Issue4

ISSUE 04 FREE

8TH OCT 2012/

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Julius Caesar review

P25

Tom Watson interview

P8

Students secretly ‘rated’ on campus for attractiveness - Social Junkies filtered potential reps by ‘looks’ and ‘banter’ - Packs sold by halls of residence Richard Crook & Michael Williams Social Junkies have been criticised for their “objectifying” and “shallow” recruitment practices.

Reps have been accused of using sliding scales to secretly rate students in three areas relating to attractiveness, dress sense and ‘banter.’

Several halls of residence, including Owens Park and Oak House, sold Social Junkies packs as part of their official Welcome Week entertainment.

Students were stopped walking around campus and were briefly spoken to while secretly judged

by Social Junkies reps. Only those that scored highly were invited for a second interview.

Four current students, all of whom work for Social Junkies, spoke separately to The Mancunion expressing their disgust with the recruitment process. One Social Junkies rep, who asked not to be named, said they “felt wrong rating people out of 10.”

“Students have just come to University, they’re nervous, and then you’re having to rate them out of 10 even if they don’t know about it,” they continued.

“I was surprised to see potential reps being filtered out in such a shallow way,” stated another rep. “Students come to university because they think they’re going to be judged on their intellectual ability and qualities.”

This recruitment process made reps feel uncomfortable in what they were asked to do. “I found it weird,” confessed a third Social Junkies rep. “I thought, ‘who am I to be rating fellow students?’ It’s not very nice for students to think they are coming to university to be ‘rated’ like that in their first week.”

Tabz O’Brien-Butcher, Women’s

P27

50 Shades of Fallowfield

Officer for the University of Manchester, condemned the practice. “Through these alleged recruitment practices, Social Junkies expose what they value most in prospective employees – looks.”

She continued: “Reducing students to their appearance is objectification, and is absolutely unacceptable.”

Matt Bonner, director of Social Junkies, told to The Mancunion: “I think the only [criteria] was banter, to be perfectly honest, and whether they had enough to represent Social Junkies”, before adding that he “didn’t remember” appearance or dress sense being criteria.

Lawrence Tilli, Treasurer for Owens Park committee, said they knew nothing about rep recruitment practice, adding that they were “infuriated” at how Social junkies kept them in the dark over their Welcome Week plans.

“Freshers’ Week wasn’t what [the committee] asked for, and we were cut out.”

“What we planned and what was produced was two completely separate things.”

This is not the first time Social Junkies has been embroiled in controversy. In 2010, the company was accused by the University of Manchester Students’ Union of “abusing the trust of the University and the students” by employing “coercive sales techniques” during Welcome Week – including hosting an event entitled ‘Fuck a Fresher’.

The company also made The Mancunion headlines earlier this semester when it emerged that lavish perks were offered to halls’ committee members in an attempt to sell their Welcome Week packs.

THIS WEEK Manchester English Language bottom of Russell Group for satisfaction

English Language at the University of Manchester sits at the bottom of the Russell Group for student satisfaction, after results were published by the National Student Survey last week....

Page 4 George Galloway sues NUS over “rape denier” claims

Photo Caption: Blah blah blah The aftermath of Welcome Week. Photo: Nick Bodjo

Respect MP George Galloway is suing the National Union of Students after they banned him for being a “rape denier”.

The NUS action last week comes after Mr Galloway, a public Julian Assange supporter, rubbished the claims of rape against the Wikileaks founder...

Page 6

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

Highlights

Owen Jones Interview Comment & Politics, Page 10

Looper Review

Film, Page 14

Fatboy Slim Review Music, Page 18

Students in the new £24million Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, which opened last Monday

Photo: Patrycja Marczewska

Universities ‘still advertising vacancies’ days before term starts Michael Williams News Editor More than 13,500 university courses are still advertising vacancies, just days before most universities begin the academic year.

24 universities had 200 or more courses which were unfilled, and Manchester Metropolitan University was cited

by The Telegraph as having one of the largest numbers of course vacancies alongside Northampton, Sunderland and Hull, amongst others.

“Like most universities nationally, we are slightly down on last year”, stated a Manchester Metropolitan University spokesperson. ”However, this year we have recruited more students with top AAB grades than we have done previously, while still finding places for the students with slightly lower grades”.

Places were still being of-

MMU on list of highest course vacancies. Photo: Joe Sandler Clarke fered as of Friday the 28th September from prestigious institutions such as York, Surrey, Leicester and Lancaster – the latter three all begin their academic terms this week, while York’s term begins on the 8th October.

When courses such as Higher National Diplomas and two-year foundation courses are taken into account, the figure soars to almost 21,000.

UCAS’s ‘Clearing’ facility was closed on Sunday, but many courses still remained unfilled. Students now must contact individual universities directly to claim places.

Analysis showed that Universities with the largest number of vacancies ‘almost always’ sought to charge average fees of between £8,000 and £9,000 – fuelling more speculation that the government’s new tuition fees regime is discouraging students from applying.

“There is real concern that the government’s experiment will lead to many who would benefit not going to university,” said general secretary of the University and College Union Sally Hunt.

Figures published last month showed that the number of British and EU students accepting places onto degree courses had fallen by almost 57,000 – a 12 percent drop.

editor@mancunion.com Media Intern: Joe Sandler Clarke

Blind Date

joe.sandlerclarke@manchester.ac.uk

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com

Lifestyle, Page 26

Facebook: The Mancunion Twitter: @THEMANCUNION Postal address: Univerity of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone (0161) 275 2933 Editor-in-Chief: Richard Crook

Sub-Editor: Catherine May News Editors: Ellen Conlon, Jonnie Breen, Michael Williams & Anthony Organ news@mancunion.com Beauty Columnist: Jessica Cusack beauty@mancunion.com Business Editors: Oli Taylor & Scott Mckewan business@mancunion.com Comment Editors: Lisa Murgatroyd, Emma Bean, Antonia Jennings & Eve Fensome Fashion Editors: Elizabeth Harper & Jake Pummintr

Appeal after Whitworth Park assault Jonathan Breen News Editor

“We have been speaking to others who sleep rough in this area,” Det Insp Carter said. “We

Police are appealing for infor-

now believe that he was the vic-

mation after an assault near Ox-

tim of a vicious assault and was

ford Road.

hit with a weapon.

A man was found with life

“I would therefore like to ap-

threatening head injuries in

peal to anyone who was in the

Whitworth Park on the night of

park from early evening until

the 11th September.

9pm on the 11th September, to

Detective Inspector Theresa Carter said: “Since we found this

come forward and tell us what they saw.

man in a life threatening condi-

“He was last seen at a day cen-

tion, a number of inquiries have

tre on Denmark Road at 11am on

been made to find out what hap-

the 11th September.

pened.”

“I would ask that anyone with

When police arrived at the scene around 9pm they discov-

information calls police as soon as possible.”

ered the 38 year old man with

Police have asked anyone with

injuries police believe were

information to call them on 0161

caused by a weapon.

856 4146 or the independent

The victim, a homeless man, was taken to hospital, where he

charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

remains in a stable but critical condition.

Food & Drink Editors: Jessica Hardiman & Emily Clark foodanddrink@mancunion.com Film Editors: Sophie James & Nihal Tharoor-Menon Features Editor: Andrew Williams Games Editor: Sam Dumitriu Lifestyle Editor: Dana Fowles lifestyle@mancunion.com Literature Editor: Phoebe Chambre literature@mancunion.com Marketing: Michael Green & Edmund Alcock marketing@mancunion.com Music Editors: Sophie Donovan, Dan Jones & Joe Goggins music@mancunion.com

Music Web Editor: Thomas Ingham Science & Technology Editor: Keir Lewis scienceandtech@mancunion.com Sport Editors: Ciaran Milner. Tom Acey & Matthew Barber sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Josephine Lane theatre@mancunion.com Web Editor: Jenny Ho webed@mancunion.com Advertising : Stefan Redfern stefan.redfern@manchester.ac.uk Tel 0161 275 2930

ISSUE 04 / 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 03

Manchester students protest course cutting Students protested School of Education course cuts outside Whitworth Hall on Wednesday Jonathan Breen News Editor

Students from the University of Manchester staged a protest over the cutting of their course outside Whitworth Hall last Wednesday.

The Applied Community and Youth Work studies degree is being cut from the School of Education with no new students being taken on after the 2012/13 academic year.

Demonstrators gathered on 3 October with placards, megaphones and a sound-system in the Old Quadrangle, below the Vice Chancellor Dame Nancy Rothwell’s office.

“They haven’t given the course much time to develop,” said Protester Cliodhna Devlin, a third-year Applied Community and Youth Work studies student.

Ikmat Khadija Savage, a third-year on the same course said, “There is definitely going to be a deficit if our course is cut.”

“Each year we do 3 months placement of unpaid work in the communities of Greater

Manchester, we have helped 100s and 1,000s of people.

“This course being cut won’t mean there are less people in these kind of jobs, but it will mean they won’t have the same formal training.

“Academically we do just as much as any other course, as well as placement.”

Second year student Jeff Winstanley, said, “It’s a disgrace, they’re letting the youth down, they’re letting the people down who want to come and get a degree.

“They don’t think there are enough numbers for the course, but there’s not enough advertising.”

He added he thought the course was being cut to focus funding on research, “they want to invest more money into research, it’s a research university.”

The course officially cut focuses on training students in the study of community and youth work issues and is involved in outreach programmes.

University of Manchester Students’ Union Activities Officer Tommy Fish said, “In the time of cuts, to

University of Salford launches ‘comedy degree’ Michael Williams Reporter

The University of Salford has launched a degree in ‘Comedy Practices’ – the third degree in the country dedicated to the art.

The three-year BA, at the University’s MediaCity campus, offers students “the knowledge, skills and understanding” to help shape them into “versatile and resilient creative practitioners.”

The £8,500 a year course

falls under the category of ‘Performance’ degrees, sitting alongside courses such as ‘Dance Theatre’ and ‘Media Performance’.

Famous alumni of the School of Media, Music and Performance include Peter Kay and Salford-born Jason Manford.

Course leader Lisa Moore said: “People who have taken our performing arts courses have gone on to be very successful, and we thought there was a demand for a comedy course. It’s a

Students protesting the cutting of their course from the School of Education Photo: Jonathan Breen

be cutting a course that’s geared towards helping disadvantaged members and sectors of the community is not fair.

“Community projects do nothing but good for the local community and the city. I’m fully in favour of supporting these students.”

A University of Manchester spokesman said on the issue,

full-time degree. I would say the majority of students are very keen to break onto the circuit and perform, but it can open the door to lots of other careers in TV and performance.”

Modules offered on the course include Radio Comedy, Acting for Camera, and Scriptwriting for Television. Twenty students have signed up for the course so far, and Ms Moore explains that the University “hopes to build on this” in the future. Applicants to the course are asked to have 300 UCAS points, equivalent to three ‘B’ grades at A-Level. Places are still available on the course for the 2012-2013 academic year.

“As a University we regularly review the programmes and courses that we offer to ensure that we offer the highest quality experience for our students and continue to meet student demand.

“The Applied Community and Youth Work Studies programme has faced difficulties in maintaining

its recruitment levels and, despite efforts to address this, we do not believe that we will be able to recruit sufficient students in the future to make this programme sustainable.

“As a University we have a strong commitment to supporting local communities and impacting positively upon them

Man arrested for rape after DNA blunder Jonathan Breen News Editor

A forensic blunder that linked a man with a rape in Manchester has been criticised in a new report.

Adam Scott was due to stand trial in April for a sex attack on a woman in Plant Hill Park, Blackley, north Manchester.

The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case during a hearing at Manchester Crown Court after it emerged Mr Scott’s DNA, which was taken in connection with a different mat-

ter, had been contaminated while being processed at an LGC Forensics-run laboratory.

Police arrested Mr Scott, form Truro, Cornwall, despite being hundreds of miles away from the scene and telling detectives he had never been to Manchester.

He then spent five months on remand in Strangeways prison charged with one count of rape.

A report that came out on 1 October heavily criticised LGC Forensics – the largest forensic science centre in

through both our research and teaching. We will continue to offer a range of programmes and courses which support this.

“The current cohort of students will continue with their programme as planned and complete their degree as they expected.”

the country – and said its procedures were ‘not adequate’.

According to the report, by forensic science regulator Andrew Rennison, Mr Scott was an ‘innocent victim of avoidable contamination’.

“The sole evidence was a partial DNA profile developed by LGC Forensics (LGC) at its Teddington laboratory and believed, at the time, to be from one sample taken from the victim of the rape,” said Mr Rennison in the report.

“The contamination was the result of human error by a technician who failed to follow basic procedures for the disposal of plastic trays used as part of a validated DNA extraction process.

ISSUE 04 / 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

04 : News

Manchester English Language bottom of Russell Group for satisfaction Head of School acknowledges that “we weren’t surprised” with results Ellen Conlon News Editor

English Language at the University of Manchester sits at the bottom of the Russell Group for student satisfaction, after results were published by the National Student Survey last week.

The overall satisfaction rate for BA English Language at Manchester is just 53 percent.

By comparison it’s nearest challenger, Birmingham University, enjoyed satisfaction rates of 81 percent.

Ratings for the quality of feedback on work are particularly low for English Language students; with only 36 percent of those surveyed saying that they had recieved prompt feedback and 51 percent agreeing that feedback on their work had helped to clarify things they did not understand.

Last year, a Student Representative of the Linguistics and English Language department submitted a complaint to the department about their poor feedback. “[There were] large amounts of complaints from students and as their student representative I decided that the action that the department was taking was not good enough,” she said. “The main issue [was] the lateness of

feedback/results.”

The deadline for one final year assignment last year was in week ten of semester one. By May of semester two, the third years were still awaiting feedback and results for that piece of assessed work.

Professor Jeremy Gregory, Head of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, which English Language is a part of, said he was “disappointed” with the results and but admitted that he wasn’t surprised.

“We were disappointed with the results but to be frank we weren’t surprised,” he said. “We knew of course that there were students who were concerned about feedback because they have been raising it within the committee structure.”

Not only did the survey show dissatisfaction at assessment and feedback but it also highlighted a lack of academic support as a large issue.

Over 50 percent of English Language students feel they did not receive sufficient advice and support with their studies, nor did they feel that good advice was available to them when they needed to make study choices.

Prof Gregory blamed an “extraordinary staff to student ratio” for these poor results.

“Our answer is that we had the most extraordinary staff student ratio where we had one member

The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures admits that changes have been and need to be made to improve student satisfaction. Photo: Jonny Whiting

of staff for 40 students, which is one of the absolute highest in the university and staff frankly couldn’t keep up with the work load and marking,” he explained.

“Obviously that is not acceptable.”

Prof Gregory went on to state that the School was concerned with the issue and a number of changes have already been made; with four new members of staff appointed for the start of the year in order “improve the staffstudent ratios”.

“I have only recently taken over the languages department of the school and I was surprised that there was not a staff-student liaison officer,” continued

Professor Gregory. “But we now have one of those in place who will make it much easier to react to student concerns.”

“In a sense it looks like we are responding because of the 53 percent, but we knew it would be low, and these were all in place almost before the results were out.

“We were aware of all this throughout the year – that’s not an excuse, it’s just an explanation and I think now with more staff we will hopefully be able to nail this.”

The results of the survey are more publicly available and easily accessible than ever due to the

Unistats website, and so may be used to inform prospective applicants’ decisions more than they would have previously.

Professor Gregory refuted suggestions that the low satisfaction rates would have a negative impact on applications to the course.

“I can only look at what has happened in the past, because in fact this score is not a surprise as it is not out of line with the previous year. We still have lots of applicants for that particular course,” he said.

“The students, even when they were annoyed by some aspects of the feedback, did acknowledge

that they were being taught by some of the best and most exciting teachers in the world.”

“But I agree that it is a danger that 53 will impact on us. And the way to make sure that it is not a danger is to make sure that the score improves,” he concluded.

The course scored its highest percentages in questions about the learning resources available to students, with over 84 percent of people agreeing that the library resources are good enough for their needs, general IT resources are easily accessible and that they have been able to access specialised equipment, facilities or rooms when they needed to.

University of Manchester students happiest since 2005, says NSS Michael Williams News Editor

Overall student satisfaction at the University of Manchester is at its highest since 2005, the results of the National Student Survey have revealed. The University of Manchester scored an 83% satisfaction rate – up 4% from 2011 – placing the University 52nd out of 127 higher education institutions when satisfaction with the Students’ Union was factored in.

Manchester Metropolitan University recorded an 81% satisfaction rate, as did the University of Salford When looking at student satisfaction for studente unions alone, the Universities were placed nationally at 73rd and 86th, respectively.

Approximately 287,000 students responded to the 2012 survey, the results of which were published last week. The results showed that 85% of students surveyed said that they were “definitely” or “mostly satisfied” with their University

course, with only 8% classing themselves as “dissatisfied”. This is an improvement on 2011’s figures, where only 83% of students were satisfied with their course.

“This is no doubt a result of the University’s hard work and investment in the student experience, achieved by working in partnership with students”, stated Nick Pringle, Students’ Union General Secretary. As well as lauding the success, Pringle was also quick to look to the future: “There is still a lot of work to do, but we are pleased that the University is heading in the right direction”.

Speaking to The Mancunion Professor Clive Agnew, Vice President Teaching, Learning & Students, said that while the improvement should be welcomed, the University still needs to improve it’s satisfaction rating.

“83 is good but it’s not good enough. We need to be at 90,” he said. “Looking at the data, the two things that come out that are of concern are that assessment and feedback is still the lowest of all the levels of satisfaction, so we have work to do on that. The other area is academic support… the

key variable which influences whether a student is content or not.

22 – overall satisfaction – so the fact that all areas moved up is encouraging.”

Students relax in University Place. Photo: Paul Campbell key variable which influences whether a student is content or not.

“I was pleased that all questions – questions 1 to 21 – all of them improved. That’s testimony to the fact that we are moving in the right direction; it wasn’t just one area. It’s not just about question

22 - overall satisfaction - so the fact that all areas moved up is encouraging.

The happiest UK students belong to St. Mary’s University College Belfast, which boasts a 98% satisfaction rate – a 5% improvement from 2011.

05: News

ISSUE 04 / 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

‘Student satisfaction rises but Manchester must try harder’, says Prof Agnew - “83 is good but it’s not good enough” - University targeting improvements to feedback and academic support Andrew Williams Features Editor

The man responsible for teaching, learning and students at the University of Manchester has reacted positively to a four per cent leap in student satisfaction in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS) – but says there is work to be done to improve the student experience.

Professor Clive Agnew, Vice President of Teaching, Learning and Students, was pleased to see overall student satisfaction reach 83% in the National Student Survey, the annual survey completed by final year students at universities across the country.

“Student satisfaction is really important – a university without students is not a university”, Agnew said. “Given that students are at the core of what we do, this is a very important measure… the NSS is a measure of progress towards providing an excellent experience – but it is only one measure.”

Last September, The Mancunion reported that student satisfaction at Manchester was the worst of all Russell Group universities.

However, the results of this year’s NSS place the University of Manchester on a par with the University of Edinburgh, and above King’s College, London on that particular measure.

But Agnew is not entirely content with what remains a

below average level of student satisfaction at Manchester – 85% of all UK students said that they were satisfied with the quality of their course this time around – especially relative to fellow Russell Group institutions.

“83 is good but it’s not good enough. We need to be at 90”, he explains. “Looking at the data, the two things that come out that are of concern are that assessment and feedback is still the lowest of all the levels of satisfaction, so we have work to do on that. The other area is academic support… the key variable which influences whether a student is content or not”.

However, Agnew claims that there are plenty of positives to take from the news. “I was pleased that all questions – questions 1 to 21 – all of them improved. That’s testimony to the fact that we are moving in the right direction; it wasn’t just one area. It’s not just about question 22 – overall satisfaction – so the fact that all areas moved up is encouraging”.

Indeed, the former Head of Geography, who has two children who have studied at Manchester, believes that these results could provide the University with a springboard to improve satisfaction further in the coming years; he agrees that investment in new facilities, such as the recently-opened Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, will serve to improve the overall student experience.

Professor Clive Agnew, responsible for teaching , learning and students at Manchester is positive about the rise in student satisfaction Photo: Geographical Association@Flickr

“Students coming and studying at a university like Manchester benefit tremendously, both in terms of employability and in terms of their prospects”, Agnew says. “But students who are happy have a sense of belonging.

They have a sense of identity and they know that they can go and speak to academic support staff… students need to be able to feel that someone knows their name. It’s about creating a culture of saying that students are important, and students and staff need to know each other.”

As such, he identifies three key indicators for the University

to work on going forward: “improving the student experience, as measured by the NSS, widening participation, and increasing employability”.

Though Agnew is acutely aware of the significance of the National Student Survey – “because it’s used in many league tables, it’s very important” – he is keen to assert that it’s not the be all and end all. “I want us to be guided by wanting it improve the NSS, but we don’t simply want to only focus on the NSS results.

All I’m saying is that it would be wrong to become obsessed with simply trying to change the NSS

score, and ignoring the student experience.”

“One of the dangers in focusing on the NSS, and particularly the improvement we’ve just had, is that one thinks it’s just happened in the last twelve months. It hasn’t.

This is building upon many years of activity; it takes a long time, in a sense, to foster that culture.”

Meanwhile, Agnew praised the “very strong working relationship” between academic staff and the Students’ Union as one of the primary reasons for the University’s improved standing.

“The Students’ Union here got a higher scoring than the average

because, two or three years ago, the SU refocused their activities on the needs of students”.

“There was an emphasis on events, previously, and now there is a much greater emphasis on supporting students, student societies, campaigns and so forth… I think the Students’ Union was being run without necessarily recognising all the needs of the students. That’s a criticism they made of themselves, rather than me making it of them, and I think the strategic plan they’ve been developing reflects that.”

Average rating for Students’ Union in NSS Jonathan Breen News Editor Manchester students gave the University of Manchester Student’s Union an average score in a recent student satisfaction survey.

The National Student Survey rated the students’ union 67 points out of the available 100, the first time a question on the students’ union was included in the survey.

“We were impressed with our score,” said University of Manchester Students’ Union President Nick Pringle. “Over the last year we’ve refurbished the building beyond recognition, overhauled the way which students direct the union and opened up the campaigns budget so all students have access to it.

“Manchester also receives a critically low level of funding from the university in comparison to other Unions, at only £33 per student. Sheffield, who scored 95% satisfaction, receives £104 per

student whilst Leeds, who scored 90% receive £66 per student.

“This is an issue, which we continue to lobby the university on.”

Vice Chancellor Dame Nancy Rothwell told The Mancunion in an interview last month she thought a lot of students found the Students’ Union too political.

“A lot of [students] do think that. I’ve certainly been told by students in some schools, ‘The Union’s only interested in fighting fees and cuts,’” she said. “They’ll ask me about being short of money or getting advice, and I say ‘well the Students’ Union has all of this’, but they don’t know.”

President of Sheffiled University Students’ Union, which came first in the country, said construction works at the time of the survey caused Manchester union’s mid-table ranking.

“I think it was probably the building works,” said President Abdi Suleiman, referring to work being

done on the union and construction of the neighbouring Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. “This year they had a lot of construction work, a lot of students couldn’t find the union and most of it was closed off, so their score was going to be low no matter what happened, if anything it’s quite surprising they kept it up at 60 something.

“I remember coming past the union at the time and thinking it was all a bit boarded up and a bit to be distracted from.”

“You can predict it in advance, this year their satisfaction rate will go through the roof.”

Mr Suleiman attributed his union’s top ranking to financial support from the University of Sheffield.

“We don’t have to worry about whether we are making a profit or loss we can just literally ask our students what do you want and try to provide it,” said Abdi Suleiman.

“People can turn up and genuinely feel like they

can meet up with other people and literally create something and the union will give them feeding money to start off any society they are interested.

James Fletcher, President of Reading University Students’ Union, who came fifth in the survey, felt their high ranking was because the student elections were happening at the time of the survey, which meant they had a high profile.

“I think it’s because at the time of the NSS survey it was around the time of our elections, the candidates were out in force.

“Also around the same time the university agreed to increase library funding by £600,000 and that was after a union campaign, so I think around that time we were quite high profile.”

The students’ union executive officers will answers questions on the NSS’s question on the union, in the Union Assembly on Wednesday 10 October.

06 : News

ISSUE 04 / 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

George Galloway sues NUS NEWS IN BRIEF over “rape denier” claims Model dies in Northern Quarter hotel A 23 year old Latvian model fell to her death from the balcony of a Northern Quarter hotel.

Laura Pahomova, living in Blackburn, fell from a rented apartment at the Light Boutique ApartHotel, landing on another balcony nine floors below.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

An inquest is expected to be held, but her death is not being treated as suspicious.

Man rescued after sausages start fire Firefighters forced their way into a house after a man fell asleep cooking sausages.

The 60 year old, from Baguley, was given first aid at the scene before being taken to Wythenshawe Hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

David Acton, Chairman of the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Authority, said the incident was a warning of “how easy it can be for a fire to start if something distracts you from cooking.”

Teenage girl attacked in Rochdale The 18 year old had her leg dislocated and may have fractured her jaw after being attacked outside Dali Bar in Rochdale.

She did not recognise her attackers, who grabbed her by the face and throat. She has no memory of what happened.

The assault happened between 2am and 3am on 23rd September. Police are appealing for any witnesses to come forward.

George Galloway is suing the NUS after they referred to him as “rape denier” and banned him from speaking at their events Jonathan Breen News Editor Respect MP George Galloway is suing the National Union of Students after they banned him for being a “rape denier”.

The NUS action last week comes after Mr Galloway, a public Julian Assange supporter, rubbished the claims of rape against the Wikileaks founder in a podcast in August.

Mr Galloway said in the podcast, “Even taken at its worst, if the allegations made by these two women were true, 100% true, and even if a camera in the room captured them, they don’t constitute rape.

“It might be really sordid and bad sexual etiquette, but whatever else it is, it is not rape or you bankrupt the term rape of all meaning.”

Following the comments, the National Union of Students put forward a motion to ban the Bradford West MP from speaking at NUS organised events and ban its members from speaking on a platform with Mr Galloway.

The motion went ahead despite an email by a member of Mr Galloway’s office to the NUS executive trying to smooth over the situation, in which it said Mr Galloway’s views on Mr Assange were “widely held on the left of the political spectrum.”

Ron Mckay, a spokesman for Mr Galloway, said they have sent a letter to the NUS and court action would follow depending on how they responded to it.

“We’ve written the legal letter and depending on how they respond the next stage is a writ and the court process creeps into place,” Mr Mckay said.

