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24th OCTOBER 2016 / ISSUE 06 FREE Photo: Virginia Saul
Racism in the Students’ Union’s Officer Elections Churchill and the new fiver
Interview: Adam Reid
Free speech crusaders are harming their own cause
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A prospective BME officer's posters were discovered with racial slurs written on them in the run up to the student officer elections Yasmin Mannan Head News Editor
A Women’s Officer is an unnecessary role
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In the run up to the student officer elections there have been a series of concerning incidents regarding the posters of students running for the Students’ Union’s Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) part-time officer roles. On Monday the 17th of October, an anonymous prospective part-time BME officer discovered that several of her posters had been defaced and vandalised with the racial slur ‘Paki’ in red marker. The student told The
Mancunion that she was too embarrassed and anxious after seeing the first use of the offensive word on one of her posters to come forward, but after her friend alerted her to other posters of hers which had been similarly vandalised, she then decided to report it. This incident follows a similar one which occurred on Friday 14th of October, in which the posters of two prospective BME officers were allegedly shown to be cut with scissors and removed from the front of the union, where campaigning posters are
normally placed. Both students commented that the posters were placed there to try and ensure no vandalism would occur, since they were aware of the incident last term where a student’s banner was defaced with a Swastika, and hoped the heightened awareness from this incident would mean it would not happen again. One of the prospective officers from Friday’s incident stated that they have not been put off campaigning but will channel their upset and anger into campaigning more. CCTV footage is
not available of the incident so the perpetrator(s) remain unknown. Numerous political societies have offered their support. Manchester Labour Students issued this statement: “Manchester Labour Students condemns a series of racist incidents that have occurred during the UoMSU part-time officer elections. MLS are shocked by these incidents, of racist language and disruption to campaigning materials like banners and posters, it is totally unacceptable and has
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News
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ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Pictures of the week: Campus looked particularly beautiful this week
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Fashion and Beauty: Bloody chokers
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Theatre: All or nothing
P27 Photos: Alicia Love
Continued from page one... Lifestyle: I went to Warehouse project sober and loved it...
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affected members of our society in MLS and the whole BAME community. MLS is disgusted and sickened that this kind of exists on our campus and in society and we are totally committed to stamping out all forms of racism. We call on the University and the Students Union to thoroughly investigate these incidents and will be pushing them to take action against any person found responsible for these incidents.” The University of Manchester’s Student’s Union has released this statement: “Over the weekend it was brought to our attention that BME candidates running in the Student Officer Elections have had their campaign materials vandalised around campus.
Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com The Mancunion @TheMancunion Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com
Food & Drink: Halloween films for wimps
Deputy Editor-in-chief: Elise Gallagher deputyed@mancunion.com Postal address: University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone: 0161 275 2989 Subeditors: Gemma Sowerby, Robert Parris, Jane Simmons, Hannah Foy, Christopher Tchen, Lauren Bramley, Adriana Elgueta, Lauren Pizzey, Stevie Grieves sub@mancunion.com
“At this stage we have not been able to identify the culprit(s) as CCTV is not present in the areas in which the vandalism has taken place and so it has been difficult to follow up on specific allegations; therefore we will be liaising with each candidate separately to see how they would like to pursue each incident. “Discrimination or vandalism of any kind will not be tolerated and we will be working closely with each of the candidates to ensure their individual needs are met and receiving the correct support going forward.” If anyone has any information about the above incidents please do not hesitate to contact The Mancunion.
Editorial Adviser: Charlie Spargo
lifestyle@mancunion.com
Head News Editor: Yasmin Mannan Deputy News Editor: Len Cotton Science Editor: Georgie Hines news@mancunion.com science@mancunion.com
Head Music Editor: Joe Casson Deputy Music Editor: Katie Shepherd music@mancunion.com
Head Features Editor: Jacob Nicholas Deputy Features Editor: Emma Shanks features@mancunion.com Head Opinion Editor: Tristan Parsons Deputy Opinion Editor: Marina Iskander opinion@mancunion.com Head Fashion Editor: Sarah Kilcourse Deputy Fashion Editors: Sophie Soar and Talia Lee Skudder fashion@mancunion.com Head Food & Drink Editor: Felix Sanders foodanddrink@mancunion.com Head Film Editor: Eliza Slawther Deputy Film Editor: Shema Begum film@mancunion.com Head Lifestyle Editor: Rachel Adams Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Araddhna Patel
Head Sport Editor: Harry Newton Deputy Sport Editor: Alex Whitcomb sport@mancunion.com
Do you want to write for The Mancunion? Do you have a story to tell? Come along to one of the section meetings held weekly, or email the section you want to write for—all the meeting times can be found on the write for us section of the wesbsite. Emails are below. No
previous experience required.
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The Mancunion is the official student newspaper of the University of Manchester., established in 1969 with a readership of around 20,000. It is printed weekly for 20 editions and is distributed across campus and the city.
Games Editor: Stephen Lewis games@mancunion.com
All writers are volunteers and new contributors are always welcome. No previous experience is necessary, just a passion for student media and a good story. You can get involved by turning up to a meeting, the times of which are listed on the Mancunion website’s Join page.
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ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
University sexual harassment report published Elise Gallagher Deputy Editor-In-Chief The report, Changing the Culture, by the higher education representative body Universities UK (UUK) has put staff-student sexual harassment on the agenda in response to growing calls for the sector to tackle the problem. The report was prompted by a growing number of reports published by The Guardian which exposed the scale of sexual harassment and violence carried out by university staff on students and junior colleagues. Last week The Mancunion reported that sexual abuse scandals at universities were akin to ‘the Savile scandals’. The Guardian reportedly received approximately 200 statements, the majority from women. The statements included incidents of sexual harassment, assault and rape, all carried out by university staff with a large majority of cases including postgraduate and PhD students from a plethora of UK universities, including many from the Russell Group. The government had asked UUK last year to lead a task force on violence against women, harassment, and hate crime in universities. The 1752 Group, an organisation working to combat staff-student sexual harassment in UK universities made a plea to the task force urging it to address staff-student harassment. The report itself does not make recommendations to universities on staff-student sexual harassment but recognises that it is an area that requires further work. Dr Anna Bull, spokesperson for The 1752 Group said: “In this report, Universities UK indicates that staff-student sexual harassment is a significant issue which must be addressed by the sector. We formed The 1752 Group because of the lack of robust research and policy guidance around staff-student sexual harassment.” The Group welcomed the report’s recommendations including leadership from senior management, training for university staff, partnership working, and more robust centralised reporting procedures. The report comes as universities in Australia and the US are coming under pressure to address the same issue. A recent Freedom of Information request across Australia’s universities found that the vast majority of reported rape and harassment cases appear to have gone completely unpunished. It also found that as many as one in five cases may involve staff members committing sexual offences against students. A large-scale study conducted in the US from 2015 revealed that one in six female graduate students have experienced sexual harassment from a teacher or advisor. Comparable data for the UK does not exist, which many argue highlights the urgent
need for research in this area. A University of Manchester spokesperson has said: “The University has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of harassment and bullying. Through the We Get It campaign, in partnership with the Students’ Union, which enables anyone to anonymously report any incidents, thousands of staff and students have signed a pledge to report any incidents they see and have accessed training and information. “We have also recruited 12 more harassment advisors to provide a confidential information service to staff and students on issues relating to harassment, discrimination and bullying. Confidential advice is available to support anyone who wishes to make a complaint and the Students’ Union is also available to support students.”
Photo: John Billinger @Geograph
Brexit will not affect funding for EU students in the UK Amy Bradley News Contributor The government has reassured worried EU students that they will still receive financial support to study in the UK. As an ambiguous Brexit continues to instil confusion and doubt among many UK and non-UK students, they have been assured for now that their time studying together within British universities is not over yet. It has been confirmed that EU students wanting to apply for places at UK universities will still be eligible for funding, despite Brexit. Uncertainty has hovered over the thoughts of many internationals since the UK made the decision to leave the European Union in May. However, the government has reassured university goers that student funding will still be available to those that want it. The number of international students choosing higher education within British universities makes up a large proportion of the overall student count and their skills are highly valued within academia. Many fear that decreasing the number of talented and creative minds entitled to study in UK due to lack of government support would be a step in the wrong direction. Clarity has been needed for current
and prospective EU students about their future and the UK education system for a while now. The government has been encouraged to consider the role that international undergraduate and postgraduate students play, when developing a post-Brexit plan for Britain. President of Universities UK, Dame Julia Goodfellow, spoke of the UK as being an “attractive destination” for all qualified international students and that such students play an “important role in towns and cities, creating jobs and supporting local businesses.” Following government claims that funding will continue, pressure has now been put on SNP ministers to do the same for those wishing to study in Scotland.
Photo: southpaw123 @Flickr
Photo: University of Manchester Photo: pohjoshua @Flickr
Bursaries improve students’ chances of getting a better degree Research shows that students who receive bursaries perform better in their degrees than if they had not received the financial aid
Emily Hulme News Contributor A study carried out in nine English universities has shown that for each £1,000 of financial aid awarded, the chances of getting a good degree increases by 3.7 percentage points. Researchers at the University College London tested data of those in receipt of financial aid against test scores and the number of students completing their course. Data for 35,879 EU and UK students were included in the sample who were receiving bursaries from £50 up to £3,200. The conclusion of the study is that “results show that students receiving bursary aid persist further and achieve better outcomes than they would have done without the subsidy.” The new results contrast with a similar study from 2014 carried out by England’s Office for Fair Access, which found that neither the size nor the availability of a bursary had a discernible impact on whether a student
from a lower socio-economic background would finish a course or not. Although the results do not show exactly why bursaries have a positive impact, it is suggested that bursaries can assist students with their financial strains such as having a part-time job alongside studying, buying course materials, and upholding a decent living environment. The Professors behind the study, Gill Wyness and Richard Murphy, note one of their most interesting findings is that “students from richer backgrounds gain less than those from poorer backgrounds.” The estimated impact of larger bursaries on the poorer half of the sample is about six times greater than the cohort as a whole. The University of Manchester boasts that more than a third of students have access to a cash bursary. Students are identified to be eligible for the bursary judged on their household income, which is provided through the Student Finance Application. We asked Manchester students how the Manchester Bursary affects them: Final year Maths Undergraduate Riannan Singh says:
“It’s great not having the stress of having to ask my mum for money when I know that would put her under a lot of pressure. I also don’t know where I’d find the time for a part-time job outside of my studying; that would definitely have a negative impact on my grades.” Politics and Modern History student Muneera Lula says: “The bursary also means I don’t feel like I have to miss out on things like playing sports and getting involved in societies which can sometimes have hidden costs”. She adds, “It also means that when I do work it is to top-up my income rather than to scrape by, the bursary softens my financial worries at Uni. So yes, it makes my life at Uni much easier.” The study insists that bursary distribution is important in determining the outcome of students success. It advises that institutions should streamline their aid policies to improve efficiency. For example, at high performing universities such as Imperial College (ranked 8th in the World), it would be better to distribute resources across more students, as their students are likely to gain the most.
Photo: galigas @Flickr
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News
ISSUE 06/ 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Oxfam director awarded Honorary degree at foundation day celebrations Winnie Byanyima of Oxfam International spoke on how to advance women’s rights in an unequal world whilst being awarded an honorary degree at the university’s Foundation Day celebrations
Photo: The University of Manchester
Jennifer Sterne Editor-In-Chief The University of Manchester awarded an honorary degree to Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of Oxfam International, during their Foundation Day celebrations. On Wednesday 19th of October, Winnie, an alumna of the university, gave a speech on the ‘Advancing of Women’s Rights in an Unequal World: A personal perspective’. As well as leading Oxfam International, Winnie also led Uganda’s first parliamentary women’s caucus, which championed groundbreaking gender equality provisions in the country’s 1995 post-conflict constitution. Alongside this she was a signatory to her country’s 1985 peace agreement. She has a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Manchester and was on campus earlier this year to launch the University’s Global Development Institute, Europe’s largest research and teaching institute dedicated to international development. Speaking of receiving her honorary degree, Winnie said it was a great honour “that my alma mater recognises the work that I have done—but it’s very much an honour for the African women that I have worked with and with whom we have struggled, won rights, and changed our communities and our countries. “For Manchester to keep sharing knowledge and giving opportunities to young people from developing countries is just amazing—I am so proud to be an alumna!” Winnie reflected on her own experiences as a student at the university and growing up in Uganda. The speech focused heavily on the debt she owed to her mother and grandmother’s legacies as empowered women in an unequal economic landscape.
After Winnie’s speech the floor was opened up to questions from the audience. Naa Acquah, General Secretary of The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union, asked the first question of the night: “What advice would you give to young women in Africa and in the diaspora living across the world, about what they can do to progress women’s equality?” Winnie answered Naa’s question by sharing her experiences of when she arrived here in Manchester as a student. When she arrived she wanted to be a part of women’s groups, and she went to the Union, there first she found a group that said they were radical women. When she got there she said the conversation was mainly around women’s bodies and the right to own their bodies and she thought “yeah, okay, next? And they didn’t say anything more than that”, so she left. Then she saw another group and they said they were the Socialist Feminist group in the union, and she went; she spoke of how they “talked and talked and talked, and I liked it and I was inspired, but they kept talking about issues of women workers and I kept waiting, I didn’t know about women workers, I just knew about women farmers, they never talked about women in rural Africa, it was all about women in industrial societies, I felt left out and I left.” Then she joined the peace activists, who went to Greenham Common, and again she said they “sat and talked and talked, all about the threat of nuclear war” but that “she kept saying to them, wait a moment, in Africa we are being killed by small and light weapons, what do you have to say about that?”, to which she said they would “listen respectively and then continue talking about the threat of nuclear weapons”.
Winnie said she felt like her own issues were not being addressed, but that slowly she started to realise that women’s rights cut across every continent, and that she could be a “nomad like my grandmother and keep traversing these movements, pushing for my interests.” She ended her response to Naa saying, “that’s my answer to you about a women whose roots are in Africa or in another region, living in this region wanting to connect—you will never find one place where all your issues will be addressed, but go and connect on the issues that matter to you.” She ended calling for women to “traverse various groups, be a nomad, sample, venture”. Winnie received her honorary doctorate alongside Lord David Alliance, Professor Dame Sue Bailey, Mr Anil Ruia and Sir Norman Stoller as the university celebrated the anniversary of the bringing together of the Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 2004, to form The University of Manchester.] Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, said: “I am delighted that at this year’s Foundation Day celebrations we welcomed back an alumna, Ms Winnie Byanyima, to deliver our most prestigious lecture and to award her an honorary doctorate. “Winnie’s drive to promote the roles of women and work to address global inequalities fully align with the University’s own activities. “It is also an honour to be able to recognise the great contributions to society made by Lord David Alliance, Professor Dame Sue Bailey, Mr Anil Ruia, and Sir Norman Stoller with the conferment of their honorary doctorates.”
Successful year for JustFest Len Cotton News Contributor On the 18th October the University of Manchester hosted JustFest, a social justice festival centred on encouraging students to engage with community projects both in Manchester and abroad. A range of representative charities were present, from University led organisation RAG to more local charities operating in Manchester. Manchester University prides itself on social responsibility, with several active schemes in place to make sure that students are as engaged as possible with projects promoting social justice in and around the university. The Executive Team in the SU spoke out about the importance of such an event, each stating their own social justice pledge. Wellbeing Officer, Izzy Gurbez, expressed her wishes to “fight the stigma and discrimination against mental health” acting in a particularly timely fashion after the establishment of the MIND
society at the SU and, more recently, in light of Mental Health Awareness Week. After speaking to a selection of the charities present at JustFest it became clear how important such an event was for encouraging students to give back to the community. For example, representatives from Greater Manchester Youth Network (GMYN) spoke of their need for students to help in their plight to inspire disadvantaged youths in Manchester. This year GMYN are recruiting for students to help in their ‘Boots and Beats’ campaign, aimed at building young people’s confidence and life skills through participation in sport and drama. They emphasized the great necessity of student support in order for their projects to continue, with volunteers both facilitating projects and fundraising on behalf of the charity. Additionally, there were more internationally focused projects present, such as Travelteer Impact. They are a Sri Lankan based organisation improving local communities, environments, educating people, and generally striving to create a better
lifestyle for those living in poverty. Travelteer work on a range of schemes from wildlife conservation to teaching, and running afterschool clubs. With such a vast variety of opportunities available to students it is safe to say that JustFest triumphed in supplying those interested with all the necessary means to make a real, positive impact through volunteering. However, JustFest was not just the promotion of charities and projects, with performance teams such as the Mustard Tree drama group making appearances, as well as My Manchester photo exhibitions and two short films as part of the Homeless Film Festival. Organisers of the event stated that they wanted JustFest to promote the keen interest of the University in diversity and social engagement, as with 40,000 students currently studying at UoM they have a social responsibility to encourage students to become social justice ambassadors, both in Manchester and beyond. Photo: Students’ Union
Chester Zoo
26th October 2016
As part of Global Week we’ll be running an amazing trip to see the animals of the world at…Chester Zoo! Come see over 20,000 animals, 120 acres of zoological gardens, all at the UKs number 1 wildlife attraction.
Get tickets on the Students’ Union Website or at the helpdesk.
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Science
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Preview: OMG! Girls in Tech To be held on the 28th October, the OMG! Girls in Tech conference aims to inspire young women to challenge stereotypes and recognise their potential in the tech industry
Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor Gender imbalance in technology is a worldwide issue, with only 26 per cent of digital industry jobs occupied by women and only 16 per cent in IT. It is thought that by 2040 this gap will only increase, with only 1 per cent of the tech industry being female. The OMG! Girls in Tech conference is a collaboration between three North West-based companies determined to break the stereotype of women in tech: Clicky Media, an award-winning web design and digital marketing agency, Liverpool Girl Geeks, a group of female-only tech experts, and UKFast, one of the country’s leading web server hosting companies. The event, ran by an all-female team, has been “designed to discover talent, develop skills and kickstart careers in the digital and tech industries” and “presents a fantastic opportunity to expose young women to the unique and exciting opportunities that the tech industry has to offer.” The free-to-register conference will be held on the 28th October, running from 9.30am to 5pm, at the UKFast campus in Manchester. Aside from keynote speeches from Kate Willard of The Stobart Group, and Oliver Yeates and Sam Gadsby of Clicky Media, workshops will be held throughout the day. These include everything
New development in treatment of Alzheimer’s Serena Holloway Science & Technology Contributor Scientists have managed to prevent the development of Alzheimer’s Disease in mice. The research, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, involved using a virus to insert a specific gene into the brains of mice. The results have provided hope of a potential new treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease, of which there is yet no cure. The inserted gene, named PGC-1 alpha, has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease before, with earlier studies reporting lower levels of the gene in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients when compared to healthy individuals. Previous work conducted by the team at Imperial suggests that PGC-1 alpha prevents the formation of a peptide called amyloid-beta. This peptide aggregates to form amyloid plaques within the brains of Alzheimer’s patients— a well known hallmark of the disease. When these amyloid plaques form within the hippocampus and the cortex of the brain, Alzheimer’s patients experience short-term and long-term memory loss respectively, as well as changes in mood, thinking, and reasoning. As Alzheimer’s advances, patients often become immobile, experience personality changes, and an inability to verbally communicate. The disease currently affects over half a million people in the UK, and costs the NHS £4.3 billion annually. In this new study, researchers injected a modified virus, which is commonly used in gene therapy and known as a lentivirus vector which contains PGC-1 alpha, into the brain of a mouse during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. After four months, mice that received gene therapy had developed far fewer amyloid plaques when compared to untreated mice. The team also found that the treated mice performed just as well as healthy mice in memory tasks. Despite the promising results of the study, Dr Magdalena Sastre, senior research author from the Department of Medicine at Imperial College, suggests that the public must not get too excited about these findings. She says: “There are many hurdles to overcome, and … we are still years from using this in the clinic,” although admitting that “gene therapy may have potential therapeutic use for [Alzheimer’s] patients.” Meanwhile, at the University of Manchester, an alternative to gene therapy for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is also being researched. During the summer of this year, a team led by Dr David Brough discovered that the disease can be successfully treated with a commonly used anti-inflammatory drug called mefenamic acid. It was shown to target the inflammatory pathway that contributes towards the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. Using mice as an experimental model of Alzheimer’s disease, results from the study, published in Nature Communications, report that treatment with mefenamic acid completely reversed memory loss and brain inflammation in mice. Whether it be gene therapeutics or switching the application of an already known drug, it is clear that the hunt for an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease is on.
from building your own brand, marketing and social media to virtual reality. Oliver Yeates, CEO of Clicky Media, which is one of the fastest growing media agencies in the North West and is at the forefront of the supporting women in tech, spoke to The Mancunion about the company’s involvement in OMG! Girls in Tech and the fight for equality in the industry. Clicky Media is unique in its industry, as 50 per cent of its staff are women. Mr Yeates commented that he acknowledges the effect a male-dominated environment can have on a company, noting that this environment can be quite off-putting to women, and that he has found that a gender “imbalance doesn’t make for a very cohesive team”.
Photo: Clicky Media
He also added that the digital industry is growing faster than most parts of the UK’s economy and “if we increase women’s clarity it would add £2 billion to the tech economy which is another reason people are trying to make a difference.” Mr Yeates said he hoped the event would be different in that they will not only “spark some imagination” of what women can do by working in technology but by bringing examples of “some distinct paths for women to enter the industry”. Recognising that is a stigma around this topic, he says: “It is ingrained culturally that boys are better at tech”, and emphasises that we should “be capitalising on [young adult females] who are undecided” in what career they want to pursue. “Many girls express an interest from a young age and yet, currently, only 7 per cent of girls take computer studies at A level and only 17 per cent of those studying computer science in higher education are women.” He said: “It is never too late to change if you have a passion for it... [we] hope that the exceptional line-up that we have planned for the OMG! Girls in Tech event will be the catalyst for change.” Chelsea Slater, speaking for Liverpool Girl Geeks, has said: “It is so important for young girls to recognise all of the opportunities there are in the digital and tech space and this is the perfect arena to do it. As well as getting ‘techy’ with code, we will be raising the girls’ confidence, introducing them to mentors, and showcasing girl geeks from the North to help them thrive within the industry!”
Great Barrier Reef dying from climate change damage Popular environmental journalist declares Great Barrier Reef officially ‘dead’ Megan Harvey Science & Technology Contributor
If you’re planning a year abroad off the beautiful east coast of Australia, you might be a little disappointed. A recent tongue-in-cheek obituary by popular environmental journalist Rowan Jacobsen claims the Great Barrier Reef has “finally died in 2016, after a long illness. It was 25 million years old.” Jacobsen’s claims, although greatly exaggerated, are not far from the truth. The recent survey by the Australian Government Marine Park Authorities have found that earlier this year there was the worst mass coral-bleaching event on record; where by the coral tissue cells turn white and die due to environmental changes. This is on top of the 93 per cent of reefs on the Great Barrier Reef that are believed to already be in the process of bleaching. Historically, there have only been three mass bleaching events recorded in this area, all of which have occurred since 1998. The process of coral bleaching is not a new event, but never has it occurred on such a mass, global scale before. Unfortunately what is being seen on the Great Barrier Reef can be seen on reefs all over the world. The reason being a combination of human caused climate change, pollution and El Niño events – natural climatic temperature cycles, which are also getting worse as a result of climate change. But this catastrophe should not just be a matter for the marine biologists and divers, because coral reefs have given more to people than we can imagine. Other than being the most diverse – and arguably the most beautiful – ecosystem on the planet, some of the most important anti-cancerous, heart disease and potential HIV drugs have been discovered and resourced from coral reefs. Along with
most fancy imported fish and shellfish, and being the worlds greatest water filtration system. In fact the Great Barrier Reef alone generates more than $1.5 billion a year to the local economy and even more globally, as well as acting as a protective energy barrier to everyone that lives along the east coast by absorbing the impact of potential tsunamis. It also produces almost equal the amount of energy as rainforests do, so its destruction should be equally as controversial. But is the Great Barrier Reef really a lost cause? Experts believe there is some hope if we act fast, with an emergency global reef summit is being staged as a result of this year’s disaster — bringing together 20 experts from around the world. Manchester University’s Dr Simone Turchetti specialises in the history of international decision-making, specifically in regards to conservation and environmental science. He believes that damage to the Great Barrier Reef is of worldwide concern and that global government policies are not doing enough to protect out world’s oceans. But a major problem is how well current rules preventing damage to our oceans are being enforced. He highlights the less famous example of the Mururoa reef, which was destroyed by French nuclear testing in the 1990’s. Despite the reef being part of a nuclear-free zone sanctioned by an international treaty in 1985. So Turchetti states, “how many reefs’ obituaries should have already been written?” Although Jacobsen’s prank will be forgotten in a month or so, the damage to global reefs will persevere, without effective interventions or regulations being obeyed. It can be easy to ignore the destruction of such a beautiful ecosystem, since its so far away. But its services to humanity make it an international concern — if rainforests are considered the lungs of the earth, then coral reefs should be considered the gills. Only through global governmental cooperation can we start to fix the problem.
