Issue3

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

3rd OCTOBER 2016 / ISSUE 03 FREE

More should be done to tackle neglectful landlords

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Labour Party Conference report

Mental health at Manchester: Is the university doing enough? P8-9

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Photo: University of Manchester Students’ Union (edit)

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95% of students can’t name Exec Team

Jennifer Sterne and Elise Gallagher Editor and Deputy Editor-in-chief

A survey of 141 University of Manchester students conducted by The Mancunion has revealed that a staggering 95 per cent of students cannot name their full Exec team.

Almost half of those surveyed cannot name a single member of the team, whilst 62 per cent of those surveyed also stated that they did not know what the Exec Team actually did.

When asked how many Exec team members they could name the highest score recorded was that of zero (49.25 per cent), the second highest statistic was that of being able to name just one Exec team member (17.16 per cent). The lowest proportion of students with just 0.75 per cent could name seven Exec team members.

A breakdown of the demographics of the poll reveal that 94 per cent of the students were undergraduates, and 71 per cent female (binary gender).

2015’s enrolment statistics calculated that Manchester had a total student population of 37,925—one of the largest in the country. However, these results seem to show that a very small fraction are aware of who their Exec team are and what they do for them.

Those who claimed to know what the Students’ Union Exec team did were asked within the poll to specify further.

Students responses ranged from as simple as “they run the union” and “stuff about uni” to the more bizarre, with one intriguingly reading “bow down to Ilyas, Ilyas bows down to no one”.

One student responded stating: “I kind of know. They basically are supposed to lead the student’s union, with each role having a special interest in a particular field of

university life. I have no clue as to their daily roles though.”

Another student claimed simply that they “run stuff, ban things etc”.

In response to these findings, the Exec have outlined who they are and what they do in an official statement: “The Exec Team are your eight elected representatives in all areas of student life, from Education to Diversity. We speak on your behalf to the University as well as organising various events and campaigns. This year it’s one of our main priorities to make sure our students know who we are and what we do— look out for our Food for Thought stalls around campus and in halls where we will come to you to hear your ideas and concerns, as well as letting you know what we’re working on.

“Currently, Ilyas is working hard to arrange loads of events for Black History Month in October, and Izzy is organising World Mental Health Day on the 10th. Jenni and Saffa are working with GMP and others to relaunch Student Safety Zones.”

This poll was conducted during the week of the first senate meeting of the academic year, at which many members of the Exec team were in attendance; here’s a quick outline as to what passed and failed to get through.

Motions such as the possibility of holding a referendum on leaving the NUS was rejected by 85 per cent of the Senate.

However, the remaining motions were passed, such as the introduction of a ‘Part-time Working Class Student Officer’— as supported by 73 per cent of Senate—and the introduction of a second International Student Officer.

The Daily Star will no longer be available for sale at the Students’ Union as voted for by 92 per cent of Senate, and a motion for an effective strategy to combat sexual harassment on campus was also passed with 97 per cent in favour.

Man stabbed on Curry Mile Alexandra Bickell News Editor

A 25-year-old man was stabbed in the head and abdomen on the Curry Mile on Friday 30th September. Manchester Evening News has reported that the attack occurred in broad daylight, around 10:20am, close to Shere Khan restaurant.

The North West Ambulance Service were called to the scene within minutes of the attack. The victim was taken immediately to Manchester Royal Infirmary and he is currently in a critical condition.

The victim was stabbed in a chip shop on the Curry Mile, the common name for the section of Wilmslow Road that goes through Rusholme. As a result, this part of the road has been cordoned off, as has all of Walmer Street and parts of Great Western Street and Heald Grove.

There have been reports given of a fight taking place earlier in the morning outside the Rusholme Chippy, a local takeaway and café, although the eatery has not been available for comment thus far. The whole area outside this restaurant

has been sealed off by police and an employee at Shere Khan said that he had been told two members of staff from the Rusholme Chippy were involved in the argument.

Forensic experts are now combing the cordoned areas for evidence as a part of the police investigation, but all businesses in the surrounding areas remain open as usual.

Anyone with information on the stabbing is being urged to contact police on 101 quoting reference number 629 of 30/09/2016, or by calling Crimestoppers anonymously on 080 555 111.

Photo:Elise Gallagher

Turn to page two for an apology from the Students’ Union Exec team

News

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Picture of the week: Panorama of Ashburn, Sheavyn and Tower halls Photos: Alicia Love

Statement from the Exec team Highlights P11

Last week, an opinion piece was written in the Mancunion by a student about our President and Vice-Chancellor, Nancy Rothwell. This reflected the student’s own views, and we would like to clarify that the opinions on Nancy do not reflect the views of the Students’ Union. In that regard, the Students’ Union as publishers of The Mancunion would like to apologise to Nancy for any offence caused.

As officers, we meet Nancy regularly (in some cases weekly), and though we do not always agree on everything, we have always had an open and constructive relationship. This is especially crucial due to the forthcoming changes to Higher Education.

As a team it is our role to ensure that the student voice is heard at every level of the University, and to hold the University to account. We ensure this by having a relationship defined by reciprocal respect. When challenges arise in the University, having an open dialogue with our Vice-Chancellor is key to amplifying the student voice. In our experience we have found her to be transparent and genuinely interested in the student body.

The role of student media is very important in holding the University and the Union to account, to air different views and we will always make sure this remains the case. We are very proud of volunteers who take the time to inform others on key issues and bring a great insight into student life.

We hope to both carry on our constructive relationship with Nancy and the University, whilst equally making sure our student media maintains appropriately open and unhindered journalistic opportunities for the student body.

NUS Vice-Presidents sign letter blasting NUS leadership over anti-Semitism

Opinion: Can Labour sell ‘21st Century Socialism’?

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Fashion & Beauty: Solving your dating outfit dilemmas

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68 SU Presidents, NUS Reps and even three NUS VPs sign an open letter criticising the leadership of the NUS for how it deals with anti-Semitism

Charlie Spargo News Contributor More than 60 student leaders, including three of the NUS’s Vice-Presidents, have signed an open letter calling upon the Union’s leadership to take Jewish students’ concerns seriously and address anti-Semitism effectively.

“NUS’ leadership has rightly come under increased scrutiny for its attitude towards Jewish students,” the letter reads.

“They have been held to account for undermining Jewish students’ ability to elect their own representatives, and challenged on antisemitic rhetoric. Ultimately this was a key issue in a number of disaffiliation campaigns from Students’ Unions across the country.”

The letter, among many Students’ Union Presidents and NUS Reps, was signed by Richard Brooks, NUS VP Union Development; Rob Young, NUS VP Society and Citizenship; and Shakira Martin, NUS VP Further Education.

Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s World at One last Wednesday, Brooks said: “When a number of Jewish students over a consistent period of time say they do not feel safe participating in student politics and in the student movement, I think we have to take that really seriously and listen.”

The signatories raised in particular an interview in The Guardian of NUS President Malia Bouattia, who has been accused by many since her election of anti-Semitic attitudes: “Jewish students have repeatedly highlighted concerns and yet again their voices have been dismissed”,

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com The Mancunion @TheMancunion Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com

Sport: What are TUEs?

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, Lauren Bramley, Adriana Elgueta, Lauren Pizzey, Stevie Grieves sub@mancunion.com

the letter said.

In April a number of heads of UK student Jewish Societies expressed their concern over past comments Bouattia had made, calling upon her to apologise and tackle antiSemitism or risk losing the confidence of many Jewish students.

In the past Bouattia has been quoted referring to her alma mater, the University of Birmingham, as “something of a Zionist outpost”.

The open letter, published to Medium on the 28th of September, reads: “We, the undersigned, stand with Jewish students in their right to feel represented, safe and welcome in participating in NUS’ democracy.

“We must listen to Jewish students when they say something is antisemitic. We apologise for anything or anyone that would make you feel otherwise, and promise to respect, champion and listen to your concerns. The student movement and NUS is absolutely a place for you.”

In response to the letter, Bouattia said: “I support my colleagues in the NUS leadership in calling for assurances that Jewish students will be safe on campus and I will do everything in my power to ensure that is the case.

“My priorities for the year ahead include a focus on inclusion, tackling hate crime on campuses and ensuring that all marginalised and oppressed groups feel safe in the movement.­ “I look forward to working with my officers and NEC colleagues to continue to listen to Jewish students and support them in being part of NUS.”

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: Alicia Love, Lorimer Macandrew and Virginia Saul Copyright of imagery belongs to the photographers and anyone wishing to reproduce them should contact them

Letter from the Editor-in-chief As you may have gathered from glancing at our front page, last week The Mancunion conducted a poll of students to gather how well they knew our Exec team. The results were staggering, with 95 per cent unable to name the team and almost half of those polled unable to name a single member.

On top of this 62 per cent did not know what the Exec team do for students.

This week has seen the news break that students are having to share single bedrooms in Warwick as the university cashes in on an influx of EU students, yet another frightening example of the trade-off of student welfare in favour of a marketised education system.

We have also seen prominent figures in the NUS criticise their leadership over the ongoing antiSemitism controversy.

If this was not enough the end of last week it was announced that University tuition fees are set to rise above £9,500 for all students, with further plans to rank universities into three Olympic-style groups of gold, silver and bronze. Only universities achieving these rankings will be able to raise their fees alongside inflation.

Not only does this leave the future uncertain for students wishing to go to university, as if the uncertainty of Brexit was not quite enough, it could result in students from disadvantaged backgrounds opting for lower achieving universities if the fees are less than the top ranking.

In light of the volatile nature of national and student politics currently, students knowing who represents them and what they can do for them is crucial, and the current ambivalence needs to be addressed.

Our union voted in their first senate to not hold a referendum on leaving the NUS, but if 95 per cent of our student body are unaware of who they are, and 65 per cent of what they do, how representative was that vote? What is clear is more needs to be done to engage students in the workings of the Students’ Union, and as their response to the article highlights they are working to try achieve this.

Also included in this issue is a feature on pages eight and nine, looking into how the university deals with mental health. The article highlights some of successes of the system, but brings to light many issues which still need to be addressed.

We will also be providing our own analysis of the Labour Party conference, asking whether Labour can sell ‘21st century socialism’ on page eleven of opinion this week. Next week our Labour party conference commentator will also be reporting back from his time at the conservative party conference, with a student perspective.

Although it may sometimes seem it, it’s not all doom and gloom, and we have plenty in the issue to lighten the mood. For example if you turn to Food & Drink this week you’ll find a recipe for a Spanish omelette; what could possibly be better to lift the mood than that?

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 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Brexit rush causes university to have shortage of accommodation There is a shortage of student accommodation at The University of Warwick as they experience a rush of EU students pre-Brexit Jennifer Sterne Editor-in-chief Students at the University of Warwick are being forced to share single bedrooms or to stay in hotels after an accommodation shortage was sparked by the rush of EU students enrolling pre-Brexit.

Around 120 freshers have been forced to share rooms, and 150 postgraduate students have been placed in hotels for this term. The Students’ Union have argued that this move proves the university puts money before student welfare. Reportedly, students have been told they can have their own rooms once there are drop outs.

University of Warwick Students’ Union has said that the situation “demonstrates the dangers of a marketised education system whereby student welfare is traded off against money in the bank”. A university spokesperson speaking to The Independent claimed Brexit was one of the causes of the shortage. Unexpected numbers of EU students have accepted places at the university in order to get into a British university before the

UK leaves the EU. Students form the EU can currently study in the UK at the same price as UK students, however this could change post-Brexit, causing a rush for places this year. Peter Dunn, director of press and policy at Warwick, said Brexit had introduced “a great degree of uncertainty to student recruitment”.

“We expected the number of non-British EU students to fall after the referendum,” he said, “but what actually happened was the number of acceptances increased.”

On top of this, an unprecedented number of students have chosen to go to university this year, due to fears about the potential hike in fees next year. Many freshers have taken to a Facebook group to complain about the current situation.

Sarah McHugh, a first-year undergraduate student from Preston, who has been placed in a shared single room in the Westwood student halls, said: “If I am to be completely honest, I’m really not happy about having to share a room,” she said. “I will have no privacy and the room is only a single so it will be really claustrophobic.

I’m nervous to start now.”

Kieran O’Shea, another student said: “I’m not exactly keen, being someone who likes to have their own private space, also the fact of whether or not I’ll like this person and what they’ll be like. It’ll be a bit weird having to share my entire lifestyle with a complete stranger... it has made me have some extra concerns consequently dampening excitement about starting university.”

Warwick Students’ Union released a statement on their website in which they acknowledge the “severe lack of accommodation due to over-recruitment by the university.” The Union’s postgraduate officer, Nat Panda, stated that this is the fourth consecutive year that postgraduates had been left without sufficient accommodation, which he put down to “mismanagement by the university”.

He added: “Every year, we are given assurances that it won’t happen again—and then, 12 months down the line, the situation invariably worsens.

“There are students who applied for their courses in the spring—and accommodation as early as May—who are now hearing that

they are not being offered any permanent accommodation just a week before they are due to arrive.”

A University of Warwick spokesperson said: “UK postgraduate student recruitment has always contained a significant degree of uncertainty, but this year the university has seen a significantly higher number of people meeting and accepting of offers to study or research at postgraduate level.

“We currently have 154 postgraduate students in hotels. Of those 154 we can already offer 60 rooms, leaving 94 students who will all be found accommodation, either on campus or through the private sector.

“There were 120 undergraduate students doubled up in large single rooms, which is fewer than in previous years. That figure has already dropped from 60 sharing rooms to 50.

“The University of Warwick has pledged £90m towards building more accommodation for students on campus, including 267 more rooms for next year.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Students leave sexual assault talk after man urges boycott Araddhna Patel Deputy Lifestyle Editor This year, the University of York’s first year students were made to attend a mandatory fire safety talk followed by a non-compulsory discussion on the ways to prevent, intervene, and report any incidents of sexual assault and rape on campus.

A male third-year undergraduate student named Ben Froughi impersonated a member of university staff, and encouraged fellow freshers to boycott the sexual consent talk because he claimed it was “patronising”. He also distributed flyers, which had the university’s official logo on it, that told first years that the consent talk was “optional” and any attendees were “free to leave after the fire safety talk” according to Nouse, the University of York’s student newspaper.

Even though the event organisers informed the attendees at the start of the event that the fire safety talk was compulsory but the sexual consent talk was not, Mr. Froughi distributed his flyer and urged the freshers to boycott the sexual consent talk.

York university officials told Mr. Froughi that he was not allowed to distribute any material with the university’s official logo on it, but that did not stop him; he cut off the top part of the flyers that bore the university logo and continued handing them out to students. It is reported that around a quarter of the students who attended the fire safety talk walked out before the sexual assault segment.

Nouse quoted Mr. Froughi as saying, “con-

sent talks are patronising; if students really need lessons in how to say yes or no then they should not be at university. [These type of discussions] propagate the backward message that all women are potential victims and all men potential rapists.”

Mia Chaudhuri-Julyan and Lucy Robinson, the University of York’s Women’s Officers who had arranged the sexual assault segment, said that they were accepting of Mr. Froughi’s “right to an opinion” but did not appreciate his attempts to pose as a staff member. They said that his behaviour led to a compromising of students’ safety in Mr. Froughi’s “attempt to prevent new students receiving basic safety information”.

A joint statement by both the Women’s Officers was released to Nouse: “The talks were gender neutral, short and solution based.

They were accessible to all and actively invited questions and discussion”.

Dom Smithies, York’s Welfare Officer, said: “Sexual violence is, sadly, a reality. Putting in place measures to ensure students are better informed to both prevent it and to highlight the support and services that are available is the right thing to do”.

Mr. Smithies also said that the feedback he received from the consent talk was “overwhelmingly positive”, and many students later stated that attendance should have been made compulsory for all freshers. He also added, “the safety and well being of all York students is in everyone’s interest”.

Universities to charge fees over £9,500 Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor

After the recent announcement of select universities decision to charge up to £9,250 for some courses, with the University of Exeter even raising fees for continuing students, the government has announced plans to initiate an Olympic-style ranking system.

Running as part of the new Teaching Excellence Framework, universities’ will be ranked gold, silver or bronze, with the institutions with the best teaching quality being able to charge more. However, the Department of Education has stated that an initial increase to fees of £9,500, for students starting in the autumn of 2018, will be a second “trial year” before the ranking system is put in place.

A spokesperson from the Department of Education has said: “Universities will not be able to increase their fees unless they pass rigorous quality standards. We have always been clear that as the framework develops it will become increasingly robust, with additional criteria… introduced into the judging process.”

The ranking will last up to three years and will be assessed by an experienced panel of experts. According to reports, it will be evaluated using drop-out rates, student satisfaction results, and graduate employment rates.

As of now, all universities are allowed to charge £9,250 in the academic year 2017-18.

Controversially however, 30 higher education institutions have stated that they are using this figure as a minimum, posing the possibility that the number could rise even higher.

In fact, all but two of the 138 English universities’ that have full-time students have not ruled out increasing their fees. Every institution in the prominent Russell Group, which includes the University of Manchester, has confirmed they will be involved in this change.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: “The framework will give students clear, understandable information about where the best teaching is on offer, and for the first time [will] place teaching quality on a par with research at our universities.”

Photo: Moyan Brenn @Flickr

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Labour Party conference report Preview: Corbyn expects to win general election with ‘21st century socialism’ Campaign Supernova Barney Weston News Contributor

Campaign Supernova - a free social event open to all student activists of social change

Amy Bradley News Contributor Campaign Supernova is an event running on Tuesday 4th October that will bring together campaigners, activists and students to “discuss creative ways to participate in change and democracy”. The evening, which starts at 6pm in the Council Chambers of the Students’ Union, invites everyone to attend live talks by a variety of campaign groups from across the country. The idea aims to put successful campaign groups such as, ‘Stop Rainbow Racism’ on a platform that is accessible to university students of all subjects and background in order to inspire people about how they can make social change.

The different campaign groups will open up about what they do and how they have achieved results from such campaigns in the hope of educating and motivating young people on how they themselves can get involved. In reflection of what the event stands for, ‘The Real Junk Food Project’ will provide food for the evening, which is a group that make meals out of food waste from supermarkets. The aim is to save food, produce perfectly edible dishes, and create less waste. Students will gain accessibility to the fantastic talks, a meal provided by the ‘The Real Junk Food Project’, and either a glass of prosecco or a soft drink.

There will be a variety of speakers talking about lots of different campaign topics ranging from food poverty, stopping racism, the refugee crisis and locally led community projects. One group that will be present on the evening is the successful, ‘Love Withington Baths’ who campaigned and won against the closing of the last working Edwardian pool in Manchester. Through friendly campaigning and non-political protests, they accumulated a staggering 8,000 signatures in just two weeks that were in support of keeping the baths open after Manchester City Council announced plans to close the much loved facility.

They will highlight the importance of campaigning to make social change that really matters to local communities.

Students’ Union executive team member and Campaigns and Citizenship officer, Sorcha Floyd, commented on the event saying, “our university and the wider student movement have a proud history of campaigning to make social change.” She then went on to say that “Campaign Supernova will offer students an opportunity to be inspired and create change.”

Photo: The U niversity of Manchester

4TH | OCT | 2016 WITH SPEAKERS FROM:

END RAINBOW RACISM BLACK GIRLS PICNIC ACTIONAID #TAXPOWER #REFUGEESWELCOME &MORE

Jeremy Corbyn closed the Labour Conference, which took place in Liverpool from the 25th–28th September 2016, stating that he is “convinced” his party can climb “an electoral mountain” when the next general election comes. Additionally, Corbyn expects a general election as soon as next year. He stated in his speech: “So today, we put ourselves on notice.

Labour is preparing for a general election in 2017 […] Let’s do it, and be ready for the challenge whenever it comes.”

Corbyn is ready to build support by “being the voice of women, of young people and pensioners, middle and lower income workers, the unemployed and the self-employed, minority communities and those struggling with the impact of migration at work and everyone struggling to get on, and secure a better life for themselves, their families and communities.”

Corbyn’s second consecutive leadership election victory, with a majority win of 119,980, will arguably make it difficult for the Labour party

to move in any other direction than the one their leader proposes—“21st century socialism”.

However, party division was a dominating theme of conference, and it was openly addressed throughout. Corbyn called for an end to “the trench warfare”, and the eight standing ovations during the closing speech—“more than under the Blair years”, Shadow Secretary of State for Health Diane Abbott seemed pleased to proclaim—suggests that perhaps the message had taken hold. Following days of under-the-covers rumors and speculation, the concept of a ‘Labour family’ was Corbyn’s solution.

Unity has not only been a theme of this conference, but also seems to have emerged as a theme of Corbyn’s policy. He and his loyal team seem to have worked out their vision for the party, and see their overwhelming mandate as justification to enforce their policy on the party and encourage everyone to get round it. He closed the conference by stating: “Conference, united, we can shape the future, and build a fairer Britain, in a peaceful world.”

Corbyn has not been quiet about the socialist tendencies of his policy.

