Issue 7: The Mancunion (28th February 2023)

The Team:

Editor-in-Chief: Ella Robinson

Managing Editors: Erin Botten & Joe McFadden

MMG News Producer: Shikhar Talwar

MMG Senior Producer: Tom Grant

News Editors:

Jacob Hartley (Head), Alice Shakeshaft and Erin Barnett (Deputies)

Features Editors:

Wilf Butler (Head), Susie Leigh (Deputy), Tallulah Kelly (Correspondent)

Opinion Editors: Max Earnshaw (Head), Alfie Cumberworth (Deputy)

Investigations Editors: Luke Hewitt and Libby Elliott

Science Editor:

Emma Hattersley (Head), Lauren Manning (Deputy)

Lifestyle Editors: Erin Osman and Annabel Benton

Sports Editors:

Adam Pogrund (Head), Ava Griffiths (Deputy)

Music Editors: Sarah Taylor (Head). Fran Hall, Alex Cooper. Will Waterhouse (Deputies)

Food and Drink Editors:

Hannah Wellock (Head). Izzy Langhamer (Deputy)

Theatre Editor:

Jay Darcy (Head). Harriet Cummings (Deputy)

On Screen Editors:

Pip Carew(Head Film), Ibiwunmi Balogun (Deputy Film), Robert Gyorgi (TV Editor), Alex Harris (Games

Editor)

Books Editors:

Jacob Folkard (Head), Megan Bailey (Deputy)

Fashion and Beauty Editors:

Alice Henderson (Head Fashion), Dhara Patel (Deputy Fashion), and Lucy Giles (Beauty)

Arts and Creative Submissions Editor: Owen Scott (Head), Annabel Holland (Deputy)

Puzzles and Horoscopes Editor:

Les reines de l’astrologie

Head Designers: Celine Poinard, Kirsty Qualters

Design Team:

Alice Barr, Dana Benedek, Erin Botten, Ibi Balogun, Isabelle Morrit, Nelly Mosley, Jess Walmsley, Jacob Hartley, Libby Elliott, Annabel Parkin

Head of Marketing: Apply at the link in our Instagram bio

Chief Sub-Editor:

Maisie Outhart

Sub-editing Team:

Aimee Butler, Cara Barclay, Lily Tobin, Nelly Mosley, Violet Robins, Sofia Smithen, Kennedy Bigelow, Florence McGrath, Caitlin White

The Mancunion

In this issue

News

3 French students walk out over “culture of racism”

4 84 students apply to become SU executives

Investigations

6 “We can have a better Britain, a better world”: Under the Spotlight with Afzal Khan

Opinion

8 We demand compensation for UCU strikes

Science

10 Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw on black holes, strikes, and the role of academics in the media

LeadMCR

14-17 Meet the candidates running in the SU elections

Music

20 The Waeve: In Conversation with Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall

On Screen

23 Oscars predictions 2023

24 Why Oscars matter: A mixed bag for the little men

Books

24 The beauty behind CallMe ByYourName

Theatre

26 Review: Sylvia

Food and Drink

29 What your Greggs order says about you

French students walk out over “culture of racism”

French students walked out of a lecture on February 13 in protest of alleged racism by staff, and a flawed curriculum

Jacob Hartley News Editor

French students at the University of Manchester today walked out of a lecture in protest at racism within the department, including the use of racial slurs.

In the lecture, a student who wished to remain anonymous, said that Dr Barbara Lebrun had said the “violently anti-black” slur ‘n*****’ in both French and English

The student also said “Barbara is completely aware of the distress this causes Black students and yet continues to use that racial slur”, referring to an impact statement which was read to Dr Lebrun as part of a complaint in 2022.

The student called on others present, especially those “who posted black squares in 2020,” to do “a very small but tangible thing [...] to show that you actually care about the Black students in your lives,” by walking out of the lecture.

Having heard the speech, the majority of the class left the lecture, leaving only 6 students remaining.

The Mancunion understands that most of the students who left

were unaware before the lecture that the walkout would be staged.

The University of Manchester said that they are “investigating the matter as a priority”, when contacted for comment.

Since the incident, further classes, including a screening and seminars, have been “postponed”, due to “staff absence”, although the University has promised that these classes will be rescheduled

In response, Dr Lebrun asked for a discussion with the UoM Black Students Matter group, asking if she could “walk out too”. Dr Lebrun then discussed the walkout and open letter with the students remaining in the class, after 21 minutes the lecture was cancelled.

In an email addressed to the whole module, Dr. Lebrun wrote that “I am sorry we could not have a discussion altogether today about this essential issue. Your walk-out was a shock but shocks can be beneficial to the system, at least I hope this one will be.”

The email ends “I truly hope that this complaint, which I take extremely seriously, can be a positive opportunity to change the course’s content and my delivery of it, and make further changes

too. I believe that Black lives matter, and I do not want to reproduce structural racism.”

This, however, contradicts the demands of the students’ letter, which reads “We will not accept any redesign of this module that is led by Dr Lebrun.” The composers of the letter refused to comment on the email, because the ‘letter was deliberately not addressed to her’, but instead to Professor Schmidt.

Organisers of the walkouts wrote an open letter from “A collective of Black students who study French at UoM” to Professor Thomas Schmidt, head of the School of Arts, Languages, and Culture (SALC), from the students, describes a a “comprehensive failure to take anti-Black racism seriously”.

Speaking in the lecture, the student noted that it wasn’t the first time there had been complaints about the use of the language. However, the student argued that Dr. Lebrun’s use of the slur was not an isolated incident, but “a particularly egregious example of the white supremacy that exists within the French department”

The letter cites issues with the curriculum as well as individuals.

In the module “Race and Empire in the French-speaking world”, “the word slavery was mentioned just once in the 62 powerpoint slides”.

The lecture failed to acknowledge “the centuries of oppression African people suffered at the hands of the French and how the institution of slavery shaped what it means to be black”.

Additionally, one student was told, after submitting an essay plan, not to “use the essay as a platform for personal exasperation or indignation around racism”; this was the same student who had previously made an informal complaint about Dr Lebrun.

In response, the students called for a total overhaul of the ‘first year ‘Identity in Modern France’ module, with consultation from students who ‘should be paid for their time’.

The students who make up UoM Black Students Matter said, “We urge people to read our open letter because it fully contextualises everything that has happened. If people want to support our campaign against the culture of racism in the French department, the single most useful thing they can do is sign our open letter and encourage others to do the same.”

The Rent Strike and Occupation: What

happened when?

putes this figure.

Editor and MMG

Senior Producer

January 2, 2023: The Twitter account @rentstrikeUoM announces that they are calling a rent strike of students in University halls, demanding:

A 30% rent reduction for the year, including a rebate on the previous strikes that the University commits to not increasing [...] rents for at least 3 years that the University makes 40% of halls “affordable according to the NUS definition, within 3 years”

January 19 : The deadline for rent in University halls. Rent strike organisers claim that 350 students have withheld rent, totalling a total of half a million in rent. The University dis -

February 3 : Fraser McGuire, one organiser of the rent strike, tells The Mancunion that there is an “appetite” for escalation, should the University not engage or negotiate.

February 8: Escalation, following a refusal to engage by the University.

3 University buildings: The Samuel Alexander, Engineering, and John Owens (housing the offices of senior management) are occupied by the rent strike. These occupiers are joined by Manchester Leftist Action, a rebrand of the group previously known as NancyOut.

February 10: Security attempt to block food getting into the John Owens building - one security guard is quoted saying “if you want to get to them, you’ll have to

go through me”. They back down after online pressure.

February 13: The occupiers leave the Sam Alex and Engineering Building. They had previously told Manchester Media G roup that they would remain indefinitely, even if it meant staying over the Easter holiday.

However, they now occupy the Simon Building.

February 14: The University of Manchester issues an ultimatum to occupiers, threatening “formal disciplinary action” and potential expulsion. A concert, involving performers Vice Vera and OORYA is held in solidarity with the occupiers.

February 15: The University cuts off WiFi access to the John Owens building.

The Rent Strike claims to have confirm the identi -

ty of several abusive Twitter accounts as belonging to University staff, including security and someone in the “senior management of the Directorate of Estates and Facilities”. The abuse includes ‘homophobic, racist and misogynistic comments.

February 16: The University cut off heating in the John Owens building, due to the “cost of living” crisis. The occupiers leave the John Owens building. They set off flares, displaying a banner saying “This is just a warning”.

The group tell The Mancunion that the group “feel they can do more organising on the outside than they can do on the inside”.

February 17: The occupiers are given an ultimatum to leave the Simon Building by 4pm. Securi -

Emily Turvey, the Humanities Officer, commented “Today, students staged a walkout based on their experiences of racism at the University of Manchester.

I stand in solidarity with these students, the open letter they have written, as well as the Butterfly Effect campaign group, who are calling for a holistic and inclusive transformation of higher education.

I will continue to work with students who took part in the walkout and the Butterfly Effect campaign. I regularly meet with the ViceDean of the Faculty of Humanities and as part of my regular meeting, I will raise this issue directly.

If any other students have been affected by racism or other forms of discrimination, you can contact the SU’s Advice Service and use the University’s Report and Support service.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said:

“We have been made aware of the letter and the events during the lecture and we are investigating as a priority. We are fully committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in all of our activities.”

ty chains the doors in the building, blocking access to many areas, including the kitchen.

The group does not leave. They claim that the numbers of occupiers has doubled since the deadline.

February 19 Security calls Greater Manchester Police, alleging assault by the students. 6 police vehicles attend, but they refuse to support Security.

Student organisers “condemn this response”, and “urge the university [sic] to present us an offer, not threaten us with arbitrary punishment and legal action”.

There’s a lot going on with the rent strike, and their ongoing occupations. Find out exactly what’s happened, and when

Jacob Hartley and Tom Grant

News

Anger at UCU after strike action paused

Lucy Arnold-Forster News Reporter

The UCU has decided to pause strike action for the next two weeks in light of ‘significant progress’ that has been made in negotiations over pensions, pay and casualisation.

This means that the strikes that were due to take place on the 21, 22, 23, 27 and 28 February and 1 and 2 March have been called off, but the strike days later in March are still scheduled to take place.

However, some staff have expressed concerns with the decision to suspend the strikes, citing a lack of transparency in the UCU decision making process, and concerns with the justifications the UCU has provided for its decision.

The UCU website states that it has made significant progress in negotiations on pay, casualisation and pensions.

However, this is not a unanimous feeling. the Manchester Branch of the UCU is against the suspension of strikes: 72% voted for a motion that is “highly critical of the suspension of action.”

Dr Molly Geidel, vice-chair of the UCU, told The Mancunion that

“the result is definitely a privileging of permanent staff over temporary ones”.

She believes that suspending the strikes “shows a level of trust in these governing bodies [...] that’s completely unsupported by their previous actions.”

She noted that “many universities in the dispute are not even in the USS pension scheme”, and so would not benefit from “the restoration of the USS pensions”.

Davide Pala, a PhD student and teaching assistant at the University of Manchester who has been participating in the strikes, said that he sees a generational issue in the latest UCU decision.

He argues that while concrete progress has been made on the pensions dispute, the progress made on pay and casualisation is

or more precarious workers, many of whom may not have a concrete pension.

He suggests the UCU decision reflects a win for older or more senior staff, but not for younger

Another senior lecturer at the University, who wishes to remain anonymous, agrees that there is a generational issue, because

“This is a matter of priority”: A rundown of this week’s UCU strikes

Teal Woodall News Reporter

UCU strikes continued February 14, with pickets outside Whitworth Hall and University Place.

A senior lecturer told The Mancunion that the strikers were calling for an “end to casualisation and tiny fractional contracts” which leave many less senior educators “unable to plan a future”.

Adding, “the University say they can’t wave a magic wand to fix it, which is true, but they can put in the groundwork. Pressure needs to be applied on the government” – the UCU members are unable to do this themselves.

In Club Academy, a group of lecturers demanded a “real time pay increase” which they haven’t received since 2009, despite the

unprecedented cost of living crisis.

Lecturers also wish to receive pension benefits - which have reduced by a quarter since 2009 - and an acknowledgement of the hours they work.

UCU walk-out, there has been a noticeable sense of togetherness between staff and students. UoM Rent Strike have been vocal supporters of the UCU strikes.

When contacted, a University spokesperson said:

progress on pensions is more concrete than progress on pay or casualisation.

Furthermore, some are frustrated with the lack of communication from the UCU about how to prepare for teaching with such short notice, given that UCU members only received notice of the suspension of the strikes on Friday evening.

Mr Pala suggested that the de facto effect of the suspension of the strikes is that most staff would have had to work over the weekend to catch up, despite the Union being on ASOS (Action Short of a Strike).

Staff in the UoM UCU branch were given advice to “prioritise necessary preparation work”, taking time off later “in compensation.”

Secondly, if they were not able to prepare fully, they should ‘head into class prepared to be honest with students’ about the situation

that members find themselves with.

There is some confusion about whether or not the strikes will continue after this hiatus - while the UCU website is keen to clarify that this suspension is “simply a pause”, some are assuming that the strike action will not return.

Members were recently provided with a poll, seeming to ask them if they agreed with the strikes being suspended. This was provided to them after the decision had been taken.

Dr. Geidel described it as “a pretty bad look”, and “very leading but somehow also confusing”. She hoped however, that it was an indication that “HQ has now realised maybe they did something wrong”.

