with five each.

Just three British universities (Goldsmiths, Liverpool John Moores and Plymouth) use nondisclosure clauses in sexual harassment settlement agreements. However, victims and experts claimed that other universities classified payments as settlements for other types of misconduct, in order to avoid scandal. Calvert-Lee told The Guardian she knew of a case where a university’s administration had stepped in to encourage an academic accused of sexual assault to leave the university with

a financial settlement and a non-disclosure agreement.

The investigation found that 32 per cent of universities have no student-staff relationship policy. The University of Manchester’s Consensual Relationships Policy covers both staff-student and staff-staff relationships. The Policy states that “to embark on a romantic/sexual relationship with a student involves serious difficulties rooted in unequal power, and hence choice, of the parties concerned, as well as real problems in maintaining the boundaries of professional and personal life.”

The university encourages any student or staff member “who does not consider their involvement [in a relationship] to be truly consensual” to report this.

With regards to support for students and staff who are victims of sexual harassment, a spokesperson for the University of Manchester commented: “Staff and students are supported through We Get It, a joint campaign organised by the University and the Students’ Union, in support of our zero tolerance approach to any form of bullying, harassment, and discrimination.

“The University has a network of trained Harassment Support Advisors (HSAs) who provide a confidential information service to staff and students on issues relating to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and discrimination. They have in-depth-knowledge of the policy and procedures and what support is available to both staff and students. The University Counselling Service is also available to support students and staff.”

Concerns grow over increasing homeless youth in Manchester Rosa Simonet Deputy News Editor On the 3rd March, Government officials published secondary legislation moving ahead with the cut which will apply to new Universal Credit claims made after the 1st April. This step follows the commitment taken up in the Chancellor’s Summer Budget statement July 2015.

A spokesperson from the Department for Work and Pensions claimed the cuts aim is, ‘to prevent young people slipping straight into a life on benefits. This will ensure young people in the benefits system face the same choices as young people who work and who may not be able to afford to leave home.’

The withdrawal was, at that time, forecast to produce savings of £40m by 2020/21, but critics have become sceptical.

According to Crisis (Sheffield Hallam University), ‘only two percent of Housing Benefit claimants were aged 18 to 21 years old: 108,000 out of a total of 4.9 million claimants.’

Recent research by HeriotWatt University, published with The Independent’s recent article on this issue, ‘that once exemptions were included the policy would save just £3.3 million pounds.’ At the risk of more young people being on the streets, critics argue the value for money for taxpayers is not

enough.

Julie Boyle from Lifeshare Manchester, says the cut is ‘victimising young people.’

As homelessness increases, young people are falling prey to dangerous drugs and exploitation. A recent investigation launched by the Manchester Evening News, reveals the horrifying effects of a new strain of spice. According to Julie Boyle, the new strain was spotted 3 weeks ago. The drug, which is ‘harder to get off than heroin’, has left users motionless, making them prone to robbery and assault.

Inspector Phil Spurgeon from Greater Manchester Police’s City Centre Team has said, ‘we are absolutely committed to tackling this issue, bringing dealers to justice and helping people using Spice to get the support that they need.’ Police tactics include ‘focussing on building intelligence and carrying out enforcement work.’

Spurgeon claims the GMP’s ‘enforcement tactics have seen us tackling street level dealing and using these arrests as an opportunity to target those higher up the dealing chain.’

Julie Boyle says it is often vulnerable young addicts who are being used as mules for suppliers. She claims targeting suppliers are well as legislation classifying spice as a class A drug would step in the right direction.

The Homeless Healthcare

Society says ‘the Psychoactive Substances Act has tried to combat‘ the ‘devastating impact of Spice and other synthetic cannabinoids.’ However, they believe ‘sustained investment into mental health and substance abuse services’ will be needed to prompt greater change.

As the stigma surrounding the homeless builds, Julie wanted to assert that a life on spice is ‘a horrible existence.’

‘They aren’t having a party,’ she continues, ‘these people often start smoking to get to sleep and are often unconscious of the horrific aftermath.’

Since the ban on spice last year, conflict on the streets has increased. Competition for survival has divided the community further, putting public services and charities under increased pressure.

Fundraising and campaigning to save organisations such as Lifeshare are two of the many ways the student body can help the current homeless crisis in Manchester.

Julie recommends students to donate to the Big Change Manchester, aimed at helping with tenancies and ongoing resettlement, rather than giving change directly to those on the streets.

More on the current crisis and how the student body can help will follow.

Photo: Riu Duarte @Flickr

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Women in Media 2017 Photos: Tilly Hudson

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Manchester Media Group hosted a weekend of speakers, panels, and workshops for the Women in Media Conference 2017 Hannah Foy Sub -Editor On the weekend preceding International Women’s Day, a team of University of Manchester students took over the People’s History Museum in Manchester to hold the 2017 Women in Media Conference.

The weekend was bursting with inspirational speakers, a wide range of panels, and enriching workshops for the 150 attendees.

“Every

woman in the media has been inspired by somebody and it’s your duty to pass that inspiration on

”

Opening with a ‘Journalism Under Threat’ panel chaired by Amnesty International, Sue Turton, formerly of Al Jazeera, and Işın Eliçin discussed issues ranging from the emergence of digital journalism to gaining a more diverse workforce. At the same time Shelley Alexander of BBC Sport, returning to the conference having spoken in 2016, inspired men and women of her passion for Sports journalism. Shelley pulled together anecdotes and stories of her own experience with inspiration and ideas of where the sector could move to in the future.

Fiona Jones of ITV ran a ‘Getting into Documentaries’ workshop giving useful advice and tales of her own work.

Next to take to the main stage was the ‘LGBTQI+ panel’, with honest retellings of personal struggles and a clear hope that things are now changing.

While on a more light-hearted note Grace Victory’s booming laugh

could be heard through the walls of the YouTube Panel, as Grace and Lucy Moon discussed their own journeys with YouTube and encouraged anyone with a passion for filmmaking or presenting to start a channel of their own. It was a great reminder that anyone and everyone can become journalists, presenters, and broadcasters if we continue to practise our media skills.

My highlight of Saturday has to go to BBC Breakfast queen Steph McGovern. Her keynote demonstrated her passion and struggles in the industry. Her journey from an engineering graduate to a producer and finally a presenter with the BBC was told with humour and integrity. It demonstrated how much women are still immediately thought of as less intelligent, air-head figures that glamourise the news — when in fact Steph can clearly demonstrate a huge knowledge and specialism as an expert in her field.

It is this attitude that still desperately needs changing.

We moved on to not only discussing the inferior position women are often placed in but the additional barrier of a regional accent and working-class background. This is an area that is finally starting to change — the days of RP at the BBC seem rather historic, especially with Steph helming breakfast news, but the attitudes and presumptions attached to accents are still apparent.

The day ended with the BAME panel, once again heightening the need for the minority voice to be heard, as the panellists discussed intersectional feminism and branching out from telling stories purely about race and background. Running concurrently were ‘Political Reporting’ with the BBC’s Lucy Adams, and a ‘Developing Ideas’ workshop with Chelsea Dickenson, to enrich all of our minds with some great content ideas. Of course, afterwards we headed out for some networking drinks.

Sunday started with slightly greyer skies, but the day’s events were equally inspirational, beginning with a choice of more niche areas of journalism: ‘Bureau of Investigative journalism’, ‘Sports journalism’ and a Radio presenting workshop. Harriet Minter, formerly of The Guardian, gave her career in a story, unravelling her skills and deter-

mination. Harriet’s message throughout seemed to stem from the lack of confidence women often feel, and instead encouraged us to believe in ourselves and our own knowledge, regardless of the situation.

Staying with local interests the ‘Our Manchester Women Panel’ triumphed the North and Manchester as an incredible creative hub for the media. As Media City is on our doorstep, the creative industry is only down the road. Julie Hesmondhalgh, Katie Thistleton and Anna Youssef bounced off one another, discussing personal experiences and the need for anyone with a desire for a creative career to be able to pick themselves up and keep going. As Julie put it: “Every woman in the media has been inspired by somebody and it’s your duty to pass that inspiration on.” It’s words like this that make the conference extra special.

“There is a place for every single woman in the media, regardless of class, race, sexuality or accent Girl power at its finest

”

One the biggest things I took away from the conference was the supportive and honest environment all the panels and workshops held.

There is a place for every single woman in the media, regardless of class, race, sexuality or accent. Girl power at its finest.

The weekend couldn’t have been successful without the incredible hard work of the Co-Chairs: Jenny Sterne, Gemma Sowerby, and Elise Gallagher and a fabulously supportive committee. A special thanks must also go to our sponsors Amnesty International UK and NUS. Let’s see where Women in Media 2018 takes us.

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Science

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Preview: MedX Future of Healthcare Conference

Manchester healthcare innovation start-up, ReThinkX, is to hold their 3rd annual MedX Future of Healthcare conference on 25th March Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor The MedX Future of Healthcare conference will be held on 25th March at Citylabs 1.0, ran by ReThinkX, which aims to “bridge the gap between the next generation and leaders of the field” and “to create an accessible medium to showcase the technology at the forefront of healthcare”.

Tariq Ramtoola, Director of ReThinkX, says: “We will have speaker panels running in the same time as workshops in order for people to feel more free to choose what mood they are in: listening to innovative speakers, be more hands on, be enthusiastic and debate, or even just relax in the chill-out area. There will be something for everybody!”

“We think traditional conferences are too rigid and set the agen-

da for attendees,” says Ramtoola on the format of the conference.

Keynotes on the day include Hugo Mercier, CEO & co-founder of Rythm, a neurotechnology company that has made the “first active wearable” headband to help improve sleep. The ‘Dreem’ headband is due to be available to consumers soon.

Also speaking is Dr Pablo Rojo, a Paediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist from Madrid. Previously Dr Rojo is part of the EPIICAL project, which aims to provide new therapeutics to early treated HIV-infected children, and has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles in his career.

Unlike other events of its kind, the MedX conference is free for students, but limited priced tickets are available for academics and professionals in the healthcare field. Explaining this decision, Ramtoola says that ReThinkX wanted to “put great emphasis on accessibility”.

Workshops will also be held throughout the day, including one

by GMC which will challenge the “ethical implications of social media and a digital world,” led by Tista Chakravarty-Gannon, GMC’s Principal Regional Liaison Advisor.

Bella Eacott, Research and Curriculum Manager at Clod Ensemble, and Suzy Wilson, Director of Performing Medicine, an education programme led by a theatre company will be holding a ‘Circle of Care’ workshop, looking at art based methods in healthcare education.

In the future, ReThinkX hope to grow the conference so that it spans two days with 500 to 1000 delegates.

“We are working with Manchester entrepreneurs, Manchester Science Partnerships and the North-West Biotech Initiative to create an entrepreneurship academy focused on small scale innovation,” Ramtoola says.

‘Hover train’ cuts Manchester to Liverpool journey to seven minutes New North-West transport plans include ‘MagLev’ or ‘hover trains’ that can cut Manchester to Liverpool train times from an hour to just seven minutes Araddhna Patel Senior Science & Technology Reporter Direct City Networks (DCN), a travel firm, is developing plans to run a tunnel network dubbed DCN300+ from Liverpool to Hull. Engineers say it would be “the world’s fastest underground system.”

The futuristic ‘hover train’ or ‘MagLev’ does not have any wheels and doesn’t run on a conventional engine. Instead, it runs on a magnetically-charged cushion of air, and will be able to travel up to 350 miles per house. The innovation will also run smoothly and quietly, and will not be affected by bad weather conditions.

Currently, trains from Manchester to Leeds take around an hour, but this new technology means the route can be completed in just 7 short minutes.

The plan is focused on a Manchester to Leeds route, but would then be extended to Liverpool and Hull following its anticipated success. The expected cost to establish this route is up to £3.7 billion.

Transport for the North, a Government body, will be consider-

ing the submitted plan to improve the region’s transport links.

DCN believes a tunnel would be the best option for the ‘MagLev’ to work alongside Northern Powerhouse Rail. It would run a service, cutting beneath the participating cities and the Pennines.

As billions of pounds will be needed for investment, DCN will soon be revealing their early proposals before launching a feasibility study in detail.

According to Manchester Evening News, a spokeswoman for Transport for the North said: “TfN have been provided with information by Direct City Networks PLC regarding a proposal to initially link Manchester and Leeds with a high speed ‘MagLev’ connection, with the possibility of this being extended to Liverpool and Hull.”

She added: “Our current priorities include the preparation of a long-term Strategic Transport Plan for the North and development of the Northern Powerhouse Rail proposals, which will identify plans for infrastructure needed to transform the region’s economy by offering fast, frequent and reliable transport around the North for both passengers and freight.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

‘Changing Stations’ music album tells story of synaesthesia Aliya Ismangil Science & Technology Reporter Synaesthesia is a neurological condition where a triggering of one sense also triggers another. People can experience synaesthesia differently, and scientists are still not sure exactly how many different types there are.

A common experience in those with synaesthesia is perceiving letters as colours. Daniel Liam Glyn, a Manchester composer, who has Grapheme Colour Synaesthesia, said: “I perceive musical notes and key signatures in colour along with letters, words and numbers.”

A move to London inspired Glyn to work on this project to portray his experience of London and his synaesthesia. The album, ‘Changing Stations’, was released in October 2016.

“I have composed each Underground line using the colour from the map and used the thoughts of feelings from each colour and underground journey when deciding my style for each piece.”

The songs on his album reflect different aspects of the commut-

er’s journey on the London tube. ‘Monday’ has the feel of constant frantic energy from the minor pulsing chords under eerie synth sounds.

‘Route C’ is a confusing amalgamation of sounds, notes and speech, reflecting the haphazard contrasts of the different stations on a line. The Northern line is represented in the song ‘Abode’, which starts as a wistful piano piece, the speed and volume ebbing and flowing, like the stop and starts of a tube train.

However, Glyn intends for his music to be seen as more than just an album. “It’s also an autobiographical story about how my brain works, the neuroscience behind my synaesthesia and how it can invokes creativity for me to work on something musical,” he says.

“It showcases my love for London and the vast amount of diverse commuters… through the city each day. I hope to not only inspire other artists, but to also raise awareness for Synaesthesia across Manchester and all over.”

The album can be streamed on Spotify and you can find out more about the project on his website. Glyn is also on Twitter as @DanielLiamGlyn.

Photo: Daniel Liam Glyn

Manchester composer, Daniel Liam Glyn, uses music to tell a story of his neurological condition and his love for London

Global 7

ISSUE 18 / 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

In theThenews this week... important and interesting stories from the wider world this week.

Stories by: Chloe Hatton and Macarena Martín Martínez

Snakes (mice) on a plane UK A British Airways flight has been delayed leaving London after the discovery of a mouse onboard. Passengers were already seated on the 10:40 flight from Heathrow to San Francisco when air crew announced that ‘a rather unusual event has occurred’, and that the plane would not allowed to take off with a mouse onboard, and that another flight would be arranged. The small problem would be that this flight would not be able to take off for several hours, as a gate had to be arranged for this new plane.

British Airways has apologised for the delay caused by the furry friend.

Ninety nineyear-old’s bucket list arrest Netherlands Annie’s bucket list wish is perhaps a little stranger than most. However, at the age of ninety nine, she has finally ticked off another life eventgetting arrested. Her dream of ‘experienc[ing] a police cell from within’ has come true. Her niece contacted the police department in her Dutch hometown of Nijmegan-Zuid to tell them about her aunt’s goal, and was initially told that civilians were not allowed in the cells, but one police officer agreed to bend the rules for such a special occasion. She received the full treatment, being picked up by the police and locked in a cell, and ended up having a great time.

Girl Power USA Five female scientists from NASA are being immortalised as tiny plastic figurines in part of a new Lego set, honouring women who have played a perhaps underappreciated role in the space program. It is part of the Ideas series, allowing Lego fans to propose subjects for new figurines, and this all female ensemble is being pitched with the headline ‘Ladies rock outer space’. The five women featured will be Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; Nancy Grace Roman, the ‘mother’ of the Hubble telescope; Mae Jemison, the first African American woman in space; and Margaret Hamilton and Katherine Johnson, who helped put the first people on the moon.

Woman taken to the hospital after attending a hypnosis show New Zealand A woman in the audience of a mentalist show, which is taking place in Madrid (Spain), was taken to the hospital as she could not recover for the hypnosis.

When the performance ended, they noticed that one of the people in the audience didn’t move.

The woman, who followed the steps of the mentalist from her seat, ended up hypnotised. The mentalist tried to get her back from her trance, but he wasn’t successful, so they asked for sanitarian help. Finally, the psychiatric unit achieved to do it, and now she is out of danger.

Doctor includes songs in his treatment USA The oncologist Steven Eisenberg writes and sings songs to cheer up his patients. The versatile doctor claims that there is a strong connection between art and medicine. He thinks that music therapy is really healing for them. The anxiety and the depression can cause very bad influence on cancer patients. Therefore, among their revisions he always includes a session on writing the songs and performing it with his guitar. In addition, the songs are recorded in a studio, so their patients and their families can listen to them whenever they want.

In Science this week...

Cryogenics breakthrough in ‘nano-warming’ USA US scientists have made a major breakthrough in the practice of cryogenics by successfully freezing and rewarming heart tissue without damaging them. The new technique, called ‘nano-warming’, involves the infusion of magnetic nanoparticles into tissue which helps to rewarm tissue when passed through a magnetic field. Currently, donor organs need to be transplanted within hours of being removed or else cells begin to die. This results in 60 per cent of hearts and lungs donated are discarded each year. This new technique could mean that organs can be stored for months or even years, to be used to save lives of

Artificial mouse embryos created UK Cambridge scientists have created the first self-developing artificial embryo from stem cells. The process did not involve the natural process of a fertilised egg, but two different types of stem cell. It allowed the embryos to be grown outside of the womb, until they were roughly equivalent to one third of the way through pregnancy.

Contrary to reports, this will not lead to the controversial production of artificial human embryos and ‘designer babies’. Instead, this will help provide more information about the early stages of pregnancy and the discovery of new fertility treatments.

A prince from Saudi Arabia buys 80 plane tickets for his falcons Saudi Arabia An Arabic prince flies with his 80 falcons in first class.

The company only allowed him to bring a maximum of six pets, so he decided to buy tickets for their falcons that travelled with him in first class. It can seem crazy for us, but in the Emirates the falcon are very important animals as they are used for competitions, and therefore, it is a normal thing to travel with them. The falcons flied with their eyes cover on wooden boards placed in the passenger seats, as the picture that the pilot himself took shown.

Ikea unveils flat pack garden Sweden A compact, ecological garden shelter is about to hit the market. SPACE10 have worked in collaboration with Ikea in order to bring to the market a flat pack garden that also acts as a shelter, called the Growroom. It’s described as an ‘urban farm pavilion’, and if you’re in the mind to do some DIY, the instructions on how to make it are being released later this month. The spherical design allows all the vegetation to be reached by both sunlight and water whilst providing shelter for an occupant in the center of the sphere. It is also designed to be free standing, and so Ikea’s latest product could prove to be the future of the modern garden

Photo: calafellvalo @Flickr

Exotic bird born from decorative egg UK Charlotte, a British woman, bought a decorative egg through internet. Her maternal instinct rose on her and she decided to incubate it. After forty seven days, an Australian emu was born.

This is a very peculiar type of bird that lives in Oceania. They look like ostriches since both of them, ostriches and emus are big birds that cannot fly. The “mother” of Kevin, as the emu has been named, has taken him to Real Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, so he can get back to his habitat, where he belongs.

Boston bombings victim to marry firefighter who rescued her

USA A woman who lost her leg in the Boston marathon bombing has announced that she is to marry the fire-fighter who helped save her life. Roseann Sdoia, 48, was standing by the railing watching the 2013 run. Yards away a rucksack containing a pressure cooker bomb was left. When the bomb exploded Mike Materia, a former serviceman who had served three tours in Iraq, was on duty near the finish line. He helped lift Ms Sdoia into an ambulance. During her recovery in the hospital, he visited her a lot of times, and they finally fell in love.

Vagina sealing glue could soon be on the market

USA The Mensez Adhesive Vaginal Lipstick is a mildly terrifying prospect for many, quite literally gluing your vagina shut.

Designed by Dr Daniel Dopps of Kansas, the Vaginal Lipstick is designed to be an alternative way to control your menstruation.

Using a compound of amino acids and oil, it causes the labia to cling together until it is broken down by urine, allowing menstrual blood to flow out whilst on the toilet. Although the product has received a US patent, is has only been tried by a small number of women and is not yet available to the public.

Its practicality has also been widely slated online by women who have described the idea as insulting to their anatomy and intelligence.

Science by: Megan Harvey

Chances of finding life on Mars increases

USA A new study suggests that Mars may have once been entirely submerged in water, which substantially increases the chances that it once supported life. It has been previously thought to be an ancient, dry environment, but now scientists are rethinking the history of the planet.

This discovery coincides with NASA’s proposal to create a magnetic ‘shield’ around Mars to help humanity colonise the planet and protect from harmful solar winds and debris. The shield will allow the restoration of the Mars atmosphere over the course of a few years, since it lost its own magnetic field around 4.2 billion years ago.

