Issue 12

Inside Culture: 15

A Brief Inquiry Into The 1975: 17

Everyone Can Interview: 19

Uni Food Christmas Special: 27

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10th December 2018 / Issue 12

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Uni finances rattle leadership

Nancy Rothwell called the year “difficult times”

Postgrad Exec Officer introduced

Nicole Wootton-Cane and Sam Honey News Editors

In a meeting cut short by low attendance and dominated by sustainability motions, last Thursday saw the third Students’ Union (SU) S enate of the a c a d e m i c y e a r.

The meeting began with the team of Exec officers reporting back to Senate on progress on t h e i r p r i o r i t i e s f r o m t h e s t a r t o f t h e a c a d e m i c y e a r.

We l f a r e O f f i c e r D e e j M a l i k -J o h n s o n d i d n o t report back, due to arriving late to Senate.

T he l a rge st i s sue on t he age nd a wa s a con st it ut ion a l ch a nge t h at wou ld a l low t he me rg i ng o f t h e C o m m u n i t y, C a m p a i g n s , a n d C i t i z e n s h i p O f f i c e r r o l e a n d t h e We l f a r e O f f i c e r r o l e t o o p e n up funding for the creation of a new Postgraduate O f f i c e r.

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Headlines this week

Ethan Davies Editor-in-Chief A combination of rising costs and the cap on tuition fees has burned a hole in the University of Manchester’s finances.

The latest accounts show its operating surplus – the equivalent of a profit, and described by the University as a “key measure of financial performance” – fell by nearly £40m to £25m in the year to July.

This meant it missed a key target – a surplus of 5-7% of total income. Last year the surplus fell from 6.3% of turnover to 2.4%. It still has £315m in cash reserves, although this figure shrank by £70m, mainly due to building projects.

In the report president and vice chancellor Prof Dame Nancy Rothwell said it had been a “challenging year” for all universities and added: “We must address the level of our surplus to ensure the sustainability of our university.”

Edward Astle, chair of the Board of Governors said: “Some actions have already been taken, and others are in hand, to bring our operating surplus back to our target range of 5–7% of income.”

The Mancunion asked the University how it was planning to increase the surplus. In a statement a spokesman said: “With an increasing number of external challenges facing the sector, like many other institutions across the country, Manchester is looking to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.

“Our funding comes from a wide variety of sources, including student fees, research and government grants, and much more modest revenues earned from activities like conferences and catering. This income is then invested in many different ways back into the University.

“However, our financial objective, as ever, remains the same – achieving long-term financial sustainability and maintaining our strategic goals, including year-on-year income growth and delivering an operating surplus to reinvest into our University.”

In the report, the University described the shrinking surplus as, “a product of continuing growth in staff costs whilst the external environment prevents a rise in the Home Undergraduate Tuition fee and many research funders will not pay the full costs incurred by the University.”

It added: “The University has limited influence over the continued growth in wages and salaries, as this is driven by contractual increments and the national pay award. We have also seen a £4.4m increase in voluntary severance costs as a result of our strategic initiatives.”

The accounts show the University’s income rose by 5%, to £1,05bn, in part down to fees from international students. Debt fell slightly to £403m and the pension deficit was down 22% to £221.6m.

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Over 80% of UoM 1/4 uni applicants Graduates ‘struggling’ students awarded get unconditional with debt beyond tuition offers a First or 2:1 Page 6 Page 5

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Puzzle Page!

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2 News Inside Issue 12

Sex, drugs and rock n’ roll: How the Uni invests your fees Investigations, page 7

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Continued from page 1...

Officers told the Senate how postgraduate students often re a c h e d o u t , s ay i n g t h ey “d o n’ t s ee the Union as a place for them”.

T h e y a l s o d i s c u s s e d l a s t ye a r ’s unsuccessful referendum on the role of Postgraduate Officer that failed to reach the majority needed to create the role, telling attendees that the role will be different this time.

A handful of student officers raised concerns about the timing of t h e m e r g e r, a r g u i n g t h a t a n u m b e r o f students at the University were still unaware of the role of the Exec team, and Senate, in wider university life.

T h e m o t i o n p a s s e d h o w e v e r, w i t h an overwhelming 92% of attendees v o t i n g i n f a v o u r.

H o w e v e r, c o n c e r n s w e r e r a i s e d ove r whe t he r t he newly me rge d We l f a r e a n d C o m m u n i t y O f f i c e r wou ld h ave “ to o much to do” i f t hey were responsible for both welfare and community issues.

Officers responded by telling Senate that “welfare is in all of our remits”, and citing Manchester Metropolitan U n ive r s i t y ’s new We l f a r e O f f i c e r, who is also responsible for community campaigns, as an example of how the t r a n s i t i o n c a n b e m a d e s u c c e s s f u l l y.

Activitie s Officer Lizzy Haughton raised several motions, including encouraging the SU to implement a ‘ 2 f o r 1 ’ t r e e - p l a n t i n g p o l i c y, a n d suggesting that they should “limit

t he e nv i ron me nt a l i mp ac t of l a rge S U e v e n t s ” s u c h a s We l c o m e We e k .

B ot h mot ion s p a s s e d w it h a l a rge m a j o r i t y, m e a n i n g t h a t t h e S U w i l l now calculate the number of trees equivalent to the amount of paper the union use, and plant two for each one cut down.

Haughton said that she hoped the policy would be successful not only in planting new trees, but also in encouraging those at the SU to u s e l e s s p a p e r.

H o w e v e r, S e n a t e w a s u n a b l e t o vote on two further motions due to two attendee s leaving S enate e a r l y, w h i c h p u t t h e t o t a l n u m b e r underneath the quota of 41.

In a recent interview with The Mancunion, Abid admitted that S e n a t e c o u l d b e p u b l i c i s e d b e t t e r, telling us that “senate is not as powerful as it could be” because “students don’t engage.”

The annual members meeting (AMM), that was due to took place directly before this Senate meeting, was cancelled entirely due to the number of attendees not reaching t he re q u i re d t h re s hold of 5 0.

The AMM functions as a break d ow n o f t h e U n i o n’s f i n a n c e s , w i t h SU G eneral S ecretary Fatima Abid admitting that the Union was in s l i g h t f i n a n c i a l d i f f i c u l t y.

The meeting als o saw the Exec Officers s crutiny reports dis cuss ed, with each officer given an overall rating out of four (with one being

the lowest mark) by an independent panel, who analysed how successful t h e i r w o r k h a d b e e n s o f a r t h i s y e a r.

All officers scored at least a three, and Riddi (International) and Fatima (G en S ec) both s cored four overall.

Lizzy Haughton and Deej MalikJohnson were unable to be scored as they did not attend their meetings with the panel.

M a l i k -J o h n s o n had an authorised absence, and Haughton was attending a protest.

When questioned about her absence, Haughton said she was attending an Extinction Rebellion event: “I had to choose my priorities... and that was it.”

Other policies passed at Senate included a motion for the Union to support the fight for marriage equality in Northern Ireland and a motion to commit to creating more safe spaces for QTIPOC students.

P o l i c i e s c a l l i n g fo r t h e S t u d e n t ’s Union to declare official support for the Plastic Pledge, and Extinction Rebellion were not discussed due to the suspension of the meeting.

The chair confirmed that these policies would be moved to the top o f t h e n e x t m e e t i n g ’s a ge n d a .

It was also announced that popular Northern Quarter milkshake shop Black Milk will soon be coming to the union.

The next Senate will be held on t h e 7 t h Fe b r u a r y 2 0 1 9 .

Inside Fuse FM Features, page 9

Educate children about meat Opinion, page 10

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News

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International student placement fees slashed International Students Exec Riddi Viswanathan also announced that the Teaching & Learning Team are considering international flexible resits Josh Sandiford News Reporter An Executive Officer from the University of Manchester Students’ Union (SU) is on course to achieve a key manifesto pledge of lowering the international tuition fee for students on industrial placements.

Riddi Viswanathan, the S U ’s Executive Officer for International Students, announced in a Facebook post that the University of M a n c h e s t e r ’s Te a c h i n g and Learning team will take on her recommendations of ch a rg i ng international students the same amount in percentage terms as home students for year-long industrial placements.

The University of Manchester ( Uo M ) c u r re nt ly ch a rge s 5 0% of the international tuition fee for an international student on a placement y e a r. H o w e v e r, h o m e s t u d e n t s a r e of te n ch a rge d a rou nd 1 5 % to 19 % of their tuition fee.

International students studying at Uo M a re c u r re nt ly ch a rge d £ 1 8 , 5 0 0 for ‘ non- l a b orator y’ u nde rg radu ate degrees and £ 2 3,0 0 0 for STEM degrees, with ch a rge s varying depending on the course.

Viswanathan also announced t h a t t h e Te a c h i n g & L e a r n i n g Te a m are considering f lexible resits for

international students. Exam resits at UoM currently have to be done in August on certain date s, which can be difficult for students who live in a foreign country and have to f ly back t o M a n c h e s t e r.

As an ex-international student from India, Viswanathan studied Business and Economics at UoM. During her tenure as an Executive O f f i c e r, s h e h a s c o m m i t t e d h e r s e l f to ‘e n h a n c i n g e mp loy m e nt p ro s p e c t s for international students’ and ‘e n r i ch i n g ’ their educational experience.

Viswanathan sits as part of a ‘d i f fe re nt i a l attainment’ working group where she learnt that that placement years helped international s t u d e n t s p e r f o r m b e t t e r. T h i s t h e n encouraged her to campaign to reduce the fee, a key barrier for students who want to take on a p l a c e m e n t y e a r.

Viswanathan told The Mancunion t h at s h e wa s “e x t re m e ly p ro u d ” a n d “e l a t e d ” t h a t t h e Te a c h i n g a n d Learning team were taking her proposals forward.

She added: “International tuition fee should be a national agenda.

International student voices are often ignored by the mainstream media and policymakers. International students issues should be international student-led.”

Photo: University of Manchester Students’ Union

Plymexit: University of Plymouth SU to leave National Union of Students

UPSU have raised their concern about the NUS’ value for money for students Nicole Wootton-Cane Head News Editor The University of Plymouth Students’ Union (UPSU) will leave the National Union of Students (NUS) after a referendum to decide its future.

519 out of 1,006 members of UPSU voted to leave the NUS, after students voiced concerns over the value for money of their membership.

Those who supported the bid to leave said that UPSU had sent more t h a n £ 5 7, 0 0 0 t o t h e N U S t h i s y e a r , yet “Most students do not know what t h e N U S i s , o r w h a t i t s t a n d s f o r. ” They argued that although University of Plymouth students will miss out on some benefits, such as student discounts, they would ultimately save money on services such as affiliation fees and training costs.

UPSU president Alex Doyle told the BBC that there were “significant concerns” regarding the NUS’ value for money for students, as well as a “lack of political standing and lack of support.”

H o w e v e r, t h o s e w h o w i s h e d t o remain within the NUS said that the

union gave students “the power to challenge government, business, and other institutions.”

The news comes after a leaked NUS letter showed the union was facing a £3 million deficit in its finances.

In response, the University of Manchester Students’ Union told The Mancunion: “The fact NUS is facing financial difficulties is a concern for the whole student movement.

Students have never needed an effective NUS more than they do n o w. ” H o w e v e r, U o M s t u d e n t s h a v e mixed feelings regarding their S t u d e n t s ’ U n i o n’s a f f i l i a t i o n w i t h the NUS. Recent Music and Drama graduate Liam Murphy addressed those who wanted to leave the NUS, s a y i n g : “ Wo u l d i t n o t b e b e t t e r t o attempt to radicalise and allow more rank and file organisation of the NUS from within rather than scrapping it altogether and risking having no trade union representation whatsoever?

“I’m not saying I necessarily fall on either side of the debate but I think more information is needed t o m a ke a p ro p e r d e c i s i o n . Fo r

Photo: NUS

example if the idea is to leave it with no alternative or plan for what to do a f t e r . . . t h e n I ’d b e f i r m l y a g a i n s t . ” A second-year drama student who chose to stay anonymous said: “The NUS, Students Union... all of that, seems completely and utterly pointless on most fronts, another pointless level of bureaucracy that a lot of students don’t know or care about, because we don’t know what it does, nor do we know how we’ve been benefited by it, and we don’t

really know whether it would have any effect on how we do the thing we are here at university to do - getting a degree.”

T h e N U S h a v e t o l d U P S U “ We intend to listen and we intend to c h a n ge ” , a n d t h a t U P S U ’s d e c i s i o n t o leave was “a source of great sadness.”

T h ey a d de d t h at t h e “do o r w i l l always be open, and we look forward to a day when we can welcome the University of Plymouth Students’ Union back into the fold.”

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ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Photo: The Mancunion

Manchester stands up to Misogyny as GMP fail to attend rally Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, was expected by organisers to make an appearance at the event but pulled out last-minute

Josh Sandiford News Reporter More than 150 people attended a rally on the 5th of December, calling for misogyny to be made a hate crime in Greater Manchester. But according to organisers, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) failed to make an appearance at the event.

The ‘1000 voices’ rally, organised by student group Misogyny Is Hate in collaboration with Greater Manchester Citizens, included a combination of testimonies, speeches, spoken word, and live music.

Misogyny is not currently recognised as a hate crime in the region, although Greater Manchester Police have the ‘operational power’ to implement misogyny as a hate crime at any point.

Ian Hopkins, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, was expected by organisers to make an appearance at the event but pulled out at the last minute meaning neither he nor a representative from the GMP turned up.

There had been a social media push to persuade Mr Hopkins to attend the rally, and activists have been mentioning him on Twitter for months on end.

A spokesperson for Misogyny Is Hate told The Mancunion: “Ideally what we

wanted and we had been hoping for was that Ian Hopkins would come down and give a statement. However, very last minute and very flippantly he has said he has other things to do.

“We did tell him two months ago that this was a thing that was happening and we have been reminding him. He has also received two emails from Andy Burnham encouraging him to come along. We’re very disappointed [the GMP] hasn’t sent a representative.”

At the end of the event, the attendees of the rally recorded a video for the GMP, urging them to make misogyny a hate crime.

In 2016, Nottinghamshire police became the first police force to recognise misogyny as a hate crime. It was recently revealed that there is overwhelming public support for the policy among Nottinghamshire residents.

According to campaigners, 45% of women have been groped in a public place and a third of young women aged 14-21 have been sexually harassed.

In September, it was announced that the government would commit to a comprehensive review of hate crime legislation. This could mean that misogyny will soon be recognised as a hate crime nationwide.

Activists have told The Mancunion

that they are hopeful the intervention will eventually make misogyny a hate crime in the country as a whole, but worry they will have to wait for up to two years — although Greater Manchester Police can act at any point to define misogynistic practices as hate crimes.

A statement was also read out on behalf of Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow, who played a key part in getting the government to commit to a fully funded review.

It read: “We have now won a commitment from the Government to carrying out a full review into all hate crime law, including misogyny — this is an opportunity to make sure we have a hate crime framework that is fit for purpose and makes sure that no one is targeted because of who they are.”

Representatives from Manchester City Council also attended the event, with Fallowfield councillor Grace FletcherHackwood making a speech. The venue was decorated with signs saying “sexual and physical violence starts with everyday acts of misogyny” and “my hijab is not yours to take off or put on.”

Hatty Ruddick, a University of Salford student and NUS delegate who gave a speech at the rally, said: “The GMP didn’t turn up today. It makes me angry because we had councillors and MPs here and didn’t have the people who can make the change.”

She added: “I’ve got a lot of hope because we have prominent people speaking out about this. The turnout tonight was fantastic in the middle of December with torrential rain outside. But we still need to do more, this isn’t it, we still need to work on it.”

The GMP has stressed that they “understand the concerns of Citizens UK” and have said that they are “committed to ensuring the safety of women and girls across Greater Manchester”, arguing that the current legislation around sexual offences and violence already helps the GMP protect those who are most vulnerable.

Chief Superintendent Paul Savill, Head of Local Policing and Criminal Justice at GMP, said: “As a police service we are unable to change the law and recognise misogyny as a hate crime. The Ministry of Justice has asked the Law Commission to review hate crime legislation and the Commission has been asked to specifically consider the broadening of strands to include misogyny or gender.

“Unfortunately we had to advise UK Citizens that we were unable to attend the 1000 voices rally on Wednesday 5 December due to other commitments. We are planning to meet with them in the near future to develop how we work together to protect all members of our communities.”

SU opens zero-waste shop

The shop is in its “experimental” phase, with a full launch scheduled for January 2019 Ethan Davies Editor-in-Chief A new plastic-free, zero waste shop has been opened on the ground floor of the Students’ Union.

Students will be able to purchase wine, dried goods, and honey all without the plastic packaging which is frequently used in the sale of such items.

Lizzy Haughton, Students’ Union Activities Officer and brainchild of the shop said in an interview w i t h F u s e T V: “ C u r r e n t l y, t h i s i s o u r e x p e r i m e n t a l f o r t n i g h t . We ’ v e got dried goods, spices, re-usable containers, metal straws, and b a m b o o t o o t h b r u s h e s . We ’ l l h a v e anything that fits into the zero style. “ We ’ r e putting together a programme of events in the new y e a r. S o t h a t ’ l l [ i n c l u d e ] t a l k s o n

food waste, cooking demos on how to use up leftovers in your fridge, and workshops on reducing plastic c o n s u m p t i o n . We ’ r e a l s o g o i n g t o t r y set up a zero waste month challenge for students.

“By 2050 we’re set to see more plastic in the oceans than fish so we seriously need to start thinking about reducing our consumption of plastic rather than the ‘ band aid’ solution of improving recycling.”

R e c e n t l y, scientists warned that the world has just 12 years to prevent a climate catastrophe.

Haughton has been active in climate p r o t e s t s t h r o u g h o u t t h i s s e m e s t e r, with a roadblock of Oxford Road last m o n t h c a u s i n g c h a o s a l o n g E u ro p e ’s busiest bus route.

Students are welcome to write suggestions on a whiteboard in the shop, which is set for its full launch in January 2019.

News

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Nearly a quarter of university applicants receive unconditional offers

Universities are offering to remove grade requirements if students list them as their first choice Sam Honey Deputy News Editor 23% of university applicants received an unconditional offer l a s t y e a r, a c c o r d i n g t o a d m i s s i o n s service UCAS. Figures show that an increasing number of UK institutions are dropping A- l e v e l requirements c o m p l e t e l y, i n e x c h a n g e f o r s t u d e n t s to list them as their first choice.

The s e type s of offers have been de s c r i b e d by UCA S a s “co n d it i o n a l unconditional offers”.

There are widespread concerns that such offers can lead to students enrolling on degree programmes that are perhaps unsuitable for them, and

c a n f u r t h e r h a r m A- l e v e l g r a d e s b y removing the need to achieve certain grades.

Unconditional offers have traditionally been handed to students that have demonstrated sufficient ability to succeed on their course ahead of taking their A- l e v e l s , p e r h a p s t h r o u g h p r e v i o u s examinations, or as often the case for art students, a strong portfolio of personal work.

In s ome cas e s, they have als o been given to students with wellbeing concerns, in order to reduce stre ss, and ensure that any anxiety over entry requirements does not harm students’ performance in examinations.

H o w e v e r, t h e s e l e g i t i m a t e r e a s o n s

are often overridden by students who lose the incentive to work towards exams, suggested Geoff Barton, the General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders: “The problem with unconditional offers is that some students take their foot off the gas and underachieve i n A- l e v e l s o r o t h e r q u a l i f i c a t i o n s and this hampers their employment prospects later in life.”

This correlation between unconditional offers and grade attainment has further stirred the discussion surrounding Higher E d u c a t i o n’s m a rke t - l i ke s t r u c t u re , with a controversy surrounding the u s e of such of fe rs a s b a rga i n i ng ch ip s to attract potential students.

Education Secretary Damian

Hinds described the use of them as “systematic”, and “not in the interest of students”.

“I expect universities to use them responsibly and where institutions cannot justify the rising numbers being offered, I have made clear to the Office for Students that they should use the full range of powers at their disposal to take action,’’ he added.

The Government is leading an ongoing review into post-18 education, with recommendations already made to re-introduce meanstested grants, tackle grade inflation, and reduce tuition fees to £6,500 for certain subjects.

Photo: patrickaxellson @Flickr

Firsts and 2:1s rise a threat to HE, says Quality Assurance Agency The University of Manchester awarded over half of its students a 2:1 in the 2016-17 academic year Photo: Mark Ramsey @Flickr

Shivani Kaura Deputy News Editor A recent report led by The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education has suggested that grade inflation could potentially damage the reputation of universities in the UK. Since 2011, the number of firstclass degrees given out to university students has doubled to 26% overall, and the number of upper secondclass (2:1) honours degree s awarded has increased to 55% in the last decade.

Universities are now set to hold an inquiry into degree awards policie s.

