Issue5

13th OCT 2014/ ISSUE 05 FREE GMP seize £100,000

worth of cannabis plants

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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Interview with Professor Fred Loebinger P8-9

Should we criticise Israel?

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Less than 1 per cent of professors are black

- As a new plaque is unveiled in honour of Arthur Lewis, Diversity Officer Tessy Maritim speaks on the issue of under-representation of black professors.

Lauren Gorton News Editor This October saw the beginning of the British celebration of Black History Month. In joining the national celebrations, the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union Black and Minority Ethnic Students’ campaign have organised a month of thought-provoking activities, with this year’s theme being to empower, enlighten and celebrate.

One such celebrated person is the University of Manchester’s own Arthur Lewis, who in 1948 in joining the university became the first black professor in the UK. In line with this, a new plaque has been unveiled for the Arthur Lewis Building in honour of its namesake and to celebrate Manchester’s proud heritage of innovation and world firsts.

Yet despite celebrations, The Guardian re-opened the student debate this month into the under-representation of black professors within academia, with statistics today still showing that out of the UK’s 18510 university professors only 85 are black in origin, working out at less than half of one per cent.

At the University of Manchester specifically, the Equality and Diversity Forum Annual Report for the university’s staff profiles show that Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) professors made up eight per cent of the total number of professors at the University of Manchester in 2012. This totalled at 58 BME professors, 11 of whom were women, however the general category covers both black and other ethnic minorities.

Further within the separate faculties of the University of Manchester, the Faculty of Humanities had the highest number of BME professors at 27, whereas the Faculty of Life Sciences had the least with only one BME professor.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Diversity Officer Tessy Maritim commented on the issue of the lack of black professors in academia, both within UK universities generally and at the University of Manchester specifically.

“I think that for a long time universities, including ours, have been complacent because it’s a difficult conversation to have. The stigma surrounding this topic needs to be broken to allow open and honest conversation to take place and this will hopefully lead to action being taken.”

Marian Wright Edelman says, “you can’t be what you can’t see.” This highlights the issue [of the knock-on consequences for black students where there is a under-representation of black professors] perfectly. Students from African, Arab, Asian, Caribbean and other minority backgrounds need to see themselves represented in academia in order to aspire.

“The BME attainment gap is also related to lack of representation within academia. The presence of black academics in the learning environment would make a difference on the perceptions of all students, not only those of a BME background.

“Dialogue is the first step. We need to speak about the issue and acknowledge it. We then need to make a commitment and decide on a course of action.

“It’s not enough to celebrate the unveiling of a plaque of Arthur Lewis. We need to think about how things have changed since his time.”

As part of Black History Month on Wednesday 15th October an academic panel discussion will take place on the related issue of the black and ethnic minority attainment gap. For information on any further events organised for this month details have been posted on the BME MCR Facebook page ‘Black History Month 2014: Empowering, Celebrating, Enlightening’.

Diversity Officer Tessy Maritim poses with the newly unveiled memorial to Arthur Lewis’s birth. Photo: Tessy Maritim

02 : NEWS

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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The Music interview: Ella Eyre Students were given free massages and manicures , as part of the programme of events organised for Mental Health Awareness Week. Photo - UMSU

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Fashion – The Model Alliance

P21 Books - This week in 1957: Camus awarded nobel prize

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Picture of the week

Transformation of RBS building gets under way

Where will your degree land you?

Jenny Sterne News Editor

sounds fun then please come along to our meeting and get involved.

“We’re looking for fashion enthusiasts, event planners, volunteers and anyone who has a great idea for the space.

This is a great opportunity to try new things, meet people and have a lot of fun making the most of the former bank.

“At the first meeting we’ll be coming up with ideas for the program of events, figuring out how everything will work and electing a committee of students to lead on the project. We’ll also be deciding on a name for the space so if you have any great ideas bring them along.”

The Union, who are in control of what this space will permanently become, hope this month long conversion will demonstrate the potential of the space as a student-led events area for the foreseeable future.

To suggest a name for this new space follow this link http://manchesterstudentsunion.com/popup. All suggested names will be submitted to the open meeting, which takes place on Tuesday 14th October from 4.30pm. The meeting will create a shortlist that will then be put back out for all students to vote on the final name.

Helen Chapman News Editor

Sub-Editors: Morgan Hollet, Gemma Sowerby, James Jackman & Charlotte Pangraz.

Beauty Editor: Nikki Patel beauty@mancunion.com

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News Editors: Anna Phillips, Lauren Gorton, Helen Chapman & Jenny Sterne news@mancunion.com

Food & Drink Editors: Elena Gibbs & Adam Fearn

Sport Editors: Andrew Georgeson & Will Kelly Sports Reporter: Liam Kelly sport@mancunion.com

Science & Technology Editor: Andy van den Bent-Kelly

Film Editors: James Moules, Thomas Bruce, Martin Solibakke, & Andriana Hambi

Features Editors: Haider Saleem & Roberta Rofman

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Opinion Editors: Morris Seifert & Marcus Johns

Games Editors: James Thursfield & Matt Cole

The Students’ Union is converting the former Royal Bank of Scotland building, next to Academy 1, into a pop-up shop and flexible events space for four weeks from the 10th November.

On the 14th October at 4.30pm in Room 2 of the Students’ Union there will be an open meeting for all students who want to be a part of the project. It will be a chance to discuss and organise a program of events and plan the pop-up charity shop.

From the 27th October students will be able to donate clothes to the Students’ Union. The money will be donated to charity and any clothes left over at the end of term will also be donated to charity.

There will also be a series of workshops on upcycling, in order to prepare students who are interested in running the space as a volunteer-led clothes shop.

Alongside the clothes shop they plan to run a variety of events from art fairs to acoustic gigs.

Joel Smith, Activities and Developments Officer said that the key thing about this project is that it’s “all organised by students for students. If that

Lifestyle – Bus Ranters!

Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com Facebook: The Mancunion Twitter: @THEMANCUNION Editor-in-chief : Aidan Gregory editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor-in-chief : Charlie Spargo Postal address: Univerity of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone (0161) 275 2933

opinion@mancunion.com Fashion Editors: Aimée Grant Cumberbatch & Gráinne Morrison fashion@mancunion.com

According to statistics, computer scientists from Oxford receive the biggest pay packets after graduating, earning an average of £43,895 six months after leaving university.

Graduates in computer science from Imperial College London and Cambridge also feature in the top 10 earnings and graduate prospects.

The bottom five graduate earners include drama, music and art earning £13,091 at highest. The lowest earners are on just £11,963.

“Computers are the future and computer science courses command a salary premium”, agreed Professor Alan Smithers of Buckingham University.

Dylan Lewis, University of Manchester graduate in Computer Science, says “my degree has given me a broad understanding of the field and practical skills that will be invaluable as I move into the industry.

“There are not many degrees that I know of that offer such a wide breadth

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of applicable knowledge to today’s jobs.”

Figures also show that there is a significant difference in pay depending on which university students attend.

Graduates in accounting and finance from Huddersfield received an average of £16,335 whereas students from the same subject at Bath earned £29,588.

However, faith should not be lost in arts subjects as Joanna Harris, co-founder of the Manchester student branch of Arts Emergency said, “Arts Emergency Manchester came about as a reaction to the increasing marketisation of higher education. Education should be a right for all, not a preserve of the privileged.”

She added further, “We want to show that the arts should not be viewed as luxuries that only few can afford to study. These subjects are intrinsically important in their encouragement of critical and analytical thinking, and allow students invaluable insight into society and the world. The idea that arts and humanities subjects do not lead to jobs is a myth.”

Theatre Editor: Nicole Tamer theatre@mancunion.com Arts Editor - Holly Smith arts@mancunion.com Societies editor - Evie Hull societies.mancunion@gmail.com Interested in photo journalism, with an eye for colour and detail? The Mancunion are taking on photographers . If you would like to get involved, contact Aidan Gregory at , mancunion.editor@gmail.com

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 03

“Operation Storm” engulfs criminals in Fallowfield

Charlie Spargo Deputy Editor-in-chief

Around £100,000 worth of cannabis plants and cultivation equipment has been seized from address in Fallowfield by Greater Manchester Police.

A total of 120 people were also arrested and a number have already been charged as part of GMP’s Operation Storm cracking down on crimes including burglary, drug dealing and assault.

Operation Storm is a project intended to clamp down on crimes against students, particularly those moving into houses for the first time, who are at risk from local criminals targeting them and their student homes in particular.

Officers from across the county have been carrying out unannounced home visits on convicted criminals in Greater Manchester to ensure they are sticking to their bail and curfew conditions and not at risk of reoffending.

The warrants, carried out across the 1st and 2nd of October, also resulted in the arrests

companying equipment worth £10000, all of which was seized by the police.

Officers also carried out home visits to victims of repeated domestic abuse to ensure their continued protection and safety from their abusive partners.

As students return from holiday and incoming first years arrive and experience the vibrancy of the city for the first time, often under the influence of alcohol, many criminals see this as an opportunity to profit themselves.

Many students arrive at university with new and expensive technology such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. The total cost of these can be well in excess of £1000 and the vast numbers of students at the universities mean the opportunities for thieves are high.

“Last month saw the return of students old and new but for criminals it simply means rich and easy pickings. By holding this operation we can bring down this type of crime and ensure the youngsters can enjoy their time while studying in the

of wanted offenders, including young men wanted for a cash in transit robbery and a 19-year-old man wanted for assault.

A search at one house in Fallowfield yielded the discovery of 90 cannabis plants at a value of around £90000 alongside ac-

city without the fear of becoming a victim of crime,” said Deputy Chief Constable Ian Hopkins.

“As the nights get darker there is a rise in the number of opportunist thieves who like to prey on unsuspecting homes. his crackdown, coupled with

Officers entered a house in Fallowfield to find cannabis plants everywhere. Photo Greater Manchester Police. our daily offender targeting sends criminals a clear message that they can’t harm our community without facing impunity.”

October 6 marked National Personal Safety Day, whose theme this year was ‘Door 2 Door’, aiming to highlight simple

methods by which people can keep safe between their home and their destination.

Community Officer Ellen McLaughlin wants to ensure that all students were aware of the dangers of living in a city such as Manchester. In a blog post on the Students’ Union

LSE Rugby Club disbanded for distributing “clearly sexist” flyers Aidan Gregory Editor-in-chief The London School of Economics has formally disbanded its men’s rugby team, for distributing deeply misogynistic, classist and homophobic flyers at the university’s fresher’s fair.

The flyers, which have since been recalled, described female students who play sport as “beast-like”, and used the terms “slags”, “trollops” and “mingers” to refer to women in general.

They also said that the club would not tolerate “outright homosexual debauchery” Finally, the flyers also made remarks about students who attend ex-poly universities, saying that students at London South Bank “will one day work for us”.

In a statement, Nona Buckley-Irvine, President of the LSE Students’ Union,

announced that the club would be disbanded and barred from competing for the rest of the academic year.

She said the flyers were “clearly sexist, and demonstrate a culture within a club that is unable to challenge misogyny, sexism and homophobia.

“After considered deliberation and a wide investigation, LSE men’s rugby club will be disbanded for the rest of the academic year and not be allowed to represent LSE or LSESU. They will be withdrawn from any competitions already entered into.”

No individuals currently face disciplinary action.

The disbanding of the club comes as no surprise.

The Guardian has reported that the club had a history of offensive behaviour.

The LSE Students’ Union revealed to them that in the

past the rugby club were responsible for a number of offenses, such as blacking up, urinating on university buildings, and engaging in Nazi themed drinking games.

It is also reported that strippers regularly appeared at end of year dinners.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Jess Lishak, Women’s Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union, reflected on the events in London.

“This incident highlights the consistent need for women students, as well as LGBTQ, BME and disabled students, to have autonomous groups, representation in power structures and safe spaces to come together to discuss issues they face.

“At Manchester, the women’s campaign has run the ‘We Get It- zero tolerance to sexual

harassment’ campaign, involving and encouraging groups like sports teams to publically stand up to sexual harassment and to challenge ‘lad culture’. In my role as full time Women’s Officer, I am now supporting other Students’ Unions to take on the campaign and tackle the issue nationwide.”

The Mancunion asked Jess whether or not the rugby team at LSE are just a symptom of a much deeper problem.

She replied, “Yes, I think that this incident with the LSE men’s rugby team is just the tip of the iceberg and is symptomatic of a wider ‘lad culture’ that not only accepts, but glorifies sexist, racist, homophobic and ableist views and discriminative behaviours, which is an institutional problem on campuses all over the UK.”

Website, she advised students to look out for drink spiking, keep an eye on friends and keep your valuables hidden when walking alone.

“Lock all windows and doors when you leave your house.

[Regarding house parties] lock all valuables away in one per-

son’s room. Finally, if your whole house is going out, shout goodbye to the imaginary person left inside just in case.”

If you witness suspicious activity you can call the police on 101 or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Three students attacked in unprovoked 4am incident Aileen Rose Duffy News Reporter

Greater Manchester Police have launched an investigation in the south Manchester area after three teenagers were attacked in Fallowfield.

Detectives in the south of Manchester are looking into what happened on Saturday 4 October 2014. The trio were on their way home from a night out in Manchester at around 4am when the incident occurred.

The students got out of a taxi on Carhill Drive and walked in the general direction of Wilmslow Road.

They walked past a parked car and then a short time later two

men got out of the car and violently attacked them.

They went home after the incident and on Sunday morning one of the men woke up feeling unwell. He called emergency services and was taken to hospital for treatment of a head injury.

He remains in hospital in a serious condition.

Detective Inspector John Harris, from the South Manchester division, said: “We are unclear of the events leading up to this attack which happened in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“What we do know is one man has been left seriously injured

in hospital and we need the public’s help to piece together the moments before the assault.

“If you were in the area and witnessed the incident or have any information about the attack, please contact me as soon as possible.”

It is important to remember at this time of year, as the nights get darker, to ensure your safety; make sure there is someone who knows your whereabouts when going out in the evenings.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 0161 856 4973, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

04 : News

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

“The traditional parties should be on their guard for a green surge” The Manchester Green Party receives a surge in new members, mirroring the national picture. The Young Greens see a 100 per cent increase in members.

Jenny Sterne News Editor Membership of Manchester Green Party has increased by over 80 per cent since the beginning of 2014. This surge in growth is mirrored by the expansion of the Greens across the country.

Recently released figures from the Green Party show nationally total membership is up 45 per cent this year; passing 20000. The memberships among the Young Greens grew by 100 per cent this year.

Siobhan MacMahon, Young Greens co-chair said “The Young Greens’ 100 per cent growth this year is testament to a sea-change going on in politics.”

MacMahon added, “consistently polling at over 10 per cent among 16–24 year olds, the Young Greens have not held back from challenging the establishment, calling for free education, affordable and publicly-owned transport, an end to migrant-bashing and a halt to the continual attacks on young people.”

The Green Party leader Natalie Bennett, in response to this surge, said, “we are now, with the rapid growth in recent months, in an increasingly strong position to ensure voters understand our message about the need for real change for the common good.”

The Green Party will have candidates standing in 50 per cent more seats in 2015 than in 2010, with the total reaching 75 per cent of seats.

Tom Beckett, Fundraising and Operations Director, said: “The Green Party warmly welcomes all the new members. Members are the lifeblood of the Green Party, a truly democratic party which allows members to help form policy.” Green Party members help to form policy at both their spring and autumn conferences.

Manchester Green Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Withington, Lucy Bannister, said “The Greens in Manchester got the second highest amount of votes across Manchester in this year’s local elections showing that we have now become the main challenger to the Labour party in our city. Even in the constituency where I am standing next year, which has a Liberal Democrat MP, we now have more members than the Lib Dems do, according to their own latest released figures. We are the party with the most popular policies in the city according to independent survey web-

Green Party memberships surge in Manchester and nationally.

Photo: Pete Birkinshaw@Flickr

site VoteforPolicies and we campaigning hard on those issues.”

VotesforPolicies, from the results of 425840 completed surveys across the country, also puts the Green Party most popular nationally with 25.46 per cent.

Natasha Brooks and Amy Howard, present co-chairs of Manchester Young Greens said in a statement: “In Manchester this year the Greens got the second highest amount of votes in the local election, making us the main opposition for Manchester City Council.

“We stand up for free education, a £10 minimum wage and a functioning and effective NHS—Green politics aim to benefit society as a whole, not just those who shout the loudest or have the deepest pockets. We couldn’t do this without our passionate campaigners and by collaborating with other groups on campus.”

Joel Smith, former chair of Manchester Young Greens, responded saying, “The membership surge is fantastic news. People are increasingly seeing the Green Party as the only viable left wing alternative with substantial policies that move away from our current political model.

“The party leads the way on issues of inequality, electoral reform, nuclear weapons, energy policy and transport. With the Greens already coming second place last year in key student

council wards like Fallowfield and Old Moat it’ll be interesting to see how the youth membership rise translates to student votes next May in the General and Council elections.”

With nearly 4000 members the Green Party have a larger youth wing than UKIP’s 2600, despite being behind them in terms of total memberships; UKIP according to the House of Commons Library reports having 39000 members.

The Green Party are polling on 6 per cent in the Independent’s latest ‘poll of polls’, which reveals that 12 per cent of people who voted Lib Dem in 2010 intend to vote Green in May 2015.

The party is the highest it’s been in the polls since 1989. It’s outperformance of the Liberal Democrats in the EU elections, in terms of both numbers of MEPs and total percentage of the vote, has been considerable.

Sarah Birch, Professor of Comparative Politics at Glasgow University, in a blog for the London School of Economics and Political Science, writes that “Britain’s established trio of parties are all manifestly exercised by the purple threat… so frenzied are they in their efforts that they seem to have lost sight of other-hued challenges.

“The traditional parties should be on their guard for a green surge.”

Student campaign ‘Don’t Drink Manchester universities are second cheapest in the UK for a and Drown’ launched in York Xiaoya Su News Reporter On Thursday 2nd October the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) UK launched their latest campaign Don’t Drink and Drown, at the University of York.

The campaign aims to caution drinkers, particularly students, to act responsibly near water after a night out, including avoiding walking near bodies of water on the way home.

RLSS UK is a drowning prevention charity which promotes messages and posters at universities, in pubs and on social media to encourage students to sign up to lifesaving classes with the organisation.

The launch of Don’t Drink and Drown followed an inquest on the 1st October into the death of York St. John University student

Megan Roberts, who drowned after a night out earlier this year.

It is believed that in late January this year she become separated from friends, after having been drinking at the Students’ Union bar in York, and fell into the river Ouse near York’s Lendal Bridge.

Jackie Roberts, mother of Megan Roberts, has been working closely with RLSS UK on a number of projects over the past few months and spoke of the loss of her daughter at the Don’t Drink and Drown event.

“When you lose someone that you love so dearly, it is too big to accept, you can’t let it be true. The only thing you can do is keep their memory alive by enlarging yourself and channelling your grief into something good.”

However, the death of Megan Roberts is not the only incident of drowning whilst intoxicated within the UK’s student community. Earlier this year former, York University student Ben Clarkson also drowned after a night out, as did Durham University student Sope Peters in late December in 2013.

Di Steer, the Acting Chief Executive of RLSS UK, said: “Drinking and/or taking drugs near or in water can be a dangerous and deadly cocktail.

Alcohol can seriously impede your ability to survive in water.

“We would also ask people to, wherever possible, avoid routes home from a night out drinking that are alongside water, particularly in the darkness, and to always stick with and look out for your friends.”

round of drinks Edward Bains News Reporter

Manchester students may be saved from dipping into their overdrafts just yet as Manchester was this week revealed as being the second cheapest place in the UK to buy a round of drinks in a student union bar.

According to the ‘Price of a Student Pint’ index, a round— defined as a pint of lager, small glass of wine and single vodka and mixer—came in at just £6.35 in Manchester, a figure beaten only by Leeds where a round came in at £6.00.

The annual survey, conducted by market researchers One Poll and published by discount voucher website VoucherCodes.co.uk, com-

pared the prices charged in the union bars of the UK’s 20 most popular universities as defined by UCAS. The Manchester universities took two of the crowns for individual drink prices, with Manchester Metropolitan claiming the cheapest pint of beer at £1.70, and the University of Manchester claiming the cheapest vodka and mixer at £1.50.

It would appear the cost of a round in Manchester is pushed up by the price of a glass of wine, which questions whether the index takes into account the two for £5 deal on bottles of wine available in certain Fallowfield off-licenses.

Its findings will likely come as a relief to Manchester’s enthusiastic student drink-

ers, beleaguered by the ever-rising cost of living and mountains of student debt.

Anita Naik, lifestyle editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, had the following to say about the survey’s findings: “With the burden of high tuition fees and rising living costs, it’s good to see union bars are still helping students have a good night out without breaking the bank.”

Elsewhere, long-time leader Bristol was knocked off the top spot, falling to sixth place at £7.10 for a round, while Ulster University was found to be the most expensive, coming in at £8.60; a figure still well shy of the £12-and-up average in ‘normal’ bars that all have to look forward to come graduation.

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 05

Devolution fever infects Manchester

Photo: panr @Flickr

Marcus Johns News Editor Devolution fever is sweeping through the city of Manchester as the course of British politics’ direction hangs in the balance in light of Scotland’s rejection of independence last month.

As Westminster is responding to the crisis with a constitutional convention determining the extra powers to be handed to Scotland, the cities of England are questioning their place in a constitutionally reforming United Kingdom.

Manchester’s soul searching has given rise to various talks and debates about the city’s status. This week two topical debates took place. The first was arranged by the University of Manchester’s Politics Society; the second formed part of Discuss Manchester’s series of debates and was held at Manchester Town Hall.

The first debate, entitled ‘Manchester: Britain’s Second City?’ and held on Tuesday, was

liveblogged by The Mancunion.

Debating were Luke Raikes, a researcher at the Institute of Public Policy Research North (IPPR North); John Holden, Acting Director of Economic Strategy at New Economy; and Francesca Gains, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Manchester.