Controversial UK fracking in Amazon rainforest

Machu Picchu The first shipment of gas has arrived in the UK from Peru, where the Camisea project has begun fracking for gas in the Amazon rainforest. The first shipment comes from the heart of the rainforest, only 60 miles from Machu Picchu. Fracking is a controversial process, which is known to cause great environmental damage and contribute to climate change. In addition, new information suggests that the Camisea project may be harming the indigenous people of the area and bringing diseases to previously uncontacted tribes.

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Feature

ISSUE 18/ 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

A Student Life special Two extended editions of our weekly column showcasing students who do something different

The life of a midwife Colm Lock discovers the trials and tribulations of some of the hardest working students in university

A

few months ago, I was talking with a student midwife. Due to my lack of knowledge on the course, I was curious as to what it included. From that conversation, I resolved to write an article on the matter. So, over the last few weeks, I have interviewed 3 midwifery students.

For the purposes of this article I will be keeping their names and the NHS trusts at which they work anonymous. The one major detail I will divulge about them, is that these three women have a passion for their course. A real love for what they do and an emotional connection to their studies that most of us seem to lack.

I started off by asking the three women why they chose to do midwifery at university. One of them told me that “I like dealing with people, I always wanted to work in health care” and that she “enjoyed supporting families, especially working with women and children, and helping society as a whole’” Another, who hails from Wales, said that she decided on it after her experiences with the poor maternity care she had seen her stepmother receive. She also spoke about how “women really appreciate the care we give, for some it’s the first time they will have had this kind of contact with the health service and so they can often be scared”.

The third midwife also spoke of the fact that many women can find the prospect of pregnancy and the health service scary. She also said that “when they come to you, these people aren’t sick. They’ve come to you for a happy reason”.

But the most stress that she placed on her reason for choosing midwifery was what she saw as the significance of being the first person to touch and see a new born baby.

“It’s not uncommon for some of the girls on the course to get broody” These are young people, like you and me, who are not taking their degree because they think that it will make them a lot of money afterwards. They are not doing it because they see it as the easiest way towards a 2:1. They, and many other students like them, are doing it because they see it as either

Photo: Corey Balazowich@Flickr

their duty, or their calling, to not only help people but to also make their communities a better place.

The one young woman from Wales, expressed quite passionately her desire to go back and improve what she called “the poorly run maternity services in Wales”.

They also have to do “a metric fuck-tonne of paper work” They have also worked incredibly hard to get to where they are, and they continue to work harder than most of us. Just to be admitted onto their course, they have had to achieve A levels of AAAAAB; sit through Math and English tests on the same day of their interview; be DBS checked; and pass comprehensive medical tests. They also have to do yearly declaration of integrity.

One of the three said that “it feels like there is constant scrutiny”. But this should not be taken negatively. They wholeheartedly believe that the scrutiny will make them better midwives. After all, they are dealing with the lives of women and babies, who at the time of the birth, can often be at their most vulnerable. I am told that the pressure of the course is such that over the past year and a half, they have seen 1 in 6 of the women on their course drop out. I am told that this is either due to the intensity and rigour that goes hand in hand with the course, or because some end up falling pregnant. I am told that “it’s not uncommon for some of the girls on the course to get broody”.

And when I ask specifically about the basic structure of the course, I am blown away with the amount of work they put in. First of all, their course is 45 weeks long. They only get 7 weeks off a year.

Further to that, while students like myself make do with 6 contact hours a week of seminars and lectures, midwives put in a staggering 37.5 hour week, 22.5 of which is usually spent in hospital.

They also work during the exam periods as they inform me that “when your mentor is working, you are working”. They do not get time to revise for exams. Instead, they have to fit it in-between antenatal care, postnatal care, and assisting with births.

One thing I was also asked to stress specifically is that, to pass their course, they also have to do a “metric fuck-tonne of paper work”. Everything they do has to be logged in order for them to graduate successfully.

This is most certainly not the most interesting part of their work. That occurs on the ward, where new life is brought into the world, and sometimes in very stressful circumstances. So then I asked them each two questions. Obviously, the nature of their work can be very emotional and dramatic at times. So, I enquired as to what they thought was their favourite and least favourite moment of the course.

They all had very different answers. One said “I really enjoyed seeing the same woman in antenatal and postnatal care. I got to see her development over all the months. I didn’t give her any significant care, we would just talk. But after she left I got a card from her and that was really nice.”

The second said “I know it sounds clichéd but it was my first delivery. Seeing your name on the delivery sheet and thinking that today was that day. I cried on the bus the whole way home. It’s that realisation that you have delivered a baby which is something special”.

“It’s that realisation that you have delivered a baby which is something special” The third midwife’s account really touched on the social issues that sometimes come with pregnancy. “It was like my third delivery or something and I had this really appreciative woman without a husband. It was after she had delivered the baby and I went to visit the woman in her home. We were really pleased to see each other. She had a lot of social issues to deal with and I really felt I had made a difference. Even if it was just that one mother and one baby.”

Then I asked about their least favourite moments.

It was not until the three had explained to me the trials and tribulations of childbirth that I realised

what can occur. Some women can lose as much as 2 litres of blood during the process through something called a post-partum haemorrhage which the midwives described as occasionally resembling a “fountain of blood”. They talk of this casually. This is the stuff that happens every day and they have procedures to make sure that should something like this occur, they can stop it.

They say that 9 times out of 10 everything, even if there are some complications, it will go absolutely fine.

One of the women spoke of her worst day, which in the end came out with a happy ending. “We had this Jewish lady who was unable to give birth conventionally but she was refusing a C-section.

They had to call the Rabbi but the baby’s heart beat began to dip and so we had to get her on the table ready for the operation. We had her on the table and the husband was worried and on the phone to the Rabbi and we lost the baby’s heartbeat. It was only 3 minutes but it felt like an eternity. In the end we managed to find the heartbeat and the baby came out a bit bruised but otherwise fine. I’d just felt so helpless standing there while everyone ran around shouting. The parents were helpless. The consultants were shouting lots and I just had to stand there. It was all fine in the end though”.

One of the midwives’ stories, though less dramatic, clearly meant a great deal to her. “On my last day at my last trust, I was dealing with a couple who were both GP’s and they had specifically asked for a student. We had to do a manual removal of the woman’s placenta and the mother wanted it to be a significant moment for me. In the end, I only played a little role and she was a bit sad that she couldn’t have done something else to make it memorable. But in the end we had a group photo with the family which was really nice”. She said that it was sad for her because she felt that she had disappointed the woman who desperately wanted her to play a role in her birth.

To read the rest of Colm’s article, and all our other features, head to mancunion.com

Feature 9

ISSUE 18 / 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Cahal Moran: Post-Crash Economics Society Charlie Spargo speaks to one of the founders of the Post-Crash Economics Society, which aims to change economics education to better reflect the world we live in

Photo : Post-Crash Economics Society

I

t’s often debated as to whether economics is a “real” science. Economics has its basis in the social sciences but has moved into utilising complex mathematical modelling and making highly specific predictions about spending, taxation, growth and wealth. Governments love to talk about “the economy”, using it as a proxy for success in every area of its administration, as well as bashing their opponents with it. Most, if not all, of the most influential institutions — governmental and private — in the Western world are filled with economists passing judgements, producing analyses, and making predictions.

However, in 2008, the global economic system was brought to its knees by a crisis that next to nobody saw coming. Organisations were bankrupted and governments were suddenly scrambling to save themselves and their closest allies. The consequences of the financial crisis are still felt today, almost 10 years later. When Cahal Moran and fellow students started their economics educations in 2011, they hoped to find economists telling them how things had gone wrong, what should have been done, and how to avoid it ever happening again. Instead, the biggest crisis in economics wasn’t mentioned. They continued to be taught just one school of thought, the neoclassical one, despite the existence of many others which offered differing angles on how the economy worked.

Because of this, they set up the Post-Crash Economics Society, which pressures the university into providing a more pluralist economics education to students, as well as offering some voluntary classes of their own to economics students who worry about the narrowness of their education. Their campaign has become one of the best-known in the world, with The Guardian continuing to support and highlight their work, and influencing the beginning of many other likeminded societies around the world.

Last year Cahal, along with fellow co-founders Joe Earle and Zach Ward-Perkins, released their first book, The Econocracy: The perils of leaving economics to the experts, which explains the goals of the Post-Crash movement as well as highlighting how dangerous the current situation is, in which vastly important decisions are taken in back rooms

by economists with such a limited conception of the economy.

I talked to Cahal about the society, the book, and the university.

“We were puzzled by the complete absence of the issues which seem to be so central to economics” Tell me about the beginnings of the Post Crash Economics Society.

“So the society began around 2012 when a lot of us were in our second year of economics education, and naturally, having just experienced the financial crisis, a lot of us wanted to study economics to try and make sense of it all, to make sense of the chaos and confusion that was in the news, as people talked about the crash but didn’t really seem to understand it.

“But on entering our economics education, what we found was that rather than discussions of the financial crisis, or of really any issues that you hear about in the news like immigration, or inequality, what we instead saw was just a focus on very abstract mathematical models, large numbers of multiple choice tests, especially in first and second year, and you were essentially being asked to regurgitate these theories over and over again for exams and to solve mathematics that was related to them.

“But we were puzzled really by the complete absence of the issues which seemed to be so central to economics. While our classes were going on, the Eurozone crisis was reaching its apex, but it was scarcely mentioned, if at all, in macroeconomics.

And so some of us decided that we would form the group, the Post-Crash Economics Society, to try and question what we were taught and ask ‘why is it that despite all of these important economic events going on around us, we don’t see any of it in the classroom?’”

When the crisis happened what was happening inside economics departments? They must have recognised that it had happened and they hadn’t foreseen it, so did they just stick their heads in the sand or did the questioning begin?

“It’s a really interesting question because I think there’s been a strange combination of recognition and soul-searching and sticking their heads in the sand. So when it first happened I think there was a lot of humility and soul-searching, around 2009, this was before I even came to university. You saw people like Paul Krugman in the New York Times admitting that economists had got it wrong, and you even saw Robert Lucas, who’s a sort of die-hard Chicago free-market guy, admitting that we are all “Keynesians in the foxhole” now.

“But then, after the dust had cleared, I think the profession has been quite quick to reassert itself in many ways. And this isn’t to say that there’s been no reaction, because I think there has been a reaction, and there have been changes, but the essential line that the profession has adopted is ‘OK, we missed it but, we just need to make some tweaks, we have the tools, actually there are many aspects of economics that can explain the crisis, we maybe just need to teach them a bit better, and there is not necessarily the need for fundamental change of the kind that Post-Crash Economics are calling for.’”

“This blindness to the possibility of a crash in many ways stemmed from economics itself” Might it be economics itself that’s the problem?

Do we overstate our possible ability to see crashes coming or predict what’s coming next, and possibly we should be scaling that back slightly?

“Yes, it’s not like the economy and economics as a discipline are independent. In the run up to the crash, huge institutions and important institutions like central banks used economics very heavily and they were convinced that by using the policy

of inflation targeting to manage unemployment and inflation, they would essentially eliminate the problem of the business cycle. Then you had people like Gordon Brown declaring the end of boom and bust; Ben Bernanke, then head of the Federal Reserve, praising the great moderation of low inflation and high growth; people like Robert Lucas saying that the central problem of depression prevention had been solved. So this blindness to the possibility of a crash is really in many ways was stemmed from economics itself.

“So in that sense, I think we do have to rethink questions like can we prevent crashes? Is it possible to prevent them? What can we do about them?

And to really never again be seduced by models and ideas which say we have forever solved the problem.”

So why has the economics elite settled on the one neo-classical school of thought at the expense of others?

“I think there’s been two main things. One is the internal drive within the discipline to appear scientific. Previously, in the 18th and 19th century, economics was called Political Economy and it was quite an eclectic subject that took some of politics, some of what we would now call sociology, it was largely qualitative, economists wrote huge tomes instead of mathematical models. This by its nature was quite vague, but with the development of sort of modern mathematical methods, and the application of those to economics in the late 19th century, the subject acquired a sort of scientificseeming nature, and a precision which meant that very clear predictions about the system and about policies could be made.”

To read the rest of our interview with Cahal, and all our other features, head to mancunion.com

Opinion

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Get in touch Facebook: /mancunionop Twitter: @MancunionOP Email: opinion@mancunion.com

ISSUE 18 / 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The Islamic impact of Saudi King’s Indonesia visit

Contributor Jack Greeney shows how King Salman’s visit to Indonesia had both religious and political motives

Have an opinion?

Come to our meetings: Monday 5:15pm, first floor of the Students’ Union

The ‘Before I Die’ blackboard: Iterations and implications Elliott Mills Opinion Writer Death works its way into the everyday imagination in myriad un-profound ways, a claim which this article might both explore and attest. Death in the glib sloganeering of mass culture rarely carries the full weight: it is wholesale death, cut-price death, death-light.

This plays out in the pop song refrains of ‘party like it’s your last night alive’, which never struck me as practical advice; on my final day on this mortal realm, would I really care about catching that Jackmaster set?

I suspect not, as my entire consciousness would be prey to the seemingly endless yet soon-toend torments of regret, guilt, sadness and earth-shattering fear (which, by the way, are to a lesser degree the four horsemen of hangover rather than the recipe for a banging night out).

Here in Manchester, outside University Place, and now in over seventy countries worldwide, people have the chance to consider life, death and enter the process of self-examination with Candy Chang’s ‘Before I Die’ public participatory art project.

A glance over the communal bucket list reveals a plethora of hopes, ranging from “be a basic bitch” to “get schwifty”, making pit stops at “marry Michael Scofield” and “dismantle heteropatriarchy”. Initially I considered writing an ‘I tried doing these things and it was crazy’ Vice-type piece, but I didn’t want to have to repeat what I had done over the weekend.

One afternoon, walking northward up Oxford Road, a route I follow every day, I saw someone at work clearing away the messages to leave space for more.

He was like a figure of the pressures and conditions of life; the pleasure principle that wanted to ‘shag a ten’ and the instinct for aggression that wanted to ‘kill Trump’ were left as unfulfilled desires.

What could only remain was the reality principle: intent on subsisting and living moderately well in civilised life. Might not there be an alternative to funnelling ourselves into the restrictive framework of the reality principle?

I wondered this as I watched the man wash away the phrase ‘live not just survive’, aware that it was this man’s job to clear the board; this was how he earned a living, how he survived.

The blackboard could represent life...

This is an excerpt. To read Elliott’s full article, head to www.mancunion.com

Photo: Jim Mattis @ Flickr

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud arrived in Indonesia on the 1st of March for a state visit. The royal was joined by an enormous convoy of 800 delegates, 620 staff and over 450 tonnes of luggage. Met from his plane by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, King Salman became the first Saudi monarch to visit the world’s largest Muslim-majority country since 1970. There had been hopes that the visit would lead to economic dealings between the two nations. Political officials in Jakarta appeared to hold aspirations of a $25 billion investment in resources from the Arabian kingdom, in addition to a strengthening of business relations in real terms. With the kingdom eventually agreeing to only one deal, a comparatively meagre $1bn, this aim has clearly failed to materialise.

While Saudi Arabia may not have shown desire to influence the Indonesian economy, their real desire lies with influence of Indonesian culture and religion. In the past three decades, a liberal and tolerant Indonesia has been on the receiving end of Saudi Arabia’s strict and literalist version of Islam: Salafism. This is a cause to which millions of Arabian dollars have been devoted, for instance to build hun-

dreds of mosques and Islamic teaching centres across the Southeast Asian archipelago nation. Salafi adherents and other fundamentalists make up only 3 per cent of Islam’s 1.7 billion followers worldwide, yet through Saudi Arabia, their influence on Islam as a whole is large.

“There has been a gradual, Arabian shifting of Indonesia towards conservatism and intolerance” Over time, there has been a gradual, Arabian shifting of Indonesia towards conservatism and intolerance. The heart of the relatively new movement of Indonesian Salafism is the Institute for the Study of Islam and Arabic (LIPIA): a Jakarta university entirely funded by Saudi Arabia.

The king’s visit has excited the members of the campus, who hope the two countries can come together, not only in terms of international politics but also religious doctrine. The university enforces strict rules: music is considered prohibited due to being considered ‘bid’ah’ (unnecessary innovation), men and women are kept apart as much as possible, and theology, a

mandatory subject, is taught only by committed Wahhabists (followers of an even stricter form of Salafism).

The clearest danger to this spreading of Salafism and Wahhabism is that it fuels global extremism and contributes to terrorism. It draws sharp lines between a small number of true believers and everyone else, whether Muslim or non-Muslim. This branch of thought provides an ideological basis for violent jihadists: the Saudi version of Islam lures particularly vulnerable followers towards Al-Qaeda and the so-called Islamic State, with its denigration and dehumanisation of others exposed as the word of God. Saudi imams, coming from the heart of the Muslim world, the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the land of Mecca, carry automatic credibility as religious teachers, and so their instructions are met with obedience.

Textbooks in Saudi Arabia’s schools and universities instill this brand of Islam, and in teaching these views calibrate the religious bases of the young and susceptible, making the ISIS religious narrative easier to swallow. These textbooks are also shipped out to Arabian universities all over the world, including Indonesia: without this Saudi influence, the threat of terrorism around the globe could be a totally different situation. Saudi Arabia is itself a prime exhibit of the terrorist results of such a religion’s enforcement, the Arabian Peninsula nation producing not only Osama bin Laden but also 15 of the 19 hijackers of the 9/11 attacks, and, more recently, around 2,500 Daesh fighters.

There is already a widely held consensus that Saudi Arabia has disrupted local Islamic traditions in a multitude of countries. The Arabian government and royal family have used their almost unlimited wealth shrewdly to this aim: the estimation of religious outreach funding totals

10 billion dollars. Not only this, but guest workers allowed into the country, many from South Asia, also bring away the Saudi methods on returning home years later.

The preaching of Wahhabism has brought on a religion that is harshly judgemental, increasing public support in various countries for punishments of stoning and execution for non-violent crimes.

If these results of cooperation with Saudi Arabia, terrorism and disruption of culture, are well documented, the question can surely be raised as to why Indonesia does not appear to be resisting. A likely answer can be found in the all-important hajj quota: the number of citizens per country who can make the pilgrimage to Mecca in any given year. Every Indonesian political leader, including President Widodo and Speaker of the House Zulkifli Hasan, has been quoted on citing the hajj quota as one of the most important focuses of King Salman’s visit to the country. Indonesia has the largest allowance of pilgrimages per year in the world, and are desperate to preserve this, if not build on it.

With this visit, King Salman is seeking to further and further increase cultural and religious change in Indonesia towards this evangelical, extreme Islam. While Indonesia is Saudi Arabia’s largest project, they are by no means alone: Saudi are also undertaking similar foreign infrastructural impositions in Egypt, Bosnia and Pakistan. Although one policy objective of the visit is a pact to combat terrorism, what is needed from the king is an unequivocal, bold and definitive statement denouncing radicalism and violence, to speak for the vast majority of Salafists who are staunchly and ideologically opposed to extremism. Perhaps then his visit will not be seen as a vote of confidence to radical Indonesian Islamic movements, but as a movement to combine with Indonesia to eliminate terror.

The infrastructure and politics of the Curry Mile

Opinion Editor Tristan Parsons explores the subtle tensions between Rusholme and student communities Wilmslow Road now boasts an almost uninterrupted cycle lane. Oxford Road will soon follow suit, with the addition of a 9am-6pm general traffic restriction through the University of Manchester’s main campus. The project aims to reduce commuting times for those travelling from South Manchester to the universities and further into the city, as well as improving air quality.

Construction of these developments, and those in the wider Oxford Road Corridor, are a point of contention for surrounding communities. For many of us, crawling through the afternoon sludge traffic, the whining of pneumatic drills, and lengthy pedestrian diversions are sore memories.

These pains were, and are, not equally distributed. Last year, firms on the east side of the Curry Mile began to complain of ‘constant’ power outages that went on for weeks, causing significant damage to their businesses. Electricity North West initially claimed they were unaware of the cuts, but residents said that numerous complaints were ignored. These power cuts, though less severe, continue today.

“The Curry Mile is an isolated community between campuses, with a commuter route in the middle of it.”

With regards to the intent of the project, Rusholme, with its ‘Curry Mile’ main street hosting at least 70 food, drink, and Shisha outlets, has a high ratio of businesses per person. Those non-students that live in the area are therefore less likely to be commuting along the Oxford Road corridor towards the universities and the city centre.

The new cycle lanes, though a welcome move towards more sustainable transport infrastructure for the city, have introduced their own problems. Deliveries to businesses are often obstructed by passing cyclists, space for crowds around bus stops and during the evenings has been restricted, and local drivers face added challenges when pulling in and out of side streets. Whilst these are minor issues, and will soon be adapted to, they create moments of friction between cyclists (most frequently students and professionals) and locals.

We might look at the continued promotion of this area as a cycle and bus route as evidence for positive engagement between students and professionals on the Curry Mile. However, in contrast to the passovers that elevate users over poorer area in other cities, the lack of engagement found between commuters and the Curry Mile is less material. Packed into buses or trains, staring at phones, reading newspapers, or chatting to friends, we may be described as passing ‘over’ the areas that we travel through.

