17TH SEPT 2012/ ISSUE 01 FREE
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MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER
Oxford Road Pub Guide
The Ultimate Clubbers Guide to Freshers’ Week
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Interview with the President
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Photo: Jonathan Whiting
Promoters mislead freshers and use tactics that threaten halls’ security
THIS WEEK UK gov ‘underspending on higher education’, says Dame Nancy
The UK government is “under-spending on higher education”, according to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester. Speaking to The Mancunion, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “I think we’re under-spending on higher education in this country.
Page 3 Protest over London Met student visa row
tion: Blah blah blah
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100’s set to flock halls for fake parties ‘Official’ Freshers’ groups set up to promote clubnight Activities Officer condemns practice
Richard Crook Editor
Promoters in Manchester have been misleading thousands of students in the run up to Freshers’ Week, with some tactics posing a threat to halls’ security. Lowercase Events set up a number of Manchester Freshers’ Facebook groups - labelling many as ‘official’. One group, which was not labelled as ‘official’, accumulated over 3,000 members. The ‘official’ group says in the description, “Information on events, parties, concerts,
nightclubs, accommodation will be posted in these groups.” But the administrators have been using the groups to heavily promote Lowercase Events’ clubnights’ at Purity and Sakura. Incoming students were using the supposedly ‘official’ group to ask questions about modules, accommodation, and visas. Speaking on behalf of Lowercase Events, Michael Mouch defended the groups, saying that user generated information was being provided. Mr Mouch denied the ‘official’ group was misleading, but later admitted that they were incorrect to describe it in that way
and said the group’s description would be updated. Julia Kibby, who in a separate group claims to be a student at LSE, created an Owens Park flat party event inviting “all students at both UoM and MMU”, adding, “You don’t have to be living in Owens Park to attend.” She goes on to say, “We’re all going to take over The Tower and then go down to Hashtag,” providing a link to buy tickets. In another post, Kibby confirms she’s “signed up” to work as a rep through Fatsoma. Hashtag is a new clubnight held at Purity this Friday and ran by Lowercase Events. The flat party currently has over 250 people confirming their attendance. After being alerted to the page, The University of Manchester confirmed they would be putting on additional security that evening.
Mr. Mouch, who called the flat party “unacceptable”, admitted he was unsure as to whether Kibby was a promoter that was paid and vetted directly through Lowercase Events, or merely a rep working on commission through the Fatsoma ticket website they use. “With Fatsoma, anyone can sign up to become a rep. We are not able to control that. They are not employees with us,” he said. When pushed, Mouch said the money earned by Fatsoma reps came from the Hashtag event, but stressed they were not vetted through Lowercase or paid by them directly.
Students from across the UK staged a protest over the revoking of London Metropolitan University’s ability to sponsor foreign students in Manchester last Wednesday. London Met’s ‘Highly Trusted Status’ was suspended last month after the UK Border Agency found students at the institution did not have visas...
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02 : NEWS
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Highlights
Six of the best: a potted history of Manchester Academia Page 9
The protest held over the London Met international student situation last Wednesday
Andrew Williams profiles six of the University of Manchester’s most influential and prestigious
Photo: Patrycja Marczewska
scholars, past and present
Picture of the week
Promoters mislead freshers (continued)
Page 26 Continued from front page
Our first Blind Date of the year. This week: Connor and Morag
Manchester Venue Guide Page 19 As one of the world’s great music cities, Manchester is packed with great venues. Here’s five of our favourites…
Theatre: what Manchester has to offer
A spokesperson for Fatsoma said that Lowercase Events could ask for the rep to be removed, but added, “In fairness, that person could create another fake profile and do the same thing again.” Jeremy Millens, the Managing Director at Purity, said, “We are completely unaware of any tactics like this being used. We are very strict in terms of what we allow our promoters to do, because obviously our reputation is on the line as well. We will be investigating this further.” After seeing the investigation carried out by The Mancunion, the Students’ Union Trustee and Activities Officer Tommy Fish criticised the practice. “I’d like to condemn these actions, and believe promoters have gone out of their way to mislead students into attending its events through some pretty innovative, but
News Editor also dangerous means. This includes a fake flat party at Owens Park and using the Manchester Universities’ name in vain through allegedly ‘official’ Facebook pages, where some unwitting incoming students are asking for advice about course selection and accommodation. This is essentially taking advantage of students who are moving away from home for the first time,” he said in a statement. Some promoters tried to ‘blend in’ with student discussions, but would eventually bring the conversation to Hashtag. Tee Re, a promoter directly employed by Lowercase Events, dismissed buying official packs, telling Freshers, “We should put together a list of all the best nights, and go to all of them. U got ur Hashtag ticket yet?” When one student replied that they hadn’t, Tee Re said, “You should get one soon as I think they may sell out.” Tommy Fish described the
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Jospehine Lane presents you with a guide to the best in Manchester theatre
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tactics as “hilarious.” In a statement to The Mancunion, The University of Manchester said, “There are a number of promoters every year who try to pass themselves off as official event organisers.” “We would always urge students to be aware of this before attending these events, or take advice from the Students’ Union before spending their money. In terms of the proposed ‘event’ at Owens Park on September 21, the University has no formal links with Hashtag or its promoters.” “We would like to thank The Mancunion for bringing these issues to our attention, and we will continue to monitor the activities of these third parties closely.”
For more on this story see Comment, Page 11
The University of Manchester has been forced to change the name of John Rylands University Library because the current name “often causes confusion for staff, students and visitors.” From July, the building will be called ‘The University of Manchester Library’. It is hoped that this will make it easier for students to “identify” the gothic John Rylands Library on Deansgate. Designed by Enriqueta Rylands in memory of her multi-millionaire husband, the John Rylands Library was built in 1899 and in its collections boasts numerous medieval manuscripts as well as the “St John Fragment”, believe to be the oldest New Testament document still in existence. The “Unlocking the Rylands project” took place in the last decade in a bid to conserve the Grade I listed building. The project cost
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Blind Date
New name for John Rylands University Library to prevent “confusion”
Photo: The “confusingly named” John Rylands University Library.
£17 million and led to the Library receiving numerous awards; including the prestigious RIBA award in 2008. The decision to rename the library on Oxford Road was taken as part of The Library’s New Directions Strategy; which looked at branding issues related the University’s libraries.
Keir Lewis scienceandtech@mancunion.com Sport Editors: Ciaran Milner. Tom Acey & Matthew Barber sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Josephine Lane theatre@mancunion.com Web Editor: Jenny Ho webed@mancunion.com Advertising : Stefan Redfern Stefanredfern@manchester.ac.uk Tel 0161 275 2930
News: 03
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
UK government ‘under-spending on higher education’, says Dame Nancy
Jonathan Breen, News Editor The UK government is “underspending on higher education”, according to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester. Speaking to The Mancunion, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “I think we’re underspending on higher education in this country. “I appreciate that we’re in difficult times at the moment and there have been cuts across the board, but education is critical for the future.” The Vice Chancellor took up a post as a government adviser on science in February 2012 following an invitation from the Prime Minister David Cameron. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Council for Science and Technology. Dame Nancy had been asked to respond to comments made by Professor Andrew Hamilton, the Vice Chancellor at Oxford University last year, when he stated that the UK risked “falling behind its rivals” due to reductions in government spending on higher education. In an address to academics last winter, Prof Hamilton
pointed out that as the coalition government focused on introducing tough spending cuts on British universities both China and the US had increased education spending. The government has repeatedly defended higher education spending cuts as being part of a broader austerity programme aimed at reducing the UK’s budget deficit. During her discussion with The Mancunion, the Vice Chancellor also suggested that the academic community was weak in the face of reduced government funding – stating that she didn’t “think the academic community have that strong a voice when everything’s being cut.” The president of the University of Manchester University and College Union Philippa Browning responded saying the UMUCU, representatives of the academic community, had been strong in campaigning against the rise in fees and spending cuts. “There has been a lot of support from the UCU and our colleagues against the introduction of student fees and the cuts associated with that,” she told The Mancunion. “I think
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, in conversation with The Mancunion.
we have objected to that very strongly. “I think the union has taken a strong stand against cuts and against the introduction of fees. “We continue to fight against cuts. A large part of what the union does is campaigning against funding cuts,” said Browning;
Green groups condemn Environment Secretary appointment Environmental groups have expressed alarm at the appointment of Owen Paterson as the new Environment Secretary. Talking to The Mancunion, the Manchester Green Party questioned his green credentials, calling him the “last sort of person we want in charge of the environment”. The Minister’s record on environmental issues has left green supporters in the NorthWest scratching their heads, as Lancashire feels the “threat of massive expansion” in ‘fracking’ for shale gas extraction. Some homeowners near the gas exploration rigs have already begun to put their houses on the market in an attempt to “get out before prices start dropping”, an estate agent told The Guardian in June. Brian Candeland, spokesperson for Manchester Green Party, told The Mancunion this appointment was one of a number that “takes the Government to the right” in the recent Cabinet reshuffle. In a Cabinet meeting earlier this year, Mr Paterson called for an end to all energy subsidies and the fast-tracking of shale gas exploration. Although fracking is “more green than coal mining”, concedes Mr Candeland, “there is conflicting scientific evidence”. Shale gas is seen as an alternative to importing fossil fuels because of its abundance underneath Britain. Sites in the Home Counties, Scotland, Wales, and Lancashire have all been identi-
fied, with the Northwest used as a trial in 2011. This caused tremors registering 2.3 and 1.5 on the Richter scale, which the drilling company Cuadrilla concluded were probably caused by shale gas extraction. Local opposition fears of pollution of drinking water and the threat of earthquakes put a halt to the process almost as soon as it began; a scientific inquiry in April recommended continuation given new safety measures. But Mr Candeland believes the Northwest could be “a leader in renewable technology”, with “massive scope for offshore wind farms”. Mr Paterson, an outspoken opponent of wind farm technology, has previously fought plans to expand output from Welsh wind farms that would extend into his constituency of North Shropshire. The Mancunion contacted the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), who directed us to Mr Paterson’s Parliamentary OfPhoto Credit: Name of photographer
Keir Lewis, Science Editor
Jonathan Breen, News Editor
Photo: Joe Sandler Clarke
- Vice Chancellor criticises government over education spending - States that academics don’t “have that strong a voice” on cuts
Police hunt most wanted
The new environment minister Owen Patterson.
a Professor of Astrophysics at the School of Physics and Astronomy. The UCU took industrial action last year following a dispute over pensions; with union members claiming that some staff could lose as much £100,000 under proposed changes. In-
dustrial action was suspended to allow talks with employers from January until the summer, but action resumed following a union vote in June. At the time of writing union members are set to debate whether to escalate the action.
Manchester United share price falls as fans continue Oliver Taylor Business Editor Manchester United’s share price has continued to fall following their summer floatation on the New York Stock Exchange. Initially priced at $14 a share, they have plummeted (at the time of writing) 10 percent to $12.60. The listing is just the latest of many management decisions that have proved deeply unpopular with the club’s loyal fan base and have led to mass protest by Manchester United supporters world-wide. Malcolm Glazer, the US shopping magnate and Tampa Bay Buccaneer owner who controversially gained total control of the club against the wishes of fans in 2005, sold 16.7 million shares or a 10 percent stake in the company on the 10th of August, raising $233.3 million. Of this, $116.6 million will go straight into the pockets of the Glazer family with the other $116.6 million being split between reducing the pre-IPO debt from $682 million to $582 million, and the rest toward acquiring new players and paying existing players’ salaries. Although the debt reduction is welcomed, when the floatation plans were initially unveiled, it was announced that all $233.3 million was to be used to reduce the clubs debt. The Glazers have also taken steps to cement their ownership of the club. Under the terms of
the IPO, the publically available class A shares carry 10 times less voting rights than the Glazer owned class B shares, meaning that investors will have no meaningful control over management decisions. Not only has this suppressed the price of the shares but it has proved the final straw for some fans. MUST, the Manchester United Supporters Trust, which represents 175,000 Manchester United fans was originally formed to prevent Rupert Murdoch from buying out the club in 1998 and whose aim is for supporters of Manchester United FC to have a meaningful ownership stake in the club have called for an unprecedented sponsor boycott. They issued this statement. “The Manchester United Supporters Trust has today called for a worldwide boycott of Manchester United sponsors’ products, with support across the UK, Europe, Asia and the US. The boycott strategy is intended to send a loud and clear message to the Glazer family and club sponsors that, without the support and purchasing power of the fans, the global strength of the Manchester United brand doesn’t actually exist.”
Greater Manchester Police have revealed their most wanted criminals. The identities of 33 men and 3 women were released in a new month-long crackdown called Operation Harvest, last Monday. GMP are pursuing what they consider the most dangerous criminals, including drug dealers, sex offenders and violent thugs, and are urging the public to help with any information they have. Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said: “Through Operation Harvest we are concentrating on bringing to justice the criminals that cause the most harm and misery to people in our county. “I would urge people to support Operation Harvest by providing us information on the criminals on our website or those in their communities so we can stop them causing further harm.” Here are five of the ‘most dangerous’ criminals: Dale Cregan is the GMP’s most wanted criminal. The 29-year-old from the Tameside area is wanted in connection with a grenade attack and two shootings that killed David Short on 10 August in Clayton and Mr Short’s son Mark, at the Cotton Tree pub, Droylsden, on 25 May. Lalmahmed Momahm, 21-year-old, from Oldham area is wanted in connection with the abduction of a 15-year-old girl on 17 March 2012 at an address on Cook Street in Oldham. The girl was later found safe and well. Kashif Ghafoor, 32, from the Oldham area is wanted in connection with the supply of class A drugs on 1 August 2011 at an address on Warcock Road, Oldham. Andrew Caffrey, 36, from North Manchester area is wanted for failing to appear in court for the supply of class A drugs on 1 August 2001. Syed Abbas, 23, from the North Manchester area is wanted in court in connection with sex offences on 19 January 2012. Operation Harvest is also targeting dangerous drivers and metal thieves. “We will also be working to remove dangerous drivers from our roads to stop them putting their own lives and those of other road users at risk and targeting criminals using our roads to carry out illegal activities such as moving stolen metals and other goods,” said ACC Sweeney. “People can follow what is happening through Operation Harvest to put law-breakers behind bars on our social media networks that include Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.”
04 : News
was disappointing” and that they “will be below our target for home (UK and EU) students”. She noted that they “will be looking closely at the distribution of our student numbers and are initiating a detailed ‘portfolio review’ to consider student demand and how we respond to this”. The number of students awarded A or A* grades failed to rise for the first time in twenty years, instead slumping to 26.6%. This fall of 0.4 points from last year’s results is the most severe in the history of A-levels. This year saw total applications for universities drop by 7.7% and a lot of students counted as eligible for clearing by UCAS have not taken the opportunity to apply. It is suggested that this is due to the tuition fee rise, as highlighted in a YouGov poll taken just after A-level results day. The poll found 53% of the public did not believe university to be worth £9,000 a year, with only 30% believing it is. There are also concerns that A-level predictions may have been inflated by teachers to give students better chances of receiving offers. Elite research-intensive universities, including Warwick, Leeds and Durham, were also forced to use clearing to fill places. Chris Bunting, press officer for the University of Leeds, said that the situation regarding clearing remained “unclear”.
Universities could face ‘nuclear’ penalties for failing disadvantaged students Anthony Organ Reporter The most selective universities could face “nuclear” penalties for failing to meet admissions targets for disadvantaged students. Professor Les Ebdon, the new director of the Office for Fair Access (Offa), is promising to use his tenure to encourage wider participation in universities. Mr Ebdon told MPs that he has no fear of using penalties if universities repeatedly fail to meet their targets. These penalties include fines of up to £500,000 as well as banning an institution from charging tuition fees of over £6,000 a year. Julian Skyrme, head of widening participation at the University of Manchester, supported Ebdon’s goal, highlighting the University’s “strong track record” and saying it was “starting at a high place and we set ourselves targets to continue to improve”. He said that the University flags up disadvantaged backgrounds for admissions tutors and that this is taken into account when making offers. The University of Manchester currently takes the highest number of students from “low-participation” areas in the Russell Group, and the second highest proportion of 8.4% compared to the average 5.8%. Research suggests that the richest 20% of young people are
seven times more likely to reach the most selective universities than the poorest 40%. Professor Ebdon noted that “a number of universities have conducted research and have shown that students admitted with lower grades from poorly performing schools then go on to outperform those with slightly better grades from highly performing schools”. Speaking to the Sunday Telegraph, Dr Geoff Parks, Cambridge’s outgoing admissions director, warned that lowering grades for disadvantaged students would be a “really, really cruel experiment” since they may not be able to cope. The University of Manchester’s Manchester Access Programme does lower grades for talented students from local disadvantaged backgrounds, but does not do the same on a wider scale. Julian Skyrme explains that research conducted by each university reaches different conclusions, and he suggests a national evidence base of the research conducted by them, believing that a “common methodology” would improve efforts to widen participation. He also agrees with previous concerns by Wendy Piatt, director-general of the Russell Group, who warned that “emphasis on targets” could harm efforts to widen participation. He says that “targets are important benchmarks”, but there are “a battery of indicators”
Photo Credit: University of Manchester
Accepted university applicants have dropped by almost 30,000 compared to last year according to data released by UCAS. Institutions have been forced to lower entry requirements by multiple grades to fill the places but many have still failed to meet targets and there are fears that some subjects could be abolished in the future. Don Nutbeam, vicechancellor of the University of Southampton, revealed that his institution had taken 600 less students than last year, and described the news as a “wake-up call” for all universities. A spokesperson for the university complained about a government policy which has forced all UK universities to limit the intake of students below AAB grades this year. “Surely it cannot be right that leading universities such as Southampton are forced to turn away gifted ABB students, who in any other year would be accepted immediately.” Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, admitted that “recruitment onto some undergraduate programmes
Photo: Universities are encouraged to improve recruitment targets concerning disadvantaged students.
of disadvantaged students. He points to differences in family backgrounds of students as the biggest issue. Professor Ebdon has been facing political backlash since
before his appointment. Conservative MPs on the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee voted against his appointment in February but were later overruled by BIS ministers.
One of these committee members, Brian Binley MP, accused Professor Ebdon of “salivating” over the prospect of making use of the penalties available to him.
New Monopoly edition Athletes experience time commemorates Alan Turing differently, says research Michael Williams Reporter
Alan Turing, the ‘father of computer science’, has been celebrated by custom board-game maker Winning Moves– with his own commemorative edition of Monopoly. This comes after a hand-drawn version of the game that Turing played on was unearthed in the home of Max Newman, Turing’s mentor, at their family home. A facsimile of that board is included with the commemorative edition, as well as a fully playable Monopoly board with the spaces on the board changed to reflect important landmarks in Turing’s life. The Bombe, Turing’s device to decipher German signals during World War II, replaces the electric company space; cross-country running appears in place of train stations. All of the money in the game also features Turing’s face as a nod to the real-life campaign to have his face adorn the new £10 note. Some of the stranger features of the hand-drawn game, such as the “turn around” square, a direct line of extra properties from ‘Go’ to ‘Free Parking’, and a mystery blank square with just the letter X in it have been omitted from the produced board so the game is still playable. Web giant Google have bought the first thousand copies to donate to the Bletchley Park Trust at the National
Photo: The Alan Turing Building at the University of Manchester also honours the man.
Museum of Computing, but the game will be on sale to the general public in November. Iain Standen, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, said that “bringing this board to life has been one of the most exciting and unique projects we’ve been involved with here, and we’re thrilled to see it finally available for others to enjoy”.
Keir Lewis Reporter
Athletes’ perception of time changes during critical moments of sport, research has found. For many years, people have reported the sensation of time seeming to slow just before hitting a ball or at other crucial moments of sports games. Now a team from University College London speculates this may be due to an increase in brain processing power immediately prior to the event. The team, lead by Dr Nobuhiro Hagura, believes that visual and movement processing is improved to increase the amount of information being absorbed by the senses. In this way, decisions can be made quicker and more accurately under time-pressure. Researchers at the university’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience tested volunteers’ reactions to flashing discs on a screen. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the team found that those who were more prepared to move in reaction felt they had more time to react. Captain of the University mixed basketball league Tom Ashton believes it only
Photo Credit: Kay Lubwika
Anthony Organ Reporter
Universities could face ‘nuclear’ penalties for failing disadvantaged students
Photo: Credit: Joe
Clearing chaos leaves universities struggling
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Photo Caption: At crucial moments in sport, players report the sensation of time slowing.
takes “one moment of brilliance” to trigger the reaction. “I believe … slowing time to see everything is either adrenaline … or it comes down to confidence”. Dr Hagura’s team hope to involve top sports players in their further research to identify any marked differences in the brains of untrained athletes.