The second debate was chaired

by Helen Pidd, The Guardian’s Northern Editor, who put forward the motion: “Should power go to the cities?”

The motion was supported on Wednesday by Mike Emmerich, Chief Executive of New Economy and Kevin Ward, Professor of Human Geography as well as the School of Environment’s Director of External Relations and the Faculty’s Director of cities@ manchester at the University of Manchester.

Against moving power from Parliament to the cities argued Eddie Bone, representing a Campaign for an English Parliament; and Jim Hancock, former North West political editor

of the BBC. All speakers in both debates argued in favour of devolution in one form or another— demonstrating the general desire for more devolution from Parliament. Both debates focused furthermore on the appetite in Manchester for more control over our city.

Indeed, at the end of the debate the motion was carried by a three to one margin: a resounding ‘yes’ to the question of whether more power should be devolved to the cities.

Both debates raised important questions about constitutional matters of the United Kingdom and Manchester’s role as a global city. John Holden opened the first debate with “Manchester is Britain’s Second City,” an impressive statement either argued or presumed by all speakers in both debates.

Moreover, all speakers demonstrated the negative effect of London on the rest of the United Kingdom. Mike Emmerich

argued that it is stupid to invest in London and let London pay for the rest of the UK. He added that “there is less value in London than Munich or Hamburg. Investors are bored of London.

“Greater Manchester can do for the North and West what London has done for the South and East.”

In saying this, Mike Emmerich agreed with the arguments put forward at the debate that took place the day before.

Some impressive statistics were provided at both debates, including the fact that Manchester’s population is the same size as Croatia’s; Manchester is the fastest growing city in the United Kingdom—growing faster even than London.

Francesca Gains from the University of Manchester even remarked that Manchester is not just Britain’s second city but a city of firsts: Manchester is the home of the world’s first public railway station, the birthplace of the industrial revolution and the birth place of women’s suffrage and modern feminism—“where Marx met Engels and Rolls met Royce.”

It seems that the popular phrase, “what Manchester does today, the rest of the world does tomorrow,” is a mere ode to the huge contribution Manchester has made to the modern world and continues to make in its current role as the second city of the United Kingdom; a fact which was confirmed by both debates and all speakers.

Despite being the title of the first debate, the speakers each moved away very quickly from discussing Manchester as Britain’s Second City and began to speak about the more contentious issue of devolution and of Manchester being given the power it needs to govern itself.

“Cities are the drivers of growth,” remarked Gains as she began to discuss the problems of inequality and providing devolution as a possible solution.

“There is common agreement that the core cities and English regions lack the levers and control over finances to stimulate

Russian student sells crystal car for Manchester Dogs’ Home Aileen Rose Duffy News Reporter Daria Radionova, a student at LSE, is to sell her Swarovski Crystal encrusted car in order to raise money for the Manchester Dog’s Shelter which was devastated by a fire in mid-September this year.

The car, a Mercedes CLS 350, was hand encrusted by three of Radionova’s personal jewellers, whom she flew over from Russia. She stated “it took them 12 hours a day for two months to complete.”

More than 60 animals were

killed and around 150 were left homeless after the fire broke out at the Dog’s Shelter on 11 September.

Talking to The Tab, Radionova expressed “I want to raise money for the homeless animal shelter in the UK that was burned a few weeks ago, the one in Manchester. I cannot stay away from that situation.”

However, whilst initially stating that half of the proceeds from the sale of the car were to be sent to the Dog’s Shelter, she has recently downgraded this figure to 10 per cent.

Although the car has been in

the press for over three weeks now, it appears no members of the public have interest in owning the sparkling vehicle. It is still for sale online at Autotrader.com at the time of going to press.

At £150,000, the price is three times the original selling price of the Mercedes, despite the crystals only costing £20,000 to add to the car.

A staff member from the Manchester Dogs’ Home said: “Oh god. It sounds tacky to me, but money’s money.” The estimated donation from Daria will be around £15,000, adding to the mass donations already seen by

the shelter.

The Manchester Evening News set up a JustGiving account after the incident, which has received

Photo: Daria Radionova @Facebook

growth and tackle inequalities exacerbated by austerity.”

Yet Luke Raikes pointed to the fact that cities like Manchester are crying out for graduates and used differences between cities in the United Kingdom to show why Manchester is a perfect storm for driving growth in the United Kingdom. He highlighted, for example, that “a three-bed flat in Manchester will be far cheaper than that in London, £475 in Manchester to £1000 in London.”

Raikes also summarised the argument for devolution: “All strategies need to be local,” going on to add that “a civil servant in Whitehall does not know what is good for Manchester so should not be making all the decisions.”

This vein of argument was subsequently maintained by Mike Emmerich and Kevin Ward in the Discuss debate.

However, there was no representative for the point of view that devolution should simply not happen. Jim Hancock and Eddie Bone, though against devolving power to the cities, were in favour of more devolution from Westminster.

There was, at times, disagreement between Hancock and Bone during the debate as Hancock argued for regional devolution while Bone argued for an English parliament.

Bone, however, began his speech by celebrating the fact that we are finally discussing English devolution—to England, regions, cities or otherwise.

Hancock wanted a northern office established with a Secretary of State for the North, adding that the North needed a local banking system too.

Not mentioned were simultaneous city regions and regional governments, as Bone continued pointing to the failure of a North East Regional Assembly in 2004 and arguing that people simply do not want another layer of politicians.

What can be said about both debates was summed up by Kevin Ward: “People want devolution and they want it soon.”

over £1million in donations.

A spokesman from Greater Manchester Police said that a 15-year-old boy and 17-year-old boy have been arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with the incident, but that “detectives and investigators from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are continuing to investigate how the fire at Manchester Dogs’ Home started.”

Manchester student speaks at Birmingham University about the case of Meriam Ibrahim Anna Phillips News Editor The University of Manchester student responsible for the change. org petition to save Meriam Ibrahim in Sudan joined a panel of international experts and human rights lawyers to discuss her legal case at Birmingham University last week.

Emily Clarke, a Law and Politics student, spoke at Birmingham University for ‘Meriam Ibrahim, the Case that Gripped the World’ in their series of City Talks lectures.

Emily set up the change. org petition which called for the Sudanese government to save mother Meriam Ibrahim from her sentence of 100 lashes and the death penalty.

Since its setup, the petition gained over 1092000 signatures and attracted significant media attention to Meriam’s case.

Meriam was raised as a Christian but was charged with apostasy, or abandonment of faith, for maintaining her mother’s Christian faith rather than her father’s Muslim faith.

She was freed in July 2014 following skilled lawyering and political diplomacy, and landed safely in Rome with her husband and two children in July.

The list of panellists Emily joined at Birmingham University included Mr Elshareef Ali Mohammed, Sudan legal team on Meriam’s case and Birmingham City University alumnus, The Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St Johns, Minister of State of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and was chaired by Manjit Singh Gill QC, Head of International Human Rights at No 5 Chambers, London.

The talk covered women’s and children’s rights, freedom of thought and religion, and the role of civil society and multimedia for protecting human rights.

Emily spoke about how she discovered the Meriam case on Twitter, and the role that social media can play in defending international human rights. She explained how the campaign started on personal media and private network, and traditional media followed.

They talk also covered the death penalty and whether or not it is a negative policy, with Chair Baroness Anelay saying “What we take for granted here must be defended day in, day out.”

06 : News

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Manchester University becomes affiliated with the Worker Rights Consortium -The uni becomes affiliated with the WRC, which addresses poor pay and working conditions at the garment factories which produce university merchandise.

Anna Phillips News Editor

The University of Manchester has affiliated with the Worker Rights Consortium (WRC), an independent monitoring organisation that supports workers in the garment industry in defending their workplace rights.

The WRC organisation monitors the suppliers of garments to certain universities and then traces them back to the factory where they are produced.

They then implement a new code of conduct in the factories which allows workers to unionise and to independently report incidents of negligence or abuse.

The code of conduct aims to allow workers to bypass any risk of ‘speaking out’ in a job which they could lose for doing so, protecting their rights as workers.

The affiliation follows a petition organised last year by the Manchester Young Greens which gathered over 1,000 students’ signatures in a week.

A few weeks after the petition, the Rana Plaza disaster occurred in Bangladesh, where 1,000 garment workers were killed in a building collapse due to a crack in the floor which was neglected and ignored by factory managers.

The WRC aims to address such situations of poor pay and working conditions at factory level, for adults and children, and has had worldwide successes in improving life for workers.

Their 2013 report into the Haitian apparel industry exposed the levels of minimum wage violations within factories. The WRC called for North American brands and retailers producing in Haiti to make clear to their suppliers that they must view minimum wage laws as necessary and that they will pay higher prices for garments in order to make this possible for factory owners.

The WRC has also had successes with companies such as Fruit of the Loom; their report exposed harassment and abuse of workers which lead to the biggest ever garment boycott and the introduction of trade union operations in their Honduras factories.

After this, a Nike supplier closed down one of their factories and refused to pay $1.5 million of redundancy pay owed to their workers. Universities affiliated with the WRC in 2009 then bought it from Nike, exposing them for their malpractice, and the universities enabled workers to request a boycott.

Nike then backed down and paid their workers the severance money owed due to the threat of a US boycott and action against them.

The WRC aims to start a global movement to prevent companies from leaving one factory for cheaper labour in another, and to enable a world where “workers everywhere can unionise, get paid a living wage, work in safety, and live with dignity in gainful employment.”

So far, there are 220 students’ unions, 181 colleges and universities and 2 cities affiliated with the WRC. The three criteria for institutions are that they maintain a manufacturing code of conduct, provide the WRC with factory disclosure information and pay affiliation fees.

Joel Smith, Activities and Development Officer and former Chair of Manchester Young Greens said: “The University joins 11 other universities in the UK (in addition to all students’ unions nationally) as well as many more universities in the US in trying to promote positive change for those at the bottom of our supply chains who are so often victimised by the globalised market.”

Conor McGurran, Campaigns and Citizenship Officer said: “It is fantastic to see that the University has signed up to the Worker Rights Consortium through the Social Responsibility Governance Group. This will put the factory workers who produce university WNW5.MANC.QUART.pdf

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The International Student Network is an opportunity for international students across campus to come together on a monthly basis to share and discuss ways to improve the experience for international students at Manchester.

Come share your experience, influence change and network with other international students.

LOCATION: STUDENTS’ UNION, ROOM 8 TIME: 14.00-15.00 SHARE. NETWORK. INFLUENCE.

manchesterstudentsunion.com

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garments in a far better position to report negligence and ensure fairer pay and conditions.

“Huge congratulations to everyone who campaigned on this and signed the petition over the last year, this is testament to what can be achieved by passionate students on campus.”

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The WRC and their affiliated universities have improved conditions for workers in Nike factories.

Nathan Gibbs@Flickr

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17 - 24 October Vote for candidates online

08 : Feature

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The Science Interview: Professor Fred Loebinger Andy van den Bent-Kelly talks to particle physicist Professor Fred Loebinger about CERN, Manchester and all things atomic Ask any student around campus why they chose to come to Manchester and you’ll probably be faced with a standard response. Probably something containing the words “reputation” or “course structure.”

However, if you ask me the same question, my response will be a little bit different.

“A guy sat on a table waving his hands and feet told me to.”

A strange answer, you might think. But if you pose this question to anyone who’s studied physics at Manchester over the past few years, there’s a very good chance you’ll hear the same reply.

Professor Fred Loebinger is a well-known and much-loved member of the physics department here at Manchester. A particle physicist, he first came to the university as an undergraduate and never left. As the admissions tutor for the department, he has been responsible for convincing promising young students to come and study here.

Sadly for me and everyone else in the department, Professor Loebinger has just retired, ending an association with the university that has spanned for five decades. I managed to catch up with Fred just before he left.

I arrive at the sixth floor of the Schuster building, the home of particle physics at the university. Prof Loebinger is sat there with a group of students, who I assume are postgraduates. I am instantly beckoned over and told to sit down. It soon becomes apparent that they are not discussing physics, but rather are engaging in an intense session of word puzzles.

The next ten minutes or so involve me trying and failing to think up six-letter words ending in ‘r’ as I’m given hints by one of the other students.

This bizarre start to the interview doesn’t even surprise me—Professor Loebinger is well known for his charismatic, if slightly quirky nature. After the puzzle is complete, we move to his office to continue our conversation.

I learn that his thesis involved disproving the existence of pentaquarks, a fact that is still used to this day. He beams as he tells me that he was in the group that discovered the gluon, an exchange particle that governs one of the four fundamental forces in the Universe.

In addition to his decades of teaching and research, Prof Loebinger has also spent the past 30 years acting as the admissions tutor for the School of Physics and Astronomy. For most current undergraduates within the department, he is the first person they will have met, either on an open day or an interview day. I still fondly remember my first experience of him, when I came for my interview in November 2011.

As I mentioned at the start, he has a rather peculiar method of attracting students to the department. He sits on a table and starts to talk about the School’s key selling points. Each new point is accompanied by the waving of a limb. By the end of the talk, all four limbs are vigorously moving as he passionately explains why Manchester is such a wonderful place in which to study physics.

“To come clean, it’s meant to look a little bit spontaneous, but I’ve been giving the same talk, waving the same hands and feet, for many, many years,” he says. “The speech has changed a bit over time though!

“People don’t often admit to enjoying things which are seen as administrative rather than teaching or research, but I have to say that I also enjoyed doing the admissions bit.”

However, Prof Loebinger isn’t as thrilled at the popularity of his talk as you might expect. “It sounds as though I’ve been a very successful doubleglazing salesman,” he laughs, “selling the place and encouraging people to come when perhaps they had better things to do!

“What I hope is that I opened their eyes to the opportunities at Manchester, which I honestly do believe is the best place to come and do physics.”

GROWING UP I ask Prof Loebinger what sparked his interest in physics as a child. “There was no key moment, no epiphany,” he tells me. “What I had at school was an excellent physics teacher and a very boring chemistry teacher! And as it happened, my performance in school in chemistry was always better than in physics.

“But the guy that taught me physics was sufficiently inspiring to convince me that even though it wasn’t my strongest subject at school, it was the one I wanted to pursue. So I followed that stimulation through school and onto university, by then I’d decided that it was what I wanted to do.”

HIS TIME AT THE UNIVERSITY Prof Loebinger first came to the university after finishing school and has been here ever since.

After completing his degree, he stayed on as a postgraduate, then as a research associate before eventually being awarded professorship. I ask him why he decided to stay for so long.

“It’s a wonderful place!” he explains. “For me, every box was ticked. Manchester was doing everything I wanted to do.

“I always say that if where you are is particularly good, if you’re enjoying where you are, if they have a good reputation, if they’re doing the research that you want to do, if you think that the research group is a good group that you want to join, I think it’s wrong to artificially make yourself go somewhere else just to prove that you’re moving on.”

He talks about his career highlights, which he stresses have come in both teaching and research.

For me, every box was ticked.

Manchester was doing everything I wanted to do

Photo: University of Manchester

relatively small place compared to what it is now,” he tells me. “The accelerator that I went to work on was called the Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR) and that had just switched on.

“That was the first ever collider which collided protons against protons, which is the same as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). I initially went for a year, because I had teaching duties back in Manchester, but that year got extended and extended and extended, and I ended up being there for six years!

“It was a really wonderful time, the community there was great. Geneva is a wonderful city, ideally situated in the middle of Europe, with easy access to everywhere.

CERN was just a brilliant place to work—it still is!”

I was fortunate enough to visit CERN on a school trip back in 2011. Although I wasn’t able to head down into the tunnel to see the LHC for myself (it was running at this point), one thing that particularly struck me was the strong communal feel to the entire facility. I mention this to Professor Loebinger and he agrees heartily.

“There’s a real scientific buzz about the place, but it’s also very sociable,” he tells me. “There are people from all different universities, different countries, all collaborating together. There’s a wonderful feeling of collaborative spirit, everyone is working for the same goals on the same experiments.”

CERN was just a brilliant place to work—it still is! The community there was great

WORK AT CERN Prof Loebinger has enjoyed a long and varied career that has seen him travel across the world. I ask him about CERN, the famous research facility in Geneva where he spent many years working.

“I first went out to CERN in 1972, when it was a

The ATLAS detector at CERN. Prof Loebinger was the leader of the Manchester team working on this experiment.

Photo: kathy @Flickr

ISSUE 05 / 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

THE HIGGS BOSON CERN has been the setting for many scientific and technological breakthroughs over the past few decades. Multiple particles have been discovered since the organisation was established in 1954, antimatter has been created and maintained, even the World Wide Web began as a CERN project.

In recent years, however, one particular discovery has stood out above the rest.

The Higgs Boson was first proposed 50 years ago by six physicists including Peter Higgs, after whom the particle is named. A long and well-publicised hunt for the particle finally came to an end in 2012, when two separate experiments at the LHC confirmed that it had been discovered.

I ask Prof Loebinger if, prior to the discovery, there was a particular outcome he had been hoping for.

“The Higgs Boson, the theory behind it goes back to the 1960s,” he explains. “It’s been a long, long search for it. We were homing in on it—there was only a very small window in which it could exist, we’d ruled out all the other possibilities. We were homing in on that very narrow window.

“There were some physicists who really wanted it to be there, since it would vindicate all their work and the theories and the model.

But there are always lots of physicists who say, “wouldn’t it be even better if it wasn’t there?”

Because that would open up the opportunity for something unexpected.”

A notable example of this is Stephen Hawking.

Upon hearing of the discovery of the Higgs, he remarked, “It is a pity in a way because the great advances in physics have come from experiments that gave results we didn’t expect.”

However, Prof Loebinger doesn’t share Hawking’s view on this particular matter.

“Frankly I was hoping for it, because we’d spent many, many years looking for it,” he explains.

“It was the sort of culmination of this big collaborative experiment.

“I was over the moon that we found it because it doesn’t shut off other opportunities, but it at least says that everything that we thought was happening was happening. It looks as though we’re on the right lines. So I think it was a very positive marker, it means that everything is slotting into place.

“It leaves open the opportunity for a lot more to be discovered, but it means we’re not going down some cul-de-sac or some diversion that turns out to be wrong.”

PUBLIC INTEREST IN SCIENCE The hunt for the Higgs and its subsequent discovery really captured the imagination of

Feature : 09 the general public. I ask Professor Loebinger whether he thinks that it was a key moment in alerting people to the many wonders of the scientific world.

“It reached out to a huge audience, it had a huge public clamour when it was discovered,” he says. “To be honest, I was somewhat surprised by that, because it’s not the same in people’s minds as something like the first landing on the Moon. That was very tangible— you could see them standing there on the Moon.

“The Higgs Boson, however, is very nontangible. You can’t see it and it’s a difficult concept to explain to people who are interested in science but don’t have a deep background in it.

“I was surprised how much they took on board. I was delighted, but it still surprises me.

You can’t actually see the thing, you can’t really see its effects, you have to take the physicist’s word for it that it is this magical ingredient that we’re searching for. But the public have taken that on board and gone, ‘wow!’”

The more I think about Prof Loebinger’s response, the more I realise how surprising the public’s interest in the Higgs Boson really was.

It was subject to a lot of news coverage, but it’s not an easy concept to visualise. I remember seeing the same animation of protons shooting round the LHC on all the major news stations, but that was all that there was to go on.

THE FUTURE OF PARTICLE PHYSICS Professor Loebinger has already told me about the wide range of opportunities that have opened up in particle physics following the discovery of the Higgs Boson. I ask him what he thinks the next major breakthrough will be.

“There are lots of avenues which people are actively pursuing, notably additional Higgs Bosons,” he says. “The one Higgs that we’ve found is a neutral Higgs, but there’s the potential for positively and negatively charged Higgs Bosons out there as well, we’re looking for those.

“We’re looking for supersymmetry, which would give us a whole raft of new particles that are partners of the ones that we’ve already found, but with different properties and different masses.

“Then there are a whole load of new areas of physics that have been opened up over the last decade or so involving neutrinos. As it happens, Manchester has a big involvement in almost all those activities. We’ve really positioned ourselves well to be involved in where we think a lot of the action is going to happen.”

This leads directly onto my next question.

I ask Professor Loebinger how big a part he expects Manchester to play in the near future.

“Well Manchester already plays a very big part,” he explains. “We’re involved in a major way in two of the big experiments at the LHC,

called ATLAS and LHCb. “One of the big goals of LHCb is to work out where all the antimatter in the Universe has gone.

Everybody believes that when the Big Bang happened, matter and antimatter were created in equal amounts. But if you look around, we don’t see large concentrations of antimatter.

“So somehow, that antimatter has disappeared.

We have theories that might explain where it’s gone, but they haven’t been successfully tested experimentally. One of the big aims of LHCb is to try and experimentally verify what we can explain about where the antimatter’s gone.”

“We’re also in working parties involved in looking Photo: The University of Manchester at the next high energy accelerators,” Prof Loebinger I ask him how proactive the department has tells me. “The International Linear Collider been in encouraging girls to come here and which is being proposed, and more recently, study physics. “I was part of this drive to get there’s the very large collider that’s being more girls in back in the 80s,” he says. “We ran proposed at CERN. The LHC is 27km in residential courses, we produced videos and circumference, but the one that people are now posters, we had campaigns that toured round. muttering about and starting to work on would We were very successful!” be 100km! Manchester’s involved in all of these.

He proudly talks about the growth of the department’s reputation. “It is now correctly HOW THE DEPARTMENT HAS CHANGED seen as one of the top physics departments, certainly in the country, but I think we’re During his 50-year stint at Manchester, something like 13th in the world!” he says.

Professor Loebinger has seen a lot of change at “We’ve got the Regius professorship—we’re the university. I learn that when he first arrived the only physics department in the country as an undergraduate, he was one of only 100 ever to have been awarded it. If you look at why physics first years, just four of whom were girls! it was awarded, it was awarded for excellence These days, the department takes in roughly in teaching and research.”

280 undergraduates every year, with roughly 20 per cent of them being female.

ADVICE

I was over the moon that we found the Higgs Boson. It was a very positive marker, it means that everything is slotting into place

Manchester is heavily involved with the LHCb experiment at CERN. Photo: Radoslaw Orecki @Flickr

I would say that there is nothing to touch physics.

