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21st NOVEMBER 2016 / ISSUE 09 FREE
Over half of University of Manchester teaching staff on ‘precarious’ employment contracts
New figures released by The Guardian reveal the proportion of academic staff who are in ‘insecure and precarious’ employment, according to the University and College Union Photo: Alicia Love
Gemma Sowerby Chief Subeditor Over half of teaching staff at the University of Manchester are on temporary, “insecure” contracts, according to new figures released this week by The Guardian. At the university, a reported 57.9 per cent of teaching or teaching-and-research staff are employed on this type of contract, which the University of Manchester University and College Union’s branch secretary, Dr Adam Ozanne, calls “insecure [and] precarious”.
City University students ban Sun, Daily Mail and Express
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Russell Group universities fare the worst and rely the most on insecure workers according to the figures, which come from the Higher Education Statistics Agency and have been analysed by the University and College Union (UCU). The University of Birmingham is the worst offender, employing 70.3 per cent of their teaching staff on these contracts, despite the unveiling of a £500m building project, and a £416,000 salary for their vicechancellor, Sir David Eastwood. Trade unionists, in response to The Guardian investigation, have accused vice-chancellors of “importing the Sports Direct
The Piccadilly wall is coming down
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model” into British universities, while the National Union of Students has expressed concern that students may not be receiving quality education, despite paying up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the UCU, described “a reserve army of precarious and exploited labour,” adding: “Many universities are hacking up teaching jobs into ever smaller bits and shoving people on to the worst contract they can get away with.”
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Most British students want second Brexit referendum
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News
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Highlights P6
Science : Supermoon 2016
P9 Letter from the Editor-in-chief
Continued from page one...
Features: Insider’s Account of Manchester Labour
Percentage of Teaching staff on temporary contracts Source: The Guardian
Students
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Fashion & Beauty: Smokey eyeshadow look
The University of Manchester University and College Union has told The Mancunion : “ The Guardian article highlights the growing inequalities in pay and the insecure, precarious nature of employment for many staff working in this and other universities. As such, I am sure all UCU members in the University will welcome it.” However, the Universities and Colleges Employers
Association, the lobby group for university employers, argued: “It is essential that universities retain the ability to operate with part of their workforce in a flexible mode to enable them to respond to changes in demand. The variability in student enrolments on programmes, and features of academic life such as sabbaticals and research leave for permanent staff, mean that fixed-term opportunities to
P26 Visit Our Website www.mancunion.com The Mancunion @TheMancunion Editor-in-chief: Jennifer Sterne editor@mancunion.com
Lifestyle: The return of the Christmas markets
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
teach, generally for a year or a semester, are made available.” Responding to the claims, a University of Manchester spokesman said: “Using a blunt headcount of staff is an inaccurate way of representing the reality of this picture. The University employs many specialists who teach students for part of their course and also employs people to cover staff on research sabbaticals or to work on research projects which are externally funded for a set period of time. “Manchester is committed to investing in its employees and therefore delivering the best possible service to students. In our most recent staff survey 92 per cent of staff stated they were proud to work at the University, the highest proportion in the sector.”
This week our front page looks into the story, broken by The Guardian, that universities run a “Sports Direct model” for lecturers pay. They discovered that the University of Manchester, and other institutions have over half of their teaching staff on ‘precarious’ contracts . When students learn that a high proportion of our lecturers and teaching staff are on precarious contracts, some being paid by the hour, with one claiming as The Guardian printed they are “definitely much less inclined to go the extra mile in terms of preparing for a class,” students cannot help but think about it within the context of the rise in tuition fees, and many students will probably begin to question whether they are getting value for money. On a much lighter note the Manchester Media Group has launched a new project, ‘Come sesh with us’, where we will get three societies to attend each other’s events, vote on the, with one crowned the winner, and the whole thing being filmed by Fuse TV. So if the news above does get you down, then why not get involved and party your sorrows away? If you are interested email deputyed@mancunion. com. We also have openings with The Mancunion editorial team for the next academic term. If you want to help produce this paper each week then you have until this Friday at midday to apply. The roles we have are Deputy News Editor, Head and Deputy Food Editor and Games Editor. To apply go to The Mancunion website.
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 University Sport Editor: Ben Ryan sport@mancunion.com Books Editor: Roma Havers books@mancunion.com Games Editor: Stephen Lewis games@mancunion.com Theatre Editor: Brogen Campbell theatre@mancunion.com Arts Editor: Laura Joyce arts@mancunion.com Head Online Editor Rebecca Carr Deputy Online Editor: Holly Smith online@mancunion.com Photographers: Ben Farren Copyright belongs to the photographers. If you wish to reproduce them contact them
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. 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. We gladly accept contributors from outside the University of Manchester.
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. If you have any comments, questions, complaints, or would like to contribute, please e-mail the Editorin-chief or Deputy Editor-in-chief.
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ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
City University students vote to ban the Sun, Mail, and Express The Students’ Union at City University, renowned as having one of the top journalism schools in the country, have passed a motion to ban the newspapers in order to “oppose fascism”
Jennifer Sterne Editor-in-Chief In a motion to “oppose fascism”, City University of London’s Students’ Union have voted to ban the sale of The Sun, the Daily Mail, and the Daily Express on campus. This motion is particularly embarrassing for the university, as they are one of the most respected journalism schools in the country, from which many graduates go on to work for the publications in question. The university’s Students’ Union voted to ban the three newspapers, “in their current form”, under the motion of “opposing fascism and social divisiveness in the UK media”. The motion made clear that these papers may not be the last to be banned, and that they were “merely used as high-profile examples”. The union’s motion claimed that the papers “published stories that demonise refugees and minorities”, and that the Daily Express and Daily Mail mirrored “Nazi propaganda” in “undermining the rule of law in the UK”. The Union believe, as outlined in the motion, that the papers “actively scapegoat the working classes”and “publish stories that are sexist”. They add that “freedom of speech should not be used as an excuse to attack the weakest and poorest members of society.” Aside from the ban, the motion also resolves to promote “the active pressuring of the
aforementioned media outlets to cease to fuel fascism, racial tension and hatred in society.” In a statement Yusuf Ahmad, City University London Students’ Union President said: “A motion titled ‘Opposing Fascism & Social Divisiveness in the UK Media’ was debated and passed by the members in the Annual General Meeting. The Union is currently unaware of any outlets on campus selling the mentioned media publications. As with all motions, the Union will be considering how it implements this.” Professor Suzanne Franks, Head of the Department of Journalism at City, commenting on the issue, cited her departments place “as a leader in its field, with an unrivalled record of helping graduates secure attractive employment in both traditional and emerging journalist roles”. She added that students on the course “value being able to access the views of publications and broadcasters across the industry and the Department will continue to enable all these opportunities.” According to The Guardian some journalism students have threatened to pull out of the Union in protest against the decision. The Mancunion spoke with some MA Magazine Journalism students at the university about their responses to news of the ban. Rebecca Hastings told The Mancunion that she understands “why people are con-
cerned about censorship” but argued that “the bottom line is that the more the general public can do to undermine these kind of newspapers the better.” Hastings added: “They’re more dangerous now than ever, and as a multicultural university, we need to protect minorities, and if that means banning the kind of vitriol these newspapers come out with, I don’t have a problem with it.” Another student, Alys Key, thinks “it highlights a divide between the journalism department and the university in general.” She claimed that postgraduate students “often pass up the opportunity to get involved with the SU” because of time constraints and that “unfortunately the result is that we don’t get heard in meetings.” Nick Earl is opposed to the ban, as he believes “publications available to us at university have to be as diverse in opinion as possible, otherwise how can we pretend to be an institution of free thought and inquiry?” Earl acknowledged that while “some people may find the views expressed by the papers in question to be distasteful [...] it can’t escape notice that it is only non-left publications that are given such censure, by indulgent, spoilt millenials who bandy the words racist and fascistic around like they are candy to the point of no meaning.” Photo: Daniel Novta @Flickr
The Piccadilly wall is coming down Harry Newton Sports Editor Manchester City Council have released plans for Piccadilly Garden to be regenerated as part of a £10million plan. Landowners of Piccadilly Gardens Legal & General revealed the plans, created by Urban Edge and landscapers LDA, showing the replacement of the infamous grey wall surrounding the Gardens with a set of restaurants and a bar. The bar and restaurants will be part of the modern architecture that will be made of wood, flint, and glass. The council aim to have family-friendly restaurants on the bottom floor, and a bar on the first floor, which will also have a roof terrace to enjoy Manchester’s glorious three-day Summer on. The Gardens have been criticised by the local community in recent years after the 2002 regeneration of the Gardens were deemed inadequate. In the last six months, the Manchester Evening News gathered 20,000 signatures on a petition urging the council to change the Gardens, which appears to have been successful. The target for most of the abuse from Mancunians has been the grey wall surrounding the Gardens. The wall has without doubt been an eye-sore, especially on a wet day. It was initially put in place to prevent noise travelling from the transport hub next to the Garden into the plaza itself, but instead it has diminished the appearance of the Gardens itself. As part of the plans footpaths will be re-laid, extra seating will be added along with more trees, and additional lighting will be put in place for the dark evenings when the Gardens have previously seen an increase in anti-social behaviour. The children’s play area will be separated from the rest of the gardens by a flowered partition. In order to pay for all this work, Legal & General will be
funding most of the project, as they have a long-term lease on the current wall and property surrounding it. They will supply the council with £1.3million by leasing a slightly bigger footprint than they do at the moment. There will also be £700,000 spent on improving the gardens and an extra £8million that will see the wall tumble, and the total reach £10million. Two electronic advertising boards will also be put in place, that are expected to bring in an additional £50,000 per year for maintenance. Council leader Sir Richard Leese said that it was time for change: “We recognise that there are aspects which have proved unpopular and others where there is scope for improvement, including design improvements to deter antisocial behaviour and enhancing our own ongoing maintenance of the space.”
Photo: David McKelvey @Flickr
Preview: money.co.uk founderspeaks to Manchester entrepreneurs Gemma Sowerby Chief Sub-Editor On Wednesday 23rd of November, Chris Morling, Manchester graduate and top entrepreneur behind the hugely successful comparison website money.co.uk, will be speaking to Entrepreneurs@Manchester and the Manchester Enterprise Centre as part of their impressive speaker series. Money.co.uk was ranked as the second fastest growing business in the UK last year by The Sunday Times, who also placed Chris in the 2016 Sunday Times Rich List alongside a whole host of successful and renowned UK entrepreneurs. This event will showcase Chris and his enormous talents, hopefully inspiring students and future Manchester entrepreneurs. As the event description explains: “Chris is [as] passionate about creating a working environment that’s fun, challenging, and rewarding as he is making sure customers are treated fairly by financial services companies. “Money.co.uk has been voted as one of the best places to work in the country and appeared in the top 100
fastest-growing private technology companies in Britain for the past three years. He uses his unique insight into consumer and company behaviour to respond to regulatory reviews and help shape the industry, all reasons Chris was shortlisted for Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award earlier this year.” The Manchester Enterprise Centre, based within Alliance Manchester Business School, are “recognised as a leader in enterprise education and aim to inspire, educate and develop enterprising individuals and enable them to positively impact the growth of dynamic organisations. “Through enterprise teaching, learning and business start-up support, our students can capitalise on these research outcomes — transferring knowledge from the classrooms and laboratories to market opportunities. Enterprise at Manchester can be the driving force to improve the world in which we live — we have the knowledge and we need to apply it for economic and social gain.” Chris Morling will be speaking on the 23rd of November at 5:15pm, in Lecture Theatre B, University Place.
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ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Harvard suspends men’s soccer team over sexual comments
Harvard has canceled the Men’s soccer season, after discovering that sexually explicit ‘scouting reports’, rating women from the team, continued from 2012 through to 2016 Arradhna Patel News Contributor Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Harvard University has suspended their men’s soccer team this season after it was discovered that they had made lewd comments about some members of the women’s soccer team. It was discovered that the team had produced vulgar and explicit ‘scouting reports’ rating the women on the teams sexual appeal and physical appearance. The Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper, reported that the 2012 men’s soccer team had compiled a “scouting report” of that year’s women’s soccer recruits, rating them and assigning each a hypothetical sexual position. University President Drew G. Faust instructed OGC, Harvard’s team of lawyers, to “review” the matter. Faust, released a statement after an investigation: “I was deeply distressed to learn that the appalling actions of the 2012 men’s soccer team were not isolated to one year or the actions of a few individuals, but appear to have been more widespread across the team and have continued beyond 2012, including in the current season.” She added: “The decision to can-
cel a season is serious and consequential, and reflects Harvard’s view that both the team’s behaviour and the failure to be forthcoming when initially questioned are completely unacceptable, have no place at Harvard, and run counter to the mutual respect that is a core value of our community.” The men’s soccer team is currently ranked first in the Ivy League men’s soccer table and was one win away from a guaranteed NCAA tournament spot. However, since the team has been shut down for the rest of the season, they automatically lose their spot. Athletics Director Robert L. told the Crimson, Harvard’s student newspaper: “We strongly believe that this immediate and significant action is absolutely necessary if we are to create an environment of mutual support, respect, and trust among our students and our teams. Harvard Athletics has zero tolerance for this type of behaviour.” He added that the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response will work to “further educate” not only the soccer team, but all student athletes in general. Pieter S Lehrer, the men’s soccer
team coach, said in a statement: “We are beyond disappointed that our season has ended in this way, but we respect the decision made by our administration. We accept responsibility for our actions, and I know that we will use the experience of this terribly unfortunate situation to be better.” The six women from the other team wrote an article entitled “Stronger Together” for The Crimson, strongly condemning the “scouting report.” The article also read: “The sad reality is that we have come to expect this kind of behaviour from so many men, that it is so “normal” to us we often decide it is not worth our time or effort to dwell on. [We are] beyond hurt to realise these individuals could encourage, silently observe, or participate in this kind of behaviour, and for more than four years have neglected to apologise [until recently].” They concluded: “I can offer you my forgiveness, which is — and forever will be — the only part of me that you can ever claim as yours.” The women’s team have since invited the male side to join them in their fight against “locker room” culture.
Majority of students want a second Brexit referendum
Yasmin Mannan Head News Editor
Research shows that around 85 per cent of students who voted in the EU referendum wanted to remain in the EU, meaning that almost 1 million undergraduates were unhappy with the Brexit result. A survey of 1000 undergraduate students demonstrated that increasing university tuition fees, rising living costs, and changes to student visas are among the key explanations for student woes in the wake of Brexit. When asked how they would feel about applying to universities in other European countries p o s t- r e f e r e n d u m , 28 per cent of participants said they would be less likely to apply. This is double the number of those who said they would be more likely to consider studying abroad (14 per cent). Data collected by VOOVit suggested this was partly due to how students an-
ticipated they would be regarded — more than 40 per cent admitted to feeling worried about other European students’ perceptions of them post-referendum. Moreover, some UK business school heads have warned that there has been a 20 per cent increase in the number of EU students failing to turn up for classes this term as a result of Brexit. In light of the results of the undergraduate survey, Sorana Vieru, National Union of Students (NUS) Vice President for Higher Education, said: “It’s no surprise most young people are still hugely upset by the result of the EU referendum, and NUS has made it clear we think being part of the EU is hugely beneficial to the UK’s education sector. Going forward, we need to make sure students and institutions have a say in all decisions that affect them. “NUS also believes 16 and 17-year-olds should have had the
right to vote in the EU referendum, as Brexit will have the biggest impact on their futures, taking away the right to study and work in the EU. Our research showed 76 per cent would have voted if they could.” In her official Brexit statement in June, the President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Dame Nancy Rothwell, stated: “I want to reassure you that The University of Manchester is, and will remain, not just a UK, but also a global university that embraces staff and students, and academic and business partnerships from across the world. “It is particularly important at this time that we welcome and support our current and future colleagues and students from Europe and other continents and show them how much they are valued.”
Photo: mass_5 @Flickr
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Millenials encouraged to take control of their financial future Jennifer Sterne Editor-In-Chief The Student Investing Championship has been launched by invstr, the investment gaming app. The international competition aims to help thousands of students improve their knowledge of the financial markets and investing. The championship, which has invited over 200 leading business schools and universities around the world to take part, begins its first competition on 21st November, with subsequent tournaments starting mid-January and mid-March. The invstr app aims to make the financial markets and trading more accessible. Launched in 2013 by Kerim Derhalli, the app provides live market data
and financial information and invites users to play the markets with risk-free investment games using virtual currency. The app is launching a string of upcoming initiatives at the moment, including the introduction of campus ambassadors. The aim of these initiatives is to raise awareness amongst students about investment “as a viable means of improving their finances.” One of the key initiatives is the ‘Student Investing Championship’, which will invite students from across the country to test their investment skills through the app. The championship challenge will consist of a series of three investment competitions across the academic year. The student investors who make the most virtual profit
over each of the four-week tournaments win prizes aimed to improve their financial careers. These include cash, internships, and invitations to invstr’s career networking days. Students taking part in the championship will be able choose from over 1,500 global equity indices, stocks, currencies, commodities and bonds in an effort to win the championship. Kerim Derhalli, CEO and founder of invstr, said: “The invstr app aims to help everyone learn more about investing and enable our users to take charge of their financial future. This new championship is all about creating a fun and social way to getting more students interested in their finances and the markets.
“With the launch of the Student Investing Championship, we’re taking our mission one step further, setting out to partner with 200 universities globally and eventually inspire 1,000,000 students to develop their financial skills, in a fun and social way.” The team claim that their ultimate aim is to empower millennials to take control of their own financial future. Derhalli added: “Financial skills are vital to future economic development, which means that increasing education and understanding of the markets is integral. invstr is in 135 countries already, providing an easy, free way to learn more. We’re encouraging a healthy culture of savings, which will help the economy across the world.”
Photo: 69751915@N05 @Flickr
Photo: 60900612@N08 @Flickr
University of Manchester rated one of the world’s best for graduate employability The Times Higher Education rankings have revealed that Manchester is one of the best places in the world to be in terms of graduate employability Elise Gallagher Deputy Editor-In-Chief
Photo: Junaid Ali Bokhari
The Times Higher Education Global University Employability Ranking 2016 was published on the 16th of November after surveying 2,500 recruitment managers and 3,500 business managers around the world to get their views on the most employable graduates. The University of Manchester has been ranked fifth in the UK and 24th in the world in an independent league table illustrating the way in which universities prepare their students for work. The companies surveyed ranged across all major business sectors, having more than 5,000 employees each and also recruited more than 50 graduates per year. Those surveyed were asked to define what they look for in a graduate as well as what university they believe produce the most employable graduates. For Tammy Goldfeld, head of The University of Manchester’s Careers Ser-
vice, this graduate employability success is down to an approach dedicated to developing skills that are not only associated with conventional teaching. She said: “Alongside the practical support we give to students we encourage all of them to take part in structured activities outside of their courses, developing a leadership and social responsibility ethos which they can translate into successful future careers.” This latest triumph is the only the most recent in an already impressive list of performances for Manchester in both UK and international league tables. The University has also reached its highest ever position of 29th in the QS World University Rankings in September and, in August, climbed six places to 35th in The Academic Ranking of World Universities. This latest result also confirms the findings of the ‘Graduate Market in 2016’ survey of the UK’s top 100 employers which revealed that University of Manches-
ter students are the most targeted by leading graduate recruiters. One strong point listed by the university was the University’s Sustainability Challenge. In Welcome Week 2016, almost 8,000 first year students worked together in teams to project manage the development of a new fictional university campus. This allowed them to develop important skills and learn about issues facing the world today. Goldfeld added: “The employers we work with consistently tell us that they value the extra skills that students gain over and above their course and this is something we work very hard to impress on our students. The placing in this league table shows that Manchester graduates are making a positive impression all around the world and taking to the first steps to successful careers.” To view the full rankings, visit the Times Higher Education Website.
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ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Supermoon 2016 Georgie Hines Science Editor
Photos: @NasserTone on Twitter, @huichen_li on Instagram, @hosseinhamdieh on Instagram, @vh_jtb on Instagram, TIME Magazine, @ gurnavjot_singh on Instagram, NASA, Jesse Chance
Last Monday, the moon was at its closest to Earth since 1948 — just a short 221,524 miles away. The supermoon was said to appear 14 per cent larger and 30 per cent brighter compared to when it is at its furthest point in its orbit. Scientists have predicted that the next supermoon will not happen for another 18 years. Unfortunately for most of the UK, classic British weather meant the actual supermoon experience wasn’t as spectacular as the hype surrounding it. To make it up to those who missed out, The Mancunion has collated some of the best professional and ameteur photos of the supermoon from across the globe on social media.
No willpower? Love bacon? Try flexitarianism Eating less meat isn’t just good for you, it could save the planet and you some cash
Megan Harvey Science Reporter
Vegetarian and veganism has become increasingly popular in the UK, rising by over 360 per cent in the past decade. This is in part since the impacts of the meat industry on the climate have come to light, as well as the health benefits of eating less red meat. But to many people, the idea of giving up meat seems like an incredibly difficult, sad, and significantly less delicious way of life. However there is an easier option to do your bit for the environment, whilst also saving a good bit of cash yourself. Flexitarianism is when you drop meat from your diet in small ways; this can be for whole days in a week or just one meal. The best thing is that it’s so flexible, and is completely up to you. It’s also much easier than you’d expect, like eating more eggs at breakfast rather than sausages — plus vegetarian food can be delicious too. The fad began with the McCartneys’ Meat free Mondays campaign, after a study exposed that the beef industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars and transport activities worldwide. In fact, animal agriculture makes up a staggering 51
per cent of emissions. This is even more environmentally damaging when you consider the millions of acres forest that is cut down every day to make room for cattle grazing. A UN report claims that a shift to a lower-meat diet is one of the most vital steps in saving the planet from both world hunger and climate change. But it is not as much about cutting out meat, but cutting down. For example, beef has 14 times the amount of gas emissions than chicken, so replacing more meals with the latter can make a huge difference. Most experts also argue that the western diet includes too much meat a week anyway, and that flexitarians have much lower mortality rates. It’s also undeniable that meat is expensive. A vegetarian diet has been shown to save at least £600 a year in comparison. For a student this is a good amount of money that could be spent on more important things; namely, alcohol and clothes. So by replacing costly red meats with cheaper white meats, or just decreasing the amount of meat you buy altogether, you can save a lot. But if your excuse for excessive meat consumption is to maximise your time pumping iron or improving your physique, then take a look at gold medalist Olympic weightlifter and passionate vegan Kendrick Farras or vocal flexitarian/vegan Venus Williams. There
is still no legitimate excuse for how much meat we eat. If everyone decreased their consumption just a little by cutting meat from a few meals a week, we could help combat climate change and save a lot of money in the process.
