Issue4

WWW.MANCUNION.COM 12th OCTOBER 2015 / ISSUE 4 FREE

Institutional Racism: NUS investigation

NUS President promises an independent investigation into allegations of institutional racism Merle Streck Reporter The President of the NUS, Megan Dunn, has requested a review of the organisation following recent allegations of institutional racism. According to Dunn, the allegations were made by the Black Students’ Officer, Malia Bouattia, at an NUS Executive Committee meeting in July.

“Any allegation of racism is a serious one, and I am proud to lead an organisation that takes seriously our duty to investigate this thoroughly and openly,” said Dunn. “Part of our stated intention as an organisation is to challenge racism in all its forms, and so this review will run alongside our existing work striving for excellence in all areas of equality and diversity.”

Bouattia is a representative for the largest group of black students in Europe. This includes students of African, Arab, Asian and Caribbean origin. In an interview with Black Ballad in August 2015, Bouattia was asked if racism is a problem in the student community.

She responded: “The education system definitely isn’t insulated from the racism of wider society… more often than not it is guilty of perpetuating and reproducing racism.

“It’s ingrained within the system, and this is reflected in structure, from the marginalisation of Black students and academics within many institutions, down to the way course content excludes or minimises the contributions of black people in all fields of study.”

Dunn, NUS President since April 2015, has requested an independent review into the organisation and according to Simon Blake, the organisation’s Chief Executive, the reassessment is thought to be completed by January 2016 and will be conducted by an external agency.

In his letter to staff, Blake said the investigators will analyse whether racism exists in the “culture, systems, policies, processes and structures and make recommendations about any changes we can make to ensure we fulfil our commitment to being an organisation that is truly fair, open, accessible and representative of all.”

This is not the first time a figure in the NUS has criticised racial diversity in education. Last August, Sorana Vieru, VicePresident (Higher Education), voiced her concerns about the structure of university assessment methods which continuously lead to the underperformance of students from less privileged backgrounds. Vieru mentions the “white, male and stale” university environment as one of the underlying issues the NUS has yet to tackle.

Further comments were made by Shelly Asquith, the VicePresident (Welfare) via Twitter: “The student movement & its institutions are institutionally racist. People need to properly accept that before we can begin to overcome it.”

Even though the NUS is viewed as a long-standing and persistent critic of racial discrimination, this is not the first time that the organization has been met with allegations of institutional racism. Back in 2008 black students reported incidents of racism at various Students’ Union events, including a NUS training event, in which a Students’ Union officer allegedly carried a poster reading “Bring back slavery!” as a joke.

The Black Students’ Officer at that time, Bellavia RibeirioAddy, was already adamant on taking a more decisive stand against racism in 2008 and encouraged black students to report any racist comments made by NUS officers. Following the incidents, he said: “It is unacceptable that black students should have to put up with blatant racist stereotypes at NUS events.”

Banned

Outrage online, on campus, and on both sides of the debate as controversial speakers are barred from Free Speech and Specular Society event Both Julie Bindel and Milo Yiannapoulos have been prohibited from speaking at an event hosted by the University of Manchester Free Speech and Secular Society.

Bindel and Yiannapoulos were both booked to speak at a debate entitled “From liberation to cen-

sorship: Does modern feminism have a problem with free speech?” to take place on the 15th of October.

In their initial statement the Students’ Union Executive Team rejected Bindel on the grounds that her appearance would be “poten-

tially in breach of [the] safe space policy.”

Yiannopoulos was, however, initially permitted to attend, albeit under the conditions the event had increased security levels and was ticketed.

In a comment on the Manches-

ter Students’ Union Facebook page to this original decision Yiannopoulos wrote, “I’m astonished that I wasn’t outright banned as well. I’ll have to up my game!”

Continued on Page 3

Tory Party Conference protests

in this issue...

65,000 marched: Who are they?

Page 8 Natalie Bennett: “No sane British PM” would push the button Page 5 People vs Tories: A roundup of the People’s Assembly Week of Action Page 3

Corbyn addresses huge crowds during Tory Party conference Page 5 Review: Beat Back - Music against austerity Page 14 Opinion: Disturbance at the protest – unacceptable, but inevitable Page 10

News

2

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Picture of the Week: Manchester protests Highlights P12-14

Music: Prog rock week: A Music special

P27

An estimated 65,000 marched through Manchester City Centre on Sunday the 4th of October to protest the Conservative Party Conference.

Largely peaceful with only four arrests made, the protesters marched along Oxford Road through the City Centre to finish by Deansgate-Castlefield Metrolink station.

Despite the presence of police snipers, and an egged Tory delegate, the march was widely commended for its jovial and “family day out”-like atmosphere

Lifestyle:

Photo: The Mancunion

I want to my ride my bicycle: Cycle safe in Manchester

P25

Theatre: Review: Home’s Golem

P9

Features “Wrestling isn’t real?” I hear you ask

Victoria Station reopens ‘No offence’ may Manchester’s second busiest station officially reopens “cause offence” at after a £44 million overhaul and with a brand new roof Oxford University George Ball Reporter

Elinor Bridges Reporter Oxford University’s Students’ Union has prevented distribution of a controversial student magazine at a university event on the grounds that it may ‘cause offence’. Editor-in-chief and PPE student, Jacob Williams, was told by OUSU that the magazine was unsuitable for release at the Freshers’ Fair after he sent it to them for review.

The political magazine, ironically titled ‘No Offence’, was established by Williams and copy-editor Lulie Tanett as a platform to encourage debate about controversial topics. Speaking to The Independent, OUSU said that the magazine involved “…a graphic description of an abortion, the use of an ableist slur, a celebration of colonialism, and a transphobic article. In an attempt at satire, another article suggested organising a ‘rape swagger’, in the style of a ‘slut walk’, in order to make rape ‘socially acceptable’.

Williams had asked the Union to review the magazine because he was concerned about some of the “satire and erotica” it contained. Williams and Tanett have also stated that the offensive articles were intended as satire and that they do not reflect their personal views.

In light of the magazine’s rejection, Williams claims that he has offered to edit some of the content, but has so far been ignored by OUSU. Despite his offer, Williams still appears frustrated at the decision, saying, “There is nothing offensive about healthy debate. To ban us from promoting it on the grounds that people might be offended proves everything the free speech movement has been saying.”

OUSU has stated that, although the magazine was not permitted at the Fair, it is not “banned” from the university, and the editors are free to put it online in its current format. Williams has confirmed that this is the intended course of action at this time.

Head News Editor: Jenny Sterne Deputy News Editor: William Brown Deputy News Editor (Science & Technology): Andy van den Bent-Kelly news@mancunion.com

In what will be good news for students and commuters alike, Manchester Victoria station officially reopened on Tuesday after a £44 million overhaul.

The redevelopment includes three new tracks and four new tram platforms, with passenger figures expected to double to 40,000 a day.

The station is a crucial transport hub for destinations to the north and east of Manchester and now boasts a futuristic looking ‘bubble roof’. This is similar to the roof of the Eden Project in Cornwall and uses the same plastic, ETFE. This proved to be one of the more difficult aspects of the rebuild as the 400 panels had to be lifted into place by a 750 tonne crane, the largest in the country.

The previous roof had leaked since the IRA bomb in Manchester City Centre in 1996.

Speaking at the opening, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin lauded the project as an example of the government’s ongoing ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Head Lifestyle Editor: Eva Katz Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Alice Williams mancunion.life@gmail.com

Features Editor: Liam Kelly features@mancunion.com

Head Music Editor: Henry Scanlan Deputy Music Editors: Matthew Staite, Rob Paterson music@mancunion.com

The Mancunion Mancunion Extra

Head Opinion Editor: Isaac Atwal Deputy Opinion Editor: Joe Evans opinion@mancunion.com

Head Sport Editor: Will Kelly Deputy Sport Editor: Harry Newton sport@mancunion.com

@TheMancunion

Head Fashion Editor: Kassi Allcock Deputy Fashion Editor: Kathryn Murray Deputy Fashion Editor (Beauty): Millie Kershaw fashion@mancunion.com

Books Editor: Yasmin Mannan books@mancunion.com

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com

Editor-in-chief: Charlie Spargo editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor-in-chief: Marcus Johns deputyed@mancunion.com Postal address: University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone: 0161 275 2989 Subeditors: Gemma Sowerby, Shaun Carter, Nadia Cheung, Lauren Nolan, Emily Piper, Karenza Cutting, and Jack Howell

Games Editor: Josh Goldie games@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Elise Gallagher theatre@mancunion.com

Head Food & Drink Editor: Ellie Gibbs Deputy Food & Drink Editor: Helena Maxwell-Jackson foodanddrink@mancunion.com

Arts Editor: Vacant arts@mancunion.com

Head Film Editor: James Moules Deputy Film Editor: Nicole Tamer film@mancunion.com

Head of Photography: Hannah Brierley Photographer: Ege Okyar mancunion.photographer@gmail.com

project. He said “I want to congratulate everyone involved in this remarkable project. It’s now a symbol of opportunity, not neglect, and proof that this one nation government is building the Northern Powerhouse.”

He went onto discuss the investment currently being poured into the North West. “The North is receiving a wave of investment in its transport infrastructure on a scale not seen for generations, with £4.5 billion in the North West alone.”

In addition to being part of the Northern Powerhouse project, the redevelopment is also part of Network Rail’s ‘Northern Hub’ plan. With the claim of being the largest investment in Manchester’s railway network since the Victorian era, it aims to have 700 extra trains running everyday by 2019. It hopes to add £4 billion to the local economy, and create 30,000 new jobs.

After being voted ‘Britain’s worst station’ by the Department for Transport in 2009 it is hoped that, with the redevelopment now finished, the station can shake this tag off and become a symbol of fresh development in the city.

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. 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, or complaints, or would like to contribute, please e-mail the Editor-in-chief or Deputy Editor-in-chief.

News 3

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Continued from page one...

Charlie Spargo, Jenny Sterne and Marcus Johns News Team

Women’s Officer Jess Lishak initially posted an extended explanation for the banning of Bindel in a blog post to her official Facebook page. In this she described Bindel as a “famous transphobe,” and Yiannopoulos as a “professional misogynist.”

Despite this Yiannopoulos was not banned from attending the debate at the time of this blog post.

Since then, however, after the Union was made aware of new information and evidence regarding Yiannopoulos, they amended their original statement after seeking legal advice.

In an update to their original announcement, the Union stated: “Further to our previous decision to ban Julie Bindel from speaking on campus, we are extending this decision to Milo Yiannopoulos.

“We have been made aware of various comments lambasting rape survivors and trans* people, and as such we are concerned for the safety of our students on the topic of this event.

He is a rape apologist and has repeatedly used derogatory and debasing ableist language when describing members of the trans* community.

“This undermines the principles of liberation enshrined in the Students’ Union, as outlined in the Safe Space policy. We believe these views could incite hatred against both trans* people and women who have experienced sexual violence. As we believe it is probable these views would be aired in this discussion should he be allowed to speak on campus, we have no choice but to ban him.

“As we made clear to the society, this means that this event with the proposed speakers will not be going ahead under the banner of the Students’ Union, with our support or using our resources.”

Yiannopoulos posted an article to his own blog last year titled “Transgenderism is a psychiatric disorder: Its sufferers need therapy, not surgery”.

Responding to the news, Yiannapoulos told The Mancunion: “I’m a provocateur and it’s always going to be easy for uptight, censorious types to misrepresent my tweets, jokes and column-writing as ‘hateful.’

“And I know how badly I get under the skin of authoritarian finger-waggers, so I’m not surprised to have been banned. But I’m shocked that Julie Bindel is still getting this eleven years after a column she has apologised for many

times.

“I make no apologies for questioning bullshit rape statistics and setting out my views on better treatment pathways for transgender patients.

That I do so in strong and occasionally waspish language is irrelevant.

“Indeed, the whole point of the debate was to consider whether feminism has a problem with unfettered speech. I think now we know.”

The Free Speech and Secular Society posted an official statement to its blog last Thursday, stating: “First, the University of Manchester Student’s Union banned Julie Bindel for views she has expressed on trans people in the past.

After ourselves and numerous other students pointed out the inconsistency, the SU announce that they are also banning Milo Yiannopoulos.

“We object to this illiberal banning of both Julie Bindel and Milo Yiannopoulos. We do not endorse the views of either of the speakers but merely wish to hear them speak and challenge them on what they say. While both speakers have said things one might disagree with, they do not incite to violence and do not pose a danger to students.

“We reject the ban of Milo Yiannopoulos on the following grounds:

“1) He has notoriously questioned the efficacy of surgical gender reassignment therapy. As much as this view may be considered offensive or dangerous by some, it is in no way “hate speech” or advocacy of violence.

“2) He rejects the epithet of “rape apologist”. At no point in his literature he has justified such action.

“3) People who find his views questionable could reasonably avoid hearing them. Under the restrictions imposed by the SU, it would, in fact, be much harder to listen to him than to avoid to listen to him.

Julie Bindel also tweeted, directly to the Union: “I am going to fight you in this. You are the straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Talks are ongoing between the Executive and the Free Speech and Secular Society about this situation.

Photos on cover: Milo Yiannopoulos—leweb3 @Flickr Julie Bindel—@bindelj @Twitter Protest—The Mancunion

People’s Assembly National Week of Action This week saw the People’s Assembly’s Week of Action protesting the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.

Marcus Johns and Jenny Sterne attended ‘People vs Tories’, an event aiming to summarise the week’s events Jenny Sterne and Marcus Johns News Team Last week saw tens of thousands take to the streets to protest the Conservative Party Conference. Alongside the march on Sunday, Manchester People’s Assembly organised various events for the anti-Tory protesters to attend as part of their National Week of Action.

On their website they declared their aim was to “send a clear message that austerity has failed and [to] demand policies that benefit the majority and not just the few at the top”.

After Sunday’s march, comedians took over the Manchester Academy to ‘Laugh them out of town’.

Tired protesters, including Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett, were entertained by Frankie Boyle, Mark Steel, Francesca Martinez, Sara Pascoe, Robin Ince and Jeremy Hardy.

The following night saw an estimated 8000 flock to see Jeremy Corbyn speak at a rally for The Communication’s Workers’ Union; the event was so popular the overspill filled the whole of Cathedral Gardens. It has since been learnt that the Bishop of Manchester gave People’s Assembly a discounted price to hire out the venue, two nights in a row.

The same night saw Manchester Academy taken over yet again for ‘Beat Back! Music against Austerity’, with Super Furry Animals, Charlotte Church, and Public Service Broadcasting entertaining crowds of protesters.

The week also saw many more protests take place across Manchester including; No to TTIP; No Fees, No Cuts, No Debt; Refugees welcome here; Disabled People Against Cuts Protest; and No to Fracking—Save our Solar!

On the final day of action, People’s Assembly hosted ‘People vs The Tories’, a review of the week of action.

The review, chaired by Terry Christian, included journalist Owen Jones, Vice-President (Welfare) of the NUS Shelly Asquith, Junior Doctor Teddy Williams, Stockport NUT Division Secretary Dawn Taylor, and the People’s Assembly Manchester’s Penny Hicks.

Discussion turned to the panel’s highlights of the week. An “all tory’d out” Owen Jones joked that his climax was being called “Tory Scum” whilst covering the conference, while Penny Hicks declared the Tory presence in Manchester to be a “gift”.

A key debate rose between the panel and the audience about how best to go forward from the

Protestors take to the streets of Manchester to protest Tory Party Conference Photo: The Mancunion

week’s action. Owen Jones argued that while there were many causes to get behind, “focusing on one battle was important,” since divisions between the left have historically caused their ultimate failure.

Jones compared how the Poll tax movement united a massive chunk of the population against the Tories to the present anger against Tax Credits cuts. Hicks highlighted that the People’s Assembly’s main aim was to listen to everyone’s causes in order to unite their fight together.

Asquith also echoed this message, calling for everyone to look for where the issues overlap, “as your fight is our fight is everyone’s fight.”

Jones eulogized about the clever and successful use of language on the right. The Conservatives have successfully deployed ideas such as the Northern Powerhouse. “Why would you argue against a powerhouse?” he asked the audience.

The divide between North and South became a key talking point when Jones argued that there lies a flaw in the left protest movement because it should not always be “North versus South, since London has some of the highest levels of poverty.” He pointed out that Tower Hamlets was the worst Local Authority in the country for child poverty, with Hackney close behind—both in London. He added that we should be seeking to “build solidarity across the country, while also addressing regional inequalities.”

Junior doctor, Teddy Williams spoke of the fact that doctors traditionally have not had a large role in protest and solidarity but that when “[the government] loses all compassion, then you’ll end up having everyone” stand up against them. He spoke of the drastic changes being forced upon an already overworked junior doctor workforce, and explained that they don’t want to take industrial action but they may have to do so in order to protect the service they provide.

When asked, Williams affirmed that the junior doctors would “absolutely” beat Jeremy Hunt, who has since given concessions to the junior doctors.

The event ended with discussion as to where they would like to see the movement in the next few years; Shelly Asquith avowed that “ we need to step up our game—now not in a couple of years—the movement needs to grow now and we can’t wait until 2020 at the ballot box.

“What we have built here in Manchester this week needs to grow. We need to stop the government before it’s too late. If we keep building on this week, we can and we will win.”

She outlined the NUS plans for demonstrations against the Conservative government, including an international student walk-out and the upcoming march against cuts to grants on November 4th. Asquith also gave her thanks to the University of Manchester Students’ Union and

declared the week a “massive show of resistance,” pointing out that “there were more of us on the streets [on Sunday] than [the Conservative party] have in membership numbers.”

Videos were also shown during the event to summarise the week. It included appearances from members of BBC Three’s The Revolution Will Be Televised, and interviews including Tim Stanley (a right-wing columnist for the Daily Telegraph), who explained that the anger of the protesters was understandable.

Hicks thanked all of the volunteers and attendees to the People’s Assembly’s events and added that “we want more, we want to keep up this feeling,” before declaring, to huge applause, that “we are going to bring this government down.”

“Ten thousand people in Manchester created change,” said Taylor, “and we are the change that is going to happen.”

Christian ended the event declaring that “we’re all entitled to be part of this society.”

Penny Hicks invited everyone involved in the National Week of action to attend next week’s People’s Assembly meeting on Tuesday 13th of October at Central Hall on Oldham Street.

Overall, the Week of Action has been successful in gathering together large numbers of people, while remaining very peaceful; of the estimated 85,000 to 100,000 attendees of the Sunday march, only four arrests were made.

News

4

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Bennett: “no sane British PM” would push the nuclear button The Green Party leader tells The Mancunion about her fears of Trident, her views of Sunday’s National Demonstration, and her hopes for the future of The Green Party and the country

William Brown News Editor Green Party Leader Natalie Bennett told The Mancunion that she would question the sanity of any British Prime Minister who would seriously consider using nuclear weapons.

The statement follows Prime Minister David Cameron’s 4th October “assurance” that he is prepared to use Britain’s nuclear deterrent if this initiative would be “justified. ” Cameron was responding to the previous week’s Labour Party debacle, which had seen Jeremy Corbyn’s controversial break with many in his shadow cabinet. Corbyn stated that he was inherently opposed to nuclear weapons, and would not use them if he was Prime Minister.

Responding to Jeremy Corbyn’s comments on the subject, Bennett said: “Well he’s said something that I’ve been saying for years. These weapons are absolutely unusable. I mean Colin Powell,

the former US General, is one of the people who have been similarly quoted. These are hideous weapons of mass destruction.

“I hope that no sane British Prime Minister would ever seriously contemplate using them.

“Getting rid of those nuclear weapons and not replacing them would be a very powerful impetus to the growing global push for a ban on nuclear weapons. I mean, we did it with landmines, let’s try to do it with nuclear weapons, and inevitably that would make the world and Britain a far safer place.”

Natalie Bennett also commented on her experience of Sunday’s National Demonstration: “I think today was a really wonderful experience. There were a huge number of people out on the streets, united in the cause of saying: This Tory government doesn’t have a mandate. They only got the support of 24 per cent of eligible voters. What they’re doing

Photo: The Mancunion Natalie Bennett.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Home Secretary hits out at international students Paul Scott Reporter Home Secretary Theresa May has laid down a hard-line approach on immigration at the Conservative Party Conference this week that has sparked fierce debate. Her comments were met with enthusiastic applause from the conference audience but generally strong criticism from pro-immigration organisations and figures.

International students were included as part of May’s measures for tackling immigration levels, with May claiming they are a major cause of spiralling migrant numbers.

May said in her speech at the conference, “too many of them are not returning home as soon as their visa runs out. So I don’t care what the university lobbyists say: The rules must be enforced. Students, yes.

Overstayers, no. And the universities must make this happen.”

With regular reminders of Europe’s ongoing migrant crisis, May was unequivocal in emphasising the need to protect Britain and British interests by firming up its migration and border controls.

May’s words drew condemnation from other party leaders, activists, charities,

media outlets and businesses alike. There was also a fierce backlash on social media; one Twitter user described her words as “chilling,” and another said they represented a “worrying view” in reference to the changes surrounding international students.

This all comes after the figures were released which showed that, 30 per cent of prospective 2015 students have opted against enrolling in the UK, despite claiming that Britain “should attract the best talent in the world.”

Since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, there has been an increase in regulations regarding international students, with particular scrutiny on attendance levels. Last year, a senior lecturer in Anthropology voiced their concern over staff’s responsibility of recording attendance of international students, claiming it made them an unwilling “arm of the state” that could punish genuine, hardworking students.

Immigration regulations are a key political battleground, and May’s unwavering stance on the issue lead many believe May is involved in a party leadership race—along with the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and London Mayor Boris Johnson.

The full implications of these fresh measures the Home Office are pushing through are yet to be seen. May insists that they are geared towards ensuring a more prosperous and socially cohesive Britain as “high migration made a cohesive society impossible.”

Responding to the speech, Nicola Dandridge, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said: “While genuine international students in the UK continue to be caught up in efforts to bear down on immigration, it will feed the perception internationally that the UK is closed for business and does not welcome students.

“International students and staff make an enormous contribution to the UK, academically, culturally and economically.

Reducing the number of genuine international students would have a substantial and negative impact on towns and cities across the UK, on businesses, jobs, and on our world-class universities.

Mostafa Rajaai, NUS International Students’ Officer, has called on all students to stand in solidarity with international students by joining a mass walk-out on the 17th November.

in terms of further attacking the poor, further attacking of benefits, pushing privatisation of the NHS, and failing to tackle climate change.

“So many people coming together and one of the best things was that we had so many people who were on their first ever political march.

It’s great, I think we’re building a whole new generation of political activists.”

When asked about the concentration of media reports on incidences of spitting, Bennett said: “Well obviously that kind of behaviour is utterly unacceptable, but we are literally talking about the behaviour of a handful of people out of tens of thousands… the police even commented on how peaceful it was, how well-behaved people were, and what a good atmosphere there was.

“Now, I’m an old journalist, and obviously I believe people should be reporting on these kind of things [incidences of spitting], but what they really

should be reporting on is the main thing—that tens of thousands of people were out there protesting peacefully, expressing their democratic right.”

When questioned about the influence of Jeremy Corbyn on the energy of the Green Party, Bennett told The Mancunion: “There very much is energy left in the Green Party. I mean I was at Hereford Sixth Form College the other day, and there were 300 people inside, and I was told that there was an equal number of people who were excluded, because they just didn’t have the space.

“The fact is that politics is moving our way... And people do really know that the Green Party, our values and our principles are absolutely solid.

“People will always know where we stand on issues like Trident and nuclear weapons. On issues like decent benefits for everybody. And I think people value that rock solidness.”

Osborne’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’: A myth?

A recent report has shown that London's economy is growing faster than that of any of the northern cities, despite plans to create a 'Northern Powerhouse' Joe Astill Reporter Last year George Osborne made a speech in Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry and put forward the vow that his government would create a ‘Northern Powerhouse’ in coming years that will rival the influence of London and the South East.

What Osborne means by this is that there will be a series of investments into Northern cities that will ultimately boost the northern economy so that it is level with that of the south, and this will in turn curb austerity. The term ‘Northern Powerhouse’ has grown more popular recently and it even has its own minister in government, James Wharton, who is MP for Stockton South in the North East.

However, recently a new report has been released by law firm Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), showing that London’s economy will grow by 27 per cent by 2025 and will be worth about £450 billion. In comparison to this, cities in the North East, the North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber will be worth more than £110

George Osborne. Photo Credit: altogetherfool@ Flickr

billion less than this figure.

The report also showed that business leaders in the North are fairly unenthusiastic about the planned HS2 rail project that is designed to expand all the way to the North West and improve travel links across the country.

The report said that business leaders would prefer an upgrade to current rail services and roads and a local living wage, rather than the national rate set by the Chancellor.

CEBR also said that in this 10year period London will gain 537,000 jobs, an increase of 11.1 per cent. For comparison, Greater Manchester will have

an increase of 8.6 per cent, Leeds a 7.6 per cent increase and Sheffield a 6.9 per cent increase.

In response to this, Niall Baker, the head of Business Legal Services at Irwin Mitchell said: “Although it is good news that London and the South East will continue to prosper, it’s clear that a radical rethink of the government’s wealth spreading agenda is required.

Investment in infrastructure is one part of the mix and we believe that the government needs to listen to the voice of business and employ a range of policies tailored to different regions.”

News 5

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Manchester team investigated engine pollution before VW scandal broke A research team at the University of Manchester was investigating diesel engine pollution and had found a flaw in the current method of testing, now confirmed by the news of Volkswagen’s trickery Emily Hughes Reporter In recent weeks, reports of Volkswagen fitting illegal fuel emission recording devices to cars have been all over the news. However, even before the scandal hit, a team of researchers from The University of Manchester were on the case, with research beginning to show just how polluting diesel engines can be.

2001 saw the introduction of a pollution tax on cars—the higher the car’s carbon dioxide emissions, the higher the tax. In order to implement this tax, cars must undergo official testing to determine their emissions.

Typically, diesel cars are marketed as a greener option, and so following the new tax many switched their car from petrol following the new tax; around half of all new cars bought in the UK are diesel. However, the recent VW scandal has uncovered the fact that many drivers who had switched are actually driving

cars emitting much higher levels of pollution than advertised, despite believing they were saving money and being more green.

Volkswagen has been found to be usingasophisticated algorithms in their emissions recording devices on certain vehicles, which can detect when the car is undergoing official testing.

The algorithms ensured that emission controls are only turned on fully during the test in a lab or testing station, therefore meeting the emissions standard required. However, during normal operation the cars have been found to emit nitrogen oxides at up to 40 times the standard that is allowed.

Since the news broke, VW has admitted to 11 million of its diesel vehicles being fitted with the false emission devices, with nearly 1.2 million in the UK affected. The discovery of this scandal will likely have widespread consequences; Volkswagen shares have already fallen 40 per cent since the scandal hit. The company may also face fines of up to $37500 per vehicle—totalling

$18bn altogether.