This is no criticism of our individual behaviours and it is hard to place much blame on policymakers. Rather, we may understand the Curry Mile as something of an isolated community in between University campuses, with a commuter route, mostly used by students, lodged in the middle of it. Though, such a view might be seen as merely the perspective of an outsider looking in, observing the oriental. And, of course, there are plenty of students who live in Rusholme, as well as many non-students who live in the areas referenced.

Photo: Dai O’Nysius @ Wikimedia Commons

Given the inequities of the development and some of the interpretations of travel through the area, a risk of conflict, though minor, emerges. Perhaps one saving grace is the student body’s leftward lean.

Students’ interpretation of international events, such as terrorist attacks or the west’s foreign policy, would hopefully not be generalising towards Muslims or people from the Middle East and the Indian Sub-continent.

“At last year’s Reclaim the Night, I felt awkward marching through Curry Mile.”

However, it would be crude to assume that this leftist view reduces tensions.

Whilst marching at last year’s Reclaim the Night event, I felt rather awkward as we marched through the Curry Mile.

Aside from the validity or worthiness of the march, this detail of its location is intriguing. Here was a mass (there were 2,500 for this year’s march) of leftist students, protesting through a space where they felt unsafe, with, amongst others, the chant “who’s streets? Our streets.” Our streets? By that, was the march suggesting that Wilmslow Road was their street? Why were these students claiming (public) ownership in a

community so detached from their own?

Though I had these thoughts, the Reclaim the Night protest is best understood as a strain of ongoing big tent camping for making all public spaces safer and freer. In that sense, all citizens are united for a wider cause. However, at the scale of this one march through the Curry Mile, some may have misinterpreted it as an assertion of ‘ownership’.

But what can be done? Perhaps the only obvious objective is for the Council to get on the back of Electricity North West to improve infrastructural equity. The Curry Mile’s electricity supply should be assured, street lighting ought to be widened and intensified in some areas, and the Council must continue to develop inclusive infrastructural decision making.

This is an awkward situation for the two communities. This issue may seem to be trivial at present, and there are communities across Manchester that are, no doubt, in worse states. But given the wider context of austerity economics, increasing political polarisation, and the continuing assault of some media outlets and politicians towards immigrant and ethnic minority groups, we must foster an awareness of the ebbs and flows in the current friendly awkwardness shared by communities in the area.

Opinion 11

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Sorry, but Emma Watson is still a feminist

The scandal surrounding Emma Watson’s Vanity Fair cover shoot is just another way to compartmentalise women, writes Len Cotton

That’s right, you heard it here first. In light of the absolute certified chaos that has erupted because of one (one) slightly raunchy photoshoot, Emma Watson has been under the firing line for not being a ‘true feminist’. Apparently, women with any degree of sexuality are staunchly disallowed to hold any form of intellectual debate. And God, imagine if they did. Silence her, lock her up, prevent the titageddon that’s about to ensue: Emma Watson has boobs. How dare she be a feminist?

Clearly, holding this ridiculous standard for the Harry Potter star is absurd. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Nigerian novelist, famously preached that feminism and femininity should not have to be mutually exclusive. You should not have to look, dress and act more like a man to be taken seriously.

Femininity is a powerful tool for accepting yourself, for learning to love and use the characteristics that make you the woman you are. Why is Emma Watson being punished for doing this? Watson has contributed a great deal to the feminist cause when she really didn’t have to (let’s not forget how she, regardless of her feminist ideals, is packing away the pounds in a Lloyds bank near you). So, here are five reasons why Emma Watson will always be a feminist — topless photoshoot or not.

“It seems that if a woman chooses to express her sexuality, all her previous achievements are deemed void” Firstly, she has a degree. And not just any degree, it’s a degree from Brown University and Oxford combined. Before earning it, Emma Watson was an actress, and a famous one at that. She could

have just continued in the pursuit of her acting career, but she took it upon herself to become as educated as possible, knowing that there is nothing more powerful than a knowledgeable woman. Like the rest of us, she studied hard, knowing that if a woman wants to get ahead in this world, she has got to have some resources to her name. She proved that women do not have to be compartmentalised into a single career — we can be creative and clever.

A picture revealing about three inches of tit should not undermine all this hard work.

“Feminism is about the right for anyone to express themselves free from gender prejudice.”

Secondly, Emma Watson helped launch the HeforShe campaign through her excellent speech at the UN Headquarters in 2014. As the UN’s Goodwill Ambassador, she preached the importance of eradicating double standards for both genders, a topic not always touched upon enough. She also attempted to dispel the myth that feminists are man-hating misandrists who aim to expel the world of all things male. No. Feminism is about equal opportunity. Feminism is about the right for anyone to express themselves free from gender prejudice. It just so happens that the patriarchy means that women get the brunt of this more so than men. Feminism is not about oppression, of men or anyone else, it’s empowering and it’s necessary. Emma Watson just gets that.

Thirdly, Watson has travelled intercontinentally to spread this highly important message. She has

Photo: besafebestrong @Flickr

been to Uruguay, Bangladesh and Zambia (to name a few) in an attempt to try and promote the importance of girls getting a proper education. So, the next time you guffaw about the inappropriate nature of that one Vanity Fair cover shoot, answer me this: how many times have you scaled the globe in the plight for equality?

Fourthly, Emma Watson played Hermione Granger. It’s safe to say that we all know Hermione was bad-ass. She was clever, witty, motivated and (let’s face it) completely essential to the survival of Harry and Ron. They literally would have died had it not been for her Devil’s Snare knowledge/ time turner/Alohomoras up and around the castle.

From the tender age of twelve, Watson was proving that female characters can be fierce. But yes, of course, one picture in one magazine can undo over ten years of a feminist reputation. That makes total sense.

Finally, Emma Watson is still a feminist because she believes in gender equality. That’s it. Surprise.

She fulfils the most basic principle of feminism, so I’m sorry to tell all you haters, but she’s going

A response to “Reclaim the Night: We do not live in a rape culture” According to Francis Edge — writing in The Mancunion on the 27th of February — the idea that we live in a rape culture “does not stack up”. I am here to refute this argument.

To substantiate this opinion, the author uses a study released in 2014 by the United States Department of Justice which reveals, on average, that one in 164 college women aged 18-24 reported experiencing rape or sexual assault between 1995 and 2013. These statistics, Edge suggests “cast substantial doubt on claims that we live in a rape culture”.

They don’t. Throughout his article, Edge irresponsibly peddles a misogynistic agenda through misleading and unrepresentative statistics. Ironically, his article perpetuates the very thing he is claiming doesn’t exist.

In reply to a previous article, Contributor Catherine Snow argues that rape culture does indeed exist and must be faced of the outdated 70s US study, which claims almost half of rape allegations are false, is frankly irresponsible.

A study by The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) says that only 344 of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to police. Their study found that those survivors who chose not to report the assaults against them “feared retaliation”, “believed the police would not do anything to help”, or thought “it was not important enough to report”.

Women are not coming forward because they fear being mocked or dismissed or disbelieved. This is rape culture.

“Women are not coming forward because they fear being mocked or dismissed”

“There are roughly 11 rapes committed every hour in England and Wales” Clearly, the first misunderstanding is around what consent means. Consent is a woman’s to give, refuse, or take back at any time and every time. It is totally irrelevant whether a woman has consented to sex with her rapist in the past or whether she might do in the future.

The second misunderstanding is around what “rape culture” means. Rape culture is not just about the number of men convicted of rape or even the number of women who report rape to the police.

These figures only tell a fraction of the story, not least because we know that rape is so under-reported; Rape Crisis estimates that there are roughly 11 rapes committed every hour in England and Wales, yet only around 15 per cent are reported to the police.

Rape culture is embodied every time someone shouts a lewd remark to a woman walking down the street, or when a pornographic video is shared from one phone to another at a school. It occurs every time someone makes a rape joke and excus-

to make the cut. Her Vanity Fair photo was not for the benefit of men, but for her sexual exploration as an individual. Now, is it slightly ironic that she criticised Beyoncé for the sexual nature of her selftitled album just a few years ago? Yes, undeniably.

But that doesn’t make her anti-feminist, it makes her a hypocrite.

It seems like all this fuss surrounding the mildly erotic nature of Watson’s cover shoot is missing a massive problem: men do not receive the same treatment. The message omitted is that women cannot expect to be both taken seriously and, at the same time, have sexual allure. I don’t recall there being this kind of discourse when topless pictures of Justin Trudeau went viral — no one accused him of being any less able to lead a country. Yet, it would seem that if a woman chooses to express her sexuality (and let’s be real, the photo wasn’t even that provocative) then all her achievements, all her previous battles for gender equality are deemed void. Double standards? Is that you knocking at the door? It seems 2017 is more than willing to let you in.

Photo: Chase Carter @ Flickr

es it as banter or when a woman is slut shamed. It occurs when women receive threats of sexual violence over Twitter or find their timelines clogged with memes bearing the slogan “it’s not rape if…”. It is seen every time a woman is told she was asking for it by drinking or walking home alone. It is seen every time a woman is told she was complicit in her rape because she went back to his flat.

Rape culture is about trivialising each and every one of these experiences. It’s about normalising behaviour that degrades and oppresses women and girls. Rape culture is an insidious thread securely woven into the fabric of our society.

Given the above, is it any wonder that rape is so underreported? Edge is very concerned with the “accuracy of rape reporting” — but he’s looking through the wrong end of the telescope. He thinks they’re overreported, when all of the evidence is to the contrary.

Edge claims that 41 per cent of rape accusations are false. This “more accurate figure” comes from a report carried out between 1978 and 1979 which

“investigated rape reports in a small metropolitan area with a population of about 70,000”. It is beyond belief that this report is being touted as a representative study. How can it be used to support an argument about rape culture today when it was published over 30 years ago, and how can a study of 70,000 people be representative when there are an estimated 85,000 rapes a year?

Let’s focus on England and Wales: In a 17-month period over 2011 and 2012, there were 5,651 prosecutions for rape and 111,891 for domestic violence.

Over the same time span, there were only 35 prosecutions for making false allegations of rape, six for false allegations of domestic violence and three that involved false allegations of both rape and domestic violence. This led The Crown Prosecutions Service (CPS) to confirm in 2013 that false rape allegations are rare.

What about the men who are falsely accused? Of course, Edge was right to highlight the tragic case of one 17-year-old boy who committed suicide following a withdrawn accusation of rape. But his use

Propagating anything other than this hard, recent data fuels the myth that women are ‘probably making it up’. I hope no student read his piece and felt shamed into keeping quiet — scared that nobody would believe her.

Last Friday, when I was walking home through the city centre of Manchester, I was suddenly blocked by two men who asked if I wanted to have sex with them. When I told them to bugger off and pushed past, they shouted after me that it was “only a joke”. A joke? Feeling angry, humiliated, intimidated, and overwhelmed by a depressing sense of familiarity doesn’t seem that funny to me.

But they did it because they thought they had the right to, the right to invade my personal space and my body. All the women I have spoken to about this topic have shared similar experiences. Every.

Single. One. It is our absolute right to feel safe on our streets and our absolute right to draw attention to the fact that we’re angry about the fact that we don’t.

That’s why Reclaim the Night is so important. Rape culture exits. I wish Edge was right and it didn’t, but it does. Denying its existence dismisses the need for change. And we need change.

Music

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Live Album

Live: The xx

5th March at O2 Apollo Manchester

The xx’s flowing melodies, succinct beats and incredible tightness in live performances make them one of the best British acts of current times, writes Will Bain William Bain Contributor

9/10

Following a four-year wait for their return to the live circuit, The xx are back.

Supporting new album I See You, the London-formed trio may have been tempted to produce an album similar to their first two efforts; The xx and Coexist providing the material that has made them one Britain’s most popular bands.

However, like all strong acts do, The xx have developed their sound on their latest release. Driven now by the fine samples and beats produced by band member Jamie xx, the group promised to be an enticing spectacle as fans flooded the O2 Apollo for the first of two sold-out shows. After experiencing the peculiar yet captivating performance of support act Francis and the Lights, the stage was set for the main act.

A huge roar greets the group as they arrive on stage to play newest single ‘Say Something Loving’, while glistening in the reflections of the rotating mirrors that structure their stage set-up. There is a certain confidence to the trio’s performance as they follow their opener with ‘Crystalised’ and ‘Islands’, two fan favourites from the band’s debut.

The intimate stylishness of The xx’s older material is not lost, however. As the set develops, it is even channelled

Photo: Mr Seb @flickr

in newer songs when needed as guitarist and singer Romy Madley Croft plays I See You track ‘Performance’ solo. There is a clear understanding between the three musicians as Romy and bassist Oliver Sim’s vocals intertwine perfectly with the backing beats of Jamie xx. De-

spite Croft’s assertions between songs that The xx were nervous to be back playing live, the group could not be tighter musically.

The main body of the setlist is overflowing with new material that is met with a positive reception. One couple

not so far away in the crowd provide surprisingly loud but tolerable backing vocals for much of the band’s newer songs, with ‘I Dare You’ proving a notable crowd favourite. The xx perform as a group who have perfected their timings into their new guise while mixing

old and new tracks. They interact with the crowd when necessary, namedropping ‘The Deaf Institute’ as the first gig they played in Manchester, much to the delight of the crowd who provide deafening levels of applause.

‘Fiction’ from 2012’s Coexist blends effortlessly into ‘Shelter’ before the band cover ‘Loud Places’, a Jamie xx solo effort, as the set begins to crescendo. Admittedly, two out of the three members of The xx perform on the original track, with Croft providing vocals, so it’s not so much of a cover yet is still very much a welcome addition to their live arsenal.

The stage is lit up in rainbow colours, providing a gorgeous spectacle before the encore.

The Hall & Oates-sampling defining I See You lead single ‘On Hold’ starts as the group return for an encore, before ending with two of their other biggest hits, ‘Intro’ and ‘Angels’. It is a superb ending for a trio at the peak of their powers. Don’t be surprised if The xx are present for at least one British festival this summer, and if you get the chance, catch them. The xx’s flowing melodies, succinct beats and incredible tightness makes them one of the best British groups of current times.

Live

Live: Stornoway

4th March at Manchester Academy

Stornoway celebrate their past decade of making music with a farewell gig of sea shanties, bird noises, and Simple Minds

Rebekah Shaw Contributor In October 2016, after 10 years of playing together, nature-loving Oxford graduates Stornoway announced their split and subsequent ‘Farewell Tour’ as a celebratory goodbye and thank you for lovers of their eclectic folkpop sound. Fans responded in their hoards, encouraging them to upgrade to larger venues in many of their prime locations — an unexpected but touching end to their time together.

Attending the tour was largely the band’s most dedicated fanbase, and hence their performance was all about giving them what they wanted. Other than distributing the setlist choices slightly more evenly from their main three albums, the gig felt like business-as-usual from the Oxford graduates. I suppose there is something comforting about your favourite band doing just what made you fall in love with them in the first place.

A dip into their mini-album You Don’t Know Anything — offcuts from second album Tales from Terra Firma — would have completed their repertoire, however they built the set-list from fan requests, so there must have been

8/10 less demand for this side project.

Fan favourites of the night were the ones that got people dancing in celebration of the Stornoway’s catchiest successes: ‘I Saw You Blink’, ‘Fuel Up’ and ‘Zorbing’, their most popular outputs from their debut album Beachcomber’s Windowsill.

‘Fuel Up’ in particular felt appropriate in this context, mirroring the tale of growing up in the song with the growth of the band themselves, in a different place now to where they began a decade ago. “There’s no rewind, so you might as well play on,” lead singer Brian Briggs and the crowd sang together. Amongst these, a cover of Simple Minds’ ‘Don’t You Forget About Me’ fit right in as an ode to fan memory and their dedication, further adding to the celebratory atmosphere.

Although some love the gimmick of bird noises being used in tracks on their final album Bonxie, as part of the live set it felt excessive and frankly unpleasant hearing these screeches at the beginning of ‘Lost Youth’.

Rather, musical highlights of the set included the wistful ‘A

Belated Invite to Eternity’, and ‘The Road You Didn’t Take’ in which the vocal ability of Briggs shone through. The band did not skimp on their iconic range of live instrumentation, either, as ‘The Great Procrastinator’ and ‘Farewell Appalachia’ from Tales from Terra Firma attested their love of experimentation with brass, woodwind and percussion.

Over the years, Stornoway have built up many performance quirks focused upon audience participation, which appeared fondly loved by their long-term fans but can border on cringey for casual listeners. Although the Mexican waves, clapping and clicking may not have appealed to myself in particular, it cannot be doubted that it went down well with those there for the interaction with their favourite band for potentially the last time ever.

A particularly cool quirk that they have mastered over the past few years has been silencing the entire room, stepping away from microphones and playing a couple of their songs, which really benefit from this

intimate acoustic style. They had not anticipated having to do this unplugged segment in the 2,660-capacity Manchester Academy when planning the tour originally, and it may have been a bit too much to ask for an audience of this size for three consecutive songs, however the effect was astounding. Briggs excelled in his solo of ‘November Song’, and the sea shanty-esque ‘Josephine’ was another highlight for the quartet; the absolute silence was soon shattered with deafening applause.

More popular than anticipated, the gig had been massively bumped up from Academy 3 (which had a capacity of just 450), and Brian Briggs expressed the band’s gratefulness with shining eyes onstage, as well as giving a heartfelt shout out to the oldest and fondest followers of their journey as Stornoway. As much as this tour was all about celebration, every moment was also tinged bittersweet with recollection that this is most likely the last time they will play as a band together. As they themselves said: “Stornoway are Stornomore”.

Photo: Ed W @flickr

Music13

ISSUE 18 / 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Album 24th February via Brainfeeder

Thundercat: Drunk

Christian Hurry talks through Thundercat’s latest album Drunk, his first since working with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp A Butterfly Christian Hurry Contributor

8/10

Photo: Album Artwork

Bass guitar virtuoso Thundercat has released his first full-length album since collaborating with Kendrick Lamar on To Pimp A Butterfly. The undeniable funk he brought to Pimp is fleshed out and explored on this new record.

However, Kendrick fans look-

ing for more TPAB should be warned: this album would fit more comfortably on a shelf of jazz-fusion records than with most melodic hip-hop.

They would soon figure that out for themselves. Album openers ‘Rabbot Ho’ and ‘Captain Stupido’ offer common

jazz-fusion tropes. The dissonant chords, wandering keys, drunk-feel rhythm quickly prepare the listener for music which some may find a little alien. After just a few words sung in delicate falsetto by Thundercat himself, and the album opens up into a colourful sonic palette. Exciting and fast-paced, it’s a great introduction for the new fans he has no doubt picked up since TPAB. As is often the case with fusion, the album is a display of sheer ability. There is no better example than the track ‘Uh Uh’. I’m sure I could find some clever musical choice he’s made on this track, but it would be beside the point.

This track is just so fast. Bass guitars are, for all intents and purposes, a large slab of wood with thick metal rods nailed in at either end. The speed at which Thundercat can pluck those thick metal rods with

one hand whilst the other explores the entire length of the neck is dazzling. I’m sure Formula One cars have been intricately designed, and that each curve in the chassis delivers optimum aerodynamic performance, but when I see them go by, all I’m thinking is: how on earth did anyone make that do this?! The same logic applies here.

Moments of calm keep this album from becoming unfocussed. ‘Show You The Way’ featuring Kenny Loggins is smoother than silk. Listening to the vocals on ‘Lava Lamp’ is hypnotic. The fast-paced transitions between bass-driven funk and soulful song writing really make this album pop.

Thundercat will spend thirty seconds impressing you, stop, and then spend three minutes moving you.

Great albums have their flaws, and as is so often the

Tuned On: Ms, Millennial & The Music Industry

case with fusion, here it is the lyrics. Corny sci-fi themes, Records ran an half-hearted criticisms of the Punch empowering and dynamic allsmart phone era, cats… They appear on the more technical female panel to discuss what songs and feel like an after- it means to be a woman in the thought. However, on more music industry in celebration of soulful tracks, for example International Women’s Day ‘Walk On By’, the confessional Katie Shepherd diary style lyrics suit the mu- Deputy Music Editor sic and give more reason to Tuned On is a regular event run by sway than just the underlyPunch Records that aims to engage with ing groove. Kendrick even and educate young people hoping to provides a verse and it’s clear get involved with the music industry. the influence has flowed both ways since TPAB. ‘Jameel’s For International Women’s Day, they Space Ride’ turns what could joined University of Manchester SU to be another corny sci-fi track deliver an all-female panel that was as into a cautious response to po- empowering as it was educational, and lice violence in the US. ‘Friend thoroughly enjoyable.

Zone’ features a bassline that The panel, hosted by BBC Radio may remind listeners of TPAB Manchester’s Karen Gabay, featured opener ‘Wesley’s Theory’; a women from different sectors of the token “b*tch don’t kill my vibe” industry as they discussed their roles, from Thundercat confirms their inspirations and their best advice that. for women wanting to get into the Drunk is a fully-formed alindustry. The event was enriching, bum, displaying Thundercat’s inspiring and the honesty and realness of their approach to the discussion gave

Album

Los Campesinos!: Sick Scenes The indiepop legends return with an album that falls short of their past brilliance, writes Jacob Nicholas

Jacob Nicholas Head Features Editor Los Campesinos! staple) but a deeper, older malaise — Gareth’s not heartbroken now, instead his twin muses of depression and death take centre stage, run through a messy filter of lower league football, booze-fuelled bodily destruction and our ongoing decline into a fascist hellscape.

