Issue 10

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MANCHESTER’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

27th NOVEMBER 2017 / ISSUE 10

Students launch ‘boycott First’ campaign

Photo: The Laird of Oldham @ Flickr

Cameron Broome Head News Editor Students at the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University have launched a “boycott First” campaign to support the ongoing industrial action taken by bus drivers at First’s Rusholme depot.

Using the tagline “rather have no choice than first choice,” the students are urging other students to not use the First bus to show solidarity with the bus drivers.

In a dispute that has been ongoing since October, First bus drivers at the Rusholme depot have been on strike on Mondays across November after the revelation that they are being paid up to £95 a week less than colleagues working at the Queen’s Road base just five miles away, equating to almost £5,000 a year.

The campaign was launched by two second-year University of Manchester students, Leah Millward and Nathan Johnson and third-year Manchester Metropolitan University student Frankie Leach, and many students have expressed interest in it.

International Politics student at Manchester Metropolitan University, Frankie Leach, told The Mancunion: “we’re not asking people to join the campaign, it’s not like we want people to sit down in meetings; it’s literally that we just want them not to ride the First Bus, it’s the literally easiest thing to do.”

Represented by union Unite, 96 per cent of drivers voted to take industrial action leading to riders going on strike every Monday across November, and this will increase this to three-days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) until the dispute is settled.

Neil Clarke, regional officer at Unite, said: “this is about fairness and equality. It’s about people doing the same job, for the same employer in the same city, getting paid the same as their colleagues.

“This disparity is morally and ethically bankrupt, there is no justification for it.”

Manchester Momentum has organised a “#BoycottFirstOnTheFirst” event for the 1st of December from 7am to 10am, encouraging students and others to join them on the picket line outside the Rusholme Depot, just before the ‘Curry Mile’.

Ahead of the demonstration, Frankie Leach said:

Students welcome NUS World Mental Health day investigation

“we’ve put out stuff on Facebook to invite people to the picket line but obviously it’s seen to be quite a political thing to do. We’re trying to make this not really about politics and more about supporting the drivers so even if it just means getting a different bus on a morning, that’s what we want to encourage people to do.”

University of Manchester Students’ Union Campaigns and Citizenship Officer, Deej-Malik Johnson, also said that he “completed supported” the campaign.

Deej said: “I really encourage students who are able to to get involved in the boycott, to show that bit of solidarity because students and workers, when we come together, the world is ours. We look after the workers because we’re going to be workers but we look after workers because everybody in our society deserves decent pay and conditions.

“I am going to be doing stuff around the Students’ Union, and I know that other students are putting stuff up around the University, publicising what is happening.

“One of the biggest things is about raising awareness. Knowledge is power. If we let people know, I know that people will want to help out their fellow workers.”

Commenting on the ongoing dispute, Phil Medlicott, Managing Director at First Manchester, said: “we remain extremely disappointed that staff from one of our depots are continuing to strike, but I’d like to reassure customers that we will continue to operate services from our Rusholme depot.

“We are doing everything we can to resolve the situation, but I have stressed to Unite the Union that, following extensive negotiations since April, the situation has remained unchanged since our final offer at the start of October; an offer which was recommended by them.

“We already have 30 drivers who have returned to work at Rusholme and I’d urge all staff who are still involved with the strike to think about the impact this is having on their friends and families and to return to work next week.”

Leaflets given to passersby during pickets on Mondays across November said that “the last thing the drivers want to is to cause disruption to our loyal customers” but asked customers to “respectfully request that you opt for an alternative public transport service operating in the area.”

P4P3

In conversation with Gary Younge

January 2018 Pangaea has been cancelled Pangaea will not run in January - but do students care?

Kirstie O’Mahony and Tristan Parsons Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor The winter instalment of Pangaea has been cancelled because of ongoing building works in and around the Students’ Union building.

The Students’ Union Activities Officer, Kitty Bartlett, said that these building works meant that January’s Pangaea had to be cancelled on “health and safety” grounds.

She continued to say that, “something will be happening in January” to take its place but that students will have to “watch this space to find out what it is!”

Sources have suggested to The Mancunion that the event to take its place will likely be another instalment of the Union’s popular new event, Club Tropicana.

Wiley headlined Pangaea during Welcome Week in September 2017. He was joined by lots of independent DJs and the University of Manchester’s very own Fuse FM. Students have told The Mancunion that on the whole they’re not fussed about the cancellation, due to a decline in quality of the event over the last couple of years, with Masters

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student Lydia Harford saying that she “wouldn’t care” if it got cancelled because “the newer ones haven’t been that good.”

Third year Economics and Politics student George Lean, said that whilst the he liked the venue (when it’s not covered in construction), there was an issue with the “trafficking of people” through the event.

Becky Cox, a third year English Literature student said she’d been three times but she doesn’t care about the cancellation. Despite the opportunity to get glittered up, “it’s expensive, the line-ups haven’t been amazing recently, and you can go somewhere else for much cheaper and have a good night.”

Third year Mathematics student Chris Webster had also been three times but complained that “we tend to spend most of the night loosing and searching for our friends. I wouldn’t care if it ended. The line-up isn’t very good, it’s too expensive...and there’s not enough techno.”

Kitty was approached by The Mancunion to respond to these student’s complaints, but has yet to respond.

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A response to the budget

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ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Faculty of Science and Engineering invite students to forum meeting

Highlights

The Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE) is hosting a forum for students to discuss their views on the likely restructuring of the nine schools Rosa Simonet Deputy News Editor O n t h e 3 0 t h o f N o v e m b e r, s t u d e n t s will get the chance to present and discuss their views on the Faculty of Science and Engineering review and likely merger of the various schools within it.

N o t i c e o f t h e o r i g i n a l r e v i e w, which began in December 2016, did not reach students until a previous General Secretary Naa Acquah shared a Facebook post announcing it.

The post was met with a wave

of criticism from students, who believed they had been cut out from the process.

After receiving student feedback, Martin S c h r o d e r, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, hosted four open sessions and visited all nine Schools “in order to gain a better understanding of how best to implement changes, whilst maintaining the clear identity of all our subject disciplines.”

The review group published t h e i r r e p o r t i n J u n e 2 0 1 7, w h i c h was followed by a consultation.

H o w e v e r, t h e r e w a s a l o w s t u d e n t turn out as these consultations took place out of term time.

The meeting on the 30th of November will be facilitated by the A s s i s t a n t Vi c e D e a n fo r Te a c h i n g , Learning and Students, Professor Steve Pettifer and members of the Students’ Union executive team.

“NUS failed us” at National Education Demo Features p9 Check your Exec: Alex and Jack

Film p18 Justice League did not deliver for this critic

“There are certain people within the NUS who are ideologically opposed to free and liberated education” claims NEC Parents and Carers representative Cameron Broome Head News Editor T he N US h as “fai le d” st ude nt s, s ays t he Un ive rs ity of M anche ste r ’s Camp aig n s and Cit i ze n s h ip O f f ice r.

D e e j-M al i k Joh n s on , who sp oke at t he Nat ion al E ducat ion D e mo, l ate r told The Mancunion of h i s d i s app o i nt me nt t h at t he N US d id not b ack t he F re e E ducat ion D e mo i n L ondon , i n wh ich t hou s and s of st ude nt s to ok p ar t on t he 1 5 t h of Nove m b e r.

It i s one of t he N US’s key p ol ic ie s to camp aig n for f re e e ducat ion .

O rgan i s e d by t he Nat ion al Camp aig n Agai n st Fe e s and Cut s ( NCA FC) , t he prote st de m ande d t he ab ol it ion of fe e s and t he prov i s ion of l iv i ng g rant s for al l .

T he N US Nat ion al E xe c ut ive Cou nc i l ( N EC) Pare nt s and Care rs Re p adde d t h at “it ’s i mp or t ant for p e ople to re me m b e r... whe n it came to f ig ht i ng for st ude nt s’ r ig ht , who was t he re and who was n’ t t he re.”

S h ak i ra M ar t i n , now N US P re s ide nt and t he n N US Vice -P re s ide nt Fu r t he r E ducat ion , sp oke at t he 2 016 Nat ion al F re e E ducat ion D e mo, wh ich was su pp or te d by t he N US. A mot ion to su pp or t t he 2 017 de mo was n’ t d i s c u s s e d by t he N US at t he N US Nat ion al E xe c ut ive Cou nc i l me e t i ng on t he 2 8 t h of S e pte m b e r 2 017.

D e e j s aid t h at “it ’s N US p ol icy to su pp or t t he f ig ht for f re e e ducat ion , it ’s one of ou r core de m and s for a f re e and l i b e rate d e ducat ion” and t h at su pp or t i ng t he de mo “wou ld me an he lpi ng to pu bl ic i s e it , it wou ld g ive a l it t le bit of leg it i m acy to it .”

S p e ak i ng to The Mancunion ab out why he b e l ieve d t he w it hd rawal of su pp or t was s ig n i f icant , D e e j-M al i k Joh n s on s aid : “M anche ste r i s always go i ng to

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

Theatre p25 Review: Holes

Science & Technology Editor: Aliyah Ismangil E: science@mancunion.com Features Head Editor: Catherine Bray Deputy Editor: Raine Beckford E: features@mancunion.com Head Opinion Editor: Sam Glover

s e nd a co ach dow n to t he Nat iona l E ducat ion D e mo b ecaus e we’re t he l arge st Un ion i n t he count ry, we’ve got t he abi l ity to do t hat . Whilst a lot of ot he r u n ion s who a re m ay b e a lit t le bit s m al le r or who don’t nece ss a rily have t h at p ol it ical c u lt u re, t hey of ten wa it to s e e wh at t he N US do e s. “ T he mot ion we nt t hrough a nd I s aw t h at it h ad b e e n subm it ted to s ay t hat we w i l l su pp or t t he educat ion demo a nd hone st ly I t houg ht t hat would j ust b e a for m al ity. It wou ld b e ‘ye s, of cours e, we wou ld su pp or t t he educat ion demo b e cau s e it ’s ou r p olicy to supp ort f ree e ducat ion’ . “ T he pre s ide nt made it clea r t hat t his mot ion was not to b e dis cuss ed a nd b as ical ly, t h at ’s al l we know.”

“I k now t he Vice-P re sident of Union deve lopme nt wanted it to go a head, I k now t h at al l t he N US lib erat ion of f icers wante d it to go ahead — t hey were t hey at t he m arch — , I k now t hat t he st udent move me nt as a whole wa nted it to go ahe ad b e cau s e we don’t like p ay ing fe e s.

“For s ome re as on, t he leadership of t he N US d id not feel t he right for f ree e ducat ion was i mp ort a nt or a priority”, add i ng t h at “t he re a re cert a in p eople w it h i n t he N US who a re ideologica lly opp os e d to f ree a nd lib erated e ducat ion . ” In a blog p ost ex pla ining t he decis ion, N US P re s ide nt S ha kira Ma rt in sa id: “I h ave ac te d i n t he way which b e st re pre s e nt s t he will of our Nat iona l Con fe re nce, t he st udent s I have met ac ros s t he cou nt r y a nd t he m aj ority of ou r me m b e rs h ip.

“At t he most recent Nat iona l Con fe re nce, ou r mem b ers hip voted not to d i s c u s s a mot ion for a f ree educat ion de mo. T he n t hey voted not to bring t his

Deputy Opinion Editor: Jacklin Kwan E: opinion@mancunion.com @MancunionOp Head Film Editor: Eloise Wright Deputy Film Editor: Jamie McEvoy E: film@mancunion.com @MancunionFilm Fashion Head Editor: Talia Lee-Skudder Deputy Editors: Amy Nguyen and Sophie Alexandra-Walsh E: fashion@mancunion.com @MancunionFash Head Music Editor: Hannah Brierley Deputy Music Editor: Yasmin Duggal E: music@mancunion.com @MancunionMusic Books Editor: Ayesha Hussain E: books@mancunion.com

mot ion to N EC . “ To me t his is very clea r: a f ter a big nat iona l demonst rat ion la st yea r, our mem b ers hip don’t t hink a not her one should b e a priority. They don’t wa nt N EC to m a ke t hat decis ion eit her. That is t he w ill of st udent s’ unions which we need to re sp ect .

A 20 16 University of Ma nche ster N US delegate, who w ished to rem a in na mele s s, de fended Sha kira Ma rt in a nd told The Mancunion : “NCAFC have a horrible reput at ion, t hey a re a bunch of com m ie s a nd have up s et t he N US P re s ident p ers ona lly on mult iple o cca s ions.

“And Sha kira (t he N US P re s ident ) is right . It ’s b een voted aga inst at conference a nd t ry to get a round t he vote is ty pica l of NCAFC .”

C om ment ing aga in on t he lack of dis cus sion at t he N US N EC meet ing, D eej -Ma lik Johns on sugge sted t hat “s omeb o dy ha s m ade a decis ion a nd s omeb o dy ha s had a word w it h s omeb o dy a nd sa id t hat we ca n’t supp ort t his”, adding t hat he t hought it wa s a “fact iona l decis ion b eing m ade by a cert a in w ing of t he st udent movement which go e s aga inst t he blat a nt ly decla red w is he s of st udent s.”

The Nat iona l Union of St udent s’ E xecut ive C ouncil meet ing on t he 28 t h of S eptem b er wa s t he f irst N EC meet ing t hat D eej had at tended a nd he sa id t hat t he pro ce ss “felt m a ss ively undemo crat ic” D eej s a id: “we a ll got elected on a m a ndate a nd one of t he bigge st t hings t hat we ca n go do, t he most imp ort a nt t hing you do a s a n elected of f icia l is to follow t he p olicy of your orga nis at ion a nd to repre s ent your mem b ers hip a nd t he N US fa iled us t hat day.”

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News 3

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Russell Group faces potential action over wealth screening alumni

The University of Manchester is one of 24 universities under pending investigation over claims they ‘wealth-screened’ alumni without their consent in a push for further donations Hannah Vallance National Political Reporter A recent investigation ran by the Daily Mail has revealed that 24 Russell Group universities, including the University of Manchester, have allegedly secretly hired investigators to assess the wealth of alumni in an attempt to target those most likely to donate to the university.

Wealth screening firms, namely Prospecting for Gold, Wealth Engine, and Bluefrog Fundraising, have been revealed to have delved into private and confidential information of alumni, assessing their incomes, pension schemes, homes, investments, and even friendship circles.

The University of Manchester, as part of the ongoing investigation, has been found to have collected ‘wealth information’, including ‘demographic coding’, the process of categorising by class.

Both Oxford and Cambridge have seen an accumulated total of 501,138 records screened. The University of Leeds sent their past students’ details to firms to assess for “the

likelihood of leaving a gift in their will to the university.”

This follows after the Mail conducted similar investigations in 2015, which revealed that 13 charities had conducted illegal behaviour in regards to the wealth screening of donors without their consent, resulting in fines from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

If parallels are drawn between 2015 and now, universities could potentially face the same result.

Indeed, the significance of donations to universities has greatly increased in recent years, with the same amount donated between 2000-2005, £1 billion, donated in 2016 alone. 80 per cent of this was directed to the elite Russell Group.

Commenting to The Mancunion , a University spokesperson said: “The University of Manchester is grateful that so many of our alumni give so generously to support scholarships and research which transform peoples’ lives.

“We take our data protection obligations very seriously and believe that we have always acted both within the law

and in accordance with guidance available at the time.

We have recently taken steps to make it even clearer to our alumni how and why their data is used.”

Whilst the University of Manchester’s Division of Development and Alumni Relations Privacy Statement firmly states that the University “may carry out wealthscreening” in order to “undertake analysis of who might support the University,” the Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, told the Mail : “Personal data belongs the individual. That means telling people what it’s going to be used for and who it’s going to be shared with. This is what the law requires.

“We will look very carefully at the evidence provided by the Daily Mail to see if and where rules have been broken.”

Claims made by the Daily Mail are pending investigation by the ICO as supported by the Department of Education and, as of present, no company or university, including The University of Manchester, has been found to have crossed any legal boundaries.

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“I wouldn’t care if it ended. The lineup isn’t very good, it’s too expensive... and there’s not enough techno” “...you can go somewhere else for much cheaper and have a good night” “I thought it was quite good, coulda done with better direction/signage/ mapping I thought”

“The newer ones haven’t been that good”

Photo: Mike Turner @Flickr

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ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Student protesters demand divestment Demonstrators from a coalition of groups rallied outside a meeting of the Board of Governors to oppose university investments in fossil fuels and links to the Israeli arms trade

Photo: Elizabeth Rushton

Elizabeth Rushton Junior Main Campus Reporter Student activists stage a sit-in demonstration underneath Whitworth Arch to protest the university’s continued financial links to oil companies and corporations involved in the Israeli arms trade.

Taking place on Wednesday the 22nd of November next to the Whitworth building, the sit-in was preceded by a march from All Saints campus at Manchester Metropolitan University, which recently topped a league table by People and Planet of the UK’s greenest universities, while Manchester University ranked 71.

The march concluded at the arch by the entrance to the Council Chambers in the Whitworth Building, where the university Board of Governors were holding a meeting. A large orange banner reading “enough is enough: divest now!” was also unveiled under the arch.

The march and sit-in took place as part of a national day

of action in coordination with student campaigners at UCL, Leeds, Loughborough, Plymouth, Swansea, Bristol and Cambridge, following a three year campaign for divestment over the £7 million currently invested by the university in companies including BP and Shell, which amounts to 3.9 per cent of Manchester’s endowment fund.

The partaking demonstrators represented a variety of student groups including People and Planet, Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), Unis Resist Border Controls and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.

Chanting slogans including “we won’t rest until you divest”, they occupied the walkway under the Whitworth arch with the aim of making their demands heard to the governors inside and hoping to speak with them directly as they left the building.

Prior to this action, pro-divestment campaigners had already appealed to university management with a letter signed by over 90 academics and an online petition, which at the time of writing has reached almost 17,000 signatures.

Callum Tyler, chair of the Manchester branch of People and Planet, said that student groups were “sick of being ignored” by the board of governors after three years of campaigning for divestment from fossil fuels, and were trying to raise greater awareness among students of the university’s investments.

“We want to see more responsibility in how they spend money, and see them invest in sustainable alternatives,” he said, adding that “not enough people know about this, so we hope more people get to hear us today. Divestment is now a trend across universities and Manchester is lagging behind.”

According to People and Planet, the UK is the global leader in divestment by universities from fossil fuels, with one-third of British universities taking steps to partially or completely cut their stakes in the oil industry. Since the commitment in August of nine more institutions, including Canterbury Christ Church and the University of Cumbria, to abandon their investments, a total of 54 across the country have pledged to divest funds. 22.5 per cent of British universities have committed to full divestment, contributing to a £10.7 billion reduction in financial support for oil companies – a figure that climbs to £80 billion worldwide.

Environmental concerns were not the only ones brought to the forefront, as demonstrators from the BDS campaign also called for divestment from corporations acting in Israel.

Particular emphasis was placed on Caterpillar, an American construction company in which Manchester has a stake of over £800,000, and which has manufactured bulldozers deployed by the Israeli army in Palestine, displacing people from 25,000 homes.

At the sit-in, speakers expressed anger that Dame Nancy Rothwell had, in their eyes, repeatedly failed to respond to requests from Palestinian students at Manchester for them to meet with her and discuss their opposition to the university’s links with Israel.

Mohamed Sakr, a student activist with BDS, spoke of his feelings of being “complicit” in the actions of some of the university’s investment partners. He added that tuition fees are being fed directly into “injustice committed by corporations and fossil fuels companies. It’s not an option for students to be quiet — we don’t pay our fees to fund war crimes.”

A representative of the university’s Jewish Society asserted the right of the demonstrators to stage a protest, even one so critical of the university’s links to Israel, and their society’s “commitment to respect and free speech on campus.”

They added, “JSoc caters for all Jewish students, and therefore houses a wide range of views on Israel. Some members of our JSoc may oppose the BDS activity on campus, but we respect the right of various groups to protest and support their cause, and we hope to receive the same treatment.”

In a statement, a university spokesman claimed that recent updates to its Socially Responsible Investment Policy signals a greater commitment by the university to support low or zero-carbon projects. They said that the promotion of such investments would “allow [the university] to pursue an ethical investment approach, whilst minimising any potential negative impact on its investment returns.

This approach includes a commitment to identifying and promoting low or zero-carbon investments.”

Millennial railcard good but not enough, say students “Millennial railcard” will give 26-30 year olds a one-third discount on rail tickets Cameron Broome Head News Editor Frustrated students have told The Mancunion that the new “millennial railcard” is a good start, but does not go far enough.

An extension of the current 16-2 5 railcard pass, the “millennial railcard” will cost £30 and give 26- to 30-yearolds a one third discount on rail fares.

Available in digital format online, the discount can only be used if passengers spend more than £12 between 4 :30AM and 10AM Monday to Friday, applying to all types of tickets.

10,000 cards will be trialled in the Greater Anglia area before they are rolled out across the country in Spring of 2018, though the pass can be used anywhere nationwide.

Leah Millward, Manchester L abour Students Events Officer, described the so-called “millennial railcard” as a “helpful plaster for a larger wound.”

The University of Manchester Politics, Philosophy and Economics student added: “On behalf of MLS I’d like to say it’s a good idea. However, it’s a temporary solution to the bigger issue that is the extortionate prices of train tickets that people simply cannot afford. Therefore, it sort of seems a necessity now to have railcards for discounted ticket prices, for people of every age… this Millennial Railcard is not valid at peak travel times so unhelpful for

most travel to work or University.

“Young Labour voted recently at their Policy Conference that nationalising the whole industry would be a better solution, so every person of every age could stop being ripped off for journeys on public transport. YouGov’s May 2017 research says 60 per cent of the public would like to see this re-nationalisation of railway companies too.

“When it’s cheaper to drive or even get a f light than travel by train there’s a clear problem.”

2 7 year old University of Manchester PhD student, Kieran O’Brien, welcomed the creation of the new railcard and said it is “good because it’s cheaper for young people, who are often financially struggling.”

Kieran added that railcard was “strange” and said: “It means 30 to 59 year olds are the only age demographic not entitled to discounted rail fares. Considering people of working age are more likely going to be using the rail network to commute to and from their job, it makes sense to extend discounts to this age range too.

“However, in that case you might as well just have cheaper rail fares, which is the ultimate crux of this issue; there shouldn’t need to be railcards in the first place, as trains should be cheap anyway. This is of course impossible so long as they’re run privately and for profit.

A publicly owned, democratically run rail network will be a lot more efficient and negate the need for small concessions like a new rail card from the Tories.”

Alex Bromell, a third year Business Management student at Manchester University, said he was concerned that “the government would just mess up nationalisation” and “liked” the new railcard “ because trains are expensive.”

Isaac Atkin, second year G eography student at Manchester University, also welcomed the new railcard and said “the discount looks very good, especially in London and the fact that it can be used by all train companies.”

Commenting on the fact the railcard is only available in digital format, Isaac said: “I think it could be a good idea. People can use e tickets and most young people like to use smart phones. I guess for trains so it’s just an extension of that and a cut down on plastics.”

The “millennial railcard” was unveiled on the 22nd of November 2017 as part of the G overnment’s Autumn Budget.

The railcard is viewed by many commentators as the G overnment’s attempt to win the votes of “millennials”, with YouG ov estimating that 63 per cent of 2 5- to 29-year-olds voted for L abour in the last general election compared to the 23 per cent estimated to have voted Conservative.

Another policy of the 2017 Autumn Budget arguably targeting millennial voters was the announcement that stamp duty would be abolished for all first-time buyers up to £300,000.

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Manchester Labour Students take a stand against ‘abusive’ councillor Manchester Labour Society revokes speaking invitation of a Labour Councillor who is accused of abusing his teenage daughter

Image: Manchester Labour Students

Jacob Rawling Local Political Reporter The University of Manchester’s society Manchester Labour Students (MLS) have cancelled an upcoming event due to the abusive history of a speaker.

Labour Councillor Richard Leese CBE was invited by MLS to discuss his role in the council and the work Labour do in local government. Councillor Leese has been involved with local government for the Labour party for over 33 years. In 2006 he received a Knighthood for his long-standing work towards the growth and regeneration of the city of Manchester.

Four years later, in April 2010, Leese was detained overnight by Greater Manchester Police. The detention was a result of an incident with Leese’s step-daughter. At the time his step-daughter was 16 years old. She reportedly made a complaint to the police that resulted in the Councillor’s detention.

Greater Manchester Police attended the property and spoke to “a girl who had sustained a minor injury to her ear.”After 17 hours in police custody, Councillor Leese was released after admitting guilt to his crime and receiving a police caution. No further police action was taken.

At the time, Richard Leese was a councillor for the Labour party.

In response to the incident, he wrote to the chief executive of Manchester City Council, Sir Howard Bernstein, and asked for a “period of time out of his duties as leader of the council to resolve family issues.”

The council respected this request. The Labour party released a statement saying ‘This is a private matter which the family now consider closed.”

