Issue 14

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MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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5th FEBRUARY 2018 / ISSUE 14

REVEALED: Pangaea loses shocking £120,000 in 18 months

Student-run music festival faces possible cancellation after eye-watering overspending Kirstie O’Mahony Editor-in-Chief

The Mancunion can reveal that the once muchloved student festival has been racking up astronomical financial losses since at least June 2016.

Figures seen by The Mancunion indicate losses ranging from £19,000 to £56,000 at each event.

This has been attributed in some cases to overspending on decorations and other operational material, but in most instances, it is due to a drastic underselling of tickets.

Staff at the Students’ Union has told The Mancunion that if the summer Pangaea follows the same financial trajectory, and receives negative feedback from students, there is a possibility that Pangaea will cease to exist in its current form in the years to come.

The Mancunion understands that, whilst Pangaea’s intention isn’t ever to make a profit (as this would involve dramatically increasing the ticket price, making it unaffordable for lots of students), the shortfall that is budgeted for each event, or

‘cushion’ that is allowed for, is only £5000. However, due to the ongoing construction in and around the Union building, this year the two Pangaea events (the freshers’ instalment and the summer one) were given scope in the budget to lose £50,000.

A spokesperson at the Students’ Union stressed to The Mancunion that the figures do not include additional income generated by sales on the night, such as on the bar. Furthermore, they said that Pangaea has always been about the positive student experience it creates and is not a profit making exercise.

There are some other reasons why the figures, according to the Students’ Union, may not actually reflect the financial reality. The first is that, up until 2016, there was not a full-time events coordinator to keep a record of the budget. Activities Officer apparently notwithstanding.

The second is that, up until the most recent Pangaea, the ticket price of the September instalment has always been included in the Welcome Week Wristband, which makes it harder to calculate how much is

Investigation into bill splitting companies

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Photo: The Mancunion

NUS bullying scandal page 3

generated through ticket sales.

Another reason for the lack of financial records of the event could also be due to the high turnover of Commercial Directors the Union has seen over the last few years. It has had 3 in as many years.

When speaking to students at the university, many expressed apathy towards the festival.

Scarlett, a 3rd-year classics student, told The Mancunion that “it’s never really appealed in itself” and that if it were cancelled she wouldn’t be “particularly fussed”, however she mentioned that she knew people who had really enjoyed volunteering on its committee.

Will, a Human Rights Masters student, told The Mancunion that he hears “it’s pretty bad now” from friends who still go, and that it was “pretty harsh” that the ticket price remained the same when the venue size was reduced in September 2017, due to the on-going building works.

When asked if he would care if it were to be cancelled, he replied: “I’m not going to cry about it”.

Activities Officer Kitty Bartlett has so far not responded to requests for comment.

New homeless charity comes to Manchester

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Is monogamy ruining romance?

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ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

LGBTQ+ history month launches at the Students’ Union

The month will kick off with a club event ‘OUT’ at Manchester Club Academy

Highlights

Nicole Wootton-Cane Head News Editor This February sees the launch of LGBTQ+ history month at the Students’ Union.

The month offers a wide range of events available to everyone, including film screenings, discussions and coffee afternoons. The month will also see the launch of LGBTQ+ club night ‘OUT’ at Manchester Club Academy.

The national campaign is using this February to commemorate two difficult anniversaries in the community’s history.

The first is the passing of Section 28 thirty years ago, which forbade local authorities from allowing any materials that “promoted homosexuality” in schools, and the second is the fortieth anniversary

of the murder of Harvey Milk. Milk was the first openly gay elected official in California, and one of the first in the United States.

The theme for the campaign is ‘Geography: Mapping the World,’ celebrating the spread of legalisation of same-sex marriage, including in Australia.

If you are interested in finding out more about LGBTQ+ history month, the LGBTQ+ Society is hosting a presentation on the 5th of February, covering what the month is about and recapping understandings and attitudes in different cultures throughout history.

The full timetable of events can be found on the society’s Facebook page or on the Students’ Union website.

Image: Lauren Gorton

Education Officer Emma Atkins encourages any students affected to contact either her or the Students’ Union advice service

Music p12 A live review of Liam Gallagher

The University of Manchester has issued an apology after several exams taken in January of 2018 contained errors.

Third year Textile Science and Technology students were given only 20 minutes to answer a replacement question having noticed that the same essay title had come up twice in a row, in a set of seven sub-questions.

Some students, having left the exam hall early, simply believed it was a mistake and didn’t bother answering the question, whereas some answered it twice. Students later raised the issue as to whether the marks should count for that question or not.

The Spanish exam this year had a spelling mistake in translation which led to students contacting Emma Atkins, the Students’ Union Exec Officer.

Students have been advised to write to the Head of School and Programme Director, so if

any students made errors with that particular question, they shouldn’t be accounted for in the overall mark.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Emma Atkins has advised that “if students ever have issues with their exams, they should contact [her] or the Advice Service offered by the University.”

Atkins also stated that she is “not aware of the exact process for creating exam papers, but each programme does it differently. However, it’s only fair for students to expect a well-written exam paper!”

“Mark schemes, model answers and examples are ideal for students to know what is expected of them, and if students don’t have access to any of them they should speak to staff, add those comments in unit surveys and raise it with student reps.”

When questioned about whether content taught during the period of strikes over staff cuts should be used in exam papers, Atkins stated that “strikes are meant to be disruptive — I think if

NUS president faces bullying allegations

Shakira Martin has allegedly described Campaigns Officer Deej Malik-Johnson as her enemy

University apologises for exam errors Shivani Kaura Senior Students’ Union Reporter

the university wants to make sure students don’t miss out, they should negotiate better with UCU so strikes don’t happen!”

The recent Genes, Evolution and Development paper confused students, when they realised were given a question from content which had not been taught.

With a number of students having emailed their professor after the exam, it was later decided that the question will not be accounted for in the overall mark, although this makes each mark lost costlier, as the total number of marks has been lowered.

A University spokesperson said: “The University would like to apologise to the students affected by this error. It is most regrettable that these incidents should have occurred.

They were dealt with in the examination room according to established procedure.

“However, any students who remain concerned should raise the matter directly with relevant staff in their School.”

Rosa Simonet Deputy News Editor The NUS is in the spotlight again after several officers have launched allegations of bullying and intimidation against Shakira Martin. Among them is campaigns officer at the University of Manchester, and NUS parents and carers’ representative, Deej Malik-Johnson.

Hareem Ghani, NUS women’s officer, has submitted evidence as part of an internal complaint into Martin’s behaviour. Ghani detailed to Varsity (Cambridge University’s student newspaper) her full allegations against Martin, which include: sending foul-mouthed rants in voice notes to officers; reducing staff and officers to tears; aking gun signs at officers with whom she disagrees; throwing out motions with which she disagrees; threatening to beat someone up during an office Christmas party; shouting and swearing at officers during meetings and conversations.

Ghani said “The only reason I decided to air my grievances publicly was because her behaviour over the last two months has escalated, and it has been a breaking point for many officers and NEC members,” However, Varsity reported that Ghani said that she has no “faith in the system” and does not believe the NUS will “respond effectively”.

Other members who have spoken out against Martin in the last four days also include NUS LGBT+ officer Noorulann Shahid, NUS National Executive Council (NEC) member, Myriam Kane, NUS NEC member Amelia Horgan.

Myriam Kane took to Facebook to accuse Martin. She said she

Games p15 The return of Runescape

Image: Pete @ Flickr

Editor-in-Chief: Kirstie O’Mahony editor@mancunion.com Deputy Editor: Tristan Parsons deputyed@mancunion.com News Editor: Cameron Broome Deputy Editors: Rosa Simonet and Amy Wei E: news@mancunion.com

Arts p24 Female sexuality on Instagram

Science & Technology Editor: Aliyah Ismangil E: science@mancunion.com Features Editor: Catherine Bray Deputy Editor: Raine Beckford E: features@mancunion.com Opinion Editor: Jacklin Kwan E: opinion@mancunion.com

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has received abuse from both Martin and Martin’s mother. Kane reference as part of a “legal battle in an attempt to re-establish attached a twitter screenshot to her post, in which Martin says contact with my daughter”. After Martin agreed to write the “you’re not that important”. reference, that’s when “things got weird.”

Martin has called for the allegations on social media to Malik-Johnson said Martin would “call me at weird hours on be investigated. the phone about me being ‘funny’ and ‘knowing what In a Facebook live video posted on side I’m on’”. Things escalated after Malik-Jonson the 29th of January, Martin says the attended the National Free Education Demo. allegations are all “lies”. She talks of Martin apparently called again. the “anti-blackness and racism” “She stated that she would no longer she has faced during her term help me or write a statement to help as President and says her with Dillara. She said it was because name has been “tarnished” we are apparently ‘enemies’ and “for election purposes”.

I’m “on the wrong side”. And so In a post following I’ve received no support and I’ve the video, she said: “I stayed silent at the hands of a have been baited and bully — because let’s call it what provoked on purpose it is — because whilst if she had and recorded in my own said no from the start for want workplace by those who of time or concerns she chose to claim to support workingagree and only then refuse after class black women like an attempt of political coercion.” myself but would happily Malik-Johnson has been on leave push me to the limit and this week and so has not been able watch me break.” to provide further comment for The Deej Malik-Johnson also took Mancunion . to Facebook on the 29th January, Whilst the investigation is still detailing the alleged abuse he ongoing, the NUS has said: “all officers will Photo: Manchester Students’ Union received from Martin. be working from home this week”.

Malik-Johnson needed a character

Investigation: are bill splitting companies taking students for a ride?

We spoke to students and bill spilling company Glide to understand this development in the market Hana Jafar News Reporter

Contact us

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ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Students at Manchester University have accused bill splitting companies of overcharging and being extremely difficult to get in touch with in a crisis.

Second and third year students arranging to rent shared houses have to navigate landlords, tenancy agreements, and managing shared expenses including utility bills. Most energy and utility providers expect a single payment per month.

Dividing up multiple payments with different due dates between housemates can be stressful.

Some students choose to use bill splitting services like Glide, Split The Bills, Huru, and Fused. These services attract students by offering to make life easier by contacting providers and setting up student houses with electricity, water, gas, broadband and TV licences.

These companies claim that their rates will be cheaper than those of the ‘big six’ energy suppliers like British Gas, Npower, SSE, EDF, Eon, and Scottish Power. They offer to keep tabs on due dates, chase up individual students for payments, and make budgeting easier by combining all bills and splitting them equally into regular monthly payments.

However, are these companies really worth it? One of the biggest and most popular services, Glide, claim on their website that “people that hate bills love Glide” and market themselves as authentic, ‘quirky’, and reliable. On the ‘tariffs’ section of their website, the quote per month for a house shared by four students paying for gas, electricity, water, broadband, and a TV license is approximately £42 altogether. This sounds relatively reasonable, but many students who have used the service have had bad experiences, and felt exploited.

One Manchester student, Sasha, claimed that Glide did not give her and her housemates an electricity prepayment meter for months, and that the company was difficult to get in touch with.

Glide said that they, “had some challenges this year in the speed of exchanging prepayment meters. We have changed this process ahead of next summer and expect to be able to exchange them more quickly next summer.”

Oscar Kilpatrick, another second year with Glide, wanted to warn students about what they were signing up for. His house paid for fibre broadband, but had no access to it for over a month. Whilst it was being installed, their Wi-Fi was down for a week and a half, with the reimbursement amounting to just £2.42.

Glide replied, “over the summer, fibre broadband can take

up to 4 weeks to install. This is based on availability of BT OpenReach engineers and is the same for most broadband providers. We always try and advise students to sign up to their broadband company in advance of their tenancy start date, rather than signing up to a broadband provider once they have already moved in.”

The bills sharing company, which was the first of its kind 11 years ago, boasts a 24/7 broadband support team, but Oscar claims that he and his housemates were promised calls that were never returned.

“The organisation is poor, we were sent four letters threatening bailiffs which were revealed to have originally been intended for Glide — we had paid our bills but Glide hadn’t paid the water company [sic],” he said.

Glide said that because they, “work with all water companies across the UK”, difficulties in managing accounts can arise, such as water being sent to the property rather than Glide HQ. They said that “once we are notified of this issue, we will always contact the water company to ensure the bills are sent straight to us.”

Despite the experiences of some students, the company website claims it is a trusted service with positive reviews on verified rating websites like trustpilot. Some of the responses to complaints on trustpilot were made by Glide representatives, who claimed that they had attempted to reach out to and resolve student issues, and that some of the issues were caused by student mistakes.

Split The Bills, another similar service, includes a section on their website reminding students that issues can be avoided by joining them early, as they get busy between June and September, and late joiners may need to contact previous suppliers with meter readings. They also add that Gas and Electricity can take up to four-six weeks to transfer from a different supplier.

According to popular website Save The Student, “bill splitting services might sound like a great idea, but the amount they charge are not worth the minimal time that they save you.

“These companies also restrict you to certain suppliers for your bills, meaning you might miss out on the best deals — which could cost you even more money throughout the year.”

Save The Student recommends splitting bills independent from these companies, using apps like Splitwise, or starting a joint bank account. They also recommend putting everyone’s name on bills so that no one person’s credit score is at risk of dropping in case payments are late.

Save The Student add that students should try setting up

services quickly, making sure to read the fine print on contracts for hidden charges and price hikes. Another option for students is renting a house inclusive of the cost of bills, which means landlords and agents will handle bills, instead of third party companies like Glide and Split The Bills.

In contrast to the claims on their website, a spokesperson for Glide admitted that “yes, we are more expensive than traditional providers such as British Gas”, and explained that the service they provide is for people looking to save time and the stress of splitting bills.

“Utilities is a tricky industry and each year we refine our processes and learn in order to reduce any mistakes.

Inevitably, due to the nature of the industry and the amount of services we provide, there are always going to be a handful of issues.

“It is possible for students to save money by doing bills themselves and for some this is the method that they will take.

For others, they are happy to pay a premium to be safe in the knowledge that they have to pay only their share and to bring all of their bills together in one place.”a For students who are struggling with budgeting and finances, the Students’ Union has a free and confidential advice service.

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ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Calls for Manchester Free Ahed Tamimi United to pay Living protest Wage BDS university group joined forces with several Jacob Rawling Senior Local Politics Reporter On Thursday the 1st of February students and local activists from the non-profit Citizens UK requested that Manchester United “move to paying a real Living Wage to all staff and contracts in 2018.”

The local chapter of Citizens UK delivered a letter requesting Man United to “do the right thing.”

Citizens UK acknowledged “the vital contribution that Manchester United FC makes to the UK economy as a global brand” but hope the club “shows leadership ... to ensure the cost of living is met for low-paid workers.”

Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston, and many other community leaders were signatories of this open letter.

The current call for Manchester United to increase their wages for low-paid workers follows a successful campaign in Liverpool.

In late October of 2017, the Living Wage Foundation and Steve Rotherham, Liverpool’s Metropolitan Mayor, successfully campaigned for Liverpool FC to commit to paying their staff at least the Living Wage of £8.45 at the time. Liverpool FC is one of just three premier league clubs to make such a commitment.

Political pressure on employers across Manchester has been mounting for the past three years.

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham campaigned on support for the Living Wage, stating in 2015 that “we need a National Living Wage for everyone, young and old.”

Two years ago, Burnham worked with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) and achieved a commitment from GMCA to become a Living Wage accredited employer.

The Living Wage for the areas of the UK outside of London is currently £8.75. This figure has been assessed by the politically independent non-profit organisation the Living Wage Foundation.

The wage is based on the cost of essential goods and services, and calculated such so that low-paid workers can live comfortably.

Over 3800 organisations across the UK pay the Living Wage, including the University of Manchester’s Students’ Union (SU) who recently commemorated their accreditation as a Living Wage paying employer with a plaque in the Steve Biko building.

Students currently and previously employed by Manchester United believe that an increase in wages would “have a real impact on the student body”.

Jack Swan, student and member of Greater Manchester Citizens leadership group, is part of the team organising this campaign. Swan and others are in the processes of setting up a Citizens Society on campus and urges current students to join.

Forthcoming campaigns include sustaining pressure for the Living Wage and ending hate crime.

Manchester United were unavailable for comment.

Photo: KGGucwa @Wikimedia

campaigns, including Palestine Action, to protest the arrest of Ahed Tamimi Rosa Simonet Deputy News Editor

and Barclays, ‘was very real’.

Huda said the boycott was a ‘non-violent means of pressuring Israel’. But specified, that if you were Protesters met on Saturday the 6th of January an HSBC or Barclays customer, this didn’t mean at Piccadilly Gardens to protest the arrest of you had to leave the bank. ‘If you’re a customer, Ahed Tamimi and raise awareness of the wider complain … or engage with them on social media.’ campaign ‘Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions’ Huda then shared BDS Manchester’s plans for (BDS). the future. She said ‘the number one goal’ was to Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian activist, pressure the University to divest from Caterpillar, has been detained and charged with assault who provide armoured bulldozers to Israel. following a confrontation with two Israeli soldiers.

They will also be launching a campaign against She was arrested during a raid of her family’s the university’s ties with Technion Israel premises after a video showing her Institute of Technology. According slap an armed Israeli soldier to Huda, these ties go ‘against went viral. According to The Manchester’s own social Independent, the charge responsibility code’ and sheet against Ahed said the ‘BDS campaign includes ‘counts of will continue until all aggravated assault links with Israel’s war against a soldier… crimes have ended.’ obstructing soldier in According to a the performance of document provided his duty, and throwing

by BDS, “the University stones at troops.’ of Manchester Huda Ammori, invests approximately a member of £2,113,435.79 in BDS University of Caterpillar – according to Manchester, says she the no. of shares (24900) Photo: Haim Schwarczenberg, https:// doesn’t believe Ahed schwarczenberg.com @ Wikimedia Commons invested and the share price should be detained at all. She ($107.49) at the end of the Fiscal defends Ahed’s actions, noting year 2016.” in particular how Ahed’s cousin had “By knowingly and consistently been shot in the head only moments before the providing equipment used to enact systematic video was taken. human rights violations, Caterpillar is complicit in When asked why student’s at the University of these violations, as a co-actor in Israel’s actions. In Manchester should be aware of Ahed’s detainment, doing so, Caterpillar are a company that exhibits Huda said ‘all students and people of conscience’ corporate behaviour that amounts to: human should be aware of the ‘university’s investment in rights violations; racial or sexual discrimination; Israel’s war crimes.’ Another student at the protest the institutionalisation of poverty through was also concerned that her tuition fees were discriminatory market practices; armament sales contributing to the occupation. to military regimes” After meeting in Piccadilly Gardens, the protest The above are listed as Environmental and Social moved to outside Barclays bank. Part of the Governance (ESG) issues the University seeks to wider BDS campaign has involved a boycott of minimise in corporate behaviour as part of their Barclays and HSBC. Barclays currently invest in social responsibility code.

BAE systems, who provide aircraft components to Despite these allegations, a University Israel. HSBC currently hold shares in Israeli arms spokesperson said: ‘We do not believe any of our company Elbit systems. current investments or partnerships are in breach Adie Nistelrooy, who helped organise the protest, of our Socially Responsible Investment Policy’. encouraged people to join the boycott. He talked Huda Ammori encourages students to get of being in Gaza and seeing people being ‘dragged involved with the BDS campaign by watching out from the rubble,’ stating ‘the connect’ between for events, such as Israel Apartheid week, and by these scenes and the investments made by HSBC sharing the hashtag #UoMDivestNow.

Internship opportunities for second year students

The summer internships offer paid work experience opportunities based in Manchester Cameron Broome Head News Editor Applications for paid summer internships available only to University of Manchester students are set to open.

The eight-week-long internships are paid at the living wage level and offer experience in the charity and not-forprofit sector of Greater Manchester.

The University Careers Service’s ‘Student Experience Internship’ programme offers roles in different schools and faculties of the University, as well as charities and not-for-profit organisations, assisting in marketing, communications, and project-based work.

Tammy Goldfeld, Head of the Careers Service said: “SEIs — and all summer internships, for that matter — help Manchester students gain valuable experience for their CVs and new skills. A degree from a great university such as ours, coupled with an internship or a placement can really help you to stand out from the crowd.

“We encourage all eligible students to apply for an SEI or visit the Careers Service for help in obtaining a summer internship.”

The programme is largely targeted at second-year students, though there are usually a small number of

opportunities for first-year students in ‘Welcome Week’ roles within the University schools and faculties.

Some of the charities involved last year included The Kindling Trust, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and the Rethink, Rebuild Society.

Applications for the roles open on the 5th of February, though project proposals are received on a rolling basis and so roles will be advertised and recruited for beyond the official launch date of the programme at the start of summer.

Positions will be advertised on the University Career’s service website, Careers Link, as well on the Facebook group titled ‘Summer Internships - University of Manchester Careers Service’.

To apply for the internships, students have to fill out an internal application form asking about their relevant work experience, skills, and interest in the role.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed by the relevant line manager before and offered a job if successful, with the starting date of the eight-week summer scheme to be negotiated by the successful applicants and the line manager.

Students can apply for up to five different roles, although those who meet certain criteria can apply for more.

66 students were involved in last year’s programme and a similar number of roles are expected to be available this year.

Throughout the SEI programme, students also receive support from the University Career’s Service team in the form of workshops and presentations given at the University, some of which are delivered by experts external from the University’s Careers Service with expertise in a particular field.

These include an initial presentation introducing scheme featuring advice on how to make the most of the internship, a session on commercial awareness, and a presentation offering tips on how to effectively use LinkedIn. Started in 2014 and funded through an endowment fund, the aim of the ‘Student Experience Internship’ programme is to give students paid work experience opportunities and develop their employability skills, whilst also helping organisations to complete projects that would otherwise be neglected due to lack of resources.

The programme has provided 330 paid internship opportunities to University of Manchester students since it began.

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Renters’ union Acorn could help students fight back against “rogue landlords”

Photo: Becky Lou Rigg

Tilly Gambarotto News Reporter On the evening of Tuesday of 30th January ‘Acorn’, a renters’ union and anti-poverty organisation, held its launch event for its new Manchester branch.

A Facebook event called for renters to attend the launch at the Friends’ Meeting House in Manchester, where over 100 attendees gathered to join the union. New members voted to make stopping Universal Credit evictions its first big campaign in the city and elected a committee.

Acorn was established in Bristol three years ago in response to rising rent costs, poor housing conditions and a rise in illegal evictions.

It has since had success nationwide in helping private renters to stand up to their landlords against sub-standard housing.

According to Manchester Evening News, Manchester’s population is growing 15 times faster than the rate at which houses are being built: “It means house-building in Manchester is lagging far behind the growing number of people living in the city, and in fact it’s one of the worst discrepancies seen in the whole of England.”

In response to the national housing crisis, Acorn’s website calls for a crackdown on rogue landlords, rent control, longer tenancies and social housing for the masses.

Featured on the BBC’s show Victoria Derbyshire in November last year, Acorn’s co-founder Nick Ballard commented that “we thought there was a need for a community organisation that would represent local people on political issues without being tied to political parties.”