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In theThenews this week... important and interesting stories from the wider world this week Stories by: Harry Newton, Elise Gallagher, Araddhna Patel, Charlie Spargo, Gemma Sowerby
The Loch Ness Monster — long time no sea? UK Steve Frame was driving on the A82 road in Drumnadrochit when he stopped to take a picture of Loch Ness. A bizarre strip of bubbles can be seen in his photo, possibly suggesting that Nessie made her way to closer to the surface. Steve told the Scottish Sun: “There were no boats about and it definitely wasn’t a seal, a bird or a fish. It was much too big for that. I often see strange things on the loch. But this is the first time I have seen anything like this.” Unfortunately, after examining the photos, Steve Feltham, a local Nessie hunter, could not say with certainty whether it was the sea monster or not.
Petition to rename fire ants ‘spicy boys’
US In a week where a petition calling for a second EU referendum has reached over 4.1 million signatures, one man in the USA is continuing the important political activism: he has launched a change.org petition named ‘Rename Fire Ants to Spicy Boys!!!’ “It’s 2016, there are 36 genders, bayblade might be a new olympic sport, why arent we calling fire ants ‘spicy boys’?” asks the petition, which will be delivered to Hillary Clinton and ‘Certified Daddy’ Morgan Freeman. Having already garnered over 82,000 signatures, news outlets including the Independent have reached out to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature for comment.
Man’s toilet trip discovers 49,000 year old Aboriginal site Australia Archaeologist Giles Hamm was surveying an area in Southern Australia, when he uncovererd a 49,000 year old aboriginal human settlement — from the toilet. He was surveying a territory in Flinders Ranges with an aboriginal elder Cliffford Coulthard. Hamm labelled it “one of the most important sites in Australian pre-history” when talking to ABC News. The large gorge and spring was surrounded by rock art, and was only discovered when Clifford had wondered away to try and find somewhere to go to the toilet. 4,300 objects and 200 bone fragments were recovered from the site. This Australian toilet discovery has dunny some good.
Researchers study to combat selfie deaths International In the first eight months of 2016, there have been 73 deaths linked to selfie taking. This is an increase on the 39 deaths of 2015 and 15 deaths of 2014. Selfies are becoming increasingly dangerous, so researchers have put some time into studying ways to stop people dying whilst taking selfies. PhD student Hemank Lamba is working on an app to warn people about the dangers of selfie-taking. 76 of the 127 confirmed selfie deaths took place in India, nine in Pakistan, eight in the USA, and six in Russia. Dying falling from a great height whilst taking a picture is the most likely, followed by water-related deaths such as jumping into the sea. Dying whilst taking a selfie eh? Picture that.
Mars-mot spotted
Mars After carefully studying pictures sent back from the surface of Mars, a dogged UFO investigator claims there is irrefutable evidence of life on the red planet. The editor of UFO Sightings Daily, Scott C Waring, is convinced he’s spotted not an extra-terrestrial, but an Earth native; a groundhog. Waring is convinced he sees in the photo from NASA’s Curiosity Rover the large rodent standing on all fours, amongst the similarly-coloured rocks of Mars. “Its eyes, nose, hair and leg stance all match.” “This is proof,” he says, “that some small animals are alive and well on Mars. Yes, I say it’s alive.”
In Science this week... Salad bags can spread Salmonella UK Researchers at the University of Leicester have said that a combination of moisture and leaking nutrients inside bagged salad can create an environment where bacteria can thrive. Studies show that the risk of food poisoning is particularly bad in spinach and rocket leaves. Dr Freestone, who was involved in the research, has said: “Don’t be alarmed, we still eat bagged salad, but don’t keep bagged salad any longer than you need to, we normally buy it on the day we eat it.”
‘Post-truth’ is Word of the Year
UK
Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year for 2016 is ‘post-truth’. The definition of this is “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal beliefs.” The term’s usage has increased by around 2000 percent in 2016, in comparison to the year before. In a world where ‘selfie,’ ‘omnishambles,’ and ‘reem’ are in the Oxford Dictionary, it seems apt for the company to make their Word of the Year something that has dominated the social landscape too! In a year of Brexit and the presidential election, the word seems to be a good choice.
Koala-ty financial advice Australia It appears that financial difficulties affect the animal kingdom too, after a koala bear in Leongotha, Australia, was spotted at an accountantcy firm. The bear, which is in fact a marsupial and not related to bears, waited patiently outside the doors of the office before wandering in. Once it had finished its business there, it was calmly escorted off the premises, checked over by a vet and sent to a more “appropriate” location. Australian MP Harriet Shing captured the event on Twitter. “I’m sure his taxes are entirely in order, but it’s important to be thorough”, she tweeted.
Sneezing is the big new sexual fetish International Thousands are part of a large fetish community dedicated to people sneezing. The winter does instantly become a little sexier if you have a sneezing fetish. Sneezing is the way your body expels germs, goz, and horribleness — but also a way to turn on thousands of people. There is a whole forum dedicated to those people who have a fetish for sneezing, sneezefetishforum.org. This includes general chit-chat and naughty talk. Some evidence suggests that sneezing releases endorphins, similar to how an orgasm works, which may go some way to explaining this. People all over the world have been attempting to catch colds to stimulate themselves. I’m pretty sure that if I called these people weird, they would say “back atchoo”.
New superplane faster than Concorde
UK The subscale XB-1 Superson Demonstrator is a ridiculously impressive name for an object, but it lives up to its impressive name. The prototype plane, nicknamed “Baby Boom” is going to be scaled up as a passenger plane for 45 people, and will reach up to 1451mph. This is 100mph faster than the famous Concorde that retired from action in October of 2003 due to safety fears. Richard Branson has backed the plane and has the option to buy ten of them. The plane can fly from London to New York in 3.5 hours, which is approximately how long it will take you to get from Piccadilly to Stockport on a Virgin train due to delays.
Woman gets an unexpected mouthful Kenya A woman in Ghana discovered a phallic bit of meat in her meal from a fast food restaurant. After enquiring with the restaurant she discovered that they had bought it from a chop house in the suburb of Pokuase in Accra. The diner, Akosua, was intent on finding out what the penis shaped piece of meat was and took it home and where she contacted her friend, a lab technician. “My sister opted to show it to a lab technician friend later, who said because the meat was cooked, an ordinary lab test wouldn’t be able to prove it to be animal or human.” Akosua continued, telling 3news.com that the lab technician “advised a forensic test be done on it but considering the bureaucratic processes these things go through, we gave up and the meat lies in our fridge.”
Science by: Georgie Hines, Harry Newton, Charlie Spargo
Teenage girl wins right to be frozen after death
UK The body of a 14-year-old who died of cancer has been cryogenically preserved in the hope that treatment will be available some time in the future. A landmark High Court case, which ended on the 6th of October, ruled that the mother of the deceased girl had the right to make the decision on behalf of her late daughter. The girl had written a letter to the judge saying “I want to live and live longer”, and that freezing “gives me a chance to be cured and woken up”. The girl, whose mother supported her decision but whose father was against it, died last month and her body has been flown to America for preservation.
Kenyan vasectomies streamed live on Facebook
Kenya In Kenya, at least 150 men have had a vasectomy streamed live on Facebook. The procedure takes around twenty minutes and involves cutting off the tubes that carry sperm. After the procedure semen is still be produced in the same volume as before, but will not carry sperm. The performance occurs behind a curtain on stage at the Kenyan National Theatre in Nairobi. The idea behind filming the procedure is to battle the stigma that is attached to Kenyan men wanting a vasectomy. Dr Jack Zhang told the BBC that, ““Some men fear that in Africa there’s a high mortality rate so they need to have more children.” This is really cutting edge stuff isn’t it?
Napping can improve exam performance Singapore Having a quick nap could have as positive effect on your exam results as a desperate lastminute cram, a study has shown. There is also evidence that the long-term effects on memory could be more positive than revision too. Neuroscientists at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore tested a cohort of students and found they performed better in a test of recollection if they had napped for an hour than if they had watched a film or revised what they had been taught. Results of another test after a week showed those who had napped still had the highest scores. It is thought that perhaps it is due to the creation of memories during sleep or that learning is enhanced following the nap.
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Feature
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
An Insider’s Account of Manchester Labour Students
Jack Ashworth speaks to a student on the left of Manchester Labour Students to discuss how the alleged current split reflects the party’s national problems
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n the wake of the tumult surrounding the United States’ controversial decision to elect Donald Trump as President, the University of Manchester is set to be rocked by another hotly contested election — in the form of the Committee Elections for Manchester Labour Students (MLS). Over the coming days, members of MLS will cast their votes online, hoping their respective candidates will be victorious in securing positions on the Committee of what has been hailed the “biggest Labour Students Club in the country” — according to the Labour Students website. Running for positions including Secretary and Treasurer, Events Officer, Campaigns Officer, LGBT officer and many more, candidates have been campaigning to convince would-be voters. The candidates are largely divided into two broad camps, the left and the Labour Moderates — who dominate the current Committee — which is reflective of wider divisions within the Parliamentary Labour Party itself, something which has been very much ongoing in the last 15 months, coming to a head with Corbyn’s re-election in September this year. Although a decisive victory for the left of the party, much of the grievances held by many Labour MPs and members have yet to be resolved — leaving many ongoing divisions in an already tense political environment.
“There were clear divisions in the society last year” Edward Rosier, a member of the MLS and Manchester Marxists, said in regards to the supposed split within the organisation that “there were clear divisions in the society last year — the scope of which varied depending on who you talk to” and went on to comment that “this year in the only open meeting that has been held so far the divisions were brought up repeatedly by certain members”. With the majority of positions seeing
Photo: Tom Page@Flickr
the incumbents being challenged by people on what Mr. Rosier identifies as “the left” of the party, many of the challengers have called for an opening up of political discourse within the society, highlighting the limited amount of open discussion currently allowed.
The split is apparently between “Those who see the need for change and those who are resistant to it” Mr. Rosier highlighted the lack of open meetings and debates within the society. “The divide seems to be between Corbyn supporters who want to have open meetings and discuss change within the Labour party and those who were happy with the way the society was being run with little political discussion and a focus on unity (the kind of unity where they run the society at least)”. This split between Corbynites and moderates is not something isolated to the student movement, but is reflected in wider political discourse within the Parliamentary Labour Party itself. Many Labour MPs have openly expressed contempt for Corbyn in the wake of his re-election as leader, indicating that there has been little reconciliation amongst warring factions. This was exemplified by scores of Labour MPs abstaining from the Party’s own motion to pressure the government to withdraw support for the Saudi military invasion of Yemen, which can be seen as a concerted effort to rebel against Corbyn. Rosier agreed that there is a split within the Labour movement, citing “when Peter Mandelson called, immediately after the democratic election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader, for him to be forced out”. This open rebellion goes hand-in-hand with calls
to reclaim the political centre-ground by many in the PLP. In the wake of developments within the global political climate, particularly the marked shift to the right in America and Europe, these cries for political moderacy have only intensified — calling for policies such as mild austerity, social welfare reforms, and a limited embrace of market economics. Rosier however, rejects these cries for what he calls the “non-existent centre ground” and many of those within the Labour movement both in Manchester and nationally seem to agree with him, as can be seen by Corbyn’s increased majority in the recent leadership contest. Rosier described this split as similar to the one between “those who see the need for a change and those who are resistant to it” within the society. Many are worried that the lack of unity within the left is something that may have a detrimental effect on the fight against the right, which has seen enormous gains since the last election — in particular with the advent of Brexit, the rise of UKIP and the aforementioned election of Donald Trump to the US Presidency. While many within the Labour Party and the British Left at large have called for a more concerted effort at unity, to counter-act the resurgence of the right, some have instead called for a consolidation of leftist principles. Owen Jones, writing for The Guardian this month, called for a “new populism... rooted in working-class communities” — critiquing the very centrist-policies many in Labour are trying to return to, which he feels have failed to engage the majority of the working class both domestically and internationally. Despite these divisions however, both sides would agree that Labour needs to progress as a unified party in order to stand a good chance in the next election. However, as both sides of the party have such different perspectives for how the left should progress, finding common cause will prove difficult. Mr. Rosier believes that the best option for the party would be to embrace “Corbyn’s vision for a more compassionate, socially democratic UK” and also advocates mandatory reselection and decries attempts by Labour centrists to “replace Corbyn with a leader no one has ever heard of so they can avoid listening to the
members” —referring to Owen Smith. Supporters of Smith, and others who would identify as being in opposition to Mr. Corbyn within the party, whilst supporting many of the positions held by Corbyn and his followers, would instead argue for a re-embracing of some of the policies prevalent within the New Labour years. Aiming to unify the party behind a more traditional, broadchurch style leader — who they hope could reach out to all factions in the Labour movement.
“Replace Corbyn with a leader no one has ever heard of so they can avoid listening to the members” This train of thought is something that has been largely adopted by past Committees of the MLS, who hope to avoid disagreement and internal dispute, by aiming to foster an environment of unity and consensus. This is evident in the lack of discussion that has been present in the last year, according to Mr. Rosier. By contrast, candidates on the left claim they aim to challenge this and instead hope to find common cause through debate and discussion both within the society, whilst also endeavouring to engage with other activist groups — this could mean groups such as Socialist Students, or BME Manchester — both of which have acquired a substantial presence on campus.
We would like to state that we did reach out to many members of the Labour Students across the entire political spectrum, but with the exception of Mr. Rosier they all either refused to comment, or simply did not reply.
Feature 9
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
A student life: The student journalist
Manchester Weihnachtsmarkt
Maria Ortega Rechkemmer finds out just how German Manchester’s Christmas Markets are
Photo: The Mancunion
Jacob Nicholas Features Editor
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liza Slawther is softly spoken, but this belies intelligence and determination. She’s hard working — not content to let The Mancunion be like any other paper — and has plans and ambitions far beyond what you would expect from the average student journalist. First, I asked Eliza what her role in The Mancunion entails: “I’m the head Film Editor, so I just edit the film section along with my deputy… I decide what goes in each week and I guess I have the final say.” Eliza’s using her position to try and make the film section more diverse and interesting. “Mostly it’s film reviews,” she told me, “but I’m trying to move away from that a little bit because its good for us to cover all the film things that we can... We got an interview with a director that was really interesting, we got to send someone to do that and we’re also covering the Manchester film festival and we do sort of previews and things” Furthermore, Eliza is working on making a uniquely Manchester Film Section: “I’m trying to get more up and coming film makers and try and work with them, like we got contacted by someone who used to be a student here and they’ve made a film about the jungle in Calais, so we’re going to write about that.” All this effort to make a section unlike any other is to make it, “interesting for students, because that is our main readership.” Eliza told me, emphasising that “if someone’s already read a review of all the main films that are out there’s no point picking up The Mancunion and reading all the same things again.” I asked Eliza whether this emphasis on a unique identity should extend to the rest of the paper, “Yeah definitely,” she answered, “because otherwise we’re like every other newspaper and that’s not what we want, we want to have our own student voice.” Eliza also emphasised the importance of carrying out our own investigations, “because then it’s like with news, you’re not just regurgitating articles that have already been written, you’re actually going out and finding your own information. It’s annoying because we’re all at university so we can’t just be running off to looking in to things but when we can it’s really important to be doing that.” I then asked what made her get involved in student media in the first place, “I sort of thought I wanted to be a journalist but I wasn’t really sure,” she replied, “and then I ended up editing for a different newspaper and kind of enjoyed it but I felt a bit detached, because there wasn’t an office and it wasn’t based around our university so I thought I’d come here and have a go at it and then I really enjoyed it.”
To read the rest of our interview with Eliza, and all our other features, head to www.mancunion.com
Photo: Maria Ortega Rechkemmer
“They even have Feuerzangenbowle, those aren’t even allowed in most markets in Germany!”
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he Manchester Christmas market is officially open! This Christmas market has been referred to as a “European” market by some and a “German” market by others. It is an attraction on its own for all the Christmastime tourists in the UK, being one of the largest Christmas markets in the country. But what is it that makes this market so attractive? It could be the gargantuan Santa Claus watching over you, knowing when you have been good or bad. It could also be the poffertjes, the mini Dutch pancakes, or it could be the incredible amount of German goods at your fingertips. Actually, the Manchester Christmas market is advertised as being famous for having one of the best “traditional bratwursts” with an “international atmosphere with a uniquely Mancunian flavor” according to the official UK Christmas market website. When walking through the market you find the fresh scent of bratwursts, Glühwein and Feuerzangenbowle. AGerman words are plastered all over the Christmas market—in the original German spelling, no translations, and no made-up words. In fact, I would go as far as to say the Manchester Christmas market has managed to become more German than the actual German markets. As I walked through the Christmas market with some German friends, I could not help but look at their faces. They were all smiling, laughing pointing at all the German words and some said they almost felt at home. “The smell of Glühwein is the smell of Christmas to me,” said a German Erasmus student, “I wouldn’t think that a Christmas market in the UK would be so German!”Sarah-Lena Knust, a German exchange student at the University of Manchester said that she was “surprised that everything was in German spelling, even Feuerzangenbowle, which is a hard word to pronounce for non-German native
speakers.” Why is the Christmas market in Manchester so, so German? Christmas markets originated in Germany and Austria, as part of the regular, open-air street markets where the locals sold goods all year-round. Traditionally, the Christmas section of the markets started at the beginning of Advent and lasted the four weeks that lead up to Christmas day. During this time, there were seasonal items, like mulled wine and gingerbread. Today you can find at least one Christmas market in every German town, from the smallest village to several markets spread across larger cities like Berlin or Munich. “They even have Feuerzangenbowle,” said another German student, “those aren’t even allowed in most markets in Germany!” The Feuerzangenbowle is a traditional German alcoholic drink, normally associated with the Christmas markets. Many mistake this drink for the same thing as Glühwein, or mulled wine, and although it does have mulled wine as its main ingredient, there is one element that bans it from most German Christmas markets: fire. Feuerzangenbowle involves a rum-soaked sugarloaf that is set on fire and set over the mulled wine to slowly drip into it. It sounds like a lovely, warming drink to have during the cold Christmas season— and it is! Most cities and villages in Germany, however, have found that setting a sugarloaf soaked in alcohol on fire over more alcohol is a potential fire hazard. The German people still happily make this drink in their own homes, where the fire cannot be blamed on the city. It was of no surprise that my German friends were in complete awe and fascination of a British city Christmas market that not only publicly sells this drink, but sells all kinds of German foods, beer and meats. The Christmas market tradition was brought over to the UK by several
German people who decided to carry the Christmas tradition over to new territory. The BBC wrote an article in 2014 about a woman named Edith Lovegrove, a woman from Cologne, Germany, who was one of the first people to bring the German Christmas market to the UK. The Christmas markets are such a popular tradition in Germany and there was nothing like it here. 17 years later, the markets seem to be going stronger than ever. I interviewed Marcus, a German native who runs the Bavarian Käsespätzle (German cheesy pasta) stall here in the Manchester Christmas market. Marcus is from the very south of Bavaria, an area near Lake Konstanz. “I had a colleague in Germany who did markets there,” said Marcus, “he was involved in setting up the stalls [in the Manchester Christmas market] 15 years ago and he asked me [to set up a stall].” Marcus said his friend told him that, “there was no German cheese and they needed a German cheese stand in the market.” Every year Marcus comes to set up his stall and work at the market every day until Christmas, when he packs up his stall and goes back to Germany. “At first I said yeah let’s try,” said Marcus to his friend’s request, “and now I have been doing this for 15 years.” Marcus is not the only vendor from Germany. While walking around the market with my German friends, they were all stunned at the amount of German spoken. They were also quite shocked at how stereotypically Bavarian the “German” aspect of the market seemed to be. “What I found a little annoying,” said Knust, “is that there are a lot of stalls portraying Bavaria.” She approached the vendors themselves to ask about it. Being a German native not from Bavaria herself, Knust wanted to know why everything was so stereotypically Bavarian. Knust said: “They said they used this because people have a better known association of Germany with Bavaria
than Swabia for example,” it was “for marketing reasons.” The other German exchange students I was with said that the market almost “felt more like Oktoberfest than an actual Christmas market.” One of them, Milena Rüschendorf, said “the vendors here wear the stereotypical Bavarian clothing instead of normal clothes as they would in Germany.” The vendors with the traditional Bavarian clothes are usually only found in the renowned Oktoberfest in Bavaria, Germany. Although not representative of the country as a whole, Christmas markets, especially the Mancunian one, are still associated with Germany. One could say that it is the “Germanness” of the market that has made it so attractive within the recent years. The Manchester market, according to the BBC, has over nine million visitors every Christmas season. With over 300 stalls, it is uniquely larger than the rest of the markets found within the UK. Germany is also credited with having created the tradition of the Christmas tree. With both the Christmas tree and Christmas markets, Germany seems like the birthplace of the common symbols we associate with Christmas. As German as the Manchester Christmas market may seem, it’s still a quite international market. There’s Italian pizza, Spanish food and hot sangria, Hungarian goulash, along with many other European foods, drinks, and stalls — something that would not be found in traditional markets in Germany. If that Christmas spirit can be felt, smelt, and eaten in the Manchester Christmas market, with its unique Mancunian taste, then it seems like a great place to holster that Holiday spirit. You can visit the Christmas market in Albert square from 10am to 9pm each day and make your own observations of the ‘Germanness’, or not, of one of the oldest European Christmastime traditions.
Opinion
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Post-Trump journalism Edie Walwyn Opinion Writer A well behaved journalist would remain calm in the event of the extraordinary, domestic or indeed, international. Recognising the need for circulation of honest information in a healthy, functioning democracy, they write with their minds — not their hormones. They have a duty to produce rational, well-written arguments, perhaps even entirely neutral, in order to deliver information to the masses. After stating a claim, they would back it up with reliable, tangible evidence. If journalism had a superhero (barring, of course, Clark Kent), they would be merely known as ‘Reliably Impartial’! Yet, each time I attempt to write an article on ‘Let’s Show Those Silly Liberals Whose Boss: Episode II’, I find that I cannot rationally express my views on the matter into words. Even now I cannot not simply call it ‘The 2016 US Presidential Election’. As much as I want to, my fingers will not let me describe what happened on Wednesday morning with anything but utter disdain and bitterness. Although there is highly questionable post-Trump material being produced by the media, I often come across beautifully written articles that wonderfully articulate various views on Trump, Clinton, America and the World. Some articles explain why it happened, some explain what will come of it — all incredibly rational and convincing.