But then again, I’m biased!

I conclude the interview by asking Professor Loebinger if he has any advice for people hoping to follow him into the world of physics.

“If you look at the areas of science that cover the range from the very smallest particles, which is particle physics, right to the very largest scales, which is astrophysics,” he says.

“That is the Universe and that is all covered by physics.

“There’s nuclear physics, there’s medical physics, there’s environmental physics, there’s biophysics, there’s solid state physics—there’s a whole range that covers that. There is no other science that does it over that whole range. So from both the breadth of study that you can do and the consequential breadth of careers that you can go into, I would say that there is nothing to touch physics.

“But then again, I’m biased!”

10

Opinion

Editors’ Foreword Marcus Johns Morris Seifert

This week our contributors have been discussing political conflict throughout the world.

A contentious debate on Israel and Palestine and an article questioning the rise of UKIP amongst other brilliant pieces make for an interesting read this week.

Disagree with something that’s been said? Tweet us with your thoughts and comments: @MancunionOp. If you would like to contribute tweet us or like our page on Facebook at facebook.com/MancunionOp and drop us a post.

Next week we will be featuring articles about feminism.

ISIS does not represent Islam Lauren Wills I was shocked and saddened by the news of Alan Henning’s murder by the extremist group ISIS. In a sense, it has made the situation in Iraq a lot more personal to us as British people and has united our country with a desire to put an end to terrorism.

However, as a response to David Cameron’s statement pledging to bring those responsible to justice, I began to read comments on social media which were ill-informed and ignorant.

Facebook users’ hateful responses to the recently broadcast beheadings of Western nationals seemed to be directed at Islam in general rather than ISIS as a group. Not only is it wrong in itself to attribute blame to a whole religion rather than the particular minority, it also poses the danger of marginalising Muslims in the West.

Recent Metropolitan Police figures displayed that cases of hate crime rose from 344 to 570 in the last 12 months, noting that women are key targets because of their identifiable Islamic dress.

As a Christian, I remember feeling saddened by the Florida pastor Terry Jones making the news concerning his pledge to burn copies of the Qur’an on the anniversary of 9/11. I felt it didn’t reflect the values my faith represents. In fact, I’m sure the majority of Christians disagreed with such an inconsiderate and disrespectful act.

I didn’t think people were ignorant enough to blame terrorist acts on a whole religion, but the comments I read on social media proved otherwise. ISIS are clearly a perfectionist group with an extreme interpretation of Islam - which the majority of Muslims disagree with. Indeed, the Guardian reported last week that the Muslim Council of Britain said militants are “highjacking Islam.”

The fact that ISIS call themselves the “Islamic State” is ironic in itself, considering most would agree they are not true practicers of religion at all. It is surely possible for people to support putting an end to these barbaric murders whilst acknowledging that Muslims should not be made to feel marginalised in society just because an organisation commits horrific acts in the name of religion.

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@MancunionOp

Should we criticise Israel?

Ben Farren criticises Israel as a people, a state, and a force whilst Deepanshi retorts self defence is an immutable right in the face of terrorism

Yes

Ben Farren It is difficult to separate the past and the present of the land now called Israel in a meaningful way and still come to a compassionate and succinct conclusion.

If you go back in time you will come to a point where one ape encountered another in the desert: there they diverged, to meet steadily again and again under different guises over the next millennia to stab each other with spears, charge down each other on camels, and now send rockets in each others general direction.

“These are not the actions of a country who desires peace; these are the actions of a country who seeks retribution.”

In this extremely complex conflict, there is only one sensible place to start: the creation of the State of Israel.

Israel was formed on the premise of a “land without a people, for a people without a land”. This statement is almost comical now and its origins are unclear. There is contrasting evidence as to where it came from, but there is definite evidence it was used by high-up members of the Zionist movement in the 19th and 20th century. This attitude leads us into why Israel should be criticised in their current conflict.

The founding of the state of Israeli in that land is equally abhor-

No

Deepanshi

Before labelling me as a cold blooded Zionist who tries to justify the killing of civilians, I would like to clarify that I do not support the extent of the killing. I do not support Israel on religious grounds either—but I do support Israel on the principle of deterrence and the right to self-defence and existence.

No community or country in the world would or should silently resign to missile attacks and ceasefire violations. According to the UN charter, every nation has the inherent right to counter attack in self-defence against aggression. Israel should not be condemned for simply refusing to be subjected to another Holocaust.

Israel is seen as an oppressor in a region where it is the only free democracy and is constantly imperilled by religious and racially motivated attacks on its population. Israel has agreed to various ceasefire agreements, many of which have been wilfully rejected and violated by Hamas.

Over 13,500 rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel since 2001, resulting in Israelis living under constant harassment and needless defence expenditure on Hamas’ war. The media has made us forget that Israelis are threatened; we see no ‘Israeli death toll’ or reports on the persistent building of tunnels with the express purpose of killing more Israelis in mainstream media, because for some people the same principles of humanity do not apply whilst talking about the two sides.

The cycle of provocation fol-

rent regardless of whether the land was occupied or not. However the land was not empty and thus the situation is far worse in the sense that there is no room to excuse the formation due to lack of occupation. The claim was clearly that the Jewish Diaspora’s security was more important than the lives of the Palestinian nomads who had lived there with their families for generations. The evidence points to the second option, as Ben Gurion, the country’s first leader, was keen to see all the Arabs leave and their villages destroyed.

I appreciate that this is not the Israel-Palestine conflict in its current form, but the conditions set at the origin of this new chapter are important in setting the tone of the conflict. One important thing is that for the all the victim narratives you hear from Mr. Netanyahu nowadays regarding the behaviour of Hamas, Israel have always had the initiative.

They were and are the ones in power, and this is the crux of the issue. Those with the power have the greater moral responsibility to end the conflict and be restrained in their violence. For a people who have been at the receiving end of such hatred, it is understandable some of their leaders might act so revengefully, but it is also disappointing that they lack the compassion and solidarity with their fellow man to lower the veracity and intensity of their attacks to an appropriate level.

It is much easier to understand this when you stop thinking about the issue from a religious or ideological standpoint, but from one concerned with the fact that Israel’s economy and classes vastly exceed the comparatively primitive Palestinian society. Israel are firmly in the driving seat when it comes to a cessation of lowed by playing the victim after Israeli counter-attack is abhorrent. Israel has accepted the establishment of a Palestinian state as the solution to the on-going conflict and as a basis for future peace but the Palestinian Liberal Organisation (PLO), which is considered to be the official representative of the Palestinians, and Hamas, which was voted to power by Palestinians in the last legislative elections, were founded and run with the aim of death to Jews.

These Anti-Semites do not understand that the destruction of a country that has been set up by the UN and accepted by the world community is not only against international laws but is also impractical. 6.3 million Jews who have lived in the same re-

“Israelis are not the aggressors in this war, ” gion since before 1948 are not encroaching and will not just pack their bags and leave because some people cannot digest the fact that an Abrahamic religion other than Islam could hold Jerusalem sacred.

‘Heartless monsters’ and ‘coldblooded murderers’ are some of the phrases used to describe Israel-supporters. I want to question what really constitutes inhumanity to these self-proclaimed defenders of human rights.

It is monstrous when children are taught to hate a people from birth. It is despicable and explicitly criminal when Hamas fires rockets from schools and hospitals and gives Israel no choice other than to retaliate, then takes photos of the burnt bodies of those they have indirectly mur-

IDF tanks along the border between Gaza and Israel. Photo: farshadebrahimi @Flickr

the violence. If Israel truly wanted peace, they would go about it very differently.

The idea of an occupied state is the spiritual successor to how the Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes originally. It is illegal by international law to occupy territories which are not yours, and at this point a lot of people just disagree on whose the territory is. Palestine currently has the most humiliating type of autonomy, one which is constantly overseen.

The worst actions were those of compulsory population transfer, the idea that Arabs were to be asked to leave Israel, and if they did not, they would be removed.

The idea of Israel existing was simply more important than the lives and families of those Palestinians who lived there. This is the height of opportunism. This was allowed to happen internationally because of people like you and I, so fixated on a tabula

rasa state for the oppressed, on such a romantic idea, we were blind to how dreadfully conceived and executed it would be.

I hope I would have been horrified as I saw one people find a home amidst the burning ruins of another. We daily see the collective punishment of Palestinians, a war crime which has been observed in Gaza City especially, and I am.

Bringing up that Hamas fires rockets is to do two things. It is to attempt to conflate Hamas’ actions with those of Israel and it is to find someone to deflect blame on to for the mass murder of civilians, including children. There is absolutely no excuse for the murder of any child in Palestine and to call it collateral damage is sickening. If I were in a war I thought to be legitimate, I would be grovelling at the knees of my enemy for forgiveness for such an act. I have heard the ludicrous point that Israel are being punished for

being good at war; if they were that ‘good’, then they would not be killing civilians.

But they are, their indiscriminate and overblown bombing campaign, their blockade packing the Palestinian people into Gaza like a can of sardines. They have suppressed the economy through blockades and a retraction of the crucial fishing zone from the agreed 20 miles to a mere 5. They then question why the death toll is high. These are not the actions of a country who desires peace; these are the actions of a country who seeks retribution.

Ethnic cleansing is the systematic removal of an ethnic group to make it more homogeneous to the cleanser’s ethnicity. The conflict in Palestine has too many characteristics shared with this definition to no longer be condemned as the detestable massacre that it is.

tack Israel. Unfortunately, due to the rhetoric Hamas incessantly espouses, this guarantee is as fanciful an idea as Atlantis or there being a big block of cheddar under the surface of the moon.

Political stability in this region has significant consequences because Israel, even as a non-natural resource dependent country, has focused on economic growth and thus has the highest Human Development Index ranking in the Middle East (even ahead of the US). On the other hand, by the use of slogans such as “We love death more than the Jews love life”, Hamas sets an example about what happens when the destruction of another nation becomes your national goal; supporting Hamas is supporting genocide.

The attempt to pass the guilt on to Israel for their inability to progress seems dubious when on countless occasions Hamas has hindered the UN humanitarian actions in Palestine.

How appalling of Hamas to blame Israel and claim the sympathies of the international community when it has gone to the

extent of employing violence against UN staff and attempting to assassinate the former UNRWA chief—twice. Hamas does not work for the good of Palestine as it claims, a dozen times more resources are used towards the destruction of Israel than go towards the welfare of the people and the economy.

It is hypocritical of Palestine, a religious state itself along with other states in the region, to dispute the claim of Jews to live safely and freely in a Jewish state. Israel has a right to selfdefence and has been defending itself since the foundations of the country were laid. Israelis are not the aggressors in this war, they are purely retaliatory.

This community does not deserve to be criticised for refusing to quietly accept yet another attempt at ethnic cleansing, nor be vilified in a war that is solely a direct result of Hamas’ despicable rhetoric.

Hamas militants preparing to fire rockets.

Photo: farshadebrahimi @Flickr

dered to further a propaganda war.

The Israeli military acts on the principle that it is ethically detestable to kill non-combatants in a fight. Hamas acts on no such principles. I would like to quote the events of the second Intifada, where Hamas members strapped explosives to their bodies and, disguised as women and children, went into highly populated civilian areas and detonated the explosives.

An anonymous Russian commander fighting in Mujahideen once asked, “How do you defeat an enemy who looks into the barrel of a gun and sees paradise?”

These words ring with palpable veracity in a conflict where it is a fact, not an opinion, that Hamas will not stop killing Israelis until they obliterate Israel or Israel obliterates them.

One may argue that the blockade perpetuates the conflict but Israel should not, and will not, lift its blockade until there is a guarantee that Hamas will not, as throughout history, use these resources explicitly and solely to construct further means to at-

Outspoken but unheard?

Opinion

ISSUE 04/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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11

Dying for Democracy Joe Evans Contributor As thousands take to the streets in Hong Kong, campaigning for their say in a twisted system of democracy, one can’t help but feel similar levels of action would be impossible in Britain. In Hong Kong the outrage and dissatisfaction is palpable, exploding in scenes dominating the world media.

Political engagement in Hong Kong, it would appear, is alive and well. However, with just 44% of 18 to 24 year olds turning out to vote in the 2010 general election the same cannot be said of Britain. Surely we should be learning from their determination to achieve democracy to engage with, rather than ignore, our own politics.

Joshua Wong, the seventeen year old public face of the Hong Kong student occupation, is a level- headed figure. His public persona is calm, he does not disrupt or incite violent, his education shows. His lawyer, called in to represent him following anti-democratic attempts to silence him, described him as ‘measured beyond his years.’

“While our system may be flawed, our right to democratic representation is leaps ahead of such a Hong Kong’s institution of government.”

The campaign in Hong Kong is focused on achieving full democracy, the choice to elect their own Chief Executive, the head of the Hong Kong government, rather than be stuck with a government crony. The campaign has called for the current leader, Leung Chun-ying to step down. Elected with support from just 689 voters from the electoral of just 1,200, he has been heavily rebuked for prioritising China over Hong Kong in an attempt to appease his support base of oligarchs and pro-Being tycoons.

When in Hong Kong the right to simply vote is a contentious issue, the huge political power each and every one of us possess in comparison is highlighted.

While our system may be flawed, our right to democratic representation is leaps ahead of such a Hong Kong’s institution of government.

As I previously mentioned the turnout for 18 to 24 year olds in Britain was just 44% in the 2010 general election. Democracy then is wasted on a depressing 56% of legally voting, young people. If they felt shafted by the system then they have themselves to blame. They shafted themselves through a complete lack of engagement. Voting isn’t joining the system.

Voting is how to change the system and is what the young Hong Kong people are fighting for.

In Hong Kong it is taking a young politically engaged activist to educate the masses. He is preaching how, “The Hong Kong people should pay more attention to politics” and that ordinary life is intimately and indelibly linked to the political process. Young people in Hong Kong know that if they hate the influx new Chinese money, amongst other things, then they should stand alongside the thousands of others who agree in protesting for a vote and being heard rather than remaining passive.

Not since the mining strikes of the 1980s have the British public shown such a level of political engagement. Like the student lead protests in Hong Kong, the miners strikes, whether you agree with them or not, epitomised people unifying with a collective objective. The UK has not seen kind of mass scale activism driving for a real objective for decades - the Hong Kong movement has just this impetus.

Real political drive centred in the engagement of the people.

Young Britain on the whole lacks political engagement. The truth is that for British politicians there is no conflict because the youth don’t offer any. There is a clear difference between choosing to rebuke the system whilst showing complete apathy and choosing to offer genuine, considered threat to

Photo: adamscotti @Flickr

the establishment.

In Hong Kong, to vote in a democratic system isn’t an option. Any candidate will serve as a perpetuation of power for the same establishment that has misled its population. In Britain, you have to walk less that ten minutes to a primary school and tick a box.

If you want political conflict in the name of change, then cause some, political conflict matters in ways indifference can never fathom. Get up and have your voice heard. Tick the box, whichever box you tick, but don’t soil the ballot or waste a right that people in Hong Kong are facing the batons for.

When others have to cause conflict simply to have the right to be heard, it hammers home that to vote in a democracy is a duty over a choice.

The system will roll on regardless of whether you decide to engage with it or not, you will simply not be a part of if you don’t. You may as well make it difficult for those in power if you disagree with the system.

Cause a conflict. Disregard the negative connotations and start something amazing.

A revolution of the heart and the mind Haughty ideals are only half a revolution, Marina Iskander argues the most permeating revolutions come from the heart There were songs, chants, flags, fireworks - our favorite street had suddenly transformed into a platform for celebration. Twenty-four hours earlier, it had been bombarded by cameras from international stations reporting on the “chaos” in Egypt. Two years earlier, the world watched as Egyptians chanted and fought for a new government. There was blood and there were tears, but at the same time there was a budding hope that the world could not see. In the words of the great Shakespeare: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.”

Having only been here for a month, I have already been asked dozens of times if it’s really dangerous in Egypt. Aside from the occasional exaggeration or bias of the media, one of its unavoidable fallouts is that it can never truly convey the underlying effects of huge political changes.

“Egyptians are mad; they are madly filled with love and dreams for their nation, and it is this methodical madness that is protecting Egypt today.”

On January 25, 2011, the Arab Spring reached Egypt, leading the young, the old, the poor, and the rich to protest for the ousting of then-president, Hosny Mubarak. After he stepped down, members of different political parties nominated themselves; the winner being Mohammed Morsy, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. In June 2013, Egyptians protested once again for secularism through the removal of the new ruler. Although a new president was elected a year later, these three years have not Mondays 5pm first floor of the Students’ Union.

Photo: Muhammad Ghafari @Flickr

been easy. The world has done enough reporting and analyzing of the political situation in Egypt, and has not focused nearly enough on the emotional and social effects of the revolution.

It is easy to complain about Egypt; it’s hot, loud and can get pretty crowded. But then there were songs, a huge number of songs written about how beautiful Egypt is. However, when January 2011 rolled about everyone suddenly became a patriot.

The radio and the TV screens sang about Egypt’s warm streets and its sparkling Nile, flags hung from windows and alongside buildings and danced to the gentle breeze. One really does need to lose something in order to know what it’s worth – and

it took us hundreds of lives, thousands of injuries, and years of protests to realize how much Egypt is worth.

Suddenly, everyone became a politician. Prior to 2011, no one cared much about discussing politics. After realizing that our voices could actually be heard, however, avidly bickering about current events has become a vital aspect of every gathering. It doesn’t matter how much you know – everyone has something to say. Egypt’s history can easily be divided into revolutionary eras that start with a protest and end with a change in government or constitution. It is as if every once in a while we need to look back and realize that it

is time for change. It was an awakening, a sudden realization that every voice mattered, and it made the biggest difference.

We united. In January of 2011 there were nights when the streets were too much for the police too handle, so the men of each neighborhood would gather at the gates of buildings or houses to guard their loved ones. People from different backgrounds and histories would gather every night in fear and bravery to do anything they could to help.

The two dominant religious groups, Muslims and Christians, the latter composing an obvious minority, had in the past faced conflicts or disagreements. However, these problems melted away as everyone united for a bigger purpose.

Even today, we pride ourselves on the fact that Christians would gather around the Muslims to protect them as they prayed; or that the Muslims stood outside churches during services to avoid any unwelcomed trouble.

Today, Egypt is peacefully easing into new changes, which include a new president. Unlike neighboring countries, however, Egypt has not faced extremist groups like ISIS. Left delicate and healing from its wounds, Egypt would have been an easy target to terrorists or extremists. However, it is what the media doesn’t show, the emotions, the patriotism, and the hope, that has protected Egypt from foreign intervention.

The media could report and write and photograph, but they would never be able to capture the fire that has grown inside every Egyptian’s heart.

Egyptians are mad; they are madly filled with love and dreams for their nation, and it is this methodical madness that is protecting Egypt today.

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Music

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Patrick Hinton, Lowell Clarke

Samuel Ward, Dan Whiteley Interview

Feature

the Feature

Party For The People Party For The People is a social enterprise born in Sheffield two years ago. The idea was to find a way to give back to the community and those in need through everyone’s favourite pastime, partying.

With humble beginnings in bucket raising and selling sweets on the dance floor the focus quickly shifted to ticket sales and Party For The People now operates a fully-fledged ticketing agency, donating a percentage of the booking fees from every ticket to charity. They also throw their own parties; all profit from which is donated to various good causes. Just last week they hosted Deep Space Orchestra at Soup Kitchen in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and alongside Gold Teeth brought Daniel Avery and Artwork to their own venue in Sheffield, raising £1300 in the process!

Being the only not-for-profit ticketing organisation in the UK, PFTP offers a unique way to add an ethical dimension to music events at no extra cost to partygoers or promoters, a self-defined but accurate “revolutionary solution”.

Knowing the debauchery of the night before had a positive impact on those who need it should go someway to soothing that hangover and as PFTP have no shareholders 100 per cent of their net profits are reinvested into the charities and causes they support.

Since its inception, PFTP and its ‘good times for good causes’ movement have gained pace considerably, with partnerships with the likes of Warp, the O2 Academy, Sankeys and Tramlines, Farm and Gottwood festivals secured. In line with this

Top 5

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Forgotten New Wave Classics

Dan Whiteley, Music Editor

growth has been the increasing number of charities they support, which includes the Leeds Little Livers Campaign and Sheffield Mind; as well as those with a more global focus such as Send A Cover and Oxfam. Hosting a room at this Pangaea’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ Festival, alongside Manchester based parties Hi Ku and Groove Kitchen, they also raised £150 for the RAG society.

Last year, sponsorship from the National Lottery allowed PFTP to begin a project titled The Night Kitchen.

Redeveloping the location of the former nightclub Dirty Little Secret alongside CADS (Creative Arts Development Space), another Sheffield based non-profit, they turned the space into a creative hub for the city and a location for some of the best parties in town with a décor inspired by Maurice Sendak’s ‘Where The Wild Things Are’. The space is also home to a 12-month programme of workshops with the aim of providing young people of socially excluded backgrounds the opportunity to gain experience in artistic pursuits, including creative set design, event production, digital arts and more.

Party For The People are always looking for enthusiastic individuals to join their cause and have many opportunities to offer, including paid and volunteer positions in journalism, blogging, web design, graphic design, event production, promotion and more. If it sounds up your street then get in contact via their website, where you can also find out what’s going on in the city and to plan that next night out with a clear conscience.

Photo: Press shot

the

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Ella Eyre

Luke Irving speaks to Ella Eyre about her connection with fans, experience of the Brit School and writing Number Ones for Sigma Luke Irving Bright, bold, and with a mane of curls anyone would crave for, Ella Eyre is the new Brit on the block. Following in the footsteps of so many other Brit School alumni, Eyre’s music career has launched with a bang; very few 20-year-olds can lay claim to a Brit Award. Speaking to Eyre we found out about the excitement accompanying the launch of her second sell out solo tour and her rapidly accelerating journey to stardom.