In his closing speech he termed it as, “21st century socialism […] the socialism I believe in is everyone working for the same goal, and everyone sharing in the rewards.” Yet he understands that it may prove difficult to win a general election when the word “socialism” could be considered ‘taboo’ by some.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell addressed this at the end of his speech last Tuesday, attempting to turn the word into something to be proud of, concluding; “that’s our vision to rebuild and transform Britain. In this party you no longer have to whisper it, it’s called Socialism.”

With a full bench team expected by the 10th of October, when parliament recommences, the party still has a long way to go before a general election. But for now, at the end of another year’s conference, the members of the party who will likely make up Corbyn’s shadow cabinet are looking a lot more united than they did a year ago. But peace? “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that,” says Diane Abbott.

Photo: Ally Rouledge

Are universities sexist?

Recent studies have found that only 22 per cent of professors are female. Does this mean that universities are inherently sexist?

Iqra Choudry News Contributor

In 2016, gender equality in higher education institutions should no longer have to be discussed.

However, after examining the current data on male-to-female ratios at universities, it’s clear that gender parity is far from being a reality in academics.

A recent BBC article asked ‘Are universities secretly sexist?’

The answer? They very well could be.

The history of women in higher education is sadly brief and little-publicised. Although the first university in the world was set up by a woman (and a Muslim woman, no less), most universities did not accept female students for centuries. Oxford and Cambridge were reluctant to take on female undergraduates, and even after establishing colleges for specifically for them in the early 20th century, did not give them the freedom to pursue their studies – students had to obtain permission to attend lectures and were not allowed to take degrees.

A century or so on, some things have thankfully changed for the better, with most undergraduate degrees across the UK seeing an equal number of male and female students taking up places. Of course, some courses see a gender skew; Psychol-

ogy, English literature and Nursing attract far more female than male students, and Physics and Engineering are male-dominated courses. However, the number of female students and academics drastically decreases as you ascend the academic career ladder.

Life Sciences often sees more women than men in undergraduate and Masters courses. Yet at a doctoral and post-doctoral level, these women seem to be disappearing, with many of the bioscience departments across the UK still being heavily dominated by male professors, senior lecturers, researchers and vice chancellors. Half of lecturers are women, but only 24% of professors are women – there are clearly qualified women in universities, so why aren’t we seeing them in more prominent roles?

Dame Athene Donald, a Professor at Cambridge University blames a ‘subtle blend of cultural expectations’.

There are a whole host of factors that she includes in this ‘blend’. For example, women aren’t encouraged to aim for doctoral research or postdoc positions at universities, nor are they often given adequate support from mentors at universities when professing interest in moving up in academics.

Women also face both conscious and unconscious bias – studies have shown that when sending the same application to jobs using both male and female names, employers are often more likely to contact a male candidate, despite their being no differences between the two applications but the supposed gender of the applicant.

It is also well-known that women are more likely to take career breaks if starting a family and this can hinder their chances at being promoted within universities.

Some argue that the recent appointment of women to the heads of world-renowned universities such as Oxford and Harvard signals a change in the male-dominated trend. That slowly but surely, higher education is making steps towards parity. Others argue that single steps like these aren’t enough. To that effect, initiatives like the Athena SWAN Charter have been established to encourage universities to give women more opportunities and to support their progress within academia, with awards and funding opportunities as incentives.

Until gender equality is reached throughout higher education, the question will remain: are universities doing enough for women?

FOOD PROVIDED BY:

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

Photo: Flickr@John Twohig

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

To prescribe or not to prescribe? The dangers of antibiotic resistance

New research reveals that the misuse of antibiotics have caused a serious impact on global health Shivani Kaura Science & Technology Contributor

A recent study by the O’Neil AMR Review stated that the rise in antibiotic resistance by bacteria will cause more deaths than cancer in the year 2050 raising concern by the Public Health Sector in the UK. The University of Manchester hosted a debate on the use of antibiotics last Wednesday evening, mainly focusing on different methods to reduce resistance from both healthcare professionals and the public.

Led by the Antibiotic Guardian, the evening consisted of not educating, a term which many speakers had to correct themselves with, but familiarising the public and students with the implications of using antibiotics unnecessarily and revealing the impact of misuse on a wider scale in the long run. Antibiotics are a course of treatment given to patients who are suffering from a bacterial infection. They work by inhibiting the growth of microbes and destroys any that are already active. Bacteria is an evolutionary imperative for all life forms so it can be dangerous when dealing with bacteria that is beneficial in our bodily systems.

The public were first given an insight on the history of antibiotics

by Professor Laura Piddock, who is the BSAC Chair in Public Engagement. Piddock described antibiotics as a ‘wonder drug’ and stated, “most of us wouldn’t be around if it wasn’t for antimicrobials”. She then went on to talk about some of the earlier cases of meningitis that were treated by prophylaxis, an antibiotic. However, due to the recent rise in resistance of the bacteria, children and first-time university students are eligible to receive vaccinations to prevent catching the

harmful infection. This can reduce the need of antibiotics and ensures that they are only used when absolutely necessary.

Between talks and discussions given by the panel and key speakers, the audience were introduced to a variety of videos which gave an insight to real-life scenarios. They focused on individuals sharing their stories and how important antibiotics were when they became ill. One particular patient that struck a chord was a recent cancer survivor who had undergone chemotherapy, a treatment that suppresses the immune system making patients more susceptible to catching infections.. They said: “If it were not for the antibiotics prescribed, I wouldn’t have survived.”

They said: “If it were not for the antibiotics prescribed, I wouldn’t have survived.”

Antibiotic resistance is at an all time high which reduces the effect of the medication when prescribed to a patient. Dr Andrew Dodgson, of Public Health England and Central Manchester Hospitals NHS, stated that bacteria are not “clever”. Bacteria is a predictable cell that has no brain and therefore we should be capable of slowing down the dangers of bacteria rapidly reproducing. He also noted that we should also be able to pressurise their revolutionary process. However, this can be risky as it may cause harmful bacteria to mutate more, giving rise to strands of antibiotics resistant bacteria.

Dinosaur feathers were the same colour as human hair A new study led by the University of Manchester has found that dinosaur feathers came in a variety of colours including black, brown, and ginger Alec Wilby Science & Technology Contributor Anyone who paid attention to Jurassic Park’s world-renowned paleontologist Dr Alan Grant (Sam Neill) knows that dinosaurs had feathers, not scales. However, a big question for researchers has always been what colour were they? New research led by the University of Manchester has shown that dinosaurs’ feathers were similar in colour to some human hair – although brown and black feathers were more common than red.

The investigation was looking at the chemical composition of melanin (a general name for a group of naturally occurring pigments). By mapping the metal distribution in feathers from various birds with synchrotron X-ray techniques, the group found that eumelanin and pheomelanin (the variants responsible for black/brown and red/yellow hair colouring respectively) interact differently with calcium, copper, sulphur, and zinc.

The group, led by the University of Manchester’s Professor Roy Wogelius, had previously used similar methods to look at metal distribution within fossils. Although they concluded that the presence of copper in these fossils was evidence of eumelanin, they couldn’t confidently distinguish between the two types of melanin. In their new work they analysed 4 different types of feathers with very distinct colour patterns, in order to discern a difference between eumelanin and pheomelanin.

By studying how the different metals build up in feathers, the team has been able to build up a general picture of how melanin behaves. The work has provided the basis for an “evidencebased colour palette” which, combined with elemental maps of fossils, will allow researchers to show how the dinosaurs might have looked. Importantly, the X-ray techniques used were nondestructive meaning paleontologists won’t need to risk the integrity of their collections just to find out what they looked like.

The original paper was published and can be found in Nature.

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Dr Mahesh Nirmalan followed next, and proceeded to answer the questions of when it is the right time to prescribe antibiotics and how can doctors distinguish whether an infection is due to fungal, viral or bacterial invasion of the body. Dr Nirmalan, having practiced medicine for 25 years, stated that a subjective component in decision making is inevitable and if you go for the safe option you can always have a reason for prescription. If there is a delay in prescribing the antibiotics, it can make the patient suffer for longer if there is a bacterial infection.

The conclusion to the debate was simply, the more experienced a doctor you are, the more likely you are to have a better understanding of what the patient is suffering from. This result could put pressure on junior doctors as many would rather just “give it rather than risk it”, pushing whether we should prioritise an individual or society.

The discussion finally concluded with what the public can do to prevent the misuse of antibiotics. A community pharmacist, Mohammed Hussain, stated that pharmacists should be given more responsibility and should be asked by patients whether they really think they require the course of antibiotics. The medication gives rapid diagnostics and can easily let the doctor know whether the patient is suffering from a bacterial infection or not.

Studies by Bad Bugs, No Drugs IDSA in 2004 led a series of investigations revealing that at this rate, bacteria is ahead of us and individuals may no longer see the impact of antibiotics, changing global health forever. So the next time you visit the doctor ask yourself: “Do I really need these antibiotics?’

Credit: AJC1@Flickr

Manchester research programme to improve cancer prevention A new programme has been developed with the Christie to tackle cancer prevention Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor A new prevention and early detection (PED) research initiative has been launched in Manchester following a major cancer conference in the city.

The new research programme will be under the control of The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, which is Europe’s biggest single-site cancer research centre, located in Manchester.

Experts at the launch of the PED predicted that the NHS could save up to £44 million a year even if just four of the most prominent cancers were diagnosed earlier. The event drew over 130 leading academics and scientists in the field.

It was announced at the conference that the PED will focus on breast, colorectal/bowel, gynaecological, and lung cancers. 21 per cent of Greater Manchester residents are smokers and subsequently deaths from lung cancer in the region are 10 per cent higher that the UK average.

Sir Salvador Moncada, Institute Director of Cancer Sciences at The University of Manchester, has said: “It is against this backdrop that we really start the engine of prevention and early detection research today.

“In association with other part-

ners in The University of Manchester’s cancer beacon—a groundbreaking collaboration designed to push cancer research to its furthest boundaries—all the partners in the new programme will be shining a spotlight on the issue of cancer prevention and early detection, and our scientists and researchers will be utterly focused on developing order of magnitude breakthroughs in this crucial area of cancer treatment.”

The launch of such a large research programme is in part possible thanks to the £28.5 million funding given to the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, to which the University has ties, by the National Institute for Health Research.

Cancer is considered a research beacon at the University of Manchester, along with graphene and solving youth unemployment.

Credit: TECU Consulting UK@Flickr

Pangaea Festival – Down the Rabbit Hole Costume Competition The Mancunion Pangaea costume competition is back.

We sent photographers down the rabbit hole last weekend to find the best that Wonderland could offer.

The final shortlist is below and all students are invited to vote for their favourite on The Mancunion website.

Photos: Lorimer Macandrew

Hats off to this Mad Hatter costume

“Contrariwise, if you think this costume is the bestyou ought to vote for to us”

Johnny Depps wish they could turn back time

The White Rabbit and The Mad Hatter ask you “take some more tea”

The King of Hearts in not a DAB costume

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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

Stories by: Emily Hughes, Araddhna Patel, Harry Newton, Sarah Casey, Rebecca Noël, Isidora Cortes-Monroy, Georgie Hines

A coffee to perk you up Italy Ever considered having a three day boner? Impossible, you may say. Stiff Bull’s new instant coffee, however, makes this possible. They claim that by mixing Malaysian jungle herbs this new brew allows drinkers to ‘stay hard longer’, giving them an erection that could last 2 to 3 days. This would most certainly be the reaction among its drinkers, not so much because of the natural herbs, but rather because of the Viagraesque drug, demethyl carbodenafil, which can be found in their coffee, but curiously enough not on their list of ingredients. The question thus remains; what is the reaction among its female drinkers?

T- Rex Sex Scandal UK A woman has become an internet hit, after being pictured in Devon’s Exmouth Dino Trail engaging in a sexual act with a model T-Rex. The nameless woman was sporting a leopard-print top, and nothing else but a pair of heeled-shoes, as is seen to be straddling the model.

The organiser of the Trail, John Thorogood, spoke with the Exeter Express; “I saw the image on social media and was completely disgusted by it. It was clearly a deliberately posed photograph of a very immature adult engaged in a sex act. Whilst we have had some deliberate damage to the dinosaurs in past weeks, this episode brings things to an all-time low…”

Contrary to belief, the dinosaur was a T-Rex, and not a Doyouthinktheysaurus.

Man stabbed in queue waiting for pizza

USA A little after 4am last week, at the Jumbo Pizza restaurant in Washington DC, a man was stabbed when he confronted another customer who had cut in line. Jose Nelson Melendez Rodriguez is then reported to have pulled out a knife from his backpack and stabbed the man who challenged him.

The victim punched his attacker and knocked him unconscious, whilst Justin McKinney, the victim’s friend, reportedly kicked Rodriguez in the head as he fell. McKinney was later arrested by the police when they arrived at the scene of the crime on U Street, as was Rodriguez. The victim and Rodriguez, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries, were taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Russia retracts approval for gay rights Russia Founder of Moscow Pride, Nikolai Alexyev, is threatening to go to court after permission for a parade in favour of same-sex marriage in Ivanovo was retracted hours after he posted the Deputy Mayor’s approval online. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Alexyev’s post met huge attention from Russian websites, especially since the march would seem to contradict the 2013 law which banned “propagation of non-traditional sexual relationships” around children.

Whilst the author of this law, MP Vitaly Milonov, has said permission may have been granted due to a “gay secret agent in city hall”, a city spokeswoman confirmed that permission was revoked because the march would be too close to schools and the deputy mayor was not in a position of authority to approve it. Later, however, the acting mayor indicated that permission for small gatherings is “not required”.

In Science this week...

Science by: Sarah Casey, Emily Hughes

Blackberry no more It was a handy piece of technology and a fashion statement for business people and phone-addicted teenagers in the 00’s, but the Blackberry will now cease to be a part of our lives. We have moved forward leaps and bounds from the days of BBM-ing, with Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and iMessage all competing to be the best way to message your friends and colleagues. 14 years later, the BlackBerry smart phone is no longer a contender in this battle as after suffering another quarterly loss. BlackBerry Ltd announced it will now outsource manufacturing and focus on software for mobile devices for companies and governments. CEO John Chen has said: “We have made investment over a billion-plus, all in software, all in security, and now we need to execute it”.

He liked it and he put a ring on it USA Andrew Fox had spent months planning the perfect proposal to his girlfriend Heather by getting tickets for them both to see the Yankees, their favourite team, at the Yankee Stadium. He even arranged for a message to come up on the big screen during the game. However, when the cameras turned to him and he opened the engagement ring box he had a case of the butterfingers and dropped the ring.

Panic ensued as he frantically rummaged around on the floor, with Heather herself and others seated near them joining the search too.

The cameras eventually went back to the game but luckily Andrew found the ring shortly after and popped the question. Heather said yes. Interviewed afterwards, Andrew confessed to the Yankee Stadium host, “I was starting to think ‘oh no, if we don’t find this, it will be the biggest fail in history.’”

Pepe the Frog now a hate symbol The cartoon of Pepe the Frog is now as offensive as the Swastika and the ‘Blood Drop Cross’ of the Ku Klux Klan. It has been added to a list of provocative symbols by the Anti-Defamation League said that “racists and haters” had “taken a popular internet meme and twisted it”.

Pepe first made his appearance in 2005 and is popular on online sites such as 4chan, 8chan, and Reddit, often used to joke about emotions or experiences. ADL’s chief executive, Johnathan A Greenblatt, has said: “They are abusing the image of a cartoon character, one that might at first seem appealing, to harass and spread hatred on social media.”

First baby born to three parents Jordan A couple from Jordan have been the first to undergo a new fertility treatment, regarded by some as the most important step forward since IVF. A controversial element of this technique is the fact that it involves a child being born from three biological parents, since DNA from a sperm, an egg, and another egg’s mitochondria are all used. The method is primarily for couples who are susceptible to passing on genetic diseases through maternal mitochondrial DNA, such as the Jordanian couple, whose first two children were lost to Leigh syndrome. This genetic disease has a fatal impact on the developing nervous system and the genes to encode it lie within the mitochondria.

The technique involves the transferal of nuclear DNA from the maternal egg into a donor egg which has had its own nucleus removed, before fertilisation with the father’s sperm, thus creating a developing embryo absent of the diseased mitochondrial DNA. Much controversy surrounds this field of fertility medicine and is still banned in the US. However, more and more scientists are starting to see this as the ethical way to prevent disease and save lives.

Spider bites man on penis, again Australia Eight legs was just not enough for one Redback spider in Australia, as it bit a man on his penis in Australia. To make matters worse, this was the second time in five months that the man had been bitten in the exact same spot on his penis – both in a toilet.

The man, who will only be known as ‘Jordan’ in the press, says that he is “the most unlucky guy in the country at the moment.” Nobody has died from a Redneck spider bite since an antivenom was developed in 1956, which may come as some consolation to Jordan. What a heinous penis thing the spider did.

What a Tweet gesture USA Two students at Pennsylvania State University have had an argument of epic proportions, capturing the attention of nearly 100,000 people across the world. One woman, known only as ‘Nikki’ posted mean tweets about Jessica Taylor online, saying things like “My roommate situation is a horror story” and “Two weeks down and I already hate my roommate!”

Ms Taylor found these tweets online and decided to get her own back. She printed them off on A4 sheets and pinned them on their shared noticeboard, accompanied by several pictures of love-hearts. Nikki tore these off the wall and proceeded to report Jessica to campus police for smoking marijuana in their room, although no charges have been filed.

Taylor says that she was asked to move out, but refused to do so, saying “Why am I the one who has to pick up my life?” and “If she hates me so much she can move out, I’m not going to.” The girls’ feud went viral and Jessica has since had crowds of ‘fans’ gathering outside the room she and Nikki share to express their support for her.

America eliminates measles More than 50 years have passed since the first vaccine became available for measles. This week the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced measles has been eliminated from the entire region of the Americas – stretching from Canada to Chile.

However, this doesn’t mean the disease is gone for good. Eliminating the disease means that there are no local causes of the disease and that there have been no home-grown outbreaks. “This is a historic day for our region”, said Carissa Etienne, who made the elimination announcement for the WHO, but that she “would also like to emphasise that our work on this front is not yet done”.

Rollercoasters help you pass kidney stones

A new study suggests riding a roller coaster may help move kidney stones out of your system. Using fairly unconventional methods, researchers from Michigan State University strapped a silicone mould of a kidney packed with urine and stones onto a roller coaster and observed how the ride’s movements shifted the stones. Yes, really.

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Feature

Photo: Newscast

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Mental health at Manchester: Is the university doing enough?

As mental health services are becoming increasingly more important to the student population, Emma Shanks and Stevie Grieves ask: What is the university doing to improve the support offered?

Cheap drinks. Student loans. All-nighters at the library. Life at university is sold as one long party and the promise that these three years are meant to be the best of your life is rarely questioned.

With the focus purely on academic woes and wild freshers, mental health is a hidden side to university that is all too often brushed under the carpet.

University life can be a challenge even for the most resilient of people. Mounting pressure from increased independence, budget handling, new methods of study, overwhelming social situations and homesickness are only a handful of the things that a fresher has to worry about.

And where mild mental health issues might already exist, having the securities of a familiar environment snatched from under your feet at one of the most vulnerable periods in your life can prove overwhelming for almost anyone.

It’s no secret then that student cases of mental health issues at university are on the rise. One in eight undergraduates are reporting a mental health condition of some kind, according to a new survey by YouGov and YouthSight, and with universities consistently coming under harsh scrutiny for failing to provide adequate support, student mental health is reaching crisis point.

With many students reporting that the care received has been less than sufficient, it comes as little surprise to some that The Tab’s most recent report on mental health in universities places The University of Manchester fourteenth out of twenty one in the national Mental Health Rankings, factoring in student satisfaction and the amount of money budgeted for counselling services.

In particular, long waiting times have left many feeling extremely isolated, with the average student currently not receiving care until up to 25 days after requesting an appointment.

We spoke to one former student at The University of Manchester, who in fact cut short her studies prematurely due to a serious period of depression, about why she thought the university’s services couldn’t do enough for her.

She tells us that she was made to wait a whole four weeks for an initial session with a one-on-one counsellor. When she was eventually seen, her experience was, to say the least, discouraging.

“The woman I saw at the university kept insisting I join a self-help group, which if she had any sort of understanding of my case she would have known that I was way too far gone and severely unstable to propose that as an option”.

Once she’d made the decision to leave, after a long battle with juggling study alongside her worsening condition, she claims to have found pastoral care from academic advisors and administrative staff more accommodating.

“They were far more sympathetic”.

And her local services, once she’d returned home, even better.

However the university, while acknowledging that it has a way to go, assures that they are invested in improving the services for students.

When asked to comment on The Tab’s report, the University said that: “We recognise that there is still more to do. This year we have increased the working days of the mental health nurse at the Counselling Service, we are developing an online training in Mental Health and Risk Awareness in order to provide this to a wider range of staff, and we continue to develop the wide range of preventative and supportive resources available for students.”

“We recognise that there is still more to do.”

They added also that they “are keen to receive feedback about what further improvements we can make.”

In addition to this, the union’s newly elected wellbeing officer, Isabel Gurbuz, states that this year she’ll be placing a priority on “lobbying for the university to provide more funding to counselling in order to reduce waiting times.”

