Issue1

16TH SEP 2013/ ISSUE 01 FREE

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Hangover cures

Is this the end for our Veggie Cafe?

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Freshers guide to Film

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Speaker quits porn debate after death and rape threats • Threats came from Manchester • Students planned to protest debate • Other speakers include British porn-star Renee Richards Michael Williams & Jonathan Breen

Acontroversial feminist has pulled out of a student-organized debate on pornography after receiving death and rape threats.

Writer Julie Bindel, co-founder of feminist campaigning organization Justice For Women, dropped out from the Manchester Debating Union event after being sent 30 hate-mail messages. Three of the messages, Ms. Bindel told The Mancunion, were so severe that she reported them to the police.

Fierce opposition arose from students and ‘trans’ activists soon after MDU announced the lineup for their debate – titled “This house believes that porn empowers women” – on July 29.

The backlash stems from an article Ms. Bindel – who came out as a lesbian aged 15 – wrote for The Guardian in 2004 called ‘Gender benders beware’, which included controversial opin-

ions on transsexual and transgender issues.

“I apologized for the tone in that article because I made really inappropriate jokes and it was just wholly inappropriate the way I dealt with it”, she said. “I apologized for that, but obviously that wasn’t good enough.

“The other stuff I’ve written has been…not in the slightest offensive or controversial or in any way designed to get a rise from transgender activists, but obviously I’ve been made a scapegoat.”

She added, “I was coming to debate pornography. I was censored from speaking about something that has nothing to do with ‘transgenderism’, nothing at all.”

Trans representative-elect for the University of Manchester LGBTQ Society Loz Webb organized a demonstration to take place at the time of the debate after students told him it made them feel unsafe.

Continued on page 2

Julie Bindel received hate mail when it was announced she would be on the panel of a debate on porn, but said she is not deterred from comign back Photo: Julie Bindel

02 : NEWS

ISSUE 01 / 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Highlights 12

Music, Interview: Pangaea headliner DJ Yoda

This week the Students’ Union will be a hive of activity, hosting the Fresher’s Fair and Pangaea Photo: Cil Barnett-Neefs

Page 12 Picture of the week

15 Games, Review: Saints Row IV Page 15

16 Fashion, How to dress for the night Page 16

30 Sports, Top 5-a-side venues Page 30

continued from page one...

“I was unhappy that someone with a track record of transphobia was being given a platform during Welcome Week, as this creates a very unwelcoming and hostile environment to any new [trans] students,” Webb told The Mancunion.“When [trans] students informed me that they were also concerned and felt unsafe, I asked MDU to consider a replacement speaker.

“They refused to replace her with a speaker who was not trans-phobic and [trans] students wanted to protest trans-phobic hate speech on campus, so we organised a peaceful demonstration.

“I am glad that she is not speaking because her presence on campus was a threat to the safety, welfare and inclusion of [trans] students and sent a message to any new [trans] students that their welfare was unimportant.”

In a statement the SU Exec Team said, “We respect, support, and celebrate the right of our students to protest and to feel safe on campus.

“The Union has seen no evidence that any University of Manchester students were complicit in sending Julie Bindel rape or death threats and we wholly condem[n] anybody who has done so.”

MDU Chair Henry Phipps issued a statement on September 11 confirming the change in speaker.

“Ms Bindel has contacted me to tell me that in the face of threats and hate-mail, she decided that it is impossible for her to be able to speak at this event and that her presence there would prevent discussion of an issue she believes to be of the utmost importance.”

He added, “We completely condemn those who seek to shut down debate, through threats and in-

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This pyramid, called ‘Allport’s Scale’, suggests the link between “disparaging term” and “execution. it was posted into the debate on Facebook.

timidation. This behaviour is utterly unjustified, and diminishes the cause that these activists seek to enhance.”

Students took to social media to voice their concerns over the debate.

Rohan Jareth Beck, a ‘trans’ student about to start at the University, wrote on the debate Facebook page, “I find the way MDU is dealing with this issue to be abhorrent and has put me off from not only this debate, but also any engagement with the Union.”

Another student, Jess Elijah Bradley wrote, “as a trans-person, former sex worker and Manchester student, I feel that the choice to give Julie Bindel a platform on this issue means that I cannot attend or participate in this debate – It is not safe for me to do so.”

Ms. Bindel refuted such claims, “The whole idea that

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I would make trans people feel unsafe just by appearing to discuss a feminist issue, on which I’m an expert, seems ludicrous.”

She also said that, although people in Manchester had sent her threats, she wanted to stress the experience had not soured her opinion of the University of Manchester.

“I don’t think it’s anything intrinsic with the university at all,” she said. “I think it’s a group of maniacs who are just hell-bent on hatred and viciousness, have too much time on their hands, and obviously have some deep-seated problems that they should get addressed.”

She added, “I would love to come back and do something again, this certainly won’t put me off.”

The debate – ‘This house believes that porn empowers women” – is still set to go ahead on Thursday September 19. The Speakers arguing in favour of the motion are former porn actress Renee Richards and Dr. Jude Roberts from the University of London. And arguing the opposition is No More Page 3-founder Lucy Holmes and a replacement for Ms. Bindel, yet to be named.

MDU ran into problems elsewhere promoting the debate when the Student’s Union Executive blocked proposed posters featuring pornographic actress Sasha Grey from being put-up in the Union or any affiliated buildings.

“We discussed the use of your photo of Sasha Grey in promotional materials for a debate. It was decided unanimously that we do not find it suitable to use said photo,” said a statement from the Exec to MDU, explaining it contradicted their Zero Tolerance of Sexual Harassment Policy, which upholds “to not display images in the Union which objectify, fetishise or stereotype people.”

This newspaper was also censored from printing the image in question.

Features Editor: Sam Dumitriu features@mancunion.com Games Editor: Alasdair Preston games@mancunion.com Lifestyle Editors: Moya Crockett, Isabelle Dann, Beth Currall & Lauren Arthur lifestyle@mancunion.com

Fashion Editors: Susie Coen & Marie Yates

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Music Editors: Tom Ingham, Patrick Hinton & Phoebe Clarke music@mancunion.com Sport Editors: Andrew Georgeson, Thomas Dowler & Thomas Turner

Sports Reporters: James Eatwell & Jonathan Roberts sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Josephine Lane theatre@mancunion.com Web Editor: Jenny Ho webed@mancunion.com Photography Editor: Peter Chinnock photography@mancunion.com Photography team: Patrycja Marczewska, Joshua Brown & Cil Barnett-Neefs

ISSUE 01 / 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 03

Is the end in sight for our Veggie Café?

‘Campus treasure’ forced to make way for University ‘Masterplan’ Aidan Gregory News Editor

A popular campus hangout is under threat after the Student’s Union ordered the premises be vacated.

The Vegetarian Café, a favourite with both staff and students, has to leave its current library-adjacent location by January 31st.

Leslie Brown, who has successfully run the café for over 16 years, said she is devastated by the order and has lodged an appeal with her solicitor.

The move is part of the University’s ‘Campus Masterplan’, which includes improving disabled access to the Veggie Café’s current home in the Schunck Building, a location the Students’ Union let from the University and sub-let to the Veggie Café. Ultimately the plan is to create a space for postgraduate research students.

In a statement to The Mancunion, the SU Exec Team said, “We have agreed with the University that we will vacate from the building and we have been in discussion with the current The Vegetarian Café occupying the space.

“The Vegetarian Café has been given notice of the situation several months in advance, and alternative business premises have been offered.”

The location put forward as a replacement was the current RBS home next to Academy 1, accord-

ing to Brown. But for her it is not “a viable business alternative”.

Brown told The Mancunion, the move to the proposed premises would completely change the nature of the Veggie Café as it has been known for years. There would no longer be enough space for society meetings, it would turn the café into a takeaway, and deny her the unique advantage of the Schunck Building being so close to the University library.

She added, “It’s a unique place.

There’s nowhere else like it” “People can come here and have healthy food, which is cheap and home cooked. We don’t buy frozen chips and things like that.”

The café is well known among students, with a reputation as charming independent alternative to other eateries dotted around campus. It is also popular with students from certain religious backgrounds, because of the halal and kosher menu.

Shortly after the plans were made public last month, protests sprang up online. A ‘Save Our Veggie Café’ page on Facebook, created by Christian Union committee member James Birchenough attracted over 1,000 likes within 24 hours and now has over 2,200.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Birchenough was frank about why he started the page, “It would be a tragedy if this place closed.”

Student Abbie Huff started a similar page on popular petition website www.change.org.

Manchester voted best city to live in UK Aidan Gregory News Editor For the third year in a row, the Economist Intelligence Unit has voted Manchester the best city to live in the UK. The global survey took into account criteria such as healthcare, infrastructure, stability, culture, and education. The overall title was taken once again by Melbourne, Australia.

However, despite Manchester successfully retaining the crown of ‘most liveable UK

city’, the study reveals that is continuing to decline on the international and national stage. The city has fallen nine places in a league table of 140 major world cities, since 2011, and at ranked at 61 it is now only four positions above London.

Despite a clear decline in the wake of the recession, Mancunions still have a great deal to be proud of. Andrew Stokes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester the agency charged with promoting Manchester on

The Veggie Cafe’s future looks bleak - they are being forced to move to a smaller premises Photo: Jonathan Breen The page has gathered in excess of 2,300 supporters – including prominent university staff members – as well as many devoted messages of support.

One poster, Sarah Smith, wrote, “This café is simply a haven. Pos-

the national and international stage, said, “Manchester has given the world so much in terms of culture, science and sport.

“For those of us who live and work here, it comes as no surprise to hear we’re among the world’s most liveable cities.

“And given that a recent study calculated that over 200 languages are spoken across the city every day – it appears people from all over the world want to be in Manchester.

“We’ve got national museum collections and a packed calendar of theatre and cultural events – not to mention world class sports institutions like Manchester United and Manchester City. Combine this with carefully considered infrastructure and fantastic investment opportunities and you have the making of a very exciting place to live.”

sibly the best café in Manchester; there is nowhere else that matches the friendliness of staff, quality of food, value for money and its beautiful spirit.”

Another, Theodore Vidgen, said the café was “the reason I didn’t

get scurvy and die of lesions as a Manchester University student.”

Dr. Leif Jerram - a senior lecturer in the University’s history department – also wrote on the petition page, “All other food on campus (seriously, all) is either of poorer

quality or much higher price. To lose this institution in its full form would degrade the campus environment even further.”

Talks between the café management and the Student’s Union are on-going.

Phone Loan Woes Sean Doherty News Reporter It has been revealed that the Student Loans Company has taken in over £1 million in the last five years from charges to its 0845 call line.

Whilst not technically premium lines, charges for calling 0845 numbers can cost up to 11p per minute and 41p from mobiles. The non-profit government organisation, which houses contact centres in seven locations, justified its use of the numbers on the basis that they are the best way of providing a quality service.

A spokesperson for the company stated that, “Using nongeographical numbers allows calls to be routed to the next

available advisor at any location, ensuring that calls are answered as quickly as possible.

Any revenue from telephone calls is used to offset our overall telephone charges”.

However, some have criticised the SLC for not adopting 03 numbers, which, since their introduction in 2007, have provided non-profit and public companies with a number which charges geographical call rates and which mobile users may use with their network’s bundle packages.

A 2012 NUS campaign saw the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) replace their 0845 numbers with 0300 numbers.

NUS Scotland president, Gordon Maloney, called on the SLC to ‘follow the lead of SAAS and

switch to at least an 0300 number, or better yet stop charging altogether, so students and graduates can put their money to better uses, such as paying off loan debt.”

It is not the first piece of controversy the SLC has faced. In 2009, over 100,000 students began term with their loans still being processed, leading to three quarters of English universities having to provide emergency funding to financially struggling students. An inquiry which found that up to 95% of calls were going unanswered at the peak of delays, as well as evidence of workers at the company losing documents, led to restructuring of the company’s senior management.

ISSUE 01 / 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

04 : News

Chilean torturers used music to torment victims Manchester reasearcher reveals details of Chile’s time under Pinochet, 40 years later Michael Williams News Editor

Forty years after Chilean dictator Pinochet came to power, a University of Manchester researcher has revealed the harrowing ways in which Pinochet’s staff used music to torture his victims.

The soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick’s film ‘A Clockwork Orange’, George Harrison’s ‘My Sweet Lord’, and songs by Julio Inglesias were all among the LPs played at high volumes during torture sessions – sometimes for days at a time.

Dr Katia Chornik, of the University’s music department, is the first to investigate the ties between music and Pinochet’s notorious concentration camps, prisons and torture houses.

She spoke to former prisoners as part of her project, entitled ‘‘Sounds of Memory: Music and Political Captivity in Pinochet’s Chile’.

“Pinochet’s system used music to indoctrinate detainees, as a form of punishment and a soundtrack to torture,” said Dr Chornik.

“Played at intensely high volumes for days on end, the otherwise popular songs were used to inflict psychological and physical damage.”

One former prisoner even

told how her jailers would sing Italian pop hit ‘Gigi l’Amoroso’ specifically for her as she was walked to the interrogation room, before proceeding to torture her with the recording of the song playing in the background.

When Pinochet seized power on 11 September 1973, the majority of the almost 40,000 political opponents were imprisoned in 1,132 ‘detention centres’ and physically and psychologically tortured.

However, Dr Chornik also uncovered details of the positive ways in which prisoners used music.

Two former prisoners recalled listening to Harry Nilsson’s Without You, Alone Again by Gilbert O’ Sullivan and Morning Has Broken by Cat Stevens on a small pocket radio to give themselves courage before torture sessions.

“Music brought prisoners together because it was a way to deal with their terrible suffering,” explained Dr Chornik.

Many prisoners sang in secret, and in the less violent camps some were even able to put on shows and play musical instruments.

Dr Chornik is also researching the revival of a choir formed in Tres Álamos, one of the largest camps for political prisoners.

The choir was allowed

Picadilly serial rapist convicted Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor

The serial rapist who attacked four women in an hour near Manchester Piccadilly station has been indefinitely detained.

Paranoid schizophrenic Thomas Hall, 33, raped three sex workers and sexually assaulted another after the ‘voices’ in his head told him to.

Two women were forced to run half-naked down the street and beg passing motorists for

help.

The final victim heard him boasting over the phone after his attack saying “I’ve done three or four now. I’ve had the best night of my life”.

Judge Richard Mansell QC said: “You are a very dangerous man.

Ordinarily you would receive lengthy custodial sentence running well into double figures”.

“These offences demonstrate serious violence and sexual violence. You pose a risk not just to women, but people generally.”

Forty years after Chilean dictator Pinochet came to power, University of Manchester researcher investigates his infamous torture houses Photo: University of Manchester

to continue because camp authorities believed that it would improve the camp’s image in the face of a forthcoming inspection from the Organisation of American States’ human-rights commission.

The most famous musician murdered by the regime was Víctor Jara, whose captors broke both of his wrists and then ordered him to play the guitar.

Shortly before his execution, Jara left an untitled poem, known as ‘Estadio Chile’, which reads: “There are five thousand of us here / in this small part of the city / […]

How much humanity / exposed to hunger, cold, panic, pain / moral pressure, terror and insanity?”

“Music was also a form of testimony,” explained Dr Chornik.

“Many prisoners did not officially exist; so many were to disappear without trace and songs were a way of remembering who they were and what they believed in.”

All four attacks took place close to Manchester Piccadilly station. Photo: Nicholas Smale @Flickr

Adrian Farrow, defending, said that Hall suffered flashbacks from a troubling childhood experience.

At the time of the attack, 5th March 2013, he was already on police bail for raping another woman a month earlier.

Hall, who also suffers from personality disorders, pleaded guilty to four counts of rape, one

sexual assault and assault causing actual bodily harm.

He has been detained under the mental health act at maximum security Ashworth Hospital, currently also holding Dale Cregan and Ian Brady.

He cannot be released without approval of doctors and a mental health tribunal.

Uni first’s winger in competition to win pro-contract Michael Williams News Editor A player in the Universit y of Manchester football 1st XI has turned hi s back on a professional contrac t with a top team in hi s native Libya - to chase hi s dreams of playing for an Engli sh side.

Abdulla Sanalla, a winger, was offered a year-long contrac t with Al Ahly SC – the C onfederation of Afric an Football’s (CAF) ‘Afric an club of the century ’ – after a trial.

Abdulla instead has entered a competition ran by Samsung, ‘ Win A Pro C ontrac t’, with the prize being a contrac t for either Swindon Town, L ey ton Orient or Wycombe Wanderers.

“My [Al Ahly SC ] trial was successful and I was offered a one -year contrac t ,” said Abdulla.

“At the same time I was invited to train with the Libyan national team. It was all very exc iting.”

“But however easy it would be for me to t ake a contrac t there, I am

determined to play in the Engli sh leagues. I feel I have the abilit y to do that .”

Al Ahly SC , whose st adium holds 75,000, are the most successful club of the 20th century in the Afric an continent , according to the CAF. In contrast , Ley ton Orient’s stadium holds just 9,271 and the club made headlines in 1995 after being put on sale for £5.

Thi s di sparit y does not worry Abdulla, though.

“I am going to st ay in England and keep fighting for a professional contrac t here,” he said. “ Thi s Samsung competition could be the answer.”

L ast year’s winners, Jack Sherratt and Kayden Jackson, signed for L ey ton Orient and Swindon Town respec tively, and are hoping to make their first-team debuts thi s season.

Three winners will be dec ided upon, and will receive a one -year professional contrac t , one at each football club.

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 05

Manchester falls in world rankings

The University has fallen to a five-year low according to one ranking system Photo: University of Manchester

- University drops in two league tables - Low scores for student to faculty ratio Sean Doherty News Reporter Manchester has dropped a place in the QS World University Rankings and Shanghai Jiao Tong Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

QS ranked the University of Manchester 33rd in their league table published last week, making it one of eight UK institutions in the top 50, but it is the lowest position the University

has held since 2006. ARWU – the system the University uses – placed Manchester at 41, down two places in so many years.

Since the foundation of the University in 2004, the ‘Manchester 2015 Agenda’ has promoted the institution’s mission to make it one of the top 25 universities in the world by 2015. Its Shanghai ranking has jumped 12 places since 2005.

“The vision to make The University of Manchester one of the

top 25 universities in the world by 2015 is bold and ambitious,” said Anil Ruia, Chairman of the Board of Governors, writing in a version of the ‘2015 Agenda’ published in 2011, and available on the University website.

“There have been and continue to be significant challenges to face, but following extensive review of progress since 2004, we remain committed to the Vision and believe it to be achievable.”

For the second year running, the highlight of the QS ranking was the 100 out of 100 Employer Reputation score. Also a QS survey of ‘Employer’s Best Universi-

Love smells Manchester academic claims people smell their other half Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor A Manchester professor believes we subconsciously sniff out the genetics of suitable partners.

‘Compatibility’ genes are disease-fighters, and may “influence how our brains are wired, how attractive we are, even how

likely we are to reproduce.”

In his new book ‘The Compatibility Gene’, Professor Daniel M Davis argues that humans are attracted to the smell of those with different compatibility genes to themselves, giving genetic offspring the best chance at fighting disease.

“Relationships are very complicated and there’s lots of ways

in which people interact, so it’s just an aspect of that… it’s kind of a glimpse into this wonder of who you are,” said Professor Davis.

The basis comes from Claus Wedekind’s 1994 ‘smelly Tshirt’ experiment, where male students wore a T-shirt for two nights, avoiding anything that might alter their natural smell.

The tops were then put in boxes, and smelt by female students who ranked the smell according to intensity, pleasure and sexiness.

ties’ placed Manchester 9th in the world. Scores for Academic Reputation and International Students followed close behind in the ranking, with 99.20 and 96.00, respectively.

The low point was the ratio of students to faculty members, which despite rising three points this year to 66:20, saw a slip in ranking to 181.

Times Higher Education ranked Manchester 49th in their world university league tables last year – the new rankings are expected out October 2.

The Mancunion spoke to international students to gauge the

Results showed women preferred T-shirts worn by men with different compatibility genes to their own.

Strong evidence also suggests that mice select mates by smelling urine to detect different compatibility genes.

Davis and his wife underwent a DNA test to analyse their own genetic compatibility.

Although they were a match, Davis said “human relationships are very complicated, and you can’t just do the genetic test and find out if that’s going to be the right partner for you.”

“It turned out I had a particularly rare set of these genes. According to those controversial experiments, if I had a rare set of genes and people were look-

impact international ranking lists has on their choice of university.

Third year Biomedical Materials Science student William Loewenhardt from California said, “It’s a little cheaper to study here than back home, even with international fees.

Manchester traditionally has a really good reputation anyway but I checked the international rankings before I applied here to see how my course compared to other universities”.

Cassie Riddell, a third year Psychology student from Australia, said, “I looked at the rankings but based my decision more on speaking to people who studied at the University.”