“I cannot remain calm” And I wish to produce such an article. What a difference I would be making to my minuscule, yet loyal, band of readers by constructing a hard-hitting, truthful piece of journalism, jam-packed with reliable statistics, impressive political jargon and a killer title that could trump the President-elect himself. Alas, I have finally come to the sad realisation that it, on this occasion, was not meant to be. However, while the Rules of Journalism and I redefine our tempestuous relationship, I shall write about, and attempt to make excuses for, my lack of ability to write. As a pro-choice feminist with an immigrant for a partner, as well as a strong interest in 20th century history, I cannot remain calm when discussing the election of Donald Trump.
This is an excerpt. To read Edie’s full article, head to www.mancunion.com
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Conspiracy theories take centre stage
The ridiculous arguments of conspiracy theorists, of whom many helped Donald Trump win the Presidency, are exposed
Elliot Mills Opinion Writer The recent US election saw the conspiracy theorists come out to play. Two online purveyors of such theories were Infowars and Breitbart News. The latter enlightened us with revelations with articles such as ‘Racist, Pro-Nazi Roots of Planned Parenthood Revealed’, while the post-truth hub that is Infowars is now ‘suggested’ by Google before the word ‘information’. Infowars’ main man, Alex Jones, played the role of “Barking Object No. 1” in the Donald Trump nativity play. He would have offered Trump some frankincense were it not for his belief that Obama added mind control chemicals to it. That last statement is pure fantasy; Infowars has merely said that food, water and air contain mind-controlling chemicals. You may remember when Alex Jones shouted about the second amendment so obnoxiously on CNN that Piers Morgan metamorphosed into a decent person. In the presidential election, the Infowars leader was concerned that Hillary Clinton had connections with an artist called Marina Abramavić who uses blood and gruesome imagery in some of her pieces. This, Jones suggested, meant that Hillary Clinton performed satanic rituals and could speak to the dead. He then concluded that these were actually paedophilic satanic rituals, citing images of Marina Abramavić’s art instillations as evidence. Many are allured by this wondrous combination of complexity and simplicity. The ease of simply saying ‘NO!’ to mainstream media provides a welcome break from actually having to analyse current affairs — it is time-saving and feels revolutionary. The subsequent complexity of the theories may initially mystify, but soon acts to heighten the intrigue. Before bewil-
Photo: Sean P. Anderson @ Flickr
derment starts to push the audience back over to the mainstream narrative, they are reminded that instead of getting bogged down in details all they need to do is say ‘NO!’ and the United States is one step closer to being saved. Conspiracy theories have been a prominent feature of modern political discourse, especially thanks to the birth and growth of the internet. The magnitude of the event often determines the amount of theories which run counter to the central explanatory narrative. In the case of 9/11, the surreal horror reached such extraordinary levels that it came into intense conflict with people’s minds. “It was an inside job”, naturally. But also, “did you hear that no planes were used? And don’t forget that those shape-shifting reptilian overlords had a scaly hand-claw or two in the disaster”. The moon landing, going back further, similarly reached beyond conceivable norms in its beauty. Just as terrorist attacks have the unreality of a hideous nightmare, so too did the moon landing
have a dreamlike quality. The two towers fell to the ground, one after the other; two human feet dropped down the surface of the moon, one after the other. These seemingly unreal occasions demanded the questioning of the conspiracy theorists.
“Infowars is now ‘suggested’ by Google before the word ‘information.” This argument pays respects to Adam Curtis, whose melodramatic collage poetry shows us that it is not only the altright who equates volume of Wikipedia tabs to validity of argument. Perhaps my research into conspiracy theorists has itself taken on the qualities of a conspiracy theory. Perhaps — to be read in Adam Curtis’ voice — that is precisely the point. Some needed the extravagance of the moon landing to question reality. For
David Icke, on the other hand, the moon itself is too far-fetched. So, keen not to be fooled by the government or the moon, he locked himself in his study with an empty pin board. Within a month it was covered with odd scraps of paper, maps, pictures of Egyptian pyramids, and mirrors reflecting his face. These were all connected with a piece of string which signified logic. He emerged with the answer: the moon is a spacecraft. Like ineffectual game-show hosts, these people do not accept the first answer they are given, or the second, or the third. When we walk down the street, we only perceive the surface level appearance. Those, however, with such a divinely-appointed visionary gaze, just like William Blake, look at what we think of as reality — a person driving by in a car or a collection of ants carrying a tiny bit of leaf — and their mind is at once awash with images, quotes, numbers, statistic-based graphics, and everything starts making sense. In a neat summary of his research process, Alex Jones recently declared: “I’ve known for a long time from sources what the Clintons are into and basically, if you can imagine it, they’re into it.” But to read his words is not to experience the full force of his sentiments, which only come alive when you listen to his tortured voice. It is loud, angry, carnivalesque. He screams, he cries, he snorts. It all seems so hideous and nightmarish, almost to the point of unreality. In many ways, Alex Jones is precisely the embodiment of every kind of event that a good conspiracy theorist must not accept at face value. And indeed as Trump thanked him for his help in the election victory, it appears Alex Jones is becoming the insider. Meanwhile executive chairman of Breitbart News Steve Bannon is now Trump’s chief strategist. These are no longer outsider conspiracy theorists. If we are not careful, this will be mainstream media.
Does it matter whether Britain has a black PM? Contributor Elrica Degirmen pulls apart some claims made by a recent BBC documentary about race, class, and social mobility
I was idly browsing through the internet on the evening of the 13th of November when I stumbled upon a documentary by the BBC in which they were discussing issues of social mobility and race. The programme was entitled “Will Britain ever have a black Prime Minister?” and was hosted by David Harewood. He starts from the roots of social mobility and looks at the factors that may influence someone to become Prime Minister: socio-economic background, what type of school or university they went to, or what grades they achieved, to name a few. In short, it is implied throughout the programme that one’s education can provide the foundation to potentially become a Prime Minister, and the lack of it means that your chances are reduced. Thank you, Sherlock. Of course, a good education helps an individual — irrespective of their innate talents and potential — to achieve career success. Everybody knows this. To that end, it is shocking that the BBC has used tax payers money to commission this documentary. I do not want to be accusatory, but it seems as if there was a message being pushed throughout this programme — that the reason we will never have a black Prime Minister is due to the supposed inherent racism in our society. We live in a multi-racial and tolerant society. I firmly believe that anyone, irrespective of race, has the potential to be Prime Minister. One major thing this documentary overlooks are the qualities necessary to be Prime Minister. I presume that any Prime Minister should be resilient in times of great struggle, have the ability to deal with the media,
or be able to connect to the electorate with a great vision for Britain. There are many factors beyond one’s background and education that makes a Prime Minister. Heaven knows how many of those who fit the typical description of privilege — white, male, straight, privately-educated, middle-class — never get to be Prime Minister. In my opinion, a white, state-educated, working-class person will probably have the same chances as that of a black person with the same educational and socioeconomic background. Let us not misuse statistics and look at pass rates of different races, or apply generalisations. The final sentiment that I came away from the show was the supposed startling suggestion that a white person in this country is considerably more likely to be Prime Minister than a black person. The host (and the statistician, surprisingly enough) found this shocking. To me, this is common sense. Basic arithmetic tells you that — by a considerable margin — there are more white people in this country than black people; of course, a white person is more likely to be Prime Minister. The conclusion made is false, but what struck me is this more pernicious idea running through the whole documentary that Britain is somehow a racist country. Cameron Alexander, a black student studying at Oxford declared that, “Oxford is institutionally racist” and went further in saying that, “Britain is institutionally racist”. This is nonsense of the highest order of magnitude. Harewood attempts and fails to garner some way for Alexander to back these provocative statements up.
Photo: Matthewedwards @ Wikimedia Commons
However, in the 2007 paper by Broecke and Nicholls entitled “Ethnicity and Degree Attainment”, they state that “findings do not automatically imply, however, that there is some form of ethnic bias within the HE [Higher Education] system”. They specifically mention that a lot of the so-called “evidence” people use when justifying institutional racism — be it in education or elsewhere — often does not consider the multiple variables that affect outcomes. In the case of this study, examples of variables not considered included term-time working, having English as an additional language, parental income and education, and the quality of the educational institutions previously attended. Obviously, these factors affect your degree attainment. It is impossible to control for every variable that has a significant effect on your degree classification and thus it is wrong to declare that black people, or indeed any other races, are at a disadvantage. So how does this play out in wondering whether a black person will ever make it to Prime Minister? This documentary has
shown that socio-economic factors influence whether you can attain the top political job, and other political jobs. We knew this from the beginning. I am sure similar conclusions would have been made if the programme were entitled “Will Britain ever have a working-class person as Prime Minister again?” The odds are stacked against the average working-class person entering politics, and most importantly to stay in politics for the long run. But this would not have made for an interesting documentary in the eyes of those at the BBC. I recall one moment where Harewood asks the viewer to think of the racial make-up of previous Prime Ministers. Indeed, they were all white. But this does not matter. It is disgraceful to reduce someone to the colour of their skin, which is essentially what this programme has aimed to do. What matters are the qualities that a Prime Minister expresses, and it is a shame that that message was lost in favour of emphasising the myth that Britain is racist.
Opinion11
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Two slogans that define our world
Contributor Ollie Potter looks at how the results of the Brexit referendum and the US Election were surprising yet anticipated ; the people are sick of the status quo ‘Let’s Take Back Control’ and ‘Make America Great Again’; slogans that hark back to better times, respectively, before Britain was in the EU and before America was… well that remains unclear, but according to Trump, before America became a second-rate country suffering an invasion of Mexican ‘rapists’. Brexit in June 2016 and Trump’s victory in November 2016 shocked the world. I was astonished that educated people my age could embrace Brexit, or that anyone could vote for a man who boasted about grabbing women “by the pussy” or threatened to ban all Muslim immigration (which, by the way, was used by militant group Al-Shabab to provoke anti-Americanism). Just what drove people to vote Leave and to vote Trump? As someone who stayed up all night to watch the Brexit referendum and Trump’s victory, Brexit left me feeling what FT’s Robert Shrimsley rightly described as the ‘five stages of grief’. I was simply in a state of shock that the British people could vote for such a downright foolish decision, despite all the evidence that Britain was indeed stronger in Europe. But, I did not immediately turn to condemning 17.5 million people as bigots. Friends and family members had voted for Brexit. None of them are racists, it is simply a fact that British Euroscepticism has been a powerful force for decades. For me, the reason Remain lost was because it relied on facts and so did not appeal to people’s sentimentality. Politicians are proof that emotion informs voting more than reason does; how could anyone in their right minds think Boris Johnson
would be a good Mayor of London other than because of his extrovert persona? A comparative problem I have also seen in Brexit and Trump’s campaign and election is that people seemingly disrespect democracy; we cannot have a second EU referendum or protest Clinton’s way into office. This ignorance of legitimate concerns of Brexit and Trump voters who have felt abandoned
“Current politicians are proof that emotion informs voting more than reason” by Tory austerity and the American free market system is what got us here in the first place. From the outset, it was clear that Brexit was a vote against Tory austerity, against the Westminster establishment and against the rich. The poorest areas of the UK, which have been left behind since Thatcher’s deindustrialisation in the 1980s, came to see the EU as their nemesis. For many workingclass Britons, the migrants that entered through free movement rules are seen as competition. Similar was my confidence in Trump winning — I even put fiver on it with a friend and a pint with another, betting being something I very rarely do. I feel there is a mood of anti-establishment rhetoric spreading across Europe and America currently. People are sick of the status quo and feel abandoned after the recent recession. Tragically, decisions like leaving the EU or electing Trump will
Photo: acquiringshelby @Flickr
only worsen our economic situation. Both the Leave campaign and Trump’s presidential race placed themselves firmly in the antiestablishment camp. This is despite the Leave campaigns’ two main figureheads, Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson, being of very much established backgrounds (Boris’ infamous Bullingdon Club picture springs to mind). Nigel Farage himself attended private school and worked as a banker for twenty years, yet proclaimed Brexit as a victory against the bankers, the elite and the yuppies (a term I was called myself by a BBC News Have Your Say user). After his astonishing electoral victory, billionaire Trump returned to his literal ivory tower in New York City, made from Chinese steel, to plan his next move. He was obviously tired from his campaign trail, ranting to his audiences about the evils of free trade and globalisation — which had helped his Trump Tower in rising. The irony of establishment figures preaching to the working-class about establishment evils is not lost on many. Both campaigns aimed to appeal to the poorest areas of the country with their anti-establishment rhetoric. The Lord Ashcroft polls showed that the
A tale of two globalisations
poorest areas of the UK had the highest proportion of Leave voters, such as Boston in Lincolnshire, with an incredible 75 per cent voting to exit the EU. Whilst Trump also appealed to the white collegeeducated population, he managed to breach Clinton’s blue-state ‘firewall’ in the Midwest, helping him capture blue states like Wisconsin in a ‘whitelash’. These blue-collar Democrat states, which had not voted Republican since the 1980s, voted for Trump because they felt abandoned by the establishment that Clinton epitomised. I can scarcely imagine my peers at the University of Manchester voting for Farage or anyone similar, so just how did Trump appeal to such an unlikely demographic? Midwest Trump voters were condemned as backward racists, similar to northern and Welsh towns that voted for Brexit, which merely adds fuel to the fire. Whilst there are obviously some Brexit and Trump supporters who indeed are racist, brandishing them all under the same brush exacerbates and simplifies the underlying poverty, class and disillusionment issues evident in the triumph of Brexit and Trump.
Ryan Khurana Opinion Writer
Recent populist movements that have elected Donald Trump and led to Brexit display a need to expand our vocabulary when speaking of globalisation Historians have often resented the tendency of some to make shallow historical analogies in analysis. The most painful example has to be the unfortunately common compassion between whatever one dislikes and Hitler: Hitler was bad, A is bad, therefore, A is Hitler. Niall Ferguson proposed that if one fails to think of three similarities and three differences between an event and its historical “counterpart” they should differ their analysis to a historian. The failure of effective comparison is likely the result of a deficit in language, for we lack the subtly of terms to communicate the modern rebellion across the western world against a liberal metropolitan elite. To help clear up some of the problems that arise, I will make the case that the term “Globalisation” has not one, but two meanings, and very different rebellions have taken place on either side of the Atlantic. The votes for Donald Trump and Brexit can be described as protests against systems that the majority regarded as flawed. However, to simply call them protests against “Globalisation” removes key differentiations. There are two forms of globalisation. The classical and more accurately-named form is economic liberalism; global free trade and the free movement of goods and services across boundaries.
“To simply consider them protests against ‘Globalisation’ removes key differentiations.” The second form of Globalisation — which I will term Globalism — is embodied in the term “end of history”: the belief in a unifying global culture, devoid of concern for economics. A rebellion against one does not necessarily entail a rebellion against the other. Globalisation-proper has a long history and is the direction of most states in the post-war era. It is the set of values upon which the EEC (European Economic Community) was originally founded, why Nixon went to China, and what Eastern Europeans celebrated upon the fall of the Iron Curtain. It has been advocated since at least the time of Adam Smith, and has been rapidly advanced by tech-
addressed, having an overly simplistic conversation does not serve to accomplish this. Globalism, on the other hand, is not economic, it is cultural and value-based. It is the belief in global political and cultural hegemony. Globalism has been embraced by institutions through a belief in western supremacy and a unity of liberal democracies. It is the force behind the Iraq War. Globalism has led to a greater prominence of identity politics, whereby individuals identify with larger and more abstract communities rather than with their neighbours.
Photo: Mortloff @Flickr
nologies that have improved communication and travel. Economic globalisation has been empirically shown to be the greatest force against extreme poverty in human history and a major force for technological development. It has, however, left some people feeling left behind. Their concerns ought not to be ignored. The traditional working class in developed countries has had a difficult time adapting to the technological progress. The work that was valued in a pre-internet age is no longer valued in the same way, and the post-war infrastructure in developed countries has not progressed as fast as those in those that are newly industrialising. For example, Romania has vastly superior broadband to the UK. This owes to the combination of a completely deregulated telecoms industry and the ability to build broadband infrastructure to its most modern form following the fall of Communism. The rapid growth benefited low-skilled labourers of such countries, whilst their counterparts in the developed countries were left behind. Some institutions of globalisation also deserve their fair share of criticism. The IMF and the World Bank have promoted a distinctly western form of economic development and dollar denominated debt upon nations that may not be prepared for it.
While, as a whole, globalisation of this form is seen as a force for good, criticisms have come from both left and right: for example, Varoufakis’ Global Minotaur or Peter Thiel and Gary Kasporov’s arguments about secular stagnation.
“Economic globalisation has been empirically shown to be the greatest force against extreme poverty in human history” Conversely, the rhetoric from President-elect Trump, and far-right populist forces on the continent are not analytically critiquing. It is not that they believe that developed countries are lagging in productivity and competitiveness (which they are), but that the push to industrialising nations is an act of “stealing our jobs” and “unfair trade deals”. This is a highly nationalistic version of antiglobalisation and ought to be discussed. While I am very pro-globalisation, I will readily admit there are problems with the current system that need to be
“Localism, the rebellion against globalism, should not be seen as nationalism; localism is the preservation of diverse local cultures” Localism, the rebellion against globalism, should not be seen as nationalism. Localism, in the tradition of Chesterton and Belloc, is the preservation of diverse local cultures; it is value-pluralist (everyone should be allowed to pursue what they feel is right) and it is multi-polar (there should be no director of world affairs). It reasserts every nations right to sovereignty and is opposed to large international institutions that deprive local decision making. Brexit, at least how envisioned by many of its Tory and Labour supporters, was of this form. Whilst UKIP here may be seen to represent a force against globalisation, conservatives see free trade as wholly compatible with the preservation of local cultures. When it comes to the topic of globalism, it is easy to reduce the nuances of the debate in equating it with nationalistic sentiment. The twin goals of global connectivity and local diversity are entirely opposed to the goals of national isolation and cultural hegemony. Preserving diversity requires a form of sovereignty as everyone ought to be able to pursue what they feel is in their best interests.
Music
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ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Live Album
Live: Local Natives
8th November at Academy 2
Feature
From feminism to favourite colours, Stuart Grantham speaks to the Californian band before a well-sequenced and democratised performance
Stuart Grantham Contributor Local Natives are a band that understands silence. The very beginning of their show at Academy 2 wasn’t a mess of noise, but a calmer introduction that flowed around the venue, tempting the audience’s ears to reach out to the breathy, airy, harmonies of the band’s three falsetto singers. As the drums dropped in, suddenly filling the empty space with the hyperactive booms of tom toms and the white noise of cymbals, every audience member snapped out of their now-unimportant conversation to listen to what the band had to say. They were right to listen. The setlist spanned Local Natives’ three critically-acclaimed albums: Gorilla Manor (“an exuberant crazy time”, guitarist/vocalist Taylor Rice tells me), Hummingbird (“getting all these issues out of our system”) and this year’s Sunlit Youth (“full of optimism and hopefulness”). These albums are snapshots of the band at different points in their lives, and after their killer opening I wondered how they would pull these disparate moments into a cohesive show. My fears were dissolved by excellent use of staging and song choice that the band displayed. Performing in a line with just the drummer behind gave equal importance to all members, neatly communicating Rice’s earlier claim that, “our band is such a democracy, not just one person’s vision; we have three singers, and three songwriters.” This approach was aided by the band’s onstage rapport; members interacted, chatted, and for a very personal performance of ‘Columbia’ stripped down
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Photo: Garrett Coyte @flickr
to Rice and childhood friend/keyboardist Kelcey Ayer before slowly rebuilding as the song built up. The staging nicely divided up the disparate tones of the tracks, aided in part by the great song choices, using the sadder, quieter songs as breaks from the upbeat ones. This is what I mean when I say they understand silence; you can’t have huge tracks if there’s no room for them to breathe. One track—’Sunlight Youth’—stood out from the rest, however, not only because of its positioning at the heart of the set but also because of its political subject matter, amplified by the oppressive subtext of that night’s US presidential election. The
Live
Live: Whitney
Live
8th November at Gorilla
Whitney’s warm, soulful Americana is the perfect antidote to a cold, miserable election night, writes Joe Casson
Joe Casson Head Music Editor
topic dominated not only the song, but also our earlier interview; Rice explained, “we had a dawning realisation that we have a microphone and a stage...there are things we have to address. I wish this election wasn’t about who had emails here, or who’s a sexist or a racist. I haven’t really been sleeping and it’s all we’ve been talking about; one of two different worlds is going to triumph tonight”. One song—’Fountain of Youth’—made their allegiance clear, with Rice singing: “I think we better listen to these kids”, meanwhile the usually lame lyrics: “I can’t keep pretending that I’m still asleep” resonated across the venue with cheers of
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Live: Bugzy Malone
Harrison Kersey Contributor
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
longer sheepish, he can hold the crowd’s attention by talking with them between songs. More confident front-and-centre, he accentuates many songs with jazzy drum fills. This newfound confidence can be seen in new song ‘Magnet’, played during the encore — it’s a bolder, more dancable song that offers an exciting window into the kind of band that Whitney could become. Elsewhere, they expertly tear through every song on Light Upon The Lake. Jazzy instrumental ‘Red Moon’ is an unexpected highlight, taking full advantage of the six-piece line-up; the band also welcomes local funk troubadour Aldous Robinson to lend his bendy guitar flourishes to the extended jam. Lyrically, Whitney still have the blues — the biggest cheers of the night go to the aptly named ‘No Woman’, which closes the set — but that shouldn’t stand in the way of a good time, and the buoyant mood of the night is testament to the camaraderie the band managed to cultivate with their audience, both in songwriting and performance. Whitney’s warm, soulful performance is pure early-70s radio gold, and with the United States poised to get a whole lot nastier it’s important to have bands like Whitney on the road to warm our hearts. If you were wondering, Andy loved it.