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ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Scientists reveal ‘magic carpet’
City Council proposes minimum wage increase
University of Manchester scientists reveal a ‘magic carpet’ that could help detect and prevent falls
University of Manchester scientists unveiled a ‘magic carpet’ that can detect when people fall and help predict mobility problems. The ‘magic’ is in plastic optical fibres embedded in the carpet that bend when stepped on and can learn walking patterns. The carpet was revealed at the Photon12 conference in Durham, on 4 September. The researchers, led by Dr Patricia Scully from The University of Manchester’s Photon Science Institute, believe the magic carpet could be vital for helping people in the immediate aftermath of a fall and in identifying subtle changes in people’s walking habits which might not be spotted by a family member or carer. “The carpet can gather a wide range of information about a person’s condition, from biomechanical to chemical sensing of body fluids, enabling holistic sensing to provide an environment that detects and responds to changes in patient condition,” said Dr Scully. Electronics at the edges of the
carpet relay signals to a computer, which can show deterioration in walking habits or detect a sudden incident such as a fall. The optical fibres in the carpet are the same used to beam high-speed broadband around the country, in which light travels along the fibres. Developers carved grooves along the fibres, making the travelling light less efficient at the point of contact, allowing for the detection of movement. The researchers see its main use in care homes and hospital wards, as well as in people’s homes. Up to 40% of community dwelling older people fall each year and it is the most serious and frequent accident in homes, accounting for half of all hospital admissions of over 65s. Professor Chris Todd, member of the team said, “Falls are a really important problem for our ageing society. More than a third of older people fall each year, and in nursing and residential homes it is much more common than that. “Being able to identify changes in people’s walking patterns
‘Magic carpet’ developed by University of Manchester scientists can detect and prevent falls. Photo: Patrycja Marczeweska
and gait in the natural environment, such as in a corridor in a nursing home, could really help us identity problems earlier on.” Dr Scully added the implications are wider than the obvious healthcare benefits, “It
North West exports slump in second quarter
The team has estimated an early wholesale cost in the region of tens of pounds per square metre. Age UK and the Central Manchester Falls Team have expressed an interest in the product.
‘Permafrost threatens massive carbon release,’ warns Manchester academic Keir Lewis
Scott McEwan, Business Editor Exports in goods from the North West declined by 19.4 percent in the second quarter from the first, according to statistics released by HM Revenue and Customs. This a three year low for North West goods trade as exports for the months April to June were valued at £5.53bn down from £6.86bn in January to March. UK goods exports decreased by 5.8 percent. The North West’s biggest industries – chemical, machinery and crude material exports – all experienced large declines in export demand. Dr Brian Sloan, Chief Economists at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce said: “This is a major concern for the region given the importance of exports to the recent growth in employment and confidence in the region. “At this time more measures are required to support the domestic economy to create the right conditions for business investment and job creation longer term. This will help us build a position as a major exporter to the global economy and addresses the issue of high levels of worklessness. “This must start with bringing forward infrastructure investment and ensuring the right supply of skills to meet the future
allows older people to keep independent in their own homes and could be cost-saving to the Government.” Physiotherapists could also use the carpet to map changes and improvements in a person’s gait.
Photo: Dave Hamster
needs of businesses in the region.” Meanwhile imports from the rest of the world to the North West increased by 2.8 percent from £6.73bn to £6.92bn. The top five export partners for the North West are the USA, Germany, France, China and the Irish Republic. Consequently, the primary reason for the decline in goods trade came from a large 21 percent fall in trade with the EU and 18.6 percent fall in trade with North America. Furthermore, conflict in the Middle East, particularly in Libya, has been a hindrance to the region’s trade performance. Goods exports from both the South East and North West, which account for over 10 percent of all goods exports from the UK, declined on the start of 2012 while all other regions experienced an increase in goods trade.
An ice wall which collapse in Arctic Siberia is releasing ten times more carbon than previously thought. An international team writing in Nature reports the permafrost in the high Arctic is experiencing twice the average global warming. The paper, the product of a seven-week sea expedition, reveals that the Siberian coastline contains a rapidly-thawing carbon-rich permafrost called Yedoma that could have a serious impact on global warming. Although not yet releasing enough carbon to significantly affect atmospheric levels, the team acknowledge that it would be difficult to estimate when that may happen. Dr Bart van Dongen, co-author of the paper and a academic at the University of Manchester, explained that the permafrost acts as a carbon sink, storing tens-of-thousands year old carbon. By using a range of analysis techniques, the team were able to identify the Yedoma permafrost as the predominant carbon source in the area. According to Dr Van Dongen, just the surface layer of ground contains twice as much carbon as the atmosphere. Warning of the dangers of further melting, the University of Manchester lecturer said: “If this goes, then we have dramatic effects”. This understudied region has previously been protected by the Albedo effect, where pale colours reflect sunlight and heat. Now
Photo:
Jonathan Breen, News Editor
David Bradley
Yedoma permafrost is releasing ten times more carbon than previously thought, threatening a huge rise in atmospheric levels.
melting has occurred, a chain reaction has begun to release more and more carbon as CO2 and methane. Asked if we should be trying to slow the process, Dr Van Dongen was determined. “From a scientific point of view, we are changing [the environment],” he said. He believes it is a job for both governments and individuals, although he concedes, “we are human beings and we need to live”. He hopes that the Government’s obligation to act might inspire individuals to take action themselves. In the meantime, his team have just been awarded an NERC grant to continue their research in the Arctic.
Manchester City Council has proposed bringing in a higher local minimum wage of £7.15 per hour in a move that would affect 1,200 local authority employees. The lowest-paid council workers who currently receive £6.84 per hour would benefit most from the potential wage rise; with the 31p increase representing an extra £645 per year for a full time employee. The proposal was discussed by the council’s Personnel Committee on September 12th but will require the approval of the full council meeting on Wednesday 10th before it is fully adopted. Whilst short of the £7.22 Manchester-specific estimated living wage identified by the latest New Economy working paper, it will still be 96p higher than the £6.19 national minimum wage that will come into effect on October 1st. The University of Manchester ensured a living wage for all university staff in February after an investigation discovered 23 staff members were being paid less than £7.22. The move arrived after the University of Manchester living wage campaign was launched by Manchester Labour Students. First introduced in 2009 when Manchester was the first council to guarantee a minimum wage of £6.84 per hour for all its employees, the Manchester minimum wage has since cut the costs of having to re-hire and train staff and has halved staff turnover rates. The increase was considered after pressure from UNISON, the UK’s largest public sector trade union, persuaded the council to review the pay rate in response to inflation which peaked at 5.6% last September. Councillor Jeff Smith, Executive Member for Finance and Human Resources justified the increase:”We recognize the contribution that lower paid workers make to the success of Manchester as a city and are determined to support them.” Whilst not mandatory for all public sector workers in Manchester, the city council aims to lead by example. Schools and other public sector employers are being encouraged to follow suit and work towards paying the living wage, which, according to the New Economy working papers report brought about improvements in staff retention and employee morale, and productivity. Unemployment in the North West currently stands above the UK average at 9.1 percent. Trade unions’ bargaining power will remain low and the wage increase is unlikely to spread to the private sector.
06 : News
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Manchester to receive share NEWS IN BRIEF of £10m to open up research
Manchester to get 4G by Christmas Manchester will have super-fast 4G mobile network by Christmas. Everything Everywhere, owners of Orange and T-Mobile, unveiled their plan to roll out the new service at London’s Science Museum. 4G is five times faster than 3G, and is available on HTC, Samsung, Nokia and Huawei. Industry insiders tip the iPhone 5 to also be compatible. London, Bristol, Cardiff and Birmingham had 4G ‘switched on’ in early September.
Anthony Organ Editor The University of Manchester will receive part of a pledged £10 million from the government as part of an effort to make publicly-funded university research open to all. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Manchester, welcomed the funding; saying that the university “supports the principle of making published outputs of research freely available through open access”. A report published in June by the Working Group, popularly known as the Finch Group, estimated that the move could cost the UK sector an extra £60 million a year, mostly in additional publishing fees. This cost is the equivalent to 1,000 PhD studentships. The extra funding will be shared amongst the 30 most research-intensive universities but follows opposition from some of them. They complained that most of the extra cost would fall on them since they published the most research. This is despite the Finch re-
port saying that universities should not be expected to bear the brunt of any additional costs. The University of Manchester website cites the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Academic Ranking of World Universities which has consistently placed it 5th in the UK for research from 2010-12 A spokeswoman for Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said details of how the £10 million, which comes from a re-allocation of the science budget, would be divided among the universities were still to be determined. Dr Wendy Piatt, Director General of the Russell Group, welcomed the announcement of the £10 million but stressed that it is “a small step in the right direction”. She also stated that if the fund were to come by “raiding” existing science funds, as is currently planned, then “research will suffer”. Speaking at the British Science Festival in Aberdeen, universities and science minister David Willetts described this as “an unstoppable international movement” which the most influential academic journals will
Photo Caption: The University of Manchester will receive part of £10 million made available by the government in order to open up publicly funded research to the public. eventually conform to. The report recommended that the UK move towards making all of its research output open access, published preferably in ‘pay-to-publish’ or ‘gold’ journals. Once published, the research becomes immediately available and unrestricted,
Demand for graduates up – slightly Michael Williams Reporter
Photo Credit: University of Manchester
HarvardOxford academic new prof at MMU Professor Jason Powell, an Oxford visiting research professor and Harvard visiting research scholar is the new Professor of Community Practice and Social Justice at Manchester Metropolitan University. Professor Powell told Times Higher Education he felt “genuine excitement and delight” when he was offered the job and wants to help reinforce MMU’s burgeoning international reputation. He has previously worked at the universities of Central Lancashire and Liverpool.
Photo Credit: Joe Sandler Clarke
A man has been charged with the manslaughter of a 2-year-old boy in a suspected gas explosion in Oldham, Greater Manchester. Jamie Heaton died while watching TV after the blast ripped through his home and others on Buckley Street, Shaw, on 26 June. Andrew Partington, 27, who lived next door to the toddler was charged with manslaughter and criminal damage estimated at more than £1million.
Britain’s top research universities will receive £10 million from the government in order to open up research to the public
Photo Caption: Demand for graduates in the job market has risen according to a report. Photo: University of Manchester
Demand in the UK labour market for graduates continues to grow in the UK, says the annual Education at a Glance report. During the recession, the average employment rate of higher educated individuals increased by 0.1 percent, while for those with lower levels of education, the rate decreased by 3.3 percent. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), who pub-
lished the study, also found that graduates contributed an extra £55,000 to the UK economy, by paying higher income tax and social contributions. The report says that this shows the “large advantages” that higher levels of education offer “to both individuals and the public”. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said the report proved that investment in education “pays for itself many times over”. Investment in higher education, the report found, has increased slightly, but still remains “lower than that of other developed nations”. The UK spent 1.3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on higher education in 2009, up from 1.2 percent the year before. This still, however, remains way under the OECD average, which lies at 1.6 percent. This marginal increase is being attributed to a rise in the amount of private funds going into higher education – an increase of 0.1 percent. “The government urgently needs a growth plan for our country, which places investment in education at its heart”, continued Hunt, who also claimed that that the “key to getting Britain back on the road to prosperity” is “giving people the skills to earn more and participate in society”.
making it free for anyone to access. Both the Russell Group and scholars called for the government to also consider “green” open access in which authors self-archive their research, making it easier to access and cite. The recipients of the fund-
ing are the 30 universities that received the most combined research income from the research councils and the Higher Education Funding Council for England in 2010-11. The money will be awarded as part of a block grant in April 2013 and will cover 5 years
Family of bus crash victim appeal for thief to come forward Michael Williams Reporter
The family of a student killed giving chase to a mobile phone thief on Oxford Road has made a new appeal for the criminal to come forward on the one year anniversary of his death . David Schofield ran into the path of a double decker bus near the old BBC building on Oxford Road whilst in pursuit of a cyclist who had stolen his Blackberry. Originally from Hyde, the 21-year-old was returning from a night out with friends on September 10 last year when the incident occurred. Mr Schofield was scheduled to return to Liverpool John Moores University later that month to commence his second year studying sociology. Schofield had aspirations of becoming a primary school teacher. David died 24 hours after being hit by the bus at Manchester Royal Infirmary with his family by his side. Over 220 people attended a candlelit vigil on Oxford road one week later. In David’s memory, in February of this year his family launched the David Schofield foundation. The foundation later funded ‘Schoey 21’, the first ever ‘Northwest Blood
Photo Credit: Jonathan Whiting
Man charged over Oldham explosion
Photo Caption: One year ago, friends and loved ones laid flowers and hung Manchester City shirts as a tribute.
Bike’ to transport vital blood and other urgently required medical items to hospitals, free of charge and 24 hours a day. A 19-year old man and 24-year old man were arrested in connection with the robbery but no charges were ever brought. David’s mother Nickie, 40, called for the thief to come forward to give David “the justice he deserves”: “if the thief’s a half-decent person he would come forward”, she urged. “I know I wouldn’t be able to live with myself”.
News: 07
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Protest over London Met student visa row
‘A Clockwork Orange’ exhibit opens at John Rylands Michael Williams Reporter Photo Credit: Patrycja Marczewska
Manchester students protest over the UK Border Agency revoking London Metropolitan University’s license to teach non-EU students Jonathan Breen News Editor
Students from across the UK staged a protest over the revoking of London Metropolitan University’s ability to sponsor foreign students in Manchester last Wednesday. London Met’s ‘Highly Trusted Status’ was suspended last month after the UK Border Agency found students at the institution did not have visas to study in the country. Meaning more than 2,000 international students have three months to find a new course at a different institution, or arrange to leave the country. Approximately 50 international students and University of Manchester Students’ Union officials met outside University Place in the pouring rain wielding placards. “We are here to express solidarity with London Metropolitan students. These students face deportation because of the decision that the UK Border Agency took,” said
Manchester Students’ Union Diversity Officer Saad Wahid. “We are demanding this kind of decision should be talked through. “These international students who are genuine and sincere, who pay their fees, who come to study everyday, who attend their lectures, should not be treated in this way…it’s inhumane.” Legitimate international students officially have 60 days to find a new course at a different institution or make arrangements to leave the UK. But the time limit will not take effect until the UKBA sends out letters to each student, which they said they would not do until 1 October. Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Ed Balls has condemned the treatment of the overseas students as “disgraceful”. Speaking at the protest, Francis Owobiyi, postgraduate student officer of London Met student union said, “The UK gov-
ernment, they don’t value international students.” Fellow London Met student union official Adnan Pavel said, “This is sending a negative image of UK higher education around the world, that UK education is no more for international students.” The International Photo Caption: The protest over the treatment of London Met’s international Officer for the Nation- students in Manchester last Wednesday. al Union of Students Daniel Stevens was tivism, “International stu- week. also among the prodents don’t normally pro“There would have testers. “I’m protesting because test, they don’t normally been more student population to witness the what is happening to the do things like this.” Immigration minister event and participate in London Met is disgraceful, its an absolute out- Damian Green said the the event,” said Finn Box, rage,” said Mr Stevens. “I UKBA had no choice but who is studying for a PhD think we have to have a to revoke LMU’s license, in Physics at Manchester. united front of interna- saying the university “The protest has been tional students across proved to be a “very de- dampened by the Manthe country to say what’s ficient” sponsor because chester weather.” Mr Wahid was pleased happening to our fellow more than a quarter of international students students sampled did by the turnout, he said, at London Met is com- not have permission to “In spite of the fact there was a lot of rain, I think pletely wrong and outra- stay in the UK. Protesters acknowl- we had 50, 50 plus peogeous.” He added it was unlike edged the rally would ple here, which shows foreign students to get have been more success- that people are passioninvolved in student ac- ful if held during freshers’ ate.”
Police in court over false evidence
Anthony Organ News Editor
Jonathan Breen News Editor
A man has been jailed for 10 years after deliberately ramming his car into a house and potentially leaving someone without the use of their legs. Andrew Vanhorne, 40, committed the atrocity at a Boxing Day house party on Markington Street, Moss Side, after another guest taunted him about a necklace he was wearing. Vanhorne, known as “Heineken” for drinking lager, reportedly threw his drink over the other guest before producing a knife and threatening him. After being convinced to leave, he later tried to return and become involved in a fight with host Owen Irving. Later, as Mr Irving was clearing in front of the house, Vanhorne sped his car towards him, narrowly missing him but instead hitting Claudine Henry and Carlisle Rock. Detective Constable Ian Wrench described “an absolute trail of devastation” and deplored the “shocking and totally unnecessary violence”. Ms Henry was knocked into the air after being “heroically pushed out of the way” by Mr Rock and suffered an ankle injury, whilst Mr Rock’s legs
Photo Credit: Greater Manchester Police
Man jailed after deliberately crashing car into house
Photo Caption: Andrew Van Home (pictured) has been jailed for ten years.
were shattered. The court heard that Mr Rock, who appeared in a wheelchair, may require amputations after spending six and a half weeks in hospital. The car continued to smash through the front of the house and into the living room before Vanhorne reversed and drove away. He was found guilty of causing actual bodily harm, attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Two Greater Manchester Policemen accused of giving false evidence about an English Defence League march in Bolton are due to appear in court today. GMP officers Inspector Robert Cantrell, 39, and Constable Alan Glover, 31, are being charged with perverting the course of justice, after an Independent Police Complaints Commission led investigation. Both officers are suspected of giving untruthful evidence that led to the arrest of UAF protester Alan Clough, 65, who was hit over the head by police and subsequently arrested during the rally in Bolton in March 2010. Clough, from Radcliffe, Bury, was set to stand trial in October 2010 on a charge of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. But the charge was dropped after video footage of the rally was obtained. Demonstrators from each side clashed at the rally, which saw 73 people arrested, including the UAF protest organiser. Insp Cantrell and PC Glover appeared in York Crown Court last Tuesday to give their names and dates of birth. They are due to appear again today to enter their pleas and for the date of the trial to be set. The hearings are in York due to a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service
Photo Credit: Matty Major
to take the officers away from the area they work in. The GMP declined to comment, saying the matter was in the hands of the IPCC.
A Clockwork Orange is being celebrated with an exhibition in John Rylands Library to mark its 50th anniversary. The revolutionary novel, by Manchester-born Anthony Burgess, was released in 1962 and has since been adapted to both stage and screen – most famously Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film adaptation. On display in the Historic Reading Room at the Library are rare editions of the novel, letters between Burgess and Kubrick, and props from the film – including the phallic ‘rocking chair’ sculpture by Dutch artist Herman Makkink.
Photo: Joe Sandler Clarke
Items have been gathered for display from the collections of the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, as well as film memorabilia from the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of the Arts, London, and artwork loaned by the Arts Council. Some material on display has never been exhibited to the public until now. The exhibition, which runs until January 27, is designed to “explore an iconic work of literature and its ongoing cultural impact”, said Rachel Beckett, Head of Special Collections and Associate Director of The John Rylands Library. “Anthony Burgess is regarded with great affection and respect by many people in his native Manchester, and around the world, and we hope our visitors will enjoy this unique opportunity”. The exhibition runs seven days a week and admission is free. Burgess was born in north Manchester in 1917 and spent his childhood in Harpurhey and Moss Side, before being educated at Xaverian College and later studying English language and literature at the University of Manchester.