Some have speculated that this, alongside their recent decision to pause the strikes, indicates the UCU is taking a more moderate path than other striking unions.

84 students apply to become SU executives

Campaigning is set to begin on February 27

2022, however.

Shikhar Talwar MMG News Producer

The strikes focused on an environmental agenda this week, with talks on the Climate Network, the University’s involvement in oil, and an Environmental Action meetup.

At the University of Manchester (UoM), specifically with the ongoing rent strikes as well as the

“We understand how important pay, employment conditions, and pensions are to colleagues – we take their views and concerns very seriously. Pay and the USS pension agreements are negotiated nationally, by UCEA and UUK respectively. As with all Higher Education Institutions, we input into these discussions and decisions.

“We also appreciate the difficult and challenging times in which we are living and are taking active steps to support our staff and students.”

8 4 students are running for election to become Executive Officers at the University of Manchester Students’ Union. This is the second-largest total number of candidates in the Manchester SU’s 162-year history.

The most popular role is Activities and Culture Officer for the second year running, with 24 candidates. This role is “is all about championing student societies and representing international students.”

Meanwhile, the Biology, Medicine and Health role again had the least number of applicants, with just three. This is two more candidates than ran in

The total number of candidates is 50 more than the 34 who applied last year, which was the lowest number of candidates since 2011.

This year makes for only the second-highest number of applicants, with 2016 having the most. 2016 saw 107 students apply from the University of Manchester to become SU Execs.

All 84 candidates will now be campaigning to win the votes of students at the University of Manchester. They are set to start their campaigns from February 27.

Students can vote during the 6-9 March. The results determining the new Students’ Union Exec Officers will be announced on March 9.

The UCU have paused strike action, but the Manchester branch aren’t happy. Find out why

“negligible”.

“

The result is definitely a privileging of permanent staff over temporary ones

“The University say they can’t wave a magic wand to fix it ... but they can put in the groundwork

On February 14 UCU strikes continued for the third week in a row

Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ The Mancunion

Solidarity pop-up gig hosted in support of University

The ‘pop-up’ gig was held under the Whitworth arch

Lily Wallen News Reporter

Supporters of the University of Manchester (UoM) Rent Strike held a pop-up gig on February 14, in solidarity with the ongoing building occupations and wider strikes happening across campus.

The gig commenced at 3pm under the arch of Whitworth Hall, starting with a performance from Vice Vera, a member of Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) UCU. This was followed by singer OORYA, who finished just after 4pm

Crowds from various societies - such as Manchester Leftist Action, Occupation Solidarity, and Manchester Labour Students - filled the pavement of Oxford Road throughout the hour of performances.

The crowd then moved to the John Owens building in a direct display of solidarity with the building occupiers within, sharing chants of ‘Nancy, Nancy, Nancy… Out, Out, Out’.

This move was a response to the University of Manchester’s ultimatum to occupiers, issued to them that morning. It stated that they must leave all occupied buildings by 4pm on February 14 or face formal disciplinary action over ‘serious misconduct’.

New survey finds UoM second most romantic University

Vice Chancellor Nancy Rothwell’s office.

Max Jenkinson, a coordinator of the solidarity gig, opened the event by stating that the UoM Rent Strike and UCU members must “continue Manchester’s revolutionary history”

“We must continue Manchester’s revolutionary history

OORYA, the second performer of the hour, also prefaced her performance with a comment that the strikers “are breaking the system and rebuilding it in the image that it always should have been”.

61% of UoM students meet a romantic partner at University

Rosina Read News Reporter

Anew survey sampling 30 UK universities finds that 61.74% of students at the University of Manchester meet a romantic partner at university.

The study, carried out by The Knowledge Academy, used a sample of 3500 past and present students from the top 30 UK universities.

In the survey, the University of Manchester ranks as the second best university for falling in love, coming second to the University of York at 63.30%.

Whilst at University, figures from University of Manchester students found 97.18% (average: 90.14%) have a short-term relationship (less than one year), and 2.82% (average: 9.86%) had a long-term relationship (more than one year).

The best university for finding the person to marry was Queens University Belfast (21.50%), with the University of Oxford ranking second, and Manchester third.

The University of Manchester is the only university to rank in the top three both for finding a romantic partner at university and for marrying a university partner.

UoM rent strikers occupying the John Owens building reiterated their three aims for the ongoing strike action. This was met with cheers from the crowd of the solidarity pop-up gig below, who had moved to the building of

The gig took place under a banner that read, ‘We Demand Affordable Rent, Nancy Earns 260k’. Throughout the two performances and subsequent display of solidarity outside the John Owens building, pink smoke flares were utilised alongside the waving of red flags.

University Roundup: What’s going on around the UK this week?

Let’s take a look at news from other universities in the UK this week…

Amy Walker News Reporter

University of Sheffield to become a world leader in 6G technology.

The first 6G research facility is set to open at the University of Sheffield. The facility will play a key role in driving innovation in 6G by combining academics and industrial partners, as well as, providing the necessary specialist equipment.

More than 40 companies and institutions bid for the chance to become the new world leader of 6G technology.

Professor Timothy O’Farrell, Professor of Wireless Communication in Sheffield, who will be director of the new facility, said the facility will help “the UK to maintain its place as a global leader in telecommunications”.

Swansea University Students’ Union launched a foodbank for students.

In the midst of the cost-ofliving crisis, a food bank has been launched for students at the University of Swansea after growing concerns over the affordability of food.

President of the SU, Esyllt Rosser and her team helped volunteers to set up a weekly food bank at the university’s Singleton Campus, responding to some students “taking on two or three jobs in order to support themselves”.

This follows the University of Newcastle’s SU launching its student pantry to support students as part of their Costof-Living Crisis Initiative in October of last year, supplying students in need with free food, household items and stationery.

University of East Anglia’s leaders questioned following significant financial challenges.

The University and Colleges

Union’s UEA branch said it had no confidence in the vice chancellor or other senior leaders, after the university proposed compulsory redundancies to make savings

In the 2021-22 academic year, the university reported a £13.9m loss supposedly from the effects of Covid, the tuition fee freeze and rising costs however, university staff are questioning this reasoning.

Labour MP for Norwich

South Clive Lewis said in a tweet that the university’s

announcement about job cuts is “worrying” and indicated he had consequently offered help to the trade union for academic staff at UEA, as well as the UCU.

University of Sunderland has been welcomed by David Attenborough in joining the British Academy of Film and Television Albert Education programme

The Albert Education programme aims to tackle the environmental impact of the screen industry, by equipping lecturers at UK universities with the necessary tools in integrating an ‘Applied Skills for a Sustainable Screen Industry’ module.

The module will teach students about the science of climate change and its global impact, the environmental impact of the film and TV industries, sustainable production practices and creating content with a strategic environmental purpose.

Speaking out about the partnership, Sir David Attenborough said informing “future industry leaders is an essential part of the solution”.

Of the Manchester sample, 20.87% married their University partner, and 42.61% had children with their University partner.

Holly, a second-year student at the University of Manchester, said “I would think it would be lower than that [....] Lots of people are so career-driven now, and just focused on their studies at uni.”

The figures for Manchester were notably higher than the average for the 30 Universities sampled. The overall average for meeting a romantic partner at University is 35.63%, whilst marrying a university partner is 12.17%. The average for having children with a university partner is 24.37%.

The University of Aberdeen ranked lowest of the 30 universities for finding a romantic partner, with 6.40% participants finding love at university. The University of Leeds ranked lowest for marrying a university partner (5.00%).

Similar studies in the past have made similar conclusions on the University of Manchester’s likelihood for relationships. One Day University Love League’s 2011 study found, from a sample of 2000 UK graduates, 20% meet the love of their life at university. At the University of Manchester, 21% found love (ranking fifth).

Photo: Shikhar Talwar @ The Mancunion

Blended and flexible learning explained: Under the Spotlight with Dan George

Joe McFadden Managing Editor

The University of Manchester recently announced its new strategy for blended and flexible learning, marking the beginning of a new long-term strategy to harness digital technologies in everyday learning.

In our latest episode of Under the Spotlight, we sat down with Dan George, the Associate VicePresident for Blended and Flexible Learning, to find out more about the new strategy.

We started off by asking Dan what the term “flexible learning” actually means and what it specifically entails. Dan told us that “at the heart of it, we really want to create a lifelong learning that’s inclusive, it’s accessible, and it’s international” so it “prepares our students for an increasingly digital, interconnected world.”

Elaborating, Dan said the strategy will have two key elements.

First: On-campus students. The university reportedly aims “to create greater flexibility for our on-campus students so when you’re on campus, it [will] be worth your while to come on campus.”

Dan further explains the reason for prioritising on-campus students, stating, “we want that to be interactive learning, we want that mix of real-time learning and stuff that you can do at your own pace, and we want it to be purposely designed teaching so that we make sure it does support your learning and development.”

So we want to deliver an education that fits with the learners’ lives

Second: Off-campus students. The reasoning behind this decision is that the university “wants to extend that offering of a University of Manchester education to anyone and everyone.”

“We know that our three or four-year undergraduates or our one-year, two-year postgraduate degrees don’t work for everyone, and why should that stop you from having a University of Manchester education? So we want to deliver an education that fits with the learners’ lives.”

Dan used people with caring responsibilities, career switchers, or even prospective students who don’t live in Manchester as examples of how this new commitment to off-campus teaching could benefit students. Crucially, she emphasised that the “growth in our off-campus

provision is in addition to what we have” and is “not reducing anything that we have on campus.”

This last point was important as next we discussed the backlash to the initial announcement in Summer 2021. When the initiative was first announced, it was met with a wave of criticism over fears that teaching would be moved permanently online. It was eventually clarified that this would not be the case, but students were already anxious and angry about the perceived move.

Forget the bit you’ve heard that’s been totally misrepresented, this is what we’re actually talking about

be something called a “flexible learning innovation space”, which, in Dan’s words, is designed to “trial different ways of teaching [and] learning.” This flexible learning innovation space will be located in Prospect house and will contain multiple spaces to enhance students’ learning.

The most ambitious and exciting of these is an “extended reality (XR) space” to utilise virtual reality in teaching and learning. The examples Dan used were medical students being able to study anatomy in virtual reality, mechanical engineering students being able to examine an industrial jet engine, or even town planners looking at a city. The plan is to use Prospect house as a trial space before moving the flexible learning innovation space to Booth Street East which is currently under construction.

of our students say, well, why wouldn’t you want that? You know, it’s a good question - why wouldn’t you want that?”

Enhance digital skills in a way that benefits not only the learning from a student perspective but in their lives and in their careers as well.

On this issue, Dan was keen to clear the air and she firmly reiterated that flexible learning won’t spell the end of face-to-face teaching. Discussing the way the story was handled when it broke, Dan’s message to students was to “forget the bit you’ve heard that’s been totally misrepresented, this is what we’re actually talking about.”

She emphasised the difference between online learning and blended and flexible learning as the confusion arose from beliefs that blended learning was synonymous with online learning, which is not the case. In hindsight, Dan said the silver lining of the issue was the high levels of student engagement the announcement prompted. Following the backlash, the University set up lots of open meetings to discuss the plan with students which lots of them engaged with. For Dan, this was positive because “once [the University] described what it is we were actually talking about … students were like ‘oh, that sounds really good, how can I get involved?’”

Dan succinctly summed the mission statement up as blended learning being about making “this lifelong learning inclusive, accessible, [and] internationalnothing about … becoming an online university, … we’re absolutely an on-campus university.”

One key aspect of this new flexible learning strategy will

Another space that will be available in Prospect house is a commuter student lounge so “they can feel like they’ve got a home for when they’re on campus”. Included in the space will be seating areas, water facilities, fridges, and microwaves alongside individual and group study spaces so students can make the most of their time on campus. When asked about how this will benefit commuter students, an often under-represented group in university life, Dan pointed to how it could save costs for them as it would mean they’d have their own dedicated space on campus to spend time in between lectures.

A second core pillar of the Blended and Flexible Learning strategy is the Digital Learning Environment (DLE) which will function as the primary delivery vehicle of this new Blended learning initiative.

Dan told us that, when consulting with students, the three things they wanted from it were: Accessibility, so it “works for anyone, across any device”, “engaging content” so students can “collaborate easily with other students [and] teaching staff”, and “crucially, it needs to be easy to use and have one login for all the different learning platforms”.

Next, we touched on whether students desired this new flexible learning approach. Dan once again emphasised that “this is not about removing your on-campus experience.” Instead, the overall focus of the move will be to “make it worth your while to come on campus, … when you come on campus, you’re going to get the best out of your learning.”

“When you say it like that many

On the topic of how these new ways of learning will be implemented into day-to-day university life, Dan compared it to being “almost like doing your homework before you come into the theatre.” She said there will be specific times scheduled into students’ timetables to complete the pre-lecture material (although the material will be available for students to complete whenever and wherever they want) so inclass lectures can cover concepts that students may have struggled with or can dedicate more time to explaining complex theories instead of using valuable contact hours to discuss the basics.

These new ways of learning will be very much aimed at STEM students because, as Dan said, “humanities as a subject has been doing this for a long time in many ways” with the mixed approach of weekly readings, lectures, and seminars/ tutorials.

Assuaging fears that this will reduce humanities students’ contact hours, Dan was firm in her response to the question, saying “it will definitely not reduce it.”

