Issue6

21ST OCT 2013/ ISSUE 06 FREE

MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

The great debate: Baking

Interview: Roy Davis Jr

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Suicide in young men, Moya dicusses

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Student in critical condition after Withington assault • Medical student suffered severe head injuries • Assaulted in Withington takeaway • Two 16 year olds arrested Michael Williams News Editor A medical student is in a critical condition in intensive care after being assaulted in a Withington takeaway.

Two sixteen year old boys have been arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the incident, which happened last Tuesday evening. The boys, one from Fallowfield and the other from Chorlton-cum-Hardy, remained in custody for questioning as this newspaper went to print.

The 20-year old victim went into Khan’s takeaway on Tuesday evening last week after catching the 142 bus from the University of Manchester to Withington Library at around 9.50pm.

While inside the takeaway, he was assaulted.

Following the incident, he returned home at around 11.30pm – but his condition had deteriorated and his housemates, also medical students, realizing something was seriously wrong called an ambulance.

Police were then called to the Manchester Royal Infirmary after the student was admitted to Accident and Emergency with a serious head injury.

Detective Inspector David Turner, from GMP’s South Manchester division, said, “We are

trying to build up a full picture of the student’s movements before he arrived home.

“We have launched an investigation and have a team of detectives who are working to establish the facts of how he came to receive his injuries.”

The arrests of two sixteen year old boys came after a large police appeal for information relating to the assault.

Officers were out in Withington in the days following the incident asking members of the public if they were in the area at the time of the assault.

Flyers were also distributed with a picture of the student and information about the incident.

The victim is described as a white man, of slim build, 6ft 2in tall with brown hair. On the night of the assault he was wearing a grey jacket with a sheepskin interior, a light blue denim shirt and dark trousers.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Pester, from the South Manchester division, said, “At the time of the incident there was a young woman sat in the take away who may have witnessed the attack and we are urging her to come forward to help us with our enquiries.

“If you have any information about the assault or know who the offenders are, I would urge you to think about what this young man’s family are going through and to call me with whatever information you have.”

A student has suffered a head injury after being assaulted in Khan’s takeaway in Withington Photo: Peter Chinnock

02 : NEWS

ISSUE 06 / 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Highlights

Arts & Culture, Interview: Jeremy Deller

Exec Members advertising the university’s RAG charity Take Me Out

Page 24 Picture of the week

Film, Interview: Creators of Monsters University

Manchester: the UK’s most vibrant city Inez Dawoodjee News Reporter

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Film, review: Captain Philips

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A report compiled by Experian has found that Manchester is the most “vibrant” city to live in the UK. Changing demographics has meant that Manchester has risen from 21st place in 2001, when the survey was first conducted, to the top of the list.

London previously occupied the top spot.

The increase in the living standards is attributed to the arrival of young people into homes in the city centre.

City centre officials have said that the results prove that Manchester’s growth is rocketing.

The London borough of Kensington came second.

The report was compiled using data from the national

census done in 2011 and 2001.

Analysts used information from 75 urban areas in cities around the country. Spinningfields, Northern Quarter, Deansgate and Castlefield were amongst some of the areas chosen in Manchester.

An index of eight factors was compiled which gave a measure of the cities’ vibrancy.

These included: extent of unemployment, student populations, professionals, amounts of private renting, amounts of social renting, home ownership and percentage of purpose built flats.

The number of students and professionals who live in Manchester’s inner city has increased.

Unemployment has also decreased, although home ownership has slightly fallen.

Experian said that the report indicated that “urban living” revitalised cities. Six cit-

ies in the North and Midlands had the greatest increase in rankings.

Managing director of consumer insight at Experian Marketing Services Nigel Wilson said, “Clear insight into people and places – who is living where and what these places look like – is important as it is essential intelligence for commercial organisations and government bodies.

The report can be used to help retailers decide the most suitable location for their stores according to target markets. Wilson added: “We’ve been working with this sort of insight for many years so we’re ideally placed to map and add colour to the key demographics and trends that are changing the face of Britain.”

Deputy Editor: Harriet Hill-Payne Sub-Editors: Dan Harold, George Bailey, Jennifer Grimshaw & Eleanor Muffitt

Food & Drink, Feature: The Indy Man Beer Festival Page 22

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News Editors: Michael Williams, Pippa AllenKinross, Sean Doherty & Aidan Gregory news@mancunion.com

Oscar Watkins Contributer

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BeautyEditor: Haylee Wells beauty@mancunion.com

Police seized alcohol from around 1,000 students during freshers week.

Over half of the booze confiscated was in the queue for the end of week event, Pangaea. 600 seizures took place while more than 6,000 students turned up for the night on September 21.

Usually held in January and June, at the Manchester University Students Union, Pangaea is widely renowned as one of the highlights of the student nightlife calendar.

In an interview with the Mancunion last year, Tommy Fish (Activities & Development Officer) said, “One of the key elements of Pangaea is student involvement, that spreads throughout the stu-

News Reporters: Gawain Owen, Inez Dawoodjee & Ashley Scantlebury

Editor: Jonathan Breen editor@mancunion.com

Phone (0161) 275 2933

Pangaea booze seized

Games Editor: Alasdair Preston Lifestyle Editors: Moya Crockett, Isabelle Dann, Beth Currall & Lauren Arthur lifestyle@mancunion.com Music Editors: Tom Ingham, Patrick Hinton & Phoebe Clarke music@mancunion.com

dent population and that will be one of the big factors that will make the September [event] a success.”

But, organisers failed to properly notify partygoers of a by-law banning the consumption of alcohol in public around the UMSU building.

Chief Inspector Arif Nawaz of the Greater Manchester Polcie said, “We welcome students to Manchester, they add to the vibrancy and rich diversity of our city as well as bringing a significant economic benefit.

He added, “We aren’t here to stop people from having a good time but what we do want to do is ensure the right advice is given to students while they are out and about so that they keep themselves safe and do not break any laws.”

Sport Editors: Andrew Georgeson, Thomas Dowler & Thomas Turner Sports Reporters: James Eatwell & Jonathan Roberts sport@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Josephine Lane theatre@mancunion.com Web Editor: Jennifer Ho webed@mancunion.com Photography Editor: Peter Chinnock photography@mancunion.com Photography team: Patrycja Marczewska, Joshua Brown & Cil Barnett-Neefs

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 03

Animal Research: Motion Denied Students throughout motion proposing the banning of all animal research Inez Dawoodjee News Reporter

The Manchester Debating Union participated in a nationwide debate scrutinising the ethics of animal research, last week.

‘The Big Animal Research Debate’ was part of a series of debates that took place at 30 universities across the country between the 14th and the 17th of October.

Organised by IDEA UK and non-profit organisation Understanding Animal Research, the debate attempted to analyse and inform the audience on the issues and objections that surround animal research.

The motion stated: “This House would ban all forms of animal research.” Philosophy lecturer and Animal Ethics specialist Dr Stephen Cooke and Biomedical student Jack Mellish were proposition speakers.

Professor of Immunology and Microbiology Werner Muller and Neuroscience and Immunology PhD candidate Becky Montacute were opposition speakers.

At the beginning of the event, 10 students voted for banning all animal research

and 157 students voted against the ban. Remaining audience members abstained from voting. At the end, 44 voted for, 99 against, and the r est abstained.

Dr Cooke explained his defence of the proposition: “If we wish to exclude animals from moral concern because they lack rationality, then we must also exclude some humans who lack rationality—many humans.

What’s more, we have to admit that non-human animals possess greater rationality than many humans.”

Professor Werner explained his argument by using a case study. “There is one case in Manchester, where a person was deficient for one particular gene.

There are only 50 patients around the world who have this condition. It cannot be treated. There was an experiment done with mice which had C1Q [ the deficient gene] and the mouse could be cured by bone marrow transplantation.

“The people at the Manchester hospital tried the same procedure. They used the bone marrow of the brother of this particular

Students across the country have been debating the ethicality of animal research Photo: Understanding Animal Research @Flickr person and just three-four weeks later, the person was cured. So from my point of view, it would be too extreme to just stop animal experimentation.”

Mellish pointed out double standards between humans and animals. “The way that we should act is to protect and maximise rights. There are a huge number of cases that are morally repugnant

and everyone understands this; but because animals, people don’t follow this through to its obvious conclusion.”

Montacute countered, “If a mouse has cancer, it feels pain, it doesn’t truly feel suffering. If a parent, as a human, gets cancer they feel suffering; they know that they’re not going to see their kids’ weddings, they know

that they’re not going to see their grandchildren. This is a suffering that’s unique to humans.”

With 44 students voting for banning all animal research, 99 voting against and the rest abstaining, the proposition speakers won the debate.

The debates have had a high public profile and attracted the attention of ethicists, students and MPs,

among others. Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science commented, “I hope the Big Animal Research Debate will encourage a better understanding among the British public, and especially among young people, about how and why animals are used.”

Four receive honorary degrees Manchester Unions Will Brown Contributor

Footballing legend Sir Bobby Charlton was among those to get a honorary degree from the University of Manchester last Wednesday.

The other recipients include two Nobel Prize winners and the General Secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Professor Peter Higgs was awarded a Nobel Prize this month for his role in theorising the Higgs-Boson particle in 1964. His work has majorly influenced the field of particle physics. The pursuit of his theoretical particle

has played a key role in the construction of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. A £6.2 billion project, the collider was termed by one physicist as “truly one of the great engineering milestones of mankind”.

A modest man, Professor Higgs refused a knighthood offer from Tony Blair in 1999.

When compared in a recent BBC interview to fellow Nobel Physics laureate Einstein, Higgs objected, saying Einstein’s achievements were “several orders of magnitude greater” than his own.

Sir Bobby Charlton needs no introduction for anyone with a basic knowledge of English Football. Charlton

played out most of his career at Manchester United alongside Denis Law and George Besas, known as the ‘Holy Trinity’. A member of England’s winning 1966 World cup squad; Charlton is widely seen as one of the best midfielders to have ever lived. More recently in 2011 he founded ‘Find a Better Way’ a charity dedicated to developing new systems used in the detection of landmines worldwide.

Frances O’Grady, graduate from the University of Manchester, is now General Secretary of the TUC. BBC Radio 4 ranked her as the 11th most powerful woman in the United Kingdom. In the past

she has campaigned strongly for minimum wage.

Professor Mario Molina was awarded the Chemistry Nobel Prize in 1995. He holds honorary degrees from over 20 universities including Yale, Duke and Harvard. He is well known for drawing attention to the dangers of industrial chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gases to the ozone layer in the 1970s.

Molina gave this year’s Foundation day lecture to commemorate the 2004 creation of the University of Manchester.

among cheapest for a round of drinks Sean Doherty News Editor Manchester is the third cheapest city in the UK to buy a round of drinks at a student union bar, according to a new study.

The Price of Pint a Index, a survey from VoucherCodes. co.uk, compared the cost of a pint of lager, a vodka and mixer and a glass of wine

at the UK’s 20 most popular universities.

The average price of a round at the student union bars at University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan was £6.30, ranking in just behind Leeds at £6.27 and Bristol at £5.80.

Ulster was the university with the most expensive round, costing £8.90.

At £1.50 for a pint of lager, the student union at Manchester Metropolitan is the cheapest of any of the institutions surveyed.

Third year Drama and English student Zoe Weldon said, “I don’t usually drink at the union bar.

“But seeing how cheap it is, I might from now on.”

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 05

Union Exec to launch campaign against ‘additional course costs’

The exec will be handing out ‘monopoly style leaflets’ in the weeks ahead. Photo: Aidan Gregory

-Exec to lobby university over extra course costs -Additional costs are ‘unfair’, say exec team - Students forced to fork out for “text books, lab coats, and field trips” Aidan Gregory News Editor The executive of the Students’ Union is to lobby the University over additional course costs that students are being asked to pay by departments.

In a statement to the The Mancunion, Grace Skelton,

General Secretary of the SU, outlined their plans for the campaign in the weeks and months ahead.

“We are asking students to tell us items they have had to pay for by filling out a form either on our website, or on the back of monopoly-style leaflets which course reps will be handing out

to students. We will collate this information and use it to lobby the University throughout the year”.

The monopoly style leaflets come in £100, £200, and £300 units. On the back, students can fill in details such as their course, year group, what they had to pay for, and how much those

additional items cost.

This latest campaign by the Exec comes after a recent NUS study, which claimed that student loans have become insufficient to meet the rising cost of living and studying at university.

Skelton and the Exec believe that at such a time it is unreasonable of the University to ask students to fund costs in addition to what they already pay.

“The exec team don’t believe it’s fair that students have to pay for extra course items when they are already forking out

Universities accused of grade inflation Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor

Grade inflation has become ‘rampant’ in universities, according to a Mail on Sunday investigation.

100 per cent of students achieved a First or 2:1 on more than 50 courses nationwide. On some of these courses, over half of the students were awarded a First.

The Mail has claimed that the

number of students achieving a 2:1 in many institutions has increased greatly over the last five years.

However, universities insist that the increase in degree qualifications is in line with rising A-level grades over the past few years.

32 out of the 40 universities surveyed had degree courses where between 90 and 100 per cent of students achieved a First or 2:1.

Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency also showed that two-thirds of students nationwide were awarded a First or 2:1 in 2012.

However, they said that low student numbers on particular courses could alter the overall outcome of such statistics.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, told the Mail on Sunday: “There may be a range of factors behind these results.

“The number of students on many of the courses is small.

The degrees in question also represent a fraction of the courses available at individual universities.

“The proportion of Firsts and 2:1s has increased marginally in recent years, reflecting increases in entry qualifications. A-level performance has improved, as have learning methods.”

Despite this, she added: “The current degree classification

thousands to be at University in the first place”.

Rosie Dammers, education secretary of the SU, cited additional course costs as being things such as “textbooks, lab coats and field trips”, adding that if students did not have these things, “they would not be able to fully access their university education”.

Speaking to students around the campus, it is clear that such additional expenses are an annoyance.

The common additional cost identified - by humanities students in particular - seems to be having to pay to print course reading. It costs students 5p to print off one sheet at any university printer.

Sam Boylan, second year Economics & Politics, thinks that having to pay for printing is a “nuisance”.

“It’s a cost that we could do without. Considering that we’re on a tight budget anyway, and we’re paying £9000 a year,” he said.

Science students also do not escape having to pay extra money for their course. Jack Pople, and Sam Joyce, both second year biology students, each had to pay £29.99 for lab coats at the start of their first year.

Pople said, “It’s the beginning of the year, and you already have to pay for loads of things.

“It’s the principle that we pay £9000 a year to be here, and they’re like ‘yeah another 30 quid please.’”

system is a blunt instrument.”

Some critics have accused universities of raising grades in order to attract new students who have to pay the £9,000 fees.

However, Rachel HastingsCaplan, a recent English Literature graduate at the University of Manchester, told The Mancunion: “What the Mail is not taking into account is that there has never been so much pressure on students to attain not just a degree but one of a high standard in order to get a graduate job.

“For me and most people I met at university, getting anything lower than a 2:1 was out of the question.”

Turing may receive pardon Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor

Alan Turing may be close to receiving his posthumous pardon.

David Cameron has shown support for the bill, which would posthumously pardon Turing after he was sentenced to chemical castration for the crime of gross indecency in 1952, when homosexuality was still illegal.

The University of Manchester mathematician Turing went on to commit suicide in 1954.

Earlier this year, the government said it would support a backbench bill going through the House of Lords that would pardon Turing, but it has yet to happen.

This comes after much pressure from members of the gay and scientific community to obtain a posthumous pardon.

This year, 11 scientists, including Professor Stephen Hawking, wrote to Cameron urging him to “formally forgive this British hero.”

Meanwhile, Commons Speaker John Bercow presented a posthumous Attitude magazine Icon award to Turing earlier this month, calling him: “this man, this gay man, this brilliant man, who saved our country, a hero of global proportions to whom every single one of us owes so much.”

During the Second World War, Turing worked as a code-breaker in Bletchley Park and successfully cracked the messages sent by the German Engima machines.

He is also credited with being one of the fathers of computer science following his work at the University of Manchester.

Addressing the issue in the House of Commons on 16th October, the prime minister said: “Clearly what happened to him was completely wrong and now, looking back, everyone can see that – everybody knows that.

“I am very happy to look at the specific issue of the pardon… but above all what we should do is praise Alan Turing and the brave people who worked for him.”

ISSUE 06 / 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

NEWS : 07

Osborne announces new health centre -Manchester-Peking unite to create new international health centre Sean Doherty News Editor

The University of Manchester and Peking University have joined to form an international health centre, declared Chancellor George Osborne at a speech to Chinese students on Monday 18th October.

The Peking-Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine is a partnership between Peking University, one of China’s oldest and most prestigious universities, and the University of Manchester’s Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC).

The new centre will be made up of three separate but interdependent research facilities - the International Centre for Rare Diseases, the Centre for Cancer Genetics and the Joint Clinical Trials Facility. Manchester’s work in the project shall be led by the Manchester Centre for Genomic Research, itself a partnership between the University of Manchester and Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust. The group consists

of over 250 researchers, doctors, genetic counsellors, nurses and scientists, which launched last May. The joint venture will see six senior geneticists from the Manchester Centre for Genomic Research delivering a training course at Peking University Health Sciences Centre to over 300 scientists and health professionals.

The Chancellor, in his speech at Peking University, spoke of his delight at the formation of the centre.

‘Here in the oldest and most prestigious medical school in China, let’s work together on the medicines of tomorrow.

‘This partnership will – I hope – give even more of you the chance to come to Britain and study there.’

The Centre is a sign of what George Osborne hopes to be an increasing closeness between Chinese and British academic establishments and, by extension, a tightening of the economic and cultural relationship between the two counties.

He stated that there would be no cap placed upon the

amount of Chinese students who would be allowed to study in Britain.

‘I want more of you to come. And more Chinese visitors too.’ He said, ‘(There will be) no limit to the number of Chinese tourists who can visit. No limit on the amount of business we can do together. For in the end what is a true dialogue?

Not just a meeting between governments. Not just a conference of politicians.

A real dialogue is where people get together, and talk, and learn, and understand and embrace the future together.’

Zhen Zhang, first year Economics and Finance student, came to Manchester from China for his degree after finishing a foundation year at Warwick. He said that he came to Manchester as he wanted to study in a well-known big city with a top-class international reputation. ‘I feel that I would be more accepted here than in America’, he stated, telling us the idea of studying in USA seemed more daunting. ‘I enjoy it here, it’s a good city’.

However, not all students are happy about the Chancellor’s desire to draw more Chinese students to British universities. Chris Payne, Business Studies student, said, ‘I feel the university has been trying to accommodate Chinese students over UK ones. Some of my tutorials have been led

by Chinese post grads whose

English hasn’t been great and I feel like my learning has suffered as a result.’

Nick Brown, third year history student, sees the influx of Chinese students as a necessity.

‘On the one hand it seems that UK students are being backtracked in favour of international students.

On the other hand, with

a significant debt, the government isn’t going to continue to subsidise higher education. It’s either a case of letting in more international students or UK students having to face another price hike and no one wants to pay more than £9,000.’

University of Manchester and Peking mark alliance. Photo: tristam sparks@flickr

University axes Disability studies Girl sexually -University faces criticism from Exec over course closure -Second course cut from School in a year Aidan Gregory News Editor

The university is to cut BA Learning Disability Studies from its course programme.

The three year course, run by the school of education, will no longer be taking on new students as of September 2014.

The decision to shut down the course - made in August of this year - is due to a lack of applicants, acoording to the University.

It is not the first course to be cut from the school of education.

Applied Community and Youth Work studies was cut from the course programme, in October 2012, after it failed to take on any new students for the 2012/13 academic year. The decision was met with criticism from last year’s Students’ Union Executive, and a protest by students studying on the course.

The Exec, in accordance with its election manifesto, are against this latest course

closure. In a statement to The Mancunion, General Secretary of the Students’ Union Grace Skelton, said, “The exec team were extremely disappointed to hear of the decision by the University to close the Learning Disability Studies undergraduate course”. She added further that, “the Students’ Union has policy to oppose all course closures”.”

At this stage it is unclear whether their will be any student action against the closure.

Skelton confirmed that the Exec “will support students on the course going forward in action they may decide to take.”

According to the course guide on the University of Manchester website, there have been on average 70 applicants each year competing for 30 places. But

a spokesman for the school of education confirmed that there are currently just 15 students on the course, who will continue to receive “the high quality programme and standard of teaching they expect up to the end of the course in three years time.”

When asked by The Mancunion about the future of the academic staff employed on the course, the University issued the following statement.

“We anticipate that current teaching staff will continue to be based at the Manchester Institute of Education and there will be no compulsory redundancies.”

assaulted outside student halls Pippa Allen-Kinross News Editor

A 19 year old girl has been the victim of a sex attack close to student accommodation.

Students woke to her screams at around 5.30 a.m. on 13th October.

It is thought that the victim had been to a party at Trinity Court Halls, which contains a mixture of students from University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and RNCM, as well as young professionals.

Her attacker is described as an Asian male in his 30s or 40s.

Police sealed off the area of Upper Cambridge Street in Hulme following the attack, and are continuing with their enquiries.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman has urged anyone with information about the incident to contact them on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

08 : Feature

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Is banking the best way for students to reduce poverty?

Students and interns listen to a presentation at the Centre for Effective Altruism Photo: Giving What We Can

Sam Dumitriu visits Oxford’s Centre for Effective Altruism to discuss their surprising conclusions about the best way students can reduce poverty

A

t face value, the question seems ridiculous. Yet, it is just one of many controversial questions being asked at The Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA) and its answer may surprise you.

80,000 Hours is a careers advice service with a difference. Working within the CEA they aim to discover the most ethical way you can spend your estimated 80,000 working hours..

When we think of words to describe bankers ‘ethical’ is not likely to be at the top of our list. With their reputation for greed, recklessness and the pursuit of self-interest at the expense of society, ‘ethical’ is probably the last word we would use. But for students wanting to help the world’s poorest, 80,000 Hours suggests the high-flying world of finance might just provide their best opportunity.

Research carried out by charity evaluator GiveWell suggests we can save a life for as little as £1500 by donating to the Against Malaria Foundation. Investment bankers can relatively confidently expect to earn somewhere in the range of £8m to £40m over the course of their career.

