Issue7

WWW.MANCUNION.COM

7th NOVEMBER 2016 / ISSUE 07 FREE

Interview: Lemn Sissay

P8-9

Students turn to escorting to afford university

P4

Pro-EU intellectuals must speak out

P11

SU will not boycott the National Student Survey

The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union have stated that they will not yet be boycotting the NSS in reaction to an impending decision on controversial higher education legislation, TEF, despite the NUS’ vote to take action Photo: Lisa Murgatroyd

Yasmin Mannan Head News Editor After deliberating ways to address growing concerns over the implementations of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union have decided not to boycott the National Student Survey (NSS) at this stage.

Over the last few months, TEF has triggered widespread controversy across the country amongst both students and academics due to its proposed changes to the way that tuition fees are decided for British Universities.

TEF is part of a new Higher Education and Research Bill proposed by the government — the most comprehensive piece of legislation

since the 1992 Further and Higher Education Act. The Bill proposes two new statuary bodies: An ‘Office for Students’ in England which would be bestowed with extensive powers, such as equipping new providers with the power to award degrees, and a single research funding body (UKIR).

Both UUK and the University of Cambridge have warned that this “unprecedented extension of powers” may amount to “harmful incursion by the government.” Most significantly, the Bill codifies the link between TEF and tuition fees.

Under TEF, the ‘teaching excellence’ of universities would be measured in three main ways: The National Student Survey (NSS),

retention and continuation rates, and graduate outcomes as assessed by DLHE (Destination Leavers of Higher Education). A panel would then decide the university’s TEF rating.

It is not clear exactly how TEF would operate yet, but it is likely that there will be three ratings: Either ‘Meet Expectations’, ‘Excellent’, and ‘Outstanding’, or a corresponding ‘Gold’, ‘Silver’, and ‘Bronze’. Those who are ‘Excellent’ or ‘Outstanding’ would be able to raise their fees above £9,000 — it is not clear how high they could raise them — and those who fail to meet those standards will have to stay at £9,000 or even reduce their fees. This has been called by some a complete ‘marketisation’ of higher education.

The University of Manchester’s Students’ Union asked 2,500 staff: “Are you concerned about the implementation of TEF at the University of Manchester?” Out of 119 responses, 83.2 per cent said ‘Yes’ and 16.8 per cent said ‘No’. Zero percent said “I don’t know what that is.”

If they answered Yes, the Students’ Union then asked “what is your main concern

Continued on page two...

Plus an opinion article by Education Officer, Emma Atkins: page 11

News

2

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Highlights P19

Film: Black Mirror Series Three

P13

Music: Album: Lady Gaga Joanne

P25

surrounding the implementation of the TEF,” providing 7 mutually exclusive options. The most popular option was: ‘The metrics (the ‘Meet Expectations’, ‘Excellent’, ‘Outstanding’) within the TEF’ at 29 per cent.

They were then asked for any other comments. Overwhelmingly, the comments alluded to concern with the manner in which TEF would measure higher education.

In April 2016, delegates at The National Union of Students (NUS) national conference voted to take action against the NSS in the form of either a boycott or sabotage in order to show that the NSS is not a suitable method of measuring attainment and impacting tuition fees.

On their decision not to boycott the NSS, The University of Manchester’s Student’s Union’s Education Officer, Emma Atkins, stated that “the NSS boycott would be a fierce

battle between the University and the Union, and it is likely that we will burn bridges and lose negotiating power in the process.

At present, we believe that it is better to actively work with University staff on the TEF instead of actively work against them.”

This is undoubtedly driven by the deadline for applying for TEF being January 26th 2017.

As TEF is optional, there will be mounting pressure from the Students’ Union against a potential University decision to join TEF. Although the decision to not boycott the NSS stands for now, Education Officer Emma Atkins has stated that “if the University of Manchester decides to enter the TEF by the deadline of January 26th, the NSS boycott is an action we will take very seriously, and will distribute more information about it if the time comes.”

Theatre: Review: Breaking the Code

Photo: Junaid Ali Bokhari

P27 Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com The Mancunion @TheMancunion Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com

Lifestyle: Things I wish I knew in first year

Letter from the Editor-in-chief

Continued from page one...

Deputy Editor-in-chief: Elise Gallagher deputyed@mancunion.com Postal address: University of Manchester Students’ Union, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR Phone: 0161 275 2989 Subeditors: Gemma Sowerby, Robert Parris, Jane Simmons, Hannah Foy, Christopher Tchen, Lauren Bramley, Adriana Elgueta, Lauren Pizzey, Stevie Grieves sub@mancunion.com

Welcome back, we hope you had a relaxing and/or productive reading week. To kickstart our return to work we are hosting our first ever MMGLive Monday night 6 – 8pm in Academy 2 — offering you the chance to ask our Students’ Union Exec team any of your burning questions.

We reported a few weeks back that, according to our poll, only five per cent of the student population knew who the Exec team were and 62 per cent of people knew what they did. This event will give you a chance to find out what they’re up to, get to know their faces and question them on the manifesto pledges.

The other event this week (which is obviously equally comparable in importance)is the Presidential election.

Depending on what day you pick this newspaper up you may be waiting in anticipation for the results or — depending on which way it goes — perhaps on the first rocket to Mars.

If you are reading this before Tuesday night then you can listen in to full coverage overnight of the election as it happens through our very own Fuse FM. We will have interviews collected by our very own USA Correspondent, Gemma Sowerby, interviews with the candidates (impersonated), music from the campaigns and lively debate as the votes come in.

You can even drink the night away if you wish, as the Students’ Union bar will be open all night, with breakfast served at 6am when America’s/the worlds’ fate should be known.

While all the madness of the US elections have been raging on — alongside our own national chaos over Brexit — our government has been, as Emma Atkins, Education Officer of the Students’ Union argues, slipping TEF “sneakily into the sector”.

Emma has written an opinion piece on what she believes will be the ramifications of the introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for this week’s issue, on page 11 where she unveils, as reported on our front page this week, the Students’ Union Exec team’s decision to not boycott the National Student Survey (NSS) in order to prevent the TEF. We are interested to know what you think of the TEF so we have created an online survey which will be open next week to all current University of Manchester students. We will be asking whether you are aware of what TEF is, whether you agree with the government’s proposed plans to introduce the Teaching Excellence Framework, and whether you agree with the Students’ Union’s position on the matter?

The survey will be shared on our social media and the results and responses will be featured in next week’s issue.

Editorial Adviser: Charlie Spargo

lifestyle@mancunion.com

Head News Editor: Yasmin Mannan Deputy News Editor: Len Cotton Science Editor: Georgie Hines news@mancunion.com science@mancunion.com

Head Music Editor: Joe Casson Deputy Music Editor: Katie Shepherd music@mancunion.com

Head Features Editor: Jacob Nicholas Deputy Features Editor: Emma Shanks features@mancunion.com Head Opinion Editor: Tristan Parsons Deputy Opinion Editor: Marina Iskander opinion@mancunion.com Head Fashion Editor: Sarah Kilcourse Deputy Fashion Editors: Sophie Soar and Talia Lee Skudder fashion@mancunion.com Head Food & Drink Editor: Felix Sanders foodanddrink@mancunion.com Head Film Editor: Eliza Slawther Deputy Film Editor: Shema Begum film@mancunion.com Head Lifestyle Editor: Rachel Adams Deputy Lifestyle Editor: Araddhna Patel

Head Sport Editor: Harry Newton Deputy Sport Editor: Alex Whitcomb sport@mancunion.com

The Mancunion is the official student newspaper of the University of Manchester., established in 1969 with a readership of around 20,000. It is printed weekly for 20 editions and is distributed across campus and the city.

Games Editor: Stephen Lewis games@mancunion.com

All writers are volunteers and new contributors are always welcome. No previous experience is necessary, just a passion for student media and a good story. You can get involved by turning up to a meeting, the times of which are listed on the Mancunion website’s Join page.

Theatre Editor: Brogen Campbell theatre@mancunion.com

We gladly accept contributors from outside the University of Manchester.

Arts Editor: Laura Joyce arts@mancunion.com

The Mancunion is part of the Manchester Media Group, along with Fuse FM and Fuse TV. This body encompasses all of the Union’s official media outlets, and organises training, outside speakers, and social events for Manchester students interested in student media.

Books Editor: Roma Havers books@mancunion.com

Head Online Editor Rebecca Carr Deputy Online Editor: Holly Smith online@mancunion.com

If you have any comments, questions, complaints, Photographers: Junaid Ali Bokhari or would like to contribute, please e-mail the EditorCopyright of imagery belongs to the photographers if you wish to reproduce them in-chief or Deputy Editor-in-chief. you should contact them individually

News 3

ISSUE 08 / 14th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Student reactions to Trump’s victory Elise Gallagher Deputy Editor-in-Chief The events of the 8th–9th of November 2016 saw America vote for Donald Trump as their new president, shocking the world. Although we’re thousands of miles away from the White House, we turned to students in the UK to hear what they had to say on this divisive and polarising outcome.

Len Cotton, Womens’ Officer at the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union says: “To anyone who says that feminism in the 21st century is redundant, attention-seeking and outdated I hope this election result has shed some new light on your views. A man who has been accused of over 10 counts of sexual assault, who has referred to women in the most demeaning, derogatory terms has now become the leader of one of (if not the) most powerful countries in the world. For all her sins, (and I know there were many), Hillary Clinton as a president would have symbolised that politics is not an exclusively male domain. It’s been almost one hundred years since women gained the vote and still we have not gained political equality.

“Yes, Hillary was white and middle class and yes, she had some sketchy and questionable views, but were they really as bad as the blatant racism and misogyny that Trump has forged his campaign on? Hillary has over 30 years of political experience making her vastly more qualified for the role. Yet, somehow, Donald was seen as more ‘fit’ to be a leader. Clearly this evidences that the ‘glass ceiling’ is not a myth, it’s an accurate representation of how women the world over are constantly being held back from gaining key positions of power, despite their best efforts. “’A vote for Trump is a vote for change’ is the biggest pile of bollocks I have ever heard. Electing a rich, white, right-wing man is not revolutionary — it’s a rever-

sion of and insult to the years of tireless campaigning that women across the world have undertaken in the plight for equality.

I’m so angry and disappointed, and... [am in] despair.”

Conversely, Leeds University student, Elrica Johnson, said that Trump’s election brought a sense of hope to America: “Trump’s victory signals a victory for those who feel that the current establishment were not addressing the issues they felt most strongly about. People felt they could relate to the message that he was saying of making America great again. Those words resonate a sense of hope for the country that the Clinton failed to emulate. People wanted change and people believed that Trump would be the best person to deliver it. Although the result of the US election was a shock, it wasn’t surprising that someone who could connect with disenfranchised Americans won over an individual who relied on her gender as her winning card. People may disagree with some of the policies he proposed, but many felt they could get behind his vision and leadership for the country.”

Nathan, a University of Manchester alumnus said that Trump’s win “[is] disappointing. I’m hopeful that progressives will be able to reorganise and reach the pissed-off people through the grassroots.”

University of Manchester English Language student, Laura Joyce shared a similar feeling saying: “Obama’s time in office was all about progress, and bringing society up to date. Obama had a modern outlook on acceptance, unity, equal rights and safety. Electing Trump is basically America saying, “We’ve made progress, let’s turn back the clock.” For the majority of Americans they’ll be going back to the middle ages, women will have the same value as objects and attitudes towards racism and homophobia will reverse.

His head also looks like road kill.”

Newcastle University student

Jordan Taylor Scudder said, “He’s what’s needed to defeat mecha-Hitler.”

Rosie Kennedy Ward, a Film Production student at London School of Film, Media and Design shared this: “I think the real issue is not the man himself, he’s a Republican. You only have to do your research to see the insane things representatives of that party have said... He is just a person like anybody else who when they want something they become ruthless. He wanted to be president and so that was his target. The real sadness is how he managed to become president. Through by the most part... simple racism. People who are uneducated and do not have any motivation other than hate.

But just like you can’t generalise people of a certain religion, you can’t generalise people who voted for someone. Some voters for Trump will just be disgruntled Americans who took part in a protest and used the only power given to them by the the government. When people say they can’t believe he succeeded because he’s not a politician, the reality of it is that is the exact reason why he succeeded.”

Echoing the sentiment of many women around the globe, Caitlin Hughes, a University of Manchester History student, had this to say: “Do you know how it feels to be a woman, waking up to the news that the most powerful job in the world has been handed to a man, a man who said it’s more than okay to grab girls by the pussy? When you can’t even walk home by yourself after 6pm without a rape alarm or your keys between your fingers? People say they voted for change but a vote for this rich, white, privileged man is not a vote for change.

It’s a vote for misogyny, a vote for reclaiming white and male privilege. A vote to turn the clock back on women’s rights, the rights of minorities, our basic human rights. White, male supremacy is happening again, right before our eyes, and it’s absolutely terrifying.”

Photo: gageskidmore @Flickr Photo: gageskidmore @Flickr

An eyewitness account from the Union Bar Chloe Hatton News Contributor Trump’s victory was a surprise to many, even his own supporters who were draped in American flags and Trump hats, grouped together in the Students’ Union. Before polling closed the atmosphere was electric — people laughing and chatting and playing drinking games, gearing themselves up for the long night.

It soon became clear that the vast majority of students attending were pro Hillary, or at least ‘not Trump’. During this memorable night, the effects of the most divisive election in recent history could certainly be seen.

As the votes started to roll in, many dismissed the early lead Trump was taking, given that his first victories were traditionally Republican states.

There were huge cheers whenever the projections showed a Democrat state, and equally huge cheers from the comparatively small in number, but very loud, Trump supporters at

a Republican one.

What they lacked in numbers they certainly made up for in enthusiasm, a trait which has been shown time and time again throughout this election. It soon became clear, however, that their presence was causing some friction, with small arguments taking place, directed at those wearing the very recognisable red caps.

They were met with withering looks and a curt “sit down, you’re embarrassing yourselves”. It was certainly difficult to try and talk to them, but eventually an explanation from what seemed to be the epicentre of this group, a cap-wearing student draped in the American flag, was given.

According to him, “the fact is Hillary’s corporation is corrupt — Trump wants to lower taxes for hard-working americans and he is better for Britain as he would put us first in a trade deal, whereas Hillary used to be under investigation from the FBI”, which was promptly met with the rather

eloquent retort of “[expletive]”. It certainly seemed as though tensions were running high.

However, it seemed that some individuals were using Trump not just as an ideal President but as a reason to get under people’s skin — something he himself is obviously very adept at doing, with some claiming “I’m just here to troll people”. It certainly seemed as though nobody was actually expecting him to become America’s 45th President.

As the night progressed however, it became clear that Trump wasn’t just winning safe Republican states, and this was the point when everybody started to either fear or hope that he might just edge ahead. The excitement evaporated fast whilst the tension increased. There was less cheering and less laughter, everybody just waiting for the next prediction to be made.

Hillary was not managing to keep all of her hope for Democratic states, instead surrendering them to Trump. The final blow,

however, came as Florida was announced at 4:30 AM. The news was met with looks of both shock and glee, but all with the same question — how did this happen?

All predictions had shown that if Florida had gone to Hillary, then Trump’s chances of Presidency would have been very slim. However, his 49.1 per cent of the vote to Clinton’s 47.8 per cent ensured his path was free, and it was at this point that it became clear that he was the probable winner.

The majority of students watching being anti-Trump, this obviously caused some problems.

As his supporters became more rowdy, tempers flared and things really got heated, with a fight breaking out between groups of supporters.

This was swiftly broken up and, as a result, the footage was cut off in what may seem to some to be a rather anticlimactic end to what was certainly a roller coaster of a night.

Photo: meliflaire@Flickr

3

News

ISSUE 08 / 14th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Manchester Open Mind Network host successful anxiety panel discussion Manchester Open Mind Network invited panellists to discuss causes and solutions of how to tackle anxiety and mental health issues as they become ever-prevalent amongst students

Photo: Practical Cures@ Flickr

Len Cotton Deputy News Editor On the 7th November, newly established society Manchester Open Mind Network played host to a panel of anxiety experts, aiming to discuss the causes and solutions of the condition for student sufferers. Anxiety and related conditions such as PTSD have become a huge problem amongst young people, with an estimated 20% of students expected to experience some form of mental health illness during their times at university. Unfortunately, the panel also discussed how 35% of those living with a condition will not seek help.

Thus, the event aimed to combat this issue by challenging the stigma surrounding mental health.

The event had an excellent turn out, with the room easily becoming filled within the first ten minutes. Each speaker talked through their own experiences with anxiety and depression, giving moving accounts of how this affected their lives and, most importantly, how they learnt to combat the condition. Three main coping mechanisms were explained: Mindfulness; Counselling and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Esteemed hypnotherapist Dianne explained how the mind works in a triangular manner, with thoughts, emotions and actions being directly interconnected and interdependent on each other. She went into detail about how anxiety occurs when the brain becomes trapped in a cycle of thoughts and feelings, with an inability to complete actions. Dianne advised that the best way to tackle this problem was to exercise ‘mindfulness’ by focussing on your safety and security in the present moment, rather than worrying about potential is-

sues in the future.

After a few more speakers shared their experiences and combative strategies the event moved to a Q &A. Here the panel discussed reasons as to why anxiety had become such a prominent issue amongst young people. Some stated that this may be due to a feeling of disempowerment amongst youths, particularly in light of rising tuition fees and youth unemployment. Other also referenced how the internet had hugely contributed to an increase in anxiety amongst young people, as exposure to such vast amounts of information and broad range of opinions could be both confusing and intimidating. In particular, the panel related the prominence of body dysmorphia, especially in young women, as attributable to the internet with images of celebrities’ ‘perfect bodies’ creating great pressure amongst young women to be thin.

Finally, the event closed with a speech from society members stating how a student could seek help if they were struggling with a mental health issue. They said that anyone can contact their Facebook page with queries, or come along to informal discussion socials which they will be holding in the future. As 1 in 5 people suffer from anxiety in the UK, with women from 15-50, being the most likely to develop the condition, the need for student support has never be so great. If you are concerned that you or a friend may be suffering from a mental health illness then you can contact Manchester Open Mind Network by liking their Facebook page and direct messaging them.

Equally, Student Advice Services (located on the bottom floor of the Students’ Union, next to Student Voice) run a drop in session where you can walk in and ask for free advice in a non-judgemental environment.

Photo: Open Mind Network

Brexit court ruling could cut EU funding for some UK university courses Eleanor Forrest News Contributor Since the announcement on 23rd June, ‘Brexit’ has been the word on everyone’s lips, from student protests against it to questions regarding when — or if — Article 50 will be triggered. However, how has the decision to leave the European Union affected university students and EU funded employees, as well as the numerous research projects that the European Union has financed?

On the face of it, Brexit means that universities will no longer have access to a supply of income that facilitates the employment of academic staff, which comprises of 15 per cent of university faculty.

As well as research projects, it will also jeopardise Erasmus funding. The most striking aspect of the developments on Brexit seems to be that the only certainty is uncertainty. This atmosphere, regarding both students and EU funded employees, allows for a period of contemplation. As the Lisbon Treaty or Article 50 are yet to be activated and Theresa May has not announced a clear line

of action, the fate of the UK has very much been left in limbo. After the Prime Minister’s statement that “Brexit means Brexit”, there remains a sense of confusion that has trickled down from central government into every institution.

What matters most to universities is whether there will be a ‘hard Brexit’ or a ‘soft Brexit’, something that has been difficult to discern. A ‘hard Brexit’ means, ostensibly, the activation of both the Lisbon Treaty and Article 50, therefore removing subsequent funding for British universities as well as the end of the Erasmus+ programme. This would leave a vacuum behind, in which universities will have to rely on their own global networks in order to keep certain exchange programmes operational. Therefore a ‘hard Brexit’ result will affect British universities differently depending on their own configurations, i.e. their global network. ‘Soft Brexit’, which will involve the least amount of change, will allow the UK to remain in the single market and add to the EU budget, allowing the UK to control its borders. Most importantly, ‘soft Brexit’ will not activate the Lisbon Treaty. This will be most

beneficial to UK universities as it means there will be room for negotiation concerning funding opportunities for EU faculties, the Erasmus+ programme, and non-international students.

However, it is important to consider the monetary focus that these discussions have taken.

The European Union, in 1993, changed from a purely economic construction to that of a coalition of countries dedicated to the promotion of peace, stability, and human rights. Therefore, to many the leave from Europe represented Britain’s, or the 52 per cent’s, rejection of the ideals of peace, stability and prosperity. Without the European Union, the government now holds a position of absolute authority concerning every decision to be made — regardless of the economic benefits to this country, or the effect it will have on our universities. Unfortunately, this period of uncertainty is to persist, as Britain is yet to begin the arduous process of untangling itself from Europe. But, whether we voted to remain or not, the majority of the population have spoken, and it is the democratic duty of the government to comply.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

5

News

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Preview: Islamophobia Awareness Month #IAM2016 Aliya Ismangil News Contributor

Photo: mb3cky68 @Flickr

‘The Living Wage: Taking Action on Poverty Pay’

Sorcha Floyd Students’ Union Campaigns & Citizenship Officer

Last Monday, the SU was fortunate enough to host the announcement of the new Living Wage (outside London). Entitled “The Living Wage: Taking Action on Poverty Pay,” the morning included a range of speakers, the announcement of the new Living Wage and variety of workshops.

Whilst the Living Wage has increased this year by 20 pence to £8.45, the case for Greater Manchester to pay the living wage remains especially clear. Wages have fallen faster than the UK average since 2009 and A New Economy report revealed that the number of people paid less than the Living Wage rose from 21.7% of employees in 2013, to 24% by the end of 2015. The need for such a campaign is ever more pertinent.

The University of Manchester Living Wage campaign is working to lobby the University to become LivingWage Accredited. Accreditation will ensure an ongoing commitment to keeping University of Manchester staff above the poverty line. This move will solidify the University of Manchester’s position as a force for good in Greater Manchester.

With social responsibility embedded as one of the Universities three core values (alongside teaching and research) one would expect our University to be Living

Wage accredited. With the £1 billion masterplan in place it could seem surprising that the University have not considered lifting the wages of its lowest paid staff to a fair wage.

If our university is investing more in its buildings than its people, we have serious cause for concern. One of the successes of last year’s campaign was getting UMC ltd., the university’s wholly owned subsidiary, to bring its wages in line with the Living Wage rate at the time.

However the University is yet to examine the pay of all its workers (including Student Ambassadors) or commit to accreditation.

The University of Manchester Living Wage Campaign has just opened applications for a new committee (and new members as always). We will be holding an info meeting in Activities Space of the SU on Thursday 10th November followed by elections on Thursday 17th November.

You do not need to have been involved in this campaign before, just keen to secure a fair wage for those working at the University. Monday morning’s event kick started #LivingWageWeek with great excitement; attendees left feeling empowered to continue the fight for fair pay. However there is still a way to go. The living wage really does change people’s lives, and we are excited to have you involved!

Ladyfest’s Body Positivity workshop is an inspiring success Roma Havers Books Editor Manchester LadyFest’s events on the weekend of the 8th and 9th of October, which included debates, craft workshops and a Body Positivity panel discussion, were a real triumph. The panel in particular got so much positive feedback that Ladyfest’s organisers decided to set up a separate workshop on the 23rd of October, to delve further into the complexities of the issues brought up. Lauren, who led the workshop, hoped to “facilitate an open, insightful and motivating session on what we want to solve when it comes to acceptance of women’s bodies and their representation in the media.” As she stated at the beginning of the workshop, the main goals were Acceptance, Representation, and Celebration.

Taking place on a Monday evening, with the sheer amount of interest leading to the organisers needing to find a bigger venue, they finally settled on a space in the LGBT Foundation. The event was welcoming and intimate as we separated into groups to discuss our main concerns and what needed solving. Some problems raised, were body hair, sexualisation of the female body, the politics of choice, and representation. The discussion was nuanced and diverse, with several personal stories shared as well as challenging debates faced head on with a considerate and open-minded attitude. I was impressed by the bravery of several of the women who spoke as well as shocked and empowered. Lauren held the discussion together mindfully and calmly and rounded off the event nicely with a group discussion. As she said: “We all learned from one another’s lived experiences.”

