Issue 17

Inside Culture: 15

Where the 1960s went Andrea Levy wrong: 16 Remembered: 23

Sex and Art: 25

FRE

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25th February 2019 / Issue 17

Photo: Hawwa Alam / @hawwaetc

Headlines Reclaim The this week Night Page 3

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Protestors Puzzle UCU Strike storm Governor Page!

Ballot Results meeting Page 14 Page 3

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2 News Inside Issue 16

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Rayner: Labour would end marketisation of higher education Angela Rayner set out a series of policy steps that would allow for further intervention regarding how universities are run Josh Sandiford Breaking News Reporter

Preview: WIM 2019 Features, page 9

Preview: The So-So Show Societies, page 12

The shadow education secretary has said that a Labour government would end the marketisation of higher education and take a harsher stance on vice-chancellor pay.

During a speech at the University and College Union (UCU) conference, Angela Rayner set out a series of policy steps that would allow for further intervention regarding how universities are run. She said that if Labour were elected at the next election, they would end the “failed free-market experiment” in higher education.

Rayner also hit out at the lack of ethnic diversity of staff in higher education. It was recently revealed that under new government plans, universities could lose their positions on league tables if they refuse to do more to tackle ethnic disparity.

Speaking on the marketisation of education,

Rayner branded the governing Conservative party ‘dogmatic’ when it came to the issue of the free market and said that “education is a public good and should be treated as such”.

The higher education regulator, The Office for Students (OfS), would reportedly have its role amended in the event of a Labour government.

There is currently legislation in place that compels the body to promote competition.

The Labour party would reportedly repeal this legislation and instead require cooperation between educational institutions. Rayner also said that the OfS in its current state is “not fit for purpose”.

Under Labour’s plans, the OfS would also be able to step in when it comes to rewarding staff to tackle the problem of excessive vicechancellor pay. It was last week revealed that some vice-chancellors are being paid as much as 13 times the median pay of their staff.

On the issue of ethnic disparity in universities, the Shadow Education Secretary

said: “Like much of our establishment, our universities are too male, pale, and stale and do not represent the communities that they serve or modern Britain.

“Women and staff from ethnic minority backgrounds are chronically underrepresented across these institutions, and in particular at the most senior levels.

“Universities must do much more, and under Labour, they will be held to account.”

Responding to Labour’s plans, the Universities minister Chris Skidmore said: “I’ve yet to find a vice-chancellor who supports Labour’s plans to damage the sector and roll back progress that has been made in recent years.

“Under the Conservatives, there are more 18-year-olds in higher education than ever before, including more students from disadvantaged backgrounds being the first in their family to go to university.”

Students with outstanding fines denied accessing exam results SALC students’ exam results were released on 22nd February, though those with a ‘negative service indicator’ could not view them Sam Honey Head News Editor

The stigma surrounding female pleasure Lifestyle, page 29

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Students that owe outstanding fines to the University of Manchester will be prevented from viewing the results of their January exams, it has been confirmed.

An email was sent out revealing that students with a ‘negative service indicator’ on their record would be unable to access results on the online system.

The restriction applies to students from the School of Arts, Languages, and Culture (SALC), who have their marks published online on 22nd February.

It remains unclear as to whether students would be able to request collection of their exam results in-person. The email advised contacting the Credit Control Team for further assistance with the issue.

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A negative service indicator can include a range of fines and penalties, ranging from an unpaid library charge, to an application for student finance that has not been properly processed, or has not paid in full, necessary tuition fees.

There are also more contentious fines, including a £200 fee for registering online late at the start of the academic year.

The move to withhold results has stirred controversy, with widespread frustration that financial constraints could prevent students from continuing with their university work as normal.

While possibly seen as an effective way of assuring that unpaid charges are collected, many will argue that universities should be supportive of students facing penalties, as the financial hardship of university life may make additional costs difficult to pay.

Back in September, it was revealed that

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the average student loan falls short of average university living expenses by around £141.83 per month.

It also appears that those with fines could be unfairly disadvantaged by missing the period for written exam feedback, that lasts from 25th February to 8th March.

A third-year English Literature with Creative Writing student, who wished to remain unnamed, raised concern over the effect the withholding of results could have on final years applying for postgraduate programmes: “I know a lot of my friends are considering applying for Masters courses, and exam results are very important because most Masters courses give conditional offers based on 3rd year exam results.

“As an English Literature student, many of my peers have incurred library fines as we have to borrow a large amount books for our course.”

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Reclaim The Night calls on council to “make women’s safety a priority” Ethan Davies and Shivani Kaura Editor-in-Chief & Deputy News Editor Reclaim The Night, the annual Students’ Union (SU)-led march from Owens Park to the SU, has called on Manchester City Council to make women’s safety a priority.

The protest had specifically targeted the Council “improve the street lighting provisions in student areas. We also call for an increased police presence”, “stop the cuts to Women’s shelters and increase funding for local services that support victims”, and “do more to increase awareness of where victims can report acts of harassment, assault, and violence.”

In a speech to the estimated 3500-strong crowd gathered at the Union following the march, SU Women’s Officer Sara Heddi reiterated the protest’s aims.

The march began at 7pm at Owens Park, led by Heddi, who passionately encouraged marchers to sing and express their anger at the current system in place to protect women. The rally following the march drew in hundreds.

Reclaim the Night, led by student and nonstudent representatives featured a Muslimonly, ‘pro-choice’, youth and families, and an LGBTQ+ bloc, as well as the women-only section in which anyone identifying as a woman could participate. If men wished to march in the event they were placed in the mixed bloc which

featured all genders, ethnicities, and religions.

In the run-up to the event, SU Liberation and Access Officer Sara Khan raised concerns about the inclusivity of trans people in a statement to The Mancunion, saying: “We need to platform the voices of trans people, and provide political education about cis-normative violence and police violence.”

It had been previously reported that Khan would not march at Reclaim The Night, which was confirmed by her no-show.

In response, a spokesperson for the SU Executive Officers said: “We completely acknowledge the concerns raised by the Liberation and Access Officer.

“The SU Executive Officer team would also like to express that no concerns were raised during the executive team meetings when discussions about Reclaim the Night were brought up. The Exec team are surprised about the claims and concerns raised just before the march but are determined to address the concerns the best we can do with the time that we have, and then will look to further improve future events.”

One trans student who chose to stay anonymous said: “Violence against women is obviously something that’s a terrible thing that happens, and I feel as though it happens to all sorts of women. That includes women of colour, trans women, LGBT women, and so on.

“I recognise that sometimes such events that

are very broadly about women tend not to have too many trans women or women of colour. I also think The University of Manchester has a good stance when it comes to looking after trans people.”

Many victims of sexual harassment have taken the liberty to post about their experiences in the student populated areas of Manchester on popular Facebook page, ‘Fallowfield Students’ Group’, because many feel the lack of safety protocol by police in the area.

Since 2016, the number of reported cases of sexual harassment have increased by 64% in the UK. Women who marched on the night called on the Council to encourage more organisations to become hate crime reporting centres, with aims to double the number of Third Party Hate Crime Reporting Centres in Manchester by 2020.

In a statement, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Nigel Murphy, commented: “The safety of all of our residents is of paramount importance to Manchester City Council and we want to reassure the public that this city is a safe place to work, study and visit.

“Manchester City Council works closely with Greater Manchester Police, the Universities and other partners to address student safety across the city. Street lighting in student areas will meet national standards in terms of brightness and coverage but we are always open to discussing with students where and how we can improve.

“We shall continue to work closely with

our partners in GMP as well as the charity and voluntary sector to support any and all victims, and work with communities to deliver effective support services.”

“In recent years we have seen an increase in hates crimes. Hate crime is a serious social issue that has a significant impact on its victims, families and the community.

Emilia Jenkins, part-time Women’s Officer said: “I do quite a lot of work around the education on the aftermath of sexual assault and so I think this is an absolutely vital march for people like myself who have been sexually assaulted, it’s just so nice to have a show of support from all the community. It makes you feel like you are not alone which is something I really champion in my work so I’m so happy to be here.”

Anuli Changa, a third-year Law student, who also modelled for the ‘Reclaim the Night t-shirt’ fundraising campaign, added: “I’ve been to the Reclaim the Night march every year I’ve lived in Manchester.

“It’s an incredible atmosphere of solidarity and fearlessness that everyone should experience. I find it particularly enjoyable that the march takes along the curry mile, notoriously uncomfortable to walk along at night.”

All profits made from the t-shirt sales went to charity Manchester Rape Crisis, an organisation that supports victims of sexual harassment and violence.

UCU Ballot results in no strike, as turnout falls below threshold Sam Honey Head News Editor The University and College Union (UCU) have announced that they will not hold new strikes at university campuses across the UK. The results of the latest ballot over Fair and Equal pay in Higher Education were announced today (February 22nd), after around 70,000 union members at 143 UK universities were consulted.

Strikes were rejected as a result of the turnout falling short of the 50% threshold

required for strike action to be implemented.

70% of members backed strike action, while 81% supported action short of a strike, although the organisation expressed disappointment that more members had not participated in the ballot.

In Northern Ireland, where the turnout threshold does not apply, 68% of staff participating supported a strike.

The latest ballot is yet another installment of UCU’s campaign to secure an improvement on the 2% pay rise offered at talks last May, after strike action affected scores of universities across the country in the first half of the year.

Ahead of the ballot opening in early January, the organisation claimed that the University and Colleges Employers Association had not taken the considerations of UCU members into account when making their latest pay offer.

In a statement posted on their website, UCU claimed that higher education pay had declined by 21% in real terms since 2009.

Back in October, a ballot for strike action was rejected after the 50% threshold was not reached. Despite this, 74% of those that cast a vote supported industrial action.

Students have been trapped in a constant state of limbo for over a year, with there still

being no conclusive end to the dispute between staff and institutions.

Even though strike action was prevented last autumn, the resounding mandate among those that did vote has raised concern that more effective mobilising of union members could lead to another round of industrial action.

Concurrently, UCU are also holding a ballot over possible strike action at 13 colleges, as part of their ‘Further Education Fights Back Campaign’, seeking to raise awareness that the 1% pay rise recommended for 2017-18 has reportedly not been implemented at 40% of colleges.

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ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Block return to UK for British ISIS supporters, says Burnham Shivani Kaura Deputy News Editor Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has argued that “those who left Britain to support ISIS should not be allowed back ‘automatically’.”

The Mayor’s intervention comes after 19-year-old IS bride Shamima Begum’s request to return to the UK after leaving at the age of 15 to join the terrorist group in Syria, having been radicalised.

During a recent interview with the BBC, Begum described the Manchester Arena bombing and Syria airstrikes as a “two-way thing”, because both instances unjustly left women and children dead, which was a “fair justification as it was in retaliation.”

Pleading to be repatriated from a detention camp in Syria after giving birth to a child, Begum wants to come back to the UK to raise her new-

born under the NHS. While the Foreign Office has refused to officially assist her in leaving the al-Hawl camp in Syria, it remains uncertain if any legal implications could prevent her from reentering the UK as she is, by law, a British citizen.

Following these reports, US president Donald Trump has made a call to European countries to take back around 800 ISIS fighters, including many from Manchester, who have fled the terror group, to put them on trial for their actions.

Andy Burnham, speaking in response to Trump’s claims, said on Sky News: “You won’t be surprised to hear that I don’t agree with Donald Trump.

“If somebody leaves this country and joins a group that is actively plotting to harm and kill people in this country, it surely can’t be right that those people walk straight back in when it’s convenient.

Burnham added: “I think the clear majority of people here in Greater Manchester will think

‘no, if you’ve left this country, and you’ve walked away and joined a group plotting to harm us, then don’t come back.’ The lack of remorse [for the Arena attack] I found really shocking and I’m sure others will too.”

Second-year University of Manchester student Romana, who identifies as a Muslim, said: “Although Shamima Begum at 15 may have made a mistake, at 19 showing no remorse for anything she’s seen or may have done is unacceptable. I’m not sure she deserves to be taken back in or if she is she may get incarcerated.”

Speaking to The Mancunion, second-year University of Manchester student Rebecca M. stated that although she thought Begum’s child should be taken in by the state with zero discrimination, it may also be useful for the child to be stripped of their identity to prevent him being a target of bigotry for his parentage.

Rebecca added: “There’s the added potential that, while she may want help for the child, it may

also be a ruse to get in the country and cause masses of damage. These are things that need to be considered. The UK also just doesn’t fly in to rescue people from Syria, not least people who’ve been part of terrorist organisations.”

A study at King’s College London last year found that up to 41,490 international citizens from around 80 countries are thought to have joined ISIS in Iraq and Syria between April 2013 and June 2018. Although around three quarters of those joining were found to be men, 13% were women and children. A shocking 730 children are thought to have been born in Iraq or Syria to foreign mothers affiliated to ISIS. Home Secretary Sajid Javid and Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have declared that they will not hesitate to prevent the return of any British citizens who travelled to join ISIS. However, Justice Secretary David Gauke has told Sky News that Shamima cannot be left ‘stateless’.

Stockport MP among Labour defectors to Independent Group A representative of Stockport for over 25 years, Coffey joined colleagues in criticising the party’s leadership over Brexit and antisemitism

Photo: Dave Phillips Photography @Wikimedia Commons

Sam Honey Head News Editor A Greater Manchester MP is among eight Labour Party MPs that last week crossed the floor of the house in the greatest party split since the SDP’s formation in 1981.

Ann Coffey, who has served as MP of Stockport since 1992, announced on 19th February alongside her colleagues that she will serve as a member of the Independent Group, a non-ideological faction in parliament that will seek ‘evidence-based’ policy solutions.

Three Conservative MPs have subsequently joined the initiative that now boasts of the same

number of sitting MPs as the Liberal Democrats.

The split comes just over a month ahead of the UK’s scheduled departure from the EU, and against a backdrop of uncertainty from the Labour front-bench during and after the 2016 referendum leaving many in the party deeply frustrated.

In a statement justifying her decision, Coffey was critical of the direction that the party had taken under the Leadership of Jeremy Corbyn: “I thought I would be in the Labour Party for the rest of my life but political parties are not an end in themselves in a parliamentary democracy.

“The Labour Party has lost sight of this. It

is no longer a broad church. Any criticism of the leadership is responded to with abuse and accusations of treachery.”

She remarked that the persisting antisemitic attitude in the party had not been addressed. Coffey described the decision to attend a rally against her own party on the issue as having been ‘unimaginable’.

The 72-year-old insisted that her “values had not changed”. She described herself as a long-term social democrat fighting for the futures of the younger generation, citing the need to avoid a binary between hard left and right in British politics.

Coffey insisted that her decision to sit in

parliament as an Independent would not affect in any way her commitments to representing the people of Stockport, or as head of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Runaway and Missing Children and Adults.

Amid her resignation, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has urged Coffey and the other seven defectors to face by-elections in their constituencies, following their change of allegiance.

However, none of the 11 members of the Independent Group have signalled their intention to trigger by-elections, and appear set to sit in parliament under their new ideological banner until the next election in 2022.

Manchester to use Finnish model to tackle homelessness epidemic Josh Sandiford and Sam Honey Breaking News Reporter & News Editor Manchester’s homelessness epidemic has taken a fresh twist, as Mayor Andy Burnham promises to use tactics from the Finnish capital Helsinki to solve the crisis, despite the proposal of a £100 fine for rough sleeping.

The news follows an announcement that almost £8 million has been allocated by the government in a bid to create 400 homes for rough sleepers in Greater Manchester. This is seen as a boost for Burnham, who is currently fighting a losing battle to keep his promise of eradicating rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020.

Alongside this fresh investment, senior politicians hope that it will allow the city-region to emulate Finland’s capital city of Helsinki, where homelessness has reportedly been all

but eradicated.

The fresh funding boost will contribute to the city’s new ‘Housing First’ project, in which the Finnish government has spent over €300 million on eradicating homelessness in Helsinki in the last decade.

The scheme aims to address those that are at risk of becoming homeless, as well as those that are already sleeping on the streets.

It will assist those that may be at risk of losing their home due to ongoing issues, such as mental health problems or addiction. A scoring system is used to determine those most in need of help, with the most vulnerable supported first.

The ‘Housing First’ scheme is also being rolled out in other regions, and money has been allocated to the West Midlands and Merseyside for the trial.

The Housing First project introduced in the

UK will differ from the one in Finland in that there will be involvement by the private sector and the use of social housing, as opposed to purpose-built apartments.

Announcing the scheme, Burnham said: “Alongside the tremendous progress made by our ‘A Bed Every Night’ and Social Impact Bond programmes, Housing First will ensure hundreds of people who currently live precarious lives will be helped to begin their recoveries and move away from homelessness.”

Despite the combination of this approach with Burnham’s ‘A Bed Every Night Scheme’, the inconsistency of the council has been exposed by reports that £100 fines could be issued to rough sleepers refusing to move from doorways, as part of a new Public Space Protection Order.

The order was described as dealing with wider anti-social behaviour, including aggressive begging and public urination, with

the council keen to argue that fines would only be handed out in situations where there was a “wilful refusal to co-operate.”

John Leech, Liberal Democrat council leader of the opposition, said in a tweet: “Those of you who [are] as angry as me about this ridiculous fining rough sleepers policy might be interested to know that Human Appeal estimate it to cost £30 to house a rough sleeper with a hot meal, shower and access to support worker.

Imagine if the council invested in that instead.”

Regardless of the controversies over the proposed fining system, its implementation is subject to a period of consultation that will end in early April.

While it was recently reported that figures for rough sleeping had fallen across the region for the first time in eight years, the flagship shelter of Burnham’s ‘A Bed Every Night Scheme’ was abruptly closed due to electrical issues.

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White working-class teens least likely to attend top universities

UK universities accept less than 5% of students from white working class communities Octavia Spray News Reporter White teenagers eligible for free school meals are the least likely demographic to apply for a Russell Group university. A report from the National Education Opportunity Network (NEON) found that half of English universities were accepting as little as 5% of their students from white working-class communities.

The only other demographic that was more underrepresented were those from Traveller communities.

White people, from all social backgrounds, make up the largest demographic at universities.

Although, in proportion to the population, white students are less likely to go to university than their black or Asian counterparts.

Disadvantaged Asian students are twice as likely to attend prestigious universities than

disadvantaged white students.

White working-class males are the most underrepresented group in higher education.

There are a third more female students accepted into universities than male students, according to figures released by UCAS. In the most disadvantaged areas in England, girls are 58% more likely to apply for university than boys.

Professor Green’s recently released documentary, Working Class White Men, explores the lives of six white men from deprived backgrounds. Lewis Croney, one of the men interviewed, was accepted into the University of Cambridge to study Maths at Trinity College. Croney explains in the documentary that he still faces skepticism from back home. His friends don’t understand why he needs to go to university when he could just get a job straight away. Clearly, a negative perception of higher education has become embedded in

certain areas of England. In turn this contributes to a devaluing of educational performance.

Recently, a manifesto, for the New Director of Fair Access and Participation, has highlighted the numerous gaps in university admissions and called for policy makers to make a concerted effort to widen university access to white working-class students. The manifesto argues that the application process should be reformed to benefit those from working-class backgrounds.

Bright students from poorer backgrounds frequently have their grades underestimated which immediately highlights a fundamental flaw in the predicted grades system. Some have suggested that all students should apply for university after their A-level grades have been published. This would help to close the gap between the disadvantaged students in the application process.

Graeme Atherton, report co-author and director of NEON, has warned of the “big variability” in opportunity for different demographics in getting into university. He has called for more research and understanding into “why this variability exists and do more to eliminate it.”

Progress has been made in recent years to narrow this gap. In particular, the University of Cambridge admissions in 2017 saw state school pupils make up 64% of successful applicants from the UK. This is an increase from 62.5% the previous year.

However, more needs to be done. Education secretary Damian Hinds has stated: “White British disadvantaged boys are the least likely of any large ethnic group to go to university. We need to ask ourselves why that is and challenge government, universities and the wider system on it.”

Tuition fees create uncertainty over universities’ financial future

The lowering of tuition fees could lead to some UK universities closing in a ‘worst case scenario’ situation if alternative funding is not provided Emily Broncz Deputy News Editor Universities are preparing for a difficult financial future in the event that tuition fees do not rise to meet growing demands.

The Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff University, Colin Riordan, has planned to cut one in 14 posts over the next five years due to a strain on funding for Russell Group universities. Cardiff reported a £22.8 million deficit for 2017-18 and announced on 11th February that 7% of the university’s staff were to be dismissed.

In the same year, Cardiff faced an expenditure increase of 5.2% whilst its income increased by 2.5%, creating an obvious gap

in funding. A rise in utility costs, rent, and staff costs were also said to be factors which contributed to the deficit.

The BBC reported that if the “growing expectation” of tuition fees being cut down to a sum as low as £6,500 materialises, institutions may be at risk of collapsing. Universities are becoming increasingly paranoid, as a reduction in tuition fees would not necessarily be subsidised by government spending.

The director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, Nick Hillman, stated that every £1,000 subtracted from tuition fees would roughly equate to a billion being removed from the current pool of funding.

He also described the loss of fees would be

further exacerbated by universities struggling to recruit both domestic and international students. He cited Brexit as being a barrier for foreign students wanting to study in the UK. Whilst allowing more students to enroll on courses is an option, this option has been criticised by Sir Anthony Seldon, ViceChancellor of the University of Buckingham.

Seldon condemned “juggernaut universities” who were wishing to expand, as this would leave other institutions severely lacking funding.

Exeter and UCL have seen the largest increase in undergraduate student numbers, expanding by 74% and 65% respectively.

Conversely, London Metropolitan University

shrunk by 62%, with the University of West London facing the same issue, experiencing a decrease of 44%.

The potential financial crisis would primarily be concentrated on and felt by smaller institutions, with larger universities often serving as a linchpin to their local communities.

Universities may have to resort to merging with other institutions or selling off valuable assets before collapsing entirely. The BBC reported that universities, upon registration with the Office for Students, must provide a “student protection plan”. This plan outlines how students can continue their courses, even if the course or the university itself closed.

Student activists storm UoM governors meeting They burst into the meeting to campaign against the University’s investments Josh Sandiford and Sam Honey Breaking News Reporter & News Editor Student activists interrupted a meeting of the University of Manchester’s governors.

The Mancunion understands that the members of the ‘People and Planet’ group and pro-Palestine BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) group burst into the meeting in the Students’ Union (SU) to campaign against the University’s investments.

Live videos posted by the both groups show their entrance into the meeting quickly gathered hundreds of views online.

In November, The Mancunion revealed that the University has nearly £10m invested in fossil fuel companies, despite priding itself on being the first English Russell Group university to join the United Nation’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

People and Planet commented on the protest by saying: “We’re part of the campaign that’s been ongoing for seven years and we’ve tried all sorts of tactics to reach the governors.

“From petitions to protests, to putting papers in to the governors themselves, and they haven’t listened. We feel like we have no other option at this stage.

“With the meeting being in the SU, we felt it important to have our voice heard because it hasn’t been for the last seven years.”

Shocked governors look on as student activists disrupt the meeting in the SU. The group believe their target of a wholesale University of Manchester divestment is achievable, given the University of Liverpool’s decision to do similar in November 2018. They also claim that a “finance board member said: ‘use the vehicles available to you [to get your voice heard] don’t worry about it, because

[University governors] need to hear it.”

Despite this, back in a November interview, People and Planet’s publicity officer told The Mancunion that there had been little effort from the University of Manchester to comprehensively review their investment portfolio and prevent future investment into these organisations.

The meeting of the board of governors was shrouded in controversy regardless of the unexpected intervention however, with the university having failed to publish minutes online for the last meeting on the 21st November, despite a commitment to do so for every meeting.

A University Spokesperson said: “The Board of Governors meeting was briefly interrupted by a small group of students protesting the University’s current Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) policy. Those present at the

meeting actively engaged with the students and listened to their concerns.

“Our Board Finance Committee, which determines our investment policy, will continue its considerations of ethical investments. As a university, we work closely with our investment managers to ensure our portfolio complies with our published SRI policy and considers Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues as well as financial factors.

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

“In relation to the protest itself, as usual, the University recognises students’ right to protest peacefully, providing that this does not unduly disrupt the conduct of the University’s normal business.”

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Photo: University of Nottingham Iceaxejuggler @ Wikimedia COmmons

what else can be done to improve student safety on nights out in Manchester?

20 Universities responsible for bulk increase in unconditional offers New data from UCAS shows that over 7% of all UK applications in 2018 were unconditional Shivani Kaura and Poornima Geemon Deputy News Editor and News Reporter

There has been a huge rise in the number of unconditional offers being made to prospective university students in the last few years, it has been found.

A 2018 survey, published by UCAS, showed 67,915 unconditional were given to students across the UK, a 32% increase from 2017.

Education Secretary of England, Damian Hinds, described the 22% increase from 2013 as “disturbing” and “not in the interest of students.”

Providing unconditional offers distracts students, and this leads to them achieving lower grades than they are capable of.

The UCAS study concluded that around 20 institutions were responsible for the bulk increase, with some, such as the University of Bolton and University of Suffolk, relying predominantly on unconditional offers to attract students.

However, Russell Group universities

have also given a large number of such offers. For example, The University of Birmingham had made 4,765 unconditional offers out of a total of 25,000 offers, in 2018.

Meanwhile, 11% of the University of Nottingham’s offers were unconditional in 2018.

A spokesperson for Universities UK confirmed that they would be negotiating with UCAS to assure that unconditional offers were used in the right way.

“We will explore with Ucas if there is more we can do as a sector to ensure they are used appropriately and proportionately so that the admissions system continues to work in the best interests of students.”

Despite this, Unconditional offers have been praised for helping students to plan ahead, through early confirmation of university accommodation and Student Finance. The University of Portsmouth’s Vice-Chancellor said: “We have found that applicants to whom we make unconditional offers are more

likely to attain their predicted grades than applicants to whom we make conditional offers.”

Unconditional offers also seem to boost the confidence of students since they feel “good enough” for the chosen course, and this positively affects their final A-level grades. Sheffield Hallam University followed up the performance of students who received unconditional offers, and found that there was often no discernable difference in performance.

The Mancunion contacted the University of Manchester, to inquire about the unconditional offers policy operated by the admissions department.

The University confirmed that it currently does not hand out unconditional offers to students who are yet to sit their A-Levels.

The University said that this was a strict policy employed, and that there was also no opportunity of an unconditional offer by listing the University of Manchester as a firm choice.

UoM’s impact on local community praised in new report

Photo: Rept0n1x @ Commons Wikimedia

The University of Manchester’s impact on the local community has been praised by a new report from the Civic University Commission Emily Broncz Deputy News Editor A ‘major report’ authored by the Civic University Commission and chaired by Lord Kerslake has recognised the impact of the University of Manchester in the city and surrounding areas.

Three areas of Manchester’s work were highlighted in the report: supporting local communities, helping heritage projects, and enabling the city to be age-friendly.

The report, published on 12th February, examined the relationships between universities, and the cities and communities they are located in. It concludes a year of research into the link between universities and communities.

The study describes how universities can improve their impact on their local communities, and features several recommendations and examples of successful schemes and initiatives currently being run by universities.

The Works, The Greater Manchester Ageing Hub, and the University’s collaboration with Quarry Bank were

the three projects highlighted as being ‘particularly good’.

The Works is an initiative which aims to help Mancunians find employment opportunities by providing support and training in career paths, such as catering and construction. Since its establishment in 2011, The Works has helped nearly 4,000 people to find jobs.

It is particularly beneficial to those living in the surrounding areas of the university, which often face high levels of unemployment.

The Greater Manchester Ageing Hub is a project which aims to allow residents of Greater Manchester to live, work, and retire in the region whilst enjoying a great quality of life.

The University’s Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA) was one of the founding members of the scheme.

The Hub benefits from input fed back by volunteers, as well as from academic partners. It is operated under the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership.

The collaboration between the University and the National Trust at Quarry Bank Mill was listed as an exemplar cultural project in the report.

The research of University of Manchester’s Professor Hannah Barker, Director of John Rylands Research Institute and Historical Advisor for the National Trust at Quarry Bank, has helped to illustrate a broader and more accurate history of the mill, particularly regarding the children who worked there.

The University’s President and ViceChancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, spoke about Manchester featuring in the report: “The University has a very close relationship with the people and institutions here in Greater Manchester, so I’m glad that this report highlights some of the activities we undertake with our community.”

“We have a historic role as a civic university and as a global university, which is very important to us as a modern institution, so we will be studying the findings closely and working with our local partners to see what lessons we can learn for the future.”

In the wake of Reclaim the Night, The Mancunion asks the student body what safety changes can be made to Manchester’s streets “There’s not that much [police presence] in darker areas. Police and security should patrol places like parks and alleys. I think there should be female taxi drivers, but that’s difficult.”

Nima Geemon, Biomedical Science “I have never really seen security on patrol. They should patrol in less crowded areas.”

Krishna Sanjay, Microbiology “I think that better streetlights would be great. I have [had that] so many times when I have been walking and it’s been completely dark. For example, I stopped going to dance classes as they were late at night and I had to go through this park which is a huge park and there’s no lighting so it’s just scary to walk around. It’s annoying that we [women] have to take taxis because we can’t walk alone in the dark.”

Weronika Kwakowska, Pharmacology “I feel like people are more likely to get into bother on their way home to Fallow than on the night out itself. In town there is a police presence, unlike here [in Fallowfield].”

Chloe Hawes, English and German

“Some kind of free shuttle bus that goes from town to Fallowfield [which is] only for students. Maybe it could run once an hour?”

Madeleine Lynch, Politics and German “I don’t know if this is already a thing, I feel it might be, but having shops and takeaway places where you can go if you feel unsafe.”

Paula Muehlschlegel, Clinical Immunology

Investigations 7

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Investigating ‘proofreading services’: a one stop shop for academic malpractice David N Rose investigates proofreading services; checking, editing and even rewriting scores of academic pieces for students

Paper planes: VideoPlasty @ Wikemedia Commons

As academic pressure remains an ever present issue for students across Manchester, it’s no surprise that “essay mills” have become a widely available and widely used service.

I spent some time at what branded itself a proofreading company - checking, editing and even rewriting scores of academic pieces for students in dire need for reasons of crisis, ability or simple laziness.

On any given day there might be a few documents available, and more when there are upcoming deadlines.

Irregular emails arrived from the top brass at the agency, and I replied by putting in a request for certain documents based on their length and the kind of proofing/editing required.

The agency provides a mixture of academic and business translations, but I’ve only ever translated one business document. The rest have been sections of essays and dissertations or whole pieces of academic work.

On the lowest paying end, there is a basic proofread. That involved focusing my grammatical gaze on each sentence and clearing up the language. It also required reworking some sentences, and for a higher fee, clients can pay to have their work rewritten. Supposedly the ideas remain the same, it’s just the language and style which have been adapted by the proofreader.

Generally I stayed away from this kind of work, partly because it’s too time-consuming and also because I found it ethically unsound. Even in the course of editing, I am aware that I am enhancing the work that I read. I am to a certain extent reproducing the text and creating something new, something that original author did not intend.

I have read what look like final year dissertations that barely make sense in English, let alone meet the standards for academic work at UK universities. In these cases, I had to considerably rework the language and thereby (re)interpret the author’s meaning. That can mean exercising enormous creative license in order for some paragraphs, indeed whole pieces, to read coherently.

Throughout university I have done quite well on academic essays. But the point isn’t that I know how to write well; it’s that I’m writing well on someone else’s behalf. I’m fully aware that my writing style and vocabulary will improve the quality - if only for the fact that some work is of an appalling quality to begin with.

I ended up taking on this route because I was fed up of working for other people and wanted to be my own boss and go freelance - a yearning that strikes many of us millennials.

I struck out into editing, proofreading, copywriting, tutoring, translating, because these were the jobs I could do from my laptop and for which I had the skills.

September 2018

“

During my freelance stint, I even came across roles that seemed to good to be true, like getting paid to write essays.

I love writing, and I actually quite like writing essays, so this type of work would have been ideal.

It turns out that these essays become the products of what is euphemistically known as the “model answer industry”, or more accurately as the “essay mill”. The editing work I’ve been doing is on the lighter end of this industry, but still dubious enough to prick some ethical sensitivities. Essay mills, however, are laughable in their flaunting of anti-plagiarism.

You simply enter the parameters of your essay into a capture form (word count, desired grade, necessary sources, title, discipline, deadline) and the essay mill will pay a writer to hash out your coursework or dissertation in a week, for a substantial fee, potentially hundreds.

“

The essay mill will pay a writer to hash out your coursework or dissertation in a week, for a substantial fee, potentially hundreds Agencies and companies market these pieces of work as examples of a first class or 2:1 essay, which the client will then use to guide the writing of their own essay. It requires a certain amount of idealism (or naivety) to swallow that one.

Some agencies are less coy, for example the unashamedly named essaymills.com, which declares of higher education “every paper would require you to explore a different set of sources and study a different subject”. They therefore invite clients to pay for their assignments to be written for them, to relieve the pressures of academic life.

This is a specific type of plagiarism known as contract cheating. A Swansea University study of 50,000 students reported by the BBC in 2018 found that 15.7% of respondents admitted using essay mill services. Unsurprisingly, a post on the Fallowfield Student Group asking for students’ experiences with using essay mills was met with resounding silence.

In many of the essays I’ve proofread, clients want their academic English spruced up, especially if they are

international students. In some pieces, however, you wonder if and how the author has been admitted to a higher education institute with such a low grasp of language. Even at MA level, there are some students who struggle to function coherently at postgraduate level. I admire the determination to undertake a Masters in a second language, and while conversational English may not be a problem, the academic work requires a different level.

You hear other stories about students who lose their dissertations and turn to essay mills to meet a deadline that would otherwise be unrealistic.

How can these practices, which undermine the credibility of UK higher education institutions and devalue degrees, be prevented? Not easily, due to the fact that essays produced by mills won’t show up on anti-plagiarism software such as TurnItIn. These are original essays, just not original by those who submit them.

TurnItIn posted on their blog about the efficacy of the marketing strategies that these companies use: “Essay mills have learned to meet the very particular, seasonal needs of students and have seamlessly adapted to new technologies, reaching potential and repeat customers through online advertising, emails, and even phone calls.”

Moreover, there may be little incentive for universities to really do anything about the problem. Higher education is a business, and therefore students represent custom. Essay mills, model answers, proofreading, all of these private services facilitate the academic success of students (read: customers).

This is especially true in the case of international students, who represent big money for the University. As one mill writer put it, “You have a UK system reliant on foreign students while, through the backdoor, companies are devaluing the very degree certificates that attract all that foreign money in the first place”.

To be clear, international students are not to blame. Neither, really, are the mills themselves. Linguistically unequipped students and private essay services are symptomatic of the deeper problem with higher education: money. Universities are under pressure and want to attract as many customers as possible, from where ever possible.

The stakes are so high for both international and home students that a few hundred quid extra for a decent grade makes the tuition fees and living costs worthwhile. No one wants to pay over £9,000 a year just for the opportunity to study: customers want results.

As bleak as it may sound, I cannot see the model answer industry going anywhere. As long as the ideology of universityas-business remains in place, there will be essay mills offering privatised services in the name of assisting education.

As for me, I think my time as a morally suspect freelance editor may have just come to an end.

“

David N Rose Contributor

Russell Group Chair Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli and Chief Executive Dr Tim Bradshaw have joined 45 vice chancellors and heads of organisations in calling for new legislation to target these companies on the basis that ‘essay mills undermine the integrity of UK higher education and are unfair to the vast majority of honest, hard-working students’.

Source: Russell Group Online

8 Science & Tech

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Measles outbreaks threaten public health Anti-vaxxers have been blamed for a global outbreak of measles Photo: UNICEF Ethiopia @ Flickr

Ella Gerry Contributor This month the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that in 2018, there were 82,596 confirmed cases of measles across 47 countries worldwide, a 50% increase from 2017. This re-emergence of the disease is not only a grave cause for concern, but has also highlighted weaknesses within public health infrastructure across the globe.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection transmitted via droplets from the nose, mouth, or throat of an infected individual. In addition to the characteristic rash, symptoms of measles include a high fever, a runny nose, and bloodshot eyes. Babies, young children, and immunocompromised people with measles infections are particularly vulnerable to fatal complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis — the swelling of the brain.

In recent years outbreaks of measles have been declared in countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Experts are attributing this worldwide resurgence of measles to

complacency, collapsing health systems, and the dissemination of false information by anti-vaccination groups.

The Philippines is currently grappling with a series of severe measles outbreaks. Over 130 people — mostly children and unvaccinated people — have died, while 8,443 others have fallen ill. The government has blamed the outbreaks on decreased vaccination rates, caused by a recent controversy surrounding Dengvaxia, a vaccine being used as part of the government’s vaccination campaign against dengue fever.

In November 2017, the manufacturer of Dengvaxia announced that the vaccine may have risks for those with no previous exposure to the disease. Whilst other countries adjusted their anti-dengue programmes accordingly, the news caused an eruption of public outrage and political chaos in the Philippines. In December 2017, the government’s anti-dengue campaign was terminated and both the Department of Justice and Public Attorney’s Office filed negligence and corruption cases against the government.

Heightened anxiety surrounding vaccines

following the Dengvaxia scare has seen vaccination rates across the Philippines plummet, which is considered to be the main reason for the current measles outbreaks. A study carried out by The Vaccine Confidence Project found that in 2015, 93% of those surveyed ‘strongly agreed’ that vaccines are important. This number dropped to just 32% in the same survey carried out in 2018. In a recent television appearance addressing the current measles pandemic, President Rodrigo Duterte warned of the fatal complications of the disease and pleaded that parents vaccinate their children.

In 2018, a report by the WHO European Region stated that measles had killed 72 people and over 82,000 had contracted the disease. Despite reports that immunisation rates amongst children are at an all-time high in Europe, experts warn that such reports can often mask immunisation gaps at sub-national levels. These clusters of unvaccinated individuals allow the measles virus to persist within a population. They pose a particular risk to those who cannot be vaccinated, such as young babies and the immunocompromised, who include HIV-positive individuals or those

receiving chemotherapy.

“Each and every preventable death is unacceptable to me. And these numbers should alarm us all,” said Vytenis Andirukaitis, the European Commissioner for Food and Health Safety. Andirukaitis warned that “increased distrust, misinformation, a fear of possible side effects, and increased complacency about the benefits of vaccinations are all sadly playing a part.”

Aided by social media and right-wing populist groups, the growth of anti-vaccination movements across Europe and the rest of the world concerns many public health officials.

Facebook has come under fire from health experts for not doing more to curb the spread of false information by so-called ‘anti-vaxxers’ operating in closed groups on the site.

One such group is Stop Mandatory Vaccination, which currently has over 155,000 members, and claims on their website that “vaccines are full of poison.” Experts worry that these undiluted echo chambers are playing a major role in the rising distrust of vaccines, and WHO have recognised vaccine hesitancy as one of the ten threats to global health in 2019.

“Inverted flags” wave in new era for smart cities The new ‘inverted flag’ could be a cheap energy source for the future Alex Moores Contributor The world stands at the edge of a new industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 and associated movements promise to revolutionise manufacturing, services, infrastructure, and healthcare through greater connectivity, data analytics, and cloud computing. The outcomes are ambitious — smarter computational tools, automation of increasingly complex tasks, and, in the extreme, even artificial intelligence.

The foundations of all these movements are built on the flow of information. In the latest generation of manufacturing plants, data from every single piece of equipment is continuously collected and streamed to a network that can extend over an entire supply chain.

This Internet of Things facilitates decentralised decision-making on the performance and maintenance of plant behaviour, down to a single component.

As you can imagine, the data collection devices are an integral part of the system. Arguably, the decreasing cost in sensor technology is driving this new wave of innovation in data

analytics. It is no surprise that bettering the efficiency and efficacy of sensors and their supporting parts is the subject of much work in the information age.

New research at the University of Manchester has led to the creation of a device that can harvest energy from both the wind and the sun. Targeted at the powering of large-scale remote sensor networks, it’s the first device of its kind to utilise both solar and wind energy.

Enough wind flows over the world’s land and coastal regions to power global power demand five times over, and the same amount of energy all of humanity uses in a year arrives on the Earth’s surface every hour. It makes sense to power more of our tech on these renewable resources. But marrying these two elements into a single energy harvester was a stroke of genius from the team at the University of Manchester’s School of Mechanical Engineering.