Giving What We Can, part of the CEA,

encourages students to pledge 10 per cent of their income to charity, but some go further. The Further Pledge asks you to give all of your income over a certain level to charity. £50,000 a year is a comfortable salary, more than twice than the median income - over a lifetime that works out as a lifetime earnings of £2m.

If we assume that our prospective banker is nothing special and put their earnings at the lower end of the pay scale. We are still left with £6m worth of malaria nets to be handed out.

In other words, over her entire career our banker can earn enough to save 4000 lives. Even if our banker cut the amount she gave a year by £50,000 she will still have given enough to save over 2500 lives.

Keep in mind these are conservative estimates, many investment bankers can earn significantly more and save many more lives.

When 80,000 Hours co-founder William MacAskill came forward with the case for earning to give in 2011 it shocked many. With public opinion firmly against banking it seemed a bizarre time to come forward advocating the profession.

Was it a publicity stunt, an attempt to rehabilitate banking’s tarnished brand or was MacAskill just being contrarian?

When I spoke to 80,000 Hours researcher Thomas Hendry, he made a nuanced case for earning to give.

“We got a lot of publicity for earning to give, we think that often this can be a very good option over the non-profit sector. But that’s not the only option we consider. For example, the people working at 80,000 Hours aren’t earning to give.”

Guiding every decision at the CEA is the question ‘which action will have the greatest impact at reducing poverty?’ For people like 80,000 Hours founder William MacAskill and Giving What We Can Executive Director Michelle Hutchinson its public advocacy and groundbreaking research.

Replaceability is vital when considering whether earning to give is the right option for you.

For example, training to become a Doctor may mean that you save lives on a daily basis, but jobs in medicine are highly competitive. If you choose not to train as a doctor, the place you free up will be filled immediately by someone as equally qualified as you.

The direct impact of becoming a doctor on saving lives is marginal.

“If you take a job at a non-profit, you may be making less of an impact than you think. If this were a competitive job, then you may not be as productive as hoped.”

Replaceability also casts doubt on the idea that many high-earning

For the harms to outweigh the benefits of a Goldman Sachs employee giving half their earnings to highly effective charities, Goldman Sachs would have to be responsible for five per cent of all deaths in the world careers cause more harm than good.

Wall Street trader Brooke Allen responded to MacAskill arguing that there was no amount of money a securities trader could give to make up for the harm caused by the collapse of the mortgage industry.

Investment banking jobs are some of the most competitive jobs out there. If you reject the profession for ethical reasons, another person will take your place. The only difference is now none of the money is going to alleviate extreme poverty and the person taking the role will likely be less inclined to think ethically.

Ethics still remain an issue, but the benefits of earning to give dwarf the harms of working in an ethically dubious industry, such as finance.

In a recent blog post, 80,000 Hours estimated for the harms to outweigh the benefits of a Goldman Sachs employee giving half their earnings to highly effective charities, Goldman Sachs would have to be responsible for five per cent of all deaths in the world. Keep in mind that Goldman Sachs represents just three per cent of America’s financial industry.

80,000 Hours’ ideas are not just amusing thought experiments. The arguments they make have persuaded people to put their ideas into practice.

One example is Jason Twigg, an MIT Computer Science graduate who chose to write software for a high frequency trading firm. Despite having the potential to be a successful academic, working in finance provides him with the greatest opportunity to save lives.

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Most students and academics tend to have strong opinions on what constitutes fairness in society and the need to alleviate extreme poverty in the developing world.

Yet when push comes to shove, very few actually follow through with what their ideas demand. We are left asking the question first posed by Marxist philosopher Gerry Cohen - “If you’re an egalitarian, how come you’re so rich?”

You cannot make the same charge against 80,000 Hours and Giving What We Can. Translating theory to real quantifiable action runs through everything they do.

Giving What We Can Executive Director Michelle Hutchinson commented on the organisations origin.

“Toby Ord is a philosopher who always thought we ought to help people much less fortunate than ourselves - that we should take our duty to help much more seriously. His friend said ‘If you really believe that why aren’t you giving your money away?’”

This along with the problem of working out how best to help those in need lead to Ord founding Giving What We Can. Peter Singer - the philosopher who inspired the work of CEA – is the perfect example of someone who puts theory into practice.

After arguing that failing to give to those in extreme poverty was tantamount to refusing to rescue a drowning child because you did not want to be late for work – Singer has given 25 per cent of his income to Oxfam.

Singer’s analogy between failing to save a drowning child and not giving to charity may seem shocking. Yet, the principle Singer establishes is that when we can reduce large amounts of suffering with little cost to ourselves is hard to argue with.

Giving 10 per cent of your income to charity may seem a lot, but Giving What We Can point out earning the median UK wage puts you in the richest five per cent globally.

Part of the reason Giving What We Can primarily talks to students is that most

students are used to living on a modest income. Hutchinson points out that you can pledge to give 10 per cent of your future income.

“We have a lot of people who join as students. Students typically live on a very small income and they are very happy, they don’t mind not going to fancy restaurants all the time. If someone thinks about it as a student, they realise that even if they are not going to be earning massively more in the future, they will still be richer in the future and can make plans to live on 90 per cent of that income.”

She concedes it will be more difficult

Feature : 09

for people who already have financial commitments.

Giving What We Can stresses the importance of not just giving but giving effectively. They evaluate charities on how well they can help people in the developing world. Rather than focusing on individual charities, they look at research into healthcare to find the most cost effective interventions.

Some interventions can be one thousand times more effective than others.

Giving What We Can focuses on two stopping neglected tropical diseases and preventing malaria.

“We try to find charities that implement those particular interventions – at that point we go into the charity asking questions such as; … Are they implementing the intervention in the way the World Health Organisation recommends? What is the charity’s budget like? Can it absorb more funds?“ When discussing charities at Giving What We Can, with all the numbers flying around its easy to forget the solutions being proposed will help real people, a problem Hutchinson is all too aware of.

“There has been a lot of psychological research showing that reminding people

of numbers and reminding people about money in terms of costing less and costing more immediately takes people out of the altruistic part of the thinking process.

“We try reminding people that there are actual real people in these equations, what it actually means for a charity to be 100 times more effective than another, that means you can save 100 lives where you would have only saved one. Each of those lives is worth just as much as the one. They each have their own families, their own plans and hopes.”

Giving What We Can’s research shows that we have the potential to do a lot more good than we would have otherwise suspected.

“Before I joined Giving What We Can I had no idea just how effective some of these treatments are, 50 cents for a tablet of Albendazole allows you to treat someone for four different prevalent intestinal worms. It’s really impressive, almost unbelievable for that little money to be able to help so much.

“Therefore, if I give a substantial part of my income, I could help a lot of people.”

One difficulty with getting people to focus on the most effective charities is that they tend to focus their donations locally.

“Charities who work in our local communities tend to be less effective than ones that work in the developing world because we are lucky enough to have the NHS and a government social security system that means that if a problem is fairly easy to solve and fairly cheap to solve, it plausibly already has.

While there are people around us who do need help, it tends to be the case that it is very difficult to help them.”

Throughout both 80,000 Hours and Giving What We Can is a healthy optimism about our potential to solve extreme poverty and a willingness to put ideas into action. By backing up noble sentiment with rational calculation they are able to have a huge impact and should act as an inspiration to us all.

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Opinion

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The British Army; not yet redundant

E mily Maister argue s that de spite time s of austerity, we shouldn’t rush to hang up the rif le s Photo: K. Kherli (Banksy)

2000 homeless in MCR It’s time to take a stand Last week

Photo: UK Forces Afghanistan The Imperial War Museum is commemorating the Centenary of World War One, a war transformed by the efforts of the British Armed Forces. Historically speaking, the legacy of the British Armed Forces is rather controversial, but being there I was filled with sorrow, respect, even pride.

However, coming home it sparked a blazing debate with my housemate about whether or not Britain still needs a ‘redundant, imperialist’ army at all.

The Conservatives caused uproar in Manchester last month just for plans to axe the second battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, but why not cut defence all together? Even a fraction of the defence budget could transform the lives of British people throughout the country, and that’s before nuclear disarmament.

Britain is spending around fourty billion pounds this year on defence; the fourth highest in the world behind the USA, China and Russia, and the budget is due to increase. The national debt is spiraling out of control, and the recent announcement that we may be out of Afghanistan by June 2014 begs the question: where is the money going, and is it worth it? Historically wars occured an average of every thirty years, now we haven’t had a major war for nearly seventy years and the suggestions of pooling our militia into a NATO or UN based military to patrol our ‘civilised’ world sounds like a pretty smart move.

But that is the point; it’s only been seventy years since the last world war. And it hasn’t been seventy years because the superpowers have evolved past squabbling or because everyone has forged alliances and peace treaties willy-nilly, but because of nuclear deterrents. The price of war between the superpowers has become too high. For now. But, eventually someone may well use one of those Weapons of Mass Destruction on us or someone else, and we will either be able to stand them down with the threat of obliteration, or be paralysed and vulnerable because we’d put our faith

on goodwill. Historically, goodwill has rarely prevented human destruction.

That’s the bigger picture. The daily role of the militia is still under question. There is set to be just 5200 British troops in Afghanistan by the end of the year, out of around 130,000 personnel in total.

Lately the militia have popped up here and there- quashing the London riots and lending Gibraltar a hand. So they haven’t been making many headlines of late, but a glance at their websites revealed that the Navy just made a £58 million drugs bust in the Caribbean, the Army have teamed up with the NHS for their ‘Stop Smoking’ campaign, and the RAF have installed a Typhoon Simulator at the Science Museum... It doesn’t sound like 40 billion pounds worth of work.

However, the consequences of cutting all defence need to be considered. There are 102,000 fulltime regulars and 19,000 territorial reserves in employment whose livelihoods and life’s work would be

“Goodwill has

rarely prevented human destruction

”

overturned, leading to an unemployment surge. For many young people it provides structured way into a diverse and meritocratic career; the Manchester and Salford Univeristy Officer Training Corps recruits 100 new officer cadets during Fresher’s Fair every year.

Cutting the army would lead to huge strain on the police force, border control and affect our international relations in terms of alliances, NATO and the UN. Much of Britain’s international influence stems from, or is related to its sizable armed forces, and losing them would affect our global standing.

Finally, much of our technology and

m e d i c a l advancements (which pumps money back into the economy), is developed by the military in places like the Advanced Technology Centre. Cutting the defence budget would mean shutting all of those research facilities down, and sending those discoveries and any profit they may generate to countries like China and America.

Arguably however, these are not meant to be the functions of the military. It is not there to provide jobs and keep our phones up to date. The British Armed Forces are meant to protect and defend Britain and nothing more. And looking at the published list of threats to British security from 2010, we are looking safer than we have ever been, with the top threats being listed as attacks on British ‘cyberspace’, terrorism, natural disasters, nuclear attack on us or an ally and crime. Conventional military attack, the military’s most traditional function, is low on the list and remote as a possibility in general.

However, remote as these threats seem today, we cannot afford to simply ignore them.Scaremongering aside should any of them occur Britain needs an insurance policy to keep itself safe. True, most of these threats could be reassigned to the political budget (terrorism), the Secret Intelligence Service (cyberspace) or the crime budget (crime), and perhaps they should. The defence budget certainly needs some reevaluation and a severe trim. But to cut it completely would be madness. Forget any imperialistic pride or traditional values, or that cutting off a military that Britain has gained so much power and respect for would be foolish. If a country hasn’t got defence it has nothing, because no matter how hard you work on everything else it can be taken from you in an instant. So the military may seem redundant right now, but if push comes to shove they’ll be swiftly reinstated as the heart, soul and pride of the nation.

I read that “If you have food in the fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of the world.” Statistics show that in 2012, over 2000 people in the Manchester region were sleeping on the streets, living in shelters or on the cusp of being evicted - a 9% rise compared on the 1896 recorded the previous year.

The exhaustive figures are undoubtedly higher than this.

Our perceptions of homeless people often revolve around the fact that that person has become homeless because of some fault of their own. The stigmatisation of homelessness has led to a societal opinion that those living on the streets should be marginalized, as their situation is a consequence of their own actions. In blaming the victim, we are blinded to the wider issue of the economic and social forces behind the operation.

Several articles have highlighted these forces, which include unemployment, limited affordable housing, and breakdowns in family networks. It has been argued that social stigma “occurs in situations where there is unequal social, economic and political power and there is an opportunity to label, stereotype, separate (us versus them), lose status and discriminate”.

There is clear evidence to suggest that the problem of homelessness is due to the effects of capitalism. In 2004 the BBC broadcasted the report “Hidden Homeless Speak Out”.

A number of situations were recorded focusing on homeless individuals such as Graham McEvoy, 57, a man who “had gone from a 2 bedroom maisonette in Ruislip to sleeping in a cardboard box in the market of London’s West End”. Graham admitted that “If you’d have told me two-and-a-half years ago I was going to be homeless I’d have laughed my socks off and told you you were mad”. The crippling effects of debt drove Graham into homelessness, showing that the issue is not always about fault, but about the economic climate.

So, are we part of the problem? Is our societies’ attitude towards homelessness actually making the problem worse?

Jo Phlean performed an experiment, in which he presented hypothetical situations to the subjects to directly compare attitudes toward a homeless and a domiciled poor man. His findings included that the “strength of the stigma attached to the “homelessness” label equals that for mental hospitalization”.

These findings are made more horrific when we consider that for most homeless people the issue isn’t actually personal attitudes, fault, selfishness or laziness but that their problems are actually somewhat due to decisions of the government.

The reality of homelessness in 2013 means that the recession is key to our understanding of homelessness, as 7.7% of the UK’s working-age population are currently both unemployed and in search of work. Despite an overwhelming number of people believing that homeless people are drug addicts and alcoholics, most cases of homelessness are instigated by high unemployment rates and other social problems, which then prompt further social problems for their victims. ‘Student Action’ are a society at the University of Manchester working to help the community and arrange a variety of weekly and yearly projects which include feeding the homeless. To find out more about getting involved, visit the Student Union website and search for ‘student action’.

Lauren Wills

Opinion

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

11

State regulation of the press is a necessary evil I am all for free speech, freedom

of expression and the free press and I am entirely against government censorship.

However, the media regulated as it is today takes away our power to act, believe, or express ourselves freely, imposing restraints that damage our long tradition of liberty.

The inability to find an independent voice in what the tabloids print as news is mainly due to the control of the press by a powerful elite, and this has meant that the public is fed stories which represent a very narrow range of ideologies.

After the recent banning of The Sun from the Union shop, student debate has been fierce over the belief that this is a case of University censorship and a breach of freedom of expression. The decision to ban the newspaper was due to the ‘No More Page 3’ campaign. The campaign, running since the summer of 2012, started when Lucy Holmes found she could no longer stand that the dominant image of women in The Sun was half-naked and there for the gratification of men’s sexual desires, when women such as Jessica Ennis had just won gold medals for Britain. The Sun openly takes away the rights of women to be presented as equal human beings, whose success could be viewed in the same light as

men’s. As already stated, I’m wholly for the preservation of free speech within our society. However, I struggle with Page 3’s continued existence being pinned as an upholding of the right to free speech. To its very core, the everyday presence of women as sexual objects takes the liberties of women for granted.

It has been over a year since the campaign began and it has been practically ignored. The banning of The Sun was not the initial intention of the campaign, but the silence from The Sun and continual presentation of women as little more than sex objects rather than filling the pages with powerful, intelligent, equally presented women has left the campaign with no other option.

There were no other means to challenge the tabloids, despite the feeling it was in breach of women’s liberty, therefore the move to ban The Sun from the union was the only option to make a significant group of voices heard.

This draws us onto the topical debate of whether press regulation should

In the last few weeks the Daily Mail has clearly emphasised why an arbitrator over press regulation is necessary, by highlighting the sheer irresponsibility and callousness of the tabloids at their worst. The Mail’s attacks on Ralph Miliband alleging that he was ‘The Man who hated Britain’ gave renewed vigor to the arguments of those pushing for press Photo: Int. Media Forum regulation and highlighted an urgent need for action. change and be challenged in the wake of Ed Miliband’s response, printed in the Mail the hacking scandal and the subsequent alongside yet more justification of their Leveson inquiry. Many within the press smear campaign, reveals quite succinctly maintain that in order to uphold free speech his stance on press regulation “Britain has in our democratic society they should always benefited from a free press. Those be left to regulate themselves. However, freedoms should be treasured. They are the government has rejected this, and is vital for our democracy. Journalists need to proposing to create their Royal Charter. hold politicians like me to account. But what Their proposals are that an independent appeared in the Daily Mail on Saturday was body with no statutory influence should of a different order all together”. oversee the self-regulation of the press, The desire is not to restrict the powers ensuring that complaints are dealt with of journalists but a call for responsible properly and effectively, thus creating a free journalism, where journalists can be held but accountable press. accountable for personal attacks such

as this. Interestingly Paul Dacre, editor of the Mail, is the current chairman of the Editors’ Code of Practice Committee. This is a man who, among other things, believes it acceptable to smear a dead man for his entries in a childhood diary written 72 years ago. This is a perfect indicator of this flawed system. Lord Alan Sugar’s statement in the House of Lords last Tuesday, summarises my stance; “we need to stand up to these bullies” and “it is about time parliament showed some unity and flexed its muscles to deal with these nasty people once as for all”.

The debate against regulating what is acceptable within newspapers will be a long one, but it is time that the harassment and misrepresentation that unfortunately has become a norm of tabloid newspapers is regulated. After the disclosures of the Leveson inquiry, we can no longer trust newspapers themselves to always do this alone. The liberty of the press will be upheld by allowing the public to have the freedom of expression in order to challenge it. Free speech will be safeguarded by an independent regulator by ensuring that what is expressed isn’t restricted and dictated by the powerful few.

Jenny Sterne

Abortion; the new Irish question It’s the writing on the wall Last week,

a woman in Northern Ireland was refused an abortion, despite the fact she was expecting twin girls with severe anencephaly. This is a disorder where the baby is born without parts of the brain and the skull and is therefore likely to have severe impairments for the rest of their lives.

However, at 22 weeks gestation the use of foetal abnormality as a reason for abortion is no longer legal in Northern Ireland.

You can travel outside of the country to request an abortion under the New Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013.

You can become eligible for an abortion under the grounds that the pregnancy presents a proven risk to the mother’s physical and mental health.

This act is clearly symbolic of changes in society causing the law to develop. However, where does it stop? Does Northern Ireland finally relaxing its rules concerning abortion mean that other grounds for abortion may become more acceptable in that society? Under The Abortion Act 1967 you may abort a child in the UK for the following reasons: there is a risk to the woman’s life (physically or mentally), it would affect the physical and mental health of any of the current children or that the baby may be born with serious physical and mental disability.

However, we have recently

seen several cases of babies aborted for many other reasons apart from this. The act states

Photo: @Catherine Lane

that abortion becomes illegal in the case of “any abortion carried out without two medical practitioners having formed a view, in good faith, that the health risks of continuing with a pregnancy outweigh those of a termination”. This allows room for interpretation and therefore manipulation. A case that is currently active and concerns the wording of the law is the prosecution of two doctors for the termination of two female foetuses over gender bias. Clearly two doctors were present and yet no one can argue that these abortions were justified.

Pro-life activists in Northern Ireland argue that the right to life should be more important than the right of the individual.

They argue that the focus should be placed instead on how to support mothers through such measures as better access to childcare, flexible scheduling in the workplace, allowing

for maternity leave and the government’s support to guide a woman into job life afterwards.

They also argue that abortion allows for the real issues to be ignored, such as in a case where a woman who is being hit by her partner became pregnant, saying that the harm is caused by the partner and not the baby.

They further consider the physical impacts of a procedure. If a foetus is aborted early on by chemical means there are side effects including; severe pain, cramping, nausea, diarrhoea, haemorrhage, and infection. If aborted later on by means of surgery, the side effects become more serious causing physical damage that can affect the chances of pregnancy later on.

There is no doubt that abortion will remain a contentious issue.

However, I still take the view that if the parents are correctly informed about the consequences of their actions then it is their decision whether or not to allow the baby to develop. It is a doctor’s moral duty to provide all the information possible. He or she should not impart upon the couple their own views upon the subject. Despite this, where we will draw the line on enacting future abortions to fulfil our own personal interests is still to be discovered.

Alice Turner

On the north wall of the Student Union there is a carefully spraypainted reminder that ‘Women are not objects.’ Beneath, a cheery chauvinist has scrawled ‘but they do object a lot!’

This little graffittied exchange is part of the landscape for the students, both male and female heading to the library or Learning Commons each day.

Every time I see it I think of feminism, and what part it has to play in my life as a student.

I’m a female, and I think I’ve got it pretty good. I’m at a great university with a diverse mix of friends and innumerable opportunities open to me. Noone is telling me that I’m just a silly girl. Sure, i might feel a little uneasy if I end up cycling through Fallowfield in the dark, but surely that’s common sense, I may on occasion have to explain politely that a smile isn’t an invitation to grope my bum in the queue for the bar, but I’m an understanding sort of person, and taking good manners for a sexual advance is an easy mistake to make.

And never, ever when I’m on the bus, do I have to endure groups of male students

singinglong and lecherous ditties on the topic of sluts and

Photo: Flickr@Petitchoux

rape.

Actually, that last one isn’t quite right. Since the semester began, two students have made a formal complaint against a University sports team for their crude and sexist chanting.

Perhaps nobody dare deny me equality, but that isn’t to say that sexism is a distasteful memory for students today.

Banter and sexism are often so conflated that it is difficult to see where one starts and the other ends. It’s easy to laugh when your flatmate offers you a high five after he’s ‘seen off ’ a one night stand, or at a joke about rape being fine if you say ‘Surprise!’ or even shrug off remarks that you shouldn’t do ‘too much sport’ or you’ll get ‘too muscular’. But this is

sexism; a quiet creeping kind that hides under the banner of ‘banter,’ and it’s not going anywhere. Of course, it’s funny now, you don’t want to seem a bore for sticking up for yourself when the ‘banter starts’ but if we don’t object now, then at what point do we say that behaviour becomes unacceptable.

These ‘lads’ are our peers; we will be living and working alongside them for the rest of our lives.