First up, we asked Eyre how she was feeling about the start of the tour: “Massively excited—I’m excited for them all really. To be on tour is my favourite thing to do—especially because it’s the one time that you get to interact with an audience: people are paying money to see you and I want to make sure that they can get involved, have something to do, rather than just something to watch.”

“I love Manchester, I have loads of friends there, I’m really looking forward to be coming down. And carrying on from that it’s always good fun with the crowd in Manchester you know. Because of that I’m really looking forward to playing here again, especially in a bigger venue—it’s going to be really exciting.”

“I haven’t played the Ritz before—I played Gorilla last time, and that was an insane gig!

So that’s why I’m really looking forward to playing in Manchester again this time.”

Eyre is in Manchester a second time in the space of 1 month—on November 1st she appears at the Vevo Halloween Party. “Oh it’s going to be amazing—it’s so nice to be on a lineup with all of those incredible people; I haven’t seen Sam [Smith] in ages – he’s off

It’s the best thing in the world when people come to me and say “Oh Ella, I completely understand.” away touring the world, so it will be really nice to catch up.”

Eyre is about to release her debut album, we question what sort of sound can be expected from it: “You know, I think the sound will be familiar to people from what I’ve released already; I just want it to be perfect—I’ve been writing it for three years, and it’s been the process of me sort of, well growing up.

If anything, I hope that it’s relatable—I’ve written songs about experiences that I know a lot of people go through. The songs ‘Comeback’ and ‘If I Go’ are important to me for that reason.”

Does Eyre think it’s important to connect with her fans on that shared experience level? “Yeah absolutely, it’s the best thing in the world when people come to me and say ‘Oh Ella, I completely understand, I’m going through the exact same thing right now,’—it’s the best part of my work that’s exactly why I do it; it means that when they come to the shows we can really get down and party together.”

As well as working on her own album for the past three years, Eyre has written some huge chart hits, such as Sigma’s ‘Changing ft. Paloma Faith’. Surely an exciting time for Ella? “Oh my god! It’s such a pleasure to be a part of all that—how could I not be excited!

Particularly having someone as amazing as Paloma Faith to be singing one of my songs, you know I’m very, very excited—it’s almost an honour really. How could I not be happy— especially being a part of another number one!”

Her first Number One, ‘Waiting All Night’ won a Brit Award. “Oh my word, it was unreal, it was mad, so surreal! I went to the Brit School, and two years before performing on that stage at the Brits I went so see the Awards as a school trip—so to think that I was on the same stage two years later performing and picking up an award was just mental.”

Finally, we question how important the Brit School experience was to influencing the work she does now: “It was amazing—you know they really encourage you to do your best; they don’t hand you labels, they don’t give you this network of contacts like people might think—it’s really just that they give you the tools to do that, and the confidence to go out and do that for yourself. It’s always great to be pushing yourself along with likeminded people.”

Ella Eyre plays Victoria Warehouse on November 1st

1. Rush Hour by Jane Wiedlin

2. Big Area by Then Jerico

3. Great Southern Land by Icehouse

4. Bitter Heart by Seona Dancing

5. Shattered Dreams by Johnny Hates Jazz

The Go-Go’s guitarist’s lone solo hit, ‘Rush Hour’ is one of the New Wave era’s finest singles, with a driving beat, sunny synth fanfares and a then-obligatory piddly guitar solo. Also, THAT chorus.

Once touted as the next stadium rock gods, time has since consigned Then Jerico to bargain bins the world over.

Nevertheless, ‘Big Area’ holds up surprisingly well, in a dated and cheesy kind of way.

80s pop at its best from one of Australia’s most underrated bands—chugging guitars and lush, atmospheric keyboards give a cinematic feel to this ode to the outback.

Fun fact: Ricky Gervais once fronted a New Romantic duo.

They didn’t last long, but this brooding single gives a fun glimpse into what could have been. Note Gervais’s Bowieesque delivery.

One-hit-wonders Johnny Hates Jazz found fleeting success in 1987 with this fine piece of sophistipop, carving a sound somewhere between The Police and the Style Council.

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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the

Opinion

Music

13

This blood has taken its toll on me

Martha Norman

Martha Norman discusses Maroon 5’s controversial new music video

Maroon 5 have managed to create a song and video which makes Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’ look like a feminist anthem. If you’ve not yet seen their video to ‘Animals’ then be prepared for a shock. It’s a far cry from ‘She Will Be Loved’.

The video shows a psychotic butcher becoming obsessed with one of his customers, a young woman, and traces his obsessive mental process. Front man Adam Levine is shown following a woman home down dark streets, taking photographs of her, grabbing her flesh aggressively and hanging onto carcasses in a butchers store room, before smearing blood on his face and body. In the final scene of the video, a man and woman clutch each other naked whilst blood pours all over them, matting their hair and covering their bodies.

This scene feels reminiscent

of the blood splattered lift scene in ‘The Shining’ and is an uncomfortable thing to watch in a music video setting. We seem to have entered a dangerous and depressing domain within popular music, where artists try to out-do one another for the most controversial video or lyric in the business (see Robin Thicke & Nicki Minaj). This video is so offensive and provocative that it will surely spark a debate surrounding the lack of age rating in music videos which apply to feature films.

As music videos become ever more explicit it seems appropriate to protect younger generations from harmful or damaging material; even if this material is set to music.

The problem with this video, however, is that it is not only disturbing to younger people, but it is equally (if not more disturbing) for teenage girls and women. If you are a woman,

you will know that the fear of a sexually aggressive male figure tracing your steps at night is an all-too-familiar threat, and something that shouldn’t be ‘performed’ in a music video. It is done so in a way which makes it appear sexually attractive and makes it seem as though it iss a natural by-product of men’s lust.

Another problem with Maroon 5’s video is the undercurrent of violence; not explicit, but implied.

This frustratingly means that it is more likely to be age-rated for nudity than for its depiction of stalking or implied assault. Whilst not always explicit, violence is everywhere in this video and is distinctly sexual. As watchers we assume that the blood Levine smears on his mouth and body belongs to the animals he has slaughtered, but the editing and lyrics make the origin of the blood ambiguous, and you wouldn’t be crazy for assuming that it

could belong to the woman that he is fetishizing. The video cuts from a young woman’s flesh, to the flesh of an animal being prepared in a purposefully disorientating way. It further cuts from a woman sleeping in underwear to Levine punching a hanging carcass. One of the most explicitly stalker-like scene is a scene where Levine appears to stroke the woman’s arm at a bar (where she turns away from him and shuns him-clearly blocking the unwanted attention). Not only does this choppy editing style literally communicate that the woman is a piece of meat, but it confuses passion and lust with encroachment and aggression.

Ultimately, the video suggests that a predator/prey relationship is both normal and necessary in a male pursuit of a romantic partner. It’s not at all surprising that domestic violence groups have had a ferocious reaction to the video.

If you want to watch the video, watch it with caution, and pay close attention to the creepy lyrics which go alongside these images. As if the video’s stalker message wasn’t clear enough, Levine actually sings; ‘‘Maybe you think that you can hide, I

can smell your scent for miles.’’ which ultimately plays off the female fear of a predatory man and further perpetuates the kind of attitudes Emma Watson addressed and broke down in her famous UN speech.

Photo: alansheaven@ flickr

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Live

The Menzingers

Hawkwind Manchester Academy 1 - 4th October 2014

8/10

8.5/10

Dan Whiteley Music Editor

Henry Scanlan Madcap ‘space rock’ troupe and overlords of the universe Hawkwind headlined their very own ‘Hawktoberfest’ at Academy 1. OK, ‘overlords of the universe’ may be a slight overstatement, but that’s the kind of impression they give off.

Dave Brock’s apocalyptic opening spoken word passage reduced the crowd to minions, enslaved by the interplanetary gods on stage. “IN THE FACE OF SONIC ATTACK, EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF.” “DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE YOUR LIMBS.” “EVERYTHING ENDS HERE.” It’s finally happened.

Hawkwind have tricked 2000 people into paying a £22.50 entry fee to their own mass execution.

You get the feeling the creators of ‘Spinal Tap’ may have been to a Hawkwind gig or two. Cosmic dancers dangle from drapes on either side of the stage in an intermission of droning synths and space gun noises. The videos being projected onto the backdrop are hilariously bad —one involves keywords like ‘WAR!’ ‘POVERTY!’ and ‘9/11!’ all spinning with powerpoint-level effects atop pictures of various humanitarian crises.

Gorilla - 3rd October 2014

Photo: The Queen’s Hall @ flickr

The colourful patterns that fill the screen for the next song look like a kid is playing around on MS Paint. But it’s old school and the people love it.

It’s also forgiveable when you remember that these guys are pretty old and probably haven’t quite got the hang of the internet yet.

Aside from the supplements, the music is thrilling. From their huge back catalogue they cherry pick a setlist that spans 30 years while managing to sound remarkably coherent.

‘Orgone Accumulator’ in particular from 1973’s Space Ritual sounds phenomenal

(as does anything from that album, 40 years later). Their material from the 70s has aged so well, sounding as if catapulted through the time warps and galactic worm holes they always sung of. I can see this brand of psychedelic music coming back into fashion, in a backlash against a tide of vague introspective bands labelled psychedelic just because they use lots of phaser effects. This is truly bonkers psychedelia with a punk edge. Long live Hawkwind.

One more thing—to Academy 1: kudos on the new air conditioning system.

It’s been two years since Philadelphian heartland punks The Menzingers last graced Manchester with their presence, during which their profile has grown from relative obscurity to see them become one of the most beloved and critically acclaimed acts in the genre.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that tone of tonight’s show was celebratory, as the band ran through all their greatest hit so far—at typically breakneck speed—in front of a sold out crowd.

Opening with the rousing, siren wail guitars of ‘I Don’t Wanna Be An Asshole Anymore’, the first track off their latest record Rented World, the band continued to fire out song after song at relentless pace, including crowd pleasers ‘I Was Born’ and ‘Burn After Writing’.

Despite the intensely personal and angst-ridden nature of their lyrics, nearly a line went by that wasn’t shouted back at the foursome by the front rows; ‘The Obituaries’, perhaps their bluntest ode to self-doubt—its chorus simply repeats, “I will

Photo: Chloe Muro @Flickr

fuck this up/I fucking know it”— nevertheless proved to be one of the biggest singalongs of the evening.

The rest of the set comprised mainly of cuts from their 2012 breakthrough album On the Impossible Past, including ‘Good Things’ and the anthemic ‘Gates’. Main set closer ‘In Remission’ was an obvious highlight, its grungey riffs and chaotic climax making for an effective finale, before returning for a short encore of two fan

favourites: the lovelorn ‘Casey’ and the obligatory ‘A Lesson In The Abuse Of Informational Technology’. Cramming as many songs as they could into their almost ninety minute set, The Menzingers live show is an energetic, emotional spectacle, and one that no doubt left fans hoping they won’t be waiting two more years to experience it again.

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Music

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCT0BER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

What’s Right... Or Shite....

Mancunion Recommends

This week in Music

Jamie T – Carry on the Grudge Virgin EMI; 29th September 2014

Lowell Clarke

Albums, Albums Everywhere: Aphex Twin, Flying Lotus, SMD Thom Yorke, Sbtrkt, Caribou...

It can only mean one thing: Cancel your plans, dim the lights and drift into your own world of the best electronic music this side of 2010.

8/10

Katherine Burns Let me take you back to September 2009.

Oasis had just split up, Susan Boyle was a thing, and everybody I knew had a side fringe. This was also the month that Kings and Queens, Jamie T’s previous, much loved (mainly by me) album was released. Now, he is back with the highly anticipated follow-up, Carry On the Grudge.

In the five-ish years since Jamie pretty much disappeared off the face of the earth, the musical landscape has undergone a massive overhaul, and honestly, I was a little worried how Jamie T’s music would fit in to this new climate. However, it seems that over the last five years it wasn’t just the music scene that had changed.

Sure, there are times on Carry On the Grudge which almost seem like an ancient relic of those days of boys with guitars and chips on their shoulders. For example, tracks like ‘Rabbit Hole’ and Radio 1’s beloved ‘Zombie,’ still have that urgent, hip-hop punky edge that Jamie T became so well known for.

Despite this, the album as a whole has a chilled, almost melancholy sound. If I could use one word to describe it, it would be pleasant. Sure, it’s different to what I might have expected, but still thoughtful and tender and with a sinister

Photo: GarretCoakley @Flickr

Right on Mars:

edge. A prime example of this is first single ‘Don’t You Find,’ a bold reintroduction to one of the most distinctive British musicians of the last decade.

The album itself isn’t a complete departure, but instead a boiled-down, reflective reimagining of his previous musical style. All in all, it seems like a new twist on the same old influences, rather than a completely different direction for Jamie T.

David Bowie revealed his newest single yesterday live on BBC Radio 6 yesterday. The track, titled ‘Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)’ will be out on his forthcoming compilation.

Photo: Press Shot

Fight for your Right: “The man” has given us an extra half page, so here at The Mancunion Music Section we’ve launched the new Right or Shite section. Stay tuned!

Electric Youth – Innerworld Last Gang Records; 29th September

8/10

Dan Whiteley Music Editor Three years after their initial exposure with the sleeper hit ‘A Real Hero’, their collaboration with French outfit College from the critically lauded Drive soundtrack, Canadian electropop duo Electric Youth have finally emerged from the studio with their first full length album Innerworld. Filled with much the same retro stylings as their debut single—which gets an encore here as the album’s hypnotic closer—the record is a faithful throwback to the world of 80s pop; this shouldn’t be surprising for a band who takes their name from a Debbie Gibson song. Every track is carried by the familiar warm soundscapes of vintage keyboards complemented by haunting, ethereal vocals, resulting in an album which is both immersive and otherworldly in even measure.

After a short, instrumental opener, lead single ‘Runaway’ introduces the vast, cinematic quality that permeates much of the record, awash with synthesizers and chugging new wave guitars as vocalist Bronwyn Griffin, whose voice bears more than a passing resemblance to young Madonna, delivers the first of many euphoric choruses. The wistful, nostalgic ‘Innocence’ is another early highlight, which laments the loss of youth over cascading keyboards and a restrained, pulsating beat. ‘Without You’ meanwhile, the album’s most unabashedly pop moment, is a Robyn-esque breakup song that melds dreamy, soaring vocals with twinking synths over a driving bass line.

As far as debut albums go, Innerworld is impressively well thought out and cohesive, though this strength is also at times its downfall; whilst the likes of ‘Tomorrow’ and

Photo: Aidan Gregory

Elephant Dung: Standing at the front of the club to shazam ‘Walking with Elephants’.

Move along.

Photo: andrewrennie @ Flickr

Complete and Utter Bono: ‘The Best Thing’ are both melancholy ballads whose quality justify the album’s tendency for sleepy tempos, ‘If All She Has Is You’ and bonus track ‘Modern Fears’ both overstay their welcome with plodding rhythms and hooks that, try as they might, never quite achieve liftoff. This is a small complaint which, given the quality of the high points, is forgivable—but also one that keeps the album from achieving the status of an instant classic.

Anyone who enjoyed ‘A Real Hero’ will undoubtedly find Innerworld worth the wait, as each of its tracks follow roughly the same formula of hazy, intricately layered pop. Electric Youth have created a distinctive sound which, if they can build upon effectively next time round, has the potential to be welcomed by the mainstream and indie kids alike.

U2 have announced they’re working on an ‘unpirateable’ album. Maybe it’ll be so shite noone will even want to steal it?

Photo: jurvetson @ Flickr

Heaven knows we’re miserable now: Last week Morrissey revealed his secret battle with cancer. He bravely said, “If I die, then I die. And if I don’t, then I don’t.

Right now I feel good. I’m not going to worry about that, I’ll rest when I’m dead.”

Photo: Man Alive! @ Flickr

Games

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Editors: James Thursfield, Matthew Cole

Which video game company Feature should you work for?

James Thursfield explores the perks of working for top tier games companies and the opportunities available for game development in Manchester.

At some point in every (slightly

company annually takes all of its

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results in competitive tournaments

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company claims this helps to foster a

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readers of this article will leave

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which company it would be best to

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the world, much of Riot’s player base

powerhouse for content creation.”

Valve. Famous for its immaculate

lies in Korea and China. As a way of

Whilst this article has indulged

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games

building bridges with their Korean

in the glamorous concept of game

including the Half-Life and Portal

counterparts, Riot installed a ‘PC

development as an industry that

series,

a

Café’. In these cafes they broadcast

provides

unique design philosophy that their

high level Korean matches, whilst

aspirations are a far too distant

employees adore.

offering vending machines full of

dream. The reality is that there are

work for.

One

A

industry

of Valve

developed also

possesses

of

holidays,

such

the

Korean snacks and drinks (including

feasible pathways into video game

alcohol). Although the connection

development here in Manchester.

none. Supposedly, there is no “boss”

with the Korean audience may

Courses at MMU and the University

and sick days/days off work, are not

appear superficial at best, it does

of Salford provide pathways into an

recorded. One employee submitted

seem to be a good excuse for

industry that used to have massive

a review on the American career site

employees to enjoy an exotic drink

barriers to entry. Whilst Manchester

Glassdoor, describing his experience

whilst watching TV.

may

“Amazingly

feature

exotic

management in Valve is that there is

as,

defining

favourite,

empowering.

not

have

exotic

Hawaiian

No

Having established that holidays

beaches or Korean snacks, there is

management. No red tape. Salaries

and snacks are important reasons

arguably no better place for you to

are above the top of the industry. And

to pursue a career in video game

turn your dreams of video game

families come first”

design, it is also worth considering

development into reality.

Photo: Camila Clarke @Flickr

It is also worth noting that the

supporting locally based developers.

Ubisoft Retracts Position on Console Parity Following Backlash Having announced plans to enforce

In a later statement Ubisoft said,

patched the PlayStation 4 version after

with its impressive cityscapes and

relations. That title belongs to EA, a

console parity between Xbox One and

“final specs for Assassin’s Creed: Unity

its release so that it ran at an optimized

visual effects, but after the release date

company that insists on cramming

PlayStation 4 versions of Assassin’s

aren’t cemented yet, but we can say we

1080p resolution.

was pushed back by almost two years,

their games with microtransactions

Creed: Unity, Ubisoft has decided

showed Assassin’s Creed Unity at 900p

This is not the first time Ubisoft

the overall fidelity of the game had

in a bid to rinse consumers of their

to adjust its stance in the wake

during our hands-on preview event

has courted controversy about the

taken a marked knock.

cash for trivial in-game items which

of a consumer backlash. Vincent

last week. We’re confident that gamers

graphical capabilities of their games.

Ubisoft still has quite a way to go

should really be free. The company

Pointbrand, producer of the upcoming

will be thrilled with the gorgeous

The first E3 reveal of their blockbuster

if it wants to take on the mantle as

also attracted a wave of negative

Assassin’s game, said on Tuesday that

graphics and how Paris is brought to

title Watch Dogs wowed audiences

publisher

publicity when they fumbled the

the developer would lock the frame

life in Assassin’s Creed: Unity.

with

the

worst

public

launch of last year’s SimCity, which

rate and resolution on both current-

“The development team has been

could not be played offline from the

gen consoles “to avoid all the debates”

hard at work delivering the best

get-go. Combine these failures with

about the differences in performance

Assassin’s Creed possible on next

multiple instances of servers being

levels. Ironically, and some might say

generation consoles. Regardless of

taken down prematurely, leaving avid

deservedly, this has had the effect of

which platform you’re playing on,

online players in the dark, and it is fair

opening the floodgates to complaints

Assassin’s Creed: Unity will answer

to say the publisher earned its ‘Worst

and anger online. PlayStation 4 owners

what an Assassin’s Creed game built

Company in America’ accolade on

were the most vociferous in arguing

from the ground up for the next

consecutive years in 2012 and 2013.

against the enforcement because it

generation of gaming looks like and

If Ubisoft is to avoid superceding EA

would unnecessarily result in a poorer

will be the best looking Assassin’s

in this field, their future games must

graphical output of the game on their

Creed game ever developed.”

deliver on the tacit promises made by

system, despite the console’s superior GPU in comparison to the Xbox One.

On the previous entry in the series,

their reveal trailers.

by Matthew Cole

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, Ubisoft Photo: Leandro Zappia@Flickr

ISSUE 05/ 13TH OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Fashion & Beauty

Editors: Gráinne Morrison, Aimée Grant Cumberbatch, Nikki Patel (Beauty) Readers respond

“

We

@MancunionFash

Opinion

Feature

What’s race got to do with with it?

Emma Victoria Orgill covers the touchy subject of racial discrimination within certain corners of the fashion industry

ASK

You ANSWER

”

Last week we asked you if you’ve ever felt personally victimised by the fashion industry. Here are your responses: Why oh why did stacked rings become a thing? I’m allergic to jewellery for f***’s sake.

-Phil Goddard My social status crumbled when my fashion icon and celeb twin Avril Lavigne went from hero to zero. Still not over it.

-Hazel Elvin It knocked me for six when heels suddenly equalled high maintenance and high maintenance equalled uncool -Nikki Patel

Karl Lagerfeld gives me nightmares.

-Molly Allen

The lack of ethnic models has been a controversial topic within the fashion business for as long as we can remember. Although efforts have been made by certain brands to create an equilibrium of ethnic origins, the concept has evidently not been embraced by all. It is the debated, and what many would call, narrow-minded opinion that white models are better represented within the industry.

It seems you either have it or you don’t. If you get the break, you’re in—and the industry embraces you with open arms. However, if you do not make the cut, you really have to fight to earn your spot. In many ways, the model’s background therefore works for them, or strongly against them.

Global brands such as Calvin Klein are known for their ability to solely hire white models year after year, ignoring the potential variety of differing ethnicities. Numéro magazine has even gone as far as using a white, blonde-haired model and covering her from head-to-toe in dark make-up, a statement that sparked debate and fury within the fashion industry. It is therefore no surprise that many non-white models have found that this situation is something that needs to be addressed. Highly acclaimed faces including Naomi Campbell and Iman Abdulmajid, believe that ending discrimination is a subject that needs to be taken more seriously, specifically due to the accepted multi-cultural society in other forms of work. Collectively, they have created a campaign known as ‘Diversity Coalition’ which has set out to essentially even out the ethnic imbalance of models being used both editorially and on the catwalk.