Photo: Kyle Taylor@Flickr
Global 7
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
In theThenews this week... important and interesting stories from the wider world this week. Stories by: Gemma Sowerby, Oliver Potter and Elise Gallagher
Man enjoys Starbucks during flood Hong Kong During heavy flooding that wreaked havoc on parts of Hong Kong this week, one elderly man has been praised for continuing to enjoy his newspaper and coffee amidst the chaos. A photo showing the old man sitting unaffected in a flooded Starbucks in Hong Kong’s Chai Wan district went viral after being shared on Facebook. With almost 20,000 reactions on the social media platform, the defiant old man has captured the hearts of those affected by the floods. “For the price of a Starbucks coffee, you can also experience what it’s like to be in Venice,” joked Facebook user James Chan in Hong Kong. Kristy Chan, who took the photo, told the BBC that she was taking photos to show her family how bad the floods were. She added: “Maybe he already has that many life experiences so the flood didn’t bother him at all.”
Man burns Hospital hole in in Oregon throat America A 47-year old man who ate a Bhut jolokia or ghost chilli had a 2.5 cm hole burnt in his throat. The infamous chilli, which is 400 times hotter than commonly consumed Tobasco sauce, was eaten in a puree form on a burger. The man was left with violent vomiting and severe abdominal and chest pain following his meal. He suffered what is known as boerhaave syndrome or esophageal rupture; the high mortality rate from it means doctors say he was lucky to survive. The only known pepper hotter than the ghost chilli is the Carolina Reaper, which measures 2.2 million on the Scoville scale, compared to the ghost’s 1 million.
quarantined Oregon A emergency department of a hospital in Oregon had to be quarantined on the 13th of October due to five people experiencing unexplained hallucinations during their time on the ward. The first to have been affected was a 52-year-old woman who was subsequently hospitalised after calling Police in the early hours reporting that her car was being vandalised.�� Although the woman was subsequently discharged later that morning it was reported that the two police officers who had originally escorted her to the hospital, a member of hospital staff, and a 78-year-old woman who the original patient lives with were all hospitalised when they began to show similar symptoms. No source of the contamination could be found with all vehicles, equipment and uniforms being checked for contaminates.
Photo: Facebook TV Most/Kristy Chan
Brosnan distressed
India Pierce Brosnan has been left “distressed” after The Times of India printed an advert that used his image to promote Pan Bahar, a highly addictive form of chewing tobacco. The former Bond star has condemned the “unauthorised and deceptive” use of his image in the mouth freshener advert, and has asked the company to remove his image from all their advertising. The ingredients used in Pan Bahar, pan masala and gutka, are said to cause psychotropic effects and have even been linked to cancer, a dangerous association given the highly addictive nature of the product. Many Indians on social media accused Brosnan of “promoting cancer”, despite the company saying the outrage was a result of “public misconception”.
German submarine wreckage found off the coast of Scotland Scotland A German submarine from World War One has been discovered off the coast of Scotland, prompting historians to investigate the wreckage after a German U-boat captain claimed in April 1918 that his UB-85 boat had been attacked by a “strange beast” that rose from the ocean. Scottish Power engineers pinpointed the wreck on the seabed off the coast of Dumfriesshire, and images reveal the vessel is largely intact. According to the U-boat commander, the monster had “a small head, but with teeth that could be seen glistening in the moonlight”, and German soldiers started firing their weapons at it until it relented. The Germans are thought to have blamed their swift capture by the British on the beast’s attack. Gary Campbell, keeper of the Official Sightings Register of the Loch Ness Monster, said: “History has shown that there have been consistent reports of large ‘monsters’ not just in lakes and lochs like Loch Ness but out in open waters as well.”
In Science this week...
Assange cut off from internet for alleged bad behaviour UK The Ecuadorian embassy in London temporarily cut off Julian Assange’s internet on Monday morning, accusing him of using his WikiLeaks site to interfere in the US presidential election. WikiLeaks released a batch of data, including emails from just before the Democratic National Convention in July and Hillary Clinton’s adviser, John Podesta. This news comes amid allegations from cybersecurity experts that the DNC emails came from Putin-aligned hackers, who are attempting to rig the election in favour of Donald Trump. This is the basis of Clinton’s comments in the presidential debates that Trump is a fan of Putin. Finally, WikiLeaks released Clinton’s paid Goldman Sachs Speeches, fuelling fears from liberal-leaning Democrats about her Wall Street ties.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Donald Trump refuses to say whether he will accept result America Donald Trump continued his favourite tactic of avoiding the question by refusing to commit whether he would accept the presidential election result in November. On whether he’d accept the result when asked during the third debate on October 19th, in true Trump fashion he told moderator Chris Wallace “I will tell you at the time”. A hallmark of Trump’s campaign has been repeated claims that the election is rigged; normally his only evidence for such bold statements like this are “I know this, believe me”. Even Milo Yiannopoulus’ Trump-leaning Breitbart News thought Trump had lost the debate by refusing an answer on the election result. In a Thursday rally in Delaware, Ohio, Trump finally conceded he would accept the election… if he won. Classic Trump.
Science by: Aliya Ismangil, Araddhna Patel and Gemma Sowerby
Cave art reveals European Bison’s family history Europe Today’s advances in DNA technology allowed researchers’ analysing ancient mitochondrial DNA to reveal the origins of the modern European bison, or the wisent. The wisent bison apparently descended from two extinct species: the steppe bison, extinct more than 11,000 years ago and the aurochs, the last living in 1627. To confirm the theorised timings of when the two species were thriving, they reached out to cave art experts who corroborate the theory. Cave paintings from different ages seem to show two distinct types bison, in line with the researchers’ findings.
Robot goes missing moments before landing
Mars The attempt to land the Schiaparelli lander on Mars on Wednesday 19th of October appears to have failed, as the robot’s behaviour during the landing process is inconsistent with expectations. The probe’s telemetry indicates that the parachute was jettisoned too early, and that its thrusters—intended to bring the robot to a standstill just above the ground—were fired for a much shorter than anticipated time. The European Space Agency (ESA) have not yet conceded that the lander crashed, and says that experts will continue to analyse the data, indicating that they have not completely abandoned the prospect of finding the lander intact on the surface of the Red Planet.
1 in 20 catch an infection in European hospitals Europe A study of hospital-acquired infections in 1149 hospitals in 30 European countries displayed that more than 2.5 million hospital-acquired infections were caught by patients across the continent between 2011 and 2012. An estimated 90,000 patients died. Study leader Alessandro Cassini of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Solna, Sweden, stated: “The most common were urinary tract infections, surgical site infections, and pneumonia, each accounting for 20 per cent of the total number of cases.” The infections also led to long-term disabilities such as post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive and physical impairment. According to Cassini, approximately one third of the infections are preventable through better hygiene, detection, and improved infection control.
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Life after Fabric: What’s next for the future of British clubbing?
When it comes to clubbing and drug culture in post-Fabric Britain, many questions have been left without reply. Miranda Bunnis searches for answers With the recent closure of famed London nightclub Fabric being blamed on the rise in ecstasy deaths the venue experienced, it has prompted many to wonder about the future of Britain’s clubbing scene, and what venues could do to tackle this problem. The era of acid house and ecstasy in the 80s is one of Britain’s biggest youth revolutions, which generated an entirely new music scene and drug culture. Over two decades, dozens of DJs, new genres, and hundreds of dance floors later, Britain’s nightclub scene has unquestionably changed, but is most certainly not dead. Similarly, to the legendary Hacienda night club in Manchester, Britain today is still filled with renowned super clubs that are crammed with house headed party goers; The Warehouse Project in Manchester, Motion in Bristol, The Ministry of Sound and XOYO in London. However, the most recent and controversial decision to close one of London’s most iconic clubs, Fabric, has caused a buzz of outrage across the country. “It’s a worrying thing really,” Al Bradley, a DJ who has played at the legendary Fabric discussed. “I mean where do you stop, if you can close Fabric? If you close a nightclub because someone has died from taking drugs, then really you are opening up a huge can of worms.” The debate still plays on to whether the club is truly closing its doors once and for all due to the six deaths that occurred in the venue over the last four years, as well as it acting as a base for the consumption of illegal drugs. “By closing the venue, Islington Council have simply shifted the ‘problem’ to other venues,” Bradley said. “Which more than likely won’t have the same safety procedures as Fabric did; how is that helping the situation?” Alistair Turnham, a researcher, planner, and leading specialist on the evening and night time economy, helped to put a paper together about the context in which Fabric was closed down. He discussed his opinion on the evidence that was provided by the police and council for the club’s license being provoked. “The evidence itself is anecdotal, amateurish, and weak. The reason I believe the evidence should be challenged is because nobody was implemented for selling [drugs], no drugs were confiscated. While not doubting police are being honest in their approach of what they saw, their evidence is very interpretative, subjective.” “However the council, when two people tragically died recently, was within its rights based on that evidence, however poor, able to close the club,” Turnham said. Cameron Leslie, co-founder and director of Fabric is convinced that it is in fact all down to a grudge the council had with the nightclub, he recently expressed in a documentary aired on BBC Radio 1 about the closure of Fabric. In the documentary, presented by BBC Radio 1 DJ B Traits, Leslie spoke out about how the relationship between the club, council and police changed after the first death in the venue. “There has [been 6 deaths in the last four years] and you do have to take a step back and say, in the last 4 [years] what’s changed?” Leslie said on the documentary, comparing the clubs first nineyear reign that saw no deaths. Claiming nothing has changed, not even their Saturday night residences since the club opened, Leslie spoke of the noticeable changes in societal behaviour. “What it comes down to is the massive strength and increase in drugs, that when your dealing with a micro percentage of people coming through the doors, it only needs to go wrong (once), and you see the situation that we are dealing with here.” “It’s difficult to say whether society has changed,” Turnham said. “There has definitely been an increase in the number of stimulants taken. Overall, recreational drug taking has fallen since the 90s. You have to look at each individual case sepa-
Photo: Grumpy-Puddin @Flickr
rately, rather than looking at trends, as each individual’s reaction to taking drugs is completely different.” Turnham, who has helped develop over 100 projects to improve town centres after dark with his organisation MADE, made a point in his paper on Fabric that many failed to tackle. “The people who died took drugs hidden in a purse or bra, which has been going on for years. If you hide MDMA or a tablet in your sock or down your pants, it is impossible for any door search to find it without going too far,” Turnham said. The only way to check that is with a cavity based search, like in an airport, that is not practical in clubs. “How can you close a club down when door staff have done everything and couldn’t have prevented that situation anymore?”
“What it comes down to is the massive strength and increase in drugs” “However tragic those deaths are, those people bought those drugs into the club and consumed them themselves,” Turnham pointed out, “no matter how young and inexperienced they were.” “There is a bigger societal conversation to be had about the drug taking, in terms of what society tolerates. The taking of drugs is not illegal anyway, that is just possession of drugs.” Tim Millar, a Reader in Substance Use and Addictions in the division of Psychology and Mental Health at The University of Manchester, gave his opinion on the ecstasy-related deaths: “There are some signs of a fairly recent ‘uptick’ in the trend for ecstasy among younger age groups.” Many have actually even seen the closure of
Fabric as a potential danger to the rise in the misuse of drugs in London and across Britain if the night club scene changes, as the venue was such a safe environment for party goers to take the substances in if they are going to be taken. “I mean it’s just a fact that people do take drugs; there’s no point pretending it doesn’t happen,” Bradley said. “Fabric was one of the most well-organised, professionally run, safest environments for people to go out to.” Turnham also spoke of how Fabric’s strict search routine was amongst one of the most thorough he had come across. The infamous Hacienda, first opened by legendary music label, Factory Records and commonly compared to the Fabric of the 80s and 90s, was also one of the many nightclubs home to the distinguishing musical ethos of Madchester in 198889, the ‘Second Summer of Love’. More widely known as the name given to the ecstasy driven period in Britain, it was at a time when there was an explosion of un-licensed MDMA-fuelled drug parties. “In the early 90s it [ecstasy] played a very big part to the culture—the electronic music club scene frankly wouldn’t have happened [or] developed without it,” Bradley said. “It allowed people to really escape in a way they’d not ever have done on a night out before. It sounds a bit cheesy, but it genuinely did bring people together; if you were at a club and the vast majority of people were taking ecstasy, then you really did feel like you were all ‘as one’.” With the rise of nightclubs all run by top DJ’s such as Shoom, widely credited as one of the original founders of the UK rave scene Danny Rampling, the club Future that was led by the legendary Paul Oakenfold, Nicky Holloway running Trip, and of course Mike Pickering running Hacienda in Manchester, the beginnings of rave-infused MDMA nights took off in the UK. “It was simply unlike anything else I’d seen,” Bradley remembers about Hacienda. “People cheering in a nightclub—that only happened on football terraces!”
The UK continues to have the highest rates in MDMA use in Europe, with 3.9% of 16-24 year olds reporting having used ecstasy in the past year in the latest Home Office Crime Survey for England and Wales. The rise in ecstasy-related deaths has in fact increased: in 2010, there were ten ecstasyrelated deaths, in comparison to 2015’s figures of 57 deaths. However, the rise in deaths is not related to increased use, the level of ecstasy intake has remained quite stable over the last ten years. It is the increase in the purity of ecstasy tablets, compared to five years ago; tablets are now stronger, and are being made with harsher and even lifethreatening chemicals, Professor Fiona Mesham, a Criminology lecturer from Durham University says in an interview with BBC Radio 1. “The number of deaths involving ecstasy is very low compared to the number of people who use the drug,” Millar pointed out. “For example, there
“We need measures, about reducing the potential harm for those who are choosing to take drugs” were almost 2,000 drug deaths involving opioids, even though the number of people who use illicit opioids is very much less than the number who use ecstasy.” Many other European cities have also been confronting the issue of drug use in clubs. Zurich, for example, have been using front of house testing for the last seven years, and have had zero party related deaths in that time period, while the Netherlands put out a warning about
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the dangers of the ‘superman’ pill circulating their clubbing scene, that contained a deathly substance called PMA, and also, as a result, had zero deaths caused from the tablet. “As someone who’s also played over in Berlin a few times, it’s amazing to see the difference in their attitudes; it’s accepted that people go out and take drugs, but their venues are treated as ‘high culture’,” Bradley said. Many clubs and festivals all around the Britain are similarly choosing to tackle this problem head on, by introducing forensic testing on sites and in nightclubs. The Loop is an organization that conducts such testings and provides welfare support. The forensic testing reflects the high purity rates, with the MDMA crystal currently in circulation in the UK at a high purity level of 83% and even higher at recent festivals. “The need for a better education in young adults is vital,” Turnham said: “The education we have in this country is terrible.” Turnham also spoke about how the likes of Amsterdam and Berlin were miles ahead in terms of getting a handle on their drug culture. This also begs the question whether having such drug testing stations, that inform clubbers whether their drugs are safe to take, is encouraging young people to take drugs. “At the moment it seems to be a very sensible approach, I think evidence exists it would work, speaking generally,” Turnham said. “I agree that we should do all that we can to reduce the potential harms that arise from taking drugs,” Millar added. The Loop has also partnered up with some of the biggest organisations and festivals in order to help prevent potentially life threatening drugs coming into contact with party goers, including at Warehouse Project, Fabric, Secret Garden Party, and Kendal Calling. They take a sample of drugs from people who choose to use the service, and then inform them about their drug, what it contains, and the relevant risks or impacts they can have. A quarter of people that have used their services asked The Loop to dispose of their drugs immediately, while another large portion of people came back at a later date to ask about drugs they have taken in the past. They are eager to convey that though do not condone drug taking, their mission is to inform and educate. With Fabric all set to return on November 26th, to appeal the withdrawal of its licence, can we learn from the closure of one of London’s most iconic clubs? “I don’t think by closing Fabric it really gets the heart of the problem,” Turnham answered. “We need measures, about reducing the potential harm for those who are choosing to take drugs.” Such goals are to be met through education and initiative, not by closing the club. “Those who are taking drugs will not stop, they will only take them in a place with not nearly as many precautions.” The obvious conclusion here is that there has to be some coming together of venues, clubbers, councils, and the police. The revolution of a generation obsessed with dance music combined with substance consumption is a culture that has long been brewing in Britain, and worldwide. The clear awareness now that people will and do experiment with a range of substances—whether that be MDMA, cocaine, legal highs, or alcohol—is evident, and the aim should be to make these environments safer for party goers, not eliminate them. “If the closure of Fabric leads to a greater understanding and working together across all nightlife...” Bradley said, “then I guess that can only be a good thing.”
Want to write about something in a bit more depth? Come to the Features section meeting on Tuesdays at 5pm in the Students’ Union Activities Space, or email features@ mancunion.com
Cruel Brittania: ABBA, Churchill and the new fiver Jack Ashworth looks at what Churchill’s face on the new five pound note says about Britain
Photo: Bethan Jones Photo: Bank of England @Flickr
The new £5 note, issued by the Bank of England, has been causing a furore amongst the British public since its release in September. With collectors offering thousands of pounds for notes bearing low serial numbers—found in the bottom corners of the obverse and reverse of the note—many have been desperately checking their fivers, hoping to cash in on the lucrative collector’s item, with prices reaching the dizzying heights of £65,000, according to the Daily Mail. There has been similar pandemonium in regards to the apparent durability of the new note. As opposed to paper-based material used in the old fiver, the new polymer based note is “cleaner, safer, and stronger” according to Bank of England Governor Mark Carney. Tear-proof, fireproof, and ovenproof, the new notes have been hailed as ‘indestructible’ (providing you don’t put them in the washing machine) and they can even be used to play Money, Money, Money by ABBA on vinyl, as a resourceful Michael Ridge from Norwich discovered. However, the issue that is causing perhaps the most controversy amongst Brits with regards to the new £5 note is who the Bank of England have chosen as the new face of the plastic currency: Sir Winston Churchill. Located on the reverse of the predominantly turquoise note, Churchill fixes you with his instantly recognisable, defiant glare underscored by a quote from his now infamous “blood, toil, tears, and sweat” speech delivered to Parliament in the Summer of 1940, at the height of the German bombing campaign of British cities and the crux of the Battle of Britain. Now synonymous with British ‘defiance’ in the face of Nazi aggression, Mr. Churchill has clearly been chosen by the Bank of England thanks to his embodiment of the spirit of wartime Britain. This image of Churchill and wartime Britain is a propaganda tool not isolated to the printing of new currency, but is something successive governments have used since the 1940s to gather popular support for their most morally ambiguous and divisive policies, from the sinking of the Belgrano under Thatcher to the toppling of Saddam Hussein under Blair. The “spirit of 1945” and rose-tinted nostalgia for the bloodiest time in human history is a central tenet of contemporary British nationalism. It’s possible then that the government are trying to utilise the image of Mr. Churchill to present to the nation their own ideas of what it means to be British in 2016; arguably nationalistic, jingoistic, and relating every facet of the British psyche as being rooted somehow in the grand old days of the Second World War. In the wake of Brexit and with Britain facing a future outside of the European community, one
cannot be blamed for thinking that this evocation of a time when Britain ‘stood alone’ against Nazi-dominated Europe is no coincidence. Coupled with the increasingly xenophobic rhetoric of Theresa May’s government, this return to the mentality of ‘fortress Britain’ is not only a historical falsification but also a potential indicator of the society we are becoming. Isolationist, hostile to Europe, reactionary, divided, Britain seems to be going through major changes, and this growing social conservatism is being proliferated and encouraged by the increasingly right-wing May administration. Although this may seem too many like unfounded pessimism, there has been much evidence to suggest that the forces of reaction have indeed sunk their teeth into the national psyche. According to Home Office figures, racially and religiously motivated attacks have increased throughout the country, and social media has been awash with individual’s experiences of violence and hatred. On the 27th of August 2016, 40-year-old Arkadiusz Jóźwik from Poland was beaten to death in what is believed to have been a racially motivated attack in Harlow, Essex.
“Churchill was ‘strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilized tribes.’” Unfortunately, incidents like this are becoming more frequent, and with new legislation being ushered in that directly targets foreign-born workers in the UK, one can only imagine this violence is going to continue to escalate in the coming months. There also been an increase in homophobic attacks (by the huge amount of 147 per cent) according to an independent study by LGBT* antiviolence charity Galop, and the marginalisation of minority groups seems to have become a reality in post-Brexit Britain. Although the link between the new fiver and a spike in reactionary violence in Britain may seem tenuous and melodramatic, it’s possible there is a tangible link between the two. The Bank of England, when releasing the £5 adorned with a stoic Mr. Churchill, said by issuing new currency they wanted to celebrate individuals “that have shaped British thought, innovation, leadership, values and society”.
By placing a man who once referred to the British imperial project as “a lot of jolly little wars against barbarous people” and who claimed “I am strongly in favour of using poisoned gas against uncivilised tribes”, the Government and the financial sector have worked in cahoots to present to the British public the kind of beliefs that are to be valued in England now we have rid ourselves of European influence. For all its faults, and indeed they are countless, this is a far cry from the image of Britain the Labour governments of the early 2000s tried to present to the world. In spite of the imperialistic and Bush-enabling foreign policies of New Labour, domestically they did at least give the pretence of trying to create a more tolerant, socially just society. This is arguably why in 2001, when the last £5 note was introduced, they chose to use social reformer and humanitarian Elizabeth Fry as the face of the fiver. Dedicating her life to the alleviation of some of the worst inequalities in Victorian Britain, Fry earnt the moniker ‘the Angel of Prisons’ due to her tireless campaigning to reform the horrendous conditions prisoners and their families were subjected to in nineteenth century Britain. She established schools to train nurses, opened night shelters for the homeless, and even took her qualms directly to Queen Victoria, who was moved to contribute financially to Fry’s cause. A beacon of light in a very dark time in Britain’s history, Elizabeth Fry is the embodiment of what many would like to see as core British values: fairness, compassion, humanity. With the soaring cost of living and the erosion of civil liberties and social welfare, millions of people are being pushed below the breadline in contemporary Britain. With millions of people reliant on food banks and private charities to make ends meet, the Britain of 2016 may not be as far away from the country that Ms. Fry rallied against as we would care to admit. By choosing to use people like Churchill, a divisive establishment figure who was committed to the British imperial project, and has been used a symbol of anti-European sentiment by the British right wing, the Tory government has acted so as to position itself to the political right of its predecessors. Who we choose to represent as our national heroes, and the historical narrative this creates, massively reflects the kind of societal values we wish to consolidate. The government’s actions, by putting Churchill on the new five pound note, suggest that we are a society who values our colonial past, our national hegemony, and our isolationism over our desire to build a more just and equal society.
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Attitudes towards ADHD & Dyslexia Edie Walwyn Contributor For the majority of young British people, parents’ evenings are awkward encounters at best. For those of us with a specific learning difficulty such as ADHD or dyslexia, or even both, parents’ evening can be humiliating, distressing occasions. They often leave us with a feeling of, “am I really that person my teacher was just describing?” Their description will usually include a lack of concentration mistaken for a lack of care, intellectual curiosity mistaken for arrogance, difficulty completing homework put down to laziness, so on and so forth. Admittedly, diagnosis seemed to improve things a little. Once there is actual evidence that all that daydreaming in class and spelling “exaggeration” like “igzajjerayshon” is a genuine issue rather than a lack of trying or intelligence, you can get a little ‘support’ to make up for it. However, even in spite of the clear evidence, the stigma from authority figures continues in subtle ways. The teachers ‘congratulate’ you on getting your exam support, as if you cheated the system in order to get it. “Well done on your 25 per cent extra time!” they would say, as if it was an achievement of sorts. When parents raise concerns about their child’s learning, a particularly ignorant teacher’s default response may often be, “well, they have their extra time.”
“Extra time for exams should be viewed as a necessity, not a prize to be won.” Extra time or use of a computer for the purpose of an exam should be viewed as something of a necessity, not a prize to be won. After all, it is necessary for those of us who must read the exam question for a significantly longer time than others, or are cursed with handwriting speed well below the national average. I, for example, would not be attending the University of Manchester studying English Literature had it not been for the extra support I received for my specific learning difficulties.