“George is not suing because he has been banned,” he added. “The NUS (executive)

can ban whomever they like for whatever reason they conjure, what they cannot do is put down a motion and pass a wording which is clearly defamatory without consequences.

“And to call someone a rape denier is undoubtedly defamatory. There could hardly be a more serious accusation.”

When contacted, the NUS refused to comment because they had not received any direct communication from Mr Galloway.

Mr Galloway wrote on his Twitter account he would give any money he recovers from the NUS to the Defence Fund for Julian Assange and Bradley Manning.

University of Manchester Students’ Union Womens’ Officer Tabz Obrien-Butcher condemned Mr Galloway’s comments and said she stood behind the NUS ban.

“George Galloway’s comments are utterly disgusting,” she said. “I am so incredibly proud to be a part of a movement that has categorically said no to rape apologism.

She added: “If his alleged attempt to sue the National Union of Students for standing against rape apologism is proven to be true, Galloway will have further shown his lack of respect for our right as students to voice our opinions, and our right as women to demand our safety.

“His statement on Twitter, in which he pledged to give any monies received from the NUS to Julian Assange’s Defence Fund clearly evidences how right we were to refuse him a platform in our unions and a voice in our movement.”

Tory MEP Roger Helmer has been banned by the NUS for alleged controversial comments about rape.

George Galloway is suing the the NUS for defamation Photo: DavidMartynHunt @

‘Go-Compare’ style website lauched for university courses Ellen Conlon News Editor Key statistics about all university courses are now provided on a website available to all prospective students.

The website, called Unistats, will provide details such as course costs, teaching hours and graduate earnings.

All 31,000 higher education courses available in the UK are able to be viewed and compared on the website, which went live last week.

The information, which has been collated for the first time, is aimed at giving advice for students facing the higher tuition fees in 2013, and hopes to provide greater transparency on course expectations.

Students are able to draw up their own lists of possible courses and compare them according to their own preferences, such as their fees, student satisfaction ratings or how many hours of contact they will have.

The Business Secretary Vince Cable said that the website represented “a major step forwards for students, their parents and their school and college advisors.”

“Applying to university is a big decision and we want to ensure that all students, whatever their background, have the key facts at their fingertips to help them make the right choice for them,” he said.

The Russell Group, who represent some of the UK’s leading universities said: “We welcome anything which makes it easier

for prospective students to make choices about which university they would like to study at.”

“But it is important to remember that all data can have its limitations and we urge students to read up on courses, go to open days and talk to careers advisors and others to find out what degree course will suit them.”

But the University and College Union (UCU), say the website’s emphasis on cost and financial benefits suggests the government is “trying to justify the massively increased cost of degrees.”

UCU General Secretary Sally Hunt, said: “Unless the government changes policy and invests more in supporting potential students, this new website will go the way of previous similar initiatives.”

“Students need proper support, not gimmicks.”

Mr Cable denies this: “We are not apologising for the system of pay put in place and we think it is a very good system that people from all backgrounds can benefit from.”

“Before, universities could pick and choose their students out of the batch that had applied. Now, students can compare universities based on past-student feedback among other things and make an informed decision about where they want to study.”

100,000 science graduates needed to maintain economy Anthony Organ News Editor The UK needs an annual minimum of 100,000 graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) just to maintain the economic status quo, according to a report published by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

There are currently only 90,000 STEM graduates each year and around a quarter of these go on to non-scientific careers, meaning that there is a significant shortfall. The median age of a Chartered Engineer, who is master’s degree qualified and registered with the Engineering Council, was also found to increase by a decade every 14 years.

The report, Jobs and growth: the importance of engineering skills to the UK economy, found that even more annual graduates would be required in both engineering and non-engineering jobs to help the economy to grow.

Professor Colin Bailey, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Manchester, welcomed the report and said that “well-educated engineers, in all disciplines, are key to the future UK economy.”

He continued: “The University is working with industrial partners to ensure that our engineering graduates have the required skills to face future challenges. We are also engaging with school children of all ages to introduce them to the wonders of engineering, as a future career, to address the significant skill shortage facing this country.”

Across the economy demand for STEM graduates exceeds supply and Professor Matthew Harrison, Director of Education at the Royal Academy of Engineering warned that the shortage was

More annual science graduates will be required to help the economy to grow. Photo: Joe Sandler Clarke

getting worse.

“In the last 10 years the general wage premium for graduates has been dropping, but over the same period the graduate premium for engineering has been going up.

“Engineering firms are crying out for engineers.

They can’t get the people they need. Although they have been very very vocal about the subject it has not translated into public policy yet.”

The report acknowledged that women, ethnic minorities, disabled people and disadvantaged people were under-represented in applications to STEM degrees and recommended government support focusing on the strategic value of such qualifications to improve this.

News: 07

ISSUE 04 / 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Manchester student tames dragons to win investment

Students lobby Labour over plans for NHS Khalil Secker

Geography student wows dragons with parking app Sam Holder

A University of Manchester student secured investment after impressing the judges of popular BBC reality show Dragon’s Den. Harrison Woods, 22, received £60,000 from Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones CBE who split the investment for a 40% stake in Mr Woods’ enterprise, Primal Parking Ltd., a letting agency for privately owned parking spaces throughout the UK. The website and phone app allows users to search for spaces within a 1-mile radius.

The geography student gave a confident pitch in the den but three of the dragons declared themselves ‘out’ after expressing concerns with the business, citing the fact other companies offer the same service.

Retail magnate Theo Paphitis praised the young entrepreneur’s “cojones” and prophesised his great success in the future.

Mr Paphitis added he was willing to take a “punt” and invest

in the project and said, “I want to be there when you make it”.

Mr Woods told The Mancunion, although he gave away double the equity initially offered, he was happy with the outcome, “to be honest I would have given more,” he said.

Despite only a few minutes of airtime, Mr Woods was actually in the studio for over an hour and described the dragons as friendly and positive throughout. He compared the experience to that of waiting for a bungee jump; he was extremely nervous before his “jump into the unknown”.

Mr Woods funded his enterprise through door-to-door sales of parking barriers, which made him £12,000 profit.

When asked what advice he would give entrepreneurial Manchester students, he maintained, “if you believe in a product, you can make others believe in a product. When I bought the barriers at 19 there were lots of people laughing at me, but I knew it could take me to the next step. Trying doesn’t hurt”.

Harrison Woods won a £60,00 investment from Theo Paphitis and Peter Jones

Seven marathons in seven 300-million-year-old insects seen for first time days raises over £14,000 Anthony Organ News Editor

David Lack

Two friends have completed the equivalent of seven marathons in seven days, raising over £14,000 for the Natalie Kate Moss Trust, founded in memory of a former University of Manchester student.

Natalie studied Textile Design and Design Management at the University of Manchester between 2004-2008 but died unexpectedly of a brain aneurism in December 2011, aged 26.

Natalie’s brother, Sebastian Moss, and their friend Ashley Collins began their marathon at the Quadrangle at the University before running 180 miles to London, finishing in Hyde Park. The route was chosen because it was the path that Natalie had taken just before she died.

Speaking about the run, Sebastian said: “It was physically the most difficult seven days of my life. Torrential rain in the first three days didn’t make life any easier, as we moved further south the rain began to ease until we arrived in Hyde Park with glorious sunshine.

“We certainly had some dark and lonely moments on this run and what got us through was remembering all the support which we had received and were receiv-

300-million-year-old insect fossils have been imaged for the first time in a pioneering use of an everyday technology.

A team from the University of Manchester’s School of Materials used High Resolution Computed Tomography (CT) to construct an image of the fossils encased in rock. The team were able to construct 3D images of the insect larave bytaking over 3,000 images from different angles.

Dr Garwood tol The Mancunion, “It has been a long-standing problem that by using normal techniques you end up with a 2D image of a 3D problem.”

The technology creates a 3D-image previously not possible. A single complete image of the insect “depends on the fossil, some take three or four days to a month [to create].” The complexity of the insect determines how many scans are needed and the time it takes to create the image.

The technology gives new insights into the larval form of ancient insects which have not survived intact and so cannot be seen using normal techniques. This allows researchers to see what the insect larvae looked like.. Insects change dramatically between their larval stage and their adult form. A process that is not fully understood yet holds a lot of interest for researchers.

Dr Garwood hopes the work will shed some

Sebastian (left) and Ashley (right) ran 180 miles over seven days.

ing during the run, those people that we would be able to help by raising all this money and particularly for me the memory of my sister and hoping that she would be proud of what I’m doing.”

The money, already exceeding the original £10,000 target, is still coming in. The Trust hopes to use the funds to award two annual University of Manchester scholarships to new students suffering from brain injuries, and to support University research into new treatments for strokes.

light on the biology and development of early insects.. The majority of animals on the planet are insects.

In an interview Dr Garwood said “we have a poor understanding of insect evolution, for example we don’t know how insect wings evolved”. The research team are focusing on the metamorphosis that occurs in insects as they grow, Dr Garwood wants to “scan lot of juvenile insects to see how complete metamorphosis evolved”. The study of how insects evolved is important as they pollinate plants and provide other vital roles to the ecosystem.

This technique has currently been focussed on imaging two insect fossils. One was a new species of cockroach larvae had spines along its back. It is believed the spines were used for protection, as it couldn’t fly and would not be able to escape predators. The team thinks this larva could even pre-date the split between modern cockroaches and their close group, the mantises.

Dr Garwood thinks this technology could be used bring about some major breakthroughs

300-million-year-old insect fossil

Over 100 campaigners gathered outside the Labour Party Conference in Manchester to lobby for a reversal of NHS cutbacks and privatisation.

They were also calling for Conservatives’ controversial Health and Social Care Act to be repealed if the Labour Party is elected.

Campaigners included students, trade unionists and activists from the ‘Save Trafford General Hospital’ campaign – a local hospital facing closure.

Sarah Webster, a PhD Sociology student said: “For students, the new Health and Social Care Act will likely limit access to free and important sexual and mental health facilities – like the Hathersage Road walk in clinic.’

Suzanna Dickson, a 3rd year Neuroscience student and member of the ‘Save Our NHS’ campaign said: “The NHS has always been the sole reason I’ve been proud to be British.

Now that care services are being sold off to private companies, it means care will be poorer and waiting times longer.”

Mike Tippett, a medical lab assistant from St. James’ hospital in Leeds said: “We’re facing 700 job losses within our Trust.

Our cytology department is having to compete with a private service, meaning the NHS service might be put out of business. If they get the contract it’ll be because they work faster, even though the actual quality of care is poorer.”

The NHS Partners Network, (the representative for private NHS providers) claims that the Health and Social Care Act could lead “to a race to the bottom on price that would almost certainly threaten quality.”

Mike Tippet went on to say that in Leeds, “13 community mental health teams have been cut down to just three, which means less time for each patient and a potentially increased risk of suicide.”

Cat Gray, Wellbeing Officer at the Students’ Union said, “Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust admits to spending the lowest amount in the country on community services, but is cutting its spending by 20 percent. At least 1 in 4 students experience mental health problems, so these cuts will seriously impact student wellbeing.”

Andy Burnham, the Labour Shadow Secretary for Health, passed by the demo and reassured activists “It is absolutely the position of the party to repeal the Health and Social Care Act.”

08 : Feature

ISSUE 04 / 1st OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

‘If it wasn’t for Ed Miliband, we would never have uncovered the phone hacking scandal’ Andrew Williams meets Labour Shadow Cabinet minister and chief News International tormentor, Tom Watson Andrew Williams Features Editor Depending on who you believe, I am sharing a packet of peanuts with both “a fundamentalist zealot who denounces any deviation from socialism” (<em>The Sun</em>) and “the man who almost singlehandedly brought down the world’s most powerful media mogul” (<em>The Guardian</em>). Sitting before me, though, is one man; loathed by those members of the tabloid press who believe they are victims of a witch hunt for which he is primarily responsible, loved by the people who see his attempts to change the culture of British media as a noble crusade.

Tom Watson has had a quite incredible political career. Elected as the MP for West Bromwich East in 2001, Watson went on to hold a variety of ministerial positions in Tony Blair’s government. When, in September 2006, he decided that Blair’s time as Prime Minister was up, he told him so in a stark letter of resignation.

Blair responded by branding his critic “disloyal, discourteous and wrong”, but was gone within a year.

Having returned to Government under Gordon Brown, Watson’s life changed in the spring of 2009 when he was implicated in a scandal involving the beleaguered Prime Minister’s Press Secretary, Damian McBride. “The Sun put me on the front page and said that I’d been in receipt of emails and that I could have stopped it and that I was complicit”, he explains. And so it began.

The wrongful accusation precipitated “a week-long campaign run by The Sun to try and kick me out. It was so painful that I thought, this just isn’t worth it. The quality of life scales tipped the other way, so I told Gordon Brown that I wanted to stand down in the reshuffle… I wanted to go to the backbenches.” The decision would radically alter the trajectory of both his life and career, as Watson’s potent interest in digital media led him to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

“I’d actually gone on the Committee to have a quieter life, believe or not – and then the scandal broke”.

He speaks, of course, of phone hacking, the scandal with which he would become synonymous. By the time Watson joined the Committee, former News of the World Royal Editor Clive Goodman had already gone to prison, along with private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, for hacking the phones of members of the royal family. We were, however, assured that these were ‘rogue reporters’, an anomalous pair who gone criminally offpiste in search of a scoop. Watson was unconvinced.

“On day one, the first evidence session,

we had the editor and solicitor of the News of the World, and they were so defensive, their body language was so shifty that I thought, there’s more to this than meets the eye. They were so aggressive…”

“In the phone hacking enquiry what we were beginning to uncover – and there was a small team of us working on it – was links to the criminal underworld, some very shady and dangerous people, and nobody was listening.

The police weren’t listening.

What followed is well documented. A culture of phone hacking more pervasive then anyone could ever have imagined began to unravel as News International first reached out of court settlements with eight celebrities, including actress Sienna Miller and football pundit Andy Gray, for breaches of their privacy. It then emerged that News of the World staff may have hacked the phone of missing schoolgirl Milly Dowler.

Cue public and press outrage. Slowly but surely concrete evidence emerged of scores of instances of hacking, tampering and espionage, the details unrelentingly seedy and increasingly explosive. Rebekah Brooks, the former editor of The Sun, was arrested and is awaiting trial for six counts of conspiracy to intercept communications; the News of the World, the highest-selling English language newspaper in the world, closed after 168 years.

It is for all of these reasons that Tom Watson weighed in at number 36 in the 2012 MediaGuardian 100 – <em>The Guardian’s</em> annual guide to most powerful people in the media – ahead of the likes of Ian Hislop, Jeremy Paxman and, ironically, James Murdoch.

Were it not for Watson’s inexorable determination to uncover the full story behind phone hacking, it might well never have been exposed. “It’s been a

Tom Watson MP

long, hard slog, a lot of hours and late nights”, he admits.

The impact of his efforts to uncover phone hacking went far beyond his burning the candle at both ends. In taking the decision to go to war with the Murdoch empire, there would be severe consequences for his personal life. The Fake Sheikh, Mazher Mahmood, commissioned a covert surveillance team to follow Watson around for the News of the World. He admits that it was a frightening period. “I kind of laugh about it now because it’s in the past but how preposterous is it that you would be followed around by a private investigator commissioned by a newspaper? You never think it’s going to happen to you.”

“In the phone hacking enquiry what we were beginning to uncover – and there

was a small team of us working on it – was links to the criminal underworld, some very shady and dangerous people, and nobody was listening. The police weren’t listening. So in the darker moments I thought, what are these guys capable of doing, how far will they take it?

Nonetheless, Watson harbours no regrets about taking on one of the world’s most powerful corporate organisations.

“Criminality at News International was endemic”, he says unequivocally. “I don’t want to name individual people but clearly they’ve admitted it. The culture was rotten and they were at it for many, many years.”

I try to turn our conversation away from phone hacking. It’s Friday night and there is a reason why we are meeting at The New Oxford, a quaint and rather

charming pub just a stone’s throw from Salford Cathedral. In the next hour, Watson will kick off his first ever DJ set, and a growing crowd of Labour Party activists are obviously excited at the prospect; our conversation is repeatedly interrupted by people querying the start time. “It’s like your Dad doing a wedding disco isn’t it! But I’ve got some good stuff in there”, he protests.

More importantly, we meet on the eve of a crucial Labour Party Conference in neighbouring Manchester. The Coalition Government is hugely unpopular but, under the leadership of Ed Miliband, Labour have gained little traction with the electorate thus far; I put it to Watson

ISSUE 04 / 08th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

“

If we try to in-

gratiate ourselves with The Sun... therein are the seeds of destruction and misery. “

It’s a startling assertion. Is he suggesting that, without Ed Miliband, the phone hacking scandal would never have been broken? “Yes, yes”, he replies instantaneously. “I think that Leveson is a direct result of him getting up and calling for Rebekah Brooks to be sacked, and for the BskyB bid to be shelved, and I think that changed the politics of the whole campaign. In so doing he also severed a twenty year relationship with Murdoch and News International.

That was a very brave thing for him to do and I’m very proud of him for doing it as well.”

Brave, perhaps, but from a political perspective it might be a decision that comes back to haunt him. As things stand, The Sun are unlikely to back Labour at the next election, but Watson dismisses the suggestion that this will be a factor in the party’s political positioning. “I think that if we try second guess The Sun, or try to gauge them, or try to ingratiate ourselves with The Sun, make policy on the basis of what a Sun editorial might say, therein are the seeds of destruction and misery. What we’ve got to do is carve out our own programme and if The Sun like it, fine.”

As for the Leveson Inquiry, he can’t quite bring himself to say that he is optimistic. The extent to which Leveson will change things for the better will, Watson says, ultimately come down to the three party leaders. “The mood music has changed in the last month with David Cameron… I think it would be the greatest tragedy of his premiership if he was not strong enough to do the right thing.”

“It’s not beyond the wit of man for us to come up with a system that stops tabloid journalists thinking it’s right that you can hack a phone – and I don’t see much repentance. I mean if you look at Kelvin Mackenzie, he basically embodies a ‘fuck you’ spirit, and it’s unacceptable. As editor of The Sun newspaper, you’re one of the most powerful people in the land, so you’ve got to have some responsibility. So, you know, we’ll see what comes out of Leveson, but I hope that David Cameron doesn’t cower.”

As you might expect, Watson delivers a damning assessment of the performance of Cameron and Co. just over two years into their premiership. “I thought their economic plans were illiterate, and so I thought they would have difficulty. What I didn’t predict was how incompetent they would be across a range of policy areas. It’s not just because they’ve got the wrong ideology – they’re actually incompetent at enacting them. I was very surprised that

their programme ran out of steam so quickly.”

“You just look at where they are on these issues and they’re basically in conflict with each other”, he continues. “It’s very difficult for an opposition to be heard when you’ve got a government at war. So there are big challenges for us about how we position ourselves and get a message of hope out there.

It’s amazing to see. I never thought it would happen so quickly.”

Tom Watson ‘s book

that a YouGov poll today found that only 30% of Labour Party members believe that the party is led by people of real ability.

“Well, that shows that you shouldn’t believe everything you see in opinion polls because we do have people of real ability. I think the challenge for Labour is that frankly… it’s not normal to sketch out your programme so early on. But I think we’re in such a mess with the Coalition that people really are casting around for alternatives now, and we’ve got this opportunity to begin that a bit earlier in the electoral cycle.”

Watson is in absolutely no doubt that Ed Miliband is the right man to set Labour’s programme for government in motion. He is keen to praise the younger Miliband for “speaking truth to power and not being afraid to speak out… that’s why I personally feel that I’ve got a debt of loyalty to Ed. Because I was involved in all of the Murdoch stuff.

A lot of people identify me with that campaign, but what they don’t know, or really recognise, is that it was only really cracked open when Ed Miliband got up at Prime Minister’s Questions and made it an issue central to the political debate of the day.”

Feature : 09 the speakers.

With the set in full swing – and the night a roaring success – I return to ask him what the future holds.

One thing is for certain; he is categorically not interested in leading the Labour Party. “I will never stand and run for leader of the Labour Party… it’s up to Ed whether or not he wants to put me in the Cabinet but to be honest, I’m not quite sure where my life is taking me right now. I have a life beyond politics, which is why I would never, ever, ever run for leader of the party!”

I put it to him, though, that his close identification with the ongoing phone hacking saga must be something of a cross to bear. After all, he had never intended to find himself in the eye of one of the greatest political storms of the modern era. “Well it’s one of the things, I feel like I’m in this and I need to finish it off. I need to be here ‘til the end. I feel I’ve got a responsibility to see it through… but with politics, if something comes your way, if the ball lands in your lap, you’ve got to run with it, even if very often you don’t know quite where it’s gonna go.”

To read the full interview with Tom Watson, visit www.mancunion.com/category/features

It’s 8 o’clock, and time for Watson to entertain a crowd whose deep-seated resentment at this current government is clear for all to see. It doesn’t take much probing to elicit responses such as “same old Tories”; the amassed Labour Party members are, in the main, as confident as Watson in the ability of their leader.

The music kicks off in fine style, with firm Manchester favourites The Smiths following Ian Dury and The Clash at the start of proceedings. There are more than a few wry smiles when Watson chooses The Jam’s ‘News of the World’ five songs in. By 9pm, everyone is on their feet and Watson himself is in possession of a fine air guitar as AC/DC blare out of

manchester.gov.uk/shisha

IS AS HARMFUL AS CIGARETTES

AND COULD LAND YOU A *If smoked within an enclosed public space.

FINE

*

10

Politics & Comment

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

My Political Interview with Owen Jones Hero...

Eve Fensome speaks to Owen Jones about the problems facing the working class, and how Labour must meet their demands Owen Jones is not your stereotypical bestselling writer.

Born in Sheffield and brought up in Stockport, the ‘Chavs’ author speaks with a noticeable Manchester accent and, as he admits on his Twitter page, looks like a 12 yearold.

In the last year he’s made regular appearances on TV and radio including being on the Question time panel. When I met him at the Labour Party Conference last week he had spoken at numerous fringe events, and had been in great demand all week.

Mr Jones was born in Sheffield but grew up in Stockport. He attended Cheadle and Marple Sixth Form College (previously Ridge Danyers Sixth Form College) which is about five miles away from Fallowfield, and read History at University College, Oxford.

I ask him how where he grew up has affected his views: “All areas I’ve lived in by varying degrees were really badly hit by Thatcherism.

The primary school I went to in Stockport, I was the only boy to go to sixth form and that wasn’t because I was bright but because the odds were stacked in my favour.”

“My dad worked for Sheffield City Council, he was senior shop steward for his trade union - Unison, and my mum taught IT at Salford University. The people who I grew up with, their parents did very low paid work, struggled to make ends meet, a lot of them had gone through unemployment. So to me this idea that there was no class, that we’re all middle class seems frankly ludicrous.”

He goes on to mention his political roots, even including his great granddad who was in the general strike as a train driver, adding “he refused to stand up for the national anthem.”

“So I think socialism runs through my family but certainly growing up in communities, predominantly working class communities that were hit by Thatcherism affected me.”

I ask him what he feels has been the most striking feature of the Labour Party Conference.

“I think for me if I was to say compare where the Labour Party was with high Blairism I think it’s in a very different place, whether it be in the attitude to inequality, trade union movement… I think there has been a shift in terms of its attitude as a party; I think there’s a determination to take on the failures of austerity.

“So I think there’s lots of positives but I don’t think yet that the Labour leadership is offering a coherent alternative to austerity. It’s lined up behind the Tories on (the) real terms cuts to public sector workers pay which doesn’t make any economic sense. It will suck demand out of the economy when we need it most.

“So there are problems, but I do think there’s a common determination to take on the Tories over austerity. Certainly party activists are very angry about what’s happening to this country and there’s been a real shift from new Labour and the disappointments and betrayals.”

He goes on to say: “Labour lost five million votes since 13 years in power. The Tories only won one million votes in the same period. And if you look at the breakdown they kept many of their middle class voters, there’s only a small drop.

“Amongst skilled workers there was a huge drop of 21 points, so they haven’t defected into the arms of the Tories, some of them may have gone LibDem, and tragically some of them have gone BNP, but overwhelmingly there was a shift, people just stopped voting, and there’s a huge gap in class turn out. The poorer you are the less likely you are to vote, that has a huge impact on Labour because Labour proportionally draws their support from those groups, so unless they reconnect with those working people, Labour are not going to win another general election.”

I ask him what he thinks Labour needs to do to reconnect with these core voters.

“Housing crisis,” he says emphatically. “Five million people languishing on social housing waiting list, it’s a very destructive impact on our communities, people feel like they’re in competition for lack of housing.

“Building houses would create jobs, reduce the social housing waiting list and bring down welfare spending by not wasting billions on housing benefits lining the pockets of wealthy landlords.

Mr Jones’ book, ‘Chavs: the Demonization of the Working Class’, spoke about the hostile discourse surrounding people claiming benefits, how can the left change this discourse?

“Well for me, that point I make in the book is the air brushing out of existence the working class in favour of this idea that everyone’s middle class apart from a feckless work shy caricature which is false.

“And I think that the way to change that is working class representation; to get more working class journalists for example. Over half of journalists according to the Sutton Trust are privately educated. Just over one in 10 went to a comp, so if you have people who’ve mixed with people from different backgrounds, or are themselves working class, then journalists are far more likely to understand the issues in various communities and actually represent them or reflect them more accurately. It’s the same with politicians, to have MPs rooted in working class communities and understand those issues.

“To me it always come down to voice and to power, because what we’ve also seen is that social problems have turned into individual failings, personal failings. So I’d like to see a platform, a voice given to people who are unemployed, to people who are disabled and are having their disability benefits taken away. In the first ten months of last year 1,100 disabled people died after being found fit for work. We don’t see that reality, we normally see disabled people who are claiming disability benefits portrayed as a bunch of scroungers,

so we need to give a platform for people to counter that false stereotype and caricature.”

But how do we actually get more representative people involved? I ask.

“Working class people traditionally got involved in politics at the highest level through trade unions or local government but they got really weakened so we need to strengthen the trade union link in the Labour party to actually get more supermarket workers, call centre workers, nurses, bin collectors, people like that selected as candidates. There’s a responsibility on the trade union to train up their members, get them involved in the party and get them selected as candidates.

“To increase representation in journalism we need to abolish unpaid internships.

Now unpaid internships have grown across professions which are a first step in the door to many aspiring journalists, but you can only do it, particularly in London, if you can live off the bank of mum and dad, so only the most affluent people can afford to do that. It stops working class people being able to get into journalism or the media, or other professions as well, so they’re completely unjustified and have to be abolished.

“We also need more scholarships. Particularly with places like City University where you have to do expensive qualifications like a masters for £9,000 a year on top of having to live in London we need to make this accessable to people from different backgrounds.”