The debate is particularly fierce around the seasonal fashion weeks. Refreshingly, London Fashion Week is known to be one of the occasions where models of all colours are embraced in comparison to Milan and Paris—who feature very few black models.

In many of the previous London shows, Topshop has famously included Jourdan Dunn in their line-up of models, representing the rise of black, British models. Dunn made history by being the first black British model to appear on the Forbes models rich list, making her the highest paid black model of the last year. The 21st century has also witnessed more non-white models being embraced on the covers of high-fashion publications. A star example of this is Elle magazine famously featuring Joan Smalls, a Puerto Rican native on their cover. Smalls has also recently become the first black model to appear as the face of Estée Lauder, displaying a refreshing change within the industry.

Essentially, all models want to be booked because they have the ideal qualities, not just to make a statement—so, how do you know where to draw the line? It is evidently a complex topic and

a sensitive subject for many. However, recent actions show a step in the right direction with more brands learning to embrace the racially diverse world. We live in a multicultural society—so why not represent this?

Is this something that you feel strongly about? Tweet us your opinion at @MancunionFash – We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Photo: Wikipedia

Loving & Loathing Battle of the brands: Laura Springer takes a look at a cosmetic heavyweight and an organic beauty underdog

I got a tattoo to be trendy and then everyone else got one too. F*** you fashion.

-Aimée Grant Cumberbatch

Loving Lush

The fashion industry fooled me into thinking hooded shirts were cool. Oh how wrong I was.

-Meirion Jones

Whether you’re an ethical activist or not, everyone likes to feel safe in the knowledge that the products they buy have been produced in a fair way. Lush is a British brand known not only for its fragrant handmade cosmetics but also for its strong ethical policy. Lush has campaigned tirelessly for a ban on animal testing and has completely eliminated it from their business practices after seeing how cruel and unnecessary it is. Not only that, Lush also looks for smaller campaign groups and gives them the recognition they deserve. With hundreds of shops on some of the most popular high streets in the world, Lush uses its valuable advertising space to campaign for the issues they care about.

That in itself shows their morality and the huge amount of respect that Lush deserves as such a forward-thinking brand.

Every single time I see a man bun I feel victimised.

-Anjana Selvanathan When cut out sleeves came and went so fast. I spent hours snipping away for nothing. Fashion gave me the cold shoulder.

-Marie-Louise Brown Rose Jam shower gel, 100g £4.75

L’Oréal

Loathing Despite their many A-list celebrity endorsements from the likes of Beyoncé Knowles and Eva Longoria, L’Oréal comes under scrutiny time and time again for its allegedly unethical practices. Despite assertions that it has not tested any of its finished products on animals since 1989, L’Oréal are a company that are heavily involved with the development of new ingredients for products which are then sadly tested on animals due to EU legislation. Many L’Oréal spokespersons have argued that if they are not innovative then they will lose their huge stake in the extremely competitive beauty market. Does this highlight the problems with legislation and the market rather than individual companies themselves? Or, particularly in the case of students, do we focus more on the price of the product when deciding which cosmetics to buy rather than the fairness of the brand? There are many complex issues surrounding the ethical production of cosmetics and where you stand is ultimately down to your own personal morals.

Julianne’s Pure Red lipstick, L’Oréal, £6.99

Fifty shades of beige

Fashion

17

Beauty buys MAC Prep + Prime Beauty Balm, £24

Editor Nikki Patel throws shade on the beauty industry’s colour complex My ongoing nine year ‘foundation voyage’ has been a turbulent and complex one, and I have left a countless number of beauty counters either as Peppa Pig’s twisted human doppelganger, or a bizarre hue of biscuit (neither or which, by the way, correspond with my own natural skin tone, I’d say I’m more Hovis multigrain). Year after year I would cake my face with the alien shades at my disposal, and photo after photo I was harshly reminded me that I was trying to be part of an industry that simply didn’t want me there.

Whether I was counting my pennies in Superdrug or making an investment at Selfridges, it seemed that most make-up brands either hadn’t cottoned on to the existence of darker skin, or that they simply didn’t care. Bobbi Brown recently divulged that at the beginning of her career, she had to formulate make-up for her darker skinned models, as their natural shades simply weren’t available. The industry had a ‘one size fits all approach’, the only problem being that ‘all’ was code for ‘Caucasian’ and the sizing system cruel.

Nowadays it would seem that the story is a little different, though there is still a lot of progress to be made. Pioneers of the beauty industry such as Nars and MAC openly celebrate ethnic difference and equality, catering for all skin types and tones. What’s more, when black model Jordan Dunn was chosen as the face of YSL’s touche eclat shades for darker skin, it was a ‘breakthrough’. And interestingly enough, Lancôme actually consulted the US research group

Photo: Nikki Patel

Women of Color to develop their new Teint Idole Ultra 24hr foundation, their most inclusive range.

Although I appreciate and recognise products specially formulated for ethnic skin, I can’t help but feel that their existence (particularly that of the tactlessly named ‘Black Up’) equates to pointing the finger at someone and zealously, screaming “you’re different, Chanel wasn’t made for you.” It therefore makes me proud to see that aside from specialist beauty brands such as Flori Roberts and Fashion Fair, iconic and global brands are channelling their energies into catering to the myriad skin colours that fall between black and white.

Although these shifts within the beauty world may well reflect changing attitudes towards ethnic difference, it isn’t simply a question of featuring an ‘ethnic’ cover girl or widening the global roster of foundation shades, and dismissing the core issues.

It’s important to recognise that

the key to revolutionising the beauty industry is not only in representing different groups but in how we represent and perceive them. After all, how often is black women’s skin edited to look brighter and more bronzed in editorials? And isn’t it a little strange that on the rare occasion that Indian models are featured in mainstream fashion magazines, they pertain to the fair-skinned Bollywood ideal of South-Asian beauty?

Finally, and perhaps most importantly (albeit a little crude), why is every ethnic model featured in beauty campaigns sensationalised as ‘breakthrough’, when in reality they are just another exceptionally beautiful human being amongst a troop of other beautiful human beings?!

It’s time for all makeup brands to join the beauty revolution until inclusivity becomes the norm.

I want brands to disassociate themselves from our culture of ‘tokenship’ and ingrained beauty ideals and lead us to a future where featuring Jordan Dunn in an ad campaign isn’t considered a front page news and specialist ethnic beauty brands aren’t seen as a saving grace for ‘suffering’ shade seekers.

After all, let’s face it, we all have problems and whether you’re ‘beige’, ‘bronzed’ or ‘biscuit’ should not be one of them.

“I want brands to disassociate themselves from our culture of ingrained beauty ideals”

BareMinerals READY® SPF20 Foundation, £25

Editors’ Picks

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Bodyshop All-In-One BB cream, £12

MAC Studio face and body foundation, £21.50

Profile

Opinion

The Model Alliance

Ditch the bitch

Gráinne Morrison on the the fight for better working conditions in the modelling industry If I were to ask you to describe the life of a fashion model you’d probably focus on the glamorous parties, free champagne and designer clothes. I doubt you’d bring up sexual harassment, unpaid work, encouraged eating disorders and bullying. As hard as it is to pity people who are paid to look good, the working conditions for most of these beautiful people are poor to non-existent. Most models aren’t earning millions.

In fact, a lot of models will accept unpaid work just for the exposure. Yet in doing so they put themselves in a vulnerable position.

Take, for example, the scandal surrounding Terry Richardson. Countless models have courageously come forward to share their stories of sexual assault and harassment only to be met with derision from some of the most influential names in fashion. Many decide against coming forward for fear of losing future jobs. Likewise, it’s been almost a decade since Ana Carolina Reston tragically died to the anorexia she developed after comments that she was “too fat”.

At the time, the fashion industry reacted strongly with claims of massive change to follow. Here we are years later and models are still pressured to lose weight to get ahead.

In such a cutthroat industry, how does one avoid exploitation? In 2012 the Model Alliance was set up by Sara Ziff ,a former model who decided to take matters into her own hand. The Model Alliance works to establish a place of protection for female, male and child models. Although not a union, they aim to give a voice to the many models who feel helpless. They have a Bill of Rights which covers issues such as the need for a code of professionalism throughout all modelling jobs. Ziff states that “By giving models a platform to organize to improve their industry, the Model Alliance aims to enhance the vitality and moral standing of the fashion business as a whole”.

So why did it take so long for an organisation of this kind to come about? There was a Models’ Guild in 1995, but it failed so miserably that no one worth

knowing ever registered its existence. Even the Model Alliance admits that this is merely the beginning and so much more needs to be done in order to improve working conditions for models. Will it work? Perhaps.

Unlike the Models’ Guild this organisation has the backing of the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) which ultimately means they have the driving force of Anna Wintour behind them. However, until many others follow the example of the CFDA, the Model Alliance has their work cut out for them.

One thing is for sure, things can’t get any worse.

The Model Alliance

Even Better foundation, £24.50

Aimée Grant Cumberbatch gives you the skinny on the great body debate What don’t you like about your body? There must be something.

Is it your hips, your thighs, your muffin top, your ‘boy tits’? And if you can’t think of something, you better find something fast.

What clothes can you buy if you have nothing to cover up, what products can you purchase to fix your imperfections if you don’t have any, and how can you do the ’10-day detox diet’ if you have no weight to lose? Fashion houses’ parades of antelope-like models tell you you can’t wear their clothes unless you’re stick thin, beauty companies ask you to be ashamed of your ‘flaws’ so they can sell you the latest ‘miracle cure’ and the media alternates between the airbrush and the big red pen of shame. So does anybody have our back?

It at least makes economic sense for the beauty industry to be quite so bitchy. They’ve evolved from identifying a gap in the market to inventing one and trading on our skewed perceptions of what it means to be beautiful are profitable. Though neither acceptable nor excusable it is at least understandable.

But for the fashion industry, surely the bigger their target market the better, if you’ll pardon the pun. The industry’s claims that skinny models are better clothes horses would be one thing if the models were

just skinny. (Also what about the pencil skirt or the bustier? Best accessorized with a Marilyn Monroe-worthy wiggle surely?)

But some of these girls are skin and bone, heart-stoppingly skinny, something’s-wrong-thin. It’s not really about what looks best.

As always with the industry, it comes down to exclusivity. And what about when high fashion filters down into shops, and us mere mortals are asked to accept that anything above a 12 is plussized? Or that some shops don’t stock above a size 14—is this fair?

Photo: Luis

However, no matter how upsetting the so-called size zero trend, far more concerning is its tendency to turn women against one another. The word ‘real’ gets thrown around a lot during size discussions, which would be great if it was done inclusively.

Photo: Kris Sikes @Flickr

But phrases like “Real women have curves” are guaranteed to pop up somewhere along the line and these are just as unhelpful as comments like Kate Moss’ infamous line “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” It’s not about championing one size, shape or weight above another. It’s about promoting what’s healthy and what’s natural. If we refuse to buy into the BS in certain women’s magazines, approach their airbrushing with a critical eye and accept that the fashion industry only looks out for itself, perhaps we’d see that things will only change if we make them. And we can start by all having each other’s backs.

“Does anyone have our backs?”

18

Film

ISSUE 07/ 3rd OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Tom Bruce, Andriana Hambi, James Moules, Martin Solibakke Top Five

Feature

Top Five:

Hollywood And Science

Awful Accents

Science Fact or Science Fiction?

Shia LaBeouf`s failed attempt to be British isn’t the worst we have seen on the silver screen, apparently. Here are Luke Sharma’s picks for the worst accents in film.

5) Dick Van Dyke , Mary Poppins (1964) Seeing as Dick Van Dyke’s appearance as Bert the loveable chimney sweep is one of the most iconic Disney roles ever, we can almost forgive him for the butchering of the cockney accent; “Schtep in toime moite!”

4) John Voight, Anaconda (1997) When they were casting this film; who decided it was a good idea to cast a New Yorker, with no real experience with accents, as a Paraguayan hunter? He’s a top-notch actor, but his awful Spanish accent will forever be a blight on his otherwise brilliant career.

Photo: Columbia Pictures

3) Keanu Reeves, Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) I wonder whether Keanu Reeves has ever met a real Englishman before… When you close your eyes in some scenes, you feel like you’re watching Stewie Griffin from Family Guy. A great movie, but Keanu didn’t do such a great job.

Nicole Tamer looks at how science has inspired numerous filmmakers.

“We look at Hollywood now, I mean, can you imagine Hollywood producing a film with such weight as 2001: A Space Odyssey?

I guess we get the cinema we deserve; we’re looking into the mirror. It’s very sad”, argues Anthony Frewin at the ‘Watch the Skies!’ flagship event in the BFI Blockbuster project SCI-FI: Days of Fear and Wonder at the Jodrell Bank Observatory. Those might be strong words, but he was the personal assistant to the director Stanley Kubrick for 20 years and worked on five of his films. Looking at current trends in the film industry, it is apparent that Sci-Fi movies are on the verge again.

Recent films such as Prometheus, Gravity and Interstellar, which is premiering this weekend in the UK, show on the Box Offices worldwide that their popularity is high, but the budgets are even higher. The 10.6 Million Budget of 2001: A Space Odyssey was meagre compared to the budget of over 100 Million Dollar for Gravity and Interstellar. To put the budget number into perspective: even the Indian space mission to Mars with a 74 Million Dollar Budget cost less than the making of Gravity. Although it is debatable whether the priorities of human beings are agreeable, it does not mean that there is not any science involved in the making of a film and that they do not inspire more interest and awareness in the field of astronomy or other science.

Science and film often go hand in hand; all of the previously mentioned films had prestigious scientists from Harvard or Caltech on set to ensure the accuracy. David A. Kirby, a senior lecturer at the University of Manchester published the popular physics book “Lab Coats in Hollywood – Science, Scientists and Cinema” in which he claims that 2001: A Space Odyssey is perhaps the most scientifically accurate film ever produced. The breathtaking sequences

in space seem so realistic because of the cooperation with two former NASA scientists

Photo: Andfestival

and the more than sixty-five companies, research organizations, and government agencies that offered technical advice. The relation between science and Hollywood is often more complex than initially apparent and a mutual need to close the gap between science fact and science fiction pushes both sides to work together closely. Although it might first seem like that Hollywood profits more from scientists, the depictions of science in popular films can promote research agendas, stimulate technological development, and even stir citizens into political action, writes Kirby. For film makers with a smaller budget, who cannot afford specialists from NASA, should not despair because websites such as hollywoodmaths. com will help to ensure that “the technical details and jargon in your script sound believable, whether they be mathematical, scientific or medical”.

The gravity of science (pun intended) does not stop at science fiction movies, science consultants help to give Comic book adaptations, TV shows, such as Fringe and The Big Bang Theory, and video games a more realistic finish. The Science and Entertainment Exchange is a program run by the United States National Academy

of Sciences to increase public awareness, knowledge, and understanding of science through its representation in television, film, and other media in order to rid the public of false perceptions on these topics. Although the aspirations are often high and science fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner and Alien mostly succeeded in being scientifically accurate, it is important to remember that the film industry’s first priority is entertainment. If the scientific accurate portrayal is too complex, the risk that the film might turn out too incomprehensible for an audience is high. Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar for example is based on Einstein’s general relativity equations and might have turned out visually incomprehensible to the audience, but he luckily solved the problem by staying consistent with the camera perspective. Gravity on the other hand is a “piece of fiction” with some inaccuracies, but with a very realistic portrayal of zero gravity.

The rise of popularity of Science Fiction films has also a positive aspect on the decreasing numbers of cinema goers. 2001: A Space Odyssey or Gravity have a bigger effect on the audience on a big screen than streamed online on a small laptop screen. At the Watch the Skies! Event, 2001: A Space Odyssey was shown in an open air installation with HAL projected on the Lovell Telescope, the third largest steerable radio telescope in the world.

The atmosphere was buzzing and the film got a whole new meaning when being watched outside with stars and a full moon in the background. The vastness of space became more apparent and the science fair and introduction by Stanley Kubrick’s personal assistant made the experience invaluable.

Science clearly helps to appreciate films more and its influence hopefully gets more appreciated in the future.

Classic Review 2) Sean Connery, The Hunt For Red October (1990) Sean Connery is undoubtedly a talented actor, but it seems like he didn’t even try to do a Russian accent when he played a Soviet submarine captain in “The Hunt for Red October”. Even Alec Baldwin (playing an American) nailed the accent when the pair were conversing in Russian, leaving Connery’s face as red as the square in Moscow.

Photo: Paramount Pictures

1) Nicolas Cage, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (2001) Rolling his “r’s” and ending every sentence with “-ah”, Nick Cage delivers one of the most stereotypical, awful Italian accents you’ll ever experience. Who would have thought a guy whose real surname is “Coppola” can’t even do an Italian accent? Then again, it is Nicolas Cage….

Gilda

Director: Charles Vidor Starring: Rita Hayworth Glenn Ford, George Macready Released: 1946

Nadia Cheung There were a lot of films of the film noir genre which were released in the mid 1940s and this reflected a lot of attitudes during and after the Second World War. Filmed in black and white and set in Buenos Aires, Argentina just as World War Two ended, Gilda does not have the typical Hollywood narrative of equilibriumdisequilibrium-equilibrium. In fact, you could even argue that there is not even a narrative structure at all, that some events happen in the film out of nowhere, leading you to surprise or befuddlement.

This film stars Rita Hayworth as the central character of Gilda, represented through suggestion that she is the femme fatale character because she is the only female you ever really get to know at all in the film and there is no questioning as to why that is. The femme fatale in this film is represented in a different light because you feel empathy for her. This is unlike most femme fatales which you may have come across, such as Barbara Stanwyck’s character of Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity, where you do not see the struggles of the femme fatale - therefore you cannot empathise or experience any

particular emotions for the femme fatale. You become okay with the punishment of the femme fatale because she has done wrong and that is in favour of the male protagonist who has had the wrong done to. In Gilda, you empathise with her, because you see her fall victim to the character of Johnny (Glenn Ford), her love. Gilda gets punished a lot in this film, in a way which makes you truly feel sorry for her.

This is however, subjected to opinion.

What I have found most intriguing about this film is the relationship between the two central male characters, Johnny and Ballin

(George Macready) which you could somewhat ascribe to as homoerotic. Several scenes are provided with visual innuendos; hinting with the weapon which Ballin had called his “little friend”, the third person in Ballin and Johnny’s relationship when Gilda is not present - leading up Photo: Columbia Pictures to the ideas that this relationship and friendship is especially of the homoerotic kind.

You can compare the weapon to possessing similarities to the character of Gilda, who is the object of desire for both of these characters in this film.

All in all, I think this film is a must watch, there is a lot that can be read in this film and so many possible interpretations to be found viewing after viewing that it is certainly a classic. And if you haven’t seen it, well, what’s stopping you?

/MancunionFilm

Film 19

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

@mancunionfilm

Review

TV Guide

Gone Girl Alice Williams tries to find out where the hell the girl went in David Fincher’s dark new murder-thriller-psycho-drama.

Perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated book adaptations of recent cinema releases, Gone Girl, adapted from the runaway bestseller

by Gillian Flynn, was always going to be closely scrutinized by critics and cinemagoers alike.

Fortunately, David Fincher, director of The Social Network, Fight Club and Zodiac, is not a filmmaker inexperienced in tense psychological thrillers and he, along with a stellar cast, does not fail to deliver. However, simultaneously with a deliciously taut, teasing whodunnit, Fincher has also succeeded in making a film that is almost seemingly impossible to review without letting slip a few huge spoilers. However, what little I can say is positive.

This, Fincher’s 10th film, deals with the sudden and unexplained disappearance of an ostensibly perfect suburban housewife Amy ElliottDunne (played to unhinged perfection by Rosamund Pike). Suspicion is immediately cast upon her decidedly unlikeable husband, played by Ben Affleck, and as the apparent clues mount up against him, the film gives us a nuanced account of the media circus that so often surrounds disappearances. Without any prior knowledge of Fincher films such as Zodiac, Fight Club or Se7en, cinemagoers could be forgiven for assuming in the somewhat slow-moving (some might argue tension-building) first third that this will be a cut-and-dried murder mystery, in which the true colours of our protagonist Nick Dunne will be ruthlessly laid bare. However, this is not how Fincher operates, and together with Flynn’s reportedly altered script, the genius (can I say that?) of this film is most

crete knowledge afforded to the audience at all.

Gillian Flynn’s original novel plot is essentially unchanged, but in order to create that stifling sense of panic, and conviction that you are dealing with highly unhinged personalities, every loose end is tied and characters that were perhaps an over-complication (such as Desi Colling’s mother) have been neatly snipped away. The addition of an agonizingly blunt yet unsatisfactory final clash between spouses is a tantalizing addition by Flynn. As in the original book, the fact that Amy’s fate is revealed in the middle, rather than the end of the movie is an expert plot tactic that allows for the whole film to effectively reboot, introducing a flourish Photo: 20th Century Fox of new characters such as Neil Patrick Harris’ creepy portrayal of Amy’s ex-lover, and Tyler definitely in what is not said, paired with some both Perry as the indestructible lawyer. visually and verbally explosive moments.

The strength in this film is allowing the audience As we become more entangled in the present, what to make their own assumptions, correct or incorinitially seemed like the character’s straightforwardrect, about the situation and characters. Never does ly mundane past becomes ever murkier. The film Fincher place his own stamp or opinion upon the opens with Nick wondering “What are you thinking? intentions of individuals. Buried beneath a seething How are you feeling? What have we done to each pit of gender role reversal, incorrect media portrayother?” and then frustratingly spends the rest of the als and embittered spousal relations is an uncomfilm completely dodging any semblance of answers fortable portrait of the ways in which we as the huto these questions. man species treat each other that will likely leave The re-introduction of our eponymous Gone Girl many people leaving the cinema with a rising sense through chillingly worded diary entries only serves of discomfort. to add further confusion to a film that refuses to adhere to any given genre. Not quite murder mystery, perhaps even not a thriller; it revels in its inability to let the viewer settle into comfortable assumptions, and with such unreliable narrators there is little con-

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Ida

The Decline of Action Movies

James Moules says that Pawel Pawlikowski’s new film is a dark and brilliant study in self-discovery.