Investigating the pollution emitted from these diesel engines is a team at the university, led by Dr. Rami Alfarra. The team have collaborated with atmospheric chemistry researchers at The University of York to test a diesel Volkswagen engine. They aim to piece together an accurate picture of just how polluting the Volkswagen engine is, especially once the pollutants reach the atmosphere.

Their work is conducted using a specially made atmospheric chamber, which can accurately mimic external conditions. This allows the team to monitor precisely the exact emissions produced by the engine and how the particles react with sunlight to create secondary pollution, which has been found to be harmful to human health.

Dr. Alfarra’s team has so far found that nitrogen oxides and particulates were being emitted at elevated levels. However, this was discovered under conditions that are currently not represented in the testing protocols

agencies use now, highlighting a possible flaw in the current method.

Despite being the only researchers in the UK looking at this aspect of engines, Dr Alfarra

said: “hopefully our work will inform and make engines cleaner in the future.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Corbyn addresses Goldsmiths’ Diversity thousands during Officer charged Tory conference Ellen Lawrence-Clery Reporter

Jeremy Corbyn addressed thousands at a rally organised by The Communication Worker’s Union about the future of our postal service Marcus Johns Deputy Editor-in-chief Thousands of people spilled out into Cathedral Gardens in Manchester city centre last night, as the CWU (Communication Workers’ Union) People’s Post event’s capacity of a thousand fell far short of the number of attendees to the free event.

Cathedral Gardens, between the National Football Museum and Manchester Cathedral, was packed with people as speeches were given from a stage with a gazebo over it on Hanging Ditch, behind the cathedral.

Speakers including Owen Jones; Abby Tomlinson—arch nemesis of Louise Mensch at only 17 years old and creator of #Milifandom; Natalie Bennett; and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Jeremy Corbyn defied protocol and spoke to the crowds in Manchester during the Conservative Party Conference.

Corbyn opened his speech addressing the crowd directly: “Look around you, here outside the cathedral in Manchester.

We are all basically normal,

decent, ordinary human beings who want to see a society and a world that actually does care for all. That is the fundamental principle of what the Labour

Jeremy Corbyn’s election has “blown [the consensus] wide open and is one of the greatest things I have seen in all my years in a trade union,” was met

Photo: The Mancunion

Party is all about.”

Most speakers were whooped and cheered as they criticised Conservative policy and spoke in favour of the ‘new kind of politics’ promoted by the Labour leader. There was however slight dismay expressed by Labour MPs such as Rachel Reeves on Twitter over Terry Pullinger’s (Deputy General Secretary of CWU) that Jeremy Corbyn’s election and the Corbynmania following “almost makes you want to celebrate the fact Labour lost the election.”

The quote came as part of a wider attack on the neo-liberal consensus that began with Thatcher and his claims that

with rapturous applause.

Owen Jones was also met with loud applause—though he was heckled and booed whilst admitting: “I love London,” and talking about leaving the North.

He laughed off the hecklers by asking his mum to be quiet.

The event took place to support the People’s Post campaign; a campaign that aims to introduce new legislation to ensure daily deliveries to all addresses in the United Kingdom are safeguarded, an end to the promotion of zerohours minimum wage roles in the postal service, and more safeguards for a statutory universal postal service at standardised pricing.

Bahar Mustafa, the Goldsmiths University Welfare & Diversity Officer who made national news after banning white men from a Union event, has received a court summons over an alleged tweet saying #KillAllWhiteMen. In May 2015, The Independent reported that Bahar Mustafa had caused outcry at her university for posting a Facebook message asking white people and men not to attend an event for BME women and non-binary individuals.

Promoting the event, Mustafa allegedly posted on Facebook: “Invite loads of BME Women and non-binary people!! Also, if you’ve been invited and you’re a man and/ or white PLEASE DON’T COME just cos I invited a bunch of people and hope you will be responsible enough to respect this is a BME Women and nonbinary event only.”

The organisers of the event later added “Allies now welcome” to the description.

Mustafa was not fired in May, as a petition for her to be removed and the occupation of a university building failed when only

165 of Goldsmiths Students’ Union’s 8,000 members gave their signatures. The petition would have needed three per cent of the Union’s membership to sign in order to trigger a re-election.

A spokesperson for the university told The Independent: “We recognise that some students and a large number of people outside of the organisation are unhappy with the work of our elected representatives.

We are looking at how we can address those concerns in dialogue with our members and with our trustees, who oversee our work.”

However, on Tuesday, The Evening Standard reported that the Officer has been summonsed to court after police received a complaint of “racially motivated malicious communication.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said Mustafa was charged with “sending a threatening letter or communication or sending by public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing message” between November 2014 and May 2015.

She will appear at Bromley Magistrates Court on the 5th of November to answer the charges laid against her.

These charges are fairly

broad and the press release’s reference to a wide time frame makes it therefore unclear what communication the charges relate to.

Mustafa defended her actions in May by claiming that as a minority woman she could not be racist towards white men. In a statement she claimed that “there have been charges laid against me that I am racist and sexist towards white men.

“I, an ethnic minority woman, cannot be racist or sexist towards white men, because racism and sexism describe structures of privilege based on race and gender. Therefore, women of colour and minority genders cannot be racist or sexist, since we do not stand to benefit from such a system.”

She also criticised the media for carrying out a “witch hunt and shameful character assassination,” against her; since the beginning of the media row she has faced consistent rape and death threats.

Goldsmiths University has “wholeheartedly” denied allegations of racism, saying: “We are proud of our diverse community and do not tolerate any form of oppression, including racism, sexism or any other form of bigotry.”

News 7

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Stockport refugee project overwhelmed with volunteers Yasmin Mannan Books Editor Stockport Refugee Conversation Club, the student-led volunteering project and a branch of the national organisation ‘STAR’ (Student Action for Refugees), has received unprecedented numbers of volunteers signing up and showing interest in its purpose.

At the end of the last academic year, the project was reportedly struggling to find enough volunteers for its weekly sessions, even though the beneficiaries of the club were increasing weekly.

However, after the recent widespread interest in the ‘refugee crisis’, sparked by the harrowing, viral image of the drowned three-year-old Syrian Aylan Kurdi, the club has more volunteers than ever before.

The club focuses on improving the English skills of local refugees and immigrants

through loosely themed-based conversation, and provides a safe environment for attendees of the club without judgement or interrogation about their motives and lives.

The club runs every Saturday from 12-2pm and is co-led by two Project Leaders, who receive external training from STAR, along with training from the Students’ Union. Because of this, no prior training is necessary if students wish to take part.

Isobel Zimŝek, a previous Project Leader of the club, said this about the project and the impact of how the media has been treating the ‘refugee crisis’: “The conversation club, and the wider drop-in day held at the church, is a safe place for people of any nationality or background to come together weekly, to share a meal and to socialise. No matter the length of their stay, which can be more permanent than people

imagine, we hope that those who attend feel welcomed and able to become part of the community created by the club.

“I feel that one of the most important aspects of a volunteers’s role is to demonstrate, to those who attend, that people in our society do actively want to interact with them and to help them, and in many cases, are willing to give up their time to do so.

“This has always seemed crucial to me, because I believe that all people are human and should be treated as such— something that sounds simple and blatant, but seems to have been neglected in recent media reports.”

If you have any queries about the volunteering project, please email yasmin.mannan@ s t u d e n t . m a n c h e s t e r. a c . u k or emma.p.smith@student. manchester.ac.uk

UKIP wins “force for good” debate

The Manchester Debating Union declared UKIP a “force for good in British politics” on 47 per cent in favour Katie Buckingam Reporter On the 8th of October the Manchester Debating Union presented the question of whether or not UKIP is a force for good in British politics.

Dr. Rob Ford, a senior lecturer in Politics at Manchester, and author of ‘Revolt on the Right: Explaining Support for the Radical Right in Britain’, speaking for the proposition, began the debate arguing that UKIP’s presence on the British political scene was essential for a ‘strong democracy’. Although Dr. Ford stated that he did not agree with all of UKIP’s policies, he claimed that excluding UKIP from British politics was undemocratic and “not healthy for the political conversation.”

Ford also contended that UKIP’s emphasis on previously neglected issues, like British membership of the EU and immigration, have transformed them into central debates which

In the news this week... German The important and interesting stories from the wider world this week.

Stories by: Tori Blakeman, Andy van den BentKelly, Joe Evans, Isaac Atwal & William Brown

Nobel Winners Announced The Physics prize was awarded to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B McDonald for proving that neutrinos have mass. Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar accepted the Chemistry Prize for their studies of DNA repair. William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura were awarded the Physiology, or Medicine, Prize for their discoveries towards parasite infection treatments.

The Literature prize was awarded to Belarusian journalist Svetlana Alexievich, for her collection of essays, short stories and for pioneering the ‘documentary-novel’ genre.

The Nobel Peace Prize was won by the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.

The Nobel Economic prize will be announced in the coming weeks.

NHS deficit figures released The deficit created by NHS funds in England has hit £930m after only 3 months of the financial year. This is larger the entirety of last year’s overspend, with regulators commenting that it’s ‘the worst of a generation’ and demanding for immediate action to be taken.

It is feared however that there isn’t enough money in the system to ‘plug the whole’ if this situation continues. Last year’s deficit of £822m was only balanced after a cash injection from the Treasury and by raiding the capital budget earmarked for buildings.

Hamas declares third intifada An intifada, meaning “uprising” or “shaking”, involving a large number of Palestinians resisting the perceived oppression of the Jewish state.

At Friday prayers at a mosque in Gaza City, Haniyeh (the head of Hamas’ Gaza branch) said: “We are calling for the strengthening and increasing of the intifada. It is the only path that will lead to liberation.”

Attacks over the last week have left 11 dead, including six Palestinians killed by Israeli border security forces in one day.

A 14-year-old Israeli and a police officer were stabbed in separate low-tech stabbing incidents, while an Israeli stabbed four Arabs in the southern city of Dimona.

In Science this week...

Evidence for lakes on the surface of Mars discovered Following on from the recent discovery of streaks on the surface of Mars believed to be linked to running water, scientists have stumbled upon the strongest evidence yet that the Red Planet once hosted large lakes.

Images taken by NASA’s Curiosity rover suggest that large impact craters on the surface of the planet

used to be capable of storing water for thousands of years. Studies of the rock layering in the Gale Crater, which Curiosity is exploring, revealed that it may have been home to flowing rivers of water, which eventually developed into lakes.

The findings make it more likely that Mars was once warm and wet enough to support life.

attacks on migrants triple In Germany, the government says that there have been almost 500 attacks on migrants and asylum seekers this year. This means that attacks are in total up three times since 2014.

The German Interior Minister said that the violence was “shameful” and that strikingly two-thirds of attacks were done by people who had no previous criminal records.

Germany is expecting to take around 800,000 – 850,000 asylum seekers this year and has led the way in Europe on the issue of resettlement.

The region of Bavaria, which has taken some 241,000 migrants between the 1st of September and 5th of October, has called for emergency measures to handle the sheer numbers.

all the mainstream parties are now forced to respond to.

Steven Woolfe, UKIP MEP and UKIP’s immigration spokesman, speaking for the proposition, attempted to dispel the image of UKIP as being a source of racism, sexism and political extremism by referring to his mixed ancestry including Black and Jewish heritage. Woolfe also referred to Susan Evans, the UKIP Party Secretary and author of the UKIP manifesto whose importance to UKIP, Woolfe argued, proved the lack of sexist ideas in the party.

For the opposition, Becky Montacute, former President of the MDU, contended that Dr. Ford’s claims that UKIP has brought issues like immigration to the mainstream debate was incorrect. Montacute maintained that all UKIP had achieved was the creation of “unhelpful discussions.”

She argued that UKIP was encouraging the unemployed and other vulnerable sections of the electorate to blame economic problems on immigrants.

Russian Missiles fall on Iran According to US officials 4 Russian cruise missiles have fallen in Iran. The officials stated that they had been fired from the Caspian Sea and were aimed at Syria.

Whether they caused any damage is as of yet unconfirmed.

On Wednesday 7th Russia said that it had fired 26 missiles at targets in northern Syria.

This came as NATO confirmed its assurances to defend its allies given Russia’s ‘escalation’ in Syria.

Saudi employer cuts off escapee’s arm An Indian woman’s right arm was allegedly chopped off by her Saudi employer last Friday. Kasturi Munirathinam was working as domestic help in Riyadh.

The incident allegedly occurred when she tried to escape from her employers house and was caught. Her family has alleged that Ms Munirathinam was being tortured and was not allowed to speak to them on the phone. The Indian Foreign Ministry has said they have taken the issue up with the Saudi authorities, who have made no comment.

Student Conor Ardill, also speaking for the opposition, stated that UKIP has not increased the engagement of the public in politics which Dr. Ford argued was the case. Ardill used the 2015 General Election to show that voter turnout only went up by 1 per cent and that therefore UKIP has not attracted a new, previously ignored electorate.

Questions from the audience included if the panel thought that UKIP represented the views of the electorate that supported them. Dr. Ford asserted that UKIP’s anti-EU stance clearly represented the views of those voters wanting to withdraw from Europe. However, Connor Ardill reasoned that the inconsistencies in different UKIP MPs’ rhetoric, particularly with how comments on immigration varied, showed a lack of clear representation for UKIP voters.

In the exit poll the house concluded that UKIP was a force for good in British politics, with the proposition gaining 47 per cent of the audience vote.

Global Danish refugees run a newspaper for a day Danish refugees, most of them professional journalists, were given control of Dagbladet Information, a Danish liberal newspaper to show their side of the the migrant crisis which has been developing in Europe this year.

Since the beginning of the crisis many newspapers have devoted a special to the situation of the refugees but Dagbladet is unique in allowing these issues to be discussed in the words of those most affected. The special issue focuses on the erratic and unjust system for allowing asylum seekers into Europe and the destruction of many religious and historical monuments in Syria by ISIS.

Low risk of cancer in elephants explained American scientists believe they have discovered why elephants rarely contract cancer. They were attempting to explain why the animals have lower cancer levels than much smaller species.

Since elephants are larger and have more cells, one might expect the risk of cancer to be greater. However, this is not the case.

The study revealed that elephants have 20 cop-

ies of the TP53 gene, which acts as a “smoke alarm” by detecting cancerous cells and either repairing or killing them. By contrast, humans have only one copy of this particular gene, meaning they are less likely to kill off potentially dangerous cells. Consequently, the cancer mortality rate in elephants is less than 5 per cent, compared to up to 25 per cent in humans.

8

Feature

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

65,000 marched: Who are they?

The Conservative Party conference saw tens of thousands take to the streets. Daniel Saville joined the protestors and asked why they were getting involved “Whether you’re at work or at home, you’re in the community and it affects all of our lives and it affects poor people more so.”

On Sunday 4th of October, up to 65,000 marchers organised by the People’s Assembly gathered on Oxford Road at All Saints Park and made the three hour walk to and around the conference centre where the Conservative Party Conference was being held.

All the tribes of the left were represented: steel workers from the mothballed SSI plant in Redcar, pro-cannabis activists, Stop the War Coalition members, anarchists, Anonymous supporters, a plethora of trades unions, families, students, and seemingly every other individual with an axe to grind against Dave and the Gang.

I spoke with a few of them to find out why they were there and to see if they thought their actions could have any long-term impact on the country and its political sphere.

Caoimhe studies English Literature and Drama at the University of Manchester and was keen to tell me what her motivations were for being there: “I’m very anti-austerity, and I think that the Tories have such a small mandate to do what they are doing. It’s affecting people’s lives so negatively, and we just need change.

“The fact that they’re holding their conference in Manchester, which is a left-wing area, shows their insensitivity to people here who are living below

“I think it will send a message but it’s really nice to be with likeminded people.

Young people can seem ambivalent, so to see so many students here is amazing.”

the poverty line or are affected by tax credit cuts.”

Throughout the day it became clear that people were not just angry with Conservative party policy, but the fact that they chose Manchester as their conference location. This fact seemed to breed resentment across the board, and brought accusations of insensitivity.

Further into the protest, after a rally and the mandatory Billy Bragg songs, I caught up with Izzy and Ellen, also students at the University of Manchester.

Ellen, who is studying English, said: “As a student, I find the cuts to education really really scary; not just for our younger siblings and people we know who want to go to university now, but nationally.

“I think the most important thing for young people is education, and a Tory policy that prioritises the 1% means that fewer young people will be able to get an education. That’s what we’re protesting today.”

I asked Izzy, who is also studying English, if she thought the march would achieve anything.

“I think it will send a message–whether they listen to the message or not is their issue–but it’s really nice to be with like-minded people. Young people can seem ambivalent, so to see so many students here is amazing.”

“I came here to fuck over the Tories. They’re looking for class war at the minute— that’s what we came here for” It was not, however, just the disaffected youth on the streets of Manchester city centre, but a real kaleidoscope of people across all ethnicities, areas, and backgrounds. Just before the protest reached Albert Square, Joseph, a part-time construction worker, told me how the Trade Union Bill has brought people back to activism.

“The Trade Union Bill affects all of our lives.

Whether you’re at work or at home, you’re in the community and it affects all of our lives and it affects poor people more so… I hope Corbyn can sort some of these problems.

“He’s got to create an environment where you might say people who had been sleeping have been awakened–like a sleeping giant–and we are helping to move that forward.”

There was one notable exception to the list of groups attending the march: the Labour party was not represented as a single entity and instead it fell to local branches or individuals to oppose Conservative austerity policies.

Stella told me: “I’m a member of the Labour party.

I wanted to come and fight for Labour as sometimes

I don’t think we’re visible. I’m sure a lot of Labour members are here but we don’t arrange ourselves under one banner, like the Greens, so I wanted to be really clear that the Labour party is anti-austerity.”

However, not all of the protesters were out on the streets looking for peaceful political change. Two teenagers wearing Anonymous masks were standing at the edge of the protest and when approached for a comment over why they were protesting, one male said: “I came here to fuck over the Tories.

They’re looking for class war at the minute–that’s what we came here for–but we can’t find them.”

Other than the egging of a Conservative student the march remained reasonably peaceful, with only four arrests over the entire day, and one of those arrested charged with drunk and disorderly behaviour.

It seems that we’re not quite at the tipping point of class war. Yet, with many of those out on Sunday hoping for peaceful political change, and an end to tighter regulations of trade unions, the scrapping of tax credits and an end to crippling austerity, class tension is certainly palpable.

Photos: The Mancunion

Feature 9

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

“Wrestling is real to me, dammit!”

Ben Farren meditates on quasi-sport, quasi-television drama that is professional wrestling, and busts the myth that just because it’s fictional, it isn’t real

Wrestling, professional wrestling, sports entertainment; call it what you want. The product I watch and enjoy most weeks has gone through many forms and has had many rebirths. Throughout the years, physical performance driven by compelling story lines has kept millions of people interested in what, on the surface, looks silly or pointless. There are no stuntmen, there are no retakes; men and women put their bodies on the line in dangerous situations all for the reasons of storytelling, and loyalty to the fans and the brand.

These people are artists, and they bring physicality like a sportsman, but with the heart and personality of any actor.

With all this mention of acting, it’s fair to ask: is it real? To answer this, I forego my wrestling Magic Circle membership. The results of wrestling matches are predetermined and the wrestlers know it. Everyone “knows” it, bar children and other fans whose belief remains suspended. The matches are very roughly choreographed, with wrestlers being incredibly physically skilled, some being able to improvise lengthy matches.

The extremely skilful wrestlers are able to “carry” others (make their matches look good even if there is a considerable skill mismatch) while others are more prone to “botches” (mistakes: which are either dangerous or just likely to ruin the illusion of “real” fighting).

Why bother watching then? Why bother watching a load of sweaty semi-clothed men and women dancing around a ring, leading us on? There is no competition and there is no suspense, apart from the fact the fans are being kept in the dark.

Besides the semi-nudity, and perhaps even with, that could easily have been a description of Doctor Who, The Good Wife, or Game of Thrones.

It’s a bit cheap of me to try to explain it away so simply because WWE RAW, for example–the most popular wrestling show on TV now and for the last 14 years–is not like any of those pro-

Ben caught up with wrestling legend Sting on a recent visit to Manchester. Photo: The Mancunion

grammes. Wrestling on TV includes far more danger than filming your average Wednesday night TV drama. Even though the matches are predetermined and may be roughly choreographed, it doesn’t mean that the ring is soft: when you fall from a height, you are falling onto solid wood.

The reason there is a sound of impact is because there is an impact. When they go out of the ring, the padding on the floor is only so thick. When they go out into the crowd, the concrete is as real as any stadium you’ve stood in. A misplaced arm or an ill-timed “bump” (fall) can lead to serious injury, or even death, as has happened in the ring many times.

Long enough gone are the days where The Undertaker (surely you know him?) was throwing people from the top of a cage surrounding the ring. In 1998, the creepy death-themed wres-

tler threw Mick Foley (another name fans from old might recognise–Mankind) from a 20 ft high cage, through a table, and onto the not-so-padded floor. To many, this moment epitomises the edgy, sometimes crazy attitudes of those who wish to perform for the sake of performance. When people say “wrestling isn’t real”, I sometimes wonder why they are thinking about the match results and not the match content. To say something isn’t real commits the sin of ignoring the beauty of the performance and the feeling it evokes.

That isn’t to say we watch wrestling only for an orgy of destruction and pain, although many people regard those memories as very fond–for nostalgia’s sake if nothing else. In wrestling, characters emerge by virtue of the wrestlers’ personalities and the creativity of the writing teams in their respective companies.

Over months, storylines build, just as in any entertainment. Bad guys (“heels”) and good guys (“faces”) have rivalries intended to stoke reactions from fans. Often “authority” figures (bosses or managers, for example) provide roadblocks to the good guys, causing frustration in them and in us, the fans. The bad guys insult the good guys, sometimes even attacking their families, injuring them, and doing anything they can do get “heat” (boos, jeers, hate) from the fans. Normally–eventually–the good guy overcomes the odds and wins. If the storyline is over, neat lines can be drawn under rivalry with a simple hand shake. Real life backstage politics often overflows into the fiction of the ring, with endings changing based on contracts and real disputes.

Wrestling gives something to which fans can aspire. The characters, in a way, are incredibly real.

They represent parts of us of which we are proud, and other parts of us to which we can relate deeply, though not necessarily with pride: Stone Cold Steve Austin giving the middle finger to the evil boss, Mr. McMahon, something many wish they

could do to the authority figures in their lives.

Conversely, Hulk Hogan, for all his recent troubles, was a symbol to children: “Say your prayers and eat your vitamins” stayed with young audiences for a long time.

The superhero characters, who rarely do wrong, are the epitome of this fighting spirit: they don’t give up, they rise above hate. Interestingly, many people find these characters the most frustrating, the Hulk Hogans, the John Cenas. They represent something not popular in the West right now.

Superman at one point represented America, threatened by communism, war, and nukes.

Now, we are in the age of Batman. Morally ambiguous characters become far more relatable– perhaps it’s how much more we know about the morally ambiguous world out there. Through the end of the 1990s and the 2000s, punk rock, counter culture and strong anti-establishment sentiment came back. Wrestling used to be a driving force in culture, with characters like Stone Cold, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson being at the forefront.

The vanguard of not just teen but popular culture included wrestling. Wrestling is an important chapter in cultural history. For whatever reason, something in young adults resonates with these characters. And we know it’s not real, but it doesn’t matter. There is something real in there, be it a moral reality, pure athletic prowess, or the exact same reason you cry reading well-written fiction.

Wrestling touches many people in a way other fictional cultures cannot, and many people would say there is something real about the saddest book they ever read, or the most euphoric high they get from “their guy” winning by overcoming the odds. If you work hard, and get a bit lucky on the way, you might touch, or even hold that big gold belt.

It’s still real to me dammit.

Bulking at uni: Don’t let it become your life Photo: The Mancunion

Robert Parris Contributor £43 per week. That’s how much a lean 3000 calorie per day diet with my personal protein-tocarb ratio would cost me in order to become robust. And that’s not even including the gym membership. Despite the costs associated with getting a lean and ripped body, I know many people who have and will try to bulk at University. Hell, I even tried it myself. Unfortunately, I failed, and not just for financial reasons.

What is bulking, you may ask? Bulking is a process commonly used by an individual wishing to gain muscle mass and/or weight. In recent years, bulking has become increasingly particularly popular amongst young men. During this year’s Welcome Week, the fitness website bodybuilding.

com even had its own stand, which gave out free protein shakes, towels and other bulking accessories. Indeed, there is a definite market for bulking products amongst students, and the trend seems set to continue.

Why are so many young people deciding to bulk? Rob Wilson, Chairman of the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Foundation, explains in a BBC article that “men are increasingly conditioned to think that they need to look a certain way if they want to feel successful, powerful and attractive.”

Another theory he elucidates is that men have not adjusted to the increasingly physical representations of themselves in the same way that women have over the years.

This could be a consequence of the explosion in popularity of apps such as Instagram, Snapchat, and Tinder in recent year. They have meant that

In recent years, bulking has developed into a strong subculture that is particularly popular amongst young men. Is it feasible for a university student to do it? there is more attention given to an individual’s physicality than ever before. For many young men, ensuring that one looks the best one possibly can for social media profiles is a real concern.

Numerous Facebook and Instagram profiles of fitness fanatics have become popular, as they represent a physical perfection to which most can only aspire.

My own bulking has been somewhat mixed, to say the least. Personal discipline is a huge factor that needs to be taken into consideration when deciding to bulk. Timing has to be perfect, diets need to be spot on, workouts completed in good form. In short, it’s exhausting. I trained for 6 months from March of this year until early September, and there were definite pros and cons.

During the summer break, I found that working out fitted around my lifestyle perfectly. I would wake up, have the first of my six meals per day (porridge and six eggs for breakfast), go to the gym, come out utterly exhausted, meet up with friends, and then repeat the next day.

It worked for me because during the summer, life was simple. There were no lectures to rush to, no societies to attend, and eating enough food on a student budget was not an issue.

However, during term time it was a completely different story. Living in catered halls meant that I couldn’t choose what I wanted to eat and this caused problems. Sometimes I would skip a meal altogether if it wasn’t healthy enough, and when we went out for food I would always choose the leanest option, even if it broke the bank. I struggled to attend all of my society meetings, and I barely had enough money for nights out.

I had friends who worked out, but our timings were always skewed. I would wake up very early

and go to the gym even before I had my breakfast in order to fit the workouts into my day.

I eventually came to realise the contradiction at the heart of my ambition to bulk. I was bulking in order to become more comfortable in public, and when I realised that it was jeopardising rather than improving my social life, I decided I wouldn’t continue bulking in my second year at university.

That isn’t to say that bulking at university is impossible. One of my course-mates managed to pull it off in spectacular fashion. His forearms are the size of a small tree and he weighs nearly 2 stone more than I do, despite being shorter than me. I asked him how he managed to afford bulking when he was at university and he revealed to me that he had done it through what is commonly referred to as a ‘dirty bulk’.

Essentially a dirty bulk is a means of achieving a calorie surplus with inexpensive and often carbohydrate-rich foods, such as pasta. I asked him of any downsides, and he simply replied: “I got really fat!” He later went on to say that he had adjusted the diet to reduce the calorie surplus.