The report showed that there have been improvements in students’ performance throughout their degrees, and increased efficiency

and better teaching by university staff members, but said that this can “o n ly e x p l a i n a ce r t a i n p ro p o r t i o n o f the uplift.”

It has been suggested that currently around every three in four graduates are awarded with a 2:1 or above. The U n i v e r s i t y o f Wo l v e r h a m p t o n h a s the greatest exponential growth in figures, with the number of students since 2007 awarded with a first rising from 5% to 28%.

T h e U n i v e r s i t y o f M a n c h e s t e r, t h e U K ’ s l a r g e s t u n i v e r s i t y, r e p o r t e d l y gave out 3 0.9 % of it s st ude nt s f i rstcl a s s honou rs, a nd 5 0. 8% re ce ive d a 2 : 1 i n t h e 2 0 1 6 - 1 7 a c a d e m i c y e a r.

The University of Cambridge awarded 32% of its 2017 cohort with firsts, whilst Surrey gave 41% of its students the highe st-awarded honours.

Education Secretary Damian

H i n d s l a u n c h e d t h e i n q u i r y, s a y i n g that he “wants and expects to see results improve over time, but the scale of this increase in firsts and 2:1s cannot be proportionate to improving standards.

“Universitie s have a duty to maintain the value of the degrees they award. A key strength of our higher education sector is its independence, b u t w i t h t h a t c o m e s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y. ” An analysis led by the UK standing committee for quality assessment in each university will be reviewed in the following months, mainly focusing on the roles of external examiners and their awards policie s.

Hinds added: “I am looking to universities to tackle this issue and have asked the Office for Students to focus on tackling grade inflation and firmly deal with any institution found to be unreasonably inf lating grades.”

The report, co-authored by Universities UK group, said it was “nearly impossible to demonstrate c o n c r e t e l y o n e w a y o r a n o t h e r, ” whilst “the evidence presented in this study is not conclusive evidence of either inf lation nor improvement.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “The U n ive r s i t y ’s robust Assessment Framework ensures all our grade valuations are fair and rigorous.

Therefore we’re positive the degrees we award are a re sult of the dedication and hard work our students put into their studies.

“A t e s t a m e n t t o t h i s i s t h e f a c t that Manchester is consistently rated as one of the top universities in the world for employability and our st ude nt s a re t he most t a rge te d i n t he UK by graduate employers”.

6 News

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Research says graduates Should London’s armed patrols ‘struggling’ with debt come to Manchester? beyond tuition fees 57% of the 25 to 35 years old’s surveyed were found to still be in debt beyond their government student loans, with things like overdrafts and credit cards from their time attending university Josh Sandiford News Reporter New research has revealed that 48% of post-graduate s have struggled to access finance, including mortgages, due to the debt that they are still carrying f r o m t h e i r t i m e a t u n i v e r s i t y.

The research was conducted by w w w. s e l l m y m o b i l e . c o m .

It involved 2,600 UK re sidents who h a v e g r a d u a t e d f r o m u n i v e r s i t y.

It was reported that 57 % of the 2 5 to 35-year-olds surveyed were found to still be in debt beyond their government student loans, with deficits like overdrafts and credit cards from their time a t t e n d i n g u n i v e r s i t y.

Graduates from the University of Manchester were found to have the most debt outside of their student loan. 13% of Manchester graduates said they were still in debt along with 11% from University College London (UCL), and 9% from the University of Southampton. It is unclear how many students were surveyed from each university and if the size of their respective

student bodies were taken into account.

The study also states that 65% of 2 5 to 35-year-olds are s u p p o s e d ly i n ‘d e n i a l ’ a b o u t t h e i r spending.

Some participants we re fo u n d t o b e ‘c l i n g i n g o n’ t o their student overdraft, despite losing the bene fits and having to pay intere st. Many student bank accounts come with the added feature of a 0% overdraft.

The research found that F O M O, t h e ‘ f e a r o f m i s s i n g out’, accounted for the top reasons university students take out credit cards, loans and overdrafts. 41% said they ‘needed to have the nice st/newe st things’ a n d 3 6 % s a i d t h ey ‘d i d n’ t wa nt t o be the only one not having fun because of a lack of money’.

J a c k We b s t e r, a m o b i l e e x p e r t from w w w. s e l l m y m o b i l e . c o m , said: “It is interesting to see how far-reaching university debt can be and this study should make current students think twice before reaching for their credit card to fund their next round of beers as they may end up paying a much heavier price later on.”

When asked by The many students Mancunion, agreed that they probably spend more ‘irresponsibly’ than the average pers on. Although s ome st ude nt s a rg ue d t h at how much students spend might depend on w h e r e t h e y s t u d y.

O ne st ude nt a rg ue d t h at t he re is an abundance of takeaways, bars and events in big student c i t i e s l i k e M a n c h e s t e r, t h e s e c a n potentially become a drain on student funds and make them reach for loans or an overdraft f a c i l i t y. B i g c i t i e s l i k e L o n d o n and Manchester also tend to ch a rge h ig he r pr ice s.

Juan Pablo, a s econd-year economics and politics student at the University of Manchester said: “In my cas e, I can’t go into my overdraft and my parents w o n ’ t b a i l m e o u t e i t h e r, s o I work part-time whilst at uni. The difference in social classes is important because if the student comes from a low-income hous ehold then I don’t think the student is being irresponsible when going into their overdraft.”

RNCM hires UK’s first wellbeing lecturer

The lecturer in musicians’ health and well-being will help students become equipped with handling the pressures of the music industry Rona McCann Sub-Editor

The Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) has appointed a lecturer in musicians’ health and well-being following concerns that students are at risk of mental health struggles. The appointment is the first of its kind among UK conservatoires.

There are concerns that students at the Oxford Roadbased conservatoire face the additional pressures of long hours of music practice, assessed recitals, and live performances.

The appointment of the lecturer has been done with the aim of educating students on how they can equip themselves to deal with the demands of a career in music.

The well-being l e c t u r e r, beginning her new post in J a n u a r y, w i l l b e t r a i n e d p i a n i s t and clinical psychologist Sara As cens o. She will overs ee the provision of health and wellbeing resources specific to the needs of musicians across the conservatoire, ensuring that it

is holistic, research-based, and embedded in the curriculum.

Ascenso has said on her r o l e : “A d d i n g t o l e c t u r i n g a n d research, the vision for the role also includes carefully monitoring the specific wellbeing needs of RNCM students and staff and looking at how the most recent findings in this area can shape our planning towards optimal delivery across a wide range of initiatives. “ We w a n t o u r s t u d e n t s t o learn how to make music with excellence but also how to live fulfilling lives as musicians and a s h u m a n b e i n g s m o r e g e n e r a l l y.

This means that what they are learning is not only about doing b u t a l s o a b o u t b e i n g . We w a n t to maximise our efforts to make sure they experience what being well as a musician means during their time at the RNCM.” Kathy Hart, the P re sident of the RNCM Students’ Union, says: “When I talk to friends, I see that the work needed to build such a difficult career can come at a price, both physically and p s y c h o l o g i c a l l y.

“Like athletes, we must keep in peak condition to make the most of the opportunities we h a v e f o u g h t s o h a r d f o r. T h e more work we put in, the higher the stakes become — and the more devastating the impact if we are held back by injury or mental health struggles.”

The appointment coincides with RNCM announcing that its 2018/19 Annual Appeal — in which the conservatoire supports and raises funds for a particular cause annually — is dedicated to helping music students’ health and well-being, citing that the pursuit of a career as a musician exists in a “fast-paced, challenging environment.”

The Appeal launched on t h e 2 6 t h o f N o v e m b e r. I t w i l l involve providing struggling students with reliable counselling services at times when performance pressures are at their peak, training all staff in mental health awarene ss, expanding the team of mental health first aiders to help spot students in need, and promoting well-being activities.

As the Metropolitan Police push on with plans for armed officer patrols, despite a community backlash, The Mancunion asks students if they’d like to see the same thing in 0161 “I think it’s a terrible idea in Manchester, I think it’s a terrible idea in London. People like to think is different to its namesake brother America, and I know, and everyone else should know, that armed police would mean more shootings on Black people. I don’t think guns work in America, I don’t think guns work here.

I don’t like guns in general. I don’t think giving police, who already have a bit of a power trip, more ability to kill someone is a good idea. I am strongly against it here, in London, anywhere in the UK.” Akin Wright

“I think it’s a difficult topic, because obviously we need something to combat serious threats, but then having access to guns mean they’re more likely to be used,

especially in Manchester which is kind of a less threatened city, even though [there was] the bombing.”

Hannah Scott

“I think the militarisation of police is a terrible idea. In London, it could be seen as necessary as being a major city there’s naturally more of a threat, but in Manchester I don’t think we need the same thing. We’ve seen big increases in violence in areas like Fallowfield so the police should be working on that instead of bringing [in] armed patrols, which won’t do anything to prevent crime but instead just create a culture of fear.”

Felix Hanif-Banks

“I am not in favour of the idea, because I think that the police are institutionally racist. To arm them is an awful idea as it gives them more power essentially, and [that means] more power to reinforce inequality and violence.”

Rob Noon

“No, although I am concerned about safety. I did get robbed, someone pulled my phone out my hand on two bikes. That wasn’t good.The best thing for the situation I had is to have a service where they could drop students off at their student housing, which they used to have, from the Learning Commons.

Overall, I don’t think weapons are the right way to go — maybe if they increased the funding of current police they could do their jobs better”.

Nika Sharei

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Investigations 7

Sex & drugs & rock ‘n’ roll where UoM invests your fees Mia Gair investigates how the University of Manchester invests its money in weird and wonderful companies around the world.

Mia Gair Sub-Editor

Photo: TaxCredits.net

The Mancunion has looked into which companies the University of Manchester directly holds shares in.

The portfolio includes businesses operating around the world and features brands like Durex, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation.

The world of drugs and pharmaceuticals often comes up in debates about access to medicines around the world, animal testing, and exponential price rises in pursuit of profit. Despite the

complications, the University continues to invest in pharmaceutical companies around the world.

One of these is GlaxoSmithKline, a global firm with its headquarters in London turning over around £25bn a year through its drugs, vaccines, and consumer products. Some of their consumer brands include good old Horlicks, Aquafresh toothpaste, and everyone’s childhood favourite — Calpol.

The University also invests in another drug company, Bayer Global. As well as drugs and consumer products, Bayer owns brands in crop science and animal health. One of which is Roundup Herbicide, which produces the weed-killer that prompted calls for a ban in the UK. Another investment choice by the University is in Reckitt Benckiser — a multi-national company that owns many well-known household brands. It sells everything for your perfectly-curated date night. You have Air Wick to create that sensual scent sensation and Dettol to scrub up your Oak House room. If it all goes well you also have Durex to practice safe sex.

Perhaps it’s not so ideal for the University then that young people today are almost three times as likely to opt out of being sexually active. But, alas, being dubbed the ‘sensible’ generation of ‘snowflakes’ may result in a record high of antibacterial sales.

Therefore the university might win as much as it loses.

No eclectic range of investment options would be complete though without a bit of rock ‘n’ roll. The University has thankfully got this covered; holding shares in Las Vegas Sands Corporation.

The company is famous for its hotels, casinos, and retail spaces.

Some of them include Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and The Venetian Hotel and Casino resort in Macao, China. In America there is of course, The Palazzo and The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip.

The latter boasts an in-house chapel for all your quickie wedding needs, a nightclub housing a 20-foot Buddha statue; and of course, Gondola rides to make guests think they could reach Italy without

leaving the US borders. So, if your Oak House date goes extremely well, the University’s investments have you covered for that next marital step.

The University also has a stake in businesses operating in fields such as construction, banking, mining, carmaking and technology.

It has shares in Google-owner Alphabet and its Chinese equivalent Baidu. It also has an interest in many Japanese banks, as well as Wells Fargo, the US finance giant which has been mired in a string of scandals. In 2016 it was fined $185m for creating millions of unauthorised accounts to hit sales targets.

Seemingly, it’s a bit of a strange mix of investment options for the University. However, all are known to be profitable, and help the University to grow from big to bigger. Having said this, investments made up less than 1% of the University’s income in 2017-18. So while you might question some of its investment choices, they’re a small contribution in comparison to other funding sources.

The Mancunion’s previously reported on ethically controversial companies in the University’s management portfolio, for example Caterpillar, who allegedly supplied the armoured bulldozers that Israeli military forces used to destroy Palestinian homes, and an array of fossil fuel companies. Two weeks ago, it was reported that the University almost doubled their fossil fuel investments in the past year.

In response, a University spokesperson said: “The University works closely with its investment managers to ensure our portfolio complies with the University’s published Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) policy and considers Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) issues as well as financial factors.

“The SRI policy we have developed allows the University to pursue an ethical investment approach, whilst minimising and potential negative impact on its investment returns.”

Continued from the front page: Uni finances rattle leadership Ethan Davies Editor-in-Chief P ro fe s s o r D a m e Ro t hwe l l ’s ove ra l l p ay p a c ke t fe l l b y £ 3 7,0 0 0 t o £ 2 6 9,0 0 0, d u e t o t h e fa c t s h e t o o k l e s s i n p e n s i o n co n t r i b u t i o n s a s c a s h .

Jo s i e Fowl e r, s e c o n d ye a r Po l i t i c s , P h i l o s o p hy, a n d E co n o m i c s s t u d e n t , c o m m e n t e d : “ I d o n’ t t h i n k

i t ’s we l l r u n f i n a n c i a l ly. T h e a m o u n t o f m o n e y t h a t t h e y c l e a rly h ave a t t h e i r d i s p o s a l a n d t h e y a re n o t u t i l i s i n g i t s u cc e s s f u l ly. G ive n t h e re i s s o m u c h d i s e n c h a n t m e n t a m o n g s t u d e n t s o n t h e i r fe e s , s t a f f o n t h e i r wa ge s , a n d d e p a r t m e n t s h av i n g c u t s fo r f u n d i n g . I t s e e m s r i d i c u l o u s t h e re i s ye t a n o t h e r n e g a t ive p i e ce o f n e w s o n t h e U n ive r s i t y ’s f i n a n ce s . ” H a n a Ja f a r a l s o b e l i e ve d t h e U n ive r s i t y wa s b e i n g p o o rly r u n f i n a n c i a l ly : “ U n e t h i c a l i nve s t m e n t s , t h e

wh o l e p e n s i o n s i s s u e , g ra d u a t e t e a c h i n g a s s i s t a n t s n o t b e i n g p a i d o n t i m e , a n d [ t h e re ’s a ] ge n e ra l l a c k o f t ra n s p a re n c y. ” Ja c o b T h o m p s o n , E n g l i s h L i t e ra t u re a n d A m e r i c a n S t u d i e s t h i rd ye a r a d d e d : “ F ra n k ly, I ’ m b a f f l e d b y t h e s e s t a t i s t i c s . M o re t ra n s p a re n c y i s re q u i re d – a t t h e m o m e n t , i t ’s l i ke l o o k i n g t h ro u g h a b a t h ro o m w i n d ow. I c a n s e e t h e o u t l i n e o f a p e r s o n , b u t d o n’ t k n ow wh a t t h e y ’ re d o i n g . ”

ALL I WANT FOR

CHRISTMAS

IS A 2:2 It's beginning to look a lot like

8 Science & Tech

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

I’m dreaming of a

Christmas

An environmentally friendly Christmastime is becoming more and more important as climate change prevails — Byron Gamble suggests greener alternatives to your holiday traditions Byron Gamble Contributor With the start of December comes the unstoppable force that is the spirit of Christmas. Like flat-pack furniture, Christmas markets assemble across the city centre. Fairy lights frolic above the cobbled city streets, while below, market-goers cling to their cocoa and brisk the ever-worsening winds. There is an undeniable charm to the holiday but often when the world is swept with the spirit of Christmas, conscientiousness can be brushed under the rug.

This is a phenomenon that is becoming increasingly damaging to our ecosystem. Each year we devour millions of turkeys, trees, and tonnes of non-recyclable wrapping paper. David Attenborough’s forewarning that climate change will bring the collapse of human civilisation is a healthy wake-up call that radical changes need to be made. This responsibility to change not only lies with the world’s decision-makers, but also with the everyday person.

These influences have led to a movement towards a greener Christmas, acting on the resentment of the holiday’s consumerism, over-indulgence, and destructiveness of the environment. For one, the campaign Manchester on Ecosia hosted a Conscious Christmas Fair at the Students’ Union on December 4th and 5th.

The fair sold an assortment of environmentally-conscious gifts.

These included hanging plants, home-made cards, and second-

hand books as sustainable alternatives to the throw-away gifts we have become used to over the past few years.

Here we list a few ideas to have a greener Christmas without bringing out your inner Scrooge.

Instead of using decorative wrapping paper and ribbon littered with glitter and sequins, try using brown wrapping paper and string for your gifts. Brown wrapping paper is always recyclable, which cannot be said for decorative wrapping paper that can be plastic-based.

Christmas markets assemble across the city centre. Fairy lights frolic above the cobbled city streets, while below, market-goers cling to their cocoa and brisk the ever-worsening winds ”

“

For your roast dinner, make an effort to find locally sourced meat and vegetables. The amount of fuel spent each year to transport food up and down the country is often overlooked but should not be understated. Each year the UK wastes approximately 8.3 million tonnes of food and drink. In the season of over-indulgence, we tend to waste much more than the rest

of the year. Avoid the temptation of buying far more food than needed.

The centrepiece of Christmas, the tree, also finds itself in the centre of a debate: real or fake? A re-useable plastic tree saves the life of a pine tree each year, but the manufacturing of its components (plastic, PVC and steel), and its transportation makes up a hefty carbon footprint. The alternative tends to be the most popular — a real one cherry-picked from the high street. This Christmas, look out for trees with their roots still intact. After the festive season, they can be planted in your garden to be re-used for next year.

Black Friday is the epitome of our shopping habits. When images surface of feral customers stampeding department stores and fighting over flat-screens, one can only think that the same scenario must be playing out on some desolate plains — hyenas scrapping over the last morsel of food. Our ‘shopaholism’ has a huge impact on the environment through manufacturing and transport costs. If you feel disenfranchised with this consumerism, look into Buy Nothing Day for next year. Spend the day spending nothing! More details can be found here.

The festivities can let us all get carried away, and we often become careless without pausing to think how our holiday traditions can impact the environment. If we all made small steps in the right direction, it would go a long way.

Photo: Michael King @ NASA Earth Observatory

UMPO: the people who bought £1,425 of LEGO Speaking with the University of Manchester Physics Outreach, Jacklin Kwan asks UMPO about their aims, what they do, and how LEGO fits into all of this.

Jacklin Kwan Contributor The University of Manchester Physics Outreach (UMPO) is a public engagement effort by the School of Physics and Astronomy. It is the largest of its kind in the UK, and aims to communicate scientific principles to the British public as well as to inspire scientific curiosity.

We spoke to Meg Kirkman, a representative of UMPO, about the organisation’s goals and how it achieves them. She says that UMPO “combats the idea that ‘science is hard’ or that ‘science is nerdy’… we want to open the doors for people to be excited about physics.”

UMPO organises and participates in a wide scale of events from school workshops where they have a reach of 30 to 150 children, to huge events like the Blue Dot Festival where they are able to engage up to 10,000 people. In particular, UMPO prioritises lower-income schools where access to scientific materials, equipment, and teaching can be the most limited.

Their workshops typically consist of a 15-minute presentation followed by a table-top experiment or interactive activity, where students are able to see science in motion. In the past, these activities have ranged from making particle puppets to programming LEGO Mindstorm robots. In a Freedom of Information request by The Mancunion, it was revealed that the University had spent £1,425 of LEGO since January. This is where that money went.

The society bought 10 robots at around £200 each. “They’ve been really useful. You can connect them to iPads and introduce students to basic programming… they can design their own robots; they can make them talk or make them walk; and from there, you can talk to them about code or AI.” Meg Kirkman goes also details UMPO’s outreach efforts with under-represented groups in STEM. “We hold workshops specifically for girls, and it’s just female volunteers who run it.” These workshops attempt to engage young women in physics, and have a ‘candid’ conversation about experiences of gender bias in science while still exposing students to female role models.

When asked about the efficacy of singular workshops at engaging the most disenfranchised students, Meg admits that, “it’s not the same as engaging with the children every day… but every little thing helps.”

“Even if they don’t learn anything, they still have the memory of science being something fun.” The difficulty in measuring the impact

of small-scale events, which aim to cultivate culturally positive attitudes towards science, is not unique to UMPO. Most science

“

...workshops typically consist of a 15-minute presentation followed by a table-top experiment or interactive activity, where students are able to see science in motion.

In the past, these activities have ranged from making particle puppets to programming LEGO Mindstorm robots ” communication efforts don’t have immediate, quantifiable outcomes.