The other contributors were also inspired by the discussions as Roisin, who had not attended a Ladyfest event previously, said, “the workshop created a casual space in which we could all freely discuss the things hindering positive perceptions of the female body. The diverse group allowed for this discussion to be all the more fruitful and the fact that we had plenty more to say even after time had run out proves that the workshop inspired enthusi-

asm in us all.”

But this workshop is just the beginning of what will hopefully be a city-wide campaign with real impact, and they already have events and campaigns coming up. Ladyfest are currently trying to get in contact with Boohoo, the Manchester-based internet clothing brand, whose Plus Size range uses size 12 models for a range that is supposedly size 16 and up; it’s not difficult to see the issue there. In addition, a follow-up workshop has been planned for the 10th of November to discuss how we can begin to enact change—details are on their Facebook where they continue to update the page with news, events, and other Body Positivity-related information. The work that Ladyfest Manchester do is absolutely fantastic and well worth your while getting involved, whether it is going along to their screening of The Craft on Sunday 30th of October or liking their Facebook page.

2015 saw a significant increase in cases of Islamophobic crime, almost doubling in Manchester according to some surveys. In light of Brexit, Tell MAMA (an anti-Muslim hate crime reporting organisation) reveal a 326% increase in Islamophobic related crimes being reported.

“It is very important that we host events during Islamophobia Awareness Month to raise awareness and bring attention to the fact that there has been a rise in Islamophobic attacks in the UK”, Saffa Mir, Students’ Union Community Officer, explains, “the aim of the month is to raise awareness and help offer support to those students who are victims and signpost students as to where they can go to report these attacks.” The Students’ Union and the University’s Islamic Society will be working with the organisation MEND (Muslim Engagement & Development), one of the founding members of Islamophobia Awareness Month (IAM).

The launch event will be held on Friday 11th November, from 4.30pm to 6.30pm, at the Students’ Union where you can expect a representative of MEND, Yusuf Hassan of FOSIS (Federation of Student Islamic Societies) and our Community Officer, Saffa, talk all things Islamophobia. This is a great opportu-

nity to learn the facts, figures, hear personal stories or share your own experiences.

On the 17th from 6pm at University Place there will be an event discussing the Prevent, the Government’s strategy on fighting Islamic extremism. Hear from a solicitor, campaigner and lecturer and get your questions answered in this open discussion on the issues surrounding it.

Finally, to round off IAM on campus, the ‘Muslim Women in the West’ event will be taking place on the 23rd November at 5pm in Academy 3. According to Tell MAMA, 61% of Islamophobic crime is directed toward women. This event will be an opportunity to explore the challenges Muslims women face but also acknowledge and celebrate their strength and achievements.

MEND hopes that these events will give students the information and courage needed to speak out against Islamophobia, “IAM provides a fantastic platform to deconstruct and challenge some of the stereotypes about Islam and Muslims in the UK...they shouldn’t have to compromise their lifestyle in fear of attack or abuse by perpetrators of hate.”

To find out more about Islamophobia Awareness Month on campus, visit the Student Union website. You can also checkout MEND and #IAM2016 for more events around the city.

Photo: MEND (Muslim Engagement & Development)

Exclusions and Restrictions apply. See terms and conditions here coop.co.uk/nusextra. Images are shown as serving suggestions.

Manchester we can do better than beans on toast 10% off with NUS extra #StudentFeed

New Co-op Membership

5% for you

1% for your

Become a Member for £1

community Mrs E Hudson Member

when you choose Co-op own brand products Photo: LadyFest MCR

Join instore or online at coop.co.uk/membership

6

Science

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Note from the Science Editor Manchester Science Festival, produced by the Museum of Science & Industry and held from the 20th–30th October this year, advertised itself as “a creative, playful and surprising celebration of science”. The Mancunion Science & Technology team were lucky enough to be invited along to a multiude of the festival’s events, only to discover that they far surpassed its goals by creating an event inspiring, accesible and fascinating for all ages.

2016 proved to be a special year for MSF with it not only marking the 10th anniversary of the festival, but also marking the end of Manchester’s reign as European City of Science 2016. No doubt a spectular end to the year and we can not wait to see what MSF imagine for next time.

Tom Patterson Science Reporter In the middle of the Arndale Centre, amongst the hustle and bustle of busy city life, sat the Chronarium. Designed by Loop.pH, it was one of the highlights of the Manchester Science Festival and explored our relationship between relaxation and modern life. From the outside it looked like a large black circus tent, beckoning passersby to come and investigate. Its location was no coincidence as Antonio Benitez, director of the Manchester Science Festival, explained: “We feel very strongly that science is not just part of what the University does, not just part of what the Science Festival does; there is science in everything that we do, every day.”

He believes that it’s important to take the festival to unexpected venues and reach members of the public who may not feel comfortable visiting the museum or feel as if the festival isn’t for them. Engaging with the public in this way is “a good opportunity to really build that curiosity in science” and gives people a chance to find out more about it.

Antonio has been working for the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) for the past ten years, and whilst having previously been involved in the Science Festival, this is his first year as Director. One of the main goals of the festival is to make science both physically and intellectually accessible. Something as fundamental as sleep is, as Antonio says, “relevant to every human being.” Taking an installation like this into a public place will undoubtedly draw people in — not least because of the booming bass reverberating around the Arndale.

Before entering the Chronarium, you have to take off your shoes. You step into a white floored circular space with hammocks hanging from a large silver ring. It looks like the set of a sci-fi film and a gravelly voice directs you to choose a hammock and instructs you on how to get in. As soon as you lie back you lose sight of the other

The Chronarium Manchester Science Festival’s ‘Chronarium’ revealed the power of relaxation in our modern day lives participants and the experience becomes more introspective. For around 20 minutes you experience an interesting blend of instrumental music and projected colours. The music is an Enoesque soundscape, slowly changing between deep bass sounds and higher pitched synthesised notes with occasional birdsong. As you gently rock in the hammock enjoying the wash of pinks and purples, the outside world fades into the background and even the noise of the Arndale Centre recedes to a dull background hum. The same voice brings you back out of the experience, then, blinking and hopefully a little more relaxed, you leave the bubble and head out into the shopping centre once more.

Art and science working hand-in-hand is the prevailing attitude of the Science Festival. At the Chronarium launch, two Ph.D. students from the University of Manchester were there to provide some insights into current sleep-based research.

Jack Barton is studying the potential link between sleep loss and mental health, relating to things such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder. He says that research in this area is still in the early stages and the main question is: “What is it about poor sleep that potentially puts us at risk?” This isn’t just related to how we get to sleep and how we wake up but also the quantity and quality of that time. We may have the best alarm clock in the world but if it wakes us up after five-six hours sleep and we need eight, then we’re not getting enough. Perhaps more surprising than this is the fact that even when we’re getting the right amount of sleep, if we fail to go to bed at our normal times the quality of that sleep is also diminished. We all have a natural rhythm to our sleeping patterns and when that’s broken we feel less rested, although over a longer period

of time we may eventually adjust to a new pattern.

Alasdair Henry is studying the potential link between psoriasis (a chronic skin condition) and disrupted sleep, specifically what kind of factors might predict poor sleep as a result of psoriasis.

These are things such as the fact that the condition can be very itchy and painful, which could cause people to wake up more frequently than normal. Alistair said in the modern 24-hour society “we often don’t take the time to think about the importance of sleep, we’ll sacrifice it to go to work commitments or social commitments.” An awareness of the importance of sleep is particularly highlighted by the effects of failing to sleep well.

Rachael Wingfield, one of the artists from Loop. pH, says that the Chronarium “isn’t a design solution…it’s about the dialogue, asking people: why do you sleep? what are your attitudes to napping? how much do you sleep? and also just asking questions about the future of the city.” So whilst we shouldn’t expect Chronariums to be popping up all over the country, it might help open up the debate about sleep. Loop.pH previously ran this installation in Singapore and the attitude to napping is, if you’ll excuse the pun, much more laidback over there. “They’re really used to this idea of napping to optimise their work output… It’s really different here, people are quite ashamed to say they nap or they’ve been sleeping a lot.”

Having met some researchers during the project, Rachael added: “I would love to be able dig a bit deeper with the work and actually start to conduct some proper experiments to see the benefits of these different sort of environmental controls on the body.” So there may be some long-term installations on the horizon.

Photo: Clicky Media

Photo: Jason Lock

The science of gambling with Guardian Live

Photos: geralt@ Pixabay, Wikimedia Commons, and Wikipedia

Len Cotton Deputy News Editor On 22nd October 2016, Manchester’s 235 Casino opened its doors for a Casino Royale-inspired evening of odds, statistics, psychology and science, as part of Manchester Science Festival. The main focus of the event? How to succeed at gambling. Facilitated by The Guardian, the venue saw three guest speakers take to the stage, each centering their presentation on how to be one step ahead of your fellow gambling enthusiasts.

Kicking off the show was neuroscientist and researcher, Nichola Ray, who delved into the mind in exploration of the emotional effects of gambling.

She guided the audience step-by-step through the anatomy of the brain, focusing on the specific areas that create such an uncontrollable compulsion for gambling addicts. Interestingly, she explained how it was not winning, but losing that the brain reacted to most positively. She dubbed this the ‘Near Win’ phenomenon, explaining how the process of exciting the anticipatory brain regions whilst betting masked the disappointment of loss afterwards. Ray also described the ‘Variable Ratio Reward’ that encourages addiction amongst play-

ers, as the brain becomes tantalised by the lack of prediction in a game. Consequently, this release of adrenaline also fools the brain into believing it is enjoying the gambling experience, even if a player is losing.

The second speaker of the evening was Dr Paul Seager, Senior Psychology lecturer at the University of Central Lancashire. Seager aimed to help the audience to decipher when someone is bluffing or aiming to deceive you during poker. He described this process as the ‘game of information gathering’, advising that players focus on just one or two peers who they deem the greatest threat.

There were two particularly fascinating elements to Seager’s performance. Firstly, that one should never focus on a person’s face to detect deception, as this is the easiest way for someone to control their emotions. Instead, Dr Seager advised that you focus on an individual’s body language, looking for ‘micro-expressions’ or gestures that might give away their true temperament. Secondly, he dispelled myths about the meaning of certain gestures. For example, if a player’s hands are shaking when laying down cards, this is not due to nervousness. In fact, this is an indication that they are excited about their hand and thus in possession of

a strong set of cards.

Finally, the event ended with an excellent performance from award-winning mathematician, Katie Steckles. Undoubtedly the most interesting of the three, Steckles set out to disprove the ‘Gambler’s Fallacy’ that one can predict and control the outcome of a roulette wheel. Using the example of probabilities, Steckles explained how the roulette wheel is always one step ahead and that this, combined with casino workers knowing every trick in the trade, made it impossible for a human mind to outsmart the machine. Indeed, Steckles’ big reveal was that roulette wheels do not provide a 50/50 chance of success. There are 48 possible outcomes, one of which being the green zero. Therefore, you have less than half a chance of landing on black or red, resulting in just a 48 per cent chance of actual success. Thus, Steckles helped to explain how casinos are able to give out so much money whilst still making a hefty profit, as they always have a 52 per cent chance of beating their players.

All in all, The Science of Gambling proved to be a very interesting night. Misconceptions were corrected, common myths dispelled and science explained in a captivating and accessible way.

Science 7

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Robot orchestra: Live Performing at the Museum of Science and Industry as part of Manchester Science Festival, the Robot orchestra, built by and for the community, used an eclectic blend of engineering and music to inspire the public to become more involved in science Georgie Hines & Tom Patterson Science & Technology Editor and Contributor Alan Turing is well known as one of the pioneers of computer science and for his work in code-breaking during WW2. What most people don’t know about is his contribution to electronic music. In 1951, while Deputy Director of the Computing Machine Laboratory at the Victoria University of Manchester, he managed to program some musical notes into an early computer. What better setting could there be for a performance by the Robot orchestra than in the city where it all started, Manchester?

The Robot orchestra is a citizen science project built by volunteers from schools and community groups across Greater Manchester. The robots were made from an incredible array of recycled materials and came in all shapes and sizes. There were arms beating drums and glockenspiels but also a cello with a moving bow and several violins played by rotating material hitting the strings. All in all, it was a creative and eclectic collective hooked up to a central computer through metres of wire.

Amongst the most impressive creations were ‘Robo Drummer’ by Scared Heart RC Primary School in Gorton, built from an old computer system unit, and ‘Breakfast Bot’, made from cereal bowls by New Islington Free School, who used the opportunity to teach children about the importance of breakfast as well as learning about technology and engineering.

The Mancunion was lucky enough to speak to Professor Danielle George MBE, lecturer of Radio Frequency Engineering at the University of Manchester and the brainchild of the Robot orchestra.

Speaking of the inspiration behind the project she says that it was because she wanted to “take people out of their comfort zones” by involving the arts. Using music exclusively “really captures the imagination of everybody” and “it doesn’t matter what your background is, or your passion is, or your subject, and what your age is either”.

The orchestra was led by a computer named Graphene as we were assured “he was a good conductor!” They opened with a classical piece

alongside Gavin Osbourn, a solo flautist. Electronic music producers and performers Caro C + Uno Prism performed ‘Robotopia’. We were also treated to an electronic cover of Pharrell’s song ‘Happy’ made by sampling the orchestra and backed up by a sizeable xylophone. Manchester-based Lay Full Stop performed her unique style of urban soul with background beats from the Robot orchestra and the whole event was rounded off with groove-fusion, hip-hop band Family Ranks.

This year marks the 10th anniversary for the Science Festival and coincides with Manchester being awarded the title of European City of Science 2016. A fitting year then for the citizens of Manchester to show off their skills and build a recycled Robot Orchestra. The crowd was made up in part of the adults and children who participated in the project. They looked happy and satisfied to see the fruits of their labours in action.

However, it is far from the end of the Robot orchestra after this event.

Prof George went on to explain about “an explosion of requests”, from various media outlets and science festivals across the country, about future performances and possibilities.

Live: Public Service Broadcasting Public Service Broadcasting wow a soldout Albert Hall with their new album ‘The Race for Space’ Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor Headlining October’s Manchester Science Festival, Public Service Broadcasting played, for the first time, the full-length of their 2015 album The Race for Space, at the Albert Hall.

The London-based duo, made up of frontman J Willgoose Esquire and drummer Wriggleson, impressed the crowd with their unique fuse of electronic and rock, inspired by the US-Soviet space race that took place between 1957 and 1972.

Despite the best efforts of the impressive and jawdropping graphics of the show, nothing could take away the crowd’s attention from the brilliant performance of the band. Willgoose, in particular, amazed with his unfathomable talent and skill on every instrument available on stage.

The duo were joined on stage in parts by guests from Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music, which included an orchestra and 13-piece choir. An almost eerie but equally outstanding performance was given by two singers who joined Public Service Broadcasting onstage for the titular song of the album.

Photo: Georgie Hines

Photo: John Billinger @Geograph

Photo: Album Artwork

Photo: Jason Lock

Cloud Crash Georgie Hines Science & Technology Editor

Critically acclaimed artists, HeHe, have come together with the Museum of Science & Industry to produce Cloud Crash; three pieces of artwork that envision the pollution and the damage modern society is having on the environment.

The project is part of Cape Farewell’s annual Lovelock Art Commission for the museum, inspired by climate scientist James Lovelock, a man famous for the Gaia hypothesis — a theory that proposes that the Earth is a self-regulating system.

Made up of three pieces, Airbag, Burnout, and Diamonds In The Sky, Helen Evans and Heiko Hansen — the Paris-based artists behind the artwork — explained that Cloud Crash was a way of making the Earth’s atmosphere visible. Speaking further, they said that by doing this project, they aimed to show the public how pollution and climate change is causing environmental damage and inspire ideas on how to change it.

Airbag, is designed as “micro-climate…suspended in the enclosed

It is almost refreshing to see how these artists can take something so mundane as audio footage from history and make it into music that is both inspring and hopeful, yet sometimes sad and touching.

Willgoose has spoken about the topic of space travel as inspiration for this album, saying: “It’s about us and our place in the universe, what we are doing and why. Then you add contemporary history and geopolitical manoeuvrings by superpowers racing each other and the technological developments, it’s a fascinating period of history”.

About the future he commented that “we’re always growing... from the first song I did to where we are now. It’s important to keep doing that rather than become stuck and stale”.

The band, known for their use of archive samples in their music, are the perfect example of how science influences art, making them the greatest event of this year’s Manchester Science Festival.

Artists HeHe present Cloud Crash, a collection that will shock, inspire, and start conversation about how the public views pollution and its dangers space of a damaged, abandoned Vauxhall Astra” to showcase the damage of passenger vehicles, which are recognised as a major pollution contributor due to their production of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants. In 2013, it was estimated that transport contributed almost half of the world’s pollution.

A second piece, called Burnout, depicts “a greenhouse filled with chimney emission” and is modelled after Bankside Power Station, which now is used as the Tate Modern art museum and gallery.

Across in the Air and Space Hall of MSI, is the final piece – Diamonds In The Sky. This artwork takes a different form to the others, as a video.

It depicts, “an air quality index, a map of air pollution” which “becomes a coloured cloud moving towards Manchester’s first skyscraper, Beetham Tower”.

Cloud Crash, which is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), aims “to bring atmospheric science powerfully to life across the Museum site” and will “blur the boundaries between the natural and man-made”.

Although launched as a headliner for the Manchester Science Festival in October of this year, the exhibition will run until the 3rd of February 2017.

Photo: Georgie Hines

8

Feature

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

“We need to counter the rubbish that poetry is only for a chosen few”

Photo: University of Manchester

Books editor Roma Havers interviews the poet Lemn Sissay on his new book Gold from the Stone and his role as Chancellor of the University of Manchester

I

met with Lemn Sissay on Monday the 31st October at The Malmaison hotel. I had only had contact via an email exchange with a representative of his and I was pretty nervous. There had been some mix-ups with the details and somehow me coming had not got into Lemn’s diary. Despite this he was very kind, assuring me it was not my fault, and still offered to do this interview. We settled outside, and while I set up he asked me about my course and The Mancunion before we got down to the questions.

I first wanted to ask about a performance of his that I had seen a couple of weeks previously at Contact Theatre where he had performed from his new book Gold from the Stone as part of the 8th Black and Asian Writers Conference.

Having read the book the day before I had been astonished by the power of his performance and I wondered how that plays into his poetry:”Are there some poems you write knowing that that’s going to be a performance piece?”

“Actually no,” he answered, “you know, most of the poems find their performative language in action of performing so they sort of speak back to me, they come alive in their own juices … One line can be said many many different ways so ‘Hello, how are you?’ could be as much

“The idea of it being good or bad is really not something that I am concerned with” screamed ‘hello how are you?’ as it could be whispered ‘hello, how are you?’ as it could be given different intonations in each world in each syllable of each word. ‘Hello how are you?’”

At this point, Lemn put on a performance for each manner that same phrase could be said, he spoke with a great deal of passion and investment.

It was clear to me that it was important that he felt I understood exactly the intricacies he was getting at, as he stated, “there are better writers of the page than me and there are better performers on the stage than me. What’s most

important is that the uniqueness of your voice translates to the page and the stage, that’s really important, you know, the idea of it being good or bad is really not something that I am concerned with, strangely, I have my criteria, I guess, for making my work better and better and better.”

Next I wanted to talk to him about the changes to the culture around poetry, particularly concerning the emerging populist movement of Spoken Word, with artists such as Kate Tempest performing her new work on the BBC. I wondered whether he had noticed a change in how the page form is received and how this has changed his experience of performance poetry.

“Poetry has always been on the stage and the page,” he replied, “so Shakespeare’s stuff was on the page and the stage so I don’t really feel anything other than joy at the fact that poets like Isaiah [Hall] who’s from Manchester who performed with Kate Tempest and the like, are both of the stage and of the page. You know, Kate has written brilliant plays that have five star reviews, records, books etc. Poetry will infiltrate so many different areas of society and culture that anybody who chooses to be a poet, chooses to be at the heart of culture not at the edge of it, people often talk about poetry as being this lonesome sport, I’ve never seen it that way.”

This sparked my interest in talking more generally about how poetry is understood, I wondered how he felt about poetry being seen as an elitist form, and how important accessibility is in the arts.

“Well I’m with our poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, I’m with Kate Tempest, I’m with Isaiah, I’m with Raymond Antrobus. Adrian Mitchell said, ‘most people aren’t interested in poetry because poetry isn’t interested in people’. I don’t necessarily agree with him there but I knew what he was fighting, “I think there is a class system in poetry which deems poetry by people who are, who have not been through certain sieves, societal sieves, as not being as good as people who have been through those sieves. And I don’t believe that. Sylvia Plath’s first poem I think she was when she was twelve. We’re kind of born poets really, we don’t really have that much choice, it’s what we do and it’s who we are.”

Lemn Sissay’s passion for the experience of poetry and the work of those around him was evident, but I wanted to know what could practically be done to change things, to get the word out, and

to help people find these communities of poets.

“We’re kind of born poets really, we don’t really have that much choice” “As writers we have the responsibility to write,” he answered, “and that’s basically the first responsibility of the writer and actually I’d say that’s probably it because your success as a writer doesn’t make you any less of a member of the community you came from. You’re part of the community so it’s your responsibility to exercise your creative rights, your creative power.

Yesterday I presented the news review on BBC TV on BBC Breakfast and then I went to judge the Slambassadors poetry competition in Oxford Circus and I heard young people speaking with an urgency and a truthfulness and a clarity that was far more relevant than some of news that I’d been reviewing on the television that morning.

So you know the Slambassadors for example is run by a woman called Joelle Taylor and she gets poets together or gets young people together and gives workshops, and she hails them and it’s supported by the poetry society and it’s that kind of dynamism that we need to counter the rubbish that poetry is only for a chosen few.”

Projects like Slambassadors put young people on a platform where their voices are heard and where they can use art and poetry to address issues the that they face. However, I was concerned by the state of arts in education in the current climate.

Different factors, including fees, and removal of subjects like History of Art from GCSEs and A Level syllabuses have caused arts degrees to become more and more the site of privilege.

I told Lemn about the National Creative Writing Graduate Fair — held at Manchester Metropolitan University this Friday — which is a charging forty pound entry fee, his thoughts on the matter were as such: “Well I don’t know what to say about that, I didn’t know that that was a practice

that universities do.” But I wondered what we could do about this continuing practice, “well creatives need to speak out, they need to speak out so I would assume that students like you will make it known if you feel that that is unfair.”

From this point I asked Lemn about his role as Chancellor of the University where he recently passed his one year mark at the job; his enthusiasm concerning this subject was apparent, particularly as, after the interview had ended he brought the subject up again, mentioning the T-shirts — available at University of Manchester Gift-shop — featuring his quote, ‘inspire and be inspired’, which he said made him “so freaking proud”. I asked him what the role had entailed so far and what it meant to him.

“I tell you there is no sort of rule-book to say what a chancellor is or should do beyond a series of responsibilities of the doctorate degree ceremony and being on the board of the general members. So my job, I guess what I’ve done is, I try to lead by example in the hope that everyone can lead by example. I don’t think that’s unique to me as a chancellor ... I just try to do what I do as best as I can do it in the hope that students, university lecturers, alumni, etc can see.”

“ I heard young people speaking with an urgency and a truthfulness and a clarity that was far more relevant” “I love walking around the campus and meeting both lecturers and students, people stop me all over the country to say, oh you’re the chancellor of the University of Manchester, I think that what I’ve done probably in the first year is get people to know about the University; that we are not like any other university, we are unique, we’re not

Feature 9

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

discrimination has been around all my adult life, it’s just not been around for women, or for black people, or for gay people, or for anybody who’s not ‘white male’[…]It’s important that when people talk about positive discrimination that they realise that it’s been already happening.

The only reason we talk about it for women or for people who are marginalised is because it’s already well established for somebody else.

Diversity is at the heart of who we are, I don’t even think of it as an add on, if I go into board meetings and what have you, I do look around the table and think OK so this is a thing, you know, if it’s all one kind of person, it registers with me and I think it registers with the university as well.”

How then did he feel about projects that engage with identity politics and perhaps ask people to identify themselves in a way in which they might not feel comfortable?