This is an excerpt of Edie’s piece. To read the full version, head to www.mancunion.com
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
An NUS Women’s Officer is unnecessary
The newly elected NUS Women’s Officer stands for nothing but criticising imaginary problems, says Elrica Degirmen The recently elected NUS Women’s Officer, Hareem Ghani, was previously the Women’s Officer for her Students’ Union at King’s College London (KCL). She was part of an anti-sexual harassment campaign called “It Stops Here” as well as being a prominent member of the Intersectional Feminist Society at KCL. You would think she would care a lot about female empowerment, right? Well, I have taken a look at her manifesto when she was standing for Women’s Officer at KCL specifically and she proposed a range of pledges she was willing to fulfil. Surprisingly she did fulfil one of them: free sanitary products for women across KCL. Please don’t pretend that having free sanitary products for three or four years does a great deal of good for women’s rights when there are homeless women on the street who have no access to these products. A true female activist would set up a campaign to give sanitary products to those women, not to students funded by government loans. In fact, there are campaigns around other universities that do just this. Evidently, Ms Ghani is doing a sub-standard job. Other individuals are getting on with things just fine without her leadership. Female students in the UK are privileged. Women are equal to men here in this country, under the eyes of the law and within wider British society. It is interesting how she cares a lot about promoting more women (and specifically BME women) into STEM. I have not heard of any initiatives that she has tried to implement at KCL for this. Then again, it is not like it would have made much difference anyway. Women, irrespective of whether they are BME are not, are not disadvantaged when seeking employment in the scientific and industrial
Photo: Warren Leffler @ Wikimedia Commons
sectors. Companies want the best of people irrespective of their gender and race. Furthermore, she mentioned how, at KCL, she wanted to make university societies more “gender-inclusive”. But which specific societies, by name, were not gender-inclusive when you said that? In my experience of university, I have not seen a society that restricted membership based on gender, and there are usually always both male and female versions of sports. I would love to know more about these gender-restricting societies at KCL. I will personally come down to gate-crash those societies myself. She says “let’s dismantle the white-cishetero-patriarchy together!” This nonsense just does not exist and these made-up terms just distract from more important issues in the country. It does not take much effort to dismantle something that is invisible. Yet, apparently, “part-time
activists like [her]self” suffer “burnout throughout the academic year”. Indeed, I am sure it must be tiring focusing so much wasted effort on such a futile endeavour. In whatever ways the NUS wish to label our society as being deficient, I am still happy to live here. It is certainly better than anything led by her and her fellow Officers on the NUS Executive. This year, she intends to address “black mental health”—whatever that means. I hope she is aware that mental illnesses do not discriminate on your race, gender, social class etc. She also plans to combat violence against women. But how is she planning to do this? She supports the work in having the Zellick report to be reviewed. The Zellick report is a series of recommendations on how universities should deal with sexual assault and rape cases. Worryingly, there was a briefing paper published in 2015 by the NUS (which
I presume that Hareem Ghani supports) suggesting that universities should invoke their own disciplinary procedures for those accused of sexual violence and assault, even if it has not been reported or investigated by the police. This opens the door for many false allegations and punishment. She has not been vocal on other concerns of hers—including abortion rights and abolishing prisons, to name two. For the former, if I am not mistaken but abortions are available on the NHS, right? As for the latter, what has the abolition of prisons got to do with female empowerment in universities? Nothing. This self-serving individual is using her position for her own political agenda. Thankfully, she will never succeed in her aims. Perhaps the silence on these issues is a blessing in disguise. At least we do not have to listen to the nonsense that would come out of her mouth—which is not dissimilar to the like of Laurie Penny, and all the Guardian Women contributors. Hareem Ghani needs to take off her period-tinted glasses and realise that the reason why universities are becoming more genderdivisive is because of figures like her perpetuating myths about women that simply aren’t true. She will probably ask me to check my privilege. I have to say that I already have: Je suis Elrica, and I am very much privileged to have been born and brought up in this country. I shouldn’t need to say I feel safe and secure as a female in this country. This is obvious to anyone with common sense. I find her stance on speaking out for all women patronising. The need for a national Women’s Officer in our universities is redundant and unnecessary. She should resign immediately.
A response: Teach First stands for equal education
Contributor, Andy Milne, responds to “What do Teach First ambassadors actually promote?” from his experiences in the classroom
I recently read an article in The Mancunion titled ‘What do Teach First ambassadors actually promote?’ As a Teach First teacher, I would love to answer that question and clear up a few misconceptions. I began the Teach First Leadership Development Programme (LDP) in 2013 and am currently teaching Maths in a school in Oldham. I completed the programme last year, and have chosen to stay in the classroom as a qualified teacher. Teach First is an educational charity with a mission of ending education inequality between pupils from low income backgrounds and their wealthier peers. Teach First teachers are trained throughout a two-year programme which places them in schools serving low-income communities. Since it was founded in 2003, Teach First has placed ten thousand teachers into schools who have collectively taught over a million pupils. The majority, like myself, continue working in the profession after completing the LDP. In fact, of the ten thousand or so that Teach First has recruited since it started in 2003, the majority (56 per cent) are still teachers. A recent independent report by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) found that these teachers are three times more likely to be teaching in disadvantaged schools and seven times more likely to be in leadership positions. There is a recruitment crisis in school teaching at the moment. A charity providing ten thousand new teachers—and placing them in those schools that often struggle the most for recruitment—can hardly be accused of contributing to this problem. A further 12 per cent of those who complete the LDP remain in education more
Photo: chelle2u2008 @ Flickr
generally—working in charities, for example. 49 charities have sprung up in just over a decade from former Teach First teachers. One example is Frontline, which trains its applicants to become social workers. Their founder, Josh MacAlister, a former Teach First teacher, was inspired to set up Frontline following his experiences in the classroom. Admittedly, some—though just 14 per cent of those who completed the LDP since 2003—have gone into business. However, many of that 14 per cent still have strong links to education. Whilst tackling educational inequality means excellent classroom teachers and head teachers , it also means politicians, entrepreneurs, business and charity leaders working in their own arenas to address it.
The article also suggests that schools choose to take on Teach First participants as they will inevitably be cheaper than someone with years of experience. Actually, schools choose to engage with Teach First because of the benefits it brings and the quality of teachers—not least because these schools in deprived areas often struggle to attract new teachers in the first place. Additionally, it is not correct to say that Teach First teachers only receive six weeks of training with a lack of support and no practical training. The LDP begins with an initial intensive five weeks of training over the summer—including hands-on experience in schools—but this is just the beginning. Those on the LDP then get two years
of non-stop support from university tutors, in-school mentors, and Teach First Leadership Development Officers, during which they study towards a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (though from next year they will study towards a Post Graduate Diploma in Education, which is actually worth more credits than the PGCE). The support I received was excellent. It is no surprise that Ofsted rate Teach First’s training as Outstanding. The article is correct to note that many schools in low-income communities face challenging behavioural issues. However, Teach First teachers are dealing with this every day and are trained to handle difficult classrooms right from the beginning. If you were to ask students in these schools how many years of experience a teacher should have, they likely would not care, because their teacher cares about them. Teach First has never suggested that it is, or implied that it should be, the only pathway into teaching. Teach First has a unique role in recruiting and developing leaders in communities that need them the most. There are many excellent routes into teaching and Teach First is proud to be just one. Finally, one thing I definitely agree with in the article is the author’s suggestion that, “If you see Teach First ambassadors on campus, ask them about these issues and listen carefully to their responses.” Who knows, it could be you walking into the classroom next year.
Andy Milne graduated from the University of Manchester in 2011 and currently teaches Maths at a school in Oldham.
Opinion11
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
A Response: We are not sorry for protesting against the Tories
Freya Blake, Lauren McCourt, and Bethan Turner
Contributors
The women responsible for decapitating a model of Margaret Thatcher at Welcome Fair reply to accusations of “double-standards” on the student left Last week, The Mancunion published an opinion piece by freedom of speech advocate Elrica Degirmen, where she attacked the student left’s “double standards” over freedom of speech. The article centred on a placard made by Freya, bearing the slogan, “the only cuts we need are Tories on the guillotine,” along with the cardboard Thatcher head that people may remember was stolen from the University of Manchester Tories during Welcome Fair. Firstly, we wish to correct an inaccuracy. Contrary to what the article claims, Freya is not an University of Manchester student—a fact made clear in a number of news articles following the incident. Therefore, no relation may be drawn between her and the SU’s safe space policy. So much for the ‘regressive’ left—at least we do our research. Secondly, we wish to take issue with the statement, “I would wonder how people of her political views would react if those on the right called for those on the left to be executed. I presume that they would not be all too happy about it.” In case anyone does not remember, back in November 2011, then-Top Gear presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, called on national TV for 2.6 million striking public sector workers to be “executed in front of their families.” When people on the left complained that joking about trade unionists being slaughtered on a scale that would rival Nazi Germany was rather bad taste, we were told it was a just a joke and to get over it.
The idea that it is only the left that makes statements like this is frankly ridiculous. Furthermore, there is a marked difference between someone with a national profile saying something on national TV and an 18-year-old taking a placard on a demonstration.
“There is an important difference between someone attacking you based on issues of identity and attacking you for political opinion” It is also frankly ridiculous for the right to claim that they are somehow the chief defenders of freedom of speech. It was the Tories who made the Prevent strategy—which, amongst other things, threatens the freedom of speech of thousands of Muslims in the British education system—a legal duty. It was Margaret Thatcher who told General Pinochet, a man guilty of mass execution of political opponents, that he had done excellent work in bringing democracy to Chile. That is just one example of the political and material support that Tory
Prime Ministers have given to a whole variety of dictators and despots. It is the right who frequently attempt to silence supporters of the Palestinians by smearing the entire Palestine movement as anti-Semitic. Only this week, the Home Affairs Select Committee published a report into anti-Semitism, which, despite finding that the far right are responsible for 75 per cent of anti-Semitic incidents, devoted most of its content to attacking Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and NUS President Malia Bouattia, despite both being principled anti-racists. We would also like to address the argument that goes something like this: “Why are the left so intolerant of Tories when they’re supposedly so into diversity.” We are not entirely sure why those on the right do not understand that there is an important difference between someone attacking you based on issues of identity, such as gender, race, or sexuality, and attacking you for political opinions. A person’s identity has absolutely no impact on anyone else’s life. Slashing welfare to the disabled, dismantling the NHS, and leaving refugees to drown in the Mediterranean does. Now, to address the issue of the decapitation itself. We cannot help feeling that people are getting unnecessarily worked up over this. In reaction to the decapitation, a number of people commented online some absolutely ridiculous things. For example, some people—who have clearly never heard of the 1930s, the National Front, or Anders Brevik—decided that Lauren and Freya were “fas-
cists”. But perhaps we reached peak absurdity after the news broke earlier this week that vandalism had been committed against two students running to be the BME officer, as well as other BME candidates. Online, someone wrote, “When Thatcher’s head is decapitated and property is destroyed at the Fresher’s Fair, there’s no outcry but when it’s Labour Students, the SU suddenly care.” Is the beheading of a cardboard cut-out of the voted-“worst PM in the last 100 years” seriously being compared to racist abuse?
“It is frankly ridiculous for the right to claim that they are the chief defenders of freedom of speech” Lastly, on the point about destruction of private property. We understand that this did make a number of Tories rather upset. But when we compare it to the destruction of communities across North and South Wales, the dismantling of the Welfare State, and the whipping-up of toxic racism (that this week saw sections of the national press demanding child refugees have their teeth tested to prove their age) we have to say that we are not sorry.
Free speech crusaders are harming their own cause Making some trivial issues to be political under the banner of free speech churns the debating ground into dogma
Last week, I went on Fuse FM to discuss the recent decision by the SU to stop the sale of The Daily Star on campus—a decision that was justified by its objectification of women. The controversy surrounding the decision began in this paper, as it was deemed a violation of free speech. In discussing the Senate’s decision, I had only one real question: was it selling? It was not. The SU could have stopped selling it for that reason alone. They had no reason to make the decision political. No private business has an obligation to do anything which does not add to its profits on claims of “free speech”. It would be similarly naïve to want to ban something that was making a profit on the belief that it was sending a political signal. The lack of sales of The Daily Star was a market signal that its presence was not of enough value to students on campus.
“No private business has an obligation to do anything which does not add to its profits on claims of ‘free speech’” The dispute over this decision, however, is entirely around the politicisation of these matters—which is completely unnecessary, in my opinion. Not many things in life are political, but in recent years the politicisation of all activity is ramping up. This creates ideological tension and drives division. Politics is a necessary evil, but too much politics leads to unnecessary conflict. I believe I was asked to discuss the issue due to my criticism the noplatforming of famous speakers last year, but even then it was a pragmatic criticism, and not one of free speech. As someone who still is vehemently opposed to no-platforming, the safe space policy, and political correctness more generally, I think I would do the cause some justice by disowning those who believe it to be a free speech issue. Some philosophical background on the nature of free speech is useful in defending this decision. Free speech is a prima facie right (albeit one of the more important ones), meaning that there are cer-
to students whose opinions should be constantly challenged as to make them more well-rounded critical thinkers. What it is not, however, is a violation of your right to free speech.
“This dogmatic attitude has turned many who would have otherwise been supporters of the cause”
Photo: Newtown grafitti @ Flickr
Ryan Khurana Opinion Writer tain rights that take precedent over it—namely, life and property. The right to free speech is not the ability to say whatever one likes, wherever one likes, but rather a civic obligation to criticise prevailing power structures, in the hope of affecting positive change. For this reason nobody objects to the fact that you cannot incite violence in your speech, or say insulting things to someone in their home despite their requests for you to stop. True free speech concerns the public domain and related spaces. Since the Students’ Union is private property, and the Senate has been given a mandate (although it is one that I find questionable) to ensure its democratic functioning, they do have the right to decide what is, and is not, exhibited on their grounds. This is why free speech is not the appropriate grounds on which to contest these decisions. The problems with political correctness, and the subsequent rise of safe spaces and no platforming, is that they stifle debate and insulate students from social issues. Students have historically been at the forefront of positive progress in society. When you
try to block certain issues being heard, it does not aid in combatting them. Rather, these decisions lead to a false sense of security and satisfaction; it creates a culture in which students begin to believe that all educated people think like them—which is simply not the case.
“It may seem to some that the free speech campaigners find no battle too small” A prime example of this is the Brexit debate on campuses across the country, where those who voted for Leave were classified as ignorant, since students were generally exposed only to other proRemain students and academics. This is bad practice for an academic environment, and harmful
By turning the debate into something of political philosophy, those who campaign for free speech create a dogmatic environment. Instead of explaining the reasons why it is beneficial to allow for controversial speakers, their pitch that the Senate is some tyrannical, rights-violating entity is simply too extreme for the vast majority of students who likely do not feel strongly either way. This dogmatic attitude has turned many who would have otherwise been against no-platforming and safe spaces into supporters—out of sheer dislike for the style of ‘free speech’ arguments. This is not to say that the safe-spacers themselves are presenting pragmatic arguments. Drawing ideological battlegrounds leads to apathy amongst the majority, and disgust from otherwise favourable students. In calling the removal of The Daily Star a violation of free speech, I suspect a few thoughts go through readers’ minds. Either that one finds the third-grade smut that is The Daily Star a valuable intellectual contribution, or that the free speech campaigners find no battle too small. Not everything is political, and to cease the sale of something is not the equivalent of banning it. Picking battles and being pragmatic go a long way in gaining student support and shifting the Overton window of opportunity for change. This sort of humility would help the debate on both sides.
To read more about this issue, head to www.mancunion.com to read Michael Petch’s opinion piece
Music
12
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Live Album
Live: Arab Strap
Top 5: Post-Freshers’ 14th October at songs the Ritz Comedown
After ten years out in the cold, Arab Strap’s comprehensive reunion show retains everything that made them great the first time around, writes Joe Casson
Joe Casson Head Music Editor
8/10 The expanded line-up creates a fuller, more robust sound than anything the band recorded, which comes as both a blessing and a curse. At times, it’s a bit too much—in the first half-hour, Middleton’s intricate guitar work and Moffat’s vocals are all too often crowded out by instrumental bombast, meaning tracks like ‘The Clearing’ lack the impact they deserve.
“Moffat is simultaneously grim, sad-eyed, witty, and tender, allowing him to forge a compelling emotional connection with the audience. After all, you don’t pack out the Ritz after a decade’s absence solely on the back of snarky misanthropy” Photo: Lesley Cunningham @ Flickr
So that was Arab Strap’s last big weekend. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton crawled out of the pub and made sordid, frank music under the name Arab Strap. Over Middleton’s instrumentals—united by theme and by their slow pace, but ranging from folk to post-rock to throbbing electronica—Moffat muttered and crooned of drugs, bad sex, and drunken debauchery until, after a decade, they amicably retired the project. Ten years on, Arab Strap have returned for five
nights only. They come to the stage backed by a choir of bagpipes, and it’s a much bigger stage than the band played in their first life. So is the line-up, expanded to a seven-piece with the inclusion of violins and trumpets. Moffat, taking to the stage in a faded polo, baggy shorts and trainers with a can of cider in hand, appears the only thing that hasn’t changed. Well, that and the unusually high concentration of bearded Scottish men—what did I expect, you might ask, and that is a good question.
It doesn’t take long for everything to click, though: by the time they perform fan-favourite ‘New Birds’, the band have adopted a more nuanced sound, opening up space for Moffat’s spoken-word tale of temptation and old love—played out, as always, down the pub. The subtler instrumentation showcases the depth of Moffat’s songwriting: at his best, he is simultaneously grim, sad-eyed, witty, and tender, allowing him to forge a compelling emotional connection with the audience. After all, you don’t pack out the Ritz after a decade’s absence solely on the back of snarky
misanthropy. When backed up by judicious instrumentation, it has a revelatory effect: downbeat disco anthem ‘The Shy Retirer’ is enriched by its violin backing, and ‘There is No Ending’, a popular wedding song (Moffat assures us this is true), provides a celebratory fanfare for the set’s finale. The set wanders through Arab Strap’s history, from the hungover pulse of 1998’s Philophobia to the warm, lush swansong of 2005’s The Last Romance. At one point, the band is reduced to the original duo and they draw song requests from a ballot box left at the merch stall, rewarding the fans that waited a decade for their return with some very deep cuts - the joys of having built up a cult fanbase with no commitments to shut up and play the hits. Having said that, there is just the one hit. Debut single and set closer ‘The First Big Weekend’ was once praised by Radio One’s Steve Lamacq as ‘the most perfect pop song ever’, and it’s hard to disagree—the wistful, warts-and-all account of a weekend out in Glasgow is irresistible. With its build from a spare acoustic opening, via an insistent lo-fi dance beat, to the euphoric refrain “Went out for the weekend, it lasted forever/got high with our friends, it’s officially summer”, it was the highlight of the night and, frankly, the weekend. “It’s quite odd being confronted with your past self,” Moffat remarks early on. “To tell you the truth, I don’t think I’ve changed a fucking bit.” Ten years is a long time, but Arab Strap have retained everything that made them compelling the first time around.
Live
Live
Live: Death Grips
Live: Nickelback
16th October at Academy 1
19th October at Manchester Arena
Death Grips performed as well as could be expected, leaving the crowd exhausted but satisfied, writes Eliza Slawther
Despite falling victim to a plateau of hate and internet trolls, Nickelback are a far cry from whimpering their swan song, writes Jeni Lambert
Eliza Slawther Head Film Editor
Jeni Lambert Contributor
8/10
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
It’s the 16th of October, Sunday at 8:30pm and the Manchester Academy is already packed full of Death Grips fans, anticipating their promised early start. In place of a support act is a somewhat sinister electronic buzzing sound that continues to build and build, adding to the growing excitement. At exactly 9pm, MC Ride appears on stage and, without directly addressing the crowd, opens with ‘Whatever I Want (Fuck Who’s Watching)’. Usually there is a huge surge forward at gigs, but with Death Grips this is less of a surge and more jumping, pushing and shoving in all directions. The performance of each song is delivered with such high energy that there is barely a dip in the movement in the crowd and the noise created by both Death Grips and their
Top 5: Small record labels you should know about Looking for new music? Ollie Clack finds the record labels with the best rosters so you don’t have to
fans singing—or, rather, shouting—along. Towards the middle of the set I find myself three rows from the front, drenched in sweat and struggling to stay upright. This is all part of the fun, and I’d expect no less from a Death Grips gig, but it is still extremely intense and I wonder how some fans have managed to stay at the forefront of this mass of limbs and perspiration for the entirety of the evening. I also wonder how MC Ride, Andy Morin and Zach Hill have managed to perform each song (25 in total) without seeming to become tired at any point—every vocal and beat is perfect, there are no pauses and no song goes under-performed. The entire night is sweaty, rowdy and a resounding success: It’s everything that anyone could want from a Death Grips gig, and the change of venues from the smaller, more intimate Academy 3 to the much larger Academy 1 was certainly not a sacrifice as many initially thought it was. Ending with ‘The Fever (Aye Aye)’ and no encore was yet another excellent move by the group, leaving the crow fully satisfied and beginning as abruptly as they began. Any support act or encore would have detracted from the mass of energy which was maintained throughout, and despite leaving feeling extremely bruised and dehydrated I cannot find a fault in the entire gig.
7/10
Photo: Jeni Lambert
Nickelback: the only band I know who have had research dedicated to investigating why people hate them (yes, really). Yet, speaking as one of the many sardines packed into Manchester Arena, Nickelback are a far cry from whimpering their swan song. With an endearing level of sincerity, Nickelback were a flurry of strutting prowess, jagged-edged rock and euphoric ballads. Following the flames conjured by the demonic rock angels in Monster Truck, Nickelback took to the stage with the rallying cry of ‘Edge Of A Revolution’. If fans were not suitably warmed up by Monster Truck’s support set, the baying of the
5. Asthmatic Kitty
4. Luaka Bop
3. Sacred Bones
Started by a group of artists including Sufjan Stevens, who currently holds the position of Minister of Aesthetics at the label, every Asthmatic Kitty release is worth paying attention to.
A label that started life as David Byrne’s way of bringing world sounds to the masses, reintroducing unforgettable artists like William Onyeabor, they now represent great producers such as Floating Points - so it’s fair to say Luaka Bop knows what’s hot.
Considering Jenny Hval, Marching Church, David Lynch, Pharmakon, Crystal Stilts and Zola Jesus are all represented by this Brooklynbased label, Sacred Bones truly know how to find great musicians.
hounds had truly begun now. Nickelback’s setlist soon dived into stripper pole raunch with crowd pleasers ‘Something In Your Mouth’ and ‘Animals’. Under the impressively commanding demeanour of frontman Chad Kroeger, Nickelback thereafter submerged the crowd into a deep pool of ballads like ‘Far Away’ and ‘Lullaby’. Whilst this midsection of slushy rock was played to the point of saturation, it succeeded in punctuating the eventual return of their hard liquor rock riffs with an almighty crunch. Nickelback’s performance was far from jaded, and it was a genuine pleasure to witness their pearly whites lighting up the stage as they bathed in the voltage coursing through the arena. Sadly, Nickleback wavered in integrity with their encore addition of Foo Fighters’ ‘Everlong’. Question marks levitated over gig-goers’ heads as they tried to comprehend the unsettling U-turn in momentum. The band’s onstage chemistry was also perplexing: a band of brothers between songs, yet during songs they were four pieces of different puzzles. Nevertheless, whilst often dismissed for flailing authenticity, Nickelback were refreshingly free of smoke and mirrors in a world currently drowning in them. Go, listen to them. I dare you.
2. Soundway Records Reissuing the best music to come out of North Africa in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, as well as representing exciting bands like Flamingods, any release by Soundway is definitely worth a listen.
1. Exploding in Sound Celebrating their fifth year this week, exploding in sound are truly one of the most exciting labels around. With Pile, Krill, Palehound and Ovlov on their roster, as well as alumni like Porches, Lvl Up and Speedy Ortiz, Exploding in Sound have made a habit finding the best garage bands on the east coast of America.
Music13
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Opinion
Opinion: Are lyrics poetry? Following Bob Dylan’s surprise Nobel Prize win, debate has focused on the worthiness of his lyricism. Is it time to reevaluate the literary value of songwriting, asks Gurnaik Johal Gurnaik Johal Contributor There was outrage among much of the literary elite last week after Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. The prize going to a songwriter, even one as influential as Dylan, raises the question as to whether lyrics can be classed as poetry.