While its international reputation appears to be secure, the University seems to be floundering behind the UK’s other leading academic institutions in student satisfaction.

According to the latest National Student Survey, 84% of students at the University said they were satisfied with their course, meaning Manchester was placed third lowest of any Russell Group university for overall student satisfaction. This marks a 5% increase from the previous year, but still means the University is falling short in its goal to be ranked in the top four of Russell Group institutions for NSS student satisfaction by 2015.

On the upside, Manchester seems to be leading the way in terms of bars and clubs with the latest Which? survey ranking the University among the top in the country for nightlife.

ing for different genes then I would be attractive to lots of people. Which is definitely fun.”

“There’s no hierarchy. Otherwise you can get into a sort of racist situation, but we’re not in that position because actually the whole thing is a celebration of diversity.”

So should those looking for love avoid aftershave and let their natural scent lure the ladies? Davis is skeptical: “I wouldn’t really recommend that as a strategy.”

“It’s not really something that changes your life tomorrow… it’s kind of like, pretty cool.”

Council windfall to be used on cleaning up city Sean Doherty News Reporter

Calls have been made for Manchester City Council to spend a £14.5 million dividend it has received on improving the level of cleanliness in the city.

Councillors proposed using the windfall – a one-off payment mostly from the Council’s part ownership of Stansted Airport – on one-off investments. As such, they favour making physical improvements to the city’s environment, rather than hiring more staff, which would lead to ongoing costs.

Suggestions so far have included a replacement of all city-centre bins with new ‘smart bins,’ which automatically alert the council when they are almost full.

“We recognise that Manchester, in common with other major cities, is not as clean as it could – and indeed should – be,” Councillor Bernard Priest, Executive Member for Neighbourhood Services, said. “This is something which we are determined to improve and this new funding will make a significant contribution.”

Although allocation of funding has not yet been decided, residents have repeatedly raised a problem of litter in student hotspots Fallowfield and Withington.

McDonald’s on Wilmslow Road failed in its application for 24-hour opening last year, following a campaign by the South Fallowfield Residents Group. The group raised objections on the basis that late night opening hours would likely increase the level of litter in the area.

In previous years student and non-student residents have come together as part of initiatives to help clean-up Withington. But a perception of students leaving litter in the area has led to a divide between the two groups – a 2010 survey found 69% of non-student residents in Fallowfield agreed limiting takeaway opening hours should be a priority, compared with just 38% of students.

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ISSUE 01 / 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 07

VIP club shut after brawl - 20 involved in fight at popular celeb hangout - six arrests made Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor

The exclusive celebrity hotspot ‘Circle Club’ has been temporarily shut following a mass fight.

A bouncer was slashed with a champagne bottle during the brawl, which spilled onto the streets and included 20 people, leading to six arrests.

Police were called in the early hours of Sunday 8th September after doormen were unable to control the situation.

At a town hall meeting, Greater Manchester

Police Inspector Phil Spurgeon said, “What happened in the early hours of Sunday ranks up there with one of the most volatile situations I have ever had to deal with in terms of injuries sustained, the levels of aggression shown towards the police, and the fact that it took us 20-25 minutes to restore order.

I got staff from four corners of Manchester.”

According to the ‘Circle Club’ website, they are ‘Manchester’s No. 1 VIP and Celebrity Club’, and offer ‘a close-up view

of celebrities and Manchester’s most beautiful crowd’ .

Famous faces including Helen Flanagan, Katie Price and Amir Khan have all been seen there in the past.

The fight reportedly began after an argument between two groups of men in the exclusive ‘inner circle’, a VIP area which costs £50 a month membership.

This is not the first time that the ‘Circle Club’ has seen violent VIP’s. In April 2012, the club managed to hold onto its li-

cense after footballers Anton Ferdinand and El Hadji Diouf were involved in a bloody mass fight which left a man seriously injured.

In a statement on their Facebook page, ‘Circle Club’ said “the mindless actions of a few have spoiled the enjoyment of many.”

The clubs’ license has been suspended until a full review hearing within 28 days.

Katie Price was known to frequent the Circle Club Photo: Fireballk2588 @Flickr

08 : Feature

ISSUE 01 / 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Can MOOCs solve the higher education access problem?

Coursera staff celebrate online education Photo: Coursera

Massive Open Online Courses are widening access, but some doubt they can match the student experience

F

air access to higher education is a problem countless governments have failed to solve. Over the past decade Russell Group universities have seen a falling proportion of their students coming from state education and just one in five pupils on free school meals make it to higher education. Grim facts, and with tuition fees trebling progress on widening participation looks set to stall.

One response to the problem of fair access is the MOOC; Massive Open Online Courses could provide university education to the worst-off.

Inspired by Salman Khan’s online education experiment The Khan Academy, Stanford University Professor Sebastian Thrun decided to offer his Artificial Intelligence course online for free. Enrolment increased from 200 students to 160,000; suddenly education at Stanford was open to anyone with a broadband connection. To put that into perspective a year’s tuition at Stanford is over $40,000.

On the back of his success with the AI course, Thrun set up for-profit online education company Udacity. They now

offer over 20 courses in maths, science and design. Lectures are delivered through short ten to fifteen-minute videos, students can speak to fellow course mates through online forums and some courses even qualify as course credits at colleges over the United States.

The problem of access has not escaped Thrun, in a recent speech he stated, “In California, we have 470,000 students waitlisted to get into community colleges. They’re willing and eager to pay for education. But they can’t get in.”

Thrun’s success has led to many imitators and competitors. Harvard and MIT teamed up to launch nonprofit edX, while Thrun’s colleagues at Stanford set up for-profit Coursera. All three companies offer the courses for free and it took less time to register for a course in behavioural economics on edX than it did to update my details through Blackboard for the academic year.

Coursera had by far the most impressive selection of courses, covering palaeontology, cryptography and even the music of the Beatles. It was shocking to see how much was out there for free, enough to question whether it was worth the 9k to study at Manchester.

MOOCs aren’t just widening access to students in the US and UK, Coursera even offers a number of classes in Mandarin. The opportunity to provide courses to people in developing nations is massive and the gains for society could be astronomical. Think of the brilliant scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians whose innate ability and curiosity has been left to stagnate as they’ve been denied access to university.

In a report by the IPPR thinktank, economist Larry Summers drives this point home, noting in the past only “a select few people could get the opportunity to benefit from elite institutions”. Now everyone can benefit pointing out that he recently met a 12 year old in India who was teaching herself physics with online materials from Stanford.

Universities in the UK are getting in on the act as well. The Open University who have long lead the way in distance learning are working with Future Learn. A joint venture between 21 UK Universities, the British Council and the British Museum, Future Learn aims to capitalise on the expertise the Open University has in providing high levels

of student satisfaction with distance learning.

Future Learn CEO, Simon Nelson criticised existing MOOCs “They’re often very conventional, based on lectures broadcast “at” students, rather than engaging with them.”

Future Learn aims to differentiate itself by emphasising the value of entertainment in learning and using less rarefied language to broaden the appeal of online education beyond the tech savvy students that make up the majority of MOOC users.

While many have welcomed MOOCs with open arms, some are still sceptical as to whether they will be able to replace face-to-face contact with lecturers and tutors.

Despite seeing them as a positive step in the education sector Manchester SU Education Officer Rosie Dammers said, “I do not think they will replace university courses and should not be seen as a solution to the problem the higher education sector faces in regards to access.”

She added, “I think the face-to-face contact that a university education provides is an indispensible part of the teaching and learning experience and something which students’ value.”

Some have argued that most MOOCs represent no more than a glorified textbook, and sadly they have a point.

MOOCs fail to offer the same level of one to one, face-to-face contact, that a degree at a brick and mortar university does.

Thrun’s Google Hangout office hours

are no match for a face-to-face chat with your tutor.

Especially for students in the humanities, regular contact with tutors and fellow students is where the real learning happens. Debating an issue within a tutorial and having your points constantly challenged is where you truly develop at university. On a course with over 100,000 fellow students you will never be able to have that argument with the lecturer. It is all very impersonal.

Further criticisms of MOOCs point to high drop out rates. While over 160,000 students registered for Thrun’s AI course, only a small fraction actually went on to complete the course. learning seems to be best suited to independent learners, who require very little assistance with their studies.

Beyond web forums and busy Google Hangouts, students struggling with their course receive very little support.

If MOOC providers wish to replace the campus they will need to find a way of facilitating students who need extra learning support or else they risk excluding many learners.

When you study on campus, you also have the benefits of regularly associating with other bright individuals. You can set up student societies, attend extracurricular lectures and build a network of friends that can help you throughout your life. It is no surprise that the MOOC

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revolution began at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley. When you have so many brilliant individuals working so closely together, innovation comes more frequently and ideas are regularly shared and improved upon.

In a world of distance learning you do not get the same level of contact with your peers, if Mark Zuckberg opted for edX rather than go to Harvard, he might never have met Eduardo Saverin.

There are also fears that completing a course on Coursera or edX lacks the same legitimacy as a traditional degree.

Attending a top Russell Group university sends a signal to employers that you are highly able. If you pass the stringent entrance requirements, survive the exams and graduate with a 2:1, you will have demonstrated that you are a good hire. Depressingly most employers do not care what your dissertation was on; they are only interested in what grade you got for it. Employers see university as a means of separating the wheat from the chaff.

Without a trusted system of accreditation a degree from a MOOC is worth little more than the paper it is printed on.

Yet bringing in a trustworthy system threatens to undermine the free and open nature of MOOCs. Current free methods of evaluation such as short online quizzes lack the rigour of producing essays. Further problems come from a reliance on peer marking, and a lack of safeguards to prevent plagiarism and cheating.

Thrun fails to see this as an obstacle to the acceptance of MOOCs “The vast majority [of Udacity students] don’t cheat.

If you find a way to cheat around 1,000 quizzes, you probably deserve to pass … if you find people to participate in your place in online forums, you should probably be a manager.”

To solve the problem of accreditation it has been suggested that universities should devolve their examining and accreditation functions to split off organisations. Universities could lose their unique status and could be open to a much fiercer level of competition as accreditation becomes more homogenous. This would be a welcome development for students, but universities

Feature : 09

Salford business students using a MOOC Photo: University of Salford Press will surely resist it.

Most critiques of MOOCs tend to miss the point. Disruptive innovation rarely produces a strictly better product. MP3s do not have the same sound quality as CDs, iPhones lacked the battery life of your old Nokia dumb phone. Yet, both were able to change their respective markets massively. MOOCs will do the same as they offer a form of education that suits the needs of people currently excluded or underserved by university.

MOOCs open the door to studying for busy professionals who want an opportunity to reskill without dropping everything. It is intended for those sceptical of spending a huge amount of time and money when they are only interested in studying a couple of modules.

By unbundling education students can pick and choose exactly what they want to learn and at their own pace. If a student wants to do all of their studying in their weekend and work in the week, they can do that, no longer will they have to worry about modules clashing.

Being able to choose their own pace also means that their studying time isn’t dictated by restrictive term times.

Bright students should be able to finish their course in under a month rather than waiting for slower learners to catch up.

MOOCs also push universities to work

harder to improve the quality of their teaching, if I can receive philosophy lectures from Michael Sandel, economics lectures from Greg Mankiw, and biology lectures from Steven Pinker for free, why would I pay more for sub-par lectures.

MOOCs allow students to supplement their existing university education and fill in gaps in their knowledge.

Khan Academy videos on calculus got me through first year whenever I had underestimated the importance of attending lectures.

If universities wish to stay relevant, they have no choice but to adopt some of the methods of MOOCs. Thankfully at Manchester lecturers are already taking the hint. Philosophy PhD student Chris Ovenden has produced Khan Academy style videos to help students struggling with formal logic.

While Economics lecturer Ralf Becker has used video lectures to supplement the lectures and exercise classes already offered on his course. His teaching has been recognised in the University of Manchester Teaching Excellence award in response to consistently positive feedback from students.

Most importantly MOOCs are finally addressing the constantly rising costs of higher education. Whether provided publically or privately, universities have

The vast majority don’t cheat. If you find a way to cheat around 1,000 quizzes, you probably deserve to pass been struggling to keep costs down while educating more students than ever.

Education suffers from Baumol’s cost disease. William Baumol identified that in some sectors, such as manufacturing it is easy to increase productivity, yet in others, like teaching it’s very difficult to produce more with less. As salaries in the manufacturing sector rise with increased productivity, universities have to pay lecturers more and more to keep

them from moving into high skilled manufacturing. This leads to rising costs without any improvement in quality.

In manufacturing you can keep costs down and produce more by substituting labour for capital. Universities up until now have not had that option.

Increasing student to teacher ratios merely reduces quality, to educate more simply costs more. Universities either have to put tuition up or compete for a shrinking pot of public money.

Economist Richard Vedder notes “with the possible exception of prostitution, teaching is the only profession that has had no productivity advance in the 2,400 years since Socrates taught the youth of Athens.”

MOOCs allows teachers to become more productive, to reach more students without increasing tuition.

Teaching, however, may not be a profession where economies of scale are desirable. MOOCs must offer a better student experience to win people over with top professors, more resources and the option to pick and choose when and what you learn. But if tuition continues to rise and rise, then online education will inevitably become a very attractive option.

Sam Dumitriu

Want to give online education a try?

Here are some of our favourite MOOCs Sam Dumitriu Features Editor

M

OOCs offer students an opportunity to study courses across disciplines and at their own paces.

Taking that into account our favourite MOOCs give students new skills in a variety of academic disciplines.

Introduction to AI Udacity Sebastien Thrun and Peter Norvig Thrun’s groundbreaking AI course has been reworked for his new venture Udacity. You can learn about how machines can learn from two experts in the field.

Outside of MOOCs Thrun is also an expert in driverless cars working with Google to transform transport as well as education. Where else are you going to get the opportunity to learn about robots from two world-leading experts for free?

A Beginner’s Guide to Irrationality Coursera Dan Ariely Behavioural economics is one of the most exciting developments in the fields

of psychology and economics. Coursera give you an opportunity to study from one of the greats. Dan Ariely is one of the world’s most sought after lecturers, with millions viewing his TED talks online.

You can learn about your own irrationalities and learn about the tricks advertisers and businesses play on you. Who knows the lessons in Ariely’s lectures might even change your life.

Modern and American Poetry Coursera Al Filreis Filreis’s course in modern and American poetry aims to demystify some of the great American works of poetry.

The course takes you on a whistlestop tour of the great poetic movements in America, you cover four to five poets a lecture. With a recognisable cast of names including Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson it is a great opportunity to be exposed to the great works of modern poetry.

Certainly a good course when it comes to dinner party conversation. You have the luxury of being able to actually know what they are talking about the next time Walt Whitman comes up in Breaking Bad.

Justice edX Michael Sandel Very much a leader in the field of online education, Michael Sandel’s Justice course is one of the best introductions to political philosophy out there. While Sandel’s communitarian ideas have influenced Ed Miliband, his justice focuses on the ideas of the true giants of ethics and political theory.

By using vivid examples involving cannibalism and Judge Judy, Sandel is able to engage and challenge a large

audience. Sandel’s a great lecturer, able to communicate complex ideas such as Rawls’ Theory of Justice and Locke’s social contract in simple terms that novices to philosophy can understand with ease.

A History of the World Since 1300 Coursera Jeremy Adelman Few courses are as ambitious as Jeremy Adelman’s A History of the World Since 1300, which covers 700 years worth of history in just 12 weeks.

Adelman focuses his course on the big

trends toward inter-dependence and globalisation. His course covers aims to answer questions that should interest every student of history, including how have world wars and revolutions shaped our international system? How important was empire and what are its legacies?

How has the relationship between humans and nature changed over the past 700 years.

Adelman’s course starts a new term this week, and like all the courses discussed here it is absolutely free.

Opinion Lucy Anne-Holmes of the No More Page 3 campaign has been targeted by online ‘trolls’ Photo: No morea page 3 Facebook page

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Why ‘trolls’ are endangering public debate Alice Rigby looks at the threat of violence in public debate, and how it got there...

In the arena of social debate this has been the summer of discontent. Over the last year issues of women’s rights have come to the fore, with battles over the acceptability of page three, everyday sexism and pornography representing just some of the discussions taking place across all media. However, with these debates, aggressive behaviour from both sides has become a worrying upward trend.

Most notably, online “trolls” have targeted many of the key players in these debates on twitter and other social media networks, marring their public discursive nature. With behaviour that used to be solely targeted at celebrities in the public eye now directed towards civilian campaigners, there is a potential for the debate over trolling to eclipse the very issues initially under discussion.

Last week, this issue came to Manchester, with Julie Bindel, the controversial guardian writer, pulling out of a debate over the porn industry due to rape and death threats.

Has threatening behaviour now become a hindrance to public debate?

We have seen major women’s issues dragged to the fore by everyday women and grassroots campaigns, this year. From Lucy Anne-Holmes campaigning against Page Three to Caroline Criado-Perez fighting to replace the only woman on a banknote with another woman, the feminism debate has been given somewhat of a new lease of life.

Yet all of these women have something else in common - they have all been subjected to violent and often explicit threats, of rape and death, utilising information such as their addresses and their relationships. The sort of

threats previously targeted at celebrities have now been escalated to their most criminal form. But, many have dismissed these threats because they are online. In our culture, such threats are accepted as par of the course in debate. Yet the subjects themselves feel genuinely threatened. At some stage, violence has become a genuine element of debate.

Take for example the still-raging debate over atheism. Ricky Gervais, Christian Jessen and Stephen Fry have all been threatened in such debates and yet all have laughed it off.

But, much of their ability to do so stems from their status as famous individuals. The public profile that makes their views so prominent also significantly protects them from a genuine threat of violence. In the case of the civilian social campaigners this protection is not afforded. Their addresses are readily available online and their individual histories can be tracked. The normalisation of threats of violence, so unusual and unaccepted when voiced in the physical world, has only served to do these campaigners a disservice.

However, there is an aspect of the social debate where such campaigners, or their supporters, have been at fault and have increased the potential for such violent attack. Those campaigning to liberate certain social groups throw around the phrase ‘bigot’, abundantly. Although this phrase in itself isn’t violent, it is often used to accompany violent language. More to the point, it degrades the debate at hand by dismissing a view as founded in some kind of conscious prejudice or even mental bias stemming from a much larger problem. This does not utilise the patience required in public debate to

understand the opposing point of view.

If one side fails to understand the underlying elements of someone’s perspective the opposing side cannot be expected to do so.

As such, the use of ‘bigot’ to comprehensively dismiss any opposition to one’s own views, as frustrating as that opposition may be, only serves to inflame and damage a debate. It is this easy provocation of such debates that has arguably served to encourage the use of reactionary and violent tactics by those unable to find a reasonable voice.

It has become apparent that the forum of public debate, and the principles used to regulate it, need to be significantly rethought to encourage the continued discussion of key social issues.

While virtual threats are still considered a non-issue many will be discouraged from involving themselves in these divisive discussions. And, while the rapidity of online response continues to be used as a means to render an opinion invalid, the holders of those opinions will continue to use increasingly reactionary tactics to establish their point of view.

Much debate needs to be rebalanced and much of the online world needs to be considered as a reflection of the physical one.

Until then, intellectual debate will continue to be undermined by base aggression – from both sides of the fence.

Mel Smith, master of satire Photo: Wikimedia Commons

My Political Hero...

Mel Smith When comedian Mel Smith died earlier this summer, he left behind a Britain that laughs at its political establishment as readily as it discusses the weather. A Britain where no public figure is immune to ridicule and no policy too small to mock.

In short, we live in an age of satire. Social criticism meets uproarious laughter – it all feels so natural these days.

Yet rewind to Mel’s youth and we encounter an entirely different political landscape. The UK was a dreary land of rationing, class distinction and deference to politicians. This was a nation that didn’t ask questions. When Churchill inexplicably disappeared for four months, only to return with news that he had suffered a massive stroke, the public merely mumbled a collective tut. So what happened between then and now to so radically change the way we perceive our leaders?

The bubble burst in the wake of the scandalous ‘63 Profumo Affair. On the ashes of establishment pride, comedians Peter Cook and Dudley Moore laid the foundations for a nation to turn it’s infamously sharp wit against those it elected to govern. Yet by the 70’s, satire was firmly removed from the comedic zeitgeist as the surreal, whimsical offerings of Monty Python reigned supreme. The art-form appeared to be relegated to the rank of cultural outcast, until ‘Not the Nine O’clock News’ forced its way onto British screens in 1979.

The show brought satire back in from the cold. Smith, Griff Rhys Jones and Rowan Atkinson set out to deliberately move away from the then BBC norm of stale mother-in-law jokes and clumsy avoidance of political issues.

The show launched what was to become a tidal wave of satirical devastation upon the newly elected Thatcher government. NTNOCN consistently proved itself to be cuttingly witty.