08 : News Feature
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
‘I wasn’t consulted on fees,’ says President of UK’s largest university Richard Crook Editor “There’s uncertainty all around, it’s really pretty big,” the Vice Chancellor tells me, citing fee rises alongside both the drop in A level results and the decision by the University of Manchester to reduce student numbers. But even though it’s her third interview of the day, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell welcomes me into her office in the John Owens building without dropping any hint we’re imposing on what is a 70-hour a week job. I tell her this will be an edition read by more first year students than any other, so she’s not surprised when I start with fees. Why did the University make the decision to charge students £9,000 a year? “It was made with great reluctance. We looked very carefully at the cuts in government funding, and calculated what it would take to match that on a fee.” When you took into account the bursaries they planned to offer, she says, it became “literally a break-even situation.” So was Dame Nancy surprised – like the coalition – that so many other universities followed suit? “No, I think every university will be at £9,000 soon.” I’d always assumed that the decision would have come following at least some discussion with the head of one of the largest and popular universities in the UK, so I ask if she was consulted during the Browne Review into student fees. Apparently not. “We weren’t consulted during the Browne Review at all”, the Vice Chancellor tells me, but is keen to stress that she made her arguments known anyway. “I could accept that there had to be some change, but £9,000 was far too much and far too soon.” So was the academic community ignored? “Yes, I think so. And compared to business, I don’t think the academic community have that strong a voice when everything’s being cut.” But some student anger remains aimed squarely at universities, not the government, a fact Dame Nancy will be all too aware of. I wonder if some people don’t understand that universities are non-profit organisations. She nods. “There’s a huge lack of understanding on loads of fronts. An awful lot of people still say, “Where am I going to find £9,000?” when of course they don’t have to, and I often get asked, “What are you going to do with this extra money?” Well, there isn’t any extra money.” The Vice Chancellor allows a hint of tedium to creep in here, and I suspect “often” is underselling it. Of course, students are paying more
so they will expect more. Should we start thinking of ourselves more as consumers? “I don’t think they should. The Students Union has always expressed to me that they don’t want to be seen as consumers. They want to be considered partners, and to feel a part of the University.” We start discussing how courses vary in cost to provide, and the idea of charging different fees for different subjects, a route many universities outside the Russell Group took. Here she claims, “It was the Students Union who urged us to charge the same fee whatever the course.” I move the conversation onto student satisfaction scores (NSS), which the University of Manchester performs notoriously poorly in. Last year we were the second lowest scoring university in the Russell Group for feedback, and by far the worst for teaching and overall scores. Where is the university is going wrong? “It’s a combination of factors, all of which we’re trying to address. We increased student numbers in 2007, I think by too much, and we’re planning a 10% cut. There are areas where we’ve had a shortage of staff, and we’ve invested in 80 new academics. Some of our facilities weren’t good enough, and we’ve invested £10m this year and will be investing £10m next year. And I’ve said this before, there’s a small minority of staff who don’t believe they’re here for the benefit of students.” And what about the Students’ Union’s role in these poor scores? I suggest that when many students arrive they are unaware of the clear divide between the Union and the University, and so if the Union fails to deliver, students may wonder whether they’re very connected to the university. “That’s probably true, and it’s a feature of the size of the university. Last year’s Executive recognised there wasn’t very strong participation in the Union, and that most students see the Students’ Union as a place of political views and socialising, when actually they do a huge amount besides that.” I wonder whether the nature of political campaigns means they can overshadow what the Union offers elsewhere, and make students think, ‘Actually, this Union isn’t for me.’ “Yeah, and a lot of them do think that. I’ve certainly been told by students in some schools, ‘The Union’s only interested in fighting fees and cuts’. They’ll ask me about being short of money or getting advice, and I say ‘well the Students’ Union has all of this’, but they don’t know.” If you visit websites like TheStudentRoom. co.uk during exam selection, you will
Photo Credit: Joe Sandler Clarke
Richard Crook sits down with with Dame Nancy Rothwell to discuss fees, Student Satisfaction, and what the future holds.
Mancunion editor sits down with Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell in her office
find hundreds of prospective students frantically comparing league tables, worrying about the reputation of their university. Are they placing too much emphasis on NSS scores? “Probably. They should look more at their course. But we can’t ignore it, because it does drive student choice.” Undoubtedly, Dame Nancy works in a man’s world. Only 18% of professors are women, and she is one of only 17 female Vice Chancellors (and the only one in the Russell Group). I ask why the numbers are so discouraging. “That’s the $64 million question. Academia is an incredibly demanding career, and to be a successful researcher you have to be known internationally, you have to travel a lot. That makes it very difficult for women caring for children or older relatives.” Of course, that’s not a problem unique to academia. But I wonder any discrimination exists within the profession. “I’ve never encountered it, and I think it’s very rare,” she says frankly, but adds, “There is one thing that could be improved. You can never generalise, but when I was offered this job, I read a book by a female coach who said, ‘In general, if there’s a major promotion available, men will say, ‘I can do half of that, I’ll go for it’, whereas women
tend to say, “I can’t do half of that, so I won’t go for it.” So self-esteem’s a factor? “I think it is. Women tend to self-examine what they can’t do. We still get women in senior positions saying, ‘I want to go back to being an academic I don’t like doing it,’ but you don’t get many men saying that.” Is that down in part to a certain kind of atmosphere? “I think it’s the pressure. In any senior position you have to deal with difficult issues like staff performance, complaints or concerns. And women probably take those sorts of things more to heart. “ Despite obvious gender imbalance, Dame Nancy remains adamantly against quotas. “I don’t like them. I would never have wanted to feel I’d achieved something because I was a woman. This really comes up at the Royal Society, and all the female fellows I’ve ever spoken to there have said the same thing. Amongst women [in academia] it’s very unpopular.” She does encourage having targets, but again distances herself from top-down enforcement. “I’ve never been in favour of positive discrimination either. It’s not particularly fair on women, and it’s certainly not fair on men.” Time is running out, and I finish with some questions about the past and
future. This will be Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell’s third year as President, so what is she most proud of? “As a university – though I couldn’t say I had a hand in it – I’d say the Nobel Prize, the new buildings, and of course the huge amount of student achievements. In terms of me personally, I’d like to think we’re getting better at communicating and interacting. I never wanted to be a President who sits in her office, so I get out to schools and meet with students. And we’re starting to have an impact with social responsibility.“ But what areas has she wished she’d made more progress in? “Oh just about everything,” she laughs. “I’m continually frustrated. I think, ‘Why is this taking so long? Why haven’t we improved on NSS scores? Why haven’t we received more grants?’ We’ve decided to focus more on heritage, and there are some fantastic quotes in the new Learning Commons and I think, ‘We need to do more on these things!’ I’m quite impatient.” It can only be a good thing that she’s most energetic when talking about the things they need to improve on. But if she wished she’d made more progress in “everything”, then it might be time to leave her to it.
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
News Feature : 09
Six of the best: a potted history of Manchester academia Andrew Williams profiles six of the University of Manchester’s most influential and prestigious scholars, past and present. The University’s Vice Chancellor, Dame Nancy Rothwell, is the latest in a long and prestigious line of notable academics to have imparted their expertise here at Manchester. Andrew Williams takes a look at six more of our best-known scholars, past and present.
Sir Andre Geim and Sir Konstantin Novoselov, physicists The University of Manchester can count an incredible 25 Nobel Laureates amongst its alumni, yet the two most recent Manchester-based recipients captured the Prize with one of the important scientific breakthroughs of modern times.
Photo Credit: Name of photographer
Russian-born physicists Geim and Novoselov have worked together at the lengthily-titled Centre for Mesoscience and Nanotechnology since its opening in 2003, conducting vital research into innovative materials. Following their discovery of graphene – a one-atom thick sheet of densely-packed carbon atoms – in 2004, the duo set about testing its properties. What they found, according to Geim, was “a prospect so far beyond the horizon that we cannot even assess it properly”.
Professor Brian Cox, physicist Currently ensconced within the School of Physics and Astronomy, Professor Brian Cox is surely the first and only man to have both played keyboard on Top of the Pops and worked with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. As a University of Manchester student, Cox achieved a first class degree in Physics, before putting aside his scientific urges to embark upon a successful career as a musician. D:Ream scored nine UK Top 40 hits in a five year period, and are perhaps best remembered for New Labour’s aspirational election anthem ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ – worth a look on YouTube, if you want to see a rhythmically-challenged John Prescott going wild in the party conference aisles. Cox returned to the academic fold in 1997 to complete his DPhil in high energy particle physics, and now divides his time between Manchester and CERN. In recent years, Cox has established himself as some sort of Patrick Moore for the 21st Century, rejuvenating the factual entertainment genre via his hugely popular TV series’ ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ and ‘Wonders of the Universe’. According to his official University profile, his “accessible style has seen Physics and Astronomy applications to the University of Manchester soar in recent years”. Brian Cox is currently working with fellow Manchester academics to produce a third series for the BBC.
Sir Ian Kershaw, historian
Geim The discovery of graphene could revolutionise the way in which we use materials in our everyday lives. Heralded as a “miracle material”, the mindblowing facts are endless; just one atom thick, it is the thinnest material known to man, yet it is harder than a diamond and conducts electricity more efficiently than copper. One gram could stretch across several football pitches. Graphene is 200 times stronger than structural steel, James Hone, mechanical engineering professor at
Were it not for his six year lectureship at the University of Manchester, Ian Kershaw might never have made his name as one of the world’s leading experts on Hitler and the Third Reich. Kershaw joined the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures in 1968 as a medieval historian and, in the summer of 1972, travelled to Munich to learn German in a bid to aid the teaching of one of his courses. A chilling conversation during his time in what was then West Germany radically altered the trajectory of his career. Kershaw was shocked to be told by an ageing Nazi that the British were “stupid” for not siding with Hitler, and appalled by his comment that “the Jew is a louse”. The confrontation inspired the young historian to embark on researching the social history of Nazism, and the University promptly allowed him to switch to a job in the modern history department. The rest – pardon the pun – is history. Kershaw has since become renowned for his work on the Nazi regime, having penned over twenty authoritative works on the subject. His two volume biography of Hitler is considered to be the seminal work on one of the most evil men in history, whilst Kershaw’s fascination with the question of how and why the rise of Nazism was possible has never waned.
Novoselov
Kershaw has become one of the recognisable historians in Britain, and reluctantly accepted a knighthood in 2002 – “I dislike the neo-feudal title” – for services to the discipline. He says of the darkest period of the 20th Century: “I should like to think that had I been around at the time I would have been a convinced anti-Nazi engaged in the underground resistance fight. However, I know really that I would have been as confused and felt as helpless as most of the people I am writing about”.
Martin Amis, novelist Given his reputation as a world-weary curmudgeon, it was something of a surprise when Martin Amis was announced as the inaugural Professor of Creative Writing at the Centre for New Writing in 2007. His credentials were undoubted – during his tenure in Manchester, The Times named him as one of the 50 greatest British post-war writers – but some suspected that his acerbic style might be unsuited to working with such raw talent. Amis was quick to allay such fears: “I would find it very difficult to say cruel things to [students] in such a vulnerable position”, he said. “I imagine I’ll be surprisingly sweet and gentle with them.” Amis’ writing is nothing if not political, so perhaps Manchester was a natural choice for his maiden teaching post. Along with his great friend Christopher Hitchens, he was an outspoken critic of radical Islam, whilst many of his thirteen novels have centred on societal breakdown and the absurdity of the human condition. His appointment was a huge coup for the University, a cornerstone of the ‘Manchester 2015 Agenda’. Indeed, Amis’ arrival saw a 100% increase in applications to courses at the Centre of Creative Writing; he reciprocated, proclaiming the students of Manchester “a witty and tolerant contingent”. The professorship attracted some controversy in 2008 when it emerged that Amis was being paid just shy of £3,000 per lecture – somewhat apt, commentators noted, for a man who authored the 1984 bestseller ‘Money’ – yet it was a roaring success. His students identified with his description of writing as “running away from your unconscious”; Amis inspired scored of would-be wordsmiths during his four year stint at the University, before leaving Manchester to live with his wife in New York in 2011.
Joseph Stiglitz, economist Another Nobel Laureate to add to Manchester’s distinguished history, Joseph Stiglitz has chaired the Brooks World Poverty Institute since 2005. The research centre, dedicated to researching poverty, inequality and growth, was bound to pique the American’s interest given his criticism of hyper-globalisation, fervent free market economics and financial institutions in recent years. Stiglitz occupies a unique position as an economist who has both held positions at the heart of national and international government and, latterly, criticised the global economic machine which he blames for perpetuating poverty and inequality. As an economic advisor to President Bill Clinton, Stiglitz was central to efforts by the administration to find a ‘Third Way’ between laissez-faire capitalism and oversized, over-powerful government. In 1997, he was appointed Chief Economist at the World Bank, where he uncovered a series of failures on the part of the IMF (detailed in his book ‘Globalisation and Its Discontents’) as it attempted to aid the transition of former Soviet countries to market economies. One of the world’s leading left-leaning economists, Stiglitz has argued for a fiscal stimulus to kickstart economic recovery in the United States. His latest book, ‘The Price of Inequality’, reached the New York Times bestseller list earlier this year.
10
Politics & Comment
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Natalie Bennett says getting rid of nuclear weapons is a major priority
Jacques Delors, President of the European Commission
“Regulate the hell out of crazy big banks”, says new Green Party leader Eve Fensome meets the new leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett “This will probably do as a green spot”, Natalie Bennett resolves, a rather appropriate observation given that she has just succeeded Caroline Lucas as leader of the Green Party. As we sit down together on a particularly lush patch of grass overlooking Council House in Bristol, the venue for this autumn’s Green Party Conference, Bennett is easing herself into her first full day as party leader – she formally accepted her new role only yesterday – whilst contemplating just how far the Greens have come a in a relatively short space of time. Founded as recently as 1990, the party returned its first MEPs nine years later. In 2010, Caroline Lucas became the first Green Party MP, triumphing in the long-targeted seat of Brighton Pavilion – a breakthrough which Bennett believes will make a “big difference” when it comes to attracting voters at the next election. “Next time, anyone anywhere around the country, including whoever’s standing in Manchester, can say, ‘well Brighton did it, Manchester you can do it too’.” Natalie Bennett is in charming mood, and who could blame her? Born and educated in Sydney, Australia, she already has a successful journalistic career behind her, having written for several broadsheet newspapers and, for the past five years, edited Guardian Weekly. She fought of three rival candidates to become leader of the Green Party following Caroline Lucas’ decision to stand down as in a bid to concentrate on her role as an MP. Yet the 46-year-old is under no illusions; the Greens may now be represented in Parliament, but there is still plenty of work to be done if the party is going to grow into a truly influential voice – not to mention an electoral force – in years to come. “What we need to do is build up our strength from the bottom in terms of councils. Across the country and in Manchester particularly,
once people see we’ve got elected councillors and elected MEPs, then filling in the gap in the middle becomes a lot more viable.” Bennett has inherited a party membership of 12,000 and rising, and the Greens have proved particularly popular with young people. Central to the party’s strategy is its appeal to students; Bennett is quick to identify a number of areas in which the Greens offer a unique range of policies which might entice young voters. “At a very obvious level, we’re the only people who believe in no university tuition fees. Much more broadly, when you look at the environmental state, the Green Party is the party that thinks long-term about the future generations, including the immediately coming one but also much further into the future”. She continues: “we’re also the party that says the current situation of unemployment is utterly inappropriate. The situation of low pay, of casualisation, of zero hours contracts, all things particularly affecting young people in terms of employment; they aren’t acceptable and can’t be allowed to continue.” The solution? “We have to restructure our whole society, in terms of bringing manufacturing home, bringing food production home, basically reverse globalisation”, she says with no small hint of ambition. “We’re going to have to stop shipping huge amounts of stuff around the world and that means bringing all the jobs back, and well enough paid so that you actually have a virtuous cycle where people are paid a decent wage so they can then afford to buy things. Eventually you get back a balanced economy where workers are paid enough to buy what they’re actually making.” This I like the sound of, but I have to question whether Bennett is being realistic. How, for example, would she ensure that domestic production is not undermined by cheap imports when even salad – which could easily
be grown locally – is flown in from Africa and South America? “The aviation industry is enormously subsidised so if you take away those subsidies then a lot of those things don’t make sense. It’s not as if you have to say, ‘right we’re going to ban salads from Peru’. You’ve got to make sure that the economic systems allow for the genuine cost of things, and then it makes no sense to actually do those things.” Protectionism, however, is not the way forward – “a very nineteenth century solution”, she explains. Without wishing to get too bound up in the age-old protectionism versus free-trade debate, I move on to the questions of priorities. The Green Party have plenty of worthy aspirations, some of which are quite surprising – I learn, for example, that renationalisation of the railways has been a Green Party policy for the last twelve years – but I put Bennett on the spot and ask her to pick her top three priorities. Predictably, the environment tops the agenda, with the economy occupying second spot. “We need to go and do everything to encourage credit unions and mutuals and regulate the hell out of the crazy big banks and make sure that if they gamble with huge amounts of money they go broke and their shareholders suffer but no one else does.” In at number three? “The third thing is worth adding because it’s just so horrifying when you think about it, which is nuclear weapons. I think we need to get rid of Britain’s nuclear weapons. They cost a mint and I cannot imagine a situation, or any sane person who could, in which Britain would use those nuclear weapons, so why do we have them?” Natalie Bennett clearly has some strong and coherent ideals. She believes in organic growth in manufacturing and production as well as organically growing her party, but only time will tell if her policies are sustainable.
My Political Hero... Jacques Delors Older readers may remember Mr Delors’ tenure as eighth President of the European Commission between 1985 and 1994. Some may even recall the infamous ‘Up Yours Delors’ Sun front cover of 1990, where that esteemed tabloid invited all free-thinking Brits to spend a minute sticking two fingers up in the direction of Brussels. Now, Mr Delors is of course not only a Frenchman, but an arch-Eurocrat to boot – arguably an odd choice for this column, but bear with me. Jacques Delors served three terms as President of the Commission, making him the longest serving President of the 11 to date. Delors started off his political life as a high-profile member of the French Socialist Party, acting as Social Affairs advisor to Prime Minister Jacques Chaban-Delmas, and later as a Member of the European Parliament and Finance Minister to French President François Mitterand So, a French Europhilic socialist then? Pretty much. But one does not necessarily have to agree with Delors’ personal beliefs to admire his politics and his undeniable ability as a politician. This is why I hold Jacques Delors up as a political hero: not because I necessarily agree with him on much, but because he embodies what every politician ought to be. Jacques Delors had a vision for where he wanted France and the European Union to be; he faced opposition from all corners during the time of ‘eurosclerosis’, a mass swell of antiEuropean feeling which saw him into office. But Delors pursued his goals doggedly, not without compromise, and not in ignorance of his many critics, but he stuck to what he believed in, and what’s more he achieved it. It was by sheer force of will that Delors cajoled, pleaded, browbeat, negotiated, and marshalled the various nations of Europe towards the integrated, Federalist vision of the EU which he believed in. He is widely credited with ensuring the Maastricht Treaty of 1992 happened, as well as launching the EU member-states down the road towards Economic and Monetary Union. If you are a Eurosceptic, these ‘achievements’ no doubt strike you as abhorrent, but they are nonetheless undeniably impressive. Jacques Delors represented the best a politician can be: he was always outspoken and truthful about his aims, and in power he went to every length to ensure that they were met. Regardless of one’s personal predilections, Jacques Delors is the consummate politician from whom others would do well to take notes.
Ben Green
Comment
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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The unofficial Freshers guide to scams Every year students are being scammed, but what is anybody doing about it? You’ve just received your student loan and you suddenly find the whole world has opened before your feet. Did you hear about the amazing Freshers Week parties? You should get a wristband, everyone’s gonna be there! But they won’t be. Because more often as not, you’re being scammed. Take heed, because it’s a serious problem which affects students up and down the country. Most of these scammers will try and catch you early on, in the excitement following A-level results. They’ll spam Facebook or Twitter, advertising their cheap tickets to the coolest event in the city. If you’ve never been to Manchester before, how are you to know the best place to go? “UoMUltimateGuide” on Facebook have been found to spam their subscribers about the “Manchester Freshers Week” packs, and claim to offer an opportunity to “find your flatmate”. Their ‘Manchester Freshers Week committee’ has nothing to do with the University or the Students’ Union (SU). The SU is actually putting on two Welcome Week events (the Welcome Week Party, and the M13 Festival) which are sponsoring a safe taxi scheme for all students. It’s not just touts for Freshers party tickets, but fake jobs, and mailing lists which have been linked to phishing scams. In July 2012, two men arrested by colleagues of Greater Manchester Police and London Metropolitan were jailed for stealing over £1.5 million
from UK students. Damola Olatunji, from Manchester, had gained access to student accounts at the start of the 2011/2012 academic year by using a bogus Student Loans Company website. Asking students to log on and confirm their details, he was able to access their bank accounts. The Student Loans Company have warned students to be wary of suspicious emails of this nature, stating that they would never ask students to confirm their personal details in such a manner. As a student, we might not consider ourselves to be in any danger of identity fraud, having no significant personal wealth. But the majority of students will receive a substantial loan, and have opened a student bank account with large overdrafts, making us attractive targets. As school leavers suddenly entrusted to fly the proverbial nest, we’re also prone to naïvety. The online ad service Gumtree was targeted by scammers advertising false J.D. Wetherspoons jobs all around the country, which caught thousands. Part time job ads were placed online, requiring you to submit a CV. Once you were congratulated on being a successful applicant, you were then asked to submit an email with a signed disclaimer and uniform sizes, and to pay £60 for a CRB check. First of all, there is no requirement for a CRB check for working in a bar, and secondly, the maximum cost of a CRB check is £44. Police and the UK’s Fraud Prevention Service are still conducting investigations to put a halt to these scams. When you come to the Welcome Fair, you’ll be
bombarded by people on the streets handing you promotional leaflets and trying to get some cash out of you by signing up to their scheme. Legitimate or not, there are serious concerns for students that need to be acknowledged by the University and the SU especially. Another popular scheme is to buy a “Student Discount Card”, which sounds pretty appealing, right? We all like to find the best bargain on GroupOn after all. However, the only nationally recognised student discount card is the NUS Extra. Whilst others may have secured deals with certain companies, it’s unlikely to be true and certainly will not work with the major, national brands. There are many other instances that can also leave students vulnerable. Finding last minute accommodation, for example. All first year students are entitled to a place in Halls of Residence, but for everyone else it is a gamble trying to find a house. Ask any third year about their second year experience and you’ll probably hear the same story; dingy, mouldy, broken
furniture, mice-infested, absentee landlords. Manchester Student Homes in Fallowfield offers free help and advice to deal with any issues, and you can also go to the Advice Centre in the SU, but it’s a little too late when you’ve already signed on the dotted line. The University needs to take a stance to help prevent students being exposed to this vulnerability in the first place. We might all think that crap student housing is standard, part of the territory, but it shouldn’t be. There have been no official notifications from the University or the SU to warn students about such scams, and how to protect ourselves. For Freshers especially, this is vital. Whilst there may be plenty of advice on hand, this should be proactive and not retroactive. As the largest university in the country, more effort needs to be made to help protect the student body.