One potential concern that has been raised in this transi tion to Blended and Flexible Learning is the training and skills required, particular ly for staff members, who will be tasked with deli vering these new ways of teaching. For Dan, trai ning staff and students are “absolutely crucial” because the university must «enhance digital skills in a way that benefits not only the learning from a student perspective but in their lives and in their careers as well.”

Pointing to an exis ting programme called the “Jisc discovery tool” which can train stu dents in digital skills, Dan believes “we’ve got to make sure that this is absolutely personalised for individual students so that they leave with their own digital passport.”

To combat the pre-existing digital divide

amongst students from different socio-economic backgrounds, Dan announced that the university, in coordination with Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford, is looking to extend Eduroam across the city to ensure students can access their work anywhere within the city. She also said that talks were ongoing with the bus companies as well to try and further address the digital divide.

Whilst all these plans are years away from being fully implemented and part of the natural university ecosystem, the prospect of Blended and Flexible Learning is exciting. An integrated, digitised campus could help release the unrealised potential of higher education and aid in developing skills across the city and in multiple sectors, not just 20-something undergraduate students.

If the university can pull this off then it could have revolutionary effects on the way we learn and the way university learning is

Dan George, Vice-President for blended and flexible learning, sets out the university’s new digital skills strategy and what it means for students and staff alike

Students still being fined for drug possession one year after move to harm reduction

Megan Howells Investigations Writer

AMancunion investigation has discovered that The University of Manchester is continuing to penalise students for drug possession, despite announcing its commitment to a harm reduction stance in December 2021.

A freedom of information request by The Mancunion revealed that between November 2021 and November 2022, 33 students were fined for drug possession in University of Manchester halls. These fines totalled £3,300, an average of £100 per person.

In January 2022, the University announced its commitment to a harm reduction stance, in collaboration with the Students’ Union. The first statement regarding the transition was made in response to The Mancunion’s investigation ‘Students say no to zero tolerance’, which found that 91.7% of students ‘did not care’ about the University’s former zerotolerance policy when deciding whether to take drugs.

Additional freedom of information requests have revealed that The University of Manchester is profiting much more from these fines than the city’s other universities. Manchester Metropolitan University fined 25 students in the same period, with fines being almost half of what The University of Manchester charges, at an average of £55 per fine.

These fines have continued despite the cost of living crisis. With a recent NUS survey indicating that over one in ten students use food banks and the university library removing book fines to mitigate the impacts, the current fairness of fines has been brought into question.

Some aspects of the University’s harm reduction approach, such as the provision of drug testing kits and the issue of high potency drug warnings, show beneficial steps towards a true harm reduction approach. Yet, the continuation of fines indicates the University lacks a consistent approach to its new policy, leaving its students in limbo.

As a Mancunion Investigation found last year, 64.9% of students would have reservations about calling an ambulance for an overdosing friend, due to fear of facing punishment. Whereas a harm reduction approach

prioritises safety and education over punitive action.

Higher education institutes are pushing for harm reduction approaches to be implemented in universities across the country. The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) recently released a report arguing for the importance of harm reduction policies across universities, given the evident failure of zerotolerance policies to tackle drug use.

The report suggests that universities need to address rather

are capable of making decisions. It found that 80% of students who take drugs want to learn how to do so safely. This point is reified by the former Chief Constable of Durham, who said: “Universities should be centres of learning. All the learning

Surely of any sector, those who espouse academic rigour should embrace the learning rather than the rhetoric.”

Given these findings, it is important for universities to be open to the implementation of a harm reduction approach to drugs, which covers all areas in depth. Unlike the half harm reduction, half zero-tolerance approach the University of Manchester appears to be pursuing.

Harm reduction approaches are beginning to be implemented by universities across the country. After a pilot scheme at the

working with Students for Sensible Drug Policy campaign lobbied for the University to change to a harm reduction approach. They worked in partnership with the University to embed that new policy for all students and had considered it a successful example of collaborative working between the University, the Students’ Union and students. We will address the findings of this investigation with senior staff at the University to ensure that the principles and values that led to the creation of the harm reduction approach are acted upon.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said:

“The University is committed to keeping its students safe. As part of this it has adopted a Harm Reduction stance on drug and alcohol use. That position has been praised by other institutions in the sector and by the Warehouse Project and Parklife founder, Sacha Lord. Work is developing via a working group that meets frequently and includes student members, including representatives from the organisation, Students For a Sensible Drug Policy.

“A policy on Harm Reduction is part of this work as the University continues to evolve its Harm Reduction approach. Current work includes refining the University’s position statement to reassure students of the safeguarding response that would follow if, for example, a student in difficulty told University staff of a substance they had taken. Another focus is on refining our position on drugs in Halls and the use of fines.

“Since 2016, the University has moved towards education as a first response when students are found in possession of drugs in Halls. Previously students received a fine, by attending an educational course around harm reduction students have been able to reduce their fines substantially since 2016. From next academic year, the University plans to move towards even greater education and support, whilst being mindful of legal obligations as landlords and has partnered on the development of a sector-leading Harm Reduction training programme in this regard, which will be released soon.”

The University has collected £3,300 in drug possession fines since the move to harm reduction

It’s time to demand compensation for UCU strikes

Gabriela Bergmann-Chornik Opinion Writer

This semester, we are experiencing the biggest and most serious university staff strikes to have ever occurred in the UK. Although there is widespread support amongst the student body for the striking tutors and lecturers, I would like to draw attention to how severely students are being affected. It is not right that we should suffer the brunt of an event that is not our fault. We have a right to demand compensation - for both the educational and financial losses we are experiencing.

Crucially, as well as putting money back in our pockets for a service for which we paid and did not receive, demanding compensation will also help the UCU cause. Discontented students asking for refunds provides an additional outlet for pressure

against both universities and the government. Student action has often been aligned with labour and trade union movements, and this would be no different. Throw in the current rent strike as another source of resistance, and you have three simultaneous movements to help the overall effort.

I direct this to the University executive, in particular Vice Chancellor Nancy Rothwell, who holds sole responsibility for the strikes by failing to pay staff properly. I also speak on behalf of my peers, voicing their views and concerns. Identities will remain anonymous so as to protect their confidentiality.

Let me spell out the effects of the strikes to you.

Academics who are part of the UCU, which has over 120,000 members nationally, will provide no classes on strike days. In most cases, lecture slides will not even be posted online. There will be

delays in the marking of work, and semester one assessments will be returned late. Office hours will not take place on strike days, and should a student have an issue, teachers will not be available to help.

Some courses are setting up self-teaching groups, or “Teachouts”, where students lead the class themselves. We must question what the long-term effects of such educational disruptions will be. How will we cope when it comes to the semester two exams? How will the impact be felt on key vocational students, such as medical students, missing content?

stating that “I’ve worked out that per university hour, I pay £40. Thinking about this over 18 strike days, paying and getting nothing out, I just don’t think that’s acceptable.”*

*Note that this figure will depend on the number of contact hours that the course has, and so may vary.

Financially, we will squander all the money we paid for strike days. We must remember that students are also subject to the current inflation, so simply cannot afford to waste such volumes of money. Unfortunately, university, supposedly a vessel of learning and opportunity, has been degraded to a level where it is quantified by its financial value. Yet, it was the government that ‘marketised’ the experience, with fees only being introduced in 1998. Put bluntly, if you’re going to treat us as though we are ‘customers’, you have to expect us to act like customers.

As one student described it, “if that’s how they’re treating it, that’s how we should treat it”. As with any supermarket, clothing shop, or online retailer in the country, if you are not receiving what you’ve paid for, you deserve your money back.

This sentiment is undoubtedly shared by students across campus. One first-year commuter student told me “as much as I support the strikes, I’m not getting what I’m paying for. It’s not an easy decision to come to uni.” They added that they would “like to be a teacher, and I understand the importance of having a well-rounded education to teach people. Witnessing people strike, it worries me that going into teaching, I won’t be treated well. If this is how much they value the teaching - £9250 a year – then they should understand the value of the education we’re missing out on and therefore they should compensate us somehow.”

As well as having concerns about the treatment of educators, they voiced financial concerns,

International students are perhaps the worst victims, with one third-year asking themselves “why I even came here. Because I don’t have any classes until Feb 21 right now. I could have just stayed in Germany. I don’t know what to do. We are the future, so we deserve to be treated right.”

International students pay extortionately higher fees, up to £40,000 a year depending on the course, and so are arguably more heavily impacted than their home counterparts.

One student emailed University Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell herself in her frustration. The reply, sent on her behalf by an assistant, was underwhelming and disappointing.

If students problem relating to teaching during the strike, this should be raised with their School the first instance.”

If it’s not been possible to resolve via this route, a complaint may be raised through the University’s complaints procedure.”

Yet, what has become clear from speaking to peers, is that students want direct answers, not bureaucracy. Such feels like yet another tool for delay and avoidance. The university should recognise and value its students’ concerns, not take them for granted.

Calls for compensation from

staff strikes have occurred in the past. For example, following the 2018/19 walkouts comprising fourteen days, a change.org petition was set up by University of Manchester students, receiving over 8000 signatures, yet no notable compensation was given. Some students, such as those at Kings College London, did manage to receive compensation, between £122 and £4500, depending on the gravity of the impact on them.

This time, given that strikes will be the longest and most widespread ever, we have all the right to raise our voices again.

Other students around the country have already started to do so. Students at UCL have withheld the last round of tuition fee payments, using the hashtag slogan “#feestrike”. They have called on other universities to do the same.

The University of Manchester’s students have consistently been excellent at standing up to injustices, whether it be the Rent Strike, Reclaim the Night, or the

Amid the largest-ever university staff strikes, it’s possible for students to demand compensation, and support their lecturers in doing so

Photo @ The Meteor

Photo @ BBC

Four E’s, yet none for Excitement: The problem with Hunt’s Vision

AshwinVenkatakrishnan Opinion Writer

If a week is a long time in politics, four months must be the equivalent of a year-long case of vape withdrawal. At least that is what it must feel like for the Chancellor.

I cannot help but feel slightly bad for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. After failing to win the party leadership twice for being too sober, too sensible, and too centrist, it was those very qualities that propelled him to the second most powerful position in Cabinet. Since his return to frontbench politics, he has been forced to witness what can only be described as a series of unfortunate events.

The main issue for him, however, is his party’s keenness to simultaneously lower taxes and raise spending, all whilst lowering inflation and generating stable economic growth. If it sounds contradictory, that's because it is.

Instead, Jeremy Hunt’s strategy is focused on persuading businesses that a post-Brexit Britain is a financially viable investment. In a speech on Friday January 27, Hunt spoke of a desire to turn Britain into 'the next Silicon Valley’. Exciting.

Strangely, the speech was absent of policy proposals. Instead, we have been blessed with "four E’s": Enterprise, Education, Employment, and Everywhere.

ness a sign of cuts to business rates in the spring budget?

Probably not. The irony of a combination of national insurance hikes for individuals with a tax paradise for foreign businesses will not be completely lost on the voters. As a result, whilst Hunt normatively desires tax cuts, the fear of losing office in 2025 will prevent him from proposing

sure businesses and backbench MPs of the government’s commitment to growth, stemming from an increasingly pro-business and politically savvy Labour Party.

The success experienced by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, at the World Economic Forum in Davos acts as proof. Meanwhile, Business Secretary Grant Shapp’s frosty reception points to a global stage that struggles to trust the Conservative party to carry the burden of fiscal responsibility.

chancellorship and powerful businesses running to the Labour party. This is all tied together by Brexit, which has supposedly unleashed secret powers to foster prosperity.

Whilst I may cringe at the use of the word "Everywhere", it is important to notice that these buzzwords comfortably fit into a broader narrative of a pro-business economy caused by Brexit. Hunt points to the "regulatory flexibility" that the UK is now afforded postBrexit as indisputable proof that leaving the European Union has untethered the previously restricted British economy, allowing it to travel unchartered lengths to a position of growth and stability.

Is this deliberate vague

What’s more, the recent stories of sleaze and scandal suggest a fragmented party struggling to define itself. With the recent scandals surrounding Nadhim Zahawi and Dominic Raab converging with the restless backbenchers keen to defy the government, Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt safely stand as the underdogs in the build-up to the next general election.

This takes us back to the government’s economic policy. In trying to convince businesses that Britain is poised for economic growth, Hunt is clearly attempting to return the Conservative party back to the role of a pro-business party. In doing so, he can reclaim the support of the dogmatic free marketeers opposing his

Here’s the snag: nobody believes anything they say, including his government. The government’s own forecasters (the OBR) predict a weak rebound of the British economy. Adding fuel to the roaring fire, the IMF recently revised their projections to predict an economic contraction in 2023, whilst predicting growth across the world, including Russia. In light of this, investors are unlikely to see Britain as a financially viable investment.

It may seem tough to blame this on Hunt and the Prime Minister, who are largely dealing with problems inherited from previous governments. Nevertheless, their economic plans do not spell for success in 2025, even if their actions are in my opinion, not completely devoid of merit.

In light of the above, Hunt’s vision to turn Britain into a growth machine is only possible in the long-term. As tempting as they may be, the precarious position of the Conservative party makes this vision unlikely to materialise.

See it, say it, don’t bother sorting it: Even Ukraine has better trains than Britain

Credit is due to Ukrainian Rail for their prompt train timetable amid violent conflict, but questions must be asked as to how they’re outperforming their British counterpart

Wilf Butler Features Editor

Icould write an entire piece on why the state of British rail depresses me. Fear not - I shan’t - because that would take me far, far longer to write than the Avanti West Coast journey from Euston to Manchester that I’m currently on.