One famous example of which is a sketch of Mel having his arms hacked off during a Conservative Party broadcast to illustrate slim lined economic efficiency. From astute witticisms, to the downright silly, NTNOCN endlessly strove to push boundaries and in doing so revitalised political comedy and unleashed a renaissance of satire that we still enjoy today. By 1983 it seemed Smith and the other writers had been far too cavalier with establishment sensibilities, leading the program to be deemed too provocative in the run up to the ‘83 election.

It was duly cancelled.

So why is Mel my hero? The answer is simple. He helped make humour an essential ingredient in holding those in power to account, a process that changed the face of broadcasting and in doing so fundamentally altered British society.

NTNOCN brought it new legitimacy, respectability and vastly enlarged boundaries. It is difficult to imagine ‘Spitting Image’ being commissioned – as it was the year after NTNOCN ended – without the trail blazing of comedians and writers such as Smith.

More measurable are the achievements of the media company he set up with writing partner Rhys Jones. Talkback Productions helped elevate satire to ever greater heights and complexity. The firm commissioned a multitude of ground breaking shows, among which was ‘Smack the Pony’, the long overdue comedy exclusively written and performed by women which not only won a large number of awards, but struck a blow for feminism in an overwhelmingly male field. Talkback would later produce ‘Da Ali G Show’, ‘I’m Alan Partridge’, ‘The Day Today’ as well as his own show ‘Alas Smith and Jones’.

Mel Smith was no Abraham Lincoln or Florence Nightingale.

He didn’t free the slaves or nurse wounded men in the Crimea.

But he galvanised and started (or perhaps restarted) a process which continues today. This process, enjoyed worldwide, is of course satire; serious political discourse transmitted through humour. From ‘The Onion’ to ‘Four Lions’, his legacy lives on.

Joe Anthony

Opinion

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YES The easy answer to this question is no. It’s easy to say that an industry based around watching surgically-enhanced idealised women faking orgasms is degrading, sexist and overall extremely un-empowering.

But to say this is to have some basic confusion about what pornography actually is. It isn’t merely watching two normal people have normal sex in a room with average lighting and teddy bears on the shelves.

Pornographic sex is about as far away from normal sex as sharks are to goldfish. Both fish, but one has a lot more vibrators and varying camera angles. Pornography is fantasy, expressions of raw sexual desire, fictional scenarios and unreal positions. And within this context, it does empower women.

Pornography is the ultimate expression of sexual freedom.

Having sex for money with numerous partners is no longer stigmatised as ‘selling your body’ or ‘losing your virtue’. These days sex is a skill, and if you do it well it can even make you a star. The women who participate are not demonised as whores or sluts; simply women who enjoy sex

Charlotte Green

enough to make a living out of it and uninhibited enough to share it. In this sense it differs from other branches of the global exploitative sex trade in that the actors made a choice to be there.

For me that says a lot. Making a deliberate choice to be paid for sex rather than having no other option shows a confidence and empowerment of sexuality rather than degradation.

The industry has also been a contributing factor in destroying the myth that women do not in fact enjoy sex, just roll around woodenly in the hope of possible babies. I admit that having women writhing and screaming during the most banal of sexual acts might be stretching the truth somewhat, but it’s a far cry from Sigmund Freud’s assertion there was no such thing as the vaginal orgasm. Of course for every type of film that portrays female characters as self-aware, realistic sexual beings there is an antithesis; Bridesmaids and Transformers, Caligula and Two Girls, One Cup. It should be made clear that exploitation and degradation of women is not limited to pornography, often the most calculating offenders

“Does porn empower women? ” are the big-budget Hollywood blockbusters who use gratuitous sex and nudity to guarantee packed cinemas. I mean, who among us can really remember the plot of Basic Instinct? At least pornos are gratuitously honest.

Ultimately porn empowers women because it acts as an arena within which women can be overtly, publicly sexual, not because they are forced to, but because they want to. I think it’s important to show that women are capable of dominating, being dominated, having sex with single or multiple partners and enjoying it. Sexual preference is one’s own, but understanding that women can have the same sex drive as men and can be empowered by that sex needs to be general knowledge, and if it requires pornography to achieve that then I say roll on the cameras.

On the surface it appears that porn today could easily be a media through which women are empowered.

Women are most often the stars of pornography, with their participation essential to the viewer’s pleasure. Women are consuming porn in ever increasing numbers, disturbing the traditional view that it only interests men. Women’s sexuality has been brought to the forefront of society, thanks largely to the ‘50 Shades’ phenomenon. The type of male domination and female objectification addressed by the sepia laden Lovelace seems to have stayed in the 70s.

Much of these developments have led to a widespread defence of porn, particularly in light of the restrictions

Alice Rigby

proposed by the government earlier this year. Many now consider porn an issue of free speech, with women’s rights no longer an essential element of the debate. Many women actively support porn, only increasing the normality with which it is viewed in today’s culture. More exceptionally, competition to star in porn is now fierce with many viewing it as an acceptable platform from which to launch careers.

However, there have been just as many changes in pornography that have served to damage women.

The aesthetics of the industry are a clear area in which pornography is detrimental to women. In ‘mainstream’ porn cosmetic surgery is rife and apparent, with the ideal sexual partner portrayed being an unrealistic standard against which men, particularly early teenagers with little sexual experience, will undoubtedly judge future partners.

Furthermore, any appearance that varies from this norm is placed in a specialist category,

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NO specifying this as entirely unusual. Over the last few years we have become increasingly aware of the devastating affect our aesthetic culture have had on girls and women. The porn industry is, like fashion, one of the areas that dramatically lags behind in implementing the change needed in light of this.

While it cannot be denied that the pornographic industry has developed hugely over the last 30 years, not all of these developments have been for the better. More specifically, thanks to its aesthetics, business structure and primarily male consumer the patriarchal elements of porn have become engrained in its culture. While porn continues to be consumed primarily by men, men will remain in positions of power within the industry and the content of porn will keep on representing women as categorically failing to adhere to perfection. Until the basic motivating factor for the production of porn, male pleasure, changes, porn cannot empower women.

Should we trust league tables?

Alice Rigby discusses the subjective nature of university rankings and the contradictions they produce...

A record six UK universities are in the top 20 in the world, with four of those in the top 10, according to the QS ranking system published last week.

University of Manchester consistently performs better in international league tables than in national ones and this year was no exception. The university was 8th highest in the UK according to QS, but did not enter the top 30 in The Guardian. For many students this can make the university experience here a disconcerting one, with anxiety rocketing about the impact these results can have on the perception of a degree that most have only one opportunity to complete. However, despite being data centric, league tables often stem from subjective sources, conflicting figures and a bias towards specific kinds of institutions. The league tables are not as accurate a reflection of a university’s reputation as first appears.

League tables have become endemic in education since the early 2000s. From your primary school, to your sixth form college and maybe even up to your graduate scheme, you can find a rank for every institution you have been a part of.

Due to their data centric nature, league tables are used as a definitive guide to the value of a university, department, or even sports provision - particularly by nervous teenagers trying to select a university to study at and a city, town, or campus to live on for three years.

Yet much of the information used by the national league tables is, at best, flawed. With their reliance on the results of the inherently subjective national student survey, the outcome for any particular programme can be heavily distorted by the opinions provided. While most of the opinions in the survey are given in good faith, they are based on only limited knowledge of equivalent courses. In the league tables they are used as a measure of equivalent value despite this lack of knowledge. If the league tables are this undermined surely they can’t reflect the actual value of the university as accurately as is

Photo: University of Manchester

believed. The reliance on and worry about them isn’t necessary.

International league tables are often ignored by comparison to the national ones. Partly, this is based on a common belief that these are decided entirely on research results. Instead, it is another subjective survey that forms the majority base for the world rankings. The academic peer review involves academics ranking up to 30 exceptional institutions in their field. However, although this is clearly subjective it is also founded in a more comprehensive

knowledge than the student survey. Academics may have worked with an institution remotely, visited them or even have held a position there. Clearly these results are more useful and truthful than those of the national tables.

Similarly, where the other measures of the national league table are based on student experience, the world rankings are based on measures that are arguably of more concern to current students. The employer review surveys the largest international graduate recruiters to see which institutions they

hold in highest regard. The citations per faculty measurement can be used to indicate whether your learning will be provided by a cutting edge research facility, clearly an educational benefit. The faculty to student ratio measurement shows just how much staff time is likely to be devoted to each student.

By contrast, the national surveys focus on facilities expenditure, entry requirements and “good honours” achieved, all slightly arbitrary forms of measurement, with the latter two easily distorted by organisations.

This all indicates that the University of Manchester’s better performance in the world rankings is a reflection of its addressing student concerns.

However, league tables should not necessarily concern students at all. As a relatively new phenomenon, many key employers in particular are much less likely to be aware of league table outcomes. Instead, measures such as Russell Group membership, red brick status or even simply age of a university have much more sway with many of the influential members of society than the league tables will ever do. This is enforced by the constant fluctuation in league table results, rendering these an inconsistent measure of value. In the case of degree value, the elite status of Manchester benefits all students here.

More to the point, although national league tables attempt to measure the undergraduate student experience at each institution, this really is a subjective matter. For some entry requirements may be an essential measure of their future university, as sitting in a class with other ‘straight-A’ students is of high importance to them. By contrast, for most the value of the undergraduate experience is based on the atmosphere of the city they move to, the tranquillity of the campus they study on or even just the people they meet. None of these things can really be reflected in league tables.

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Pangea Special: Interview

the

Editors: Phoebe Clarke, Patrick Hinton, Tom Ingham Pangea Special: Interview

MUSIC INTERVIEW Liam Mayet: Pangea2013

Patrick Hinton and Phoebe Clarke Music Editors Run by students, for students, Pangaea is the hottest ticket in town this Welcome Week. Once again over 6,000 students will descend upon the Student’s Union for an unforgettable night of music, mischief and mayhem.

In anticipation for this September’s extravaganza, we caught up with Activities and Development officer Liam Mayet to discuss Pangaea planning, the exciting line up and what sets Pangaea apart from the jam packed week of Freshers.

“The history of Pangaea speaks for itself. For starters, it’s great that we have a festival at our student union, no other student’s union really does.

This is our first time doing it in freshers, which is a good idea I think, because it’s like a big culminating end to what is essentially a party week for a lot of students.”

Pangaeae prides itself in “offering something a little bit different” and providing the perfect student festival. “Our capacity is bigger than the warehouse project. With 6,000 students it’s quite big for a night itself. In terms of variety of music we have everything from, not just electronic music, we have bands play, we have dubstep music, grime music, we have bhangra dancing, gospel choirs singing. In terms of musical variety there’s tons of stuff. There’s also fancy dress, unlike a lot of universities Manchester students don’t get dressed up often”.

“It’s an all student festival as well, that makes it unique.

When I first came to University Warehouse project was a lot

more student centred, now it’s moved on to bigger things Pangaea is the student festival now for everybody. Parklife kind of lost that element this year, it’s Pangaea’s role to be that festival for students.”

This year Pangaea offered students grants to contribute to aspects of the festival itself.

“The grants we gave out were for people wanting to create things for Pangaea. Stuff like any installations or any kind of idea they wanted to submit. The way we judged them was often based on a how fitting with the theme it would be. For the most of it, it’s really just any idea we can get from students that will make cool things for the festival really. The student element is so vital to Pangaea, it’s gives it that element that makes it unique.

So that’s what we’re going for really, any student ideas.”

Organising are putting behind them last years disastrous M13 Festival, and have looked at the history of the event to ensure Circle of Life is a success. “I’m an absolutely massive fan of The Lion King; I’ve probably watched it about 100 times.

Beyond that I think it’s a really cool theme that we can work with production wise.

“We’ve got stuff happening all the time. There’s lots on in fresher’s week, there’s going to food markets, bbqs, a beer garden with live music outside.

We’re looking to put on a black history month music event, more news on that soon. Got some speakers coming in too.”

the MUSIC INTERVIEW

DJ Yoda

DJ Yoda chats Uni life, the death of turntablism and Kanye West with The Mancunion ahead of his Pangaea slot.

Thomas Ingham Music Editor

“I played Pangaea once before and it was awesome - I can’t wait to debut some of my new material there this year. Manchester has a special place in my heart too - I have family there, and I love it to bits.” Pangaea is in its ninth year now and boasts being the largest student-run festival in Europe; gracing the University of Manchester’s SU three times a year.

“University was where I was first a resident DJ at a club night, and got all my experience DJing in front of a crowd, week in, week out. I used to promote and put on my own club nights, I entered DJ competitions and I made mixtapes in halls of residence!” Yoda reminisces on his time as a student and how he used University to turn what was a hobby into a career. Unfortunately he had to endure the delights of Warwick as a student, but thankfully this did nothing to hamper his future.

“I lived in halls for first and third years and in town in the second year. I used my time at university to really indulge in my passion for music, but I was also studying film - watching obscure stuff and thinking about it in terms of sampling, so I’m sure it affected my ideas about my AV shows too.”

“I started making tapes just for friends, putting together all the music we liked into one mix, using the most basic of equipment.

Even before I had turntables I used to make “pause” tapes with my parent’s hi-fi. “ Duncan Beiny, aka DJ Yoda, displayed the sought of passion and motivation most lagerguzzling, kebab-eating students could only have dream of. Through his mixtapes he gained interest from Antidote Records, who released his first official tape How to Cut & Paste Mixtape Vol.1. Hip-hop turntablism is

University was where I was first a resident DJ at a club night, and got all my experience DJing in front of a crowd, week in, week out...

I entered DJ competitions and I made my mixtapes in halls of residence. along way from its heyday when guys like DJ Babu were spreading and creating new techniques, and artists like Mix Master Mike then began to further the form. Yoda stands pretty solitary these days. “In many ways it has died - certainly in terms of “battles” and the kind of creativity I saw in the golden era of the late 90s. But also, I think the lasting effect of that era was to establish the turntable as a valid music instrument, so you see people DJing in all kinds of environments now that wouldn’t previously have been possible. I performed a Concerto for Turntables a couple of years back with a full classical orchestra for instance.”

“Hip-hop is so huge now that it encompasses everything you see in humanity - there is intelligent and spiritual stuff, ignorant and violent stuff, underground stuff, pop stuff anything you want in hip-hop, you can find.

For me, and a lot of others, the first golden era

of hip-hop will always be 1987-1992. But I feel that we are currently in the early stages of a second golden era - there is so much exciting, creative hip-hop being made in 2013 that it’s a great time to be into the music.”

Yoda is optimistic about the future of hiphop, and thinks the shy and retiring Kanye West is leading the pack. “He’s probably my favourite person in hip-hop right now - I celebrate his entire catalogue! But there’s definitely a case of separating the man from the music. I wouldn’t want to go the pub with him! I love all his music, but I have no interest in his dabbling with fashion, Kardashians or any of that nonsense. “ With two just two full length albums under his belt, the mixtapes (most recently How to Cut & Paste: The Asian Edition) are what keeps the man busy these days, although there is a new artist album currently in the pipeline.

“With Chop Suey and The Amazing Adventures I collaborated with different vocalists on every track on both albums. It was amazing to see how differently each artist works - some people spent weeks honing their verses to get them perfect, others got it in one take different strokes for different folks!”

“The mixtapes are much more of a solo endeavour - I’m not relying on anyone else’s input to make them happen, so I can lock myself away and come out with a finished mix. They’re still very time-consuming and intricate though. “ Along with Kano and a raft of other artists, DJ Yoda will be treating crowds to another of his infamous visual extravaganzas “I’ll be performing a brand new and exclusive AV show. I love getting to do both DJ and AV, it keeps things fresh and interesting for me and different shows make sense for different places.”

Pangea Special: What’s on

TOP5

ACTS TO CATCH at Pangea 2013 Thomas Ingham Music Editor

1. DJ EZ

2. Moon Boots

3. Akala

4. Kano

5. Channel One

Hailed as one of the greatest Garage DJ’s in the world, he ‘s got more awards then you’ll have free Dominoes in fresher’s week.

Definitely not one to miss!

In a galaxy far, far away.... Moon Boots was born; although the details are classified all we can assume is that these aliens knew their shit! Expect the unexpected with this one.

Founder of The Hip Hop Shakespear Company, Akala’s political themes and commitment to education have helped others to forge careers from difficult backgrounds. A true man of the people.

Pangaea’s headliner Kano has established himself as one of the leading Grime artists over the last decade. Not only a talented rapper, but also an actor; Kano is sure to bring something very special to the mix this year.

Traveling the world, using reggae as a tool for briniging people together, Channel One will provide an experience like no other when they take over Academy 3.

/TheMancunion: Music Section @MancunionMusic

theFRESHERS GUIDE: Matt & Phred’s

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.

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.

Islington Mill

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.

13

Don’t miss the best of what Manchester has to offer with The Mancunion’s guide to the hottest tickets in town.

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.

Deaf Institute

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

South

Music

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 upand-coming indie, many under the banner of the city’s finest promoters, Now Wave, who have put on shows from The xx, Best Coast and SBTRKT here in the past. There’s an abundance of club nights, too, with Gold Teeth, Up the Racket and Juicy all hosting packed events on a regular basis – the latter’s monthly hip hop specials are already a matter of local legend.

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. 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 poprock based Moustache parties. The space also hosts live music on occasion, fucntioning perfectly as an intimate venue.

14

Music

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013

Clubbing

A freshers guide

to Manchester We take a look at some of the best clubs in Manchester and point you in the direction of the hottest nights freshers week has to offer.

Patrick Hinton Music Editor

M T W Murkage x Juicy x Overproof

NXNW presents A Free Freshers’ Party

Russ Yallop

HMV Ritz - £59pm - 4am

Soup Kitchen - Free on guestlist

Gorilla - £4/£6

Three of Manchester’s most popular student nights have teamed up to present this huge party at the HMV Ritz. The event billing promises “explosions of confetti, champagne showers and no holds barred whinin’, twerkin’ and bootyshakin’ to a soundtrack of the biggest hip-hop, bass and bashment records of all time”.

NXNW kick off this year with a free party held in an underground basement featuring their residents and friends, sure to be a fun and sweaty affair. Check the Facebook event for details on how to get on the guestlist. Free entry before 12:30/£2 after.

Russ Yallop comes to Manchester off the back of a Summer residency playing alongside some of the biggest DJs in the world at Ibiza super club DC-10. The Hot Creations and Crosstown Rebels favourite will spin a set of underground house tunes.

T F S Frontin

iDiOSYNC

Joshua Brooks - £3 before 12

Anterp Mansion - £10

South - £12

iDiOSYNC presents a stellar lineup including the likes of Wbeeza, Josh Butler and Bareskin at the increasingly popular Antwerp Mansion on Curry Mile. With live and DJ sets being performed there’ll be plenty of musical variety to please all revellers in attendance.

The self-proclaimed ‘house gangster’ hits South on Saturday, bringing 20 years of experience as a mainstay on the house circuit with him.

The man who influenced heavyweights such as Daft Punk, Armand Van Helden and Basement Jaxx is providing value for money by playing a 3 hour set.

Fun vibes will be abound at Frontin’s freshers’ party.

They encourage all attendees to let loose and have a ruddy good time by playing a great selection of Dancehall/ Garage/RnB/Disco.

get

INVOLVED

DJ Sneak

Want to write for us? We are always looking for enthusiastic contributors with a passion for music.

No previous experience is required, although a good grasp of grammar and punctuation is important.

Email us at musicarticles@googlemail.com to find out more about joining The Mancunion team.