If it is as appears, that many of the successful sportsmen at a top University are unable to tell where the line is drawn between a funny song and being downright disrespectful then it is time that we start objecting. A lot.

If we accept ‘Lad Culture’ now then it will follow us out of University and into the boardrooms and offices of our graduate jobs and further and further up the career ladder.

Clichéd as it may seem, we will shape the future, and I certainly hope that mine isn’t filled with rape jokes and subtle sexism.

Megan Domaille

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Phoebe Clarke, Patrick Hinton, Tom Ingham Opinion

Interview: Roy Davis Jr.

the

MUSIC OPINION

Matthew Byrne

Does Glasto deserve the hype?

Glastonbury, a festival that was initially free and a safe haven for travellers has become the jewell in Britain’s festival circuit, with the amount of people there each year making it temporarily the third largest city in the South West. With the demand for tickets now so high and outweighing the 120 000 supply, the Glastonbury ticket sale is now a frantic button bashing event that leaves a lot disappointed at the outcome.

This year tickets sold out in record time although See tickets failed to sell a ticket in the first half hour, leading to just a few disgruntled customers.

See tickets then responded by tweeting “Thanks for all the advice. Never knew we had so many IT consultants following us”. This measured response did little to ease the storm not the best way to encourage customers to buy through them in the future.

Is the early wake up worth it though? Would you be better off seeking cheaper alternatives and still have just as much fun?

Naysayers insist Glastonbury has transformed from a place of escapism for everyone, to a very much middle class love-in - with the price of a Glastonbury ticket now above £200 you can understand some of their gripe. But if you compare it with the other large festivals in the UK, they are all in the same price bracket, and if you’re paying per act then Glastonbury wins hands down.

There are alternatives overseas, but with travel expenses this can work out just as pricey.

But what about the infamous Glastonbury weather, surely that’s a major turn off. However last year Glastonbury (much

TOP5

Songs

about birth Thomas Ingham, Music Editor

bemoaned for its wet and muddy conditions) was bathed in sunshine throughout the weekend.

Whilst Reading and Leeds have strayed from their rock roots, Glastonbury has stayed true to providing a diverse range of music. Where else could you see half of a careerspanning set from The Rolling Stones, then go and indulge in Olympic opening ceremony contributors Fuck Buttons atmospheric electronica. Each year Michael Eavis books a mix of established acts and Glastonbury newcomers, making the line-up appetising for young and old.

Music continues long into the night as well – Glastonbury is well known for special guest DJ sets, notably Shangri La (Thom Yorke was there last year), or see Fatboy Slim play in a giant Arachnid. There’s a wide range of literature, theatre and comedy on show too for all the Travel Agents who’ve gone because they think they have to. Even a casual stroll around Glastonbury delivers extraordinary sights, such as a man playing a piano whilst riding a bike. A place where the weird and wonderful become the norm, you should definitely visit Glastonbury at least once in your lifetime, but if you’re like me you’ll be hooked after your first five days there, and want to spend at least a couple of months in your life wandering around worthy farm.

the MUSIC INTERVIEW

Roy Davis Jr.

Matt Gibney speaks to Chicago house legend Roy Davis Jr. about his musical influences, forthcoming releases and appearance at the Manchester date of the Sound History tour.

Matt Gibney

While the term ‘legend’ is often bandied about far too flippantly these days, it’s a very apt way to describe American house music producer Roy Davis Jr. Hailing from Chicago – the home of house – Davis is perhaps best known to British listeners for his 1996 single ‘Gabriel’ which became a staple in clubs across the world. However that doesn’t begin to tell the full story of a career which has seen Davis release six albums and countless singles, collaborate with Daft Punk and inspire much of today’s talent in the process.

Davis is quick to recognise the influence his Chicago upbringing had on him musically. “I’d probably be doing something different if I hadn’t grown up in Chicago,” he explains. “House music was our culture. We grew up going to parties where it didn’t matter what nationality you were. Everyone danced together and had a good time. There were no problems at a house music party even though there were situations where you had different gangs or whatever. Gangbangers would come in and they would just enjoy themselves and dance.”

Despite the influence of the city’s house scene, Davis reveals his earliest musical inspiration came from non-electronic musicians. “I grew up listening to Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Curtis Mayfield and Bob Marley. It was these people who were the artists I looked up to even though I’m from more of an electronic world. Their strength and courage to say something that was meaningful stayed in my heart for a very long time.”

Sustaining a career in music for over twenty years is a rare feat. Davis puts his success down to his own sense of openness.

“You’ll never paint a different picture if you’re

House music was our culture.

We grew up going to parties where it didn’t matter what nationality you were.

Everyone danced together and had a good time. always staying the same,” he says. “I’ve always tried to have my mind open to all different genres of music and I think this openness to creativity is what still has me here today. I’m not trying to make a hit every time, I’m just being open and some people happen to enjoy it.”

More recently Davis has been collaborating with Manchester native Zed Bias on his forthcoming album for Loefah’s Swamp 81 imprint. “Everything just flowed really quickly. It’s fun when you come together from two different places and see where you’re at in the studio. A lot of people bump heads but we walked right in, went with the flow and got down.” Fans of both Zed Bias and Davis will be pleased to know there are more tracks in the works. “We already have a few more tracks in the can and it’s just up to us when we decide to release them.”

1. Bright Eyes - First Day Of My Life

2. Dianna Ross - I’m Coming Out

3. Morrissey - November Spawned a Monster

The first day of anyone’s life isn’t pleasant; neither for mother or child. No sooner have you took your first breath, the hospital mob are all over you..

And apparently it’s bad for the mother too.

Recalling our time in the womb is often difficult, but that’s not to say impossible. Some people recall the experience as unbearable and chose to exit earlier than anticipated, showing a real independence (for a fetus).

Although It’s not universally acknowledged that births in November lead to a high percentage of monsters, it is however definitely something worth looking in to. Mozza might explain in the new book.

In addition to this collaboration, Davis has recently finished work on his seventh studio album. “The approach to this album was different. My last few albums had pretty straightforward messages but this one I wanted to be more about fun and I’ve tried to reflect the original sound of house music within it.” He explains. “I couldn’t ask for it to come out any better. My travelling enabled me to see what other sounds are going on out there and I’ve been looking at the whole 90s revival thing which seems to be happening in all of the different countries I’ve been playing.”

Davis is planning to tour extensively over the next twelve months in support of the album – soon to be released on Miles End – amongst other plans. “There’s going to be a lot of touring. I’m also resurfacing my old label Underground Therapy and just having fun enjoying life.”

Fortunately all Manchesterbased fans will be able to catch Davis at the Manchester leg of the Sound History Tour at the Antwerp Mansion on Tueday 22nd October alongside Eliphino, Shola Ama, Sticky, Oscar Luweez and Moony. Davis talks excitedly about the show, “When I spin I try to reflect the time period I started through to where I am now. I love playing music – new and old.” What can we expect? “Oh man, you can expect everything! There’ll be some deep house through to Chicago Trax as well as some acid house. Just party music man!

Everyone’s gonna have a good time. I’d like to stay on the decks for four hours if I can!”

4. Salt n Pepper - Push it The wards of hospitals all around the world echo with these infamous words.

Although I’m sure Salt n Pepper weren’t suggesting we call nearly born fetus’ ‘it’, I think musically they felt it had more of a ring to it as opposed to ‘push him/her’.

5. Muse - Super Massive Black Hole Your wife’s gone into labour, you rush her to the hospital, she’s having contractions – she is going to give birth! The midwife spreads her legs apart, and woosh! She’s gone. Consumed by a human black hole – what are the chances?

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

: @MancunionMusic : / TheMancunionMusicSection

Music

13

Opinion

Smooth Criminals the Thomas Ingham, Music Editor “Is it in fact unfair to criticize a formerly great artist for his latter day sins, is it better to burn out or fade away?” – Ah, the immortal words uttered by Jack Black in the film adaption of Nick Hornby’s classic novel High Fidelity. Music snobbery isn’t a crime, it’s a sign of commitment – no self-respecting Pink Floyd fan claims ‘Another Brick In the Wall pt.2” is their favourite track, it’s just not the done thing.

Teen pin-up turned slimly sexbot Miley Cyrus has taken a load (no pun intended) of rather patronising advice from the likes of Sinead O’Connor over the last few weeks regarding her change in ‘direction’. Unless you ask highly tanned 13 year old girls, Cyrus’ transition hardly tarnishes a respectable body of work, if anything it’s an acceptance of what she’s been all along – an image. Even Macca stuck up for the former Disney sweetheart, and he’s been dead for 47 years (a rumour that becomes more believable when you look back over his Jubilee performance last year).

I have no qualms over the sexualisation of a once innocent pop star, the real crimes lie with the big boys. Picking up from where High Fidelity left off, let’s look at Stevie Wonder. A bona fide soul legend that out of blind senselessness put his name to atrocities like the “sentimental, tacky crap” that is ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’ and the truly

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MUSIC OPINION

woeful ‘Ebony and Ivory’ (which in my opinion is actually worse than racism). But, in his defence 1980’s Hotter Than July does somewhat help to compensate for his otherwise questionable 80’s output.

Switching from the mostly credible to the never, ladies and gentlemen I present the seven armed stadium monsters, Def Leppard. Despite Vivian Campbell’s work with Dio, the Sheffield bunch are all doomed to rot in eternity for their collaboration with the new Queen of pop, Taylor Swift.

Surprisingly, the gig itself is pretty awesome for the most part with Swift getting all gnarly and bringing some life to pretty sterile tracks like ‘When Love and Hate Collide’. It all falls apart however when we see Joe Elliott bash out a cringe worthy and totally unconvincing verse from ‘Love Story’, just why Joe, why?

Not all ‘bad’ collaborations are necessarily ‘bad things’, some are actually quite courageous and realise Frankenstein-like creations that one could only have ever dreamed of. Who really though in their own mind that Lou Reed fronting Metallica would ever lead to anything remotely listenable, apart from Lars that is. Following the revered Transformer with Berlin and then two years later releasing Metal Machine Music gives me the upmost respect for the man, Lou’s no one’s bitch.

It seems the 80’s are a particularly problematic period, even when the collaborators are

talking about the crazy eyed, greedy old bastard - Mick Fleetwood. The Mac (Buckingham and Nicks era) are quality, no getting away from that, but when you spend your days vegetating on a Hawaiian island how much more money do you need? It’s a shame because I know plenty of fans who would love to see the band in a live arena but refused to pay the ridiculous £125 plus booking fee in some instances. For that money I’d want to hear Rumours and Tusk in their entirety, even then I’d want some change for the bar.

It’s easy to bash the biggies, anyone can call Led Zeppelin’s Live Aid performance but I think it’s important to bear in mind the wrongdoings of the elite when we come to judge the likes of Miley Cyrus. Musicians are fickle creatures, and it’s often a joy to watch the horror unfold, but when you’re covering the bills for Stevie Nick’s Botox you have to draw the line.

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Review

Goo Goo Dolls

These New Puritans

Manchester Academy 1 - 16th October 2013 If you’ve ever happened to bring up the Goo Goo Dolls in conversation, you’ve likely received one of two responses - either “Christ, are they still about?” or “they did ‘Iris’, right?

My mum loves that song.” Such is the current status of Buffalo, NY’s most famous sons; it’s been fifteen years since a slew of ballads and jangly rock anthems made them MTV and pop culture icons. Fast-forward to 2013, and, with newly released tenth album Magnetic in tow, the band are keen to prove they’re not just another nostalgia act.

individually uber cool, disaster sometimes can’t be averted. Mick Jagger and David Bowie tackling a Motown classic, on any other day a winning formula but somehow they managed to fuck it up royally. Not only does the video make Bowie look like a cheap cabaret act, but he played a throwaway, background part vocally – nevertheless his names all over that baby, nowhere to run Dave!

Not all crimes are so transparent, some are more subtle. It’s hard not to become complacent when you’re audience is established and safe, even pioneers begin to stagnate. Morrissey’s most recent material for instance has failed to garner major label backing, not because it’s crap but because we’ve heard it all before. Forget ‘People Are the Same Everywhere’ Mozza needs a Lulu, something to shake it up; the autobiography might have to do for now.

The examples we’ve seen all far have all specifically concerned musical output, however last in the crosshairs is the worst of the lot. We’re

The Goos kicked off proceedings in curiously low-key fashion with new album track ‘Last Hot Night’.

However, it wasn’t until the early one-two punch of fan favourites ‘Slide’ and ‘Here is Gone’ that they properly got the crowd going. Their hit-heavy, slickly executed ninety minute set largely depended on their more subdued recent albums – save for 2010’s moody Something for the Rest of Us, which was omitted completely - all but ignoring the scrappy grunge pop of their formative years.

‘Black Balloon’ and their breakout track ‘Name’ were highlights,

7/10

both showcasing Rzeznik’s husky baritone, with the only real lull coming in the form of recent single ‘Rebel Beat’, as its electronic flourishes and layered sound came off comparatively flat in a live setting.

Takac also stepped up to the mic on occasion, his piercing rasp carrying the band through some of the more upbeat tracks in the band’s catalogue such as ‘January Friend’ and ‘Crash’, providing brief, light hearted interludes in a show that was otherwise fairly ballad-heavy. The band held off playing signature song and instant tearjerker ‘Iris’ until near the end, and its unveiling received raucous applause and an enthusiastic sing-a-long from fans; the years had clearly not numbed its show-stopping potential.

In short, the Goo Goo Dolls are a likeable and enjoyable live band, and deserving of their longevity, but I left the Academy with the feeling that I wished I’d been able to see them the first time around instead.

Dan Whiteley

Gorilla - 12th October 2013 “This song is 500 years old” not the way most bands would introduce their best original song, but then These New Puritans are not like most bands.

The song being introduced here, their biggest hit, is only called ‘Attack Music’. It is wellknown that they are pioneers of an edgy, almost anti-chart sound. Their performance at Manchester’s Gorilla, combining the serenely compelling with sections of tense aggression, reaffirmed this.

Lead singer Jack Barnett and his band walked out onto stage after two minutes of droning bass, accompanied by the sound of passing cars and flashing white lights. This was about as sonically predictable as These New Puritans were all night.

They then launched into songs off their new album, Field of Reeds.

The first was, ‘Spiral’, showcased the capabilities of the musicians.

The pair of brass players brought a rousing intro into tense but expansive melodic play between Barnett and his female vocal partner.

The next song, ‘Fragment Two’, is a single contains at its core a simple piano loop, but Barnett’s

deep, hypnotic voice led a euphoric progression that added complexity to the backing. The only issue was that his voice was a little too quiet, so it sounded whiny at points, drowned out by the band.

This didn’t matter during the middle of the gig, as music from earlier albums brought an angry, electronic edge to proceedings.

‘We Want War’ is bassandsnare heavy, with repetitive vocals and shrieking violins. The crowd opted to remain stoically entranced, rather than dance manically.

These New Puritan’s have finetuned alternations between chilled-out manic, and this combination worked, due to

9/10 the cerebral intensity of the music. Their sound is more complete, thanks to their latest album, which has added flavour to their live performance, its melodic, almost classical sound complimenting the rawer but more electronic earlier albums.

The encore was the most chilled out I’ve ever seen, no easy singalongs for the crowd here. But the lack of familiar hooks doesn’t change the fact that this was a gig well worth going to.

Oliver Fenton

14

Music

ISSUE 06/21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Mancunion Recommends

Now: Special Request - Soul Music Houndstooth. Release Date, 21st October 2013

Paul Woolford is currently on a very hot streak. He produced the biggest house anthem of the summer in ‘Untitled’ and has also recently released a string of original-topping remixes - of already excellent tracks. Now on Soul Music, Woolford airs his more formidable side, under his Special Request alias.

The album is deeply nostalgic for the sound of 90s raves, but at no point does it feel like a cheap throwback and rehashing of the past. The jungle influence is at the forefront of most of the album, but Woolford modernises the material with streamlined production and by throwing more instrumental flourishes into the mix. Opening track is ‘Forbidden’ is driven by the aggressive bass line and crashing drum sounds reminiscent of the bygone 90s era, but is also decorated by a serene harp-like strumming.

‘Undead’ is underpinned by piano chords that are akin to those heard in many of ‘Paul Woolford’s’ recent house hits.

However, acting as Special Request gives the

8.5/10

producer license to be a lot more boisterous and the rave spirit pervades Soul Music. In fact, it’s inescapable. This is due to features like ‘Soundboy Killer’ and ‘Hackney Parrot (Special Request VIP)’ sampling MCs from such events: “Can you please clear the stage? All you’re doing is jumping the records ... so just get off the stage, get in the crowd and have a party”. It’s impressive how Woolford manages to utilise so many aspects related to consuming music in a live setting without them sounding ostentatious or out of place when listening alone in your room. A wheel back embedded into a song? Sure. Gun shots firing over a Lana Del Rey sample? Absolutely. It all fits into the context of this album which captures the hedonistic party atmosphere so excellently.

Indeed, the first time I listened to ‘Hackney Parrot (Special Request VIP)’ a delirious grin spread across my face and the words “So good” involuntarily escaped my lips. This is certainly a piece of music that impacted my soul. With Tessela being another producer presently crafting his productions with the crashing breakbeat sound, it’s unsurprising that a joining of forces between the two is the standout track of the album.

The album is very long, totalling 23 tracks across 2 CDs. However, artists such as Anthony Naples, Kassem Mosse and Anthony Shake Shakir provide remixes that diversify the sound, meaning it doesn’t stagnate or feel bloated.

Soul Music showcases an artist at the top of his game channelling and developing the sound of raves when they were becoming a phenomenon – it’s instantly classic.

Patrick Hinton, Music Editor

Then: U2 - Achtung Baby Island Records; November 1991.

How do you follow a landmark album of the 80s? With a landmark album of the 90s, of course. In 1987 The Joshua Tree made U2 superstars, with its mix of painfully earnest themes and grand, expansive sound. After trying to repeat that success by taking the Americana angle to its nth degree on its follow up, the scatter-brained Rattle & Hum , they decided the only way to avoid musical stagnation was to go away and, as Bono put it, “dream it all up again.” The result was a dark, danceable, unabashedly kitschy record; Achtung Baby was the sound of four men chopping down The Joshua Tree for good.

Opening track ‘Zoo Station’ acts as U2 mark II’s manifesto. “I’m ready for the laughing gas”, Bono howls, his once preachy bellow now distorted and fuzzy, “I’m ready to let go of the steering wheel”. With its grinding guitars and industrial beat, the song introduces listeners to the Zoo-era U2, a leather clad, wearingsunglasses-indoors group of men who were ready to party, and do the most un-U2 of things – occasionally laugh at themselves.

Singles ‘Even Better Than The Real Thing’, ‘Mysterious Ways’ and ‘The Fly’ carry on in a similar vein: they’re funky, futuristic pop tunes steeped in swagger and irony that showcase Bono’s newfound embracement of his rockstar image. ‘Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses’, a slow-burning torch song that’s as bitter as it is sweet, and mega-hit ‘One’ are about the only remnants of The Joshua Tree ’s epic formula left, with the rest of the songs leaning towards the trashy and throwaway.

The most deeply personal and melancholy record in the band’s canon, Achtung Baby is one of the few albums that manages to make

you want to dance and mope at the same time; ‘Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around The World’ is the only light and breezy track here. The album’s climax, the closing trio of ‘Ultraviolet’, ‘Acrobat’ and ‘Love Is Blindness’, is one of the most spectacular in pop music, and serves to make sure the album doesn’t end on a happy note: they’re all ruminations on failed relationships inspired by The Edge’s personal life.

Achtung Baby gave the band their muchneeded second wind, as well as a return to critical (and monumental commercial) success, and still stands as their creative highwater mark, being an era-defining snapshot of the early 90s.

Dan Whiteley

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Games

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

15

Editor: Alasdair Preson Feature

Preview

preview: A day at Play Expo Battlefield 4

Guest writer James McClaren describes his experiences at Manchesters biggest games themed convention It seems that Manchester is increasingly ranging from large centerpieces showcasing becoming the place to be for exhibitions and the next generation of games, to the smaller special events. The 20th of July saw a record independent stalls such as a retro games breaking Comic-Con in the city with just related cupcake stall (which although very under 20,000 visitors, whilst October saw the niche, seemed to be in high demand at this fourth year of Vogue’s fashion night out – for type of place!) the first time ever – come to Manchester, well Now.play was predictably the most popular now we can add to our roster of expos and section of the expo, with keen gamers being conferences, the much needed mancunian able to try out the latest next gen kit – including games exposition, Play Expo.

Assassin’s Creed 4 on the Playstation 4, the Wii Most of you gamers out there will perhaps U with upcoming Mario games, and what I heard of the US Electronic Entertainment was most excited about, the Oculus Rift. For Expo (E3) or the German hosted Gamescom – those of you who don’t know, the Oculus Rift the largest gaming expos in the world where is a technology that’s going to revolutionise developers and companies release their plans the way we play games. Forget Microsoft’s for the next year and debut new tech for the Kinect and forget Sony’s Move, I believe this whole world to see and try out. On the second is going to be the market leader in computer weekend of October, EventCity’s answer to games immersion. The virtual reality goggles these conferences kicked off in earnest for work as you would expect, once you put them the second year running in the form of Play on your entire field of vision is taken up with Expo. Yes that’s right – gone is the need to go game footage. Instead of moving the in game on an epic journey in order to attend one of character’s head with an analogue stick, you these gaming expos, now all you need to do is look around. If you turn left, your avatar looks hop on the 250 or X50 bus and head down to left. It is a simple change, which had a truly EventCity in Trafford! As an avid gamer I jumped at the opportunity to go along and cover the day’s events.

As I stepped of the bus, I instantly knew I was in the right place for the expo. To my left was a man – presumably with a lot of spare time on his hands – who had fashioned an almost perfect Thor costume (hammer included) from his own materials. Alas, I had forgotten about cosplay Photo credit: James McClaren at gaming events like these, something which was to give me and my colleague a bit of a shock later when we were profound effect on me. I put it on and had to approached by a disturbingly real looking go through a tech demo, something designed special forces soldier. to really show off the kit. The idea was that I There are four sections to PlayExpo, re.play, had to escape a rapidly collapsing evil lair. The now.play, pro.play and cos.play; representing level of immersion was immense, cliché as this retro games, current / next-gen games, pro sounds; it actually felt like I was in the game. gaming tournaments and cosplay respectively.

