Issue2

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

26th SEPTEMBER 2016 / ISSUE 02 FREE

Thatcher decapitated at Welcome Fair

Photo: Junaid Ali Bokhari

Elise Gallagher Deputy Editor-in-chief Tensions rose today at Manchester’s Welcome Fair as the Conservative society’s stall decoration was stolen and beheaded.

Manchester Conservative Future had erected a cardboard cut-out of Baroness Margaret Thatcher on top of their stall in Academy 1, which had proved quite popular, with many students reportedly taking selfies with the controversial former Leader of the Conservative Party and first female Prime Minister.

However, halfway through the day, selfdescribed “revolutionary socialists” Lauren McCourt and Freya Blake approached the stall and were seen grabbing the cut-out.

In a statement Blake said, “we actually thought it was quite disgusting that it should be allowed in an educational institution. For everyone I know and am affiliated with, she is a symbol for austerity. It’s outrageous that they should be allowed to parade her around when she ruined this country for poor people.”

They continued saying, “it’s awful that these quite obviously privately educated people should be allowed to stand there next to her and try and indoctrinate people with their ideology.

As revolutionary socialists we are fighting for the rights of the world’s most marginalised and disenfranchised.

“We thought it was an ethical choice. We grabbed her and ran. This Tory grabbed me really hard and screamed in my face, ‘what the fuck are you doing’. I turned around and screamed, ‘get

the fuck off me you Tory scum’. Then Lauren ripped off the head of Thatcher, we stamped on it and ran”.

Luke Dyks, Chair of Manchester Conservative Future said: “As a society we try not to take ourselves too seriously and have a good time. We bought the cut-out to use as a bit of self parody, to allow any Conservative supporters or opponents and opportunity to have a laugh at our expense.

And over the first day and a half it had had the desired effect. We had received no hostility other than a few sneers and funny looks. Even the Manchester Marxists on the table next to us had seen the funny side and posed for photos.”

The Manchester Marxists society were situated next to the Conservative Party, and when approached wanted to emphasise that the two girls are unaffiliated with the society. When asked

for comment they said: “Manchester Marxists do not condone the beheading of political opponents, cardboard or otherwise. Having said that the anger of workers and students against one of the most anti worker figures in living memory is very understandable.”

Dyks continued: “As a group we are really dismayed that people would damage our property like this, not just for its monetary value but [we believe] that we have a right to free speech around campus. There was no need for this theft; everyone has a right to hold a set of beliefs, no matter how much you disagree with them.”

The Thatcher cut-out was left at Manchester Conservative Future society’s stall headless and torn. The head is yet to be returned.

Silenced by the university: Page 2

Vice-Chancellor’s Disrespect for the Student Body

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Students rely on the bank of Mum and Dad

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Pornographic Material Blocked In Halls

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News

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Editorial: Silenced by the university Highlights P11

Opinion: Rethinking pathos in the Calais Camp

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This week’s interview with Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, on pages eight and nine of The Mancunion, was planned for our Welcome Week edition of the paper last week; however, the university’s press office forced the interview to be removed by threatening defamation minutes before the print deadline.

When approached for a comment on this a university spokesperson completely rejected “any accusations of censorship. We agreed an interview with a student journalist who, when he conducted the interview, admitted he’d never interviewed anyone before. As on many previous occasions, we asked for and were promised sight of the article in advance to ensure that quotes and their context were correct.

“Despite chasing, we received a copy of the draft article only hours before the deadline and far too late to address the important factual and other mistakes in the article.

We asked for the article to be held over until the following week and received agreement from the Students’ Union for this.

“The University regularly provides comments, interviews and statements for Mancunion and other student media and would never seek to censor what they publish. It is for these publications themselves to decide what they print. However, like all other publishers, they have a responsibility to abide by undertakings they have given and to ensure that what they publish is fair, accurate and not defamatory.”

Despite this statement they have been unable to point out what exactly they believed to be defamatory. Legal advisors have also stated that nothing in the interview was grounds for threatening libel action.

It is unheard of for a university to force a story to be pulled in such a way; the action was an affront to free

press, which we believed could not go unchallenged or unreported The issue arose, as stated by the university spokesperson, due to the Vice-Chancellor not being able to approve the copy. Prior to the interview there was no mention that copy approval was a requirement, and it was only after the interview had been conducted and the tape turned off that they asked this of our Features Editor.

Allowing subjects to have copy approval is not our policy, nor that of most other publications. We believe it risks our journalistic independence as it opens up the opportunity for the subject to try and alter their quotes postinterview. This is exactly what happened in this case, with attempted changes including the Vice-Chancellor’s claim that “less than one per cent of the total” of staff saw job cuts in the last few years to a “few per cent”, and the removal of adjectives used to describe her.

We expressed our reluctance to let them approve the interview in person at the beginning of the week prior to the first issue to the university press office, and came to the compromise that the President could see the quotes—but at no point was it agreed that the quotes or any content of the interview could be changed retroactively.

On the day of our print deadline they changed their minds and decided they needed to see the whole interview before 2pm that day, otherwise it would be pulled from print. It was sent at midday (more than nine hours before we sent the edition to print, despite their claims), with time to spare, yet they claimed that they had not been given enough time to approve it so it would have to be pulled.

They also claimed there were factual inaccuracies, but refused to specify further than this. They even offered to

provide their own content to replace the interview. A decision was made by our editorial team to go ahead with the interview despite this, rather than letting the university dictate the content of our first issue of term.

We continued to produce the rest of the issue and by 9pm were ready to send it off to the printers. It was at this point that the university’s Director of Communications phoned our General Secretary Naa Acquah and threatened to sue for defamation if the interview was sent to print. With no time to argue our case or stand our ground the interview had to be pulled and adverts created in its place.

We have since been made aware that we are not the only student publication to be treated in such a way.

Volunteer journalists at The Manchester Magazine were asked to make changes to the Vice-Chancellor’s quotes in their interview with her last term—just as with us, this interference was seen as an affront to journalistic integrity and was refused. They say they were then told that if the interview was published without the Vice-Chancellor’s changes the university would never speak with the publication again. This threat forced them to cancel the publication of the interview.

The Vice-Chancellor has been interviewed by national media many times, who as the press office themselves readily admit, are not asked for copy approval. They therefore should not expect it from us, and they definitely should not have tried to obtain it by backing us into a corner with use of legal threats just before the deadline.

The Vice-Chancellor claimed in her interview with The Mancunion that “freedom of speech was [the university’s] core value”—but if the Vice-Chancellor feels she can rewrite the work of her own students, does this value not come into question?

Music: We’ll Help You Form a Band. We’ll Get You Your First Gig.

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Fashion & Beauty: The “Real” Models

P31 Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com The Mancunion @TheMancunion

Sport: Get involved: University sport

Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor-in-chief: Elise Gallagher deputyed@mancunion.com Postal address: University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone: 0161 275 2989 Subeditors: Gemma Sowerby, Robert Parris, Jane Simmons, Hannah Foy, Christopher Tchen sub@mancunion.com

Head News Editor: Yasmin Mannan Deputy News Editor: Alexandra Bickell Science Editor: Georgie Hines news@mancunion.com science@mancunion.com Head Features Editor: Jacob Nicholas Deputy Features Editor: Emma Shanks features@mancunion.com Head Opinion Editor: Tristan Parsons Deputy Opinion Editor: Edward John opinion@mancunion.com Head Fashion Editor: Sarah Kilcourse Deputy Fashion Editor: Sophie Soar Deputy Fashion Editor: Talia Lee Skudder fashion@mancunion.com Head Food & Drink Editor: Felix Sanders foodanddrink@mancunion.com Head Film Editor: Eliza Slawther Deputy Film Editor: Shema Begum film@mancunion.com Head Lifestyle Editor: Rachel Adams Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Araddhna Patel mancunion.life@gmail.com

Head Music Editor: Joe Casson Deputy Music Editor: Katie Shepherd music@mancunion.com Head Sport Editor: Harry Newton Deputy Sport Editor: Alex Whitcomb sport@mancunion.com Books Editor: Roma Havers books@mancunion.com Games Editor: Stephen Lewis games@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Brogen Campbell theatre@mancunion.com Arts Editor: Laura Joyce arts@mancunion.com Head Online Editor Rebecca Carr Deputy Online Editor: Holly Smith online@mancunion.com Photographers: Callum Wilson and Junaid Ali Bokhari. Copyright of imagery belongs to the photographers and anyone wishing to reproduce them should contact them individually

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

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

We gladly accept contributors from outside the University of Manchester.

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

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

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

University developments increased since tuition fee rise

Universities across the UK have released dramatic campus overhaul plans since the tuition fee rise in 2012 Alexandra Bickell Deputy News Editor Since the rise in tuition fees from £3,290 to £9,000 per year in 2012, many universities have massively increased their spending to include huge campus redevelopments.

The University of Birmingham is currently in the middle of a £500 million campus revamp, set to take place over a 5 year period. Part of this plan includes the recently unveiled £60 million library, which the university hopes will herald “a new generation of libraries in UK higher education”, as well as a brand new £55 million sport and fitness centre.

Work will begin on redesigning the centre of the Birmingham campus to make it more ‘green’ in early 2017, whilst new student accommodation will open at the start of the next academic year.

Up in Edinburgh, the entire university estate is being overhauled, with work already started on redoing the Edinburgh College of Art buildings over a phased, 6 year period. Refurbishments of the grand McEwan graduation hall as well as the School of Law buildings are now also underway. The university has funded the project with a “significant investment”, although actual figures had not been published online.

Here in Manchester, the changes being made to the campus are plain to see and have been designed “to create a progressive and creative environment.”

The creation of this new environment is costing the university £1 billion over a 10 year period.

The new engineering campus, currently under construction, will be the “largest single development undertaken by the university” whilst a £10.6m annexe is being added to the Schuster building for Physics and Astronomy. The University has stated that these developments are underway to “meet the needs of tomorrow’s students” – some current students feel that perhaps more focus should be put on the present: Current final year student Sam feels that many of the changes are “new but unnecessary” and would “rather they spend it on renovating the accommodation rather than the SU.” He said “most of the first year accommodation I’ve been in is disgusting in design, cleanliness and technology” and suggested that perhaps instead of new buildings, it would be worthwhile providing basic services such as Wi-Fi across all current student accommodation, to benefit present students.

International student Hui Wen Chong told The Mancunion “tuition fees for international students have reached £21,000 per year – absolutely insane!”

She does not think that the novel developments are directly linked to the rise in tuition fees, but instead that they are simply a popular way of investing the new surplus funds across UK universities. However, she also said that she would “rather have the money be spent on other stuff… like research… (and) It would be nice if we could have more spaces like the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons” (a state of the art study space available for all disciplines to use).

Universities have argued that these new developments are not as a result of hiked tuition fees.

Bath University said that the numbers of grants to higher education institutions across the UK have been cut over the past few years, so the increased tuition fees are only replacing these.

However, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the combined income from both direct grants and tuition fees rose by nearly £3 billion from 2010-11 to 2014-15, leading us to question this line of argument. Having said this, there are now record numbers of undergraduates at universities, providing the institutions with higher incomes but also with increased costs.

David Cameron, the ex-Prime Minister, stated that the increased fees had made students “more fussy” about their degree choices and where to undertake them; this has been backed up by market research and has led to competition between universities to get the top students attending their institutions. This has caused them to use the extra cash from higher tuition fees to splurge on brand new developments and refurbishments in order to woo potential students – leaving some current students feeling let down.

Gabriella, a third year English student, stated “sometimes I do think that £9,000 from lots of students is probably going on the building work. I think there could be more money spent on helping us with the everyday costs that we have to incur.”

Photo: James Harrison_ @ Flickr

Preparations under way for nationwide student Students and organisations from around the UK joined forces to begin rent strikes attempts to combat problems with high student rent costs Yasmin Mannan Head News Editor

On the weekend of 16th – 18th September a group of students from over 25 different universities met in London to discuss anticipated nationwide student rent strikes.

There were also representatives from the National Union of Students (NUS), who recently joined the rent strikes campaign, including President Malia Bouattia, Cut the Rent, the Radical Housing Network, UCL, and Sisters Uncut among other organisations.

The rent strikes campaign has been gaining momentum ever since students at University College London (UCL) began a long-standing rent strike which led to UCL implementing rent reductions, freezes and bursaries, and UCL Cut The Rent achieving a £1 million concession in July 2016.

A statement from the Rent Strike Weekend said that ‘rent from student accommodation is a powerful enabler of the continued marketisation of higher education’. It ends with a ‘call for mobilisation towards coordinated rent strikes in January, with an initial day of action on Friday, October 19th’ and a call for ‘all students looking to find a better world to join us’.

The strikes are therefore expected to fuel backlashes against high living costs, the scrapping of the maintenance grant, and tuition fees.

Photo: Rent Strike Weekend

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Parents under increasing pressure to financially support students Iona Taylor News Contributor The Bank of Mum and Dad are now under heavy pressure to financially support and provide for their children who are now spending, on average, £24, 000 a year. With the cost of university at an unprecedented high, parents are asked to fork out around £5000 each academic year.

The price of attending a university in Great Britain has been a point of speculation of the last few years, with the recent increase of university fees, alongside the removal of maintenance grants. It has now been shown as a source of distress for many students, who feel they rely too heavily on other sources of income, such as as their parents.

Not Going To Uni ran a survey which showed the rising tuition fees as the number one reason for young people not attending university. Similarly the number one reason for students dropping out of university was the high cost of living.

This is perhaps exacerbated by the high cost of the first 100 days of university, a time where students, on average, spend £3,300 in this period, a time seen

by HSBC’s head of current accounts as a “whirlwind of social engagements with endless pressure to mix and mingle”. Nonetheless she goes on to state the merit in students “keeping their finances under control” a skill which may be undermined by the regular instalments from the parents.

Whilst students feel the pressure of their expenses, so do their parents, with children turning to them for a collective £5.3 billion this academic year. USwitch shows accommodation as the highest cost for the parents who on average contribute around £101 per month to the cost of rent, with another £44 a month for food.

However many students also admit to asking their parents for money which is not entirely necessary; the money used to subsidise accommodation and food is often spent on luxuries. Despite 87% of students asking their parents for money, 41% of these have admitted to asking for more than was neces-

sary, with ⅓ conceding that the money they asked for was for going out.

The “whirlwind of social engagements” is therefore boosting the price of university further than ever before, with a pressure on students to prioritise their social life over necessities.

Half of British parents admit that their child would have benefited from education in finances before university, with the worry that a generation of students are unaware of the danger of ruining credit ratings before they even begin to work.

Two-thirds of university students go to their parents for extra economic support for food, accommodation and socialising, with another 16% of 1824 year olds defaulting on debt repayments. The current cost of university is clearly unsustainable, as students are steadily being encouraged to live in debt.

With the pressure on students to continually spend, alongside the highest university fees in the developed world, the Bank of Mum and Dad is necessary to keep the boat afloat.

Jennifer Sterne Editor-in-Chief

For any help and support in regard to money issues you can visit: http://www.studentsupport.manchester.ac.uk/ http://manchesterstudentsunion. com/top-navigation/advice-service/finance-advice https://manchesterstudentsunion.com/adviceservice Photo: 60900612@N08 @Flickr

Oxford Vice-Chancellor expresses Brexit worries Charlie Spargo News Contributor Oxford University’s Vice-Chancellor has come out and said that Britain’s exiting the European Union is putting academic success under threat, following Oxford being named as the world’s best Higher Education institution.

Professor Louise Robinson, speaking on BBC Radio 4 after Oxford was placed at the top of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, expressed concern that the Brexit vote had already led to Oxford’s academics being approached by rival institutions trying to tempt them away.

The uncertainty the referendum caused has created worries around funding for research projects and student numbers, she said.

“Our concern is that our academics who are at Oxford might decide to leave if they are concerned that they may not be able to get their research funded in the future.

“There are many universities in the world who would be thrilled to have them and who are approaching them and are asking them if they would return to their universities instead.

“I’m not in a position to guarantee [matching better offers] to our academics, I wish I were.”

She put Oxford’s success in great part down to the funding the EU offers universities, which she called upon the government to either match or secure a deal “as close to the current [one] as possible.

“The reason we are having this conversation is because of how well we did on the global ranking, which is predominantly determined by the cali-

Photo: Peter Kurdulija @Flickr

bre of our research.

“We currently get around £67m a year from the European Research Council, that’s a very significant amount, and we need to ensure we continue to access funding for our research.”

She worried that as-yet undecided fee levels for students coming from the EU risked knocking the number of students from overseas down. “That would undermine the fabric of the institution”.

Porn blocked in halls

In the same interview she distanced Oxford from the Prime Minister’s proposals for top universities to set up ‘feeder schools’, though stating her passion for improving social mobility through education. Oxford is a “global institution”, she explained, and a local school would not equate with that.

“What we do best is run a university. It would be a distraction from our core mission”.

Starting this academic year a block has been placed on access to all pornographic material through the university internet.

Many students however have told The Mancunion that they have found the blocks to extend beyond pornographic material to any material deemed adult.

When a student is blocked the message to students reads that “access to this web page is restricted by the University’s acceptable usage policy”.

A University spokesman stated: “Over the summer a block to pornographic material was introduced on hard-wired PCs and the wireless network in line with the University’s acceptable use policy and to prevent the spread of malware.

They added that they were “aware that a small number of non-pornographic sites are currently blocked by our new system. When access to a site is blocked, contact details for the IT Support Centre are provided and legitimate sites can be unblocked on request”.

Joanna Melville, University of Manchester Sex Week Coordinator for 2016, told The Mancunion that: “Students living in halls are over 18, and well within their rights to access legal material depicting sexual acts. This block feels like a moralistic judgement, not only against sexually explicit material but sex work industries.

She added: “Whilst some may believe it to be in order to tackle ‘lad’ culture, this instead needs to be achieved by creating a non-tolerance environment for sexual assault and harassment, and by providing comprehensive consent education, rather than by banning legal material to those of age to view it”.

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Chief Exec of Manchester city council retires

Distinguished council Chief Executive Sir Howard Bernstein announces his retirement after holding the position for 18 years Frankie Vetch Contributor Sir Howard Bernstein has announced his plans to retire as the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, a position he has held since 1998.

Mr Bernstein’s retirement will have a major impact on the University of Manchester, the city as a whole, and its students. As a dedicated employee of the city council for 45 years he has spearheaded the rejuvenation and modernisation of Manchester. Jim O’Neill (Commercial Secretary to HM Treasury) said that, “I have seen first-hand the impact of Sir Howard’s sheer dedication to make Manchester the leading city it is today.” Along with his political partner, Sir Richard Leese (the leader of Manchester City Council), Bernstein has embarked on many projects that have greatly impacted the city.

Of these projects the most prominent would be his oversight of the successful renovation of the city centre following the 1996 IRA bombing on Corporation Street.

This has made the city far more suited to accommodate Europe’s largest number of students.

His successful hosting of the the 2002 Commonwealth games was another triumph. It was, then, the largest multi-sports event held in the UK since the 1948 Olympics. In similar fashion to the 2012 Olympics in London, the games helped improve Manchester’s sporting facilities and thus improved the sport at the university. Bernstein noted recently that the Velodrome has become Team GB’s ‘medal factory’ and contributed greatly to their suc-

cess in Rio. On top of that, the 2002 games helped regenerate East Manchester, transforming it from one of the UK’s most deprived areas to a thriving hub.

Sir Howard also helped to build the metro line and improve the airport, allowing Manchester to become more open to the outside world, and helping the university more easily welcome foreign students.

In coalition with the late Cameronled governments, Bernstein gained Manchester more independence through generous devolution laws, giving the council more control over the local NHS, transport, planning, housing and education. In return, the city is set to have its first elected Mayor next year.

And for the football fans among you, you’ll be interested to know that, as an unwaveringly loyal Manchester City fan, Bernstein formed a healthy partnership with the club which saw them aid in the modernisation of the city.

As turbulent summer in politics comes to an end, some feel the future doesn’t look bright for the UK as a whole. Sir Howard has warned that the negative impact on Manchester could be huge. A report by him has predicted that Manchester will miss out on £320 million of EU and match funding after Brexit.

However, even after saying a plan was needed “to mitigate the worst impacts of withdrawal”, Bernstein has advised people to be confident about the future, sighting investments such as the proposed St Michael’s area (700,000 sq. ft. of mixed used space in an under-used area around Bootle street and Jackson’s Row).

Despite his pending retirement, Sir Howard has said “there is still considerable work to do in the months ahead and my focus on it will not be diminished.”

Highlights Sir Howard Bernstein was knight ed by the Queen in 2002 following the successful hosting of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, both for his efforts in the games and in the reconstruction of Manchester City Centre.

He was named as the 21st most influential person in the English NHS in 2015 due to his contribution to the reform of the healthcare system all over Greater Manchester.

Bernstein has been awarded 3 honorary degrees, from UMIST, the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Photo: @egfocus on Flickr

18-Year-Old woman raped close to Piccadilly Gardens A young woman was raped just behind Portland Street, close to both Piccadilly Gardens and the Gay Village Alexandra Bickell Deputy News Editor A woman was raped in the early hours of Wednesday 21st September, on a walkway by Major Street car park. The car park is close to Canal Street and Piccadilly Gardens, both usually busy at the time of the attack.

Manchester Evening News reported that around 2:50am a security guard working a night shift in a building opposite the car park heard screaming and came running out. He found the 18 year old victim and brought her into the building reception in order to help her. It is thought that the rapist had already fled by the time she was discovered.

The car park is currently being guarded and forensic searches are taking place; officers are also in the process of conducting door-to-door enquiries.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has stated that the young woman is being supported by specially trained officers and that it “is committed to tackling rape and sexual assault by supporting victims and bringing offenders to justice.”

There has not been any suggestion that the victim was a student thus far – in fact, police patrols are usually stepped up in Manchester over September

to cope with the influx of students new to the area.

Workers on a construction site close by have said that they believe the attacker dragged the girl into nearby bushes before assaulting her, although this has not yet been confirmed. Staff at the car park were unaware of the attack until they came into work and expressed their shock when told about it.

Between 1st January and 31st December 2015, there were a staggering 1860 rapes and attempted rapes recorded by the GMP. According to Rape Crisis, around 85% of rapes go unreported in the UK, meaning that there are likely to be thousands more victims than the official statistics indicate in Greater Manchester alone.

Anyone with information about this violent crime is being asked to contact GMP by calling 101 and quoting 21/09/16 or by anonymously calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

People who have been affected by sexual violence at any time can call St Mary’s Centre on 0161 276 6515 for expert help and advice.

Universities attempting to ensure student safety Niamh Cashell Contributor This week at Cardiff University volunteers have been walking students home after nights out in order to ensure student safety.

The Student Safety Walk Scheme sees volunteers based around the Students’ Union provide security to potentially vulnerable students walking home at night.