Identity—it is, as I believe they say, a theme as old as time itself, and it’s the theme that Pawel Pawlikowski’s latest film tackles with an earnest and somewhat successful attempt at originality. When a film’s title is also the name of its principal character, a character’s journey of self-discovery is likely going to feature heavily in the story, and, to this regard, Ida does not defy our expectations.

Set in the 1960s in Communist Poland, Ida tells the story of a young soon-to-benun who is sent to visit her sole surviving relative before taking her final vows. She soon learns that her family’s past is quite different from what she had thought—upon the discovery that she comes from a Jewish family of which most members had been killed in the war, she embarks on a journey to find their graves and bid farewell to them.

Right from the start of the picture, everything about Ida exudes a dark foreboding—we are presented with startling black-and-white imagery on a narrow aspect ratio, that, as well as serving as a gorgeous piece of cinematography, reminds us of the dark days in Poland that are portrayed in the film. With both the Holocaust and Stalinism hovering as black thunderclouds over the nation’s recent

history, it’s quite understandable that the Poland we see in Ida is one of gloom and despair, albeit a gloom and despair that the people try so well to deny.

And just as the identity of the whole of the Polish nation finds itself in dark places, so does Ida’s personal trip into her own self take her into the unknown and the frightening.

Whether you interpret her life in the nunnery as blissful isolation from the world or as a chillingly lonely existence, we’re always going to be feeling for her as her new Photo: Opus Film world threatens her innocence and everything she has believed in thus far. I think that everyone knows what it’s like to have our childlike golden perceptions of the world shattered in the face of reality and cynicism—that’s why we can all relate to Ida. Even though the film doesn’t quite manage to take hold of every opportunity to search through the mind of our character, Ida still holds up as a strong character study that gives a relatively fresh take on the self-discovery tale. I just don’t recommend you watch it if you’re looking for something cheerful—you’ll be disappointed there, I’m afraid.

IsabellaYianni says Hollywood should pump the brakes

on action films.

Action has become the least compelling film genre of the lot; by definition action movies must include dynamic sequences and a resourceful protagonist of sorts. However, more recently we witness a string of fast-paced scenes fused into a film by the inclusion of unrealistic fights and excessive explosions, then told repeatedly it is a ‘mustsee’.

The Fast and the Furious, for example, was an enjoyable film. It included the thrill of numerous racing scenes but retained an emotional authenticity that was obliterated by the fourth film and with the seventh on the way I do not have great expectations. Many action pictures are granted insanely large budgets that appear to be doing more harm than good—there is a worrying correlation emerging that begs the question: the larger the budget, the worse the film? Unwarranted explosions, brawling or special effects leave you with the feeling you have entered a false, Hollywood generated whirlwind of what they think the audience wants. The overuse of CGI has contributed to this, destroying the credibility of scenes that could have more often than not been performed to retain some authenticity.

The genre’s saving grace could be the recently rising number of heroines (The Hunger Games, Divergent). The majority of action films are led by a male, while a woman is sidelined and present only to add a romantic element to the story. Unfortunately, the problem

TV

GUIDE Following on from the boom in comicbook films recently, heroes and villains are making appearances on the smaller screen. With Arrow and Agents of Shield returning for a second series, we’re also going to see The Flash get a series and a chance to witness the rise of Commissioner Gordon in Gotham, which premieres on Channel 5 at 9pm on October 13th.

It promises to not only focus around the awesome character of Gordon but unveil the debauchery and mess of Gotham’s criminal hierarchy. For a US network drama, it’s going to be surprisingly dark and sinister and could be a very good show in its own right, perhaps more than just a Batman spinoff.

Photo: ABC

South Park has returned for its 18th season and if you’re fortunate enough to have Sky, you can watch it on Comedy Central right after Gotham finishes. South Park is certainly not what it once was and now perhaps tries to be overly satirical and topical rather than being funny and quite often it doesn’t pay off. The first episode centred around the Washington Redskins and the NFL, is something that is likely to go over most UK viewers’ heads. Although perhaps not as funny as it used to be, it is still a must watch as it can poke fun at the big issues better than any other show on TV.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

of female characters is not exclusive to the genre of action (I’ll save that rant for another time).

Remakes of perfectly good action films are leaving the genre in despair.

The past few years have witnessed premature remakes of the perfectly good Spider-man films in the form of The Amazing Spider-Man—though they generated masses they failed to deliver anything interesting or inspiring and were far from amazing. Point Break is currently being remade, though the original is greatly enjoyable and achieved a fine balance of surf culture and bank robbing action. I have no such expectations for the remake.

Action films seem to be pumped out incessantly and almost always fail to be clever. Long gone are the days of Terminator and Die Hard; we have seen it all before and are left with overly hyped generic films that lack a real plot line or any depth of emotion.

Photo: Disney

If you prefer kids’ TV shows then Disney XD’s Gravity Falls is coming back for a second series this month and episodes from the first series are on every day as well. Gravity Falls is set in a weird, scary town of the same name where twins Mabel and Dipper Pines are trying to uncover its cryptic secrets. The show is genius on so many levels and may quite possibly be the funniest show on television currently; there’s a joke around one corner and a demonic spirit behind the next one in this crazy little show.

It develops the characters beautifully and every character is so brilliantly crafted to begin with—it’s weird and it’s wonderful and just watch it.

Ben Sutton

20

Books

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Books @MancunionBooks

Editors: Leonie Dunn, Ali Pearson

Review

Azar Nafisi’s The Republic of Imagination: A Case for Fiction Nafisi invites us to join her as citizens of her ‘Republic of Imagination,’ “a country where the villains are conformity and orthodoxy and the only passport to entry is a free mind and a willingness to dream.”

Photo: RollinsCollege @Flickr

Azar Nafisi’s background is important in a reading of her third novel ‘The Republic of Imagination’; she is a woman who implores a powerful and passionate case for the huge and vital role of fiction and literature in our world today.

Nafisi is an Iranian writer and professor of English Literature, but this has not come without vast struggle. In fact Nafisi’s most renowned novel, ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books’ was

written just after her move to the United States, and it focuses on her experiences as a secular woman living and working in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

‘Reading Lolita in Tehran...’ became a rapid bestseller and was named on the New York Times Best Seller list for 117 weeks.

The power of reading remains the base of ‘The Republic of Imagination’ as Nafisi uses the same structure used in ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’: the

book consists of three main sections, ‘Huck’, ‘Babbitt’ and ‘Carson’.

Nafisi actively blends and interweaves memoirs with keen critical insights of novels that represent, to her, America’s zeitgeist.

But before Nafisi decidedly chooses to interrogate the way we see literature in our western culture she addresses us in her introduction, which works as a sort of prologue or a guiding voice to this complex and compelling work of literature.

It begins with what was a single comment at a book signing event, which for Nafisi engendered this novel. Ramin—the Iranian sceptic who is given an honorary title by Nafisi herself, acts as a ghost or a faceless man that drives this book into autopilot.

Ramin told Nafisi that Americans simply don’t care about books the way that was described in her best-selling ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran...’.

Stimulated by the challenge, Nafisi seeks to rediscover classics and their relevance to our lives.

She concludes her introduction with a note to all the ghosts or those who do not quite yet belong to her ‘Republic of Imagination’: “My hope is that they will find a home in its pages.”

To a reader of Western descent it may seem odd to have our literature typified with the likes of ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ and ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’. Nafisi uses Huckleberry Finn in a particular hope that her readers will find a home in its pages, it is used in this novel to evoke and reflect the American spirit that we are well acquainted with, one of freedom, something that fiction can very clearly evoke.

She alternates her close analysis of this book

with a memoir of her old friend who was a radical in post-revolution Iran detailing their struggle and eventual death due to cancer.

This is the most personal aspect of the book and it evokes the strongest emotions on all levels. By interweaving something that is at the heart of the American psyche with something that was at the heart of Nafisi’s struggle, as both an Iranian and a human allows us to see the duplicity of this artfully written novel.

It acts as a pleasant reminder that there is and always will be a cultural history that we can all share, whether it be through works of fiction or not.

What evidently worked for ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran...’ has again worked for ‘The Republic of Imagination’. Nafisi captures why this book is a case for fiction by highlighting just how literature should have as much impact on states like America as it did in Tehran.

She warns of the dangers of ignoring the rights and freedoms we have and despairs over the closure of libraries and book stores alike. To Nafisi, novels are powerful, and her ‘Republic of Imagination’ acts as a proposition for her readers to let go of their inhibitions and dream. This book, much like Nafisi’s other works, is not supposed to simply be read, but moreover to be digested and discussed. It is a movement, not simply a statement.

Books Editor Leonie Dunn

News

Top 5

Top 5 novels on mental health

Books Editor Leonie Dunn picks the top 5 most iconic novels that focus and reflect on Mental Health and its awareness throughout time.

supposed as Plath’s descent into clinical depression. This novel shows how Esther, the protagonist, feels alienated by her depression. However, while Esther finds her eventual recovery, the same cannot be said for Plath, who not long after the Bell Jar’s publication took her own life.

This Week in Literature

Alister Pearson returns to 1957 when legendary absurdist Albert Camus won the prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature

3. Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf One of Woolf’s best known novels, Mrs Dalloway follows a day in the life of its protagonist Clarissa Dalloway. While Woolf was herself a sufferer of manic depression, she uses Mrs Dalloway as a stage through her character Septimus; Septimus is Woolf’s way of actively and loudly critiquing the way in which mental health sufferers are both clinically and culturally treated.

4. The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger While the novel’s protagonist Holden Caulfield has become an icon for teenage rebellion, Caulfield can actually be widely read as a sufferer of post-traumatic stress disorder. Salinger’s captivating prose focuses on how the effect of Caulfield’s this misunderstood condition leads to his own alienation and anti-social behaviour.

5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Photo: loopoboy2.0 @Flickr

1. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey Set in a psychiatric hospital, the narrative serves as a study of the human mind and the effect of institutional processes used at the time. Kesey used his novel to interrogate the stigma that to this day still surrounds mental health, in particular

the procedures that were inflicted on sufferers at the time of its publication.

2. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath The Bell Jar is a semi-autobiographical novel by the acclaimed Sylvia Plath. It draws on a mirroring of the protagonists descent into mental illness with what was

This novel follows the protagonist Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy who describes himself as “a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties.” It is suggested throughout the book that Boone has a form of highfunctioning autism, or perhaps Asperger’s Syndrome. However, Boone’s autism allows the reader to see the world in a surprising and revealing way—is this Haddon’s way of suggesting that we should no longer immediately categorise mental health sufferers?

Photo: JulianCerventes @Flickr

On this week in 1957, Albert Camus was awarded the prestigious Nobel Prize for Literature “for his important literary production, which with clearsighted earnestness illuminates the problems of the human conscience in our times.” Upon accepting the award in Stockholm, he made sure to acknowledge those to “all those who, sharing in the same fight, [who] have not received any privilege, but have on the contrary known misery and persecution.” Camus was one of the key writers working for an underground magazine, Combat, in Paris during its occupation by the Germans in the Second World War and so rightly felt a degree of guilt that he was the one receiving the recognition for his bravery to prolong the freedom of literature when many others aided the fight with him and suffered much more.

But with his degree of guilt came a degree of pride and gratitude at the same time as Camus recognised his own privilege of being able to fulfil his writing

potential in a more liberal climate after a long history of repression. Reflecting on the horrors of his century he said: “For more than twenty years of an insane history, hopelessly lost like all the men of my generation in the convulsions of time, I have been supported by one thing: by the hidden feeling that to write today was an honour.”

The decision for Camus to be awarded the prize was not without controversy.

Although he never directly criticised the Algerian absurdist for it, Jean-Paul Sartre felt that the writer must always turn down such awards as he should “refuse to let himself be transformed into an institution, even if this occurs under the most honourable circumstances, as in the present case.” There is speculation that Sartre was jealous that Camus was offered the award seven years earlier than the French existentialist but no substantiated evidence supports it.

A more in depth biography of Camus’ life by Aidan Gregory is on The Mancunion website.

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08/10/2014

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East African Playgrounds Info Meeting Tuesday 14 October 5pm, Room 8, Students’ Union

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Build a Playground in Uganda volunteer@eastafricanplaygrounds.org

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Food & Drink

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Ellie Gibbs, Adam Fearn

Review: Fuzion

Ben Walker shares his experience of Fallowfield’s Fuzion.

There are some certainties in one’s life, things you go to on a regular basis that make you happy. It might be a big old cable knit jumper, or a TV series seductive in its intrigue and intricacy, but I cannot eat my Ralph Lauren or The Wire box set. So, to maintain standards, change out of the pull over, pause the Baltimore wire-tapping action, and why not go and try one of the finest pan-Asian eateries around?

My culinary happy place, my gastronomic goto, is Fallowfield’s Fuzion.

Rows of benches, neatly folded napkins, and regimentally parallel chop sticks reside in a warmly lit space situated in front of an open kitchen. The space works; it is clean and neat, reflecting the ethos of the food. So, now seated, let me play Sherpa through these pan Asian street food delights.

Being in student ville, the old chestnut of “just some tap water please” is a well-worn adage. Their satisfying green tea, however, served in quaint ceramic beakers, is offered with free refills. Also recently on the drinks menu has appeared a Hitachino Nest range of beers, which are quite something and are still only breaking through in some of the more specialised stockists in the UK market. Along with drinks, we like to punt for some Thai spicy prawn crackers with sweet chilli, or maybe wasabi peas, powerful with their horseradish kick, bringing the taste buds alive; a mere taster of what’s to come.

Nibbles with drinks are a good call because the menu will require some scrutiny. It is not short, and I doff my sedge hat to the waiting staff who have it down cold. The miso soup is a good way to kick things off. It arrives swiftly and its intense umami heft with fresh

spring onions and tofu create a concoction guaranteed to beat any one or a combination of the following: the rain, the cold, a cold, a hangover. The big Chinese soup spoons allow for great reservoirs of miso to be scoffed, whilst the chopsticks slow the pace of eating, which fortunately extends the duration of eating—but you can of course risk being judged and ask for western cutlery.

I try and choose things I haven’t previously had, but I do have a couple of favourites—the fall backs—the cable knit of dishes. Firstly, the Thai green chicken curry with boiled rice is a bowl resplendent with fresh vegetables, chunky succulent pieces of chicken and a rich, creamy, flavoursome sauce. Too often in panAsian high-street joints the sauce and meat are mere garnishes to a Himalayan rice mound, but here everything is correctly proportioned for our greedy western appetites. On this particular occasion my dinner companion opted for the Mee Goreng, a dry aromatic and spicy Indonesia dish, with chicken, char sui, and shrimp, served with the skinny rice noodle vermicelli (Nasi Goreng is served with rice).

This is a really well-crafted dish that offers a balance of flavours and textures. Having originated from the Chinese Chow mein, the Goreng is a triumph of pan-Asian food culture.

Now, if all this deliciousness wasn’t enough, there is the whole issue of sides. This is a serious issue, because they are seriously good.

The left hand column of the menu, top to bottom, lists all the savoury goodness one can imagine. We chose two for the table. The prawn toast, which is deep and sesame seeded, gives a crunch before the rich soft prawn-ful filling hits the palate and comes with a sweet and spicy

Drink Recipe: Blackberry Mojito

chilli sauce for dipping. The salt and pepper squid is simply a super-charged calamari. Not rings, but great hunks of squid are encrusted in a wonderfully crisp and seasoned batter; there is always the inevitable squabble over who gets the last bit—no room for gentlemanly courtesy here—and with a swift jab of my chop stick the last morsel is mine.

So let us recap. Crackers, soup, a big rice dish, two halves of two side dishes and three flasks of tea is a whole lot of food for a big eater like me. We are in ‘truly stuffed’ territory and after splitting a bill of under forty quid, which includes a tip, we can now and will continue to waddle home thoroughly satisfied and content with Fuzion.

Furthermore, if the refuge of home on a

dreary Sunday evening is just too cosy to leave for too long, phone ahead and order take out, so you can keep on your house clothes, push on to the second series, and eat with a fork.

Where to find it: 264, Wilmslow Road Fallowfield Manchester M14 6JR (in the heart of Fallowfield) 0161 248 6688 http://www.fuzionnoodlebar.co.uk/

Photo: Fuzion Noodle Bar

Feature: Pub of the Week

Claire Cottis shows us how to mix up our very own sea- Sam Joyce & Charlie Filmer-Court review sonal cocktail.

East Didsbury’s The Dog and Partridge - a quaint pub with a fantastic atmosphere.

We are often being told that the smartest way to food shop is to go local and seasonal. With blackberries being in season during autumn, why not try a fruity twist on a cocktail classic this October?

Some supermarkets will try and charge you a bomb for nothing more than a handful of these berries, so scope out the frozen section of Lidl or some of the Indian supermarkets for a cheaper option.

The Dog and Partridge is our idea of everything that a perfect pub should be.

So similar is it to a countryside tavern that you might believe East Didsbury was actually a village (if it wasn’t for the magic buses whizzing past the window!).

A far cry from Koh Tao, its dark wooden panelling and cosy atmosphere make it an ideal place to settle in for six or seven pints on a Sunday. The place is known for its pies and deli boards, whilst for the skint they keep a big barrel of free nuts in the corner. The clincher for us is a colossal pile of board games next to the quiz machine, perfect for those who like to Scrabble whilst they drink their pint.

Drinks: Amstel and Timothy Taylor Landlord on tap, plus a constantly changing selection of guest ales, currently (Silver Owl Pale Ale and Tribute). Cheapest pint - Adnams Southwold bitter at £2.55.

What’s on: Quiz night on a Monday with £100 cash prize, regular live sports, with live music on selected nights.

Getting there: 142 towards East Didsbury or 10 minute cycle down Wilmslow Road.

Ingredients per glass: Half a lime, cut into wedges 5/6 mint leaves 1 and ½ tablespoons of sugar 5 blackberries 1 shot of white rum (or vodka) Sparkling water Ice Method: Firstly, fill a sandwich bag with ice cubes, seal and bash with a rolling pin until all the contents is crushed. Next, in a tall glass, mix the lime wedges, mint, sugar and blackberries with a wooden spoon until the sugar is no longer visible. Add a handful of the crushed ice and pour over a shot of rum or vodka. Finally, top with sparkling water and give it a stir – you could even add a whole sprig of mint and a few extra berries for garnish to impress your housemates. Or if you really want to go all-out, invest in a pack of cocktail umbrellas and novelty straws!

Photo: The Mancunion

665-667 Wilmslow Rd, Manchester M20 6RA 0161 445 5322 https://www.facebook.com/thedogand partridgedidsbury

Photo: Dog and Partridge

If you fancy your hand at food and drink journalism, whether it be interviews, recipes, reviews, or some interesting culinary anecdotes, email us at food.mancunion@outlook.com or get in touch via Facebook.

ISSUE 05/ 13TH OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/TheMancunion: Food & Drink @MancunionFood

Food & Drink 23

Review: Pieminister Review

Ellie Gibbs Food Editor The enticing billboard outside presents pastryencased deliciousness with minty mushy peas, cripsy shallots, thick gravy and grated cheese, all sitting atop a bed of creamy mash for the humble price of £7.95 (bonus: I later found out about the 10% student discount). We went in, and discovered that this wonderful combination is known as ‘The Mothership’, and is available as an upgrade with any single pie, of which flavours range from classic steak & ale (‘moo’) to the more adventurous red wine venison & puy lentil (‘deerstalker’).

As the pies are made fresh in store they are displayed temptingly in a glass window at the counter, which acts as a kind of bar cross openkitchen, where you can tentatively watch staff compile plates of food in excited hope that the next one is yours. Service is quick and efficient due to the ready-made pies and open-plan layout: the Mothership is stacked, warmed and delivered with a mouthwatering personal gravy boat for you to drown your meal in. They’ve really captured the spirit of Northern tastebuds here, but that by no means implies that other regions will be complaining.

Naturally, I went for the meal deal and enjoyed my succulent beef ‘moo’ with all the trimmings, the mixture of crunch from the onions and softness of the mash combined to make the perfect forkful. My companion opted for the ‘funghi chicken’ and we both agreed that our allbutter shortcrust cases and suet lids deserved the award winning titles they hold.

Their concept is simple without being dull, Pieminister have perfected each element of their food to make sure that your meal hits the spot every time, and their broad range of pies means that it can be a place to revisit frequently even if you are an eater who likes change. Vegetarians and dieters are also safe: options such as the ‘wildshroom’ and lower-calorie ‘light as feta’ earn their place on the menu without any compromise on taste. For me, Pieminister’s main attraction is that the pies are individually encased in shortcrust rather than being dished out from a tray topped with one sheet of puff-pastry; having your own personal pie makes it that bit more special.

This is one to visit day or night, as a purposeful selection of craft beers and ciders are available to complement the pies. Other dishes are on the menu such as Soup of the Day and Home made scotch egg, but really you should head here for

Recipes

Shakshuka

Geography student Josie Harrington shows us cooking from around the world with this authentic African dish.

Great for a cheap, healthy, warming, vegetarian dinner. Shakshuka is a traditional north African dish, topped with gooey poached eggs and served with lots of chunky bread-bliss..

Serves 4 Ingredients: ½ tsp cumin seeds oil 2 sliced onions 4 in total cut into strips red and yellow peppers 4 tbsp sugar 2 bay leaves 2 tbsp, plus extra to garnish chopped coriander tin of chopped tomatoes a pinch cayenne pepper 4 eggs

Method: In a large pan (which needs a fitting lid!) dryroast the cumin seeds on a high heat for 2 minutes. Add a generous glug of oil and gently fry the onions 5 minutes. Add the peppers, sugar, bay leaves, coriander and continue cooking on a high heat for 5-10 minutes to get a nice colour. Now add the tomatoes, cayenne and some salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. During the cooking, keep adding small amounts water so that the mix has a passata consistency. Now make four little egg size gaps in the mixture, carefully crack the egg in each of the gaps and cook with the lid on a very gentle heat for 10 minutes or until the eggs are set. Sprinkle the the remaining coriander and serve.

one thing. So, if you’re feeling ropey, hungry or in the mood for some classic Manchester cuisine, head to the Northern Quarter for a hot and wholesome pie.