Although Tuesday was the official launch, Acorn has already had a number of successes in Manchester, including the resolution of a dispute with an estate agent where student tenants were reportedly left without heating for over three months.

Its methods are considered fairly “old-school” in that members engage in canvassing to promote the movement, barricade houses with picket-lines to prevent evictions and approach landlords directly to demand improvements.

The union has already put a stop to evictions caused by Universal credit in Newcastle and Sheffield, and an Acorn petition has halted Bristol City Council’s proposed plans to charge council tax to the lowest income households. Now, “in Manchester, our new group is ready to make the same impact” reads its Facebook event page.

Will, an Acorn representative speaking to The Mancunion, said “[the problem with the private renting sector] fundamentally comes down to the imbalanced relationship between tenant and landlord.

It absolutely affects students.”

All of the Acorn branches have worked specifically with students.

Most recently in Brighton, Acorn helped to organise a rent strike at the Kings Road Halls in response to the poor condition of the Sussex University student accommodation, resulting in shared compensation of £64,000.

Whilst student housing horror stories are often accepted as part of the university experience, it is claimed this might actually make students more of a target.

“Students are naturally preoccupied with their work and study, and usually only rent for a year at a time, so they are seen as easy targets for unscrupulous landlords to take advantage of,” Will warned.

Manchester residents are encouraged to become involved in the union by supporting Acorn on social media, joining a direct campaign or organising a movement in their local area.

A Facebook support group is also available for renters, with current posts requesting advice on issues ranging from discrepancies within their contracts, to mould and delayed repairs, and imminent eviction and homelessness.

‘Youthquake’ more anecdotal than fact

Critics warn not to dismiss the youth-vote after data released from the British Election Study renders ‘youthquake’ a myth

fall, in the youth turnout, directors of the study have claimed that: “We can be confident, though that there was no dramatic surge in youth turnout of the sort suggested by some other surveys. In A post-2017 general election survey published by the British short, there was no ‘youthquake’.”

Election Study (BES) have asserted that the ‘youthquake’ of 2017 Commenting on the figures, Emma Atkins, Education Officer was indeed more anecdotal than fact. at the University of Manchester Students’ Union has This follows after an apparent wave of youth support suggested that despite the data, “it shows even for the Labour Party in 2017, with Corbyn appearing more how students’ votes count: students were popular among younger voters as presupposed by instrumental in the swing to labour in Bristol, his appearances at Glastonbury festival, social Sheffield and Norwich, and even the historic media strategies and even the Oxford English defeat of the Conservative MP in Canterbury Dictionary declaring “youthquake” as their which hadn’t happened for 170 years.” word of the year.

She said that this is without mentioning too The figures released by the BES, of which have that the “sample size was too small compared assessed electoral behaviour in Britain since to YouGov.” 1964, have asserted that there was indeed little The 2017 face-to-face survey assessed 2,194 change between the levels of youth turnout in Image: Garry Knight @ Flickr people, of which 1,475 had their votes validated. both the 2015 and 2017 General Elections.

The study included 109 18-24 year olds.

Instead, the study has shown the most noteworthy Critics have also pointed to the fact that the survey’s increase of participation to be those aged between 25-40, definition of ‘young’ as between 18-24 is too narrow to use as a whereby turnout dramatically increased from the 2015 election. measure of change against previous elections, with the data inRespectively, turnout amongst younger voters in both elections fact referring to a ‘young-adult quake.’ remained between 40 and 50 per cent, with elderly voters still Labour’s share of the youth vote did increase during the 2017 reigning as the most prominent age-group in voter turnout. election.

This is despite post-election polling which suggested that However, the BES have suggested that an increase in popularity turnout amongst voters aged between 18-24 during the 2017 is not emblematic of a surge in youth turnout and that the election had risen by anything from 12-16 per cent percentage unexpected success of Labour is as a result of an increase of points. popularity amongst all ages groups, excluding those over the age Whilst the BES notes that the survey contains a small margin of of 70. error, and thus it would be impossible to dismiss a small rise, or Hannah Vallance News Reporter

Greater Manchester Police respond to concerns

Photo: Terry @ Wikimedia Commons

Sam Honey Senior Main Campus Reporter The Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police Ian Hopkins has been forced to deny that his organisation has lost control of the streets after a fresh wave of concerns over safety in the city.

An investigation by the Manchester Evening News into the presence of youth gangs in the Hyde found that incidents involving theft and assault at the hands of school-aged thugs were a regularity for citizens in the area.

Residents appeared dissatisfied with the continuation of the problem which has reportedly escalated into the vandalising of property and use of knives by gang members for self-defence.

Although the continuous nature of these incidents appears to be isolated to Hyde itself, the criticism of the police response has drawn questions of the ability of the force to handle the substantial crime scene in and around Manchester.

A review by the Office for National Statistics found a 41 per cent increase in crime-related incidents in Greater Manchester from September 2016 to September 2017.

Hopkins was forced to admit that the impact of national cuts on the force was behind the reduction in response to and focus on smaller instances of crime.

The Chief Constance identified that “murders, serious sexual offences, and terrorism’” are now the priority for the Police.

Seven years of cuts have been argued to have seriously affected the funding of the police force and seen a significant decrease in a number of officers available to reach crime scenes.

With around 2,000 fewer officers, Hopkins has insisted that the force has reshaped in certain ways to deal with the effects of cuts, including new technologies.

Hopkins remains confident in the ability of the force to serve the Greater Manchester area adequately.

He said: “We are absolutely committed to reducing the impact of these cuts on the people of Manchester and have transformed the way that we work to ensure we are providing the best possible service.

“By working with partners, we are able to look at crime ‘hotspots’ and recurring problems in the area, understanding the wider issues around them and putting in place long-term solutions.

“We have already introduced smartphones and tablets for frontline staff to enable them to spend more time out in the community, and are transforming the way we work with a new operational policing system.

“With fewer officers, we are having to make really difficult decisions and prioritise where to send our resources based on threat, harm and risk, but we will continue to do all we can to keep the streets of Greater Manchester safe.”

A previous investigation by The Mancunion found that students who were affected or concerned by safety issues, particularly in and around South Manchester, increasingly relied on social media groups for information, as opposed to the police or other official channels.

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Science and Tech

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Manchester council plans to build ‘Tower of Light’

UoM study finds sandwiches have same environmental impact as cars

The tower will be part of the £18 million Manchester Civic Quarter Heat Network project, aimed to be environmentally friendly energy solution for the city centre

Research by the University of Manchester finds that national UK sandwich consumption has equivalent carbon footprint of 8 million cars

Aliya Ismangil Science and TechnologyEditor Manchester City Council and Vital Energi have put in a planning application to build a 40-metre high stainless steel tower that will, as well as creating a new sculptural landmark, encase the energy centre of the Manchester Civic Quarter Heat Network (CQHN) project. The project aims to provide an environmentally sustainable energy solution to Manchester city centre and has secured £2.87 million of funding from the Government.

The tower will provide heat and electricity to the network which includes key iconic city centre buildings such as Manchester Town Hall & Extension, Manchester Central Convention Centre, Central Library, Manchester Art Gallery, The Bridgewater Hall, and Heron House.

Councillor Angeliki Stogia, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for the Environment and Skills, says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Manchester to not only reduce energy costs and carbon emissions within the civic estate but also to offer those same environmental and financial benefits to local businesses.

“The council is fully committed to improving air quality and the environmental quality and attractiveness of the city, and we believe this flagship project will make a significant contribution to achieving those ambitions.”

London based award-winning architects, Tonkin Liu, designed what has been named the ‘Tower of Light’. Their designs were chosen over three other architect firms who were also shortlisted in a competition for the job. It uses the latest in architectural technology in its ‘shell lace structure’. The geometry of the tower allows the structure to hold stiff and strong with only 4 - 6mm of laser-cut steel to form the tower’s skin that also supports the 37-metre tall chimneys of the energy centre.

Lighting up the tower will also use minimal energy, as in the day the wind will move polished sun reflectors, giving the illusion of shimmering light. At night, LED lights will be directed at the reflectors.

It is planned to be built on the site of the former GMex building.

Once plans are approved, work is expected to start in spring this year.

Photo: PIxnio

Becca Windsor Science and Technology Reporter Rarely do people think about the environmental impact of buying a meal deal, but University of Manchester researchers have done just that. A study carried out at the university has looked at 40 different sandwich types, recipes and combinations and discovered that the British penchant for sandwiches generates, on average, 9.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This is roughly the same amount as 8.6 million cars in one year.

According to the British Sandwich Association (BSA), around 11.5 billion sandwiches are eaten in the UK per year. Half of which are made at home and half are bought in shops. This means there is an estimated total national expenditure of £8 billion a year on this student lunch classic.

Professor Adisa Azapagic from the School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Sciences, and head of the Sustainable

Industrial Systems research group who conducted the study, says: “Given that sandwiches are a staple of the British diet, as well as their significant market share in the food sector, it is important to understand the contribution from this sector to the emissions of greenhouse gases.”

The study focused on both home-made and pre-packaged sandwiches, considering the whole production process, including sourcing of ingredients, transport, packaging and eventual food waste. The largest contributor to a sandwich’s carbon footprint was found to be the agricultural production and processing of its ingredients.

Alarmingly, keeping sandwiches chilled on supermarket shelves contributes to a quarter of their greenhouse gas emissions. However, extending their shelf life and using less conservative sell-by dates could greatly reduce their impact on the environment, possibly by as much as half. The BSA estimates that doing so could lead to an estimated 2000 tonne reduction in

food waste annually.

Out of the 40 sandwich types considered, the one with the largest carbon footprint was the “all-day breakfast” sandwich consisting of egg, bacon and sausage. It was estimated that this sandwich generates up to 1,441 grams of CO2 equivalent, comparable to driving a car for 12 miles.

The sandwich with the smallest carbon footprint was a classic ham and cheese. Pork meat (bacon, ham or sausage), tomatoes, prawns and cheese were considered the most carbon-intensive ingredients.

An important conclusion highlighted was that making your own sandwiches can reduce carbon emissions by half, compared to shop-bought or ready-made sandwiches. Using plant-based ingredients, rather than meaty alternatives, could greatly reduce environmental impact, reduce calorific intake and would be a major step towards a healthier, more eco-friendly lifestyle.

University of Manchester part of new government ‘Institute of Coding’

The £20 million consortium of universities and industry leads aims to fill the UK digital skills gap Aliya Ismangil Science and Technology Editor The University of Manchester is amongst the 25 universities that are part of the new Institute of Coding, which also includes leading technology businesses.

These include IBM, Cisco and Microsoft, professional bodies such as the British Computer Society, Crest, and small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs).

“A world-class pipeline of digital skills are essential to the UK’s ability to shape our future,” says Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah.

The demand for digital skills in the industry seems to be on the rise.

In January 2017, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) released the results of a survey of more than 1,400 businesses in the UK. It revealed that 84% of businesses are saying that digital skills are more important to their organisation now than two years ago. But as many as three in four businesses experience a shortage of digital skills in their workforce.

The Institute of Coding, announced by the Prime Minister at World Economic Forum 2018 in Davos, aims to address this gap and is part of Government’s Industrial Strategy.

“By working together, universities, employers and industry leaders can help graduates build the right skills, in fields from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence to industrial design,” says Gyimah.

“The Institute of Coding will play a central role in this. Employers will have a tangible input to the curriculum, working hand-in-hand with universities to develop specialist skills in areas where they are needed most.

“As we have outlined in the Industrial Strategy, this is part of our ambition to embrace technological change and give us a more competitive edge in the future.”

As part of this initiative, the University of Manchester’s School of Computer Science will develop industry-level software to improve the marking of student’s assessments and the feedback they receive.

Manchester’s lead researcher on the project, Dr Suzanne Embury, explains that the common process of students having to wait until after their submitted work has been marked to get feedback is an inefficient way for students to know where they went wrong and how

Photo: Tonkin Liu

Photo: Tonkin Liu

Once in a ‘super blue blood moon’ Many were excited by the rare lunar event that happened on the 31st January, but University of Manchester professor Tim O’Brien is not so sure Aliya Ismangil Science and Technology Editor

Photo: StockSnap @ pixabay.com

to improve.

“Our systems will provide formative feedback and guidance to students as they complete the work. This will allow misunderstandings to be corrected early and frees up staff and Teaching Assistants to focus on teaching the more subtle, subjective aspects of software quality.”

Dr Caroline Jay, Co-Investigator and lead on the ‘Learning Analytics’ strand of the Manchester project, adds: “The Institute of Coding will

enable us to pioneer a new approach to learning at The University of Manchester, through materials developed collaboratively by research software engineers and academic researchers.”

In other areas of the project, pilot programmes will test how best to reach and support people with regard to the cost of retraining. £30 million of funding has also been given by the Government to test the use of artificial intelligence and other educational technology in online digital skills courses.

On the night of the 31st of January, Australia, Asia, and some part of the United States of America witnessed a lunar event that has not been observed in the western hemisphere for 150 years.

This rare astronomical event is the combination of a lunar eclipse, a supermoon, and a “blue moon” — an appearance of two full moons in one month, occurring every two and half years or so.

A lunar eclipse happens when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned. A shadow is cast over the Moon by the Earth, with only traces of sunlight refracted over the Earth illuminating it. This gives it a red appearance, which has lead this phenomenon being informally coined a ‘blood moon’.

A supermoon is when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit. This means the moon appears 7 per cent larger and 15 per cent brighter.

The coinciding of these three lunar events has lead to the name ‘super blue blood moon’ being coined and

last week saw many excitedly anticipating the event.

However, in an article for The Conversation published on Monday last week, the University of Manchester’s Professor of Astrophysics, Tim O’Brien, shared a more reserved sentiment with regard to this rare lunar event.

Professor O’Brien writes: “the trouble is that a supermoon in itself is not really all that special.” The moon follows an elliptical, oval-shaped, orbit around the Earth, so the distance between the two bodies can range between 360,000km to 406,000km. The moon is at its closest to the Earth more often than we think. It is only when this coincides with a full moon that a ‘fuss’ is made.

Professor O’Brien goes on to explain that even though the moon will appear larger at its closest point to the Earth in comparison to its furthest point, the increase in size is often exaggerated. The moon can appear larger just through an optical illusion and most people will have observed a larger moon on occasions that aren’t a ‘supermoon’.

Scientists know that the moon appears larger when closer to the horizon than high in the sky, although the exact reasons why this happens are still not understood.

But Professor O’Brien also goes on to say that a lunar eclipse is a valuable event for scientists to observe and can still learn a lot from: “The details of how the sunlight we see reflected from the moon during eclipse has been altered, scattered and absorbed on its way through our atmosphere, and how this is affected by, for example, volcanic eruptions or even meteor showers, are still being studied.”

The world is set to further lunar exploration in the near future. India’s space agency, ISRO, plans to launch an exploratory rover to the Moon later this year. In December, US President Donald Trump commissioned NASA to plan a manned mission to the Moon’s surface, the first since 1972.

Lunar scientist from the University of Manchester, Dr Katherine Joy, hopes that the revival of lunar exploration interest will set the scene for human space exploration and perhaps even a lunar base. “That’s what makes the Moon ideal - it’s only three days away,” says Dr Joy. “You can do all of those things and plan ahead for where you would go next, but retain that infrastructure around the Moon.”

Photo: TECU Consulting UK @ Flickr.com

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EXCLUSIVE:

The Mancunion visits Manchester’s animal research facility Editor-in-Chief Kirstie O’Mahony is the first ever journalist to see the facility up close and personal After a Mancunion news article created somewhat of a storm in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health last semester, I was asked to have a tour of the Stopford Animal Research Facility to see for myself the work they do there.

I was the first journalist to be given such unfettered access to the facility. To say I was apprehensive would be an understatement. I’d had lots of chats with friends and colleagues about the ethics of animal testing in the run up to the tour, and although I agreed with many people’s argument that it’s a ‘necessary evil’ in order to make some real tangible changes in the medical world, the visceral reaction to hearing animals being repeatedly experimented on in sometimes gruesome ways is something that I couldn’t really shake.

Nonetheless, I wanted to go into my morning there with an open mind, to try to understand what an animal testing facility does.

I was shown around by Graham Morrissey, Director of the Biological Services Facility (BSF). He is also the facility’s named animal care and welfare officer, or NACWO. He explains that it’s his job to, “make sure that… animals can’t be suffering”. I initially found this hard to believe because, to me, suffering would be an inherent part of any experimental procedure that is forcibly performed on an animal.

But he tells me that not only do all animals need to be anaesthetised (or a very good reason has to be provided if they’re not) but that there are people employed by the university to find ways in which less animals can be used in research. In fact, a lot of the aims of people on the AWERB board is to reduce the animals used as much as possible.

It seems an odd paradox that the majority of people working in animal testing both care deeply about animals

“At least in this institute, cures for cancer are the potential rewards reaped, rather than a full stomach.”

and want to help abolish the testing of them altogether.

Graham made a point of telling me that lots of the people working there were vegetarians, which at first seemed ridiculous to me.

But thinking about it more, it does actually make some sort of sense: whilst some of these experiements may seem cruel, at least they have a tangible benefit to mankind as a result (as of course, if they didn’t, the project licence wouldn’t be awarded in the first place). I myself eat meat, so it would be hard for me to get on my high horse about animal testing, given that I implicitly endorse

Photo: FBMH the killing of animals for one solitary meal. At least in this institute, cures for cancer are the potential rewards reaped, rather than a full stomach.

The University of Manchester houses an extraordinary amount of animals. According to Graham there are 60,000 mice, around 2000 rats, over 80,000 Zebrafish, and about ten sheep. But I went to visit in their least busy period, as quite a lot of experiments fnish just before the Christmas break, so some animals such as pigs that would tend to be there were not when I was shown around.

I asked Graham what is a sufficient reason for needing to use a farm animal rather than “less sentient animals” (as he describes them) such as mice and zebra fish. He told me that, for example, cardiology work needs to take place on a sheep because the heart is a very delicate organ, and it’s too difficult to see what you’re doing when you try and do the same work on a mouses’ heart.

He explained that in the past, animal researches would have typically used dogs for cardiology research, and internally I squirmed at the thought. But this type of hypocrisy is something that really annoys people like Graham. He later lamented to me that people have a different moral standard with different animals – there are far fewer people who would get up in arms about a mouse than there would be for a dog.

He’s right, of course. I guess it comes down to the obviousness of the pain an animal feels. To put it bluntly, a zebrafish can’t really express pain or pleasure, and therefore we have less to react to. But whilst we were in the facility, I overheard a rat being injected with a drug that would induce schizophrenia in it, and it shook me to my core. It was such a high pitched and heartbreaking noise.

I don’t think it will ever be possible to fully separate the knowledge that animal testing produces an inherent good, from the visceral reaction of witnessing an animal in such suffering. But I think the common misconception that I myself have made in the past, is that people involved in animal research don’t feel the same way.

And there was so much in the facility that didn’t involve suffering. For example, there was an incredible experiment being done with embryonic Zebrafish, which were waiting to be hatched in different tanks with water at different temperatures, in order to measure how climate change affects growth. I was fascinated by this and hadn’t ever thought it was something that was done in a facility such as this.

I had an opportunity to pick Graham’s brain at the end of the tour. He (somewhat reluctantly) told me he had been working at the university for 39 years (since he was just 16) and they had been very good to him, helping him through a degree and a masters course. He told me that he “wanted to be a vet but didn’t work hard enough at

school”, reiterating what he had told me earlier – that he genuinely cared about the welfare of animals.

I asked him what he’d say to those who don’t quite buy the idea that animal researchers can care about the animals they test on. He told me that welfare of animals is impressed upon every one of the 40 members of research staff from day one, and that people really need to look at the quantifiable benefits of the research that they’re doing.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t advance the medicines and the technology, then… you’re not going to find a cure for disease, prevent scarring… If someone suffers a scar

Photo: Alice Sparks

Invisible Manchester with Alice Sparks

Ellie Tivey talks to Alice Sparks on opening up the dialogue of the homelessness problem in Manchester Ellie Tivey Contributor

As I’m sure most of us are aware, the homelessness issue in Manchester is one in dire need of attention. According to Street Support, over 3,000 people are sleeping rough in Manchester, a reflection of the 900 per cent increase in homelessness since 2010.

Manchester is a city that I love dearly, but I distinctly remember how affected I was by the visibility of the homelessness problem when I moved here for the first time. It is fair to say that, when confronted with this problem on our daily commutes, the popular public reaction is to look firmly ahead, look busy, and walk on by. Besides, we have a really important meeting to get to.

The now familiar pang of guilt is subsequently followed by an inevitable sense of helplessness. After all, what can we really do? Surely we can’t tackle such a deep systemic issue all on our own?

One woman who is refusing to ignore this problem any longer is 20-year-old student, Alice Sparks. Following a visit to Edinburgh in early September, Sparks came

across a local charity named Invisible Edinburgh.

The organisation set up tours of the beautiful city and employed the city’s homeless population to be the tour guides. Upon returning to Manchester, Sparks searched for a Mancunian equivalent. When this research proved fruitless, she took it upon herself to begin one – Invisible Manchester.

The process began with her contacting Zakia Moulaoui, the founder of Invisible Edinburgh. In the months that have ensued, they have been in constant contact, working towards the start-up of the Manchester branch. She has visited the Booth Centre, a day-centre that offers advice and support for Manchester’s homeless, and is working with them to find the perfect candidates for the tour guide roles.

The University of Manchester has also offered her £500 of the SALC Student Engagement and Community Fund towards training fees, uniforms and advertisement.

In her own words, Sparks’ main aim is to ‘create a dialogue between the public and the people affected by homelessness. Sharing real stories of homelessness

will raise awareness about what it actually means to be homeless and encourage people to look at the streets differently’. Existing beneath our experiences of Manchester is a network of adversity and suffering. We can ignore it no longer. Sparks’ goal is to give the power of exposing this inequality into the hands of those worse affected.

Training for the tour guide roles is set to begin in January of this year with the first tours due to begin in midFebruary. Encouraging the homeless themselves to lead the tours will, she hopes, lead to a ‘build in self-confidence, knowledge, and proficiency for public speaking’. The charity’s main aim is to work towards ‘active opportunities’ for the guides, giving education and employable skills.

At no other time of year is it harder to be homeless than these winter months. The issue deserves everyone’s attention now more than ever. If you wish to help Sparks in her efforts to make the severity of this problem more visible, contact her at manchester@invisible-cities.org.

Otherwise, keep an eye out for Sparks and the first Invisible Manchester tours in the coming weeks!

Photo: Mike Sallabank

Patagonia comes to Manchester: an interview with Alex Weller Raine Beckford sits down with the marketing director of the environmentally conscious Patagonia at the opening of the only UK store, right here in Manchester Raine Beckford Deputy Features Editor

Photo: The Mancunion through a street attack it could really affect the way that person looks at the rest of their life and if we come up with a wound healing technique at Manchester and better intervention then hopefully that would help that person.