The scheme is newly developed after a number of reported sex attacks in Cardiff during September last year. There were reports of taxi drivers turning down short fares back to student residential areas, forcing students to walk home alone.

It is part of a wider project involving both Cardiff University and local police forces in protecting students, with further bus and taxi schemes

Photo: @jeremie halley on Flickr

providing support in escorting students home.

It has been well documented that students coming home alone in Fallowfield in particular have been victim to sex attacks and muggings.

In November last year students from Manchester University launched a petition calling for a greater police presence in Fallowfield for student protection.

The University of Manchester Students’ Union launched a Student Shuttle Bus in response shortly after the petition. This service leaves from outside the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons and will drop students right to their front door for a fare of £2-4, which can be paid the next day if you leave your student card with the driver. For more advice on how to stay safe during a night out in Manchester please see our website.

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Uninsured Students Science degrees better value for money than Arts Left Vulnerable

Students have been found to be twice as likely as other groups of adults to be burgled by Back Me Up Alexandra Bickell Deputy News Ediitor

a single item can often outweigh a year’s worth of insurance premiums. For example, 74 per cent of students do not have their mobile phones insured, yet the average replacement cost for a Almost 50 per cent of students do not have any smartphone is a huge £379. Even just a wallet, home contents insurance, according to Back Me which 94 per cent of students do not insure, costs Up, even though student households are nearly around £230 to replace. twice as likely as regular homes to be The Managing Director of Back burgled. 2.2 per cent of all students Me Up, Paul Lynes, commented have reported being victims of on the issue, stating: “student personal theft, well over the households are a magnet national average for adults for thieves as they harof 0.9 per cent. bour, for example, smart In Manchester spephones, laptops, tabcifically, over 1,000 lets and bikes, often in student homes were large quantities due to burgled last year; the shared living. Combine average thief steals that with the number £2,300 worth of propof valuables that get erty from one houselost, cracked, water hold in only 8-12 mindamaged and so on, and utes. That means that it’s easy to see why it’s so burglars are likely to have important that students stolen over £2 million worth think about protecting their of possessions just from stuPhoto: Neokrisys @Flickr stuff.” dents in Manchester alone in the Popular student insurance compalast year. nies include Back Me Up, Endsleigh, Cover4InThe majority of students cite expense as the surance and E & L; be sure to compare quotes reason for not taking out insurance, yet the cost from more than one company to get the best deal! of replacing stolen property is often far greater than taking out an insurance policy. In fact, even

New research reveals that art students pay much more for their degree than science students Recent research reveals that arts students, studying degrees such as Classics, English Literature, and History are paying over three times as much per hour as a student specialising in a Science subject.

The research based their findings on how much the degree costs based on how many hours you spend in the seminar room.

Voucherbox has shown that a biology student will on average have 22 contact hours a week while a history student will on average have 8 hours. Consequently, a history student will pay £38.0 per hour while a biology student will pay £18.10 per hour.

A degree in nursing requires 26 contact hours

per week, which means that a nursing student in the UK will pay £8.63 per hour while a language student will be paying on average £27.50 per hour.

Overall students on average are paying £350 a week for their course.

This research shows that Science degrees are better financial value than Arts degrees, with one missed history lecture potentially costing up to £50.

2012 saw university fees triple and they are set to rise by £250 this year, leaving students with a hefty debt of around £27, 750 after they graduate, potentially rendering this type of research extremely relevant for prospective students as well as current.

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Global 7

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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

Stories by: Alexandra Bickell, Iqra Choudhry, Araddhna Patel and Elise Gallagher

Physicist Imprisoned Without Cause France The illegal extradition and house arrest of prominent physicist Adlène Hicheur has both his colleagues in Rio de Janeiro and the international scientific community up in arms.

Prosecuted in France (wrongly, according to many) for supposed links to terrorist organisations, the Algerian born Muslim physicist served a short sentence before moving to Brazil in an attempt to rebuild his life.

His unjustified deportation and subsequent imprisonment in France is believed to have violated international law and Hicheur’s human rights, with neither French nor Brazilian authorities responding to enquiries as to the legality of their actions.

Until justice is served, outrage is all Adlène Hicheur has.

Truro Tesco Terror As Seagull Decides to Stay UK A Tesco store in Truro, Cornwall, was forced to close for over an hour due to an angry seagull.

The seagull swooped into the shop around 8:30pm and began pestering customers and staff.

One staff member reported “I was unaware of its presence until it nearly flew into my head.” A customer was also reportedly hit in the face by the bird as it entered the premises.

Royal Flush USA You may need to sit down to hear this news; an 18-carat solid gold toilet is now open to visitors at New York’s Guggenheim museum.

Named ‘America,’ it has replaced a public toilet on the fourth floor.

This fully functioning golden throne fit for a king—or any member of the public—is a work of art by Maurizio Cattelan.

This Italian artist is inviting members of the community to not only see but actually test out his creation.

Cattelan has previously been described as the art world’s resident prankster—for good reason!

He designed it to symbolise ‘100% art for the 99%,’ meaning for the majority who are not wealthy.

Visitors can privately utilise the toilet—just another thing to tick off your bucket list.

Warm Winter Has Led to Mutant Slugs Last year’s wet Summer followed by the warm Winter of 2015-16 has led to mutant breeds of normal bug species, including what experts are now branding as ‘sleepless slugs’. These slugs have not hibernated over the past Winter, instead using the time for extra breeding.

Usually, cold temperatures below 5°C send slugs into hibernation automatically, but last December’s average temperature fell at 7.9°C, the warmest December experienced since records began in 1910.

Without the cold, the slugs do not have the urge to hibernate. As a result, there could be millions more slugs at this time of year than there should be, causing havoc in local ecosystems. BugLife, a conservation charity, said that “devastation for our gardens” was a likely result of this “slug population explosion.”

Slugs currently cause an estimated £8 million worth of damage to our gardens every year – with this increase in population size, that number could rise to a great deal more.

Lost Dinosaur Reunited with Family

Australia On the 20th of September two friends stumbled across a lost-looking dinosaur at the top of Mount Coolum in Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, handwritten note in claw.

The note read, ‘Return me to big island to my owner. I escaped from Kenilworth and want to go home... I have seen and been through some sh*t, dog fights, cage fights, chicken fights, horse races, dog races and emu races, all across NT…’ It is claimed that the dinosaur (now missing an eye, tail and arm) was reported missing after the Big Pineapple Music Festival in 2004 where he was used as a prop.

The dinosaur’s disappearance prompted an extensive search party where a public appeal was launched through the media in 2004. However there was no trace of the dinosaur, now named Bruce. Bruce, as he requested, was returned to Coolum Police Station where he was reunited with his owners.

Man Sues Emirates for “Spillover” of Obese Neighbour International Lawyer Giorgio Destro, from Padua, Italy, has sued Arab airlines Emirates after he was sat next to an obese man during his 9 hour economy flight from Cape Town to Dubai.

Destro claims that his journey was “ruined” as he was not permitted to change seats to escape the “spillover”, despite being a ‘gold member’

of the airline. He says that he was not offered any kind of apology or compensation for his discomfort and as a result is now seeking £2,375 in damages.

Giorgio told Italian newspaper Mattino Padova “for 9 hours I had to stand in the aisle, sit on seats reserved for the cabin crew when they were free and in the final

phase of the flight, resign myself to suffer the spillover of the passenger at my side.”

He took a selfie sitting next to the man, whose face is not shown, as evidence of the conditions he suffered. The photo is shown below.

A court hearing is due to take place on October 20th next month.

Donald Trump Gets Personal Border Wall The Republican presidential candidate has had his Hollywood Walk of Fame star vandalised multiple times, but the most recent effort definitely Trumps the rest.

Street artist Plastic Jesus, who is responsible for a number of anti-Trump artworks, has built a miniature concrete border wall around the edge of the business-

man’s slab. He has chosen to top it with barbed wire, ‘KEEP OUT’ signs and American flags.

Plastic Jesus said of the piece: “The US is an incredible place because it’s so multicultural. It was found on people from dozens and dozens of different nations. I think [Trump’s plan for a Mexico/ USA border wall] is completely ludicrous. So I try to get my work

to act as a catalyst to get people thinking about his policies.”

Trump’s Walk of Fame memorial has also been spat on, urinated on, defaced with swear words and defecated on by dogs. We think the latter may have been encouraged by a particularly vehemently anti-Trump owner.

Photo: Giorgio Destro

Protests After Charlotte Shooting Alexandra Bickell Deputy News Editor Mr Keith Lamont Scott was shot dead by a police officer in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Tuesday 20th September. This follows two years of protests across America against the treatment of black men and women by police, sparked by the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014.

Mr Scott’s family have said that he was unarmed and holding a book; they want video footage of the shooting to be released to the public.

Police chief Kerr Putney countered this, telling Fox News that “the officer perceived his [Mr Scott’s] failure to comply with commands, failure to drop the weapon and facing the officers as an imminent threat.”

Protesters were on the streets of Charlotte the same night, peacefully demonstrating their anger and shock at the killing. On Wednesday, protests continued but turned violent, culminating in another man, Justin Carr, being shot and killed. Carr died on Thursday following his injuries from the

shooting. It is currently unclear whether the police or civilians shot Carr as both sides blame the other.

Following this traumatic evening, the Mayor of Charlotte imposed a curfew on the entire city, from midnight until 6am.

Hundreds of protesters turned out on Thursday evening again regardless, ignoring the curfew. The demonstrations remained peaceful on Thursday, so were not stopped even once the curfew had passed.

Protests have also been taking place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, after another black man was shot there last week by police officer Betty Shelby.

The man, Terence Crutcher, was said to be unarmed, with his hands up and leaning against a car when he was shot. As well as being shot, Crutcher was also hit with a stun gun by another officer. Shelby is being prosecuted for manslaughter, with lawyers claiming that her actions were “unreasonable”— if convicted, she faces a minimum of four years in prison.

Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Kaine has said publically that the USA must confront the issue of racial tensions; when that will happen remains to be seen.

Photo: Gonzale @Flickr

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Photo: Callum Wilson

“Freedom of speech is one of our core values”

Head Features Editor Jacob Nicholas sat down with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, to talk about everything from Brexit, building a hotel on campus and the culture of safe space

A

s part of our welcome to new students, I sat down with the President & Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, to talk about everything from Brexit to building a hotel on campus.

We began by talking about the role of universities in influencing public society. Professor Rothwell has been outspoken recently, both about the lack of impact universities had in the EU referendum debate, and their failure to engage with the public in general. However, she insisted that universities should not directly influence the public, saying “Persuade? No. Inform? Yes.” Instead, she claimed their role is to “give independent, and hopefully unbiased information,” to help the public decide on their own how to vote.

I then asked whether universities should be more transparent. The Vice-Chancellor tried to emphasise the progress the university has made over recent years, citing the large number of public venues, the fact that “we get more than a million visitors a year,” and that a decade ago the university was “like the Vatican… it was impenetrable,” according to one local councillor.

In spite of this, though, she admitted that there is far more the university could be doing—“we need to be more transparent in explaining what we do, why we do it.” She used the increase in tuition fees as an example, claiming that people assume “universities must be rolling in money, and of course what happened was that almost exactly the same amount of money was taken out by the government, and we haven’t explained that as well as we should.”

Next, we spoke about the several major events of the summer, starting with Brexit. When asked if there was anything she could say to reassure future students, she admitted, while giving assurances to current students, “it’s very difficult to say anything concrete, because nobody knows, and with the best will in the world nobody can say anything… but what I can say is that this university is hugely committed to being international, and to welcoming students from all over the world.”

She said that the number of EU students coming this year is the same as normal, and from 2017, “as long as we’re able to, we’re going to charge the same fee, but that depends on what happens.”

Despite this level of doubt, however, Professor

Rothwell claims that at ESOF, a recent European science convention held in Manchester, there was “a huge spirit of partnership and camaraderie,” amongst UK and European scientists.

“The biggest issue around Brexit is that uncertainty; and not knowing what’s going to happen exactly, me not being able to answer questions,” she concluded, “but in spite of the press asking

“The biggest issue around Brexit is that uncertainty... me not being able to answer questions” and some reports, we’ve not known of any European grants that we’ve been cut out of, and I’ve not known of any European staff that have left, and it just doesn’t seem to yet have caused a huge change.”

When asked if there has been an impact on the university yet, the Vice-Chancellor replied, “we have not seen significant adverse effects.” However, she went on to voice concern about the nationwide increase in hate crime, “there’s a worry about a potential increase in harassment, and so on.”

Fortunately the university is already taking steps to address this possibility, as Professor Rothwell explained, “the Students’ Union has got a big push on its joint campaign with the university, We Get It, and that’s been very much about sexual harassment, [but] it’s now broadening out to any form of harassment on the basis of background or race or nationality, and that’s going to be a big push for us.”

The discussion then moved to the causes of Brexit—I asked whether the disconnect between more affluent, university-educated people and poorer, less well-educated ones was partially responsible for the vote. “Well I can only say what the analysis shows,” she answered, “which is that younger people favoured Remain, older people fa-

voured Leave. Those with more extensive education tended to favour Remain, and those with less education tended to favour Leave.

“Certainly from what I’m aware the communications are that people who find themselves in difficult circumstances, whether that’s struggling to get a job, or to pay the bills or to access things partly because of difficult financial times, see the EU as one of those causes.”

The Vice-Chancellor challenged the pledges and conduct of the Leave campaign: “There were very, very clear statements, like the National Health Service will benefit by hundreds of millions of pounds a week, subsequently denied by the people who said them, so I can only say that I think some of the campaigning was not the finest hour for British politics.”

Next I asked if the university should maintain a closer relationship with EU universities over those from further afield. Professor Rothwell agreed to an extent. “They’re our closest neighbours, you know, of course, so it’s so much easier to have a strong relationship… and we do already have strong partnerships because of European funding, so that makes it much easier.”

However, she was unsure about focusing on EU neighbours over other universities, saying, “I don’t know that I would do that at the cost of an international university,” instead preferring to partner with others according to what their common interests are. Language was also emphasised as important, but this can be anywhere in the world—the Vice-Chancellor used a recent trip to Kuala Lumpur as an example, where many universities teach in English.

For the last question on Brexit, we spoke about exchange programmes. When asked if the University of Manchester will try and stay in programmes such as the Erasmus programme, the Vice-Chancellor replied: “Yes, we will definitely try to stay in the student exchange programmes, and obviously they’re not just with Europe, we have exchange programmes with many countries around the world, China in particular, just because I think it’s a great experience for students. Whether they choose to go to Malaysia or to China or to France or Germany or wherever else, it’s a fantastic experience for students to go and spend a semester or a year studying at a university abroad.

“Of course, if for some reason Erasmus isn’t operating for the UK we’ll have to try and find other ways of doing it.

Hopefully we can persuade the government to help us to do that, because I think it’s just such a fantastic experience at university to spend that time abroad in another country and another culture.”

We then moved to the other big event of the summer—Theresa May’s appointment as Prime Minister. May has planned a crackdown on student visas, and to introduce further scrutiny to reduce immigration numbers. Rothwell picked her words carefully, but seemed relatively unconcerned by this. “What she’s actually said is she wants to crack down on students who she feels should not have gained a visa or have stayed beyond the visa.

Now if that is the case, then I don’t believe that that would apply to us, as we get a very, very low visa

“I worry about the message that I want to tell students all over the world... the worry is that whenever anything changes that can bring a negative message.” rejection and we know our students go on to either get jobs or study or return home.

“So, if it is simply recruiting less international students in order to reduce the immigration number then I would be most concerned, because obviously international students bring huge value in many ways, not just to universities but as future

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ambassadors… my understanding is that it is more about ensuring that there is not abuse of our system for students coming, and I don’t think that would have a significant impact on us.”

Despite this, she was concerned by the social impact of a crackdown. “I worry about the message that I want to tell students all over the world that ‘We welcome you, [it’s] fantastic to have you at the University of Manchester, you bring great diversity and breadth’ and so on, so I don’t want negative messages, and the worry is that whenever anything changes that can bring a negative message.”

Furthermore, Professor Rothwell hoped for a change in the quotas and caps for certain courses, saying that, “I don’t know what the position is going to be on whether we will have more or less international students, but to give an example, we have a cap on how many international medical students we’re allowed to train, as does every existing university—the private ones don’t—and yet we’re desperately short of doctors and we’re recruiting them from overseas.

“The university’s been around for nearly 200 years, and hopefully it’s going to be around for the next 200.”

“It would seem to me to be logical to train them here through our system, and then recruit them.

There are hundreds of vacancies.” She also sought to emphasise the difference between recruiting domestic and international students—“they’re different quotas for us, I mean some have expressed concern that international students take home students’ places—they don’t, they’re completely different quotas, that never happens.” Finally she celebrated Manchester’s diversity—“we have more international students than any other UK university, and Manchester has claim to be the most diverse city, and I find that to be great.”

When asked specifically about a ruling against May from March, when she was found by the Upper Tribunal for Asylum and Immigration to have wrongly deported 48,000 students in one go, and if this might cause concern for the future, the ViceChancellor was again cautious. “If the report is true, I do not know the basis of that report, I read it in the press as well, and I don’t know the basis of it, so I’m reluctant to comment unless I know it’s true. Not that the press doesn’t get things right, but sometimes they pick up on something that might be misinterpreted, so I can’t, you know, I can’t be sure that’s true. But yes of course, if we’re deporting students that should not be deported then I would be very worried.”

Next we discussed another big issue for students—rising tuition fees. The Vice-Chancellor suggested that the government “can’t provide any less funding for humanities, because it doesn’t give us anything. There’s nothing left to cut. At the moment, for universities like this one… we’re just about breaking even at £9,000, so to increase with inflation would only let us keep up, and there is a risk that if we’re not allowed to increase, at least with costs, then we’d have to start cutting back on student provision or shifting the sort of degree courses that they take.

“I mean obviously, any increase in tuition fees is going to cause concern among students, but they are only with inflation, so at least it’s only a relatively modest increase.”

She did also make it clear that existing students will not have to pay increased fees during their time here. I asked her if she felt it was the role of the student or the state to pay more for their education, and she replied, “my personal view has always been… I think a university education benefits

the individual and benefits the state, and therefore my personal view is that a shared contribution, I think, is reasonable.”

However, when asked if she thought the increase in tuition fees would limit student diversity, Professor Rothwell was unsure. “There’s a concern it might do. Before the £9,000 fee came in I expressed huge concern that students from less well-off backgrounds would not come to university and that’s very important to this university because we have an awful lot of students from disadvantaged backgrounds, more than any other Russell Group University. I was completely wrong.

The numbers of students classed as widening participation increased, and has done year on year, I don’t know why. It seems curious to me… So I don’t know… I can’t say whether it will in the future or not, because I was wrong then.”

Having already said that internationalism was important for universities, I asked Professor Rothwell if it was important for wider society. “Yes, I do, because we’ve got a much more interconnected world, people travel very much more than they used to, many companies are global companies, many people spend time working abroad. You look back to even 50 years ago, it was really unusual for people to go on holiday, and now everybody does,” she replied.

In particular, she said, the UK has had a stronglyinternational perspective, “it’s quite notable when you watch the BBC News, you get a lot of international news.

You go to certain other countries and you’d think there wasn’t an outside of the country… Manchester in particular has been very international, it was called the city of migrants, it’s had international migrants for many years.”

However, Professor Rothwell did also think that thisinternational perspective is in danger at the moment. “Yes, I think there is a risk, and I think there’s a global challenge around migration. I think it’s a real, real worry, of course driven by human conflict, driven by climate change actually, that people are going to want to move to countries where they can have a better life.

“It’s a challenge the world is facing, it’s a very big challenge, and it’s not going to go away. There are several different aspects to that—there’s illegal immigration that does not come through our borders, there’s legal immigration, and then there’s freedom of movement, and they’ve sort of got a little bit muddied. Britain does take a lot of refugees,

“Before the £9,000 fee came in I expressed huge concern that students from less well-off backgrounds would not come to university ”

other one is having ourselves and the students in the same place… it is actually cheaper to build new buildings than to repair; the cost of bringing the North Campus buildings up to scratch, even if there weren’t the issues of being separate or carbon footprint, would cost more than building new. So it is about building a university for the future. The university’s been around for nearly 200

“Personally, I don’t think somebody’s views that I disagree with, or even don’t like, would bar them from having a speech on campus” years, and hopefully it’s going to be around for the next 200.”

Professor Rothwell also refuted that this scheme was a shift towards science, highlighting the huge investments into the Whitworth Art Gallery, the Samuel Alexander building and the business school. Instead, she claimed, you spend more on science because it costs more, and that “to create a fantastic Learning Commons or humanities facility is a lot cheaper than creating a great engineering facility or National Graphene Institute… but it is absolutely not a shift towards science away fromhumanities, we have no intention of doing so.”

I then asked how the construction of a new, fourstar hotel on campus fits into this “futureproofing” of the university, and received a somewhat surprising response. “Well we’re not building the hotel… that’s a private contractor. We actually got a really good deal with the private company, that we gave them a piece of land to build the hotel on, and in return they’re building part of the new business school for us… So they’ll own it, they’ll run it.

“We thought [it would be] great to have a hotel on campus, fantastic… but it’s not ours, that would be a commercial venture. It’s wholly commercially owned, but on our campus, and they’re helping us build the continuing education facility of the business school. And quite a lot of the new buildings have got a lot of external funding—the Whitworth was externally funded, all of the National

Graphene Institute, we got a big donation for the business school, graphene engineering and innovation centre, that’s entirely externally funded… there’s quite a lot we’re not paying for.”

I also asked if the series of staff cuts over the last few years has been in any way to help fund the programme, and got, perhaps understandably, a somewhat frosty response.

“Well, there’s been about, I don’t know the number, but it’s less than one per cent of the total, so it’s not a huge number. But no, it hasn’t, it has absolutely not been to make way for the capital programme, most of which is funded through a bond.

It’s been a need to restructure, to treat facilities differently, or things have just been done differently. But no, it hasn’t been to fund the capital programme.”

We finished with a couple of questions on the recent freedom of speech debate in the Students’ Union, which has attracted a lot of press here at University of Manchester. “My position, as head of a university, is freedom of speech is one of our core values. Wherever possible, we try to encourage and support freedom of speech... Personally, I don’t think somebody’s views that I disagree with, or even don’t like, would bar them from having a speech on campus… Because that’s what being at university is about—being challenged with people who have different views.”

I asked if she would draw a clear distinction between university policy and Students’ Union policy. “I would,” she replied, “we would stick to our principle of unless there is a legal reason, or a real safety reason, or the police advise us that this would not be wise, we would go ahead, even if that might be difficult.”

Finally, I asked Professor Rothwell if she had anything she’d like to say to new students. “First of all welcome.