UMPO relies on a database of unpaid student volunteers from the Schools of Physics and Astronomy. The society trains people for each workshop, allowing them to practice presenting and guiding volunteers on how to best convey enthusiasm to their audience.

“It’s sometimes hard to get enough people to volunteer at busy times of the semester.” The scarcity of resources, volunteers, and time means that UMPO occasionally has to turn down requests from schools to host workshops.

“In 10 years time, I hope that we have an even bigger database of volunteers. This year has been our biggest pool, but maybe in the future, we would be able to accommodate every school. We’d have no problem handling 200 children, and we could hold more than one workshop a week.”

Alex Andersson, who is part of UMPO’s senior team, reemphasised the importance of engaging the public in science.

“Getting people interested in physics (and STEM generally) is, to me, a huge deal! We need engineers and scientists desperately to solve the big issues that society faces in this day and age. Or even just to get the public and future generations thinking in a more scientifically literate way, with logic and the analysis of evidence, is so important.”

Photo: bdesham@Flickr

Features 9

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Behind the Scenes at FuseFM Becca knight Contributor

Photo: Alexandre Sai

Becca Knight interviews two shows at Fuse FM, Neon Sunrise and The Hour of Power, to see what it’s like to have a radio show, which songs get played on air and how rewarding having a show is

Based in a professional standard studio within the Students’ Union (SU), and broadcasting a little bit of everything, from discussion shows to an eclectic mix of music, Fuse FM has a reputation for high quality student radio. I spoke to the people behind two of the many shows on what goes into creating radio content, and the importance of student radio.

Alexandre and Andrew have a show called Neon Sunrise, which they describe as “a casual chat show with musical interludes”.

“We talk about TV, films, games, comics and books,” they tell me, “delving into nerd culture in an open and excited manner.”

A fun part of student radio is the show names, and Neon Sunrise has a story behind it. “We wanted to get the word neon in there somewhere as a nod to our love of tech-culture and cyberpunk-synthwave music, which underpins many of the musical themes in our episodes,” they explain.

Sunrise reflects the early morning slot of the show and functions as a metaphor for bringing this excitement for new things, and nerd culture out into the open.

Like a lot of student shows, it resulted from a conversation between friends with lucky timing. “We were literally having a conversation about comics and games; and found it pretty entertaining. Alex turned to me and said: ‘This is funny, it could be a radio show’”.

In contrast to professional radio shows which are usually thoroughly planned, student shows are a bit more ad hoc. “I’d love to say we discuss it beforehand and plan our episodes. In reality however, it depends. An

drew gathers music for the episode minutes before we go live, and while the first songs are playing, we either pick a topic that relates to some TV [or a] game, or talk about some news that happened that week in the geek world.”# It’s clear that they enjoy doing the show together and they find the process satisfying too. “One of the most important feelings we want to get across is the casual nature of the show, it is just a discussion between friends and live radio makes it feel real,” they tell me.

“It’s pretty rewarding having this growing catalogue of podcasts as a product of these chats.”

Highlighting the variety of shows on Fuse FM, I also spoke with Adam and Ollie from The Hour of Power, where they play as many ‘bangers’ as they can squeeze into an hour. They met and bonded over their shared music taste in halls during first year and thought about starting a show together, but due to timetabling issues they had to wait until this September to go on air as a duo. “We’ve always been the DJs of the living room, so being actual DJs was the next logical step,”.

They have one requirement when it comes to choosing a song: “Is it a banger?”.

“We like the idea of having all the week’s tracks linked in some way, but typically it tends to be songs relevant to that week,” they explain. “We do try and have at least a couple of songs related somehow — how tenuous the link is depends on the week!” they tell me.

The Hour of Power is not just limited to music though, and Ollie and Adam also chat about their football team Little Court Veterans, made up other friends of theirs.

Each week Man of the Match gets to choose a song for the pair to play on the show, and

although they admit they were worried about some teammates’ questionable music tastes, so far their selections have been good.

They both agree on the huge benefits of student radio to any aspiring DJ, pointing out that many professional broadcasters began their careers at university. “As much as Ollie and I would love the idea of seeing our names in shining lights as professional DJs (on the airwaves or on the turntables) in the future, we’re not holding our breath,” they admit.

However, student radio is not just about your CV, as they have found, “More than anything we’ve found that hosting the Hour of Power for the past seven weeks has been great fun for us, and we it really is something we look forward to every Tuesday — we hope the same is true for our listeners!”.

“We’re also really appreciative of everyone on the Fuse FM team for all the hard work they put in to make us sound good - it’s not an easy job so a huge shout out to them.”

For them the best part about hosting a radio show was getting texts in from listeners.

Whether friends or family, constructive or complimentary comments, even if it’s a simple request for a shout out; the fact that their friends enjoy listening to them playing their favourite songs means a lot.

Their advice for anyone wanting to start their own show? “…don’t worry about filling the time with chat, especially if you have a co-host! I find we usually have too much to say, rather than the opposite. If you like the music you play, it’s not often you’ll be lost for words.”

Keep up to date with Fuse FM via their Facebook page.

Maintaining the Mancunian link with women’s suffrage Emily Broncz speaks with Dr Tessa Chynoweth about the Centenary exhibition at The Pankhurst Centre and why it is important to remember women’s suffrage here in Manchester Emily Broncz Contributor Nestled away on one of Oxford Road’s side streets lies an incredibly important piece of Manchester’s social history, the Pankhurst Centre, which was originally the home of Emmeline Pankhurst and her family. The building, situated on Nelson Street, is now host to a museum as well as its current exhibition, which celebrates the centenary of women being awarded the right to vote.

I had the opportunity to speak with Dr Tessa Chynoweth, who is the Curator and Programme manager at The Pankhurst Trust about the exhibition, about why the Pankhursts are still so important today.

Spread across two rooms, the left-hand side of the centre houses a museum, informing visitors about the lives and achievements of the Pankhurst family; from the highs of the efforts of the Pankhursts resulting in universal suffrage to the lows of imprisonment and condemnation from others in society.

The exhibition, which is being held in the room opposite, focuses instead on modern interpretations of the representation of women in society and women’s rights. 1918 being the anniversary of women’s suffrage, it was important for the centre to make a contribution. “The centenary of women gaining the right to vote has been a major event throughout the city. There’ve been marches, exhibitions, conferences, workshops, bike rides, and all sorts of activity this year,” Tessa tells me. “We wanted the exhibition to capture some of this energy and demonstrate the variety of responses to the centenary; to show that there is not one response to this history, and that Mancunians have understood it in very different ways.”

In order to curate the exhibition, the centre

Photo: The Pankhurst Centre

asked the public to make their own submissions to the archive, which were then selected by volunteer Ambassadors for the project. “It was tricky to choose from all the fantastic material which was submitted,” Tessa explains, “but we feel that what is on display speaks most closely to the archive themes, of Manchester-based activity inspired by the centenary.”

Responses and featured pieces reach far beyond the city limits of Manchester, with one installation observing Ireland’s stance on reproductive rights, a very recent topic, with the ‘repeal the eighth’ campaign having come to a crescendo in May this year.

Other items displayed play on well-known ideas and issues related to women’s rights movements, such as the use of embroidery

on campaign banners. Blackpudlian Gail Riding’s The Subversive Stitch (2018) depicts 12 female Morris dancers striding across the canvas, each adorned with a different face belonging to an influential female figure from the past 100 years, such as Emmeline Pankhurst as well as more recent figures like Theresa May. The ‘Northern Power Dress’ created by Rachel and Laura Beattie also pays respect to what are seen as traditional female crafts, which, in this instance is dressmaking. The piece displays the artists shared passion for art and mathematics, showing the growth of acceptance of women in a field which is to this day still dominated by men.

The Pankhurst Centre serves as a physical monument to where the Suffragette movement all began, and it carries on the values of the move-

ment. “We feel that, as the custodians of the building, we have a duty to make clear the demand for equality between the sexes that took shape in the parlour of this house,” Tessa explains.

However, the centre is also part of something larger which has expanded out of its roots in the Suffragette movement, as Tessa tells me: “Today, the Pankhurst Trust incorporates the Pankhurst Centre…[and] Manchester’ Women’s Aid, which is Manchester’s largest specialist provider of domestic abuse services. The two-fold mission for both strands of the organisation is to promote the equality of women and to promote the benefit of women suffering, or at risk of, domestic abuse and their dependents.”

It might be surprising for some to know that the Pankhurst Centre is so close to the university campus, and often the link between the Pankhursts and Manchester is overlooked, which the centre wants to change. “The whole family had such strong ties to the city, which is a story that we try to bring out at the Centre. Emmeline was actually born in Moss Side and her political beliefs and the campaign methods were forged in Manchester…

Christabel, her eldest daughter, graduated with a law degree from the University of Manchester.”

The centre relies entirely on volunteers and donations, however, they have big plans for the future: “We are in the process of applying for money to transform the Centre, making it a museum befitting the legacy of the Pankhurst family, and an important place of feminist history in Manchester,” Tessa reveals. Considering the significance of Women’s Suffrage in our history, it’s important that a place like the Pankhurst Centre continues to provide a home for its story here in Manchester.

The Pankhurst centre is open every Thursday and the 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month. The Centenary exhibition is on until the 10th of March.

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

10 Opinion

Is university really the best time of your life?

Megan Ritchie writes about how social media filters and edits the University experience so that a damaging glorified image of student life prevails online Megan Ritchie Contributor Year after year, students arrive at university expecting it to be the best time of their lives. They arrive with a pre-conceived idea of what university is like and want the full stereotypical student experience.

But what qualifies as ‘the student experience’, and who decides what that is? Maybe it’s defined through word of mouth, stories from previous students. Or more recently, has the influence of social media defined it? Definitely.

As a student, it’s hard to go on any social media platform and avoid posts related to another user’s university experience. Snapchat and Instagram are filled with fantastic nights out, times with flatmates, and announcements of good grades and achievements.

Good for them.

However, social media doesn’t show the deadlines, the career pressure, the budgeting, the struggle to find a part-time job. It also doesn’t show the deeper personal struggles that some students contend with day in, day out. It only shows the highlights, and if we were to judge university life by those, we would presume everybody is loving life with their hectic social schedules and memory-making. Lives and experiences are filtered and edited, leading to this glorification of the university experience.

What about the one in three freshers that show signs of mental illness? What about the students, both British and international, that are homesick? Contrary to popular belief, 16-24-year olds are the loneliest group in society. So what about the students affected by these feelings? Are they having the best time of their lives?

It’s widely believed that there’s a correlation between the increase in mental health issues over recent years, and the rise of social media in every aspect of our lives. It is not always obvious who’s suffering, especially when everyone only posts their ‘best bits’.

This is never really spoken about though. Students don’t talk enough on a deep level that allows them to exchange dialogues about the difficult parts of being a university student. We’ll share the occasional moan about our workload, but it never goes far beyond that.

We’re supposed to be the most liberal generation when it comes to understanding and approaching mental health problems and

Photo: Stacey MacNaught @ Flickr

similar issues, but university makes us go quiet. The idea of how it’s supposed to be turns us shy; we’re too afraid to contradict the image of the student experience that’s all-pervasive online.

Social media can be a positive force, but it can also be an extremely fake and toxic place, damaging the self-esteem and mental well-being of users. The image of how it’s supposed to be is detrimental and pressuring, and we mustn’t take it too seriously.

Every student has a unique experience and values different aspects of it, but sometimes this can be forgotten on our phone screens.

Of course, students might come to university and absolutely

love their experience, but there’s no doubt that university is tough for everyone at some point, and students don’t get enough credit for all that they face. Behind the scenes, university is like one big juggling act.

Finding the time to attend lectures and seminars, do your work, go to work, have a social life and stay close to friends and family at home whilst looking after your health. Sometimes this can all become too much. University definitely doesn’t always feel like it’s the best time of your life; it’s about time we started to accept it, admit it, and talk about it.

Educate children about meat

Olivia Stringer suggests we need to begin to educate children on the impacts of eating meat in order to work towards a more sustainable future Olivia Stringer Contributor A worldwide survey conducted by market research company Ipsos MORI found that twice as many people believe that transport is a bigger contributor to global warming than animal agriculture.

This is not the case. The meat and dairy industry produces more greenhouse gases globally than cars, planes and buses combined.

At school I remember being told countless times the benefits of car sharing and of using public transport. We even had a walk to school week where you got a lovely sticker for getting to school fossil-fuel free.

However, not once was I ever informed of the impacts that eating meat has on the planet. This leads, in a lot of cases, to ignorance later in life.

Everyone assumes that I do not eat meat because I’m some sort of ‘sheep-worshipping saint’ who believes that every creature is sacred, but actually that is not true at all – I am not even sure I like sheep that much.

I am a vegetarian for the purely selfish reason that I would like to live on this planet for as long as I can without burning in a forest fire or becoming submerged by rising sea levels.

In a report released earlier this year, the world’s leading scientists warned that we only have 12 years to prevent catastrophic climate change from destroying the planet.

That is an alarming fact. Yet people seem to remain relatively unconcerned. The reason, I think, in part, is that people do not believe there is anything that they personally can do about it. They push the thought to the back of their minds and pray that a miracle will occur suddenly and save us all from our impending doom.

I believe that the environmental impacts of eating meat should be more widely taught in schools. It should be at the heart of the curriculum, so that people understand that they do have the power to make a difference. According to the website One Green Planet, if just one person gave up eating meat, it would save 162,486 gallons of

water annually – enough to provide for 445 people.

Not only are a lot of people uneducated about the environmental impacts of eating meat, they are also uneducated about its health impacts. Red meat has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, and processed meats such as ham and bacon are ranked by the World Health Organisation alongside tobacco as a major cause of cancer.

However, the majority of children are completely oblivious to this and shovel Billy Bear ham and other carcinogens down their throats in a manner which, unfortunately, could have serious health

Photo: dottorpeni @Wikimedia Commons

impacts in the future.

In order to try and reduce the health and environmental impacts of consuming red meat, scientists at the University of Oxford have suggested that the government impose a red meat tax, with a 14% tax on red meat and a 79% tax on processed meat.

I still do not believe that this is good enough. Telling people what they can and cannot eat is only going to anger people and cause an uproar. However, focusing on the power of education will help people to make a conscious decision to eat less meat and therefore will help us work towards a greener, healthier future.

Opinion 11

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

A fight for equality has no room for hypocrisy

Jay Darcy writes about the need for campaigns for equality with regards to oppressed or minority groups either in race, gender or sexuality to recognise their overlapping aims.

Jay Darcy Contributor Ethnic minorities are taught from a young age about the ugliness of racism and are told they have to work twice as hard to get half as far.

However, what is missing from the early education of many British ethnic and religious minorities is that other minority groups also face discrimination, and sexism and homophobia, in particular, are prevalent amongst many minorities.

To feel strongly about the oppression of one minority group whilst ignoring the struggles of another seems hypocritical. How can one claim to care about social equality, by fighting racism, whilst doing nothing to help the LGBTQ+ community or women?

Having conservative grandparents is not just a Western phenomenon. My own grandparents are from India and Pakistan. These countries undeniably oppress women and suppress expressions of sexuality. These attitudes remain prevalent, even now that we are living in a more liberal society.

For me, these problems are exemplified in the standards of dress for Arab, Asian and Muslim women, in contrast to the freedom that men, like myself, have. There are many girls from South Asian families who are made to commute to university rather than live in student halls, yet there is no shortage of South Asian boys living on campus.

Of course, it is not just women who suffer in our communities; there are many cases of gay Muslims being disowned for bringing ‘shame’ upon their families. There are even stories of Arab and Asian customers who refused to have their hot drinks in rainbow Pride cups. This shows how deeply ingrained homophobic attitudes are in the everyday lives of many minorities.

This is of course not referring to all Muslims, or even just Asian

Photo: iamsdawson @ Flickr

and Arab communities. There is also no denying that sexism and homophobia exist in other communities, and homophobic hate crimes have risen drastically recently. What I am seeking to point out is the fallacy that because a group faces discrimination, they are thus unable to enact it themselves.

It is unacceptable to use your religion or identity to justify sexism or homophobia. Enough is enough. We cannot tolerate bigotry and injustice out of fear of offending ancient belief systems.

The worst part is that whilst many are xenophobic towards other minorities, they still expect other people to fight for our equality and our place in society. For instance, Saba Ahmed, President of the Re-

publican Muslim Coalition, supported Trump whilst he made awful remarks about African-Americans and Latinos, but attacked him when he disparaged Muslims. The hypocrisy is rife amongst us.

I do not wish to tarnish our communities; most of us are more liberal than our grandparents. Like everyone, we cringe at their ignorance and racism. It’s largely generational. But for people who have been oppressed because of our backgrounds, it breaks my heart that some of us force that same intolerance upon others. Silence is complicity, so our community must speak up about prejudice – 0nly then can we eradicate it. Only then can we truly state we care about social equality.

British museums must de-colonise Hannah Vallance argues that British Museums must de-colonise if they are to create space for indigenous communities in the mainstream historical narrative Hannah Vallance Contributor Last month, the governor of Easter Island tearfully begged the British Museum to return Hoa Hakananai’a, one of the most spiritually important of the Moai stone monoliths, to the island.

For Britain, the statue has been retained within the walls of the museum for 150 years, merely another material acquisition from the ‘great age of exploration’ (or exploitation, depending on how you see it).

Yet for the indigenous communities of Easter Island, Hoa Hakananai’a is so much more than just an object. “You have our soul“, the governor, Tarita Alarcón Rapu told the museum.

Even an international lawyer, with experience in front of the International Court of Justice, called for the return of the statue in order to allow the Islanders to honour their ancestors.

Yet sadly, the plea of the Easter Islanders is not unique. These calls for repatriation join a growing petition from former colonies to retrieve their beloved artefacts, antiquities and objects that were

once purloined by colonialists and ‘adventurers’ in their quest to ‘explore’. So, why aren’t museums in Photo: Rolando Silva @ Flickr Britain listening?

Importantly, museums are institutions of memory. And, the preservation of memory is entirely dependent on them to put the fragmented pieces of memory together to construct a narrative, a history, in the quest for the truth.

In this sense, museums are agents of history. They have a duty to both actively seek, and present the multitude of different memories, narratives, and stories from all cultures, including those that have long been excluded from the mainstream narrative.

It is time for museums to live up to this duty; they must decolonise their collections. No longer is it fitting for institutions such as The British Museum to be an archaic collection of painfully acquired objects, objects that continue to tell the enduring legacy of the Empire as one of successful British conquest and possession.

Museums should not be uncomfortable spaces for indigenous communities. Rather, along with other Western institutions, they have a duty to give a platform to those who have been silenced for

NOT GOING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS? SPEND IT AWAY FROM HOME WITH YOUR STUDENTS' UNION manchesterstudentsunion.com/christmas

so long, and exist to provide safe spaces for the promotion of open discussion and dialogue. This should begin with the repatriation of indigenous possessions but, of course, there is even more that can be done to decolonise Britain’s culture.

Institutions such as The British Museum should support the creation of de-colonial spaces from the ground up, providing funding, space, and time for the construction of exhibitions by those unheard voices themselves. As the dawn of a post-Brexit Britain continues to encroach closer and closer, and the country’s future becomes more complex by the day, the promotion of a heterogeneous, multi-cultural dialogue has never been so important.

Nuance is key in developing historical debate, and there is no reason museums should be excluded from this. And, with the calls for the decolonisation of culture and education growing louder, now is the time for change.

12 Societies

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

All I want for Christmas is something to do Ellie Martin advises students how to get into the festive spirit whilst still at university before the dreaded revision period hits Photo: congerdesigns @Pixabay

Ellie Martin Contributor It’s that time of year again! With exam pressure mounting as high as the pile of mince pies in your parents’ house beckoning you to return for the holidays, it can be easy to get snowed under by all of the work and revision you need to get done before you leave campus. All the heavy books in your bag can make it difficult to get into the festive spirit. For that reason, we have compiled a list of events happening around campus that are sure to have you giddy with the festive spirit before you head home. We won’t mince our words (just our pies) so read on to find out all about our favourite Christmas picks.

We all know that the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear, so to start off, the Manchester A Cappella Society are holding their annual winter showcase on December 11th at Club Academy. With a collection of songs from the brilliantly named Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, Licence to Trill, One Note Stand, Sedoctaves and Tone Deft, it’s bound to be a festive, fun-filled evening. Tickets are £4 and doors open at 7:00pm. Get your ticket through the link on the Facebook event!

Ellie Martin Contributor

Introducing:

Islamic Society We’re introducing you to the largest society at The University of Manchester: the Islamic Society, says Ellie Martin

Freshers week is in full swing and everyone’s busy stuffing themselves with free pizza and soaking up the atmosphere around campus. One society that has, as usual, pulled out all the stops this year is ISoc – the Islamic Society. The ISoc never disappoints over freshers week, and they have the awards to prove it. These include multiple best society awards, best society fundraisers, best society committee, and best society campaign. All of their success is the result of and extremely hardworking committee, headed up this year by Zaidi Hamid.