It is unsurprising that, with a combination of stretched budgets, government cuts and pressure on the NHS, the universities can’t always provide their own top-standard services. In fact, it is all too

often left to their less qualified chaplaincies and peer mentors to care for students struggling with severe mental health conditions while they wait for appointments for psychiatric treatment.

Another student that we spoke to found that “whilst the people working for the counselling services do seem to be kind and caring and genuinely want the best for every student, they lack the tools to deal with situations that aren’t incredibly extreme.”

“Most coping strategies I’ve used I had to develop myself, and I don’t think that’s acceptable for a university of this size, with this amount of spending power.”

Furthermore, the demand for counselling services is rapidly growing simultaneously with the complexity of problems that student mental health conditions present, to the point that some services are being forced to restrict the help offered to individuals, so as to support the increasing numbers in need, particularly before stressful times of exams and deadlines.

“There was a point where I really needed help and I was given one-to-one sessions, except it was fairly time sensitive and I was always aware of how much time I had left.”

“That isn’t a reflection on them, I don’t think. The problem isn’t really the services, the people are lovely and work hard to help, it’s that they are not given the chance to do as much as they could.”

In the same way, the issue is not helped by the taboo around speaking about mental health issues.

A recent study by the National Union of Students (NUS) has revealed that 54 percent of students claiming concern for their own mental health do not seek out the necessary help.

The problem being that often those most in need of help are those most uncomfortable or resistant to seeking it out. The stigma ascribed to such problems is damaging to those silent sufferers that it renders too afraid to voice their concerns.

One organisation at the forefront of addressing this issue is Student Minds—the UK’s leading student mental health charity—which has several campaigns that aim to promote awareness about mental health problems and self-care among student communities.

Their campaigns such as ‘Best Night In’ put the emphasis on reclaiming the often told social media narrative that the only way to have fun is to go out drinking. Another, ‘Look After Your Mate’, aims to give students the knowledge and skills needed to identify in their friends the signs of a mental health problem.

In addition, for much of the time, the help that is readily available isn’t yet advertised to its full potential. An NUS study disclosed that a third of students said they would not know where to get mental health support from at their college or university if they needed it. Hence the necessity for freshers to have this information instantly, regarding mental health services, at their fingertips.

Most notably, the university’s counselling services are there to offer confidential sessions to help students manage their mental wellbeing. They

“Most coping strategies I’ve used I had to develop myself, and I don’t think that’s acceptable for a university of this size, with this amount of spending power.” provide advice as to where to find further help and can make referrals to NHS mental health services.

They also offer a wide range of daily workshops open to all, with the aim of providing structured opportunities to address difficulties. The Advice Service at the Students’ Union is also on call for a wide range of issues, including general wellbeing, as well as things like housing or finance.

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

For first years living in halls, it’s a good idea to get to know your Residential Life Advisors (RLA) who are the first point of contact that you can reach out to if you’re having any difficulties, including concerns about your mental wellbeing or about acclimatising to university. An RLA will always be available, even to give out-of-hours support to students 365 days-a-year, and they live on-site in halls of residence with students, so they’re always around to offer advice or provide access to further help.

When you need some confidential advice for late-night worries and anxiety, Manchester Nightline provides a listening and information service that gives an anonymous way to talk to an impartial volunteer. They can give non-judgmental advice or even just be someone to talk to. It is run by student volunteers that are there to chat about anything and everything—so if you’re not feeling sure about who you can talk to, ring them between 8pm to 8am via the number on the back of your student card.

“If you’re not at the end of your rope there isn’t much they can do for you.”

It’s important to note that for anyone feeling that they are in risk or in crisis, the university offers urgent same-day appointments with a university mental health nurse and psychiatrist.

Though student well-being will always be at the heart of the university’s values, the treatment of mental health, without doubt, deserves more attention than it is being given. The Office for National Statistics has reported that student suicides are at a national high—up from 100 in 2013, to 134 in 2015.

The fact that many students feel their cries for help are only heard when it is almost too late highlights the need for more comprehensive care from the early stages of a student seeking support, in order to prevent such tragedies from escalating in the future.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, echoes this view, in sharing her experience: “The first time I rang they bluntly asked if I had thought about killing myself and as I had I found the question quite crude and off putting. I put the phone down and didn’t try again.”

And another was left feeling that “if you’re not at the end of your rope there isn’t much they can do for you.”

We all have a collective responsibility to normalise mental health discourse and to ensure that students do not leave university because of these issues, or harm themselves as a result of them.

Though university counselling and support services cannot claim to get rid of all problems, they can be there to provide the appropriate care that, for many, could make a huge difference. The next step then is to ensure that all students are aware that these systems of support exist and that they shouldn’t be ashamed to use them.

In this way we can achieve a culture that encourages people to speak out when struggling with mental health, and where no one is left to suffer alone.

University, in fact, could bring the best years of your life, with the right support. While there’s no saying it won’t be a rollercoaster of a ride, for the most part it should be a fun and gratifying experience!

If you are feeling like you need some help, use the upcoming Wellbeing Week (5-10 October) as an opportunity to explore new ways to look after yourself at university.

Additionally, head over to the mental healthy charity’s website, Mind, for more information on their Five Ways to Wellbeing plan, and visit www. manchester.ac.uk/counselling for more information on the Counselling Service, to make an appointment, and for online guides and self-help

tools.

Photo: Mike Peel, Wikimedia Commons

Want to write about something in a bit more depth? Come to the Features section meeting on Tuesdays at 6:30pm in the Students’ Union Activities Space, or email features@mancunion.com

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Opinion

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Meetings Mondays, 5pm , First Floor Student Union.

Response to SU apology Tristan Parsons and Ed John Opinion Editors This week’s Mancunion features a piece written by representatives of University of Manchester Students’ Union.

It apologises, on behalf of the Union, for any offense that an article of last week might have caused to Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell.

The editorial team of the Opinion section can see why Nancy Rothwell took offence to the article. As a prominent public figure—Vice-Chancellor and President of The University of Manchester, Fellow of the Royal Society, non-executive director of pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, and co-chair of the Council for Science and Technology—the opinions of student journalists must surely be a source of many sleepless nights.

Furthermore, we are delighted to understand the true nature of the Vice-Chancellor: “Transparent and genuinely interested in the student body.” We assume that threatening The Mancunion with defamation following a rather tranquil interview was but a sole anomaly.

We welcome the Union’s call for a “constructive relationship” with the university. In fact, we would like to call for another constructive relationship: that of the SU facilitating The Mancunion’s proper role in reporting (and providing honest opinions) on student issues.

We would rather the Union did not take actions such as requesting that its pre-written apology be featured in a “prominent position” in this week’s Mancunion. We feel that this is a direct attempt by the Union to tend to the image of the university, and hinders the former’s role in representing the student body.

Alas, we move on.

The drama caused by a single interview has taken us both, as well as many other members of The Mancunion’s editorial team, by surprise. Put simply: The Mancunion is a media outlet.

We aim to provide the information that helps form the basis of progress in the university, particularly with regard to student issues. Our Opinion section is a haven of freedom of speech—a value that the Vice-Chancellor has claimed is valuable and important to her.

May we settle on this?

To read more about this issue, head to www. mancunion.com

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

More should be done to tackle neglectful student landlords An expansion and improvement of student/landlord rating services could help to ease the worries of student renters Alex Pigott Contributor Students are desperate for houses; desperate to be with the people they want; desperate to get a house in the right location; and desperate to find a house that isn’t falling to pieces. Although of course landlords want to find tenants for their houses, once the contract has been signed, they no longer need to be as eager to please as they once were.

Arriving to find leaking floors, broken hobs, and mould are examples of issues that students will have faced when they moved in this September. It is only once we move into our houses that we discover what it is really like. This is not just a wordy inventory list of everything that is wrong with my house—I do love my house. But when these issues go ignored make me think of the bigger picture: the fact that most of the time we have no idea of the real state of the house until it’s too late, and how we have no idea of how willing to help the landlord will be once he is no longer needed to do so.

Just like people, as landlords are, there are good and bad ones. Some will use the two months half rent paid over July and August to bring the house back to a condition you would expect. They will also take note of any issues you may have once you have moved in and get them resolved as soon as possible. However, the issue is that there is no way of knowing whether this will be your landlord until the contract has been signed and you’re living there.

Once there, and you begin realise that it seems unlikely that anyone has set foot in the house all Summer, it dawns on you that,

Photo: Day Donaldson @ Flickr

without something truly awful happening to the house, there isn’t much you could do to terminate your contract. Even if there are valid reasons, the upheaval it takes to move out and find a new house in the middle of the year would put most people off even attempting it. Landlords have us under the cosh.

“Whatever you find in September is what you’re stuck with” But of course, situations like this pop up all over our lives. We are forced to commit to something without much opportunity to turn back on our decision: buying a coffee, or renting an AirBnB or an Uber are such commitments you make where you can’t get a refund on the service—at least,

without a great deal of hassle.

But these aspects of our daily spending remain at a reasonably high standard.

Though there are many problems with Uber, the driver doesn’t treat you with contempt like some other taxi drivers might— demanding cash before you leave and shouting his demands along the way. An Uber driver will try to encourage conversation and maybe even a smile to make the journey that bit more pleasant.

They may not want you back, but they want people back. To get people back they need you to enjoy your ride so you leave a positive review for all to see.

Although a review system has its flaws, it seems to work well for systems like this— systems where the customer is in need of a service either way, but to whom he or she chooses to give the job to is up to them. Using a public reviewing system, the service is improved to get you, or anyone

else, back again.

After a quick Google search, I found rateyourlandlord.org.uk, a website that seems to be exactly what we need.

However, a reviewing system such as this can only be effective when enough people are on board. At the moment, this site is only active for a small selection of universities.

However, if this became as widely used as TripAdvisor, students would be in less of a predicament.

There is the obvious issue that people could be awfully ruthless with their ratings, threatening to drop a star if unreasonable demands aren’t met. Yes, this is a potential issue but one that may be resolved with a similar review system to Uber, in which the driver also has the opportunity to review the passenger. In this case, the Landlord could also review the tenants. It may appear to be like a potentially slippery slope, perhaps leading to a constant paranoia over whether one foot out of line will lose a star on their review; a landlord never to let again and a student never to rent again.

But, in reality, what seems to happen in circumstances like these is that the review is never too prominent in the minds of either party. Instead, it hangs silently in the background, a subtle reminder that neither party is helpless if all goes pear shaped.

Of course there may be better ways of maintaining standards in student homes. If so, I’d like to see them in action. But with the current state of things, more needs to be done. I don’t believe that all students should be living in palaces. I enjoy the shoddy furnishings, it’s homely. The issue lies with the fact that whatever you find when you first open your door in September is what you’re stuck with.

It is okay to care about Brad and Angelina’s divorce

Lioui Benhamou Contributor

We need a greater sense of balance between the serious and the trivial

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, are divorcing. This news, that fits into just a a seven-word sentence, seems to be quite important to a lot of people; so important that articles about it were the most read of some media outlets; so important that people have enough things to say about it to write an article. But why do people care so much ? And is it okay to care as much about such a meaningless fact?

The French philosopher Blaise Pascal might have the answer to this question.

For him, entertainment is a means to escape the reality of life; distraction that we find in our daily lives allows us to think about something else than our life itself.

In his words: “The natural misfortune of our mortality and weakness is so miserable that nothing can console us when we really think about it ... The only good things for man, therefore, is to be diverted so that he will stop thinking about his circumstances.” Or, to put it in other words: if you care about this divorce, it may be because you have a tendency to think about meaningless things over the meaningful (and a bit stressful) stuff, like the universe, death, and existence.

The enormous media coverage of the event can be explain by the fact that, as a society, we choose to focus on those things, because routine consideration of our relative insignificance is not a way to live. Thus, we decide to make certain people and things significant to create our own landmarks, in a world seemingly devoid of them.

Caring about a couple’s break up is a bit odd, especially when you have never met the people in question. But to do so it is a good answer to Albert Camus’ view

on existence. For him, our life consists of two facts: the human will to find meaning, and the universe’s indifference to answer it. Thus, judging for ourselves what we consider meaningful avoids facing this tragedy of having no answer to the real meaningful questions. Instead of wondering why are we here, is much

important, so certain questions are within our reach. When we decide to focus on useless things, we are able to capture and understand everything around it— which is a far harder when talking about meaningful things.

Of course, in practice, this might be dangerous to an extent. Whilst people are caring about those celebrities, they are

Photo: Nils Sautter @ Flickr

easier to wonder about something such as a relationship status. In the second case you will most probably find answer.

This idea is summed up in a single quote from the great TV show, Rick and Morty: “Nobody exists on purpose.

Nobody belongs anywhere. Everybody’s gonna die, come watch TV.” Or, in our example: come read the new useless fact about someone’s divorce. Our answer to the absurdity of life might just be that: to decide to make a meaningless fact

distracted by important issues such as climate change, wars, or politics. To give a quick illustration: Google news section provides 2,370,000 results for the search, “Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie divorce” and just 624,000 results for, “Climate Change summit”.

That is, obviously, not a good thing. But, as humans, we find comfort in empty facts. However, those facts shouldn’t become a fog that prevent us from caring about important things. Instead, we need

to learn to effectively balance the two.

We need to learn to care as much about celebrities than about real issues.

If its human nature to care about stupid and wasteful things, then so be it. But, of course, it shouldn’t prevail as the only thing we care about. There’s a big difference between reading one article about this divorce because it seems enjoyable to read for a second, and bingewatching the Kardashian show every day.

In fact, caring about celebrities doesn’t mean not caring about the far more interesting stuff. If people don’t pay much attention to crucial subject—climate change, for example—it’s because they don’t have to. They can afford not to. And people whom care about it try to drag them into getting more interested by shaming them. Thus, they don’t get more interested because they don’t want to listen to a negative message.

But, when we combine the two subjects—celebrities and climate change in our example—we get something useful.

For instance, Leonardo Dicaprio Cscars speech have been more heard by more people than have read Naomi Klein’s book, “This Change Everything”. And yet, it’s roughly the same message: climate change matters and we do need to do something. Of course, the Oscars speech is vastly simplified, but the main message still applies.

Thus, if you care even a little about this, it’s alight, there is no need to worry, you are normal. But if it’s the only thing you care about, that’s a bit weird. We need to find the right balance between what’s important, and what is not.

Opinion11

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Should the BBC be funded by the tax payer?

Roisin McDonagh Contributor

With its recent changes and historical significance seemingly in conflict, is it time to rethink the BBC’s funding?

The Licence Fee is a tax paid by anyone who wants to receive television broadcasted in the UK, have access to BBC iPlayer, or listen to BBC radio.

However, this raises the question of whether or not it is justifiable to have an essentially tax funded entertainment service.

Today, is it really necessary to have a publicly funded broadcasting corporation? TV shows are often produced by private companies which sell the rights to the BBC. Strictly Come Dancing, for example, could very easily be broadcast by ITV. Is it, therefore, justifiable to charge TV users in the UK £145.50 a year for a service which may not fund the entertainment they watch or could be provided far more efficiently by a private company, at no financial cost to viewers other than the effects of an enticing commercial advert.

The cost of living in the UK is already high and it does not seem entirely right to burden the country further with this additional, quite regressive tax.

One of the most controversial problems with the public funding of a broadcasting service is its neutrality. The BBC was slated throughout the EU referendum for being in favour of remain. This fuelled mistrust around the debate and unfairly tarnished the remain sides arguments as being presented in a biased way. So, having a tax-funded BBC is not only unfair to those who pay the licence fee who do not see their views expressed, but also hinders the corporation’s freedom of expression and ability to produce what it wants.

Public ownership also constrains the BBC from acting in an effective and competitive way.

The recent example of the Great British Bake Off shows the financial constraints on the BBC and demonstrates how it cannot be as effective a broadcaster as a privately owned one due to greater limits on funds.

In striving to be cost effective for the tax payer, the BBC subsequently offers a lower quality of service.

In losing the Great British Bake Off deal, the roughly 11 million fans of the show can now watch it on channel 4 but still must pay the licence fee to fund the BBC. Surely the whole point of having a publicly funded BBC is that it provides entertainment for the people who fund it. But due to the very nature of its public finding, it falls short at providing the entertainment that the public desire.

A major flaw in the model of public financing of the BBC is that the revenue from the licence fee is capped at £145.50 where as commercial companies have no limit to the amount of advertising revenue they can raise, therefore the BBC suffers an automatic disadvantage in bidding for major shows. If the most popular shows are enticed to commercial channels by higher bids, what is the point in having the publicly funded BBC as it won’t be providing a popular and competitive service?

As a publicly funded organisation, the BBC is also subject to a high degree of scrutiny and transparency. Due to the 2016 Royal Charter, the BBC now has to publish the names of artists and talent who earn more that £150,000 a year, and whilst this may seem fair in order to maintain transparency, this could hinder the BBC’s performance and talent pool as stars may

not want such information publicly known. No other commercial broadcasting corporations will have to release this information, so how can they create a fair market-based business when the BBC is forced to jump through more hoops than their competitors?

“Having a taxfunded BBC is unfair to those who pay the licence fee and do not see their views expressed” It seems clear then, that the public ownership of the BBC makes the corporation less competitive and less able to survive in the commercial market place. Either the BBC should be privatised, removing the budget constraints and transparency issues, or be allowed a certain level of anonymity in its practices.

Whatever the future model is, one thing seems to be clear: the licence fee and public ownership model do not seem to be working. The Chairman of the Committee for Culture, Media and Sport, John Whittindale said: “In the short term, there appears to be no realistic alternative to the licence fee, but that model is becoming harder and harder to justify and sustain.”

Again going back to the initial question of the justification of a publicly funded entertainment corporation, the Committee have said that due to the changing habits of audiences owing to new technology, “we do not see a long-term future for the licence fee in its current form.”

However, public opinion may be enough to prevent the end to funding the BBC. If we take the Great British Bake Off case, the level of public outcry—combined with the allegiance of three of its stars—shows a certain loyalty from viewers and employees alike. The BBC was founded in 1922 and is the world’s oldest national broadcasting organisation, carrying with it a great deal of nostalgia and a subsequent difficulty to justify removing its public funding.

Whilst it makes commercial sense to stop tax payer funding of the BBC, culturally it does not seem an option at this moment in time. Therefore, the BBC should remain funded by the tax payer.

However, preferential treatment in bidding for shows would offer a way to counteract the economic disadvantages of being tax payer funded whilst retaining this historic institution in public hands.

Can Labour sell ‘21st Century Socialism’?

As Jeremy Corbyn remains triumphant as Labour leader, Barney Weston ponders why socialism is such a dirty word

The British image from a foreign point of view may include things such as speaking in posh accents, sipping tea, and the bowler hat. Even Channel 4 recently finished airing the second season of Very British Problems, in which the British “capacity for social awkwardness”, amongst topics, was discussed. Yet, in regards to politics, we have typically been seen as a beacon of freedom of expression.

Although the U.S. is also often cited as a beacon of freedom of expression (take a look at its constitution), there are some taboo concepts. In particular, thanks mostly to the Cold War, post-war America seems to hate anything to do with the left-wing.

Their politics is relatively right-wing in comparison to ours.

“When asked if he would describe himself as a socialist, Hillary Benn replied: ‘Of course. We all are’” In the United States, the words ‘communism’ and ‘socialism’ are avoided in the mainstream. For example, Hillary Clinton was recently asked by MSNBC’s Hardball host Chris Matthews what the difference was between a socialist and a Democrat.

Clinton replied, “I can tell you what I am. I am a progressive Democrat.” Matthews then asked, “How is that different to a socialist?” Clinton evaded answering.

New Labour’s ‘third way’ embraced socialism’s taboo. Under Tony Blair, the word ‘socialism’ was not in regular public use, out of concern that the word would remind the British electorate of the strongly left-wing political strategy of Labour in the early 1980s under Michael Foot. (In a similar manner, communism’s taboo in the U.K . is arguably reflected by the country’s lack of a communist party.) At

Photo: Jasn @ Flickr

Barney Weston Reporting from The Labour Party Conference Contributor most, New Labour redefined socialism. Blair once said: “My kind of socialism is a set of values based on notions of social justice […] Socialism as a rigid form of economic determinism has ended, and rightly.”

At the end of his speech last Tuesday, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell addressed this, attempting to turn the word into something to be proud of, concluding: “In this party you no longer have to whisper it, it’s called socialism.”

Personally, I was quite shocked when I heard this.

This prompted me to ask prominent members of the Labour Party if they considered themselves socialists, as a way of a) testing how united the Labour Party under Corbyn is, and b) addressing a previous taboo.

I asked BBC journalists Vicki Young and Peter Henley for advice on the question, and whether they thought it was a bit interrogative. They didn’t think so. So it was to my surprise when Lord John Prescott, deputy PM from 1997-2007, said to me:

“Well is that all you’re talking about on his speech.

The economy […] that’s the trouble. Are you gonna be a journalist? You don’t bloody think […] Good luck!”