Lisa Murgatroyd
Disagree? Tweet us @mancuniondebate, or email us at comment@mancunion.com
SOAPBOX #1
Sounding off about the gripes and irks of everyday life
Each week we’re going to get on our soapbox and shout off about what’s been grating our nerves lately. Everyone likes a good moan or a bitch. Feel like you have something to rant about? Tweet us @ mancuniondebate or email comment@mancunion.com Charging over a hundred pounds to reconnect a phone line, when you know someone moved out just the month before. What could possibly have happened that means an engineer has to come out and physically connect you? Did they pull the wires out of the wall in a mad fit of rage? Doubtful.
Freshers week means one thing; Oxford Road is going to be full of people shoving leaflets in my face. I don’t want them, I keep my head down and my hands in my pocket but there’s no chance of running the gauntlet without being forced to take some flyer about some crap party.
“Do you want the 70p?” No, let’s just call it £2 even shall we? Er, no. You might think you’re being helpful, but you sound like an idiot. Work behind a till and you’ll soon grow sick of this phrase. Don’t you say it.
Contrary to popular belief, if you wave or click your fingers at me, I’m not going to serve you any quicker. Start hollering at me, and you’re definitely moving down my mental list. Oh yeah, we do have one. And if you move position, don’t be surprised if you’re forgotten entirely.
Charging a fee for “post and packaging” of an eTicket has to be as big a joke as RyanAir charging you to check in online. You’re charging me to print my own ticket? Wow, how considerate of you! Even worse when they have the monopoly on an event.
Get ahead, get online; the future of education? As pioneers in computer science, the University of Manchester needs to catch up with the times or fall behind in… Each year the level of opportunities available for webbased learning increases, shaking the rigid foundations of higher education. Online institutes such as Coursera, Udacity, and the Khan Academy offer free tuition services to users all over the world, in a range of different topics. Top flite universities such as Harvard and Oxford provide free lecture series through iTunes U. And what do we have? Blackboard 9, and the Student System, two ridiculously over complicated systems that fail to provide the most basic services when they’re really needed. It’s writ into legend how Blackboard was sent crashing when everyone logged on to see if a certain saintly Italian had actually paid off all our library fees. The Student System is a labyrinth of dead ends that no one seems to know how to navigate around to find the most important information – our grades. Enrolling on courses is a painful process, especially for those of us who have to grab seminar slots which quickly disappear, making the last laborious half an hour null and void. In March 2012, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announced the launch of a pioneering new scheme to provide a fully automated online assessed course. MITx, an interactive course designed solely for internet users, saw 120,000 students registered for
6.002x: Circuits and Electronics. The course ran until June, with 10 hours per week and e-resources available such as a virtual laboratory and textbooks. There were no official prerequisites, and was available globally, leading to a certificate upon successful completion. Whilst it is not the first online degree, MIT are the first to offer one without charge, and under their brand. With tuition fees tripling this year, and very little change being seen in return to justify such a price hike, there are many people challenging the benefit of a ‘traditional’ higher education attending institutes in the UK (where, let’s face it, between the low number of contact hours and poor attendance rates, what is the point?). If you take the Faculty of Humanities, for instance, a student body of around 18,000
and over 1,000 academic staff, where courses are largely based on a weekly lecture and seminar, and of course the ever optimistic “reading” that is usually a quick scan of some pages on the Magic Bus. I’m sure most of us have often thought, well, I could just learn this myself at home! I can of course argue that the point of coming to university is to learn from these renowned scholars, and to have access to all the resources which your average Joe would not. I do actually believe that, but it comes at a high price. Especially when you compare the number of contact hours for the Arts (on average, around six to eight per week) to the Sciences (easily approaching an average nine-to-five day for some degrees). This isn’t a comment on what I’m actually paying for though, or a platform to debate crippling tuition fees – it’s a moan
about the lack of technological advancement throughout the University. In my personal experience, most of my lecturers are technophobes that avoid using Blackboard as much as possible, and those that do attempt to join the 21st Century usually make a hash of it. There are so many ways that online learning can greatly improve any degree course, from putting an end to the frustration of finding that the one book you really need for your essay is being hogged by another student (who usually isn’t even in your class), to structured discussion groups that can receive feedback from your tutor, or perhaps take a leaf of out MIT’s book and provide a ‘virtual laboratory’ for experiments. There is so much scope for improvement of online, intuitive learning, which has yet to be realised. Programs which understand a student’s behaviour and provide prompts to guide a student through a problem or to a different platform of learning if they have difficulty with ‘talking head’ lecture tutorials for instance. This should be an integral supplement to classroom based teaching. Over half a century ago, the birth of the modern computer was witnessed at the University of Manchester, and since then Manchester has led the world in computer science. So why are her students now being left in the dark ages? Lisa Murgatroyd
Comment Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Immigration and population decline – Could America have the answer? Antonia Jennings looks into the problem of immigration and population decline. Europe have many intermediate and long term concerns, including two that are closely interlinked – immigration and population decline. A natural population decrease seems inevitable from Europe’s low birth rates, a decrease that is unlikely to be reversed by immigration. To put it mildly, many Europeans are not very enthusiastic about their main sources immigrants today, namely North Africans and Muslim countries more generally. Just in the last month we have seem major clashes in Greece, France and Germany between the natives and Muslim immigrants. Europe’s falling birth rate will prevent the continent from keeping up with the emerging markets in Asia and Central and South America. ‘Keeping up with’ may be overly optimistic, ‘not falling too far behind’ may be more realistic. With a steady and stable population growth rate Europe has a better chance of developing a competitive level of human and physical capital, crucial for continuing our collective relative strong economic position. With China’s birth rate soaring, and there even being some talk of their one child policy being reversed, their supply of cheap labour is huge, increasing and eager. Indeed, many Chinese are setting up businesses all over the world, at no cost to the Chinese economy in China. Societies in the East generally are becoming more educated, rapidly catching up to the levels enjoyed by the Western world. Admittedly the mean educational level is still a long way off, but Europe is wise to prepare now for the eventuality: where the gap becomes minimal.
Societies in the East generally are becoming more educated, rapidly catching up to the levels enjoyed by the Western world Europe is facing some serious demographic challenges. An increase in birth rate in the region is unlikely, leaving a search for immigrants from other areas the most likely solution. So, why the US? Perhaps somewhat naively, the ‘European Dream’ seems to still have many American enamoured. Many elements of it appeal to the leftward leaning American psyche – stakeholder capitalism, a bigger welfare state and easier upward mobility becoming ever easier on this side of the Atlantic. These are all aside from cultural and social benefits they could enjoy, for example the retirement age increasing on average at half the rate than the American’s, and the ability to puff away without anywhere close to as much moral opprobrium from
society. If anything, Mitt Romney is encouraging emigration to Europe to the democrats of the USA. In recent weeks he has stated that the November elections for the main part revolve around America either moving towards a ‘European –style social-welfare state’ or back to a state which is ‘more like America’. Mitt Romney speaking French in an advert has also been criticised by fellow Republicans, apparently demonstrating his lack of commitment in America. As ridiculous as it may seem, this mentality among many Republicans is surprisingly not uncommon in the sense that any opportunity to exemplify Europe as a failure is taken. These Europhilic sentiments are not going down well with the Democrats, who see them as a direct stab at much of which Obama has fought for over the last few years: a healthcare system that can help all, more benefits for the poorest in society, and generally creating a more redistributive and equal society. With so many Americans discontented with their current nation’s trajectory, recently shown, for example, with the Occupy Wall Street movement, Europe may well appeal to a surprisingly large proportion of the country. Many trace their ancestors back to Europe, identifying themselves both as American, but also in some sense European. Let us not forget the other fringe benefits of living in the continent – football, rhythmic gymnastics and of course, The Eurovision Song Contest.
Photo Credit: Lisa Murgatroyd
Wherever you may be: stay away from the trains The embarrassment of Britain’s failing railways Welcome to Manchester young Freshers! Hopefully you’ve been settling in well and enjoying all the things this great city has to offer. There’s so much to see and do both in and around Manchester, but if I could offer just one piece of advice it would be this: stay the hell away from the trains. Unlike a lot of areas, the buses are actually pretty good in Manchester, and there’s even a tram if you like that sort of thing. But in common with every other part of the country, the trains are a gigantic, miserable joke that was never particularly funny. Unless of course you are Timothy O’Toole. Or Richard Branson (until very recently at least). For those of you who are returning readers, you may remember my position on the train operating companies from last year. To sum up: I hate them. I loathe them with the kind of blind, searing rage which is normally reserved for war criminals and people who talk in cinemas. I hate them because they represent every bad face of capitalism; I hate them because they are a public service run in the interests of a handful of
excessively wealthy owners, because they operate as a cartel running the most expensive, yet least reliable, train services in the whole of Europe. Although I suppose it is really the constant stream of politicians who have bought into the idea that train lines can be run efficiently and cost effectively by private companies ever since John Major decided cutting up the network and giving it to his mates was a great way forward for the country. Britain’s trains are an issue the majority of people do not spend much time thinking about, and probably rightly so. It just so happens that I spend a much greater portion of my life sitting on trains than I would like and, as something of a natural anorak, I cannot help but spend an even greater portion of my life thinking about those trains. It is undeniably ludicrous that we spend more money on train fares than any other people in Europe, and yet our train services consistently rank at the bottom of tables for punctuality, comfort, overcrowding, and reliability. The lunatic response to this
problem has been on-going ever since initial privatisation: that is, year-on-year above inflation price increases. That is to say that, in real terms, the cost of a train ticket between the same two places has become more expensive every single year since 1990. Originally train companies were allowed to increase fares by RPI+1 every year – that is the higher measure of inflation, plus an extra 1%. To anyone who might stop and think about this, it is obviously an unsustainable model if the idea is to increase the price of a service above the level of wage increases every single year. Eventually everybody will be completely priced off the railways. Yet to combat this the latest solution has been to … allow train companies to raise prices by RPI+3 as of next year! This means that in January, many tickets will increase in price by as much as 6.2%, although you will of course still get the same miserable staff, the same late trains, and the same chronic lack of seating that everyone has come to expect of the once great British railways. If you are ever tempted to visit
somewhere around the region, say Blackburn or Bolton, you may well have the pleasure of travelling on a Northern train. Where the other train companies are a joke, Northern, along with Arriva incidentally, have built a company on completely taking the piss. After paying a million pounds for your ticket, you will be
herded onto a (delayed) station wagon on wheels straight out of the late 1800s. The train will screech along at half a mile an hour until you finally break down, the constant festering smell of generations of broken dreams drives you to leap out the window, or arrive at your destination. At which point, some of these wonder
machines even require you to stand at the doors and wait for the driver to come along and open them with his special alan key. Because they did not have automatic doors when these trains were built, at the height of the Industrial Revolution. Ben Green, Comment & Debate Editor
TU 270x330.pdf 1 03/09/2012 16:48:58
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Film
TOP
5
Pre-drinking films 5. Scarface Heaps of raw cocaine, a Miami club scene, and Tony Montana’s ‘little friend’… What else do you need to mentally gear you for a great night out.
4. Rocky
The classic montage scene will have you buzzing, tip: Try seeing Stallone’s punching bag as your liver for the night.
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Let’s not forget, Batman is ridiculous The dark and serious films of the Christopher Nolan trilogy detract from the earlier campy brilliance of the caped crusader, writes Joe Sandler Clarke I was in the middle of a passionate, and very nerdy, discussion about some of the more bizarre plot points of The Dark Knight Rises with an equally geeky friend of mine when I had a profound realisation. “Joseph Gordon Levitt doesn’t just randomly know that Bruce Wayne is Batman,” I said. “He explains that he realised who Bruce really was after he experienced an emotional connection with him as a child.” “Well alright,” replied my friend. “But then where on earth is Bane’s prison supposed to be?! And who cures a broken back by punching the vertebra back into place?!” I came close to saying that punching a patient’s spine back into place is actually a far less ludicrous way to fix a broken back than having a psychic physiotherapist do the work, as in one Batman comic; but then something hit me; something that felt almost like an epiphany. I sat back in my chair and realised that Batman is ridiculous. Batman is after all nothing more than
Batman is after all nothing more than a man dressed as a bat. More than that, he is a man who spent the early part of his life accompanied by a former circus performer and probable gay love interest a man dressed as a bat. More than that, he is a man who spent the early part of his life finding himself embroiled in increasingly weird and perilous situations, all whilst accompanied by a former circus
performer and probable gay love interest. Take for instance the brilliant Batman comic from 1960 entitled ‘The Zebra Batman’, which features on its front cover a very proud looking caped crusader bedecked in animal skin and a terrified Robin shouting to the people of Gotham: ‘G-Get back, Batman has become a menace!” Then there’s ‘The Rainbow Batman’, also from the 1960s, which features the Dark Knight in a pink uniform mysteriously telling Robin that he “must wear a different colour costume every night”. What on earth is he getting up to?! Perhaps someone should remind the likes of Will Brooker, author of Hunting the Dark Knight: Twenty-first Century Batman and a lecturer at Kingston University, about the superhero’s camp beginnings. “[Christopher] Nolan gives the Batman/ Joker relationship a post-9/11 resonance,” writes Brooker, as only a lecturer in film and television research can; “relating it directly to controversies over the Bush administration’s ‘harsh interrogation’ of
Feature
London 2012 – Not just a question of sport 3. Swingers Vince Vaughn swaggers his best in this flick on the unwritten rules of ‘the game’ and how to take control of any social situation.
2. Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels Guy Ritchie’s slick, adrenaline charged comedy will have you trawling Manchester’s street in no time, feeling like a true northern monkey.
Sophie James thinks the Olympics had plenty to offer for the film world s it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope. It’s James Bond and HRH Queen Elizabeth parachuting out of a helicopter. Not even superman could have seen that one coming.
smooth-talking 007! Whether in Britain or Beijing, America or Australia, newspapers all over the world were hailing the talented trio of Boyle, Bond and Bean.
Yes there were loads of sporty highlights this summer, but the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics was as much a celebration of film as it was sport.
2012 may well have been a summer of sport, but it was fantastic to see Great British cinema celebrated too. And why not? Film is one of the most talked-about industries in the world.
Danny Boyle’s “Bonkers Britain” opened the games with a bang, thanks to surprise appearances from the likes of James Bond and Mr Bean. On top of this, we had a movie montage celebrating British Film, the LSO playing the iconic theme to Chariots of Fire and an army of Mary Poppinses falling from the sky to shoo away a giant, inflatable Voldermort.
We’ve got an exciting year ahead for British, World and Independent film making, and the Mancunion film team are going to cover it all, so watch this space!
Sophie James
The point behind the chaos? Everyone loves a good film. Even Queenie couldn’t resist the
1. Trainspotting Sure it is a film about a relentless heroin addiction, but frankly it’s the kind of mentality you may want to adopt to keep you on top form for the week.
The future’s not 3D Nihal Tharoor-Menon When moving house, inform your bank and other organisations to re-direct your mail to ensure that your information doesn’t get into the wrong hands. Your bank statements provide a snapshot of your recent transactions and bank details – a useful sheet of paper for you, and a Your Social Networking profile provides an insider’s view into your personal life. Ensure that you use the privacy settings provided to protect yourself by
Nihal Tharoor-Menon
filtering exactly who can see the information that you provide. At the end of the day, you are creating a page which is reflective of your character. Do you really want your parents or potential employer to see everything that you post? More importantly, don’t give out personal details such as your address, telephone number and place of work – you never know who might be looking at your profile what they intend to do with the information they find.
terror suspects.” The truth is that for all of Nolan’s achievements in turning the Dark Knight legend into an epic and beautiful story; there is still something charming about the ridiculous plotlines and comic dialogue of the caped crusaders’ escapades from the 1960s. Recently I watched an episode of the old Batman TV series in which, underneath his overly-snug lycra suit, Adam West has a visible beer belly. Coupled with the punheavy dialogue and generally crap fight scenes, the belly made the episode all the more enjoyable if only because it drew attention to the absurdity of the whole show. So for all the debate about plot holes and all the pseudo intellectual discussions about the significance of The Bat in popular culture – a quick Jstor search for ‘Batman and the Joker’ presents you with 85 articles – we should never forget that, for all of the awesomeness of Nolan’s films, Batman is basically ridiculous.
Fashion
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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A graduate from Central School of Art in London, David Hicks was to become one of Britain’s most renowned print artists to date. Even if you had not heard of him until now, you have definitely seen one of his prints. His work celebrates everything that came about during
Whereas a few months ago, many designers and stylists were showing contrasting patterns in the same ensemble, this season is about calming that down. Instead of mixing Aztec print trousers with a striped blazer, opt instead for a solid colour blazer to keep the outfit immaculately styled without being overbearing or attention seeking. Hicks’ prints mostly incorporate white or black with two other complimentary colours. The featured photo exhibits one of his most famous prints, La Fiorentina.
But how can you bring a bit of Hicks to your own daily styling you ask? Luxury British brand, Orlebar Brown, have just released their signature tailored short designs in a range of prints by none other than David Hicks himself. The brand began five years ago and are renowned for their shorts that bridge the gaps between being on the beach and going to the bar or going to lunch.
A Saville Row take on the swim-short, all their designs are made with the idea that they can be worn both as a smart everyday short, but are simultaneously 100% waterproof and very fast drying. The David Hicks editions come in their classic mid-length (which is called the Bulldog) and also their shorter short design (known as the Setter). The aforementioned Fiorentina design will be released in the next few months however Hicks’ chevron print (featured photo) is already in the stores and online.
It is arguable that these prints resemble some of the daring Aztec and Itak designs from last season however, if styled correctly, you can achieve a much more mature and coherent look. This season is about patterns evolving and in a sense ‘growing up’. Blend a pair of these Orlebar Brown shorts with an accompanying monochrome t-shirt and a pair of casual loafers. Complete the look with a pair of wayfarer sunglasses and a tan coloured satchel and there you have a 2012 take on what is a vintage classic. The Orlebar Brown + David Hicks editions are available in their stores or shop the entire collection online at www.orlebarbrown.co.uk and sign up to the customer database for a 10% discount off your transaction.
SAVING & CRAVING LOVING & LOATHING Saving: ASOS Velvet Loafer – £55
Loving: Victoria Beckham Spring/Summer 13 While we are aware that French designer
Similar in shape, this ASOS alternative still succeeds in conveying the same idea of extravagance, principally due to its material composition of royal blue velvet. This however, simultaneously means that the shoe is automatically less formal Asos Loafer: asos.com due to the more structured nature of the Jimmy Choo Hamilton. These loafers in particular must be dressed down or you may be subject to looking like an ostentatious Made In Chelsea reject. Blend either pair of loafers with medium to dark wash denim and an understated t-shirt in a monochrome hue. Finish off the look with a traditional peacoat or trench and a chunky knitted scarf.
Craving: Jimmy Choo Hamilton Loafer – £475
Roland Mouret is a driving force behind Victoria Beckham’s fashion line, the extent of his participation is seemingly unknown.
Anna Wintour
Anna Wintour
Legend has it that Meryl Streep based her performance of the terrifying Miranda Priestley in The Devil Wears Prada on Anna. All we know is that as the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue she is a powerful, influential woman with her fingers in a lot of fashion pies. She is not to be messed with.
A God-send for both men and women. His suave and stylish taste makes him an honourary European. In addition to his incredible talent for design, he’s also a dab hand at directing; Oscar nominated for ‘A Single Man’. Tom Ford
self-named designs, then kudos to her for proving that she is really rather talented.
Kate Moss
Victoria Beckham collection:
designs, Beckham’s previous collections concentrated upon different lines created by the female body, much to a point that they
She’s taken cocaine in public, she smoked a cigarette at the Louis Vuitton show on international ‘No Smoking Day’ and took over a village for her wedding reception. Does she care? Nope. Doesn’t make what she did OK but we do have a soft spot for misfit Moss.
are sculptural celebrations of the female form. Beckham stated herself, in an interview with CNN: “I do what I do because I love women, I want to empower women.” The SS13 collection remains true to the brand identity with its monochrome palette of black and white however, this time with splashes of autumnal orange on collars, pleats and belts. Much finer fabrics have been used which is something a lot of brands have embarked upon this season, namely Burberry who have just released their trademark trench coats in silk.