Book now: 0161 832 1111 For full listings visit:

manchesteracademy.net SEPTEMBER Motionless In White Monday 16th Sons Of The Stage Friday 20th Charlotte Church Monday 23rd Y & T Tuesday 24th Art Brut Tuesday 24th The Duckworth Lewis Method Thursday 26th Evile Saturday 28th The Lurkers Saturday 28th CocoRosie Sunday 29th Bury Tomorrow Sunday 29th The Twang Monday 30th

OCTOBER Reckless Love Tuesday 1st Airborne Toxic Event Wednesday 2nd Hip Hop Shakespeare: Richard II Wednesday 2nd Tonight Alive Thursday 3rd Fat Freddy’s Drop Friday 4th Kids In Glass Houses Friday 4th Wheatus Friday 4th Black Spiders Friday 4th Funeral For A Friend Saturday 5th Miles & Erica (of The Wonder Stuff) Saturday 5th Manc Floyd Saturday 5th Mac Miller Sunday 6th Bootleg Festival Sunday 6th Sleeping With Sirens Monday 7th Glasvegas Monday 7th Ryan Keen Wednesday 9th Kacey Musgraves Thursday 10th Johnny Marr Saturday 12th The Orb + System 7 Saturday 12th Turisas Saturday 12th Charles Bradley Saturday 12th The South Sunday 13th Children Of Bodom Monday 14th Deerhunter Tuesday 15th The Quireboys Tuesday 15th Sebadoh Tuesday 15th Goo Goo Dolls Wednesday 16th Ghostpoet Wednesday 16th Mikill Pane Wednesday 16th The Answer Thursday 17th Volbeat Friday 18th Kate Nash Saturday 19th UK Foo Fighters Saturday 19th Toyah Saturday 19th AlunaGeorge Monday 21st Baroness Monday 22nd The Feeling Wednesday 23rd Skid Row/Ugly Kid Joe Thursday 24th Markey Ramone’s Blitzkrieg with Andrew WK Thursday 24th HIM Thursday 24th The Cult – Electric 13 Friday 25th The Pigeon Detectives Friday 25th Real Radio XS Saturday 26th

Lissie Sunday 27th Warpaint Tuesday 29th Birdy Wednesday 30th Wiley and Dappy Thursday 31st

NOVEMBER Boomtown Rats Friday 1st Deserts Xuan Saturday 2nd Blood On The Dancefloor Sunday 3rd Bring Me The Horizon Monday 4th Watsky Tuesday 5th Deap Vally Tuesday 5th Dillinger Escape Plan Wednesday 6th 36 Crazyfists Thursday 7th Marillion Friday 8th The Union Friday 8th Whole Lotta Led Saturday 9th Satyricon Sunday 10th Defenders Of The Faith ft Amon Amarth Wednesday 13th The Wonder Years Wednesday 13th Stephen Lynch Live Thursday 14th Gary Numan Thursday 14th Laura Veirs Friday 15th Naughty Boy Saturday 16th Mallory Knox Sunday 17th Television Sunday 17th Blue October Monday 18th Hayseed Dixie Tuesday 19th They Might Be Giants Wednesday 20th The Rifles Thursday 21st The Virginmarys Friday 22nd The Temperance Movement Friday 22nd Absolute Bowie Saturday 23rd Lee Nelson Saturday 23rd MSMR Sunday 24th Barenaked Ladies Monday 25th The Fratellis Wednesday 27th Dan Baird Friday 29th Flux Pavilion Saturday 30th The Complete Stone Roses Saturday 30th

DECEMBER Capercaille Sunday 1st Papa Roach Thursday 5th Watain Thursday 5th White Lies Friday 6th Electric Six Friday 6th Dutch Uncles Friday 6th For Those About To Rock Saturday 7th The Word Alive Sunday 6th Alabama 3 Friday 13th Kurt Vile Saturday 14th Gogol Bordello Saturday 14th Primal Scream Sunday 15th Levellers Friday 20th

JANUARY 2014 The 1975 Tuesday 7th Lamb of God Sunday 19th London Grammar Wednesday 29th RX Bandits Friday 31st

Games

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Editor: Alasdair Preson Review

Retro Corner

review:Saints Row IV Games Editor Alasdair Preston discovers whether Saints Row can change the game again

Damien Trinh explains why SimEarth is a megalomaniac’s dream

Volition • Deep Silver • RRP: £44.99 • Available on PS3, 360 & PC If Saints Row were a person, it’d be the type who would turn up an hour late to a fancy dinner party with a bottle of Sainsbury’s vodka and a crate of Fosters. It doesn’t take anything seriously, and it doesn’t think you should either. Since it’s inception, the franchise has been consistently compared to Grand Theft Auto. In a lot of ways, they were the same.

Open world city, gang warfare, vehicles and violence. To say they’re the same now would be entirely wrong.

Where GTA took a serious and gritty turn, Saints Row went as far in the opposite direction as possible. In SR IV, the Saints have gone from street gang to US Government with your player character being the Commander in Chief. However, an alien invasion and a Matrixstyle imprisonment throw you back out into the city of Steelport to cause pandemonium.

The game is packed with hours of missions and challenges all aimed at disrupting the simulation in which you find yourself and covering racing, fighting, destruction and stupidity. Particular favourites include the Mayhem missions tasking you to cause as much chaos as possible inside a certain time limit and given special equipment. Other missions include hurling yourself at traffic for insurance fraud, which often sends you tumbling and cartwheeling down the street at physics-defying speeds.

It seems the developers over at Volition have really thought about the genre and how players like to enjoy it. The classic formula is very much present, but the traditional drawbacks are lessened. Most people who own a game like GTA will have, at least once, entered a load of vehicle and weapon cheats to cause havoc. In Saints Row IV, this is no longer needed. Very quickly, you gain access to tanks, UFOs and huge guns and can use them at will. The scrap of paper covered in codes customarily tucked inside the game box is a thing of the past.

SR IV hands players a level of customisation some people might even refer to as “too much” given some of the hideous monsters I’ve seen.

Every detail can be tweaked to create your

very own President, and you can even view and download other people’s creations to every version of the game via the Saints Row website. The imagination of the community is endless, from the nightmare inducing to the almost copyright infringing.

It’s not just the characters that can be overhauled. Weapons and vehicles can be

upgraded to produce more power, have bonus effects and look ridiculous and/or badass. Your abilities and powers can also be improved by spending the collectible clusters scattered around the city to make yourself truly unstoppable. It doesn’t take long to become too much for the local law enforcement to handle, and eventually all rampages are ended by a mini-boss fight with beasts known as Wardens. Being forced to stop during a rampage in a game that otherwise gives you complete freedom is quite jarring.

As well as the new vehicles and customisation options, Saints Row IV brings insane super powers into the mix. Now, the master criminal President of the United States can also fling people about with his mind, leap up skyscrapers and charge through traffic at breakneck pace. It adds another dimension to the feeling of freedom, allowing you to become

the ass kicking, car crashing superhero you always knew you’d one day grow up to be and fantasise about becoming on the eve of every difficult exam.

It is rare that a game that spends so much time trying to be funny manages to consistently feel as amusing and fresh as Saints Row does. Whether it’s the inappropriate timing of “What is Love” playing on the radio, or the not so subtle “romance” option with EVERY crew member, the game can always conjure a proper laugh from somewhere. A main source of this is the many references to films, TV shows and other games.

Saints Row takes on Men in Black, Firefly and Harry Potter to name just a few, and it doesn’t just nod to them. Several of the early story missions borrow heavily from the plot of The Matrix, one of the taunts your character can do is the beloved chicken dance as seen in Arrested Development and I’m sure there are many more that I didn’t even spot. Nolan North even has his own special character voice option, continuing his excellent run of being in pretty much every game ever somehow.

With its ludicrous costumes, pulsing soundtrack spanning techno to Tchaikovsky, and general disregard for other people or reality, Saints Row IV is the game equivalent of a fantastic night out with the most fun-loving friends. And there’s a dubstep cannon.

Before the famous Sims franchise, Will Wright gave us SimEarth.

The idea behind The Sims is simple: give the player a family and let them rule as supreme overlord. As the name implies, SimEarth gives us the ability to rule over Earth and all it’s creatures, great and small. The ultimate goal is to start sentient life and allow them to advance enough to escape to the stars.

Your control over the planet is absolute, from the amount of rainfall to the rate of animal reproduction. In addition to this, you’re able to place terraforming objects which further modify the planet.

Want more oxygen in the atmosphere? No problem! Want more nitrogen? No problem! Want to devastate the terrain with a volcano or meteor? No problem! There are even monoliths, which increase the intelligence of nearby life forms; paying homage to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, each of these comes at a price. To place these objects costs energy units, which are gained over time.

The greater the biomass of the planet and the more advanced the civilisations, the more energy units you’ll have.

You start off with a young and barren Earth, slowly building up an atmosphere to eventually create bacterial and plant life.

As the creatures evolve you must protect the delicate life forms from disease and natural disasters, ensuring the stability of the ecosystems that arise. Animals then evolve into civilisations starting in the stone age, evolving through to the industrial age and eventually the coveted nanotech era. However, this journey isn’t without danger. As soon as the industrial revolution hits, pollution becomes a problem and so does global warming. The atomic age brings nuclear war, with the potential to wipe out life and force you to start all over again.

For some, SimEarth will be too much of a science lesson. However, the complexity of the game, as well as the many Easter Eggs that await, are enough to warrant giving it a try on the Wii Virtual Console.

Damien Trinh

Feature

the

GAMES INTERVIEW

Georgia Geaves: Gaming Society

We recently had the chance to talk to Georgia Greaves, the new Chair of the Gaming Society, about what to expect from them in the year ahead and what she’s been playing.

What events does the Gaming Society have planned for this year?

To kick off the year we’re hosting a Console Night as part of the SU’s ‘Give it a Go’ scheme.

This’ll be a really casual evening at the Student Union, where new and returning members of the Gaming

Society can get to know each other, chat and play all sorts of games. We’re also organising a group expedition to the Play Expo in October, which was a huge success last year. The society will be hosting various themed events, tournaments, pub crawls and quizzes and socials throughout the year!

How did you become the head of the society?

I’ve been part of the committee since 2011 and had an honorary position over the

last year as I was on placement. This year, as an experienced member, I was elected as Chair of the committee by the society. There’s a fair bit to organise but it’s definitely worth it!

Which games have you been enjoying the most recently?

Well, I’ve been away from games for a year as I had no console abroad during my placement, so I’ve come back to play a few that I missed and some that I hadn’t finished. Borderlands 2 is definitely my favourite game that I’ve finished recently!

I’ve also (shamefully) been playing Modern Warfare 3 and dug out my PS2 to play Crash Bandicoot and some DDR. Are you planning on getting any of the next-gen consoles? If so, which and why?

I wouldn’t say I’m planning on getting anything at the moment but if I had to say which console I’m more interested in, it’d be the PS4. The Xbox One looks alright too but there are quite a few PS4-only games that look pretty awesome.

Who’s your favourite gaming hero?

This is a really tough question! I’ll go for a somewhat respectable answer and say Lilith from the Borderlands series. Can she be counted as a hero?

Whatever, she is to me!

I just love how she can be such a badass and look fabulous doing it.

Also her maniacal laugh when you headshot a bandit is amazing.

“Favourite villain?

Dr Nefarious from Ratchet and Clank?

Ooh I also like Ripper Roo but he’s more of a bad guy than a villain.”

Not bad, but the correct answer was Mordecai. Lastly, how can people get involved with the Gaming Society?

I’d say the best way to get involved is by just turning up to one of our weekly

events! We welcome all types of gamers to all our events to try and spread the gaming love. Most of our events are totally free and we’re always happy to be recruiting new people! We also have pages on Facebook and Twitter which are good points of contact for anybody interested in getting involved in the society.

Thanks for talking to us, Georgia!

ISSUE 01/16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Lifestyle

Editors: Susie Coen, Marie ClareYates, Halee Wells (Beauty)

@MancunionLife

Welcome Week Guide

Fashion

Stand out for all the right reasons Fashion goes Back to School Choosing what to wear for a night out is tricky enough, even when you do know the dress code. Here, the Mancunion Fashion desk bring you a guide to three of the biggest student nights around

GOLD TEETH

The Deaf Institute Tuesday night

Tuesday nights are designated to Gold Teeth at The Deaf Institute.

Always a sell out, make sure you get your tickets from Gaffs or Skiddle early otherwise the wait in the queue could be sobering. Gold Teeth has a different vibe to POUT where resident DJs play rap, hip-hop, reggae, punk and garage across three rooms. If one night isn’t enough Gorilla (Deaf Institute’s sister venue) hosts Gold Teeth’s special monthly party. Expect the dress code to be less dressy than a night out at POUT. Girls, heels aren’t necessary but you can definitely wear a dress or a cool skirt and guys, no dress shoes needed. Expect a hot and crammed night that’s lots of fun!

POUT

Revolution Deansgate Locks Monday night

With a slogan ‘Dress up, Get Out, Look Good, Twist & POUT!’ it’s obvious that club night Pout at Revolution Deansgate Locks on a Monday is one to put your glad rags on for and dress up to the nines. Playing ‘sexy music in a sexy venue’, this is a night when girls can put on a little dress and skyscraper heels and guys can wear a shirt and dress shoes to dance the night away! Look out!

MURKAGE

Sharpen your pencils, buy a new diary and polish your Kickers - it’s that time of year again

South Thursday night

punk in this Vintage Renewal Tartan Pinafore Dress from Urban Outfitters, £38.00. Wear it layered over crisp white shirts for a playful look, or when the winds get colder wear on top of a black roll-neck jumper to ooze edginess.

Bring sophistication and class to your seminars this semester with a trouser suit, a look that littered the catwalks in A/W12 and seems to be just as prominent this season. Zara’s pink blazer, £59.99 and matching cropped trousers, £29.99, beautifully fuse sharp tailoring and pastel tones

youASK

Girls: pink dress, Topshop, £38; shoes, River Island, £60; Earrings, ASOS, £20; Bag, New Look, £15.99Boys: chinos, Topman, £24; shirt, River Island, £25; watch, ASOS, £22

Girls: crop top, River Island, £16; shorts, Topshop, £30; Air Maxes, from £95Boys: t-shirt, Chocky Hendreth, £14; jeans, Topman, £30; snapback, Brixton, from £17

Blogwatch: Susie Coen Finding a good blog these days is like rummaging through a vintage warehouse, there is so much crap to wade through before you get to the good stuff. Everyone is a blogger, which makes the search for decent people to follow a time consuming exercise. So, to help you out, here are selection of blogs I would recommend for that much needed distraction from reading and essays.

Photo: www.chloeting.com www.chloeting.com is run by 27 financial analyst, Chloe. Her outfit posts are a great example of classic fashion with a twist, and her gorgeous thick hair makes me cry with envy. I caught up with Chloe who revealed that she loves to blog, as it is ‘a great platform’ where she can ‘showcase [her] sense of style and connect with fashionistas around the world.’

Photo: Erica Domsek

Photo: www.manrepeller.com

Photo: Andy Torres

Erica Domsek is the genius behind www.psimadethis.com, an inspiring blog encouraging you to be creative and make some of the things you wear.

You can spend hours navigating your way through posts that show you a range of DIY ideas, from how to make a clutch out of cork to decorating a beautiful gold cuff.

There isn’t a day where www.manrepeller.com ceases to make me laugh.

The witty captions create a refreshing approach to fashion and avoid the pitfall of taking fashion too seriously – as many bloggers do. So, if you take fashion with a pinch of salt and want to get inspiring ideas, this blog is the one for you.

Mexican born Andy Torres oozes sophistication in all of the looks on her blog www.stylescrapbook.com.

This blog is detrimental to my bank account; I simply want to buy everything she wears. She exhibits class and elegance to a range of trends that all come effortlessly together – and she is painfully pretty.

Photo: Iviana Carpio.

Iviana Carpio’s blog www.love-aesthetics. blogspot.co.uk is a celebration of minimalist fashion, which exemplifies how much of an impact cuts and fabrics have on clothing.

The 25-year-old compliments her pale complexion, blue eyes and white blonde hair with a majority of white looks – creating an almost clinical impression that just works.

ESSENTIALS :summer The best thing about being an intern this summer was certainly the pay cheques. I couldn’t wait to have funds for the whole year; all of the swanky nights out, Taste The Difference meals, maybe even some shiny new textbooks. But did I manage to save any of my hefty balance? Of course not.

So as I look for a new job, here is a list of my top 5 summer beauty picks:

Every Thursday at Manchester’s South the members of Murkage take over playing the biggest Hip Hop, Grime and Dubstep with MC’s toasting over the top and the occasional special guest. It’s a night that is known for being grimey: club goers twist it up on the floor and you can expect to get hot and sticky dancing to the freshest urban music. As such it is a night better suited to shorts, a crop top and trainers for girls and jeans, a cool t-shirt and a flat peak for guys. But be warned hats have a habit of going missing. As a last resort Murkage even sell their own tees!

to bring a feminine spin on this androgynous look. Team with silver jewellery and some black brogues for a look that ticks all the boxes for A/W 13.

Start the year with a hop skip and jump in these Vagabond Kenova Buckle Flat Shoes, £80.00. These leather shoes are the perfect transitional footwear from summer sun to autumn winds before we embrace our winter boots. Wear with a pinafore dress or pleated skirt to show off your studious style.

Be both practical and trendy this

semester by investing in a backpack.

Trying to balance piles of books while searching for your bus pass does not exactly scream poise and elegance. This backpack from Topshop is simple yet quirky. The nylon padding embraces 1970s punk while its black colour ensures that there is no outfit it won’t compliment.

You Ask/We Answer

Girls: dress, Topshop boutique, £130; bomber jacket, Topshop, £55; boots, Urban Outfitters, £80; earrings, River Island, £10Boys: jeans, Topman, £30; shirt, River Island, £28; DM’s, £145

Beauty Editor Halee Wells advises on what to spend & how to apply it

Aside from blowing a lot of it on, well, rather pointless things, I did manage to purchase plenty of new beauty products this summer which are now in my beauty holy grail staples.

Lecture theatres are calling, and despite our desire to parade around in floaty dresses and floral headpieces, we must accept that the university year has once again commenced and stop deluding over the idea of a hot September. Nevertheless, why not embrace your studious status by filling your wardrobe with some of these ‘back-to-school’ trends that will have you starting the semester in style, even in the face of rain.

The pinafore dress is everywhere this autumn/winter. Taint your schoolgirl innocence with a dash of

BLOGWATCH

BEAUTY

Feature

17

MANCHESTER’S we ANSWER FINEST INDEPENDENT SHOPS: PART 1

with Marie Clare Yates

1. AFFLECKS

If you’re ever looking for a store that’s unusual, unconventional and completely unpredictable, then one word should come to mind: Afflecks. Eccentric emporium selling anything from piercings and plugs; buttons and beanies; sweeties and sweats to accessories and anime, you could get lost on any of the four floors or at least spend the whole afternoon. A visit to Afflecks is an absolute must - even if it is just to say that you have been there, however it’s hard to imagine that someone would find Afflecks to their distaste.

As you walk into the gothic palace, you first stumble into Cyberdog: the hub of fluorescent fabrics and futuristic fashion. Or if you prefer, you can find Grin – slogan tees, hoodies and UV makeup. Make your way up the stairs and admire the artistic paintings and posters that surround you. On the upper floors you can experience vintage twists; anime goodies; bespoke accessories and unique homeware artifacts, Afflecks really does cater for everyone.

And so, if you consider yourself a fashionista; skater; artist; goth or just someone who just wants something a little different, then definitely check out Afflecks – you will not be disappointed.

Quirky boutiques and vintage treasure troves are never in short supply in Manchester - just walk through the Northern Quarter and you will find yourself surrounded by an array of thrifty gems.

Fashion Editor Marie Clare Yates has scoured the streets of Manchester and presents to you the best six independent stores for you to explore…

2.AMERICAN GRAFFITI

Got a 1940’s party to go to this month? Or what about the 50’s? 60’s, 70’s…80’s? Well whatever ‘-ties’ is on the agenda; make American Graffitti your place of choice for retro attire. Although it is now located within Afflecks, American Graffitti is deserving of special attention. Noted for its quirky and novel items, the team handpick every garment and accessory in store, making it extra special and at a reasonable price too. If you wonder through the rails showcasing anything from the 40’s to the 80’s, whether it’s a cutsey apron, pillbox hat, psychedelic flares or a Mary Quant mini-skirt; you name it - American Graffiti has it. Or maybe you just need something new for that jive night you love to go to at the end of each month? Circle dresses, Elvis quiff wigs, 50’s style shirts and lacy petticoats; you will don that nipped-in-waist-dress exactly as Christian Dior intended. For the 60’s, guys look no further for that Beatles style jacket and paisley shirt and girlies need not to worry about finding Twiggy style lashes, pop art dresses and vanity cases. As for the next subsequent two decades, American Graffitti has them covered too. Even if you don’t have a retro themed party at the end of the month, keep American Graffitti in mind for Halloween at least – you’re not bringing out your bed-sheet-ghost ensemble again this year, are you?

OXFAM ORIGINALS

3.

A little bit more up-market than your usual Oxfam charity shop, Oxfam Originals stocks second hand designer wear and accessories for both men and women. Think of it like a fashionable sieve – gorgeous vintage gems and fabulous fashion finds are retained while the chaotic mix of your usual thrift store slip through the holes. Situated in the heart of the Northern Quarter, Oxfam Originals offers an assortment of silk scarves, handbags, ties and shoes- I was pining for the classic Jimmy Choos that they had! What’s more, the staff know what they are talking about and can offer suggestions to help you piece all of your finds together. Of course, the price ranges accordingly; earlier this month I bought a striped French Connection dress for £12.99, the Jimmy Choo’s were £54.99 but there is also a big suitcase with everything inside it (scarves, belts, gloves etc) priced at £4.99. So if you are a person who hates the clutter and confusion of vintage stores but love a good steal then head to Oxfam Originals. Although it could cost you a little more than the usual charity shop, it really does stock items with that little bit of extra quality; what’s more – you’re doing your bit for charity too! .

OPI Nail Lacquer Personally, I never understood why anyone would pay £11.50 for a nail varnish. There are plenty of good brands on the market such as Barry M who do a range of colours for as low as £2.99. However on return from Ibiza this summer, I thought and I would treat myself with my spare euros.