“New Labour’s ‘third way’ embraced socialism’s taboo, and at most, redefined the term” What surprised me was that Vicki told me that asking Prescott would be pointless. “Of course he’ll

say yes,” she told me. Was the party as united as I had thought? Was Prescott angered at what was happening to the party, deliberately turning away from the—what he would call—progress that he oversaw as deputy PM? Or was he just angry at a student journalist for wasting his time?

Liz Kendall, who ran against Corbyn in last year’s leadership election, didn’t have time to comment.

She thought I was a fan and posed for a selfie before I told her I was writing for The Mancunion.

Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour Party, and someone who apparently read The Mancunion when he studied at Hull, replied: “Of course I would. I’ve been a socialist all my life and I’ll be mentioning socialism in my speech tomorrow.”

Although Watson’s speech referenced McDonnell’s speech in regards to Labour being, “a marketsocialist party,” and although he referred to the Labour Party as, “our historic socialist party”, he also spoke of the benefits of the Blair and Brown governments. In fact, he stated that under those governments, “from the sunny uplands of increasing prosperity, social democratic government started to feel normal to the people of Britain.” Was Watson’s definition of socialism more in line with that of Blair and Brown? Can we describe Watson as a socialist, in the sense of how Clinton describes herself as a progressive democrat?

At least Hilary Benn, ex-shadow foreign secretary, when asked if he would describe himself as a socialist, replied: “Of course. We all are.” Good for him.

These politicians must have their own definitions in regards to what kind of socialist they are. Yet, it is Corbyn who will set this definition for the Labour Party. And it is this definition that the country will vote on at the next general election. In his closing speech of the Labour Conference, Corbyn decided to quote Bill Shankley to describe what his kind of socialism is: “The socialism I believe in is everybody working for the same goal and everybody having a share in the rewards. That’s how I see football, that’s how I see life.”

The fleshing out of policy surrounding that quote will define what kind of socialist Corbyn is, beyond his 10 point programme. A Labour Party that seems united and committed to socialism under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership may be able to break the taboo surrounding socialism, and then sell it to the country.

Music

12

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Live

Live: Pangaea - Down the Rabbit Hole Jay Plent reports back from this year’s Pangaea Festival Jay Plent Contributor mination of a mad Freshers’ week, and so on and so on. There’s no restraint on anything when it comes to the party itself and that’s kind of incredible.

You need only glance at the top of the bill acts to get a feel for Pangaea’s ambition. Ella Eyre, a star on the rise it would seem, delivered a packed and highly entertaining set. The familiarity of her material was a great surprise; the excited phrase ‘oh she did THIS one!’ was common throughout. Other acts such as Eliza And The Bear also impressed, grabbing the audience’s attention with ease. No mean feat in as colourful a festival as Pangaea.

“As a wise man once wrote: Pangaea is entirely bonkers, but all the best festivals are”

Photo: Virginia Saul

How can we begin describing Pangaea? Every semester, the theme is announced, everyone scrambles to assemble a costume, and the fancy dress vendors of The Arndale and The Northern Quarter gleefully rub their hands together. It’s an event that has been defined by many things; be it the organised mayhem that characterises the evening itself, or the personal escapades that go on within; few can forget last year’s ‘poogate’, though not for lack of trying.

It’s fitting then, that this time around, the theme was ‘Down The Rabbit Hole’, a reference to Alice In Wonderland, which much like Pangaea, steps unpredictably into a crazy, crazy world.

This brings us back to the question of how to begin in recounting

the events of the festival. The difficulty is that everyone’s experience is totally different. There’s no such a thing as a seasoned Pangaea veteran, since every event is something of a lucid walk through a confusing array of club spaces, live bands, and function rooms.

The themed attire also adds to this bonkers vibe; drunkenly encountering 30 different people dressed as Alice, The Hatter, or Tweedle Dum over the course of the evening really adds to the charm, and really instills a sense of genuine fun being had by all.

Pangaea is fun, for the most part. Perhaps it’s the audacity of the entire event. A festival, in an evening, in a space not much larger than your average secondary school, which is also themed, and is the cul-

But also, pleasingly, there was plenty of alternative and unusual music to be explored. MSC Big Band were a particular highlight.

Regulars to this cavalcade of insanity, MSC were as audacious as the festival itself, squeezing a ludicrous amount of brass, keys and vocalists onto a tiny stage, and blasting jazz renditions of Snoop Dogg to a blind drunk audience in the pouring rain. They were in fact five times more fantastic than I can describe.

So Pangaea remains an oddly puzzling evening. It’s always difficult to define to those who haven’t been because it feels unlike anything else. But regardless of the identity crisis the event seems to suffer from, you always come away with a story, and in this case, it was a story of wide-grinning madness. And as a wise man once wrote: “Pangaea is entirely bonkers, but all the best festivals are”… or something along those lines anyway.

Live

Live: Sundara Karma Sundara Karma are more than teenage icons - their fizzy pop is a perfect escape from the encroaching Mancunian autumn, writes Meg Roberts Meg Roberts Contributor

7/10

Manchester Ritz, September 22nd There’s nothing like a glitter-dipped crowd all velvet trousers and short fringes with an average age of 16 at the Ritz to make you feel old. In my advancing years, yes all 21 of them, I felt as though I’d been put in a tumblr-shaped time machine and transported back to a Swim Deep gig in the height of B-town 2012. Fast forward four years and it seems the sun-drenched dream pop of the Birmingham variety - Jaws, Peace, Dumb, Dive, Wide Eyed and Laced – we’re looking at you, hasn’t lost its appeal with the plaid-shirted, septum pierced teenagers of Manchester. If Peace and Tame Impala were to reproduce it’d probably sound something like Reading’s Sundara Karma, an altogether more brown, rice and open toe sandals to your typical indie pop/rock bread and butter.

You’ve got to give it to the indie cindy Manchester lot, they don’t do things by halves and I felt almost out of place without a crop top. I didn’t have a Sundara-Karma sunshine glittered on nor was I dancing as if at a hyped-up house night rather than your typical stand-at-the-back-and-nod-if-your-cool vibe. I’d obviously not had enough blue smarties or lemonade. Hyperactive wasn’t the word.

Aesthetics aside, yes Oscar Lulu looks a lot like a blonde Harrison Koisser along with the young, fan-girling crowd that these types of bands often attract, sometimes wrongly pigeonholing the likes of Sundara Karma as quintessentially indie boyband. SK are more than that.

A shirtless Lulu opened their biggest headline show to date with Indigo Puff, their oldest and arguably, most well known and best loved single. Hypnotic drums alongside Lulu’s earthy vocals made for something ethereal as the packed out Ritz chanted ‘you’re the one, you’re the one, you’re the one.’ Not bad for a band who haven’t even released an LP yet.

My age soon became apparently when their soulful rendition of Luther Vandross’ Never Too Much seemed lost on the teenybop-

Photo: adam burzynski @ flickr

pers. I wondered whether they were just struggling for enough material but I enjoyed the change of pace nonetheless - and who doesn’t love a good boogie to a thousand kisses from you? Evidently the 15-18 cohort, sigh.

Songs like Vivienne tell us why Sundara Karma and the type of music that they’re making matters, especially in a world which has largely commodified human relationships offering watered down, cut, copy and paste love if you have a smartphone and internet access, which you probably do. It’s almost a ‘look at the crap we’re calling love these days’ social critique as he talks of the obsession and raw vulnerability of I’d-die-for-you love. I felt swept up in the dreamlike atmosphere, as the synth-y sounds of ‘wild eyes, skinny

jeans’ juxtaposed with the electricity of the crowd.

Speaking of Vivienne, Lulu said: ‘It’s a love song sure, but more to do with the escapism that love can offer than love itself. The world is pretty fucked, not that this is a revelation, nor am I saying anything new. I’m just singing about a type of love that blocks out all the noise.’

Like much of Sundara Karma’s material, it all comes down to escape and the need to sometimes turn down life’s background noise – and if their sunshine infused melodies can make my summer last a bit longer as we move into a decided Mancunian autumn, that’s all the escape I need.

Music13

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Album

the

Reviews

Top 5: Heartbreak Songs

Album: Danny Brown Atrocity Exhibition

Danny Brown’s latest outing is as chaotic as it is brilliant, writes Cassie Hyde Released 27th September 2016 via Warp

Cassie Hyde Contributor

8.5/10

Photo: Album Artwork

Danny Brown is a different type of hip-hop artist. From naming his latest album, Atrocity Exhibition, after the opening track on Joy Division’s Closer, to collaborating with The Avalanches and Vampire Weekend, it’s obvious that this album would be distinct.

Atrocity Exhibition is the musical equivalent of taking the maddest thing in the world, giving it a

load of cocaine and then blasting it out into space: chaotic and brilliant. One of the record’s greatest assets is how incredibly dense it is, slowly unravelling its secrets with each listen. Danny Brown’s lyrics are hilarious as ever, with lines such as “So much coke, just to sniff, need a ski lift” being present throughout. Yet, his subject matter is often varied, spanning drugs, Detroit, and death.

The track ‘Today’, a song about black men dying young, either from drugs or gun violence, is truly heartfelt.

The music is fast-paced and erratic; ‘Downward Spiral’ sounds like a desert mirage, ‘Ain’t It Funny’ is evocative of a Death Grips song, while ‘Dance In The Water’ is clearly influenced by his work on The Avalanches’ ‘Frankie Sinatra’. The instrumentation is also extremely varied on every track.

From the spidery guitar riff on ‘When It Rain’, to Kelela’s Bjork-esque vocals on ‘From The Ground’ and the xylophone on ‘Really Doe’, there is much to like on this album. Considering how dense and experimental Atrocity Exhibition is, it seems to be no surprise that the record shares a label with the

output of Aphex Twin and Flying Lotus. Brown’s high pitched, whiny rapping style even has the same bratty, yet likeable quality that much of Aphex Twin’s music has.

If there are any problems with Atrocity Exhibition, it is the couple of tracks that break the album’s flow. ‘Pneumonia’ is slower and less intense than the rest of the album—and much less interesting. The same riff is repeated throughout, without enough variation to be as great as the other songs. It’s far from awful, but is definitely the runt of the litter. While we’re at it: ‘Hell For It’ shouldn’t close the album. It’s very good, great even, but when you have the slow comedown of ‘Get Hi’, a Talking Heads ballad dying for David Byrne vocals, we already have the perfect final track. Otherwise, this album would have a nearperfect flow.

The best representation of the album is the cover, which perfectly encapsulates the music. It’s surreal, colourful, disturbing, and funny. Yet, most importantly, it’s bloody brilliant.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Feeling blue after realizing you aren’t going to stay with your school sweetheart forever? Fear not: these post-heartbreak songs will send you towards a speedy (and emotional) recovery.

Mattea Bubalo Contributor 5) It Wasn’t Me - Shaggy For a lighthearted apology for whatever it was you did in Fifth last night, this classic will surely cheer you and your estranged beau up 4) I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing - Aerosmith You can tell your flatmates you’re enjoying

Album

this power ballad ironically, but we all know

Album: Preoccupations Preoccupations

what’s really up. “I’m not crying, I’ve just got something in my eye.”

3) The First Cut is the Deepest - Norma

Released September 16th via Jagjaguwar

It’s not often that a band gets a second chance at a self-titled album, but Preoccupations use the opportunity to develop their dark sound Ollie Clack Contributor

8/10

Fraser A genuinely lovely reggae cover of a “dad’s favourite” classic rock song, the mixture of Norma Fraser’s clean, melancholy vocals and the upbeat melody will keep you on the

Released September 16th via Jagjaguwar

is interrupted by a building bass and drum line, leaving the track feeling

With the opening lines of the album, “With a sense of urgency and unease/

prematurely faded out and somewhat unfinished.

Second-guessing just about everything”, Preoccupations start as they

The final track, ‘Fever’, features a resilient refrain of “You’re not scared/Carry

mean to go on. The self-titled album is the second full length release by the

your fever away from here” which rings throughout. This is Preoccupations’

2) Comment Tu Dire Adieu? - Françoise

Canadian band, but the first under the current name. While the band’s 2015

message that despite controversy and fear you can do something beautiful;

Hardy

release—also self-titled under the name Viet Cong—was well received by fans

and, while this album is certainly dark, it is also undeniably beautiful.

sunnier side of wistfulness.

and critics alike, the band’s name brought accusations of racism and cultural

Sophisticated and seductive, let Françoise Hardy add a dramatic and French hue to

appropriation, leading to a cancelled gig at an American college. Announcing they would be changing their problematic name in September of last year, the

your heartbreak set in unfamiliar redbrick

band began recording without a name, and the album is clearly influenced

surroundings. It feels classier that way.

by this tumultuous time, returning with a darker sound rife with feelings of worry and unease.

1) Since I Left You - The Avalanches

Opening track ‘Anxiety’ immediately stands out, engrossing the listener

When words aren’t enough, let The

with an upfront thumping drum beat bringing attention to the lead singer/

Avalanches guide you to the light at the end

bassist Matt Flegel’s dark and emotionally obscured lyrics that throughout

of the tunnel with simply the words, “Since I

the album delve into his neuroses which, although explored in the bands

left you, I found the world so new.”

previous album and the two albums of Flegel and drummer Mike Wallace’s

Top 5: Post-Freshers’ previous project Women, are really at the forefront of this record. The darks Comedown songs

Entered our competition?

synths which run throughout the record are reminiscent of ‘80s post-punk bands like Bauhaus and Joy Division, and create an overarching sense of

We’re giving away a Lenco L85 turntable

worry while still adding to the rich melodic tapestry of the album.

and LP of choice from the top 10 student

While each track flows into the next in a natural, innocuous way, the melody within the tracks often jolts in different directions: the track ‘Memory’ allows

picks list, courtesy of HMV Arndale. To

for a beautiful feature from Wolf Parade’s Dan Boeckner before arching into

be in with a chance of winning, email

a five-minute synth and feedback-heavy close to the track and first side of

‘VINYL’

the record. Conversely, the despondent, woe-filled opening of ‘Forbidden’ Photo: Album Artwork

to

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before midnight on Friday 7th October.

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Games 15

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Forza Horizon 3 Stephen Lewis Games Editor For the third time, the Forza series has gone open world with thanks to the team at Playground Games, this time to Australia where you’ll be racing through the rainforest, swerving round city streets and performing rally stunts in the outback. To do all of this you are presented with a choice of over 350 vehicles, ranging from 1967 Volvos all the way up to the state of the art 2016 Lamborghini Centenario, with a fair share of buggies, trucks, and old classics, among other categories, mixed in for good measure.

If you are not a car fan but are interested in the Forza games, then I would recommend the Horizon series over its longer established sibling the Motorsport series. Whilst the latter title certainly has a greater level of realism, with recreations of real-world tracks such as Silverstone, Laguna Seca and Road America to name a few, and a greater focus on precision racing, Horizon takes a different approach. If Motorsport is a simulation then Horizon is a game, and I mean this in no bad way.

Quite the opposite in fact.

The clearest example of this is how I use the rewind system in the two games, a staple of the series. In Motorsport I use it more frequently as there is less room for error, especially on higher difficulties, and the game screams out for you to try and perfect every corner. In Horizon, as the world is open, and most of the environments are destructible to an extent, I found myself using the rewind function less

often. I was more likely to hit other cars, the side barrier or break through crops and wooden fences (as you are meant to do in some off-road races), generally having a looser, and therefore more fun experience, as I could just enjoy the ride and not focus so much on each action I made. There is also the option of playing your entire career online with friends, an option not available in the main series.

Horizon 3 offers a bounty of options that blow its predecessors out of the water; everything from car customization to creating your own events are options in this game. In the previous entries in the Horizon series you were a driver trying to make a name for yourself, but here you’re the boss of the entire festival. This means then whenever you go to start a race you a given a choice between the premade variant of the event, one made by those on your friends list, or a blueprint option, where you can choose the driving conditions, time and vehicle selection. This ability is amplified however by the ‘blueprint bucket list’ events. Throughout the map there are bucket list events where you go to a start point, get in whatever car is at that location and are given a challenge such as get from A to B in a certain time, get a certain number of points in a drift challenge or try get the most airtime and distance on an off-road jump to name a few. Blueprint bucket list events work in exactly the same way, except when you arrive at the start point you choose everything. The car, the event type, the distance and any other challenges that are applicable.

The showcases are where the game

The racing giant returns with the third entry in its open world series, and it has never been better Photo: BagoGames@Flickr

really tries to show off and break some new ground in events not seen in previous games, such as races again but this time in speed boats, a train and a fighter jet. There are however only five of these and at times, especially in the jet showcase, that they can feel a bit scripted rather than an actual test of skill.

This is not to say the game is without flaws. During my first session the game froze a number of times, for more than a few seconds. An example of this is that I would be left hanging in mid-air after a jump only to be jolted back into the game as I suddenly hit the riverbed below after staring at car floating 20 feet above the ground for about eight to ten seconds. The more I played however, the less frequent this occurrence became, and as I was playing on the ultimate

edition which released four days early, this could have been a minor bug fixed in a patch on the day of general release.

The only other slight gripe I had was with the destructible environments, particularly in rainforests: there is no way to tell which trees are destructible and which are solid (apart from the big thick trees). When you are blazing along at over 200mph and break through whole rows of foliage before hitting a tree that looks near identical to many of those shattered behind you and crash to a complete halt it can be a bit jarring.

To put it bluntly, Forza Horizon 3 is a joy to play. If you are a fan of driving games, you should pick up this game if you haven’t done so already, and if you are merely interested, this a great entry point.

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Come and visit the University of Manchester Gaming Society!

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Review

Destiny: Rise of Iron Robert Parris Subeditor Destiny is one of the most polarising games ever made. For every detractor bemoaning the game’s lack of content and barebones story, there are an equal number of passionate fans praising the titles top tier gameplay and rewarding loot cycle. Whichever side of the argument you fall on, it is hard to deny that the game has managed to capture the hearts and minds of many gamers from a myriad of distinct backgrounds.

Just by looking at Destiny’s many active Facebook groups, it is immediately apparent that this is a game that can be enjoyed by almost anyone.

Your fireteam is equally likely to be comprised of housewives and financial professionals as much as the typical demographic of teenage boys and young couples.

The fact that Destiny has not only managed to create but also retain one of the largest and friendliest communities, despite a significant drought of content is indicative of the game’s depth and social features. As such, I believe that Destiny should be considered in its entirety, in order to give an accurate assessment of what new and returning players are in for with the game’s latest expansion.

Simply put, Destiny: Rise of Iron succeeds at reinvigorating the sharedworld shooter with some of the best content that developer Bungie has ever produced. The two-hour campaign is for once a particular highlight, centred around the outbreak and the quest

Robert Parris looks at what could be the final expansion for the original Destiny

Photo: BagoGames @Flickr

to contain the ancient SIVA plague ravaging the Cosmodrome. The new and revamped strikes are fun, and excellently designed, but once again the new raid ‘Wrath of the Machine’ is the centre-piece attraction. It’s all great content, just a crippling shame that there is so little of it.

Admittedly, the downloadable content (DLC) is not priced as high as last year’s The Taken King expansion, but Rise of Iron is meant to fulfil the same purpose: to keep Destiny players engaged. I don’t know what Bungie’s plans are for the future, perhaps we can expect some free content similar to that of Taken King’s lifecycle, but in its current state I don’t see how Rise of Iron can pull this off.

Part of the problem is that the core content in the game—whilst being highly polished—remains largely unoriginal when compared to Destiny’s existing framework. The new enemy type—the splicers—are essentially retextured fallen enemies with only minor variations on their existing attack patterns, and the new patrol area, the

Plaguelands, could be mistaken for a snow covered section of the existing Cosmodrome environment. There is no new level cap, no new subclasses, and ultimately Rise of Iron fails to change the way you play Destiny in any meaningful way.

That being said, I still enjoyed my time with Rise of Iron. Destiny’s core shooting mechanics are among the best in the business and there remains a tremendous amount of depth in Destiny’s character development.

The fact that you can level up your weapons and subclasses individually creates opportunities to fine-tune your guardian to a tee. Despite being short, the campaign throws some truly challenging battles at you, and the haunting final mission is one of the finest Bungie has ever produced. There is a real sense of character progression throughout the story, which is nicely reminiscent of Destiny’s opening hours.

Furthermore, your new companion Lord Saladin does a fine job of narrating a well-worn but coherent tale, despite some groan-worthy dialogue.

Bungie’s choice to abandon previous generation consoles raised a few eyebrows back in August, and throughout the majority of the expansion, it is hard to see how the decision benefits players on current generation systems. Yet this all changed when I finally got to the new raid: Wrath of the Machine. Without spoiling too much this six-player raid is bigger in scope, complexity, and challenge than any raid Bungie has put out before.

Whilst the journey to get there is taxing, Wrath of the Machine is easily worth the pay-off.

The expansion also introduces four new Crucible maps, and whilst I could only play three of them thanks to the timed exclusivity deal for PlayStation platforms, I thought that they were well designed, colourful, and flowed brilliantly. Bungie has a real talent for map design and it’s unfortunate that only one new player versus player (PVP) mode—Supremacy,which is essentially Call of Duty’s ‘Kill Confirmed’ mode— is included in the package. Whilst a fun addition, it’s disappointing and somewhat confusing as to why Bungie doesn’t capitalise on its PVP component in the same way it has developed its player versus environment(PVE) content. The foundations are solid, and ripe for expansion.