Loathing: Boy London
Whilst the loafer is a style of shoe that has been around for years, it is relevant in the industry of menswear fashion all year round. This is because with a timeless style of shoe, designers are at will to completely reinvent Jimmy Choo Loafer Copyright: Jimmy Choo
makeover. The Hamilton loafer offers exactly this; the wooden sole and leather tassel are conventional features of the loafer however the Choo version deviates in that it is made from suede that comes in a variety of colours from both classic and more vibrant colour palettes. The tassel comes with a braidedleather strap in which substantiates the idea that this shoe is a more intricately detailed interpretation of a classic and timeless shoe. At its equally self-indulgent price of £475, this is one loafer that comes with a side order of bankruptcy.
Thoroughly under-designed and completely overplayed, BOY London has sprung onto the scene faster than the Jamaican Olympic relay team. Founded in 1977, the brand has become popular recently due to the likes of Rihanna, Jessie-J and Nicki Minaj making public appearances in one of the garishly logoed tops worn in an assumed generic ensemble of a leather jacket, jeggings and creepers. This in itself is testimony to the notion that there is little to no artistic endeavor behind BOY because it required the push from celeb-obsessed fans.
Boy London Loathing Loving
present the Hamilton loafer by Jimmy Choo.
Jake Pummintr
After the initial shock of seeing wrinkles and buxom hips inside a high end fashion magazine, most of which are notoriously renowned for their fixation with youth and prepubescent proportions, 82 year old Murdock’s appearance felt incredibly refreshing. Lanvin’s creative director Alber Elbaz is not alone in using an older model to sell his brand. For the past few seasons, Dolce and Gabbana and Tommy Hilfiger have featured more mature men and women alongside their Monica Belluccis and their allAmerican whippersnappers. However, they are part of an ensemble: they are necessary in the creation of a family landscape where a range of generations is required in the campaign narrative. Ultimately, the attention is not reserved for them; not in the same way that Murdock is undeniably the star of the show for Lanvin. However it is a sign that fashion is beginning to face the reality that people get old and being old should not be a stigma.
After the initial shock of seeing wrinkles and buxom hips inside a high end fashion magazine, most of which are notoriously renowned for their fixation with youth and prepubescent proportions, 82 year old Murdock’s appearance felt incredibly refreshing.
He is wild and extravagant and has had many a provocative advertising campaign under his nameVictoria Beckham in a bag, himself in the nude, the list goes on. He is a real showman and his work is so covetable and desirable it’s almost sinful.
In a year that has been greatly involved in challenging perceptions, with the Paralympic Games at the forefront, it would be a travesty if the use of older
models becomes a fashion fad that after a few seasons will be considered uncool and ‘out’. I personally think that now the fashion industry has taken these tiniest of steps in this direction, I don’t think there will be much going back. I think we should look to the next challenge that lies ahead for the industry: if fashion is all about personality, what place could there be for disability on the catwalk or editorials?
In our lifetime, we have grown up with the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Heidi Klum fronting large fashion campaigns. I find it very doubtful that these women are going to just disappear when their crows-feet begin to show or when their complexions aren’t as dewy and fresh. This is because, as much as we talk about fashion being about beauty and youth, it is also about personality. And as Tarantino teaches us in Pulp Fiction, personality goes a long way. Taut skin and shiny hair may not last forever, however these women have enough personality to mean that the physicality of their job will become irrelevant. So what if Kate Moss needs more support round her bum in a few years:
Photo Caption: 82 year-old Jacquie Tajah Murdock has featured in a fashion campaign for Lanvin.
Beauty
On the front line of fashion Emma Williams and Elizabeth Harper discuss their visit to the Manchester College of Art’s Graduate Show Do you fancy 10% off your next shop? Want tWhen we were
and the more formal were injected with innovative details
spell-binding talent like Holly Fulton, hailing from the Royal
asked to attend the Manchester College of Art’s Graduate
such as Gaga-esque exaggerated piping around the neckline
College of Art who recently caused a stir at her first London
Show at the Museum of Science and Industry, we jumped
and exaggerated shoulders that elevate traditional and
Fashion Week. It is safe to say that it isn’t time to resign the
at the opportunity. Where better to look for the emerging
overlooked outfits like this to a more innovative and
North to its grimness just yet.
talent, the freshest ideas and the current styles than right
inspiring level. We would like to thank Annie Oakes for inviting us to the
next Ossie Clarks and Sarah Burtons (MSA’s most notable
One sashaying, floor-length gown, complete with a slash
exhibition at MOSI and for supplying us with insightful and
fashion alumni).
neck detail and long, exaggerated sleeves would not have
crucial information and amazing photography by Peter May
looked out of place in the romantic and hyper-coloured
from the event.
Without a shadow of a doubt, the jaw-dropping moment
collections showcased to predict this Spring’s trends. The
of the show was the showcasing of two rather simplistic
craftsmanship and delicate effort behind each breath
The student designers showcased at the show were:
designs in professional and statement-like deployment.
taking piece was evident, and most of the detail spoke for
Amelia Ashley, Rachel Conway, Rhiannon Buckley, Rosie
Our eyes fixated on these two fierce models, stitched
itself as simple cuts and tailoring perfectly framed and
Fowler, Fiona Cranston, Chrissie Taylor, Mahwish Mev,
and woven together intricately. One wearing an ink blue
set-off the students’ handiwork in printmaking and fabric
Helen O’Donivan, Sarah Dingli, Marianne Callaghan, Vikki
angularly-fitted, v-cut dress and the other a camel and
customisation.
Horderri, Hannah Badminton, Samantha Newton, Lauren
bold blue creation, they hauntingly strutted the catwalk in
Marc Jacobs
she will still have her rock star fiery attitude which will inevitably sell clothes, like it pretty much already does. Or consider the use of Twiggy in the Marks and Spencer commercials. She is still the embodiment of chic and subtle sex appeal that she was in 1965.
Creatively, designers like Altuzarra are taking into account the recent publication that women become more confident the older they get. As confidence and fashion walk hand in hand, older women are fast becoming an important target market. Maybe one of the reasons Altuzarra has become so successful in such a short space of time is because of this reasoning. He is current because his attitudes and ultimately his designs do not follow a youth exclusivity formula.
in the heart of Manchester? So off we went eager to spot the
Marc Jacobs
Elizabeth Harper
Her eyebrows arched in a stern ‘what are you looking at?’ kind of stare and with the impeccable posture that connotes someone extremely comfortable in their own skin, Jacquie ‘Tajah’ Murdock completely stood out from the rest.
To pretend that older men and women are not important in the fashion industry is ridiculous.
If Beckham actually participates in her
Much like Mouret’s own womenswear
Anyone who is accustomed to glossies will be aware that you have to battle your way through an extraordinary amount of adverts before you reach any actual fashion feature. Flicking through the £4.20 splurge that was my annual Harper’s Bazaar this summer, I was confronted with the usual gaggles of young, airbrushed, skinny beauties laughing and pouting. I was completely unprepared when I locked eyes with Lanvin’s newest campaign star.
New designer on the block Joseph Altuzarra is fully aware of the importance of older people being more involved in fashion design and marketing. He recently attested that the high end markets lean towards an older clientele.After all, they are the ones with the money to spend on luxury products, with the perspective and experience to help them invest in fashion and designers.
Tom Ford
Kate Moss
decadence and opulence in abundance, we
Jake Pummintr
Undoubtedly a bit bonkers and a self styled reincarnation of Elizabeth I. But her collections are always exciting and she is a passionate eco-warrior. You will find her in an ‘I LOVE CRAP’ T-shirt furiously plugging her environmental manifesto.
The same goes for Posh Spice herself.
For the gentleman who appreciates
it and give the classic design a 21st century
Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Autumn/Winter prints have matured and evolved from the latter into something much more chic that has scope to remain in fashion for a considerable amount of time. Envisage British interior design in the ’60s: adventurous combinations of colour alongside enigmatic wallpaper designs. At this point, the work of British print artist and interior designer, David Hicks, should come to mind…
the ‘Swinging Sixties’ era. Whilst some of the designs are seemingly outlandish, much like attire from the recent Club Tropicana fashion trend, it is the use of colour that means any clothes in which adhere to this trend are much more transitional (something that every student should strive to find).
Elizabeth Harper
biggest personalities
Jake Pummintr tells you everything you need to know to be ‘on trend’ this Autumn/Winter Following a very animated Spring/Summer 2012 of daring prints, chaotic Aztec designs and Club Tropicana galore (yes, the theme for last year’s Pangaea was very much on-trend), it’s high time that we dispose of our short-sleeved Hawaiian print shirts. This season, bold patterns are still on the fashion horizon however, in a much more elegant and diluted manner. Omit all drunken Pangaea memories of insulting tans, coconut bras and patterned wife-beaters from your memory.
Age Re-Defining
TOP
From Aztec to Hicks: Fashion
This month in fashion...
17
Davies, Annie Oaks, Sammy Armstrong, Owen Hughs,
unison, commanding the attention of the room with their
With our complimentary wine down to its dregs, and
Charlie Lewis, Milly Grimes, Cindy Angula, Elinor Mcb,
controlled, almost inhuman strides – Tyra Banks would’ve
slightly light-headed from gaping in awe at these students’
Angharad Evans, Adele Mcnair, Becky Lewis, Chloe-Jace
been proud.
designs (the wine couldn’t have helped this either), we left
Morgan, Natalie Dawson, Melissa Lee, Ellie Rousseau, Jessica
MOSI with an edge of pride. Manchester’s reputation as the
Campbell, Jodie Rigby, John Moriarty, Cat Potter, Faye
Amongst the dramatic and couture driven looks, the
urban capital is most definitely re-affirmed in showcases of
Howarth, Charlotte Beardow, Alice Chan, Aimee, Heather
The the Manchester College of Art’s Graduate
familiarity of sportswear raised its head in a few designs
raw and exciting talent like the garments presented by the
Nicholson, Anya, Samantha Barle, Ella Woodhouse.
Show. Photo: Joe Sandler Clarke
that represented the more prêt of the show. Tennis dresses
students from the College of Art; with the city producing
18
Music
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editor’s column
Being here now Daniel Jones
It is extremely rare to find a city in which musical heritage plays such an important role in both expressing and shaping the identity of its people. Artists from Detroit, Los Angeles and New Orleans spring to mind because their sound is so distinctive that you can listen to a record, without knowing who it’s by, and you’ll still be able to tell where it was made. It is a phenomenon that the majority of cities around the world will never experience, but, for Manchester, it has happened a lot over the past forty years. Let’s start with Factory Records. You can listen to pretty much anything in the first half of the back catalogue and you’ll still pick up on Martin Hannett’s eerily sparse production technique. Albums like To Each… and Unknown Pleasures were, and still are, the perfect musical expression of a city steeped in industrial tradition. Moving on a decade, you’ve got the explosion of Madchester and acid-house in the late 80’s. Soon after this, the Britpop revolution kicked in, giving us yet another lasting impression of what this city is all about. Now, no matter how hard you look, you won’t find a single solid gold statue of Morrissey anywhere around town. I’ve checked. Nor will you find any park benches dedicated to the Gallagher brothers, or any plaques stating ‘This is the exact spot where Bez dropped 24 pills at once’. Instead, Manchester’s sonic legacy continues to manifest itself in the attitude of both the people and the up and coming artists who live within its walls. The city remains a hotbed of new talent, exhibiting a huge variety
5 SONGS IN THE FIELD OF... Manchester
of styles and genres. Bands like No Ceremony/// and Money are carrying on from where New Order left off in the realm of electro-pop, whereas Janice Graham Band are infusing the influences of ska, reggae and jazz with a provincial pathos that is akin to Happy Mondays in their heyday. Even in the UK bass scene, we can boast Damu’s Fulcrum Records, which has planned a string of releases from exciting young producers such as Paleman and Thefft for the coming year. The imprint is becoming notorious for its techno driven hybrids, fusing elements of house, garage and, well, miscellaneous. But before you start thinking that the impact of Joy Division, The Smiths and The Stone Roses might have become slightly redundant in modern times, then think again. The omnipresence of these groups can still be felt in every bar, every cafe and every shop in the city. This is especially the case with The Roses at the moment, having returned to Heaton Park last June for their three-date homecoming spectacular. That said, just because you live in Manchester doesn’t mean that you have to like everything that it has produced – obviously. I can’t stand listening to Wonderwall just as much as the next logically thinking mammal. However, we should respect both the sheer volume and variety of music that this city has contributed over the years. There’s also no sign that this contribution will be waning any time soon. So, Detroit may have Motown, L.A. may have Dr. Dre, New Orleans may have Fats Domino, but we’ve got Shaun Ryder.
Interview: Dog Is Dead Joe Goggins “Some bands make magazine covers right from the start – we’ve never been that type of band.” If nothing else, starting a band at an early age is going to encourage some serious creative thinking. “We struggled to get a gig anywhere because we were so young,” Dog Is Dead frontman Rob Milton recalls. “We ended up playing anywhere we could, eveny tourist attractions – we used to play in the banquet hall at this museum in Nottingham called The Tales of Robin Hood.” It is not the sort of environment where you’d expect Dog Is Dead’s sound to originate; they’re known chiefly as purveyors of tightly-written, melodic indie pop songs, with emphasis on the pop, as evidenced by multi-part harmonies and soaring choruses. It’s been a slow-burning progression for the quintet; starting out at school back in 2008, it’s taken them until now to find themselves in a position to put out their debut record and tour behind it – All Our Favourite Stories is released next month, the band’s first full-length release since signing a major label deal with Atlantic Records. “We try not to pay too much attention to that, really,” reflects Rob on the issue of signing to a major, “we’re definitely a very ambitious band, but the main focus is to make records that mean a lot to people; we’re not worried about going to number one in the first week.” The album release marks the culmination of a journey that’s seen the band rise from local obscurity in Nottingham to touring with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and Tribes, and also saw the band, in the recording of the album, come full circle, swapping their humble beginnings for more glamorous surroundings in the capital – then going back again. “Originally, we were really excited to go down to London and see all the studios there, and being able to go to studios where The Cure recorded
The way we’ve been able to grow has been brilliant, and that kind of support is incredible, especially when we were putting out our own singles in the early days.” Disintegration and Radiohead have done bits and bobs, which seemed really cool. It wasn’t until after we did a few tracks with David Kosten – who’s a genius – that we realised that they weren’t really what we felt Dog Is Dead is about, so we went back to Nottingham and recorded it in a council estate with a local producer. It made it a lot more natural, and our main aim with this record really was not to do anything that felt too laboured.” The band have benefited from considerable exposure on Radio 1, with Huw Stephens and Fearne Cotton in particular championing their music. Asked how the steady build-up of mainstream support has treated the band, Rob speaks favourably, another signifier of the band’s ambition. “We never have been the sort of band to be all over magazine covers from the first week they start, and it’s taken us a long time to do anything. The way we’ve been able to grow has been brilliant, and that kind of support is incredible, especially when we were putting out
our own singles in the early days.” Rob singles out this year’s Reading and Leeds festivals, where they packed out the Festival Republic stages with the backing of a full gospel choir, as a career highlight. “The festival season’s always great, with the diversity you get playing the big festivals and then the weird and wonderful smaller ones, but Reading and Leeds were the ones that meant the most to us. We’ve been going to Leeds for seven years now and it was the one thing you looked forward to for the whole of the summer holidays. It was our first time on the bill rather than being there as punters.” The band will kick off their headlining tour in support of the new record at the Academy 3, and Rob spoke fondly of Dog Is Dead’s history in the city – albeit at two different ends of the size spectrum. “It was incredible to play the Deaf Institute for the first time last year because it’s an amazing venue and a place we’ve grown very fond of, if only as a bar,” he recalls. “On the other hand, before that we played at the Apollo with Bombay Bicycle Club, which was mindblowing, probably the biggest indoor venue we’ve played.” Moving forward, Rob states that the band’s main ambition is to nurture, and enhance, their own live reputation at headlining shows, moving away from playing a supporting role to more established acts. “Now that there will be a record out, there’s going to be nothing more incredible than going out on our own tour. We’ve got a very dedicated fanbase – people will know the lyrics and be singing along, and it’s going to heighten the experience for us so much.” Such a balance of quiet confidence and lofty ambition can only serve them well – the band’s future looks considerably brighter than that of their eponymous dog.
1. ‘Bye Bye Badman’ – The Stone Roses
2.‘Rusholme Ruffians’ – The Smiths
3. ‘Over My Shoulder‘ – I Am Kloot
4. ‘Disorder’ – Joy Division
5. ‘Step On’ – Happy Mondays
The transitions in this track are so effortless that you hardly notice yourself nodding away by the time the rolling snares kick in for the chorus. Ian Brown affirms his legendary status with a delicate vocal line that soars out of your speakers and into your ears.
An example of Morrissey’s croon at its finest. The bassline gets into your head quicker than Usain Bolt on a good day but thankfully, it runs for longer than 10 seconds. It’s also a great soundtrack if you’re on the Curry Mile and you’re just going past The Huntsman.
This undeniable gem in the Manchester repertoire is one of the most chilled songs you’re ever likely to hear. I Am Kloot never really got any great national exposure but here they exhibit why they are one of the most original sounding bands to come out of the city.
It’s a bit of a paradox that Ian Curtis managed to make so many people happy by revealing the most isolated corners of his mind. In this, one of the best tunes off Unknown Pleasures, his precise lyrics sit perfectly over the gritty, pulsating rhythm created by Hook, Sumner and co.
One of the most drug fuelled songs ever made. Keeping that in mind, I’m genuinely surprised at how good it sounds. Also, if you don’t hear somebody say “you’re twisting my melon, man” at least once between now and June then I will personally buy you a lifetime supply of melons.
Music
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012
19
Matt & Phred’s
There aren’t many images, musically speaking, that conjure up quite the same level of romance and nostalgia as that of the smoky backstreet jazz club, and whilst the government might have put paid to one of those adjectives, the others live on at Matt & Phred’s. Boasting a consistently stellar weekly lineup of jazz, blues and soul, Matt and Phred’s serves as the beating heart of Manchester’s thriving jazz community, as evidenced by its central role during the city’s annual jazz festival each July.
Located close to Chapel Street, a road which effectively draws a border between Manchester and Salford, Islington Mill – an actual former cotton spinning mill – has become one of the city’s premier art spaces, comprising a number of art studios and a club space, opened in 2005. Since then, the venue has hosted an impressive array of up and coming artists from around the world, including Beach House, Fucked Up and Wu Lyf, as well as regular events as obscure as theatre gym, life drawing and yoga sessions.
Islington Mill Soup Kitchen Despite being probably the city centre’s most bohemian area, there was a notable dearth of great live venues in the Northern Quarter until recently, with the likes of the Night and Day and Dry Bar standing as rusting relics from a bygone era, hosting fewer and fewer exciting bands as years went by. Soup Kitchen is one of a number of NQ spots aiming to change this, and its basement space has been graced by Japandroids, Kindness and Post War Years so far this year, with performances from Egyptian Hip Hop, Errors and Iceage in the pipeline.
Opened in 2007, the Deaf Institute is one of a number of bars run by the good folks at Trof, and has steadily built a reputation as Manchester’s best small venue. Occupying an actual former institute for the deaf and dumb, Deaf comprises two stages; a smaller basement for more intimate performances, and the main music hall upstairs, complete with delightfully strange decor and a giant disco ball. The raised stage and seating area give it a clear advantage over most of its contemporaries, as do the wonderful burgers and cocktails available in the cafe bar. Deaf’s gig calendar is dominated by up-and-coming indie, many under the banner
Deaf Institute
South First opened in 1995 and seen as an ‘antidote’ to the superclub culture surrounding the Hacienda, South was a concerted effort to bring Manchester’s club scene into more intimate and less threatening environments following the gang-related downfall of the legendary Factory nightspot. Reopening in early 2011 after a major refurbishment, South has a number of established nights, from the indie rock focus of Remake Remodel and Clint Boon’s Saturday Night to house/techno night Basement Sessions. The venue also plays host to the ever-more-popular Murkage night, featuring a signature blend of dubstep and hip hop.
Joshua Brooks Tucked away off Oxford Road on the corner of Charles and Princess Street, Joshua Brooks is a pub by day, with a nicely balanced selection of real ales and foreign beers on tap and by bottle. By night, the basement becomes one of the most popular club spaces in Manchester, most notably playing weekly host to the packed Juicy hip hop night every Wednesday, as well as Tuesday night’s pop-rock based Moustache parties. The space also hosts live music on occasion, fucntioning perfectly as an intimate venue.
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Music
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012
Clubbing
Ultimate Clubbers’ guide
to Freshers’ Week If you fancy veering away from the Fresher pack, there’s a lot more on than you may think.
M T W T Hit & Run Freshers’ Event 2012 Fac251 – £7.50 (on the day) Factory welcomes North West newcomers with a showcase of some of the best in Manchester bass music. Despite the human ant farm created by the venue’s one-way stairs policy, Hit & Run rarely disappoints. Don’t miss: Phaeleh + Chunky, Dub Phizix + Strategy, or Biome.