In May of this year, Leese was appointed to the newly created role of Deputy Mayor for Business and Economy by Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham. Mayor Burnham endorsed Councillor Leese and his newly appointed colleague Beverly Hughes, stating, “Sir Richard Leese and Beverley Hughes bring a wealth of experience, expertise and passion to their respective roles. I look forward to working with them to make Greater Manchester the best place to live, work, grow up and get on in life.”

The Labour party as a whole might consider the incident to be firmly in the past, however Manchester Labour Students disagree.

When a member of MLS brought the 2010 incident to attention of the society, the committee “unanimously decided ... it wouldn’t be appropriate to host a speaker whose actions have been in direct conflict with our party’s values.”

MLS subsequently released a public statement stating: “To platform someone who has previously abused women and children would go against not only our personal moral beliefs but the beliefs of our party as a whole.”

Mayor Burnham and Councillor Leese were both contacted for comment by The Mancunion but did not respond.

News 5 Students welcome first investigation of staff sexual misconduct at universities

NUS are to give students the chance to share experiences in the first ever survey of sexual misconduct from higher education staff Hannah Vallance National Political Reporter The National Union of Students (NUS) women’s campaign launched the UK’s first ever survey of staff sexual misconduct in higher education.

In partnership with lobby organisation, The 1752 Group, students will be given the chance to express whether they have witnessed, or experienced personally, any form of sexual misconduct from higher education staff. The survey will also aim to gauge a sense of students’ experience of reporting incidents to their higher education institution.

This follows after it was revealed that one third of UK universities did not even have a policy on the conduct of staff-student relationships.

One second year History and Politics student, Samira Issa, welcomed the news, commenting that a lack of policy regarding the issue means that “universities aren’t doing their job to care for students, especially as it will lead to individuals not feeling like they can go to the university in the case that they experienced or witnessed any sexual misconduct.”

Second year Geography student, Ellie Pope, echoed these claims, stating that it was “disappointing” that many universities have not tackled the issue. She added that: “More needs to be done to tackle both the lack of transparency in terms of what is acceptable, and what resources are available to victims. Not being clear on this creates an unacceptable power imbalance, with students at the bottom.”

Another student, who preferred not to be named, said that “more guidance was needed, especially on the conduct of staff on social media dating sites like Grindr. As of present, I feel like it is breaking their

ethical code to be interacting with students on it.”

Hareem Ghani, NUS women’s officer, commented on the survey: “As it currently stands, many institutions are ill-equipped to deal with instances of student-staff harassment or indeed, harassment in general.

“A lack of research in the area, combined with a lack of understanding, has meant that many universities do not have basic guidelines on this issue. There is still a long way for us to go but I am proud that the women’s campaign and The 1752 Group are taking a lead on this pertinent issue.

“For too long, these problems have been at best sidelined and at worst silenced by institutions. We need to talk about the open secrets that plague academia, to challenge cultures of entitlement, and stop abuses of power wherever they happen.”

Highlighting that evidence from the US shows that one in six female postgraduate students experience sexual harassment from university staff, co-founder of The 1752 Group, Dr. Anna Bull, said: “We have worked on numerous cases in institutions across the UK that show students being failed by their institutions when they try to report sexual misconduct.

“Universities do not currently have adequate procedures in place to protect students and deal with perpetrators, and students find themselves powerless to do anything about staff who abuse their position.

“At a time when the world is waking up to the ways in which sexual harassment and abuse are endemic across many institutions, it is time for the higher education sector to take this issue seriously. We hope that this research will lead the way towards these much-needed changes.”

NUS invite all individuals who have experienced cases of staff-sexual harassment, both present and ex-students, to fill out the survey.

Russell Group graduates earn 40 per cent more

Study finds Russell Group graduates earn 40 per cent more than other university graduates, and male graduates earn 14 per cent more than female graduates Nicole Wootton-Cane Main Campus Reporter New figures obtained from the BBC suggest that graduates of Russell Group universities earn on average 40 per cent more than those who studied at other higher education institutions.

Graduates of the London School of Economics topped the list, closely followed by the University of Oxford and Imperial College London, all with average annual earnings of over £40,000 five years after graduation.

The statistics from the Institute of Fiscal Studies show that where you get your degree can greatly affect your earnings in the future.

As hundreds of thousands of young people across the UK make their choices for 2018 entry higher education, the research may be critical in assisting their decisions.

The research also highlighted differences in earnings between subjects studied. Medicine and dentistry students tend to earn the most five years after graduation, with an average salary of £46,700.

Further down the list are graduates of creative arts (£20,100) and agriculture (£22,000).

However, it is important to note that the schools with graduates with the lowest average income after five years were also those that specialised in typically lower-earning degrees, such as drama schools and art schools.

There was also a focus on men’s earnings in comparison to women’s, with the figures revealing that immediately after

graduation men tend to earn 8 per cent more than women, with this number rising to 14 per cent five years later.

The figures come after six investigations by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) and Committees of Advertising Practice into reportedly false advertising claims by UK universities, including claims such as being in the “top 1 per cent worldwide.” In response, guidelines have been supplied to universities with the aim of avoiding more misleading claims in the future.

Guy Parker, chief executive of the ASA, stated that “misleading would-be students is not only unfair, it can also lead them to make choices that aren’t right for them”.

With increasing competition between institutions, some may feel pressured to appeal to both UK students and potentially lucrative international students, many of whom choose to come to the UK to study. The numbers of league tables and rankings available, all based on different areas of student life, are so vast that it can be difficult to know which ones are reliable; universities can use this to their advantage, picking and choosing the rankings which represent them in the best light.

It is also suggested that many of these rankings lack solid evidence.

The Higher Education Policy Institute described a “touch of the Wild West” about the current intensity of competition in the UK. The ASA have stated their confidence that universities are likely to comply with their new guidelines, rather than face further “bad publicity”.

Photo:Jebulon @Wikimedia Commons

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Science and Tech

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COP23 cuts coal

Over 200 countries attended the annual UN Convention on Climate Change to discuss cutting fossil fuel consumption Cliona LIneham Science and Technology Reporter This week, COP23, the 23rd Session of the Conference of Parties, was held in Bonn. COP23 is part of the UN Convention on Climate Change, and this year was seen as part of the steps to develop a ‘rulebook’ for the Paris Agreement. Delegates from almost 200 countries attended the annual climate change conference.

A key part of COP23 was the launch of the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’, which is being spearheaded by the United Kingdom and Canada. This alliance aims to rapidly phase out the use of coal power in favour of cleaner energy sources. It already has 20 countries involved and hopes to reach 50 by COP24, which will be held in Poland in 2018. In February, the UK announced that it plans to have phased coal out entirely by 2025.

Despite popular support for the coal phase-out, the United States delegates only official appearance was to advocate the continual use of fossil fuels, claiming they were vital to reduce poverty and that a move away from fossil fuels would cost American jobs. Since Syria decided to sign the Paris Agreement earlier this month, the United States is now the only UN country no longer part of the agreement, with President Trump pulling the United States out of the agreement earlier this year.

However, despite claims that a move to renewable energy will have an economic backlash, a report published by the Environmental Defence Fund’s Climate Corps program shows that renewable energy jobs are growing 12 times faster than the rest of jobs in the energy sector.

In addition, University of Manchester Professor Mike Barnes has said that when it comes to wind energy, the “the offshore wind industry could be a huge bonanza for the UK”, who already gets 5 per cent of its energy from the wind sector. By 2020, that will increase to an estimated 10 per cent. An offshore wind farm is estimated to be worth up to £2 billion per year by 2025, a potentially massive asset to the UK energy economy.

The University of Manchester is working to promote the development of more offshore wind farms by working with other universities and firms to develop a new type of circuit breaker. This new

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Science and Tech 1 in 5 UK GPs trained abroad, Manchester study finds

Environmental award won by University of Manchester

The University of Manchester has recently been awarded for two projects by a prestigious award Pierre-Leo Rouat Science and Technology Reporter

ImageThe Wind Farm by Askjell@Flickr

circuit breaker is hoped to use direct current (DC) over the usual alternating current (AC), as it is a more effective way to connect the wind farms and the main power grid.

The US pulling out of the agreement did not go without backlash. The talks that took place within the conference were disrupted by anti-Trump protests. Protestors stopped a presentation on how fossil fuels can help solve climate change by singing an anti-coal song to the tune of ‘God Bless the U.S.A.’.

In addition, an alternate delegation from the We Are Still In group were present in Bonn, representing many Americans who still wish to adhere to the Paris Agreement. The group contains many high-profile members, including the former mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, whose anti-coal campaign is expanding to Europe, with an additional $50 million dollars donated by Mr Bloomberg.

Alongside the discussion of coal, conference delegates highlighted concerns over pre-2020 climate change commitment. Several countries including China and India expressed annoyance at how developed countries had still not delivered on the $100 billion climate finance agreed in Copenhagen in 2009. The discussion on pre-2020 actions was not on the official agenda of the COP23, however it was ultimately added to the final COP23 decision document.

The COP23 talks ended this year with many speeches, but 12-year-old Timoci Naulusala summarised a key message of the conference: “It’s not about how, or who, but it’s about what you can do as an individual.”

The Environmental Association for Universities attributed the Green Gown Award to the University of Manchester this year.

On the 15th of November the university received the award for ‘10,000 Actions’ and the ‘Sustainability Challenge’; two initiatives that are specific to the university.

The Head of Environmental Sustainability at the University of Manchester, Emma Gardener, declared that “10,000 Actions took our staff engagement on sustainability from around 3% to more than 40% over the course of the campaign. It’s great to see our impact recognised at a national level through this award.”

Following this, Professor James Thompson, the Vice-President for Social Responsibility, stated:

“Three years ago we developed new social responsibility signature programmes with the ambition of reaching all students and all staff.

“It is therefore particularly pleasing to see both the Ethical Grand Challenges programme and 10,000 Actions recognised by experts outside the University as leading the way in the UK.” During the ceremony, the University of Manchester Chancellor, Lemn Sissay, spoke: “The leadership and innovation that we have seen tonight is truly awe inspiring. If all education institutions created individuals and initiatives like these, we would have a much brighter future full of leading lights.”

This award comes after a long list of awards that the University of Manchester received for its leadership in matters of teaching and pedagogy.

With Elon Musk unveiling of a new electric semi truck, James Gill discusses its promise as a diesel alternative

On Thursday the 16th of November, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to the stage to announce the latest creation for his company — a semi truck. The latest in a string of electric vehicles, this one in particular has the potential to turn an entire industry onto a more environmentally friendly road.

The event took place at the design studio used by Tesla and Musk’s other equally exciting venture SpaceX. During the presentation, he introduced the Semi with a mass of statistics and facts proving the vehicle to be a director competitor to the conventional diesel trucks.

There were two main concerns that big businesses had with

electric vehicles that made them sceptical about the Semi: range and cost. In order to truly revolutionise the trucking industry, it needed to be able to cover the length of most routes, of which 80 percent are 250 miles or less, as well as being comparable in price to diesel trucks.

Musk announced to rapturous applause that the Semi has a range of 500 miles. Note that this is at maximum weight and highway speed so the average driver would be able to achieve more than this. Charging can be completed at the start or end points of the route via solar panels, causing minimal time delay and a 400 mile range would take just 30 minutes.

He then continued by saying that from day one, including the cost of the truck, insurance, and maintenance, a Tesla would be at least 20 percent cheaper than a diesel truck to run.

Corporate giant Walmart has already taken notice, “We have a long history of testing new technology — including alternate-fuel trucks — and we are excited to be among the first to pilot this new heavy-duty vehicle. We believe we can learn how this technology performs within our supply chain, as well as how it could help us meet some of our long-term sustainability goals, such as lowering emission.”

The company, which has 6000 trucks on the road, have also pre-ordered 15 vehicles. This is a strong vote of confidence for Musk and Tesla, who could see large numbers of pre-orders before the initial production date of 2019 from firms wanting to meet environmental goals. In total, road freight accounts for approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil demand.

Electric will not only be cheaper but will also be predictable in price and will help the trucking industry become more

The free event comes back to the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons this Thursday the 30th of November Aliya Ismangil Science and Technology Editor Organised by the University of Manchester Library team, the DigiLab event allows students and staff to try out the latest ground-breaking technology. Ever wanted to try out virtual reality glasses? Now’s your chance.

This week’s session welcomes special guest Inspyro, a company that specialises in creating content for augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D graphics. They’ll be demonstrating their newly developed interactive VR content to be used in schools and education.

You’ll also have the chance to try the famous Oculus Rift glasses to explore virtual worlds, use Samsung’s Gear VR, learn how to create your own alternate reality content with ZapWorks, and much

more.“DigiLab was great! I really loved interacting with the latest in virtual reality and even got to take a headset home,” says Aisha Shariff, a student who attended a previous event.

You can find DigiLab on the Lower Ground floor of the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, on Thursday the 30th of November from 10am–4pm. The event runs on a drop-in basis with no need to book.

The DigiLab team also offer a Code Club, that runs every Thursday between 4pm–6pm, also at the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons. Students or members of staff who are looking to get started with coding, have any questions about code, or who are looking to collaborate on a coding project are welcome to come along.

You can follow @UoMDigiLab on Twitter for updates, email digilab@manchester.ac.uk with any questions or visit their website www.manchester. ac.uk/library/digilab for more information.

Image: Mike Peel @ Wikimedia Commons

Has Tesla just changed an entire industry with one press conference? efficient.

However, Tesla vehicles are only as environmentally friendly as the manner in which the electricity is made. In the UK, nearly a third of all electricity is made from renewable sources, but for electric cars to be the unanimous option that number needs to increase. In the USA, that number is just 15 percent. With the world aiming towards being more environmentally friendly, Musk could gain a significant foothold in the automotive business as a result.

The only issue left holding people back is the long and unpredictable wait times consumers have before getting their cars. Their last release, the Model 3, comparable to a Ford Mondeo, has been fraught with production problems.

It has taken some time to get the production lines up and running, with some aspects still not fully automated, causing bottlenecks.

These delays have prompted at least one shareholder to sue Tesla, claiming that they improperly hid its problems from its investors. In October, Tesla revealed that it only built 260 of its Model 3 cars during the third quarter of 2017, far from the 1,500 it had forecast to investors earlier in the year. The company stated that a handful of their assembly lines had taken longer to get up and running than anticipated.

For Musk to then unveil the new Semi, as well as a new sports car, the Roadster, lead some industry experts to think that it is too much too soon — that ironing out the creases first would strengthen the belief in Tesla. If they can meet the supply, and meet it in time, we may see a complete change in the trucking industry for the better.

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A study by the Medical eResearch Centre at the University of Manchester has found 5% of UK GPs come from the EU, with a further 17% coming from elsewhere overseas Tabitha Hanks Science and Technology Reporter

A new study released by the University of Manchester’s Health eResearch Centre found that 1 in 5 GPs in the UK were trained abroad.

4.8 per cent completed their training in the EU, while a further 17 per cent received training overseas, outside of the EU. The research also shows that those trained abroad typically work longer hours and are paid less per patient than UK-trained doctors, and tend to be based in more deprived communities.

The UK is currently facing a severe shortage of GPs; recent figures estimate that 6500 additional GPs are currently needed and this will almost double by 2020.

The health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, promised that 5000 new GPs would be trained by 2020. This promise was made in 2015, however, it takes up to 10 years for a GP to complete training. Furthermore, junior

doctors entering GP training are falling short of the 3,250 annual target and stand at just 2,700, making it seem highly improbable this goal will be reached in time.

As fewer graduate doctors choose to train as GPs, the vacancies are being filled increasingly by foreign doctors, trained outside of the UK: in total 21 per cent of GPs in the UK, which is the highest of any EU country excepting Norway and the Republic of Ireland.

Foreign-trained GPs not only make up numbers but also take on the most pressured and least desirable roles in the field. The study shows that overseas trained doctors work in the most deprived communities in Britain. They work longer hours, with fewer GPs per head, and are paid less per patient than the UK-trained doctors.

This research is invaluable in predicting the impact of Brexit on the NHS. Following the referendum, there has been an 83 per cent increase in EU doctors leaving the UK and this trend is expected to continue.

Brexit will mean new restrictions on practicing EU doctors, in particular the requirement for new work permits and visas, which will lower the appeal of working in the UK. With almost 5 per cent of GPs coming from the EU, Brexit could exacerbate the GP shortage and create severe problems throughout the NHS. The reliance of the NHS on foreign doctors is currently vital for keeping the NHS afloat, yet current attitudes towards immigration and the impact of Brexit on work visas may see a sharp decline in these numbers, leaving huge vacancies in less desirable practices which are unlikely to be quickly filled by newly trained GP.

Around the world this week...

Hannah Murray reports on one key story:

Mancunians celebrate end of Mugabe’s reign On the 21st of November, Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s only president since independence in 1980, stepped down after an eight-day military takeover of his office.

Mugabe is said to be one of the most ruthless leaders of modern times who, having led Zimbabwe to economic ruin, had become hugely unpopular.

Scenes of celebrations have emerged from the capital Harare in anticipation of a new chapter of democracy and economic prosperity.

On Saturday 18th November the demonstrations came to Manchester as many took to Piccadilly Gardens to celebrate the impeachment proceedings.

One demonstrator said, “We are happy they did it, that is why we are here” Another expressed her hope for the LGBT community in light of the presidential change, stating “there is no recognition for our community... we want to be protected like any other heterosexual in Zimbabwe.

“We are not free, we cannot live openly there. We need a new government to protect each and every human being” Mugabe’s successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, has

vowed to generate employment in Zimbabwe which has been estimated to be at around 90 per cent.

“We want to grow our economy, we want peace, we want jobs, jobs, jobs,” he announced to a cheering crowd in Harare.

However, some remain sceptical as to whether Mnangagwa will bring the radical change for which many are optimistic. Mnangagwa, nicknamed “the crocodile” for his political shrewdness, was a key member of Mugabe’s establishment. He acted as an aide throughout the dictatorship and architect of many of its brutal crackdowns on dissent.

After almost 40 years of fear, this may be the first time for many to speak openly and demonstrate in the streets. Banners carried through the capital declared the Zimbabwean people will no longer “sit in silence” and are “free at last”. These protests and the calls for international recognition to aid the shattered economy may make a return to dictatorship less likely.

While questions remain regarding Zimbabwe’s future under the new presidency, for now, the feeling is one of celebration.

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Features

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Features

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CHECK YOUR EXEC

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Alex Tayler: General Secretary

In conversation with Gary Younge After the release of his book ‘Another Day in the Death of America’, editor-at-large of The Guardian Gary Younge talks to head features editor Kizzy Bray about Black Lives Matter, the media’s role in reporting on race and violence and coming face to face with alt-right leader Richard Spencer Photo: Kwame Amoah Mensah

Kizzy Bray Head Features Editor As the editor-at-large for The Guardian, as well as being a published author, journalist, and broadcaster, Gary Younge is well versed in the world of reporting.

Seeking out stories in particular that tackle issues of race and identity, his two most recent works, ‘Another Day in the Death of America’ and ‘Beyond the Blade’ provide criticism for media reporting on the relationship of race and violence.

Following a lecture Gary gave at the University of Manchester, I got the chance to talk to him about the topic, and what we can learn about the nature of news when it comes to everyday violent deaths, both in the UK and the US. ‘Another Day in the Death of America’ tells the story of ten children and teens who shared one thing in common — their death day, the 23rd of November 2013.

Gary chose this date at random to follow the stories, hopes, dreams and short lives of the young people who all died through gun violence.

The book unpacks the statistics of gun crime into real people, real children. It begs us to ask ourselves, who are these children, and why are they dead? After moving back to the UK, Gary’s newest book ‘Beyond the Blade’ tackles the same formula, but with knife crime.

“The knife project came directly out of events from the gun book,” Gary explains, “you couldn’t do that with guns in the UK, there’s not enough gun-related crime, knife crime is far more important.”

In the lecture, Gary made a particularly eloquent analogy to reflect on reporting. “If a dog bites a man,” he stated, “well, that’s not news. But if a man bites a dog, we’ve got ourselves a story.”

Here lies the intrinsic problem with journalism, as he went on to explain. If we only look for stories that have a shock factor, such as a man biting a dog, all the dogs biting men fall through the cracks, unnoticed, unquestioned.

“Why are there so many dogs biting so many men?” What are the political, structural complexities that have lead to this primarily violent act becoming the everyday? Why is there a general narrative that if, say, a working-class, black, young male dies in gunfire, or at knife point, that it can simply be attributed to gang violence, is generally

“when there has been as much vio-

lence from the state as there has, we shouldn’t assume that it’s going to disappear over a hashtag” under-reported and subsequently not discussed openly?

Though Gary’s point is a completely valid criticism, this doesn’t change the inherent nature of the media, especially in the globalised, fast-paced world we come to know today. With twitter breaking most news stories before established reporters have had their morning coffees, and the newest national outcry forgotten in seconds after

whatever Trump decides is acceptable to tweet next, I wonder how it is we, as journalists, keep — for want of a better phrase — relevant and engaging whilst reporting on the everyday?

Organisations such as Black Lives Matter use their social media presence to do exactly what Gary’s point examines, giving a voice to those who face the everyday threat of violence, particularly AfricanAmericans who fear being pulled over by a cop for an unprovoked stop and search will end in their death, even if they comply.

These stories are shocking — and unfortunately it seems — frequent.

I asked Gary, how we create change whilst reporting when there is an incredible amount of cases identical to each other continuing to be broadcast?

“We all have a responsibility to find engaging ways to find stories and keep people interested,” Gary tells me, “You can’t just keep doing the same thing.”

In regards to Black Lives Matter, Gary said “when there has been as much violence from the state as there has, we shouldn’t assume that it’s going to disappear over a hashtag. It [USA] was a slave state for 200 years, it’s going to take more than a hashtag to change that.”

But does that mean that BLM isn’t working? Of course not, no energy is wasted, as Gary explains.

“Most police forces might think twice before putting a gun on someone. We don’t know how many people would be killed without BLM, it’s not a painless thing to be accused of murder as a cop, no energy is ever lost, even if we have no idea what the conclusion of that energy is.”

What social media trends have done is force traditional media to come to terms with its own ignorance in what they deem acceptable to publish. Through online instant criticism it’s easier to understand news outlets political agendas, with major publications being called out for not depicting terror events as terrorism when the perpetrator is white, or posting photos of black victims of crime with guns and gang signs while their caucasian counterparts are depicted frolicking in a lavender field surrounded by puppies.

With this new wave of accessible commentary, the process and publication of traditional media is surely being affected, but to what extent?

“There is a binary relationship, everything is on the internet now.”

Gary responds, “It used to be a one way relationship, people could write letters but we could decide if the letter was printed. I wouldn’t overestimate the powers of social media, it does exist though.

Organisations do have to manage their brands with that in mind, if you write a piece and there’s a massive push back then you are likely to think twice before you do that again.”

Where criticism exists, it shouldn’t mean that censorship should follow, however, as Gary explains: “It’s the power of mob mentality.

When I write about race I get an enormous push back, there’s wisdom in crowds, but there’s also vitriol.”

Tackling major issues like institutional racism, as well as the more individual and heart-wrenching stories — as Gary does in his recent work — comes with it a whole host of problems for the reporter.

The responsibility to portray events honestly begs the journalist to connect with their subjects, to accurately represent the situational truth of the victims and their families.

The reporter must immerse themselves in the story, but eventually, of course, their own participation must come to an end, they must move along, leaving behind the people and the trauma they sought to understand.

How do we navigate the plane of detachment, enough to be able to end relationships with those interviewed, without losing the heart and bones of why we were so compelled to investigate the story in the first place?

“Everybody does it in their own way, and some don’t and quite often they end up ill.” Gary admits, “I try and do it through the writing, when you are writing things that are painful the writing is therapeutic, you are writing through what you have seen. There’s something cathartic about that.”

It’s true. Investigative journalism takes a level of investment in the story from the reporter. In fact, the reporter themselves may be

“ I anticipated he would be slick,

what I didn’t anticipate was him being completely historically ignorant, that’s why it became the sort of shit show that it was” directly affected by the stories they report on.

Just like when Gary interviewed Richard Spencer, president of the National Policy Institute, white supremacist, and leader of the alt-right in America. For Gary, as a black Englishman, the interview took quite a personal turn as Spencer brazenly brought up matters of nationality and belonging, and how Gary could never be English because of his Caribbean parents.

“I was in two minds whether we should even do the interview,” Gary admits, “I didn’t want to give him a platform to spread hate and bile, but he was so close to power that it was scary. There was a greater risk from ignoring him.”

What Gary wasn’t expecting from the interview, was just how unintelligent and ill-informed Spencer would be. “The interview was going to be civil but firm, I anticipated he would be slick, what I didn’t anticipate was him being completely historically ignorant, that’s why it became the sort of shit show that it was.”