Regular passengers are familiar with the, to be polite, unsavoury experience of delays and high prices of British rail: tales are common where customers have paid sums well into the hundreds of pounds, only to be greeted with bright letters spelling out that dreaded word “Delayed” in orange writing on their arrival at the station.

A more unsavoury-yet experience this week was seeing a tweet by the chief-executive of Ukrainian Railways (the country’s state rail company). He posted a shocking statistic. That 97% of all

Ukraine’s trains had arrived at their destination on time on February 8.

Surely, this was some bizarre one-day-only stroke of luck? A tiny bit of optimism for a nation that no-doubt takes any good statistic it can? Well… no. I quickly scrolled through the rest of Alexander Kamyshin’s posts, which only boasted more optimism.

There you go - a country whose rail system is being actively targeted by the missiles of the world’s largest nuclear power during an invasion is reporting more reliable rail times than Britain. It makes for a good headline, a good giggle, even. But the tweet left a bitter taste in my mouth: if Britain is in a period of managed decline, the state of its rail is surely the most fitting microcosm of that.

It was, after all, Britain that brought rail to the world. A symbol of new technology. An era of global trade. From Mexico to Myanmar, British rail construction connected a new world together. Indeed, that

programme of construction was largely for the Empire’s benefit, often building routes that were of no use to locals but instead to the UK’s trade profits. Nonetheless, trains have since been tossed to one side.

The 1980s ushered in a new economic era under Thatcher. Almost all public services were seen no longer as services essential to a functioning society, but a network of deep, abundant gold mines that needed to be carved out and exploited for profit. Privatisation in rail and transport began in the early years of the Thatcher administration. By the end of her time in office, certain elements of rail had been sold off, but the core of British Rail was still in public hands.

Buses had much rockier journey during the decade - all routes were privatised. Interestingly, in every part of Great Britain - except, conveniently, in London - local authorities were prohibited from

having any control of routes or prices. It’s almost as if Thatcher herself knew that privatisation was bad, but as long as London doesn’t suffer, who cares?

But selling off rail was still a delicious dream the Tories craved, and this went full-steamahead (pun intended) with the Railways Act 1993. In a final blow to the public having control of their infrastructure, the British Railways Board was broken up into pieces and each piece was sold to the highest bidder.

And who bought these new enterprises? Funnily enough, foreign state operators.

Trenitalia and Deutsche Bahn (DB) are among those, quite smartly, ripping off UK passengers to subsidise their affordable transport systems. DB owns Arriva and the Newcastle Metro to name just a few; it’s little wonder they could afford to offer all Germans unlimited transport for nine Euros last summer.

A satirical campaign video from the TSSA transport union made me fascinated by this issue. In it, young Europeans mockingly “thank” Brits for giving them such great transport systems.

Once the envy of the world, our trains are a laughing stock. A tragically familiar pattern of British life.

Someone would be clever to make this theme the central issue of the next election. Such a campaign could hold appeal for a diverse cross-section of the electorate. Enchant students and thirty-somethings with big plans to nationalise the evil corporations. Pepper pensioners with the rhetoric of European neighbours cunningly profiting from poor England’s misery. A guaranteed victory at the polls, surely? But like I say, that would require someone clever.

I’ll stop ranting now, a gentleman is passing down the aisle with a coffee trolley.

Hunt’s vision for the economy may sound exciting, but his views are unlikely to materialise in practice

“After failing to win the party leadership twice for being too sober, too sensible, and too centrist, it was those very qualities that propelled him to the second most powerful position in Cabinet.

Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw: Black holes, strikes and fame

Emma Hattersley Science Editor

In a recent event organised by UoM’s physics society, ‘PhysSoc’, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw presented the ideas in their latest book, Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe The seminar, held in aid of the mental health charity CALM, explored the physics behind these fascinating objects, including elements of thermodynamics, quantum mechanics and relativity.

Speaking to Cox and Forshaw before their talk began, it became clear that they are firm friends as well as long-time collaborators, enjoying themselves as they argued with each other about how best to start the interview. They met when Forshaw was Cox’s lecturer in the mid90s they were the same age despite being teacher and student. Since then, they have published a number of popular science books together, including Why Does E=mc^2?,

The Quantum Universe and Universal Their latest work is arguably their greatest challenge to date, aiming to bring the physics of black holes, still hotly debated by researchers, to a non-specialist audience.

The importance of black holes A

black hole is a point in space where gravity is so strong, not even light can escape it. It is thought that supermassive black holes could lie at the centre of all galaxies, including our own.

Both Cox and Forshaw believe that the ground-breaking nature of black hole research means it’s essential for the general public to understand, with Cox arguing, “We’ve got a glimpse of a new theory of space and time from studying these objects - it’s important to anyone who wants to understand the origin of the universe. Was there even a moment of creation? We’re not going to know that before we know what we mean by time.”

Forshaw agreed, asking, “Why should anyone be interested in going to see the Mona Lisa? Physics is often thought of in terms of its utility, but it’s more its cultural value that interests me.

However, they’re also keen to note that the philosophical implications of the research do not exclude it from having practical and technological relevance, citing the crossover between the study of black holes and quantum computing. This new field of research could revolutionise data encryption and computer processing power and is benefiting from extensive financial backing.

Academics in the media

As Professors of Particle Physics, Cox and Forshaw combine academic life with science communication, albeit with slightly different emphases. Alongside his work in the public arena, Cox continues to teach a first-year module with Forshaw and supervises some postgraduate students.

He made it clear that this is an aspect of his role he values deeply, telling me that the media side of things was “almost an accident”.

“If you ask me what am I, what do I do, I say a physicist. I’ve been here since 1993 at Manchester, so I cannot imagine a life or a job or a career with -

out being at this university”.

“Even though I don’t have a great deal of time at the moment because I’m making television programmes and doing other things…. the thing I enjoy doing most is being an academic”.

This was illustrated by seeing him at the bar after the talk, as he and Forshaw chatted with physics students. Pints were on Cox, fulfilling his promise in 2020 that he would buy all his students a drink post-pandemic, due to the difficulty of their university experience in lockdown.

Despite his love of university life, Cox also recognises the importance of his media role, stressing that “if we’re to maintain and increase funding and interest in physics and all academic subjects

explained, “I come from a working-class background and I was lucky that I managed to get into a situation where I can do the work that I do….a part of it is wanting to make these ideas accessible.”

“There is a selfish aspect as well which is that I get to think about bits of physics that I enjoy. To explain things clearly to people who are not experts, you need to understand what you’re talking about really well, so it gives me an excuse to really get to grips with some of these things in a way that I might not do if I was just working within a research context.”

This passion for the science involved appears to be the key to the success of Cox and Forshaw’s books. They both agreed they don’t really plan to start new projects. Instead, they get interested in an area of physics, and decide they better write a book to learn more about it, with Cox adding “I have no idea what the next bit of physics is gonna bethis is the fun of it!”

actually, then you need to have a bridge to the wider public.”

He brought up one of his heroes, Carl Sagan, and the analogy in his book ‘Cosmos’ of the Great Library at Alexandria, to illustrate the dangers of “academic institutions that are essentially ivory towers, closed off from the rest of society.”

“Sagan said that there’s no evidence that any of the knowledge that was stored in that library was ever transferred out of the academy.... when the barbarians came to break down the gates there was no one to defend it.”

Cox would like to see an expansion of mass communication across academia, saying, “the ideal world is where as many academics as possible are allowed and enabled and encouraged to spread their knowledge and expertise.”

In contrast, Forshaw spends most of his time as a lecturer and researcher, with a particular focus on quantum chromodynamics. A (more than) full-time role in itself, he still finds time for science communication, including working as a science consultant for the media, giving talks to the general public, as well as his books with Cox. He

University strikes

As the interview drew to a close, I was keen to hear Cox’s perspective on the recent strikes of university staff, which have highlighted systemic issues in British academia. He stated that “I think, along with many professions, if you look at the wages of academics, they’ve declined rapidly in real terms over time,” but emphasised that it was part of a broader issue, rather than being restricted to a university setting.

“At a wider level what we’re talking about is building a prosperous country and a prosperous ecosystem which involves education and research at the highest level and that’s a prerequisite for funding the [ecosys -

tem]… there’s a virtuous circle somewhere, and I don’t think we have it at the moment.”

Cox also suggested that he would like to see a wider overhaul of the British university system. When asked how non-science students could get more involved in STEM, he noted that there were opportunities for such students to take science courses, but that he would like to see this extended. He said that he admired this aspect of the US education system, stating that his “utopian vision for universities would be that students have the time and the opportunity to study a wider range of subjects.”

In the meantime, reading popular science books, particularly

Cox and Forshaw’s, is a great place to start. Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe is available now.

In a recent catch-up with everyone’s favourite scientists, we picked Brian Cox and Jedd Forshaw’s academic minds on the key issues currently facing science

Science & Tech 11

In Conversation: Ex-NASA astronaut Bruce Melnick

team managed to squeeze a variety of experiments into a couple of days before their landing at

the fire doesn’t go up because you’re in zero gravity. So it just makes a fireball, and oxygen

previously launched satellite that was stuck in a useless orbit after a fault during its launch.

On a cold, Manchester morning in late January, hundreds of miles from the sun-baked asphalt of the Kennedy Space Center launch pads, I was lucky enough to meet Bruce Melnick, a former NASA astronaut.

Melnick flew two missions for NASA in the early 90s, and now holds the role of Ambassador for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Before NASA, he served in the United States Coast Guard - where he logged over 5,000 flying hours and received numerous awards.

His first mission, STS-41, was aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in October 1992.

“Our primary objective was to launch a satellite into a polar orbit around the sun, using a gravitational assist around Jupiter. It was a very short mission; we took off, six hours later we got the satellite out of the payload bay, and about half an hour later we pushed the button to send

Edwards Air Force Base.

“We had some white rats on which we were trying out a proprietary protein, that actually created living bone tissue inside a rat on Earth. But it didn’t work in space - [before that] we thought we had the cure - all for osteoporosis in space.”

Another experiment involved igniting a piece of paper, and studying how the flames behaved. A blaze aboard

can’t get to the heat source so the fire goes out.”

“They were looking at big fire suppression systems on the Space Station, but you just don’t need it, because a flame will just put itself out.”

They would capture the satellite and attach a new engine, allowing it to reach its planned orbit. Originally designed to be a two-person spacewalk, the team ended up performing the only three-person spacewalk ever.

“The capture bar didn’t work, so we ended up convincing the ground that the only way we could [capture the satellite] was by sending three people out there. They weren’t happy with it, but once it became their idea we got to do it.”

This triple spacewalk re -

“Exploration benefits everyone on the planet. The technology and the things we bring back benefit everyone.”

As well as getting excited about sharing his experiences in space, Bruce is looking forward to NASA’s upcoming Artemis missions – the recent success of Artemis I is just the beginning.

“The launch coming up next year is going to have people on board – sign me up, I’d love to jump on that and do a few orbits around the Earth! They’re going to do a free-return flight around the Moon – it’s going to be great.”

“Then the year after that we’re going to land people on the Moon – we’re going to send four people, and two are going to go to the surface – it’s awesome!”

“Couple of years later we will hopefully have the Gateway up there, and we’ll start constructing the lunar base. It’s happening!”

One of the aims of the Artemis Program, especially Gateway, is to act as a stepping stone for crewed exploration deeper into space.

“One of the hardest parts of getting to space is to reach orbital velocity, and then escape velocity from Earth because our gravity is so strong. But on the Moon you don’t have that problem – it’s only a sixth as strong as Earth’s gravity, so you don’t have to get too far away from it before a fairly weak spaceship can take off to Mars.”

Establishing a presence on the Moon will also offer a chance for us to get used to living on another celestial body before we take the leap to Mars.

“We have never lived that far away from Earth. We’ve gone up in orbit, and we’ve lived on the Space Station for six months at a time, but one of the purposes of the lunar base is to have people live that far from Earth. You still see that little blue marble out there, but it’s not at a reach.”

We may still be a while off landing humans on Mars, but it’s hard not to be infected by Bruce’s excitement. Inspirational and fascinating, it was an honour to meet a real live astronaut.

“The best kind,” Bruce quipped.

We sat down with Bruce Melnick, former NASA astronaut, to discuss his time in space, his role at the Kennedy Space Center, and the ongoing Artemis Program

Ivan Paul Science Writer

Photo: Bruce Melnick onboard the Space Shuttle during STS-41 @ Kenedy Space Center

Women in Media: Everything you need to know

Annabel Benton Lifestyle Editor

Women in Media, the annual conference run by students from Manchester Media Group, is returning to the University’s Student Union next month. The conference, taking place on the 22nd and 23rd of April, is a brilliant way to learn more about careers in the media and network with inspirational women.

However, it may not be clear to all students just what WIM is, or what they could gain from attending. As such, we are giving you the run-down of all the information you need to know about the event - including where to buy your tickets before they sell out!

Women still face many barriers to entering careers in the media, an industry which has been historically dominated by men, especially in positions of authority. To try to promote diversity in the media industry and inspire the next generation of women in media, Manchester Media Group is putting together a two-day conference, with keynote talks, panels, Q&As, and workshops

celebrating those with successful media careers.

Exciting speakers who have already been confirmed include Branwen Jeffreys, Education Editor for the BCC, and Keisha Thompson, the Artistic Director of Contact Theatre in Manchester.