11th November at Albert Hall
Bugzy Malone gets a hero’s welcome bringing grime to the Albert Hall, writes Harrison Kersey
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Let me paint you a picture. Your breath catches in the air outside as rain falls. You find yourself in a crowded room, tucked under a smoky railway arch. Hundreds of miles away, a fascist demagogue is within grabbing distance of the levers of power as polls begin to close. Andy Burnham strains his neck to peer across the crowd. No, this isn’t a fever dream, nor have you found yourself in a dystopian Mancunian adaptation of Twin Peaks. Rather, it is — contrary to all expectations — the perfect circumstances in which Whitney stopped off in Manchester on their sold-out UK tour. It seems a world away from the dusty, pining Americana that made Whitney their name, but it’s oddly appropriate. Julian Ehrlich and Max Kakacek formed Whitney after break-ups of both the professional and romantic varieties, and wrote much of their debut album Light Upon The Lake in the subzero temperatures of the 2014 polar vortex. The songs they wrote in that winter dream of warm, idealised summer days that feel like a long time ago It’s not been long since Whitney sold out Gullivers in the Northern Quarter, but two seasons on tour has seen the band grow a great deal since then. “We’ve been on the road too long”, laments singer Julien Ehrlich from his centre-stage drumkit, but he’s a changed and energised man: modest but no
“Hillary”. That comment summed up a large part of what Rice—and many Americans—have been going through: they aren’t just a divided and fighting nation: they are tired. The whole band seemed to emulate this, especially as the show was the last date of their UK tour. Towards the end of the gig, the finality of everything really started to hit home, as the bands emotional dreadnoughts started to rock the crowd. As the gig wrapped up with a two-song encore and a closing promise to return to Manchester again, Local Natives appeared to be a more positive, close-knit band than the one I saw two years ago at Latitude Festival. The band’s “West Coast Indie Rock” style may be less fashionable than when Gorilla Manor debuted in 2009, and their political messages seem childishly basic compared to acts like Run the Jewels, but it’s hard to hate them, especially when the crowd is harmonising the vocal hook of ‘Who Knows Who Cares’ as the band leave the stage smiling. As for Rice, and the nightmare-come-true election result he woke up to, I strangely have hope. One thing that struck me in the interview was his love of his home, California. Faced with the joke question: “What’s your favourite colour?”, he answered seriously, giving a long description of a mountainous view opposite the San Rafael Hills of LA. He described how he sat in his kitchen looking out and writing song after song. Even though he had used so many words, his answer was simple: home.
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Photo: Harrison Kersey
“0161, Manny on the fucking map rudeboy”. These words became the mantra of Bugzy Malone last year, most notably in his high-profile, high-stakes beef with Chip — aka Chipmunk. As well as a war between two MCs, for many the beef came to represent a fight for Manchester’s place in the Grime scene. While the dust has now thankfully settled, with both artists moving on and making new music that isn’t solely focused on each other — thank God Twitter wasn’t around when Jay-Z and Nas were going at it — the loyalty that Bugzy gained through such out-front ‘repping’ of his hometown is still burning strong, as I found out last Friday at the Albert Hall. The restored chapel is a beautiful, 2,500 capacity venue with stained glass windows and antique wood panelling, and has played host to artists of international standing like Tame Impala, Jamie xx, Bombay Bicycle Club and most recently Corinne Bailey Rae. It’s definitely among Manchester’s least grimy night spots, and might seem a strange place for a show like this. However this misses the point; the man who served time as Aaron Davis has since made a name for himself as grime’s “King of the North”. Bugzy Malone is a hometown hero with a fiercely loyal following; his success and status in Manchester should not be underestimated. After a solid but unremarkable support set from Isaiah Dreads, Bugzy took to the stage looking like a
road superhero in a skin-tight blue jacket. With menacing stage-presence — showing off the footwork of a practiced boxer — he tore into his set like a pitbull ripping apart a football. Bar for bar he may not be the greatest lyrical talent on the planet, but his delivery was consistently on-point. The crowd was probably the most gassed that the Albert Hall has ever seen; a cloud of steam could be seen over the moshpits thanks to the impressive and well-handled lighting rig. Many in attendance — including several middle-aged women stood near me — rapped along to nearly every tune, including those from his new LP Facing Time which formed the body of his set. A particular standout performance came from two boys of about 12 on the balcony, to the direct right of the stage, who could probably have given the man himself a run for his money if someone had given them a mic. The standout track of the night was the lead single ‘Mad’ from Facing Time, with the crowd shouting the words of the hook back to him louder than the monitors, the by-now-shirtless star of the show followed it with a heartfelt offering of thanks to his fans. Not wanting things to get too soppy, he then closed the show with the violence-inducing bass of ‘Moshpit Gang’, a quick goodbye, and the legendary words “0161, Manny on the fucking map rudeboy!”. The crowd went wild.
Music13
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Feature
Fish Out of Water: Listening to Leonard Cohen
From an outsider’s perspective, Jacob Hopkins familiarises himself with the discography of the late, great songwriter Jacob Hopkins Music Contributor Before Leonard Cohen’s passing a couple of weeks ago, I — perhaps like many people — hadn’t actually heard a great deal of his work. The only song of Cohen’s I knew was ‘Hallelujah’, and even then that had been butchered through many a bad singalong on long road trips. So I took the opportunity to get a bit better acquainted with his work through his various phases, picking up track recommendations from not just fellow Mancunion contributor Oscar Talbot but indeed another Cohen super-fan in the form of my mum. Following a quick primer from both of my contacts, I started out with his earliest, folky work and what first struck me was the gravelly growl of Cohen’s voice, which couldn’t have contrasted more with the soft acoustic guitar backing. The reputation I had for Cohen was for wry, intelligent lyrics on relationships — and in songs such as ‘Suzanne’ and ‘So Long Marianne’ they were certainly delivered — but I wasn’t aware that even as a young man, his voice was already prompting reviewers to hand out clichés such as “whisky-soaked” on a plate. Nonetheless, once the shock subsided, it was hard to deny the beautiful melancholy of his work, the sort of thing you imagine could be the soundtrack to coffee and cigarettes at midnight. More often than not, I found that any excess angst was tempered with a sly streak of dry, dark humour,
‘Joan of Arc’ — on which he laments how the titular heroine had “no man to get her through this smoky night” — is a particularly good example. So far — although I wouldn’t describe myself as a huge fan of folk music — I was enjoying his work and particularly the poetic lyrics. I then moved on from this into mid-career Cohen, keeping the gravelly voice but swapping the acoustic guitar for what sounded like a full lounge band with a bit more bounce — he even manages to go as far as a disco collaboration on ‘First We Take Manhattan’! There were some slightly more… leftfield lyrics — I’d only just recovered from the shock of the gravelly voice before Cohen growled “give me crack and anal sex” on ‘The Future’ — and a generally much more confident feel; at this point Cohen was famous, respected, and he knew it. This period of his work was certainly musically catchier, but at this point I was hooked on Cohen’s lyrics and found that his more minimal earlier material allowed his wordplay to come across more clearly. Finally, I moved to latter-day Cohen with his last release You Want It Darker. Rather than being a footnote at the end of his career, I was completely blown away by the title track especially. The stripped-back style with bass, organ, and choir allowed the raw and poignant imagery and refrain of “I’m ready, my Lord” to shine through. I imagine there will be plenty of comparisons to Blackstar, but even as a huge Bowie fan, Cohen’s simple yet hard-hitting approach to
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
what he knew would be his swansong ended up feeling far more intimate and must have been a tough listen for any long-time Cohen fan. Throughout my journey through his discography, I felt that I was taking away more from Cohen’s lyrics than his music, and was keen to find out more about the man in general. Taking the time to watch a couple of interviews with Cohen in which he meditates on subjects such as love, relationships, and his depression was definitely worth it, as was reading a little around Cohen’s life. In particular, the choice he faced as a young man between life as a bohemian poet or respectably settling into the business life expected of him revealed a lot about his character and motivations. I was also very pleasantly surprised to find out that in addition to poetry, he wrote novels as a young man and given how much I enjoyed his lyrics, I’ve promised myself to get hold of and read these books as soon as I can! To wrap up, I’ve really enjoyed being able to get better acquainted with Leonard Cohen’s work and am really looking forward to reading some of his poetry and novels. I’ve found that his more stripped-back work at each end of his career lays clear his gift for observing people and their relationships. Still, my focus on his lyrics shouldn’t be read as any disrespect to his musical work — I can now see that the huge outpouring of grief for Cohen was well-deserved, especially since he was clearly able to produce great music and lyrics across his entire career.
Album
Leonard Cohen: You Want it Darker
Cassie Hyde delivers The Mancunion’s verdict on the late Leonard Cohen’s final work, a rich and sorrowful farewell
Cassie Hyde Contributor
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In hindsight, You Want It Darker seems like the most appropriate album title of Cohen’s work. With his roster including Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs of Love and Hate and Popular Songs, Cohen has never felt the need for grandiose titles. Yet, You Want It Darker is in keeping with his dark sense of humour, almost begging you to call his bluff. You want it darker? Well, do you? The album is stripped back, with Cohen’s rasping voice front and centre. It has only eight tracks — nine if you count a reprise — and lasts a mere thirty-five minutes. Despite its brevity, this album still manages to be an intense experience. Cohen has always been a very spiritual man with one foot on stage and the other in the pulpit, but this is especially so here. The opening title track, backed by a sorrowful choir, feels like a funeral. Singing the chorus in Hebrew, “Hineni, hineni (“Here I am”), I’m ready my Lord”, you get the sense of what the album is going to be about. Overall, Cohen has produced yet another album of beautiful lyrics about faith, love and loss. They stand up to deep analysis, yet can also be enjoyed on a first listen; the beauti-
Top 5: Songs about death With Leonard
the
death
Cohen,
of
Jack
Ashworth shows us the songs that have looked at the passage into ‘that great gig in the sky’ with more nuance
5) ‘Together Again’ - Janet Jackson Ms. Jackson’s beautiful homage to a friend who had succumbed to AIDS was an instant hit – celebrating the possibility of reuniting in the after-life. The disco-laced anthem struck a chord with fans, and is a testament to the indestructability of love.
ful couplets he rattles, as ever, simply draw you in. Despite Cohen recording his vocals in his living room due to ill health, including several broken vertebrae incurred over his final five years on the road, you could never tell. The production of Patrick Leonard and Cohen’s son Adam is simple yet stellar: blues song ‘On The Level’ feels like a Southern Baptist hymn, propelled by piano arpeggios, an electric organ and a choir. ‘Leaving The Table’ is a lullaby played on Cohen’s standard flamenco guitar, contrasting beautifully with the rich darkness of his voice. ‘Travelling Light’ flows on sad mandolin and optophone work, yet manages to seek in light drum machines without being distracting from the lyrics. In many ways, You Want It Darker is a bittersweet experience. Though his final record, Cohen has been saying farewell his entire career (see: ‘Suzanne’, ‘So Long, Marianne’ and ‘Hallelujah’). This may not be the best album of 2016, or even of Cohen’s career, but it’s certainly up there. Even so, it doesn’t need to be. It acts as an epilogue — a perfect bookend to an exceptional body of work. 4) ‘Box of Rain’ - The Grateful Dead A favourite amongst ‘Deadheads’, Bassist Phil Lesh’s tender lament to his dying father explores grief and loss in all its sincerity. A philosophical exploration of death, ‘Box of Rain’ packs a punch with its hauntingly poignant lyrics and its melancholy instrumentals.
3) ‘Don’t Fear the Reaper’ - Blue Oyster Cult Rock giants Blue Oyster Cult’s instantly recognizable classic refutes the fear and inevitability of death as being meaningless when juxtaposed with the possibility of eternal love in the afterlife – when Buck Dharma sings “40,000 men win every day”, it’s hard not to see death as something transient.
Photo: album artwork
2) ‘Do You Realize??’’ - The Flaming Lips As much a celebration of life as it is homage to death – Wayne Coyne’s hauntingly beautiful ‘Do You Realize??’ deals with the finality of death, whilst also imploring the listener to celebrate life in all its multi-faceted beauty.
1) ‘Lazarus’ – David Bowie No list on death would be complete without Bowie’s heart-wrenching selfepitaph. Contemplating his impending demise, Bowie explores death succinctly and irreverently – in a way only the brains behind some of Rock’s greatest tracks can. When he sings ‘Oh I’ll be free, Just like that bluebird/Oh I’ll be free, Ain’t that just like me’ it’s hard not to feel a little comfortable about our own mortality.
Music
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ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Album
A Tribe Called Quest: We Got it From Here...Thank You 4 Your Service
Released 11th November via Epic Records
Eighteen years after their last studio album, ATCQ return with tributes to the old and the up-and-coming, writes Will Whiting Will Whiting Contributor Almost eight months after the heart-breaking news of the loss of legendary Tribe member Phife Dawg, A Tribe Called Quest have released the album that was always hoped for, but never expected. After over a decade of squabbles within the group, an off-the-bat performance of ‘Can I Kick It?’ on Jimmy Fallon set aside any differences between the Queensbridge quartet, bringing them together in Q-Tip’s custom made New Jersey studio. The new release not only contains raw and real Phife bars recorded before his passing, but features a host of the leaders of the new school. Merely a quick gaze at the song titles on this heavily anticipated album proves that the group have not produced an outdated bunch of old school tracks. ‘We The People’, ‘Dis Generation’, ‘Conrad Tokyo’ and ‘Movin’ Backwards’ headline a track list that combats the prevalent issue of race relations in modern America, all released only a matter of days after the unprecedented election result that confirmed this album’s propriety. Q-Tip’s hypnotic hook in ‘We The People’ even directly satirises the Republican party and its views on ethnic minorities, combined with a creepy synthesised instrumental perhaps meant to reflect the very nature of the President-elect himself. Track three ‘Whateva Will Be’ sees the return of the vintage Phife Dawg flow we have yearned to hear more of for so long. His first verse, and probably his most characteristic, sees Phife spit about what ‘the system’ in his country wants him to be despite him being the antithesis. A cocky Phife acknowledges his ‘fourth grade reading level’ but boasts his rhyming ability, all paying tribute to his life-long strong character, an attribute that is heralded continuously through-
8/10 out this album by his group members and by the new rap figures who feature. Accompanied by the funky instrumentals that we heard so many times on The Low End Theory and Midnight Marauders, listeners will find it hard to believe that there was such a significant space of time between these releases. It is clear that, aside from the politics, the group have attempted to pay tribute to old school styles amidst an ever-changing rap industry, Phife being the focal point. Deeper into the album, Q-Tip’s creative genius is boosted with features from Elton John and Jack White effectively incorporated, while still maintaining a signature Tribe style. Andre 3000’s contribution to ‘Kids…’ makes for an experimental vibe which may be loved by some and loathed by others. The features on this album also work to pay tribute to and push forward the new talent that exists in today’s rap game. Perhaps the most telling evidence of Q-Tip’s confidence in current Hip-Hop talent can be found in ‘Dis Generation’, with the legend rapping “Talk to Joey, Earl, Kendrick, Cole, gatekeepers of flow, they are extensions of instinctual soul.” This positivity is yet further bolstered by a song tailor-made for promising individual vocalist Anderson Paak, followed by a technical, well-delivered, and politically charged verse by people’s favourite Kendrick Lamar. In a time where confidence in the future of Hip-Hop is often a rarity, it is refreshing to hear raw new talent alongside those considered greats in the game. This album acts as a time-capsule in detailing many aspects of HipHop in 2016. It details the political volatility of the present-day United States and the ways that Hip-Hop combats this as a genre. Moreover, it identifies those who are seen as the cultural leaders of today’s rap game, coming from the mouths of those who developed the genre
from its roots. Musically, it effectively combines techniques of production from old-school and new-school eras. But most inspirationally, this album pays tribute to an individual who was the spirit of the genre, and one of its most valuable assets: the late great Malik Taylor, a.k.a. Phife Dawg.
Photo: album artwork
Live
Live: Peaches
10th November at Academy 2
The transgressive art-pop legend brought her critically acclaimed show to Manchester, whipping audiences into a frenzy — Jack Ashworth bares all Jack Ashworth Contributor
9/10
Photo: Eric Silva @flickr
Peaches, art-pop’s greatest provocateur, brought her latest tour to Academy 2 last Thursday night, and her mesmerising performance left jubilant audiences staggered in what was surely one of the most energetic, bombastic and deliciously subversive productions to grace the venue this year. Infamous for her androgynous, sexuallycharged, gender-bending persona, Peaches (real name Merrill Nisker) has spent the last twenty years carefully crafting herself into one of electronic music’s primary innovators – pushing the boundaries of sexual and moral propriety. Sixteen years since the release of breakout album Teaches Of Peaches, the Canadian songstress has deftly endeavoured to traverse gender boundaries and deliver a body of work that is as joyous in its transgression as it is revolutionary. With the help of her tireless backing dancers, posing as two giant vulvas, Peaches’ tightly choreographed dance moves and effortless vocals carried her through a relentlessly high energy set – and the effect on the audience was tantamount to riot. Belting out classics such as ‘Dick In The Air’, ‘Fuck The Pain Away’ and material from 2015’s Rub, the audience screamed with elation as the ‘Boys Wanna Be Her’ singer –
dressed in an outfit composed of six fake breasts – writhed across the stage. In a time of great social and political uncertainty, Peaches’ patriarchy-smashing and gender-traversing tour-de-force is a refreshing ray of light in what has been an all-round shit year. At one point climbing inside a giant, inflatable dick, Peaches whipped her crowd into a frenzy, with a barrage of high drama, lo-fi and trap-heavy anthems, offering an escape from the doldrums of modern living, whilst simultaneously acting as a ‘call to arms’ to challenge the socially ingrained gender boundaries that oppress us. A masterclass in colour and splendour, Peaches’ performance was both joyous and radical. Entering into her 50th birthday, the tireless pop queen shows no signs of slowing down, and continues to construct herself as a ‘fuck you’ to societal structures that try and restrain her. As fellow provocateur Madonna stated in an interview in 2015: “because women, generally, when they reach a certain age, have accepted that they’re not allowed to behave a certain way. But I don’t follow the rules. I never did, and I’m not going to start”, and like Madonna, Peaches certainly shows no signs of conforming to any ‘rules’ other than her own.
P T A N R E E D N U TS T S
A Christmas Party for student parents and their children! There will be games, crafts, snacks and visit from Father Christmas!
11/12/16 1-4PM CLUB ACADEMY For more info join our Facebook Group at: www.facebook.com/groups/UoMParentsCarers/ Or email: miriam.amies@manchester.ac.uk
Fashion & Beauty
16
How to...
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
This week we’re focusing all our attention on helping you! With step-by-step guides to help you through the perils of Fashion and Beauty: from a perfect smokey eye to the grooming troubles of modern man. We’re here for you
Optimise men’s grooming
Our very own well-groomed advocate Jai Joshi explores how you can optimize your grooming regime Men’s grooming has grown increasingly popular ever since the rise of social media super apps like Snapchat and Instagram. So what is Men’s Grooming and how can one optimize their grooming regime? In the narcissistic world of the 21st Century men’s grooming has become all the rage. The best grooming regimes are those that are simple. Grooming is easy and can be followed in five tiers. Tier 1. It is about keeping things clean with your skincare. Start by making sure you are washing your face with a suitable facewash depending on your skin type and concern. So those who want to banish acne, use an anti-blemish face wash or if you have an oily t-zone, use a foaming facewash to get into your pores. Tier 2. Is all about grooming your facial hair. For instance, if you have a beard ensure that it is even and trimmed. Using either an electric razor or men’s shaver depending on your personal preference. Be sure to clean up loose hairs on the face. If this is too complicated, then take an inexpensive trip to the barbers. Tier 3. It’s all about your hair. Ensure washing your hair with a suitable shampoo and conditioner and combing your hair after your shower. If you have a hairstyle that involves you using a wax or product, ensure it is the right one. Try and invest in hair gel or clay as the cheaper products contain a plethora of ingredients and chemicals that are not suitable for your hair — some may even cause damage. Respectable brands that I would definitely recommend are Wella System Professional Products, Sebastian Hair Care and of course AVEDA men’s grooming products. Tier 4. Maintain a neat appearance of extremities such as the hands and feet. Ensure nails are cut to a desirable length for some, this step may be unnecessary to some, however as an advocate of Men’s grooming, this step is crucial. Tier 5. Scent. Being well groomed is not only about maintaining a clean beard or ensuring that your hair is washed but your overall cleanliness can go a very long way indeed! Especially when it comes to your scent. Be sure to find a scent that is you, with a wide array of fragrances out there, find the perfect match and always spray yourself on the upper part of your neck and your wrists to ensure the scent lasts for longer. All in all, if you manage to follow these simple tiers you will be able to be the well-groomed gentleman you’ve always desired to be.
Fashion & Beauty 17
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Do the sixties The 1960s saw the beginning of a revolutionary change in the history of fashion. I visited the Gallery of Costume to view an exhibition depicting the influences of Mary Quant; the name that resonates most when we think of trends brought into play in the era. Although original inventors of such designs are a topic of dispute, Quant popularised many features of the 60s in vogue dress among women. The most obvious and perhaps iconic garment in fashion of today is, of course, the mini skirt, which marked the sexual liberation of the women wearing them at that time in history, as it coincided with the arrival of the contraceptive pill and therefore the ability to bare flesh without shame or public condemnation. The hot pants did a similar job; the idea was to create clothes for women that they could run and jump in without the restriction of long heavy skirts tangling your legs together, allowing a physical freedom as well as a social one. You can find pieces of original 60s clothing hiding in your local charity and vintage shops; if you’re looking for a unique and truly authentic look, a trip to the Northern Quarter is definitely awaiting you. But if you’re short on time or simply don’t think you can muster the
Jenny Knowles explores the history of sixties fashion and how to incorporate the era into your wardrobe effort it takes to root through endless piles of musty treasures, then take a closer look at your local high street stores. There may be more classically 60s garments strewn across the clothes rails than you might think. Take the Topshop MOTO Cord V-Neck Dress; a simple black A-line dress that comes to mid-thigh length and can be layered over t-shirts for a classic preppy 60s look. Knee high boots were also a key feature of the era and with winter in full swing we see a lot more of these stocked on store shelves. For example, team the Black Suedette Stiletto Knee High Boots with a colourful swing dress. Currently gripping the fashion society is the comeback of the turtleneck. A classic example of a quintessential element of 60s style, the high neck gives a certain modesty that allows for, in turn, a higher hemline, as unlike eras prior to the 60s, 2016 doesn’t frown upon flaunting your pins once in a while. Dressed up or dressed down this garment is a winner and can be found at almost any online or highstreet fashion store for as little as £12 (Boohoo.com) so you don’t have to break the bank to show off your new 60s-inspired style. The Mary Quant: Fashion Icon exhibition at the Gallery of Costume runs from 3rd November 2016 — 5th November 2017
Ensure your make-up lasts
It is a struggle to keep your makeup looking as good as it did when you first applied it, by the time you have had it on a few hours your coverage is already fading. So, what is the secret to long lasting makeup? Primer is the ultimate product to ensure your makeup withstands the general everyday exposure to the elements. Primer is the answer to all of your long lasting makeup dreams. It is futile to even bother applying your foundation if you haven’t first covered your skin in a layer of this product. Firstly, primer minimizes the visibility of pores by sealing them and therefore providing greater coverage, whilst also giving your skin a smooth and velvety complexion that is as lust worthy in real life as it is on Instagram. As well as transforming your skin to luminous loveliness, primer also acts as a shield against natural elements that would usually cause your foundation to wear off. Although, it may seem like a rather pointless and expensive buy, when surely you would much rather be spending your pennies on a fab new eye shadow, its benefits are unparalleled. On a day when I need my makeup to last, I generously apply primer before my foundation knowing that my makeup will look as fresh at 9pm as it did 9am. Despite being super expensive, the Laura Mercier foundation primer is the best on the market. It has a creamy but lightweight consistency and a luminous quality that leaves your skin looking radiant. It can be worn alone as a skin pick me up, but worn under foundation it gives your skin a subtle glow. It is a bit of an investment at £29.00, however one tube will last you a while. A must have product for your Christmas list. Whilst primer for your skin is essential if you want your coverage to remain fresh, eye shadow primer is necessary for the smoky eye lovers out the there. Mac’s Prep and Prime 24-Hour extend eye base revolutionised my smoky eye routine. After watching a short demonstration from a Mac girl, I was sold on this product and Photo:Lauramercier.com it became irreplaceable in my eye shadow prep. Not only does it make my eye shadow last from dusk until dawn, it also brings out the pigment in my favourite products. This primer works especially well with glitter eye shadows and really makes them sparkle. Once this primer is applied the colour on the eyelids is so much deeper and incomparable to what the shade looks like without it. Try it and you won’t regret it. (£16.00) The final key to long lasting makeup is setting spray. Once you have completely finished your makeup, simply spray your whole face 2-4 times. My favourite product is the Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray. The weightless formula ensures that your makeup lasts for up to 16 hours, keeping your contour and smoky eye firmly in place. What’s great about this product is that it prevents your makeup from cracking or fading but allows your skin to breathe, creating a beauty look that lasts. (£22.00) Whether you have a long day at University or work or just want your makeup to last for a night out, then these Photo;maccosmetics.co.uk products have got you covered.
Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Talia Lee-Skudder reveals the top makeup products that will keep your makeup looking fresh
Photo: The Mancunion
Style your hair
Fashion and Beauty Editor Sarah Kilcourse takes you threw a few hard earned hair styling tips and tricks From childhood, through puberty, to this very day I have loved my hair. I entered the world with a full head of ginger hair and have always embraced the colourful hue my head produces. When I was younger I never endured the playground bullying many fellow redheads, my brother included, were subject to. This may be because the I had some interesting ideas of how to ‘style’ my hair, and style it I did! Four buns randomly placed on my head -perfect! Multicoloured plait extension - threw ‘em in! I just had a desire to play with hair. Lucky for my mum she was also included in the hair play, her classic early 2000’s mum crop (sorry mum) was subject to whatever hair accessories I could throw in there. All this served me in good use as the years went by: straighteners, rollers, curling tongs, curling wands, french braids, dutch braids, crown braids, milkmaid braids give me a try and I’ll figure it out. My day to day hair is never extravagant, I have an abundance of fly-aways and baby hairs that require a lot of hairspray to be tamed, but when there is an occasion I am your gal for hairstyling. Now, all this serves as the pretext for my hairstyling advise. It is a culmination of experimentation, magazine articles and YouTube — take it how you please. Let us start at the beginning, washing your hair, or more specifically conditioning your hair. I have quite soft hair that is prone to greasiness, so as a rule of thumb I only ever condition from the ear lobe to the end of my hair. It minimises grease and keeps ends looking healthy. I know this is not universally applicable but the general consensus from the fair haired among us is that this keeps hair looking and feeling at its best. Always use a heat protector when drying or putting any heat on your hair, it will help to fight the spilt ends. The key thing I have learnt from the years of toying with my hair, is that products do make all the difference, they can sometimes be expensive but that is what maintains photo worthy, weather resistant hair. For straight or sleek looks use a hair oil, the best is definitely Moroccan oil, however it will cost you a weeks food shopping. When it comes to curls, waves or more dishevelled looks put a small, and I mean small, quantity of mouse in your hair before styling, too much will give you crispy hair — no one wants that. Post heat treatment the product you use depends on the look you are after. My general logic is to run my fingers through my hair to break up the curls if I want to look a bit messy or lightly brush them together if I want something more glam and vintage. The holy grail of all hair care in my opinion is Elnett hairspray. I am and will be forever obsessed with the stuff. No matter what you do to your hair, add some Elnett if you want it to last, plus for hairspray it smells quite pleasant. That is all the advise I have to offer on how to style your hair, with emphasis on the Elnett.
It’s Competition Time!
For your chance to win a Soap & Glory Cocktail Making Kit, simply post a picture on Instagram of your favourite outfit and tag: @mancunionfashionandbeauty and @ soapandglory
Photo: cjnew @ Flickr
See through the denim daze Tarun Darayanani reveals the top denim trends to suit your style Everyone dreads entering the store with the objective of selecting the “perfect” pair of jeans. It’s an investment; you want them to be versatile, durable and fashionable. So what do you go for? We are all guilty in thinking that skinny, spray on jeans are the ultimate pair; they ooze sex appeal and versatility (especially when covered with rips on knees and the upper thigh). However, it seems they are not the ideal fit for each body type.When investing in good quality denim, you want to be able to integrate them into your daily wardrobe essentials. Jeans are the most versatile, coveted piece in everyday wear. 1) The spray on skinny. Attention grabbing and a pair that would flaunt your glutes that you have worked so hard on when squatting in the gym. This style is ideal for a slender pair of legs especially teamed with toned, lean calves. Embellished, ripped or dyed, the options are endless. Team this style of jeans with boots that accentuate your legs and inject sex appeal to any outfit. 2) The flare. Most Recently, Roberto Cavalli and J Brand denim have backtracked to the 70s with their dark washed, flared denim pants. Brands are lusting for past trends and reinventing them to keep them contemporary. If you want to channel a Sonny and Cher Vibe, the flare is not flawed. With boots, this killer piece will exaggerate curves and an hourglass silhouette. Adorned with beads, tassels or the occasional motif, this pair is a reminder of the fashionable past. Grab a pair and make like the Bee Gees and channel the 70s disco vibe. 3) The boyfriend jean. Scoring highly on the hipster
scale, this jean is ideal rolled to the ankles with a loose fit that mimics a loose looking jogging pant. Rips on the light denim are key in exuberating a “got out of bed” look. This pair doesn’t flaunt the silhouette; it is just worn straight and loose. Typically styled low on the waist, this pair is an ideal complement to a pair of slick white of Adidas sneakers. 4) The straight jean. Some despise the tightness of a skinny jean. For those who appreciate the sexiness of a skinny pair but don’t want the skin tight feel, then the straight jean is the perfect compromise. A form of the skinny jean, it accentuates the lower physique and is an impeccable garment to team with a high top trainer or a classic timberland boot. What makes this jean different to the skinny fit is the looser area that surrounds the crotch and lower waist. Slightly more comfortable to crazily dance in, this pair won’t be a victim to unwanted rips.
Photo:francescaromanacorreale @Flickr
Smokey eyeshadow look
Beauty guru Bailey Petts takes us through the steps of how to get an Olsen twins worthy smokey eye There is something very alluring about darkening around your eye and creating a shadowing effect. The interesting thing about the smokey eye is, it can really enhance your eye colour; by utilising colours from the opposite side of the colour wheel to your natural eye colour, you can make your iris appear even more striking. After trying many different techniques and products to perfect the smokey eye, I feel I have found my favourite style. Step 1. I always prime my lids with a base to stop the shadow from creasing and to improve the pigmentation, my favourite primer is Laura Mercier cream shadow in Copper. Step 2. I usually wear a bronze colour on my lid but to show the effect of using an opposite colour to your eye colour I used a purple/red colour to bring out the green in my eyes. First push the darker eyeshadow onto your lid and then use a lighter shade of a similar colour to blend the shadow through the crease; this is what creates the ‘smokey’ effect. Normally I take the eyeshadow underneath my eyes too to recreate that grunge, Olsen twins look. I used the Charlotte Tilbury ‘Vintage Vamp’ palette.
Step 3. Lining the waterline and the upper lash line is key to keep definition in your eyes, I occasionally draw on a winged liner but in the day I will just rub a brown eyeliner through my upper lashes. For me, there is nothing sultrier than kohl lined eyes. I use the MAC eyeliner in Teddy and the Eyeko liquid liner. Step 4. Apply lots and lots of mascara! I have tiny lashes so I like to clump my mascara, but that’s a personal preference. I usually use two mascaras, Rimmel Scandal eyes and then Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Lashes. Step 5. The final touch for the eyes is brows – for me, a natural brow is always the best, not a scouse brow but again, everyone has different tastes. I usually just comb mine upwards with a clear brow gel and voila! Your eyes should be looking smouldering and enticing. To finish off the look, put on your favourite foundation and a nude lip to focus all of the attention onto your piercing eyes.
Do you want to write for Fashion and Beauty ? It’s so easy to get involved! Simply send an article to: fashion@mancunion.com That’s it! No CV, no coverletter and you can be published. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @mancunionfashionandbeauty Photo: gmanviz @ Flickr
Meetings are Wednesday at 1pm in the Students’ Union Activity Space.
Photo: The Mancunion
Film
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Top 5
Studio Ghibli Films Myriam’s anime picks
Photo: Studio Ghibli
Myriam Raso Film Contributor
ISSUE 09/ 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
Review
Arrival Shema Begum Deputy Film Editor
Dennis Villeneuve, director of the highly acclaimed Prisoners and Sicario has redefined the sci-fi genre with his latest endeavour — Arrival. After premiering at the Venice Film Festival, both critics and viewers were praising the film for its unique take on what first seems to be another alien invasion film. It’s no surprise that from the universal positive responses, Arrival is considered to be one to look out for at the Academy Awards. Based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, Arrival follows mysterious alien aircrafts called “shells”, which land on Earth, scattered across continents. America goes under a state of emergency as chaos ensues. Linguistics professor Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is approached by Colonel Webber (Forest Whitaker) who plays a recording of the aliens, seeking
“Language is the cornerstone of civilisation”
Louise to translate whether they come for war. The only way for Louise to do this is to see the aliens for herself. Joined by Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), the pair attempt to break down the language barrier, and communicate with the aliens. The only thing sci-fi about this film are the aliens, otherwise Arrival would easily pass as an intense drama. It focuses on humanity and emotive elements, which makes the film successful. The aliens are these strange octopus/dementor like creatures, which use some sort of ink to communicate with Banks and her team. The wondrous cinematography captures the inside of the shell beautifully, and coupled with Johan Johannson’s chilling score, Arrival immerses you into the suspense of what lies ahead. At the very start of the film it is established that Banks has suffered an emotional trauma; this goes on to haunt her dream/nightmares but serves a greater purpose, which provides an incredible, yet heart-breaking twist at the
end. Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner both give brilliant performances, their characters hold very different views, with Banks having a focus on language, and Donnelly preferring science. Despite this the pair undoubtedly have a connection that drives them to unravel the cryptic extra-terrestrial messages, no matter what the consequences. Arrival is perhaps one of the most relevant films of modern day. It tackles a prevalent issue in society; communication. The film captures this global detachment, as all countries faced with the alien threat turn off their phone lines, and there’s an all round lack of co-operation between them. Though ultimately it is only through working together can they solve the conundrum. Arrival is a powerful, and thought provoking film that you will continue to think about after coming out of the cinema.
4/5
5. Kiki’s Delivery Servicce Turning thirteen for this witch is not just a celebration of becoming a teenager. Kiki must leave home like all young witches and embrace another city with her special talent for a year to begin her training. With her trusty sidekick, a talking cat Jiji, she travels to a delightful seaside town where the owner of a bakery allows her to stay in the annex. In return, Kiki uses her broom to deliver the baked goods and other items around the city. In a world where humans and witches interact happily, this film is a simple coming of age story where through trails and tribulations Kiki will find herself. 4. My Neighbour Totoro Even if you haven’t seen this classic animation you will surely recognise its cuddly character Totoro. This story takes us through the lives of two young girls and their father as they move to an old enchanted house to live closer to their ill mother living in a hospital not far away. At the end of their house is a forest where the two sisters venture into and find these incredible creatures who will take them on spectaculor journeys and thrilling adventures, becoming the fascinating group of friends, you will all want to be a part of. Let this film enlighten your imagination. 3. Ponyo The captivating story where the land and sea meet in a tale of love and adventure. A little boy, Sôsuke, lives a peaceful life with his mother by the seaside. One day he finds a goldfish trapped in a bottle and saves her, but he will soon find out that this goldfish, named Ponyo, is not your typical household goldfish. Ponyo is the daughter of wizard and sea goddess, she uses her parents magic to slowly transform herself into a little girl. This change in the magical world leads to an imbalance in nature and now the world is in trouble. Ponyo and Sôsuke take on the challenge to save the world. 2. Howl’s Moving Castle A young hat-maker, Sophie, finds herself slowly falling in love with a handsome magician, Howl. Until the wicked witch of the west curses her, turning her charming looks into a wrinkled old woman, but Howl sees through the exterior and becomes infatuated with inner beauty. Unable to work she flees to the hill’s where she finds Howl’s extravagant moving castle. Inside she befriends a fire demon, Calcifer, whom she becomes extremely close to and together they plan to save themselves from their troubles, but in the mean time break the self-indulgent Howl to faces his problems also. 1. Spirited Away This wonderful animation tells the story of a young girl, Chihiro, moving to a new town with her family, but all is not what its seems. Within minutes we are thrown into the mysterious world of magical witches, eight-legged boiler men and humans turning into pigs. The film is set in a bath house where incredible creatures and talking animals travel to for a relaxing wash. We follow Chihiro and her new enchanting friends, including her trusty confidant Haku a beautiful ice blue dragon, as she struggles to save her parents from the evil bath house owner Yubaba.
Photo: Loren Javier @ Flickr
Photo: FilmNation Entertainment
Review
Network The four time Academy Award winning satirical classic
Georgia Welch Film Critic “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!” Sidney Lumet’s 1976 satirical drama, Network, is arguably one of the 1970s’ most underrated gems, and pleasantly surprised me in how alarmingly relevant and fantastically entertaining it is. This isn’t to say I wasn’t expecting it to be good — it is allegedly one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s favourite films, after all — but before hearing it praised by the legendary There Will Be Blood, The Master and Punch-Drunk Love (to name but a few) director, I didn’t know an awful lot about it. It’s a film that truly excited me on many different levels, so naturally I’m incredibly glad it was brought to my attention. The film’s premise is particularly intriguing, following the cultural phenomenon which ensues following a news broadcast issued by the titular TV ‘network’, Union Broadcasting System, during which the show’s leading an-
chor Howard Beale begins to ramble erratically about his plans to commit suicide live on the next episode of the show, on the brink of his retirement. Keen to capitalise on the skyrocketing ratings the show garners as a result of Howard’s unprecedented popularity, UBS finds itself embroiled in a complex web of conflicted morals; some members more so than others. In the middle of it we find Howard’s longtime friend and network president, Max Scumacher, who appears to oscillate between condemning the exploitation of Howard’s apparent mental instability, and pursuing his own interests, namely in the form of his cutthroat colleague, Diana (Faye Dunaway), who ardently purports Howard’s ramblings as a potentially lucrative segment of the show. Much of this film’s enjoyment comes from Faye Dunaway’s gloriously sociopathic performance in this role, with her ruthless delivery completely stealing the limelight and adding a tangible feeling of electricity to every scene she appears in.
Photo: MGM
Peter Finch’s highly-charged performance as Howard Beale is excellent, creating a constant sense of suspense as to what each of his energetic, nihilistic, anti-establishment live rants will consist of. These infamous broadcasts, as well as the film’s explosive ending, culminate in a fascinating satirical commentary on sensationalised journalism, and the exploitative media, which is perhaps more relevant than ever in the increasingly uncertain and tumultuous world we live in. If you’re familiar with the work of Paul Thomas Anderson it’s not difficult to see why Network influenced his style so heavily. Its relentless pace, ensemble cast and the lens through which it examines the murky inner workings of a seemingly glamorous industry are all very characteristic of PTA, highlighting just how seminal Network is. Its mes-
sage rings ever clear, brought to life by a screenplay which is both dry and cutting. The troublesome relationship between Max and Diana was of particular interest to me in the latter section of the film. Max’s brusque but truthful condemnation of Diana’s fixation with success and the soulless and uncaring brutality of the television industry is completely enrapturing, as he brands her a “humanoid” who is ultimately on her way to being “destroyed” like so many of her colleagues. In Network, Sidney Lumet has created an exhilarating and masterfully dark satire of the news, its production and its consumption. Its memorable performances, timeless morals and scathing humour makes for a viewing experience which is not easily forgotten.
Film 19
ISSUE 09 / 21st NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
TV Catch Up
The Crown The Crown falls just short of receiving the Royal Seal of Approval
Photo: Netflix
Imran Bukhari Film Critic “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown” from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2 seems an apt starting point for this review. Not only does this quote demonstrate the symbolic and literal weight that rests upon the head of Queen Elizabeth II, but it also resembles the apprehension amongst Netflix executives ahead of release of The Crown. Following
the pop culture success of recent shows like Stranger Things; Netflix are now acutely aware that original content is the provider’s greatest selling point. Regardless of this, one can not diminish the fact that Netflix’s investment into The Crown is still a high risk gamble. With a budget of £100 million — a figure more associated with that of a tent pole summer blockbuster — The Crown represents a landmark moment in the shift towards TV streaming.
This same poignancy in moments is also poetically the main thematic core of the show; as the conceit of The Crown is to shed light and provide insight into the key touchstones at the beginning of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The viewer watches as a young Elizabeth inherits the throne in an untimely manner and must come to grips with the complexities of her new role. She soon learns the harsh reality that her responsibilities as Queen must always come first; above her natural duties as a mother and as a wife. Inevitably this leads to growing conflicts amongst family members, which allows the show to humanise the Royal family, in order to make them as relatable as possible. At first it may seem far-fetched to seek a connection between the viewer and a Sovereign, but The Crown truly excels in accentuating the personal relations between these immortal figures. This attempt to instil a deep sense of humanity is most evident in King George VI, played by Jared Harris, who gives a jewel of a performance. He presents a man riddled with pride, but also love for his family and country. His imprint and early guidance for Elizabeth have a profound and long lasting impact on her Monarchy which imbue the early episodes with a beating heart. Elizabeth herself, played by a fresh faced Claire Foy, does her best to convey the growing strength of a woman constantly questioned and
moulded by others. And Matt Smith gives his best work post Doctor Who as the perennially reluctant Prince Philip. On the disappointing end of the scale however, John Lithgow never fully convinces as Prime Minister Winston Churchill. The seasoned American actor always seemed a peculiar choice for the role and despite the best efforts of the hair and make-up team, it is impossible to see beyond the cosmetics. With the lavish sets, opulent dresses and gorgeous cinematography it is clear the costly budget has been put to effective use. Historic sites like Westminster Abbey, 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace seem entirely authentic. The attention to detail by the costume and production designers allow for an immersive fly on the wall experience of post-war Britain. The show is also exquisitely well written by its creator Peter Morgan, who has previous experience in bringing past events to life, being the writer of The Queen. Morgan manages to elicit unexpected drama from matters of royal etiquette and courtly protocol. Nevertheless there are intimate moments of The Crown which are more fascinating on their own than the series as a whole. As a result the show does suffer from pacing issues and can test the engagement of its audience. Ultimately this first series may not be the crowning achievement Netflix were aspiring for, but it comes awfully close to ruling them all.
Review
After Love Alasdair Bayman Film Critic L’economie du couple — translated as After Love — hides no subliminal meanings in its title. In evoking a sense of pastness, the translated title benefits the overriding themes of melancholy in the film. Yet, behind the self-explanatory title, one finds a still introspective look into a domestic space that has plummeted from the dizzy heights of love into the realms of despair and hatred. Set in the elegant home of divorcing couple Marie (Bèrènice Bejo) and Boris (Cédric Kahn), Joachim Lafosse’s ninth feature does not shy away from outlining the complications and degeneration of divorce and love. Both Marie and Boris have invested significant time and money into their outwardly idyllic home for their two identical twins, Jade and Margaux (Jade Soentjens & Margaux Soentjens). Boris, an architect, has designed and constructed the house himself, whilst Marie has paid out of her parent’s trust fund for all bills and materials used by Boris in the house’s construction. The fundamental crux of the divorce settlements lays in an even share of the house’s sale money — to which Marie is less than happy to do. This crux also serves as a narrative deterrent to siding with either Boris or Marie as both parties have applicable claims for more money than originally proposed. Within the mise-en-scene, Lafosse chooses to adopt luscious peaceful whites in the home as a juxtaposition towards the internal struggles found in the adult’s divorce. However, both Bejo and Kahn give composed
As a couple stare into the midsts of a divorce and a precarious living situation, an exploration of human complexity and emotion dominates Joachim Lafosse’s latest release
performances as the eponymous couple who have fallen out of love. The tender care that was once held between the two is there to see in the literal creation of their daughters, but more important can be felt in the numerous peculiar interactions between the two — including an unexpected sexual encounter. The subtlest of body movements in Bejo and Kahn’s performance depict Marie and Boris’s resentment towards their precarious situation. Still, their former love is captured in a poignant diegetic dance sequence, alongside their two charming twins. One of the film’s most powerful scenes, Lafosse channels Girlhood in a liberation and an expulsion of narrative and deep personal tension in this sequence. Modern life, in this instance, has dealt them a very bizarre and unfortunate hand. Cinematographer Jean-Francois Hensgens delivers a striking suture into the couple’s life that alongside the natural deliverance and writing of dialogue delivers verisimilitude. In this reality, arguments between the couple, which vary from banality to the contemplative, are built towards effortlessly. For most of the duration, Hensgens and Lafosse make a conscious effort to avoid cutting away from the house itself. A significant lack of quick editing or long shots presents a tangible element towards the tension between Marie and Boris. In the latter stages of the narrative, however, a movement away from the household is formed. Not only does this impact an overall reception of the film, but impacts a critical one. Lafosse’s inability to retain his initial
artistic approach degrades the film, alongside its conclusion. Using a soft piano score — which is now a cliché of French cinema — also approximates criticism. Although this contributes to despondency, its incorporation feels somewhat tiresome in our cultural moment of art-house cinema. What After Love shows us is the sheer destruction of a modern day divorce. Transgressing a Disney fairy-tale view of life and love, Lafosse’s world is unsympathetic and degrading to the individual.