Freshers week can be a very conflicting time for Muslim students, as many societies and activities can be incompatible with Islamic beliefs. ISoc provide a brilliant alternative, a whole month packed with exciting events suitable for Muslim students, but open and welcoming to all. Events this year include food crawls, survival guide evenings tailored to the needs of Muslim students, mentor meet and greets, pyjama parties, and laser tag. These are all spearheaded headed by the infamous flagship Welcome Dinner, an excellent evening to mix with fellow Muslim students or go and sample some of the wide variety of food on offer, portraying the geographical vastness of Islam, ranging from Malaysia to Jamaica.

On a similar note, the Manchester Universities Catholic Chaplaincy are hosting their annual Carols by Candlelight at the Holy Name Church on the 12th of December. Something to remind your of your old, school carol concert, standing in your uniform in an absolutely freezing church with your overly enthusiastic music teacher. Conversely, if you were an orchestra member, playing the same descant line on the last verse every... single... year. The singing will be followed by mulled wine and mince pies. If you’ve not bought a box of Lidl’s finest yet, head down to get properly prepared for the festive season.

Test your knowledge on the names of all of Santa’s reindeer or whether Coca-Cola really did change Santa from green to red at the Turing Tap on December 11th at their Christmas Quiz. You could win a £30 bar tab, plus prizes for the best Christmas costume! If quizzes aren’t your thing, their Christmas jumper party might be, with of course prizes for the best (worst) Christmas jumper, plus two for one cocktails all night.

If you need some light comic relief after a semester of growing exam pressure, the University of Manchester Comedy Society have got you covered. Their “X-mas-ish

Standup Show” on the 12th of December at Tribeca promises to entertain your revision blues away. Some jokes may even contain a few Christmas elements! Entry is only £2 and proceeds go to charity, so it’d be rude not to really. Grab your tickets from the Facebook page.

The University of Manchester LGBTQ Society are hosting their Christmas themed club night, “OUT” on the 12th of December. A fun night for all those who identify as LGBTQ+ and allies. You can expect some decent music with a few Christmas classics thrown in. It will be a great night to spend with friends before splitting for the holiday. Nice and close to home in Manchester Academy, entry is £4 in advance from Skiddle or £6 on the door, starting at 10pm.

No matter what this time of year means to you, we hope there’s something for everyone on campus. Go forth and lighten your mood and load a little before exams are upon us. Take some time with friends and have a drink - whether alcoholic or not. Most importantly, enjoy each other’s company before the break and the inevitable increase in stress and workload.

The Societies team and I hope you have a merry festive period - whatever that means for you.

When asked what he would like prospective freshers thinking about joining the society to know, Hamid responded, “If there is one thing I’d want to freshers’ to know, it would be that the society is yours, we are here to serve you all in whatever way we can and put on the events you want to see. Let us know what we are doing well and what we can improve on; we are all ears. If you don’t know anyone yet, then the Islamic Society is the perfect place to make friends for life, our members are amazing and welcoming people, and our hardworking committee will always be on hand to ease you into events if that is what you’d prefer.”

ISoc have really taken the idea that university is for everyone to heart this year, and have provided society support for new students. The newly formed Muslim Welfare team are there to help if freshers week is taking its toll on your well-being, as being away from home and having to look after yourself for the first time can be daunting. They are there to provide a helping hand who anyone who needs it, and make transitions to university easier for everyone. The Muslim community on campus also have access to Mohammed Ullah, their invaluable chaplain, who is there to be a professional figure of support if and when needed. ISoc this year also have events organised to encourage

support and inclusivity on campus, like their upcoming introduction to British Sign Language, giving attendees a basic intro to BSL, as well as an insight to struggles the deaf and hard of hearing community might face on campus.

The Islamic Society have also recently pledged to reduce their plastic consumption as a society, especially during events.

They are looking to move towards biodegradable alternatives, partnering with companies that are also moving towards this goal, as well as helping their members to reduce their plastic waste.

What’s not to love? ISoc always smash their freshers events and this year is no different. If you’re interested in finding out more details and getting involved, their Facebook page is extremely well designed with all the information you need easily accessible, and they reply quickly to messages. Creating a support network around you at university can be very important, especially during first year as many of the experiences are brand new. ISoc have designed the society extremely well to function for this purpose, creating a strong, supportive environment for Muslim and non-Muslim students alike. One of the best societies on campus, you really can’t go wrong with ISoc and they can’t wait to welcome this new batch of freshers into their excellent community.

Meet the Athletics Club For this week’s society spotlight, Chloe Hatton speaks to the Captain of the Athletics Club Photo: Manchester Athletics Club

Chloe Hatton Societies Editor This week, we’re introducing the Athletics Club. They’re a wide group of athletes who focus on track and field events, and who all have different abilities and backgrounds. I spoke to their Captain, San, about the society.

If you’re looking to try something new next semester, why not give them a try?

“We’re a really close-knit group of athletes — we’ve got people ranging from beginners to national level. We’re also a really sociable group, and we love to do things together like AU nights, house parties, and other outings.

Some people just turn up for the socials!” he laughs.

The main group train twice a week, doing sprints and middle distance, and smaller groups branch off to focus on specific field events, like Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump, and Shot Put. They train at the Sport City training complex on the warm-up track for the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. San emphasises that it really doesn’t matter what your ability is, and that they’re

“really fun and really friendly, so just hop in and join! As long as you’re willing to run and meet new people, that’s all we want.”

So, what does a typical training session consist of? Given that it’s relatively out of the way for Fallowfield students, you can often grab a lift with some of the other members. You’ll meet, and often have a bit of a chat, and do a lap or two. This is followed by stretches and drills. Once you’ve put on your spikes, respective groups will split off and start training.

Throwing events have their own specialised coach, but are still part of the same club and still represent the university.

San, a fourth year engineer, first joined athletics in first year. He hadn’t done athletics much before university, but decided that when he arrived he wanted to focus on it, as he’d always had a passion for athletics. It’s also a really active club, with all their own events and competitions, and is brilliant for getting people back into the sport.

As for being club captain?

“It’s been amazing. I was initially worried about balancing university workload with being captain, but it’s been brilliant so far and I wouldn’t change it for anything. I’ve been

able to meet so many people and bring new ideas to the club, such as our varsity event, the Manchester Cup. It can be a challenging role, but that’s what makes it such a rewarding one. I’d definitely encourage others to go for it.”

In terms of competitions, the Athletics Club participate all year round. The Manchester Cup has just taken place, beating 13 other universities to a great win for the club, despite it being their first time hosting.

“There were some brilliant performances from our athletes, especially as it’s still very early in the season.”

Coming up, there is an open meet on the 16th of December, and a team meet on the 30th of January in Sheffield, where they go as a team for track and field events. There’s also the BUCS championship in Sheffield from the 15th-17th of February, but in order to be able to compete in this you’ll need to have a time, so the non-BUCS events coming up are the perfect place to get this!

If you’re looking to carry on with athletics over the winter, lots of the club’s members are also members of the Sale Harriers, a local club that hosts open meetings that are inclu-

sive to all. These run all through winter, if you fancy braving the bitter Manchester cold!

Looking to the future, the club wants to increase their membership, and put on even more socials and events. They’re also trying to make the club more inclusive to more abilities, and make sure that everyone involved is brought closer together, all sharing their passion for athletics.

The absolute moments not to miss this year are the indoor BUCS competition, all of their Wednesday AU socials, and their house parties. The outdoor BUCS competition coming up later in the year will also be a great event if you’re looking to compete.

“Last year it was amazingly hot, which is a massive contrast to what’s normally a windy wasteland! It was a great weekend of athletics.”

If you want to give the Athletics Club a go, message one of the captains or join the Facebook group. Or, even better, turn up to one of their socials.

“If you or a friend is interested in running, meeting new people, and love to party, come along and join the club! We like to work hard, play hard.”

Scan the QR code and register to receive the latest job alerts This week’s top employers are:

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Last week’s solution

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Across Down

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What’s Chris Rea’s preferred method of 4.

transport, especially at Christmas?

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Which Northern Uni has reportedly told 7.

staff to offer alternative exam questions in case the 9.

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default set cause students distress?

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Last name of SU exec officer arrested

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Tyson Fury is from which area of Manchester?

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week?

What’s the name of the probe that recently successfully landed on Mars?

Magnus Carlsen claimed the world championship in which sport after a tie break?

Northerners get half the transport compared to which city?

Which Manchester club’s bouncers were filmed assaulting a man recently?

Who will England play in the 2019 UEFA Nations League semi-finals?

Over the weekend, Conservative MPs were encouraged to have a photo-op at local whats?

Which Chilean writer recently had an airport named after him, causing widespread protest?

Inside The 1975 Big Everyone Can Korean Culture Feature: 17 Interview: 19 Film: 21

Turton & Purcell Palestinian Uni Food Xmas Interview: 23 Art: 25 Special: 27

CULTURE Photo: Idil Sukan/Draw HQ @The Lowry

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ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

LIVE REVIEWS SG Lewis Byron Gamble

7/10

At 24 years old, Sam Lewis is better known as a singer, songwriter and producer under the moniker SG Lewis. The past few years for the young artist has been hectic to say the least. Since his EP release Shivers in 2015, he has collaborated with artists such as RAY BLK, G-Eazy and Clairo, and has also found himself and his remixes featured by big names like Flume and London Grammar.

2018 has been no less frantic for the rising artist. Releasing his debut album in three parts, Dusk, Dark, and Dawn, Lewis brings these parts together to offer a story of night out. The first of the trilogy, Dusk, released in April of this year, focused on the “magnetic” genre that is disco music: an unstoppable force of a sound that never fails to bring people to the dancefloor.

Just a few months later saw the release of another six songs under the name, Dark. The experimental release tested fans used to the usual sound of SG Lewis, ranging

Christine & The Queens The French performer Christine and the Queens wows audience with a stunning show at the the Manchester Apollo, writes Alice Berkeley

Photo: kekelmb @ Flickr

Photos: Gordon Johnson @ Pixabay, Pickpik

from dark pop, deep house and even trap. Representing the deep hours of a night out, Lewis brings out a hazier, dreamier side of himself in tracks like ‘Again’ and ‘Release’.

With two parts of the threepart series already released, the crowd was eager to hear his finale of the album is close to completion. The impressive 18-strong track list across three releases features songs that encapsulate the build-up and release of energy on the dancefloor. Lewis sought to cherry-pick the moments he loved most about club culture and capture them in the sound of his music.

It is safe to say that the rising artist managed to achieve this: his live performance was simply refreshing. With a new take on club culture, Lewis wasted no time to get the crowd moving. His infectious beats saw the basement of the Student’s Union grooving under the sunset spotlights. The tale he sets out to tell in his debut album suits a gig well: start with crowd-pleasing disco anthems, move onto heavier hitting beats and finish with slower, conclu-

sive cuts to round off the night.

SG Lewis has a unique stage presence: one full of cheek and youthfulness. He had an undeniable spark, bouncing off the energy from his band and his fans. With a smirk in the corner of his mouth, he admitted his allegiance to Manchester United, generating a wide range of cheers and boos from his audience.

“I may have accidentally split the crowd in half”, he jested.

It was so refreshing to see is how much he and his instrumentalists enjoyed their music. Lewis seemed to find himself lost in the sound as much as his audience. What is personally intriguing about SG Lewis is how successfully he has crafted a cohesive sound; songs blend seamlessly from one into the other. This should not be mistaken for artistic laziness however, since he has already demonstrated he can expertly delve into multiple genres in his sophomore release Dark.

SG Lewis’ final part of his threepart album, Dawn, is due to release before the end of the year and more details of his work can be found online.

10/10

dominates the stage, miming punches, kicks, and strongman poses to establish herself as leader of the gang, an image that fits in with her description of her second album Chris as “a bit musclier and sweatier” than the first. Unsurprisingly, hit singles ‘iT’ and ‘Tilted’ are met with unwavering enthusiasm, the soon-to-be iconic dance for ‘Tilted’ manages to be to both graceful and powerful and has the crowd clapping along.

Over and above the impressive dancing, the stage production and visuals are an essential component to Letissier’s journey through her two albums, and no more so than during ‘Goya Soda’, which starts with snow-like confetti that drifts to cover both the band and the dancers in a blanket of white.

Despite the noteworthy theatrics, the show is not reliant on dances or gimmicks, a bright spotlight is enough to create drama and wow the crowd. The lynchpin of the whole production, is, of course, Letissier’s exceptional vocals, which, partnered with ear-splitting synth, floor-shaking bass, and the occasional lyric in French, create a mesmerising intensity.

She demonstrates her vocal

Christine & the Queens Alice Berkeley

Héloïse Letissier, otherwise known by her stage name Christine and the Queens, has a reputation for creative music and outstanding live shows, a reputation which she more than lived up to at the first of her two shows at the O2 Apollo, a night which showcased her talent, not just as a singer, but as a performer and entertainer.

The first ten seconds of the show set the tone for the whole evening, when six dancers strut onto the stage, followed by Letissier, who is greeted by the name of her new stage character: pansexual, strong, and unapologetic “Chris”.

The set opens with the 80s synth-pop track ‘Comme Si’, during which the audience is introduced to a distinctive and original dance style, which welds the aggression and theatrical elements of West Side Story with the flair of Michael Jackson, a reference that is not lost on Letissier, who leads a ‘Man in the Mirror’ singalong in the middle of the set.

Despite her small stature, Chris

SG Lewis Singer, songwriter and producer SG Lewis hits the stage at Club Academy.

Writer Byron Gamble reports.

Photo: Press Shot

ability during a poignant acapella version of ‘Night 52’, alternating between French and English as the crowd attempt to sing along. “Don’t underestimate the power of the French song”, she quips, “that’s some strong shit”.

The last notes of several songs are met with a stunned silence, which, in a venue of 3,500 people, is an astonishing feat. Yet it doesn’t faze Letissier, who laughs “listen to that, you are all paying attention!”. It is through these remarks that we can glimpse the “Heloise” side of her personality, who is chatty, witty and charming.

The set ends with a triumphant encore, with Letissier serenading the crowd with ‘Saint Claude’ from the side of the balcony, a soulful and tear-jerking rendition that sparks a standing ovation. She ends the set by moving into the standing crowd, elevated on a dancer’s shoulders to the pulsing disco beat of ‘Intranquillité’ before taking a bow alongside the band and dancers, an action that points to the essence of the entire night: a Christine and the Queen’s tour date is not simply a concert, it is a show in its own right.

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

17

Feature: A Brief Inquiry Into The 1975 Photos: © pitpony.photography / CC-BY-SA-3.0 @ Wikimedia Commons, Begoña @ Flickr, Side Stage Collective @ Flickr, Dig Boston @ Flickr, Markus Hillgärtner @ Wikimedia Commons.

On the release of the The 1975’s latest and third outing, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships, Jake Oliver and Olivia White track the group’s progress since their EP launch With The 1975’s latest album — A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships - receiving vast amounts of critical praise, The Mancunion’s Music Section editors, Olivia and Jake, revisit the band’s entire discography to see how they’ve progressed over the years.

In an era already oversaturated with guitar-driven indie music, The 1975 presented something that was tangibly different. Their debut EP Facedown was laced with intricate guitar reverb, haunting synthesisers and distorted percussion. Most importantly, frontman Matty Healy’s lyricisms were a dark, but refreshingly honest take on the problems of growing up and struggling with finding your place in the wider world. These idiosyncratic differences would mark The 1975 as one of the most exciting new acts around.

Their willingness for experimentation continued within their next three EPs (Sex, Music for Cars, IV), each one pushing the band’s abilities and repertoire to new levels. The beautifully crafted soundscapes of songs like ‘Intro / Set 3’, ‘Haunt // Bed’ and ‘Anobrain’ established The 1975 as much more than just another pop group.

The lyrics were dark, the instrumentations foreboding, but yet they had this uncanny ability to comfort you.

By the time their 2013 self-titled debut (The 1975) came about, the group already demonstrated themselves to be masters of their craft. Rather than abandon so many avenues that had been explored, The 1975 takes the best elements of the EPs and perfects them, adds to them, and succeeds in creating a stunning first release.

Embedded amongst the stereotypical angsty youth anthems of ‘Girls’ and ‘Sex’ are some masterfully produced instrumental tracks. ‘An Encounter’ and ‘12’ inject a much needed breather at their intervals, allowing for a moment of reflection.

They’re not just sonically pleasing, but create an atmosphere synonymous with that era as one of brooding uncertainty and, in a way, fear.

Lyrically, Healy’s fragility is often concealed behind up-tempo beats or wry social commentary — but it is there. Feelings of rejection, isola-

tion, regret and excess are peppered throughout the debut if you pay close attention. It’s a deeply personal LP as much as it is a riotous journey through adolescent chaos — themes that greatly resonated with audiences.

9/10 I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It (ILIWYS) Olivia says: Pioneered with ironic hit-single and accompanying garish music video ‘Love Me’, The 1975 plunged 2016 into a year of reigning the industry with the release of I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It. The 1975 shot straight to the top of UK, US and Australian weekly charts, finishing 25 by the end of the year in the UK and ILIWYS was crowned NME’s Album of the Year.

ILIWYS is arguably The 1975’s most sentient, polished, and poignant record. As a collection of Matty’s tragic, nostalgic and beautifully raw narratives, the band’s UK platinum scoring second album is nothing short of genius. With its release followed an era of spiritually cleansing live light shows and tingling aesthetics that will certainly linger in our subconscious for decades to come.

‘Somebody Else’, ‘If I Believe You’, and ‘Nana’ define the album’s most stirring moments, each track is led by Matty’s pain-stricken lyricism that is perfectly echoed by the band’s ability to concoct a soundscape leaving you missing someone you’ve never even met.

Straying away from the largely defining guitar riffs of The 1975, ILIWYS illustrates a venture into a resurgence of 80s synth pop beats and soulful harmonies especially in the hypnotic ‘She’s American’, and ‘Loving Someone’.

ILIWYS is a clear progression from the band’s youthful and angsty self-titled debut. It features far more experimentation, a greater range of influences and most importantly, a recognisable confidence that The 1975 know exactly who they are and what they want to create as artists.

As far as pressures go for bands to maintain their reputation with a solid second album, ILIWYS cemented The 1975’s image as one of the most exciting and polished pop-

rock

bands

of

the 21st century.

10/10 After an incredible journey, is it safe to say that A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships (ABIIOR) has solidified The 1975 as “the best band of the decade”? The editors give their hot takes below: Jake says: A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships is lyrically raw, musically diverse and perhaps the most culturally relevant record of our time. It is also potentially the greatest record that the 1975 have ever produced – arguably more so than their sophomore release.

The narrative weaved throughout ABIIOR is one that perfectly encapsulates the negative feelings of a generation living online: isolation (‘The Man Who Married a Robot’), obsession (‘Inside Your Mind’), selfdoubt (‘Give Yourself A Try’). But it also delivers a sense of hope, sincerity and compassion. Modernity may have failed us, but The 1975 point us in the way of redemption.

Here, The 1975 expertly grapple different genres with ease — jazz, swinging piano ballads, trap, techno, and even Britpop make notable appearances.

Yes, some tracks might sound jarring (especially when autotune is employed) but I’d argue that this abrasion is fitting with the story ABIIOR is trying to convey; our intimate, personal moments are slowly being superseded by technology and if that isn’t startling then I think you’re missing the point.

It took me a while to settle in to this one — I wasn’t expecting it to be as soft as it transpires to be. But once I’d listened through a few times, it was immediately clear as to why this record is being praised as much as it is.

Their debut was a gloomy insight in to adolescent strife. I Like It When You Sleep… played more like a façade, a bombastic showstopper that hid Healy’s troubled mental state brilliantly. ABIIOR is unflinchingly honest and composed. It feels personal, rather than at an attempt at grandiosity – and as we continue living in a culture steeped in deceit and falsehoods, I’d argue that ABIIOR is the most necessary album out there.

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Music

Feature: How has Soundcloud impactedthe music industry?

Dylan James highlights the significance of Sound Cloud for upcoming artists and how it was vital a platform to some of the biggest musicians It is often said that the current generation of music doesn’t have an answer to movements such as the punk rock scene of the 1970s, or even jazz and blues music from the early 20th Century. These initially localised scenes are regarded as having profound cultural impact after bursting into the mainstream and becoming a dominating sound for a period of time. However, I believe that we are currently experiencing a movement much akin to the aforementioned music scenes, and it’s one that you’ve no doubt heard about — SoundCloud rap.