Selective Hearing + Now Wave present South London Ordnance
Murkage Club X Headgone Freshers Bruk Out! Mint Lounge – £3/4
South – £4/£5 adv Two of the most exciting collectives in Manchester unite to present a night of debuts at South nightclub. South London Ordnance makes his Manchester debut, supported by Chester local REAL in his first live set. Residents Versa, Reflec, 310-190 & Bam are joined by Now Wave DJs presenting a variety of bass music for your enjoyment.
Revolver
Winning the prize for the longest title comes Murkage and Headgone’s bruk out. For those unfamiliar with bruk outs, one is expected to act in an unruly fashion and even “party shit up”. DJs will be on rotation from 11pm-3am bringing house and street anthems to the Northern Quarter’s Mint Lounge.
Regulate
Roadhouse – £4
Gold Teeth
Tail-feathers will be shaken at Roadhouse’s flagship weekly event. Revolver DJs share their love for ’50s and ’60s vinyl in an evening sure to set you hip wiggling and toe tapping. Held at Piccadilly’s favourite underground stickyfloored basement, arrive early to avoid large queues.
Deaf Institute – £3/4
Black Dog Ballroom – Underdog (New Wakefield Street) – £3 adv/£4 door
Warm up downstairs with funk/soul/reggae before climbing the stairs to the infinitely hotter and busier Music Hall. Expect to be slowly crushed to hip-hop/ garage/RnB by a gyrating mass. But, fear not, recuperate and dance with freedom of limbs on the staggered seating that overlooks the stage.
Black Dog’s new venue offers cheap drinks and “vibe in the mutha fluffin place”. So if it’s vibe in the mutha fluffin place you’re after, look no further. For hip-hop, breaks and gin and juice why not check out Underdog. Free guest list is available via Facebook and there’s a newly refurbished roof terrace.
Juicy vs. Murkage
Robert Sudal Trio
Girls on Film
HMV Ritz – £5 Billed as the event which will transform the Ritz into a “bassy sweatbox of over a thousand ravers” -two of Manchester’s most popular student nights meet to provide one of the largest parties Manchester freshers will see. Expect plenty of hiphop, garage, bashment and RnB.
Matt and Phred’s – FREE (£5 Fri/Sat) Offering a fusion of Middle Eastern influences and contemporary jazz, Yorkshire born composer Robert Sudal hosts a night in Manchester’s Northern Quarter. Famed for its pizzas and cocktail menu, if live jazz gets you going then get down. (And it’s FREE)
Deaf Institute – £3 adv / £4 door GIRLS ON FILM is the hottest new club night in town, created to let you explore your inner 80′s child. Look the part with those shoulder pads and dapper lads, and don’t be ashamed to rock out to a rediscovered soundtrack of Duran Duran, Blondie, The Smiths, Bowie, Madonna, Depeche Mode, plus much more!
Chow Down
F S Norman Jay
Be My Guest
2022NQ – £6
Soup Kitchen – £3/4 An exciting blend of African, South American, heavy funk, soul, reggae, disco, cosmic jazz, rock, house & techno jams is what’s on offer from Soup Kitchen’s weekly resident DJ. Simon Tonkinson is behind the diverse offerings – with different guests joining him in the kitchen and taking over in the basement each week. This week’s guest in the basement is Folk DJs.
Mint Lounge – £3 adv Loefah (Swamp 81/DMZ/ Staunch) returns to Chow Down in the first part of their freshers spectacular. Never failing to make a night, undoubtedly, Loefah is one not to miss. Mint Lounge doesn’t always have the cheapest drinks, but with single + mixer at £2.50, Chow Down seems to have put them right.
Reggae Thursdays/ Hang Loose
Deaf Institute – FREE Reggae Thursdays are back to fulfil all of your loving, jumping and skanking needs. There’ll be all styles from deep roots to digital, quick fire selections, good times and give-aways, HSSS Audio and a warm welcome for all. It’s in the main bar from 9pm -1.30am and you don’t have to spend a penny to get in
Coded Rhythm Joshua Brooks – FREE Free entry at Joshua Brooks is a rare and wonderful thing. We’re not sure what to expect from Coded Rhythm, but a bit of complimentary house/techno/garage/ disco from the likes of relative unknowns: Boy Nukem, Blockworx, SubTonic and Mattigaan sounds alright to us.
Black Bee Soul Club Kraak Gallery – £3 A night of Northern Soul with a sting, playing the best and rarest oldies, classics and floor stompers that you’re likely to hear on a Friday night. The venue is just off Oldham Street so grab your kit bags, your talc and your best dancing shoes and head on down.
Coolio Spektrum
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This venue has only just opened, but it looks like a pretty trendy space. Norman Jay, MBE, played at Pangaea last year and is well known for his eclectic sets and love of house-based beats. Funk, soul and jazz influences shine through in each of his sets, a deadly combination that will leave you aurally satisfied.
Funkademia with David Dunne Mint Lounge – £5 Funkademia takes place every Saturday to a consistently full house, feeding a friendly crowd with a diet of pure unadulterated soul-funk. David Dunne has travelled the world playing for Hed Kandi and is usually renowned for his house sets, but he also possesses a huge amount of love for funk, soul and disco.
Up Presents Jenna G and Blizzard
Sankeys – £11
The Attic – £5 adv / £7 after 11
The prospect of Sankeys becoming a Gangster’s Paradise for one night only is perhaps too good to miss. Upstairs is Spektrum, one of the club’s in house parties, playing a selection of pumping techno and future garage. We’ll be offering the chance to win tickets for you and your mates, so keep your eye out for details on how to enter on our website.
A major name in the DnB scene, Jenna G is one of the most prolific female vocalists you will come across. Add to the list Blizzard, who gained notoriety for the ‘Student versus Teacher’ rap battle that you’ve probably seen on Youtube, and you’ve got the makings of a sick night.. There’s also a host of local talent that’ll keep the night going ‘til 3.
Blind Pig
Night of the Living Dread
Trof Fallowfield – FREE before 12
Band on the Wall – FREE
Trof are recreating the atmosphere of the speakeasies, including authentic prohibition era cocktails and special guests, The Charlestown Kings. They’ll be a lot of swing from the ’20s to the ’50s and even the opportunity for free shots if you turn up dressed to the nines.
Mikey D.O.N.’s reggae night is back, and will include a set from former Band on the Wall resident, Prince Tony. It’s a megareggae showdown, with all styles from Dancehall to Lover’s Rock getting in the mix. Entrance is free so you can spend your hard-loaned money on a few more cans of Red Stripe before you go out.
Books
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Book Club
Books editor talks to herself at Book Club Phoebe Chambre
Name: Phoebe Chambre Age: 22 and a bit Occupation: Music Student and Mancunion Books editor What are you reading? I’m in the final third of a book called The Instructions by Adam Levin. I read his short story collection (Hot Pink) which came out earlier this year in a very nice textured hardback and was immediately hooked on the paradoxical purity and directness, and complex nuance of his prose. It’s simple, but deceptively so; you never know quite how deep it runs – similarly, it feels like you never know what’s going on in his stories, yet at the same time you know exactly. So, I had to go back and read his debut novel, The Instructions. And it’s good. I’m almost done, but luckily have The City’s Son by Tom Polock to read next; he happens to be my cousin but coincidently I’m reading it because the cover art is so good. I have to have something else lined up before I finish a book otherwise I get
nervous. Would you recommend it to someone? It’s a long book (about 1000 pages), and a long book tends to recommend itself because people are always eye-popping and asking you what and why you’re reading such a long book. But it’s a book nearly impossible to sum up – or maybe I just don’t know what’s happening. Read the blurb, that’ll tell as you much/little as I could. But in short: Yes, I recommend it to you. Read it. Is it a page-turner or are you counting the pages? It’s actually a fairly quick read, I think ‘easy’ would be a misnomer as the book probably falls into the bracket of serious contemporary fiction, and its themes aren’t ‘easy’. But it’s written so fluidly; I think the author’s very good at rounding the edges off all the prose (but not the content) – making it as direct and natural as possible. At one point two characters discuss how writing can never quite match the way you talk, let
Book Club
Phoebe Chambre
Is it great, just good, or not really worth the trees? If anything is worth the paper it’s printed on it’s the Aeneid. Any stand-out quotes that you can’t stop rattling around your brain now that they’re in there? “I sing of arms and of the man” is the very famous
Paper-book or e-back? Paper paper paper. And slightly polemically, too. Probably because I’m scared that if I got a Kindle I’d like it.
Cat Langdon does Book Club
Name: Catherine Langdon Age: 22 Occupation: Social Anthropology Student What are you reading / have been reading these past summer months? (A brief description if you please…)
Steve Jones, question-asker of Book Club supreme, what are you currently reading (present question notwithstanding)?
A juice carton is quite a good idea. You could print instalments on the back and over a period of several decades you could get through War and Peace. And all it would cost you is thousands of pounds and type 2 diabetes! The reality is far less novel I’m afraid, I’ve just been lying around in my room in my pants eating crisps and flicking through it.
Well, funny you should say that. I’m pretty sure I have a few times, but most recently I had a dream about the author of a book I bought but haven’t yet read. It’s written by Bill Callahan, who is also (and mostly) a singer – hence knowing what he looks like beyond the inner jacket author closeup, which probably expediting the whole dream process. Bill was working in an office because, he told me, doing this [artistry] doesn’t really pay as much as you might think.
Phoebe Chambre
Name: Steve Jones (ex-editor of The Mancunion’s Literature and Film Section) Age: 21 Occupation: pre-MA parent moocher
Where have you been reading it (train, bus, beach, bath, internet, juice carton…)?
Ever had a dream about a character in a book you were reading?
Book Club
Book Club catch-up, Steve Jones returns
I am re-reading an accessible English prose version of Virgil’s Aeneid.
alone the way you think. This book is surely one example of the closest that written language can get to that seamless rollover of the internal monologue – if everything I thought was that articulate and hyperaware, that is.
opening line. It is of course full of fantastic lines and verse and quotes, but none really that lend themselves to being pasted over a picture of Virgil and posted on Facebook. And I’m pretty sure that’s the yardstick by which you judge a good quote. Does it have any stylistic/ formal tricks of note, or are you a man of Hemingwayian (yeah, it works) straightforward presentation? It’s a poem so it’s nothing but stylistic tricks. It’s very readable though. I love Hemingway too. Ever had any translation gripes? I imagine those would be fun to complain about. (I read mostly in American.) They’re never gripes with classical works; I love the strange, forced pieces of translation. Venus’ oddly seductive call “hey there, soldiers” to her son and
his men as she’s dressed as a skimpy Spartan girl is a personal favourite. While we’re on the subject, I also like the bit in Hammond’s translation of the Iliad when Priam berates his sons by calling them “lords of the dance-floor”. Paper-book or e-back? I’ve never read a book on a kindle or anything but it seems like a very good idea. It looks a bit lonely and soulless sitting on the shelf on its own though, compared to rows of dusty books. In the modern world I think efficiency has to win over charm. Eavesdropping reading?
or
eaves-
I once read about 20 pages of a book over the shoulder of someone sitting next to me on the train. I like to think they didn’t notice, but they were probably excruciatingly annoyed at what was
admittedly an excruciatingly annoying thing to do. It was a shit book anyway. Amazon or dusty second-hand bookshop? There’s a part of me that loves wondering around the second hand shops, finding nice editions of my favourite books and picking up cheap the essential reads. There’s also another much bigger part of me that likes getting books without having to leave my house. And are you still asking people what they’re reading or have you grown tired of the answers? It gets very difficult to think of questions after a while! But my Book Club blog is still around; I may start it up again sometime in the future. This is the first time I’ve been on the receiving end of the questions and it’s a lot harder I must say. Thanks Steve!
The Behaviour of Moths – Poppy Adams – Not too sure what it’s about yet, moths and a father and daughter who are lepidopterist. Plus, Bosnia: A Short History by Noel Malcolm, which is an attempt to compress and simplify somewhat the history of Bosnia and the surrounding region in an attempt to understand the reasons for the 1992-1995 genocide and war.
writing an essay. For Bosnia I need peace around me, and complete concentration. In general, do you go for plot or prose? In fiction normally plot, a way to escape my somewhat monotonous life, when it comes to non-fiction, prose.
Is it great, just good, or not really worth the trees? The Moths book is mostly there just to help me fall asleep at night, whereas Bosnia is a very good factually based book that requires me to be awake and switched on! Does it absorb/require all your attention as you’re reading it, or can you listen to music/make a cup of tea/have a conversation as you’re flipping through? In short, does it feel like work? Again, Moths book is there because I don’t need to pay any attention to it, simply a way of avoiding counting sheep. I could read it whilst knitting a blanket and
Paper-book or e-book? Paper when at home, e-book when on holiday – allows for more clothes to be packed! Have you been wallowing in the freedom of all this unreading-listed time to read exactly what and when you want, or recovering from all that straining over text of last year and resting your delicate eyes? Resting my delicate eyes, or re-directing them towards film and shockingly poor TV shows.
Games Indie Games on Show at Rezzed
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: The Game
Eurogamer and Rock Paper Shotgun show off the best of indie games at Rezzed Sam Dumitriu Rezzed is a PC gaming convention that gives a platform to independent games developers. It was held at the Brighton Centre on July 6, and was presented by games magazine Eurogamer and PC gaming site Rock Paper Shotgun. Packed crowds were given the chance to question top developers such as Randy Pitchford (Borderlands) and industry legend Peter Molyneux (Black and White, Fable) about every aspect of games design. Gamers were given a rare chance to get their hands on games months before they go on sale. While games such as Borderlands 2 and Far Cry 3 were on display, Rezzed focused on giving indie games a platform, here are some of the games they had on show: Tengami: Produced by a team of former Rare employees, the game combines samurai culture with the mechanics of a pop-up book. You control the protagonist by having him follow your taps on the screen. Early on you are faced with an obstacle in the form of a river, you soon realise that you can fold down parts of the background to make new paths, and by pulling down a piece of paper in the background you can make a bridge and continue across the level. The game boasts wonderful graphics that capture the feel of a real pop-up book, along with Ryuichi Sakamoto style plinky-plonky Japanese music that helps the game to build a strong atmosphere. Tengami is developed by Nyamyam and is scheduled for release in 2013. Prison Architect: Produced by UK indie developer Introversion, Prison Architect takes the tried and tested management sim format popularized by SimCity and Theme Hospital, and bring to a much less wholesome setting. Prison Architect has you designing a prison, right down to the plumbing and wiring. But the game is not as simple as merely building a
prison; you still have to deal with the inmates who are prone to riot, smuggle and murder. The game promises to push the boundaries of the management sim genre by dealing with the issue of race in prisons. Developer Chris Delay said “There’s no reason why games can’t deal with much more serious topics,” he stressed however ”you can’t just trivially deal with issues like rape or race.” Set for release in 2013, Prison Architect is a great example of the frontier spirit in indie games development. Ring Fling: Developed for the iPad, Ring Fling has a simple premise; you fling rings at stars in order to push the stars into your opponent’s goal. In essence, it’s like many of the air hockey games already available on the iPad. What sets Ring Fling apart is the ability to play three other people at once. This opens the game up to different strategies like whether or not to gang up on another player or play defensively so you don’t lose in the chaos. Ring Fling is developed by Mugathur and is currently available on the App Store. Guacamelee: In the madcap Guacamelee you control Juan, a luchadore who has to travel between dimensions, and battle wacky
enemies in his quest to save El Presidente’s daughter. The game is a 2D action/adventure game in the style of Metroid, where backtracking with new abilities and upgrades allow you to get to previously unreachable parts of the map. Produced by Drinkbox studios and will be released on the PlayStation Network in 2013. Far Cry 3: Ubisoft Montreal’s latest instalment in the Far Cry series was on show at Rezzed. The open world first person shooter is set on a group of tropical islands. You take control of Jason Brody, a stranded tourist, who’s trying to rescue his girlfriend from the islands, while escaping the local conflict he’s got himself tangled up in. Far Cry 3 has no relation to the plot of 1 or 2, what it does share with the rest of series is free-roaming in a large open world. Far Cry will be available for the PS3, 360 and PC on November 30. Rezzed was a great example of the variety and creativity out there in indie gaming, and gave gamers a great reason to look beyond the titles put out by the big name publishers.
Funs huddle around the latest games at Rezzed. Photo: Sam Dumitriu
Douglas Adams’ popular Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series started life as a radio play, but soon spawned a series of books, a television programme and a video game. Released in 1984 by Infocom, Hitchhiker’s Guide is one of the rare video-game spin-offs that capture the spirit of the source material. Adams, with the help of Infocom’s Steve Meretzky, designed the game, resulting in much of the same humour that had made the books so popular. Hitchhiker’s Guide is a text-based adventure game, which means that there are no graphics, just a text description of your surroundings. You navigate your way through the game world by typing instructions such as ‘lie down in front of bulldozer’ or ‘put on dressing gown’. The closest thing you have to a goal is an item in your inventory called ‘No Tea’. The game was fiendishly difficult; reaching an almost absurd level with the infamous Babel Fish puzzle where the simple task of getting something from a vending machine becomes so difficult you being to question what’s the point of it all. But DON’T PANIC, Infocom produced a set of hints (sold separately) to help gamers in need. The puzzle was so notorious that Infocom sold T-Shirts that gamers proudly wear saying ‘I got the Babel Fish’. Designer Steve Meretzky said of the difficulty “People who find the game too hard can get hints, while people who find the game too easy are screwed because there’s no way for them to make it harder.” The game’s popularity has endured, and for its 20th anniversary the BBC remade the game with the addition of illustrations and made it available for free online. For fans of the book, this game is the perfect companion even if the puzzles will have you reaching for the perilsensitive sunglasses.
Sam Dumitriu
Features
World Of Warcraft blocked in Iran US sanctions on trade with Iran have led to Activision Blizzard blocking Iranian gamers from accessing its massively popular MMORPG World of Warcraft. Activision Blizzard posted a statement confirming “United States trade restrictions and economic sanction laws prohibit Blizzard from doing business with residents of certain nations, including Iran”. It went on to say that the company has recently tightened up its procedures to ensure compliance with those laws. A further blow to Iranian gamers was dealt when Blizzard announced the US sanctions prevented them from refunding
any subscriptions or the cost of prepurchases of the latest expansion pack Mists of Pandaria. Initially it was suspected that the ban had come from Iran. Siavesh a poster on the MMOChampion forums had complained of difficulty accessing the game and shared an image of a pamphlet from the Islamic Revolution Games Designers community who receive funding for the Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. The pamphlet listed World of Warcraft amongst other games as western propaganda used to poison the minds of the youth population in Iran. It criticised the game
Sam Dumitriu for promoting myth and superstition, as well as featuring inappropriate clothing for female characters. In November, the Iranian government banned Battlefield 3 for featuring a strike on Tehran. Predictably, they responded by commissioning a game called Attack on Tel Aviv. World of Warcraft is the world’s largest massively multiplayer online role playing game with over 10 million users. The expansion Mists of Pandaria will be released on September 25.
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – Hearthfire DLC Sam Dumitriu Hearthfire, the second instalment of DLC from Bethesda, is a departure from the main game. It offers no new quests and doesn’t expand the map. Instead, Hearthfire offers players the ability to build their own house and to turn it into a home by adopting a child. Lead designer Bruce Nesmith was inspired by his experience with Minecraft to allow players to build things “Being a fan of Minecraft” Nesmith asked “Why can’t I build things?” While the prospect of building a house is sure to excite fans of Minecraft and the Sims, it fails to live up to those expectations. The problem here is that it doesn’t capture what makes building things fun, when you build something in Minecraft you have near infinite possibilities. What you build is ultimately your creation, your ideas. In Hearthfire everything you build is premade, your choices are limited, as a result it doesn’t feel like your creation. Building a house in Hearthfire ultimately feels more like a chore than a challenge. It is made worse by the fact you have to buy and mine the raw materials. It’d be nice if there were quests related to gathering the materials, but instead it’s just frequent trips to mills and general stores.
Once you’ve completed your house you still have to keep it safe from wandering giants and bandits, you can hire a steward to deal with them, so you don’t have to worry about your home getting trashed when you go off adventuring. Along with building a house, Hearthfire also allows you to adopt an orphan. This is a nice idea in that it makes the game more immersive. However you quickly exhaust all the dialogue options with your child and they end up being nothing more than decoration. It would have been better if they fleshed out the backstory and had orphan specific quests to build up a relationship.
Making your own little mark on Skyrim is a nice idea, which would have worked a lot better if you were given greater freedom in creating your house, and you were able to build a stronger relationship with your child through quests. At 400 Microsoft Points, Hearthfire isn’t going to break the bank, but it is hard to recommend a purchase to anyone beyond the Skyrim die-hards who have put in over a 100 hours and are looking for any opportunity to spend more time in Skyrim.