Secondly… I hope they get a good degree and that leads them on to a good job, but if they leave with just that degree and nothing beyond that, they’ll have wasted the huge opportunity of university and The University of Manchester.

“I would urge them to take part in Students’ Union activities, in volunteering, in sport, in special societies—never again will they have the diverse range of opportunities available to them, to test all different things, to take them beyond their comfort zone, beyond their current interests.

“So yes, work hard, I can’t say otherwise of course. Yes, enjoy yourself, I wouldn’t dare to say anything different. But grab those opportunities.

And have a good time.”

and has just agreed to take a number more but that sort of gets mixed up with illegal immigration and with mobility within Europe. But issues around migration are not going to go away, whatever happens with the EU.” I then asked the Vice-Chancellor about the £1 billion campus development programme. She said that its main aims were “twofold… the first important one is a futureproofing of the university. Old buildings cost us a fortune, [and] when we eventually move off North Campus we will save a huge amount of money.

“I should add another one—carbon footprint.

We’ve got an ambitious target for our future carbon footprint, and the only way we can meet it is by spending a lot of money on modernising our current buildings or by building new buildings that have got much lower energy usage… the

Got an idea for a feature? Come to the Features section meeting on Mondays at 5:30pm in the Students’ Union Activities Space, or email features@mancunion.com

Photo: Callum Wilson

Opinion

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

Meetings Mondays, 5pm , First Floor Student Union.

A response to “The Burkini: What’s behind it?”

Nadine Mirza Contributor When I first saw last week’s piece, ‘The Burkini: What’s behind it?’ I was intrigued. I have heard many conceivable viewpoints on the matter since France decided on their ban.

But this article was by someone within our university community, which captivated me. It made me almost excited to see what one of my peers thought on the matter—until I read it.

The article is neither offensive nor aggressive. Rather, it seems relatively informed and in tune with what we’ve seen in the media. The discourse addresses the issues we are seeing globally in the integration of people from different cultures and religions within Western societies. It cites Donald Trump’s capitalisation of insecurities about race and religion, and includes a well-deserved pointed finger at Britain, for Brexit. It acknowledges the marginalisation and discrimination against certain ethnic groups and minorities.

“The spirit of the Burkini, if anything, seems to embrace so-called ‘Western’ values” Yet, there was something distinctly biased about this piece.

I took personal issue with the suggested proposition that, with regards to the burkini, allowing it is allegedly a slam against democracy. Though I applaud the writer for taking this brave step in broaching a subject so sensitive, this point only looks at the matter with a one dimensional lens—that of a completely Westernised perspective. An article based entirely around Muslim women’s clothing fails to express the voice of the Muslim women wearing this clothing.

The spirit of the burkini, if anything, seems to embrace socalled ‘Western’ values: To allow women to do and wear what makes them feel comfortable.

It is a piece of swimwear. That a piece of swimwear created for Muslim women, an already globally discriminated demographic, has been comically paraded and desecrated for public criticism says more about Western society than it does about women

This is an excerpt of Nadine’s article. To read the full piece, head to: www. mancunion.com

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell’s disrespect for the student body

After his interview with Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell was pulled from last week’s edition of The Mancunion, Jacob Nicholas argues the case for our independence from the university Jacob Nicholas Features Editor Last week, The Mancunion intended to publish an interview with the ViceChancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell. As has been covered on page 2, this article was pulled less than 45 minutes before the paper went to print, leaving the Features section of the paper with just two pages of adverts. We didn’t even get to print an explanation of the situation.

The Students’ Union was threatened with a lawsuit. That this was thought to be acceptable is insane. If the university had actually sued, the fallout—for the university’s reputation in particular— would have been catastrophic. It appears that the root of the situation was that Professor Rothwell was not happy with her own words in our interview, and felt it could be retrospectively changed to suit her own ends. If she did not want an honest interview, she should not have agreed to one.

But then, this sort of behavior is now commonplace. For example, the other day my friend gave me a beer. I drank it, only to be told that actually he wanted it after all, and if I could excrete it out into the nearest cup pronto that would be great.

And, come to think of it, if I didn’t do it right now he would accuse me of theft and call the police.

Indeed, last semester I got assigned an essay on Chinese politics, e-mailed the question and a deadline, and told to get on with it. I finished it and submitted it with plenty of time, only to get an email saying I’d answered the wrong question, and that

the actual one was on Russia. If I didn’t send a quality essay in the next hour I’d fail the module. When I complained, I was told that the lecturer had deleted their copy of the original email, and so there was clearly no proof that the question I’d answered was the right one. Obviously making it all up for some strange reason.

Except neither of those things actually happened—they would have been rather silly occurrences.

And yet Professor Rothwell and her staff feel that it is acceptable to send such transparent nonsense to any student publication that has the misfortune of interviewing her. It is pure arrogance, and

Photo:Callum Wilson

shows contempt not just for student media, but also to the entire student body of the University of Manchester.

In the interview the Vice-Chancellor said, “freedom of speech is one of our core values.” And yet, when Professor Rothwell forgets to mention the sponsor for the business school, and can’t remember how many of her own staff she’s got rid of over the last few years, this freedom of speech flies out of the window to be replaced with what appears to be attempts at turning the interview into a PR stunt. The ViceChancellor has made herself look like she doesn’t have the slightest interest in the truth, instead looking to tend carefully to her image as presented to the student body and third party investors.

What was the worst part of this whole ridiculous exercise? The interview was, frankly, not incredibly exciting. There are certainly some interesting responses (the giving away of university land to private companies, in particular). I went into the interview not wanting to ask too many tricky questions—hoping to maintain a healthy relationship with the University.

Instead, it seems as though the ViceChancellor got her script wrong. Now, any chance of us getting along has been thrown out the window, run over by three Magic Buses, and eaten by a dog, who will later dump its remains in a ditch somewhere in Platt Fields.

The university has backed itself into a corner and made an absolute fool of itself in an attempt to change an interview that would have offended very few people in any case. Certainly, some of Professor Rothwell’s statements were concerning— such as the aforementioned private land

The British education system needs to change Perhaps Britain’s Dickensian education system may have worked in a time when children were seen as vermin, and ‘learning disabilities’ were probably seen as the work of the devil, but the success of Finland’s education system should make us strongly consider that it is Britain’s turn to adapt to the times.

First of all, and possibly most importantly, education in Great Britain is vastly elitist and discriminatory. With a system that is entirely state-funded, such as Finland’s, you eradicate the system of private and state schools. Presently, this can be both divisive and restrictive, and adds to the social inequalities that this country suffers from. Those lucky enough to have been educated in a private school are put at a substantial advantage over other young people who are usually less fortunate, and may be just as, if not more, capable.

The UK’s education system is characterised by standardised exams and a fiercely competitive nature. Each year, GCSE and A-level students complete their exams, and each year they are rewarded harder exams and higher grade boundaries—not to mention £40,000plus worth of debt awaiting them in the not-so-distant future should they choose to attend university. God help you if you have learning difficulties, because 25 per cent extra time might help with the exam itself, but it does not make up for the years of lost information in class, and snide comments from tired, scathing teachers.

One in ten young people aged between five and 16 suffer from a diagnosable

mental health disorder, and many thousands of children and young people suffer from severe depression. Depression in young people, particularly teenagers, is a serious problem here in the United Kingdom, with many young people attributing their struggles to a sense of inadequacy.

By no means is the education system entirely to blame for this—a significant part of the problem is hormonal.

However, why is it that school becomes considerably more intense and difficult for students during adolescence, at a time in which young people are experiencing a hormonal rollercoaster?

Furthermore, it is shocking that children as young as five are prone to severe depression, and it is not particularly outrageous to suggest that perhaps children are in need of a few more years playing in the sandpits and on the monkey bars, enjoying their fleeting childhood. In the Finnish education system, by contrast, children do not begin school until they are seven years old, and are not formally examined in a standardised test until they are aged 16.

Children are also given longer breaks during the day, and are hardly ever given homework. The concept of homework is a strange one. I’m sure every British young person has been in the situation in which the teacher has no valid homework to assign, so instead instructs the children to do some ‘extra reading’, or sends them on their way with a fruitless colouring sheet.

How strange a notion, that teachers are so restricted and controlled in their own

grab—but the majority of the changes simply made her come across worse: more cynical, and concerned with reputation over people.

“The Mancunion is not a PR company for the University. We are part of the student body” This mess has made Rothwell look utterly self-serving, manipulative, and exploitative. Bigger media outlets such as the BBC and the Manchester Evening News do not have to send interview copies to her beforehand, let alone even consider changing quotes retrospectively, because she knows they would complain and cause public outcry. It seems as if we here are treated differently because the Vice-Chancellor feels she can bully us into spouting her desired party line.

We have no reason to do that. The student body is owed the truth from the person whose (almost £300,000) salary we pay.

The Mancunion is not a PR company for the university. We are part of the student body. To treat us with contempt, to go back on her own belief in free speech, to try to and distort the truth (despite us having proof to the contrary) shows her to be a hypocrite, with little respect for the student body. For £9,000 a year, we deserve an awful lot better.

Edie Walwyn argues that the reintroduction of grammar schools is another step in the wrong direction. Britain needs to update its education system to truly suit the needs of students and teachers

field or work that they feel compelled to assign extra work that is of no obvious benefit to the child’s learning, instead of simply giving them the night off. This indicates another one of the main issues with our education system: How teachers become teachers, and how they are allowed, or not allowed, to teach.

“The education system as a whole is outdated, backwardthinking, and soon-to-be obsolete.”

We have all been taught by that English teacher who wanted to work for the BBC, that Drama teacher who wanted to be the next Marlon Brando, or that Maths teacher who peaked as the school bully, and simply returns to education to continue doing what they are good at.

To make matters worse, teachers are forced to stick to a tight, repetitive curriculum. Even the most fresh faced,

passionate teachers, who adore their subject and are determined to introduce the next generation to it, will wither in their ambitions under their harsh, repetitive timetable of marking the same essay questions they have been marking for years. On top of this, the country’s lack of respect for the arts filters through to the education system, and many humanities teachers will be forced to teach subjects they are not qualified in. This system is neither reasonable for the children, nor the teachers.

In Finland, teachers are chosen from the top ten per cent of graduates, and are encouraged to experiment in the way in which they teach. The curriculum is a flexible guideline, helping to keep teachers engaged and in love with their ‘topics’— as they are called. This system works, too. Almost every high school student graduates, and a significant proportion of them attend university.

It is probably not realistic to exactly replicate the Finnish education system here in the United Kingdom. We are separate countries with different values and cultures. However, I do not believe it to be preposterous to say that the main problems with the British Education system could be resolved by introducing elements of Finland’s system. Right now, Theresa May’s bid to bring back grammar schools is a perfect metaphor for the education system as a whole: outdated, backward-thinking, and soon-to-be obsolete.

Opinion11

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What the future holds

The Mancunion’s resident mystic gives a quick snapshot of what to expect in this coming year of clubbing, making great friends, and finding the perfect hangover cure Colm Lock Opinion Writer Greetings chumrades, I have returned! Much to the dismay and disappointment of many people at this university, I return to bring you wise counsel and sage advice in the hope that I will be able to help you better navigate the year ahead. Whether you be a doughy-eyed fresher with great hopes and dreams or a sullen and down cast third year trying to scrape through your dissertation without having to suffer life-threatening sleep deprivation,

“One more nail in the coffin of the respectability of the student body” I have the answers for you. I have been able to see what the year ahead will hold, broadly speaking. I have consulted with Rah, Zeus, and Odin and they have conferred unto me what we can expect to see at our university over the coming year.

But before we commence, I am obligated to

include a trigger warning about this article. It contains dangerous levels of free speech and thought and is not suitable for closed off little minds. So sit back, grab your fair trade soya chai latte and gaze in wonderment as I adopt the role of mystic Meg. My first prediction for this year at The University of Manchester will be that someone, or indeed many people, will be no-platformed by the Stalinist institution that is the Students’ Union. Last year we saw the banning of two speakers, Julie Bindel and Milo Yiannoupolous due to their beliefs not conforming to the SU’s narrow and warped world view. Some swivel-eyed loon even tried to ban David Cameron in April. We will get some minor press attention and be made a laughing stock all over again for having a Students’ Union that is less committed to free speech than North Korea.

Who knows who it might be this year? At this rate, it could even be me. I am as bemused as you are that our exalted Gen Sec hasn’t ordered me to be dragged away in Stasi-like fashion for my disloyalty.

My second prediction is that there will be more student occupations of university buildings in protest against the government’s policy towards something or other. Or in protest against a decision taken by the University itself that is inevitably blown so far out of proportion that by the end of it no one really remembers what it was all about and we all retire to the Union bar where you will be tired, confused and incensed that a pint of Doom

Bar costs such an extortionate amount. The protest will be led by one of the Judean Peoples Front socialist societies and the result will inevitably be one of no change except for the fact that one more nail has been put in the coffin of the respectability of the student body. I would say if they are going to hold some kind of protest, at least make it a bit more exciting and follow suit from the students of Rugby in 1797 who took members of staff prisoner at sword point and had to be brought under control

“I don’t know how long I have until the SU drag me off and interrogate me for my treason” by a force of soldiers and special constables. Now that’s what I call an occupation!

Now I have a few other more minor predictions for the coming year. One likely event of the year will be that a strange, niche or possibly quirky society will be set up and upon hearing about it, people will be both fascinated and think to themselves “I am surprised we didn’t have one already”. I speak of course of societies like the quidditch society, pirate society or the Lib Dem society. You will hear of people taking part, but it is highly unlikely you will

know someone personally involved. We can also expect to see some sort of drug-related altercation outside of Antwerp that will get in the local paper and further the stereotype that there are presently parts of Mogadishu that boast a lower crime rate.

And then we come to that wonderful time of year when the campus will be adorned with banners boasting terrible wordplay as people begin their campaigns to get elected to the SU. There will, of course, be the cringe-worthy attempts at referencing popular culture. There will be wild and unachievable promises made by some candidates, like the promise of free education, freedom for Palestine or an end to austerity. Will they be able to achieve any of these promises? Of course not. But who cares right? I mean it’s not as if these people are actually going to be paid £16,500 a year for their position to make us a national laughing stock. Oh wait, yes they are! And, of course, we will see some of the same faces run again. I wonder if that has anything to do with the salary?

But alas, I fear I must sign off. I don’t know how long I have until the SU drag me off and interrogate me for my treason. Word has it that President Erdoğan has been taking lessons from them in censorship.

But in all seriousness my fellow students, I wish you all the best of luck with this year. University is all about three things after all; clubbing, making great friends and finding the perfect hangover recovery method. Learning is but an afterthought.

Rethinking pathos in the Calais Camp

Without reconsidering our entire approach to the refugee crisis, can we really alleviate the issues faced by those fleeing war and unrest?

This summer I visited the Calais refugee camp.

There I assisted the charity Help Refugees, who run a project that aims to protect and care for the camp’s 9106 residents who have fled war and unrest in their native countries. Reflecting upon my experience my emotions are hugely mixed. When I look back at the fantastic volunteers I met and the incredible feats of human compassion, ingenuity and industry I experienced, I can’t help but feel hugely positive, almost elated.

Then, in stark contrast, instances of dismay when I think of over 9,000 desperate people arriving at our doorsteps unwelcome and unacknowledged by the government institutions that represent us.

How such juxtaposition within human nature can exist is intriguing, and why, if these two sides are attempting to even each other out, is there such a disparity in the media coverage of the two?

“For every tremendous act of benevolence there is a seemingly equal and opposite void created by others’ cruelty and apathy” I was based primarily in the warehouse, which is a short drive away from the camp itself. Here, on an ex-industrial site, can be found the nerve centre for the Help Refugees charity. From here, the rapidly growing camp is supplied in its entirety, from food to tents and bikes to toothbrushes; it can all be found under this roof. A hot meal for 2,000 is prepared every day; vats of curry the size of small bathtubs strenuously stirred, the chefs having to use their entire body weight in order to complete a single rotation of the paddle.

Daunted, I watched on, waiting to receive these beasts of utensils armed with nothing but a sponge and a bottle of Fairy liquid. Elsewhere in the ware-

seemingly equal and opposite void created by others’ cruelty and apathy. These responses show human nature paradoxically, in a clash against itself, compassion battling directly to clean up the leftovers of human indifference.

“Perhaps when people hear about the admirable work of volunteers, they may be compelled to act compassionately themselves” Photo: William Riley

William Riley Reporting from Calais Contributor house dry food, clothes, tents, bikes and sleeping bags are sorted, tested, repaired and loaded into vans in order to be distributed in the camp.

A site run entirely by volunteers, that produces everything a group of thousands of people needs, is incredibly unique. I struggled to think of somewhere else, outside other refugee camps, where something like this had been achieved. Such a vast variety of services takes a huge amount of organising, especially when most volunteers, such as myself, only stay for a short amount of time.

All of this incentivised purely by compassion; it was massively exciting and addictive to be in the presence of such a project. Yet when a task or fellow volunteer didn’t hold my attention, my mind began to wander beyond my immediate surroundings; the reality and gravity of the situation scraping at the surface of my contentedness.

About a ten-minute drive from here, you can find evidence left from an indescribably different illustration of human nature. A small yet sizable exam-

ple of the horrors inside the Calais refugee camp can be demonstrated by the situation for children there. At the last count, there were 865 children inside the Calais camp; 674 of these unaccompanied.

The Dubs Amendment, which permits 3,000 unaccompanied refugee children entry into the UK from Europe, was passed over four months ago. Since then not one unaccompanied refugee child has been resettled in the UK under this law.

These children’s lives are in constant danger from trafficking for child labour or sexual exploitation, as well as the risk of attempting to board lorries and trains to gain illegal access into the UK. An estimated 10,000 unaccompanied child refugees have gone missing since entering Europe, a truly horrifying figure. I find our continents neglect of these children very difficult to comprehend, made even more so when paralleled to the astounding compassion of volunteers in Calais.

For every tremendous act of benevolence poured into work being done by Help Refugees there is a

I struggle to find a satisfying conclusion to ensure our compassionate side triumphs in a war it is ostensibly losing. However, what can be observed is the lack of coverage projects such as the ones in Calais receive from the media. I myself uphold an almost dogmatic belief that human emotion is shared through our interactions with each other.

Perhaps when people hear about the admirable work of volunteers that saves thousands of lives every day, they may be compelled to act compassionately themselves.

With this in mind, by taking some—but by no means all—of the focus away from the repeated coverage of awful events within the refugee crisis, and towards some of the fantastic work that is being done to prevent the worsening of these disasters, maybe we can do more to alleviate them in the future.

Our media’s love affair with the shocking and the controversial may be what normalises our own failure of refugees across Europe. What volunteers do across Europe to help refugees is given little coverage; a more rounded and sophisticated approach to media coverage that highlights not only the shocking disasters but the ways in which charities and individuals have stepped in to assist the situation, is needed. This is what this article has aimed to do, and it hopefully honestly represents my experience in Calais, which it must be said, overall, was a positive one.

Music

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Feature

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Fabric: an Obituary Beloved London club Fabric has been forced into closure, but are the cited reasons as clear as they seem?

Oscar Talbot Contributor One of London’s cultural highlights has been forced into closure. Fabric, often voted best club in the world, had its licence revoked on the 6th of September. In a toxic combination of a failing war on drugs, a cash-strapped council, and a police force at odds with the community it claims to serve, the club was the latest victim of an unjust cultural war that shows a callous disregard for younger generations.

The official reason for Fabric’s closure was the tragic deaths of two 18-year-olds between June and August 2016. Much of the media coverage has ignored the fact that the way the club operated was clearly fatally flawed. It should be taken for granted that clubbing should always be safe, and should never result in death.

However, there is more to the story than harm reduction. In a statement the Metropolitan Police said that there were “concerns about the safety of those attending due to the supply of class A drugs and the recent deaths of two young men.” Ostensibly this is the work of a force worried about the safety of young clubbers. The most important question, then, is “was shutting Fabric the most effective way of reducing the drug problem?”

Closing Fabric will not stop anyone from doing drugs. Whichever side you fall on the drug debate this must be clear. The “drug problem” is surely not the consumption of drugs itself, but

“As in all prohibition wars, closing safe spaces for consumption doesn’t eradicate a problem: it merely makes it more dangerous.”

Photo: Oscar Talbot

the harm created to the user and those around them. At best, people will take drugs at another club, but at worst, drug use will be taken outside of licensed premises, with people taking dangerous drugs in an uncontrolled environment without trained staff to care for them.

Around 29 pubs close every week, yet levels of dangerous drinking have remained static while numbers of those dying from alcohol related deaths show a steady increase. As in all prohibition wars, closing safe spaces for consumption doesn’t eradicate a problem: it merely makes it more dangerous.

Fabric’s closure shouldn’t be simplified as the war between local authorities and some partyhard pillheads however. Fabric was a fun place; it was also a cultural icon. In the report used by Islington council they omitted that an undercover police officer had described Fabric as having a generally “friendly and non-threatening” atmosphere that was fun and diverse.

Clubbers from around the world went there to hear great music, and their compilation tapes

were curated by the likes of John Peel, Rob da Bank, and Four Tet. Cultural venues cannot be replaced easily. London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged Islington council to rethink their decision, stating “in the past eight years London has lost 50 per cent of its nightclubs and 40 per cent of its live music venues.” Khan was no doubt furious that within months of his flagship 24-hour tube being launched many people’s best reason for using it is being taken away.

But why would Islington council battle against a new popular mayor? While places like Fabric produce lots of money through taxes and the secondary economy around them, this money goes to government rather than the council, while the costs for security, policing, and emergency infrastructure are borne predominately by the local authority.

Islington council has lost half of its funding since 2010, while the police face losing around 40 per cent of staff. Meanwhile, were Fabric to go the way of the Haçienda—redeveloped as luxury apartments—then the council could

stand to make serious money. A newly-built apartment block in Islington has a one bedroom flat listed at £715,000.

Sadly there is evidence, as reported by The Independent, that the deaths were not the real reason for the club’s closure. Documents released show that Islington council cherry-picked a report by undercover police officers in a long running bid to shut the club down. Fabric had very recently been commended as a club with an excellent safety record by Islington council, and was offering training to other clubs.

Fabric often had on-site medics and stringent searches, yet those records are now being cited as evidence of a drug problem. Islington is engaging in a Kafka-esque trail that is nothing to do with harm reduction. Meanwhile luxury hotel The Dorchester, with rooms starting at £500 a night, has had three separate drug-related deaths in the same period of time as Fabric.

So what could Islington council have done instead? It is unrealistic to imagine that Islington council could single-handedly ignore the everyday ‘war on drugs’ message, but there are many other solutions that could have been deployed.

On-site pill testing and promotional material could undoubtedly be used to prevent harm, and would save lives.