“Oh well identity is a very complex and beautiful sort of signifier of what it is to be human and we should be complex, you know, there should be blurred lines and there should be complications and there should be boxes that you don’t feel at

“You know I say that sometimes on stage, tick all the boxes, black, white, gay, straight, male, female” Photo: akse_p19

just a sausage factory, we are about the rights of the students, we are about freedom of speech and we are about empowering those who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to university.

“We’re not just a sausage factory, we are about the rights of the students, we are about freedom of speech” “I know that there are student fees but we’re also, you know, we have social responsibility as one of the top goals and I think we’re one of the only universities that have that, others have social responsibility as one of the additions to their role but we have it as our central goal.”

I was intrigued by this thought and wanted to probe it further, it is clear in his work and his chosen conversational topics that he cares deeply about what he does, but I find that terms like ‘Social responsibility’ can be troubling if they are not addressed in their complexity. In light of this I asked Lemn to explain what social responsibility meant to him.

“Social responsibility means that the people, for example of Moss Side, are served by the university because they’re right in the shadow of the university, that opportunities for people who otherwise wouldn’t have opportunities are made, care-leavers for example, the university does quite a lot with care-leavers and they have dedicated workers who work with care-leavers.

Plus we do Christmas dinner as well for careleavers and a lot of that is being helped by the university, so it’s quite incredible, Christmas day there’s a Christmas dinner for care-leavers, so if any students are here on their own for Christmas and they want to volunteer to help with that they can help us on Christmas day and it’s a great day.

“I’ve got to say, what is incredible about this university for me are the people that work in it, aside from the students — that’s a given — but the people that work for the university are so incredibly talented and dedicated to making the university a great place for people to be at but also to making the world a better place, sounds crass to say that; people like James Thompson, one of the lecturers who works in war-torn areas to help people who’ve been through trauma around the world, you know, and there’s research happening which is solving medical issues which will make our world a better place, period, it really will.”

The work of Lemn Sissay in events such as The Christmas Dinners has been marked by his profound openness when it comes to discussing his personal history and experiences in the foster care system. His recent article for The Guardian in particular offered a moving and deeply personal insight into his early life.

I asked when he felt a responsibility to talk about those things because they are often left out of the narrative. His response was heartfelt.

“Yeah, you know it’s really interesting that for me anyway that what is not spoken about is often what needs to be spoken about, so you know people don’t speak about the care system but it needs to be spoken about in the open air, it needs to be. People need to know that we, foster children, adopted children, children who have been in care, should not have to carry the shame and it’s not our shame, it’s societal shame so society needs to deal with it not us.

“So I mean not everyone wants to talk about their past and that’s fine but I’m just in a situation where that’s all I’ve ever done because the first eighteen years of my life, my entire life, was public record, so why should I shut up, you know, when I’ve had files written about me since I was, you know, one month old so now I’m an adult, as I’m having to unpick all of the things that they did that were wrong to me, I’m doing it in public. It’s funny because when you talk about your story as I do, I don’t expect other people to talk about their’s, you know, I’m not trying to say that that makes you a better person or anything, it’s just that that’s the way it’s been for me. It’s a

beautiful thing to do, it’s actually quite beautiful.”

I briefly wanted to engage with some of his individual poems from Gold from the Stone.

One in particular that stood out to me called, ‘The Show Goes On’ of which the opening lines are: “The Arts Council criteria for funding is to conform/ Which means if they pay the revolution, the revolution will perform.” Did he feel that this is true of the state of funding for Arts in this country?

“I decided to include poems that I’d written obviously from when I was much younger, but I like that poem because it was just angry, you know, but it is trying to say to people that, I don’t believe that that’s the Arts Council criteria anymore, but I do believe that people sleepwalk into allowing that to happen. Soon as you start to justify for money, it’s a very tricky contract and I think we

“There is no sort of rule-book to say what a chancellor is or should do” should be aware of the contract we’re setting up, as we take the pay from the government.

“I’ve got to say this that the arts council has probably been one of the central supporters of what I do throughout thirty years of being on stage and that is because the arts council fund the theatres that I have performed in, they’ve funded the projects that I’ve had some small part in, they have been undoubtedly the biggest supporter of the arts in Britain in the community and I’m fully aware that as a black man, as a guy who was brought up in care, that I would never have had some of the opportunities that I have had through being in care.”

On that note I asked how he felt about the recent efforts made by lots of arts based companies to improve their diversity and create diversity-led projects. He first wanted to make a statement about positive discrimination, “positive

ease filling in, you know, don’t fill it, tick them all.

You know I say that sometimes on stage, tick all the boxes, black, white, gay, straight, male, female.”

Did he think projects like that are doing the work or is there more work to be done?

“I think that some of the diversity projects that promote diversity can become institutionalised themselves, you know, so we need to think diversely as well as be visually diverse.

For me, it’s a way of thinking, be open.”

Finally, I wanted to ask him some advice for students and young people wanting to perform poetry, particularly in light being part of a team going to UniSlam, a nationwide Slam poetry competition.

“Right, it’s this,” he started, his eyes lighting up, “imagine it like you’re snake charming, like you’re charming a snake, you play a tune.

If you stay in exactly the same rhythm what happens is the snake starts to hypnotise you, okay, so you will read in the same rhythm of the poem and the lines will come out and whatever and however it works, it works, it works — that is a way of killing your poem.

“Use that as the backbone of the poem and build the body of the poem, sounds quite surreal, what I mean is this, is that any time you can stop, turn and carry on, turn and carry on, you can change the intonation you’re saying the sentence that you’ve written in a poem so give it voice, instead of hypnotising it. It’s such a big deal that you know, you understand me?”

It was this last moment, when he asked me genuinely whether I was on the same page as him, that I felt like I understood his character.

I have a lot of time for Lemn Sissay because he had time for me to engage openly in some challenging topics. Right before I went to pack up, he asked me to turn my recorder back on, he wanted to make a comment on a workshop that he had meant to do last year but had fallen through because he had been told too late about it: “I just want to apologise to everyone about that actually I really do”, he said, genuinely, “that’s the lecturers and the students. It was just one thing, I’ve done many many many things this year; it’s the one I didn’t do that I feel bad about.”

Want to write about something in a bit more depth?

Come to the Features section meeting on Tuesdays at 5pm in the Students’ Union Activities Space, or email features@mancunion.com

Opinion

10

Get in touch Facebook: /mancunionop Twitter: @MancunionOP Email: opinion@mancunion.com

Have an opinion?

Come to our meetings: Monday 5pm, first floor of the Students’ Union

Russia is not the enemy Ryan Khurana Opinion Writer “We have done the most terrible thing to you that we could possibly have done. We have deprived you of an enemy.” Those were the words of Gennadi Gerasimov, foreign spokesman for the Soviet Union upon the collapse of the once mighty, evil empire. Being lucky enough to have been born after communism had been all but thrown into the dustbin of history, I do not remember the fear and trembling that must have afflicted citizens of this country as they thought of the real possibility of nuclear Armageddon. You would think the world would rejoice that freedom and democracy had won the fight, but our political rulers, always hungry for more power and influence, had been deprived of their enemy.

The world was simple to them during the Cold War; nobody could deny the threat of the Soviet Union. It has become increasingly complex and multi-polar in the 25 years since the collapse.

Our rulers have searched for an enemy, but all pale in comparison; Milosevic failed as an enemy, Hussein — though more depraved than Stalin’s worst nightmares — could not pose a credible threat to our way of life, and now ‘terror’ is proving to be quite a hard enemy to fight.

“Back to Cold War simplicity” But, a few years ago, these politicians, tired of searching for their geopolitical foe, had a brilliant idea: “why not just go back to the Russians?” It was an ingenious plan, for there was so much nostalgia for a powerful and threatening Russia that they could just pretend such a Russia still existed. They could simply sweep little issues under the rug, such as the lack of credible threat that Russia poses to our way of life, the double standards imposed on what classifies as ‘aggression,’ and the several years of us betraying our obligations to the Russians in a post-communist landscape.

It was much easier to point to a strongman like Putin — a man who does himself no favours by actually being a brutal despot — and make a villain of him. Voila, welcome back to the simplicity of the Cold War.

This is an excerpt. To read Ryan’s full article, head to www.mancunion.com

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Does our health knead the Great British Bake Off? With the widening of awareness to the dangers of sugar consumption, Opinion Editor Tristan Parsons asks what we should do about the Bake Off

After being crowned the winner of the 2016 Great British Bake Off, Candice Brown spent a lot of time being interviewed and signing books, but soon went back to her day job as a Physical Education (PE) teacher.

A PE teacher as our national baking icon? I smell a soggy bottom.

Earlier this year, the government announced their plans to introduce a ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks. As of 2018, drinks containing between five and eight grams of sugar per 100ml will be taxed at 18 pence a litre and drinks containing more than eight grams will be taxed at 24 pence per litre.

Regardless of the debates concerning this method’s effectiveness for curbing sugar consumption, particularly amongst children, this bill showed good intention from the government.

The move was made amidst a growing amount of public and academic pressure to act on the mounting evidence concerning the health dangers of sugar. It might well be said that this was the period that anti-sugar went mainstream. As Jamie Oliver punched the air in Parliament Square, the tutted tales of housewives and husbands across the country could be heard changing.

Sugar — speaking in the wider sense, from highly processed syrups to white flour-based carbohydrates, such as bread — has been linked to a myriad of health concerns. Through the development of insulin resistance, sugar is believed to be a major cause of obesity and type II diabetes. It has also been linked to heart disease, fat growth, and depression.

Furthermore, there is the question of sugar addiction. A 2007 study showed that rats make far more effort to re-access a sugar-laden solution than the cocaine

Carwyn Lloyd Jones - Dylunio Creadigol @ Flickr

equivalent. This is where the “sugar is eight times more addictive than cocaine” statistic comes from. But studying the addictive nature of sugar in humans is more complex. There are, however, some physiological tests for addiction.

One is tolerance — the ability for one to become adjusted to a harmful substance.

Addicts adjust so that higher levels of the substance are required to ‘sufficiently’ raise dopamine (pleasure) levels. Brain scans of those with high and regular sugar intake match those of cocaine addicts.

The second test for measuring addiction is withdrawal. Here, sugar addicts show classic symptoms: ‘the shakes’, light-headedness, fatigue, muscle fatigue etc.

At the scale of the body, the danger of sugar is clear. But this fails to consider the strength of the industry, its advertising, and the advice of governments and health organisations.

To think of Jamie Oliver, or any other figure of our generation, as the pioneer of

anti-sugar would put us over two centuries out of time. In 1797, Scottish military surgeon John Rollo successfully treated a diabetes patient by advising a diet low in carbohydrates.

This remained as common advice until 1977. This was the year that the USDA (United States Department for Agriculture) updated its dietary recommendations. The document recommended an exclusion of fat from the diet, and the inclusion of starches, bread, pasta, and other carbohydrates. In the 16 years prior to this, cases of obesity in U.S. adults increased by two percent. In the thirteen years after the change, the figure rose by 7.8 per cent. This is just one example of where a government has offered the wrong advice.

To this end, it is concerning that the soft drinks industry helped to sponsor a recent Conservative Party drinks reception, of which the business secretary, Greg Clark, attended.

In light of what we know about sugar, let

us come back to the Bake Off. Host Mary Berry’s ‘Perfect Victoria Sandwich’ on BBC Good Food contains 225 grams of sugar, “plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake,” and 200g of self-raising flour. It is a carbohydrate feast.

How innocent it seems: a calm Sunday morning, a cup of tea, Union Jack bunting draped across the room, and a delight of a cake just finishing cooling on a rack. But I strongly object to this wild combination of British identity with cake. Where was the national consultation? Just last night I sat down for a cup of tea and a small handful of almonds. I felt nutritionally enriched (or was it the self-righteousness?) and safe from deportation under a retroactive use of the Citizenship Test.

As well as what we eat, we should pay more attention to when we eat. Take, for another example, breakfast. At the end of the Second World War, the U.S. had a cereal and milk oversupply. In 1944, Kellogs began an advertising campaign to promote breakfast as the “most important meal of the day.” Most research suggests that breakfast (and surrounding advice for “six small meals a day”) stops the fatburning process, reduces energy levels, and is nothing close to the natural way for a human being to eat. But let’s push that to one side: the U.S. had a cereal and milk oversupply after the war, and today many of us follow suit in eating breakfast, whether it is cereal or not.

The examples of breakfast and the USDA’s 1977 change in dietary advice demonstrate how subject we are to conforming to eating habits. In Britain, 15.05 million people watched the final episode of carbohydrate-infested baking competition. If we are going to take a stance on sugar, even the cosy corners of so-called national tradition have to be questioned.

We should stop using the word “race” Contributor Lioui Benhamou argues that issues of ethnicity are still too frequently grounded in the outdated social construction of race When you first registered for the University of Manchester, you all gave some important information to the University, and your ethinic group. I realise that this seems normal for people from the UK. Personally, this was a first. In France, where I am from, the state isn’t allowed to ask you this information, and surveys on it are forbidden. Thus, I didn’t even knew what to choose. As far as I know, I’m white but my father is from Morocco so if I let my beard grow a little, perhaps most people would differ in opinion on my ethnicity.

More importantly, I don’t know because I don’t care. I opted for ‘white’ because I’m French and in Manchester I won’t tan that much. I know I’m not the only one bothered by this.

Even worse than asking for this information (which shouldn’t be relevant to the University, anyway) is the use of the word ‘race’. The idea of race, as we socially construct it, is not only about small differences but about superiority. The idea of a hierarchy is implicit in the word ‘race’.

Moreover, it forces you to identify yourself with some kind of group. However, since this is a widely accepted term to use in the UK, it would be wrong to accuse someone of using the term ‘race’ as being a racist.

But you might ask the following question: if there are genetic differences between humans and these differences are structured geographically, why would talking about race be an issue for concern?

There are differences among populations.

For example, if you are northern European you are more likely to be lactose tolerant than someone from Polynesia.

We need to acknowledge these biological differences because otherwise we could expose ourselves to practical errors. For instance, some medicines are not recommended if you are from a certain region, because people indigenous to a region may typically not be adapted to certain drugs.

But then, why use the word ‘race’ when we have the words ‘population’ and ‘ethnicity’? It is a bit odd to keep this word. I’m not a strong advocate for political correctness, but the word ‘race’ is not about politics — it’s about a biologically-unfounded division of humanity. And this false division can spill over into questions of ethnicity. To put it one way, why does the university need to know my ethnicity and not about my lactose tolerance? This is a characteristic I inherited from my parents and that differentiates me from other people of different geography and genetics. If they need my race because they need to be able to identify me, then they could ask me about others things.

The problem is this: if we consider race to truly exist within humanity, we give support to racist behaviour. When we argue that there are differences among people, and that those differences are sufficient to create groups, some people (falsely) conclude that racial superiority exists. They do this by adding value to one

Photo: Pug50 @ Flickr

of the differentiating factors of that group, and by making the confusion between ethnicity and race that I have previously mentioned. If we want to eradicate racism, we need to stop using the word ‘race’ first.

Sadly, the University of Manchester frequently uses the word ‘race’ in official documents, such as in its Equality and Diversity Policy, and on its website. Indeed, many institutions are still using it in the UK to some extent when the word ethnicity is instead required.

Now, I know it is not the goal of the University to divide us in any way — on the contrary, even. We all saw that new video that quotes the poem We Belong by David Gennard. The first lines are:

“I belong in a place where they are wise, Where I matter, not because of who I am, Here, where the educated learnt to rise.”

This is a good message. But if this message is truly the direction that the University associates itself with, why do they ask for my ethnicity upon registration?

If we let the word race abound, we let

racism abound too. There is, of course, a difference between using the word ‘race’ and being racist. But if we stop using the word, we stop giving a justification to the actions of racists. We can differentiate people genetically and acknowledge that certain characteristics are more present in one population than in another one. But ask any biologist, this is due to natural selection and its creation of populations that suit their environments well. Those differences are not enough to use the word race when talking about humans. And none of these differences imply superiority — they are just present because your ancestors needed them.

Many wars have been waged and genocides committed because of this idea of race. Erasing this word whilst acknowledging our genetic differences and natural abilities is a good idea. But if we understand the term as a social construction, then we can see that this is not an attempt to censor, as there is nothing to censor in the first place.

Opinion11

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Pro-EU intellectuals must speak out

Opinion Writer, Edie Walwyn, argues that those campaigning for a ‘hard’ Brexit demonstrate how elites still fear intelligence I am sure that Theresa May was far too busy creating “a country that works for everyone” to have a Halloween party this year. However, on the off chance that May decided to throw a Halloween bash, I hope that one of the guests attended dressed as an embodiment of the pro-European faction of the British Intelligentsia. After all, it would have truly terrified the knickers off our dear Prime Minister, and they would certainly be in with a shot of winning the prize for the most creative costume.

Theresa May and many of those in support of hard Brexit have tried everything to shut out the voice of those opposed to it, many of whom are students or a part of the Intelligentsia, calling them “unpatriotic”, “bad losers” or “anti-democratic.”

They even started a petition declaring that criticism of Brexit should be considered treason after Article 50 is triggered. Surely if these individuals are as in favour of democracy as they claim to be, they should recognise the importance of democratic freedom of expression that allows the political system to be questioned and, therefore, would not try so incessantly to squash those questioning the conduct and outcome of the referendum.

A likely explanation is that pro-European intellectuals are a terrifyingly rational opposition to a chaotic Brexit and, for that reason, pose a significant threat to Theresa May and the Brexit politicians and supporters (if one can even say that Theresa May “supports” Brexit).

Taking Brexit out of the equation entirely, more generally speaking, society and the establishment’s distrust of intellectuals, thinkers and questioners, is a tale as old as time. According to the creation story from one of the world’s major religions,

Christianity, the fall of human beings stems from the fact that God caught Adam and Eve eating an apple from the Tree of Knowledge. In other words, according to Genesis, mankind is condemned with mortality. Us ladies are cursed with feeling that our bodies are ripped in half during childbirth, all because they were tempted into wanting to possess knowledge. Perhaps this is a misinterpretation on my part, but that does not a seem like a particularly endearing representation of intellectual curiosity.

“I do hope that one of the guests at Mrs. May’s halloween bash attended dressed as an embodiment of the British Intelligentsia” So why would the writer of Genesis want to portray this dismissive representation of knowledge?

Genesis is not the only piece of literature to present this argument — often the pursuit of knowledge is shown as something threatening, something that is associated with sly behaviour or wickedness.

One of the main characteristics that Euripides gives Medea in order to establish her as an evil character is her unique intelligence and gift for alchemy (forget the fact that she murders her own

Photo: UK Parliament @ Flickr

children). So why does Western literature treat intelligence, and a desire to question the world around us, with such an inherit distain? Is not thinking, and questioning the world around us, a distinct sign of freedom and democracy? Is it not a good thing?

Aside from propaganda, the arts and sciences have always been a threat to the establishment, in any country, under any leader, at any given time period. It is no coincidence that artists and intellectuals that are not openly in favour of a certain regime are usually amongst the first to be shoved in the Gulags, concentration camps or prisons.

Often, when a scientist has discovered something that goes against whichever political system they are living under, they might magically disappear or be found having tragically accidentally fallen on a knife. Luckily we live in twenty-first century Britain, where the worst that can happen to someone who speaks out against a system of any kind is a bit of innocent threatening, perhaps an online death threat or two.

Back to Brexit. The lashing out against, and threatening of, those of us who are speaking out against

the United Kingdom’s leaving the European Union has increased in the aftermath of the referendum — as has the racism that has exploded in our society.

Unfortunately, this distrust of thinking, and questioning, has been in the bubbling core of our society long before June 23rd 2016. It does feel as though any attempt to criticise Brexit, or rationally discuss the various options that the United Kingdom should be exploring, is simply shot down by hate, anger and reverse snobbery.

Students who speak out are accused of being “lazy” because their age group had the lowest turnout. But chances are, if they feel strongly enough about the subject to actually write an article about it, they probably voted on June 23rd.

However, this threat, and suspicion, has not discouraged the intellectuals and students throughout history, and should not discourage them now.

So, if anyone did turn up at Theresa May’s door this Halloween dressed as any 21st century intellectual, she may have slammed the door in your face but take it as a compliment, her malice is out of fear of what you can do.

The TEF: a Trojan Horse into Higher Education Manchester Students’ Union’s Education Officer argues that the Teaching Excellence Framework threatens to inject further elitism into Higher Education

The so-called Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) is a part of the Higher Education and Research Bill that is currently going through the House of Lords. It has been advertised as an innovative way to measure quality teaching, and to make teaching quality on par with research for assessing universities’ reputations.

But the TEF has been described as a ‘Trojan Horse’ for increasing fees at universities around the country. Similar to how the Greek soldiers tricked the Trojans into letting them into their city, when allowed to pass through the gates of universities, the TEF will reveal its true nature and have a devastating impact upon the Higher Education sector.

It will allow ‘gold’ universities to hike up their fees, whilst ‘bronze’ universities will stay at £9000 a year, turning the sector into more of a marketplace.

Ultimately, this will lead to more of an elitist American-like system, in which the richest students will attend the ‘best’ universities whilst poorer students will miss out.

“This will lead to more of an elitist system, in which the richest students will attend the ‘best’ universities whilst poorer students will miss out” Another reason as to why the TEF is slipping sneakily into the sector is the cloud cast in the national press (understandably) by Brexit and the U.S. election. This dangerous policy has been in the shadows — it is passing through unnoticed.

There is no doubt that teaching excellence should be recognised more at universities. But the TEF is simply a mechanism which will be used by the government to split universities between fee tiers.

It is also very clear that the creators of the TEF do not actually care about teaching excellence. The

Facebook and our website.

Some Students’ Unions around the country are opting for a boycott of the National Student Survey (the NSS), as it is the only metric of the TEF that students can act on. The NSS boycott would be a fierce battle between the University and the Union, and it is likely we will burn bridges and lose negotiating power in the process. At present, we believe it is better to actively work with University staff on the TEF instead of working against them.

Photo: British Council

Emma Atkins Contributor & SU Education Officer metrics used to give universities their gold, silver, or bronze awards (the National Student Survey, dropout rates, and the jobs and salaries students get after graduation) do not measure quality teaching. It is an insult to our best lecturers and tutors that they will be scrutinised in this way.

Moreover, every contribution that HE experts have given in policy consultation for has fallen on deaf ears. Those who know teaching quality the best — namely, lecturers, academics, or students — have not constructed the TEF. Instead, it is being imposed on universities based on the government’s ideological agenda to introduce a competitive market.

Manchester Students’ Union has been working hard to tackle the TEF. Unfortunately, this time the issue is more complicated to explain than, say, the outrageous £3000 to £9000 fee increase. We launched our ‘TEFinitely Not’ campaign with a twominute video made in collaboration with Manchester Metropolitan and Salford Universities to explain

the consequences of the TEF in more detail. You can find it on YouTube or on our website.

“We are holding an event next Tuesday in Academy 3 to give an opportunity for students to find out more about the TEF” We are holding an event next Tuesday in Academy 3 to give an opportunity for students to find out more about the TEF. There will be speakers, banner making, and an open-mic set. We are taking students down to the National Demo in London on buses for £5 return. All our events can be found on

“If the University decides to enter the TEF by the deadline of the 26th of January, we will seriously consider the option of joining the NSS boycott” We are also taking this stance because the deadline for applying to enter the TEF is the 26th of January 2017. Crucially, the TEF is not compulsory.

Therefore we are lobbying the University to reject the implementation of the TEF at Manchester before this deadline. This includes bringing up arguments against the TEF at various University committees, boards, and groups, as well as in personal meetings with University staff. We are also educating Part-Time Officers and Student Reps on this issue, so they too can bring it up at with the University.

However, if the University of Manchester decides to enter the TEF by the deadline of the 26th of January , we will seriously consider the option of joining the NSS boycott. We will distribute more information if the time comes.