Food & Drink
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Oxford Road Pub Guide Find out what the best drinks are and where to find them, be you fresher or veteran
Photo Credit: Lisa Murgatroyd
Font Bartender’s favourite: Screwball cocktail, a drink based on our favourite childhood ice cream Cheapest pint: £3.50 Font is not just the place to find the cheapest cocktail in the world (they’re £2-£4). Over 100 craft beers are available in the Font closer to the city centre. It’s nice to have so many breweries represented under one roof – whether you’re a beer lover or just like to collect the cool bottles. The big Font is also home to Sorachi Ace, a very rare and expensive Brooklyn ale, with an unusually lemony aroma.
Photo Credit: Effervescing Elephant @Flickr
Cheapest pint: £2.90
Cheapest pint: £3.40 I swear I once saw Rasputin here. It’s exactly the kind of perpetually nocturnal and noisy bar where one would expect to find a Russian faith healer. Big Hands stocks lots of unusual beers with a bit of a price tag. Whilst this isn’t the only place to find those beers, the atmosphere is perhaps worth a little extra money anyway. Photo Credit: kh1234567890 @Flickr
Photo Credit: Patrycja Marczewska
Cheapest pint: £3.50 Trof homebrew
Bartender’s favourite: Krombacher on tap
By far one of our favourites, Sandbar specialises in Belgian and German beer. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, with plenty of nooks and crannies to enjoy a drink or bite to eat (the food is also worth a mention). The staff are lovely, and if beer’s not your thing, Sandbar also has one of the most impressive whisky selections we have ever seen.
This branch on New Wakefield Street is younger sister to its very successful Northern Quarter counterpart, but by no means plays the juvenile. Emanating the slick elegance of a New York speakeasy, Black Dog sprawls across three floors, including a roof terrace and basement. The interiors are decadent and the lighting moody, making it a perfect place for (very) late night boozing or a game of pool. Also look out for Dogbowl, another Black Dog Ballroom set to open in October – this time complete with bowling lanes.
Bartender’s favourite: ‘Blueberry and Amaretto Smash’ combining Disaronno amaretto, cranberry juice, lemon juice and blueberry purée
Big Hands
Bartender’s favourite: Go for the Augustiner Helles; apparently Sandbar is the only place outside of Munich to have this on tap
‘Wade into a wondrous world’
Trof at The Deaf Institute There are several branches of Trof round these parts, all of which boast an impressive range of continental beers. But I would opt to drink from the cocktail menu which differs in each branch. Invented by the barmen, these are creative and inexpensive tipples – the same price as their own Trof lager, which I would not be so quick to recommend. Happy hour is from 5pm to 8pm every day.
Sandbar
Bartender’s favourite: Try the Weekend Rockstar cocktail, which is made from Jack Daniel’s, Jagermeister, caramel and cherry bitters Cheapest pint: £3.50
Ask for a Screwball cocktail or an exotic beer
Refuel at Trof with a Blueberry and Amaretto Smash
Black Dog Ballroom
Hardy’s Well Bartender’s favourite: Timothy Taylor Landlord pale ale Cheapest pint: Strongbow is £2.32! This bar bridges the gap between university and Fallowfield. Hardy’s Well is famous for featuring a verse of local poet Lemn Sissay on the side of the building – ‘Whoever walks to the well will wade into a wondrous world’. There’s a fair few beers on tap and a parrot, apparently.
Wählbar Bartender’s favourite: For something really fresh and unusual try the Gin and Lemon Mojito, or for something that ‘blows your head off’ go for a Dangerous Zombie Cheapest pint: £2.80 Relatively new on the Fallowfield drinking scene, Wählbar has already gained a pretty good reputation. After the closure of The Corner (RIP), it stepped in to fill the void of our favourite bar in the area thanks to an extensive drinks list, friendly staff and cool décor. Outside seats serve well for smokers and sunworshippers alike. Expect big things throughout the year as the fan base grows.
The Friendship Inn Bartender’s favourite: Have a go at any of the eight local beers on tap; Hyde’s Original is the most popular but the selection is changed regularly Cheapest pint: £2.32 Here you will find a pleasant mix of students and locals, all wanting little more than a contented bevvy. The Friendship is welcoming, drinks are chep, and there is plenty of outside seating for some al fresco thirst-quenching. They’ve also got a dozen television screens, so there’s no better place to watch sport. Swigging and slurping aside, The Friendship is good purely because it reminds you not only of life outside of Studentville, but also of that simple little place at home that your Dad is so fond of.
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Arts
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Throw yourself into the deep end Discover hidden waters with the Wild Swimmers movement and take a plunge into Manchester’s watery history at the Victoria Baths Having taken its place on the Daily Mail sidebar of shame, wild swimming, previously perhaps the preserve of a few brave geriatrics and alternative arts students, has now gone mainstream. From the same company who brought us Secret Cinema, Secret Swimming has popped up to cater for those who are seeking something slightly less stressful than early morning front-crawl at the Aquatics Centre. After launching at Wilderness festival in a mass skinny-dip, the secret swimmers are facilitating and documenting swims across the country in seas, lakes, reservoirs and more. Following this first chilly plunge in Lake Superior at Cornbury Park, they are looking to expand their network across the country to draw people with the thirst for ‘adventure and a love of wild waters’ together to bathe in uncharted waters. As the swimmer and author Susie Parr noted in her talk at Voewood Literary Festival this summer, bathing is enjoying something of a moment, perhaps, she suggested, as a reaction against our consistently controlled modern lives. In her book, The Story of Swimming, Parr documents her swims,
weaving her own story in with those of others who swam long before her, resulting in a compelling and visually stunning read which explores shifting attitudes toward water, drawing reference from art, poetry and print. It is not merely a coffee table tome – the prose is elegant and warm and the attention to historical detail and accuracy impressive. This is, of course, because this is as much personal record as complex social history, neatly segueing into literary and historical reference, drawing together the strands of her narrative. And we have a very real example of this right on our doorstep… The Victoria Baths on Hathersage Road, which opened in 1906, was built to be a ‘water palace of which every citizen of Manchester can be proud.’ The story is as problematic as a contemporary grand design, with the build expensive and time consuming, but on completion the Victoria Baths boasted the most up to date swimming technology and state of the art leisure facilities. But the three elegant green-tiled pools, having hosted events as diverse as bowling tournaments and blind-dating evenings, fell into disrepair and in 1993, the building was closed down by
the local council. Not willing to see the Baths become derelict, The Friends of Victoria Baths formed to protect and preserve the building and began the task of restoring the structure to its former glory. Now, the building opens every Wednesday to anyone who wants to look around, and hosts a diverse range of events which engage socially and creatively with the both the local and artistic communities, staying true to the original vision of it as a space to benefit all – including students! The Victoria Baths is not only somewhere to while away an afternoon, but could be the venue for your own exhibition, event or performance. Having hosted student-led projects in the past, this extraordinary ‘water palace’ is dedicated to providing support and space to emerging artists and performers. Coming up are Life Drawing Classes, a two day independent Beer Convention, a Vintage Fair with a selection of furniture and clothing – and maybe even a vintage swimming costume which you could wear the next time you think you might fancy doing some wild swimming of your own. Harriet Hill-Payne
Feature
Seeing through the Oxford Road bubble Islington Mill: something worth veering off the beaten track for? I was instructed in one of my first lectures that the best thing I could do for myself during my time at University would be to ‘go beyond the Oxford Road’. I ignored that advice, blissfully unaware of anything further into Withington than Ram and Shackle, and oblivious to the fact that anything really existed past the BBC (except Piccadilly Station). And that time was important – to meet people, to work out which bus to catch, to ascertain whether the ‘second Student’s Union bar’ somewhere in North Campus is real or just a rumour. But, suddenly, it hits you that you spend more time in Manchester than home, that ‘home,’ for
now, is here, and that you need to start appreciating the city in its own right and, thankfully, Manchester doesn’t let you down. Culturally, there is masses to see, first on your list should be the Whitworth Gallery – University-owned, consistently programming interesting contemporary work, and on the route to University. But if you’re looking for something a little different, something to take you off the Oxford Road, then perhaps you should look toward one of Manchester’s most exciting arts venues, Islington Mill, to show you something you won’t have seen before.
Following the decline of the cotton industry, the buildings which housed the machinery leading to the meteoric rise of Northern cities fell into disrepair, and, pre redbrickloft-apartment-chic, were abandoned architectural shells. Islington Mill was one of these, which owner Bill Campbell converted into a liveable and workable space, providing a home for a diverse collection of resident artists. Fast-forward a decade, and the venue is still programming cutting-edge visual arts, music and cultural events. Launching on Thursday 20th September is Brittle Crazie Glasse, an exhibition curated by Lucy Newman Cleeve, which
explores the way in which material objects are animated by dynamic external forces such as light or sound. Set in the dramatic and derelict lofty fifth floor project space, the exhibition is set to provide something a little different this Autumn and, maybe, could be the thing to entice you out of the University bubble.
Harriet Hill-Payne
Islington Mill on James Street, Salford. Photo: Salford Council
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Theatre
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Theatre: What Manchester has to offer
Joesphine Lane presents a guide to the best of Manchester theatre
or whatever else you may need. The performances shown are generally aimed at children, but Zion is exactly the place to go to get involved in some local theatre!
The Palace Theatre, Oxford Road The Palace Theatre and is a more traditional, Victorian buildings. It plays host to large-scale touring musicals and big comedy names. The theatre is operated by Ambassador Theatre Group, who own most of the West End theatres. Tickets can be pricey but if you want a grand evening out, these are the ones to go for!
The Contact Theatre, Oxford Road The Contact Theatre is specifically aimed at young people and is a registered charity. It often showcases new talent in a variety of contemporary forms: spoken word, comedy, dance, art and of course, theatre. It also welcomes touring productions, but in essence is Manchesterorientated. Many of the productions have workshops running alongside them, which are free with a performance ticket. The Contact is a welcoming space and encourages students and young people to get involved. Most of the shows are pretty cheap, too!
The Zion Arts Centre Also aimed at young people (and kids too) and a charity, the Zion Arts Centre focuses on participatory activity such as workshops and classes. It has twelve public rooms available for hire for rehearsals, workshops, music production
The Manchester Opera House, Quay Street Sister theatre to the Palace, the Manchester Opera House also hosts touring musicals and comedy, as well as ballets, pantomimes and plays.
The Lowry, Salford Quays The Lowry Arts Centre houses two proscenium arch theatres and one studio space. The Lowry presents almost every performance type going: ballet, comedy, burlesque, dance, family and theatre. Manchester-based The Library Theatre Company also perform three shows there every year. The centre has a welcoming, family-orientated environment and has some art galleries too. Some big names in the performance world come to the Lowry and its epic location of Media City gives it another reason you must visit it!
The Royal Exchange Theatre, St Anns Square
The Royal Exchange Theatre is an enormous, seven-sided module with seating on every side, creating a true example of theatre in the round. Placed in the centre of the magnificent spectacle that is the Great Hall of the Manchester Royal Exchange, this venue is not one you should miss seeing! The plays staged here tend to be classics, from Chekhov to Wilde, and often star some big names! The theatre is also home to The Studio, a smaller space showcasing new writing and talent and encouraging participation
at a professional level!
University Drama Societies All four universities have very strong societies of varying performance type: from musical theatre and drama to the Gilbert and Sullivan society! All the societies are strong and produce multiple performances every year. Probably the cheapest theatre in Manchester you’ll find too! Watch this space to find out what’s on this term!
The Bolton Octagon Most of the theatre put on at the Octagon is created and produced on-site in Bolton, showcasing much local talent. Part of its unique selling point is its versatile main auditorium, which can be rearranged into end-on, thrust and in-theround spaces. Great if you want to see local talent
What’s On? Our Country’s Good
The Country Wife
Octagon Theatre Bolton, Mon-Sat 7.30pm (1.30pm Sep 11th & Sep 20th, 2.00pm Sep 15th & Sep 19th), until Sep 22nd; Student Tickets £9.00-£17.00
The Country Wife The Royal Exchange Theatre; until Oct 20th; Student Tickets from £5.00
Lifestyle SECOND 60 Take a trip to… Berlin, Germany ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Travel
Interview
For our first interview we get to know former editor of the Mancunion and now sub-editor at the Daily Mail,… Jennie Agg With Freshers’ Week just around the corner what were your best and worst moments? My best Freshers’ Week moment was the girls in my halls surprising me with balloons and presents on
my birthday – especially as I’d only known them two days. Worst was probably forgetting I was having my student card ID picture taken and turning up on campus hungover, with mad hair, wearing a grubby hoodie. I was stuck with that picture for 5 years in the end… Since being the Mancunion editor you went on to work for the Daily Mail. Have you got any suggestions for those wanting to get into journalism? Don’t ask, ‘Can I go home now?’ when you’re on work experience, and learn how to make a decent cup of tea. Be prepared to work really, really hard. Write as much as you possibly can. Set up a blog and post on it regularly with the sort of work you would do in your dream job; treat it as your showcase – avoid vague grumblings about how hard it is to get a journalism job. Have interests outside of journalism. Be it sport, theatre, fashion, make the most of university activities – after all you need something to write about. Enter writing competitions. Read Scoop by Evelyn Waugh and Flat Earth News by Nick Davies. Look for internships (sometimes even paid ones) on gorkanajobs.co.uk. Don’t slag off publications you disagree with on your Facebook/ Twitter, it’s a small world and you never know who your next potential boss might be. With the introduction of our travel section we thought we’d ask you about your holidays. What is, so far, your favourite trip? My last holiday to Turkey was perfect. I stayed in a tiny villa in the mountains. Sitting on the terrace at sundown listening to the call to prayer with a book and a glass of wine was completely idyllic. And finally any words for those thinking of getting involved in the Mancunion? Do it! Do it today. It’s not scary, you don’t need to know everything (or even anything) about journalism or newspapers. It will be the best thing you do at university – it certainly was for me.
Becky Leddy takes us away to Berlin to sample bars, beaches and graffiti galore. Berlin: the city where 10ft barriers become galleries and train stations, warehouse raves. Where the past is very much present and graffiti is uniformly a strewn as a finger up to the suppressive political trauma it has suffered. With an abundance of dirt cheap hostels to stop at, it’s genuinely worth popping over if just to sample an infamous currywurst and partake in Europe’s most hyped after hours scene. So get on a plane, grab a City Spy map (www.cityspy.info) and start jam packing your trip with this recommended itinerary.
Photo Credit: Leszek Kozlowski
Keir spends 60 seconds speaking to a semi-famous alumni...
Day 1 the alternative walking tour (www.alternativeberlin.com) Head to Starbucks in Alexanderplatz the one stop for traffic jams and commercial crap at 11.00 or 13.00 to transform your views on Berlins exhibitionist graffiti gallery. A guide will take you to the central street art hotspots, educating you on its subliminal messages as well as enlightening you to the political food fights and historical affluence of Berlin’s neighbourhoods, whilst showing you places the guide books have neglected. You’ll be endeared by the carefree attitude for illegal graffiti and perhaps be inspired to join one of Alternative Tours street art workshops. Start your evening with a stroll along the East Side Gallery which will lead you to beach bar Strandgut (open April to Sept) selling cocktails a tad pricier than the 3 euro daquiris of the gritty getaways of Kreuzberg, but worth it to admire the fake beach set up complete with deckchairs and impressive views of Berlin’s own sunset boulevard. After a few cocktails, you may wonder why you’re stumbling in the sand under a tacky 70s
It’s...
Photo Caption: Reichstag Building
disco ball- remind yourself why you’re there by heading to the nearby Berghain or Fredrichshain’s Cassiopeia night club for a taste of real Berlin. Day 2 Retrace the neighbourhood routes you followed on the tour yesterday. You can almost guarantee it wasn’t long enough to satisfy your curiosity and you will have drooled over 101 cool bars on the way. Stop off at Burgermeirster (U-bahn: Schlesisches Tor) for Berlin’s best burgers located in an old public toilet testament and its ability to flip burgers over bidets and taste way better than the enemy McDonalds. Or spend the afternoon
in beer garden Prater, the oldest and prettiest in Berlin to join the engraved pastime of beer drinking whilst stopping off in the north east neighbourhood of Prenzlauer Berg, commended for its vintage flea markets, youthful vibrance and up and coming bar scene. When the sun goes down head to Kaffe Burger for an upmarket 5th Ave ambience, or biker haunt Mokum for lethal cocktails, prog rock and pinball. Berlin is the kind of place you can slot into far too easily, with its kookiness and individuality never failing to impress. Of course, it’s recommended to book a Reichstag dome tour and admire the Brandenburg gate. But primarily, Berlin
Blind
Stay at the Eastern Comfort anchored ashore the river Spree from 16 Euros per person per night. Fly from Manchester with Easyjet for £56 in October
Date
Connor, 3rd year, American Studies First impressions? I don’t usually go for chicks but, considering I’d already come this far, I was more than happy to give it a go. What did you have to eat? We established a shared love of condiments early on and opted for 5 portions of fries with ketchup, mayonnaise, bbq sauce, mustard and sweet chilli dip. If they were an alcoholic beverage which one would they be and why? Double Malibu and Coke; essentially perfect but for some reason society frowns upon a male been seen with them. Were there any awkward silences? … Finally, hug, kiss or something more? Does a long-lasting friendship count as something more?
should be explored off the beaten track to acquire a true appreciation of this buzzing capital. Your Berlin experience depends on what time of year you go – check out December flights and trade your cocktails for gluhwein, showstopping Christmas markets and all things merry and bright. All in all you may have gathered that Berlin perfects the art of drinking; so get drunk on its heady ambience, and do what the Germans do.
Morag, 3rd year, Geography First impressions? Suprisingly long arms and legs. What did you have to eat? Veggie Shepherds Pie. If they were an alcoholic beverage which one would they be and why? Gin: not easy at first but the taste grows on you. Were there any awkward silences? When he asked me why I wore knitwear.
Conn or
&M orag
Finally, hug, kiss or something more? A lovely friendly hug.
Connor and Morag ate at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Thanks to the guys down at Grosvenor Street for getting involved. To check out their menu, gig listings and have a look at what club nights are coming up visit their website www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk To sign up for blind date please e mail your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@mancunion.com with ‘blind date’ as the subject
Lifestyle Could we go the distance? STUDENT 101 ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
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Relationships
The Cycling Boom
Dana Fowles Dana takes us on a rocky ride through her ‘man detox’ I am a dating disaster. During the past twelve months, there have been failed romances with Mr. Attempted player (who locked himself in his room and wouldn’t come out when I found out that he had slept with a close friend of mine), Mr. Keeps it in his pants (who accused me of being a prostitute when I tried to take things further with him) and Mr. Best friend (who is subsequently no longer my best friend). Understandably, I felt that it was time to go on a self-imposed man detox. Said man detox lasted five months – five hassle free and frankly bloody boring months. With the exception of the boob fondling of my two gay best friends, I was beginning to think that I would never experience human affection ever again. All of my friends were either in relationships or at least having casual sex. I on the other hand was picturing myself at future family events: the crazy old cat lady, downing vodka shots at the bar. In hushed tones various relatives would be explaining, “Oh yes, that’s Dana. It’s such a shame, she’s never met anyone. She’s still on her own, well except for the cats that is”. Thankfully, before I resorted to purchasing my first tabby, summer arrived and along came Mr. This Might Actually Work. He was a friend of friends – an attractive
A couple of friendly outings later and we started getting together. Low and behold I remembered what it was like to actually kiss somebody. friend of friends. He also happened to have a personality. For someone as picky and as hard to please as me, this was a rare find. A couple of friendly outings later and we started getting together. Low and behold I remembered what it was like to actually kiss somebody. There had been no friend shagging, no offensive comment making and (apart from the time when I had woken up in his bed, looking like a tramp after a night out, to find out that his devoutly religious Nan was downstairs having a very civilised
Sunday lunch) there had been no awkwardness. All in all it seemed like I was onto a winner, but this was of course too good to be true. My return to Manchester was looming ever closer and he was due to begin his Master’s…in a completely different city a fair few hours away. One particularly drunken night, he suddenly blurted out that he “didn’t know what to do” about the distance because he “hadn’t planned” on starting to like me and things were going to get “complicated”. Naturally, I had to agree with him and that’s when I began to ask myself whether there was actually any chance of a long distance relationship working. Could I ever bring myself to have Skype sex? I will admit that perhaps this wasn’t the most important issue up for contemplation at the time. Nevertheless, could I!? How else do long distance couples manage to maintain their chemistry? Would the whole thing lose its sense of fun once we had to start planning regular visits around our timetables and bank balances? Plus, wouldn’t one of us inevitably cheat on the other? Romantics, I apologise, but let’s be honest, it’s just realistic. Finally and most importantly, if I was no longer single, how on Earth would I fill this column every week? Onto the next one…
Keir Stone-Brown Reporter
The passion for cycling in the UK has hit epidemic levels this year and Manchester is no exception. Groups such as Biko bikes (www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/ action/bikobikes) offer bike hire for as little as £1 a week so there’s never been a better time to get involved. Now with the roads swarming with riders and the newspapers swarming with the dangers of the road it is perhaps a good time to answer a couple of questions. So just how dangerous is it? And what can you do to be as safe as possible? Last year there were 107 cyclist deaths on British roads. That number may sound high but it’s significantly lower than the number of pedestrian (453) and car user (883) deaths in the same period. However 107 is still 107 too many so what can you do to help negotiate the roads safely? First up, having the right equipment is essential. Now I’m not saying you need to be head to toe in lycra but there
Photo Credit: splatt22 @Flickr
Tales from between the sheets
Dana Fowles This week... “My then girlfriend and I were doing a 69er. It was going well until I farted in her face. We split up shortly afterwards. I can’t think why . . .” Sam “A friend of a friend went back to a guy’s house one night. The next day before she left, she thought that it would be romantic to leave her number for him on a piece of paper. Deciding that she needed the toilet first, she went for a poo. A poo that would not flush. Luckily, she managed to find a carrier bag with which to fish out the poo. Tying the bag up, she wrote the note as planned.