“If we didn’t have these novel drugs coming through, then we’d be stuck in a rut.”

He also pointed out that there are organisations that will give funding for non-animal work, which he fully endorses.

I asked him if, in some far off hypothetical future, would he like to see a complete move away from animal testing?

He replied: “Totally! I’d be out of a job if animals were never going to be used again, but I’d be more than happy.”

The university are also endeavouring to be more open about their research, with the release of a new 360 online tour coming soon, and the aim to have more tours of the facility like the one I had.

So, what’s Graham’s advice to those who still aren’t convinced? “Come and have a look!”

Patagonia is not only an outdoor clothing store, but a company dedicated to the pursuit of environmental sustainability. Through funding activism and raising awareness, the company hopes to affect change across the world. Ahead of the launch of their first UK mono-brand store, I sat down with Alex Weller, marketing director for Patagonia in Europe, to find out more about their ethos.

Regarding the decision to open their first mono-brand store in Manchester, Weller tells me, “we haven’t had an owned and operated store in the UK for four years now and we’ve been wanting to open a store here for a while.

Our UK head office is here in the city centre, so having a retail store in our own backyard was quite important to us.”

More specifically, he notes, “Manchester is a really important city for a variety of reasons. One is, of course, its size — it’s the largest city in the north of England — but also for its proximity to outdoor sports. There’s a strong outdoors community here so whether it’s being up on the moors, running, mountain biking, or that we’re close enough to the peak district for climbing.

“In actual fact, you don’t have to go very far from here to surf on either coast of the UK, so it’s perfectly located for all of the sports communities that we serve. Ultimately, Manchester is a very dynamic city.”

Of the company’s core values he says “we as a brand have a lot of important things to say, we’re deeply committed to issues of environmental sustainability and social justice and we feel that the vibrancy and progressive mindset of this city means that communities here will engage with the same issues that we’re interested in.”

Environmental activism may not seem like the most obvious focus for a high street store, but Weller tells me, “we firmly believe that what we would define as the environmental crisis is the most pressing issue of our time. While some positive change can be affected from the top through political lobbying and petitioning the government, we strongly believe that the most effective change comes from the bottom, where environmental activism exists.

“There are a huge number of environmental activists, grassroots groups and NGOs fighting incredibly important issues with a limited amount of resources, and by supporting those groups we can enable a lot more change, a lot more quickly, and across a much wider range of topics than by trying to affect change at the policy level.”

Patagonia is the original founding partner of 1% For The Planet, a pledge from Patagonia to donate 1 per cent of its gross revenue to environmental organisations around the world. Weller says “we currently support just under 1000 organisations globally, 100 in Europe and 20 here in the UK. Sometimes it’s one person or two or five but we

also support some larger ones. Our front shop window at the moment has a big mural that says save our rivers, in support of an NGO based in North Wales.”

I was impressed with the scope of the company’s aims and nobility of their cause but wasn’t entirely sure on how this message would resonate within the student community. Weller, however, was confident.

“We’ve found that younger communities are more engaged, involved, and passionate about the environmental crisis than those who are older. People of my age weren’t born into the environmental crisis. It was something we learned about as we got older and as the issues became apparent. But the younger generation has known nothing else.

If that weren’t enough to convince you, Patagonia also houses an in-store seamstress, Martina Clarissa, who repairs clothes free of charge. Part of their pledge towards sustainability is encouraging people to repair and re-wear things, rather than throw them away.

The opening of the Manchester store brings Patagonia’s total to 8 owned and operated stores in Europe (with a further 12 partner stores). Readers wanting to learn more, try products, or join the fight for environmental sustainability can find them at 51 King Street.If you would like to read the full interview, go online at www. manchestermediagroup.co.uk.

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Modern romance is broken

How fixations on monogamous loyalty ruins our relationships Editor Jacklin Kwan

Photo: Jwslubbock @ Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Public domain @ Wikimedia Common

It is probably safe to say that we currently live in an era where the definition of romantic love is wider than ever before. In many parts of the world, there is a positive trend towards reforming both an individual’s legal and social rights to love freely. And yet, increasingly, the pursuit of an idealised and often distorted form of romantic love has become the centrepiece of ‘the good life’.

As a truly modern malaise, romanticism’s influence in how we conceive of our own happiness and how we form the other equally meaningful relationships is deeply damaging.

The modern conception of romantic love is incredibly defined: a life-long monogamous partner who serves as a nucleus of emotional support, spiritual fulfilment, and often sexualised passion. They are meant to understand and accept us in profound ways that no other person can, and the epitome of our romantic expression should always be — or eventually be — marriage.

Even when optimistic, it shouldn’t take much convincing for many people to accept that this understanding of love is unrealistic — life-long partners struggle to be their spouses’ single source of abstract happiness, and even after decades of being together, fail to know or love each other in the specific way their partner needs.

The temptation to believe in this myth of a romantic soulmate comes from our propensity to believe that, by ourselves, we are inherently incomplete. There is just a rather depressing truth that many of us grapple with in our everyday lives where we feel lonely, flawed, and desperately insecure. Therefore, we idealise a partner who will unconditionally accept us no matter what.

This is exacerbated by how difficult people find it to connect with others in an intimate way — due to fear or an inability to articulate ourselves to another person. We therefore often rely on the hope of a soulmate as a crutch.

This glorified illusion on which become dependent damages our relationships with our significant others, our friends, family, and most importantly, ourselves. We hold our romantic partners to unrealistic — almost delusional — standards of perfection when catering to our needs.

We expect them to be able to know how we feel and our relationships to be able to sustain long-term passion without any concerted effort.

Obviously, this leads to people undervaluing the time and commitment needed to make a

relationship work, and often being insecure in the authenticity of their love.

In reality, often people find that the best relationships are dynamic — where there isn’t an expectation that we should be loved as we are but that love is a process of self-development and exploration with others. In this way, it is possible to define one’s life outside the confines of the pursuit of love.

Love acts as an amplifier or an enabler to more self-directed forms of fulfilment — like a career, or a passion. The value we find in our own lives isn’t just concentrated on the validation or performance of an idealised Other. It is possible to create our own happiness.

The conception of romance also detriments other relationships that we form. Its appeal works by artificially limiting the emotional intimacies we are allowed to explore with others. Our romantic partners should be the ones whom we reserve our deepest secrets for, our most vulnerable moments, as well as most expressions of physical affection.

If we were to expend these on our friends or family, our love for our partner would be less meaningful as they wouldn’t be the only cradle of comfort from the harsh outside world that we have. In this way, modern romance actively makes all other relationships less rewarding by making false promises of a future soulmate.

The artificial scarcity created is a toxic way for us to relate to the vast majority of people in our lives — it promotes unhealthy possessiveness over our romantic partners if they have other close bonds, and it arbitrarily sets limits on what could otherwise be intensely beneficial interactions we could have with others.

Most importantly, this illusion presumes that we should be frantically unhappy with ourselves.

Our need for an easy and singular solution for the loneliness that comes with the human condition is often exploited by romantic narratives sold in the forms of Hollywood films and literature.

The illusion is not insulated from other oppressive structures of power either. Often, representations of idealised romance are heteronormative and monogamous and put a premium on female ‘purity’ — both emotional and physical. Modern romantic love is a construct so deeply entrenched and powerful because it is rooted in personal insecurity, and we should rid ourselves of its shackles.

Italy’s awakening

Italy is populism’s next victim in Europe, says Contributor Jake Dunn On the 4th of March, Italians will vote in a closely watched election that will no doubt shake the European Union and be seen as another test of the anti-establishment populist forces in Europe. 2017 was a good year for populist parties in Europe. In Austria, the rightwing Freedom Party entered government, and in Germany, the AFD entered the Bundestag for the first time with 12 per cent of the vote.

Italy has had four prime ministers since 2013 and a failed attempt to reform its constitution.

Meanwhile, its economy has staggered and the influx of refugees has not been slashed. All this has created a flourishing environment for populism to thrive and it has become a powerful force in the run-up to the Italian election.

Italy is the next test for the European Union and if the polls are correct, the anti-establishment and populist Five-star movement will become the largest single party in the Italian parliament for the first time. However, despite this, they are not the favourites to win and instead it is one Silvio Berlusconi.

After years in political exile and personal scandal, he has returned and while his party will not have a majority, it is likely that the rightleaning alliance composed of Forza Italia, Lega Nord, and other minor right-wing parties will.

Berlusconi cannot serve as prime minister or as a minister because of a ban that disallows him from serving in public office due to his past criminal convictions.

Despite this, whoever becomes prime minister will be someone of his choosing and under his influence, meaning he will be kingmaker once again.

Instability has plagued Italy’s centre-left government since it came to power in 2013, with

four prime ministers and a failed referendum on reforming the constitution. The economy is sluggish despite reforms implemented by the Democratic Party, and it is unlikely the centreleft led by the former prime minister, Matteo Renzi, will return to government after this election.

His attempts to reform the constitution failed due to the public voting against it in a referendum. If other European elections are anything to go by, this election will be a battering for the centre-left, like in both France and Germany where centre-left social democratic parties suffered their worst results in recent history.

However, there is one party that is being underestimated in terms of its influence on the Italian political scene, and that is Berlusconi’s would-be coalition partner, Lega Nord led by Matteo Salvini. Lega Nord, emerged in the late 1980s as a separatist force for the wealthier northern regions of Italy and propped up many of Berlusconi’s previous governments.

However, both the migrant and Eurozone crisis have given the party a huge boost in support, and while, currently, it is likely to support Berlusconi, it could also prop up a coalition with the Five-star movement. It would be the first of its kind. Previously, the Five-star movement has traditionally ruled out any possibility of a political coalition.

For Brussels, either outcome is not a perfectly good outcome. If the right-wing alliance under Berlusconi is victorious, the only thing they will be smiling about is the fact the Five-star movement is not in power: the lesser of two evils. For Brussels, either scenario presents a problem for them especially when it comes to

Photo: European Peoples Party @ Flickr

Eurozone reform and the refugee crisis.

Like the new coalition in Austria, the Italians have no interest in seeing a further integrated EU dominated by Macron’s France and Merkel’s Germany.

If the Five-star movement somehow are victorious in forming a coalition, which at this stage remains unlikely, it would be Brussels’ worst nightmare and would cause chaos as Italy would become a ‘rouge member state’ likely to resist EU measures over migration and debt reductions with an extremely eurosceptic outlook, doing its best to halt or block any reforms proposed.

They will most likely aim to make the EU unworkable and even more unpopular, and might even hold a referendum on EU membership as the party has stated it would like to take Italy out of the Eurozone.

If the current polls are to be believed, the

election is a close race between the Five-star movement, the Democratic Party and its allies, and Berlusconi’s right-leaning alliance. At the current time, it is not even clear if a coalition between the centre-right and centre-left would receive enough votes to hold a majority in parliament.

Whichever party wins the largest share of the vote, Italy will likely be plagued by months of instability as a coalition of some sort is forced to come together. However, the success of the Five-star movement and the Northern League, both populist parties, will determine how proEuropean Italy’s next government will be even if they take a place in opposition.

The only clear victor in this election will be populism; whether it is Berlusconi or the Fivestar movement, Italy will be the next victim of the populist onslaught consuming Europe.

Opinion 11

ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Not my President: how Donald Trump threatens the entire world – and what we can do to stop him

Donald Trump is the peace movement’s greatest enemy, but he could become its greatest asset, writes Manchester Campaign for Nuclear Disarmemnt volunteer Lily Sheehan

Photo: Photo: Gage Skidmore @ Flickr

20th January 2018 marked a year since Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as President of the United States. Whilst he is deplorable in pretty much every category, Trump’s warmongering is one of his most shocking and dangerous qualities.

According to MSNBC, President Trump once asked his advisors about using nuclear weapons three times in a single foreign policy meeting.

It is difficult to watch a foreign country experience tax relief for the rich and fatal blows to their healthcare system, but it is quite another for the president of such a country to possibly endanger everyone in the entire world. The embodiment of American imperialism and interventionism, Donald Trump may be the death of us all — or our saving grace.

You may be thinking, or hoping, that Donald Trump is simply America’s problem. Even with the former reality television star in charge, the United States remains one of the most powerful countries in the world.

The US Military budget for 2018 is US$ 824.6 billion and the American nuclear arsenal is the second largest in the world. These facts, coupled with the Republicans’ unchecked political power, make the United States a credible threat to any country they so please.

With Donald Trump’s tendency towards irrational rage, who knows which country may anger him next?

As Trump himself once said: “Good people don’t go into government.” Judging by his record so far, he’s right. Since becoming President, Trump has maintained a feud with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, causing an unprecedented rise in tensions between the two countries.

A spokesman for North Korea’s Foreign Ministry said what we were all thinking: Trump is a “nuclear demon” and a “disruptor of global peace.” Describing the supreme leader as “short and fat” shows that Trump is willing to take a gamble with all of our lives.

Amidst their feud with the United States government, North Korea is in the process of

testing nuclear weapons. Whilst I am hardly an expert on foreign policy, even I know that it is a terrible idea to personally attack the leader of the only country in the world that currently refuses to adhere to norms in nuclear weapons testing and proliferation.

Trump is capable of causing untold destruction, and it’s not clear if he even knows this.

Despite being the author of a book entitled ‘The Art of the Deal’, Trump has yet to negotiate any peace agreements. Last year, the Chinese government proposed the ‘freeze-for-freeze’ initiative. China advocates that if North Korea was to ‘freeze’ its nuclear weapons program, South Korea and the United States could ‘freeze’ their annual joint military exercises in return.

Trump refused to accept or even discuss the deal, saying that similar agreements “have failed in the past.” One Chinese newspaper said the US has “casually wasted” opportunities given by China to open up a dialogue with North Korea. Rather than explore peaceful solutions to the North Korean problem, Trump would rather take the aggressive route.

Not only has he ignored a potential diplomatic solution, he has now taken to aggravating the situation, calling the North Korean Supreme Leader “rocket man” whenever the opportunity presents itself.

In typical Trump fashion, the President is more concerned with high-risk ‘negotiation’ strategies than the safety of his citizens and the wider world.

North Korea is not the only victim of Trump’s alleged business acumen. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was a 2015 agreement that the US signed with five other countries, banning Iran from developing nuclear weapons in return for lifting sanctions.

The JCPOA worked well until October last year when Trump decertified it, declaring it “one of the worst deals” he’d ever seen. Whilst this did not put an end to the deal entirely, it certainly strained the American relationship with the co-signers.

In a rare joint statement, signatories (Britain, France, and Germany) condemned this decision and said it was not in their “shared national security interest.” Not satisfied with angering potential adversary states, Trump is willing to make enemies of the countries that should be America’s closest allies.

But how does all of this affect us nonAmericans? It is the nuclear aspect of Trump’s warmongering that is particularly worrying.

Consider the devastating effects of Hiroshima in 1945 — a typical modern weapon is 8 to 80 times larger than Little Boy. According to Dr. Philip Webber, the Chair of Scientists for Global Responsibility UK, a study of two countries of comparable size to the US and North Korea using up to 100 warheads would be catastrophic for the victims.

Dr. Webber theorised that such an attack would cause “severe frosts, reduced growing seasons, drought and famine lasting up to ten years.” The attacked country would become “pre-industrial.” Even if your country is lucky enough not to be targeted, you are not safe.

According to the Atomic Archive, nitric oxides produced by nuclear weapons could reduce the ozone layer in the Northern Hemisphere by 30-70 per cent. This could potentially cause dangerous burns and other untold ecological changes. Our world as we know it could change all because one man in America picked fights and scorned deals.

Having read this article thus far, I wouldn’t blame you if you are feeling fairly panicked about the Trump presidency. Fear not. Whilst the US President’s actions have far-reaching, potentially devastating consequences, they could also have far-reaching, potentially beneficial ones.

Because he causes so much outrage across political lines, languages, and continents, Donald Trump is actually an asset to the peace movement. He is so controversial and detestable that even the most apolitical among us have been inspired to protest against him.

Donald Trump has essentially become a guide on how not to run a country. In this way, he is useful for increasing awareness of the dangers of political corruption, American exceptionalism, and nuclear weapons. He has forced other world leaders to show their true colours.

Calling for opinion section contributors

Upon his inauguration, the UK Prime Minister was keen to remind Trump of the “special relationship” between their countries, and she became the first foreign leader to visit Trump’s White House. The German Chancellor refused to kowtow to the President, saying: “We Europeans... have to know that we have to fight for our own future.”

Tellingly, whilst Theresa May was caught holding hands with the President, Angela Merkel was shunned when she went to shake his hand. If your country’s leader supports Trump, condemn them for this; if they don’t, show your support.

In the United Kingdom in particular, reevaluating the “special relationship” is crucial.

In light of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is likely that the UK will be dragged into any international conflicts that Trump starts.

Interestingly, it appears that opinions on British involvement on the world stage are changing. In 2017, Young Labour delegates voted in favour of a motion that called Trump a “fascist” and proposed that the UK withdraw from NATO. The motion stated that “NATO has been the lynchpin and institutional expression of American imperialism.” Through involvement in organisations like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Britons can show our government how we feel about the “fascist” President.

At the time of writing, a Facebook event for a Trump protest in London currently has 96,000 people interested. Donald Trump is said to have cancelled his proposed February visit because of his fear of backlash. If we continue to protest and support anti-Trump organisations, what else can we pressure him into?

Many of us exist in a bubble. As our lives are not directly threatened by nuclear weapons every day, some of us develop the view that they are necessary, harmless, or even stand to protect us in some way.

Many people who support nuclear weapons believe that they are preparation for a worstcase doomsday scenario. I would argue that, with Donald Trump in charge of the world’s second-largest nuclear arsenal, we are living in this worst-case scenario. Ironically, nuclear disarmament would make us all safer.

Photo: (stephan)@ Flickr

Do you have an opinion you want to share with the Manchester student community? The Mancunion is looking for regular contributors for its weekly paper editiom and for its day-to-day updates on its website!

From thought-provoking insights into contemporary feminism to rants about movies, we want hear what you have to say.

Simply come to our weekly opinion section meetings on Monday in the Student Union, or message our editor Jacklin Kwan about your interest in writing.

Great for your CV, and a platform for your ideas, we at the Mancunion will be waiting for your contributions!

Email us at : opinion@mancunion.com

12

Music

ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHETSERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Live Review

Album Reviews

Charli XCX - POP2

Conributor, Jake Oliver

As time creeps slowly forward, the wait for Charli XCX’s elusive third album grows ever stronger. In the meantime, though, here’s Pop 2, the second mix tape released by the artist in the space of a year. Following on from the distinctive Number 1 Angel, Charli continues down the path of EDM synthetic pop alongside a plethora of superstar collaborations to create truly unique piece of work.

Free from the constraints of having to churn out another full length LP, Charli is able to delve deeper in to an experimental world, backed by producer and fellow musical oddball AG Cook.

Pop 2 is a far cry from her earlier style found on albums Sucker and True Romance, but this is a testament to an artist who plays to her strengths and embraces the outlandish.

Packed to the brim with hard trap beats, piercing harmonies and pure bubblegum pop, this is a mixtape that simply de-

Photo: Album Artwork

mands to be played at an unrelenting volume.

Rather than sticking to generic rehashings of mainstream pop, Charli here is brave enough to subvert these tropes to a brand new level.

On track’s like ‘I Got It’, featuring the electrifying cupcakKe, there’s a slow but steady build-up against a thumping bass beat before Brazillian drag queen Pabllo Vittar sets us up for the final drop a collective euphoria of all sorts of mechanical and shattering pulses.

On the track ‘Femmebot’, it seems that Charli addresses her contemporaries and critics with the line “I’m an upgrade of your stereotype”. ‘Femmebot’ itself is as futuristic as it gets, and the use of autotune and shrill sampling only adds to this effect. It carries on Charli’s established sense of girl power, one that was exercised on single ‘Boys’ earlier on in 2017, with the fierce dominance of “I get what I want like it or not” being a potential mantra for listeners to embrace for themselves.

As pop queen, Charli uses her power to pull in an extreme-

Fall Out Boy - M A N I A I have somewhat found memories of Fall Out Boy. Sugar, We’re Going Down is one of the first songs I learnt to play with my mates and I remember the hype when returned in 2013. But since that comeback their recent material has not sat well with me.

So with this in mind, expectations were pretty low for their 7th album M A N I A. So call me surprised when even I come out disappointed. Pretty much everything that can go wrong, has.

The last thing anybody Fall Out Boy wanted to do was EDM Pop. It seems to be a recent trend for Rock bands to drastically change their sound to stay in the lime light. This band formed 20 years ago and they’re still trying to remain “relevant”. But instead of achieving is goal it comes off as a desperate struggle with them not only doing an awful job but also chasing dead trends.

The change feels forced and heavy handed. Loud bashing electronic beats dominate throughout out and with little variation. It all begins to mush together as it all follows the same structure. A build up verse followed by a chorus that has a cheap beat thrown over it then repeat.

There are some chiptune vocals here and there, maybe a piano if they’re feeling adventurous, but who cares. It has been done to death now and

they’re doing a terrible job of it.

The biggest problem lies in the production. It’s so chaotic and compressed. The electronic beats are far too overpowering and completely destroy the structure of the songs. Songs like “Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea” or “Champions” slap these beats on the chorus and they dominate over everything else. And these are just some of the worst offenders as every song suffers the same fate. I’ve seen defenders of the album claim that “it’s meant to be that way, it represents the title of the album” which I find absurd. Remember, if you’re doing a bad job intentionally then you’re still doing a bad job.

This becomes even clearer as some songs show promise like “The Last of The Real Ones” but they decide to follow their formula and any potential is destroyed leaving behind a sour taste. Because why have any good ideas when you can lazily throw a dumb beat over everything.

That’s what the kids like, right?

There are some decent performances here and there, Andy is great on the drums and Patrick Stump still has some impressive vocals but as a result of the production they are thrown into a dizzying mess and get lost.

The difficult third album is an oft-touted phrase throughout the music press. It makes or breaks an artist’s career, supposedly. Think OK Computer, and then think Be Here Now. It’s Django Django’s turn to attempt this difficult feat: their task is made more difficult still by the fact some felt their 2015 sophomore effort, Burn UnPhoto: Album Artwork der Saturn, fell flat after 2012’s Mercury Prize-nominated, electric self-titled debut.

Happily, though, they don’t disappoint. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that in places, this is the best pop music gets.

What’s immediately clear on Marble Skies is that the band have not lost the desire nor ability to experiment. Some work, some don’t.

The slower paced nature of ‘Further’ is a nice enough jaunt and a perfectly competent song in itself, but the fact it comes after the lead single ‘Tic Tac Toe’ disrupts the flow of the record. This sounds and feels like the archetypal track eight, but it’s number five.

The same goes for ‘Sundials’. It feels like the perfect album closer

7/10

The only remains of the old Fall Out Boy are the lyrics. Don’t worry; they still sound like an edgy 14 year old emo tweets. “I’ll stop wearing black when they invent a dark colour” is belated on the chorus on “Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)”. It just sounds like a parody but then again, they were never known for being master wordsmiths.

