Issue 14

Inside Culture: 15

The Streets Live Review: 17

Lowry and the PreRaphaelites: 25

Wolf Italian Street Food Review: 27

FRE

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4th February 2019 / Issue 14

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Emus on treadmills

Yes, you read that right... The Mancunion goes inside the University’s Animal Research Unit

Ethan Davies Editor-in-Chief Many of you may know that there’s a unit at University which tests on animals. Some of you may see this as a necessary evil, some may see it a moral abomination, and some may not care. The Mancunion were invited for an exclusive tour of the Animal Research Unit (ARU) at the top of the Stopford building to find out what the real story is.

Before we started the tour, I was first given some background to the ARU. One member of staff believed this ARU was the most open University facility of its kind in the UK, given they have a virtual tour that anyone can view online. The annual cost of running the ARU is approximately £2.2 million, which is funded solely from grant money — no tuition fees go to running the facility.

My guide was Graham Morrissey, Director of the Biological Services Facility (BSF), who’s

Headlines this week

worked at the University for 40 years, and was keen to reassure me that nothing was off-limits on our tour. He said he’d show me certain rooms of interest, but I was welcome to ask to go into any room we walked past.

He was surprised to learn that I don’t have a science background — apparently, one GCSE in Biology isn’t enough to cut it these days — but as a vegetarian, he understood why I had concern for the animals’ welfare.

The first area we visited were the mice, but not just any mice. Mice that were kept in wholly sterile conditions, so no bacteria could enter their systems to affect any experiments which are reliant on certain gut flora not being present.

Not all mice are kept in this way however, and the next few rooms of the tour showcased this: thousands of mice — 27,498 mice were used in procedures in 2017 — were being kept in pet-shop sized cages. They’re kept for a variety of reasons, but Graham assured

Students frustrated by access to new Business School Page 2

me that in order to get a project licence from the Home Office, the experiment must aim to use the least sentient creatures that would provide a worthwhile result. As technology has advanced, the need for primates like monkeys has reduced, so much so that the ARU hasn’t kept any monkeys for eight years.

It was in this first third of the tour that I saw perhaps the most spine-tingling sight: a mouse recovering from an operation in which it had had a craniotomy — when a flap of skull is temporarily removed to access the brain — and an injection is administered into its brain. The experiment, I was told, was to aid research in dementia and Alzheimer’s, which makes up a large body of the Unit’s work, alongside cancer research, and the effects of global warming.

Sam Honey and Chloe Hatton Head News Editor and Societies Editor Students claim cockroaches and mice are roaming one of the University of Manchester’s halls of residence – four months after they first complained of an infestation.

In September, The Mancunion revealed students in Owens Park were “living in fear” over the problems. They also reported sewage leaks.

At the time, the University responded by claiming that a full refurbishment of the accommodation had been undertaken during the summer of 2018.

Story continues on page 8... Story continues on page 2...

Holocaust denial on the rise across campuses Page 3

Little Court, big problem

Manchester top of graduate employer list Page 3

Puzzle Page!

Page 14

2 News

Inside Issue 13

Alliance Anger: Students frustrated by access to new Business School Sam Honey Head News Reporter

Weathering the ‘Perfect Storm’ in education Investigations, page 7

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

University of Manchester students have expressed their frustration after it was revealed brand new facilities will be available to only thos e studying enrolled on a Business module.

Alliance Manchester Business School (MBS) underwent a major renovation programme as part of t h e u n ive r s i t y ’s w i d e r £ 1 b i l l i o n Campus Masterplan.

New features include the Eddie D a v i e s L i b r a r y, 1 , 3 2 0 m e t r e s i n s i z e , an Executive Education Centre with translation booths, and University G re e n , a 4 0, 5 0 0 s q u a re fo ot re t a i l and leisure space boasting a Five Guys and Co-op supermarket.

Although such retail outlets will be open to the public, new learning space s have been re s erved for use by those that are studying an Alliance MBS module.

The module-based access system is similar to that of the Stopford Building, where UoM ID cards prevent students on certain courses using work space, despite having lecture s held there.

Te c h n i c a l l y, access to new facilities could be gained by taking

an elective Business module, r e g a r d l e s s o f s c h o o l o r f a c u l t y.

The substantial inve stment has sparked c o n t r o v e r s y, especially considering the routine pressures of overcrowding in the Alan Gil bert Learning Commons and other study spaces on Main Campus during the January exam period.

The opening of the new Eddie Davie s library has als o s een the closure of existing university facilities.

The Precinct Library is being amalgamated into the new Alliance MBS building, meaning that a number of students are losing study space with no replacement.

An unnamed 2nd year student voiced their frustrations over the new addition to the Oxford Road campus. “ I wo u l d s ay t h a t i t ’s r i d i c u l o u s that they’ve spent so much money on a business school with new librarie s when other students can’t us e them. Why have they inve sted our money into a facility that we can’t even us e?

“Why can’t we enter? I am furious that we’ve been sidelined for the degrees we’ve chosen. I think, especially during revision season when the library and Ali G are overcrowded, we need more space

and the new business libraries are a brilliant way to s ort this problem o u t e a s i l y. ” A spokesperson from Alliance MBS said: “The renovation is p a r t o f t h e U n ive r s i t y ’s c a m p u s masterplan. It received further funding from Lord Alliance of Manchester and £ 9.7 m i l l ion funding from HEFCE-managed UK Re s earch Partnership Inve stment.

All University students who are enrolled on an Alliance MBS module will have acce ss via their ID cards.

This includes full-time and parttime Alliance MBS students across a l l of ou r Unde rg radu ate, M a ste rs, MBA, Postgraduate Research and Executive Education programmes, and students studying a single or multiple Alliance MBS modules, regardless of their school or f a c u l t y.

This is the same principle the Stopford Building uses for medical students, and various engineeringbased buildings across campus.

Like any building project of this size, there are still glitches that need to be ironed out and we will be working with our students, staff and alumni to make sure that the space works for them in the best p o s s i b l e w a y. ”

Fal-low: has Fallowfield hit rock bottom?

Features, page 9

Photo: Mike Peel @Wikimedia Commons

Corrections & Clarifications In defence of the New Year’s resolution Lifestyle, page 29

Follow us on Contact us Editor-in-Chief: Ethan Davies editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor: Amy Wei deputyeditor@mancunion.com Online Editor: Jeremy Bijl online@mancunion.com Print Editor: Kizzy Bray design@mancunion.com

Head News Editor: Sam Honey Deputy Editors: Emily Broncz and Shivani Kaura news@mancunion.com

The editorial staff at The Mancunion would like to make the following clarifications and c o r re c t i o n s t o l a s t we e k ’s ( I s s u e 13, 28/1/2019): I n o u r s t o r y p a g e 6 s t o r y, “Manchester ranks in top five UK cities for f ly-tipping”, we wrongly listed The Furniture Recycling Group as ‘The Future

features@mancunion.com Opinion Editor: Sophie Marriott Deputy Editor: Cachella Smith opinion@mancunion.com

R e c y c l i n g G r o u p ’ . We w o u l d l i k e to apologise to The Furniture r e c y c l i n g g r o u p f o r t h e e r r o r.

I n o u r p a g e 3 s t o r y, “ S U G e n Sec: BDS makes Jewish students feel unsafe”, we wrongly listed the headline above. It should have read ‘SU G en Sec: BDS protests can make Jewish st ude nt s a “ t a rge t ” ’ .

Deputy Editor: Aisha Al-Janabi film@mancunion.com

Stewart food@mancunion.com

Fashion and Beauty Editor: Ella Searle fashion@mancunion.com

Arts Editor: Bella Jewell arts@mancunion.com

Science & Technology Editor: Jacklin Kwan science@mancunion.com

Societies Editor: Chloe Hatton societies@mancunion.com

Investigations Editor: Felix Hanif-Banks investigations@mancunion.com

Music Editor: Olivia White Deputy Editor: Jake Oliver music@mancunion.com

Games Editor: Jeremy Bijl games@mancunion.com

Features Editor: Liv Clarke

Film Editor: Tobias Soar

Food & Drink Editor: Catrin

Books Editor: Gurnaik Johal books@mancunion.com

Theatre Editor: Anuli Changa theatre@mancunion.com Lifestyle Editor: Sophia Ashby lifestyle@mancunion.com Sport Editor: James Gill Deputy Editor: Harry Deacon

We w o u l d l i k e t o a p o l o g i s e to the University of Manchester Students’ Union Executive General S e c r e t a r y, Fatima Abid, and the University of Manchester Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement for this e r r o r.

Both errors have been rectified on mancunion.com

sports@mancunion.com Chief Sub-editor: Alex Cresswell Sub-editors: Rona McCann, Mia Gair, Alex Ross, Georgia Hickey Design Editors: Izzy Oldman, Josie Fowler, Liv Clarke, Anja Samy, Ellis Coopey, Chloe Hatton.

Head of Marketing: Chris Barter marketing@mancunion.com Marketing Team: Hattie Bunnell, and Charlie Mathews.

Editorial Advisors: Nicole Wootton Cane, James Graham, Elizabeth Donevan.

Letters & Complaints: complaints@mancunion.com Legal: legal@mancunion.com Advertising: Elizabeth Donevan elizabethdonevan@googlemail. com

News

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Continued from page 1:

Exclusive: Little Court, big problem as Owens Park infestation strikes again Sam Honey and Chloe Hatton Head News Editor and Societies Editor Fo l l ow i n g t h e l a t e s t ro u n d o f complaints a spokesman said the University had been working with pest control contractors to eradicate the problem.

There have als o been claims that rats have been spotted in Oak Hous e, and another student reported seeing mice in the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons on Main Campus.

One Oak House resident said: ‘’If people have cockroache s and rats in their accommodation it is an absolute disgrace and the University h a s a d u t y t o h e l p t h e m . I t ’s t i m e for [the University] to do something about the appalling conditions some students in Fallowfield are subject to.’’

Another said: “How are you ch a rg i ng u s a l most £ 6,0 0 0 a ye a r?

The University has got better with d e a l i n g w i t h [ t h e p ro b l e m ] , b u t i t ’s taken four months to reach this point.”

Owens Park is home to roughly 600 students, and with prices starting at £144 a week, some feel they are not g e t t i n g v a l u e f o r m o n e y.

One Little Court resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said their f latmates were tackling the problem themselves by blocking h o l e s i n t h e i r w a l l s w i t h t i s s u e p a p e r, a n d u s i n g c o c k r o a c h s p r a y.

The same student added that some flats in Little Court had been infested with mice “for a while”. They added that the University had used a pest control service to curb the problems – by filling gaps and cracks

in the walls – but no guarantees were given about how successful these measures would be.

The Little Court students say they should be “treated with more re s p e c t ” , a n d t h a t t h e U n ive r s i t y ’s system had not approached the problems p r o p e r l y, with only individual ResLife officers showing concern.

The same students said that no rent reduction had been offered, but they had been given the opportunity t o s w i t c h h a l l s . H o w e v e r, t h e L i t t l e Court occupants who first spoke to The Mancunion remarked that students should not be forced to compromise the social experience of halls by moving out.

A University spokesman said: “Since reports of pest activity first surfaced, we have been

working proactively with our pest control contractors to eradicate t h e p r o b l e m . We h a v e i n v o k e d a regime of continuous monitoring and eradication of pe sts and have implemented a regime of cleaning kitchens on weekdays daily and removing excessive waste and recycling. “ We s c h e d u l e d a o n e - o f f b e d r o o m clean to all rooms in Little Court commencing on January 28, followed by a room inspection with our pest control contractor to ensure there are no further building remedial measures required.

“Residents are able to report issues on the buildings maintenance system so they can be tracked easily and reported on for action to our c o n t r a c t o r. ”

Holocaust denial and far-right attitudes on the rise across campuses

In a new revelation, it has been found that cases of antisemitic abuse almost tripled between 2015 and 2017 Sam Honey Head News Editor Experts have warned that farright sympathies are becoming more common on university campuses across the UK. This follows the reported trend of Holocaust denial experiencing a rise among young people.

Fa r- r ig ht ac t iv i st s a re t a rge t i ng students and university campuses, as a possible source of mobilisation for their causes – a range of antisemitic material is appearing around UK institutions, including graffiti and swastikas.

Back in O c t o b e r, T h e Mancunion broke a story that revealed that a series of antiimmigration propaganda had been placed around campus by far-right g r o u p G e n e r a t i o n I d e n t i t y.

T he ac t t a rge te d s a fe sp ace s and called on students to “join the patriotic revolution”. International Students’ Officer Riddi Viswanathan was then the victim of a string of online abuse when she used her social media platforms to reach out and condemn the actions of the group. The two incidents have bred an awarene ss of the underlying currents of extremist attitudes at establishments throughout the c o u n t r y.

Data gathered

by The Independent has confirmed an increase in antisemitic incidents between 2015 and 2017 at 19 institutions.

Although eight cases of abuse were recorded in 2 0 1 7, it is believed that the number could b e s u b s t a n t i a l l y h i g h e r. A r a n g e o f incidents may have been kept under

wraps due to universities’ concern over exposing thos e involved, and also the difficulty of detecting casual abuse and that conducted over social media.

Dave Rich, who is the head of policy for the Community Security Tr u st (C ST ) , a n orga n i s at ion t h at tracks antisemitic abuse, said that all o c c u r r e n c e s c o u l d b e t r a c k e d : “ We d o believe that incidents go unreported where Jewish students feel that they cannot change what has happened, especially online.’’

It is believed that seven Russell Group universities reported examples of abuse, including an antiZionist outburst during a seminar at S h e f f i e l d H a l l a m U n i v e r s i t y.

Joe Mulhall, a researcher at Hope not Hate, warned that the age-based stereotypes of far-right views are rapidly shifting.

‘’There was a time when Holocaust denial in the UK was an increasinglyageing pursuit. It was elderly men in duffel coats. ‘’With the internet, we have started t o s e e a y o u n g e r, n e w e r g e n e r a t i o n of Holo cau st de n i a l e me rg i ng , wh ich ties into things like the alt-right, and that is really really concerning.’’

Mu l h a l l a l s o a rg ue d t h at t he rapidly-declining availability of first-hand accounts of atrocities is having an e ffect. ‘’Every year we get closer to the stage where there will be no survivors and first-hand testimonies. As these t h i n g s f a d e d e e p e r i n t o h i s t o r y, people who are trying to destroy the truth of the Holocaust may begin to f i n d i t e a s i e r. ’ ’ T h e U n ive r s i t y o f M a n c h e s t e r ’s Jewish Society has been approached for comment.

Manchester remains top of graduate employer list for second year in a row Emily Broncz Deputy News Editor The University of Manchester has recently announced that it has held on to its title as the top university targeted by graduate employers.

High Fliers Research, an independent market research c o m p a n y, p u b l i s h e d a r e p o r t w h i c h saw the University outperform over 140 other universities in the UK. The data was compiled from the most current vacancies and starting salaries for graduates at some of the most prestigious and established e m p l o y e r s i n t h e c o u n t r y.

Manchester beat Bristol, B i r m i n g h a m , Wa r w i c k a n d U n i v e r s i t y College London (UCL) with Oxford

and Cambridge being listed at sixth a n d t e n t h , r e s p e c t i v e l y.

This continues the trend of Manchester being one of the leading British universities for setting the standard for graduate employment after it was named 5th in the UK by t h e Q S Wo r l d U n i v e r s i t y R a n k i n g s a t t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e a c a d e m i c y e a r.

The rankings took into consideration factors such as involvement of students in campus events hosted by employers in addition to how graduate positions w e r e a d v e r t i s e d b y t h e u n i v e r s i t y.

The University of Manchester suggested that the list of universities featured was streamlined due to limited resources meaning that not all educational institutions could

b e t a r g e t e d i n t h e s a m e w a y. T h i s subsequently meant that a smaller number of universities were focused on.

H i g h F l i e r s Re s e a rc h’s re p o r t , The Graduate Market in 2019, stated that opportunities are predicted to improve tremendously in the coming y e a r, a s r e c r u i t e r s i n 1 1 o u t o f 1 5 key business sectors aim to offer 2019 graduates a role at the end of t h e i r s t u d i e s . Va c a n c i e s a r e s e t t o increas e by 9.1% in total, which is the sharpe st increas e since 2010.

Public s e c t o r, accounting and professional service roles, and engineering and industrial companies aim to be three of the large st employers, planning to collectively open more than 1,500

roles to graduates.

Tammy G oldfeld, Head of the Careers Service at the University of M a n c h e s t e r, p r o v i d e d a s t a t e m e n t i n w h i c h s h e s a i d : “ We ’ r e d e l i g h t e d t o be the top destination for graduate employers for a second year running. “ I t ’s t e s t a m e n t t o h ow c l o s e ly we work with employers and students to ensure that careers fairs and workshops are busy and offer high quality jobs, internships, and talks, so it is really good news that we’ve topped the list in this report.

“The results show that Manchester really is a great place to study if you want to make a success of your c a r e e r. ”

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Tuition fees for two-year degrees to rise to over £11,000

While students would still save over £5,000 by sacrificing a year of their degree, they would now have to pay five figures per academic year Rona McCann Sub-Editor MPs have backed legislation that could see the price of completing a two-year undergraduate degree rise to £11,100 a year, from the £9,250 per year of a traditional three-year course. Universities will be given the option to choose to charge students any fee up to the £11,100.

Accelerated two-year degrees allow students to graduate a year earlier than from the standard three-year programme, having undergone a more intensive academic structure.

The price students must pay to complete their degree early through this structure is £1,750 extra per year, with yearly fees of three-year degrees being capped at £9,250 per year. The larger fee is justified by greater amount of teaching time required for students to complete a two-year programme.

Overall, students on a two-year course will save £5,500 to complete their degree.

The Department of Education has stated

this also offers students the opportunity to save on maintenance costs they would have otherwise paid for a third year at university.

A hope is that the new optional system will ease the debt burden that students are left with after completing their degree.

Matt Waddup, head of policy at the University and College Union, has commented on the government’s need to fix a system that avoids such colossal debt.

“Instead of gimmicks which risk undermining the international reputation of our higher education sector, the government should focus on fixing the underlying problems with our current finance system which piles huge debts on students.

“This decision is not about increasing real choice for students, it is about allowing for-profit companies access to public money through the student loans system.

“Without proper safeguards, accelerated degrees will quickly become devalued, but the government shows no signs that it understands this.”

The Mancunion has reached out to

students at the University of Manchester for comment on the proposed two-year degree system.

Eve Hudson, a third year Law student, says that two-years degrees “sound like a great idea in practice, but surely would just augment the pressure and stress levels students already face.”

The problem of a possible too-high workload has been echoed by shadow minister for higher education Gordon Marsden, as well as the further issue of the higher cost per year it will entail for students.

“The government have pressed ahead with the increase despite the very serious questions about access for disadvantaged students, workload for university staff and guaranteeing the quality of university education.”

Another worry is that rushing a degree could prevent students from getting the most out of their university experience.

“I just feel like cutting a degree by a third is cutting students’ time to make use of resources, access amazing facilities,

and network with staff and students through different societies,” says third year Biomedical Sciences student Eamonn Corrigan.

“I’d love to be here for another year and meet more people.”

Some students, however, have posited that two-year degrees could allow for easier exam preparation.

Mark Burrell, an Electronic Engineering third year who is undertaking a four-year integrated master’s degree, says: “For my course I think this easily could be done. If they made them seven or eight week terms with exams at the end then the content would be fresher in my mind, with no real extra stress.

“Labs would be the only difficult thing, logistically.”

Two-year degrees are currently not offered by the University of Manchester but can be completed at 15 universities across the UK, including Northumbria University and Anglia Ruskin University.

Stagecoach accounts show increase in pre-tax profits Stagecoach Greater Manchester’s pre-tax profits have gone up, at the same time as director pay, and many fares for customers Josh Sandiford Breaking News Reporter New financial statements released by Stagecoach Greater Manchester show a significant increase in pre-tax profits for the financial year 2017-18.