This didn’t help when bats came out of a coffin I truly was taken aback by the sheer size and flew towards my face, whilst the floor of the expo. I knew it would be big but this below gave way into a giant pit of lava. It was place was absolutely huge, with various stalls so good, that I don’t think I could’ve played it

for much longer, as my character was jumping off of high ledges, my legs in real life would brace for the fall – it was so immersive that I almost had post traumatic stress disorder after my five minute ordeal in that dungeon.

Re.play was much less taxing on my health.

It involved a celebration of everything retro; from a huge collection of around eighty different pinball machines, to massive versions of the original Gameboys. As an early nineties kid I went on a bit of a nostalgia trip, managing to have a go on some absolute classic machines including the Nintendo SNES and NES, the Sega Megadrive and some of the much older Atari Joystick games. The section had a vast array of different machines for people to play on and reminisce about older, simpler times.

Pro.play gave gamers the opportunity to engage in competitive and recreational LAN based gaming tournaments, featuring popular competitive games such as Counter-Strike, Halo 4 and Tekken Tag Tournament. I passed on these tournaments, as I’m really not that good when it comes to competitive gaming and didn’t want to get publicly annihilated. If those competitions are your sort of thing, I’d highly recommend you head down to Play Expo next year to prove your worth against others! Finally, the Cos.play section provided a series of talks and stalls, where those interested in Cosplay could learn more about how to make authentic costumes and where they could buy materials from. The talks were led by various almost carbon copies of much loved fictional characters, such as Master Chief and the Avengers to name but a few. I must admit I was a little jealous of the guy in the awesome Iron Man costume, he looked pretty authentic!

Overall, it was a great day, although I’ve tried to cover everything that was there, it’s very difficult to name every indie developer, piece of new kit, new games being unveiled and talks that took place in Event City over the weekend. I strongly recommend that if you have any interest – no matter how big or small – in the gaming industry, that you save the date for the Play Expo 2014 when it is announced.

You definitely won’t regret the trip, I assure you.

James McClaren writes for Manchester sudent run techsite Greatpreneurs.com.

Jonathan Lee tests out the Battlefield 4 multiplayer beta The Battlefield 4 beta is finally open map when the full game is available now to download on released on the 29th October.

PC, Play Station 3 and Xbox The gun play feels odd. The 360. With the new Frostbite pacing doesn’t match between 3 engine, “Levolution” and a the handling of the gun and the brand new pace of the fights. map, guns Your character’s and vehicles, s p e e d you can encourages you now try out to run around the newest and assault, but take on the you are also Battlefield encouraged to franchise. Let stop and engage me give you at longer ranges the run down by the gun. In first. In the the Battlefield beta you gain Image credit: GamesPress.com 3 all guns had access to the well-publicised a large enough overlapping map: Siege of Shanghai where effective range so that you are the Americans battle the encouraged to stick together as Chinese to take the famous different classes, a feature greatly city. The same arsenal is emphasised by DICE. Battlefield available to both sides ranging 4 thins out the overlap and gives from pistols to anti vehicle more extreme distinctiveness to weapons, from boats to each class of gun, hence splitting helicopters. the classes apart. Their new take The new Levolution on vehicles on the other hand introduces interactivity to decreases the distinctiveness your environment, from between different war machines raising bollards under tanks, making vehicle combat a to taking down the central messy affair. Sadly, but most building completely. This importantly, the beta has its bug mechanic allows for more issues. A couple I’ve experienced flexibility in restricting ranged from irritating to game movements and creating breaking. For example: draw new routes to your tactical distance of people and objects or aesthetic needs. Now for differ and so you can see the the bad news. The level isn’t enemy before you can see the so much destructible as it is cover in front of him, leading you merely more interactive, with to shoot at his cover, exposing exception given to toppling a yourself. Others include: not skyscraper. Battlefield 3 gave being able to spawn, revives you the option to blow up a crashing the game, to random wall and assault through an crashes due to punk buster. unexpected route, but in this All in all, this Battlefield 4 beta beta, the building walls and tells me that this isn’t so much route-determining objects are the revolution of the series like indestructible, turning what BF3 was to 2 was to 1942, but was the feature in Battlefield is more of a speedy renewal. I 3 to a gimmick in the beta. personally find Battlefield 3 more Having said that, I suspect fun, but that inertia might pass. this to be different in a more Jonathan Lee

Review

review:Pokémon X/Y

Game Freak • Nintendo • RRP: £34.99 • Exclusively on 3DS By now, everyone and their mums already knows how Pokémon works. You take the role of a child irresponsibly thrust out into the big wide world on a quest to become the very best trainer in the land.

On the way, you’ll encounter many, many wild and wonderful creatures that can be caught and used to battle, as well as the obligatory team of evil-doers hell-bent on ruining what seems to be a pretty sweet deal. It takes a special kind of nasty to live in a place where almost nobody has a job, kids can bunk off school to gallivant around the region and adorable yellow mice run around saying their own names and think “this isn’t good enough, I need to ruin it!”. Nobody likes that guy.

Many of our generation grew up with the first couple of games in the series, and will swear up and down that it peaked on the Gameboy Colour and 151

Pokémon are “more than enough”. These people have subsequently missed out on some of the very best games in the past decade. While it’s true that not all of the over 700 beasties are winners, there is so much diversity that no two teams are ever alike, and the strategy becomes way more in-depth. The latest incarnations of the series, X and Y, debuted on 3DS this month to overwhelmingly positive response. Indeed, the sixth generation of ‘mon has truly made huge progress.

Gone are the static battle animations and sprites of the past, replaced by glorious 3D models and more dynamic scenes. The overworld is clearer and more beautiful than ever before, and the new region of Kalos really comes alive on the 3DS screen. Many of the things that may have annoyed players in the past, such as repetitive cave sections and minor menu

gripes, have been tweaked and revamped to not slow down the pace.

The array of new Pokémon is smaller this time than in any previous generation, however it also brings in an entirely new feature; Mega evolution. Monsters old and new now have a higher level of attainable transformation, giving a new lease of life to some and bringing others onto a whole new tier of awesome such as Mega Charizard X, finally a dragon type.

New ways of interacting with your partners add to the personal feel of

Image credit: GamesPress.com the game. Novel training techniques and mini-games allow you to form more of a bond. That little bit of you that died every time your favourite Pokémon fainted in battle gets even more upset now than ever before.

The game ensures it appeals

to long-time fans, players rekindling an old passion and complete newbies by gently pacing the opening act. Players are never bombarded with too much at once, and can tackle various new side features at their own pace. One of the many new highlights includes the ability to make a Trainer PR video. This 10 second clip is totally customisable, and usually ends up being laughably silly.

As ever, just beating the game takes many hours, and doing all the post-game extras many more. “Catching them all” could take years. Pokémon X and Y truly feel like a next generation upgrade to the famous franchise and, almost impossibly, outshine every other iteration of the games.

Yes, even Red and Blue.

Alasdair Preston

ISSUE 06/21ST OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Susie Coen, Marie ClareYates, Halee Wells (Beauty)

The Halloween issue Opinion

Bat DIY Costume Halloween

By Bethan Morris

Buying a Halloween outfit can often be pricey and often gets ruined, so here is a guide to making a bat outfit on the cheap. All you need is black fabric, a needle, black thread, scissors, scrap paper and a black dress.

The best place for cheap sewing material is at Abakhan Fabrics on Oldham Street, for a black dress head to H&M and to Accessorize grab some dark purple lipstick and dark eye shadow from Superdrug.

First things first you need to make a template using scrap paper to make cutting the fabric into the wing shape easier.

Just wear lingerie and some form of animal ears...

Scarlett Whittell discusses appropriate Halloween attire and asks since when was the holiday an excuse to get slutty?

/TheMancunion: Fashion & Beauty @MancunionFash

Fashion

Feature

Vamp up your wardrobe

Natalie Clark reveals some spooky style ideas which can haunt your wardrobe all year round___

Once again it is that time of year; the time for guiltless gorging on sweets, the excusable wearing of next-to-nothing, and the compulsory watching of horror films that result in sleepless nights. Halloween is upon us, which means we must plan this year’s costume. However, if you’re a bit strapped for cash yet still want to get involved in the festivities, here are a few pieces that you’ll be able to pull off all year round. Think of it as an investment...

2) Costume Idea: Skeleton

1) Costume Idea: Cleopatra

Have you bought your pumpkin? How about stockings and bunny ears? I’d get down to the shop sharpish, you do not want to be the idiot who actually tries to make themselves look scary on Halloween. Cast your mind back to Mean Girls when poor Cady goes all out as a zombie bride, only to be laughed at by a sexy mouse.

The Spooky Skeleton, one of the most popular of Halloween costumes to date. Come on, what is scarier than a walking talking bag of bones? Ok, it’s true, these days, it is perhaps more comical than creepy. So, if this is the case, these x-ray skeleton leggings will give the ‘funny’ some ‘fashion’. Add a pair of slouchy boots and an oversized tee and you’ll be turning heads. Be sure to listen out for jaws hitting the pavement (it’s a glorious sound).

The Statement Necklace. A key piece of any wardrobe and an absolute essential when becoming the ancient Queen of Egypt. Teamed with heavy black eyeliner, a gold dress and some sandals to be instantly transported back to Ancient Egypt. After returning from the Nile, this necklace will dress up a plain top teamed with jeans, or accentuate an outfit for a night out.

Who on earth managed to transform October 31st – categorically the very least sexy holiday – into a naked carnival? Hats off to them. It is proving flipping impossible to get rid of. Where’s all this anger coming from? Well I had my very own Cady-esq moment back in 2011. After some intense preparation, I proudly ventured out into Manchester as a creepy child donning a white calf-length nightie, two black eyes and holding a battered doll by the foot. Surprisingly, I didn’t feel quite so proud of my outfit when surrounded by kittens and lycra-clad devils. In fact I was so embarrassed I tried (unsuccessfully) to transform my nightie into a mini skirt in the toilets. Heart-breaking.

A brief history lesson is definitely in order. Don’t whine; I am trying to educate you and simultaneously prevent Halloween hypothermia. Allegedly October 31st deceased could seek revenge on their earthly enemies before shimmying on into the next world. Everyone was freaked, as you would be, so they disguised themselves. We are talking witch warts, gory face paint, fangs and convincing outfits. Let’s fast forward to the present day. Is dressing in your knickers and adorning your face with a cutsie heart shaped rabbit nose going to fool the zombies? No. Not even the ones without brains. Dress sexily at your own risk, that’s all I’m saying.

Topshop £32

‘Dude, where’s my mask?’

Sean Gleeson shows how to use current affairs as your inspiration this halloween for a truly original outfit ‘In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it’ (Mean Girls, 2004). Unfortunately ‘Boy World’ is yet to find such a niche meaning that our outfits have, over the years, become a bit dry and predictable. Hence, I’ve compiled a few suggestions for Halloween 2013, drawing from some of year’s biggest topical events.

1. The ‘Peru Two’

Topshop £25

Have you ever browsed the full range of sexy Halloween outfits? You really should, it is a hoot. There are three categories which I have usefully summarised below. Maybe you could create a fun Halloween game, using this as a tick list on the big night. Who can spot 5 for each category, with a pair of fishnets as the prize?

The Three Stages of Sexy

3) Costume Idea: Vampire/Witch

1) Sexy Halloween Firstly we have the black kittens, saucy devils, naughty nurses and sexy police women. Ooo scary.

Maybe a few wart-less (and skirt-less) witches too. This first category is annoying, yes, but at least the link to Halloween has been upheld.

Next cut out 2 wings from the fabric using the template as a guide. To get effective looking wings, the inside should be the length of your torso and the top should be the length of your arm.

The witch and vampire costumes: they’ve been on the Halloween scene since the very first ‘Trick or Treat’. These are timeless classics which are easy to assemble with maximum impact. So if you think its time to upgrade your costume from creepy to chic, frightening to fashionable then consider this black cut-out midi dress. Throw on either a witch’s hat or a pair of fangs and accessorise with a broomstick or fake blood accordingly. This LBD will carry through all the way to Christmas parties and far beyond; who doesn’t love versatility?

2) Just sexy Now things start to get silly. A bumble bee? A lady bird? This is not on girls. Halloween costumes need to follow the brief. It is not too testing … SCARY. Since when has a bumblebee ever been linked to a ghost? It’s like turning up to a toga party in a space suit.

3) Plain Weird It seems that over the years the standard naughty nurse has lost its appeal. So what was the next logical step? Sexy Nemo. Yes, the infant clown fish. Wait, there’s more … BIG BIRD. Sexy Sesame Street!

There are literally no words.

To conclude, I will be donning an unattractive and historically accurate outfit. As are you. Yes you are, return that god-awful clownfish outfit immediately.

River Island £28

4) Costume Idea: Catwoman/ Black Widow/General ass-kicking heroine Inspired by Anne Hathaway and Scarlett Johansson stealing the show from Batman and each of the Avengers, the deadly female assassin look is totally en vogue.

But rather than going out and buying a full leather ensemble (guns and all) these panelled leggings may be the answer. Not only will you be looking like a total badass on Halloween, but for the 364 days until the next one.

Iron Man better watch his back…

Urban Outfitters £40

http://www.yandy.com/Finding-Clownfish.php

Feature

Laceit up

Beauty

With Halloween fast approaching, Simran Sidhu is inspired to add some hocus pocus to her wardrobe...

Who won the skeleton beauty contest? No body...

Charlie Daniels shows us how to get the perfect Halloween look on a budget.

1. Darken Your Lips And Eyes To Spook-Up Your Everyday Look LIPS: Lipstick in ‘Depth’ - £8.00 TOPSHOP EYES: Bourjois Little Round Pot Eyeshadow in ‘Moka’ - £6.99BOOTS

17

picture: http://uk.anygator.com/

You will need:

Admittedly this outfit may have had a greater impact a couple of months back, but this could be your first and last opportunity to dress up as two of the years biggest idiots, before they are all but completely forgotten to the Peruvian Judiciary System. Whilst this outfit is pretty easy to achieve, it also serves as a friendly reminder not to try and smuggle 11kg of cocaine next time you’re working the season in Ibiza.

1) A friend. After all, who is Melissa without Michaela?

2) Really bad clothes, including a knock-off Celine t-shirt if possible.

3) A Suitcase: for maximum effect, fill it with something resembling 11kg of cocaine, or about 30 packs of Quaker Oats.

2. Lance Armstrong No scandal would be complete without one particular drugged up super athlete.

7 time winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstong was stripped of his titles for doping.

What ever performance enhancing drugs you can get your hands on will all add to the effect of the costume, however would not be advised.

You will need: picture: Thomas Hawk@Flickr 1) One yellow lycra jersey.

2) Multiple syringes for your (fake) performance enhancing drugs.

3) A loyal team who will happily ‘dope’ alongside you, but not take any credit or win any titles.

CHEEKS: Maybelline NY Dream Soft Blush in ‘Plum 07’ - £6.49 SUPERDRUG

To attach the wings sew using a simple running stitch at the seam from the armpit down the dress, then from the armpit along the arm.

If the sewing gets too arduous you can always cut a little slit at the end of the wing so you can put your thumb through it.

2. It’s Not All Blood And Gore- Get Super Pale With This Ghostly Look LIPS: Rimmel London Kate Matte Lipstick in ‘Red 01’ - £5.49 BOOTS EYES: Rimmel London Scandaleyes Micro Liner 1.1ml - £5.49 BOOTS

Voila! Now that your outfit is sorted time to make this outfit pop! Slick on some dark purple lipstick and perfect those smokey eyes and to really stand out draw some fangs at either end of your bottom lip using black liquid eyeliner.

Happy Halloween!

1) Chunky red patent boots

2) Lace fringe kimono

3) Zara Jumpsuit

£29.99 newlook.com

£60.00 topshop.com

£29.99 Zara.com

Don’t be a scaredy cat! Dare to be different in these dark red devilish boots, guaranteed to make heads turn. This chunky boot is the perfect addition to vamp up your costume with some after dark street style. Halloween is all about experimenting, so why not finish the look with some of that rich burgundy lipstick you’ve been seeing everywhere!

Personally I tend to see the same old outfits every Halloween…boring! Set the bar high this year and add some gothic glamour with Topshops golden lace kimono. If you’re struggling to come up with that ‘outside of the box’ costume, throw this on and voila, you’re a bat. This piece is so adaptable, I’m sure you’ll be wearing it at everything from a Christmas party outfit to a beach cover up.

Forget the cat suit, this Zara jumpsuit screams both chic and sexy.

You’ll be bang on trend with this years A/W textures in this delicate lace finish. Simply paired with some playful cat ears, smokes eyes and a dramatic black lip, this one-piece ticks all the boxes for top style with minimal effort this Halloween.

CHEEKS: B. Vivid Eyeshadow in ‘Charcoal 071’ - £3.32 SUPERDRUG FACE: Stargazer Liquid Foundation in ‘White’ - £4.00 BLUE BANANA 3. For Truly Defined Cheekbones Go Skeletal- For Skilled Hands Only EYES: Collection ‘Work The Colour’ Eyeshadow Pencil: £3.19 BOOTS LASHES: Benefit Mascara ‘They’re Real’ - £19.50 BOOTS FACE: Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner -£7.99 BOOTS

3. Charlie Sheen

picture: Daniel Semper@Flickr

Sheen has become a household name with his nights of debauchery always spread over the celeb news. Due to his abundant love for cocaine and his sexual antics, Sheen provides fantastic role model characterisitics when it comes to scandalized profiles.

You will need: 1)A bowling shirt and a pair of shorts (as seen on two and a half men) 2)An attractive girl, preferably one which has just come from Pout.

3) A list of Charlie Sheen quotes, such as, “Boom, crush.

Night, losers. Winning, duh”.

ISSUE 06/21st October 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Sophie James, Robbie Davidson, Angus Harrison Top 5

TOP

5

Actors you wish were your Dad

This week, Franki Tyler looks at the actors best placed to fulfill any paternal companionship you may be lacking

5. Adam Sandler This guy won’t normally come top of any lists but Big Daddy’creates an exception that is a fatherly favourite. His parenting skills are questionable but who wouldn’t love poker games, swearing, and peeing on the street at 5 years old.

4. Hugh Laurie It is normal to sound like your parents, so a lot of time should be spent with this Dad and his beautiful accent. As yankie, Dr House, or the terribly English, Bertie Wooster, Daddy Hugh has got a voice to suit all tastes

3. Morgan Freeman This soothing voice of reason can look after you from the heavens or protect you in the old west. He’s well versed in filling father roles having done so for everyone from Steve Carrell to Bruce Wayne. Plus you can also be proud that he helped create racial harmony. He is perfection.

2. Eugene Levy Despite his obvious flaws, no one can help but love ‘Jim’s Dad.’ His innocence, his wisdom, and his beautiful eyebrows are all things to admire. It may take a few bonding sessions but you will grow to love him unlike the stern Jimmy Murtaugh. Might even bagsie a hot stepmum like Carmen Electra or Stiffler’s mom.

1. Liam Neeson Many things are important in fatherhood but protection comes high up on the list.

The smooth-talking Neeson can protect you from any harm with his skills and intelligence. When this isn’t necessary he can help your 12-year-old self to score your first girlfriend. Hero. But his track record in fostering future heroes does have a few black marks. *Cough* Anakin Skywalker.

Feature

the FEATURE: EXCLUSIVE: Interview with creators of Monsters University Our take on events from the world of film and television

Film editor Robbie Davidson sat down with the director, Dan Scanlon and producer Kori Rae

Robbie: At what point in the creation process did you decide to make a prequel rather than a sequel to Monsters Inc, as far as I know this is Pixar’s first prequel?

Dan Scanlon: I think really early on we just talked ideas we wanted to do as we wanted to make sure we had a great idea, and during the discussions we talked about the relationship between Mike and Sully which was something we loved from the first film. And in talking about that we decided that in order to explore that relationship further we would have to go back in time and watch how the relationship happened and that’s what really got us on the idea of a prequel. That and then I think we got really excited about the idea of doing a college movie and having great big monster fun. That then really led to the story of Mike, a character who doesn’t get everything that he wants, which is something we haven’t seen in films very often and that’s what really got us excited about a movie prequel.

It’s funny you mention the university setting because when you think of films set at university there’s a certain level of sordid and raunchy behaviour which you wouldn’t see in a kids’ film. How do you reconcile the university setting with Pixar’s code of ethics?

Dan: What you talking about man (laughs) that’s not what my college experience was like. But you know we wanted that too, and we realised as long as the characters are ruckus or wild or knocking things over and eating garbage that would sort of sub for any specifics.

You mentioned Mike and I think that Mike is a more sympathetic character in this movie than he is in Monsters Inc. Was that a decision you made early on because he’s a younger character or because the movie is more focused on Mike so you want to make him more likeable?

Dan: It really came out of his story and we knew if we we’re really going to believe in his dream, he couldn’t just be the wisecracking guy. He had to have a sincerity to him if we we’re going to believe

in his dream. So we changed his character ever so slightly as he was the main character. But we’re all different fifteen years ago so it worked in that way.

As a student paper we’re interested to hear about your student experiences, how they informed your animation and whether you knew you wanted to be an animator and work at

Pixar or whether you had other ambitions?

Dan: I’d always liked drawing and film making and I went to college to study illustration and fine arts but animation was a part of it and was always an interest of mine.

2014 will be a significant year as it will be the first year since 2005, I believe, that Pixar hasn’t released a film. Do you see it as a positive thing that you’ve stepped in to ensure the high quality movies continue?

Kori: For sure it was the right decision for the film.

It just needed a little bit more time, a little bit more focus and bumping it a little bit is allowing us to do that. We know it has the potential to be an amazing film and it’s great that the extra time that will help us a little bit.

Kori, what was the process of finding a new director after Pete Docter’s great work in the first film?