If you’d like more information about the TEF, email Emma at emma.atkins@manchester.ac.uk

Music

12

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Live

Live

Live: The Lumineers

Live: Daughter

23rd October at O2 Apollo

The Lumineers delivered a dynamic display of their talents in an emotional and passionate show, writes Ruth Foran Ruth Foran Contributor

9/10

The Lumineers, having previously played in the city as the support act for The Civil Wars, took Manchester by storm last night as they embarked on the first leg of their UK Tour. Bringing their new number one album Cleopatra to life, as well as giving the audience many of their already loved songs such as the famous ‘Ho Hey’ and the all singing, all dancing ‘The Big Parade.’

The opening act was Bahamas, a Canadian band with an interesting dynamic, delivering multiple songs with a breezy, relaxed feel, some even sounding tropical in parts. Lead singer, Afie Jurvanen, had no trouble getting this much older audience up on their feet. Surprising the audience with controlled but seemingly effortless, smooth guitar solos, this act set the perfect energy in order to welcome The Lumineers on to the stage. The Apollo was brimmed to the doors, filled with a lovely and homely atmosphere.

To say The Lumineers are talented is a complete understatement. From the word ‘Go’, each member gave nothing but maximum effort and charisma, completely dominating the stage with each song.

The stage was filled with various instruments — guitars, cello, percussion, piano, mandolins — which each member played at various points in the show, showcasing each of their talents. The stage was lit by soft lights, and the band looked just as happy to see the audience as we were to see them. They offered a welcoming vibe, as we watched them fully enjoy themselves the entire night, fist-bumping and offering each other supportive laughs and smiles.

After the best-known hit ‘Ho Hey’, lead singer Wesley Schultz asked the audience to “put their phones away and let’s just be here together” — that we were.

The audience came together and offered the band

24th October at Academy 1

Daughter went bigger, but was it better? Daughter confidently take a step towards rock in their show at the Academy, writes Rebekah Shaw

9/10

Rebekah Shaw Contributor The show opens with drums eerily attuned with the rhythm of a beating heart. This felt apt, as the track — the sombre ‘New Ways’ from Daughter’s latest album Not to Disappear — captures the feeling of trying to break out of a mould whilst retaining some semblance of yourself, reminding the audience that Daughter are no longer afraid of moving into different stylistic territory. The shy and serene Elena Tonra murmurs “I’ve been trying to get out/ find a subtle way out/ not to cross myself out/ not to disappear”, perfectly referencing the meaning behind the album’s title.

“Daughter are comfortable with their bigger, rockier onstage style Photo: Wikimedia Commons

their full attention, phones seeming completely unnecessary. The singer became intimate with the audience, speaking throughout the concert about his father, who died of the cancer 9 years ago — the same kind of cancer which took his grandmother’s life also. He gave a heart-wrenching performance of ‘Long Way From Home’ which left audience members in silent tears. With heavy percussion and beautiful cello harmonies, this band successfully changed their dynamics for each song, offering a range of tones and moods throughout.

As the set ended, each member of the band came together in a group hug to celebrate the success of their set, leaving the audience feeling elated.

For a band that seemingly is yet to be fully appreciated, it is safe to say The Lumineers celebrate every victory in their stride — remaining just as passionate as their fans.

adapted from success at earlier shows, evidential in their ability to capture the huge audience filling the Academy” Now on the second leg of the tour behind Not to Disappear, Daughter are comfortable with their bigger, rockier onstage style adapted from success at earlier shows, evidential in their ability to captivate the huge audience filling the Academy.

The core trio decided to expand their line-up, including a range of brass, percussive instrumentation and backing vocals to fill the intimidating space. Once a band known for its slow and steady, almost hypnotic drumming — courtesy of Remi Aguilella — Not to Disappear showcased tuned percussion and faster, exciting drum patterns,

Photo: BethaanMiller @flickr

and translated into an impressive onstage set-up that took more people to govern.

The refreshingly irate ‘No Care’ was the perfect result of rock influence combined with greater confidence to break out of the melancholy stereotype perpetuated from their first album If You Leave, and proved that band were ready to step up onto a bigger stage. A potential issue with Daughter in a larger venue was in maintaining the level of intimacy these earlier emotive songs had demanded on record. However, Elena’s breathy vocals created waves of calm in this storm of change. Fan favourite ‘Youth’ still elicited the biggest audience response, and although it felt strange to hear people singing along to the tortuous lyrics “we’re setting fire to our insides for fun”, it created an affirmation that fans were still feeling every sentiment of Daughter’s music.

Live

Live: Warehouse Project - Ninja Tune

Oscar Talbot goes undercover to a sinister world of loud bass and murky corners at Ninja Tune’s Warehouse Project 28th October at Warehouse Project, Store Street

Oscar Talbot Contributor

8/10

In the 1973 classic horror film ‘The Wicker Man’ starring Christoper Lee, a conservative Christian policeman investigates an isolated pagan island called Summerisle. Much like Warehouse Project, Summerisle is beset by ritualistic singing and atavistic mating rituals. A desolate area controlled by pervasive forces that are beyond normal comprehension. Central Manchester is an odd place to be sometimes, especially for a night out. You are forced to run the gauntlet of high-vis ‘matey’ bouncers who learnt their manners from Donald Trump and prod and probe you all over. This hard exterior melts away once you get in to the bleary heat and swaying drunks of Store Street.

Ninja Tune is home to some of the biggest names in music right now, with acts such as Roots Manuva, Kate Tempest, Run the Jewels, and Manchester’s own Mr. Scruff all signed to the label. Their line up for the night was phenomenal as it included Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Giles Peterson, and Romare.

Jon Hopkins opened the night in the cavernous main room, weirdly starting by playing ‘This Charming Man’ at full blast as a quick nod to Manchester, but then straight into Hopkin’s idiosyncratic blend of minimalist ebbs and flows. This is accompanied by a psychedelic combination of red and pink hues to match his electronica. His performance of ‘Every Open Eye’

Tracks of the week Cassie Hyde reviews the new tracks of the week, with Marika Hackman excelling festively and a disappointing return for Japandroids

stands out, although I was left with the feeling that he had somewhat limited himself to his sound, although that might be the point.

The crowd at this point were in that sort of bumbling but pushy phase so I snuck out to explore Room 2. Having never listened to Fakear before I was pleasantly surprised. In contrast to the crushing heat of Jon Hopkins, Room 2 is pleasantly draughty with tasteful living room lighting. After Fakear came Romare’s DJ set.

One of the things about Ninja Tune is that many of their acts are unafraid to be fun. Too many nights seem to involve someone playing obtuse minimalist beats, or just taking themselves too seriously. But go to a Mr. Scruff night, or listen to a Romare Boiler Room and it’s just easy, unpretentious fun, which speaks volumes about the skill of the acts.

Bonobo nailed this with a tropicalia-themed set that went on until the early hours, until the warehouse got stickier and slowly empties out. As the sweat condensed on the ceiling it dripped down, adding another unassuming thin layer to the calcified walls. Although this isn’t too different from any other layer it stands as a monument to all those who were there.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Marika Hackman – ‘Driving Under Stars’

Japandroids – ‘Near To The Wild Heart Of Life’

Foxygen – ‘Follow The Leader’

It’s only November, but Marika Hackman has already put out the year’s only (probably) Christmas song. Apart from the obvious classics, most Christmas songs are terrible — simply because they are only about Christmas. ‘Driving Under Stars’, on the other hand, works because it just happens to be about Christmas. The lyrics and instrumentation are fairly Christmassy (read: sleigh bells), but these are subtle and never forced. Blended together with lush, dream pop guitars borrowed from Cocteau Twins, the final product is stellar!

Beloved noise pop outfit Japandroids return with their first song in 5 years, ‘Near To The Wild Heart Of Life’. The music comes thick and fast, with hard drums and belted vocals, but the guitars are cleaner this time around. Here lies the problem; Japandroids have never exactly been great lyricists, yet corny lyrics often work when the music itself is raw. Without their characteristic rawness, the song simply doesn’t quite work. If this is the 5th or 6th best song on the new album, things should turn out fine — not to say this song is bad, per se. It just isn’t very good either!

After the 24-track shit show that was …And Star Power, Foxygen return with new track ‘Follow The Leader’.

The track’s highlight is undoubtedly the 40-piece orchestra which, along with the crisp production, brings the track to life. It’s just a shame that the track itself simply isn’t that great. Foxygen have always been given flak for wearing their influences on their sleeve, particularly Bowie and The Rolling Stones, but at least before their last album the songs Foxygen put out were actually pretty good! Overall, this song feels like all polish and no substance — disappointing.

Music13

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

30days40songs - The Art of the Protest Song Jacob Hopkins explores the 30days40songs project - a rare revival of protest music in the build-up to the US Presidential Election Jacob Hopkins Contributor

Noel Gallagher — a man not otherwise known for his admiration of Margaret Thatcher — once complained that without such a divisive political figure in the world, the modern arts had essentially become boring and self-satisfied. Of course, this was back in the heady days of 2012, when all we had to go on were the Ed Milibands and David Camerons of this world — in Noel’s mind, the AOR of politics. Perhaps it’s a happy outcome then that 2016 has brought us meatier political frames of refer-

ence such as Brexit and quite possibly the most surreal US Presidential Election in modern memory.

By the time you are reading this, the seemingly unstoppable blondmaned controversy magnet Donald Trump may well be packing up in his Trump Tower, ready to move into the White House. Given that his has been such a polarising campaign, it should be no surprise that many musicians have penned songs voicing their displeasure with the idea of Trump at the helm and urging voters not to back him (or perhaps more appropriately, to fire him), and the ‘Artists For A Trump-Free America’ group are aiming to bring these efforts into a collective.

Their 30days40songs project (up from 30 songs — they added an extra 10 songs in once the campaign kicked off) brings these artists together in “a playlist of songs Donald Trump will hate” (the Washington Post’s words rather than The Donald’s). Most of these are freshly-written and incorporate some very big names such as Franz Ferdinand, Death Cab For Cutie, Moby, Hüsker Dü’s Bob Mould and Loudon Wainwright, as well as lesser-known artists. I have picked out a range of personal highlights in the list below.

Franz Ferdinand – ‘Demagogue’: This track, which brought my attention to the 30days40songs project, manages to simultaneously show the pros and cons of writing music protesting against current affairs. Yes, it’s a great, catchy, yet vicious slice of 9/4 time dance-punk visioning “those pussy grabbing fingers” on the nuclear button … but it just feels a little bit unfinished by the time it reaches a piano coda. If only they didn’t have an election campaign they needed to fit this into.

Death Cab For Cutie – ‘Million Dollar Loan’: The only song on the list to have received a shout out from The Donald himself so far — it shouldn’t be a surprise that he was no great fan of hipster-folk even before they were giving out advice on starting “a business the old-fashioned way” with that infamous ‘small’ loan. Surprisingly, it’s stripped back and satirical rather than an outwardly angry song, but does its job of ridiculing Trump well enough.

Thao – ‘Before You Vote’: Minimalistic with pounding drums and harrowing vocals telling us that “he doesn’t care about you and he doesn’t care about me”. It’s the polar opposite of Death Cab’s snarky, lo-fi effort but all the more effective for being so direct.

Moby and the Homeland Choir/Void Pacific Choir – ‘Trump Is On Your Side/Little Failure’: Two interesting tracks examining one of the apparent paradoxes which I feel has been missing from a lot of the Trump coverage — how many Americans are understandably furious at having been let down by the ‘elite’, and yet throw what faith they have left in someone who entirely encapsulates said elite. Moby and his collaborators manage one hell of a contrast as well, with gorgeous folky instrumentation too on the former, with industrial fury bleeding into dance on the latter track.

Ledinksy – ‘DonaldTrumpMakesMeWannaSmokeCrack’: Deserves a mention for the title alone. Yes, it’s all one word.

The genres in the collection are wide enough here that this could almost be an anthology of American music, from traditional folk songs (Andrew St. James’ ‘Makin’ America Great Again’), through alternative rock and grunge (Mission of Burma – ‘Panic Is No Option’), to modern genres such as the takedown rap of Clipping’s ‘Fat Fingers’ and even trap (jpegmafia’s ‘I Might Vote For Donald Trump’). In a similar sense, the collection could also be seen as an anthology of lines of attack on Trump – gun control (Mirah’s ‘No Guns No Guns’), attitudes to women (Ani deFranco’s ‘Play God’) and minorities (Helado Negro’s ‘Young Latin and Proud’) stand out amongst many others.

I would recommend visiting the website (www.30days30songs.com) to get a feel for how the crazy world that is 2016 may well be revitalising the art of the protest song. At the time of writing, there are four songs left to go and I am genuinely interested to see how they’ll turn out — so interested, perhaps I might forget about the whole mess of an election the songs are protesting in the first place.

Album

Album

Album: Lady Gaga - Joanne

Album: American Football - LP2

Lady Gaga’s new LP is a Wild West shock to the Little Monsters’

American Football’s long-awaited LP2 fails to differentiate itself from its Released 21st October via Polyvinyl acclaimed predecessor

systems, writes Alexandra Bickell Released 21st October via Interscope Alexandra Bickell Contributor As a staunch Lady Gaga fan, I was expecting to love her fifth studio album as much as her previous offerings – wild, glitzy, electropop productions to ‘Just Dance’ to. Joanne is completely different, a country music extravaganza with none of the outlandishness that made Gaga famous. The genre swap is sudden and it feels like a different artist entirely.

It seems as though Gaga has invented a new character, Joanne, for this album, named after her late paternal aunt. Joanne (incidentally also Lady G’s middle name) is country music’s version of Elle Woods, composed of likeability and empowerment swathed in glaring pink ‘Americano’. The only hint of the ‘old’ Gaga that we see is with ‘Perfect Illusion’. Even this is a lot more mainstream than some of her work on Artpop, although this could be Mark Ronson’s effect on the track — he has a habit of ‘mainstreaming’ songs for more alternative artists, as he did with ‘Valerie’ by Amy Winehouse.

The first track on Joanne, ‘A-YO’, is a foot stomper, with plenty of hand clapping and strong guitars. It’s a good song — but it doesn’t stand out. It doesn’t particularly showcase Gaga’s vocal talent, nor does it use any of her typically biting lyrics. In short, it sounds like every other post-2000 country song, which to me at least, is not a good thing.

After ‘A-YO’, the album mellows out significantly, with more restraint and less ‘Ap-

5/10

Photo: Album Artwork

plause’. The paired-back style is very unlike the Gaga that we know, but there are several songs that are still technically great. A particular stand out is the collaboration between her and Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine fame. The two voices are both excellent and they match well, building each other up rather than working in competition.

Joanne is a difficult album to place. It contains great vocals from Lady Gaga, but none of the performance aspect that is crucial to so much of her work and indeed to her usual fan base. It feels like Gaga is trying to distance herself from her past music and show a more mature side, but in doing so we lose some of the ‘Million Reasons’ why she is so successful. After Perfect Illusion’s relatively poor record sales, it will be interesting to see how Joanne fairs with Gaga’s Little Monsters.

Harry Sherrin Contributor American Football’s second release, a self-titled LP (LP2) follows a much cherished and also self-titled debut (LP1), an album that fostered obsession and pioneered a genre. Though LP1 was somewhat neglected initially, with the band breaking up shortly after its release, the following years saw the album surge in popularity. It incited not only a fearfully devoted cult following, but also an unfaltering barrage of gruelling, twee college-rock bands. The album’s popularity, though, was well founded; it somehow remained comforting and accessible, despite its asymmetric rhythms and irregular time signatures. Frontman Mike Kinsella’s unfeigned lyrics of angst and heartbreak grounded the album in a stirring warmth.

With that debut, a blueprint in the genre of ‘emo’ was founded, one that’s since been tirelessly praised and mimicked, but never replicated.

It is in the context of LP1 becoming some sort of emo bible, then, that we must remember that reunions should often be approached with apprehension, lest they follow nearly two decades of hiatus. Thankfully, American Football’s live reunion in 2014 warranted no such apprehension — it was an undeniable triumph, giving the band’s long devoted fans a tempting offering of nostalgia after years of neglect. The live shows were so well received that the news of new material, landing in 2016, sparked fears that it might tarnish their now seemingly perfect legacy.

LP2 comes to the scene, then, with enormous shoes to fill. This is the album’s first and greatest obstacle — that it will be tirelessly compared to its predecessor. Tracks like ‘Give Me the Gun’ and ‘Everyone Is Dressed Up’ do genuinely succeed in replicating the first album’s magic, harking back to old favourites like ‘Stay Home’ and ‘Never Meant’. The album at times sounds barely distinguishable from that of its pre-

6.5/10

Photo: Album Artwork

decessor, with off-beat drum parts and tricky guitar work taking precedence once again. But this is as far as LP2 succeeds; it breaks no new ground and explores no new sounds.

There are instances, moreover, where the album does genuinely falter; the lyrics being a key example.

Cheesy, self-deprecating lyrical clichés, prevalent throughout the album and indeed the genre, seem unconvincing when compared to LP1’s moving words of youth. Lines like “I need a drink or two or three or four, to spend any time alone with me anymore”, though serious in content, come across clunky and insincere.

Perhaps it’s the knowledge that the words are coming from a man approaching forty that is most affecting.

Herein lies the biggest problem of the album — if it had been released a year or two after the band’s debut, it would be an untarnishing development in the band’s career. But after seventeen years, the album stands as just another copy, admittedly a well-crafted one, of its tirelessly copied predecessor.

Music

14

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Live

Live: George the Poet

Top 5: Halloween dance tracks

Rapper, spoken word artist and political activist George the Poet displays his skill with words in a charming performance, writes Calum Pinder 23rd October at Band on the Wall

Calum Pinder Contributor

8/10

Photo: abidainton @flickr

As we walk into Band on the Wall the atmosphere is relaxed, people mill about with their drinks and there’s no great feeling of anticipation of the act to come. This isn’t surprising. The London born rapper-poet performing tonight has only one EP and a number of singles available to listen to. And, given the variety of style and subject of his available music, it’s safe to say the punters here tonight don’t know what to expect from George the Poet.

The lights dim and the crowd turns its attention to the stage. Accompanying band, The Composers, take their place in front of drums, keys, and bass and begin to play a building jazzy backing.

George Mpanga’s voice comes through from offstage, setting the scene for the show. As the music builds he walks onstage smart and smiling and the night begins. Opening with brand new track ‘Wake Up’ George the Poet’s careful and considered delivery is enthralling.

He appears to speak directly to the crowd and it is hard to turn away for a moment.

Despite playing some previously released tracks, the show focused on following a narrative rather than performing hits. The result of using this format was an interesting and engaging spectacle.

George confidently weaved between songs and poems tackling different issues from Brexit, through unplanned pregnancy to climate change, directing his listeners to take action through a variety of social activism organisations. The gaps between songs were hardly identifiable as Mpanga talked to the audience with such flow and rhyme that it could have been meticulously rehearsed.

Musically, The Composers and George the Poet complimented each other well, each giving the other space to exhibit their respective huge amounts of talent. The instrumental hip-hop and jazz was the perfect backdrop for Mpanga’s casual but melodic spoken word.

As George the Poet jumped from topic to topic, transitioning between them with ease and charm, it’s not hard to see why he’s being billed as one of the best upcoming political spoken word artists around.

Photo: Netflix

Halloween is over and although it may be time to pack away your ketchup-stained t-shirts and white contact lenses, that doesn’t mean you have to start listening to Christmas music straight away. If, like me, you still feel like getting your spook on, then you may be interested in these ghoulish tunes .

Charlotte Ridout Contributor 5. ‘Spooky Scary Skeletons’ (Remix) – The Living Tombstone

Live

Live: KT Tunstall 27th October at Albert Hall

Even though it was released three years ago, ‘Spooky Scary

After a kaleidoscopic performance, KT Tunstall is certainly no shrinking violet, concludes Jeni Lambert

Jeni Lambert Contributor

Skeletons’ lives on through meme-fuelled infamy. If this isn’t on your Halloween playlist then really, what are you doing?

7/10

As audience members took a pew upon the balcony of the Albert Hall on 27th October, I gazed around in awe. An Albert Hall virgin, I was stunned by the omnipotent aura that hummed from the walls of this resurrected Wesleyan chapel adorned with elegant stained glass windows. It was like looking out from inside a Christmas bauble nestled between dimly lit fairy lights. Following the atmospheric force of Braids, whose music is best suited for a stroll through Elven Rivendell, the ritualistic murmur of the crowd buzzed through the venue in eager anticipation of KT Tunstall.

Tunstall took to the stage with a Joan Jett-esque swagger, depicting an effortless confidence that shrouded her in an armour of seeming immortality. Tunstall could have commanded any arena— although she slightly erred towards pantomime interaction at times — yet she blurred the boundary between performer and audience and could just as easily have been our best pal performing at an open mic.

Gems such as ‘Other Side Of The World’ and ‘Suddenly I See’ were little pieces of home for Tunstall fans, eliciting an implicit desire to put our arms round each other as we sang in unison.

Songs such as ‘It Took Me So Long To Get Here (But Here I Am)’ fell flat, a wash of beige watercolour that lacked the spark of songs like ‘Evil Eye’ and ‘Madame Trudeaux’. Firm fan favourite ‘Black Horse

4. ‘Stranger Things’ – Main Theme (C418 Remix) ‘Stranger Things’ became the knockout hit of the summer, paying homage to 80s horror fiction and sci-fi like never before. If you’re looking for a more relaxed vibe, this is the track for you.

3. ‘The Other Side’ – Pendulum Drum and bass fans will be familiar with this classic from Pendulum. ‘The Other Side’ doesn’t go as hard as Pendulum’s later stuff so works well as a playlist filler if you don’t mind having horrifying flashbacks to whatever you looked like in 2008.

Photo: Jeni Lambert

And The Cherry Tree’ was a highlight, exhibiting her gravelly, soulful vocals to their finest.

Watching Tunstall perform was like immersing oneself into a sea of shattered kaleidoscope pieces, a new world to be explored with fascination as it twists, turns, and morphs into every conceivable colour. Tunstall is certainly no shrinking violet and we shall await further revelations of the versatility of her raw talent.

2. ‘After Life’ – Tchami feat. Stacy Barthe This ethereal future house number asks the question “Where do I go in the afterlife?”. I don’t know the answer but if they have music there, I hope the basslines are as bouncy as this one.

Live

1. ‘Ghost’ – Mystery Skulls (Fred Falke remix)

Live: Banco de Gaia & Dr. Trippy

The original track by Mystery Skulls is a solid addition to any playlist, but this remix gives the cheery tune a darker

Oscar Talbot covers a night of music so overtly druggy Theresa May wants to ban it under the Psychoactive Substances Act 21st October at Band on the Wall Oscar Talbot Contributor

tone with minor chords and an 80s-style backing.

6/10

Photo: wetribe @flickr

Banco de Gaia are an ambient trance band that are well known for their samples of Indian raga music and Arabic instrumentals.

By and large, their songs are fairly long and create a layering effect, with a hypnotic combination of unusual samples expertly paired with reggae-influenced dance music. This has great potential to become somewhat staid and soporific, but the expert arrangement and energetic performance mostly manages to avoid this. However, some of their less dance-influenced songs did leave me wishing that they could move on a bit. Sometimes they descended into yoga levels of relaxation, and rather than

Trippy employed the full gamut from Mr Skeletal to the Oogachaka Baby, mixed with bizarre fractals and gifs of a dancing Cristo Redentor. All of this accompanied by a man who looked like John Peel dressed as the Mighty Boosh’s Hitcher, and your mate Steve who lives in Afflecks and is obsessed with steam punk.

Dr Trippy’s music was highly dub influenced, but easily danceable which built up to regular peaks. It was quite similar to Banco de Gaia, but with a more pronounced Massive Attack influence.

Maybe I’m not sufficiently involved in the trance scene, but I found Dr Trippy somewhat more enjoyable, partly because it was much

playing to their minimalism it instead became a shade liturgical as 70-odd 40 year olds rediscovered recreational substance abuse.

While Banco de Gaia chose to accompany their music to a background of what looked to be Windows Media player visualizer effects, in sharp contrast the support act, Dr Trippy, chose to unleash the full power of memes. Clearly a veteran 4channer, Dr

easier to dance to, although while Banco de Gaia sometimes were guilty of lacking variety Dr Trippy was guilty of spreading himself too thinly between disparate genres, meaning he sometimes lacked coherence.

A final shout out to Dr Trippy, and his wife, Mrs Trippy who were lovely, and to Lee who bought me a CD. I’ll be sure to pass on the karma.