Jorge Silva-Leon worked on the device and co-authored its counterpart article published in Applied Energy. He explained the thinking behind the innovation: on windy days there’s generally little sun, and on sunny days there’s generally little wind: “So combining both re-

sources is a good bet for assuring longer periods of power generation.”

This factor is important. In large scale sensor networks, changing batteries even just every once in a while is often cost-prohibitive, and in remote networks it’s an impossibility.

To harvest wind energy, the device’s design is based on the concept of an ‘inverted flag,’ which essentially works as a normal flag — flapping about in windy conditions. Built out of the right materials, the inverted flag can convert this movement into electricity. With piezoelectric materials, stresses and strains actually create a small electric current. It’s a little like rubbing your hands together for warmth, only instead of heat energy the flag produces electrical energy.

By making the outer layer of the flag out of flexible solar panels, the flag can still generate electricity when it’s not windy. Unexpectedly, the added weight of the solar panels actually makes the flag’s flapping behaviour better suited for piezoelectric energy generation.

The team intended the inverted flag to be used for powering large-scale remote sensor networks, such as those necessary for smart

city infrastructure. Such sensor networks are already seeing rollout in cities around the world. In Amsterdam, pedestrian data is used to selectively dim streetlights in low-traffic area, leading to energy savings. In Barcelona, emergency response teams use data from a computer model of the traffic system of the entire city. When their vehicles approach junctions, the system automatically changes the lights so that the emergency vehicles are let through.

The research team thinks that the inverted flags can be used in further applications as well. In fitting with renewable energy harvesting, the devices could be used to power mobile charging stations for electric cars. In distributed networks across the country, they could be used for environmental condition monitoring, leading to more accurate weather predictions and climate data collection.

There are even bigger plans are on the horizon too. The team has future work that will upscale the concept to use multi-flag configurations, similar to wind farms, that will harvest enough energy for large-scale power generation.

Features 9

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The dark truth of the Windrush Deportation

Laura Finn examines how the Windrush Deportation has affected Owen Haisley, a musician on the Manchester music scene, and what is being done about the scandal by the government Laura Finn Contributor The first charter flight to Jamaica following the Windrush scandal departed on 6th February; whilst fifty people were due to be deported, five had their deportation delayed. Though many have been here since they were children, and given indefinite leave to remain, they had this right revoked after they were found guilty of a crime. The threat of deportation has hung over them since.

Father-of-three, Owen Haisley was one of those due to be deported. Haisley, a.k.a. MC Madrush is big on the Manchester music scene; he has performed at Warehouse Project and Parklife, as well as acting as a music mentor to young children. However, Haisley was told his deportation was delayed an hour before the day he was meant to board the plane, and he is still awaiting his fate.

The 45-year-old travelled here in 1977 on his mother’s passport, as was the case with many of the charter flight passengers. Living here since the age of four, he was granted indefinite leave to remain when he was eleven. How-

ever, following a domestic assault charge in 2015, this right was taken away. He has been appealing this ever since but was arrested when signing on to an immigration centre in Salford. He was detained and told that he was due to fly back to Jamaica, a country he has not been to for 41 years, “in the coming weeks.”

The passengers on what has been labelled the “convict flight” by Jamaican national newspaper, The Gleaner, have been described by the Home Office as “serious criminals” who have “abused the UK’s hospitality”. Whilst politicians such as Sajid Javid have labelled these passengers as such, it has been reported that some of the charges against these passengers include drug possession and drunken bar fights, and he has since been urged by Haisley and others to apologise for these extravagant claims.

The passengers have all served time for their crimes. This has led to Movement for Justice, an organisation that works with migrants, to call the deportations a “double punishment”, and Stephen Shaw, former prisoner ombudsmen, to call it “entirely disproportionate”. As Haisley told the Independent, “I did wrong — I deserved to

be locked up for that. And I’ve done my sentence. I did all the rehabilitation classes, I did anger management, I did restorative justice. I used my time positively and reconstructively.”

The scandal brings up important questions about the fairness of the legal system and citizenship in Britain. As Haisley comments to the Independent, “I let myself down in a big way, but while offenders with a British passport can go to prison, repeat offend and get given chance after chance, I’ve not even got a second chance.” For a man who held British citizenship for so long, to be sent to a country which he has no ties, and nowhere to go as a punishment for a crime he has already served time for, seems grossly unfair.

Furthermore, when questioning the future of raising his two British children, Haisley was told he could keep in contact with his children via Skype.

“How can you say that?” he commented to Manchester Evening News, “I’m worried for my boys. […] Problems happen when families get split up or fathers get taken away. Children are more likely to get in trouble.” He highlights the far-reaching effects these deportations have on families: tearing them apart and hugely affecting young children.

MP for Manchester Central, Lucy Powell, has said that the government would be making her constituent effectively “stateless” and asked why Javid could not use his discretion as he has done before in similar cases. MPs and the public have questioned the integrity and thoroughness of the deportations as the shambolic policy has already seen the resignation of former Home Secretary Amber Rudd MP, as well as many wrongful deportations and deaths. David Lammy MP, who has been extremely vocal on his disdain at the scandal, has accused the government of “pandering to the far-right”. He highlighted the 11 deaths of those who had been wrongly deported to the Caribbean, as well as the 36 British children who would be without a parent if this particular flight were to go ahead.

There has been mass outcry from Parliament, the Windrush generation and deportees themselves, helped along with protesting and petitions from the public (the petition to get Haisley to stay received over 100,000 signatures). This has urged the government to reconsider this policy, but not without exposing the deep wounds potent in current British society and government.

Preview: Women in Media 2019 Isabel Oldman looks ahead to the fourth annual Women in Media conference which will be held in March, here in Manchester, she speaks to Co-Chair Bella Jewell about what to expect from the event and all the different talks which are on offer Isabel Oldman Design Editor In March 2019, The People’s History Museum will once again be hosting the Women in Media conference. Now in its fourth year, the weekend-long event will be showcasing the best and brightest women working in media today and will be offering expertise from women from a variety of backgrounds. The conference, which made its debut in 2016, is entirely organised by students from the University of Manchester, all of whom are members of Manchester Media Group, based in the Students’ Union.

The conference is open to all those interested in pursuing a career in media and as Co-Chair Bella Jewell explains the conference is not just for those looking for a role in journalism. “We pride ourselves on the sheer variety of events we have to offer [and] there will be a mixture of panels, workshops, and speeches, which cover a diverse range of media-related careers, for example, PR and Comms, Cinematography, Presenting, Radio, and Music, among others.”

This year’s conference boasts a varied line-up of women from a diverse range of industries and will include interviews with guests such as the BBC’s Deputy Editor of Social News, Ciara Riordan. In addition, it will be welcoming other industry professionals such as Tina Moran, the training manager at Press Association, Social Media influencer and blogger, Sophia Rosemary and CEO of Art of Podcast Emma Houlton.

The team have also organised panels filled to the brim with industry knowledge, and those attending the conference this March will have the opportunity to watch discussions on a wide range of media-related topics, including

Photo: Allie Liu

a guide to self-publishing, a discussion of LGBTQI+, Women in Tech and Investigative News.

Events at the Women in Media Conference this year have also been streamlined to ensure their attendees can gain as much possible from the event. They have even added a CV writing workshop to take place over the lunch break, perfect for those who wish to polish up on the more practical aspects of finding a job.

“Our keynote speaker this year, Clare Rewcastle Brown, will be a fantastic addition” adds Bella “Her work, investigating the deforestation of Sarawak, Borneo, and the dispossession of its people, led her to follow a trail of corruption taking her to the heart of Malaysian politics and to Prime Minister Najib Razak himself. Determined that the public should know the truth, she started a blog, which became Malaysia’s go-to news outlet for informa-

tion that the government was trying to suppress – and whistleblowers wanted to get out.”

For those looking to get a leg up in the industry, to make contacts and connections or to simply find out more about the world of media, The Women in Media conference will be an excellent placed opportunity and one not to be missed.

Alongside being an excellent space for learning and mingling, Women in Media also has the power to inspire. A previous attendee of the event, Kizzy Bray, says that the conference “was an important step for [her] in coming to terms with what it means to be a woman in the media.”

She was particularly impressed with a previous guest, war journalist Alex Crawford, “she challenged every preconception I had about serious war journalism. She spoke about how becoming a mother made her a better journalist because it made her understand the importance of care

and responsibility. It really was something I’d never heard before, especially in journalism.”

Lucas Hill-Paul, who also attended the event last year, spoke to me about how empowering the event is, and that men can be just as involved; “Women in Media was a crucial, eye-opening event as a male student who has consistently experienced the perspective from my own gender at these kind of conferences.” He was particularly impressed by the high standards of the event, “each year the team attracts compelling speakers to remind you that women in all fields of media still have some of the strongest voices in a male-dominated landscape. The MMG’s work to provide a platform to educate and inspire the next generation of journalists, editors, and documentarians was undoubtedly among the most enriching events I had the pleasure of being a part of.”

“The conference is important as it places female talent at the centre” explains Bella “something unusual in an industry which tends to be male-dominated. The annual conference celebrates female media talent to the aim of empowering the next generation of aspiring women in media. Not only will it allow the best women in their industry to have a platform to speak, but it will also provide vital networking opportunities to women interested in media careers, to learn from those who have made it, and to meet other like-minded attendees. Students will gain the opportunity to interact with and learn from the experiences of nationally acclaimed and influential women in the industry.”

The Women in Media Conference will take place at the People’s History Museum on the 2nd and 3rd of March 2019. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

10 Opinion

Turning Point UK: a dangerous agenda

Photo: Ppojke @Wikimedia Commons

Nimo Omer discusses the prevalence of right-wing groups and how important it is to take them seriously Nimo Omer Contributor Turning Point UK (nothing to do with the charity Turning Point) is the new bad boy on the political block. The self-proclaimed grassroots organisation launched at the start of February forcing its way into the public consciousness.

“

It is a part of a much wider, far more sinister syndicate. One with seemingly infinite funding

Photo: Flickr @ Garry Knight

TPUK is the British arm of the already established Turning Point USA, an organisation that has in some ways poisoned political discourse with its vitriolic and anti-facts stance.

The point of both organisations is to kick university campuses out of their lefty liberal haze and force them to see the “light”. A pinned tweet by TPUK says it’s for “free markets, free speech... limited government and personal responsibility” while it opposes “socialism, racism... identity politics and nativism”.

They are sick of the cultural Marxist agenda afflicting campuses all over our good pure nations. Adorno and Marcuse be damned, they just want to turn our countries into a multicultural cesspits with people being… nice to each other? The liberal agenda in their minds is a disease and they are the only ones who have been smart enough to mastermind the cure.

In all seriousness, TPUK is currently considered a bit of a joke; the website looks like something that I crafted in a Year 8 IT lesson.

Their social media launch went up in flames as some geniuses made dozens of fake TPUK Twitter accounts, each one identical to the real accounts making it impossible to tell which was real and which wasn’t.

What’s more, their slogans aren’t exactly winning hearts and minds. To most people their existence is a nostalgic nod to conservative youth groups past, like Activate, the conservative youth organisation that spent most of its short life being mocked, parodied and eventually hacked The history of doomed young right-wingers and their flaccid attempts at rallying people perhaps has given many of us a sense of confidence and comfort knowing that they too will probably just be another funny anecdote.

But the truth is TPUK isn’t an isolated organisation with a few overzealous young Tories who are trying to catch the eye of theirlocal MP. It is a part of a much wider, far more sinister syndicate. One with seemingly infinite funding, an established membership, and an intoxicating ideology that in times like these can be effective.

Unsurprisingly, upon contacting individuals involved in the organisation I was met with either silence, hostility or fruitless conversation. This organisation could quite easily billow into obscurity, an awkward sub-chapter and symbol of our political climate, or they could mobilise people by pandering to a victim complex that I think a lot of young con-

servatives have.

The bunker mentality of right-wing students is visible on campuses across the country. For the act of requesting a conversation with the head of UoM Conservative Society, I was removed from the Facebook group where events and meetings are posted, and subsequently deleted off Facebook by the individuals themselves.

Let me be clear, I have no real qualms that the Conservatives on campus don’t want to chat with me. I can survive another day without their insights into free market economics However, the important thing is the meaning behind their exiling me from their inner circle. Clearly, among even relatively mainstream right-wing groups, there is a perception of persecution.

Whilst it is true that certain conservative groups have distanced themselves from TPUK, it would take little effort on the part of TPUK toeffectively exploit this victim complex. What would have been an annoying but relatively harmless group could quickly become a vehicle for more dangerous, vitriolic and hateful views on our campuses. We need to stay vigilant against it.

City council is guilty of anti-social behaviour

Sophie Marriott argues that the legislation to fine homeless people in Manchester for ‘Anti-Social Behaviour’ is archaic and misguided Sophie Marriott Head Opinion Editor Manchester City Council has recently revealed a genius new initiative to tackle homelessness; they are going to start imposing fines on the pesky men and and women forced to sleep in doorways and beg to survive.

Supposedly responding to real concerns from Mancunians about ‘anti-social behaviour’ in the city centre, the homeless could face up to £100 in fines, with an escalation to £1,000 if they fail to cough up, and even eventual incarceration.

It’s absurd, unacceptable and cruel. And it’s blatantly putting the sensitivities of the most privileged in society above anyone else.

Those living on the streets do not have access to £100, just as they don’t have access

to regular healthcare, central heating, full bellies, or emotional support networks of family and friends.

How dare we accuse the very people we have excluded from our cosy and privileged society of anti-social behaviour?

The legislation will come under the ‘Public Space Protection Order’ (PSPOs) in attempts to make the city centre safer (read as more visually appealing) for locals. Again absurd.

As if the centre of Manchester, a city which has seen its fair share of unpleasantness, needs protecting from the weakest and most vulnerable. How about a ‘People Protection Order’ which distributes £100 to every poor soul without a roof over their heads?

Over 50 other local councils across the country have similar orders, since Theresa May as Home Secretary introduced the PSPOs in 2014. They are intended to target so-

called ‘Anti-Social Behaviour’ to clean up city centres. However, they serve only as a tool to criminalise behaviour which otherwise it is not justifiable to punish individuals for.

PSPOs lend local councils a lot of discretion as to what they deem ‘Anti-Social’; one UK council banned 16-year olds from gathering in groups of three or more.

The very invocation of anti-social behaviour in this context is almost Orwellian. It includes urinating or drinking in public, setting up camp in disruptive places, sleeping in doorways, and ‘aggressively begging’ In a city without public toilets and that systematically moves its homeless away from the most tourist saturated areas like Market Street and Chinatown, how exactly is this supposed to encourage for homeless men and women to find other options?

What is particularly striking about this list of unacceptable behaviour is that it creates a

vague nostalgia for some students’ Freshers’ Week. Are the police also about to start patrolling Fallowfield on a Friday night, looking out for students laden with Strongbow Cans taking advantage of a strategically placed Grundon bin whilst waiting for a bus?

The council has claimed that they will not use the legislation indiscriminately, but perhaps they should. Arguably, those living in abject poverty have more of a reason to be drinking in the streets and being loud on buses than anyone else.

The utter ridiculousness of the policy shows just how unaccountable government and councils have become. Of course, there has been an uproar against the experimental measure, with the Liberal Democrat opposition leader in Manchester, John Leech, describing it as “social cleansing”. Yet, has there been any move to abandon this archaic idea?

Not that I have seen.

Opinion 11

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Binge culture destroys our concept of time

Lily Rosenberg writes about what she sees as a binging culture among students. From Netflix to booze to uni work, we have warped our concepts of time

Lily Rosenberg Contributor

Like my grandmother handing over the next plate of food as I barely finish the last, Netflix delivers me the next episode before I barely can think about the content I just watched.

As I finish the new Netflix series, a day after its release, I’m struck with the same recurring thoughts: I count the amount of time I have lost, down to the minute.

I note the lack of social interactions I’ve had within the past 24 hours, and I worry about whether my flatmates would realise if I were dead. Most deeply felt, however, is the overwhelming feeling of shame for, once again, satisfying my binge behaviour.

Was this a problem for the water cooler generation?

Did that generation have better self-control over television, or were they just not provided with enough content to even think about overindulgence? The only show I wait weekly to watch is RuPaul’s Drag Race, and even that I watch on streaming and I curse RuPaul for forcing me to be patient.

Is there a hidden message about life within my weekly wait? The importance of time, perhaps?

Modern day binging streams from an addiction into a distraction. An interruption of time passing. The fascination with binging is encouraged by student life which embraces us to binge drink, binge a new diet or workout routine, binge social media, and binge Netflix shows. All of these are trying to give us refuge from our responsibilities and insecurities, by allowing us to fully ignore them.

Whenever I am on the bus, I walk down the aisle and

Photo: snickclunk@flickr

instantly see a handful of individuals glued to different social media platforms, earphones in, blocking the world out and staying within their own bubble. Such a scene is not that different from wandering through a pub on a Friday night, where I see those same people drinking to drink, excess being the only way to give themselves a break.

Social media was designed to be a distraction, just like alcohol, consuming the time one needs to think beyond themselves. Scrolling through Instagram for an hour, or even hours, allows us to step away from our responsibilities. This emotional break from our burdens, however, hinders us from actually growing up. External factors become the problem, not ourselves.

Binging gifts individuals with the privilege not to think, but addictive qualities perpetuate ‘breaks’ so that they go on for much longer than intended.

Binging is also prevalent in some students’ attitude towards studying or trying to maximize the productivity of their time, by cramming tutorial readings for the night before or even the bus ride before the class. Starting an essay a few days before it’s due, is itself a binge, and an incredibly painful and intense experience, albeit a shortlived one.

At the end of the day, binging creates young people who do not know the concept of time or how to prioritise it. Students manipulate time to try and ignore themselves and their responsibilities. Simultaneously, when responsibilities need to be done we have no idea how much time we really need to get a task done properly.

Streaming Netflix all day allows me to have a new definition of what a day can be, while slowly the phrase ‘carpe diem’ loses all of its meaning.

Film brings home the reality of hate crime Jay Darcy writes about raising awareness of the traumatic psychological damage caused by hate crime through virtual reality experiences which mimic Islamophobic attacks

Photo: HammerandTusk @ pixabay

Jay Darcy Contributor Greater Manchester Police recently released a virtual reality film allowing people to ‘experience’ hate crimes. The film sees two groups of men demand a Muslim woman remove her headscarf and hurl racist abuse at her.

The video was not particularly startling for me. At 15-years-old, I was verbally and physically attacked by a racist couple. I also became my Catholic school’s first Muslim head boy, a decision deemed a “PR” stunt by internet trolls, with one keyboard-warrior asking how many heads I decapitated to get the role. From calling me an “illegal Mexican immigrant” to an “Arab terrorist”, I’ve had everything, so the fictional attack was not that distressing. Non-Muslims volunteers, however, were shocked by the experience, particularly the moment when one attacker squares up to your face. In particular, they remarked on how passers-by in the video who did nothing.

This is too real. Last year, a passenger on the train I was on suggested removing Muslim passengers to make room for his friends. My mother answered back, but not a single non-Muslim passenger did, even the clearly disgusted women near us. We ended up getting free upgrades to First Class! But not everyone is so lucky. Many attacks are physical and cause lasting psychological trauma.

In part, a direct response to the reported 500% rise in Islamophobic hate crimes since the Manchester Are-

na bombing, the purpose of the VR experience is to raise awareness of how horrific hate crimes are. Future plans include giving this technology to other police forces and working on new films about other hate crimes.

I attended a conference at Greater Manchester Police headquarters where Jude Limb, managing director of Mother Mountain Productions which made the film, said her Christian faith was one of the reasons she wanted to raise awareness about hate crimes.

For all the slack they get for not doing enough to turn Manchester into a liberal, progressive, cosmopolitan, metropolitan, crime-free, gluten-free utopia… they sure seem determined to do the best they can (despite massive cuts in government funding) to make Greater Manchester safer.

The film’s star, Fatiha (who does not want her surname revealed), was contacted by Mother Mountain after her Facebook post criticising Boris Johnson’s inflammatory comments about the burqa went viral. She received thousands of likes, comments and shares; mostly racist and Islamophobic. Fatiha has said the attack in the film is mild compared to other attacks she and people she knows have faced, for example, last year, her mother was urinated on.