Any trace of the old Fall Out Boy has been cleansed and what Photo: Album Artwork remains is a rotting corpse of not only the band but music trends of 5 years ago. Previous works seem like masterpieces compared to M A N I A. This is a disgrace to Fall Out Boy, Pop Rock and music in general. Don’t even bother with this. Please. It’s not even funny.

2/10

After a disappointing second album, Django Django don’t disappoint, writes Ethan Davies

or penultimate track — it has some of that dream-pop theme that we saw in Burn Under Saturn, but in an enjoyable quantity. It doesn’t drag, but it doesn’t make you dance. It’s just a good song. But it’s not a track six. Somehow, ‘Further’ disrupts the flow of the album, and ‘Sundials’ disrupts it further still.

So, where are this album’s strengths? The three big ones are tracks seven, eight, and nine — ‘Beam Me Up’, ‘In Your Beat’, and ‘Real Gone’.

Those three tracks are all perfect 10s. This is where the band’s experimentation works best. It’s best not to deal with them in order, however, as I’ll explain now.

Think of ‘In Your Beat’ as the party of an amazing evening. Everyone you love ias there, and everyone is having the time of their lives.

This party will be talked about by you and your mates for years to come. Why though? Why is the ‘In Your Beat’ party so good? Well, because the pre-drinks set everyone up nicely. Pre-drinks are DJ-ed this time by the song ‘Beam Me Up’ — it slowly builds anticipation to what’s yet to come, bringing the tempo of the evening up and down to match the mood of the guests. No one has smashed a glass, there are no spillages. There are just a bunch of people having a nice time, enthusiastic about what’s next. The genius of these two songs is the

Craig David - The Time Is Now Rising to fame back in 1999 when he featured on the Artful Dodger’s single ‘Re-Rewind,’ he has had a number of successful years in the industry.

During this time he has managed to obtain two number-one singles and had his Born To Do It album not only reach number one, but stay in the Top 40 for 71 weeks.

All this happened, and then he disappeared for a number of years. Six years on he returned with sub-par music — firstly with the album Following My Intuition, and now with The Time Is Now. The music he has created in the past couple of years isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either. None of his new stuff can be compared to the likes of ‘Fill Me In’ or ‘7 Days’ — it couldn’t even be classed in the same league.

Those songs are classics, staples which people still listen

ly impressive cast for Pop 2. Mavericks such as MØ and Tove Lo, as well as rising stars from across the globe (ALMA, Mykki Blanco and even Estonian rapper Tommy Cash) all blend perfectly with the style and sound of the mixtape. Nobody really feels out of place, and even everyone’s favourite Carly Rae Jepsen makes an appearance on ‘Backseat’. Having so many collaborations on one piece of work is somewhat of a risk, but on Pop 2, it only helps to elevate the project to new, impressive heights.

Coated in hedonistic romance, bittersweet partying and growing self-awareness Pop 2 is definitely a gutsy take on what we’ve come to expect. It offers a hopeful glimpse on what pop music could be when artists take the time to be clever, experimental and honest. Even if we have to wait an eternity for a third record, Charli’s regular mix tapes are more than enough to tide us over. I can only hope she continues to develop in this bold new way.

Ciaran McLaughlin, is not impressed with FOBs’ new work, he simply says, “Oh dear”

Django Django - Marble Skies

transition between them. The first time I listened to this album, I did an audio double take after I heard it — you’ll never want to use shuffle again.

You’ve had the fantastic pre-drinks. You’ve had the time of your life at the party. What now? Only the best after-party of your life.

This is ‘Real Gone’. It may lack the super smooth transition that the last two tracks did, but it doesn’t matter. It takes you on a journey, building to a chorus that is so powerful, so awe-inspiring, so terrific, that it just washes over you and reminds you what pop music can do to you. This is watching the sunrise at the after-party in mid-June and taking in the evening. ‘Fountains’ then nicely rounds the record off, leaving you satisfied.

With a bit more care and a more tempered approach to experimentation, this could have joined my hall of fame for records, as ‘Real Gone’ entered my hall of fame for songs. In places, this is a brilliant album, showcasing what is possible in pop music. However, even with an enjoyable start and competent songs throughout, pacing issues ruin this record’s chances of perfection.

8/10

Contributor, Imogen Doyle asks if now really is the time for Craig David, as the album consists of repetitive beats and try-hard lyrics

to now. I can’t imagine any of the songs from this album having the same effect and being able to withstand the test of time.

The two singles released pre-album offered a promising glimpse of what was to come. ‘Heartline’ has an incredibly catchy beat, making it difficult to forget once stuck in your head.

Once you find out that the song was produced by Jonas Blue, this fact is completely understandable. But even though the song’s beat is incredibly current, I don’t think this is one that will make lasting ripples.

‘I Know You’ is another track which was released pre-album. Just one of the many tracks on this album which feature another artist, this surprising collaboration with Bastille’s Dan Smith works well; Craig David’s vocals com-

bined with a deep bass drop and a simple chorus makes for a good song, and it’s been propelled to number seven in the Top 40.

Throughout The Time Is Now it appears as though Craig David is grasping at straws to stay relevant, and as such, he appears a little behind the times.

This is further shown by the number of guest appearances on this album. With just under half the songs featuring another artist, from the likes of JP Cooper to Chase & Status, it appears as though he isn’t even the main focus of his own album. Not the desired effect I’m sure.

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27th January 2018 at Gorilla Horse Meat Disco describes itself as the “queer” party for everyone. Such a simple introduction has never fit an event more perfectly. Horse Meat Disco is successfully touring around both the UK and across the globe, and this is clear to see why, a constant stream of glittery faces, and abundance of disco lights and brings together a sea of people in one place to have a really good dance to really good feel-good music.

For those who have never been to the venue Gorilla before it honestly has everything you need. The size of the venue is big enough to feel full, vibrant, and busy, but with enough room to breathe and more importantly no huge queues for the toilet or for the smoking area (Hurrah).

The night consisted of tracks such as Fleetwood Macs’ ‘ Everywhere’, The Human League’s ‘Don’t You Want Me, Baby’ and as much CHIC and Niall Rodger classics that you could ever want or desire.

The event covered all bases, from Motown, funk and soul. It had all the best songs way back from the biggest 70’s hits, all the way to today’s funkiest modern tracks.

The quality of the music never once dipped, nor did it drop the exhilaration through the night, playing all of those memorable hits that you can’t help but lose yourself to. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, and this is most definitely the case for most people who went to Horse Meat Disco that Saturday, a whirlwind of genuine fun and ‘good times’... (pardon the CHIC pun).

From, never being and having heard so

With Pangaea not on the cards this January, Hannah Brierley heads to Horse Meat Disco, an event for all your disco boogie needs

Photo: Jodie Bryant

Why do ghosts love elevators?

Because they lift their spirits!

6th February 1958 - George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen.

Photo: Horse Meat Disco

Before Arctic Monkeys return from their long hiatus, Jake Oliver goes back in time to look at where it all began revival of sorts.

What was pioneering about Arctic Monkeys, however, was how exactly they marketed themselves. From as early as 2002, the band were handing out demos and tracks to everyone and anyone. Using MySpace, both the band and fans could share and interact like never before; harnessing this DIY vibe was probably integral to their stratospheric rise to fame. Acting as trendsetters in this respect, this is a method that even today, bands have tried to emulate themselves with moderate success.

With such a tight sense of production and style, the final piece to the puzzle is Turner’s frank and honest lyricisms.

Whatever relies not only on the musical talent of the band, but the observations Turner makes on his night-time (mis) adventures. The ongoing monologue of ‘From The Ritz To The Rubble” describing Turner’s rejection from a club has all the swagger and confidence you’d come to expect from a drunken lad.

Or how about the laughable “Get on your dancing shoes, you sexy little swine”, bearing all the cringe of every guy that’s ever tried to woo a girl with his words when pissed? His lyrical prowess is something that has persisted for the entirety of his career, a talent that Turner has perfected well.

There’s very much a timeless element to the album. Between its initial release and today, not much has changed in terms of clubbing or the experiences of adolescence. People are still awkwardly dancing, guys are still desperately trying to pull and bouncers are still jerks.

Whatever is an album that allows us to relive these moments at any point, without the inevitable hangover and instant regret that usually comes following a night out. Moreover, the album started a phenomenon that is still thriving to this day, and one that I very much doubt will ever die.

As Arctic Monkeys begin to make their long-awaited return to the world, I’d like to end with a quote from the man himself: “That rock’n’roll. It just won’t go away”.

“ Not since Oasis – dare I say

it – had there been a band of this calibre making such massive movements in the industry. ”

Imagine Catfish and the Bottlemen and The 1975 had a Scouse, slightly synthy, long haired musical baby. The Night Café had that kind of laid back, too-cool-for-school thing really going for them.

Their instrumental aspects were intriguing and so was their hair, whilst that Liverpool charm and genuine humility did them wonders.

Sometimes it was too cool — you wanted some effort, some drive, some passion injected into the intimate space, though their tracks were catchy and played right into the young crowd’s appetite.

Opening with ‘The Way of Mary’, the boys launched into some smooth, synthy tunes which dabbled in instrumental fluidity but largely remained rooted in the safe realms of a well-rounded, alternative four-piece. That’s not to say staying in a comfort zone was a disadvantage, they rocked hard and clearly have the right attitude for breaking out into the competitive market.

‘Addicted’ was a particular highlight, the crowd told to “grab a

This week in music history

5th February 2016 - A new species of black tarantula that lives near Folsom Prison, California, was named Aphonopelma johnnycash after the famous ‘man in black’ Johnny Cash.

Record Reappraisal: Arctic Monkeys -What People Say I am, That’s What I’m Not When Arctic Monkeys first burst on to the scene way back in 2006, nobody could’ve predicted the influence they would have on British music. Now, 12 years later, with European tour dates being announced and a new record on the way, it’s time to go back and re-examine why their first album is still to this day so brilliant.

Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not is very much the soundtrack to teenage life during the early 2000s and indeed today. It’s an album that in itself manages to charter the chaos of a night out on the town, an integral part of those formative years.

The rolling drums and slashing guitar introduction to ‘The View From The Afternoon’ capture that excitement which confronts anyone getting ready to go out. It’s a great setup of relentless energy from all members of the band that never seems to take a break.

Even when it does, there’s a persistent sense of coolness that manages to compensate for the slower pace. Turner’s bittersweet charm when confronted with a moody girlfriend on ‘Mardy Bum’ still squeezes in a bit of power towards the end, and whilst ‘Riot Van’ may be my choice for the weakest song on the album, the nonchalant nature of being caught by police does just enough to keep me hooked.

The cohesiveness of the group is really what allows them to flourish.

The blistering guitar work from Jamie Cook, original bassist Andy Nicholson, and Turner himself, with Nick O’Malley on drums, is reminiscent of classic garage rock and punk. There’s a grassroots feeling with Arctic Monkeys, who had already been working diligently since 2002 to get their name out there. Not since Oasis – dare I say it – had there been a band of this calibre making such massive movements in the industry.

Talking about getting drunk or getting into fights was nothing new in the genre at the time. In a way, Arctic Monkeys aren’t the most innovative and groundbreaking band everyone insists they are. That’s not to undermine their success or their ongoing legacy, but their debut didn’t exactly push any boundaries.

Much like some of their contemporaries — like The Strokes, for example — Arctic Monkeys came out around the time of a rock

Rewind

much about it, to going and experiencing it myself, I can honestly say I am counting the days till the next Horsemeat Disco (It’s February 23rd if anybody is wondering).

7th February 2000 - Big Punisher a.k.a Big Pun died of a heart attack, aged 28, weighing 50 stone.

8th February 1992 - Right Said Fred started a threeweek run at No.1 on the US singles chart with ‘I’m Too Sexy’, a No.2 hit in the UK.

9th February 2001 - Eminem beefed up security for his UK shows following the threat of gay rights protests, who said the rapper was a homophobe with hate-filled lyrics.

10th February 2008 - Amy Winehouse won five prizes at the Grammy Awards, including song of the year & record of the year, both for her single ‘Rehab’, and best new artist.

11th February 2007 - Mika went to No.1 on the UK album chart with his debut album ‘Life In Cartoon Motion.’

Photo: Album Artwork

Laissez-fair indie down to a T, writes Deputy Music Editor, Yasmin Duggal

Monday 29th January, Manchester Academy 3

Photo: Album Artwork

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Live Review: The Night Café

5/10

Top 5 - Grammy Performances by Alexander Corns

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Photo: Yasmin Duggal @ The Mancunion

slow-dance partner” and take things down a notch. The innocent, love-struck tune chimed a chord with the young crowd, as the gig took a well-received dip from the heavier stuff.

Other tracks ‘Felicity’ and ‘Mixed Signals’ maintained the cool laissez-faire approach to popular, under-the-radar alterna-

tive music, adding synthy instrumentals to spice up the Circa Waves-esque sound. The staging was refreshingly simplistic, and resembled a rough and ready praccy session in the local pub, backed up by the band’s overwhelming appreciation at a Manchester crowd’s enthusiasm.

There are claims that guitar music has died, that there will never be bands like Oasis or the Roses again, but perhaps underestimated is the power of raw, honest indie tunes from Northern cities which still dominate the industry. We forget that times have changed; gone are the naughties’ choppy, lad-about-town fast records, and in have come the trancey undertones of a newer, more relaxed audio which lies in its own special niche.

The Night Café certainly showed signs of potentially becoming a serious player in such a niche, and if their natural ability at Manchester Academy 3 is anything to go off, they will continue to grow and grow.

7/10

Games 15

ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Opinion Album

Runescape will rise again in 2018

With a mobile release on the horizon, could Runescape soon return to its former glory?

Feature

Reddit and weep: the influence of the forum

How reddit posts are shaping our perception of games before we’ve even picked them up Danny Jones Reporter

Chris Glover Chief Games Correspondent

Photo:Jagex

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On Thursday February 22nd we Reclaim the Night…

Bring your glow sticks, bring your friends and bring your voices.

Owen’s Park 7PM

We’ll be raising our voices and After Party: 9PM Students’ uniting our energies to stand Union DJ’s, cocktails & more up to street harassment, sexual violence and victim blaming.

22nd February 2018 www.facebook.com/reclaimthenightmanchesteruk

n 2007, aged eleven, I chanced across a free-to-play game called Runescape. It was my first real experience of online gaming; never before had I encountered a living and breathing world teeming with other players - real people - with whom I could talk, fight, and trade.

Before I’d even finished adding the obligatory ‘2k7’ to the end of my username, I was enthralled. Over the next few years, the game became such an addiction of mine that I genuinely feel shame when I look back on it - a sort of Runescape junkie, haunted by his dark past.

The unfortunate thing about addiction is that it never truly leaves you, which is why I received the news of Runescape Mobile releasing later this year with unbridled excitement - this time, I realised as I made a new account in preparation, I’ll be able to take Runescape with me everywhere I go. It can finally be played the way I always knew in my heart it was meant to be: everywhere and all the time.

Runescape, or Old School Runescape as it’s now called (a snapshot of the game in its 2007 form) is an MMORPG that became a worldwide phenomenon for its accessible and immersive gameplay. Because it had minimal performance demands and was played on browsers with no download needed, virtually anyone could play Runescape - and most, it seemed, did: the game won Guinness World Records for the most users of an MMO game, and the most popular free-to-play MMO. For those who never played Runescape - a group I feel both pity and envy for - the question of “what do you do in Runescape?” is best answered with “pretty much whatever you want”. Players have 23 different skills, all of which can be trained up to level 99. There are combat skills - melee, ranged, magic and prayer - which can be levelled up to wear better gear and fight monsters and bosses, and there are non-combat skills like fishing, smithing and woodcutting that allow you to make money by selling resources to other players.

There is even a central trading system called the Grand Exchange which players use to buy and sell items from each other, creating a dynamic in-game economy where the prices of items rise and fall depending on supply and demand.

The real pull of Runescape comes from the way it provides a steady stream of rewards, keeping players hooked with a sense of progression and achievement. Levelling skills often triggers satisfying positive feedback loops; for example levelling up the mining skill comes with the slight increase to resource gathering (which provides money and XP) that every level brings, but also might unlock the ability to equip a better pickaxe which increases this speed further, or the ability to enter the Mining Guild which provides a more convenient location to mine.

You quickly become obsessed with these constant, incremental gains in wealth and power - especially as you are constantly surrounded by other players. Those sporting stats and equipment far beyond your current reach serve to tease what could be yours if you keep grinding, whilst the lower-level players that surround you are a satisfying reminder of how far you’ve come.

This brings me to the other addictive quality of Runescape - the fact that whilst progression of skills is the name of the game, it is in no way easy. Like most games which feature a numerical progression through a skill, each level requires more XP than the last; though in Runescape, this increase is brutal. So brutal, that when reaching level 92 in a skill, in real terms you are only half way to reaching 99.

Runescape is undeniably a grind. To reach level 99 in all 23 skills would take - at a conservative estimate - over 6000 hours. I don’t think it’s unfair to call Runescape a game of time and not skill - in fact, you could replace the entire page of numbers each player has in their skills tab, and all the money they have in their virtual bank, with a single number: hours played. For ultimately, in Runescape, spare time is the only statistic that sets players apart.

This simple realisation was the driving force for my decision to quit the game all those years ago, but it’s also the reason I think it will thrive as a mobile experience. Old School Runescape Mobile will offer the quintessential structure of a mobile game - a simple and repetitive yet rewarding experience - situated in an immersive open world that offers a level of freedom and choice I don’t recall ever seeing in a mobile game.

Couple this with the nostalgia-factor that will surely bring droves of veterans back to experience the game in a fresh new way, and we have all the components needed for a Runescape renaissance this year.

The other day I saw a player walk through the Grand Exchange with a ‘max cape’ - a cape only attainable by achieving this 6000 hour grind to 99 in every skill, a cape that only 2,601 players worldwide currently own. As I watched dozens of players crowd around to watch him perform the emote that comes with the cape, I realised two things: that the Runescape subculture still thrives in 2018, and that I hadn’t spoken to my family or girlfriend for twelve hours.

Photo:TheMancunion

Feature

Pixel Bomb Games: an early access story Post-apocalyptic Manchester stuck in pre-release Jeremy Bijl Games editor

Photo:PixelBombGames

M

y interest in Pixel Bomb Games and their title Beyond Flesh and Blood was first piqued by its premise: a Sci-fi shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Manchester and developed by Deansgatebased developers.

There are things the game does well. The gameplay is smooth, the environment looks great, and Pixel Bomb’s diligence in trying to make Beyond Flesh and Blood take place in a realistic (albeit postapocalyptic) Manchester is admirable.

There are also plenty of things the game does not do well. The character models look like they predate the environmental design by about a decade, the combat is generic and very basic, and the dialogue is weak.

Unfortunately, all of this is overshadowed by what has transpired since the first chapter of the game was released in June of 2016, and Beyond Flesh and Blood stands as an exemplar of Steam’s problematic ‘Early Access’ program.

Beyond Flesh and Blood is currently in Early Access - Steam’s programme for allowing developers to release

incomplete games in order to profit off them while they are still in development, as it has been since the it first appeared on the market. Implicit in the Early Access programme is the idea that the game will eventually be finished.

What is worrying, however, is that it looks like Beyond Flesh and Blood will never be completed - some research culminated in the revelation that Pixel Bomb liquidated in September 2017.

This lies in somewhat of a grey area for Steam. Steam do note on the game’s store page that “this Early Access game is not complete and may or may not change further. If you are not excited to play this game in its current state, then you should wait to see if the game progresses further in development.”

In the Early Access guide for developers, Steam also write that “sometimes things don’t work out as you planned, and you may need to discontinue development of your game. If this happens, you should contact Valve to figure out the next steps.” Clearly, then, discontinuing an Early Access game is not prohibited.

However, Steam also say that “we take our relationship with customers seriously, so if you choose to cancel development of a game and retire it from the store, we will not republish it again later and we may offer refunds to any users who purchased it. Treating customers fairly is the most important thing to us.”

What is worrying is the fact that neither Valve or Pixel Bomb appear to have done anything about the liquidation or the game’s presumed discontinuation,

and Beyond Flesh and Blood still remains for sale for £9.99 on the Steam Store. Pixel Bomb are continuing to profit off the implicit promise that their game - of which only one level is currently available - will one day be a complete product.

This seems negligent at best, fraudulent at worst. Either Pixel Bomb have failed to notify Valve of their liquidation, or Valve have failed to take action.

The Mancunion has been unable to reach Pixel Bomb Games for comment.

Star Wars Battlefront II underperformance confirmed by EA In their prepared remarks for the fiscal 2018 q3, EA have confirmed that Star Wars: Battlefront II fell short of their expectations following the widespread public backlash the game received for its employment of loot boxes.

EA’s CFO Blake Jorgenson confirmed what industry pundits had been expecting for the game, saying, “For Q3, we had expected to sell in about 8 million units, but we fell short of that by less than 1 million units.”

Whilst EA may be licking their wounds, gamers will doubtless be pleased their pushback made EA take notice and had at least some impact on the company at the highest level.

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Fashion & Beauty

ISSUE 14/ 5TH FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Profile: Clare Waight Keller Almost one year on from her appointment as Creative Director of Givenchy Esmee Samsworth writes how Waight Keller has successfully incorporated Hubert De Givenchy’s classic styles from the 1950s with a sleek and youthful spin

When it was announced that Clare Waight Keller would be stepping down from Chloé in order to take over from Riccardo Tisci as Creative Director of Givenchy in March 2017, it was questioned whether or not her style: femininity wrapped in gauzy sunlit-dappled 1970s nostalgia, would fit with the darkly sensual gothic edge that Givenchy has been known for under Tisci’s direction since 2005.

How could these two very different approaches to femininity be bridged, or would Keller take Givenchy in a completely new direction, and abandon the grime and lust for something more whimsical? These were the questions that surrounded Keller’s first collection for Givenchy in October 2017, and in all honesty, they weren’t entirely answered.

The first collection in a lot of ways looked and felt like an extension of her work at Chloé, if Bohemia landed an office job. The colour palette of white, navy and black was clean and professional, but splashes of vibrant red in the makeup and accessories elevated the entire collection, injecting some of the light-hearted, easy feminine charm that Keller is known for. The styling of the models and the classical French shape and design of the separates and dresses was a lovely nod to Givenchy’s founder, Hubert de Givenchy, which surely helped to assure sceptics that Keller was the right (if not unusual) choice for the job.

The move away from Tisci’s punk glamour which had become a mainstay in Ginvenchy’s branding is interesting. Keller has replaced the hyper-masculine, aggressively cool rottweiler that

Fashion Player of the Week: Zeynep Kartal

I.Am.Gia: a story of addiction and celebrity

had become an unofficial mascot for Tisci in his designs with cats. It’s a subtler, softer approach and one that works incredibly well with the image that Tisci created over his tenure as Creative Director. In Keller’s own words, “I love the idea of a woman with a feline air… They’re seductive.” In another nod to Givenchy’s founder, not only were the slender, classical French silhouettes reminiscent of his designs, but the cats were a reference to a pattern created by de Givenchy himself in the 1950s.