It wasn’t until she had shut the self-locking door behind her, that she realised that she had left the bag of poo alongside it. Unsurprisingly, he never called”. Francesca “During First Year, I eventually got together with a guy who I had fancied since Welcome Week. After an innocent period of kissing and hand holding, I decided that it was time to get the show on the road and plucked up the courage to make the first move. I attempted to give him a blowjob, but he started to have an asthma attack. He literally had to use his
inhaler. I have never been more horrified in all my life and for the record; no it did not work out between us.” Sarah “During foreplay with my ex, I fanny farted really, really loudly. I tried to laugh it off, thinking it was funny. He on the other hand, shot me a look of disgust, shouted at me because it was entirely my fault that he was now ‘completely turned off’ and then proceeded to storm out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Awkward!” Georgina “My boyfriend and I were having sex in the missionary
Do you have a horror sex story that you’d like to share? Send them to lifestyle@mancunion.com
Dream Job Roller Coaster Designer Qualifications needed: Mechanical or Civil Engineering (MEng) Salary: £45,000 – £90,000 Companies: Intamin, Bolliger & Mabillard, Great Coasters International
If you’re an amusement park nut and dream roller coaster rides or just someone slightly sadistic who enjoys people being terrified then this is almost certainly the job for you. These firms have designed roller coasters at Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and Disney Land and have offices all over the world so not only will you be designing legal thrills for adrenaline junkies, you’ll also quite likely be a jet setter zipping from continent to continent checking out new sites for your latest contraption. ‘How do I get
position when he suddenly had a nosebleed. Right. Onto. My. Face. Mood killer is an understatement, especially if like me, you are more squeamish than most!” Becci “One morning after a particularly heavy session during my gap year, I woke up (alone) to find my penis covered in teeth marks. There also happened to be what I think was a nipple piercing embedded in the poor guy. Still to this day, I do not have a clue what happened!!” Andy
are some must haves. A helmet is the first port of call for any budding cyclist. It not only protects your head but in a bright colour can help motorists see you as well. Next, with the winter months approaching and the days getting shorter (sob sob) its important to invest in a pair of lights as, by about 5 o’clock, the evening starts to draw in and your visibility starts to diminish. Other than the above, a fluorescent raincoat not only keeps you dry but also keeps you visible. There are other more fun ways to increase your safety as well. ‘I Bike MCR’ (www.ibikemcr.org.uk) is a great organisation that promotes cyclist events throughout the year. From boozy socials to film nights and even the odd cycle ride they can provide a great starting point for anyone wanting to take to the road on two wheels. One event that ‘I Bike MCR’ run and is a must do on any students itinerary is the critical mass ride from the central library, meeting at 6 o’clock on the last Friday of every month. Critical mass is an idea where in cities all over the world cyclists take to the streets and ride in an effort to promote cycling. It’s a ride at a gentle pace where you can mingle with other cyclists whilst music is blaring out of speakers. The rides don’t have a set route but they are often seen riding up Wilmslow Road towards Fallowfield so have a go and start living life on two wheels.
this job?’ You may now be asking, well to start with a degree in engineering is essential. It gives you the skills necessary to understand the technical and physical aspects needed to make the greatest thrill rides. There is perhaps one word of caution if you are intending to follow in the footsteps of those that designed the Nemesis, Big Dipper or Oblivion and it is that these jobs are fairly hard to come by. Unsurprisingly, this is due to there being a limited number of rollercoasters
to design. But do not be disheartened potential fun makers if you plan ahead and get into contact with these firms then you can arrange internships, which can then lead into employment. In short, there may be many highs and lows and twists and turns in getting to the top, but imagine coming back to one of the amusement parks you ran riot in when you were kid to see others in madly long queues waiting for your own thrill ride. Keir Stone-Brown
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Societies
ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
29
The Societies Section Kate Bullivant E-mail spotlight@mancunion.com In only it’s second year, the Societies section promises to be as exciting and jam-packed as the last.’ For those of who are unfamiliar with us, we run weekly features designed to entertain, inform, and keep you in the society loop. First, we have ‘Society Spotlight’, which focuses on a different society each week, giving them the chance to shout about all the cool stuff they’re getting up to, so that nothing is overlooked and no one misses out. Then there’s the the ‘Events Listings’, where socials, meetings and events are put up weekly. If you’d like coverage in either of these, then drop me an email.
all the articles in the week’s paper, plus additional and exclusive content. There will also be photos from what has been happening in the week and a link to our Facebook page. You can go directly to the Facebook page by searching Mancunion: Societies 2012 – 2013 and clicking the ‘like’ button. The Societies Section is always looking for new writers. Anyone is welcome and it doesn’t matter if you’re part of a society or not. Get in touch and you can be involved the interviews for ‘Society Swap’ or for ‘Spotlight’ just send me an email if you’re interested or if you have any new and exciting ideas for features. I’ll be at the Fresher’s Fair in Academy one so hopefully I’ll see a lot of you there.
Introducing a new feature this year: ‘Society Swap’. This is where a member from two different societies will swap and take part in each other’s activity for one session. They’ll be interviewed afterwards, and give each other a rating out of 5. It’s will be a great way for societies to see what they are doing right or where they’re going wrong. It’s also the perfect opportunity for people to try new things, and knock people out of their comfort zones!
Email: Mancunion.spotlight@gmail.com Website: http://mancunion.com/category/societies/ Facebook: Mancunion: Societies 2012-2013
Don’t forget about the website. Go to http:// mancunion.com/category/societies/ . You can see
Welcome to Manchester – Societies The Freshers’ Fair is taking place from 10am -5pm, Tuesday 18th and Wednesday 19th September in the Students’ Union, writes Kate Bullivant Fresher’s Fair It’s Fresher’s week, which means two things: a sea of new faces, and the Fresher’s Fair. For two glorious days we traipse through the Student’s Union being enriched by what the university and union has to offer. From the moment you walk through the door you’re pounced upon by hungry students desperate for you to join their society. You’re ushered from stall to stall collecting bags of freebies and haphazardly giving away your contact details. Then you are spat out the other side, wide eyed, shell shocked and trembling ever so slightly. Apparently it’s going to be a bit more organised this year with a one –way system, but we’ll have to wait and see this works in reality. It may feel like you gain nothing from the chaos of Fresher’s Fair, and common practise dictates you join 20 societies, never go to one and spend the duration of your time at Manchester being bombarded by weekly emails. But attending the Fresher’s fair will be one of the most important things you do at Manchester. Get stuck in! Why is the Fresher’s Fair so important? Why join a society? And why have a whole page of the student newspaper dedicated to them? Because joining a society can – and this is not an understatement – change your life. Societies are designed for students, run by students and attended by students. So why not join the circus skills club? Why not join the debating group? It’s the one time you can get involved in
Societies
EVENTS
anything you want and activities are dirt cheap compared to how much they would cost outside of university. As motherly as it sounds, the more you put into university the more you’ll get out of it. The Fresher’s Fair is the one time that all the clubs are under the same roof. It’s a great opportunity to meet the organisers face to face, and however daunting this may seem they’ll be eager to meet you and answer any of your questions. There really are no limits to the things you can get involved in, whether it’s the hiking, mahjong or aikido society. You might be surprised by what actually appeals to you. So my plea is to make the most of the Fresher’s Fair, join as many societies as you can, then turn up to the socials and see how it goes. Getting involved could not only improve you time at Manchester, but it’s also great for getting ahead in the outside world. Leaving university seems a long way off now, but it’s an inevitable, gut-wrenching reality we all have to face. If you’re interested in a career in radio for example, then go chat to Fuse FM. Equally, if its events management that turns you on then being part of a society earns serious brownie points. events
no denying that the first week can be daunting, and socials are a great way to meet new people. So if you’ve been paired with the neighbour from hell then fear not, your social life is not doomed.
Apart from looking great on your CV, societies are renowned for the amazing socials that are organised. Social Secs will be on red alert during Fresher’s week to conjure up some memorable nights all over Manchester to entertain the new recruits. There is
There is a misconception that if you don’t go to Fresher’s Fair you’ll never have the opportunity to join a society. This is totally wrong. You can join a society whenever you want; it doesn’t have to be just in fresher’s week and doesn’t even have to be in
Tuesday 18th
Wednesday 19th
FRESHERS’ FAIR
FRESHERS’ FAIR
Students’ Union, Academy One: 10am to 5pm
Student’s Union, Academy One: 10am to 5pm STUDENT ACTION SOCIAL, Khaled Said Room: 4pm
It’s never too late to join a society.
RAG – Climb Kilimanjaro Meeting Student’s Union, Room 8: 7-9pm
your first year. Check out the union website http:// manchesterstudentunion.com/groups and there is a full list of all the societies this year and their contact details. So if you do arrive late and miss the Fresher’s Fair, just drop them an email and you can easily get involved. New members are always welcome, however late. I hope I’ve swayed you in the direction of the student’s union, and that you’ll make the most of your time at Manchester. So … GET STUCK IN!
Thursday 20th
Friday 21st
HIKING SOCIETY
RAG - Jailbreak Meeting
Hiking Society Introductory Evening
Student’s Union, Room 2: 4pm – 6pm
Student’s Union, Room 6: 7pm
30 : SPORT
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Relegation confirmed for sorry Lancashire Tom Acey Just twelve months on from their landmark title triumph, Lancashire were relegated from the County Championship’s upper tier after defeat in the penultimate match of the season. Requiring 304 in 39 overs to keep their hopes alive at Middlesex, Glen Chapple’s team were dismissed for 194, with ex-Lancashire bowler Steven Crook returning figures of 5-48 to condemn the holders to Division Two Aside from an encouraging run in the Friend’s Provident Trophy, it has been a difficult season for the Red Rose county. After three early defeats, their Championship title defence quickly became a relegation scrap from which they never escaped. The continuing redevelopment of Old Trafford, meanwhile, meant that most home matches were played at Aigburth, although their home record was equally poor at both venues. The standout performers of the 2011 campaign, meanwhile, were generally either absent or anonymous. Steven Moore and Kyle Hogg both struggled to find form, Sajid Mahmood was shipped out to Somerset and Tom Smith spent most of the summer in the 2nd XI recovering from a hamstring injury. For much of the season it was up to Chapple and Ashwell Prince to carry the burden, along with Simon
Kerrigan, who has impressed since displacing Gary Keedy from the side. For coach Peter Moores, this year’s relegation is an unfortunate blip on an impressive CV. Moores has enjoyed considerable success at domestic level, winning Championships with both Sussex and Lancashire, but getting out of Division Two will present a very different test for his team. The experience of players such as Chapple and Paul Horton is likely be crucial if they are to make an immediate return to the top flight, as they did after their last relegation in 2004. It was also back in 2004, incidentally, that Warwickshire were last crowned county champions, and they quickly banished memories of last year’s upset to run out comfortable winners this term. Their batting line-up largely delivered on its expected promise, with Westwood, Chopra and Ambrose scoring prolifically throughout the summer, whilst the bowling attack was spearheaded by young Keith Barker and Chris Wright, both of whom exceeded 50 wickets at less than 25 apiece. It was about this time last year, on the final day of the season, that Lancashire stole the title from under Warwickshire’s noses. How the two teams’ fortunes have differed since that afternoon.
Photo Credit: welivecricket.com
Middlesex defeat caps painful demise for Chapple’s men
The re-development of Old Trafford was once again an unwelcome distraction for Lancashire
Murray seals landmark triumph Scot becomes first British Grand Slam winner in 76 years
At last, the wait is over. After countless near misses, Andy Murray finally landed his first Grand Slam title last week, defeating Novak Djokovic in a memorable US Open final. As always with Murray, is wasn’t an easy ride. Despite taking a 2-0 lead, the Scot had to battle through five sets, finally sealing a 7-6 7-5 2-6 3-6 6-2 victory after nearly five hours on court. It may have taken five Grand Slam finals for Murray to achieve his goal, but, with this victory coming so soon after his breakthrough win at the Olympics, it is tempting to believe that he can go on to achieve further honours in the coming months. Murray has displayed a new strength of character in recent encounters, and he again failed to panic as Djokovic threatened to overturn his early advantage. Having been pegged back in the third and fourth sets, the young Murray may easily have lost heart, but this time he commanded the final games, running out a comfortable 6-2 victor in that crucial final set. He may not yet have demonstrated the ruthlessness of a champion, but
Photo Credit: Carine06 @flickr
Tom Acey
The US Open has been the highlight of a memorable year for Andy Murray
Murray has shown a great deal of resilience in achieving both his major victories this year. One can only hope
that this landmark title will be the first of many for the talented lad from Dunblane.
BIZARRE
SPORTS #1
We put the Olympics to shame by bringing to light some truly obscure sports. This week – Chess boxing. No, that’s not a misprint – there really is a sport called chess boxing. A challenge of both brains and brawn, this hybrid sport consists of 11 alternating rounds; six of chess and five of boxing. Each round is four minutes long, and the match can be won by either checkmate or knockout – whichever comes first – with a points decision made in the event of a tie. Therein lies the catch: how well can you maintain your grandmaster technique after a pummelling in the ring just a minute earlier? Equally, how well can you dodge a swift left hook when you’re still pondering that fiendish Bishop’s Gambit from the previous round? This crazy concoction is the brainchild of French artist Enki Bilal, first featuring in his 1992 graphic novel Froid Equateur. Dutchman Iepe Rubingh, also an artist, was inspired by Bilal’s award-winning comic and brought the cartoon creation to life. Rubingh is now the World Chess Boxing President, and despite its seemingly odd match-up of logic and loggerheads the sport is growing in popularity. With large followings in Berlin and London, events have also taken place in Japan, India and the USA.
The World Chess Boxing Organisation, whose slogan is ‘The smartest, toughest (wo)man on the planet’, held the first world championship in Amsterdam in 2003, where creator Rubingh claimed the title, dubbing himself ‘Iepe the Joker’. More and more tournaments have been held since, with increasing standards every year. Serious competitors must now not only be experienced fighters, but be Class A strength chess players. 2012 saw the first titled chess grandmaster competing, the suitably named Arik Braun, who also emerged victorious. Chess boxing is also making a name as a spectator sport, with some events gathering crowds of thousands. The boxing rounds inspire the usual furore within the masses, while the competitors are forced to wear earmuffs so as not to overhear the intense commentary for the chess sections. So, when chess boxing is introduced to the Rio Olympics, remember – you heard it here first!After all, we are students and money is tight. But beware, that age old saying
ISSUE 01 / 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
SPORT : 31
Welcome to Manchester Ciaran Milner Sports Editor Whether you are a returning student or a fresher, the coming year promises to be an exciting one in sport. Being one of Britain’s largest cities, Manchester boasts an eclectic mix to satisfy all tastes, and the University has some top class facilities for those looking to get involved. University of Manchester has one of the largest Athletic Unions in the country, and there are a huge number of clubs and teams available to join. Whether it’s the classic football or rugby, the outlandish ultimate frisbee or the little-known korfball, there is something to cater for all preferences. All forty three clubs will have a stall at the Sports Fair which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Freshers’ week (18th and 19th September). It is located in the Students Union building on Oxford Road and is where to go to sign up for anything that piques your interest. Many of these teams will compete in the prestigious Christie Cup in April. After the Oxford-Cambridge rivalry, this ‘Battle of the North’ is the oldest inter-university sporting event in the country, and sees teams from the Universities of Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool compete. The cup was originally an athletics competition, but now sees over 40 sports compete in a single day of dramatic competition. Manchester had previously dominated the event, winning the title consecutively for eight years
until Leeds broke tradition in 2011. The title returned to Manchester again in 2012 after a victorious campaign in Liverpool, and this year expectations of retaining the trophy will be high as the competition is to be held on home soil for the first time since 2010. For those looking for something a little more casual to get involved in, there are the Campus Sport leagues, in which teams from within the University compete with each other. Teams can represent either university halls or academic departments, or indeed students can create their own teams with a group of friends. There are leagues for football, rugby union, basketball, netball and hockey. For more information on both Campus Sport and Athletic Union sport, go to http://www.sport.manchester. ac.uk/sport. Manchester has plenty to offer for spectators too. Football here has taken an interesting turn with Man City ending a 44 year wait for a league title in the most dramatic
Photo Caption: Manchester City FC Manager, Roberto Mancini
Photo Credit: Adam Rossano
Ciaran Milner takes you on a tour of the best of Manchester’s sport
Photo Caption: University of Manchester’ Varsity Football
style. Man United will be hoping to silence their noisy neighbours, and you can watch this saga unfold for yourself with tickets for both clubs available from our Students Union, with prices starting at £17. For those craving a weekly football fix on the cheap, a student season ticket at non-league Macclesfield starts at a mere £50, and the club is only a 30-minute train ride away. For something a little closer to home, FC United of Manchester have season tickets starting at £90, and if you’re totally penniless, the National Football Museum has just opened its doors in the city centre and is totally free to enter.
Rugby League is well represented in the region, with many of the biggest clubs calling Lancashire home. St. Helens, Warrington and 19-time champions Wigan Warriors are all close, as are newcomers Salford City Reds. The season is currently building to a dramatic close with the playoffs taking place throughout late September and early October. The most important event in the Rugby League calendar, the Grand Final, is set to take place at Old Trafford on 6th October, and tickets are available for as little as £21. Cricket also maintains a presence in the city, with Lancashire
Salford City Reds end the season with an apology Ciaran Milner Sports Editor Salford Cit y Reds chairman John Wilkins wrote an apology in his programme notes in their final league game of the season against Wakefield Trinit y as the Reds played out the match at Leigh Spor ts Village instead of their regular home at Salford Cit y St adium. This was bec ause Sale Sharks, whom they share the venue with, were also playing on the same day. The Reds normally play their games on a Friday evening to avoid this, but the prospec t of Sky coverage on Saturday forced the switch. Salford Cit y Reds moved into the new £26m ground at the be ginning of 2012. However, there have been rumours of financial trouble at the club throughout the year. The club were paying off a large t ax bill in April, and released Chief Executive David Tarr y in June. Chairman John Wilkins st ated at the st ar t of the season that the Reds would need to achieve an average attendance of at least 8,000 to balance the books. However, this season they have averaged under 6,000. Wilkins had hoped that the ground share with Sale Sharks, announced in April, would increase Salford’s at-
tendances, but this has not been the c ase. The prospec t of Sky TV money on Saturday evening may have been too much to turn down for the c ash strapped club, who ended the season in eleventh place.
County Cricket Club plying their trade at (the other) Old Trafford. The season begins again in early April, with tickets costing £13 for a day of action. The club have just been relegated to the second tier of County Cricket, so expect an exciting season ahead as they push for promotion. In August, the ground will play host to the third test of the 2013 Ashes Series. This is certainly one to look forward to, as a young Australian team will seek to re-assert their dominance over England in what promises to be an intriguing contest. The third test, as ever, will be key. On the University side of things,
look out for the fabled Varisty matches between the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University. These highly anticipated games often create an electric atmosphere, with bragging rights for one set of Manchester students up for grabs. The first of these clashes will take place on the afternoon of Wednesday 26th September, when both the men’s and women’s Rugby Union sides collide at Sale FC’s Heywood Road ground. Tickets will be available from the Students Union, and we plan to live blog this event for those who can’t make it in person.
New England star ‘needs injury free
season’, says Butt Tom Cleverley has been told that he needs a full season free of injury if he i s to cement hi s place in the England team, according to former Manchester United st ar Nicky Butt . The former Wigan loanee has enjoyed a good st art to the season for both club and country and impressed playing in an att acking midfield position against Moldova a week ago. But Cleverley, 2 3, endured an injury hit season last year; playing only 12 games in all competitions for the Red Devils. “He needs a good season where he plays 30 or 35 games,” Butt told BBC Radio Manchester. “He had a few injuries in his early days, but he’s got to a level now where he needs to get games under hi s belt. “He’s a phenomenal young footballer and he’s at the right club to develop, with the right manager, the right coaches and the right players around him.”
Photo Caption: Salford City Reds stadium
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