Both Fatiha’s fictional and real-life abusers attack her for being Pakistani; she is actually Moroccan, but one cannot expect racist, jogger-wearing park inhabitants to know the difference between two groups of brown people with equally delicious cuisines… Fatiha is a comedian, and as you might realise by my sardonic wit, comedy is a great way to get through the horrors of hatred.

12 Societies

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The best societies you can’t find at Manchester Ellie Martin takes you through her favourite societies from universities across the UK Ellie Martin Contributor Following on from last week’s article about everything you need to know about starting a society, I’ve searched high, low, and across the UK for the best societies that we don’t currently have at Manchester. Take a look, and maybe there will be something here you think you’d love to attend. If so, what’s stopping you from bringing the idea to the doors of the SU and adding it to the list of Manchester’s societies?

First of all, let’s take a look at the University of Kent’s Competitive Eating Society, which was recently mentioned on the BBC News website because of its crazy challenges. Apparently the idea came from the TV show Man vs Food and, in line with this, the society meets every month or so to eat as much as they possibly can. The challenges aren’t limited to pure mass of food, but they range from spice tolerance to speed of consumption as well. Events include the ‘Chicken Nugget Centurion’, ‘The Big Boy’ burger challenge, ‘One Metre Pizza’ and a ‘Triple Thread Hotdog’, plus various spice tests.

Staying with the food theme, students at St Andrews in the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Appreciation Society meet to partake in the glorious tea time treat that is the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer, and who can blame them?

Meetings are held every week to enjoy the biscuits, alongside the promise of plenty of laughs and banter. Can anyone else envision a Manchester version to celebrate the Greggs Sausage Roll? Vegan or regular, as you like.

The University of Warwick’s Jailbreak Society isn’t unique to Warwick, but their event is probably the most infamous. The idea of a jailbreak is for groups of students to get as far away from campus as possible while not being allowed to spend any money on transportation. The event is usually run to raise money for charity. With only 36 hours to complete the challenge, Warwick students have a pretty impressive record, with some participants having managed to get to Poland, Morocco, even crossing the Atlantic Ocean to New York. Here in Manchester, we do the same challenge through RAG, so if this sounds like it’s right up your street, keep an eye on their Facebook page for more details.

The University of Anglia’s Beekeeping Society is absolutely one of my favourite societies I’ve come across in the course of writing this - can someone please take one for the team and start this in Manchester? The Beekeeping Society gives students the opportunity to look after some fuzzy lil’ honey bees without having to invest in all the

A cappella group Fantastic Beats go to the ICCAs The A Cappella Society’s competition group, Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them, have recently got through to the quarter-finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCAs).

Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them were founded in 2016 by Jamie Davis, a former PPE student at the University of Manchester, with the dream of competing in a cappella competitions. Since then, the group has noticeably improved. In 2016 they first auditioned for The Voice Festival UK, a national competition in which different a cappella groups across the country compete, but, unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. However, in 2017 they qualified for the semi-finals of the festival, after which they went on to the finals. They won two Outstanding Choreography awards and received an Outstanding Soloist commendation.

This academic year has been their greatest achievement so far. They managed to progress to the quarter-finals of the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, which took place in Birmingham on 17th February 2019. The ICCAs is a competition of collegiate a cappella across the UK, USA and Canada, a competition best known for its feature in the popular film Pitch Perfect. The group sang

gear (of course). Reenactments of battles are on the cards, but the social elements of Viking lifestyle are also celebrated, including plenty of traditional Viking banquets and other historical entertainment.

Another one of my favourites, the Extreme Ironing Society at the University of Nottingham, aims to inject some fun into the ordinary day-to-day task of ironing. Their tagline on their Facebook page states that “the sport combines the thrills of an extreme sport with the satisfaction of a well-pressed shirt.” The rules are loose - you can combine any extreme sport you’re interested in with some clothes in need of pressing to participate. Members have been seen ironing in busy main streets, strung up on climbing walls, on the top of cliffs or mountains, up trees and, in my opinion most impressively, while scuba diving and skydiving!

Other ways in which international enthusiasts have completed the challenge have been while water skiing, in the North Pole being pulled by dogs, or in the Australian outback. Honestly, for the first year of university I didn’t even own an iron so this is definitely something I’d love to see come to Manchester.

Which of these brilliant societies would you like to see come to Manchester? Could you be the one to lead the way?

Event Preview: The So-So Show

The So-So Show will be anything but so-so Chloe Hatton Societies Editor

Photo: UoM A Cappella Society

Find out how Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them got on in their latest competition Maurits Bekkers Contributor

equipment themselves. It’s definitely a relaxing way to get back to nature and take the sting out of studying, plus I’m sure the members get a real buzz from the society! The hives are on campus and, as well as being cared for by the student members, the bees are used as a tool to reach out to the wider community around the university. What a sweet way to reach out to their neighbours!

Staying loosely with the theme of animals, the University of York boasts its Kigu Society.

Kigus are a Japanese style of onesie made to look like different animals. In a similar vein to our very own Pirate Society, the group is mostly focused on socials and hanging out together, but dressed as their favourite cute animal. They want to share the joy that wearing a kigu can bring, which they explain in their mission statement, saying “we believe there is no occasion or activity that is not improved by a Kigu.” We’re very much inclined to agree.

Next up, not to far from the hearts of our own Larping Society (Live Action Role Play), who meet on Saturdays in Whitworth Park, Plymouth University’s Viking Society meet weekly to learn and educate about Viking life. Meetings can include playing traditional Viking games, or walks dressed in full Viking

three mashups, containing songs by Prince, Frank Ocean, Daft Punk, and Arctic Monkeys, all arranged by their Musical Director Courtney Levy. Unfortunately, they did not get through to the next round. However, looking at the progress they have made in such a short time-span, it definitely will not be long until Fantastic Beats will be known by all a cappella enthusiasts.

Ruby Campbell joined Fantastic Beats in September 2018. Looking back on the academic year, she comments that “it was an amazing experience to compete in the ICCAs, and it has definitely brought us closer together as a group. Aside from performing, it was a chance to socialise with other university a cappella groups, and make new friends. The trip was the highlight of my time in Fantastic Beats so far, and I am excited to see what next year has in store!”

The group, now comprising fifteen members, is still hosting concerts and is available for bookings via fantasticbeatsmanchester@gmail.com.

Alternatively, have a look at their Facebook page to keep up to date with their future progress.

They’re certainly a group to watch.

If a cappella is something you might be interested in, the A Cappella Society are a friendly and inclusive group, made up of singers of all abilities. There are five groups within the society that sing in their summer and winter showcases. For more information on auditions and showcases, join their Facebook group.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering just what the societies of the University of Manchester have to offer, wonder no longer.

Fuse TV are here, bringing you The So-So Show, which promises to be anything but so-so.

So, I hear you ask, what actually is The So-So Show? The concept is a late-night variety show that wants to showcase the very best of Manchester’s society talent. The line up will include swing dancers, comedians, barbershop singers, you name it. It will be hosted by Jenna Brannock and Hannah Wardle from Fuse TV, who will supply what is sure to be some excellent chat in between the acts. Get ready for a night of laughs that will be bold and a little bit outrageous, but one that will certainly be a whole lot of fun.

In total there will be three shows, with the first one taking part on the Thursday, 28th February, in the Council Chambers in the Students’ Union. Performing on this first night will be Craig Rose from the Comedy Society, the Swing Dance Society, the Barbershop Swingers, and the Women’s Theatre Society.

Photo: Fuse TV

Jordan Vincent, President of the Comedy Society, says that Craig’s performance will certainly be one to watch.

He invites you in, gets you comfortable, and then hits you with his hyper-Northern, hyper-bizarre childhood tales. Get ready for opportunist pigeons, playground tooth tradedeals, and an unseen twist to second-hand smoking. He’s too young to have seen so much. Don’t miss it!”

The whole thing is going to be filmed in front of a live audience, so if you want to grab yourself a ticket, make sure you head over to the event page. The best part is that it won’t even set you back a penny, so there’s no excuse not to go along.

Cachella Smith, a fourth year English Literature and French student, told me that “it’ll be a really great opportunity to see all the hard work that students in societies get up to, especially in such a fun format!”

Fuse TV, as part of Manchester Media Group, focuses on all things TV-related. To find out more about what they get up to, watch their videos, and to find information about how you can get involved, have a look at their Facebook page.

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CONFERENCE 2019 #WIM19

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1

Mancunion Crossword #9 Solution Revealed Next Issue!

1

2 4 5

6 7 8

9

Across

Down

3.

6.

8.

9.

1.

2.

4.

5.

7.

8.

What kind of crime has an ex-UoM lecturer been convicted of?

(4) Which annual march took place on Oxford Road last week?

(7, 3, 5) Why has Ozzy Osbourne had to cancel tour dates? (9) Which party just lost seven of its MPs? (6)

Last week’s solution

3

How many times do some Vice-Chancellors get paid more than the median of their staff? (8) Which ex-footballer recently gave a pep talk to England’s rugby union team? (4, 5) What marred an English cricket game in the West Indies recently? (10) Which design superstar died recently? (9) Who’s declared they’re standing for the 2020 US Presidential election? (6) Who is set to receive a BRIT award for Outstanding Contribution to Music? (4)

Inside Where the 1960s Culture went wrong: 16

Sparkplug Sex and Interview with The photo Remembering Game Assist: 19 essay: 22 Andrea Levy: 23 review: 24 art: 25

THE

Photo: Mikey @ Flickr

Opinion.

16

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music Photo: Paul Campbell @ Wikimedia

The 1960s, ‘The Man’ and where it’s all gone wrong Contributor Kit Delamain talks culture, identity, the loss of passion and the importance of the man

59 years ago, the most formidable cultural epoch of Western culture began. For 10 years, the 1960s brought a generation who rocked, rolled and rallied to a psychedelic rhythm that had never been heard before. Genres were formed and merged.

Musicians were united in their staggering drug habits, urine-soaked fans, and aversion to razors. Music was peoples lives, not just a soundtrack to it. Lyrics scared authorities, guitars screamed the indescribable and crowds remembered without recording a second of it.

I haven’t been around for the majority of the 49-year interlude, but I can’t quite work out what the on Earth has happened.

You probably think this is sounding a touch pretentious? Well strap in, you’re in for a treat.

My guess is that at some point in the late 50s someone decided they didn’t want to be like everyone else and decided this was the fault of ‘the man’. They threw on some denim, picked up a guitar, and then with a few friends got up on a stage, and told everyone about ‘the man’.

This provoked a reaction. ‘The man’s BS was no longer to be tolerated. Under the shared banner of music, hippies, rockers, mods, beatniks, rude-boys, skinheads, black panthers, squares and geeks all formed as slots any wayward teenager could fall into.

It was a collection of subcultures, so defined in their aesthetic and behaviour, that any youth could fit into a mould of their choosing.

“It sounds like none of them had an identity of their own” I hear you cry.

You’re wrong. These were people that stood for something: If they wanted to listen to music they would do it together out of a speaker. If they went to a concert, they didn’t leave a seat spare.

Musicians, elevated to the status of prophets, would go to parties with their fans. Friendship, love, hate, progress, all of it tangible, everyone present to witness this universal sense of rightness. The authorities were scared of the power a leather jacket, or Day-Glo poncho could imbue, and this power was not squandered.

Remember Jack Black’s evocative preaching about “sticking it to the man” in School of Rock?

Well, the one thing uniting them all was their aversion to ‘the man’ and his doctrine, and together they got shit done.

While they weren’t putting people on the moon, they were marching on Washington, a swirling maelstrom of peace and unity.

James Brown, the godfather of funk, showed the world black musicians were not there to play at the pleasure of white audiences. Jazz, soul and rock’n’roll lost its whitewash to singers and instrumentalists not because they were black because they were the best. Without light shows, auto-tune, and fancy staging, you could rest easy knowing the music you listened to was produced on nothing other than merit.

Women too were no longer tied down by the surly bonds of tradition. Although problematic, Janis Joplin didn’t need to ‘rely on her sexuality’ to rock a crowd.

Stevie Nicks didn’t write every other song about a break-up. These front women kicked ass in their own right, and are the female role models we should all look up to.

Liberation wasn’t just confined to the streets and stadiums, but the bed sheets as well. And rivers. And fields. There was a lot of love flowing through the 60s, and plenty of places to have it. No longer was sex a vulgar act of depravity, but a finger to the stuffy generations before. There was no room for anyone who wasn’t on the programme, and the programme was beautiful.

With all that exercise to be done, it is also unsurprising that drug use rose higher than the stratosphere, along with anyone taking them. LSD and speed were rife, smashing down the doors, windows, and letter-boxes of perception. You could argue for the negatives of taking these substances, but I would call on John Lennon, Bob Dylan or Eric Santana, as people who may describe them as necessary. The amount of music we owe to drugs is staggering, and it was none other than the 1960s that lit that fuse.

Now it is not that we are now devoid of culture (we are) or that most music is mass-produced unoriginal crap (it is), but any part you enjoy of being a young person today, is thanks to the efforts of those 59 years ago. To paraphrase Hunter. S. Thompson, the 70s, and every decade up until now have been riding the high and beautiful wave that erupted from the 1960s.

The momentum has all but died, and now, with a shallow puddle, lapping at our feet, I ask you: where the f*** has ‘the man’ gone.

Photo: Filth

Filth

“If anything, we stand for narcissism and selfishness.” matt Loreti shines a spotlight on the rising rock band, Filth, Filth outfit of

are

an

hailing

Stoke.

With

inspiration Doors,

up-and-coming

from a

from

Black

the

sound bands

Sabbath

rock

grey that

such

and

town takes

as

from

The many

different punk bands in the US and UK, Filth are an exhilarating culmination and reflection of the anxieties that are so prominent in our current society.

Their songs feature a mixture of clashing

riffs

and

pounding

drums

over lyrics that discuss issues from disillusionment

to

contemporary

politics. This can be seen in tracks such

as

‘Magic

‘Full

Money

English

Tree’,

Brexit’

which

and

criticise

capitalism and political bigotry over a

cacophony

of

raging

guitars

and

driving bass lines.

Elsewhere on ‘Tongue To The Ulcer’, the band discuss the desensitisation we face towards art and culture: “We’re just

ignorant

to

it

all

because

we

have to be else, you’d have a sensory overload every time you step out of your house…”

Lead

singer

of

the

band,

Jack

Melvin, describes his band as, “just writing songs about issues that affect us personally. So if anything, we stand for narcissism and selfishness.” It’s arguably a refreshing stance to take in

our

current

political

climate,

where apathy is becoming increasingly commonplace.

Filth are set to play two upcoming dates in Manchester, and missing them would be a wasted opportunity. Catch them playing The Hive on the 1st of March and then Night People on the 4th of April for an unmissable performance.

Hot Right Now

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

Separating artist and art in the music industry

17

How far can a musician be separated from their actions, and should the general public continue to listen? Eleanor Roberts discusses

Ethics and the entertainment industry are often seen as being in conflict with one another; scandals arise based on charges which can vary in seriousness from minor to major. Social media platforms allow public outcry against the actions of musical artists no matter the genre of their music. Thus, the question must be asked: How far can the music be separated from its creator?

Criticisms are often met with a response which is disproportionate to the purported crime, be it an over-reaction to a minor incident or a dismissal of a more serious situation.

Accusations of deep-seated racism are met with the argument that good music is just that, regardless of its creator, whilst a song designed to parody the media’s interpretation of the artist is met with unbridled hatred. Admittedly, this is an issue across the entertainment industry, but music’s inherent link with the expression of the musician’s self makes it a particularly difficult job to differentiate between art and its creator.

Kanye West’s lack of tact has resulted in backlash from some, particularly from fans of Taylor Swift, on numerous occasions, and others have been deterred from listening to his music as a result of knowledge of his personal life. R-Kelly has recently had his music removed from playlists on Spotify following a plethora of sexual assault allegations against the singer.

In the notable case of ‘Blurred Lines’, Robin Thicke was accused of lyrics suggestive of rape, which alienated a large number of listeners, despite his own personal life remaining mainly obscure.

Interestingly, his then-wife filed for divorce soon after, citing abuse and infidelity as causes.

Yet, in all of these cases, the artists have remained popular. Kanye West’s most recent album Ye became the 50th most popular album

of the year, and ‘Blurred Lines’ spent 33 weeks on the Billboard charts. Many fans even appear to thrive on the controversy, rallying further behind the artist of their choice.

Indeed, in the now-infamous feud between West and Taylor Swift, many vehemently supported Kanye West based solely on a personal dislike of Swift, as well as vice versa. In the cases of such solo artists, questionable actions, particularly more minor ones, are often defended and the artists remain popular.

In the case of bands rather than solo artists, however, the standards appear to change. In September of 2018, Panic! At The Disco’s touring guitarist Kenneth Harris was quickly and quietly removed, following allegations of sexual misconduct, in a Twitter announcement which cited only “a personal matter”. Similarly, Pierce The Veil’s drummer Mike Fuentes left the band following statements from two women which included suggestions of sexual activity with a minor.

However, in the latter instance, Fuentes explicitly addressed the accusations, stating that he was taking the allegations seriously, and stepped back from the band in order to prevent the situation reflecting poorly on the band and the music.

On the other hand, such decisive action from bands is not universal. For example, Falling In Reverse’s Ronnie Radke has been accused on various occasions of battery, domestic abuse, sexual assault, and assault (the latter of which is cited as the cause of the ban preventing hard rock and heavy metal bands from performing at

Record Reappraisal

Photo: pjayofficial @ Flickr

Six Flags entertainment park). Despite the accusations against Radke, the band still enjoys moderate success in its genre circles, indicating an example of a band whose controversies have had little effect on their success.

Although the ethical dilemma of whether to support an artist through allegations of misconduct is now new, it is now seen in a world which judges the alleged perpetrators more harshly – as indicated by the conviction of Rolf Harris around two decades after the sexual misconduct for which he was tried.

Whilst the choice of response when considering the actions of an artist remains up to the individual fan, should any accusations be proven true, in an ideal world the artist should be treated with a reaction of the appropriate magnitude.

Photo: The Smiths - Flickr (Brett Jordan)

The Smiths - The Smiths

Jake Oliver re-examines The Smiths’ eponymous debut 35 years after its original release and shares why it is just as relevant today

The 1980s; an era so unequivocally defined by its brash music and ridiculous glamour. And yet, seemingly from within this realm of neon and synth-pop, came perhaps one of the most ironically morose bands of the 20th century – The Smiths. Their eponymous debut, now 35 years old, was a total subversion of these cultural normalities and its relevancy in 2019 is a testament to the timelessness of cynicism.

During their brief lifespan (a mere four years), Morrissey, Marr, Rourke, and Joyce established a distinctive sound that is as iconic as their lyrics. The jangly, ridiculously infectious guitar riffs, the steady tempo of the percussion and bass and indeed, the warbling tones of Morrissey all combine to give that idiosyncratic Smiths soundscape. Their debut, as much as it was a departure from the usual noise of the 1980s, was a diverse collection of instrumentation.

From the post-punk whirlwind of ‘Miserable Lie’ to the danceable ‘This Charming Man’, The Smiths was as good a launchpad as any for a band still very much in their infancy. It was a diversity that was maintained and explored continuously over the course of the band’s career.

But why do fans still find The Smiths as enticing as it was in 1984? The idea of a

nostalgia pendulum, argues that pop culture tends to reproduce elements from the past on a 30-yearcycle, is an apt explanation.

However, I’d like to believe that The Smiths themselves transcend a basic craving for nostalgia and instead, created music that is essentially timeless and consistently relevant – even in the 21st century.

Lyrically, The Smiths handles many of the issues still at large today – sexuality, fame, violence and acceptance. At times, the lyrics are funny, tinged with that razor-sharp wit Morrissey is renowned for. But beneath this is sincerity and vulnerability. ‘Still Ill’ stands as perhaps the most poignant track on the album, with Morrissey not just reflecting on growing up, but also alluding to his sexuality and the social stigma attached to homosexuality that was still painfully prevalent during the 80s. “Am I still ill?” – the power lies within its simplicity.