Open Monday-Saturday 11am -10pm Sunday 12pm - 5pm 53 Church Street, Manchester M4 1PD http://www.pieminister.co.uk/restaurants/ northern-quarter/

Eaten anywhere nice recently? Created something delicious? We want to know!

Tell us about it at food.mancunion@outlook.com

Photo: The Mancunion

Healthy on a budget: 5 costfriendly pasta recipes.

Ellie Gibbs Food Editor Although sometimes pasta gets viewed as an ‘unhealthy’ option due to its high carb content, it’s actually a great choice two or three times a week as part of a balanced diet. Brown dried pasta is widely available these days and will only cost you around £1 per bag - about 5 meals worth.

Here are some interchangeable recipes for you to use with your packet. Cook pasta according to instructions (normally for wholewheat it’s about 17 minutes on a constant boil) and mix with the following toppings, delicious hot or cold: 1. Pesto.

The simplest, and possibly one of the most delicious. A jar will cost you around £1 and last for about 4 servings, it’s a flavour enhancer so try it out on a toasted sandwich with mozzarella, basil and tomato. With the pasta, simply mix about a tablespoon through the meal. Ideas: add toasted pine nuts/grated mozzarella/make your own pesto!

or cheese of choice.

5. Sausage & tomato.

Sausages are really cheap, and you can easily up the quality of this dish by spending a little more money on the meat. If you treat yourself, you’ll notice the difference. Cut uncooked sausages into meatballs and fry in oil with chopped onion, when browned and almost done add half a tin of chopped tomatoes per person. Add basil, salt, tabasco, a drop of balsamic vinegar and a spoonful of sugar. Reduce and pour over pasta shape of choice. Extra: place in oven-safe dish and top with mozzarella, grill until melted and cheesy.

Have any fail-safe pasta staples of your own?

Share with us in the comments on our website!

2.Roasted veg.

Chop vegetables such as red onion, red pepper & cherry tomatoes and roast sprinkled with a little olive oil and salt for 25mins in a 200° oven. Stir into pasta along with the cooked juices. Extras: aubergine, courgette and mushroom also work well. Think Mediterranean.

3.Butternut squash, bacon & feta.

This works best with spaghetti. Dice your squash, drizzle with oil and roast for 30 mins in a 200 oven. Grill and cut bacon into small pieces, mix everything into pasta bowl and crumble feta over the top.

Photo: The Mancunion

4.Garlic-herb pasta.

SO simple and so sophisticated! For one: in a saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter, add 1 clove chopped garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes until it has begun to soften. Add cooked pasta to the pot and sprinkle in a pinch of basil, salt & black pepper. Transfer to a bowl, add fresh chopped parsley or basil and top with grated Parmesan

Photo: The Mancunion

24

Arts & Culture

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM /TheMancunionArtsCulture @ArtsMancunion

Editor: Holly Smith Feature

Should we ban cadmium?

The EU is considering whether the cadmium pigment is paints is to be banned. But what is it and why is it so bad?

Photo: Ma Jose O. @Flickr

From the fiery orange of Dali’s clocks to the deep red of Monet’s water lilies, the cadmium pigment has been used for hundreds of years to create the masterpieces which we know so well today. However, things are about to change as the EU considers banning the pigment after studies show that it can be potentially toxic if inhaled. But what will this mean for artists today?

Cadmium, a soft bluish-white metal, was discovered in 1817 by Friedrich Stromeyer and Karl Samuel Leberecht Hermann in Germany. The cadmium pigment is very often used in oil colours, adding life and vibrancy to red and yellow colours. It has been used by many famous artists since it was discovered, with Claude Monet being particularly associated with using the pigment in almost all of his masterpiece

Competition

works. He believed that in using cadmium, the colours would not only brighten his work, but they would also last longer.

However, whether the pigment does preserve is still debateable. In theory it should maintain its colour for more than 100 years but the fading cadmium used in Van Gogh’s Sunflowers has recently been noticed.

Sweden called for the ban, The Art Newspaper revealed, over fears that when artists wash their brushes in the sink, the pigment enters the main water system and this in turn enters the sewage network. After being spread on agricultural land, it eventually may enter the food chain and cause problems for our health. Animal studies have shown that if eaten, cadmium can be potentially toxic and a carcinogen,

a factor that has swayed many votes to ban the substance.

However, many artists have signed petitions against the ban, due to the pigments being indispensable. Banning cadmium would cause a serious reduction to an artist’s pallet—arguably it could see a bigger change than the lead ban a few years ago. The only alternatives are ‘cadmium hues’, an organic substitute; however they lack the vibrancy of the real pigment. Artists worry that a world without the pigment will get a lot a duller if the ban takes place.

What do you think? Contact mancunion. arts@gmail.com to have your say.

By Holly Smith

What’s on

Photograph Of The Week

Doyou have a photo that you want to share? Each week we will print a different photograph. Don’t worry if you’re only an amateur, we want to see what you can capture.

Exhibition

What’s On In The City This Month?

The Sensory War 1914 – 2014 @ Manchester Art Gallery

Opens Saturday 11th October This major group exhibition marking the Centenary of the First World War explores how artists have communicated the impact of military conflict on the body, mind, environment and human senses between 1914 and 2014.

Bernhard Schobinger: The Rings of Saturn @ Manchester Art Gallery

Closes Sunday 19th October Recognized as a key figure of avant-garde contemporary jewellery, Bernhard Schobinger’s subversive approach to making spans more than 40 years and has earned him a reputation for rebellious innovation. His work skilfully transforms discovered objects into pieces that allude to past and present, precious and leftover.

Cornerhouse Projects: How to Build a Body Without Organs @ Cornerhouse

Opens Thursday 16th October What’s in a body? We might say organs and bones, but French philosopher Deleuze rejects this answer. His theory Body Without Organs suggests that the body isn’t merely about the parts that make it work, but the fulfilment of potential to create something whole. In this selection of works, artists have reflected upon the process of clothing the body, emphasizing the role of dress in creating the whole ‘self’, or building a ‘body without organs.

Photo: Man Alive! @Flickr

This Photograph is from Leonie Dunn, a second year English Literature student, and Books Editor of The Mancunion.

If you would like to enter Photo Of The Week, email us your photographs at mancunion.arts@gmail.com

Interested in Journalism, art or just want experience writing for a newspaper? This will look great on your CV and also be valuble experience if you want to get into a career in media. Email mancunion.arts@gmail.com or find us on Facebook!

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2015 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

/mancuniontheatre @themanctheatre

Theatre 25

Preview

What’s On

Nicole Tamer

Three cheers for Festivals

13 October – 20 October

From magic shows to poetry slams, there’s more than Oktoberfest

Best of BE Festival Fr 17th - Sa 18th October, HOME £15 / £13

Juke Box Baby Fr 16th – Sa 18th October, Salford Arts Theatre £8 / £6.50 Jimmie Rose is destined for a life spent packing boxes, heading nowhere fast he spends his days keeping his kid brother Bobby out of trouble. When Bobby’s about to lose all hope of a baseball scholarship that could be his ticket out of Brooklyn; Jimmie does him a kindness that will change both of their lives forever. Against the easy backdrop of 1950s New York - Juke Box Baby explores those defining moments of self-discovery that every once young hopeful can relate to.

Photo: HOME

Photo: Show 6

Three theatre venues decided to showcase several festival and repertory theatre performances this month. Salford Arts Theatre prepared an ambitious project in partnership with 1956 Theatre; one cast will perform four plays over four weeks in one venue. This is the first time this has been done on the Fringe Theatre scene in Manchester and has been a very challenging experience for the cast and crew so far.

The rep season will start with Little Women, a stage adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s literary classic and continues with the titles Juke Box Baby, The Lodger, a physical com-

Allie Liu, Mr E

Amsterdam

The one-woman show at Contact Theatre

9th Oct – 11th Nov, Octagon Theatre Bolton £9 Continuing the Octagon’s commemoration of the anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War, Early One Morning tells the true story of 26-year-old soldier James Smith from Bolton., who for three years has been fighting in some of the fiercest battles of the First World War. He has been wounded, received two Good Conduct Medals, and been promoted. He is now on trial for his life.

Mon 20th October, 7pm £10 / £8, all proceeds go to the charity A night of comedy hosted by Imran Yusuf, who took the UK comedy scene by storm after his debut in 2010. Joining him will be Mick Ferry, having appeared in Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow and Comedy Central’s Comedy Store, with his fine brand of ‘lugubrious surrealism’. Comedy Network headliner Rob Rouse, whilst the internationally acclaimed Malawian, Daliso Chaponda will bring his stage presence that has consistently tickled the international stage. Jo Enright forms the final part as one of the UK’s finest comediennes.

already promise non-conventional performances: A Series of Increasingly Impossible Acts, Chamber Piece, Glitterland and Show 6 These promising and innovative performances will certainly bring fresh air into the currently musical and Shakespeare heavy theatre scene. It will be especially intriguing for students because of the affordable prices, the Royal Exchange Theatre and Salford Arts Theatre both offer season tickets, and it might be fascinating to get an insight into studio productions that various venues offer.

Bring an open mind and friends!

Review

Early One Morning

Standup4GamesAid, The Comedy Store

Photo: Theatre 1956

edy adaptation of Hitchcock’s classic silent thriller and Wolf.

HOME will delight the audience with the best of Birmingham European festival, which is Birmingham’s festival of international theatre with the front lines of Europe’s theatre scene. Later this month, The Events, a play that was voted the Best Play of 2013 by critics in The Guardian, will come to Manchester’s new HOME at First Street with a local choir.

Royal Exchange Theatre is joining in with four performances titled as ‘Secret Theatre Festival’ with artists from the Lyric Hammersmith and the Edinburgh Festival. The titles

Photo: Contact Theatre

Colanders, mini light-sabres and slanted furniture give an interesting aesthetic to Chanje Kunda’s new play Amsterdam, which mixes drama with performance poetry and art. We were fortunate enough to watch the play’s world premiere on Friday 3rd October in the intimate space of the Contact Theatre– and it certainly didn’t disappoint! As

we follow Chanje through a year of her life, we experience her first trips to Amsterdam, which lead to a new relationship and causes her to re-evaluate the way she looks at her life in Manchester.

Chanje is a very likeable performer and despite at times the play becoming bogged down in metaphors, especially towards the end, she is an inclusive en-

tertainer and the piece has a conspiratorial tone. The overtly comedic sections present a very warm and familiar setting – as if we were gossiping with a friend.

The crowd responded with laughter throughout the play, raucously so at the use of a megaphone to evoke the voices of friends and family; and the subversion of conventional terms used for emails into tongue-incheek flirtation.

This symbolism of material goods to express something more intangible is used throughout the play and it begins with freedom being poetically described as “your own roof” and other household appliances.

The link between the product and experience remains strong, with Chanje coupling the excitement of her new life - and man - in Amsterdam with luxury apartments and fast cars. The doomed nature of the relationship probably hints more closely at her real views on the connection between commodities and

Sir Ben Kingsley Another Sir please! He won an Oscar for his role in Ghandi, but performed straight afterwards at the Royal Exchange Theatre. He was brought up in Pendlebury and went to Manchester Grammar School and then studied at the University of Salford. “Thanks to Salford Players, where I stayed a year and learnt my craft, I got my first job in professional theatre working in theatrein-round so when eventually I came to the Exchange I felt quite comfortable.”

He also appeared in Coronation Street before starring in movies such as Schindler’s List and Shutter Island.

Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock’s groan and Smaug’s growls were probably practised by reacting to the unpredictable weather up here. Although he didn’t grow up in Manchester, he studied Drama for three years at the University of Manchester after volunteering as a teacher in Asia. He wrote a 30’000 word dissertation about Kubrick in his final year. Apart from studying, he apparently had a blast at the University and enjoyed girls, drinking, clubbing and pills. “I got very ill in my first year. I had to calm down a bit. It was my body going, ‘What the fuck?’”, he told GQ in an interview. What a Fresher!

Nicole Tamer

Photo: Emma Marie @Flickr

Photo: Gage Skidmore @Flickr

Sir Ian McKellen His film and stage credit list seems endless and he played cult roles such as Gandalf and Magneto. Who would have thought that he has lived just a stone’s throw away from us? He was born in Burnley in 1939 and later moved to Wigan and then Bolton. He emphasised the importance of a local repertory theatre and thinks the art of good performing has died out because of the lack of regional reps. He argues that actors today won’t have the same experience on stage because they go straight into television or film roles. He would welcome October’s rep programme then.

Photo: sbclick @Flickr

Photo: Monkey Magic @Flickr

Top 5 Actors who have lived or studied in Greater Manchester

happiness, short-term gratification and long-term contentment.

This is epitomised in the play’s denouement with a second performance of a poem about her son – which also features a recording of her son reciting along with her. It focuses on her son’s love of the rain and, as such, represents a return to, and realisation of, Chanje’s maternal responsibilities. Through the return to a love that is based on natural closeness rather than the enticements of luxury shows the hollowness of her love in Amsterdam and the pureness of that for her son.

Chanje exceeds all expectations as a one-woman performer; her ability to embody several characters (somewhat stereotypically) is both humorous and believable. Having no one else on stage to bounce off of or prompt makes the fluidity of her rhythm and rhyme all the more impressive.

Christopher Eccleston Known as the 9th Doctor, he brought the 50 year old cult series back to life in 2005. He stopped after the first season in fear of being typecast. He was born in Salford and did a two-year Performance Foundation Course at Salford Tech.

He has performed at the Lowry and Salford’s Pendleton College named their new 260-seat theatre the “Eccleston Theatre”. Theatre history right at our doorstep.

You can see him and Maxine Peak at the Working Class Movement Library on the 23rd of November.

Photo: LizMurray @Flickr

Four highlights from this year’s BE (Birmingham European) Festival will be showcased together in an eclectic evening of theatre, dance and performance. It features four distinctive productions per performance: From The Waltz to the Mambo by Radioballet, a straightforward, funny, and personal meeting of a vintage text and a contemporary performance from Hungarian dance artist Milán Újvári; Beating McEnroe, a performance by Jamie Wood (UK) about being a younger brother and a bad loser ending with the final point of an epic Wimbledon final; Loops & Breaks by Austrian improviser Julia Schwarzbach, in which the artist invites the audience to make the action by responding to a series of instructions prepared specially for the crowd; and Waiting by Mokhallad Rasem, in which different worlds clash through traces of dance, performance and film.

Jack Whitehall “Every major stage of my career has happened in Manchester”. From his accent, it is clear that he is not originally from the region, but he dropped out of his History of Art degree at the University of Manchester. He lived in the Tower at Fallowfield Campus and preferred drinking Jagermeister while doing the notorious Tower Challenge, but passed out at number ten and was dragged out.

He’s currently also playing a Manchester student in the successful TV series Fresh Meat. He fondly remembers running student comedy nights and generally really seems to like coming back.

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Lifestyle

ISSUE 05/ 13 OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editor: Robert Firth

Health and Fitness

Manchester student putting the social in health and fitness Robert Firth takes a look at ‘Magna Life’, a health and fitness business co-founded by a final year University of Manchester student.

Do you want to stay fit in winter but find that you don’t have the motivation or money to follow a fitness plan? A Manchester student may have just created the solution for you. Adam Barker, a final year Business Management student at the university has co-founded Magna Life, a fitness business which aims to make expert fitness and nutrition plans affordable for a student market.

Founded earlier this year by Adam and his friend Sean, the idea for the business grew out of a mutual interest in health and fitness, and a desire to bridge the gap between personal trainers’ often expensive fitness plans and a health conscious student market unable to afford them. Magna Life already uses a range of social media platforms to connect users and fitness experts including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The ultimate aim is the development of an app (presently in the prototype stage) to connect users and experts.

The business has already caught the attention of many fitness experts such as personal trainer Nathan Nelson who has said, “This tool has the ability to transform my business; I’m able to easily communicate with my clients and send them plans. This can be a real game changer for the whole industry.” The app will allow personal trainers to sell their fitness plans on to users who download the app for a controlled price. For use of this service, these fitness experts pay a monthly fee to Magna Life. These so called ‘expert’ users can then keep in contact with their clients through messages and setting individual plans and goals for them to reach. The idea is that the social aspect of the app should make it harder for users to lose the motivation to stick to plans,

which is often a problem when people try to follow online health plans.

Besides completing his studies and getting the app developed, Adam is keeping his sights focused on the progression of the business and is keen to get Magna Life involved in wearable technologies such as the Apple Watch and Google Glasses.

Ultimately, he wants Magna Life to expand to the US market, but he is prudent, admitting “it might take us a few years to establish ourselves.” In the meantime he is looking for Magna Life to expand university-wide across the UK and is hoping to host events on various campuses to promote the app.

Since the business was only established less than six months ago, it is amazing how rapidly it has developed. Adam seems to be permanently on the move (when I spoke to him he was on the way to pitch for investment) and he has got a Kickstarter for Magna Life under way soon—in return for peoples’ donations, there’ll be a range of rewards available including prototype of products and merchandise. The market for fitness products is a growing one and the future of Magna Life is looking healthy and nourishing.

Like the look of the Magna Life?

For more info: www.themagnalife.com Facebook.com/themagnalife Twitter : @TheMagnaLife Instagram:: @TheMagnaLife

Photo: Scott Cleveland

Photo: James Lord @Flickr

Photo: esPos.de (Flickr)

Rant

Bus Ranters!

They’re too cold, too warm, too dirty, too crowded and never turn up! We can only be talking about Manchester’s many peasant wagons. Robert Firth has a rant about his least favourite part of Manchester student life.

Like Lifestyle? Want to write for us?

Share your ideas with us: mancunion.life@gmail.com

When I got on a bus last week, I didn’t expect to have been punched in the back of the head by the time I got off. Whilst hopefully most peoples’ bus journeys are not quite that bad, let us lament the lowest common denominator of transport.

One freezing early morning months back, waiting for a peasant wagon to whisk us to our duvets a friend remarked, “Where are the buses? I thought they were meant to be magic.” But of course they are: buses solely have the magical ability to vanish without explanation, for three to appear at random, or to zoom past stops blind to the people needing to get off and on. When will the next train I take to Liverpool just decide to skip Liverpool Lime Street for a change? I’ll take it from

Not so magical buses.

Photo: Martin Arrand @Flickr

Photo: NBC Studios

platform 9 ¾ next time.

Something I used to wonder why the buses are nearly always universally upholstered in bingo carpet?

Until I sat down one day on the only free space on the bus and all the other ‘bus wankers’ looked at me in a horrified way, because crazy patterns conceal curry. Tikka masala washed denim is even worse than bingo hall flooring.

And what about the “free WiFi” which never works? But at least it’s ‘free’ of sorts unlike the other, lavender-coloured buses which naturally take up the whole of Oxford Road like a monstrous Barney the purple dinosaur on wheels.

At least the Barney buses can’t make your communte awkward, unlike every person you kind of once knew, spoke to when you

were off your face at Pangaea, or drunkenly snogged one night in Fifth, who happen to keep appearing next to the only free seat. Or there are all those people you don’t know, giving you death stares when you fall up the stairs, or when you’re on a walk of shame with your non-reusable plastic bags full of shopping.

Who to sit next to? Who to sit next to? The man you choose Instagram taking up oneSite: seat and three quarters with his painfully wide-open legs, you perch on the edge and your tin of Photo: Lauren chopped tomatoes roll to the LoPrete front of the bus.

That’s £205 for you. That’s £2 there and back each day.

So that’s bus life for you: I’m having a wild ride.

ISSUE 05/ 13 OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Lifestyle

/TheMancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife

Advice

Top tips for living harmoniously with the opposite sex Just moved in with the opposite sex? Kitty Treverton Jones has some advice to avoid arguments.

When I asked the boys I live with to share their advice for living with girls, they mostly just used it as a chance to complain. Partly about too much information regarding periods, but mostly about hair. It will forever be a mystery why as a combined entity on your head, hair is completely acceptable, yet when a singular strand escapes from the rest it becomes the most disgusting thing in the world. And they never let you forget it.

If you thought that moving in with girls would mean it would be like being back at home, having your mum there to magically stack the dishwasher and hoover the living room, I expect you had a bit of a shock. “Don’t be fooled into thinking girls are cleaner than boys. It’s a myth. And don’t expect them to take the bins out, either,” advises Phil, a Pharmacy student in his third year of living with girls.

Living with boys definitely takes some getting used to. A lot of farting, burping and a massive overuse of the word “fit.” Baking always goes down especially well if you want to put them in a good mood and ask them politely not to play FIFA. Of course, not all boys play FIFA. But if you are living with those that do, there are some ways to make things a bit more

bearable. Compromise is crucial. Let them play a couple of games, and then later on they’ll let you watch the Great British Bake Off. If your kitchen is dirty and your bedroom is cold and you just want to stay with your cup of tea in the living room without being bored to death, suggest that they mute it while you play some music. I don’t recommend constantly telling them how boring a game it is. They aren’t going to stop playing just because you think it’s duller than watching paint dry.

Boys often make out that they hate things like chick flicks, but living with girls is a chance for them to indulge in their secret guilty pleasures, such as watching Pretty Woman, The O.C. or doing the relationship quizzes in Cosmopolitan. A piece of advice for both guys and girls is to make the most of having someone of the opposite sex on hand when you have relationship problems or need help understanding why he/she hasn’t texted you back.

However, the biggest piece of advice I would give is to enjoy it! When else in your life are you going to live with your friends, just streets away from all your other friends?

Photo: Voxphoto @Flickr

Opinion

Switch Off Social Media!