Kori: Well we knew Dan had been an integral part of the story team on both Cars and Toy Story 3 and we knew he had the right sensibility to tell this story.

thePREVIEW: Kill Your Darlings Kill Your Darlings, set to arrive in UK theatres in early December, comes riding on a wave of buzz that has been generated around the film since its premiere at Sundance last January. Critics are calling the movie ‘expressive, jazzy and ambitious,’ to which the taste of the film that we are given in the trailer is testament. Those of you who are already great fans of the Beat Generation, and the explosive literature they produced, may anticipate the release of the film more eagerly. However, anyone who is interested in stories that touch upon themes of sexual obsession, counterculture and death should be equally frantic for the film’s UK release.

Kill Your Darlings tells the story of the origins of the Beat Generation, an American literary movement that rose to prominence in the 1950’s. The Beats sought to challenge the rigid moral framework of America at that time, gripped in an ideological war

against homosexuality and other ‘social vices,’ and subject to the witch hunt of perceived ‘dissidents’

by McCarthyism, whose primary target was artists like the Beats. As a certain infamous/comical poster

from the period states: ‘Beware of artists: they mix with all classes of society and are therefore the most dangerous.’

Pete Docter was still pretty involved in the film as executive producer and we’d meet with him every week and he was a really great support for Dan. It was really important that we had a director who had a really solid footing in story as we knew this was going to be a difficult story and it came with its own unique set of problems so Dan was an obvious choice knowing his background and sensibility.

Why is it do you think that directors from Pixar have gone on to do live action work?

Do you think it’s a style of direction at Pixar which lends itself to live action direction?

Kori: Both are about telling great stories so there is an element of that but the medium has less to do with it than just the story. Folk learn how to tell great stories whilst working at Pixar.

In terms of sequels and prequels, there’s been more of them from Pixar in the last few years. How do you make the creative decision, or how is it made, that this film warrants a new story and this one works better as a stand alone film?

Dan: There’s no real formula to it, it’s about when a good idea shows up. If a good idea doesn’t show up we really wouldn’t go down that path.

Kori: We have the luxury of having these films that have fantastic characters that we develop in the first of the films. So it’s truly a luxury to go back and re enter those worlds and go back to say Toy Story or Monsters or Nemo and get to tell these stories with these characters. We love that we do have these films that we can go back to if there’s a great idea.

And finally, on that subject, what can you tell us about Finding Dory? How much of that is it borrowing from it’s past films or is it going in a very different direction?

Kori: The truth is we don’t know. We’ve been away so long we’ve missed all the screenings and everything. We’re quite eager to find out what it’s about (laughs). I know it has Dory. Other than that we don’t know.

(See the whole interview at mancunion.com) Robbie Davidson

Director: John Krokidas Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Dane DeHaan and Elizabeth Olsen Released: 6th December The film stars Daniel Radcliffe as poet Allen Ginsberg in this biopic set on the Columbia Campus in the early 1940’s. In the film, Ginsberg falls hopelessly under the spell of his handsome and charismatic classmate Lucien Carr (Dane DeHaan, The Place Beyond the Pines), who introduces him to fellow aspiring writers William Burroughs and Jack Kerouac. This is the genesis of the literary group that has come to be known as the Beat Generation, and the film documents Ginsberg’s creative and sexual awakening. However, David Kammerer’s (Michael C. Hall, Dexter) complete infatuation with Carr leads to his murder at the hands of his beloved, an act hinted at in the title of the film. Let’s hope the film does this remarkable true story the justice that recent cinematic renderings of the group, such as On the Road, did not.

Sarah Murray

ISSUE 06/ 21st October 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Film

/TheMancunion: Film @MancunionFilm

Review

the REVIEW: Captain Phillips

Director: Paul Greengrass Starring: Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener and Barkhad Abdi Released: 18th October

Film Editor Robbie Davidson has found that when Tom Hanks is stranded at sea he produces his best work

Tom Hanks is one of the few actors who can play an everyman so convincingly and still be Tom Hanks.

It’s this remarkable ability which propels Captain Phillips through the rough waters of films based on real events and comes out a storming success.

With a story of this calibre there is very little need for alteration.

Based on the events in 2009 when the crew of Maersk Alabama were taken hostage by Somali pirates, and a subsequent US military operation was launched to rescued the ship’s captain who had been taken with the pirates after they left the ship in one of it’s lifeboats, is the sort of material for great cinema.

The producers have provided the material with a crew of master filmmakers, chiefly among them Paul Greengrass, whose unique style is perfectly suited to this story.

The jittery, hand-held camerawork which has become synonymous with Greengrass (and copied by so many others) has at times been distracting even slightly nausea-inducing in some of his past films. But in Captain Phillips, where we witness the terror

and drama of the ordeal almost exclusively from Phillips perspective, Greengrass’ intimate camerawork, aided by cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, creates a totally immersive experience. From the moment Phillips reads where he’ll be posted at

pirate captors as more than faceless villains. But nor does he try to humanise them to the point that you would pity them: the opening scenes where the pirates’ leader, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), recruits his team on the beaches of an impoverished

the beginning of the film, through to the extra precautions he takes once on board and up until the green dot appears on his radar signaling the pirates arrival, Greengrass sets the level of tension at high and it only grows from there.

Greengrass and co have also made the brave decision to portray Phillips’

Somali village, establishes that piracy for many young men is simply a job where there are none else to do- a sentiment expressed by Muse when confronted by Philips about why he had chosen a life of crime. But the potential for extreme violence always hovers, despite their claims that they are ‘merely fishermen’.

Most remarkable of all is that despite knowing how this story ends, the threat that Phillips might not survive is constant almost right through to the final reel- a testament to Greengrass’ direction and Hanks’ brilliantly measured performance.

There are moments in the final half hour where the temptation for the film to turn into a Team America vs Team evil Somalia is real but resisted.

This restraint pays off and the climatic rescue leaves you neither cheering or weeping, but echoing the exhaustion and relief felt by our protagonist.

If Captain Phillips needs to be faulted, then it’s running time is slightly longer than perhaps necessary, a crime most Hollywood movies are guilty of these days, but given the real life event stretched out for five days, you’d forgive the producers for wanting to emphasise the duration of Phillips’ detainment.

Besides when Hanks is giving one of his best performances if years, a few extra minutes with Phillips and his captors in their cramped lifeboat is hardly a chore. ★★★★ Robbie Davidson

TV

19

CATCH UP

Super successful superhero conglomerate Marvel have now forayed into the world of television after winning the world of cinema with their new series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (avaliable on 4OD) that premiered its first season this month in the UK, the fourth episode having aired this past weekend. The pilot episode met with unanimous approval from viewers.

Many fans of 2012 mega blockbuster Avengers Assemble were left bereft with grief when Agent Phil Coulson, a prominent member of the S.H.I.E.L.D organisation, is killed of by the antagonist Loki. However, the sorrow was short-lived when it was announced that actor Clark Gregg would reprise his role in the television series.

Coincidentally, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has also been created by the director of Avengers Assemble, Joss Whedon.

The show follows Agent Coulson and his team of heroes as they use their supernatural abilities to solve mysterious cases and recruit more members. Although this might not appear to be that different from what fans have seen him do in the Marvel films, in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Coulson is put very much out of his comfort zone, as we finally get to see him at the centre of the action instead of his usual role as observer on the sidelines. The showrunners have also promised that the two universes on the small screen and the big screen will clash in the future, ensuring Marvel fans remain excited and entertained with no hiatus from their favourites. With a strong and perpetually hyper fanbase as theirs, this show is likely to keep the buzz going for a long time.

Parizad Mangi

Contrary Corner

Cornerhouse Pick of the Week

Why I’m not an ‘Iron Fan’

Le Week-End

George Bellamy is quite taken with Roger Mitchell’s romantic trip to Paris

Jackson Ball gives us his take on the ‘Iron Man’ trilogy

Paris, the romantic location, is no stranger to the wistful idealism of cinema. Through the eyes of a cinematic lens, it’s a location where every apartment overlooks the Eiffel Tower, the streets are paved with fantastic lowkey restaurants, and the water supply must be pumped with aphrodisiacs only the French could understand. The material reality however, is that the city is a bugger to manoeuvre, the cost of anything could potentially bankrupt you, it’s very easy to fall over cobblestones, and, well, it’s full of the French. Navigating the poles of romantic idealism and bitter cynicism from too much bad experience is the 30 year wedding anniversary of Jim Broadbent’s Nic and Lindsay Duncan’s Meg. From the start the film gives a sense of a relationship with deep history, that these two know each other inside-out and have a working routine together, though their ties are getting strained. With this tension the film follows a movement where their relationship goes through several possible breaking points as we follow their romantic routines oscillating radically between ecstasy and anger; endearments and abuse.

If you are fed up of films which illustrate the ennui of bourgeoisie twilight years, this may sound dull and cliché. I thought I had that fatigue, but instead found myself irresistibly drawn into the possibilities of these characters.

This is down mainly to the acting, where the central couple shine in their respective roles; Broadbent can summon a wave of pathos through listening to an Mp3 of Bob Dylan, whilst Lindsay Duncan carries the weight of years of frustration through her telling bursts of vitriol and mischief. Supporting them is Jeff

Within the superhero genre there is a shameless pretender; a sub-standard aspirant, posing as a much better product, and inexplicably it’s getting away with it.

I am of course referring to the Iron Man trilogy.

First off, I want to make my stance very clear: the trilogy isn’t terrible, just supremely overrated. The first film is a perfectly average effort, with the second just below that mark. If you’re immediately distressed by those statements, let me throw some statistics your way...

Iron Man currently has an unfathomable 93% rating from critics on rottentomatoes. com. Not only is that a higher score than any of its singular-Avenger counterparts, but it’s actually higher than their excellent group effort in Joss Whedon’s Avengers Assemble.

It’s also beats the scores of far-superior superhero debuts, including Batman Begins, Spider-Man and even Christopher Reeve’s Superman.

If the numbers aren’t enough, let’s look at ‘praise’ itself, the most paramount of which is usually Robert Downey Jr.’s brilliant ‘acting’. Do a little research into any of RDJ’s pre-Stark roles, or even into any real life interviews or appearances and it doesn’t take long to realise that it’s not great acting, its great casting. Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark; he’s snarky, he’s intelligent and he’s prone to vices and inner demons. I can’t imagine there is a substantial amount of ‘acting’ going on here.

Secondly, the villains are a massive issue. The Iron

Goldblum who in a marvellous feat manages to create the performance of a man who you would immediately want to punch in the face, but wouldn’t as the next thing he had to say would probably be pretty funny.

The navigation of emotional poles of experience in stressed situations punctuates the film’s narrative. The characters are burdened with a frustrated history that is reaching boiling point, yet there is a lot of love invested too, allowing the film to simmer things down and let matters settle with a delicate touch. This almost feels like Mike Leigh’s answer to Breaking Bad, where the explosive situations carry the weight of middle-class anger at failed opportunities and neglected desires. Yet instead of cooking crystal meth in New Mexico, there is a return to the graceful textures of Parisian romance, where a delightful ode to Godard’s Bande à Part manages to evoke enough whimsicalness to keep you entranced with the possibilities of human vitality in Paris, and not angry at the bill it leaves at the end.

George Bellamy

Man films have a huge problem when it comes to the antagonists. First there was the forgettable Obadiah Stane ( Jeff Bridges), swiftly followed by the overlycartoonish Whiplash (Mickey Rourke). It looked as though they’d finally rectified the problem in the Iron Man 3 with a seemingly worthy villain, The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley), but those of you who have seen the film will know they royally screwed it up.

Above all else though, the main persecutor for keeping the trilogy average is its total inability to produce anything remotely challenging to its audience. It’s all so fluffy and light it’s almost unbearable.

It’s a cornerstone of the genre that a hero always has a ‘curse’. Batman lost his parents; Spider-Man lost Uncle Ben and so on. It’s these problems that allow us to emotionally respond to the character.

In the comics, Tony Stark has a substantial ‘curse’ by way of alcoholism. This was considered too dark by the filmmakers and so quickly cut out, removing any substance to the character. What’s his great ‘curse’ now?

Oh, he’s got a light bulb in his chest…

It is for these reasons that the Iron Man trilogy fails as both a genre film and an interesting source of story. It isn’t worth your time, let alone your praise.

Jackson Ball

20

Societies

ISSUE 06/ 21st October 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

RAG Week kicks off

This year’s RAG Week - running from the 18th to the 26th of October - has got off to an cracking start, with Friday’s FUSE FM-covered Take Me Out Special being as successful as ever and the Jailbreak themed club-night in Club Academy that followed being a great ending to the first day. On Saturday RAG took around 100 fancy-dressed volunteers to Old Trafford during the Manchester United vs Southampton game to take advantage of the fanfare and collect supporters’ spare change.

Afterwards they celebrated their hard work for Francis House Children’s Hospice in the SU bar with an award ceremony. Sunday saw the beginning of The Big Busk, where students from the University entertained people on the streets of Manchester, and the rest of the week is set to be just as interesting as the first half, - here’s what is in store:

the toughest and bravest among you will take on the challenge of defying nature as part of RAG Week - reckon you’re hot enough? For more information visit our Facebook event or www. manchesterrag.com, or swing by to enjoy the show between 2-5pm on Thursday 24th October, outside of the George Kenyon Building (just behing Uni Place).

Friday 25th Jailbreak takes place! (www. jailbreak.org.uk) Our participants will be preparing to don their bright orange t-shirts and scatter off in all directions to spend the next 30 hours trying to get as far away from Manchester as they can… for free, all in aid of children’s cancer charity KidsCan. You will be able to follow them online to see who’s in the lead on the Jailbreak website and keep up-to-date with the liveblog at mancunion.com.

Monday 21st The RAG Week Food Fete! On offer is international food and entertainment, with stalls from all loads of societies offering games and competitions as well as performances from the panto society.

Day 1 of One Penny Entry! This competition runs through until

Friday 25th and offers the chance to win a free night out for their course courtesy of Funk Events.

Donate spare change at the end of your lecture and you could be in with a chance of being able to party for free with coursemates.

Tuesday 22nd Afternoon Tea on floor 1 of the SU, where you can take a break

and relax with tea, cakes and sandwiches between 2-5pm.

Prices from £2.50.

Wednesday 23rd Blind Date! Today (21st) is the deadline for returning Blind Date forms to the RAG Reps and tonight they will be busy matching you up with potentially the love of your life! At 7pm

head up to the Activities Space on floor 1 of the SU, meet your date and take advantage of the deals and discounts sourced for Oxford Road. FUSE TV will be there to find out your thoughts and feelings to make this night as memorable as possible!

Thursday 24th Firewalk! Yes that’s right, only

Saturday 26th RAGGIN’ IT. Clubnight collaboration with Jammin’ Beats at Joshua Brooks featuring headliners Keeno and Whiney.

Set to be a sell out.

Search UoM RAG Week’13 on Facebook or visit www. manchesterrag.com to find out more information about each event,

HOMESICK?

OVERWHELMED? LIKE YOU’VE NOT SETTLED IN?

You’re not alone! The Students’ Union advice service have got loads of hints and tips to help you feel more at home in Manchester. They can also offer a friendly and sympathetic ear.

For practical advice on settling in at uni visit manchesterstudentsunion.com/adviceservice

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Esmé Clifford Astbury, Annie Muir

@MancunionBooks

Interview

Feinstein: An Unconventional Life Paul Reilly talks to award-winning poet, novelist, playwright, biographer and translator Elaine Feinstein about her new book It Goes with the Territory: I’m in the lift of The Midland Hotel, on my way up to the fifth floor to speak to the award-winning poet, novelist, playwright, biographer and translator Elaine Feinstein, for what will be the first interview I have ever conducted. As well as having had 16 collections of poetry, 15 novels, three Russian poetry translations, seven biographies, two collections of short stories and one memoir published, she has written for The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Sunday Times and The New York Review of Books.

Nervous doesn’t quite cover it.

Yet I needn’t have worried. As Feinstein graciously welcomes me into her hotel room (she is in town for the Manchester Literature Festival discussing her new book It Goes with the Territory: Memoirs of a Poet), her first concern is the room’s thermostat – it isn’t working, and the room is chilly. I suggest ringing down to reception, but she waves this idea away. “Never mind,” she says, smiling, “I’ll just leave my coat on.” I laugh at this unconventional solution, but as we sit down and she begins to talk about her new memoir, it becomes clear that unconventionality lies at the very heart of her career.

I’m Jewish, provincial, and a woman. So before I’d even started, I already had three strikes against me!

“The book examines what it has meant to my life to have spent so many years

dedicated to poetry. Men are allowed to be withdrawn in a way that women usually can’t be, without putting some strain on their marriage and their role as wife and mother.

I started much earlier than the feminist movement, when the idea of a woman dedicating her life to a literary career was quite outrageous”.

Being a woman wasn’t the only barrier Feinstein had to overcome as she made her way in the literary world.

“I’m Jewish, was brought up in Leicester so was provincial, and I’m a woman. So before I’d even started, I already had three strikes against me! But I was part of a kind of underground movement.

While at Cambridge I edited a magazine called Prospect. I was a friend of Alan Ginsberg’s and published some of his poetry. I published Harold Pinter. I was part of a network

Photo: Annie Muir of people who were interested in what was unusual. Also, Ted Hughes helped me in lots of ways.”

As well as being peppered with literary anecdotes, It Goes with the Territory is also about travel.

“I’ve travelled to the Arctic Circle, I explored the fareast when it was not really a traveller’s destination, Malaya, Indonesia, Singapore, I’ve led a very fortunate life.”

As my first ever interview draws to a close, I thank my host sincerely for her time.

“Not at all,” she says, “I’d like to read how you do, send me a copy will you?”

Despite my first interviewee being such a prominent figure in the literary world, I couldn’t have asked for a better one.

It Goes with the Territory: Memoirs of a Poet (Alma Books) is out now.

I am, I am, I am: Reflections on Sylvia Olivia Stevens heads to the Martin Harris Centre to hear celebrated writers Jackie Smith and Ali Kay reflect on the legacy of Sylvia Plath hear the impact that Plath had had on the two writers.

Both talked of how Plath’s

Sylvia Plath in 1957. Photo: Corbis work had taught them that women could have a place in poetry. They spoke with huge adoration for Plath, with Kay mentioning her poem “Baby Lazarus”, an obvious homage to one of Plath’s most famous texts.

Equally interesting was Smith and Kay’s exploration of

the mythology of Plath and the tendency to overemphasise the relation that her work has to her life. Both writers highlighted the tight structure and controlled forms of most of her poems to show that they were not simply a frenzied cry for help but beautiful artworks in their own right.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the event, I would have preferred to hear more from Smith and Kay about the effect Plath’s work had had, not only on their careers, but on them. It may have also been interesting to reflect on Plath’s legacy outside the literary world. However, the event was still a fascinating insight into the two writers as well as a wonderful chance to reflect on the brilliance of Plath’s work.

21

Review

Eleanor Catton’s Luminaries wins The Man Booker Prize Last week Eleanor Catton was announced the youngest ever Booker Prize winner.

Luminaries came third in our poll predicting the winner, but Elizabeth Mitchell saw in it all the traditional features of a good mystery The Luminaries is only Eleanor Catton’s second novel.

Her first novel, The Rehearsal, was a published form of her thesis for her MA in Fictional Writing. Aged 27, she is the youngest ever author to be shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. So what is all the hype surrounding this New Zealand author about?

The first thing anyone will undoubtedly notice about this book is its size. At 832 pages, it is by far the longest Booker contender this year.

But, my dear readers, I urge you not to let this put you off: embrace the gigantic tome for it shall reward those with perseverance!

Event

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Bell Jar, the Manchester Literature Festival turned its attention to the work of Sylvia Plath for an evening. The event was led by multi-award winning author Ali Smith and Manchesterbased poet Jackie Kay. Smith and Kay read poems spanning Plath’s career, starting with “The Disquieting Muses” and ending with “Edge”, the last poem she wrote before her death.

They then read extracts from The Bell Jar, before taking questions from the audience.

The poems selected showcased Plath’s skills as a writer, and The Bell Jar extracts emphasized the black humour present in Plath’s work, which is not always recognised.

One of the most interesting parts of the event was to

Books

/TheMancunion: Books

The Luminaries has the all the traditional features of a good mystery: a murder, an attempted suicide, an apparently estranged wife, an unexpectedly large sum of money and a slightly dysfunctional detective-like figure Set in 1886, The Luminaries opens with Walter Moody arriving in the town of Hokitika, New Zealand one wet and windy night. A

the proceedings, Moody gives ear as the dozen each tell their account of the night the incidences occurred.

What makes it a cut above its contemporaries in the genre is the structure and writing itself

The Luminaries (Grant Books 2013) quiet, Cambridge-educated man accustomed to his club in Edinburgh, Moody has travelled across the globe to try and make his fortune in gold digging. Entering the smoking room of the Crown Hotel, he plans to enjoy a stiff drink but, lo and behold, things are not all that simple. Little does he know, Walter has interrupted an oddly assorted group of 12 men. Forming some kind of furtive council, this group have secretly assembled to deliberate over the bizarre spate of crimes that occurred in Hokitika a fortnight before.

Inevitably being sucked into

The Luminaries has the all the traditional features of a good mystery: a murder, an attempted suicide, an apparently estranged wife, an unexpectedly large sum of money and a slightly dysfunctional detective-like figure. What makes it a cut above its contemporaries in the genre is the structure and writing itself. Although lengthy, Ulysses this is not; you never realise how much you’ve read. The book’s sections are broken down into manageable chunks of decreasing size, mimicking the cycle of the waning moon (and mirroring a brilliant plot feature that shall not be spoilt here). The prose paints a vivid picture of 19th century life Down Under, in a way that puts it on a par with a classic from the era, but without leaving the reader feeling assaulted by adjectives.

The Luminaries truly is a masterpiece of our time.

Review

The MANchester Booker Prize The winner of the Books Section online poll to predict the winner of the Man Booker prize was Jim Crace’s Harvest: a beautifully written tribute to those affected by the Enclosure Acts, says Shanda Moorghen Over a career that has spanned more than 25 years, Jim Crace has been a prolific writer, with more than 10 books and as many literary prizes. However, his most recent novel, and what is apparently his last, might finally give him the chance to win the much-coveted Man Booker Prize.