Clubs could have their license revoked for “encouraging drug use” merely for having a chill out space and attendants, and having pill testing would certainly be seen as abetting. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, where drug testing is commonplace deaths have been avoided, while the same dangerous pills have killed people in the UK. The fact is that every death that happens while these facilities are needlessly unavailable is to a greater or lesser extent the fault of the government and the council. If they refuse to accept a scientific approach to drug policy then things will be unable to improve. Clubs that people love will shut down, and music and culture will be stunted. If it can happen to Fabric, it can happen to any club you know and love.

Live

Get Involved

Live: Rat Boy

Rat Boy inspired a passionate and chaotic atmosphere at Albert Hall, despite an uncharacteristic lack of stage presence, writes Jane Simmons Jane Simmons 6/10 Contributor Albert Hall, September 17th It is nine o’clock on a Saturday night, and in fifteen minutes Rat Boy—AKA Essex’s Jordan Cardy—is about to take the stage at Manchester’s Albert Hall. Well known for his frenetic on-stage antics and audience invasions, there is already an overwhelmingly hysteric atmosphere before Rat Boy has even come on stage. Wide-eyed, sweaty teenagers drag each other around the dance floor, grasping at free water from the bar, while a minimal amount of over-18s on the side over-look the mayhem with fear in their eyes.

It is clear to see why Rat Boy has stirred interest in a young audience; with mixing desks masquerading as cigarette packets, sporting slogans such as “Skating Kills”, and metre-long cigarettes that Cardy throws around the stage, his shrewd message of teenage rebellion is meant obviously for a young audience. The crowd responds to the riotous atmosphere accordingly, throwing themselves—and their drinks—around frantically to the

Photo: Mochilnvasion @ Flickr

music.

Cardy, however, does not seem quite with it. He frequently wanders off-stage to talk to the sound technician, and an interaction with his drummer causes him to miss the famous “you know I never say the same thing twice” line from the hit ‘Move’.

For an artist who has a reputation for creating chaotic stage antics, he does not seem to be communicating much with the crowd, leaving it up to his band to inspire exhilaration in the audience.

The antics that do take place are a little contrived; a crew member at the side of the stage

thrusts a camera into the wild teenage audience, and records ironic hip shaking and water throwing from the band, in an effort perhaps to show social media fans just how exuberant Rat Boy is.

However, Rat Boy’s performance is a versatile one. His songs go from fast, punchy guitar punk to Beastie Boys-esque beats and rap, all of which is delivered through on-stage instruments rather than backing track.

A striking achievement that one could praise Rat Boy for, is that his songs and his performance have obviously struck a chord with a younger generation. It is quite heartening to watch so many young fans releasing all their adolescent anger and having fun with each other, dancing.

At just nineteen, he has done well to find a group of fans who love his music so passionately. It remains to be seen, however, if Rat Boy stands the test of time and maintains his notorious stardom, or if his rebellious teenage image will stagnate over time.

Writing for the music section is easy: here’s how Joe Casson Head Music Editor The Mancunion music section is always looking for new contributors, and if you’re interested in writing then it couldn’t be easier to do so.

We hold weekly meetings every monday at 5:30pm on the first floor of the Students’ Union, where articles for the next week are given out. If you can’t make that time, you can also join our Facebook group (The Mancunion: Music Section 2.0) where you can pitch your own ideas for features, live reviews, album reviews, record reappraisals, and more.

No experience is necessary—the only thing you need is enthusiasm and all the other skills can be learned!

Facebook: ‘The Mancunion: Music Section’ Twitter: @mancunionmusic Instagram: mancunionmusic Email: music@mancunion.com

Music13

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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Competition

Competition: Win a Turntable and LP Enter our competition for a chance to win a Lenco L85 complete with an LP of your choice, from HMV’s top 10 student picks list

Katie Shepherd Deputy Music Editor The vinyl revival is in full swing and HMV estimates that an incredible 1.5 million LPs will be sold in HMV stores in 2016, the most since 1997.

Whether it’s spinning your favourite LP during Freshers’ Week or simply decorating the walls of your halls with beautiful record sleeves, vinyl is quickly becoming the must-have student accessory.

To welcome in the new academic year with some vinyl goodness, we’re giving away a Lenco L85 complete with an LP of your choice from the Top 10 student picks list, which can be seen below, courtesy of HMV Arndale. To be in with a chance of winning, simply email VINYL to music@mancunion.com. Entries must be submitted before midnight on Friday the 7th of October.

For a selection of turntables to suit every budget and all of the latest vinyl releases, visit HMV Arndale or hmv.com Check out HMV’s top vinyl picks, a selection that is sure to cater to every occasion.

Photo: HMV Arndale

1. Wild World – Bastille (hmv exclusive lenticular slipcase with printed inner sleeves) Bastille’s double platinum album, Bad Blood, sold over 4 million albums alongside 11 million singles and was the biggest selling digital album of 2013. Wild World, Bastille’s second album, retains the vivid and rich song-writing of its predecessor but pushes the band’s unique sound in exciting new directions. Lyrically, too, it’s a leap forward.

interludes, that are sure to tug on those heartstrings.

2. Chaleur Humaine – Christine and The Queens If you’re looking for a healthy dose of French synthpop, you won’t go far wrong with Chaleur Humaine from Christine and The Queens AKA Héloïse Letissier. The US release of this album was reworked to include English lyrics, gracefully interweaved with Letissier’s stunning French vocals.

6. Blossoms – Blossoms Blossoms is the number one album from the Stockport band of the same name. Back in the day, they supported such indie favourites as The Charlatans and The Courteeners, and more recently played a huge gig at the Etihad Stadium alongside The Stone Roses. Blossoms’ single ‘Charlemagne’ topped last year’s Christmas vinyl chart.

3. What Went Down – Foals The award-winning Foals have released a string of successful albums since 2008 and What Went Down, their latest studio album, is no exception. It’s the band’s “heaviest” record to date according to frontman Yannis Philippakis and packs a noticeably harder punch than their previous work. You’re going to want to turn this one up to 11.

7. The Ride – Catfish and The Bottlemen The Ride is the number one album from Welsh indie troupe Catfish and the Bottlemen and follows their top-ten debut album The Balcony. With European, North American and Australian tours under their belt, the band has amassed an international following, and rightly so.

4. Nothing’s Real – Shura Synthpop is clearly en vogue this year, with another contribution to the genre from Mancunian musician Shura. The ‘80s inspired Nothing’s Real is jam-packed with up-beat head boppers, laced with touching melancholic

5. Every Eye Open – CHVRCHES This second studio album from Scottish synthpop band CHVRCHES is widely regarded as one of the best LPs of 2015. Every Eye Open is the self-produced follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Bones of What You Believe, and features the same harmonious vocals from talented frontwoman Lauren Mayberry.

8. The Bride – Bat for Lashes The atmospheric fourth album from Bat for Lashes AKA Natasha Khan is as beautiful as it is dark. It’s a concept album that follows the tragic story of a woman whose fiancé dies in a car crash but she decides to go on the honeymoon alone anyway. Expect emotionally charged

tracks throughout.

9. 1989 – Taylor Swift 1989 is Taylor’s “most cohesive collection of confessionals yet”, and is said to signify the transition from the country music of her past albums, to her first “pop” album. The critically acclaimed fifth album from Taylor Swift sold 1.3 million units in its first week, and what better way to experience Taylor Swift’s move into the pop world than on vinyl.

10. California – Blink 182 Why not enjoy the vinyl revival with the comeback of one of the favourite punk rock bands of the 90s? California, the seventh album from Blink 182, is the first to feature vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba, and the band have managed to recapture that early energy that fans have sorely missed.

In partnership with HMV, The Mancunion music section is giving away a record player and LP. For a chance at winning, email VINYL to music@ mancunion.com before midnight on 7th October.

Opinion

We’ll Help You Form a Band.

We’ll Get You Your First Gig. Lonely Viking Arts are helping musicians in Manchester find one another and starting a night for acts who’ve never played a gig in Manchester before Rob Paterson Contributor Whilst Manchester’s music scene is fantastic, it is something of an impenetrable fortress at the beginning. When I started a band, I didn’t know the promoters or many other acts on the circuit, and the ones I came across were hesitant to book a band which lacked experience or a fan base. When I finally managed to book us one, it was on the same bill as slick acts who’d been playing for a while, which was bloody intimidating.

All this is enough to put a lot of people off; I didn’t pluck up the courage to start gigging until my third year and I met many musicians who never got around to it at all. But being in a band was one of the best things I did while at university in Manchester and although our first gig was a mess, we drew

a big crowd; our friends wanted to see us play for the first time and cheered us on through the bum notes. A first gig is a big event; whilst nervy and unpolished, they fizzle with the energy and excitement of something completely new.

Now that I’ve graduated, I want to harness this energy and help musicians make their start on the Manchester music scene. LVA Presents is a new night which celebrates first gigs.

We only book artists who’ve never played a gig in Manchester before, creating a supportive environment in which everyone’s in the same boat. We accept artists of any genre and try to put artists of the same genre on the same bill; we try not to follow acoustic folk singers with heavy metal.

If you already have a band, are a solo act or DJ, but haven’t played in Manchester before, get in touch and we’ll get you on an LVA Presents line up as soon as we can.

If you’d like to play live, but are struggling to find like-minded musicians to collaborate with, we can help! Lonely Musicians is an online space where musicians looking to form bands and new bands looking to complete their line-up can advertise for free.

Additionally, we’re holding a launch event for LVA Presents on the 27th of September at Koh Tao from 7-10pm. It’ll be an opportunity to meet other musicians who are looking to form bands and there’ll be live music from some of my favourite local acts.

Photo: Lily Ashton

If you’d like to play LVA Presents or want to advertise on Lonely Musicians, email us at lonelyvikingarts@gmail.com.

If you’d like to know more about Lonely Viking Arts, visit www. lonelyvikingarts.co.uk or find us on Facebook.

Top 5: Post-Freshers’ Comedown songs

1. Peace – ‘Float Forever’

Rebekah Shaw Contributor

True to its title, this track floats

Peter Silberman’s dreamy vocals, Perfectly encompassing a

Almost 8 minutes of intense

Cling onto the last remnants of

along on a tide of echoing

dragged through reverb and

determination to survive

Beatles bluesy rock with enough

summer with this sunny track:

melodic guitar, musingly chill;

paired with plenty of muted

anything life throws at you, this

warp to make your head spin

‘Island in the Sun’ can stave off

best enjoyed whilst relaxing in a

brass, make this track feel silky

moody track has the kind of

– a sultry Sunday afternoon

those post-freshers blues. Even the

beanbag of course.

and suave.

wistful grit needed to insist that

hangover must.

most novice guitarist can look at

Freshers is over and you’ve got a 9am tomorrow. Flop down into your beanbag for Rebekah Shaw’s top five songs for the post-freshers comedown.

2. The Antlers – ‘Crest’

3. Warpaint – ‘Feeling Alright’

4. The Beatles – ‘I Want You

5. Weezer – ‘Island in the Sun’

(She’s So Heavy)’

you are “careless, not hopeless”.

the chords for this song and feel great about themselves.

M A 3 M P 9 E M I T M R E T F O T H G I N Y R E V E

T R E B L I G N A L FROM A G COMMONS N I N R A E L

4 2 T S O C S Y E N JOUR R O O

D R U O Y O T

HO W S T N E D U G ST N I T R O P P CE N S SU E E L C O I I V V R C E I S O EST T M O O G D S R D O E E L ALL PROC PERIENCED SEXUA S U B HAVE EX / M O N.C

O I N U S T N E D U T S R E T S E H C MAN

Games 15

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

The Best Things in Life are Free(ware) Connor McBride Contributor First of all, a hearty welcome from me to any freshers reading The Mancunion for the first time! I have a few words of wisdom for you to help you nurse the hangover you are currently experiencing from fresher’s week.

Firstly, Gemini Café near Whitworth Halls does a great full english breakfast.

Second, the cheap paracetamol from Lidl works just as well as the fancy stuff.

And third, the word “Free” is your new best friend.

That last point is very important. You can get a lot for free, bottle openers, frying pans, and even decent games.

Here are some great free games that you can play while you are still recovering from freshers’ flu. I have excluded any MMO’s or anything with a large online element, as I can assure you that you do not need another time sink in first year.

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and the Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist is actually a funny exploration driven comedy game and not just a futile attempt to pad out an article with its title. To explain this game runs the risk of spoiling it, but I will do my best.

Voiced over by Simon Amstell (the one who did Never Mind The Buzzcocks), you explore the lesser seen ‘Behind the scenes’ of video games and stumble through their inner workings when all of the backstage crew have gone on strike. I have probably said too much there alone really. While extremely short at fifteen minutes, it’s perfectly formed.

Continuing in the spirit of games that I should recommend but not really talk about in great detail, Eversion is a cutesy

Money is always a hot topic amongst students, but even without spending a penny there are some great titles out there Photo: Adi Sur@Flickr

platformer that just reeks sickly sweet charm where you have to rescue the flower princess from the evil ghulibas of the north. The obnoxious soundtrack will gnaw at your mind like a migrane. I can assure at no point whatsoever does it take a hard left and become a much more interesting game than what I just described above.

Nitronic Rush is deliberately retro in its stylings (at one point it lists a Sega Dreamcast mouse as an input device), but it presents a novel twist on the racing genre. With its futuristic setting and high speed action, there are lots of high

octane moments to be had. This game is the result of Burnout and Wipeout having a child and then dropping the ‘Out’ surname. It’s fast paced and fun, but do yourself a favour and play it with an Xbox 360 controller. It really benefits from it.

Finally, I would be doing you a disservice if I wrote an article on free games while omitting Cave Story. A brilliant action platformer with a great soundtrack and a touching story, and to think it was made by just one man! It’s not just one of the best free games, it’s one of the best games. There is a paid

version available on steam, but the free version does the job just as well.

These are some of my favourite free games, and I hope you get something out of them as well. That is not to say that these are the only free games worth playing, given time, I could have gone on for days. Just remember free can be fun, and that the student finance loan will not last forever.

For links to all games mentionned in this article please visit the Mancunion website.

Want to meet fellow gamers in Manchester?

Come and visit the University of Manchester Gaming Society!

We host weekly events and have always been a good place to make friends and play some amazing games as a community.

Review

World of Warcraft: Legion Alexander Bamford Contributor Nearing its 12th Birthday, one would expect the game that became a byword for adolescent escapism would have had its day in the sun. Had you been the non-playing associate of someone who did so all those years ago, you might even wish that to have been the case. Yet World of Warcraft is, with the exception of a few hiccups, still very much in the bright light.

30th August saw the release of Blizzard Entertainment’s ‘Legion’, the sixth expansion to this aging titan of the gaming industry. Over the first 24 hours more than 3.3 million copies were sold, and its “launch week player concurrency” (the peak number of concurrent players worldwide during the week proceeding launch) struck its highest point since 2010. It is safe to say that this expansion has already been a roaring commercial success.

To understand why this is so, we must venture into the depths of WoW’s most recent iteration and see how it compares to its priors.

With the release of Legion comes yet another continent, The Broken Isles, to the sprawling world map, with yet another to-do list that’s practically endless. Starting in Azsuna, the SouthWesternmost province I find myself flung into the fight against Legion’s main antagonists, the Burning Legion. My character is recruited to help the Illidari, a ragtag band of demon hunters in the service of a prior villain turned unlikely ally, Illidan. Their instructions vary from

Photo: beketchal @Flickr

‘compelling’ information out of captive demons, murdering attackers by the dozen and assassinating their leaders, which I set to with joyful abandon.

Pausing for breath, I crack out my Dragon-encrusted Fishing Pole and cast out to a nearby stream. Five minutes and a dozen catches later; time comes to cook my newly caught ‘cursed queenfish’ into more practical nutriment to store as a means of ‘buffing’ my character at some later point. Moving back to demonic vendetta, my character is tasked with killing some 4-legged mammalian ‘vile stalkers’. I head over to their den and slay a handful, yet one appears oddly overpowered. The fight continues for a minute before I realize that I am in fact fighting a shape-shifted human character of opposite faction. We have

both been horribly inconveniencing each other’s’ progress against the demon horde. Our fight draws to a close, we apologise to each other using the game’s extensive ‘emote’ system, and carry on our way. Asides such as these give rise to the ‘World’ of Warcraft.

By WoW’s standards, these escapades are par for the course. Legion, however, has taken the formula and breathed into it a new lease of life. It excels in submersing the player in a rich narrative. As a Paladin, my character undergoes a sub-story quest beginning with a choice of which specialization to take. I choose ‘Protection’ (attracting enemies’ attention and get hit a lot), and embark on a quest to attain an artefact weapon of immeasurable power; the shield ‘Truthguard’ and its sister sword ‘Oathseeker’.

Alex Bamford weighs in on the latest WoW expansion

In the chain of adventure that follows, my character winds up (alongside thousands of other players who chose to play paladin) as the head honcho of the Paladin order, the Knights of the Silver Hand. Characters who had constituted the furniture of the WoW universe were picked off a la George R.R Martin in order to lend this transition finesse, and by the end the character emerges as the one (amongst others) hero to save the proverbial day.

On arriving at the Expansion’s new level cap of 110, it becomes clear that Blizzard are set on ensuring that WoW does not become stale for its players. Character progression, be it via improved items and armour, enhanced professions, exploration or any other vector has had new life breathed into it.

Whereas previous expansions had seen a proliferation of abilities and spells, Legion allows a core set of abilities to prevail, allowing a truer sense of player class identity.

In the realm of PvP differences in player gear have been marginalised, making battles in Arenas and Battlegrounds a testing area for coordination and skill rather than a predetermined affair based on gear and stats alone. Professions such as Enchanting and Blacksmithing have been given a wholly new path of progression and are now interspersed with quests that send the character to far flung locales to further their craft.

Perhaps the best addition is that of World Quests. These are refreshed daily and offer luxurious rewards that scale upwards with your progression, giving

the player reason to venture back to the beautifully crafted regions of the Broken Isles that previous iterations of the game have given scant purpose.

Combined with the fact that flying mounts having been locked off for now, Legion feels very much like a return to the immersive qualities that first drew to WoW an army of fans.

For those that have dipped their fingers into MMOs and found no lucre, Legion will have little to offer. For those that have tried and felt that behind the manifold frustrations there might lie a genuinely brilliant game, Legion offers perhaps an opportunity for hours of enjoyment.

Interested in streaming?

The Mancunion will soon be setting up a Twitch channel for the Games Section!

The streams will focus on all types of games and there will be discussions of current topics in gaming.

If you are interested in taking part or have any suggestions please send an email to games@mancunion.com

Fashion & Beauty

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The “Real” Models

Fashion Week Season, The Story So Far The Spring/Summer 2017 collections are on going. What has changed?

What has stayed? What was the gossip? Fashion Editor Sarah Kilcourse explores Spring Summer 17 Twice a year, the media is overwhelmed by a barrage of women walking (traditionally) in a line, in front of an audience. It causes a huge stir and garners a lot of column inches – which I am about to add to. And this is the basics of fashion week season.

So far we have had New York, London and Milan fashion week, all of which have added something new to fashion, beauty and cultural conversations. From Marc Jacobs’ use of dreadlocks, via Bella Hadid’s runway stumble, to Christopher Kane’s bejewelled crocs, the Fashion Industry is never predictable. Let us explore some of the key moments of the Spring/Summer 17 shows.

Ugly-Pretty Beauty.

This has been an evolving trend in recent seasons. Designers are rejecting the stereotypical feminine looks that have long dominated catwalks and fashion pages in favour of more jarring styles. Whether it was bleached brows and barely there make up at Gucci, interspersed with an array of seventies hairstyles; or DKNY’s use of Victoria’s Secret models, with lipstick so dark it’s almost black. The clash of overtly sexy women with gothic make up gave the collection a modern take on the street style it was promoting. Another reoccurring theme was wet/greased hair, with wisps of baby hair gelled to the face. A trend unlikely to be purposefully recreated by every day people, even if it is a reality many of us face as consequence of the autumn drizzle.

Photo: Artcomments@ Flickr

The New Age of Fashion?

Designers unveil seasonless collections Struggling for Pangaea make

Photo: eventphotosnyc@ Flickr

Marc Jacobs Dreadlocks It is rare that a hairstyle could cause as much of an uproar as Marc Jacobs’ multi-coloured dreadlocks did. His use of the Instagram set - Gigi, Kendall and Karlie to name a few - and his use of a traditionally black-afro hairstyle instigated cries of cultural appropriation. The hair fiasco over powered all coverage of the actual collection; a reminder that fashion plays a vital role in the cultural conversation, allowing the appropriation/ appreciation conversation to roll on. Returning to the collection itself, a mismatch of: sheer, metallic, girly, frills and kitsch. Expect reproduction on the high street with this mixture of wear-ability, scandal and famous faces.

Crocs Never, ever, did I expect to write about CROCS in the fashion section.

Never. And yet here I am. Christopher Kane is the one to thank for this left field fashion item – the bejewelled croc. Above ankle height his fashion show was beautiful, a mixture of textures and prints, with 3D flowers and leopard prints, sheer tights and ruffled dresses. Kane maintains a special place in my heart since the gingham glory that was his Spring/Summer 2010 collection. Initially, the bejewelled crocs shocked me. However, fashion is all about the unexpected, and crocs on a high fashion runway certainly fulfils that definition. I can only presume that somewhere there are consumers willing to embrace the ironic luxury of Christopher Kane crocs.

Photo: Glam UK@ Flickr

The fashion industry is presenting the globe with “real” models; women who are supposedly “much more like us”. But what is like us? What makes a model “real”? And what is the reason behind this new categorisation? By Sophie Soar, Deputy Fashion Editor

Charlotte Olympia Hands down the most amusing show of the season. There were some traditional catwalk outfits paraded down the runway but more striking were the models in giant fruit costumes. Ensuring that Olympia kept the focus on her key pieces – shoes. Seeing bananas, melons, grapes, pineapples and strawberries walking down the catwalk epitomised that fashion does not always have to take things seriously. Sequined dancers with bananas do not detract from the glorious shoes on show. Although I doubt the fruit costumes will be reproduced and sold in the shops, I hope the joie de vivre of the show translates to the women who come to own the beautiful shoes!

Yeezy Aside from the complaints about the wait for the show and lack of shade or water for the audience, Yeezy’s collection is likely to trickle down to a night out near you. With his connection to social media’s foremost family, Kanye West ensures his vision of ladies’ street wear reaches as many 1824 year olds as possible. The plastic over the knee boots scream sweaty feet and discomfort but when Kim Kardashian-West wears them they gain an audience. Kanye’s collection is seemingly spearheading a desire for women to only wear clingy fleshtones in a dystopian street-style. It is a clear evolution from his collection last season, with the introduction of lighter colours and more sheer fabrics. My basic understanding of his collection is: why should women wear clothes when they can wear clothes that make them look virtually naked? It’s a guaranteed hit with Kardashian/Jenner lovers.