It’s the phenomena that’s stormed into the music scene. The online audio sharing platform has helped define an entire genre with an assault of 808 beats, triplet hi-hats, and simple, often mumbled lyrics. Nihilistic lyrics about abusing prescription drugs and mental health issues tend to be the general theme of these songs, but can also pertain to the materialistic and the narcissistic. Whether you perceive it as the hottest sound around, or just simply cultural trash, one cannot deny the impact this genre has had on music over the past few years: monoliths such as Post Malone and Lil Pump started their careers by uploading music to SoundCloud.

But what are the parallels between this wave of new online artists and the iconic musical movements of the 20th Century? There are more similarities between the two than one might initially think.

The first similarity is that these movements originally emerged in singular, isolated locations before exploding into the mainstream. Jazz and blues exploded out of the Harlem Renaissance, whilst Seattle was home to the grunge scene before it broke into the mainstream with Nirvana. SoundCloud is the home of a new wave of rap, much like Harlem and Seattle were the home to their native music scenes. The major, and only difference between SoundCloud rap and geographical scenes is the means in which the music is initially distributed, with the former being accessible online for free, and the latter being in small, local venues.

The second similarity is the ethos that is held by the artists within these music scenes. The ability for anyone to make a SoundCloud account and upload a track has DIY written all over it; the very same ethos embodied by punk rock bands.

This comparison to punk rock holds significant weight, as many SoundCloud rappers have adopted a punk aesthetic within their music: the late Lil Peep, who began uploading his music onto SoundCloud in 2014, was heavily inspired by the emo movement, which came as a successor to the punk movement. Peep’s music featured distorted guitars and lyrical themes similar to that of punk and emo music, including nihilism and mental health issues.

To read the full article, visit mancunion.com

Review: Some Rap Songs by Earl Sweatshirt Earl Sweatshirt takes a turn for the lo-fi on his abstract new release, complete with all the introspection and intimacy you could expect, writes Luke McGavin

8/10

Earl Sweatshirt Luke McGavin

Over three years since his last fulllength release I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (IDLSIDGO), Earl Sweatshirt’s long-awaited third album Some Rap Songs has arrived. In this period of time, Earl has had to deal with the death of two close relatives, his father at the very start of this year, followed by his uncle less than a month later. Although much of the material on this LP was recorded prior to these events, they play a significant role in shaping the content of the record both topically and tonally.

Some Rap Songs is an intensely personal affair. At only 25 minutes long, the 15 tracks act more as vignettes and insights into the fragmented mind state of the album’s protagonist. Anyone going into this album expecting expansive song structures,

HMLTD

elaborate beat developments or something you will be bitterly disappointed, as several tracks are more like a single extended verse and often end very abruptly. The lofi sonics explored on his previous release are also intensified here, with more abstract beats and disjointed flows to match.

None of this is to the album’s detriment however, as this sonic and stylistic shift often compliments Earl’s darkly personal and intimately introspective lyrics on the record, which are as cryptic and dizzying as ever. While the overall tone of Some Rap Songs is far less intensely nihilistic than IDLSIDGO – with use of sampling making it somewhat mournfully soulful – the LP still reaches some deeply depressive depths on tracks like the Black Noi$e produced second single ‘The Mint’ where Earl and Navy Blue deliver lethargic bars about their troubles with their drug use.

To read the full article, visit mancunion.com

AMA

Photo: jharris1124 @ Pixabay

Jasmine Bennett gives the details on West London’s freshest new talent, AMA, and her single ‘Monochrome’

Everyone’s favourite independent label, Dirty Hit Records, have a new darling. At only 18, the model-come-singer AMA is delightfully fresh on the scene. She rejects labels, preferring instead to experiment with and transcend genres. Recently released single ‘Monchrome’ is a low, R&B track describing the adventures of a teenage love affair. Her music is somewhat at odds with the usual artists to emerge from the label known for the likes of The 1975, Pale Waves, and Wolf Alice, but the level of talent is clear.

Hailing from West London, the singer’s narrative ability in her single is obvious.

With low, soft beats and synths produced by Courage the song is bass-filled and dreamlike. The newcomer’s repetitive chorus of “the way you got me feeling these emotions / I’m getting caught up in your motions” is relatable and catchy. Everyone knows the feeling of finding someone that feels so akin to yourself that when life doesn’t contain them it seems bleak and weary — the metaphor of the monochrome is painfully accurate and the newcomer’s song-writing ability should not go unnoticed. Her vocals are standout and impressive, especially given the youth of the artist. On a watch of the music video, the dreaminess carries on. Produced by DIVISION and directed by Arnaud Bresson, the video is a beautiful visual tale of saturated brutalist architecture, young romance and AMA’s own heritage. The careful capturing of the naivety of falling in love at 18 is beautifully done in both the video and the song itself. Her sound is perfect for fans of Clairo, Rejjie Snow, and Jorja Smith. With an EP and more music promised to drop soon, start keeping an eye out. From a label with such great artists – Matty Healy of The 1975 has already given her his seal of approval – we can expect great things from AMA.

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ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Felix Hanif-Banks recounts the action at King of the North VI This weekend saw the sixth annual King of the North esports tournament held in Salford’s MediaCity as teams from universities across the country competed in Counter Strike: Global Offensive , Overwatch , and League of Legends amongst others.

Day 1 saw Grand Finals action in League of Legends as Swansea took on Nottingham after a hard-fought bracket. Stream issues caused upsets for any remote viewers but the direction of the day’s early games remained clear as Nottingham triumphed in two fairly decisive games, earning their victory in a fairly straightforward 26 minute clash.

Later in the day came Counter Strike , with Bath coming up against Warwick’s ‘Stretchyboiz’ in the Grand Finals. Warwick comfortably saw off the first map, Bank, with a 16-7 score, and after taking the first three rounds of game 2 without response, looked to be on a fairly straightforward path to victory. Bath fought hard to regain a foothold in the match, commanding a 6-4 lead at one point, but were ultimately unable to stop Warwick at the second time of asking.

With the Championship at stake going into the third game, Bath raced out of the gates and found themselves ahead with 10 rounds to Warwick’s 2, but only managed to take 3 more rounds before Warwick’s Stretchyboiz reasserted their dominance and finally took home the victory following a thrilling 1 v 1 shootout between Original_G (Warwick) and mystery (Bath).

Overwatch began Day 2 of King of the North, with Swansea Storm coming up against Glasgow Caledonian

University (GCU) in a hard-fought semi-final, with the first game running through to overtime where it took brilliance from Chimpy’s Zarya to give Swansea the edge. However, GCU responded strongly, taking the next two games to book their place in the final.

Staffordshire Uni had York to contend with in their semi-final, and the team elegantly known as ‘YEET’ continued the dominance they’ve displayed earlier in the year at other tournaments, most prominently NSE. The strength exhibited in their undefeated NSE run continued throughout Day 2 as they marched to a fairly decisive victory against York, setting up a match with GCU in the final.

As most fans of either side somewhat expected, YEET comfortably dealt with their next opposition, ultimately claiming the Overwatch King of the North title and continuing their undefeated run as they look toward the NSE finals this weekend.

Rainbow 6 Seige finished proceedings for what was a memorable weekend.

The winners were Baby Wipes from Staffordshire Uni. They beat Keele who were the live finalists since the actual 2nd place team, Warwick, forfeited due to only having 4 players.

The score was 3-1, with Keele winning the second last game after being down 2-0.

tical aspects of providing such a service, and the kind of disabilities Everyone Can aimed to cater their services to.

“Everything and anything,” said Julian.

“Some people have very complex disabilities, and we try to enable them to have as much fun as possible. Unlike some other charities, we don’t block people because of age or disability type.”

“We have a few people with physical disabilities: wheelchair users, cerebral palsy; the people who need the assistive technology,” explained Nikki. “And then a lot of children with Autism, Asperger’s, ADHD, things like that, so they don’t need the assistive technology as such, so for them it’s things like socialising, building confidence.”

Whilst the Everyone Can team were upbeat about everything their technology could achieve, it was tempered with the kind of realism that years of experience brings.

“It’s not that we’re helping everyone to play at a higher level; a lot of the time it’s that we’re helping people to play full stop.”

“We do have to keep it real; we can’t get all disabled people playing AAA titles. We get them playing at the highest level our technology can afford them.”

What could not be played down, however, was the positive impact that the charity had on the lives of those it is dedicated to helping.

“The difference we’re making, you can see it in the smiles, the laughter, the noise level.

It’s the sound of fun. It’s a sound every person, every kid, should be able to have,” said Julian.

“I always just think back to the last one or two people that we saw. There was a young lady yesterday who has a severe form of cerebral palsy, and the only thing she can physically do is press a switch with her knee, and we got her playing a small range of games, which will be increasing, and she just had a huge grin on her face because she’s never been able to play a game in her life before.”

I got the sense that Everyone Can were thriving and growing – Nikki had said as much – but, like for most charities, securing funding has never been easy. Paul, in particular, was vocal

dia Commo ime ns ik

When I walked into Everyone Can’s Sale headquarters, I was greeted by what I can only describe as a gaming nirvana: a row of huge screens adorned the walls, and a row of bean bags sat lined up in front of them. A driving wheel sat off to the left, and I spotted a number of other devices, including a Nintendo Switch, scattered about. Whilst the room was darkened and vacant at the time of my visit, it was clear that getting people in here wasn’t going to be a hard sell.

And so it has proved for the increasingly popular Everyone Can, a Manchester-based charity whose remit is to help the disabled with all things accessibility. In particular, however, much of their focus over the last five or six years has been helping disabled people play video games. I sat down with Julian Lee (General Manager), Paul Sullivan (Gaming Manager), and Nikki Jones (Community Engagement and Fundraising Officer) to find out more about the charity’s work.

“Basically, we look at existing technology and match that to the needs of disabled people. Whether it be controlling their environment, whether it be reading, writing, or indeed having fun, which is where the gaming comes,” explained Julian.

“We are a charity and charities are there to help out where the government or society won’t.”

Paul expanded on this, saying, “Getting (governmental) funding for gaming is incredibly difficult. It’s only been recently in the last five or six years that we’ve been able to offer that kind of service. But children are children; whether they’re disabled or not, they just want to have fun. That’s why accessibility is important, to enable them to play alongside their friends, siblings, and able-bodied people.

“It’s a form of escapism for everybody.

Having as equal a playing field as possible is massively important.”

Our conversation moved to the more prac-

FC F@

Jeremy Bijl meets the Manchester-based charity who help disabled people game. “The difference we’re making, you can see it in the smiles, the laughter”

Photo: C

Everyone Can : w Intervie

W

Photo: @ SVG Si lh

King of the North VI: roundup

19

Games

about the the difficulty they could sometimes have in explaining the social benefits of gaming to governmental bodies and society in general.

“We’re often asked, ‘what are the takeaways?’ We say, ‘Can there not be any? can they just not have fun?’”

I knew what Paul meant. Fun, in the view of Everyone Can, should be an end in itself, never mind the numerous social, developmental, and psychological bonuses the team had observed. As Julian had said earlier, fun is something every person should be able to have.

“The question of funding always pops up with issues like, ‘what are the benefits?’ And with it being gaming, and gaming being responsible for most of society’s evils, it can be difficult. Gaming can be such a force for good, but it can be difficult to convince the people who write the cheques, who often aren’t gamers,” said Paul.

This frustration, I imagine, is fairly common to all charities, being, as Julian pointed out, produced axiomatically by a lack of government funding. And like all charities, Julian emphasised how reliant they were on donations, volunteers and fundraisers in order to keep on doing their work. “We don’t charge for what we do, but we do cost,” he said, wryly.

Nonetheless, the team remained upbeat about the future. Paul was effusive in admitting that the awareness and appreciation of accessibility in gaming was, “growing and growing” and said “it’s far more at the forefront now, helped by the accessibility controller from behemoths like Microsoft. If companies like them are on board, then hopefully the rest will follow suit.”

As for their own work, Everyone Can were committed to continuing their core mission whilst constantly adapting to the ever-changing landscape of game design, a discipline Jason Schreier compares to constructing a building in an earthquake due to its frenetic nature.

“We’re going to change, because technology changes and we change with it. It’s a full-time job to research the technology, to apply the technology, and that’s how we change. As long as technology changes, we’ll change with it.”

“We see ourselves carrying on with the technology, but that doesn’t mean we’re standing still.”

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ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Film

Reviews.

Three Identical Strangers Photo: Press photo @DogWoof

Madeleine Peden Contributor

4/5

Where to watch: HOME

Three Identical Strangers is a documentary unearthing the question of nature versus nurture and forces audiences to consider the emotional impact of this.

Three Identical Strangers is directed by Tim Wardle and tells the story of the initial reunion and multifaceted aftermath of triplets who were unbeknownst to themselves, separated at birth.

This documentary had been on my radar for some time and I was pulled in by the promise of the unearthing of a shocking secret. When it came down to it however, the fascinating reveal disrupts the heart-warming narrative of the reunion of longlost brothers and brings it to a heart-breaking close that I wasn’t quite ready for.

The documentary follows Edward Galland, David Kellman, and Robert Shafran. It can be separated into three distinct parts, beginning with the emotional high of their reunion, followed by the excitement of their subsequent professional and personal success.

And, finally ending with the devastating consequences of their involuntary participation in a sinister twin study to explore nature versus nurture. This arc is developed in a subtle way which makes for a powerful but depressing close.

There is nuance in the way Wardle portrays each of the subjects. The triplets are very likable men, but he does not shy away from exposing their human flaws. Most notably, through the strangely charming presentation of their hedonistic partying in New York City following their reunion.

This establishes an authenticity that juxtaposes and enhances the incredible nature of the story itself.

Wardle strikes an excellent balance between the uplifting and the unsettling in a way in which

one informs the other; the sinister nature of the reveal is potent through its hyperbolic positioning within the core of the brothers’ relationship.

It is revealed towards the end that those affected by the study were granted access to the archive of the research because of Tim Wardle’s investigative film-making.

This result is somewhat diluted by the subsequently sinister revelation that much of the information was redacted as there are still subjects out there who are unaware of their participation in the twin study.

This disclosure is almost darker than the initial revelation. We have just witnessed the heart-breaking consequences this study has had on the triplets and the fact that there are still oblivious victims is at best disconcerting.

Whilst this real-life occurrence is an innately interesting story, the complexities within it have potential to be tricky to untangle. Wardle however tells the story in a manner that is both emotional and scientific. I remained fascinated by the nature versus nurture debate but felt indignant on the part of the triplets.

Wardle’s ability to establish this dichotomy within this narrative makes it clear to see why he was awarded the Sundance Special Jury prize for storytelling.

The documentary is compelling and unearths the age-old question of nature versus nurture in a totally new way that forces audiences to consider the emotional waves this debate might have on human kind.

Until this year I’d not sought out short films. Most of the films I watch are feature-length, brought to my attention by adverts plastered on buses or shown on TV. Unfortunately short films don’t have this mainstream advertising.

For a screening to be viable, a collection of short films would need to be created – something that cinemas seem reluctant to do regularly, if at all. However, Manchester hosts its own short film festival, Kino Film Festival, which collects together hundreds of short films and programmes them over nine days.

The festival’s hub was in the N.I.A.M.O.S., decked out with velvety red chairs and ornate décor from the 1900s, and was certainly a suitable location, despite its lack of heating. Wrapped up in all my layers, with a plastic cup of red wine in one hand and some unidentified baked good in the other, I settled to watch the opening gala of this year’s festival.

The array of different techniques used amazed me, and Mascarpone was one that stood out for me because of this. It followed the story of Francis, a young man who crashes into the limousine of Mascarpone, a gangster boss. The set for this film was all made from cardboard: a cardboard bed, cars, guns, balconies, all making the film feel whimsical. The set, along with the visual effects, created this surreal world and enhanced the storytelling. Effects included rear projection (when a projection is moving behind the actor whilst being filmed), stop-motion and cut-out projection.

Short films also enable stories to be told that don’t need an entire feature-length film of 90 minutes. Another film at the Bridge, shows an festival, encounter between two strangers

on a bridge in Scotland. The characters are not given names – the credits were simply “Man: Steven Duffy and Woman: Katy Murphy”.

The film was simple and followed a single conversation between two people which might have had long-term beneficial effects on the characters – but, of course, there was no ‘one year later’ clip. The dialogue needs to be carefully considered and concise when restricted to such short length, in this case a mere 10-minutes, which made for an impactful and powerful script. Characters don’t need complex back stories, and a simpler relationship can be created with the audience – which I found refreshing.

Sliding Away was a film I found particularly hard-hitting and one that almost brought me to tears.

It follows a son caring for his dying father, whilst trying to keep on top of his family life with a young daughter. Sliding Away acknowledges the emotional drain of balancing these two very different roles.

It expresses the power of physical affection between loved ones, their unspoken communication whilst comforting one another simply by holding hands. The actors in this conveyed so much with their physicality, gripping the audience in an emotional turmoil.

The end of this short was not laborious, but instead optimistic whilst realistic. The final scene shows the pure joy of a father and daughter playing together in a park without any complications.

It’s clear to see that short films express different stories and are incomparable to feature-length films, or what are often considered as normal films. Each have their merits, but the variation in a collection of shorts is enticing to watch and the stories shared are valuable.

Kino Film Festival: Short Films

KinoFilm Festival. Photo: Aisha Al-Janabi

Where to watch: Netflix

aisha aljanabi aisha aljanabi Deputy Deputy Film Editor

3/5

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Film

21

Korean Film Festival: Microhabitat and Little Forest

Contributor Jack Greeney reviews two films depicting Seoul Life from the London Korean Film Festival on its tour to Manchester The London Korean Film Festival came to HOME Manchester, showing two films approaching life in Seoul from different angles. The first, Microhabitat (소공녀), feature debut of director Jeon Go-Woon (전고운), depicts a young woman pushed out of society by a rapidly overheating housing market.

Problem question: Rent goes up. Cigarette prices go up. Which do you drop? To Miso (Esom, 이솜), the answer is clear, and she moves out immediately. This is a ridiculous satire played straight, kept together by a snappy script and nonchalant performance by Esom, strong-willed yet non-confrontational.

“Let’s get the band back together! Great idea, we can stay up all night drinking whisky, like the old days!” Only, people have changed: staying with them one by one, Miso sees the effects of the pressures people face to have their own space in the city. The obsessive professional, the overwhelmed housewife, the mourning divorcee: Miso is the only one unchanged, a stable point of comparison.

While making no bones about the pressures of poverty, Microhabitat is never arduous, remaining gently satirical throughout. There is genuine emotion, particularly with her boyfriend, but the overall tone is subdued; in fact, the only time this is broken lends extra hilarity to Miso’s fever-dream panic over an unexpected marriage proposal from old friend Kim Rok-Yi (Choi Deok-Moon, 최덕문).

Whisky and cigarettes are Miso’s adult-

hood, and this is the tale of the relentless sacrifice she must make to have them. Accept the absurd premise and there is a real message: city living can be terrifying.

Little Forest (리틀포레스트), the second film, is director Yim Soon-Rye’s (임순례) adaptation of the tranquil Japanese original Little Forest (リトル・フォレスト) films and manga by Daisuke

Photo: HOME Manchester

Igarashi (五十嵐大介). This film approaches Seoul as a hectic, stifling city, in which a young

Jack Greeney Contributor

girl’s life crumbles.

Hye-Won (Kim Tae-Ri, 김태리) is hungry. Very hungry. So hungry that she leaves her new bustling city of work and study and returns home to the countryside in search of childhood food. However, returning forces her to confront her mother’s (Moon So-Ri, 문소리) abrupt disappearance; as she cooks her old recipes, memories come flooding back.

Back home, Hye-Won reunites with old friends: Eun-Sook (Jin Ki-Joo, 진기주) never reached her city dream, whereas Jae-Ha (Ryoo Joon-Yeol, 류 준열) decided to return and continue his family farm. Friendships grow over beautiful meals Hye Won prepares, a genuine joy to experience.

The romantic angle, though initiated, is never developed, and we only catch glimpses of the mother-daughter conflict through Hye-Won’s memories. Some might be left wanting more, but perhaps this serves only to enhance the film’s calmness, avoiding melodrama in a rather un-Korean fashion.

Kim Tae-Ri shines in the leading role, effortlessly encapsulating the minimalist, measured tone of the film. Even the central theme of food preparation is approached with restraint, gorgeously yet unfussily shot, depicting enjoyment alongside ruminations of a lost maternal bond. This is only matched by stunning images of idyllic Korean countryside moving slowly through the seasons.

These two films deserve a proper UK release.

Review: Ralph Breaks the Internet The Disney sequel works for both kids and adults, due to intelligent writing, intricate and funny world-building, and excellent voice acting

Going into Ralph Breaks the Internet, I had a fairly solid idea of how I’d react to it. I enjoyed the first one enough and figured the sequel would make for an entertaining and well-animated bit of fun with a strong amount of heart.

However, to a very welcome surprise, this sequel is all of those things and so much more.