There will also be panels covering a wide range of media careers, from podcasting and investigative journalism to filmmaking and radio. Other panels include ‘Media in Manchester’, with the conference focusing on championing those doing incredible work in the media of our city.

The fun does not stop with talks, however, as the conference is also putting on a series of interactive workshops across the weekend. Such events include a breaking news

workshop with News Associates’ Lucy Dyer, a creative workshop with Ajifa, and a collage/zine-

making workshop from Stephanie Francis-Shanahan.

Celebrating women and creating inspiring environments is not just confined to WIM weekend.

On March 20th, WIM will be holding a belated International Women’s Day fundraiser club night in Withington venue XLR, with music from Maracuya of NotBadForAGirl. Tickets are already on sale, starting at £5.

The fundraiser will be both a fun student night out and a chance to benefit

Smart Works Greater Manchester. MASH helps women working in the sex industry to have better access to good health, safety, and emotional well-being. They provide drop-in health clinics as well as personal case workers who help women set up bank accounts, report crimes, attend appointments, apply for courses, and fill out forms.

Smart Works also does fantastic work, helping women across Greater Manchester secure employment and write their CVs— helping to change the trajectories of their lives. The team is so proud to be fundraising for these incredible charities and is hoping to raise as much money as they can towards their causes.

Both the fundraiser and WIMCON are open to all, and tickets can be purchased from the link in their Instagram bio (@wimconmcr). This is also a great place for keeping up to date with all of the exciting speakers announcements. Tickets to the conference are £15, however students are able to get the price of their ticket reimbursed by the Students’ Union’s Access to Recreation Grant if needs be.

Switching on your ‘university brain’

Thea Morales Lifestyle Writer

Coming back after a long holiday break, it can feel as though you need to switch back into the university mindset: back into the flow of doing assigned readings, getting up earlier, and back into a consistent schedule. But I think that a large part of this switch – this adjustment – is not just academic, but social.

Time off from uni always seems to come right at the point of getting burnt out. A welcome respite from the continuous grind, to pull a phrase out of the Instagram

tiniest print) while standing in the hallway moments before walking into your tutorial – just to find out it was the wrong one – then having to start next week’s incredibly dry 40-page excerpt. Squeezing out an extra 200 words just to reach a word count, or worse still, having to cut 200 words back from an entirely crucial paragraph. All that to then get an entirely average grade.

in your childhood home again, and for all the fun that uni is –surrounded by peers your own age, staying up late with your house chatting around the kitchen table, house parties with niche themes, societies and socials – it is nice to take a “small” break.

So you are home, a new level of sloppiness even your housemates have not quite been privy to just yet, achieved. Hey, it’s cheap (free), meals are provided, and in

some ways you are not an “adult” anymore. You do not necessarily regress, but a certain independence is lost (for good and for bad) as you fall back under the hierarchy of child and

Most of all there is an ease that cannot quite manifest in a few blink-and-you-miss-it years alone. A literal lifetime of living amongst the same people allows for a complete disregard of a social face. This is not to say that you do not become comfortable in your shared university house, because of course you do! Embarrassing stories shared, moments experi enced together, the most inane and dull moments of a day seen. But at home these moments have already been had, several times over, times you can not re ally re member anymore,

great thing is that after the first five seconds of standing there in the hallway, slightly strangled by all your layers, fingers gaining awkward little calluses from where they were pinched between your suitcase handle and rings, your housemates crowd round, hugs

They all missed you! The house is once again full, you just hope you (or your housemates) have not undergone some kind of Christmas metamorphosis, suddenly not clicking as you should, not funny as you once were. It’s a clunky little process. Getting your sea legs back, or whatever the equivalent is for coming back to

But it does happen. I often find (as embarrassing as it is) that the cliches are in fact true. And so when I say this too shall (and does) pass, I do not mean it like an ironic wall hanging you get to decorate the kitchen (something like ‘Eat Glitter for and Sparkle!’), er that feeling of disjointness after abrupt ly changing environ ments makes complete sense.

Thinking of a career in the media? Wanting to get your foot in the door but not knowing where to look? Fear not - the annual Women in Media conference is back for two days in April. Here’s everything you need to know!

A long break from uni is both a gift and a curse. Lifestyle discusses the trials and tribulations of switching on your ‘university brain’

Manchester triumphant with winning swim semester

Tom Grant MMG Senior Producer

The University of Manchester swim team are confident for the semester ahead, after a consistent line of wins last semester, says President Ellie Ritchie.

Manchester beat Nottingham Trent 41-37 in their first round of the British University Swimming League (BUSL) on October 20, before winning against Sheffield 44-34 on November 7, and then drawing 39-39 against Sheffield Hallam on December 7.

Their first BUSL round was away at Nottingham Trent, but they also managed a victory on home soil as they beat Sheffield at the Manchester Aquatic Centre.

In Nottingham, a top performance from Tom Poulton saw him take the top spot in both the 100m backstroke with a time of 58.14s, winning by 6s, and the 50m

backstroke in 27.4, winning by 7s.

Emma Moore topped the table in the Women’s 100m Individual Medley and the Women’s 50m freestyle, whilst Maddie Follis won the Women’s 100m freestyle and Amy West the Women’s 100m butterfly. Manchester won both 50m breaststroke races, with Ioan Delahay and Maddie Good coming first. The team also won both the Men’s and Women’s Medley Relays against Nottingham Trent.

At home against Sheffield, Manchester managed to win 15 of the 22 races, with Amy West taking the top spot in the Women’s 50m and 100m butterfly. Tom Poulton came first in the Men’s 100m backstroke for the second consecutive time, as well as the 50m backstroke. The Women’s 4x50m freestyle relay team of Maddie Follis, Beth Elliot, Abby Parkinson and Amy West also grabbed the top spot in their race.

There was another great round of swims against Sheffield Hallam from Sophie Shaw in the 50m and 100m backstroke, Tom Poulton in the 100m backstroke and Tom Gambold in the 50m backstroke.

Manchester also secured wins

in three of the four relay races, with exceptional performances in the Girls’ Free and Medley relays especially.

Ritchie was confident that these wins had given Manchester a strong team going into the British University & Colleges Sport (BUCS) tournament at Ponds Forge in Sheffield on November 19. The BUCS short course tournament saw new Manchester club records from Sophie Shaw, Tom Poulton and Denisa Elena Gogu.

BUCS saw three club records from Shaw, in the women’s 50m backstroke (28.56s), the 100m backstroke (1:00.42) and the 200m backstroke (2:08.53), a new women’s 200m breaststroke record from Denisa Elena Gogu (2:33.14), and a men’s 200m backstroke record from Tom Poulton (2:03.42). Manchester’s next event was set to be a virtual BUSL on January 28th, but was postponed to February 6th after a pool fault at the Manchester Aquatics Centre.

Why you should join the University of Manchester’s water polo club

Ava Griffths Deputy Sports Editor

Perhaps an underrated sport, the water polo club here at the university, offers a great way to keep fit and meet new people. Oh and don’t worry, all abilities are welcome. I spoke to the club president Sophie Du Rieu on why students should consider becoming a part of this club.

Firstly, the club prides itself on offering a welcoming atmosphere. Sophie describes the club as “ social club that welcomes everyone”. The club makes sure to have different socials every week, such as taking part in the ‘Didsbury dozen’ or all dressing up in a particular theme to go out.

This sports club puts an equal amount of emphasis on helping improve one’s physical fitness as well as the friend making side of it all. This is great for students looking for a unique way to keep fit and meet new people. As Sophie points out, “whilst at university, it is important to be a part of a club”.

To add to this, the club trains at Manchester Grammar School every Tuesday. This is around a 5 minute walk from Fallowfield first

year accommodation, perfect for any first year students looking for a sports club to join.

For those who may not be familiar with water polo, it is a fast paced ball game in the water. The main aim is to score goals against the opponent. However, each side has to act fast as they only have 30 seconds to score, or the chance goes to the other team. Sophie likens the game to “handball in the water”.

It is a unique yet dynamic sport which requires a range of abilities from its players. Sophie discusses how those involved work on their “shooting and swimming skills” all at the same time. Sophie also told me that this sport undoubtedly

improves one’s physical fitness with players “swimming up to 7 km every game”.

Unsurprisingly, water polo has often been ranked as one of the most difficult Olympic sports by sports medical experts. But do not let this put you off, the club welcomes everyone of all experience. As Sophie highlighted, “we have a nice range of abilities”.

The club has already been successful, at the time of this interview the women’s first team has won every game in the league so far. Not to mention that the women’s team had previously won the 2022 Christie Cup.

However, it is now a new semester which brings a fresh set of

challenges for the season. Sophie hopes the club will find even more success in the league, hoping for a promotion to the Premier North Division, in which they are just one league below.

The club is split into four different teams, two men’s and two women’s. Both of these teams compete in weekly BUCS fixtures. You can keep updated with every team’s progress by following the club’s Instagram

account @uomwaterpolo. Sophie also recommends to anyone who is thinking of getting involved to message them through Instagram. It is the start of a new semester so why not try a new sport? Meeting new people, learning unique skills and keeping up your physical fitness are all reasons as to why students should consider joining the university’s water polo club. If you have any questions, be sure to message the club on Instagram.

“We’re confident for the semester ahead” says Swim Team President after UoM’s swim team makes an undefeated splash so far this year

Photo: Water Polo UoM

Photo: Water Polo UoM

Photo: Water Polo UoM

LEADMCR CANDIDATES

City & Community Officer

The role requires representing the UoM students to the rest of the city, working with institutions such as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the Mayor’s Authority. They will engage with the local community and ensure that change happens for issues that affect our everyday lives.

They will work with different departments of the university to ensure that postgraduate research students have the best experience at UoM. The SU requires the Research Officer to also be a postgradutate student.

Research Officer

spokespersonforchangeslistentothedemocraticontheirandTrusteeboard.

LiberationWellbeing&Officer supportTheywilldirecttheSU’seffortsonequalityanddiversity, studentliberationcampaigns,andchampionsthose aspectstudentswhofeeltheyareunder-represented.Anothermajor oftheroleisstudenthealthandwellbeingacrossnotjust theSU,butacrossthewideruniversitycampus

Supportsstudentstoruneventsaswellasadvocate forstudentsocieties,ensuringtheyhavethe support,developmentandrecognitiontheyrequire. Theofficierisresponsibleforrepresenting internationalstudentsandencouragingothers tobeinvolvedinmulticulturaleventsthroughouttheuniversity.

CultureActivities&Officer

Faculty Officers

Humanities Officer • Biology, Medice & Health Officer • Science & Engineering Officer

The role includes interacting with people at all levels of the university, including Faculty, School, Course Leader or students. They will work with student representatives to make changes to the educational experiences of students and partake in activities like the Univeristy Senate and academic committees in the university.

Biology Medicine & Health Officer

HumanitiesOfficer

In conversation with Gia Ford

“Pandemic London was not fun”.

Few artists today truly manage to capture a sense of the poetic drama of everyday life quite like Gia Ford. A rising starlet from Sheffield, Ford has recently signed to reborn label Chrysalis – of previous Blondie fame – and is set to play Camden’s famous Jazz Café this Valentine’s Day for the charity Choose Love

As all good artists are, Ford is a musical magpie, taking influence all the way from golden 70s pop to Shade and Lana Del Rey. Her previously released material –put out by the 1975’s label Dirty Hit – samples an entirely different sonic palette of dark, fuzzy guitars and murky synths. While still

“London is a very soul-stripping place unless you’re having a lot of fun all the time … I’m not really that kind of person … I’m more of an introspective person. I like space”. Referring to the differences in the scene up here, she was eager to make clear how the North generally is “less ‘industry’ and less pretentious” as well as “less cutthroat … it feels more genuine”. Ironically, it seems the distinct lack of industry presence in the North influences music even at a very granular level, something Ford knows all too well.

The lack of a present music business outside of London does increase the challenge of getting music out there however, a fact felt all too easily by artist attempting to get their foot in the door. We discussed the plans to regionalise BBC Introducing – in part due to dwindling radio listenership. As Ford’s most recent single – the beautifully fatal ‘Car Crash for Two’ – has been championed by Sheffield’s own Introducing DJ, Christian Carlisle, there is a clear fondness for the radio promotion young artists receive through the programme.

even the most controversial or rebellious bands have an Instagram account, we discussed the pressures of social media and the incessant marketing drive behind it. “People think that you have to be TikTok savvy or Instagram savvy … I understand [it] as a great tool, but I think it does fall on the artist’s shoulders so much to get yourself out there”.

Like most artists, Ford releases regular content to keep people engaged, but she was keen to stress how the social-media storm mounts on the pressure: “When I first started releasing music there was a lot less pressure around it”. “My girlfriend does all of my imagery… we used to just have fun and take some amazing photos and post them… creating the world whenever we felt like it”.

expressing a pride she feels over the work, it is a musical direction she has definitely shifted away from. Explaining how she felt about that earlier work: “I was trying to second guess the industry a little bit”.

Now, her music has an Americana twang of a different era. “The new stuff is more of my childhood inspirations … the Fleetwood Macs , the … even the Dusty Springfields that’s always been my favourite stuff”. A return to old loves. She remarked of the change: “I think I’ve gone back to all of my original inspirations that I never felt confident enough to pay homage to”. “Part of me just wants a complete rebirth… to start again”.