The interview unravelled into an embarrassing and disgusting insult game from Spencer, where at one point he even stated that “Africans have benefited from their experience of white supremacy.”

“More people will come off from that thinking he is a real tosser,” Gary believes, “it was a risk worth taking.”

And that perhaps sums up what Gary’s been saying all along. To go beyond what’s typically ‘newsworthy’ — to ask, “why did the dog bite the man?” may be taking a journalistic risk, but it could very well be a risk worth taking.

Alex Tayler, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, has undoubtedly had a frantic couple of months — as demonstrated by the frantic pace at which he can be seen travelling around the Union building.

There’s been a preferendum on exec officer roles, as well as the very blatant and, at times frustrating, building works that are still persisting in the union. But he seems calm when we sit down to chat about how he’s been the last couple of months.

He admitted that there have been “quite a few challenges” and that he’s been “very busy” but that he’s loved every minute of it.

A particular highlight for him so far? “Probably doing the talks around living in Manchester with international students, I really enjoyed doing that with Riddi.”

I asked him if there were any policy points that were close to being achieved. He told me that “small manifesto points” such as weekly meetings with students had been successfully achieved. His new scheme “Gen Sec on Tour” has just started which will feature him and other “special guests” such as other members of the exec team or staff members speaking to students around campus.

He then explained why his bigger pledges were not yet finalised: “most of the things that I talked about [on the campaign trail].... they’re not things that can be solved in a short space of time.”

An example of this was his pledge to create a combined bus pass that would allow students on both Stagecoach and First busses. He told me it would take “three years to implement” but the momentum for it has indeed begun. When I asked if he was frustrated, he told me, “everyone wants things to happen in a day, but sadly life’s not like that... I have started a consultation process, so there’s lots I can do to input into the process, if I rerun I’ll carry on with it, it takes a long time to develop but there is momentum there.”

He then, somewhat cheekily, added that current methods to solve the problems, such as the new Get Me There card, are in his words, “a bit rubbish”, so he’s definitely keen to get his solution off the ground.

He did seem frustrated at how long things take to get done, but said it wasn’t something that was just limited to working with external companies – he said everything takes a huge amount of time before it can be implemented, but “especially with the University.”

Speaking of frustrations, I turned to talking with him about the

recent preferendnum on roles within the executive team. The Mancunion reported that there was 1.5 per cent turnout (which equates to less than 500 people coming out to vote), which meant that their self applied threshold of 4000 wasn’t met, and the result wasn’t valid.

He said that the result was “a shame, but not that surprising”, as engagement in student politics is always hard to maintain. There was also a fair share of voter fatigue, given that the vote was being held at the same time as those for the Part Time Officers and NUS Delegates.

For this reason, he said that the “process wasn’t ideal”, but when it goes to senate and is “rubberstamped” by the trustee board, by that time there will have been ample feedback and they’ll know absolutely what it is that students want and need from their exec team.

One thing that you can’t really miss when you walk into the union these days is the extensive amount of refurbishment that is underway in the building. The expansion is due to conclude at the start of the 2018/19 academic year and is, according to Alex, something that’s been necessary for a very long time. “People have been calling for more space since the 50s... we looked at minutes from meetings in the 60s saying that 400 students need more space so we’re coping quite well with 40000.”

He thinks that the works will be invaluable to students when they’re done, but lamented the fact that, if he didn’t rerun in 2018, he would not be able to make the most of them. I feel very similar I must say!

He also added that “Council Chambers will have heating” and that it hopefully “won’t look like a 1950s mental asylum stroke prison on the top floor”... ouch!

Another hot topic at the moment is student landlords, and whether or not they may be fleecing their tenants. Alex said that Communities Officer Jack has been doing a lot of work on this subject and that they were planning a review of Manchester Student Homes.

It became much more of an issue when the infamous Fallowfield Students Group (FSG) created the Fallowfield Student Accommodation Group, which allowed students to ‘blacklist’ landlords that they had had bad experiences with. This has been

Photo: UMSU

suspended (for the time being) as it responds to legal threats from the landlords that were having complaints lodged against them.

I asked Alex what he thought about these types of Facebook groups. He told me that whilst he thought their engagement with students is fantastic and that they’re a good outlet for a whole plethora of student issues such as student safety, he thinks “they’ve created a perception of crime that’s far wose than the reality.”

He continued: “it is quite scary, you log in, and one person’s been stabbed here, another’s been burgled here, and these things are happening but the reality is these things have always happened...

It’s a good forum for a lot of things but it can put things out of context.”

I finished by asking him what he’s most looking forward to in semester two.

“I’m really looking forward to celebrate week, as it’s an opportunity to celebrate all the amazing thing our students and societies do... and we get can slag off The Mancunion!”

I replied by saying we’d slag the exec team off right back.

I can’t wait!

Jack Houghton: Communities Officer

“I don’t see why you would want to be a politician. Politicians maintain the system, they don’t change the system” Cameron Broome Head News Editor “I was never really from inside the Students’ Union through my student experience. I came from very much outside the Students’ Union into it” Jack says as we begin by talking about his role at the Students’ Union.

Asked about what he enjoys most about the role, Jack said: “What it offers compares to other jobs. The opportunity to problem solve, coming up with solutions to problems that you did see coming through your student life and that really frustrated you. Safety, for example, student housing, and trying to come up with solutions to deal that. And then having the means to do something about it, having the contacts at the University, the council and the police and things like that.”

Describing instutions like the University as “bureaucratic”, the Communities Officer suggested that the most frustrating thing about the role was “relying on the University or the council at times.”

“You can only ever do so much, you get to this point and always its seemingly blocked and you have to really fight and fight and fight until it actually goes through. I like to work at my speed which tends to be very fast, things like not having to wait overnight if I want something done there and then.”

It’s safe to say that Students’ Union (SU) Communities Officer, Jack Houghton, has had a busy few weeks. Jack’s role involves addressing student safety concerns, notably high at the moment after the petition titled “Greater Manchester Police & Andy Burnham: help us to make Fallowfield safe for students!” was signed by almost 10,000 students and handed to Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester, Beverley Hughes, on Tuesday the 7th of November.

“I don’t want to release too much information on specific policies; they’ll be released in the next couple of weeks” Jack said as I ask him about what the Students’ Union is doing to address student safety concerns.

Jack added: “I don’t want to rush into anything. When a government or housing company or anything builds something too fast, for example a house, all you do it build the slums of tomorrow and a scheme that causes issue the next five years, ten years down the line.

“What I want to do is create a strategy which puts things in place for future years basically long-term.

“One [part] is student safety at night called night time safety which has a range of measures. ‘Night Owls’ has been one of those; there have been other measures as well to supplement those schemes.

It’s not a replacement of the police, it’s a proactive measure to help students when they are drunk get home. Basically, it is taking those steps to prevent students being in any situation where they may be in harm...

“Then its safety awareness, trying to increase the amount of awareness students have of the current schemes and what is going around to help them as well.

“And thirdly is their student safety voice, someone that is there for them at every single moment to receive those messages.”

Jack also emphasised the need for consistency in implementing these strategies when new officers are elected.

Another issue that is high on the student agenda at present is student housing. Jack Houghton is in regular contact with the admin team of the “Fallowfield Student Group” who recently created a new group titled “Fallowfield Student Accommodation” where members could find rooms and roommates and review landlords, giving them a one to five star rating. The group’s description also had a “landlord blacklist” with a list of landlords that have allegedly received several negative reviews on the page.

Though this has been inactive following a legal threat from a landlord, Jack praised the scheme as a “brilliant resource for students” but was visibly frustrated at the fact schemes such as this are being pursued without full co-ordination with the Students’ Union.

“I really, really love how interested and proactive some students are in taking measures to try and deal with issues. Like I said, that’s one of my favourite things to do. One thing I would really love, I’d love people to come here first. And if it isn’t something that’s already been done, we’ll help you do it at the Students’ Union. We want you to change, we want you to do something. But what’s really important is if there’s a scheme already similar to that, we can contribute and shape that current scheme with your ideas and make it even better.”

Asking Jack what can be done to bridge this gap, Jack said: “I’m trying to look to create ways, for example through Students’ Union apps, through new marketing techniques and collaboration with GMP, Manchester City Council, the University and the Union all sitting round a table and creating a more united front to get that information out because it is vital for students to be fully aware if these schemes that have large amounts of money poured into them, manpower and a lot of care and effort by the people involved. I can certainly say that Manchester Student Homes and the Students’ Union with the Rate My Landlord scheme and things like that do really wanna help.”

Asked what he hopes to achieve between now and the end of the year, Jack said: “In terms of safety, by January, I hope to get a range of measures passed which increase student safety at night, student safety awareness and having that coherent Officer to ensure there’s a student voice. I’ll hopefully be passing much of that by January.

Like I said , it is slow in terms of what we have to wait and it is frustrating for me and for everyone but I want to have a number of those in place for January.

“I also want to create a new marketing strategy for student safety issues… working in collaboration with all these different groups. In terms of homelessness, I’m hoping that and I know this campaign I’m working on, Love For The Streets, is going to do excellent. For example, between the 18th and 25th of March, we’re going to see homelessness week which will have a series of events, for example, at Whitworth Art gallery taking over to showcase street art from

Photo: UMSU

photography to drawings to poems. We’re going to have an event in Owens Park basically to really raise awareness of homeless to really get people engaged with charities so they can increase volunteering.”

“I also really want to have homelessness on every strategy of the University so it’s embedded within it because I think that is vital for the long-term [strategy].”

Talking about this long-term strategy, Jack Houghton didn’t rule out standing again as Communities Officer, talking about creating foundations for his successor and saying “whether its next year or the year after” and so leaving the door open to another term in office.

Looking beyond his work at the Students’ Union and his future career aspirations, Jack said: “Basically, I want to, and I’ve been in the process of, setting up a charity. I want to work in the voluntary sector, the third sector… I want to work with charities which help other charities basically achieve their goals.

“Whether that’s getting more students involved, for example, in homelessness or whether it’s trying to use new online marketing techniques where it’s hard for other charities to maybe engage with because they haven’t got the time, the resources or even the manpower...that’s where I see myself going.”

I finished the interview by asking Jack Houghton if he would ever consider standing to be an MP. He laughed and said: “I don’t see why you would want to be a politician. If you want to actually change something, work in an NGO. Politicians maintain the system, they don’t change the system.”

Opinion

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The Catalonian Crisis is a blessing in disguise for Mariano Rajoy

Photo: Ernest CS @ Wikimedia Commons

On the 1st of October, Catalonia voted in a historic referendum on whether to be an independent nation and break away from Spain, on a turnout of 43 percent.

92 percent voted in favour of Catalonian independence. This referendum has created a toxic climate in Spain and the European Union, and the consequences of Catalonia’s bid to breakaway from Spain has the potential to unleash a huge wave throughout the European continent — a wave of populism. Both sides in Spain’s biggest political crisis since the 1970’s have chosen the nuclear option, and the consequences could be devastating.

Catalonia’s former Regional President, Carles Puigdemont, the mastermind of Catalonian independence, is currently in Brussels and has been there since the 30th of October after fleeing his own country with the prospect of arrest and a lengthy prison sentence. This fact has al-

ready put the European Union in an awkward situation, as while they have stated the crisis as an internal Spanish matter, Puigdemont has made it a European matter.

By fleeing to Brussels, the heart of the European project and home to the bulk of EU political institutions, Puigdemont has made a statement by dragging the EU institutions into the situation whether they like it or not.

As the crisis dragged on after trying to keep itself out of it for as long as possible, Europe had to respond, and all EU member states refused to recognise Catalonia’s independence, out of fear of Spanish reprisals.

Spain for many in the EU is a model member state. It transitioned from a dictatorship to a democracy and since joining has benefited largely from European investment, integration, and now is one of the leading economies within the EU.

The Catalonian Crisis may seem like a headache for the Spanish government, but it actually bolster’s the Spanish Prime Minister’s authority, argues Jake Dunn

For the leaders of the EU, this crisis threatens this image of stability and the benefits of EU membership and when the images poured in from the referendum voting, it became clear that Spain’s government’s response was not democratic.

Spain’s elite Guardia Civil was sent in to shut down the referendum and videos emerged on social media of elderly citizens being beaten up and women being thrown down stairs.

Catalonian Fire Officers even stepped in to try and stop the clashes and break apart the two sides. This violence shocked many in the world and horrified EU leaders, aghast that these scenes were playing out in an EU member state rather than the USA or Russia.

After Catalonia launched its own nuclear strike, by going ahead with the referendum and then declaring official independence in the Catalonia Parliament, Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy launched his own counter-strike and triggered Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, implementing a policy of direct rule on Catalonia and officially removing the government led by Puigdemont.

Rajoy also officially dissolved the Catalonian parliament and called for fresh elections for the 21st of December. These new elections will make the crisis worse.

If polls are correct, the Republican left of Catalonia are likely to emerge as the largest single party in the Catalonian Parliament. This is a problem for Mr Rajoy, as compared to Mr Puigdemont’s Catalan European Democratic Party, they are radical and will cause chaos by making a more forceful demand for independence.

However, many polls predict that unlike 2015 the combined number between all the pro-independence parties would be short of an overall majority by two to three seats.

If this is the case, it would mean Rajoy’s risky gamble has paid off, as he has managed to divide the Catalonia independence movement

and while they would likely end up in government they will lack a majority without pro-union parties such as Ciudadanos (Citizens) and Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party who would oppose any move towards to independence, therefore neutralising their threat for now.

While Rajoy has seemed to benefit from the crisis as support for his party has increased, it is important to remember while Rajoy and his government may win in the short term, the long term over Catalonia’s future will remain a dominate question in Spanish politics for years to come.

For the European Union, Catalonia has presented a challenge to the established order, images pouring out of Catalonia were a shock and horror to many. While the referendum result was uncomfortable for many supporters of democracy, it was still a show of protest against the Spanish central government’s response with 92 percent of those who turned up to vote, voting for independence.

Here’s the big problem with young people volunteering abroad Contributor Alex Hope argues that there is a serious problem with the way that young people raise funds to volunteer abroad Having come from a teaching background and now currently studying International Disaster Management, I spend an awful lot of time reflecting on the value of humanitarian intervention, volunteering abroad, charity work, and even altruism itself. A group at an event I attended was called Project Trust.

They send vetted individuals, fresh out of school, to impoverished countries to take part in such charitable work — mainly in the educational sector.

Some of the ‘returned volunteers’ who had done a year of volunteering with the organisation talked of longevity, needs, and sustainability. One volunteer spoke about volunteering as teaching assis-

tant as well as at a care home in Chile.

These are the types jobs where if you have a decent secondary school education, have strong work ethic, and are sensitive to the needs of people, you can contribute a lot. But I became more critical when other returned volunteers spoke of their involvement in full teaching at schools in rural areas of developing countries.

Surprisingly, an 18 or 19 year old school leaver with no formal training or qualifications and limited work experience is allowed to teach full lessons in a primary or secondary school.

In the UK, you need to have completed four years in tertiary education before you’re qualified to

“The crisis threatens to rejuvenate Europe’s populist movements” The crisis threatens to rejuvenate Europe’s populist movements and the EU will have to face it in the future. With the world changing, the crisis in Catalonia is just another issue for the EU to deal with. For Rajoy, this crisis is a gift — it will extend his political life and enhance his own authority within his government, party and Spain as a whole.

While you think he may be doing it in the interests of the Spanish constitution, make no mistake: Rajoy is manipulating the Catalonian crisis to protect his own interests.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons @ FrontierEnviro

Thicc: body positive or objectifying?

Oppressive beauty standards come in all shapes and sizes argues contributor Holly James

By now, most of us will be familiar with the term ‘thicc’ and its various spellings (thick/ thic/tic). It’s become commonplace for anyone who spends any time whatsoever on the internet.

For those of you who for some reason aren’t familiar with it, Urban Dictionary defines the word as “referring to a usually black female whose curve resembles one of an hour glass plus even more booty than a regular hoe.”

Despite this deeply problematic description, the term has been seen by many as having largely positive connotations, marking a shift towards an acceptance and appreciation of bigger bodies, especially those of black women.

Speaking to Huffington Post, several women described their own experiences with the term and their feelings towards it. It was variously described as denoting a body that is “[p] owerful, capable of amazing things”, “strong, healthy [and] sturdy”, and as referring to “a woman who is sexy and confident.”

These descriptions demonstrate exactly why the term is so appealing. It signifies a move away from the glorification of the emaciated, super skinny ‘heroin chic’ bodies of the 90’s and 00’s and towards an appreciation of women whose bodies are nourished and strong.

This is a move away from the fetishisation of starvation and instead towards acknowledging the beauty of healthy and well-fed women.

It is also a move away from the monopoly of white women over body standards; no longer is the slim white frame the default, but black and Latin-American body types are also being recognised and represented in mainstream culture and spaces. Bigger women are also receiving this kind of recognition

and representation, demonstrated by the increased exposure of ‘plus-size’ models such as Ashley Graham. For many, ‘thicc’ is a longawaited celebration of a more diverse array of body types, especially those of ever-excluded bigger and ethnic minority women.

Not everybody sees it this way though. In the same Huffington Post article, one woman described ‘thicc’ as “demeaning”, a “term used to describe plus-sized women’s bodies in a sexual way.” Another woman stated “it’s rude and disrespectful… you’re just sizing me up and undressing me with your eyes.”

Even those who defended it seemed to show that it is objectifying and implicitly sexualising, saying that it describes a woman who is “curvy in all the right places” and has “outstanding proportions…a small tummy, but big hips and breasts”, or put more crudely, “a woman with an attractive ass-to-waist ratio.”

These explanations demonstrate that, although the term may have positive features, there is something inherently problematic about it. Acknowledging it properly, it becomes clear that it is fetishistic and objectifies women’s bodies.

“Women’s bodies are not commodities” Although it does indeed champion black and larger women’s bodies, it is still geared towards policing the ‘right’ kind of body, idolising women with large busts, hips, and bums while reproaching women with ‘less desirable’ proportions as ‘fat’ or unsexy.

What does this kind of fetishisation lead to?

Photo: Flickr @ Rowland Gosling

In my opinion, the idealisation of ever more impossible bodies; bodies with huge boobs, bums, and thighs but almost meticulously trim elsewhere.

The evidence of this lies in the figures; statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons show that in 2015, both butt lifts and implants were up 36 per cent from 2014.

However, the amount of liposuction and boob jobs performed still exceeded the number of butt enhancing surgeries. If anything, this shows that ‘thicc’ is not evidence of the body revolution we might hope for but, rather, simply another addition to the already unachievable standards imposed on women’s bodies.

Also, women’s bodies should not be subject to change according to trends. In the last two decades, society has gone from worshipping

emaciated frames to drooling over almost impossibly large bums. And what was before that? Looking from Marilyn Monroe to Kate Moss to Kim Kardashian, it becomes clear that for every decade there has been a new standard for women to conform to or face being labelled as undesirable. As much as I would like to believe that the appreciation of ‘thicc’ bodies is a move away from policing women’s bodies, the sad truth is that it is just this decade’s body trend.

Women’s bodies are not commodities, nor should they constantly be subjected to being sized up, assessed, and commented on.

Although the proliferation of ‘thicc’ bodies and the appreciation of them may be a step in the right direction, we’re still a way away from truly embracing bodies of all shapes and sizes.

Opinion 11

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Chancellor Philip Hammond rightly faced notable criticism for his comments on the Andrew Marr Show last Sunday the 19th, on which, when pressed on his plan to deal with unemployment he claimed: “There are no unemployed people” in the UK. According to the ONS, there were 1.425 million unemployed people in the UK in September, therefore it is hardly surprising that Hammond’s comment has received much scrutiny. Although the government is boasting such positive employment figures and thus economic prosperity, the use of food banks are rising at troubling rates, and there has not been a real wage rise in the UK for seven years. Consequently, there are clearly deeper issues within the economy that are not picked up on in government unemployment figures.

In full, Hammond’s rebuttal to questions over unemployment was: “Where are all these unemployed people? There are no unemployed people.

We have created 3.5 million jobs since 2010. This economy has become a jobs factory.”

However, this notion of prosperity comes at a time where usage of food banks between April and September has increased by 13 per cent compared to last year — resulting in 587,000 three day emergency packages being distributed.

This is especially prevalent in Manchester. More packages were given out in the North West than anywhere else in the country (87,374). Given that the Chancellor flaunts unemployment is apparently at its lowest level since the 1970s, why does the amount of people who cannot afford their own food continue to rise?

Moreover, whilst the unemployment rate fell, so did the percentage of working age people (16-64) in employment. In May through September, an additional 140,000 working age people have become economically inactive, meaning that they are no longer included in unemployment figures — this marks the highest rise since January 2010.

A key contributor to this figure are those who have stopped actively seeking a job due to the inability to find worthwhile employment.

In addition, there is a troubling increase in those who are underemployed in the UK, this refers to those who wish to work more hours than they already do, or are in a part-time job and wish to work

full time. The underemployment rate in the UK is now believed to be a staggering 9.7 per cent, equating to well over three million people.

The nature of employment in the UK is changing, with employment no longer meaning a secure 40-hour-a-week job, but increasingly part-time, zero-hours or as part of the ‘gig-economy’ - in which many concerns have been raised about lack of workers’ rights and fears over their exploitation.

According to Trussell Trust statistics, the primary reason for people using food banks is low income (26.5 per cent listed this as their primary reason), as even those who are officially in employment are unable to provide enough to support themselves or their families, a damning statistic against the Conservative rhetoric of unprecedented employment levels. Therefore, for the Chancellor to boast of ‘jobs factory’ when the jobs are not providing workers with sufficient income to survive is wholly laughable.

Therefore, it is clear the way we assess employment needs to change, with jobs increasingly being part-time and not so much a job for life, these low unemployment figures are quite frankly meaningless. Instead, the government should not look to hide behind such an outdated method of assessing job prospects in the economy and instead look to promote stable, high-paid, full time jobs as opposed to using misleading statistics to reinforce a failing political agenda.

As the Budget is being announced it is clear that the Chancellor needs to address these concerns.

People want their working hours guaranteed so they can actually plan their income, as well as effective employment contracts so workers are not exploited. Moreover, workers in all parts of the economy, including the gig economy, need a protected minimum wage, as well as one which needs to rise in order to keep pace with inflation to prevent workers becoming continuously poorer.

However, there is not much to suggest the Chancellor will address this and instead stand behind empty figures, which continue to give a misleading representation of employment in the country, despite the fact many workers and families are struggling.

teach. There are constant lesson observations, targets for improvement, and most of the time, you’re only just about competent enough to teach by the end of your PGCE. You receive constant monitoring thereafter, and only after a year are you actually left alone to teach.

So why are the standards presumed to be lower abroad? Indeed, less developed countries might have a comparatively lower quality of education — primarily due to a lack of resources — but that does not mean standards should be lowered too. This reveals one of the key tenants that you should always ask yourself when volunteering abroad - are you qualified to do this in the UK? Chatting to some other returned volunteers, they expressed discomfort upon reflecting on their experiences with Project Trust. They were unclear about the extent to which they were actually helpful. At the time they didn’t really think about it, and why would you? You’re 18 years old, wide-eyed, bushy-tailed, and in wonderment of the world. You believe what you are doing is good, and you don’t yet possess the full critical ability to question your value in being there, or your impact on the people that you are there to serve.

And here it becomes even more questionable: it is precisely this age group that Project Trust targets, volunteers who do not effectively question the value that they are providing, and will happily go about raising £6,200 pounds to fund their experience for 12 months. This pays for flights, stipend, accommodation provided to a host family, health insurance, and lastly the ability to provide a service to the recipients of this aid. A self-organised experience in Kyrgyzstan would cost less than £3000.

A counter argument to this is that if volunteers never had the opportunity to go abroad they might not get around to raising the money required. You could compare it to a bake sale, where people are more likely to donate money to a charity if cake is involved.

However, in this case, the money is going directly to the charity, not the individual in order to pay for their own experience of baking cakes. If we look closer at the breakdown of cost, charities generally spend between 70 to 80 per cent of their budget directly on recipients, with roughly 20 per cent going on fund raising and less than 10 percent on administration.

If it’s difficult to define in the case of Project Trust what percentage of funding is going directly to the recipient, and that is in itself problematic.

Upon questioning of the volunteer coordinator present at an event, a returned volunteer went into primary teacher training based on her volunteering with Project Trust, but it would make much more sense for her to do her training in the UK first and then go abroad.

In a school in a rural African country for instance,

Project Trust Routinely sent four volunteers out every year, coming to a sum of £22,000 per year (or more) and the school relied on this constant influx.

This is a clear example of palliative aid — it is short term, not addressing root causes or structural problems.

A quarter of this sum could be used to pay for a local teacher full time, so perhaps training locals — who speak the local language — in primary or secondary education might be a better use of those funds, and one that has greater longevity as well as impact.

I see the value in Project Trust: the awareness raised about problems in impoverished countries, the lasting personal connections made, and individual projects set up after this. But if you’re going to do something, do it right.