Juxtaposition between melancholy and wit are not just achieved in the lyrical content, but through Marr and Rourke’s constant intertwining of sound. They contrast each other beautifully; the sparkling, delicate riffs

and thick, plodding basslines seemingly reflect the same contradictions as Morrissey himself – as wry as they are weary. This is captured excellently on closing track ‘Suffer Little Children’, a song about the Moors murders. Whilst the subject matter is unpleasant, the instrumentals are as well executed as ever.

Why is The Smiths still a brilliant album?

Because it’s a brutal portrayal of honesty and being that sincere is scary. In a time steeped in sarcasm and apathy, Morrissey’s catty lyricisms have never felt so relevant. “And did I ever tell you by the way? I never did like your face” he drones nonchalantly on ‘You’ve Got Everything Now’. It’s the sort of bitterness that isn’t lost on modern audiences. Would we have the variety of emotionally vulnerable acts today if The Smiths hadn’t debuted with such a powerful, genre-changing album? Who knows. But their cultural impact is undeniable – even if Morrissey has gone somewhat awry in recent times.

There’s a universal appeal to this album.

In short, it’s a classic.

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ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Music

Live review.

Glass Caves Glass Caves have been indie’s underdogs for nearly a decade, do they finally have what it takes to conquer the scene? asks Editor Olivia White Glass Caves Olivia White

8/10

Photo: Authorised Press @ Niall Lea

Suited, booted, and synth-rock rooted — Glass Caves are finally getting the recognition they deserve after years on the grind as they smash their headline gig at Manchester Academy 2.

Glass Caves are a synth-pop-rock quartet who have recently taken the alternative scene by storm. Last year proved to be a busy year for the Pontefract-born band, seeing the release of their EP (I Do) as well as two new singles ‘Taipei Nights’ and ‘Gold’. Both of which are strong and impressive indications for the band’s new creative direction putting them on the radar tipped to be one of indie’s hottest new acts.

After joining the Scruff of the Neck team, it was fitting that the lads would play to their “biggest audience yet” at a crowd of over 800 in Manchester’s Academy 2 on their Trilogy Tour which covered 8 dates spanning from the bitter winds of Glasgow down to London’s Oslo in Hackney. Since the band’s release of their debut album Alive back in 2014, it is clear the lads have taken a more experimental approach to their new material resulting in not only a far more confident, authentic, and polished sound but also live performance.

While still staying true to elements of their previously gritty guitar-led sound, Glass Caves have focused more of their energy into a freer, more vibrant and eclectic range of influences, producing a refreshing disco frenzy. Frontman Matt Hallas remains true to his strong and raspy, rockier vocals which are brought to life by both his choice of floral attire but also his blatant ease at being in the spotlight.

Preview:Parklife Whilst it certainly seems like summer is a million years away, it’s never too early to start getting excited about those impending hazy days of bliss spent with your mates in the sun. With the recent Parklife announcement though, this excitement is almost impossible to keep down, giving us even more to look forward to as the days get longer and lighter.

Parklife, now approaching its tenth year, has released arguably one of this festival season’s most diverse and exciting lineups, boasting superstardom talent spanning almost every genre. From trap to techno, indie to in-your-face drum and bass, Parklife 2019 has enlisted the help of some of modern music’s most exhilarating acts to ensure your summer gets off to an unforgettable start.

Sitting comfortably at the top of this year’s bill are recent Grammy award winner Cardi B, who brings her uniquely popular rap style to The Parklife Stage on Saturday,

Despite having a change in line-up seeing the leaving of long-time bassist Will Groves, Glass Caves indicated no sense of vacancy with the arrival of synth-master and keyboard player Eddie Clayton.

Armed with a backdrop, lightsabreesque stage visuals, and a merciless attitude, Glass Caves entered the stage to a surprising, techno-inspired rendition of London Grammar’s ‘Nightcall’ which sent fans into an electrified surge forward. As the quartet took their places and began their hypnotic-hit single ‘Taipei Nights’, there was a clear tone set for the remainder of the evening.

Manchester was in for a night of nifty guitar licks and a light-hearted set that left you at the mercy of the groove. The setlist proved to be a real testament to the work of the lively 4-piece thus far, with a backbone comprising of their debut tracks ‘Why Stay?’ ‘Go’ and ‘Out of Control’ which was then embroidered with band’s more recent material.

It was no surprise that their latest single ‘Common Tongue’ which featured on Spotify’s ‘Indie List’ was undeniably one of the strongest of the evening alongside personal favourites ‘Alive’ and ‘Swim’. After hosting the single’s launch party at Fibbers in York, a city that no doubt holds great fondness for the band given their devotion to playing its streets lead guitarist Connor Thorpe enthused it was his “absolute favourite gig so far.” continue to grow as their discography does.

For the full article read more at mancunion.com

After the release of a phenomenal lineup, Jake Oliver explores all the excitement yet to unfold as Parklife returns to Heaton Park for its tenth year

alongside three-time BRIT Award nominee George Ezra, set to headline the Sunday with a plethora of singalong hits to enthral the masses. Joining these mighty musicians are the legendary The Streets, who are making their first festival appearance in almost a decade.

DJs really do take precedence this year, with Parklife snatching up some of the hottest record-spinners at the moment to dominate the dancefloors. In The Valley, house duo giants Disclosure are accompanied by musical icons like Annie Mac and Mark Ronson on Saturday night. Make entering The Hangar a priority as well, in order to be blown away by such phenomenal acts as Fisher, the chart-topping champions Camelphat and Alan Fitzpatrick.

The beauty of Parklife is that there really is something for everyone; the lineup is not only wonderfully diverse and fresh, but seemingly prides itself on showcasing new and upcoming talent wherever it can. If you’ve

got a spare five minutes in between grabbing a drink or trying to locate your mates amongst a sea of windbreakers and glitter, head on down to the Sounds Of The Near Future stage; the lineup across the weekend is truly special.

The glitchy sounds of JPEGMAFIA, the endless anthems of Mura Masa or the slick, suave funk of Christine and The Queens are most definitely not to be missed. This year, Parklife is also rolling out some brand new stages, which if last year’s The Valley is anything to go by, then revellers are undoubtedly in for a huge treat.

With tickets quite literally flying out of the door (is it any surprise with a lineup like that?), snapping them up now is a priority if you don’t want to miss out on the biggest party of the year. Saturday tickets have already gone, so what are you waiting for? Grab your obnoxiously quirky shades, pack a parka and get ready for the best Parklife yet.

Photo: Mark McNulty @ Authorised Press Shot

Listen to our Spotify Playlist Scan the code and follow ‘The Mancunion’ for more!

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Games

Interview.

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Game Assist

“I’d like for us to be able to talk about games the way we talk about other media”. Jeremy Bijl interviews Game Assist, an upcoming multimedia platform which aims to review and critique all things representation in gaming Photo: GameAssist

“

just another form of media, just significantly more interactive.”

However, their emphasis was not just on criticising the games Errol and industry where it is Sara’s desire is deficient, but on highlighting positive deto affect positive pictions.

Indeed, Errol, as change without being someone who described over-Bearing, himself as “more broken by the day,” spoke remaining constructive about the power of games that really engage with even when being subject matters around critical disability, citing the frustration felt in games like Wolfenstein II and Mass Effect 3 as thought-provoking examples of characters who got on with their missions and were still essentially heroes, but who struggled with the

“

Having successfully kickstarted Game Assist earlier this year, Errol Kerr and Sara Khan were full of enthusiasm for the project. The upcoming multimedia platform, which aims to review and critique all things representation in gaming, will launch on the 22nd of February, with a website earmarked for Mid-March.

“Initially Game Assist was a platform to review just game accessibility. I was looking at basically only at how you play the game,” Errol explained.

“Sara got in contact with me in December, saying this is a great idea but why don’t we go one bigger? So now the aim is looking at representation as well as accessibility in video games.”

Sara expanded on this, noting her own formative experiences with video games and the transfigurative effect that looking back on them retroactively had had, saying, “I grew up on a lot of Call of Duty video games until it got to the point I couldn’t play anything but zombies because it made me really uncomfortable having to shoot nameless populations of brown people for no discernible reason.”

Call of Duty was just the first game of many that came up in my conversation with Errol and Sara, a list including - but not limited to - Wolfenstein, Life is Strange, Until Dawn, Anthem, Mass Effect, Apex Legends, Detroit: Become Human, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Resident Evil.

Indeed, Errol and Sara’s insight on issues around depictions of sexuality, race, disability, and mental health was borderline encyclopedic, so numerous were the case studies they were able to talk about.

“Once you start thinking about it, you can’t unsee it, but it doesn’t ruin the experience. It allows you to see it through a new lens,” remarked Errol.

Errol and Sara did acknowledge that positive change was already taking place, but advocated that there was still much important work to be done in a medium that is perhaps more psychologically impactful than some give it credit for.

Their vision, therefore, is to create a platform where people can “analyse and talk about video games in the way people do about films and books; to realise that games are

Photo: GameAssist

perceived injustice - or simple inconvenience - of living with a disability.

Sara, too, spoke about how Life is Strange inspired her interest in exploring issues around sexuality in video games, saying, “as a gay woman, I never thought I’d see myself in a game in that way and that really opened my mind to the potential of gaming.”

Whilst their purview with Game Assist will primarily focus on these in-game depictions, they also spoke about the importance of engaging with issues lying outside

games themselves, looking at issues like staff rights within development studios and audience discourse on social media platforms.

Speaking about the former, Sara said that, “people rarely think about the process of production.

You’re paying £60 for this game and people are being systematically abused to create it; you have something that needs to be talked about.”

On the latter, they were understandably more refrained, Errol saying that, “addressing the socalled toxicity within the community is something that I want to do, but something that I will do carefully and sensitively. Firstly, to make sure we don’t get too much hate, but also, we want to address it in a way that the wider community can look at it and learn from it.”

This commitment to remaining discursive without being didactic was a sentiment that was echoed a number of times throughout our conversation. Given that conversations about social politics in any direction - and especially in gaming - can quickly become quite heated, Errol and Sara’s desire is to affect positive change without being overbearing, remaining constructive even when being critical.

“One thing that we do want to really pin down is if we’re talking about games that are good and saying ‘this is how they could do better,’ we’re not saying they’ve done badly,” said Errol.

This approach to opening a reasoned discourse was very much what Errol and Sara aim to do with Game Assist. Whilst they admitted that “progress sells,” in the games industry, they were aware that it would take a lot of work to really bring it up to scratch: “To change an attitude throughout an entire culture, which is what playing games has created, it’s not just going to take people like me or Sara. It does take the publishers, the distributors; everyone needs to be involved in recognising when things are great and promoting those.”

For now, Sara and Errol will hope Game Assist can eventually be a major influencer in that directive.

Read the full article on mancunion.com.

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ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Film

Boy Erased

izzy sharp Contributor

Photo: Michael Bialas @ Wikimedia Commons

“Often films try to pretend they are going to change the world — this one just might”

4/5

Boy Erased tells the story of Jared Eamons, a young boy sent to a conversion camp, which presently remain legal in 36 American states. They are also still legal in the UK, although there are ongoing talks about banning them. Make no mistake, this film will affect you. It is disturbing. It will shock you. I could hear audible gasps in the cinema. It will probably make you cry if you have any heart at all.

I don’t want to pit this film against The Miseducation of Cameron Post, which recounts a similar story about a young girl. In fact, I find it wonderful that there have been two films on the subject so recently. However, this is a far darker take on the topic than Cameron Post, and viewers should bear this in mind.

Threat ripples through the cinematography even in the early stages of the film. Crosses glint everywhere, from the pen neatly tucked into the father’s pocket to the necklace nestling on the mother’s chest. Jared’s cheerleader girlfriend grins in a maroon uniform, her nails daubed the same bloody colour. When he first arrives at the conversion camp, before the horror really starts to unfold, director Edgerton plays masterfully with perspective. We see the boys’ faces pressed against the chain link fence, and the distant sound of a thwack. But no, it’s not corporal punishment — at least not yet

— just an innocent game of baseball.

You can’t take your eyes off Nicole Kidman as Jared’s mother. Firstly she’s poised as a villain, startling with her white blonde bouffant, her piercing eyes glinting like the diamantes that adorn her white floral clothes. Over the course of the film, the ice queen melts, beating the door and yanking Jared out of the camp, trying in her own small ways to bridge the gap between her son and her husband.

Yet the film felt very true to life in that, although she acclimatised to her son’s sexuality, her husband’s opinions remain unresolved.

In terms of casting, Troye Sivan is criminally underused; in fact I would have liked to see him in the main role. I found Lucas Hedges the only dud note in the film, and compared to him, Sivan completely steals the show. Another marvel is Edgerton, who not only directs masterfully but portrays the leader of the conversion camp, Victor Sykes. Edgerton is electric as Sykes, imbuing him with a cult leader’s energy and practically sizzling across the screen.

A word of caution about this film.

There is a very graphic rape scene, not to mention frequent instances of psychological and physical abuse. I felt it was very unsuitable for its 15 rating and deeply disturbing. Anyone who is sensitive about any of these topics should take care. But if you can stomach it, you should see this film.

Often films try to pretend they are going to change the world — this one just might.

e w I v R E william johnston Contributor

A Private War

photo: Justin Hoch @wikimedia commons

A Private War explores Marie Colvin’s career and personal life, with her words “I see it so you don’t have to” ringing in the audience’s ear

5/5

Going in to the film, most of us will know A Private War follows the journalist Marie Colvin as she was killed whilst covering the Syrian Civil War. What most of us don’t know, however, is the anguish Colvin experienced in her pursuit of exposing atrocious truths that were hidden from the world. The film explores her career and personal life, with her words “I see it so you don’t have to” ringing in the audience’s ears.

The film is eerily cyclical, beginning and ending in Homs, Syria in 2011, with the real voice of Colvin echoing as the camera pans over the hazy war zone. The 10-year jump back in time creates an ominous countdown until Homs, as the film chronologically navigates various foreign tragedies Colvin (Rosamund Pike) visited. The back and forth between London and foreign tragedies succeeds in gently revealing Colvin’s addiction to her adrenaline-fuelled work, while also stressing the lasting effects such experiences had on her personal life. As one of her companions in the film says, Colvin saw “more than most soldiers”.

Flashbacks are used throughout as a representation of the PTSD Colvin experienced during her career. There are harrowing scenes of deformed and bloodied bodies interspersed with scenes of heavy drinking, breathing, smoking, and sex, all to create the frantic coping mechanisms of her PTSD. It also reinforces how this fuelled her work; amidst all of this chaos, she continued writing her front page articles for The Sun-

day Times. However, it would have been useful to show more of Colvin’s relationships with friends and colleagues, as the film brushes over opportunities of further character development in exchange for moving the story along.

The complexity of her character is gradually unveiled throughout the film, and Pike plays this superbly. She not only captures the fearlessness in Colvin, witnessed when she interrogates Colonel Gadaffi, but her vulnerability too. In a sincere scene with her personal photographer (Jamie Dornan), Colvin reveals her desire to have had children and a normal life. While Dornan’s performance is solid, Pike brings energy to her role, not just in speech but in physical embodiment, which is captivating. Tom Hollander, who plays the foreign editor Sean Ryan, also gives a nuanced, and at times impassioned, performance, which serves a powerful purpose of highlighting the dispensability of Colvin’s wellbeing for greater newspaper circulation.

There are times when director Matthew Heineman, previously a documentary maker, attempts to fuse documentary style to feature film, with hasty and crude camera work, and it doesn’t quite work. It creates a realism and sense of breaking the fourth wall that disrupts the film’s flow.

Having said that, when Colvin interviews Syrian civilians, the intimate focus on the subjects forges an intensity which perfectly reflects their situation.

If there was one takeaway from this artistic dedication to the extraordinary life of Marie Colvin, it is that uncovering true human stories was not her job, but a way of life.

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

One Cut of the Dead (Kamera o tomeru na!)

Photo: Third Window Films

Film

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From indie success in Japan to international adoration, One Cut of the Dead reanimates the horror-comedy genre with a wholesome tale

Tobias Soar Head Film Editor

4.5/5

From a clever one-shot sequence to a wholesome tale of ‘teamwork making the dream work’, One Cut of the Dead is a feel-good flick that both horror-lovers and haters will adore. Slick camerawork, an absurd setting and charming performances from the cast are all elements which I appreciate. However, Shin’ichirô Ueda’s script is light on the horror and heavy on the comedy, resulting in a film which is incredibly accessible to any skittish viewer, and had me laughing almost constantly for the 90-minute runtime.

At its core, One Cut of the Dead teaches us that if anything can go wrong it will go wrong during filmmaking, but teamwork and perseverance will get you through. To spread this uplifting message, Shin’ichirô Ueda directed and wrote One Cut by flipping the overdone zombie flick cliché on its head. The first half of the film is almost paradoxical: it’s a fantastic one-shot sequence that lasts almost 40-minutes, but the acting is comically bad with awkward pauses and cheesy effects.

It is very clear, however, that the tone is tongue-in-cheek. The subsequent flashback provides context: the character of Director Higurashi (Takayuki Hamatsu) is tasked with putting

together a cast and crew to film a one-shot horror film, recorded live, on a shoestring budget, and, as expected, what can go wrong goes hilariously, absurdly, and exaggeratedly wrong.

Since its Japanese domestic premiere in 2017, One Cut of the Dead has made a world tour, being screened at over 40 festivals and winning a multitude of well-deserved awards. Like the film within the film, Shin’ichirô’s budget was equivalent to $27,000; since release, the feature has earned $30,000,000 domestically.

This goes to show that what matters in film is a touching story delivered by good actors and presented in an original, captivating way.

One Cut of the Dead is my new favourite feelgood-flick, knocking Jon Favreau’s Chef off the pedestal. My first viewing had me in fits of laughter and guessing at every pause; I can’t wait to return to it time and time again as I show my friends the joy of wholesome Japanese cinema. Don’t be squeamish and look past the light half hour of horror — I’d even say that it’s not horror and that anyone who has watched the music video for Thriller will definitely survive this small apocalypse. One Cut will ultimately make your heart melt with joy instead of pounding with fear. Who knows, maybe you’ll shed a happy tear or two, just as I did.

One Cut of the Dead is currently still being shown at festivals and is available to purchase or rent online from Third Window Films.

e w I v R E Photo: @Maxipixel.net

Happy Death Day 2 U A February dumping ground horror sequel that seems to meander in uniqueness only to lose its way and not really know what to do next

carl fitzgerald Contributor

2/5

If horror movies in February are a red flag, horror movie sequels in February are the oncoming tidal wave which knocked down that red flag. Just to put things into perspective, the Paranormal Activity franchise hit five films before releasing one in the early year dumping ground. Happy Death Day took only two, and that’s a point which bodes even worse when you consider both early year films from each series came from the same director.

Happy Death Day 2 U manages to at least elevate above being a cardboard cut-out of the original which it could have easily been. Instead, this one jumps in an almost opposite direction by adding a multiverse.

In this instalment, Tree finds herself stuck in a Groundhog Day loop to catch a murderer, whilst also stuck in a parallel universe in which her boyfriend is dating another woman and her previously dead mother is still alive. As always, it comes down to her to continuously dying and waking up the same day in an effort to find a way back to her home dimension and catch the baby-faced killer stalking her university campus.

All the foundations are laid for a madly entertaining movie; its premise opens it up to being a truly mad deviation from standard horror sequel formula. The problem is that it never really utilises that potential madness. As soon as Tree is trans-

ported to a new dimension via a complicated McGuffin, there isn’t much newness to discover beyond the aforementioned differences. This results in multiple elements feeling dampened in their effect. For example, the mystery behind the killer in this one feels much more like a subplot compared to the inter-dimensional storyline, but even that doesn’t really stand out properly due to how unimaginative it is.

Jessica Rothe in the lead role remains as above and beyond as in the original.

She really puts a surprising amount of genuine effort into something she could’ve just scream queened her way through in her sleep, handling anything the film throws at her, from the heavy side of Tree dealing with seeing her mother alive, to more intense scenes with the killer. It almost makes it even more insulting to see her glide right through what the film thinks are standout moments, namely a particularly gross suicide montage set to Paramore of all things with all the self-aware humour of an edgy teenager posting bleach memes.

The multiverse element has largely been left out of the trailers which seem to pass the film off as more of a cookie-cutter sequel. When you watch it, it’s not hard to see why. The tone is so jarring and overfilled that it’s impossible to tell what the movie is trying to do. I give it credit for trying to be different, but it plays like a cliff-diver jumping into what he thinks is deep water only to crack his head open on the rocks below.