“There is a clear class divide in the arts, with poetry seen as high art and lyrics seen as simplistic”
I think we’ve all experienced that feeling when a particular line of a particular song stands out and stays with you. Many times it seems the perfect lyric is just as good, if not better, than many acclaimed lines of poetry. Yet there is a clear class divide in the arts, with poetry seen as high art and lyrics seen as simplistic and easy to write. This divide is ironic seeing as poetry has been performed with music for thousands of years—the word lyric originating in Ancient Greece where a poet would perform whilst playing a lyre (an older version of a harp). Surely then, song lyrics are just a continuation of the oral tradition of poetry that is already celebrated by academics.Critics often say that if you put lyrics on a page they won’t
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
hold up to scrutiny the same way a poem would. The lyrics of your favourite song, when written down, probably look a lot less impressive than you thought they would. This is because in music we are presented with a lot more information, the rhythms, melodies and vocal effects aren’t pre-
sent on the page. Therefore, a lot of lyrics lose their charm on paper—think of it as the difference between seeing a 3D object in real life or in a photo. However, there are many lyricists—Bob Dylan being one—whose work can stand on it’s own because it has enough ‘literary value’ to be classified as poetry. To me, it seems that lyrics serving the sole purpose of accompanying the music do not work as poetry in their own right. Yet, songs where the lyrics are put to the foreground, and the music works to accompany them, do. The best example of this is in rap music (or “rhythm-assisted poetry”). Rappers like Kendrick Lamar and MF DOOM showcase as much poetic skill in their lyrics as other more acclaimed writers. For example, an album like To Pimp a Butterfly could be seen as one of the more important pieces of literature in recent years because, unlike a lot of avant-garde works, it is accessible to wider audiences whilst still retaining social and political importance. Overall, I’d say poetry and lyrics work best when they converge; there’s a musicality to poetry and poetry in lyrics. No matter where you stand in terms of Dylan’s music, the controversial decision has been good at least in proving that lyrics are a legitimate form of poetry.
Album
Album: Two Door Cinema Club - Gameshow Released 14th October via Parlophone Hana Kelly bids a sad farewell to Two Door Cinema Club’s former glory on their third LP Hanna Kelly Contributor Two Door Cinema Club’s newly released album Gameshow has hit the now-metaphorical shelves and it certainly does disappoint. My memory of the unknown tracks being played at Reading Festival this year appeared to be well received by the audience—although, I will admit, I had been drinking. The fun and catchy indie pop/rock of Tourist History and Beacon has long gone. Instead Gameshow is an album of electronic-indie pop tracks that sound like a teenager’s first attempt at mixing
3/10 a record. Of course evolution as a band is important, and Two Door Cinema Club have definitely evolved, but today I am in mourning for the classics that I will never stop listening to. Whilst the level of production has clearly increased, the quality has not. The opening of ‘Lavender’ could be a child’s electric drum kit that was set to loop, reminiscent of the joke band ‘The Jerk Offs’ in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Meanwhile, listening to the album as a stream is quite
an event as the songs fade across into one another, illuminating how cohesive, streamlined, and stylised the album and the band now are. This triumph is then undermined by the disappearance of Alex Trimble’s fun and characteristic Northern Irish accent that has been replaced with a bland-sounding overmixed voice. His monosyllabic singing is then attached to looped tracks of single drum beats and little reverb. One song, however, that has some memory of their prior glory is the title track, ‘Gameshow’. Trimble’s natural voice can be heard for the most part with the instruments having a much more natural indie feel. However even this track begins to feel uncomfortably simplistic with screeched lyrics towards the crescendo. I will concede that Two Door Cinema Club are definitely trying something new, and if modernised electronic indie pop/rock is your bread and butter of the music world, then this album could be heaven sent; the album itself peaked at num-
Photo: Album artwork
ber two on the official album charts and has been mostly well-received. But for me, I’ll just say I’m no longer sad that their Manchester show sold out.
Album
Album: Kings of Leon - WALLS The one-time ‘biggest band in the world’ have little to lose or prove with their seventh output: Will the Nashville boys regain their title? Released 14th October via RCA Will Baldwin-Pask Contributor It’s been three years since Kings of Leon released their sixth album Mechanical Bull, a project that failed to see neither the commercial success of their 2008 breakthrough Only By The Night or the promised a return to the quality rock aesthetic of the band’s early albums. It suggested the band had run out of ideas and threatened to prove their peak had been reached years ago. Following tantrum reactions to their success in the ‘Sex on Fire’ days and an apparent bettering of in-band relationships since, their seventh installment, WALLS, is released with most likely minimal effect on the group’s career or legacy. So, with resentment towards the grand headline anthems that earnt them mainstream recognition and a misfiring attempt of a record to revitalise the classic yet widely unrecognised old-school KOL racket, where are the band to go with WALLS? The answer seems to be a bit in the past, a bit in new territory and a bit in the comfort zone. Lead single ‘Waste a Moment’ kicks the record off and hangs on to the heavily reverbed guitars the band have come to adopt whilst returning to the garage pace of 2003’s Youth and Young Manhood. Following this is ‘Reverend’, a plodding stadium track that seems to have learnt from Come Around Sundown’s coastal melodies, and surely can’t be anything but ‘a bit boring’ when performed live. However, the band do surprise and excel with songs like ‘Muchacho’, a ballad reminiscent of Aha Shake Heartbreak yet wholly original, and riffy re-
6/10 turn-to-form tunes such as ‘Find Me’ and ‘Eyes on You’. Even the acoustic title track ‘WALLS’ is slow and solemn enough to make you stop doing anything and stare blankly as the album closes. In interviews, the Followills have spoken of the album’s personal themes and there’s enough sonic emotion here to see this. But best of all is how relaxed the band sound again. Having already released a series of pretty abstract music videos, the album cover features four feminised faces of the band members, mournfully emerging from a pool of what looks like semen, possibly some metaphor for their recovery from the self-indulged complacency of Mechanical Bull. And in fairness, WALLS sounds like a much more sincere and enjoyable effort for the band themselves, and hopefully for the fans who hear it. Caleb, the band’s shy yet sulky singer, has finally managed to match his voice to his sexiness, employing a passable amount of passion in his songs and resembling Brandon Flowers of The Killers with a bit of Springsteen in the choruses. He even whips out at times the desperate, broken-voice style so unique to original Kings of Leon that he starts to sound like he might not be having such a shit time after all. But as ever, the band’s tragic flaw lies in Caleb’s uninspired lyrics. In the long-haired days of old, he could get away with this but now, emphasised more than ever, the weakest words stick out like Caleb’s receding hairline, nearly ruining ‘Around
Photo: Album artwork
the World’, a would-be whiskey bar banger save for the cringeworthy gap year claim of having “been around the world, all around the world, I lost myself and found a girl”. Kings of Leon’s hubris sadly lies in no longer seeking the diversity of their early career, and the fact that Only By The Night, an intended experimental album, managed to rocket them to fame. But as so often happens, fame—and the fact your fans are paying to hear you sing about being on fire whilst having sex—has perplexed and frustrated the band to the point that they’ve applied a safety belt to their sound. Drummer Nathan’s once wristbreaking rhythms sound arthritic in comparison. The Killers-ness doesn’t just stop with Caleb, as the
band frequently go for the ‘please-sing-along-withus’ chorus backed by over-the-top euphoric guitars, especially on ‘Over’ and ‘Conversation Piece’. WALLS is, on the whole, not a bad effort for a band having to consolidate the ground they’ve lost to similar-sounding talent like Alabama Shakes, The Orwells and The War on Drugs, to name a few. But this album does present the sad possibility that Kings of Leon are a band smouldering, wrestling with relevance and soon to be beaten. WALLS isn’t going to be anywhere near as good as their best for fans, conservative or recent, but it offers enough interesting moments to give them hope.
Music
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ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Interview
Interview: You Me At Six 18th October at O2 Academy Leeds
Katie Shepherd talks to You Me At Six about their upcoming album, tackling ticket scammers and how we have yet to see the best of this band
Katie Shepherd Deputy Music Editor
Photo: Katie Shepherd
“They say this is a fucked up world,” Josh Franceschi declares in a rare moment of silence at the invigorated and thoroughly sweaty crowd before him. “But I am telling you; this is a beautiful world. Don’t let some fat dickhead tell you otherwise.” A roar of defiant agreement rips from the body of the O2 Academy Leeds before the band throw themselves into the anthemic ‘Too Young to Feel this Old’. All around me, friends have their arms around each other’s shoulders as they jump and sway, singing every lyric with the same fervour as the men performing on stage before them. It is this positivity, the intensity of the feeling that everything is okay, that is at the very crux of a You Me At Six show. And in that moment, it really does seem like an amazingly beautiful world. Rewind a couple of hours and I am sat on a small balcony with vocalist, Josh, and guitarist, Max Helyer, above the venue in which they would later
be inspiring such zealous energy. This tour occurs at a pretty exciting point in You Me At Six’s career, preceding their fifth studio album Night People, due for release in January next year, and following their tenth anniversary as a band last year. “It’s nice to play smaller venues.” Max tells me, “It’s letting people reignite their love for the band.” Having headlined arenas including the MEN just last year, “smaller” seems almost understated, but it’s the re-connection with their fans that these more intimate shows have allowed them, that is important. “It’s nice to see fans faces.” Josh says, “We’ve got some really great fans; we’re lucky. It took a long time to make the new record, so it’s nice to be back on the road. It’s nice to miss something. It was so fast paced for the last ten years; constant touring, album, touring, album.” Max nods, “When you’ve done it for such a long time you need to have a bit of time out to just be normal again.” “Max and I bought houses, moved in with our ladies… I’m now engaged, got some kittens, a puppy, you know - old man stuff.” But with Night People exceeding the already high anticipations before it has even been released, You Me At Six are a band far from ready to settle down. Previous releases, Hold Me Down and Sinners Never Sleep, have established You Me At Six as a staple name in the indie scene and in every misfit kid of the late 2000s’ album collection. There is something compellingly unrefined about these earlier records, and a fierce lack of apology for it, that has defined this band—and a generation—up to this point. It is, however, the journey and growth from this sound that defines the album Night People. “It feels like there’s actually something to say on this record.” Says Max, “What we’ve tried to achieve
over the past year and a half is to write music that we feel is, dare I say, timeless.” There is definitely something reminiscent of classic 70s rock in the groove of the guitar threaded through latest singles ‘Night People’ and ‘Plus One’, which, combined with their sharp production and gritty choruses, results in a sound that is simultaneously classic and fresh. In terms of influences behind the upcoming record, Max lists names ranging from The Who to The White Stripes, but also makes it clear that the focus was on developing and evolving their own, unique sound rather than focusing on what anyone else has done. “I don’t really care what hype the new pop-punk band is making.” Josh shrugs. “I don’t really care what anybody else is doing in general. I spent so much of my career in You Me At Six wondering what other people were doing and trying to emulate that. But you need to focus on what’s important to you as an artist.” One thing I was eager to talk to the band about was an issue Josh has recently raised on Twitter and clearly something important to him; so-called ‘ticket touts’. “When we put our tickets on sale, the price is based on the show that we are putting on.” Josh tells me, “We want to give value for money. So, when a ticket company that you entrust to do that service also has sister companies within their structure that allow 20-30% of the amount of tickets available to be sold on one of their websites for four or five times the amount you’re selling, that to me is wrong.” The band has not delayed in putting these notions into action; “There are certain sites we no longer sell tickets through and there’s one MP in particular who is helping me get a bill together.” “It’s about being socially aware and taking some
responsibility. I don’t want to watch our fans get ripped off. These are the people that gave me and my friends for the last ten years the most powerful thing you can give somebody—the ability to do something they love as their job. So in return, if we can be part of something that shows that we care on the same level about them, then why would we not be part of that?” It isn’t hard to understand why You Me At Six shows have such wonderfully encouraging and truly enjoyable atmospheres, when the unwavering respect for the people that helped get them where they are is evident in every aspect of this band. The show itself drew songs from the band’s entire discography. Though there was a clear distinction from the latest singles, they received exactly the same heartfelt and elated reception as the older classics like ‘Stay With Me’ and ‘Underdog’, proving their resolute relevance in the here and now. You Me At Six may have been the soundtrack to a generation’s tough teen years, but they are not to be dismissed as that band that you used to listen to. Now that they have been firmly rooted into the scene, they’re exploring all the space they have to grow. Do not let the success of the past ten years fool you into thinking that was it; there is nothing past-tense about this band. They’ve got too much more to give. “I don’t want to turn into some peculiar nostalgiafest.” Says Josh, “I don’t want people to come see us, praying we play our first record back to back… We spent a long time making [Night People] and I want to play people that. I want people to hear where we’re at now. Some of the best records of all time were bands fifth or sixth records. I like to think the best of You Me At Six is yet to come.”
Live
Live: Scott Fagan 14th October at Deaf Institute
Rediscovered folk artist Scott Fagan plays at the Deaf Institute, making Oscar Talbot wonder how he was ever forgotten in the first place.
7/10
Oscar Talbot Contributor
Photo: Album artwork
Scott Fagan is a man of contradictions: an old man singing songs written by a 21 year old, a white atheist who grew up in the American Virgin Islands, the sort of person who names their show ‘Introducing Scott Fagan’ almost 50 years after his first album. His songs are full of ‘60s idealism, but have only become commercially wellknown in 2010’s. He could easily be mistaken for an early David Bowie, except he predates Bowie’s first notable works.
Tracks of the week: Bowie’s ghost haunts this week’s crop of new tracks, writes Ben Lomax
Fagan grew up in near-poverty in the American Virgin Islands, after moving from New York as a young child. His mother and her succession of unsuitable alcoholic partners were barely able to look after him, leading to him weighing 40kg at 15 with a reputation as prodigious fighter. The depression of the Virgin Islands was chronic and severe, and he felt himself an outsider. He eventually escaped the claustrophobic penury and made it to New York with a few cents in his pocket. With the typical ‘60s dream of ‘making millions’ and also ‘changing the world’ he was influenced by Dylan’s radical poetry and Donovan’s soft psychedelia, and convinced Doc Pomus, the writer of ‘Viva Las Vegas’ and ‘Suspicion’ to hear him. Ten minutes later he was one of three artists singed to Bang Records – the other two being Van Morrison and Neil Diamond. And the rest could have been history. Except, intriguingly, Fagan seems to refuse to comment on why his album failed to do well. There is always a large amount of chance in the music industry, and he was bounced around labels and plagued with problems, but he was an artist who got a standing ovation from a 10,000 strong crowd in Central Park. The reasons may well be too personal, but unlike William Oynebor’s conversion to evangelical Christianity or Rodriguez’s obscurity it is hard to work out. Some of his songwriting is incredible. The opening two tracks on his re-released debut South Atlantic Blues, ‘In My Head’ and ‘Nickels and Dimes’ call to mind Don McLean or Ben E King, and although Fagan is playing old songs he still has charisma and showmanship - it’s easy to see why he was one of two people The Beatles considered signing to Apple Records. Despite his stripped down
ensemble, Fagan was able to perfectly evoke the sound of the ‘60s as he bobbed his bearded head up and down. His voice is perfectly preserved in a strange way that only adds to the surrealism of the event. As is seemingly part and parcel with any creative who lived in New York in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Fagan’s life is filled with bizarre cameos from celebrities. He supported Jimmy James and the Blue Flames, better known by his later moniker of Jimi Hendrix, and was in a band with John Denver. Poignant songs such as ‘Crying’ and the eponymous ‘South Atlantic Blues’ are intensified by his mysterious interim years when played live, although the motif in ‘Crying’ suffers from the lack of violins, leaving it feeling slightly flat and lacking the structure of the album version. Some of the weaker songs seem almost quaintly preserved in the set. As a Virgin Islander Fagan may disagree with me, and that is very reasonable, but calypsos in my opinion are almost always best left in the past. ‘Crystal Ball’ especially suffers from the live orchestration makes it seem somewhat tedious and reminds me too much of Mike Read’s ‘UKIP Calypso’ to be enjoyable. The woozy ‘Tenement Hall’ overemphasises the chorus lyrics, as Fagan sings ‘this is insane!’ one too many times. Sadly Fagan left out my favourite of his, the wistful ballad ‘Valeria’, which is well worth listening to. Fagan is as interesting a character as Sugar Man, but the reason for his lack of success is much harder to figure out. With the rediscovery of his album combined with his tour he may be able to put out more music, and finally carve himself a niche in the hall of fame.
‘Rainbow Lollipop’ – Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation
‘Ordinary’ – Jagwar Ma
‘No Plan’ – David Bowie
Swedish psych band Josefin Öhrn + The Liberation come of the gate hungry in this track from their sophomore album Mirage. Free from the pomp and pretence that too often accompanies modern psychedelic rock, Josefin and co. lay down a sticky,
Taken from new release Every Now & Then, Jagwar Ma are back with a track that is slicker and sassier than anything on 2013’s baggy debut triumph Howlin. Rooted heavily in their dance influences, synth and drum machine man Jono Ma takes centre stage on this bouncy track packed with airy synths and sharp beats. A smooth refinement on their upbeat Manchester-inspired sound, the Australian trio show they’ve got a lot more to say.
One of the three bonus tracks to be released along with the cast recordings from Bowie’s musical Lazarus, ‘No Plan’ debuted on BBC Radio last Tuesday. It’s a floatier affair than many of the other songs recorded around the time of Blackstar, but packed with its trademark instrumentation of eerie saxophones and strippedback percussion. Dreamy synths and laid-back drumming carry a despondent and uncharacteristically frail sounding Bowie. If Blackstar was a final goodbye, this track feels like letting go and passing on, as ever with immeasurable grace and charm.
driven, shoegaze-inspired stunner of a track in ‘Rainbow Lollipop’. There’s a hypnotic swagger to it, sure to draw you in, as it saunters its way to just under the four minute mark.
Games 15
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Crash, bang, wallop Photo: israelavila@flickr
Connor McBride Games Contributor Continuing my kick on the 1980s that started last week with the British home computer, and how influential it was in not only British video games, but the computing industry, I’d like to cross the pond and talk about North America’s adventures with video games. In the 1970s, the first generation of video game consoles in the USA weren’t much to write about. There were a handful of consoles available, none of them for sale over here, most of them costing over $300 USD and they all only had one game: ‘Pong’. The Atari 2600, released in 1977, was an instant hit because it could play more than one game! It had these things called “cartridges” that had different games on them! It also had colours and sound! To a market that had just spent the better part of a decade playing ‘Pong’ on a black screen, literally anything other than ‘Pong’ was a warm welcome. The Atari 2600 sold like hotcakes. By the beginning of the 80s, Atari was grossing billions of dollars a year. The only real competitor at the time was the Fairchild Channel F, which packed it in very early on. Atari was the uncontested king. The Atari 2600 was the reigning champ, so of course a lot of pretenders came out of the woodwork. In 1982 alone, five new consoles hit the market, including the Intellivision and Colecovision. Each console had its own library of games. Having five consoles
worth of video games in a store takes up valuable real estate and very quickly the market became saturated. What do you buy? There was a trend at the time among video game companies of not crediting the programmers that worked on games, and Atari was no exception. Annoyed by the lack of recognition for their hard work, many of Atari’s workers quit and formed independent video games publishers. The most successful of which was a little company called Activision. Atari attempted to sue Activision in order to block sales of their games, but as soon as this failed the floodgates were open for anyone to develop third party games. The number of games on the market swelled. Stores didn’t have enough space to carry all of these games, and few of them were any
good. Console manufacturers had lost control of what was on their systems and their consoles suffered for it. There was an expectation from Atari themselves that the appetite for video games was so ravenous that the public would buy almost anything regardless of quality. A prime example of this was ‘E.T. The Extra Terrestrial Game’. A sixweek mess of a game thrown together in time for the holiday season. So sure it would be a hit, 5 million copies were made. It tanked and is regarded as one of the worst games ever. Thousands of copies were buried in New Mexico because they just couldn’t shift them. Another notable game was the 2600 version of ‘Pac-Man’. Atari made 12 million cartridges, when only 10 million people owned an Atari 2600. They were anticipating people buying a console just for this game. This attitude
American consoles and the market crash of the 1980s
was commonplace in the industry at the time. Stores had shelves upon shelves of games that they couldn’t sell as fast as they were getting them. While video game consoles were fighting it out and flooding the market with derivative tat, home computers were slowly on the rise. Home computers like the Apple II and the Commodore 64 had nicer graphics, better sound chips than the consoles of the time and could do much more than just play games. In 1982, Commodore and Texas Instruments were in the middle of a vicious price war. Commodore cut the price of their flagship model, the Commodore 64 to $300, not much more than the price of the Atari 2600 at the time. Suddenly people were asking “Why would I pay more for something that could only play video games that looked worse?” The home computers at the time could run bigger games that looked and sounded better, while the Atari 2600 could barely run ‘Pitfall’. So you have lots of consoles on the market, all with lots of sub-par games that no one is buying, and home computers are slowly encroaching on the market. What happens? The market crashes. The surge of low quality games that flooded shops left the public feeling discontent, and consequently they stopped buying video games. Lots of games were sitting on shelves unsold, which hurt retailers, who sent the games back to the publisher
for refunds, which hurt publishers. Smaller publishers quickly went under from the demands for refunds that they couldn’t pay. Stores reduced the space reserved for video games and shoved new games that were normally $30 into bargain bins for quick sales. By June 1983, confidence in video games was at an all time low. The sales from video games plummeted and the Magnavox, Intellivision and Colecovision were all discontinued by 1984. The Atari 2600 clung on, but it was not the titan it once was, with its next consoles nowhere near as successful. This was the video game crash of 1983. The console market remained relatively dormant until the release of the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. Home computers managed to weather the crash fairly well, continued to sell, opened up a new generation to computer gaming and gave birth to a new breed of coders. The freedom allowed to third party developers that was so prevalent here was quickly nipped in the bud, with future companies like Nintendo and Sony tightening control on third party games. Nintendo even imposed a limit on the number of games a company could publish a year. Thanks to this, no one ever made a bad video game again, and instead put love and effort into their games.
Feature
Point-and-click David Edwards Games Conribuor
Ever since I first saw my brother playing ‘Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars’, I have been fascinated by point-and-click adventure games. Peering over his shoulder, blurting out advice in a scene reminiscent of an attempt to win big on the quiz machine down the pub, I knew straight away there was something special about this genre of games. The origins of point-and-click adventure games can be traced back to 1976 with the release of ‘Colossal Cave Adventure’, a text based adventure game. Fast-forward to the 90s and the genre would then reach its peak with numerous releases that are now considered cult classics, many of which have sparked a wave of remasters in recent years. So what exactly are point-and-click adventure games? Point-and-click games, as the name suggests, rely upon a relatively simple control interface. Put simply, you just point and click, combining items in your inventory and interacting with objects to progress through the game. But what is so special about such a basic style of game? Essentially, the keys to success for this genre are the characteristic features that compose—a gripping narrative, well written dialogue trees, and complex puzzles that pose a real challenge to the player. With that in mind, let us take a look at four of the best examples
that the genre has to offer. First up is the critically acclaimed Monkey Island series. This franchise consists of five games; starting with the 1990 release ‘The Secret of Monkey Island’, four sequels followed, each offering a unique and entertaining experience. Set during the golden age of piracy in a fictional group of islands in the Caribbean, the story follows the protagonist Guybrush Threepwood and his love interest Elaine Marley in their continuous fight against the villainous un-dead pirate LeChuck. The series is defined by its characteristic humour and dialog, which provide hours of wholesome entertainment and create a playerfriendly experience. Puzzles can be troublesome at times, but prove rewarding once you have finally deciphered them. Expect witty dialogue, numerous pop culture references and subtle jokes throughout. Next let us look at Revolution Software’s 1994 release, ‘Beneath a Steel Sky’. Set in a post-apocalyptic dystopian future, the game follows the story of Robert Foster and his sentient robot pal Joey. The cyber-punk style of ‘Beneath a Steel Sky’ creates a unique and refreshing gaming experience. Alongside this, the plot provides an interesting social commentary, exploring issues that may affect a future society brought to its knees by conflict. The sci-fi world created by Revolution software is truly exciting and, combined with dynamic dialog,
A golden age for gaming?
Photo: espensorvik@flickr
motivates the player to explore the game in-depth. Split between the wasteland environment of ‘the gap’ and the towering steel metropolis of Union City, ‘Beneath a Steel Sky’ really does stand fast as an excellent gaming experience even after 22 years. Our third example is a behemoth of the genre, ‘Grim Fandango’. First released by LucasArts in 1998, ‘Grim Fandango’ has become a cult classic, spawning a 2015 remaster. The story follows Manuel “Manny” Calavera, a despondent travel agent at the aptly named department of death. Manny is tasked with selling travel packages to recently deceased souls from the land of the living to aid them on their journey to the ‘land of eternal rest’. However, this quickly develops into a tale of deception as he tries to unravel a mysterious conspiracy
gripping the underworld and save his love interest Mercedes Colomar. ‘Grim Fandango’ stands out in a genre dominated by quirky and unique titles as something truly exceptional. The use of 3D graphics layered over static 2D backgrounds was a first for LucasArts and it works flawlessly. However, it is the combination of stylistic influences including film-noir and Calaca figures from the Mexican Day of the Dead festival that create an unparalleled adventure. Last, but certainly not least, is one of the greatest point and click franchises of all time, ‘Broken Sword’. With five titles on offer from Revolution Software, the broken sword series is a veteran of the genre. These games not only left me spellbound but have also been captivating gamers for over two
decades. The stories are complex and well written, keeping you gripped throughout. It is littered with puzzles that often leave you scratching your head in bewilderment, only to put a smile upon your face once you finally figure them out. The main characters, George Stobbart and Nico Collard, are loveable and always provide witty and often humorous commentary in their quest to decipher captivating mysteries. The plots are riddled with murder, intrigue and enigmas, making the series one of the most remarkable and impressive point-and-click adventure franchises of all time. So, despite the ageing graphics and often annoying resolution for 4:3 ratio computer monitors, point-andclick adventure games hold a special place in many a heart and deserve to be recognised as a true golden age for gaming. They simply don not make them like they used to.