The new figures, which account for all Stagecoach services in the s o u t h o f M a n c h e s t e r, s h o w t h a t p r e tax profits have increased by 14% to £ 1 7. 6 m . S t a g e c o a c h ’ s r e v e n u e s a l s o increas ed by almost 3% to £119.6m.

Director pay appears to be steadily rising: according to the statements, the highest paid director earned £ 211,000 in the period ending A p r i l 2 0 1 8 . I n 2 0 1 7, t h i s f i g u r e w a s £199,000, a 6% increas e.

Stagecoach is one of the large st bus operators in Manchester and their blue and yellow ‘Magic Buses’

Photo: The Mancunion

are instantly recognisable to most s t u d e n t s i n t h e c i t y. A c c o r d i n g t o its website, Stagecoach Manchester invested £4 . 5 million in new buses and carried 106 million passengers i n 2 0 1 7/ 2 0 1 8 .

The increase in profits comes after passengers faced a fare i n c r e a s e i n t h e n e w y e a r, i n w h i c h t h e ‘d ay r ide r ’ t i cke t we nt u p f ro m £4 . 50 to £4 .80 and the seven-day ‘megarider’ ticket increased from £15 to £16.

Meanwhile, a ‘Fight the Fat Cats’ rally is due to be held by campaign group ‘Better Buses for Greater Manchester’ next week. The event description on Facebook invites people to attend the public meeting and “find out more about how we can win, and join the campaign to take action for better buses.”

When asked by The Mancunion if Greater Manchester students

were getting value for money when using Stagecoach services, a spokesperson for the company said: “Students attending the universities on Oxford Road have access to one of the most frequent bus services in the country; operating every few minutes throughout the day and with services running 24 hours a d a y, s e v e n d a y s a w e e k . M a n c h e s t e r students also have the option to purchase heavily discounted tickets that are up to half the price of our usual adult fares.

“Our ticket, that runs throughout a n a c a d e m i c y e a r, o f f e r s u n l i m i t e d travel on any Stagecoach bus throughout Greater Manchester f r o m j u s t 8 3 p p e r d a y, w h i c h i s g r e a t v a l u e f o r m o n e y.

“The most popular £1.50 Magic Bus single has been frozen for s e v e r a l y e a r s . I n J a n u a r y, o u r n i g h t fares were also held or reduced and

our evening fares have been capped at £2, a price which also hasn’t changed for a couple of years. There have been changes to the price of some of our longer duration tickets but overall our average fares are in line with general inflation.”

Stagecoach also highlighted the fact that their own costs are rising faster than inflation and pointed to declining traffic speeds increasing wage-related costs.

Angela Chen, a first-year Economics student said: “A s a student, I find it unfair that profits are increasing, yet little of the extra profits are being invested into a better service or cheaper tickets for customers. This is just another example of corporate greed overriding the well-being of customers.”

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Viswanathan ‘extremely concerned’ over NUS defunding of International Officer

The NUS International Students’ campaign are worried about proposals to defund the role of International Students’ Officer Trustee Board is faced with difficult Josh Sandiford Breaking News Reporter Riddi Viswanathan, the University o f M a n c h e s t e r S t u d e n t s ’ U n i o n’s ( S U ) Executive International Students’ O f f i c e r, h a s s i g n e d a n o p e n l e t t e r t o the National Union of Students (NUS) Trustee Board in protest of cuts.

The 2018/19 NUS International Students’ campaign, of which Viswanathan is a part, have said they a re “e x t re m e ly co n ce r n e d ” a b o ut p rop o s a l s to ‘de f u n d ’ t h e ro le o f International Students’ O f f i c e r, among others, for the 2019-2020 period.

The decision made by the NUS Trustee Board to suspend funding for certain roles comes after it was revealed in November that NUS faces a potential £3m deficit in its finances and was considering many options in an attempt to remain financially viable.

T h e l e t t e r b e g i n s : ‘ ’ We a r e w r i t i n g to you to raise our concerns as the representatives of international students in the UK about the NUS UK Board proposal to defund the NUS International Students’ Officer and its Committee for the 2019-2020 period. ‘ ’ We r e c o g n i s e t h e s i g n i f i c a n t financial challenges within NUS UK at this time, and understand that the

Photo: Manchester Students’ Union

choices to make NUS sustainable.

H o w e v e r, w e a l s o b e l i e v e t h a t t h e current proposal is significantly damaging to students whose genuine needs will not be met without direct representation and expertise, and that we would be failing in our duty as representatives not to raise this with you in the strongest possible terms.’’

The letter goes on to talk about the “uniquely difficult time” international students are currently facing as a result of increased visa challenges, higher charge s for acce ss to healthcare, and i s s u e s a r i s i n g f ro m t h e U K ’s p e n d i n g withdrawal from the European Union. It then calls for the Trustees to ‘’reconsider its proposals’’ and ‘’revise their approach’’.

The letter is also signed by NUS International Students’ Officer Yinbo Yu , wh o t we e t e d : ‘ ’ W h a t a s h o c k i n g move to defund NUS International Students’ Campaign, despite the uncertainties surrounding Brexit and i n c r e a s e d v i s a c h a l l e n g e s . We m u s t not be invisible in an organisation that speaks for all students, and no other people can speak for us on our issues.’’

The Mancunion has approached the SU and NUS for a response.

Grayling works with Burnham on greater control over transport Transport Secretary Chris Grayling promises to explore the expansion of the Metrolink in Greater Manchester Photo: Dan Sellers @ Wikimedia Commons

Shivani Kaura Deputy News Editor Transport S ecretary Chris Grayling came to Manche ster last Friday to meet with Mayor Andy Burnham, to discuss developing the Metrolink, and the use of the tram and train lines, to help tackle congestion.

A press conference was held at the new Wharfside tram stop close to Old Trafford, where both committed t o “e x p l o r i n g a ra n ge o f p ro p o s a l s fo r further expansion” of the ongoing g row t h o f M a n c h e s t e r ’s t ra n s p o r t .

Chris Grayling, who was recently criticised for the handling of Union strikes by Northern rail, spoke ahead of the meeting: “Metrolink has been transformative for Greater Manchester and I want to see the network expand.

“A G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r t r a m - t r a i n also has the potential to seamlessly integrate our existing rail and tram t r a c k s , a n d s e r v i c e s . We w i l l w o r k closely to explore proposals which would see Transport for Greater Manchester running more services, underlining our belief in greater local control.”

Trafford Park has recently gained a new tram line, which has been supported by the government as part of their aims to eliminate the ‘NorthSouth divide’.

It was recently questioned whether Greater Manchester should have trams and bus e s 24-hours a d a y. T h e e v e r - g r o w i n g p o p u l a r i t y of M a n c h e s t e r ’s night-life, with t h e l i k e s o f Wa r e h o u s e P r o j e c t a n d Parklife bringing in thousands of s t u d e n t s t o t h e c i t y, h a s s u g g e s t e d

that introducing these services will only make the streets safer at night.

Trafford councillor Stephen Adshead said during the conference that he would like to see night-time services on the Metrolink, and added that Night Time Economic Advisor and Wa r e h o u s e Project founder Sacha Lord, and Greater Manchester Police, would both like that too.

A d s h e a d s a i d : “ We n e e d a b e t t e r public transport system and better p u b l i c s a f e t y, a n d i t ’ s n o t j u s t p a r t y go e r s , i t ’s p e o p l e wh o wo rk n i g h t shifts.”

In response to this, Roger Jones, a councillor on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, said that the answer to these problems stemmed from issues of government funding. Burnham agreed with this v i e w.

Burnham said: “Greater Manche ster is a growing city-region, but our transport network and infrastructure is holding us back.

The people of Greater Manchester deserve a transport system that works for us both now and in the future. “ I a l s o we l c o m e t h e gove r n m e n t ’s commitment to working together to deliver bus reform, and secure the best possible outcomes for Greater Manchester and the North from both Northern Powerhouse Rail and High Speed 2 (HS2).”

Prior to the meeting it was announced in a statement by Chris Grayling that failure to build the second part of the HS2 line would b e a “d e re l i c t i o n o f d u t y ” , a f t e r 4 0 business and civic leaders penned an open letter questioning the certainty that plans were going ahead.

6 News

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Austerity hitting the North disproportionately more than the South Cuts to public services combined with increasing demand have led to councils hiking taxes

Alex Walker News Reporter According to the recent Citie s for 2019 report, it is Northern cities that are being hit the h a r d e s t b y a u s t e r i t y.

The report compared local government funding levels in 2 0 0 9 / 2 0 1 0 t o t h o s e i n 2 0 1 7/ 2 0 1 8 , ref lecting the changes of the ‘age of austerity’. The National Av e r a g e decrease in local government funding received annually per person was £ 2 8 7, b u t m a n y a r e a s a r o u n d Manchester fared worse.

Salford faced decreases of £651, and Manchester a slightly lower figure of £402. Other areas in Greater Manchester falling b e l o w t h e N a t i o n a l Av e r a g e w e r e Rochdale, Oldham, Bolton, and Wigan.

The five most affected areas were also found in the North, namely B a r n s l e y, Liverpool, D o n c a s t e r, Wa k e f i e l d , and Blackburn.

The starkest contrasts e me rge d b e twe e n t he Nor t h and the S outh. According to the Manchester Evening News, the average fall in funding in the

North was 20%, compared to 9% in the South. Cities such as Oxford even received funding i nc re a s e s of 14 .7 % s i nce 2 0 09.

Greater Manche ster mayor Andy Burnham tweeted his concern at t h i s “d iv i s ive m i s t a ke ” i n f u r t h e r dividing the country in a time of p o l i t i c a l u n c e r t a i n t y.

D e s p i t e a u s t e r i t y, M a n c h e s t e r City Council has increased social care funding by 4 .2%, to meet rising demand. Community groups have als o been far more active, taking some of the financial burden away from local councils.

In addition, Manchester has increas ed its inve stment portfolio to protect itself from cuts. Inve stment income per head has increased by £37 since 2 0 0 9 i n t h e c i t y, a f i g u r e f a r h i g h e r t h a n L o n d o n’s £ 2 1 .

The University itself has s u f f e r e d d u e t o a u s t e r i t y. I t s share of research funding received from the government decreased by 8% between 2010 a n d 2 0 1 7.

Northern towns have always been less able to raise local government cash through tax, with this being a particular

problem in Manchester with its high student population.

This, combined with decreasing government funding, is leaving the s o-called Northern Powerhouse struggling to maintain services.

A spokesperson for the Centre for Cities remarked that socioeconomic divides were indirectly forcing local government into compromising certain services.

“Greater M a n c h e s t e r ’s councils have been able to make do with less by becoming more efficient, but reductions in funding and the increase in demand for s ocial care have meant cuts to other services.”

Salford Mayor Paul Dennett criticised the cuts’ unfair repercussions on the local t a x p a y e r. “ The government expect local ratepayers to pick up the tab, in part, for their cuts. It is an absolute scandal. Local councils across the country are teetering o n t h e b r i n k o f b a n k r u p t c y.

“Something needs to be done, a n d b e d o n e q u i c k l y, t o s a v e them from the cliff edge.”

Number of rough sleepers in Manchester has fallen

New government statistics show a decrease for the first time since 2010, although the closure of a flagship shelter looms large Sam Honey Head News Editor Although homelessness is often considered one of the greatest crises facing Greater M a n c h e s t e r, the number of rough sleepers recorded in the metropolitan area is falling.

New data released by the government and promoted by GMCA (Greater Manchester Combined Authority) showed a 10% decrease in rough sleepers in the city-region, while eight other boroughs saw their numbers ‘stabilise or fall’.

The decrease for the ten surveyed areas was 3 8, from 2 78 to 241 between 2017 and 2018.

GMCA attributed the reduction to the A Bed Every Night scheme. The new initiative aims to provide accommodation for all those sleeping rough in M a n c h e s t e r. O v e r 1 , 2 0 0 p e o p l e have been provided with shelter as result of efforts.

Mayor Andy Burnham praised the scheme and its results: ‘’ These figures from the G overnment demonstrate that in Greater Manchester the tide is t u r n i n g . T h i s w i n t e r, t h r o u g h A Bed Every Night, we are the only

city-region in the UK working to provide beds across all our boroughs to meet demand for accommodation and support .’’

Despite this, there were worrying rises among the general t re n d . Fo r e x a m p l e , i n B o l t o n , eight new homeless sleepers were identified in collecting the 2018 figures.

Just last week, it was reported that a major homeless shelter in Ardwick, opened as the f lagship of the A Bed Every night scheme, had shut its doors after just three months of operation.

The closure was blamed on electrical issues, with no plans yet outlined for repairing the damage, or resuming its service as part of the wider battle a g a i n s t h o m e l e s s n e s s i n t h e c i t y.

Reacting to the data, Burnham was keen to stress that despite encouraging figures, attempts to end rough sleeping were far from overThe fact that more than 200 people are still sleeping rough in our city-region in this day and age is completely unacceptable and there is still much work to do. This is a humanitarian crisis, not of our own making, and there is no easy solution.

“A B e d E v e r y N i g h t i s t h e r i g h t

thing to do both morally and e c o n o m i c a l l y. R e s e a r c h b y C r i s i s shows someone sleeping rough cost s t he t a x p aye r £ 2 0,0 0 0 ove r the course of a year – someone being helped by our programmes costs roughly half that.”

Meanwhile, Salford Mayor Paul Denetted invoked the devolution debate by attacking t h e gove r n m e n t ’s h a n d l i n g o f local authority funding.

“Rough sleeping and homelessness is symptomatic of a failing system; shocking government cuts have decimated l o c a l a u t h o r i t y s e r v i c e s . We l f a r e reform, especially the rollout of Universal Credit, the bedroom tax, benefits being frozen since 2015, sanctions, and welfare conditionality have all contributed to the significant exacerbation of inequality and poverty across Greater M a n c h e s t e r. ” Regardless of the positive signs that this latest data shows, homelessness will persist to be an issue of epidemic proportions i n G r e a t e r M a n c h e s t e r, w i t h o v e r 220 people risking their lives by sleeping in sub-zero conditions every night.

What do you think of UoM using animal testing?

With The Mancunion’s new insight into animal testing activity in the Stopford Building, Should we be bothered?

“Animals are the best models we have for testing. I don’t know much about cosmetic surgery, but it is necessary for certain illnesses, such as cancer, dementia, and alzheimers..”

Luis, PHD in regenerative medicine. “‘I wasn’t aware that the university uses animal tetsing. I can see why it is cruel, but for serious illnesses it is necessary for research. This certainly isn’t the case for cosmetic or beauty testing.”

Josh Lockyer, 1st year Physics student.

“I don’t know what type of animals are tested in Stopford building, but I agree with testing in connection to serious illness, based on the condition that no animals are harmed in the process. Beauty and cosmetic testing however, reflect poorly on us as a society.”

Holly Attwell, 2nd year Politics & Modern History student.

“I’d rather they test on animals than people, because testing on people usually requires paying the volunteers. Whereas the animals don’t charge and have low maintenance costs. The company is therefore reducing its fixed costs, which in theory mean either greater profits resulting in greater dividends for shareholders, or a lower cost per drug for future users.”

Jacob Smith, Economics student.

“Judging testing depends on the conditions that animals are subjected to. I did not know that such practices were going on in Stopford.”

Max Allen, Theoretical Physics student.

“Although unfortunate for causing pain to animals, if animal testing could make treatments safer for me and my loved ones that animal testing is beneficial to our society.”

Angela Chen, 1st year economics student.

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Investigations 7

Weathering the ‘perfect storm’ in education Following years of poorly-funded schools, charities like The Tutor Trust can help bridge the gap in education, all for low costs to families

Photo: Steven Brewer @ Flickr

Felix Hanif-Banks Investigations Editor An Oxfam report recently described a “perfect storm” of hardship experienced by many across the country as austerity has led to lower spending on key public services gradually since 2010. Education sits near the top of the list of areas most harshly affected by cuts, with schools nationwide forced to cut staff and increase class sizes in the wake of ever-changing targets and expectations. Private tuition has never been more present in our society, but with the work of charities like The Tutor Trust, high-quality tuition is becoming increasingly

“

The private tutoring industry is now worth and estimated £2bn

available to all.

The harsh reality of this country’s education system is all too apparent – a quarter of secondary schools are running at a deficit and funding will have dropped by 4.6% since 2015 as of next year ( The Guardian ). Evidence from any source points to a crisis, but as the targets for grades rise and exams increase in difficulty, schools, pupils, and parent alike find themselves struggling to keep up. The infinitelyedged sword of austerity only furthers these issues, as those from suffering poorer communities fall behind those more affluent who have the luxury of affording private tutors.

The private tutoring industry is now worth an estimated £2bn and can be found in all parts of the country as parents seek to give their children the best possible advantage in a

hyper-competitive education system. Private tutoring centres, such as Explore Learning which has 139 centres across England, come at a great cost to many families but are equally seen as a necessity as schools cut back in services while rolling on greater expectations.

Explore Learning exemplifies the new form of private tutoring we see frequently today, with branches mainly in shopping centres offering tuition for one to six pupils at a time. It’s far from the somewhat antiquated image of a one-toone tutor in a luxurious family home drilling times-tables into a middle class 5-year-old’s head, but tuition remains far from accessible for all.

Services such as Explore Learning carry substantial fees, with a £119 per month subscription fee plus a £50 registration fee which allows up to nine sessions a month. Despite wider consumption and appeal of these tutoring services, there still remains a great need for the democratisation of addition education provision, as the advancement of this existing system leads to huge gaps in attainment across social classes and families living beyond their means in an attempt to bridge the gaps.

The work required to change the face of tuition on a national basis is huge, but charities such as The Tutor Trust are making crucial steps to bring high-quality tutoring to those who need it most and would otherwise have no access to it.

Now into its eighth academic year, The Tutor Trust is a Manchester-based organisation set on helping the transformation of the attainment and aspirations of disadvantaged young people across the country. They offer one to three tuition in primary and secondary schools as well as Further Education colleges and centres for alternative education provision.

A recent EEF (Education Endowment Fund) report praised The Tutor Trust as an excellent provider of tuition, hailing their services as “gold standard” and a “cost effective way to boost attainment for struggling pupils.” The report showed an average 3 months extra progress in maths after just 12 hours of tuition, with an increase of 52% more students tutored achieving their age-related expected grades following tuition.

In its mission to transform tuition and the culture surrounding it, The Tutor Trust specifically aims to provide tuition for those students deemed most in need of it. Pupils are three times more likely to be on free school meals than the national average, and 58% of tutees receive Pupil Premium in

“

As an organisation it’s ever-growing, recently receiving a £500,000 grant from the Department of Education comparison to just 28% across England.

The process of democratising tuition has still maintained evidently high standards and at a much lower cost. Private tuition averages at £27 per hour, whereas The Tutor Trust’s intervention studied by the EEF came to just £9.33 per pupil per hour, none of which was paid by the students’ families.

Even in a wider context, organisations such as The Tutor Trust can provide great benefits to a community. Many of the tutors are local university students, which provides young, motivated mentors for children to look up to and emulate,while also helping university students unfamiliar with Manchester becommore ingrained in local communities.

One student tutor commented: “Working for The Tutor Trust is the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. It can be challenging at times but those challenges are always worth it when your students achieve their goals and open up opportunities for themselves they never could have imagined.”

Student tutors are passionate about the work they do and the services provide, with the charitable and equitable ethos of The Tutor Trust a major selling point. As an organisation it’s ever-growing, recently receiving a £500,000 grant from the Department of Education to establish a network of alternative provision tuition. This desired transformation in tuition and the wider culture of education is charging ahead, with the work of organisations like The Tutor Trust at the forefront.

If you want to further the mission of The Tutor Trust and support young, disadvantaged people across Manchester, applications to become a tutor end February 8th and can be found on their website.