Volunteers should be trained properly, not for a week on the Scottish island of Coll. This means taking something like a TEFL course (self-funded) or spending several months working or volunteering in schools or youth centres in the UK. Volunteers should be used in more supportive roles, such as teaching assistants in schools. The organisation is already doing some of this, but the funding structure of these expeditions needs to be questioned. There is nothing stopping volunteers from paying — through work — for their own flights and health insurance.

If this were fund raised money, it’s not going to the recipients. Instead, it’s charitable donations going straight to the volunteer.

I invite Project Trust to critically assess this aspect of volunteering and charity, especially in a humanitarian context, and be more up front about what the organisation is really about — an opportunity for young people to build their skills and experience using less developed nations as a training ground, and that the benefit appears to be far in favour of volunteer than the recipient.

I personally think this programme is hugely valuable to young school leavers as work experience but not volunteering. I also question the ethics, even morality, of using donations fund their experiences as well as using children in poorer countries as experiential training. You could argue that the aid money was always meant to go to the volunteers in the first place.

As for myself there have certainly been aspects of volunteering that I have undertaken that have led me to reflect on the value added to the world. I am partially guilty of engaging in the type of volunteering mentioned here.

It’s important the we continue to question these values and try to make volunteering more about serving the needs — and rights — in the best possible way of those who need it most and not serving our own.

‘No unemployment’? Then why can’t families afford to buy food?

The way the government reports employment statistics is highly misleading, as made evident by usage of food banks reaching record highs, says contributor Jamie Bootle

Photo: Flickr @ Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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This pop sensation which reappears without fail this time of year has to be on the list, because, let’s be honest, who doesnt love a bit of Mariah.

8/10

We’re already listening to this every five minutes as it is (think John Lewis). This Beatles cover will be timeless, without shoving reindeer and jingle bells down your throat.

Live Review: Cap’n Jazz Well, I’d never thought I’d see the day. I’ve had pipe dreams about this but I never thought I’d see them come to fruition. And I don’t think either did Cap’n Jazz when they played their first show in October 1989.

But after 28 years they finally made it here.

For those who are unaware, Cap’n Jazz are a highly influential Emo band. They were key figures in the 2nd wave of emo in the 90s and members went to find many other key bands such as American Football, Owls, Joan of Arc, The Promise, and Owen. They released their only album, Shmap’n Shmazz, in 1995 — just before they broke up. They played a tiny reunion gig in 2010 but for many, this is their first — and probably only — time they’ll see the band, with it being one of two only ever European shows.

Before they start there is huge anticipation. They open up to ‘Oh Messy Life’ and it slowly starts to settle in. The chorus allows the for a gateway explosion of energy as if everyone just realised that we’re finally getting to see Cap’n Jazz.

Despite being in their 40s, Cap’n Jazz still seem youthful. Vocalist Tim Kinsella has a very playful attitude. Whether he’s trying to crowd surf for the twentieth time, throwing his tambourine into the crowd again, or putting his mic through mine and 2 oth-

Tobias Soar

er people’s t-shirts, it’s all entertaining to watch. Even though these are usually the escapades of a very drunk man, it reflects the immature nature of the band perfectly.

The set is pounding and bouncy. Fans have long awaited to hear songs like ‘Basil’s Kite’ and ‘Planet SHHH’ and they don’t disappoint. The band are fully into it. Reunion shows can be hit and miss. Sometimes the band just in it for the money. But to see Cap’n Jazz fully into is undoubtedly special.

They do slow it down eventually with ‘Tokyo’. The spoken word track allows for some calm before kicking it back up again with more antics from Tim. “This is the first song off our new album,” jokes guitarist Victor Villarreal before going into ‘Little League’. Hearing the crowd singing the bridge of ‘Little League’ while Tim crowd surfs all around the venue is quite surreal.

SYRE marks an important step in Jaden Smith’s career. His debut album serves multiple purposes: it’s a testament to his coming-of-age and an artistic dissociation from his father, Will “can my son be in this film” Smith. He’s his own man with a unique yet relevant artistic identity that solidifies Photo: Album Artwork him as one of the best breakthrough artists of 2017. The title of the project comes from his middle name, Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, further pushing the construction of his individual identity, as is the logical and natural progression for every teenager to make.

From the get-go we are presented with a vastly more mature young man who has come far since his early adolescent twitter reflections on life, death, and everything in between, and his collaborations with Justin Bieber in 2010, at 12 years of age, a phase that is forgivable — we were all 12 once, right? His feature on Childish Gambino’s Kauai in 2014 was foreshadowing for the future leaps he is currently taking. In 2017, Jaden’s rebirth was initiated with features on Tyler, The Creator’s Flower Boy and A$AP Mob’s Cozy Tapes Vol 2. The singles from SYRE released since August got the hip-hop community interested in the project’s impending release.

The album’s opener, ‘B’ has vocals from Pia Mia and Jaden’s sister, Willow (who, I must note, is also exploring her creativity in very interesting ways) that make way for a strong, deep beat reminiscent of Kanye’s

WIN LIMITED EDITION MORRISSEY VINYL Here’s a competition for all of you northern girls and boys.

As you’re all probably seen (or heard) that Morrissey is back in the swing of things. After 3 years of hiding in the shadows and taking a break of limelight he has proudly brought out his new album Low in High School.

1st Prize: Limited edition clear vinyl of the album 2nd Prize x 2: CD copy of the album If you can answer this very very difficult question.

What is the second line of the single ‘Spent The Day In Bed’?

music.mancunion@gmail.com Big coats and 90s drama, it’s Chritmas for the boybands already.

It’s something many here would have probably guessed they would never get to see.

Then even more chaos ensues when Tim declares that he wants to perform ‘Olerud’ with his feet. Two crowd members prop Tim hold his feet up while his drummer, and young brother, Mike chuckles and asks if he is ok. It’s so intriguing to see what he’ll do next.

They power through the rest of their songs. ‘Forget Who We Are’ and ‘Que Suerte!’ are again blasts of more energetic fun before they head off for a little break.

The encore is a blast. Their cover of ‘Take On Me’ is a highlight of the whole thing with me seemingly ending up with a mic screaming the chorus while several others are on top me of me. The people are passionate and it really seals the deal.

Seeing Cap’n Jazz was everything I hoped for and more. The sweet emo vibes are still present and the fact that I also got to see them again the next night was the icing on the cake. The smaller venue helped in recreating the chaotic atmosphere that would have been seen in the 90s. This gig will be one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon and it’s nice to cross off one of Emo bands that I thought I’d never see. Now I’m just waiting on Snowing and Algernon Cadwallader.

10/10

Rewind This week in music history What did the judge say when a skunk walked into the courtroom?

“Odor in the court!”

27th Nov 1991 - Freddie Mercury’s funeral service was conducted by a Zoroastrian priest.

28th Nov 1992, Whitney Houston started a 14 week run at No.1 in the US with ‘I Will Always Love You’, taken from the ‘Bodyguard’ soundtrack. (Which was actually written by Dolly Parton.)

29th Nov 2007 - Morrissey was set to sue NME after it didn’t apologise for an article, NME had criticised the Smiths star for telling a reporter Britain had lost its identity due to high levels of immigration.

30th Nov 1969 - The Monkees made what would be their last live appearance for 15 years when they played at The Oakland Coliseum, California.

Album Review: Jaden Smith - SYRE

Please e-mail your name, student number and your answer to:

Photo: Album Artwork

It may have taken them 28 years but Cap’n Jazz’s first ever show in Europe and 1 of 2 only ever European shows was worth the wait

Photo: Jash Grafstein @ Flickr

SO, us here at The Mancunion, have a few prizes to give away.

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Perhaps, the most mesmerising aspect of the LP is the level of control and understanding Prince has in both his music and lyrics. He can express himself effortlessly through any instrument, as his voice takes the form of guitar and synth solos throughout, yet the feeling created is just as clear.

I can only imagine the inner workings of his mind to be like a black hole. Feeding on every genre present (funk, soul, rock), then using whichever instrument he would like to churn out a complete tapestry of all the political and social emotion he feels. In its day it would have been revolutionary, now it’s timeless. Prince truly was the greatest modern musician of all time.

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On ‘D.M.S.R.’ he chants “Everybody get on the floor/ what the hell did you come here for?” as the keys pop away in the background. He shows that he likes to orchestrate the night and he clearly has the ability to do so. From the musical manipulation to the enchantments, Prince was there to create a revolution and every race was invited as he calls upon different demographics to follow his dancefloor chorus.

Taking a left turn, his lyrical mindset shifts towards introspection on the second half of the album as Soul shines through on ‘Free’. “I’m just glad, I’m just glad I’m free, yeah/There’s many a man who’s not,” Prince cries. He’s come back to singing, and with that, he preaches gratitude and equality.

Wading through eight-minute long, 80s synthpop anthems can take its toll. But then the incredible mind of Prince is able to bring more conscience to his music, after screaming “I wanna f*** the taste out of your mouth.” earlier on. With exception of ‘All the Critics Love U in New York’, the closing tracks infuse more emotion to the funky feel of before. Nevertheless, most of the emotion Prince displays is sexual desire.

On reflection of the hour-or-so journey, it’s hard not to feel both amazed and shocked. The contrast in his lyrical content, the range of instruments mastered and the power of his expression would look like a Jackson Pollock painting if graphically interpreted. But the intention of the album is bright as day: Prince wanted to give life, hope, and love to his fans, every way possible. And so, he presents himself a million ways over, without any fear.

I don’t care what you say - this is legendary.

RIP George, another absolute angel.

Hannah Brierly

was the last gig they would ever be going too. The 20 song strong set list spanned all 3 decades of their work, looking incredibly well rehearsed sliding seamlessly from one song into the other. The band themselves enjoying every single note of every single song (or at least it looked that way).

I was also pleasantly surprised when they began to play a personal favourite song ‘Stripped’ which when I checked the setlists from other shows hadn’t been played yet on the tour. The arena all standing sombre singing the almost twisted love song back to the band. This was followed by arguably the bands biggest hit to date, ‘Enjoy The Silence’.

I take my hat off to Depeche Mode, to still be performing writing and growing their fan base still after 30 years is a testament to themselves and the work they put into there live shows.

Even if Martin Gore isn’t the most convincing of guitarist the band on the whole were flawless.

Record Reappraisal: Prince - 1999 Wednesday, October 27th, 1982, the date that a 24-year-old Prince Rogers Nelson released his fifth and most successful studio album of an illustrious 40-year career. In a tumultuous reality starring Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher fighting wars aplenty, the world didn’t look too different as it does today in 2017. 35 years on, and in a similar global climate, it’s more than fitting to give 1999 a thorough revisit, to see if Prince can once again provide salvation.

The title track, and opener, ‘1999’ prints the mosaic theme of the record. A robotic distortion slurs “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you/ I only want you to have some fun.” Ahead lies kaleidoscopic musical expression and odes to freedom, both politically and sexually. Prince uses layers of funky guitar riffs, synth basslines, and fast-paced drumlines to imbue that decadence is the only cure for impending doom.

He never fails to couple this impassioned instrumentation with cogitative lyricism. In ‘Little Red Corvette’, incredible vocals take centre-stage in an ensemble cast with Prince playing all the roles. Power breaks through every beat of the track, be it the Corvette metaphors, the guitar play or the way it intertwines seamlessly with his pure falsetto. The track is a good example as any to see why Prince is revered.

The following tracks of the first half, ‘Delirious’, ‘Let’s Pretend We’re Married’ and ‘D.M.S.R’ (Dance.

Music.Sex.Romance.), allow musical innovation to take hold of the reigns and The Purple One experiments heavily with drum-machines and synthesisers – relatively new advancements.

! - Last Ch ris

If you look back through music over the past 20 to 30 years there are very few bands that are still together, let alone continuing to bring out new material and continuing to pack out massive arenas all over Europe and the rest of the world.

You could definitely argue the case for Depeche Mode is one of these bands, with the Global Spirit

Yo

November 17th, Manchester Arena

This track turns 30 this year and is still one of the best out there. RIP Kirstie McColl.

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Live Review - Ciaran McLaughlin

The 7th of November at Moth Club, London

of New

Photo: Photo : Danny Gonzalez @ Flickr

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7/10

Live Review: Depeche Mode tour proving that this bunch of 50 old-year-olds are still going strong. The Manchester arena was packed out (and I won’t lie I was slightly shocked by this). The even the top tears of the arena were crammed full.

The show began with glorious synth swells, building and building as each member slowly make their way onto the stage, soaking up the applause from the crowd and waiting patiently for Mr Dave Gahan to arrive on center stage. If you compared a Depeche Mode performance in the 80s Dave would have been stood rooted to the same spot, clutching the mic stand for dear life hardly moving his body or his eyes. Flashback to tonight and with an almost Mick Jager performance in his trademark sparkly waist coast. It is almost hard to believe its the same person!

They began the set with ‘Going Backwards’ slowly breaking the audience in with a song from there lasted studio album ‘Spirit’ followed by ‘It’s No Good”. The soaring lead synth line filling the room with electronic nostalgia. The audience singing every word along with the band as if it

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Photo: courtesy of Leslie Adu @ Instagram

an’s creation can command more crowd energy than the previous four acts combined.

This seemingly tidal-shift was then to be followed by imprecise selections by the BBC. Big Shaq brought intensity that was hard to recreate with Ghetts and manc-native Bugzy Malone.

The former brought high powered lyricism with tracks like ‘One Take Freestyle’ and ‘Artillery’ but the crowd were generally displeased as a general conversation ensued. It wasn’t until bouncy vocalist Shakka came on to perform ‘Know My Ting’ that normal service resumed.

Similarly, 0161-rep Bugzy Malone worked up a sweat in his Nike thermal, to little avail with exception to the diehard locals (mainly youngsters) who joined him word for word. These two rappers showed that the night wasn’t for grime, but for its close cousins.

Following came another, less scripted, surprise. After a little nod from presenter A.dot for an “unforgettable night!” out bounced the dadlike figure, French Montana. There were instantaneous roars and it seemed like the crowd were starting to get what they were waiting for. French carried his chain of bangers with experience.

A few songs passed with pyrotechnics and a

couple “haans,” and next up was J Hus giving his 15 minutes. The self-proclaimed Hussla brought his pseudo-afrobeats to the stage with energy and enough of a performance to get everyone on the same wavelength for the first time all night. Although, for the majority of it he looked half-awake but carried the show with a well-practised routine.

Finally, the centrepiece. An eagle screeched. A figure donned in skiwear came out: “I came here to rage and rage only!” he screamed. He was clearly the choice of the younger audience member and as he continued through his set, the eagle continued screeching acting as a signal for the crowd on the floor to get messier.

Then, during the mesmerising “Butterfly Effect” a young fan jumped onstage and chanted the chorus with Travis. Clearly used to this behaviour Travis, and his bodyguards allowed the intervention to continue for a good while. The track was finishing and another fan attempted to rush on but was apprehended.

Then, as the security came to grab the original intruder, he jumped back into the sea upon the floor and presumably got away with a once in a lifetime memory. multiple flames roared up onstage and Travis started to shout more than rap – sounding at times flawed as the autotune failed to register with his screaming. He still delivered a highlight performance.

All in all, the night was nuanced between a high velocity and a mellow, good feel. Which didn’t always mat=ch up as the time passed. Almost inevitably, it felt like the Travis Scott show, featuring a strong supporting cast. Peppered in the other performances were moments of excitement but the short sets and immense number of acts in one night didn’t allow each artist to give their best. For the price and range on scale, no complaints could be made.

by Music Editor, Hannah Brierley

i ry

Celebrating 15 years of their ‘urban’ radio station, 1XTRA, the BBC decided to bring their annual ‘1XTRA Live’ mini-fest to Manchester. The bill featured an ensemble cast from both sides of the big pond, aiming to please the young and the slightly younger.

With live performances from the likes of veteran Donae’o, new girl Stefflon Don and superstar Travis Scott for as little as £15 (+booking fee, obviously) the expectations of the BBC to orchestrate a memorable night were high.

The general crowd was split into two distinct groups.

The older half had the generally dressed as if they’d all received invites to a VIP party hosted by Drake. Whilst the slightly younger all sported expensive sneakers and showcased a comfortable but fashionable vibe.

The opening of the night brought more sophisticated RnB and afrobeat music suited to the older half: Bryson Tiller’s autotuned heartbreak, Stefflon Don’s colourful carnival and Donae’o’s golden-age UK funky sent a wave around the 21,000-capacity arena.

Tiller had his day ones (everyone) to thank.

Stefflon had her ever-present chart songs and lively, colourful dancers and Donae’o his wellaged showmanship and infectious hooks.

Throughout all the first segment, singular smoke clouds erupted out of nowhere in the crowd, signifying the mellow but encapsulating atmosphere. All around, it was clear that the collective wanted something bigger.

The handover after Donae’o brought just that.

Charlie Sloth came out, recognisable from row Z with his black snapback, large coat and cackle of a laugh. An interjection of an all too familiar voice during his insert raised the roof.

“Man’s Not Hot” hurled out of the sound system.

Crowds rose like the seas and a collective voice imitated ‘Big Shaq’ AKA comedian Michael Dapaah. It was incredible that a comedi-

Kavindra Huggins and Leslie Adu bring their 2 cents on BBC 1XTRA’s annual star-studded flagship event

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Live Review: 1XTRA

Top 5 Xmas songs acceptable before Xmas

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Live Review

Music 13

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Entries close on Sunday 3rd December 2017 (23:59) Winners will be announced on Monday 4th December 2017.

‘All Day’. Jaden’s voice is pleasantly fresh, unique, and extremely different from his former teenage self. The first five tracks, “B”,“L”,“U”, and ‘E’, may as well be one long intro track because of how seamlessly they flow into each other. “U” is incredibly intense and fantastically rich. Of course, being the son of Will Smith, a man whose artistic repertoire covers film, television, and the 90s hip-hop scene, it’s no wonder that his son has access to some of the best writers, producers and, in the case of his music videos, visual creative minds in the music industry today.

‘Breakfast’ has a quintessential early 2000’s hip-hop piano melody paired with a gritty drum beat and features A$AP Rocky who, bizarrely, doesn’t actually appear on the track, as far as his voice is concerned. Lyrically, the song is hilarious, with talks of the Illuminati, Call of Duty, Teslas, modern hip-hop artists, and street culture of our time, all things that compose and influence him.

After a strange interlude, the beat and flow switch completely.

Jaden brings a crazy flow on ‘Hope’ that carries over to ‘Falcon’, a ‘Flex Track’, a staple of hip-hop as a musical genre. In contrast to the hard tracks, ‘Ninety’ and ‘Lost Boy’ are long, complex, and deep tracks that allow the listener to breathe and, in the latter song, hear him talk about his rebirth in the third person. The singles ‘Batman’, ‘Icon’, and “Watch Me” are fast and solid inclusions on the record. My favourite song from the album, ‘Fallen’, comes next and shows off Jaden’s talent as a vocalist, lyricist, and MC. ‘The Passion’ brings an intense lyrical assault with a handful of ad-libs sprinkled throughout, as we’ve come to expect from rap in 2017. The song’s soft decrescendo paves the way for “George Jeff”, hitting and hard and catching the listener off guard with political, religious, mythical, and trippy traits. Unfortunately, as is the problem with the next track as well, it feels way too short. ‘Rapper’ is the final grimy inclusion during which I noticed Jaden’s bizarre fixation with Tesla, the automotive brand that gets name-dropped a total of 7 times in the one hour duration of the LP. Finally, the closer, ‘SYRE’ is a monologue set to a lo-fi chilled beat

1st Dec 2016 - Drake was named Spotify’s moststreamed artist of 2016, with his single ‘One Dance’ the site’s biggest song of the year.

2nd Dec 1983 - MTV aired the full 14-minute version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller video for the first time.

3rd Dec 1979 - Gotta Get Thru this singer Daniel Bedingfield, was born.

where Smith speaks about himself almost as if he’s a mythical hero. It’s a good closer to a very solid project that is exceptional for a debut and, in my opinion, one of the most notable hip-hop releases of the year, providing the listener with an experience that doesn’t grind to a halt despite perplexing the listener with minuscule snippets of dialogue at the end of most tracks that neither add nor detract from the ride.

Jaden Smith has the potential of creating amazing art, and this coming-of-age project proves it. With an already strong career, it’s fair to say that I am very excited about what the artist has yet in store for us in the years to come.

Album review: Converge - The Dusk In Us It’s been five years since Converge’s last release but despite all that time their ninth album, The Dusk In Us, proves once more why they’re Metalcore kings, writes Ciaran McLaughlin 2017 has been a mixed year for Metalcore. While we saw bands like Code Orange breakthrough we still saw the end of bands like The Dillinger Escape Plan and Heck. Though it’s not over yet.

Genre legends, Converge, are back after five long years with their ninth album, The Dusk In Us. Was it worth the wait? Certainly.

The album is a raw fuel intense roller coaster ride which stays true to the Converge sound. The opener ‘A Single Tear’ opens with much triumph. The sharp noodling guitars slice through the track before the whole thing climaxes in the chorus. This cathartic nature is what Converge does best.

But this isn’t the full extent of Converge power either. ‘Cannibals’ is short but blistering. The violent rage is still unlike anything by any other band and it never really loses its energy or effect.

The Dusk In Us calls back more to their Mathcore memories found on Jane Doe and You Fail Me. Don’t think this is just a repeat. Converge are experts at evolving their sound and demonstrate it here. They mix these chaotic time signatures with elements they’ve experimented with before like Sludge Metal and Post-Hardcore to craft something new.

The irregular beats in ‘I Can Tell You About Pain’ give it great weight and impact and reflect the animosity of the song. ‘Under Duress’ is another great example with its thick sludgy

bass setting the stage before the whole song brutally erupts.

‘The Dusk In Us’ and ‘Thousands of Miles Between Us’ take a more ambient approach. They experiment with elements of Post Rock, creating a phantasmic mist of noise. They contrast against the harsher sound and allow those moments to punch more. ‘The Dusk In Us’ might be too long but it does have a satisfying pay off at the end when it all finally explodes.

With regards to performance and composition, the album is one of Converge’s finest. It feels so finely crafted and elegant. Whether it be the fast noodling guitars on ‘A Single Tear’ to the fast pounding drums on ‘Arkhipov Calm’ a whole range of skills are on display here by the whole band. Every little detail feels like it was placed there with care and thought making for a very slick album despite it’s violent nature.

Vocalist Jacob Bannon is outstanding as always. His ethereal screams cut through the tracks with much passion. Most Metalcore vocalists lose their sting after years of punishment on their vocal chords but he still shines after all this time.

The Dusk In Us is an exceptional album and is a welcome addition to the Converge discography. It’s thrilling, brutal, and atmospheric. Great to see them take a step back to an older sound but still make it seem fresh. Here’s hoping that it won’t be another five years for the next album, though I don’t mind if it’s as good as this.

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Music

Feature

Live Review - Bicep, WHP

Microsoft to develop more games in-house

Contributor Blanca had the time of her life watching Bicep at Warehouse Project. However, there was an overwhelming lack of female presence Saturday 18th November, WHP

Photo: Photo: Passetti @Flickr

Last Saturday Warehouse Project hosted probably one of the most iconic House duos of the decade. Andy Ferguson and Matt McBriar, more commonly known as Bicep, after a long wait finally performed their debut album in Manchester, surrounded by an eager crowd.

A great plus to the show was the venue. Quaint and grungy but very cool, the Warehouse Project installations under Manchester Piccadilly Station were probably the perfect location for this event. However, the main stage soon became massively overcrowded, making it nearly impossible to even move your hands.

Despite this, the audience still managed to sway and follow the beat.

Incredibly surprising was the lack of females in the audience. With approximately a 70:30 male-female ratio, the presence of more woman was missed.

Not only did Bicep indulge us with their debut album, but they also revitalized several genres of classics of electronic music such as Detroit’s techno or Chicago’s House. Playing records such as ‘Daliah’ and ‘Just’ the audience saw itself trapped in the hypnotic rhythmic progression of this

Belfast duo.

It was probably the variety of their music that engaged the crowd so much. In addition to the great act of Bicep, the acoustics at WHP were good and the beat was accompanied by flashing lights and incredible special effects that would make even the soberest person trip.

Although counting with Bicep as the main act, WHP presented an amazing lineup amongst which were artists like Carl Craig & Moody Mann, Hammer, and Kink. A range of artists was distributed across the venue allowing several of them to play simultaneously, making sure that no one was bored and a variety of music was played throughout the night.

This also helped escape the claustrophobic main stage at times, were the drunk audience acted a little bit too drunk.

Overall, a great night, with great artists, long lines, and ice pops for when it got too hot. Despite it being packed, the venue was easy to move around and Bicep stood out by far to the expectations. Perhaps the night was a little bit overpriced, paying 40 quid entrance and overpriced drinks, but WHP is totally worth going to at least once in your life.