Want to meet fellow gamers in Manchester? Come and visit the University of Manchester Gaming Society stall at this years freshers fair! We host weekly events and have always been a good place to make friends and play some amazing games as a community.
Fashion & Beauty
16
High heeled horrors
Whilst we are told ‘beauty is pain’ and we cram our feet into the highest of heels, how far is too far in search of fashionable fabulosity? By Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie Soar At the Golden Globes in 2014, actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson presented an award clutching a martini in one hand and a pair of Louboutins in the other. As she joked the red of the soles were in fact her blood, the laughter signalled the empathies from all women in the room. We have all been there, when it is preferable to walk home from a night out shoeless and dancing around broken glass and cigarette butts. Admittedly it is never a woman’s finest moment, but a necessary one on occasion. There are certainly times when a shoe can do more damage than good. We are told ‘beauty is pain’ and sacrifices are to be made in order to look downright fabulous on a night out. But sometimes you have to put your foot down. Whilst the modelling profession comes with its inevitable perks, there are times in a model’s career when enough is enough. Their hair is tugged and tamed, their makeup slapped on and they are manhandled into the most excruciating of outfits. It is no wonder their facial expression often suggest they are sucking on sour grapes. Then if that were not bad enough, they must saunter and seduce the audience whilst wearing stilts. It is hard to forget the fashion frenzy around Naomi Campbell’s infamous tumble in Vivienne Westwood’s Paris show in
1993. The luck she had in not snapping her ankles in 12-inch platforms is an achievement in itself. Her expression said it all really: if you are going to put me in these ridiculous shoes, what do you expect really? However whilst Naomi picked herself up and dusted herself off in true Carrie Bradshaw style, brushing off her fall from grace with a self-pitying smile (after all, the only damage done was to her dignity), some models’ experiences are not as accepting. I might add, Naomi has also since returned to the shoes on Jonathan Ross’s chat show, so clearly the incident was not too scarring. This September, Kayne West debuted his Season 4 Yeezy show in all its monochromatic glory. Whilst Yeezy does not quite follow in the experimental fashion statements reserved for the likes of Westwood, this does not limit the chances of discomfort on the catwalk. Many wobbled dramatically down the runway but one model (quite understandably) had had enough after limping down the catwalk in a pair of plastic heels. As so many of us have done before, she whipped them off and continued barefoot. The model, Amina Blue, later defended her actions, claiming the shoes were comfortable but the combination of intense heat and a plastic encasing around her feet was too much to bear. In order for the show to go on, the shoes had to come off. Who can blame her? It is a risk one takes when working in an occupation in which your comfort comes secondary to the design of a look. It is the trials and tribulations that come with the career. Whilst these women might manage to frequently overcome such physical horrors, my approach would be more like Emma Thompson’s: fling those Louboutins over your head and sip on your martini, no matter how many millions of people may be watching you.
Celebs that scare Jenny Knowles weighs in on the alter egos of celebrities and their impact on popular culture As it is nearing Halloween we focus on famous celebrities’ alter-egos that are designed to scare us, or at least gather our attention in a less than conventional manner. Certain celebrities create a typically loud and scandalous persona, frequently under the name of an alter ego, a character that does not really exist but has an impact on popular culture nevertheless. Lady Gaga, a prime example, brought us arguably the most repulsing outfit the VMA’s has ever seen in the form of the infamous 2010 ‘Meat Dress’—a full head to toe outfit constructed from raw beef which was later exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. It caused outrage among the general public and was inevitably condemned by animal rights groups, but it certainly got the world’s attention. When we think of Lady Gaga unconventionally large fascinators, masks, spikes and even an entire outfit made
out of Kermit the frog springs to mind. One can only assume that her aim is not to set trends, but rather to appal and shock her way into our everyday conversations. It is a clever trick to ensure that you remain current and popular, whilst leaving the public guessing what your next monstrous publicity stunt will be. Skipping a generation, described as a middle aged man who has not got over his Goth stage, Marylin Manson’s look stands out in the music industry as one with a ghostly edge. Taking inspiration from Kiss, Manson’s trademark style sees him drenched in white makeup, heavy eyeliner and layers of black clothing laced together with an array of metallic accessories, Manson’s look is chilling. In an interview, he once told the guardian “I created a fake world because I did not like the one I was living in”. Often this is the case with celebrities who fabricate an alternative personality as a form of escapism from their ordinary selves. Although there are controversial views on these artists and what they do, I consider this as a positive aspect of pop culture. It demonstrates imagination in expressing ourselves through the way we dress and challenges the mainstream styles currently in play.
Photo: drbethsnow @ Flickr
Fashion & Beauty 17
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Bloody chokers, they’re back in fashion again!
Whilst chokers adorn many necks of the Manchester student body, Sophie Billington takes a look at their grim and gruesome origins from 18th century France It might frighten you to find that those tight-fitting necklaces we call ‘chokers’ have a long and dark history suitable to their name. Subtle, small and discreet chokers are currently seen as the perfect accessory to add an edge and vamp up any outfit. However their past in fashion has not been short-lived and their significance bears a tribute to the short-lived, making their presence throughout time decidedly spooky. ‘A la victime’ was a horrifying and defiant
movement in late 18th century French fashion. It mirrored the image of those who met a swift yet brutal public execution during the Reign of Terror, a bloody period of the French revolution. High society mocked and mimicked death by adorning the neck with red ribbons in literally cutthroat fashion. Not only was this the case but decadent and exclusively aristocratic balls are rumoured to have been held in honour of murdered relatives. At the ‘Bals des Victimes’, the elite wore extraordinarily precious red rubies around their necks to emulate droplets of blood. If you opt to follow in the footsteps of modern day beauties such as Lily Rose Depp, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Poppy Delevingne for Halloween, allow yourself to feel not only justified but proud in your minimal effort to look elegantly intimidating. On the other hand, say what you will, but the ruthless irony with which vampy teenager wears the choker today is nothing on the gothic grotesque of the 18th century aristocratic French elite. A revival of the 90s is not quite the same as a revival of the dead and buried.
Lagerfeld’s style as costume
Sometimes personal style can go so far it transforms into a costume. Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse looks at the ultimate fashion industry personality – Karl Lagerfeld Photo: polyya @ Flickr
Vamp it up: Halloween inspired makeup
Few people in the fashion industry are as recognisable as Karl Lagerfeld—the eponymous creative director of Chanel, Fendi and his own line Karl Lagerfeld. His white hair, black glasses, leather fingerless gloves and 17th century inspired suits are both stylish and self-mocking. Lagerfeld seemingly plays up to his persona as a character of the fashion industry—Choupette may be a beautiful cat but she does make Lagerfeld reminiscent of a Bond villain. When researching this article I came across numerous online interviews, from a host of celebrated publications, that did little more than list where Lagerfeld’s clothes came from. It is the impact of the entire costume that merits more attention. His black tail jacket is by Dior but he has the same jacket in multiple fabrics, so he is not actually wearing the same clothes everyday. However, this is part of the glory of his costume, it is the silhouettes
and shapes that create the image of the same outfit. From the far off photographs that are taken of Lagerfeld, he is violently against the selfie, onlookers are not able to decipher the finer details of his ensemble—he has undoubtedly though. There are always whisperings in the fashion atmosphere as to where his style developed from, he has claimed in interviews that comments made by his mother about his hands are what led to permanently gloved hands. Other accessories, like the glasses, seem to be more playful, an admission that he is ‘fashion’; he is the villain enforcing the tyranny fashion lays on mere mortals. Lagerfeld, along with Anna Wintour, gives the outside world a vision of fashion. His image can both inspire and deter people—it is shocking in its grandeur and minimal in its palette—but for me it will always remain iconic.
Photo: mrsmarquis @ Flickr
Channeling the glamour goth – Halloween does not have to be cliché Beyond cliché costumes there are numerous ideas to spookily dress up whilst keeping it subtle. Tarun Daryanani addresses how
The Real Horrors: Killer Fashion
Jai Joshi investigates the dark side of fashion throughout history, unveiling garments and trends that were known for being so dangerous, they could kill you…
Photo: illamasqua.com
Shannon Winterbone reveals the top makeup collections, from low budget to high end, that will get you Halloween ready Halloween is one of those dates in the calendar that screams for a night out, and for this night out especially you need a range of makeup that is not going to disappoint. Forget your usual makeup routine and get creative because Halloween is only for bold ideas. Whether you are going for the ultimate Halloween look as a vampire covered in fake blood or keeping it casual with a daring shade of lipstick, these three makeup ranges have everything you need to complete your look. Makeup Revolution If you are looking to create a ghoul or skull effect, try the Ghost Powder (£2) and Ghost Sculpt duo (£4) to contour even the palest, more ghost like faces (use over primer and/or foundation to keep that definition lasting through the night). Next, add a pop of colour from the Vamp Collection (£1 each); use ‘Rebel Without Cause’ to add a blood-red lip, or if you are not feeling the ghost-
ly complexion, try ‘Black Heart’ for a statement, matte black lip. Eylure These seasonal lashes will enhance any look and stay on all night. The ‘Carnival’ lashes (£6.95) have a full lace-effect to add a gothic touch which would go well with a dark, bold lip colour. Eylure has also expanded their ‘Enchanted’ range to create the ‘After Dark’ line for Halloween—check out the ‘Into Darkness’ lashes (£5.95) for the over the top flare, and remember that these are limited edition so snap them up while you can. Illamasqua If you are more into creating bold makeup looks then get creative with Illamasqua’s ‘Dark Magic’ products which have been tailored specifically in celebration for Halloween. Using only their Halloween bestsellers, try the Precision Gel Liner (£20) in the new shade ‘Quixotic’ for a teal green eye liner that will make your eyes pop. Pair with the Powder Eye Shadow shades (£16.95 each) in ‘Inception’ and ‘Obsidian’ for a starkly contrasting smoky eye. Whether you decide to splurge on the Illamasqua collection or opt to buy products from purse friendly makeup revolution, these cosmetic buys will be sure to help you create the Halloween look you desire. And you never know that teal green eyeliner just might be an investment.
Let us take a trip back into time to the 19th Century. During this era woman wore a crinoline underneath their skirts. Believe it or not, many of these were made out of steel. Yes, that’s right—steel! It is hard to imagine women wore such contraptions to make their skirts sit prim and proper. Whilst it did the job of ensuring the skirt sat well, it was extremely dangerous. Strong enough to kill animals, fracture your leg and even be susceptible to strong gusts that could even blow you off a bridge or pier! Yikes! Another killer fashion find was the corset. Designed to give you a gorgeous hourglass figure, the corset has a bloody reputation, especially when women began to tighten it for optimum results. This led to a deformation of the constricted lungs, causing serious breathing injuries. There are even stories of the metal that is at-
tached to the corset piercing women’s backs…how ghastly! It is mind-boggling to learn about what stages fashion went through to make women look beautiful. Undoubtedly the modern day equivalent would be the stiletto. Women who are able to wear them for extended periods of time should be celebrated, especially because many (if not all) are so painful. Not forgetting that one slip could result in fatal injuries. Interestingly, the progression of fashion’s brutality in terms of design has dramatically transitioned and the production of garments and shoes has shifted. The outcome of this shift enables designers to think about their customers and design garments and products that are not only comfortable but also retain their fierce nature. Their status thus stays intact, as these items retain their titles as a ‘killer piece’.
Heidi Klum – HalloQueen No one can compete with with Heidi Klum when it comes to Halloween, Bailey Petts pays homage to her inspiring commitment As Halloween approaches, people are starting their search for the perfect costume; whether it is your bog-standard ‘sexy cat’ or your dead versions of celebrities, most people will be dressing up. When it comes to inspiration, no one is more inspiring than Heidi Klum. The supermodel hosts a Halloween party every year and persists to have the most innovative and grandiose costumes. Although Seal was the perfect partner in the sense that he would also like pushing the boat out and donning ludicrous outfits such as arriving dressed as monkeys, Klum still makes an impact; her most recent Halloween costume saw her transformed into the most seductive cartoon character to date, Jessica Rabbit. After spending days preparing in a prosthetics lab to achieve the exaggerated, voluptuous figure and the cartoon inspired facial features, Klum impressed her audience. Her old granny costume was hauntingly realistic and her Hindu goddess, Kali, costume clearly demonstrate her passion for dressing up. I for one, cannot wait to see what she becomes this year. Photo: ekhensell@Instagram
Photo: tomspartypix @ Flickr
By the time October hits there seems to be a rush of excitement as to how this years’ Halloween façade shall differ from previous ones. We channel our inner child and play around with makeup and costumes creating a concoction of heavy black eyes and splats of blood as if we have been a victim of Jack the Ripper. Surely it would be amusing to impersonate Frankenstein or a slutty vampire, but after years of witnessing people show their appreciation for fictional psychopaths, the usual ideas are getting repetitive. Go gothic or go home (keeping it fashion of course). Alexander Mcqueen and Rick Owens have an exuberant history into bringing Gothicism into the forefront whilst keeping the fashion uber chic. Alexander Mcqueen lusts for lace and possess a signature for dramatic, sheer black gowns resembling a provocative Dracula bride—still eerie but glamorous. The dark eroticism surrounding the current Mcqueen collections exposes Halloween inspiration—sophisticated and a little mysterious. Thick heavy eye makeup and black lips boosts the image of a grunge woman. Cross necklaces embodying gothic, Christian culture oozes the extra edge satisfying the needs of the fashion savvy party goer. Jet black Latex and shiny satin fabrics display the uncanny yet mod image of a mysterious, possessed princess. Rick Owens avoids the commercialism behind his spooky collections. Uneven hems and oversized black hoods layering over flowy black dresses creates a unique aesthetic, one which resembles a streetwear inspired acid witch. The latex high top boots add a grungy sportswear vibe which shows this witch is ahead of the fashion times. The important statement to make is that Halloween does not mean following the crowd but rather standing out from it. Keeping it sophisticated yet sexy is key in channelling your inner darkness. Mcqueen and Owens are placed on opposite ends of the fashion spectrum—one desires for gothic romanticism whilst the other channels a modern darkness through streetwear. This week’s important question—which do you choose?
Film
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ISSUE 06/ 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Top 5
Halloween Films for Wimps The classic Halloween picks that everyone will enjoy
Photo: Pixabay
Emefah Setranah Film Contributor 5. Casper Starting us off is this 1995 American classic. Casper the friendly ghost is an iconic character knows for his kind disposition and inability to be scary in any way, shape or form. This film follows the life of Kat (Christina Ricci) and her father (Bill pullman) who is a ghost journalist in search of his dead wife. They inhabit the property haunted by Caper and his uncles ‘The Ghostly trio’. The uncles provide most of the comedic relief in the film, with their idiocy and cantankerous behaviour. The film explores the themes of friendship, discovery and young loving leaving your heart warmed, rather than beating faster in this wimp friendly halloween movie. 4. Ghost Busters If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. The original 1984 film gets the balance of action and comedy just right and did not need to be re-made. The original film starts comedic legend Bill Murray. He and his band of paranormal experts titled ‘Ghostbusters’ are called to rid the city of New York from terrifying other worldly creatures. The group have high tech ghost catching equipment and operate from an abandoned firehouse. Employing special effects and quotable one liners the film is a visual treat. Also the ghost centric theme is perfect to get you geared up for halloween. 3. Hocus Pocus Disney do it best and this film is a fantastic halloween watch. 90s films are becoming a theme here for classic autumn viewing and this 1993 comedy is no exception. The film stars Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker as the Sanderson sisters. It is set against the historical backdrop of the Salem witch trials. The sisters are witches who plot to steal all the souls of Salem’s children in order to remain youthful forever. Set on the night of Halloween the iconographic features of witches, black cats, broom sticks and trick - or - treating make it essential Halloween viewing.
Review
Kate Plays Christine
Kate Plays Christine explores the ethics of our fascination with tragedy and death Danielle Kosky Film Contributor Director Robert Greene returns with the enthrallingly complex docudrama Kate Plays Christine, which follows actress indie darling Kate Lyn Sheil (best known for her role as Lisa Williams in House of Cards) as she prepares for the challenging and emotionally charged role of Christine Chubbuck, an American news reporter of the seventies who committed suicide during a live television broadcast. The documentary explores our morbid desire to see death and destruction, something that can be best summed up by the closing scene as Kate looks directly into the camera and bitterly says “you’re all sadists”. I readily admit that I am one of these sadists, having had the initial motive to watch the tragic death of this woman. Greene manages to address this need as the tension subtly builds up, our eyes never leaving the screen, our thoughts never wandering off. This is achieved by having the enigmatic tape of the suicide constantly being mentioned throughout the film, and yet it is never shown because it is never obtained. The film first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, taking home the Special Jury Prize. It’s not hard to see why. The most distinguishing element of the documentary was the fantastic cinematography, particularly the camerawork. Greene shoots the film in a way that gives off the impression that we are watching a fictional movie rather than a non-fiction thriller, which I found made Kate Plays Christine more absorbing
Photo: Sundance Institute
to watch. Greene switches effortlessly between the movie scenes that they’re shooting, which is reminiscent to a seventies soap opera, and the research aspect of the plot. This subsequently creates an almost seamless flow of dialogue between the actors that carries an awkward undertone. Kate Sheil is an ambiguous presence on the screen, and it’s this quality that allows the film to progress and culminate in the death. Her elusiveness, coupled with Greene’s camerawork forces us to question what’s real and what’s not. Fact and fiction become intertwined, perplexingly creating a more honest and raw portrayal of Christine. To be able to watch Sheil develop as an actress so closely and intimately was a disconcerting experience yet simultaneously it gave Kate Plays Christine a razor sharp edge to it. Sheil almost parallels Chubbuck’s steady decline into a dark pit of depression, although she doesn’t quite manage to reach it. This paints
a convoluted picture, as Kate struggles to unearth Christine’s driving motivation to end her life. The ethics of this struggle, of trying to figure out how to depict this woman’s fragile life on the screen is what makes the story such a troubling and difficult puzzle to watch. It uncomfortably exposes our curious attraction to tragedy, and our inexplicable fascination with blood and guts, as Christine (and therefore Kate) emphasised before she shot herself. I went into this movie expecting an excitingly dramatic tragedy but came out of that cinema with much more than that. This isn’t just a docudrama, it’s a gritty movie from the start, possessing many darker and deeper levels than expected, which can be a challenge to keep up with. With the recent spike in interest in documentaries, this is definitely not one to be missed.
4/5
Review
Stand By Me Sarah Jane Thomas Film Critic
‘I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?’
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Photo: spookytreasures @Flickr
2. The Addams Family A young Christina Ricci features again in this count down, this time as Wednesday Addams in this 1991 fantasy film. The Addams family luxuriate in the fact that they are feared and thought of as bizarre. They revel in their own seclusion from society and are a dysfunctional yet tight knit with a vast amount of riches. A long lost family member return and the family is thrilled. However, there are doubts as to whether this is a fake Fester or if its really him. If you are in need of group halloween costume idea then this is most defiantly a winner! 1. Edward Scissorhands Tim burton is renowned as the king of all things ghastly and ghostly. He has made so many perfect halloween films such; the nightmare before christmas (1993) and the corpse bride (2005). However beating them all to the top spot is Edward Scissorhands (1990). The film stars a young Johnny Depp and Wynona Ryder. With loses links to frankenstein, Depp portrays the creation of a scientist. Edward finds himself in a suburban neighbourhood and becomes the resident hair dresser. The pastel colour palette, budding romance and vintage bright costumes make it an enjoyable and spook free watch.
For those of you who have yet to experience the magic of Stand By Me, you really are saving the best until last. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film retells Stephen King’s novel The Body in cinematic form via the screenplay adaptation created by Raynold Gideon. The film takes the audience on a journey back in time as a writer recounts the year that four young boys named Gordie Lachance (played by Wil Wheaton) Chris Chambers (played by River Phoenix), Teddy Duchamp (played by Corey Feldman) and Vern Tessio (played by Jerry O’Connell) all went searching for the body of a missing boy near where they all lived. On the surface, the film is simply about four young boys all seeking some mischievous adventure and wanting to be the heroes of their town but as the audience become immersed into the film, they soon realise that the story being told is a one of great sentiment and importance. Stand By Me is a film about childhood, friendship and nostalgia and it most definitely set the bar for ‘coming of age’ films during the fantastic film-making years of the 1980s. It has an almost gritty yet colourful use of aesthetics, which fit rightfully with the story and messages of the film. No matter how many times you watch Stand By Me, you are still left with that same empty yet overflowing feeling of emotion that you felt after your first viewing of the film and that is one of the requirements of a film in order for it to be regarded as an all-time classic. A film that can make you feel something more than your day-to-day reactions and can make you think about more than your common
thoughts is a film that will continue to live on years after its original release. That is why Stand By Me is still worshipped to this day as one of the greatest films of all time. The portrayal of the four young boys by the actors is remarkable. For such young actors, they are all able to convey their character with such a high level of skill and are able to reel the audience in to caring for King’s lovable gang. With the help of the screenplay, they provide us with comedy, they provide us with despair and they provide us with hope. Wheaton’s and Phoenix’s performances are indescribable in the sense that they somehow make the characters of Gordie and Chris to appear to be two boys who are way ahead of their time, and present a friendship like no other. It is Phoenix’s final scene in the film that has become fuelled with more sadness than originally anticipated over the recent years as we now know that as the young boy leaves our screen that he has also left our lifetime. Thirty years has passed since Stand By Me was released in the USA back in 1986, but it still remains as one of the most loved films within film history. Although Stand By Me was nominated for an Oscar and two Golden Globes, no prestigious award could represent the emotional impact it had and still has on its audiences. It has earned its place within so many people’s hearts and is a film that has become to mean so much more over the years than it could have ever initially intended. Stand By Me is a film that will continue to live on just as the messages and morals that it depicts always will.
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ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
TV Catch Up
Review Fea-
The Night Of
Inferno
The Night Of is a compelling study of the judicial system in post 9/11 New York Imran Bukhari Film Critic When critiquing and analysing any form of media there is always the danger of exaggeration. There is a risk of overplaying the flaws of a film or the pitfall of heaping too much praise upon a TV show. Hyperbole is evidently a writer’s worst enemy. So for me to write that there are not enough superlatives to describe The Night Of… I sincerely and unequivocally mean it. HBO’s The Night Of is an eight part miniseries chronicling the events surrounding the death of a young woman in New York. You would be forgiven for thinking there’s nothing untoward or unique about this synopsis. However The Night Of soon reveals its true colours as a much smarter and more provocative beast. What sets the show apart from its peers is the level of detail. The narrative is driven meticulously by the processes, language and culture of the law and order system. Never has the intricacies of a crime and its aftermath been dealt with in such magisterial control. The show’s ingenious writers Richard Price and Steven Zaillian are surgical in their treatment of both the characters and the unfolding dynamics of the case. The pilot episode is a perfect example of the writers’ desires to linger uncomfortably long; creating a slow burn tension that gnaws away at the viewer’s nerves.