8 Science & Tech

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Continued from page 1:

Inside the Unit with emus on treadmills Ethan Davies goes behind the scenes in the Animal Research Unit in Stopford, which features thousands of mice, rats, and fish – and also claims to be one of the most open university research units in the UK Ethan Davies Editor-in-Chief The next stop on our tour highlighted that final research field. Graham showed me some shark embryos (dogfish) who were swimming against the current in some tanks (like a fishtreadmill) at different Oxygen temperatures to mimic the impact global warming will have on the world’s oceans. This will provide the Unit insight into how different water temperatures will affect the swimming ability of the sharks as they develop, and thus the survival of the species and their ability to hunt prey.

Following this, I had the chance to chat to Grace Revill, who is researching “maternal exposure to viruses during pregnancy that can alter the brain development of the offspring, with a particular focus on schizophrenia.

“The team I work in use rats and have shown that the offspring whose mothers have been exposed to viral mimics exhibit behavioural deficits similar to schizophrenia symptoms, such as anxiety-related behaviours and problems with cognition.

“We are currently looking at the effect of maternal care on brain development, as we know that in humans early life neglect can also be a risk factor for psychiatric disorders. As everyone in the group is focusing on a distinct part, we’re hoping to build up a comprehensive picture of how prenatal and early postnatal life

can affect brain development.

“This is important for understanding how the environment can shape disease, which can help us to understand schizophrenia risk factors and progression, on which scientific and medical knowledge is currently lacking.

This could further lead to the identification of interventional therapies.”

When asked why such wild ideas about what truly goes on in the ARU are rampant, Grace identified “historical animal testing, which did not have the governing legislation it has today” as the main problem.

“Just as human medicine has progressed and improved, so has animal research. The difference is that nobody reads about the legislation governing animal research (which is extremely tightly regulated), and if you’re not a scientist working in animal research, then you would never go to an animal facility and therefore you would never how it is different to what is portrayed.”

Our final stop were the sheep. The female sheep in Stopford, which I am told are purchased from a farm once they reach the end of their reproductive lifecycle and so would be slaughtered anyway, are fitted with re-conditioned and sterilised pacemakers from bodies held in the morgue downstairs. They then compare the sheep with the pacemakers to those who don’t through various cardio-vascular experiments.

That concluded our tour, and I still had one burning question on my mind, despite the huge amount of help Graham had given me throughout my visit. I’d heard rumours that sometimes ostriches run on treadmills for cardiovascular purposes. Was it hearsay?

When Graham answered, he smiled and calmly replied that it wasn’t ostriches, but sometimes emus are used for cardiovascular disease research, although at the time of my visit no emus were on site.

Having gone into the tour with an open mind, putting aside my concerns for animal welfare, I have to say I left quietly impressed. The strict Home Office legislation requiring a licence for the person conducting the experiment as well as a licence for the procedure itself, coupled with the fact that death can never be considered a viable end goal for a project, means that a huge amount of care is taken with the animals in the ARU. I asked Grace about how she thought animal research should be viewed more widely.

“A huge misconception is that we don’t need animal testing anymore because we have other technologies that can replace it. By law, animals must not be used in a project if there are other techniques available that will do the same job.

“Animal research is a topic that should be revisited and discussed in order to overturn misconceptions so that opinions are based on factual information.”

Photo: The University of Manchester

Chinese New Year special: science and the pig

Chinese New Year is right around the corner, and contributor Ella Gerry takes the opportunity to explore the significance of the pig in science research Ella Gerry Contributor Chinese New Year this year falls on the 5th February, and will mark the beginning of awrite a tribute to this wonderful animal’s great contributions to science, research, and innovation.

Since their domestication, pigs have become an increasingly important animal in biomedical research due to their many shared physiological and anatomical features with humans. The pig domesticated itself approximately 9,000 years ago, and like dogs, were attracted to the abundance of waste created by human settlements.

Our relationship with these highly intelligent and social animals extends beyond agriculture.

From dissections by ancient Greek physicians to the production of insulin for diabetes treatment in the 1920s, pigs have helped to advance medical knowledge and treatments for many centuries.

Pigs are often praised as being one of the best animal models for research into the development of potential treatments for human diseases.

Although it may seem peculiar to use pigs over our closer relatives, the non-human primates, pig, and humans are anatomically and physiologically very similar. This likeness includes organ size and function, fat distribution, disease progression, and skin similarities.

Pigs produce a greater number of offspring and carry a lower risk of disease transmission than non-human primates. Furthermore, the lack of emotional attachment resulting from pigs being

viewed as primarily a food animal makes them a favourable alternative to other non-rodent animal models such as dogs for scientific research.

Xenotransplantation, the practice of transplanting tissue from one species to another, is currently one of the most active areas of pig research. One example of pig-to-human transplantation is bioprosthetic heart valve replacement, which is already a common surgery for thousands of patients every year. Scientists are attempting to take this a step further to solve the worldwide shortage of organ donors by making pigto-human organ transplantation a reality.

Promising progress was made in the latter half of 2018 when Professor Bruno Reichart from Ludwig Maximilian, University of Munich, reported that two baboons which had undergone genetically engineered pig heart transplantation had survived for six months, double that of previous experiments. Furthermore, a lab at Harvard University has successfully managed to eliminate all the strands of potentially pathogenic DNA called porcine endogenous retroviruses (PERVs) from pig cells, significantly decreasing the risk of disease transmission during xenotransplantation.

Though it is unlikely pig-to-human heart transplantation will be available in the near future, there is still much excitement surrounding this area of research, particularly with the advent of the gene editing technology CRISPR. Pigs have also been used to model a great number and variety of diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, cystic fibrosis, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. New surgical techniques

are often practised on pig organs, and pig skin is used for numerous studies into wound healing, dermal toxicology, and the effects of radiation and UVB light.

The intelligence of pigs has also been studied.

Notably, Dr Stanley Curtis carried out experiments on the ability of pigs to play video games by creating a joystick game with treats for moving the computer cursor to match drawings. The study found that after just five to ten trials, the pigs figured out the game at the same amazing speed as chimpanzees!

The Year of the Pig is said to bring fortune and wealth, and as celebrations commence it should be acknowledged that pigs are more than just ingredients in food recipes or cute pets. Pigs have played an integral role in saving many lives and have great potential to save many more.

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Pigs are more than just ingredients in food recipes or pets

Features 9

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Fal-low: has the state of Fallowfield reached a new low?

Liv Clarke and Emily Broncz examine the current state of Fallowfield and ask whether it falls out of favour with older students Liv Clarke and Emily Broncz Features Editor and Deputy News editor Any student in Manchester will have undoubtedly heard of Fallowfield and almost certainly will have lived there at some point. It’s well known for its lively house parties, delightfully dingy accommodation, and the best post-night out food. Yet recent closures of legendary institutions in the area bring into question its status as Manchester’s premier student area.

In the past year, ‘The Tower’ has become unoccupied, both the Fallow Cafe and The Font have closed down, Tesco Express and the post office contained within have now disappeared. Even the famed bandaoke at the Ram is now merely a ghost of the past.

Haus replaced Fallow Cafe briefly, but it did not last long. The Bar has set up residence but only time will tell if it will have a lasting influence in the area.Maybe we, as final year students, are just getting older, but it feels like Fallowfield is no longer that alluring place at the end of the Curry Mile. It seems as if it has lost its student spirit.

Talking to first-year students and residents of Fallowfield, people are still drawn to this residential area because of how social it is and the convenience of popular venues such as Friendship Inn. “I guess Fallowfield is...like the hub of social activity for students,” Max, a firstyear Fallowfield resident tells us, “...it makes sense to live here as opposed to somewhere a bit further away.” Indeed, the area lends itself to the needs and wants of the younger student population.

For a lot of freshers, this suburb is seen as the most sought after location when it comes to selecting accommodation, often the reputation of Fallowfield transcends generations, as was the case with first-year Martin. “I was told by everyone on the open day it was the most social campus with the best student bar, [where I was] most likely to meet new people,” Martin explains. “As well as my uncle having been in Fallowfield in the 70s and saying it was the best experience of his life.”

It’s difficult to say whether it’s the people or the place which makes the experience, but for both Max and Martin, each of these factors play a role, and the threat of crime is just taken as normality: “It’s definitely lived up to expectation, although I don’t know how

much of this is due to the fact I live in Fallowfield or just because I’ve met some really cool people.... [I’m] staying here next year, [although I’m] slightly worried about being burgled, but I guess it’s part of student life.”

However, it’s evident that Fallowfield is changing to those who’ve lived here for several years. Perhaps the academic demands of final year make students inclined to move away from the area, or the deterioration of the facilities are pushing people away.

The Mancunion Investigations Editor, Felix Hanif-Banks, looked into the Council’s plans of moving students out of the area and the impact this would have on local businesses, in November 2018. Indeed, he remarks how Fallowfield is currently experiencing a lot of change, often not for the better. “The council has clearly had enough of students making Fallowfield into their home. Businesses are struggling to keep licenses and landlords can no longer turn new houses into student accommodation,” Felix explains. “Fallowfield is definitely in decline and students seem powerless to stop it, if most are even aware of what’s going on.”

MSc Clinical Immunology student Georgia, completed her undergraduate study at The University of Manchester and lived in Fallowfield for two years, but has since moved closer to the university.

She explained to us how living ten minutes away from Fallowfield allows her to enjoy the best of the facilities on offer as and when it is convenient: “...I’m only about a 10-minute walk from the heart of Fallow and it’s kind of nice not being in such a loud and student area...I like being able to walk because after 2 years the buses were enough for me.” Commenting on the developments affecting the area, Georgia stated that a loss of nearby business did not strictly indicate a downward spiral: “I don’t think it [Fallowfield] has changed for the worst, I just think places change.”

She also pointed out that some of the businesses that had not survived in Fallowfield were not the most popular ones, with some students showing a distinct preference, such as using Sainsbury’s over Tesco Express or The Grand Central over The Font.

Georgia further questioned the choices and habits of students, asking: “What else do you use in fallow apart from the bars and pubs which haven’t changed much at all since we’ve been here?”

When compared to other areas, Fallowfield, in Georgia’s opinion, has one clear advantage: “The appeal is being around so many people…”

The unique atmosphere of the area is crafted from a blend of the different micro-hubs acting as exciting forums for students to socialise.

Whilst she remarks that areas like Victoria Park are safer and quieter, she understands why first-year students, in particular, would be drawn to living in Fallowfield.

Despite this, she is keen to support the fact that students shouldn’t be afraid to explore housing options outside of this bubble: “There’s definitely more to student life than Fallowfield…” Not battling for a seat on the bus, a heavier workload, and a restful night’s sleep appear to be just some of the factors swaying older students to move away.

Photo: The Mancunion

Interview: the Manchester students hiking to Everest Base Camp Liv Clarke interviews Rachel Thomson and Florence Wilks Costalas, who are hiking to Everest Base Camp in aid of Action Against Hunger Liv Clarke Features Editor Imagine a long, lazy summer ahead of you once you have finished your degree, with perhaps a graduate scheme waiting for you in September, or maybe a nice gap year where you can go and discover yourself. Now imagine, instead of all that, the thought of trekking all the way to Everest Base Camp in order to raise money for a worthy cause. Really, there’s no comparison.

Photo: Rachel Thomson

This is what a group of University of Manchester students are undertaking this September, organised by Raise and Give, an organisation which helps students get involved in charity fundraising. On the 28th January I had the opportunity to attend a fundraising event at Cubo for the Everest Trek where I spoke with Rachel Thomson, who is the Everest Challenge Leader, and Florence Wilks Costalas, about their upcoming trip and the challenges they’re facing.

The hike to Everest Base Camp is in aid of Action Against Hunger, a global charity which seeks to end child hunger by making sure people have access to safe food and water. The team of students who are taking part are composed of all different year groups and subjects, brought together by their interest in Raise and Give. Rachel, who studies biology, and Florence, who studies Biomedical Sciences with Spanish are both final year students, and its clear that they’re excited about being part of a project like this.

“I’ve always wanted to get involved, [the opportunity] sounded incredible, to raise a lot of money and people get behind you and you go on this huge adventure,” Rachel explains, “and the charity gets a lot from it, it’s a cool thing to do.” Its not the first time she’s done something like this, as back in her first year she participated in Jailbreak, where she made it to Oslo from Manchester in less than 30 hours It’s Florence’s first time taking part in an event like this, but Rachel’s enthusiasm has certainly rubbed off on her. “I’d heard the trek advertised by RAG, but equally Rachel is the leader and one of my friends, so it sounded like an appealing idea,” she smiles. “I came to the meetings, [explaining the work of] action against hunger, it sounded achievable that they wanted to eradicate hunger in the next 30 years. It’s a good thing to get involved in.”

Although its certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity, the trek does sound rather gruelling. “It lasts nine days, including [days for]

acclimatisation, we get to stop off in traditional huts,” Rachel tells me.

The base camp itself is at around 5,380m above sea level, so acclimatisation is vital to ward off altitude sickness. They are planning on training for the hike by going to the Peak district and completing gym workouts, with Rachel joking that they’ll “go for a little run together”.

Its not just the trek itself which is challenging, but also the organisation and fundraising which goes into it. Rachel and Florence, along with their nine other team mates, signed up for the trip in September, so they’ve had to plan everything alongside their university studies.

“We have deadlines for each section of fundraising, which can be difficult with exams and things,” Florence informs me. “Cubo have been really good with fundraising things, but its difficult making sure we’ve covered everything.” It’s clear that they put a lot of effort into their fundraising activities, with the event in January featuring a DJ, glow sticks and donuts, making it easy for people to contribute.

Hosting events like this not only raises money, but it also allows other people to help with the cause too, “Even if you’re not actively doing the whole challenge, just getting friends involved with fundraising, it all helps the greater good.”

So, how do they feel about their upcoming adventure? “At the moment, it hasn’t hit yet. The fundraising challenge is the main thing right now,” Florence says. “But what other time in our lives will we do this again?”

For Rachel, the sense of accomplishment is spurring her on: “The next day it’ll all be worth it, having the relief of having done it and seeing the sunset from up there.”

The team have got some more fundraisers in the pipeline between now and September, with plans to do pub quizzes and possibly a Tough Mudder. On the 9th of February they’ll be raising money in Manchester, so if you spot any Action Against Hunger buckets be sure to donate.

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

10 Opinion

Masculinity, meaning, and THAT Gillette advert What Gillette advert?

The newest Gillette advert ‘The Best Men Can Be’ challenges notions of toxic masculinity, bullying and samples Terry Crew’s ‘#MeToo’ speech at the Senate Judiciary Committee from June 2018.

Photo: Gage Skidmore @ Wikimedia Commons

Tallulah Brennan searches for a new narrative of masculinity in the recent Gillette advert which sparked so much controversy

Tallulah Brennan Contributor In examining the disappointing reactions to the recent advert by Gillette, I would simply state that nobody enjoys being told off; told that we should question or alter our behaviour. Men feel they are being hauled in front of a judge, examined and interrogated in a very public court and being asked to entirely rewrite their own narrative of masculinity.

Growing up in a world where patriarchal masculinity dominates, those men who are not given an alternative internalise the values of the dominant narratives of masculinity.

An abundance of evidence for this is found in the aggressive reactions to the Gillette advert from across social media. Finding their masculinity threatened, men turned to what they know best; patriarchal norms which view

any alternative as ‘sissy stuff’ and profoundly threatening to their world view.

After watching the advert, I found myself thinking of comedian Hannah Gadsby’s recent speech. In it, she commented that men like Weinstein and Trump are viewed by other (good) men as complete abnormalities.

Almost a separate species. A simple binary opposition.

However, as Gadsby points out, this binary is a line that is continuously re-drawn. There’s a different line for the locker room, for close friends, when they’re drunk and for when women are watching.

Terry Crews is quoted in the Gillette advert saying: “Men need to hold other men accountable.”

Men have the advantage of a voice which has been privileged above that of women. I don’t want men to use this privilege to keep

redrawing the line. I don’t want them to use it to keep the rules of men’s behaviour fluid either. Men must use their voice to collaborate with women and to challenge their own, their friends’ and societies narrative of masculinity.

There are plenty of good men and there are plenty of bad men. We should believe in the potential of all men to do better and to be better. You simply have to look at the advert’s title: ‘We Believe: The Best Men Can Be.’ For too long, the issues of social justice have been tiptoed around, in fear of threatening men. Women have long let good men draw the line whilst also having their own voices marginalised.

Criticisms of masculinity are made by feminists all the time and yet they are received as an attack on the very essence of ‘maleness’.

This misunderstanding and warping of feminist rhetoric reflects how society and the me-

dia are still very much rooted in patriarchal values. We should choose not to dwell on criticising the man but rather examining masculinity in its modern form.

The behaviours induced by the patriarchal masculine narrative are not intrinsic to being a man. We’re not asking men to give up their male identity. We’re asking them to disown a masculine narrative which devalues their character and reduces them to domination, violence, and emotionless silence. To critique masculinity is to hold men accountable for their actions whilst believing in their capacity to do better.

What we must take from this advert, and the controversy that has since erupted, is that society’s patriarchal narrative of masculinity is in the docks, more vulnerable than ever, to public opinion. Let our future be one in which masculinity is finally brought to justice.

All work and no play: a 10-week slog Cachella Smith looks at the necessity for taking breaks and the danger that comes with an academic calendar that does not afford many breaks Cachella Smith Deputy Opinion Editor Reading Sophie Marriott’s article Stress to Impress last week, I was under the impression that, as her first line told me, finishing exams would be like coming up to fresh air after being held underwater.

Sophie focused on the highly stressful period known as the January exams. I felt I only time for a short gasp before being plunged back into the tidal wave of deadlines, exam stress, and incredibly poor sleeping patterns.

The University of Manchester spared us 48 entire hours before Monday’s 7am alarm began to ring. And so it begins again…

As students, we can all relate to the relentless stream of work and deadlines that

knock us when we are already down. Where holidays are used for catch-up, exam periods for revision, and now apparently the first two weeks of the second semester for recovery.

A recovery that is necessary, but that equally re-initiates the cycle and brings us back to a place where we need to catch up again. Where exactly is this so-called space to breathe?

There also needs to be time for the celebration of accomplishments as well. I do not doubt that many people made use of the weekend break to let loose a little, but how many had time to stop, pause, and truly appreciate what they had just achieved?

When deadline follows deadline, it is hard to find the time to congratulate ourselves on the work we have done and the marks we

have achieved before our minds begin working towards the next goal.

Continuing like this can lead to a lack of motivation. The work becomes constant and the numbers meaningless. Yet, if ever we were to receive a bad mark back, I am sure that the mind would not fail to register it.

With breaks considered to be an essential part of studying and learning, how exactly can we be expected to follow through with a total of 12 weeks which kicked off with 14 days of heightened stress?

This is both counterproductive and unhealthy. A 10-week period in such an intense environment, will result with students losing touch with the world around them, prioritising classes over seeing family, and ultimately ending up mentally drained from the nev-

Photo: Marco Verch @ Flickr

er-ending reminders of homework and assignments.

The current academic calendar does not seem to encourage a self-appreciative or healthy attitude towards studying. Sitting at my kitchen table now, facing a 10-week long semester, while still bleary-eyed from a twoweek exam period, the questions running though my head are when is the next deadline, do I really deserve a lie-in tomorrow, and is it too late to drop out?

It is true that the date of Easter cannot be changed, but is the University really so inflexible as to be unable to provide a healthy break for students. A couple of days to catch up with sleep and with friends will surely be a lot more productive in the long run than slogging away for weeks on end.

Opinion 11

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The Labour Party has fallen short

Nimo Omer suggests that the Labour party have foregone their ideals of inclusiveness as an attempt to attract more voters Nimo Omer Contributor Throughout the ups and downs of the British politics, the Labour Party – in some capacity – has always been steadfast in its stance against the bigotry aimed at immigrants in this country.

Multiculturalism, tolerance, and equality were the key ideals of the Labour party. They recited them as if they were gospel, never wavering even if their policy did not necessarily match up. At the end of the day, perception matters, and the way people identify a political party is important.

So, for me, the moment that Jeremy Corbyn told his MPs to abstain on the Immigration Bill a tone was set, and a message was sent. A message that said that even within leftist spaces, immigrants are expendable if it scores political points.