What can students do to enact change? I ask quite innocently.

“I think students should organise together and link up with other campaigning groups, particularly trade unions, to fight for a just society, for a living wage, against unemployment, against austerity, against the cuts to rally around a coherent alternative, because you only change things through struggle from below, from people fighting from below. As I said yesterday, Frederick Douglass the 19th Century African American statesman said, ‘Power concedes nothing without a demand, it never did and it never will.’ People have to fight, students must unite with other people, we’re all in this together apart from the people at the top. Otherwise the future of young people is bleak, it doesn’t have to be this way, so I’d say to people; don’t feel impotent or don’t feel despair, go out and fight because your future is at risk.”

At last year’s conference Owen Jones’ approach might have been considered heretical but now as austerity bites, it’s merely radical, and I wonder whether in a year’s time it will take a step closer towards Labour Policy, or if Labour will creep closer towards the centre ground.

Owen Jones is the writer of Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class (2011) which was listed by The Sunday Times as the bestselling politics book of 2011 and is currently a columnist for The Independent.

Sócrates (with an ó) For a political hero, Sócrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira, known to the world simply as Sócrates, is far from an obvious choice. But for those with a keen interest in both football and politics, he stands out as a rare example of someone who made a meaningful contribution to both fields.

Unlike other sportspeople, footballers especially tend to shy away from politics. Those who do dip a toe in usually do so for vain, self-serving purposes and end up looking foolish. With an amazing lack of self-awareness, Eric Cantona underlined this perfectly, when in 2010 he encouraged a run on the global banking system. A great many others are merely concerned with their own personal gains. They don’t declare it, but you get the feeling the majority either vote on the right, whose traditional policy of lower taxation they prefer, or not at all.

Many footballers are simply too insular or perhaps too poorly-educated, or both, to ever participate in valid political discourse.

But Sócrates was far removed from your typical footballer. Even in his era, he stood out from the crowd. An educated man, he successfully juggled his early playing career with the completion of his medical studies, qualifying as a doctor at the age of 25. Add to that the fact that his childhood heroes were Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and John Lennon, and you start to get an idea of the kind of man O Doutor (the doctor) was.

In 1978 he joined the giants of São Paulo, Sport Club Corinthians. Known as the Timão, or ‘big team’, they are one of the largest and most iconic clubs in South America, if not the world. While Sócrates elegantly marshalled the midfield on the pitch, off it he set about revolutionising the way the club was run.

At that time Brazil was under a military dictatorship, and its football clubs operated in much the same mould. The players had almost every aspect of their lives decided on their behalf, dictated to them by higher-ups. Sócrates sought change; along with teammates Wladimir and Casagrande, he formed Democracia Corinthiana – Corinthians’ Democracy. Described as a ‘utopian socialist cell’, the system proposed that every decision, right down to simple daily tasks like what and when the team ate, be discussed openly and then put to a democratic vote.

Aside from effecting change within the football club, Democracia Corinthiana also concerned itself with the political situation in Brazil as a whole. More than anything else, the movement was significant as a public display of support for the democratisation of the country, which very much reflected the mood of the people. Sócrates and his comrades would routinely take to the pitch with banners which read ‘Democracia’, and they had their shirts printed with ‘Dia 15 Vote’ – vote on the 15th – to motivate as many people as possible to participate in the São Paulo State elections. While not the sole driver of change, Democracia Corinthiana is recognised as an influential part of the campaign to end the authoritarian regime, which was replaced in 1985.

His successful spell with Corinthians came to an end in 1984. Speaking in front of one-and-a-half million people at a rally that year, he announced that only if Congress passed a constitutional amendment to re-establish free elections would he turn down an offer to play in Italy. The motion didn’t go through, and so he packed his bags and headed for Fiorentina.

He later returned to Brazil for stints with Flamengo, Santos and Botafogo Futebol Clube, before retiring in 1989. In his later years he continued his political activism, and became one of Brazil’s most prominent social philosophers, while still finding time to practise medicine in his native Ribeirão Preto. He sadly passed away last year when his alcohol-damaged liver struggled to deal with a bout of food poisoning. You get the feeling he had a lot more to give Brazil.

Sócrates was a truly remarkable man. He was almost totally unique in that he recognised, as a footballer, he had been given a platform on which he could push for social change. By virtue of his success on the pitch, millions listened when he spoke, and he acted on what he felt was his responsibility to improve the lives of ordinary citizens. If only more were like him.

Ben Weich

Comment

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

11

Could ‘One Nation Labour’ appeal?

Is Ed Miliband’s idea of ‘One Nation Labour’ enough to convince us that they have a direction?

At the Labour Party conference this week, much was said about the new direction of the party, and the rousing opening speech from leader Ed Miliband.

I attended a live debate on the Victoria Derbyshire radio show on Monday morning before the official start of the conference. From the outset, the overwhelming sentiment of the 250 audience members was very clear: Labour lack direction and Ed Miliband isn’t an inspiring leader.

Before the conference, Labour’s tactic of attacking the government’s policies whilst not formulating many of their own has caused disillusionment. Although numerous opinion polls show they are 10 points ahead of the Conservatives, others show that voters actually prefer David Cameron and George Osborne to handle the economy than Ed Miliband and Ed Balls.

The criticism of Labour’s inactivity is not fairly levelled. Ed Miliband has only been leader for two years. We have three very uncertain years ahead before the next general election. The ongoing Eurozone crisis, coupled with a double-dip recession in the UK, means Labour have no idea how the books will be balanced should they regain power. Labour cannot make policies so far removed from a general election because they don’t know whether they’ll be able to keep them. I do not accept Nick Clegg’s apology for raising tuition fees after campaigning against them, and I will not accept any apology from Ed Miliband if he reneges on a promise.

Ed Miliband’s opening speech on Monday set the tone for the rest of the conference. Not only did his conversational and humorous delivery, without the use of notes, dispel the notion that he could be a character in a Wallace and Gromit episode, but the speech also had substance. Borrowing the rhetoric of ‘One Nation’ from Benjamin Disraeli crossed party lines and combined nostalgia with optimism for ‘One Nation Labour’.

Miliband has been successful from moving away from New Labour, which was characterised by the Blair-Brown split and the financial crash, towards a Labour that is more cohesive and focused. His presence, charisma and ability to lead have often been called into question, but at the moment he is the only leader with total support from his party. His speech will resonate with Liberal Democrats more than Clegg’s did a week ago.

But has he done enough? He was elected with huge support from union members and affiliates, with his brother David receiving the majority of Labour MPs’ votes. But after expressing his disapproval at the public sector strikes in 2011 over pension cuts, he may have bitten the hand that feeds him. And with the ongoing row between Len McCluskey, general secretary of Unite, Labour’s biggest donor, and the party leadership, Labour’s relationship with the unions is becoming increasingly fractured.

I oppose public sector pay-cuts; having higher

Ed Miliband in conversation with manchester students in 2010. Photo: Nick Bojdo

employment is not only more beneficial to the economy in the long run, but also to individuals’ wellbeing. This feeling will be shared by the core of Labour voters and many members of the trade unions too. The feud between the unions and the party would have hurt Old Labour, but ‘One Nation Labour’ has evolved and protected itself from a union backlash.

Upon leaving the debate on Monday morning, I questioned other audience members as to whether their views about the party and its leadership had changed. The mood was still bleak - most were questioning the inactivity of the party, speaking of how they feel that they can’t connect with Ed Miliband.

From his speech on Monday, to the party political broadcast in which he talks about his comprehensive education, it is impossible not to warm to him. Every

time he speaks about going to Haverstock, we are reminded that Cameron went to Eton.

In terms of connecting with the electorate, this has been a successful week for Mr Miliband. A week is a long time in politics; two years is much longer. It is definitely too early to assume this year’s conference has catapulted the party into a very secure position.

However, Miliband, bolstered by a cohesive party, has the ability to lead ‘One Nation Labour’ and push the party forward.

Helen Stevenson

Disagree? Tweet us @mancuniondebate, or email us at comment@mancunion.com

“Oh, but it wasn’t rape-rape…”

As George Galloway announces he is suing the NUS for libel, in wake of his being described by them as a “rape denier”, Emma Bean examines the culture of murky understandings of rape The world is awash with what can politely be described as misunderstandings of what constitutes rape and what consent actually is.

Whenever conversations on the topic spring up, the most marvellously, shockingly incorrect things are too often said, “well, that wasn’t proper rape, they were really drunk” , “to avoid being raped, women shouldn’t dress like sluts”, “they might not have said yes, but they didn’t say no all that much either” .

Let’s just add some clarity with the actual, legal definition of rape. The Sexual Offences Act 2003 defines rape as: A is guilty of rape if he intentionally penetrates the vagina, mouth or anus of A (the complainant) with his penis, if B does not consent to the penetration and A does not reasonably believe that B consents.

The definition of consent is an important provision within the act also, defined as “if she agrees by choice, and has the freedom and capacity to make that choice”. Freedom and capacity are two words that are particularly pertinent, for the sort of rapes that Todd Akin would perhaps not define as “legitimate”. The majority of rape and sexual assault occurs within relationships, where real free choice could certainly be easily diminished.

Abusive and coercive relationships, such as those featured in the recent home office campaign aimed at young people which tries to highlight these rapes, are a particularly common sort of rape. They’re not the down-a-dark-alleyway “forcible rapes” that Paul Ryan recognises, but they represent a far more common sort of rape that shows an incredibly harmful side to power structures within relationships, where the victims are coerced into sex.

If we look at power structures within relationships and the world more broadly, we see that it is women who are more likely than men to be on the receiving end of sexual violence and domestic abuse, and the two are often inextricably linked. The act of rape has

been used as an act of exerting dominance and power over a person or conquered group since the year dot, and it would be incorrect to consider rape and sexual based abuse and violence outside of this historical and societal context. For a man to be raped by another man is an act intended to emasculate and make him ‘less of a man’. Though of course, the current legal definition of rape is rather too couched in heteronormative understandings of sexual encounters to entirely deal with the issue of relationship based abuse or sexual abuse more broadly. One of the highest risk groups for such things is the Trans and Queer community, and of course in same sex relationships issues relating

to sexual and domestic violence can occur. In opposite sex relationships, men can be subject to abuse and this is something that is often ignored in legislature, and is also of course very damaging.

If we look at the culture of ‘slut-shaming’, victim blaming and the Slutwalk movement inspired by some distressing comments from a Canadian police officer, we see a culture where victims of sexual violence and harassment are told to accept it, that they should hold some of the blame and that they should be ashamed of their own choices regarding their sexuality.

This is just a further continuation of positively medieval notion of sexual morality, that women

are the gate keepers of propriety in the face of men’s uncontrollable all encompassing sexual desires and that if men should see even the slightest hint of the ‘feminine form’ that they can no longer be held responsible for their actions.

Put quite simply, in addition to being incredibly offensive to all of humanity whatever their gender identity, this just doesn’t make a single scrap of sense when we look at the actual legal definition of rape. Or to quote a particularly good Slutwalk placard “a dress is not a yes”.

This culture is something that affects women, the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer) community and the whole of society not just in terms of sexual assault but also when you look at how common street harassment is, and how people are told quite categorically that they should just accept it, that they should regard it as a compliment, and that it is something that isn’t worthy of police time.

This quite simply is not good enough, and trivialising this so is very offensive, not just to those who are the victims but for men who this logic suggests are nothing more than animals driven solely by their reproductive urges.

One in four women students will be victims of sexual assault. If the figures can so stark amongst a group that is most likely one of the most educated in the importance of gender relations and liberal thinking, the sort of people who recognise that being outwardly homophobic or racist would be most certainly wrong, how bad must it be amongst other groups?

Whilst the UK is no longer at the stage of say America, where basic abortion provision is something that still needs to be fought for, there are still some very serious issues that need to be dealt with that hinder women’s liberation.

For consent, sexual autonomy and rape to be so broadly misunderstood and misrepresented across almost all of society is truly distressing and shows how much more needs to be done.

12

Comment

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The man who changed history A tribute to the historian Eric Hobsbawm (1917-2012) who passed away last week aged 95 Before the war history was the study of Kings, Queens, wars and revolutions. Historical journals separated the subject into a series of narrow arguments. Questions like “What caused the industrial revolution?” dominated, with history broken down into a set of almost scientific debates about cause and effect.

Eric J. Hobsbawm – who passed away last week aged 95 – and his peers changed all that.

Along with his colleagues E. P. Thompson and Christopher Hill, he founded the social history journal Past & Present in 1952.

Heavily influenced by the French Annales School, Past & Present set out to bring together intellectuals who wanted to do more than argue about institutions and treaties.

For undergraduates during the 1950s and 1960s, the impact of the journal was dramatic.

“Suddenly nothing was off the table,” explains the historian Simon Schama. “You could write a history of food! The whole of human behaviour was up for historical vision.”

As Hobsbawm himself put it in Radio 4 interview earlier this year, the journal was “about trying to fertilise traditional history, historical and institutional narrative, by marrying it to, or getting inspiration from, the social sciences.”

Dr Leif Jerram, a lecturer in modern History at the University of Manchester says that he achieved this in style.

“Hobsbawm got people to face up to how underlying structures that we might view as being obvious or just given are in fact all produced in self-concious ways. That was his great methodological contribution,” he says.

“If you pick up a history book in Waterstone’s it will be called something like ‘Britain in the Age of…’ or they’ll be some kind of assumption in the title. Hobsbawm was able to say ‘take one step back: who invented this thing called Britain? Why is it there? What is it for?’ That one further step back is the great contribution I think he made.”

Born in Alexandria, Egypt in June 1917, Hobsbawm’s early years saw him live through one of the most tumultuous periods in European history. His family, which was Jewish, moved to Austria when he was a toddler, before arriving in Berlin just in time for the young historian to witness first hand the disintegration of the Weimar Republic and the rise of Hitler.

This early exposure to high political drama inevitably had a bearing on Hobsbawm’s politics. The historian, born just months before the Russian revolution, was a lifelong communist.

“I suppose my childhood in Vienna prepared me a little bit for the later development; after all it was a highly political atmosphere,” he told the BBC earlier this year. To emphasise his point a clip from a recording made in 1996, which sees him returning to his school classroom in Vienna, reveals that the young Eric carved the words ‘down with Hitler’ into his desk.

I put it to Dr Peter Gatrell, an historian at the University of Manchester, that Hobsbawm’s politics made him a somewhat controversial figure.

“People who jump to conclusions about Hobsbawm fail to understand just how extraordinary a time the 1930s was,” he argues.

“To accuse Hobsbawm of being blinded by the Soviet Union negates the fact that he and so many other people were taking seriously the challenge of Nazism not in 1939 or 1942, but in 1933.

“Hobsbawm’s ideology was forged in the late 1920s and early 1930s and firmed up by the realisation that Nazism was an extraordianary challenge to humanity and to civilisation.”

For the legendary historian Tony Judt, Hobsbawm’s was first and foremost a great historian.

“On everything he touched he wrote much better, had usually read much more, and had a broader and subtler understanding than his more fashionable emulators. If he had not been a lifelong communist he would be remembered simply as one of the great historians of the 20th century.”

Talking to The Mancunion, Dr Pedro Ramos Pinto echoed Judt’s sentiment.

“He was a great writer. He could be talking about big processes on huge scales such as the industrial revolution or the transformation of global capitalism, but within a sentence he brings you back to the streets of London or Vienna and gives you a sense of the human consequences and human experiences. Every historian aspires to write like Hobsbawm.”

Described by the New York Times as “a cool introvert” and a jazz fan – the historian wrote under the name Francis Newton in homage to the trumpeter Frankie Newton for the New Statesman – Hobsbawm fled Germany following the death of his parents in the 1930s and came to London, before winning a place at Cambridge University.

He graduated from King’s College with the highest possible honours in 1939 and, in between serving in World War Two – where, much to his chagrin, he remained on the sidelines of

Even at the end of his life, Hobsbawm was committed to communist principles. Published last year, his book ‘How To Change The World’ was a collection of essays arguing for the enduring relevance of Marixst theory.

the conflict – he managed to complete a Masters in 1942 before completing a doctorate in 1951. He married Muriel Seaman, a civil servant and communist in 1943 but the marriage lasted only seven years.

He is survived by his second wife Marlene Schwarz whom he married in 1962; as well as his daughter Julia, his sons Andrew and Joss Bennathan; plus seven grandchildren; and one greatgrandchild.

I ask Dr Leif Jerram whether he believes the academic world will be a poorer place without this eye-witness 20th century historian.

“His greatness lay in his ideas, not his existence,” he says – matter-of-factly.

With Hobsbawm’s seminal works ‘The Age of Revolution’, ‘The Age of Capital’, ‘The Invention of Tradition’, and ‘The Age of Extremes’ remaining integral to any history undergraduate worth their salt, his ideas will certainly live on.

Should we value the National Student Survey?

How far should we value a system that consistently ranks Russell Group institutions below less traditionally academic ones?

The results of the National Student Satisfaction (NSS) survey, have been published to show that the University of Manchester has continued its tradition of getting relatively poor scores.

We have, however, increased on last year’s overall satisfaction rating by four percentage points (79-83%) and are now on a par with the University of Edinburgh, as well as no longer being the worst institution in the Russell Group, having passed that accursed baton onto Kings College London.

Let us not also forget, what the question that universities are falling down upon is, it’s not a test of students being overwhelmingly happy with their course and the institution, but rather just that they are satisfied, the academic equivalent of being described as merely “nice”.

The NSS could well be perceived as being a ranking system that gives unfair advantages to certain types of institution, such as campus universities. The University of Loughborough, for example, consistently performs very well in terms of student satisfaction,

but is a far smaller institution than our own, with only 16,000 students, and most of its students are based on just the one campus in suburban Loughborough.

With their Students’ Union having regular club nights that are massively popular - many students’ social lives being structured around the University and the Students’ Union - it’s not surprising that they would be more satisfied with their university in broader terms, and that this might transfer onto a greater level of satisfaction with their courses as well. I find it hard to believe that students at Loughborough absolutely never have issues with feedback, for example, but when this is but one aspect of their university experience and everything else is so positive, it might seem like less of an issue.

Whilst we might not be entirely distressed by being beaten by a university like Loughborough, when the University of Teesside can consistently outperform us in these statistics, you might intuitively feel that there could well be a problem with the system, or at least with its popularity.

During the clearing process, NSS scores are often used by less traditionally-valued institutions as a way to appeal to desperate would-be students during the stressful time. Hearing that your peers are 100% satisfied with an English Studies BA from the University of Teesside, compared with a meagre 53% for English Language at our own dear university, could well be very persuasive at such a time.

When such value is placed on a ranking system that is entirely done on a relatively informal basis, with incomplete data sets, by people who are not impartial, nor experts, this seems fairly problematic.

Within some departments, and within some institutions, there are vastly differing numbers of people actually completing the surveys. In the figures quoted above, just 35 students completed the form at Teesside and 60 completed it at Manchester. With incomplete data, it does make the statistics seem less reliable, so it seems peculiar that despite this, they are still used as a way to rank institutions.

Students are not neutral

actors either. The motives behind a student’s completion of the survey, whether positive or negative, might not be just to give the most accurate reflection of their time at university.

Indeed, even if they are just giving an accurate interpretation of their time, it might not be true to say that it is entirely objective. It seems plausible that if an individual feels happier in their nonacademic university life, this could affect peoples general happiness, possibly influencing how they fill things out.

Whilst people’s overall experience at Manchester might well be very positive, the University itself probably often isn’t the best aspect of it.

As people’s social lives often aren’t connected particularly to the University directly, unlike at other institutions, this shan’t lead to them thinking any more positively about the University.

Geographically, the University is at a disadvantage through no particular fault of its own.

It doesn’t seem to be awfully fair to have the same sort of measures for something so entirely subjective as a person’s

level of satisfaction.

Dr Leif Jerram’s attempts to influence official student survey in 2011 show how much of an effect it can potentially have on a department and perhaps also on employer’s perceptions of the value of a course or degree.

Two years ago he sent out an email to students who were due to complete the survey in which he said: “If our own students keep saying that this History department is failing to provide a satisfactory education, eventually employers will listen to that official verdict. You will suffer, and the value of your degree will collapse.”

When you have a system where so much value is placed on non-expert opinions from non-neutral actors, surely it should not be a nationally valued survey. Could it be imagined that any other survey with so many variables could be so widely or highly regarded?

Of course, some aspects of complaint are legitimate, such as those regarding appalling feedback in numerous departments; things that universities should act upon. Feedback issues are an incredibly widespread

problem, and for people to be unhappy with this is reasonable; students have every right to be feel unsatisfied.

But, it does not seem right that these sorts of very real and pervasive issues are being judged in a way that cannot be equally applied to all institutions in a fair and objective manner.

Expert-led research into the problems of student satisfaction, which are often based on legitimate complaints, would be a very good thing to include alongside how a university scores for research or teaching. But to have it done in the present manner opens it up for numerous avenues of inaccuracies and distortion, and ultimately renders the very important data far less persuasive.

Emma Bean Politics & Comment Editor

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Letters

13

ED. Union events – Good idea, poor execution Last week you may have read about the disastrous M13 Festival and the Welcome Week Party.

The intentions were noble. In the past, I believe this Union has at times lost sight of what it’s here for: Representing and supporting its paying members. We’ve spent far too much money “raising awareness” (but achieving little) for international issues, or financially shooting ourselves in the foot through selective, arbitrary boycotts and bans that offer no consistency But there have been some promising signs. The new refurbishment cost millions but looks fantastic. For any first years out there, the old look was more Soviet Union than Students’ Union. Distributing the newspaper in the Union used to be treated in the newsroom with rolled eyes, but now there’s a sense that people are actually going there in large numbers to hang out.

And then there’s Fresh Fridays, the Union’s first clubnight that’s proving to be a real success.

Beyond that, we’re seeing some much needed investment in Student Action, the local volunteering organisation.

You can get the rebellious student out of your system by ‘fighting fascism’ in our university, but if you want to see a real difference being made, then look no further than Student Action.

IS THIS YOU? If so, you’ve won two tickets to an Academy gig of your choice!* *Subject to availability. Come to the 1st floor of the Students’ Union to collect your tickets.

But M13 and The Welcome Week Party proved there is still a long way to go. Both were catastrophes, and similar problems infected both nights. This Union still needs to learn the value of student input when it comes to these nights.

Let’s start with the price. The Welcome Week Party and M13 Festival were priced at £15 and £20 respectively. As the Activities Officer Tommy Fish and several JCRs (hall committee members) have pointed out, you need an established brand with some serious acts. Marina and the Diamonds were a decent start, but Kazabian (tribute band to Kasabian), Herve, and a DJ set by The Vaccines just wasn’t the pedigree students could accept. It didn’t help that the two nights were so close to each other. Any students that were going to come to the first were probably not going to fork out another £20 for the same venue so soon after.

Indeed, it was trying to run before you could walk.

Then there was the issue of the time. For The Welcome Week Party, this was not a problem. In fact most halls put aside a night for the event. But launching a £20 night the same weekend as The Warehouse Project was, as one promoter put it to me, “suicidal.”

Financially, these events were not just a major loss (I still haven’t been given any figures, but it runs well into the £1,000s). They were also a major opportunity missed. M13 Festival had the chance to make over £100,000 in ticket sales alone, but the combination of calamities means your societies could miss out on that extra bit of funding.

A quick look at thestudentroom.co.uk will show you older students warning first years off the Welcome Week parties, but not every fresher will see it. And once you’ve been stung with a hefty price tag and a ruined evening, you’re unlikely to risk getting stung again. The long-term repercussions of these two botched events remain unclear, but judging by the conversations I’ve had, the already fragile halls/union relationship has taken a serious hit. It could mean we’re looking at another poorly run Welcome Week that remains dependant on the questionable Social Junkies.

Two Door Cinema Club play the Academy back in 2010. Photo: Martin Fergie Follow me @RichardJRCrook

14

Film

TOP

5

5. She’s The Man Yes, it may be an unadulterated guilty pleasure, but this take on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night features Amanda Bynes at her finest. In a bid to impress her exboyfriend she wins a place on the “soccer” team as her “brother” and uses a tampon for a nosebleed along the way.

4. Mulan Disney’s Chinese heroine takes on the whole Hun army, all whilst dressed as a man. Despite earning the respect of the whole barracks as a soldier, her happy ending, in true Disney style, inevitably arrives when she finds love as a woman, with a really fit guy.

3. Shakespeare In Love Women couldn’t act on the stage in Shakespeare’s day, leading to Gwyneth Paltrow dressing up as a man dressing up to play a girl and then falling in love with young Willy! Piling up awards for British film, it also led to Paltrow’s slightly awkward Oscar meltdown.

2. Mrs Doubtfire A family classic, Robin Williams’ hilarious performance is still poignantly impassioned for father’s rights. Full of quotable lines (“oooh! it was a drive-by fruiting!”) this film warms the cockles like no other. The prosthetics alone keep this film high up the list.

1. Some Like It Hot Two witnesses to a mafia murder, Daphne and Josephine are two men on the run. Bumping into an alcoholic but sexy Marilyn Monroe on the way, they go undercover in an all-female band.

This old style comedy is still as “fresh!” and is to be watched for the last line alone.

Flora Anderson

ISSUE 04/ 8TH OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Hitchcock Biopic Set to Leave us “Spellbound” With the movie poster and release date unveiled last week, Sophie James anticipates the success of Sacha Gervasi’s “Hitchcock” What’s black, white and red all over? The iconic image of one of the world’s greatest and most influential directors, Alfred Hitchcock.

Anyone who has been to the BFI, London this summer, or even been on the web, can’t have missed the image of Alfred Hitchcock fly-posted all over sunny South Bank. The BFI’s summer showcase unveiled restorations of his silent films and announced Vertigo to be Sight & Sound magazine’s greatest film of all time, celebrating that Hitchcock’s films are not only some of the most analyzed and influential in the history of film-making, but simply some of the best.

And last week a new image of the master of suspense graced our Google-searches.

At first glance, it’s nothing unusual.

Hitchcock stands, with his penguin-like posture, in black and white, suit and tie, fingers interlocked, looking down at us mere mortals in front of a bold, blood-red backdrop. Look again. That isn’t Alfred Hitchcock, but Anthony Hopkins – and that’s not a tie, it’s a knife!

This poster was released last week announcing the upcoming biopic

Hitchcock, which will premiere at the opening of the AFI Fest on 1st November 2012. Based on the book “Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho”, Hitchcock documents the not so smooth journey through the making of perhaps Hitchcock’s most memorable movie: Psycho. As well as academy award winner Anthony Hopkins, the film also stars Helen Mirren as wife and collaborator Anna Reville, and follows their relationship through the film-making process. Not just stopping there, the film’s star-studded cast goes onto feature Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel and Toni Collette.