Despite Destiny’s content woes, one of the reasons that I kept coming back to the game was its sense of community.

One time I saw five players sat down in an incomplete circle in one of the social spaces. Puzzled, I walked over and sat down, thus completing the circle. I

promptly received a message asking if I wanted to revisit an old raid. I accepted the invite, and before I knew it I was working closely with what amounted to complete strangers in order to finish the raid. We joked, laughed, and groaned at the challenge before us; the sense of synergy that the game evokes between players is unparalleled, at least on console.

Whilst not providing the same amount of content as the previous expansion, Rise of Iron does its job competently if little else. If Destiny has failed to grab you before, Rise of Iron is not going to convince you to return. For new players considering Destiny it is important to remember this: when you buy into Destiny you buy into a fantastic community. It may be a cliché, but the further you get into Destiny the more it goes beyond the sum of its parts.

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Fashion & Beauty

16

Dating Dilemma

Vogue 100: A century of style review

For those facing the first-date wardrobe dilemma, we are weighing in on our favourite outfit statements for the WOW factor We’re gradually settling in to a new academic year, with deadlines starting to loom and our reading list building to record amounts. Aside from blowing off steam in Manchester’s internationally loved clubs and pubs, what better way to distract ourselves from scholarly demands than the prospect of a new dating scene? Apparently, Tinder is dead and rather than hide behind apps and participating in some harmless keyboard flirtations, we are reverting back to old school ways: meeting someone face to face. A terrifying prospect!

So you’ve snagged your dream man and your romantic table for two is booked with candlelit schmoozing in store. One last hurdle—the hardest of them all—now hits you. Friends have been consulted, wardrobes ransacked, and the Internet scoured. Still no luck? We’re weighing in our first date must-haves to see you through the night.

Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse takes a trip to Mosely Street, to explore the Manchester Art Gallery exhibition Vogue 100: A Century of Style

The Top Half Sarah Kilcourse, Fashion and Beauty Editor

Photo: Asos

Admittedly it may seem risky but a white pyjama blouse is a huge yes for a date - let me explain why. Bypass any fears of spilling dinner, wine or coffee down your front, you are a fabulous creature who would never be so clumsy. A pyjama blouse has the correct amount of seductive v-neck, hinting at décolletage but meaning your date is still able to maintain eye contact without being distracted by the goods down below. It works on everyone, no matter how gifted you are in the chest region. Also, the subtle hint to the bedroom doesn’t go amiss.

If you prefer an option with a bit more on show lets delve into the nineties trend. The cami is everywhere this season, it has been for the past few seasons and undoubtedly will continue to be a prevalent silhouette in the next season. Whether it be extended to a dress or just a top the cami is a cocktail of femininity, girliness and sex appeal. Toughen it up with a leather biker jacket or be tad preppy with a boyfriend blazer. For a real nod to the nineties throw in some velvet.

Photo: Topshop

Dancing Shoes Talia Lee-Skudder, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor What better way to finish your outfit than with a pair of killer heels? Not only do they look fabulous but they are a confidence booster that will ensure your date’s eyes are fixed on you. For me, there is absolutely no question that I would throw on a pair of heels for the first date (providing you are not going bowling or somewhere equally tragic), they spice up a dull outfit and make your legs look amazing with your standard uniform of black skinny jeans. Fingers crossed you will be only making a trip from the taxi to the restaurant, rather than somewhere that requires more than three minutes of walking. In the (hopefully) unlikely event of this happening, grin and bear it ladies; fashion isn’t always easy.

Right now I love the lace up trend and I am currently coveting this pair from Public Desire. Far from being a boring pair of black heels, these suede lace up beauties are a winner with their ornate gold heel. What’s more you won’t be balancing on stilettos all night, the chunky heel ensures you have a bit more comfort and support.

With your heels you can go as fun or simple as you like. Pick a show-stopping pair and keep your outfit minimal or vice versa. Either way, heels are the ultimate way to nail your date night look and give you the poise to show your date what you’re made of.

Photo: Topshop Photo: Asos

Below the Belt Sophie Soar, Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Trousers are without doubt my favourite element to any outfit. They’re not the usual item chosen to make a statement, which makes it all the more fun. The wackier they are, the better! Paired with the right shoe, trousers lengthen your legs and can hug in all the right places. Ensure to pick a flattering cut depending on your body shape; a low-rise jean is great so long as you have the slim figure for it. Personally, I opt for high-rise and belted, pulling them in at the waist for a figure hugging finish. Also, never underestimate the comforts of a baggy cut and its slimming capabilities when deceivingly oversized.

Skirts are an alternative to smarten up your dating attire. Again, I am a sucker for a high waisted look to give a flattering finish but a mini skirt can give that cheeky edge when paired with a large boot heel. However if you wish to keep to current trends, pleated metallic skirts are all the rage. Match this with a crisp white shirt, unbuttoned seductively to the cleavage for a sophisticated yet sexy look.

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Fashion & Beauty 17

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

2016 marks the 100th Anniversary of British Vogue. An American imported magazine; publisher Condé Nast created the paper to ensure that British readers could enjoy the fashion, society and beauty advice that previously could only be found in the American version. Once British Vogue had control over its content, it transformed the paper into the fashion juggernaut it is today. The institute stands as a pillar of 20th Century British fashion; a survivor of two world wars, numerous economic crashes and every fashion fad in between.

To celebrate, the paper curated the Vogue 100 exhibition, whilst initially shown at The National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition has since been transferred to Manchester Art Gallery from June 24th – October 30th and entry is free. Alongside the exhibition, there was a special centenary edition in June with the Duchess of Cambridge on the cover, and a BBC documentary titled Absolutely Fashion—admittedly, the documentary doesn’t represent Vogue at its finest.

On the top floor of Manchester Art Gallery you can explore the history of Vogue, travelling through the decades: one is free to explore Cecil Beaton’s defining images of the 1920s and 1930s; David Bailey’s representation of the swinging sixties; Patrick Demarchelier’s intimate depiction of Cindy, Naomi and Claudia—the original supermodels; plus portraits of some of the greatest designers of the 20th Century. The exhibition guides you through the journey the magazine has taken, alongside popular cultures.

The images included in A Century of Style highlight the legacy Vogue wishes to leave. It wants to be seen as forward thinking, an institute that helped to define the time it existed in, rather than be defined by time. The exhibition does not address Vogues controversial under-representation of black models or its frequent inclusion of underweight models.

Frequent attention is given to Britain’s most famous face in fashion—Kate Moss. The London girl who, discovered aged 14, has defined British Vogue under current editor Alexandra Shulman is given the prominence she deserves. It cannot be denied that she has an exquisite face from every angle.

If you fancy a break from the autumn rain, busy streets, or piles of work being handed out, I cannot recommend Vogue 100: A Century of Style enough. If nothing else there are some truly beautiful photographs to be admired.

Photo: Public Desire

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Photo: sarahkilcourse @Instagram

Hats off to you, Lads!

The boys ticked all the boxes for a tea party with the Mad Hatter. We’ve picked our favourites from the weirdest and wackiest in Wonderland

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High heels vs Trainers Talia Lee-Skudder gives her opinion on wearing trainers on a night out. Are heels the ultimate footwear or is it time to embrace the more comfortable and practical choice of trainers?

Photo: tonyshek @Flickr

Before starting university, I vowed I would never succumb to the hugely popular and practical trend of wearing trainers. I laughed at my friends who assured me that they were essential university wear and were actually really cool. As if wearing trainers outside of the gym wasn’t enough to get my head around, being a student in Manchester also meant that trainers were the preferred choice of footwear on a night out. You can imagine my horror on finding out that I was going to have to incorporate trainers into my wardrobe in a big way.

For a night out at home in the northern seaside town of Cleethorpes— or CleeVegas to those who are well acquainted—heels are obligatory on a night out. I foolishly believed that this would be the case in Manchester and that it would stay this way. I put up a good fight, wearing lower and chunkier heels than what I was accustomed to during freshers week.

However, I quickly realised that I was fighting a losing battle and begrudgingly left my heels to collect dust in my wardrobe for the rest of the year.

Whilst walking to a club and spending all night in towering heels is the norm at home, clambering onto the Magic Bus in stilettos for a student night out seems unthinkable. So I reluctantly purchased my first pair of trainers and honestly they have revolutionised my wardrobe.

The pros of trainers are obvious; ultimate comfort that allows you to keep dancing all night and run home from the bus stop when it’s freezing cold and, in spite of myself, I do have to admit they do look cool. Heels, on the other hand, are glamorous and bring together any outfit, plus they elongate your legs and who doesn’t love that? It’s futile to even mention the cons of wearing heels; we’ve all had nights where our feet are crippled in pain and we are convinced that our fabulous heels are, in fact, torture devices. However, if you find the right pair of shoes you can rule the world.

For those of you who, like me, are advocates for the stiletto, despite all of their attributes, sometimes trainers just don’t work with your outfit. For a night in Manchester, find middle ground and wear your comfy boots.

These are a lifesaver for the trainer-phobes out there and they give you the extra height that you need. Whilst I undoubtedly shun my trusty heels on a night out at university, I am still devoted to my stilettos at home and surprisingly comfort is never an issue – especially if my outfit is looking good. So, will I ever discard my heels in exchange for comfort, practicality and looking ‘cool’? Absolutely not, but I’m willing to make an exception during my time studying in Manchester. If Victoria Beckham can swap five-inch Louboutin heels for Stan Smiths then—for now— I think I’m in good company.

Kaleidoscope Dreaming

As the grey drizzle of Manchester’s winter approaches, Deputy Fashion Editor Sophie Soar looks for a compromise in amongst the long running conflict between monochrome and colour Ah, Manchester. True to form, it has stuck to its reputation and predictable ways. It’s grey, it’s dreary and it’s the kind of weather that makes you question the absolute necessity to leave your bed, let alone walk out the front door. It is also the kind of weather that has us reaching for our black and white staple pieces to blend in with the surroundings.

When this weather hits, paired with the encroaching shorter days, it’s very easy to fall into the habit of dressing in pure monochrome. Colour is often a celebration of our mood, informing a dress code in which we indulge with greater ease when the sun invokes a happier temperament. How do we, then, invoke a more cheerful wardrobe when our mood, sometimes so dependent on weather, is compromised?

As is recommended by interior designers when choosing paints, colour subliminally affects our disposition and is therefore essential in lifting our spirits. For example, monochromatic tones with a warmer undertone can give your winter blues that lift it needs. Camel, khaki and blue for one provide a twist on the monochrome palette, imbuing shades with warmth rather than wearing outfits that continually suggest you’re aesthetically recreating an E. L. James novel.

Alternatively, one or two vibrant pops of colour can give your ensemble the cheerful edge it needs despite your despair for the drizzle and plummeting temperature. Setting off an outfit with a vibrant shoe or a vivaciously printed top can be enough to stand out from the mass hoard of oversized coats and winter woollies that grace the library this time of year.

There is a uniform distinguishable amongst the Manchester university goer: a khaki coat with a fur trimmed hood, paired with black jeans and a black boot or Nike trainer. Once you spot one, you spot a hundred in one day. Should you wish to stick to the comforts of a monochromatic wardrobe, an alternative change may come in a much smaller box. A slash of colour could be a red lip or a popping eye shadow to give the subtle lift necessary in these overcast days.

It’s often easy to forget the power of a little colour to add some cheer to the long months ahead, whilst we are more often than not found burrowing in the library or hibernating at home. Warmer days may be fast disappearing and only found in the memories of summer, but it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. As designer Isaac Mizrahi once said, “colour is like food for the spirit – plus it’s not addictive or fattening”.

Photo: tofuprod @Flickr

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1.‘Best make-up’ 2. ‘Sweatiest effort’ 3. ‘At least they tried’ 4.’Best dab’ 5. ‘Most organic prop’ 6. ‘Best photo bomb’

Photos: Lorimer Macandrew

Film

18

Top 5

Film Trilogies Dominic Bennett outlines his top five picks for the alltime best film trilogies

ISSUE 03/ 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

The Girl With All The Gifts This new spin on zombie films is not able to meet the full potential of the original stimulating story Sarah Jane Thoms Film Critic Based on the novel of the same name

by M. R. Carey, The Girl with All the Gifts offers a new approach to the already established zombie thrillers but seems to lack a sense of realism… as much as a dystopian world can offer.

The film tells the story of a world plagued by a fungal virus that turns humans into “hungries”, zombies that desire the flesh of those that are healthy and unaffected. However, the second generation of “hungries” are somewhat different. It is this difference that leads Dr Caudwell (played by Glenn Close) to believe that a cure can be formulated.

Young Melanie (played by newcomer Sennia Nanua) becomes Caudwell’s last hope to develop a vaccine and to restore the human race.

Directed by Colm McCarthy, The Girl with All the Gifts can be greatly appreciated in terms of its aesthetics.

It is extremely visually appeasing and

alongside the resonant music score, a sombre atmosphere is created for the majority of the film.

Nanua’s performance was striking and hard-hitting for such a young actress and her work must be highly rated. The character of Melanie is the focal point for the audience’s connection to the film, so Nanua’s performance was crucial in order to make the audience believe the world that they were viewing. Her performance ensures that we sympathise with Melanie and support her on her journey. Her relationship with Ms Justineau (played

by Gemma Arterton) pulls at your heartstrings, and the audience wants nothing more than to see Melanie live a normal and carefree life as a child. I believe that great opportunities lie ahead for Sennia Nanua.

Despite Nanua’s exceptional performance, not all performances were as plausible. A particular scene which shows Melanie go head to head with a clan of second generation children “hungries” is just one example of when the film loses its sense of seriousness,

and in some ways becomes comedic. The low budget of the film could be blamed for the poor quality use of special effects in regards to creating believable zombie characteristics, but the acting cannot be commended. The scene which shows nothing more than playground fighting and a few slightly disturbing hisses every now and then is not chilling, nor is it believable. On the other hand, how frightening can a scene really be when all of the performers are children? The unity that is created between Melanie, Ms Justineau, Sgt. Eddie Parks (played by Paddy Considine) and Kieran Gallagher (played by Fisayo Akinade) is a believable one but the rest of the film lacks this belief.

The opening section of the film left me intrigued and immersed, but this connection was lost as the film progressed. I’m sat on the fence with The Girl and All the Gifts. Maybe you won’t be.

3/5

Photo: Shochiku

5. Original Star Wars Trilogy This epic space fantasy series has obsessed children and adults alike for decades. Spreading a familiar tale of good vs. evil throughout the galaxies and creating numerous iconic characters. The prequel trilogy that followed was a huge disappointment, but the encouraging reboot led by J.J. Abrams’s The Force Awakens brings a new hope that these films won’t need to be praised in isolation for much longer.

4. The Godfather Francis Ford Coppola’s films, following multiple generations of the Corleone family have defined the mafia genre and spawned some of most quotable dialogue in existence. They also feature a series of powerhouse performances by several of the greatest actors of all time, combined with ever present ruminations on family and morality. This means that—despite part III being fairly mediocre—the trilogy is undoubtedly one of the best.

3. Arabian Nights It may seem presumptuous to place a film series that only came out this year so high on the list, but Miguel Gomes’s ambitious trilogy fully deserves its place. The films borrow the structure of the eponymous folk tale to tell a series of stories about modern day Portuguese life, focusing on everything from amateur chaffinch trainers to the erectile dysfunction problems of austerity imposing bankers. This expertly handled melding of bizarre satire with social realism creates a compelling and unique political odyssey.

2. Three Colours Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Blue, White and Red are dominated by their namesake colour and focus on the French ideals of liberté, égalité and fraternité respectively. These links can often be strenuous or ironic though, and it is maybe worth focusing more on what the films share. They are all deeply humanistic tales that deal with the relationships between people in society, showing how we can all affect and rely upon each other. The trilogy is also bound by a preposterous—yet oddly moving—ending.

1. Noriko Trilogy Although the plots of these films (Late Spring, Early Summer and Tokyo Story) are unrelated, they each star Setsuko Hara as characters called Noriko, facing the struggles of being unmarried women in post war Japan. Director Yasujirō Ozu ties the trilogy together with the themes found in nearly all his work: the repressive effects of traditional society and the impact of westernisation. Alongside this critique of life at the time, Ozu’s relaxed pacing and subtle use of emotion mean the films capture the transcendent ebbs and flows of life in an unforgettable manner.

Photo: Poison Chef

Bridget Jones’s Baby

Bridget Jones’s Baby makes for fun viewing but just falls short of the high standards set by the previous Bridget Jones films Esther Hamilton-Ivory Contributor

her endearing, waddling walk but with a more mature and well put-together image.

Zellweger’s co-stars, too, offered superb performances. Colin Firth maintained Mark Darcy’s serious and awkward demeanor and Patrick Dempsey, despite essentially

Bridget Jones’s Baby has undoubtedly been a hotly anticipated film with women across the country waiting to be reunited with their best friend after more than a decade apart. The story follows Bridget, now aged 40-something, having split with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) with a new handsome man in her life (Patrick Dempsey), and in classic hopeless Bridget style, unintentionally pregnant.

The film unfolds as she tries to come to terms with impending Photo: Miramax single motherhood and having to navigate the turbulent waters of having two replacing Hugh Grant—it did feel there was potential fathers of her unborn child, one of a slight void left by Grant’s absence in this whom when we last saw her, she was deeply film—managed to hold his own as the very and madly in love with. The film effectively attractive but ultimately, slightly irritating and used flashbacks to aid in jogging our memory self involved competing love interest. of these moments of Bridget’s younger life.

No fight scene between two men will be as However it did not feel as though we were funny as the one with Grant and Firth in the inundated with them, which meant that this first Bridget Jones film, as they so captured film was able to stand on its own without the hilarious and slightly tragic desperation having to rely on the previous two. of two well-to-do, grown British men trying Renée Zellweger accurately portrays a to assert their testosterone-fulled dominance middle-aged Bridget—who has maintained in attempting to win a woman’s heart, but that brilliant British accent—still with Dempsey and Firth still managed to portray

the jealously between the two of them and the cringeworthy way in which they went about trying to charm Bridget.

It was especially beneficial that the film was well-acted because in many places the script fell short and the writing did feel slightly lazy.

As per any Bridget Jones film, there were great declarations of love and honesty which in the previous films had, although very sentimental, been well written and evoked true emotion in the audience watching. But this time round, it seems the same could not always be said—this may be because Richard Curtis was not a writer on this film as he was on the first two and he is expert when it comes to well written, ‘genuine’, emotional sentimentality.

Having said this, this film was by no means a flop—as has been the case with other recent comeback films such as Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie—or even a bad film. It made the audience laugh out loud and really, genuinely cry by the end. It did not exceed any expectations but it certainly fulfilled them. It was a truly heartwarming film and one which has left many audiences falling back in love with Bridget once again.

4/5

Film 19

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

Top 5

Interview with Mark Radich Barney Weston Film Critic Following 2008’s Crack Willow, Martin Radich’s second feature film, Norfolk, is now playing in UK cinemas. It was screened at HOME on Monday, the 26th of September. Having heavily researched Radich, watching the majority of his previous work and scouring through the Norfolk press kit, I was pleased to briefly meet him before I saw the film for the first time.

“Set in Norfolk, amidst an idyllic, brooding landscape, an innocent teenage boy and his battle-weary father live a simple life. Days are spent hunting, fishing and daydreaming. Then out of nowhere, the father, a mercenary, is given a final deadly mission, one that threatens to destroy not just the target, but the love between a father and his son.”

Immediately after the screening, a table and chair were bought out for a Q&A with the audience in attendance at the screening. Radich was nervous — he shifted uncomfortably in his seat at every question fired at him. Going into our own interview, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However, it was within these twenty minutes that I got to know the self-described “geezer from Blackpool who grew up on a council estate” that Martin Radich is.

We sit in the HOME lobby and discuss whether to switch venue because of the typically loud nature of the pub quiz. I begin by asking Martin why he is so different. I cite his early work; short films such as In Memory of Dorothy Bennett (1998)—for which he was nominated for a BAFTA—and A Good Man is Hard to Find (1999), both of which can be seen at martinradich.com. I ask him about his attempts to include the sounds of the landscape of Norfolk into the film’s script, for

example spelling words phonetically in order to “describe how the world might sound” as well as why, despite his fond childhood memories of Norfolk’s “serenity”, he had chosen it as the backdrop of this “haunting thriller”.

Martin blames Blackpool. He describes his younger years as spent watching films he had rented from video stores.

“Every weekend was like a kaleidoscope”, full of “curious eccentric stories”.

He claims to “know no genres” because of this.

But it is Blackpool itself that seems to have had such an impact on Martin. He describes a certain romance surrounding the city, in the sense of how it “attracts disparate people” who “migrate […] from across the country”, people “who haven’t quite figured themselves out”.

He cites this as what keeps drawing him back to the city as a point of reference for his work; yet he doesn’t seem to recom-

Norfolk is now playing in UK cinemas—we sat down with the director to get to grips with the film’s essence

The best of HOME’s classic films mend taking a visit.