With potent lyrics full of embedded meaning, Ford is a focused lyricist, with an eye for an unusual image. One song she recalled references the urban grit of Raymond Chandler’s Sleep, while she also pointed to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History as a key literary influence (“the descriptions take you into another world. That’s something I try to do”). “I live my life trying to absorb things that go unnoticed usually … like that classic thing with newspaper articles; there are songs in everything if you keep your eye out”.

As an artist from Sheffield and having went to school in Wilmslow, Ford has recently returned to the North after a spate in the capital. Keen to emphasise the cultural differences, she remarked:

Now with new label backing, Ford seems to be turning a new leaf in her career. “When I was independent, I felt like I had nothing to fall back on apart from myself … If I didn’t do something, I would just inevitably fall off the face of the planet.” “Now that I’m back working with a label… there’s lots of planning going on behind the scenes … I feel less pressure to do the other stuff … the stuff that isn’t actual song-writing”.

Full of praises for Chrysalis,

with in the past, but I wouldn’t say I feel that direct lineage, because its

Coming off the back of her first Manchester performance, The Mancunion sits down to discuss all things music with new Chrysalis signing, Gia Ford

“

Part of me just wants a complete rebirth… to start again

Giants and current Reverend and The Makers bass player Antonia Pooles and drummer Nicolas Py , Ford’s live set has taken on a new

Jacob Broughton-Glerup Music Writer

Photo: @ Eleanor May Photography

“Uncompromising and unapologetic”: The Brian Jonestown Massacre take over Manchester’s O2 Ritz

Jacob Broughton-Glerup Music Writer

Once every blue moon, Manchester’s longdormant collection of mods and psychonauts come out to play. With The Brian Jonestown Massacre dragging their perfectly organised chaos to the O2 Ritz last Saturday, a sold-out crowd hotly anticipated the group’s next offering of rock’n’roll and infighting.

Sauntering on to the stage in their uniform - denim jackets, sunglasses and Stetson hats - the band are more cult than rockgroup. Everyone around them, from guitar-techs to loyal fans, look like a piece of that LA sixties revival and given the group’s infamous history of having over 50 different members, they are as good as interchangeable. Led by loose-cannon Anton Newcombe Jonestown are a sight to behold. That night, we were all a part of that godforsaken band, and its great leader’s clear, unadulterated vision.

Firing straight into ‘#1 Lucky Kitty’ with commanding drums, by the second song (the flaming drone

of ‘The Real’) Newcombe and co seemed to switch the audience on like a lightbulb. Within seconds, the wave of guitars emerged – all four of them – drowning the space in lush psychedelia.

Throughout the show, there would never be less than three electric, acoustic or twelvestring guitars at once; sometimes ranging all the way up to six. Joel Gion’s tambourine seemed to tie the cacophony together, as they powered through hypnotic tracks such as ‘Wait a Minute (2:30 to be Exact)’ and ‘Pish’. Guitars were regularly exchanged for whatever suited the song, just as Ryan Van Kriedt (confined to the far-left corner of the stage) regularly flipped between a variety of synthesisers, keyboards, or whatever six-string was thrust into his hands at that point.

Ever the awkward performer, Newcombe himself was hunkered over his bandstand of lyrics –the composer of his orchestra of oddities. He would stand there the entire evening, delivering his sermon of lyrics stretching their entire career: from the 90s alternate classic ‘Anemone’ to their

newest additions, ‘The Future Is Your Past’ and ‘Fudge’.

Occasionally, the sonic mass would fall out of sync with Newcombe’s airtight vision, at which point he would force the band to restart, or aggressively chastise band members or the sound team. At one point, extremely irritated at a lack of reverb on his mic (“There’s nowhere near enough reverb. I don’t know what you guys are doing!”) Newcombe brought the show to a grinding halt, waiting impatiently for the correct amount of saturation his microphone. The irony was, for the rest of the show Newcombe’s petty complaints and aggressive exchanges were mostly lost to an ocean of echo…

Alas, no one was safe from Newcombe’s wrath (not an uncommon sight at a ‘Jonestown gig!) echoing the volatility of the band’s earlier days, captured succinctly in the hit documentary Dig! “I’m gonna start drinking tomorrow… I physically can’t handle the songs being messed up… Don’t get messed up by the truth!”

Clearly certain grievances haven’t fully been resolved…

Closing out the set, Anton

launched the mob into ‘Abandon Ship’. Lasting well over 10 minutes, and with both guitar-techs also on guitar duty, the group burned through the krautrock-inspired dirge, lulling the audience into a

The Brian Jonestown Massacre are not ‘the people’s band’. They are Anton Newcombe’s band. To see them live is to compromise to this vision, uncompromising and unapologetic. If, however you see

mean to go on - the same band as ever. To make one thing clear,

Jsky: Célfie - A new force to be reckoned with

Manchester-based artist Jsky’s latest EP ‘Célfie’ is released on Valentines Day so prepare for the best

Robert L. Gyorgyi

TV Editor

You might be already familiar with the name Jsky. The Mancunian artist hosts The Dead Good Show on BBC Radio Manchester on Wednesdays and serves as a presenter on Gaydio, the largest radio station for the LGBTQ+ community globally. He was also featured as a body positive influencer on the innovative Channel 4 reality program

Beach Jsky’s latest album Célfie (a play on ‘selfie’ to express himself) is a fresh take on his sound that explores his different facets. The six-track EP, with a total runtime of less than 20 minutes, offers a compact and cohesive journey through Jsky’s musical world. The collaboration

with producers from around the world and gold disc-accredited sound engineer, Jocelin Francis, has resulted in a polished and wellcrafted project.

Inspired by the music Jsky grew up listening to, Célfie is a mix of early 90s R&B, modern

making it both a fusion-like experience and accessible to a wide audience:

“There was music coming out of every room in our house when I was younger. My older brother would play a lot of hip hop (Wu Tang, DMX, Tupac) and my mum and dad loved Luther Vandross, Anita Baker, and Toni Braxton. The first cassettes I ever bought as a child were Pavarotti and Ace of Base though so I’ve always been

Each song on Célfie displays a unique side of Jsky, showcasing his versatility and depth as an artist. ‘Legs’ has become his most streamed solo release to date, while the follow-up single ‘2 Good’ is already generating a buzz with its gender-bending video. The latter is a message to rise above relationship drama and focus on what’s important, reminding listeners of their own strength.

Sadly, ‘Club’ is inspired by his time spent in Manchester’s Gay Village, where he encountered instances of racism that have had a lasting impact

song delves into the complex issues surrounding access and discrimination within the LGBTQ+ community, with Jsky drawing on his own experiences to bring depth and nuance to the subject. Through ‘Club’, Jsky hopes to shed light on the ongoing challenges facing members of the LGBTQ+ community, and to start a meaningful conversation around these important issues.

Jsky has already made a strong statement with his second EP release, building on the success of À La Mode, which was produced during lockdown and released in 2021. Fans and critics alike should expect to be impressed with this body of work, with Jsky’s attention to detail and musical vision poised to leave a lasting impact on the music world.

Make sure to check out and follow Jsky’s Instagram and Twitter (@jskychat).

To promote their 20th studio album The Future is Your Past, The Brian Jonestown Massacre bring their unique brand of chaos to the O2 Ritz

The Waeve: In conversation with Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall

Blur guitarist extraordinaire Graham Coxon and singer-songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall sit down to discuss their new exciting project The Waeve

Sarah Taylor Music Editor

When Graham Coxon and Rose Elinor Dougall caught up for a long-overdue jam session, what started off as a jokey one-liner about potentially recording a song together soon spawned the tumultuous project that has become The Waeve.

Coxon is considered one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, and an integral member of Blur, spearheading their reinvention. From their mid-90s Britpop, to their late-90s experimental alt-rock, Blur has produced eight acclaimed solo albums to date. Dougall worked with The Pipettes at a young age, and has garnered further critical acclaim from her avant-garde solo career, as well as being enlisted by producer-extraordinaire Mark Ronson on his Record Collectionalbum.

Sitting down to speak to Coxon and Dougall over a shaky Zoom connection from their North London home, their chemistry becomes instantly clear.

really well” – we made each other laugh. The music felt intense and at times it felt like we were taking a lot of risks lyrically. We were really dealing with the idea of looking forward. Past the bleakness and into the unknown”.

When it comes to the song-writing process, Rose reveals: “Graham might start with a little chord sequence and I’d re-interpret it on the piano and we’d come up with a melody. We just kept adding layers and layers of ideas. Just before we took it to James Ford ( Arctic Mon -

real plan to create a concise set of songs – meant the duo were “writing to satisfy ourselves and writing music we were excited by”.

It was a learning experience for both parties. Rose tells me that “Graham works very quickly. [she turns to him] You don’t tend to overthink things apart from when it comes to your guitar [both laugh]. It’s great energy to have and stops you from getting too tight and self-limiting”.

isn’t really a lot of encouragement. In that way, it can be quite competitive. I didn’t feel like there was any competition between us at all. It felt very equal. Creatively and supportively.”

“Writing to satisfy ourselve s and writing music we were excited by

you need to have multi-faceted music”.

These cinematic moments prompt me to wonder whether Dougall will, like Coxon, venture into the realm of film and television scoring. Coxon’s recent work on the soundtrack for Channel 4 and Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World has been some of his most interesting and commercially successful solo work to date.

The Waeve “formed on a bit of a whim”, with Coxon and Dougall linking up after playing at a charity benefit show for Lebanon in December 2020. “I’d met Graham 15 years ago and been a long-time fan of his work. I made a little joke at the end of the night – that we should write a song together and then that’s what happened. We wrote to each other for quite a long time about things that we loved”.

In early 2021, when a third lockdown swept the UK leaving the artists “both feeling quite jaded and despondent” they met up and essentially “gave each other a kick up the arse to make something. There wasn’t a big plan, and we didn’t expect this project to unravel into a big thing. But it felt like we were kindred spirits when we started working together”.

Graham continues: “It felt so weirdly natural. It was a bit nerve wracking at first because I’d never really collaborated with one other person in such close proximity. We were in a room that wasn’t very big and just started to write. Luckily, we just seemed to [he searches for the words and settles on] “get on

keys’ long-time producer) – we did a lot of production ourselves and we had to break them down. The songs were occasionally going in too many different directions. We didn’t want any barriers when we were making the music but then stepping back, we realised what needed to be there for a reason. Nothing superfluous. It wasn’t just self-indulgent. It needed to have form and purpose. But still feel instinctive”.

Graham leads on from here:

“When Rose joined in on the chord sequences, it was a lot more interesting, harmonically, what she was doing with the piano. Within there we would see more melody. I’d have one and sing it on the same song later. The songs were really developing in a few minutes and ending like a different song entirely. It was a way to consciously offload a lot of our shit”.

The spontaneity of The Waeve – working without deadlines or any

Graham continues: “Considering we didn’t know each other that well, we were actually really supportive and encouraging. I saw in Rose someone who could maybe do a lot more with her voice than I’d heard her do on records. Maybe I’d watched something that was live and noticed something about her voice when she pushed it and wanted to hear a bit more of that. But we both weren’t the most confident in all areas. We knew what we could do well but there was a periphery of things we were a little unsure of”.

“[Rose] was really encouraging about my singing as well as guitar playing. I’ve been in groups with blokes for a long time and there

So how much material didn’t make the cut? Graham reveals: “Quite a lot. Some of the songs lost control and we didn’t quite reign them in in time for the album. We were producing a lot of music and sometimes we’d cut a whole section out of a song. It’s difficult to know whether to go back to things or move forward.” Rose chips in:

She describes the end of ‘All I Want to Know’ as feeling “like a French film, as if everyone would be walking off into the distance. It’s got a nice hopeful yet melancholy feeling. It was a really brilliant thing for me to be able to arrange the strings on this record – I had free reign. This was one of the things I loved the most about making the record, and then getting to see it performed by some brilliant players – the Elysian Quartet came and played for us. There is a filmic quality. I think it’d be a really great soundtrack. I’d love to make a film to go with it. And to answer your earlier question, yes, I’d love to write music for film and TV”.

Graham adds: “It was such fun to make. There’s a lot of romantic feeling in it. At times we relied on folkloric-type taletelling as vehicles for some of the heavy feelings and put them in a more supernatural space like with ‘Undine’. It was quite overwhelming at times emotionally. It could be exhausting work if we’re getting real! [he laughs] But it was also excellent fun! It’s got everything in it, crystallized, as it happened”.

“My instinct is that all that music belonged to that time, and I’m really interested to see what happens when we reapply ourselves now. It was a very fruitful time”.

The Waeve is a record brimming with contrasts. The latter tracks ‘Alone and Free’ and ‘You’re All I Want to Know’ are light and romantic, embellished with sweeping strings that make for a real cinematic finish. And yet in other moments, the music is dark and unsettling – an emotional roller coaster of sorts. This, Rose confirms, was intentional. “The music I’m interested in making is emotionally available and human. Inevitably,

In the midst of the intense recording process Rose jokes that the pair would unwind with a “bag and a cup of tea or wander out amongst the post-apocalyptic landscape of north London.” “I was listening to a lot of Talk Talk ”, Graham chips in.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom though – “Graham’s really funny and I think I’m quite funny too”, Rose smiles. “You are”, Graham adds. “So, we did have a laugh as well. I hope there’s a bit of fun in the record and it’s not entirely heavy”.