I was left feeling seriously impressed with his achievement.

Despite the obvious benefits of exercise and fitness, it is vital to not lose track of the important things while you’re at university. Student life should be about learning, meeting new people, joining societies and experiencing everything that your university has to offer. I stopped bulking simply because I found myself saying no to these aspects far too often. Exercise should enhance your life, not become your life.

After all, you don’t need to be a big guy to have a big personality.

Opinion

10

Get in touch.

Facebook - /mancunionop Twitter - @MancunionOP Email - opinion@mancunion. com

Meetings Mondays, 5pm , First Floor Student Union.

Who controls what you spend?

Robert Parris looks at the power advertising has over our spending.

Ever heard of Edward Bernays? Chances are high that you haven’t. Outside of the marketing and advertising fields, Bernays, the nephew of Sigmund Freud, is a relative unknown. However, the legacy of Bernays is both sensational and haunting. This man was almost singlehandedly responsible for making female smoking socially acceptable through the heavy use of psychology in his marketing techniques. Bernays is credited with being the first to theorize that people could be made to buy things that they do not actually need, by appealing to their unconscious desires.

Bernays was hired by the American Tobacco Company to encourage women to smoke.

This is because, up until the early 20th Century, it was not publicly acceptable for women to do so. In 1929, Bernays staged the Easter Parade in New York City, presenting models smoking Lucky Strike cigarettes, or as he captioned them: “Torches of Freedom”. He presented this event as a news story, and then told the press to expect that women suffragists would light up “torches of freedom” during the parade to display their equality alongside the male sex.

After the event, women smoking gradually became more commonplace, and subsequently the American Tobacco Company made a fortune.

The true legacy of Bernays, however, is the blueprint that he sculpted for the field of marketing and advertising, which is still largely used to this day. Various psychological tricks that Bernays developed are used to entice consumers into buying items that they do not necessarily want or even need. With advertising and marketing more prevalent in our lives than ever before, we must ask: to what extent are we truly in control of our own expenditure? Are we mere puppets influenced to a startling degree by corporations.

This is an excerpt of Robert’s article. The full piece can be found online at mancunion.com/ opinion

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Is safe space open for debate?

Does the the policy designed to keep students safe in fact hinder intellectual debate and discussion?

When I first saw The Students’ Union’s Facebook post about feminist activist and journalist Julie Bindel being banned from speaking at an event on censorship I wasn’t sure if it was a Daily Mash article.

Julie Bindel is an iconic feminist who I was looking forward to seeing speak in Manchester. Reading it made me question how much I knew about Bindel, I wasn’t aware she’d been on a “crusade against the transcommunity”.

An article in The Guardian written in 2004 and easily findable on the internet entitled ‘Gender benders, beware’ seems to be the main evidence for this much of the content of which she later apologised for.

audience challenging the speakers”. This is not a model of suitable discussion I would like societies to take from the Student Union.

As someone quite happy with the gender assigned to me from birth I do think I must be careful making judgements on what qualifies as transphobia. Despite most of the Students’ Union’s statement reading like a polemic against the devil using more and more fanciful language to express their rage, the victimisation, abuse and the hardships faced by Trans people are coldly real. I wouldn’t support an event that would make these worse or get in the way of progress.

Photo: waltjabsco @Flickr

“Even the most extreme definitions it would not be reasonable to call it hate speech or even a crusade.”

Her writing in the article is crude, suggesting trans people should not be able to use women’s toilets, and arguably uses needlessly offensive language but under even the most extreme definitions it would not be reasonable to call it hate speech or even a crusade.

The Students’ Union however said Bindel speaking at the university would “incite hatred against trans people”. It must be assumed this would be amongst students of the university, as it will be a ticketed event. Bindel will not be speaking about trans people at this event, it is a debate on feminism and censorship and

Coby Tunnicliffe Contributor as previously said Bindel has apologized and distance herself from the article that caused so much controversy. Therefore the Students’ Union must be suggesting that University of Manchester students may come to hate trans people because they go to a debate that features a person who once wrote an article that used offensive language they later apologized for. If you really don’t like Bindel you can choose not to go to the event. The mostly likely way this will affect trans people who choose not to go is by clogging up their Facebook wall with the firestorm that will probably continue for the near future.

Defenders of the Students’ Union’s safe space policy will often say free speech protects the right to say what you like without prosecution, not the right to make people listen to you. For free speech to be useful however it must include the right to

listen to what we want. The way the safe space policy has been implemented in this instance limits that right. It stops students being able to organise events and at their university that there is demand for, and gives the Student Union executive a lot of power to decide who they can and can’t be exposed to based on their ideologies.

The Facebook post also directly criticizes a controversial event organised by The Free Speech and Secular Society regarding Sharia Law. I attended this event and found the audience more interesting than the speakers. I’d encourage you to watch the footage from the event. There was a lot of heckling from the audience, particularly the then executive members of the Student Union. The author of the post who was present however describes the chairs attempt to stop heckling as an attempt to “silence and shush interjections from the

“The Students’ Union’s overarching safe space policy isn’t keeping anyone safe here. It is stopping students being exposed to a debate involving one of the most influential feminists of the last few years.”

Julie Bindel speaking at the University will not change the terrible reality. Crude comments on trans people made in an article over a decade ago, that she has apologised for, do not mean her speaking about feminism in an event about censorship lend legitimacy to transphobia.

Instead her presence helps fuel a useful debate about censorship within the feminist movement today. The Students’ Union’s overarching safe space policy isn’t keeping anyone safe here. It is stopping students being exposed to a debate involving one of the most influential feminists of the last few years.

Mob mentality – unacceptable, but inevitable Editor-in-chief Charlie Spargo looks at how when left with only one way to express discontent, it’s not surprising that people end up overstepping the line during protests Last Sunday, tens of thousands of people, young and old, marched through the streets of Manchester in protest of austerity, government cuts, and government policies such as the renewal of Trident.

It was inspiring to see people come together to clearly express their discontent and dissatisfaction, and bring certain important grievances to light, particularly problems that affect the least represented in society.

The unity portrayed by the ‘haves’ standing alongside the ‘have-nots’ was enough to give any cynic some hope that there is another way.

It was even described by one commentator as like a “family day out,” with children coming along with their parents and the march being, on the whole, fairly calm and peaceful.

Unsurprisingly, there were some less savoury moments throughout the day. It’s a credit to the peacefulness of the march that only four arrests were made, but police, journalists, and even Owen Jones received unnecessary abuse from overzealous protesters.

The news that a young Conservative delegate, in fact a University of Manchester student, took an egg to the forehead was national news within hours. When two Telegraph journalists were spat at by a demonstrator, this also caused outrage.

These actions are condemnable and significantly reduce the credibility of the movement as a whole. However, without in any way excusing them, actions like these are inevitable at such events.

The ability of people to express valid opposition to the actions of government has been reduced steadily over time by those in power, until effectively the only way that

remains is united movements like Sunday’s march.

Our broken electoral system, and a tendency for MPs to base their actions in Parliament solely on appealing to a certain bloc of voters, means that those who struggled to have their voice heard in the past now have even less influence. The only formal method of effecting change now is to wait until the next General Election, The ability to move as a unified front against injustice is the last resort of the disabled, the desperately poor, and other minorities in society. These causes are also picked up by activists including unions, students, and those on the fringes of the political spectrum.

However, as soon as people come together in their thousands, a mob mentality

begins to develop. Furthermore, for certain troublemakers, the possibility of causing a ruckus by throwing an egg at a young Tory for example, without being identified, is too tempting.

“Typical,” many will say. “Left-wingers think that they disrupt the democratic process. And say what they want about those who don’t agree with them.” But protest isn’t just a temper tantrum at something not going your way. It’s simply the only way to attract the attention of the country.

People are rightfully angry. No state has a populace who are all content with what’s going on in the upper tiers of power, and this government has made a habit of cutting help to the most vulnerable in society.

So when chants such as “Tory scum” begin, I’d imagine that a lot of people are heavily

Protesters march in Manchester last Sunday. Photo: The Mancunion

influenced into joining.

When one person breaks ranks, it’s not a surprise that people who have consistently been belittled, ignored, and victimised are sparked into joining them.

The more this recursive action of pressure and reaction occurs, the more an outside viewer looking in sees an indiscriminate mob of shouting, spitting left-wingers.

And these wrongful actions of the few receive the same amount of media attention as the fact that 60,000 turned out onto Manchester’s streets in an attempt to be heard.

When you’re on the receiving end of a protest, the best thing to could hope for is for someone to overstep the line between reasonable and unacceptable. Immediately, you can paint those on the streets as anti-democratic, violent and petty.

But if you’re organising or supporting the protest, then all you can do is hope that people remember that the ultimate goal of your campaign is recognition, and that those who jump at the opportunity for a little public disobedience will stay away.

We need to recognise and uphold the power of the protest, but we also deserve a better method to show dissent than simply waiting until another candidate for local MP comes along.

We need a way of asking for change that doesn’t lead us blindly down the path that will let us easily be tarnished as ideologues just looking to make trouble. Unfortunately, I do recognise the irony inherent in asking for this when I’ve explained that we don’t have it. That’s the Catch-22 of the situation, so all we can do is keep demanding it.

Opinion11

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Rugby and our rulers The Rugby World Cup continues as nations from across the globe bring together teams of men with huge thighs to battle it out amidst blood, sweat and enough mud to excite a thousand elephants.

But does anyone really care? From the reaction we have seen so far, the answer would probably be “no”.

In fact, you could be forgiven for not even having realised that the competition is taking place. A few banners hang shivering off lamp posts while memorabilia lies scattered amidst supermarkets, waiting in resignation for the sales, and even poor Shaun the Sheep, whom Argos, amongst others, have dressed in a miniature rugby top, looks embarrassed by his latest outfit.

An economic impact report carried out by Ernst & Young optimistically predicted that the competition would generate £2.2 billion in total output, but the Guardian recently reported ITV executives’ fears that England’s exit will translate into a loss in advertising revenue, with pubs, hotels and supermarkets also standing to make less gains than was hoped. As it was, figures for the games peaked at around 11 million–only 1 million more than the semi-final of The Great British Bake Off. Some have tried harder than others to engage the public. BBC Radio 1 allowed space for fans to promote the game but their reasons were hardly riveting. Players showing respect to the referee and fans from both sides getting along is apparently the best the game has to offer. I could almost hear listeners shouting “But we don’t want a jolly day out where we all agree at the end that the best team won! We want to fight! We want a game that can be taken off the pitch and onto the battlefield! We want football!”

For while the upper class toddles off to a nice

match of throw the egg, it is behind football that the masses unite, that the emotions normally expressed only as words finally explode from the reserved Englishman and Englishwoman.

Joely Thomas examines if there is more to the exclusivity of rugby and our political elites than we might think alarmed that the people were not practising their archery in preparation for the upcoming war with Scotland. But it came back in full force.

David Cameron meets 2003 World Cup winner Martin Johnson. Photo: Number 10 @ Flickr.

It was among the working classes, of course, that football grew into the popular sport it is today. Armed only with a pig’s bladder, thousands would at times pour into whatever space could be found with the simple and honest aim of getting the ball into the opposition’s goal. It was banned from being played on the streets and Richard II even completely outlawed the game at one point,

Then the posh boys at Rugby School had to cheat. Rumour has it that William Webb Ellis (after whom the World Cup’s trophy is named) couldn’t compete fairly but had to pick up the ball and run with it. Instead of disciplining such behaviour, it was claimed to be a new game. Rules were overcomplicated and the shape of the ball changed.

“This is our superior game that you don’t know how to play”, was the implication.

And this is the problem with politics–it has become a game of rugby. MPs may act all brawly, with a “hear, hear” there and a “there, there” here, but the public are left with the sense that, after all has been spoken, hands are shaken and everyone skips merrily home to enjoy a nice cream tea.

“We’re not playing the game wrong,” is what people hear, “You just don’t understand the rules.”

Politicians have picked up on the popularity of football and have observed its power with envy. Wanting some for themselves, they have exaggerated their ties to the game. Ed Miliband claims to be a Leeds United fan whilst David Cameron’s PR even had him out jogging in an Aston Villa shirt until he amused the country last election by forgetting his apparent loyalty to the club and announcing, “Of course, I’d rather you supported West Ham.” But if politics is to really engage the masses, it needs to go further than empty allegiances with sport. We already have team colours, now all that’s needed are the shirts. Printing “Corbyn”, “Cameron” or “Bennett” on the back can surely be claimed for under expenses, and the Left already has a song book full of anti-austerity chants from which to choose.

I admit it might not be pretty but then revolutions rarely are. George Osborne may well head-butt Diane Abbott in the final minutes, as Hilary Benn takes advantage of tripping on a bench to shout “Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, the Right Honourable Gentleman pushed me!”

But it would be lively, passionate, honest; and Prime Minister’s Question Time would certainly draw more viewers than the Rugby World Cup.

China, America, and the Future of Afghanistan With the West weary from a lengthy intervention, a rising China may see an opportunity New and old Islamic militants. New and old superpowers. A great game is being played out in Afghanistan, and it is just getting started.

The only comfort in this depressing tale is the nostalgic familiarity of an old name—The Taliban are getting back up to speed. Their capturing of the city of Kunduz is the cherry on the cake for their recent military campaign, a campaign that now sees them as controllers of around half of the nation. Kabul still stands, though, supported by 10,000 US officials.

But relations with the new superpower, China, are crucial. Afghanistan’s President Ghani has recently talked of plans to engage in closer relations, since his country has been somewhat left out recently. Although Afghanistan shares a border with China, unlike many other nearby nations, it is not yet prominent in China’s schemes for outward investment. Firstly, the proposed new Silk Road – a trading route including a series of pipelines and rail networks that will further link the economies of Europe, Central Asia, and South East Asia (a project worth around $40 billion) – mostly avoids Afghanistan. Secondly, the Pakistani Economic Corridor is key for China, but again, there is little talk of that extending to Afghanistan.

“There is a long history of broken promises to the people of Afghanistan: the British, the Mujahedeen, the USSR, The Taliban, the US, and the British again.”

There is some possibility that the Central Asian Network (branches of the Silk Road within Central Asia) will eventually be extended into Afghanistan, and China is by far the biggest player in resource extraction investment in the country. For example, Jiangxi Copper Corporation and the Zijin Mining Group Company have jointly won a recent bid of $3.5 billion for the largest undeveloped copper field in the world, estimated to contain $88 billion of copper.

troops to protect infrastructure and investment projects. If more soldiers proved to be required – which they probably would be, judging by the advance of militant Islam across the Middle East – then China would have an opening for further influence. However, although Afghanistan has plenty of resources to exploit, it is by no means the jewel of the region. China’s true desire, and its true efforts, still lie in Central Asia and its links to the markets of Europe and Russia.

The true design of China’s future expansion is impossible to foretell. Arguably, they have a potential greater than the United States of America had in the wake of The Second World War, with a far larger population and a greater amount of land borders.

They are emerging in both a quickly-developing region, and a better-connected world. They have a dubious government and harbour substantial inequality within their own borders. Both internally and externally, China’s capacity for damage to humanity is just as large as its potential for economic growth.

Afghans meet with US troops. Photo: The US Army @Flickr

Tristan Parsons Contributor Afghanistan also has large reserves of iron, oil, gas, and gold. However, investment becomes more risky in times when The Taliban are becoming a stronger presence. There is IS, too. The growth of the group prompted the US to add another 1,000 soldiers to their current force, even though the last forces are suppose to be out some time in 2016.

China has given training to just a few hundred police, but perhaps with IS and Taliban presences, and competition with the US, it may want to step up its military role.

Consider the people of Afghanistan, though. How would they react to a growing Chinese influence?

They may well celebrate. Their poverty and their past and current oppression, as well as their political instability, are key causes of desperation, and there is demand for, at the very least, a stable government. There is a long history of broken promises to the people of Afghanistan: the British, the Mujahedeen, the USSR, The Taliban, the US, and the British again.

But China will be a fresh face; and the recent accidental NATO attack on Kunduz Hospital, as well as

the failure of the US and UK to remove The Taliban, will provide an extra narrative for any potential Chinese involvement.

China has another advantage, too. Their firms may bring employment and desperately-needed economic development. Prosperity may follow, although, based on historical and current cases, prosperity from overseas investment is usually locked up within the corporate and political elite. Out of 174 countries, China and Afghanistan sit 80th and 174th respectively in the Transparency.org ratings (Afghanistan shares 174th with North Korea and Somalia). Any kind of investment is not likely to greatly benefit the average Afghan.

However, a look back into history shows us two things. Firstly, that Afghanistan is one of the most fought-over nations in the world, and therefore its people have a long memory of war and occupation.

Secondly, that military success in Afghanistan has never come to anyone other than local guerrilla forces.

With this in mind, a Chinese military policy might, at first, involve sending small concentrations of

“China and Afghanistan’s lack of transparency means Any kind of investment is not likely to greatly benefit the average Afghan.”

Thus, does the future of Afghanistan hinge on the investment proposals, boardroom meetings, and auctions of the Chinese corporate and political elite?

No, not quite. The Taliban and IS provide a growing threat (which China could utilise to justify intervention), and there is the United States, too. They have spent just over $104 billion on ‘reconstruction’ in Afghanistan. That’s a little higher than the Marshall Plan, adjusted for inflation. The total cost of the war is estimated at around $1 trillion. America will not let that money go to waste. With The Taliban and IS on the rise, expanding Chinese interests, and a panicked US government, expect a troublesome future for Afghanistan.

Music

12

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Prog Week

the Opinion

Photo: Wapster@Flickr

Photo: Steve Berryman@flickr

Modern day warriors: what we owe prog

This week, for no particular reason, it’s prog week. Here’s a look at modern day prog rock.

Joe Connell Contributor Prog rock was once something that evoked images of balding new age men in record shops discussing various pressings of Bitches Brew and highpitched wailings of encoded Tolkien references. But in 2015 the genre has managed to stealthily carve a solid place in mainstream culture despite its potently uncool associations.

In September an official albums chart for prog was launched, with modern bands like Public Service Broadcasting, Muse and Tame Impala all represented alongside the expected Waters/ Gilmour fare. Prog is alive, and unlike the distinctly niche new/ nu/post-prog of the mid-2000s, prog has a broad appeal.

With these three popular and often acclaimed bands alone, one can trace several legacies of the genre. Tame Impala offer a psychedelic and poppy sort of prog, a much more selfconsciously cool take on the genre. PSB use the motif of progressive musical build-ups to represent an idealised view of scientific advancement, not unlike much of the sci-fi influenced prog of the 1970s.

And Muse, far and above the most popular of the three, boast concept albums, long symphonic pieces, absurd vocal agility and The Wall-esque live performances.

Nonetheless, many sneer at the aesthetic of Muse, comparable to Freddie Mercury performing Banksy, and some may even sneer at the NME-approved Tame Impala or the kitschy Keep Calm and Carry On vibe of PSB. Yet the legacy of prog is further evident in some of the edgiest and most unique albums of the last few years. Notoriously,

experimental outfit Swans’ 2012 album The Seer packed a guttural, confrontational and occasionally frightening type of progressive rock into six sides of vinyl. Moreover, Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington’s aptly named project DARKSIDE channelled some of the most endearing and exciting qualities of Pink Floyd and others through Jaar’s incomparable style.

These various successes are perhaps endemic of a wider shift in the prog/punk paradigm that has pervaded the discussion of popular music since the 1970s.

In the era of mass musical consumption propelled by internet file-sharing, the binaries and tribalism of music fandom are at their least pronounced.

The narrative of the year zero of punk toppling the Ancien Regime of prog seems much less reliable than it once did. As such, the King Crimsons and Rushes of the world enjoy a greater retrospective appeal, whilst the grotty works of Pistols-era British punk grow less and less interesting with each passing year. Sure, Matt Bellamy is still a wally, but is he any more of a wally than oh-so-controversial Tunbridge Wells punks Slaves, ostensibly singing about the shackles of corporate barbarism whilst dressed up as 1983 Joe Strummer ?

In a sort of turning of tables, the once-stale and indulgent ethos of prog sounds fresh again. It may even, by proxy, be cool, given the currently cool associations of being an indiscriminate connoisseur of multiple genres. So long as artists like those mentioned keep at skilful, prolonged and imaginative composition, who knows, we may even be ready to let some Jethro Tull flute solos back into our lives.

Photo: Paul Hudson@Flickr

Photo:

the Interview Hawkwind Barbarians with electronics, new age travellers, prog rock fathers ...Hawkwind have some stories. Henry Scanlan hears a few of them In the hours before Hawkwind’s annual ‘Hawktoberfest’ at the Academy, the backstage maze is crawling with rock’n’roll dinosaurs dressed like hair metal bikers. As we walk into the dressing room, one shaggy haired veteran from support band Ruts DC embraces a Hawkwind associate.

“Brother! I’ve not seen you since 1964!”

Everyone seems a little over familiar with the music biz; accumulatively, there must be a thousand years of experience under the belt, a thousand gigs, a thousand interviews…and they seem a little fed up at the prospect of one more.

Dave Brock, The Last of the Hawkwinds, receives my hand shake like Julius Caesar receiving a blessing, but as soon as we settle in with a cup of tea I realise there is not a single shred of arrogance to the man. From the off, he’s eager to discuss animal charities instead of Hawkwind. “Sea Shephard, Badger’s Trust, Animals Asia…we support a lot of them. Sea Shephard actually intercept whaling attempts, whereas Greenpeace just stand by and watch it happen.

Greenpeace just aren’t doing enough!”

He hands me a Sea Shephard leaflet and tells me to spread the word.

When I ask about new material and current activity, the impression I get is that it’s fun, it fills the time, and it pleases the fans, but it’s hardly fighting talk. The biggest positive, unsurprisingly for a band as collaborative as Hawkwind, seems to be the opportunity to still be part of a scene they helped create. “We do a lot of great package tours with some really good psychedelic bands. A

“None of us were wonderful musicians, but we had open minds”

Top 5: Protest Songs

Putting prog to one side, we simply couldn’t omit a mention of protests this week.

Sam Harrison Contributor

Rage Against the Machine – ‘Killing In The Name’ Whether targetted at police brutality or Simon Cowell’s tyrannical regime, this is undoubtedly one of the biggest ‘fuck you’s’ to anything ever.

lot of doom metal has gone psychedelic.

It’s interesting. There’s a Swedish band called Watain who are very black metal, but they said they’re really into Hawkwind. It’s weird sometimes when some of these characters go ‘oh man, you’ve influenced me’, and I’m thinking ‘fucking hell, how I could I possibly have influenced you?’”

And what of mainstream prog? “The UK prog charts will no doubt be full of safe, diluted prog bands, but it’s great because it spreads the word.” Dibs, the bass player, chimes in with a nice soundbite: “the trail always leads back to Hawkwind.” Dave reluctantly agrees.

“All these different approaches, they’re all branches of a tree really”. If he’s right about the tree, Hawkwind are at its root.

And so, inevitably, attentions turn to the legacy. Here the conversation takes flight, and eyes light up in reminiscence.

Hawkwind’s musical footprint is astounding. Recalling the space-rock, kosmiche scene he was so central to in the early days, Brock namedrops Can and Silver Apples in one sentence and thinks nothing of it. What was touring with Can like? “Interesting. You get nicely stoned and off you go.”

It becomes clear from talking to Brock that the essence of Hawkwind was, and is, experimentation. “Two people who never got the credit they should have are Dick Mick Davies and Del Detmar.

Dick played an audio generator with an echo unit, like the Silver Apples used to, playing it like a theremin…he’d wobble the soundwaves into melodies. Del did crazy things on an EMS synthesizer.

It turned a few people’s heads. They were like barbarians with electronic equipment. None of us were wonderful musicians, but we had open minds.”

Keyboardist Dead Fred says something about ex-BBC oscillators from the 1940s, and soon the three old dogs are evoking

Nina Simone – ‘Strange Fruit’

Bob Dylan – ‘The Times They Are A-Changin’

Nina’s hauntingly beautiful cover of the Billie Holiday original addresses the barbaric nature of American racism. Sampled in Kanye West’s ‘Blood on the Leaves’.

Dylan’s epic summation of the collosal cultural shift of 1964 stands the test of time. Released weeks after the death of JFK, the song will forever be synonymous with the period.

the analogue relics of their past. Dead Fred is a brainbox on the subject. “You can’t buy the best echo units anymore.

There was a German echo unit company called Echo Let – they might have been ex-Nazis – and they made these folded loops. Loops could be up to a minute long, and in true analogue. You were really fucked if the tape broke though.”

While Dave emphasises that it’s “about the players, not the equipment”, there is a palpable resistance to digital. “You miss the serendipity. You can still put things through arpeggiators on digital, but you miss the excitement of pressing a few knobs without quite knowing what sound you’re going to get. There’s less to adapt to, less problems to innovate around.”

We turn to the topic of sci-fi influences.

The Space Race and the Cold War are mentioned, along with dystopian novelists like Azimov and Moorcock, and “doing Sonic Attack with William Shatner.” Brock the musician and Brock the conversationalist are one and the same – there’s always another tangent to veer off onto, and so we start talking about Mars for a while. Neither of us knows much about it, but we spit ball a few ideas anyway. “How long have they known about water on Mars? Who knows?”

Conspiracy is part of the draw. “It’s the unknown that’s the attractive thing.

It’s breaking through the expiration.

Stepping into the uncertain. That’s the dream, man. We’re still striving for it.”

“We’ve got a new album coming out next year, a full storyline. ‘The Machine Stops’. A true prog concept album.”

And so the exploration continues.

There will come a time when the machine does stop, and Hawkwind reach their final frontier. Not many bands will reach further.

Bob Marley & The Wailers – ‘Get Up, Stand Up’ Most assume Marley to be lackidaisical and benevolent, but in this classic he makes a direct attempt to overhaul the reigns of capitalism.

Jimi Hendrix – ‘Machine Gun’ A masterpiece overlooked by many, ‘Machine Gun’ manages to cram the Vietnam war into 12 minutes of electric pandemonium.

Fighting fire with fire seems to be Jimi’s mentality here.

Music 13

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Prog Week Feature

The Enemy Inside: Progressive rock Shaun Carter traces early prog rock through to its Third Wave: Progressive Metal.

During Dream Theater’s Riding the Train of Thought documentary, their now ex-drummer, Mike Portnoy, opined that “progressive rock started with Sgt. Pepper”. Of course, The Beatles were and are unlikely to ever be labelled a “progressive rock band”, Portnoy was simply arguing that Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) was perhaps one of the first albums in western musical society to take rock music away from a fugacious bop-along catharsis and to begin an ascent towards higher musical artistry.

Towards breaking rules and experimenting with forms.

The arrival of Pink Floyd that same year with their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is one release from a number of progressive rock bands who began a rise to non-conventional rock prominence between 1967-76. Others emerging acts included Yes, Rush, Genesis, Queen, King Crimson, Hawkwind, and Camel among those whose complex musical erudition and utopian/ philosophical/surrealist lyrics gained them the largest followings.