By abstaining, they would not be voting it down. And this is the government’s post-Brexit plan for immigration - ending free movement and cracking down on low-skilled migrants. But Labour was forced into an embarrassing U-turn after a significant backlash.

However, the point remains that for Jeremy Corbyn and his team, I and those like me, are not as important as their larger political goal. I need not remind anyone that it was Theresa May’s Immigration Bill in 2014 that set the foundation that built the Windrush scandal that Corbyn was apparently so dismayed at.

I am not sure if it is this hypocrisy or the general pride of the Labour Party that has alienated me entirely. After all, who can forget that it was Harriet Harman’s abstention from the Welfare Reform Bill, a decision that was supported by

many Labour MPs but virulently condemned

by Labour members, which paved the way to Corbyn’s leadership campaign in 2015.

Corbyn and his supporters rightly suggested that abstaining suggests ambivalence to the bill, and the impact it would have on the people that they claimed to represent. According to them, the decision by Harman was unforgivable. It is therefore quite ironic that four short years later they were supporting an Immigration Bill that puts millions of EU citizens, like myself, at risk.

If nothing else, this series of events puts to bed any myth that a left-wing Brexit is possible in the current political climate. Brexit’s roots are poisoned by the toxic xenophobia of UKIP and it is currently controlled by the Euro-scepticism of the Conservatives.

Maybe in a parallel universe this could have been different but the truth is that in this moment it is not. To suggest otherwise is more than just naive. It is dangerous for the people they claim to represent because, let us be clear - rich people will not have to worry about losing their jobs, stock piling foods, or not having access to medicine.

It has been repeatedly demonstrated that most Labour voters want to remain in the EU, and that it is the poorest and most vulnerable areas that will bear the brunt of the economic disaster of the post-Brexit Britain. So who exactly is Labour doing this for?

Right now, ideological dogma seems to matter more than people’s livelihoods. Brexit is no longer about whether we are ready to take a punch to the face. It is about popping some painkillers, closing our eyes, and hoping it doesn’t hurt too much.

Photo: Sophie J. Brown @ Wikimedia Commons

The profit mine of student housing Sophie Marriott argues that The Mancunion’s recent revelations about student housing in Manchester reveals the deep rooted inequalities in higher education Photo: House by Lynn Chang @ The Noun Project

Sophie Marriott Head Opinion Editor A recent investigation by The Mancunion has revealed that student rents in Manchester are disproportionately higher than prices for standard lets. With an average of a £17 increase on the market prices, student housing in Fallowfield and Withington has highlighted the way higher education reinforces class-based inequalities.

Those whose families can afford such high rents are able to attend university safe in the knowledge that they will always have enough disposable income. Therefore, the wealthiest students are able to enjoy the full experience of university, not just the academic aspect, but the social and cultural side which is presented as such an integral part of your early 20s.

Even the highest student loans would struggle to stretch to high rents and still enable stu-

dents to afford as high a quality of life as some of the richest. Students from less well off families cannot afford to eat as well or exercise as regularly because good quality food and gym memberships cannot be prioritised above housing and bills.

Being able to go out for dinner, or go to the pub, or the cinema and theatre are not wild luxuries which only the elite should have access to.

This inequality of leisure is especially prevalent at university when time for relaxation and fun is so crucial to maintaining mental and physical health.

One third-year student has reported that his total loan leaves him just £100 to live on for the whole year after he has paid his rent. Many in this position are forced into part-time work during term time which can be disruptive to studying, as well as restricting their participation in extra-curricular activities or joining societies, or even just

being able to have proper lie-ins at the weekend.

Of course there are bursaries and scholarships, however these wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t a safe assumption that the beneficiaries would be the minority. If the University were to support the housing costs of every student who couldn’t comfortably afford their rents they would be bankrupt.

Students are targeted for high rents because they are assumed to be members of the wealthy elites; a class apart regardless of their geography.

This makes university, or at least an enjoyable experience of it, the preserve of the richest students, and alienates those from poorer or working-class backgrounds.

As The Mancunion’s investigation highlighted, landlords seek to capitalise on students’ inexperience in negotiating housing contracts or dealing with bills. The report highlights how some landlords overcharge for utilities in ‘bills

included’ contracts, and some charge full rent for the summer months despite not allowing their tenants to live in the property.

Clearly, students are seen as profit mines and are universally treated as the rich and stupid. This is insulting to those who do come from wealthy backgrounds, and it is profoundly damaging to the poorest who want to attend university. The image of university as the preserve of the upper classes becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; because it is assumed that they will be the majority of those attending university, the costs of attending beyond just the fees are tailored towards them.

The exploitation of students’ finances alienates those most easily dissuaded from attending university. The culture of privilege which has dogged higher education through history is only reinforcing itself and perpetuating the toxic inequalities of wider British society.

12 Societies

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Society Spotlight: Content Creators

If you’re a budding Youtuber, Instagrammer, or influencer, here’s the society for you Claudia Hedger Contributor I’m Claudia Hedger, the founder of Content Creators Society. I set up Content Creators this academic year to bring together a community of students who want to make their own content, whether that’s through YouTube, blogging, podcasting, or Instagram. I formed a committee with the amazing Laura Walker and John Su, and, after the initial confusion of how to define our society, we have slowly formed a community of people who already do, or want to, create content.

The idea behind the society is to create a network of people who have different strengths and to help each other maximise digital marketing and content creation in order to achieve our goals. For some, it’s simply enjoying the process of making content, whilst others want to help people (such as one of our members Tom, who has a YouTube channel about mental health and autism). Others, such as myself, enjoy all of that but also want to challenge ourselves to do something creative and hopefully build a base of potential customers for future business endeavours.

I had the idea for Content Creators Society after trying to create fitness content on YouTube and Instagram without much success. I felt a bit lost with the technicalities of filming, editing, and

what makes content good. After producing content I was not happy with, I wanted to talk to other people also trying to establish themselves for help. I quickly realised I didn’t actually have anybody to turn to and had to find a way for students making content to connect. Thus, Content Creators was born. I’m still learning and always will be, but I like to think I’m slowly improving, thanks to the knowledgeable and encouraging community our society has formed.

I’ve got no professional experience in creating content, and neither have most of our members, so really it’s a place for us to meet up and learn together from our own experiences and theories. We have reached out to those who are a bit more experienced than us, and hope to run many more events like this in the future. Last year, we managed to arrange a talk from an exUoM student blogger, Life of Paz, who has successfully grown a following writing about food and lifestyle topics. She kindly paid us a visit and spoke about how she started her blog, the technical side of WordPress, and how she’s grown her following through marketing. We also had a bit of a Q&A and networking session to end the event, which we always try to incorporate as it’s a great way to meet others and form potential collaborations. This year, we have numerous student-led

events planned such as how to generate content ideas, debating YouTube policy, networking, how to start a podcast, and how to grow following and interactions on social media. For our ‘how to start a podcast’ event, we have Josh Sandy (a fellow student) talking to us about how he set up his podcast and radio show, as well as how he has written for numerous reputable publications such as The Mancunion and Huffington Post.

We’re really excited for these events and hope to inspire and help more students to start creating content.

As for the future of Content Creators, I’m starting to focus more on helping members get started and on the way to reaching their goals. It seems like a lot of us have the desire to create content but have barriers in the way. This is something that really interests me and I’d love to get to the bottom of what is stopping people from just going for it. Whether it’s a matter of lacking technical knowledge, not having enough confidence, or just no idea of the sort of content they want to create, I’d love to organise more events to help students overcome these internal barriers and start getting creative!

Of course, we also have members that already create content, such as Reem, who set up a blog called ‘Gravity’ all about beauty, makeup,

fashion, and life. We also have Josh who has a film review radio show, podcast, and plethora of articles, and Tom who I previously mentioned. We want to help our members sustain their content and keep growing their following, which is the basis for a lot of our upcoming events.

“

I’d love to organise more events to help students overcome internal barriers

If you want to, or already create content and our society sounds like something that might be useful to you, sign up on the SU website, or find us on Facebook/Instagram as Content Creators UoM Society.

Event Preview: A Strawberry New year, Jam New society?

Photo: Chloe Weare @ohchloeellen @ Instagram

Join Fuse FM in partying for a great cause – fighting period poverty Chloe Hatton Societies Editor Now that exams are over and you’re all fancying a break, why not let your hair down and help fight period poverty at the same time?

Fuse FM are back with yet another infamous club night, A Strawberry Jam, at The Bread Shed on the 7th of February.

A Strawberry Jam is the most recent in a diverse line-up of sellout events hosted by Fuse FM in the past few months, which includes live gigs, club nights, and a night of comedy and sketches in collaboration with mental health charity C.A.L.M. This time, they’re bringing you an all-femme lineup, with a whole host of singers and DJs all night long. The night will begin with vocals from local talent before handing the dancefloor over to some of Manchester’s finest up-andcoming female DJs, as they take us on a journey from disco, through techno, and ending a little heavier with liquid DnB. Entry to the event is free, on one condition.

Rather than donating money, Fuse FM asks that you bring items including unopened boxes of sanitary towels, tampons, shower cream, and toothbrushes. For a full list of items, check out the event page.

If you’d prefer to donate money rather than sanitary products, entry is £4 on the door, with all proceeds going to Bloody Good Period. They’re a charitableproject that provides period supplies and toiletries to asylum seekers, refugees, and those who can’t afford them. Through the generosity of members of the public, they collect donations of sanitary products and supply them to drop-in centres and support services across the UK. Martha Bolton, Fuse FM’s Head of Events, says that the event is an opportunity to give this generation of Manchester’s female DJs a platform to express their talent.

“What we’ve found since we began curating the lineup is that there’s an abundance of very technically advanced women who have never played a live set before. There’s obviously a whole range of reasons for this, including underconfidence and in some cases being overlooked in favour of their male peers.

One aim of A Strawberry Jam was to create a safe space for these women to gain live experience.”

Although the event itself is free, make sure you grab yourself a ticket off Skiddle to guarantee you entry. If you’d like any more information about the event, take a look at the event page on Facebook.

Ellie Martin rounds up three of the best low cost and low commitment societies to join this semester Ellie Martin Contributor With January behind us, the new year is well underway. Hopefully your New Year’s resolutions are still going strong - maybe one of them was to join a new society or learn a new skill?

The return to campus is the perfect opportunity to carry this out. More realistically, you’ve probably given up on most of those resolutions, and finding committing to them difficult. Perhaps you’re feeling a bit tentative about going to new events; you want to have a go at something new, but you’re not feeling as enthusiastic as you were on New Year’s Eve. Here – especially for those looking just to dip their toes into the refreshers spirit – I have three societies that require very little commitment throughout the year. Turn up, or don’t, your choice.

The UoM Arts and Culture Society is a creative society with a chilled vibe, holding regular socials with an artsy theme. These include drink and draw sessions, art themed quiz nights and just general arty banter usually in the bar of their choice. Cut and stick to your heart’s content and, at only £3 joining fee for the entire year (yes, seriously), art can be accessible to everyone. Keep

your eyes peeled on their Facebook page for info on their next social.

Did you take dance lessons when you were younger and fancy picking it back up? Or maybe you’re looking to try something new? The UoM Dance Society is perfect as classes are available session by session, just turn up and pay on the door, no fuss. There are different prices for members and non-members so, if you find something you want to stick at, you can get discounts on sessions by becoming a member (£20). But if not, that’s totally fine, you can drop in as you please.

Plus, they have classes for every level, so if you’re returning to an old skill or starting something new, they’ve got you covered.

Give yoga a go this semester with the UoM Yoga Society, who have a range of classes usually at only £3 a session, or sometimes free! A nice low commitment sport for those looking for some relaxation and fitness this semester. Check out their Facebook page for their class timetable and prices.

Make the most of refreshers activities to see if anything piques your interest. There’s plenty going on for you to get involved in, even for those who don’t want to run head first into a full semester’s commitment to something.

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Mancunion Crossword #6 Solution Revealed Next Issue!

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Who finally met with Theresa May to negotiate Brexit? (6) What are sometimes run on treadmills in the Animal Research Unit?

(4) What did MPs vote to rule out last week? (2, 4) Which Manchester Utd player has just moved to China? (8) Who was found guilty of tax fraud last week? (7)

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Who was the star of Welcome To Marwen, recently panned by The Mancunion? (6) Which train company’s staff are to continue their strikes for another month? (8) What SU event kicks off on 28th February? (9) Who did England play in their opening Six Nations game? (7) What ground Manchester to a halt last week? (4)

Twilight - Deja Go Ahead In The Lowry & The Pre- Bloggers of Inside The Streets Rain Review: 23 Raphaelites: 25 Manchester: 26 Culture Live Review: 17 Review: 21

CULTURE Photo: Hanif Abdurraqib by Kate Sweeney

THE

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

The Howl & The Hum The Howl and the hum Winona Newman & Peter Varley

8/10

Photo: Annabel Rich

seeyouinthesoil Jasmine Bennett reviews the work of seeyouinthesoil, the soft-sounding vocalist bringing you a six-track EP titled Don’t Talk Too Loud Photo: Olivia White @ The Mancunion

The Howl and the Hum return to Manchester once more to grace a soldout Soup Kitchen with an intoxicating performance, Write Winona Newman and Peter Varley

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Seeing The Howl & The Hum perform is like returning to your favourite book – the one that reminds you of a specific time in your life you can’t quite put your finger on; a type of magic nostalgia that captivating, comes from those who possess the art of words. After playyet ing Jimmy’s and Neighbourhood unassumingly Festival last year, the fourpiece band return to Manchesso ter, blessing their fans with a truly exhilarating performance.

The York-formed band played to the Northern Quarter’s soldout Soup Kitchen which marked the halfway point of their UK tour.

The oddly charming compact, stripped-back venue space seemed apt for the band whose sound is reminiscent of an era passed. Those from their diverse and growing fanbase were captivated from the outset as the band opened with the surprisingly slow yet utterly spine-tingling rendition of ‘Terrorforming’. The clarity of sound was stunning and allowed the space to be filled with the slightly unnerving but strangely reassuring sound of frontman’s Griffith’s soul-searching vocals.

The Howl & The Hum are true performers.

If Talking Head’s and Future Islands’ frontmen had a love-child he would dance like Griffiths. He embodies the same sense of the everyday man possessed by something frantic, urgent, and utterly beautiful, putting every ounce of his being into the performance of each song. He is truly the definition of captivating, yet unassumingly so.

Their songs, while bewitching recorded, take on a life of their own when performed live. The use of subterranean sounds and an eery submarine siren submerges the audience in an audio ocean for

“

LIVE REVIEW.

‘I Wish I Was a Shark’. Wherein we follow Griffith’s strange train of thought through this world of his own creation.

Many of their songs explore this same sense of strangeness, with an emphasis on scene-setting and intricate detailing echoing the lyrics of the folk and rock masters of the past.

The band play on the almost comical specificity of their music with each song following a drawn-out and poetic introduction. This was certainly met with a warm reception, in fact, it gave us a clue about what on earth they were singing about. However, it soon became clear that each track is simultaneously relatable, in some instances, heartbreakingly so. Their latest song, ‘Hostages’, not yet released, follows a couple after a breakup, who, similarly to war-time enemies meet on a bridge to exchange ‘Hostages’ or in this case each others’ belongings. Another un-released beauty, ‘Sweet Fading Silver’ will leave you teary-eyed and longing for some past time, another life almost. The songs are bittersweet, they’re emotive and they’re crowd pleasers. The band are able to move seamlessly through genres retaining this same passion through their wilder and more frenzied, ‘Don’t Shoot the Storm’ and ‘Murder’.

Every song is a gem and it’s a testament to the band’s integrity, in only releasing songs that they believe are truly ready. As the gig culminated in the band’s most famous ‘Godmanchester Chinese Bridge’ — an ode to the simple and seemingly unassuming life story of architect James Gallier — we’re reminded of the only band who could take such a menial motive and transform it into an anthem, to be joyously echoed by their crowd. A crowd who are eager to see what will come of this band in the next few years.

Stumbling through the depths of my Spotify I came across the soothing vocals of Leyla Zebda, better known as seeyouinthesoil.

Hailing from North London, the 19-year-old pens tracks that feel wise beyond her years.

Her first release is the soft-sounding Don’t Talk Too Loud, an ambient set of 6 tracks providing a mellow recollection of youth. Beginning with ‘Obsession’, Zebda treats our ears to heart-wrenching lyrics such as “I hate that you waste away the days you could be talking to me”. Layered over soft strings, she provides an excellent 4am soundtrack with a mellow feeling and low crackling fuzz on tracks ‘Love It When You Cry’ and ‘The Bad’.

A personal favourite is the slightly more upbeat ‘All but a Wish for Now’, which has a more folky feel, buzzing with the repetitive line “I know I’m not a rocker girl in a band”. For any artist, the collection would be impressive, let alone for someone with such a small radar. The EP’s finisher ‘The Bad’ is a melancholic depiction of personal emotion with lyrics such as “I’m stuck in a state” and “I’m on the brink, I hold my own hand” alongside “I miss you but I don’t know why right now”. Perfect for those fragile moments, there is something deeply relatable and rarely insightful in Zebda’s EP. She draws to mind the work of Cyberbully Mom Club, girl in red, and Clairo. One to watch out for and one for the afters playlists, seeyouinthesoil is a bright new spark who deserves to be stumbled upon more.

Song recommendations: ‘All but a Wish for Now’, ‘The Bad’, and ‘Love It When You Cry’.

Hot Right Now

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

The Streets Mike Skinner incites a wild reaction from the crowd at The Streets’ highly anticipated return to Manchester Apollo, writes Alice Berkeley It has been 17 years since Mike Skinner, otherwise known as The Streets, released his seminal and genre-spanning album, Original Pirate Material, and 8 since he temporarily disbanded the project, yet the excitement surrounding his infamously rowdy live shows has never subsided.

The diversity of age groups gathering at the Apollo for the second of three sold-out shows in Manchester demonstrates that although for some the appeal of the gig is primarily nostalgia, for many fans, The Streets has a timeless appeal.

Despite dislocating his shoulder while crowd surfing at his hometown gig in Birmingham, Skinner is on top form, whipping the crowd up into a frenzy from the very first lyric of the opening track, ‘Turn the Page’, exclaiming “Manchester, you look mad!” He is immediately handed a pint from the front row, the first of many offerings that are made by his dedicated fans throughout the gig, including multiple pint glasses, a smuggled bottle of brandy, and two pairs of trainers, which he keeps safe on the stage. He reciprocates by ordering 5 two-pint glasses of beer to the stage, handing four of them into the crowd and keeping one for himself for an impromptu drinking competition.

Skinner powers through a wide-spanning and unrelenting setlist, cutting some songs short and blending them into each other in order to cram both new and old material into an hour and a half — a technique that does not bother the audience, who welcome the start of each song equally. Highlights include a funky performance of ‘Weak Become Heroes’ and pounding and bois-

terous rendition of ‘Too Much Brandy’, a track that reflects the overall tone of the night.

Despite the majority of the set being fast paced and energetic, there is opportunity for some respite during ‘Everything is Borrowed’, ‘Going through Hell’, and a heart-breaking rendition of ‘Never Went to Church’, a tribute to Skinner’s late father.

Even during these songs, the crowd remains feverish, a fact that does not escape him — “Why does the most violent shit happen during the ballads? Sing a sad song, massive fight.”

After a brief break in the set, Skinner shouts “The after party just fucking started!

Who’s got work in the morning? Call in sick!” as he is joined on stage by grime artist Grim Sickers to wildly perform hard hitting and bassy new collaborations ‘Call Me in the Morning’ and ‘Open the Till’.

The set closes with iconic hit single ‘Fit but You Know It’. Skinner jumps manically around the stage, exclaiming that “I think that we could break a world record tonight you know, let’s make the biggest circle pit known to man!”

Carnage descends upon the Apollo: the balcony shakes, pints fly and the mosh pit rages. The euphoric crowd disperses and Mike Skinner leaves the stage to play a DJ set later in the night, safe in the knowledge that his legendary status has been upheld.