All of this drama is generated by our potential murderer Nasir Khan, played by peripheral star Riz Ahmed. Conveying the same quiet charisma he brought to his role in Nightcrawler; Ahmed creates an endless well of empathy as Nasir. Every decision, nay every mistake he makes, generates another piece of incriminating evidence. Through Ahmed’s overtly expressive eyes the audience are privy to an all too relatable soul; whose terror and isolation elevates as the reality of his situation dawns upon him. Ultimately it’s the show’s sobering commentary on the cost of a life behind bars which really strikes a resonant chord. Even if Nasir is found not guilty there is no certainty that his fading innocence will last his imprisonment. The supporting cast provide
stellar performances across the board. Michael Kenneth Williams is terrifyingly calm as the prison kingpin; however it is Nasir’s lonely lawyer John Stone who steals the show. The role was originally envisaged for James Gandolfini, but with his untimely passing and the likes of Robert De Niro passing on the part, the door was opened for John Turturro. On paper Turturro seems like a strange replacement for the previously mentioned actors but he shines as the eczema ridden attorney; bringing a much welcome warmth and amiability to what is an undeniably bleak story. It would be easy to label The Night Of as being progressive, for simply placing the story around a Muslim protagonist of Pakistani descent. In actual fact what
makes the show truly pioneering is its infrequent use of this aspect of the character. Yes, it is referenced to in terms of its societal effect and yes, it does play a part in the racial politics of the trial. The show however makes it clear that there is far more lurking inside Nasir than his religion and what truly defines him is that he is an American. An American accused of a murder he believes he did not commit. The bravery in highlighting the possibility that a Muslim can be a regular person and not the post 9/11 terrorist the media wishes to paint is admirable. In this way The Night Of is a propulsive show for both television and within the wider world which requires, nay demands, compulsive viewing.
Photo: HBO
Review
The Greasy Strangler The Greasy Strangler relies too heavily on contrived plot and crude imagery to succeed as a comedy Photo: DreamWorks Productions
Jake Sanders Film Critic A father-son duo who make their living taking gullible tourists on a fictitious walking tour of historical disco landmarks have their already strained relationship pushed to breaking point by the arrival of a woman who attracts the interest of both generations. That probably sounds like your typical quirky Sundance fare, but in addition to all that Dad may or may not be (he is) moonlighting as a lethal monstrosity-the eponymous “Greasy Strangler” whose design recalls The Toxic Avenger crossed with a stick of lard. Before it descends into an exhausting parade of nauseating imagery, The Greasy Strangler is actually pretty good, the jokes all land and the cast give enjoyably unselfconscious performances. One or two scenes, including one involving a character struggling with his pronunciation are genuinely hysterical and suggest that The Greasy Strangler might
be more effective if director, Jim Hosking, reigned in his enthusiasm for provocation. Some of the gross-out humour, including the best prosthetic cock since last year’s The Overnight, succeeds, but the third act massively over-relies on shocking imagery and plot contrivances that strain credulity even in Hosking’s funhouse version of our world. Anyone familiar with the comedic stylings popularised by Tim and Eric on AdultSwim will probably be more familiar with the aesthetic employed by The Greasy Strangler. However, as Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim learned in Billion Dollar Movie, this approach is probably best kept to the sketch format. Even ‘The Eric Andre Show’, without a doubt the best of the shows made in this style, breaks up the minuscule 11 minute talk-show format with fast-paced non-sequitors and unscripted man-onthe-street segments that help keep things
unpredictable and engaging. All this is simply a long way of saying that those interested in The Greasy Strangler might be better served elsewhere, in more easily digestible episodes available online. Hosking does however, show real visual flair at times. Some shots have a kind of painterly composition that make it hard to look away and at times there’s a strange, eerie beauty in the ugliness on screen. Some reviews of the film have interpreted The Greasy Strangler as an allegory for the relationship between the ego and the super-ego. Maybe its just a case of Hosking pitching this film way over my head but its difficult to apply any sort of attentive analysis to a film that has you planning the easiest way to hop over the couple in front of you so you can vomit without ruining anyone’s evening.
2/5
Given the success of Dan Brown’s novel, the book-film adaptation is a disappointment Cameron Broome Film Contributor Book-film adaptations inevitably polarise opinion. Some fans become overwhelmed by anger and disappointment, arguing that the film does not do their favourite book justice. To others, the film brings the book to a life in a way greater than they could ever imagine. Thus, given that in 2013 Dan Brown’s Inferno was the best-selling novel in the US, the stakes could not have been higher. Unfortunately, Inferno is a bit of a let-down, failing to encapsulate the imagery of the masterful Dan Brown. The plot is complex but the central thesis is fairly simple. A billionaire named Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) believes global population growth is not sustainable. Hence, he wants to kill half of the world’s population in an act of a bio-terrorism. The opening scene shows the Zobrist being chased before throwing himself off a building. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), a professor of symbology at Harvard University, then wakes up in a hospital room in Florence and is greeted by nurse Sienna Brooks (Felicity Jones). Brooks and Langdon then spend the rest of the film trying to locate the plague using clues left by Zobrist through different mediums of art (in particular drawing upon Botticelli’s Map of Hell, as well as Dante’s poem Divine of Comedy). Dan Brown’s books are so successful because the plot is embedded within academic literature. Brown educates the reader, exposing them to different ideas and theories which perhaps changes their perspective of the world. In the novel Inferno, the core theory explored is Thomas Malthus’ An Essay on the Principle of Population (1798). This states that global food supplies increase arithmetically (2,4,6,8 etc.) while the global population grows geometrically (2,4,8,16 etc.). Therefore, eventually, population growth will outstrip food-strip resulting in apocalyptic catastrophe, as depicted in Botticelli’s Map of Hell. But the film makes no reference whatsoever to Malthus or his ideas; the film has been “dumbed down”, involving no attempt at all to explain the views held by Zobrist. Not only is Inferno intellectually vacuous, relative to Brown’s novel, the themes are subtly different too. Elizabeth Sinksey (Sidse Babett Knudsen), head of the World Health Organization, assists Langdon and Brooks in finding Zobrist’s plague. Throughout the film, the two characters engage in mild flirting resulting in Langdon asking Sankey whether she ever thinks about what “might have been” between the two of them. While the novel hints of a past intimate relationship between Langdon and Sinksey, this is merely a side-story. But in the film, their relationship takes center stage. If viewers wanted to see romance, they would go and watch a rom-com or a chick flick; Dan Brown fans want to be intellectually stimulated and this certainly does not add to that. Tom Hanks’ acting is—as you would expect—good, while Felicity Jones does a decent job playing Sienna Brooks. In terms of cinematography, the film itself is impressive; the characters explore the beautiful cities of Florence, Venice and Istanbul. The actors performed well; the shots of the cities were impressive; the plot was lively—if somewhat dumbed down relative to the book. However, I was just given the impression that the production team’s hearts were not really in the making of Inferno. In particular, the biggest frustration I had with Inferno is was what you took away from the film. Brown’s novel left you pondering some interesting questions regarding population growth and sustainability, but the film did not have the same powerful, lasting impact on the audience—xacerbated by the fact the final scenes focused on Langdon and Sinksey’s relationship rather than the Zobrist’s neo-Malfusian beliefs. Overall, the film did not live up to expectations. Die-hard Dan Brown fans: prepare for disappointment.
Photo: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Books
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Review
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Review: The Return of the Honey Buzzard
Hope Abbott reviews the new English translation of Aimée de Jongh’s graphic novel: The Return of the Honey Buzzard Hope Abbott Books Contributor
I’m still relatively new to graphic novels, but over the last year I’ve had my preconceptions about them completely overturned. This is no exception, The Return of the Honey Buzzard is in no way a simple story, but a deep and emotionally charged one. Aimée de Jongh, the author and illustrator, has already been very successful. She has a daily comic series in the Dutch Metro newspaper, won the Prix Saint-Michel (a comic prize) and at age 17, had already self-published her first comic book. This is her first graphic novel, released in her native Dutch in 2014. It has been translated into French and Spanish, and this year into English. Her newspaper series is comedic and I’d recommend looking it up online, each comic is short and easy to read if you can understand Dutch (and you can understand a lot of the jokes even if you don’t!) It’s fantastic to see de Jongh’s range displayed in this compelling and moving story. I could talk for a very long time about how enjoyable de Jongh’s illustrations are to look at. They match the tone and add to the atmosphere of the story — it’s an immersive experience. At some points there are pages and pages with little or no dialogue, yet with de Jongh’s
Review
beautiful illustrations they don’t feel ‘silent’. The action is dynamic and as with most graphic novels, there is a temptation to rush and read it all very quickly. Trust me, it’s important to slow down. Alongside the story there are panels that are set aside showing birds, trees and insects. These provide a break in the action, a moment of quiet after the more intense scenes.
way emotions — fear, sadness and hope — are portrayed is immensely affecting. For all its vivid emotion, this is a familiar story. The recognisable elements — the bullied boy becoming the bully, the young student catching the eye of an older man, a son’s reluctance to
“Small things like this are a testament to de Jongh’s skills, the way emotions — fear, sadness and hope — are portrayed is immensely affecting.” The story is set partly in wintertime, and the black rain and slushy snow add to the melancholy mood. Contrast in general is very important in the novel. Flash back scenes to the young protagonist and his childhood friend, show the two boys as Ying and Yang, one with dark hair and light clothes, the other his opposite. De Jongh uses negative space to her advantage, throwing a spotlight onto characters and focusing their line of sight. Small things like this are a testament to de Jongh’s skills, the
take over, but then to give up the business his father left him— feel a little over played. It can feel like rereading an old story, but coupled with de Jongh’s artistry you don’t feel like you’re being cheated. It feels different and in the end it is different. Another satisfying thing about the story is that is feels complete. It’s short enough to read in an hour, but is long enough to have a proper storyline. De Jongh could have left annoying loose ends but doesn’t.
“The relationship between the story and the illustration creates a novel full of high tension” It’s a rewarding read and the plot raises uncomfortable questions about responsibility and guilt. After I’d finished, I found myself flicking back through the book, stopping on some of the most striking images. The relationship between the story and the illustration creates a novel full of high tension, proving de Jongh’s story writing skills match her illustrating credentials. Photo: Hope Abbott
Review: The Book of Dhaka
Danielle Kosky reviews The Book of Dhaka, a new collection of short stories from Comma Press Danielle Kosky Books Contributor
The Book of Dhaka, due to be released on the 26th of October, is a lovely little anthology consisting of ten short stories, written by prominent Bangladeshi authors and edited by Pushpita Alam and Arunava Sinha. Comma Press’ latest addition to the City in Short Fiction series aims to conceive a sort of literary map of the city, something that is achieved by weaving wonderful tales of love, learning and growing up in Dhaka.
“Very few of the
stories grabbed my attention and had me widening my eyes in shock at some crazy plot twist.”
The book begins with a short introduction detailing the significance of the novel, which was surprisingly helpful (I’m not usually a massive fan of introductions as I find they can be tedious). The Book of Dhaka shows us a city full of vitality and hope whilst expertly contrasting this with tones of desperation, portraying a mixture of emotions which emanates from within the city. Although I found the book interesting enough, I was unsure of the structure of the stories. It frequently read too much like a work of non fiction, which doesn’t exactly get my heart pounding. What I was hoping for was something which would make me feel more fully engaged with the plot and the characters as opposed to what it really felt like — coming across as something that read more like a text book. I understand that these stories are trying to teach us about the morals and culture in Dhaka however, for me anyway, a lot of these plots could have been a lot more engrossing
if they had felt a little less educational and a little more magical. Another thing that didn’t appear engaging was that most of the short stories didn’t seem particularly unique or different to anything else I’d read before. It was quite ‘been there, done that’. Very few of the stories grabbed my attention and had me
“I must confess that this short story is perhaps my favourite within the whole anthology.” widening my eyes in shock at some crazy plot twist. Reading back on this review, you may guess that there is a general sense of dislike for The Book of Dhaka, however there were some stories that tickled my funny bone. ‘The Circle’ by
Moinul Ahsan Saber brought a smile to my face, with the plot revolving around a woman who is taken on a trip around the city for the first time by her husband on his motorbike. Wildly though, the motorbike seems to have a life of its own as it forces the couple to go round and around the same streets and see the same sights, much to their annoyance. I must confess that this short story is perhaps my favourite within the whole anthology. It stood out to me in a way that the others didn’t, the tone suddenly picking up and becoming faster paced, which made it a lot easier to get stuck into than some of the other stories. The Book of Dhaka is a collection that at times was hard to get into but also provided some entertaining and stimulating reads, taking us through the vibrant city of Dhaka and allowing us to enter the minds of many of its citizens, from gangsters to slum kids.
Book Recommendation of the week
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón “It is one of those books that I had to stop reading because I was surprised by it, I physically had to put the book aside and just think and let it sink in. I also gasped loudly on an aeroplane while I was reading this, I almost woke up the man that was sleeping next to me, because I needed to talk about this with someone. I think about this book and I smile inevitably because I knew I was going to like it but I did not know I was going to belong to it in such an intimate way.”
Frida Arriaga: International Postgraduate student Photo: mariusz kluzniak@flickr
Photo: Comma Press
GLOBAL FEST 2016
24-28 OCT Supported by The University of Manchester Alumni Association
Food & Drink
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ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Simon Rogan leaves The French and Adam Reid steps in Mirriam Mizzi Contributor This week, I found myself scrolling through Manchester Evening News, and was shocked to see that Simon Rogan had left The French, three years into his five-year contract. Various sources have linked Simon’s decision to leave, to the failure to reach a Michelin star at the restaurant located in the Midland Hotel. However, Simon simply stated: “It’s now time to concentrate our efforts on developing and growing our businesses in Cartmel with L’Enclume and Rogan & Co. as well as ensuring that Fera at Claridge’s continues to be operated to our high standards”. I spoke to head chef Adam Reid on what he envisages the future of The French to be like, and what he plans to do now his name will be on the door. Hi Adam, how do you feel about being asked to take charge now Simon Rogan has left The French? ‘It’s an honour for me, it’s something every chef works towards in their career, to get their name above the door and cook their own style of food. It’s really exciting’.
What can we expect from the new menu? Have you got any big changes planned? ‘I’m developing, at the moment, the menu we are going to implement in November, which is going to be focused around my influences and my style and what I like in terms of taste. I’m a good Northern lad, so there will be nice hearty flavours which are quality driven, with refinement that will fit into a restaurant like The French.’ What advice would you give to somebody looking to enter the food industry? How did you start? ‘Well, I didn’t go to University’ [he laughs] ‘But I’ve been reading about Phil Howard and how he actually did a degree in Micro-Biology and decided to move on and become a chef. He’s now held two Michelin stars for 17 years. I think the main thing you have to remember, like everything in life, is that it’s hard work. It’s more of a passion than a job, you need to realise it will take more out of you than your 8-hours-a-day sometimes.’
‘We want to focus on a good feel of what Manchester and the North West is about’
How do you deal with the stressful situations you must come under? ‘I’ve basically lived in kitchens all my life, so it’s normal, it comes naturally. But, once you step up as I am now, you get pressures you’re not used to. It depends how you are as a person and being able to put things into context, and make the right decisions.’ What is your personal focus with The French? Are you looking to gain a Michelin Star or is your focus elsewhere? ‘It’s not a competition where you put your name in a hat and you have to perform better than everyone else. At the end of the day, you open a restaurant to reflect what you’re about and what you want to achieve. What we want to achieve is a great environment, serving amazing food, with brilliant service.
We want our customers to leave fulfilled, that’s our main focus, and maybe in the long term we can get the accolade.’ In the long term are you planning on staying in the North West? You represented the North West in the Great British Menu finals, have you ever thought about going elsewhere, or are you here to stay? ‘I lived in Manchester for a few years when I started working as a chef. I moved away to peruse my career, so I’ve been away. I came back to Manchester to help re-open The French and the opportunity has now come to do this, and I don’t see myself doing anything else at the time being. Things like this are a project and I’ll be looking to do this for the next few years and see where we can take it.’
Is there anything else you’d like to talk to us about? ‘Again, the style that we’re going for, we are a city centre restaurant, we want to focus on a good feel of what Manchester and the North Wests about really, I’m a Manchester lad. Some good hearty, tasty food going on, with an element of refinement. We want a restaurant about customers, not just what the chef wants to put on the plate. It’s a good opportunity to tie in with the local community.’
Adam Reid takes full control of The French in November and I, for one, can’t wait to see his vision come to life.
Vapiano, blind folded Lily Carden - Contributor Vapianos, in the Corn Exchange, has a light, airy dining area and an impressive menu. There is an a la carte buffet where you choose any combination of pasta, sauce and toppings before watching it being cooked in front of you. The restaurant got into the spirit of Manchester’s food and drink festival with a blind tasting. Last Thursday, ten members of the public arrived to find a table adorned with eye masks, bibs and wine glasses. The glasses were a good sign, the bibs, not so good! Their goal was to see if your sense of taste was up to the task of identifying flavours without visual cues. The hardest challenge came, dunking bread into large shot glasses of salad dressing without being able to see anything. I began to understand the need for bibs! The table was split with each side receiving a different dish. The flavour of one salad dressing was hard to place - a creamy, garlicky flavour but apparently no garlic; it turned out to be for their Caesar salad. Generally I’m not a fan of salad dressings (or indeed salad) but these tasted great as a dip, and the bread – I’d go back for that alone. We had two pasta courses next and it has to be said that our side drew the short straw with an
overwhelmingly sugary (and some said spicy) orange and sweet chilli sauce. The other side, unfairly, got to enjoy carbonara. After a piece of bread to mop up the sugar and spice, and to ensure that we wouldn’t identify whatever came next as chilli based, we moved on to a great sun dried tomato sauce with courgettes and aubergines. The vegetables were hard to identify but that’s not terribly surprising as they tend to be very similar even when you can see the two (I have a dislike of them after spending a summer dicing 5kg of courgettes and aubergines every day). Thankfully all the pasta was short, as I dread to think the mess that we would have made twirling spaghetti blind. The easiest of dishes to eat without seeing was the pizza, although you had to be careful not to smear it all over your face. I had accidentally practiced when I drank my wine blindfolded so avoided looking like The Joker. The first slice divided opinion as to whether it was chorizo or salami, it turned out to be Italian sausage, which was tasty but indistinguishable (in my opinion) from salami. Next was the classic ham and pineapple. I wasn’t sorry that the slice of pineapple on mine fell off when I couldn’t see it, as the taste of the pineapple
still lingered. A brief hiatus for iced tea followed. The company sell four iced teas, peach, elderflower, pomegranate, and cactus. The first three tasted great, especially the peach; a unanimous success. The cactus flavour divided opinion in a marmite situation. Some people thought it tasted brilliant but I thought it tasted like aloe vera - not a flavour that I enjoy. I firmly believe that aloe vera is for external use not internal. I once had a nasty surprise when my Dad bought me some apple juice and didn’t realise that it contained aloe vera – I didn’t notice either and took a huge slug – yeugh, it was like drinking TCP. Finally we got to the best part of a meal. Dessert. Tiramisu and strawberry pannacotta. Both were easy to identify (coffee flavours are a big giveaway with tiramisu). My favourite dessert had to be the tiny slice of chocolate cake, a big slice of which, I think, really would be death by chocolate! So is a blind tasting a good idea? It’s fun once in a while and interesting to see (or not see) whether you ‘recognise’ what you are eating – most of the
‘‘I didn’t realise that it contained aloe vera, I took a huge slug – yeurgh, it was like drinking TCP’ table didn’t but at the end of the day eating is a fusion of smell, taste and sight and a meal is better when all are present. I look forward to going back to Vapiano when I can see what I’m eating.
Corn Exchange, 98 Corporation St, Manchester M4 3TR
Food & Drink 23
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Yuzu, Service, My Father Felix Sanders Food & Drink Editor
nies? That is a slightly more interesting question. I’ve always regarded him as a cultured person. He’s lived in London and New York, kept the company of some fascinating individuals. He maintained a Jekyll and Hyde career at times in his life, trading bonds by day and managing bands by night. His father, my grandfather, instilled in him a taste and knowledge for wine from a young age. But despite all of the above, there is nothing my father secretly enjoys more then going Nando’s before we watch the latest generic action film at a nearby Odeon. On one such evening of guiltless indulgence, Nando’s was insanely busy. So we had a cruise of the premier dining and entertainment complex that is the hub of Eastleigh, Hampshire. My father peers into Frankie and Bennies and he confides in me, like it is this incredible secret, that it is just a rip off a classic American diner. A nod to his Manhattan days.
Artwork: Miranda Gamble
We go in.
Let’s talk about service. If you serve me a plate of shit with a smile and its hot and on time, i’ll eat it. Conversely, if you give me an amazing plate of food that comes out late and you have a bad attitude, I’m going to inject venom into the pen with which I’ll write
the review. A conversation I once had with my father comes to mind. We were eating at Frankie and Bennies. Why was I even eating at a Frankie and Bennies? I’m not a snob, I’ll eat anywhere. Why was my father eating at Frankie and Ben-
I was working as a chef at the time and, he always enjoyed asking me about what I thought of the restaurants we’d be eating in, he gets a buzz from a little insider knowledge. I said a couple of things, when we were given a ramekin of mayonnaise it was smeared around the rim. It was a carelessness that bugs me, but at the end of the day,
this was Frankie and Bennies:, I’m not going throw my napkin to the floor and demand to see the manager. The other comment I made was about the waiter. When he came over to take our order, he dropped to his knees, rested his arms on the table and addressed us at head hight. I HATE this. It is way too buddy buddy. So, when he leaves, I lean over to my father and confess that when waiters do that, I want to punch them in the face. After the meal, when my father is paying the bill, that same waiters asks if we enjoyed everything. My dad, under a compulsion that I will never fathom replies: ‘It was all fine apart from when you crouched down it made us want to punch you in the face’. I died. Right then and there in the Eastleigh branch of a Frankie and Bennies, I died. Last Saturday the red-head and I went Yuzu. It’s been around for a while, steadily knocking out what is supposed to be the best Japanese food in Manchester. Fresh off a six week trip to Japan, I went to make egotistically informed comparisons to what I think Japanese food should taste like. The thing that stuck with me most about that restaurant was not the food, but the service. Much to the redhead’s ire I took the opportunity to practice my minute smattering of Japanese on our waitress.
When we were leaving she asked if I studied Japanese, my aforementioned ego swelled to balloon like status, I said that I didn’t but had spent six weeks in Japan that summer. The majority of that time was spent in restaurants so all the Japanese I know is how to order things and say they are delicious. She asked where I’d been, I mentioned of a few place names before arriving at Fukoaka. She’d lived in Fukoaka for 29 years. The classic culinary guide book destination of Japan is Kyoto. Fuck that, got to Fukoaka. We waxed lyrical about the Yatai food stalls. Yatai puts the western food truck craze to absolute shame. They are these mobile carts, that can be pulled or towed. They serve ramen, yakitori and other small classic Japanese dishes. They all serve booze, some with serious cocktail games. They have seating slightly hidden by those wonderful curtains that adorn the entrance of all Japanese eating establishments. They are super reasonably priced and emit a wonderful atmosphere. We went on talk about restaurants on the 8th floor of Fukoakian shopping malls. It was a lovely connection to have with a waitress, a real rarity. It was also a beautiful reminder of the best place I have ever been too on this earth. The food at Yuzu isn’t bad either. Try the miso soup, it is outstanding.
Carbonara Annabelel Redfern - Contributor
Serves 2 Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Knob of butter 1 tablespoon of olive oil 200g of chopped pancetta 200g of Linguine (spaghetti is also fine) 50g of Parmesan 25g of Pecorino 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 3 cloves of garlic Salt Black pepper A handful of flat leaf parsley There’s nothing better than a large steaming bowl of creamy carbonara and after many tried and tested recipes, I have come up with the perfect one. I have taught many friends and family members how to cook this simple but delicious dish, and it never fails to impress. It is super quick and easy to make, making it the ideal meal to make after uni or work when all you want is a big bowl of comfort. Firstly, boil the water for the pasta . Cook the pasta according to the instructions and season the water with a large pinch of salt. Finely chop the parsley, grate the cheese and add them to a bowl containing the eggs and egg yolks, leaving a little to sprinkle on top. Liberally season the mixture with pepper and mix. Heat the oil and butter and add the pancetta . Here, you can either add the garlic cloves to lightly f lavour the oil, however I like my carbonara super garlicky, so choose to add it finely chopped when the pancetta is almost cooked and crispy. Once the pancetta is cooked, take the pan off the heat. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, along with roughly 3 tablespoons of reserved pasta water. Then add the egg mixture and quickly combine well until you see the mixture become creamy and the cheese has all melted. Be careful not to scramble the eggs! Once plated, top with the reserved cheese and parsley and black pepper. If you’re feeling creative, you can deviate from the traditional recipe and pimp your carbonara with some truff le oil! Photo: Annabelle Redfern
Arts
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ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Editor’s Picks
What’s on over Reading Week?
Review
Idris Khan at the Whitworth Idris Khan presents an innovative and intriguing new exhibition at the Whitworth, Hannah Foy takes a look
Photo: Brian Rogers@Flickr
Let’s face it, Reading Week doesn’t involve any reading. Here’s how you should spend your days off without spending your money Rachel Maclean: Wot u :-) about? At HOME 29 October 2016-8 January 2017 Scottish artist Rachel Maclean creates a brand new exhibition here in Manchester. Focusing on the fairy-tale genre, Maclean takes a closer look at the unsettling territory that lies between childhood and adulthood. With a collaboration of large format prints and figurative sculptures, this exciting exhibition is set to bring us face to face with the reality of our everyday lives in the most innovative of ways.