‘A Slow, Slow Death’, one of the album’s few genuinely brilliant songs, is a great example of this. “A schoolboy hero replaced, domestic disgrace, a sad sack, a martyr/We here are common as dirt”, he sings, backed by a brass-soaked, drifting arrangement that’s more reminiscent of the end of The National’s ‘Fake Empire’ than ‘You! Me! Dancing!’.

However, whilst the lyrics are astonishing, the music just doesn’t do it justice. With a few exceptions, like the afore-

— it just seems like they made these songs because they’ve forgotten how to do anything else.

This overproduced veneer reaches its nadir on ‘The Fall of Home’, an embarrassing, twee mess that comes across studiously designed to seem earnest, but ends up sounding like it’s been written for a Match.com advert. Even Gareth seems a bit ashamed of it, as he forgets to sing on half of it.

There are exceptions, and some brilliant moments — the constantly rising, Shepard Tone-like tension of standout ‘Got Stendhal’s’; Gareth’s ragged, doomed yelps in ‘I Broke Up in Amarante’, fighting to get up above chaotic guitar squall; the final fuzzed out blast of the otherwise completely forgettable ‘Here’s to

quite all come together this time.

Lyrically, the album is, as ever, exceptional. This is a desolate album, one no longer defined by relationship catastrophes (the traditional

mentioned horns, it’s glossy, slick and frankly a bit dull. Too many of the songs go for big emotional choruses without doing anything to earn them, and they seem to be devoid of any real emotion or necessity

the Fourth Time’; the drowning, drunken lurch of ‘For Whom the Belly Tolls’’ breakdown — all of these moments are genuinely thrilling, and remind the listener why this band used to be so vital and

to be a woman not only in the industry but succeeding in it.

Each

of

the

panellists

offered

a

unique perspective into their roles 24th February via Wichita

6/10

It’s incredibly hard to be objective about a Los Campesinos! album. The glorious indie-pop band by their very nature try and worm their way into the minutiae of your life — singer Gareth Paisley’s lyrics are so specific to him they end up inverting themselves and becoming universal. Their last record, No Blues, came out at a pivotal point in my awkward teenage years and became incredibly important to me, practically taking over my entire life.

So, the release of a new album three and a half years later made me more nervous than excited. I’d certainly moved on, but had they?

Yes and no is the frustratingly vague answer. They’re certainly more mature, but they’re still ploughing the same furrows, and it hasn’t

an invaluable insight into what it means

in

the

Urban

industry: Promotions

Parris

OH,

the

Manager

for

Sony, discussed the importance of intersectional feminism, hard work and “earning your stripes” in a way so inspiring I immediately went home and wanted to kick-start a worldchanging career. Rebecca Ayres, COO of Liverpool’s Sound City, which has had the likes of Ed Sheeran and The xx grace its stages, discussed the way festivals are actively trying to change the lack of female representation both on their line-ups and within the team behind them. Georgie K, a female DJ currently killing it in the Manchester scene self-taught herself to DJ and has now DJ’d for Justin Bieber and Drake, while Melody Kane, from BBC 1Extra

Photo: Album Artwork

life-changing.

Too often, though, the band plays it straight without trying anything new. These songs seem engineered to sound like Los Campesinos!, to be big singalong choruses to scream at gigs, but they miss what made the band great — the desperation, the sense that they need to make this music or their bodies might explode.

Gareth’s lyrics remain the best in the business, but they’ve been away too long, and now

they’re trying too much to sound like themselves. Ultimately, no matter how much they (and I) want it to be, it’s just not the same.

That said, this album has grown on me a lot since I first listened to it, so it could end up revealing more hidden depths than the plodding arrangements initially seem to have. So far though, it just doesn’t compare to their previous work.

gave a refreshing view on feminism in the industry: “We’re a real threat to men,” she laughed. “Women bring a different skill set.”

Once the panel was over, what remained was a room of women — and men — with an overall feeling of empowerment, a buzz of inspiration and a raw hope that all of us really can follow the path we want, regardless of gender or any other force that may be holding us back. As Melody Kane said in one of the sharpest moments of the night: “You shouldn’t ever feel as though anything is above you.”

Music

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Record Reappraisal Album

Record Reappraisal: The Clash — Sandinista!

Released December 1980 via CBS

Released between their critical and commercial peaks, Sandinista! is a complex and messy collection of progressive ideals and experimentation. Joseph Preston makes the case for The Clash’s overlooked fourth album Joseph Preston Contributor

Photo: album artwork

Sandinista!, the Clash’s “triple album for the price of one” was released in December 1980. Nearly 40 years later, it still gleams with the political radicalism that it was forged from.

Sandinista! came only a year after the release of London Calling which had brought The Clash worldwide fame and resulted in a series of world tours.

If London Calling is the sound of The

Clash highlighting the problems they stood against, Sandinista! is the sound of them searching the world for a solution.

Written a year into Thatcher’s reign of dull monoculture and released just four days after the death of John Lennon, Sandinista! continues Lennon’s optimism for mankind and reacts against Thatcher’s tedious and flat vi-

sion for the world by cramming it with as many different genres, cultural and political references as possible.

It has been said that hip-hop is to disco what punk was to the Beatles. If so, then this is The White Album but better, with more diverse influences and a better hit rate of good songs.

Few bands would dare to experiment with genre more. From song to song it pogoes from hip-hop to dub to reggae, gospel, rockabilly, blues, and waltz all in just the first disc, but with the common thread of anger, optimism, and politically virility that defines the Clash’s limitless energy, so symptomatic of the punk ‘Do It Yourself’ ethos.

The album opens with a loud kick down of the door that is the shamelessly confident ‘The Magnificent Seven’. Punk does hip hop. But rather than conjuring up cringing images of white boys ‘in da hood’, The Clash prove that the young black kids have more in common with London youths than either would’ve thought.

Then, as if to hint at whats to come, it twists down and around with ‘Hitsville UK’, A bizarre mix of ugly gospel and a dystopian Katrina and The Waves ‘Walking on Sunshine’. A series of strange murky genre-mixes continues on for another nine tracks or so, punctuated every so often with moments of clarity like ‘Something about England’ and the short sharp flick behind the ear that is ‘The Leader’.

‘The Crooked Beat’ is the moment the Clash prove their absolute swaggering coolness with Paul Simonon’s laidback bass line and gap-toothed vocals.

It’s also a brilliant example of Topper Headon’s percussion, without which this album wouldn’t have been a fraction as good. Headon holds all the fractious and strange influences together with his creative and enthusiastic flare.

His ability to play anything to anything with such ingenuity is the hidden genius in the bands music.

Only afterwards, with ‘Somebody Got Murdered’, do they reward their patient listeners with the kind of sensational anti-anthem that London Calling was so full of. Then, striding through the smoking wreckage such a song leaves behind, comes ‘One More Time’, a terrifying warning to the world that violence leads to violence and we are all victims in the end. This is then followed by a dub version of the same song to remind listeners that they’ve also been to Jamaica.

The opening to ‘Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)’ is a self-aware attack on tedious musicians too busy developing their manifestos to actually write any music; it also serves to remind us that they no longer believe in the shouty nihilism of punk but that a complex ideology is now in play.

A few tracks later and we’re startled back into reality again with the mohican-raising ‘Police on My Back’ inject-

ing an energy that makes your veins hurt and a chorus any decent dad should be able to shout along to. This steams along relentlessly into ‘Midnight Log’, an atmospheric little jig that conjured up images of snake hips in black drainpipes and greasy hair. ‘The Equaliser’ is an unnervingly beautiful, desperate call for peace.

‘The Call Up’ takes a miserable view of history and mixes it with a Nile Rodgers beat. Conjuring up thoughts of Soviet factory workers, mass slaughter and disco, it slides straight into what could be a children’s song, ‘Washington Bullets’. It’s reminiscent of the opening to The Lion King, perhaps, except singing the story of American Imperialism.

The next song of note, and a possible album highpoint is ‘Charlie Don’t Surf’, sampling the sound of Apocalypse Now and its most famous quote and turning it into one of the most evocative and simple jigs ever written.

The album then slides into a selfreferential reworking of past glories and strange, strange collaborations.

But hey, that’s what half of The White Album is made up of and if The Beatles can do it, so can The Clash. They finally run out of whatever they had, and resign exhausted, limping and shrugging into the distance to ‘Shepherd’s Delight’. The sound of people having given it their all, and now needing a lie down.

Interview

Interview: Tall Ships Ahead of their upcoming show and album, Calum Pinder speaks to Tall Ships frontman Ric Phethean about what the band have been up to and what to expect next Calum Pinder Contributor Five years after their debut album, Brighton indie rockers Tall Ships are touring their new album Impressions. Following the success of their debut Everything Touching I was excited for the opportunity to talk to frontman Ric Phethean about what they’d been up to.

After playing the first show of the new tour, Tall Ships are enthusiastic about returning to touring: “It’s so much fun, we just love playing live. It’s the first tour we’ve done where we’ve had songs out from the new album so we get to play them and see people singing along and enjoying the new stuff which is such a buzz!” The band are no strangers to touring: after Everything Touching exploded they’ve had no shortage of shows, playing festivals and supporting a variety of bands.

However after the initial swell of attention the band somewhat dropped off the radar. Ric says the band felt “emotionally, physically and financially spent”. I ask what the band has been up to in the last five years. “We’ve been doing a variety of things.

Firstly, the album took a long time to put together — we did about five different demos of each of the songs so that took a while to come together. After that we’ve been working, playing in other bands as well. And just normal life really, everyday stuff.”

Discussing the subject of the new album Ric says: “It’s been a difficult few years for us all really. We’ve

had different things going on in our lives. People passing away and being kinda ill. The usual stuff that everybody goes through. A lot of those experiences have influenced the lyrics and the writing. In particular the lyrics tend to focus on the bad things that we’ve gone through as individuals and ways of trying to cope and deal with them.”

It’s clear from the already-released tracks that the album will be an emotionally charged affair.

‘Petrichor’ has a sound that is unmistakably Tall Ships, but with an anthemic flavour that wasn’t present on their debut.

Like their first album, Impressions has been selfproduced. “We were actually hoping to do the album with a producer in the studio. In the end we couldn’t afford it so we sort of did it out of necessity. But it’s also a way that we’re really comfortable working. Our keyboard player Jamie does all the production and engineering.” Complete control does have its drawbacks, though, Ric explains: “The process can go on indefinitely. You’re always thinking about it, tweaking certain bits and wanting to redo a certain vocal take. Until it’s set in stone it always feels unfinished.”

Tall Ships have always been tied up to the math rock scene, despite their music having stronger indie characteristics to it. I ask how they got the label.

“It was kind of coincidence. The first gig we ever

Photo: Morgan Sinclair

played was with a band called Tubelord. They were signed to Big Scary Monsters records and they basically got us on some more shows with them and introduced us to the record label. That label is pretty big in the math rock scene. That’s how we got that tag. It’s something that we’ve not always felt fit too well. We’ve always felt more like a indie band or a rock band really.”

“But now the new stuff is so far away from that loopy and math rock stuff it feels like we’re a completely different band really,” he adds. This was an inevitable transition, Ric tells me. “Things change and your tastes change. We’ve been a band for ten years now, and what you’re into changes. We’ve all got older and have been inspired by different things.

The biggest change was singing. When we started we were mostly instrumental. And now there’s singing on every track and the lyrics are a much bigger part of it.” It certainly sounds like Tall Ships are becoming a more confident band and we can expect great things from the upcoming album.

Finally, I ask what’s next for the band. “More touring! Hopefully we’ll get to Europe and do some shows there. And start writing so the next album doesn’t take another five years, hopefully.” I couldn’t agree more.

Tall Ships will play Deaf Institute on Tuesday the 7th of March. Supporting them is Waylor, the project of Dry The Rivers’ frontman Matt, whose music Ric describes as “sexy” and not to be missed.

Fashion & Beauty

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Following on from the Women in Media conference hosted by the Manchester Media Group, our issue this week is inspired by feminism in fashion...

Feminism and Japanese fashion

The female boss: Maria Grazia Chiuri

The fashion industry is often seen to sexualise women’s bodies but does this translate across continents? By Kitty Mitchell-Turner Photo: stephencarlile@Flickr

Inkeeping with International Women’s Day last week, we at The Mancunion are celebrating the female trailblazers of the fashion industry. Deputy Fashion and Beauty editor Talia Lee-Skudder says ‘let’s hear it for the girls!’

The first woman to be appointed as the creative director in the luxury brand’s 70-year history, Maria Grazia Chiuri has proved that feminism is always in fashion. After being the co-creative director with Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino since 2008, Chiuri has now broken up the impressive pair by taking on her new role at the fashion powerhouse Dior. As well as being the creative vision behind Valentino’s stunning collections, Chiuri was also responsible for the Zoolander moment in Paris Fashion Week 2015, injecting a much-needed bit of humour into fashion.

For her debut show for SS17, Chiuri invited Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie to be the guest of honour. Adichie is famous for her talk ‘We Should All be Feminists’, and so was the perfect choice to represent the new age of Dior or rather the ‘Dio(r)evolution’ — the slogan that appeared on Chiuri’s collection of t-shirts. Joining Adichie on the front row were the fashion week regulars including Kate Moss, Jennifer Lawrence, and Rihanna. In a further nod to powerful females, Beyonce’s smash hit Flawless featured on the runway soundtrack.

Chiuri embraced the elegant femininity synonymous with

Photo: 105338696@N05 @Flickr

In many ways Japan is considered a very forward thinking country. It’s an incredibly diverse culture, one where westernisation and technological advances are blended with traditional culture and customs.

However the oppression of women in Japanese society continues to be an ongoing issue and one that is often noticed in the western world.

This is partly due to the large presence of Joshi Kousi, or JK, a popular movement involving dressing in various adaptations of school-girl clothing. JK is very popular in Japan and is a style that both men and women embrace. Recently, BBC3 released a documentary by Stacey Dooley where she investigated the links between the sexualisation of school girls and how JK is used to sell all sorts of things, from cosmetics to pornography.

However as an avid follower of Japanese fashion, I do not think enough is said regarding the positive impact their fashion has on women in Japan. One of the most noticeable things about J-fashion is how expressive and diverse it is, with a huge variety of trends. One good example of this is Lolita fashion; it is a trend that is influenced by Victorian and Edwardian clothing with an array of denominations, from ‘sweet’ which involves pastel colours and motifs of cartoon ani-

mals and bows or ‘gothic’ which is far darker. Lolita fashion involves covering the skin and wearing many layers; it is often assumed to have links to Nobakov’s controversial novel of the same name, which it does not. This just goes to show that there tends to be a misconception in Western society about the variety of styles that exist in Japan and their connections to oversexualisation and the male gaze.

In my eyes, the real problem here is the sexualisation of children which appears in every fashion industry in the world, such as the release of padded bikinis for children

by Abercrombie and Fitch, and the child model Thylane Blondeau who appeared fully made up and posing provocatively in French Vogue. So while Japan is no different, that is not its sole identifier. It is so important to embrace cultural differences in the global fashion industry and to understand that what is considered sexual or disrespectful in one society may not translate into another.

Fashion is an amazing gateway for people to express their personality, ideas and political beliefs. And the beautiful, creative and expressive styles that are found on the streets of Japan are one more example of how women are empowering and expressing themselves every day.

Sex sells

the fashion house but gave it her own updated twist heralding the new era of Dior. Floor length tulle skirts were paired with t-shirts emblazoned with the caption ‘We should all be feminists’. Chiuri stated that she wanted to challenge the binary stereotypes of masculine and feminine and create a collection that mirrors the life of the everyday woman. Chiuri mixed fencing style quilted jackets with white sneakers stamped with the iconic Dior bee logo and of course the letters CD. The collection included tulle and more tulle in black, red and pinks, and, in paying homage to her tenure at Valentino, the collection included delicate yet beautiful pieces styled with embroidery, lace and chiffon. The skirts were combined with satin bustiers and biker jackets that gave the classic feminine silhouettes of Dior a tougher edge, showcasing Chiuri’s take on the image of the powerful female.

Chiuri, a proud feminist, has honoured the timeless style of Dior but has given the fashion house a stamp of the everyday, modern woman. Collaborating the old with the new and reconstructing femininity, Maria Grazia Chiuri is the ultimate female boss proving that as women we really do run the world.

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The feminist fashion journalist In light of the Women in Media conference last week, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie Soar presents her favourite woman in the media and her apt ability to combine fashion and feminism In my last year of sixth form, my English teacher proudly announced our syllabus would include a favourite author of hers: Angela Carter. As expected, no eyes lit up with excitement or recognition; her enthusiasm was lost on us. Regardless, we would discuss and analyse some of Carter’s grotesque feminist revisions of renowned fairy tales in The Bloody Chamber for our dystopian coursework — whether we wanted to or not. The term started and curiosity quickly turned to repulsion, confusion and, admittedly, a slight fear of our beloved English teacher. Too many references to sadomasochists and split figs later, I loudly renounced the author and vowed never to return to Carter’s work again.

In an ironic turn of events, the culmination of three years studying English Literature at the University of Manchester amounts to a dissertation based on what interests us most. My eighteen-year-old self would be mortified to know I chose to write on Angela Carter and on perhaps one of her most disturbing, confusing, and controversial novels, The Passion of New Eve. I jokingly tell people the plot line, waiting for their repulsed facial expressions with bated breath: ‘I’ve not finished telling you everything yet! So then Evelyn, after he is kidnapped by the feminist cult and surgically transformed into a woman, is to be impregnated with his own sperm to recreate and rewrite Immaculate Conception…’

Carter’s work only really achieved critical acclaim after her death in 1992. In an extract from Susannah Clapp’s A Card From Angela Carter, Clapp jokingly describes the time Carter was a judge for the Booker Prize in 1983. The presenter Selina Scott ‘mistook [Carter] for one of the many hangers-on at the feast, inquiring what she thought of the judges’ decision. “I’m one of the judges,” Angela explained […] Scott seemed mystified: “I’m sorry… What’s your name?”’

Working 9 to 5

Considering Carter’s current status within literary studies, it’s hard to believe such a scenario; her novels and short stories, exploding

Photo: The Mancunion

with magic realism, surrealism, the carnivalesque, and highly debated representations of gender, since gained the recognition they deserve within feminist literature.

However, all writers must start somewhere. With her father’s help, Carter began as a journalist. Shaking a Leg is a collection of her journalist writing and it is fast becoming a favourite book of mine. Carter’s work covers an enormous breadth of topics, from autobiographical articles to cinematic reviews on eighties film, and all beautifully retain her resilient, insightful, and powerful voice.

I began reading Carter’s journalism to aid my dissertation but my self-discipline (which I try to enforce to avoid unnecessarily reading off-topic articles) wavered when I discovered a segment dedicated to fashion. What could be better than the sarcastic overtones of my favourite feminist writer commenting on my chosen journalistic subject?

I’ll admit, I expected a brutal tearing apart of the fashion and beauty industries and anticipated a flavoursome attack over which the editors of Vogue would weep. To my great surprise, I instead found Carter took a great interest in fashion, sartorial politics and the way people present themselves. In a nutshell, she eloquently reflects my thoughts and opinions back at me: ‘Clothes are our weapons, our challenges, our visible insults […] Eclectic fragments, robbed of their symbolic content, fall together to form a new whole, a dramatisation of the individual, a personal style.’ In all honesty, I’d struggle to build upon her words other than adding a vigorous nodding of my head.

Her commentary beautifully combines her wit and personal experience, in amongst her politics and feminist standpoint. To supply one example of many, in an article published in 1975 called The Wound in the Face she quotes Theodor Adorno, cites Andy Warhol, references Oedipus, and writes the simple statement: ‘A face is not a bicycle.’ Unapologetic, sharp, and intellectual, she invokes a writing style I admire and hope to employ within my own fashion journalism.

Carter wonderfully executes her ability to marry her interests into an enormous range of topics in her journalistic work. But most importantly to me, she demonstrates a fundamentally smart approach to an area of journalism often undermined and labelled as less important or lacking significance.

The working wardrobe can be a minefield after the years spent slumming in your comfies on the Magic Bus. Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse discusses some minor shifts that might be needed to get the professional look

As feminism attempts to conquer all, female sexuality is still deemed taboo, invoking mixed responses from the feminist community. Public figures Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski and Emma Watson claim that their bodies and their sexuality do not contradict their feminism. Jenny Knowles has a look at how sex sells in fashion and whether it’s the women who profit?

In modern day society, feminism is at the peak of interest and discussion - and with it the unstoppable empowerment of the female body.

The fashion industry is doubtlessly a platform on which this has always been particularly obvious. For example, Victoria’s Secret models claim the majority of the places of the top 10 earning models in the world, but is it truly the designs that sell the VS lingerie or is it the glossy-haired, long-legged, beautifully bronzed models that strut them up and down the catwalk that make the image of this global brand so iconic? Women strive to be like these models and men strive to be with women like them.