Metallics Perhaps it’s my own infatuation with metallic at the moment but I was thrilled to see the metallic trend continue. The London shows in particular embraced the trend. Sequin skirts at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, Silver leathers at Marques ‘ Almeida and gold tasselling on Erdem’s evening wear; there were just so many options. Designers are refusing to limit the potential of sequins. Golds and silvers are being embraced as every day staples, adding a little bit of ‘pizazz’ to the general gloom of classic stripes, neutrals and florals we are used to wearing.

Do you want to write for Fashion and Beauty ?

It’s so easy to get involved! Simply send an article to: fashion@mancunion.com That’s it! No CV, no coverletter and you can be published.

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @mancunionfashionandbeauty Meetings are Wednesday at 1pm in the Students’ Union Activity Space.

Fashion & Beauty 17

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

This fashion week saw designers reveal a new seasonless collection, available to buy straight off the runway. By Deputy Fashion Editor Talia Lee-Skudderspira-

tion?derland

With social media now an ever present force in the fashion industry, from a host of supermodels snapchatting their back stage antics, to the fashion houses uploading their trends fresh off the runway straight on to their instagram pages, it is the dawn of a new season-less fashion era.

In a society where we can see something online, order it and have it delivered to our doorstep the next day, by an often too familiar deliveryman. This kind of see-now-buy-now attitude has been absent in fashion week; with shoppers having to wait months to snap up the looks they admired on the runway. Instead of lusting over the clothes and eagerly anticipating their release, fashion lovers are able to buy replicas of the trends at a fraction of the cost before the actual clothes are even available to buy.

With social media pages at our fingertips producing a constant stream of images of clothes from the runway, by the time we can even think (or dream) about getting our hands on them, they don’t seem quite so swoon-worthy as they first did. We’ve seen countless copies of the pieces and probably already have them hanging in our wardrobes.

So with the way in which we have access to fashion changing, some designers have recognized there is a niche for an alternative way of releasing their clothing. While some designers trialled this idea last season, SS17 has seen big names follow suit and continue this revolutionary way of shopping. Names include Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and Tommy Hilfiger, who has just collaborated with supermodel Gigi Hadid on his latest collection. This will sure enough result in a whole new band of younger fans fighting to snap up his latest pieces.

So what are the positives of these new innovative and seasonless collections? Now, whilst still basking in the hype surrounding the show, shoppers can have immediate access to their favourite looks and purchase them instantly from their iPhones. These forward-thinking designers are adapting to our fast paced way of life and maximising their selling potential by allowing all the shopaholics out there to buy recklessly on impulse. With LFW drawing to a close, it will be interesting to see which other designers will jump onto this trend next season. For now, it seems this could be the future of runway fashion in the age of social media.

The term “real” model started bouncing around casting rooms some time ago. It’s an odd notion and a sure way to make my blood boil. What is it that makes one model any more “real” than the current notion of men, but specifically women, in the modelling world? Their physique (of course!). It is the celebration of great beauty in women but with the addition of curves.

It’s pretty ironic, almost laughable, if it weren’t also quite sad. For centuries, society celebrated the luxurious curves of a woman’s body, seen to suggest wealth, health and sensuality. And there are still many cultures today of the same opinion! But in the Western World, this notion has been lost. The current look of today calls for alien-like and wafer thin creatures, as popularised by Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell in the nineties grunge heyday. The worst kept secret within the fashion industry is the pressures placed on all models, whether young and aspiring or clutching onto their career. For decades now, the modelling industry has dictated that this is the definition of beauty.

Now, we are celebrating the women who represent the “real” (aka who we should see as slightly above average) members of society. We’re being fed the image of a new woman you can clearly picture lounging around with a beer or demolishing a pepperoni pizza in less than 10 minutes. After all, the lives of Sara Sampaio or Karlie Kloss do appear more fiction than fact through their social media.

So a few members of the fashion industry are trying to put an end to this farce and instead have us believe we are being presented with models much more like us. But what is like us? There are seven billion people in the world: who is the most “real”? This category of “real” model therefore incorporates every size it would seem. For example Daisy Lowe, who has for years now been labelled as a “curvy” model, apparently stretches standard rules as a size 10 with a large bust.

More recently however the plus size modelling industry has taken off,

with its front runner Ashley Graham starring half naked in Joe Jonas’s music video and launching a lingerie line with Addition Elle. Her aim is to make women feel good about their body, no matter what size they might be, and inspire confidence in their sexuality with her hashtag (#beautybeyondsize) that spread across the globe. Whilst she has been criticised for putting a pretty face on obesity as opposed to promoting healthy eating, it is a prime example that weight doesn’t reflect health as the realities of anorexia, bulimia and body dysmorphia suggest.

Whilst Daisy Lowe and Ashley Graham may be slightly larger than the model physique we’re accustomed too, these women are still undeniably stunning, thus straining the term “real” model to suggest the category still requires immense beauty. However not all believe “real” models should ooze an untouchable beauty and Ashley Williams’ shows are perhaps the closest to an acceptable compromise. This is not to suggest her models weren’t attractive but rather that they didn’t fall into a clichéd beauty to make up for their slightly larger size. Williams’ Spring/Summer 2017 runway was filled with women casted through Instagram. Again, social media is far from what one would call a representation of “real” life, but the women are undoubtedly a refreshing change from those we usually see; they are a juxtaposition to the modelling world’s physical demands by defying the measuring tape.

The modelling world is not a healthy one but the redefinition of models as “real” is equally inappropriate. As models’ weights have dropped drastically over the last few decades, it is a regulation that will be hard to reverse. But even still, whilst there is a need to change the demands on models today, it should not be done through re-establishing the term “real” as it only further alienates those without model looks. It would appear there is still no solution to model standards as of yet but whilst this terminology might not work, it may still be a step in the right direction.

Photo: eventphotosnyc@ Flickr

FROW vs Runway

The runway currently lives in the shadow of fashion’s Front Row. Is this the future of fashion? Deputy Fashion Editor Sophie Soar weighs up the pros and cons of the

Front Row celebs versus the runway models

Model Profile: Bella Hadid Deputy Fashion Editor Talia Lee-Skudder gives you the lowdown on Bella Hadid, the hottest model of the moment Kicking off in New York before crossing over to London, fashion week for Spring/Summer 2017 returned, bringing with it the hottest new trends, a bevy of sensational models and a side of controversy. From Victoria Beckham’s much criticised choice of super slim models to Marc Jacob’s show facing a social media backlash. This season’s hottest fashion event was not without drama. Aside from the clothes and controversy, there is one stand out model in particular who has taken fashion week by storm on both sides of the Atlantic. Bella Hadid, part of the new legion of social media supermodels, has walked for the biggest designers this season from Versace to DKNY as well as the now infamous Marc Jacobs show. Despite only entering into the modeling industry two years ago, Bella has become a bona fide and much coveted top model, even securing GQ’s title of ‘Model of the Year’ for 2016.

Despite being one of the biggest models of the moment, Hadid did suffer a slip up. Walking in towering platform heels for Michael Kors, Bella took a stumble on the catwalk. Ever the professional; she remained smiling and quickly got to her feet. For us mere mortals and fashion enthusiasts, we can be thankful that our accidents in ridiculously high heels are not documented for the world to see.

Hadid’s career is going from strength to strength, not only has she been a permanent fixture at this season’s NYFW and LFW but has also landed some major campaigns, from Calvin Klein to becoming the face of Brit brands J.W Anderson AW16 campaign. As well, of course, as being a member of Olivier Rousteing’s enviable Balmain Army alongside her sister Gigi.

A further testament to Hadid’s success in the fashion industry was unveiled at this year’s London fashion week, when Henry Holland unveiled his new line of fashion groupie slogan t-shirts. Originally releasing these t-shirts ten years ago, Holland has revamped them with tongue-in-cheek slogans featuring the fashion industry’s biggest names. And who better to include than the model of the moment, Bella Hadid? Hadid’s slogan reads ‘Let’s breed Bella Hadid’ and was a feature of Holland’s finale. Just another credential to add to her already impressive CV. Despite a stumble, forgettable when compared to her recent successes, Bella Hadid is a firm member of the new age of the supermodel. Hadid and her fellow instagram models are bringing personality back to fashion like the supermodels of the 1990s before her. With a host of campaigns under her belt, a regular feature on the runways and 6.4 million instagram followers, Bella Hadid is a force to be reckoned with.

Photo: eventphotosnyc@ Flickr

Ever since the first models waltzed down the catwalk in the finest designer outfits for fashion weeks across the globe, it has been internationally recognised that those who open and close shows are the elite of the modelling world. From Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, to Christy Turlington and Cara Delevingne, the big names are always the ones to watch (need I say) during Fashion Week.

Recently however the tradition has changed. Rather than prancing, pouty faced, down the catwalk, models have been chosen alternatively as the celebs to grace the Front Row. This emphasises the current celebrity status of the model; she has transformed from anonymous coat hanger to public figure with millions of followers on social media. The ‘fashion model’ has morphed into ‘fashionable role model’.

Where does this then leave the future of fashion? Should we be more concerned with who’s watching the catwalk as opposed to the designers’ works to celebrate? Our gaze has shifted with the paparazzi focus and the voyeuristic lens chooses not the original focal object of these bi-annual shows- the designers’ collections- but alternatively those who deigned to stop by.

The A-list celebs present at shows are the epitome of status. A strong ‘FROW’ suggests the status and popularity of the brand. But do we want to see Cara clutching her oversized pup in support of Karl Lagerfeld rather than participating in the show itself? Questions were a-buzz following the Chanel Spring/Summer 2016 Haute Couture show as to why Cara was watching the Hadid’s smouldering sister act rather than participating alongside them.

With the success and celebrity status of models, they do now have the option and financial security to quite happily watch others filling their role.

I believe however that this is just the current cycle of modelling and shall last only fleetingly. From the glamorous, curvy models of the fifties, to the grunge, alien-like creatures of the nineties, modelling is now a line up of famous, household names; with Delevingne, Jenner/Kardashian, Hadid or Baldwin tagged onto your name, it is a passport onto the catwalk.

So what’s next? The runway currently lives in the shadow of the FROW, given equal if not more weight in media as opposed to the designers’ hard work. It is for this reason I hope the obsession with beautiful, leggy stars gazing intently at the show through the lens of their iPhones is yet another phase in the fashion world. It is time for the shows themselves to head back into the limelight.

Whilst the hierarchy will undoubtedly continue amongst journalists, photographers, editors and bloggers battling to inch further forward, one can only hope the models will return to the tottering heights of stylish stardom safely on the runway. The next generation, perhaps third or fourth in rank on the catwalk this season, will re-establish the status and success of opening and closing a show. It’s the nature of fashion. We’re not here to celebrate the current flavour of the month; we’re here to celebrate the artistic talents of the century.

Photo: PandaLovePhotography@ Flickr

Film

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Top 5

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Emmy Nominated TV Shows

The highly acclaimed shows dominating television, and attracting audiences.

Shema Begum Deputy Film Editor

Hell or High Water Deeply touching and yet a hilarious satire, Hell or High Water surpasses the boundaries of genre Eliza Slawther Head Film Editor

Photo: USA Network

1. Mr Robot In an age where information can be shared in an instance, and the corrupt activities of corporations continue to be ignored; Mr Robot is a thought-provoking thriller, which engages with politics and critiques modern society. Rami Malek won Lead Actor for his role of Elliot Alderson, a paranoid computer whiz, with social anxiety disorder and a troubled past. He is the leader of the hacktivist group “FSociety,” who attempt to take down “EvilCorp.”

Photo: American Broadcasting Company

2. How To Get Away With Murder Viola Davis is the criminal defence professor, and lawyer Annalise Keating – the epitome of a powerful, respected, and fearsome leader.

A group of her students begin to intern for her law firm, and become entwined in a murder mystery that goes on to change their personal and professional lives. This twisted and compelling drama has one of the most unpredictable narratives. It has further received immense praise for its diversity.

Photo: American Broadcasting Company

3. Modern Family A ‘mockumentary’ style show, which follows the antics of three families. The show consists of a very charismatic ensemble, where each individual character is so likable, and equal attention is given to them all – something that is so rare to find. The use of direct address also works as a very clever tool to not only give each character their own spotlight, but to bring audiences closer to the family at hand. It is easy going, charming, and full of jokes for everyone.

Photo: Scott & Larry Productions

4. The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story From the creators of the very popular American Horror Story comes American Crime Story. It is very similar to its counterpart in being an anthology series, which will focus on a new story line and characters each season. The first season follows the murder trial of OJ Simpson, despite knowing the outcome; the show is successful in delivering a suspenseful drama that is so addictive. No doubt viewers will anticipate the release of season 2 which will centre on the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.

Photo: HBO

5. Game of Thrones You can’t mention the Emmy’s without including Game of Thrones.

To call it a hit show would be an understatement; having won a total of 38 Emmy awards the show has broken records, and gained an every growing fan base worldwide. For those who still haven’t tuned in yet, the show is an epic fantasy drama that follows rival dynasties who fight for control over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.

Set in the picturesque, golden haze of smalltown Texas, David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water tells the story of two brothers who resort to crime in order to pay off the money they owe on their ranch, and therefore provide a better future for their family. While the plot itself is fairly uncomplicated, this film is anything but a simple watch. There is no clear ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ within the film, which leads to its accomplishment in interweaving melancholy and drama with comedy and action. In many ways viewing Hell or High Water is akin to reading a shortstory, it speaks for itself and doesn’t require lengthy explanation of the premise at any point throughout; it simply is what it is.

The tone is initially lighthearted and comedic, with many jokes and quips along with brilliant characterization, such as the contrast between the two brothers —Toby (Chris Pine) is calm and controlled with no prior criminal record, whereas his brother Tanner (Ben Foster) is prone to violence and barely able to stay out of prison. It is clear from the offset that the relationship between the brothers is highly sentimental despite their arguments and differences, yet the emotive power of Hell or High Water truly comes through in the second half when the brothers are forced to part. Tanner is willing to sacrifice anything for his brother, and Toby the same for his sons. This familial love is prevalent but not over-played and does not come across as sickly but instead the excellent acting from both Chris Pine and Ben Foster creates a sense of genuine affection. This is mirrored with the strange relationship between the two Texas Rangers,

Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham). The pair disagree on many topics and issues, yet a bond is gradually and subtly formed which makes the outcome all the more tragic.

The ultimate change in tone comes about halfway through the film, and is simultaneously unexpected and seamless.

In a split-second it switches from a relatively tame but enjoyable tale of two novice brothers attempting small bank robberies being followed by two equally bumbling Texas Rangers, to a violent and bloody shootout. The pace quickens, and as a viewer it suddenly becomes apparent how invested in the characters we have become. While hints are laid as to the outcome of the plot, such as the brothers cutting corners on their plans and attempting to rob a bank far larger than they are capable of, it still feels deeply upsetting to watch their descent into a game of run and chase.

The true mastery of Hell or High Water is in its balance between style and substance.

The cinematography is breathtaking, with extremely visually striking landscape shots entwined with skilled camera work and car tracking shots. Equally, the soundtrack further enhances Hell or High Water’s artistic qualities, with Nick Cave’s voice proving the audio equivalent of the stunning Texas landscape. This focus on the aesthetic could risk overtaking other aspects of the film such as the performances and plot, yet it doesn’t.

Each different aspect of the film comes together perfectly to create a genre-mixing masterpiece. My only criticism is that the run-time feels a little short, at an hour and 42 minutes. While it does not feel like any part or scene is rushed, there is the nagging sense that there should have been another fifteen minutes of screen-time somewhere.

Nevertheless, this film is so polished and beautiful that this does not take away from its success as a whole.

4.5/5

Photo: Film44

Classic Review

Le Silence De La Mer

Jean-Pierre Melville’s adaptation of the original Jean Bruller novella is minimalist and engaging, in Le Silence De La Mer Mritunjay Sharma Film Critic At the time of the French resistance, young Jean-Pierre Melville read Put Out The Light, the English translation of Le Silence De La Mer, and he knew right away that this was going to be his first film. The film was adapted from the novella of the same name written by Jean Bruller under the pseudonym Vercors in 1942. The book —due to its political nature— was published from an underground press. However, Melville was attracted to the book not only because of the strong resistance that it portrayed but also because of the anti-cinematic narration of the whole story. This anticinematic nature of the film comes from the narration of the whole story from a silent character — at least for most part of the story— who shows opposition by remaining silent.

The story revolves around three main characters who are linked to a German officer, who is billeted with an old man and his niece.

The officer has a penchant for the French culture and art, and is a music composer.

But despite the uncle and niece showing

their defiance by remaining mute and not acknowledging his presence in the room, the officer tries to break the silence by opening his heart to them. He visits them in the living room every night to get some warmth from the fire place, and every night he tells them

the characters never cross each other’s path, they are in the same room, they share the same warmth from the fire place but they are away from each other emotionally. The room doesn’t look confined at all. The limited movement of the niece and a brilliant shot of her gazing into the absolute darkness shows her resilient nature and the isolation she feels while the officer is in the room.

The film would not have been made if Melville was not stubborn. Jean Bruller rejected every director because he didn’t wanted anyone to adapt the novella. Despite this, Melville kept asking again and again, and finally Bruller agreed but only if Melville showed the film Photo: Melville Productions to Bruller’s friends, who were resistance fighters, and only about his youth, his music and his deep love release the film if they agree to otherwise of the French culture. The aesthetic of the film burn the print of the film. is mostly accomplished in just one room with a dining table and a fireplace, and even then Melville finally released the film in 1949 after the film doesn’t look small in any way, due fighting with the author, Centre National to the nature of different cuts of the detailed de la Cinematographie and the Ministry of body postures and manoeuvres by the officer.

Information and the conventional form of An exciting aspect of the direction is the way studio film making at that time. the room is filmed: despite being in one room

Film 19

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

Top 5

Exploring the impact of Little Men Eloïse Wright Contributor Ira Sachs’ Little Men starts off as a gentle story of two families living on the same block in Brooklyn. Not unlike his previous film Love Is Strange, the story of a couple in their late sixties —in which Alfred Molina stars in alongside John Lithgow— this follow up is equally set against the unforgiving real estate market of New York. The Jardine family move from Manhattan to Brooklyn, into a brownstone inherited from the deceased father of Brian (Greg Kinnear).

The ground floor is rented out by Leonor Calvelli (Paulina Garcia) as a clothes shop, there for decades. The deceased father had developed a strong friendship with Leonor, and kept her rent affordable as the neighbourhood around them was gentrifying. Brian’s sister thinks the shop is old-fashioned and non-profitable, and therefore strongly suggests to evict Leonor for new tenants, who are willing and able to pay the expected amount.

Brian doesn’t want it to come to that, approaching Leonor with a new deal. This does not go well.

This is an honest, imperfect film, about the fragility of individuals, relationships and issues related to social class. Sachs’ shots are delightfully unpolished, giving it a realistic dimension that is easy to watch. The actors deliver a raw, open performance that Sachs takes care to capture unrehearsed. 90 per cent of this film is scripted, the other 10 per cent is improvisation. The ‘Little Men’ in question, 13 year olds Jake (Theo Taplitz) and Tony (Michael Barbieri), develop an unlikely friendship. Both striving to be artists, Jake —Brian’s son— is something out of a Bresson movie, whereas Tony (Leonor’s son) is pure Scorsese. The bond these two boys develop comes across so naturally on screen, they seem to have forgotten a camera is there. Sachs explains this through his philosophy of avoiding rehearsals, making the kids spend time together off screen. A decent amount of

their scenes are silent ones, specifically the recurring shots of them shooting around Brooklyn on rollerblades and a scooter. They do not need to speak for us to pick up on their mutual ease around each other. This goes to show how children have the ability to forge deep, meaningful relations in a short amount of time.

Greg Kinnear fits superbly into the role of the distraught father, struggling with mixed emotions about his son’s artistic aspirations, his rational sister pushing him to make a move on the eviction of Leonor, the passing away of his somewhat estranged father. His wife Kathy (Jennifer Ehle) brings home the one reliable source of income, supporting the family as he pursues an unsuccessful career in acting. He is ashamed of this but cannot bring himself to admit it, dealing with his grief in private. In many ways, Brian is still growing up, and has yet to become the man he wants to be, or at least the one his wife and son need him to be.

Anguish of loss is a recurrent theme in Little Men, each character having lost or losing someone or something. Leonor, played by the very talented Paulina Garcia, is one of the best performances of 2016 so far. She is fierce, holding her ground for as long as she can. Brian and Kathy see her through their angle of the prism, shocked at her refusal to cooperate with them.

The script, co-written by Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias, cleverly never deals out too many good cards to one person, shifting our empathy from one character to another throughout the movie. As Jean Renoir’s Octave from The Rules of the Game says, “The awful thing about life is this: Everybody has their reasons.”

Leonor is a refined character, who is not afraid to stand her ground, resisting their demands, simply to survive. Yet she too breaks when pushed too far, reading her eviction papers. This is not a story of aristocracy against the poor, but of the people in the middle trying to find a balance between themselves and their surroundings. The title of this film was

Eloïse Wright explores how gentrification and the domestic home are presented in Ira Sachs’ Little Men greatly inspired by the classic novel and film adaptation Little Women for its sentimental, domestic context. Sachs uses the form of melodrama to expose some of the biggest social and economic struggles that people are facing worldwide, in every city. Gentrification is no light topic, and losing one’s home can be life or death in many cases.

Tension between the boys’ parents puts a strain on their friendship, making nonchalant things such as sleeping over at one another’s impossible. They are completely caught in the middle, and their reaction to this is to respectively give their parents “the silent treatment”, a name that was considered as a potential title for the film. The parents try to keep the children outside of the mess, but they can’t protect them forever. Tony in particular appreciates honesty, which is underlined in the kid’s party scene, when the girl he asks on a date tells him she’s “into older guys”. To this he replies “Thank you for being honest”, another initial title idea. When the truth does come out, Jake’s desperate, naive attempt at fixing things is heart wrenching.

If only things were as simple and uncomplicated as his solution. No class lines, no prejudices.

During his Q&A at HOME Mcr cinema, Sachs explained how this was probably

Georgia Welch outlines her top 5

the most rehearsed scene in the film, film picks for the upcoming year insofar as Theo delivers an emotionally charged monologue built up in several stages: outrage, denial, proposing a solution, realising that his father isn’t going to consider this, that he is too late. He erroneously uses the word “evacuating”, softly corrected by his mother that the Photo: Black Label Media word to use is “evicting”. This is one of the rare reminders that in spite of their 1) La La Land (January 2017) Dir. Damprecociousness they are only 13. ien Chazelle Reality hits hard when Jake skates past the now empty shop, it is literally “in his face” as Sachs puts it. In the final scene, time has passed, as a slightly older Jake notices Tony at an art gallery. Watching him talk to classmates from afar, his decision to not approach him speaks volumes. He is realising their friendship just won’t work. Theo Taplitz explained to Sachs that in this scene, it dawned on him that it was the end of the shooting, the story, the film. This touched Sachs, as Theo was experiencing the notion of “past” on a deeper level for the first time.