Record Reappraisal

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Live review.

Photo: Ioana. @ Flickr

The Streets Alice Berkley

8/10

Photo: chinnian @ Flickr

Definitely Maybe Oasis

25 years on after its release, Josh Sandy revisits the album where it all started for Oasis

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Twenty-five years ago, 5 twenty-somethings from South East Manchester changed the face of music for a generation.

Their influence Rising from the ashes of the acid-house ‘Madchesis still palpably ter’ scene and against the backdrop of the creepfelt at the heart ing influence of US grunge of the UK music rock, Oasis released their critically-acclaimed descene but studio album Definitely Maybe and altered the course of rock history.

Much has since been said and written about the band’s near-constant line-up changes, lacklustre twilight years, and, of course, the animosity between the Gallaghers which led to the band’s break-up in 2009. However, there is still no doubt that Definitely Maybe still stands as a seminal album and arguably, perhaps the greatest debut of all time.

Through the album, they managed to display a microcosm of British ‘lad’ culture that had nev-

er been explored before and showcased the immense egos of a band which were willing to call the opening song of their debut album ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Star’. Whilst to many this blatant display of over-confidence was unwelcome, to their fellow disillusioned youths it only cemented their status as anti-establishment rockers.

Shining throughout the entire album is Noel Gallagher’s songwriting skills which dance between anthemic stadium rock with ‘Supersonic’ and ‘Cigarettes & Alcohol’ and the slightly more sedate but still heavily guitar driven, ‘Shakermaker’ and ‘Slide Away’. Whilst his influences quite clearly stem from the ‘British Invasion’ bands of the mid-1960s, there is still an overriding element of originality to his music which has become iconic in its own right.

However, despite Noel’s songwriting prowess, Oasis’ defining sound came from Liam Gallagher’s instantly recognisable vocals. Despite the particularly scathing criticism of his voice’s decline in later years, at the height of their fame in the 1990s its hard to imagine anybody else being better suited to performing their songs to massive crowds all over the world.

Of course, it’s impossible to mention their cultural influence without addressing their ri-

valry with other Britpop-era bands. Although there was their much-publicised feud with Blur and their competition with Pulp and Suede, ultimately Oasis’ debut album paved the way for Britpop to become the cultural phenomenon it was.

Even now, twenty-five years on, their influence is still palpably felt at the heart of the UK music scene. Particularly in Manchester of course. Both post-Britpop bands, particularly Coldplay and Keane, and more recent groups including Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian, and The Vaccines all owe a great debt of gratitude to the Gallagher’s revival of guitar-driven British rock music.

Of course, over the years, as the standard of their music waned and their off-stage antics were given more media coverage than their music, its possible to feel Oasis were overrated and their influence overstated. However, what a group of working-class lads from Manchester achieved with their first album is still incredible and will likely never be topped.

Ultimately, after re-listening to their true magnum opus, it’s impossible to not conclude that their music and influence will truly ‘Live Forever’.

“

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

In Conversation with Bury Tomorrow Georgina Davidson catches up with Bury Tomorrow’s Dayvd Winter-Bates to discuss their tour and latest album release, Black Flame

Bury Tomorrow Georgina Davidson

8/10 Photo: Hannah Brierley @ The Mancunion

“

Metal core is a genre that is generally not for the fainthearted. Powerful, emotive, and surprisingly selfaware of its comedic value at times, it A stunning is thoroughly complex and has a fun sounddisplay of scape to explore. It was just my luck then, raucous that a certain quintet energy from Southampton would be visiting Manchester for their Black Flame tour. I was eager to interview and catch up with the latest from this evolving band and see what they had to say about their latest creation.

It’s a cold mid-December afternoon when I finally get the opportunity to chat with Dayvd Winter-Bates about the latest instalment in the wild and surprising journey of the melodic metal core band, Bury Tomorrow. I was intrigued to hear about the contributions and styling that would be discovered in Bury Tomorrow’s set later that evening. However, first, we had to negotiate the stairs to the basement area where the interview would take place, just beneath The Ritz in semi-darkness. Fitting, I suppose, for a band who relish in the light and dark of their content. Davyd laughs “I think this has to be one of the strangest places for an interview” as we settled into a corner and began to discuss the tour.

Manchester was their fourth date of the tour and I immediately delved into his thoughts on the city. This garnered a reaction that you could say was fairly enthusiastic: “Manchester is rad, we’ve

never had a bad show here” he recalls.

Davyd was quick to add “Although I have to admit that shows in Scotland are just crazy, they’re always ready to go.” It seemed like the tour as a whole had gone down really well as he remarked: “We’ve been on tour in Europe for three weeks and it has been awesome. The crowd really don’t take much coaching; they’re always as keen as we are.”

I did not doubt it for a moment. I had passed a number of fans eagerly waiting outside just beyond the tour bus. From the discussions outside it seemed clear that fans were divided on the direction of their latest release Black Flame so I was quick to ask what had changed moving into their new album.

“We have really refined what we were doing with this latest album, I mean we call it ‘trimming the fat’ but it kind of means we’re accumulating new influences with everything that’s worked from our previous albums,” he clarified as we discussed the journey the band had musically moved along since the album’s release in July. “The moment we let go, that’s when all the ideas came flooding towards us so that’s how we created Black Flame,” he explained citing that his favourite track of the tour had to be the title track due to the resonance it had with the experience of touring. It was also revealed that the band would be exploring more content around the album in 2019, potentially playing a number of festivals across the UK which Dayvd could not disclose at the time.

Shifting topic slightly I asked him about their interests in the nightlife in Manchester considering the prominent and diverse music community that can be found across the city. “We used to DJ at a night called Deadbolt at Sound Control. We absolutely loved those shows!” He continued “There’s a really bad tiki bar near here that I always somehow end up in, it’s really funny.”

Discussing the night ahead it seemed that the band was extremely excited to check out Rebellion for their DJ set later that evening.

I commented that it was nearly impossible to leave either club without dirty shoes or dresses due to club floors. This seemed to amuse the band and Dayvd laughed: “Well I wouldn’t know...I’ll be wearing my Britney Spears shirt and that alone is enough to piss someone off…but who knows, maybe we’ll have skirts for the next tour,” referring to the hardcore community of metal enthusiasts who remain divided on Bury Tomorrow’s status as a “great” metalcore band due to their sometimes less than serious tone.

Before the interview came to a close we moved onto the subject of food which always seems to be a popular topic amongst bands.

It was interesting to hear praises sung for vegan food once again with a number of great new restaurants opening up across Manchester. Dayvd was particularly impressed with the vegan diner V-revolution commenting that “it was nice to eat [vegan] food that tastes like food and not rubber.” Which had clearly been an issue over their tight schedule and undoubtedly limited time as they travelled from city to city.

The show later that night proved that the band were in high spirits from the great energy they expelled across the venue. Lead singer, Dani put on a lively show encouraging the raucous energy to rise and flow through the building. It was also really impressive to hear the band constructively praise the work of their supports that had provided equally powerful performances too.

This kind of support is needed in a community of artist and performers and it’s great to see this behaviour really being put into to practice.

A stunning display of raucous energy and a band that deserves its place as a quality metal core band.

“

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Games

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Metro Exodus shuns Steam in favour of Epic Games store Epic Games continues its war on Steam and joins forces with Metro Exodus, writes Jeremy Bijl

Metro Exodus has become the latest game to launch exclusively on the Epic Games Store, following The Division 2 and TellTales’s ill-fated The Walking Dead: Final Season onto the platform, which was released in December 2018.

Whilst those who pre-purchased Metro Exodus on Steam will still be able to download it from the platform, the move comes with a bonus for consumers — at least those based in the U.S. — in the form of a $10 price drop. There is not yet any indication that this will apply elsewhere.

Presumably, this price drop has been ushered in by Epic’s more generous terms and conditions for developers. Where Steam give 70% of profit to developers and publishers, Epic give a significantly higher 88%.

And, for the first time, Valve, the owners of Steam have responded, writing: “We think the decision to remove the game is unfair to Steam customers, especially after a long pre-sale period. We apologise to Steam customers that were expecting it to be available for sale through the February 15th release date, but we were only recently informed of the decision and given limited time to let everyone know.”

Whilst Steam may be unhappy that another major title has spurned them,

the launch of the Epic Games Store was preceded by (or perhaps even precipitated by) a series of ongoing complaints about Steam, in particular Valve’s apathy regarding the platform.

Concerns were raised in 2017 when a perception arose that the storefront was becoming oversaturated. Indeed, a staggering 7672 games were released that year, a number accounting for 40% of Steam’s total library at that point.

These concerns around Valve’s curation - done almost exclusively through algorithms - have only continued to grow.

Steam GreenLight attracted plenty of criticism, seeing the amount of games released in a week from 5 to 70, and was criticised for its role in allowing an influx of games based on memes, cheap publicity stunts and clickbait onto the store.

Valve’s decision to scrap Greenlight and replace it with Steam Direct has seen this worsen, with a reported average of 180 weekly releases in mid 2018 and almost no curation whatsoever.

Finally, Valve announced in June 2018 that they planned to “allow everything” onto Steam that wasn’t illegal or “straight up trolling.” Steam has continued to occasionally dip its toes in

to remove games that sparked mass controversy (such Active Shooter, which saw you play as a school shooter), but has generally opened its gates to every developer willing to pay its modest entrance fee.

The perceived problem here is not in allowing game designers easier access to the world’s biggest PC platform, but that many lovingly crafted indies were getting buried under mounds of cynical, exploitative games, and that, for consumers, the steam store was becoming exceedingly unwieldy as a discovery tool.

In light of this, Epic’s admittedly aggressive move into the PC platform market, seems a fairly calculated move, especially as Fortnite’s timely success has given them the financial muscle to undercut Steam’s margins. Indeed, for a platform that has not yet been active for 2 months, it is making impressive inroads into a market long monopolised by Steam.

Whilst it may be irksome for consumers to divide their games across two platforms, it is worth noting that, as in most areas of business, legitimate competition is usually a healthy thing that drives standards up and prices down.

Metro Exodus will release on PC, Xbox One and PS4 on the 15th of February.

Photo: SteamXO@Flickr

Riot: Civil Unrest set to leave Early Access The real-time strategy game based on real-life events is given an official release date, writes Jeremy Bijl

Riot: Civil Unrest will leave early access early next week and have been given a full release date on Steam of 5th of February. It will also be available on the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.

Riot, which is being developed by Leonard Menchiari and IV Productions and published by Manchester-based Merge Games, will cost £12.99.

Riot’s premise is more or less what one might imagine: “As civil crisis deepens and inequality tears the very fabric of society the discontentment of the masses manifests itself in violent public disturbances and civil disorder. Play as the police or the angry horde as RIOT – Civil Unrest places you in some of the world’s most fractious disputes.”

The reception of the real-time strategy game so far has been mixed, holding a 69% approval rating on Steam.

iness, although its visual style and real-world setting have been praised.

Reviews have also been divided over the strength of its narrative. Eurogamer praised it as being a “strange and jittery and deeply unnerving game,” noting that, “it is not a great deal of fun to play. This is not a criticism, weird as it sounds. I think Riot would be a failure if it was fun to play.”

Rockpapershotgun, however, were less impressed, describing how “you might expect it to be a political powderkeg.

But Riot [...] manages to say nothing noteworthy about any of these conflicts.”

However, with Riot’s developers promising a host of new levels, new features, and a variety of new fixes and tweaks, judging it based on early access impressions may be premature, with the universal agreement being

Critical reviews have so far panned the experience, criticising its confusing interface and general clunk-

that this is a project with potential.

The Mancunion will review Riot: Civil Unrest upon its full release.

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Film

The Oscars Nominations 2019

Photo: Disney ABC Television @ Flickr

The current controversy surrounding the now hostless Oscars means the spotlight shining on this year’s nominations is even brighter, says Madeleine Peden The current controversy surrounding the now hostless Oscars means the spotlight shining on this year’s nominations is even brighter. Kevin Hart recently backed out of the role following the backlash after a number of his homophobic tweets resurfaced. Hart initially refused the academy’s request to apologise, claiming he did not want to add fuel to the fire of internet trolling. Ironic, considering the derogatory nature of his own tweets.

So, another attempt at diversification by a historically non-diverse institution, has quickly turned sour. Lest we forget Chris Rock’s hosting alongside the #OscarsSoWhite boycott in 2016 did ultimately serve as a powerful tool of enlightenment in terms of the lack of diversity within the Oscars, unlike this incident. Sadly, Hart’s refusal to host is a reminder of the many types of prejudice that still need to be overcome within the industry and as a result, the pressure on the academy to

be wholly representative in their nominations is more intense than ever.

This year, 928 new members were invited to join the academy in an attempt to increase diversity, which at first glance appears positive. However, this initiative was launched in response to the 2016 boycott which forces the question: was this just done to pacify those who boycotted? Furthermore, assuming all those invited accept, the number of women and people of colour would both only increase by a small margin. Whilst this is disappointing, I would like to consider the potential positive impact achieved by this small increase by taking a look at this year’s best picture nominations.

First and foremost, I was thrilled to see BlacKkKlansman on the list in addition to Spike Lee’s first Best Director nomination. The timing of this film’s release felt so disturbingly perfect and its nomination hopefully means it won’t be forgotten any time soon. The subtler

allegorical story telling of Black Panther is also very deserving of its place on this list, sweetened by fact it is a superhero blockbuster and one of the highest grossing films of all time. Roma is another significant nominee; its semi-autobiographical narrative portrays life in 1970s Mexico with Yalitza Aparicio being nominated for a Best Actress award.

Sadly, these changes will not happen over night but this year’s nominations for Best Picture indicates that the stories for and by minority groups are beginning to receive some of the accolades they deserve. If the academy continues to increase the diversity of its members then maybe they can accelerate these much-needed changes. The current political climate, especially in the US, means that these stories need more airtime than ever, and the Oscars is a talking point that can be instrumental in making this happen.

Blind spotting Tobias Soar Film Editor

5/5

A tale of racial profiling, gentrification, fear, and trauma told partly in verse, Blindspotting was one of 2018’s best films — it’s a shame it flew under the radar on this side of the pond. After a short and successful festival run, the film was released exclusively in the United States to critical acclaim and award success. I can say that this praise is deserved; my eyes were glued to the screen for its 95-minute runtime as I was immersed in the world of Oakland as seen through the eyes of a convicted felon on probation and his wild best friend.

Oakland-born rapper Daveed Diggs of hip hop group clipping. and Hamilton fame joined forces with poet-come-rapper Rafael Casal to write and star in Blindspotting. The clever tongue-in-cheek dialogue is brought to life with the help of music video director Carlos López Estrada whose previous directorial experience results in the film being visually captivating. Fast cuts, shots that seamlessly flow into one another, and a hefty sprinkling of visual comedy are the faces used to present issues of racial profiling and gentrification in Oakland, California.

In Collin’s (Diggs) three final days on probation, he witnesses a murder: a white cop guns down an un-

Oakland-born rapper Daveed Diggs of Hamilton fame joined forces with poet-come-rapper Rafael Casal to write and star in Blindspotting. armed black man in the middle of the street. This scene haunts him for the remainder of the film as he treads lightly on the line between the legality and criminality of his hood lifestyle. During this time we’re presented with a vivid image of current-day America, strangely feeling like a caricature and a portrait, all at once.

Hip hop plays a key role in the film in many ways. It’s a storytelling medium, with Collin and his best friend Miles (Casal) freestyling acapella as they go about their day or when they monologue in verse. These rhythmic recitals are refreshing and original despite being one of the oldest forms of storytelling used in anglophone culture (Shakespearean sonnets, anyone?). The rap-influenced soundtrack was custom-made by the two rapping screenwriters, featuring their vocals mixed over punchy beats. The soundtrack is available to purchase and stream as two EP’s — which will remain in my musical rotation for weeks to come.

Visually, Blindspotting is stunning. It’s colourful, it’s clean, and it’s hypnotising. Some visual motifs are accompanied by audio cues, particularly those of police cars and a car alarm from the aforementioned crime scene, to transmit the over-

whelming feeling of panic felt by the traumatised Collin. Other visually pleasing elements range from symmetry to punchy close-ups and are a clear sign of López Estrada’s history as a music video director.

Blindspotting is a humorous portrayal of the current sinister state of racial tensions in America. The tactful yet brutal storytelling shows pure genius, and I cannot wait to see what Diggs and Casal write next.

For now, however, I implore you to stream or pick up this film when it releases in the UK next month. It’s one of the best films of 2018 and it’s not just worth watching, it’s worth buying, keeping, and treasuring to revisit over and over and over.

Blindspotting will be available on DVD, Blu Ray and digital download on 4th February.

Photo: provided by DnA PR

PPhoto: Clker-Free-Vector-Images @pixabaylker-Free-Vector-Imag-

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Film

Review: FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened

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Netflix’s recent documentary on FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, directed by Chris Smith, sheds light on this disaster.

Where to watch:

Netflix

Photo: 240173 / 159 images@pixabay

In my view, there are two types of documentaries: those that are grounded with measured retellings of important historical events The story or, those that seek to tell a ludicrous avoids story in a similarly over-the-top fashattempting to ion. Netflix’s recent documentary on FYRE: elicit The Greatest Party That Never Happened, sympathy directed by Chris Smith, is definitely the latter. As with Netflix’s other documentary features, the production value of the film is evidently extremely high making for an immersive and compelling view of the extent of festival creator, Billy McFarland’s deceit.

The documentary explores the story and people behind the infamous music festival in 2017 which was branded as an opulent once-in-alifetime experience on a private island para-

“

dise but ended up being an ill-managed disaster with no music or even accommodation. The bulk of the film consists of behind-the-scenes footage of the event’s planning stages, the event itself and the subsequent media firestorm. This is interspersed with revealing interviews with numerous people involved with the festival including those who worked alongside McFarland and those defrauded by his actions.

Smith’s telling of the story is extremely self-aware and avoids the obvious pitfall of attempting to elicit sympathy for the überrich millennials who fell for the evident scam. Instead, he directs the audience’s empathy towards the island’s residents who suffered financially due to the festival’s failure. In fact, this has been so successful that a crowdfunding page set-up for Maryann Rolle, a caterer on the island who put $50,000 of her savings into the event, has since raised over $177,000, according to The New York Times.

One of the most revealing aspects of the film is the details behind the social media ‘influencers’ who appeared in the festival’s promotional material. At a time when the controversy around celebrity advertising is receiving significant media attention, it was reassuring to see Kardashian family socialite Kendall Jenner, and numerous other models finally being held accountable for their role

in the debacle.

Despite the film’s compelling nature, there are issues with its focus, this is most apparent when considering if the film’s true subject matter is the festival or McFarland’s life.

Whilst significant coverage is given to the festival, there are long segments dedicated to his other business dealings which, whilst not totally out of place, are perhaps not as relevant as suggested by the film’s title.

Unlike Netflix’s competitor Hulu, who released a surprise documentary, Fyre Fraud a mere three days before, Netflix declined to interview McFarland for the documentary. This reportedly being on account of his request for $125,000 for the interview. This was certainly a bold move on Netflix’s part but is ultimately a commendable one as allowing McFarland to further financially benefit, especially just before he begins a six-year prison sentence for fraud, is extremely morally questionable.

Overall, Netflix, along with Smith’s excellent direction, have created another intriguing and immersive world-class documentary which has further cemented their status as the dominant force in online streaming.

Josh Sandy Contributor

4/5

“

Déjà-Review: Twilight Netflix’s recent documentary on FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, directed by Chris Smith, sheds light on this disaster.

Twilight has quietly slipped past its 10 year anniversary and in honour of this momentous event, a friend and I re-watched it.

It was disconcerting that we could remember almost the entire script between us, such is the legacy of ‘tweenage’ obsession.

Much of the criticism directed at the film is justified, and I won’t seek to rehash it.

I will argue though, that Twilight was also a victim of a culture that delights in tearing down whatever young girls like. Catherine Hardwicke’s direction is coolly gorgeous, a masterpiece of cinematography comprised of moody blues and shifting shadows, aerial shots of the Pacific Northwest along with its mist and epic pine trees.