As another pub quiz question booms across the lobby, we both agree that having a Q&A here makes the conversation seem even more fitting in regards to the “scarred and jagged” atmosphere that Radich describes himself as having both risen from, and currently living within.

It’s this profile of Radich which is important to build in order to better understand Norfolk.

Denis Ménochet (playing man) is recognisable from the opening scene of Inglorious Basterds, acting alongside Christopher Waltz. Martin tells me about how he wanted to insert a sense of “ambiguity” in regards to Ménochet’s man. It was maintaining this “equilibrium of ambiguity” that Radich describes as one of the biggest challenges in regards to crafting the film.

Yet although Ménochet and Barry Keoghan (playing boy) lead Norfolk on

screen, it becomes clear to me that it is being shown in the upcoming month Martin who has overseen this creative and collaborative process. In a previous Eliza Slawther interview, it is clear that he appreciates Head Film Editor the value of cinema beyond the screen— “I want to listen to a story that might say something to me, that might educate me, that might offer up an alternative approach to a conundrum”.

I ask Martin what he thinks the point of the film is: “It’s about the idea of com- Photo: Columbia Media munication […] mistakes are made beHOME cinema and arts centre is wellcause of an inability to communicate.” known in Manchester for its selection In retrospect, this is obvious. This story of the latest arthouse and Hollywood is well-constructed with a clear beginfilms, but it also regularly screens old ning, middle, and end—and that’s actu- films as well as running film ‘seasons’, for ally quite satisfying, with the ending as a instance the recent Studio Ghibli season clear highlight. that ran in August. Although there are You can find the Norfolk trailer on many great new releases being shown Vimeo. For details of all UK screenings, in October, I’d strongly recommend seevisit norfolkthefilm.com. ing at least one of these old classics being screened in the coming month.

5. Stormy Weather Being a 1943 music comedy, this is certainly bound to be a very different viewing experience than any recent films you have watched in the cinema. It’s perhaps a little cheesy, but extremely fun and will definitely put a smile on your face. The screenings are on the 23rd, 24th and 25th of October.

4. Ganja & Hess Truly one-of-a-kind, this art-house horror actually deals with many politicised issues, such as race, religion, sexuality and addiction whilst showing a bloodthirsty archaeologist. It’s highly stylised and my not be to everyone’s taste, but if abstract and concept cinema is something you’re interested in then I would encourage you to attend the screening of this classic on the 11th of October.

Photo: SDI Productions

3. Akira

Classic Review

Women in Love: BFI Blu-Ray Restoration Ken Russell’s classic is revisited following its re-release on Blu-Ray Alasdair Bayman Film Critic

As part of the BFI’s constant restoration of seminal films across world cinema—including the likes of Akira Kurosawa’s Ran and Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Landon— their latest blu-ray re-release is widely considered one of British cinema’s greatest achievements: Ken Russell’s Women in Love (1969). Originally screened in 2015 at the London Film Festival, its restoration was met with widescale praise and celebration, primarily due to the film’s sheer brilliance and to Warner Bros tireless efforts to prevent one of Russell’s other films, The Devils, from having its Director’s Cut from being redistributed. Yet, softer in substance and tone, Women in Love, based on D.H. Lawrence’s novel, blends together powerful cinematography from Billy Williams, vibrant 1920’s costumes, and a proposed tangibility of love. This all

serves to create a mesmeric tale of the two Brangwen sisters falling in love in upper-middle class society.

Being an adaptation of Lawrence, Russell’s piece avoids unnecessary attachment to the novel. As demonstrated in recent years, adaptation is a blessing or a curse to filmmakers. Its brilliance can range from Lenny Abrahamson’s touching Room to the darkest depths of slaughtering a classic text, as found in The Hobbit. The seemingly simple task of translating text to the big screen has proven to be more complex than initially thought. What Russell manages to achieve in his adaptation is a complex reworking of the novel. It’s a film that revels in its cinematic format and excavates the original work, all whilst maintaining to stand proudly separate in its originality.

Women in Love, on paper, could have been turned into a mundane melodrama. Though with Larry Kramer’s script, the adaptation was never in the wrong hands.

With an Oscar-winning performance from Glenda Jackson as the artistically coiled Gudrun Brangwen

and Oliver Reed at the height of his career, their relationship on screen deepens the narrative towards the pair of twisted lovers. Reed’s Gerald contributes an iciness in their love, whilst maintaining a deeply withdrawn lust. The separate-yet-united philosophy of love is embodied in them. On the other side of the coin, Alan Bates’ Rupert Birkin and Jennie Linden’s Ursula Brangwen offer an insight into a pure love that survives individual desire, unlike the former couple.

Thanks to undercurrents of homosexuality between Rupert and Reed, though, the work easily could have been titled Men in Love. One naked wrestling scene between the two men was famously cut by the South Africa Film Classification Board for its male nudity in 1969. What was left was Reed’s Gerald locking the door for it only to cut to both men laying topless on the floor sweating. Not only did this prevent audiences from witnessing a visceral scene, it also withdrew the homosexual underpinnings of their relationship.

As a reflection of their cultural position in the upper echelons of 1920s society, costume designer Shirley Russell creates some of the most alluring dresses and suits seen on film. As critic Claire Smith notes: “The costumes of the central characters look forward from the war to the youth, vigour, and energy of the twenties style.”

In adapting Lawrence, Russell, more so than the author himself, penetrates the soul of his work. In using the format of film, the director surpasses the ties that bind the novel together. As always with the BFI, their attention to detail in restorations and rereleases is unparalleled. Moreover, they have delivered something sumptuous for cinephiles to revel in.

5/5 Photo: Company Pictures

Classic film screenings at HOME

An iconic piece of anime cinema, this sci-fi fantasy shows a bike-gang leader and anti-government activists attempting to stop another bike-gang member who has gained deadly psychic powers following a government project called Akira. It’s gory and brutal as well as being visually stunning, and portrays NeoJapan in all its dystopian glory. The film is being shown on the 4th and 5th of October.

2. Fight Club (with introduction) Okay, you’ve probably already seen it a hundred times, but have you seen it in the cinema? On the 16th of October Fight Club will be shown at HOME, including an introduction from the film’s production designer Alex McDowell. It’s quotable, funny, and you are guaranteed to leave almost as satisfied and amazed as the first time you watched it. Or, for those who haven’t seen it, it’s the perfect opportunity to finally learn what all the hype is about.

1.) Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (with introduction) Not only is Dr. Strangelove one of the best war films of all time, this particular screening on the 18th of October includes an introduction by Sir Christopher Frayling, an expert in film culture.

One of Kubrick’s earliest masterpieces, Dr. Strangelove satirises the western attitudes towards war and explores how terribly wrong everything could go.

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! This is the War Room!”

Books

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Profile

Qaisra Shahraz: Lifetime Achiever Award Charlotte Smith praises Univeristy of Manchester alumnus Qaisra Shahraz for her work as an author and celebrates her winning the Lifetime Achiever Award from the National Diversity Awards 2016

Charlotte Smith Books Contributor

Qaisra Shahraz is an extraordinary woman; she has produced some outstanding literary pieces and committed much of her life to women’s rights and interfaith relationships— thirty years to be exact.

Thirty years committed to equality issues and the celebration of diversity through multiple careers; she has become a highly successful woman on an international scale. On the 16th of September Shahraz’s exemplary work was recognised at the National Diversity Awards, beating several other individuals in the running for the Lifetime Achiever Award.

The National Diversity Awards honours role models and charities nationwide, this year taking place in Liverpool to celebrate the achievements of these incredible people and organisations who have dedicated their time to diversity, equality and inclusion. There are ten awards that are awarded to individuals on the night, however this year saw a record-breaking 20,000 nominations and votes received.

The evening began with a speech by the founder of the National Diversity Awards, Paul

Sesay, discussing the importance of the NDAs and the inspiration behind the ceremony. The ceremony itself was sponsored by a variety of organisations including the Army, Adidas Group, The Open University and Able Magazine, that contribute towards supporting a diverse group of talent. It was a room full of incredible individuals; Qaisra Shahraz stated that her fellow nominees were “amazing, inspirational people, excellent role models—all winners in

“Inspirational people, excellent role models– all winners in their own right!” their own right!”

Shahraz herself found the event to be “a thrilling experience for me and my sister Farah, to be part of an incredible event in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, which brilliantly showcased and celebrated the marvellous

Photo: National Diversity Awards

Feature

work, of hundreds of unsung heroes, amazing companies and charities across the UK. All of whom have tirelessly dedicated their lives to inclusion, removal of barriers for others and celebrating diversity.”

She completed her first university degree at the University of Manchester; she is now a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has written many prize-winning and critically acclaimed novels and scripts through which she has expressed a lifelong commitment to equality issues and the celebration of diversity.

However, she is still very much involved with the University of Manchester and is currently filling the role of vice-chair for “Faith Network 4 Manchester”. Qaisra Shahraz is working with students from the University, Saffa Mir and Ilyas Nagdee to organise a Diversity Multi-Faith peace event to be held at the Students’ Union on the 7th of December.

Diversity is such an important issue both within the community and globally, so it has become exceedingly important to celebrate both diversity and those who champion it. The National Diversity Awards is an amazing event which highlights incredible individuals who celebrate and promote diversity in numerous ways; the atmosphere is a very positive one,

“These amazing companies and charities have dedicated their lives to inclusion, removal of barriers for others and celebrating diversity.” with all nominees supporting one another.

Such a fantastic event deserves recognition and praise—as do all the nominees and supporters of the event, and we at Manchester should be very proud that Qaisra Shahraz, one of our own, has won such a prestigious humanitarian award.

Photo: National Diversity Awards

Reading Challenge 2016/2017

Aiswarya Kishor Books Contributor Two years ago, I created a reading challenge for myself. I had done challenges before—the kind that involved setting a target for the number of books you would complete by the end of the year—but this particular challenge came with a twist. It prodded me to read not just more, but more widely. In retrospect, it compelled me to read outside my comfort zone and even changed my notions of what constitutes a ‘real book’.

Prior to the challenge, I was torn in the debate of whether graphic novels could be considered books and I was always a bit disappointed with myself when I voraciously read novellas but ignored their longer brethren. The reading challenge was an eyeopening experience for me and it introduced me to books that are now personal favourites.

I hope it does the same for you.

Book recommendation of the week After all, as W.H. Auden said, “Some books are undeservedly forgotten, none are undeservedly remembered.”

Find the Reading Challenge below: 1. A memoir or biography of someone who inspires you 2. A book recommended by a friend or family member 3. A graphic novel 4. A book you’ve heard a lot about but never actually read 5. A book that’s soon becoming a movie 6. A book more than 500 pages long 7. A book about a different culture 8. A book with a title longer than 5 words 9. A book published the year you were born 10. A book you did not like by its cover 11. A book that intimidates you 12. A banned book

13. A book with a character who shares your name 14. Reread a personal favourite 15. A book that took you on an emotional rollercoaster ride 16. A book based on a true story 17. A book that changed the way you thought about something 18. A book set or written in Manchester 19. A book published in 2016 20. A book you can finish in one sitting 21. A book about a historical event 22. A book from a genre you’ve never tried before 23. A book originally written in a different language 24. A book that’s won a major literary award 25. Reread a book you loved as a child 26. A borrowed book 27. A book that cost you less than a pound

Vernon God Little by D.B.C Pierre “I don’t usually make a point of highlighting in books but this book has the kind of quotes that get under your skin. It is the perfect mix of funny and gross; it really communicates what it is like growing up at odds with your surroundings.”

Chosen by Ola Youssef, Mechanical Engineering student

s l l a h / om c . n o i n su t n e d u st r e t s e h manc rtteam

o p p u s a @r

Food & Drink

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ISSUE 03/ 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

The Refuge by Volta at the Palace Hotel

The Glamour of Manchester is forged on beautiful tiles and ox cheeks.

Joe Taylor Contributor

Photo: Volta

‘Wanna suit up?

‘Yes’ Having met Felix, far damper than I had imagined when posing the dress code suggestion, we sought out the The Refuge at the Palace Hotel. My last, admittedly vague, memory of the venue was a muddle of cheap red wine, ravioli and a primary schoolesque disco—I was hoping that my second trip would provide something more memorable.

The Refuge is the second culinary endeavour from Justin Crawford and Luke Cowdrey, two DJs who were active in the Manchester clubbing scene in the latter half of the 90s and early noughties, curating a night called ‘Electric Chair’ (now no longer in circulation, RIP). Having opened their first restaurant ‘Volta’, known for its relaxed atmosphere and frill-free platters, in Didsbury in 2013 to critical acclaim, the ravers come restaurateurs jumped at the opportunity to curate the food and drink in the newly refurbished

Palace Hotel.

Fortunately the restaurant was not in the same characterless, underground event room that my previous visit had lead me to.

Instead, it was situated above ground, in a wing just off the rather grand reception, where the ceilings were the heavens… almost, and the large bull in the foyer of the hotel gave promise of tender meat and strong flavours.

We ordered four starters to share: Slow cooked ox cheek with egg and Sriracha, Serrano ham with olive oil and bread, Baby squid, ink, lime, and Tuna tartare with avocado and passion fruit, before being told that they would bring things out ‘as they come’.

Now this seems to have become ‘a thing’ in restaurants over the last couple of years, but for the life of me I can’t work out why. I might sympathise if I’m eating cheap fast food, but not if I’m in a reasonably fancy restaurant; it seems to be an excuse for laziness, for not being able to plan and prepare meals to come out together.

Perhaps its the result of a generation’s short attention span, a generation who want everything right here, right now—but hey! You wouldn’t rush an artist, so don’t rush a chef! Patience is a virtue, lets nurture it from time to time.

The ox cheek was beautifully cooked, it was tender and wonderfully accompanied by a runny fried egg scattered with spicy Sriracha. The tuna was disappointing, and while I love beef tartare for its raw, meaty texture, the cubes of tuna made me feel like I was eating small cubes of jelly, rather than what is generally a dense, muscly fish. The addition of the passion fruit was unnecessary, and I was also expecting the avocado to come mashed, with a little texture, it instead came as a puree made it feel like baby food, rather than a cleverly constructed accompaniment. The squid starter was more interesting, for the accompanying ‘ink’ was presented in the form of a black aioli, something that I’d never seen before, which gave the whole platter an interesting look as it offset the green of the lime and the yellowy deep-fried squid.

Felix and I spoke mostly of the food throughout the meal, moving from dish to dish and enjoying trying to describe why we felt the way we did about each one. When we moved onto the ham, olive oil and bread, he commented: “Ham is ham”—I agreed with him. Admittedly he went on to say that he thought it was some-

times exceptional when the kitchen cured their own meat, or had supplied it from somewhere special, but lets pretend he didn’t for the sake of his “it is what it is” quote.

We shared a belly stuffed whole sea bass with pine nuts, coriander and preserved lemon for our main course, accompanied by a side of ‘brocolini’, in this case a glorified tender stem with a sprinkling of fried garlic. The pine nuts and lemon complimented the often delicate flavour of bass, but the long thin sticks of ginger were overpowering and ruined the fish for both of us - Felix “subtly” squeezed his eyes at various points to deal with this.

The glamour of Manchester’, inscribed on the beautiful tiles encompasses the feel of the building, its high ceilings and pillars, dimly lit dining room, granite bar, red felt pool table, and its beautiful glass atrium. It all works to evoke the past of this historic hotel, while fusing it with the present day, with Volta, with contemporary food trends. The dishes need refining, but the taste is there in abundance, with Crawford and Cowdrey curating not just a restaurant but a milieu of class and style. It’s not an everyday student eat, but when Mum and Dad are in town, it’s worth a look-see.

Value For Money - 3/5 Food - 4/5 Service - 5/5 Decor - 5/5 Oxford Street Manchester M60 7HA

Food Gossip... Fossip?

Life changing food news for the people.

As the dust settles on the news that Channel 4 bought the GBBO tent and the male judge, attention is turning to who will try to imitate the inimitable and replace Mel and Sue. Rumours abound including an intriguing one about the BBC creating a rival show, keeping Mary, Mel and Sue at the helm. The question for both ventures is, would a cake by any other name taste as sweet? - Lily Carden

Informatiuon has surfaced that the aformentioned duo may be the next in line to replace Mel and Sue. I for one think they would really add something to the show. However, the buzz around the Mancunion news desk is that Idris Elba is going replace Mel and Sue, and the Chuckle brothers are going to replace Idris Elba as Jame Bond as part of MI6’s new workshare initiative. - Bobby Gumbo

Perhaps the frontrunners in both acolade, public opinion and moustaches is The Chuckle Brothers.

Perhaps the most devastating piece of food news this decade was reported on the front page of The

‘To the hungry soul, every bitter thing is sweet.’ – Proverbs

Times on Thursday. This contributer, when passing a newstand, was so shocked with what he saw that he actually tripped, stumbled and fell to the floor. He fainted but was quickly revived with smelling salts.

The Times have reported that the government are ordering restaurants to reduce the size of puddings.

In a new bid to tackle obesity, restaurants will be named and shamed if they bake big cakes or have too much sugar in their sauce or something ridiculous and beaurocraty. Babylon bring down buns.

- Felix Sanders

Facebook: The Mancunion: Food and Drink Twitter: @MancunionFood Email: food@mancunion.com

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Sundays at Volta

Lily Carden - Contributor

‘The atmosphere of the restaurant encapsulated an idyllic destination for a lazy, food-filled Sunday.’

Manchester’s food fanatics have been going crazy for Volta in West Didsbury, and now I can see why. This Sunday, after an exhausting first week back in our student city, my eating partner and I wanted nothing more than to indulge ourselves in our favourite homely meal—a Sunday roast. After reading numerous ‘best roast’ articles, we decided to head to Volta, a name that frequently came up, to see if it could really live up to its chart-topping reviews. Opened by Manchester DJ-duo Luke Cowdrey and Justin Crawford, we were expecting, as well as first class food, a vibrant and cool atmosphere.

We arrived onto West Didsbury’s main road— Burton Road, a short cycle or bus ride from Fallowfield—at 4pm, and spotted Volta’s teeming outside area. We immediately envied the stylish young professionals that were lucky enough to call this part of Manchester their home. However, slightly smug that we booked, we made our way into the fairly small inside and were shown to our table by a cool, friendly waiter. Whilst taking in our surroundings, we ordered our drinks, a gin and tonic and a recommended pint of Warsteiner lager. Volta’s fully stocked bar boasted ‘in-the-know’ bar staff, their soundtrack had clearly been chosen by a music guru, and the food being continuously brought out around us made our bellies ache in anticipation.

The same waiter who welcomed us suggested we opt for the two person platter as it would al-

low us to sample all three of their offered meats along with their selection of ‘trimmings’. So, we did as we were recommended, usually wellinformed staff know best, and went for exactly that. Other menu options include starters of, swordfish sashimi or serrano ham, and an expertly devised and tempting vegetarian option of artichoke and sun-blushed tomatoes.

In impressive speed, our huge sharing plate arrived. We wasted no time in tucking in, looking as if we hadn’t eaten in weeks. We were met with tastes that stripped away the feeling of being in a lively suburban restaurant, and instead took us back to our familiar dining table at home. It softly reminded us that we hadn’t left home as long ago as it had felt all week.

Despite being presented with roast beef, pork and poussin, we were guaranteed to have our favourite, and on this occasion the beef stood out leaps and bounds above the rest. Its light pink centre melted into the rosemary rich gravy, and once paired on a forkful with a bit of their classic Yorkshire pudding and punchy horseradish, the result really was smile-worthy. On the contrary, we found parts of the poussin, mostly the breasts, to be disappointingly on the dry side. However, we continued to work our way through the plate, enjoying every element such as the well-roasted potatoes, until we were completely full.

Photo: Miriam Mizzi

Volta largely lived up to the expectations. Its prices are similar to those found in the Northern Quarter, offering a filling meal with drinks for around £25 per person. The atmosphere of the restaurant, and of West Didsbury as a whole, encapsulated an idyllic destination for a lazy, foodfilled Sunday.

167 Burton Rd Manchester M20 2LN

Recipe

Spanish Omelette

*Listening to Enrique Iglesias is not required but is encouraged.

Feeds 2 Prep time 10 mins - Cooking time 20 mins Butter ½ white onion 6 new potatoes 2 garlic cloves Salt and pepper 4 Eggs

Ah, Spain, the land of wonderful food and glorious wine. Tortilla Español featured heavily during my last holiday to that sun drenched place and I simply had to recreate it when I returned to rainy Manchester. To make your own slice of heaven, chop half an onion and 6 new potatoes into small pieces*. Heat the grill. Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan and add the diced onion and potatoes. Crush 2 cloves of garlic into the pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cook on a medium-low heat until the potatoes are cooked through and turning golden. During this process add more butter as required.

When all is looking good, beat 4 eggs with a pinch of salt and pour over the potatoes (that are still in the pan). Ensure that the eggs cover all of the potatoes and let cook for 5 minutes before whacking under the grill for a couple of minutes to set the top. Keep a close eye on it to ensure you don’t end up with a charred omelette (like I fre quently do). *Listening to Enrique Iglesias is not required but is encourage

Photo: Lily Carden

Lily Carden - Contributor Twitter/Instagram - @GorgeousGateaux Website - www.gourmetinthemaking.blogspot.co.uk

Arts

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editor’s Picks

Review

What’s on this week?