DV.Text.Manc.Full.1.pdf

1

27/10/2016

15:21

01:35 PM

Hey babe where are you? x ?????? ??????

WHERE ARE YOU?!!

C

M

Y

??????

CM

MY

CY

MY

WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!!

K

??????

Fashion & Beauty

16

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

As the winter chill sets in, Sophie Billington provides a guide to alternative means of shopping so you can avoid braving the cold With winter and deadlines fast approaching, it seems like taking a trip all the way into town is becoming increasingly difficult. We find ourselves confined to our cosy warm rooms more and more and are left asking ourselves, how do we keep our wardrobes as fresh and crisp as the outside air that we continually avoid? Fear not, and fear not the cold, for here are some excellent answers. Stay in the know so that you can stay in the warm.

One way to keep shopping with less effort is to get scouring your local charity shops. A charity shop scavenge means that you waste no body warmth (or money) on getting your threads. Small suburbs such as Withington are top spots for charity shops and good finds. If you enjoy the activity of shopping but hate committing to it, this is the one for you because there’s rarely a charity shop too far from home and you won’t have to linger for long to find the few items per shop that are worthy of your personal attention. It’s unlikely that you will want to buy out the whole shop, meaning that you won’t have to spend hours trying on your finds. The money you save and the moral superiority that you might feel in your gracious act of recycling is really just an added bonus.

Physical-effort-saving rating: *** Mental-effort-saving rating: *** Time-saving rating: *** A second way to minimise your effort is by keeping your eye on the internet so that you can search high street shops selectively with types of clothing in mind. There’s little worse than just wanting a new coat and having to travel and explore the seven corners of Zara simply to identify three of them. If you aren’t looking for anything in particular, perhaps look for ‘best selling’. This way you can sit at home on your sofa and enjoy a coffee instead of juggling your take-away cappuccino awkwardly as you flip between hangers.

A good way to save money and time on this is to choose the option ‘price low to high’ if it’s available or to look at mid-season or end-of-season sale sections. Also consider looking at websites such as Etsy for your clothes; thousands of independent sellers from all over the world allow you to maintain an image of exotic travel and activity as you lie in bed pushing guilty thoughts of how you haven’t left the house all weekend to the back of your unexercised mind.

Physical-effort-saving rating: ***** Mental-effort-saving rating: *** Time-saving rating: **

Fashion tactics

While most people have internet-shopped before, a not-so-secret yet very up-and-coming method of lazy shopping is to use Depop. Depop is an open marketplace for clothes and thus traverses both the realms of first and second-hand clothing. Here is a place where you can search not only for specific types of clothing, but also for specific colours, materials, textures, brands. The possibilities are practically endless.

The option to ‘follow’ specific vendors means that you won’t even need to leave your newsfeed to see items tailored to your personal needs and wants. Even better, should you have seen something in store a few seasons ago, deigned not to buy it and experienced endless regret, you could potentially find it with a flick of the finger. This app is the perfect combination of charity shop, Internet shop and eBay: this is the future.

Mental-effort-saving: ***** Physical-effort-saving rating: ***** Time-saving rating: (dependent on your personal level of terrible addiction to the app) Finally, if you really want to save brainpower, you might find fashion solace in the use of the wardrobes of your friends and family. Borrowing (or tactically stealing) items of clothing from your loved ones is an excellent way of avoiding the great outdoors or even organised shopping activity. There’s no mental effort involved here, just predisposed background knowledge: you already know which friends have great style and a similar shoe-size and you know which items of clothing that your siblings won’t miss. Also, this allows you see a few faces to break the monotony of those long sessions that you spend staring at screens whilst cowered against a radiator. As long as you maybe give back to these people, either in the offer of your own quality garments or quality interaction, or perhaps the eventual return of borrowed items, depending on the personalities and tendencies of your fellow beings, you should be able to sustain this as a long-term method of clothing yourself.

Physical-effort-saving rating: **** Mental-effort-saving rating: ***** Time-saving rating: ***** Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Sophie Soar reviews Manchester Art Gallery’s exhibition Fashion and Freedom

Exhibition review: Fashion and Freedom

Photos: The Mancunion

A hundred years ago, the world was in the midst of the Great War. It was a war that saw the evolution of military weapons dramatically accelerated, and millions of men dead or wounded in catastrophic circumstances. It was also the war that enabled women a greater liberation than they had ever experienced before.

Whilst the modern standpoint views the First World War as an unthinkable carnage and waste of human life, it was, at the time, immensely popular amongst civilians. Men excitedly signed up to defend their country whilst many women watched and waited as their brothers, husbands, sons, and fathers marched off to the Frontline.

However this time was also that of the suffragette, the rise of female empowerment and their offensive domestic tactics. The widespread bloodshed and seemingly endless number of lives lost called more and more men away from their professional duties and towards a crash course in military combat.

Therefore, hundreds of thousands of job posts were abandoned, with an easy — yet for many incomprehensible — solution: female labour.

Following the constrictions of the out-dated, stereotyped Victorian gender roles, women sought greater liberty, the right to vote, and the right to have their voice heard. Therefore, thousands leapt at the opportunity to prove their worth in the absence of Britain’s male workforce. From work in industrial sectors, munitions factories, and even on the Frontline as ambulance drivers and nurses, women across the country stepped up to the mark and shocked the world by proving that women can work just as well as men.

At Manchester Art Gallery, the exhibition Fashion and Freedom: 14-18 NOW celebrates the role women played during to the First World War, the liberty they fought for at the start of the twentieth century, and the evolution of fashion as a result of this advancement towards gender equality.

The exhibition cleverly incorporates a variety of sectors. There are designs that envision female oppressions, including a representation of the metaphorical padlock upon a woman’s voice and a dress demonstrating the confines of corseted clothing through a wooden structure and angular features.

In addition to these, some designers chose to rework the uniforms of men into dresses, such as those resembling parachutes or flying outfits. Alongside these sit shocking representations of the work of Canary Girls, whose skin was dyed in munitions factories from long exposure to hazardous chemicals such as sulphuric acid.

Whilst the exhibition is small, filling one room alongside a viewing area to watch related fashion videography from SHOWstudio, the information and designs are extensive and immensely varied. The designers also range from recent graduates of universities including Manchester Metropolitan and Salford to the unmistakable designs of Vivienne Westwood, Holly Fulton and Sadie Williams. These contemporary pieces then stand amongst historical designs, including pain-inducing Victorian corsets and intricate flapper dresses.

Whilst the dress designs moved me, I was spellbound by the SHOWstudio videos. A collection of four greatly contrasting films, one entitled Edith effectively demonstrates women’s break from patriarchal control through the strenuous removal of a corset designed by Phoebe English. It is nothing short of cinematic beauty as it tells the story of fashion’s ability to reflect upon societal discord but also Britain’s steps towards a greater equality for women.

The modern designs and contemporary footage allow a deeper connection for our generation to participate in the horrific experiences of war from the female perspective. It narrates the significance of the First World War upon contemporary fashion but also successfully allows the modern viewer a chance to see the evolution of gender politics to what we experience today. It is a must see.

Fashion and Freedom: 14-18 NOW Exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery closes on November 27th 2016. Free Admission.

Fashion & Beauty 17

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

ASOS release Princess Diana inspired collection ASOS and WAH nails founder, Sharmadean Reid, pays tribute to the People’s Princess with their capsule collection Last month, the founder of the hugely successful nail brand WAH, Sharmadean Reid, collaborated with ASOS to launch a tribute capsule collection inspired by the late Princess Diana. Prior to launching WAH nails, Reid created WAH zine, her inspiration for the collection came from a featured page in the magazine. ‘When Di Was Fly’ paid homage to the Princess’ preppy-chic street style that Reid has tried to encapsulate in her collaboration.

According to Reid, the collection is East London meets West London and includes everything you’d expect from a collection paying homage to Diana. From tartan to pearl chokers, this collaboration will definitely have you reaching for your purse. The collection includes not one, but two LBDs. The halter neck blazer dress is a cool spin on the classic black dress but it is the velvet dress that captures one of Diana’s most iconic fashion moments. The dress is reminiscent of the tight, ruched mini-dress by Christina Stambolian that Diana wore to the Serepentine Gallery benefit in 1994 just as a documentary detailing her husband’s affair was airing. Princess Diana oozed confidence and allure; the photograph of her in dress was splashed across the papers, cementing its status as one of her most memorable fashion choices.

Reid has also included a relaxed tailored suit, a preppy cable knit cricket jumper and two pairs of loafers. I’m currently lusting after the velvet heeled loafers with a ribbon ankle tie, a fabulous nod to the nineties trend currently dominating high-street fashion. Reid has given a contemporary spin to Diana’s chic nineties look, creating the ultimate style tribute that the millennials can fully get on board with.

Photo: slagheap @ Flickr

Make me up as me not you

Qiarna Bondswell adds her voice to the current obsession with Instagram beauty, asking if this really is a one size fits all look

Photo: carlibel @ instagram

Our faces have changed. The drag trends of modern day makeup have officially won; women who enjoy makeup are now wearing matte foundation, matte lipsticks, contour, highlight, winged eyeliner, mink eyelashes, and not for their night out — but as their daily mask; I believe the blame lies right in the hands of Instagram and YouTube.

Now before you switch off thinking this is an article about shaming women who wear makeup — this is not the intention of this piece at all, I, too, wear makeup every day. What I want to address is how everyday makeup has become progressively heavy. Whilst you may simply like wearing Kylie Jenner inspired makeup, perhaps we all need to question how flattering this regime is for our faces on an everyday basis. I’m sure many of you will recognise at least one of these figures; Amrezy, Nikkitutorials, Shaaanxo, Tammy Hembrow, Carli Bybel, Desi Perkins, the Instagram and Youtube ‘It’ girls of our generation. I’m sure many of us turn to them once in a while to learn a few makeup looks. But oh my, their social media beauty looks have seriously been influential and seeped into the mainstream and this is seriously tainting individual beauty.

Walking through Manchester city centre I notice so many young girls covered in heavy foundation, overdrawn lips, and matte lipstick the problem is that many these makeup trends taken from Instagram and YouTube are tailored for photography and HD video and thereby in person it frankly looks ridiculous and over the top. However, more frustrating is how these trends are making everyone look like each other and subsequently morph into a similar face.

Maybe you don’t care how heavy your daytime makeup is, maybe you even see your heavy make up as empowering, and that’s your prerogative. I personally would like to see women embrace makeup trends that enhance their personal features and not just take on trends that are en vogue. For instance, if you have a very round or oval face, why try to carve in cheekbones that are not there? Makeup is our aid to enhance beauty not create something that does not exist. Remember contour was born out of drag queens trying to MAKE a female face, not enhance their own natural beauty. Furthermore, if you suffer from dry skin, it is a dewy foundation and creamy lip cream which will brighten up your face, giving you that glow dry skin naturally struggles with. So why reach for that matte lip kit and matte foundation that although will give you the current look ultimately you know it’s not the most flattering for you?

We see images of these flawless makeup looks on Instagram, we then learn how to recreate the steps to these looks through Youtube, and finally we emulate them in real life. However the issue is that we forget a fundamental part — these looks were created for photographing and are suitable for nights out but not for walking around campus. My aim is to simply point out that the ‘InstaTube’ influence is morphing our faces, and this is starting to get out of hand. The message isn’t to be all natural and take off all your makeup; I understand how great makeup can make you feel. Instead try to adopt trends that suit your face on an individual basis and bring out your own distinctive beauty.

Photo: asos.com

When The Mancunion met The Closet

Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse meets with The Closet’s Managing Director Alex Neilson-Clark to find out the goings on in the University of Manchester’s treasure trove

Manchester is a city that has style. There is always opportunities for new, up and coming shops. At the University of Manchester we are fortunate enough to have such a shop in our midst — The Closet.

The Closet opened in February 2016 by a group of students, it is now headed up by Alex Neilson-Clark; a third year Fashion Marketing student who has been involved since the beginning, plus her team of fellow students. You are likely to have noticed The Closet, in between Academy one and the Students Union, a little cubbyhole full of all sorts of vintage treasures. The Closet is a not for profit organisation, with all proceeds donated to Manchester Mind charity and the fantastic causes they support.

Previously, the majority of the stock had been from donations, mainly drop offs and with a few collection bins. This year Alex and her team have adapted a new approach — additional collection bins around campus. Hopefully in Owen’s Park, Withington Library, and the The Students Union, alongside an order from a vintage wholesaler. These changes are the first of many steps being taken to progress the brand of The Closet and establish its position as a vintage shop in Manchester.

First and foremost the plan is to decorate the interior of The Closet so it’s a fun, vibrant, fashionable space. Look out for the upcoming tie-dye event so you can add to wavy vibes inside. Participation, student involvement, and entrepreneurship are fundamental to Alex’s ethos for The Closet, “people really enjoy it, that’s why we do it.” Students who choose to get involved in The Closet don’t just get retail experience; they get business, marketing, PR, visual merchandising, and buying experience.

One of the biggest achievements for Alex and The Closet so far has been organising the first ever Missguided sample sale. How do a group of students manage to achieve such a thing? “we basically just nagged and nagged and nagged them until they answered our call. We said this is what we do, we know that you must have a lot of sample stock as a fast fashion retailer.” Thanks to this level of persistence The Closet were able to give customers a unique shopping experience, “when people were coming to the sample sale they were getting a one-off piece”.

What about the future of The Closet, when Alex has gone off into the big wide working world, will she miss this project? “I’m really attached to how much potential I know this project has, like a crazy amount; I know how well it can do. The good thing about finding the core team is that when you find people with a similar vision you know how determined you can all be together.” It’s fair to say that it’s not just one person who has built up this incredible shop — The Closet is a collective.

Following the huge success of the £1 kilo sale The Closet is planning more events and sales over the coming months. Make sure to stay up to date about when they have fashion film screenings, and, hopefully, maybe, a second Missguided sample sale.

Photo: TheCloset @ instagram

Film

18

ISSUE 07/ 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Top 5

Film Podcasts and Shows

Alasdair Bayman outlines the best podcasts available to get your film-fix

Photo: SomethinElse

Alasdair Bayman Film Critic As busy students, tuning into live radio can sometimes be problematic with all the ‘hard studying’ we do. Yet, whether it is in the morning whilst eating your Weetabix, or in the evening winding down after a busy day, these film podcasts are the perfect antidote to boredom and stress. From the likes of Mark Kermode to Kirsty Young, the array of vernacular articulation on offer is too splendid to bypass. Listen, enjoy, and remember: Hello to Jason Isaacs.

5. The HOME Film Podcast With HOME’s senior visiting curator, Andy Willis and their Artistic Director, Jason Wood, each month the two deliver an in-depth look into the calendar of films ahead in the coming month. What makes this podcast a necessity is the shows academic edge. Both presenters constantly show an encyclopedic knowledge of film and a deep understanding of the preferences of HOME’s audience. Whether it is a feature debut, an auteurs latest release, or a piece of film from world cinema, their picks are always reflective of a constant change in the cinematic landscape. With honesty and sound filmic articulation, the podcast is short, sweet, and looks confidently ahead to arthouses must see films.

4. Sight and Sound’s The Mixing Room: Conversations about Cinema As well as being a magazine, the nation’s best film magazine also verbalises itself in podcast form. Similar in academic style to the formerly mentioned HOME Podcast, Sight and Sound’s The Mixing Room is a round-table discussion between the S&S film critics, who explore new films and trends in the industry. Like the magazine itself, what is produced by the discussions is thoughtful and at the pinnacle of film analysis and discussion.

3. Desert Island Discs Although not specifically a film podcast, the BBC’s Desert Island Discs comes in on this list. If you are like myself and can only spare a few hours a week to listen to shows, then the shorter podcast version is for you. With previous guests such as Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Steve McQueen, and Dustin Hoffman, the show makes guests discuss eight songs which they would take to a hypothetical desert island. Varying from on the bone intimate discussions on the person’s life, or recalling their childhood, Kirsty Young constantly pushes the envelope of what it is to be a radio presenter. Regardless of prestige, the show is authentic in its discussion of life, stardom, and the artist in society.

2. The Next Picture Show Drawing away from the shores of the UK, one finds the American The Next Picture Show to be well worth your time. As a biweekly discussion from the former editorial team of The Dissolve, they inspect how classical films have influenced and shaped modern releases. Scheduled into an hourly discussion on one classic text to a follow up show in a compare and contrast episode, the selection of films is impeccable. With previously discussed films like The Neon Demon and Suspiria, L.A Confidential and The Nice Guys, and also Barton Fink and Hail, Caesar! one simply cannot criticise their spectacular selections.

1. Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review The daddy, the godfather — the pièce de résistance as some would call it — Kermode and Mayo’s 5 Live show, aka Wittertainment, simply cannot be beaten. Aside from its detailed reviews, the cultist aurora that orientates the show places it in a league of its own. With its own Wikipedia in Witterpedia and even its own app, iWittr, there is something magical about the show’s appeal. With extra discussions bookended in the podcast, Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo ramblings on music, film, and life itself are a welcomed sound on long commutes or during essay writing season. How do you listen to the show? You just listen to it.

Review

American Honey

Andrea Arnold’s latest offering about a young girl who leaves home to travel with a free-spirited group of magazine sellers is a tense, yet perfect road movie Jane Simmons Film Contributor Invigorating, haunting, and sweet, Andrea Arnold’s latest instalment American Honey is charged with an electric, youthful atmosphere incomparable to any other film. Arnold’s beautiful natural shots of the American plains, creatures in trees, and weatherly elements create a stunning piece of visual cinema. Juxtaposed against a soundtrack of thumping trap music, this makes for an amusing yet enthralling atmosphere.

It follows eighteen-year-old Star (Sasha Lane), a carefree youth trapped in an isolated Texan abode, tied down by a lecherous stepfather and an indifferent mother. In a chance encounter, she stumbles upon the enigmatic and infectious Jake (Shia LaBoeuf), who persuades her into joining a “mag crew,” a group of teenage stray-aways who party their way round the Midwest selling magazine subscriptions.

Firstly, Star is an unforgettable character.

She’s a character in transit, hardened from a tough life at the beginning of the film, progressing into a happier, more caring character at the end. Lane is excellent in her debut role; she conveys Star’s journey so well, drawing in the audience to root for her during her moments of excitement and joy, and invoking fear and anxiety in moments of sorrow, to the point where you genuinely root for Star, willing on her happiness. Shia LaBoeuf, as one might expect, brilliantly rises to the part as her fiery lover, Jake. The

Photo: Film4 Productions

rest of the cast are an absolute tour-de-force; consisting of a group of young unknown actors, they mesh together fantastically to create an ensemble of lost souls, who you care deeply for. Riley Keough is intimidating as the tribe’s cold leader, Krystal. All of the bizarre primal moments that take place within the group are also gripping to watch; in one scene, the two worst sellers of the week engage in an alcohol-fuelled fist-fight — both a terrifying and enthralling sight to watch.

Uplifting American Honey may be, but with Star’s reckless lifestyle comes the inevitable danger and threat that this life carries. There are several excruciating moments, one so uncomfortable that the audience can barely breathe, shifting uncomfortably in their seats.

It would seem that there is nothing that can be criticised about American Honey.

With a running time of two hours fortythree minutes, this may be a tough watch for some to sit through, but for those who resonate with its unusual story this is a blessing rather than a curse. This is a mustsee for fans of Andrea Arnold; keeping to the same themes in Red Road and Fish Tank, she explores young, disadvantaged women in cruel places, and their journeys through these challenging environments.

Nevertheless, whether you are familiar with Andrea Arnold or not, American Honey is one to watch — a bittersweet, tender film that will stay in your mind long after the credits have rolled.

4/5

Review

Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Stanley Kubrick’s classic reduces the horror of the Cold War into a dark but timeless comedy Luke Ball Film Contributor

In 1964 there was Vietnam, Apartheid, the Berlin wall and all other manner of shit. In 2016 we have Isis, Zika and The Magnificent Seven Remake. Fifty two years may have passed but there’s still a niggling sensation that everything is fucked and we’ve ruined everything and it’s all bad and it’s laundry day but the metre hasn’t been topped up but it’s Sunday so the shop’s closed — oh let it end, please let it end. So you’re confronted by two options: Find a tall building and throw yourself off, or just sort of laugh manically at it all.

So there I was prepped to hurl myself off the Arndale car park (tall, accessible) when I got an email about free tickets to a screening of Stanley Kubrick’s film Dr. Strangelove. Negotiating the ladders and steps towards the street I remembered vaguely watching the film a few years ago. The main things I took away from it were the following: It was black and white and had a long title. I hoped this time I would get a little bit more out of the viewing experience.

The film — in short — is about the cold war, mutual destruction, superpower nations, and thus individuals. Turn out it’s pretty sick.

Stop the press! Halt production! A student newspaper endorses a critically revered film! Pointless gushing aside the screening was pretty enlightening; there was a pre-screening talk on the late set designer Ken Adam — the mind behind Dr. No’s meticulously detailed sets — and how the genuinely iconic ‘war room’ added to the ridiculousness of the authorities behind nuclear power. Each setting (the war room with the brilliantly named ‘big board,’ the cowboy occupied warplane and a rogue army base) perfectly

Photo: Columbia Pictures

blends a sense of damnation with an eclectic range of comedy, and Peter Sellers is so good he makes Nazism into some morbid carry-on film. Also there are so many switches, like at least twenty switches are flicked throughout this film, which is probably the best reason for seeing anything ever.

The film’s real accomplishment is, in my view, that it sees all of this chaos and pretty terrifying subject matter and sort of makes a silly face. It takes a brave filmmaker to see the men (and it’s always men) in authority and portray them as pathetic dick-swinging toddlers squabbling over their own pride. And that mocking disregard for severity translates perfectly to 2016 and its generation of millennials whose biggest cultural donation so far is a frog on a unicycle saying ‘o shit whaddup!’ 1964 and 2016 might seem worlds away but Dr Strangelove disarms the doomed nature of both years perfectly. It’s not actually playing at HOME anymore since the viewing was a one off, but I’m sure you can think of a way to watch it. So put down the gun, untie the noose, pull up your jeans and watch it.

Film 19

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

TV Catch Up

Black Mirror Series Three Black Mirror series three is exactly as expected: A clumsy and blundering criticism of the modern world Eliza Slawther Head Film Editor The long-anticipated third series of Black Mirror was released on Netflix in October 2016, and reactions have been as divided as expected.

One of the main criticisms that Black Mirror has faced since its release in 2011 is that it can, at times, come across as a heavyhanded attempt to warn against technological advancements, social media and the true evil that lies within human beings.

Perhaps I’m simply far too cynical of the show, but I feel that this criticism is more than fair. Brooker is always keen to emphasise that the show’s intention is not to simply finger-wag at technology, and yet this is exactly how the new series feels as a whole. The show speaks for itself, no matter how much the production and publicity team try to convince us that we’re watching and understanding it wrong. The main problem with the show is that it is so incredibly obvious in its message. Black Mirror is a little bit like Orwell’s 1984 — poignant and impressive when you first read it aged 16 — but much less insightful as time goes on.

Black Mirror at its best is interesting, subversive television which makes worthwhile viewing even for its harshest critics.

Black Mirror at its worst is cringeinducing, with poor dialogue and a complete lack of faith in humanity and technology — an

attitude that is never going to endear itself to the younger audience. For me, the pilot episode of series three, ‘Nosedive’, was the worst possible way to introduce a new series. The problem with parodying social media, Instagram, and the narcissism and falseness involved in all of these is that they already parody themselves in the real world.

Any semi-intelligent person can look at the Instagram of someone whose life appears to be perfect and know that it isn’t real life.

Nobody really, truly bases their entire self-worth off these apps, because in general humans are self-aware enough to know that yes, social media is a huge part of day-to-day life, but no— it is not the be all and end all. It is this sort of attitude that makes Black Mirror appear clumsy and unrealistic. The ideas and critiques feel dated at times, and at other times remind me of the sort of warning videos that I was shown in school about protecting myself online. “Cover your laptop camera!”, “don’t cyber-bully people!”. We’ve all heard it all before.