And boy was it worth it! If you want nail varnish that dries instantly, doesn’t chip and with amazing colour payoff, go for OPI. Definitely worth the splurge girls!

Aussie Believe it or not, this American based hair care brand is sold in Europe, America, and well anywhere but Australia really.

However do not fret, their products will certainly give your hair the bounce of an Aussie kangaroo. Plenty of stores such as Boots seem to stock Aussie on a 3 for £10 offer, or 3 for 2, an offer not to be missed. My favourite is their 3 minute miracle conditioner, which leaves hair silky smooth and super shiny.

LUSH face masks “What’s that smell?” We all love walking past a LUSH store to give our nostrils a little treat, but next time give your skin a piece of the action too! LUSH isn’t all about bath bombs and soaps, they have a wide range of face masks and scrubs too.

This summer I decided to take the plunge and see what magic was inside those little black pots. Their cupcake facemask smells good enough to eat and at £5.95 for a generous pot, it is amazing for oilier skin. Don’t forget to pop it in the fridge though, as their preservative free products don’t last forever.

Let’s get naked Urban Decay’s Naked eye shadow palette has been raved about amongst many beauty gurus. I borrowed my friend Stephanie’s palette every night on holiday, and after a week’s worth of compliments about my eyes, I had to buy one for myself. Beautiful metallics and stunning matte’s, these shadows should be in every girl’s handbag. Retailing at £37 in Debenhams it isn’t cheap, but it’ll make you look like the most expensive girl in the room.

MAC Strobe Cream Last and definitely not least, is an innovative product from the most renowned makeup brand around. Strobe cream is a mixture of a highlighter and a moisturiser, with 101 different ways to use it. Once I have done my foundation, I use my finger to blend the cream down my nose, across my cheek bones and onto my cupids bow. If you want that Victoria Secret glow, strobe cream is a makeup bag must.

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Sophie James, Robbie Davidson, Angus Harrison Interview

the FILM INTERVIEW MERLIN MERTON:

Film Producer

The most exciting films for us at The Mancunion to write about are student filmmaking projects that go on to to achieve great things. Producer and ex-Manchester student Merlin Merton tells us about his film Gift From God and making it as a professional filmmaker in such a competitive industry.

Last year we met you fresh out of graduating, promoting your student film Crashcourse. How has the year panned out?

Like everybody else we were stuck on how to proceed straight after graduating, especially in such a competitive industry as film. However, Crashcourse received a Silver Screen award from the Nevada Film Festival and was a finalist in the Back In The Box feature competition.

Tell us what Gift From God is about. Does it involve the same team that brought us Crashcourse?

Alex and I worked together on Crashcourse and have known each other since second year at Manchester University. Alex’s friend writer/director William Kee was also on board. Will had this image of an old bearded and angry man, recounting the murder of his grandson. He wanted to go for a stylized, though minimalistic feel in the same vein as Paul Thomas Anderson and Stanley Kubrick.

This is your first professional film. What were the major differences for you between the student and professional filmmaking process?

With Gift From God the biggest lesson learnt was putting together a budget - and making sure it was enough to make a film suitable to screen in a cinema. As a student it’s a lot of on the spot fun - the whole point of producing student films is to learn from the mistakes and experiment…much like being at uni! But when producing or directing a professional product, each project is a mini business entity. What audience are we targeting?

What genre are we exploiting? A professional film is more about a film’s relationship with the filmmakers and film-watchers, whereas student films are about you the filmmaker!

Was it easier filming without university work and commitments?

Student life wasn’t challenging enough - uni is the perfect environment to make a film because you have everyone available within a five mile radius…as long as nobody’s hungover! Filming outside of uni is a much bigger organizational hazard. The new challenge was working with a crew of twenty-five instead of four. And actually post-production was a nightmare - it was no longer one editor in one place!

Did you find having made Crashcourse helped with publicity for this next film?

Every project is publicity of some sort - but what it really helped to do was provide a better understanding of marketing films.

And it was a great way to meet like-minded people at festivals!

How did you fund the project?

We crowdfunded the entire budget through Kickstarter and made a very respectable £5,000! Most of it came through friends and family, but we had a couple of very generous outside ‘donations’ in exchange for associate producer roles.

What are the next steps for the film and yourselves?

Gift From God has recently completed post-production, and we’ve just sent it off to festivals all over. We’re aiming big, so we’ve entered it for Sundance, Cleveland, Ann Arbour, Slamdance and a couple of middling ones like the London Short Film Festival and Bath. Will has a couple of projects lined up.

Alex has got a position on Ridley Scott’s new film Moses. I am producing two shorts, one with the director who did Naughty Boy’s La La La music video.

What advice can you give to aspiring filmmakers?

Make as many short films as possible, even if they’re not great, and move up the quality ladder. Work out exactly what type of film you want to be making by watching as many different films as possible. It’s always a little strange when a filmmaker has a limited knowledge of the classics. Admittedly they don’t all make great watching- but it’s important to recognise why they are important.

Where can we find out more?

You can check all our latest news on www.facebook.com/giftfromgodfilm and www.facebook.com/blueshadowsfilms , our production company!

Welcome Week Guide

theFRESHERS GUIDE:

Think Film?

Think MCR

Editor Sophie James discuss all thing cinematic on offer in Manchester, from screenings and installation art, to the latest summer blockbusters

Photo: The Mancunion

A Fresher’s guide to film in Manchester, from Editor Sophie James As a Fresher coming to Manchester, you’ll have heard all about its incredible nightlife – from Warehouse Project to Font and everything in between. But what about during the day? What about the long stretch of months that you can distantly see beyond the hazy fog of Freshers Week? Whether you’re a film fan or simply have an hour to kill before that inconveniently placed 4pm lecture, Manchester’s film scene is growing at an exciting rate, and you’ll find that there’s quite a lot here to get involved with!

CINEMAS Manchester has three major cinemas dotted around its centre. The Manchester Printworks Odeon is the most central and was host to a variety of film events last year from the “Twiathlon” (don’t knock it til you’ve tried it!) to the very first Greater Manchester Film Festival. For a change of scene, head to the Cineworld in East Didsbury or the AMC cinema in Deansgate for cheap tickets and good Orange Wednesday deals.

Cinema snobs, film buffs or those wanting a more intimate affair, look no further than the Cornerhouse. With a cinema schedule that carefully picks out the crème de la crème of each month’s cinema crop; encompassing the best of major, indie and foreign film releases; put the Cornerhouse on your list of things to do in Manchester for a relaxed, cultural and civilized night out.

SCREENINGS Look out for film screenings hosted here at uni. Film Society shows regular screenings of old favourites, whilst a thought-provoking and

engaging experience can be found through Open Media Society. Screening documentary films to broaden our understanding of major cultural issues within and outside of the mainstream media, Open Media’s aim is to get people engaging with film’s ability to open our eyes and bring the hard-hitting facts home.

Find them at the Welcome Fair on 17-18th September, or head to their first screening of The Spirit of ‘45 on 26th September. A similar experience outside of the University environment can be found through the docufilm screenings hosted by Manchester Film Coop.

FESTIVALS Do you know why Cannes Film Festival is in May? As it’s the rainiest time of the year there, Cannes Festival organizers believe this is the best time to lure crowds off the beach and into the cinema. With this logic in mind and with not one beach in sight, it’s no wonder that more festivals are cropping up in Manchester each year! Last October we welcomed the first Greater Manchester Film Festival – a weekend full of screenings, workshops and interviews all in aid of promoting Manchester as a centre for filmmaking talent. We also played host to the Jewish and Insight Film Festivals – both more thought-provoking experiences from spiritual and religious levels. The Cornerhouse is also home to a major event on Manchester’s Cinematic calendar – the iViva! Film Festival - celebrating the latest releases and talent within Spanish and Latin American Cinema.

FILMMAKING Whether you’re the next Christopher Nolan, a budding Mark Kermode, or someone who just wants to learn how-to, Manchester can cater for you all! Get on Facebook and search for Video Jam’s Facebook page. An independent organization that seeks to showcase good quality local talent, send in your short silent film to these guys and they pair it up with a local musician to compose its soundtrack.

Once the soundtrack is composed, simply attend the Video Jam event to see and hear the end result complete with live performances of the never-heard-before soundtracks from the participating musicians. An exciting and rewarding experience for those who take part and a chilled-out, enjoyable evening for those who just want to have a drink and discover new talent in the process.

For a more hardcore filmmaking experience, get involved with Filmonik. Spontaneous, energetic and great fun – go along prepared to offer yourself up as anything from director to actor, cameraman to sound crew!

SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

This is only a select sample of what Manchester has to offer, so next time you find yourself with nothing to do on a weekday night swap vodka shots for popcorn, clubs for clapper boards and false eyelashes for 3D glasses and start your cinematic journey through Manchester!

To find out more about any of the cinemas, societies or organizations mentioned in this article, get on Google or follow our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Preview

thePREVIEW: HER

Some films have the power to seduce people, months before even the first trailer is revealed.

These are the films with a kernel, a wonderful and intriguing idea at their core. ExtraTerrestrial wants to phone home. Toys coming to life, as soon human backs are turned. Man falls in love with an operating system.

The last idea, is exactly the sort of bizarre brilliance we have come to expect from Spike Jonze. His back catalogue of directorial features is quite spectacular, most notably his mind bending collaborations with writer Charlie Kaufman, on Being John Malkovich and Adaptation. Typically his films place real characters in surreal contexts and his latest offering, Her promises to be no different. It follows Theodore Twombly, a romantic soul living in LA in the near future. Following the end of a long term relationship he becomes fascinated with an intuitive operating system that is designed to develop in tandem with the user’s personality.

Over time Theodore’s relationship with ‘Samantha’ deepens. They fall in love.

Beyond that compelling

Director: Peter Jackson • Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen Released: 14 December

narrative there are plenty of other reasons to get excited about Her. First and foremost, the cast. Any film with Joaquin Phoenix in the lead promises a certain level of artistic intent, based purely on his selectiveness. Since his riveting turn in Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, Phoenix has only shot Her and James Gray’s Palme D’Or nominated The Immigrant.

It doesn’t end there, the operating system Samantha will be voiced by Scarlett Johansson and they are joined by a supporting cast that

includes Rooney Mara and Amy Adams.

Oh, and Arcade Fire have composed the soundtrack.

It is tough and unwise to judge too much based on a trailer and it is safe to say that Spike Jonze makes curiosities that don’t appeal to everyone. Yet in this case, the concept alone is a victory in itself. It promises humour and pathos yet, not unlike Jonze’s adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are, it may also prove to be quite haunting. For an indication of where this film might go, a great recommendation would be his short I’m Here which is readily available on YouTube.

I’m Here is a love story between two robots living in LA, and similarly to Pixar’s Wall-E, proves that machines can really make the heart sing.

Jonze is more than capable at placing a beating heart in the strangest story and given our ongoing love affair with social networks, this truly could be a love story for the millennial generation.

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife

Film

TOP Far from the Festival crowd MOVIE Feature

Film Editor Robbie Davidson travels to Croatia for the 4th Starigrad Paklenica Film Festival The festival circuit has become a mainstay of modern cinema for any film worth its salt. Hollywood shows off their ‘serious’ movies and independent film makers all battle for some good festival buzz. But this circuit is surprisingly limited in its scope: the same major film festivals dominate each year despite the rapidly increasing numbers of smaller, and the circuit has quickly become a well flexed self-serving instrument for the big festivals and the studio pictures they promote. Producers look to screen their newest award contenders at the well established festivals to pick up some positive buzz through association, and likewise the film festivals maintain their reputation for being the home of the most talked about films of the year.

Now that festival season is getting into full swing, some of the most anticipated films of the year are strutting their stuff across the European stage. Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity opened the 70th Venice International Film Festival to much acclaim at the end of last month. Closer to home, the BFI London Film Festival will open and close with a double dose of Tom Hanks next month, with Paul Greengrass directed, Captain Phillips, and Walt Disney biopic, Saving Mr Banks.

Image: Robbie Davidson

Whilst these will likely be excellent films, a film like Gravity doesn’t really need a platform at Venice to get people’s attention- George Clooney will normally do that sort of thing for you.

So where do you go if you can’t get your film screened at Venice, London or the like? More importantly, can these new festivals compete if they don’t have

a Hanks of Clooney in attendance? This summer I traveled to Croatia and the 4th Starigrad Paklenica Film Festival (SPFF) to see how small European festivals stand out.

SPFF doesn’t have George Clooney in the front row. Neither does it have world premieres of the big Oscar contenders.

But it does have Croatian premieres.

And that’s what important to the festival’s founder, Admir Ćulumarević.

As he told me when I visited: “our greatest treasure is our people”- and this really shows. SPFF is not a festival only to be enjoyed by critics and the well connected. Anybody who wants to can come and enjoy the truly unique experiences which the festival offers.

For a small price you can sit in one of the three stunning outdoor cinemas, nestled within the canyons on the Adriatic coastline, and watch one of the few dozens pictures on offer.

This is the SPFF’s biggest selling point, and why Ćulumarević hopes that people from across the globe will come and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the relaxed, friendly atmosphere. And with so much competition from the hundreds of films festivals across the continent, standing out from the crowd is as important as ever. Venice and London may have Hollywood stars- but this has real stars- the sort you can sit beneath at night and enjoy; cinema at its purest.

DRINKS

19

5

This fresher’s week there is a high chance you might drink some alcohol, so why not use that opportunity to get really cinematic?

Alcohol has long run through the veins of cinema, inspiring Fear and Loathing in “all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world”. Even this summer, Edgar Wright’s The World’s End took Simon Pegg and Nick Frost on a precarious pub crawl that left the fate of humanity at the bottom of a pint glass. This fresher’s week there is a high chance you might drink some alcohol, so why not use that opportunity to get really cinematic?

Here are our top 5 movie inspired concoctions and beverages to help make your freshers week both shaken and stirred.

Reviews

Looking Ahead

A Summer in Film

What’s coming up in cinema

Looking back over summer 2013

Whilst not quite awards season, we can certainly hear the engines starting as a greater proportion of independent and heavier films see release. Here is a slice of what you can see over the next couple of weeks.

As the distant crashes of CGI’d destruction becomes but an echo, we can finally turn our backs on the long summer of superheroes and consider the altogether different fare available at the moment. Whilst not quite awards season, we can certainly hear the engines starting as a greater proportion of independent and heavier films see release. Here is a slice of what you can see over the next couple of weeks.

One of the more talked about films this month is sure to be Diana that sees Naomi Watts playing, surprise surprise, Princess Diana. Just over 30 seconds in to the trailer, Naomi Watts’ Diana is sighing in the back of a car “I want to help people!” Perhaps it is safe to assume a fairly generous appraisal of the ‘People’s Princess’. Diana will be released on the 20th of September.

Woody Allen has been busy as ever.

So that was summer 2013. If you missed it, you didn’t miss much. It was summer of high expectations and low delivery. There were the odd gems scattered around the mediocrity, but generally we can safely say the summer of films was just a bit rubbish.

Before the condemnation begins, its only fair to clarify that by ‘summer movies’ we more specifically mean the mainstream studio movies. As ever there were some excellent independent movies which, as ever, never got the attention they deserved - but that’s for another time. For now we run through the bad, the bad and the ugly.

Things started off bad. Marvel’s followup to last year’s monster hit, The Avengers, saw the return of Tony Stark/Robert Downey Jnr (the two are indistinguishable at times) in Iron Man 3. Despite reuniting him with his director from the brilliant Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, ol’ ironface failed to make an impression. Maybe that was to do with the fact that Iron Man was hardly in the film. Or maybe because the villain turned out to be more parody than pariah.

And so the trend began. Baz Luhrmann’s take on The Great Gatsby was more like an extended music video than an original take on the classic novel. The comedy offerings were even less inspiring: The Hangover Part III was worse than any hangover you’re likely to suffer this Freshers’ Week. The Internship was similarly painful, as the writers seemed to have been obliged to promote Google over any actual laughter.

2013 was the year that proved that even big Hollywood movie stars can’t sell everything. Will Smith and Johnny Depp had the great misfortune of being saddled with blockbusters so bloated and

His latest offering sees a firm return to serious drama, the like of which he has tackled since Interiors in 1978.

Blue Jasmine sees Cate Blanchett leading a fantastic ensemble cast, as a multimillionaire who loses everything after her husbands suicide. The film has won near universal critical acclaim and promises to be a must-see for Allen fans or otherwise. From Woody Allen’s home of New York, we can segue neatly into Hannah Arendt, a biopic of the philosopher and political theorist who reported on the trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann for the New Yorker. These two are released on the 27th.

Yet if all of that sounds a bit too much like hard work, have no fear. Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds are on hand, as supernatural detectives in RIPD (Rest In Peace Department). American Youtube commenters (who have already seen it stateside), have described RIPD as “Men in Black with dead people instead of Aliens” and “the worst movie of 2013”.

The anticipation is almost too much to bear.

misconceived that even their personal selling power couldn’t stop them from bombing at the box office. After Earth and The Lone Ranger are unlikely to enjoy any sequel prospects to the delight of film goers everywhere.

The biggest disappointment of this summer of disappointments was Man of Steel. Not for many years had a film with so much promise turned out to be such a crushing let down. Whilst other superhero films like The Wolverine never looked much good, Man of Steel looked like it could be our new ‘Dark Knight trilogy’. With Christopher Nolan part of the creative team and the best trailer of the year, we had reason to be hopeful.

But perhaps we should have seen it coming: Zack Snyder was the director and Zack Snyder can’t direct. He can cut scenes so rapidly that characters are practically cut off mid-sentence. He can lay waste to cities with as much emotion as a sledgehammer. But can he make Superman actually interesting? No. But maybe I’m being too harsh. 2013 wasn’t all bad. The return of the Enterprise and her crew in Star Trek Into Darkness was an unadulterated joy. Elysium had a great premise but was let down by too much of what we’d seen a hundred times before. This Is The End and The World’s End provided enough belly laughs to necessitate a second viewing.

Despite the lack of original content this summer, box office revenues rose by 10.2%. Audiences seemed to be quite happy to sit through the inane displeasure of the likes of Pacific Rim and Fast and Furious 7. So who am I to chastise? I did it myself! But the summer’s over and awards season approaches. Some much needed respite. Until next year...

5. Chianti - Silence of the Lambs Wine produced in the Chianti region of Tuscany. Best served with fava beans. Avoid drinking with cannibalistic psychiatrists.

4. Sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist - Groundhog Day - A drink so good you’ll order it over and over and over again.

3. Lighter Fluid - Withnail & I - However broke you get this week, please don’t actually drink lighter fluid. It doesn’t taste very nice.

2. Suntory Whiskey - Lost in Translation - Perfect for long, lonely trips to Japan with Scarlett Johansson. For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

1. White Russian - The Big Lebowski - Vodka, Kahlua and Milk. The dude abides. Feel free to pay for the milk with a cheque.

Drink responsibly and have a Superbad week!

Angus Harrison

ISSUE 01/ 17th SEPTEMBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Esme Clifford Astbury, Annie Muir

remembering

SEAMUS HEANEY

Books

/TheMancunion: Books @MancunionBooks

21

Welcome Week Guide

Manchester: a literary city?

If you thought the rainy city didn’t have much to offer in terms of literature, think again, say Books Editors Esme Clifford Astbury and Annie Muir. Manchester has inspired generations of great writers and is now home to a vibrant literary scene

On August 30th, the world lost the most important Irish poet since WB Yeats. Born in 1939, Seamus Heaney was one of the greatest modern poets. Indeed, at the time of his death, Heaney’s poetry made up two thirds of the sales of living poets’ work in Britain. His output was prolific, beginning with his revered collection, Death Of A Naturalist, published in 1966. The volume is based on a childhood spent on his family’s farm in County Derry.

The first poem, ‘Digging’, describes the land worked by his father and grandfather.

Heaney began his career as a schoolteacher. He later became a lecturer, culminating in a 21-year stint at Harvard and his election as Professor of Poetry at the University of Oxford. Heaney also wrote two plays and was a respected translator, with his translation of Beowulf winning the 1999 Whitbread Book of the Year Award. However, he will be best remembered for his poetry, which earned him the 1995 Nobel Prize for Literature.

A Catholic and a Republican, Heaney moved to the Republic of Ireland in 1972 and claimed Irish nationality. Writing at the time of the Troubles, his work took on a darker nature. While turning down the British laureateship partly for political reasons, Heaney read ‘Requiem for the Croppies’ to both Catholic and Protestant audiences on the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising. His work celebrated those easily forgotten – the ordinary people trying to survive, irrespective of their political allegiances.

Having suffered a stroke in 2006, Heaney was left in a self-proclaimed juvenile state.

This served as inspiration for his final volume Human Chain, which charts the process of ageing and comments on mortality in a bleak, confessing manner. It won him the Forward Poetry Prize, the only major poetry prize that Heaney had yet to be awarded.