The question is, how will the film fare amidst the current biopic boom?

We’ve definitely been spoilt for choice recently, from figures as diverse as Meryl Streep’s Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady to Joy Division’s Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn’s Control. What’s more, this trend sees no signs of stopping – with production underway for Mercury, the much-anticipated film with Sacha Baron Cohen depicting Freddie Mercury’s rise to

stardom; and last week’s announcement that Natalie Portman will star as Jackie Kennedy Onnassis in the future biopic Jackie.

So could Hitchcock suffer by comparison?

Fear not. Everything about Hitchcock screeches major success louder than the iconic motif from the Psycho soundtrack.

With an academy-award winning cast and a screenplay by John J. McLaughlin (Black Swan), this film is sure to drown out the competition. What better way to put cinema centre-stage, than to focus on one of the biggest, most influential directors the film industry has ever seen?

Alfred Hitchcock himself said: “A lot of movies are about life, mine are like a slice of cake” and with such a killer combination of cast, crew and subject matter, I think it’s fair to say that this particular movie is set to let us have the whole cake and eat it.

Sophie James

Review

Looper Director: Rian Johnson • Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Wiliis Released: 28 September

Ever since the time-travel sub genre was redefined by the excellent Primer (2004), the onus has been on films of the sort to make sure their tangled webs of narrative remain as consistent as possible. Gone, it seems, are the days when films like The Terminator (1984) or Back To The Future (1985) could gleefully dance around the many gaping holes that there plots threw up.

Looper is a joyful throwback in this regard: it’s an old fashioned, incredibly intelligent science fiction adventure that doesn’t worry itself with the kind of fastidious time-line management that Primer spent so long dwelling on. Old Joe (Bruce Willis) says it best when Young Joe ( Joesph Gordon-Levitt) questions him about the mechanics of time travel: “It doesn’t fucking matter”!

Between 2044 and 2074

Actor

PROFILE Name: Willem Dafoe Age: 57 Best known for: Platoon, Spiderman

time travel is discovered and promptly made illegal because of the obvious ways in which it could ruin absolutely everything for absolutely everyone. It is only used by the world’s largest criminal organisations who use it to send people back in time so that they can be killed without a trace by hired killers called Loopers.

One of these ‘Loopers’ is Joe. Joe is someone who loves the past: he collects vinyl records, dresses like James Dean and insists on driving flashy sports cars without the solar panels that adorn the rest of the populace’s cars.

This fetishism for the old fashioned is challenged when he is tasked with killing his older self (this is known as “closing the loop”). Old Joe’s not one to lie down easily though and manages to escape and promptly sets his sights on killing the evil, crime

boss of the future (known as The Rainmaker) before he grows up, Terminator style. Young Joe is faced with a dilemma: either kill Old Joe and return his life to the luxury that he previously enjoyed or help him kill The Rainmaker to ensure the safety of the future.

Even though the action ramps up to slightly ludicrous heights towards the end, the sense of wonder at the world that writer/ director Rian Johnson has created is not lost. This is sci-fi at its best: a smart film that has you asking questions but never once leaves you confused or bewildered.

Even though the identity of The Rainmaker is fairly obvious, the ending still manages to twist and turn in completely unexpected, but wholly satisfying, ways.

Andrew Home

Few actors can boast a 30-year career on the Hollywood A-List and still find time to take a stand against institutional racism, fight spiderman (three times) and share a tank with Pixar’s best-loved fish. But Willem Dafoe has never been a conventional actor. From his gritty breakthrough in Platoon to his bold portrayal of Agent Alan Ward in Mississippi Burning, he has always been attracted to roles that appeal against the institutions others have glorified.

His characters rarely conform to their intended purpose. Though in the dark recesses of American Psycho Dafoe provides the suspicious and egotistical edge of a stereotypical agent, he consistently explores

the un-explored, no better represented than through his role as Max Schreck in Shadow of

the Vampire (apparently comedic but at times disturbing).

It came as little surprise that Dafoe’s habit of playing the maverick landed him the good guy/ bad guy role of schizophrenic Norman Osborn in the multi-million dollar trilogy Spider-Man. Dafoe pulls off the misunderstood nemesis to perfection (making ‘Spidey’ look like a bit of a jerk).

It will be worth looking out for Dafoe in the up and coming flick Odd Thomas and it comes as no surprise that he has a few more unconventional roles left in him yet.

Jack Crutcher

Film

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Preview

On the Road: Preview

A Year in Film: 2001

Director: Walter Salles • Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Sam Riley The much-anticipated On the Road is nearly upon us, and despite the excitement that surrounds Walter Salles’ new film there is also a touch of apprehension.

This apprehension is understandable when you consider the difficulties in extracting the brilliance of a novel and adapting it for the big screen. This responsibility largely lies with the director, Walter Salles, who has been given the task of translating one of the finest pieces of twentieth century literature.

Jack Kerouac’s awe inspiring novel, which is largely based on his own experiences when he took to the road in 1947, helped not only define an era but give an identity to a lost generation.

The ‘beat generation’, for those that don’t know, were a group of writers in the 50s that stood against conventional society, instead favouring freedom in sexuality, drugs and modern jazz (a hard concept for most of you to fathom I’m sure).

It is a tale of struggling young writer Sal Paradise (Sam Riley) who’s father has recently passed away and, in the attempt to rid himself of writers block, takes to the road with his newly acquired friend and idol Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund). It

is a journey lacking in ideology and morality; instead it is one in search of inspiration, sex and music.

The relationship between these two men is at the heart of the story full of extreme highs and extreme lows.

Dean Moriarty is the most enigmatic and complex character in Kerouac’s novel, and such an iconic literary figure would pose a great challenge for any actor. Garett Hedlund, however, has been praised for his performance in a film that has been pulled up by some earlier reviewers for lacking direction and for having a feel of self-congratulation.

These characteristics could not be further from the truth of Salles’ previous films, such as the Motorcycle Diaries, so it is intriuging to find if these reviewers are right.

This is still a film to keep a sharp eye out for. The trailer teases you in by showing beautiful cinematography of the American landscape mixed

with scenes of adventure, resounding in pieces of Kerouac’s phenomenal writing.

I highly doubt that the film will match the heights achieved by Kerouac’s novel, but matching those heights is asking the impossible and not a reason to boycott what should be a highly entertaining and exciting film.

Joshua Brown

2001 produced an array of cinematic masterpieces that lit up our world and stole our hearts. Audiences visited local cinemas in their droves in anticipation and expectation and few would have gone home disappointed.

A year into the new millennium marked the beginnings of two magical narratives being expertly transferred from their literature onto screen – Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. Chris Columbus captivated people of all ages with the first of eight instalments that boasts the accolade of being the highest grossing film series of all time.

The fresh faces of Harry, Ron and Hermione enticed viewers into their world of wizardry magic, inviting them along on the Hogwarts Express.

New Zealander Peter Jackson also managed to enchant audiences as he kicked off the fantasy fuelled epic trilogy of the Lord of the Rings.

It appears 2001 had everything, catering for all filmic genres. Renée Zellweger and her unorthodox fireman’s pole exit lit up the great British rom-com, Bridget Jones’s Diary. Kids were spoilt rotten with the likes of Disney’s Monsters Inc.

Is Daniel Day-Lewis the best working actor?

Nihal Tharoor explores Daniel Day-Lewis’ devotion to his craft There are only a handful of actors working today that absolutely commit to a role.

Devoting themselves to the research and studying for a film so they can fully embrace their character’s existence. This is essentially the concept of ‘method acting’, and Daniel Day Lewis has redefined the nature and boundaries of this revolutionary art form. His drive for authenticity, integrity and reality in his roles, to a great extent, rival any film actor of the 20th century.

Now these are bold statements, but when you see the uncompromising lengths and risks Day-Lewis has taken to pursue his roles, they are certainly substantiated. In My Left Foot (1989), a true story about a severely paralysed Irishman who learns to communicate through his left foot, Day-Lewis assumed his characters cerebral-palsy symptoms off-screen. For several weeks of shooting he confined himself to a wheelchair and consequently broke two ribs due to his prolonged hunched-over position.

In The Last of the Mohicans (1992), set during the 1757 French and Indian war in colonial America, Day-Lewis learned to live off the land and forest where his character lived, camping, hunting, fishing and even skinning animals.

Whilst filming In the Name of the Father (1992), about a Northern-Irish man wrongfully convicted of an IRA bombing, Day-Lewis spent

ODEON

LISTINGS

several stretches in a prison cell and insisted that, on set, crew members throw cold water and verbally abuse him.

He even contracted pneumonia during the filming of Gangs of New York (2001), and refused to wear warmer clothing or seek medical treatment, as it would not be in keeping with the nature of life in the 19th century.

This uncompromising devotion certainly comes through to the screen and perhaps explains why Day-Lewis is one of the few men who have won two Best-Actor Oscars.

In fact with his Oscar for There Will Be Blood

Day-Lewis joined Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson, as the only Best Actor winners awarded an Oscar in two non-consecutive decades.

This incredible consistency throughout his career explains why he is one of the most sought after, and selective, actors in the film industry. In fact in the last 15 years Day-Lewis has only taken on five acting roles.

Perhaps this is why the film world is buzzing with the approach of historical-epic Lincoln, directed by Spielberg and starring DayLewis in the leading role. Forgetting that the actor bears an unsettling resemblance to the beloved American president, with one look at the historically rich and climactic period Spielberg intends to cover (the end of the American Civil-War, the abolishment of slavery and the president’s inevitable assassination), this could be one of the most significant roles Day-Lewis’ career has seen. And let us not forget that with one more Best-Actor Oscar, Day-Lewis will have surpassed any other actor in Academy Awards history.

So in the run up to what is likely to be the biggest flick of the winter, true film lovers must delve back into the movies which have made Daniel Day-Lewis one of the most critically acclaimed actors in the business.

Nihal Tharoor

Looper (15)

Taken 2 (15)

Director: Ryan Johnson

Director: Olivier Megaton

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis

Starring: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace

Running Time: 119 Min Showing: 1430, 1530, 1720, 1820, 2010, 2110

and DreamWorks’s Shrek. The daredevils tested their nerve as they witnessed the deeply disturbing Hannibal Lecter in action (played terrifically by Anthony Hopkins). Musical lovers were absorbed in the world of the artistic Moulin Rouge! and were taken on a love infused journey within the confines of the Montmartre Quarter, Paris.

Yet still, there’s more! In addition to the abundant blockbusters that graced movie screens in 2001, I could not overlook mentioning one of my favourite films, Ben Howard’s A Beautiful Mind. The biographical drama based on

John Nash’s battle with paranoid schizophrenia was driven by a stand out cast – Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany and Christopher Plummer – stimulating the audience’s every emotion. This did not go unnoticed, winning a Golden Globe for the Best Film category accompanied with Crowe’s Best Actor award.

Despite it not appearing amongst the top 10 highest grossing films in 2001, Howard’s stunning success deserves a special mention.

2001…a truly immense year of film. It takes some beating, don’t you think?

CORNERHOUSE Death Watch Director: Bertrand Tavernier Language: English First there was Death Watch. Then, there was Big Brother.

The Cornerhouse has done it again, re-releasing a cult classic which has mysteriously been lost amongst the giants of the cinematic cult scene.

Bertrand Tavernier’s Death Watch (1980) is a hybrid of sci-fi noir which has been digitally restored and brought to our local screens. Based on David. G. Crompton’s novel The Unsleeping Eye (1973), Tavernier tells the twisted story of a reality-TV programme. This programme documents the deterioration of terminally ill Katherine (Romy Schneider) by Roddy (Harvey Keitel) through literally having cameras implanted in his eyes.

It seems on first glance that we may have seen this one before. From a sceptical perspective, Death Watch on the surface could be easily viewed as a sinister and ‘eerie’ twist on The Truman Show (1998). So much so that it does beg the question of whether we are now, in a way, desensitised to this theme of constant surveillance. However, Tavernier’s warped take on the novel is certainly not another poor excuse for a film, as to merely watch the demise of a character. There is no doubt that this cult movie will certainly be reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984 and, to an extent, the concept of the television series Big Brother.

However, give this a chance and be sure to witness an intense performance from Keitel. Tavernier’s gritty take on the novel, shot on the streets of Glasgow, will be beautifully gripping. This hidden, prescient gem should not go under the radar, as it is certainly worth a watch on the screen.

Faye Broadbent

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (12a)

Out this Week: On the Road (15)

Out this Week: Ruby Sparks (15)

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Director: Walter Salles

Director: Jonathan Dayton

Starring: Garret Hedlund, Sam Riley

Starring: Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan,

Running Time: 91 Min

Starring: Emma Watson, Logan Lerman

Showing: 1315, 1415, 1530, 1630,

Running Time: 103 Min

Running Time: 124 Min

Released: 12/10/12

1745, 1845, 2000, 2100

Showing: 1520, 1830, 2030

Released: 12/10/12

Running Time: 104 Min

Fashion

ISSUE 04 / 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Old Hollywood’s Reincarnate: Blake Lively Faye Howard introduces us to a 21st century golden girl…

With Marilyn Monroe’s buxom red lips, Raquel Welch’s tousled 10,000 B.C locks and Rita Hayworth’s neat little cat eyes, it’s no wonder Blake Lively is tip-toeing in the gilded footsteps of the classic Hollywood ‘It’ girl.

Gracing our screens back in 2007’s ‘Gossip Girl’ as Serena van der Woodsen, a misunderstood Upper East sider with more money than sense and a wardrobe to die for, Blake Lively had us mere mortals glued to our telly screens.

Meanwhile, fashion’s finest fought over who would dress her and who would be the first to splurge her across next edition’s double-page spread.

Like putty in the hands of fashion’s glitterati, Blake put her stamp on the face of fashion back in 2009, when she was photographed by both Patrick Demarchelier (Glamour UK) and Mario Testino (Vogue US), effortlessly injecting glamour and silver screen drama into the pages of the finest glossies. Also appearing in Chanel’s 2011 handbag campaign ‘Mademoiselle’, it wasn’t long until Blake became the muse of Karl Lagerfeld who describes the American beauty as ‘the modern day Grace Kelly’ and ‘a breath of fresh air’ in today’s celebrity culture.

This is not to say that our new ‘It’ girl hasn’t had a brush with the paparazzi-induced world of celebrity hysteria. True to Hollywood form, Blake is presently in the media spotlight for more personal reasons such as her whirlwind romance and speedy marriage (not forgetting the world’s obsession with spotting a baby

bump) to fellow actor and heartthrob (brace yourself ) Ryan Reynolds, which seems the perfect fit for Hollywood’s hottest property.

With the cinematic aesthetic being a popular theme for AW12, Blake seemed the natural choice for Gucci’s new perfume ad campaign, aptly named ‘Première’ where we see our golden girl pacing around the master bedroom of the famous Sheats Goldstein Residence, looking out onto a glittering Los Angeles skyline. Hair tucked behind her ear in soft brushed out curls, Blake is dripping Gucci decadence in a heavily embellished backless gown, hugging her enviable figure in all the right places, nipping in at the waist and fish-tailing out from the knee into a pool of gold around her feet. The silhouette screams Old Hollywood and ageless style, living up to Blake’s self-confessed alter ego and the Tinsel Town romanticism driving the campaign.

Often styling her own looks, Blake admits that fashion is in her blood (unsurprisingly her mother was a model) and uses clothes as a way of expressing her creativity. Claiming not to have one distinctive style, Blake uses classic references making her style choices a question of ‘who do I want to be tonight?’ as opposed to ‘who do I want to wear tonight?’.

Wouldn’t we all if we had a devoted team of stylists that could actualise our wildest fashion dreams? Claiming not to be just ‘keeping up appearances’ in the face of the media, it is refreshing to know that it is simply Blake’s love

Twenties Touches Emma Williams explains how to dress Twenties without being a full on flapper...

of making the effort and her obsession with the Hollywood archives that really inspires her fashion choices. Whether it’s the yellow Gucci gown, with plunging neck line (seen recently at the ‘Savages’ premier) that screams ethereal romance and a Midsummer Night’s Dream or the immaculate little black dress and rouged lip combination that radiates 1940s lavishness, Blake Lively never fails to deliver that red carpet look. Always with a twist of glamour, be it in the risky neckline or the dramatic length, our cinema and Hollywood obsessed taste buds are always well and truly satisfied. Move over the Audrey Hepburns of years gone by, our golden girl is here to stay.

Faye Howard

Reinvention of the 1920s Gentleman Alice Tofts looks at the impact of the 1920s in the current menswear collections

With The Great Gatsby influencing designer collections from Gucci to Victoria Beckham, touches of the ’20s will be rife this Winter with accessories and embellishments added to high street designs. If embracing the trend in a wholehearted, fancy-dress style isn’t the avenue you wish to go down (and we wouldn’t recommend so either,) then you can always work cuts and accessories of the era into your sartorial selection.

It’s not just women’s fashion which has noted a distinguished shift back in time to the decade of opulence and sophistication.

Although slightly less impressive than the sequin and tasselled flapper dress that has made its recent revival on the catwalk, male trends have nevertheless incorporated significant features reminiscent of the golden age of the 1920s.

If budget is abugbear, then tops or shrugs with decadent embellishments will exude the look of the ‘20s without having to fork out much on new additions. A rummage through your forgotten accessories is definitely worthwhile, and any literal hidden gems in the form of chandelier earrings or opulent cuffs will channel the decade perfectly on a night out. This mismatch set from ASOS is a mere £9, which is acceptable enough to part with and not so showstopping that you’ll feel like a light fixture.

The sophistication of the 1920s has been revived in particular through male suiting. Popular shows such as Boardwalk Empire and the remake of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby have stimulated an appreciation for the sharp and classic style. Valentino and Hackett have included in this season’s collection, double breasted jackets, tweed jackets and waistcoats to be worn under suits. Using the 1920s focus on clean cut silhouettes, designers such as Burberry and Jasper Conran have reinvented the double breasted jacket by introducing leather, fur and more daring colours to the traditional style.

The drop-waist was the signature fit of ‘20s dresses, and though difficult to pull off for the avid trend followers amongst us who aren’t blessed with the figure of a bean pole, it is popular on the high-street and easy to dress down quirkily with a pair of pumps; this aqua lace version is only £21 from Dorothy Perkins, and can easily be sported with a pair of pumps to play down the unusual fit, or wear with an art-deco beaded clutch and wavy locks for a Gatsby-worthy look

Emma Williams

The London Olympics created a surge of sportswear on the Spring/ Summer 12/13 catwalks and in high street shops. However, the sportswear trend is now developing to coincide with a 20s twist.

Tailored trousers, as modelled by Topshop Unique and V-neck jumpers are examples of this trend. Based upon the emerging less formal attire of the affluent middle class in the 1920s this reinvention of the sportswear trend creates an all-American feel.

Key traits of 20s style are most visible in this season’s accessories.

Fringed brogues, hats and walking canes bear strong resemblance to the formal attire of an early twentieth century gentleman. Fedora hats such as the woollen trilby and bowler, which are essential for recreating the motor car era look, are part of Paul Smith’s collection, whilst Burberry has brought up a line of flat-peak caps. Also making an increased appearance on the high street are tasselled loafers.

Available in affordable stores such as Topman and ASOS they can be worn casually or with a suit and are a simple way to evoke the effortless charm and sophistication of the 1920s.

Alice Tofts

Menswear: Shirts 101 One for the boys… Damilola Ade-Odiachi walks us through the best of this season’s menswear shirts.

‘He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel… shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue.

Suddenly with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily.

“They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such beautiful shirts before.”‘ As Nick and Daisy from The Great Gatsby discovered, the power of a good shirt cannot be underestimated. It is capable of summoning grudging admiration from men and sheer delirium from women. A classic shirt is an investment. If taken care of properly, it can last years and will always be a good shirt.

A man must own at least one white shirt. There’s no excuse not to. A white shirt will go well with a pair of jeans, or underneath a dark suit or blazer. Nothing shows off a tan better than a white shirt.

The white shirt on display here is cotton twill from Ermenegildo Zegna. The fabric is soft and comfortable and the semi-spread collar means that the shirt will probably fit with most ties and suits. A shirt for all occasions.

This is a slim fit blue Oxford weave shirt from Hackett with a single button cuff and a straight pointed collar. It’s more casual than the first shirt listed, and you’ll need a narrow knot if you want to pair it with a tie. It’s a great shirt to own because of the slim fit. This means that it is made to closely fit your torso. Extra fabric never hides, it only ever amplifies. The shirt is also in a soft light colour.

This is in keeping with the Gatsby, 1920s theme as shirts at this time were either light or striped I’m a fan of the custom fit

by Ralph Lauren. It forms a respectable middle ground between the baggy classic fit and the sometimes too tight slim fit. This shirt is a purple striped custom fit shirt with a button down collar. The editors of GQ say, “it’s the old school all American look. Has never gone out of style and probably never will.” I agree! As it is purple it’s not as conservative as the two shirts above it. It’s a great way to show off some of your personality while looking classic. As Fred Astaire said, “Be yourself – but don’t be conspicuous.”

17

This month in fashion...

From Russia with Love This year sees the staggering 50th anniversary of James Bond and the release of the 23rd film in the 007 franchise, Skyfall. More often than not, Bond films are sites reserved for gadgets, vodka martinis (shaken not stirred), dastardly villains and the inevitability of Bond getting into the knickers of one or more gorgeous girls who look predictably fabulous in a bikini. As a result of perpetuated Cold War enmities, the former Soviet Union has been an ideal location for Ian Fleming and Bond’s script writers to give us fictional villains and dramatic contestations over oil and diamonds.

Now that we have reached the twenty first century, with the hope that most tensions and Bondstereotypes can be put aside (despite the recent controversy surrounding the Syria crisis and Pussy Riot), it’s only right for us to acknowledge Russia’s contemporary cultural and artistic importance. After all this is the country that being in the grip of historical and political turbulence has produced literary and artistic giants: Leo Tolstoy, Alexander Pushkin, Pytor Tchaikovsky and Peter Carl Fabergé to name a few.

There is no better place to start acknowledging Russia’s increasing relevance than in the emerging Russian fashion industry.

The Spring/Summer collections for 2012 at Moscow Fashion Week will be showing from the 18th-22nd of October. Whilst men have dominated the Russian art, music and literature scenes in times gone by, it is incredibly refreshing to see in the list of designers confirmed at Moscow that the number of women exhibiting outweighs the number of men. Not many of these Russian names are instantly recognisable; in fact the only people I could pick out were Louise Gray, Marios Schwab and Giles Deacon, all wellestablished Brits who have decided to present their work to the Russian market this month. However, I am un-phased by this lack of familiarity. With exciting and exotic brand names like ‘Olga Kiss’, ‘VIVA VOX’ and ‘Chistovaendourova’, who knows what we’ll be treated to?

As it turns out, Moscow is a burning example of style existing and thriving beyond New York, Paris, London and Milan. Deacon says: “We sell well in the whole of Eastern Europe, there are some really sophisticated ladies there.” Having a flick through the designers’ look books and show montages from fashion weeks past, you can see the kind of woman Moscow attracts.

The collections are a celebration of femininity, that

“The shows are, dare I say, less self- indulgent than the big four, they are not trying to prove an artistic point. They truly know how to make a woman look good.”

from Malaysia and Sitka Semesch from Peru who both produce gorgeous collections on the catwalk that do not get nearly enough exposure outside of Russia. All of these designers have delightfully beautiful work to exhibit, with the same aesthetic at their core: with simplicity and elegance comes a great amount of appeal and desirability.

Moscow is inclusive of a range of talent from all

are simple but not to the bare extent of minimalism.

Designers like Liudumila Norsoyan and Bessarion rely on gentle layering that is elegant and not too heavy handed but, I’m sure, practical enough for the freezing cold temperatures that the Russians are accustomed to.

Surprising perhaps, is the consistent use of more traditional make up by nearly all of the designers: lips and eyes are accentuated, combined with glossy hair and sophisticated up-dos. There is something almost old-school and classic in the beauty choices for women, and it instantly makes the shows more accessible and less of a challenge to take from the catwalk to everyday life. The shows are, dare I say, less self- indulgent than the big four, they are not trying to prove an artistic point. They truly know how to make a woman look good.

What is also great about Moscow fashion week is that it is a melting pot which consists not only of relatively unknown Russian talent. Eastern European designers hailing from Poland and former Soviet states Belarus and Georgia also come to the city to show their work.

Moscow is important for the countries neighbouring it because as a nearby G20 capital, its markets have an increasingly global potential that can never be undervalued. Other nationalities include Farah Khan

Beauty

I’ve got a spot…

…A beauty spot that is Well, I don’t actually, but while we’re on the subject, what is the obsession with beauty spots? Marilyn had one, Cindy Crawford is famous for hers, Madonna was spotted in her 80s heyday (now it has mysteriously disappeared), Eva Mendes, Angelina Jolie, Prince…the list of spotty s’lebs is endless.

It’s no secret that a lot of these iconic marks are drawn on – see last year’s 1920s silent film The Artist – but it wasn’t just back in the day that women (and men) used to fake it, this selfbranding is still rife today given the ‘glamorous vintage housewife’ trend which has taken over many a female face. The spot has even reached new heights in the form of facial metal: the Madonna/ Marilyn piercing is an extremely popular request in piercing parlours nowadays. I too, dear readers, have succumbed to the spot. At a recent Great Gatsby themed 21st, the final touch to my make up (applied while doing 90mph down a motorway) was a little black dot of eyeliner resting elegantly (ish) on my cheekbone.

So what is a beauty spot? Why is it called a beauty spot and why is this extremely dated trend still so popular? Have no fear; your beauty historian

is here.

Medically, beauty spots, or beauty marks, are called melanocytic nevus. Not exactly a word which rolls off the tongue, or indeed one which conveys a staggeringly stunning face. I can’t really imagine Arthur Miller romantically pondering over Marilyn’s melanocytic nevus…anyway. Despite being popular since the renaissance period (when some bold fashionistas would have marks permanently tattooed on their faces) the eighteenth century saw a particular flurry for this craze, when velvety stickon beauty marks were available to buy in an array of shapes and sizes. Heart-shaped mole, anyone?

Strong look.

Known as ‘mouchette’ meaning ‘small fly’ (which I find v. amusing, as usually a small fly resting on ones face is cause for much squealing and flapping of arms), these marks had varying meanings depending on where you placed it on your face. In fact, this was a trend so complex that a bloke called Luis José Velázquez wrote a collection of essays on the art of courtship in 1764, exploring the uses and meanings of these marks. It all sounds very complicated – some marks signified that you

were about to break up with someone for god’s sake – and I’m sure if I was an eighteenth century lady attempting to bag a man I would certainly mix up my under-the-lip ‘coquette’ mark with my close-tothe-mouth ‘assassin’, which could have extremely contrary results.