Gisele Bündchen was named 1st on Forbes top-earning models list in 2012 and listed among the most powerful women in the entire world. It is no coincidence that these two factors correlate. The gorgeous Bündchen reined as one of the Victoria’s Secret Angels between 2000 and 2007 and is said to be one of the only true ‘supermodels’. And it’s not just the models that have the power positions in the fashion industry, women who work in fashion are amongst the few industries where women are paid more than men.

It is no longer frowned upon, but celebrated for women to use their sexuality to their advantage and the fashion industries know that this works every time as a selling point. With ‘sex’ no longer a taboo word but an extremely evident and spoken-about subject, industries are free to use and exhibit it how they please, liberating the female body and setting an example for women everywhere that it is ok to be proud of the figure you have. Using the female body to gain strength and empowerment is something men can’t do, and something all women should.

Photo: hm.com

Photo: oliviaburton.com

Photo: vagabond.com

Photo: Tiago Chediak @Flickr

As graduation begins to loom large over my essay-stressed, reading-overloaded mind, I am starting to take steps towards finding some form of full time employment — I know to some I may seem a bit late, but don’t judge, I have my logic. Over the years I have done my share of internships, work experience placements, part-time jobs and shadowing days, and being the fashion-obsessed girl that I am, what to wear is always at the forefront of my mind.

The jump from student to full time employment is akin to saying that you have to become a “real” adult now, one who is self-sufficient. Sadly my boyfriend jeans and Stan Smiths do not seem appropriate attire for such an occasion.

For men the workwear choices are limited, most

corporate or business employers expect to see men in shirts, suits and ties; even in more up and coming, start-up, young businesses men are likely to wear a variation on top and trousers. For the fashionable out there I do fully acknowledge that this can go drastically wrong or right — however, it’s not the main topic of conversation here.

Women, on the other hand, have a plethora of options available to them in the workwear department. While some employers feel it is within their right to impose a certain kind of dress code on women, that’s coming to an end thanks to the petitioning and legal action taken by people such as Nicola Thorpe. The controversial decision to send her home without pay for refusing to wear a heel of two to four inches brought to a very public head

Photo: zara.com

the archaic dress code some employers still hold.

Do not mistake me here, there are certain jobs that require uniforms, but no employer should force employees of any gender or binary to be uncomfortable for the sake of propriety. Heels are glamorous, they can lift an outfit, they can make you feel great, but they do cripple your feet.

Workwear exists in a strange world that does not dare to embrace the increasing high fashion replicas that the high street can now create, it clings to ill fitting black bootcut trousers — something no one should own. Ever. No matter what your parents tell you looks smart. The desire to be taken seriously in the workplace often leads many women to fall back on shift dresses, suits and bright blouses, all fine options, that can look lovely. However,

Photo: zara.com

being at work should not mean a relinquishing of the personality you express through your clothes; personally, I love heels and will merrily wear them to work but that is part of the look I choose to present! Just as I will wear skirts, trousers, dresses, jumpsuits, blouses, brogues, culottes, etc, etc, I don’t think I will ever be the plain black shift dress sort of person. I am craving a loose tailored double breasted blazer to go with skinny trousers to form a suit though — I’ve got a few months before I need one yet though.

If we have to spend 40 hours a week working, or for some people more, I plan on feeling as much like me as I can through the muddling confusion that will be starting a new job.

Film

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Top 5

Feature

Book to Film Adaptations Films successfully adapted from books

Photo: Paramount Pictures Germany Kino @Flickr

Shema Begum Deputy Film Editor There is always one person who will say “the book is better” whenever you mention a film based on a book. What many book lovers overlook is that books and films are two completely different mediums, and so the same rules should not be applied when considering them. Ultimately, the directors and writers provide their interpretation of the book, and it is challenging to create a successful visual representation of the authors work, which effectively tells the story. Here are a few which got it right.

5. American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis’ novel about Patrick Bateman, a businessman by day and a serial killer by night is renowned for its explicit content, and very specific descriptions of brutal violence. The film pays close attention to the obsessive tone of the novel and takes care in the minute details, which even involves a very meticulous approach to Bateman’s clothes and personal lifestyle. Christian Bale gives a phenomenal performance as Bateman, changing with such fluidity from one mind-set of his character to another.

4. The Help Katherine Stockette’s novel tells the story of black maids working in Mississippi during the civil rights movement. The film has a powerful all women ensemble including, Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain, with the latter two earning Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Both the novel and film are an intimate portrayal of historic race relations, which are elevated by the terrific performances.

3. The Martian Directed by Ridley Scott and based on the novel by Andy Weir, The Martian is a humorous take on the sci-fi genre. Matt Damon stars as Mark Watney a botanist who is initially assumed dead, only to be surviving on Mars, the story follows Watney’s struggle and his crews attempts to bring him back home. Both the novel, and the film are able to bring tension and laughter to an inspiring story and it is all around enjoyable to watch.

2. Fight Club Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk, which explores many sociological and philosophical themes, the story sparked debates amongst many; the film upon its original release was rather controversial. Though now David Fincher’s brilliant adaptation has become a cult classic, and equally depicts the underlying notions in the novel. Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter, the unnamed protagonist working in a typical white-collar job, who is suffering from insomnia, finds solace in underground fight clubs.

1. Hugo The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick, follows a young boy living in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris, where after coming across a key to his automaton he is lead on the most unexpected journey, uncovering many secrets. Hugo is the epitome of how to adapt a book into a film. The unique aspect of the book is that a lot of it is told through pictures, and Martin Scorsese brought these to detailed illustrations to life as well as the story. It is visually stunning, and all cinephiles will be in awe of the homage to the very first filmmakers.

University of Manchester Student Premieres Film at HOME Christopher Murray sits down to unpack his second feature length, El Cristo Ciego (The Blind Christ)

Adriana Elgueta Film Contributor With ginger curls and a name like Christopher Murray, appearances deceive when it comes to meeting University of Manchester master’s student-cum-director.

Of Scottish ancestry but very much Chilean with a distinguishable accent as evidence, his newest film, El Cristo Ciego (The Blind Christ), will premiere in the UK at ¡Viva! Spanish and Latin American festival at HOME. A beautiful expression of dusty desert life set and filmed in Pampa del Tamarugal in the Chilean Atacama desert, El Cristo Ciego follows the story of Michael played by Michael Silva, the only professional actor.

Michael believes he is Christ, and embarks on a pilgrimage to find and perform a miracle on his lost long childhood friend, Mauricio, in order to heal him from injuries sustained in a mining accident. Along the way, we listen to the stories of the people that Michael encounters and discover their versions of ‘faith,’ as well as Michael’s. “I understand faith as a way of giving meaning to emptiness,” Christopher explains to us, “emptiness which is exacerbated when you live in precarious conditions.” Such is the case in northern Chile, a forgotten corner, “badly-treated” by the government.

Although it’s a film of fiction, is it packed with real stories from the people that live in Pampa del Tamarugal. “Instead of imposing a story upon the people and the land, we listened to them and used their stories.” Originally, they were armed with just a fledgling script that entailed the basic idea of a pilgrim off to perform a miracle and they developed it with the unique and

unrepeatable stories of the residents. “I don’t think I’m able to produce stories so compelling as the ones you are told, that people actually live,” Christopher tells us. “It was simply a question of understanding the place and knowing how to listen.”

In addition to the narrative element, factual or not, the location in itself is loaded with biblical and mythical significance. In Christianity, it’s a place largely associated with magical events, “and therefore a contemporary desert made the perfect setting, especially seeing as the region is brimming with folktales.” In a quintessentially Latin American way, the production is not concerned with discerning truth; rather it is an exploration into what people believe, why, where the stories come from, and how they are transmitted.

El Cristo Ciego is in some ways an anthropological insight into the reality of the people of Pampa del Tamarugal, protagonising a community that is otherwise unrepresented. In other ways it’s a creative

platform for them to express themselves and take the limelight. A film of many messages and complexities, it’s packed with significance and symbolism, with plenty to leave you to mull over afterwards.

For Christopher, cinema has been a tool to create bridges between peoples and he hopes his master’s course at Manchester will broaden his horizons even more. Fittingly, he studies visual anthropology and somehow manages to slot in being a world-touring director at the same time. But he insists, “I’ve had to accompany my film as part of my professional career which requires some express travelling at weekends, but it’s complemented my studies well and has been enriching, but yeah it’s also been challenging.”

A worthwhile watch, do not miss the UK premiere on Monday 3rd April at HOME as part of ¡Viva! Spanish & Latin American Festival, one of many fruits the festival has to offer.

Photo: Venice Film Festival

Review

Christine Danielle Kosky Film Critic Christine was a peculiarly brilliant film.

After having watched the docudrama, Kate Plays Christine, I thought it would be interesting to watch this as a way of seeing Christine Chubbuck’s story come to life. Despite this, Kate Plays Christine shouldn’t be thought of as a companion piece to this film considering both focus on two totally different aspects.

Director Antonio Campos did a spectacular job of capturing the subtle despair of the ambitious, manic depressive news reporter who shot herself live on air in 1974. The use of some distinctive camera shots reflects and reinforces Christine’s mental instability.

There’s a lovely scene that comes to mind in which a shot-reverse-shot is used to film a conversation between Christine and her mother. However, instead of showing Christine’s mother when she speaks, we only see the conversation from Christine, while we hear her mother’s voice off-screen. Because of this we get a better insight into the manic state of Chubbuck’s mind as we do not have the image of her mother to detract any of the focus from her.

I described the film as peculiarly brilliant before. This is mainly down to Rebecca Hall’s sublime acting. Another review described Hall’s acting as awful but argued that this was intentional and I have to say that I totally agree. Whilst Hall seemed stiff and hard

Christine follows the enigmatic story of Christine Chubbuck, a 70s news reporter who committed suicide live on air

to relate to, at least for me, it also seemed like this was exactly how Chubbuck was in real life. Her colleagues described her as difficult to approach as she rebuked their efforts to establish any kind of relationship with her.

She was shut off from the world, clearly lacking in social skills and unable to truly connect with anyone. Despite this, Christine Chubbuck was desperate to form a relationship with others, particularly of the male kind. She (unsuccessfully) tries to adapt her demeanour to attract the person she wants to impress and it’s through Rebecca Hall’s awkward acting that we see an impressive parallel to the real Christine Chubbuck.

Campos also does a marvellous job of creating a contradictory atmosphere of melodic tension, not only through Rebecca Hall and the cinematography, but also through

an excellently chosen support cast. Of particular note is Maria Dizzia, who plays Christine’s ‘friend’ Jean Reed. She unexpectedly evokes a deeper emotional response from the audience as her concern for Christine seems authentic. Her on-screen presence adds another layer to Rebecca Hall’s character, making her more all the more complex as she rejects Jean’s attempts to befriend her.

As an intense study of the psyche, this film manages mental health with great finesse.

It is an incredibly realistic and intriguing portrayal of it, and Christine’s unravelling is mesmerising to watch. If you’re at a loss for something to watch and you’re into “blood and guts” (some of Christine’s final words), then please watch this.

5/5

Photo: Boderline Films

Film 19

ISSUE 18 / 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feaure

Review Feature

Best Foreign Film: the politics behind it Mritunjay Sharma expands on the problematic nature of foreign nomination at the Oscars The Oscars 2017 was filled with a lot of exciting and strange events, but amongst all the glitter, glamour and excitement, there was a film maker who was absent in the Oscars ceremony. This film maker was Asghar Farhadi, who eventually went on to win his second Oscar for the best film in foreign category. His absence was due to President Trump’s ban on six muslim nations entering the USA. Apart from the politics of outsiders, the ones that are visible to everyone, there is another kind of politics that has devoured the foreign nomination and has made them a matter of opprobrium for a really long time now. The censure of the foreign nominations lies in the Rule 13 section C of the Oscars rules of eligibility. Rule 13 C states that: 1. Each country shall be invited to submit its best motion picture to the academy, 2. Only one picture will be accepted from each country.

These rules place the films in the hand of the censor boards of the respective countries.

But these censor boards are unaccountable to anyone, neither the government nor the academy can intervene in the working of these censor boards. The prime victim of these rules is one of the modern masters of film making Jafar Panahi. Panahi has won prestigious awards such as Camera d’Or, Jury

Award at Cannes, Golden Leopard at Venice, FIPRESCI and Golden Bear at Berlin and many more, but Panahi would never be nominated for the Oscars because first his films were banned in his country and then he was also banned for 20 years for making films. The censor of any country is deemed to serve the government, over the years it has been seen that there has been no correlation between the art of film making and censors.

Coming back to the Foreign Film nominations of 2017, after Farhadi’s announcement of boycotting the Oscars, a lot of film makers registered their consent of

biased behaviour of jury towards Farahadi’s film. They were afraid of the foreign film voters would act against the trump rather than vote solely for the film.

Since the Academy is supposed to be a torch bearer of excellence in film making, it is important for them to sit down for once and revisit the rules and regulations of the foreign nominations. If not, the censor boards would just do whatever they intend to do and not just the film makers but also the audiences will be deprived of the plethora of fine cinema around the world.

Photo: Memento Films Production

Review

Patriots Day James Gill Film Critic Patriots Day, depicting the events leading up to and immediately after the Boston Marathon Bombings, marks the third collaboration between director Peter Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg (the other two being Deepwater Horizon and Lone Survivor). From the initial announcement, the film seemed destined to follow one of two paths: by-the-book action film paying vague attention to the actual events, or an inspirational retelling of how an entire city came together. Unfortunately this is neither and sits in the middle, taking what it pleases from each. The result is unnecessary and borders on exploitative as it uses recent tragedy and an all-star cast to sell tickets.

The majority of the negative feeling stems from Mark Wahlberg’s character, or rather characters. As the film progresses, it seems suspicious how Tommy Saunders is at the forefront of every major story event. The initial bombing, the command centre investigation, the first responder to the carjacking, the last stand battle and finally the house where the younger of the two brothers is hiding in a boat, he’s at them all. But he’s not. Tommy Saunders doesn’t exist.

He’s fictional. The reasoning behind this choice is clear. It allows more character development as we follow one hero as he battles the evil villains. The consequence of this choice is that it becomes painfully comical. There are over 2,100 police officers in the Boston Police Department and yet this single officer is there each time.

Four years is all it took to transform tragedy into an evening of entertainment at the cinema. In two more I suspect we’ll see a film documenting the Paris attacks, probably featuring Vincent Cassel.

This subpar movie is based on the Boston marathon bombings

Following 2012’s Argo or even Peter Berg’s last directorial effort Deepwater Horizon, there was great potential for a gritty, as-it-happened docudrama. Sadly aside from Wahlberg, several other plot elements were also invented or exaggerated as the original story must not have been captivating enough for the general audience. For example the tense standoff in Watertown looked more like a Michael Bay movie with multiple cars erupting in flames contrary to every report of the incident. Not every relationship shown actually existed either, MIT officer Sean Collier’s (Jake Picking) romance with a student at the university never happened. It was added so that you’d care just enough about the character so that when he ultimately met his downfall it would be more shocking.

There were redeeming qualities to the film. The way the real phone and security camera footage was interwoven in relevant scenes throughout the film repeatedly reminds you how this truly did happen, making the initial aftermath to the marathon bombs all the more chilling. Shortly after, the hijacking of

Photo: Closest to the Hole Productions

Dun Meng’s car was arguably the most gripping part of the film. Sheer edgeof-seat tension unfolds as Meng slowly works out a risky escape strategy. In a few short minutes, he becomes the most human, the most authentic. It is at this moment that the attackers, the Tsarnaev brothers, seem most human too. It is all to easy to paint the generic terrorist caricature in film and Berg instead makes them almost relatable.

A bold move which is shown during the carjacking as the younger of the brothers is more interested in whether the car has bluetooth or an aux cable so he can play his music.

The aftermath to the bombings was a complete disarray and Peter Berg embodies this throughout Patriots Day. Why was Saunders suspended? How did the Tsarnaev brothers go from stoners to subversives? And why did the final speech make no sense at all? The supposed docudrama brought up too many questions and too few answers.

The most important question of all, ‘What is the purpose of this film?’, is doomed to also remain unanswered.

LoveTrue

LoveTrue is genre-surpassing and shimmeringly poignant Esmee Samsworth Film Contributor It seems unfair to call LoveTrue a documentary, though by all accounts that’s what it is. LoveTrue premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Awards and has since picked up two awards for Best Documentary at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Crested Butte Film Festival along with many nominations from others on the festival circuit. It’s not difficult to understand why, as Israeli-American director, Alma Har’el, expertly weaves reality and fiction together in a hypnotically sensual, genre-warping film that focuses on the journeys of three real-life couples across the United States.

The opening scenes paint an abstract portrait of love and loss, the trials of relationships and the maddeningly confusing desires and expectations of the lovers depicted in the film. We see Willie, living in Hawaii, trying to raise his baby in the best way possible, Victory and her family attempting to navigate New York despite the disappearance of her and her siblings’ mother and her father’s wife, and Alaskan couple Blake who works as a stripper and Joel, a computer nerd who are in the early stages of a relationship. The geographical distance between the characters (and it feels right to call them characters given Har’el’s propensity to fictionalise their lives) only serves to highlight the universality of the themes that the film focusses on.

Blake and Joel’s relationship is perhaps the most uplifting of the three narratives. Their relationship whilst young is sweetly warm and Har’el goes to great lengths not to demonise or use Blake’s career for shock value.

However, just as “love, hope, and faith” are key themes throughout the three narratives, so are the darker and less appealing aspects of love: loss, fear, and insecurity as evidenced by Blake’s desire for escape, though from what remains unclear.

Likewise, the breakdown of Victory’s relationship with her father as the truth behind her mother’s disappearance is revealed whilst Willie’s struggle to deal with and overcome the sudden dispute over his child’s paternity all seem to point to the fact that love, at it’s best is uncertain and at its worst is forever just out of reach.

The unreal reality that Har’el depicts in this hazy, dreamlike documentary is both its selling point and its downfall. At times, the visuals are as gorgeous as they are distracting, though this may be intentional on Har’el’s part as the intertwining storylines of the three couples lack the substance and, quite frankly, the likability to carry a documentary on love by themselves. The entire film feels like it is trying to be more than it is — and there is a strong argument that Har’el focusses more on style than on substance — the made up conversations and improvisations between actors and the real-life lovers in the film comes across as performative and affected.

The choice to use subtitles over voiceover to relay firstperson testimony is unnecessary and even detrimental to the overall viewing of the film.

LoveTrue then is a dizzying (maybe too much so) journey. It is as intoxicating as it is alienating and raises more questions than it has answers to, though given its subject matter, maybe this is not only to be expected but encouraged.

Photo: Delirio Films

Books

20

Review

ISSUE 18 / 13th MARCH 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review: Young Identity’s One Mic Stand Alle Bloom reviews the One Mic Stand slam poetry event from the 3rd of March at Contact Theatre

One Mic Stand is a night run by Young Identity (a spoken word collective formed in Manchester in 2006 by Shirley May and Ali Gadema). They hold workshops in many venues across Manchester, including the Contact Theatre which is where this event took place.

One Mic Stand is described as a “boisterous night of poetry, music and visual art” and certainly lives up to its name! It is a chance for young poets from the collective to showcase their talent (and snap up the £50 prize should they win!) The night also includes an open mic for those who still want to perform without competing as well as special guest performances. As far as poetry slams go, One Mic Stand follows the usual format; poets recite or read their original work before a panel of judges who each offer a score for content and performance.

The audience at One Mic Stand are often pretty rowdy and do not shy away from letting the judges know what they think in the form of cheers and or boos! One of my favourite things about One Mic Stand is a ritual that has developed over the last two events, started by MC Reece Williams, which involves him hyping up the audience and encouraging everyone to stand up and dance in a mini jam session. The energy in the room quickly skyrockets and any nervous competitors or performers quickly feel at ease!

After the initial jam session — watched by a now hyped audience — the poets take to the stage.

A huge array of talent was present, with poets

performing in many different styles and tackling many different topics ranging from feminism, to family, to questions of existence. Emily Bloom, a first-time One Mic Stand attendee described the performances overall as “humorous yet moving”.

Notable performances included Kayleigh Hicks

Roma Havers also stunned the stage with a resonant piece about her younger brother confronting seven deadly sins. In the end the emerging victor was Rosie Fleeshman, an incredibly talented poet who had originally been scheduled an open mic slot, but stepped into the slam last minute. Her stand-out piece was one about feeling “like a bad feminist”, real truths entwined with clever relatable humour had the audience both in stitches and nodding in agreement. Having sat through many similarsounding feminist poems in my time attending slams, it was so refreshing to see one tackled in another way.

She was a deserving and talented winner. Of the event she said: “Everybody was exceptionally Review Photo: Mako Photography supportive and the standard was so high I was happy just to make it to the final, never mind to who switched up the tone of the slam with a win. The night was an absolute pleasure to be at, hilarious piece that questioned the traditions such diversity and talent on show”. of slam poetry, as she strutted about the stage, The slam performances were followed by owning it with her crotch grabs and shiny special guests Misha B, a long-time supporter of sunglasses.