It’s this idea of feline seduction; strength and stoicism wrapped up in softness and grace that might make sense of Keller’s vision for Givenchy. Almost a year after her appointment as Creative Director, Keller first editorial campaign for the spring/summer 2018 collection has just been released and offers potential insight into where she plans on taking the French fashion house.

Shot by Steven Meisel in an uptown New York apartment, the vibe is very cool and very chic. The models are photographed in black and white, looking directly at the camera whilst the accessories take centre stage in full colour. Keller has stated that she wanted to “play with that modern attitude and expression because I feel like it’s an apt metaphor for Givenchy’s current evolution.”

Interestingly, there is still something very easy-going about Keller’s approach, and there’s still definitely a pull towards the 1970s nostalgia that she explored with Chloé, however, with Givenchy there is altogether a sleeker, more youthful edge.

Very Berry Eyes

Zeynep Kartal, based in sunny Manchester, the brand has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 2013 and is now a firm favourite on the celebrity circuit. By Fashion Editor Talia Lee-Skudder Zeynep Kartal launched her label in 2013 and is a celebrity red carpet favourite. Most recently Kartal dressed a number of stars for the NTA’s including Rochelle Humes and Queen of the jungle Georgia Toffolo to name a couple. Across the pond, Kartal dressed Taylor Spreitler for the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Spreitler took to the red carpet in the Zeynep Kartal ice blue wrap buttoned gown.

Kartal is a favourite with British and American celebrities alike, her credentials also include Whitney Port, Amanda Holden and Pixie Lott.

The philosophy behind Kartal’ brand is that her ‘collections are elegant, timeless, sophisticated, and because of the detailed elements every piece of the collection is unique and tailored to fit.’ She further states that her aim is to give every woman a feeling of ‘stylish sophistication and self-confidence.’

completely unattainable on a student budget then head over to zeynepkartal.co.uk. Also, Zeynep Kartal will also be showcasing all of her NTA dresses at the Manchester Fashion Festival at Manchester hall on the 23rd February.

Photo: superdrug.com

Ginah Shergill talks you through the new wearable trend of berry-toned eyes and how to incorporate the look into your everyday makeup routine

“If you fancy drooling over

dresses that are completely unattainable on a student budget then head over to zeynepkartal.co.uk” Kartal’s studio is based in Manchester’s King Street, her designs are made from the finest natural fabrics, such as silk, crepe and laces. The designs are adorned with hand-made embellishments creating a distinct aesthetic of femininity and sophistication.

Her Spring Summer 18 collection is full of pastel yellow and blue floaty and draped dresses, plus some sharply tailored suits and some vibrant red ball gowns. The show-stopping dress of the collection is the heavily embellished long-sleeved, plunge neck dress with the split at the front – the embodiment of a Kartal creation.

Kartal has also launched ‘Little Ladies’, a children’s brand for the little girl’s who strive to emulate the ladylike elegance of their mother’s style. It is a unique childrenswear collection that is an extension of Kartal’s aesthetic for elegance and classiness and a further testament to Kartal’s creativity.

If you fancy drooling over dresses that are

Photo: zeynepkartal.com

Finding new ways to brighten up and change a look is always exciting, and with the current trend of pink and red hues being introduced to the world of eye makeup, it is easier than ever to go bold or make a simple change!

Red and pink eyeshadow looks aren’t just exclusive to the world of catwalks and avant-garde makeup looks. They can now be introduced into your makeup routine, and are a lot more wearable than you think. So don’t shy away from the world of berry tones and bright pinks, and try out some bold new looks or subtly change a more classic look.

This can be done by, firstly, matching the right shade of pink or red to your skin tone.

There is such a wide range of shades in this colour group that there is sure to be more than one that suits you. A rough guide is if you have a fairer skin tone you should use pink tones and brighter reds such as MAC’s ‘red brick’ (£13.50). Medium skin tones should use orange toned reds like NYX’s hot single in ‘heat’ (£3.50) and darker skin tones should opt for brown toned reds and deeper pinks, for example, Anastasia Beverly Hill’s eyeshadow single in ‘red earth’ (£12).

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If you’re just testing the waters, brands like NYX offer their Hot Singles for only £3.50.

But if you’re looking to experiment, there are a range of red- pink palettes available, such as Makeup Revolutions ‘reloaded newtrals 2’ (£4) where there is a mix of matte and metallic pinks and reds to suit all skin tones.

On the higher end side, Huda Beauty’s ‘warm brown obsessions’ palette (£25) is the perfect palette to achieve a berry toned look. The palette is a mix of brown and red tones, with some glittery metallic options too, so you can create a more neutral eyeshadow look too.

You can incorporate these colours into a classic routine by swapping out a smokey eye and putting a dark red in the crease and blending out with a lighter red. If you fancy a bolder look then use a range of different red and pink tones and pair the look with a nude lip to balance it out.

With the berry trend’s popularity skyrocketing, there are now so many palettes and shade ranges of pinks and reds available on the high-street to choose from, so don’t be afraid to rock a different colour in a way that suits you- subtle or bold!

Sophie Walsh investigates the enigmatic Austrailian fashion label I.Am.Gia

Photo: iamgia.com

Australia’s darling has just been released in the UK. The enigmatic women’s fashion brand I.Am.Gia is fresh, sexy and, most importantly, affordable. I first discovered the label on Instagram at two in the morning. Scrolling through post upon post of cutting edge pieces modelled by ‘It girl’ celebrities I got that sinking ‘well obviously can’t afford this but cheers mate for tantalising me, nice one yeah’ feeling.

Yet another celebrity-endorsed, financially unattainable brand we drool over which eventually trickles down to cheap high street emulations so that Will from High Wycombe can wear a Topman hoodie that looks like one worth the same price as his parents car. There always seems to be a sort of glass ceiling between the ordinary folk like us students and quality high fashion.

Most of us don’t have a personal stylist with an unlimited budget and access to the catwalk samples. We have The Arndale Centre and three-five working days delivery followed by a note through the door from Keith the DPD driver saying I missed my delivery even though I specifically requested it be left in a safe place. Despite fast high street fashion, they always just miss it don’t they.

Well when I clicked on the link to the I.Am.Gia online shop

Photo: iamgia.com

for a laugh, I nearly rolled out of bed. For high quality, cutting edge fashion the prices were the same as you would find in any high street shop. My shopping bag frenzy began. IZAR TANK TOP £28? Add. JAGGER MINI SKIRT £45? Sold. CHER BANDEAU £34? Jackpot.

The clothes are named and based often on celebrities, for example the Uma pants based on THE yellow trousers in Kill Bill, the Cobain dungarees and the Gwen combat trousers. Visually, the website has all the trappings of a high fashion brand but without the price tag. For example, the Dazed magazine-esque photography and small collection make browsing feel like a classy, uncluttered and leaisurly shopping experience.

So what is this brand? A miracle sent from the cosmos? Well little is known about the labels origins, it remains tantalisingly secretive, adding to its allure all the more. What has been disclosed however, by the co-founder and designer Alana Pallister, is that the concept is based on the first supermodel Gia Carangi, a woman whose meteoric rise and catastrophic fall captured and embodied the fast living generation of the 1980’s. The idea is to create a ‘Gia of our time’ Pallister divulges.

This is a controversial concept because the supermodel had a debilitating addiction to class A drugs, ultimately contributing

to her tragic death at the tender age of 26. It is now known that the raised needle bumps from the crook of her arm had to be airbrushed out of photographs. She wept and raged on set. She left mid-shoot in desperation for her fix. The reality was quite far from the glamorous images we are left with and from which the brand takes its inspiration.

It would be easy to say that the company is promoting a bad image for girls, especially with the 16 year old Kaia Gerber as the brands top ambassador (also the chilling spitting image of Gia herself. An innocent coincidence? Who knows). However, I think what they mean to do is look beneath the taboo and the tragedy, instead focusing on the soul of a woman who’s vibrancy and individuality captured the fashion world.

The story of the brand’s concept was kept secret for a long time and is still unknown to many, perhaps for the obvious reasons.

Whether young supermodels or indeed ordinary women are aware of this darker side to the brand, I don’t know. However, I think to openly state Gia Carangi as its main inspiration and indeed name the label after her is a statement we should be aware of for whatever reasons, good or bad. There is more to come from I.Am.Gia. Just you watch.

Sexual assault claims rock the fashion industry In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, the fashion industry is rocked by allegations of sexual harassment by big-name photographers, writes Fashion Editor Talia Lee-Skudder

2017 will go down in history as the year that women finally said ‘Time’s Up’. It will be remembered for the countless brave people who came forward to say #metoo and finally tell their story after being silenced for so long. 2017 has triggered a movement: women are starting to talk about their experiences of sexual assault without shame and their abusers were finally being held accountable for their abominable actions.

It is fitting that this movement has gained momentum in the Trump era — in which one of the most powerful men in the world has had countless allegations of sexual assault made against him. The Times Up movement unites all women and spreads the message that enough is enough, that women and men alike will stand together against abuse and harassment at every level. The Golden Globes was the perfect example of this united front in Hollywood, where women and men donned all black outfits in support of the movement.

The Times Up movement comes after the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which rocked Hollywood in the latter part of 2017. However, as the numerous allegations made against the director show, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The scandal triggered a wave of support from women and men all across the industry and sent the message that these women do not have to suffer in silence.

However, it has also demonstrated that

there has been abuse at every level in every industry, not excluding the fashion industry.

Now, male models are coming forward to speak out about the abuse they have suffered by big-name photographers.

In the wake of the Weinstein scandal, Condé Nast International finally severed ties with photographer Terry Richardson in October 2017 despite years of numerous allegations of sexual assault swirling about in the industry.

American Vogue stopped working with Richardson in 2010 and now a number of high-end fashion brands such as Bulgari and Valentino have ended their contracts with the controversial photographer.

Since 2010 a number of women have made claims against Richardson, stating that he propositioned them for sex and touched them without their consent. Richardson addressed these rumours in 2014 in which he claimed the allegations were “an emotionally-charged witch hunt.” The question is why has it taken the fashion industry so long to take these allegations seriously? In the backlash of the Weinstein allegations, the message is loud and clear that these accusations will now no longer be ignored and finally abusers like Richardson will be held accountable.

Further to this, allegations have also been made about Bruce Weber and Mario Testino, the Royal family photographer, that has seen them both suspended from working with big

fashion names including Vogue. Testino has been accused of subjecting 13 male assistants and models to unwanted sexual advances, that in some cases included groping and masturbation. According to the New York Times Weber has also been accused by 15 models of exposing them to unnecessary nudity and coercive sexual behaviour.

“will we see this same

kind of solidarity that we witnessed at the Golden Globes...or will it simply be brushed under the carpet? ” The issue lies with the immense power these men have within the industry. Similar to the Weinstein cases, victims were afraid to come forward and challenge them because of the fear of never working again. In the fashion industry, it seems that young men and male models are perhaps the most vulnerable to exploitation by photographers. Former model Trish Goff said that male models are ‘the least respected and most disposable’, therefore a claim against a Testino or a Richardson would not have been taken seriously because male

models don’t become a personality like female models do.

Female models are instantly recognisable, whereas it is difficult to think of many wellknown male models. These allegations are also important in highlighting that men can also suffer abuse by others in a position of power, it is not always gender-specific, and their stories need to be heard too.

Now that there have been numerous claims of sexual harassment and assault within the fashion industry, will we see this same kind of solidarity that we witnessed at the Golden Globes or will it simply be brushed under the carpet and neglected to be acknowledged by the wider fashion circuit?

Despite accusations having been made for years, it seems that it has taken until 2018 in the wake of the Weinstein scandal for these allegations to finally be taken seriously. The world is now listening to the voices that have long been silenced and holding those abusers accountable for their actions by stripping them of the positions of power, except for the President of course. It seems that despite different industries making inroads in dealing with allegations of sexual assault and harassment seriously, as long as Trump remains in office we still, as a society, have a long way to go to make the phrase #metoo the exception and not the norm.

Film

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Film 19

ISSUE 14/ 5th February 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ISSUE 14 / 5th February 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review Festival

London Lift-Off Film Festival 2017: Highlights

Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri After watching Martin McDonagh’s latest film, one sentiment is incredibly clear: you have just witnessed a masterpiece.

Eloise Wright Head Film Editor Frances McDormand incarnates Mildred Hayes, rightfully vengeful but so much more than that, as she takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of her teenage daughter Angela’s unresolved rape and murder. By renting three rusty billboards on a generally empty roadside, which bluntly and plainly address Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson) as to why seven months on, there are still no arrests and seemingly a decreasing interest in the case altogether.

Mildred is a powerful, quick-witted, no-bullshit woman who is past the point of weighing up the consequences of her actions. The grief has turned into anger, and to even begin to accept the death of her Angela, she needs to hang on to the search for answers, for results.

Chief Willoughby and his protégé Officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell, who brings one of the most layered performances to the film) pay a visit to the advertising company responsible for renting out these incendiary billboards in the first place. Enter the not-so-innocent Red (Caleb Landry Jones), who is smart enough to use

The international Lift-Off Film Festival came to a close on the year 2017 at the Art House in London’s Crouch End, where a stellar selection on independent shorts, featurettes and feature-length films were showcased, and here are five personal highlights.

Photo: Allociné.fr

Eloise Wright Head Film Editor

the rulebook of capitalism against the police’s urges and threats to take the billboards down.

Although our first instinct is to muster up as much anger towards Willoughby as we can, there are a few things that cut that feeling at the root. For one, it is quite easy to see that Mildred is merely focussing her unsurmountable grief at the only people she can for now, who by not even making arrests, are not doing what they are being paid to do. More than that, Mildred and Willoughby actually share a matterof-fact kind of bravery, in the sense that they can see a situation for what it is and take whatever course of action will suit them best, no matter the consequences.

Lucas Hedges plays Mildred’s son Robbie, and brings a similar presence to the one he brought in Kenneth Lonergan’s ‘Manchester by the Sea’. He deals with the broken pieces of his family and the backlash of his mother’s billboards with a of mixture of sarcasm, indifference, and anger (not necessarily in that order).

McDonagh’s writing allows the characters to develop and act naturally, rolling with their impulses, never painting them as people to root for or hate, but framing each person’s reactions in their context. Dixon’s character development is by far the most emotionally challenging, starting of with

all the elements of your stereotypical deep-south cop who thanks to his gun and badge deals out the law in his own way, to whomever displeases him, accentuated by a seemingly constant state of being ever so slightly drunk.

A stroke of genius occurs here, however, as the turn of events brings out the parts of Dixon only Willoughby saw in him, and it is truly through Dixon that McDonagh showcases his understanding of the necessary layers that make up a human being, and to what extent our personal grievances and hurt can interfere with our lives and actions.

The film is brilliant in its resistance to a classical Hollywood wrap up of the narrative, and pervades the reality and cruel randomness of life. People are always more than what they let you see, grief is never rational, and as Dixon put it himself, “It’s not so much about hope, but about getting better at English. Because you need English to be a cop. Or to be anything, really”.

5/5

Contractor 014352: Here we have what could be any corporate office in London, and a man who could just be another carbon-copy worker amidst the masses.

But this particular worker cannot quite perform the emotionless the task at hand requires. Instructed to ‘copy and paste’ a rejection email to thousands of people that are nothing but data to the company, our sensitive employee turns what should have been a mindless email to contractor 014352 into a poetic letter of the man’s integrity and self-worth. In this fourteenminute short, director Simon Ryninks is onto something wonderful, from the sincere performances to the commentary of today’s society that rings devastatingly true and reminds us of something that we are not told enough – “You are so much more than the sum of your digits”.

The Greatest Showman It’s a showcase of humanity; a circus Photo: Allociné.fr

The Greatest Showman: a dramatised movie of the legendary P.T. Barnum who owned the P.T. Barnum and Bailey Circus. The timing is especially salient since it had its last show this year. By all accounts, the movie itself has many parallels to the real P.T. Barnum. He started the circus with fake and exaggerated artefacts and used people like the bearded lady to attract customers. The real P.T. Barnum was by no means a honest man. He made his monetary ambitions quite clear from the beginning. This contrasts with how he was portrayed in the movie.

Jackman definitely earned his nominations for this role, playing the titular character with charisma I’m sure the real Barnum also possessed at times. Hugh Jackman is a born showman, made for this role. You would expect nothing less from a man with such a rich background in musicals, but this movie takes it to another level.

Every performance, every song excelled visually and was accomplished with great flair. The dance routines were ingenious, using props and talented dancers who greatly executed the tough choreography. The bar scene, where Barnum and Carlise, Zac’s character, negotiated a deal and they danced and exchanged shot glasses, sliding them back and forth across the slippery table. To be able to make a scene as tight and limited, with three performers, a couple of stools, and a bar into something exciting and enjoyable, shows how well the routines were thought out.

Though it being a musical, Jenny Lind, played by Rebecca Ferguson, was voiced over by a talented singer, Loren

Alfred. Even so, Ferguson’s acting was on par with the singing, a believable performance that slowed the pace of the fast moving movie, readying it for act two. Her colleagues, Zac Efron, Zendaya and Michelle Williams were amazing singers in their own right, needing no voice overs.

Williams plays Charity, wife of the great Barnum, who could have been overshadowed by Jackman, but her subtlety in the way she expressed the character’s thoughts. She made her more than just the perfect wife they wrote for her.

Zendaya, a performer and a Disney starlet, did her own trapeze stunts, which is surprising since you can have a stunt double in those kind of shots, but the director wanted to make sure she was seen.

Zendaya and Zac Efron play two star crossed lovers, which society frowns upon because of Carlise’s social standing and the colour of Zendaya’s skin. But being a feelgood movie with cozy, heartwarming scenes that were on the verge of cheesiness… Actually scratch that, not on the verge; this is actual complete cheesiness. It only touches the surface of society’s narrow-minded outlook on anything beyond what they deemed to be normal. In 19th century New York, narrow mindedness was a sentiment shared by all classes. The whole movie’s theme was centred on this idea that the outcasts, the different and the abnormal, are not to be discarded but to be embraced for their unique and individual traits.

Though, it seemed that half of the movie was skimmed over, leaving out more than there was. For example, the dance number of ‘This is Me’, which made me feel pride for their new founded confidence and fierceness. But nothing else much came off it. As if it never even happened.

The Accomplice: Opening the festival was the brilliant eight-minute short ‘The Accomplice’. Jerry (director John F. Beach) comes home to some unopened mail and an increasingly worrying build-up of phone messages from his friend Randy (wonderfully played by Evan Peters, even if he only has thirty seconds of screen time).

The short builds around these messages, as Randy plans to rob a bank with Jerry’s help, but Jerry is too late to have any input.

In fact, the robbery has gone on without him, and suddenly a distressed Randy is at Jerry’s window, and the interaction they have is the piece de résistance of the short. Peters is wonderful and precise, body language and timing being the strong point of both actors’ performances. ‘The Accomplice’ feels like a preview to a new Netflix Original, in the best way possible.

Night Three Between a Rock and A Hard Place: In a dark part of Scotland where the land meets the sea, a young teenage boy is pursued by a rough, aggressive looking group of boys around the same age. Finally, he finds a small cabin next to a secluded house where he hides – but the anguish does not end there. The owner of the house, a middleaged man we later find out is named Walter (Clive Russel), comes out threatening the now not-so-menacing group to get off

a profession? A meeting? A ritual? The intrigue shifts to suspicion that Walter is up to something not exactly legal, and one day Neil follows Walter on one of his excursions (although how this went unnoticed by Walter I do not know). His findings lead him to an unsettling discovery – one that will put him between a rock and a hard place, to say the least.

Yes, I enjoyed the movie no doubt. It was aimed for your enjoyment, nothing too heavy but enough for you to feel for the rejected members of the troupe in a way that many movie-goers will relate to, as I had.

But I wanted more from what had been shown of the characters: the bearded lady who sang like a dream, a snarky and quick-quipped 22 year old dwarf, and Anne Wheller, the beautiful trapeze artist—their ten minutes on screen had me to waiting for more of their storylines that never came. Instead, we get the greatly exaggerated storyline of Barnum’s oh-so-interesting life that had seemed more like a montage with great soundtrack.

The Greatest Showman is directed by a first timer in the director’s chair, Michael Gracey, who Jackman had persuaded to take on the job. He was known for nothing more than Australian commercials, but for a movie as grand and adventurous as this one, it was one heck of a breakthrough for him. The movie itself, the original songs and performances, the song-writers and composers themselves greatly deserve the attention they had been receiving during the award season. In particular, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who had been nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes for “This Is Me”. A song that made my Songs to Sing in the Showers playlist, which is a very much contested spot.

A movie that makes it on the list of feel-good movies this year, something that you can and should watch during the holiday season with family and sing along to.

3/5

State of Emergency: The product of an increasingly paranoid society, France is literally in a State of Emergency since the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo and at the Bataclan in Paris over the last few years. Set in Paris, director Tarek Roehlinger brings us into a regular day for Omar, who is securing an official building at the heart of the city. The common mantra seems to be that no one is to be trusted and everyone is a potential threat.

It is when Omar notices an unattended suitcase in the middle of the grounds that the short picks up in intensity, as we know all too well by now, unattended luggage is synonym to something suspicious and malevolent. Omar and his colleague tape off the area, redirecting any pedestrian that comes by. Up until this point the short was incredible and almost belonged in a high calibre feature length film, but the clumsy placement of an unruly homeless person who doesn’t quite understand what’s going on and attempts to take the suitcase, seemed totally unnecessary and quite frankly out of place. Similar to Selim Azzazi’s featurette ‘Enemies Within’ which echoed the French government’s paranoia of the sixties, ‘State of Emergency’ mirrors that of contemporary France, and illustrates how mercilessly history

The Silent Child: This short hit the festival with a subject of unequalled importance to raise awareness to. A deaf child is born into a hearing, middle-class family, and like

Photo: lift-off-festivals.com

Independent film-making at its best, from London Lift-Off his property with a rifle. Needless to say, they are gone within seconds and the boy seeking refuge is treated with a surprising kindness by the man who in fact, wasn’t just protecting his territory but knowingly saved Neil (Scott Reid) from a vicious encounter.

Fast-forward fifteen years, Neil and Walter meet again. Neil has just come out of prison, and finding it impossible to find work with a criminal record, which is when Walter reaches out to him by employing him as a sort of assistant and house keeper, once again rescuing Neil from a difficult situation. The acting is sincere and seamless, with two characters that have suffered in life and are forced to live on the edge of society. The storyline is not as original as it is gripping, but it draws us in and retains our interest throughout.

A few days after working and living with Walter, Neil becomes inquisitive as to what Walter goes off to do every few days. Is it

daughter is learning.