She also captures with painful and tender accuracy the reality of adolescence. Unlike a lot of other teen dramas, Hardwicke’s characters actually seem to spend time in lessons.

The sets – including the cloistered biology classroom, the tiny cafeteria, the rain blurring Forks, Washington – evoke that first crush feeling, the awful yet wonderful feel-

ing of proximity. Another commendable feature is the score; painstakingly atmospheric with its throbbing bass guitar, rolling drums and violin, although I couldn’t suppress a smile at its ripples of the emo music scene.

In terms of the script, I found it far funnier than it gets credit for upon a re-watch – who could forget “it’s the fluorescence?” I think I took Twilight quite seriously at ten, because at that age, to be seventeen was impossibly mature, and it reflected my yearning for adolescence. As life reflects art, our courtship was quick and addictive. I burned through the film openings, the Paramore tracks, the branded t-shirts. Later, my relationship with it frayed, as the chauvinism and emotional abuse veiled within became apparent.

But there’s a reason that’s closer to home for the ‘Twihard’ backlash, and it’s been overlooked. Bella’s self-reverential importance causes annoyance especially because we are all just a little too aware how close a representation she is of ourselves at that age. Much like Romeo and Juliet, as refer-

Photo: Clker-Free-Vector-Images / 29591 images

Izzy Sharp Contributor

4/5

enced in New Moon, Twilight is a quintessential teen film if you realise what it’s about: obsession, not love. Obsession with others and obsession with yourself. I had intended to write something insightful about Twilight, something a little wry and just slightly scornful. Instead I sat back and enjoyed Edward waltzing into school in his Ray Bans to ‘Spotlight’ by Mutemath.

Looking back at Twilight, much like adolescence, there’s a fondness there that will never quite fade, but examining it too closely or critically just isn’t rewarding. For all its faults, the film reminds me of being young, naïve, and overenthusiastic.

After we watched it, my friend and I discussed how much we’d always longed to do a road trip in the Pacific Northwest, tour the landscape with which we’d felt such a connection all those years ago. We’ll probably never do it, but there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism.

Photo: 240173 / 159 images@pixabay

RUN FOR ELECTION

8 ROLES / 1 YEAR / ÂŁ19,500

Best case scenario, you run for election, win your place on the Exec Team and spend one year making campus a better place for your fellow students. Worst case scenario, you run for election, don’t win, but walk away with new skills, experiences and connections

manchesterstudentsunion.com/elections

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM I judge an album by its opening track. When I first listened to ‘Steve Biko (Stir It Up)’ on A Tribe Called Quest’s Midnight Marauders, I knew I was onto something big. It was the first song of theirs I’d heard and now, after years of being a Tribe fan, every time I hear those blaring horns I’m a teenager again, walking to school, feeling like I was at the beginning of something great.

It’s rare to come across as gripping an opening to a book of music criticism as the first chapter of Hanif Abdurraqib’s Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest. The first few paragraphs had the same effect as those horns on ‘Steve Biko’.

Abdurraqib knows how to make sound turn into music — like the horn-player, he turns breath into song. The book begins, “In the beginning, from somewhere south of anywhere I come from, lips pressed the edge of a horn, and a horn was blown.”

He goes on: “in the beginning before the beginning, there were drums, and hymns, and a people carried here from another here, and a language stripped and a new one learned.” Abdurraqib traces back “the paths of rhythm”, aligning A Tribe Called Quest with “the tradition, generally rooted in one-line melodies and call-and-response.”

He links the past with the present, like a producer mixing an old sample into a new song.

Abdurraqib gives the “art of the sample” the critical attention it deserves. “In the mind of Q-Tip,” sampling is a “science”— it’s “breathing life into someone who doesn’t have life anymore.” I first heard of Tribe years after they’d broken up through modern rappers sampling their songs, and in turn, it was Tribe samples that got me listening to Jazz.

Sampling creates a lineage — listening to an album like The Low End Theory, or reading a book like Go Ahead In The Rain, is travelling down a path of rhythm that stretches back decades.

Abdurraqib goes back decades into his own life — we see the rise of the band through the eyes of one of their young fans. A lesser writer would dwell on historical facts, writing the lives of the band members with scholarly accuracy. Abdurraqib gives us all the historical context we need — with a knack for anecdote, he covers the birth of Hip Hop, the East-West rivalry, and discusses other musicians from Dr Dre to Leonard Cohen. But at all points, the writing remains deeply personal, Abdurraqib finds his own

place within Tribe’s story as someone who had their pictures on his wall, someone who would burn their CDs and sell them at school. As the subtitle says, these are “Notes To A Tribe Called Quest” — if Tribe’s music is a call, Go Ahead In The Rain is a fan’s heartfelt response.

By exploring the intimate yet distant relationship between a fan and their favourite band, Go Ahead In The Rain is both biography and autobiography. We learn about Tribe, sure, but also their effect on Abdurraqib. And surely the best way to show the power of musicians is to show how their music affects the lives of their fans.

This intimacy is most clear in the letters included throughout the book that Abdurraqib addresses to Tip, Phife, Ali, and even Phife’s mother, the poet Cheryl Boyce-Taylor. The letters to Phife are powerful to read.

Since he died in 2016, they’re letters that can never be returned, calls that won’t ever meet a response. Phife died at the age of 45 just months before Tribe’s final album, We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service came out. This book, if nothing else, is a tribute to Phife; an attempt to make sure his talent is known.

Abdurraqib sets up the characters of Q-Tip and Phife Dawg as they appear on their records — Tip is the ambitious genius and Phife the unappreciated side-kick. But these stock characters are filled in. While Tip often took centre stage when Tribe was in the public eye, here they both have equal footing. Phife is finally given a sympathetic ear, perhaps (as is clear in the more memoir-like passages) because Abdurraqib seems to relate to him.

I’ve often thought that something gets lost in translation when we use one medium to describe another. The best way to describe dance is to dance, the most effective way to pay homage to music is to make more of it, to sample an original, add your song to a lineage. Abdurraqib, in Go Ahead In The Rain, manages to write about music by making his language a type of music. He pays homage to A Tribe Called Quest in the only way fitting, with flow and charm and emotional rawness. When he describes Q-Tip’s “breathless, run-on sentence flow, the words bleeding into each other until the language itself becomes an instrument,” or his “crate digger’s knowledge [and] poet’s ear for language,” Abdurraqib may as well be writing about himself.

Review:

Go Ahead In The Rain

by Hanif Abdurraqib Gurnaik Johal reviews Hanif Abdurraqib’s ‘Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest’, his newest book of music criticism Photo: Hanif Abdurraqib by Kate Sweeney

Books

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Five great podcasts for book lovers

Alice Porter lists her top five book podcasts including ‘Literary Friction’, ‘Reading Women’, ‘You’re Booked’, ‘The High Low’ and ‘The Writer’s Voice’ Photo: sik-life @ Pixabay

Podcasts have become increasingly popular over the past few years and for good reason. They’re a great way to pass the time or to provide some background noise that isn’t music, as well as to learn new things, and listen to interesting and inspiring people talk about their lives, interests, and subjects of expertise.

If you’re a big reader then you’re in luck, as there is a wealth of podcasts about books!

Here’s a list of my favourite five: Literary Friction: Literary Friction describes itself as ‘a monthly conversation about books and ideas.’ In each episode the hosts, Carrie and Octavia, talk to a different author, either established or up-and-coming, about a particular topic. This topic is usually related to the themes and ideas that the author they’re interviewing explores in their work. Whatever these themes are, their discussions are guaranteed to be interesting and insightful.

My personal favourite episodes are with Sally Rooney, author of Man-Booker longlisted Normal People, and Dolly Alderton, whose debut memoir Everything I Know About Love was released in early 2018.

You’re Booked: This podcast sees the host, Daisy Buchanan (a columnist for The Guardian, not the character in The Great Gatsby) ‘snooping’, as she describes it, around authors’ bookshelves. She interviews them about their life in books, and they discuss the texts that define certain periods of their lives.

The interviews consistently provide great book recommendations, and an opportunity to get to know the author in question more.

I enjoy every episode whether I was aware of the author being interviewed before listening to the podcast or not. Authors that have featured on the podcast so far include Elizabeth Day, Nikesh Shukla and Poorna Bell.

Reading Women: In this podcast, as the title suggests, women discuss books by or about women. If you’re looking for interesting discussions and great

book recommendations, especially if you’re trying to read more books by female authors, this podcast is the one for you.

They upload new episodes twice a month but, to get you started, try their ‘Most Anticipated Reads of 2019’, with a pen and paper at the ready for endlessly great recommendations.

The High Low: This podcast is not strictly about books like the others. But don’t let that throw you off! The High Low is a weekly pop-culture/news podcast, hosted by journalists Dolly Alderton and Pandora Sykes.

At the beginning of each episode they discuss the books they’ve read that week providing, again, countless book recommendations and conversations about literature.

They also regularly interview authors on their podcast, titling these episodes ‘Author Specials’ and, after taking their bi-annual breaks, provide ‘Bumper Book Specials’, in which they discuss all the books they’ve read during their time off.

In their ‘Author Special’ episodes they have interviewed some brilliant writers such as Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené, authors of Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible, Meg Wolitzer, the New York Times bestselling author of 8 novels, and Reni Eddo-Lodge, author of the critically acclaimed book, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race.

The Writer’s Voice: This recommendation is slightly different to all of the others in that it is not a podcast in which literature is discussed, but one in which literature is read. In this podcast, fiction writers from The New Yorker read out their short stories in episodes never exceeding the 1 hour mark, which makes them perfect to listen to on study breaks or to fall asleep to.

The episode in which Zadie Smith reads her story ‘Now More Than Ever’ is a personal favourite but there are also episodes with Mary Gaitskill, Rachel Kushner, and Jeffrey Eugenides, amongst many other great writers.

Theatre

Preview.

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Ken Cheng’s Best Dad Ever

Anuli Changa talks to comedian Ken Cheng about his first UK tour and his comedic experience Photo: Steve Ullathorne

Ken Cheng “stumbled into” comedy after realising he could be “occasionally funny”.

He started on the Cambridge student comedy scene. He described it as a supportive and generous community and his career’s “training wheels”.

Cheng’s show Best Dad Ever is his fi rst UK tour. He has performed at Edinburgh Fringe numerous times and won Dave Joke of the Fringe in 2017. Cheng is no stranger to various audiences but the regional aspect of touring will be new to him. However, there are now not only different audiences but also new cities.

Cheng has found comedic success in his BBC Radio 4 stand-up series called Chinese

Comedian. A show focused on his experiences of being Chinese in the UK and the cultural differences. When I asked why he felt his performances are relevant and important, Cheng explained to me that in the current and uncertain “political climate” there is the chance and the need to “explore race more deeply”, by detailing experiences from different cultural backgrounds. British comedy is taking the positives and negatives of UK politics and championing diversity.

Best Dad Ever is all about Cheng’s family upbringing. It explores the cultural divide of being brought up in the UK by Chinese parents. Cheng said simply “Our family is just weird”, Chinese or not.

The show reveals

Cuts of the Cloth is a radical play about a sexism, Islamophobia, and ‘radical Islam’ — it examines a British Muslim woman’s place in the global War on Terror. The piece is a dystopian play à la 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale, and sees a Muslim woman archived in a museum.

She is literally objectified, the metaphor being that Muslim women, so often thought to be objectified by Muslim men, are actually objectified

by Western ignorance, discourses, and rhetoric.

Hafsah Aneela Bashir is the sole actor and also writer — the play looks at her character’s life as a mother, wife, and teacher, and how being Muslim affects everyday living: dealing, for example, with harassment by immigration officers, and fellow citizens’ ignorance and insensitivities.

In this near-future, Muslims are sent to concentration camps, realignment programmes, or simply disappear. Bashir’s character is archived in ‘an exhibit for the people,’ where people can learn about the threat of Islamic fundamentalism. Every time she mentioned the realignment programme, she uttered “all hail for peace,” signalling indoctrination by Islamophobia. This is alarming given the current ‘re-education’ missions and concentration camps for Muslims in China.

As a British Muslim, I resonated with these things — it was emotional seeing my reality performed on stage. The fact that 52% of British hate crimes are Islamophobic, but are rarely covered by the media, is evidence of why this play is needed. The piece also examined sexism; the #MeToo movement has seen lots of fiction looking at the sexualisation of women, but this play looked at racialised sexism, displaying how difficult it is to be both a woman and a minority.

Bashir sung, danced, and took pride in her

Islamic culture. Though objectified as a museum artefact, she refused to dismiss her identity. She channelled many emotions, from anger and frustration to disbelief and confusion. She showed this character at her happiest and also at her most grief-stricken.

The set included two frames that Bashir stood between, signalling she was an artefact.

The displayed personal belongings, including a shoe and toys, signalled that this is an ordinary woman who has had her life snatched from her; nothing more than a public attraction.

There was a higher piece of set with a microphone, allowing Bashir to tower over everyone, and rise above the world’s horrors, a great directorial choice by Nikki Mailer. One of the final scenes saw Bashir stand above us and read the names of Muslim children and their horrid fates. There was a rally-like feel to it — it was both harrowing and cathartic.

Whilst the content and characterisation were both top-notch, the execution needed some polishing. Whilst Bashir corrected her few small mistakes, she pulled a face when she forgot a line — that breaking out of character took away from an interesting moment: comparing sexism faced by Western and Muslim women.

Kooj Chuhan’s videos on the screen at the back of the stage were very interesting. They included a woman describing the exhibit and discussing radical Islam. Whilst most contributed greatly to the piece, some were a little distracting; Bashir was captivating, and all eyes should have been on her.

The positives, though, definitely outweighed the negatives. The play was didactic and educational but also touching and emotional. Cuts of the Cloth is an ambitious patchwork project — it just requires a little stitching and neatening-up.

Cuts of the Cloth

Jay Darcy reviews Cuts of the Cloth as part of the HOME Push Festival

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It was both harrowing and cathartic

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Review.

the secrets of Cheng’s family and his discovery that his parents are fl awed people, just like the rest of us.

Cheng explained that Best Dad Ever will connect with students and this generation’s understanding of politics. This show is from the perspective of a child who is “a bit of an outcast” and is about “being okay with that” for anyone who feels that way this show is for them.

Comedy isn’t for a specifi c group and Cheng clearly wants to encourage all types of people interested in comedy to “just go for it”!

See Ken Cheng in Manchester at the Dancehouse on 8th February and as a co-host on the new E4 series The Hangover Games.

Photo: @Outside the Frame Arts

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

A R T E

Arts F A C T

Lowry and the Pre-Raphaelites

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Saoirse Akhtar-Farren reviews the plentiful Pre-Raphaelite exhibition currently on show at The Lowry, and explores L. S. Lowry’s admiration of the avant-garde Victorian student group.

Photo: Open Media Ltd @ Wikimedia Commons

of

the week

Photo: Dennis Jarvis@flickr

Photo: David Dixon @ Geograph

In this instalment of Artefact of the Week, Theo Bennett explores a tribute to Manchester music mogul Tony Wilson: the latest Akse mural to grace the side of a Northern Quarter substation Members of the general public who have found themselves pootling about in Manchester’s Northern Quarter in recent months may have noticed the large face of a man unperturbedly peering at them as they pass by the corner of Tib Street and Thomas Street, very close to Piccadilly Records.

To the unacquainted, this lifelike portrait of an unremarkable, bespectacled, middle-aged man might seem like a strange choice for a piece of art so prominently on view on the side of a substation in Manchester’s city centre. To the acquainted, it’s clear to see that this is a mural dedicated to famed Manchester music mogul Tony Wilson, former manager of Joy Division, New Order, and Happy Mondays, who died in 2007. The mural has been there since June of last year.

The Tony Wilson mural is the latest work undertaken by Manchester-based street artist Akse, who originally hails from Paris.

Since 2006, Aks has produced a number of realistic portraits of famous faces that have graced both the Tib Street substation and a structure located at Stephenson Square, only a very short walk from the substation.

Among the figures that have received large-scale renderings on the sides of these two edifices is Manchester’s own Mark E. Smith, frontman of The Fall, as well as some icons with less apparent Manchester connections, such as Prince, David Bowie, and characters from Breaking Bad. Fellow graffiti artist Quebek has also contributed murals to both locations.

The Tib Street substation and the Stephenson Square structure are both managed by Out House, a self-described ‘outdoor project space for Public Art.’ Information about the aims and scope of this project can be found on the outhouse website.

Located below the North Bay of Manchester’s Media City, The Lowry is currently exhibiting a Pre-Raphaelite exhibition alongside the works of the man himself, L. S. Lowry. While Media City buzzes with energy, the contrast with the quiet and relaxed exhibition provides a moment of personal solace in the midst of the hussle and bussle of Manchester life.

The exhibition began with the Pre-Raphaelites. The sheer quantity and variety of works exhibited felt like a true immersion in the Victorian era, while the meticulous detail and rich colours of the Pre-Raphaelite oil paintings still remains vivid in my mind.

The 19th century reformist student group, also known as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, were largely students at the Royal Academy. In an act of rebellion against the Academy’s traditional artistic standards, the Pre-Raphaelites collaborated to create an artistic style which was certainly niche for its day.

The student-teacher disagreement stemmed from the work of 16th century artist, Raphael, who was deemed by the Pre-Raphaelites to corrupt art with his imagined and elaborated religious images that were untrue to reality. Thus the Pre-Rapha-

elites’ core motivation was in opposition to the artistic style of the Raphael, seeking to paint something closer to realism.

The next room transitioned into the famous works of Manchester’s very own, L. S. Lowry, and it came as a pleasant surprise to be reintroduced to the distinct characters of his works that I had grown up with as a child. Through Lowry’s appreciation and admiration of Pre-Raphaelite art, a definite affinity between the Pre-Raphaelite collection and Lowry’s works was revealed, which I was certainly unaware of prior to the exhibition.

Members of the Pre-Raphaelite group, such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the second-wave of artists which included Ford Madox Brown and Edward BurneJones, feature frequently throughout the exhibition as Lowry’s personal favourites.

The recurring nature of some of Lowry’s most famous featured characters such as ‘Ann’ was inspired by the Pre-Raphaelite tendency to depict their female subjects in several environments and emotional states.

The synergy of these two movements, however, does not stop there. In the same way that the female subjects of the Pre-Raphaelites appear ambiguous, Lowry’s enigmatic charac-

Photo: Fitzwilliam Museum, Sotheby’s, Walker Art Gallery @ Wikimedia Commons, Plum Leaves @ Flickr

ter, Ann also evokes this ethereal quality. In fact, Lowry often resorted to quoting Rossetti’s phrase: “They’re not real women. They are dreams.” when justifying his work.

An aspect that I found refreshingly surprising about the Pre-Raphaelite paintings was the de facto diversity of the ethnic and social backgrounds of the models featured. At a first glance these women are white and conventionally beautiful, however their personal heritages go beyond the traditional white and upper-class identities of many muses of the era. Indeed, Marie Stillman came from an “Anglo-Greek” community, while Maria Zambaco was born in Athens, and Annie Miller, who features in the painting The Awakening Conscious, was from the slum area of Chelsea.

This exhibition reasserts the importance of rebellion, in rejecting conventions of ‘beauty’ and ‘art’, instead seeking to depict something real. Despite being a movement of the past, it has relevance today given the construction of the idea of beauty in the media and capitalist branding. I hope that this acceptance and celebration of diversity can continue to be portrayed in the arts, with women of all colours and shapes frequenting our screens.

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ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Fashion & Beauty

Fashion player of the week: Jonah Hill You could say Jonah’s style isn’t superbad, it’s supergood, writes Ella Searle Photo: Will Folsom @ Wikimedia Commons

If you don’t consider Jonah Hill to be a style icon, you’re just not looking close enough.