One Mic Stand and a previous attendee of Young Joel Cordingley (the slam winner in my eyes) Identity, and Tolu Agbelusi. Misha offered the also stood out with his words drawing in the audience hints of wonderful realism through her audience all while confronting him with elegant upbeat soulful music, the room dancing along truths and stunning lines such as: in a way reminiscent of Reece’s warm up. Tolu also exhibited a beautiful realism in her work, “I know God isn’t dead but I’m terribly worried bringing the whole room with her into the stories I’m the reason he’s bed-ridden. I spend most of she told, breaking hearts and mending them my days writing bad haikus and feeling as lonely as she tackled difficult topics with exceptional and bereft as the attic space in which Anne Frank grace. was hidden”.

In the words of Kayleigh Hicks, the night was

quite simply “a unique showcase of talent in young people living or studying in Manchester” and a thoroughly enjoyable evening. It’s great to see the fresh talent Manchester has to offer, as well as the support they have from the local community in the large number of audience members.

The next One Mic Stand will take place on the 9th of June, in the slightly larger and much coveted Space One in Contact Theatre.

If you can’t wait until then, you can find more info on Young Identity online. Or if you have some creative talent of your own you’d like to share Young Identity run workshops on at Tuesday at the Contact Theatre, from 6-8pm and 7-9pm, at HOME on the third Monday of the month from 7-9pm, at Longsight Library on a Tuesday from 5:45-7:45pm and at Central Library on a Thursday from 6-7:45pm.

Photo: Mako Photography

Poet of the Week

Poet of the Week This week’s Poet of the week is a very special one. I heard this poem read aloud by Yasmin Mannan (Head News Editor) at the International Women’s Day Spoken Word event run by Seevana Raghubeer. The poem was written by and read in remembrance of Florence Kleiner, who sadly passed from Leukaemia several years ago. The poem was inspiring and moving and should be read by all. If you would like to read more of Florence’s writing you can do so on the blog she wrote during her illness at flosskleiner.wordpress.com.

Florence Kleiner Yearbook Page Go out into the world and spread your passion. Rip open hearts with your fury and tear down egos with your modesty. Be the person you wish you could be, not the person you feel you are doomed to be. Be incredible, be fearless, be inspirational, be mind-blowingly insane, but most of all be a person you could be proud of. Don’t satisfy the wishes of others, satisfy your own. Live everyday as if it were made especially for you to shine. The world may owe you nothing, but you owe the world something. You owe the world your ability, your skill, your intelligence, your humour, your character and your heart. You were made so that someone could love you. Let them love you. Let that feeling consume you and then let it flow from your fingertips and pass into another. Let yourself run away with your feelings. Don’t let someone tell you to stop being emotional or to calm down. Cry like you’ve lost everything and laugh like you’ve never experienced it before. Be kind. Be wary. Be vigilant. Fight your own battles and let others fight their own. Learn when to get involved and when to take a step back. Be receptive and listen. Listen to others and in turn they will listen to you. Don’t be afraid. Never fear the unknown. Be reckless and cautious. Destroy boundaries and limitations. Set yourself goals that you will never achieve. Strive every day to reach those goals. Climb the tallest mountains and dive into the deepest pits of the earth to find yourself. Be confident and be wise. Be self-deprecating but do not under appreciate yourself. Never stop learning. Do not think you are ‘better’ than someone because you may have a higher IQ. Do not look down on the world but look up to it. Strive to better yourself, to be more like others and an amalgamation of everything that is commendable. Nothing is impossible. Nothing is extraordinary. Everything is ordinary at first; it is your job to make it feel extraordinary to you. You make your life. No one can live for you. No one can tell you how to live your life. It may seem that life is difficult at times but it’s really as simple as breathing in and out. You were given life by whichever way you may choose. By incredible chance, or by a higher power. It matters not who gave you life or how life came to you. Do not enforce your beliefs on others. Let people believe what they want to and do not think upon them badly because of it. As long as they are not using it as a way to harm others then there is no harm in what they are doing. Choose not to be offended. Do not hold grudges. Never hate. Life is too short to waste energy on those who do not deserve it. You don’t like something? Change it. But do it because you want to, not because you feel you have to. Be strong. Have thick skin. But don’t be built of stone walls. Let things affect you. Let yourself feel every emotion. Accept that not everyone will like you.

Accept that life is full of ups and downs. Accept that one day you will die and this life, no matter what may come after it, is over for now. Make use of the time you have. Appreciate the small things. Do not regret anything you do. In the end it makes you who you are, the person you were meant to become.

Accept that you may hurt others. But, acknowledge that you have done it and apologise. Apologise. Apologise. Apologise. Be strong enough to admit you were wrong and say sorry. Know when to step down and admit defeat. But never give up on yourself. If you feel strongly about something, pursue it until the end. Don’t place too much importance on too many things. Treasure the precious things in life. Your family, your friends, and yourself. There is no such thing as success or failure. There is just life and the hand it deals us. Take every chance you can and leap at every opportunity. You are you.

You are free. Free to become whatever you choose.

Choose your friends wisely.

Good Luck.

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Food & Drink

22

ISSUE 18/ 13TH MARCH 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Vegetarian Extravaganza Trof NQ For no particular reason, or without much thought, I have decided to embark on Meat-Free March. For anybody who knows me, I am sure they would bet on me failing spectacularly. However, I’m now over a week in and I can honestly say, not only have I not failed so far, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it. Seeing as after March I will probably never purposefully choose a vegan-only restaurant, I thought now was the appropriate time to test one out. My in-depth googling led me to head to VRev Vegan Diner. Here, they pride themselves on their American style burgers but in an all-plant fashion. Their menu, which includes chicken and beef burgers and hotdogs, made me uncomfortable as I’ve never fully understood the whole meat-alternative thing. However, it did make me intrigued. So, with a willing housemate, I headed into town.

Frustratingly, when we arrived, the door was locked and we were told that on that day they had decided to embark on a ‘deep-clean’. All my psyching up was for nothing. Feeling deflated we helplessly wondered around the Northern Quarter in search of a vegetarian-friendly menu.

Recognising the name, we approached Trof and browsed their outside menu. Due to seeing a few vegetarian options, us being absolutely starving, and it seeming fairly busy inside, we decided to take the plunge. We grabbed a few beers from the bar, found a table by some classic Northern Quarter exposed brickwork, and sat down to properly inspect the veggie options (my housemate had kindly decided to steer clear of the meat options tonight too). We decided to get two different vegetarian burgers and share them half and half each — something I love doing as I hate getting food jealously over the other person’s meal. The menu stated the burgers came with fries, which was a nice surprise as restaurants are increasingly labelling chips as a separate side dish, not included in the main; a ludicrous thought especially when ordering something like a burger. Each plate cost around £9, a welcome change to some of the overpriced meals that can easily be

Miriam Mizzi Food & Drink Co-Editor

found in the nearby vicinity, so we decided to treat ourselves and order a side of ‘green bean chips’ (only later to find out they had sold out).

We popped to the bar to order and the chatty waitress followed us back with cutlery and our beloved condiments. When the food arrived, we were pleased by the size of the burgers; not too intimidating, like the ones where you just can’t work out which angle is best to attack, and not too small; no-one likes a small burger. First I started with my half of the ‘beef and white bean burger’ which actually included: beetroot, a cashew and white bean patty, harissa, coleslaw, and guacamole all encased in a generous focaccia bun.

The flavours worked well and we especially enjoyed the thick lathering of avocado and the slight hint of spice the harissa brought.

Impressed with our first choice half, we simultaneously moved on to try our other choice of burger. This time it was the ‘halloumi shroomy burger’, a mix of marinated halloumi, Portobello mushroom, red pepper, lettuce and aioli, all in a brioche bun. When I bit into the burger, the rich aioli oozed out causing multiple stains on my white shirt, but I didn’t mind because it all added to the experience. The combination of halloumi, sweet red pepper, and Portobello mushroom worked particularly well, and it left me feeling like I would definitely combine the three flavours again in future. My mind remains unsure of brioche burger buns, but as my housemate quite rightly told me, that’s entirely down to my personal preference.

We scoffed and dipped our fries to our hearts’ content, and once we had finished, we both slipped back into our chairs, happy and full.

Despite not planning on heading to Trof, I’m glad we did.

It left me believing that the rest of my three weeks as a vegetarian is do-able, and I might even continue enjoying it.

Photo: Miriam Mizzi

Falafel, flatbreads, tabbouleh and dips

Samuel Pigott Contributor

This recipe is a great one for sharing with friends around a table. A mezze is one of the best dinner party menus because not only does it look and taste excellent, it looks like it has taken hours of preparation when in actual fact, it’s really simple! So here is a collection of a few mezze ideas which are great as they are, or can be added to or removed as you see fit. If you’re entertaining adamant meat-eaters, simply add some lamb koftas or chicken kebabs. If you hate mangos then add baba ganoush instead — it is completely up to you! For ease, I have chosen to use shop-bought flatbreads which can be put in the toaster or under a hot grill for a couple of minutes before serving.

Hummus

Tabbouleh

2/3 tin of chickpeas Juice of 1 lemon 1 clove of garlic 1 tbsp tahini 100ml extra virgin olive oil 1/2tsp ground cumin Handful of flat-leaf parsley Pinch of salt and pepper

120g bulgur wheat 500ml vegetable stock 1 tbsp olive oil Juice of 1 lemon (zest reserved for decoration) 1 handful chopped mint and parsley Salt and pepper to taste

Falafel

Exactly like falafels, making your own hummus is incredibly easy and so much better than the shop bought stuff! Almost all hummus recipes will contain chickpeas, lemon, oil, tahini, and seasoning. On top of these, you can flavour it with pretty much anything you like. Harissa works really well, or you could make an Indian-themed hummus by adding spices such as garam masala and ground coriander, whilst a smoked chipotle paste and paprika make for a delicious smoky accompaniment to Mexican dishes. If you haven’t already spotted the theme here, again all you need to do is put all the ingredients apart from the oil into a food processor, or into a jug if using a stick blender, and blitz. Slowly add the oil until you have the desired consistency and taste to see if any extra seasoning is required.

1 tin of chickpeas ½ red onion 3 tbsp plain flour ½ green chilli 2 cloves garlic 1 tsp ground cumin and ground coriander ½ tsp baking powder Pinch of salt and pepper 50g halloumi Oil for frying Making falafel is probably one of the most simple things in the world, and this one will make more than enough to snack on for weeks to come. To make these falafels simply throw all the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until it comes together. Divide the mixture into 5/6 pieces if you want larger falafels, or into 8/9 if you want smaller ones. Heat enough oil to cover the falafels in either a pan, or (ideally) a deep-fat fryer. While you’re waiting for it to heat up you can stuff the falafels.

Take one falafel and squash flat in the palm of your hand. Take a cube of halloumi and press it into the falafel before forming back into a ball around the halloumi. Repeat this process for all the falafels. When the oil is hot, add the falafels and fry for approximately 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove and leave to cool.

Place the bulgur wheat in a pan and cover with the hot vegetable stock. Simmer gently for approximately 15 minutes, or until the liquid has nearly disappeared. Finely chop and add the mint and parsley.

Once cooled, add to the bulgur wheat along with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. At this stage, you can once again add pretty much anything you fancy to the tabbouleh. You could easily add some finely diced spring onions or roasted vegetables, or try adding some feta and halloumi. Finally, if you’re entertaining and looking to show off some fancy presentation skills, simply cut a pomegranate in half and bang the seeds out onto the tabbouleh before finishing off with some fresh herbs.

Amba sauce 1 mango 1 large lime 2 cloves garlic ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika and turmeric De-stone the mango and put the flesh into a food processor. Finely dice or crush the garlic and add to a frying pan on a fairly low heat.

Cook the garlic for around 2-3 minutes before adding the spices to toast for approximately another minute until the fragrances begin to be released. Add this to the food processor and blitz the mixture until smooth.

Photo: Samuel Pigott

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 18 / TH FEBRUARY 2017 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Battle Of The Gins Jenny Sterne Editor-in-chief

Photo: Lily Carden

Photo: Elise Gallagher

Last week the Pen and Pencil in the Northern Quarter of Manchester was filled with 65 Mancunians eager to take part in The ‘Gin-eral Election Night’ with three of Europe’s best gins competing to be crowned Manchester’s favourite.

As we entered a completely packed room full of gin enthusiasts all eagerly sat on benches staring at their menus which tonight consist-

ed of cocktails alone, my eyes were instantly drawn to the rows of colourful cocktails lined up or mid-preparation at the bar.

The three gins on the ballot paper were: the Belgian Copperhead Gin, Mediterranean Gin Mare and the local contender Manchester Gin. With limited knowledge of the processes behind distilling gin and the botanicals needed to do so, I was apprehensive at first as to how this evening would go, or whether I was the best judge. However it soon became clear that the night was to be as welcoming to the gin nerds in the room as it would be for the gin novice.

Each of the three candidates for our vote took to the floor to explain the stories behind their gins and how they are made, before perhaps most importantly letting us try their respective gins in cocktails they had each designed.

The first pitch of the night was from Manchester Gin. Their story began, as they realised mid pitch, four years ago when they met on a night out at half one in the morning, and spoke for half an hour on gin alone.

The couple, Seb Heeley and Jen Wiggins, described how Manchester Gin grew out of their love story, adding that they ensured their Northern upbringing was included within the

This was an election like no other, it was a ‘gin-eral election’ gin through the use of dandelion & burdock root.

Once all this cuteness was over we were finally served the cocktail I had seen being prepared when we arrived, and it was well worth the wait. ‘Ginfatuation’ was a cross between a clover club and a cosmopolitan and it was definitely my favourite cocktail of the night as someone with a very sweet tooth.

After these cocktails were whisked away, Gin Mare took to the floor, opening by joking that “instead of me talking about my love life and you throwing up in your drinks, I’m going to talk about gin”, and they really did, with a PowerPoint and everything.

Gin Mare boasted that the bottle their gin came in would make you feel like you were in the Mediterranean, handing it around the audience so that everyone could experience it, I personally still felt firmly in Manchester.

However as soon as the cocktail touched my lips, I couldn’t help but have recollections of hot summer holidays, the refreshing taste quickly making me forget the Manchester rain.

Next up was Copperhead, the pitch for which “like all good stories had some drugs, booze and Nazis”. Founded by a pharmacist in Bel-

gium and hidden at the bottom of a lake when the Nazis arrived, Copperhead certainly had the most extravagant and gripping pitches of the night.

Unfortunately the cocktail presented to the guests did not go down as well as the story of its creation, however I guess a gin should never be judged by its cocktail.

And they weren’t. In the end the pitches and the cocktails meant nothing, it was all down to the blind taste test of the gins alone.

They all tasted exceptional and deciding on which to select as my winner was very tough — I obviously had to try every last sip of each, just to be sure.

In the end Manchester Gin came out clearly on top, soaring to victory with over half of the vote, but with the electorate a room full of Mancunians what did you expect?

Keep your eyes peeled for more battles of the [insert your favourite drink here] at the Pen and Pencil in the coming months.

Fourways House 57 Hilton Street Manchester M1 2EJ

Easy Bread Recipe

Lily Carden Food & Drink Co-Editor

300g strong white bread flour (strong flour) 1.5tsp (5g) dried instant yeast 1tsp salt 1tsp sugar 150ml warm water (1 part boiling to 2 parts cold) 10g melted butter or olive oil If you’ve never made bread before then it can seem daunting but I promise you it’s a very easy process. If you buy a tin of easy bake yeast then there’s a quick recipe on the back that will made decent enough white bread but by following these simple, additional steps you can achieve a wonderful white loaf that works as the basis for many different types of loaf. It will take time to rise (about 2 hours total) but needs less than 30 minutes of active preparation and is worth it.

Place the flour in a large bowl with the yeast on one side and the salt on the other (if the salt and yeast touch then the salt will kill the yeast). Pour in the sugar, water and oil or butter. Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix everything together into a dough. Tip it out onto a floured work surface and

knead it, pushing the ball of dough away from you with the heel of your hand and then bringing it back towards you.

Repeat this for about 10 minutes until the dough is stretchy and doesn’t break if you stretch a golfball sized piece so thin you can see the light through it.

Oil a large, clean bowl and place the dough into it. Cover the top of the bowl tightly with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).

Take out of the bowl and knock it back by kneading it as before for a minute.

Roll it into a ball and tuck down the sides repeatedly so that the top becomes tight. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and cover loosely with clingfilm. Once again, leave it to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Heat the oven to 220°C while the bread is proving.

Take the clingfilm off the bread and sprinkle with flour. Slash the top of the loaf with a knife (see image) to allow the bread to rise in the oven.

Place the loaf in the hot oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the crust is golden and it sounds hollow when you tap the base (this sounds odd but you’ll understand when you hear it).

Leave to cool on a wire rack and then enjoy warm, slathered with butter.

Photo: Lily Carden

Arts

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Feature

Fight like a girl ‘Fearless Girl’ stands strong against Wall Street’s ‘Charging Bull’

Molly Joslin Contributor On the eve of International Women’s Day, American sculptor Kristen Visbal unveiled her latest piece. Standing defiant and strong, a bronze statue of a young girl stares down the iconic Wall Street bull in Lower Manhattan, New York.

Entitled ‘Fearless Girl’ the statue calls attention to gender inequality in the corporate world.

Commissioned by State Street Global Advisors, the artwork is designed to represent the resilience and strength of women, challenging the maledominated corporate world and to call on companies to celebrate diversity within the boardroom.

Staring down the ‘Charging Bull’, designed by

that’s without mentioning the gender pay gap (in 2017...) That’s a whole lot of leadership from wonderful women the world is being deprived of.

Not to mention that fresh evidence suggests that companies with high proportions of senior female leaders tend to deliver stronger financial results.

The message of Visbal’s piece is clear: “A work which reminds us today’s working woman is here to stay and has taken her place in the nation’s financial district,” she said. “The piece is pungent with Girl Power!”

At a time where the world is filled with injustice and inequality, this piece of artwork symbolises the future. With her hands on her hips and her head up high, this young girl is staring the patriarchy down and telling the world that we all need a lot more solidarity, and a little bit more rebellion.

She is fearless. She is the future.

Photo: benjaminthomaswolf @Instagram

Photo: Sam valadi@flickr

Italian-born artist Arturo Di Modica, Visbal’s ‘Fearless Girl’ is another reminder that softness and sensitivity equals strength and capability. Visbal commented on the piece: “All women should relate to this work.” She wrote that “it should inspire the young to dream as if anything were possible and simultaneously encourage today’s working woman to hold her ground, no matter what challenges may come barreling down the pike.”

Whilst the infamous bull was commissioned as a representation of the power of the American people, Visbal’s companion to it reflects a more poignant and international plea: women around the world are underrepresented in senior leadership positions.

Recent findings state that globally, women hold an average of only 21 percent of senior management positions, and just 9 per cent of CEO jobs. And

Review

Sooni Taraporevala at the Whitworth The Whitworth Art Gallery presents Sooni Taraporevala’s first solo UK exhibition Laura Joyce Arts Editor

Photo: Whitworth Art Gallery

We all have our very own set of memories. We have access to a full set of experiences unique to ourselves. The best part of our memories, for many of us, is the ability to share our experiences. Sooni Taraporevala has done just that. With her new exhibition, Home in the City, Bombay 1976-Mumbai 2016, she invites us to peer through a small window into her life, and her experiences.

Born in Bombay, India in 1957, Taraporevala is a photographer, screenwriter and filmmaker. A woman of dreams, she received a scholarship at age 18 to attend the prestigious Harvard University in the U.S., then went on achieve a master’s degree at New York University.

Following her extensive study of English literature, film and photography, Taraporevala moved back home to work as a freelance photographer. Since

then she has received various accreditations, including an Oscar nomination for her screenplay writing, and being crowned winner of the highly coveted Osella award for Best Screenplay at Venice Film Festival in 1990. The artist has even written and directed an award-winning feature film called Little Zizou.

Her work at the Whitworth feels to be an entirely truthful representation of the vast rift between the way the classes live in India. Where some images represent comfort, and prosperity, others show hardship, and poverty.

This small exhibition — taking up but one hall’s wall in the gallery — is large in its thought-provoking nature. The Whitworth, quite rightly, describe the piece as “an insider’s affectionate view” of life in the city of Bombay.

Moving through the images, we see such a range of people and ways-of-life. There are some images that echo family parties here in the West where I

grew up, and other images that are immediately evocative of the third world. This stark contrast really hits home, particularly in cities like Manchester where homelessness is so high.

There is an air of nakedness about this collection of photographs. Nothing is hidden. One rather disturbing image shows children playing with a gun, in which one child holds the gun just inches away from a boy’s face, though the boy appears to be laughing. Are such violent implements really that commonplace in the lives of the povertystricken?

The exhibition crosses social boundaries between classes in India, and brings to light the beauty within both the rich and poorer ways of living in such beautiful country. Some images will shock you, some will move you, and some will make you smile. A small, simple,and stunning captivation of one woman’s journey through life.