In China, the beauty spot can foretell your fortune in life; other countries see it as a flaw signifying something wholly unnatural in the person… This beauty spot malarkey is getting very tricky. If you’ve learnt anything from this week’s column (and I don’t blame you if you haven’t) it’s this: I have a sneaky suspicion that popularising and specifying beauty marks was another way for the patriarchy to control us through definitions of beauty and therefore self-perception. And if there’s one thing you need to know about me, it’s that I really, really dislike the patriarchy. So basically, it’s a load of codswallop and you don’t need a black mark on your face to be pretty. History lesson: check.

Self-esteem-boosting-words-of-morale: check. My work here is done.

Jessica Cusack

over the world. This transnational feel to the whole occasion is exciting, and gives the city a youthful vibe.

Somehow, Moscow has more to offer than the big four: it is less set in its ways, less predictable, less old fashioned.

Elizabeth Harper

18

Music

ISSUE 04/ 8TH OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editor’s column

We are not amused Following the release of their sixth studio album, Daniel Jones takes a look at where Muse went wrong Daniel Jones Music Editor Last week, Muse reiterated their seemingly fervent ambition to try and fuck up everything that they have achieved in the past decade or so. The release of The 2nd Law – their sixth studio album – has confirmed our fears that, as a band, they’ve either completely lost it or they just can’t be arsed anymore.

Now I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I used to have a lot of time for Muse. The sheer production and arrangement quality of Origin of Symmetry and Absolution place these albums amongst the best alt/prog rock of the 00s. Tracks like ‘Space Dementia’, ‘Bliss’ and ‘Stockholm Syndrome’exhibit Matt Bellamy’s soaring falsetto and Chris Wolstenholme’s distorted bass at their very best.

But even out of the studio, by the time they played their two-date spectacular at Wembley Stadium in 2007, the trio were heralded as the best live act in the world. Their shows, like their music, became increasingly influenced by science fiction and included giant satellite dishes, translucent sets and a light show that could rival the Death Star for the amount of lasers it contained.

Looking back though, this was probably the beginning of the end for Muse. It was never going to be easy to follow an album as grandiose as Black Holes and Revelations, especially having toured off the back of it for over two years. Unfortunately, the lukewarm reception that 2009’s The Resistance received seems to have done little to shake the life back into Bellamy and co.

What gets me is that, usually, bands struggle with the direction of their second album. For the first four albums, this was never an issue for Muse. They gradually developed their own sound, their

SONGS 5 IN THE FIELD OF...

Prostitution!

Daniel Jones, Music Edior

own political/sci-fi context, and in the process, gained legions of dedicated fans.

Their method was by no means broken, but unfortunately for us, they decided to fix it anyway.

I must say at this point that I was nearly sick when I heard the official Olympics song. ‘Survival’ is five minutes of overblown pomposity and includes some of the most moronic lyrics I’ve ever heard - “Yes I am prepared to stay alive / I won’t forgive, the vengeance is mine.” – eh? I never knew that vengeance played such an integral part in the pinnacle of sportsmanship.

Worse still, following a flurry of bad reviews, Dom Howard stated that he “didn’t care whether people hated the song or not, as long as it provoked a reaction.” That’s like Kebab King saying, “I don’t care if the donner meat gives you food poisoning or not, we’re still getting paid regardless of how much you vomit.”

As for the rest of The 2nd Law, why they’ve even considered going down the dubstep route is completely beyond me. Fair enough that they want to try to implement new styles and genres but some stones are definitely better left unturned. You wouldn’t see Burial doing a cover of ‘Time is Running Out’, would you?

I hate to say it but it seems like that’s it from one of the best bands of this generation. There’s no shame in throwing in the towel when you’re at the peak of your powers, because at least you recognise that you’ve achieved all that you set out to achieve. It’s the classic Fawlty Towers situation. Sadly, there is shame in releasing an album that is no more than a lackadaisical attempt to get an established band back in the pop charts.

Interview: Fatboy Slim

Norman Cook talks to The Mancunion about feeling old, sobriety and bucket lists

Sophie Donovan Music Editor

It’s been an exciting summer for Fatboy Slim. The Brighton based DJ and producer has enjoyed some of the biggest audiences of his career, playing to over 40,000 people at Big Beach Boutique 5 at the Amex football stadium - home to his beloved Brighton and Hove Albion FC – and of course there’s “that little Olympic ceremony”. But Fatboy Slim AKA Norman Cook tells The Mancunion, that scaling back to more intimate venues is a labour of love.

“The autumn for me is all about getting back to grassroots and into clubs and I enjoy that equally. It was a big thrill playing at the Olympics, but I didn’t get to stretch my muscles as a DJ – in a club you have to really work hard to get the crowd going and it’s the time where you can try out new tunes for next summer.” Cook was the only DJ at the Olympic closing ceremony where he performed ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and ‘The Rockafeller Skank’ aloft a giant inflating octopus.

Cook was paid just a token £1 for appearing, but expressed that money didn’t come into it: “It was such an honour, I was the only DJ involved, so I felt like I was representing team GB for DJing and British club culture”.

With two Manchester dates on his second annual 5 Night Stand tour, Cook seems excited to return to the North, “I’ve heard good things about Sankeys. I’d say it was in people’s top 5 clubs to play at so I’m looking forward to it.”

Fatboy Slim will also perform at Warehouse Project “I’ve played there before, but I hear it’s moved venues – it was a car park before though wasn’t it? That was one of the reasons I loved it” he confesses. “The crew who run it have really got forward thinking ideas; there’s something exciting about how they’re putting stuff on in a new venue rather than the same old clubs that people have been going to for years.” The 49 year old will play alongside fellow veteran Pete Tong, but when asked if he feels old, the question is met with an incredulous laugh.

“I never feel old when I’m on the stage, when I’m playing I feel as if I’m about 17!” He professes.

“The thing is, if you’re in a boy band, you’ve got a limited shelf life because you can only work while you’re still attractive looking, but people like myself - or David Rodigan for example - we

1. Roxanne - The Police

2. Killer Queen - Queen

You don’t tend to hear the name Roxanne much these days. Thanks to this song, it has very risqué connotations. Good old Sting, ruining names and trying to single-handedly make the world a better place by persuading prostitutes to only have sex with him.

Here, Freddie Mercury teaches us that not all ladies of the night hang about on street corners. This killer queen owns pretty cabinets, wears perfume from Paris, and has a tendency to impersonate Marie Antoinette. What a classy bird.

I felt like I was representing team GB for DJing were never oil paintings in the first place, it was never about our looks. So, as long as we can stay up late enough to do it and we still have the passion for music – who’s to say when we should stop.”

Belonging to the first generation of ‘Superstar DJs’, Cook seems content with the uncertainty which surrounds their retirement age, “no one actually knows what the right age is, and we are determined to push it as far as we can. I’ll carry on as long as the crowds are enjoying it. I’m loving it more than ever, and especially now that I’ve quit drinking – I can remember it all! There’ll be day when I feel too old to do it, but not yet.”

With outstanding success and a long career, Cook has undoubtedly gained the respect of the younger artists with whom he now shares the bill, but he confesses if they ask him for advice, his response could be a little dated. “I’m famously not hugely up with technology, social media or anything like that, so I can’t give much advice on how to get themselves heard, or how to promote themselves. Although, my main

advice to DJs that are starting out is, get out of your bedroom, get out there and play in wine bars where people aren’t expected to dance.

All the people that I came up with like Carl Cox and Pete Tong – we all used to do weddings, and if you can rock a wedding, you can rock a nightclub.”

It was during Cook’s time at the University of Brighton when weddings were rocked and impromptu wine-bar -dances encouraged, but there was no famous Fatboy Slim alias then. “At uni I was called DJ Quentin.” When asked why, he replies, “I was born with the name Quentin, but I decided to change it to Norman when I started working in the serious music business.”

Despite gaining at 2.1 in Combined Humanities, Quentin acknowledges that he was more interested in music. “I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t totally connect with the student experience, I was DJing and working at a record shop the whole time. I was way too into nightclubs, I didn’t live with students, and I didn’t hang out in student bars. I only went in for lectures.” But this lack of commitment hasn’t affected such a glittering career. A collection of admirable achievements can’t have left much on Fatboy Slim’s bucket list. “The only proper ambition I’ve got left is to score a film soundtrack. I worked on Moulin Rouge with Baz Lurman and I did stuff for Charlie’s Angels, but it’s usually just one tune or they use some of your work. But, I sort of feel like I’ve been to the mountain top and everything from now on is just a bonus.”

Catch Fatboy Slim @ Sankeys on Friday 12th October 2012. - £20 tickets available at www. sankeystickets.co.uk See www.sankeys.info for further October line-ups including shows from Lauhaus, John Dahlback, Mass Prod, Jaguar Skills and Magda Big Beach Boutique 5 DVD out 5th November

3. Walk On The Wild Side Lou Reed

4. The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel

It’s easy to forget that this song is about transvestite rent boys. When it was released,, very few radio censors spotted the line – “she never lost her head, even when she was giving head” – so it was left in for teenagers across the globe to adopt into their vocabulary.

If you have a browse through the folk repertoire, very rarely do you hear the word ‘whore’ mentioned.

That said, I don’t think it’s worth trying to reprimand a boxer for visiting ‘the whores on 7th Avenue’. He’ll probably punch you in the face.

5. Big Pimpin’ - Jay-Z Thanks to Beyonce, Shaun Corey Carter - a.k.a. Jay-Z, a.k.a. Jigga Man – seems to have grown out of his O.G. phase. What happened to not “giving your heart to a woman”, Shaun? What happened to “forever mackin’”, Shaun? Oh well. I guess pimpin’ just ain’t what it used to be.

Music

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

19

Album of the week

Tame Impala Lonerism Modular Recordings 9/10 If you’re anything like me, you might be spending the summer’s dying days wondering what it is that people so love about it; weather as persistent as it was horrendous and the depressing ubiquity of Boris Johnson’s absurd head of hair made for one of the more underwhelming holidays of recent years. You could do worse, by way of a reminder, than to get hold of a copy of Tame Impala’s debut fulllength, Innerspeaker, which stands as a sonic representation of everything good about the calendar’s middling months; a hazy, psychedelic treat of a record, best enjoyed on a sunny afternoon.

Innerspeaker took Tame Impala right around the world – from headline tours that steadily increased in scale to

supporting Foo Fighters at Milton Keynes Bowl – and it wasn’t until late last year that Kevin Parker – the brains and, for the most part, brawn of the outfit – was able to record new songs that had been on the back burner for some time, in his native Australia.

The result is Lonerism, a record that suggests that the laidback outlook of the last album extended to Parker’s attitude towards the traditional pressure that comes with releasing a follow-up; this is as assured a sophomore record as I’ve heard for some time. Ironically, the band have moved on – at least in part – from the carefree pastures of their last effort; as the title suggests, Parker focuses lyrically on themes of isolation and displacement, and there’s

a degree of purpose, perhaps even aggression, in the album’s sound to reflect that – the pianos pound on ‘Apocalypse Dreams’, looped, ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’-esque drums clatter through opener ‘Be Above It’, and ‘Elephant’ is dominated by the sort of stampeding, bluesy riff that The Black Keys would be proud of.

That’s not to say the band’s signature grooves are missing in action on Lonerism; ‘Mind Mischief ’ is a classic Impala slow burner, whilst ‘Why Won’t They Talk to Me?’ brings the record’s pace grinding to a near halt with its spaced-out melancholy.

The record’s greatest triumph, though, is the delicate balance it strikes between celebrating its influences and outright copying them; the album wears its admiration of the

The Mountain Goats

Darnielle’s writing is at its most powerful when he’s talking about surviving emotional torment and mental illness. Songs like ‘The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton’ and ‘Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod’ worked so well because of Darnielle’s deep understanding of the mindset of tormented youths, whether this is thanks to his experience as a psychiatric nurse, or his experience of an abusive stepfather, what matters is that this is a subject matter he intimately understands.

It this which he draws from in Transcendental Youth. In ‘Harlem Roulette’ he talks

sixties go, Tame Impala do for weed and acid what Mad Men does for whisky and cigarettes; they’ve made that era sound as good as that show makes it look, and produced a genuine

thrill of a record in the process.

Joe Goggins Music Editor

Singles round-up of the week

Transcendental Youth • 8/10 Label: Modular

John Darnielle’s fourteenth album with The Mountain Goats is one of stark contrasts. While it keeps with the dark themes of much of Darnielle’s back catalogue, Transcendental Youth is surprisingly upbeat.

The best example of this is ‘Cry for Judas’. Sung from the viewpoint of a sad and angry teenager who has given up all hope of ever understanding what his limits are. For all intents and purposes this should not be a cheery track, yet it features a startlingly optimistic horn section suggesting there is more to the protagonist than the suggested anger.

Woodstock age of psychedelia proudly on its sleeve, but not so much so that there’s nothing new or exciting here – it’s the freshest sounding rock record of the year. As odes to the

Hot Chip / Matt Cardle / Bat for Lashes / Bastille about Frankie Lymon, who found superstardom aged 13 but couldn’t handle the fame, and struggled with a heroin addiction, while ‘In Memory of Satan’ deals with a young recluse who’s taped over his windows.

Prior to releasing the album, Darnielle had performed it live with accompaniment of the a capella quartet Anonymous Four. It’s interesting to see how versatile the songs are, able to make the transition from classical singing accompaniment to punkish acoustic guitar. It shows how Darnielle has developed over the years from urgent and lo-fi to pensive and well produced.

Transcendental Youth while lacking the power of The Sunset Tree is a strong entry in The Mountain Goats’ discography, featuring great lyrics, which blend the tragic and the comic, and two anthems in ‘Cry for Judas’ and ‘The Diaz Brothers’ that will surely be requested by The Mountain Goats’ faithful at future gigs.

Sam Dumitriu

This week sees a few potentially exciting new releases, with ‘How Do You Do’ by Hot Chip definitely being the stand out single.

This is a really fun, catchy pop song, it’s definitely less experimental and daring than past records and it won’t cause the same stir as ‘Over and Over’ but its classic Hot Chip, with a hint of disco influence, and it’ll definitely get a lot of radio play.

Another big one for the radio is X factor’s Matt Cardle, back lead single ‘Its Only Love’ from second album The Fire. ‘It’s Only Love’ lives up to his old material, and is very similar lyrically; musically, it’s a bit livelier, and while it is less raw this isn’t necessarily

a bad thing and his voice really soars.

New releases from Bat for Lashes and Bastille also seemed promising but were disappointing duds, both tracks being too similar to past releases and lacking any standout qualities.

‘All your gold’ from Bat for Lashes is in the same vein as ‘Daniel’ but a lot of depth, character and personality has been lost in production.

This song starts well and is good musically but Khan is poor vocally and lyrically, her usually distinctive voice sounds too slick and commercial, more like a Bat For Lashes tribute than the real thing! Lyrics like ‘a heart from the past that I cannot forget’ are repetitive and lack the dramatic quality of past records; it’s a pretty far cry from ‘What’s A Girl To Do’.

Bastilles ‘Flaws’ is similar, it’s a good record, but almost identical to ‘Bad Blood’.

Bastille have obviously found a formula that works and are sticking to it but I don’t think they’re ground

breaking enough to carry this off. This week won’t make history but ‘How Do You Do’ and ‘It’s Only Love’ are pop at its best!

Rachel Connolly

20

Music

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Live

Azealia Banks Academy 2, 28th September 6.5/10 Miss Banks bounces onto the aqua-lit Academy stage on the highly anticipated opening night of her Fantasea tour. Sporting a light-up Swarovski crystal bralet, the relative newcomer started with ‘Out of Space’, which unsurprisingly, few audience members were familiar with.

Despite initial microphone issues, the 21 year old managed to well and truly energise the diverse crowd of young teens, student ravers and middle aged house/hiphop lovers.

Leaving DJ Cozmo to improvise and the audience in a state of perplexity, she then fled the stage. To our relief, Azealia reappeared to perform ‘Fierce’ with support artist Zebra Katz. With lyrics that run at 100mph, the Harlem rapper delivers line after line with unique precision; it really was amazing to witness her cutthroat lyrical style firsthand.

Miss Banks leaves the stage for the third time, forcing us to endure a performance by one of her backing dancers, ‘Bambi’.

The dance act did very little in providing entertainment, as it diverged drastically from the energy-

pumped performances that defined the Fantasea set.

The Caribbean-influenced ‘Jumanji’ signalled her reentrance, followed by a performance of the popular hit ‘L8R’.

The crowd went wild for her performances of ‘1991’ and ‘Luxury’, but perhaps the best reception from the crowd came during “The Azealia Banks Anthem”- ‘Liquorice’.

‘Esta Noche’ resulted in an alcohol induced rendition

of the sampled chorus to ‘Get It On… Tonite’, from the 90’s R&B classic by Montell Jordan. The well-known ‘212’ provided the finale, with the sold out venue throwing cups, removing shirts and screaming “I guess that cunt getting eaten” in unison before bursting out of the venue, desperate for the cold mancunian air.

Lydia Paver

www.manchesteracademy.net Live Music and Clubs at the University of Manchester Students’ Union

OCTOBER 2012

MUK Records Label Launch Saturday 20th October

And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead Thursday 11th October

My Darling Clementine Monday 22nd October

Hugh Cornwell Friday 12th October Foreign Beggars Friday 12th October

Rob Foot

Alex Clare Wednesday 24th October

4Ft Fingers Saturday 13th October

Mindless Self Indulgence Thursday 25th October

Nada Surf Sunday 14th October

itself, an overblown Rage Against the Machine parody, paled in comparison to the visual entertainment that the band provided.

The headline act of the evening, Funkin’ Massive Party Band, managed to get everybody in the room dancing. Playing a set filled with covers and mash-ups, the highlight being Superstitious/ Thriller/Ghostbusters, and with many spectacular saxophone solos throughout, the band brought the live music to a spectacular close.

Dog Is Dead Tuesday 23rd October

NME presents Generation Next Howler + The Cast Of Cheers Wednesday 24th October

Reckless Love Monday 15th October rapturous reception.

Next, giving their debut performance, was Logan’s Runners. Their set was solid and confident, with their mix of piano-led, calm songs being starkly juxtaposed with heavier, guitar based rock. The keyboard solos were well utilised, and the presence of strings meant that Logan’s Runners are more than just a five-piece rock band.

The penultimate act to perform was Lesbian Plebian. The band entered with a two minute, choreographed dance routine, and the four members wore all manner of costumes, from suit and driving goggles to duffel coat and boxers. The music

Delilah Tuesday 23rd October

Hot Chip Saturday 13th October

Toyah Saturday 13th October

Jabez Clegg, 26th September 8/10

Bowling For Soup Saturday 20th October

Serj Tankian Mon 8th October

Nina Nesbitt Thursday 11th October

Music Society Band Night

Last Wednesday saw the first Music Society Band Night take place, an event whose line-up was made up solely of Music Society members and their bands.

Giving the evening a relaxed start was Chloë Foy. Chloë’s storytelling and the musical interactions between her and her two accompanying players, including some mesmerising three part vocal harmonies, kept the audience enthralled throughout her set. Her upcoming single I Gotta Feeling, her set closer enjoyed an especially warm reception from the crowd.

The next act to perform was Jonny Breakwell and his band. Jonny’s singersongwriter style was personalised with the addition of cello and violin.

Shortly before his single Emily was performed, a broken string on Jonny’s guitar became the precursor to a fantastically received impromptu Irish jig jam, led by violinist Ellie Gaynard and other band members joining in to a

BOOK NOW: 0161 832 1111

Parlotones + The Chevin Tuesday 16th October Rick Astley Wednesday 17th October Impericon Never Say Die! Tour 2012 Wednesday 17th October

Modulate Thursday 25th October Labrinth Thursday 25th October Lacuna Coil Friday 26th October Thingumabob & The Thingumajigs Friday 26th October Street Dreams Saturday 27th October

The Enemy Wednesday 17th October

Guns 2 Roses Saturday 27th October

Mark Tremonti Thursday 18th October

Immortal Technique Sunday 28th October

Big Boy Bloater Thursday 18th October Dan Le Sac & Friends Thursday 18th October Grizzly Bear Thursday 18th October

Damien Dempsey Sunday 28th October The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster Monday 29th October

Evile Friday 19th October

Owl City + Matthew Koma Tuesday 30th October

Gaz Coombes Friday 19th October

Everytime I Die Wednesday 31st October

Down + Orange Goblin + Warbeast Friday 19th October

Two Gallants Wednesday 31st October

Nervana (Nirvana Tribute) Saturday 20th October

facebook.com/ manchesteracademy

FOR FULL LISTINGS PLEASE CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE

Books

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

21

Comment

“Soon writers will be the only artists left”: Panic in the face of technology?

Proving that the pen is mightier than the sword (but not necessarily the laptop), Phillipa Moran takes on the battle between technology and art

Photo: Liz West. What will become of the lowly pen and ink?

Earlier this year, online magazine thethingis.co.uk published an article with the premise: ‘Soon writers will be the only artists left’. The writer in question draws on established viewpoints that technology has taken the originality out of art, as the increased developments of technology have stunted creativity and replaced any need for talent or hard work.

However, writing has been spared the tirade, described (by the writer) as the last remaining ‘pure’ form of art. I want to put forward a slightly different take on this technophobic argument.

Andy Warhol noted that everyone would get his or her 15 minutes of fame. The writer recognises this point, claiming “Art [became] no longer about the hand that drew… it was about… the ability to promote it”. He criticises people’s focus on ideas, but then complains that “Big ideas are dead”.

It doesn’t work both ways. Moreover, surely art and ideas go hand in hand?

And creation and artistic innovation can only occur through the promotion and distribution of ideas.

Writers become the ‘last ones standing’ in the eyes of the romanticised art disciplines, as literature is ‘pure’, free from the corruption of technology. But wasn’t 50 Shades of Grey, the fastest selling paperback of all time, first released online as fan fiction? It was not only written, edited and improved, but made popular, through technology. Whether or not we treat 50 Shades as ‘literature’, the book’s success still proves that far from writers “still work[ing] by hand, unaided, transcribing the contents of his heart without a computer to interpret his brush strokes or iron out the flaws in his voice”, they survive on technology as much as any other creative discipline.

Writing takes skill no matter what medium it’s put on – paper or electronic, just like any other art form. Perhaps writers aren’t aided in the same ways that, for example, Instagram aids photography? In this sense, literature may be distinct. But just because there isn’t yet a ‘WriteaBook’ app (yet) doesn’t mean that writers should be

News

placed on a pedestal above musicians and other artists.

Thethingis.co.uk acts as though the wool is pulled before our eyes, claiming that “the dumb terminal is not the machine, it is you”. It’s too conspiratorial and too generalising.

There are many people, activists and celebrities, who fight against airbrushing to extremes. The point I’m trying to make is that so many people assume technology is a way of cheating and shortcutting, and that it’s killing artistic disciplines. This is not always the case.

Computer-aided art has not replaced manual, traditional art. As times change and technology becomes ever prevalent in our lives, the creation of programmes like Autotune and Instagram become inevitable. We must make room for new art forms that make use of, and do not decry, technology.

New experiences and innovation allow for artistic ideas to bloom, and technology cannot be excluded from this. It’s not all doom and gloom ahead.

Preview

Why Moby-Dick endures: Five reasons

Manchester Literature Festival begins today

A new, free Moby-Dick chapter-by-chapter audiobook download, read by Tilda Swinton and David Cameron, prompts the re-evaluation of a classic

From 8th to 23rd October, Manchester Literature Festival takes the city as its field and the lecture theatre as its main stage. No tents required

I haven’t read it. You probably haven’t read it. The reputation of a book like Moby-Dick precedes it, and generally stymies any other relationship with it.

In September the author Philip Hoare and artist Angela Cockayne set about to rectify the evasion of this “great unread” American classic. Their collaborative project, the Moby-Dick Big Read, sees each of the 135 chapters recorded by members of the public, including many ‘celebrity’ voices. Each chapter is also accompanied by a unique piece of art that responds to the novel. It’s essentially a souped-up audiobook. The Big Read provides these chapters online as free downloads, one chapter – a digestible chunk of about 10 to 20 minutes, appears daily. A relaxing, but pleasingly worthy way to reward an afternoon’s hard graft.

The first chapter, Loomings, is read

by Tilda Swinton; “Call me Ishmael” has never sounded so regal. Other famous voices include dulcet tones of Stephen Fry and David Attenborough – soothing weary eardrums everywhere; Will Self, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall , Benedict Cumberbatch, and John Waters. Some big names. Chapter 30, The Pipe, will even be read by David Cameron.

This reincarnation of Moby-Dick poses the question that the longevity of all books poses, What makes a classic a classic? And while we’re at it, why is this classic a classic? Books provides you with seven possible answers (if Melville can be idiosyncratic why can’t we?), to these impossible questions: 1. The Themes: If a classic is defined by its constancy as a work of “recognized and established value” (according to that good old reliable classic, The Dictionary) then it stands to reason that its themes must be in some way timeless and universal, and not remain tied exclusively to one moment or society. Moby-Dick stands as the novel that propelled a collective American “imagination” into and back out of art.

And its themes are about as universal and profound as you can get: Man against Nature, war, personal struggle, desire frustrated, good and evil.

Clara Drummond’s oil painting, ‘Cape-Horner in a great Hurricane’, accompanies Chapter 2: The Carpet-Bag

2. The Length: It’s really long. Like, over 1,100 pages long. Why is it only great white males that write all-consuming thousand-page novels? As female writer Sheila Heti says, this is ‘ungenerous to the reader’. Does this kind of length keep the reputation of a ‘classic’ intact and pristine? If we believe long books to be intrinsically worthier, heavier – intellectually and philosophically, than other books, but we never actually read them because of the daunting-ness of this length and the properties we ascribe to it, then this sheen always remains and we must believe the academics declaring it a ‘masterpiece’.

3. The language, which is elevated and idiosyncratic: If each chapter of Moby is “freighted with meaning”, then it is the language that transports this freight.

Melville’s prose signifies the weight and importance of the ideas that it carries.

It is elevated, formal in the mode of 19th Century texts, but idiosyncratic enough to betray the imprint of a unique mind that has been at work: “How it is I know not; but there is no place like a bed for confidential disclosures between friends.

Man and wife, they say, there open the very bottom of their souls to each other; and some old couples often lie and chat over old times till nearly morning.”