Quickly, however, the First Wave of Prog faltered upon the rocks of punk and disco. Rebellious youth themes such as nihilism, violence, anarchy, and F the macabre (not to mention pop music’s tendency towards love and dance), forced the philosophical themes of human transformation and utopian society back into niches within the rock. Excuse the puns.

Robert Fripp disbanded King Crimson indefinitely; Yes became a cult band; Pink Floyd’s influence faltered and Genesis took a more mainstream route following the departures of Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett.

Why did society’s interest in progressive rock fade out so quickly? Was it because of the self-indulgent complexity of songs composed

using time signatures such as 13/16 and 11/8?

Was there a suspicion towards the virtuosity of the instrumentalists and their high-quality instruments and the pretentious, brooding themes, that progressive rock was a genre exclusive to the 1960s/70s white middle-class grammar school male who read science fiction and fantasy?

During this punk revolution, corporate A&R (artists and repertoire) staff hardened their grip on their artists, exerting more control over the creative process of an album’s direction and even the songs themselves. Many of the successful bands listed above were suddenly finding themselves under pressure to create more ‘simplistic’ music with fewer changes in meter and an easier-to-follow structure to which listeners could wind down/dance along, rather than having to engage intellectually.

In the 1980s, Keith Goodwin, a man responsible for driving the promotion of prog music during the ‘70s, tried to find an audience for a number of persisting progressive rock bands and, between 1983-5, a small list of rising acts who drove the Second Wave of Prog, more commonly known as neo-progressive rock. What separated these two waves was the greater influence that keyboards and synthesizers began to have on the music.

Organs and Mellotrons became clunky and clichéd.

But Goodwin had less success with these bands, managing to acquire only small iconoclastic audiences rather than a large countercultural movement such as the hippie, psychedelic phase that had inspired original prog. The Second Wave’s greatest creation was perhaps Marillion, who famously began the ‘pre-order’ initiative, through which they would fund an album’s writing, recording and production via the loyalty

of their intense fanbase.

Through the rise of heavy metal bands Metallica and Iron Maiden, and the continued peripheral success of progressive rock bands such as Yes, Rush and Gentle Giant, the late 1980s and early ‘90s led to the Third Wave, a movement which exists today. This wave’s name?

Progressive metal.

Dream Theater, Tool, Fates Warning, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Queensrÿche. These bands consumed the heavy metal aspects of their influences and fused them with the early prog/ jazz/classical influences of music to create something innovative and driving. The try-to-tapalong-if-you-dare time signatures returned (listen to Dream Theater’s song ‘The Dance of Eternity’ for a flavour of my meaning, which changes time 130 times in just over six minutes), the virtuoso musicianship became something admired again, and the themes of their lyrics varied from mythology to introspection.

In September 2015, the Official Charts Company unveiled a Progressive Music Albums Top 30, with Tame Impala’s album Currents topping the list.

If you are inclined to try your ear at some new music, music that will give you the urge to try to tap along to a beat or figure out how that ascending guitar riff moves so quickly...well, there’s plenty out there right now. Not just the rising progressive metal, but a resurgence of progressive rock bands.

The Flower Kings remain vigilantly fantastical and Transatlantic’s 2014 album Kaleidoscope involves a 31 minute epic with barely a scratch of ‘metal’.

New on the block, Next To None released their debut album A Light in the Dark in the summer, which combines the virtuosity of Dream Theater

with the crunch of Slipknot. Queensrÿche have just returned with a new album, Condition Hüman, too.

I attended the Spock’s Beard gig at Club Academy, Manchester on Saturday 3rd October. Supported by Hungarian instrumental progressive rock band Special Providence, who were particularly impressive, and London-based Synaesthesia, Spock’s Beard played for an hour and 45 minutes, their show climaxing with the 23 minute epic ‘The Water’. For those who think their name suggests a kind of self-indulgence of the old prog, take a moment to find amusing the thought of five middle-aged gents wearing masks of the small yellow race from Despicable Me when they played track two of their new album (The Oblivion Particle), ‘Minion’.

There’s no way of covering all of progressive rock here. But as far as 2015 goes, why not have a listen to these five tracks, and give technical prowess a chance: ‘Control’ - Next To None ‘Stolas’ - Scale the Summit ‘Condition Hüman’ - Queensrÿche ‘Minion’ - Spock’s Beard ‘The Call’ - The Neal Morse Band

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Review

Live Lonelady 1st October Gorilla Henry Scanlan Music Editor

8.5/10

Salford’s own Lonelady is making tense, purposeful music which embraces the dereliction of the city’s outskirts. The sound is anxious and claustrophobic, the lyrics conjuring imagery of tower blocks, deceased factories and ghosts of graffiti. Gorilla was practically built for her show. The room is shaped like an aircraft hangar, the ceiling is corrugated iron, steel lockers line the back walls, and Lonelady’s aesthetic completes the morose picture: grey fences and barbed wire form the backdrop, with blood-red searchlights scanning back and forth across the stage. If this scene is the titular Hinterland of her new WARP release, it feels like a dystopian one.

On my way to the show, after two coffees, I pass the Palace theatre sign for a ‘1984’ production. From that point onwards, Orwell and caffeine subliminally inform the experience, and I might even venture that this is how Lonelady’s serrated punk-funk is best consumed: with the jitters.

There are three percussionists – two with electronic kits, one with acoustic. Percussion frequently changes hands mid-song.

One of the electronic kits will take over for a verse, or add sequenced sixteenths over the top of the acoustic drummer, who holds it steady in 4/4. It seems improvised - conducted in the spirit of a free jazz conversation, only with programmed sounds.

The insistence of these beats, and all the rhythmic toying happening in between, create the feeling that the music is getting harder, louder, faster, but really it’s not – it’s just that after a few minutes, the incessant patterns of each song start to tamper with the cogs in your brain.

The basslines are patient, usually only accenting every fourth beat with a great moan, like those Talking Heads basslines that would push each bar into the next without cramming the sound (think almost everything on Remain In Light).

Of course, a changeup of pace wouldn’t have gone amiss. An hour of jams running at what feels like a pre-set bpm could do with some respite somewhere along the line, if only to cool the

jets, but there was no let up. “Where the fear goes I go”, Lonelady repeats, wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with ‘BEAT.’ She seems inseparable from frenzy; by the end of the show, I almost can’t imagine what a slower Lonelady song might sound like.

So Lonelady’s mono-rhythmic pace might seem like a point of criticism, but it’s the result of her remarkable singularity as an artist. There are droves of lost musicians trawling across the cultural epicentres of the country, shelling out promos, changing colours, wandering through a desert with no star to follow. And then there’s Lonelady, holed up in the squalid mills of Salford, making vital music with a clear and absolute purpose.

Singles Matthew Staite Rob Paterson Music Editors Eric Prydz - Opus (Four Tet Remix) Virgin EMI Records Eric Prydz sent ravers into a a frenzy over the summer when he dropped Opus.. Coming in at just over 9 minutes, the track’s build up lasted a whole 4 minutes, before lurching into a 5 minute breakdown so euphoric it could make even the grottiest of clubs feel like a church.

Yet in classic fashion Four Tet’s remix of the track has managed to outsurpass the original. Gone is the drop that Prydz EDM fans so loved; now the track has much greater emphasis on the build up, before sliding casualy back into the tracks starting beat. While some have complained the track lacks focus, it’s a classic case of Four Tet’s genius at work.

– Matt Run The Jewels- Rumble Kings Theme (Dynamite) Mass Appeal Records The blast of bass, characteristic to Run The Jewels’ instrumentals, sounds like a panic siren as it opens ‘Dynamite’. More alarmingly, given his usual cocky and often tongue in cheek tone, Killer Mike sounds just as panicked on his opening verse. “Surrounded by violence and murder” he flows, trapped in by skittish high hats. “I’m gripping the tail of satan himself.” This is their straight up social commentary yet, even more so than RTJ2’s brilliant ‘early’ and they pull it off with style and sincerity. Made for upcoming documentary ‘Rumble Kings’, which details the gang violence in the Bronx at the dawn of American hip-hop, it’s frightening how applicable the lyrics could be with Ferguson in mind. With this track, Run The Jewels continue to prove themselves as one of the best in hip hop today, capable of both making us laugh and making us think. It’s fucking dynamite.

– Rob

Photo: Pieter Morlion@flickr

14

Music

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Prog Week Feature

Review

Fish Out Of Water

This week’s fish Cassie Hyde felt like stirring the waters, so we sent her three classic prog albums by Yes, King Crimson and Rush.

Here’s what she made of them.

Before wading head on into the murky depths of prog rock for the first time, my surface level exposure led me to associate it with two things. First of all, Pink Floyd. It’s an association that’s largely in the name; they’re a classic band in the history of music generally before being a seminal prog rock outfit, but I’m aware of the connection and like most self-respecting music fans, I’ve heard Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall.

Secondly and almost damningly, I associate prog with excess.

As someone who generally likes 3 or 4 minute long songs to make up a 40 minute album, the idea of long keyboard solos clocking on to a 10 plus minute track length sounds like a fucking nightmare. But would pivotal works by King Crimson, Yes and Rush change my mind?

Out of the three albums given to me, In The Court Of The Crimson King by King Crimson was by far the best. Most strikingly, given that it’s the oldest of the three having been released in 1969, is how timeless it feels. The whole album is impossible to pin down to a single year. In hindsight, it’s no real surprise why `21st Century Schizoid Man` ending up being on Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Great chunks of this record have not dated in the slightest. On top of this, the album doesn’t feel excessive. Everything feels like it has its place on the album, despite the fact 2 out of 5 songs are over 10 minutes long. A real achievement! Overall, if you want one album to sell you the idea of progressive rock, it’s this one.

The other two albums, Yes’s Close To The Edge and Rush’s Moving Pictures, are both definitely prog but differ greatly from King Crimson. Like any genre, I expected stylistic variation, but my main observation on listening to them was how diverse a genre which is stereotypically characterised as stuffy and nuanced can actually be. A song can be a slow acoustic number one minute and a massive cressendo of guitars and synths the next. In fact, both Yes and Rush contain elements of reggae rock – the surprise of which made me burst out laughing.

Unlike King Crimson, both Yes and Rush feel dated, sometimes very much so. Yes fit slap bang in the middle of the 1970s. Keyboard solos aside, even the acoustic moments on Close To The Edge are reminisant of bands like Lindisfarne.

Additionally, Moving Pictures is an obvious a product of the 80s. You can imagine songs such as `YYZ` and `The Witch Hunt` being a precursor to hard rock bands such as Metallica.

Overall, a lot of what may have been magic to listeners of Yes and Rush at the time, is simply lost on someone from 2015.

My introduction in to prog has also made me better understand why punk changed the world in 1976/77. With a single song potentially taking up a whole side on an LP, as well as silly stereotypes such as mythical song settings, daft outfits and the oft-mentioned keyboard solos, it is easy to see how prog could become a parody of itself. As a result, punk in part feels like a reaction to prog. Cutting away the excess and leaving behind short, speedy songs: songs that are to the point and full of energy. Johnny Rotten even wore a shirt saying `I hate Pink Floyd`.

After listening to the three albums, would I listen to prog again? In some ways, I guess we all kind of already do. Progressive elements can be found in all sorts of music, from Radiohead to Godspeed You! Black Emperor. But actual, dedicated, certified prog rock? Maybe – I’ve heard Neu! and Can are good! Do they count?

get

INVOLVED

Record Reappraisal Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Released Nov 2010 via Roc- A- Fella

Rob Paterson reassesses Yeezy’s magnum opus as more than just a great hip-hop album; it’s a hedonistic, prog rock dream On seeing that last week’s record reappraisal was Radiohead’s Amnesiac, I pressed the head-ed as to why it wasn’t Kid A, as it’s clearly superior. Quite rightly, he responded that such a review would be redundant; countless critics have talked the album into journalistic sludge, and there’s simply nothing left to say.

The same could be said of Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Putting aside the fact that it’s only five years old, making a reappraisal seemsa little premature, it’s probably the most acclaimed album of the decade so far, garnering top marks from a ridiculous amount of music publications (seriously, look on metacritic, I don’t think even the Beatles were treated that well.) So what’s left to say? Well this week we’re talking prog, and aside from dusting off my old Rush albums, I couldn’t keep my mind off of Kanye. Is My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy a prog rock album? I think that would be stating the case a little too strongly, but it is his prog rock album.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. ‘Power’ samples King Crimson. It’s a prog classic, but if this were the extent of the comparison, I’d be just as entitled to call ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ an indie-folk record because it samples Sufjan Stevens. Even out of prog rock context this fact is talked over to death and I’m not quite sure why. Sure, it’s a bold move, but he’d sampled Curtis Mayfield and Daft Punk prior to this. I’d say that’s bolder. Kanye doesn’t give good taste and respect for musical history the time of day.

He’s Kanye-fucking-West dammit, he’ll do what he wants. This is precisely the reason, contrary to the opinion of many a critic, that I think the sample is so perfect. On this album, Kanye

fully embraces the persona of the 21st century schizoid man: erratic, indulgent of modern pleasures, a force of pure ego.

Prog is an intrinsically egotistical genre. It indulges in lengthy solos, high concepts pulls from a variety of styles for the primary purpose of showing off. My Beautiful Dark… is certainly a diverse album; ‘Devil In a New Dress’ is smooth as caramel soul and ‘Hell Of A Life’ shuffles along with the clip, clop noises of an old western soundtrack. Many elements of the instrumentation are shared with prog itself, such as the symphonic horns on ‘All Of The Lights’ and the swirling, screaming guitars scattered all over tracks like ‘Power’ and ‘Gorgeous’.

In terms of solos, the 9 minute centrepiece ‘Runaway’ ends with what I can only describe as an autotune solo. This thick, distorted drone has become somewhat of a trademark of his, but on first listen it took me totally by surprise.

It serves as a brilliant fuck you to anyone who’s criticised his singing abilities or professes that use of auto tune cannot be artful: an absolute highlight of his career.

When it comes to high concepts, to quote theatrical opener ‘Dark Fantasy’, “can we get much higher?” The album isn’t set in a mythical land or dystopian future in the conventional prog sense, but instead twists his own life into a dark fantasy, where he’s the most powerful man in the world, has daily orgies with porn stars and dances with the devil herself. Don’t take him for not being self-aware though; after the climactic closer ‘Lost In The World’, which acts as an operatic reprise, we’re left with patchy applause from a small room. It’s as if the original college dropout has woken from a perverted

day dream.

It’s impossible to talk about prog without acknowledging the backlash of punk and appropriately, Kanye created his own. Perhaps disillusioned by excess and grand orchestration, Kanye’s follow up Yeezus is stripped back, visceral and angry. Compare the “I, I, I” of Runaway to the ‘you’s’ spat out in ‘New Slaves’ and you have the punk/prog conflict in a nut shell.

One of the virtues of a re-appraisal is the ability to step back from the hype of the time.

Is My Beautiful Dark… overrated? Well it’s certainly not perfect. I can never tell if I’m missing something when listening to ‘So Appalled’ or if it really is just as vacuous and self-serving as it seems on the surface. The misogyny smeared over ‘Blame Game’ ruins an otherwise beautiful and fantastically produced song. However, picking flaws is like passing up an enormous cream cake because of the calories: the pure hedonism draws me in every time. It’s the grandest hip- hop record ever made and is unlikely to be matched, because only one man has the perfect balance of talent and ego to pull it off.

Photo: Album Artwork

Live

Beat Back (Anti Austery gig) 5th October Manchester Academy

Joe Connell Contributor

5/10

To get one thing firmly out of the way, the musical element of the Beat Back gig put on by the People’s Assembly, headlined by Welsh titans Super Furry Animals, was very, very good. Public Service Broadcasting put on a unique and entertaining show of radiophonic art-punk numbers, interspersed with amusing pre-sampled stage patter. Charlotte Church reminded the audience that she can sing very well, with her voice strengthened even further by the backing of decent session musicians and a small choir. And Super Furry Animals, semi-legendary live performers, closed the night with an oddball bout of Britpoppy psychedelia ranging from soothing ballads of mountain people to pounding techno breaks. In this sense, there were no real complaints.

However, what soured the night in many ways, ironically, was the cause which brought this stellar lineup to the stage.

Attempting to be a jolly and light affair, much of the deep, upsetting issues regarding the current Tory government were left to the side, as the night’s host instead focused on repeated jabs at pig noncery and plugging his BBC3 programme.

It’s easy to understand why these vibes killing issues were skirted over, but it’s still baffling that they were replaced with such a lame attempt to rouse political support, especially amongst a group of people who already despise the Tories. Even Charlotte Church noted that her own terrible exercise in chanting was redundant amongst such an audience. Viewing the Academy as a kind of big echo chamber, which it sort of is, you were left with a neat little

Photo: People’s Assembly

metaphor of how useful these kinds of events actually are.

The highlight of this self-congratulatory rhetoric came when BBC3 man played a video of himself criticising the overwhelmingly white and middle class makeup of the Tory party. This preceded the arrival of working-class heroes Super Furry Animals and their class-smashing, meat and potatoes Oi! tunes. Except that isn’t really what happened, because SFA, alongside Charlotte Church and PSB, embody a very white and middle class type of musical culture.

Surely in a world where the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gideon Fauntleroy likes N.W.A. (!) the People’s Assembly could have been a bit more imaginative about what diversity actually is. Similarly, every fucker at the gig was white and middle class, including me, which led me to re-evaluate the entire gig from a political perspective that genuinely hampered my enjoyment.

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

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

Email us at music@mancunion.com to find out more about joining The Mancunion team.

Games 15

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Preview

Review

Satellite Reign

Overwatch

Has Satellite Reign successfully take the reigns from the Syndicate series?

Saboor Qureshi gives his thoughts.

“User login… Password accepted…

Establishing satellite connection…

Initializing devices.”

From the get-go, Satellite Reign throws you headfirst into its rich art design and immerses you in a sea of neon lights straight out of your favourite dystopian cyberpunk fiction. In this dark and grimy world, you are a team of 4 black-op agents working for a rebel company trying to bring down the tyrannical Dracogenics corporation, who have the technology to let the rich (and only the rich) live forever.

Satellite Reign is actually a spiritual sequel to the Syndicate series, which shared a similar premise and was truly ground-breaking in its day. Like in Syndicate, gameplay in Satellite Reign is a sort of tactical real-time strategy, somewhere between XCOM: Enemy Unknown and the likes of Starcraft 2.

Each member of your squad has a distinct set of abilities to help you complete different types of objectives and each has their own skill tree, allowing you to pick the

Photo: 5 Lives Studios

upgrades that suit your style of play.

Just like XCOM, kitting out your soldiers is a big part of the fun, though here you do not have to worry about the awkward inconvenience of death. Your morally grey company conveniently has access to a prototype version of Dracogenics’ tech, meaning that when your guys bite the dust their consciousness can simply be downloaded into a new clone body grown out of parts harvested from the general public.

It is little flavour details like this

with the constant rain and dingy streets bathed in unnatural light that help transport you into a world reminiscent of Blade Runner or Ghost in the Shell. But Satellite Reign does not just look cinematic, it feels incredibly cinematic as you watch your meticulous plan fall apart because of the tiniest mistake. This will then snowball into a scenario entirely different from the one you imagined yourself in, just like the very best thrillers and heist films.

This is thanks to the vast open

world the game lets you loose in, allowing you to pick and choose the jobs you take on by simply breaking into whichever facility takes your fancy. Within each compound there are multiple paths to each objective reminiscent of the Deus Ex franchise, another brilliant cyberpunk world.

The painting Satellite Reign paints for you is almost perfect, but there are a few niggles I could not help noticing during my play-through.

The voice actor for Tag, your comms’ officer who guides you through the game, felt a bit wooden at times, breaking the illusion momentarily.

The movement controls and myriad of keybindings you need to learn can also feel unfamiliar, even to those well-seasoned in RTS gameplay.

However, these issues are well worth living with, both for the rich atmosphere and brilliant emergent gameplay. You can buy Satellite Reign for £22.99 on the Steam Store and, in my opinion, it is worth every penny.

“Line disconnected.”

Connor McBride Contributor

When loading up Overwatch, at a first glance you may be forgiven for thinking that you have stumbled into the Team Fortress 3 public beta. During my brief play at Gamescom, I was thrust into a payloadstyle game mode, where I could choose from different characters arranged into different classes. If I looked hard enough, I could have found the hat shop.

In an attempt to wean us addicts off Steam, first with MOBA replacement therapy in the form of Heroes of The Storm, and now with this, Overwatch is an objective-based First Person Shooter, where you compete in teams of 6 in two different game modes: Point Capture and Payload. Both of these are very fun, but not really ground-breaking.

The roster of characters is imaginative and they are split into 4 classes: Offense, Defense, Tank and Support.

There is a wide variety of characters to choose from, and subsequently a lot of team compositions to keep any competitive scene interesting.

Is it fun? Yes. Would I recommend giving it a shot? Yes. Could I convince a Team Fortress 2 player to convert? Well, it has a gorilla with glasses and a tesla cannon.

The Future of Mario Kart 8 DLC

Disclaimer: At the time of writing this article, Nintendo have not announced any plans to release new Mario Kart 8 DLC, and so everything from here on out is the authors speculation.

Josh Goldie Games Editor

In my opinion, Mario Kart 8 is the best Mario Kart game to date, and the DLC released alongside it is some of the best Nintendo have ever created (although to be fair, Nintendo are very new to the DLC market, unlike the majority of its competitors).

The Mario Kart 8 DLC is great quality content for an affordable price and has been well-received. Couple this with Nintendo’s hopes to continue releasing DLC for Super Smash Bros and Splatoon throughout next year (presumably to keep fans interested despite the lack of new releases scheduled), and suddenly Nintendo have future DLC planned for their most popular racing title. At the time of writing this article, Nintendo have not announced any plans to release new Mario Kart 8 DLC, and so everything from here on out is speculation from me.

I do feel like Nintendo needs to announce new DLC for Mario Kart 8 soon. I was expecting it to be announced last August, one year after the original Mario Kart 8 DLC was unveiled. As most Nintendo fans already know, we did not get a new Nintendo Direct this summer, unlike every other year previous, and this is most likely due to the upsetting passing of Nintendo’s CEO of both NOA and NCL: Satoru Iwata. He often hosted the Nintendo Direct events, and it is in one of these that something like Mario Kart DLC would have been announced.

With rumours going around that a new Nintendo Direct will be revealed this week, this article may very well end up redundant. However, I feel it may still be fun to speculate on this next update.

We should look back at the past DLC to see the pattern that has emerged. In both DLC packs were: three new characters,

four new vehicles and eight new tracks that form two cups. Both packs have been themed around a non-Mario Nintendo IP, and have each also included a track that pays homage to Nintendo’s other major racing series: F-Zero.

The first pack was Zelda-themed, and the second pack was Animal Crossingthemed. Both of these are major Nintendo IPs that do not differ drastically from the way Mario is presented. Link as a racer really was experimental, but they decided to go with his more cartoonlike Skyward Sword design in order to make him work. The cups involved in each DLC pack have differed from the norm by combining both returning and new tracks into the same cup. Lastly, any new Mario character included in the DLC has been a simple model swap of an already-existing character. Mario and his tanooki form, Peach and her cat form, and Bowser and his skeleton form.

Left in the games files were four unused icons for cups. As of now, only one of these icons has been used as part of the DLC, and that is the Yoshi Egg. This means that we could see three new cups coming as DLC, but I think that this is unlikely. The cups have always come in pairs and the last DLC was grouped into 2 packs; thus, I doubt that this new DLC will change that. For me, the Shine Cup is the most unlikely cup to make an appearance, and so this leaves us with the Boo Cup and the Spiny Shell Cup. As for which Nintendo IP we will see crossover? There are only really three that I think have a chance, but of these three, I believe Pikmin and Splatoon are the most likely (Star Fox is the third for those who wish to know).

Pikmin for quite a few reasons: it is a franchise that is made by Miyamoto, just like Zelda and Mario; it has a new game pending release, as well as one

already available on the Wii U platform, and it fits the Mario-theme better than Star Fox. Splatoon was chosen because it is Nintendo’s new and popular IP that also fits style-wise to Mario.

The Pikmin pack will come first and will introduce Captain Olimar and Alph from Pikmin as playable racers, while Captain Toad will be made to be the third. We know the creator of Captain Toad was in contact with the Mario Kart 8 team, requesting that the character be put in as DLC, and since he is a relevant Mario character, but can also be a model swap for the normal Toad, this makes sense. Two of the vehicles will be based on Pikmin elements: a Bulborb car and a Hocotate motorbike, while the other two will be a Minecart for Captain Toad and the Bumble V as a returning kart from Mario Kart 7. One cup will be the Pikmin Cup and will have a track based on the ‘Garden of Hope’, along with two returning courses and a new one. The other cup will be the Spiny Shell Cup, and will have an F-Zero stage based on ‘Port Town’, along with one new track and two returning. This mirrors the Animal Crossing pack intentionally. The F-Zero stage has been chosen both because it was in the original F-Zero, but also because it makes all of the F-Zero courses represented in Super Smash Bros.

The Splatoon pack will be second and will introduce the Inklings (both genderforms as one character like the Villager), King Boo and Funky Kong. Funky Kong and King Boo are both veterans, and the former can be a model-swapped Donkey Kong, the latter from the Boo enemies found in some of the audience and tracks. The Inklings are the playable avatars, and will come in their amiibo colours. Orange for the girl and blue for the boy. There will only be one Splatoonbased vehicle, which will be an ATV

Photo: Nintendo Corporation. Ltd.

based on the roller item. We will then get the Monster Car from another classic Nintendo IP called Famicom Grand Prix II: 3D Hot Rally, which also starred Mario & Luigi. The Mach Bike will return from Mario Kart Wii as a new bike, while, finally, King Boo will get a kart designed for him. The Boo cup will return and will contain Red Valley as its F-Zero stage and Luigi’s Mansion from Mario Kart DS will be another returning track. We will also get a track based on the previouslymentioned 3D Hot Rally game similar to the Excite-bike track we received. The final track will be brand new. The Squid Cup will have an Inkopolis-based level, where one drives around various parts of the city-based maps. Then, it will have two returning levels and one new track.

This all intentionally mimics the Zelda pack and brings everything full-circle.

I never counted the 200cc, MercedesBenz or amiibo costumes as DLC because they were all free and separate from the packs. I do think that we will get more amiibo costumes, though.

It is also likely that an incentive for buying a season pass, just like before with the different-coloured Yoshi’s and Shy Guy, will arise. This time it

will be Toads and Koopa Troopas, although they will come with less colours than the previous two.

With that, I think that the DLC will be finished for Mario Kart 8. With rumours of the NX to be ready for next summer or just after, the schedule seems tight.

Want to meet fellow gamers in Manchester?

Photo: UoM Gaming Society

To celebrate the release of Minecraft Story Mode this week, the University of Manchester Gaming Society will be playing through the entirety of Telltales Jurrasic Park this wednesday at Whitworth halls Grove bar. The best part?

Everyone will get to take part in the decision making. So come down, grab a drink and lets fumble through UoM Gaming plays Jurassic Park!