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The photo essay

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The photo essay:

Reclaim The Night All photos courtesy of Hawwa Alam. Instagram: @hawwaetc

This photo essay is a series of photos taken by Hawwa Alam.

These photos reflect the sights and sounds of reclaim the night 2019, held on 21st February.

Travelling from Owens Park to the Students’ Union, 3,500 marchers called for Manchester City Council to “make women’s safety a priority”.

Many onlookers came out from Curry Mile cafes to see the commotion, car horns sounded in support, and megaphones rang out across south Manchester.

If you have been affected by any issues associated with Reclaim The Night, including sexual assault and harassment, you can contact the Student’s Union advice service anonymously for support: 0161 275 2952 You are not alone.

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Books

Orbituary: Andrea Levy, author of ‘Small Island’, dies aged 62

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Andrea Levy, author of critically acclaimed novels like ‘Small Island’ and ‘The Long Song’ has died at the age of 62, writes Gurnaik Johal Andrea Levy, who wrote extensively about the Black British experience in novels like Small Island and The Long Song , has died of cancer at the age of 62.

She started writing in her thirties and created a space for stories of the Windrush generation in a time when they weren’t being heard. Her first books, Every Light in the House Burnin’ , Never Far From Nowhere and Fruit of the Lemon were well reviewed but received little commercial success.

It was her next novel, Small Island , that made Levy a household name. After years of grafting with little recognition, the 2004 novel won her the Women’s Prize for Fiction, The Whitbread Book of the Year, the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize and the Costa Book of the Year Award. The story of Gilbert and Hortense continues to capture audience’s imaginations, with a BBC adaptation coming out a few years after it was published and a stage adaptation coming to the National Theatre this year.

Photo: Natt Muangsiri @ Flickr

Photo: Rept0n1x @ Wikimedia Commons

For those interested in her biography, the BBC ran an Imagine episode about Levy’s life. However, the best way to get to know Levy is through her work. Her writing

is compassionate and moving, but stares hard and unflinchingly at injustices.

There has been an outpouring of admiration for Levy online.

Sharmaine Lovegrove, head of Dialogue Books wrote on Twitter that Levy “was the centre of my Black British reading experience. My world is richer for her stories and I am stronger in my convictions because her characters nourished me.”

Described by Malorie Blackman as “a warm, funny and generous spirit” and “gracious, kind, pioneering” by poet, Jackie Kay, it is clear that Levy’s influence was wide-reaching and deep-rooted.

Her books remain important anti-racist explorations of postwar Britain. In her last novel, The Long Song , she went even further back in time, writing about the last years of slavery in 19th Century Jamaica. The novel, alongside her other books, is an insightful look at the reverberating effects of Empire.

We have lost a great writer, yes, but we have been left a great many of her books. For readers new to Levy’s work, I’d recommend starting with Small Island.

‘Bangkok Wakes To Rain’ by Pitchaya Sudbanthad

Pitchaya Sudbanthad’s debut novel ‘Bangkok Wakes To Rain’ masterfully follows the connected lives of a wide range of characters in the city of Bangkok, writes Gurnaik Johal Bangkok Wakes To Rain is the kind of debut novel to end any reading drought. Sudbanthad’s writing overspills with details and images; he saturates the senses, especially sound. His lyrical prose asks to be read aloud, maybe even, at points, to be sung.

It’s unclear at times whether this song is celebratory or elegiac, but throughout the novel its muse and its subject is the city of Bangkok. Sudbanthad interweaves stories of a wide range of characters, from missionaries, musicians, and plastic surgeons to student protestors, photographers, and even birds. Starting the novel, the threads of each narrative are very loosely connected, but as the story progresses, Sudbanthad pulls them tight, forming an intricate tapestry of Bangkok.

I’m a little hesitant to call Bangkok Wakes To Rain a novel.

Structurally, it reads like a series of short stories. However, unlike short story collections, its individual chapters (or stories) don’t necessarily hold up on their own. They are parts of a larger whole.

In this way, the novel can be compared to books like Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From The Goon Squad and Tommy Orange’s There There.

Subanthad, Egan, and Orange all work in this short story/novel hybrid, and interestingly, all use this form to portray a city.

Egan focuses on San Francisco and Orange on Oakland — and perhaps with Sudbanthad’s Bangkok Wakes To Rain, we can see a trend that marks a return to ‘place writing’ collections like Joyce’s Dubliners and Anderson’s Winesburg, Ohio.

It should be noted that the novel isn’t restricted to staying in Bangkok geographically. One chapter takes place in London and another in Yokohama, Japan. By charting the lives of emigrants, Sudbanthad creates a global network with Bangkok at its centre.

Bangkok Wakes To Rain also reminded me of Chris Ware’s graphic collection of short stories Building Stories. Ware reimagined the graphic novel form to tell the story of one building and its inhabitants in Chicago. Similarly, much of the plot of Bangkok Wakes To Rain centres around a particular building — it’s a focal point that each character is connected to.

A lot of the characters spend time high up in one particular skyscraper, looking down at Bangkok.

But rather than straightforwardly describing what the city looks like, Sudbanthad grounds you in its busy

streets. He manages to engage all the readers senses throughout by describing, for example, the smell of “the moist, dirt like scent of rain, the same smell he remembered from hunting in the mountains with his father during storms, when they would creep closer before the wild birds flushed. There, leaves shook as falling raindrops answered the cries of tree frogs. Here, walls of water poured on the city and reduced its streets to streams of floating garbage.”

The difference between the “here” and the “there” is as much about time as it is about place. Sudbanthad flits between the past and the present, showing Bangkok — or as it is called in Thai, Krungthep — before and after industrialisation. A lesser writer might dwell on emphasising this difference, but while Bangkok Wakes To Rain is a deeply political novel, Sudbanthad never resorts to surface-level polemic.

Many of the stories within the novel are stories of protest and political resistance. But we are given new takes on old narratives— at one point we learn about an engineering student who helps to install and manage a toilet system during a large scale student protest. Sudbanthad is interested in the singular lives that make up the

bigger story, the people that move “together like a giant animal, each tiny human a cell of the beast.”

While the more political aspects of the novel are certainly timely, there is a timelessness to many of the narrative arcs. This is a novel haunted by ghosts, set in a world where the forces of feng shui and karma seem to have real world effects. In this way, the novel crosses genres as much as it crosses borders. Each character has a distinct voice, and a distinct story. They relate to each other the way you might call different plays in the same theatre similar — they share the same stage. In this way, you get multiple novels for the price of one. Although, it must be noted, the stories are held up by each other — read individually and separated from the larger narrative, they fall a little flat.

The novel then, is a polyphony of different voices and shifting registers, as one character notes: “what the hawkers could do with insults rivalled the poetry of Sunthorn Phu.” Like any great piece of music, there is a mix of both high and low. Different instruments come in and out and overlap, at times striking a note of dissonance and at others coming together in harmony.

24 Theatre MIFTA season: Enron

Photo: @Hannah Blau and Heather Harrison

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Anya Guzenkova reviews Enron as part of the Drama Society’s MIFTA Season

On the 31st December, 2001, the day of the biggest bankruptcy in UK history in which more than 29,000 people lost their jobs and what seemed like “America’s Most Innovative Company” (Fortune Magazine) appeared to be in no more than a billion of dollars debt, The University of Manchester Drama Society took on the ambitious task of entertaining the audience with the financial world and audit corruption case.

To my surprise, it followed in the footsteps of films that have tackled this subject matter before - Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and Adam McKay’s The Big Short - and the play did not disappoint.

This very enjoyable production tells the story of Enron, the corporation flourishing on a culture of greed, selfishness and competition.

This is not a tale about corruption, but a drama of harmful behaviours and philosophies.

The ingenious script by Lucy Pebble depicts Enron’s history through the life of its CEO, Jeffrey Skilling. Charlie McRoberts was nothing short of excellent in this role. His portrayal of a human consumed by power and greed was highlighted by fascinating body language and acting. McRoberts captured the audience’s attention and emotions by portraying the journey of his character via reflections on the selfishness and gullibility of mankind.

Joe Llewllyn as Andy Fastow was another standout performance. Everything, from the body language and voice manipulation to the overall physical performance, made for a great portrayal of a cunning and conniving Head Of Finance.

This comedic character was a fascinating and fresh contribution to the general gravity and weight of the play.

Flora Higgins, as Claudia Roe, gave an insightful performance of not only a powerful women, but a character who managed to keep kindness and humanity in the environment of avarice. The morality of her character was a delightful contribution against the background of corruption that informed the atmosphere of the play.

The ensemble of the play also deserves to be mentioned. Playing the crowd and other minor roles, they displayed a control of the tempo and emotions of the play: from fascination and the agreeability of public opinion to the anger of a mistreated crowd. The importance and the potency of the ensemble work is highlighted by the short but frenetic dance performance depicting the stock exchange market. Ten actors on the stage were able to create the chaos, as well as the feeling of greed of the whole Wall Street Office, not dissimilar to a scene in The Wolf of Wall Street. This highlighted the superlative directing of Jess Johnstone, whose impressive use of few actors and decorations still expressed the energetic and fluctuating emotions of the crowd.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable student society production filled with great talent. It left the audience not only entertained by the story of a major corporation’s downfall, but also with critical reflections on humanity’s true character.

Cathy Wippel reviews David Judge’s semi-autobiographical one-man show, Sparkplug

Photo: @Alex Mead, Decoy Media

perhaps more impressive was his masterful return from these moments to a steady story-telling level of energy. These changes in acting were as fluid as the changes of the car, reflecting the transient nature of identity. Equally engaging was his willingness to take the audience through the ‘red-brick tunnels’ of his father’s life.

Judge successfully exposed the setting of the city of Manchester as one that was full of comforts, but one that also morphed into a hostile environment, playing on the vulnerability of human identity.

Judge’s impressive multi-rolling and mastery of difficult accents (from a terrifying Northern Irish Grandma to a Ghanaian couple) was a fitting choice for a story that was haunted with the questionable absence of familial figures and blood-relations. This being said, the poetic repetition of ‘I’ve got two dads’ at the beginning of the piece perhaps suggested more exploration of the character of Judge’s biological dad than was carried out. This, however, was effective in its own right as the audience was placed into Judge’s shoes in their having to accept that some questions will forever remain unanswered.

Fundamentally, Judge bought new and exciting ideas to a form that has proved popular in recent years. The relatable domestic themes seemed to bring the audience closer to the more difficult ideas surrounding identity and this was done with the successful combination of Katie Scott’s subtle set design, Chris James’s meticulous sound design and, or course, Judge’s accomplished acting.

Sparkplug runs at HOME until 23rd February and tours until 13th April.

Reviews.

Sparkplug

‘I’ve got two dads…One of them is my father, the other is just a cock with balls.’

In his new one-man play Sparkplug at HOME theatre, David Judge offered an unexpected view on the complexity of cultural identity through the story of his chosen father. From Bob Marley with ‘Menace in his eyes’ to a confusion at Butlins involving a Micheal Jackson dance (which it is worth mentioning was exceedingly well carried out), Judge took us on a road-trip exploring the fluidity of fatherhood, the transience of family and the less frequently discussed concept of white outcasting. This performance culminated in a thought-provoking comment on the complications domestic and cultural society impose on individuals.

Brought up in Manchester, and choosing to identify as a Mancunian over the hotly debated and complex criteria of ‘mixed race’, Judge emphasised the importance of the individual in this 80 minute drama. As the audience entered, they were faced with a set suggestive of an old garage: surrounded by clutter, the skeleton of a car took centre stage. This was revealed to be painted with primary colours, reminiscent of childhood and simplicity. Detachable headlights and number plates were creatively used throughout the piece to transform the car into different models, reflecting change and transition through the use of a nostalgic object.

Judge’s decision to start offstage was different to that of some monologue plays performed recently in Manchester, but one that was relevant in its reflection of his taking on the character of his father, Dave. Despite the fact that his playing the role was not his original intention, his composed and engaging portrayal of his own father added another layer that highlighted the realism and semi-autobiographical nature of the piece.

Judge’s outbursts of anger were emotive but

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Arts

A R T E

Photo: Gerald England @ Geograph

Sexpression: The Relationship Between Sex and Art

F A C T

Saoirse Akhtar Farren reviews a sexpression talk discussing the relationship between art and sex, considering the male gaze and historical context

of the week

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Photo: Dennis Jarvis@flickr

Photo: Delusion23 @ Wikimedia Commons

In this instalment of Artefact of the Week, Bella Jewell looks to the new Emmeline Pankhurst Statue; only the second statue of a female in Manchester... does this mark a moment of change in the representation of women?

When wandering through St Peter’s Square, dodging past yellow trams and busy pedestrians, a new piece of mancunian public art can be seen.

The bronze statue, known as Our Emmeline, stands on a chair with her arm stretched out, as if addressing a crowd.

This latest statue was unveiled on the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote, on the 14th December 2018. The statue, which was created by award-winning sculptor Hazel Reeves, is only the second statue of a female to be erected in Manchester, the first being of Queen Victoria.

The decision to mark Pankhurst’s legacy followed a poll conducted by the WoManchester Statue Project, in which she won over half of the votes cast. Other propositions of inspirational female figues included Elizabeth Gaskell, Louise da-Cocodia, and Ellen Wilkinson. Having been the first female statue to be opened in Manchester since 1901, this moment is hugely significant. As such, the project received a funding of £200,000 from the GEO’s Centenary Fund.

The unveiling of the statue, ‘Rise up, women’, took place following a procession of several thousand starting at the People’s History Museum. The crowd surrounding the statue in St Peter’s square could be seen bearing placards calling for more statues of women in Manchester; given the clear imbalance of gender representation in such monuments, it is clear that this statue is a call for change, and a step towards parity.

Read the full article on mancunion.com.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

‘Jupiter and lo’ by Antonio da Correggio depicts Venus thrust upon the transformed body of Zeus, the Greek God of Jupiter. The narrative running through the oil painting captures the chaotic and volatile character of the shapeshifting Zeus during a moment of sexual lust for Venus. As a misty, grey arm engulfs Venus’ face, the painting depicts Zeus as a thunder cloud, exchanging a kiss; or is it?

‘The Relationship Between Sex and Art’ talk, held at the Manchester Student Union promised to raise such questions when trying to determine the emotions expressed in art with sexual overtones. The talk explored how renaissance art can speak to society today, despite the contextual conflicts of values in 15th-16th century thinking with regard to the topic of sex. Running parallel to this, another goal of enabling students to make informed decisions on their reproductive health was also desired.

Delivering the discussion was 15th to 16th century Art Historian Sara Riccardi, who was approached by a student at the Whitworth Gallery after giving a separate talk on sex and art.

Riccardi explained that some audience members criticized aspects of her talk for using renaissance paintings by men, and focusing on their sexual arousement. The theme of challenging the ‘male gaze’ thus progressed to become the prime point of discussion in the debate surrounding the relationship between art and sex.

Riccardi described art as being eternal, and that her artistic lens is largely emotive and aims to interpret the painting in isolation, which extends its capacity to be understood in modernity. From the outset, the discussion was dominated by feminist dialogue, criticising the blatant androcentrism of the paintings. But what unfolded among the largely female audience was a conversation regarding the positive aspects of the paint strokes,rather than those that suggested patriarchal sentiments.

Within the discussions, it was empowering to hear other students talk openly about their own experiences in sex to unpack the meaning behind the body language of the paintings presented to us. The ice was undoubtedly broken when audience members opened up about consent, to what real people look like in orgasm.

Riccardi explained her awareness of the patriarchal motivations behind the renaissance paintings, however, she also highlighted how our preconceived negative associations with these images cloud our mind and prevent us from interpreting art in different ways.

One of the final images was Picasso’s ‘Minotaur Caressing a Sleeping Woman’. An audience member remarked that this could be yielding to the ‘beast’ of the male identity which I thought could reflect the movement against ‘toxic masculinity’, as depicted in Gillet’s recent ad campaign.

While there is a theme of female objectification in renaissance pieces and even in modern advertising, ‘masculinity’ also needs to be dismantled. Sex in art highlights that perspectives are infinite and we need to talk about them at length in order to come to equilibrium in gender and the ultimate goal of progression.

Photo: Michael Liu @ Flickr

Featured artist: Maya Sharp Scan the QR Code to find out more

26 Fashion & Beauty From Manchester Met to London Fashion Week: Nabil Nayal

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Alice Porter reviews Manchester Metropolitan graduate Nabil El-Nayal’s A/W19 collection after it was shown at London Fashion Week Photo: Peter Wormleighton @ Wikimedia Commons

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effortless ability to combine the historic and the modern

Nabil El-Nayal (commonly known as Nabil Nayal) graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2008 and since then, he has well and truly made a name for himself within the fashion industry.

Nayal’s designs are inspired by the Elizabethan period and although much of his work is informed by history, it is also distinctly modernthrough its innovative nature. He has won many awards including the Royal Society of Arts Award and the British Fashion Council MA Scholarship Award, as well as critical acclaim from designers such as Christopher Bailey and

the late Karl Lagerfeld.

Nabil Nayal’s Autumn/Winter 2019 collection is called Let Them Revolt and the presentation took place in the BFC’s Discovery Lab space for emerging talent, on the final day of London Fashion Week. The brand’s signature Elizabethan silhouettes were very much present, from a Marie Antoinette-inspired dress to a graphic puffer coat, exemplifying Nayal’s effortless ability to combine the historic and the modern.

With strobe lights and large shards of glass hanging from the ceiling, the presentation aimed to unsettle, as its title would suggest.

With two queen figures sat at the centre of the presentation with the rest of the models crowded around them, looking at themselves in the shards of mirror and fixing the hair of the queens, the show’s themes of self-reflection and power exemplified how fashion can affect change.

The video accompanying the presentation, created in collaboration with Hunger Magazine, reflected this also. The short film’s black and white colour palette eventually

transformed into something much less uniform, with deep reds and bold, graphic prints being incorporated, much like the palette of the A/W19 collection.

Despite the disruptive nature of this collection, the historical references ensured it was distinctly Nabil Nayal. The brand collaborated with The School of Historical Dress on this dreamy partnership was clear from the detail applied to the exquisite, signature dress of the collection, as well as many of the other pieces.

My personal favourite piece from the collection was the black Elizabethan-style corset-like puffer coat. To be able to transform a piece that has been created in thousands of different ways and is often seen as practical and boring in such an innovative and stylish way is genius. Plus, it would be an extremely practical piece for the Manchester weather.

You can keep up with the brand on Instagram at @nabilnayal. It is definitely one to watch!

“

The best new makeup releases From Tarte to Fenty, Huda Beauty to Charlotte Tilbury, there has been a plethora of new makeup products hitting the market recently – here’s the best, according to Dureshahwar Qureshi Brands have certainly wasted no time so far this year, kick-starting 2019 with a bang with some amazing and coveted launches. Here is a roundup of some of the most noteworthy to date, and a discussion of whether these products have truly been worth their hype.

Tarte Face Tape Foundation: Tarte has rereleased its Shape Tape Foundation following the success of the Shape Tape Concealer that took the beauty community by storm in the last few years. The concealer has become a staple product for many in their beauty regime due to its unparalleled, creamy full-coverage formula, and luckily enough the foundation has been promised to deliver the same. The release follows a preliminary controversy as the original launch of the foundation back in early 2018 reached public outcry due to the sheer lack of shades for people of colour. However, this time around the high hopes of fans has seemingly been met, with a much-advanced formula and celebration of the diverse tones available, with it being launched in 50 shades.

Fenty Beauty Concealers: Fenty Beauty is one of the most talked about makeup brands ever with its accommodating shade ranges, celebrating inclusivity and much-needed diversity within the beauty community. This year it has released 50 concealers and eight setting powders alongside the original 40 shades of foundation, that has similarly been given a boost of an extra 10 colours. The concealers shades are coordinated

Photo: Alanyadk @ Pixabay

to the colour of the foundations, so you can achieve the most flawless base with the combination of both. The concealers have left the beauty community stunned with the formula being compared to cult favourites such as the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer with the full coverage of the Tarte Shape Tape. Grab this while you can as they are selling fast and seems to be worth the colossal hype.