Marcantonio Raimondi and Raphael Opens at the Whitworth

Photo: Kylaborg @Flickr

Journeys Festival Manchester celebrates the artistic and creative talents of refugee artists in order to create a positive interface with the public through the art they create The Container Project: St Ann’s Square A shipping container is reimagined into an exhibition space for this week’s Journey’s festival. All projects are free, and are set to be the most innovative and exciting modern art to hit Manchester this year.

They include: The Graffiti Project Wednesday 5th October – Thursday 6th October Manchester-based street art partnership Nomad Clan create a new graffiti mural in front of a live audience.

The Story Behind Me Friday 7th October – Sunday 9th October Brought to The Container Project by Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre’s World Wide Workshop and photographer Amanda Crowther, we hear the personal stories of the participants involved, focusing on the challenges they have overcome.

Re:Connect Monday 10th October – Wednesday 12th October Four refugee artists conduct workshops with Manchester-based refugees and asylum seekers to aid them in unlocking their creativity. Following the project their works will be exhibited at Manchester Museum.

For the first time ever in the UK the entire works of legendary engraver Marcantonio Raimondi comes to Manchester Laura Joyce Arts Editor Brand new to the Whitworth Art Gallery this week is the exciting Marcantonio Raimondi and Raphael exhibit.

Marcantonio Raimondi (c.1480-c.1534) was an Italian engraver, and an innovator of the European tradition of printmaking, while Raphael (1483-1520) was a revolutionary renaissance painter and architect. The unlikely collaboration between these contrasting artists led to some of the most iconic and recognisable printed images in western art.

From Raphael’s designs the two artists created many engraved works right up until Raphael’s death in 1520. These works revolutionised the world of western artistry, and the way we perceive art today.

The exhibition takes the viewer through eight steps of Raimondi’s career; both with and without Raphael. We begin with his first works stemming out of his time at the University of Bologna where he worked under the Bolognese painter, medallist and goldsmith Francesco Raibolini, more commonly known as Francia. Focusing on

Look Up Art Walks with Jamal Jameel, The Beholder Tuesday 11th October: 6pm-7pm Start: National Football Museum Finish:Contact, Ocford Road M15 6JA Jamal Jameel’s large scale visual outdoor visual arts exhibition focusing on Manchester’s iconic landscape. Join the Beholder as he share the moving stories surrounding the Look Up artworks created for this projects. The works are self-portraits created by refugees and asylum seekers resulting in a powerful message of humanity.

Kite Making Classes Saturday 8th October: 11am-4pm Living Worlds Gallery The people of Manchester are invited to a virtual kite flying experience. In this workshop you can design and fly your own kite over stunning landscapes from the other side of the Earth. Kiteflying is a huge Eastern tradition and is at the heart of the lives of

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

the theme of humanism the works depict man in their most vulnerable states; nude, sleeping, and in pain.

We then move onto Marcantonio Raimondi’s works born out of his time in Venice, Florence and Rome, where he brushed shoulders with Albrecht Dürer, Giorgio Vasari and Michaelangelo. Heavily inspired by all three artists, Raimondi created engraved copies of Dürer and Vasari’s paintings. His greatest inspiration from these years, however, is said to come from Michaelangelo’s design for The Battle of Cascina which inspired multiple engraved works based particularly on the heroic nature of the male nude in the design.

And now for the main attraction: Marcantonio Raimondi’s work with Raphael himself. Raimondi’s move to Rome signified his longing to work amongst the most prolific living artists of his day.

Rome was a hive for ancient sculpture and contemporary paintings alike.

Raimondi’s partnership with Raphael is said to have defined his career and even to

revolutionise the European art scene at the time. With Raphael working on paintings and illustrations for illustrious patrons such as the Pope, to work alongside him was a tremendous feat indeed.

Many of the images throughout the exhibition portray universally familiar stories, particularly from the Bible, and Greek Mythology, often fusing humanist learning with Christian piety.

These images often depict some form of disparity between the figures involved.

The images reveal a sense of humanity even surrounding those beings who are almighty and powerful, reminding us of our equality here on Earth.

This astonishing collection of works is a must-see at the Whitworth Art Gallery.

The themes of humanism and Raimondi’s shaping of social values is amazingly ahead of his time. It is quite incredible to come across such an accomplished artist’s entire works, completed centuries ago, and still have it resonate with the society we know today.

Feature

When Science becomes Art Science and art come together to form new ‘BioArt’ Emily Driscoll Arts Contributor

Photo: g@Flickr

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.

In many peoples’ minds, the world of scientific study is quite far removed from the creativity you would expect from art. Systematic study does not seem to lend itself to the creativity and emotion that goes into art as we know it, though is this completely true?

BioArt, founded in the late 20th century, is the art movement that shocks and inspires wonder as it showcases the beauty found in the gooey bits that make us who we are.

Though many have asked whether this form of art is playing God, the movement provides some truly beautiful displays that can last as long as it can be kept alive. Whether it is plants, living tissue, or simply photographs and scans, the end results are absolutely

stunning.

Suzanne Acker is a leading BioArtist from the USA however, we have home-grown talent in the UK in the form of Anna Dumitriu whose work has been showcased around the world. Dumitriu holds workshops around the world which are both educational and beautiful, showing people from all walks of life how science and art needn’t be so distinct from one another.

As the world becomes more self-conscious and the body is more and more under scrutiny, it’s quite humbling to know that even on the smallest level of existence all life can be breath-taking. Even if BioArt isn’t your thing, the amalgamation of creativity and science has given us at least one message to take away: we are all made of stunningly pretty bits of goo!

Photo: Régine Debatty @Flickr

Theatre 25

ISSUE 03/ 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Review: Showstoppers! The Improvised Musical

Brogen Campbell Theatre Editor

Photo: The Lowry

The show begins with the ringing of the red phone. The fictional and imaginary producer Cameron is demanding the need for a new musical. The Master of Ceremony (M.C.) addresses the audience as the ‘writers group’ charged with the responsibility of achieving this aim within the designated two hours. The house lights up and the suggestions flood in from the crowd; this show certainly breaks the fourth wall, but seamlessly closing it again once the actors arrive on stage. It is the audience’s job to choose the setting and title of the musical. We settled on The Mortuary and the aptly named ‘I Sing Dead People’. The first half of the show begins – all that is required is one M.C., two musicians, and six actors.

The musical numbers are inspired by various styles, genres, and composers all dictated by the audience.

Dance numbers inspired by Fosse, impersonations of Lin-Manuel’s iconic rapping style and they even tackled Sondheim. They created memorable songs including ‘You Smell Nice’, ‘Be Alive’ and ‘Your Dreams in Your Spleen’. References to the spleen became a running joke throughout the show. It was these details and the drawing from previous scenes that made the performance fluid and a joy to watch. The comic timing was perfect and left the audience unashamed to laugh out loud. Needless to say, the show was hilarious from start to finish, despite (or perhaps because of) the morbid setting of a successful mortuary in The Great War. You quickly forget that the audience had only set certain boundaries mere minutes ago as the actors and musicians perform with ease and confidence, which suggests they really have been rehearsing this very musical for years. This isn’t surprising, although the company can’t prepare for any specific show, as who knows what wacky and bonkers ideas the audience will call out on the night.

The company rehearses to hone their improvisation skills, which results in a performance that puts the audience at ease and ready to laugh at the hilarity that unfolds before them. The slickness of the performance is almost scary, as actors exit and enter in almost perfect unison. Similarly, there seems to be a sixth-sense among the cast on who’s turn it is to sing the next improvised line. It is easy to imagine that improvisation is simple, due to the incredible performance by the cast, but you only need to try it out yourself to realise how gifted the cast really are. The expertise of their craft is the reason why the company has been so successful, having been running since 2008.

The second half is dictated by the audiences’ tweets during the interval. It isn’t just the audience who helps direct the show, but the M.C. isn’t shy to get involved too. The M.C. stops the action to change the direction of the show, call for a musical number or remind the actors of an audience member’s idea. These interruptions kept the show alive and the actors on their feet, as they had to be open to all offers. The minimal staging and four movable red doorways allow the actors to have plenty of space to experiment on –and experiment they certainly do. Showstoppers! perform something you have never seen before and will never see again.

A truly unique experience.

Showstoppers! The Improvised Musical is unconventional, hilarious and one not to be missed. You really can’t believe that before the show started the unique plot never existed – Utterly mind-blowing.

Showstoppers! are currently touring so make sure you catch a show if you get a chance.

Review

Review: A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer The play that tells society how to speak about and live with the big C word Elete Nelson-Fearson Reviewer “And that would make a cracking musical”, the final words of Bryony Kimmings and Brian Lobel’s touching, hard-hitting, down-to-earth musical A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer. Those words are delivered by Kimmings herself through a voice-over, teasing at the fourth wall between the playwright and company.

The opening scene explores what we are all thinking as we rush through the morning commute with our faces glued to our screensthe need to appear busy and focus on the task at hand. The company’s first song portrays the subconscious fear of cancer while trying to have a positive outlook on the busy commute ahead. Kimmings, also director of the show, uses characters in costumes comprising bright, Review assorted balls to deliver scientific facts about cancer and, later in the show, represent the omnipresence of cancer in the characters’ minds and lives. The first character we meet is Emma Kenworthy, whose baby son is having tests at the hospital. Emma is in blissful denial as to her son’s health; through Emma and the other characters we get the chance to explore the different coping mechanisms that are employed when dealing with the unimaginable.

We see frustration with a dip in sexual partners, reluctance to inform colleagues and admit a change in routine and refusal to accept round-the-clock care. One of the most interesting parallels I noted was between Emma and the mother of Steven, who are both caring for their sons as they battle with cancer. While Emma does not want to admit that anything is wrong, despite the neon characters dawdling around the stage and her mind, Steven’s mother takes a more handson approach and accompanies Steven to every appointment, trying to remain positive.

The musical aspect of the show was the aspect that I was most looking forward to, as musical theatre is not the genre that springs to mind when one thinks about a production about cancer. The songs in the first act were lively, creative, truthful and powerful in portraying the feelings of the characters in a candid and relatable way. Kimmings, Tom Parkinson (composer) and Lizzi Gee (choreographer) manage to juxtapose harrowing sentiments with bright melodies and flashy composition, which keeps the audience’s spirits high and reflects the optimism that comes and goes in all of the characters’ journeys.

The second act, however, had a less animated atmosphere. Reflective of the journey through a degenerative illness, energy levels diminished, spirits dropped and reality kicked in. The characters search for solutions from God, the Universe, Mother Nature and the Internet, justify the fact that they do not constantly feel positive, and share space in their mind and on the stage with inflated representations of cancer. The company

interacts with the audience, cancer survivors and Kimmings, which adds to the uniqueness of the show and makes for a more memorable experience.

Kimmings and Lobel’s use of real characters’ stories make the plot more harrowing and effective; you could not make up the thoughts, reactions and endings in these journeys through cancer. The costumes are bold in their representation of the characters’ personalities and backgrounds; the hospital gowns have ‘hospital property’ printed across them in large, colourful writing as a symbol of their new lives as residents of the ward.

The show exceeded my vague and curious expectations; I expected to learn more about different perceptions of the war on cancer, in a way similar to the manner in which Adam Brace’s They Drink it in The Congo exhibited characters trying to tackle a difficult subject matter with varying backgrounds and resources; the brightly-clad characters

silently ambling the stage at HOMEMCR reminded me of the man in a bright pink suit who followed the protagonist around in They Drink it in The Congo, brightening the stage and the atmosphere.

I would recommend this play on the grounds of it being an enjoyable, educational, emotional and inviting show. The talent of the company is astonishing: in my opinion the standout cast members were Naana Agyei-Ampadu, whose sprightly acting and powerful voice seamlessly tell the story of Gia Jones, and Jenny Fitzpatrick, who played Dr. Lacey and an Ensemble member, with fantastic vocal skills. Some people I have spoken to are hesitant to see a play about an illness, never mind one of the most prevalent and grave illnesses in our society. However, this play tells us that it is not only okay but also important and productive to talk, sing and shout about cancer, in the hope that more people are encouraged to do so, and with the hope that some day no one will have to.

Photo: Mark Douet HOMEMCR

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Dorm Sweet Dorm: Decorating to fight homesickness Arriving at the University of Manchester is as exhilarating as it is emotionally challenging.

Here are a few ways to decorate your dorm room to boost your mood and battle homesickness Kelsey Jones Contributor With Freshers’ week done and dusted, here are some ways to get over that homesickness hurdle through decorating your room.

Homesickness is a completely normal part of life for new students starting university. Some effective ways to deal with homesickness are calling up friends and family, talking with housemates, or contacting the Students’ Union counselling service.

However, your dorm can also be more useful in this department than simply being a place for collapsing on the bed after hugging the toilet goodnight. Your room is your base camp and the things you have on display can have a massive impact on your mental health, combatting homesickness, improving sleep cycles and productivity.

Firstly, and obviously, de-clutter your dorm room. A clean and (relatively) ordered environment is not only good for your physical health (because that pizza under the bed is more likely to evolve into the next human epidemic than start paying rent) but also your mentality. It’s no surprise that most people would rather wake up in a clean room than a landfill, but even things such as piles of unsorted papers can cause anxiety and restlessness. Bin those fresher’s leaflets you are never going to use for starters. This will make you feel more at home. You can also de-clutter your brain by having a chalkboard or whiteboard to help plan your thoughts and to-do lists.

Whatever you want to make for your new room, someone will be gloating about theirs on Pinterest. Search for ideas and instructions on how you can craft your own picture frames, washing line style Polaroid timelines… even strapping baking trays on the wall for makeshift magnetic noticeboards. Bring your memories, family,

Photo: Kirsty Andrews @Flickr

friends and furry pals along for the ride with creative photo displays.

Making your own furniture and decorations will give you a sense of pride and save you pots of money.

A quick guide to the Armitage Centre

You may spend a lot of time staring at your walls, so make them perfect for your unique personality. Good ideas are posters from favourite movies, a collage of your fondest memories and keepsakes or even a blown up world map so that you can plan diabolical world domination from the comfort of your room. Cheap decorating alternatives include making paper chains or bunting which can make your room livelier and remind you of past fun fairs and parties. Remember: the accommodation bosses will not appreciate ambitious people drilling or banging nails into walls, so stick to Blu Tack for your adhesive medium.

For a safer alternative to candle mood lighting, which pose a fire risk if left unattended, you can buy battery operated tea lights or make your room a carnival with fairy lights.

Although students in halls of residence cannot paint their walls, posters and decorations containing particular colours can be chosen to boost mental-wellbeing. A study undertaken by Travelodge found that people sleeping in rooms containing calm colours such as silver, orange, green, yellow and especially blue, received the best night’s sleep. Blue was also found to reduce blood pressure and heart rate enabling the best night’s sleep of all the colours. Colours to avoid in your bedroom were highlighted to be brown, purple and grey.

Although based on research, the ideas above are just guidelines on colours recommended to include in the decoration of a dorm room.

Only you know what colours mean to you and how they make you feel, so fill your room with colours that you find calming and attractive.

Once you have created for yourself a calming, comfy and homely space sit back and relax in your new home – you deserve it.

Procrastinate your procrastination habits Amy Bradley Contributor

If you’re looking to get fit this semester, here are some of the things you can enjoy Shannon Winterbone Contributor So, it’s the start of a new year at Manchester and from my experience, one of the first dreaded things that usually comes to mind after Freshers’ Week (and the inevitable trips to Kebab King) is “I should really join the gym again.” Some of us have been separated from our uni gyms for a while, whereas if you’re a new student you’re possibly looking for a gym to join. With the allure of low prices and the short walking distance from Owens Park, I found and stuck with the Armitage Centre. Located just off Moseley Road in Fallowfield, the Armitage is a great option for everyone, whether you’ve been a member of a gym before or not!

Classes: From Relaxing Yoga to Bootcamp, the Armitage has a wide selection of classes to try out.

There’s a range of instructors who’ll either leave you feeling just a little sweaty, or as if your butt is about to fall off, which means that whether you’re a complete beginner or a long-time lover of fitness classes, you’ll definitely be pushed to the max. Classes are held in two spacious studios and fit around 30-40 people, so it’s easy to relax and not feel like everyone’s watching you at the front! I’m not going to lie, some of the classes are hard, like really hard (or that might just be me), but they are definitely worth it when you start to feel yourself getting fitter and more confident during them. The Armitage offers a pay-as-you-go option at £3.50 per session for students or £4.20 for staff, which is great if you just want to try out the classes before committing to a semester pass. For those who are already avid lovers of exercise classes, the dual semester pass (September—May) is priced at £80 for students and £90 for staff.

Fitness suite: As well as holding classes, the Armitage also has a fully equipped fitness suite for those who prefer to go to the gym and do their own thing. Over the summer the gym has been revamped to include new treadmills and bikes, and the free weights area has been enlarged to hold heavier dumbbells, squat racks and new kettlebells. While there are a lot of expensive gyms out there, the Armitage provides everything you need from a gym without the ridiculous prices! There are three membership options, including pay-as-you-go, so that you’re able to choose what would work best for you.

Team sport: As well as there being a standard gym, there is also a large sports hall available at the Armitage where you could play basketball, table-tennis or netball (just to name a few). It’s very simple to hire and reasonably priced, so you can get some mates together and try your hand at some different sports! If you’re a fan of playing 5-a-side football, then there are 3G pitches you can hire out, or if you’re more into tennis then there are courts for that too. Society home matches for sports such as hockey and lacrosse are played at the Armitage, so there are AstroTurf and grass pitches available outside of match or training times.

Photo: Armitage-61 @Flickr

Being the best at certain things in this world means you’re a champion. You’re praised by your parents and envied by your peers. Procrastination is not one of these things. You may own the crown for being the King or Queen of procrastination, but is this really a title you want? Procrastination is the impressive art form of postponing important things you need to do and instead engaging in other— usually pointless and unnecessary— activities in order to achieve the postponing. These other activities may include watching TV, doing chores such as tidying your room, or carrying out a horrifically extensive Google search on your favourite celebrity—you will literally do anything to avoid doing the thing you’re meant to be doing. Procrastinating may seem like the winning option at the time, but if acted upon too often it could have some detrimental effects, especially whilst studying at university. Instead of getting behind with assignments and essays, be in front and prepared. Start procrastinating your procrastination and get moving with these easy tips to help you beat the habit.

1. Think about your future self—what would they say right now? Sometimes thinking about what we’re actually doing and the precious time we are wasting on mind-numbing activities is actually all it takes to give us the motivation we need.

Picture the person you want to be in the future. Successful? Satisfied? Motivated?

Yes, yes, and yes. Procrastinator? No. Your future self will thank your present self for acting on those goals you’ve had for years but not actually done anything about. Don’t put off those important things that you really need or want to do such as learning a language, finishing (or starting) an assignment, or organising your life.

Photo: katphotos @Flickr

2. When you actually do what you’re supposed to be doing, it’s never as bad as you think. In fact, once you’ve completed the job it leaves you with guilt-free time on your hands to enjoy however you please.

You will definitely enjoy this time more as you won’t have anything looming in the back of your mind. Without even noticing, you will instantly be of clearer mind as your life de-clutters and you’ve stopped procrastinating.

3. Make whatever you need to do known to others— that way you have to do it. This not only adds an element of pressure but also motivates you to avoid the embarrassment of not doing what you said you would.

4. Don’t overdo it. Trying to do everything at once will not go well if you’re a professional procrastinator. Break down the tasks you need to do bit by bit and start by completing a small section of them. They won’t seem like overwhelming tasks if you complete them in small chunks and you’re more likely to get additional things done with less stress.

5. Stop waiting for the ‘right time’ to do something. There will never really be a ‘right’ time. You just don’t know what life will throw at you next so why not start now? The earlier you start, the longer you will have to perfect the job and the more free time you will end up with. Just start.

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Studying abroad in America

After studying abroad in the United States for the year, Miranda Bunnis learned how to share a room, tailgate, and all about the bizarre American rules

Photo: cayusa @Flickr

After endless forms, months of meetings, three new vaccinations and a visa arriving the day before my flight, I was finally off to the United States of America. Arriving at Heathrow Airport and meeting a couple of friendly faces I had only seen a few times before, was somewhat comforting. Completely unaware that I would become close friends with these girls, we embarked on a year studying abroad at North Carolina State University.

Everything you read, hear, and watch on TV about college in the States—the dorm parties, the X-Factor style basketball games, the cheerleaders, even those oversized red cups that you see people throw balls in and excitedly stack and scream at—it’s all a pretty good representation of the American college experience. Other than the humid heatwave

that slapped us in the face when we hopped off that plane, (and that pretty much stayed throughout our year studying in NC) we were met with kindness and great enthusiasm of the Americans as we moved into our international block, Alexander Hall.

As you’ve probably heard or seen in American Pie or How I Met Your Mother, we were in shared dorms; that meant sharing a room with another person. I know what you’re thinking, why the hell would you want to do that? No privacy or space?