“I’m interested to see what will become of those kids” pondered Sachs. The lack of conventional closure to the story is as bittersweet as it is refreshing, as you leave the cinema wondering how these characters’ lives will unfold. Little Men truly confirms that Sachs is one of the quintessential filmmakers in contemporary American cinema.

Photo: Charlie Guidance Productions

Hunt for the Wilderpeople Alasdair Bayman Film Critic

Photo: Piki Films

Whiplash creator Damien Chazelle’s latest directorial effort sees Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone teaming up for one of the most hotly-anticipated feature films of the 2017 Academy Awards season.

La La Land is a musical love story, detailing the dreams and aspirations of a jazz pianist and amateur actress, so is something of a step into new territory for Chazelle, yet looks to retain the same themes of artistic struggle that made Whiplash so compelling.

2) Manchester By The Sea (January 2017) Dir. Kenneth Lonergan If the post-Toronto reception is anything to go by, Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester By The Sea promises to be a masterful portrayal of loss, grief and broken family ties, featuring Casey Affleck as a man recently bereaved of his brother, whose teenage son he must now return home to take care of. Despite its simplistic plot, the complex and nuanced themes which underpin the film make it one to look out for when it comes to this year’s most Oscar-worthy performances.

3) Silence (2016) Dir. Martin Scorsese

Review

New Zealand’s relationship with the natural world is well known to everyone around the world. Whether it is the luscious snow glazed tops, or breath-taking lakes of beauty, the iconography of the two islands is embedded into culture. Yet, something not necessarily associated towards the country is the genre comedy.

Director, Taika Waititi, in recent years, has brought to the forefront of independent cinema a rise of indigenous Kiwi comedic talent- particularly orchestrated masterfully in horror mockumentary, What We Do in The Shadows. However, his latest film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, draws towards a sentimental narrative,

Most Anticipated Films of the Academic Year

with comedy spread on top to homage the works fellow film-makers such as Shane Blacks’ buddy films.

Ricky (Julian Dennison) is your typical rebellious youth. Dressed like a kaleidoscopic gangster, he styles himself on rappers . Yet, behind the colourful aesthetic, Ricky is an orphan. Transported out to the New Zealand bush to live with his caring aunt (Rima Te Wiata) and her reclusive husband Hec (Sam Neil), Ricky finds a new home. Delivered by the highly macho social worker Paula (Rachel House), Ricky quickly realizes that his ‘gangster’ lifestyle will swiftly come to an end. As time passes, the boy becomes attached to his aunt and his new way of life. In this intimate relationship, Waititi’s script flourishes with graceful moments of comedy. Whether that be the overtly grotesque killing of a boar or his aunt’s electro birthday song for Ricky, the hilarity of these scenes add depth to all characters, especially our protagonist.

After an unexpected tragedy that threatens to destroy Ricky’s new idyllic life, he runs away and attempts to fake his suicide in hilarious fashion, only to come across his Uncle in the wild bush.

What ensues is a nationwide manhunt for the two after the law declares that

Ricky must be returned to his orphanage.

With only the wild to live off, the two bond over time with paternal sentimentality at its core- of which becomes the foundations of the film.Instead of resorting to simple comedy through the dialogue of the film, Waititi additionally uses the editing of Tom Eagles, Yana Gorskava, Luke Haigh to benefit certain amusing storytelling. With self-references to Lord of the Rings and Terminator, the Kiwi director is not afraid to blend intertextuality into his world. With this comes the formerly discussed iconography of landscapes, as so associated towards Middle-Earth. Nonetheless, cinematographer Lachlan Milne does not shy away from numerous drone shots of the magnificent landscape. The inclusion of these shots adds awe and gravitas to Ricky and Nec’s journey escaping the law.

Boasting an intriguing premise and star-studded cast, it would be a crime not to include Silence, Martin Scorsese’s upcoming religious epic, in this list. Starring Adam Driver, Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield, Silence follows two 17th century Jesuit priests and the persecution they face during their journey of Christian propagation in Japan. In true Scorsese style, the film is over three hours in length, so we can undoubtedly look forward to some expertly-crafted slow-burning drama from the Taxi Driver director.

4) Moonlight (October 2016) Dir. Barry Jenkins Adding even more to the themes of selfdiscovery and transformation which are so prevalent in this Top 5 is Barry Jenkins’ widely-discussed Moonlight, which follows the story of a young Miami-born African-American man and his plight to find his place in the world of adulthood he has been thrust into, as well as grappling with questions regarding his own sexuality. The film features Trevante Rhodes in what could easily be his breakout cinematic role.

5) Voyage of Time (October 2016) Dir. Terrence Malick The final film in this list is something of a wildcard from Tree of Life director Terrence Malick, a film said to have been a work in progress for forty years, and one of Malick’s self-described ‘greatest dreams’ to produce. Released in both a 40 minute IMAX version with narration provided by Brad Pitt, and a 35mm feature-length version, voiced by Cate Blanchett, the film will explore the birth and death of our universe and the myriad life which exists within it.

Similar comparisons will be drawn towards classic buddy movies as Thelma and Louise due to their shared rebellious nature. Even so, the film thankfully avoids the seriousness of The Revenant’s brutal approach towards nature and survival. With his next two projects involving both Marvel and Pixar, Waititi’s rise will surely continue and Hunt for the Wilderpeople demonstrates a maturity in his filmmaking approach.

Georgia Welch Film Critic

4/5

Books

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Preview

Preview: Notes on a Thesis by Tiphaine Rivière Jacket cover. Photo: Jonathan Cape, Vintage Publish-

Roma Havers Books Editor Tiphaine Rivière’s graphic novel Notes on a Thesis is due to be released, translated by Francesca Barrie from the original French, on the 6th October. Often funny, troubling and close to the bone for anyone with a life in academia, the novel transfers effortlessly into English and leaps off the page.

Rivière’s novel is based on a blog she started when struggling with her own PhD; and her brutal honesty of her own experience is what truly brings Notes on a Thesis to life. Jeanne embarks on her own Literature PhD with the hopes of finishing a fantastic thesis on Kafka’s The Trial and the symbolism of the labyrinth in three perfectly timed years, suffice to things do not go as planned and as Jeanne becomes more and more disheartened and more and more distanced from the real world, so too Rivière’s illustrations become fantastically surreal and brutally amusing. In fact the motif of the labyrinth Jeanne so desperately tries to make sense of seems to make an almost satire of itself as her research, and indeed Rivière’s

graphic narrative; as both become labyrinths of themselves that neither Jeanne nor Rivière can escape with much confidence or catharsis. In fact the ending of the novel while perhaps realistic certainly offers up little resolution despite Jeanne’s original goal coming to fruition. It is a complex work that challenges what it truly means to be an academic particularly in the realm of the arts and humanities.

“I felt equally frustrated with and empathetic towards Jeanne” While the language of Notes on a Thesis certainly doesn’t fall short it is the artwork that truly stands out; Rivière is a master of humour and heart-breaking honesty. A standout section entailed Jeanne talking to another researcher, so obsessed with talking about herself that Rivière creates her speech bubbles containing the researcher’s face that take up more and more space and finally squash into Jeanne’s own space; this surreal illustration really

highlights the nature of this character without even showcasing a word she is saying.

Other beautiful moments involve the graphics that transcend language; the imagery of Jeanne’s research plan emerging architecturally, as a castle-like masterpiece. The use of colour and imagery are what creates the emotive nature of this piece and what allows Notes on a Thesis to be translated so successfully.

However, the language and dialogue of the text seem cruelly, brilliantly based in truth. In this way, it is poignant and heart-breaking.

I found this to be particularly true of the passages in which Jeanne’s relationship with her boyfriend breaks apart. I felt equally frustrated with and empathetic towards Jeanne, her refusal to accept what was happening around her felt truthful towards the experiences of many students, and I therefore felt like I was alongside her as she struggled to keep her head above the water.

I would truly recommend this Notes on a Thesis for any student, particularly those embarking on postgraduate study, if you are looking for an honest, funny account of the world you are all now immersed in; and hopefully it won’t put you off.

Top 5

Top five: book recommendations from your university peers

Students from different areas of the university offer up their suggestions for books to read this semester Roma Havers, Mitch Mainstone, Muneera Lula, Philippa Franks, Hope Abbott Books Contributors Reading isn’t just for English students or for cramming for that essay you need to write— reading is for everybody, no matter your own story. There’s something for everyone, so a collection of students from all over the university have suggested some books to get you started.

Whether you’re looking to impress, make your coursework easier, or just some fun reading, there should be something here for you.

Mark Forsyth: The Elements of Eloquence Looking to impress your peers and your lecturers with written technique that just won’t quit? Enjoying reading about in-depth grammar that is also a hilarious and culturally relevant?

Look no further, this book will figuratively blow your mind and leave you with an enthusiasm for grammar and syntax that frankly confuses your parents. Number one book to trick people into believing you’re the smartest kid on the block.

Chosen by Roma Havers: Books Editor David Mitchell: Slade House A detective thriller with a fantasy twist; this short novel is good to read in between heavy university reading. Written by the same author who wrote Cloud Atlas, I found it to be a fantastic assault on the senses that explores our susceptibility to our own desires. I couldn’t put it down!

Chosen by Pip Franks: English and Drama student

Richard Coward: Short Stories in French: New Penguin Parallel Text Short stories make it easier to do extra study, as they’re much less daunting than an epic novel!

The parallel translation meant that I didn’t get confused about the plot, but I could still see the original French text. Penguin also has versions of this book in German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.

Chosen by Hope Abbott: Languages student

Madeline Miller: Song of Achilles How many books can you honestly say you’ve read in a day? It’s such a refreshing and lyrical read that I can’t help but feel a burst of pride in being queer whenever I read it. The voice of the narrator is so goofy and human in the looming, god-filled world that he inhabits that I can’t help but recommend it. Turning flaky half-interest in The Iliad into a new horizon of historical fiction reading was a big deal, especially because I’d define the main characters’ relationship as queer.

Chosen by Mitch Mainstone: LGBT English Literature student ----This series will be continuing each week with a new recommendation in every issue, if you’d like to contribute then please contact us via the Facebook page: ‘Mancunion Books contributors 16/17’

Khaled Hosseini: The Kite Runner The Kite Runner is one of my favourite books of all time! It’s a story that explores guilt and redemption beautifully and shows the true extent of father-son love; all against a backdrop of an international political crisis.

It’s amazingly written, with a story paralleled with real experiences in Afghanistan and it’s more important than ever in highlighting the complexities of the world and the movement of people.

Chosen by Muneera Lula: BME History and Politics student

“How many books can you honestly say you’ve read in a day?”

Photo: Barbara Krawcowicz@Flickr

4TH | OCT | 2016 WITH SPEAKERS FROM:

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THE REAL JUNK FOOD PROJECT CAMPAIGN SUPERNOVA brings together Manchester’s campaigners, activists and students to explore creative ways to participate in change and democracy – with free food and drink!

Come along for an evening of exciting discussion, whether you’re a seasoned campaigner or just want to meet people transforming Manchester and beyond.

6pm // Council Chambers, the Students’ Union // £3pp Inc Food. Head to facebook.com/UoMSUWelcome16/ to secure your tickets

Food & Drink

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ISSUE 02/ 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

The Vegan Beer Festival

Controlled rot, alchemy and bitters. Pitfield is On a mission trying to shift the culture.

Will Baldwin & Felix Sanders Contributor & Food Editor A more ignorant version of myself would never have gone to this. It is not that I am anti vegan, it’s just that I didn’t feel like I identified with nor enjoyed vegan culture. The brewers and the people that I had the exceedingly good fortune to meet and drink with last Sunday will have forever changed my vegan outlook.

The festival was a two-day affair in the incredible Islington Mill in Salford. A quintessential Mancunian location, an otherwise unwanted red-brick space that some people have turned into a hub for all manners of expression. I hear it’s a pretty a good venue as well.

Split over two floors and a sun drenched courtyard, the festival played host to the Pitfield Brewery, V Revolution and Mother May I. Pitfield had come all the way from Essex, V Revolution had made the long haul from their town restaurant and Mother May I is a food truck that has a residency at Islington Mill. I thought the name itself was a brilliant touch. A childhood throwback to wanting something that tasted so so good you couldn’t help but implore to it’s creator, ‘Mother may I have some more?’ Living out successful Oliver Twist fantasies.

I went with a good friend, Will, who has recently become a vegetarian. I don’t know why, something has happened to him over the summer, he won’t tell me. Entry was £7.00 on the door, after paying we made a pretty swift b-line for the nearest bar, Beginning with a pint of Paradise Pale Ale, from a keg, which gave a little more fizz. At that first bar we met Kevin ‘Spud’ Mutimer, a bearded Pitfield Brewer. He began to talk to us about the history and processes of the company. My favourite thing he told me was the origin of the name. Pitfield is a place in East London, the brewery’s original location before Essex. He told me that when he was there they felt like black sheep. No one, not the council not the locals, wanted a brewery in their part of town. It wasn’t a place of that kind of industry. Today you can’t swing a cat without hitting some moustache twiddlers micro brewery.

We ate from Mother May I, the lure of the name proved too much. I hate tofu with a spicy, smoked paprika sauce of onions and tomatoes, Will had a pastry with sausage substitute filling.

Both nice, great value. I wasn’t blown away by the tofu, but the sauce was good. After wandering around a bit, looking a V Revolution’s clientele feasting on nachos and hotdogs, as is the style of their vegan diner restaurant, we went back to the bar and were introduced to an Andy Skene. Andy is Spud’s partner and true wizard. I’ve met bakers before who can tell you all about the science and magic of yeast and fermentation but this was the first time I’ve met a really dedicated and qualified brewer. Speaking of bakers we did have quite a funny conversation about what came first beer or bread?

Andy reckoned the bread came first, but was probably left out for a few days and became beer. That remined of those good prohibiton stories from America when people would leave grape juic on the window sill and let time do its thing, He started home brews at 16 where he grew up, in Canada. He gets to England in the 80’s and is blown away by our beer culture, the range of drink, the bitters, the inimitable British pub

feel. He eventually found himself asking the question, ‘can I become a professional brewer?’ He wound up on a brewing course at Harriet Watt in Edinburgh and the rest is beautiful history.

All of the beer I drank with him tasted no different to any good craft, small batch beers I’ve drunk before. And it was all a million miles from any large scale commercial beer you can buy. The heinekenisation of the beer trade is something that he’s worried about, chemically controlled brews messing with people’s per-

ception of what beer really is.

My main question, other than trying to figure out his life story, was what made his beer vegan. He didn’t really go in for semantics, the beer to him was more organic, or natural, than anything.

The process in which they produce coincidentally made it vegan. The current climate of demand for high quality vegan products is what pushes that label of ‘vegan beer.’ Their logo doesn’t actually say vegan, but ‘artisan organic beer.’

So the process. Normally beer is filtered with something called isinglass, made from the swim bladders and other parts of mainly tropical fish. It has the opposite poll to a yeast cell and acts as an effective filter which can speed up the brewing process. What Pitfield do, along with the help new types of yeast, allow for no isinglass. Through a process of chilling and proper preparation they are able to filter the yeast naturally. The result is the same it just takes twice as long. Patience, a quality that large scale brewers lack.

The best thing I drank that day was Wild Goose, crazy sour, a light amber colour and good kick. The type of beer that people need to hear about. And that was one of the last things I spoke to Andy about. Wine has a rich heritage of magazines, reviews and awards. It is regarded as high culture. Where are the beer reviews in newspapers? Why is it subjected to this working man’s drink status that isn’t comparable to wine. Why is the controlled rotting, the alchemy that is brewing any less of a craft than wine?

It is people like Spud and Andy that are here to shift the culture.

Photos: Felix Sanders

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Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

Budget banquets – spending less, eating better ‘Cook enough for lunch and raise a finger to the meal deal, tupperware is essential’’ Stanley Johnson Contributor Photo: Stanley Johnson

At some point in your time at Manchester, it’s not unlikely that you’ll find yourself sitting on a sofa eating a pot noodle and drinking black tea out of a bowl (you couldn’t find a clean mug). That’s fine. There are lots of valid reasons to indulge in the student stereotype. Lazy? Busy? Just fancy it? Slob out to your heart’s content.

Broke?

Maybe not such a great excuse, unless you actually don’t have enough money to buy food.* If you’re only “student broke” (in other words, you have at least enough money for nights out and occasional Asos deliveries) then feeding yourself on a student budget doesn’t have to mean eating crap food. A few simple things will help your money go further while enriching your culinary experience and, hopefully, student life in general.

Cook!

It might sound obvious, but actually cooking is one of the best ways to eat well for less money. Takeaways, ready meals and meal deals will add up quickly. That’s not all: cooking can help you to stay healthy, too. It’s often hard to know how much salt, oil, or sugar goes into takeaways or packaged foods. Cooking meals from scratch allows you to control exactly what you eat.

Learn to Love the Lentil Cheese, meat and fish can all be pretty expensive. Cooking more plant based foods is a good way to save money, and beans and pulses are very cheap source of protein. There’s no need to live on a diet of bland lentil salads like a dowdy 1970s vegetarian, but beans and pulses are super cheap, nutritious and are

great in all kinds of curries, chilies, stews and sauces.

Shop around.

Buying everything at Sainsburys is definitely convenient (or whatever supermarket is closest). But you’ll pay a premium if you add anything out of the ordinary to your basket. Fortunately, Manchester has a huge variety of specialist and world food stores to help stock your cupboards with all kinds of bargain gourmet goods.

Nestled just behind the Main Campus, on Upper Brook Street, WH Lung is one such superstore. Specialising in Chinese groceries, the supermarket also stocks lots of delicacies and staples from across East and Southeast Asia. As well as approximately one million varieties of noodle, at WH Lung you can pick up good quality soy sauce for around £1 per litre. In mainstream supermarkets, you’d be lucky to get a tiny 150ml bottle for that price. They also have fresh fruit and veg, including big bags of fresh chillies that can be frozen and used later.

Located at the Fallowfield end of the Curry Mile, Manchester Super Store bills itself as an ‘Asian, Continental, Arabian, Mediterranean, Polish, Bangladeshi, and Afro Caribbean’ food specialist. That’s a lot of specialities, but they’re not lying. Manchester Super Store is well worth a visit if only for its huge selection of cheap fruit and vegetables sold by the kilo. It also has loads of cheap spices and baked goods: twenty-five pita breads for £1!

Also worth a mention is Turkish superstore Venus Foods on Anson road, opposite Birchfields Park. Venus bake what is possibly the tastiest bread in South Manchester... and it only costs a quid for a big loaf. There’s also a deli counter selling fresh marinated olives by the kilo, for a fraction the supermarket price.

Even if you can’t escape the pull of the mighty Sainsburys, it’s worth bearing the following in mind. Most supermarkets reduced section somewhere in a refrigerator aisles. In this little fridge there are sometimes crazy bargains (think big blocks of cheese for pennies). Find this area. Check it regularly. Also, for some reason the “world” aisle often contains cheaper versions of foods sold in other sections

Share the Love (and your food) Cooking big meals and sharing them with your house mates and friends is a great way to bond and strengthen relationships.

It is also more efficient in terms of money, time and effort. Cooking a meal for two is cheaper and easier per person than cooking two individual dinners.

Some make cooking rotas and go fully communal with all of their groceries. If you can make that work and all of your housemates are willing, then great!

If not, just be spontaneous with your sharing. If you share your dinner with someone else they are likely to reciprocate in future, which translates into less cooking for you in the long run. Of course, some people are likely to never return the favour.

Don’t share with these people.

If you don’t have anyone to share with - or if you know they won’t reciprocate - you can still bulk cook and freeze individual portions for later to save time and money.

Or cook enough for lunch and raise a middle finger to the meal deal. Tupperware essential.

Recipe

Pork for one, chopped and stewed Last week’s recipe was a homage to Proust, this week its DJ Screw, pioneer of the chopped and screwed sound Feeds 2 Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 90 minutes 2 pork chops 2 carrots 1/2 bulub of fennel 1 onion enough chicken stock to cover bundle of sage, thyme and a bay leaf DJ Screw’s sound was all about slowing everything down.

This chop needs to be done that same slow way. Start by searing the chop on both sides until golden brown, then remove from the pan. In the same pan sweat your onions until brown and caramelised, then remove. Do the same with the chopped carrot and fennel.

Place all of your ingrediants into an oven fit pot, I opt for my imitation Le Creuset casserole dish. What student has real Le Creuset? I have fake kitchenware like people have fake hand bags. Nestle in your bundle of fresh herbs and cover everything in chicken stock.

Cover with tin foil and place in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the tinfoil for the final half hour to get some more colour on the surface. The carrots should have soaked all of the juices.

Serve in deep bowls in order to enjoy the stocky broth.

Photo: Felix Sanders

Arts

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

It’s Called Street Art for a Reason

Uproar as yet another Banksy original is removed in Liverpool

Editors’ Picks

Feature

Laura Joyce Arts Editor Laura Joyce Arts Editor Banksy’s Love Plane had become something of a masterpiece in Liverpool’s Rumford Place.

That is, until it was cut out from its original site and replaced with a plaque re-directing disappointed admirers to a website explaining the mysterious disappearance.

The webpage reads: “The BANKSY LOVE PLANE artwork has been removed. With this building due to be refurbished, the piece has been salvaged and is now being restored under the management of The Sincura Group.”

The artwork will be returned to Liverpool looking better than ever to hang alongside other Banksy pieces at the Gallery at Berry House Baltic Triangle, due to launch in Liverpool shortly.

Courtesy of North Point Global Group, this will be the first ever street art museum anywhere in the world and will showcase to the public an extensive collection of original Banksy

Photo: Tom Williams @Flickr

artworks painted as part of Liverpool’s Biennial art programme. With so many Banksy artworks disappearing from public view this will ensure your city preserves its street art heritage and showcases future talent.

“Liverpool, we thank you for your support and we are excited to be breaking new ground with you. We look forward to returning your piece to your wonderful city.”

The chairman of North Point Global Group, Peter McInnes claims to be moving various graffiti artwork “somewhere they can be enjoyed by the people of the city”. Because clearly art can only be truly appreciated inside a purpose built gallery, defeating the objective of street art.

And what’s even worse is: they didn’t even take the heart trail! They cut out the plane, and left half of the artwork. It is almost like cutting up Van Gogh’s famous Sunflowers painting, and leaving behind the vase.