Not only does it improve on its predecessor, but it develops the characters and world further in a way that is funny and heart-warming, with a spicy lick of social satire.

Following the events of Wreck-It Ralph, our titular hero and his sidekick Vanellope are best friends and spend most of their time either working in their respective games or hanging out across the system. When Ralph’s efforts to build a new track into Vanellope’s game Sugar Rush result in it breaking, they have to find a way to fix it. So, Ralph and Vanellope head Photo: jon jordan @flickr off into the Internet to find a part that will fix the game. Along the way they come across various new colourful characters and worlds to interact with.

This premise serves a Wreck-It Ralph sequel perfectly. After the first film set itself amongst the progressing world of arcade video games from ‘80s platform games to shoot-‘em-ups, venturing into the modern internet serves as a fitting follow-up that provides for some of the film’s best jokes. While the excessive product placement around companies such as Google and eBay is there, it is framed in a way that is smart with

Carl Fitzgerald Contributor

4.5/5

4/5 and 4/5

its placement. Humorous takes on eBay bidding and online pop-ups mark stand-out moments, but the world is littered with subtle background jokes – for example, a seedy motel that is literally named ‘online chatrooms’.

The film wouldn’t work without good chemistry from our two leads: John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman. They do not disappoint, with both playing up their character’s most lovable traits and working off each other, making scenes between them funny and some of the most joyous to watch.

Their chemistry, combined with the brilliant touches of animation, also makes the film’s more tender moments that much more heartfelt.

A conflict somewhat arises when Vanellope begins to consider leaving Sugar Rush to join the more dangerous online game, Slaughter Race (conveyed by a hilariously morbid riff on Disney Princess ‘dream’ songs). And Ralph’s unwillingness to see his best friend leave provides a sense of drama that’s fresh for adults and a brilliant message for children about respectful friendships.

A movie about Internet corporations that doesn’t sink into cheap product exposure, that’s also full of gorgeous animation flourishes, fronted by tremendous voice acting, likeable characters and world-building that’s smart and funny, Ralph Breaks the Internet is worthy of a slot amongst Disney’s solid run of 2010s animation that includes Moana, Frozen and Tangled.

Pick of the week:

The Hot Take The Hot Take is written and presented by Rona McCann and radiates joy and humour. With quick and punchy headlines about what’s occurring in Manchester, Rona gives you a wide selection of events happening around the city.

More than just events, there’s also Mancunian-specific celebrity gossip that gives you an insight like no other show.

It looks like a laugh to film, most recently seeing Rona running through corridors, and is sure to entertain you on a gloomy day.

Get ready for next week’s episode, coming out on Wednesday, which looks set to be a festive-fuelled one.

Scan me to watch!

Where to watch: Odeon Cinema

Photo: FuseTV

SIGN OUR PETITION Buses in Greater Manchester set expensive fares, cannot be forced to run any route they do not want to, are confusing, unreliable and often infrequent. Agreed?.

In Greater Manchester, we need to give the local authority the ability to: • Plan routes for you which actually join up • Set simple, cheaper fares • Introduce one simple ticket/card • Set timetables for more frequent, evening and weekend services • Use profits to subsidise needed but less busy routes There’s a simple solution – it’s called re-regulation and our mayor, Andy Burnham, is making the choice over whether to re-regulate in the next year. Re-regulation is your chance to make our buses cheaper and more reliable.

http://bit.ly/betterbusesforyou

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Books

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Interview: Stuart Turton and Laura Purcell

Gurnaik Johal talks with best-selling novelists Stuart Turton and Laura Purcell about their new novels ‘The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’ and ‘Corset’ I met Laura Purcell and Stuart Turton before the first show of their joint UK book tour. “Our books aren’t similar in any way really,” Purcell said, when I asked why they were touring their new novels together. “But they’ve both got a bit of a gothic link.”

The books are definitely very different. Purcell’s Corset is a “gothic chiller” set in Victorian London. According to Turton, it’s a novel “that you can give to almost every reader and they will find enjoyment in it.”

a difficult thing to do as an aspiring writer: “you end up starting off in a weird fan-fiction way.” She had “always been a big fan of classic books. Dickens, Jane Austen, Brönte, Thomas Hardy. My imagination plays in the past a lot so I’ve always set my novels in the past, and during periods I know a lot about.”

Turton has been a life-long fan of Agatha Christie. “It’s really hard to write an Agatha Christie book, as I discovered trying to do it. I tried to write in her style

both novels are set in the past, though Seven Deaths is “not actually set in an exact time period. It’s in a sort of fantasy realm.” Corset, like Purcell’s best-selling debut, The Silent Companions, is set in Victorian Britain, and its historical accuracy makes the narrative all the more affecting.

Purcell believes in doing deep research before (and during) writing. She “did a lot of research into Victorian seamstresses and how terrible their working conditions

“Writing in a genre means placing yourself in a long lineage of writers” Shortlisted for The Costa Book of the Year Award, Turton’s debut, The Seven Deaths of Evelyn_ Hardcastle, merges Agatha Christie with Groundhog Day and Quantum leap. It’s your favourite murder mystery, but with a sci-fi twist. The protagonist embodies one character for the duration of a day, before starting all over again in a different character’s body. With each repetition he hopes to get closer to solving the mystery and saving Evelyn Hardcastle’s life.

“That sounds mad,” Purcell remembered thinking, when she first heard about Seven Deaths. “I thought it’s either going to really work, or really not — and it really works.”

Turton noted that Purcell’s Corset “is based on a lot of more gothic tropes,” whereas Seven Deaths “is based on a lot of the Agatha Christie tropes. But they’re done with so much love, they’re twisted and inverted, elevated and changed.”

The relationship between their work and their respective genres was something Turton and Purcell were eager to talk about. “They’re not straight retreads of the genre,” Turton said, “but they’re affectionate nods to their genres.”

Writing in a genre means placing yourself in a long lineage of writers. Purcell discussed how this is

Photo: Stuart Turton and Laura Purcell

and it didn’t work. Which is why I ended up putting this sci-fi, fantasy stuff in it, to make it my own.”

Both authors clearly take on pre-existing genres and make them their own. What struck me as new in both their works was the way that both authors shift perspectives throughout their novels. Corset is told through a joint narrative, where chapters switch between the perspectives of the two main characters, and the protagonist of Seven Deaths is literally put in other people’s shoes, sees the world through their eyes.

Purcell said that “if you see someone through someone else’s eyes, it’s really effective. Ruth [Corset’s main character] comes across as quite bolshy and a bit evil, but when you see her through the eyes of her prison visitor, you realise how pitiable she can be.”

were.” She even “did an online sewing course, and learnt to make a corset by traditional methods.”

A large chunk of Corset explores the strange pseudo-science of phrenology — many Victorians believed that the shape and size of someone’s skull said a lot about their character. To write well about the subject, Purcell “taught [herself] phrenology using the self-instructors that were around at the time.”

Turton added that Corset “is impeccably researched, but at the same time, you can’t be too enamoured to your period.” Purcell agreed. When she began her first novel, she “was writing it too period. When I first started writing, I was very mannered and Victorian, because I’d read a lot of Dickens and Hardy. I wanted to make the book like that, but to a modern reader it’s just unreadable.”

While Purcell clearly spent a lot of time researching, Turton had a more direct approach. As he was writing an Agatha Christie novel, not a historical one, he wasn’t tied to historical fact, instead opting to recreate a historical tone. He called his process “method writing — where I feel like I have to go out and actually experience what I’m writing about.”

While the idea of the novel came to him when he was working as a travel writer in Dubai, he “ended up moving back to England, because an Agatha Christie novel demands Agatha Christie country. I wanted to be in manor houses, I wanted to be rained on, I wanted to be miserable all the time.”

The method-writing style is clear in the water-tight plot of Seven Deaths. Reading it, it’s clear that Turton had thought through each minute detail. Because of this, readers can zip through the 500 pages of Seven deaths, propelled on by dynamic plot twists The length of the book is justified, there’s not a detail in it that isn’t significant in some way.

Turton dislikes novels where, for example, “there’s about five pages of description about a hill.

I don’t need that, because I know what a hill is. I needed to get my point across in about two lines.”

Purcell added that when a writer like “Dickens [was] writing, [he] was being paid by the word. So of course he’ll make it as long as possible! We don’t get paid by the word.”

“The idea of what a novel is has solidified over the years,” Turton said. “When Dickens was writing, a novel wasn’t really anything, so it could be anything you wanted it to be.”

With Corset and The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, both Laura Purcell and Stuart Turton keep a bit of that idea alive, that a novel can “be anything you want it to be”. And it’s novels like these that readers want more and more of.

Photo: OpenClipart-Vectors

24 Theatre ‘SIX’The Musical

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Anuli Changa reviews ‘SIX’ The Musical, the new smash hit by Marlow and Morris, fresh from the West End

Photo : Idil Sukan/Draw HQ

Reviews.

“Okay ladies let’s get in reformation.”

Nothing can prepare you for the genius that is ‘SIX’ the musical. It empowers, exhilarates, and leaves you desperate to learn all the lyrics and sing along.

Previously defi ned by their slightly famous royal husband, this musical written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, turns this on its head, as the Ex-Wives take back their stories.

Beginning as a student production from the Cambridge University, ‘SIX’ was a smash hit at Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and has since been transformed into a professional show. It returned to this year’s Edinburgh Fringe as part of its national tour and is visiting the Lowry fresh from the West End (and soon to return).

This show was a triumph of music, performance and vocals.

It was impossible not to grin as these six incredible women lit up the stage, accompanied by their all-female band (ladies in waiting). The Queens announced that they were holding a competition to decide who should lead their band, the criteria: who took the most ‘BS’ from Henry himself.

Photo : Lee Baxter

‘First Time’ Evie Appleson reviews ‘First Time’, Nathaniel Hall’s solo performance that tackles a difficult subject

The music and lyrics of this show are both genius, retelling the story of these six women with history, pop, and 21st Century references. The Queens were all incredible: Anne Boleyn (Millie O’Connell), Jane Seymour (Natalie Paris) Haus of Holbein, where Anna of Cleves (Alexia McIntosh), Katheine Howard (Aimie Atkinson) and Catherine Parr (Maiya QuansahBreed); both as individual soloists and as an ensemble, belting out mind-blowing six-part harmonies.

Having seen the original at fringe last year, the reimagining of the show elevated it without losing its original magic, really showcases some seriously incredible vocals, girl power and more.

The direction by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage was excellent, the concert style kept the audience always involved in the performance relating to every age.

It was incredible to experience a show that is camp, crazy and a total party and still manages to tackle the silencing of women throughout history, up to the present.

As the show progressed, the Queens appeared to make

light of stories of exploitation, betrayal and beheadings, all to win a competition. This was done in style with songs such as ‘Haus of Holbein’, complete with ultra violet light and neck ruffs and ‘All You Wanna Do’, personifying pop princess.

The Queens and the audience were left slightly sobered, when the fi nal queen Catherine Parr (Quansah-Breed) reminded us all in ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ that we are not defi ned by men. This message was one not only to women, but to all those oppressed and silenced.

It was so powerful watch the Queens step away from competing and comparing and instead take back the power to re write history. I won’t compare the queens either – each was unique, badass and inspiring. The show was not only exciting and extremely funny, but educational, not just about history.

You cannot help but leave ‘SIX’ elated, impressed and singing one or more of the wonderful songs. Find the ‘SIX’ studio album on spotify, listen, sing, get obsessed because this herstory lesson is not to be missed and remember, there is nothing better than seeing them ‘Divorced, Beheaded, LIVE’!

‘First Time’ by Nathaniel Hall was a mediocre execution of an important and powerful subject.

Hall’s one-man performance about his experience contracting and living with HIV was touching and educational. However, some of the gravity of his story felt lost due to the muddled performance style.

Hall started the performance well.

Entering a stage strewn with glitter, balloons and empty bottles; Hall’s tone was conversational as he apologised to the audience about the mess left over from the night before. This witty rapport continued as he told the story of attending his high school prom as a closeted gay man (circa 2003). A hilarious sequence ensued where Hall invited a member of the audience to join him on stage. The couple slow danced to Evergreen by Will Young as Hall reminisced about the suburban heterosexual life he once thought that he wanted, complete with a Vauxhall Astra. (The Pop Idol joke was one of many early noughties references which went slightly over my head).

The comedic aspects of ‘First Time’ were undoubtedly high points of the performance. For example, Hall depicted his first visit to a sexual health clinic by becoming the character of ‘Sue’.

He dressed behind a hospital screen, occasionally shaking out a gloved hand, in a style reminiscent of a burlesque show. Hall then emerged as a middle-aged NHS nurse who “just fell arse over tit in the lube cupboard!” This sequence was amusing and effective, Sue was warm and relatable which made it even more poignant when she told a 17-year-old Hall he had contracted HIV. However, this section of the play was immediately followed by Hall, stood centre stage, reading from a sheet of paper all the things he had done after his diagnosis. This was theatrically unimpressive,

and the statements seemed to have been curated for shock effect rather than to further the narrative.

Throughout the play light-hearted moments were often swiftly followed by shocking and grave declarations with no warning.

These drastic changes of tone repeatedly left me feeling uncomfortable and suggested a lack of care for the audience.

Some moments, unfortunately, were excruciatingly self-indulgent.

At one point, Hall offered two rather blank faced audience members crumpled tissues from his own pocket and told them it was ‘okay to cry’.

This moment embodied Hall’s entire performance, an important sentiment with poor execution.

The importance of Hall’s message must be noted. To have an HIV positive performer speak openly about their experience is a brilliant form of education and representation. The performance was created with support from The George House Trust — an excellent charity which provides confidential support for those living with or affected by HIV. I think the work Hall does with the charity, like speaking in schools is extremely important.

Furthermore, the poetry that he has written and performed at vigils was both witty and moving.

Regrettably, Hall’s talent as a public speaker did not translate theatrically.

His performance, although powerful at times, often felt clunky and without clear direction.

It felt centred around his role as a performer rather than including the audience in a collective experience.

‘First Time’ tackled an important subject, however the performance needs honing if it is to effectively communicate a (potentially) very powerful message.

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Arts

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Breaking the Occupation of the Mind: Art and Culture in Palestine

A R T E F A C T

Evan Saunders reviews a celebration of culture from Palestine at the Manchester Museum, where thought-provoking discussion overshadowed its rough edges

Photo: Hamish Brown

of

the week Photo: Richard Cooke @ Geograph

n this edition of Artefact of the Week, Saoirse Akhtar-Farren investigates Lemn Sissay’s ‘Rain’ on the side of Gemini Cafe, Waterloo Road

and perhaps could not be, a demonstration of art alone.

The Palestinian experience has become so characterised by struggle that it is now inseparable from conflict.

Arafat, for example, recounted how patterns sewn into traditional Palestinian clothing came to reflect the colours of military badges from when Palestine was under British colonial rule – a reminder of our own role in the suffering.

The event then moved upstairs for a performance of the celebratory folk dance dabke, accompanied by various traditional Palestinian pastries. There was no doubt that the four dancers from Hawiyya Dance Company, an all-female collective established in 2017, brought that sense of celebration.

Spirited and lively, the pleasure the dancers took in their art quickly spread to the audience, who clapped and cheered throughout.

A return downstairs saw Yemeni-Scouse poet Amini Atiq perform some of her

Review

As part of my walk from Fallowfield to Uni, I know my destination is on the horizon when my brow crumples in an attempt to figure out how the fragmented letters read, on left the side of Gemini Café on Dilworth Street.

The poem that adorns the café’s left side, is called “Rain.” It is a work by one of Manchester’s most famous poets, Lemn Sissay.

Intrigued by the artwork, I searched online intending to decipher what appeared to be a riddle, to awkwardly realise that the letters are read vertically...

‘Rain’, now legible, revealed an optimistic take on Manchester’s nation-famous weather. Yes, you guessed it — rain.

The rainy weather is described as the necessary factor in the natural phenomenon of rainbows, which I thought could reveal a deeper sentiment for Manchester, now being the third most friendly city for the LGBT+ community in Britain.

Just as the gay community have become role models for reclaiming historically offensive words such as ‘queer’, Sissay does the same for Manchester’s grey clouds and puddle-ridden streets.

Portrayed as inconvenient and disruptive, Sissay reclaims the unfavourable weather type as part of the “Mancunian way.” Indeed, Mancunians themselves treasure Sissay’s ‘Rain’, with one women tattooing “Mancunian way” on the inside of their arm, while another woman named her child ‘Rain’, after the poem.

Like many individuals raised in Britain, Sissay comes from a culturally diverse background, yet in just 22 words Sissay captures the Mancunian collective identity that is uniquely shared by individuals of all races, classes, and heritages.

‘Rain’ makes me internally smile.

For it is only the people who know Manchester that appreciate how rain can make us collectively think of inexhaustible happiness and opportunities in the face of such sad weather.

Regardless of the temperature, Manchester is home. vember wind I can’t help but feel a part of me drawn back to the provocative ogle of the Pampa Cat headdress and to the ancient hands who crafted it.

Any mention of Palestine immediately brings to mind the conflict which characterises the region. Given these seemingly intransigent struggles, it is difficult to imagine the survival of loftier ideals like art and culture. Yet this event at the Manchester Museum brought together academics and artists to showcase exactly how artistic expression is thriving amidst conflict.

It soon became clear that despite the ostentatious setting, the event itself would be a little less well-presented. Even with the late start and short supply of seating, however, the audience was undeterred, craning their neck at the back or peering through railings on the second floor (as I found myself doing) to glimpse the stage.

Former NUS President Malia Bouattia and current doctoral students at the University of Chester, Fadel Alsawayfa, and Muayyad Elwaheidi, started things off. They presented poetry and spoken word, interspersed with stories about daily life in Palestine.

Bouattia performed “To Our Land” by prominent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, whilst Muayyad evocatively told of his torturous wait for permission from Israeli authorities to leave for England, before being given only one days notice to say goodbye to his family and friends.

Respected artistic curator James Warmsley and current PhD student Beesan Arafat then showcased a variety of visual art. Work from contemporary artists like Larissa Sansour and Rana Bishara spanned photographs of cacti (a historic symbol of resistance in the region) to evocative geometric paintings.

They serve as clear testament to a culture that persists in the face of existential threats.

What quickly became evident was that this was not,

Photo: Photo: Evan Saunders @ The Mancunion.

work, before the arrival of a panel of speakers including rapper and activist Lowkey brought a more sombre mood. His firebrand speech dispensed with discussions of art and culture, instead explicitly denounced Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and the British military-industrial complex.

However, it was Dr Judy Price who best bridged this gap between art and politics when I asked what the role of young people could be in the ongoing discussion surrounding Palestine.

She explained by saying that it’s “about experience... it’s really around friendships... that’s where solidarity is at its strongest,” a fitting explanation for the importance of the event itself.

Art and culture are ultimately a way to share experiences and show solidarity, something that, despite the teething problems, this event did admirably for the Palestinian people.

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ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Fashion & Beauty

A loveletter to Matthew Williams’ ALYX

As their iconic rollercoaster buckle has rose ALYX to become one of the fashions’ most illustrious brands, Ella Searle examines Matthew Williams’ practices of success Originality and integrity is what makes Matthew Williams’ vision at ALYX so distinct.

Rising to categorical industry acclaim after just a few months since its start up back in 2015, and further skyrocketing to mainstream success following 1017 ALYX 9SM’s first runway show in the Paris SS19 menswear collections, it is significant how ALYX has continued to navigate its own distinct path to triumph. In a heavily saturated market, ALYX has arguably reached the pinnacle of the industry very quickly, distinctly creating illustrious aesthetics from their own timeless codes of the ‘modern classic’.

For those who aren’t familiar with his work, Williams has worked within the creative industries for over a decade, being an influential aide to huge visionary figures such as Lady Gaga and Kanye West. His eye for product came into view when he was 1/3 of the momentous #BEEN #TRILL collective, founded alongside the hugely successful Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston back in the 2012, pre-Instagram era. Unlike the other members of his former collective, ALYX’s work doesn’t depend upon atypical ‘streetwear’ codes such as those that heavily feature within both Preston’s own namesake label and Abloh’s Off-white. Instead, Williams’ vision transcends the seemingly crowded ‘hype’ fashion circuit, with his success rising out of the brand’s unorthodoxy. In an age of hype marketing and logo-centric design, ALYX has become a cult success due to their completely opposing processes, instead focusing on an investment in garment technology and utter perfectionism, ensuring total longevity for their product.

The ALYX brand wholly embodies a fusion between being luxurious, forward thinking and functional. Expressing how he feels emotion is heavily absent within many clothes and fashion of today, Williams makes clothes solely for the wearer and their personal experience, rather than the outside world.