The Whitworth has become a vibrant part of Manchester’s art scene since its reopening in 2015. Once again, the gallery is holding a new and innovative exhibition on Idris Khan, having held a previous exhibition in 2012. The exhibition draws on Khan’s inspiration of the history of art, music, philosophy, and theology. Often these themes are integrated together, you become unsure on where one ends and the other begins. They emerge together, represented in more realistic form without the genre barriers we produce on
Perpetual Movement at The Lowry 29 October2016-26 February 2017 Celebrating an astonishing 90 years, Rambert Dance Company come together with internationally renowned artist Goshka Macuga to create a performance installation exploring the themes of physicality, bodily limits and repetition. The cross-disciplinary works boasts the use of music, choreography, performance, costume and art.
From Slow to Stop at the Holden Gallery 24 October 2016-16 December 2016 Created as a way to slow us down in this pathologically fast-paced world, From Slow to Stop addresses the modern-day feeling of never having enough time. The exhibition is designed for us to see that slowing down should not hold negative connotations, and that to slow down is not a bad thing, but a necessity, and something that we should all find time for in our day-to-day lives.
Yin-Ju Chen: Extrastellar evaluations II – A Dialogue with Two Chief Systems at CFCCA 21 October 2016-15 January 2017 Taiwanese artist Yin-Ju Chen exhibits “an exploration of cosmic events and human behaviour through the processes of mythology”. As a marker of Manchester’s crowning as this year’s European City of Science, the exhibition continues Yin-Ju’s research into dystopia, conspiracy and art history. Using mediums such as video, photography, drawing and installation, the artist takes us on a journey through the dialogue between the cosmos and humanity.
Photo: Neil Hester @Flickr
an exterior perspective. It becomes almost a conversation within society, asking questions of memory and experiences, while remaining an outsider on the personal connection this brings. It’s a thought provoking exhibition. We are drawn into these perspectives of life, culture, and history through the medium of painting, drawing, and photography. They appear relatable enough to be understood, yet distant enough to remain a piece of art. One piece I found practically fascinating was ‘Eternal Movement’, commissioned in 2011 for Sadler’s Wells Dance House, it’s a piece that combines religion and culture into the modern day. It holds references of the Hajj pilgrimage, the use of religious texts and the symbolism of religion today. Inspired by the sacred walk between two mountains near Mecca, a path that is walked seven times during the pilgrimage, I felt it represented the many paths our lives take. The many lines of the piece, in different lengths was mesmerising. You could read so much symbolism into life, our paths, our future, and the way we interact with one another. There are, of course, other pieces of Khan’s work to view—including a new monument wall drawing especially for this exhibition. There are items of Khan’s iconic work including: ‘The Rite of Spring’ (2013), ‘The Death of Tragedy’ (2014) and ‘Death of Painting’ (2014).
Photo: Marian Bijlenga @Flickr
The innovation found in this series for Khan to create his own black squares, through the continuous writing of text with thick oil sticks until the image has become a single black square is impressive. You can see the meaning far more due to the manner and skill used in the process of creating such an image, more than the final work itself. Khan is an influential and innovative artist, continuing to experiment with new forms and practises. His ability to weave religion and culture into his work is impressive. It shows the value of using art as a platform, often with far more meaning underneath than we realise.
Feature
Salford Illuminations Blackpool illuminations come to Salford Quays in December as part of Lightwaves festival
Blackpool Illuminations Closes 6 November 2016 Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside! Especially wgen it involves the tackiest and most magical lighting display this side of Disneyland. Not to mention the Pleasure Beach, the luminescent trams and the penny slots. Head over to Blackpool Pier for a day of tradition along with the most fun you’ll have this winter!
Photo: QIHUII HANABI@Flickr
Laura Joyce Arts Editor
Photo: Aaron Crowe@Flickr
Fancy getting involved? If you enjoy art, and would like to write for the Arts section, join our Facebook group : Mancunion Arts Contributors 2016/2017. OR Come along to our weekly meetings in the Activities Space in the Students’ Union. at 5.30pm on Mondays.
For those of us who have grown up in the North-West, the annual winter trip to Blackpool Illuminations is simply the norm. Wrapping up warm, piling into one car to save on the ever-increasing petrol prices, and heading off to stare at the giant glowing Daleks and luminous Ronald McDonalds—fish and chips in hand. Well, this year, it’s coming to Salford. (Kind of). The annual Lightwaves festival will be hosted at MediaCityUK from 9th-18th December 2016. With a collection of 10 artworks on display including works from UK artists GNI, the spectacle will take place right across Salford Quays. And let’s face it: who doesn’t love an outdoor art exhibition? And it’s free! There are a number of new art installments produced with a collaboration between the festival and the legendary Blackpool Illumi-
nations, including Doctor Who’s tardis, and even the infamous Daleks. But giant space enemies aren’t the only thing to look forward to in this luminescent festival of light. If you manage to make the opening weekend of the event, you will have the chance to take part in an interactive light workshop in which all participants get to try out making their very own light paintings. One of the most innovative pieces in the festival is ‘Voyage’. A tribute to childhood days of creating paper boats and floating them along nearby water features, ‘Voyage’ will feature approximately 200 mini boats which will illuminate with a rainbow of colour as they travel along the waterfront. Now, here’s the exciting bit: onlookers can actually change the colour of the boats’ light using an app on their smart phones! ‘Footsteps’, from creator Sam Sebbage, takes us on a journey along the path of another, with 80 glowing footsteps. An incred-
ible symbol of people leaving their mark on the earth. An truly exciting part of this event is the Light Graffiti Workshop by Tekla Inari. This allows anyone and everyone to come together in a photography session, with a lens designed to capture the graffiti created in the air. It allows those involved to express themselves however they feel the need to; making words, or shapes with the lights provided in this lively workshop. A word of warning, though: if you wish to take part in this particular part of the festival, the workshop will not be available throughout the entirety of the installation’s run. From 9th-11th December, from 12-5 pm, and again from 6-8 pm are your only chances to get involved. There will be so much more to see at Lightwaves festival than can be expressed in this article. So, get yourself down there and get involved! Needless to say, this is a must-see event for anyone in the North-West!
Theatre 25
ISSUE 06/ 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Reviews
Burning Doors
A call to action for the artist in every audience member Rhiannon Symonds Reviewer “Burning Doors” is performance art that explores, recreates, and brutally displays the hideous cruelty being unjustly dealt out to Russian and Ukrainian artists who are declared enemies of the state. Belarus Free Theatre is an independent theatre company that describes itself as an “executive arm” of the “Ministry of Counterculture”, and for eleven years have been produced challenging theatre, both physically and culturally. This piece tells the stories of three persecuted artists; “artsivist” Petr Pavlensky, Pussy Riot’s Maria Alyokhina and Ukrainian born Crimean filmmaker Oleg Sentsov. Even without a well-presented set, lighting, excellent choreography and well-interspersed literature from Russian greats, this story would be powerful. But the cast do not rely on the shock of the crimes committed against the artists to draw the audience in. The company moves as one, breathes as one and are so clearly devoted to conveying this story. This is without doubt largely down to the passion shown by co-choreographic director and ensemble member Maryia Sazonava in the choreography and physical side of the performance. This is indeed a horrifically physical
performance that does not shy away from showing the audience everything about suffering. The audience is dragged down into the Russian detention system with the company, many of whom have suffered these tortures first-hand and are willingly reliving them night after night in order to prevent the same happening to other artists. Of course, the show is well put together, and impressive in terms of its physical feats of wonder, but the truly affective part is the question and answer portion with Maria Alyokhina. Before the audience sits a woman whose story is appalling, and whose imprisonment has just been relived before her eyes. When asked what the greatest threat to Russian freedom of speech was, she replied “selfcensorship”. When complemented on her strength of conviction and spirit, she replied that other women suffer worse and that she was “nothing special”. For a woman who suffered so much to be so humble was the most moving and memorable moment of the whole performance. The piece was of course biographical, but also incorporated fiction in the form of excerpts from Dostoyevsky and Bulgakov. This seemed to extend the work further into the past, lending weight to the historical mayhem which the company portrayed. Despite how oppressive the subject material should have been, the cast, by some miracle, managed to integrate flashes of lightness and wit, with two ridiculously mindless government officials. Chips were made in the fourth wall, with reference to the audience keeping up with subtitles and a long look at the front row, which produced a genuine laugh from the stalls whilst witnessing an interrogation. It is uncomfortable, enlightening and yet still entertaining, which is entirely unexpected. At the end of the show, the audience are asked to send postcards to those prisoners still being held illegally in Russia and Russianoccupied Crimea, and I would like to take this opportunity to invite the Mancunion readers to do this also. Please search Belarus Free Theatre I’m With The Banned for further details.
Whose Sari Now
Focused on two intersectional struggles: fighting assimilation as an Asian woman and pushing to be understood, heard, and accepted as an Asian trans man Elete Nelson-Fearon Reviewer Whose Sari Now is a thought provoking, heart-warming, and touching play that allows the audience to see the world from the perspective of an Asian woman who defiantly maintains the culture that she knows best, in spite of those around her. Halfway through, Rani Moorthy cuts into the performance with a sharp, hard-hitting monologue on the life of an Asian trans man pursuing acceptance from his family, society and himself. The play opens with sweet, soothing music that softly asks the audience “whose sari now.” Rani Moorthy strolls onto the stage, pulling along a shopping bag and greeting the audience as she passes. She is ecstatic about the new fabric she has purchased, drawing each pattern from the bag as if it were a surprise or a gift. “I have a sari for every aspect of my life.” Moorthy takes great pleasure in enumerating the saris in her collection for weddings, funerals, markets, Marks & Spencer’s, being stressed, using public transport, and more. In this moment I feel as though I am in the living room of a kind, humble lady who is sharing the story of her life. Rani Moorthy also seems to think so; she converses with the audience, and shares her joys and her sadness. She laments the fact that “no one wears them these days, not even my nieces at home”, explaining that some perceive the bold Indian culture as a shackle from which they wish to free themselves. In particular, she refers to a friend of hers who is also Indian, but who has made every attempt to assimilate into British culture and values. While Moorthy sees her sari as a “second skin”, her friend’s uptight and newly nationalistic demeanour is symbolised through the tight hair that she describes, as well her decision to vote Leave. Whose Sari Now is an important play; as is the case with many contemporary theatre productions, the use of humour combined with factual information gets the audience’s attention and seals the information in their memory. Rani Moorthy knows this—the caring, honest character she presents onstage forges a relationship with the audience that ensures we are listening to her and trusting what she says. So, when she tells the audience of the troubles she faces whilst wearing a sari at prestigious events, we are all ears as we consider the objectification and gawking that such events bring. However, Moorthy draws on this new found relationship in an incredible way when she suddenly bursts into an emotionally charged piece from the perspective of a trans man, which depicts the struggle to accept gender and the ramifications of going against the grain. The spoken word was powerful, gripping—I didn’t take my eyes off Moorthy the whole time—and incredibly informative; the challenges mentioned throughout the piece were those of a cultural and personal intersection that I hadn’t considered deeply beforehand. Rani Moorthy throws religion into the mix, asking the man’s mother’s question as to what God she must have prayed to, answering “you prayed to a God with infinite possibilities”. The mood and atmosphere changed instantly as the monologue began: the room that was hitherto filled with laughter and nostalgia was now hanging onto the every word of this self-aware, unapologetic male persona. Every line was poetry; the words flew out into the audience in patterns and
Photo: Contact Theatre
All or Nothing Emily Hulme Reviewer
Even if, like me, you don’t know much about mod culture or wouldn’t usually choose to listen to Sixties music, it’s difficult not to rave about this musical after seeing it. The story of the mod band The Small Faces has been brought to life on stage by writer Carol Harrison. Granted, it is sort of predictable; the band meet in a music shop, start playing together, get a record deal, make a few hits and then get too famous for their own good. But it’s a good watch, especially if you’re a fan and into mod culture. The whole audience was thrown back in time—the music, the clothes, the culture—and all this added to the illusion that we were really there. That’s owed to Harrison’s research and writing. Harrison, who witnessed the East End mod culture herself, says she was motivated to write the play after hearing of lead signer Steve Marriot’s tragic death in a house fire in 1991 and the loss of guitarist Ronnie Lane in 1998. After researching the bands ups and downs, she was eager to write a musical about it all. The story takes you through the fame, the chart toppers, the appearance on the BBC, touring, the rows, the drinking, and the drugs of the swinging Sixties. Two actors played Steve Marriot’s character, at two different stages of his life. Young Steve (Mark Newman) is buzzing with energy and has a great voice. Newman demonstrated a highly sensitive portrayal of the mod front man, who was shaped by the culture at the time. But he is easily out shadowed, along with the rest of the cast by Chris Simmonds, who was playing the older more troubled, cockney geezer that is Steve Marriot. I was convinced he was actually getting progressively more drunk as the show went on, but he was just that good at acting drunk. My eyes followed his movements throughout the play; his body language gave the sense that throughout the musical, he was desperate to tell his younger self things that he couldn’t. Cleverly, the musicals minimalist efforts with it’s cast and set really enhanced the music and storyline. The use of multi-roling showed off the casts expertise in accents, body language, and Charlotte Espiner’s
Photo: Contact Theatre
rhymes. In a post-show conversation, Rani explained that this persona is based on a transgender person she knows, and that she was inspired by her newfound knowledge of the fluidity of gender. Suddenly, with a change of lighting and a spluttering cough, we are back in the cosy living room. The topic of conversation doesn’t get much lighter. Moorthy describes the story of a woman whose creativity once flowed in her job creating saris; before the costly machine takeover she could identify the origin of a sari immediately from the thread. After the technology influx, however, she was resigned to working in a mobile phone factory. She tells us of the people in authority that wanted to showcase her culture, but not in a way that is too authentic or unpalatable. She refuses: “I wanted you to be the first to know that you’re going to sack me tomorrow.” The perspective is then moved to that of a woman giving birth to twins all alone, and we listen in as she tells her children emotional and heartfelt tales of the world they will soon be departing as they seek pastures new in Canada. This scene is accompanied by videos of Sri Lankan people mourning their destroyed country after shootings, a beautiful juxtaposition of the loss and the birth of new life; of the terrible, fatal shootings; and of the mangoes, communities, and beautiful roofs that the mother describes. The play ends with the original persona, who proudly tells us of her new enterprise encouraged by her son: selling her saris on eBay. She recalls a moment with her son telling her how lovely she always looks in a sari, despite her previously believing that he never paid attention. Dressed in a white sari and standing centre stage, the show ends, leaving the audience with the stories, tribulations and joys of multiple characters that would stay with them for at least the next week. I would certainly recommend this play as it is an intriguing, expressive, and entertaining piece that invites the audience to consider new perspectives and appreciate the cultures to which they belong.
creative costume ideas. It really worked. The set and backdrop was decorated with memorabilia and exposed brick and remained the same throughout. This was convincing enough for me to believe I was a fly on the wall in a pub, in Steve Marriot’s mum’s living room, and at a Small Faces gig at the Ally Pally in 1968. In context though, all I could think the whole way through was how this mod culture trend was making a big time comeback. The audience seem to reflect that too: many were dressed in mod attire. There was even an advert in the programme for ‘mod’ shoes. A few thought-provoking points were made about class—the ‘poorer’ mods like Steve were cutting costs to get the coolest clothing out of the back of lorries, while the richer kids were trying to pretend they weren’t rich by dressing poor. I guess whatever the time frame, some things don’t change that much for 14 – 18 year olds. One of Young Steve’s lines in the opening was: “We’re the new generation, everyone’s ‘individual’, we are revolutionary.” I couldn’t help but think of Fallowfield with its ‘wavy garms’ and overheard conversations about politics. Harrison’s humour kept the musical light though. Her depiction of the classic-cockney Marriot family was brilliant; I thought I was in my own living room with my own parents: “Will you tell him, Bill” Steve’s mother repeated, not letting Steve’s father get a word in. All or Nothing is a great feel good show, with much energy and nostalgia that makes you feel like you missed out on being a part of Sixties Photo: Opera House Manchester London.
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Lifestyle
ISSUE 06 / 24th OCTOBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
To work or not to work? To work or not to work: that is the question. We’ve asked two contributors to give their view on the age-old debate—is getting a part time job worth it?
Louisa Hall & Megan Byrne Contributors It’s a well-known fact that some loans don’t cover a student budget, so a part time job may be vital to survive the many months of scrimping ahead. But if you’re on the fence about whether or not part time work is worth the hassle, here are five cons to consider. Firstly, judging from personal experience, working a 12-hour shift after a heavy night is a sickening prospect. Imagine waking up after two hours sleep and having to tolerate customers and colleagues, or complete the most hideous tasks, when all you really want to do is eat crisps and sleep. You’ve then got the small matter of the numerous weeks you’ll want to take off at Christmas, Easter and during summer; Fallowfield is not as fun without the students (and Kebab King has been known to close at these times; can you imagine the horror?!) Many employers hire multiple students and rely on them heavily for the rotas, so they can be pretty inflexible when it comes to times that everybody wants off. Perhaps for the less self-restrained among us, the idea of a constant flow into your bank account will encourage you to just spend more money by setting the mindset that you have a lot of cash to play with. Especially after a few drinks, it is easy to convince yourself that a minimum wage can afford to buy a round in Deansgate, or that smugly cruising past the cramped Magic Bus in an Uber XL all to yourself is worth the price. Most part-time jobs have a minimum of number of hours required to work every week, and these are often not set shifts: this can have a significant and stressful impact. It means there’s less time to invest in your work or social life, and it’s difficult to organise your week if you don’t know your shifts ahead of time. This can be particularly bad
Photo: 401kcalculator.org @Flickr
around exam season or near coursework deadlines when, for once, you would rather be studying than dealing with the general public. The final, and admittedly rather tenuous, con of having a part time job is the chore of having to wash your uniform (which is also probably really ugly). Do you really want to spend a fiver on Circuit laundry for a white wash because, unlike your other whites, you can’t really take the risk with your work shirt? These cons may not all apply to you, but they’re definitely matters to consider before securing yourself a part time job at university.
Meanwhile, contributor Megan Byrne has a different take on things… Taking on a part time job whilst at uni is one of the best things you can do to break out of the notorious ‘uni bubble’. A job can offer you the chance to avoid spending all of your time on Oxford Road and missing out on all that our city has to offer. My own experiences of having a part time job have included forming friendships with people I may otherwise have never even come into contact with. This helped me to broaden my world view beyond the walls of the classroom and the dancefloor of Sankeys. The most obvious benefit of a part time work is the financial boost it gives you. Having a few extra pennies each month can really help make your student loan stretch a bit further. Furthermore, extra cash becomes invaluable if you’re saving for big trip or want to splash out on life’s little luxuries like Netflix, a take-away or that extra Jägerbomb. The most useful thing I’ve gained from having a job is the structure it provides. My Humanities degree means that I have minimal contact hours and whilst that has its perks, it makes it all too easy to lay in bed all day procrastinating. This is made impossible when you have the added responsibility of a job and forces me to plan ahead and work efficiently. Finally, a part time job can also be the spark which kick-starts your whole career. The passion and hard work that I’ve seen at my place of work has truly inspired me to consider the possibilities of what I could achieve after graduation.
Stress—let’s talk about it Struggling with stress? Don’t worry, Qiarna Bondswell is here with some top tips to help you tackle your stress head-on, and enjoy university life at the same time
Photo: topgold @Flickr
So here you are, you’re a student at the University of Manchester and I’m sure you’ve heard all the clichés before you came here—“University will be the best years of your life!”, “University is where you meet your lifelong friends!”, “At university is where you find yourself!”, etc. However, for many students these sayings simply haven’t proven to be correct. Many new and returning students are simply struggling to keep up with assignments, make new friends, and deal with homesickness and all this can dangerously build up to an unhealthy amount of stress. Stress can critically affect your health, happiness, and relationships—it can also lead to depression. So let’s look at ways to deal with it head on…. 1. Buy a daily planner First things first—get yourself organised! It may sound very basic, but so many students ignore this, and failing to plan out your work schedule will inevitably lead to you feeling like things are getting on top of you. Use your planner to schedule out your revision, seminar prep, and readings for each week. Look at your MyManchester timetable and then align your planner along with it. Simple stuff but trust me, it’s the easiest and most effective method to prevent stress.
2. Set small tasks Don’t set yourself tasks that you know full well you will not be able to achieve. This will end up with you not completing the work you planned for yourself, which will lead to an unhealthy feeling of failure and stress. It will also mean that work you didn’t complete will have to be pushed back onto another day, which will also just mess up your planner. If you know you’re a procrastinator, don’t set yourself 10 tasks to do. Be smart about the workload you give yourself. 3. Make use of the university Counselling Service & your Academic Advisor You’re paying £9,000 a year, use the resources that you are paying for! The University of Manchester offer a fantastic counselling service, where you book an appointment and can discuss with a professional one-to-one about the stresses you may be going through. They offer guided relaxation, workshops, specific advice on how to avoid procrastination and many other services. Furthermore, your Academic Advisor is of great use to you as they can really tailor subject-specific advice on how to deal with any struggles you have with studying.
4. Join a society It’s important that at least some of your week is spent doing something enjoyable in order to avoid stress—joining a society is a perfect way to do this. Many people are too shy to join a society after they’ve missed the welcome events—DON’T BE! Committees are keen for their societies to grow so sign up! Joining a society means you’re guaranteed to meet like-minded people, bulk up your CV and push yourself out of your comfort zone. 5. Don’t neglect your longstanding relationships Our family, school friends and boyfriend/ girlfriend are some of the most important people to us. However, when many of us get to university, we can sometimes neglect these people and the calls, texts, and visits become all too infrequent. When we are stressed out, anxious, and depressed reaching out to these people is often the quickest way to change your mood. Don’t fear appearing
needy or fear reaching out to friends you’ve haven’t spoken to in a while, life is too short and all it takes is a quick chat with a loved one to perk you up. 6. Limit use of social media Constantly scrolling through Facebook and Instagram and seeing the constructed photos of everyone else’s seemingly perfect life will only get you down. If you are struggling to make new friends and you’re dealing with loneliness, going on social media is guaranteed to make you feel worse. People only post what they want others to see, therefore you won’t see images of them crying in their room or understand they might be struggling with uni life just as much as you. Going through social media in your most stressful times will only wrongly make you feel like you’re struggling all alone. If you’re really bored pop on a new Netflix series but leave Facebook alone for a while!
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Photo: bottled_void @Flickr
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I went to Warehouse Project sober—and loved it We prove that you don’t have to drink to have a good time on a night out— here’s our review of a sober night out at Warehouse Project
Rachel Adams Head Lifestyle Editor Last month, a boring Wednesday lecture was livened up by an email that was sent through to the Lifestyle email account offering me guest list spots for Warehouse Project on Friday night! It was an event that was not to be missed—I immediately told my housemate and she agreed to be my plus one, and so I emailed Georgia back with our details and quickly got a confirmation email that told me that I was going to Warehouse on Friday. Filled with excitement, I tuned back into my (slightly less) boring lecture, and looked forward to Friday night. On my way home from university that day, it suddenly hit me—I had agreed to do Sober October with one of my other housemates as moral support, which meant that I wouldn’t be able to drink on my big night out. Going to places like Fifth or Factory sober was bad enough, but how was I going to survive a night at Warehouse without alcohol? With a last entry time of 10:30pm, and DJs playing until 5am, I was knackered just at the thought of staying up and dancing for that amount of time. I considered emailing and cancelling my guest list spots, but didn’t want to let my friend down (who definitely wasn’t doing Sober October), so decided that I would do the unthinkable—I would go to Warehouse Project sober. In the days leading up to Friday, I was nervous. Would I actually be able to go on such a big night out without drinking? For other sober nights out in October I usually just left early and was tucked up in bed before anyone else even thought about going home. Warehouse was different—with DJs such as Flava D and Lethal Bizzle not playing until 2am or later, there was no way that I was leaving early. With a lot of Pro-Plus and coffee in my system, we set off on Friday night, neither of us knowing how the night was going to be. We arrived and, feeling really superior to everyone queuing, went in the empty guest list line. Five minutes later, we were inside—we quickly dashed to the toilets before they became too crowded, and then went to watch the first people playing. A few hours in, and I was feeling alright; a bit tired from dancing, but still enjoying myself. We wandered around the room until we found a quieter spot—then the lights all went off and the music stopped. Everyone looked so confused, until we heard the intro music for Andy C—this was what we had been waiting for! We rushed into the crowd and I soon forgot that I was probably the only sober person in the room at that time, because I was having such a great night. Eventually, my friend and I decided to call it a night, at the very respectable time of 4am. We got
home and she collapsed on the sofa complaining of her hangover already, whilst I went to bed and woke up fresh the next day—with no hangover and the memory of a great night. Moral of the story is, you don’t have to be drinking to enjoy a good night out, even at an event like Warehouse Project. In fact, I’d say that I had a better time at Warehouse sober than I have done in the past. I would definitely recommend both Warehouse Project and going out sober to everyone!