This is not the first Banksy to be removed from the streets of Liverpool. A giant rat on the side of the historic White Horse pub on Berry Street

was removed during the building’s renovation in 2014. The building is now a restaurant.

The building became grade II listed in 2004, shortly before the rat’s appearance in the same year. The painting was therefore not included in the listing.

The rat is believed to have been Banksy’s largest mural to date at 30ft high, covering 2 stories.

During its “successful” removal the artwork was separated into 30 pieces. It was later damaged in transit to London.

Liverpool is by no means the only city to have its street art stripped of its place. All over England there have been auctions following the removal of some of the artist’s most iconic works.

Street art is impulsive, spontaneous and unexpected. We should stumble upon works like the Love Plane and admire it where it lies. Streets are the world’s natural museums; holding traces of those who have passed through.

It should not be interfered with. If the weather fades it, it will become a part of history. But we

are being forced to say goodbye to amazing murals. They should be protected.

That said, not everyone feels the same way.

Street art has always had a certain stigma attached to it, with some people believing artists like Banksy to be vandals participating in antisocial behaviour which defaces our streets.

Legally, it is characterised as a problem to be dealt with through criminal law. Although, now that some artists’ works are being considered valuable, this could be set to change.

But how can we truly say that graffiti defaces our surroundings? Walking through Manchester’s Northern Quarter, is it fair to say that a huge part of the area’s appeal and charm is shaped by the street art surrounding you? Of course it is.

Which do you think is more offensive to see?

A small graffiti fox, brightening up a disused building, or a great chunk cut out of the wall where it used to be?

Graffiti artists deserve to have their work lie where they left it; as they intended it.

ANDY WARHOL at the Whitworth What’s on this week?

Georgia Welch Contributor One of the most exciting exhibitions to keep an eye out for over the Autumn/Winter term is the Whitworth Art Gallery’s ARTIST ROOMS’ which will home the highly anticipated Andy Warhol exhibition running from 19th November to 16th April. The exhibition will feature a selection of the 232 works of the late great pop artist’s work which ARTIST ROOMS currently has access to.

Gun (1981), Dollar Sign (1981) and Camouflage (1986) are among some of his later works which will be displayed at the Whitworth, exploring themes of conflict and destruction, particularly in relation to Warhol’s own brush with death af-

ter being near-fatally shot in 1968.

As one of the most iconic and widely-replicated artists of the 1960s, Warhol’s distinctive style lends itself well to such a large-scale exhibition, with his frequent collaborations with various muses such as Edie Sedgwick, Mick Jagger and Debbie Harry making him pop art’s most noteworthy pioneer.

His work presents us with a unique depiction of the American Dream, which remains consistently intriguing even decades on from his most prolific era. The many different thematic facets of Warhol’s work will undoubtedly draw in huge crowds at the Whitworth’s exhibition this winter, so whether you’re already well-acquainted with his greatly influential style, or simply curious, this is definitely a must-see event.

A few picks over the upcoming week

Head to Head: Vasilis Asimakopoulos and Christian Falsnaes Castlefield Gallery, 2 Hewitt St, Manchester M15 4GB Artists Vasilis Asimakopoulos and Christian Falsnaes contribute to Castlefield Gallery’s annual Head to Head exhibition. The gallery will be handed over to one artist at a time, each producing a solo presentation, providing an opportunity to see work by two innovative and distinctive artists.

Open until 2nd October 2016 James Stanley, the Seventh Earl of Derby by Lu Pingyuan CFCCA, Market Buildings, 13 Thomas St, Manchester M4 1EU Shanghai-based artist, Lu Pingyuan writes stories as a way to express his artistic points of view. His interest in the supernatural attracted him to the reports of mysterious sightings of a ghost, seen by staff of the Ye Olde Man and Scythe pub in Bolton and also captured on CCTV.

Fancy getting involved?

We love contributors!

If you enjoy art, and would like to write for the Arts section, contact us at mancunion.arts@gmail.com OR Search us on Facebook under Mancunion Arts Contributors 2016/2017.

OR Come along to our weekly meetings in the Activities Space in the Students’ Union. at 5.30pm on Mondays.

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Review

Review: All Genius All Idiot

All Genius All Idiot is a delightful circus performance laced with tongue-in-cheek antics, yet does not shy away from edgier material Rhiannon Simmonds Reviewer

Photo: The Lowry

All Genius, All Idiot is a delightful circus performance laced with tongue-in-cheek antics, yet does not shy away from edgier material With just two nights in the Quays Theatre at The Lowry, All Genius, All Idiot had far too short a run in Manchester. The four-man Stockholm based company have created a multi-disciplinary masterpiece exploring the human condition, without a plot or indeed much dialogue at all.

Despite a slightly damning review from The Guardian as they closed London’s International Mime Festival earlier this year, the Manchester show did not seem “messy” at all, but rather an intimate journey for both company and audience.

Make no mistake, you get out what you put into All Genius, All Idiot. Do not expect an evening of refined acrobatics and eloquent writing. The highly malleable layout of the Quays Theatre was left untampered with, but the “traditional seating” did not indicate a traditional show. The surrealism of Svalbard’s piece was accompanied by mandolin-

playing Ben Smith, the British quarter of the company, whose haunting voice was reminiscent of the late great Jeff Buckley and set a gorgeously strange atmosphere to start the show.

The acrobatics of self-described “clown” Santiago Ruiz Albalate are perhaps the strongest circus influence of the show, however the blend of text, physical theatre, original music and wit is brought about by equal contribution from every member of this exceptional company. The show is of course largely “without plot” and the audience are encouraged to contribute to the piece in some very well placed points of improvisation. Despite this apparent lack of structure, the scenes and their order seemed to resonate strongly with every audience member in a different way.

The show moves from deep social commentary to a hedonistic flurry of movement and muscle, from folksy banter to raw physical conflict with ease, and balances moments of lightness perfectly with thought-provoking texts and exceptional acrobatic talent. The wordless commentary on our culture, lusts and vices is both damning and amusing. Whilst the cast are undeniably comfortable with gender-fluidity and expressing sexual desire positively, they do not shy away from making the audience uncomfortable with rape analogies, overdoses and freakish costumes. The unnatural movements of Tom Brand in backwards clothing and a faceless mask will no doubt haunt the dreams of many theatre-goers. There is also a well-placed striptease from Santiago, wearing confetti-filled tear-away trousers, which appeared shortly after.

When asked what the inspiration of the show was, hand-balancing acrobat J. Simon Wiborn said, “the inspiration definitely mainly comes from us, from each other. We all have individual inspirations like dance, and music, and theatre, and clowning, but then the main core of ‘us’ is that we are inspired by each other”, which without a doubt is seen on stage.

Although Ben Smith seemed disappointed by such a “cosy” audience, All Genius, All Idiot definitely benefits from an intimate audience, unlike the company’s previous outdoor shows. The show is a dual experience; interaction is the key to its success.

Photo: The Lowry

Feature

Editors’ Picks

Three plays to watch this week Societies you might have missed at the fair

A pick of the best new plays in Manchester Giselle at the Palace Theatre Choreographed by Akram Khan, it is a new twist on the established ballet for the English National Ballet.

The ballet is a classic story about love and revenge.

Running from Tuesday 27th September to Saturday 1st October 2016.

Photo: kaylajanebarrie @Flickr

The Emperor at Home Theatre Just finished playing at the Young Vic in London where it received fantastic reviews the show is now coming to Home. The play is focused on the life of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie. Running from Wednesday the 28th September to Saturday the 8th October.

Wish List at the Royal Exchange Theatre Theis is the world premiere of the play which is co-produced by Royal Exchange Theatre and Royal Court.. The playwright is Katherine Soper and it is directed

by Matthew Xia. Running from Saturday the 24th September to Saturday 15th October.

In case you missed them at the Welcome Fair, here’s a few societies you may be interested in joining Everyone knows that the first week of University can be overwhelming so here is a helpful list of societies you might have missed at the fair.

The Mancunion Do you fancy writing for the Theatre Section of The Mancunion? Do you want to review the latest shows? If so, join the facebook page Mancunion Theatre Section Contributors. Come along to the meetings which are held every Tuesday at 5:30pm in the Activities Space in the Students Union.

If you want to contact the section just email at theatre@mancunion.com The Drama Society Do you enjoy acting/playwriting/ directing? Why not join the Drama Society! They put on plays throughout the year; the first set of plays will be the Autumn Showcase and the Freshers’ Play. In second semester they have the MIFTAS. They even take the very best plays to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. They previously took Novel Experiments in Living and Hammerton Community High: Class of ’75. So if this sounds right up your street why not like their Facebook page University of Manchester Drama

Society. Their first social is 28th September at The Font at 8:30pm.

Musical Theatre Society Are you a triple threat? Do you want to help produce and direct a musical?

If so, why not join UMMTS. They are putting on two shows this semester Godspell and their main Winter Musical Guys and Dolls. If you just love anything to do with musical theatre like their Facebook page University of Manchester Musical Theatre Society (UMMTS). Their first social is the 27th September at The Ram & Shackle at 9pm.

The Burlesque Society Have you ever wanted to try out Burlesque? Or are you already a pro?

Either way the Burlesque Society is the perfect place to learn about the art of Burlesque. If you want to learn more about this exciting society join their Facebook page University of Manchester Burlesque Society.

Their first social is 27th September at Dusktilpawn at 8pm.

The Comedy Society Do you have funny bones? Why not join the Comedy Society. If you

want to practice your skills before you perform you can attend their weekly improvisation classes on a Thursday called Improv. There are also chances to perform and create with their Sketch show. These shows are complete created from scratch. If you want to make others laugh and also have a laugh yourself why not join their Facebook page University of Manchester Comedy Society. Their first social is the 30th September at The Grove at 7:30pm.

Dance Society If you fancy something more physical but still performance based you can join Dance Society.

Tap, Ballet, Jazz, and Street Dance to name just a few of the classes they teach. If you fancy competing against other universities why not attend the Team Auditions on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th October 2016. To keep upto-date on all their activities join their Facebook page The Dance Society, The University of Manchester.

If none of these societies take your fancy you could always try and create your own !

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Ways to Eat – the Freshers’ guide to nutrition Struggling with eating healthy and getting enough nutrition in your diet? Lacey Munroe discusses the pros and cons of various diets in her new eBook, Ways to Eat Lacey Munroe Contributor Many freshers will be embracing their newfound freedom in what they feed themselves in these first few weeks of university.

For some, this may mean little apart from Domino’s vouchers and Cadbury’s; for others, it’s an opportunity to try something new. Maybe university is your opportunity to test out a meatfree lifestyle, or try your hand at a low-carb diet. But how do you know which diet would suit best, what supplements might be needed, or whether it’s even considered healthy? The university website is has surprisingly few resources on nutrition, despite it being a critical part of your wellbeing. You’re left to the internet and the advice of your peers, which is not exactly reassuring or straightforward.

Ways to Eat is a nutrition eBook created specifically for Manchester students. The book covers the basic principles of nutrition (is butter a carb?) in addition to providing pros and cons of five diets, including the government dietary guidelines.

Covering veganism, paleo, the ketogenic diet, and intermittent fasting, the eBook gives a visual representation of a day’s eats.

Additionally, if you’re looking for good food on the go, there are several recommendations for Mancunian eateries that cater to each of these specialised diets.

Eating healthy can be rather confusing. Or at least, that’s the impression given off by mainstream media. Growing up, we were all told that saturated fat was the worst of all food evils. These days, doctors are telling us that it is refined sugar and carbohydrates that are the problem in our diets. In today’s culture of nutritionists,

Photo: Lacey Munroe

talk-show doctors, and attention-grabbing headlines, it can be tough to decipher the qualified from the quacks. This resource was written directly from scientific literature, and works to convey the reality that nutrition rarely works in absolutes. In short, there is more than one way to eat and be healthy! Seemingly extreme dieting trends such as veganism or the Atkins diet can be valuable when their positives and negatives are fully understood, and that isn’t even considering the benefits for the environment when

attempting diets like vegetarianism or veganism. Incorporating aspects of these diets into a more moderate lifestyle may make healthy eating more achievable, especially for busy students who want to try and stay healthy during their degree years. As the semester wears on, up to 60% of incoming freshers are likely to experience weight gain—or, as it is more commonly called, the ‘Freshers’ Fifteen’. It’s no wonder given the stereotypical alcohol-heavy, convenience food-laden atmosphere that being at university starts to conjure up. Weight gain in early adulthood can significantly increase risks of metabolic problems later in life.

The statistics aren’t great, and they’re only getting worse—1 in 16 people in the UK have Type 2 Diabetes—so it’s definitely worth being cautious of.

Whether you’re enjoying the food freedom responsibly or haven’t seen a vegetable in weeks, the main message that should be taken from the eBook is that being “healthy” doesn’t have to be your full time occupation or identity. It is mindfulness which becomes habit; just choose to eat nutritious foods more often than choosing indulgences. While that sounds simple, carrying it out won’t be — but try and keep in mind all the benefits! The healthiest diet for you at university is one which is nutritious but sustainable.

For most, sustainable means the occasional take-away or bar of chocolate—but it also should mean mostly home-cooked meals and plenty of fruit and vegetables on a regular basis.

The eBook can be found at waystoeat.wordpress.com. Follow the author on social media for commentary and discussion on the latest nutrition stories in the media: @SciCommLacey on Twitter, and facebook.com/waystoeat.

Homesickness: Top five tips for beating the blues Missing home? Rachel Adams talks about how to combat homesickness and gives her top tips on how to beat the blues and enjoy university life Rachel Adams Lifestyle Editor Moving to university is a scary experience; for many, it’s the first time that they’ve moved away from home.

Homesickness is a natural part of university life, no matter how prepared you might think you are, and it sneaks up on the best of us. There are so many ways of dealing with homesickness, so we’ve made a list of our top tips for beating the blues: 1. Keep in touch with family and friends This is so important, particularly during the craziness of Freshers’ Week and meeting your new flatmates.

Don’t forget that you’re not the only one who’s missing being at home, and your family and friends are likely to be missing you as well. A short phone call every week to catch up on hometown gossip should help to keep your homesickness at bay, and keep your friendships as close to normal as possible.

It’s all about keeping a balance between chatting to your old friends, and finding out more about your new friends.

2. Decorate your room If you’re living in university halls, chances are your room look like a prison cell when you move in; not exactly the most welcoming of environments, especially when you’re missing

home. It’s a good idea to start decorating your room as soon as possible – it’s a good way to take your mind off things, and when it’s done it’ll make such a difference to your mood.

Check out next week’s issue for our tips on how to decorate your room, but for now we recommend bringing things that are familiar to you, such as pictures of friends or some fairy lights to brighten things up. Posters are also a cheap way of decorating your room as well as a way to really show your personality to your new flatmates.

3. Explore your new home If you’ve moved away from home to university, odds are

you’ll be living in a city that you don’t really know that well.

Explore it! For Manchester in particular, there are so many free things to do in the city, from visiting the various museums and art galleries to shopping in the Arndale and the alternative Northern Quarter. One of the worst things you can do if you feel homesick is to lock yourself away in your room; you’ll end up feeling worse, and you’ll miss out on everything that Manchester has to offer! Maybe even take your flatmates along with you to explore; it’s a good way to see the city and make friends at the same time.

Photo: tinaleggio @Flickr

4. Get involved in uni life At the end of the day, you came to uni to socialise (as well as study!) Getting involved in societies is one of the best ways to combat homesickness; they’ll keep you busy with meetings and socials, and you’ll make loads of new friends at the same time. Choose something that you’ve never done before – learn to play a new sport, or pick up a hobby. We can guarantee that it’ll improve your university experience, and it’ll take your mind off what’s stayed at home.

5. Ask for help if you need it For some, homesickness

Photo: kalexanderson @Flickr

becomes such a huge part of their lives that they can’t enjoy being at uni, and some even drop out and move back home.

Before this happens, make sure to use the support services that are available at university. The Students’ Union offers a free advice service to students who are struggling with being away from home, and can arrange counselling sessions if needs be. Talking to flatmates and other students can also help as well; you are definitely not the only one who is feeling like this. Older students can also help; they all went through the same issues when they first went to university, so they can offer help and advice. The most important thing is to not isolate

yourself—spending time with others who are feeling the same will reassure you, and give you a good support network when you need it.

Something to keep in mind is that everyone experiences homesickness in some form.

It’s a natural part of university life, and it does get better. The main thing to remember is that everyone around you is probably feeling exactly the same, and that you aren’t alone in feeling this way. Talking to your flatmates or your coursemates is one of the best ways to banish the blues and make sure that you have the best university experience possible.

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Feature: Mature Students Laura Joyce offers some advice for mature students, and gives some helpful tips on how to still have a great university experience New city, new people, and a whole new chapter in your life. Starting university can be a daunting time for many, especially for us mature students.

Returning to education after a gap year (or five), or an entire 20-year career is a big, bold choice, especially when you feel like you’re the only person in the entire student body old enough to remember the millennium. But, here at the University of Manchester, there are almost 40,000 students, and just over 4,000 of them are adult learners. That’s over ten per cent!

So here are my top 5 tips to making the most of mature student life…

1. Get to know your Academic Advisor All students are assigned an Academic Advisor. It’s a good idea to get to know them, and for them to get to know you, so they can understand your situation a little more. Each advisor has office hours which are times when you can just drop in and see them without an appointment.

You can always drop them an email to arrange a meeting, too.

2. Organisation is key Keeping on top of your studies is, of course, the most important. Planning time to finish assignments around work, or family, is a big help. It’s often best to revise as you go when you have a lot on your plate. A favourite of mine is to spend an hour in the library after each lecture writing up my notes in a way that makes them easier to revise from, ready for exams.

Photo: smemon @Flickr

3. Join The University of Manchester Mature Students Society It’s a great way to meet lots of people like you, and with regular ses-

sions you can jump right into your new university social life! You can join by liking their Facebook page, or signing up on UoM’s Students’ Union website. And it doesn’t stop there!

There are loads of societies to join where you can meet people with similar interests, and make new connections with a wide range of people.

4. Attend Adults Returning to Education sessions This is a support service for those interested in beginning education later in life, or who have already taken the steps to higher education as an adult. They take place on the first and third Wednesday of every month.

You are required to book your place on a session in advance, and can do so by calling 0161 275 2212, or by visiting the university website.

5. Make use of the University’s Wellbeing Centre Studying can become stressful, but it’s good to know that there are free relaxation and mindfulness classes at the Wellbeing Centre every week day.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The centre is based in Simon Building on campus, and you don’t have to book. So, drop in on some meditation and just chill out. More information and scheduling can be found on the University website.

Being a mature student is great.

Mature Student Society: What it can do for you

Studying for a degree later in life means that you’re ready for the challenges of higher education. Dive in head first and you’ll be graduating in no time!

Photo: The Mancunion

Alicia Love, the Wellbeing Secretary for the Mature Student Society, writes here about her experiences as a mature student and how the society can help Going to university can be a stressful experience for anyone of any age, but returning to university as a mature student possibly following a large gap in education is bound to be daunting.

There can be various causes of stress and anxiety for the mature student, including study skills, time management, jobs, family obligations, and age. It is easy to feel isolated as an older student with different stressors and obligations to the average 18-year-old fresher.

For Sharon Styles, the Chair of the Mature Student Society, her biggest concern in returning to eduction was her age: “[Returning to university] was a decision I made at mid-life stage. I was concerned I’d be the oldest student…this was the catalyst for becoming involved with the Mature Student Society.”

Prior to 2015, there was little support and almost no social events within the university directed towards the needs, anxieties and social wellbeing of mature students. The Mature Student Society was formed to fill this gap, help the mature student in re-adjusting to (or continuing

in) education, and to provide social and wellbe- addition to social outings, the society provides ing support to older students. educational events that focus on adjusting to the Andrew Boland, the Liberation Secretary for university’s online tools, and wellbeing events the Mature Student Society said, “When I started that aim to battle stress. there wasn’t a mature stuOutside of these events, dent society, now it exists it’s the Mature Student Socigood to know you’re not on ety has been involved in Join the Mature your own. There are lots of the launching of a new Student Society mature students, it helps to peer mentoring scheme Facebook group at: realise that there are plenty specifically catering to goo.gl/6S764U of us on campus.” mature students. This The Mature Student Socienew mentoring scheme You can also conty has been extremely active will provide one-to-one tact the committee since its inception, winning support for mature stuat: “Best New Society” at the dents who may need a 2016 Students’ Union (SU) little extra help in their uommatstudents@ Awards Ceremony, and has adjustment to university. hotmail.com plenty of upcoming events Styles has been extremein the works. The society ly involved in the inceporganises bespoke social tion of this program and events throughout the year that encourage ma- commented: “The Mature Student Society has ture students to socialise and allow them to meet been pivotal in providing the means to network like-minded individuals outside their courses. In with older students, and the peer mentor scheme

“

”

is taking this one step further in providing one-toone support if you need it and signposting services should problems arise.”

If you are interested in joining or being involved in the Mature Student Society, they have various upcoming events including a pub crawl, a meet and greet, afternoon tea and a pub quiz. In addition to this, the society is currently looking for someone to fill the role of social secretary. This position would look great on CVs and while you do have to be involved, it is not a major time commitment.

For additional information on society events and more, join the Mature Student Society Facebook group at UoMMatureStudents. You can also contact the committee at UoMMatStudents@hotmail.com.

Lastly, for anyone feeling overwhelmed or nervous about the upcoming term, here’s a bit of pertinent advice from Boland: “Have confidence in yourself; the university saw enough potential in you to offer you a place, you have a lot to offer the university.”

MANCH ESTER MEDIA GROUP visit www.mancunion.com/join to find out how to get involved

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Who are FC United and Salford City?

While City and United battle at the top of English football, two other Manchester teams have a different battle on their hands Magnus Henderson Sport Reporter A question which is probably not asked enough.

Manchester has been hailed as the Capital City of football in recent weeks because of the influx of world class players, coaches and huge amounts of money to the global brands that are Manchester United and Manchester City. It is so easy to be caught up in the hysteria and drama surrounding these clubs; the Manchester Derby was all over the back pages, not just in England but worldwide, for two whole weeks. While these two super powers battle it out for what looks like world domination, a much more intricate and delicate (but no less passionate) rivalry is brewing in the sixth tier of English football. FC United vs Salford City.

These two clubs are systemically and ideologically different in so many ways but have one key connection: both clubs are estranged children of Manchester United.

FC United of Manchester ·

Founded: 2005 ·

·

Ground: Broadhurst Park (4,400 capacity) Owners: fan-owned

FC United are a unique club. Amid the globalisation of football in the last few decades, some people out there just love the purity of the common man’s sport.

When Malcolm Glazer and his family bought Manchester United, a selection of Old Trafford regulars realised that the game which they had followed and loved for so many years was becoming stale through extortion for financial gain.