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Review

Helping Hannah

Part of The University of Manchester Drama Society’s MIFTAs season, this is a charming, coming of age drama Fergus Macphee Reviewer They say our school years are the best of our lives and that we should enjoy them while we can. Of course this is sometimes simply untrue and while being a teenager has its positives, it can also offer up some of the most emotionally challenging and draining moments of our lives while we come to terms with who we are. Helping Hannah, a new play

by Cait O’ Sullivan and part of the University of Manchester Drama Society’s MIFTA season, employs this second version of teenage life through focusing on the struggles of its two main characters. The brash, volatile Jen and extremely introverted Hannah become unlikely friends after attending a group therapy session together, and while it remains unclear for much of the play as to why Jen’s parents have sent her there, Hannah’s reasoning is made instantly evident. Hannah suffers from quite severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), so much so that she constantly carries with her all the sink and bath plugs from her home, to ensure that it won’t flood in her absence. OCD is a sensitive issue that could have been handled badly, but in fact its handling was one of the biggest strength’s of the play. Ellie Tivey excels in the title role as she strikes the perfect balance between calm reasoning and utter distress in her portrayal of what it is like to live with the condition.

Tivey plays the role with reserved precision, but it was clear that she was ready to explode in a fit of angst at any opportunity; like the scene in which Jen’s friend Becca accidentally spills red wine onto Hannah’s skin.

Scenes such as this, which involve Becca’s whole friendship group, were certainly some of the snappiest and most comic in the play. Grace Bridgewater’s character of Jen, Eliana Ostro’s Becca, Christian Hooper’s Charlie, Iona Purvis’ Jules and Sam Roberts’ Dom were all well

Review

played and you really got the sense that these were real teenagers talking about the types of inconsequential things that friendship groups at school do and playing party games like ‘would you rather?’ Part of this was thanks to Cait O’Sullivan’s strong script, but Eliana Ostro as the loud and annoying Becca and Christian Hooper’s turn as the loveable but rather hapless Charlie also provided great moments of individual comedy.

I must admit however I was less convinced regarding the chemistry of the two supposed couples in the play; Jules and Dom, and Jen and Charlie. It wasn’t believable that either of these couples had a romantic connection, however in the case of Jen and Charlie there was to be a reason for this.

Throughout the play we see Jen having repeated one on one therapy sessions with Dr Philomena, never knowing the reason why, other than that her parents insisted she have them. However as Jen’s relationship with Hannah develops, she kisses her and it is revealed that these ‘therapy’ sessions forced on Jen by her parents, are to supposedly cure her of her apparent homosexuality.

This is a twist that I did not anticipate, so O’Sullivan must be congratulated for the way it was built up in her writing and Grace Bridgewater played Jen well as an empowered young woman coming to terms with her sexuality. Jen’s argument with Dr Philomena, excellently acted by Flora Barker, is evidence of this when Jen discovers that Dr Philomena knew why her parents sent her there and still accepted her as a client. Barker comes across really convincingly as someone who is cold, cutting and someone who cares more about her own finances than the health of her patients. Bridgewater is equally strong at standing up for herself, and poses a thought provoking concluding assessment that it is her own parents and Dr Philomena who need ‘helping’, not herself and Hannah.

Feature

Olivier Awards Nominations Brogen Campbell Theatre editor

Photo: University of Manchester Drama Society

Ultimately, while the play’s climax and twist is rather farfetched, it is carried through by strong performances and dialogue which prevents the play from slipping into melodrama. This perhaps is indicative of the piece as a whole, because Helping Hannah is a very good play but not a great one. One criticism would be that the seating had been arranged on three sides, but when sitting at the side it was clear that the show had been directed to face the front, while the lack of cover to the backstage came across as somewhat unprofessional.

It certainly has its limitations and there is nothing particularly ground breaking about it, however Helping Hannah is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of theatre with a good script from a promising writer in O’Sullivan. If she ever decided to perform the piece again, I for one would definitely be in attendance.

Helping Hannah is part of the University of Manchester Drama Society’s MIFTA season of plays and is playing at the Council Chambers in the Students’ Union from the 4th to the 6th of March.

The Laurence Olivier Awards are taking place on April 9th at the Royal Albert Hall.

The awards evening celebrates and recognises the very best of British Theatre.

These sought after awards have been a mark of theatrical excellence since 1976 when they were known as Society of West End Theatre Awards. The society is now known as Society of London Theatre and the awards are named after the theatrical legend, Laurence Olivier.

There are 26 award categories and a special award which are handed out on the night. This years special award goes to Sir Kenneth Branagh.

Branagh is an actor, director, producer and screenwriter.

He’s starred in and directed a number of film adaptions of Shakespeare’s work.

He starred in Harry Potter as Gilderoy Lockhart and has performed in countless other productions both on stage and film.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has made history by being nominated for 11 Olivier Awards, the most for any new play in Olivier

history. The musical Groundhog Day has received 8 nominations.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar has picked up 6 nominations, including best musical revival. Dreamgirls has received 5 nominations, including best actress for former Glee star Amber Riley.

Glenda Jackson has received her first Best Actress nomination in over 30 years following her return to stage in the title role of King Lear. However, she will be competing against Cherry Jones, Billie Piper and Ruth Wilson to win the award.

Meanwhile Ed Harris, Tom Hollander, Ian McKellen and Jamie Parker battle it out for Best Actor. This is Ian McKellen’s 10th nomination.

Sheridan Smith is nominated for Best Actress in a Musical, with Funny Girl being nominated for Best Musical Revival. Giselle has been nominated for Best New Dance Production.

Reviews of both Funny Girl and Giselle can be found on the Mancunion website.

For a full list of Olivier award nominations please go to www. mancunion.com.

Killing Curtis Drake

Part of the MIFTAS season by the University of Manchester Drama Society, this play is an exhilarating exploration of the human psyche on a knife edge Pete Stallard Reviewer “I hope you will never have to go through what we went through” are the haunting words that resonate through the crowd near the end of this brutally intense play. Indeed, the play strips humanity to its very essence, questioning the value of human life and whether we truly are self-serving creatures or not. As I departed the theatre for my civilised, regular life, the horrific manifestations of life backed into a corner haunted me all the way home.

When a submarine malfunctions near the bottom of the Mariana sea trench, the crew, all handpicked experts in their field, realise with a dawning terror that the only solution (a phrase used ominously throughout the play for its futility) to reaching the surface and launching a distress signal is for two of the seven members of the crew to die, leaving the remaining five with enough oxygen to reach the surface. The crew, foolishly or not decide that drawing straws is unfair and that this most traumatic of decisions must be made amongst themselves.

This philosophical and moral dilemma is what underpins the play and creates some gut-wrenchingly brutal scenes as the crew prepare to stake their claim to remain alive. The question the play tackles is simply how much is another human life worth compared to your own?

What lends weight to this situation as it builds to its climax is the chance the play gives for each character to flesh themselves out and implore the audience to begin to sympathise with them, just as they hope their fellow crewmates will do, despite being in the role of judge, jury, and executioner.

At the helm is the craggy, experienced yet ageing captain Hannigan (Jack Waterman) who must keep order amongst the chaos while also overseeing the fatal decision. His crew consists of a ragtag bunch including the sensitive but out of his depth family man cook Spencer (Charlie White), the feisty engineer with a guilty conscience Nichol (Catherine Cranfield), the adept but nervous communications officer Benson (Marina Jenkins) and the young & willing deckhand Briscoe (Jess Adams).

All the crew members had distinct personalities and were all brilliantly acted, but my personal favourite was Georgia Brown as Elizabeth Cage, the ice-cold second-in-command whose steely logic leaves no room for mercy in this game of life and death. She is counterpoised well with medic Williams (Sophie Crawford) whose compassionate nature, while admirable in any normal setting is perhaps

dangerous in this situation of highest stakes.

I shan’t spoil the outcome, but the scene in which the crew enact their perverse job interview — each word bringing them closer to death or life — is excruciating. The despair on each of the crew’s faces at the understanding that any moral framework they possess must be abandoned if they want to survive, is straight out of a quality horror movie. Friendships dissolve in the face of imminent death and emotions erupt violently. This period of the play really was discomfiting; I could feel the walls of the theatre closing in and I began to join in with this grisly game going on stage, coolly weighing up each cabin member’s usefulness in my mind and dispatching them accordingly.

However, as the oxygen steadily seeps out of the doomed vessel, so does the momentum of the play.

Once the pivotal scene concludes and the tension is relieved somewhat, the play struggles to find a natural way to conclude this affair, and begins to descend slightly into cliché, with the tone becoming more of nostalgic resignation than of a tooth-and-nail fight for survival. However, I cannot think of a way in which that claustrophobia could have been continued at such a compelling rate, and so perhaps the slightly slower final section is just to be expected.

However, what remains strong throughout the play is the character driven arcs. Each crew member is nuanced and all evoke sympathy, making it unbearable to watch as you know some of them are inevitably doomed. Whether it be Benson’s homely ambitions or Briscoe’s hopeless optimism, there are reasons for each to live — there is no obvious ‘bad guy’. The play conjures up multiple ethical perspectives: is a human life worth more based on age difference? Or is the utilitarian approach the correct way — are you more useful for the preservation of the life of the rest of those around you?

These are core moral dilemmas, and ones that the play does not skirt around. Little details such as the vid-logs and the use of technical submarine jargon lend authenticity to the setting, as well as a sparse and spooky ambient score echoing the isolation of the submarine crew. Also, it was refreshing to see a nearly all female crew, as portrayals of naval vessel crews have been largely male-dominated over the years.

Overall then, No God Down Here will crush you in its claustrophobic grasp and leave you a little more grateful than usual for the ease at which you can glide through the exit doors come the end of the performance. The play is being performed at the Kings Arms from the 8th–10th of March.

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Let’s talk about Emma Watson and the Vanity Fair controversy We discuss the controversy that’s surrounded Emma Watson and THAT photo shoot… and how what you wear doesn’t determine or negate your feminism

Araddhna Patel Deputy Lifestyle Editor

Photo: Jack Greeney

Photo: flywithinsun@Flickr

Emma Watson was criticised recently for posing topless for a Vanity Fair photograph. I should probably correct that; the photograph was of her nearly topless. I clarify, because every headline

I read claimed she “stripped topless,” so I was actually surprised to see her covered up in the photograph. Not that this is the point at all, but different clothing styles show all sorts of cleavage,

side-boob, under-boob, and any type of boob in general. So why is everyone up in Watson’s grill?

Well, after seeing the photograph, some had a total meltdown. People took to social media to criticise Watson because she was a “hypocrite.”

Apparently, some people had got the wrong end of the stick and thought Emma Watson, back in 2016, had condemned Beyoncé’s use of sexuality in her Lemonade album. However, Watson cleared things up by tweeting out a copy of her interview to her 24 million Twitter followers.

In the original transcript, Watson is quoted as saying: “[Beyoncé] does make it clear that she is performing for [Jay-Z] and the fact she wasn’t doing it for a label, she was doing it for herself and the control that she has directing it and putting it out there, I agree is making her sexuality empowering because it is her choice.”

She continued: “The second is that I would say you do get sense of, ‘I can be a feminist, I can be an intellectual, I can be all these other things, but I can also be ok with my femininity, and being pretty and with all these things that I thought might negate my message or negate what I am about.’

That really is the most interesting thing about the album. It is so inclusive and puts feminism and femininity and female empowerment on such a broad spectrum.”

Watson also fired back at critics, saying: “It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is. Feminism is about giving women

choice, feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women.

“It’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality. I really don’t know what my tits have to do with it. It’s very confusing. Most people are confused. They were saying that I couldn’t be a feminist and have boobs.”

As we celebrated International Women’s Day on the 8th of March, social media was covered in quotes and messages about feminism and inspirational women. People even wore red and changed their social media profile pictures to show a “sign of solidarity” that they believed in women’s rights. Yet the same women were some of those attacking Emma Watson’s topless-but-notreally-topless photo shoot picture.

It has been said time and time again; feminism has nothing to do with what you wear. It’s about women having the same opportunities, rights, respect, and choices as men. To criticise Emma Watson over what she wants to wear is backward, and it goes against the very nature of feminism.

You cannot tell her how to live her life, just as you cannot tell anyone else.

By baring part of her chest, Watson is not an object — she is living in a society that is objectifying her. I wouldn’t say that being a feminist means you have to show off parts of your body, but it is clear that feminism is about free choice.

Emma Watson can do and wear what she wants.

And so can any woman.

SICK! Festival brings life to Manchester

Manchester is made to feel a little better with a full schedule of SICK! events, and we’re here to give you a little preview of what’s to come this month Amy Bradley Lifestyle Contributor Inspired by a recent death in the family, Chang covered an installation resembling a crumbling house with a chalkboard and the words “Before I die…” written at the top. Many passers-by embraced the concept and scribbled future life plans or thoughts, encouraging others to do so also. The project has been created in over 70 countries including Iraq, Brazil, and Kazakhstan and is successful in revealing the hidden “anxieties, joys and struggles” of a community.

Another festival event inspiring openness is the ‘Living Library’ workshop, which offers 15-minute slots of raw and unique stories of the struggles in life regarding mental illness. Visitors can ask questions and connect with people sharing their stories in this workshop, which aims to shine a light on such issues without shadowing or stigma. The idea is to change attitudes towards mental illness by spurring honest conversation.

One performance based on the lives of homeless men on the streets of Manchester, is that of Jamil Keating and his production of ‘Asteroid RK1’.

The piece will convey messages about “outer-space” and our “inner city streets” with a focus on “addictions and asteroids” and “human rights and meteorites”. This particular event will be next held on Friday 24th March at the Wilfrid’s Enterprise Centre.

SICK! Festival is a shared space of “experiences, reflection and connection” brought together to form an international arts programme that promotes healthy living and wellbeing.

The festival addresses all challenges of life including physical, mental, and social issues that many people struggle with and face daily. Academic researchers, clinical practitioners, charities, and public health professionals work together along with real people experiencing such issues, to produce a festival raising awareness around health and happiness. The idea is that it spreads conversation within communities and gets people talking about all aspects of life, using the arts to do so. From the 8th — 25th March, SICK! Festival is taking over Manchester with numerous events to inspire people from all walks of life to listen to other’s stories and consider their journeys to happiness. A collaboration of art projects and social performances allow festival organisers and partakers to reach out and engage people who are either suffering from some of life’s challenges or just wanting to find out more.

One art installation that gained recognition all over campus at the University of Manchester was Candy Chang’s ‘Before I Die’ project.

Photo: SICK! Festival

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Top three Euro destinations for student savings

With Easter and summer coming up, we take a look at three European destinations that are perfect to visit with your student ID to get the best discount

Jack Greeney Lifestyle Contributor

Madrid, Spain Spain’s central capital is a gorgeous affair of stylish boulevards, lively public plazas, and refined, open green spaces. Expansive parks like Buen Retiro are filled with waterfalls and statues, and are surrounded by ornate streets such as Gran Via. Stately squares Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor only serve to sweeten the whole serenade, surrounded by lovely cafes and restaurants. As wonderful as it is in the open air, outside is not the only place to be in Madrid, and fortunately for students there are lucrative offers in place at world class sites of interests to tempt you out of the sunlight for a few hours. The Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, with its Spanish art collections featuring exhibitions of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí, is free for students under the age of 25. Students of this age too are free to entirely avoid the usually large ticket price to enter the world class Museo Nacional del Prado, the main Spanish national art gallery, featuring one of the finest collections of European art in the world. Discounts are not only for those with artistic interests, however: tours around the Royal Palace of Madrid and the Catedral de la Almudena, with its crypts, museums and rooftop views, are also far cheaper for students to explore.

Photo: Jack Greeney

DIY: Memories Jar Ella Kashti Lifestyle Contributor

A memories jar is the best way for remembering those little moments that seem so important at the time, and that are great to look back on to remind you of the best times in your life. It’s an idea that aims to help you document your year, day by day, quickly and without much commitment. I’m sure I’m one of millions of people who have started a diary at some point and given it up 3 weeks in. Every year I make it my New Year’s resolution to write in a diary every day and every year I fail before February. Sometimes the time and effort is just too much when you’re busy wasting your life on Facebook.

Looking back on bad memories can sometimes make you sad or angry, but I think it’s important to think about and process everything that happened that year, good and bad. Everything that you experience shapes you as a person, so knowing what’s happened in the past year is useful for self-discovery and personal growth.

So, a memories jar allows you the luxury of summing up your day with a funny quote someone said, or a specific activity you did on a little note of paper, that’s then folded and placed in a jar.

The idea is not to revisit them until the end of the year, when you’re then able to open the jar and consequently experience tons of happy memories from the year that’s just passed, and get you excited for the year to come.

Alternatively, you could use the mason jar as a way of storing an inspiring quote a day, that you can uncover for motivation throughout the next year. Perhaps you could fill it with motivational, encouraging notes for a best friend or family member for them to open every day for the following year, with things you love about them or even a subtle reminder for when your birthday’s coming up. It’s a gift that yields, and gives. We won’t mention which we prefer.

All you’ll need is a mason jar, a pad of paper or post-its, and a pen, and you’re good to go.

Athens, Greece One of the best places to visit to make the most of your student card is one of the oldest cities in the world — Athens, the capital of Greece. With a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years, the city is brimming with culture, architecture, and heritage sites of the classical era. The sights to see are truly spectacular — and if you’re a student, generally free. The Acropolis, the world famous ancient citadel of Athens, contains numerous ancient buildings of enormous historic significance, and is free to enter with valid student ID, a saving of over €30. On this rocky outcrop overlooking the metropolis stand proudly such works as the Parthenon, recently voted by Business Insider as the most beautiful building Photo: Jack Greeney in the world. Here too are the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, and numerous temples such as the Temple of Athena Nike (and no, that’s Paris, France not a sponsorship deal). All are free with student ID — at the end of Paris is well known as the city of love, and while perfect for such the day, you’ll have probably saved something like €60. Even with occasions, romance is by no means the only reason to visit the no knowledge of Greek history, these creations are stunning on great French capital. Paris is no one-trick pony, there’s something surface alone, especially when lit up at night. Athens is beautiful, to be found here for people of all interests. Coupled or not, students so go with student ID proudly in hand and have as much access and young people have it best of all, with the many discounts and as you like. savings that the city’s landmark attractions are willing to offer. The Eiffel Tower is reduced to €14.50, which may still be a little pricey, Photo: Jack Greeney but worth it for the views on display: and more than worth it considering how little you’ll be spending elsewhere. Notre Dame entrance is free for all, but views from its bell tower are free for only for the young and sprightly: and that sprightliness might come in handy traversing all those steps. The Panthéon doesn’t charge for those under the age of 26 to enter, either. The famous art galleries are where Paris comes into its own, though: the wonderful Musée d’Orsay and all-encompassing Louvre usually charge €12 and €15 per person, but are entirely free for young EU residents. They say romance doesn’t come cheap, but a student card in Paris certainly proves to be an exception to the rule.

Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Week Photo: Kimery Davis @Flickr

Emma Shanks Lifestyle Contributor It’s no secret that students love a big night out, but when does two or three drinks, or the occasional line, become cause for concern?

In aid of the University of Manchester’s Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Week we spoke to some people about their own experiences, ranging from one-time users, continual consumers, to recovering addicts.

In many cases, drugs and alcohol were described as taken to satisfy a craving for “curiosity.” Depending on the strength of the substance, it was agreed that they can “make going out a more intense, special and exciting experience — you feel more involved and connected to everyone around you.” For others, they give reason to relax and “unwind after a week at university doing coursework and exams.”

Few confessed to being worried about their consumption and believed that, despite occasional bad experiences, being

well-informed made their intake safer. One claimed that “micro-dosing LSD actually improves my work,” while another felt that these products can often “have a positive impact on my mental health by changing me to be more positive about myself, the world and others.”

One individual however, whose first encounter with alcohol was at home around the age of fourteen, explained how such experience can spiral out of control — “I was probably the last to know I had a problem.”

“I had a high powered and stressful job and I was in a relationship with another user,” which came to an end after ten years due to addiction. “I have not had a drink or touched drugs now for many years but the consequences of my behaviour have had a lasting impact on my life, particularly from a career or financial point of view.”

Everyone agreed that drugs and alcohol consumption is a worsening problem for young people, particularly students facing a new-found “freedom from parental control,”

but the ideas offered to improve the situation were very varied. While some emphasised a need for improved education, with “realistic and non-biased campaigns at school and university,” others felt that it was a lost cause: “I don’t think it would make much difference anyway — young people will always experiment and a proportion will always get into trouble for it.”

Most judged drinking alcohol as the gateway into substance abuse, as did the majority agree on the benefits of legalising all other drugs “to take away the coolfactor” and “allow quality checks and taxes while reducing crime.” In doing so, despite potential short-term spikes, “the no-doubt huge government revenue generated could be spent on treatment centres for those who do develop a problem.”

“It would make it easier for researchers to undertake trials on the impacts of drug use” and, by removing the taboo, we could move one step closer to creating a safe space “for people to speak comfortably” on the issue. After all, “drug use is a health issue — criminalisation only targets the most vulnerable and desperate people in society.”

When invited to give advice to someone currently suffering from addiction, one person said “just accept you can’t handle it yourself and get help.”

For more information on the week’s events, check out the Facebook page.

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Photo: Artes Max @Flickr

McLaren woes, Wehrlein returns, Ferrari challenge With the season just around the corner, Jack Greeney delves into the world of Formula 1 again Pre-season testing got well and truly underway last week at the BarcelonaCatalunya circuit in Spain. All the drivers will be trying to get as many laps under their belts as possible to get used to their new lairy cars: the radical rule changes have created “absolute monsters” of machinery, according to retired champion Nico Rosberg. Leading up to the first race of the season on the 26th of this month, it’s all looking the most exciting it’s been in decades.