7/10

The damaging culture of silence in music We need to start talking about sexual harassment in the music industry, writes contributor, Joe Hissey In the recent months since The New York Times released a damning expose detailing decades of alleged calculated sexual assault by Harvey Weinstein, the floodgates have opened in Hollywood. Many women and men have felt inspired to share their own experiences creating a much needed conversation that can no longer be ignored.

The dialogue surrounding the issues of sexual assault and harassment have increased tenfold with many powerful figures being called out for their behaviour. These incidents happen not just in the entertainment industry but all around us, and are often kept as a dirty little secret. Men in particular, use their position of power to belittle and scare those that dare to even attempt to speak as evident from Weinstein. Over two-thirds of sexual assault go unreported and for every 1000 rape attacks, six rapists will end up incarnated.

There is an incredible amount of guilt and shame that goes hand in hand with such acts. The whole process can be extremely demoralising and more often than not, women are led to believe that there is little they can really do to achieve any sense of acceptable change.

The music industry has faced increased scrutiny with multiple women coming forward with allegations towards the lead singers of the bands Don Broco and Nothing But Thieves, both of whom have outright denied accusations aimed towards them. These two bands are not alone; Marilyn Manson parted way with long time member Twiggy Ramirez when allegations of sexual abuse came to light.

Earlier this month, Tove Lo, Zara Larsson and Robyn joined thousands of women in an open letter calling out the sexual assault in the Swedish music industry. In this letter which was published in a Swedish newspaper they said “We demand zero tolerance for sexual exploitation or violence. Sexual assault or violence will have consequences in terms of terminations of contracts” with many revealing their own troubling personal stories which happen every day: “When a competent male musician rapes you, you lose a lot of friends.” “What he did was wrong. But he is an asset to the music industry so we don’t want to lose him. I hope you can understand and respect that.”

This letter is a huge indication of the culture that we currently live in, powerful men use their position of power to essentially get what they want as they deem themselves untouchable. Following on from this letter, major heads of record labels offered their support and pledged to put an end to such behaviour.

Whilst it may seem a bit too little too late, it is evident that people are aware they need to step up and lead by example. It’s pretty evident

that the roots of misogyny are deeply embedded in our society, so much so that many of us are unaware of just how deeply problematic and damaging it can be. Many of these harassment and sexual assault allegations can seem to stem from a power imbalance that is very much present in the entertainment industry.

Photo: publicdomainpictures.net

Many of the recent allegations that have surfaced come from the fan/musician interactions which highlight this imbalance. There are these cultural ideas that with success comes money, power and women. This is a misogynistic view which devalues women and creates a toxic environment where men can do as they please with little consequence. A woman who was allegedly assaulted by PWR BTTM’s Ben Hopkins revealed her inability to come forward at first because of his position in the music industry.

It seems that recent allegations facing Nothing But Thieves also work on the artist/fan interaction with these figures taking what they want because they see it so fit. The act that they have endured is traumatic, alongside that is the fact they may be trying to go up against someone who is extremely wealthy and can very easily have them silenced. Many of these artists become untouchable the bigger they come and people that depend on them financially, such as PR companies and publicists, so calling them out for their behaviour and effec-

tively “damaging” their career will not be of importance.

One of the most troublesome accounts that has been revealed in the past months, came from Alice Glass, co-founder of the band Crystal Castles who left the band in 2014 (at the time citing “reasons both professional and personal”). This year she bravely released a statement on her website detailing the years of alleged abuse suffered at the hands of her bandmate Ethan Kath. She said that for almost a decade, Kath abused her both psychologically and physically, he controlled what she ate, dictated who she could be friends with and belittled her bit by bit until he retained complete ownership.

One of the most alarming details that she revealed was that Kath apparently forced her to have sex with him or “he said, I wouldn’t be allowed to be in the band anymore.” Due to the control he had over her it made her deeply insecure and too scared to speak openly at the fear of not being taken seriously and suicidal for many years. Glass admitted that she didn’t have the courage to reveal the extent of her treatment until she saw the recent outpouring of women from the entertainment industry coming forward with their own stories that she felt it necessary to reveal her own.

This in itself shows the importance of listening to those that step forward and making the statement that they will be believed. Perhaps if the Harvey Weinstein story had not broke when it did, we would not currently be at this huge turning point where now more than ever those that have been made to feel like victims for so long can be open and receive the justice they so rightly deserve.

I very much feel that those who come forward should be believed until proven otherwise, it may often be a tricky line to navigate but if we don’t collectively show support in a public way then it may stop others from speaking out which is extremely harmful. Passivity and remaining silent should not be an option, this stance is what has created this culture and those that are aware and actively decide to turn the other way are feeding into this system.

Going forward from this point, it is incredibly important if men in all types of the various industries take a step up and examine their own behaviour. Coming together and showing support will help create a safer community for artist and fans alike. Whilst it appears the list of sexual abusers grow every day, this is as many have described the tip of the iceberg and will only worsen as time goes on. Again the most important aspect of this is to show solidarity and have these uncomfortable conversations in order to provoke change.

Live review: Jake Bugg A simplistically beautiful reminder of the forgotten gem of Jake Bugg, writes Deputy Music Editor, Yasmin Duggal Sunday 19th November, Victoria Hall, Stoke-on-Trent National treasures are hard to find, especially when the treasure does his best to stay out of the limelight and shrugs off any notion of praise or the riches of fame. If what it takes to be a national treasure is humility, a sense of humour and organic talent, then Jake Bugg lit up Victoria Hall like a forgotten gem, hardly polished, and as naturally spectacular as he always has been.

Clad in classic black simplicity, alone with his guitar Jake weaved us through the country highs and folky lows of his young yet tumultuous career, from the chart-hype of fast-paced ‘Lightning Bolt’ to the dark undertones of his newest project, and the experimentation in between. The set list was no crowd pleaser – it was handpicked by Bugg, the eclectic selection ranging poignantly and showcasing that intrinsic talent which remains original to the Nottingham artist.

Of the opening tracks, unearthed and rarely heard country croon ‘Saffron’ was a stand out; why he chose to sing this old and innocent track usually confined to Bugg’s most intimate gigs was a signifier that he is unphased by the decline in popularity his third album thrust upon him, and sticking to his roots is where he will remain for the foreseeable future.

His captivating skills on the strings was understated and fascinating, through songs like ‘Broken’ and ‘Strange Creatures’ he magicked his way through the tangle of notes and riffs effortlessly. When he “picked things up a bit” the crowd picked up with him, rocking and rolling through his patchwork of highly-charged, home-grown tunes, which saw him climb out of ‘Trouble Town’ Nottingham and into the American South.

Troubling new tracks ‘Hearts That Strain’ and ‘In The Event Of My Demise’ starkly reminded that it’s not all chiming chords and easy lyricism for Jake; disturbingly dark elements of his set paralleled the twists of his career and his closet’s skeletons.

Glen Campbell cover ‘Wichita Lineman’ proved unpopular but captivating, as he fluidly ‘Bugged’ his own version of the 60s country tune, playing not for the people, but for himself, a favourite song which translated into awe and admiration for his courage and originality.

Bugg may have been alone on stage, but he was never lonely, clearly in his comfort zone solitary and dream-like, unashamed of his career lows, and exposing the multifaceted talent that we fell in love with when ‘Two Fingers’ came on our radio for the first time.

9/10

Photo: Batiste Safont @ Wikimedia Commons

Games 14

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

James Gill Contributor Early this month Microsoft released the Xbox One X, touted as the most powerful console ever made. Regardless of this new iteration’s sales though it is extremely unlikely that the gap between itself and Sony’s Playstation 4 will close. As of 30th September Sony had sold 64.9 million PS4 units, 33.7 million more than the Xbox One. So what is Microsoft’s plan to compete?

Xbox Chief Phil Spencer said in an interview recently that they plan to create many more games in-house and, to get the ball rolling, investment has been increased massively. This money will go towards opening up brand new studios or acquiring established ones.

The statement comes after several years of poor performance in regards to the quality and quantity of first-party titles, including multiple cancelled games. In that time, and rather ironically contrasted with Spencer’s comments, several studios have been shut down including Press Play and Lionhead, the latter famous for making the Fable series of games which I feel could have been an enticing Xbox One exclusive.

For the original Xbox and Xbox 360, some of the most acclaimed games have been those which they have developed themselves such as the Halo and Gears of War franchises. If you look at the list of all-time best-selling games for the Xbox One, Microsoft have made just two of the top ten, and one was Minecraft whose published they acquired so the merit for that belongs elsewhere.

With fewer owners of their console it is essential that they milk every last pound, euro and dollar out of the owner and having a diverse array of first-party titles is a great way to do that. The software tie-ratio, that is, the number of games owned per console purchased, for the Xbox One is 6.55. So if Microsoft can achieve just one of those 6.55 games it will equate to an astonishing 31.25 million unit sales.

They might be looking to follow the success of Nintendo with their latest console the Switch, released in March and praised for being both a handheld and a home console. Not only has every Switch game that has sold over a million units been developed by Nintendo, but they have been some of the most critically successful of the year.

According to review aggregator site Metacritic the two highest rated games of the year are both Switch games, and both made inhouse, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. Odyssey is an especially interesting case study, selling over two million units after just three days.

Spencer acknowledged the companies inconsistent feelings to game development, ‘Our ability to go create content has to be one of our strengths. We haven’t always invested at the same level.

We’ve gone through ups and downs.’

This hints at a possible shift in the way Microsoft establishes the parameters of success, potentially going as far as conceding the sales war to Sony. The emphasis is no longer of console units and more on the first party software tie-ratio, microtransactions and subscription services.

There is a fine line for microtransactions between wining and dining the customer for their money and dragging them into a dark alleyway and beating it out of them as EA knows only too well.

The backlash against their latest release, Star Wars Battlefront II, a desecration of my personal favourite game of all time, has been so swift and with had such righteous fury that Disney CEO Bob Iger called EA up personally to address the issues.

In order to unlock certain items in the game you have to earn enough points through gameplay or, for those with a little extra cash in their back pocket, you can pay to unlock them immediately.

Seems like a reasonable way to conduct business right? Wrong.

To fully unlock every item in the game, which you already pay £50 for anyway, you’d have to fork out £1600 pounds. Should you instead want the satisfaction of completely unlocking everything through gameplay it would take you 188 days. 188 days of constant playtime. Microsoft will surely take notice of this and make sure that they don’t make the same mistake.

You may be disappointed to know that Spencer hinted towards a focus on multiplayer titles, ones that they can implement these microtransactions in. An example is Rare’s Sea of Theives, an Xbox One and Windows exclusive set for release in 2018 which sees players take on the roles of pirates aboard their own ships, fighting others and plundering treasure.

These types of games offer a higher potential revenue per customer for Microsoft and they can also add small features behind paywalls that won’t cause the same backlash as EA but will add a secondary low cost revenue stream. Fans of immersive single player experiences such as The Witcher, Fallout and the PS4 exclusive Uncharted franchise will find themselves waiting a very long time for a similar Xbox exclusive game.

The extended and costly development means that it just isn’t a financially sensible idea. Add to that the lack of secondary income streams unless you develop another side campaign which itself would be expensive and you can understand why Microsoft’s stance on single player titles is firmly against.

This is sadly the direction that the gaming industry has been heading for a long time and it’s because of the change in how the majority of us play games. Phone apps have been dominated by micro transactions for years and now the console companies are doing the same, with the exception of the mostly micro transaction free Nintendo Switch.

There doesn’t seem to be change on the horizon either.

Microsoft have recognised the potential to squeeze revenue out of the consumer and the opportunity has them frothing at the mouth. Don’t be fooled, although Spencer promises an increased selection of first-party titles, the depth of content will be undoubtedly be shallow with a wide selection of features locked away behind a paywall. They will just have learned from EA to make it more discrete.

Feature

Is Star Citizen the biggest game ever?

The 100% crowd-funded project that is shooting for the stars

DannyJones Reporter When I first heard the name Star Citizen, I quite foolishly assumed that this was yet another space-bound MMO, like EVE: Online or Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. I have never been so astronomically wrong.

This game isn’t just massive — it’s positively gargantuan, and it’s not even finished yet…

For those of you completely out in the vacuum of space, Star Citizen is an ongoing PC project headed up by Chris Roberts, the man behind Wing Commander series: a 90s space-flight simulator with dog-fighting gameplay. Nearly 20 years later, Roberts embarked on the pioneering mission that is Star Citizen, with a nigh-on impossible objective: “I don’t want to build a game. I want to build a universe.”

The premise of the game is two-fold: on the one hand there is the single-player campaign, entitled Squadron 42, which will consist of both flight-simulation mechanics as well as a boots on the ground, first/third-person shooter experience. On the other hand, the star of the show is what is being dubbed the “Persistent Universe”; this is comprised not only of the massive multiplayer format but upon completion is designed to be the biggest game map ever.

Not only do the current builds feature several planets for the player to visit, all of which are designed to match a true planetary scale—we’re talking vast expanses, towns and cities, all with fleshed out interiors — but the ultimate goal is to create a virtual solar system for players to disappear into for

weeks on end.

The sheer gravity of this project is mindblowing and the approach itself is worthy of note too. This game’s production is very much like the construction of a spacecraft itself, in that it is being described as “modular”, meaning that sections and versions of the game can be purchased as and when available.

Roberts Space Industries is the umbrella that envelopes both Cloud Imperium Games — situated in Manchester of all places — and Foundry 42 (Frankfurt). It is this team of developers that are making video game history and they’re taking you along for the ride.

I’m sure you’ve heard of Kickstarter and other crowd-funding sites. They are platforms for creative people to finance their projects through funds generated by the fans and for the fans. Star Citizen has taken this to the next level.

Whilst most top off their own money with that made through crowd-sourcing, Roberts’ vision for Star Citizen was to develop a game entirely from the donations made by fans and respected peers within the industry who understood what this game was all about.

The fans.

As of 2011 (the official start date for production), the project has been 100 per cent crowd-funded. The team initially expected to raise around $4 million. This has become merely a drop in the pond, with the current estimation of total funds raised

clocking in at a stellar $150 million – give a take a million or so…

So, what does $150 million in funds get you then? Well, nothing finished as of yet; in fact, as of right now there is no official release date. This has become a bit of a running joke amongst the gaming community but has also lead to a great deal of backlash amongst those who donated their hard-earned cash for a game that was supposed to be here three years ago.

In truth, it has come to the point that there is little use for a release date, as the original projection was 2014 and it is still no clearer when the game will be actually finished.

Though there are rumours that the target is now late 2018, the issue is that so much money has now been pumped into the game that the community, as well as Roberts himself, feel that there is the capability to push this further: “If I can build a bigger and more robust experience, I will.” (NY Times).

It is not just that this game promises to be the biggest game ever, as we’ve been done dirty by that phrase before (No Man’s Sky), but more so that the level of time and effort being put into the project is backing that statement up. Furthermore, this game is huge in significance purely because of the showcase it has given for crowd-sourcing, with the scrutiny being part and parcel of it too – it almost has to the biggest game ever now.

Review

Star Wars: Battlefront II

Jeremy Bijl Games Editor Star Wars: Battlefront II released last week amongst a level of scrutiny, controversy and criticism unseen in the games industry since as long as I can remember. In an almost Star Wars-esque battle that raged across the internet, the consumer rebellion emerged victorious against the EAmpire - for now, at least.

Unfortunately, the game itself is far less interesting than the debate around it. Whilst Battlefront II provides a significant amount more content than its predecessor, it stands as living proof to me that quantity does not equate to quality.

The campaign was arguably the biggest single addition to Battlefront II, and featured an intriguing premise, putting you in the shoes of an elite group of stormtroopers called the Inferno Squad.

The narrative of the campaign is actually a fairly good one, and had Battlefront II blended the good vs. evil battle into the gameplay, it would have been an effective and emotive -albeit short - tale of redemption and corruption that dealt with the issue of humanising that which lies beneath the otherwise anonymous mask of the stormtrooper.

However, the narrative elements of the campaign sit alongside the first-person shooter elements in a way so much lacking in subtlety that the game becomes contradictory.

At one juncture in the story, for example, Iden and Meeko, two of the game’s main protagonists, become disillusioned with the empire after it refuses to protect the citizens of one its planets, instead choosing to save only high ranking officials.

The righteous indignation of the pair, though, is almost made a mockery of by the gameplay that follows. In escaping the clutches of the evil empire, you (the player) are made to shoot your way out by means of killing literally hundreds of stormtroopers whilst using an AT-AT to plough your way through the streets of the city.

Photo: EA

Elsewhere, Luke Skywalker’s introductory mission sees him kill his way through an army of stormtroopers, as well as insects

5/10

8.5/10

who are angry at the colonisation of their planet. The light side of the force, in Battlefront II, clock up a kill count alarmingly higher than the darkside, obscuring the good vs. evil theme to the extent that the immersiveness of the story was severely compromised. Yoda once said, “a Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defence... never for attack.” Battlefront II sees you do the complete opposite.

Photo: EA

The missions were also quite repetitive and ‘gamey’ for lack of a better word.

We’ve all completed that mission before where you have to defend an objective for on onslaught of attacker, and this was a recurrent trope in the campaign.

The way gameplay was structured in the missions felt formulaic and contrived, and this added to the overall disappointingly bland feel of it.

If it looks like Star Wars and sounds like Star Wars , then it’s probably Star Wars , right? I’ll grant EA this: the score, visuals and sound effects are outstanding. But in the absence of the depth, personality, and heart of Star Wars, the beautifully crafted scenery felt like a cheap and lifeless imitation.

The game’s other major mode, multiplayer, might generally be seen as the main appeal of the game, and provides a wide variety of different game modes which a far larger range of maps than the first game.

The maps, however, are far from perfect. They can generally be divided into two subgroups: planets and star-bases. The planet-based maps are by far the strongest of the two, presenting sprawling, varied and wellstructured maps that present plenty of environmental advantages and ways to approach the objective.

The other subgroup, star-base maps, are much, much weaker. The luminescent white and polished marble look that constituted the inside of the death star is striking at first, but becomes extremely problematic for map design.

For one thing, it makes the maps frustratingly disorientating, but, more crucially, makes one map artistically indistinguishable from the next. This made playing through different maps feel remarkably monotonous, almost negating the enhanced scope that EA were so proud of announcing in their demo.

A more severe problem, however, arose due to the corridor based structure of starbase maps. On the one hand, Battlefront II’s maps were sprawling, but the combat became squeezed into impractically tight choke-points which resulted in the objective being largely ignored for trench warfare.

The main criticism that EA were given for their online mode was the presence of star cards, which were rightly protested as they were a pay-to-win mechanic in a lootbox available primarily through microtransactions.

However, the star cards were surprisingly unobtrusive.

Despite building the whole game around them, EA’s integration of them is simultaneously clandestine and obnoxious. They can hardly be avoided; they are the first thing that greets you when you open the game, and the thing you see every time you die. At the same time, they are tucked away in submenus, residing in apologetic recesses where their presence is felt rather than seen.

Granted, this may have been a lastminute manoeuvre from EA, but in doing this they lay bare just how basic the progression system is underneath the star cards. Getting better guns is based purely on the amount of kills you get. Levelling up seems to have no consequence outside of star cards.

Everything is built around them, and, with their presence limited in the game, it’s clear how empty the rest of the online mode is.

I’ll always remember Battlefront II as the game that went too far and finally brought loot boxes and microtransactions into mainstream debate. It is the game of which the aftermath resulted in Belgium and Hawaii’s governments starting to look into the gambling mechanics of loot boxes and how they can potentially exploit children.

I’ll always remember that, but the game itself is a thoroughly forgettable experience whose lasting legacy will be the battles fought outside it rather than within it - and rightly so.

16

Fashion & Beauty

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Fashion & Beauty 17

ISSUE 10/ 27th NOVEMBER2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

The Mancunion meets Mark Hill Fashion and Beauty Editor Talia Lee-Skudder sits down with celebrity hairdresser Mark Hill to talk about his hair top tips and the inspirations behind his bestselling brand

CRAIG GREEN X MONCLER

Ella Searle reviews the latest capsule collaboration between Craig Green and Moncler This season, French-Italian brand Moncler adds another force to its growing list of cutting-edge collaborations. British Menswear designer of the year, Craig Green, joins Moncler to create a capsule collection incorporating both his own avant-garde explorations of masculine silhouette, with the skiwear giant’s classic models of luxury outerwear.

Moncler have previously collaborated with brands such as Off-White and Visim to create Moncler ‘O’ and ‘V’. Furthermore, Moncler ventures onto the runway each season with its exclusive line, Gamme Bleu, curated by esteemed menswear designer Thom Browne. Although it may first appear an unusual pairing, Moncler and Green’s alliance makes perfect sense. Both brands consistently explore the role of the modern man and the role of functionality within their product, as boasted by Green’s repeated incorporation of the utilitarian worker jacket. Yet Green’s unorthodox, daring aesthetic may at first seem worlds apart from the affluent ski brand that is favoured by footballers and grime MCs alike.

Craig Green’s label shot to fame with his first showcase as part of MAN, the Fashion East/Topman collective, which established him as a designer who could command widespread conversation. Green sent models down the runway wearing headpieces constructed from planks of wood. This went viral and soon the jokes began, even Jonathan Ross had something to say on its absurdity. Although Green’s success has thrived upon the basis of his daring avantgarde style, his pieces still are fundamentally routed

within wearable modes, as recognised by Dylan Jones, editor in chief of GQ who praises ‘You can look at his clothes and think, yes, they’re cutting edge, but also yes, I could wear that.’ Workwear remains consistently at the centre of Green’s collections, offering an abstract, deeply emotive narrative about masculinity, where season upon season Green continues to develop his distinctive techniques such as wooden constructs and rope, that underpin the brand’s darker aesthetic. His collection with Moncler is no different: the overblown classic outwear pieces incorporate consistent elements of his namesake label such as the as macro-tag bands and raw rope which can be used to tighten and shape the silhouette of certain pieces, to bring a twist to seemingly pragmatic outerwear.

Becoming central to worldwide discussion, both in streetwear and catwalk outlets after being worn

by Skepta, the collection has been highly regarded by critics. The discussion around the billion-dollar brand’s collaboration with Craig Green has help Moncler jump 11 places in the Business of Fashion Lyst Index of the world’s hottest luxury brands along side the likes of Balenciaga and Gucci. The commercial and critical approval of this collaboration can be seen to show how Craig Green configures with popular trends whilst he simultaneously works to transcend the boundaries of contemporary menswear. Despite asserting his brand as a central and highly popular force within the British fashion landscape, he never ceases to maintain his ever-elusive edge.

Photo: skeptagram@instagram

Christopher Bailey leaves Burberry Maddie Rodbert discusses what the future holds for Burberry post Bailey

Photo: Mark Hill

After stepping into the business at just 15 years old, Mark Hill is now twice-British Hairdresser of the Year and the only UK hairdresser to have ever won International Hairdresser of the Year for two consecutive years.

Despite being one of the biggest names in the industry and hair stylist to the stars, Mark has never been drawn in by the allure of the big smoke, but rather stayed true to his roots and his business is still based in Yorkshire to this day.

His story proves that, with dedication and passion, you can achieve your dreams wherever you are.

Using his stellar celebrity stylist reputation as a springboard, Mark went on to create his own line of hair cosmetics, which you have probably seen on the shelves at Boots. His range includes heated Velcro rollers and curling tongs – for which you can purchase a range of different barrels to change up your style - amazing hair treatments and the must-have Wonderball brush.

The brand prides itself on providing every product you need to replicate Mark’s achievable and wearable everyday look, whilst still being sexy and glamorous. Mark believes that all women should be able to create fabulous, full hair, even at home.

Mark talks business and reveals his top tips for maintaining healthy hair and for achieving that salon styled look every day.

back on.

What are your top hair tips?

Keep your hair in great condition and get a great cut! If your hair is in bad condition, no matter what you do it will look dry, dull and lifeless.

Always condition every time you shampoo and treat your hair to an intensive treatment on a regular basis.

When it comes to cutting, everyone remembers a great style just as much as a bad one. Make sure you take pictures to show your hairdresser and show them what you like and what you don’t like.

By talking about how you manage your hair at home, looking at hair texture and thickness, your stylist should advise you on the best style for you. Once you’ve got a great cut, styling is easy!

You have so many amazing products but which are your favourite and why?

There are a couple you’ll always find in my kit bag. The first is Styling Heat Protection Spray. Not only does it protect from heated appliances up to 235°C, it also adds a great hold to make your style last longer. The second is 10-1 Wonderspray – it does so much! Pump action, you can add volume as you blow dry, add texture to shorter hair, over rollers when time is short, use as a spray to finish your style, the possibilities are endless! With just these 2 products, I can do more or less any style on any length of hair.

You’ve been a major figure in the industry for years now, how did you initially get into hairdressing?

I’d never thought about a career in hairdressing but when I was 15 I went out with an older girl who worked in a local salon. They were looking for help on a Saturday so I went in and never looked back!