Fashion & Beauty

16

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Opinion

The Beautiful Highlights: MCR Student Night Out

Millie Kershaw Beauty Editor

For a lot of people, I can see that an interest in makeup could appear to be quite superficial, even narcissistic. It’s a billion-pound industry that feeds on your insecurities and lures you in with the new ‘cult’ product that will make you look even more fabulous than the products you’ve already got, supposedly. Some may find it all a bit silly. Why bother? Why do you wear makeup?

Tutorial coming soon if you want to try this dramatic eye look at home. Photo: The Mancunion

In response to this question, I would say that I have never had an agenda to appear attractive to others through the use of makeup. My interest in cosmetics started at a relatively young age, and way before teenage insecurities and hormones kicked in. Makeup was an outlet of creativity that I treated as a hobby, which made up for what I lacked in primary school art lessons. I could use whatever colours I liked, and there were generally very few guidelines. My face was not always the limit. My lipstick compositions were sometimes daring and avant-garde, with the wallpaper in my parents’ bedroom being one choice of canvas.

The use of makeup at a young age is often frowned upon, used to prematurely age and ‘sexup’ young girls. For me, it was just an extension of the universally popular childhood pastime of fancy dress; the cherry on top of a flamboyant, bizarrely-clothed cake. How could I have pulled off a Cruella De Vil get-up in my grandma’s velvety dress and faux fur scarf without pale powder and a blood-red lipstick? And my Egyptian pharaoh costume would not have been complete without a slick of bold black eyeliner.

Quite often, an indication of someone’s relationship with makeup is how they feel without it. I would be lying if I said that makeup doesn’t contribute to my self-confidence. It is concealer and not coffee that helps me arrive at a 9 o’clock lecture looking and feeling more awake. I am not one to turn down the chance to dedicate an extra twenty minutes to my makeup before going out to ensure that my mascara looks great, and that the whole ensemble will not have smeared off altogether by the small hours of the morning.

However, I would not say that I am bothered by makeup. A makeup-free day is a regular occurrence, not a nightmarish concept. I do not treat makeup as a mask to be applied every morning before leaving the safe confines of my bedroom.

Celebrity makeup artist and businesswoman Charlotte Tilbury has stated in an interview that she is never seen without makeup on, even by her own husband. She takes this to such lengths that she wears makeup to bed to ‘keep the mystery alive’.

Aside from the fact that she must surely have perpetual conjunctivitis, her attitude is, sadly, quite common. The proof can be seen in the rising popularity of ‘makeup tattoos’­, such as getting eyeliner literally inked around your eyes. Makeup in my opinion should not be treated as a second skin in which one has to permanently reside to have beauty and sex appeal, but simply a weapon at our disposal that can be wielded when it takes our fancy.

What I love about makeup today still pertains largely to the creative aspect that I cherished in my childhood. I love the industry for its fast pace— makeup trends, like fashion, are constantly evolving and fascinating technologies enable us to achieve new effects. Makeup is itself undoubtedly a form of self-expression, and can complete your look or totally transform it, depending on how you feel on the day. The process of applying makeup has become, for me, a ritualistic act. There is something calming, satisfying and undeniably fun about devoting a bit of time to playing with beauty products; an attitude that has been widely held for generations and that I do not think is set to change any time soon.

Skincare

Kathryn Murray Fashion Editor

Never too young to start. Special mention to the Harry Potter duvet. Photo: The Mancunion As you can see, I paired my baby pink eyeshadow with a statement hat. Photo: The Mancunion

Advice

No pain, no gain

Josh Arnold Contributor

Perisha Kudhail Contributor Rose Hydrate Cleansing Cream by Una Brennan (£7.99, Boots) and massage a big blob into dry skin before removing with a clean flannel soaked in warm water. You wouldn’t clean a table with your hands, and the same goes for your face. Plus, the extra exfoliation will only add to your inner beauty. Get enough for a fortnight for around £5 at Primark so you can use a clean one every day.)

tly remove dead skin, leaving it looking fresh and restoring its radiance.

If you’re such a BNOC that you don’t have the time to pour out the toner onto a cotton pad, go for the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads for an ultra-convenient shot of glycolic. Otherwise, saturate a cotton pad with the Pixi Glow Tonic (£18, Marks & Spencer) and sweep across your whole face and neck. One bottle lasts for months and months.

First things first, you need to clean off the grime, sweat and makeup that can block pores and causes spots. That means morning and night.

Cleansing wipes only push dirt around your face, so look for a non-foaming cleanser such as the

Eyebrows seem to have become an obsession. Whether they are big and beautiful or trim and shapely, getting your eyebrows to look like perfection doesn’t always have to feel like surgery.

Here are a few sure fire ways to neaten up those brows and make you feel awesome.

Tone Moisturise

Cleanse

This week, as part of our beauty edition, we are delving into the world of eyebrows that are on ‘fleek’.

When it comes to toning your skin, avoid astringents and alcohol as these will dry out your skin and amplify the effects of tiredness and cold. Instead, look for something with glycolic acid (don’t be scared, acid = good) and get twice the effects for the price of one: While the toner tightens the skin, the acid will work through the day to gen-

Finally, your best friend during party season and cold weather. For any neigh-sayers who claim that you don’t need to moisturise, look at Beyoncé’s skin. We’re pretty sure she moisturises.

Look for something super simple such as the Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream (£7.69, Boots)

Threading You may have heard some horror stories about threading—but fear not.

Threading is a great way to catch all those pesky hairs that tweezers just can’t quite seem to grab.

Threading originated in India and a cotton thread is used to pull our multiple hairs for a precise finish. Because threading pulls hair from the root, this treatment should last you a while, and you can pluck the one or two hairs that grow in between.

Try Zara’s on Curry Mile. For ladies only and cheap prices, you can be sure to come out knowing your eyebrows are doing you proud.

Waxing

Photo: Boots

Photo: Marks & Spencer

Photo: Boots

Waxing is a brilliant way to shape up those brows, sharpish. A layer of wax is used to catch all those pesky hairs, and

On Tuesday 29th of September hordes of students flocked to Manchester city centre to see what bargains were on offer. Students, shopping, and fresh student loans go together hand-in-hand and MCR Student Night Out proved it.

Manchester Arndale and Manchester’s business improvement district collaborated to host MCR Student Night Out, in which over 200 stores were involved. The event went on from 4pm-9pm giving students access to a range of exclusive one-night-only offers as well as live music and freebies.

Lush in the Arndale were offering students a chance to make their own facemasks. Fashion isn’t just about clothes you know; beauty is also a massive part of a fashionista’s life.

I paid a visit to Selfridges where I sampled some of the services they offer. I managed to drop by the new Braid bar kiosk downstairs in Selfridges where I got three cornrow style braids. There are 12 braid styles to choose from; however the girls like a challenge so you can always bring a picture along for inspiration.

Braiding is quick; I went for the “Eva” which only took about 5 minutes but most of the braids won’t take more than 10 minutes to complete. Choose from feathers, beads or a little brush of colour if you’re getting ready for a night out. If you want a different look

but don’t want the permanency of bleach or perms then the Braid Bar is a great alternative!

With braid prices ranging from £15-£25, the Braid Bar has plenty to offer, including hair glitter, chalks and jewellery. Braiding is the perfect accessory for any outfit and at these prices it is well worth the professionals doing it, instead of your half-drunk housemate trying to French plait your hair at pre-drinks.

Selfridges also offered Henna tattoos by Pavan. With prices starting at £18 you can get a glitter, coloured, or traditional henna tattoo.

Alternatively you can buy a tube of henna for £5, although you will need some practice to get those intricate details offered by the artist’s at the Pavan bar in Selfridges. I went for glitter henna on my hand which I LOVED! Although was slightly disappointed when it started peeling off later that day. However, it

looked amazing; I might try and start a new going-out trend of glitter henna-ing myself from head to toe. I’m not sure if it will catch on though!

After Selfridges I visited Harvey Nichols, where the lovely ladies at Bobbi Brown transformed my “barely there” make up to a great smokey eye. This party season smokey eyes are going to be bigger than ever before with a glittery sheen topping your look off with a playful sparkle. Bobbi Brown may not be student-loan friendly, but I would highly recommend their concealer if ever you want to splash out.

After having my hair braided, hand hennaed, and make-up done I was ready for a night out! Manchester has some great services available, often with student discounts.

What a great place to live and breathe fashion and beauty!

Instagram’s biggest beauty trend: Contour Sarah Kilcourse Contributor I can’t profess to be a makeup artist, but I would like to think that I’ve got a pretty good grasp of the basics. Recently however, a new trend has come along which is testing my abilities, and probably yours as well. I’m referring to contouring. The fundamental idea is to reshape your face, to give the ideal symmetrical proportions, using darker and lighter shades of makeup.

In an article devoted to contouring, it would be impossible to ignore the high priestess of contouring herself—Mrs Kim Kardashian West. She first brought the trend to public attention when she began sharing selfies of herself mid-contour. The makeup artist who helped to create the infamous sculpted look is Joyce Bonelli, who claims to have learnt to contour from the drag community and then altered the intensity to suit her female clients.

Photo: The Mancunion

Craving & Saving

Cleanse, tone, and moisturise: It’s as easy as one, two, three…

Opening a book for the first time after summer is always a shock to the system. The air is filled with the sound of coughs and sniffles as we put the takeaway menus in the bin, brush off our student recipe books and settle back into the routine.

And that includes your skincare. But don’t panic just yet because we’re going back to basics with a loan-friendly, daily routine to keep your face looking as fresh as a fresher on their first day of lectures.

Loving & Loathing

Feature

Why do you wear make up?

I would be lying if I said that makeup doesn’t contribute to my self-confidence. It is concealer and not coffee that helps me arrive at a 9 o’clock lecture looking and feeling more awake.

Fashion & Beauty 17

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

rips them all out in one go. Although waxing isn’t as precise as threading, it still gets the hair out by the roots ensuring that your eyebrow game will stay strong.

The Brazilian Waxing Company offers a great eyebrow wax service and you can get your nails done after!

Plucking This can be done DIY style, or from a professional beauty salon. Plucking is a great way to top up an already established eyebrow (via waxing or threading). Using tweezers, individual hairs are gripped and pulled from the roots, a great way to get those pesky spam hairs.

Once your eyebrows are beautifully shaped—by any one of these methods— keeping them neat and tidy is a doddle.

Invest in an eyebrow comb and you’d be surprised at how much difference it could make, particularly if you use an eyebrow pencil.

After you’ve had your treatment; be sure to make sure you keep the area clean and chemical free for at least 4 hours. This will give time for the pores to close and prevent you getting any nasty pimples.

Finally, never get your eyebrows done if you plan to go somewhere soon after, your choice of hair removal may result in your skin going slightly red and you don’t want to put makeup only to agitate the area. Don’t worry, the pain is all worth it in the end. Trust me.

Craving & Saving: lipstick dupes Fleur Stevens Contributor Craving a high end lipstick that is out of your budget? Fear not – this lipstick lover is on hand to transform your craving into a saving, focusing on MAC dupes.

Now, I don’t know about you, but my favourite thing in the world is lipstick. I mean, it’s so useful. You wear it on your lips, on your cheeks as a cheek stain, and even on the eyes as an eyeshadow. You can buy ones that are moisturising, glossy, matte, and even simple lip stains; everything a girl needs in one product!

I know that if I wasn’t a student I would spend the majority of my wages on MAC’s products—specifically, their wonderful lipsticks. Their range of colours, formulas, and packaging blows me away every time I enter a MAC shop, and although all of this captures my attention, the pricing definitely does not.

Who can seriously justify spending over £10 on a lipstick? Definitely not me! But that doesn’t mean you have to do without. Listed down below are my top 3 MAC lipstick dupes, so that you can enjoy your favourite lip product without destroying the bank.

Photo: smcgee@Flickr

Dusky Pink If you’re a lover of dark pinkish nudes like me, MAC’s ‘Craving’ will be one of your go-to lipsticks. It’s a ‘your-lips-but-better’ kind of lippy that glides onto your puckers smoother than the softest butter—or for us more girly-girls: silk. If it’s the colour and formula you’ve fallen in love with, then look no further than Maybelline’s Colour Sensational in ‘Party Pink’. Not only is Maybelline affordable, but the luxury and feel of the product makes your lips feel loved, energised, and looking flawless.

Neon Coral This next lipstick is perfect for those crazy nights out. MAC’s ‘Impassioned’ will leave any girl feeling confident and sexy. But what if you want to feel confident and sexy…on a budget? Rimmel’s Kate Moss Lasting Finish in ’06’ has your name written all over it. Not only is the colour nearly identical to ‘Impassioned’, but the packaging is just as fancy and leaves you feeling ‘impassioned’ and ready for anything.

Classic Nude The first time I set my eyes on MAC’s ‘Honey Love’, I swear I felt a tear dripping down my cheek. Not only was it the most perfect nude for my skin tone, but it also looked as if I wasn’t wearing anything on my lips. Result!

Since I first received this lipstick as a gift, I was astonished when looking at the prices. I quickly realised that I needed to find the perfect dupe to stop the ‘Honey Love’ withdrawals, which were coming on strong. L’Oréal’s ‘Fairest Nude’ quickly became my saving grace. Although it took me a while to find, once I had, I never looked back. I wish ‘Honey Love’ was permanently in my collection, but ‘Fairest Nude’ is definitely a nude colour I’d settle for. And so if you, too, are worried about missing your favourite MAC nude shade, you no longer have to be. L’Oréal has your back… and your lips.

Photo: evarinaldiphotography@Flickr Craving – MAC in ‘Craving’ £15.50 Photo: MAC

Craving – MAC in ‘Impassioned’ £15.50 Photo: MAC

Saving – Maybelline in ‘Party Pink’ £6.99 Photo:Boots Boots Photo:

Saving – Rimmel London in ’06’ £5.49 Photo: Superdrug

Beauty enthusiasts everywhere have admired the skill and effect of this technique, then attempted to replicate it—easier said than done. I love the effectiveness of contouring when celebrities wear it on the red carpet, in an editorial, and especially on Instagram. But in real life? Not so keen. Contouring can easily become very heavy handed. Troops of women are now walking around with a triple striped cheek: highlighter, blusher, and bronzer. In my opinion, reshaping your face is supposed to be subtle, and walking around with tiger stripes defeat the objective of contouring. Until Kim K revealed her secret, no one was aware that she was even attempting to enhance her face shape with makeup.

Thankfully, makeup companies have jumped on the success of contouring and now offer an array of different products to help you achieve the perfect sculpt. From lower price point palettes like Maybelline’s Mastersculpt—to the more high end options like Charlotte Tilbury’s Film Star Bronze and Glow, and many other options in between. All of them offer shades that make contouring easier, and should hopefully prevent striped cheeks. The one key part of contouring which is often forgotten is blending. If you blend your bronzer and highlighter you are one step closer to looking like the sixth Kardashian sister.

Contact Us!

Craving – MAC in ‘Honey Love’ £15.50 Photo: MAC

Saving – L’Oréal Paris in ‘Fairest Nude’ £6.99 Photo: Boots

Join the fashion and beauty team!

We have weekly meetings on Tuesdays at 5pm. Find us on the 1st floor of the Students’ Union, or contact us via...

The Mancunion: Fashion and Beauty @MancunionFash fashion@mancunion.com @mancunionfashionandbeauty

Film

18

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

TV Binge

Feature

Viola Davis delivers a powerhouse performance and much more in this Emmy-winning legal drama

Photo: vicky.romesmar @ Flickr

Parizad Mangi Film Critic The suspenseful and scintillating first season of this ABC crime drama may have unravelled a few mysteries that it built up, but the season finale cultivated plenty of new ones to be pieced together.

The show follows a group of law students and their professor Annaliese Keating as they become entangled in a murder plot of their own while trying to solve cases of other clients. With rapid switches between past and present day narrative, the twists and turns have got its audience at the edges of their seats.

Praised for both a stellar performances from lead Viola Davis (who recently won an Emmy for her role) and a fast pace, the show added another success to Shonda Rhimes’ resume, who is dominating US television network ABC with her Thursday night line-up (affectionately called Shondaland), which includes this show as well as Grey’s Anatomy, and Scandal.

It scored big ratings in both the US and the UK and seems set to continue that trend when it returns to British screens this year with a second season. It joins a new wave of TV shows launched by ABC to increase diversity on television, as a result of an ongoing debate regarding representation and why it matters.

Diverse shows such as How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and Modern Family are already hits in the UK, and ABC is ready to export more to the roster with Fresh Off The Boat, Cristela, Black-ish, and Quantico to the UK in 2016. One can only hope they enjoy the same success, as it encourages the television industry to expand its diversity quota.

When Viola Davis became the first woman of colour to win in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Category at the Emmys, she made a speech on this particular subject and was brutally honest about it: “The only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there.”

Supporting these shows means more opportunities for those who are otherwise rarely represented properly, and representation matters.

Contact Us! Mancunion Film is always looking for new writers and critics. Please contact us via the details below if you are at all interested in getting involved. film@mancunion.com facebook.com/filmmancunion @mancunionfilm

Tarantino vs Netflix Is Tarantino wrong about digital film media?

“I like something hard and tangible in my hand. And I can’t watch a movie on a laptop.”

This is a quote from Quentin Tarantino, voicing an opinion in opposition to the digital age of films. I disagree with Tarantino, because I believe that he is stuck in an iron cage of sentimentality, preventing him from seeing the ease and simplicity of modern day film platforms.

The last time I used VHS was in 2004—to watch Tim Burton’s Batman (1989), which is a very sentimental memory. One thing

that definitely comes across from Tarantino is his saccharine affection for using VHS, which is known to be a huge influence on his film career. But I doubt anyone else aged 20-something remembers using VHS. It is outdated, clunky and painful to use. On the flip-side, digital copies of films are extremely convenient. With one legally-purchased download of Legally Blonde, I can watch it on my laptop in bed.

I can watch it on my phone in the walk-in centre whilst waiting for treatment. I can start watching it in bed, load it up on my phone and continue watching while cooking. Why go through the effort to watch something for its sentimentality when the alternative is so much simpler? On the one hand, one may

Photo: Manuel Lagos CID

How to Get Away with Murder

Or does he raise an important point?

I’m hardly qualified to agree wholeheartedly with Tarantino—as a regular user of Netflix and an enthusiast for digital film-making, it would be difficult (as well as a tad hypocritical) for me to say that we should all abandon the use of internet streaming, DVD and Blu-Ray and go back to recording our evening’s entertainment on clunky VHS tapes. As far as home media goes, I cannot foresee any way in which digital is not the future. This is not to say that Quentin doesn’t

Hani Qadiri & James Moules Contributor & Head Film Editor comment that this is evidence of modern day youth being glued to their screens.

They are unable to do the most mundane tasks with nothing but their thoughts. On the other hand, one may also comment about how this seems to be a futuristic lifestyle in our time, so why not embrace it? The image is crisp, and rewinding to watch a character’s line in a previous scene doesn’t take 14 minutes and you don’t have to commit to one location to watch a film.

Who knows, maybe in a couple of years, people will go on about how “cool” VHS films are, just like with film cameras and typewriters today. But, right now, unfortunately not everyone currently agrees.

Photo: Netflix Photo: Netflix

raise an important point, though. As great as it is to be able to watch a film at the click of a mouse (and a £5.99 per-month subscription fee), it is nothing when compared to the experience of watching a movie projected on the ‘big screen’.

As everyone knows, it is easily possible to view the very latest cinematic releases for free on various streaming sites. With cinema ticket prices soaring to outrageous highs in recent years, it is understandable that so many people resort to this option. These people are missing out, including those who are watching these films legally on Netflix and Amazon Prime. If I were to appeal to cliché, I would say they are losing the ‘magic’

of cinema. Try watching Alfonso Cuarón’s scifi masterpiece Gravity on your laptop. You’re not going to come close to the raw physical experience of seeing it as intended: on the big screen, in breathtaking IMAX 3D. There’s simply no comparison.

This is where Tarantino and I see eye to eye—both people who care about movies, as well as casual film-goers, should get out here and support their local cinema. Perhaps they could start with Tarantino’s upcoming feature The Hateful Eight, which is due to be shown in beautiful 70mm film in cinemas everywhere.

Digital home media is a no-brainer, yes, but it cannot come at the expense of the true cinematic experience.

Classic Review

Goodfellas Sam Ebner-Landy Contributor

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a gangster.”

So goes the opening, altogether catalysing line of Martin Scorsese’s ubiquitous crime drama, Goodfellas. In this opening statement, Ray Liotta’s character, real life mobsterturned FBI informant Henry Hill, confesses a yearning desire to be a part of something bigger than himself; to live that often-idealized gangster lifestyle: do whatever you want, whenever you want to do it. Hill’s ruthless rise and inevitable fall forms the basis for this hallmark of Scorsese’s canon. The horrifying – and often hilarious – mafia life is fantastically captured by the ensemble cast.

Oscar-winning Joe Pesci, Oscar-nominated Lorraine Bracco and, in my opinion, Oscarworthy Robert De Niro, are all just the tip of the iceberg in a film where every supporting role feels revelatory.

For me however, the problem with watching it after having heard of its brilliance almost three years ago (“as far back as AS-Levels, I always wanted to watch Goodfellas”), was that there was always the possibility of it failing to live up to the hype.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, selected for preservation by the United States Library of Congress owing to it being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant”, and considered by a number of critics to be one of the greatest films of all time, Scorsese’s twelfth film could easily have fallen flat owing to its tremendous critical, commercial and artistic success. Yet it did not fall flat. In

Scorsese’s classic gangster flick remains as entertaining, outrageous and hilarious today as it was in 1990

Photo: Warner Bros.

all honesty, it didn’t even come close. The entire 146-minute runtime flew past in a blaze of tension, deception, trust and quite masterful direction.

From the plot to the casting, to the script, to the placement of seemingly irrelevant props, every single aspect of Goodfellas felt considered, carefully-chosen and designed to blend in with, and add to, the rest of the film.

Though the narrative was at times a breathless and constantly enthralling encounter, the moments in which I felt the film was most successful were those where Scorsese carefully utilised silence.

For example, in one of most tantalising scenes of the crime genre, in which Tommy DeVito (Pesci) appears to be on the brink of losing his notoriously short temper, hav-

ing been told by Hill that he’s a “funny guy,” Scorsese uses a bloated eight-second silence in order to allow the audience to feel the main character’s life seemingly hanging in the balance. Hill appears dumbstruck and the entire atmosphere of the once-riotous scene changes. The audience’s attention wholly captured as the sound mellows to a mute.

This particular moment forms a fitting microcosm for Goodfellas in that, though the pace is slowed and the sound quietened, the effect is quite the opposite. Indeed, despite the general tone of this film being pacey and loud, the careful uses of stillness, both in a visual and auditory sense, leave the audience firmly glued to the screen. Despite the film’s towering status, my expectations were entirely exceeded.

Film 19

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

The Martian Charlotte Gough Contributor Ridley Scott, the visionary director at the helm of Hollywood game-changers (Gladiator, Thelma & Louise), particularly in the world of science fiction (Alien, Blade Runner), delivers an exhilarating space- survival thriller based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir. This project appeared to be one Matthew McConaughey short of Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar, with similar roles played byMatt Damon and Jessica Chastain. The

Top 5 Ridley Scott’s latest return to the sci-fi genre is a success thanks to stellar performances from its A-list cast

Martian’s departure from this, however, with its light-heartedness and refreshingly funny tone—engaging for even the most reluctant sci-fi viewers—makes it one of the must-see releases of 2015.

The film has three main plot strands that unfold simultaneously: (1) Mark Watney, a NASA agent, is presumed dead and abandoned after being hit by a flying ship-part during the crew’s departure through the treacherous storm conditions on Mars. It is soon revealed that he is still alive and now stranded - he must re-establish communication with NASA back on earth and use his botany genius

Photo: 20th Century Fox

to stretch his meagre supplies. (2) Meanwhile, the NASA team work to bring Watney home and (3)—when his fellow crewmates construct a nigh-impossible rescue operation of their own. Interestingly, these scenarios were all shot in separate stints as if they were three separate films, yet they managed to maintain a slick cohesion.

Matt Damon is perfectly cast as Watney, the All-American everyman who has the whole world (that is, as per usual, the U.S.) rooting for him. Despite his circumstances he remains positive and practical with his wisecracking charisma in one-man video journals and almost superhuman problem-solving. We remain completely behind him even though we never really get to know him as a person.

Much like its protagonist, The Martian very much gets down to business and successfully juggles its many components plot-wise. It is exciting and fast-paced from the beginning and throughout whilst championing a brains-over-brawn approach to crisis.

Indeed, Watney’s main activity is growing potatoes from his own poo, and the NASA team spend the majority of the film sitting and bickering over the best course of action. The film also doesn’t get bogged down in sprawling landscape shots of Mars, space- jargon or schmaltziness which is a breath of fresh air, especially after the heavy scientific theories and sentimentalities of Interstellar. It is not, however, dumbed-down, and the film’s constant quips and self-reflexive nerd-humour like the 1970s disco music throughout, give a playful wink to the sci-fi genre as a whole. One can’t help but laugh at such lines “I’m going to science the shit out of this,” said by Watney, and soundtracks to Watney’s defiance against Mars’ hostile atmosphere, Gloria

Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and ABBA’s “Waterloo.”

The film’s supporting cast are fortunately not relegated to stereotypes, and all have a crucial part to play in Watney’s rescue. The motley crew of NASA is made up of impressive star performances that don’t overshadow each other—including Jeff Daniels, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Kristen Wiig and a particularly enjoyable comedic turn from Donald Glover, a dishevelled yet ingenious underling. Watney’s crewmates are also well-developed characters, spearheaded by Commander Melissa Lewis, played by an always dignified Jessica Chastain. Chastain, Wiig and Kate Mara once again exemplify Scott’s tendencies towards the inclusion of strong female characters—even in his early work before it was cool in Hollywood. Wiig, however, does not bring much to the party beyond sheer novelty and an excess of concerned expressions in close-up.

Scott’s film shines a heroic and triumphant light on space travel and NASA in particular as a real life institution of great minds from different, yet equally important scientific disciplines—especially the underdog botanist. The Martian is an uplifting celebration of human intelligence, self-reliance and, in Matt Damon’s words—a film about the importance of “living for something bigger than ourselves.” For a thriller, it lacks conflict and tension, but that does mean that by the time it reaches the climatic rescue attempt, with its spectacular action and visuals, you will be suitably awestruck and on the edge of your seat.

HOME Pick of the Week

Macbeth

Justin Kurzel’s take on the Scottish Play will wow audiences with its vibrant visual style and Fassbender’s towering portrayal of Macbeth

Elise Gallagher Theatre Editor

Modern cinema’s arguably unhealthy obsession with remakes and sequels adds to it’s catalogue, a new reimagining of the classic Macbeth.

Spare a thought for poor William Shakespeare—his work wasn’t just performed once but has been altered and adapted to be restaged, reinvented, and rewritten to fit different audiences and time periods alike. This adaption however, bears the mark of a filmmaker who wishes to make an auteurist statement to the infamous tragedy.