Another problem with the latest Black Mirror series is that it is also blazingly clear how much money Netflix has pumped into the show. This has had a detrimental effect on the quality of writing and given the show a false, all-American glaze. The exact glaze that it intends to critique, some may interpret this as further adding to the authenticity of the dream-like dystopia

projected, but in my opinion it is overbearing. As observed by a friend of mine, Black Mirror was at its best when it was a distinctly British show. Now it comes across as far too glossed, too Hollywood, and it has (for the most part) lost the ability to connect with the viewer through the premise that the same terrible situation or event or misunderstanding could happen to them.

Netflix may as well make some spinoffs of The Truman Show while they’re at it.

This being said, there were some excellent moments in Black Mirror. If you can forgive the clumsiness of drone bees, (did anybody hear, the bees are going extinct? Well, now you know!) refugees made to appear un-human and a desire to eradicate undesirable genetics then the series does have its moments of greatness. ‘Playtest’, episode 2, is genuinely quite terrifying. The genuine humanity in episodes 3 and 4— ‘Shut Up

and Dance’ and ‘San Junipero’ respectively— certainly had the desired emotional impact that other episodes failed to induce.

Yet these episodes were still somewhat predictable, and all too easily forgotten.

Black Mirror has had its day, and I think that with each series the heavy-handed predictability of each episode has only increased further. Black Mirror was once a sickeningly honest glance to the future, to the moral deterioration of society that could one day become a reality, but it is now a parody of itself that is going nowhere fast. Somewhere deep down, I was hoping for Black Mirror to be as striking, emotive and original as it once was, yet I am not surprised that the third series did not fulfil these hopes.

Overall rating for the series:

2.5/5

Photo: Netflix

Review

Doctor Strange

Photo: Marvel Entertainment

Cameron Broome Film Contributor A classic American superhero film produced by Marvel Studios, Doctor Strange can be enjoyed by an audience of all ages. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch as fictional superhero Doctor Stephen Vincent Strange, the film really does offer something for everyone.

The fourteenth film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel-obsessives will find themselves frothing at the mouth. But the great thing about Doctor Strange is that the audience can watch it is a stand-alone film and still understand the plot in all its complexity.

Doctor Strange is an arrogant neurosurgeon who loses the use of his hands in a car accident. After weeks of unsuccessful self-experimentation on his hands, Strange hears about a man named Jonathan Pangborn: a paraplegic who was able to walk again, mysteriously defying the laws of modern science. Intrigued by his remarkable story, Strange meets Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt) who directs him to a secret compound in Kathmandu, Nepal known as Kamar-Taj. Sceptically, Strange travels to Kamar-Taj and meets a sorcerer, “the Ancient One” (Tilda Swinton), who teaches mystic arts and confirms she had taught Pangborn. Desperate to heal his hands, Strange begs to be taught by the sorcerer. Reluctantly, the Ancient One agrees and so Strange’s mystical arts tutelage begins.

At the heart of the film is a concept known as the Astra Plane. Popularised by neo-Rosicrucianism and Theosophy during the late 19th and early 20th century, the Astra Plane is an intermediate plane of existence between earth and heaven. In Doctor Strange, the Astra Plane specifically refers to the realm

Marvel-obsessive or merely a general amateur film buff, Doctor Strange’s lively plot will certainly get your heart racing of minds, which individuals can access by projecting their minds onto this realm. Moreover, the film seeks to destabilise Cartesian subjectivity.

“I think therefore I am” are the famous words of 17th-century French philosopher René Descartes, alluding to the idea the mind and the body are separate. The film, however, suggests that the body and the mind are intrinsically linked. The film also makes constant reference to a “multiverse”, questioning the notion of a singular universe but instead suggesting infinite possible universes exist.

The most powerful scene in the film is the scene in which the Ancient One is dying. As she is dying, the Ancient One’s Astral projection (basically her “spirit”) floats off to talk to Strange, also in Astral form. With time seemingly frozen, the two characters look out over the skyline of New York. In contrast to the fast-paced, heart-racing and action-packed scenes that dominate the bulk of the film, this scene is somewhat more sombre. Strange is keen to help the Ancient One survive but the Ancient One is resistant. Instead, she turns to Strange and says (to paraphrase) “death is what gives life meaning… knowing your days are number”.

The main villain in the film is Kaecilius (Mads Mikkelsen) is obsessed with the idea of immortality, describing time as prison within which we are all trapped. But the film reminds us that life is precious and it is this fragility that makes special moments all the more special. Although this message may be slightly cheesy, it’s a nice thought.

Critics have pointed out that Doctor Strange has the classics flaws of an MCU film. The story is generic. The villain is arguably underutilised.

There is also a love story between Strange and former-lover now coworker at the Hospital Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) which isn’t fully developed. But Doctor Strange’s cinematography is excellent, especially during the final scenes shot in Hong Kong which successfully encapsulate the vibrancy, dynamism and ambience of the city. Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance is as slick and flawless as you would expect.

Overall, Doctor Strange is great MCU production starring a great cast with a heart-racing plot, cloaked in some interesting philosophical themes.

4/5

Review Fea-

What We Do in the Shadows The quirkiest film to come out of New Zealand soars to cult status as Waititi and Clement triumph once again William Green Film Contributor Directors Taiki Waititi and Flight of the Conchords alum Jemaine Clement continue to rejuvenate the New Zealand film scene with this comedy-horror collaboration that tells the tale of four vampires living in a shared house in Wellington, New Zealand as they prepare for the annual “Unholy Masquerade”.

The genius of this mockumentary is how the absurdity and complete illogicality of the situation is still so relatable to most people. Living in a shared house where not everyone gets along is something most people will have encountered at some stage of their lives. It just so happens that these housemates are up to 8,000 years old and consume human blood.

The three vampires Viago, Deacon and Vladislav (real life friends Waititi, Jonathan Brugh and Clement) have tremendous chemistry together as their distinct personalities bounce off and compliment each other very well. The fourth, Petyr (Ben Fransham) a Count Orlok lookalike who is the eldest and creepiest of the house, adds a wildcard element of unexpectedness to the story that produces some of the most laugh out loud moments of the film. A cameo from Rhys Darby as the leader of a gang of rival werewolves (“not swearwolves”) only enhances the film. It leads to some of the most hilarious improvised back-and-forths that I have seen from a modern comedy in a while, even adding a layer of nostalgia for Conchords fans longing for that reunion. The film also manages to live up to the horror element of this genre mix, something that is often forgotten. This is probably most vivid when the vampires feast upon the innocent folk of Wellington’s mundane nightlife scene, the detail in which it is shown both comedic and gruesome with burst arteries galore.

What really impresses with this film is Waititi and Clement’s blending of British and American humour in what can best be described as The Office meets The Munsters.

The dry whit of all characters (human or otherwise) is highly reminiscent of the Merchant-Gervais rapport and even the subtlest layer of satire has the potential to leave you gasping for air. The Americanised over the top physical humour is also effective and taken to the upmost extreme, with housemates literally flying across the room at one another over who will wash the dishes, or a fleshed out bat fight across Wellington between the vampires.

The only real criticism of this film is that it may have worked better as a 30-minute sitcom pilot. This is purely from a selfish standpoint though — I was craving more and felt like there was so much more they could have told. It is testament to the power of Waititi and Clement’s storytelling that I could’ve happily binge-watched 100 episodes of these delightfully dark and diverse creatures.

Overall, “Shadows” still has more than enough compelling content to keep any comedy fan laughing for the majority of the 85-minute run time and can certainly cement itself as a cult favourite for years to come, if not a standout comedy.

5/5

Photo: Madman Entertainment

Books

20

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Review: Eimear McBride MLF talk Beth Woods reviews the Eimear McBride Manchester Literature Festival event and her new book The Lesser Bohemians Beth Woods Books Contributor On Thursday the 20th October The Centre for New Writing, in partnership with Manchester Literature Festival, hosted Eimear McBride in conversation with John McAuliffe. McBride is one of today’s most captivating authors; her debut novel A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing won the 2014 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction and her latest publication, The Lesser Bohemians, has been shortlisted for The Goldsmiths Prize 2016. Following questions from McAuliffe and the audience, McBride spoke compellingly on a range of topics from memory and masculinity to modernism.

McBride’s passion for the power of story-telling was clear in her answers; her discussion of The

“Big commercial publishers still operate with a very limited sense of what is appropriate and saleable as ‘women’s fiction’”

Lesser Bohemians as addressing the ‘forgotten history’ of many Irish immigrants who came to England and settled happily, reminded audience members of the importance of continually retelling and rewriting the past. The Lesser Bohemians, McBride explained, achieves this through a narrative in which the characters “find ways in which they can live with their own vulnerability”and become at peace with their identities.

Photo: PlashingVole @Flickr

McBride described how, as a drama school graduate, she uses her knowledge of acting techniques to create true to life characters, a

process that works in tandem with her stream of consciousness style. Commenting that she aims to “make language do what the actor’s body does”, McBride provided a fascinating insight into her method of presenting our complex, messy and fragmented interior worlds on the page.

“McBride’s work is a vibrant example of the novel’s continuing capacity for reinvention and innovation” This formal experimentation has often led to comparisons with modernist literary giants such as Joyce, most notably by Jacqueline Rose but also by audience members at the event. McBride’s response was intriguing as she problematized how critics have difficulty in finding ways to talk about her work without referencing Joyce, despite many differences between them. She expressed a profound desire for her writing to stand on its own, outside this critical culture of comparison and categorisation, prompting

thought on the language used to discuss new and experimental writing.

McBride discussed further frustrations in the reception of her work, particularly the trouble she faced getting her first novel published, suggesting “that big commercial publishers still operate with a very limited sense of what is appropriate and saleable as ‘women’s fiction’”, to use Dr Kaye Mitchell’s words, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Literature and Co-Director of the Centre for New Writing. The large turn out and warm reception of McBride at events, like Manchester Literature Festival, demonstrates that readers do not share this limited perspective, and are excited by innovative and experimental fiction.

As Mitchell notes: “McBride’s work is a vibrant example of the novel’s continuing capacity for reinvention and innovation” and thus it is of vital importance that the Centre for New Writing and Manchester Literature Festival continue to provide a space for readers to connect with and celebrate writers at the cutting edge of their trade. It is clear that McBride’s work reveals the importance of retelling and rewriting stories for both the characters in her novels and her enthralled readership.

Feature

How to get published in literary journals Elizabeth Gibson gives us an insight into how to get your work accepted into literary journals Submitting your work to a literary magazine can be daunting — I certainly felt out of my depth when I began a few years ago. However, through sending my work out, being an editor at a magazine, and finally starting my own, I’ve learnt a huge amount about the process, and in this last year my acceptance rate has skyrocketed. Hopefully my advice will help you find success, too.

The first thing to do is pick the magazine and the work you’re going to send them. Check if there is a theme and stick to it. If the issue you’re aiming for has the theme ‘Love’, don’t call your poem ‘Love’ – in fact, try to avoid having the word in the title at all. They will likely have a large number of submissions that do this and they don’t want their contents page to be too repetitive.

Secondly, format your work correctly. Unless the magazine’s website says otherwise, singlespace poems and double-space fiction, with fiction give a word-count.

Do everything in Times New Roman, size twelve. Insert a page break between each new piece by clicking “Insert” then “Page Break” on Word; don’t just keep pressing Enter, as this can screw up the formatting in the long run.

“Try to sound friendly but professional and don’t gush too much about how much you like the magazine” Next, onto the actual submission. Most magazines operate online these days, so you’ll probably be either emailing your work or uploading it to a submission manager (usually Submittable). Emailing is usually pretty simple.

Do try and find out the editor’s name, rather than just saying, ‘Sir or Madam’. Try to sound

Book Recommendation of the week

Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres For those familiar with Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, this is something a bit different: it’s a wonderful collection of short stories from the life of the Australian icon Red Dog. It was an amazing (and quick!) read and managed to be funny, sad, and everything between. I would highly recommend it to all.

Recommended by Joshua Fogg, Mature Student

friendly but professional and don’t gush too much about how much you like the magazine; just say it would be great or an honour to see your work there. With Submittable, follow the guidelines carefully, as they vary from magazine to magazine. Sometimes they’ll want your submission to be anonymous, so make sure you remove your name from both the document itself, and the file name.

They’ll often ask for a third-person biography.

If no word limit is give, I’d keep it around eighty words. Only go ‘quirky’ if the magazine looks like the sort to want that — otherwise just calmly list the places you’ve been published and any other relevant information, for example any work or volunteering you’ve done in the arts sector.

“Maybe you’ll get an acceptance, which is wonderful.

Maybe you’ll get a rejection, but then at least that poem or story is free to send elsewhere.”

Then you wait. Maybe you’ll get an acceptance, which is wonderful. Maybe you’ll get a rejection, but then at least that poem or story is free to send elsewhere. Stay positive and always work on honing your craft. I hope this advice was useful — my magazine, if you are interested, is Foxglove Journal. I would love to hear from you!

Photos: Elizabeth Gibson

Food & Drink

22

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

In Possesion of/ Possessed by The Smoothie Blender

Fossip ¬People talked a lot of smack about Candice. I remember sitting down to watch Bake Off at the beginning of the series, and my sister would be all, ‘what’s with the lipstick, she flaps all the time, who teaches PE?’ Right from the beginning I was rooting for Selasi and her. She smashed it.

Now the important question, far more imortant then wheher the BBC wll really send a film crew to document Val’s holiday in Ayia Napa, is what’s next for Candice? Winning Bake Off is like being touched by The Baking God, Rising Agent, and can catapult anyone into bake-media success.

Nadiya Hussain has her own TV Show, baked the Queen’s 90th birthday cake and writes for The Times. 2011’s winner Jo Wheatley quit her job in law, is a published cook book author, and now runs a cooking school. 2010’s winner, Edd Kimber quit being a debt collector, god knows why, and has published cookery books as well.

Ellie Gibbs Ex-Food & Drink Editor

Nutribullet. Liquidizer. Morphy Richards. Jug blender.

4) Wanting to use it at the same time 5) Flavour residue

All are names of popular machines that have become of unprecedented prestigious value in our homes.

6) The owner becomes possessed by the blender

I’ve been around enough people to now notice the distinct trend of possessive nature that comes as a guarantee with purchase of this kitchen equipment.

It was in my first halls that I first felt the grip of ownership take hold of me regarding my old Phillips blitz-it-all2000. A flatmate had wanted to borrow it repeatedly and I found such negative thoughts seep into my mind: “I hope she doesn’t break it” “It’s my smoothie maker” “Why doesn’t she get her own?”

I’m ashamed to say it, I hid the machine in my room when I went away. My brain couldn’t handle the thought of the precious plastic jug and holder being used in lack of my presence. Later in life, karma came around to bite me; another housemate refused to let me use her bottleblender when my machine broke. Then a person I lived with the following year also

Let’s explore reason 6. Whilst 1-5 are legitimate, if not reasonable, they fail to explain the severe worry, distrustfulness, and secretive behaviour that is associated with blender ownership. did not like me using her nutribullet, and insisted I get my own.

This may all seem trivial, but what’s with the distinct trend? People don’t get possessive over kettles, microwaves, toasters, etc.. so let’s psychoanalyse the situation: why does this grip of possession come over the blender owner? There are some possible reasons: 1) The owner is subconsciously fearful of the user not handling/washing/using the blender properly 2) They think that with more uses, its lifespan is reduced

So what about Candice? Fossip investigative reporter Smokey Salmon has it on good authority that Candice has signed a deal with Mcvities in order to reinvent the biscuit, has co-signed with Virgin as part of a project to put the first biscuit on the moon, and make a biscuitcroissant hybrid called a broissant.

Number 6 explains it all.

A newfangled marketing technique introduced to ensure maximum purchases of product: the possessing device. As the blades spin round, the owner’s eyes widen in hypnosis as they become energetically magnetised to the kitchenware object. One is overwhelmed with a sense of attachment and is compelled to protect the life of the appliance at all costs.

This ensures that no one else can use the appliance, and makes subsequent sales more likely as friends and family will be enraptured by the owner’s genuine love and obsession for the product; wanting to experience that feeling for themselves.

Contraceptive Turkey Advice

3) If it breaks in other person’s control, it’s fixing or replacement will still fall on the owner

Six Sharpened Pieces of Advice Sarah Peacock Contibutor

Whether you’re whipping up a quick dinner for one or throwing a dinner party for 15, here are some simple kitchen tips that will make your life easier.

3) All eggs must be cooked low and slow. Yes it will make the process slower, but this is necessary for the eggs to cook through without some of them burning.

1) When cooking with cream, you must always season it very well. Then season it some more. And some more. Cream neutralizes flavours so the key to a delicious cream sauce is plenty of seasoning. (I should stress this doesn’t count for when making puddings..!)

4) DO NOT PUT SHARP KNIVES IN THE DISHWASHER. Even my mum gets this one wrong. This is such an important one for me because it will blunt your sharp knives and cooking without sufficient equipment makes everything so much more time consuming and harder. I know it’s quicker to just throw them in the dishwasher but taking care of your equipment is crucial for a smooth time in the kitchen.

5) If you leave cream to come to room temperature it will whip up by hand within 20-30 seconds. This is a particularly useful tip if you’re hosting a dinner party

6) Lastly, putting bananas in a fruit bowl will cause the other fruit in the bowl to ripen faster. So if you have some stubborn plums that are refusing to ripen put them in a bag with bananas and that should quicken the process. Otherwise, I would suggest storing your bananas in a separate bowl.

Editor’s note, when not at University Sarah works as a Private chef in Scotland.

Art:Mike Licht

2) When cooking with a non-stick pan don’t plunge it straight into cold water, although that loud sizzling sound might make you feel like a pro (it’s so satisfying), it actually takes off the ‘non-stick’ from the pan and ruins it.

and you don’t have time to pre-whip the cream.

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Review

Squid Ink Felix Sanders Food & Drink Editor was he one of those kids? He laughed, and said he was probably off reading a book somewhere. Now Anthony is a David, hurling stones at the Goliath of American comfort food that currently rules the Northern Quarter, consuming all food outlets with a banal wave of similarity.

Northern Quarter.

Two words I have written a thousand times. At its end is Great Ancoats Street.

Across this gaping chasm of a road lies Ancoats. Accept, it is not such a huge divide. Why does Ancoats then not share the NQ’s footfall? Why this fear of crossing the road? It was an illuminating conversation with a man named Anthony Barnes, the chef owner of Squid Ink that gave me some understanding as to the why. He went on to explain what Ancoats used to be, and ultimately what it could become.

There are probably restaurants that operate like this in the London’s of the world, but not in Manchester, and especially not at £2 5 for four courses of proper cooking .

It is a menu that changes every month with accordance to the whimsy and availability of produce for the chef. You get the impression he wakes up in the middle of the night with the unexplainable impulse to put elderberries somewhere on his menu.

It is also inf luenced by his travels, that Wednesday evening Mr Billy Baldwin and I were eating Scandinavian. Copenhagen evidently holds a special place in the heart of Anthony. He served a smorgasbord of rye bread and cultured butter, topped with apples, walnut, and blue cheese. Then came gravlax, a gently cooked salmon accompanied by beetroot and dill. If Copenhagen has a place in Anthony’s heart, Anthony’s pork belly has a place in mine, the product of five days labour, a generous portion enhanced by the presence of a

deeply rich caramelised apple sauce.

The pudding was called Kladkaka, some thing I ’d never heard of and the waiter couldn’t pronounce. None of that particularly matters, but I didn’t fall in love with the brownie-esque traditional Swedish dessert.

I thought his starter simple but clean, the fish course increasing the drive of the menu before arriving at its zenith the pork, before being let down by the dessert.

What I write about this menu may be entirely superf luous, for what I ate there may not be on the menu when you eat there. I implore you to try Squid Ink, because what he does in cooking by himself and employing no other chefs, is drive the price down of a kind of food that a student would not normally be able to buy.

It has a pretty serious wine list as well, try the rosé.

Squid Ink, Unit 4 - Nuovo, 65 Great Ancoats Street, Manchester,

ARt: Squid Ink

He actually grew up in Ancoats. He remembers it as a place that, if you weren’t local, you just didn’t go. Kids would hurl abuse and sling stones at outsiders. I had to ask

He is part of an unofficial collective of restaurants, Japanese tea shops and boutique corner stores that are breathing unprecedented cultural life into not just Ancoats, but Manchester as a whole. The thing that struck me the most about Anthony was that he had never worked as a chef in a restaurant kitchen before, he has always been front of house. But after he described it as one part of the journey that lead him to create Squid Ink, it completely made sense. Much has been made of fusion or hybrid cuisines, but what of hybridised roles within restaurant? Anthony is first and foremost a host. He knows how to create an atmosphere, one of sterilisation intermingled with the work of local artists showing on his walls. The attention to detail on the custom carved cutlery boxes that adorn the naked wooden tables does not go unnoticed and creates a clean, clear

platform upon which he presents his food.

And the presentation is something in itself, there is no menu, just him and his descrip tion of the plate of food in front of you.

Recipe

These brownies are simple to make, delicious to eat and best of all, gluten-free

Brownies I started baking when I was tiny, “helping ” my dad make the Christmas cake every year before graduating to my own recipes. This one came about when a friend was diagnosed with coeliac disease and I didn’t want her to miss out. If you need gluten-free selfraising f lour but don’t already have it then big supermarkets should stock the f lour and the 8th Day Co -op definitely has some. If you don’t want the brownies to be glutenfree then just use regular f lour.

Heat the oven to 170 fan.

Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 20-30 minutes Equipment: brownie pan measuring roughly 8” by 8” 100g semi-sweet chocolate (60% cocoa solids) 100g butter 150g caster sugar 2 large eggs 75g ground almonds 2 tbsp, heaped, gluten free self-raising flour Optional: 100g white chocolate chips/ chopped walnuts/malteasers/etc

Lily Carden Contributor @gorgeousgateaux Photo: Lily Carden

These brownies have become my base recipe and depending on what I want, I ’ll switch it up with different ground nuts, mini chocolates as a filling , or salted caramel on top. The options are endless - let me know via social media how you change the recipe to make it your own.

Line your brownie tin with grease proof paper.

Fill a pan with a few inches of boiling water and place a large heatproof bowl on top, making sure the water does not touch the bowl. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl and let them melt, stirring occasionally. Take the bowl off the water and pour in the sugar. Stir to combine. Next crack and mix the eggs in, one at a time. Fold in the ground almonds and f lour. Now is the time to add any extra fillings that you want to have before pouring it into the prepared tin and baking for 20 to 30 minutes. You’re looking for a cracked, slightly papery surface and no wobble.

Start checking every few minutes after 20 and remove it as soon as the wobble goes and the top is set. Leave to cool be fore eating . Now, if you’ll excuse me, I ’m off to make some brownies.

Arts

24

Editor’s Picks

What’s on this Week?

Photo: Ben Sutherland @ Flickr

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Feature

The Persistence of Memory

Top picks over the next week across Manchester Puppet Masters Return With Aardman Studios at Waterside Arts Centre 5 November 2016 – 14 January 2017 Animation royalty Aardman Studios are 40 this year and Waterside Arts Centre are marking it with a new free interactive exhibition in association with Aardman themselves and Manchester Animation Festival.

Big and little kids alike can relish the chance to take a look at the real puppets, props and artwork from muchloved titles such as The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!, Wallace and Gromit and the ubiquitous (for those with kids under the age of 4) Timmy Time.

The focus, however, is also on how the characters and stories are brought to life and families will be able to delve deeper into the magic of stop motion animation.

Look out for puppets which reveal how they have been made as part of the stop motion process, have a go at creating and moulding characters and step into the worlds of the animations themselves in Timmy’s nursery and the pirate ship from The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Aardman continue to be at the top of the world animation game with their mix of both independent and commercial work and we love that there is something for everyone at this exhibition – from the tiniest tot who loves Timmy Time to budding artists, crafters and animators of all ages.

Heated Exchanges at Manchester Craft and Design Centre 10 November 2016–5 February 2017 One of the performers at award-winning live literature night Bad Language once told a story in which a character explains that the city found a surplus of glass underneath The Printworks, and had to use it all up before the EU took it away – that being the only way to explain how much of the stuff was being used for the new buildings in Manchester. ‘So that’s where Selfridges came from.’ He got a wry laugh at the time from locals familiar with the Crystal Maze architecture of Spinningfields, and serves to illustrate a point here: though transparent, and the thing that gets broken most often at a party, glass is not necessarily fragile. The three UK artists in Manchester Craft & Design Centre‘s exhibition Heated Exchanges have, however, set out to test the material’s limits.