Heaney’s literary genius was even apparent minutes before his death: his last words, “Noli timere” (Latin for ‘Do not be afraid’), were texted to his wife. His genius will live on through his work.

Elizabeth Mitchell

There is a certain grittiness about Manchester that makes it seem like an unlikely place for writers to flourish. Writing about Paris, Baudelaire said, “You gave me mud and I have turned it to gold”. As any Mancunian could tell you, there is no shortage of mud – or puddles – in Manchester.

Indeed, it is its very grittiness that inspires writers.

It is no coincidence that there is a strong preoccupation amongst Manchester-based authors with industry and its social impact.

While Baudelaire’s Paris was being rebuilt by Haussmann, Manchester was still in its infancy, the textile boom absorbing surrounding villages into one big, noisy hub of industry.

“Manchester,” wrote Jeanette Winterson, “spun riches beyond anybody’s wildest dreams, and wove despair and degradation into the human fabric”.

Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South tells the story of a young woman, Margaret Hale, who leaves her rural southern home for Milton, a northern industrial city based on Manchester. Besides being an unflinching account of the city’s poverty and cruelty, it is a love story. Margaret overcomes her prejudices and falls in love with the North – and with mill owner John Thornton. Gaskell, though critical of the dehumanising aspects of the industrial revolution, writes about the industrial North with affection and a degree of understanding, unlike Charles Dickens, who presents it in a more negative light in Hard Times.

Manchester’s literary heritage is not confined to industry.

Although the working class remains a recurrent theme, more recent authors have branched out to explore all aspects of the human experience. Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange is a chilling vision of a futuristic society wrought with violence and governed by a repressive totalitarian state. With the success of the film adaptation

by Stanley Kubrick, it became a

Everyday Analysis

cult classic.

Jeanette Winterson’s experience of growing up in the North led her to write a rather different novel: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit is about growing up with a highly religious, domineering, adopted mother – and a silent father – in Accrington, a small town outside of Manchester.

In it, Winterson plays with the form of the Old Testament, using memory and onesided storytelling to describe complicated relationships.

While Manchester leaves its mark on many authors, one author has chosen to leave his mark on it: Lemn Sissay’s ‘Poetry as Landmarks’ appears on the walls of pubs, takeaways, and pavements across the city.

His collections of poems, such as Rebel Without Applause, are less social and universal, and more about personal identity and suffering.

With the city’s universities offering creative writing courses that attract ambitious new writers and established authors, Manchester’s literary scene is still flourishing.

Last year, the University of Manchester’s Centre for New

@EDAnalysis

Is God dead in Harry Potter?

The Everyday Analysis Collective discuss Harry Potter, Christianity and Nietzche

‘There is no good and evil; there is only power and those too weak to seek it.’

The average philosophy student could be forgiven for attributing these words to the incendiary philosopher and author of Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche. They may not guess the quotation’s true orator: a hammed up CGI sorcerer from a children’s fantasy series.

‘God is dead’ is Nietzsche’s most famous assertion, yet his work makes greater claims than announcing the death of a specifically modern God; Nietzsche claims there are no universal moral facts, only interpretations. Armed with, yet burdened by this new understanding, humanity must fight the absurdity and nihilism that results from loss of moral and religious “truths”.

Instead, we must strive towards a new life of courage, free thought and power. Needless to say, the firebrand who heralded the end of morality and described the Church as a filthy, parasitic institution was not welcomed by the Christian majority of his day.

Nietzsche’s madman is laughed out of the marketplace and the philosopher resigned himself to the notion that ‘some are born

posthumously.’

Contemporary Christian reactions to the Harry Potter series have been varied, but while many find strong examples of compassion, pity and self-sacrifice, it is clear that others feel threatened by the very notion of witchcraft and wizardry for children.

This anxiety was caricatured through The Simpsons’ Ned Flanders, who reads to his son that, ‘Harry Potter and all his wizard friends went straight to hell for practicing witchcraft!’ before tossing the book into the fireplace. In addition to very real fears about the corrupting influence of supernatural powers (or rather non-Christian supernatural powers) many simply ask where is God (generally the Christian God) in these stories?

Applying this kind of literalist question to a series of fantasy novels is similar to asking whether it’s really possible to reanimate a corpse or if pigs could really manage a successful agricultural enterprise. Behind this simplistic questioning of God’s “absence” in the Harry Potter series, there is a more fundamental, less widely discussed issue. It relates to the sickly wanderer burdened by terrifying moral freedom quoted above; that is, Lord Voldemort.

In the final confrontation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Voldemort

offers to take Harry beyond good and evil. What makes his suggestion terrifying is not that it is spoken by a contorting face on the back of another’s head, but that it suggests both to Harry and audiences, that our morality is not universally true, but contingent and constructed.

Interestingly, Harry does not interrupt Voldemort during his monologue on morality or attempt to escape with the

stone. Instead, he removes the object so keenly sought by the Dark Lord, and brings it into full view. Harry’s consideration of Voldemort’s thrilling notion wavers however. He retreats to the traditional codes of right and wrong, and, somewhat

petulantly, tells Voldemort he is ‘a liar’ – although interestingly not that he is wrong.

When Nietzsche announced that God was dead he didn’t mean that the old man upstairs had shuffled off and could be simply replaced with another set of transcendent values.

Instead humanity must face a new ethical existence without foundational concepts like good and evil. In this sense, it is clear that “God” is alive and well in Harry Potter. Like Nietzsche’s madman, Voldemort has come ‘too early’.

When the dark wizard tries to take the stone by force, the mere touch of Harry’s fingers causes him to disintegrate. In this way, the film condones Harry’s return to the fold; the existence and essential opposition of good and evil is proven with potent physicality. Harry’s powerful touch can be read, not only as a convenient narrative device, but as projection. The need to so explicitly demonstrate the reality of evil and good, betrays a fear that the process of contamination might actually work the opposite way. Perhaps the foundations of conventional morality also make it brittle and if exposed to such dis-locating, de-ranging notions, such a morality might crumble away like so many flakes of wizard.

Writing appointed Jeanette Winterson as Professor of Creative Writing, following in the footsteps of Martin Amis and, most recently, Colm Toibin.

Meanwhile, Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy is Creative Director of Manchester Metropolitain University’s Manchester Writing School.

Beyond the ivory towers, Mancunians are attending literary salons, poetry slams and readings. Literary blogs and magazines abound, and every October celebrated authors descend on the city for the Manchester Literature Festival. Students and locals alike are taking an interest in literature, reading the words of their predecessors and contemporaries, and even adding their own voices to the mix.

TOP

5 LITERARY

Manchester Venues The Art of Tea 47 Barlow Moor Road

For a more subdued affair, get off the beaten track and head to The Art of Tea in Didsbury to spend an evening perusing their selection of second-hand books and sipping tea – or something stronger Gorilla 54/56 Whitworth Street West Gin was F. Scott Fitzgerald’s drink of choice, so don your flapper dress and drink like it’s 1920 at Gorilla’s Gin Parlour

Peveril of the Peak 127 Great Bridgewater Street Named after Sir Walter Scott’s novel, this cosy traditional pub boasts a good selection of real ales and can be recognised by its distinctive tiled exterior

Hardy’s Well 257 Wilmslow Road If you don’t want to stray too far from Fallowfield, pay a visit Hardy’s Well, an honest, no-frills pub, with a verse by local poet Lemn Sissay painted on its outside wall

The Castle Hotel 66 Oldham Street A Northern Quarter institution, The Castle Hotel hosts regular spoken word nights, including Tongue in Cheek this Thursday, and serves up a delicious – and potentially dangerous - pints of scrumpy.

MODERN LIVING MANCHESTER X1 CHAPEL STREET X1 Chapel Street situated at the heart of the city’s historic quarter with great links to the University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University and The University of Manchester.

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11/09/2013 11:31

ISSUE 01/16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Ben Walker, Maddy Hubbard Welcome Week Guide

Hangover Cures With many sore head expected in the next two weeks, Maddy Hubbard guides us through three of the best breakfasts to banish those Fresher’s week hangovers

theFRESHERS GUIDE: Food and Drink

All your Food and Drink for Freshers’ Week in one place, from pub crawls, breakfasts, restaurants, recipes, and much more

Photo: Maddy Hubbard

1.

Gemini (328-330 Oxford Road) Located at Whitworth Park Halls, Gemini Cafe is a favourite of students who are looking for an enormous plate of food for next to no money. It may not win awards for the quality of its ingredients any time soon, but the eggs are always perfectly fried, the bacon crispy and the service friendly. What more could you want?

2.

Coffee House Cafe (Copson Street) On a side road in Withington, this greasy spoon is one of my favourite places in Manchester, particularly when hungover. What sets it apart is huge portions, low prices, and most of all the warmth of the welcome of this family run cafe.

Regulars, having “the regular”, provide the ideal atmosphere for a bit of people watching while you try to remember the night before.

3.

Fallow (once the Fallowfield Trof ) Legendary for its fry ups, continuing to corner the market in providing a better quality of breakfast. No grey tubes of mystery meat here - the sausages are properly herby and actually taste of pork.

Recipe of the Week

Photo: Mancunion. The Union Bar, open 11am-midnight, seven days a week.

Welcome to the Mancunion Food and Drink Over the year we will endeavour to help you eat and drink your way around Manchester’s finest establishments, with also recipe ideas and advice to cook up a storm at home too.

In the past five years or so the craft beer and casual dining movement has gone from a niche interest to a becoming the heart and soul of the Manchester food and drink scene, and with two Michel Star Simon Rogan opening The French in March 2013, we are students at a very exciting time in Manchester’s gastronomic evolution. Added to the vibrant Curry Mile, the out laying villages

of East and West Didsbury and Chorlton; there is a lot to eat and drink in 2013/14.

The first two weeks of any University year, whether it’s your first or even your seventh, it is crazy, hectic, and ultimately fun. Here we have assembled what we think are the best places in the Manchester University bubble for food and drink, keeping around the Oxford Road corridor, whilst we all get into the groove of the new academic year. Also we have come up with a few tips that we thought could be of use to you in these first busy weeks.

There will be a lot of drinking going on, as I’m sure many of you are looking forward to, but remember there is

In praise of Red Chilli Oxford Road this quality and quantity. We had ginger and spring onion chicken, shrimp fired rice, and beef in black pepper sauce. The sauces had subtle flavours, the meat was succulent, and the rice was light and fluffy.

However, if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, ask for the a la carte menu and a recommendation for something a little quirky and more authentic that you haven’t tried before. The salt and pepper squid are guaranteed to tickle your taste buds, with the Szechuan pepper adding a fiery Oriental note to your classic ‘calamares’.

Though located at the heart of the University campus, this is not just an excellent weekday-lunch time destination.

Red Chilli Oxford Road is a haven for Beijing and Sichuan cuisine for all occasion.

Photo: Ben Walker

Penne pasta, homemade basil pesto, deconstructed tomato Bruschetta, and Pecorino, served with a light, local ale Photo: Ben Walker

If spending a little time at home this Fresher’s Week, then this is a quick, stylish dish to whip up whether as a spot of Italian comfort food, or to impress new friends.

The pesto relies on fresh, pungent ingredients, the tomato topping offers texture, and a little sharpness againsgt the oozy poesto. Pecorino is a nuttier, Italian harcd cheese compared to Parmesan.

See the website, Mancunion Food and Drink, for the full recipe.

absolutely no pressure for anyone to have to drink either to excess or even at all. Also, we hope that you consider what you’re eating, if you are in catered halls then your diet will be looked after for you, to a great extent. If you are self-catered or living in a house, try strike a balance between wholesome ‘home-cooking’ and quick and convenient meals—but always try and be creative.

Hopefully here we have catered for a broad range of interests and tastes— drinking venues, culinary destinations, and informed advice that will hopefully contribute to a fantastic start to the semester.

In praise of Red Chilli, Georgia Crichton selects this restaurant as a stand out venue in the student bubble.

You are welcomed by two bowing red gentlemen, statues that is. Don’t be too surprised if this friendliness does not extent to all the staff, yet we are here, first

and foremost, to eat—an experience the Observer noted as ‘joyous’.

The dark interior is a warren of booths, small tables, and banquet spaces, stylishly divided with carved wooden screens.

At £5.50 for the Lunch Menu, there are few places that can compete on delivering

Getting involved If you fancy your hand at food and drink journalism, whether it be interviews, recipes, reviews, or some interesting culinary anecdotes, email us (information online) or get in touch via Facebook.

>Journalism experience >CV enhancement >Opportunities for editorship >Wine and dine around Manchester.

/TheMancunion: Food & Drink @MancunionFood

theFRESHERS GUIDE: 1.THE FRIENDSHIP 353 Wilmslow Road

A Hydes Pub, always with a selection of guest ales as well, the Friendship is the pub at the centre of Fallowfield. An extensive beer garden (covered and heated) is ideal for large groups such as sports teams to congregate. The premier venue for live sport too.

Food & Drink 23

Editor Ben Walker takes a boozy wander up Oxford Road, starting in Fallowfield and ending up in the city center, taking in a variety of the best pubs and bars on offer.

FALLOW 3.

2a Landcross Road Previously belonging to the Trof family, Fallow is the new face of one of the area’s most trendy venues. A very good beer selection, and a decent cocktail menu too, prices ranging from £3.50-£6.00.

Best bar food in Fallowfield, boasting a superb breakfast menu and legendary Full English.

4.256

256 Wilmslow Road Bar and kitchen by day, turning into a club later on, hosting a variety of nights covering all sorts of music and interests.

A stylishly renovated ecclesiastical building, there is also a huge beer garden (pictured below). An ideal location to enjoy the inexpensive food, wide range of drinks and cocktails.

Temple (Image: The Mancunion)

TEMPLE 6.

100 Great Bridgewater St Formerly and famously a public toilet, Temple is a subterranean hide away for good beer and one of the best duke boxes around. On busy nights the crowds spill out on the two stairways and the pavement, creating a buzzing, if not cramped atmosphere.

256 (Image: The Mancunion)

The Friendship (Image: The Mancunion)

2.WAHLBAR

310 Wilmslow Road

Originally an off shoot of Gas Lamp (Deansgate), Wahl is the most stylish and up market bar in the student bubble. There is as extensive bottled beer selection including the classic American selection of Anchors and Sierra Nevada’s, and Odell’s, plus an ever changing guest selection.

The cocktail menu is worth exploring, especially during 6-9 as it’s two for £5.50.

Downstairs is a live music venue.

Wahl Bar (Image: Ben Walker)

5.THE SALUTATIOIN 12 Higher Chatham St

Hidden behind the RNCM, ideal for those travelling up Oxford Road or living in and around Main Campus. The Salutation is a traditional pub, parquet flooring, lots of dark carved wood and brass trim. The drink selection is bang up to date with interesting local ales and a decent bottled selection.

Due to the location, often less busy, ideal for a relaxing pint amidst the Welcome Week

7.DEAF INSTITUTE 135 Grovesnor Street

Converted from its namesake into a large, hip ‘cafe Bar and Music Hall’, the Deaf Institute is a multi-floored venue of the highest quality. Hosting a variety of music events throughout the week and serving wholesome, rustic and interetsing food.

8. BREW DOG 35 Peter Street

Converted from its namesake into a large, hip ‘cafe Bar and Music Hall’, the Deaf Institute is a multi-floored venue of the highest quality. Hosting a variety of music events throughout the week and serving wholesome, rustic and interetsing food.

Arts & Culture

24

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM /TheMancunionArtsCulture @ArtsMancunion

Editors: Abbie Roberts, Mattie Roberts Exciting things in unlikely places

off

beaten

1.

THE Artzu

Castlefield Gallery

2 Hewitt Street, M15 4GB An organisation for developing and emerging contemporary artists and practice, this gallery responds to national and international trends, promoting artists at key stages of their careers.

3.

Islington Mill

James Street, Salford, M3 5HW Based in Salford and housed in the buildings and courtyard of a former Victorian mill Islington Mill runs innovative inter-disciplinary arts programmes forged in the spirit of D-I-Y.

4.

Chinese Arts Centre

Market Buildings, Thomas Street, M4 1EU The Centre houses a number of permanent art installations by contemporary Chinese artists and interesting design features that reference Chinese culture as well as temporary art exhibitions.

5.

Antwerp Mansion

Kent Road West, M14 5RF A derelict Victorian mansion that has been turned into a haven for music, art and photography.

6.

theFRESHERS GUIDE:

TRACK

Quay House, Quay St, M3 3JE An independent gallery space is set in the heart of Spinningfields.

Currently showing paintings by the artist Andrew Hunt who was twice selected for The BP National Portrait Award.

Craft and Design Centre 17 Oak Street, M4 5JD In the heart of Manchester’s creative Northern Quarter, Manchester Craft & Design Centre is housed in a former Victorian fish and poultry market building. It’s home to 19 working studio boutiques where 35 artists, designers and craftspeople produce and sell work to the public six days a week.

2.

Feature

The Veggie Café The Univerity of Manchester

The sad news of the potential closing of the much-beloved veggie café doesn’t just taunt us with the possible loss of lecturesustaining flapjacks and 60p tea, it also leads us to reflect on its variety of roles in daily university life, especially its place, albeit its modest place, in Manchester’s art scene. In its own right, the cafe deserves a degree of recognition as a platform for local artists to exhibit and sell their work but also purely as a place where you can view art - whatever you think of it. Combined with the greasy-spoon type charm of the cafe’s layout and the scattering of mismatching canvasses, The Veggie Cafe is homely, welcoming and we’ll miss it. So before we have to say goodbye, go and take a visit, buy a flapjack and a tea, but most importantly, marvel, grumble or wince at the walls.

Editors Mattie and Abbie on the best of Manchester’s art scene - with information on well-known, and more unexpected, venues.

Photo: The Mancunion Manchester Art Gallery Mosley Street, M2 3JL Since the temporary closure of the Whitworth gallery, The Manchester Art Gallery is the biggest art gallery in the city, best known for its Victorian paintings and, in particular, its collection of famous Pre-Raphaelite art works. Its historic galleries display art and design from the 17th and 18th centuries and it also houses a contemporary exhibit. Currently displaying a number of free small exhibitions such as an exhibit exploring the role of painters, such as Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud and David Hockney, in the reinvention of figurative art in the second half of the 20th century. Alongside this, lies a display featuring English and French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, an exhibition celebrating the art occurring between the two World Wars and a variety of contemporary exhibitions, one of which concentrates on the fairy-tale art of Mancunian artist Alison Erika Forde.

Photo: The Mancunion

Photo: The Mancunion

Photo: The Mancunion Whitworth Art Gallery Oxford Road,M15 6ER The Whitworth Gallery, although sadly closed for refurbishment until next summer can still be admired for its impressive Victorian architecture on the Oxford Road bus route.

The Lowry Pier 8 The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ Named after the beloved Lancashire-born LS Lowry, most famously recognised for his visual documentation of the North West’s industrial era, The Lowry is worth visiting for the building and landscape alone.

Located in the redeveloped Salford Quays, the building is built in glass and metal, reflecting the surrounding landscapes that LS Lowry himself once observed. It brings together both performing and visual arts and shows the works of Lowry alongside a vast array of contemporary exhibitions.

Cornerhouse 70 Oxford Street, M1 5NH Alongside the laid back comfyseating-adorned appeal of the cinema theatres, providing the best in independent and international cinema, the Cornerhouse welcomes you with a trendy café bar and bookshop and is home to three floors of contemporary and interactive art galleries. Located on Oxford Road, the Cornerhouse embraces artists that have not yet received much recognition in the UK, boasting a keen interest in accessible art that focuses on engagement and participation with its visitors. The Cornerhouse is by far one of the most relaxed and interesting places to view art in Manchester and hopefully with its move to First Street in 2014, it will not lose any of its lively character, down to earth charm and, most importantly, its beloved studentfriendly cinema ticket prices.

Photo: The Mancunion The Manchester Museum The Univerity of Manchester, Oxford Road, M13 9PL This university-owned museum situated directly on campus is home to an impressive collection of archaeology, anthropology and natural history. With its Victorian interior and meandering chambers of history, the museum is a perfect place to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of term-time Oxford road, marvel at the pristine preservation of time and relish in the innate peace and quiet each room brings.

What’s on

Feature

Unexpected

ART

Imperial War Museum North The Quays, Trafford Wharf Road, M17 1TZ While not solely an art museum, The Imperial War Museum North has its own collections of photography, looking at art through the lens of history and time. It also hosts a number of interesting visual art exhibitions such as its Big Picture Show, currently screening, an awardwinning 360-degree experience where the combination of sound and projected digital moving images and photographs bring to life peoples’ experiences of war.