The social worker is consequently sent away, for reasons that were clearly not economical. Not only was this an awful step backwards for their daughter, but an emotionally traumatising one, destroying an important, if not the first, true connection the young girl had ever made.

A hard-hitting short about a much too frequent reality for thousands of children.

Night Four

Night Two

Review

Sharon Lim Film Contributor

Night One

repeats itself, as if those events had never occurred.

too many others, suffers from the lack of support to what the people surrounding them consider a learning disability which must be overcome, by learning to lip-read and even speaking.

In order to prepare the child for elementary school, the parents hire a social worker. Upon introducing the social worker to the child, the mother describes her deaf daughter as if she if abnormally closed-in on herself and quiet, unable to communicate with her adequately. As the days go by, the social worker teaches the girl sign language, which opens up an entirely new, joyous side to the girl, and as she is able to communicate without the usual obstacles she faces with lipreading. Naturally, the girl and the social worker develop a special bond, to which the mother becomes jealous and fiercely argues with her husband that she doesn’t want their daughter to be a “freak”, hating feeling alienated by the sign language her

Right Between Your Ears: Director Sheila Marshall and neuroscientist Kris De Meyer have managed to bridge one of the many existent gaps in thought and difference of opinions we have as individuals. The filmmakers met a group of Americans who were convinced that Judgment Day was going to happen as a fact. With a scientific and unbiased approach they were not only able to help us see the believer’s point of view but depict layer by layer the psychology and neuroscience insights into their convictions.

Convictions, as we have seen throughout history, have been the source of endless disputes, wars, and death. The film poses the question as to why we, as humans, are sometimes prepared to die and kill for those beliefs, even if there are no hard, scientific facts to support them. These cases are the most combustible, as the contenders will either spend time and energy trying to convince the believers that they are wrong, or immediately dismiss them, being completely closed to discussion with a person of the opposite opinion as them.

The documentary delves into this community over a period of six weeks, the first half part of the film being the run up to the predicted Judgment Day; the second being their reactions after it didn’t occur.

During the Q&A, Kris took great pains to get across to us what happened emotionally to these people, “the closest you could compare it to is what you go through when you lose a loved one”. People had left their jobs, wound down businesses and made other drastic decisions based on their conviction.

Philosophy student Maurice was a very interesting and open-minded individual, whose interest and growing conviction that Judgment Day was absolutely going to happen caught the audience off-guard.

Here was a perfectly well educated young person, who by their own research came to the conclusion that something unscientifically proven was factual.

Happy to help Sheila and Kris, Maurice voluntarily underwent some brain scans, as to observe what neurologically happens when asked if we believe something or not.

The most important thing Maurice learnt during his Philosophy studies, is that Man does not, and cannot know everything, and it is for that reason that he welcomed the information that seemed rationally plausible to him.

This documentary put many sociocultural aspects into perspective, such as why still today human beings are an extremely dysfunctional group who have a long way to go before ever hoping to achieve peace and tolerance. Through this film, Sheila and Kris have shown us that the problem is Right Between Your Ears, and we must make efforts to encourage discussion when confronting each other’s different stances.

Books

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ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review

La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman An exploration of the first installment in Pullman’s new fantasy trilogy Conor McCarthy Books Reporter After seventeen years of waiting, fans of fantasy author Philip Pullman have been rewarded with an audacious new novel.

Pullman’s new series, T he Book of Dust, is to be a three part follow-on from the award winning trilogy His Dark Materials .

The first instalment, La Belle Sauvage, was released in late 2017. It is set ten years prior to the events of His Dark Materials and the following books will be set ten years later.

As opposed to a prequel or sequel, the 7 1 year-old writer sardonically described the new trilogy as an “equel”.

La Belle Sauvage is an expertly crafted fantasy thriller, that undoubtedly does justice to the original series. Pullman takes us back to Lyra Belacqua’s world of sentient spirit animals known as Daemons, and of the church-like magisterium. Lyra and her ‘daemon’ Pantalaimon are again central characters and much of the action revolves around them, only this time she is a baby and Pantalaimon, a chirruping cub.

“La Belle Sauvage is certainly not for the faint hearted ” Pullman’s skill at writing children — giving them real purpose and depth — is exemplified in our new hero, Malcolm Polstead. Malcolm is an ordinary if rather bright boy with an undying curiosity. With the help of a fierce young woman named Alice, Malcolm watches over baby Lyra and sees that she comes to no harm with some astounding feats of bravery.

The characters’ story begins in the calm of rural England, an unlikely but engaging setting for the events to come. After some introductory chapters that lay foundations for an adventure, and on cue with the Gyptian’s (River Gypsies) premonitions, a f lood of immeasurable proportion sweeps through the quiet Oxfordshire hamlet of Godstow. The deluge carries our protagonists from their homes down through the Thames valley and beyond in Malcolm’s stout canoe, L a Belle Sauvage.

The journey presents many dangers, but none more chilling than encountering the new antagonist G erard Bonneville, accompanied by his Hyena daemon.

Daemons are an embodiment of their human’s inborn nature, which renders Bonneville’s Hyena even more unsettling.

This change of villain represents a change of tone compared to the original trilogy.

Bonneville’s unhinged demeanour and disturbing actions wouldn’t go amiss in the horror section.

La Belle Sauvage is certainly not for the faint hearted. In comparison to Pullman’s previous works, the new volume is perhaps more suited to the older reader — as Pullman himself commented on the new series, “His darker materials, perhaps”.

If, like me, you were a fan of His Dark Materials , you might remember the mysterious and wondrous characters from

the trilogy; the armoured bears, the angels, the witches and the soulless warriors. La Belle Sauvage has significantly less of this high fantasy as the book acts more as a medium for human connections, friendship and love.

Pullman again invades the familiar with the extraordinary but rather than using magical tools and mystical beings to guide and bolster the storyline, he lets the characters’ interactions and tale of hardship to be central in what is an imaginative narrative.

Pullman to explore the politics within this alternate universe. The parallel version of the UK is governed by an international theocracy, the ‘Magisterium’, which dominates all political and authoritative sectors. The magisterium’s increasing interest in Lyra, Malcolm and Alice plays a

“ There is no predictability, no expectation, the events unfold as they have to ” Though gripping from the first chapter, La Belle Sauvage is not perfect. Pullman’s quest for genuine settings and an innate homely composition is perhaps compromised when we run into characters of otherworldly origin, as they seem out of place and distinct in the swamped English countryside. The occasional references to the story of exodus also expects a biblical knowledge, again something that might pass younger readers by.

Despite these faults however, the main

Photo: Chris Boland @Flickr plot theme of the f lood is executed with unerring precision. The delicate subtlety in the comparisons it makes to our planet and our Britain also lend the book real meaning and significance.

The whole story is set in Britain, permitting

Photo: : Wikipedia leading role in our protagonists struggles.

La Belle Sauvage evokes emotion and empathy throughout; as a reader you are passionately attached to characters, willing them to succeed in what is a perilous journey. Pullmans writing is so authentic, that the reader rarely questions the fictional nature of the f lood. But at the same time there is no predictability, no expectation, the events unfold as they have to with the reader so engulfed in the scenery it’s as though you are standing in amongst it.

The vivid descriptions do well to place the novel’s action whilst creating enthralling atmospheres. Alongside the ambitious imagery, Pullman stylises elegant motifs that enhance the plotline. One of which is that of building, working and fixing things. From clockwise-opening screws to boarding up windows, the detailed intricacy of objects and manipulation of materials offers delightful metaphors for rebellion and protection.

In La Belle Sauvage we begin to explore the nature of the mysterious phenomena Dust, a notion that refers to what readers might know as dark matter. Dust had an important role in the first trilogy and we can with no doubt expect to explore its significance in the next parts of this one.

It has to be said that so far in the Book of Dust , we have not seen the overarching allegories of the human condition that was the case in His Dark Materials . Nor does Pullman so deliberately comment on the organisation of religion in its intangible forms. However, it hits home as an excellent precursor for the rest of the trilogy with part two The Secret Commonwealth , arriving in shops later this year.

Do you need to have read His Dark Materials to fully enjoy and understand La Belle Sauvage ? Certainly not. But if you find this novel as captivating as I did you may well want to visit Lyra’s world ten years on.

Want to write for Books?

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We also welcome original creative writing: poetry and prose.

Join our Facebook group: Mancunion Books Contributors 2017/18 for updates or

Email us at mancunion. books@gmail. com

3RD FEBRUARY, 9 FEBRUARY 2018 Celebrate diversity on campus with a week full of events and activities www.manchesterstudentsunion.comIglobalweek

Food & Drink

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ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review: The Lowry Hotel – £15.95 three course Jan/Feb menu Anokhi Shah & Isabel Mitchell Food Editor & Contributor Situated on the banks of the River Irwell, just a stone’s throw from vibrant Spinningfields, is the Lowry Hotel, part of the prestigious 'Leading Hotels of The World'. Upon entering, I whispered to my dining companion “I really shouldn’t have worn trainers”. We were absolutely blown away by the style and luxury surrounding us, our student bubble was certainly far from sight.

A glass staircase led us towards the restaurant via the bar that looked incredibly James Bond-esque; I did feel a hint out of place. However, this feeling of non-belonging was completely swept away as soon as we were greeted by our wonderful waiter for the evening, Daniel.

Daniel, the most hospitable, attentive, and friendly character, at once made us feel completely welcome.

We were seated in a semi-circular booth surrounded by elegant décor, modern art, with a view overlooking the river against the backdrop of city lights. The slightly dimmed lighting added to the ambience and felt wonderfully intimate and far away from the chatter of the other diners.

For the starter, we opted for the beetroot buckwheat risotto and the salt and pepper calamari. The latter was cooked to perfection, however, the beetroot and buckwheat risotto tasted slightly acidic,

but still, pretty tasty.

For the main, we went for the W H Frost grilled beef onglet steak and the Josper grilled bread of chicken with a parsnip mash. The steak melted in the mouth, it was succulent and was topped with a gorgeous basil sauce that added the perfect cut of sharpness. However, the chicken dish was overall just too sweet.

out of the restaurant with rather large food babies. The service made the meal an absolute delight and compensated for the sweet chicken and acidic risotto. Overall I would 10/10 recommend this menu, it is incredible value for money, the perfect spot for Valentine’s Day or a special occasion.

Desert was the sticky Medjool date and toffee pudding and a cheese board. The sticky toffee pudding was “heaven and hell in a mouthful” and the cheese board was put together with skill, matching each cheese to its partner chutney.

The wine, although not included in the menu, is definitely worth mentioning. We opted for the New Zealand Pinot Grigio which was exquisite and complemented each course. Although slightly dear for the student purse, the whole meal is still pretty reasonable working out at £30 per head for half a bottle of wine and a three course — luxurious — meal.

Each course wasn’t rushed, the waiters gave us plenty of time to savour every mouthful and catch up on one another’s tales. We started at around 9:00pm and didn’t finish until 11:30pm, stumbling

Photo: Esther Craven

Albeit with a struggle, we’ve made it through exam season. It’s time to treat ourselves once again to the finer things in life, like giving yourself time to cook a good, hearty lunch. Great for a packed lunch, this recipe says goodbye to the Sainos’ meal deal and hello to proper home cooked food, which won’t take up too much of your time or money.

These are the ingredients for a large omelette, at least 6 hefty servings. Just halve it if you want to do a smaller version. You can also mix up the vegetables according to what you like – try throwing a handful of frozen peas into the mixture before cooking. In the picture it is served with a chilli mayo.

Ingredients 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 large white onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 medium sized potatoes 6 eggs 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced Cherry tomatoes, halved Feta cheese (optional), crumbled Salt and pepper

Method 1. Finely chop the onion and garlic.

Put one tablespoon of the oil in a medium-sized frying pan and heat on a medium to low heat. Then add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft and beginning to colour, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t burn.

If it is catching too much, turn the heat down.

2. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Halve your potatoes and cut them into thin slices.

Place the potato slices in the boiling water and par-boil, around two to three minutes until they are just cooked.

Drain and leave to cool slightly.

3. In a large bowl, whisk five of the eggs together with a good grind of black pepper and a couple of pinches of salt.

4. Once cooled slightly, add your potato and onions, and half the sliced pepper to the bowl. You can also add other vegetables at this point; peas and cooked asparagus work well too. Mix together well.

5. Heat the rest of the oil in the pan on a medium heat. When the pan is hot, pour in the mixture and flatten. Whisk the remaining egg and pour on top, then scatter on the rest of the sliced pepper and place the halved cherry tomatoes, skin down onto the mixture.

At this point, if using, crumble on your feta cheese.

6. Preheat the grill.

7. Cook the mixture in the pan until the bottom and sides are a goldenbrown colour – about 5 to 8 minutes, depending on the thickness of your omelette.

8. Place under the grill for a further five to eight minutes, making sure the omelette is cooked all the way through and it is beginning to brown on top.

9. Slide out of the pan and onto a plate.

Can be eaten hot or cold.

Review: Manchester Smokehouse Sam Pigott Contributor At first glance, Manchester Smokehouse — located on Lloyd Street, just off Albert Square — has all the ingredients of a great night out, with an exciting food and cocktail menu, and a very busy restaurant. Unfortunately, that’s where the compliments end.

We booked a table for a Saturday night — essential, as it was really quite busy. By the time we had arrived 5 minutes late, they had already given our table to someone else.

We shrugged this off and went over to their cocktail bar to wait until one became available.

The vodka and prosecco cocktail I had was 95 per cent apple juice, which is always upsetting when they suggest they consider their drinks as important as their food.

“The vodka and prosecco

cocktail I had was 95 per cent apple juice, which is always upsetting considering they consider their drinks are as important as their food. ”

Photos: Anokhi Shah

Review: Umezushi

The perfect library lunch: Spanish Omelette Esther Craven Contributor

“We were seated in a semicircular booth surrounded by elegant décor, modern art, with a view overlooking the river against the backdrop of city lights”

Patrick Young Contributor The location of Umezushi in a non-residential area of central Manchester lends itself to a slightly corporate footfall. Other diners at the restaurant appeared to consist of clients, being taken out and schmoozed for potential business deals. No doubt impressed by the sense of exclusivity that comes from Umezushi’s incredibly intimate dining room, and the excellence of the food.

My dining companion and I ordered off the lunch menu for affordability, aiming not to get caught up in the business demographic and to aptly represent the requirements of the student market. After much deliberation, we settled on ordering Miso Soups to start, as a staple of Japanese cuisine, and Negitoro Don, Pork Rice, and the Umezushi Lunch Roll to follow.

The Negitoro Don I can best describe as the steak tartare of the sushi world. We ordered this as an attempt to push the culinary boat out. It was not met by unappreciative palettes, but the intensity of the raw egg and fish combination may have been better suited to a starter rather than a main course.

“High calibre Japanese cuisine is built on an ethic and trust in the freshness and quality of produce, and this really shone through at Umezushi. " The rice in all the dishes had taken a small hit of vinegar to bring out its full flavour. It was light and fluffy in texture. The quality of this rice is something I have never been able to recreate, even with various experimentations in different types of rice cookers.

The sushi itself was completely delectable. High calibre Japanese cuisine is built on an ethic and trust in the freshness and quality of produce, and this really shone through at Umezushi. A point of note is that the wasabi was not overpowering, as is the case in mass-produced supermarket sushi, which generally tends to be horseradish died green.

I was meaning to ask how the restaurant sourced

their fish, as having lived in Manchester for three years, I am yet to come across a thriving fish market. But, given the quality of the produce, my guess would be that they have some form of supply chain direct from the sea.

The sticky pork rice beautifully balanced sweet and sour and put in a valiant attempt to steal the show from the sushi.

Photo: Patrick Young

The waiters and maître’d gave off no sense that my dining companion and I were being rushed through the experience, which is unusual in such a high demand restaurant with very little capacity. We sat at our table for the best part of three hours, letting idle conversation flow as we soaked in copious refills of green tea.

Taking in the authenticity of feng shui — created by the Japanese kitsch’s and pot plants which surround the walls. The interior design had the capacity to transport the diner away from the midst of the bleakness of the Mancunian winter, and into what had the feel of a high-end backstreet Sushi house, in which a grandmaster might have plied their trade.

The lunch menu is affordable, costing twenty pounds a head, which considering the precedence of the restaurant and the quality of the food was entirely reasonable. I could not recommend this restaurant enough. If you are feeling any weight in your pockets from the recent drop of student loans, the taster menu looks to be a complete and innovative journey through the depths of Japanese cuisine.

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 14 / 5th FEBRUARY 2018 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

After sitting down, we ordered starters; Smoked garlic king prawns, and the honey jerk BBQ wings. The food arrived promptly, which was great — by this point, we were pretty hungry.

The prawns came with their shells still on – and it has to be said, that must have been where all the flavour was, as there certainly wasn’t any on the meat. The wings were slightly better, but not much superior to those found in a local

Wetherspoons.

We moved on and ordered ‘The big smoke; all the best bits for two to share’. If these were the best bits, I certainly don’t want to try the rest. Comprising of a hefty platter of brisket and ribs, pulled pork, and a variety of sides, the only thing that didn’t disappoint was the fancy chopping board it was all served on.

I know this sounds harsh – but the vast majority of the food was inedible – the chicken was so dry you had to gulp several mouthfuls of your pure apple juice cocktail just to get through it. The brisket was tough and flavourless, and the ‘hot links’ sausages were overcooked and unexciting. Don’t get me started on the ribs. The beans and the pulled pork were bang average, and they were the highlight.

What was most surprising was the lack of a smoky flavour. They claim their food is smoked and cooked on an open fire — but if you want a BBQ flavour, you’re better cooking it yourself on a disposable one in Platt’s Fields, or simply having a packet of smoky bacon crisps.

Unsurprisingly, I wouldn’t recommend a trip to Manchester Smokehouse — there are plenty of excellent alternatives in town, for the same price

Photos: Sam Pigott

Review: Drake & Morgan Millie Nettletin Contributor January rolls around and the eternal struggle presents itself afresh: sticking to resolutions.

The likelihood is, you’ve made some arbitrary promises to drink less, eat better and keep fit.

But as we students flock back to uni, once again leaving the warm comforts of home cooking and laundry that magically does itself, university in January always feels like a shock to the system; the warm duvet of festivity is ripped off, and there you lie, naked, exposed, facing exams and deadlines alike.

That daily run looks a lot less appealing when it’s still dark at 8am, and drizzling constantly. You try to warm up with multiple servings of pasta.

You push the guilt to the back of your mind, you’ve always got Chinese new year…

Well fear not, young and sleep deprived. If you can spare an hour or two from your daily schedule of revision and scrolling through Facebook, the Drake and Morgan has your back.

Yes, you can shun the guilt while going out for a dinner less than 500 calories, and it includes some of God's greatest creations: steak and seafood.

For just £9.95 you can enjoy steak, prawns and a glass of prosecco, clocking up under 500 calories on your my fitness pal. And not the dieting type?

Bulking? No problem, upgrade to steak, lobster and chips with a glass of champagne for £19.95.

Of course, to review, I had to try both, which included forcing my boyfriend to share his lobster and chips with me.

The Drake and Morgan in Spinningfields is a cool-looking establishment with a classy vibe; perhaps that was the work party going on, but it was packed with corporate suit-wearing types which certainly gave the shabby chic interior a sophistication.

Sitting down, my man and I ordered straight away; we had a game plan after all. Drinks arrived first, the prosecco was okay, a little tart perhaps, but the champagne was undoubtedly a step up.

To my amazement, our food arrived in less than ten minutes — definite brownie points there.

The food looked gorgeous too, though unfortunately no amount of presentation could have made the prawn and steak option look like a plate full.

Being carnivores, we’d both asked for our steak to arrive rare, and it was gorgeous, pink in the middle, but seared nicely on the outside, if a little small.

The prawns were bursting with flavour, a good sign of both well-cooked and fresh produce, but there were only two. I personally felt the lobster was a little wanting, but my date insisted that it was delicious. The chips were great too, crispy on the outside, soft in the middle. The salad, undressed, might as well have not been there.

All in all, especially with the cheaper portion, it just wasn’t enough. Perhaps it was my stomach used to gorging Christmas dinner style portions, but I finished the meal wondering where my food had gone, and desperate for a dessert.

Their dessert menu suddenly felt overpriced considering the bargain of the meal itself. Instead of getting a £6 crème brûlée to share, we swung

by Sainsbury’s on the way home and bought a £3 cheesecake for 6.

In short, though the food was excellent, don’t expect it to save you calories, as you will probably end up eating later (possibly even three people's worth of cheesecake).

Review: Grinch £8.95 lunch Anokhi Shah Editor

Photo: Anokhi Shah

Lunchtime deals can frequently be pretty disappointing. The price and the promise of a free drink lure you in however the food tends to be meagre/lacking substance. Not to mention the tiny ounce of ‘free wine’ that adds to the overall disappointment making you wonder why you didn’t just get a subway. I am happy to say Grinch is an exception and is extremely good value for money.

Originally located on Chapel Walks Manchester at the forefront of Café Culture in the 90’s, Grinch has now grown up and found its new home in Didsbury village.

Arriving on a Friday late afternoon I was immediately charmed by an easily recognisable Spotify 60s playlist and a delightful rustic interior. The only downside was the restaurant was fairly empty, well we were one of two couples.

Also, the service really did take its time.

of wine or beer/soda 1. Special Fried Chicken with fries and House BBQ Sauce 2. Chilli and Chips with cheese, sour cream, red onion 3, Pollo Rosso Pizza – hummus, chicken, roasted red peppers, mozzarella and sweet chilli sauce 4. Cheese Burger with onions, pickles and chips 5. Goats Cheese Pizza – roasted red peppers, parmesan and mozzarell Everything sounded too good despite the limited choice, I ended up opting for the special fried chicken and my dining partner chose the Pollo Rosso Pizza. It can be argued that you can’t go wrong with fried chicken, however, I would say you definitely can. This fried chicken was beautifully served, flavoured and cooked to perfection. Not at all greasy and served with the most delightful BBQ sauce which complimented the chicken brilliantly.

Overall I was elated with my choice…. until I took a bite of the pizza and in all honesty, my eyes turned green with envy.

The flavour combination on top of the freshly stone baked base was a dream. The sweet chilli and peppers cut through the creaminess of the hummus and mozzarella quite frankly leaving a taste sensation. My glass of wine was pretty small but I’ll let it go as the food was so scrummy.

“I

was elated with my choice…. until I took a bite of the pizza .... my eyes turned green with envy...it was a taste sensation.”

However I will blame all this on its fairly new opening, I guess it’s just finding its feet.

The lunch menu has been put together featuring its biggest sellers over the years.

Personally, I would say the choice is excellent. Each dish includes a coffee, glass

Photo: Anokhi Shah

Anokhi’s 15 minute meals: Vegan bean chilli and smashed avo Anokhi Shah Editor You know that feeling after a heavy weekend, too much overindulgence and lack of sleep.