King of the ‘scrumbo’ style, a scrumbo is an individual who dons an un-aesthetical mash-up between exclusive high-end houses (think Prada) and streetwear labels, (think Palace, Thames, Supreme) whilst still maintaining a look that appears like it could be easily replicated using the stock from your local Oxfam. They “wear irony like it’s a dewy hint of highlighter on the cheekbone – like normcore did, but less precious” and what is essential about the scrumbo look is that nothing is ever coincidental. The scrumbo look takes the baggy silhouette of the nowinfamous ‘Fallow’ style and injects it with the latest sold-out releases and ostentatiously print t-shirts.

What might be more alarming than seeing unexpected and seemingly incongruous labels aggressively thrown together such as Goyard and Crocs, Patagonia Fleeces and Prada Cloudburts, is how this look has become so rejoiced by fashion lovers and industry insiders alike. Just how we love to root for an underdog, the aesthetical rebellion by repeat offenders such as Pete Davidson, new-era Justin Bieber, and Shia LaBeouf was featured at the top of many of 2018’s best-dressed lists.

The celebration of the scrumbo appears to be a political attack against the seemingly stagnant ‘hypebeast’ ensembles of Off White, Yeezy and Gucci

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A Roundup of The Fashion Bloggers Of Manchester This article compiles a list of our fashion influencers from our home town of Manchester who all comprise the city’s style and excitement to provide continual inspiration, writes Margaret Ward Homing so many brands that depend upon and credit their success to the influencer marketing model has, in turn, created vast opportunities for eager fashion bloggers, especially in a city like Manchester

Ellen is a Manchester-based fashion blogger, who loves to mix statement pieces alongside a continual laid-back, street style vibe. @Ellenbrckygirl Often found mixing patterns with a trusty basic leather jacket, if you’re looking for a girl next door vibe then there’s no need to look any further.

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Not only is he the co-founder of influential collective The Manchester Fashion Industry, Domain is worthy of mention for his continual commitment @Domain_Esdale to cutting edge trends whilst still maintaining a level of sophistication. From on-trend smartwear to casual streetwear, if you’re a guy looking for refined style inspiration for every occasion, we’ve found the perfect fashion blogger for you!

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From a cute pink corduroy suit paired with the latest Chloeé bag, there’s never a dull moment on the Instagram of Mossonyi.

Looking through @Mossonyi: the ‘gram with a pink shaded hue, be prepared for a dose of wanderlust which may appear too nice to be taken on the drizzly streets of Manchester!

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@@Becwatkinson

Think matrix style mini glasses, hoodies and oversized jackets. Bec is fashion-forward and mixes fast-fashion brands with designer accessories making her look lustworthy on a budget.

Tracksuits, as influencer marketing reaches its pinnacle, and Instagram becomes ever more lackluster with the outpouring of paid-for-content that continues to reproduce the samey content of commercial streetwear. Yet, in a sea of skinny tracksuits, a scrumbo makes a mark to stand out one bowling shirt at a time and emphasizes the evergrowing cult of irony within fashion.

Yet, following his ‘Mid90s’ directorial debut and 35th birthday, it appears Hill has similarly toned down his look starting 2019. His garish summer wardrobe, which was regularly constituted with the likes of shorts and a wool overcoat, or rainbow basketball vests with baggy Dickies has in turn been swapped with more understated basics from the likes of minimalist brand The Row. But just to make it Jonah, he added chunky Adidas trainers or Palace Reeboks.

Growing up following LA’s skateboard scene, Hill’s look is so desirable as it thrives off his authenticity.

With a dedicated and unaffiliated fan account just for his ensembles run by a mystery admirer (@JonahFits) it appears Jonah’s look is so renowned as it’s unmistakably original. Working without a stylist, he’s a fresh of breath air and a man who knows his stuff. Announcing his next venture to be in clothing, it’s safe to say there won’t be many cuffed bottoms or skinny fit items to be expected from his collection.

In an increasingly crowded menswear industry, awash with culture vultures and many a ‘influencer’, be a Jonah.

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Tired of seeing fashion bloggers in their latest designer ensemble? For many, when you think of a fashion blogger, your first thought might be @DavidJamesseed someone who is dressed from label to label with an unattainable price tag. This is where David is a breath of fresh air in a deeply saturated and predictable industry. His ‘niche’ and signature feature is finding affordable brands that everyone can not only draw inspiration from but also actually afford.

Founder of The Millennial Girls Guide, Youtuber, and all-around fashion guru Lydia exudes sophistication.

Although favouring more exclusive designer @LydiaJanlabels with a handbag etomlinson collection to die for, Lydia collaborates with many fast fashion brands to provide easily replicable looks and everyday styling tips.

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Self-confessed ‘lover of neutrals’, this Manchester blogger has quite possibly one of the most aesthetically pleasing Instagrams out there. @FreyaFarringFavouring basics over ton labels, Freya will have you wondering how she keeps her whites so clean and effortless! Something that isn’t so possible with University standard washing machines.

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@Whatemmadid

This lady oozes sophistication, class and has possibly the sleekest hair in Manchester. A Youtuber, Blogger, and Bridal Makeup Artist, Emma is the epitome of fashion and beauty.

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

WOLF: The not-soItalian street food

Food & Drink 27

Lucia Cannizzaro expected authentic Italian street food from new vendor WOLF - but was left disappointed I’m just going to start by saying that this review would have probably been different if I wasn’t Italian myself. I do feel slightly bad for WOLF — The quick Italian Street Food, for they have been, in a way, unlucky. and easy...

I, unfortunately, have to admit, in fact, that this but not place had only a small hint authentic of Italian food.

This street food vendor has recently opened in the Arndale centre’s new food court on the ground floor. The interior design is enjoyable. A fake leaf motif runs all around the space, which catches your attention.

The waitress at the counter tells me I can choose between three main dishes that I can fill with different toppings and sauces later. The choice is between a piada (an Italian flatbread she refers to as Italian burrito), a pasta dish (either penne or spaghetti), or a salad. I go for a piada and a box with penne.

The piada is put on a grill for 30 sec-

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“

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No frills, no judgement cookery with no shame

Amidst all of 2019’s social and political impasses, Chrissy Teigen is sacredly bipartisan. Correct me if I’m wrong, but within a world of constant disagreement, she seems to remain social media’s sweetheart. A refreshingly honest, liberal and candid celebrity who cuts through the waffle of the Kardashian-Jenner weight loss lollipops and extreme diets. For this reason, her cookbook ‘Cravings’ sat at the top of my Christmas list.

Luckily for me, Santa

“

pulled through.

Whilst definitely a ‘celebrity cookbook’ (with Teigen’s face interspersed throughout the book and on the cover) there isn’t the trademark kitschness that usually accompanies celebrity written books. Raised by a Thai mother, Chrissy’s knowledge of world food is present throughout her recipes. Along with a brashly criminal amount of chilli, salt, garlic and flavour. This in itself is a warm departure from what you’d usually see from bikini models, wryly advocating wheat grass shots and unseasoned avocado while they say ‘mmm yummy’ into the camera. Chrissy actually acknowledges this expectation and gives the reader a section “for when salads are needed”. This includes a caprese salad with crispy shards of prosciutto and a Chinese chicken salad with wonton skins.

If I’m honest, I’d completely forgo Teigen’s salad section as it seems to lack the ethos that the rest of the book trades in; indulgence in moderation.

The rest of the book has the following sec-

onds, and the penne is already cooked. I try to fill these dishes with anything even remotely Italian or traditional. However, the meats you can choose from are either spicy chicken or lemon chicken which don’t ever go in pasta or piada. Otherwise, there are the deli meats which are prosciutto, spicy salami, ham, and again, chicken. Salmon and grilled vegetables which looked good make up another choice.

I eventually went for a piada with prosciutto, ham, artichokes, tomato, and spinach inside as they were the only ingredients that could possibly go well with it. Following this was pasta with salmon, tomatoes, artichokes and rocket. I myself would not really associate rocket with salmon but had no better choice.

And then the sauces: pomodoro sauce, pesto, red pesto, Alfredo sauce, and so on. None of them should go with the piada but out of desperation I just put pesto in both. Lastly, I get asked if I want any kind of cheese but the choices are only feta (Greek!) or parmesan.

With preparation done, the waitress puts the food on my tray. The food itself was alright, but the penne tasted cold and over-cooked. The piada felt cold too and was gummy, not crispy as it should be. The overall taste was pleasant, though some combinations of flavours weren’t the best. Although they were my choices, it was all due to the lack of real Italian ingredients.

tions: breakfast all day, soup-master, noodles and carbs, Thai mom, party time, sh*t on toast, vegetable things, things that intimidate people but shouldn’t, and supper. All of these evoke the laid-back nature of her writing and cooking style. Unfortunately – warning for all sweettoothed students out there – Chrissy neglects a dessert section. She admits she herself doesn’t really like them nor does she claim to be a pastry chef.

One thing that the book does not lack however, is Chrissy’s sharp wit, which is peppered throughout all her recipes; just one of her well-loved traits. At one point she blames ‘cacio e pepe’ (pasta loaded with pepper, pancetta and parmesan) for giving her ‘carby pasta goggles’, resulting in her Italian Lake Como marriage to John Legend. Admittedly, whilst Chrissy’s recipes are not overly original or creative, I, as a female reader usually bombarded with flavourless ways in which to lose weight, find it very progressive that someone in her profession and social media standing would tell me to cook scrambled eggs the classical French way! Oozy, rich and custard-y.

Over the winter period I tried out her ‘balsamic glazed brussels sprouts with bacon, cranberries, walnuts and blue cheese’. Let me tell you, it definitely made sprouts sexy and Victoria’s Secret runway-ready.

Overall, this book gives me everything I wanted: relaxed, indulgent good food. It doesn’t re-invent the wheel of cookery, doesn’t have a dessert section and definitely has a few recipes that seem wedged in for the sake of fillers i.e. ‘tuna melts’. Nevertheless, this book only encourages my love for Chrissy Teigen more. She creates a breath of fresh air with regards to no-frill, no-judgement cookery with no shame.

Perfect for a world where food and indulgence are becoming increasingly estranged.

Photo: Lucia Cannizzaro @ The Mancunion

WOLF Lucia Cannizzaro

5/10

However, the salmon and the artichokes were very tasty.

If WOLF had been a normal street food vendor I would have not been surprised by the food selection as it followed British cuisine and local taste quite closely. But since it was stressed everywhere from the name to the menu, to the signs on the wall, and to the website, that it was genuinely Italian then yes, I was expecting closer attention to the Italian food tradition. I was not expecting simply a few ingredients thrown on a tray.

Quick and easy street food, but not authentic Italian as promised.

Review: ‘Cravings’

by Chrissy Teigen

Elena Bradley reviews the most hyped celebrity cookbook of the last 5 years: Chrissy Teigen’s ‘Cravings’...

Is it worth the splurge?

Cravings Elena Bradley

Photo: Elena Bradley @ The Mancunion

8/10

21/FEB/2019

MARCH, SIGN THE PETITION, WRITE TO THE COUNCIL!

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Lifestyle 29

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Against apathy: In defence of the New Year’s resolution

Eva Gerretsen discusses why today’s youth are so opposed to New Year resolutions, and some alternatives that could help us to be less self-centred

Photo: Navy_NADAP @Flickr

Eva Gerretsen Contributor We love a festive platitude, especially those which emanate a sense of rest, joy, and unity. Or, even better, those which provide weak qualification for certain uncalled for or slovenly actions. We justify various binge-behaviours with a slurred: ‘but it’s Christmassssss!’ You do not need me to tell you how marketable the myth is.

This time of year requires a very particular store of spare energy from the ‘FAMILY’ tank – a reserve of patience and frustration you often forget you have. There’s the added fun of no-one your age around and as a result, enforced chastity. You’ll inevitably try phone sex in your childhood bedroom. As you try very hard to hold onto your mobile and muffle the loud whirring of your recently acquired vibrator, you become acutely aware that the door to your parents’ bedroom is across the landing and ajar. Not to mention the abundance of the family Christmas platter and inevitable overeating. Under the pretence of needing a wee you will gnaw surreptitiously at the cheesecake in the fridge while the family watch Strictly.

Then, of course, comes the sibling warfare. Unless your parents blessed you with their undivided attention, you need at least 11 months of really good insults and/or embarrassing Instagram stories stock-piled. Even if you have agreed on a temporary truce (I won’t tell mum about your nipple piercing), come washing-up time they disappear completely. You are left betrayed and outflanked by grease-covered pans. Without allies. Without Empire. No one will remember or care that you are a vegetarian as you scrub at the turkey dish, and your meek protestations will not be heard over the Queen’s speech.

We regurgitate this list of trials and tribulations every year. You hope that this year will be better followed by the crushing disappointment that it is not. It is our favourite moan.

Our favourite topic to roll the eyes to and greet with an abject sigh. Come New Year’s Eve and your ‘FAMILY’ tank will be empty apart from maybe a 2L bottle of gin. Alongside the drinking (and usually proceeded by it) is the greatest festive platitude of them all: “New Year, New Me”. What this demonstrates is how narcissistic our New Year’s resolutions are, and of course, how often they involve sentiments of so-called “self-improvement”.

I have compiled a list of some of the most popular: • I will lose a stone.

• I will read more/watch the news more/engage with a variety of cultural mediums/ have more interesting things to say at parties/ become the brooding intellectual who sits in the corner smoking and reading a paperback.

• I will meditate or something.

• I will visit more greenspaces, which the city I live in actually has loads of but I’ve become too accustomed to the great indoors and that’s really quite shameful because there’s a park not 500 metres away and I know this because my supertoned neighbour is always out jogging and tells me about how nice it is to jog in these fast-dwindling green spaces and I find myself more and more reluctant to leave in order to validate her perfectly modest, unaggressive and healthy habits but most of all her really lovely muscular legs.

Never fully accomplished, these resolutions hang about your consciousness like pig’s corpses in the Butcher-shop window; grotesque, in-your-face, smelling of blood and failure. I asked some people I know if they were making any resolutions this

year. They all said no .This somewhat confirmed my belief that we belong to the generation of the apathetic. Maybe this is who we are, or maybe it’s just a bad case of teenage indifference which resurfaces when you’re obliged to spend time in your family home. The lack of resolution in the face of a bleak January ahead, which didn’t surprise me, did however sadden me. Not because I would enjoy the failure of my friends (although, I wouldn’t mind if they stopped being so successful, kind and beautiful and got on my level), but because I really like the sentiment of the resolution.

That January the 1st - which looks an awful lot like December the 31st- can set off such a surge of inspiration. It is an almost cloying drive to see the world differently and do things in a different way. Perhaps part of the reason these resolutions are so quick to dwindle is because the available stock of self-improvement(s) are unabashedly self-involved.

In this respect I believe my family to be truly revolutionary. Instead of resolutions we make ‘pledges’ to each other, promising to do something for another in the family. The aim is to encourage a more conscientious approach to the year ahead. But even if you fail, your family, like mine, might be the most forgiving of your fickle and childish forgetfulness. They will let you off the hook far more easily than you might yourself. We are our own most virulent enemies. Perhaps focusing on someone else might be the best kind of peace treaty.

So, I tell you this: relish the regularity of medium-to-welldone family bickering. Make the most of the turkey fat now caked firmly in your hair for the next month. And finally, shrug yourself into a humble stupor at the failed promises to yourself and others. You are not perfect. Christmas is not perfect. New Years Eve is not perfect. But at least you have 2L of gin and a vibrator.

A squeaky clean take on lifestyle influencers Cleaning is the newest weapon in the battle against the highly filtered unreality of lifestyle influencers, writes Sophia Ashby Sophia Ashby Lifestyle Editor There is a new lifestyle trend on the rise, and it is changing the way influencers interact with their audiences. ‘Cleanfluncers’, as they are known, are people who showcase their cleaning tips and dazzling homes online. Netflix’s new programme ‘Tidying Up with Marie Kondo’ comes in the midst of a revamping of lifestyle influencers. People are turning away from the flash, expensive lives of ‘traditional’ influencers and looking to imitate others with showcase-like homes.

To many, watching another person clean their home sounds as dull as watching the washing machine go round. However, influencers such Marie Kondo, Sophie Hinchcliffe (Mrs Hinch) and countless other Instagram and YouTube stars attract the attention of millions of followers. Their advice ranges from home organisation to removing stubborn stains. We live in an age when minimalism seems unachievable for many. Brands and the high street pull us into buying more and more stuff to fill our homes and wardrobes in. Kondo’s philosophy is less is more - every item you own should have a purpose and ‘spark joy’. A new wave of decluttering has ensued, and charity shops have reported a spiked increase in donations as a direct result of the Netflix hit.

However, the impact of ‘Cleanfluncers’ is nothing new.

Channel 4’s ‘How Clean is your House?’ ran from 2003 to 2009

with Kim and Aggie presenting six series. Reality TV centred on home and personal improvement proved as popular 10 years ago as it does today. The show’s success, and that of current cleaning influencers, lies in the satisfaction of transforming spaces. Clean spaces have long been linked to mental well-being. Dr Nicole R. Keith conducted a study which found that those who live in tidy spaces are healthier. Although the study focused on physical health, many have found home organisation to benefit their mental health.

Mrs Hinch talks openly about her struggle with anxiety and how cleaning helps her. Her candid honesty is refreshing on a social media site such as Instagram. It takes away the pressure many feel to live a perfect life. For many, the process of cleaning is a way of restoring order.

Some critics of cleaning influencers argue that they reinforce gender roles. The top names in the business are all women, and 90% of their audiences are female, too. However, there appears to be an awareness of this imbalance by Instagram cleaning stars. Mrs Hinch frequently shows her husband, James, pitching in on the home chores. Occasionally, he will take over her Instagram story and show us how to properly clean a sink. Furthermore, the success of online cleaning gurus has opened up opportunities of fame and fortune for those heading the lifestyle trend. Mrs Hinch and Lynsey Crombie (The Queen of Clean) have both written books sharing their experiences.

Product promotion, sponsored posts and cleaning product ranges work as sources of income for the influencers.

One of the most appealing aspects of this kind of lifestyle is

that it is attainable. Influencers, and the sites they operate on, are frequently criticised for promoting unrealistic goals and everyday. Yet, to participate in the cleaning craze, all you need is a space and a few affordable items and tools. This attraction comes as a backlash against the filtered unreality and expense of the average lifestyle blogger. Videos and tips by cleaning influencers are informal, chatty and offer practical advice rather than wistful dreaming.

The authentic depiction of every day life is a world apart from the highly edited realities we are used to seeing. As a reflection on our material lives, cleaning influencers provide guidance on how to declutter the home and mind. So, whether you recoil at the thought of watching others clean, or if it inspires you to tackle that bedroom cupboard, ‘cleanfluencers’, it appears, are here to stay.

30 Sport

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Nine games unbeaten for Solskjaer with PSG looming Two late goals against Burnley helped retain Solskjaer’s unbeaten record

James Gill Head Sport Editor M a nche ster Un ited inte r im m a n age r Ole G u n n a S olskjaer m ade it n ine ga me s unbe aten with a win aga in st A rs e n a l in the fourth rou nd of the FA C u p followe d by a l ate comeb ack from 2-0 down aga in st Burnley in midweek.

S ol skjaer made t he bold move of sta rt i ng Alexis Sanche z aga in st h is forme r clu b, with the C h ile a n strug g ling to fi nd form since h is a r r iva l, s cor ing j u st four goals in 32 app eara nce s. Howeve r, it took on ly 31 minute s for Sa nche z to find the back of the net, rou nd ing Pe tr C e ch a fter a su p erb revers e pa s s from Rome lu Luka ku .

Just two minute s late r Lu ka k u he lpe d cre ate another goal , th is time Je s s e Li nga rd’s comp os ed fin is h put Un ite d 2- 0 up. P ierre-E mer ick Au ba meya ng got a goal b ack ju st b e fore h a lf time but Ars enal never looked like mou nting a comeback and Anthony M a r tia l g ra bbe d a t hi rd to s eal the dea l late on .