Museum of Science and Industry Liverpool Road, M3 4FP The Museum of Science and Industry might sound like an unlikely stop-off in this quest to discover Manchester’s art scene, but nowhere else can you find such an enthusiastic recognition of the harmony between art and science in our ever-advancing

Often the institutions that typically document science or history give a fresh perspective on art by presenting to the public with what is not typically looked upon as art. modern world. More than anywhere else, MOSI is eager to embrace the new forms of art that develops alongside new scientific advancements and proudly exhibits the aesthetic appeal of technologies old and new. As Manchester celebrates its annual science festival this autumn, we can gear ourselves up for this fusion of art and science to be greater than ever as MOSI hosts an exhibition of contemporary architecture now found in the Antarctic. At the site of the world’s oldest surviving railway station, MOSI is a striking piece of Manchester’s historical and cultural identity.

People’s History Museum Left Bank, M3 3ER A vast collection of printed material, physical objects and photographs shows the lives of ordinary people at work, rest and play. This museum documents the history of working people in Britain through works

of art including 18th and 19th century political cartoons, political posters relating to the Labour, Conservative and Liberal parties, the Spanish Civil War and the Communist Party of Great Britain. Paintings include depictions of many workers and leading figures of the Labour and communist parties of Great Britain. There is also a large collection of the work of Cliff Rowe, a founding member of the Artists International Association.

Do It 2013 – a world premiere for Manchester International Festival Manchester Art Gallery Free Entry 5 July - 22 September An evolving exhibition created from a series of instructions written by artists. An eclectic mix of things for you to do at the gallery and at home, the instructions range from the active to the absurd to the philosophical. It brings together artists from Ai Weiwei and Adrian Piper to Tracey Emin and Richard Wentworth.

Creating the Illusion: Animation in the North West MOSI Free Entry 22 June - 3 November

Michelle Harrison and Stuart Farr The Cornerhouse, Cafe/Bar Free Entry 22 August – Tue 1 October

OUR

5FAVOURITE Events this Week

Rogue Artist’s Studios Free Entry 27th - 29th September The studios, housing 88 artists will be open to the public. The public will have the opportunity to view the artists’ recent work in the space where it was created, and many of the practitioners will be available to discuss their work. Members work in a wide range of disciplines and media including drawing, film and video, illustration, installation, interactive art, painting, performance, photography, printmaking, sculpture and textiles.

Unseen Lowry: Paintings and Drawings from LS Lowry’s Home The Lowry, Main Gallery Free Entry 16th – 22nd September

Theatre

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Jo Lane

25

Welcome Week Guide

theFRESHERS GUIDE: From community theatre to epic-scale musicals, there is something for everyone here, and with most theatres in Manchester offering cheap student tickets, why not check out the incredible talent and creative world the city has to offer?

buildings. It plays host to largescale 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 What is it?

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 Manchester Opera House, Quay Street What is it?

Sister theatre to the Palace, the Manchester Opera House also hosts touring musicals and comedy, as well as ballets, pantomimes and plays.

The Palace Theatre, Oxford Road What is it?

The Palace Theatre and is a more traditional, Victorian

The Lowry, Salford Quays What is it?

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. Manchesterbased The Library Theatre Company also perform three shows there every year. The centre has a welcoming, familyorientated 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 What is it?

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. The theatre also does cheap student tickets on a Friday.

The Bolton Octagon What is it?

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-the-round spaces. Great if you want to see local talent at a professional level!

EditorJo Lane: ‘Manchester is a vibrant and diverse city and it’s theatrical life is no different.’ Here are her top picks for regular theater-goers and novices alike The Three Minute Theatre What is it?

This tiny, boutique theatre is located in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter, Afflecks Arcade. It’s work is very much based around giving local talent an opportunity to create, perform and develop work, but also works with touring companies too. As well as theatre, it showcases all kinds of creative events, from spoken word to film festivals.

Photo: The Mancunion

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! Read our interview with Society Chair, Anna Crace to find out more.

Interview

theTHEATRE INTERVIEW that we want to showcase!

Last week, Mancunion Theatre Editor Jo Lane met with Anna Crace, chair of the UMDS Drama Society to find out more about it and their upcoming plans for the year ahead.

Mancunion: So Anna, tell us a bit about Drama Society

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Anna Crace: Drama Society is essentially a massive community of people who love and want to be involved in Theatre. We put on about ten full shows a year, starting with the Autumn Showcase in first term and then moving on to the MIFTAs in second term which is the larger of the two, with about 7 shows. Alongside our main productions we’re carrying on with the Lass O’Gowrie shorts which were new last year, and consisted of four short pieces of new writing. We’re constantly looking for and supporting new writing from our members because there are so many talented people in Manchester

Mancunion: Wow, that sounds like a lot! Can anyone get involved?

Anna Crace: Of course! Drama Society is not just for actors. We have a massive group of people within the society who are interested in the ‘backstage’ so to speak, from producers to directors, to lighting and sound technicians.

As long as you have an interest in theatre then you’ll find a place within Drama Society! To get involved you just have buy a membership card which costs £8 - you can do that at the Freshers Fair, online or at our Welcome Party on the 24th of September.

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Drama Society to branch out a little this year.

I’ve been in talks with the head of FUSE TV and we’re looking to put on a Shorts Film Festival this term, so hopefully that is something new to look forward to!

Mancunion: What type of opportunities can being in Drama Society lead one to in the future?

Anna Crace: I think that people’s perceptions of what Drama Society can lead on to are generally quite limited, and of course it can lead to a career in the arts. In reality, it is really a great place to build confidence and meet people and that’s something you can take on to whatever you do in the future.

Mancunion: Is there anything new to be expected from Drama Society this year?

Anna Crace: The main focus of Drama Society has always been, and still is theatre, but we’re looking

Getting involved Buy yours now at:

Anna Crace:

If you fancy your hand atournalism, whether it be interviews, reviews, or some interesting theatrical anecdotes, email us (information online) or get in touch via Facebook.

>Journalism experience >CV enhancement >Opportunities for editorship >See the best new shows in town

ISSUE 01/ 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Lauren Arthur, Moya Crockett, Beth Curral, Izzy Dann Ask Izzy

Welcome Week Guide

ask

IZZY

an earnest attempt to cure all your woes. Tweet any burning issues,genital or otherwise, @izzydann I’ve just started university, I’ve got to make loads of new friends, and I’m worried that everyone is cooler than me.

How can I fit in?

Whether they’re showing off their misspelt Sanskrit tattoos from their gap yah or enlightening others to the enigmatic joys of “deep house” music, chances are most of your fellow students are indeed cooler than you. Fear not, however, as there are plenty of ways you can be quirky and individual just like everybody else. Generally, a good starting point is to grow an embryo of a beard and/or dip-dye your hair a fetching shade of fuchsia.

Carry on by spending time at parties talking about how there are clandestine government systems in place to keep society apart. Finally, boycott Tesco then steal your flatmate’s food.

You Ask/We Answer

How to make it home

Lifestyle Editor Moya Crockett gives her tips and tricks to make that halls room feel a little less like a prison cell

So, you’ve arrived. You’ve met your flatmates. You’ve unpacked your bags. And I’d be willing to bet that you’ve had at least one moment of sitting on your bed, looking at the room around you, and thinking, “Fuck.”

University accommodation generally has all the cosy atmosphere of a morgue, so you’d be forgiven for thinking that your new place is never going to feel like home. It will, far sooner than you think, but you can speed up the process by making that soulless shoebox of a bedroom identifiably yours.

You can’t paint the walls or change the inevitably disastrous curtains, but you can add colour and cosiness to your room with a big rug. Dragging a rug home from town on a Magic Bus is not how anyone wants to spend an afternoon, so go online: homebase. co.uk has a surprisingly good range for under £20, and you can also find cheap faux sheepskin rugs on eBay. A rug also makes people more willing to sit on the floor, which will come in handy when people crowd into your room to watch something on your laptop – trying to cram eight people onto a single bed isn’t easy. Alternatively, Tesco Direct has a whole “Bean Bags and Cubes” section on its website, with everything from squishy cotton beanbags to pretty Moroccan pouffes.

Lighting has a real effect on the feel of any room, and the harsh, yellow strip lighting found in halls is not exactly atmospheric. It’s c o m m o n knowledge that everyone looks better in sunglasses; my personal belief is that every room looks better with fairy lights. Try to find some strung on clear or white wire – you want the lights, not the cord, to be the most noticeable part – and loop them around your bookshelves. I’m aware that you’re unlikely to invest in a string of fairy lights – or openly care about mood lighting – if you have a penis, but it’s still worth getting a desk lamp, if only for inevitable late-night essay-writing sessions. Make a trip to the Arndale Centre and pop into Clas Ohlson or Wilkinson’s, both of which have excellent, reasonably-priced lighting sections. Wilkinson’s is also great for cheap cushions and picture frames, if you fancy diverging from that time-honoured tradition of covering the wall of your halls bedroom with blu-tacked photographs.

My first social for my course is coming up, causing a severe wardrobe crisis! What can I wear to make a great first impression?

It is always better to be overdressed than underdressed for such affairs.

I recall my very first social for English Literature, which had an innovative “Shakespeare” dress code. Consequently, I arrived at Jabezz Clegg sporting a homemade nun costume of the S&M variety (I was Isabella from Measure for Measure, obviously); it was a great excuse to whip out my novelty red fluffy handcuffs and wear a tea towel on my head. Upon arrival, I found that I was the only one in full costume with the exception of a male friend, whose fairy queen attire in the name of Titania was quite exquisite. Needless to say, our names were not quickly forgotten.

we ANSWER with Lauren Arthur ‘Thinking she was Pout’s version of Lara Croft, my friend jumped off a table onto me, knocking me to the floor and kicking me in the head with her heel. Unsurprisingly, I ended up concussed and was whisked to A and E. The rest of our friends happened to be there too after returning a wheelchair they’d stolen; somehow we all ended up being reunited in Manchester Royal Infirmary!’

Dana, third year, English Lit ‘My flatmates and I decided to invest in a flat pet during Freshers’ week. We decided on a goldfish.

After the sixth night we returned to the flat to find said fish, Shamoo, missing. It turned out that he hadn’t taken the normal path to the grave, but instead had travelled through someone’s digestive system: one of my flatmates had eaten him. RIP Shamoo.’

Nicki, second year, Maths

beautiful, unfussy art prints and posters.

At around £30, they’re not cheap, but they will last way beyond university. I also like the selection of vintage movie posters at allposters.com.

Of course, there’s no law that says you have to do anything at all to your new room. One of my dear flatmates in first year changed almost nothing about his bedroom, apart from sticking one small postcard from Ayia Napa on the wall.

We didn’t hang out in there much.

I’m moving into halls soon.

Everyone I’ve ever met on the internet says Fallowfield is the place to be but I only got into Victoria Park. Will I be missing out?

This is a highly reasonable anxiety because Fallowfield is literally the only place in Manchester where you can buy both Jägerbombs and cheesy chips. You’ll just have to befriend as many Owens Park residents as possible and find a comfortable piece of their floor to call home, otherwise you will seriously have absolutely no fun at all.

While on the subject of what to put on your walls: oh, anything, anything will be an improvement, particularly if you’re living in a room where the walls are just painted bricks. (Someone once told me that if they plastered the walls in Oak House, the bedrooms would be too small to legally be termed a bedroom. I don’t think this is true, but it’s funny because it seems like it could be.) There’s a poster sale outside the Student Union during Welcome Week, which is always fun to rummage through, but explore the Northern Quarter if you fancy finding something more unique. Magma Books (22 Oldham Street) is a great little shop that sells

youASK

Images: LUDDE Sheepskin Rug, Ikea, £25 ; FORSA Worklamp, £17; SKARUM Cushion Cover, £5; Magma Books/Redstone Press, £30

‘My worst moment of Freshers’ was probably having to go into a ‘very important’ introductory seminar with a moustache and a penis drawn on my face in black marker pen. It was even more embarrassing because it’s such a cliché! My tutor just looked at me and said dryly, ‘Ah, to be young again.’’

Kat, third year, International Relations ‘On our first night in halls, loads of us ended up in my flatmate’s bedroom, drunkenly watching the most bizarre porn ever. I have no idea why. Some of it revolved around a boy trying to seduce his mum, except the ‘boy’ was actually a forty-year-old man wearing a baseball cap.’

Nick, third year, American Studies

Do’s and Don’t’s: Freshers’ Week

DO’S

Image: The Mancunion

& DONT’S with Lauren Arthur

1.

2.

Do embrace your flat mates. They might not be your sort of people but unless you plan on moving halls, you’re stuck with them for a year so suck it up and try your best. (N.B. No romantic relationships until you’re out of halls.

Awkwardness for the two involved and the rest of the flat is not pleasant.)

Do find your nearest Domino’s. The beautiful offer of free pizza only comes around twice a year so source as many vouchers as you can and get queuing.

3.

4.

Do grab the free stuff.

Whether it’s taking the tea and toast offered to you as you stagger through OP at 3am or dragging yourself out of bed before 3pm and trudging along to Freshers’ fair. You’ll soon be poor; free stuff is good.

Do sign up for UNiDAYS/studentbeans. com. Your inbox is probably full enough but they keep you up to date with student offers and discounts.

5.

Do make the most of halls. No, they’re not the most luxurious of places to live but you’re

surrounded by friends (hopefully), have your kitchen cleaned for you and most importantly can use as much gas and electricity as you please.

(Second/third/fourth year problem: hypothermia vs. diminishing overdraft).

1.

2.

Don’t tarnish your clean rep. Go out and have fun, of course. But be wary.

No one wants to bump into last night’s conquest as you creep out of a flat humming The Great Escape.

Don’t blurt out all of your secrets in I Have Never. Unless you’re lucky, most people you

Do you have a story that you’d like to share? Send them to lifestyle@mancunion.com

spend Freshers’ Week with won’t turn out to be your closest friends so stay safe and keep schtum.

4.

3.

Don’t sleep with people from home. As if everyone at uni knowing your business isn’t bad enough, the whole of your home town will soon find out too. The individual involved will also be there every Christmas, Easter and summer holiday. Steer clear: it’s really not worth it.

5.

Don’t end up in your overdraft after seven days. It’s going to be an expensive week, granted, but there’s no need to start buying all your new ‘bffls’ vodka redbulls and Sambuca shots.

Don’t neglect ma and pa. Their levels of worrying will be at an all time high so a quick call or Skype should keep them happy (and sweet if financial issues should arise later in the year).

/TheMancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife

Lifestyle

Welcome Week Guide

27

Horoscopes

Fighting Freshers Flu Lifestyle Editor Beth Currall explains how Welcome Week doesn’t have to end with you curled up in bed, desperate to be back in the comfort of home

We’ve all been (or, shortly after reading this, will be) there: after a week of little sleep, a lot of alcohol and even more mingling with strange, sweaty bodies in halls and clubs, Freshers’ Flu has beaten the best of us. Studies reckon over 90% succumb to the second week sniffles*, and battle through the first week of lectures armed with mansized Kleenex and dosed up with paracetamol. However, if you take the right precautions and follow

our three simple steps, it is possible to beat this dreaded disease.

1.Eat Properly The first week of university marks for the majority of us students, the first step into the adult world of living independently- and that includes cooking and buying food for ourselves. Whilst the temptation to live off take-aways and microwave meals is at times too great to resist, try to eat as many fruits and vegetables as you can, as they will ensure that

your immune system is fighting fit despite the late nights and alcohol consumption. At the very least, buy some multivitamins and pop one of those every day for the next couple of weeks.

2.Don’t Stress!

Reports from the BBC indicate that half of the Freshers’ Flu symptoms are actually psychologically based, caused by the stress that comes with settling into a new environment.

Therefore, it’s vital that you try

Presents

WELCOME FAIR

Photo: Julian Wakefield

CANCER (22 JUNE - 22 JULY) The moon is rising in Jupiter, making this a great week to indulge in your love of historical drama.

Attend all your introductory lectures and meetings in costume as Henry VIII. They’ll love you for it.

FOOD MARKET

17-18 September

19-20 September

PART-TIME JOBS FAIR

PANGAEA

19 September

to make your first week as stressfree as you can, by getting to know your surroundings, taking the time to interact with new people, and, most importantly, not radically changing yourself to impress your new ‘mates’. Once the euphoria of Freshers’ Week has worn away, you’ll soon realise who your real friends are.

3.Sleep and Exercise Exercise is a great way to clear your head of last night’s haziness, and can also help you to meet new people along the way-killing two birds with one stone. Go for a jog around Platt Fields or join the gym, as exercise can be integrated into your new lifestyle as part of your daily routine. Also, make sure you catch up on sleep, or drink plenty of water on a night out if you haven’t had a chance to nap.

So there you have it, your (almost) fool-proof guide to beating the bug, and keeping the good times coming! Now nothing can stop you from having the best week of your life, and being able to bounce back and ace this first semester- which is the main reason why we’re all here, of course.

21 September

GET YOUR HALL PARTY WRISTBANDS, NUS EXTRA CARD & stagecoach UNIRIDER IN THE STUDENTS UNION FOYER

manchesterstudentsunion.com

LEO (23 JULY - 22 AUGUST) You cross paths with your soulmate one night this week! Unfortunately, your low self-esteem and crippling fear of rejection will prevent you from approaching them, and you later see them getting off with someone else against a speaker.

VIRGO (23 AUGUST - 23 SEPTEMBER) The colour blue is a bad omen for you this week. With this in mind, while at Pangea avoid potential love interests dressed as Rafiki from The Lion King. It will only end badly.

LIBRA (24 SEPTEMBER - 23 OCTOBER) You spend at least two hours this week scrolling through the Daily Mail online, absorbing inexplicably compelling stories about Cara Delevingne walking down the street. When your housemates ask what you’ve been doing, you will lie.

SCORPIO (24 OCTOBER - 22 NOVEMBER) That person you were sleeping with on-and-off over summer? They won’t text you back. But don’t worry - new romantic prospects are twinkling on the horizon.

There are plenty of people in Manchester you can have casual and unrewarding sex with.

SAGITTARIUS (23 NOVEMBER - 21 DECEMBER) With Venus in ascension, you find yourself more academically minded and motivated than ever. Unfortunately, this phase will have passed by Sunday, in time for the first week of lectures.

CAPRICORN (22 DECEMBER - 20 JANUARY) Capricorns are organised by nature, but this week you may find yourself slipping from your strict schedule a little. If people question your inadequate timekeeping, simply explain that we cannot fight our destiny. It is written in the stars.

AQUARIUS (21 JANUARY - 19 FEBRUARY) Tension arises between you and a new friend. Dispel any storm clouds by giving them a sensual full-body massage, as Lionel Richie’s seminal 2000 album “Renaissance” plays in the background.

PISCES (20 FEBRUARY - 20 MARCH) You meet a beguiling stranger who advises you to spend that little bit extra on bread in Sainsbury’s. You would do well to heed their warning. The 50p loaf is like eating a sponge.

ARIES (21 MARCH - 20 APRIL) This is a good financial week for you: you find yourself in sudden possession of a large sum of money, possibly more than you’ve ever had in your bank account at one time. Now isn’t the time to play it safe: throw caution to the wind and spend it all on scratch cards. What’s the worst that could happen?

TAURUS (21 APRIL - 21 MAY) Taureans should be extra careful with their health and safety this week. Avoid noxious gases, rabid dogs, dark alleys and ghosts.

GEMINI (22 MAY - 21 JUNE) Sometimes, Geminis can put up walls. Let your guard down. Show friends and lovers know how much you value them by bursting into tears on nights out. Don’t let them leave the smoking area until you’ve had at least fifteen minutes of deep and meaningful conversation.

ISSUE 01 / 16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

29

SPORT

/TheMancunion @Mancunion_Sport

Club Profile- Women’s Rugby.

The Mancunion talks to women’s 1st XV Captain Claire Shutler

Do you have to be a high standard to join the club?

Anybody is welcome to join our club, whether you’ve never seen a rugby ball or are a seasoned professional, there is a space for everyone.

everyone knows who the rugby girls are.

Anything else?

Come and find us at the Fresher’s Fair!

Paul Campbell, 2012

Club Profile- Men’s Hockey Andrew Georgeson speaks to Men’s Hockey chairman Patrick Urey

What is the social side of the club like?

We are renowned for our socials - whether it is our weekly wacky fancy dress or our ability to always be the last in the bar Lisa Murgatroyd, 2012

Why should people join your club?

We provide students of all abilities the chance to play competitive hockey whether they are aiming to play top level university sport or are just looking to be a part of a strong team environment.

Have your team had much success over the past few seasons? Last season both spectrums of the club achieved great successes with the 5th team being promoted into a far more ambitious league and the 1st team gained promotion into the BUCS northern premiership meaning they will be playing against universities with international and Olympic experienced players.

National Football Museum Review.

Thomas Turner Sports Editor Based in Manchester c it y centre’s impressive Urbi s building for just over a year, the National Football Museum has already attrac ted over 500,000 visitors since its move from Preston, and it isn’t difficult to see why.

The museum prides itself on being the world’s big gest and best football museum, and despite the voice of John Motson commentating your journey in the lift , it is difficult to argue.