All you want is something comforting and hearty, certainly not another takeaway. This vegan bean chilli is ready in 15 minutes and is full off goodness, flavour and comfort. Perfect for a lazy sunday evening.

Ingredients: Tin of cannellini beans Tin of kidney beans Tin of chopped tomatoes 1 red pepper half a pack of mushrooms 2 cloves of garlic 1 red onion 1 avocado Tablespoon of red chilli powder Tablespoon of cumin Rice or any desired accompaniment (tortillas/ couscous) Photo: Anokhi Shah

Photo: Millie Nettleton

Method: 1. Finely chop onion, garlic, pepper, and mushrooms.

2. Add a tablespoon of oil to a pan and sauté the onions and garlic.

3. Once onions and garlic are softened, add the cumin and red chilli powder and stir.

4. Add mushrooms and peppers to the pan and stir until all the veg seems soft.

5. Add the tin of tomatoes and both tins of beans, simmer for 5 minutes.

6. At this stage put your rice to boil and smash up your avocado.

7. Serve when the beans lose their crunch.

(Top with cheese if you're not vegan or a vegan cheat)

Arts

24

Feature

Writing ‘The Female Sex (Education)’

Creator of ‘the.f.sex’ Instagram account, Izzy Rooke-Ley, explains the importance of presenting an educative platform dedicated to female sexuality and sexual pleasure

Photo: Artwork by Izzy Rooke-Ley

Izzy Rooke-Ley Arts Contributor ‘The Female Sex (Education)’, or @the.f.sex, is an educative platform which presents a discourse on the female sex, female sexuality, and the female body. It focuses on the importance of satisfying female sexual pleasure and the complexity involved in the sexual arousal of females. @the.f.sex disturbs particular phallocentric discourses, such as those of the 18th and 19th centuries which idealised female sexual purity (virginity) and attempts to limit female sexuality to a reproductive function. The power operative within these discourses is a patriarchal desire and demand to subjugate and debilitate female autonomy over sexual pleasure. This is rooted in the assumption that the female orgasm is a secondary consideration, enabling the patriarchal principle of male domination over the female to develop.

Negative definitions of female sexuality have been produced through the use of terms such as pathology, hysteria, mental illness, whoredom, sin, abjection, and impurity. These have been used by such discourses in order to shame female sexual pleasure and the exposure of female erogenous zones throughout history. Thus, shame is not a constituent property of female sexuality itself; shame is instead imposed onto sexuality by these discourses. This signifies the phallocentric desire for the debilitation of female sexual

pleasure and an attempt to condition females’ consciousnesses to associate their own sexual bodies with shame and to repress their own sexual pleasure.

At present, females are still subject to phallocentric cultural statements which define them as ‘sluts’ to negatively judge and shame their sexuality. Thus, it is problematic when a female defines another female as a slut; it is a continuation of the male ideals which produce the relation between the female sexual body and shame. @the.f.sex presents images of female body and questions why a female revealing erogenous zones as well as receiving sexual pleasure has come to signify shame and present her negatively as a ‘slut’. Female participation in, and the enjoyment of, sexual pleasure is not shameful: Where sex produces pleasure, wellbeing and confidence, this emphasizes how having sex as a woman is a drive towards feminism, the non-subjugation and liberation of the feminine. Consequently, @the.f.sex manifests itself as a feminist drive to educate against the suppression and repression of female sexuality. @the.f.sex challenges models of ‘sex’ (such as the pornographic models) whereby the goal of sex is male orgasm and ejaculation. This problematic presentation of sex fails to include the stimulation and fulfilment of female pleasure outside of male concerns. @the.f.sex redefines ‘sex’ as acts that sexually arouse and pleasure.

Sex should not be defined only as the male penetration of the vagina; a female will not be aroused to her full potential if, for her, sex is experienced as her dependency on the penis entering her vagina. Furthermore, through this redefinition, @the.f.sex does not limit female sexuality to a heterosexual relation with the penis, and instead discusses the sexual relationship that a female has to her own body.

My page aims to provide both females and males with a better understanding of the complexity of pleasuring feminine erogenous zones. The individuality of the wiring of the female pelvic nerve produces the variability between different females’ sexual responses and sexual preferences.

Some females can climax easily from penetration. For other females, clitoral arousal is highly pleasurable but physical pleasure from penetration is limited. Even if a female can reach orgasm more easily from penetration, if she is not aroused sufficiently prior to penetration she will not feel as physically indulged than if she had been. @the.f.sex problematizes the archetypal association between penetrating the vagina and orgasm, and other predominant male generalisations. Since female orgasms are more elusive than males’, most women

Photo: Artwork by Izzy Rooke-Ley

cannot orgasm through vaginal penetration alone. This emphasises the importance of the need to redefine ‘sex’ and to consider that penetration for some women is even subsidiary to clitoral arousal.

“ @the.f.sex manifests itself as a feminist drive to educate against the suppression and repression of female sexuality. ” Patriarchal desire persistently negates and distorts the presence of the female sexual body. This denies the representation of, and maintains ignorance towards, female sexual subjectivity. @the.f.sex raises awareness of the variations concerning the shapes of vulvas, particularly the labia, and breasts.

This is often a taboo; completely erased from the language, as ‘conventional’ images are presented to young females by ‘sex education’ schemes and through cultural projections, such as smoothed over and artificial pornographic images of breasts and genitalia.

The culturally available image of the female body needs to be changed to images which are inclusive of these variations between women. There is not enough educative sexual information presented to males and females concerning sex for the sake of female pleasure ( because of a damaging limitation to reproduction), the variations between what females’ sexual bodies look like and the variation between females’ sexual responses. @the.f.sex questions why a female should feel embarrassed to assert that she likes something different to what their partner is giving and that she wants her particular own desires for pleasure fulfilled. Sex is a desire to receive, as well as give, pleasure.

Why have some females become too afraid or uncomfortable to reassert this?

Wonder Women 2018

We look ahead to the the feminist festival taking over of Manchester through an innovative series of exhibitions, performances and discussions Sure, we’re all feminists, right? But feminism needs to become more than just a word we attach ourselves to, it needs to be productive — and this is the concept that the 2018 Wonder Woman Festival is founded on.

Throughout the month of March, the city will be taken over by a programme that puts women at the centre of culture and art in Manchester. Amplifying those voices which are so often unrecognised, this festival is a platform which recognises the female narrative.

As the birthplace of Emmeline Pankhurst — who lived just off Oxford Rd —, Manchester is bound inextricably to the legacy of the suffragette movement and the history of female liberation. This year is especially pertinent as it marks the 100-year anniversary of the Representation of the People

Act, which was a landmark for gender equality and females entering the political sphere.

This historical moment will be felt from a contemporary perspective through a series of performances, screenings, exhibitions, and talks.

All provoking us to consider how females are represented in our culture today.

Help forge a new historical moment by showing your support to the range of productions which will be running, here are our highlights:

who will hold a panel discussion asking whether feminist festivals are a form of activism in their own right?

Feminist Takeover and Wonder Woman 2018 Festival Launch Manchester Art Gallery, 1st of March 6-8pm As the retrospective work of artist and campaigner Annie Swynnerton takes centre stage in the gallery, this opening evening is curated by Instigate Arts,

The Ongoing Nakba The People’s History Museum, 8th March 2-4pm An afternoon exchanging stories presented by Palestinian refugee women to commemorate the 1948 Palestinian Exodus; accompanied by a moving visual installation, this evening provides a platform

Sylvia - Jacqueline Mulhallen Lynx Theatre, 3rd March 2-4pm A one-woman play looking back at the early life of Emmeline Pankhurst, immersed against over 250 projected slides of Pankhurst’s own photographs and paintings.

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Review

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical Anuli Changa reviews a jukebox musical that surpasses expectatations Anuli Changa Contributor

Beautiful tells the story of singer-songwriter Carole King, her life and talent that has touched so many people. King’s music is in practically everyone’s lives, even if they don’t know it! Perhaps most notably ‘Like a Natural Woman’, most famously performed by Aretha Franklin.

The musical tells the true story of King’s journey from being a teenage mother part of a hit songwriting team with her husband and childhood sweetheart Gerry Goffin, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in pop music history. The audience follows King from age 16 with dreams of becoming a songwriter, to 14 years in the future when she’s performing at Carnegie Hall launching her incredible solo career.

King and Goffin wrote some of the most well-known music of the 60’s, the likes of ‘Will You Love Me Tomorrow’ — originally performed by the Shirelles — ‘The Locomotion’

by Little Eva, and ‘Up on the Roof’ by The Drifters. These numbers are impressively portrayed by a talented ensemble and well thought out choreography. The set

Photo: Craig Sugden

the show to another level.

There is a convincing chemistry between Barbe and Kane Oliver Parry as Gerry Goffin. Their song-writing rivals are skilfully portrayed, Cynthia Weil, a seductive and witty woman (Amy Ellen Richardson) and the comedic relief of Barry Mann — played with great timing by Matthew Gonsalves.

The feel-good finale leaves the audience inspired by King’s story and practically pulled out of their seats to sing along and dance to the encore song ‘I Feel The Earth Move’. It is guaranteed to leave you walking out of the theatre smiling.

As someone who actively avoids jukebox musicals, I was pleasantly surprised by Beautiful. This touring company brought something more to this collection of seminal songs, demonstrating how heart-warming and relatable King’s story is. A really enjoyable show that surpasses expectations!

Beautiful - The Carole King Musical ran from December 12 2017 to January 6 2018 at The Palace Theatre.

was an impressive feat, with wonderful lighting bringing the sixties style — particularly clever when it came to the multileveled recording studio.

“ impressively portrayed by

a talented ensemble. ”

Photo: Craig Sugden

Bronte Barbe stars as Carole King and does so beautifully, bringing her own presence to such an amazing performer and character. She is incredible in the lead role, as she depicts Carole King’s transformation from naïve teenager to successful singer-songwriter and finally a performer in her own right as she deals with her cheating husband and puts herself first.

Barbe brings rawness to the role that really embodies Carole King’s persona as she transforms and becomes the legend that she is today, it was her performance that took

Photo: Craig Sugden

Review

News

The Log

UMMTS wins top awards at NODA we are over the moon with what UMMTS is turning into.”

The wins for the society were as follows:

Sophie Graci Theatre Editor On Saturday the 27th of January, the University of Manchester Musical Theatre Society (UMMTS) won five of the top prizes at the National Operatic & Dramatic Association North West District 1 Awards. UMMTS received thirty-four nominations this year, their most successful year yet.

Speaking at the time of the nominations, society chair Iona Purvis said, “I’m so proud of what the society has become.

Every year the shows we put on get more and more professional in standard [and] we’re so lucky to have such talented members…

Best Supporting Actor Tom Carswell – Paul – A Chorus Line Best Supporting Actress Eimear Crealey Charlotte – A Little Night Music Terry Chandler Award for Best All Round Performer Kiera Battersby – Cassie – A Chorus Line Best Ensemble Piece The Quintet – A Little Night Music Best Musical Avenue Q

“ I am so proud of

what the society has become ”

for the plight and resilience of women refugees.

If this is the last thing I say? - Ruth Barker Castlefield Gallery, the 8th of March 6-8pm A spoken word and soundscape which enacts contemporary female anxieties surrounding motherhood, illness, and isolation.

Film Focus: Hooligan Sparrow CFCCA (Centre for Chinese Contemporary Artists), 8th March 6:30-8pm An exclusive screening of one of China’s most prominent female rights activists — Hooligan Sparrow —, who exposes female sex workers and the abuse of children in a shocking documentary.

Photo: Dom McGann

This semester UMMTS will be performing Little Women (book by Allan Knee, lyrics

by Mindi Dickstein, and music by Jason Howland), directed by Annie Williams, as well as new musical, The Clockmaker’s Tale with a book by Flora Snelson and music and lyrics by third-year University of Manchester student Alastair McNamara, directed by Lucy Scott. The society will also once again be running the Manchester Musical Revue, directed by Chris Pope. More details of the society’s upcoming productions can be found on their Facebook page.

Anuli Changa Contributor Patrick Davenport’s The Log surprises and delights in all the best ways: genius comedy accompanied with moments of emotional poignancy.

Told through the eyes of Charlie, Davenport’s The Log recounts the friendship between him, Karl and Alex from the age of six years old when they meet by a log in Center Parcs, through puberty and the challenges of growing up. Davenport’s writing is devilishly funny, with humour that is entirely relatable, bringing out laughter in all sorts of moments – one most memorably as the six-year-old versions of the friends’ misunderstanding the term ‘racist’ to mean doing something wrong in a sports day race!

Will Vincent is likeable and engaging immediately as the conversational narrator (Charlie), bringing us out of the story with quips about how this is more than a cliché coming of age story, and guiding us the through the years of the friendship. Emily Brocklehurst is great as the inquisitive six-yearold Alex, who becomes a hilariously sarcastic and passionate teenager. A distinct Blood Brothers feeling comes with the first meeting of “Charlie Gray and Karl with a ‘K’” (the latter played by Roman Armstrong), an interaction that embodies the meetings of young children to the point where you forget that you are watching university students.

All three actors impress with their ability to command the stage with perfectly delivered comedic lines and switch to equally believable moments of pain and anger. My one and only criticism is that, at times, the serious moments are slightly lost in a lack of projection.

Davenport’s writing and direction are impeccably displayed in this play, leaving you questioning and

qualifying what a ‘close’ friend is, and just how difficult it is to grow up. We watch Alex, Charlie and Karl grow and change, dealing with things that they never knew about each other. Roman Armstrong demonstrates versatility in his portrayal of the contrasting joker ‘Karl’ and the ‘Carl’ that is dealing with his dad leaving.

An apparently trivial difference of a letter in his name means so much to Charlie’s character as it is the root of how he sees Carl, capturing the complications of friendship and the raw fact that we rarely show our whole selves to anyone.

The log itself looks impressively realistic in its central role in the simple set – representing a den, a meeting place, a playground, a safe haven and more. Chemistry and comradery between the cast is evident in every moment of the play. The portrayal of their coming of age is realistic, with subtle changes in their acting accompanied by wonderful scriptwriting. It was the perfect decision not to have forced costume changes to show the years passing, focussing on the talent of the actors. Simple and effective lighting takes care of the atmosphere in the intimate Three Minute Theatre.

It’s impossible not to laugh and relate to the hilarious, and difficult, moments of growing up experienced

by Charlie, Alex and Karl. The show’s final line, “Do you get it now?” (delivered by Charlie), intrigued and delighted me, seeming to simultaneously remind the audience that this was a story told almost more for Charlie’s benefit than the audience’s and inviting us to take away a more personal explanation or lesson.

I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing a play considering everyday things – from Clifford the Red Dog to tomatoes and stars – as it amazed me by provoking thoughts about becoming an adult, friendships and versions of identity.

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Lifestyle

It’s time we talked about LGBTQ+ hate crime more

James Huyton speaks candidly to The Mancunion about LGBTQ+ hate crime, how we can recognise it and what you can do to combat it

5 tips for eating vegan as a student Using Calypso April’s simple tips, you’ll find adopting a vegan lifestyle easier than you thought Calypso April Lifestyle Contributor It’s a common misconception that a vegan diet is unaffordable and inconvenient, especially on a student budget. Whilst it’s true that specialist vegan products can cost a fortune, you certainly don’t need them to create balanced, easy and delicious meals. Here are a few tips that I learned from taking part in ‘Veganuary’.

Keep it simple

Photo: Pixabay

James Huyton LGBT Contributor

Hate crime is much more commonplace than you think. For many, we take the inclusive and metropolitan nature of Manchester for granted. We assume we are somehow insulated from horrible things like this, or that they’re a relic of the past.

The reality, unfortunately, does not reflect this.

Last year, Stonewall completed a survey of the experiences of LGBT people in relation to hate crime.

The results were stark. Their survey showed that one in five LGBT people (21 percent) have experienced a hate crime or incident due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity in the last 12 months. The number of lesbian, gay and bi people in Britain who have experienced hate crime has increased by 78 percent in five years, from nine percent in 2013 to 16 percent in 2017. Two in five trans people have experienced a hate crime or incident because of their gender identity in the last 12 months.

Again, this is not something that LGBT students at a university are insulated from. The statistics show 33 percent of 18 to 24-year-old lesbian gay and bi people and over half (56 percent) of trans young people of the same age, having experienced a hate crime or incident in the last 12 month.

Put very simply, if you have or know a lesbian or gay person in one of your seminars there’s a 1 in 3 chance that they will have experienced a hate crime or hate incident in the last year.

If they’re a trans person, that rises to over 1 in 2. Just 12 percent of these people report it to the police.

For anyone unfamiliar, I’ll break it down really simply. Hate crimes are acts of violence or hostility directed at people because of who they are or who someone thinks they are. Police forces in England and Wales make a distinction between a hate crime and a hate incident.

A hate incident is defined as any act, which may or may not be a crime, that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudice towards an aspect of a person’s identity.

A hate crime is an illegal act that the victim or any other person perceives to be motivated by hostility or prejudices towards an aspect of a person’s identity.

The focus is often on more violent hate crimes, which overshadow the more everyday verbal abuses or derogatory languages that many LGBT people experience in their everyday lives.

Sometimes it’s obvious that you’ve experienced a hate crime, for example, if someone hits you while making obviously homophobic, biphobic or

transphobic comments.

Less obvious examples can be threats of violence hoax calls, abusive phone or text messages, hate mail online abuse for example on Facebook or Twitter or verbal abuse like namecalling.

Like anyone in their early twenties, many of my recent memories are from nights out. I can remember when the DJ in Thompsons’s played the Lady Gaga Megamix and the Britney Megamix back-to-back at 2am. I can remember the lights of the pop room of Poptastic on a Tuesday night. But I can also remember a night out in the Northern Quarter when a stranger decided I was too effeminate. And I can remember having insults shouted at me as I left the Village and walked to get the night bus home. The reality for many LGBT people is they have stories of evenings/nights taking a very dark turn for no other reason than the way they were born.

So what is to be done about this? To see a Manchester without hate crime, the most important thing is that every hate crime (whether you were a victim or just a witness) is reported. Action can only be taken if it is reported.

“ To

see a M a n c h e s t e r without hate crime, the most important thing is that every hate crime (whether you were a victim or just a witness) is reported. ” The odds are that the perpetrators of hate crime will not only commit one in their life. They will go on to commit hate crimes again, and again, and again. Most importantly, the victim of the hate crime (whether it is yourself, or another person) cannot get the support they may need to deal with what is a pretty harrowing or traumatic event if it is not known to the proper people.

Reporting hate crime to the police can feel like a daunting task – so Third Party hate crime reporting centres are operating across Greater Manchester. If you take a report to them they can act on your behalf in this, anonymously if you wish.

LGBT Foundation on Richmond Street is one such centre, specialised in reporting LGBT hate crime as well as providing support to LGBT people.

They can be contacted at 03453 30 30 30 between 10 am and 10 pm on a weekday or an email report can be sent to info@lgbt.foundation.

February 5th – 11th is Greater Manchester Hate Crime Awareness Week. With more than 60 events taking place across Greater Manchester, the week is used as a signal that hate crime has no place in our city. Everyone in Manchester, and

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in the country as a whole, deserves to be able to make those fun night out memories at uni and have the nights they can reminisce about forever for solely positive reasons.

To sign the pledge to stand with the people of Manchester in combatting hate crime, visit http://www. letsendhatecrime.com/.

Don’t get sucked into buying pricey vegan substitutes like plant-based cheeses and meats. They are expensive, not particularly healthy and often disappointing. Instead, opt for recipes which don’t require meat or dairy products, or substitute them with vegetables. For example, make a bolognese with lentils and minced mushrooms, rather than a mince substitute.

Check the label A surprising amount of foods that you would assume contain meat or dairy can actually be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. Both ‘Veganuary’ and PETA have compiled lists of ‘accidentally vegan’ foods that you wouldn’t necessarily think could be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet.

This ranges from the weird, such as Sainsbury’s chicken flavour instant noodles, to the wonderful, including original Oreos, original and chocolate chip Hobnobs, Bourbon biscuits, Jus-Rol Bake-it-Fresh pain au chocolats, Co-op Jam doughnuts and many, many more.

It’s always worth checking the back of the packet to see if your favourite snacks contain dairy products or eggs, which will be listed in bold and don’t forget to check for gelatine too.

Doing this can help save a lot of money on buying speciality vegan products, and, hopefully, allow you to keep eating some of your favourite foods!

Shun the big supermarkets and head to local grocery stores, such as those on the Curry Mile, for the best deals on fruit and vegetables. Not only are the prices cheaper, but these shops allow you to buy the amount of produce you need, rather than a predetermined packet size, which reduces both cost and waste.

In order to save more money, avoid buying pre-chopped packs of vegetables which are timesaving, but much more expensive than doing it yourself. For those interested in reducing their carbon footprint, try to choose vegetables that are in season.

Choose dried Supplement B12 Opting for dried rice, lentils and beans over their convenient pre-prepared counterparts is a massive money saver.

Undeniably, pre-seasoned microwaveable sachets of rice and lentils do save time. On the other hand, learning to cook them for yourself is very easy, and you can get a vast amount more for your money.

The same goes for tinned beans, which are significantly cheaper if bought dry. However, a certain amount of organisation must go into the preparation of dried beans, which achieve the best results when soaked the night before cooking.

Most people worry that a vegan diet is deficient in protein or even calcium, which should not be a problem as long as you are eating a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Plants and grains provide an excellent source of most macro-nutrients.

The only exception to this is vitamin B12 — although certain foods are fortified with B12, such as non-dairy milk and marmite, it is much more reliable and advisable to take a supplement a few times a week, in order to prevent deficiency.

For more ‘accidentally vegan’ foods please see: www. veganuary.com.

Go Local

Photo:Pixabay

The art of the weekender bag Photo: Waldir @Wikimedia Commons

Using these simple tips, you’ll be on your way to a lighter bag and an easier journey Sophia Macpherson Lifestyle Editor

Pack for the weather. Now you may be thinking ‘yes of course I will’ but you’d be surprised how many people forget to do this. Whether you’re going somewhere that is normally always hot or dry, being smart and checking the weather forecast can really go along way. If you’re going somewhere in England, ALWAYS bring an umbrella or something with a hood because no matter what the forecast says, there’s a chance it will rain.

Whether it’s returning home or visiting a friend or indulging in a weekend away, packing efficiently is a skill that will well and truly make your life easier.

Although it is technically not travel season, it is always useful to know how to pack in a logical way that allows you to travel comfortably. I find this skill comes particularly handy when faced with the task of packing to visit a friend at another university.

My first impulse is to pack all of my nice going-out clothes and to just leave deciding what I will wear to later on. We are all guilty of doing this (especially girls), but with these five tips you will be on your way to a journey that doesn’t involve lugging your bag around or a sore shoulder.