ALYX’s signature feature is their rollercoaster buckle, and it is manifested across most of their product, on outerwear, premium crafted leatherwear and most recently on their Nike x AF1 collaboration. Williams’ aesthetic is a breath of fresh air, combining a distinctly underground, hybrid style, embodying features

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from a variety of inspirations such as Berlin’s bondage scene to his childhood codes of skating in California. Yet, the brand is continually driven and united by the functionality and craftsmanship lying at the heart of the creative process.

ALYX’s vision goes beyond the surface, being a brand that wishes to influence a much wider contemporary culture, rather than just idly producing clothing.

They recently -Photo:J E Theriot @ Flickr, Baubles: Petr Kratochvil @ PublicDomainPictures.net rebranded from ‘ALYX Studio’ to 1017 ALYX 9SM, referencing I see beyond fashion. We have wanted to work Williams’ birthdate and the brand’s founding studio address in NYC. The together for a long time, and this was the rebrand comes from a conscious move to convey perfect moment. For Dior, I wanted the most the brand’s storytelling elements, and it has modern interpretation of the buckle, which is clearly worked, as the brand possesses an what Matt does best.” Kim Jones admirably calls unmistakably strong identity that resonates for the retirement of the term ‘streetwear’, and being one of the leading high-profile forces that with an incredibly diverse market.

Amongst an industry that is currently under has combined such culture to luxury houses, he scrutiny for its wasteful, throwaway culture, wholly understands the changing codes of what ALYX adopts a sustainable, responsible position is desirable in the fashion industry; and as a at the centre of the brand. Williams, in an result this collaboration makes intuitive sense. interview with GQ claimed, “I believe that Williams hardware merges utility into luxury, there are too many clothes on this Earth. If I and it is significant how, in an ever-present am going to take the responsibility of making copycat culture, this collaboration is mutually clothing, I need to make something that deserves beneficial to both parties. The rollercoaster to exist”. Certainly what sets ALYX apart within buckle for Dior Men’s featured throughout the fashion industry is the consciousness of both Jones’ SS19 and Pre-Fall collections, their collections, striving to create garments incorporating existing brand elements to form a that people want in their wardrobes for bespoke CD buckle that was used across an array decades, rather than seasons. This sustainable of belts, hats and leather goods.

Although frequently associated within a and controlled approach was mirrored from the outset of the brand, as Williams’ showcased repertoire of ‘hype’ labels due to ALYX’s abrupt the brand’s first few seasons solely though rise to success, it’s apparent how Matthew lookbooks, opting to nurture and develop ALYX’s Williams’ brand stands head and shoulders above brand identity away from the rush and pressure his competition in our current age, obsessed with rapid consumption. Consistently being a of the runway spectacle.

ALYX’s colossal influence hasn’t existed visionary on the pulse of innovation, William’s within a vacuum, and instead the brand has been ALYX has taken the industry by storm by working making waves throughout the industry. Williams’ against the grain, instead building themselves hardware has most recently skyrocketed; being up slowly. In the midst of ever changing featured in his most recent and well-deserved changing style codes where casual and luxury collaboration within the genius Kim Jones’s clothing are malleable terms, ALYX is a brand debut collection for Dior Men’s. Jones in a that is synonymously timeless and elegant, and recent interview expressed, “I think Matt and is wholly deserving of such success.

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25 Days of Glam with the Revolution Advent Calendar Dureshahwar qureshi reviews Makeup Revolution’s beauty advent calendar, retailing at just £30

With Christmas just around the corner, and socials and parties filling our schedules, what could be better than being treated to a new makeup item on each day of December! Making an amazing alternative to chocolate, Makeup Revolution’s advent calendar retails at a very reasonable £30, and contains 25 pieces: working out at only £1.20 per product.

Firstly, there are an abundance of eye shadows behind the doors, which are ideal for creating a perfect christmas look, appropriate for any occasion, with any level of skill. Notably, there is an eye primer included, which has been a key product this year, necessary to prep the eyelid in order to build and create the perfect base for shadows to be applied upon.

Highlighters certainly have the power to

make or break a look, and fortunately this advent calendar contains different formulas and colours to suit everyone! Revolution have treated us to 3 creamy formulas, 2 powders and 1 liquid highlighter hiding behind the windows. Personally, my favourite had to be the cream highlighter as they are buildable. The highlighters are versatile and can be applied to give either an intense or subtle glow and are therefore suited to everyone’s personal taste.

8 lip products are also available within the calendar; in an array of 6 satin lipsticks and 2 glosses. The lipsticks come in staple colours, from nudes, to subtle pinks and ravishing reds, perfect for adding a touch of colour to a simple look. The formula of the products is fairly pigmented for such a low price, and

quite surprisingly doesn’t feel greasy or uncomfortable. To further enhance your look, I would suggest to add a touch of gloss on top of the lipsticks, as they contain a notable nonsticky formula.

Overall, I believe that Makeup Revolution’s advent calendar is a thoroughly good buy, and is a perfect gift for any makeup lover in your life. Given its incredibly reasonable price, it’s a no brainer, as you are able to test out a variety of great products without breaking the bank. My personal favourites are certainly the eyeshadow palettes, as the the colour options give you a versatility that is a lot greater than I expected for £30, and I was able to make an endless combination of looks. It’s Christmas, treat yourself!

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ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

‘Flatmas’

Food & Drink 27

Christmas Dinner on a Student Budgett The Mancunion gives you top tips on how to throw a Christmas dinner for your flatmates on a student budget and student culinary facilities

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Every December, hundreds of students across Manchester utter those fateful words to one another: ‘Shall we have a flat Christmas dinner?’

At first, it seems a wonderful idea: you picture pulling crackers with your best friends, a huge roasted turkey and drunkenly slurring along to Mariah Carey, arm in arm. But the time inevitably comes where you’re sweating over your Oak House hobs for hours (coincidentally with only two actually working) and eventually presenting some measly sprouts and burnt pigs in blankets to your flatmates’ great disappointment.

So, to avoid this disaster and ensure that you still get to enjoy Christmas a few weeks early with your home away from home, we’ve come up with our top tips for an easy, student budget Christmas dinner that won’t burn your halls (and your friendships) down.

Don’t buy a Turkey. I know, it is Christmas, you want a Turkey.

But chicken is so much cheaper and easier to cook. You’re much less likely to end up with a sad, dry piece of meat on your plate.

Ask people what they actually want and make a list. There’s no point spending time and money cooking a cauliflower cheese if only one person is going to eat it.

Buy some tin foil baking trays. Plates and cutlery can be easily washed, but trust me - roasting pigs in blankets can ruin your

baking trays. Plus, with tin foil ones, you don’t have to spend hours scrubbing away whilst everyone else is sipping on mulled wine, listening to Michael Bublé.

Leftover Christmas wrapping paper makes a great festive table cloth that can swiftly fold away all the gravy stains and crumbs.

If you have access to two kitchens, perfect! Divide up the cooking. But if not, it pays off to cook some elements of your dinner earlier in the day and give them a quick microwave re-heat before serving instead of dealing with everything at once. And trust me, no one will notice.

‘Christmas punch’ - aka red wine, fruit juice, and some cinnamon and orange slices goes a lot further and is a lot cheaper than any other alcohol.

Does anYone actually really like Christmas pudding?

Much more likely that everyone will enjoy a few mince pies or a chocolate log and it saves you the effort of steaming it. Or is it baking it?

Who even knows? Who even cares?

At the end of the day, the most important thing is to enjoy it! If you end up with charcoal rather than a feast, who’s bothered?

Just enjoy spending time with your friends, celebrate the end of a long semester and look forward to the perfect dinner cooked by, let’s admit it, those much more cApable than you on the 25th.

The Star of Christmas Dinner You came in swarms, you voted, you protested, and here we finally have it.

The stars of Christmas dinner are... pigs in blankets!

The delightful double-meat mouthfuls stormed home by 15 votes on The Mancunion’s poll on Fallowfield Students Group.

The rest of the rankings are as follows: 1. Pigs in blankets: 96 votes 2. Roasties: 81 votes 3. Yorkshire Pudding: 29 votes 4. Stuffing: 23 votes 5. Gravy: 10 votes 6. Parsnips: 9 votes 7. Turkey: 6 votes 8. Sprouts: 2 votes 9. Christmas Pudding: 2 votes 10. Carrots: 1 vote

Photo: Mary Eliza Haw eis

@W ik im ed ia

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Photos: YakivGluck@WikimediaCommons

A very Afflecks Christmas Helena Young attends ‘Afflecks After Dark’ and writes about what makes Afflecks a Mancunian must-visit this Christmas.

Afflecks has always had a strange mythology within Manchester. Its winding maze of indoor market stalls mixes the vintage, the artisan, and the downright weird. So, when we were invited to attend an event titled Afflecks After Dark, it only added more mystery as to what strange happenings we could expect.

In fact, the night did an excellent job of making its guests feel welcome and at ease.

We were immediately greeted with as much free alcohol as we could carry, set free to roam (get very lost) and sample some surprising delicious vegan bakes from Rowfers, the self-described “alternative” clothing and accessories store.

The event was to mark the official Christmas shopping countdown and there were plenty of festive deals being promoted throughout the night.

Retro clothing store, Your Totes Vintage, provided some extravagantly patterned Christmas jumpers to splash some colour to the autumnal wardrobe; and Jameson’s pop up bar offered jolly red Strawberry Daquiris packed with a juicy fragrance.

But perhaps the most surprising yuletide delicacy came from Ginger’s Comfort Emporium. A small ice-cream parlour run by Claire Kelsey, it

boasts a specialised menu of unique, seasonal flavours.

Claire allowed us a sneak preview of December’s upcoming specials, which included a delicious vegan clementine bergamot, and gin-soaked blackberry caramel.

They are guaranteed to relieve some of those winter blues.

Served with a delightfully snappy sugar cone, Ginger’s reminded us that ice-cream doesn’t have to be a seaside snack.

One slight dismay was the musical guest of the night. Manchester group, Everything Everything deejayed a short set which didn’t quite showcase the band’s twice Mercury prize shortlisted talents.

Only bass player Jeremy Pritchard actually appeared, representing his bandmates with a disappointing setlist lifted straight from the library of a Year 6 Christmas disco.

We’d been impressed by an array of Christmassy deals and tasty treats, but the evening’s greatest charm was always going to be one of Afflecks’ best-loved features: its people.

People like Sean, who runs Panic Posters and gave us an extensive run down of his favourite post-punk December hits. Afflecks has always attracted friendly, creative people, and tonight

Photos: Jody Hartley

was an opportunity to showcase their talents one-on-one.

With their wacky hairstyles and unrivalled Northern charm, they’re the people who care equally about their products and their city.

And most definitely, they’re what make Afflecks a Mancunian must-visit this Christmas.

Christmas Menu Book Now 2 Courses £18.00 / 3 courses £20.00 To book your party please email bars.su@manchester.ac.uk to enquire about availability ALL PRICES AND OFFERS APPLICABLE TO NUS CARD HOLDERS ONLY

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Lifestyle 29

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Sexual harassment is an epidemic in nightclubs

Sophia Ashby asks if there is a broken system which stops clubbers reporting incidents is contributing to attacks Sophia Ashby Lifestyle Editor Nightclubs have come under recent scrutiny for failing to keep customers safe. A video showing bouncers at Factory 251 hospitalising Joe Sharratt and his friend has shone a light on the dangers clubbing poses, but a subject that is far more widely prevalent is that of sexual harassment in nightclubs.

I conducted a survey asking students about their experiences on a night out, and the responses were upsetting. 194 people said that they had been groped in a club, and 116 admitted that they often feel vulnerable.

These figures become even more striking when only 12 participants said that they feel safe in nightclubs.

However, the most shocking realisation was how few people had attempted to report any incidents; six students said they had. But is this surprising? The security companies that nightclubs hire appear to be contributing to the culture of violence and harassment, rather than working to stop it.

One student, who wishes to remain anonymous, told me how reporting harassment had put her in a vulnerable situation. After pointing out two men in Fifth Nightclub who were acting inappropriately, the security guard forced her to approach the men to point them out.

“It made the situation worse. I was no longer a victim of sexual harassment, but a girl trying to ruin these men’s night.” One of the men later approached the girl to confront her on reporting him and his friend. “He shouted at me in the middle of the club. It was really intimidating. I hid in the toilets after that.”

This student’s account is frustratingly common and highlights the problematic culture of victim blaming. No effective system exists in nightclubs for people to report harassment without risking further harm. Many clubbers fear that their accusations will not be taken seriously if they attempted to report incidents. This is even more prevalent with male victims of sexual assault.

Two men contacted me to talk about their experiences of sexual harassment in clubs. Luke Marc said “I was a doorman for six years, working an average of four nights a week. I was groped a minimum of once a shift.” People employed by nightclubs are as vulnerable to assault as customers. Student, Josh Peters explained two separate occasions of assault. “A much older bloke started chatting to me and a friend. He then proceeded to offer us a round of drinks. After buying them he simultaneously grabbed both our penises.” Josh also told me about how a group of girls “screamed at [him] for not hooking up with their friend.”

Sexual harassment is an issue that is often only spoken about in relation to female experiences. Proportionally, more women are victims with 1/3 of women aged 14-21 experiencing sexual assault compared to 1 in 6 men.

However, the statistics for male assault are still unacceptably high. Authorities need to address male cases with the same level of seriousness and attention as female cases.

The harassment that occurs in clubs is a concentrated version of wider social problems. A culture of acceptance towards sexual assault in nightclubs works to inhibit the prosecution of perpetrators. Men and women feel that there is no effective system in place to protect them.

Until nightclubs make it easier to report harassment, people will suffer in silence.

Photo: xoder @Flickr

Celebrating the festival of lights Photo: PxHere

Victoria Evans reflects on the importance of remembering other cultural traditions, such as Hanukkah, during the Christmas period Victoria Evans Contributor

Photo: Victoria Evans

The month of December can only mean one thing.

Christmas, right? The countdown to the 25th creates havoc in a society obsessed with Christmas. However, looking beyond these festivities, Hanukkah takes place. Hanukkah or ‘Chanukah’ is an eight-day Jewish festival of lights. This year it is celebrated from the 2nd to the 10th December. It is typically celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, prayers, and fried foods. ‘Chanukah’ translates as ‘dedication’ in English, by means of its historical roots.

The story of Hanukkah originates from the Second Century B.C when Israel was ruled by Syrian Greeks.

They tried to force the Jewish people to follow Greek culture and beliefs with a rejection of commandment observance and belief in God. A small group of faithful Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, defeated the Greeks and reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. When they tried to light the Temple’s Menorah (a seven-branched candelabrum) they found only a small amount of olive oil that had not been contaminated by the Greeks. They lit the Menorah and the one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days. To commemorate these miracles, the festival of Hanukkah was born.

At the heart of Hanukkah is the nightly menorah lighting. It holds nine flames, one flame which is used to light the other eight candles. Each night an additional flame is lit and by the eighth night, all flames are burning. It is customary to recite special blessings before lighting and sing traditional songs afterwards.

Every Jewish household has a Menorah and in recent years many cities have seen the erection of ‘jumbo menorahs’.

Since the Hanukkah miracle involved oil, it is

tradition to eat foods fried in oil. Favourite delicacies include ‘sufganiyah’, the jelly-filled doughnut and ‘latkahs’, Jewish hash browns.

I asked members of JSoc (Manchester Universities Jewish Society) what Hanukkah meant to them. It seems that, culturally and collectively, the festival represents a time for family to come together to partake in the nightly activity of lighting the Menorah, singing songs, receiving gifts, and eating doughnuts. One JSoc member’s response emphasised how Hanukkah is coupled with nostalgia. She explained how Hanukkah concocts memories of winter childhoods spent with family: “Hanukkah is just how I imagine Christmas is to everyone else.”

If you are interested in joining in the festivities, Brunswick Park hosts Hanukkah festivities every night as another flame is kindled on the large menorah. Offering drinks and doughnuts, it’s a joyous spectacle to watch as people giddily dance to the traditional Jewish music playing from the speakers.

Hanukkah is a well-known festival but it’s not the only one. Other Jewish festivals throughout the year include Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year which takes place in autumn. Indulging in a large meal with family, it also involves a lot of praying. Ten days later is Yom Kippur, regarded as the holiest day of the year which requires a period of fasting. Purim takes place in early spring; everyone dresses in costumes to enjoy a meal and give to charity. Furthermore, Simchat Torah commemorates having finished reading the Torah and it usually falls in October.

Jewish festivals reflect the importance of upholding cultural beliefs and keeping traditions alive.

At a simpler glance, Hanukkah epitomises a passion for spending time with friends and family, the very essence of a Jewish festival.

30 Sport

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

England to play Netherlands in 2019 UEFA Nations League semi-final The winners will play either hosts Portugal or Switzerland in the final next June Chris Perrin Sport Contributor E ngland h ave b een d rawn aga i nst the Netherla nd s in the s emi-fin als of the U EFA Nat ions L eague. The tie will ta ke place in Gu imarae s on 6 June 2019, with the win ne r pl ayi ng either Portuga l or Sw it zerland in the fin a l on the 9t h.

E ngland impre ss ed in the group stage again st Spa in a nd World Cu p ru nne rs-u p C ro ati a, s ecu ring their place i n t he s emi-fin als last month a fter an in spiring come back aga i nst Croatia at We m bley.

Although E ngland may fa ncy thei r ch ance s of reach ing the fi na l , the Netherland s will prove to be a ch alleng ing te st for G a reth S outhgate’s s ide.

Not long ago, the Ne t he rland s app eare d to be lost in the wilde rne s s of i ntern ation al footba ll.

The Dutch failed to q u a lify for both the 2016 Eu rope a n C ha mpion sh ip s and the 2 0 1 8 World Cu p. You’d h ave be e n forgiven for th in k ing that they wou ld not h ave the q u ality to ove rcome G ermany and France in a tough Nation s L eague g rou p.

Ye t since the app ointme nt of Ron ald Koema n in February, the Nethe rla nd s have enjoyed a re su rge nce.

Aga in st the odds t hey fin is he d top of the i r g rou p.

Two com m a nd ing v ic tor ie s in front of home su pp or t stood out; 2-0 a nd 3 - 0 w i n s aga in st Fra nce a nd G e r m any re spe c tive ly.

L ike h is E ng l i s h cou nte rpa rt, Ko e m an e ncou rage s h is te a m to pl ay a fre e -f lowing , at t ack i ng style of play, we l l- su ite d to h is you ng a nd ene rge t ic s ide. T he spine of t he Dutch te a m fe atu re s s ome fa m ilia r face s to E ng l i s h fa n s : L ive r pool stars Vi rg i l Va n Dj ik a nd G e org i n io Wij n a ldu m , a nd for me r M a nche ste r Un ite d st r i ke r Me mph is De pay, who h as sta r te d living u p to h i s pote ntia l at Lyon .

The la st e ncou nte r be twe e n the two n at ion s was a frie nd ly in M a rch , whe n a Je s s e L inga rd goa l s e c u re d the win for E ng land . B ot h te a m s h ave deve lop e d a g re at de a l s ince the n , and t he sta ke s will be much h ig he r th is time rou nd .

S ome h ave b e l it t le d the Nation s L e ag ue, but it pre s e nts a g re at opp or t u n ity to win s ilve r wa re. B ot h E ng la nd a nd the Ne t he rl and s will re lis h th is opp or t u n ity.

The s e m i-fin a l next Ju ne prom is e s to be exc it i ng conte st .

Ada Hegerberg wins debut Ballon d’Or Féminin

Luka Modric also took home the men’s award, ending the decade-long Ronaldo-Messi duopoly Harry Deacon Sport Contributor A l and m ark d ay i n wome n’s fo ot b al l h as provided Ad a Hege r b e rg w it h t he f i rst eve r wome n’s B al lon d’O r t rophy. T he Nor weg i an st r i ke r, on ly 2 3 ye ars of age, blew away t he comp e t it ion i n 2 01 8 , he r go al s b eing c r uc i al i n Lyon’s dome st ic and Eu rop e an dou ble.

Hege r b e rg’s ach ieve me nt s t ran s ce nd b ot h t he wome n’s game and fo ot b al l i n ge ne ral . T he Lyon st a r was awarde d t he Nor weg i an S p or t sp e rs on of t he Ye ar i n 2 016, t r u ly s how i ng he r to b e an i n spi rat ion on and of f t he pitch . A f te r re ce iv i ng t he B allon d’O r Hege r b e rg st ate d , “I wante d to e nd w it h s ome word s for you ng g i rl s arou nd t he world : b e l ieve in you rs e lve s.”

Hege r b e rg’s r i s e to t he top of g lo b al fo ot b a ll is one to b e ad m i re d . A long s ide he r s i ste r, A nd r i ne, s he q u ick ly s hone i n Nor weg i an fo ot b al l , s cor i ng 1 5 go a ls i n 3 0 game s w it h Kol b ot n , b e fore mov i ng to S t a b æk.