4. The “Moby-Dick and American Political Symbolism” aspect: So political a novel that David Cameron apparently struggled to find a “fairly innocent chapter”: “It’s an incredibly political book, and there are entire chapters about the whale’s foreskin. The difficulty for No. 10 was finding a chapter which was not fraught with messages.”Academics like Alan Heimert in the ‘60s, who wrote the academic paper with the above title in 1963, highlighted the Political Symbolism of Moby-Dick. In particular, Melville’s political commentary was tied to the Compromise of 1850, concerned with the fraught issues of slavery and territory, the individual and the institution. However universal the themes of Melville may be, they cannot be divorced from their context, the writer’s and the reader’s. In the context of political upheaval and Civil Rights in the ‘60s, the aspect of slavery was alighted upon; today the whale’s foreskin causes political concern.

5. Is Moby-Dick the most culturally referenced book ever? Moby-Dick has been name-dropped and referenced everywhere. Jonathan Safran Foer’s opening to Everything is Illuminated is perhaps one of the most explicit literary allusions: “Call me Ishmael” becomes “My legal name is Alexander Perchov. But all my friends dub me Alex, because that is a more flaccid-to-utter version of my legal name.” There’s Roald Dahl’s Matilda, which concludes with the beginning of Moby-Dick. The best Guinness advert ever quotes from it directly, invoking Ahab as surfers face their own struggle with the sea. And there’s so many more: Free Willy, singer Moby, The Squid and the Whale, and of course every artist whose work is part of the Big Read. Not only is this sort of referencing evidence of the enduring cultural potency of a classic, it also demonstrates the infinite supply of ideas and material.

Phoebe Chambre

Manchester’s annual literature festival begins its two-week occupation of the city today. The festival celebrates the local, with the bests of new writers in Northern Debuts (Monday 8th) and locally situated writing featured in city picks Manchester (9th October), which sits against the international – from which it now can barely be distinguished.

Some big-name authors will steal the attention, and prove the credibility of the festival; Zadie Smith appeared discussing her lastest novel NW in a preview at the end of August, Michael Chabon, Richard Ford, Carol Ann Duffy – the current poet laureate and honorary Mancunion.

Jeanette Winterson, author of the recent memoir Why be happy when you could

be normal?, who joins the University of Manchester as a creative writing lecturer this year, will appear with American author AM Homes on the 22nd October in the Martin Harris Centre here on campus.

But alongside these established authors are the unfamiliar gems and genres that can be discovered in the corners. There will be Asian Superheroes (15th October), the Blog North Awards, Bio Punk; and literary walking tours: the Boho Literary Pub Walk (20th October), Poems of the City (11th October) and a Dickens Walking Tour (13th October). So take your pick!

Tickets vary in price, and can be bought from w w. m a n c h e s t e rl i t e r a t u r efestival.co.uk Phoebe Chambre

22

Games

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The Rise and Fall of the Old Republic Jonathan Edwards looks at the issues facing the most expensive video-game of all time

The MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game to give it its full title) market is very big. In fact, 35 million of us log on regularly in Europe alone, generating a staggering amount of income for the publishers. The enviable position of top dog in this digital world is Blizzard’s World of Warcraft, or WoW, which has 10.2 million players, each paying around $13.99 (£8.66) a month, coming to a monthly total income in the region of £88 Million.

It is then not surprising to learn that other publishers want to get in on what is a hugely profitable market. Many games start with the ambition of charging their players a monthly fee to play, but not very long after launching realise that not many people want to play their game that much, leaving them having to let players access the game for free and trying to entice them into buying cheap trinkets for their avatar as a way of generating income. Whist there is nothing wrong with this system of micro-transactions, it returns only a fraction of the money of a subscription system, and leaves the developers still gazing longingly at the

WoWs of this world.

Enter EA/Bioware’s Star Wars: The Old Republic, the latest attempt to tap this enormous market. It first started back in 2005 in a new Bioware studio in Texas and after 6 years and a rumoured $200 Million in development costs, the most expensive videogame ever made The Old Republic launched in December 2011.

It was huge, breaking the records for the fastest growing MMORPG ever, amassing a hefty 1.7 Million players in short order. It was critically praised; well received by players and the phrase “WoW-Killer” was whispered all over the Internet. It seemed destined to keep growing and become one of the world’s leading MMOs. But then the winds changed. The player numbers started to fall with increasing speed, more and more people abandoned the Old Republic, and as if to round off the failure, Bioware has recently announced that large portions of the game will become free-to-play. Next came the questions, was The Old Republic going to go down? Was it because the controls

were too complicated? Too much like WoW? Was it the well publicised balancing issue in some of the PvP (Player vs. Player) combat areas?

The answer, in the opinion of this amateur, is no. No, the game will not fail, and for none of those reasons.

The reason behind the exodus from The Old Republic is a combination of the long development time and a misunderstanding of the market.

In 2005, all of the top MMORPGs on the market were subscription based WoW being the prime example, microtransactions was virtually unheard of. It was a safe assumption that one could launch a MMORPG in 2005 with monthly subscriptions and if the quality was high enough, succeed. It was, I think, on this line of thought that the project was started, “lets make the largest, most quality driven MMORPG ever, and better yet lets put Bioware on the case”. The problem is that over the 6 years the game was developed, the market changed, but their attitudes didn’t. Nowadays, the subscriptionbased games are shrinking; with the big games only still there because they have such a huge base of players, whom many are very passionate about their games and wont give them up easily.

But can you imagine World of Warcraft launching today? Without the history the game has, the subscription would be dismal. That doesn’t mean the game will fail - the fact the price structure is wrong does not mean the game is bad, the game is very good, but they could not get away with charging what they tried to in today’s market.

In the end, I think The Old Republic will succeed, and turn a good profit, but it will also serve as an interesting example of how quality is not the only thing that is needed in a successful MMO.

Reviews

The new challenger on the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) market arrived with a lot to live up to. With Guild Wars 2’s refreshing take on the genre it managed to gain a large following quite quickly.

A new threat has emerged in the world of Tyria: elder dragons and the undead, along with: bandits, rogue factions and even natural disasters. You are a hero of one of five races: Human, Charr (Feline people), Norn (large Nords), Asura (Short elves) and the Sylvari (plant people) that have to banded together to survive.

Compared to World of Warcraft this game has a few interesting takes on the genre, most significant of them all are the dynamic events that occur at random in the game.

These events can not only have consequences to the game world, but also have chain events that unfold as the game progresses, and by providing fresh content throughout and after levelling, Guild Wars 2 fully immerses players and provides an ever changing experience.

I have never been a gamer. When my housemates disappear upstairs for several hours to play COD, I choose to leave the ‘campers’ and ‘K/D whores’ to it. Instead, I combat the ten thousand rounds of staccato gunfire reverberating through our floorboards by turning The One Show up to eleven in the hope that Gyles Brandreth will drown out the bloodshed.

As a result, a typical confrontation between myself and a gamer consists of a fruitless back-and-forth until we agree that I am a Luddite. The reason why lies in the form of a small but surprisingly resilient marsupial: Crash Bandicoot.

Certainly the best game I have ever played, it is a triumph of simplicity. At the time, Crash had jaw-dropping graphics and a vibrant aesthetic that enlivened the Bandicoot bonding experience.

Sixteen years on, Crash looks dated compared to its unnervingly lifelike successors, but the gameplay itself has lost none of its appeal.

The object of the game is refreshingly straightforward: negotiate your cobalt-trousered friend through 32 levels across three islands, collecting as many boxes as you can on the way. Lying in wait are the ‘bosses’: Papu Papu, Ripper Roo, Koala Kong, Pinstripe Potoroo and finally the Doctors – Brio and Cortex. The malevolent sextet variously employ boulders, chemicals, a shotgun and a mace in an increasingly desperate series of attempts to prevent Crash from reuniting himself with his beloved Tawna.

Crash can run, jump, spin and duck, but unless he stumbles across a box filled with TNT he has no real weapons as his disposal. As such, this is not a game that is likely to be completed at the first attempt; progress requires an intimate knowledge of the landscape and an eye for patterns. How fast do the steps move? Which of those planks are the least stable? How many jumps does the dragon at Sunset Vista take towards Crash before ripping his little orange head off?

In some ways it is a feat of endurance, but the investment of time necessary to take Crash through to the end ensures that you forge a relationship with the game and its characters.

Introduced to us in the same year, Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft was gutsy, brassy and kick-ass in a way that Crash wasn’t, whilst comparative characters – take Nintendo’s Mario, for example – are arguably more iconic. But like a good wine, Crash has matured with age. It is an unspoilt game from a time before the gaming market was saturated with Hollywood spin-offs and celebrity cash-ins: quaint, unpretentious, and brilliantly effective.

Preview

Guild Wars 2 NCsoft PC

Andrew Williams reminisces about a brilliant game from a simpler time – the 1996 masterpiece Crash Bandicoot

Fable: the Journey Jonathan Lee and Sam Mossop

One of the many races and classes you can play as in Guild Warss 2 The new spell mechanics with five utility spells of choice and five weapon spells allows for interesting gameplay with frequent weapon changes and tactics in combat. The limited, longer cool down spells means more thought has to go into the choice of spells for different situations compared to the large list of spells that clutter other MMORPGs out there often provide. Bringing dodging and self-healing to PVP creates a more

engaging experience.

There are a few shortcomings, notably the lack of endgame player versus environment content and server troubles, but this isn’t surprising for a new MMORPG. The question is: with fresh mechanics, dynamic events, fulfilling PVP, impressive graphics and a beautiful score by the genius Jeremy Soule, will this game survive long enough? I hope so.

Microsoft Studios 360 For fans of the Fable franchise so far, Fable: The Journey may prove to be an unwelcome distraction from the timeline they have come to love over the past eight years.

This latest instalment does not continue along the lines of the Ancient Archon bloodline dealt with during the previous three games and instead introduces us to an Albion devoid of an obvious hero. The unlikely Hero-in-waiting turns out to be a clumsy tribesman named Gabriel, who gets lost and happens to stumble across Theresa. As with Theresa other familiar characters from the past games are also common fixtures, including Balverines, Hobbes and Hollowmen. Though fans will be pleased to see these much loved characters of Albion remain in the game, this is where the similarities (perhaps unfortunately) end.

Fable: The Journey is produced for Kinect and is set to disappoint the large number of gamers yet to use this device. The game

Jack Crutcher

itself may yet prove to be the saviour of Kinect (if Kinect isn’t the downfall of the franchise first). Simple hand movements will produce satisfying results and using your hands interchangeably will produce either focused attacks (right hand) or attacks over a large area (left hand).

The game has lost most of its melee elements however, choosing to focus on magic attacks and the occasional hand-to-hand combat.

Though quirky elements have been introduced, such

as being able to pick apples from trees and heal your horse. Much of the free roam element is lost as the game nurses you through the storyline, moving from place-to-place as quests are completed, although an Arcade mode lets you re-visit explored areas.

For fans of Fable this game may disappoint, visually and emotionally the game should feel like Fable, but many of the unique elements of the RPG franchise will be lost with the introduction of Kinect.

Food & Drink Recipe Gorilla’s gin parlour ISSUE 04/ 8TH OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

23

Spicy rice and sausage

Alexandra Williams discovers the wonders of buttered gin and classic martinis The infamous Manchester brand Trof have opened a slick new venue on Whitworth Street under the rather ominous name ‘Gorilla’ and, while it boasts all the usual attributes of the chain, this particular establishment has a sophisticated niche: gin.

The parlour itself, housed on the exclusively designed mezzanine, stocks around 35 different hand-picked gins from around the world, all of which are selected for their broad variety and superior quality. Here, the gins can be relished as part of a balanced cocktail, or with an effortless tonic.

The cocktails are all-encompassing.

From the contemporary classics, I would recommend the spicy, sweet and intense ‘Ginger Gin Sling’ or the ‘Kingston Collins’, which is a lively and tropical alteration to the original mix. The ‘Ramos Gin Fizz’ was a challenge as it was far too creamy, so approach with caution. The ‘Tonic’ selection offers more clear and crisp options such as ‘Green’, a beautiful

perfumed drink containing the rosemary and cucumber infused gin, Hendricks, and the refreshing ‘Coconut’ made with exquisite English Millers Gin, mixed with a Jamaican coconut rum.

No self-respecting gin parlour would be complete without a martini, and Gorilla offers understated traditionals as well as a few unusual alternatives. The undoubted crowning glory, however, was the homemade ‘buttered gin’, a recipe adapted from a drink originally made in New York speakeasies. The spirit possesses a sweet, smooth, buttery taste - whilst preserving an unmasked strong gin flavour. It can be consumed in a cocktail or modestly on the rocks.

If you’re adverse to a gin tipple, Gorilla offers a cornucopia of other indulgences.

The food, for example, is all fresh, free range and carefully considered, right down to the delicious brioche burger buns and succulent Rib-eye steak. A recommendation must be made for the incredibly hearty ‘Royal Breakfast’,

containing everything you could ever want to cure the most arduous of hangovers. There is also an extensive list of eclectic rums, vodkas and bourbons waiting to be discovered. For the small hours, juxtaposed to the relaxed bar is the adjoined club which is currently hosting an array of alternative nights, underground artist gigs and even cult film screenings. This place really has everything.

Unsurprisingly, Gorilla has been nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ at this year’s Manchester Food & Drink Festival and, although not the cheapest of venues around, it’s one of the most diverse and exciting to recently emerge.

It’s assuredly worth spending a bit more to visit, whether it be for the club, bar or food, so attempt to banish thoughts about your overdrafts, dismiss the fiscal temptation of Sainsbury’s Basics vodka and go check it out.

Alexandra Williams

(Adapted from Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course) Smoked paprika has a barbecuey flavour that makes this dish taste beautiful. The alcohol doesn’t have to be posh; I once used a glass of Strongbow instead of white wine, and it still tasted good!

Serves 4 Ingredients: Olive oil, for frying This shit is bananas.

Photo: Jessica Hardiman

As the guests were welcomed into Catherine’s house, delectable smells emanated from her kitchen. Bitterness about the perpetual rain was subsided by tea-light candles that were glowing inside homemade lanterns.

We asked the guests how they felt about the menu - red onion tarte tatin for the starter, beef bourguignon for main and a chocolate and raspberry pavlova for dessert. Will, PPE student, was looking forward to the starter, because he had no idea what tarte tatin was. Economics student Ollie casually remarked ‘the menu looked pretty standard, but if it’s well executed I’m very excited’ meaning his reputation as most discerning guest was upheld.

When the starter was produced, Ollie was impressed by the pastry, stating that ‘making pastry is quite hard to get right. I think this is right.’ It was not your average pastry, but in fact bespeckled with thyme and cheddar. Will

A pack of sausages 1 heaped tsp smoked paprika took it upon himself to educate the others in a bit of napkin craftwork, confessing, ‘I have a habit of making lotus flowers.’

All three thought the slow-cooked beef was amazing. However, Ollie still found something to complain about, whining that ‘the main wasn’t quite as good as the starter - which was an artisan, crafted dish.’ Rachel said ‘it was like being back at home with Mum’s stew’. High praise indeed, if a little off the track from fine dining. We happened to notice that Catherine appeared to be dishing out her only set of heart-patterned crockery to Will.

Interesting.

The pudding was pavlovely. Ollie liked its mysterious personality, saying whimsically, ‘the meringue exterior held a chocolate secret.’

Whilst eating, he phrased it slightly more simply, with mere continual groans of delight.

After dessert, the guests were treated to the dulcet tones of Catherine’s housemate, who

sang and played guitar. Her combination of acoustic screamo and pink, fluffy slippers was interesting, but seemed to be a hit amongst the diners. After her foursong set, the guitar got passed round and the entertainment descended into some sort of shambolic open mic, concluded

by Ollie and Will’s (presumably and hopefully impromptu) rendition of Tenacious D’s ‘Tribute.’ Classic.

Overall opinion: Catherine’s night was a success. The menu was promising, as were the smells, and the delivery generally lived up to expectations. The near-lull in entertainment was rectified by a good old sing-song at the end.

Will’s fresher’s flu is improving. All is right in the world of Come Have Dinner With Me. Scores will be announced when everyone has had a chance at hosting!

Jess Hardiman and Emily Clark Food & Drink Editors

Could Manchester’s Food and Drink Festival be too much of a good thing?

Review: Manchester Food and Drink Festival After my initial shock at the cavernous tents and empty stalls in the Food Hub of Manchester’s fifteenth Food and Drink Festival, I had to concede that this was mid-September, mid-week and mid-afternoon. I was expecting to be assaulted with vendors inviting me to gobble up the crêpes, pan-Asian street food and gourmet French cuisine billed for that day, but the main people eating anything seemed to be the vendors themselves.

Between flipping their exotic burgers , the guys at main stall, Ank Marvin, said that lunchtime work trade was when they were busiest; their generously sized kangaroo burger the best seller, amongst offerings including springbok and zebra.

However, I had arrived at 5.30pm and the midday buzz was clearly wearing thin. I was only just in time to sample the incredible salted caramel and peanut icecream served up by winner of last year’s British Street Food Awards, Claire Kailsey of Ginger’s Comfort Emporium, before she shuttered up her kitsch pink van.

In nearby St Ann’s square, the pans of steaming cheesy potatoes, pork baps, and Spanish paella in the Feast Markets were more like the street fodder I had in mind, which were also nestled amongst stalls selling cheeses and fudge. Waiting whilst the vats of chilli and mango and chicken korma were reheated for me by festival veteran, Mango Rays, I learnt they were not as busy as usual. They

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

Linguistics student Catherine May hosts the second night of jealousy-inducing crockery and a very handsome tarte tatin

L-R: Ollie, Rachel, Will and host Catherine. Photo: Jessica Hardiman

1 red onion, sliced

would be packed away by 8pm - whilst Harvey Nichol’s wine bar, the almighty beer and ale marquee of Robinsons’ Pub on the Hub and the The Liars Club in St Albert’s square would all be thronging with people.

With festival partners Truly Good Food introducing a ‘Festival dish for under a tenner’ incentive for city centre restaurants, demos from Masterchef’s John Torode and Oktoberfest all part of the festival, a good sit down with the festival guide is necessary to get the most out of this extravaganza. Manchester’s finest isn’t handed to you on a plate: you have to find it.

Eve Commander

200g long grain rice ½ glass white wine (red wine or cider would do) 500ml chicken stock 4 spring onions 1 tomato Flat leaf parsley (or any other fresh herbs)

Method: Add a glug of oil to a heavy-based casserole dish or deep saucepan and fry the onion for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the pepper and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

Slit the sausage skins and crumble the sausage meat into the pan, then cook over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes until coloured. Add the paprika and mix. Season to taste.

Add the rice and stir well to mix thoroughly and absorb the flavour.

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the white wine and scraping any bits stuck to the bottom.

Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 15–20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid almost entirely absorbed.

Emily Clark Food & Drink Editor

24

Arts & Culture

Must see

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

THIS WEEK Ruins, Rarities and Regeneration 8-14 OCTOBER Kirsty Almeida at M.A.G We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again - Manchester Art Gallery is the place to be this Thursday night. Flocks of butterflies and cuurency paper guns map the walls as park of the ‘First Cut’ exhibition, as you drift toward the haunting sound of Almeida, who blurs jazz, soul and folk to seduce you amonghst forests of paper trees,

EMERGENCY BLANKSPACE, Castlefield Gallery and Z-Arts open their doors to host EMERGENCY: 40 (free) art installations and interactive experiences designed to delight the curious, the brave and those in search of a little wonder to brighten up the week.

Oneohtrix Point Never Bring your dancing shoes to Islington Mill this Saturday for the sounds of Daniel Lopatin, a sensory and musical experience that is billed by the Mill themselves as ‘akin to bathing in a piping hot rainbow’. What’s not to like?

Beat the Frog World Series - Heat 2 Join MC Andrew Ryan and the gang at the Frog and Bucket, Manchester’s ledendary comedy club, for the ‘new act competition to end all new act competitions’,’ with the winner decided by YOU the audience!

Aisha Khalid: Larger Than Life Get down to the Whitworth Gallery for a site-specific project covering one of the gallery’s double height walls, as well as this display of new paintings by one of Pakistan’s leading contemporary artists. For a throughtprovoking comment on ‘cultural expectations and stereotyping, the oppression of women and global politics in the aftermath of 9/11,’ you need look no futhur than the UoM’s own gallery.

Cornerhouse Quiz

Think you know your cinematic stuff? Get down to Cornerhouse for their monthly film quiz, and expect to be grilled on now-iconic lines, images and theme tunes.

Harrie t Hill-Payne Arts & Culture Editor

Sarah Jones finds there is something for everyone in this melting pot of artistic representations of architecture, from the classical to the contemporary From the 6th of October 2012 until the 6th of January 2013, the Whitworth Art Gallery will showcase ‘Building on Things: images of ruin and renewal’, a charming exhibition which displays a diverse combination of classical watercolours and etchings alongside contemporary prints and collages from the likes of Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Anne Desmet to name but a few.

Tucked behind iron gates on the busy Oxford Road, The Whitworth Art Gallery is sometimes overlooked and deemed a gallery reserved for art students, or a mere predecessor to the Manchester Art Gallery. However it houses some brilliant exhibitions presenting works from nineteenth century paintings to modern installations and should be explored freely by any visitors, regardless of their age or level of art knowledge.

Visitors of the ‘Building on Things: images of ruin and renewal’ exhibition are greeted by an alcove full of Anne Desmet’s ‘Babel Flowers’; small images of Roman architecture made from materials including

linoleum and gold leaf are cleverly collaged to form an almost psychedelic flower image. Desment uses the passage of time as a starting theme for many of her works, and the use of flower images creates a clever mix of old and new, living and deceased.

This concept of these pieces lends itself to the themes of time travel and the passage of time which are central to this exhibition, and can also be seen in Tacita Dean’s thoughtful piece ‘Fernsehurm [Television Tower]’: a series of six photogravures which display the tower’s empty restaurant. The piece is said to illustrate the ‘metamorphosis of the restaurant from day into night’, and takes the viewer on a journey of transformation.

In amongst Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s monochrome etchings of derelict buildings and deserted prisons, Patrick Caulfield’s 1964 piece ‘Ruins’ serves as an abstract and humorous contribution to the exhibition. This brightly coloured print portraying building bricks in front of patches of grass combines the image of ancient ruins with

a modern, pop-art inspired style, echo the idea of ruined or futile objects being renewed in present day. However, if your view of contemporary art is more pessimistic than praising, classic works such as William Havell’s stunning watercolour, ‘Cilgerran Castle, Sunset, Pembrokeshire, Wales’ hold their own amongst more unusual exhibits of printing and photography.

October promises to be a jam packed month at the Whitworth Art Gallery, as exciting exhibitions such as ‘Hockney to Hogarth, A Rake’s Progress’ and a collection of works by Jane and Louise Wilson will be running throughout the winter months and promise to draw in the crowds. So with several exciting new exhibitions, countless tours, talks, seminars and readings there truly is something for everyone at the Whitworth this season. So why not come along, take a look around and lose yourself in the displays of vibrant works and artistic genius- it’s free!

Sarah Jones Contributor

Comment

Western Classical ... Metal?

With ‘Interdisciplinary Learning’ the buzzword of the moment, one Manchester music studentcritiques the departments efforts to fuse the conflicting strands of Western Classical Art music and Heavy Metal Last Thursday, music students of UoM were treated to a spectacular lunchtime recital at the Martin Harris Centre from their resident string quartet, Quatuor Danel. Anyone who has seen the Danel will be acquainted with the routine brilliance of the Frenchmen, but what was interesting about this particular recital was that it featured a piece, Metal Strings by Karen Tanaka, that fused together two of the most seemingly incongruent genres: Classical and Heavy Metal. After a performance that explored the more callous, visceral and metallic sonic capacities of the string quartet, Vlad Bogdanas (who plays viola l) then gave a seminar on the parallels between Heavy Metal and the Classical Avant-Garde.

Indeed, it would seem this clash of worlds is becoming rather fashionable. In December, the New Music ensemble Vulgar Display, launched in February, is due to make its debut outing at the RNCM, featuring music written by composers such as Gary Carpenter, David Horne, Emily Howard and Larry Goves. Founder Dr. Simon Clarke, says that Vulgar Display will seek “to render an irreconcilable antagonism between extreme metal and contemporary classical music.” As such, the ensemble caters instrumentally for both the brutal aggression of the former and the (perceived) subtle refinement of the latter: heavily distorted and detuned electric guitar, two percussionists and a piano trio. Quite unlike Tanaka’s piece, Dr. Clarke

WHY DOES

THEMANCUNION

ARTS&CULTURE PAGE NEED YOU

said that Vulgar Display will look to superimpose and juxtapose the genres as conceptual opposites, not, as Metal Strings does, to fuse and mediate them.

So, here we have two very valid yet contrasting attitudes to this particular cross-fertilisation of ideas. However, unfortunately I thought there to be significant shortcomings with both.

On the one hand, as a fan of both Western Art music AND Metal myself, I feel vindicated by the fact that this discussion is happening at all, having thought for a long time, as I’m sure many others like me have, that both Metal and Western Art have many transferable qualities. The culture of progression and innovation is common to both genres, as is the technical proficiency it demands of those who play it.

The sense of theatre and occasion, also, is paramount to performances of both genres, despite the obvious distinctions that can be made between the ‘concert hall’ and the ‘gig venue’. If anyone has ever seen Pina Bausch’s ritualistic choreography for Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring they will be struck by how much it bears, in parts, an uncanny resemblance to a moshpit.

But on the other hand, neither approach really fulfilled my expectations in the comparisons they drew. In focusing almost entirely on technical minutiae, Vlad gave the impression that the connection between Metal and Classical was merely cosmetic, failing to acknowledge deeper common

Aumtumn is a marathon month culturally - if you’re not at the Lit Fest, you should be at the Weekender. If you’re not at the Weekender, you should be at one of the amazing array of new exhibitions that throw open their doors come October. We can get you to previews, on guest lists and through the door beofre anyone else.

attitudes to things like tonality, or a lack thereof, and extensive use of polyrhythms. Equally, Dr. Clarke, in simply characterising Metal and Classical as ‘crudity’ and ‘refinement’ respectively, reveals the limitations of his particular project. For example, bands like Meshuggah are in several respects extremely refined, and there are plenty of instances of Beethoven and especially Mahler and Stravinsky writing music that is crude almost to the point of banal. It’s also questionable as to whether detuning a guitar and using repetitive percussive noise reaaaally captures the sound of metal. After all, there’s nothing intrinsically ‘metal’ about electric guitars and percussion, since the identity of a genre cannot be simply explained in terms of the essentialist characteristics of its sound – it requires a cultural context.

But, of course, the cross-fertilisation of ideas between the two is not a recent innovation, and at least these two projects have sought to break away from the dire efforts of the past. Previous attempts, whether it be Yngwie Malmsteen’s Concerto with Orchestra or Cello-Metal outfit Apocalyptica, have all smacked somewhat of Spinal Tap-esque gimmickry.