Advice to first-year house hunters
Panicking about housing for next year? Don’t worry! We’re here to share our own experiences, and give some useful advice about house hunting
Shannon Winterbone Contributor
Photo: lumaxart @Flickr
Although it’s only October, a lot of you may be thinking about when the time comes for you to move out of halls and into a house for the first time. Of course, this means a number of things; choosing where to live, who to live with and desperately trying to work out what all the estate agent jargon actually means. Signing contracts with estate agents and handing over deposits for the first time is a big deal, so make sure you’re clued up first. Firstly, and probably most importantly, make sure you’re happy with who you’re living with! As you’ve just
moved into halls with a bunch of new people, it can be really overwhelming and therefore a bit of a panic when it comes to deciding who’s going to live with who. Honestly, your opinions on people will most likely be changed within a few months! Just wait until you’ve seen the sink full of your mate’s dirty dishes enough times, and you might reconsider your choice to live with them for another year. Get to know everyone first and do not rush into signing a contract— consider that you’ll be sharing a house and bills with the people you eventually choose to live with.
In a few months’ time from now when you’ve chosen your housemates, you’ll need to think about where in Manchester you want to live. Although Fallowfield is the most popular choice, there are also options in Rusholme–which is much closer to university—or even near the city centre where you can actually find flats right next to Oxford Road Station. Think about the money aspect too—remember you’ll have to pay bills on top of rent, so don’t blow all your money on rent and be short for gas and electric. See if the landlord offers you the option to include bills, and work out what would be best for you and your housemates. Finally, when you think you’ve found a house you like, be sure to do a bit of research on the estate agency and see what they’re like. If you get the chance, ask the current tenants what they think about the agency and the landlord while you’re viewing the house—you don’t want a landlord who never fixes anything! I had a wardrobe door fall off last year that never got fixed so definitely ask them! When viewing houses, don’t rush into it and pick the first one you see even if it looks really great. You never know, the next one you’ve got lined up might be even better.
Photo: Warehouse Project Press
Hello healthy, hello cheap, HelloFresh
Araddhna Patel Deputy Lifestyle Editor
At university, many students are anxious that they won’t have the time to cook meals from scratch, or will spend most of their student loan on eating out or getting a takeaway. Well, worry no more! HelloFresh UK is a service that delivers food boxes straight to your front door—for free—with specially sourced, farm fresh, pre-measured ingredients. They also give you easy to follow recipes; perfect for students who are more focused on what they’re wearing on a night out than what they’re eating. The company has teamed up with Jamie Oliver, so your meals are guaranteed to be tasty! They even offer a Veggie Box for students who adhere to a vegetarian diet. HelloFresh told Lifestyle: “Time is pre-
cious, especially for those at uni trying to balance studying and the social aspects of campus life. It’s so important that you still eat well though and we want to help make every second count for our customers with our super convenient, flexible subscription service. “We are the whole package, helping customers learn to cook from scratch as well as seriously cutting back on their food waste by sending the exact amount of ingredients needed for each of our chef designed recipes.” Customers using the service have noted that recipe boxes from HelloFresh have saved them time and money, and bring some fun to the kitchen. Clients even feel healthier, because each meal is nutritionally balanced but still delicious and filling. For more information, please visit the HelloFresh website.
Photo: guccibear2005 @Flickr
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@Mancunion_Sport Photo: Blower
Is money poisoning English football? Is the vast amount of money being thrown around these days the reason why the state of English football is at an all-time low? James Blower Sport Reporter The words “Gareth Southgate, the whole of England is with you”, rendered immortal by Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds in their song about England’s exit from Euro 1996, unfortunately no longer ring true. The whole of England is definitely not behind the interim manager or English football in general after yet another embarrassing performance in France this summer, and the even more mortifying experience of having manager Sam Allardyce sacked over corruption allegations. So is it the vast amount of money being thrown around these days the reason why the state of English football is at an all-time low? Last season’s £5.14 billion TV rights deal saw inequality in European football tilt very much in England’s—and especially the Premier League’s—direction. It is undeniable that money from the media is the driving force behind football, with fixtures now being scheduled on Friday nights solely in order to maxim-
ise viewing numbers. This suggests that the Football Association have totally given in to the money that huge media corporations like Sky and BT sport have waved in front of their faces, with the view of making English football the pinnacle. But is this cause for praise? Apparently not, as FIFA haven’t granted England the chance to host a World Cup since 1966, because they have openly voiced their dislike for the FA’s failure to tame commercialism in the Premier League, leaving supporters feeling deprived. Hiked ticket prices and the resulting change in the demographic of people attending games is also leaving diehard fans unhappy. Although supply does equal demand, clubs should show more loyalty to the fan base on which they are built, and should therefore not be allowed to get away with charging more each season for tickets: where will it stop? Why not put aside some of the billions received from TV rights to subsidise ticket costs in order to keep football accessible for the common man? Even for the supporters who argue that we are lucky to be entertained week in week out by teams that on paper are
head and shoulders above the rest of Europe, must be gutted with the plight of English teams in European competitions over the last few seasons. And it’s not only our clubs who aren’t faring well away from English shores but the national team too who are currently midway through what seems to be a never ending ‘unlucky streak’. This summer’s performance in France would be agreed by most as laughable, and unfortunately it’s not the first and will definitely not be the last time this is the general sentiment following an embarrassingly early exit on the international stage. What is going so wrong that we still fail to perform even after billions have been pumped into our football industry? Although most English fans will find this hard to swallow, we should probably take a leaf out of the Germans’ book. Despite actually turning over less than the Premiership, the German league is much more profitable than the English due to the fact that their average player’s wage is a fraction of what it is here. Generally this has deterred the world’s best players in search of the big bucks, which has in turn allowed for domestic play-
ers to get more game time and—lo and behold—their national team are world champions… Why not have a system of governance like they do for grade listed buildings? Although these historically buildings can be privately owned, the government is allowed to impose rules on certain things because of their importance to society. If the same sort of system was put in place within the parameters of football, then the government would be able to cap player wages as well as ticket prices in order to regulate media’s control over the sport. This would surely re-entice fans who are sick of money dominating football both on and off the field, and might even have a positive effect on the performance of our national team somewhere down the line.
I f there is no way b a c k from the multi-billion pound football world we now live in to the days of the football at its purest, then surely it should at least pay divi-
Premier League TV Revenue: £5.136billion dends? For English fans who aren’t disillusioned with the over-commercialised sport then money, money, money, please bring football home.
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Jessica Ennis-Hill retires from Athletics
Two-time British World Champion and Olympic Gold medallist retires from athletics aged 30 Ben Ryan University Sport Editor Sheffield-born athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill announced her formal retirement from the sport on Thursday the 13th of October via her Instagram account. The athlete has been described as one of the most celebrated British sportspeople ever, winning Gold at the London 2012 Olympics, twice at the World Championships, in 2009 and 2016, Silver in the 2011 World Championships, and Silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Ennis-Hill wrote: “Amazing memories...from my first world title in Berlin 2009 to Rio 2016 I am so fortunate to have had such an amazing career within the sport I love and this has been one of the toughest decisions I have had to make. “But I know that retiring now is right. I have always said I want to leave my sport on a high and have no regrets, and I can truly say that. I want to thank my family and incredible team who have spent so much of their time supporting me and enabling me to achieve my dreams. Also a huge thank you to all those people who have supported and followed my career over the years x.” Ennis-Hill had been hinting at retirement ever since the perceived disappointment of her silver medal in Rio, missing out by 35 points to Belgium’s Naffasatou Thiam for the gold. She was not able to replicate the remarkable events of London 2012’s ‘Super Saturday’ in which herself, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah all won gold within 44 minutes of each other. Her retirement should not be defined or overshadowed by the silver in Rio, rather the numerous barriers she had to overcome to reach success. At 13 years of age she was considered too small to compete at the highest level but coach Toni Minichiello explained why this never deterred her: “Jess kept exceeding and exceeding expectations, people criticised her for being too small, said she’d
Photo: Al King @Flickr
never make it. They said my coaching was no good. But I was like, “no, come and see this kid, what she does, she is tenacious, a highly-competitive individual.” In Minichiello’s tribute he also added: “Her best quality is her ability to be ultra competitive but be incredibly grounded and modest. She is critical of herself. She does not say ‘look at me, the great I am’. She is modest and strives to be better and has an incredible work ethic. You could not ask for any more. She got her physicality from her parents and add that to the work ethic and competitive bit; bring all that together and you have lightning in a bottle.” Olympic Gold medallist Darren Campbell echoed the thoughts of her coach: “It’s a sad day but it’s also
a day where we should celebrate what a phenomenal athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill was. She gave so much to sport, achieved so much, so many inspirational moments throughout her career. “She is a normal girl, she has achieved things that are exceptional and mind-blowing. It is only when you sit back and reflect that you realise how mindblowing they are.” Perhaps her greatest achievement was not winning Gold in London, but that after giving birth to her son Reggie and taking a year out from the sport in 2014, she came back and won the World Championships in 2015. Minichiello paid tribute to this achievement: “Leading into London she was an athlete first and foremost. But after her son Reggie
was born she was a mum who did athletics. That is a lovely example, look at her, how she changed, she became just a mum with a hobby.” Brendan Foster also paid tribute: “Everyone says she is a great role model for women—and she is—but she has been a role model for men, too. To look at her, she is so tiny standing next to many international athletes, but inside that smiling exterior she has internal steel. Male and female athletes think the world of her.” It is unclear what the future now holds for Jessica Ennis-Hill, whether she will remain in athletics in some capacity or not. In the meantime we remember her outstanding achievements and the remarkable precedents she set.
Parliamentary inquiry investigate football corruption
After the recent corruption scandal concerning Sam Allardyce, the FA were summoned in front of a parliamentary committee George Ball Sport Reporter The House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport last week met with Football Association (FA) bosses to discuss the recent football corruption scandal. They reviewed the allegations that cost Sam Allardyce his job as England manager and wider corruption allegations in football. The chair of the committee, Conservative MP Damian Collins, said the lack of appropriate questioning before Allardyce’s appointment to England manager could be considered “institutional failure”. Allardyce was investigated as part of the 2006 BBC Panorama investigation into football corruption. The investigation was found four suspect transfers which concerned Allardyce. This did not dissuade the FA from appointing Allardyce as England boss in July. Collins was forthright in his assessment: “The FA appointed a manager who was a central figure in the biggest ever investigation initiated by football into improper payments and bungs. I don’t believe the FA spoke to Quest or Lord Stevens [who led the investigation] before the appointment and to not be able to ascertain whether it was discussed with him before the appointment was made—I think a lot of people would find that astonishing.” The committee also heard that Allardyce received a payoff from the FA, rumoured to be in the region of £1m, which they found to be “extraordinary” considering the circumstances of his departure. Summarising, Collins mentioned comments by former Manchester United chief executive David Gill, who is on the board of the FA, who said that no one had seen the Allardyce situation coming: “I think lots of people saw this coming and it was only
“What I won’t accept is an opinion from a man who’s crooked and ruining the game. The man who signs players, gives them extra wages and appearance bonuses to make sure they pay him to get into the team or on the bench.”
the FA that didn’t.” Later in the meeting Collins used his parliamentary privilege, which grants legal immunity, to repeat allegations against Cardiff City Neil Warnock that date back to 2014. These allegations were first brought to public attention by the Crystal Palace player Jason Puncheon. In tweets which were later deleted, Puncheon said, “What I won’t accept is an opinion from a man who’s crooked and ruining the game. The man who signs players, gives them extra wages and appearance bonuses to make sure they pay him to get into the team or on the bench.” He was later fined £15,000 and apologised to Warnock. When asked about why the FA did not contact
Photo: vickilopata @Flickr
Photo: Ben Sutherland @Flickr
Puncheon regarding the allegations, FA Director of Strategy Robert Sullivan stated that the case was lacking “hard evidence” so further action could not be taken. Warnock later responded to the allegations being brought up again in parliament. He stressed that the allegations were “completely and utterly false”. He continued, “The FA Commission considered all of the evidence in detail in 2014 and it found that the allegations which were published about me were unfounded. Any suggestion that the FA failed to investigate this matter is simply untrue.” A damning assessment in parliament and fresh corruption questions does not help English football, at a time when faith in the FA is at an all time low.
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Get Involved: UoM Gymnastics Club
The Club has really grown over the last few years, and here is how you can get involved Emily Hogg UoM Gymnastics President
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind three years for UMGC (University of Manchester Gymnastics Club). What was once an anonymous society with just 12 members in 2013 is now the Athletic Union’s Most Improved Club of the Year with more than triple the amount of its members. The new competitive year kicked off with a bang after we managed to secure over 200 sign ups at this year’s Freshers Fair, and with a subsequent average of around 30 members attending the weekly sessions so far. In the past two weeks, more students have joined the club as competitive members than in the whole of the last academic year. We’ll be preparing for our first friendly competition in Bangor at the end of November, where we’re hoping to showcase our members’ impressive progression over the past year and bring some metal ware back to Manchester. We’ve done this by providing another training session for our members this year—Tuesday evenings and Wednesday afternoons. We’re hoping to continue our winning streak after our first ever BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) stint earlier this year, where our men’s team achieved 1st place and half of the women’s team ended up in the top 30 out of 100. Our mission at UMGC is to welcome everybody of all abilities, regardless of their past experience. Our membership base is comprised of a mixture of total beginners to former national level competitors. Each one has already seriously impressed returning members, committee, and coach alike. Everyone is also displaying tremendous potential, despite having only been part of the club for three weeks—some of our beginners were somersaulting after just one session. After our success-
ful BUCS performance in February, our members have been inspired to challenge themselves to tackle higher level moves in order to progress and compete in the next grade up at competitions. This involves both our men and women upgrading to three or four pieces rather than two, and for some, involves learning a completely new skill. The determination and dedication of our members cannot be disputed, there is an authentic energy in the air when we train. We don’t care if you can’t touch your toes, or you can’t even hold a handstand for a second, we simply want all of our members to enjoy themselves at gymnastics, whether they’re competitive members or not. The camaraderie among our members is arguably unmatched by any other club. As a still relatively new and small club, we’ve all established a close-knit bond with one another, meaning that the training environment is relaxed, and members feel comfortable training together, despite the variety of abilities. This bond has only been strengthened by our competition and training weekends away in Scotland and beyond. We’re all extremely supportive and encouraging, and often motivate one another to push ourselves out of our comfort zones. This year also marks another exciting first in the UMGC calendar—we’re going on Tour to Lloret de Mar in April 2017! We’re a hugely social club, getting together every week to go out, have nights in, go out for dinner, to trampoline parks etc—you name it, we’ve probably done it! Our White T Shirt social with Trampolining Club last week was a huge hit and it was great to further our relationship with them too. We’re keen to run ‘Bring a Tramp to Gymnastics’ sessions and vice versa, to really promote each other’s clubs and hopefully increase memberships. We train at Fit City Ordsall twice a week with our coach, Rochelle. Our access to high standard fa-
Photo:Emily Hogg
cilities has been pretty restricted, given that there aren’t many, if not at all, free gyms around central Manchester. However, a few of us attend adult gymnastics sessions at Stockport to take advantage of their superior facilities! What’s more, we’ve recently partnered up with Oxygen Free Jumping and use their trampolines to master some new tricks on socials there too. We’re continually striving to expand and de-
velop the club even further, and we’re aiming for UMGC to become a household name around the University. It’s exciting to think what could be in store for the club in the next three years, following the accomplishments of the last. Training times: Tuesday 6-7:30 pm, Wednesday 2-3:30 pm. Fit City Ordsall, M5 3DJ. Please like us on Facebook, follow us on Instagram or email our President.
Is Nick Kyrgios wasting his talent?
Nick Kyrgios’ recent misconduct and subsequent eight week suspension draws our attention to a talent struggling to realise his privileged position in the sporting world Ben Ryan University Sport Editor The Australian world number 14 Nick Kyrgios has been banned for eight tournament weeks and fined $25,000 for his unsportsmanlike behaviour at the Shanghai Masters last week. Kyrgios was guilty of several unacceptable offences and court violations, some both petty and outrageous, during his match against Misha Sverev. Kyrgios not only lost to a player ranked over 100 places below him, but was utterly disinterested throughout: lightly tapping the ball over the net to serve then walking to his chair before the point had finished at one stage, swearing to fans and arguing with the umpire, asking him to “call time so I can finish this match and go home” midway through, some of the notable misdemeanors. Kyrgios has, fortunately for himself, agreed to an ATP plan in which he consult a sport psychologist over his behaviour not just at the Shanghai Masters but also over incidents dating back to 2014. Upon consultation with the psychologist his ban will be reduced to three weeks. Contrary to some of his post match comments, Kyrgios did have some remorseful words in his press conference: “I regret that my year is ending this way. I do understand and respect the decision by the ATP. The season has been a long one as I battled several injuries and other challenges towards the end of the summer. My body finally just gave out in Shanghai both physically and mentally. This is no excuse, and I know very well that I need to apologise to the fans.” Kyrgios’ professionalism, as mentioned, dates back to 2014 where at the US Open he was almost disqualified for for audible obscenities and racquet smashing. In the 2015 Australian open he was
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
fined $4,296 for smashing his racquet and audible offences such as swearing. Wimbledon 2015 was also eventful for Kyrgios. His match against Juan Monaco saw him demand of the umpire: “What did he just say to you?” after a line judge complained to the umpire about a string of expletives, before losing his temper when he was not provided with this information. “Does it feel good to be up there in that chair? Does it make you feel strong?”. Later on in the tournament he was fined fined $12,470 for unsportsmanlike conduct against Richard Gasquet. For several points in the third set Kyrgios mentally vacated the match, refusing to play, much like last week in Shanghai. The same match he was also fined $2625 for swearing. Perhaps one of his worst defences came during a match against Stanislas Wawrinka in Montreal,
2015. Kyrgios transgressed the boundary of not only sportsmanlike conduct but common decency, mentioning to Wawrinka that “Thanasi Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend”. He was fined fined $13,127, handed suspended penalties of $32,818 and a 28-day ban for this offence. Swearing fines were also tallied up at the Australian, French Open and Wimbledon this year. This years Wimbledon proved to be particularly damaging for Kyrgios, not learning from a $3360 fine against Radek Stepanek for a spat with the chair umpire in the opening round, to then find himself hammered by another of more than $5000 for losing it against Dustin Brown in the second round, to then finish off by labelling his support team “retarded”. There have been many notable personalities to denounce Kyrgios’ behaviour as an abuse of the
privilege of being a professional sportsman, a privilege few attain. Australian Rugby legend Michael Lynagh made his feelings known after a match with Andy Murray: “Well done Andy Murray. Give this guy a hiding. He is a disgrace,”. John McEnroe has commented in the past that “it doesn’t look like Kyrgios wants to be out there”. BBC presenter John Inverdale called him ‘pitiful’ during his match with Gasquet in 2015. Former Australian cricket legend Shane Ward echoed Lynagh’s thoughts: “You’re testing our patience mate – show us what you’re made of and how hungry you are to be the best in the world”. There is no doubt Kyrgios can be placed in a certain category of modern athletes who, because of stupid and unprofessional behaviour, waste their talents. Although most of Kyrgios’ offences and misdemeanours have come on the field of play, they are offences equally equitable to those off it, such as perhaps smoking and drinking, because they leave him in a position where he is culpable of wasting his talent and abusing his privilege. With this in mind, can he be comparable to sportsman such as Tyson Fury who was recently found guilty of taking cocaine and forced to retire. Or, perhaps the likes of Jack Wilshere, Danny Cipriani, Manu Tuilagi and Ravel Morrison, who in the past have raised questions over their ability to fulfil their potentials after night club bust ups, smoking, drinking and other off-field disgraces. Nick Kyrgios must take advantage of the time he is due to spend with the ATP psychologist in order to get his career on the right path and develop a professional attitude towards tennis. Lets not forget this is a guy who has beaten Rafa Nadal at Wimbledon and is ranked number 14 in the world, but right now things need to improve.
24th OCTOBER 2016/ ISSUE 06 FREE S
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The Art of the Penalty
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
In an age of increasing innovation, and often uncertain results, Toby Webb analyses the current state-of-play when it comes to penalty kicks ‘Top bins’? Down the middle? Giving the keeper the eyes? There are many weapons in a player’s arsenal when it comes to taking a penalty. However, with such variety, are they over-complicating what appears to be a straightforward task? Conversely, are there hidden complexities below the surface of the penalty? Having only played football to a Sunday league level, I don’t claim to know all the answers. Yet, recent events, namely Manchester City’s penalty horror show against Everton a few weeks ago—both De Bruyne and Aguero missed penalties—and Zaza’s catastrophic attempt in the Euro quarter-final in the summer—look it up on the internet, it’s shambolic and utterly hilarious—provoke a fresh consideration of the penalty.
Only 71% of Premier League penalties have been scored so far this season
Initially, there are certain maxims that exist in football culture related to the penalty. Every football fan would have heard them painfully reiterated by blithering commentators. Statements like “don’t change your mind on the run-up” and they’ve “put it beyond the keepers’ reach” or “given the keeper the eyes”; if a penalty is saved, the phrase “it was a nice height for the keeper” is usually peddled out. These notions form the fundamental thinking when it comes to taking a penalty. However, the modern game has added to, and further complicated, the process of taking a penalty. While the chip down the middle may appear highly innovative, the method has been around since 1976, pioneered by Antonín Panenka for Czechoslovakia at the Euros of that year. This method has proved very popular, players both successfully and unsuccessfully emulating it: Pirlo’s decisive chip penalty in the shoot-out against England at Euro 2012 resonates in the memory. The stuttered run-up is a truly modern addition, brought into the game in the mid-2000’s. This method, in which a player will break, sometimes varying breaks in, stride when moving to take the kick, is an offshoot from the ‘feinted’ penalty. The ‘feinted’ penalty, when players could stop, and move back and forth, during their run-up, was rightfully
banned in 2010. Moreover, Goalkeepers have developed responses to modern development: They attempt to impose themselves. They bend the rules, stealing a few yards in front of the goal-line even though laws state that goalkeepers should be on the goal-line when the ball is kicked. Similarly, they employ distraction methods: Manuel Neuer is known to bounce around in his goal, hanging off the crossbar like an orangutan, while Joe Hart has previously taunted the opponent with fake laughter and childish faces. On the evidence of this season, the complications to the methods surrounding penalty kicks have had a negative effect. The Telegraph reports that only 71% of Premier League penalties have been scored so far this season, the lowest since the 2001/2002 season, while in the Champions League before last week’s games, only six out of 14 penalties had been converted. Neymar’s terrible effort against Manchester City last week was further evidence of the malaise that has overcome European football. Perhaps goalkeepers have got better at anticipating, and subsequently saving, penalties? In 2014, Brunel University suggested that ‘world class’ goalkeepers have an 80 millisecond head start when it comes to predicting the
actions of their opponents, citing minute movements and body signals that provide clues.
Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier were experts when it came to penalties: Shearer converting 62/74. It is true goalkeepers do a lot of homework these days, studying videos of future opponents and their penalty tendencies. However, for me, it is the unnecessarily complex methods that players bring to the penalty kick. Attacking players are forgetting that penalties fundamentally favour them. It is
a psychological standoff with the goalkeeper: Removing unnecessary complexities would enable clear focus and greater success. The inflated egos of modern players have spilled over; the penalty kick has become a vanity show, players attempting to show how skillful and alternative they can be. Moreover, they are desperate for the limelight, desperate to score a potentially match-winning goal for the team. Twice already this season, players have argued with teammates over who would take the penalty; Eric Lamela with Son Heung-Min and Alexis Sanchez with Santi Cazorla. In both cases, the subsequent penalty was missed. The penalty kick has been unnecessarily over-complicated by modern footballers. Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier were experts when it came to penalties: Shearer converting 62/74 (Premier League and international) and Le Tissier converting 48/49. Both maintain that simplicity is the key. On his method, Le Tissier stated “I stuck it in the corner, and if the keeper went the right way it was hard enough to beat him,” while Shearer’s emphasis was on “stay[ing] in control of the situation.” The adage goes ‘if it ain’t broken don’t fix it’. When it comes to penalties, modern players should follow the lead of Shearer and Le Tissier: drop the complexity and the rewards will follow.
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