For the girl in a hurry, what are your quick fix hair tips to take you from drab to fab?

Every girl needs rollers! Heated or Velcro, just pop them into your crown area and spray with 10-1 Wonderspray for instant Va va Voom!

Also, why not try flipping your parting from one side to another – just a simple change can dramatically change your style.a

What inspires you?

So many things! Everything from fashion, celeb culture, art, architecture and nature! Inspiration hits when you least expect it so I always carry around a notebook for sketches or scribbles. I also take hundreds of photos with my phone so I always have something to look

Who is your ultimate hair and beauty icon?

I don’t think I could pick just one. I love to see women who aren’t afraid to take a few risks or change their look. I think that every generation has their role models, from Bridget Bardot and Madonna to Katy Perry and Kendall Jenner.

What are your hair essentials?

Because I travel all round the world styling, I have to make sure my kit bag everything I could ever possibly need! If I had to cut this down to pure essentials, then it would be comb and scissors, a couple of radial brushes, hairdryer, straightener, tong/wand, and a few products. If I had to tell someone what they should never forget at home I would probably say sectioning clips – if you style using clean neat sections, your style will last much longer.

You’ve had so much success but what would you say is the proudest moment of your career?

Probably winning the title of British Hairdresser of the Year for the first time. All of my family, friends and colleagues were with me so to share it with them was very special.

Do you have any tips for budding entrepreneurs? What does it take to become the next Mark Hill?

Believe in what you do and never stop learning and improving. I am still passionate about what I do and I’m never too proud to ask about new techniques. I think if you stop learning you stagnate and the passion disappears.

Finally, what’s next for your brand?

The brand is still growing and I am so proud of everything we have achieved. We have some very exciting plans for even more growth next year which will involve a lot more travel for me and my team. We’ve also been talking about some amazing collaborations which I’m really looking forward to. Watch out on the Mark Hill web site for more info!

Mark Hill products are now available to purchase online at misspap. co.uk and markhill.co.uk. A Mark Hill delivery straight to your door!

What more could you want?

If you’re in desperate need of hairspiration, then the team at Mark Hill have got you covered. Head over to the website where you can find hair tutorials to suit all of your hair desires.

WRITE FOR US Email: fashion@mancunion.com

Meeting time: Tuesdays 5.15pm Meeting place: MMG Room, Basement of Students’ Union

Photo: 47741487@N06 @ Flickr

It was announced in October that Christopher Bailey, creative director at Burberry, is going step down after 17 years in his position. Bailey has been a pioneer of the brands progress, from losing face in the early 2000’s to its’ status today as the pinnacle of British design. The brand is known best for not only the classic trench-coat, but also for its adoption by the working class as a label in the 2001-2003 period. When Bailey took over the brand alongside Angela Ahrendts (appointed in 2006), they pulled the brand up and turned it back into a credible, world-wide, luxury brand. Between 2010 and 2011, the duo had a 27% increase in revenue from the previous year; twice the growth rate of LVMH that same year. As the only globally recognized British luxury brand at the same level of recognition as brands like Chanel and Dior, there are some big boots to fill before Christopher Bailey officially steps down on March 31st next year.

There is much speculation over who is going to fill these boots, especially over who could fill those boots, especially as Bailey accomplished such a significant amount in the seventeen years he spent

working at Burberry.

The Business of Fashion names Phoebe Philo as the most likely candidate due to her work at Céline and her close working relationship with Marco Gobbetti, the brands CEO. This has been predicted by expert analysts, and many other media sources have pointed fingers at Philo as the possible replacement at the helm of the iconic brand. Despite the faith so many have in Philo, Rogerio Fujimori, analyst at RBC markets, told the Guardian that he hopes that the brand will not suffer a net loss from this shift in leadership, as he believes it to be a negative change that could reduce the brands “mojo”.

On the other hand, Charlotte Pearce, retail analyst at Global Data, has hopes for the brand if they can find someone who can work “with respect for the brand’s British heritage but who is able to further evolve the label creatively and bring it into a new era,” she said to the Guardian. It is yet to be decided what will happen to Burberry now both of the power duo have stepped away from it (Ahrendts moved to Apple in 2014).

Hopefully they can manage to keep up Burberry’s inherent British-ness as it moves into a new era.

A new wardrobe for your skin

Kitty Mitchell Turner reveals her tips for fabulous, glowing skin all year round Winter is a great time of year, but the cold, harsh weather undeniably wreaks havoc on skin. So alongside buying a new winter wardrobe to keep you snug this year, why not consider giving your skin a new wardrobe too…

sure to apply a hearty layer of moisturiser afterwards, to avoid aggravating your skin further. Exfoliating your body is also crucial at this time of year, although far less skin is on show, unexposed skin can get flaky and scaly, so using a nice sugar scrub (like Soap and Glory’s Flake Away) will ensure you are silky smooth all over.

Tinted moisturiser: If your skin is quite sensitive, sometimes wearing foundation can accentuate dry patches and areas of sensitivity. Instead, opt for a tinted moisturiser you can wear this on its own or even mix it with your usual moisturiser. BB and CC creams also play a similar role, so it is a case of finding what is best for your skin type. Another benefit of tinted moisturisers is that they usually contain an SPF of at least 15 or above.

Fake tan: Tan always makes everything look better, and hiding in the library writing essays isn’t the best way to get a healthy glow… so get it out of a bottle instead! I love St Moritz fake tan as it works well on all skin tones and is so budget friendly, plus it’s sold in Fallowfield Sainsbury’s when crisis strikes.

Sun cream: It is so important that you make sure you wear a moisturiser with an SPF of at least 15 every day. I personally always wear factor 50, as I am particularly fair. Whilst it is easy to forget the importance of an SPF moisturiser when it isn’t burning hot outside, winter sun is still very strong and can exacerbate any sensitivity you may already be experiencing.

Lip Balm: So important! Nothing ruins a nice matte lipstick like chapped and cracked lips.

Investing in a good, hydrating lip balm can really make a difference. The general rule of thumb is if the balm is in a tub or tin rather than a stick, it will be thicker and therefore more moisturising. Spending a little more on lip balm will really make a difference and it will last you all through the year. My favourite is Lush’s ‘Honey Trap’.

Exfoliator: While exfoliating is important all year round, it is most definitely something to be wary of during winter months. Cold weather and harsh winds can leave your skin red, raw and dry and the last thing you want to do is combat this with a harsh scrub.

Invest in a gentle chemical exfoliator which is far gentler on the skin, and always make

Most importantly, make sure to hydrate from the inside out with lots of water, and remember to use your moisturiser, especially a nice thick night cream to rehydrate and plump your skin while you snooze.

Film

18

Film 19

ISSUE 10 29h November 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ISSUE 10 29th November 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review

Review

Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool

Justice League

Photo:HomeMcr

Justice League is a slap round the face to DC fans Tom Hunter Film Contributor The DC Extended Universe is a mess. However, if you’re an optimist, or DC sympathiser like myself, it’s a hot mess: 50 per cent hot, 50 per cent mess. I liked Man of Steel, I liked Wonder Woman, and half of Batman v Superman. Suicide Squad had some excellent solo performances by Margot Robbie and Will Smith, but is widely (and rightly) recognised as an editing nightmare with a Swiss Cheese plot. Thus, DC’s record wasn’t great, but it wasn’t disastrous, and a glimmer of hope remained.

Justice League snuffs that glimmer out.

If you ever thought that lessons would be learned, or that maybe it was all a horrible dream and Christopher Nolan is still making Batman films to this day, you’re a naïve fool. Justice League is a slap round the face to DC fans the world over and as good a reason as any to stop the Extended Universe in its tracks and forget it ever existed in the first place.

However, before we get too carried away with the film’s many, many (God, there’s so many) faults, let’s look for the redeeming factors because, trust me, they do exist.

Newcomer Ray Fisher puts in a relatively compelling performance as Cyborg, and Ezra Miller as the Flash seems genuinely

Photo: Allocine

happy to be on screen, even if all his lines are a terribly unfunny attempt at levity…

Oh! If you sit through the credits, there’s also a half-decent teaser for a future film that you might want to see. There, I think that’s it. See? I told you they existed. Let’s move on to the sheer mountains of s*** that constitute the rest of this movie.

For me, Justice League’s greatest crime is ruining Batman, and ruining the Batfleck.

Ben Affleck was the single greatest feature of Batman v Superman, giving us an excellent portrayal of an ageing, grizzly Caped Crusader, battered and bruised after 20 years of crime-fighting in Gotham City. The warehouse scene in BvS is better than any fight Nolan could envisage. It’s savage, it’s violent, it’s graphic and ultimately cements Affleck’s Bruce Wayne as the best yet — a veritable diamond in the rough.

In Justice League, not a single scene goes by in which Batman isn’t either getting battered and bruised, relying entirely on his technology, or (in a criminal turn of events) just totally absent from the fight. For me, to see such a beloved character fall so far was genuinely heart breaking. My only hope is that Affleck gets his own, standalone outing before hanging up the cape. Fingers

crossed.

As with any ‘save the world’ narrative, there needs to be someone to save the world from. Enter the biggest baddie you’ve never heard of, Steppenwolf. He’s a grunting CGI monstrosity that’s equal parts boring and ugly. Seriously, the entire film’s special effects leave a lot to be desired, but Steppenwolf takes the horrible, stony-faced biscuit. He’s looking for the three cubes of power and you know that if he gets them, s***’s going to hit the fan.

Except it doesn’t. For all the promises of global destruction, Steppenwolf’s master plan results in a small Russian village needing some mild refurbishment. And thank god for that, because after watching the League for 90 minutes, you don’t get the sense they could have handled anything larger. Let’s work out why.

Is it because The Flash is a bumbling fool who barely has control of his own powers and needs to be told what to do in any given situation? Maybe. Is it because Aquaman spends half the film far, far away from the sea and so is limited to jumping high and spewing surfer one-liners like “I dig it” and “My man”? Perhaps.

Or it could be the fact that all of them, bar-

ring Wonder Woman, are useless together and spend the entire film waiting for Henry Cavill to remember he’s Superman and do their job for them. Yeah, we’ll go with that. It’s like that boss in a video game that repeatedly defeats you, before you come back later in the game with a better character and wonder why this guy was ever a threat in the first place. The film spends all its time waiting for Superman, without realising that, as soon as he arrives, any stakes or excitement are rendered null and void.

The man can kill anything, even a plot.

My relationship with DC films had always been a sort of Stockholm Syndrome: they held me hostage with my devotion to the franchise. I’d be there rain or shine, forking out cash for a ticket, happy to take the gamble between expected disappointment and moderate satisfaction. I never expected great things from Justice League and with the bar set so low, I thought the only way was up. How wrong I was.

1/5

Review

Director Paul McGuilian measures the balance between the serious, the comedic, and the emotional in this tender love story defying stigma and taboo Isobel Trott Film Critic Gloria Grahame, star of the screen and icon of 1950s Film noir, is no longer the femme fatale in this endearing love story about her final years and her relationship with a young actor from Liverpool.

Gloria is portrayed by Annette Benning, who shines. The sensual and sensitive actress, who although hasn’t quite stepped away from the dramatic performances of her heyday, shows a delicate and frail side here. Peter Turner, played with a heartfelt subtlety by the lovely Jamie Bell, is the young aspiring actor who falls for Grahame.

Director Paul McGuilian measures a balance between the serious, the comedic, and the emotional, all the while working well from Matt Greenhalgh’s adaptation of Peter Turner’s memoir about Grahame’s final years suffering from breast cancer.

The film opens backstage: the Hollywood icon is getting ready in a dressing room, decorating herself in her Kitsch

Félicité

Willem Dafoe stars in a charming drama from Tangerine director Sean Baker

Everyone’s favourite duffle-coated-bear returns for the second time on the big screen, alongside a star-studded cast

Lucas Hill-Paul Film critic grimy sense of realism throughout.

Baker’s camera is as playful and inquisitive as the children. The setting a visually scrumptious afterthought, the focus here is tracking shots, behind or aligned with the characters at all times to pry into their lives. Even stationary landscape shots are usually punctuated with the silhouette in the fore or middle ground, constructing the forced intimacy that arrives with conditions this romantically squalid.

Framed like a fantasy film, a Carroll-esque exploration of sound, food, colours and people, a frequently absent narrative follows a dream of poverty, never straying away from the harsh reality but admitting the layabout easiness of a school holiday for disadvantaged kids.

Food here is especially crucial as both a currency and agent. Food is shared, stolen or given away as visual shorthand for poverty, but also devoured in heaps, greasy polystyrene trays and melting ice cream cones to make connections, and destroyed to break them. A solitary ice cream for three becomes a throughline symbol for a developing friendship quickly, and takes on new meaning when Moonee’s equally abrasive mother, Hayley, shares pizza with her daughter, or a soda. Luxury is scarce in the shadow of the happiest place on Earth.

The editing remains steadfastly deliber-

3/5

Review

The Florida Project

Following the stir caused by Sean Baker’s chaotically impressive, iPhone-shot Tangerine, a follow-up was hotly anticipated and solidifies the young talent as a figure to watch with The Florida Project.

Following a group of kids living in real life resorts just outside of Disney World, Florida, Baker’s most ambitious work yet depicts an impoverished world on the geographical precipice of flourishing capitalism. Visual splendour, lethargic pace and blooming, lazy lens flares cement The Florida Project amongst the ranks of Call Me By Your Name and American Honey; films that should have been released in the summer but didn’t in fear of being overshadowed by superhero movies.

Led by enigmatic, loudmouthed Moonee (Brooklyn Prince), the young children exhibit a paradoxical freedom granted to them by the remote poverty and cramped residency of the film’s setting. Impressively natural and winning, their improvisational performances allow them to spit at cars, beg for money, harass residents and cause charming mayhem and unwitting chaos.

Though Willem Dafoe may stick out like a sore thumb amongst a cast of real residents and fresh faces (small performances from Caleb Landry Jones and Macon Blair aside), the adult performances, too, never stray into the theatrical and maintain a

makeup set, a glossy filter tints our fuzzy vision, as we get glimpses of Benning’s Grahame before she seemingly splutters and collapses on her dressing room floor.

It is the 1970s. Peter is in Liverpool and receives a phone call telling him that a certain Miss Grahame has become very ill. It is clear that these two have a relationship which had become strained at this point, but Gloria’s apparently sudden turn brings them back together as she expresses her wish for Peter and his family to care for her until she is better.

Frequent flashbacks give a picture of the past. Peter and Gloria live and meet in an apartment block, and while Gloria’s invitation to Peter to come to her flat in the middle of day to fix him a drink and dance some disco is clearly an act of seduction, there is a heartfelt innocence to the scene. One cannot help but feel it was a wonderful excuse to let Bell tap into his Billy Elliot as the pair sweat out some funky moves.

For Billy Elliot fans it will be a delight to see Julie Walters and Jamie Bell back on screen together as Mother and Son. Walters and Kenneth Cranham play Peter’s parents, and

reliably set up the cosy family household in Liverpool in which Gloria insists on spending her time recovering.

The mundane English household is something of a contrast to the ferocious black and white image of Gloria on the silver screen. But it is as though this Hollywood goddess and force of nature, has penetrated this everyday Liverpudlian lifestyle almost naturally — the star of the screen might seem a million miles away, but the mystery of Graham remains intact even when she is at her frailest in the film.

At times, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool feels like a quiet homage to not only the classic Hollywood era, but some staple popular films since then, such as Spielberg’s Alien, which Gloria and Peter watch with passionate innocence.

But the film also recognises the changing nature of the big screen, and the sometimes unstable relationships that exist within Hollywood. It speaks to a love of film and innocence to the dazzle of the screen.

Film Stars Don’t Die has an ambitious structure, ultimately following Gloria and Peter in their current state, and telling the story of their relationship. These different periods of time are alternated throughout the film. The time frames often shift through the use of one fluid camera move without cutting, blurring our sense of time so that each scene this happens it seems continuous.

Rather than muddle our sense of time, this works well to give the film its sense of stage, emotion, and personal narrative. These temporal shifts, given from Peter’s perspective ultimately work well and emphasise his genuine loving feelings for the sassy screen queen — which is at the rather believable heart of the film.

The stubbornness and drama of a leading lady is within Gloria till the end. Her refusal to get treatment, see a doctor, or tell her family, including her son who is about Peter’s age, is met by Peters frustration in having his Hollywood ex-girlfriend to stay at his family home.

But love prevails, and Gloria’s dream to someday play Shakespeare’s Juliet on stage, is granted by Peter. In a sad and sweet scene, he arranges for the pair to read out the play at his local theatre. This is a sweet film and will challenge any assumptions and taboos you may feel about an older woman having a romantic relationship with a younger dashing man.

What could have been a cringe-worthy on screen romance between a young man and a glamorous older women, which may have provoked some rather awkward laughter, is actually a tender love story defying age stigmas and cultural borders. An entertaining retelling, with some shining performances.

Photo:HomeMcr

ate, despite the plot feeling, at some points, bare. Dramatic moments are invariably punctuated by hard cuts to an irrelevant scene of short vignette to tantalisingly and gradually build tension, each scene still holding the gravity of a potentially seedy underbelly. It really shows that Baker edited his own film, a different party maybe being misled by the idleness of the narrative.

Willem Dafoe’s manager, Bobby, reveals a patch of this underbelly when he chases an old man being a little too friendly with the resident kids of his property in one of the film’s best and more stirring sequences.

Standing out as the only big name, Dafoe lends his skills as a known character actor to his benefit as the reluctant overseer and paternal figure to many of the guests.

Bobby matches the intense rage and scrap manifested in the downtrodden resident with an intensity of his own, many of the film’s more dramatic moments and sincere human connections beginning with a knock on the door from the manager.

Those not familiar with Baker may be put off by the last shots of the film, a shift in perspective and camera that certainly jarred with many of the audience in my screening. A necessary migration from the dreary outskirts into the warm embrace of the park itself, the filmmakers shot this on an iPhone guerrilla style, without permission from Disney to create a more tactile escape into the real world that’s still blinded by fantasy.

Whereas Tangerine’s smartphone cinematography grounds the film in objectivity, Florida Project’s short, renegade camera moment is accompanied by the only instance of orchestral score to transcend the boundaries of poverty cinema into fantastical realism; a desolate landscape tempted by the looming castle of Disney, only reached, temporarily in the closing seconds.

4.5/5

Photo: Allocine

Esmee Samsworth Film Critic Félicité was one of the most talked about and highly rated films at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. It has already won numerous awards on the festival circuit and is the first Senegalese film to have been submitted for Best Foreign Language film at the Academy Awards.

If you’re not a fan of foreign language films, then maybe Félicité isn’t for you, but honestly, the story is so compelling, the acting so immersive, and the cinematography so gorgeous: simply put, it’s exceptional.

Set in the rough, and often violent city of Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, it would have been easy for Franco-Senegalese director, Alain Gomis to produce a film imbibed with gritty realism, something that would shock and sadden audiences as we watch the eponymous lead character as she struggles

to save her headstrong teenage son after he’s in a dangerous accident.

Thankfully, Gomis instead focuses on the beauty within Kinshasa, and within Félicité herself: she’s a singer in a downtown city bar, barely managing to make ends meet and is fiercely independent and resourceful, funny and forceful.

The Congolese singer-turned-actress Véro Tshanda Beya who plays her, is utterly captivating in the role. Her talents are perhaps best displayed in the opening scene of the film as she weaves magic with her voice, commanding the attention of both the cinema audience and the rowdy crowd she sings to in the film with perfect skill and grace.

The effect is heady and hypnotic, and sets the rest of the film up brilliantly. Because that is what Gomis relies on with this film; the plot, after all, is barely there,

but the film is steeped in emotion, and in something more abstract — it’s almost as if, through Félicité, Gomis is trying capture the pure essence of Kinshasa.

Where the visuals sometimes let Gomis down in this endeavour, the soundtrack does not. The music in the film fills for dialogue for much of the film. The soundtrack is pure Kinshasa with music ranging from Kinshasa based 25-piece musical collective Kasai Allstars, who create indigenous music with modern influences to the Kinshasa Symphonic Orchestra’s rendition of Avro Pärt.

Indeed, as much as the film focuses on Félicité, Gomis never lets the audience forget that the city is vital, so much so that Kinshasa almost becomes a character in its own right. The head of cinematography, Céline Bozon allows the camera to slip past the main characters at times and instead

focuses on random and inconsequential moments that are never mentioned or analysed. It is in these moments — the brutal beating of a petty thief is a notable one — that the films says the most about the hardships that the Democratic Republic of Congo still faces.

At two and a half hours, Félicité could do with some tightening up as it does drag in some places. On the whole, however, it is a beautifully crafted film, highlighting the magnetic vibrancy of Kinshasa through our Delphian protagonist as she attempts to save her son and herself.

4.5/5

Books

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ISSUE 10/ 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

News

Blackwell’s Book of the Year shortlist

Book store Blackwell’s have revealed the shortlist for their 2017 Book of the year Tia Armstrong Books editor Academic, professional, and specialist bookseller Blackwell’s have announced the shortlist for its Book of the Year 2017.

Every year, Blackwell’s booksellers nominate and then vote for a book of the year from four categories: fiction, non-fiction, children and debut. With short-listed nominations receiving extra promotion in stores and online throughout the Christmas period.

Past winners have included Owen Jones’ The Establishment: And How They Get Away With It, a non-fiction book that set out to expose a powerful network of people pulling the strings in Britain. As well as SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome in which Cambridge professor Mary Beard explores the story of the Ancient Romans and its significance in modern day.

This years nominations have all contributed something unique to the world of books, making it a very close call.

“she no longer wanted to talk to white people about race, unless she absolutely had to” The Minsitry of Utmost Happiness - Arundhati Roy The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is set across various regions in India and has a huge cast of complex characters. Such as an intersex person from Delhi and a doctor on a hunger strike against the government. These many characters allow Roy to explore life in India as well as the various cultural, political and religious issue that many Indians face.

The wide scope of the novel may be difficult for some readers to digest but its justification can be found within the book itself: “How to tell a shattered story? By slowly become everybody. No. By becoming everything.”

The intricacy and detail in Roy’s book is exactly what many readers have loved most about it. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness tells a story that ‘demands and rewards the

Photo: jeanbaptisteparis@Flickr

reader’s concentration.

Arundhati Roy is best known for her novel The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize in 1997 and has been translated into over forty languages since its publication. Her newest book written 20 years later is another great success, and has received an onslaught of critical acclaim. And unsurprisingly a nomination by Blackwell’s booksellers for fiction.

“ How do you tell a shattered story? By becoming everybody.

No. By becoming everything” Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge This years non-fiction contender comes from acclaimed journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge, who is no stranger to award nominations. This daring and insightful novel has been in the running for both the Baille Gifford prize for non-fiction as well as The Books Are My Bag Award.

In 2014 Eddo-Lodge wrote a blog post explaining exactly why she no longer wanted to talk to white people about race, unless she absolutely had to. She told readers about her exhausting experience of constantly being shut down or undermined by people that remained unaffected by structural racism. She said, of the experience: “I cannot continue to emotionally exhaust myself, trying to get this message across”. From then she was motivated her to steer away from such conversations wherever possible. The blog post then went viral ironically leading Eddo-Lodge to write a book furthering a much needed conversation about race and racism in Britain.

Chapters delve into white privilege, which Eddo-Lodge refers to as a ‘an absence of the consequence of race.’ As well as the exclusionary nature of ‘white feminism’ and the impact of the intersectionality of class and race.

While some have been greatly offended by this book, with it being labelled by one Goodreads user as “racist propaganda material.” Many have felt either validated or enlightened by Eddo-Lodge’s work, which has been referred to as “The most important book of 2017” by editor Nikesh Shukla.

Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls - Elena Favelli and Francesca Cavello The children’s nomination reinvents the fairytale, inviting readers to indulge in stories about athletes and activists instead of traditional princesses and fairies.

Initially funded by a kickstarter campaign, Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls is the creation of Elena Favelli and Francesca Cavello, the co-

founders of a children’s media company. They felt compelled to do something about the lack of positive representation for young girls in the media. And thus created this book to help girls “be more confident and set bigger goals.”

The book shares short stories about 100 different powerful and inspirational women and girls from all over the world, told in the style of the classic fairytale. The range of women included is remarkably wide, pirates and politicians are accompanied

Photo: Wikimedia Commons by astronauts and artists. And historical figures like Elizabeth I are mentioned along with contemporary role models like Malala Yousafzai. Not every woman included is as highly revered as others though, and some readers have taken issue with the inclusion of controversial figures like Margaret Tahtcher.

A quote from each woman is included as well as captivating and colourful artwork depicting each of the 100 women, by 60 different female artists. This book is a physical manifestation of girl power that has earned its place on the shortlist.

This Is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor - Adam Kay Blackwell’s nomination for the debut category is a collection of stories by Adam Kay. This emotional book details Kay’s chaotic life as a junior doctor before he became a writer and comedian.