Huda Beauty Matte and Metal Melted Double Ended Shadow: Huda Beauty is one of the most Instagram-famous brands with endless engagement

online. The cult favourite has recently had a secondary launch of its newest shades of its Matte and Metallic liquid eyeshadow duos. The new matte colours include a sunny yellow, a turquoise green, a baby pink, a skin-coloured brown and lastly a warm brown. Each matte is accompanied by a shiny metallic colour. These duos have spread like wildfire on Instagram, as their easy blending formula allow you to create the most glam eye looks in just only two quick steps. The metallic shadows can also be used further to create the sharpest cut crease looks that can give the most amateur individuals the skills of a professional make up artist.

A definite one to watch, I personally will be buying the warm brown for its everyday glam appeal.

Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Cleansing Ritual: Another duo product that has launched this year is a two-step cleansing system that is said to give the goddess glow and replenish the skin of much-needed nutrients. In step one, the main ingredients of citrus oil with vitamin C and rose, bergamot and lavender essential oils brighten skin to give you that healthy radiance that we all need in this harsh weather. Step two is a charcoal-based detoxifier that purifies the skin. This combination is sure to give the skin much-needed boost. This is another investment that can have a big impact, as certainly the key to a perfect makeup look is the skin prep, after all.

Food & Drink 27

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rise The of communal dining Have you noticed more restaurants with long benches or multiple food vendors? Catrin Stewart talks to Mackie Mayor about the rise of communal dining In recent years I have seen a shift in Britain’s eating style.

Restaurants are changing from white-linen and silver service to a more laid back, communal and inclusive approach. Whether rustic furniture, mismatched plates and bowls or friendly, approachable wait staff - the hospitality industry seems to be competing for customer affection by creating the cosiest, most relaxed experience they can.

Most significantly, I have noticed a rise in the experience of communal Their focus eating. Entering a resis on taurant and supplying from sitting down on a bench Local Businesses or long table with a group of strangers.

Whether you talk to them, well, that’s up

“

to you.

But you’re certainly going to watch them eat.

Thinking back, it seems to have started with large, chain, Asian restaurants. Think Wagamama or Yo Sushi. Some of the smaller street food style Indian restaurants in Manchester like This n That also adopt the same system.

So - has the rise in communal eating come hand in hand with the expansion of the British food scene and embrace of new cuisines?

Possibly. But we seem to be going an extra step further. Establishments such as Hatch or Mackie Mayor provide this casual style dining, with the added option of multiple food vendors for the customer to choose from.

I spoke to Gail Titchener from the Northern Quarter’s Mackie Mayor. She said that Mackie was “designed for everyone to enjoy [...] from hipsters to mums with prams, to young families, to city workers, to retirees” so that everyone feels at home when they walk through the door.

Their focus is on food provenance, supplying from small local businesses. Gail says that custom-

ers should treat Mackie “exactly like a market place - like a giant ‘pick n mix’, if you like”. This caters for everyone’s needs.

Whilst there might be concern over the random nature of the vendors or a lack of coherence in ordering food. Mackie Mayor aims to provide both difference and cohesion. Menus change regularly, from bao buns to rotisserie chicken or cakes, pastries and coffee.

But Gail assured me that “there is great cohesion in that everyone involved is a great stickler for detail; ensuring that the food, the waiting staff, the whole experience, is of the same exacting quality each time you come.’

It really is a matter of preference. But in our busy lifestyles, quick ‘street food’ or restaurants with communal tables are perfect to save time but still enjoy a great meal. The atmosphere is lively and celebrates the joy that we all find in good food. I see huge advantages in the inclusive nature of these establishments, but - I must admit - I do hope not all fine dining restaurants are lost.

“

‘Slow’ by Gizzi Erskine

Elena Bradley discusses Gizzi Erskine’s newest cookbook ‘Slow’. Is it too complex or is it the ultimate guide to incredible, dream-worthy food?

Gizzi Erskine is a name you won’t forget and nor will you forget this book. She is a female food-writercome-chef who became popular from her TV series ‘Seoul Food’. The show explored the best of Korea’s kimchi, gochuchang, and fried chicken. Gizzi is not only eccentric by name but also does most of her cooking and TV exploring with an immaculately hairsprayed beehive — which alone is a huge achievement. The philosophy of ‘Slow’ is a stark departure from most of the cookbooks finding success today; Erskine champions “food worth taking time over”. In her introduction, she remarks bitterly that most consumer cookery now is aimed at creating something flavourful in the least time possible, and while this is possible — Erskine beckons us back to classical recipes that take hours but also take you to another planet from their incomparable taste!

The very immediate drawback of this cookbook is that it’s not very student friendly. Whilst it is practical in terms of a few pans and slow cooking, Erskine is quite demanding with the ingredients... The prospect of nipping round Fallowfield with my B&M stationary scissors to chance upon some wild garlic leaves seems a tad unlikely. Equally, even though I’m the one person on the planet who eats celery as a snack by choice — buying a whole

bulb of celery to use ‘a handful’ of leaves for a stew seems irritatingly wasteful.

However! Whilst this book is incompatible with student life it is the perfect companion to any foodie or aspiring cook. If I want flavour or anything close to the theme of wholesome; I will turn to ‘Slow’.

With recipes like ‘Blonde Veal and Sage Ragu’, ‘Lemon Sherbet Meringue Pie’, ‘Roast Duck with Blood Orange Gravy’, and a ‘Sustainable, Vegan Bolognese’, this book is full of delicious food. These recipes genuinely look like something I’d take home and introduce to my family. Equally, for the superficial people out there like me who’d only buy a cookbook for it to look sexy on a shelf, ‘Slow’ will not fail you. A light grey book with foiled copper writing and classic botanical-style sketches of ingredients; she’s a beauty.

Ultimately, this book will become the bible of anyone who loves truly flavourful food. She’s a mindful, progressive chef who has recently opened a ‘dirty’ vegan burger bar in London but who still acknowledges the ‘middle way’ of moderation with meat-eating and indulgence.

Her recipes, whilst sometimes extensive in ingredient list, will not fail to present you with something show-stopping. This book not only

provides you with inspiration but also love. Recently, a love interest challenged me to a bolognese-cook-off (wild, I know). With Gizzi Erskine’s recipe, he will be eating his words (and my incredibly tender mince).

For that rea- son alone, ‘Slow’ tops every cookbook recommendation I’ve been making in 2019 so far.

Slow Elena Bradley

Review.

Photo: Claire Harrison Photography

8.5/10 Photo @ Elena Bradley

WHO WILL INFLUENCE YOUR LIFE ON CAMPUS? 28TH FEB TO 7TH MARCH

Lifestyle 29

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

The stigma surrounding female pleasure Jasmine Taylor talks about the enlightening and empowering discussion on female pleasure run by Sexpression Manchester

Jasmine Taylor Contributor Sexpression Manchester’s Sex Week featured a variety of fantastic free events you might not expect to see on your everyday calendar. Georgia Rose’s ‘Conversation about Female Pleasure’, open to all self-identifying females, bypassed the suffocating taboo about sex from a woman’s perspective.

With worksheets, candid group discussion and a series of radically informative videos, the session prompted a variety of conversations. The first of these began with a basic fact check about terminology relating to the vulva. This caused us to consider the implications behind our current attitudes and behaviours relating to sex.

I was struck by how deeply ingrained toxic standards are even in our own choice of language. Feminine sexual vocabulary is too often either worryingly vague or vulgar. This enforces lack of ownership over our own bodies. Such a complex group of organs are often generalised into merely a tool for male pleasure and procreation. This subtly continues to enable subjugation and stop progression of personal sexual acceptance and satisfaction within women.

Indeed, an overbearing theme shared by many of the women during discussions was shame around sex and pleasure. The talk included a painful discussion involving the growing market for genital cosmet-

ic surgery and related beauty standards. It opened my eyes as to how awful the normalisation of these procedures is, and their implications. How is it that women have become so ashamed by their own natural vulvas? Bleaching, labiaplasty, and other surgeries show an instilled beauty standard and shame concerning our own bodies.

We must acknowledge the impact of our substandard sexual education in aggravating these issues. Groups like Sexpression work hard to minimise ‘pleasure-shaming’ in sexual discourses. As somebody whose experience of sexual education was laughably problematic, I was disappointed, but unsurprised to learn that each of us in the room had similar educational experiences. We are often taught misinformed and heteronormative lessons on functionality. Sex is represented as solely a means of reproduction, but simultaneously we are taught to avoid this. Then what is it we are learning about? Evidently not real-life sex, our bodies, pleasure or sexuality, as Georgia’s statistics showed.

Perhaps this was why I found the session so refreshing. Infographics and unusually candid videos littered with unashamedly feminist imagery enabled a vital and rare safe space. Here, we discussed our own personal female sexual experiences in an open and empowered way. Together, we worked to debunk myths we had learned about our own bodies.

In the time we spent with Georgia, I learned more about my body than I could ever

have imagined. I had previously considering myself quite sexually ‘woke’. However, I was shocked to discover how little I knew about my own anatomy and orgasms. The talk also covered the patriarchal origins of sexual theory. These are still relevant to our modern understanding of sexuality.

Freudian influence on the pressure for women to orgasm through exclusively penetrative sex, and the myths surrounding the ‘g-spot’ are so toxic to our sexual well-being. As a group, we discussed problematic expectations during sex, including the word ‘foreplay.’ Invalidating non-hetero sex and enforcing penetration as the endgame of sex contributes to womens’ widespread dissatisfaction in bed, which leads to ‘faking it.’ Never before have I been in a room of women so eager to talk about why they felt the need to do so. It was incredibly enlightening.

My overwhelming reaction following the session was that education needs to change. Ownership over our own bodies is not remotely shameful. Women should be respected as more than an afterthought in the field of discussion, albeit the current social norm. Work done by charities such as Sexpression alongside the influence of social media and emerging shows like Netflix’s Big Mouth and Sex Education are working to disrupt negative sexual norms.

I hope that all this will lead sexual conversation to eradicate shame and foster positive, informative conversations about our bodies.

Photo: SplitShire @ Pixabay

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

How shopping sustainably could save our planet Fashion is the second most damaging industry in the world. Amelia Dunn explores fast fashion, and offers some sustainable alternatives Amelia Dunn Contributor Have you ever wondered what effect you could be having on our planet whilst shopping for a new outfit? Have you ever thought that, by buying into the latest fashion fads, you could be contributing to climate change?

If the answer is no, then you are not alone.

The fashion industry has a dirty little secret. It has recently come to light that it is the second largest polluter in the world, beaten only by the oil industry. The fashion industry is responsible for a whopping 10% of all global gas emissions. But it is something we have never discussed even though there is an increasing interest in our culture to recycle and eat less meat in order to save our planet. Yet, there is no narrative or education on the pollutive nature of fast fashion.

Big brands are beginning to see the problems with fast fashion and are adapting the way they manufacture clothing under the name of ‘eco-fashion’. Eco or sustainable fashion is the latest progression in the growing philosophy of sustainability.

It takes a cyclical approach to fashion by providing clothing and materials that are supported indefinitely through the recycling of materials, as well as the manufacturing of materials that are decomposable.

H&M is one of the high-street brands at the frontline of the eco-fashion. Under their ‘Conscious Fashion’ campaign, H&M are aiming to use 100% recycled or sustainably

sourced materials by 2030. In an interview, H&M CEO Karl-Johan Persson discussed his desire for a ‘circular approach’ to fashion and production. The invention of this campaign follows the revelation that the fast fashion industry will not be able to sustain production at a continued rate. This is due decreasing levels of resources and population growth.

Already, H&M has reduced emissions by 21% and are leading the charge in reducing the damage caused by the fashion industry.

Fashion’s hidden secret of wastage and a large carbon footprint has finally emerged from the dark. The damage is caused by the excessive amounts of untreated toxic waste that is dumped into the rivers, flowing subsequently into our seas and oceans.

Fish and other sea creatures ingest the toxic waste and microfibres from manmade materials. Therefore, our own food chain now contains plastics and toxic waste. Changing trends and Fashion Week drive the fashion industry, which overhauls its stock multiple times a year. As a result of this, the industry overhauls massive amounts of un-recycled or un-donated waste. Instead, the garments decompose - a process that can take up to two-hundred years.

So, how can we help?

If you protect your planet through lifestyle choices like recycling or veganism, sustainable shopping should be attractive to you. As the old adage says, one person’s trash is another’s treasure. Shopping in charity shops like Oxfam or vintage shopping at Manchester’s Affleck’s can help reduce the extensive

waste produced from the fashion industry by renewing old clothing and styles.

Businesses like this are helping to minimise fashion’s footprint by ensuring that clothes do not get incinerated or dumped.

We are living in a material world, but seeking out certain sustainable fabrics can reduce the amount of plastics in our oceans.

Raw and natural fabrics do not eject toxicity during the manufacturing process. By buying and wearing fabrics with organic fibres like linen, organic cotton and hemp you are choosing sustainable materials.

These materials are fully decomposable and recyclable. You can shop in H&M’s Conscious fashion section where you can source these materials at a high-street price.

You can also assemble a DIY wardrobe.

Turning an old worn garment into something else can really revitalise your wardrobe. Instead of hitting up the high street, have a go at your own wardrobe renaissance to create something original and sustainable.

It seems the fashion industry has become a disposable one with the average person spending around £1,000 on clothing per year. By taking baby steps towards a sustainable wardrobe, we can help to reduce the emissions released by the fashion industry.

Clearly, it is important to think of the longevity of this campaign and to think about the future of fashion. For years, the dark side of fashion has been shoved under the rug and left to fester. Now, it is time to address the problem and take a step towards sustainable shopping.

30 Sport

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Comeback kings: City secure dramatic Schalke win Wednesday 20th February, Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen

Schalke 2-3 Sam Honey Head News Editor M a n ch e ste r C it y h it t wo l ate go a l s t o co m e f ro m b e h i n d a n d b e at S ch a l ke , i n a n a c t i o n- p a c ke d f i rst le g o f t h e t wo s i d e s ’ C h a mp i o n s L e a g u e ro u n d- o f-16 t i e.

Pe p G u a rd i o l a’s s ide we nt i nto t h e ga m e a s f i r m favo u r ite s, w it h S ch a l ke h av i n g f i n i s h e d r u n n e rs- u p i n G ro u p D, w i d e ly s e e n a s t h e e a s i e st g ro u p i n t h i s ye a r ’s co mp e t it i o n .

C it y h a d b e e n i n ra mp a nt fo r m a h e a d o f t h e c l a s h , h av i n g d i s p atch e d New p o r t i n t h e FA C u p f i f t h ro u n d , a f te r s co r i n g a t o t a l o f 1 1 go a l s i n t h re e P re m i e r L e a g u e m atch e s a ga i n st A rs e n a l , Eve r to n , a n d Chelsea.

C o nt i nu i n g t h e t re n d , t h e v i s ito rs t o o k f u l l a dva nt a ge o f a n e a rly de fe n s ive e r ro r t o t a ke t h e le a d , w it h S a l i f S a n é ’s m i s t a ke g iv i n g S e rg i o A g u e rö a ch a n ce

to e a s i ly s l o t h o m e .

T h e g a m e s e e m e d t o b e t u r n i n g i nt o a ro ut i n e v i c to r y fo r C it y, b u t q u i c k ly s w u n g i n t h e favo u r o f t h e h o s t s , w it h n ewly- i nt ro d u ce d VA R i n ev it a b ly p l ay i n g a p a r t .

A f te r a s e co n d rev i ew, N i co l á s O t a m e n d i wa s p e n a l i s e d fo r h a n d b a l l a f te r b lo c k i n g a s h o t , a n d e x-To t t e n h a m m a n Na b i l B e nt e l a b s t e p p e d u p t o co nve r t .

T h e G e r m a n s we re t h e n awa rd e d a s e co n d s p o t- k i c k , wh e n S a l i f S a n é t u r n e d f ro m v i l l a i n t o h e ro, w i n n i n g a p e n a lt y a f te r h e wa s fo u l e d by Fe r n a n d i n h o.

Re fe re e C a rl o s d e l C e r ro G ra n d e co n s u lte d VA R t o co n f i r m h i s d e c i s i o n , b e fo re B e nt e l a b o n ce a g a i n b e at E d e rs o n f ro m t h e s p o t t o p u t h i s s i d e i n co nt ro l s eve n m i n u t e s b e fo re t h e b re a k .

A s S c h a l ke l o o ke d t o h o l d o n t o t h e i r le a d i n t h e s e co n d h a l f, t h ey we re b o o ste d by c it y ’s l o s s o f O t a m e n d i , wh o wa s d i s m i s s e d fo r a s e co n d ye l l ow a f t e r

fo u l i n g G u i d o B u rg s t a l l e r, a n d w i l l n ow m i s s t h e s e co n d l e g .

C it y w i l l a l s o b e w it h o ut Fe r n a n d i n h o fo r t h e s e co n d l e g , wh o h a s i n c u r re d a b a n a f t e r p i c k i n g u p t h re e ye l low ca rd s.

Wit h j u s t f ive m i n u t e s le f t o n t h e c l o c k S c h a l ke we re l o o k i n g l i ke ly t o s e c u re a n i m p ro b a b l e f i rst leg v i c t o r y, b u t it wa s e x- S c h a l ke m a n a n d s u p e rs u b L e roy S a n é t h at s ave d h i s s ide w it h a p i n p o i nt f re e - k i c k f ro m 3 0 ya rd s .

R a h e e m S t e rl i n g t h e n b e at t h e S c h a l ke b a c k l i n e t o f i re h o m e f ro m a t i g ht a n g l e i n t h e l a s t m i nut e, re s c u i n g v i c t o r y f ro m t h e j aws o f de fe at fo r an i n c re d i b ly- re l i eve d t rave l l i n g co nt i n ge nt .

T h e re m a rk a b l e l at e t u r n a ro u n d wa s a s i g n o f t h e fo r m i d a b le, de t e r m i n e d a n d s o m ewh at u n b e at a b le at t it u d e t h at h a s s we p t t h ro u g h t h e C it y ca mp ove r t h e l a s t few we e k s , s i n ce a s h o ck de fe at t o Newc a s t l e at t h e e n d o f Ja nu a r y.

T h i s s i d e n ow lo o k s a s co nv i n ce d o f

it s a b i l it y a s eve r, a n d eve n wh e n t h ey we re a m a n dow n a n d t ra i l i n g w it h j u st m i nut e s o n t h e clo c k , t h ey d u g de e p t o s e c u re a re s u lt , a n d f u r t h e r s co re t wo m o re i mp o r t a nt away go a l s .

It i s t h i s s o r t o f m e nt a l it y t h at w i l l f u e l t h e t e a m’s a s s au lt o n t h e p re m i e r le a g u e t it le, w it h t h e s k y b l u e s n ow ap p e a r i n g t o h ave t h e m o m e nt u m ove r L ive r p o o l .

A s fo r co nt i n e nt a l co mp e t it i o n , Pe p G u a rd i o l a wa s ke e n t o s t re s s t h at d e s p it e t h e co m e b a ck , t h e t e a m n e e de d t o deve lo p f u r t h e r i f t h ey we re t o t h i n k s e r i o u s ly a b o ut w i n n i n g t h e co mp e t it i o n : “ We a re st i l l n o t re a dy t o f i g ht fo r t h e l at t e r st a ge s, t h at i s re a l it y, b ut t h e re s u lt i s go o d . “ We p l aye d w it h i n c re d i b le p e rs o n a l it y. We gave t wo go a l s wh e n t h ey d id a b s o l ut e ly n o t h i n g . It i s n o t ove r, t h i s co mp e t it i o n i s co mp le t e ly d i f fe re nt . ”

Liverpool in home stalemate with Bayern Tuesday 19th February, Anfield, Liverpool

Liverpool 0-0 Bayern Munich Shivani Kaura Deputy News Editor L ive r p o o l s e c u re d a 0 - 0 d raw a ga i n st B aye r n Mu n i ch i n t h e l ate st le g o f t h e C h a m p i o n s L e a g u e, w it h L ive r p o o l m a n a ge r, Ju rge n K lo p p a ck n owle d g i n g t h e re s u lt a s “ n ot p e r fe c t , b ut go o d e n o u g h to wo rk w it h” fo r t h e s e co n d le g .