The d raw for the fifth rou nd aga in gave Manche ster Un ite d a top s ix s ide, thi s t i me in the form of c u r re nt holde rs C hel s ea. Ass e ssing the ga me ind ividu a lly, give n Chels ea’s cu rre nt for m a nd a 4-0 col l aps e at B ou rnemouth , Un ite d s e e m l i ke t he slight favou rite s for the m atch .

That said, Febru ary a nd M a rch is a n i ncre dibly p acked time for the Re d Devils.

The fi fth rou nd game is s a ndwiche d by the fi rst leg of the C h a mpion s L e ag ue Round of 16 first leg at home on PSG on one side, and a home le ag ue tie aga in st Live rpool on the other. Two ga me s late r there i s a ru n of PSG away, A rs e n a l away, a nd City at home.

Keeping the u n be ate n ru n th roug h a l l of th at s eems inc re d ibly u n like ly, but the recent midwe e k ga me aga in st Burnley shows a little bit of the dog ge d de te rm in ation and f ig ht th at h a s be e n l acki ng since Sir Alex Fe rg u s on le ft in 2 0 1 3.

Photo: Seán Murray @Wikimedia Commons

Bu r n ley s howe d s ig n s of t he h ard de fe n s ive n at u re t h at he lp e d to g u ide the m to a s eve nt h-pl ace d f i n i s h l ast s e a s on . Un ite d h ad t he b al l for t he m aj ority of t he game but cou ld n’ t bre ak down the Cl are t s and we re m ade to p ay for not capit al i s i ng on t he i r p os s e s s ion .

A de fe n s ive m i st ake by A nd re as Pe re ira le d to As h ley B ar ne s s m as h i ng a s hot p ast Dav id de G e a b e fore B ar ne s a s s iste d Wo o d s for a s e cond i n t he 8 1 st m inute. A l l s ig n s we re p o i nt i ng toward s the first de fe at for S ol s k jae r. T he c rowd at Old Traf ford we re do i ng eve r y t h i ng they cou ld to spu r on t he i r s ide and t he rewa rd s came i n t he for m of an 87 t hm inute p e n alty.

Je s s e L i ngard was pu l le d b ack i n a ne e d le ss ly re ck le s s ch al le nge by Je f f He nd r ick and Pog b a m ade h i m p ay w it h a ca lm f i n i s h to m ake it 2-1 w it h ju st m inute s le f t to pl ay. In t he 92 nd m i nute, a ra re l ap s e i n conce nt rat ion by t he Bu rn ley de fe nce al lowe d S anche z to me e t a c ros s i nto t he b ox .

H is s hot was s ave d by Tom He aton , who wa s pl ay i ng fant ast ical ly t h roug hout the ga me. T he E ng l i s h m an cou ld not do a nyth ing howeve r to stop Vic tor L i nde löf from h it t i ng t he re b ou nd i nto t he go al a nd ge tt i ng h i s f i rst go al i n a M anche ste r Un ite d s h i r t .

L inde löf b e come s t he fou r t h Swe d i s h playe r to s core i n t he P re m ie r L e ag ue for Un ite d , jo i n i ng t he e ste e me d comp any of Je sp e r B lomq v i st , He n r i k L ars s on , a nd more re ce nt ly, Z l at an I brah i mov ic.

T he ga me al s o cont i nue d t he bi z ar re stat of Bu r n ley m an age r S e an Dyche neve r los i ng a P re m ie r L e ag ue game on a Tue s day. A f te r n i ne game s, h i s s ide h as won th re e and d raw n s i x .

A fte r t he game, S ol s k jae r s aid : “ T he come back was br i l l i ant , t he pl aye rs h ave be e n a ske d ab out how t hey wou ld re ac t if they we nt 1- 0 or 2- 0 dow n s o I fe lt t he come back was fant ast ic. ” “ We h ad lo ad s of ch ance s, lo ad s of pos s e s s ion , we d id n’ t de s e r ve to los e. We d i s app o i nte d ou rs e lve s and

we d i s app o i nte d t he crowd to day, but t he one s who st aye d h ad a ty pica l Old Traf ford f i n i s h to t he ga me s o t hat wa s a big plu s. ” Bu r n ley m an age r was in high spirit s af te r t he m atch , a re sult t hat he hop e s w i l l s e nd h i s s ide away f rom t he da nger zone. “It was an exce l lent p erform a nce, we k now t hey are i n f i ne form .”

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the players have been asked about how they would react if they went 1-0 or 2-0 down so I felt the comeback was fantastic “We we re re s i l ie nt , we a re get t ing h arde r and h arde r to b eat , a nd we ca n s core go al s as we l l . O ur p erform a nce s l ate ly h ave picke d u p. T heir w ill, de sire, and me nt al ity i s g row i ng a ll t he t ime.”

It wou ld n’ t b e a S ea n Dyche p ostm atch i nte r v iew t houg h w it hout a lit t le bit of mo an i ng . “I don’ t know where t he f ive m i nute s of stopp age t ime ca me f rom . T h at ’s a bug b e ar b ecaus e it gave t he c rowd a l i f t . I al s o think L indelöf is of fs ide whe n A lex i s S anchez heads it , but l i ke I s ay t he m arg i n s are t ight .”

T he d raw me an s t hat United could on ly gai n one p o i nt on C hels ea , who lost 4 - 0 at B ou r ne mout h. The race for fou r t h pl ace i s hot t i ng up a s only two p o i nt s s e p arate Che l s ea , Ars ena l, a nd Un ite d . Eve n Tot te n h am Hot spur a ren’t s afe f rom p ote nt i al ly d ropping out of t he

C ha mpions L eague place s, only s ix p o int s a b ove United a nd current ly suf fering f rom a slew of inj urie s.

S et t ling for a top -four f inish t hough is not s omet hing t hat S olskj aer is t hinking a b out . “We’re Ma n United, you s hould a lways a im to w in t he league. We ca n’t do t hat t his yea r but we’ve j ust got to lo ok forwa rd to it aga in.”

“We’ve got t he C ha mpions L eague, we’ve got t he FA C up, we ca n’t j ust s ay top four a nd t hat ’s it . We’ve got to lo ok at ‘ca n we w in s omet hing t his yea r?’, a nd I go into every single ga me a s a Ma n United m a nager t hinking we ca n w in t his ga me.”

“If you w in t rophie s, t hat ’s a fa nt a st ic day for everyone in t he club. It ’s j ust t he b e st t ime of your life when you w in b ecaus e you never know when t he next one is go ing to come, t he m a nager a lways sa id enj oy t his whatever t rophy you w in.”

As t he w inter t ra ns fer w indow clos e s, b e side s a few s m a ller lo a ns, t here wa s not a huge a mount of act iv ity a s ex p ected for United. There were no signings ex p ected however s ecuring Ant hony Ma rt ia l to a new cont ract unt il June 2024 is fa nt a st ic for t he club.

The only ex it wa s Ma roua ne Fella ini who ha s t a ken a move to C hine s e Sup er L eague club Sha ndong Luneng to j o in exP rem ier L eague player G ra zia no Pellè.

Fella ini j o ined United f rom Everton for £ 2 7 m illion in 20 14 in a signing t hat wa s deemed by m a ny a s a p a nic-buy.

The B elgia n m ade 122 app ea ra nce s w it h 12 go a ls a nd wa s favoured heav ily in t he de fens ive style employed by Jos e Mourinho. Since his s acking, Fella ini ha s m a naged j ust t hree m inute s of act ion a nd it wa s clea r t hat his s erv ice s were no longer needed in S olskj aer’s s et-up.

It is ina rgua ble t hat he gave 10 0% for t he tea m in every ga me t hat he played, in whatever p os it ion he wa s a s ked, but in t his new era , his style of play j ust didn’t f it . Fa ns w ill b e hoping t hat , t hrough S ols kj aer, United ca n get b ack to t he Fergus on ways t hat help ed p a int Ma nche ster, E ngla nd, a nd Europ e red.

ISSUE 14 / 4th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Sport 31

Former WBA world super-middleweight George Groves retires from boxing Groves lost his belt in September last year to Callum Smith Photo: Richard Johnson @Wikimedia Commons

James Gill Head Sport Editor The former WBA world super-middleweight champion, George Groves, has announced he will be retiring from boxing. The 30-year-old became a world champion in his fourth attempt, beating Russian Fedor Chudinov in 2017, after losing to Carl Froch twice and Badou Jack.

Groves lost his belt in September last year against Callum Smith, his 32nd bout in an 11-year career. It is now, four months after that defeat, he

has decided to call time on an admirable career.

In a statement, Groves said: “After taking a little time to reflect on the recent events in my career, I have decided that it is time for me to retire as a professional fighter. In 2017, I boxed in front of a home crowd in Sheffield and became the WBA super middleweight world champion.”

“After four attempts I had finally fulfilled my childhood dream, and the experience was as great as I had always imagined it would be. It was without doubt the best moment of my career.”

“Over the years I have seen and sadly known

2019 World ParaSwimming Championships stripped from Malaysia, after banning Israel Politics once again enters sport as Malaysia stands in solidarity with their fellow Palestinian Muslims over their ongoing conflict with Israel

Kuching will no longer see the arrival of the 2019 championships, due to the stance that has been taken by Malaysia on the current Palestinian situation.

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is now being forced to look for an alternative host for the championships that take place between the 29th July and 4th August.

The mainly Muslim country in South-East Asia chose to ban any athletes hailing from Israel from competing in the upcoming Tokyo 2020 qualifiers. This is all occurring after original fears of a ban had been put to rest by the Paralympic Council of Malaysia in 2017.

Although some may view the decision as the antisemitic will of Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s 93-year-old Prime Minister, many have backed the country’s decision.

Syed Saddiq, Malaysia’s minister of youth and sport, stated that “Malaysia stands firm with our decision on the ground of humanity and compassion for the Palestinian plight. We will not

consciousness.”

“This fight brought home the realisation that boxing can have brutal consequences. After this, I truly felt like my fighting days were numbered.

After winning the WBA world title I decided to only continue fighting while it felt necessary.”

This then seems an appropriate time to bow out. With wins against famed boxers such as James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr, as well as selling 80,000 tickets for his rematch against Froch at Wembley in 2014, he has a career to be proud of.

Djokovic prevails in Clash of the Titans Australian Open fi nal The 31-year old Serb wraps up a third Australian

Photo: Australian Paralympics @Wikimedia Commons

Harry Deacon Deputy Sport Editor

the dangers of the sport, and I want to respectfully bow out while I’m at the top of my game. I’ve learned that doesn’t always mean coming off the back of a win. I’ve boxed at the highest level, all of the world, I’ve been a champion, and i’ll be leaving the sport (relatively!) intact.”

There was also a message for Eduard Gutknecht, who suffered a brain aneurysm after Groves beat him in 2016, leaving him unable to walk or talk. “Lastly a prayer for Eduard Gutknecht. He was put into an induced coma for 3 weeks and bravely fought his way back to

compromise.”

Kuala Lumpur’s decision comes off the back of increasing violence on the Gaza boarder since March last year. Continued encroachment from Israel onto Palestinian land has upset much of the Muslim world, evidently including Malaysia.

However, no matter what stance one takes on the entrenched situation that faces Palestinians and Israelis, the IPC’s statements and actions cannot be disputed.

“Politics and sport are never a good mix,” the words of Andrew Parsons, President of the IPC. The way that the IPC handled the situation has set a firm precedent that should be copied by other institutions: sport is for the pleasure of everyone no matter what background.

This is not the first-time politics has engaged with sport. The 1980 boycott of the Moscow Olympics was a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, baring clear similarities to the Malaysian actions seen recently.

The championships are set to continue on the same dates, with around 600 athletes competing from across the globe. The size of the qualifier shows the continuing growth of Paralympic sports, which is a huge positive for all involved.

Open victory in five years, at the expense of Rafael Nadal Sam Honey Head News Editor Novak Djokovic continued his string of recently-pristine Grand Slam performances as he swept aside Rafael Nadal to secure a record seventh Australian Open title.

The Serb has now triumphed at three straight major tournaments, stretching back to last summer’s Wimbledon championships, and will look to hold all four Grand Slams simultaneously by targeting victory at Roland Garros in June.

Incredibly, Djokovic previously achieved that feat back in 2016, and appears to be replicating the sensational form that swept him to all four majors between Summer 2015 and 2016.

The 31-year old entered this year’s contest in Melbourne on the back of a surprise semi-final defeat to Roberto Bautista Agut at the Qatar Open, but showed no signs of replicating such an exit.

Djokovic dropped just a single set as he eased through the opening three rounds, outclassing Mitchell Krueger, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Denis Shapovalov.

Kei Nishikori was then forced into an injuryinduced retirement in what was fast becoming a one-sided quarter-final, before taking just 83 minutes to beat 28th seed Lucas Pouille, in the Frenchman’s first Grand Slam semi-final.

Despite facing a rampant Nadal, who had not dropped a set at this year’s competition, Djokjovic played out a relatively-straightforward match at the Rod Laver Arena, overcoming one of his oldest rivals in 6-3 6-2 6-3 victory.

Nadal stuttered early into the opening set, failing to take a single point off Djokovic’s first 16 serves. The Serb broke Nadal’s serve after just seven minutes.

The 2009 Champion’s game was riddled with errors, as his nerves began to creep in before the first set had even been wrapped up. By by the time the contest was over the 32-year old had

produced 28 unforced errors, while Djokovic racked up just nine in comparison.

Having been broken early in the second set, Nadal tested his opponent when he reached a deuce on Djokovic’s serve. The 31-year old was cool and clinical however, holding to bring the score to 4-2 and then breaking the Spainard once more in easing to a 6-2 victory.

Djokovic hit three aces to end the second set in emphatic fashion; The comparisons with the thrashing of Pouille just two days previously were becoming increasingly clear-cut.

The final set was a more closely-fought battle at times, but Djokovic remained in the ascendancy, fending off a break point at 3-2, before preventing another potential break when he was taken to deuce on his own serve at 4-3.

Characteristic of how dominant Djokovic had been throughout the 2-hour showpiece, he secured his stylish victory on his opponent’s service game.

The final, billed as a Clash of Titans, at the peak of their tennis-playing powers, rapidly evolved into a display of the majestic, almost effortless quality that is Novak Djokovic on form.

The Serb breezed through the match as if it were a 1st round tie, often distorting the reality that both men are currently ATP’s top two ranked male players.

In a era where Federer looks close to retirement, and Andy Murray may well have graced a Grand Slam court for the last time, it seems as if the pair will, at least for a couple of years, sit alone in their own level of elite ability in the sport.

While Nadal’s forte will always be clay, this performance from Djokovic surely leaves him as the undisputed favourite in all other three majors, for the foreseeable future.

Djokovic himself has admitted he has his eye on Roger Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slam titles, and is far from an unlikely candidate to supersede the Swiss legend.

Photo: Raghavendra Goudar @Soccer Souls

Transfer deadline day As the Premier League enters its crucial run in, teams scramble to make the best deals possible, take a look at the big events of the day

Harry Deacon Deputy Sport Editor One of the most exciting days in the football calendar has once again been and gone! The question was, would Jim White and the Sky Sports News yellow attire steal the show or would the signings do the talking?

The transfer window has already thrown up some interesting moves, most notably at Chelsea. Gonzalo Higuaín coming in to replace misfiring Alvaro Morata seems to not have worked at Bournemouth. Only time will tell if Chelsea made the right choice.

Furthermore, the big money signing of Christian Pulisic grabbed the headlines earlier this month, leading to suggestions of Callum Hudson-Odoi exiting the club that would later be dismissed by Maurizio Sarri.

Chelsea weren’t finished with their striker swaps: Michy Batshuayi left The Blues on loan to join a formidable front 3 with Wilfred Zaha and Andros Townsend at Crystal Palace. Batshuayi hit the ground running for Dortmund this season, scoring 12 goals in just 10 games.

The Belgian’s form has dried up since he joined Valencia, perhaps showing why he hasn’t been chosen as Chelsea’s number 9.

The most notable addition from the top 6 this deadline day is the loan signing of Denis Suarez to Arsenal. The Gunners have the option to buy the Spaniard at the end of the season.

With woeful defensive performances hindering Unai Emery’s transformation of the club, it is a wonder why Arsenal decided to invest in a creator rather than a player to sure up the back.

Arsenal were also linked with the likes of Yannik Carrasco and Ivan Perisic, but it was PSG that missed out on the most opportunities. Both Willian and Idrissa Gueye were linked with the French giants, Everton even rejected a bid of over £26 million for Gueye. These rejected bids made by the richest club in France show the strength and depth of the Premier League.

Manchester City, however, also displayed that they are intent on winning future Premier League titles with the signing of 19-year-old Ante Palaversa from Croatian side Hjduk Split, showing City’s scouts are searching far and wide for Pep Guardiola.

Wolves fans will be delighted that they have made Jonny Castro Otto a permanent squad member for £18 million. He, alongside many others, has been instrumental in the newly

Inside Sport

promoted sides success this season.

While Wolves have been going from strength to strength, the same can’t be said for struggling Cardiff. However, a statement of intent has been made clear by the signings of Danny Williams and Leandro Bacuna, the latter sure to bring some much-needed Premier League experience to The Bluebirds.

Also desperate for points at the bottom, Fulham have brought in Harvard Nordtveit from Hoffenheim. The Norweigan defensive midfielder has played in the Premier League before, with 16 appearances for West Ham, the 28-year-old was also involved in the Arsenal set up but never made an appearance for the club.

The move is not surprising as Claudio Ranieri needs to sort out the amount of goals Fulham have been conceding, especially in the first half of the season. However, this perhaps shows a lack of faith in Jean Michael Seri who has been underperforming after Fulham managed to sway him away from the likes of Barcelona in the summer.

Bottom-half Brighton also added to their 25-man squad with the likes of Tudor-Cristian Baluta and Jan Mlakar. Chris Hughton evidently feels he needed to improve both ends of the pitch to propel themselves even further away from the relegation scrap.

The return of the one and only Peter Crouch is brilliant news for any fan of the Premier League, especially those at Burnley.

Sean Dyche will be hoping the 38-year-old is able to grab a few crucial goals in their fight for survival. However, with Sam Vokes heading the other way, questions will be asked about Burnley’s attack and if it is strong enough to avoid relegation.

The story of the day goes to Newcastle, if not Jim White and Natalie Sawyer. Any fresh face at all at St James’ Park in February would have been enough for most Newcastle fans, making two deadline deals even more impressive.

Mike Ashley seems to have finally let Rafa Benitez splash the cash as Newcastle unveiled that Miguel Almiron would join the club for a record fee of £21 million pound, breaking the previos record triggered by Michael Owen’s arrival back in 2005. Almiron will be joined by AS Monaco full-back Antonio Barreca.

Monaco have been extremely busy in their business with multiple Premier League clubs, surely in reaction to their horrendous campaign that doesn’t look like improving any time soon. Their loan swap with Leicester that saw Adrien Silva replaced by the highly anticipated Youri Tielemans could be a huge boost for The Foxes’ push for European football.

Elsewhere, a whole host of players have left Premier League

Seventh heaven for Novak

clubs on loan deals abroad. Reece Oxford and Emile Smith Rowe will be enjoying the rest of their season in Germany at Augsburg and Leipzig respectively. Also, Tottenham’s Georges-Kevin NKoudou has joined AS Monaco.

“

The question was, would Jim White and the Sky Sports News yellow attire steal the show or would the signings do the talking?

Transfer deadline day doesn’t only belong to the Premier League. West Brom’s triple addition of Jeff Montero, Jacob Murphy and Stefan Johansen could be instrumental in their title challenge.

Also, Leo Bonatini to Nottingham Forest could be a great move for both parties. The striker proved a great success last season in the Championship but hasn’t been able to hit the same kind of form this year.

Finally, Marouane Fellani will be moving to China if he can agree personal terms with Shandong Luneng. However, it’s not all bad news for United fans as Anthony Martial has extended his contract which promises many years of Premier League opportunity for him.

With the Premier League hotting up in the fight for survival, Europe, and the title, this transfer window will surely prove as a make or break for many of the team’s seasons. Only time will tell what impact the business done this January has on the final standings.

Solskjaer 9 unbeaten

Groves retires