Junior doctors are required to keep a record of operations and things they’ve learned, which is exactly what Kay did. But he also decided to include other humorous as well as heartbreaking events. Although Kay had left medicine, after seeing widespread criticism of junior doctors he decided to give people a glimpse into the world he once belonged to by sharing what he documented.

Kay’s he doesn’t hold back when it comes to revealing just how much physical and emotional strain that doctors are placed under. In addition to his numerous frustrations with the NHS. But the pages of his first novel are also filled with hilarious anecdotes and capture just how caring and selfless those in the medical profession can be.

This bestseller has won the Books are My Bag Non-Fiction and Readers’ Choice Awards, and could possibly be the winner of Blackwell’s Book of the Year as well.

An overall winner will be chosen out of these four brilliant nominees on the 8th of December.

Want to write for Books?

Whether you want to have your say on the latest releases, review a live literature event in Manchester, or just have a rant about writing you don’t particularly enjoy (!)

Mancunion Books is the perfect platform for your work, with an extremely wide online and paper edition readership.

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

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Food & Drink

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ISSUE 10/ 27th November2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review: Fazenda The true embodiment of its provision, ‘a feast of the senses’, a theatrical presentation of fine cuisine.

Fazenda is a truly indulgent space. In keeping with the impressive architecture of Spinningfields, it seeks to provide high culinary sophistication, alluring the stream of businessmen and corporate bodies surrounding it. However, its interactive and carnival-like approach to dining is truly a novelty experience brought from its vibrant Brazilian origins.

Fazenda is sure to excite the senses of any students acutely accustomed to the monotony of meal deals to explore the fantasy of food beyond the variance Sainsbury’s has to offer, into a world of animated food provision and endless variation.

Upon entering Fazenda we were warmly greeted and shown to our table. They explained the menu and kept up the impeccable table service all throughout the duration of our meal. The reception is highly formal whilst also maintaining a level of intimacy in introducing the Brazilian Rodízio style of eating to the enquiring food fanatic.

The cost of the meat inclusion is £31.20 for an all-you-can-eat experience, and there is also a vegetarian, vegan and fish option for £23.60. This menu offers a selection of dishes ranging from blue cheese and pumpkin risotto as well as fish mains of tuna steak with a beautifully creamy Béarnaise sauce. In this regard, Fazenda does its best to cater outside of its meaty Brazilian food concept by incorporating eurocentric food and promoting a high sense of Latino hospitality in doing so.

The buffet table is the chief spectacle of the restaurant, the raised bar offers a wide range of platters ranging from staple olive, breads, cheese, cured meats, and even shellfish as well as the more tailored intricacies of duck tabouleh as well as panado cheese and truffle baby corn, a personal favourite!

Vegetarian diners relying solely on this may be disappointed by

Tough day? Period pains? Bleary Mancunian rain getting you down? Comfort your sorrows and your sweet tooth with this easy microwave mug recipe, ready in just one hot minute.

of a British curry house: worn patterned carpets that can’t have been changed since the opening, give way to a curious mixture of dim lamps and ceiling lights, immaculately laid tables, and a choice of Indian beers.

Where the restaurant parts from your typical tandoori restaurant, however, is in its service, where the commonly friendly, welcoming demeanour of staff are replaced by stony, uncommunicative waiters.

We started with poppadoms and accoutrements: raita mixed with fresh chopped mint, mango chutney, sliced onions and a lime pickle that stimulated a newfound appreciation for Patak’s lumpy, zesty equivalent.

The carnist opposite had a Chicken Dopiaza, which was warm and perfectly reduced, and with which he was mighty pleased.

I tried one of the only “Nepalese” dishes listed on the menu, Paneer Masala, as I was keen to see how it differed from the Indian version.

It was tasty, and the cubes of Indian cheese were properly covered with a dark, cumin, coriander and garam masala based sauce that had heat and flavour in equal measure.

Nothing about it, however, was discernibly Nepalese, or, given that I know little about Nepalese food (oh gosh, food-writing cliché, what would Brian think?), differed from the Indian versions I had enjoyed in the past.

We also ordered a Saag Daal to share, which pleasantly surprised us with its texture, for I find Daals often to be too processed and baby food-like for my taste, and enjoy them with a bit of bite.

We paid our fairly pricey bill, checked out their livestock in the entrance, and left feeling content.

It was neither fish nor fowl, with the bill not extortionate but not cheap either, the decor a mixture of glossy and drab, the food good and the service bad.

Having spent a while paining over what makes an interesting food review, I think that I’d probably add one more aspect to the reviewer checklist: choose interesting places to eat.

5 tbsp Nutella (or equivalent) 1 egg 2 tbsp all purpose Flour Method: 1. Put the Nutella in your mug and microwave on a medium setting for 15 seconds so it’s a little bit runny.

2. Add the egg and whisk the two together.

3. Add the flour a little at the time and mix until you have a smooth and even batter.

4. Microwave on high for around 45 seconds — voila!

Recipe: Steak Sandwich with Burnt Onion Ketchup

We are quickly approaching the festive season and at this time of year all kinds of nuts are traditionally eaten – from pecans to almonds to cashews. However, I propose nuts should be a staple in the diet all year round considering there are so many NUTritious benefits.

Each nut varies in health benefits however overall they are packed with protein, fibre and essential fats. It has been proved that nuts can even aid weight loss! A handful of nuts a day can do the world of good to your precious insides.

Almonds: If your diet is low in dairy products (e.g vegan diets) almonds can provide the essential calcium for strong bones. Almonds are also high in vitamin E which helps the appearance of your skin and hair. I great way to eat almonds is chopped up over porridge or blended into a breakfast smoothie.

Cashews: If you are following a vegetarian diet cashews may be for you. They are rich in minerals like iron and zinc plus they are full of protein. They are also high in magnesium which is thought to improve memory. Cashews are great in Asian dishes.

For example, add to a chicken curry or toast and sprinkle over a stir fry.

Chestnuts: The most festive if all nuts.

Chestnuts are lower in protein that other nuts but they contain useful B vitamins such as B6 and they are full of fibre. Add chestnuts to your buttery sprouts to spruce up your house Christmas dins.

Pecans: Rich in antioxidants which helps prevent plaque that builds up and causes the hardening of arteries. They are also rich in Oleic acid found in olives and avocados.

They are also a good source of vitamin B3 which helps fight tiredness.

Here is a festive recipe using the wonderful pecan: Pecan and Date Squares Ingredients: 125g plain flour 1tsp baking powder Pinch of salt 150g soft dark brown sugar 3 eggs beaten Few drops of vanilla extract 200g chopped pecan nuts 350g chopped pitted dates Method: Preheat the oven to 170c Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl In a larger bowl mix together the sugar and eggs before adding the vanilla extract, flour mixture, pecans and dates Pour mixture into a greased 20x30cm tin Bake for 35 minutes Cool a little and cut up into bite sized squares Go nuts!

Ingredients: · 3tbsp vegetable oil ·

3 onions, peeled and roughly chopped

·

2 fresh bay leaves

Lime — Juice and zest of 1

·

150ml white wine vinegar

Rice Wine Vinegar — 1/2 tbsp

·

1 tbsp Worcester sauce

Method:

· ·

3 garlic cloves crushed or finely chopped 50g dark muscovado sugar

·

1tsp paprika and oregano

·

Salt and pepper

·

1 steak, best quality your budget will allow

·

1 crusty baguette

·

Salad

Slice the hearts as thin as you can, you want them to be the size of a bit of back bacon. Then combine the rest of the ingredients and mix them up in a bowl. Cover the hearts with mix, or marinade, and place in an airtight container.

Leave overnight in the fridge. Fry them for 30–60 seconds a side in a hot pan for the following dinner, or when next heartbroken. Goes well with bread or rice dish, spuds are nice as well.

Method 1.

Begin by making the burnt onion ketchup.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Add about a third of the onions and fry over a high heat until they are beginning to char. Remove from the heat and repeat the process in batches until all the onions are cooked.

“Oh, I’ve got just the thing for that,” she replied.

She reaches into the larder, grabs a jar of thinly sliced ox hearts that had been marinading in vinegar, and fries him a couple up and slips then on to bread. He takes one bite and the tears in his heart begin to mend.

2. Add all the onions back into the pan along with the bay leaves, vinegar, garlic, Worcester sauce, and sugar. Bring this to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer this for approximately 20 minutes or until the onions have begun softening and the consistency has reduced to something like a normal ketchup.

Ingredients: Ox Heart (500g) — If you can’t get to Wakefield I buy my ox hearts from Asda.

Fish Sauce — 4 tbsp

3. Remove this from the heat and add the paprika, oregano, and the seasoning to taste.

Veg oil — 1 splash Garlic — 4 chopped cloves

Editor: Anokhi Shah

Contributor: Sam Pigott

Contributor: Felix Sanders

As a young man, my great-great-grandfather would go down on the river, as fly fishing was a particular fancy of his. I won’t go in to the details but one day he come home with a face like a pug’s ass and his mother says to him, “what’s up?”. He replies, “Mother, shoot me now lest I wake another dawn for my heart has been broke,”

Your brownie should be doughy on top with a gooey centre. Serve while it’s still warm, but don’t burn your tongue on the molten core! This recipe is made especially good when you drizzle on a little cream and add strawberries. For a festive vibe — try adding a little nutmeg with your flour. Bon appetit!

Photo: Millie Nettleton

Broken Ox Hearted This is a recipe for getting over heartbreak. I can take no credit for the original source recipe of this recipe, I have only fiddled about with it.

The recipe belonged to my great-great-grandfather, whose mother used to cook it for him anyhow. He grew up in Wakefield, Yorkshire, not too far from the River Calder. Now it’s been said that the cows, and especially the oxen, that drink from the river Calder, have real big hearts. They swell to bursting with all kind of kinds of bovine goodness.

“Comfort your sorrows and your sweet tooth ”

You will need:

Photo: Charlie Baskerville

Add some NUTrition to your diet

Contributor: Millie Nettleton

Contributors: Charlie Baskerville and Kate Robinson

holds the delicate and colourful kaleidoscope of platters which competes for attention against the impressive flames from the roaring churrasco just behind.

Our top tip: don’t get over excited with this mouth-watering sidebar. Save enough stomach space for the forever circulating spits of succulent meats!

The green card and red card system for the meat eaters indicates to the constant flow of waiters whether you would like to be given another helping. The meat selection is sure to impress! Ranging from absolutely beautiful honey roasted pork belly and the most tender of lamb to beef fillet seasoned to perfection.

All of which are cooked perfectly and cut thinly so as to accommodate an appetite for its range. They even offer chicken hearts, a Brazilian delicacy to the more adventurous diners which are strong in flavour and very ‘meaty’ tasting — we recommend to enjoy them at the start of your meal!

Disappointingly their meat is not local and sourced from New Zealand, Poland, and Denmark which seems disheartening considering the quantity of meat it offers. Yet perhaps this is part and parcel in the acknowledgement of the type of lavish and exotic dining experience this one entails.

With the vegetarian option — and perhaps wholly compensatory for any qualms on the salad selection — you are given a dessert which was presented beautifully. The marquis de chocolate topped with dulce de leche undoubtedly earns its position as their signature dessert which is sure to send any customer home with a sweet sense of nostalgia, begging a return to the carnival feasting experienced in the world curated by Fazenda. It’s a world perfect for birthdays, parental visits, and even graduation dinners!

Contributor: Joe Taylor

Bryan Gysin said in the late 50s that writing was 50 years behind painting, and posited to diversify the way we use words to free language. Admittedly, he was speaking more about the way poetry and prose of the era had become entrenched in formalistic restrictions, and yet as I sit to write my weekly food review, I cannot help thinking that I need to shake things up too...

I’m not about to write a review, cut it up, rearrange it and hope that by some miracle, what’s produced is an enlightening piece on West Didsbury’s The Great Kathmandu. No, that just wouldn’t happen, he says, looking round for a pair of scissors just to double check.

This is not to say, however, that I do feel in need of food-writing inspiration, and I’m not quite sure what it is that I should do. I read Marina O’Laughlin’s back catalogue of curry reviews, having been turned onto her by living compatriot Felix Sanders, trying to discern what it is that made her so favoured in the food-critic world.

I move on to Rhik Samadder’s review of Temper City, and continue to comb, spurred on by creative jealousy, before realising that this is probably unhealthy and that I just needed to get on with it.

It seems that to be an interesting food writer, one has to first be a tremendous observer, someone who notices minute details in decor, the ticks of a restaurant, what makes it “IT”.

Coupled with this, interesting writers are able to include wholly unrelated ideas, places, people, things, and weave them nonchalantly into the article as if it were a smooth, almost inevitable stepping stone to talking about food.

Anyhow. *weeps at transition* Established in 1986, The Great Kathmandu has served up Nepalese curries in Manchester for over 30 years, and generally had a fair reputation for doing so. Myself and my dining companion, Mr. Smith (not a pseudonym), enter and are greeted by the age-old signifiers

Recipe: Emergency Microwave Mug Brownie

the lack of hot dishes and their small size, however, they will surely appreciate the aesthetics of the presentation. A bed of crushed ice

Review: The Great Kathmandu

Food & Drink 23

ISSUE 10/ 27th November 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Photo: Felix Sanders

4.

To cook your steak, make sure you have removed it from a fridge and allowed it to come up

Photo: Sam Pigott

to room temperature. Heat more vegetable oil and a knob of butter in a pan until foaming. Season both sides of your steak and add this to the pan. Cook on each side for approximately 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, basting with the juices constantly.

Remove the steak from the pan and make sure it is allowed to rest for at least 10 minutes.

5.

To serve slice the steak into strips and add to a baguette with a healthy portion of the ketchup.

Serve with a salad or chips.

Photo: Sonja Shah Williams

Arts

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Theatre 25

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ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Review

Feature

Holes

Preview: Cecily Brown sketches the onto the present In the serene surrounds of the Whitworth’s Mezzanine Gallery, Cecily Brown displays her chaotically technicoloured ‘Shipwreck’ works, which reveal a confrontation between the past masterpieces of Delacroix, Don Juan, and Gericault, and the heart-wrenching images of the current refugee crisis Bella Jewell Arts Writer During the private view of Cecily Brown’s Shipwreck Drawings, The Whitworth Interim Director, Nick Merriman, described how Brown “compulsively rehearses composition and detail” of existing works such as Eugene Delacroix’s ‘Christ Asleep During the Tempest’ (1853) and ‘The Shipwreck of Don Juan’ (1840), and Théodore Gericault’s ‘The Raft of Medusa’ (1819) in order to create her works.

In an interview, Brown claimed that most would describe her style as the point “where figuration and abstraction meet”, yet continued to dismiss this characterisation, claiming that she has “always tried not to have a style.” Despite the disagreement over the labelling of her work, what is clear

is that Brown is “drawn to the energy of Delacroix”, a vigour which is translated into her ‘Shipwreck Drawings’ (2016).

The dynamic movement of line and use of gaudy watercolour evokes the vivid sensation of “ being on a boat yourself”, which is further reinforced by the way the microscopic perspective focuses in upon individuals within the scenes. This somewhat discomforting feeling appears to draw parallels with the images we see every day of refugees risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean.

The tantalising tangibility of the landmass in the backgrounds of the series, ‘Untitled (After Asleep During the Tempest)’, as the raft sinks into the depths, emphasises the sense of devastating loss, which has become all too common given the ongoing Refugee Crisis. Nick Merriman noted that the

exhibition has powerful resonance given the Mancunian context of the show, as the works “connect with the academic and social context, as Manchester is home to many refugees who have made the same crossing.”

Indeed, according to the British Red Cross, nearly a quarter of the 23,500 asylum seekers arriving in the UK each year are resettled in Greater Manchester. Cecily Brown claimed that her drawings “use other art as a way of approaching a deeply difficult subject” that is extremely emotionally charged, and thus upon viewing these works, the cataclysmic narrative is all too clear.

Whilst having not produced these drawings with an exhibition in mind, Brown collaborates with the Senior Curator at the Whitworth, Sam Lackey, to produce a composition which coherently progresses in an almost cinematic manner. By following

Martha Pryer reviews Holes, by Tom Basden. Part of the UMDS Autumn Season 2017 Photo: Virginia Saul

the drawings from the top of the stairs, along the lengthy, oblong wall of the Mezzanine gallery space, the images create the sensation of “watching a miniature movie” (Cecily Brown), until one reaches the final drawing of the exhibition, which remains incomplete, disappearing halfway through the paper.

In this way, the show echoes the uncomfortable unknown of the future of the refugee crisis. Brown seems to raise the question; how many more are to disappear into the sea before this humanitarian crisis ends?

Cecily Brown: Shipwreck Drawings runs from 17 November – 15 April 2018 at the Whitworth Gallery.

Holes was a fantastic, energetic, and engaging performance to open up the Drama Society’s Autumn Season plays.

The razor-sharp, hilarious, darkly comedic script at times had the audience in stitches.

The story line followed three conference organisers and a sixteen year old who are the sole survivors of a plane crash and soon

decide that the world has ended and they are the last living humans on earth. We then follow each of them as they decide how to deal with their new current situation.

Ian becomes obsessed with creating a new world order, Marie becomes obsessed with Ian and trying to have his babies (as well as catching a tan), Gus decides alcohol is the

answer, while the youngest Erin tends to be the most rational member of the group.

As we move into the second act, the play begins to transgress comedy and move into a darker and harrowing more landscape, both emotionally and physically. We begin to see a darker side of humanity, in particular through Ian’s obsessiveness and desire to return to baser human instincts.

The cast and creative team were particularly successful in executing the tension between comedy and the stark reality of this new civilisation.

The traverse staging was particularly effective, although at times the whole space needed to be used rather than just a small section of it. On the whole, however, this was used effectively. The scene changes were swift and efficient with a fantastic music to accompany these by Duncan Bradley.

In particular, the different use of suitcases was very effective, especially in the ending scene when Gus was trapped in a hole made of suitcases and sand thrown over him.

A few key moments of comedic potential were missed — in particular, some of the euphemisms between Ian and Marie.

On the whole, however, each scene was very funny and well-paced. A particularly incredible performance by Jack Allwright who played Ian, who was hilariously witty, nuanced in his responses, and really brought his character to life. Scarlett Gorman played the scared sixteen-year-old very well and was a fantastic contrast to the other three

characters through her very convincing performance.

On the whole, the acting was of a very high standard, as was the play. Really worth the watch.

Holes was the first performance in the University of Manchester Drama Society’s Autumn Season 2017. Tickets for the remainder of the season can be purchased online.

Review

Avenue Q Louise Avey reviews UMMTS’ production of Tony-winning musical Avenue Q somewhat uncomfortable and unsettled, but was good in bring light to the issue. The undercutting of the whole play when the main protagonist shouts that he will make a play out of his experiences, acts as comic relief and appeals to the audience.

The main idea behind Avenue Q is that, through the medium of singing, dancing, and puppeteering, we as the audience are offered the chance to laugh at the real problems we all face by watching characters form relationships, fulfil their dreams, and learn about life’s hardships.

The musical is able to expand beyond its form, offering togetherness as we personally identify

Photo: Grace Currie

Review: Punk in Drublic A night of spoken word, poetry and comedy

with the characters, who are both realistic and likeable. It leaves the audience feeling fulfilled and happier then when we entered the theatre.

The professionalism of all of the characters and the director was mind blowing for a student production. This show felt as if it was ready for Broadway and could become its own touring performance. In particular, Anuli Changa, as child star Gary Coleman, commanded the stage with her presence.

Overall, an fantastic, enjoyable and immersive performance of a much-loved musical that I was glad to be introduced to.

Skye Demar enjoys a night where poetry and comedy violently clash in the name of charityto provide a night of inclusivity and entertainment The combination of politically fuelled poetry and lighthearted stand-up comedy, Punk In Drublic, is set in the cosy Brewdog bar in Manchester City Centre. Hosted by the charismatic Rob Stevenson, this thought-provoking and hilarious show where “poetry and comedy violently clash” raises money and awareness for the Mustard Tree homelessness charity, a great cause which actively endeavours to combat poverty in Manchester.

The headline performance from established poet and performer ‘Attila the Stockbroker’ was both poignant and comical, giving his take on the shortcomings of modern society, and providing his insight on the rhetoric of current affairs, politics, and tabloids.

Although speaking about similar themes, and portraying similar messages of social equality, each performer had their own unique style, ranging from moving poetry about lost loved ones, to hilariously relatable stand-up comedy.

Manchester’s own Isaiah Hull performed a

thought-provoking poem about the realities of growing up in what he calls a ‘bad place’, bringing forward the realities of some lives which most definitely need to be talked about. The diversity of both the performers and the audience is great to see; people of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the country, with a full range of experience — from a regular Glastonbury performer to the rising poets of Manchester.

The theme of charity and helping those in need was brought up many a time throughout this evening. Yet it was always pursued with a positivity, as the night of celebration was underlined with a poignant incentive — with opportunities to buy charity raffle prizes for the Mustard Tree too.

Punk in Drublic celebrates the art of spoken word in many different forms, making both poetry and comedy accessible in a positive and welcoming atmosphere. This can be enjoyed by anyone — and welcomes everyone.

Photo: Poetry of Perception @ Vimeo

Avenue Q, renowned as one of the funniest musicals ever, and winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical delivered humour, realism, and playful fun to brighten my week.

This was a professional production through and through, and shown in the heart of our university, the Students’ Union. The characters, set design, and staging were all outstanding and every aspect of the musical production felt well thoughtthrough.

The opening featured minimalistic staging and colour coding. As part of this, colourful doors represented moods and characters, with characters’ tops matching the doors of their

homes.

The soundtrack was cheerful from the offset, mimicking the likes of uplifting ‘If You Were Gay’ and ‘Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist.’ These songs take serious and current issues, satirise them, and turn them into humour — a technique also seen in musicals like The Book of Mormon.

The use of screens acted as a form of detachment to distract you from the show and break the fourth wall. The line between audience and show was also broken during vibrant monologues and the musical number ‘Purpose’, in which the audience are asked for money and their views on homelessness. This technique made the audience

Photo: Grace Currie

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Lifestyle

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Coppafeel! calls for you to feel your breasts

5 DIY Christmas decorations

Tertia Rollason explains the importance of staying in touch with your body and how Coppafeel! can help you keep healthy boobs Tertia Rollason Lifestyle Contributor

sum it up pretty well:

Eli: “I joined the Uniboob Team for Coppafeel! takes the crown for being Coppafeel! this year because Kris’s the very first breast cancer charity in concept is so inspiring, in that her the UK to target young people. We’re main focus is positivity. Kris takes all about spreading boob love around the sadness of cancer, and turns it campus to help instil the wisdom required to “know Image: Tertia Rollason you’re normal”. We are notorious for our light-hearted and fun-filled way of broadcasting such a poignant message.

As this year’s uniboob team leader, my aim is to empower and educate people around campus. From speaking to a variety people at fresher’s fair, it occurred to me that people are innocently ignorant to the importance of checking their boobs and more importantly, are unaware of what exactly they should be looking for. Have no fear — we are here to enlighten you.

From dressing up in vibrant boob costumes, nourishing people around campus with delicious cakes to hosting a variety of events and many more, we are armed and ready to show breast cancer the door. around to empower young people, all What does Coppafeel! mean to us, the while keeping the promotion super you may ask? I spoke to a couple of fun. After having gone through breast lovely members of my boob team who

cancer with my Mum a couple of years ago, I know how much difference early detection, followed by a heap of positivity and happiness can make, as now my mum has been cancer free for two years.”

Lara: “To me it’s about supporting a cause close to my heart, in a practical and fun way. I love the ethos and attitude of the charity and think it’s a really important health issue. Not to mention being part of the boob team gives me the opportunity to prance around in a boob costume!”

Are you passionate about helping others whilst simultaneously having fun? Do you enjoy, quite literally, making a tit of yourself? If your answer is yes, Coppafeel! Society is the one for you. If you are interested in joining my team or have any boob-related questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at tertia.rollason@ student.manchester.ac.uk or you can find me on the Coppafeel! website at coppafeel. org.

Oh, and whilst we’re at it, don’t forget to text UBTMCR to 70500 to receive your free monthly reminder!

Remedy your anxiety the natural way James Johnson discusses some effective, natural remedies to help with those anxious thoughts James Johnson Lifestyle Editor Anxiety. Even the word itself is enough to evoke an involuntary reaction of worry or panic.

The daily rollercoaster of anxiety, as many are all too familiar, is a path of self-discovery, as much as it is an exercise in uncertainty. Self-reflection allows you to become more in-tuned with patterns in your behaviour but anxiety is unique. It can often thrust you into trepidation concerning the smallest of the decisions. A curveball is thrown without a moments notice.

The symptoms and effects of a struggle with anxiety cannot be singularly noted. It would be to misunderstand its complexity entirely. Living with a disorder as such may have led you to consider yourself a qualified and wellversed expert in the field of mental health. Yet, experience tells us that we neglect remedies for fear their obvious nature is too simple to warrant success.