Graham: “It’s definitely fun –even the heavy stuff. We’re having fun with sound, there’s a sort of mischief about it and I hope that shows!”.

The Waeve will perform at Manchester’s Band on the Wall on March 20. Remaining tickets are available, so hurry to catch Coxon and Dougal live!

“It felt like we were kindred spirits when we started working togethe r

Queer Mods: The Untold Subculture

In honour of LGBT+ History Month, The Mancunion uncovers the forgotten Queer history of the 1960s Mod movement

The presence of Queer Mods has been erased in the history of the subculture, painting Mod as an exclusively heterosexual movement. At last, we celebrate the 1960s gay Mod scene and the intertwinement of Mod and Queer culture.

The Mod subculture is often associated with mopeds, tailored suits, and soul music. It is rarely, however, associated with Queerness. Yet, Mod was formed by a heritage linked with LGBTQIA+ identity, and the presence of Queer Mods was very much alive in the early 1960s. Gay Mods are a faction of the culture that goes largely undiscussed, with clubs such as Le Duce in Soho, London being a time capsule for the scene.

The early 1960s saw the beginning of the Mod subculture in Britain. Formed in London, it quickly became aligned to working-class youth across the country. It became a symbol of rebellion, rooted in a resistance against austerity. Following the popularisation of modern jazz, blues and soul amongst early

alternative to heterosexual Mod clubs such as The Scene. Located on D’Arblay Street in Soho, the basement bar was a discreet haven for Queer Mods, in which a small jukebox played Mod staples from Desmond Dekker to Martha and The Vandellas to Jimmy Ruffin

The dress code embraced the impeccable Italian suits and stylish formal attire, making Le Duce a hub for working-class Mods to enjoy the music they loved. But whilst Mod identity was a fundamental for Le Duce, as was its Queer identity.

Whilst alternativeness and Queerness were embraced between the walls of Le Duce, homosexuality remained illegal outside of it. Susceptible to police raids, a large fish tank was installed to conceal the private rooms, as well as acting as a convenient disposal for drugs upon surprise raids. Evidently, this was less advantageous for the fish however, and the tank often had to be refilled with new fish and the amphetamines removed. Prior to the Sexual Offences Act of 1967, Le Duce was left vulnerable, with illegality posing a threat. Subtlety was essentially

drugs without interference.

connected Queer and Mod culture, an overlap that created a grounding for the interconnection of the two. Clothing shops fuelled this crossover, and the clientele of staple Mod stores became an amalgamation of straight and gay Mods.

Le Duce, however, was only the tip of the iceberg when exploring the connection between Queer identity and Mod identity. Queer fashion was integral in forming the distinct style of Mods from its beginnings. Inspired by the tight silhouettes of Southern France and Italy, the attire became identified by drainpipe trousers and skinny fitted suits. Within this was influence from Queer culture, with bright coloured and patterned suits becoming mainstream in Mod style. It was this flamboyance that

This was pivotal, both a moment of unity between straight and gay Mods, but also in a wider sense, an acceptance. Of course, that’s not to say the Mod scene had welcomed Queerness in its entirety (lest we forget that Queer Mods were dancing in different clubs). But to see Mick Avory of The Kinks sporting a blue silk shirt, psychedelic multicoloured tie and drainpipe trousers was a signifier: Queer fashion had been welcomed into the mainstream.

Le Duce’s soundtrack was a prime example of early Mod music: heavily inspired by the music of the Jamaican immigrant population in the UK with Bluebeat and soul. It is here that some believe Queer Mods found their calling, unified by marginality and identifying with music of the Windrush generation. This is where the soundtrack to the Mod movement began, first with

influence of Motown rhythm and blues whilst also pioneering rock into the later 1960s Mod movement. A composition of genres and influences, Mod music was indefinable by a single category. Catering to this, the playlist of Mod clubs was varied, and Le Duce adopted its diversity playing both the Motown and blues of Mod as well as the later British blues-rock bands. From the blend of Jamaican, British and US music, well-known hits and obscure soul, modern jazz and blues and rock… it’s safe to say Mod was both distinctive and diverse.

It seems the Mod revival of the 1970s didn’t attract the Queer community in the way it once had. Once mainstream, the movement lost its originality that had once been fundamental. Without its nonconformist nature, the intertwinement of Queerness and Mod disintegrated, leaving little trace of the impact Queerness had on the culture. Le Duce is revolutionary in this sense, encapsulating a time that Queer culture was a catalyst for an influential youth movement. The original 1960s Mod movement was a pivotal moment in Queer youth culture, embodying a time when gay and straight Mods

“The presence of Queer Mods was very much alive in the early 1960s.

Molly Dodge- Taylor Music Writer

The Darkness Manifesto review:

Illuminating light on the night

writing, we learn how important an unpolluted night sky is to each organism.

We’re now a few months into that time of year made up of depressingly short days swamped by endlessly long nights. Despite the December festivities, for many, ‘tis simply the season of long shadows and dreary darkness. It’s more than valid to be feeling anything but jolly.

Recently translated from Swedish to English by Elizabeth DeNoma, Johan Eklöf’s fascinating tribute to darkness is the perfect antidote to such a seasonal slump, offering to change our perspective on the night in The Darkness Manifesto.

Eklöf provides a captivating insight into how the natural world is dependent on darkness and how the artificial light of human activity disrupts this. The book’s accessible science is delivered with a lyrical and personal perspective on nature. The poetic writing style and non-fiction appeal ensure that there is something for everyone, regardless of academic degree or prior interests.

The vague yet powerful associations that we all harbour about darkness, often equating it with fear or evil, are turned completely on their head by Eklöf. Instead of seeing darkness as an absence of light, we are encouraged to see light as an absence of darkness – an absence that is harmful to the huge swathes of the planet’s inhabitants for whom darkness provides an essential sanctuary.

From bats to bees, from songbirds to seals, The Darkness Manifesto takes us on a trip to diverse corners of the animal and plant kingdoms. Through his fluid and easy-to-follow

Eklöf evokes a darkness that pours like a rich balm into all manner of caves, crevices, and habitats. It’s through these vivid descriptions that the gaping cracks and gaps in our own perception are revealed back to us.

Hidden from human sight,

night, take a moment to look directly-upwards. You’ll see what Eklöf means when he refers to the soupy ‘greyorange’ or ‘yellowgrey’ sky that hangs over our metropolitan cities and blocks out the stars.

flashing and garishly bright. Eklöf explains that this imitation of nature in our artificial lighting – no matter how poor an imitation it may seem to us – is one of the biggest problems for nature when it comes to light pollution.

but brilliantly exposed by Eklöf’s prose, there is a darkness out there teeming with activity, a ‘night-life’ starkly different to the kind we’re used to in Manchester.

With another writer, this could easily become a dense, list-like encyclopedia of nocturnal life. However, Eklöf achieves a fine balance between scientific findings that build a compelling vision of the world, and a poetic acceptance of the beauty of the unknown – the undiscovered darkness invisible to the naked human eye.

The book also drives home the fact that, due to light pollution, what we see as darkness is far from the reality of a natural night sky.

The next time you find yourself in the city centre at

Apart from the moon, it often feels like the closest thing we have to a visible celestial body is the bright red lights atop the Deansgate skyscrapers, providing safe navigation for airport.

Manchester has a long history of pollution, with the industrial revolution smothering the city in soot. Eklöft talks about light spilling out from our cities in much the same way as one would air pollution: “The light pollution in the sky rubs out galaxies and distant solar systems, as if we had used a dirty cloth to wipe the window facing the universe.”

December added more dirt to the cloth Christmas-lights adorned streets with their own starry night, albeit constantly

Our city lights dazzle migrating and mating animals, pointing them in the wrong direction through false dawns and summers – natural phenomena that, in their original forms, are standard navigation tools for many creatures. We interrupt their circadian rhythms – a set of

These short and sweet sections are fruitful sources of information and inspiration for us, despite often dealing with the potentially fruitless future that light pollution could force us to confront. This is because, as Eklöf outlines in much greater detail, the foreign rhythms that we impose on plants and animals put even pollination under threat, a terrifying prospect for agriculture.

Despite the glowing endorsement that I’ve given The Darkness Manifesto so far, it is by no means without its limitations. I can imagine that those studying life sciences may wince at the more than occasional personification of plants and animals in the book. It makes for an entertaining read to hear about what non-sentient creatures ‘know’ and how some beetles do a little ‘dance’ to reorientate themselves, but it is at least worth noting that Eklöf is working firmly within the pop-science remit.

internal processes affected by the day-night cycle – and trap them in impossible mazes of artificial light.

Eklöf seems tormented by the disruption of these “ancient rhythms of life.” To a large part, it’s the rhythm of the book itself which makes his meditations on them so compulsively readable.

The book is divided into small, digestible chapters, most of which follow a similar cycle.

First, we take an immersive

Additionally, unlike other manifestos, The Darkness Manifesto is decidedly apolitical on the social front. I don’t doubt that, as a white man whose research often secludes him to the starry, idyllic Scandinavian wilderness, Eklöf sincerely believes that “the night is quite simply our friend.”

However, we know all too well in Manchester (as the huge turnout to this year’s Reclaim the Night suggested) that for many, it quite simply isn’t.

This is all to say what The Darkness Manifesto doesn’t do, and how Eklöf refuses to stray from his pristine and undeviating vision for his book. Despite its limitations, it has great merit within the framework that it operates and is well worth a winter read.

Theo Abbott Books Writer

See the world through a new lens as Johan Eklöf’s ‘The Darkness Manifesto’ poetically exposes the dark undertones of nature, politics and pollution for better or for worse

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Arts 23

Who will take home the top prize?

Oscar predictions 2023

Our own DIY Hollywood roundtable, a discussion of our film teams predictions for this year’s Oscars

film. Avatar’s the fourth-strongest nominee going into Best Picture ly good in general, there were bits when I genuinely couldn’t tell if it was him or actual footage of Elvis.

G: Everyone thinks Austin Butler is going to get this one but I think it’s a tie-up between Brendan Fraser and Colin Farrell.

P: Those two may cancel each other out. And the Academy does love a biopic actor. I just want to hear Butler do his acceptance speech in the Elvis voice. Paul Mescal is my vote, those emotions he tapped into in Aftersun - unparalleled.

G: He’s amazing but I don’t think he’ll win because he’s too small. Brendan Fraser is basically owed it because of how Hollywood has treated him in the past. It’s all very political.

W: I also think it’s going to be Austin Butler because there’s a precedent for people playing musicians in biopics which started with Bohemian Rhapsody which I despise. It could be Colin Farrell because he’s had a really good year of work, his campaign is very strong and everyone says he’s lovely to work with.

Overall prediction: Austin Butler in Elvis

Best Actress:

W: Michelle Yeoh would be an absolutely amazing win: never had a nomination before and she would be the first actress who identifies as Asian to win, she probably deserves it more than Cate Blanchett winning a third one. However, Blanchett has swept most awards this season so it would be foolish to bet against her despite Yeoh’s strong narrative to win.

R: Cate Blanchett was really good in Tár and she won a Golden Globe for it. I think the film itself was a bit stupid but her accent was amazing, she carried the movie. It’s her.

G: I don’t think it’s going to be Ana De Armas, Blonde looked gorgeous but the controversy sur rounding it was too much for her to win anything.

Overall prediction: Cate Blan chett in Tár

Best Actor in a Supporting Role:

I: This category is the easiest-

P: Ke Huy Quan. Enough said.

Overall prediction: Ke Huy Quan in Everything Everywhere All at Once

Best Actress in a Supporting Role:

R: I really want it to be Angela Bassett for Black Panther.

I: I don’t think Jamie Lee Curtis deserves to win it although she is very funny in Everything Everywhere.

G: Hong Chau was incredible in The Whale, she was a lot better than the other actors in that film. Playing next to Brendan Frasier

ing a big role and is coming back after such a long time, it’s very hard to hold your own against and she did very well.

low-key sweep in and win it.

enough to her performance, she just kind of holds the other parts together. Angela Bassett seems to be the strongest contender due to the Academy’s increased apprecia tion of ‘theme park’ movies.

amorphous category, Bassett will likely nab the gold for a powerful performance in an MCU film with this recognition more for her body of work than the film itself.

sett in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Best Cinematography:

I: Elvis for cinematography

100%. It has visually stunning sets because of the onstage Vegas performances and it’s Baz Luhrmann so of course, it’s very glamorous and ostentatious which translates into how it’s shot.

W: This could go in a few directions but Elvis’s cinematographer Mandy Walker would be the first female to win in the category’s history meaning her narrative could propel her to victory.

Overall prediction : Mandy Walker for Elvis

Other notable categories:

I: It’s weird that Everything Everywhere All at Once wasn’t nominated for best makeup and hairstyling, I would’ve put my money on that for winning it - so instead it has to go to Elvis, which I also reckon will get Best Sound as a movie-musical.

G: Makeup and hairstyling could be The Whale for Brendan Frasier’s transformation, it’s incredible when he first comes onscreen he looks seven-foot tall, you can’t imagine he’s that size in real life. It’s the best prosthetics I’ve seen in my entire life.

film,not deny how sensational that soundtrack is. If you haven’t listened,

The Oscars will be broadcast in the UK onema. Time to dust off the red carpet and see what surprises

PipCarew,ImogenMingos, WillSteele,GraceHum-

Why Oscars matter: A mixed bag for the little gold men

Will Steele Film Writer

The Academy Awards have been a Hollywood institution and cultural mainstay for almost 100 years. The little gold men they dispenseaffectionately dubbed Oscarshave been awarded to those the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has deemed the best of the best.