Crace’s little gem, Harvest, is a beautifully written tribute to those affected by the Enclosure Acts implemented a few centuries ago. In a poetic prose similar to that of William Golding, he tells the story of Walter Thirsk over a biblical seven days set against the backdrop of a semi-pagan village with no church. This little village, where “if you’re not a Saxton or a Derby or a Higgs yourself, you have a score of relatives who are,” has to deal with the prospect of outsiders disturbing their peace and living off their land.

Walter Thirsk arrived in the village a few years before and tells the story of how one harvest week changed their lives. From the belief that three strangers who set up camp not far from the village were hardened outlaws

who planned on plundering

that are less than likeable.

At the end of the week, it is a goodbye to a way of life and, symbolically, a goodbye to Crace.

In typical Crace fashion, we feel affection for characters that are less than likeable.

At the end of the week, it is a goodbye to a way of life and, symbolically, a goodbye to Crace.

Harvest (Picador, 2013) their land to the arrival of well-dressed gentlemen who would take away the only life they have known, Crace guides us into a whirlwind of emotions with no apparent way out. We share the pain of the landowner Mr Kent and we share the villagers’ rage at the arrival of his cousin Jordan and his henchmen.

In typical Crace fashion, we feel affection for characters

Crace’s writing sends us to a more ancient period, a period to which we are so oblivious that we need to keep absolute faith in the direction towards which he is leading us.

However, in the end, he leads us to the fireworks; Harvest, being Crace’s last book, might be remembered as his chefd’oeuvre.

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Ben Walker, Maddy Hubbard Recipe of the Week

OF THE recipe WEEK

This week we have a decadent recipe, perfect either as a desert of even just with your afternoon cup of tea...

Feature

The Indy Man Beer Convention Dan Elphick visits an event that challenges the stereotypes of real ale drinkers, and emerges wowed by the surroundings and definitely slightly tipsy... more.

Baklava

Walking around the baths, we find a variety of spaces, with DJs, live music and even a chill-out room, as if we were in some sort of aquatic steam-punk club. Our tasting notes include: Circus of Sour – ‘suspiciously similar to Lemonade’, Smoke Stack Porter – ‘actually not that bad’, and Cannonball – ‘delicious and dangerously drinkable’. The weathered setting of the baths encourages visitors to sit back and savour their drinks while soaking in their surroundings. Of course, that didn’t stop us from trying half a dozen varieties of the stuff. Alongside this was a food hall, showcasing street vendors from the Manchester area, as well as a handful of startup companies showing off their take on traditional pub snacks – the Lentil and Rice flour crisps come heavily recommended!

This rich, sweet pastry of the Ottoman Empire has stood the test of time. Its crisp pastry, crunchy nuts, and gooey syrup tastes as good now as when it was invented back in the 13th century.

Joanne Procter keeps this traditional Turkish dessert alive in this brilliant recipe.

Photo: Dan Elphick

Photo: Joanne Procter Ingredients: For the baklava 250g walnuts 100g almonds (whole) 60g light muscovite sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 175g butter, melted (plus extra for greasing) 24 sheets of filo pastry to fit a 9 x 13 inch tray For the syrup: 90ml clear honey 70ml water 80g caster sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp lemon juice 5-6 cardamom pods 5-6 cloves Method Combine all the ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan. Heat it over a medium heat, and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved and it begins to boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer it until it has thickened slightly—this should take 10-15 mins. Once this is done, tip it into a measuring jug and leave it to cool.

Roast the walnuts and the almonds in the oven at around 200°C (fan oven) for 7-10 mins. When you remove them, leave the oven on.

Mix together the walnuts, almonds, sugar and cinnamon, then chop them up in a food processor or by hand.

Grease the tin and lay down one sheet of filo pastry across the bottom—it doesn’t matter if it goes up the sides a little as well.

Brush the sheet with some melted butter.

Put another sheet of filo on top of this, and again brush it with melted butter. Keep repeating this process until you have 6 layers of filo.

Once you’ve buttered the 6th sheet, sprinkle on one third of the nut mixture.

Apply another 6 sheets of filo, brushing with butter in between.

Then sprinkle on another one third of the nut mixture. Repeat this with another 6 sheets, sprinkle on the last of the nuts, and then cover with 6 more sheets.

Once you’ve buttered the top layer, cut off the edges of the pastry which are sticking up around the sides, so you have a nice even top. Cut the baklava into squares, but only cut down to about half the depth of the baklava – leave the bottom half intact.

Bake for 15 mins at 200°C, and then reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for another 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Remove from oven.

Whilst it’s still hot, pour over the syrup you made earlier. Now leave it to cool, and enjoy!

If the term ‘Real Ale Drinker’ conjures images of beer bellies, socks-with-sandals and old-man-smell, you might be forgiven for thinking that you were at the wrong place, had you visited the IMBC – the Independent Manchester Beer Convention, that is. For this was a gathering that sought to dispel with such images. Lager-swilling drunkards may find themselves out of place in such quarters, but for those contemplative sorts the opportunity to enjoy carefully crafted drinks in the company of brewing experts was not to be missed. And it was this trendy artisanattitude towards the amber-gold liquid that attracted a throng of appreciative fans to the splendid Victoria Baths over the weekend of 10-13th October.

The main pulling power of the convention was the quality of beer on offer, showcased and sold directly by the producers themselves.

The organisers sought to gather the most progressive brewers together to provide a beer festival with a difference. This difference could be seen simply in the clientele, reflecting the fresh audiences drawn in by new attitudes to beer production and reception showcased at the convention. The preferred term for these carefully manufactured drinks is ‘Craft Beer’, the success of which is demonstrated in the pulling power of the IMBC over the

ON A

my dayPLATE

I, Thomas N Nixon, law student and selfproclaimed ‘president’ of the comedy society, begin my day with a Soviet Gulag’s traditional breakfast: a half empty tin of lukewarm peas from the night before, costing 29p. My morning routine then consists of mocking the pathetic panoply of pitiful characters Jeremy Kyle refers to as ‘guests’ until I get through my pitcher of cheap flavourless coffee I need in order to function.

Catching the hourly Finglands bus, I gurgle down a pint of the brown energizing liquid my flatmates and I brew in my rusting sink. If I’m feeling peachy I help myself to midmorning pork pie, sexist pig that I am.

course of the weekend. True, there were some ‘classic’ real ale fans present, but the majority of attendees represented recent introductions into the beer market, including under-30s and an increasing proportion of women.

The IMBC is an event to watch out for.

Next year, we’ll make sure to go earlier on in the weekend, especially to see more of the live music and round-table events with master brewers. If October 2014 is too long to wait, we would recommend exploring two of Manchester’s purveyors of Craft Beers: Brewdog on Deansgate, and the Beermoth shop in Northern Quarter. And our final toptip: the Victoria Baths is an amazing venue – you should leap at the opportunity to visit.

The Victoria Baths (tucked away down Hathersage Road) provided the perfect setting for the convention. The Baths were the winner of the BBC’s 2003 ‘Restoration’ programme, and the attention-to-detail lavished upon the building shows. As such, the main beer halls of IMBC were set in the empty swimming baths themselves, including a smaller space tucked away in the turkish baths – giving gorgeous surroundings to the evening’s proceedings.

Upon entry, punters are handed a half-pint glass with which to purchase samples of beers on offer throughout the building.

That’s over 100 delicious ales, stouts, bitters and

Lunch is usually cheesy chips with donner, coated in a thick pungent layer of sauce, costing me a mere £2.50 from the dodgy van outside the dodgier Man Met. By mid-afternoon my stomach growls as I get through a full packet of off-brand chocolate bars, £1.69, sprawled over common room sofas as I finger through the Daily Mail, scouring for prospective clients. Yes, I want to defend heroin addicts and ex-Labour ministers, get over it.

Photo: Dan Elphick

In short, I’m a man with low, and I mean low, standards and my attitude to food mirrors my jokes; cheap, easy and recyclable.

As seen by Victor Croci

My housemates, like most women, despise me, so dinner tends to be Lidl’s finest ready-made Madras curry scoffed down alone in my bedroom. I buy in bulk so it comes to about £1.42 per meal.

By 11pm I’m feeling both hungry and a trifle nauseous. Throwing on my vintage tweed jacket I pay Gaffs a well-deserved visit - their egg and cress sandwiches at 49p each are a right steal!

Photo: Amy Hallett

/TheMancunion: Food & Drink @MancunionFood

Food & Drink 23

Feature

The Great British Debate: is the Bake Off going off?

Faye Waterhouse: in favour The Bake Off is building to a grand finale, and oh how I’ve enjoyed flexing my culinary muscles buying bags of sugar and flour and washing more bowls than I even knew I had. You can’t help but be drawn in by the success of the Great British Bake Off. There is something undoubtedly comforting about switching off from the outside world, making a cup of tea, and settling down to watch someone turn ingredients into something tasty.

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins couldn’t be more perfect for presenting the programme--they are forever hopping from baker to baker and generally run amok in the tent. The moment when Mel caused Francis’ biscuit tower to collapse was particularly amusing. However, the best double-act has to be Mary and Paul. Dare I say it but their on-screen chemistry makes the cakes and breads seem even more appealing! Not so appealing however is Paul’s attitude towards Ruby the youngest and prettiest baker in the tent—need I say more?

One of my favourite contestants had to be Howard from Sheffield, the baker who was forever using alternative ingredients which when went well went very well and when went bad went very bad. Hemp loaf was never going to be a classic was it? Howard won the public’s vote when Deborah ‘accidentally’ stole his custard.

In the baking world this was a cardinal sin and Deborah was soon given the boot by Paul and Mary.

Now it is just women left in the competition and the pressure is on to be consistent every week.

The signature bake is always interesting with the bakers often coming up with unusual flavours and interesting recipes. The technical challenge is, I admit, perhaps a bit too complex. I had never even heard of some of the names of the recipes, never mind tasted them. I find myself sometimes wishing it might be nice to see something simple baked to

Photo: Maddy Hubbard perfection such as a Victoria sponge cake that way a normal person like me can attempt it but I guess that’s not the idea of the technical challenge - these bakers have reached dizzy heights of skill way above anything I could hope to acheive. We tune in because we want to be amazed by what new culinary creations they can come up with in the time it takes us to sit back and relax and slurp our tea.

Ben Walker: The non-believer The Great British Waste of Time is a nadir in food and drink programming. If I want to see patisserie perfection then I’ll seek out Mr Blanc or Roux, not Beca from the Valley’s or Mark from Magnet. Food TV should either whisk you away to the dizzying heights of Michelin magic—a fantasy land of culinary escapism, or it should act as Sherpa and guide us to achievable home-cooking (see Nigel Slater). Yet the GBBO is caught in the wardrobe, neither in Narnia or reality—the show dares to stretch its fingers to a fantastical world but all too often sinks into boring mediocrity. It is

This ‘n’ That To the untrained eye, this traditional working class curry café, situated in a dark alley reminiscent of Gotham City, would pass completely un-noticed.

Located in Soap Street, deep in the heart of the Northern quarter, just off the Shudehill coach interchange, this mancunian gem has been churning out curry for decades. For a fiver this fine establishment’s clientele are served a delicious, and more importantly copious, three part curry helping.

Victor Croci reminisces about Manchester of the past, and finds a remnant of it in a NQ alleyway

in the area, he and various other band members would come and take advantage of the café’s friendly service and friendlier prices. Little did I know, the two big black bearded fellows in leather jackets and faded denim pants were actually prac-

and how the city has changed from ‘Gunchester’ with the Hacienda’s notorious nights to Media City UK and the metrolink. Needless to say, to them and the other musicians they know, the Northern Quarter is one of the few places which still has ‘soul’, much like, in their opinion, ‘This and That’.

I clear up my tray and leave the two musicians fighting over a very sizeable vegetarian samosa…

The atmosphere inside this café is an uneven patchwork of radically different life stories woven into an enjoyable 30 minute lunch break away from the bustling city life. Whether it is a group of paramedics talking about a particularly long shift over steaming black coffee, bricklayers and painters flicking through yesterday’s papers before they return to work or even students, old and current, enjoying the Northern quarter on a rare sunny day, none of the customers sitting on the café’s plastic chairs have anything in common.

In a certain sense the café hidden away in this little side alley, like a sea urchin tucked in between large rocks, has withstood the relentless tide of modernisation which wracks the city of Manchester.

Yet here in the shade of the 21st century’s towering glass apartment and office blocks, you can’t help but feel the nostalgia sinking in midway through your third or fourth spoonful.

Yet at the same time that is the café’s greatest appeal; in a city where everything and everyone around is claiming to be trendy, modern and fashionable, ‘This and That’ doesn’t even try.

The place definitely has an authentic charm.

I get served my steaming plateful of madras, korma and jalfrezi and sit down opposite a gaunt, tired looking ‘hipster’ economics student with a clear penchant for alcohol. I say hipster because he’s wearing a woolly jumper on a very warm day - apparently that is the style in the Northern quarter these days. He tells me how he discovered this place in his first year. After practicing for a gig

the scourge of Tuesday night broadcasting.

First, the concept is terrible. Asking retired Christine to produce Religieuse is like asking Pierre Koffman to make a series about the best technique for pouring milk onto one’s cereal—a waste of time.

Second, twee does not cover half of it. A marquee, a meadow, a stately home, gingham and Mary Berry all add up to sickeningly sweet tele; a hell that is the equivalent of being trapped inside a Cath Kidston factory. So many pastel colours, nice little patterns, and bows and ribbons add up to an overdose for those who were not raised in Darling Buds of May. If this was really baking in Britain then it should be filmed in the brutalist Park Hill estate in Sheffield or out of some new build affordable housing complex in Slough.

Third, I shall prove that Hollywood is not kneaded. That big galoot wanders around squeezing and prodding, pulling and poking everyone’s dough—who knows where his dirty mitts have been? I certainly would lash out, angled spatula in hand, if his intrusive sausage fingers came near my rye bread mixture.

Fourth, Ruby is so annoying. Last episode she upset me so much I became distracted and split my ‘crème pat’. As it stands, she is clearly a big favourite to win yet every little thing she does is coated in self doubt and misery and whining—‘it’s not proven enough’, ‘it’s over baked’…Modesty soon becomes very infuriating when the person proclaiming their inadequacy clearly knows they are actually quite good.

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but hopefully I have made clear that the BBC need to seriously reconsider filming another dire series of Bake Off.

ticing jazz musicians who play regularly in the area, Martin, the hipster economics student, introduced me to them.

Over coffee and an exotic brand imitation of Fanta they let me in on their take of the Northern Quarter

(photo: Hafsah Saadiqah)

Feature

weASK

you ANSWER Bea Chapman tells us everything you ever wanted to know about the art of eating cereal

Photo: Bea Chapman It’s 10pm on a Sunday. Dinner was a good few hours ago, yet there is that little something missing. Only one solution really: a bowl of cereal.

Friends of mine will know that cereal is a big part of my life, perhaps as it has kick-started my day since I could say the word ‘krispie’, perhaps because I am stupidly active and am constantly hungry. I find breakfast-skippers crazy – there’s nothing better after a nights sleep than a system reboot with a cup of tea in an oversized t-shirt.

Cereal eating in the UK dates back to the early 1900’s as an alternative to the traditional, stodgy oatmeal. Packaged cereals were considered convenient and attracted advertising. Nowadays we are confronted with an entire aisle to choose from – something that would bring sweet happiness to William K. Kellogg. The modern day tooth has also been catered for: we now have a ‘chocorock’ and a ‘honey hoop’ trying to push my beloved Bran Flakes off the shelf. These cereals have over 50% sugar and aren’t so great if your looking for a healthy alternative.

Prices aren’t always on the cheap, but if you look out for the offers, 250g is priced around £1.50.

This works out as about ten portions, and, well, you do the maths – it’s a cheap option. Go wild and buy a few packets, divulge into the variety, yolo.

I categorise cereals into two main groups: light and dark. This corresponds to primarily their grain shade, but also is important in ordering the bowl’s layers. For example, I would always mix (bottom up) the ‘dark’ Bran Flake with the ‘light’ Rice Krispie. This not only gives visual variety, but also a mix of textures when mixed with milk. Another favourite technique is the classic ‘Weetabix stock’: overdrowning Weetabix in milk to leave excess ‘stock’ in which to flavour the next selection. Don’t judge me.

Cereal can be eaten at any time of day, in any bowl, and in any mood. A splash of milk never fails to refresh and keeps those bones good and strong. The good (or otherwise referred to as boring) cereals are full of fibre, so technically it’s a healthy pick. Cereal won’t break you bank, or let you down. Commit to your bowl (don’t leave it for an hour on the windowsill) and your bowl will commit to you.

So start your day the right way, and you won’t regret it. One tip though – save Apricot Wheats and Granola for those precious trips home in the holidays. Let’s not push the student budget now.

24

Arts & Culture

ISSUE 06/ 21st October 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Abbie Roberts, Matilda Roberts

All That Is Solid Melts Into Air Matilda Roberts reviews the Manchester Art Gallery’s latest show.

Image: Hannah Summers

Interview With Jeremy Deller Hannah Summers with the help of Matilda Roberts and Maddy Hubbard (visiting from the Food and Drink section) interview Jeremy Deller about his upcoming exhibition, ‘All that is solid Melts into air’, kick started at last weekend’s Manchester Weekender at our city’s beloved Manchester Art Gallery. After giving us a tour of the exhibition, Deller indulges us with his thoughts on his exhibition and Manchester itself.

Your show focuses on how the industrial revolution has greatly influenced music, has it influenced art in the same way?

That’s a really difficult question. I mean [L. S.] Lowry is the main example, but it is more music that has been influenced by that environment. Lowry literally painted that world, even if it was a slight confection. He depicted it, whereas these musicians channelled it, it’s subtler.

Is the influence of industry still prevalent or is it something else affecting the music of today?

Dance music, maybe has [roots]. The digital revolution has obviously influenced music, in tonnes of ways, not least how it’s consumed, how people listen to it, how people share it, how it’s made. Dance music in the 80s, a lot of it was all made on computers.

“I’m making [a very direct connection] between the sounds of industry and digital music.”

Part of the exhibition shows scenes from an acid rave overlaid with audio from the mills.

That’s a very direct connection I’m making between the sounds of industry and digital music. Repetitions and beats [making mill sounds] but also those parties, in the North-East and North-West at least, took place in disused factories and warehouses, in former industrial spaces.

Do you think Manchester’s music scene has somewhat declined from then?

I don’t know much about the music scene but I’m sure some people would be very upset to hear you say that. I mean ‘Oasis’ might be the last huge band from Manchester. But ‘Take Tha’t are from Manchester, or around.

Quite a lot of your work focuses on Manchester, for example the ‘Procession’ in 2009, and your ‘History of Time’ which makes connections between different music scenes in Manchester, do you feel you’re drawn here or does it just happen?

No I am. I like being out of London. I’m from London, my parents are from London and I like not being in London, to see things slightly differently. [The Procession] was for the [Manchester International Festival] so it had to be. But I knew I could do something with Manchester like that, just because there is so much going on.

“the audience is less cynical here” Did this exhibition start with Manchester or the Industrial Revolution?

The revolution came first but then they wanted to show it here. And it makes sense to have it here, especially this section. (Deller points out the intricate drawings and photographs of the ‘Scuttlers’ - gangs of young workingclass Mancunian men.) And the audience is less cynical here. In London you see tonnes of stuff and people can get a bit blasé.

When you curate a show like this do you see the end result as almost an artwork in itself?

It can be. It might be, that’s not for me to say. It’s definitely a different kind of show, you wouldn’t get this show from a traditional curatorial perspective, there are some strange bits to it, there might be bits, that shouldn’t be here.

“just carry on the way you are...

It’s for other people to judge you” Do you approach curating in the same way you do creating your own work?

No, you just carry on the way you are and try not to think about it too much. It’s for other people to judge you.

Creating the Illusion MOSI - On until Sunday 3rd November Free Entry

The Manchester Art Gallery is hosting a Hayward Touring Exhibition. Keen on “transhistorical” shows, and with two other exhibitions having already travelled around Britain this year, this show is perfect example of Hayward Touring’s labour intensive and complexly curated exhibitions.

In Jeremy Deller’s eclectic collection, an epic John Martin oil painting hangs on the same wall as the family tree of Noddy Holder (Slade).

The exhibition, originally intended by Deller to focus on the Industrial Revolution and its effect on music culture ends up commenting on the Industrial Revolution’s impact on British society more generally. It highlights the ways in which workers’ lives have changed and how what is going on in the world of music often parallels what is going on in politics, economics and industry.

Deller proclaims that the literature of the Industrial Revolution was more expressive than the art and this is reflected in his collection. Broadsides and written accounts of Victorian industry are exhibited alongside contemporary artworks and popular music ephemera.

The simplest connection Deller makes between industry and music is with his jukebox playing sounds of factories. The records play workers singing folk songs

and chatting. Deller plays us his favourite: quarry men breaking stones and singing in time to it. Deller’s claim is that the sounds of the factories have changed the way music was made and listened to. He claims that in the 1970s as the game was over in industry, the music mimicked the factory sounds for those that would never experience them. This point is highlighted by a pair of headphones playing high volume factory sounds.

While factory workers had to endure the deafening sounds of machinery, young people now choose and even pay to be deafened by heavy metal music.

Other themes for the exhibition are the ‘shithole days’, which involves photographs of traumatised and exhausted looking working women in 1860s Wales. Another theme is time. A factory bell illustrates the lack of ownership Victorian workers had over their own time while the modern day Motorola device with GPS tracking worn by factory workers is exhibited in order to show that today is not as different as it seems.

The only example of Deller’s own work is a banner stating ‘Hello, today you have day off ’, a direct quote taken from the text received by workers on zero hour contracts.

A sense of humour runs throughout the show. ‘Unlike nowadays people used to

get drunk and fight’ is the caption under a Victorian cartoon of men fighting. A folk song, Prophecy for 1973, written in 1873, jokes of a future where doctors can replace limbs and where there is total sexual freedom.

A highlight and the most recognisable image of the exhibition is that of Adrian Street, a glam-rock wrestler photographed alongside his father and other factory workers at the pit in Wales where he used to work. Deller describes it as an image of the ‘prodigal son’ returning.

It shows a story of a selfmade man who returns back to an industrial community that rejected him as an act of defiance.