Alas, from a self-proclaimed master of the anxious mind, there may be a selection of obvious remedies; all too natural, all too obvious. Perhaps that’s why you may not have considered them. Here’s a selection of some personal favourites. Try them out. If they work, great! If they don’t, try another; anxiety is about self-development after all:

Lavender. You know, that unmistakable scent, reserved to line the drawers of your grandma’s house? This humble plant is your one-stop shop for all your natural anxiety remedies. Cosmetic companies lay on its benefits for a reason!

Avoid those flashy price tags and head straight for the pure, essential oils instead! Sprays, lotions, essential oil. The latter is a pocket-sized weapon to calm your worry in your time of need. It might just be your anxieties kryptonite and it is often available for less than five pounds; an investment that will pay you back in calming those moments of existential crisis.

Cut-down on the caffeine. Coffee, in all its encouraging glory, is often the most consistent element of being a student. It pushed you to get to class, to finish those midnight essays but it can also cause unnecessary panic about the most unnecessary of things.

It begs the question; why does a person drinking 3-4 cups of coffee per day still need to take a nap in the early afternoon? Each person will react differently to an infusion of caffeine.

Uncomfortable as it may be; reducing your caffeine intake for a herbal alternative may actually help you to wake up and ‘stay woke’, as they say.

Vital Vitamins. A, B, C, D. The list is endless. Taking a cautionary glance at

a stores supply of vitamins may lead a person to think they might need to set aside an hour just to put away one of each.

However medically unprofessional this advice; consider maximising on those vitamins that aim to promote good brain function and prevent general fatigue. A good B-Complex and a healthy Omega-3 might help you to boost your potential for concentration.

Get outside, even if only for a little while. Winter can be tough. Sometimes a late wakeup can mean just a few hours of sunshine. Make the most of the day and head outside for a while.

Just 21 minutes of exercise can help to ease the symptoms of anxiety. As much as it is tiresome to say. A little exercise may not be such a bad idea.

Share your problems. Share your solutions. Chances are, somebody you know has suffered a similar trouble as you. Your personal solutions may seek to help someone you know. Sharing your troubles with a close friend or family member often helps you to rationalise those irrational worries.

You’ll thank yourself for sharing, and they’ll get to know you just a little bit better.

Image: Pixabay

Image: walltor.com

The easy ways to fill your student house with festive cheer as we near the end of the year!

Sophia Macpherson Lifestyle Editor For all those Christmas lovers out there, the excitement doesn’t end with last week’s article on advent calendars! The merriment continues and will build and build as Christmas fast approaches. What better way to liven up this dull and horribly wet weather by physically surrounding yourself with Christmas decorations? It seems only reasonable that this holiday of cheer comes at possibly the most depressing time of year, so I say take advantage of this holiday as much as we can.

Creating your own decorations is a super fun and easy way to get your mind off work and break up the tireless flow of studying. Additionally, focusing on something other than readings or essays will allow your mind to be taken somewhere else and relax. Small additions to your student home can really go a long way and here are some of easiest decorations to make: Tinsel, tinsel, tinsel! Nothing can brighten up a room more than some sparkle and glitter. These can be found almost anywhere —Tesco, Sainsbury’s, you name it — and are cheap. Grab a few in red, silver, gold and put them around the house; wrap them around your stairs, hang them along the doorframe or even hang them all across your wall — with any fairy lights you have.

DIY snowflakes. Although I am no artist myself, these are incredibly easy to do. Take any scrap paper and fold the A4 piece into four so it makes four squares. Cut these squares apart and then fold each square in half diagonally twice and then into a third and then into another third.

Once all this folding is done, cut the top off at an angle and then shape your snowflake by cutting in shapes into the sides! Once done, stick them all over the place like kitchen cupboards etc.

Better instructions can be found here: http://www. instructable s.com/id/How-to-Make-6-Pointed-PaperSnowflakes/.

White/silver spray paint! There are so many things you could do with this but to follow on from the snowflakes you just made, you could save a few to use as templates. You can use the snowflake template to spray the white/silver on to the surface and create more snowflakes on your windows. It seems a bit over the top but it takes a whole five minutes and looks amazing!

Reindeer doormat. So, you might be thinking, this sounds a bit weird — but trust me, it’s cute. If you can be bothered to make reindeer templates, go ahead, but I’d opt for something a lot easier. Buy some reindeer cookie cutters — any Christmas themed ones, in fact — and use whatever spray paint you have left to spray the shapes onto your bare doormats! It really adds character and doesn’t require much effort, so by the end of the year when you have a black doormat, it won’t hurt that much.

Mini Christmas tree. Whilst this isn’t necessarily a DIY decoration, it’s a simple way of adding that Christmas spirit to your house. Mini decorated table-top Christmas trees can be found at any Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s.

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Graphical preview of the Manchester derby One of the fiercest derbies of English football is on the horizon Photo: nmoodley @Pixabay Photo: Sue Langford@ Flickr

Photo: Cléria De Souza @Flickr

Sam Cooper Sports Editor

The Ma nche ster derby in D ecem b er could well prove to b e t he de f ining moment of t he s ea s on. Ma nche ster C ity a re current ly running away w it h t he league a nd it lo oks like t heir clos e st neighb ours a re t he only one s who ca n stop t hem . S o let ’s t a ke a graphica l lo ok at one of t he ga me s of t he s ea s on...

We’ ll st a rt w it h overa ll record b etween t he two club s in a riva lry t hat date s b ack to 1891. There have b een 174 b at t le s for cont rol of t he city s ince t hat t ime a nd it is no surpris e to s ee t he Red D evils com ing out on top. Their dom ina nce b ot h under Sir Mat t Busby a nd Sir Alex Fergus on ha s given t hem a com fort a ble 22 ga me lead over C ity. D e spite t he recent elevat ion of C ity to a m aj or club in t he P rem ier L eague, t hey st ill have s ome way to go if t hey wa nt to catch t heir riva ls.

Recent ly, it ha s b een United who have enj oyed t he b et ter record hav ing won two of t he la st f ive m atche s.

C ity mea nwhile have won j ust one — Pep G ua rdiola’s f irst t a ste of t he derby.

In term s of goal s corers, t he m a n who tops the char t is one who will be abs ent for t he f irst time in a long t ime. Way ne Rooney le ft Ma nche ster United in the sum mer for Ever ton and in do ing s o he le ft his final t a lly of Ma nche ster der by go a ls at 11. T his record is go o d enough for him to top t he t a ble but S ergio Agüero is breat hing down his neck.

Just t hree go als behind him, it is conceivable that the Argent ine could over take Ro oney t his s eas on.

F ina lly we’ ll take a look at t rophie s won and again, it is no surpris e to s ee United dom inat ing. With their tot a l of 66 t rophie s won they com fort a bly dwar f City’s 1 8.

Intere st ingly, City have never won a trophy that United haven’t and it is only L eague C up wins where the blue side of Manche ster come s clos e to the red.

The tent h of December is shaping up to be another slice of histor y, as Guardio la’s C ity lo ok to e stablish an era of dom inance that s ee s t hem move clos er to their eterna l riva l.

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Sport

Basel Get a Winner Just in Thyme

Sport 31

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

ISSUE 10 / 27th NOVEMBER 2017 WWW.MANCHESTERMEDIAGROUP.CO.UK

Rugby League World Cup 2017 - Quarter Finals Round-up

United are still all but qualified for the knockout stages

After a thrilling weekend, it’s time to recap which teams are packing their bags, and who will be fighting for a place in the final

James Gill Sports Reporter

Jamie McEvoy Sports reporter

This is the penultimate game in the Champions League Group Stage and Basel will need to win to give themselves any realistic chance of progressing. Manchester United on the other hand need just a point from their last two games to ensure qualification. With the return of Pogba and Fellaini beginning to start matches it is hard to see United losing.

Mourinho makes seven changes from the side that beat Newcastle 4-1 at the weekend. Sergio Romero starts his first European game since the Europa League final. The entire defence is a fresh one too with Darmian, Smalling, Rojo and Blind making up the back four.

The holding midfielders are Herrera and Fellaini, again both with be fresh. Lingard, Pogba and Martial form an attacking three behind the lone striker Lukaku.

FC Basel need to win three points to stand any chance of progressing to the knockout stages of the competition and you can tell it from their desire from the moment the whistle is blown. United have been forced to pass the ball back to Romero several times already due to hard pressing and one of those was a little too close for comfort.

After ten minutes Basel look by far the better team. They are hunting in packs to close down any United possession and it’s causing a lot of problems in getting the ball out from the defence. As a result they’re resorting to long balls to create any sort of chances.

Damian gets brought down just inside the Basel half and United use it as an opportunity to get the tall target men like Fellaini and Pogba into he box. Blind launches the ball it and it does reach the head of Fellaini but he heads just wide.

The game has a lot of similarities to the one in which Huddersfield beat United. Not because they have more quality but because they have a greater desire to win every battle, no matter how small. They are closing down players quickly and aren’t allowing players such as Pogba any time to find penetrative passes.

Pogba gets brought down about twenty yards out in a very central position. You’d fancy Rashford’s chances with a free kick like that but he finds himself on the bench. Instead Pogba lines up the shot but it goes high and wide, a waste of a good opportunity, he should really be hitting the target or at least getting close.

It has taken 35 minutes but United are finally starting to take control of the game. Pogba has a free role in the midfield and every attacking play is funnelled through him. The high press play from Basel seems to already be a little too much for them and they are conceding several free kicks from sloppy late challenges.

The first major chance of the game comes from an inch perfect cross from Martial. Fellaini tries to get a deft touch on the ball with his head but it’s so deft the ball hardly moves, the shot going a foot wide. Moments later Martial dances through several defenders but when he gets passed them the angle between himself and the goal is too small to beat the keeper and it results in a corner.

The delivery in is a poor one and it is easily cleared to just shy of the halfway line where Rojo receives the ball. He must be around 40 yards out but fancies his chances nonetheless. The shot deflects off the Basel captain leaving the keeper Vaclik stranded but luckily for him it ricochets off the bar.

At half time United have been marginally the better team overall but they’ve only broken a sweat in the last quarter of an hour. A draw will see them top the group but Mourinho will undoubtedly want a win. In the second half the quality of United will probably ensure

Photo: BBM explorer @flickr

their victory, especially with players like Rashford and Ibrahimovic on the bench.

Both teams have goalscoring opportunities in the opening few minutes with neither testing the opposition keeper. So far there have been ten shots in total with only three hitting the target, this will need to change if we are to see any goals.

A potentially contentious decisions comes as Martial takes on two plays and the ball bounces off a hand before reaching Lukaku. The defender is in the box and the referee blows his whistle to give…offside for Lukaku. Perhaps he deemed it ball to hand, or perhaps he didn’t see it. Play goes on.

The first substitution for United comes in the 63rd minute as Lingard comes off for Rashford. Mourinho will be looking to get a foothold in the game as Basel are getting closer and closer to hitting the target with several shots going just wide. He’ll be hoping Rashford’s fresh legs and pace will make a difference against the tiring defence, a method that is tried, tested and proved a success this season. Pogba is replaced by Matic a minute later.

Another contentious moment as Rojo takes down a player in the box. After watching the replay it clearly shows enough contact to warrant a penalty being given but the referee gives a goal kick. If he doesn’t give a penalty surely it’s a yellow card for simulation, but that’s a debate for another day.

Basel are dominant so far this half and if not for a timely sliding block by Rojo they would have scored the first goal of the game. It’s all about to change now though as Zlatan Ibrahimovic is coming on for Martial who has been one of the standout players of the game so far. I think replacing Lukaku would have been the right option but

Mourinho never seems interested in doing that.

Serey Dié has a fantastic shot from 30 yards out forcing a good save from Romero. In the process he appears to have injured himself and is substituted off. Basel are pushing harder and harder for the goal that will keep them in the competition. This may open the door for a United counter attack as they get more desperate in the final few minutes.

Darmian gets a yellow card for clattering down an oncoming attacker. As the desperation increases so does United’s shakiness in defence. He then judo throws another player seconds later but doesn’t get anything for it. There have been several bad challenges and the tempo is increasingly dramatically. We may see more cards yet.

FC Basel finally score a goal in the 89th minutes after a low cross is met by Lang who only has to tap the ball in from two yards out. That goal may just keep them in this competition. It has been coming for some time with several close chances and there are only three minutes left for them to hold on.

Lukaku wins a corner in the 93rd minute and Blind runs over to take it, pushing players out of the way to get to the ball but it amounts to nothing and the referee blows the whistle for full time. United had 68% of the possession but as we are learning more and more this season possession doesn’t win you games.

Manchester City were also complacent in their game yesterday against Feyenoord but the difference between the two Manchester clubs is that when City are complacent they still have the quality to win games. United sadly cannot. Their next test is at home to Brighton this Saturday.

Sterling the highlight as City labour to a 1-0 win Manchester City overcame Feyenoord thanks to a late goal from Raheem Sterling Sam Cooper Sports Editor

Photo: Brad Tutterow @flickr

City’s impressive away win in Naples had ensured they would be progressing into the next round of Europe’s elite competition and allowed coach Pep Guardiola some freedom in this game.

After a somewhat shaky first game back from injury, Vincent Kompany did not feature this time round but instead Eliaquim Mangala got a rare outing. He partnered Nicolás Otamendi in the centre of defence.

After a lifeless 20 minutes, captain of the evening Sergio Agüero had the first attempt on goal. Kevin De Bruyne wriggled his way through the midfield before passing the ball to the Argentine. The resultant shot though was a tame one and easily saved by Brad Jones.

Just six minutes later and it was the keeper at the other end making headlines. A poor touch from Ederson invited pressure and when Feyenoord winger Jean-Paul Boëtius latched on to it, the keeper produced a poor challenge and seemed to catch the player. The referee deemed it to be a perfectly fine challenge and waved play on.

Replays showed Ederson was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch as he did catch Boëtius and played none of the ball.

City were pushing for the opening goal in particular through the partnership of De Bruyne and Agüero. De Bruyne worked space down the left flank before chipping a cross onto the head of Agüero.

The striker had to get down low to meet it but could only wide.

Raheem Sterling was also looking lively down that left flank. Producing a good run to find himself on the edge of the box. His finessed effort didn’t quite have enough curl though and it arrived centrally by the time it reached Jones who punched it clear.

With Feyenoord on zero points in the group, some thought this

would be a rollover for City but the visitors did not agree. They were creating chances and some good footwork from Sam Larsson allowed him space to try and find the bottom corner. The effort was just wide but Ederson looked beaten.

The sides went in level at half time with both sides having good chances to open the scoring.

City started the second half with more intensity as Bernando Silva looked to get more involved. His low driven cross from the right wing was nervously hooked over the bar by the defender. Both De Bruyne and Yaya Touré saw their efforts go narrowly wide as the home side looked for the winner.

With a quarter of an hour left to play, City fans were treated to the sight of Phil Foden making his debut. The 17 year old was the talk of the summer as he impressed with the World Cup winning England Under-17 squad and fans have been eager to see him get some minutes. During his brief cameo he completed all his passes as he begins the hard task of getting a game ahead of both the Silvas and De Bruyne.

The game was drawing to a close but there was just time for City to get their goal. A quick one-two between Sterling and İlkay Gündoğan allowed the English winger a sight of goal. He lifted the ball up over Jones and into the back of the net. It was his fourth consecutive goalscoring Champions League match and ensured a comfortable final group game for his team.

After the game, Guardiola was in a bullish mood: “we play to win the games and after that we will see how things finish. It is important that City have got 15 points at this stage for the first time and we are going to go now to Shakhtar to try to finish well and to try to go and win the game. In the last 16, it doesn’t matter which one [you get], it always will be complicated.”

City’s final group stage game of this season is away at Shakhtar Donetsk on the 6th of December.

It was a weekend of surprises and pressure in the Rugby League World Cup. All the heavy hitters were fighting to retain pride whilst smaller teams were pushing to shock their opposition and exceed all expectations.

The first fixture was Australia v Samoa. Samoa had scraped through their group with a mere one point – a feat which Ireland will be raging at after they were eliminated from Group C despite winning two games – but they were still not deemed an easy opponent for the co-hosts.

Unfortunately for the Samoans, this proved not to be the case, with the Kangaroos easing to a 46-0 victory and booking their place in the semi-finals. Valentine Holmes scored a record five tries in the demolition meaning he is now two behind the Fiji’s Suliasi Vunivalu who is currently the leading try scorer.

Next up was Tonga who faced Lebanon. Tonga have won over a lot of support since the start of the tournament. Finishing their group with a 100 per cent record beating New Zealand along the way. They would have been licking their lips at the prospect of facing the Lebanese yet the game was not as straight forward as predicted.

The Tongans remained ahead throughout the 80 minutes but Lebanon were hot on their tails and the match ended 24-22. Despite elimination, the Lebanese will doubtlessly be happy with their performance this tournament after being written off by many prior to the start of the competition.

However, the biggest shock of the round came when New Zealand faced Fiji. Fiji had breezed through the group stages and were looking to capitalise on a ropy Kiwi side who were recovering from a shock defeat against Tonga. In one of the most bizarre Rugby score-lines of all time, Fiji won 4-2. Only the second tryless game in Rugby League World Cup history. The Fijians will be hosted by Australia in the semi-finals and although the Aussies will be relieved they do not have a home-turf show-down versus New Zealand, the prospect ofplaying this ferocious Fiji

Photo: Melanwell @ Wikimedia Commons

side will be daunting.

The final last eight fixture was England vs Papua New Guinea. The match was fiercely fought, and errors came regularly from both England and the Kumuls. However, England emerged as victors in a 36-6 victory which very much flatters the home nation side. Jermaine McGillvary shook off the controversy surrounding his biting of Robbie Farah and the Huddersfield winger scored twice to help his side claim a semi-final encounter with Tonga.

The semi-finals will kick off on Friday 24th November when the only remaining host nation Australia play Fiji and then on the Saturday Tonga and England will also fight for a place in the final. Both games are potential high-scoring thriller and after all the shocks and surprises so far in the competition, it is extremely difficult to predict who will be the 2017 finalists.

Quarter-final Results: Australia 46-0 Samoa New Zealand 2-4 Fiji Tonga 24-22 Lebanon Papua New Guinea 6-36 England

Luck on England’s side as they beat Australia 30-6 Eddie Jones has now won 21 of his 22 matches with England James Gill Sports Reporter England extended their winning run to five at Twickenham this weekend with only one loss now in the past two years. Although the score may suggest it was a one way street, there were several decisions called in favour of England that perhaps wouldn’t have been with a different referee.

England’s Head Coach, Eddie Jones, certainly did not appreciate being questioned about his side’s luck in his postmatch press conference. “Why do we have a referee? Why do we have TMOs? I don’t understand the question,” Jones said angrily. “How were we lucky? Ten replays of the video and they make a decision. This is the best referee in the world for today, they have the best guys doing the TMO and you’re saying we’re lucky because the decisions went our way? Sorry, sorry, sorry, I’m sorry we’re lucky.”

His Australian counterpart Michael Cheika also let his anger get the better of him but during the game rather than after. The Wallabies had several decisions go against them, including losing captain Michael Hooper and full-back Curtly Beale to the sin bin within seven minutes of each other at

the end of the first half. Hooper’s yellow card was his eighth in international rugby making him the most yellow carder player in test history. They also had two tries ruled out that would have seen them take the lead.

It appeared that Cheika mouthed some derogatory words aimed at the referee, Ben O’Keeffe, when their first try was disallowed in the 27th minute. Jon Davis, who is the disciplinary officer for the Autumn series of international has said that he is investigating the reports. “Following various media reports and a referral from Wolrd Rugby, the comments and conduct attribution to Michael Cheika are being investigated. An update will be issued tomorrow [Tuesday 21st].”

The first half, while thoroughly even and entertaining both off and on the pitch, contained few points. The score stood 6-0 to England after two successful conversions by Owen Farrell. Despite starting the second forty with only 13 men on the pitch, they didn’t concede any further points, instead bringing the score back to 6-3.

It took 54 minutes for the first try to come and my what a try it was. The ball is cleared by an English player and it bounces just inches from the touchline. The Australian player leaves it thinking it’s heading out of play but it

doesn’t, gifting the ball to Elliot Daley. His work is far from over though and he kicks the ball twice more before touching down for five points, Farrell converts to make it 13-3.

Foley scores a penalty to bring the Aussies with one converted try which they almost get in the 70th minute. Koroibete breaks through England’s defensive line and seemed to touch the ball down but O’Keeffe referred it up to the TMO. Upon seeing the replays it looked fairly innocuous yet the TMO deemed that Moore obstructed play enough to give a penalty the other way. At this Cheika became incensed.

Australia just conceded from here on in and England scored three more tries through Jonathan Joseph, Jonny May and Danny Care, one of which was converted. The final score, 30-6, is the largest margin of victory England have ever had in this fixture, surpassing their previous best of 17 points from 2010. Owen Farrell also became England’s all time leading points scorer against Australia beating the record of 114 points set by Jonny Wilkinson.

The game was far closer than it seems with the match a dead heat for 70 minutes. England will take a great deal of confidence from this going into their final game of the year against Samoa who narrowly lost their two games thus far against Scotland and Romania 44-38 and 17-13 respectively.

Photo: Herry Lawford @flickr

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This Girl Can: water polo taster huge hit with local school girls

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27th NOVEMBER 2017 / ISSUE 10 / FREE

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Photo: Vita Student @ Flickr

RLWC Round-Up

Manchester schoolgirls enjoyed a fantastic afternoon at the BUCS ‘This Girl Can” event hosted by University of Manchester Water Polo Charlie Benny Sports Reporter The campaign This Girl Can, having begun in 2015, is continuing to inspire thousands of young girls to pursue sport opportunities and give confidence to those who still have reservations about taking that first step and trying something new.

Evidently, this is the kind of campaign has been wanted for a long time: in the UK, research shows that fewer women than men play sport regularly, a whole two million fewer 14-40 year olds in total. It is no wonder, therefore, that this event by This Girl Can was so well received.

In attendance was British Summer Championships Gold Medalist Katie Matts, who spoke to some of the girls taking part about her life in sport and what can be done to inspire more young women to participate in sporting activity. Asked about the benefits of sport for young girls, Katie told The Mancunion: “Enjoyment! And within sport, there are amazing opportunities to make friends that you otherwise would not have made. And I think that supporting each other can make it so much easier to get started, encouragement is extremely important.”

This sentiment was echoed by those taking part in the session. All of the girls agreed that taking part with others is a big help, particularly when trying a sport for the first time. This makes events like these by This Girl Can all the more important.

For many young women lacking the confidence required to involve them-

selves in the world of sport, it’s hugely important to create an environment such as this where girls are able to express their passions and feel confident in themselves. This goes someway to unlocking the potential of many, giving long overdue limelight for future stars.

But This Girl Can does much more than this. The campaign tells the story of the ‘real’ girls in sport. The overarching worry of women is that they are not good enough, not fit enough, the wrong size or shape. At Wednesday’s event, there was no such judgments. The campaign does something different to every other campaign preceding it, and excludes absolutely no one.

Such a primary concept of sport, that it exists in order to bring people together, but until now appeared to have been forgotten. One pupil remarked, “I would definitely bring friends with me, to get them involved and stop them being embarrassed”. The mindset of shame is something that This Girl Can endeavours to remove and events such as these are a fantastic benchmark for how girls should be given access to sport.

Throughout the sessions provided by University of Manchester Water Polo, young girls of all abilities were able to take part, some seasoned Water Polo players and others total beginners. The environment faultless, each was encouraged and included in a low pressure atmosphere and in allowing girls of a young age opportunities to take up sports, it is far more likely to invoke a passion which will carry through as they become older.

One may argue the main pressures on

girls in sport comes from a perceived judgement which is much more relevant to teenagers, and in persuading girls of 11 or 12 to participate in sport the campaign hopes that this lifestyle will continue with them into adulthood.

Having helped run the event, University of Manchester Water polo can be proud of their contribution to women in sport. As an extremely inclusive club, they fulfilled the role of ideal hosts, giving not only high quality coaching to the girls but confidence and advice. The reception was overwhelmingly positive, with one of the main issues raised in conversation with the schoolchildren being body image. It was clear to see an impact has already been made, with girls stating they would “feel confident enough to admonish anyone making disparaging comments about women in sport”. It is this kind of confidence and belief of women in themselves, that is certainly the missing ingredient for more women pursuing sport.

Overall the campaign of This Girl Can has clearly made excellent strides in bringing women everywhere into the conversation of sport, and their work providing occasions like this one has been greeted with passion by many.

The BUCS This Girl Can Week has invoked a new wave of inspiration around women’s sport with options such as Water Polo being a great access point into sport for women who have the desire to try something new.

Having heard the same urge from all those who took part: Have a go! The event can be seen as a tremendous success.

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