Start with the essentials. This seems fairly obvious but if you start your packing with only the things that you really need then I often find that you will continue with this practical mindset. Start off with your underwear and socks – you’d be surprised how many people forget them…

Coordinate your clothes! Choose clothes that you can easily mix and match. Whether you’re the type of person that prefers matching simple tops with

You really do not need that many toiletries. For weekend-trips to see friends, remember that you probably won’t need to bring toothpaste, shampoo, and soap as you can nab this off your friend (unless they’re stingy…). Hotels and Airbnbs will almost always have things like hairdryers and soap as well.

Photo: Free-Photos @ Flickr

fancy trousers or the reverse, pick a staple piece and choose a few options that will undoubtedly work with it. Remember to always pack a trusty jumper, especially in English weather.

Do the roll. My dad taught me the roll about five years ago and I’ve never gone back. Rolling your clothes saves space and also prevents your clothes from wrinkling. If you wanna go that extra mile, you could even roll your coordinating clothes within each other.

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Beckham Strikes Back The Story Behind David Beckham’s Newest Soccer Venture

Jack Quint Sports Contributor

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In a noteworthy move in the sport, announced on Monday former professional footballer David Beckham is helping to launch a Major League Soccer club based out of Miami, Florida. The 42-year-old Beckham had been discussing the possibility of building an expansion team in the MLS since his days with the LA Galaxy however months of the behind-thescenes work with Miami and MLS officials alike finally created a pathway for this opportunity to take place. Characterised as confident and ambitious, this new venture marks yet another impressive business move in Beckham’s off-the-field endeavours since the beginning of his professional career in 1992.

In the United Kingdom, Beckham is both polarised and loathed alike by football fans all throughout the country. A 12year star on Manchester United, Beckham gained an immense following by fans mesmerised by his stellar play in both league and national player. He began his domestic career playing for Manchester United in 1992, before finishing up an outstanding club history with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013. The former captain of the England national team was involved in various professional football organisations for over 25 years, and is considered by many to be one of the best players to ever play the game. Throughout this time, Beckham was well-known by football and non-football fans alike, garnering attention for his physical attractiveness and dedication to the sport. Since then, Beckham has been reportedly involved with various different ventures, creating a major presence on social media that has translated to a successful career in the entertainment industry. Since his retirement from the sport, it had been speculated that his next major move would centre around a similar purchase of a club, however due to complications this process ending up taking almost five years before completion.

Other stars turned to social media to congratulate Beckham on his most recent success, including tennis legend Serena Williams and Hollywood stars Jay-Z and Jennifer Lopez.

Beckham’s connections in the entertainment industry should prove to be useful to the success of his new team, where celebrities combined with their social media platforms make excellent marketing tools to attract fans to their brand. The city of Miami will soon have a franchise in all four major sports leagues in the United States, joining the Dolphins of the NFL, Heat in the NBA, and the Panthers from the Miami metropolitan area.

The move to Miami seemed only fitting for the new professional team, attracting an incredibly large market of fans who have been desperately waiting for the arrival of a new team since their former club Miami Fusion fell apart in 2001. As with many new major sports organisations, the

Photo: иKirill Venediktov @Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Raj Patel @wikimediacommons

biggest reason for this large gap in franchises was due to extensive discussions between Beckham’s buying group and Miami officials over the past four years. It was not until December 2015 when Beckham was officially able to secure a piece of land in the South Florida area. This comes as a major win with a younger demographic in the Miami area, with a variety of different hispanic and caucasian ethnicities who have become fascinated with the sport and its growing league in the United States. Beckham and his group can now shift their focus to an extensive marketing campaign for this new team, gathering as much attention and recognition as possible prior to their instalment into the MLS. Beckham’s worldwide fame combined with one of the largest sports markets into the entire world should prove to be an effective combination and one can only expect a series of success for years to come.

Fans are ecstatic for the opportunity of a soccer legend to be the figurehead for this new club and Beckham himself has been

Formula 1: Pre-Season News and Gossip Jack Greeney has a look at the upcoming F1 season

Photo: Morio@flickr

You’re Going to Lose that Grid Girl ‘Grid Girls’ will no longer be used in Formula 1 races from the start of the 2018 season in March.

Director of Commercial Operations Sean Bratches said the change comes after the Formula One Group “looked at a number of areas which we felt needed updating so as to be more in tune with our vision”. Last week the Professional Darts Corporation also said female promotional models would no longer be used at their events, in a move which received the applause of the Women’s Sport Trust.

Formula E Plans Daring Overtake

www.manchesterstudentsunion.com

grateful for this experience. “I’ve had a wealth of experience from playing with different clubs in different cities across the world… so that’s where I can my expertise into this ownership group.” Even though he has no prior coaching or managerial experience, Beckham’s time spent around the sport across multiple disciplines significantly strengthens his position in this league. While it typically takes an extensive period of time for an expansion franchise to find consistent success in its new league, many leaders across the MLS believe this franchise will be different as Beckham’s impressive resume with a variety of different clubs should prove to be useful in his endeavours to bring a championship to the city of Miami.

In the coming months, fans should be excited to see this generational store back around a professional team, seeking once again to lead a team into prominence in its respective league.

The founder of Formula E, Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, is confident his series will overtake Formula 1 as the biggest racing championship in the world within 20 years. A shift in government attitudes against combustion engines in favour of electric cars could be pivotal in the growth of the Formula E series in years to come. “Formula E will be the main motor sport

championship because it is the championship that is connected to the industry”, says Agag.

The Formula E season continues in Mexico City on March 3rd.

Bottas Admits Overthinking Hurt Form Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas has admitted that overthinking hurt his form in 2017, his first season with the Mercedes team. While teammate Lewis Hamilton battled with Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel for the championship last year, Bottas fell off the pace. “You can easily overthink things and then it becomes less natural driving”, said Bottas in an interview with Motorsport. Bottas also says he “learnt massively from those difficult races”, and believes he will be “a much more complete, much quicker driver” in 2018.

The 2018 Formula 1 Championship season starts in Australia, March 23rd - 25th.

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United embarrassed by Spurs at Wembley Harry Kane misses out on his landmark 100th goal for the club just two central midfielders has resulted in an inability to hold possession for any substantial length of time. More than that though, it means that the lion’s share of ball is given to Spurs.

28 minutes gone and it’s 2-0. Spurs thread together a series of delectable one touch passes before giving the ball to Trippier in acres of space on the right hand side. He assesses his options before choosing to drill the ball in hard and low. Phil Jones, who up until this point has stood firm in defence, knocks the ball into the back of the net.

After a series of fouls by United and an increasingly agitated crowd, the referee finally gives in an shows the yellow card to Phil Jones for something that remains unclear after four replays. There hasn’t been more than a minute of play uninterrupted by fouls for quite some time with 13 in the opening 40 minutes.

At half time the most important job for Mourinho is to reorganise his team to retain possession better.

I would not be surprised if one of the four attacking players made way for Herrara or Fellaini. While this seems counter intuitive if United can’t get the ball up to those players they naturally won’t be able to score. It will allow Pogba to roam further up the pitch too rather than his unfavourable restricted position seen so far.

There have been no substations at the start of the second half but United have rejigged their front four. Sanchez has moved from the left to the centre, Martial from the right to the left and Lingard from the left to the right. It hasn’t changed Tottenham’s dominance though and it could have easily been 3-0.

Manchester United have, just shy of an hour into the game, begun to get a foothold in this game. Lukaku has a decent opportunity but shoots straight at Lloris. Mourinho decides to shake things up with a

Photo: Photos public domain @wikimediacommons Photo: Mick Baker@flickr

double substitution. Fellaini comes on for Lingard and Mata comes on for Pogba. Pogba looked unhappy on the pitch this half so it may have been a precautionary move.

Yet another good chance goes begging for Spurs and an exasperated Mourinho calls a player from the bench to make his final substitution. Rather than Rashford who was taking off his tracksuits, Herrera comes onto the pitch for none other than Fellani who came onto the pitch less than eight minutes prior.

There were no visible problems with Fellaini who went straight to the changing rooms. Exasperation turns to vitriolic fury as Young gets yellow carded

for a bad foul and there seems to be no hope of a Manchester United comeback.

Deli Alli, to the surprise of no one, loses his cool and hacks someone down for a yellow card. Even 2-0 up and entirely comfortable his tendency for petulance rears it’s head once more. To avoid a comeback from United Pochettino takes him off in favour of Sissoko.

At full time Tottenham are deserved winners.

The only way the night could have been sweeter is if Harry Kane scored his 100th goal for the club.

Mourinho will need to work hard to restore his team’s confidence ahead of their game against Huddersfield this weekend.

Book Review: ‘Framed’ by Ronnie O’Sullivan When the game is murder, you can’t afford to lose.

Arthur Salisbury Deputy Sports Editor

Amy Quach Sports Contributor One of the most popular new year resolutions every year is to lose weight and whilst this can be incredibly beneficial, sport and exercise is not just about losing a few pounds.

Keeping your body active and healthy works wonders for your mind and overall wellbeing.

For many of us here at university, the new

year truly starts when exams have finished at the end of January. Until now, many hours of 2018 have been spent slaving away at home or in the library, revising and working towards the final exams and assignment deadlines of the semester.

Despite the well-publicised benefits of ex-

ercise to de-stress and stimulate the brain, it can appear impossible to fit regularly around a revision timetable. Nevertheless, January is now over and with a new semester already underway, there are plenty of different ways to enjoy sport both on and off campus. Here’s a look at what you can get involved with!

Firstly, it’s not too late to join any of the AU University Sports Clubs. If you missed the refreshers fair last week, there’s still the opportunity to try out and join a team. Many clubs have recreational sessions as well as a competitive team so there’s no need to feel intimidated if you’re new to a sport. From Canoe and Swimming to Athletics and Cross Country, a full A to Z list of clubs is on the UoM Sport website complete with further information and contact details.

At different sites across campus, Sporticipate is a free university programme aimed for complete beginners or for those wanting to try something new. With access to a broad timetable of sports and exercise activities, including women’s only classes, everyone is sure to find something that suits them. You can register to Sporticipate at any time and is easy to do online at the UoM Sport website – just search “Sporticipate”.

Hall Sport is a similar programme to Sporticipate whereby a weekly timetable of classes is available across the Halls of Residence.

You don’t have to be living in Halls to take part though – anyone can go along and join in! More information and the full timetable is available alongside Sporticipate online.

Another great way to get out and keep fit is by taking part in Park Runs. These are free, 5

km timed runs available to anyone of any ability. Found in countries all around the world, there are 499 different park runs every Saturday morning in the UK. Our nearest event is at Platt Fields Park in Fallowfield (called the South Manchester Parkrun), but you can search for other locations at www.parkrun. org.uk. Once registered, you are given a personal barcode which allows for the time and placing of each of your runs to be recorded.

It’s a fantastic way to track your progress whilst running with the local community.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for something a little different, how about heading over to the velodrome at the UK National Cycling Centre. Pre-booked 1 hour taster sessions are available, including bike and helmet hire, for £20 (£17.50 for concessions) and you can register to book these online at www.nationalcyclingcentre.com. The nearest Bus and Tram stop, Sportcity, is easily accessible from Piccadilly Gardens.

And if you don’t mind the cold, how about a visit to Manchester’s very own indoor real snow slope Chill Factore. Opposite the Trafford Centre, this 180m long slope is easiest to get to by car or bus – you can catch one from Piccadilly Gardens. Both skiing and snowboard taster sessions are on offer from £27 per person or if you already have experience on the slopes, lift passes start from £21. Check out www.chillfactore.com for more information.

With such a range of keep fit opportunities on offer around Manchester, what are you waiting for? It’s not too late to get your friends together and try something new this year!

Katie Archibald completes hat-trick at the National Track Championships The Manchester based cyclist took gold in the Individual Pursuit, Scratch race and Points race Sam Cooper Sports Editor

Photo: Global Panorama @ Flickr

When Roger Federer hits a tennis ball, the resultant sound is different to any other player. It is deeper and more obviously correct. It is the sound of perfect timing, and it is the sign of the bona fide sporting genius.

The other contemporary athlete this applies to is Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Some readers might raise an eyebrow at the use of the label ‘athlete’ in the previous sentence, but I think here it is accurate — the new Masters champion Mark Allen once revealed in a mid-session-ask-the-starstime-filler that his least favourite food was ‘vegetables’ and his favourite ‘takeaways’, but Ronnie O’Sullivan ran 40-45 miles a week before a dodgy heel forced him to cut down. Ronnie is interested in Buddhism, and was the first celebrity to endorse Jeremy Corbyn at the general election. This possession of a hinterland sets him apart from the other geniuses, and its latest manifestation is his authorship of a crime novel called Framed.

Framed follows a snooker club owner in his early 20s called Frankie James, as he attempts to clear his brother, Jack, of the brutal murder of

It’s not too late to kick start your 2018 resolutions!

A rundown of the sporting activities you can get involved with this semester

James Gill Sports Contributor Jose Mourinho opts for a 4-2-3-1 formation for tonight’s game. In order to squeeze in Alexis Sánchez and without compromising in form attackers such as Lingard and Martial, there are only two central midfielders. Such a formation indicates that Manchester United are going to Wembley for the victory with nothing else good enough to keep the pace with Manchester City.

De Gea is the goalkeeper once more with more clean sheets than any other keeper in the top 5 leagues this season (14). Helping him defend the goal is a back four of Valencia (C), Smalling, Jones and Young. Matic and Pogba play in central midfield behind an attacking trio of Sanchez, Lingard and Martial. Finally Lukaku is the lone striker.

Only five passes into the game and Tottenham have scored. The goal is an obvious result of a preprepared kick off ritual and can only be compared to the infamous kick off glitch in the Fifa series of video games. Erikesen’s goal has been timed at 10.48 seconds and is the second fastest in Premier League history.

Less than a minute later Lingard gets one and one with Hugo Lloris and they would have been level if not for a fantastic reactionary save. It is a relentless opening to the game with both teams trying to gain the upper hand.

The first yellow is shown 12 minutes into the game to Mousa Dembele for a cynical foul on Lingard to stop the break. Spurs look slightly nervous in defence and United, trying to get back into the game early, are creating several good chances. It seems unlikely that the score will remain 1-0 and, at the current rate of fouls, it seems unlikely that the game will finish with 22 players on the pitch.

A very high line from Spurs has caused Lukaku to be caught offside multiple times cutting off potential attacks for the Red Devils. That coupled with

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Susan Tilley. The James brothers are the sons of a now incarcerated East End gangster, very much of the old school, and the victim is the fiancée of the son of a rival gang leader.

Although it does flirt with it from time to time, the book on the whole avoids the nostalgic sentimentality that surrounds accounts of the Krays and the Richardsons, although its relationship with the underworld is complicated. This is understandable, given that O’Sullivan’s father was put away for 18 years on a murder charge when Ronnie was just 16. The moments in the novel where Frankie is recalling the good times before his own dad was put away are moving in their honesty and in their number.

Of course, O’Sullivan is primarily a snooker player, and there is a degree of what I will call stylistic naivety in Framed. The book opens with a slightly forced dating technique — “some new Mancunian band touted as the next big thing in Brit Pop” may as well have just been written “it was 1994” — and sometimes as the reader you wish he would’ve trusted you to go some of the way yourself, rather than spelling it out.

These are however minor quibbles, and the book’s positives make it worth seeing through to the end. Like O’Sullivan the player, O’Sullivan the author likes to get on with things. Framed races along, and it contains moments that are genuinely funny, thrilling and shocking (although not all at once).

There is a clear autobiographical tone to Framed, to the point that it becomes nigh on impossible not to read Frankie’s mental commentaries in Ronnie’s voice. But Frankie’s largely snooker hall-based alcoholism, and the lack of an attempt on Ronnie’s behalf to be any more subtle about the identity of the real protagonist is part of its charm. What’s also fun is the casual name-drop of the author into the conversation of two sarcastic snooker players, which produces an unnerving effect not unlike when a real city is referred to in Kafka.

Overall, Framed might not be high art, but it is not without merit, and a fun old read for snooker fans and others alike.

At the National Cycling Centre in Manchester, 23 year old cyclist Katie Archibald completed a hat trick of wins with victories in the Individual Pursuit, Scratch race and Points race. Archibald was the reigning champion of all three races and impressively held on to all of her three crowns.

The Points race win was a dramatic one, as it looked as if Archibald was out of it only for a late surge to power her to victory. Archibald told British Cycling “I thought that race was all over. It was do or die with about ten laps to go — I was doing the maths and I thought maybe I could get the five points for the sprint and then contest the last one, but then you think to yourself, this is the last lap — if you latch on to the pack here, this is your everything. It obviously wasn’t all over, as I still had to mark Emily Kay, but it’s amazing how your mindset just switches — as soon as I latched on, I felt ready to go again.”

It was a success all round for the Archibald family as Katie’s brother John also claimed first. John won his Points race on the Saturday to earn his maiden national crown.

Six-time Olympic Champion Jason Kenny concluded the weekend’s events by winning the team sprint title with teammates Phil Hindes, Ryan Owens and Jack Carlin. In one of his first events back since an extended post-Rio break, Kenny delighted the home crowd with a time of 43:593 in the final.

Two University of Manchester (UoM) students also took part; Rebecca Howard and Rebecca Maynard competed the Team Spring while Maynard also took part in the 500 metres.

Speaking to The Mancunion, the pair commented on their experience of such a big event. Maynard said “The afternoon with the crowd gave an awesome atmosphere whereas the morning was a bit empty. It was really cool to be up with some of the best in the world and I really enjoyed being able to watch as well as compete. It was probably one of the most tiring days of my life. At the velodrome by 7:30am and there until [about] 5pm” Howard: “Amazing. It’s extraordinary. Knowing that Saturday and Sunday’s nights’ sessions were a sell-out before the weekend even began gave it an extra buzz. Sunday morning’s session, when we did qualifying for team sprint, wasn’t ticketed but was open and free to the public so we enjoyed support from fellow UoM Cycling club members at least!

It’s extraordinary seeing almost the whole Team GB squad out in force, having gold-medal-winning Olympians warming up next to us and competing side-by-side with them. You also get to see all of the development squads, who’s up-and-coming, as well as teams that are bound to be breaking world records within the next year (Team KGF). It’s just so beautiful to watch and a privilege to be a part of it.

Photo: SWPix

Not going to lie: being 0.07s off qualifying for the team sprint semi-finals was a sad moment! At least we weren’t as close as another team, who missed out on a bronze medal by just 0.004s. It’s exhilarating.”

When asked about what they hoped to improve on in the future both mentioned time spent in the gym. “I need to improve my power which will require more weights training” was Maynard’s response while Howard said “you can always be fitter and more powerful

as a cyclist. So lots more time out on the road and in a gym!”

Howard concluded by speaking about how easy it is to get into the sport: “Rebecca [Maynard] is an old hand at this but I only started cycling (as an adult) when I started my degree and have had my own bike for less than two years so it’s definitely something that can be started afresh when studying here. The track facilities are right on our doorstep!”

University of Manchester Cycling Club Facebook: @UoMCycling

Email: uombike@gmail.com

www.uomcc.co.uk

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Wins for UoM Water Polo teams Both the Men’s and Women’s Firsts began the second semester with a win and the girls unbeaten season continues Charlie Benny Sports Contributor UoM Men 14-8 Northumbria UoM Women 15-7 Liverpool After ending the last semester on a high, following an emphatic 19-3 win against Leeds, the girls showed no signs of slowing. They put on an excellent, professional display on the 31st of January, on home turf, showcasing exactly why teams so far have found them impossible to stop. Most impressive perhaps was the aggression and desire to win on show, which proved the foundation for another valuable victory, this time 15-7 against Liverpool.

In the early exchanges, Manchester began the brighter but the opening goal was somewhat unspectacular, after fantastic and persistent play from Llilians Calvo Gonzalez, which forced error in the Liverpool defence. The next goal, from Kathryn Fowler, was quite possibly the goal of the game, only rivalled by a later effort from the same player. Taking the ball in the pit level with the left post, a ferocious backhand slammed the ball into the top right hand corner. The quality unmistakeable-not just to have the technique to execute such a difficult shot, but the awareness to sense the opportunity.

The first quarter ended 4-1, with Manchester allowing controlled attacks and solid defending. As the second quarter began, Gonzalez grabbed two more goals in quick succession, before Dora Roughan scored either side of an effort from Hattie Burnell. In amongst a whole host of excellent performances, Roughan gave a stellar showing in both

attack and defence. Manchester went into the break 9-2 to the good, and after half time continued to impress.

Liverpool refused to give the game up, but Manchester reacted equally, and maintained their 7 goal advantage going into the final quarter, goals coming from Ellie Stewart-Dodd, Gonzalez and another screamer from Fowler-this time a long range effort finding it’s way past a helpless Liverpool goalkeeper.

Even in one of the closest games of the season so far against a strong Liverpool team, Manchester’s athleticism and team chemistry proved the difference between the two sides. The win was secured thanks to two penalty saves from Jenny Robbins, the first being the better of the two, tipping the powerful effort onto the post. 4th quarter goals coming from Rebecca Noël and Heather Lawson, after Gonzalez added her fifth goal. Vice Captain Anna Wynne was happy with the result, reflecting: “It’s the perfect way to start back. It was a tough game, but we have our coach to thank as we were prepared and able to show our ability”.

The men were equally impressive, running out a 14-8 winner against Northumbria. However, it was a wellcontested start to the game, with both teams exchanging goal for goal. Edoardo de Caro opened the scoring, with Aiden O’Reilly and James Warman both getting on the scoresheet early on after being pegged back by Northumbria through the quarter. Manchester did end the quarter with the lead-Freddie Pearson’s precise effort making it 4-3.

It was only as the second quarter got underway, that Manchester managed to exert their quality and take control.

After goals from Christoforos Vossos and Adam Sperry, a key moment in the match arrived. James Warman with a goal saving challenge with the score 6-3, showing strength and composure to avert the danger, and ensure a clean sheet was kept in the second quarter.

This proved important as Manchester grabbed two more goals before half time, giving themselves a cushion and freedom going into the second half of the game.

After the restart O’Reilly scored again before Warman added a brace, the first of which an exceptional team goalimpressive chemistry so soon into the new semester. Harry King also found the net as Manchester continued to score consistently, restricting a Northumbria side to limited clear opportunities. The lead 12-5 at the end of the 3rd quarter, Northumbria had it all to do as the game neared its conclusion.

Despite facing a spirited response from their opponents, Manchester remained relatively resolute, though relying on goalkeeper Kieren Poland to make a string of spectacular saves. First tipping over from a powerful effort with the score still 12-5, he then did brilliantly to retrieve the ball in the very next attack, under the attention of two attackers. He followed this by going one better with two minutes to go, making a fantastic save facing a man-down attack. The game was rounded off with two goals from Harry Prestwich and a classy backhand from King, his third of the game. Certainly the men’s Firsts can be happy with their winning start to the Semester, a good enough performance but even more pleasing, the right result.

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Photo: stefuhnee_kayy @flickr

National Track Championships

P31 Photo: SWPix

United embarssed by Spurs

P30 Photo: Mick Baker@flickr

Beckham strikes back

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