Justin Kurzel, best known for his harrowing debut crime movie Snowtown, has taken on Shakespeare’s Macbeth with a bold flourish. Interpreting the Bard’s Scottish play as a medieval horror, stylistically the film is a marvel. Set against the raw landscape backdrop of the English and Scottish Highlands, you could pause the film at any given moment and discover the perfect desktop background.

Kurzel’s 2011 feature debut, Snowtown, was a mirage of gritty naturalism set alongside suburban Adelaide which may make Kurzel an unlikely director of Shakespeare’s latest iteration. Both pieces of work, however, share the same notions—one act of murder leading to another, blood triggering more blood.

It could be argued that this film stumbles once the actors talk. The audience is completely overwhelmed and immersed in the cinematography, yet, triggered by the sound of someone’s voice, the realism is lost. Kurzel’s contemporary approach doesn’t agree with the 17th century text. Yet his take on the play—which was most famously turned to film in 1948 by Orson Welles—makes

Space Missions Gone Wrong Voyages into the final frontier often end in disaster—here are the five most memorable space catastrophes in film 5) Forbidden Planet Halfway between Hollywood flicks and Shakespeare adaptations, this landmark film is garishly Freudian. Dr Mobius is a crazy scientist whose I.D. is unknowingly causing mass damage to a colonised planet. Unlike HAL 9000, we have a loyal Robby the Robot who cannot bear to kill his master—even though he designed him to look like a vibrator made from the remains of the Roswell incident.

4) Sunshine Cillian Murphy plans to reenergise the dying sun by blowing it up. The mission eventually comes together, but not without a whole load of calamities along the way. If only it was the newspaper and not our trusty star he was aiming for.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

3) Alien Ridley Scott’s sci-fi horror follows a group of scientists who are almost duped into bringing a savage alien monster back to earth for inspection. With giant claws, acidic blood and the prodding tongue of an inexperienced kisser, this beast wreaks havoc on board. You’ll have to wait for the sequel, though, to hear Sigourney Weaver say “Get away from her, you bitch!” A burn more wounding than the alien’s molten fluids.

2) Event Horizon After fiddling with space-time (never advisable) the starship Event Horizon is lost and in need of help. Only until another crew arrive to investigate (absolutely never advisable) do we realise that the ship is actually orbiting hell and all the crewmates have died gruesomely. Basically a slasher film with wormholes, it definitely deserves its cult classic status.

Photo: MGM

Photo: StudioCanal

for a gripping and stunning adaption.

Visually, Macbeth would make for a fantastic silent film. The haunting and tragic performances by both Fassbender and Cotillard are complimented by the hopeless settings of baron castles and impervious mists, allowing the narrative to be illustrated through sheer emotion alone. A particular scene of note, would be the early battle scene—which sees Macbeth and his army obliterate a rival clan. A marriage of colour filtering, paced slow-motion and a fluctuation of war cries to silence makes for an intense and hallucinatory watch.

Fassbender adds another stellar performance to his repertoire with his portrayal of the eponymous warrior.

A mentally sick man who continues to drop into further darkness throughout the duration of the screening is mastered effortlessly. His performance stands him in good stead for his highly anticipated portrayal of Steve Jobs. Fassbender’s screen counterpart, Marion

Cotillard mirrors his intensity, opening with the deaths of Macbeth’s (newly invented) children create a psychological element to Lady Macbeth’s character.

Twisted with grief, Cotillard’s character is wounded and cruel. The use of baron interior and illusions to breastfeeding echoes the question of the couple’s childlessness and in doing so Kurzel allows spectators to question whether this is where the murderous ambition stems from. With a support cast featuring David Thewlis, Jack Reynor and Sean Harris, you can tell this isn’t going to let you down.

Deemed by some as “Shakespeare’s spookiest drama as a realist trip into PTSD,” Kurzel’s Macbeth is at the same time a brutal and hallucinogenic portrayal of one of Shakespeare’s most bloody works.

1) 2001: A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick’s epic masterpiece is about a mission to Jupiter that is scuppered by a creepy computer called HAL. He decides to take over and lock out the two space pilots, killing one of them by cutting his oxygen pipe. Credit to where it’s due, he can sing. If you ask Siri about the plot of this film, it will snidely inform you that smart-arsed HAL works hard against two saps that “get in the way and mess it all up.” Siri is HAL’s cute-voiced descendent and I don’t like either of them.

Ashley McGovern Arts Editor

Books

20

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editor’s Picks

Short story: Return to Rafah

Featured prose: Joely Thomas writes a moving short story set in the southern Gaza strip Finally, it seemed, the end had come.

Or, rather, the dark crimson dye that had stained their lives had gradually run to leave a murky fuchsia in its wake. The crushed remains of oncebelieved-in hope lay remnant like the piles of stone that now littered streets, once parts of faithfully-built, if unstable, homes. Funerals were once again held for individuals but the grief left behind remained collective. A different leader and new factions, empty words and false promises signalled steps back for many but others philosophised that at least the rhythm of the dance had changed.

Familial ties had been pulled and twisted, their resilience stretched to a point at which many, though unbroken, now sagged; and it was within such a loosely-fitting household that Salwa now sat, listening to plans to make the nowpossible journey to visit the family in Gaza, with neither excitement nor anxiety but, at most, a mild curiosity.

It would be interesting, after all, to see if Reema’s black curls now drooped as Shayma’s did, to see if hers and Ahmad’s bellies had shrunk along with the economy or if they in fact protruded further, casualties of diets reliant on supplies of flour and

sugar. She would be keen to see if Mahmoud, their eldest, who shared his age with Omar, carried the absent look that her brother so often now did, to see if the family still built their days around jokes and laughter or rather dragged them through an endless anguish, and to see too if the brown door still hung steadily from its hinge or if it now stooped sadly, as did theirs. And, she supposed, she would also be interested to see Mohanned. She wondered if her cousin, now 18 years of age, embodied the beginnings of adulthood or still clung to the remnants of childhood, if his broad shoulders had continued to develop into a short but sturdy frame or if the rest of his body had caught up so that a lean figure now stood in his place. She wondered, too, if he would remember her, or if she had merely been a leaf on the orange tree of their childhood that had blown away with the coming of the storm.

Her father was proposing that they left the following weekend but the proposition was more of an announcement. In the past, he would have asked Shayma what she thought and normally would have been swayed by her opinion but he no longer bothered to ask and Salwa sensed that, having forgotten the old

rhythms of life, he was now trying to play along as best he could. New notes had been added in the place of lost old ones, in the hope that no-one would notice. And even if her mother noticed, she would never have said so.

Her joy at his return had so far meant that she was happy to allow him to take control, as those grandchildren whose visits are seldom are typically spoiled more than those who visit frequently. And behind everything, behind the pretence that life had returned to normal, lay Shayma’s self-constructed shame at having not fulfilled the most primary of her traditional maternal roles in Ahmad’s absence. It was not therefore that Ahmad did not value her opinions but that she no longer valued her own.

Omar’s self-resentment was less transparent. Hidden behind layers of blunted emotions, one could also have attributed his lack of selfexpression to a simmering anger or a low discontentment, but Salwa, who believed herself to be more in tune than most with her brother’s feelings, sensed that a silent guilt continued to plague him.

It was in this atmosphere that they made the journey to Gaza. There was too much room in the car for the four

of them and they felt it. The drive passed without event, as if even the soldiers had tired of them and their lives, and Salwa wished she still had Majed to pull in towards her, to place an arm around for protection; but their empty protection had not been enough.

The difference was immediately noticeable. Entering through the outskirts of Rafah, parts appeared as though an earthquake had hit. Some buildings with stronger structures remained as empty skeletons amidst the wreckage, whilst those that had been lucky enough to escape teetered on the edge, awkwardly standing by the fallen. It was like Jenin camp, only magnified. In fact, so unrecognisable to Salwa were the roads leading up to the house, that it was only once they were directly outside and at the metal door, with flakes of brown paint still determinedly hanging on, that she realised they had arrived.

The family had aged. Yet it was more than the physical ageing that could have been expected to have occurred within the five years since they had last met. Their expressions drooped and their bodies slouched, as though physically weighed down by grief; their faces bore the scars of fallen

Feature

Manchester Creative Writing Society Find out what’s new with Manchester Creative Writing Society and how you can get involved It’s a new academic year and Manchester Creative Society is back and as fresh as its ever been. It’s a fantastic opportunity to get feedback on your work and find people who have similar interests to you. Roma Havers, the Chair of this year’s society, explains why this year the society is better than ever:

Photo: Muneera Lula

“This year Manchester Creative Writing Society aims to connect writers together from across the University. Whether you enjoy writing poetry, short stories, novels, plays, screenplays or even just enjoy hearing and reading other people’s work; there will be something this year that will of interest for you.

We run weekly events, whether they are socials, workshops where you can share your work, take part in writing challenges and improve your form and style.

“Additionally, we get involved with spoken word events across the city and are running our first Creative Writing Society Spoken Word Event this November. This semester we are running extra sessions for those wishing to take part in NaNoWriMo, an international event where writers attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in a month.

These sessions will aim to support those taking part and encourage them to continue.

“This year we hope to use our connections with other societies to run intersociety events, such as the Drama Society, Film-making Society, Ravel and the History Society. We want to get people together in a space where you feel comfortable sharing your writing and continuing to write, feeling inspired and supported. If you are interested please join our society on the student union website and join our page on Facebook ‘Manchester Creative Writing Society 2015.”

The society now boasts its own blog which is currently taking submissions. https:// manchesterwritingbees.wordpress.com/.

Please email cwsblogsubmissions@gmail.com with anything you’d like to be shared on the blog.

You can contact Roma with any queries at roma. havers@student.manchester.ac.uk.

Photo: rafahkid @Flickr

tears; but what shook her the most was Mohanned’s gaze, how it scanned her as though unrecognisable, how it told her that the Intifada lay etched upon them too. As his eyes lingered upon her, and as their gazes finally reconnected, she feared that she had become unknown to him; that it was not the passing of time that mattered but the horror of moments they had both seen but not shared that now stood between them. And were it not for his subsequent approach, the hand, surprisingly firm, that tightened around hers, as he leaned in to kiss her on each cheek, telling her that he was now hers, she would have dropped her defeated gaze and accepted, as simply as that, that things had changed. But before he backed away, she realised that events, in fact, did not stand between them but rather entwined them, forcing them together in spite of themselves.

For before they had even had time to properly understand one another, they had held in their minds their own image of the other for whom they had longed and grieved for so long, that the reality now incarnated the imagined.

STUDENT ELECTIONS

VOTE 9-15 October 3pm

Vote easily on Mymanchester www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/elections

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Food & Drink

22

The Coffee How to “manger comme les Français” Column How to eat like the French: Feature

Eva ‘Bon Vivant’ Katz discusses the benefits of the French attitude to eating With their notorious appreciation of good food and apparent admiration for garlic, the French have always left me in wonder of how they manage to maintain such fine physiques with an excess of beautiful gastronomy.

In order to find out (amongst other reasons) I travelled to France. Over the course of my year on the continent, I observed many secrets firsthand and developed an appreciation of the finer – and unfortunately more expensive – delicacies, too.

Firstly, every meal in France is a show. Eating in front of the telly or beside a computer is unheard of, even for students.

Food is there to be enjoyed; to say that the French “live to eat” rather than “eat to live” is an understatement.

Mealtimes are a leisurely affair.

The rushed and slightly disappoint-

ing sandwiches that plague Britain’s lunch boxes are replaced by a sitdown meal among friends, with wine, laughter, and plenty of bread. Most professionals are given the minimum of a full hour for lunch, hence why shopping around “midi” (midday) is a rather unsuccessful activity.

Secondly, the French just know when to stop. My friend’s French mother has always preached “l’art de degustation”. Although there is no direct translation, the phrase essentially means that one should savour every mouthful. The idea of ‘too much of a good thing’ is also ingrained into the psyche of les Francais.

It was the lack of this mindset that resulted in me unintentionally gaining a little more than a fondness for freshly baked croissants during my time abroad. Portion control is key and often an aromatic espresso ac-

companied by a single square of dark chocolate can fill the same hole as a pain au chocolat and hot chocolate.

Last but not least, the Holy Grail of the French’s formidable secret is only eating the crème de la crème. So many of us have resorted to eating that burnt dinner through sheer laziness and scoffing that less-than-average take away because it was just easier than cooking something healthier.

The French, however, would be horrified at the thought.

One does not buy macaroons from just anywhere, after all! If you’re going to splurge out, it makes sense to spend a little more time and money for a truly heavenly mouthful rather than something “assez bon”.

It’s safe to say that their attitude to food is an enviable one, and one that many of us Britons could most certainly learn from.

Andrew Wells Contributor

Here at The Mancunion Food & Drink, we’re continuing our revolution against ubiquitous commercial coffee brands, to help independent and passionate retailers to thrive in the caffeine-fuelled world of café consumerism.

TAKK

Photo: Carwyn LLoyd Jones@Flickr

It’s a pitta: Lucy Brenner reviews Fallowfield’s latest Mediterranean venture, Tzatziki’s

Photo: The Mancunion Photo: The Mancunion

I absolutely love Greek food, so when I heard that Tzatziki’s Greek Deli and Take Away had opened in the heart of Fallowfield, just five minutes from my house, I could not contain my excitement. There was definitely a gap in the Fallowfield food scene for some wholesome healthy food to steal the limelight from Kebab King.

However, after my Greek-themed date night my excitement quickly subsided.

Tzatziki’s is a familyrun business on Wilmslow Road that has a simple menu of authentic Greek cuisine. From mezze platters to moussaka, the menu encapsulated everything that a traditional Greek deli should have.

My boyfriend and I ordered our takeaway and it arrived just thirty minutes later. The meal came to eleven pounds, which was decently priced for the amount that we ordered. I ordered the souvlaki chicken, which consisted of marinated chicken with tomatoes and onions, chips and tza-

tziki, which is a Greek side dish of yogurt with cucumber, garlic and mint.

In my opinion this was a pretty safe option that the menu had on offer and therefore the dish was satisfactory as expected.

The chicken flavours were rather bland and this was perhaps due to the lack of specification as to what the chicken was marinated in… perhaps nothing at all. The chips that came as a side portion were flavorsome and it is with regret that I did not order just a large portion of them for myself.

My boyfriend ordered the moussaka, which was served with Greek salad and pita bread. He opened the box and pulled a face of disgust. It looked incredibly unappetising. Under the top soggy layer of cheese was some aubergine and lamb, which if you closed your mouth and tasted it was,

at best, alright.

The salad consisted of a few sparse pieces of lettuce, tomatoes, and two olives, so I am not sure why they thought it was appropriate to put the word ‘Greek’ in front of it. I could have pulled together something much better myself so this really felt like a waste of my money. The salad also lacked any dressing, which did not help, as it was already very boring and could have done with the extra kick.

Overall, I was unimpressed with Tzatziki’s takeaway and I will not be ordering from there again.

Tzatziki's 325 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, M14 6NW (Free delivery)

VIP launch

Banyan Bar & Kitchen

Lucy Brenner & Katie Green check out the lastest addition to the Corn Exchange Arc Inspirations have delivered a successful range of trendy restaurants situated throughout the UK, so when the opportunity came to try the new Banyan Bar and Kitchen, we jumped at the chance. The new restaurant is situated in the heart of Manchester and adds to the collection of eateries found within the historic Grade II listed building known as the Corn Exchange.

We attended their launch night on Thursday 1st October for a taster of what the trendy new hangout had on offer, and we were not disappointed. From first glance, the new restaurant is inviting and enticing, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and impressive outdoor terrace.

The inside lives up to the expectations set by its exterior: The bar is a sleek area against the backdrop of the bustling city, and its ambience creates an intimate feel through lowlevel lighting.

For a more formal setting, the dining area is

tucked away up some stairs, with an impressive open kitchen. Downstairs there are two private dining rooms, The Root and The Well, which can be hired out for parties and functions.

On arrival we were greeted with cocktails, which came from the menu of amazing creations. We were lucky enough to sample the Pea and Mint Bellini, which ingredients included dry Prosecco layered on top of their homemade sugar snap pea syrup, mint and St Germain elderflower liqueur. This drink is vibrant, refreshing and the perfect way to begin a cool evening. The Pea and Mint Bellini turned out to be one of the best cocktails we tasted from the menu and in fact one of the best we have ever had. Charged at the reasonable price of £6.95, it is a definite must if you are heading here for drinks.

Adding to the cocktails that we also sampled were the Raspberry Cooler, a Blueberry and Raspberry Sour, and an Espresso Martini. All of the cocktails and drinks were priced fairly enough to not make a huge dent in your student loan, making Banyan Bar and Kitchen the perfect place for a chilled and easy night out.

After the cocktails exceeded our expectations, we were looking forward to trying the food that Banyan Bar and Kitchen had to offer. We tasted a small selection of nibbles that the bar produces and the only thing that we were let down by was the fact that we were unable to sample more. We managed to try a mouthful of their Teriyaki Salmon, which was a taste of heaven and melted in our mouths.

We also sampled a bite-size portion of their Crispy Cajun Chicken Burger, which was soft and succulent.

However, without a doubt our taster of the Tempura King Prawns stole the show. They

were buttery, soft and cooked to perfection.

The selection that we were able to try has definitely left us wanting more so we will be heading back for a second round in order to gain a wider taste of the menu.

Banyan Bar and Kitchen is the perfect place for anyone looking for delicious food and creative cocktails. We were extremely impressed by the appearance of the bar, the food and drink and the attentive staff. We have been left wanting more and will be booking our next table as soon as possible. Watch this space for a second review of this fabulous new bar and kitchen!

Banyan, Manchester Exchange Square Manchester M4 3TR

Walk anywhere in Manchester and you’re probably going to stumble across a corporate coffee chain that steals away your bucks for coffee that costs a bomb.

On Tariff Street, Takk (meaning ‘thanks’ in Icelandic) is tucked away in a corner of the Northern Quarter behind Piccadilly Gardens, so you’re unlikely to simply stumble across it. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Takk provides you with a bit of respite from the noise of cars and crowds of rushing shoppers and business people.

Inside, you’re greeted with neo-industrial, up-cycled décor with natural, bright and softened finishes, an extract of Scandinavia taken out of Reykjavik and carefully placed in the NQ: exactly the place’s intention. Inspired by his travels around Scandinavia, the owner wanted to see an Icelandic-esque coffee house in Manchester spurred by his love of the atmosphere and culture.

The coffee house is open and furnished with former school tables and chairs. Bare brick, wood, books and artwork take the place of tiresome magnolia paint and mass-produced pictures of Italy that dominate the standard coffee house.

Takk is the perfect home for any student: not only does it give the essay-laden space to think, but also provides free wi-fi that, refreshingly, requires no handing over of personal information. The service is excellent and friendly. After ordering, you sit down Get on with whatever you’re doing and wait for the staff to bring your coffee over once it’s brewed.

To elaborate on the coffee, Takk serves its own personal Nordic-style house blend roasted by Clifton Coffee in Bristol. It’s a coffee you’ll find nowhere in the UK, absolutely unique - like the coffee house itself.

Removing that bitter taste, it gives a smoky flavour that has retained the taste of the raw coffee bean.

Other than the house coffee, Takk strives to serve the finest varieties of coffee that Europe has to offer with guest coffees on rotation. Currently, the coffee lover will enjoy the pure taste of The Barn from Berlin.

Fancy a cold brew? They’ve got that too. They also serve organic food with the most mouth-watering flavours and baked classics with a twist.

Even if you don’t like coffee, there’s something for everyone with a variety of teas and soft drinks. As students, you may be uneasy about the price element, and in fairness, some of the food on offer might be pushing your budget. But the excellent coffee, beverages, delicious snacks and great atmosphere all comes in at reasonable priced for the cash-strapped, and is absolutely worth every penny.

Takk is a unique coffee house in a unique part of a unique city. So if you can’t afford a holiday, head to Takk for little bit of Scandinavia in the Northern Quarter.

TAKE-AWAY FOOD CAKE OTHER DRINKS

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

6 Tariff St, Manchester M1 2FF

The Mancunion: Food and Drink @MancunionFood Photo: The Mancunion

food@mancunion.com

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM Feature

When does fried chicken become fowl play?

Helena Maxwell-Jackson weighs the pros and cons of fried chicken, where it comes from, and if it is affordable to be ethical

Chicken is the UK’s favorite meat. Yet, all too often, we do not give these birds the respect that they deserve. We cram these egg-layers into tiny cages, then kill them, crumb them and stuff them into buckets as fried chicken.

Some of us may have childhood memories that involve visiting the countryside and seeing hens strutting around small-holdings, their red combs bobbing. We might also remember how, as teenagers, we sat shivering in city centre parks with cans of cheap beer; how we picked at hot, greasy, and suspiciously sweet pieces of breaded chicken.

Something that I always find strange is that I, while feeling nostalgic about the latter, always try to cast the former from my mind. Nobody wants to think that the creature that they stroked at the petting zoo will one day, in the future, be the same deep fried chicken at Chicken Cottage.

I remember staying at my friend’s new home in the Suffolk countryside. I met her chickens and was taught how to pick one up, although it flapped its wings when I tried. All her hens had endearing names liked Fluffy, Feathers, and Pebbles. In the morning, we ate the most delicious, nut-brown eggs which had been collected from their coop. The yolks were a deep ochre, and I had never tasted eggs like that before.

Despite caring deeply about her hens, my friend was not a vegetarian. Her mother was a fantastic cook and I was lucky enough to enjoy her signature roast chicken where I found that all the ingredients were conscientiously prepared and lovingly cooked.

Photo: The Mancunion

My friend’s family understood their chickens.

They knew that they all had distinct personalities, and they wanted to treat them well. However, they also recognised that these were farmyard animals; they had been reared to provide food.

They weren’t pets but livestock who still deserved some respect.

For me, respecting the animals we consume is crucial. Yet this approach is often lacking. The organisation Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) states that in broiler sheds there is often no natural light, insufficient ventilation and overcrowding. Stressed and often injured, millions of chickens suffer from heart failure annually in the UK alone. Those who do live long enough to be taken to slaughter, often die before they arrive at the abattoir due to unacceptable, yet somehow legally permissible, transportation methods.

Despite the cruelty that can exist in animal agriculture, I am not one to vilify farmers, many of whom have a great regard for the environment and the creatures they work with. However, the way that chickens are often treated in intensive farming is inexcusable, and enough to make anybody think twice about consuming meat.

Chickens should be treated with dignity. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we should abstain from eating them. Organic and free range meat may well be the answer. CIWF claims that standard free range chickens have continual access to outside space, allowing them to express their intrinsic behavior. Free range and organic meat is pricey, but perhaps it more truthfully re-

More Chicken

flects the value of the life that we have taken.

Between 1900 and 1973 we had lost 26 native breeds of farm animal. According to the Rare Breed Survival Trust, 39 breeds of chicken are at risk of being lost for good. The organisation Slow Food suggests that one way to save these animals from extinction is to buy their meat—supporting the farmers who breed them. By eating the meat of rarer breeds, we can make the keeping of them financially viable!

Of course, living in Greater Manchester, it is difficult to know where one could even buy these organic and heritage breeds. Even if we do know, a student loan can only cover so much, buying expensive meats can seem so incredibly thriftless. In a city where so many people struggle to eat at all, eschewing meat that is not up to one’s particular moral stance can seem rather sanctimonious, too.

Perhaps then, we should eat chicken only on occasion, taking the time to cook the best quality meat we can afford. Or maybe, we should not eat chicken at all and just admire them as the beautiful and inquisitive animals that they are. And perhaps we should research the egg industry, because from what I’ve heard, it is not all sunshine, rainbows and unicorns either.

We can only do what we can do. And to say the least, we can take the time to think about what kind of chicken farming we really feel comfortable supporting—if there is any.

Feature

Crumbs! Yard and Coop certainly know how to keep abreast of the competition

Chewing it over Henry Scanlan, chewing gum connoisseur, divulges everything one might need to know about the best gum around

Photo: thedaisychick@Flickr Photo: The Mancunion

Helena Maxwell-Jackson Deputy Food Editor In the Northern Quarter, (the 'arts hub' of Manchester), tucked behind rows of artisan coffee shops and jewellers, two friends are making a craft out of something more unexpected: fried chicken.

Situated on Edge Street, just a short hop from the Manchester Craft Centre, is Manchester’s first speciality fried chicken restaurant. Yard and Coop is a quirkyyet-modern, minimal-yet-imaginative, new restaurant.

Diners can sit in wooden huts, while caged lights illuminate the stripped concrete floor, their rays fluttering down through the copper bars.

Yard and Coop is the kind of place where even the plastic chairs have a story—they were originallyused in a church down south; the kind of place where diners eat at tables made by the

co-owner’s father.

The menu is simple, offering a host of filled baskets. Salads, wraps, and burgers; all with a choice of deep fried chicken breast, chicken thigh or halloumi.

Each comes with options of the spiced honey dip, a bourbon BBQ relish, or Blue Cheese sauce.

We chose a chicken breast with a Moroccan-spiced crumb, accompanied by bourbon bbq sauce; we also selected the original crumbed chicken thigh in the Bees Knees Sauce. Although perhaps too sweet for some palates, this was a stand-out sauce, uniquely comprising cayenne pepper, honey and lime.

When our buttermilk chicken arrived – resting on a bed of wellseasoned chips – it was so tender that, underneath the deep sienna-brown crumb, it had relaxed into strands of deep fried ambrosia.

We were told that the secret to succulent chicken was to take

good care of the fillets before crumbing them. Our chicken fillets had been well-pampered indeed. The Cleopatras of the chicken world, they had been given a salt scrub before being left to soak in a buttermilk bath.

On emerging, they were plump and juicy and, of course, the perfect pair for a Caesar, whether that be the Yard and Coop salad or a Roman Emperor.

Fried chicken is one thing, but fried chicken with a side of battered, salty jalapeños and a couple of pints of Yard Pilsner and Coop Wheat Beer is another entirely. The jalapeños were just the right side of greasy, and as pungent and sweet as a jalapeño should be. Of their draught beers, the Coop Wheat Beer was the real winner; its fruity, tangy liquid really cut through the richness of the fried chicken.

To finish, we indulged in a warm Bailey’s-flavoured brownie topped with vanilla ice cream.

The Bailey's brownie was standard comfort food. It was perfectly warmed, indeed, it was practically molten. However, it was hard to identify the Bailey's in the brownie. Luckily with Yard and Coop's extensive range of beers and cocktails, no guest will be left craving alcohol.

This restaurant has successfully revamped fried chicken to posh nosh level. And if, as students, we have become all-toofamiliar with takeout chicken in Styrofoam boxes, well, Yard and Coop is here to provide us with an alternative.

The combination of homebrewed beer and gourmet-esque chicken is really not to be missed.

And thanks to Yard and Coop’s ‘Big Student C(H)ook Off’ on October 14th, you can enjoy their buttermilk chicken for free.

37 Edge St, Manchester, M4 1HW

1. Trident.

A loose, perky chewing gum, perfect for easing the jaw into action.