In this personal journey through the industrial revolution, Deller manages to dissolve the hierarchies, often created by curators, by exhibiting printed ephemera, historical works of art, artefacts and text alongside, and on equal terms with, major paintings.

When asked about his choice of title for the exhibition, Deller says he wanted it to convey the way in which capitalism can change its shape. In this exhibition I think Deller successfully suggests this as well as delivering an exhibition that could change his audience’s approach to art and its relationship with material culture more generally.

Islington Mill Located a mere 5 minute walk from Salford city centre, Islington Mill nurtures some of Manchester’s most exciting new artistic and musical talent. Imagine an 8000 foot warehouse floor covered corner to corner with huge CMYK screen prints by artist Maurice Carlin (the Mill’s artistic director) who’s working on these prints live in the space with two webcams filming the entire process live, 24/7, for 3 whole months - pretty crazy! But from Islington Mill, you can’t really expect anything else.

The self-funded mill houses resident artists from all over of the globe, runs an academy for young artists as well as hosting some of the most talked about electronic music nights in Manchesterall in a giant ex-cotton spinning mill built in 1823!

Guests have included Andy Stott, Baths and Traxx. Last year’s programme of arts events at the Mill was pretty eclectic with a combination

Jasper Llewellyn visits a unique arts space devoted to progression, experimentation and what those who work there call ‘Werq’. of visual arts, music and Another one to look out for performance.

And this is Jen Wu’s ‘The Wall’ which is year’s no different! The Mill a piece of interactive visual is currently housing a new art involving moving an eight piece from Bristol collective metre brick wall with the ‘WORKS|PROJECTS’ named help of the audience. Looking ‘Plan For a Ruin’, a series at Manchester’s rave and of video, installation and club scene and in particular mixed media works from the demolition of certain various members of the clubs, ‘The Wall’ asks us how collective, partially inspired to approach destruction by the Mill’s fifth attic floor. and regeneration and what ‘Plan For a Ruin’ includes we can take from it – which a video piece by David might mean some free raves!

Wojtowycz, ‘The Lake’, which So keep your eyes on this is a looped digital projection one. of a lighthouse. Although In regards to music, the the camera is stationary in programme seems to be the projection, the subtle full of a complete mix of movements of the water on instruments, styles and either side of the lighthouse performers. I am personally and the slightly blurred excited for the run of three image quality and dark edges gigs in mid-November of the shot create a strangely starting with ‘Pharmakon’ eerie piece. However, it is the (one to watch if you’re into electronically manipulated sound design and machine whistling that accompanies noise), which takes place on the video that truly completes November 19th followed by this haunting piece, making German ambient Jazz band the whole product an apt ‘Bohren & der Club der Gore’ accompaniment to the Mill’s and, electronic artist ‘Baths’. dingy fifth floor attic space.

The main reason you should go to this tiny exhibition is to make your own stop-motion video. With a miniature platform area providing the set for your movie, complete with a set of blocks (or anything you happen to have in your bag), a large mounted screen that instantly plays back your creation and a handy-sized camera button that you press to snapshot each of the 12 frames of your animation, you’ll be there ‘til closing time. Trust me. I personally chose to make my pen appear as if moving around on its own, which I perfected time after time until I was standing there hands on hips basking in the praise I received from the spectating crowd of (3 )very impressed fellow MOSI visitors. If you do manage to tear yourself away from that wonderful little treat, you will notice that the exhibition somewhat sidesteps our current undergrad generation. Looking at animation in the North West, the exhibition displays nostalgic insights into the makings of our parents’ favourite characters (Dangermouse, Bill and Ben ) and then skips ahead to the our younger cousins’ beloved friends (Bob the Builder’s Wendy & Pilchard). There are some familiar characters though: if you thought that Miss Spider form ‘James and the Giant Peach’ was creepy – wait ‘til you see her puppet’s interchangeable heads. And if you thought the ‘Wind in the Willows’ badger was a wise and cuddly guy, his puppet skeleton stripped down to its mechanical core might just destroy your childhood memories of him.

Definitely worth a visit this coming Reading Week! Abbie Roberts

Until 23rd October Vote online until 4pm 23rd October

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Editors: Lauren Arthur, Moya Crockett, Beth Currall, Izzy Dann Ask Izzy

Feature

Suicide in young men: IZZY it’s time to talk ask

Q: what kills more young British men than road accidents, murder and HIV/AIDS combined? A: suicide. Lifestyle Editor Moya Crockett investigates.

an earnest attempt to cure all your woes. Tweet any burning issues,genital or otherwise, @ izzydann has become Q Manchester horribly chilly again.

I really want to put on the central heating, if only so I can resume proper showering – I’ve been so terrified of stepping out of the shower into a frozen abyss that it’s now been a week since I had a proper wash. However, my housemates insist that it’s still far too early to give in and have started avoiding eye contact with me in case I further attempt to broach the subject.

They don’t seem to care about my lack of personal hygiene nor about my incessant sickliness. What can I say to make them see sense?

I believe you will find that you are, in fact, the one who is severely lacking any sense.

All decent Mancunians, whether native or honorary, understand that switching on the heating is morally abhorrent until at least November and even then best avoided till Christmas.

Up north, it is our lot in winter life to spend all nights and most of our days tucked up in bed, buried under multiple duvets, and wearing as much of our wardrobe as simultaneously possible, all topped off with some form of novelty bobble hat. Still, you are correct in one aspect: showering is most definitely out of the question, as becomes obvious upon each of your rasping breaths turning visible indoors.

However, this is hardly a problem in that the arctic climes render perspiration minimal, and there are baby wipes for everything in between (try microwaving first for best results). You really just need to pop on an extra pair of socks, put on the kettle, and stop being so pathetic – otherwise, you may find yourself forever banished down south.

Suicide is the single biggest killer of young men across the UK. Three young men in Britain kill themselves every day. In 2012, there were 4639 male suicides – the highest annual figure in the UK this century. The death toll of suicide is 3-4 times higher in men than in women. The statistics are shocking, but what I found even more startling was the fact that I had no idea.

How could such a huge problem be effectively swept under the rug?

Silence surrounds depression and suicide, and this silence particularly affects men. It might be 2013, but ours is still a society that expects men to just ‘get on with things’. The message remains: if you’re feeling low, don’t make a fuss. Don’t be a girl about it. And definitely, definitely don’t cry.

This stiff-upper-lip masculine ideal is incredibly pervasive. It’s not always the case, but men often lack the kind of emotionally supportive social network that women take for granted. “I’ve got one good friend who, when a couple of times I said I was going through a pretty bad time, said, ‘Well, any time you wanna talk about it mate,

just let me know’ before immediately scurrying away to his bedroom and closing the door,” says mental health writer Fabio Zucchelli. “My friends are brilliant, caring guys, but just feel so bloody awkward talking about difficult feelings that they’d rather punch themselves in the face.”

In this kind of culture, it’s not entirely surprising that young men would often rather suffer alone than talk about their feelings.

The continuing stigmatization of mental health issues doesn’t help. It’s human nature to search for explanations, but suicidal thoughts are by their nature incomprehensible to those who haven’t struggled with them. Horrible misconceptions whirl around suicide like flies: the notion that those who attempt to kill themselves are crazy, selfish, attention-seeking, or doomed is as horribly prevalent as it is untrue.

In addition, the idea that we might not be able to control our own happiness – the concept of suicide itself – is deeply frightening. This toxic coupling of misunderstanding and fear leads to yet more silence, affecting everyone, including Photo: Hamed Saber (Flickr)

For a list of common symptoms related to depression visit www.nhs.uk/Conditions/ Depression. Any of these feelings are

A

Do you have a story that you’d like to share? Send them to mancunion.lifestyle@ gmail.com

those bereaved by suicide. Many people who have lost someone to suicide report feeling unable to talk about it openly, the way they might have done had the cause of death been ‘natural’.

According to male suicide prevention charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), hundreds of deaths could be avoided if men felt able to talk more openly and ask for help when needed. Jane Powell, the charity’s founder and director, began working in male suicide prevention on a pilot project in Manchester in 1997. “We need to challenge the idea that a ‘strong and silent’ man is desirable, and challenge the notion that men talking, showing emotion and being ‘sensitive’ is weak,” she says. Powell is at pains to stress that people’s motivations for suicide are “complex and often very individual.” You do not have a reason to feel depressed; neither does having thoughts of suicide automatically mean that you are suffering from mental illness. Feelings of desperation and hopelessness can affect many people for many different reasons, and these feelings will often pass. It is when they don’t that being brave enough to seek help − whether that means calling the Samaritans helpline, visiting a GP, or just beginning to talk to a friend − becomes vitally important.

There is nothing inevitable about suicide, and it is never the only option. If you think you or someone you know – male or female – might be struggling, the most important thing you can do is begin to talk about it. Treat your mental and emotional well-being with as much care as you would your physical health, and remember: it’s fine not to be fine.

worthy of your attention. If you haven’t already, register with a Manchester GP and book an appointment.

IMPORTANT RESOURCES Samaritans 24-hour confidential emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress, despair or suicidal thoughts.

Samaritans.org 08457 9090 PAPYRUS A UK charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide. papyrus-uk.org 0800 068 41 41 (Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm and 7-10pm. Weekends 2-5pm) Manchester Nightline Confidential and anonymous emotional support, provided by students, for students.

0161 2753983 (8pm-8am during term time) nightmail@nightline.man.ac.uk UoM Counselling Service Manchester’s team of professional counsellors and psychotherapists is available to all students. studentnet.manchester.ac.uk/counselling/ C.A.L.M. C.A.L.M.’s website is brilliant – funny, relatable, relevant, and unpreachy.

0800 585858 (5pm-midnight, daily) thecalmzone.net Students Against Depression Advice, information, guidance and resource specifically aimed at UK students. studentsagainstdepression.org What to do if you think someone might be suicidal The NHS offer clear, calm advice. nhs.uk/Conditions/Suicide/Pages/ helping-others.aspx

Debate

Halloween: sexist or liberating?

Editors Beth Currall and Lauren Arthur discuss the implications of ‘sexy’ costumes

Beth Every year Halloween creeps around the corner, and every year I experience the same dread and despair as I firstly battle with friends to avoid dressing up, and secondly have to witness as others wriggle their bodies into costumes that will smother them with an array of sexist labels.

Of course, I’m aware that we go through every day labelling ourselves with the clothes we choose to wear, and the way we choose to act. But I feel like Halloween is the one day of the year in which sexist judgement is unavoidable- and that stands for both sides of the gene pool. In your average fancy-dress store there are usually three choices of attire available for women: sexy kitten, sexy devil, or ugly witch. If a girl picks one of the first two options (which will essentially be leotards of suitable colours and a tail/pair of horns), it’s practically undeniable that they will be objectified by all the males that will see them in such (little) clothing. However, if she chooses the latter option, the girl will be branded a feminist, or the most unattractive, simply because she’s not flaunting her body. The same goes for lads: girls, admit it, you’d be instinctively be more attracted to a half-dressed Roman soldier, than the poor soul that decided to dress up as a pumpkin or a one-eyed zombie. I find these assumptions infuriating, but they are a part of Halloween I believe we are stuck with for ever.

Maybe I am boring and maybe my loathing of fancy dress clouds my judgement, but I do think that Halloween would be so much more enjoyable if we just discarded the sexy costumes and half-nakedness and all made ourselves look as ugly and terrifying as possible. At least the witches and pumpkins of the night can just get slaughtered and enjoy the holiday, which is what it’s all about after all.

Photo: SNL Studios

Lauren Halloween is upon us again and once again comes the somewhat stressful-for-most decision of what to wear on the Thursday of reading week. Whilst I don’t see how anyone can look at the Halloween costume industry and argue that it’s not sexist, dressing up for Halloween really doesn’t need to endorse sexism, fetishism and misogyny like many believe.

Cady Heron says: ‘in Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.’ The latter half of this sentence is far from true as it’s most likely that every girl you walk past will say something about it, whatever they’re dressed in. The former is basically condoning slut-shaming. If a girl wants to go out wearing barely anything on a night out, she should be able to without being labelled a slut, and there are no different circumstances just because it’s Halloween. Similarly, those who opt for ugly or scary attire should not be looked down upon because they don’t want to show their bodies off.

Admittedly, the industry needs to provide a wider range of dress-up options for women that don’t include the words ‘slutty’ or ‘sexy’ in the title. However, no one forces girls to go and buy these supposedly ‘slutty’ costumes. Many probably feel, growing up with Mean Girls quotes ingrained in their heads, that it’s the one night a year they can wear as much or as little as they want. Sadly, slut-shaming isn’t absent for the night just because it’s Halloween but it can be looked at as being a step in the right direction: acceptance that the outfit we choose doesn’t have to reflect anything about us. So wear what you want and try to keep your red lips/false teeth/skeletal jaw from judging others around you.

/TheMancunion: Lifestyle @MancunionLife

Events

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Horoscopes Illustrations by Cecilia Tricker

TED: a new form of inspiration

Lifestyle

The ground-breaking global conference is returning to Manchester on 10th November. Annie Hsu gives us the details

I’m sure you’ll have heard plenty of stories in your life, from fairy tales during bed time to studying novels at school. But have you ever heard a true story that made a real impact on your life, or even changed your thinking completely? You might just find one of these when you attend the TED experience.

TED (‘Technology, Entertainment, and Design’) is a global company that aims to inspire people through talks at their conventions. The scope of these conventions has grown

ideas in any discipline, including research, the practice of science and cultural studies. TED’s ethos is “ideas worth spreading”, and they pull experts from all different fields. Attendees from all over the world have raved about these conventions, calling them “the ultimate brain spa” and “a journey into the future.”

This year Manchester is once again proudly hosting TedxSalford 3.0. Appearing will be some of the world’s most successful in dividuals from the technological and entertainment industries.

Photo: TedxSalford.com (press photo)

Speakers include Thad Starner, the Technical Lead at Google Glass. He was considered the first to integrate a wearable computer into everyday life as a personal assistant, and will be explaining what Google Glass can do for us. Also attending is a mystery speaker from NASA, who will be talking through the greatest journeys and experiences from his career.

For those thinking of setting up a business after graduating, entrepreneur Rachel Elnaugh’s story will be worth hearing. The former dragon on BBC’s ‘Dragons’ Den’ won the Ernest & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2002. There will be even more hosts to meet and inspire you throughout the day, including TV broadcasters, a Nobel Prize Winner in Physics, seekers of immortality, and award-winning visual artists.... The list goes on.

So if you fancy something inspirational this November, get your tickets for TED before they run out. www.tedxsalford.com/event/ registration

broader as their popularity has spread. You will find talks on

Travel

An American Adventure Ciara Kavanagh on her summer at BUNAC’s Work America program St Augustine once said “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”, and as time flew by I began to realise that I had yet to move from the first chapter of the world, having never left Europe.

I heard about the Work America program with BUNAC through a friend who completed the program in summer 2012.

After seeing photographs of all his new friends and places he was visiting splashed all over Facebook, I knew I wanted to go to America too. Work America offered a great opportunity for me, to could go to America alone and meet like-minded people, whilst earning money for travelling and experiencing American culture.

It took a lot for me to work up the courage to do it all by myselftravelling to America alone for the first time was a daunting experience- but looking back I

don’t know what I was worried about. After applying to a range of jobs on the Job Zone, I was offered employment at Trimper’s Rides of Ocean City, an amusement park in a tourist town on the east coast. I willingly accepted and couldn’t wait for summer to begin.

I met and worked alongside lots of people; a mixture of Americans, Eastern Europeans, British and Irish Students. I first worked as a Games Cashier and then moved on to the Photo Emporium dressing people in old time clothing and photographing them. Living right above work was perfect and we all became really close really quickly, which meant I had a great social life outside of work.

Before I knew it the summer was nearly over. A group of us arranged to go travelling and we did a road trip down the east coast through the Blue Ridge Mountains and finished in Mi-

ami, then flying to New Orleans.

I had the best time travelling and looking back, I loved every second of my summer; the only downside was that it all went by in the blink of an eye.

The best thing to have come out of the whole experience was meeting like-minded people who wanted to travel and do new things, but I’ve also added to my CV, improved my confidence, saw a different culture and travelled. All I can say is: what are you waiting for?

Don’t miss the opportunity of a lifetime – to travel, experience diverse places, find new friends and make memories you’ll never want to forget.

LIBRA (24 SEPTEMBER 23 OCTOBER) You’ve been seeing a lot of a certain someone recently. You notice them everywhere: in the supermarket, the library, the gym, da club… What’s the significance of this, you wonder? After some consultation with the stars, we can reveal: they’re stalking you.

SCORPIO (24 OCTOBER 22 NOVEMBER) You are always the first to ask life’s big questions.

What is ‘clean’? What is ‘an equal distribution of basic household tasks’?

Try occasionally taking the bins out, or you’ll soon be asking ‘What are friends?’ They’re what you used to call your housemates. Who now hate you.

SAGITTARIUS (23 NOVEMBER - 21 DECEMBER) Your partying shows no signs of slowing down, even as the prospect of post−Reading Week deadlines rears its ugly head.

Your mother always said that drugs and alcohol are never the answer, but she’s wrong. What if the question is, “Why will I fail my degree?”

Visit www.bunac.org for more information on Summer Camps, Work America, Internships USA and other work abroad programs.

Photo: bunac.org

CAPRICORN (22 DECEMBER - 20 JANUARY) Questions have been running through your mind all week. “What am I to do with my life?” You will find it out, don’t worry!

“How am I supposed to know what’s right?” You just gotta do it your way!

You are not experiencing an existential crisis.

These are Britney Spears lyrics.

AQUARIUS (21 JANUARY 19 FEBRUARY) Travel and adventure are on your mind this week, as you dream of jetting off to sunnier climes and getting away from it all. An encounter with a mysterious stranger will make this poss – no, I’m sorry, I can’t lie to you. Going home for Reading Week is as exciting as it gets.

PISCES (20 FEBRUARY 20 MARCH) Recently, something has been eating away at you. Have a deep think about what it might be.

Issues with your parents?

Unrequited love? The nagging feeling that your friends are talking about you behind your back? Or a massive tapeworm?

ARIES (21 MARCH - 20 APRIL) This week, you decide it’s finally time to start acting like a real man. You obviously haven’t started quite yet, because you’re reading the horoscopes in the Lifestyle section. But you’ll get there eventually.

Probably. Maybe.

TAURUS (21 APRIL - 21 MAY) Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of the United States, once said, “The glow of one warm thought is worth more to me than money.” With this in mind, you’ll finally check your bank balance this week, and realise Thomas Jefferson was a massive dick.

GEMINI (22 MAY - 21 JUNE) You’ve always been highly in touch with your own emotions, and recently your life’s been even more fascinating than usual.

However, be careful not to tip into all-out self-obsession. If nothing else, pretending to be interested in other people’s problems will make them more likely to sleep with you.

CANCER (22 JUNE - 22 JULY) Judging by the movement of Jupiter’s moons, you should look forward to a short burst of blissful denial before bracing yourself for a dark period of struggle, rage, isolation and frustration. Don’t worry. It’s the natural cycle of essay-writing, and this too shall pass.

LEO (23 JULY - 22 AUGUST) Health and wellbeing should be on your mind this week, as your hands begin to stiffen into what look more like a pair of claws. The stars think you might be spending too much time on your phone and laptop.

VIRGO (23 AUGUST - 23 SEPTEMBER) This week, you’ll attract the attention of a bright, buzzy character, who’ll make a beeline for you as you wait for the bus. Unfortunately, it’s an actual bee. Maybe don’t wear that perfume anymore?

ISSUE 05/ 14th OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

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SPORT

/TheMancunion @Mancunion_Sport

Club Profile- Netball The Mancunion talks to club captain Helen Gavin 1) Why should people join very talented fresher’s so watch This is what most of the girls your club?

You should join the UMWNC because we are highly successful, very friendly and have fantastic socials. With more than 60 members in the club and six teams, there is a range in ability but competition is always strong.

At the club we try to make every member feel like they have a role within it!

2) How successful has your club been over the past few seasons?

Last year our 5th team came runners up in team of the year after winning both the cup and the league. All other teams remained in their leagues after some tough competition and very close matches. Our first team are one of only seven Manchester Uni clubs to hold a premiership position. This year all our clubs are looking to win the league after a huge intake of

this space . . .

3) Where and how often do your teams train/play?

We train twice a week, either on a Monday or Tuesday and a fitness session is held every Thursday. Matches are always played on a Wednesday and all home games are at the Armitage centre so come down to cheer us on.

4) Do you have to be of a high standard to join your club?

We have a range of abilities and we want to give every girl a chance to develop as a player.

You have to be willing to play in competitive matches to join, but the standard of your ability will be judged on how hard you train and how much you want improve as a player.

5) What is the social side of the club like?

look forward to every week. We attend every AU without fail and you can always count on Coach Lauren Palmer to be strutting her stuff to JLS on the dance floor. We also arrange ‘sober’ socials, such as pub quizzes and karaoke. On top of this, we go on tour every year with many other AU clubs.

6) Anything else?

A brilliant aspect of the club is our partnership with premiership netball team Manchester Thunder. We have also taken 4 scholarship players this year who have all been part of the England development set-up so we are very much looking forward to having them.

Twitter: @UMWNC

Club Profile- Tennis The Mancunion speaks to club Vice-President Antria Louka

Facebook : Universityofmanches- 1) Why should people join ternetballclub your club?

Our club does not only provide competitive matches, but it also encourages social tennis. Teams get to travel around the UK paying against other Universities.

Social players get to play whenever the want to and have fun.

Plus, tennis works out all the muscles in your body! Furthermore, I can’t think of any more fun way to exercise and get fit.

So, if you want to exercise whilst having fun and meeting new people come and join the Tennis Club!

2) How successful has your club been over the past few seasons?

Overall we have 5 teams, 2 Women’s teams and 3 Men’s teams. All teams did very well during the past few seasons and everyone is extremely satisfied

Club Profile - Chinese Kickboxing The Mancunion speaks to club Social Secretary Seamus Soal 1) Why should people join your club?

Manchester University Chinese Kickboxing club offers a great chance to increase your fitness, learn martial arts and the opportunity to meet new people in a fun environment. The club is taught by Sifu Chris Boughey, a 7th degree black belt and coach of the WKC World Championship England team. The club is the largest martial arts club in the university and has been around for over 20 years.