Personally, I’m happy that metal musicologically speaking is finally being taken seriously. It shall be interesting to see if Metal-inspired Art Music can catch on.

If this newspaper is to be truly representative of its readership, if you’re reading this, why aren’t you writing? We want to make the A&C page more focused, more relevant and more useful,. We’re aware the remit of the page is pretty broad, and want to start this year by honing in specifcally on what you want to hear. To do that, we need your input.

It’s easy to spend three years here and never darken the doorways of any of the worldclass cultural institutions Manchester has to offer. Don’t let that be you. And, of course, if you’re thinking about a career in any kind of publishing, in a competive job market, this experience is invaluable. Get involved email arts@mancunion,com.

Theatre

ISSUE 04/ 8th October2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Must see

8th-15th October

Mancunians, lend me your ears!

Joesphine Lane reviews the RSCs production of Julius Caesar and talks to star Adjoa Andoh

Paterson Joseph and Adjoa Andoh perform in Julius Caesar. Photo: RSC A scene from The Heretic

Light-Hearted Intercourse Light-Hearted Intercourse has its world premiere this week after being unearthed from Bill Naughton’s (Bolton’s most famous playwright) archives and being brought to life by director David Thacker. The play looks at a young couple in the 1920s adjusting to married life whilst keeping secrets from their pasts from each other.

Runs until 3rd November at The Bolton Octagon.

The Heretic One-woman play about Manchester-born singer and actress, Pat Kirkwood. Most famous for her alleged affair with Prince Philip in the 1940s, the play explores the repercussions of the affair that haunted her for rest of her life.

Runs from 3rd to 6th October at The Royal Exchange. Tickets £12.

Grease

Runs until 13th October at The Palace Theatre. Tickets £11.25£40

Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 The Musical Written by the buxom bombshell herself, 9 to 5 begins its UK tour in Manchester this week. The story follows office workers Violet, Judy and Doralee as they turn the tables on their sexist, bigoted boss.

Runs until 20th October at the Manchester Opera House.

Tickets £15-£42

Why I Love / Why I Hate Josephine Lane reveals her likes and loathes of theatre

Five Stars out of Five The last century saw its fair share of the rises and falls of African dictators. How fitting, therefore, it seems for the Royal Shakespeare Company to set their latest production of Julius Caesar in modern East Africa.

I went to see Gregory Doran’s fresh new interpretation at The Lowry last week and afterwards I caught up with Adjoa Andoh, who plays Brutus’ (Paterson Joseph) wife Porcia in the play.

The setting of the play could not have been more perfect to rouse an audiences’ attention to a play that is, in my opinion, not performed often enough. Pre-curtain, the auditorium is filled with the sights and sounds of an African band drumming and singing as the witch-doctoresque soothsayer proudly introduced himself through striking dance.

Why I hate: Popular music in theatre Ever since I heard the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song ‘Bang’ (a song about dumping someone for being a rubbish shag) at the beginning of ‘That Face’ (a play the oppressive nature of family with slight hints of incest) I have been firmly against the use of ’songs people know’ in naturalistic theatre.

To me, it is a technique that has

This was merely a taster of the new vibrancy magnificently breathed into the play. The allblack cast, along with flawless African accents gave the words a new sort of rhythm and pace. Andoh tells me she knows of people who hated Julius Caesar at school (herself included) but after seeing this production, finally understood and liked it. Roused is right.

Whilst renovating the play entirely, the piece does not overlook the original Roman context. Michael Vale’s giant stone steps was somewhat reminiscent of Ancient Rome, but with its rusty metal wire structure occasionally peeping through, it was not a million miles away from modern Africa either. The conspirators donned swish black togas for he infamous murder scene, bringing the classic historical image sleekly into it’s modern context.

On top of this, the cast of Julius Caesar are all second to none. Paterson Joseph was wonderful as Brutus and handled it with humor, sensitivity and depth. Andoh tells me of her respect and fondness for Joseph, which certainly came across in their scene together, where Porcia tries to get Brutus to share what it is he has been keeping from her. Andoh goes on to tell me more about Porcia’s character: “Porcia is the daughter of Cato, the stoic philosopher and politician, who was driven to suicide due to his severe antagonism towards Caesar’s dictatorship. When we see her with Brutus we can see they have an respectful relationship where they can talk about politics as equals,” she says.

This certainly came across in Andoh’s portrayal, Porcia was all-woman: sexy, strong and courageous. Ray Fearon’s Mark Anthony was also stunning and whose ‘Friends, Romans, Countrymen’ speech was excited, passionate and raw. A performance not to be missed.

Andoh finishes by telling me about the cast’s personal connection to the play. All the cast are from African or West Indian roots so all have parents or grandparents who have experienced political unrest. She says: ‘Theres an energy that comes from our history we put back into the play’ This energy Andoh speaks of certainly shines through. If this is new direction for the RSC now that Doran is artistic director, then I say keep on going. If you can, you must see Julius Caesar!

Believers Be Damned Joseph Aldous reviews new play ‘The Heretic’, which premiered at the Lowry last Friday Four stars out of five stars

The musical that requires no introduction, Grease is coming to the Palace Theatre for this week only on its UK tour. Starring ITV’s Grease is the Word winner, Danny Bayne, the show is sure to be an evening of laughs, love and lots of leather!

25

With the debate over climate change and global warming perpetually in the forefront of public consciousness, it was with some trepidation that I took my seat for The Heretic, expecting a very long, very overwrought sermon on ‘the truth’ of the matter (whatever that may be). Luckily, this did not occur. Instead, the play, written

by Richard Bean (the man behind theatrical juggernaut One Man, Two Guvnors) and directed by Chris Honer, offers up the interesting concept of a sceptical Earth Sciences lecturer at a fictional U.K. University being targeted by eco-warriors for her questioning of the official line.

What follows is two hours of hilarious and engaging, albeit at times inconsistent, theatre.

been lazily stolen from film. And I like my theatre traditional. The advantage of theatre over film is that is total, immersive, it has all the elements and senses by being real, there and in front of you. The words of music in films is often there as a subtext, to get across what can’t fit into the screen. I’m all for music and sound in theatre, but there is just something so tacky and cringeworthy about having music we

Bean’s script is the true star of the piece: witty, brisk and razorsharp, it never patronises the audience, nor seeks to debase itself to become more accessible.

This balance is ably achieved, allowing the humour of the piece to flow free and fast. While the First Act produced plenty of dry, knowing titters, the second half of the play (more farcical in nature) generated the genuine belly laughs. The performances are exceptional, one slightly weaker cast member aside, the actors confidently matching the tight writing with equally tight performances. Cate Hamer is assured and strong as Dr. Diane Cassell, the titular heretic. She often acts as the straight man from which the other actors (in particular Stuart Fox in a fantastic comic turn as the head of the Earth Sciences

faculty) bounce off, but is no less impressive for doing so. Also notable is Polly Lister in a brief but brilliant performance as an officious Human Resources employee. A mention must additionally go to the superb stage design of Judith Croft which captures wonderfully the essence of a drab university office and a middle-class kitchen (despite the rather conspicuous lack of a dishwasher and, as my friend pointed out, rubbish bin… niggling I know, but noticeable nonetheless).

Unfortunately, while the various components of the production were all stellar, there were several rather jarring moments in the play, mainly during the dramatic sequences. The more weighty themes running through the piece, namely anorexia and self-harm, were somewhat

clumsily dealt with, the audience occasionally unsure as to how to react. Furthermore, an overly (and I mean overly) long scene change which occurs just after the emotional crux of the Second Art felt disruptive to the flow of action: perhaps it can be attributed to it being the first performance in a new space, but it was still problematic.

The positives of The Heretic, however, far outweigh the negatives; and what it can sometimes lack in dramatic punch it more than makes up for in comedic brilliance.

Running until the 13th October at the Lowry, Salford, it is worth seeking out this play. Although you may want to steer clear if you’re an overly sensitive Media Studies student.

know there. We also have more time for popular music in films. A whole minute could be dedicated to say, a sexy character walking on whilst Air’s ‘Sexy Boy’ sexily plays, but in theatre, an entrance should take a maximum of 5 seconds. If there is time for lyrics to mark a moment in a play, the moment has gone on for far too long.

Why I love: Onstage nudity

naked and angrily stomped his way across after realising that Max was not as single as he realised Max was not as single as he’d made out to be. The audience was largely made up of 15 year-old girls whose reaction of squeals, screams, laughter and face-coverings I will never forget.

Being one of those girls myself, I have not since become immune to the shock that is produced by onstage nudity of any kind.

Before I start, can I say that none of my reasons for liking nudity onstage are not at all voyeuristic.

I like it for the very simple reason that it never fails to totally alarm its audience senseless. One of the first ‘grown-up’ plays I saw was Martin Sherman’s Bent.

Minutes into it, gay protagonist Max’s one-night stand furiously burst onto stage stark-bollock

Lifestyle SECOND 60 50 Shades of Fallowfield

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

26

Feature

Interview

Kelby McNally is Acting Associate Editor of Closer Online

Gwen Ellis gives 50 Shades of Grey a student twist

This is our very own Tower challenge. Will we make it to top floor ecstacy? Or be stuck on floor 17, my thirst for passion not yet quenched?

Tell us about your role at Closer and what it involves.

My role at Closer Online is the Acting Associate Editor.

We are a small team of just two and so I work very closely with the editor to decide what makes it on to the site (and what doesn’t!)

photo: Kelby McNally Writing news, style, diet, health and real life stories is part of our every day routine, but we also head out on interviews and events on a weekly basis to try and secure exclusive content for Closeronline.co.uk.

Working on the diets also means that we get to work with real life women that have lost weight with us, motivating them to keep it up and letting them show off their amazing results in both the magazine and online.

I’m late for the first Chemistry Society meeting. As I rush into the Friendship Inn, I stumble over the last step and fall in through the door. Smooth. Suddenly, there’s a hand offering to help me up and as I take it, I realise that I’m face to face with a Jack Wills bedecked, flip-flop wearing, unshaven stallion. I tell him that I’m here for the meeting.

‘We’re just finishing up, but we can go for a drink and I can catch you up?’

A stuttering mess, I agree. I’m in a complete daze; this guy really is unbelievably hot. I already find myself fantasising about him correcting my equations while wearing nothing but a dirty rugby shirt.

Social networking is a big part of our role here too – making sure our Facebook and Twitter followers are kept up to date with the goings on!

Blind

What’s the best thing about your job?

Interviews and events are great perks to my job – I get to meet a lot of interesting people and go to events that I wouldn’t have even dreamed existed before my role here.

We’re very lucky in that respect.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to enter the magazine industry?

Experience, experience, experience! When starting off in the industry it’s all about getting the relevant experience and meeting the right people. Do as many work placements as you can and be nice to everyone!

Make tea, sit in the fashion cupboard, photocopy a million magazine spreads – you might find it tedious at the time, but do it with conviction and a smile on your face and we’ll remember you! Your hard work will pay off in the end.

Visit closeronline.co.uk

The Font is busy when we arrive; I’m trembling by the time we get to the bar and I’m all too aware of my nervous lip twitch.

‘I’ll get this for you… you can even order from the £3 or £4 list if you want,’ he offers generously, staring deep into my eyes and making my stomach does somersaults.

This gorgeous Adonis by my side is definitely turning heads, but to my surprise, he seems to only have eyes for me. How did I, a fresher, manage to bag this amazing PhD student? My pulse is speeding up. This is just too much; I need a moment to calm myself and wipe the Pout stamp off my hand.

‘I’m just going to the ladies’ I blurt out, face redder than a tomato.

After my mini panic attack in the toilets, I open the door to find him standing before me, tall dark and handsome with a lascivious look in his eyes… that look.

My inner goddess melts.

“This place is a little crowded. I know somewhere no one will be,” he smirks.

We approach Baa Bar. His hand touches mine, but the feeling hits me elsewhere. We’re nearly at a run by the time we reach the door. I’ve heard what goes on in

those toilets. If only they were gender neutral.

I ask for one of their shots.

“I’ll get you a Pinky Winky,” he whispers in my ear.

Without warning his lips are pressed hard against mine and he pushes me up against the mirrored wall, his hands running through my hair. I am trapped between the tight grip of his legs. His kiss is so deep and so intense that I can feel it everywhere..now I’ve got my Pinky Winky.

I feel the Adonis’s hand starts to move higher up my leg and my soaking bean is desperate for his touch. All of a sudden he freezes; there is giggling nearby and we are at risk of being caught. To my disappointment, he removes his hand, bursting the cocoon of passion in which we were entwined. Our lips part, but the dark look in his eyes tells me that it won’t be long until we’ll be at it again.

‘Let’s go’, he whispers urgently, and we nods towards my halls. I don’t normally do this kind of thing, but I cannot resist this sexy scientist.

I struggle to swipe us into the Tower because of my shaking hand. This is our very own Tower challenge.

Will we make it to top floor ecstacy? Or be stuck on floor 17, my thirst for passion not yet quenched? As we wait for the elevator I sense the tension between us.

We step into the small contained space; immediately the putrid stench of festering urine and curdling vomit fills my nostrils – what an aphrodisiac. I can bare it no longer, I want him – no, I need him, inside me.

‘Fuck the rules!” I scream. “I don’t care about halls’ security.”

By the time we’ve reached the sixth floor his fingers are deep inside me. I can feel his growing shaft through his jogging bottoms. When we reach my floor I’m undone. He somehow manages to compose himself as the elevator comes to a halt. I step out, expecting him to follow. But he pulls me back in, and the lift becomes our lovenest, journeying up and down the tower.

We finally reach the bottom, and he’s out of breath as he leaves. But this time, it’s me pulling him back.

‘We’re doing the tower challenge. It’s two shots on the ground floor, remember?’

Date

Yasmin, 3rd year, Mathematics

Ash, 3rd year, Spanish & Portuguese

First impressions?

First impressions?

A confident charmer from the word go.

She had a lovely smile and was really friendly. A little flirtatious too!

What did you have to eat?

What did you have to eat?

A falafel burger and chips.

Chicken breast, rice and salad.

What did you guys talk about?

What did you guys talk about?

We spoke about our favourite nights out in Manchester and the type of girls he usually goes for.

I just wanted to understand more about who she was.

If they were an alcoholic beverage which one would they be and why?

If they were an alcoholic beverage which one would they be and why?

A mojito, because he studies languages!

A glass of expensive wine…classy and sophisticated.

Were there any awkward silences?

No, the conversation ran smoothly and we got on really well!

Rating?

8/10 Finally, hug, kiss or something more?

Were there any awkward silences?

Ash & Yas min

There weren’t any silences, just banter!

Rating?

8/10 Finally, hug, kiss or something more?

A kiss on the cheek and she held my hand on the way out…result!

Ash and Yasmin ate at The Deaf Institute, Grosvenor Street, Manchester. Thanks to the guys down at Grosvenor Street for getting involved. To check out their menu, gig listings and have a look at what club nights are coming up visit their website www.thedeafinstitute.co.uk To sign up for blind date please e mail your name, year of study and course to lifestyle@mancunion.com with ‘blind date’ as the subject

Lifestyle STUDENT 101

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Relationships

With a girl, by a girl

Love or loathe them, you can’t escape promoters at university

Claudia gives us her personal take on being in a same-sex relationship First of all, the rumours are true, the sex is mind blowing.

Girls are soft and sexy and with two sets of boobs in the bed, there is no room for complaining. Girls know their own bodies and are, in turn, more knowledgeable when it comes to satisfying the girl they’re with. In my experience, girls are very generous.

As a girl who likes girls, I can also confess that sex is not limited to the bedroom, or the shower, or even the car for that matter. Changing rooms and club toilets are just some of the locations where lesbian couples can get away with things that straight couples normally cannot. Plus, size is never an issue. With unlimited resources in various shapes and sizes, satisfaction is almost always guaranteed.

Sex aside, being able to go shopping with your partner and not disagreeing about which shops to visit, is a definite positive. Sharing make up, clothes and often friends makes life easier and your sleepover bags lighter. Girls, on average, are also more understanding which aids communication

Photo: Betty Postlewaithe

and makes for a stronger relationship.

But, as with all relationships, it isn’t all plain sailing. Being with a girl often means synchronised periods – for example. So that’s double the dose of PMS – one painful week of over emotional mood swings, stomach cramps and all round bitchiness.

Whilst it’s not always negative, lesbians seem to be in the habit of progressing through the stages of a relationship at lightning speed. Having told my now girlfriend I loved her before officially giving her that title, I am especially guilty of this. For whatever reason, we just can’t seem to wait.

In my opinion, the ultimate downside of being a girl who likes girls is the truck load of stereotypical questions that come your way. ‘Which one of you is the man in the relationship?’ and ‘Who’s going to wear the wedding dress?’ being my particular favourites.

Being part of a lesbian couple is not without its difficulties, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Terrible tales from between the sheets...

A couple of months; I was in a long distance relationship. I think that having to wait made the sex better!

Edd Two different year long periods. I just got used to it by the end.

Katie I’m in a long term relationship, so luckily I haven’t had to go without

sex for longer than a week or two for ages!

Josh

Fallowfield, city centre, Deansgate Locks and The Northern Quarter: it’s not surprising that it’s almost impossible not to bump into a club promoter around campus. But at what point do these people who are, let’s not forget, technically getting paid to deliver a service, become a nuisance?

I know several people that have juggled promotional work with their degree, including my housemate. On countless occasions I have waved her off on a bus towards Fallowfield in the freezing cold to deliver tickets to pre-drinking students and for what, £1 per ticket sale?

I suppose promoting does have the potential to make you profit if you’re lucky on the night, but ultimately, it doesn’t guarantee you an income, and furthermore, is a pretty annoying thing to have to do when you have a final year essay due in the following day.

If you take a look at your newsfeed on Facebook you’ll see another reason as to why many people find promoters annoying. Duplicate messages, private emails and wall posts: promoters will use every opportunity possible to get you to attend their night, often resulting in their audience pressing that fantastic little button titled ‘hide’.

Photo: Julian Wakefield

This week: the longest you have ever been without sex.

18 years until I lost my virginity! I guess you can’t miss what you’ve never had…

Harry

27

years were hassle free!

Cara

dramatic.

Dom

It was six months for me.

Five months my longest sex I really how Newerisartists like Tom Vek, Delilah, anddon’t Totally know Enormous drought.

It was traumatic, I coped.

Those were bad Extinct Dinosaurs are destined to have successful but thankfully an angel from times. performances based off the buzz around them. above came to my rescue.

Izzy Annie Club Mac and electronic music artists like Gold Panda will Trumpet Meg be the main sounds coming off the stages.

Date: ?????????

Venue: ??????????

A few weeks, I don’t know Newermonths. artists likeThose Tom Vek, Delilah, and Totally Enormous About ?????????? three how people can go without it Price: Extinct Dinosaurs are destined have successful three months were awful. fortomonths or even years at performances based off the buzz around them, while DJs Hannah a time! such as Annie Mac and electronic Matt music artists like Gold Panda the main I haven’t had will sexbesince Junesounds coming off the stages. and its now October. In all I once waited two years honesty, I am beginning after a particularly bad to worry that I’m never break up. Sex isn’t the going to get any ever again, be all and end all for me. but perhaps that’s a little Looking back, those two

A few months, it wasn’t too bad.

Charlotte Between my last relationship and my current one, I waited 10 months to have sex. It didn’t really bother me. In fact, it was well worth the wait. I knew I didn’t want to go out and have one night stands. I think that sex is always better when its with someone you really like.

Callum

And then comes the issue of bitchiness. Many promoters appear to have an underlying sense of superiority that only hinders their success at selling. Yes, their social network may be slightly bigger than yours (pretty obvious when you’re adding five hundred random Facebook friends who you’ve never met) but real friends are often lost through being mistaken for clients, as one promoter has warned. The things people will do for money and power, eh?

The truth is is that promoters don’t sell the night: its reputation does. Throw in a celebrity appearance and you’re sorted.

Only last week I witnessed a promo failure as a result of what I believe was a lack of both branding and incentives. They had the music, free shots and flyers but it wasn’t enough.

Manchester is saturated with student club nights and you truly need something unheard of if you fancy setting up your own.

Love or loathe them, you can’t escape promoters at university.

Just make sure that you aren’t fooled into thinking that you’re really going to get that £150 bottle of vodka on arrival and a chance to party with Kanye because it probably won’t happen.

Zara Zubeidi

I haven’t had sex in about

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

Dream Job TV Presenter Qualifications needed: BJTC accredited courses Salary: 14K – 100K+ Location: Worldwide

Do you have a clear and attractive voice? Likeable personality? The confidence to be quick witted and handle unexpected events smoothly? If the answer is yes to all of the above then a job as a TV presenter may be just the ticket for you. Being a TV presenter offers up great experiences from travelling the world to meeting inspirational people but as with all jobs it does have its challenges.

Some presenters, particularly at the beginning of their careers, have to work long hours till late at night or even early in the morning. But putting in

the work can pay dividends later with primetime slots for the most successful. There are no set entry qualifications, but a BJTC accredited course may help. These courses aim to make you more employable and give you the skills necessary to enable you to cope with the demands of life in the broadcasting industry. The courses can also open up doors as the BJTC holds members such as the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky. However as much as a qualification can help personality, enthusiasm and determination are as, or more, important.

Getting involved in broadcasting and getting

as much experience as possible is essential so sending off CVs and harassing (to a certain extent!) is a must and you may well start as a runner, which involves collecting coffees and doing all the jobs no one else wants to. If you are interested get in touch with Manchester’s own FUSE TV and see if there is anything you can do to get you on the path to stardom Keir Stone-Brown

28

Lifestyle

ISSUE 04/8th OCTOBER 2012

Holiday Disasters Travelling, though a supposedly joyous past time, has scope for endless disaster. Despite a year abroad and many other happy holidays, an epiphany dawned on me just a few weeks ago upon reflection of the past year, and the 4 – yes 4 – consecutive flights I have had cancelled out through no fault of my own; I am jinxed. My trips are not supposed to go to plan, and there has been me meticulously planning and train hopping to my heart’s content with the naïve assumption that it would run smoothly. I hereby have compiled a list of dilemmas that one such unfortunate soul as I may have, or will soon encounter: A volcanic ash cloud Blanketing our planet back in 2010, the ash cloud was for some the solution to all our revision neglecting problems with mitigation excuses secured. Terrorising travellers until mid May, I was one of the lucky ones to have found myself stuck in Thailand, Moscow, Sofia, Madrid, Lille, and London respectively due to a series of emergency landings, throwing away all the hard work I had done in 1st year.

It goes without saying that not only did my bank balance suffer a hefty blow due to 27

hour coaches, emergency phone calls and hostels, insurance companies were simply not interested as it was deemed an act of God. Snow/ice These particularly frosty weather conditions are likely to have affected us all over the past few winters. As ice skating is not the preferred method to get about, in fearless optimism I booked flights to Amsterdam and Berlin to escape the British transporting catastrophe and our incapability to cope with more than a bit of rain. Both flights were of course cancelled, and I lost faith in the global battle against snow.

Missing flights There is of course, the off chance that your flight may go to schedule. However due to unforeseen circumstances, you cannot make it in time. These circumstances more often than not involve alcohol the night before, or a problem actually getting to the airport. Upon arrival at the airport you may find that your passport has disappeared or more annoyingly that you have forgotten to print your boarding pass- in which case you will face an unjust

charge from Ryan air, to add insult to injury.

Trains Trains are the making of the passengers inside them. You can have a ricketly 19th century steam train that bumble along the tracks, but if all the passengers are nicely spaced, polite and inoffensive characters then you will most likely enjoy a pleasant journey. If however, you find yourself travelling by train from Bangkok to Chang Mai in Thailand, it does not matter that the train has reasonably comfortable seats, and even surprisingly an operating toilet; for it will be swarmed with small barefooted children, sleeping either under your seat, on your knee, or in the toilet, for the entire 10 hour duration of the journey. And this is standard class.

Lessons learned Do not book 6am flights when you will inevitably get wasted the night before.

Avoid Moscow airport at all costs.

Travel on weekdays if possible- it’s much cheaper.

Book hostels ahead of arrival for lower rates

Experience... Barcelona Lucy Gardner offers Barcelona on a student budget Barcelona’s popularity amongst budget travelers is quickly growing. Although it has obvious attractions (it’s October temperature reaching an average high of 21C – a whole 7 degrees higher than Manchester) it also has it’s healthy backpacker vibe that helps support cheap student holidays.

Day 1 If you are only staying in Barcelona for a couple of days, be sure to visit the Gothic Quarter. Europe’s Art Nouveau movement gave rise to some of the city’s most prized landmarks. The area is home to eight World Heritage Sites including the famous Sagrada Familia. Gaudi’s church is easy to get to with its own metro stop and it doesn’t disappoint.

Currently just marvel at its beautiful exterior as most of the inside is under renovation and isn’t worth the entry price. You’re better off exploring the Catalan cafes that are nestled in amongst the Gothic architecture and experience the Mediterranean cuisine. Avoid eating on La Rambla as it is often overpriced and not up to the scratch of the coastline seafood restaurants. If you are still looking to broaden your cultural horizons, the city

ask

Q A

KEIR

I’ve heard you just have to take one pill to get rid of chlamydia so what’s the big

deal?

We hear a lot about chlamydia because it’s very common, with more than 1 in 20 under 25s having it.

What is it?

It’s a bacterial infection spread by sex that can affect both men and women. The symptoms aren’t pretty but it’s important to recognise them.

afternoon there. Instead take a trip on the cable cars that run from the Port de Barcelona to Montjuic – for €9 you will receive breath taking views of city, a perfect camera opportunity.

During the late afternoon stroll around the labyrinth of side streets surrounding the centre and indulge in a spot of shopping, particularly in the pastry and chocolate shops that hand out free samples.

Barcelona’s skyline Photo: als0lily @Flickr hosts several different museums from the Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art to the Archaelogy Museum of Catalonia.

Day 2 The National Geographic listed Barcelona city beach as one of the top ten city beaches in the world, but in my opinion, relaxation is difficult with the amount of nudists and rubbish roaming around. Whilst worth a visit for the beautiful view of the sea, I wouldn’t spend an

As far as going out is concerned, Barcelona can get quite expensive. There are various party tours on offer, however, that allow you to experience the local nightlife for a fraction of the cost of the big club nights. Barcelona Party Tours offer four venues (a Catalan bar, a bar on Mount Tibidabo with a view of the city’s lit up sky line, a Catalan club and finally Opium – reportedly one of the best party spots in Europe) with a free drink in each location and a coach to get you around for just 35 euros.