The 2012 ‘Cinnamon’ batch has a rough viscosity, making for excellent mastication. The 2013 ‘Splashing Fruit’ incarnation, meanwhile, makes for a light, summery chewing gum.

2. Wrigley’s Spearmint.

A full-bodied chewing gum. Recommended for adding to a tired ball of Trident for a sharp injection of reinvigorating spearmint. Suitable with red meat.

3. Fisherman’s friend.

A fabulous vintage chewing gum with a thick, minty accent. A dry, taut chew. Additionally useful as a rugged throat lozenge for the throes of winter. Serve chilled for best results.

4. Juicy Fruit.

Gentler on the mandibles than the more robust chewing gum brands such as Wrigley’s or Extra. Dry and un-oaked, with a fragrant character, though the overbearing fruitiness may be a little crass for more refined tastes.

5. The inside cheek.

There are times—in which one loses all sense of time, place, and chewing gum—when one must simply chew something. The inside of one’s own face might just be the most delicious, the meatiest and the chewiest of the lot!

Arts

10

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Last chance to see...

Dismaland and the Jackson decline of the museum Pollock: Blind Spots

Banksy’s recent show took us out of the gallery and into the theme park, says Arts Editor Ashley McGovern On August the 27th 2015, Banksy opened his latest show in Weston-Super-Mare, a place not usually considered a thriving art capital. Dismaland, dubbed a “bemusement park,” was built over a closed attraction, the Tropicana, once Europe’s largest outdoor swimming pool but now sadly deserted. Everything inside was curated to shock and repel visitors. Tasteless art, tacky stands and not a pleasant museum souvenir shop in sight.

It was originally planned as a rip-off of the trashy Christmas grottos that come out every December; those wonderlands where Santa’s lap moves at the

thought of naughty lists, where the presents are crap and Rudolph’s eponymous red-nose is just allergic rhinitis. By tearing down any pretence, Dismaland insulted the child-like wonder we are supposed to have when entering any grand old gallery or museum.

However, despite criticising museum culture, Banksy proved an effective curator of other artist’s work. In true fun fair style, there was plenty to see. To list just a few grim offerings: Julie Burchill’s re-write of Punch and Judy to include the Jimmy Savile scandal; a former Northern Island riot vehi-

Photos: Hannah Brierley @Flickr

Arts degree English degree

History degree

Your degree is just the start

Our training & development programmes are designed to help you learn the most from an outstanding variety of work

Geography degree

Science degree

Jackson Pollock is best known for his all-over spattering technique of the late 1940’s. Armed with dried brushes, some sticks and a turkey baster, he skimmed paint across the canvas to the frantic rhythms of his unconcious mind. The reason we know all this about his private artistic process is because he was filmed darting round the borders of his large unprimed canvases, laid out like messy prayer mats on the floor, by Hans Namuth in 1951.

Namuth’s tapes are the art world’s equivalent of the Zapruder tape: a much studied short film of ambiguously spilled fluids. However, Pollock hated being filmed and sadly there is no footage of him working on his darker late works.

The works collected in Tate Liverpool’s Blind Spots exhibition avoid his classic period and instead gather 19 paintings, from an original set of 50, that were all made between 1951-53. The core series are all black with some unusual figurative elements that seem to gasp beneath the thickly applied industrial paint.

Why such a definite switch from his highly acclaimed misty colours to a two-year period of pure

black? Well, firstly, he was not the only New York painter at the time to place a black veil over his works. Most likely inspired by a show of European black and white paintings at the Samuel Kootz Gallery, other artists, like Pollock’s friend and fellow abstractionist Willem de Kooning and younger upstarts like Jasper Johns, had also turned to black and white. Two monochrome works by them are also on display.

His style is unique, however, and he uses the inky enamel paint like a draughstman quickly scribbling down a strange vision. One of the truly original moments in this exhibition is the display of Pollock’s graphic works. A small room consists entirely of his energetic drawings on Japanese paper.

Whether these works illustrate Pollock’s desire to re-establish drawing in the New York abstract scene, or to depict a funereal series of grieving half-figures; or whether they are just the late drips of a haggard drunk who couldn’t bridge the skills of flinging and painting, they’re definitely worth the train to Liverpool.

cle with a slide attached; book burnings of Jeffrey Archer’s works; and, the one that cause a bit of a stir, his own sculpture of Cinderella’s upturned pumpkin carriage surrounded by insensitive paparazzi.

Guess who that’s supposed to echo. All in all, this misadventure land proved to be a big hit and made around £20 million for the local economy.

Just like Walt Disney’s apprentice magician, Mickey Mouse, in Fantasia (1940), museums conjure up big blockbuster shows for us all year round. MoMA once organised a show called “Outside the Museum,” which rounded together a few notable 1970’s conceptual pieces, like Gordon Matta Clark’s Bingo (a cut-out section of a living room wall). Although very interesting, the outdoorsy exhibits were once more dragged back into the gallery and tarted up with curatorial finesse. Banksy, or Wilt Dismal as he comes across here, refuses to let anyone settle down for a nice stroll through art history. Even his

career has been a sort of parody. From street-smart hoodlum with graffiti spray cans to entrepreneur of new type of art show, he has remained an elusive personality. Still considered an enfant terrible, it was probably this reputation the late critic Brian Sewell had in mind when he suggested that the talentless Banksy should have be killed at birth.

There’s an idea for a sculpture.

Now closed, the whole park is being dismantled and the parts will be sent to build shelters in Calais’ refugee camps. In keeping with the times, some artists may have been tempted to continue expanding their grim empire in the style of Tesco’s greedy monopoly, or the ‘free school’ chains so beloved by the Tories. As much as this enterprise would be fun to watch - an Epcot-death built in Florida, Gullible’s World in Warrington, a Sharon Tate gallery popping up in London - he has wiped this slate clean. It will be interesting to see where he goes next.

The experience stays with you Work in: Actuarial Assurance Consulting Deals PwC Legal Tax Technology

We welcome all degree subjects at PwC. In fact last year, almost half our graduate recruits had degrees in arts & humanities, science, law or social sciences.

Surprised? Don’t be. We see your degree as just the start. The foundation to providing help to take your career in all sorts of directions – from accounting to consulting and tax to technology. You need to be passionate about business and we’ll provide an environment where you can learn, grow and excel in your career.

Join PwC – we’re focused on helping you reach your full potential.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime pwc.com/uk/careers

/pwccareersuk @pwc_uk_careers © 2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

Create value through diversity. Be yourself, be different.

Theatre 25

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

Feature

Review: HOME’s Golem Review: The Importance of Being Earnest

Lucy Bailey’s new interpretation of Oscar Wilde’s classic ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ comes to the Lowry Joel Culver Reviewer

Golem Photo: Press Shot

Rob Paterson Music Editor As I exited the theatre, it was hard to tell if I had actually left the absurd world of ‘Golem’; the scene that met my eyes was one that could be replicated in any given room in 2015. It was a wash of identical glass rectangles attached firmly to human thumbs and glazedover stares. This snapshot of how we live now could have been lifted straight from a satirical cartoon, and was exactly the kind of image that pioneering company 1927 had sliced up, warped and smudged into the terrifying collage of consumerism that I had just watched.

Golem is far cleverer and more appealing than metaphors hastily thrown together by a pretentious journalist. Directed

by Suzanne Andrade, ‘Golem’ is one of the most visually and theatrically stunning pieces I’ve seen in a while. Performed by 5 multi-rolling actors against a giant projection screen, the characters interacted with, and integrated into, a multitude of fantastical environments. From

actors walking on the spot and having the street unfurl ahead of them, to Annie Hall-style subtextual subtitles appearing above characters’ heads as they speak, there’s barely a moment without surprise and ingenuity.

The projected animation itself is far from instrumental to party tricks, but serves an integral role in their meticulously-thoughtout aesthetic. It features cutouts of 1920s style photographs, which hark back to the golden age of consumerism. This is compounded by a jazzy soundtrack and noir style spotlights erasing backdrops.

Most of these backdrops are cartoons, with which the actors meld seamlessly due to their nuanced performances, where every movement is stuttered and exaggerated. After 20 minutes in I had forgotten that the screen and the actors were separate.

Despite 1927’s relentless intelligence (in one scene a bathroom attendant is reading Sartre for Christ’s sake), their sense of humour is decidedly crass.

One particularly outrageous moment came when one of the actors stuck

their face through a hole in the screen to have the body of an overweight stripper projected on to them, which proceeded to perform ridiculous contortions.

In many ways, I was reminded of the last play I saw at HOME; Kneehigh’s Dead Dog in A Suitcase. It too was crass, stylish and visually stunning, but ‘Golem’ triumphs in a way that many plays of this nature fall flat. Where many of the scenes in ‘Dead Dog’ did little more than dazzle and delight the audience, ‘Golem’ avoids becoming a circus and puts story and message first. This is not to say it comes across as preachy; the parallels drawn to modern life are subtle, but expansive. It’s the kind of theatre that sticks with you, Overall, an impressive case of high concept and ambitious direction coming together to their full potential.

Film animator and designer Paul Barritt’s creation, the comedic tone, and the 90-minute run time make big ideas easy to swallow.

One of the big issues that seems to face many theatre companies at the present is the desire to keep old classics fresh, and to present them in a novel way. The Lowry’s current production of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ is a decent attempt at this.

This production seeks a departure from the somewhat clichéd performances by introducing the play in illusory dress rehearsal. This enables the genius of the comedic content written by Oscar Wilde to be enjoyed along with the actors, as they argue over end-of-act winks and other issues.

I did not feel that the added material was of sufficient quality to render the experience better overall. While there was originality, I felt that the changes left me less able to immerse myself within the world of the play.

The story focuses on two friends, Jack Worthing (Martin Jarvis), and Algernon Moncrief (Nigel Havers), who both use an invented character in order to escape from their respective spheres and social responsibilities. For countrydweller Jack, his wicked (and fallacious) brother, Ernest, provides regular excuses to jolly off into the city. Jack’s

engagement to Gwendolen is not acceptable to her mother, the ‘gorgon’ Lady Bracknell (Sian Phillips), because Jack is a foundling. The engagement will remain unacceptable unless he can “‘produce at any rate one parent, of either sex, before the season is quite over,’.

The ‘play within a play’ aspect was thoughtfully done, and the concept of watching a rehearsal of an amateur production was quite convincing. The stage design, in particular, enforced this concept, because the room did not change in between acts, but rather the furniture was moved around. This initially came as a disappointment, but I warmed to it since it is firmly grounded in the context of this modified version.

Additionally, the use of the older actors to play these young characters worked well. When Jarvis declared—in an almost mocking way—that his character was 29 years of age, the house erupted with laughter.

The production was, however, a little too serious for what is clearly supposed to be a mockery of the attitudes of the aristocracy of Wilde’s time. Many of the lines were not delivered to their maximum comical effect.

The lack of affirming comedy was perhaps due to below-par performances in some places, and partly due, perhaps, to the calibre of the actors being over-stated.

Nigel Harris. Photo: Press Shot

Lucy Bailey’s new interpretation of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ continues to tour the UK until the end of November, with added dates to be announced soon.

Competition

‘Golem’ runs at HOME until Saturday the 17th of October.

Editors’ Picks

Monday Mack & Mabel - Opera House 7:30OPM Golem - HOME 7:30PM Tuesday Mack & Mabel - Opera House 7:30PM Golem - HOME 7:30PM Dynamo - Apollo 8PM Wednesday Mack & Mabel - Opera House 7:30PM Golem - HOME 7:30PM PME-ART: The DJ who gave too much information (Hospitality 5) - Contact 7:30PM

Thursday Ghost Opera - Lowry Theatre 8PM Golem - HOME 7:30PM Contact, The Roundhouse and BBC Radio 1 Xtra Present: Words First - Contact 7:30PM The Women in Comedy Festival Launch Night, - Frog and Bucket 7PM Dynamo - Apollo 8PM Friday Mack & Mabel OH The Green Old Conspiracy Lowry Theatre Kevin Bridges - Apollo Susan Calman - The Kings Arms

Theatre 9:30PM Amy Vreeke - It Takes Guts The Castle 8:15PM Dynamo - Apollo 8PM Saturday Kevin Bridges - Apollo 7PM Mack & Mabel - Opera House 7:30PM Monologueslam UK: Auditions Contact 12:30-3:30PM Tiffany Stevenson - Solo Show Nexus 10PM Dynamo - Apollo 8PM The Hogwallops - Lowry Theatre 2:30 & 7PM Electric Dreams - Lowry Theatre 8PM

Slamboree Halloween Extravaganza Photo: Press Shot

few picks throughout the What’s on this week? Aweek in Manchester

Win tickets for Slamboree Halloween Extravaganza

Photo: garryknight @Flickr

For a chance for you and three friends to win tickets for Slamboree Halloween Extravaganza simply email your name and course to: theatre@mancunion.com Entries close 1PM on the 26th of October. Winners will be notified by email by 5PM on the 26th of October. Good luck.

26

Lifestyle

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Orthorexia: the healthy eating disorder Without an end destination, being ‘fit’ can seem unattainable, and many are unaware of when to stop Sonia Mansouri Lifestyle Contributor Fitness has never been cooler. Scroll down your Instagram ‘timeline’ and you will see numerous celebrities promoting ‘teatoxes’, namely Skinny Mint and Bootea, which promise magical phenomena: from banishing bloating to curing bad skin. They are also effectively laxatives.

Switch on the TV or open any gossip weekly and you’ll find every member of reality shows past and present promoting their own fitness DVD or a workout regime that “changed their life”. After all, health is wealth, right? Yet the downfalls of a super-health-conscious lifestyle can sometimes outweigh the benefits.

In 2003, Kate Finn was reported to have died from orthorexia, a ‘modern day eating disorder’. Coined by Dr Steven Bratman, it refers to an obsession with health that can lead to mental and physical problems. While not an officially-recognised eating disorder, orthorexia highlights the unfortunately ironic idea that a fixation on eating ‘right’ can lead to bad health through over-restriction of food groups and calories, and an obsession with perfection that can lead to self-punishment and can negatively affect relationships, interests, and selfesteem.

Cutting out foods is not new. Be it vegetarians with meat, Muslims with pork, Celiacs with gluten…people have for a long time been fastidious with their food for health, political and/or religious reasons to name but a few. Orthorexia often starts out as a well-meaning attempt to get healthy, but it is the transition from cutting out one or two food groups – such as carbs – to cutting out so many that a person becomes malnourished, that makes it physically dangerous. But what fuels this fixation on perfect eating and the fear of ‘bad’ food?

That question takes us to the Internet— that endless abyss of information, inspiration and desperation. In this particular case: fitspiration, or #fitspo. The images are familiar—Victoria’s Secret models or headless, shredded bodies, oiled up and made of steel. The quotes vary—“Unless you puke, faint, or die, keep going” to “Skinny girls look good in clothes, fit girls look good naked.” Instagram’s First Lady of fitness, @jenselter, has over 7 million followers. If you haven’t heard of ‘the most famous bum on Instagram’...well, I think that title pretty much sums it up.

Known for her super-toned figure and photos of her healthy lifestyle, Selter is a poster child of both the trend in curvy athletic bodies and of how social media created and creates celebrities based on

Photo: The Mancunion

looks. Consider Serena Williams’s Instagram account, which has only 2.1m followers in comparison—perhaps it’s not legitimate athleticism and fitness that we are interested in, but pretty, filtered images of it.

You could suggest that the rise of orthorexia stems from the ascending attraction of having a super-toned body, like the media representations and celebrity aspirations in previous years of size 0 models or Kim Kardashian, just with a different body type that cannot be achieved by surgery or starvation.

But unlike them, super-fitness – and its risk of orthorexia – applies to men and women equally.

Consider marketing campaigns for

protein powders and supplements.

Aimed at men and driven by ‘gym culture’, selling aesthetic perfection under the smiling mask of good health. The products may be healthy but the messages...not so much. Perhaps comparing yourself with others can be used as a way to assess your accomplishments, but unfortunately, the marketing industry is using this to manipulate the public in a negative way. A sense of competitiveness with other people could very well contribute to that unhealthy mindset and to extreme behaviour. Without an end destination, being ‘fit’ can seem unattainable, and many are unaware of when to stop.

Orthorexia could be dismissed as a

kind of ultimate first world problem, but the fact that reported cases are on the rise, and it is being talked about more and more recently, is surely cause for concern. Regardless of whether it is an ‘official’ disorder or not. A difference with orthorexia is that its associated behaviours are socially acceptable, but the message here is certainly not that exercising, eating carefully, determination, working towards goals and looking after yourself are bad things! The obsession and the fixation on ‘perfection’ are dangerous. And these just so happen to be augmented by media and marketing in a culture where too much is never enough; that is what makes it dangerous, and we must start taking it seriously.

Careers Service: The Sound of Music A critique Anon Take a quick visit to the Tin Can (otherwise known as University Place or ‘the giant bog roll’) and you’ll find it hard to miss the University’s proud adverts, insisting that if you book an appointment with the Careers service you’ll probably walk out with a £30,000 a year salary and the keys to a company car (maybe a white Lexus?); and to be fair, if you think you’re likely to get a 2:2 in your sports management degree, they’re your people. One quick glance at your degree subject and the results of an ‘online skills test’, they’ll ascertain that, indeed, you’re destined for… you guessed it… Sports Management.

They can read you like a book.

Unfortunately, if your degree involves actually reading the odd book, you might not be so lucky. My experience of visiting the Careers service as a Humanities student is markedly different from that described above (how I yearn for sports management). I walked in armed with a laptop, my ‘online skills test’ results, and even a mind map of all the things I did and didn’t want to do for a career. “Right,” said the careers advisor, “so you don’t want to be a teacher or a journalist. How about advertising?” My heart sank. I’m no Don Draper. “How about working in Heritage?” Again, I’m not being some bloody boring museum curator. “Okay I know you said you weren’t interested in this… but how about journalism?” I gri-

mace and think about getting up and leaving right then and there.

I may as well have done.

Their insistence on journalism (“because you write essays”) has, admittedly, led me to get back into writing for the Mancunion, something I previously dismissed (after an enthusiastic spell for the Music section in first year) as ‘pointless’ if you don’t have your heart set on becoming Editor in Chief of the Times.

However, despite reminding me that even writing the odd piece for the Lifestyle section can be entertaining on a wet Thursday morning when you’re meant to be in a seminar about Erotic Poetry, it hasn’t been all that helpful – just sent me off on a tangent.

It’s at this stage that I think it’s important to point out that there are many merits to the Careers service at this University too.

They’re highly organised, have a huge amount of resources such as the skills test I mentioned above and can point you to their own version of Milkround where you’re most likely going to find a graduate scheme that suits you (unless you’re belligerent Humanities student like me). They’re also based in The Atrium, that great expanse of space in the middle of University Place, which is a haven if you’re sick of the library/Ali G and just want a quiet place to do some work in for a while. Admittedly, once they realise you’re not waiting for an appointment, they’ll kick you out, but you can probably bag a good two hours in that lovely peaceful waiting

room before that.

They also run an abundance of careers fairs and organise visits from representatives of the big names in each industry. It’s great that they’re doing this, and doing it so much, but I remember one gloomy Friday afternoon sat in a Careers talk given from an advertising representative who clearly didn’t want to be there. As much as I hope this isn’t the case for all of the events that they run, who on earth would want to essentially recite their job description to a bunch of students, before being shot down with unnecessarily aggressive and unrealistically difficult questions about their industry?

I hate to rubbish a service run by the University, because it’s stuff like this which we’re all paying (read: the government is paying) 9 grand a year for.

However, for all the plush waiting areas and internship search engines where it’s seemingly as easy as typing your degree into a box and choosing your lifelong profession from the results, the Careers service could probably be a little more personal, perhaps a bit more involved in actually helping you work out what you want to do with your life. I, along with many others in Manchester, will spend most of my University life soul searching, trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to do with a 2:1 straight outta Sam Alex, and the Careers service doesn’t seem to be able to help.

Photo: masha_k_sh @Flickr

Blasting those sick beats maybe isn’t as important as knowing when the next Magic Bus will hit you Aj Mal Lifestyle Contributor Crossing the road with headphones on is up there on the stupid list alongside running with scissors and cooking whilst drunk. All of the above are activities which are likely to end in injury or worse, yet so many of us persist in doing them. I have lost count of the number of times I have seen people blindly step out in front of traffic, oblivious to the beeping of horns, whilst humming along to their favourite tune.

Headphones are ubiquitous, whether they are giving us an inspirational beat to walk or jog to, providing a soundtrack to our day, looking trendy or just keeping our ears warm. However, removing one of our senses whilst navigating the extremely busy roads of this city can be lethal. The Royal

Society for the Prevention of Accidents reports a massive rise in incidents involving headphone wearers. These have included people being hit by cars or even trains, and a large percentage of incidents have lead to death.

To avoid accidents and harm to yourself (or even those expensive

“We suggest removing the headphones entirely and enjoying the sounds of life” new headphones), pause the music or take them off when navigating busy traffic, and take extreme care when stepping into the road.

This can be a life saver.

Studies by the University of Maryland state that in most accidents, a horn was sounded to warn the pedestrian, but headphones prevented this from being heard. In some cases this was combined with mobile phone use leading to almost complete loss of awareness of surroundings.

We suggest removing headphones entirely and enjoying the sounds of life around us. Without those obstructive beats in our ears, we can enjoy the sounds of crowds, people telling us to move, beeping horns, comments on our dress sense, and those annoying people in matching T-shirts in the city centre asking us for ‘just a minute’ of our time. There is so much to hear, so think twice the next time you venture out with headphones on.

Lifestyle 27

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Is SAD making you I want to ride my miserable? bicycle

Eva Katz Head Lifestyle Editor

Manchester’s uncharacteristically good weather may have temporarily lifted your hopes into believing that maybe Manchester isn’t the UK’s rainiest city but, trust me, the rain will come. For some people, however, the darkening skies, shorter days and colder weather will have a bigger effect than the encouragement to whip out your trusty winter coat. SAD is now a recognised depressive illness.

It is affecting many who are unfortunate enough to live in a country that is plagued by miserable weather all year round.

But at what point does a preference for the ‘sunnier’ months become a mental illness? According to SADA (the UK’s only non-commercial support organisation for SAD) symptoms for the disorder include: lethargy, poor cognitive function, increased vulnerability to winter illnesses,

sleep problems, over-eating, social problems, loss of libido and an altered mood in Springtime.

However, for those who suffer more intensely, depression and anxiety may occur, too.

But why do sunless skies and chilly temperatures affect some people in such a way? SADA says that “Light passes through the eye to the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that controls a wide range of functions.” Sounds a little complex though, right? Your hypothalamus is a section of the brain responsible for the production of copious essential hormones. These hormones control many functions, including body temperature, thirst, hunger, fatigue, sleep and libido. When this part of your brain doesn’t get its daily dose of sunshine, it may cease to work correctly.

Being the producer of so many important chemicals, this can negatively affect the mind and body of an SAD sufferer. Changes will include a spike in melatonin,

which will result in increased fatigue. Whereas, their serotonin levels (controlling mood, appetite and sleep) will plummet, resulting in feelings of depression. Their circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock) will also be affected, thus worsening the symptoms.

If all the symptoms sound a little too familiar and you’re dreading the impending winter months, you don’t need to start saving for your expatriation to the Caribbean (although that would be nice, wouldn’t it?).

There is treatment available.

Solutions include a change in lifestyle measures, light therapy, talking therapy or antidepressant medication. Diagnosis is usually made after the sufferer shows symptoms for three or more consecutive winters. But there’s no time like the present to communicate with your GP if you’re feeling blue. After all, ‘winter is coming’.

Photo: The Mancunion

Alice Williams discusses what to consider when cycling around Manchester

Anybody who happens to mention that they cycle around campus will be familiar with the common responses. Ranging from ‘oh yeah, I keep meaning to get my mum to bring my bike’, to the hyperbolic ‘aren’t you scared you’ll die on the Curry Mile??’, these responses make it very clear that, despite the rash of cyclists across Manchester, many students are simply not willing to take the risk. Across the student population in general, you tend to find that people are firmly divided into two camps. There are those who merely observe the many cyclists and might be peeved at the recent amount of roadworks for the new cycle lanes. Then there are the actual cyclists, who often get weirdly invested in their cycling habit.

Exchanges of the quickest route; horror stories from the Curry Mile; and discussions about whether their bike is a hybrid or a road bike...these palavers can ring out for hours.

When first beginning to cycle around Manchester, it can often feel like everyone else knows what they are doing in comparison to you. The very best thing to do when you first start cycling around a city is make sure that you are hyper-aware of your road safety. You’re at an advantage if you already know how to drive, or have had at least a few driving lessons. If you haven’t,

it’s probably worth brushing up on your road safety – it’s easy to do online – if only to make yourself feel more secure when you first go out. There is also a very useful function on Google Maps that allows you to find the quickest or quietest route, or even the route with the least sheer incline if you’re feeling lazy. If you’re worried about getting lost on top of making sure that you haven’t pulled out in front of the 142, you can put one headphone in and set your phone up to robotically deliver directions as you cycle along. For safety’s sake, once you get used to the route, it’s probably best to cycle completely sans-headphones.

“The best thing to keep in mind is to always be looking around you for hazards” While you’ll see many casual cyclists around Manchester without helmets, it’s not always the best idea as a novice on the roads. Likewise, it’s actually illegal to not have lights on your bike after dark; it’s worth purchasing some before you get caught out after a late lecture.

In terms of actual cycling, the

Real sex Papyrus Sexy sex Perisha Kudhail explores why sex in a lift is wrong on so many levels

Everyone warns you about how losing your virginity is going to be a pretty dire experience. But no one tells you about how sex in the shower is not as titillating as you may think. For those of you who have tried to translate ‘movie sex’ into real life, you may have found out that things aren’t always as they seem.

Sex in the shower seems like a sensual and steamy experience when you see it in the movies, but finding a sustainable position can prove to be a problem.

Not only are the physical logistics problematic, but the satisfaction (particularly for the girl) can prove a little less concentrated. The fact of the matter is, although sex in the shower seems pretty sexy, it can wash away the passion and make it difficult to continue to another location.

TIP: Try lathering up with a loofah and having a sensual shower together rather than sex. This can get you both in the mood and ready to move into the bedroom.

Sex with food (when done right) can be a delight. All the strawberries, the cream and the chocolate. Any great sex scene with food always ends with something good, but consider replication in real life: You can imagine the fun you can get up to with chocolate, but then imagine waking up in the sticky mess that you fell asleep in—feeling

vs

the shame of the calories and peeling yourself away from the covers. I can’t imagine creamy sheets smelling so good in the morning either. Food and sex initially seems awesome, but say that when you’re thinking about the mess and not the sex.

TIP: Get a pair of ‘food sheets’.

Stick them on and do what you will with your companion of naughty delights. You don’t have to worry about ruining the sheets, the purpose of them are to aid your sexual experiences.