Now we’ve left our teenage years, is it time to stop fretting about how many Facebook likes we have? Charlotte Wheatcroft thinks so Social media is now a billion-pound industry and we almost see it as indispensable in our daily lives. It’s now on your phone, your tablet and your laptop— there’s no escape. Someone who doesn’t utilise one on the three major social networking sites—Facebook, Twitter and Instagram—is not only a rarity but seen as unusual, an oddity even.

However, social media gives us the dangerous ability to create a fake persona for ourselves: you can construct your own social image, a better, ideal you, probably quite unlike the real you.

Simply look to the recent story of Zilla, the Dutch student who faked an entire five week trip to Asia through the use of Photoshop. She quotes, ‘’my goal was to prove how common and easy it is to distort reality’.’ Through social media, you cannot ever get a true picture of a person; Not -so-social media Photo: melenita @Flickr Photo: Forest Service Northern Region (Flickr)

they can hide behind the screen and make you believe what they want you to. You can construct your own identity and your own reality.

Using social media promotes insecurity; you do not look at who a person is but who they appear to be.

This insecurity is especially predominant in relationships: ‘likes’ and photos can completely be taken out of context and insecurities arise causing rifts between people.

Their relationship status has more likes than mine, therefore their relationship is superior. This correlation between likes and success is dangerous.

Stop comparing yourself to the seemingly exotic lifestyles of your peers. Just because you don’t have holiday pictures online doesn’t mean you never went on holiday. Just because your relationship isn’t ‘Facebook official’ doesn’t mean you’re

not in one. You don’t need evidence of your experiences.

Your experiences shine through you (the real you that is) by the way you talk, or see the world, by the conversations you hold and the friends you keep. Social media has diminished the value of communication. Stop hiding behind social media and go out and talk to people again, make the effort to meet them and see who is really worthwhile of your time.

Stop judging someone’s worth by their Facebook likes, retweets and Instagram loves. Who knows what lurks behind a computer screen?

So have a go, switch off social media—see if you like it more. We’re a generation that has grown up on social media and maybe now we’re effectively adults, maybe it’s time to turn the clocks back?

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9-16 OCTober NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED, MANIFESTOS ARE LIVE, YOU CAN NOW VOTE FOR YOUR JCR OR RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE!

YOU CAN LOOK AT ALL MANIFESTOS, AND VOTE. MANCHESTERSTUDENTSUNION.COM/RAELECTIONS YOUR COMMITTEE WILL REPRESENT YOU AND ORGANISE EVENTS FOR YOUR HALL; HAVE A SAY IN WHO YOU WANT TO LEAD IN THOSE DECISIONS

University of Manchester Students’ Union Black and Minority Ethnic Students’ Campaign Presents

facebook.com/BMEMCR

SPORT : 30

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Get fit with Gemma Atkinson Will Kelly learns how to shred those freshers pounds with the Mancunian actress turned model Will Kelly Sport Editor

How do you motivate yourself to hit the gym? This will obviously be hard for a lot of people after such an unhealthy time to get up and going?

“For me, my motivation comes from a health aspect mainly. There’s nothing better than feeling your absolute best.

It’s nice to look good too, but I personally hate feeling sluggish, bloated or tired. I like to be on form both mentally & physically and to use my body to the best of its ability. After Christmas, when I’ve over indulged on food and drink and probably not had enough sleep, I look forward to feeling good again by mid-January. “ In getting back to ‘match fitness’, what is the balance between cardiovascular exercise and weight work one should be focusing on? Is there some sort of timetable you would recommend?

“Obviously everybody is different and has different goals as well as different abilities and strengths. As a general rule, I like to do two cardio & ab sessions a week, three weight training sessions and two rest days. My cardio is HIT training so its high intensity intervals, but its quick. Maybe 35-40 Photo: Greg Razzi @Flickr minutes. When starting out again I’d way.” recommend setting yourself realistic Are there any exercise routines that goals. Go at your pace, no one else’s. On a one would recommend trying out? good day I train until I’m exhausted and “ I would recommend “dead treads” for I always finish. After Christmas though getting your heart rate up. It’s basically my sessions start off shorter, I don’t push running on the treadmill in intervals but myself too hard. If I need to stop I do, if I without turning it on. Sounds crazy but need an extra rest day, I have one. I build it’s so much harder and works your hamup slowly & enjoy the process. You have strings, quads & glutes much more than to listen to your body. Going too hard too regular treadmill work. It offers the same soon will likely result in injury which benefits as sled pushing. You hold on to will only slow down your results anythe handles, Lean forward and keep a

stiff, neutral spine. To increase exercise intensity, simply increase your stride.

Without the belt turning electronically the work is all on you, it’s a lot easier to run on a treadmill that’s pushing your legs back for you. This way, you really are doing all the work to get the belt moving.”

Is there a particular time of the day one should be training?

“I know will power is supposed to be a lot stronger in the morning. Training

after a day’s work doesn’t sit right with a lot of people as it’s the last thing they want to do. I personally train first thing in the morning. Even if it means me getting up before filming. I genuinely feel better and have more energy throughout the day after a workout. I guess you may be physically stronger later on as you’ve used your muscles throughout the day but I personally wouldn’t aim to train later for that reason alone. I would choose a time suitable for you and your schedule. You don’t want to be training, constantly time checking and rushing through it compromising your form or cutting short sets. Train when you think you can perform best.”

What foods should one be eating before they start working out in the gym?

A lot of people try and save money and don’t eat very much during the day, which isn’t the most ideal thing.

Any cost effective ways of erasing this problem? What are your favourite foods?

“Before training my food choice is always protein. Either scrambled eggs with spinach or a protein pancake made with 1 scoop of whey, 3 egg whites, 1/4 cup of water and a tablespoon of almond butter. Not eating & skipping meals is the worst thing you can do, especially when training. You have to fuel your body. I buy all my veg & fruit from Aldi. It’s brilliant! I can get a full trolley for a whole week for under £30. Meat wise I spend extra on as I want it grass fed and organic. So much food has steroids & chemicals now that I’m wary of where my meat comes from. As I compromise with my Aldi shop though, I’m happy to do that. To save money you have to budget yourself. Make portions big enough to last a few days, source your protein from chicken and eggs instead of steak, look for deals. You have to pri-

oritise. Lower the booze budget and up the food one. All chip in for an ingredient and cook a big meal together.”

What food is best to eat after the gym and in recovery?

“Post training is always a banana mixed with whey again or oats mixed with whey. On finishing a hard workout your muscles are torn down and glycogen is depleted. You have to stop this by feeding them the nutrients they need.

Not eating after a workout is so dangerous. You have to refuel. Take care of your body!”

Some may have picked up the tendency of tucking into a kebab after a night out. Are there any foods that can be substituted that is in a way, healthier?

“Back in the day I was known for having my greasy pizza and chips after a night out, so I understand the kebab situations! Unfortunately, there is no healthy substitute in my opinion. Sure you can have the chicken kebab, but you are more than likely going to want the garlic sauce, cheese, chips and mayo. The best way to work this is to have that as your weekly cheat meal that way the damage isn’t that bad. I have one meal a week (usually a chippy tea) but I’m back on the clean eating the next day. Notice it’s just a cheat meal not the whole day. If you just limit yourself to the one cheat meal a week, you don’t feel as bloated, tired or sluggish the next day, mentally you don’t feel guilty and results wise it won’t really make that much difference.

“Good luck with all your training! Remember to be persistent, patient and aim for progression, NOT perfection.

Just be the best you can be!”

English cricket gets a booking Andrew Georgeson Sport Editor We are entering an age of unparalleled access to sports people’s lives. We follow them on Twitter, watch them in 3D, and read about them in the papers. These people have become celebrities in their own rights, celebrated for their looks and off-pitch work as much as their skill.

The reason for this is simple. These people are our idols, we want to see what they eat and how ‘cheeky’ their Nandos are compared to ours. It can, sadly, also be a place for us to vent our frustrations at them.

Tom Cleverly, now finding himself in exile at Aston Villa, left Twitter for good after becoming the poster boy for the failed Moyes era.

It is unsurprising that after their careers that many decide to release autobiographies. Zlatanibrahimovic’s book ‘I am Zlatan’ totally changed my perception on him. From extremely humble beginnings in Sweden, you read of his struggle, his interesting hobbies that include stealing cars as a youth and his undeniable determination. You also read of a softer side, away from the hashtags and the overhead kicks. Zlatan still owns a little house in his home town Malmö, where he returns to every summer to stay, away from the melting pot of Paris with his wife and two kids.

After the dust has settled on someone’s career has ended and the nostalgia has set in you would presume that all memoirs would read like this.

Recent revelations, however, suggest

Roy Keane has come under criticism for some sections of his book. Photo: Audible

otherwise. It is the fashionable thing now to reignite old fights with Roy Keane, Alex Ferguson and Kevin Pieterson the three main culprits whose recent books have stirred stir public opinion.

Several questions can be drawn from the books. First, do these people have PR agents who censor them; second, does anyone really care; finally, and this is probably the saddest yet most accurate, are these people simply saying controversial things because they are so scared that they are going to be forgotten too quickly.

Roy Keane, for example, states in his latest book that he believed Newcastle were ‘an arrogant bunch, for a club that had won **** all…[and] as for the Toon Army, the Geordies and the hostile reception- I never fell for that crap.’

An attack that was unprovoked as it was nonsensical.

Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, has taken to criticising players who bought him success, and bought Manchester United fans moments they could only dream of now.

But a larger revelation to come out of the books can be found in Kevin Pieterson’s most recent work.

He reveals, quite surprisingly for a player who claims to still want involvement in the English team, the bullying within the England set up, the ritual humiliation within the changing rooms, and the sycophantic nature of the chiefs.

The book is very clearly written with an agenda of change in the English set-up.

Yet it is sad to see, Pieterson, one of the great English players, constantly towing the line between a narcissist sociopath and a switch-hitting maverick, falling so far, so quickly and with so, so much more to give.

The book simply smacks of a man who

is struggling to let go, a man who has written his international obituary for the sake of a rant.

He speaks of Flower’s, the head coach, as someone who ‘always had it in for me’, and ‘cliques’ forming around him, yet dismisses himself of all wrongdoing However, a key thing I feel that we all need to learn from the revelations of KP, opposed to the others is simple: English cricket has deep rooted problems, far more serious than that of football. Yet strangely they seem to get away with it.

The reason is simple, cricket, along with rugby, is protected by their statuses as gentleman’s sports of the middle-classes. You don’t need to look to far to dismiss the old cliché that ‘Rugby is a thug’s game played by gentlemen, football is a gentleman’s game played by thugs.’

Imagine the scene, England return from the drubbing in Brazil, the Manchester contingent get off the plan first; catch the 43 to return home. On the bus home, Joe Hart says, ‘you know what, Juicy is on at Joshua Brook’s tonight, shall we go blow of some steam?’

Instantly, there is pandemonium on the streets. ‘They don’t care about the country.’ Spectators cry. ‘Roy’s Boy’s in Drunken Slum.’ The tabloid headlines read.

This, of course, didn’t happen. But let’s picture a scene which really did take place.

There are several places we could start with English cricket, but how about Flintoff showing up drunk to meet the Queen. But we’d just won the Ashes, and Freddy’s a lad, so he can be let off.

But let’s look an England men’s rugby instead. Their 2008 Tour of New Zealand

ended in rumours of ‘dwarf tossing’ and the RFU refusing to assist police in allegations that four of the team had been involved in serious sexual misconduct.

The RFU’s statement was simply ‘boys will be boys’; saying that captain Tindall and the ‘lads’ were just blowing off steam after a victory.

Apparently the misogynistic culture that runs so strongly through University rugby continues to the professional leagues.

The reason is simple, the rugby players and cricket players are products of the middle classes. Footballer’s, a working class-game player by working class-people, are too easy to derail, easy to confuse and pick on. We would rather see players of the aristocracy get involved in scraps rather than boring old James Milner effectively get on with his job to the highest degree of professionalism.

There’s a reason that we’re so obsessed with Made in Chelsea. We long to see the other, for some reason presented as better half, get into fights and other situations.

Just look at the lampooning Wayne Rooney recieves, compared with nothing being made of the fact England’s rugby team now having to travel with a lawyer with them.

This is not meant to be a socialist declaration, but our sport people need to be held accountable for their actions to the same standards, we need to challenge those who act out in the name of ‘being lads’ rather than just the ones who we can easily pick off.

SPORT : 31

ISSUE 05/ 13th OCTOBER 2014 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Get involved: BUCS indoor rowing MUBC answer your questions about trying rowing for the first time

For many, including myself, the rowing manchine is as close as you can get to allowing medieval torture in the confines of the gym.

But Emily Cornish from MUBC is on hand to answer a few questions and reassure the Mancunion Sport that it’s really not as scary as it seems and encourage us all to take part in the BUCS Indoor Rowing Championships.

Can you tell us a little bit about the event?

‘Bucs Indoors Rowing started as part of the National Indoor Championships and then as student entry grew, BUCS splintered off into separate events throughout the country. For rowing this meant students competing on an ergo in a race of 2000m. In 2010 almost 900 students entered and since then it has continued to be a great success.

This year Manchester University is opening up the event to non-rowers with a 250m sprint for anyone who is interested in seeing how well they could do with no rowing-specific training!’

Photo: Mancunion Sport

Do you have to be mega-fit to take part in rowing?

Fitness is something that is built up the more you take part.

We have had people with no athletic background start rowing as freshers and ended up in our top boats! It starts with getting the technique down, and after that it is just training, on the water training as well as weights and circuits a few times a week.

Although it sounds intense, training with your crew makes it much easier and group sessions can even be fun. You’ll see massive improvements in your strength and fitness the more you dedicate to the sport

Photo: Mancunion Sport

What advice do you have for those who want to give it a go?

Just go for it! It’s a chance to set yourself a personal target and see what you can do. There will be plenty of rowers and non rowers around taking part and so it can either be a competition against yourself, or one to beat the people around you.

The 250m sprint is a great race to take part in if you have no rowing experience but just want to test your strength and see how much you can pull. Competitive people should definitely come along see what they can do, maybe even try and beat our boys who do it on a daily basis.

Photo: Greg Razzi @Flickr

Photo: Mancunion Sport

Remember to donate to MUBC 24-hour effort by texting MUBC50 to texting MUBC50 and the amount you wish to donate to 700703.’Alternatively you can visit their just giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/mubcpr-fundraising/

Tennis optimistic for new season

Jessie Benson chats to Tennis club president Cedo Todoric-Vukasinovic and women’s captain Kim Atkinson Jessie Benson Sport Reporter Manchester Tennis team had great early season games lined up on Wednesday and The Mancunion decided to sniff out how the team were doing at this crucial stage; we grabbed an interview with club president Cedo Todoric-Vukasinovic and Women’s captain Kim Atkinson after the intense first day of play.

Mancunion: So today you had both the Women’s First and Men’s Second team out, all looking to secure significant early-season victories. What was the atmosphere like during the matches?

Cedo: It was relatively calm considering it was the first match of the new season.

Once we started warming up I think a few of the players were feeling a bit nervous and rusty. But as we got into the first couple of games of our first matches, the nerves eased off and we could play more freely.

What was your team’s goal today and did you manage to go out and smash it?

Cedo: For the Men’s Seconds we were expecting a win against Liverpool Seconds. We’ve had good results against them in the past couple of years and we had a strong team today with 2 Freshers there too. The fixture was tied after the doubles; our captain, Andy Murray, played as the top seed and put in a strong performance to win his singles without too much trouble. I played as the 2nd seed and after a good win in the

when on another day I probably would have won. It’s annoying but you move on to the next one.

Best moment of the day?

Sandwich Wednesdays was made official when Owain turned up with sandwiches for the whole team.

Well, what can we say? Lad! So what’s next for you guys and which Universities do you see being hot competition this year?

Cedo: It’s going to be a tough season for us to stay in the league. But you never know if a top team have lost one or two of their players from last year so it’ll be interesting to see who shows up.

Kim: It will be a tough year but we still have a chance of going up. Our toughest matches will be against Newcastle and Leeds but it will depend on any new Freshers they may have or if any older players have left.

Photo: Mancunion Sport

doubles, my singles started below the standard I was used to. I had a marathon 3-set match, eventually losing 7-6, 1-6, 6-2. Our fresher, Owain McQuistin, put in a good performance to win his singles match. Unfortunately our other new face, Jake Flavell was not so successful and lost his singles.

The end result was a draw which we are not over the moon with, but it’s a decent start to what will be a tough season.

So it seems like you have some new faces on the first and second teams this year, any star Freshers?

Cedo: Yep, after losing so many good players at the end of last year, our 2nds had to move up to the 1st team and we’ve put together a fresh 2nd team with 4 Freshers and 4 players moving up from the 3rd team. We still haven’t seen how the other newbies will perform under pressure but I’m looking forward to seeing our results over the next few weeks.

Kim: Sadly one Fresher we wanted to play sustained and injury but we still had three totally Fresh members on the team who are all great additions and strengthen the team.

Mancunion: Who would be your MVP of the day?

Cedo: It has to be our captain Andy Murray. He put in a solid performance in both singles and doubles which helped us grind out a draw.

So obviously the result wasn’t 100% ideal. Was there something you wish went better today?

Cedo: Even after losing the first set of my singles in a tie-break, I knew I could still win it. Everything was working well in the 2nd set but all of a sudden I lost the rhythm in the third and lost the match

The day ended with a draw for the men and an unfortunate loss for the women’s singles; but everybody has their heads held high. We’re certainly interested to see how the season pans out for this team after a slightly rocky start, especially with so much fresh talent flooding into the ranks. If you want to keep up too, check out their website www.universityofmanchestertennis.com .

SPORT

13th OCTOBER 2014/ ISSUE 05 FREE

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Genna Atkinson

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Book troubles

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UoM Rugby League

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“Pressure’s for tyres mate” The Mancunion Sport talks to England’s 2003 World Cup winning legend Mike Catt Liam Kelly Sports Editor Mike Catt OBE is a bona fide legend of English rugby. Highlights of his glittering career include winning the 2003 World Cup, reaching another final in 2007 (and, at 36, becoming the oldest ever player to do so), triumph in the 1998 Heineken Cup and clinching three Premiership titles with Bath. In the process, Catt earned 75 caps for England, a cap for the British and Irish Lions and 220 appearances for Bath, scoring 64 tries in the process.

Following his playing career he became a coach at London Irish, helping them to the Premiership final in May 2009. He went on to have a successful stint as England Backs Coach during the 2012 tour of South Africa, and is currently the attacking skills coach for England’s elite players.

With the Rugby World Cup being held in 2015, both hopes and expectations are high that England can win the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time since that famous day in 2003, and Catt’s attacking coaching will be key to England’s chances. Asking for an evaluation of English hopes – with a young team going into this World Cup – seemed like the best place to start.

“I think we’ve been ticking along quite nicely, we’ve had some real tough tours over the last couple of years. The players have had to learn, and learn very quickly, against the top sides in the world.

“New Zealand are number one in the world for a reason, they are the best in the world, but we got a hell of a lot out of the tour. We really found out about certain individuals, despite the result.

Losing three on the trot is not ideal to be honest, and one result would have been ideal. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, but it was a massive learning curve for a lot of the youngsters who haven’t been put in those environments before. It’s another huge experience for our guys, and it will stand them in good

Mike Catt was part of the England side who claimed the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Photo: nottinghamtrentuni @Flickr

stead for the World Cup.” Inevitably, comparisons will be made between this England team and the triumphant team in 2003, but, Catt is cautious about doing so: “I think it’s very hard to compare the two sides; what people forget is that we were together for six years. It wasn’t a case of being put together and going off to win it. We lost three Grand Slam opportunities, and in the 1999 World Cup we only got to the quarter finals. We learned from all those failures – I call them ‘lessons’ – and it stood us in good stead. Everyone was fit going into that World Cup, so

we were very fortunate. Of course, we won a Grand Slam in 2003, and we had beaten Australia and New Zealand in Australia and New Zealand prior to that World Cup, which, I think, gave us a psychological edge.”

A contentious RFU regulation means that English players playing abroad are ineligible for selection for the national side, a regulation which has come under fire recently, as a result of the performances of Steffon Armitage at Toulon, who has recently been named European Rugby Player of the Year.

However, Catt stands by the RFU’s

stance on the matter.

“Every player that goes to France knows the rules. Stuart Lancaster sat down with Steffon, Delon [Armitage], [Andrew] Sheridan and Jonny that this would affect their chances of playing for England. They then made the decision to go; you’ve got to remember why they decided to go to France in the first place [money].

“If somebody is that desperate to play for England, they’ll either stay in England or come back to England. It is what it is, we back the RFU’s decision because we don’t want people leaving

and we want a strong domestic league.”

Availability is also an issue when players move abroad: “If you have players that play in France, we won’t have the players, the players won’t be able to come to the camps, and they’ll have less preparation as a result.

“I’ve worked with Steffon at London Irish and he’s an exceptionally talented rugby player, but is he better than Chris Robshaw? People will argue, but is he going to do things against the likes of Richie McCaw and Michael Hooper?

There’s no guarantee that he would play for England either. There’s nothing wrong with saying that if Toulon released him prior to the World Cup, and gave us three months with him at the World Cup camp, then who knows?”

However, the chances of Toulon releasing their best and highest paid player is unlikely, at best.

A home World Cup has the chance of providing a real boost to England’s players, but it could the pressure of expectation hinder their chances?

“Pressure’s for tyres mate.” [Laughs] “No, I think there are different things that can heap pressure on people. At a home World Cup you have your family nearby and there will be other things that you have to worry about other than the rugby; it’s really different from a World Cup on the other side of the world where you can focus totally on winning the World Cup. I think where we’ll be as a squad and a group, Stuart has left no stone unturned with the detail in everything we do. He’s been brilliant, got the right people on board that have been in these big situations before. Matt Parker, who is head of performance, was part of the Olympic cycling setup. All the little things, the little details, that can go wrong in an environment have all been covered, so we’d like to think that it won’t put any more pressure on the players.”

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