It is, however, not all such an enthralling experience for the McLaren Honda team right now, though: it’s looking like another disappointing year for them already. The British outfit have been troubled all season, and have already changed engines over six times, including a change enforced by a power unit electrical fault during the final testing sessions. Engine expert Giles Simon has left the team and Honda F1 boss Yusuke Hasegawa has admitted

he is “worried” these problems will not be resolved.

As a result, their drivers have far less experience in a car which appears to be considerably weaker than that of the others in the field. The way it’s looking, the McLaren car seems woeful. The team’s Belgian driver, Stoffel Vandoorne, has generally lapped at around three seconds off the pace: and three seconds is a long time in Formula 1. That’s a deficit that surely not even the supremely talented Fernando Alonso can overcome. For McLaren Honda, it could all unravel before it’s even began.

It hasn’t just been the McLaren team members who’ve been unhappy watching on in testing: it will have also been a frustrating experience for Sauber driver Pascal Wehrlein. The German driver was confined to only viewing the action rather than involved in it, after sustaining a back injury as a result of a giant crash at the Race of

Champions show in January. Wehrlein’s temporary replacement, young Ferrari third driver Antonio Giovinazzi, appeared unexpectedly impressive in his cameo testing the Sauber car.

In the end, Wehrlein, who will be entering his second season of F1, did manage to get some circuit time.

Passed fit for the final testing sessions, he sought to get back up to speed: and in these much faster cars, that’s a literal statement. The 22 year old German, although racing at Sauber this year, is under contract with Mercedes, essentially loaned out to develop his driving abilities. Mercedes deemed him too inexperienced to fill Rosberg’s vacant seat: so Wehrlein might have something to prove this season.

Off the track, the news that Formula 1’s TV audience in Britain fell by 5.1 million last year broke waves and sparked debate all round. That’s a drastic drop, and there has been conversation over the possible factors leading to it. In

recent years there have been less freeto-watch races, with Sky F1 buying up all the coverage for their network, to be watched at a premium. That’s not been the only channel change: last year what free coverage remained moved from BBC to the less popular Channel 4 coverage.

It could be the presentation, but on the other hand, it could also be the content itself. With Lewis Hamilton’s lack of success, there was a distinct lack of British interest when compared to the seasons previous, and the more patriotic amongst fans might have been turned off by Hamilton’s disappointments. Hamilton himself, however, says the sport needs better engagement with the fans. This could even be the key to the sport’s survival: it is an expensive sport to run, after all.

There is hope that the new rule changes will bring back the excitement to F1: and shake off Mercedes’ dominance. The word around the

paddocks is that Ferrari have made vast improvements as the new season approaches. McLaren boss Eric Boullier put them down as definite title contenders, and Haas leader Gunther Steiner believes the Italian team have made “amazing” engine progress.

Even opponent Hamilton himself admitted Ferrari could be this year’s favourites: although mind games might be afoot.

With all this testing, it is important to remember that it is always difficult to accrue an accurate indication of true form in pre-season. It is impossible to tell for sure which cars are running on which specifications, and come race day everything could be entirely different. Even with that word of caution in mind though, the sport looks to have been shaken up completely, with an incredibly close title challenge on the way and intense, physical limits racing. If all goes to plan, this could be the best Formula 1 season in years.

The best-run club in England: Chelsea With the team high flying at the top of the Premier League, Toby Webb considers the culture of turnover and change at Chelsea FC

Chelsea are undoubtedly the most exceptional team in this season’s Premier League. While the Premier League was briefly paused for the FA Cup this weekend, their most recent match, a 2-0 away win at West Ham, epitomised the Chelsea of this season. It exhibited their impervious defence combined with a deadly clinical attack, ultimately illustrating the exceptionally-high performance level they have produced and reproduced all season. N’Golo Kante symbolises this performance level, Eden Hazard humorously commenting that Kante’s work rate fools him into believing he is ‘playing with twins’.

Chelsea’s success so far this season is not unexpected. Since Roman Abramovich took over the club in 2003, they have won four league titles, with many expecting them to make it a fifth this season. One of the main reasons for their continued success since the takeover is the level of personnel turnover, at a player and coaching level.

As a club, Chelsea have a simple, but incredibly effective, model. They largely work on the basis that players are valuable assets, to be both bought and sold. Assets are never allowed to devalue too much and always recover value when sold. Similarly, they are harsh in determining which assets are surplus to requirement.

A consideration of recent transfers illustrates this model. Over the last two windows, Chelsea purchased the likes of David Luiz, Marcus Alonso, Kante and Michy Batshuayi, while offloading Branislav Ivanovic, John Obi Mikel, Oscar, Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao. While bringing in players that have become immediate 1st team stalwarts, they sold off players that would still be considered an asset to many teams. It is a cutthroat policy, but it pays dividends.

David Luiz is an interesting example. Deemed surplus to requirements by Jose Mourinho, PSG bought him for £50million from Chelsea in 2014.

Yet, in the summer, Chelsea’s new boss, Antonio Conte, brought Luiz back to the club for a mere

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

£30million. When Luiz wasn’t wanted, Chelsea moved him on; when he was wanted, he was rebought. This austere policy resulted in Chelsea generating a net profit off the player.

Juan Mata and Petr Cech were also victims of the Chelsea model. Mata moved to Manchester United for £37.1million in January 2014 while Cech, who had been superseded by Thibaut Courtois as 1st choice goalkeeper, was allowed to move to London rivals Arsenal for £10million in June 2015. These were further examples of valuable assets deemed surplus to requirement by the club. The club has a clear model, believing in the need to continually refresh the squad by buying and selling.

This model has been incredibly successful.

Since Abramovich took over, Chelsea have won 13 major trophies. In that time span, only United

have won more. The model’s success has relied on several key players, some that have been present since the 2003 takeover. For much of the last decade Cech, John Terry and Frank Lampard formed the Chelsea spine, supplemented by the likes of Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole.

However, the constant turnover of players enabled this spine to highly successful. More recently, the spine has been replaced by Courtois, Gary Cahill, Kante, Hazard and Diego Costa.

While it is clear the Chelsea model relies on the spending power provided by Abramovich’s riches, the net spending stats illustrate the benefit of selling players that still have value. Although Chelsea have spent £507.45million on players over the last 5 season, they have generated £315.5million in sales of players, resulting in a net spend of a £192.3million. This net result

is paled by that of Manchester City (£402.55million) and Manchester United (£368.65million); London rivals Arsenal’s net spent is more too, coming in at £205.89million. While United and City can rival Chelsea in spending, neither has mastered the ability of selling players for significant financial gain.

The level of personnel turnover is paralleled at the managerial level. Since the start of the Abramovich reign, 13 people have managed, or acted as interim manager, of the club. While continuity at the level of coaching staff is often praised in football, Chelsea have demonstrated there is another way, proving that the constant influx of different coaches, bringing with them different ideas, can result in a consistent level of success. I believe the success of the Chelsea model is maximised by regular change in the coaching staff. It is easier for a coach to mould players new to the club, rather than those that have played under the previous manager’s program.

The Chelsea model is unique to the Premier League. Currently, top clubs, such as United and City, are held back by the need for a ‘mass clear out’; they have squads bogged down by a cluster of ageing players, devalued assets, resulting in the inability to successful challenge Chelsea for this year’s league title. Clubs like Tottenham and Arsenal have the converse issue: their squads require a mass influx of talent to enable a title challenge, something against the culture of both clubs.

The 2015/2016 campaign was a bad season for Chelsea. However, I blame managerial incompetency and a mass drop-in-form amongst personnel for this, not the model: it was an anomaly for the system, this season’s return to form proving this. While perhaps generalising, the failure of the big clubs to challenge Leicester for the league title last year was indicative of club models that fail to deliver a consistent level of performance. At the moment, it is safe to say that Chelsea are the best run club in England.

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Ben Ryan University Sport Editor LGBT History Awareness month happens ever February in the UK, celebrating a number of revolutionary social histories in Britain relating to the LGBT community. 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the passing of the Street Offences Act 1967 which decriminalised male homosexuality in the privacy of the home. A huge number of the population were liberated and the commemoration of the legislation was moving not just for male homosexuals but for the whole of the LGBT community.

The aim of the month is to increase the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, their history, lives and their experiences in the curriculum and culture of educational and other institutions, and the wider community. The increase of the awareness of the lives and experiences of the LGBT within educational institutions is one of the most important aims of the month and it is important that a culture of awareness is instilled in universities.

Universities must be safe spaces for LGBT individuals, as university marks the critical transition into adult life which students often find difficult anyway.

The very nature of a university as a large and diverse institution means that every social group must be accounted for equally and fairly. The education system must recognise every single social group and allow them to achieve their fullest potential, not least the LGBT community. Particularly in a culture of university such as sport, stereotypes and gender norms are not uncommon, and it is important that no matter where somebody comes from or what they identify as, they should be treated equally and embraced.

A number of university sports teams across the Athletics Union celebrated LGBT History Awareness Month by wearing the LGBT colours red, orange, yellow and green. All teams were out in full force wearing face paint and rainbow laces to show their support. The positivity surrounding support for LGBT month was only strengthened by a fantastic showing on the day by the Gymnastics and Rugby League clubs. The Gymnastics club won six medals in their annual BUCS competition held in Surrey, whilst the Men’s Rugby League who won BUCS 9s tournament.

It is also noted that the Wednesday just gone marked International Women’s Day, and the university had eleven women’s teams Photo:competing.

Dom Fellowes @Flickr

Uni Sports show support for LGBT History Awareness Month Athletics Union donned face paint and rainbow attire in support of the event

Barcelona’s incredible comeback

Barcelona created Champions League history with a 6-5 (agg) victory over PSG

Photo: Hugo Pérez Marsol @Flickr

Dane Massey SportReporter Barcelona staged the greatest comeback in UEFA Champions League history, beating Paris Saint-Germain on a mesmeric night at the Camp Nou to progress through to the quarter-finals of the competition for the tenth year running. In doing so, they overturned a 4-0 first leg deficit.

Uruguayan forward Luis Suarez gave Barcelona the perfect start, putting his side ahead after two and a half minutes. Wave after wave of Barcelona attack followed throughout the first half, and eventually PSG couldn’t cope as the hosts doubled their lead shortly before the break — a sublime back heel from the virtuoso Andres Iniesta forced Layvin Kurzawa to put through his own net.

They were in no mood to stop either. In the second half, the men in red and blue flew out of

the blocks as quick as they did in the first, and it didn’t take long for them to extend their lead.

Thomas Meunier brought down Neymar in the penalty area, and Lionel Messi converted in emphatic style.

Barcelona tortured their French counterparts, but the visitors soon got their break when Edinson Cavani netted his 38th goal of the season, firing into the roof of the net past a helpless Marc-Andre Ter Stegen.

Roles were soon reversed, however, as Cavani went through one-on one but was denied by the left boot of the German goalkeeper. The game became increasingly stretched as the second half wore on, and star of the first leg Angel di Maria broke away but failed to convert — he and PSG would be made to pay.

A late onslaught from Barcelona turned the tie. A marvellous, trademark free-kick from Neymar seen the seemingly impossible task

back on track, before Suarez was fouled by Brazilian defender Marquinhos two minutes later, earning his side a controversial penalty.

Marquinhos’ international compatriot Neymar converted his spot kick as Messi had done, and then turned provider for substitute Sergi Roberto to complete an unbelievable comeback. A comeback which will undoubtedly live long in the memory.

It was one of the best European nights ever seen, and Neymar was the instigator of the colossus comeback. He was Barcelona’s best player in a miserable night in Paris three weeks previously, but in the return leg he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. It was perhaps the Brazilian superstar’s best game in a Barcelona shirt.

Neymar was PSG’s chief tyrant, but the whole team played their part in an amazing night in Spain’s second city. Suarez’s never say die atti-

tude was evident right until the very end, and Messi was constantly plugging away trying to create chances.

Iniesta was withdrawn with around 25 minutes to go, but in the time, he was on the pitch he instigated proceedings in typical fashion.

Barcelona’s back line was much better than in the first leg, justifying Enrique’s selection to go with three defenders.

Second half substitutes Arda Turan and Andre Gomes added fresh legs, playing their part, and needless to say, Sergi Roberto’s name will be forever edged into Barcelona tradition. The togetherness of Enrique’s warriors got them over the line.

In many ways, the game at the Camp Nou was reminiscent of the game at the Parc des Princes, with the tables turned. Barcelona absolutely suffocated their opponents from start to finish, just as PSG had done to them in the first leg. The result marked redemption, it was no more than Barcelona deserved.

Enrique courageously, or rather sensibly, changed his formation, perhaps something he should have done in France. The extra man at the back made Barcelona more durable, allowing them to cope effectively with PSG’s attacking threat.

Remarkably, Barcelona’s defensive trio of Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti spent more time in PSG’s half than in their own half over the course of the 90 minutes (51-49%).

Offensively, the attacking players were granted greater freedom with Sergio Busquets playing faultlessly in front of the three defenders.

This meant that lethal the attacking South American trident of Messi, Suarez and Neymar could play closer together, and the midfielders gained more space, with the licence to push further up the pitch.

The change in formation made all the difference, and it is a system they could use later in the competition as they bid to win the European Cup for the sixth time.

The extraordinary result means that Barcelona joined Spanish rivals Real Madrid, along with German teams Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in what already looks like a mouth-watering quarter-final line-up.

The result also proved that nothing is beyond Luis Enrique’s side, and as well as beating PSG in ruthless fashion on the night, the Blaugrana sent a firm message out to the rest of Europe’s teams — we’re coming for you.

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AC Fiorentina: The Lazarus Mission

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Football is sacred to most, but in Florence, miracles of biblical proportions have occurred before...

Magnus Henderson Sport Reporter As so often happens with cities famous for culture, Florence take their football very seriously. Unlike Milan, Turin and Rome, Florence only has one football club, meaning that the affection shown for ACF Fiorentina is localised and powerful.

It all started in 1926 when Club Sportivo and Palestra Libertas merged to create Fiorentina. Their club identity is taken seriously; the badge is worn like a sign of honour while the purple kits are renown not only in Italy, but across Europe, as the unique football colours of the La Viola.

Their competitive past is nothing to be ashamed of either.

During the 50s and 60s, Fiorentina competed at the top of Italian football and took home two Scudetti in that period. They also house an impressive six Coppa Italias, making them part of the fabric of Italian football history. Despite their consistent finishes in the top half of the Italian first division, Fiorentina went through a traumatic period at the beginning of the millennium which saw the club become extinct before rising in biblical fashion.

It all started in 2002. La Viola suffered a dreadful campaign in which they finished 17th in an 18-team league. Relegation for the second time in their history, however, was the least of their worries. Fiorentina’s economic problems were published, illustrating a $50 million debt and an inability to meet the financial sign-up requirements of Serie B. The club were judicially declared bankrupt and all of their player contracts were declared null. Officially, ACF Fiorentina ceased to exist, however the spirit of the club lingered.

There was a slight loophole, which Diego Della Valle spotted. The leather entrepreneur and CEO of Tod’s realised that a new club could be officially established into the Italian football league at the highest non-professional level, Serie C2 (the 4th division). So, Della Valle, being the keen businessman that he is, spotted that Florence, a city renowned for her passion for football, was lacking a football club. And so, Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentina Viola was born.

Two month after the death of Fiorentina, 22,000 ticket holders and 5,000 additional fans travelled to Umbria to watch Florentina Viola compete in the 4th division of Italian football. The fans, still in mourning at the loss of Fiorentina, accepted this new Florence-based club and showed their support to Della Valle for attempting to replace the irreplaceable.

Florentia Viola won its Serie C2 group comfortably thanks to the help of Angelo Di Livio, the only player to stay in Florence after the disaster. Instead of being promoted to the third division of Italian football (Serie C1), the club was instead promoted directly to the second division (Serie B) due to the Caso Catania dispute.

Italian football is no stranger to controversy, and this is no different. Serie B side Calcio Catania claimed that S.S. Robur

Siena fielded an ineligible player in a 1-1 draw which saw Catania relegated, whereas the two extra points they would have gained through victory would have taken them out of the relegation zone. In disastrously comic fashion, Catania were awarded a 2-0 victory, before the result was overturned, and then eventually re-awarded keeping Catania safe.

Partly due to this monumental cock-up, the Federazione Italiana Givoco Calcio (Italian Football Federation) decided to let Catania, along with Genoa and Salernitana, stay in Serie B as the league was expanding from 20 teams to 24. With an extra team needed to fill Serie B’s quota, Florentia Viola were promoted directly from the 4th division to Serie B for “sports merit”, or, in other words, having history.

While all of this was happening, Florentia Viola bought back the rights to use Fiorentina’s name, badge and celebrated shirt design; re-incorporating itself as ACF Fiorentina once again.

The club flag was famously re-erected over the City of Florence to much excitement and emotion. The following season, La Viola finished in 6th and managed to win their subsequent promotion play-off final against Perugia to return to the Serie A. Fiorentina had died, been reborn in the 4th division and climbed three leagues in two years to re-establish themselves as a top division club; a comeback of Lazarus proportions.

Today, Fiorentina is consistently challenging for European football despite having far fewer resources than that of the clubs surrounding them. There is a sense of religiosity surrounding La Viola: based in one of the most Catholic countries in the world, with feverish support from her fan base, Fiorentina illustrated one of the most renowned reincarnation tales from the Bible. The club is locally believed to constantly overachieve due to some higher power, but realistically, it is footballing faith and passion which make Fiorentina remarkable.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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The 1973 suffragettes of women’s football and the future of the sport

Female football pioneers spoke at the ‘Suffragettes in Football’ event, held at The National Football Museum Harry Newton Sport Editor Ban The suspension of male football league matches during the First World War allowed for women’s football to take its place as the nation’s sport, with Clubs forming up from the munition factories. After the war the sport still flourished, Boxing Day 1920 saw 53,000 spectators cram into Goodison Park to watch women in a charity football match.

Fast-forward a year to 1921, and the FA ban women from playing football. It became the man’s game. Women couldn’t play at most grounds and received no funding.

At the National Football Museum’s talk on ‘Suffragettes in Football’ on the 7th of March, Patricia Gregory talked of how she was one of those who pioneered women’s football and brought it back.

“My father wouldn’t take me to the football, because absolutely it wasn’t a place for girls” she says to an audience consisting mostly of school girls.

Patricia talked of how her local newspaper published her letter protesting that women

should be able to play football. This resulted in her letterbox being flooded with letters from other young women wanting to play football, so she formed a Club just for girls.

Pioneering Despite the ban, the Women’s FA was formed in 1969 with help from Patricia Gregory, but the English FA would not be affiliated with them until 1972 when the ban was lifted. The FA still gave the Women’s team no money.

“For the first 12 years of our existence we were run entirely by volunteers… running the club, the league and the association, putting big time constraint on people… when it came to setting up the England team… we couldn’t even get sets of kit.”

England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis, who retired in 2014, said of the pioneering women, “they set the standard as it was and set the foundation for my generation… it’s for the next generations to reap the rewards.”

Professionalism The panel, hosted by BBC Sport’s Eilidh Barbour, had ex-England midfielder Liz Deigham present. She stated that she could not go to America on a scholarship because her employer would not guarantee her job when she returned. This was echoed by England’s second

ever captain, Carol Thomas, who reminisced on how the England team all had jobs in the day, and met up at the weekend, travelling all over the country to train in the 70s and 80s.

Despite this, in 1984 the team managed to get to the European Championships Final, just missing out on penalties against Sweden.

Rachel Brown-Finnis on the other hand was of the next generation of footballers and was able to change her working life from full-time to part-time due to getting a professional contract. The added professionalism of women’s football in the 21st century has allowed for an increase in quality to the English game. It was under Finnis’ generation that Women’s football really started to take off, and now we can see it improving even further.

The Future The FA had taken control from the Women’s FA in 1993, and brought more funding to the game. Since then there has been slow but steady improvement in the game. In 2015 England had their most successful World Cup, finishing third in Canada.

On the 4th of March this year, Ellen White’s 89th minute winner for England saw them beat Women’s Football powerhouse USA. Two days after this, the BBC announced that they

had won the rights to showcase the 2019 Women’s World Cup, and BT Sport are continuing to show highlights for every Women’s Super League game.

2016 FIFA World Player of the Year Carli Lloyd has recently signed for Manchester City’s Women’s team too, as the English game is becoming more attractive to the world, and the money is being invested back into the game.

Sexism The only way is up for women’s football now, but sexism is clearly still a problem in the game. Carol Thomas said of her 1974 playing days that, “some of the comments we got from the men in the game… I’ll leave that to your imagination”.

A 2016 study by Women in Football indicated that over 46 per cent of women in football have experienced sexism in football, and over 38 per cent of women in football have experienced sexist statements about their actual ability.

Sexism is still alive in football, as is evident from the high-profile cases of referee Sian Massey-Ellis’ when she entered the male game in 2011, and Eva Carneiro as the first team doctor at Chelsea in 2015. With a steady influx of women entering the game, they could be a force in changing the attitude of many.