Sex in a lift in always risky and the risk factor heightens the sex appeal. Doing it in between levels looks like fun at first glance, but think about the time. You’ll literally be in and out if you don’t want to get caught. This can’t be great for anyone, and on top of that think of all the people who have been in that lift. You’ll have no one to blame but yourself if you walk out of there with a few extra living bodies - and I don’t mean people!

TIP: If you really want the mile high experience, you could try using a lift that isn’t busy, this way you ensure less germs and more time. Also you might want to consider easily removable clothes.

We all love nature: the birds, the bees, shagging up trees. Sex on the beach, in a forest, and in the garden all draw on classic sensual movie scenes. They provide the perfect backdrop for an intense connection, but

Marina Iskander Lifestyle Contributor

when you try and do this in real life you have to find somewhere that’s relatively comfortable and bug free. Be prepared for one of your backs to never look the same again–all that rubbing on a natural surface can’t prove to be good for the general wellbeing of your body.

TIP: Maybe plan a picnic in a secluded area, this way you’ll have a blanket already with you where you can enjoy more than just sandwiches!

With the issue of mental health problems rising exponentially, schools and universities are merely reaching the verge of realizing the importance of addressing these problems.

Fortunately, there are many societies, social media pages, and websites that offer free (and anonymous) help to victims of depression, especially people contemplating suicide. PAPYRUS is an organization that not only hosts a helpline to advise those in need, but also trains professionals and gives talks at universities and colleges. PAPYRUS helps those facing the idea of suicide, but also aids the

people around the sufferer. On a larger scale, PAPYRUS also use their experience to campaign for the cause. In fact, their website quotes that they “draw from the experience of many whom have been touched personally by young suicide across the UK and speak on their behalf in our campaigns and in our endeavors to save young lives.” PAPYRUS does not just aim to directly help those contemplating suicide, but rather aims to raise awareness through the media and the Internet. Physically, they have two offices and are regularly looking for volunteers to spread their message.

The path leading up to PAPYRUS was one of personal pas-

best thing to keep in mind is to always be looking around you to check for any potential hazards. Make use of the cycle boxes at traffic lights in order to pull away quickly from left-turning vehicles, and always be aware of the speed at which you are actually capable of pulling away from junctions in line with oncoming traffic. The general rule for buses or other large vehicles is that, if you can’t see their mirrors, then they can’t see you.

Keeping your bicycle safe should also be a priority, try to lock it within well-lit areas if it’s after dark, and invest in a sturdy bike lock that you can put around both the frame and the front wheel (to avoid this being removed from the bike).

Many people make cycling around Manchester sound terrifying, but if you take care and respect other road users, it can be a great way of getting some exercise whilst also saving money.

Photo

Photo: paukrus@Flickr

sion; it was founded by a mother who lost her son to suicide, and the project expanded as more parents joined. Since 1997, they have been sharing their stories and experiences in order to help to remove the stigma around suicide and to help parents and family members of victims cope.

PAPYRUS believe that one of the main reasons the number of young suicides is rising is because of the stigma around it, which keeps people from speaking out or asking for help. And so, being an anonymous website, PAPYRUS is a great place to start—whether for yourself or for someone whom you know. Ultimately, the most basic human instinct is to survive, but sometimes we forget that our greatest enemy is ourselves.

Overheard University of Manchester ‘Do you remember when that guy came round with a samurai sword?’

– Overheard in Fallowfield

‘Apparently he’s bi, but I’m not buying it.’

– Overheard in Didsbury

‘It’s so hard not to get paralytic in Manchester’ – Overheard on a Magic Bus

‘A guy on the floor above me came down and did a shit in our kettle. No honestly, an actual shit.’

– Overheard in Big Hands

‘I personally find menstrual blood foul. It’s just a different texture isn’t it? I mean, it’s got bits in.’

– Overheard in Withington

‘I’m going to start ordering sex like fast food. Would you like a medium or an extra large?’

– Overheard in the Students’ Union

WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK MONDAY

t prize £5

£50

OFFER AVAILABLE ON ALL ITEMS MARKED WITH A V Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer

FRIDAYS

ALL PROSECCO FROM 5PM-9PM EVERY FRIDAY

SAT & SUNDAYS THE BUILD UP AND ANALYSIS

The management reserves the right to change or remove these offers at anytime without notice

IZZA & PI

£12

TCHER OR

WEEKEND LIVE SPORT ALL THE BIG MATCHES ON OUR BIG SCREENS WITH ALL

20% OFF WINE P

ALL VEGETARIAN DISHES

50% OFF

BOTTLE OF

MONDAY

b to be w

EARLY DOORS QUIZ 6-7.30PM. COVERING CURRENT AFFAIRS AND POP CULTURE

0 bar ta

on 1s

PUB QUIZ

30

Sport

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The Problem with the NFL James Lack casts an investigative eye across the pond to assess the NFL disciplinary record On Sunday, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will make his 213th appearance in the NFL against the Dallas Cowboys in Texas. Two weeks ago, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brady threw his 400th career touchdown pass to Danny Amendola to give the Patriots a 19-3 lead, and became only the 4th player in NFL history to reach this milestone (they went on to beat the Jaguars 51-17). While this historic moment was widely celebrated by NFL fans worldwide, it is worth bearing in mind that Brady wasn’t meant to start this game, nor the two preceding it, nor in Dallas.

Roger Goodell, Commissioner for the NFL, gave Brady a four game suspension, along with a $1 million fine for the

New England Patriots, and the loss of two draft picks, in the aftermath of the Deflategate scandal, where it was found that the Patriots were playing with balls below regulation pressure in their 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in January, to win the AFC championship game and take them to Superbowl 49.

Brady’s suspension was awarded on the grounds that there was “substantial and credible evidence to conclude” that he was “at least generally aware of the actions of the Patriots’ employees involved in the deflation of the footballs.”

This seems a vastly excessive punishment when you consider that just two weeks before, Dallas Cowboys Defensive End Greg Hardy received the same suspension after being criminally con-

victed of domestic violence, with his charges including strangulation, physical abuse, and death threats toward an ex-girlfriend. Brady’s own conviction was only later overturned – after multiple appeals – in federal court by senior judge Richard M. Berman, and even then it was only on the grounds that the original trial lacked “fair due process”.

Berman declared that the NFL’s campaign against Brady lacked “fundamental fairness” and “evident impartiality”.

In other words, the NFL was out to get him. And it’s easy to see why. After the scandal, Brady and the Patriots were very unpopular, with fans worldwide vying for their blood; as far as they were concerned, the Patriots had cheated, and they deserved to be duly repri-

manded. The trouble is, the NFL isn’t just a governing body, it’s a franchise, and its commercial success is dependent upon support from its fans. Failure to properly convict Brady would’ve likely seen a drop in revenue, representing a poor business decision by Goodell. So right from the start, NFL’s board of conviction had a vested interest in the outcome of the trial, making for hardly a fair conviction.

The fact that any NFL hearing is less of a trial and more of a business meeting all but defeats the purpose of any disciplinary action – the board stands not to uphold decent behaviour, strict morals, and the creation of good role models for the numerous young people who follow the sport, but to make the most

commercially-savvy moves that it can, regardless of what it has to do with fairness. Many players convicted of assault, DUI, domestic abuse or theft receive limp-wristed, token suspensions of just one or two games, simply because of the lack of any real disciplinary board.

September 2015 marked the first full calendar month in which an NFL player hasn’t been arrested in more than 6 years. The poor behaviour regularly demonstrated throughout the league is symptomatic of a sport in need of an upheaval. Until discipline and good personal conduct become a priority over results, and more to the point, money, the NFL will remain a league with a very real problem.

Around Europe

As Europe’s elite break for international games, teams stop and asses the season so far Davide Cappelli Sport Reporter They might still have their crowns, but they have lost their thrones. The kings we’re talking about are the crowned champions in three of European football’s biggest realms – England, Italy and Spain – where this year there has been an unexpected change in hierarchy.

Despite clearly winning their respective championships last year, and being the undisputed favourites going into this season, the three kings—Chelsea, Juventus and Barcelona—have

Feeling Blue(s) Let’s start with Chelsea, whose fall is probably the most painful among the three. The Blues have collected just eight points in eight matches (same as first-time promotees Bournemouth), and, rather than challenging for first place with Arsenal and the Manchester clubs, they are now trying to escape from the relegation zone, which is just one spot below them. Last week’s home defeat against Southampton was the fourth of the season for the Blues, who, in the whole 2014/15 campaign, just suffered three KOs in total.

What happened to Mour-

faced a turbulent start to their seasons, which has caused them to fall, perhaps only temporarily, from their thrones.

Two months into the season, and ahead of the international break, it’s time to sum up what has happened to these kings without thrones.

The battle for the title is still long, but, if it keeps surprising us, fans should be prepared to enjoy a fantastic rest of the year.

And who knows, perhaps some new kings will be crowned.

inho’s army? Fragility is probably the right word to describe the ongoing saga at Stamford Bridge. Not only from a defensive point of view (the “bus” has broken), but also in terms of mentality, since many players have lost their confidence, such as 2014-15 PFA’s player of the year Eden Hazard and assist man Cesc Fabregas. The only person who hasn’t lost his self-belief is José Mourinho, who, despite the poor performances from his team and the controversial management of the Eva Carneiro episode, said after the game with Saints: “If Chelsea sack me, they sack the best manager this club has ever had.”

Poor Old Lady The “Chelsea phenomenon” is not an isolated case.

Let’s take a plane and fly to Turin, Italy, the home of Juventus FC. The “Bianconeri” experienced an almost perfect season last year, winning the “Scudetto” (their fourth in a row), the Italian Cup and reaching the UEFA Champions League final. Therefore, nobody would have expected a poor campaign this year from the Italian kings.

However, summer departures of Massimiliano Allegri’s side’s spine – Pirlo, Vidal and Tevez – have caused the Old Lady to have a terrible start.

Just two victories in the first seven matches (the first at Juventus Stadium arrived just last weekend against newly promoted Bologna).

Meanwhile, Fiorentina – who, under new coach Paulo Sousa, have managed to win six of their first seven encounters – have surprisingly reclaimed the throne of Serie A after 16 years of waiting.

Despite the situation for Allegri’s team being darker than anyone could have expected (ten points off the top), some signs of light are starting to appear: Juventus’ new signings, such as Argentinian sensation Paulo Dybala, Germany international Sami Khedira and striker Mario Mandzukic, have started to contribute significantly to the team.

The “Bianconeri” are also top of their Champions League group, having beaten Manchester City at the Etihad, and Sevilla at home, in the first two matches of the competition.

Leading Yellow Submarine Sevilla link us to the third fallen lord of our journey. Neither treble winners Barcelona, nor Real Madrid, and not even Atletico Madrid are top of the table in Spain. Indeed, a “Yellow Submarine” is leading La Liga.

The reference is not to the Beatles’ song, but with Villareal CF, who are nicknamed the Yellow Submarine (“El Submarino Amarillo” in Spanish), because of the team’s full yellow kit. What makes this story even more special is that Marcelino’s team only managed promotion to La Liga three years ago, after experiencing a disastrous season in 2012. Five consecutive victories, including defeats of Athletic Bilbao and Atletico

Madrid, have surprisingly pushed them to the throne of the Spanish championship.

Barcelona have been through some difficult weeks, with two defeats in the last three matches. The main problem for Luis Enrique’s boys is the absence of their number ten, Lionel Messi, who has been ruled out since the end of September because of a knee injury. Captain Iniesta is also sidelined.

However, the mission to reclaim their throne might seem more achievable for the Blaugrana given their wealth of talent and tactical abilities than it could prove to be for the other two, Chelsea and Juventus.

Currently, Villareal are only one point ahead.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Sport 31

ISSUE 4 / 12th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

England: Failure was not an option England’s Rugby World Cup disaster: time to reflect on a calamitous campaign for Stuart Lancaster’s men

Toby Webb Sport Reporter Devastation and embarrassment. There can be no doubt that these words summarise the feelings of the England rugby team following their elimination from the Rugby World Cup 2015 with a game to spare. Not only are they the first host nation ever to exit the World Cup at the group stage, but the players face the prospect of being back playing for their clubs while the other nations compete in the quarter-finals.

Dissecting tournament failure has become normative regarding English sport in recent history, for the men’s teams, anyway. Here is my assessment.

For me, several crucial errors were made in squad selection for the World Cup. This is solely the fault of Stuart Lancaster. The momentum built over the last two years was lost through both squad selection and indecision over the primary fifteen.

In terms of selection, leaving out exciting players like Luther Burrell and Danny Cipriani was foolish.

Burrell was prolific in last year’s Six Nations and, while it has emerged this week that Cipriani had a bust-up with England coach Mike Catt in the weeks preceding the World Cup, the attacking flair he possesses could have made the difference.

For example, the demoralizing defeat to Wales – a game that was lost during the last ten minutes due to England’s lack of cutting edge – was the perfect scenario to introduce Cipriani and Burrell as substitutes. Cipriani can be filed next to Kevin Pietersen as a maverick with whom England lacked the conviction to invest faith.

Instead, the likes of Brad Barritt, Sam Burgess and Henry Slade were included. Barritt is a belligerent defender, yet, he is devoid of attacking flair. Slade was selected with the future in mind. In hindsight, it would have been more shrewd to pick blooded, more experienced players who could affect matches.

This brings me to Sam Burgess. The Burgess saga has been on-going ever since his 2014 conversion from Rugby League. I believe that he has the raw ingredients to be a good Rugby Union player.

However, there is obviously a huge difference

between a Premiership-standard player and an international-standard player. It is, frankly, ludicrous, that Burgess was even considered for the World Cup squad, let alone selected. He has played only twenty-one professional games of Rugby Union for Bath. His appearances in England World Cup warm-up games were his first taste of international rugby. For me, Lancaster was caught up in the Burgess hysteria. Blinded by the belief that Burgess’s raw power and resolute defence were England’s missing ingredients. Burgess’s lack of experience went unheeded. Conversely, the RFU’s investment in the Burgess conversion put overwhelming pressure on Lancaster to select him.

Either way, the decision was a huge mistake.

In terms of playing style, Lancaster showed little regard for the successful formula used during the 2015 Six Nations. Playmaker George Ford was quickly replaced by the defensive Owen Farrell at fly-half, a decision illustrating Lancaster’s fear of losing. The last game of the Six Nations – England’s last fully competitive game before the world cup – finished 55-35 in England’s favour. It demonstrated the attacking potential England possessed.

England lacked said attacking intent during the World Cup. Lancaster’s tactics are to blame; his fear of losing consumed his attacking ambition.

Throughout his four year tenure, Lancaster has used 72 players in total. This suggests that English rugby has an abundance of players deemed worthy for the international stage. However, while a lot of these players would have been experiments, it does illustrate that Lancaster has tinkered hugely with his team, and leads me to believe that he does not know his best fifteen—an issue in itself.

England’s overseas policy must be mentioned: the rule that, aside from ‘exceptional circumstances’, only those who play in the English domestic league can be selected for the national team. Steffon Armitage, Dylan Armitage (Both at Toulon) and Nick Abendanon (Clermont Auvergne) all play in France.

All three are arguably World Cup squad quality. In recent years, Steffon Armitage has been one of the best rugby players in Europe. His ability to make turn-overs – something so crucial in modern rugby – is exceptional. Australia’s philosophy and their victory over England illustrated the importance of

Credit: Marc @Flickr England vs Wales

being able to make turn-overs in modern rugby.

It is interesting that Australia have made exemptions to their overseas policy, particularly with Matt Giteau, previously exempt from playing, now a crucial member of the team. The rule is here for a reason (if the whole national team played abroad it would be a co-ordination nightmare), yet, S. Armitage would definitely class as an ‘exceptional circumstance’ in my mind. Lancaster and the RFU must take the blame for their recalcitrance.

It cannot be denied that the team have made progress since Lancaster took the reins. England have lost the Six Nations only on points difference for the last two years, and have competed well against the Southern Hemisphere teams. However, comparisons with Schmidt (Ireland’s coach) and Gatland (Wales’ coach) illustrate his flaws.

Both possess a level of coaching experience that Lancaster lacks: both have coached club teams to European cup success (Leinster and London Wasps respectively). Their teams play a calibre of rugby that is greater than the sum of each individual part, and this is down to the respective coaches.

I don’t think that the difference is huge between Schmidt/Gatland and Lancaster. In his defence, Lancaster has triumphed over the two coaches several times in the last 4 years. Yet, in the big games, Lancaster has almost always been defeated by the nous of these coaches (vs Wales in 2013; vs Ireland in 2015; vs Wales in 2015). While Lancaster

has an unquestionable ability to demand respect and to motivate a team, I feel that he lacks the ideas and the depth of experience to win the big games.

However, consider this: If you were to think of a World XV of active players, how many of them would be English?

Personally, I think you’d struggle to fit in any. This is relevant because, while we have a lot of high quality players, we lack any who are world-class. In a sense, the quality is diluted within a large player pool, rather than concentrated within a smaller number of individuals. We lack a David Pocock or a Jonny Sexton—a game-changer, a player whose overwhelming quality and skill raises the games of those around him. While selection can be heavily criticised, another way to look at it is that we simply did and do not have good enough players.

Looking forward, the RFU have to decide on Lancaster’s future. His current contract will see him through to the next World Cup. Personally, I think if a coach of international calibre (like Gatland or Schmidt) is available, then Lancaster should be replaced. A decision must be made soon, because whoever is in charge must be given a full World Cup cycle to build a team capable of writing 2015’s wrongs. If Lancaster remains, he will undoubtedly learn plenty from England’s humiliation. The painful thing about rugby, though, is that England must wait four years to redeem themselves. It is going to be a long four years.

Sport in the City

With an abundance of differentlocal sports in Manchester, Sport in the City focuses on one each week. This week: The 2015 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Adam Selby Sport Reporter

Over the course of the academic year, as well as paying close attention to, and prioritising the progress and successes of, our university’s very own societies, teams and campus sports, let our new Sport in the City feature tempt you into a very different sporting day out. Whether it’s a new sport, a team about whom you did not know, or just an event that interests us, we hope that we will be able to entice you to explore the wide sporting variety that the city has to offer during your time studying at the University of Manchester.

In the spotlight this week: The 2015 World Taekwondo Grand Prix Well… what is it?

If a visit to Hyde United to view some non-league football or a trip to the National Cycling Centre to watch some BMX cycling wasn’t quite your thing, maybe my third instalment of Sport in the City might just be the kick you need to venture out and watch some local sporting activity. There is no specific art to getting out of bed, and it surely wouldn’t take much to marshal your flatmates to turn off Netflix, get their shoes on and make this weekend different to any other spent chilling in Manchester.

Between Friday 16th and Sunday 18th October,

Manchester opens its arms and welcomes to the city the biggest event in the Taekwondo calendar: The 2015 World Taekwondo Grand Prix.

Recognised as an Olympic sport since the year 2000, Taekwondo is a Korean martial art form that was developed during the 1940/50s, blending indigenous fighting forms such as taekkyeon, gwonbeop, and subak with an influence from foreign martial arts, too. The sport has since developed to become one of the most popular and widely-practiced martial art forms in the world, with some of the finest fighters in the field flocking to Manchester for this prestigious event.

But how much does it cost to get in?

Sadly it appears that concessionary tickets are not for sale for this event, but given that the crème de la crème of the Taekwondo world are performing, we do not think that adult tickets priced from £10 upwards will leave a noticeable dent in your student loan. Standard adult tickets are available at £10 for Session One on the Saturday afternoon, with other sessions available and costing marginally more with standard seating. Group and weekend passes are also available, with a full price listed on the official event website: http://taekwondogp.com/tickets/.

How do I get there?

What are the facilities like?

The Grand Prix will take place at the Etihad Campus at the Manchester Regional Arena, which is exactly 2 miles away from the student union.

Therefore, from Manchester Piccadilly Gardens, there are several options of public transport that you can use to get to and from the Etihad Campus safely. With this event, I would advise the Metrolink tram service from Manchester Piccadilly, with fast and frequent services running on a regular basis. However if you’ve forked out for a UniRider, or simply just prefer to catch the bus from the city centre, the 216 and 231 services saunter directly to the Etihad Campus, again on a frequent basis. Please, however, do plan extra time for your journey, given that Manchester City, who are also based at the Etihad Campus, are at home on Saturday 17th October.

Housed next to the 55,000 seater Etihad Stadium, the Manchester Regional Arena has been developed and modified since its original use in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. As well the indoor athletics hall and modern sporting facilities where the Grand Prix will be held, the outdoor stadium attached to the venue is regularly used by local schools and societies for both educational and community events.

The stadium itself, which holds up to 6500 spectators, was previously the former home of the Manchester City reserve football team shortly after it was altered from its original state as the official warm up track for the 2002 games.

Tell me something I didn’t already know…

Unless you’re an active follower of competitions and events in the Taekwondo calendar, or perhaps somebody with an interest in the sport, it’s highly likely that there is very little you do actually know about the sport (myself included). Therefore it’s worth noting that at the upcoming Grand Prix, there will be at least 8 different Olympic goldmedal-winning individuals competing, including two time Olympic Champion Steven Lopez of the USA and British athlete Jade Jones, who reigned supreme in London 2012, winning the gold medal in the 57kg division. With regards to a wider view of the sport, the World Taekwondo Foundation are unable to say where in the world the sport is at its most popular, but suggest that there is a high demand for the sport in Iran, Mexico, Canada, China, USA, the United Kingdom and of course Korea.

Finally, when can I see this in action?

The 2015 World Taekwondo Grand Prix takes place between Friday 16th and Sunday 18th October from 9am till 10 pm on both Friday and Saturday and until 8pm on the final day of action. For more information please visit: http:// taekwondogp.com

Photo: Republic of Korea @Flickr

12th OCTOBER 2015/ ISSUE 4 FREE

SPORT Around Europe

P.30

: @Mancunion_Sport : /TheMan cunion Photo: @PFA

England’s Rugby Woes P.31

Taekwondo

P.31

Depression in Sport: Defeating the Stigma

Will Kelly reflects on the recent Fifpro survey, indicating that depression in professional football is widespread.

Clarke Carlisle Photo: Jarrett Campbell @Flickr

Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff was one of the great England all-rounders in cricket, and one of the outstanding players of the dramatic 2005 Ashes win against Australia. Before the 2005 Ashes, Flntoff’s bat provider (Woodworm) were on the brink of liquidation.

It speaks volumes that after his performances in the series, Woodworm were saved by the fact that everyone wanted a replica of Freddie’s bat. Sales soared as every kid in the country wanted to be the next Andrew Flintoff.

Throughout his England years, Flintoff fell foul of the tabloid newspapers in regards to alcohol and battles to control his weight. People thought he was an idiot who was throwing away his career. The press slated him.

A few years ago, Flintoff led a BBC documentary exploring depression in sport. He had battled depression throughout his career and developed a severe dependency on alcohol. In the program, Flintoff spoke to many sporting heroes, who know all too well the struggles of depression, such as football hard man Vinnie Jones, England Cricket teammate Steve Harmison, boxer Barry McGuigan, and Neil Lennon amongst others.

Flintoff described the negative experiences he had with the tabloid papers at his lowest point for the very first time. The hurt that no-one seemed capable of understanding what he was going through. Or simply refused. The documentary brought a rather interesting conversation with former tabloid editor, Piers Morgan. Flintoff began by asking if the media reported sport responsibly, to which Morgan replied rather bluntly “No, not really.” Sports journalists in his eyes do not think about the consequences of their stories on others: “Sport is visceral, it’s raw, it’s live, it’s dangerous, it’s exciting, the rewards are massive and the downside is you occasionally get a headline you don’t like”.

One must think that this is the media in a nutshell, but it was Morgan’s comments on depression that were rather

haunting. Commenting on depression in sport, Morgan stated that “if you’re called to play for your country at sport, then it’s such an incredible privilege and honour that to actually claim to be depressed because you’re having to stay in a five-star hotel while you’re playing cricket for England to me seemed ridiculous.” When it implied that he couldn’t possibly be depressed, Flintoff asked, “clinically you cannot be depressed?”, forcing Morgan to admit he “couldn’t grasp it.”

The ignorance showed by Morgan is appalling, but unfortunately, he is not alone in this view. My criticism does not lie in the media, but rather the lack of knowledge that people have about depression. That is the most painful thing that haunts people suffering with depression. For Clarke Carlisle, the former footballer who attempted suicide in 2014, many sportsmen and sportswomen worry about “losing pride” if they discuss their mental health, or that it will have a “negative effect” on their prospects, because many do not understand what they are going through.

Fast forward from Piers Morgan’s interview, the football world was sent into shock when Robert Enke, the German International Goalkeeper who was going to be going to the World Cup in South Africa, committed suicide.

Enke had been battling depression for six years when he stepped in front of a train near Hannover in 2009. He had struggled to overcome the death of his daughter Lara, who died at the age of two in 2006 of a rare heart condition.

Enke’s widow, Teresa Enke, believed that he also had difficulty coping with the intense scrutiny of professional football. “Pressure can become a sickness. Being part of the national team also had a big effect, always being in the public eye both negatively and positively. It really got to him”.

The writer Ronald Reng, who was a friend of Enke’s and took on the task of recounting his story in the exceptional book, A Life Too Short: The Tragedy of

Robert Enke, spoke of how Enke hid his depression because of his role as a goalkeeper: “In our achievementoriented society a goalkeeper, the last bastion in defense, can’t be a depressive. So Robert summoned up a huge amount of strength to keep his depression secret. He locked himself away in his illness.”

Reng added: “The last wish Robert had was to write this book. At least there is an understanding of what someone suffering depression goes through. Through Robert’s death, there is in Germany a higher understanding that this is an illness, and that people need help.”

Recently, a Fifpro survey indicated that depression in football is widespread. 38% of 607 players interviewed reported symptoms at some stage, especially those who had suffered serious injuries. Former professional footballers reported more mental health problems than current players. Dr. Vincent Gouttebarge, the Fifpro Chief Medical Officer in charge of the survey, said professional football is littered with psychological pitfalls for the players. “Once the players stop with intensive physical activities they lose their structured life, their social support by trainers and team mates diminishes, they need to find their place in ‘regular’ society, and find another occupation.

Consequently, they are likely to experience some mental health problems

Robert Enke Photo: Yülli @ Flickr

during this period.”

Perhaps with this recent survey, it reveals the impact that Enke’s death has had. Certainly this is the view of his widow, Teresa, who has spoken of how people are “a lot more open about depression”.

Dr. Gouttebarge has made a rallying call to football, that everyone has the “collective responsibility to remove the stigma associated with mental illness. All players, whether active or retired, can learn optimal behaviours and coping skills to manage the symptoms of mental illness”.

It is not only in sport that we need to remove the stigma associated with mental illness, but also in society itself.

When Clarke Carlise attempted suicide by driving into a lorry, I could not believe some of the comments that I was reading on facebook. “He’s been selfish. He should have found a nice attic to hang himself.” Are people prepared to simply let others give up? We need to move forward and encourage people to acknowledge their symptoms, to act upon them and take a step in the right direction towards recovery. With further support to people and their families, we will hopefully begin to understand further why depression occurs, and take an important step towards prevention.