2) How successful has your club been over the past few seasons?

The club has always boasted high attendance with approximately 40 students regularly training and peaks of up to 100 in classes. Last year we had both of the club captains Chris Pickford and Tanja Torbica reach 1st

degree black belt status. Our list of achievements includes medals from the British championships as well as selection to the WKC England world championship team.

3) Where and how often do your teams train/play?

The university club trains twice a week. Tuesdays at the Sugden centre 6:00pm-7:00pm and Thursdays at the Armitage centre 8:30pm-9:30pm. There is a ‘pay as you train’ policy within the club so members do not have to pay sign up fees and train as often or as little as they choose.

4) Do you have to be of a high standard to join your club?

Not at all. The club has an open door policy to all abilities, everyone has to start somewhere!

Each year we gain a variety of

members from those who do little or no training at all, right up to those with a high standard of fitness and previous martial arts instruction. The classes are divided into two groups, beginners and seniors.

5) What is the social side of the club like?

The club runs many socials throughout the year. The club runs a weekly social on Thursdays at Squirrels pub after training where we meet up for a drink or two and have a laugh. The club also runs a night out every four weeks at Mint Lounge where members get free admission and free drinks. Socials also include trips to watch kickboxing tournament events, bowling, cinema and meals at restaurants.

6) Anything else?

There is a common myth that new starts at martial arts clubs on their first day will be thrown into a ring and used as a punch bag. The university training sessions have a strict policy of NO sparring. Beginners cannot spar until they have gained at least a white belt (which takes roughly

with the results. Some of our teams managed to a get a really good place in their division and none of the teams went down.

We are hoping for some of our teams to go up a division this year while the Men’s 1st team remain in the top division.

3) Where and how often do your teams train/play?

All teams train at least once a week for 2 hours and play one more day during that week.

During some weeks teams get to train twice a week plus their match day. Social players (if they want to) also get training sessions twice a week to improve technically and tactically.

4) Do you have to be of a high standard to join your club?

As mentioned above our club has both competitive teams and social tennis. So, no you do NOT three months)! Although we would encourage students to take part in these extra classes there is NO obligation or pressure for them to do so.

Our next upcoming event will be the NWCKB annual fight night on the 27th October which three of our students will be fighting. Our next night out will

have to be of a high standard to join the Club! In fact, you don’t have to be of any standard!

Complete beginners are very welcomed!

5) What is the social side of the club like?

We have lots of social events throughout the year which is always a great opportunity for people in the teams to meet the social players and vice versa. We always have the Initiation for the new members at the beginning of the year and after that many different events follow.

Last year we had some nights out, we had a team dinner, BBQ for St. Patrick’s day and many more.

6) Anything else?

Anyone can play!

be on the 1st November at Mint Lounge.

Twitter @nwckbManUni Facebook /manunikickboxing Web: manunichinesekickboxing. co.uk/

SPORT : 30

ISSUE 06/ 21st OCTOBER 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Oar-some effort from Manchester University Boating Club The boat club raise over £2,500 for Children’s Charity Sparks despite the Manchester cold the time, to raise awareness and fund children’s medical research.

The ‘Sparks vision’ is a world where every baby is born healthy and stays healthy. Now, 53 years on, Sparks is renowned worldwide for their incredible work in children’s health initiatives that have raised millions of pounds, including ‘Georges appeal’ in 2009 that was launched on Radio 4 by the pint-sized comedian Ronnie Corbett in memory of 9-year-old George Yeomans.

It was certainly worth the energy-sapping group effort from so many eager lycra-clad participants, at the time of writing, the total stands at around £2,500

Josh Cook Sport Reporter This week, Mancunion Sport caught up with the University of Manchester Boat Club (MUBC) as they set sail on a 24 hour row in the name of SPARKS - and incredibly worthwhile children’s charity.

On a cold and wet October night, one would usually only expect to see a few punters wandering around the student union after one too many, or the shudder of an empty magic bus passing by.

However, last Thursday, in the darkness of Oxford Road a single gazebo stood; surrounded by bucket bearing rowers, complete with lycra tank tops and short shorts. One could be forgiven for thinking a social event was taking place inside, with music blaring and laughter which could be heard on Market Street. The members of MUBC were in high spirits as they entered the graveyard shift of the 24 hour row.

Those familiar with University charity work will know that the 24 hour row has be-

Photo: @rowingMUBC

come an annual event on the sporting calendar. Angus, a rower in his second year of physics told me: ‘The 24 hour row is important to us, it generates a lot of interest in the society and raises money for a good cause.’

The format of the row is simple; they must keep two rowing machines moving constantly for the full 24 hours. Of course, numbers are needed to pull of an event of this magnitude, as Tom – a second year maths student

explained: ‘ We have around 60 people taking part in the event all together, each shift last for 30 minutes and an individual person is here between two and three hours.

‘This way it gives everyone a

chance to do their bit for Sparks, a cause which is so important to many people.’

Sparks children’s charity was founded in 1960 when Duncan Guthrie set about, with the help of many leading sportsmen of

You can still donate by texting MUBC99 with £1 or £2 to 70070, or go to www. justgiving.com/MUBC24Row13.

Belgian blood, English future?

With a host of international teams hoping to secure the services of Adnan Januzaj, Jonnie Roberts ponders the question of foreign-born players representing England After a dazzling display in the 2-1 comeback against Sunderland, including two well-taken goals, Manchester United starlet Adnan Januzaj has been thrown into the English media spotlight. However, sadly this new-found attention is not entirely due to Januzaj’s performance, but due to his nationality.

Born in Belgium, Januzaj moved to England in 2011 after signing for Manchester United. With the national team in disrepute, the English public are desperately in search of a new star. News of Januzaj’s potential eligibility to represent England (through residency grounds) has caused uproar, with many already labelling the forward as England’s next hope. However, shouldn’t England’s next star really be English?

The Januzaj question has polarised opinion regarding foreign-born players representing England. Jack Wilshere – one of England’s current blossoming talents has offered a particularly strong viewpoint on the topic, opting to ignore the traditional techniques of diplomacy adopted by most media-trained footballers.

Your 60 second sporting round-up

Wilshere explained: ‘The only people who should play for England are English people.

‘If you live in England for five years it doesn’t make you English’. Wilshere’s outspoken comments provoked a strong reaction throughout the sporting world.

South-African born England Cricketer Kevin Pietersen hit back at Wilshere via Twitter, asking: ‘Interested to know how you define a foreigner?’. This represents the crux of the debate; how do you define someone as ‘not English’?

A number of foreign-born stars have been welcomed by Britain and have become household names. Somalia-born Mo Farah lit up the London Olympics with his grit and determination, epitomising true British spirit. Very few would question Farah’s Britishness or his commitment to his country. Likewise, who would exclude former England cricket captain, Andrew Strauss? The former skipper was born in Johannesburg, but went on to become a pivotal part in the English ashes-winning sides of 2005, 2009 and 2011.

It seems that football is behind the rest of the sporting world regarding the acFootball: Goals from Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard saw England power through their World Cup Qualifier to win 2-0. The impressive England team went 1-0 up before the break, beating Poland in a fairly comfortable style to guarantee their 2014 World cup position... Next stop #Brazil2014!

Football: In other matches Northern Ireland drew 1-1 against Israel, while the

ceptance of foreign-born players. With the quality of the national team rapidly dwindling, and being eclipsed by modernising football nations like Germany, maybe it is time for football to open its arms to foreign players.

Wilshere remarked: ‘We tackle hard and we are tough on the pitch’. Perhaps it is this English emphasis on aggression that has allowed us to fall behind many other nations. Players like Januzaj rely on their skill, flair and ability to beat players, something which appears to be lacking amongst the English national team.

With English society becoming increasingly diverse and cosmopolitan, it may be time for English football to reflect this. After all, it is very doubtful that Januzaj’s nationality would matter should the starlet help England lift its second World Cup trophy.

Would you like to see Junazaj run out for England at Wembley?

Tweet @Mancunion_Sport with

your views Republic of Ireland beat Kazakhstan 3-1. Wales held Belgium to a draw with a late equaliser from Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey. These results may leave Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland out of qualification for next year’s competition, but now all sides have their eyes firmly set on Euro 2016 qualifiers.

Football: Arsenal Ladies beat Kazakh

Photo: @ManUtd

outfit CSHVSM-Kairat with an amazing aggregate score of 18-2 in the Women’s Champions League to set up a last 16l tie against Glasgow City.

F1: Sebastian Vettel proved top form, yet again, with a win in Japan ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber.

The race means that Vettel needs only 11 points from the final four races to secure his four consecutive F1 title.

Motorsport: The racing world is recovering from a difficult week after loosing both inspirational driver Maria De Villota, and Brit Sean Edwards who was leading the Porsche Supercup championship at the time of death. Tributes have poured in from all corners of the sport. De Villota’s death is being linked with an earlier test crash in which she lost an eye, whereas Edwards died as a passenger in a coaching session.

SPORT : 31

ISSUE 06/ 21st October 2013 WWW.MANCUNION.COM/

Bookies on the University Campus doorstep: For and Against Are Ladbrokes looking to cash in on students?

Against There are many arguments supporting the opening of a Ladbrokes betting outlet on the campus doorstep. Let me just clarify that I am not trying to persuade anybody to get involved in betting or to take up gambling; I am merely emphasising an argument in support of a bookies opening next to the University.

First of all, for all of the people that already enjoy placing a cheeky bet, the outlet which opened next to the campus provides an element of convenience.

Secondly, there is obviously a reason people bet, and that reason is most often for fun. From the perspective of the better, leaving Ladbrokes (per se) with an accumulator promising high gains leaves you with an excited feeling; and as long as the gambler doesn’t get too carried away and is sensible by betting only what they can afford.

It is fair to say that betting is an enjoyable experience. Unless you lose…

This leads me on to my next few points in which I will talk about betting in general. Betting seems to receive a lot of bad press; such as you will always lose, or become addicted. However, I believe many people are too quick to judge.

Thirty two million people play the national lottery every week with even steeper odds of winning the jackpot than some of the most implausible accumulators. Betting

does involve a certain aspect of skill; being able to capitalise on this skill to win money can be a way of making easy money (especially for a student). Not to mention allowing the opportunity to show off to your overzealous housemate (who wrote-off your bet in an instant) that you know more than them.

Some may now be questioning my reasoning as to why gambling can be skillful, the obvious come back being that it is all luck.

However, with the internet at everyone’s disposal nowadays, betting is becoming easier to master.

For example, there are plenty of betting tipsters on Facebook and websites such as ‘soccerway’ which have given the gambler the opportunity to interpret statistics.

The film ‘moneyball’ is a great analogy of this, in which statistics are used to create a championship winning team. Although, the Oakland Athletics don’t win the championship, they recorded one of the longest winning steaks in the history of Major League Baseball. This shows how statistics can be applied to interpreting sporting outcomes, but also the unpredictability of sport that every punter must acknowledge as the reason why we like it in the first place.

Another fact to consider is that horse racing would essentially be nothing without gambling.

Every year, thousands of people turn up to the Gold Cup held at the Cheltenham Racecourse and they don’t turn up kitted out in tweed simply to watch a horse run around a track. I’m not saying that nobody enjoys watching horses run, but the sport of horse racing relies on the aspect of people making bets.

Finally, with ever-growing betting markets, the variety of sports to wager on is also increasing. It is reasonable to accept that one could begin to become interested or learn about a new sport by investigating that sport in depth.

Thus, betting could broaden the sports that one follows.

In conclusion, a Ladbrokes opening next to the University could be considered a good thing.

It is convenient and it could brighten up your day knowing that your highly speculative £1 accumulator (that you put on at lunchtime including football matches from the Turkish division) may bring you a nice return. As illustrated, it could be considered a way to show off your impressive sporting knowledge, or even broaden your own knowledge of lesser-known sports.

Rob Eden - Sport Reporter

UoM opening day dreams spiked by Northumbria

Erdoo Yongo and Oliver Fenton Sport Reporters

Most of us recognise that betting can be a lot of fun – we all enjoy a speculative £1 accumulator that we know will never come in! Spending a few pounds a week on betting is really no different to purchasing a lottery ticket, so I would never suggest that betting outright should be banned. However, I do believe that opening a bookies near the university is a step too far.

Betting is a highly addictive habit, which can destroy lives.

It is estimated there are 450,000 ‘problem gamblers’ in the UK, with estimated costs of over £3 billion per year (GamCare). Go down any high street in Britain and betting shops, pawn shops and pay-day lenders are almost ubiquitous.

Walking in to University today I saw four. The Manchester Central constituency actually ranks 5th in the UK in terms of betting shops, with over 50. Bookies target poor areas, with more than twice as many betting shops in areas of high unemployment than there are in areas of low unemployment (GeoFutures). This is arguably not a problem with the new Ladbrokes next to the University, but other problems arise. Young people today from a broad swathe of society are far more prone to gamble than their parents, which could have devastating effects on their lives in both the long and short run.

Online betting has made gambling far easier and quicker. I myself largely bet through the app of a

For

well-known Irish bookie prone to underpants advertising. And yet I rarely visit betting shops themselves. These largely prey on the vulnerable and those with an addiction to betting, not those who go in for a weekly flutter. The idea that the people in bookies are just betting on the Grand National or putting the occasional few pounds on the football is a dream. In fact, a recent report suggested that over half of betting shops profit comes from machines.

Given the ease of online and smartphone betting, you’d expect the number of premises actually occupied by bookies to decrease, but gaming machines in betting shops have meant this has not been the case in recent years, after Labour ended the limits on the number of bookies in one area in 2008. Government regulations state that betting shops are limited to four Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) – that is, machines with games such as roulette and so on, which are not subject to the same government regulation as other gaming machines. This limit on the number of machines in one shop is a further reason for the proliferation of betting shops in recent years, and why there is a market for so many in such small geographic areas.

And these FOBTs potentially have ravaging effects. A recent report

by Landman Economics estimated that they cost the wider economy

“problem gamblers cost over £3 billion a year”

in Britain over 20,000 jobs (and around 1,000 in the Greater Manchester

area), with over £1 billion pounds being spent on FOBTs annually.

Without wanting to preach, I do believe it is immoral to encourage students and especially the socio-economically vulnerable to potentially squander their limited resources on futile hopes of quick and easy money. It is also unsustainable, due to the debilitating economic effects it can have on an area. Other vices such as guns, drugs and so on are tightly regulated, and the arguably lessimmoral pay-day lenders have been subject to heavy media scrutiny in recent years, so why should betting shops be any different?

James Eatwell - Sport Reporter

Handy UoM demolish Liverpool in season opener Tom Dowler Sports Editor

University of Manchester 0

University of Manchester Northumbria University

3 University of Liverpool

The University of Manchester’s volleyball team suffered a gruelling defeat to Northumbria University women’s volleyball team in their season opener at the Sugden Centre. The defeat, although emphatic, is by no means a disaster for UoM as Northumbria had three members of their team on full Volleyball scholarships.

The match started off with Northumbria instantly looking impressive, scoring 14 points without response. This dominance continued, finishing off points quickly and they were able to comfortably close out the first set with some unstoppable serves, sailing spikes and sameside blocks.

However, in the second set the University of Manchester looked confident and ready for the challenge offered by the Northumbria. No. 8 Alia Paschali was at the centre of keeping her teammate’s heads up, making sure they celebrated the points they won, instead of blaming

Photo: mancunion_sport

each other for the points they didn’t.

to prevent Northumbria winning the second set by 8 points.

This togetherness, brought by Paschali, showed in UoM’s play, as they were finally able to get a foothold in the match. Using Northumbria’s exemplary play in the first set as a guideline, the home team gave themselves a chance with some superb defending which they then turned into lethal attacking.

Despite the impending loss, UoM were not downhearted as they took their places for the third set. Complacency also seemed to be creeping into Northumbria’s play, as UoM took the lead in a set for the first time in the match, leading the set 3-1. Hannah Ford was at the heart of the classy points won by UoM. However, the Northumbria machine kicked up a gear, and they were soon in the position of another unassailable lead, closing out the match with ease.

This upping of the tempo from Manchester surprised the away team, resulting in more faults by them. Manchester was gaining momentum, but Northumbria responded quickly, producing three consecutive, great attacking shots and capitalising on some inaccuracy from Manchester.

This sadly knocked the wind out of UoM’s sails, who were unable

Northumbria is the first match in what may prove to be a difficult season with Manchester playing in the Northern 1A against the likes of Durham, Lancaster and fellow Christie Cup competitors Liverpool.

The University of Manchester Men’s and Women’s handball season got off to an exhilarating start with crushing victories against the University of Liverpool on Sunday 13th October at the Sugden Centre.

First the Men showed superior dynamism and athleticism on the counter-attack compared to their Christie Cup rivals in a 27-7 victory. The score-line didn’t truly reflect the hosts’ dominance in the game as questionable umpiring decisions seemed to go against the home side, stalling Manchester’s momentum. When a visiting centre was upended in the air, Manchester’s No.50 was controversially issued with a red card.

Manchester could have been more clinical in attack, however, it is early in the season and all signs point to a promising North

Photo: @manunihandball

Development League campaign for the 2011 British Students champions.

The internationally diverse women’s side tore the Liverpool defence apart with goals flying in from all angles and all areas of the court. UoM led 20-1 at half time in the North Development League encounter, with the home goalkeeper barely troubled for the majority of the match.

The women exhibited some outstanding acrobatic finishing with Anna Hauck and Hulda Norstein finding the net with ease on several occasions. Gwen Vingerhoeds was in fine form and particularly impressed, until a rolled ankle ruled her out of the majority of the second half.

However, this didn’t disrupt the

home side too much as UoM’s ruthless finishing closed out the game 45-1.The handball club were featured in the last issue of Mancunion Sport. Training takes place on on x and x at the Sugden Centre. You don’t have to be a student to join the club and abilities are welcome to try this exciting sport and be a part of a club with a thriving social scene.

Good luck to all the University sport teams in this week’s fixtures. Let us know how you get on, and send us any pictures by email us at sports. mancunion@gmail.com

SPORT MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

: @Mancunion_Sport : /TheMancunion

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@rowingMUBC

P.29

Club Profiles

14th OCTOBER 2013/ ISSUE 05 FREE

24 Hour Charity Row P.30

@ladbrokes

Campus bookies debateP.31

Guy has all the Ansahs

Ansah-Palmer powers home side to victory in end-to-end game at a rain sodden Armitage University of Manchester

3

Ansah Palmer (14, 68) Kolonas (88) University of Sheffield

1

no.15 (10) Thomas Turner and Bryony Spencer Manchester Men’s football first team survived an early second-half scare to emerge the winners at home to Sheffield in the opening game of the BUCS Northern 1A season.

A brace from captain Guy AnsahPalmer either side of half-time and a string of sensational saves by Chris Heltorp - including one from a penalty - gave plenty of causes for optimism as the team push for promotion back into the Northern Premier.

Both teams had early chances on a miserable, windy afternoon at the Armitage, with Manchester almost finding themselves one up with less than a minute played as Isaac CarterAllen’s header narrowly missed the right hand post following a deflected shot.

Despite the home side’s bright start, it was the visitors who took an early lead. In the tenth minute, Sheffield’s number 15 found himself with acres of space on the left hand side to pick up a low cross from number nine, and made no mistake in slotting the ball past Manchester’s Chris Heltorp.

The lead however lasted just four minutes, as Manchester’s lively AnsahPalmer similarly found himself in space on the right. While Sheffield’s goalkeeper - something of a Joe Hart wannabe - did manage to get a touch on the ball, it wasn’t enough to stop it careering through his legs and into the bottom left corner.

As both teams continued to have

chances, Sheffield could easily have put themselves back in front, but were thwarted by a mixture of Heltorp’s brilliance and the inability of their number nine to hit the side of a Renault Espace at six paces.

It was Manchester, however, who

circle. Although only handbags at most, it was as dangerous as the Sheffield forward looked all afternoon.

The half’s big talking point came in the 55th minute, when Sheffield’s number four theatrically hit the deck after a collision just inside the

becoming more and more end-to-end by the minute.

As Sheffield’s number 15 found himself one on one with the Manchester goalkeeper, only a fantastic double save kept the scores even – and provided the home side with just the boost they

it was Manchester who continued to look most likely to score. Hornby again found himself in space to shoot from distance in the final ten minutes of the match, and it was only the post that denied him this time.

The game was finally wrapped up

looked the better side at half time, with Sam Jowett coming close from a 25 yard

box with Manchester’s Skaros. The referee didn’t hesitate in pointing

needed going into the final 20 minutes.

Manchester’s second goal came swiftly

by the hosts in the 88th minute, with Ansah-Palmer - who had at this point been switched to right back - again being influential in the run-up.

Intercepting on the edge of his own area, he surged up the pitch, before eventually finding the killer pass that allowed Paris Kolonas to make the final score 3-1. Kolonas slotted home past the keeper, completing a good day’s work for the hosts in spite of the torrid conditions.

Man of the Match: Chris Heltorp Could have been a number of players, but Heltorp just edges it after a string of phenomenal - and crucial - saves kept the scores even at 1-1.

Keep up to date with all the latest BUCS results @Mancunion_Sport

Ansah-Palmer

Carter-Allen

@mancunion_sport

free-kick that prompted a goal-mouth scramble.

It was only some dogged last-ditch defending from Sheffield that finally edged the ball out to safety.

Tensions ran high after an energetic start to the second half from both teams. Manchester’s Sotiris Skaros and Sheffield’s number nine both received bookings after a scuffle in the centre

to the spot in a decision that stood despite protests from the hosts. Justice, however, prevailed: Heltorp outwitted his opponent and went the right way, diving low to his right to push the ball out to safety.

This wasn’t to be the only time in the second half that Heltorp was called upon. Sheffield squandered more chances to regain the lead in a game

afterwards. The move began with Julian Hornby - who got better and better as the game went on - cutting in from the right to hit a wicked effort from range. Sheffield’s goalkeeper could only parry the shot, much to the delight of Manchester’s Ansah-Palmer, who deftly dispatched the rebound on the follow up.

As Sheffield searched for an equaliser,

Jones

Hornby

Kolonas

Mackintosh

Skaros

Jones

Oredein

Heltorp

Jowett