The verisimilitude at hand contributes to a complexity in the film; one that confronts its subject matter head on. Adult life is difficult, and After Love is not afraid to show this. Its courage of subject matter and overall execution make it a necessity to be viewed and discussed in light of recent cultural moments.
4/5
Photo: Les Films du Worso
Books
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Review
Introducing: Manchester’s UniSlam Team Jake Piazza reviews The Creative Writing Society’s Poetry Slam on the 15th of November and introduces UniSlam
Tuesday the 15th of November marked the night of The Creative Writing Society’s poetry slam which would choose the team off to the prestigious nationwide Slam competition in January. UniSlam started in 2013 and is a Slam Poetry competition where each university enters a team of four or five members, plus a mentor, and performs throughout the weekend, as well as taking part in workshops and finally competing for first place. First place will get to go and compete internationally in Chicago. The event will take place on the weekend of 29th and 30th of January at the University of Leicester, and Manchester are sending a team.
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The committee is working very hard to get funding from the Union but they will also be putting on another Slam on the 8th December to raise more funds
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The highlights of Tuesday’s Slam, which saw 7 poets compete alongside several short noncompetitive open mic slots, were poems about race and exploitation through conflict and a bellowed poem about love and ballet dancing which made frequent use of romanticism through details of an anonymous girl. Judging the event was treasurer of The
Creative Writing Society and playwright Beth Woods, head of the UoM Feminist Collectives, Writers Collective Seevana Raghubeer, local poet and Roundhouse slam finalist Bob Horton, poet and co-founder of the poetry collective group Young Identity — a group who run regular events at Contact Theatre — Shirley May, and finally mentor for Young Identity and famous poet Isaiah Hull, who also performed during the evening. First to perform as a contestant was Stella Ryley who performed a lucid and soft performance: ‘Seamstress’ about depression, which featured frequent use of imagery; performed through a very contemplative and serene tone. The second performer was Jake Piazza who performed an abstract, psychological poem about the damaging nature of mental illness and its destructive effect upon one’s own body, mind and their identity through a crawling pace and irregular delivery. Third performer and Chair of The Creative Writing Society, Roma Havers, performed a raplike poem ‘Blood in The Water’, which was both a creative, engaging and optimistic poem about identity and performed with a free-flowing pace and clever use of wordplay. After a short break with comedy and entertainment provided by the MC Ola Youssef, poet Alle Bloom performed an optimistic and highly comedic poem concerning the nature of existence with a lively delivery. This was followed up by Damani Dennisur, who performed an intense and dynamic spoken narrative about a boy who becomes involved in gang culture; which combined socio-political themes; poverty, gang violence, alongside questions of identity and race together with an intense and painfully tragic narrative. After this explosive and highly emotive
performance, Kayleigh Jayshree Hicks added an added political slant to the evening with ‘British Value for Money’, a poem condemning the racism and discrimination faced by ethnic minorities in British society; largely through questioning the impact of said discrimination
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It was a privilege to judge such a fantastic event, the performances were all wonderful and showed off the creative talent at The University of Manchester
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Jake Piazza Books Contributor
upon a sense of both personal and national identity. This poem was delivered with an increasingly harsh delivery, the tone of which can be deduced merely from the continually repeated mantra about receiving ‘value for money yet the hate for free’. The final performer, Liv Barnes, performed a contemplative and sombre poem about alcoholism and explored the tragic figure of the individual alcoholic as being merely one in a slow and painfully silent collective. This theme was accompanied by frequent use of Christian symbolism and iconography to explore the nature of dependency and the nature of alcohol as means of relief; as well as vivid descriptions of setting to evoke mental imagery, the poem serving to create a highly vivid mental painting of this solitary scene. Overall; it was a brilliant evening from
seriously talented poets and performers showcasing their ability. The winners and now UniSlam team are the following people; Roma, Damani, Kayleigh, Alle and Liv. After the event Seevana said “It was awesome to hear the unique styles and judging was fun when there was so much variation in speed, rhythm and content. Thoroughly enjoyed listening and being a part of it, the team is gonna be ace” with Beth stating “I just would like to say that it was a privilege to judge such a fantastic event, the performances were all wonderful and showed off the creative talent at The University of Manchester, and I wish the team the very best of luck at UniSlam!” “Last night we raised over £100 but still have a long way to go, in order to make sure we can get to Leicester and stay overnight, we need to raise more money,” said Roma Havers. The committee is working very hard to get funding from the Union but they will also be putting on another Slam on the 8th December to raise more funds. There will also be a crowdfunding page with rewards such as a personal poem written just for you. The team will be working very hard over the upcoming months to represent your University at UniSlam. If you would like to support the society or get involved with any of our events we meet every Tuesday, all our details are on the Facebook page Manchester Creative Writing Society 2015 and you can contact Roma Havers for more details.
Review
Review: Louder Than Words Festival
Gurnaik Johal reviews November’s Louder Than Words Festival and some of the most successful acts Gurnaik Johal Books Contributor The Louder Than words Festival, a weekend of discussions and performances about music writing, brought the likes of The Fall, Thunder and Kraftwerk to The Palace Hotel last week. The many panels on the craft of music and writing were filled with critics, journalists and biographers,
with a special focus on punk music. The events were wide ranging, with the relationship between music and writing explored in book launches, performances and slam poetry. The first event I saw was “Punk or Professor”, a panel about music journalism and whether it needs to be taught at universities. There were many interesting points raised about the differences between music
journalism and traditional journalism and how writing style has to differ when writing about music. Music writing was further explored in “Write on, Brother” a discussion between Daniel Rachel (Isle of Noises) and Patrick Humphries (Nick Drake: The Biography). It was full of anecdotes about meetings with the likes of Paul McCartney or Bob Dylan but also went in
Book Recommendation of the week
W, or the Memory of Childhood by Georges Perec This semi-autobiographical novel switches between two narratives telling heart-wrenching stories about human existence: one is autobiographical, based on Perec’s experiences as a Jewish child living in France during World War Two, while the other is a fictional allegorical tale about a world based on Olympic ideals, which serves as a harrowing metaphor representing the heinous ideals of Nazi Germany. Its narrative is engaging yet distancing and sure to leave a profound and somewhat numbing effect on everyone. Recommended by Gemma Sowerby, English Literature and French student.
depth into how to conduct interviews and how to go about writing biographies or music reviews. Talks like these make the Louder Than Words Festival a worthwhile visit for aspiring music writers. The highlight of the festival, for me, was John Robb’s conversation with the iconic punk/hippy/drummer/artist/ poet/ philosopher Penny Rimbaud. While punk was talked about in depth in “The aesthetic of our Anger” and “Punk @ 40”, here Rimbaud managed to talk of zen buddhism, Donald Trump and world peace in one breath. As the founder of one of Britain’s first communes he had a lot of insightful things to say about religion and politics — needless to say, things got philosophical very quickly. There was a lot more to see and certainly something for everybody, so I’d definitely recommend going to an event or two the next time the festival comes around if you’re interested in music, writing or journalism.
Photo: Louder Than Words
CLEAN THE COMMUNITY Come along and clean up our community with local residents where we will be cleaning up leaves and gardening. Sunday 4th December, 12pm, Old Moat Park Tuesday 6th December, 10am - 12pm, Ladybarn Park
HIDDEN GEMS TOUR Come along and discover the hidden gems around Manchester on this exciting tour – see a side of Manchester that you haven’t seen already! Tuesday 6th December at 12pm Manchester Student Homes Unit 1-3 Ladybarn House, Fallowfield, M14 6ND
WE STAND TOGETHER – INTERFAITH EVENING Come along for and celebrate the diversity of Manchester with talks and discussion on different faiths and an evening of amazing food! Wednesday 7th December 6pm - 8pm Council Chambers, Students’ Union
CELEBRATION EVENING Come along and celebrate the fantastic work carried out by all volunteers this week with a quiz, games and food. Friday 9th December 6pm – 7.30pm Room 6 Students’ Union
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Cup North Top drinks critic Alec Wilby gets a taste for the coffee industry and whilst sipping cold brew Alec Wilby Contributor “This coffee thing better not be outside, Alec.”
Cha—ology Miriam Mizzi Contributor Walking along Great Ancoats Street is not pleasant at the best of times, so when I embarked on the journey to Cha-ology in the relentless rain I was less than enthusiastic. From the outside, Cha-ology looked to be on the extreme side of simplistic. However, as soon as I entered and was seated at the tea-bar (due to the cushioned floor seats being full), I knew my first impression had been completely wrong. The hanging Edison lightbulbs gave the room a warm hue and the many, tiny cooking items filled the
brewing area showing Cha-ology’s commitment to serving the finest tea. Freya and I, are unfortunately not Japanese tea experts, so had to shyly ask for some menu advice from owner Mei. She happily chatted us through the different tea options and helped us decide on some Matcha Tea with Soy Milk, some Gyokuro Green Tea, a Matcha Cheesecake and a Green Tea and White Chocolate Tart. We paid, took our shoes (yes shoes) and coats off and eagerly watched as Mei began assembling our
Photos: Alec Wilby
Cup North, Saturday the 5th of November, arctic temperatures as we boarded the tram: I could not help but agree. Arriving at Victoria Warehouse (a short tram-ride away from Piccadilly Gardens), it initially appeared that the coffee thing was, indeed, outside; however, our fears were quickly abated. When I bought the tickets for Cup North, I was not really sure what to expect. The website seemed very industry focused and drinking enough coffee to warrant the ticket price (£10) seemed like a logistical/dietary nightmare. Nonetheless, we soldiered on. Within minutes of arriving, we had drinks thrust into our hand by someone from Brew Tea Co. It was English Breakfast (I think) and while it was OK, we quickly drained our sample cups to escape the grasps of the exhibitor’s pitch. Cold brew was my main interest at the event: I read about it on the internet several months ago, and I had meant to make my own over the summer. Totally having forgotten to do so, the logical thing of course was to try it at Cup North, courtesy of Artemis. For those unaware, what separates cold brew from regular coffee is that you do not add heat in any part of the brewing process. Instead, you steep coffee grounds in water for 16+ hours and then filter it before drinking it cold. The advantage of this process is that, supposedly, you get a completely different flavour. In practice, cold brew was everything the internet told me it would be. I’ll admit, I was sceptical that it was just a BuzzFeed summer fad but honestly, it is completely different. They had 3 different coffees on and each had a very distinct flavour in a way that coffee I make at home generally doesn’t. Artemis were selling bottles of their cold brews but also had “nitro” brews available. The twist here was that they add nitrogen gas to the cold brew, imbuing it with draught beer like qualities. One of the coffees they had was particularly different, being made from “cascara”, sometimes known as coffee cherries. Cascara is distinct from normal coffee as it is made from the skin of the bean, rather than the bean itself. The result is a fruity taste unlike any other coffee I have had. The regular cold brews were more recognisable as coffee, but the advantage of cold brew is that you get a lot of taste without any of the sharpness or bitterness of
regular coffee, worth a try if you can find it. One of the interesting things on offer at the event was a workshop being run by Heart and Graft (a Manchester-based roastery) to teach attendees more about the flavours that make up their coffee. We drank a few different types of acid (citric, malic, tartaric and lactic) and tried to identify what they taste or feel like, followed by tasting some more complex flavours (such as blueberries and molasses). After trying the individual elements, he made us an espresso which was supposed to have pineapple-caramel flavours: the pineapple was definitely there although it was quite overpow-
ering. With the workshop, there was definitely an element of “I’m tasting this because he told me I should”; that said, I’ll pay more attention to what my coffee packets say I should be tasting in the future. After Heart and Graft came Kokoa Collection who, unsurprisingly, were serving hot chocolate. They had a range of different single-origin hot chocolates ranging from white up to 82 per cent, served like a latte with steamed milk: I opted for 70 per cent as a good middle ground and Pip went for 82 per cent. While he was making our drinks, the exhibitor let us try our hands at grinding cocoa nibs to make chocolate, apparently it was too cold in the hall to work (though maybe our technique was just bad). The hot chocolate itself was excellent, both were very flavoursome and the difference between the two varieties was obvious. I could not help but buy a bag to make at a later date. After the event, we spoke to a volunteer who has worked each of the 3 years of the festival. Initially she got involved because the tickets were too expensive; however, volunteering was fun and relaxed and, “you also get lots of free coffee and you will be well-fed.” Furthermore, volunteering for Cup North is relatively easy, “all you need to do is show interest.” She found that Cup North has changed to have a more professional atmosphere this year, making the whole thing seem more “official.” Although this meant more attendees overall, she felt that there was less opportunity to have decent conversations with the exhibitors.
We definitely found that some of the exhibitors launched into their sales pitch very quickly after approaching their stall. Obviously, they are there to sell their product, however it was off-putting and led to us leaving certain stalls earlier than we might have done. That said, the reception of the event was good and attendees ranged from baristas to “people who just love coffee and cakes.” Overall, attendance was good, people seemed to enjoy themselves and the event was another success. To anyone who has been to a beer festival, something like Cup North might seem strange. At a beer festival, (at least as far as I’m concerned), you are intended to enjoy those drinks at that time, at that location. With Cup North though, the main focus seemed to be on taking something away with you when you leave and clearly, this affects the approach of the exhibitors. There were other aspects to the event that we didn’t really see, such as “Tamper Tantrum” (the ‘Ted talks of coffee’) and the Cupping Lab (competitive coffee tasting) which I considered entering but we were too late. While the ticket price only covers entry, most of the exhibitors were willing to let you try their product so it was a relatively cheap, though high quality, event. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in caffeine.
Japanese-esque afternoon tea choices. As soon as we saw our desserts being brought out of the fridge, we knew they were going to be exactly what was needed to brighten up our somewhat gloomy day. The Tart and Cheesecake were both an extravagant green colour, which would have been brave anywhere else but fitted in naturally to our surroundings. We took our first bites, and their exquisiteness was confirmed. The white chocolate ganache that filled the Tart was truly indulgent and the dark chocolate coin delicately placed on top was inscribed with Cha-ology’s name. The consistency of the Cheesecake was clearly perfected and the hint of green tea was subtle yet added to the overall balance of the slice well. Once the tables prior to us were served, Mei set out to begin the mixology that was necessary for our teas. We sneaked stares at the bright green powder and the roasted tea leaves that we could see being
Photo: Miriam Mizzi
carefully incorporated into our cups. We were then further explained to about the origins, processes and serving of the teas. This added to our
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authentic experience and definitely increased our somewhat limited knowledge of Japanese tea. As it steamed in front of us, the first thing we noticed about the Gyokuro Tea was its slightly nutty aroma and light brown transparent colour. We began by cautiously sipping and passing the cup between us, which quickly turned into each of us trying to get more than our fair share. We continued to refill our leaf-filled pot three times. The Matcha Tea, known for its high
caffeine content and fresh green colour, was an entirely different experience. It was presented to us in a floral bowl and the creamy texture enticed us straight away. On taste, this tea was thicker and slightly earthy and was a pleasant change to the samey teas available on the high street. As we sipped and slurped, we admired the unique atmosphere Cha-ology has created and lounged at the tea-bar contently watching the bubbling pans on the visible hob. I was glad we
had been sat at the bar, rather than on the cushioned floor, as we saw the intricate processes that went into Cha-ology’s tea and I, personally, loved eyeing up the kitchenware that I now want to add to my Christmas list.
@hungoverhabits
Unit 3B Nuovo Great Ancoats St, Manchester M4 5AB
Extracts from a Japanese Food Journal Dear Fred (my infinite dining partner, please see photo) told me not to leave Tokyo before getting Korean BBQ. We were living in a capsule hostel at the time, these aren’t as seedy or strange as westerners think they are. They are the beautiful, functional evolution of the bunk bed. We searched for BBQ places on Japanese TripAdvisor and made our choice. We found it on the second floor of a busy street near Shinjuku. Robbie (a friend we’d met up with when we arrived in the city) had made a comment about street level food always being greasy, and the first place he’d taken us to was a ramen shop in a totaly nondescript Harajuku basement. Whenever you read about people traveling and eating in Tokyo, going on the those insanely expensive food tours, they always go to some unassuming place on the 7th floor of a random building.
So, we were happy tobe eating somewhere above street level. We tottered up the steps and were shown to our table by this old lady with a club foot who would go on to feature brilliantly in the meal... she was delicious... no im kidding, obviously. The place was full of these white shirted Japanese business men, all at kneeling tables smoking, drinking, creating a wonderful restaurant hum — that inimitable noise that some restaurants generate, making you really feel like you’ve arrived. Lady Club Foot helped us with the ordering, via pointing at pictures, a few hand gestures, and looking around at what other people were eating. She brought out four different cuts of meat that we were to cook on a grill sunken into the centre of our table. They were all different cuts of beef, with different marinades.
It was ineffable, unlike any beef I have had before or since. It set in motion a wonderful night, full of bar hopping and gettingschooled in the cuisine of Tokyo bar snacks. The custom when you take a seat at a Japanese bar and order a drink is to be presented with a free snack. A similar thing happens in Italy, they call it an ‘aperitivo’. One place gave us a small, empty clay pot. The bar was lined with these different kinds of nibbles in ornate jars and one could help themselves to dried bananas, puffed corn and all manner of nuts. Another bar presented us with chop-sticks and two slices of cold chicken adorned with yellow wasabi.
‘‘We were shown to our table by a lady with a club foot’’
Felix Sanders Food and Drink Editor
Recipe
Chicken Katsu Curry
Lily Carden Contributor
Serves 2 Oven at 180˚C prep time 20 mins cook time 30 mins 2 chicken breasts Seasoned flour on a plate 1 beaten egg Breadcrumbs Butter 1 small onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced 2tsp medium curry powder 1tbsp plain flour 300ml chicken stock 1tsp honey 1tbsp soy sauce ¼tsp garam masala Cooked rice to serve
@gorgeousgateaux
Photos: Lily Carden
Originally I made a healthy version of chicken katsu curry, baking the chicken with only a tiny spray of oil, but then I realised that sometimes only butter will do! Now, I pan fry the breadcrumbed chicken to get the golden colour and then bake in in the oven to make sure that it’s cooked through. It’s a great meal and really straightforward to make. For those who don’t like spice - this is as mild a curry as you can get, but no less flavourful for it. Prepare the chicken: place the sea-
soned flour on a plate next to a bowl with the beaten egg and then a plate with breadcrumbs. Coat the chicken breasts first with the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs. Fry them in butter for a few minutes on each side, adding more butter as necessary. Place on an oven tray and put in the oven as you start simmering the sauce. Gently sweat the diced onion and carrot in a pan with some oil and the lid on for 10 minutes, until soft. Add the curry powder and flour to the vegetables and then slowly pour in the stock, mixing all the time so it doesn’t go lumpy. Add the soy sauce and honey and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce but not stick to the bottom and disappear — add a little water if you feel there’s not enough liquid partway through. Stir the garam masala and any seasoning you would like through the sauce. You now have three options: 1) leave the sauce as it is, you’ll have a lumpy sauce but it will still taste great, 2) strain the sauce so that it is smooth with not vegetable bits in it, 3) blend the sauce using a stick blender, this is my favourite method as you keep the healthy veg but lose the unsightly lumps. Serve the chicken and curry sauce with rice. Try to use chopsticks if you can!
Arts
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Editor’s Picks
Review
What’s on this Week? Possibly the most exciting exhibition to hit Manchester yet ARTIST ROOMS: Andy Warhol At the University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery 19 November 2016 – 16 April 2017
Rachel Maclean: ‘Wot u :-) about?’
ARTIST ROOMS: Andy Warhol shows the sharp critical opinions of an artist known to many primarily as art salesman, purveyor of product and celebrant of capitalism. Supported by Arts Council, Art Fund and Creative Scotland, the exhibition is drawn from ARTIST ROOMS, a collection of international modern and contemporary art owned by National Galleries of Scotland and Tate on behalf of the public. Focusing on themes of death, politics and identity it presents audiences with Warhol’s reading of the American Dream at a time when the country is under scrutiny just days after the 2016 US Presidential election.
Photo: HOME
HOME, Manchester presents Rachel Maclean’s insight into modern-day life, and the effects it has on our world-outlook and self-esteem Georgia Welch Contributor Photo: Incase @ Flickr
Fancy getting involved? If you enjoy art, and would like to write
for the Arts section, join our Facebook group : Mancunion Arts Contributors 2016/2017. OR Come along to our weekly meetings in the Activities Space in the Students’ Union. at 5.30pm on Mondays.
Since opening its doors to the public in 2015, HOME Manchester has truly expanded its artistic horizons, building on the well established cinema audiences it garnered back when it was known as the Cornerhouse, and providing a platform for the most ambitious and unusual artists to showcase their work in the fantastic exhibition space it boasts alongside its theatre and cinema screens. Out of the more peculiar exhibitions it has hosted since its inception, Rachel Maclean’s brash, original and slightly terrifying new exhibition, Wot u :-) about? surely takes the crown as one of the most exciting. Acclaimed 1987-born Scottish artist, Rachel Maclean, received her BA in Drawing and Painting from Edinburgh College of Art, and will represent Scotland at the 2017 Venice Benniale. Her newest work vividly explores the concept of
happiness and self-esteem, even infusing it with a subtle commentary on the nature of technology as a means of validation. In the social media-focused world we live in, much of the artistic and televisual critique of technology we are exposed to is often generic and a little tired in its message. Yet, Rachel Maclean’s mixed media approach and use of garish colour palettes helps to mimic the gaudy, wholesome aesthetic of children’s television, creating something altogether more unsettling and creative than we’re used to seeing. The exhibition itself contains a range of different mediums. The wall hanging exhibits, ‘We Want Data!’ provide our initial introduction to the bizarre setting Maclean has created. Perhaps the most prominent piece was the 30-minute short film ‘It’s What’s Inside That Counts’ being projected onto three separate screens, drawing from the audience’s first encounter with this unnerving world. Combining the bold and sickly sweet visuals of her physical pieces with undertones of nightmarish
fantasy violence, the film examines the overarching concepts of transitioning between childhood and adulthood, and happiness as a commercial product; themes which are carried throughout the entirety of the exhibition. The collection of individual 3D sculptures are yet another manifestation of this theme. They take the form of large yellow children’s TV-style monsters, visibly decaying and rotting as if to suggest the negative impact of attempting to achieve acceptance and be yourself as a teenager, yet constantly being plagued by the relentless pressure to act in a certain way by those around us. They may be ideas we’re familiar with, but Wot u :-) about? is a true accomplishment in terms of bringing unforgettable visual novelty and cerebral twists to a well-established topic, so be sure to catch it at HOME while you have the chance. Wot u :-) about? at HOME Manchester 29 Oct 2016 – 8 Jan 2017
Feature
So here it is, Merry Christmas! Kick off Christmas with the unmissable University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery’s Frost Fair this year
Laura Joyce Arts Editor With only five weeks left to do your last-minute shopping, visit the Manchester Christmas Markets, and get yourselves home for holidays; it’s time to get festive. Well, the University of Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery have it covered. This December, the Whitworth will become a Scandinavian wonderland for just one exclusive weekend, hosting a plethora of free events.The inspiration behind this exciting event has come from the Danish word ‘Hygge’. It means tradition, cosiness and warmth, as well as surrounding yourself with friends and family.