Edinburgh-based artist Harry Morgan, for instance, makes minute glass threads using an ancient Venetian glassblowing technique, before casting them so that thousands of these threads come together, almost impossibly, to hold up concrete. Alexander Pearce stabs perfectly-finished glass shapes with hammered, coalblackened metal while the glass is still hot, so that the inkwells or bowls that result capture a moment of fusion caught in time.

The award-winning Elinor Portnoy, on the other hand, explores the origins of glass, capturing it in a sand-like state against beautiful, ceramic vessels. All three of the artists in this small but startling exhibition are an effective reminder of just how extraordinary a material glass can be – just in case Spinningfields had made you forget.

Photo: toybot studios @ Flickr

Laura Joyce gives her insight into the relevance of surrealism, and how Salvador Dali’s friendship with Walt Disney saved his beloved animated studios My first encounter with surrealism came in the form of the Pink Elephants on Parade scene in Walt Disney’s Dumbo, and I’ll be completely honest; it terrified me. Granted, I was only five, but the excerpt etched itself into my brain and became almost a fascination with what I would later learn to be the Surrealist Movement.

Created way back in 1941, Dumbo was only Walt Disney’s fourth animated feature film, and at the time of production, a lot was riding on that little elephant and his over-sized ears.

Following Fantasia and Pinocchio’s box-office failures, Walt Disney Studios was in deep financial trouble. If you look closely at Dumbo, the majority of the backgrounds are still images painted from water-colour – a means to save a nickel here and there.

Ever the ‘imagineer’, Disney took inspiration from his friend Salvador Dali, and the Surrealist Movement which was wildly popular in the 1930’s.

So, naturally a baby elephant and his unlikely mouse friend getting wasted on champagne and hallucinating about brightly-coloured, shapeshifting pachyderms was the obvious solution to saving Disney, right?

Well, it was a hit, and Disney went on to produce Bambi the very next year, and continues to thrill audiences no end to this day.

Walt Disney’s nephew Roy Disney, and former senior executive of Walt Disney Studios recalled his uncle’s relationship with Dali. Beginning with Dali’s fascination with what he described as “three great, American surrealists”. These came in the form of Walt Disney, Alfred Hitchcock, and The Marx Brothers.

Roy once said of their friendship “I believe they influenced one another. Disney films can be seen as being incredibly surreal, and I imagine that is why Dalí was attracted to them. But also I think they worked well together because, above all, they were both incredible optimists. Dalí’s paintings can make you feel optimistic, and so do the Disney films.”

Photo: CyberHades @ Flickr

So, what is it about surrealists and their work that is so encapsulating? For me, Dali in particular is the epitome of surrealism. He ate, lived and breathed it. Surrealism was a part of his Salvador Dali was born 11 May 1939 in Catalonia, Spain. His parents had previously lost a son nine months earlier whom they had also named Salvador.

From the age of five, Dali was told by his parents that he was the reincarnation of his brother, leading him to struggle with his very existence from a young age. From troubled beginnings, it seems that young Salvador longed to escape the confusion of his reality.

At age ten, Dali was already painting – much to the dismay of his academic father. He studied under some of the most prestigious teachers of that age, though Dali did not see it that way. He faced expulsion from Madrid’s Royal Academy of Art not once, but twice, over his arrogant mindset that he knew more of art than his learned teachers.

Dali’s personality played a huge role in his artworks. By those who knew him, he will often be remembered for his arrogance and his greed, but rather oxymoronically, for his paranoia and anxiety too.

One painting which particularly embodies the more human side of Salvador Dali is The Persistence of Memory (1931). Many will recognise the use of Dali’s famous ‘melting clocks’ in the image, but there are less people who know the true meaning which lies behind this incredible artwork.

The human-like figure at the centre of the image is a representation of the artist himself, and was used across many of his works. Dali would refer to this strangely-shaped human as the ‘monster’.

This ‘monster’s’ single visible eye is closed, suggesting the figure may be in s dream-like state – with the clocks boasting a fierce reminder of time continuing to pass even as we lay unconscious through the night.

The clocks play with the concept of hardness versus softness, and have many times been associated with Dali’s suspected worries of impotency. They also insinuate an impending sense of time running out. This was known to be a worry of Dali’s as he and his beloved wife Gala continued to fail to conceive.

Despite the strange and disconnected portrayal of Dali’s inner-most fears, there is something so relatable about this piece that evokes a bitter realism through the warped window of surrealism.

Photo: mikeoat1 @ Flickr

So, surely this relatability shown in just one of a vast array of works created by Dali (amongst the innumerable by surrealists in general) is a huge indicator as to why surrealism became influential on main-stream culture, and continues to inspire new and evolving artwork, film, and theatre to this day.

Dali’s genius has even found its way here, to Manchester.

Walk Manchester is a guided walking tour by trained green badge guide John Alker in the centre of Manchester. The scheme offers many tours, including an Art Walk which explores the city’s sculptures and architecture, and investigates some of the heavily influential artists – including Dali – and their impacts on the art we find in Manchester.

Salvador Dali created the most bizarre home you can imagine. He turned everyday objects into artworks, including his famous love-seat shaped like human lips. Of course, to create this wasn’t enough; he had to form a room layout which from the top of the staircase looked like a human face.

With curtains for hair, and wall paintings for eyes, Dali truly lived within his surrealism.

Dali’s madness is clearly infectious; from his famous gravity-defying moustache to his creation of the infamous Lobster Telephone. It seems only natural that he was laid to rest in the crypt at his magnificent home in his home town of Figueres, Spain.

His home has since been transformed into a museum filled with many of his magnificent works (and the room made to look like a face still stands).

All of this is simply the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this creative genius. It is obvious to me that Dali and his fantastic array of works have defied the constant ticking of time, and will persist in our memories for years to come.

Theatre 25

ISSUE 07/ 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Reviews

Breaking the Code Don’t Wake the Damp

Breaking the Code at the Royal Exchange Theatre was phenomenal and emotionally charged, which kept the audience engaged throughout Brogen Campbell Theatre Editor Alan Turing’s name and accomplishments were introduced to a new generation through the success of the film The Imitation Game. This film focused heavily on Turing’s work at Bletchley and cracking the Enigma code. Breaking the Code reverses this outlook.

The play focuses on the personal life of Turing, particularly his 1952 trial for gross indecency.

Turing’s achievements make up the background of the play, as the focus is placed on how his relationships and personal experiences have shaped him and contributed to his many ground breaking achievements.

Daniel Rigby plays the role of Alan Turing and is magnificent. Rigby’s Turing is social inept and awkward, but this doesn’t make the audience feel uncomfortable. Quite the opposite in fact. Turing’s quirkiness is endearing and you can’t help but feel in awe of his genius.

The play didn’t shy away from featuring mathematics and theoretical computer science, as Turing went on rants about the topics. However, these speeches weren’t boring but transfixing, despite baffling most of the audience. This was aided by the fact that most of the other characters in the play were in awe of Turing as well.

The play was centred on Alan Turing, but all the characters in the play were essential to the storyline.

The entire cast were phenomenal in their roles.

Geraldine Alexander as Turing’s essentially caring and supportive mother. Natalie Drew as Pat Green, the maths genius who falls in love with Turing. Harry Egan as Ron Miller, who is the young man involved in the trial along with Turing. Dimitri Gripari as Christopher Morcom, Turing’s childhood friend and as Nikos, who is essentially a Greek God who brings passion back to Turing’s life. This was Gripari’s professional debut and there is no doubt that he will be going far. The production also features Mark Oostreveen as John Smith, Raad Rawi as Dillwyn Knox and Phil Cheadle as Mick Ross. The remarkable performances by the cast made for a truly gripping and emotive play.

The other part that made the play such a joy to watch was the script. Hugh Whitemore’s play first premiered in 1986 and is based loosely on Andrew Hodges book; Alan Turing: The Enigma. Despite the play being centralised around Turing’s trial, the tone was surprisingly upbeat. The socially awkward charm of Turing mixed with the differing personalities of the characters meant the audience were often in fits of laughter at the awkward character exchanges. The success of the play was due to fantastic naturalistic acting combined with an excellent script. The play was never made for laughs, but the straight nature of many of the characters and the baffling responses of Turing meant you couldn’t help but laugh.

The strength of the play was that it didn’t dwell on the injustice of the trial, which was perfectly clear

Kill the Beast’s play allows the audience to explore the mind-set of four different types of characters through tropes, evacuations, and a mysterious monster masked as rising damp

Elete Nelson-Fearon Reviewer to the audience as Turing’s only crime was being a homosexual. Instead the play showcased the rich and detailed relationships Turing had with family, friends and colleagues, which created an emotionally charged play. It also mentions Turing’s research at the University of Manchester which is sure to ignite some university pride.

Every aspect of Breaking the Code was a success, not least the set design. The simple yet extremely effective use of lights to create different rooms was brilliant. This was best showcased when action flipped between two different scenes in the second half of the play. A cube of LED strip lights created the image of a police station then with one flash of the cube transformed into Turing’s house. This flipping between the two locations happened repeatedly throughout the scene to great effect. The simple set meant the play could switch between locations as well as time with tremendous easy. A unique design concept that definitely worked.

Breaking the Code is not one to be missed, from its fantastic script to sensational acting it truly delivers on every aspect. Theatre can be expensive so why not take advantage of the student ticket offers, as Royal Exchange sell 100 tickets for just £6 every Friday night. Breaking the Code at the Royal Exchange Theatre is running until the 19th of November.

Photo: Royal Exchange Theatre

Photo: Lowry Theatre

The opening scene is the set of 80s TV show Crystal Continuum: a throwback with neon costumes, euphemisms, suggestive nicknames and all. With the assistance of overtly suggestive names and satirical resolutions to manage the explosion, the audience is made to think about the problems with representation and objectification whilst being amused by the humour and attire.

We then relocate to the living room of an elderly lady, who is unenthusiastically hosting the council planner Terry Brambles for a checkup. After listening to her letters—this is 2035, after all—that inform her of the impending evacuation of the block of flats, the inappropriately cheerful council planner and disgruntled lady burst into flashy, choreographed song to express their thoughts. Brambles’ cheerful demeanour in spite of the news he presents successfully illustrates the lack of connection between the council staff and residents of Vertigo Heights.

The focus then switches to two residents in the basement: the inexplicably arrogant Devlin and the hyperactive, bright young Lexxie. They are plotting their escape from the building and the damp, but they have soon joined Terry and the elderly lady, who is soon revealed to be Juniper Berry from Crystal Continuum much to Lexxie’s wonder and disbelief.

The two pairs join forces and push Terry for information until he cracks and bursts into an intense monologue about the pressures of being a part of the ‘army’ that is the council; after a dramatic attack the audience realises that the damp is in fact a mysterious creature that threatens the stability of the whole building.

Through the teamwork that ensues, Kill the

Ghost the Musical

It had a rollercoaster of emotions and famous stars yet the play was still lacking a certain something MiaDavis Reviewer This iconic 1990 film has been given a very broadway-esque makeover. Composed with modern staging and group choreography numbers the production really pulls the tragic love story into the 21st century. Lovers of the film or complete newbies, you shouldn’t have any issues with the portrayal of the plot, which still presents the beautiful yet heartbreaking story of Molly Jensen (Sarah Harding) and Sam Wheat (Andy Moss) and doesn’t fail to live up to its tear-jerking reputation.

Both Harding and Moss are stars in their own right, the former being one fifth of the noughties pop-favourites ‘Girls Aloud’, and the latter playing a young heartthrob in soap ‘Hollyoaks’. This will have inevitably attracted crowds to the production, but seemed to serve as a hindrance beyond that. Their chemistry together is undoubtable, and yes, they do make a very attractive and believable, young, in-love couple — however, their inconsistent accents do start

to get slightly cringeworthy by mid-way through the first half, so perhaps Molly’s lack of dialogue in the second half is a blessing. Harding has been hitting the headlines for her lacklustre performance, but I don’t think people can say she was that bad — ‘Three little words’, her duet with Moss, was moving and her voice was by far the strongest.

The undoubtable star of the show comes in the form of Oda Mae Brown (Jacqui Dubois) who brings much needed humour and likeability. She had the theatre in the palm of her hands, and her chemistry with Moss was very believable; without her, the production would have struggled.

Overall, as cliché as it sounds, the production did take the audience on a real roller-coaster of emotions. However, don’t get your hopes up for a sensual and romantic rendition of ‘Unchained Melody’ behind a pottery wheel, as that iconic scene was a real blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.

Photo: Palace Theatre

Beast invites the audience to explore four types of character. Lexxie is optimistic and enthusiastic, if overeager, and provides the technological know-how behind the operation. Juniper’s smart, pragmatic character is given depth by the revelation that she is not mourning her late co-star Max, as the ‘dependent glamourous assistant’ trope would suggest, but is in fact still enraged by the fact that Max neither deserved nor wanted the lead role, and allowed her to be fired after the implementation of her idea, masked as his own. Devlin, a self-centred and sexist character, represents the alpha male that was revered by so many in 80s pop culture. Terry Brambles embodies the impersonal approach that authorities take when dealing with sensitive issues: he offers leather pens and burritos in lieu of a home and struggles to stray from the explanation he has been told to spread amongst the residents.

In one smooth and creatively ingenious moment, the flashbacks of Juniper Berry in Crystal Continuum and her in the present day coalesce to demonstrate the continued prevalence of the frustrations and misogyny that she faced years ago. Whilst revealing the fate of the late Max, the audience watches on as Juniper tries to deal with Devlin in the exact same way.

As the play draws to an end, Terry Brambles is joined by his colleagues as they wonder whether “by diligently following the rules [they] could be doing more harm than good,” and Lexxie moves on from the revelation of her idol’s true colours.

Don’t Wake the Damp is a daring, satirical piece of art that takes our thoughts and shows them to us with the accompaniment of a block of flats, neon costumes, and plenty of questionable tropes.

26

Lifestyle

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Becoming a vegan, part two: leading a more globally conscious diet

Katie Bell continues her journey of becoming a vegan, and suggests that we can help the world by being aware of what we eat Cutting down on meat and dairy can really help the environment, but there are many obstacles that seem to face the new vegan.

A big issue surrounding the vegan diet is the level of nutrition obtained from food. However the key is to follow a balanced, healthy diet catered to your personal needs. Advice from a nutritionist is recommended for someone looking to drastically change his or her diet. Supplements, readily available on the high street and endorsed by doctors, are a popular option, for example. However, it’s not as hard as it may seem. Here are some essential tips for someone looking to cut down on their meat intake: Get high levels of protein from soybeans, lentils and garbanzo beans. A surprise candidate for protein, containing around six times the amount of protein than brown rice, is oats. It’s not a shock then that porridge is the saving grace for a low-budget, protein-packed student diet. Spinach, cheaper and easier to keep when frozen, is rich in protein. Or if you miss the meat-sensation, try out tofu, which can be found cheaply in Chinatown, and seitan, often used in restaurants to add a sense of wholeness to a meal.

Get your iron from whole grains and legumes, not red meat.

Enhance iron absorption with sources of vitamin C, like citrus fruits, strawberries, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower and leafy greens.

Opt for slow carbohydrates like sweet potato, barley and brown rice to avoid fluctuating sugar levels. And if you have the time, boil dried beans for a few hours, or leave overnight, for even better benefits than tinned beans.

The vegan diet is usually considered boring and inaccessible but

Photo: jhillmann @Flickr

being vegan doesn’t mean sacrifice or suffering, it could open your mind up to new ways of cooking. There are now plenty of great sources of recipes online. Baking without butter, eggs and milk has

never been so exciting. Check out some household vegan names; Minimalist Baker and Vegan Richa for their ideas on how to impress even the Mary Berry traditionalists.

Leading a lifestyle of the 1% doesn’t have to isolate you nor carry with it a hefty price tag. Our very own Withington, south of Fallowfield, boasts an array of restaurants to suit all cravings. You can get a tasty curry from Sanskruti near Ladybarn Park, delicious tofu or even crispy ‘duck’ pancakes from Lotus, and Fuel offers the best fry-up for those lazy Sunday mornings. If you’re in town, a heartwarming meal out in the Northern Quarter is also affordable at Soup Kitchen, which offer lunches between £4 and £8.

An important concept to take on board is eat local and don’t waste.

Carting over vegetables from South America, importing almonds from California and extracting quinoa from Bolivia also have their negative impacts on the environment. Britain has a lot of great produce too so eating our own seasonal vegetables, choosing local, organic farmers and buying British is very important.

What’s most shocking is that if waste were considered a country, it would be the third biggest emitter of greenhouse gases behind the US and China. So investing in a tub for leftovers, sharing your meals with flatmates or more simply cooking the right amount of food can help too.

We don’t all need to go on a meat and dairy detox, but why not get creative in the kitchen or try out some alternative food spots in Manchester? It’s never been so easy to make a difference.

The lessons learnt from Jailbreak 30 hours. No money. How far can you go?

Isidora Cortes-Monroy Contributor

“You’re travelling 30 hours as far as you can from Manchester without spending any money? Are you crazy?”: My mum asked. Truth be told, at this point I was beginning to believe I was. My partner and I were sitting at Edinburgh airport with tickets to Palma de Mallorca, when a mere twelve hours ago we had been roaming disheartened through Manchester. We had been convinced we would not leave the UK, perhaps not even Manchester. And now we were in Scotland, about to go to Spain. The whole thing was surreal.

If I were to describe Jailbreak in one word it would be “rollercoaster”. Never in my life had I passed through all of life’s most extreme emotions in such a short space of time. There were moments of intense despair, discouragement, frustration, and anger when things did not turn out how you expected them to. However, there were also moments of explosive excitement, happiness, relief, and hopefulness. We had travelled through 3 countries in 30 hours. We had talked to hundreds of strangers, explaining our situation. We were dizzy from the fast pace of events. It almost felt impossible to keep up.

But you had to keep up. When you remembered that you were not simply doing this as an insane personal challenge, but as a challenge to fundraise, you pushed forward. And the more you pushed, the further you went, the more you strove to fundraise. Every time a stranger told you what you were doing was amazing and for a good cause, you felt a new wave of motivation to continue. Every time a stranger rejected you, sometimes even, “not buying it” (this actually did happen), you kept on, determined to prove them wrong. Fundraising is never easy, but when you witness first-hand the universal kindness of strangers you don’t mind putting yourself through it. What’s more, when it’s done with organisations such as RAG, it’s not only rewarding, but fun. The experience gained is invaluably unique.

When people asked why I had signed up for this I told them that if not now, when? When else would I have the chance to spontaneously travel whilst simultaneously fundraising for Francis House Children’s Hospice? I’ve never been one to use the expression ‘YOLO’, but in this case, it seemed to fit perfectly.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Lifestyle 27

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Societies spotlight: Swing Dance Society

Verity Longley, Chair of University of Manchester Swing Dance Society, talks to us about t-shirts, being queen and — of course — dancing Rachel Oelbaum Contributor

I meet Verity in the foyer of the Ellen Wilkinson building. She arrives with a mug of tea in her hand, apologising for being late. Verity’s taken time out from working on her PhD in Psychology to meet me, but she’s happy to take a break. I joined Swing Dance Society last year, which is when I first met Verity, but this is the first time she and I have talked properly. It seems fitting that this conversation is about something we both share a love for: Swing dancing.

“I’ve been doing swing dance for quite a long time, on and off. I started in Bristol in 2009. People always seem surprised that I’ve been doing it so long, like ‘why aren’t you better?’” She tells me with a laugh. “It’s a really good hobby to have when you move to new places, and in Manchester there’s a really good scene and people are super friendly.”

I ask her how she got involved with Swing Dance Society. “I went to the Freshers’ Fair last year and found the Swing Dance Society, though my sole purpose for being there was the free pizza!”

“And now you’re the President.”

“I think the official term is Chair, but I think President sounds better. Or Queen… But the reality is that lots of the old committee are still involved. Last year it was left to a few key people to do everything, but this year it feels much more like a group.”

I ask Queen Verity what her plans are for Swing Dance Society’s year ahead. Immediately, she jumps in, “one of the key things is to make a better plan of teaching, so we’ve got a bit more structure and we can keep track of what we’re doing. We also want to get outside teachers in to do a big workshop, maybe at the weekend. We’re also going to try and get t-shirts made. Hopefully it’ll happen soon, and then we can look really good when we go to events and stuff. That’s what we really want, to be a force to be reckoned with.”

Her sense of ambition is palpable, and it’s no surprise that in the first few weeks of term Swing Dance Society has seen an average of 120 people turning up to the beginners classes each week. For those who have yet to make it, Verity breaks it down.

“We predominantly dance Lindy Hop, which is a form of… 30s style… jazz… dance? Is that right? Maybe Google the definition.”

“I think that’s right. I tell people it’s dancing from the 1920s-40s,” I say.

“Yeah, OK. 20s to 40s. It’s a partnered dance. You don’t need to bring a partner, because we switch

partners throughout the lesson. Each pair is a lead and a follow, and traditionally men lead and women follow, but that doesn’t matter. Everyone can do whatever role they want. We have beginners and intermediate lessons, but we start from the very basics every week so people can join any week. It’s £3 for students for one session, and you can wear whatever you want, just something casual. You need flat-soled shoes, the cheaper the better – nothing too grippy! Cheap Primark ones are a safe choice.”

“I also want to say that it’s a safe space, and we don’t tolerate any inappropriate behaviour, which is something some people are wary of in terms of doing partnered dances. I just want to reassure people and to say that it’s fun, people do it for a laugh, and if you’re not very good then it doesn’t matter.”

I end by asking Verity to describe Swing Dance Society in three words. “Oooh that’s hard. How would you describe Swing Dance Society in three words?” Despite the fact that I wrote the questions, I haven’t actually thought about this. Eventually, we decide on enthusiastic, motivated and fun.

“But I feel like I should pick a more exciting word than fun…” she says.

“I’d say it’s very supportive as well.”

“Definitely. Everyone’s there to look out for everyone else, and I think that’s very much the thing with swing dance generally. It gets competitive at the higher levels, but it’s not like that at our level. Everyone’s very supportive. So let’s go with enthusiastic, friendly, and supportive.”

Think before you drink

Cachella Smith Contributor

It’s Tuesday night, you’re suffering through a dodgy 90s night at Fifth while everyone else seems to be loving the cringe tunes and sticky dancefloor. Awkwardly shuffling in a circle of people you’ve never before seen in your life, you think to yourself: perhaps more alcohol will help?

University is inextricably linked with alcohol. The two come together, it’s natural. But is there a way to survive your three year course without a single beverage? There’s nothing wrong with drinking alcohol as a means of relaxation or enjoyment, however there seems to be an increasing number of students who feel pressurised to drink. Not even necessarily by someone else — often the pressure stems from within.

It’s true that clubs can be difficult places to be in for many people. At the best of times I dislike having to dance and sing; not to mention having to deal with some shameless flirtation! Often, a double vodka seems like the easiest solution. This said, I’ve now got to a position where I am comfortable with who I am. If people want to be friends with me, they can be friends with me — horrific dance moves included, and if not, hey it’s not my problem.

It seems like a waste of time to mention many of the health benefits

of abstaining from alcohol to students who most likely are currently living off of a diet of fried chicken and Dairy Milk chocolate. However, two benefits that you may find relevant are weight loss and clearer skin.

These are two massive problems that I know a lot of young adults struggle with. If you’re someone who does, perhaps consider having a few nights off of alcohol per week and see if it helps?

I think the most important thing to stress is moderation. There is nothing wrong with a couple of drinks when you want. Alcohol shouldn’t, however, be synonymous with a night out. Whatever benefits I have discussed so far, it does seem a bit of a shame that the nights students’ consider to be their best at University are often those that they struggle to remember in the morning.