This became the last straw for a group of football loyalist who decided, in spite of the multimillionaire owners, that they wanted their football club back. The ‘Red Rebels’, who were made up of normal working class families and had no financial or legal means to fight the Glazer takeover, decided to found their own fan-owner football club, FC United of Manchester.

Discussions in curry houses, pubs and the Man-

chester’s Apollo Theatre led to the formation of FC United. While they have designed the club out of protest to Manchester United, the Red Rebels did not forget their origins. The fan-funded £6.3 million new stadium, Broadhurst Park, have their main stand’s layout in reference to Old Trafford’s old paddocks. The wooden design on the outside of the stadium alludes to United’s Newton Heath train company origins. The ideology of FC United resembles a stand against the modern exploitation of fans, with a ‘pay what you can’ policy for season tickets. There is also an anti-commercialism theme: “Pies not Prawns”, was a popular banner in the first few years. FC United are stubborn, but their gutsy attitude is commendable.

In their first competitive season, FC United entered the North West Counties Football League (the tenth division in English football) and made Bury’s Gigg Lane their home ground and broke attendance records which still stand today. The club went on the gain three promotions in three years, to the Norther Premiere League Premiere Division. FC United spent six seasons battling to get promotion to the National League North, which they finally achieved in the 2014-15 season when they finished champions after three failed play-off attempts in prior years. They finished 13th out of 22 teams in their debut season in the sixth division and currently sit 18th. With promotion to the Conference North came the reward of Broadhurst Park, a true home for the wandering football lovers The ideology of the club is so deep-rooted that, because of their meteoric rise to the semi-professional leagues, fractures have started to develop in the belief of how FC United should be run. In the 2015-16 season, board members faced legal action for alleged defamation, protests became commonplace and resignations saw the club disillusioned with its own identity.

The financial temptations of TV deals and sponsorship is against the philosophy of the club, however, some board members feel it is necessary for progression up the Football League ladder. A club founded and lauded for its democracy was becoming increasingly marred by its lack of transparency. It is sad to see such an incredible success story tainted, but FC United still face serious inter-

nal problems which are detrimental to the existence of the club.

Salford City FC ·

Founded: 1940

· Ground: Moor Lane (2,000 capacity) · Owners: Peter Lim (50%), Gary Neville (10%), Phil Neville (10%), Nicky Butt (10%), Paul Scholes (10%) and Ryan Giggs (10%) A much more traditional club history than that of FC United’s.

From humble origins, the club started as an amateur team winning county cups until they joined the non-league pyramid in 1982. Salford languished around the 9th and 8th divisions until the Manchester United connection occurred. Towards the end of the 2013-14 campaign, news broke that the legendary group of former United players, “The Class of 92” (minus David Beckham), were planning to buy Salford City football club.

The Neville brothers, Butt, Scholsey and Giggs. It was the stuff of dreams for many United fans and attention quickly turned to the non-league side and how they would operate under such legendary ownership. The reaction from the long-serving supporters was not completely positive, especially when the former United men sold 50 per cent of their shares to the Singapore-based billionaire and owner of Valencia C.F., Peter Lim. However, fans have warmed to the Class of 92 with their philosophy of trying to keep everyone happy while improving facilities and the performances on the pitch. It’s early days, but the signs of progress are clearly there.

Salford, with new investment, started the 2014-15 seasons impressively but results started to tail off towards the new year. The Class of 92 made their first seismic decision as club owners and opted to sack Phil Power as manager and instil joint-managers Johnson and Morley, known for their nononsense and hard-nosed approach to non-league managing. The duo guided Salford City to promotion that season to the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Salford City’s stock rose with their success story which the BBC spread in their documentary ‘Class of 92: Out of Their League’. In the following season, Salford again won promotion, this time through the play-offs, to the National League North where they are currently situated. The ties with Manchester United were made clearer when Salford hosted United’s reserves to play a pre-season friendly, which the visitors won 5-1. Salford currently sit 7th in the National League North, three points of the leaders AFC Fylde, with the hopes of chasing promotion to the National League, the 5th tier of the English league system.

Contrasting Pasts and Contrasting Futures While FC United of Manchester and Salford City differ so radically in ideology, both clubs have strong ties to current United fans: Admiration towards FC United in standing up for what they staunchly believe in, and romanticism for what could be if the Class of 92 succeeded at running a football club. Simon Wadsworth, a Manchester United author, spoke at the Manchester Football Writing Festival and teased the idea that the Class of 92 were merely experimenting running a football club with the aspirations of owning a much bigger and more familiar club. Simon pointed out that the group already own Hotel Football, located on the doorstep of Old Trafford, and have Nicky Butt running the youth academies.

With Giggs waiting in the wings for the United’s managerial job, there is a reasonably logical train of thought that the ex-United professionals could one day be co-owners of Manchester United. Strong romanticism indeed, no matter how deluded it may sound.

While Salford push for promotion with their longterm plan of playing in the Championship within 15 years, FC United need to figure out what kind of club they want to be; a fan-owned, non-league club meandering through the semi-professional leagues, or a more economically viable entity which can push up the professional league ladder. There are strong feelings on both sides of the argument, one can only hope that the club does not tear itself apart in the process of making a decision.

Photos:Wikimedia Commons

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Standing up for Safe Standing West Ham’s teething problems at their new ground demonstrate why introducing safe-standing would benefit all supporters James Haughton Sport Reporter When Watford played West Ham at the Olympic Stadium, now known as the London Stadium, the headlines did not solely focus on away side coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2, but also on the trouble that brewed between West Ham supporters. The move to the London Stadium has frustrated fans, ranging from the usual problems associated a running track—a lack of atmosphere,

restricted viewpoints—to some not-sousual problems—fans having to sit on concrete because seating had not yet been installed. Combined with the Hammers’ poor start to the season, and the mood around London club is not great at the moment.

However another cause of the crowd disturbances was a problem that has been prevalent in English football for the last 25 years: fans standing in an all-seater stadium. Moving into the new ground has currently increased West Ham’s ca-

pacity by around 15,000. To fill the new stadium, therefore, the Hammers have had to attract a new set of season-ticket holders, in addition to their existing match-day fans. Furthermore sections of fans who all agreed to stand at Upton Park have currently been separated from one another and placed alongside these new ticket holders. This separation of standing fans may have occurred because if the club are to be given clearance to further increase the capacity, to 66,000—the unavailable seats are currently covered up—the club needs to pass certain safety regulations, but that policy may have backfired in light of the coverage given to the events of the Watford game.

The desire to stand does not just occur at West Ham, however; sections of fans at Old Trafford or Selhurst Park, say, will stand, especially for big games, even though grounds in the top two tiers of English football have been all-seater since the Taylor report was released in the wake of the Hillsborough disaster.

Additionally, all around the ground, fans of these clubs will stand up for their team’s corners or shots on goal. Furthermore fans of rugby union, rugby league and horse racing can stand up while watching an event, and so can fans of non-league football teams. But, in addition to fan support, there are many other arguments for the re-introduction of

standing to all British football grounds.

Firstly the standing sections now proposed by campaigners would be far removed from the dilapidated and dangerous terraces of yesteryear. Take rail seating, used in German football grounds and the type of standing that safe-standing advocates are primarily calling for the introduction of. Every row of the stand is separated by barriers, eliminating the possibility of potentially life-threatening crushes and surges happening, and, just like with seating, every fan is assigned a particular position, enabling police and security officials to still be able to easily identify troublemakers.

In rail seating, chairs are tucked away safely behind standing fans, and club officials can easily lower or stow the chairs using a key, meaning that for European games, where UEFA mandates that stadiums should be all-seater, clubs can make the required changes to rail-seating segments with the minimum of fuss.

The atmosphere at Premier League grounds now is a constant annoyance of some fans, stadia getting quieter and more sterile in their eyes. Safe-standing would help in improving the noise at grounds; any fans who do try to sing and start chants, and those who join in, will stand. British fans cast envious eyes towards the atmosphere regularly generated at German grounds, which is helped by safe-standing, as well as cheaper

ticket prices, for example. Giving fans a choice to stand would also improve the match-going experience for those who want to sit. They would be able to watch the game unhindered, rather than having to constantly reposition themselves or ask someone to sit down.

This year has already seen a significant development in the campaign for safestanding, as Celtic opened a rail-seating section, the first in the UK, that can hold up to 2,900 people, after Glasgow City Council gave them permission to build it in June 2015. Fittingly Celtic played a German side, Wolfsburg, in the first British football match to use rail seating.

Conversely Tracey Crouch, the current Sports Minister, has been more reticent to endorse an amendment to the current legislation on all-seater stadia. In a speech to the House of Commons in January 2016, she said: “The government is not at present persuaded by the case put forward to re-introduce standing accommodation in grounds covered by the allseater requirement.” But Crouch went on to say: “We will, however, monitor its introduction in Scotland closely and reassess this position once evidence from the Scottish experience is available.”

It will not just be the Sports Minister who will be looking keenly to see the results of Celtic’s trial, but many a Premier League club, not least West Ham, and football fan too.

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ISSUE 02 / 26th SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Get Involved University Sport

@MANCUNION_SPORT /TheMancunionSport/

Last week saw thousands of you milling around the university’s Welcome Fair, signing up to hundreds of societies, picking up free pens, and decapitating Margaret Thatcher—but now is the time to narrow down your search for the right society! #PURPLEANDPROUD #PURPLEATHEART #PURPLEANDPROUD #PURPLEATHEART #PURPLEANDPROUD #PURPLEATHEART Photo: Shito-Kai National Team , David Brierley

were not for having competed at University level and pushed myself in this way. Not only that, but it is also very good for your CV—working in the committee, and representing my sport off the tatami (competition arena) has given me opportunities which have really filled out my time studying at Manchester with far more than just a degree or a part time job could.

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Sport along-side your degree.

Honestly, is it helpful or a hindrance?

Manchester Shotokan Karate Club

Sport editor Harry Newton caught up with The Shotokan Karate Club’s David Brierley, who thinks this is the society for you!

Could you tell us a little bit about Karate?

Karate is a martial art from Okinawa, now part of Japan, which came from Chinese Kung Fu, Japanese Ju Jutsu, and a variety of other sources. In some ways, it was the original MMA—a combination of kicks, punches, grapples, and throws used as civilian self-defence. These days, however, most practice sport Karate— this is what has been entered into the Olympics for Tokyo 2020.

There are two disciplines of sport karate: Kata (choreographed sequences of techniques to demonstrate speed, power, technique, and coordination); and Kumite (semi-contact sparring, using punches, kicks, and some throws).

Why do you think it’s important to get involved with Martial Arts?

I don’t think it’s just Martial Arts that are important to get involved with, but sport in general—fitness is so important for physical and mental health, and even just a twenty-minute walk can do so much good to anyone. I in particular love Martial Arts because not only do they promote fitness, flexibility, and self-defence; but also Martial Arts promote respect, mental wellbeing, and humility. If anyone is looking for a sport to do that is not only a bit different to your typical notion of fitness, but also promotes and encourages positive sportsmanship, then you would be hard pressed to find something more suitable than a Martial Art. Martial Arts are also very inclusive— a huge range of people practice them worldwide, and there is a growing number of women and LGBTQ people actively involved with them, which I think is really encouraging for the future of the

Martial Art community.

You’ve been invited to be part of the Manchester XXI Club – could you tell us what this is, and how long it has taken you to reach this level?

The Manchester XXI Club is a sporting body that was set up to represent and promote highachieving sports-people at the University of Manchester—every year, they elect 21 people who have achieved a high level of success in their sport, and 21 people who have contributed a huge service to their sporting community. I was shocked to have been invited to become a member, and I am extremely proud to be able to represent my University at this level. Having started Karate four and a half years ago, I am now starting to compete at International level, but still have a very long way to go with my career.

Competing with the University club has helped my progress significantly, and the opportunities the Athletic Union, and its constituent clubs, offer to University students is something I believe everyone should take advantage of during their time at University.

What opportunities have become available to you since doing Karate at the University?

Competing at BUCS (The University Nationals) for the first time was the moment when I decided I wanted to start seriously competing in Karate. The level of competition at the University club is very high, and it was my situation that gave me the motivation and encouragement to work towards my goals. I will be attending the Shito-Ryu Karate World Championships in October this year, something I would be very unlikely to be doing if it

As surprising as it may seem, I truly think doing an AU sport alongside your degree is helpful to both. No one can just do their degree full on with no form of stress relief—when a deadline is coming in, and you have hit a wall, a couple of hours of training is almost always enough to give you the break you need to get back to it with a fresh outlook.

Physical health also promotes mental health as well, something that sadly too many people have difficulty with at University, myself included. With competitions to plan for, you become better organised with your time, and more aware of when and how you need to organise yourself— if you have to be in Edinburgh on the Sunday, submit an essay on the Wednesday, and then be down in London on the next Sunday, you simply have no option but to get yourself together.

Could you run us through what competitions the team compete in, and how regularly?

The University Karate Club are members of the KUGB, and therefore compete at their events.

Usually, this is two or three competitions in Semester One, and four to five in Semester Two—including our big event of the year, the University Nationals. These competitions range from regional to international level of competition, so there is plenty there for everyone.

How can others get involved?

Come train! There is no better way to get involved that to simple turn up—the University Karate club trains on Tuesdays and Fridays at the Trinity Sport Centre, and we welcome people from absolute beginners to seasoned veterans. We also have a Facebook Page, Twitter Page, and Facebook Group—give us a message, and we will be happy to help!

For first years who are not sure whether they should get involved or not, the answer is always yes—University, for me, has been a time of trying new things and making the most of the opportunities that a degree presents. Nowhere else will there be this amount of clubs and societies that you can do alongside your degree for as little cost as you will find them elsewhere.

UoM Gaelic Athletic Club Niamh Maguire Sport Reporter Gaelic football is at the core of Irish sport and culture. University of Manchester Gaelic Athletic Club aims to promote and develop the sport, reaching out to Irish students, students of Irish descent, and those who just want to try their hand at this fantastic sport!

Gaelic football is not like any team sport you have watched before; it is intense, fast-paced and exciting at every minute.

The game is played on a rectangular grass pitch between two rugby-style posts with a round ball. There are two types of scores; a point is achieved by kicking or hand passing the ball over the crossbar, and a goal (three points) is scored by getting the ball into the net. The ball can be carried up the field, with an action being used every four steps – either bouncing, kicking, hand-passing, or soloing (dropping the ball and then toe-kicking the ball upward into the hands). Teams are 15-aside and are usually made up of a goalkeeper, six defenders, six attackers and two midfielders. The game is governed by the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), set up in Ireland in 1884.

More locally, our team takes part in competitions run by the British Universities GAA. Last year saw the formation of the first ever University of Manchester Gaelic Football teams.

With a bit of help from the MMU team and St Lawrence’s (a local team), we got training sessions going in Platt Fields, with a good number of attendees every week. The season kicked off in October with a 7-a-side tournament, where our new men’s and lady’s teams got their first chance to announce their arrival, playing against other local teams from the North-West.

While our men’s team have had to wait a little longer to play in the county league, our ladies team had a full calendar, with matches taking place on week-

ends throughout October and November. Our ladies even made it to the British Universities Championships, which were hosted in Manchester, and included some fantastic teams from across the country.

While we didn’t win any trophies, we picked up lots of tips and strengthened ourselves as a team. Led this year by lady’s captain Roisin McCusker, and men’s captain Mark Boyle, we are ready to return to the 2016/17 season as a force to be reckoned with.

We are associated with current county champions, St Lawrence’s GAA team, based in Stretford, who have provided much support in lending us kit and equipment. They also provide extra training sessions for any of our members to attend, and a chance to play in both local and national leagues against clubs from across the country.

This association means that we have a strong connection with the rest of the Manchester Irish community, and allows our players to socialise and train with some of the best and most experienced players around.

As you would expect from any Irish sports team, we have a great social side too. Starting last year with a couple of Welcome Week events to introduce those new to Manchester to the best Irish bars in town, we continued to meet up regularly for GAA, soccer and rugby matches. A very nerve wrecking Sunday was spent watching the All Ireland men’s final last weekend with a last-minute draw between Mayo and Dublin meaning a replay (and another pub trip) is on the cards in the coming weeks. We saw 2015 out with the massively successful Christmas reindeer pub crawl, where our team of reindeers were challenged to a threelegged race around Didsbury, with lots of challenges along the way. Of course, this was all build up to St Patrick’s night. We celebrated the biggest night of the Irish calendar in 256 Fallowfield

with our hugely popular sell out Irish night, opening the doors to everyone to see how Paddy’s night is meant to be celebrated.

This year will be no different, with our new social secretary Mary Deery planning a huge year of events in collaboration with the Irish Society. The year ended with our AGM where we announced the new committee, with Sinéad Pearce to take over as chair, and Lauren Magee as secretary. A highlight of the year had to be our nomination for Best New Society at the Students’ Union award night.

We narrowly missed out on the title, but a great night-out was had, and we plan to return for glory this year.

Training sessions typically take place in Platt Fields on a Wednesday afternoon; Ladies training is 5-6, and Men’s training is 6-7. Sessions involve drills designed to improve fitness, ball skills and scoring, alongside match scenarios to prepare for competitions. We cater for all abilities from all backgrounds, welcoming players completely new to the sport, as well as those who grew up with GAA. Both of our teams are friendly and welcoming, and offer a great chance to learn new skills, develop existing ones, and of course, have the craic!

For information on training sessions and social events, please follow the University of Manchester Gaelic Athletics Club Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/UoMGaelic/ You can message any of the admins of this page (Sinéad Pearce, Lauren Magee, Niamh Maguire) with any questions All of our social events will also appear on the University of Manchester Irish Society 16/17 Facebook page: bit.ly/2cRksnj Alternatively, email us at UoM. IrishGaa@gmail.com

Manchester Abú!

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New EFL Trophy hit by #BTeamBoycott

_ @Mancunion_Sport

As the tournament enters its second round next week, the League will hope for fewer empty seats and fan protests Alex Whitcomb Sport Editor In 2015, the Football League announced that they would be changing their name—for the first time in their history—to the English Football league, to be commonly abbreviated to “EFL”.

Designed to improve the League’s image abroad, hopes were high among administrators that this would lead to new positive publicity for the divisions.

However, while the re-brand itself has been only been met with ambivalence at worst, the accompanying changes to what used to be the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy—the cup competition for Leagues One and Two—have been received with significant animosity.

Fans’ reactions to the addition of Premier league and Championship under-23 sides has drawn substantial amounts of embarrassing coverage.

With only 392 fans at Fleetwood’s first round EFL Trophy tie against Blackburn, hopes are not high for the second round of games taking place next week.

The introduction of Premier League B teams or academies to the Football League has been on the cards for some time now. In 2014, a Football Association commission proposed that Premier League teams would be able to have second teams competing in the Football League. Common in Spanish and German divisions, the idea is to give homegrown young players experience in senior leagues and potentially prepare them for the playing in the national side.

Spain and Germany having won the last two world cups does lend this argument some extra weight.

However, any plans allowing B teams to play in the Football League have been vehemently opposed, with it being already blocked indefinitely by the league’s clubs. Many EFL

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teams see it as a power grab by the Premier League, rather than an earnest attempt to improve the chances of young players developing in the English system. Foreign youngsters being allowed for the under-23 sides in the EFL trophy further detracts from the argument that

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Anything short of a wholesale change to the structure or scheduling of English football can be easily dismissed as sweeping difficult decisions or potential conflict under the carpet

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it is for developing the national team.

Also, the fact that the League One and Two clubs must themselves field full strength teams has incensed many, with fines of £5,000 per match being handed out to clubs who deliberately rest too many of their first team players. This prompted Portsmouth—whose fans are leading many of the protests against the competition—to say that they are prepared to pay the fines in order to rest the team for more important games.

The changes were voted through partly due to the Football League Trophy being largely seen as an irrelevance to the sides who played in it. Dwindling attendances and the competition being seen as largely a distraction from the task of being promoted, meant that there was much need for an overhaul. Some clubs were excited for the prospect of playing top premier league clubs, even if they were only to be their Under-23 teams.

Disappointingly for all of those clubs, the invitations were largely snubbed by the top sides. Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City were among clubs to turn down the prospect of playing in the EFL Trophy, and only 10 Premier League teams are playing in the tournament. The invitations had to be extended to Championship clubs in order to make up the numbers, which further added to the negative reception to the changes from the smaller clubs.

This is not to say that it has not been a total failure. Everton’s development squad manager David Unsworth— whose club did take up the invitation to compete—praised the opportunity for his players. He told BBC Sport that “it was really important that we entered this competition, come to places like this [The Macron Stadium] and experience a different kind of football.”

The main problem is that fixing the England team in the long-term is too big an issue to deal with in one action.

Former Executive Director of the Football Association David Davies, told BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Reunion’ in April of this year that the problem is that there is too much of a “dysfunctional relationship” between the major football organisations in England. He added that “nobody can tell you what are the agreed priorities of English football”.

What this means is that any small actions to improve the England team, such as the EFL Trophy changes, have the

potential to be met with ridicule. Anything short of a wholesale change to the structure or scheduling of English football can be easily dismissed as sweeping difficult decisions or potential conflict under the table.

The EFL are planning on expanding from three 24-team divisions to four 20team divisions in three years’ time—in order to ease fixture congestion, and to

ball Association, it would have made further mockery of the “English Football league” rebrand. Shutting these debates down early on—the League’s chiefs will surely hope—will cut down on speculation over the league’s future and any further prospect for protest.

The EFL Trophy is only going into its second round of matches this year, and already has made a lot of unfortunate

Photos:Wikimedia Commons

improve the England team—and this has already been managed better than the Trophy was this year. On Thursday the EFL announced that they had totally rejected adding B teams to the expanded leagues, the speed and clarity of the decision will be well received around the EFL grounds. The prospect of adding Old Firm clubs was also rejected, again a good move from the league, as not only would this have opened new conflicts with the Scottish Professional Football League, and the Foot-

headlines. The EFL chiefs will be hoping that this will die down as the tournament goes on, and that the rebrand will draw in enough positive interest from foreign media for it to eventually be deemed a success.

Attendances rising above club record lows will be a promising start.

Competition Manchester City are also offering one lucky competition winner the opportunity to see the team, and bring a friend, on the 15th of October to watch City play Everton at The Etihad.

Who scored the opening goal in September’s Manchester derby?

A) Kevin de Bruyne B) Kelechi Iheanacho

The tickets will give you the chance to watch Guardiola’s team from the new ’93:20 seats.

All you have to do is answer this simple question.

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

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C) Sergio Agüero Email your answers to sports@mancunion.com or tweet us your answer @ Mancunion_Sport. The competition will run until the week before the game. Good luck.

Photo:Wikimedia Commons