Containing artefac ts from the rare to the obscure, the

museum provides a thorough run-through of the development of football from its origins to the pre sent day.

The museum boasts a huge wealth of interac tive content , with either touch sc reens or headphones adorning almost ever y wall.

The big gest t alking point is probably the second floor ’s penalt y shootout challenge.

National Football Museum, 2013

While £5 for three penalties is probably a little steep, the chance to take a spot-kick at the same goal which Gazza famously scored in against Scotland at Euro 96’ is one not to be missed - even if t wo of our group were denied by the c rossbar.

National Football Museum, 2013

Well wor th a mention is the photo graphy provided

by Stuart Roy Clarke, which gives a raw insight into the largely unseen side of football.

of place.

In his new collec tion on the museum’s ground floor Clarke provides 18 photo graphs taken at the biggest games of the 2012/13 season. Using shots of fans both inside and outside of grounds, Clarke features a wide range of clubs from the Premiership to nonleague, with even a rare Burnley goal taking pride

The museum is by no means the glorious ode to the national game which you would perhaps expec t.

Signific ant sec tions of the first floor pay homage to football’s chequered past.

There are powerful exhib its dedic ated to issues such as c rowd trouble, stadium safet y and sexism, all of which to some extent continue to exist in the game to this day. The exhibit on women’s football in particular is a poignant re-

3. Where and how often do your teams train/play?

All teams train once a week on a Monday night at the Armitage pitches (better known as fortress Armo) and matches are on Wednesdays. For those players looking to progress their talents further, MUMHC has formed a partnership with a local club called Brooklands which offers training and subsequently matches included in the Uni hockey team membership.

Do you have to be of a high standard to join the club?

Players of all standards are welcome. The club also runs a development squad and a social team which plays on weekends in the inter-halls leagues.

minder of how far the game has come since women’s teams were eventu ally allowed to play in FA grounds in 1971.

The focus on equalit y i s complemented by the current fourth floor exhibition on Arab women in sport .

Called ‘Hey ’ya’ and running until Oc tober 13th, the exhibition i s being held as part of the Qat ar UK 2013 Year of Culture.

Featuring a mixture of photographic and video content , the museum’s ‘ what’s on guide’ says the exhibition aims to show the modern face of Arab women, and initiate wider often unspoken - di scourse on gender and sport in the Arab world.

After the problems experienced with rac ism, biting and the likes in recent

What is the social side of your club like?

Socials as part of the Manchester University Hockey Club are like no other. Very few sports clubs at the university have integrated the mens and women’s clubs as well as the hockey club has. This means socials are twice as big and never fail to produce countless laughs and memorable stories; you really just have to find out for yourself!

Paul Campbell, 2012

How successful has your club been over the past few seasons?

We had a hugely successful season last year - coming 4th in the Northern 1A League, and winning the BUCS Cup. This year, for the first time, we will be running two BUCS teams, and hope to be even more successful than last year.

Where and how often do your teams train/play?

We train on Monday nights 9-10pm at Burnage RFC, Thursday nights 5-6.30pm at the Armitage Centre and play matches on Wednesday afternoons.

N. Bojda, 2010

Why should people join your club?

UMWRFC is more than just a rugby team; it is a place to find great friends, get fit and healthy and brush up on your fancy dress skills! We pride ourselves on being able to work hard, play hard and provide people with the best University experience.

years, the National Football Museum provides a welcome reminder of why we ought to be proud to be football supporters in the 21st century.

Furthermore, in the era of the £83 million transfer, the museum reminds us that football, without fans, i s nothing.

The museum i s free to enter, although a £4 donation upon entry or exit i s recommended.

It i s open 10am til 5pm Monday-Saturday and 11am til 5pm on Sundays.

For information on up coming exhibitions go to w w w. n a t i o n a l f o o t b a l l m u seum.com.

ISSUE 01/16th SEPTEMBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Sport in Manchester: A guide to the city’s sporting venues Manchester United Football Club - Old Trafford Nickname: The Red Devils Founded: 1878 Manager: David Moyes League: Barclays Premier League, With a capacity of approximately 75,000, Old Trafford offers a premium sporting experience with a memorable atmosphere.

The champions are going through a period of transition with a new manager and an aging squad.

The position of the perennial powerhouses of English football looks more likely than ever to be usurped by a revamped City side, or some ambitious Londoners.

United are fighting on four fronts this season from the Champions League to the League Cup, which will have cheap tickets at the SU from time to time so keep your eyes peeled! Overall, the stadium offers a first-class sporting experience with prices to match.

Ease to get there: From Fallowfield: Take the 42/3 or 142/3 to just beyond the RNCM, before transferring to the X50. Both are covered by a UniRider, otherwise it will cost around £6 return. Additionally, it is only a 4-mile taxi ride from Picadilly, which should only cost around £10 should you book in advance. From Picadilly: take the X50 direct. Both methods can take a while in matchday traffic, so leave with plenty of time to avoid missing kick-off.

3/5 Price to get there: Both buses are covered by UniRider, if you don’t have one you’ll need to get a day rider for £4.

Price of tickets: The cheapest ticket for a Premier League fixture for 18-20 year olds is £24 and this rises to £41.50 for a better seat.

The cheapest ticket available for those above 20 is £31. It seems unlikely that regular visits can be sustained by a student loans unless some serious sacrifices are made.

However, for the occasional visit, the stadium is simple to access at a reasonable price. Keep an eye out for league cup tickets at the SU. Don’t forget about the Rugby League world cup final and Super League finals in autumn this year!

3/5 Next Fixture: 19:45 17th September Vs Bayern Leverkusen Club website: http://www.manutd. com Thomas Turner, 2013

Founded: 1873 Ground: Salford City Stadium; Capacity: 12000 Manager: Brian Noble League: Super League; Super League XVII (2012): 11th Salford is a historic rugby club, having won six Championships and one Challenge Cup in their history.

Fears the club may go bust were ended by Marwan Koukash’s takeover in January this year.

Salford are now a club in transiton. Legendary rugby league coach Brian Noble was appointed in April, and the squad has seen broad changes this season.

This month alone eight new players have been announced for 2014, and the club were relaunched as the Red Devils once again.

Price of tickets/student deals: Super League matches are £18 with valid student card, fairly comparable to other Super League teams Score: 3/5 Next fixture: Super League XIX begins February 2014 Club website:

Ease and price to get there: To underline their tradition, the use of the ‘Red Devils’ nickname actually predates Manchester United’s. During the Super League era, however, they have attained little success, though have maintained their license since 2009.

Nickname: The Blues

Ease to get there:

around £4

Founded: 1880

Regular tram and bus services run from Picadilly, making the stadium fast and affordable.

4 /5

The opening of the Etihad campus tram stop means visitors can be dropped at the doorstep of the stadium.

It seems that watching football is not a sensible hobby for students in Manchester.

Manager: Manuel Pellegrini League: Barclays Premier League Importing some of the finest talents in European football, alongside a new manager and ambitious owners, it could be a great seasons for the noisy neighbours after the dissapointment of the last campaign.

There will be plenty of chances to see City as well with Premier League, League Cup, FA cup and Champions League matches being played at the Etihad in the upcoming season.

A visit to the stadium offers the chance to see a team competing at the highest level with an atmosphere to match.

www.thereddevils.net Number 67 bus from city centre to Irlam, then a 2 minute walk. The bus takes about an hour.

It is a 20 minute drive by car from Owens Park, and there is limited parking on-site for £5 which must be booked at least a day in advance.

Appears to be something of a work in progress, like the club in general… Not awful though.

Student tickets can be purchased online, which is a major plus.

James Eatwell

The club also recommend alternate parking at City Airport and Salford City Academy.

Score: 3/5

Top 5-a-side venues with Andrew Georgeson

Price of tickets:

Contrary to popular belief, a visit to the Etihad is no more affordable that one to Old Trafford.

Tom Dowler, 2010

In addition, the 216 bus leaves every 15 minutes from Picadilly.

Ease and price make the Etihad a far more appealing destination for students.

However, there are discounts for visitors aged 18-21 with the lowest prices seat coming at £26 to £41.50 for premier seating.

2/5 Next Fixture16:00 22nd September Vs Manchester United

4/5 Price to get there: The tram is a pretty expensive way to travel, around £6 return.

A bus day ticket will cost

Jonny Roberts

Salford Red Devils RLFC - Salford City Stadium Nickname: The Reds/The Red Devils

Manchester City Football Club - Etihad Stadium

Club website: www.mcfc.co.uk Score: Jonny Roberts

Macclesfield Town Football Club - Moss Rose Stadium Nickname: The Silkmen

Soccer AM, but still...

Founded: 1874

Ease and price to get there:

Capacity: 6355 (2599 seated)

Macclesfield is about 30 minutes from Piccadilly by train, and a return ticket costs about £10 with a 16-25 railcard.

Manager: John Askey League: Conference Premier The Silkmen are not the most glamorous team in the North West, they grace England’s fifth tier – the ‘Skrill Premier.

Macclesfield have spent most of their history in the lower tiers of English football, returning to the Conference in 2012.

Although they are not the most supported club at their level, they do have small pockets of fans as far flung as Japan.

Once in Macclesfield, Moss Rose is about a 25 minute walk from the station, so it is recommended you jump in a cab.

If you are one of those rare students in Manchester who has access to a car the stadium is roughly 40 minutes from Owen’s Park, and there is plenty of free parking on streets nearby. We hear congestion is not a huge problem on match day…

www.mtfc.co.uk Or if this summary has won you over, you can get a student season ticket for a mere £50.

Score: 4/5 Next home fixture: 15:00 Saturday 21st September Vs Woking Club website : www.mtfc.co.uk

Score: 2/5 For a good atmosphere it is recommended that you go to matches against one of their two main rivals: Stockport County and Altrincham F.C. If you need more convincing to become a Slikman, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a big fan – he did pick them out of a hat on

Price of tickets/student deals:

James Eatwell

League matches are £5 with valid student card, which is cheaper than some others at this level.

Armitage Centre Arguably the best student 5-a-side venue in Manchester with over 200 teams playing across 6 days a week in the heart of Fallowfield, just behind the Owen’s Park campus.

Play is mainly on astro-turf and 3G pitches so boots aren’t allowed. Its worth considering that the surfaces can get a bit slippy when it rains, but with several leagues each night allowing for promotion and relegation, there will be a standard for everyone. So if your more ‘Average Joe’s’ than ‘Globo Gym,’ you’ll find a fun, competitive league tailored to your ability.t Manchester, 2011

Sport Manchester, 2011

SPORT : 31 Manchester Phoenix (Ice Hockey) - Altrincham Ice dome Nickname: The Phoenix

Allen, 2013

Founded: 2003 Ground: Altringham Ice Dome Capacity: 4,500

Lancashire County Cricket Club - Old Trafford

Sunday evening games are a fantastic end to a weekend with a group of friends without having to break the bank on tickets.

Ease to get there:

Founded: 1864

The stadium can be accessed via bus and tram from the city centre and is situated around four miles from Piccadily Gardens.

Ground: Emirates Old Trafford

Nick Ogden, 2011

Ice Hockey is one of the lesser known sports in Manchester, but if you have ever seen the frantic pace of NHL hockey in America, you will appreciate the skill and speed of the game.

The Phoenix became the 2012/13 English playoff champions and are one of the best Ice Hockey sides in the UK. Fans of the sport love the high-scoring, fast and furious action and even if you normally stick to the traditional sports, give something new a try this year.

4/5 Price to get there: The X50 bus from Picadilly will cost £4 for a day ticket but is also covered by a UniRider.

Price of tickets/student deals: Concessions £11 in advance or £12 on the door.

The tram will cost around £6.

The Ice Dome charges £1 for all credit and debit card transactions.

Score: 3/5 Next home fixture: 17:30 Sunday 22nd September Vs Slough Jets

Manchester Evening News

The state-of-the-art Ice Dome is in ideally located as the Altrincham – Piccadilly Metrolink line is the quickest route from Manchester City Centre (£6.20 return).

4/5

League: Pro40 Division 2,

League: English Premier League Metrolink: The Ice Dome is on the opposite side of the Metrolink tracks just across the Station Bridge from the Stamford New Road, Altrincham Interchange.

as £10. As Old Trafford is an ICC ground, it hosts a range of internationals, the most recent England ODI cost £40.

Manager: Peter Moores

Manager: Tony Hand Ease and price to get there:

Nickname: Lancashire Lightning

Club website: www.manchesterphoenix.co.uk Score: 4/5 A surprisingly good website for a team of their stature, lots of audio-visual contect and detailed ticketing information.

Tom Dowler

4/5

Even if cricket is not your preferred sport, it could be when you see the prices.

Lancashire County Cricket Club gives you a variety of both county cricket and international matches, the ashes were famously retained this year under the infamous Mancunian rain.

The cheaper ticket renders a visit here much more realistic for a student than a visit across the road where they play with a slightly bigger round ball.

Following a nationwide cricket ground coup from Emirates, the facilities of the stadium have been greatly improved, making the visit a far more enjoyable experience.

Score: 3/5 Convenient, but the Metrolink is expensive compared to bus routes to other venues.

Richard Amor

Next Fixture: Season resumes in April Club website: www.lccc.co.uk Jonny Roberts Price of tickets: Lancashire Country Cricket Club set their prices at £17 pound for YB40 and LV= Country Championship games.

All seating is unreserved and gives those who arrive early the chance to view the game from the best vantage point.

‘Early Bird’ tickets reduce the prices of LV matches to as little

Manchester Giants (Basketball) - Wright Robinson College

Sale Sharks (Rugby Union) - Salford City Stadium

Nickname: The Giants

£9 on the door

Nickname: Sharks

Score: 4/5

Founded: 1861

scoring, so if you enjoy watching thrilling games

Founded: 1975

Score: 5/5

Ground: Wright Robson College

Ground: Salford City Stadium www.manchestergiants.com

Manager: Jeff Jones League: British Basketball League; 2012-13: Playoff champions

League: Aviva Premiership; 201213: 10th.

Ease and price to get there: www.manchestergiants.com

The Giants have been a part of Manchester sport since the 1970’s and despite the North West’s clear bias towards football, the basketball team has received great support from the city.

Games are fast-paced and high-

By bus take either the 168 or 169 from areas including Fallowfield, West Didsbury, Levenshulme and Longsight (Day rider £4).

Next home fixture: 17:30 Sunday 29th September Sheffield Sharks Vs Sheffield Sharks Club website: www.manchestergiants.com Score: 3/5 A fairly basic website, but most of what you need is online.

Tom Dowler

Get off at the Jetston Street/Sandown Street junction for a short walk to the College.

Score: 4/5 Price of tickets/student deals:

The Sugden Centre The first thing to be noted about the Sugden is the pitch, it’s simply incredible and was recently used on a lucozade advert staring Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand.

It is fully covered, but it is outside as well so there are no dodgy indoor balls being blasted about all over the place. However, it is probably best kept for training for serious teams, there doesn’t seem to be a formal league in place as of yet.

The Sugden Centre

The Sharks were crowned Premiership champions in 2006 and consistently recruit some of the best international talent which play an exciting brand of running rugby.

Current stars include former England men Mark Cueto and Danny Cipriani., while club captain Dan Braid captains the side with a wealth of experience from his days with the All Blacks.

However, after a difficult season last time out, teams around them have strengthened and with an influx of British and Irish Lions players in the league, the team may struggle to avoid the drop.

Concessions £8 in advance or

Next home fixture: 20:00 20th September Vs London Wasps

The Sharks share the Salford City Stadium with the Salford City Red Devils, the facilities are excellent, but the stands are quite open to the elements so waterproofs are a must in the winter months.

Club website: www.salesharks. com Score: 4/5 Regulary updated with match reports and previews , while the shop is well stocked and there is plenty of video content for avid rugby funs to enjoy.

Capacity: 12,000 Manager: Steve Diamond

and seeing outrageous slam dunks, then head to the Wright Robson College on a Sunday evening for great entertainment at outstanding value.

Nevertheless, to see the cream of English rugby for a great price, a visit to Salford City stadium is a must.

Tom Dowler Ease and price to get there: Take the number 67 bus from the city centre to Irlam (Day rider ticket £4), then it’s only a two minute walk. The bus takes about an hour.

Score: 3/5

Price of tickets/student deals: Concessions standing places from £10 when booked in advance.

Lucozade Powerleague

Available at various venues across Manchester Host the UK’s biggest 5-a-side venues, and you can play in the shadows of Old Trafford amoung many other exceptional pitches.

However, usually not many students participate in these leagues, mainly due to the high cost of pitch rental and match fees. Also, the standard is normally very high and extremely competetive.

Sport The Sugden Centre

Manchester, 2011

Sport Manchester, 2011

SPORT MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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Club Profiles

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Kay Lubwika 2011

National Football Museum - Review

mancunion.com/sport 16TH SEPT 2013/ ISSUE 01 FREE Sports Editors: Andrew Georgeson & Thomas Turner Sports Reporters: James Eatwell, Tom Dowler & Jonathan Roberts Contact: sport@mancunion.com @Mancunion_Sport facebook.com/MancunionSport

Manchester venue guide

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

P30-31

AU President aims for top 10 in BUCS The Mancunion’s Andrew Georgeson speaks to AU President Tom Cowan about his goals for the year ahead...

Sporttrophy Manchester, 2011after securAU President Tom Cowan lifts the Christie Cup last term, ing their ninth title in ten years Photo: Manchester Athletic Union

There has been many an influential person strut down the hallowed Oxford Road tunnel, inhabiting the buildings either side, striving to make their mark on this world. Many have succeeded, take Alan Turing for example, or Brian Cox, Benedict Cumberbatch or, even to a lesser extent, Jack Whitehall.

However, beyond these household names, the university still oozes class. Take Eleni Papadopoulos. She smashed the T10 200m Butterfly world record in the European Championships last year and head of AU Andy Cowan expects the success to continue.

‘We have had a huge number of Scholarship applications this year and the standard of athlete applying was incredibly high’ In the past the AU have saw the like of Leeds United forward Matt Smith pass through the ranks, and although the current crop of athletes haven’t been announced, Andy is still optimistic about the legacy they could leave for the University. ‘We are very excited about the number of national and international athletes we have awarded scholarships to and their potential during their time at the University’ Aside from the scholarship and international standard athletes, the University had much success within the AU last season. The women’s rugby club recovered from a poor season to win the BUCS cup and finish fourth in their respective league, and men’s hockey will be playing in the northern premier league, seeing them face off against international and Olympic standard athletes.

However, for Andy there truly was only one highlight of the year.

‘The Christie Championships had to be my highlight’ the AU chief tells me, citing the ‘enthusiasm, strength and commitment from all our teams on the day [was]

overwhelming and it was amazing to be able to lift the Christie Shield on home soil.’

However, it would be wrong to suggest that Sport at Manchester is just for those who are of an international standard, or for those who have even played a certain sport before. With 46 affiliated clubs within the AU, and a few external clubs, the university caters for every interest from Cheerleading to Ultimate Frisbee.

Andy is keen to stress the importance on trying things slightly outside your comfort zone saying, ‘University is an amazing opportunity to try something new. You will never again have so many different sporting opportunities right on your doorstep.’ In order to weigh up your sporting options at Manchester, don’t forget to go to the SPORT Fair on 17/18th September at the Student’s Union.

The university experience is something which the Andy seems keen to emphasise saying that the AU’s aims for the upcoming year include ‘having top class facilities which will provide access to an affordable and wide range of opportunities that will be proactively and effectively marketed by staff and students to enhance their University experience.’

University experience suggests an all inclusive plan for students, something the AU are working on. When asked about the Sport provisions for disability in Manchester Andy responded saying, ‘Katy Young (Sport Development Officer – University of Manchester) is leading the Disability Sport Strategy for the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan and Salford University. It is great that someone from our institution is driving this forward for students throughout Manchester.

On 26th October there will be a ‘Sport For All.’ With three Universities in Man-

chester alone, the chance for a bit of local rivalry cannot be missed.

So make sure you grab your purple scarves, think of all the Russell Group related chants you can and don’t forget to head down to Salford City Stadium for the Rugby League varsity, Altringham Ice Rink for the Ice Hockey Varsity and the must-see Rugby Union Varsity played on the 2nd October at Sale Rugby Club. If your new to the area, fear not, check out our guide to the local sports grounds in the inside pages of the sports section!

The answers from Andy Cowan speak volumes of the ambition of the AU. From their hope to hold down a top ten finish in the BUCS, to turning the minority sports into trophies on the national stage, a strong foundation is in place to create a further legacy for the University.

Sports Fair Tuesday 17th - Wednesday 18th September From: 10am-4pm Where: Academy 2 Whether you are a first team player or a complete beginner, there are nearly 50 sports and activities to choose from, including a wide variety of lesser known sports such as Ultimate Frisbee, Caving and Korfball.