The Whitworth said: “The Frost Fair promotes art and togetherness, encouraging gallery visitors, the local community, and members of the whole family to come together and enjoy winter at the Whitworth.” At the most wonderful time of the year, how better to celebrate with your loved ones than ice-skating. That’s right, an environmentally sustainable ice rink will be just one of the free activities available in this two-day shindig. Short films, including images of the infamous Northern Lights, will be screened on an outdoor cinema in the Art Garden. There’ll be mulled wine, hot chocolate, craft ales, international street food, and even live music just to keep that festive magic in the air.
Walk The Plank, arguably the UK’s most outstanding outdoor arts companies, will also be performing an array of theatre forms in their performance of ‘The Ice Queen & Ice Queen’s Courtyard’. Taking place on the Sculpture Terrace, the display will involve puppetry and light displays. A play on the anonymity of ice and fire, this is sure to be an exciting performance from the ever-innovative theatre company. Finally, on Sunday evening, there will be a spectacular fire and fireworks show to bring this ultimate Christmas weekend to a close. So, I think we can give Santa Claus a rest this year — the Whitworth have it sorted. The Frost Fair: 3 – 4 December 2016, 11am – 7pm
Photo: Patrick Lauke @ Flickr
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Reviews
The Blue Blue Sea Portraits in Motion Part of Berlin Now at HOME, Volker Gerling makes flipbooks an art form
Beth Armstrong reviews a stage reading of The Blue Blue Sea as part of HOME’s Berlin Now festival
Beth Armstrong Reviewer With only three white chairs and a monochrome backdrop of a non-descript tower block, the staged reading of The Blue Blue Sea manages to conjure a tangible and depressive world through speech alone, reflecting the strength of Nis Momme Stockmann’s writing in this bare boned performance. Combined with the brilliantly sharp deliverance of the three actors, David Judge, Katie West, and Reuben Johnson — they give life to such a well-crafted script. The protagonist Darko (Judge) is a deeply troubled young man and alcoholic who is shackled to his council estate but is fascinated by the stars that hang above it, though these he swears are impossible to see here. When he meets Motte (West) the estate’s teenage prostitute, equally as fixated on the blue blue sea of Norway, the pair do not so much as fall hopefully in love, but form a deep connection based on the flickering of hope they see in one another. Motte, or moth in English, is attracted by the paradoxical light of Darko, though amid the darkness of their estate, this is not enough to save them. Nor is it enough to save Darko’s friend Ulrika, abused by her father, and literally pushed over the edge of one of the tower blocks by despair. But the play severs all false sentimentality with Darko’s bitter speech about the suffering of the rest of his neighbours, jabbing his finger at various anonymous windows in the backdrop. We understand then that tragedy is nothing new to the estate, as common as the grey slate, the drug dealers and the ‘German and Russian kids spitting on
the Turkish’. The Blue Blue Sea is performed as part of HOME’s Berlin Now festival, and we can see subtle hints to this infamous city through David Tushingham’s clever translation; the ‘screen’ on Darko’s train refers to the looped newsreel on the Berliner Fenster of the U-Bahn, or ‘underground’ as the translation uses, effectively universalising the play. This could very well be London, or even Manchester given Judge’s thick accent. His closing plea of ‘This isn’t Africa or South America. This is Germany, Motte’ comes as a minor shock as we are reminded of the play’s setting, though the situation of the characters is so recognisable to us, it only drives home the message of the ubiquitous nature of social disenfranchisement even in the world’s wealthiest countries. The play’s bleak tone is broken occasionally by the comedic timing of Johnson who plays a series of chorus characters, switching effortlessly between Darko’s perpetually inebriated sidekick, a walking example of the apex of alcoholism, and a typically no-nonsense German security guard, representative of apathetic authority. However, moments of tenderness do manage to puncture the desolation: one particularly touching scene occurs where Motte nonchalantly strips her clothes to reveal the scars on her back. ‘They’re beautiful’ marks Darko, with the surety that comes with stating a fact. But sadly the love of the young couple cannot compete against the ‘machine’ of the estate, and the blue blue sea is never glimpsed but remains for them forever a mirage.
Photo: HOMEMCR
HAIR the Musical Hair the Musical at Hope Mill theatre certainly leaves the audience on a high
Photo: HOMEMCR
Kai Turner Reviewer A lone spotlight falls upon Volker Gerling, he pulls a flip book from the mound assembled by his side and, as the pages rush by, projected onto the screen is the moving image of shy but smiling woman. So begins our journey into the intriguing world of Gerling and the many strangers he has encountered from his travels throughout Germany. Whilst at first encounter the thought of one and a half hours of looking at flipbooks may not seem the most exciting way to spend a Saturday night, it doesn’t take long from the moment Gerling begins to tell his unique story to become absorbed in his fantastical world. Beginning his ambles in 2003, Gerling has since walked over 3,500km throughout Germany. As he moves from one place to the next he carries his flipbooks as a ‘moving exhibition’ which he invites passers-by to look at if they wish. He asks nothing but for each viewer to offer a donation if they enjoy what they see, and it is from these donations that Gerling pays his way, claiming he needs just €5 a day to afford all that he needs. Gerling’s journey began when, whilst studying at art school, he decided that his chosen medium would be “Daumenkino,” or
“thumb cinema” and began learning the craft of the flipbook. He tells the story of his first attempt at composing a flipbook in which one of his friends walked through a forest from one tree to the next. As uneventful as it may sound, a lack in communication concerning the direction of the walking saw the affair end in a sudden outburst of tears, itself humorously caught on camera. It is safe to say that since this first failed attempt, Gerling has more than mastered the art of the flipbook. In the sparing 10-second bursts of each flip book, the individuals we meet transform from strange faces into people brimming with character. This is the power of Gerling’s artistry in capturing the essences of all those he chooses to photograph, and by the end of the show it is hard not to feel as though you have gained twenty-odd new friends. It is clear why ‘Portraits in Motion’ won the Total Award for Innovation and Playing with Form at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, as it turns the unassuming flip book into a new form of art. In a world in which we are so diluted with media, it becomes easy to skim from one image to the next without absorbing what is there. Yet ‘Portraits in Motion’ forces the audience to sit still and truly see what is in front of them, to appreciate the charming attraction of the people around us.
Photo: Hope Mill Theatre
Brogen Campbell Theatre Editor
Set in 1960’s New York the audience are immersed into a ‘tribe’ of hippies, who preach love and peace against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Despite being set in the past the play resonated with our current political climate. Calls to see past race and to avoid needless wars seem more potent now than ever with the election of Donald Trump as US President. The musical explores the diverse bohemian lifestyle of a group of hippies living in the East village. It is extremely emotive, heartfelt and features many charismatic and eccentric characters not least the free spirited Berger (Ryan Anderson). The main storyline follows Claude (Robert Metson) as he has to decide if he wants to resist his drafting to Vietnam. Hair showcases the sexual revolution and rebellion against both the war and conservative society that occurred during this decade. This musical isn’t for shy or prudish theatre goers. Be prepared to have your hair ruffled, sat on and draped across by the cast. Drugs and sex is the dominant discussion of the day. Of course there is
also the famous nude scene that ends Act 1 to look forward too. You can’t help but smile and laugh whilst watching this production; you are drawn into the world of the musical through the intimate setting of the trust stage. There are countless moments where you want to sing and dance along, as the production excellently removes the barriers of the fourth wall. However, the play wasn’t all happy times as it touched on more serious issues, such as pregnancy, war, racism and colonialism, even if only fleetingly. The musical is powered by quirky songs and equally quirky costumes, although you wouldn’t be surprised to see some of these outfits being paraded in Fallowfield. The vocals of the entire cast were phenomenal with many performances physically giving me goose bumps, most notably by Shekinah McFarlane as Dionne, Laura Johnson as Sheila and Robert Metson. The only drawback of the show is that the vocal clarity wasn’t always the best as many lines, although sung beautifully, weren’t understandable.
Photo: Hope Mill Theatre
Yet these few bad trips didn’t dampen the overall high the musical left the audience on. This overall feel-good mantra couldn’t be more perfectly expressed then the ending, where the audience get physically invited to join the cast on stage to sing and dance to a rendition of ‘Let the sun shine in’. The euphoric notion of the hippy lifestyle wasn’t just embodied by the music and cast, but also the set design. The stage was rimmed with grass and the walls covered in coloured ribbons along with a fence at the rear of the stage. The fence separated the musicians from the cast, but was also used to
create some beautiful imagery. The musical left you with a feel good glow, as you can’t help smiling as you leave the theatre. I left with the optimistic thought that I really shouldn’t be worried about other people’s opinions of me. In the words of Margaret Mead’s character ‘be free, no guilt, be whoever you are, do whatever you want to do, just so long as you don’t hurt anyone’. Andrew Patrick-Walker really is comedy gold in this part. You can get your own high by watching Hair the Musical at Hope Mill Theatre.
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The return of the Christmas markets Hold onto your Santa hats, the Manchester Christmas markets are back and we’ve got the low-down on the best bits of the festive celebrations
Alice Richardson Lifestyle Contributor
Photo: smabssputzer @Flickr
For anyone who was out and about in Manchester city centre this weekend, there would have been no missing the tinselled eruption of the 2016 Manchester Christmas markets. For the Christmas market enthusiasts the return may have been eagerly anticipated, with a frenzied dash down to Albert Square to knock back that first gluhwein of the season. For others the return may have been a cause for exasperated eye rolling, frustrated sighing, and angry mutterings of Bah Humbug! For many new to Manchester, the sudden outbreak of merriment and seasonal cheer may be a source of excitement, intrigue, or perhaps even bewilderment. Whatever your stance on the Christmas markets, their wide spread city invasion means that resistance is futile, so you might as well buckle up and enjoy the (sleigh) ride. Manchester market veterans will be pleased to see the return of many of the same popular stalls, the location of which can largely be found in the same spots as last year. Following a long strip of stalls down Brazenose Street, you arrive at Albert Square, the mothership of the Christmas markets, home to the largest number of stalls, with its giant Santa overseeing the hustle and bustle from his perch at the entrance to the Town Hall. The Old Windmill Bar is located at the main entrance to the square but tempting as it may be to pounce at the first chance of a festive drink, exploring a little further may prove rewarding. Amongst the huge array of small bars there can be found both alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks, selections of flavoured mulled wine, coffees and hot chocolate with optional liqueurs, and even a prosecco and cocktail bar for those feeling fancy. Most bars require a deposit for the cup so be sure to hang on to it if you want your money back. For those
seeking a slightly quieter location to enjoy a drink there are several outdoor bars scattered across the city centre, all open till 9pm. King Street’s Bistrot Petit le Paris and The Mill Exchange in Exchange Square are often considerably less packed, and if you want a really personal experience you can head down to Spinningfields to book a private bar booth at Bar Hutte.
Alternative ways to celebrate your birthday
As usual the food game is strong with a range of world cuisines and European food stalls. Free samples of food are easy to come by, particularly at the cheese stands. For those with a sweet tooth, the Christmas markets offer enough sweet treats to make Augustus Gloop and Bruce Bogtrotter scream for mercy. Waffles, pancakes, crepes, and strudels are available in plentiful portions with a huge variety of toppings and fillings. Cupcakes, cookies, truffles, and slabs of chocolate the size of your head can be bought as gifts or to be enjoyed there and then. Several stalls this year listed options for various dietary requirements, including gluten and dairy free biscuits and sugar free jam for diabetics. For vegetarians and vegans, the markets may seem a little meat heavy; however, the pop-up Vegan Christmas Fair will be taking place on the weekends of the 9th and 16th of December in Cross Street Chapel. Many of the market locations host similar stalls selling the usual Christmas gift suspects of hats, scarves, decorations and scented candles but for those in search of something a little different, both Spinningfields and Exchange Street offer a host of arts and craft stalls for more unique gift ideas including handmade jewellery, art prints and even a doggy bakery. While weeknights are quieter, you should always be prepared for a busy one. For the intrepid Christmas market explorer, just remember to take it easy, go with the flow, and don’t stress. When it comes to the Christmas markets, those wanting to do a bit of Christmas shopping should probably try to avoid doing anything last minute or in a hurry. Grab a drink to walk round with, don’t rush yourself (you won’t be able to get anywhere fast anyway!), relax, and enjoy the Christmas madness.
The festive deadlines fear
Not keen to celebrate your birthday with another A few tips on how to create a balance between work and play as a busy student over the night out at Factory? Read this article for some Christmas period Sarah Jane Thoms inspiration for something a little different Lifestyle Contributor
Photo: philipmorris@Flickr
Ella Kashti Lifestyle Contributor For those of us not hugely thrilled at the thought of a night out, coming up with ways to celebrate your birthday can be tricky. Nights out for most are fun, spontaneous, not massively costly, and easy to organise; all things hugely appreciated by university students. So, transferring these qualities to another activity can be tricky when you’re keen to get as many involved for your birthday as would be game for a night at Factory. For those with winter birthdays, especially living in Manchester, it’s likely an indoor activity will be better received. Go Air Manchester is an indoor trampoline park located just east of the city, and although perhaps targeted at younger audiences (the woman on the other end of the phone asked if my ‘group’ were all ‘under tens’), it can still be a laugh for those of us not ready to accept we’re in our twenties. It’s only £5 an hour per person and a great way to break any ice between friends who don’t know each other. Junkyard Golf is a crazy golf course located opposite Piccadilly train station in town and offers players the chance to have a few rounds of crazy golf in an array of differently themed
courses. There are bars and music throughout the courses and each route has been decorated with scraps from charity shops and car boot sales to ensure a wacky and weird time. Super reasonable again, a round of a course will cost you just under £10, booking fees included. A great way to celebrate your birthday without breaking the bank! For summer babies I’m sure we’re all well aware how stunning Platt Fields can be on a warm(ish) summer’s day, but if the built-up foam saturated with litter at the edges of the pond and the fragrant smells of illegal activity don’t do it for you, try out Fletcher Moss Park in Didsbury. Free bus journeys all round with your annual bus pass and amazingly no one charging at the gates, it’s a little green haven away from our usual stomping grounds of Fallowfield. It’s the perfect spot for a picnic with a group of friends. Grab your WiFi speakers that usually accommodate pre drinks, some bath towels (since we’re just not at a place where we’d own a picnic rug yet) some great Lidl deals, and you’re good to go. And there you have it, some easy, cheap, and fun ways to enter your adult years with only little resistance against your looming future.
Christmas is a time of merry gatherings with friends and family, wandering endlessly around the festive markets, and snuggling up on an evening with a cup of hot chocolate whilst watching Home Alone. However, the cheeriness of the festive season can be severely sacrificed in order to complete assignments, meet deadlines, revise for exams, and in most cases, work a part-time job alongside your studies. It is so easy to lose the excitement and fun of Christmas when the weight of university stress is on your shoulders, just as it is very easy to neglect your academic responsibilities when festive celebrations are offered to you on a plate every single day. Fear not, there are ways that you can enjoy the magic of the run up to Christmas as well as meet those dreaded deadlines and everything else that you have going on in your hectic life. Planning is essential when it comes to delegating your time to different areas of your life. You need to organise what you need to do, when you are going to do it, and then stick to it. Keeping an up to date diary is extremely useful, but
Photo: energeticspell @Flickr
a standard page to page diary does not let you see what plans and deadlines that you have coming up far into the future. My academic year planner that I have pinned on my bedroom wall is a saviour, and it allows me to see what I have planned for the year ahead with just one quick glance. You can buy these in Rymans for less than £5 plus student discount; a valuable investment and a blatant bargain. The saying ‘work hard, play hard’ could not be more fitting for this particular dilemma. I can guarantee you will enjoy that Christmas social with your friends ten times more if you know that you have achieved something with your academic work before you head out. Whether it is completing an essay plan, writing a section of your assignment, or even reading a few chapters of your seminar work, you will
feel much more free and relaxed knowing that you have accomplished something beforehand. That being said, you must not feel as though having a social life and participating in leisurely activities is a luxury. Delegating time into your weekly schedule to meet up with friends, to go shopping, or to even have a Netflix binge from the comfort of your own bed is just as important as delegating time to work on your assignments. You need to allow yourself time to unwind and to recharge in order to maintain a healthy mind and body. Do not feel guilty for allowing yourself to have ‘free time’ because it is essential, not optional. So make a plan and stick with it! You don’t want to miss out on that festive cheer, just as much as you don’t want to miss out on achieving the grades that you deserve.
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Your Christmas gift guide: all wrapped up for under £10 Worrying about what gift you’re going to get for your Secret Santa? Don’t panic, we’ve got a guide to help you to buy for every type of friend! Megan Byrne Senior Lifestyle Contributor So you’ve picked a name out of an appropriately red and white hat and you’re completely stumped on what gift to buy for that awkward housemate. Look no further because here’s your foolproof guide to getting it right — all for under a tenner.
Photo: Paperchase
1. The Busy-Bee This gift is for that one housemate you rarely see because they’re always off joining societies, doing fun runs and organising pub crawls (sometimes all at the same time). Help them keep on top of things with a cute but practical desk organiser pad which will make their mile long to-do list look much easier to manage. This one from Paperchase is only £8.00 and features adorable woodland creatures to help them juggle their numerous extra-curricular activities.
2. The Stressed-out Student This housemate always seems to be stressed over something; whether its essays, exams, or their love life, they’re always flustered. Give them an opportunity to take a second and chill out with a relaxing pampering gift set. This beautifully wrapped box of bathing goodies from Lush will let them soak their worries away. It contains a rose and cocoa butter Snow Angel bath melt, plus a stunningly sparkly Shoot for the Stars bath bomb with Brazilian orange oil, berPhoto: LUSH gamot, and cocoa butter stars to soften their skin and calm their mind. It’s a steal at just £9.95 and means you don’t have to bother with sub-standard attempts at wrapping — score! 3. The Party Animal If there’s a club night, this housemate had their ticket last week. This is that one friend who seems to have boundless energy when it comes to dancing, sing-alongs, and shots. Speaking of shots, this set of colourful test tube shot glasses will
Photo: findmeagift.co.uk
no doubt be appreciated during your next house party. Double brownie points if they’re a chemistry student. Plus they’re an absolute bargain at just £7.99 from findmeagift.co.uk. That leaves you with enough change to pop to New Zealand Wines for a mini bottle of their favourite spirit or grab a cute little bottle of Smirnoff online at drinksupermarket.com for £1.79. Photo: ToysRUs
4. The Sport-Obsessive When they’re not playing it, they’re watching it, and when they’re not watching it, they’re talking about it. It may seem easy to know what to buy for a sports fanatic but chances are they’ve already got all the top of the range equipment. So, why not go for a fun novelty gift that will let them practice their aim from the comfort of their sofa? This mini, wall-mounted basketball hoop from ToysRUs will relieve boredom and make for hilarious (if ill-advised) drinking games all for just £7.99.
We really don’t need three months of Christmas With Christmas seeming to come earlier every year, we say: is there actually any need for all this holiday hype?