Wit h Vi rg i l Va n D ij i k s u s p e n de d , a n d D e j a n L ov re n i nj u re d , t h e i r de fe n ce s aw Fa b i n h o t a ke t h e ro le o f ce nt re b a ck , c re at i n g co n ce r n fo r t h e i r cle a n s h e e t .

B aye r n a l s o s u f fe re d a b low to t h e i r u s u a l l i n e - u p, w it h Je ro m e B o ate n g co m i n g u n de r t h e we at h e r, a n d L e o n G o re t zk a o u t d u e to a n a n k le i nj u r y.

T h e f i rs t h a l f o f t h e ga m e s aw Jo rd a n H e n d e rs o n m a ke a n e a rly ch a n ce fo r Mo S a l a h , r u n n i n g b e t we e n Ni k l a s S u le a n d Jo s h u a K i m m i ch , b ut d u e to h i s p o o r to u ch h e co u l d n ot s lot t h e b a l l p a st t h e

B aye r n go a l ke e p e r. A l m o s t a m i n u t e l ate r, at t h e o t h e r e n d , A l i s s o n l u c k i ly r i co ch e t e d t h e b a l l a s Jo e l M at i p’s o n e to u ch b l u n d e r s e nt S e rge G n a b r y ’s c ro s s st ra i g ht i nt o t h e p at h o f t h e L ive r p o o l go a l ke e p e r.

T h e s e co n d h a l f s aw t h e p a ce s l ow dow n , w it h fewe r c h a n ce s fo r b o t h s ide s a n d t h o s e t h at we re m a d e , t o b e le s s a s s u r i n g . G n a b r y m a d e h i s f i rs t at te mpt o n t a rge t at t h e 6 0 - m i n u t e m a rk , a lt h o u g h h i s e f fo r t s c a m e o u t s h o r t .

K lop p, a c k n owle d g i n g t h e s l ow p a ce , s w itch e d it u p by i nt ro d u c i n g Ja m e s M i l n e r a n d D ivo c k O r i g i , wh i l s t ke e p i n g Da n i e l S t u r r i d ge a n d X h e rd a n S h a q u i r i o n t h e b e n c h , b u t it wa s S a d i o M a n e wh o m a de a l l f i n i s h i n g at t e m p t s at s e c u r i n g t h e t h re e p o i nt s a g a i n s t B aye r n .

Ta l k i n g a b o u t t h e m at c h , K l op p s a i d : “ I t w i l l b e a t o u g h o n e t o p l ay at B aye r n .

I f we h a d wo n 1- 0 h e re , wh at wo u l d h ave ch a n ge d re a l ly? A 0 - 0 wo u l d h ave

b e e n e n o u g h , b u t t h at ’s p re t t y mu ch a l l t h at c h a n ge s . I f we d raw 1-1 , t h at ’s n ow e n o u g h a s we l l . S o, it wa s n o t p e r fe c t b ut it go o d e n o u g h t o wo rk w it h . “ I n t h e f i rs t h a l f we c re at e d , b ut i n t h e s e co n d h a l f n o b o dy c re at e d .

“O u r p ro b l e m s we re t h e q u a l it y o f t h e o p p o n e nt a n d t h e fa c t t h at t h e l a st p a s s wa s n o t o u r f r i e n d . We h a d 1 0 o r 1 2 s it u at i o n s wh e re eve r y t h i n g wa s o n a p l at e a n d t h e n we p l aye d a ve r y ave ra ge l a s t p a s s a n d g ave t h e b a l l away. “ I a m p re t t y s u re B aye r n fe e l a b it b e t t e r t h a n we d o b u t we h ave t h re e we e k s a n d d ay by d ay t h e re s u l t w i l l fe e l a b it b e t t e r fo r u s a n d a b it wo rs e fo r B aye r n . ” A s K l o p p t e r m e d t h e ga m e l i ke ‘ t h e H o r n b e rge r S c h i e ß e n’ , a G e r m a n id i o m u s e d t o d e s c r i b e a n a nt i - cl i m a x , it ca n b e a p p l a u d e d t h at a c le a n s h e e t wa s ke p t w it h o u t t h e p re s e n ce o f Va n D ij i k h o l d i n g t h e b a c k fo u r u p.

At t h e e n d o f t h e f i rst h a l f, L ive r p o o l fa n s t o o k t i m e o ut at t h e e n d o f t h e ga m e t o co m m e n d t h e B aye r n fa n s fo r t h e i r b a n n e r wh i ch re a d , “ “Away t i cke t L FC 4 8 £ FC B 5 5 € . T h € g r € € d k n ows n o £ i m it s ! T we nt y i s p le nt y. ” T h i s fo l lows a f t e r L ive r p o o l fa n s re ce nt ly b oyco t t i n g s eve ra l m at ch e s d u e t o t re m e n do u s ly h i g h p r i ce s, wh i ch m a ny h ave s a id t h ey ca n n o t a f fo rd .

L ive r p o o l ’s next f i x t u re is M a n ch e s t e r Un it e d , o n Fe b r u a r y 24 t h , w it h cl a i m s a l re a dy b e i n g m a de t h at L ov re n w i l l n o t b e p l ay i n g i n K l op p’s s t a r t i n g l i n e - u p. T h e ga m e co u l d b e t h e de c ide r i n L ive r p o o l ’s l at e s t c a mp a i g n t o w i n t h e P re m i e r L e a g u e, a lt h o u g h w it h t h e re t u r n o f Va n D ij i k , h e w i l l h ave t o m a ke t h e ra s h de c i s i o n o n wh e t h e r t o s t a r t M at ip o r Fa b i n i h o at Ol d T ra f fo rd .

T h e i r s e co n d le g a g a i n st B aye r n Mu n i c h i s o n M a rch 1 3 t h .

United bounce back with comfortable Chelsea win in FA Cup Monday 18th February, Stamford Bridge, London

Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United James Gill Head Sport Editor Manchester United have progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with a comfortable victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri said his team played “confused football” as his side lost 2-0 to goals from Ander Herrera and Paul Pogba.

The win means that United have now beaten Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea under interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. Solskjær’s only loss so far in his opening 13 games was against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League and the Nord will be hoping this will help

his side get the momentum flowing once more.

“We had criticism after the PSG game and everyone did what we asked tonight.

The performance was fantastic, our tactics worked. We asked our midfielders to press higher and get into the box and it worked.

The defending in the second half was fantastic”, said Solskjær.

“Chelsea are a good team. They have their way of playing but Juan Mata did a fantastic job on Jorginho and we were absolutely perfect defensively. It is a massive result.”

Both goals in the game came in the first half an both were thanks to brilliant play

by Paul Pogba. In the 31st minute, Pogba fired an inch-perfect ball into the box for

Herrera to head home before heading a goal of his own just before half time.

Going into the second half, United looked comfortable but still on their toes in case of a Chelsea resurgence. No comeback came though, not even a whimper as the Blues looked lost. With Jorginho marked out of the game there was no direction in possession, with more sideways passes than a pre-Southgate England team.

Matters got worse for the Chelsea fans in the stadium too as the substitutes did little to inspire hope. The trademark MateoKovacic-for-Ross-Barkley change received nothing more than sarcastic applause and bizarrely, in the dying embers, Zappacosta was brought on for Azpilicueta.

Being 2-0 down in the 80th minute and

making a like-for-like defensive change is just mind-boggling. It is no surprise that United and Chelsea fans joined together in chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning” and in demanding the return of Chelsea legend and current Derby County Frank Lampard.

After back-to-back heavyweight clashes for United, their next game is also set to be a classic with joint-league leaders Liverpool travelling to Old Trafford. With Manchester City and Liverpool both playing against the Red Devils in the closing stages of the season, Solskjær’s side will undoubtedly have a big part to play in where the Premier League trophy will head, although it is unlikely to end up at Old Trafford.

ISSUE 17 / 25th February 2019 WWW.MANCUNION.COM

Sport 31

Gentlemen, start your engines: F1 testing underway in Spain

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to win a sixth World Championship this season as a no-deal Brexit threatens the sport’s future James Gill Head Sport Editor With the first Grand Prix of the 2019 season in Melbourne, Australia under a month away, the ten teams competing for this year’s World Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships have been testing their new cars in four days of pre-season testing.

There have been a number of changes to both the teams and rosters between seasons with several new drivers who will be lining up on the grid on March 17th. Force India have completed their transition after being bought in August 2018 and will now race under the name Racing Point.

Sauber has also seen a name change this time through a sponsorship deal, and have been renamed Alfa Romeo Racing. Alfa Romeo’s two drivers will be Kimi Raikkonen, who has swapped his place at Ferrari with Charles Leclerc, and Antonio Giovinazzi, who raced twice in 2017 while Pascal Wehrlein was injured.

Two British drivers will be joining the pack this season, both promoted from Formula 2. F2 champion George Russell joins Williams alongside

Robert Kubica. Polish driver Kubica returns after an eight-year absence from F1, following a horrific crash at the Ronde di Andora rally in 2011 that left doctors fighting to save his hand.

The other British driver is 19-year-old Lando Norris who came second in last season’s F2 Championship. He will race with Carlos Sainz at McLaren after Fernando Alonso decided to retire.

Norris and Russell will be hoping they can rise to the same level as five-time World Champion and Mercedes Driver Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari had the superior car last season but a slew of bad racing decisions – which Hamilton capitalised on – allowed him to win by a margin of 88 points. The Brit thinks that it will be a lot harder to retain the title this season though: “Ferrari are very strong. It appears they have a better package than last year, which means it will be a bigger challenge for us. They have been looking great. We have just been digging deep, trying to understand the car, pretty much the same as the beginning of every year.

“Ferrari always look strong, particularly the last few years; they looked strong right at the

Photo: Kay Lubwika

Harry Deacon rounds-up the most recent set of results from Manchester’s university athletes, including a 9-1 drubbing from the women’s futsal team

As another Wednesday rolled around students from all different backgrounds and courses joined together to represent the university in their respective sports. The week would bring both wins and losses, and some extraordinarily tight results.

A successful day was had by both the men’s and women’s badminton 1st teams. A 5-3 victory over Keele saw the women safely through to the next round of the Northern Conference Cup, while the men dispatched of Leeds 6-2 to leapfrog the Yorkshire rivals in their division.

The universities two basketball 1st teams saw perhaps the most exciting action of the day. The men’s team edged a tight victory over Chester in the Northern 1A league – ending the season as champions is a real possibility if the team makes the most of their games in hand.

However, the women’s basketball side narrowly lost out 46-48 to York. Although their cup run is over, holding a strong lead over their

a bit later on.”

“Clearly we’re doing everything we can to condense the programme that we had, to make sure that we maximised the time available and we really focused our efforts and attention on the most important and critical areas to make sure the car is in the best shape possible for Australia.”

Perhaps the biggest change to F1 this season will be seen after the season has begun. The first day of the Bahrain Grand Prix in March is also the deadline for the UK to make a decision on Brexit.

With eight of the ten teams based in south-east England there is the potential for a lot of problems.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said that “a nodeal Brexit would have a major impact on our operations going to races and developing cars. We have certain contingencies in place, like having more stock and thinking about how we would get parts and people in and out of the country.”

“But it would be a disruption and it would cause all the UK teams a lot of headache, while Ferrari in Italy and Sauber (Alfa Romeo) in Switzerland would have a massive advantage over every UK-based team.”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons @stevecubbins

University sport round-up: Women’s Futsal team 9-1 winners Harry Deacon Deputy Sport Editor

beginning, so that’s to be expected. It has been normal. I am competing with everyone. I don’t know who’s going to be quickest. You can’t say just Ferrari. You don’t know where the Red Bulls are.

Who knows what people are going to bring up for the first race.”

While nine of the teams were testing their cars in the first two days of testing, one was surprisingly absent. Williams did not manage to get a Russell or Kubica on the track until day three, giving their rivals massive advantages.

Williams’ deputy team principal Claire Williams said: “It’s not a situation that we anticipated, or that we ever wanted to find ourselves in. We’re not just disappointed. It’s embarrassing not bringing a race car to a circuit when everyone else has managed to do that, particularly a team like ours that has managed to bring a race car to testing for the past 40-odd years.”

“We’ve missed two days of testing, and that’s not ideal. That’s a lot of potential kilometres, but I don’t think that we will actually know the full impact of having missed those days until probably

Northern 2B league, the cup loss may help focus their attention back to promotion.

The return of the Champions League has brought with it much talk about football.

However, it was the women’s futsal team that produced one of the performances of the week. A 9-1 win over the University of Stirling meant they move on to the next stage of the trophy cup.

Rugby Union saw a whole host of results over the course of the week, with the men’s 3rd team scoring an emphatic 59-0 win over local rivals Salford to an excruciating 33-31 loss for the men’s 1sts against Strathclyde.

The women’s 1sts put yet another solid performance in with their Northern 1A division 22-0 victory over Sheffield. Back to back fixtures against the league’s bottom placed side could help propel Manchester women right up the table.

As the season reaches its most vital moments each week will prove instrumental in Manchester’s sporting successes. It seems that our sporting representatives are not flagging as the season progresses and could all be in for an exciting run in to Easter.

Eight-time world squash champion Nicol David will retire at season’s end David has a remarkable 83% win rate on tour being victorious in 567 of her 680 games, and spent nine years as world number one James Gill Head Sport Editor Malaysian eight-time world squash champion Nicol David has announced that she will retire at the end of the season. The 35-year-old spent nine years as world number one between 2006 and 2015, amassing eight World Championship titles.

In her 18 years as a profession squash player, David has won 81 tour titles in 102 finals appearances, both of which are records in the women’s game. In addition, David has a remarkable 83% win rate on tour being victorious in 567 of her 680 games.

The final tournament of her illustrious career will be the British Open in May or, if she qualifies, the World Tour Finals in June. Talking about her decision to retire in a statement David said: “This

decision has been thought through for quite some time and I do know that this is my last season.”

“Competing on tour and being in these amazing venues all around the world is the first thing I’ll miss. However, I’m going to make the most of it over these next few months the best I can.”

“After having time to reflect, I can honestly say that staying at No.1 for nine years in a row is what stands out for me most. I never fully understood it until I was not there anymore. I’m very proud of this achievement. I love squash with all my heart, and it will always play an important role in my life.”

“Thank you to all my fans, my supporters and my followers for joining me on my journey throughout all these years. I would like to enjoy my last few tournaments together with everyone throughout this campaign, and I would like to encourage all of you to keep on rooting for me. The dream remains.”

Photo: Keith Allison @ Flickr

Golden years: Why no NBA team can get near the Warriors Luca Mariani takes a look at why the Golden State Warriors are so dominant, and why NBA teams can’t reach their era-defining level Luca Mariani Contributor The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a complex landscape of business and sport.

In recent years the Golden State Warriors have been the face of the NBA. The Oakland based team is studded with five all-star calibre players this season, the talent of which has brought the warriors three championships in the past four years.

Getting to the stage where you can win a championship is the aim of most NBA teams. In order to get there, they must abide by the rules of the NBA draft (the yearly process which allows players to join the NBA), the NBA cap salary (the maximum amount of money a team can spend on its players), and the ability to beat the unmovable wall known as the Warriors.

Reaching the Golden State Warriors’ level of quality is something every side in the NBA aspires for, but time after time we see teams get lost in the sea of mediocrity. This Golden State era gives us a perfect case study of how teams are trying to traverse the difficult road to NBA glory.

To start we must look at teams who have flat out given up on competing. The Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Atlanta Hawks have all gone back to the chalk board and started tanking (essentially, intentionally losing). The Knicks are by far the worse perpetrators this season; however, they do this so they can get higher draft picks in the NBA draft and choose the better players entering the league.

This is not a bad technique: Wait for the Warriors to age, and come in to steal their glory.

The Hawks drafted Trae Young and Kevin Huerter in the 2018 draft; a pair of players who resemble Steph Curry and Klay Thompson from the Warriors. That being said, the chances of these players turning into similar levels of superstars is unlikely.

The issue with this method of achieving greatness is it can be very hit or miss. The Suns have been in the top 15 picks since 2011 and still have not improved. This method doesn’t necessarily guarantee quality players, and can

Inside Sport

lead to a losing culture which could be dangerous for young players. It also makes your team a less favourable destination for free agents (players whose contracts have expired).

The sea of mediocrity, the most dangerous place in the NBA. This can be the equivalent of the sunken place for some teams — being good, but not quite good enough and blocked from getting

“

In recent years, the Golden State Warriors have been the face of the NBA. The Oakland team is studded with five all-star calibre players better due to multiple factors. Some teams are happy to just be good enough to make playoffs because their fans are happy to support the group of players they have and thus fill their stadium.

A prime example of this is the Memphis Grizzlies. They have managed to make the playoffs every season from 2011 to 2017 but have never progressed past the semi-finals of their conference. More examples from this season are the Detroit Pistons and New Orleans Pelicans. The Pelicans though are in a slightly different situation as they are most likely heading for a rebuild after key player Anthony Davis requested a trade.

These teams need to fill seats, making tanking a dangerous business decision, but their cap space for wages and where they are located prevents them from getting better players. They’re stuck in the middle: they aren’t quite good enough to survive in the playoffs and their draft picks aren’t high enough to get the best players from the NBA draft.

This isn’t a bad place for all teams though, for

Champions League and FA Cup

example, the Sacramento Kings and the Brooklyn Nets are two young teams that have surprised the league this season. These two teams are performing better than the Pelicans and Pistons, have cap space, and a stock of talented young players.

These teams may shoot past the sea of mediocrity and become elite teams. Brooklyn is especially interesting as they rebuilt without high draft picks due to one of the worst trades ever to occur in the NBA. This trade, in essence, involved two ageing all-stars in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnet being traded to the Nets for four first-round picks.

First round picks are one of the most valued assets in the NBA. Pierce and Garnet’s statistics began to fall the season before they were traded and collapsed once they reached Brooklyn. Neither averaged over 15 points in their first season Brooklyn and they didn’t stay with the team for very long.

The Nets made the playoffs for two seasons then flat-lined to one of the worst teams in the whole NBA. This trade was one factor in leading the NBA to ban trading picks in consecutive years, to keep the league competitive.

These two teams have completely changed their culture and are going in a positive direction.

Brooklyn has drafted and developed players well over the last few years. The development of Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie and the trade for D’angelo Russel were key in turning around the franchise.

The Nets have a unique mix of a great city, cap space, and exciting young players make them a great team for free agents. With Kevin Durant being rumoured to be looking towards a move to New York, things could be getting quite exciting for the nets.

Sacramento came out of nowhere this season.

Many thought that trading Demarcus Cousin (one of the best centres in the NBA) would send this franchise down into despair, but they have rebuilt surprisingly quickly since 2017.

Buddy Hield (the main return from the Cousins trade) has been amazing this season, averaging just over 20 points and the development of De’Aaron Fox’s jump shot has really helped the

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Kings to battle to be a playoff contenders.

If they continue at this pace they may claim the last spot in the Western conference playoffs (often considered the harder conference). Making the playoffs for the first time since 2006 will create a great morale and buzz on a team which has a lot of young developing players. The development of Marvin Bagley (3rd pick in the 2018 draft) and other young players will be key to seeing if this team can become elite.

The final tier are the elite teams in the NBA who are trying to reach the heights of the Golden State Warriors. These teams include the Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, and Boston Celtics. They have cracked the code on how to succeed in the NBA and have the pieces to be elite.

These teams, however, have not shown to be capable of beating the Warriors. They are plagued by similar issues to mediocre teams. Having good players comes at a cost, trying to keep a good group of players together for a price which also makes your team flexible is very hard.

This is a failure of the Portland Trailblazers, making it unlikely they can compete with the current Warriors team.

These teams will also have low draft picks, which means they don’t get the best young talent to reinforce their roster. It is worth noting, however, that not all good players come early in the draft.

There have been many late picks which have gone on to be stars, such as Jimmy Butler who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers are the closest to the Warriors in terms of rosters – filled with all-star calibre players, this playoff season will be the test of their competitiveness against the Warriors.

The real reason most of these elite teams cannot beat the Warriors is due to them drowning in the Warriors’ three-point efficiency. No team can quite understand how to defend against the champions due to how well they space the ball.

All rebuilding teams want to follow the Warriors’ three-point footprint — a skill which they generally lack. The elite teams have found ways to win most games, but when it comes down to facing the Warriors, their their-point shooting can’t keep up with the Golden State’s shooters.

F1 gets underway