Stay – The Be Mar Hostel from £12 per person per night Fly – Return flights from Birmingham to Barcelona are £38 during early November

Ask Keir is a column aiming to answer all your health questions. If you want to know about that funny looking lump that won’t go away, why your GP won’t give you those antibiotics or anything at all to do with health get in touch at: askkeir@gmail.com

Women can have: Vaginal discharge Vaginal bleeding or spotting between periods Bleeding after sex Pain passing urine No symptoms Men can have: Pain passing urine Discharge from the end of their penis No symptoms What’s the worry?

Chlamydia, if untreated, can cause women to become infertile

All questions will of course be kept confidential and anonymous

and can also reduce the fertility of men. No one needs to be told that jeopardising your future family is a risk not worth taking and that’s not the end of it. With over 80% of women and 50% of men having no symptoms there is an increased chance of it being passed unknowingly.

What can you do about it?

Get a check up at your local GP or sexual health clinic. Almost anyone can have the test, it’s free and you can do it yourself. The result usually takes up to two weeks.

If it comes back positive the

Baby Food Diet The

Holiday disasters happen to everyone but perhaps more to Becky Leddy than most

doctor will prescribe antibiotics and in most cases that successfully treats the infection. However, as always, prevention in the first place is best so practice safe sex by using condoms.

If you have any other worries contact your local GP.

Mmm looks tasty...!? Photo: Jenny Cu Finding it hard to lose those few pounds you put on during a summer of barbeques and boozing?

Want a quick and easy to follow diet plan to help you get back into those skinny jeans? Well this may be the diet for you, albeit a slightly bizarre one.

The Baby Food Diet has become one of the biggest crazes to sweep the world this year so far. Forget the Maple Syrup Diet, this plan promises to whip you into shape in as little as a week, with noticeable results beginning to show within 48 hours. The diet boasts several celebrity success stories, such as Jennifer Annistona and Rhys Witherspoon.

There are no complex guidelines to follow, nor is there any excessive calorie-counting to do. You simply do what it says on the tin: eat baby food.

Around fourteen portions should be consumed throughout the day, accompanied by a low-calorie, low-fat evening meal such as grilled chicken or fish with steamed vegetables. The baby food can be any flavour you desire; it should be free from fats, fillers and other additives. Sounds like the perfect, simple plan for a quick dieting fix, right?

As with all diets however, there are a few dark clouds that are bound to rain on your mushy pea and blended parsnip parade. Following the regime can be easier said than done; in reality it’s difficult to cope with barely any solid food.

Whilst baby food is filling and nutritious for the average six month old, it is hardly going to satisfy the stomach of an adult. Some have complained that the plan becomes very repetitive, to an extent where it becomes tedious and even nauseating. What is more, fourteen jars of baby food is actually an excessive amount of food to be consuming- each jar contains around 125 calories.

My conclusion: leave this one to the babies! This diet is more of a trend than a realistic long term plan. Tracy Anderson, the creator of the fad, has stated no specific nutritional guidelines and has yet to recommend an exercise plan to compliment the regime. Whilst this may be successful for a dieter looking for a quick fix, any lasting results remain to be seen. Pureed food is never going to cure a hangover like a double cheeseburger does anyway.

Beth Currall

Fancy writing a piece for the Lifestyle section?

Get in touch to lifestyle@mancunion.com

Societies

ISSUE 04/ 7th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

SOCIETY SWAP

Sarah Blow tries knitting

Name: Sarah Blow Society: Dance Society How did you find knitting ?

I really underestimated how hard it was! But when you start getting the hang of it, it’s really

addictive. It was great how you could sit and chat with people, in one hour session I met at least four new people. It’s amazing how a skill like knitting can bring so many people together.

people if you are just turning up for an hour and then leaving directly afterwards.

We have great socials out, but I’d like to make the classes themselves more social and interactive.

Bad things: The only thing would be to have tables of different abilities. This way no one gets left behind and it would be easier for the committee to teach.

Do you think that Knit Soc breaks the stereotypes that surround knitting?

Yes, definitely! I had no idea how popular it was, there must have been around 40 people there today. There were no grandmas in sight.

Would you go again?Yes, and I am going to bring my housemates along too.

Is there anything from the knitting society you could apply to the Dance Society?

I would definitely take the relaxed element. Dance is very much focused on the classes so it can be hard to get to know

Name: Lizzy Clark Society: Knit Soc

able, especially as we were all beginners.

How did you find your beginners ballet lesson?

Well, it started off badly as I turned up late so had to play catch up for the first ten minutes.

But everyone was friendly so I soon started to get the hang of it. The instructor was also great, because she used modern music which we all recognised. I thought that the class was quite advanced for beginners though!

Is there anything from the Dance Society you could apply to Knit Soc? Yes, I think I would apply how structured their sessions are, ours can be a bit chaotic at times.

Volunteers from MLP

who have undertaken the programme have found these lectures both invaluable and diverse: ‘it was good to hear the real life experiences of the leaders especially when they were from different backgrounds.’

However, do not be fooled into thinking that the programme is solely centred on leadership: it offers far more than that. The full 20 credit programme actively encourages students to carry out charity work in the local community. Past projects include designing a mural for a school, creating a sensory book for adults with severe learning difficulties, and raising money to decorate and furnish a bedroom for a child with muscular disability. The programme organises a great deal of charity work for participants, but partakers may do this themselves as long

as the work is carried out for a charity or non-profit organisation.

Naturally, the voluntary work is extremely rewarding, and in many ways the MLP can be a life-changing, transformational experience. A former student Lucy Nightingale was so motivated by the programme that in 2010 she founded SL Volunteers based in Sri Lanka: an affordable volunteering opportunity that strives to make positive impacts on communities. Lucy states that the MLP was a great driving force behind this decision, ‘it offered me the confidence to lead people and take risks. It provided me with practical experience and knowledge which I still continue to use at SL Volunteers.’

With today’s saturated job market, the MLP gives students a unique selling point on their CV – as former alumni Rachel Boyce, who found a job within

SKYDIVING

CIRCUS SKILLS

We operate essentially as a tri-university club. We are the individual societies at Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Manchester and the University of Salford, but we book courses,organise carpooling and hold events together as one group.

The first thing we do every year is to organise first jump courses for students to get them skydiving. The first jump is a static-line solo jump from 3,500ft, if a student then continues jumping they will progress via the Ram Air Progression System (RAPS) towards achieving their skydiving licence. Most, if not all, of our current qualified skydivers started with the club. We also socialise weekly (skydivers like to talk about skydiving A LOT and it gets on our housemates’ nerves) and regularly travel up to our home dropzone, Skydive Northwest in Cark to skydive together.

The club is also involved with the British Collegiate Parachute Association, which brings together Britain’s university skydiving clubs for big skydiving events and to compete with each other (there are achievement and competition leagues).

What’s the best experience you’ve had skydiving?

It would be very hard to tell you the best experience I’ve had skydiving, it is too hard to pick just one! You never forget your first jump, the fear in the plane, a moment of realising you just left a moving aircraft and then the beauty of the Lake District. Since my first jump in December 2010, the highlights have been qualifying, jumping in Germany, Holland, California and Belgium.

Competing in three national and one international skydiving competitions and recently partaking in a 60-person formation over Nottinghamshire.

I also spoke to Stuart Morris who is one of the owners of Skydive North West and has done over 4,500

Circus Skills is a testimony to the large variety of societies on offer at the University of Manchester.

Curious at this unconventional past time, I went along to their weekly meeting to find out what Circus Skills actually is. Upon arriving, there was one person riding a unicycle, a group of people learning the diabolo, another group juggling and a few people staggering around with poles balanced on their chin. It was an unusual sight, yet everyone was so welcoming and after a few minutes I found myself having a go at the ‘Rola Bola’ ( essentially balancing on a board) to the entertainment of onlookers!

I met Alan Blackburn, this year’s Chair, who explained the diversity of members at the society: “While we do get some very talented new members, most people who join have little to no experience.

This doesn’t matter in the slightest – everyone has to start somewhere!” This means associates learn from one another, so it’s a fantastic way to pick up new skills. The session runs for two hours, and the social advantage was obvious; between juggling and spinning plates, groups of people sat down to chat before having a go at one of the many other activities.

However, don’t be misled into thinking they are a group of hobbyists who sit around for two hours, as Alan told me Circus Skills is teaming up with Student Action to run a workshop for children with learning difficulties. “It’ll likely involve teaching them some basic skills in juggling, plate spinning and a few other things. You don’t have to be particularly talented to do a workshop – as long as you know some basics it’s fine.”

Although Circus Skills is a lot of fun and a great

Societies

Events

The Skydiving Society

skydives since he was sixteen. The most common worry about skydiving is about the risks involved in the sport. When asked about this Morris explained that skydiving and parachuting is nowhere near as dangerous as most people believe it to be, although it is not exactly a ‘safe sport’ either. At Skydive North West, they manage those risks with great equipment, instruction and training. For most skydivers it seems that the enjoyment that comes from skydiving far outweighs the risks.

How can people get involved?

To get involved just come and find us! We have a Facebook group and do most of our communicating through this, we also meet weekly in the MMU Student Union bar at 7.30pm. There’s no joining fee, you only pay for your skydiving.

So whether you fancy skydiving as a one-time thrill or want to become part of an elite club of qualified skydivers, go down to a social, get talking and get diving!

Rachel Heward

Would you go again?

No, because no matter how much I try, I’ll never be a ballerina!

Kate Bullivant Societies Editor Lizzy Clark at the beginners ballet class

Bad things: There wasn’t really anything bad except there were a few people sitting and watching which was a bit uncomfort-

MANCHESTER LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME The Manchester Leadership Programme, or MLP, provides students with an insight into the qualities needed to be a leader. The course is weighted at either 10 credits (a purely lecture based or online module) or 20 credits (a lecture based module with volunteer work in the second semester).

The lectures focus around the practical and theoretical aspects of leadership with the MLP drawing high profile speakers from academia, business, sport and the public sector; past speakers include former CEO of Tesco Sir Terry Leahy, Dame Ellen MacArthur, while this year’s speakers comprise of the CEO of a charity, the Head of HR of Unilever, and the mastermind behind the massively successful Olympic games volunteering scheme. Those

29

a month of graduation, will attest. ‘My volunteering enabled me to develop a range of skills including communication, leadership, public speaking, budgeting and time management’ – the list goes on!

The MLP is considered so significant by certain schools in the university – for instance the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences – that it is a compulsory part of many degree programmes; however, as long as you have free choice units, the MLP is available to you.

For more information visit: http://www. mlp.manchester.ac.uk/ Charlie Boorman

way to meet new people, there is far more to it.

“Many of the skills we do, such as unicycling or hula hooping, are great forms of exercise, and juggling is a brilliant way of improving hand-eye coordination. Not only that, but showing that you have interests and commitments outside of what is necessary is never a bad thing, and in this competitive world where most people’s CVs are identical, simply having a unique skill and niche pastime like ours might be what gets you ahead of the other guy.”

Next time you are in University and have an hour to kill between lectures, why not try Circus Skills? Meet new people, learn new skills, and put something eye catching on your CV. For more information visit their Facebook page: University of Manchester Juggling and Circus Skills Society.

Kate Bullivant Societies Editor

Wednesday afternoons with Circus Skills

Monday 8th October

Tuesday 9th October

Saturday 13th October

ITCHY FEET

Wednesday 10th October

Thursday 11th October

ACTIVIST ACADEMY

VOLUNTEERING FETE

Student’s Union, Room 2 (Khaled Said room)

Mint Lounge – Northern Quarter

CIRCUS SKILLS

University of Manchester’s Student Union

AFRICAN CARIBBEAN SOCIETY – Day Trip

6pm to 7 30pm

Itchy Feet is the ultimate relief to clubbing boredom.Tickets are £6 sold from a ticket rep- see Facebook page for more detailsfacebook.com/itchyfeetmanchester

Academy 2 pm - 2pm to 4pm

11am to 3pm

The Parliament Outreach service explain how you can influence Parliament directly.

Whether you want to campaign on the austerity cuts, anti-fascism, Islamophobia, disabled rights or the environment – this

training is for you.

Or you can get tickets online from here:

http://buytickets.at/itchyfeet/5747

Circus Skills is a opportunity to do something different and fun with your Wednesday afternoon, anyone is welcome - whether you can juggle or not!

Find out how you can be part of it. Meet lots of organisations who are making a difference in the area. This fete is a great way to get involved in groups that benefit so many people in and around Manchester.

12pm The ACS is organising a day trip to Liverpool thisSaturdaytovisittheInternationalSlavery Museum for Black History Month.

Email: verneishaknowles@gmail.com Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ acsmanchester.uni

30 : SPORT

ISSUE 04 / 8TH OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

‘I made the Games’: a volunteer’s account of the London Olympics

Ally Mitchell was a volunteer at the Aquatics Centre (Photo: Matt Churchill)

Ben Weich

The National Football League is as dynamic and ever-changing as any in world sport. In fact, it actively puts rules in place, from the salary cap to collective bargaining agreements, specifically designed to never let the dust settle. Unlike in other sports, most notably ‘soccer’, rigid hierarchies aren’t allowed to form, keeping the game exciting.

Despite this, some things never change.

One enduring truth of American football is that the Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli, are never far from the forefront of fans’ minds.

One of the biggest talking points this off-season was Peyton Manning’s return to football. The man regarded by some as the game’s finest-ever quarterback missed the entire 2011 season through a neck injury. He spent 14 illustrious seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, in which he won a record four NFL Most Valuable Player awards and one Super Bowl, before the team released him in March. Looking to the future, the Colts decided to replace Peyton Manning with the best young quarterbacking prospect since…well, Peyton Manning.

Having been snapped up by the Denver Broncos, the elder Manning is playing with something to prove this season.

Speculation is rife over whether he can still cut it at the highest level. Obviously, concern for the state of his neck perseveres and now at 36 years of age, questions about his ability to throw the ball with power have been raised.

After the season’s opening rounds, the truth is that we still don’t know what we’ll

Bizarre Sports #4 – Extreme Ironing Andrew Georgeson

Peyton Manning has won a record four MVP awards. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

get from Peyton this year. He looked back to his best in the Broncos’ first game, an upset of the Pittsburgh Steelers, before sloppy, mistake-ridden losses in the following weeks. His arm-strength has looked a bit shaky at times – a couple of throws against the Atlanta Falcons floated weakly in the air before being intercepted by defenders. Combine this with the miscues involved with playing for a new team and Denver’s unforgiving fixture list, and Peyton’s season starts to look doomed before it’s even started. Luckily, he’s competing in one of the league’s weakest divisions, so there’s hope yet of him making the playoffs for a 10th-straight time.

Brother Eli, five years Peyton’s junior, is playing like the one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Fans of the sport will know him as the man who led

the New York Giants to a Super Bowl victory in February, their second in five years.

After an opening-day loss to the Dallas Cowboys, Eli has put together some strong performances, suggesting he’s found the missing piece to his game. He’s always performed well in big playoff games, but his critics point to a relative lack of success in the regular season. As we saw in the Super Bowl, when the pressure’s on he’s the best in the business, but unlike his brother, he’s never been what you would call ‘consistently good’. In his eight NFL seasons he’s been to just two Pro Bowls, the league’s annual All-Star game.

By virtue of being younger, Eli has always lived in Peyton’s shadow. Should he win an MVP award this season however, and he may just start to get first mention in articles like these.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a freshly pressed shirt. Unfortunately, ironing can be an arduous process, especially for a student.

For those who fancy exercising more than just their ironing arm, however, there is always Extreme Ironing.

Extreme Ironing is the self proclaimed ‘latest danger sport, that combines the thrills of an extreme outdoor activity with the satisfaction of a well pressed shirt.’

Extreme Ironing involves performing extreme sports, such as sky diving, wakeboarding, even standing on top of a car whilst driving along the M1, then whipping out your ironing board and pressing an allotted amount of clothes.

The sports was started in Leicestershire by house husband Phil Shaw who, after a long day of chores, was left with an ultimatum- finish the last bit of housework, i.e. the ironing, or go enjoy his favorite past time of rock climbing. He decided to combine the two, and the rest is history.

Phil, affectionately known as ‘Steam’ on the Extreme Ironing circuit, embarked on a world wide tour in 1999, which saw countries like the USA and New Zealand embrace the sport and heralded the creation of the Extreme Ironing Bureau, the international governing body for the sport.

The poster boy for Extreme Ironing in the UK is Paul Roberts, who recently fin-

to:

NFL: A tale of two Mannings

As we line up I’m possibly more nervous than the athletes were before their race. I can just sense the next massive YouTube hit: ‘Girl Falls in Olympic Pool’. And then we’re walking out - the roars of the spectators are so loud, I can’t even hear The Chariots of Fire theme tune.

The next few minutes are incredible; camera bulbs are

ntain: (Pho

400m Individual Medley.

The result is a shock; Lochte wins and Phelps only finishes fourth. Gradually, the athletes arrive backstage with their antidoping volunteers, and all of our meticulous planning is briefly forgotten as Ryan Lochte walks in.

Everyone in the packed room just stares at him. I’m embarrassed about how truly uncool we look.

ay up a mou

so many years, and now they finally had the chance to prove themselves.

The first ceremony took place the following evening. After dressing in our costumes we waited in a deactivated shower room (which looked like the setting of Saw) and watched the race on TV – Michael Phelps versus Ryan Lochte in the Men’s

flashing, people are screaming and I’m standing right there, experiencing the whole event!

The rest of the week feels surreal. I get to take part in at least two ceremonies a night, and many of the athletes’ faces soon become familiar; Sun Yang, Yannick Agnel and Ye Shiwen all appear on the podium, along with a Michael Phelps, who

by Tuesday was crowned the greatest ever Olympian.

Phelps’ silver medal in the 200m Butterfly, however, was complete surprise, as he was beaten by the little-known South African Chad le Clos. I was lucky enough to lead this ceremony around the pool, and I was in awe; not only at the sheer volume of the crowd, but at the excitement and anticipation as the athletes made their way to the podium.

My week at the Olympics was indescribable. I couldn’t wait for the evening to come, never knowing who we might meet. A few nights were hard work – excitable athletes would frequently run off in the wrong direction (leaving us to struggle after them in devilish heels), but that just made the job more eventful.

I wouldn’t exchange my experience for anything; I made wonderful friends and played an integral part in the London 2012 Olympics. I am now the proud owner of a badge saying ‘I Made The Games’.

ning - halfw

Two summers ago, the thought of becoming a Games Maker seemed pretty unfathomable.

The Olympics were in the distant future and ‘Games Makers’ sounded like something off the Hunger Games. When my family persuaded me to apply for a volunteer role, I was initially sceptical; I never believed I would be chosen to play such an active part in London 2012.

The whole experience came around unexpectedly. A year after applying, I received an email asking me to attend an interview in London. I thought it went terribly, as I seemed to respond to every question with the same answer (‘Yes, when completing my Duke of Edinburgh award I was faced by a challenge…’).

My sense of foreboding was, however, unjustified, as I soon found out I had been selected to become a London 2012 Games Maker.

Many of my family had also applied, and none of them had even got interviews. I was astounded to be chosen, and this was before I even knew what my job would be.

After attending my first training date, I discovered that I was to be an athlete escort for the swimming victory ceremonies.

Two athlete escorts appear in every medal ceremony. They have to brief the winning athletes

on the logistics of the ceremony backstage, and then take them through the route to the podium.

We watched a short clip of a Beijing medal ceremony and my mouth literally dropped open.

These girls were on camera all the time - and I would be doing the same.

The training itself was good fun.

At 3 Mills Studios in London, I finally met my team, and together we learnt our routine. We had stand-in volunteers acting as athletes.

The boys had to perfect their shuffle, turning in sync without dropping the medals (or rather, chocolate coins) and the flowers (broccoli). Us girls, meanwhile, had to remember every point of the brief, in particular Rule 50 – no flags or advertising on the podium.

Just a few months later I was off to Stratford. The Olympics had begun.

Our first day in the Aquatics Centre consisted mainly of dress rehearsals, but the pool was already being used by many of the athletes for training. For the first (and last) time, we sat in the expensive seats and watched the packed pool full of swimmers, who swam constant and consistent lengths.

Even more swimmers were limbering up and stretching with their coaches. It was astounding to see the dedication and determination of these people; they had worked so hard for

iro ay chore of The everyd ckr) b1ue 5ky@fli

Ally Mitchell

i sh e d 364th out of a field of 900 Ironers who undertook the grueling challenge of the Marathon Del Sables.

The marathon involves a 155 mile journey across the Saharan Desert, with competitors carrying their ironing boards alongside their water, tent and sun cream.

Although the term ‘sport’ is only very loosely applied to Extreme Ironing, its influence is undeniable. The very concept of daily chores has inspired a breakaway group from the Extreme Ironing Bureau named Urban Housework.

The group is currently pioneering an extreme sport based around vacuum cleaning, as well as Extreme Cello Playing, a sport with a similar concept except that one plays a Cello instead of pressing their briefs.

Phil Shaw’s humble sport now holds an annual World Championship and despite being retired, the Steam made a testimonial appearance at the 2012 Hastings half marathon with his board on his back, pressing garments along the way.

SPORT : 31

ISSUE 04/ 8th OCTOBER 2012 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Photo: Tom Harrison

Club Profiles Pole Fitness Club Morgan Hammond

What is pole fitness?

“Pole fitness is vertical gymnastics using a pole. It’s not about gyrating in skimpy clothing – it’s actually an amazing form of exercise as it requires a lot of strength to be able to do spins, invert and climb a pole.”

Photo: Anonymous @ Flickr

Sports Quiz

Can anyone join even if they have no previous experience?

“Everyone starts off somewhere. The first lesson can be a bit daunting but within the first lesson you’ve already mastered a few basic spins and within a few months you’re doing things you never dreamed possible. It’s totally addictive my only regret is not starting sooner.”

How does your perception of pole fitness differ to those that have never done it before?

“I see pole fitness as an amazing, fun form of exercise. A lot of people associate it with strip clubs and when I tell people I do pole fitness they immediately assume I do it occupationally. But I think of it as pole acrobatics and as a form of challenging my body to perform gravity defying moves.”

Finally, in which ways has pole fitness changed your life?

Test your sporting genius Mike Davis & Andrew Georgeson 1. Which Premier League Club’s name abbreviated has the highest scrabble score? (i.e.

NUFC, MAN U) Photo: Morgan Hammond

“It’s possibly the best thing that has ever happened to me! I dropped from a size 12 to a size 6 and I have so much more energy, better posture and flexibility. Plus, I’ve made lots of friends who I see outside of classes. After every single lesson I leave with a big smile on my face. I’m totally hooked and recommend it to anyone and everyone.”

2. Arnaud Massey is the only Frenchman to have won what tournament?

3. What is Emile Heskey’s new squad number at Newcastle Jets?

4. How many majors has Tiger Woods won?

5. What is Michael Phelps’ arm span?

Photo: Keith Allison @ Flickr 6. How many more goals has Shola Ameobi scored against Barcelona than the entire of Sunderland AFC in their history?

7. Whose hairspray did Wayne Rooney borrow before nodding in the winner against Ukraine at Euro 2012?

Squash

8. How many tattoos does David Beckham have?

9. What football team has One Direction member Louis Tomlinson recently purchased?

Niall Harkin

10. Which African country finished highest in the medal table in this year’s Olympics?

What is squash?

Sometimes described by pros as ‘physical chess’, squash is an athletic and demanding game involving two people in a walled box with racquets and a ball. Players repeatedly hit the ball against the wall, until either the ball bounces twice or is struck out of play. A point is awarded against the player who struck the ball out.

11. In which American city would you find professional sports teams the Bears, Cubs, Bulls and White Sox? 12. Who is the only footballer to have played in all of the top five divisions in England, as well as the UEFA Cup, the Champions League, and the World Cup? 13. In Rugby Union, which country has been added to the old Tri-Nations tournament, contested between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, to form this year’s Rugby Championship?

Is Manchester’s squash team competitive? Who do they compete against?

How sociable is the squash club?

What else do they do as a society?

The society is a friendly community, meeting up for a variety of socials such as AU club nights, pub sessions and the occasional curry. We also recently visited the British Grand Prix at SportCity and saw some of

15. Which football team does actor Hugh Grant support?

the biggest names in world squash, courtesy of the Sports Office at Manchester.

Is there room and encouragement for players of any ability? Can anyone join?

Definitely, the teams only make up around a third of all club members, and there are sessions throughout the week for beginners (Mon 19:40) and intermediate players (Tue 20:20) at Sugden Sports Centre.

16. At which ground do Lancashire Cricket club play their home games?

17. Which two sportswear brands were founded by German brothers Adolf and Rudolph Dassler?

18. In which city was Lionel Messi born?

Photo: Liberal Democrats @ Flickr

Answers: 1. QPR; 2. the British Open in golfing; 3. Nine; 4. Fourteen; 5. Six foot seven inches; 6. One goal; 7. Andy Carroll; 8.

Twenty; 9. The Three Horse Shoes, Doncaster; 10. South Africa; 11. Chicago; 12. Steve Finnan; 13. Argentina; 14. Medinah Country Club; 15. Fulham Football Club; 16. Old Trafford; 17. Adidas and Puma.; 18. Rosario, Argentina.

Manchester’s first teams boast a national reputation, including men’s and women’s teams in the premier league. The second and third teams play in the northern and north-west sections of BUCS, competing against rival universities in the region. The squash club scored more BUCS points than any other Manchester team last year, something they are proud of as a society.

14. At which golf club was this year’s Ryder Cup played?

All students can come along to an Assembly, listen to ideas and join the debate but a panel of 20 students (different each time and representative of the student population) vote on whether the idea should pass, fall or ask all students to have a say in an all student online vote.

DATE

Tuesday 9th October 2012 AGENDA The University should make space available to heat your own food and clean your lunchbox, with the Union to lead the way where possible.

Students should have access to PowerPoint Slides from previous year(s) of their elective modules so that they can better judge course content.

There should be more sheltered areas outside including providing shelters for pre-existing outdoors seating.

DATE

Thursday 11th October 2012 AGENDA A 24 hour Night Bus service should be provided as an affordable, and safer, choice for students participating in campus sports and activities after dark.

The Union should provide a Safe Walk program service

for a comfortable, secure walk to or from campus activities after dark.

Each Welcome Week should include a Forum for students to come together and discuss their concerns, fears and hopes with a Panel of student speakers.

The union should campaign to protect the NHS from cuts and privatisation to ensure that changes to the NHS do not impact either the healthcare services available to students or the educational opportunities available to healthcare

Assemblies take place in the Council Chamber on the top floor of the Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Union from 6pm. For more information go to

www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/assemblies