Chloe Hatton Lifestyle Contributor
Once again the streets are filled with the resounding chorus of ‘I swear they’re putting these things out earlier every year’. Yes, that’s right, it’s Christmas decoration season, which apparently occurs right after summer now. With Christmas decorations going up even before Halloween is over you have to ask yourself — is all this really necessary? Does it actually make me feel any more Christmassy or am I just another pawn in the capitalist machine? Will all these shiny, so shiny baubles fill the Christmas shaped hole in my heart any faster just because they’re delivered to me a good three months before? The answer is probably, no. The fact is, nobody actually feels really Christmassy until around mid-November at the earliest, unless you’re really into Santa. It’s the same with every other holiday — who wants to eat Easter eggs in February? Don’t get me wrong, I love holidays. I love Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, but there really is no need for them to fill up approximately half the year between them. The Christmas stock will just be left in a forgotten aisle, known only to the freakishly organised who do their Christmas shopping
in August. The obvious answer is that it’s all just a ploy by the retail sector to get us all to buy more products because they’re available so early. The joke’s on them, my Christmas shopping will still be done two days before. The one really good thing about the holiday period, however, is the abundance of Christmas adverts. Long gone are the dull, insipid, regular adverts and out come the emotional roller coasters that will make ‘Marley and Me’ look like a walk in the park. These few minutes will have you laughing, crying, and everything in between and churn you out as a battered, emotional wreck. And yet we all love it. We count down the days until John Lewis release theirs, waiting with bated breath as we try to watch every other major brand try to compete. They’ll never be able to. This is the saving grace of the long, tedious holiday period which leaves everybody sick of Christmas by the time it comes around, inevitably causing all the family arguments that ensue. Do us a favour, retailers, and leave us alone until at least mid-November before you pull out the big guns; the spirit of Christmas really does not need to be around this long. Photo: acutetomato @Flickr
TO DECONSTRUCT AND CHALLENGE SOME OF THE STEREOTYPES ABOUT ISLAM AND MUSLIMS THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER STUDENTS’ UNION, THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY OF MANCHESTER AND MEND (MUSLIM ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT) ARE LAUNCHING I-AM
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11-21/NOV/2016 FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT:
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The XXI Club celebrate their 84th year
84 years on, and the XXI Club is still a strong club with some of the best athletes at the university and in the country Harry Newton Sport Editor The XXI Club held a dinner last week to celebrate their 84th year since formation, in which they celebrated the sporting careers of old and newer members of the club. The club was formed in 1932 to promote sporting excellence at the University of Manchester. Members of the club include Olympians, World Champions, and World record holders in a range of sports, such as karate, rugby, netball and squash. President Rowena Birch is an Olympic judo player, who won gold in the 1994 Olympics, and she succeeded Olympic swimmer James Hickman who featured in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games. As you can tell, the Club includes some of the greatest athletes in the country. The Club works with the Athletics Union at the university to provide support for the University Excellence programmes. Members of the club are then encouraged to continue to contribute to sport at the university, as many of the club coach and help other university sportspeople. Each year the Club selects up to 21 of the highest performing athletes and 21 sports clubs’ officials to be members
of the Club, which happened yet again this year at the autumn dinner at the Chancellor’s Hotel in Fallowfield. Students from the university were initiated into the club by following in the tradition that has been set for years be-
fore; they would stand on their chair as their name was read and met by an applause. For someone like me (5’8”) this would be no problem, but the basketballers in the room didn’t look particular happy stood on their chairs! New
Photo: Tristram Biggs @Flickr
Eddie Jones’ England go 10 unbeaten England’s first win vs South Africa in ten years demonstrated Jones’ improvements Ben Ryan University Sport Editor England’s 37-21 win over South Africa at the weekend was the crucial next step in the remarkable ascendance of English rugby since the dismal showing at their own World Cup a year ago. Ten games they have now gone unbeaten since Eddie Jones was appointed manager in November 2015 and it is testament to his management techniques that not once have they looked like they were going to lose. The win against South Africa was particularly
important for the Eddie Jones revolution as it demonstrated England’s consistency in matching up to the best teams in the World. England had not beaten South Africa since 2006 and their opponents were becoming somewhat of a bogey team. The winning mentality that Jones’ has instilled into the players means they no longer fear teams such as Australia and South Africa, dispatching of them one after the other. Importantly, Jones has recognised that a complete overhaul of the squad who showed so poorly in the 2015 Rugby World Cup was ultimately not
necessary and would have been notably damaging. Key decisions such as retaining Chris Robshaw in the starting line up but stripping him of his captaincy and shifting him to his more natural position of blind side flanker, have meant he can perform much more effectively and play more freely knowing his true role. Jones has also shown a ruthlessness and decisiveness where previous head coaches have not. Often in previous years the back line has rarely functioned effectively due to indecision and thus constant juggling over the best centre pairings, half back pairings and
members received either a tie if they were a male, or an XXI pin if they were female for joining the Club. There was a real sense of community and respect in the room, as athletes over the age of 80 met with athletes in their very early 20s to talk about something they all had in common: their love of sport. Awards were handed out all night to members who have had particularly good years, including two special elections to Ian Braid CEO, and Steve Pullen MBE. Steve is an Olympic and Paralympic Judo coach, who had been a coach to President Rowena Birch throughout her career in Manchester when she was a student. She spoke proudly about Steve to a crowded room of people, and she obviously owed a lot to the man who looked quite humbled as she spoke about him. By the sounds of it he was a tough man to please, but very effective as she reached the heights. President Rowena Birch spoke of her pride at being the President of the club, and also went on to tell a tale about the necklace she was wearing. As President, Rowena was given a necklace that looked to be a silver chain with a piece of wood on the end, with a key also attached. Despite how everybody was wearing very extravagant suits and ties (even I dusted down the old job interview shoes), and long fancy dresses,
Rowena went on to explain that the necklace was in fact a chain from a toilet. The chain was yanked down from the ceiling of a toilet 84 years ago to be fashioned into a necklace to differentiate the President from the others. I’m not one to judge, but I did prefer her earrings to her necklace. Other awards were handed out in the night, until at the end of event when Natalia Cohen gave a speech to the crowd. Natalia was a member of the Pacific Ocean Row Team; she had rowed from San Francisco America all the way to Cairns, Australia with five other women in a little over nine months. That’s a whopping 8,446 miles across the Pacific. Three women would alternate throughout the journey, so there were only ever four on the boat at all times; Natalia however spent the whole journey on the boat Doris. Natalia spoke of the determination that it took for her and her team to get through, and also of some of the amazing sea animals and views she saw on her trip across the great Ocean in her 30ft long boat called Doris. The women raised thousands for the charities Walking with the Wounded and Breast Cancer Care. In a room, full of athletes, and an extraordinary woman like Natalia, it was difficult to not be inspired.
the type of wingers desired. Settling on a half back pairing of Ben Youngs and George Ford with Owen Farrell as a second distributor and kicking option at inside centre has allowed the back line stability, a more creative and cohesive attacking platform, as well as a calmness in decision making. Jones has been ruthless in not selecting Chris Ashton, Danny Cipriani and Christian Wade, deeming Wade and Ashton too fragile in defence. The pairing of George Kruis and Maro Itoje have added fresh faces to the squad, with Itoje developing as a powerful and athletic world class second row. The win over South Africa more than anything confirmed the effectiveness of Jones’ new playing style against the very best. Years gone by England have looked disorganised in attack, overcomplicating plays, running lines and forcing passes that weren’t on. Against South Africa, England’s attacking play was simple, sharp and effective as everyone knew their role and executed it perfectly. England’s first try from Jonny May was simple in its choreography: number eight Billy Vunipola acted as first receiver, which has become increasingly common, as both centres Farrell and Daly ran similar hard dummy lines, taking three of South Africa’s defenders out of the game, before the ball was shifted behind them and down the line, each player drawing his man as May was put in in the corner. Simple move with superb execution. Their second try evoked a similar simplicity but of a different nature. England had retained possession in deep in their own half as the ball was spun wide to Daly with the clear aim of utilising his left boot to gain territory. Jones’ England possess a much calmer mentality for decision making; if something is not on, use the boot to gain territory and makes things messy for the opposition. The second try demonstrated this theory perfectly as Daly’s kick remained infield and England’s players showed desire to chase the kick down and spoil the South African recovery. After a few South African fumbles, Courtney Lawes capitalised on the
poor handling to touch down. Another profound improvement initiated by Jones has been England’s fitness levels. Jeremy Guscott has remarked that: “one of the things [Jones] will have told them is that they won’t be great players unless they get fitter. So the players have listened and got fitter”. Ben Youngs was told that he was overweight when Jones took over. England’s last two tries against South Africa exemplified the improvement in Young’s fitness levels but also demonstrated the fitness work done on the training ground regarding support running. For the third try and the fourth, Youngs certainly showed a spring in his step to accelerate away from the ruck in order to create space to dummy and break the line. On both occasions there were a number of support runners backing him up and in the end both were easy tries thanks to simple, effective combinations. An area Jones is still in the early stages of improving is England’s defensive organisation and discipline. In the summer series in Australia, they conceded more tries than they scored and in the game against South Africa England conceded two tries and a number of penalties. England need to tighten up in these areas but Jones insists there is still improvements to be made and England can get a lot better. Eddie Jones’ distinct winning mentality means he never settles for anything but the very best of his players, always believing a win is achievable and that England can only get better. This has undoubtedly rubbed off on the players with every game they play in evoking a stern confidence in their play. Jones also has a peculiarly authoritative and intimidating managerial aura. The players know that they must perform under him or else risk being dropped and harshly told they are not good enough, such as with Tom Wood. Yet, rarely do they perform poorly under him as his ruthless and authoritative style bring out the best in the players. It seems England’s ascendance under Eddie Jones can only continue.
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Where to play Paul Pogba? Paul Pogba’s performances have been underwhelming so far — something needs to change to get the best out of him This in itself is a problem. There isn’t really a place for the tournament in the calendar hierarchy. It is not as coveted as any of the four majors, it can also be argued that it is not as sought after as any of the nine masters events either. It just basically exists as a money spinner. No one is really interested. It’s not a tournament that fans look forward to. How many past winners can you name? And when the discussion of what titles Andy Murray still needs to win to complete the set who ever brings up the tour finals? The answer to that is no one. The format of the tournament is another thing that I don’t understand. Unlike the normal ‘lose, get knocked out’ setup that is present in every other tour event in the season, the players participate in a round robin format where the eight players are divided into two groups, each with four players. The top two then progress to the semifinals where normality is restored with the traditional knockout style to find the eventual winner. In trying to make money by prolonging the event for a week, the tournament just becomes meaningless. A player can conceivably lose two round robin matches but yet still win the tournament — surely defeating the idea of a tournament in the first place. The most prestigious tournaments are bathed in history — Wimbledon and its All England Club has a wealth of it, the French Open has also witnessed historic moments (think back to Djokovic winning the title this year), I genuinely cannot think of a truly historic moment from the tour finals. It’s not helped that the tournament follows the pattern of staying in a city for a few years, begins to form an identity, then packs up and roles into another location. This stops the event from ever forming an identity — imagine the grass court major moving to a different city every couple of years. Before London the tour finals were held in Shanghai, it has also been held in Paris, Lisbon, and Hannover. Since its inception in 1970 it has been held in no less than fourteen cities. The event has had some consistency over the last few years but still far too little for what the ATP would like to think is a major highlight in the tennis season.
James Haughton Sport Reporter
Another long and gruelling tennis season is about to come to an end and that means only one thing — the ATP World Tour finals are underway. The event, which has been run annually since 1970, sees the top eight highest point scorers in ‘The Race for London’ descend upon the O2 for the grand finale. The tournament sees heavyweights such as Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Novak Djokovic all compete for the end of year trophy, with a whopping $6 million prize fund, and a healthy dose of ranking points on offer. This year, all eyes are on who will be the season ending world number one. Murray is looking to hold off Djokovic and keep his place at the top of the rankings, in what has been billed as ‘The Battle for Number One’. The rankings battle also sees Milos Raonic looking to overtake Wawrinka and become the new world number three, and Marin Cillic could become the new world number six. Here lies the problem with this tournament, has anyone ever been bothered about the actual title itself? This year the tournament’s profile has been raised due to the Murray and Djokovic battle, but apart from this unique circumstance, what is the point every other year? With a demanding season beginning all the way back in January, we usually know who the best player on the globe is going into the event. For the last four years it was Djokovic, Rafael Nadal held the spot for a while before that, before him Roger Federer had the firmest of firm grips on the number one ranking. This year’s compelling ‘Battle for Number One’ is normally non-existent at the season-ending event, meaning that the only major prize on offer is who will win the tour finals.
Photo: Xavier Naltchayan @Flickr
Tottenham’s Kyle Walker is developing into one of the best in his position Dane Massey looks into one of English football’s hottest prospects England’s 3-0 victory over old rival Scotland on Friday night put them in a commanding position to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Daniel Sturridge, Adam Lallana and Gary Cahill all scored headed goals as England dominated proceedings at Wembley and ended a turbugv lent year on a high. The year 2016 has had ups and downs for England, but one of its major positives has been Kyle Walker. The Spurs full-back has impressed both club and country, making the right-back slot his own. Walker has come a long way in the last three seasons; he has been one of the most improved players in the Premier League and has become an asset for both Spurs and England. His club manager Mauricio Pochettino has been instrumental in his development as he continues to evolve into one of the finest full-backs in Europe. In September, Walker followed his England team-mates Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Dele Alli in pledging his long-term future to Spurs, signing a new five-year deal. Walker stated: “It’s like my second home and I’m happy to commit my future to Tottenham.” His magnificent form for Spurs has helped him maintain his place in the England squad, but now he is firmly established as England’s first choice right-back and his performance against Scotland on Friday fully justified his selection. Walker was outstanding, and although Lallana won man of the match, the man from Sheffield ran him very close and could easily have picked up the award. Throughout the game, Walker was a constant outlet on the right hand side. He provided England’s width, hogging the right touch line which allowed Lallana to drift infield and influence proceedings. Sturridge opened the scoring midway through the first half, meeting Walker’s inch perfect cross before second half goals from Lallana
and Cahill sealed a routine win for the three lions. At 26 years of age, Walker is now approaching the best years of his career and he is playing week in week out. In his development years however, he found it hard to pin down a permanent position in the Spurs and England XI’s.
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Part of Pochettino’s high-energy game, Walker is a player who bases his game around energy as he is relentlessly up and down the right flank.
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When Harry Redknapp signed Walker for Spurs in 2009, he immediately loaned him back to his hometown club Sheffield United where he spent another season before going on loan again to Aston Villa a year later. Since his return to Spurs in 2011, Walker has been a permanent fixture in the team but in the last two seasons he has answered his critics emphatically. Walker has always been a useful player offensively, but the defensive side of his game has often been questioned. However, his defending has improved remarkably and last season he was part of the joint best defence in the Premier League playing 33 games for Spurs. So far this season Walker has retained his position, playing all 11 of Spurs’ league games. Over the last couple of seasons, Walker’s
all-round play has been wonderful. Part of Pochettino’s high-energy game, Walker is a player who bases his game around energy as he is relentlessly up and down the right flank. Many aspects of his play are reminiscent of Juventus and Brazil right-back Dani Alves, who is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs of the modern generation. Walker hasn’t had his place in the Spurs and England defence put on a plate for him, he has held off stiff competition. In 2015, Pochettino splashed out £4 million to sign former-Burnley defender Kieran Trippier who has kept Walker on his toes and perhaps brought out the best in him. Trippier is no slouch, and when selected he rarely disappoints, but Walker’s excellent form is severely restricting Trippier’s game time. At international level, Walker missed out on Roy Hodgson’s Euro 2012 squad selection and was overlooked again two years later for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Walker played second fiddle to former-Liverpool full-back Glen Johnson, but since 2014 he has held off competition from current Liverpool full-back Nathaniel Clyne and his consistently good performances have made him one of the main-stays in the England team in the past two years. Euro 2016 may have been a disappointing campaign for England but Walker was arguably England’s star performer. In the aftermath of the tournament, England has played five games and Walker has played every minute of all of them. With England continuously failing miserably in major tournaments, it is clear they have weaknesses. However, it is also clear they have strengths in the team and one major strength is the right-back position where Walker is showing the consistency and efficiency required to be one of the best in his position for many years to come. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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ISSUE 08 / 14th NOVEMBER 2016 WWW.MANCUNION.COM
What’s the point in the ATP World Tour Finals? The end of season extravaganza at the O2 marks the end of the ATP Tour season, but it is unnecessary Photo: Adifansnet @Flickr
Joshua Jenkins Sport Reporter Another long and gruelling tennis season is about to come to an end and that means only one thing — the ATP World Tour finals are underway. The event, which has been run annually since 1970, sees the top eight highest point scorers in ‘The Race for London’ descend upon the O2 for the grand finale. The tournament sees heavyweights such as Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, and Novak Djokovic all compete for the end of year trophy, with a whopping $6 million prize fund, and a healthy dose of ranking points on offer. This year, all eyes are on who will be the season ending world number one. Murray is looking to hold off Djokovic and keep his place at the top of the rankings, in what has been billed as ‘The Battle for Number One’. The rankings battle also sees Milos Raonic looking to overtake Wawrinka and become the new world number three, and Marin
Cillic could become the new world number six. Here lies the problem with this tournament, has anyone ever been bothered about the actual title itself? This year the tournament’s profile has been raised due to the Murray and Djokovic battle, but apart from this unique circumstance, what is the point every other year? With a demanding season beginning all the way back in January, we usually know who the best player on the globe is going into the event. For the last four years it was Djokovic, Rafael Nadal held the spot for a while before that, before him Roger Federer had the firmest of firm grips on the number one ranking. This year’s compelling ‘Battle for Number One’ is normally non-existent at the season-ending event, meaning that the only major prize on offer is who will win the tour finals. This in itself is a problem. There isn’t really a place for the tournament in the calendar hierarchy. It is not as coveted as any of the four majors, it can also
be argued that it is not as sought after as any of the nine masters events either. It just basically exists as a money spinner. No one is really interested. It’s not a tournament that fans look forward to. How many past winners can you name? And when the discussion of what titles Andy Murray still needs to win to complete the set who ever brings up the tour finals? The answer to that is no one. The format of the tournament is another thing that I don’t understand. Unlike the normal ‘lose, get knocked out’ setup that is present in every other tour event in the season, the players participate in a round robin format where the eight players are divided into two groups, each with four players. The top two then progress to the semi-finals where normality is restored with the traditional knockout style to find the eventual winner. In trying to make money by prolonging the event for a week, the tournament just becomes meaningless. A player can conceivably lose two round robin matches but yet still win the tournament — surely defeating the
idea of a tournament in the first place. The most prestigious tournaments are bathed in history — Wimbledon and its All England Club has a wealth of it, the French Open has also witnessed historic moments (think back to Djokovic winning the title this year), I genuinely cannot think of a truly historic moment from the tour finals. It’s not helped that the tournament follows the pattern of staying in a city for a few years, begins to form an identity, then packs up and roles into another location. This stops the event from ever forming an identity — imagine the grass court major moving to a different city every couple of years. Before London the tour finals were held in Shanghai, it has also been held in Paris, Lisbon, and Hannover. Since its inception in 1970 it has been held in no less than fourteen cities. The event has had some consistency over the last few years but still far too little for what the ATP would like to think is a major highlight in the tennis season.
Gary Lineker and the refugee debate
Lineker has received much criticism from the press after having an opinion on the refugee crisis
Photo: makeroadssafe @Flickr
Toby Webb Sport Reporter Last month, Gary Lineker’s intervention into the refugee debate attracted a divided response. While many welcomed his comments, certain tabloids and members of the public were highly critical. The negative response Lineker
experienced was comparable to that of Lily Allen, who also recently commented on the refugee situation and received criticism from the press. The incident began with Lineker posting an undoubtedly provocative tweet, following scepticism from areas of the press over the age of some child refugees coming into Britain. The tweet ran as follows: ‘The treatment by some
towards these young refugees is hideously racist and utterly heartless. What’s happening to our country?’ Subsequently, he was ridiculed by The Sun, who led with a front page headline stating ‘Calls for BBC to fire Lineker as he peddles migrant lies’, also quoting Twitter users in a later article saying he should “stick to football” and that he was talking “cobblers” and making himself
“look like an idiot”. Moreover, UKIP MEP Patrick O’Flynn tweeted “If Mr Lineker wants to be LibLeft political voice then fair enough, but get him off MOTD [Match of the Day] please. Time to pass baton to Jermaine Jenas anyway,” stating in a further tweet that “it is not appropriate for the MOTD anchor to insult the political views and affiliations of millions of licence payers.” The backlash received by Lineker was extremely unfair. It must be said that many people welcomed his comments; the ridicule he received was from a small section of the public. The general consensus is that certain tabloids, as well as political figures and members of the public, want to silence compassionate and empathetic comments towards refugees. Many acknowledged his bravery in speaking out on an issue people in the football world have kept quiet about. At the end of the day, Lineker is entitled to hold, and express, opinions just like anyone else. However, to me it felt like Lineker’s opinions were being dismissed because of his status as an ex-footballer. This idea is particularly infuriating. The status of a footballer, or ex-footballer in Lineker’s case, should not deny the ability to intervene in public debate. It is clear to me that a stereotype exists, in which footballers are pigeon-holed and discriminated against because of their profession. The argument goes that they
should not express opinions on political or social issues; if they do, it will be overlooked because their profession somehow confirms a lack of expertise and knowledge, thus invalidating those opinions. Many Twitter users were raising this argument. The ability to play football has no correlation to the validity of opinion. The stupidity of this argument lies in the notion of expertise. The existence of this stereotype, as well as the immense scrutiny from the press and public, has led to footballers appearing sterile, opting to withhold opinions, offering little in interviews and on social media other than clichés. The fear of tarnishing their reputation results in footballers remaining silent on topical and controversial issues. This makes Lineker’s comments even braver. He knew he would receive considerable backlash, and yet, he commented nonetheless. While it was suggested Lineker was merely being provocative to attract attention, I believe his entrance into the refugee debate is testament to a sound character. The football sphere, and more generally the sporting world, is not separate and distinct from society and politics. While the ‘footballer stereotype’ and immense scrutiny is likely never to change, I think many would welcome a greater input of opinion from players and ex-players on social and political issues.
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ISSUE 09 FREE 21st NOVEMBER 2016
Photo: adrianpua @Flickr
The arrogance of Conor McGregor McGregor has propelled UFC to great heights with his arrogance and combat style James Blower Sport Reporter Last weekend saw Conor ‘The Notorious’ McGregor make history, in becoming UFC’s first fighter to hold two belts simultaneously when he dispatched Eddie Alvarez with a Second Round knockout. It’s impossible to have missed of course, after social media has been packed with lines from the outspoken world champion that take arrogance to new extremes. Whatever happened to sportsmanship? Or is this a practice impossible to associate with ‘sports’ which rely on an individual’s aggression? Regardless of whether you are or are not a fan of the extreme violence
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inherent in this mixed martial art (MMA), you must admire McGregor’s never-ending sales pitch for the Ultimate Fighting Championships. Inside the octagon chain-linked cage, he encapsulates the adrenaline-fuelled entertainment that people pay to watch and outside, he sells himself and the sport like nobody else with his incessant, pre-fight ‘trash talking’. The man is his own brand. It is McGregor’s rhetoric arsenal and barbed put-downs, combined with his extra aggressive combat style, that have drawn millions of viewers to the sport and who now pay big sums to stream fight nights when he is stepping into the Octagon. In lots of UFC fights, not much actually happens: as the sole aim of the sport is to render your opponent unconscious, fighters
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remain wary, bobbing and fainting out of each other’s reach. This is what is fantastically exciting about McGregor and undoubtedly why he has made viewing figures go through the roof — he makes things happen. Two and a half years ago, nobody knew who this plumber’s apprentice, from a Dublin suburb, was. In this time he’s risen to the top by physically and, more importantly, rhetorically outdoing his opponents. The UFC champion’s level of psychological warfare on his opponent has been likened to that of history’s greatest fighter and famously eloquent ‘goader’, Muhammed Ali. Such bold rhetoric has created an aura around these fighters which makes them and their fans feel like failure is not even an option. MMA is the fastest growing sport
in the world and UFC is becoming its most valuable franchise. Not only is it a sport, it is a form of entertainment and McGregor has found the equilibrium between the two. His rise to the top has seen him become a media phenomenon and internet sensation due to the multitude of arrogant lines that drop from his mouth every time he gives an interview. His outspoken persona has won him such a huge fan base that he has outgrown the sport: the Conor McGregor brand is now so large that it personifies UFC itself. So it’s probably fair enough that after this weekend’s historic victory he is demanding ‘shares in the company’. “You want me to stick around, let’s talk”, he joked rather threateningly after the fight. Although definitely not strapped for cash, McGregor knows
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the tables have turned. He now sits in the driving seat and he clearly plans to use it to his advantage. Even the wrestling federation, WWE are knocking on the star’s door offering him, like they did to Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather in 2008, an opportunity for a one off appearance in return for vast amounts of cash. It is certain he has the personality, skills, and the chat to pull that off too. Although it’s probably widely regarded as uncommendable to act and speak in the way McGregor does the majority of the time, as a sportsman with a wide fan base, who can blame him. His persona has got him to where he is now in an astonishingly quick time and entertained a fair few people along the way. I say all credit to the lad.