Photo: alexranaldi @Flickr

Photo: Manchester Swing Dance Society

Things I wish I knew in first year Eliza Slawther Contributor

As an old and weathered third year student looking back on first year, I could write entire essays on things I wish I could tell my former self. With the word-limitation of this article in mind, I’ve chosen to focus on the importance of forming an identity away from everyone else around me. My first year-self barely went to lectures, let alone got involved in anything extra-curricular. It was the one time in my life when I had sufficient resources and a low enough work-load to actually take advantage of everything that University has to offer, but I was far too busy trying to be friends with absolutely everyone and not miss a single night out to care about this.

Don’t get me wrong, first year is a great time to relax and have fun before University actually starts to count, but one of the main advantages of trying out new things is that it helps you to establish early on in your University career what you do and don’t like. This is especially important for Humanities students

— I study English Literature — who may have no clue what to do after graduating.

It’s fine to go along to a society or join a sports team, hate it, and leave. It’s better to do that than to just never know your own strengths and weaknesses. It’s also very dangerous to place your entire happiness upon having fun with your friends; I found that friendships changed hugely throughout the first year and it’s much better to know a range of people from your course, societies, part-time job etc. than to only hang out with the same group all the time.

Essentially I wish I’d taken the time in first year to learn both more about myself and more about the opportunities that the University has to offer, rather than spending most days hungover, and most evenings persuading my halls friends to come out and have fun. The most rewarding and useful thing to do is to find a balance; to have fun and enjoy halls, but also to be independent and have a life outside of the Fallowfield bubble.

Photo: divya_ @Flickr

Why Manchester is Marching for the National Demo The National Demo in London on Saturday, November 19th 2016 will protest against fees and cuts and show solidarity to International Students after Brexit.

Come to the Students’ Union pre-Demo day event with guest speakers, entertainment, banner making and much more! lunchtime event 1-2pm, evening event 6-8pm with placard making throughout the day

Tuesday 8th November,

Academy 3, 1pm-9pm.

: #Nov19 d e lv o v In t Ge 9 www.nus.org.uk/nov1 www.ucu.org.uk

#TEFinitelyNot manchesterstudentsunion.com/NOV19

S

P

S

O

R

Sport 29

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

T

P

O

R

T

/TheMancunionSport

@Mancunion_Sport

BITESIZE SPORT Harry Newton Sport Editor

Real Socieded offer job to Homeless Man According to the council’s annual rough sleeper count, nearly twice as many people are sleeping on the streets of Manchester this year than they were last year: Seventy people were counted in one night in December last year, compared to the 43 counted on the same evening in 2014. Spain have a similar problem to England with homelessness, but football Club Real Socieadad have offered some good news as they hired a homeless man at the Club.

Ruban Vitoriano had been sleeping outside the stadium for eight months, when he was offered a job as part of the ground maintenance team at the Anoeta Stadium. Vitoriano, 35, had been homeless on the streets of san Sebastian for three years previously with his dog Mundo. Since his employment at the Anoeta Stadium, Vitoriano has managed to find himself and his dog a room in the city.

Not sure what to buy your loved ones this Christmas? What about Petr Čech’s helmet?

Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Čech has donned his famous helmet since a game against Reading in 2006, when Stephen Hunt accidentally clattered into his head. For health reasons Čech has continued to wear the helmet ever since and has become his trademark. Like Superman with his cape, and Harry Potter with his wand, Čech’s helmet has become so famous that he’s now selling replicas for fans to wear!

The gift can be bought on Čech’s website and is a woolly hat that looks just like his famous helmet, starting at €31.20. That’s around £300 in a post-Brexit economy.

QPR Lend a Hand in the Refugee Crisis

Championship Football Club Queen’s Park Rangers (QPR) have offered a fleet of coaches in support for bringing refugee children from France to Britain. The last couple of months have seen an outcry from parts of the British population, as ‘children’ being sent over as refugees from France have been pictured and appear to be older than expected. Despite this, QPR are offering to help in bringing children over, who are all assessed for their eligibility before being granted travel permission to the UK. Councilor for QPR’s local council Hammersmith and Fulham, Steve Cowan spoke to The Guardian about what he felt his council could do: “The situation for the children in France is chaotic, violent and dangerous. So many people have come up to me and said, ‘how can we leave children in these conditions in 2016?’”

The Club’s coaches will be manned with volunteers who will then help to bring the children over, who will be reunited with their families once on UK soil.

Photo: petr-cech.com

Photo: Wikimedia Commons Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Andy Carroll in attempted robbery scare Photo: Zaha-Hadid.com

The new Forest Green Rovers stadium to be first of its kind November the third saw the release of Forest Green’s 5,000-seated stadium designs to the public. The Club had run a competition asking for designs that saw over fifty designs sent in from around all the world, but the winner was described by Club chairman Dale Vince as being “entirely made of wood.”

According to the BBC, the stadium is to be “the centrepiece of a £100m sports and green technology business park proposal next to the M5.” This will be the first stadium in the world to be made entirely of wood and will cost a hefty £100million. The National League side claim that their stadium will have the lowest carbon content of any stadium in the world, as it is part of their new Eco Park.

West Ham forward Andy Carroll was threatened with a gun on Wednesday as he left training. The currently injured England player was driving to training in his £100,000 Mercedes G-Wagon, when he was blocked in by two men on motorbikes. The two men had signalled that they were carrying guns, but the 27-year old had got away from the two men, making it to training for 12:30pm.

Scotland Yard have stated that: “The two men threatened the driver and intimated through gesture that they were in possession of a gun. The motorcyclists attempted to block the car as the driver sought to get away.”

West Ham manager Slaven Bilić stated on Thursday that he didn’t think it was a coincidence that Carroll was chased for such a long time. “He was very brave and came back to the training ground. He is smiling today and is in a good environment now.”

Carroll is expected back on the pitch in two weeks’ time. No arrests have been made but the case is being investigated — as of the fourth of November 2016.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Rochdale born man becomes the 2016 World Black Pudding Throwing Champion Gavin Ogden, 50, from Rochdale was the first up at the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships and knocked down three puddings to take the trophy home, beating last year’s winner Mark Cannon. Ramsbottom was the home of the tournament that is over 100 years old, which saw thousands of people flock to see it.

Each contestant had three chances to knock as many Yorkshire puddings off a 20ft plinth as they could… by throwing black puddings at them. The history of the competition stems back to the 15th century War of the Roses between the House of York and the House of Lancaster. Local legend states that troops threw Yorkshire puddings and black puddings once they had run out of ammunition.

It cost £1 per person to enter the tournament, which went to charity.

30

Sport

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

S

P

O

R

T

In Defence of Paul Pogba

United’s world record signing has been put under a lot of pressure, but here is why you cannot judge him yet Magnus Henderson Sport Reporter

The explosive growth of football in the past two decades has had huge effects on the way the media and fans view the game. Two of the biggest impacts have been money and patience.

You used to be able to pick up ‘world class’ talent for the snip of £30 odd million (see Wayne Rooney). That same amount of money was spent by Tottenham Hotspurs over the summer to pick up Moussa Sissoko. Now, while Sissoko is without doubt a capable footballer, he is not regarded as a ‘cream of the crop’ type player.

Paul Pogba, on the other hand, is. He cost Manchester United a world record £89.25 million, and there seems to be very little patience going around for the young Frenchman.

A key criticism focussed at Pogba has been his price tag and the failure to live up to it. The thing is, nowadays, in buying a footballer you are not just buying what the player is going to give you on the pitch, you are buying a brand.

Manchester United is the most commercial football club in the world, most recently signing off a partnership with Milly, who will now be the club’s global “mattress and pillow partner”. Ridiculous, right? Well, not really.

United have successfully expanded as a corporation in the last three years to ‘world domination’ levels, which is ironic as the football being played at Old Trafford has gone through its worst stint in two decades. United are expected to overtake Real Madrid as the world’s richest football club in this financial year. If United are still growing in such a negative football climate, surely they are doing something right in terms of marketability? Suddenly the deal with Milly does not look so silly.

Anyway, without getting too sidetracked, United were not just buying Pogba’s ability for £89 million, they were also buying a marketable icon who can push the club into a new economic stratosphere. In the first three weeks after the transfer was made official, United’s “Pogba 6” shirt sales made almost £200 million.

While obviously most of that money

went to Adidas and not United, that kind of marketability makes the club look very attractive for sponsorship; it is no wonder that Adidas’s kit deal with United is the most expensive in history.

There is also Pogba’s personality which is expensive. The confident, outgoing and humorous Frenchman knows how to run his self-image on social media and is one of the most influential footballers, in that aspect, in England.

His mocking videos with Zlatan Ibrahimović and Jessie Lingard draw particular attention from youthful fans and, again, increase his and United’s market value.

Mino Raiola also had a very important role in the transfer price, as you would expect from one of the most infamous football agents.

In a recent interview with the Financial Times, Raiola hinted at receiving a fee in relation to third-party ownership (which was banned in 2015) of Pogba.

According to the Mail Online, this fee could have been up to £20 million, although it is not certain if this was paid

by United or Juventus.

Buying a player in the modern football environment is not simple. Therefore, when your classic football cynic turns around after Pogba misplaces a pass and mumbles, “well that was not worth £89 million”, you can look at him in dismay, shake your head and list the above reasons. Alternatively, if you want to keep your social life, you can growl at the TV and shake your fist at the absurdity of modern football.

Investment in footballers, like in a car or a fancy jacket, is about long-term quality.

If your car decided to disintegrate after a quick trip to the shops, or your jacket caught fire after wearing it to the pub once, you would not be a happy bunny. The same can be said for footballers. Juan Mata cost Manchester United £38 million in the January of 2014. If you had asked a United fan if he had been worth it six months later, the simple answer would probably be ‘no’.

However, fast forward to present time and Mata has sufficiently paid off his debt to the club: two beautiful goals against Liverpool in Steven Gerrard’s

Photo: FIFPro World Footballers’ Association @Flickr

last ever game against United (famously known as “Juanfield”), an equaliser against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup Final which the Reds went on to win and, most recently, a goal to knock City out of the EPL Cup add up to more than enough goodwill to justify his fee.

Pogba, likewise, if assessed now, is not worth what United have paid for him.

Only time will tell if the Frenchman was worth the record transfer and so patience must be preserved if a logical judgement is to be made.

The fee United paid for Pogba’s onthe-pitch-footballing value is probably closer to the £50 million mark. With that, if you compare Pogba’s stats for the season so far to those who have been praised for being in good form (in this case, I chose Eden Hazard, Philippe Coutinho, Mesut Ozil and Kevin De Bruyne), you will find that the Frenchman is not too far behind the best creators in the league.

Per game, Pogba is fourth (out of the five) in key passes and chances cre-

ated and third for successful take ons.

The Frenchman has also played the most accurate through balls in the entire league. What makes those stats even more impressive is the fact that Pogba starts much deeper in midfield than any of the comparative players.

Because of this deeper position, Pogba also has to produce a defensive display, and he comfortably beats Hazard, Coutinho, Ozil and De Bruyne in interceptions, tackles and clearances.

Now, if you think those defensive comparisons are unfair because that is not the comparative players’ roles, let us parallel Pogba with N’Golo Kanté, Jordan Henderson, Francis Coquelin and Fernandinho.

Per game, the United player is last when it comes to interceptions but has won the fourth most tackles and the most aerial duels by a distance.

These comparative players, like the attackers, have all been individually praised for their good form this season.

It seems baffling, therefore, to slate Pog-

ba for ‘not being up to the task’ when he is doing two players’ jobs in one, and still keeping up stats with some of the best in the league.

Enough of the stats. Pogba’s performances against Manchester City and Burnley at the end of October alone should be enough to illustrate how good a player he is. Only a fantastic Willy Caballero save could stop the Frenchman from scoring against the ‘noisy neighbours’ and Pogba should have had at least three assists from the Burnley game, if it were not for Ibrahimović’s woeful finishing.

Pogba’s two goals against Fenerbahçe at Old Trafford were written off because they were in the Europa League but the second, in particular was, a strike fitting of Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale.

Pogba has the talent, and at the tender age of 23, the Frenchman is only going to get better in the next five years.

If anything, it is United who are doing their world record transfer a disservice, rather than the other way around.

The Death of the Domestic Cup With such wholesale changes being made for cup games, are teams disrespecting the English domestic trophies?

that United desperately lacked.

Apathy towards the competition, manifesting itself in both the resting of key players and general team attitude, is hugely undermining domestic troA few weeks have passed since the Manchester phies in England. While the FA Cup has remained derby EFL cup game. While much has gone on the somewhat immune to this problem, most teams football world since then, City outsmarting and take it seriously when they get deeper into the outclassing the world’s best team, a bitcompetition, the league cup, in its varyterness remains. The prospect of aning inceptions, has suffered. other episode of the Guardiola/ The derby game was the perMourinho saga was ruined by fect opportunity for both the modern lack of respect teams to reverse their runs shown towards domestic of poor form. United won by cups. default almost, including The game was a turgid, better players meant they ultimately mind-numbing fell over the line of victory affair. United named a full just. The result papered strength team; while they over fundamental issues secured victory in the in the United team (a deend, they were lacklustre: bate for another day) that it appeared they didn’t care were painfully re-opened much about the game. City, on in subsequent games against the other hand, made several Burnley and Fenerbahçe. A betPhoto: Wikimedia Commons changes, with their performance ter performance, emerging from level suffering because of it. However, a better attitude towards the game, the inclusion of new blood, Aleix García and would’ve likely informed performances in Pablo Maffeo fresh from the Elite Development subsequent games.

Squad, brought exuberance to their team, a desire Guardiola made his apathetic attitude towards Toby Webb Sport Reporter

the EFL cup clear. He, like the majority of managers, see the initial rounds of the cup as the place for experimentation with young and fringe players, as well as the chance to give key players a rest. Undoubtedly, United needed a result following a hiding at Stamford Bridge, the standard narrative being that this result informed the decision to go with a full-strength team.

I refute this. The player apathy, illustrated by the performance, suggested this was not the ‘must win’ game made out by the media. Instead, this was an illustration of a new sense of apathy, Mourinho refusing to bother even privileging the cup with experimentation. It appeared he sent his team out on a training exercise.

These days, progression to later rounds of the cup is largely decided by squad depth and luck.

The EFL cup is an uninspiring affair until the later rounds, and even then, it is uncertain whether the best teams will take it seriously. For teams with European football, it is firmly at the bottom of the priorities list. Moreover, a large majority of teams see it as a chance to rest players from gruelling campaigns, fighting for league status or the chance of promotion. Finally, the apathetic attitude is also hugely disrespectful to the few fans that still watch the matches.

While I understand why, it still shocks me that

mid-table Premier League teams do not take the domestic cups more seriously. With the apathy demonstrated by the league’s top clubs, it is an opportunity for the next echelon of clubs to rewards their fans with the elixir of silverware, e.g. Swansea winning in 2013 and Birmingham City winning in 2011. Unfortunately, the lucrative nature of the Premier League means it stands clear as the top priority for clubs.

To me, radical changes need to be made for the EFL cup to remain relevant. Teams involved in European football should be offered the option of whether to partake. Managers could decide whether they want the added pressure of a 4th competition: I see no difference between the best teams being absent and the best teams playing their 2nd string teams. Additionally, more consideration needs to be shown towards the fans. Teams that are destined to finish mid-table could liven up their season with a cup final appearance or even cup final success.

The extra revenue allocated for European qualification, promotion, or simply finishing higher in a respective league, has left domestic cups down the list of priorities. The importance of money in modernday football has dampened the prestige of winning a domestic cup. Unless changes are made, games will remain dull, the EFL cup a dull competition.

S

P

O

R

Sport 31

ISSUE 07 / 7th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

T

Inquiry adds to West Ham’s Olympic Stadium woes Fan violence and spiralling conversion costs have drawn widespread criticism Alex Whitcomb Sport Editor West Ham United have not had the easiest of moves to the Olympic Stadium, and the situation is showing little signs of improving. On Tuesday, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced an inquiry into the rising costs of redeveloping the stadium. This has followed a disappointingly poor run of form which has seen the Hammers fall to seventeenth in the Premier League table a quarter of their way through the season, and an early exit from the Europa League to Romania’s Astra Giurgiu.

Add to this the

ong o ing Photo: U.S. Embassy London @Flickr controversy over hooliganism at games — reaching a flashpoint at United’s EFL Cup tie with Chelsea — and the optimism exuded at their goodbye ceremony at the Boleyn Ground now seems a very long time ago.

Various explanations have been given for the instances of crowd trouble at West Ham’s home matches. The layout of the stadium — precisely the placement in the stadium of away fans — has been given as one, along with inadequate turnstiles for away supporters. The ambiguity over whether West Ham — as tenants — are responsible for security, or if its the responsibility of the Sta-

MANCH ESTER MEDIA GROUP

dium’s owners or the Metropolitan Police, has also proved troubling. West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady has had to issue a statement calling on a “five-point security plan”. The plan includes “Creating more distance between opposing fans to prevent missile throwing” and “employing the enhanced tactic of issuing a group of stewards with handheld video cameras”.

Of course, as has been pointed out, the elephant in the stadium is that there would be little need to debate the layout, policing, stewarding, or turnstiles, had fans not turned to violence. David Hytner of The Guardian has said that “It is remarkable how so little of the discussion is given over to the basic requirement for adults to behave in a socially acceptable manner” and it is certainly a point worth making. It also shows how large a problem this is, and how it’s unlikely to be resolved for some time.

Further embarrassment for the operators of the stadium came this last week, when Mayor of London Sadiq Khan ordered an investigation into the redevelopment the Olympic Stadium. This was after it had emerged that the cost of converting it to a joint football/athletics stadium had risen by around 50 million pounds. The original cost — as former Mayor Boris Johnson had announced in 2015 — was projected to be £272m but recent estimates put the figure at £323m.

Despite now largely being used for West Ham United football matches, the stadium is still publicly owned, and so the majority of the costs were funded by public bodies. West Ham will not be the focus of the inquiry, as they are not the operators of the Stadium, but will still not welcome the prolonged controversy their new home has attracted.

This is not the first time that the new Mayor has raised concerns with some infrastructure legacies of his predecessor. In September Khan announced that there would be an inquiry into the “Garden Bridge”, over whether the £60m of public money granted to the controversial project was worthwhile.

Photo: diamond geezer @Flickr

It is also not the first publicly-backed major football stadium to go over budget. The Football Association had originally earmarked £757m for the construction of the new Wembley Stadium, but as the project went on, the costs eventually rose to almost £1bn and problems meant the arena opened a year after it was planned to.

The amount of money that circulates in the British football economy — which has greatly increased this year with the £5bn TV deal coming into effect — makes it hard for many to understand why public money is used to help fund such projects, and Sadiq Khan would have been under considerable pressure to investigate the overspend.

City Hall will be hoping that the newly renamed London Stadium will be as much of a commercial success story as a multi-purpose venue as Wembley. The stadium has arguably its biggest showpiece event since the Olympics with the IAAF World Athletics Championships taking place there next September, which officials will hope will put some doubts over its future to bed.

It is also worth remembering that the Millennium Dome used to be considered even more of a waste of taxpayers’ money, and now — as the O2 Arena — it is one of the most iconic and successful venues in the world. An example the London Stadium will hope to emulate.

MANCHESTER MEDIA GROUP

From in and around Manchester, we want to showcase the wacky and wonderful, and have a go at whatever you have to offer!

E S FU

. . .

S E O D re in u t a e f s to p u o r g inary

w! o h s w ne MEDIA GROUP ourMANCHESTER

MA

e ord h t f o t r ou o f g n i k o ...” is lo

MANCHESTER MEDIA GROUP

oes D e s u F “ MANCHESTER MEDIA GROUP

fusedoes@gmail.com MANCHESTER MEDIA GROUP

/fusedoes

MANCHESTER MEDIA GROUP

MAN

7th NOVEMBER 2016/ ISSUE 07 FREE S

P

O

R

T

Are FIFA right to ban the Home Nations from wearing the Poppy?

Photo: hennasabel @Flickr

FIFA have banned England and Scotland from wearing the poppy in a 2018 World Cup Qualifier this Armistice Day, but both teams are planning to ignore it Harry Newton Sport Editor

The English national football side will play Scotland on Armistice Day this year in a World Cup Qualifier, but FIFA have banned both teams from wearing the poppy symbol on their armbands when playing. The Football Association of Wales have also asked permission to wear a poppy when they play Serbia on the 12th of November but the same response is expected of FIFA. Despite this, both the Scottish and the English FA have said that they will ignore this and risk punishment by wearing the poppy.

FIFA have always persisted that no political, religious or commercial symbol should be displayed on a football shirt, and the poppy falls under this category, under ‘political.’

West Bromwich Albion football player James McClean refuses to wear a poppy and is often bombarded by fans because of this, however he has fair reasoning for this. McClean stated in 2014 that he does not wear the poppy because it is used to remember victims af-

ter 1945, and therefore victims that are not from the two World Wars. McClean said, “for people from the North of Ireland such as myself, and specifically those in Derry, scene of the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre, the poppy has come to means something very different … every person still lives in the shadow of one of the darkest days in Ireland’s history … for me to wear a poppy would be as much a gesture of disrespect for the innocent people who lost their lives … as I have in the past been accused of disrespecting the victims of World War one, and World War two.”

Veteran of the second World War, Harry Leslie Smith, has also refused to wear a poppy because of recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. He refused to wear the poppy since 2013, and stated that “the spirit of my generation has been hijacked” by politicians to “sell dubious wars.” With both of these men in mind, it is obvious that the poppy is a political symbol and that technically, if we were to follow the rules by the letter of the law, should be banned from use in a football match by FIFA. Another problem with the home nations wearing the poppy is epitomised by the view of ITV News Presenter

Charlene White. White does not wear the poppy either. In 2013 she stated: “I support and am patron of a number of charities and I am uncomfortable with giving one of those charities more onscreen time than others … Off-screen in my private life — it’s different. I wear a red ribbon at the start of December for World Aids Day, a pink ribbon in October during breast cancer awareness month, a badge in April during Bowel Cancer Awareness month, and yes — a poppy on Armistice Day.” Despite this fair reason for not wearing a poppy on air, White has received ridiculous backlash online by the way of racist and sexist abuse.

If we consider this viewpoint of Charlene White, England do not wear a badge in April on their kit for Bowel Cancer Awareness month, and Scotland do not wear a red ribbon at the start of December for World Aids Day — so why should the poppy be given more prominence?

With all this in mind though is the poppy different? It may be a political symbol but should FIFA see past this and also acknowledge that it is a charity that is so close to the hearts of many in Britain? Just because England and

Scotland do not give attention to other appeals on their shirts or armbands, does that mean that they should totally ignore the poppy and not fight for this charity? The British FA’s seem to think that the poppy is worth fighting for.

Scottish Football Association Chief Stewart Regan told BBC Radio 5 Live that: “I can understand why they are doing this, but it is nothing more than a mark of respect. It is a personal choice.

This is not about making some political point.” He is right — the two national sides will not be aiming for any political advantage from this move, and it would purely be for a sign of respect.

Furthermore, there is a slight sense of double standards from FIFA. Earlier this year the Republic of Ireland wore a clear political symbol on their shirts marking 100 years since the Easter Rising: an Irish rebellion against British rule which resulted in 485 deaths in 1916.

It is possible that a points deduction could come England and Scotland’s way when they do defy the ban, as they plan to, but Martin Glenn, the FA head, said that: “We don’t think we are breaking their law — we think they are misinterpreting it. I’m confident it won’t come

to anything draconian.”

Whatever your opinion on whether FIFA were right or wrong, the home nations look to be going ahead with wearing the poppy anyway. Something that they may have to be careful with the poppy however, is normalising it.

Premier League clubs have a habit of churning out 18 shirts with poppies on for Premier League matches, and players running out in the shirts without a second thought. Surely James McClean is not the only one who does not like the poppy, and you get the feel that there is a certain pressure for players to wear the poppy — especially those players from different countries who are almost forced to wear these shirts.

Pressuring people to wear the poppy, and shunning those who choose not to wear it like Charlene White, only takes away from the true meaning of the poppy.

It is to celebrate our freedom, it is a choice, and it is something you must be actively passionate about or there is no point in wearing one. As soon as it becomes second nature without any thought whatsoever as to why you are wearing the poppy … then there is really no point at all.

/TheMancunionSport

31

30

@Mancunion_Sport

29