It was at S t ab æk t h at Hege r b e rg t r u ly s howe d her t ale nt s, f i n i s h i ng top s core r i n t he 2 01 2 s e as on a s we l l as l i f t i ng t he Nor weg i an Wome n’s Cu p.

A sw i f t , and succe s s f u l , sp e l l i n G e r m any wa s fol lowe d by a move to Eu rop e an g i ant s Lyon i n 2 0 14 .

In F rance, Hege r b e rg b egan to s how he r dom i na nce on t he pitch . In he r f i rst 4 s e as on s Hege r b e rg won t he Cou p de F rance 3 t i me s, t he D iv i s ion 1 Fé m i nine 4 t i me s and t he UE FA Wome n’s Ch ampion s L e ag ue 4 t i me s, s cor i ng a st ag ge r i ng 17 5 go al s along t he way.

Hege r b e rg h as al s o h ad a g re at i mp ac t on her n at ion al te am , he lpi ng Nor way to t he f i n al i n t he 2 01 3 UE FA Wome n’s Eu rop e an Ch ampion s h ip. Her s ide n ar rowly lost out to G e r m any, los i ng 1- 0 i n t he

f ina l.

Alt hough t his wa s a historic day for women’s fo ot b a ll, t he event wa s t a inted by a com ment m ade by t he host , Ma rt in S olveig. In a sho cking moment on st age, t he DJ a sked Hegerb erg “do you know how to twerk?”

The ro om fell s ilent a s Hegerb erg brushed of f S olveig’s later s elf-pro cla imed ‘j oke’. In what wa s a n evening where b ot h t he ca reer of Hegerb erg a nd women’s fo ot b a ll in genera l s eemed to b e lo oking towa rds a bright f ut ure, t he pre s enter m a naged to revea l him s elf to b e liv ing in t he p a st .

In a n interv iew t hat to ok place a f ter t he awa rds, Hegerb erg revea led t hat S olveig had ap ologis ed but more imp ort a nt ly to her, she felt t he achievement of w inning t he Ba llon d’O r to b e “incredible” a nd t hat s he wa s “j ust happy”.

B eing only 23, Hegerb erg’s reign is surely one t hat w ill b e long-lived. However, a f ter only j ust pipping fellow S ca ndinav ia n Pernille Ha rder to v ictory t his yea r it is ev ident t hat t he comp et it ion at t he top of t he women’s ga me w ill only get st ronger.

E ls ewhere, Luka Mo dric won t he men’s Ba llon d’O r, put t ing a n end to t he decade-long suprem acy of L ionel Me ss i a nd C rist ia no Rona ldo. Wit h t he Argent inia n a nd Port ugue s e sup erst a rs s ha ring 5 t rophie s each s ince 20 0 8 , t he 33-yea r-old C ro at ia n ha s, to m a ny p eople’s surpris e, b een t he one to topple t he duop oly.

The awa rds were rounded of f w it h Kylia n M b app é t a king home t he Kop a (under-21) t rophy. The young F renchm a n won t he awa rd at a ca nter, prov ing why he is one of t he most t a lked a b out t a lent s in world fo ot b a ll at t he moment .

West Indies Batsman Chris Gayle awarded £173,000 in defamation case The 39-year old had sued for untruthful claims made about an alleged exposure to a massage therapist Sam Honey Deputy Sport Editor Former West Indies Test captain Chris Gayle has been awarded £173,000 in damages as part of the closure to a defamation case that has been ongoing for over two years.

The 39-year old is widely considered to be one of the greatest T20 batsman of all time, and has scored two triple centuries at test level, against South Africa in 2005 and Sri Lanka in 2010, one of only four players to do so.

The defamation case surrounds accusations against Gayle made by a massage therapist, who claimed that the cricketer exposed himself to her in a changing room in Sydney during the 2015 world cup.

The story was circulated through a number of articles published in national newspapers, including the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times, in January 2016.

Gayle was cleared of any wrongdoing in October 2017, in a ruling that confirmed that the series of articles reporting on the alleged incident were false, and motivated by malice.

Gayle’s legal them then

announced that would sue Fairfax Media, the company behind the story’s reporting, arguing that the media firm had set out to ‘’destroy’’ the Windies international’s reputation.

In the trial that cleared Gayle of any wrongdoing, it was found that Fairfax Media had not taken necessary steps to ensure the truthfulness of published content on the issue.

The claims against Gayle had gone viral in early 2016, with the Jamaican not cleared by jury until 21 months later.

On Monday 3 December, New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Lucy McCallum ordered that Fairfax Media pay $300,000 AUD to Gayle, who she said had been seriously affected by the allegations, that harmed his image as a respected batsman.

Gayle’s spokesman Grant Vandenberg said that Gayle was ‘’vindicated today by the judge’’, having ‘’already been vindicated by the jury.’’

“All he wants to do is play cricket and he’d really, really love to come back to Australia — a country that he loves as much as anywhere.’’

Fairfax Media are reportedly planning to appeal the verdict.

Ballon d’Or Winner Ada Hegerberg.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons @Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

Green Bay Packers fire coach Mike McCarthy after 13 years in charge Despite winning the 2010 Superbowl, the Green Bay Packers have lost five of their last six games in their worst season in a decade James Gill Sport Editor T he G re e n B ay Packe rs h ave f i re d he ad coach M i ke McCar t hy af te r 1 3 ye ars i n ch arge. McCar t hy’s fate was s e ale d af te r t he i r 2 0-17 los s to t he A r i zona Card i n al s, le av i ng h i s s ide t h i rd i n t he N FC Nort h d iv i s ion w it h a p o or 4 -7-1 re cord .

T he Wi s con s i n- b as e d te am won S u p e r B owl XLV i n 2 01 0 u nde r McCar t hy but h ave st r ug g le d i n re cent s e as on s, fai l i ng to m ake t he pl ay- of fs l ast yea r – bre ak i ng a st re ak t h at we nt b ack to 2 009.

McCar t hy ar r ive d i n 2 006, re pl ac i ng Mike S he r m an , fol low i ng st i nt s at t he S an F ranc i s co 4 9ers and New O rle an s S ai nt s as t he of fe n s ive co - ord i n ator.

H i s g re ate st ach ieve me nt d id n’ t h app e n u nt i l his t h i rd s e as on , howeve r, whe n de p ar t i ng q u ar te r b ack B re t t Fav re was re pl ace d by f i rst- rou nd d raf t pick Aaron Ro dge rs.

Ro dge rs prove d h i m s e l f to b e an i nc re dibly i n f lue nt i al pl aye r as he le d t he Packe rs to t he S up er B owl X LV ch ampion s h ip i n 2 01 0. He was n amed S u p e r B owl M V P as t he Packe rs b e at t he P it t s burgh S te e le rs 3 1-2 5 i n t he most-watche d prog ram in

America n telev is ion history at t hat t ime. The ga me is a ls o not a ble for hav ing p erhap s t he worst ever ha lf t ime show, p erformed by t he Black Eyed Pea s feat uring Usher a nd Sla sh.

Since t hen, t he Packers have fa iled to ret urn to t he Sup er B owl, tw ice los ing t he N FC C ha mpions hip ga me in 20 14 a nd 20 16. This s ea s on ha s b een t he worst under McC a rt hy w it h his side una ble to w in a single ga me on t he ro ad, a s well a s losing f ive out of t heir la st s ix ga me s.

Tea m pre s ident a nd C hie f E xecut ive Ma rk Murphy, t here fore, m ade t he decision, w it h four ga me s of t he regula r s ea s on le f t , to f ire McC a rt hy. “ The 20 18 s ea s on ha s not lived up to t he ex p ect at ions a nd st a nda rds of t he G reen Bay Packers,” he s a id. “Mike ha s b een a terrif ic head co ach a nd leader of t he Packers for 13 s ea s ons, during which t ime we ex p erienced a great dea l of succe ss on a nd of f t he f ield.”

O f fensive co -ordinator Jo e Phil bin ha s b een na med a s t he interim head co ach for t he f ina l ga me s of t he s ea s on. The cha nce s of Phil bin t urning t his s ea s on a round a nd ga ining a sp ot in t he playof fs is incredibly slim , w it h a ll four ga me s needing to b e won a s well a s favoura ble re sult s every where els e j ust for t he cha nce of b eing a w ild-ca rd q ua lif ier.

ISSUE 12 / 10th December 2018 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Sport 31

Wilder and Fury clash delivers Heavyweight drama in LA Two knockdowns and an especially suspect scorecard from judge Alejandro Rochin made the exciting fight a split draw

Louis Pescheux Sport Contributor T y s o n F u r y ’s u n b e l i e v a b l e c o m e b a c k t o t h e t o p of the boxing world was all but complete when the bell s ounded the end of 12 rounds at the Staple s C e nte r i n L os A nge le s on S at u rd ay n ig ht . But v ic tor y o v e r D e o n t a y W i l d e r f o r h i s W B C Wo r l d H e a v y w e i g h t title was not made official, two knockdowns and an e specially suspect s corecard from judge Alejandro R o c h i n m a d e t h e f i g h t a s p l i t d r a w.

T he f ig ht , re cog n i s e d a s t he big ge st he av y we ig ht contest of the year exceeded expectations, developing into an enthralling, tens e battle between the slick Mancunian, and the unre fined but i nc re d i bly p owe r f u l A me r ica n . T hey gave u s a not he r he av y we ig ht t it le f ig ht to re me m b e r a nd s howca s e d exactly what make s them two of the most exciting fighters in the sport.

It began as expected, slowly with the focus being on e stablishing the lead hand. Through the e a r l y r o u n d s F u r y ’s a c t i v e g u a r d , p r o a c t i v e h e a d movement, and feints kept Wilder under control with Fury only jabbing the head when Wilder went straight back or was frozen by the feints.

Wi lde r me a nwh i le lo oke d to l a nd h i s m i s s i le of a right hand without much success, scoring best with jabs to the body and glancing le ft hooks when exiting exchange s. In the middle rounds, Fury looked very much on top, getting home with the jab and finding openings for s everal clean right hands as Wilder f a i l e d t o a d j u s t t o F u r y ’s d i s r u p t i v e r h y t h m .

However Wilder can never be entirely neutralis ed, h av i ng k no cke d out 5 of h i s l a st 7 opp one nt s a f te r t he 7 t h rou nd , a nd i n rou nd 9 Fu r y gave h i m a ch a nce to get back into the fight. A Wilder right glanced off F u r y ’s c h e e k a s h e b a c k e d t o a c o r n e r. W i l d e r p u t o n the pre ssure with the same jab, straight right, le ft hook combination Fury had been slipping all night.

But Fury had become too comfortable, dropping his hands and relying on his re f lexe s to de fend hims elf. He was a fraction to slow though, the le ft Photo: Elmar 78 @ Wikimedia Commons

hook caught him on the chin, the follow up right hook caught the top of his ducking head and he s l i p p e d t o t h e f l o o r.

Unhurt he pos ed for the cameras be fore rising to face two m i nute s of a D e ont ay Wi lde r who cou ld s me l l b l o o d i n t h e w a t e r. Ye t ‘ T h e G y p s y K i n g ’ f l i p p e d t h e s c r i p t a g a i n , r i d i n g W i l d e r ’s o n s l a u g h t w h i l e l a n d i n g a co u p l e o f s we e t co u nt e rs , a rg u a b ly f i n i s h i n g t h e round in better shape than the fatiguing champion.

Rounds 10 and 11 returned the bout to its usual rhy t h m t houg h Wi lde r wa s a ble to l a nd on Fu r y more regularly in the penultimate round. The 12th rou nd t houg h i s whe re t h i s f ig ht w rote it s way i nto b o x i n g h i s t o r y, w i t h W i l d e r n e e d i n g a k n o c k o u t i n the view of the majority of viewers, fireworks were guaranteed.

Wilder re fus ed to throw caution to the wind, still trying to set up the right-hand Fury had been calmly duck i ng away f rom to h i s r ig ht a l l n ig ht . But by de fending the straight right identically almost every time, Fury allowed one aimed just a few inche s lower to crack him on the temple and s end him to t he ca nva s, Wi lde r h ad f i n a l ly adj u ste d .

A le f t ho ok on t he way dow n app e a re d to h ave s e a l e d a r e m a r k a b l e t i t l e - s a v i n g v i c t o r y. T h o s e w a t c h i n g u n d e r e s t i m a t e d T y s o n ’s r e s o l v e , h i s c h i n , a nd t he ye a r a nd a h a l f he sp e nt work i ng h i s way back to the top, culminating in a re surrection from a punch which had knocked out every single one of t h e B r o n z e B o m b e r ’s p r e v i o u s o p p o n e n t s .

From f lat on his back, with his eye s shut Fury finished the round clowning with his arms behind his back in between sharp counters which potentially won him the round. Fury demonstrated the mental strength that led him out of drug addiction and depre ssion in making it through 12 rounds on S a t u r d a y, a n d i n t h e e y e s o f m o s t c l a i m e d a d e c i s i o n win and a world title.

H o w e v e r, h i s t o r y h a s s h o w n i t i s v e r y d i f f i c u l t for a British challenger to win a decision over an A me r ica n he av y we ig ht ch a mpion i n t he US, go i ng b a c k a s f a r a s To m m y F a r r a g a i n s t J o e L o u i s i n 1 9 3 7,

a n d m o s t n o t o r i o u s l y i n L e n n o x L e w i s ’s f i r s t f i g h t w i t h E v a n d e r H o l y f i e l d i n 1 9 9 9.

And again, history was not kind to the British f i g h t e r. W i n n i n g m o s t r o u n d s w i t h o u t d o m i n a t i n g , meant the champ often got the benefit of the doubt in thos e le ss busy rounds, and Wilder held on to his b e l t w i t h s c o r e c a r d s o f 1 1 5 - 1 1 1 W i l d e r, 1 1 4 - 1 1 0 F u r y, and 113-113.

T h i s i s d e s p i t e p u b l i c o p i n i o n f a v o u r i n g F u r y, a n d t h e A m e r i c a n b o x e r ’s p r o m o t e r b e i n g h e a r d on t he bro adca st te l l i ng Fu r y ‘ you won’ b e fore t he decision was announced. As expected we will now likely get an even more lucrative rematch, offering an opportunity for Wilder to silence his critics and keep Fury down for a 10 count and for Fury to add another chapter to his now remarkable postK l i t s c h k o c a r e e r.

The undercard offered up a s erie s of showcas e fights for intriguing talent at varying stage s of deve lopme nt . B r it i s h S u p e r He av y we ig ht Oly mpic silver medallist Joe Joyce maintained his momentum towards bigger fights by knocking out American journeyman Joe Hanks in the first round with the same combination which Fury survived in the main event.

A p ote nt i a l next opp one nt for Joyce a nd D e ont ay W i l d e r ’s l a s t v i c t i m v e t e r a n L u i s O r t i z g o t a w i n on t h i s ca rd a s we l l , dom i n at i ng a caut iou s Trav i s Kauffman who he knocked down in the 6th, 8th and the 10th be fore stopping him on his feet a minute or s o be fore the final bell.

The co-main featured unified light middleweight champion Jarrett Hurd getting back in the ring after his impre ssive victory over veteran champion Erislandy L ara in April. He fought domestic British m i d d l e w e i g h t c h a m p i o n J a s o n We l b o r n w h o c a m e forward all night, while Hurd appeared to work on his de fence and look to get rounds in.

In the 4th, Hurd finished the E nglishman with an a c c u r a t e r i g h t u p p e r c u t t o t h e l i v e r t o h a l t We l b o r n in his tracks. Expect to see the winners in much m o r e c o m p e t i t i v e f i g h t s i n t h e n e w y e a r.

Interview: Nick Fraser, co-creator of Bands FC Kane’s penalties. Trippier’s free-kick. Beer flying everywhere. In a year where football has undergone a renaissance, Bands FC shines above the rest as a home for the unique Ethan Davies Editor-in-Chief Bands FC are something a little bit different. Combining elements of football club badges with musicians’ logos, what started as a fun Twitter-based venture has now been featured in The Guardian, NME, and BBC North West Tonight. Their exhibitions have traversed the globe, with the show currently in Nottingham, but has visited New York City, Halifax, and Salford Lads’ Club, made famous by The Smiths’ iconic photo shoot.

I spoke to Nick Fraser, co-creator of the project to learn more about how Bands FC started, and where he thinks it all fits into what has truly been a renaissance year for football in the UK. So how did Nick and Mark (the other co-creator) get started? “It was just before the World Cup, and we realised that if any band was going to get a look-in during the World Cup, we might have to make them a bit more footbally.”

It’s an unforeseen success story for Nick, who says that “anyone who says, ‘hey, did you think you’d go do an exhibition in New York’, we didn’t imagine we’d do more than tweet a couple.”

I was keen to see where Nick gets the inspiration for the crests, even after the end of England’s heatwave-and-pint-throwingfuelled World Cup run. He rightly points out that all of the crests have a football root — “if you take, for example, the font that’s used.

Bands tend to go for crazy fonts, think of Iron Maiden for example, whereas football teams go for fonts that you might think of as ‘boring’.

“But [football clubs] all have a badge — they’ve all got a handle on graphic design better than bands.”

Trying to marry the two — the identity of the band’s crazy font and the identity of the club — is the “trick” in Nick’s eyes.

“Some of them aren’t so tricky. Death Cab For Cutie — the initials of Death Cab For Cutie are DCFC, that’s Derby County Football Club!

“Others, for Liam Gallagher’s we’ve used the tambourine for the Manchester City badge. It still says quite a lot about Liam.”

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There are some with extra layers of a link that often one might miss on their first glance: “Take the Franz Ferdinand one. It’s a great looking piece of design, but if you ever were to ask someone what the team was, if you know a bit about music, [you’d know] they’re Scottish, so [you’d say] ‘are they a Scottish team?’

“But from that one it’s a completely different angle, it’s FK Sarajevo, which is where the real [Archduke] Franz Ferdinand was shot dead. There’s a few different ones like that — Ultravox is Rapid Vienna.”

Twitter has been a huge help for the duo. As mentioned before, Nick didn’t think Bands FC would go beyond a few images posted online, but now the account has a 45,000-strong following. It’s a unique insight behind the project, with sketches, news, and exclusive merchandise all being released through their account.

There’s a real feel online that Bands FC is exactly that — a club for music and football fans alike to come together to celebrate their mutual loves through design. Most love it, but some unfortunately miss the point.

“People have said ‘The Cure? Nottingham Forest? The Cure are from Crawley!’ and it’s like wow! We used Nottingham Forest for The Cure because they did a song called ‘A Forest’, and that’s what a picture on the badge.

“I’ve said to people on Twitter a few times that if we did based on where the Bands were from, we’d have done three, got bored, and gone out. And never come back!”

“It has to engage us”, Nick adds. He’s right, too. There’s a soul in Bands FC which is arguably missing from the vast majority of football today, and that soul comes from the passion, creativity, and joie de vivre of the team behind it.

That joy of life is important to Nick. Bands FC is serious about raising funds for charity, but he also recognises that it’s a bit of fun, too.

“The frequently asked question is ‘what if the team I love is not a band I love?’ The answer is simply ‘remember that you’re actually a grown-up’.

“Don’t switch on the news, there’s real stuff on there!”

Bands FC are part of two larger movements, in some ways. The first is that they’ve has raised thousands for charities. Their PulpSheffield Wednesday shirt was created on the permission of Pulp to raise money for Sheffield’s Children Hospital, and Jarvis Cocker was one of the customers.

Nick and the rest of the team often make merchandise only with the blessing of the band in question, and for charity. “A lot of Manic Street Preachers fans asked us to make the enamel badges, and we said ‘we do so with the say-so of the band, and then find a charity’.

“Then Sean Moore, the drummer, jumped in and said ‘Wow, looks amazing so let’s do it’ so we’re doing a thing with Manics.”

Their second larger movement is football based. After years of commercialism, football is being hit by the DIY wave that started in punk-rock some years ago. Fanzines are now the rise, as is footballinfluenced fashion.

“Yeah I think so [too], social media’s helped that. One thing people say is ‘why has no-one done this before?’ Try doing this in 1987! Where would you do it? Put posters up?

“Another thing not to be underestimated is that football used to be a boys’ game, a lads’ game. It’s now quite across the board.”

Bands FC is across more than one board, too. It’s not just about boys and girls, or football and music. It’s a representation of the good of social media, bringing people together over something they genuinely love. The exhibitions and charity fundraisers are more than that, too.

What started as a way for bands to get a look in during the 2018 World Cup is now a home for the musical, a home for the charitable, a home for the football fan, a home for the DIYenthusiast.

It’s a club.

If you’d like to view Bands FC, you can check them out on their website, or Twitter. All the crests are free to view online, and they’ll next be in the North West from 7th-13 January at the British Music Experience in Liverpool. Go along, and you’ll join the club.

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