That sounds awful. These were my thoughts exactly when I first heard about this living arrangement.

With the room halved, and each student with an adjustable bed with a desk underneath, (I immediately lowered mine and moved my desk across the room following my first night out attempting to clamber up the tower),

we also had wardrobe space, a chest of drawers and a shared sink. My first roommate for the duration of the initial semester was from Brazil—Dani, a sweet girl who had previously been living in an apartment but decided to try out the ‘dorm experience’ for her last semester. After Christmas a Spanish girl called Noemi moved in, who quickly became one of my closest friends at State.

Although you do indeed lose privacy, space, and get woken up most nights, it didn’t really faze me. To put it plainly and simply, you just get used to it. I was lucky enough to get assigned two roommates who were easy to get on with and that I enjoyed spending time with, although many of my friends had a couple of other issues. Yet what it came down to, and everyone will say the same; whoever you got, you just got on with it.

Whether you were best mates and life felt like a year-long sleepover, or you loathed them for setting five alarms to wake themselves up at 9am on a Sunday morning!

Without hesitation, every student who spent their first semester at NC State will tell you the best part are the tailgates. If you are unfamiliar with this, it’s pretty much drinking in a car park full of students before a football match for a couple of hours before you head to the game, and it is probably the most American thing you will ever do. We were introduced to the most popular of the red cup games, ‘rage cage’. This involves stacking cups and screaming at the person next to you whilst they attempt to calmly bounce a ball into the over-

sized cups.

The bizarre American system and lop-sided rules continued to baffle us all, with this activity of tailgating being allowed—hundreds of students staggering around drunk in a car park was OK—yet drinking in the safety of your dorm room or in the basement of our building (our block’s living room) becomes a heinous crime that saw many people receive warnings and being sent to alcohol awareness classes. That’s right, 21-year-olds were sent off to be taught about their limits of alcohol and how to drink safely or feel like they weren’t being ‘forced to drink’.

One thing that we all agreed on in unison during our time studying in

the States, was that America is very different to England, or indeed many European countries and their ideas.

Donald Trump is the newest contender for representing the weird and inexplicable side of America.

On the whole, my time studying in the States was an unforgettable experience in which I made amazing friends from all over the world, learned all about the weird and wonderful of the US whilst having exceptional support from the university and staff. I wouldn’t change a thing about my year, and would do it again in a heartbeat. I can only recommend, if you have the chance, you take the option to study abroad.

Photo: cityofstpete @Flickr

(Healthy) Mind over matter: How stress can affect your diet We discuss the effect of stress on the body, and how negative thinking can affect your healthy lifestyle

Photo: carowallis1@Flickr

Ariel Nash Contributor A healthy lifestyle is a common goal that many people have in Western society. Any list centred around the concept of creating a new ‘healthy you’ usually has a healthy diet as one of its primary goals.

Despite its popularity, a healthy diet is a goal that many have a hard time consistently following.

Part of the struggle for the consistency is due to healthy eating being used interchangeably with weight loss, despite the outcomes for both being distinct and different. Healthy eating outcomes are usually centred around consuming the proper nutritional content needed to help with energy levels, mental health, and overall maintenance of

the physical body as it ages.

The goal of weight loss, on the other hand, is to create a calorie deficit in order to reach a goal weight. The type of food and activities done to reach this goal does not matter. This was highlighted in the famous Twinkie Diet experiment conducted in 2010 by a nutrition professor. The professor limited his calorie intake to under 1800 calories a day where two thirds of his diet was packaged sweets. One third of the diet contained canned vegetables or celery stalks. Not only did this professor lose close to 2 stone in two months—his good cholesterol levels improved.

Of course, this experiment would not necessarily work on people who have existing medical conditions. However, this study highlights that eating healthy foods does not automatically cause weight loss. In the same vein, weight loss is not automatically due to a healthy diet or lifestyle. Despite the large range of studies supporting this conclusion; health magazines, personal trainers, nutritionists, and even GP’s fall into the trap of reducing healthy diets and weight loss into a food and exercise list.

With these lists being reinforced by everyone around us, we unintentionally begin to create a division in our minds where certain foods and activities are ‘healthy’ and other foods and activities are not. When we feel we are not following these lists, many of us begin to feel guilty about our lifestyles. Feeling guilty leads to feelings of shame and failure. Shame and failure leads to apathy towards living a healthier lifestyle. Apathy leads to not paying attention to what we eat or how we move which contributes to a surplus

of calories. The surplus of calories lead to weight gain. Weight gain leads to more guilt. Guilt leads to stress. Stress for many leads to fatigue and comfort eating. And thus, a cycle is created.

This cycle may seem simple enough to break with concentration, planning, and will power.

However, guilt and stress play more of a roll in our nutrition then we realise.

A study released in September 2016 monitored the stress levels and diets of 58 women. In the study, the women were given two types of high fat meals on a number of different occasions. One meal would have a high content of saturated fat (bad fat) while the other meal would have a high content of poly and monounsaturated fats (good fat). It was found that if stress was present before the poly and monounsaturated fat meal, the body responded as if it were taking in saturated fat.

Thus the benefits of consuming the healthier fat

was lost due to the stress.

This shows that even if we followed a healthy diet at a calorie deficit, our mental state can effect how our bodies take in nutrition.

Of course, a consistent healthy diet combined with 30 minutes of exercise a day can help us cope with some of the stressors we encounter.

However if these lifestyle changes are the causes of our stress, then they could be doing less for us then we realise.

We must put more emphasis on our mental health if we want to reach our healthy lifestyle goals. When we focus on eliminating guilt and stress from our minds, we create balanced bodies that are ready to take in the good nutrition we give it to fuel our exercise activities.

After all, a happy body is hard to attain without actively working on creating a happy mind.

Photo: Marian Kloon@Flickr

STUDENT ELECTIONS

STAND BEFORE 7th Oct Vote via MyManchester www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/elections

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What are TUEs? Sport Editor Alex Whitcomb explains Therapeutic Use Exemptions and the controversies asssociated with them What are they?

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) defines them as follows: “Athletes may have illnesses or conditions that require them to take particular medications. If the medication an athlete is required to take to treat an illness or condition happens to fall under the Prohibited List, a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) may give that athlete the authorization to take the needed medicine.” Basically, it is a pass to take banned substances, so long as a doctor prescribes them as medicine for an acute or chronic medical condition.

about his drug use, including in this instance, has contributed to many people’s doubts that TUEs are handed out fairly.

Why are they in the news at the moment?

After the Olympics, a group of hackers going under the name of Fancy Bears disclosed the medical records of various athletes, including Serena Williams and a handful of Britons. The hackers are widely believed to be of Russian origin, with some implying links to the Russian government, a country who are currently banned from international athletics for engaging in “state-sponsored doping”.

Why are they controversial?

So has anyone broken the rules?

There has always been debate over whether athletes are abusing the TUE system. While very few people dismiss the idea of TUEs in principle, questions arise over whether they are being administered fairly. High profile cases include L a n c e Armstrong’s cortisone TUE at the 1999 Tour de France [the first of the seven of his now-stripped wins]. This instance is more controversial because Armstrong’s TUE was requested after he had tested positive for the drug and was used by the team in a cynical move to purely use it for performance enhancement.

Also, as Tyler Hamilton and Daniel Coyle document in their 2012 book The Secret Race: “The UCI [cycling’s governing body] didn’t want to catch Lance, they accepted the prescription, and the Tour of Renewal rolled on.” The mixture of administrative corruption and Armstrong repeatedly lying

No, is the short answer. All international athletes must have their TUE approved by a specialist and national and international anti-doping committees.

All of the people implicated in the leaks have gone through this process.

So no problem then?

Not entirely. While no-one has questioned them following the letter of the law, their approach to the spirit of the law has been scrutinised. 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins has faced criticism for his use of injected corticosteroid drugs to combat his asthma and allergies.

One key element of TUE rules is that the drugs allowed must not be performance-enhancing. However, many, including his own doctor from his previ-

Photo: Kristian Thøgersen @Flickr

ous team Garmin Slipstream, who insist that these substances do improve performance.

Former drugs cheat turned anti-doping crusader David Millar recently stated that the drug should be banned from competition altogether. He described the drug in his book Racing Through the Dark in 2011: “It was probably the most potent drug out there, yet with a prescription it could be used legally”, going on to say that “A few days after the injection I began to lose weight. I was skinnier than I’d ever been… There were veins appearing all over my legs and my torso as the last bits of fat were eaten away by the cortisone.”

Team Sky emphasise that this is not the case, and that Wiggins and all Sky riders have acted within the rules and ethics of anti-doping. Team Sky maintain their zero-tolerance policy to doping and have previously sacked staff for their links to the Lance Armstrong saga, including British coach Sean Yates in 2012.

Wiggins and Team Sky Director Dave Brailsford have both been interviewed by the BBC since the leaks and have insisted that the drugs were taken for purely therapeutic reasons. Wiggins also explained on the Andrew Marr Show that the reason for the timing of his injections—immediately prior to the 2012 Tour—was due to this also being the height of the season of his allergies and that it was a preventative measure. He insisted that it was not about abusing the drug but placing himself “back on a level playing field”.

It’s worth saying that these leaks are not nearly the same as the Lance Armstrong revelations. Noone has suggested that Team Sky have broken any laws and there is no suggestion that Wiggins could conceivably be stripped of any of his titles. We will have to wait and see if any changes are made to a system that many consider to contain fundamental flaws.

FIFA scraps anti-racism taskforce

Fifa has attracted widespread criticism for abolishing a taskforce which aimed to eradicate racism within football George Ball Sport Reporter

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

FIFA, the international governing body of football, has decided to disband their task force set up to tackle racism. The FIFA Task force Against Racism and Discrimination, founded in 2013, aimed to increase sanctions against racism and educate against discrimination. The decision has not been well-received by some, who see the fight against racism

as being far from over.

FIFA wrote to members of the task force to tell them of the decision, with the news was only being made public after some of those members spoke out against it. Osasu Obayiuwana, who was a member of the group, said there “remained a lot of very serious work for the task force to have done.” FIFA general

secretary Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura, speaking at the Soccerex global football conference in Manchester last week, justified the decision saying “It had a specific mandate, which it has fully fulfilled.”

Former FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin al-Hussein was disappointed with the announcement, “For it to be disbanded with FIFA considering its work done is extremely worrying.” He was joined in criticising the decision by former FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali. He said, “The reality is that the task force was never given real support since its conception and its role was more about FIFA’s image than actually tackling the issues. The idea that FIFA believes that it’s the right time to disband its anti-racism task force is ridiculous.” He claimed there is still “so much work to do” and that “FIFA must show leadership, take responsibility for reform and be accountable if change isn’t put into practice.”

The decision has also attracted criticism from Manchester City player Yaya Toure, who was a consultant to the task force. He called the decision “very disappointing” and questioned whether it was the appropriate time to end work by the task force, with the 2018 World Cup in Russia on the horizon. He asked, “Why stop when something is beginning to work? Are FIFA being complacent ahead of a World Cup in Russia?” Russia has one of the worst records in world football for racism, with many observers surprised it was awarded the tournament.

Despite being set up the now-shamed Sepp Blatter, and headed by Jeremy Webb, who was arrested in 2015 for corruption, the group was seen to have

done some important work. It recommended having additional observers at games to spot incidents and set up the Anti-Discrimination Monitoring System. This system will be in place to assess 850 high-risk matches for potential discriminatory incidents during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. They have also implemented the “Say No to Racism” campaign, which has been given prominence at Champions League fixtures.

In their first announcement on the subject, FIFA defended its actions, saying now that taskforce recommendations are in place; the taskforce itself is no longer required. It stressed, “The FIFA Task Force Against Racism and Discrimination no longer exists, but

thanks to its recommendations FIFA has been able to give a major boost in recent years to its work on diversity and antidiscrimination in football.” It continued, “FIFA is aware that the fight against racism is a long term process” and they are “continuing to engage worldwide with its member associations, experts and concerned groups.”

With both sides of the decision adamant they are in the right, only time will tell whether the decision was the correct one. However it is hard to disagree that the announcement of the decision has not been managed well by FIFA, with many seeing it as the latest in a series of PR blunders for the governing body over the past few years.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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ISSUE 03 / 3rd OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

SPORTICIPATE

There is no excuse to not get involved with sport at the university anymore!

Photo: Sporticipate

Harry Newton Sport Editor Despite how half the country believe that us pesky students are stealing all their tax money and are in Fallowfield lying on beds of £50 notes, the fact of the matter is that us students do not have a great deal of cash. With that in mind we have to save on the pennies the best way we can: we get the magic bus instead of the 42; we buy Lidl ownbrand bread; and we cannot afford a gym membership. The university know this—although they do still make us pay £9,000 a year— but that’s an argument for another day, so they put on the Sporticipate programme for every student to take part in, absolutely free. All you have to do is turn up in some sort of athletic clothes, bring your student ID, and be ready to get involved – they even supply the equipment. Although do register online to be part of the programme, as if you ever want to swim you will have to prove your registration.

Sporticipate had an official launch event at the start of the semester, when a large turnout of students took part in a Selfie Run around the city. Yes, you heard right – a Selfie Run. Society has become such a group of narcissists that we are now trying to use that in sport. The run was organised by the two Manchester universities, who put aside their rivalries, to set up twenty checkpoints around the university, for students to race to. After the run, the launch event continued with a wide variety of events, from UV dodge-ball and badminton, to nails and massage sessions. And it was all for free.

Although it does not involve Raveminton or a Selfie Run, the Sporticipate team have put together three timetables of sport for you to get involved with during term-time, for when you’re not sat at home pretending to do work.

Some new additions for this semester include; touch rugby, ultimate frisbee, cardio-tennis, rush hockey, softball, and aerobics.

In a drive for all to be able to come along and get involved, there are also Goalball and Wheelchair basketball sessions available for students with a disability. Have a look at Goalball in this video: “Why are there three timetables?” I hear you cry! Well, there’s three different kinds of Sporticipate programmes: ‘Be your Best’ is the timetable that offers beginners level sports for anyone to get involved with; ‘Show us your Moves’ has a more relaxed variety on offer, including yoga and meditation; and then there is a ‘Hall Sports’ timetable available for anyone to get involved in any hall sports, no matter what halls you are from. Beautiful isn’t it?

The timetables are available on the Sporticipate Facebook group for you to peruse at your leisure here.

“But is that all that is on offer?” I hear you ungratefully cry! Well, no. The Sporticipate team also put on one-off events every now and then for you beautiful students, such as BMX sessions, rock-

climbing, yoga and skiing at Chill Factore. Those particular one-off events are already full up, so you will have to keep your eye out for more Sporticipate one-offs coming.

“But is that all that is on offer?” I hear you repetitively cry! Well, no. The Sporticipate team have not seen their families in years, as they work furiously in the office all day every day to create all these different things for you. Another one they have on offer is ‘Learn-to’ sessions, which are a little bit more structured and help you improve your skills in that particular sport.

Learn-to play handball starts Tuesday 4th October and runs until 11th December, every Tuesday, at the Sugden Centre.

Learn-to play water polo starts on Wednesday 5th October to 18th December, every Wednesday, at the Aquatics Centre.

“But is that all that is on offer?” I hear you cry once more. Yes. Now go and get involved.

Photo: Sporticipate

Write For Us

The Mancunion Sport is written by students, for students! And, we have plenty of room for more in the team. If you’re interested in writing about sport, or want to get involved with Fuse TV, or Fuse FM, then come by to our meeting at 5PM on Monday in the Students’ Union Activities Area (the first floor).

You do not need any experience in writing – just a passion for sport. Alternatively, drop us an email at sports@mancunion.com. We’re dead nice.

Photo: Breast Cancer Now

London to Paris Bike Ride 2017

Sport is a way for you to challenge yourself as much as you can, and The University’s RAG (Raising and Giving) team are offering you the chance to challenge yourself to the max with a bike ride from London to Paris in aid of Breast Cancer. Manchester RAG raised around £400,000 last year and this is your opportunity to join and do your bit.

As a challenge leader for the 2017 London to Paris Bike ride, I want to recruit as many students as possible to take part in a very exciting opportunity to raise money and challenge yourself.

The work of Breast cancer now focuses on four critical areas: risk prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatments, and second-

ary breast cancer. Currently one in eight women in the UK will face breast cancer once in their lifetime. Research holds the key to a world where everyone who develops breast cancer lives. With your help by 2050 we will live in that world.

The London to Paris bike ride will take place in early July 2017. It is truly the challenge of a lifetime; we will be cycling 220 miles over three days. No cycling ability is required and the challenge leaders will guide you through every step of your fundraising and training.

To learn more about breast cancer, visit: http://breastcancernow. org/about-breast-cancer

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Big Sam Busted!

England manager resigns after only 67 days in the job following the emergence of videos showing gross misconduct

Allardyce. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Toby Webb Sport Reporter An investigation by The Telegraph, revealing dodgy dealings in football, has led to Sam Allardyce stepping down as England manager. The information comprised of videos, captured by an undercover reporter. It showed Allardyce discussing the avoidance of the Football Association (FA) Rules regarding third-party ownership of players, as well as England’s failure at this year’s European Championship and the previous England manager Roy Hodgson. The information surfaced last Monday, with Allardyce formally resigning from his position the following evening — after just one game as England manager.

One video shows Allardyce discussing “ways round” regulations against third-party ownership of footballers, regulations which exist in England and France, with potential investors. Additionally, a further video shows another meeting in which a £400,000-a-year deal is being negotiated for Al-

Next England Manager Odds*... *according to SkyBet 30/09/16

lardyce to provide information on avoiding thirdparty ownership.

Third-party ownership is potentially lucrative.

It involves a business owning, or part-owning, a player’s economic rights. The level of ownership equates to the level of input on potential transfers, as the business will benefit financially when a player moves clubs. Third-party ownership was banned by the FA in 2008-2009: they believe a club should have full ownership of their players.

Instead, bypassing the regulations can be achieved through paying a player’s agent for input in transfer decisions: this is what Allardyce has been caught advocating.

Allardyce is a cult figure in English football, both revered and hated, his brutal honesty and dry humour are highlighted in a number of interviews. His best teams were moulded in his image, solid and hard to break down, direct and lacking superfluous aspects. His latest success was to save an all-butdoomed Sunderland team from Premier League relegation.

The revelations have ravaged his repuFA regulations. Undercover reporters filmed tation while illustrating a complete Cellino offering ownership of 20 per absence of integrity. Previously, cent of the club as a way of bypasshe was reputed as a stoic meming third-party ownership rules. ber of football’s old guard, a Hasselbaink was caught dismanager since 1991, while cussing a £55,000 fee for his also being praised for services as an ambassador, introducing innovative with the option of players betechnology into coaching. ing sold to his club in return.

He regarded the England Tommy Wright was filmed job as something he’d alaccepting £5,000 in return ways sought after— he only for his influence on Barnsley last 67 days in the post. The transfer exploits; he has subseadages ‘every man has his quently been sacked. price’ and ‘money talks’ ring Paul Hayward, The Telegraph’s true; Allardyce could not resist chief sports reporter, has suggestHasselbaink. Photo: the opportunity of extra income, ed that “the wider culture of dollarHans Zinsli @Flickr despite earning a £3 million salary to chasing and rule avoidance” in football has manage England for roughly 10 games reached a new extreme. The 2006 Stea year. vens report attempted to uncover The revelations about Althe “unregulated gold rush” that lardyce come as a shock, but football has become; it was imnot a complete surprise. In potent, and subsequently the 2006, the BBC Panorama problem has evolved. team made allegation of This modern football culcorruption against him, ture is an insult to the fans of suggesting he had acclubs. It is their hard-earned cepted bribes to sign playmoney, channelled through ers through his son, Craig. tickets, TV subscriptions, Allardyce dismissed the and club merchandise, claims and they subsequentwhich goes into funding this ly fell away. However, in this ingreed. While the influx of big stance, the evidence is concrete. money into football was ineviWright. Photo: Allardyce claims “entrapment has table and will continue to grow, the @Wikimedia Commons won.” This is futile, the lamentation of shadiness and corruption that currenta greedy, and ultimately defeated, man. ly exists remains unacceptable.

If he had any integrity, he would not This past week has brought to light have been having these sorts of football’s corrupt underbelly, with conversations. The Telegraph’s Allardyce the one to take the revelations have been part of biggest fall. It is down to the a wider investigation named governing bodies, the Foot‘Football For Sale’, uncoverball Association, The Union ing bribery and misconduct. of European Football AsAt the time of going to sociation and FIFA —FIFA is print, evidence has emerged well known as being highly showing Leeds owner Mascorrupt already— to take acsimo Cellino, Queens Park tion. However, I worry that Rangers’ manager Jimmy football is already becoming Floyd Hasselbaink, and Barnsirreversibly damaged. ley assistant boss Tommy Wright involved in either taking :Cellino. Photo: @Google bribes or advising on how to avoid Photos:Ben Sutherland @Flickr, & Wikimedia Commons

11/8

Gareth Southgate

9/2

Arsene Wenger

6/1 Steve Bruce

100/1 Eric Cantona