Oscar has become a byword for talent, prestige, and honour: an Oscar is seen by many to be the ultimate achievement in their given field within the entertainment industry. Showbiz seems obsessed with the Oscars, whether it be those nominated, awarded, or snubbed for prizes; the fashion and glamour of the ceremony, the traditions, and the scandals they facilitate, or even the way in which film culture at large is reflected through the glossy golden mirror the Academy holds up to to the industry and audiences in Tinseltown and beyond.

questionable tendency to award the same types of films and the same types of people over and over again. In short, the Oscars have an inherent and persistent bias in championing Westerncentric, heteronormative, white male artists and art with minimal recognition for the achievements of diverse artists and narratives.

for CODA winning for non-English language performances in Korean and American Sign Language respectively.

But all this begs the question: is the Academy’s rhetorical commitment toward inclusion going far enough?

It almost seems futile to

Social media has clearly made an indelible impact on shaping the way the Academy conducts itself. It is evident from the proposal and subsequent backlash for a Best Popular Film Oscar and the recent media frenzy surrounding the grassroots social media campaign for unexpected Best Actress nominee Andrea Riseborough. The Academy moving towards a more inclusive membership and diverse slate of nominees may be because they cannot afford to relegate non-English language films to the side-lines, nor ignore the immense talent of BAME,

the Academy has met its target to double the size of its BAME and female membership. A broadened and more diverse academy has made their voices heard and you needn’t look further than the nominees of this year’s 95th Academy Awards to see a fresher and more inclusive roster of talent than ever before.

Nomination leader and Best Picture frontrunner Everything Everywhere All at Once foregrounds queer and Asian-American characters; The Fabelmans does not minimise or alter its depiction of Judaism; Tár showcases an unabashedly queer lead, while Causeway and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever give themselves over to platform Brian Tyree Henry and Angela Bassett, respectively, in powerhouse performances.

Sure, you have your Avatars

Yet the mirror is cracked and thus the reflection is distorted. The Oscars may mean honour to many but a growing audience recognise the institutional and characteristic shortcomings of this awards body. Some would say it is a fool’s errand to even deign any work of art ‘the best’, as film is inherently subjective and thus entirely interpretive. The prescriptive nature of ‘the best film’ can seem pointless, or rather, besides the point.

Art for art’s sake, as enshrined by an old Hollywood studio motto, has been lost in a haze of self-congratulatory gatekeeping through an Academy which serves to award and perpetuate its favoured brand of art, not for the sake of it, but for the sake of self-preservation. Such criticisms are not just valid, but touch on the harmful side of the Oscars.

The impact of Hollywood gatekeeping has implications far deeper and more concerning than misguided industry practice. As many have noticed, the Academy has a conspicuous and

belabour the point that the Oscars have shown a persistent and frustrating aversion to embracing diversity. Such critical flaws have been percolating since its inception and came to an eruptive head with the #OscarsSoWhite viral campaign which called attention to the whiter-than-white acting line-ups in 2015 and 2016.

An expansion of Academy membership and a conscious aim to celebrate diverse stories came to fruition the following year, with a record number of BAME acting nominees culminating in the monumental Best Picture win of Moonlight over La La Land. Ever since we have seen the Academy’s rhetorical aim for inclusivity actualise, with Parasite being the first non-English language film to win Best Picture, and recent acting winners such as Youn YuhJung for Minari and Troy Kotsur

queer, and disabled artists, if they want to survive in the modern day.

Moonlight and Parasite’s Best Picture victories stand as an antidote to the recent out-of-touch decisions the Academy makes evident from their love for Green Book, a propensity to heap praise on violent war and gangsters films, and a tendency to award their top acting prizes to uninspired and often musical biopics (Bohemian Rhapsody, I’m looking at you).

What we must remember above all is that the Academy is not an immovable, unfeeling object bound to repeat itself through an unwillingness or inability to change. The Academy is a collection of over 10,000 artists, of which over 9,000 vote on their awards.

Since systemic issues with diversity were raised in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign,

and Top Guns, but then you have an earnest embrace for productions far flung from Hollywood with All Quiet on the Western Front and Triangle of Sadness

An Oscar line-up will never be perfect, but then nor will BAFTA, SAG, or any other awards body. It is clearly impossible to please everyone, all of the time, but the Oscars are certainly moving in the right direction. Again, maybe the Oscars or any other awards body are merely a fool’s errand trying to define the undefinable.

But ultimately we cannot ignore the fascination the Oscars hold and that they draw us in whether we love or hate them. At the end of the day, the Oscars will continue to matter so long as we keep watching movies because we will always be drawn to the search for what might be the best, even if it is a gold-plated delusion.

Are the Oscars still relevant in a post-Covid world or do they symbolise an outdated illusion of meritocracy in Hollywood?

“

a growing audience recognise the institutional and characteristic shortcomings of this awards body.”

“

the Oscars have an inherent and persistent bias in championing Western-centric, heteronormative white male artists”

“ EEAO foregrounds queer and AsianAmerican characters”

“ The Fabelmans does not minimise or alter its depiction of Judaism”

Tár showcases an unabashedly queer lead”

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever gives itself over to platform Angela Bassett, in powerhouse performance”

Cara Barclay TV Writer

TRIGGER WARNING: Brief discussion of sexual violence, if you have been affected contact Report and Support: www. reportandsupport.manchester. ac.uk

It’s been 15 years since Manhattan’s elite first graced our televisions. Gossip Girl (2007-2012) followed the privileged lives of teenage socialites and Ivy League legacies. An exhibition of the most enviable, lavish lifestyle, the latest high fashion appeared on the show quicker than in Vogue . We were invited to elegant parties filled with celebrities, toured penthouses overlooking Central Park, and visits to The Hamptons on holidays with the protagonists.

Alongside the designer bags, private jets, and diamonds, a materialistic and superficial world unravelled. As a long-term fan of the show, I suggest rewatching it through a new perspective: as a satire on class politics.

Once the ridiculously expensive haute couture clothes emerged in Gossip Girl at a fashion show, the audience fell victim to the charm of the overly opulent lifestyle sparkling on our screens. We became consumers of this

CULTURE

Satirically stylish: A Gossip Girl retrospective

commodity fetishism continuously spotlighted through the show’s romanticised notion of capital.

An adaptation of Cecily von Ziegesar’s 2002 book of the same title, Gossip Girl is an anonymous blogger who exposes the manipulative world of the Upper East Side. The story followed the privileged lives of Gossip Girl ’s muses: IT girl Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), her competitive best friend Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester), the self-hating Chuck Bass who never experienced love as a child (Ed Westwick), and “Golden Boy” Nate Archibald (Chace Crawford).

On the other side of the bridge, lives “Lonely Boy” Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) and his sister Jenny (Taylor Momsen). They were the punchline of classist jokes, despite going to the same private school with the elite and living in a milliondollar loft. While to the average viewer the Humphreys represent the top one per-cent, from the oldmoney protagonists’ perspective, they are impoverished.

The taunting they face is a satire on the ignorance of those born into such opulence, as well as a dangerously misguided perception over the average New Yorker’s financial status. The Brooklynites’ hamartia is simply not allowing their lack of economic

(mainly by dating Manhattan royalties), we witnessed their toxic character development. Through blackmailing, stealing, lying, and scheming, the Humphreys destroy their closest relationships and inadvertently conform to the morals and shallow values held by their wealthy rivals, thus becoming completely and tragically unrecognisable themselves.

As I recently rewatched the show, I found that I no longer held any resentment towards these characters. In fact, upon realising that they’re very much relatable to teenagers (longing for acceptance, belonging, and respect from peers), I empathised with them.

More recently, Gossip Girl been deemed as “outdated” and accused of overlooking and romanticising highly problematic actions and behaviour.

First of all, Gossip Girl (often dirty) money into scheming that is imperative in maintaining high status and the love lives of the morally deprived characters. It’s unavoidable to watch it through the eyes of people who always come out on top, no matter whom they exploit: and yet, upon glimpsing these affluent perks, an indifference arises to the exploitation and manipulation behind their excessive wealth.

The show never sugarcoated how awfully ignorant the characters are on real-life issues beyond the boundaries of Central Park and Fifth Avenue. On the contrary, it pushes outrageous one-liners in our faces. The most unapologetically appalling ones are delivered by Blair, who shamelessly declares that “there’s nothing I love more than the sound of a sweatshop in the morning”. This theatrically classist statement possesses undertones of a critique

Specifically, the detached relations between major brands and exploited workers. In the process of Blair mocking serious issues, she reveals the ignorance of her entire social class. Her exaggerated traits –spoilt, vain, acquisitive – are a novelty. She’s so far removed from reality, like anyone who’s born into such luxury, that she becomes fairy tale-like escapism to the average viewer; a glimpse into a life most will never

experience.

Another, much more pressing, controversy of Gossip Girl is how the young Chuck’s attempted rape, eventual statutory rape, and physical abuse are glossed over. The audience is deviated from Chuck’s actions through redemption arcs that are bulldozed in our faces: he becomes compassionate, regretful, and even physically cleans up to appear less sleazy. Although Chuck was my teenage crush, I’ve naturally revised my image of him upon rewatching the show after all these years.

Much like Blair’s melodramatic temperament, his wealth provides excellent material to entertain us.

ture of a deeply embedded classism and misogyny that many are guilty of.

Gossip Girl should be enjoyed as an entertaining modern-day fairy tale. I encourage every core fan to revisit the show with a fresh mind and to watch it more critically. Gossip Girl has its perks, such as round characters, and its mistakes (e.g. actions with no consequences). The show has been recently renewed for a reboot and HBO has already produced two new seasons (2021-2022), which is a clear indication that people still want to buy into the escapism and fake reality.

XOXO

Through satire that mocks the rich alongside sinister characterisations that parallel reality, Gossip Girl accurately paints a disturbingly honest picture of deeply embedded classism and misogyny

Review: Sylvia

Sylvia, a hip-hop musical which casts Black actors as the Suffragettes, is having its world premiere at the Old Vic

Jay Darcy Theatre Editor

As a Mancunian, a feminist and a person of colour, Sylvia is one of the shows I have been most looking forward to. A hip-hop musical, it tells the story of Sylvia Pankhurst, the daughter of the better-known Emmeline, casting Black actors as historical figures, such as the aforementioned and even Winston Churchill!

Casting people of colour as historical figures and telling their stories through modern music seems to be the new standard – from Hamilton to Six, arguably the two biggest musicals of recent years. These creative decisions give historical stories new relevance and relatability. Sylvia appears to be

minded of the girl in the red coat in the otherwise black-andwhite Schindler’s List

The dull aesthetic did become a little tiresome and monotonous in the first act. It reminded me of Chicago, which similarly has very little colour (and even less set). The repetitive red in an otherwise monochrome world began to feel a little pretentious, and the red was not quite as impactful as the designers thought it would be.

But then came the second act, in which the musical became more invested in socialism and thus the colour red became more significant and, thus, profound. The scene in which Sylvia (Sharon Rose) and working-class activists, all draped in red, celebrate socialism was particularly poignant. The musical dismissed the Suffragette’s purple,

Whilst I was familiar with Emmeline Pankhurst, especially as a Mancunian (sorta), British education does not think the Suffragettes important enough to teach us much about so I actually learned a lot from this musical.

Sylvia is musically flawless, aesthetically

Emmeline (Beverley Knight MBE) was initially aligned with the then-new Labour Party, especially because of her friendship with its founder and first leader, Keir Hardie. Whilst Hardie was sympathetic with and supportive of the pacifist Suffragists, he disavowed the

horror for all modern Mancunians) but I did not know how she got there; Sylvia succeeded at presenting the iconic feminist’s unfortunate journey to the dark (blue) side.

Christabel (Ellena Vincent) aligned herself with her mother, and the musical made sure to address her queerness. However, Adela (Kirstie Skivington) and Sylvia were, paradoxically, both more and less radical in their thinking. They were less radical in that they were critical of the Suffragettes’ violent tactics but more radical in that they were critical of the Suffragettes’ disinterest in the rights of the working-class.

Emmeline became content with the establishment and status quo as soon as rich women received the right to vote, and Christabel believed that engaging with

ment (she wasn’t even an Aussie!).

The Pankhursts were not too different from the Mitfords!

For a musical to cast Black actors in lead roles (only Hardie, Adela and Clementine Churchill are played by White actors) to not explore the complex racial politics of the early feminists is a missed opportunity. Like Hamilton (which subversively cast people of colour as the slave-owning Founding Fathers but incorrectly presented the “goodies” as entirely opposed to slavery), it’s a bit of a whitewash.

I take further issue with the omission of Sophia Duleep Singh, a British Suffragette of Indian and German origin. Why cast Black actors as White Suffragettes but neglect to do so much as mention an actual Sufragette of colour?

Sylvia fantastically engages with competing feminist thoughts,

inspired by both musicals but it’s also got its own identity – seen especially through its simple but inventive design.

The designers have opted for

white, and green, in favour of socialist red: all the Pankhursts were proud feminists; the central debate (and divide) was their stance on so -

violent Suffragettes and strug gled to get his MPs, members and supporters to get on board with women’s rights at all.

Emmeline became dissatisfied

working class issues would pose a threat to the fight for women’s rights – and that other issues could easily be tackled once (rich) women had the right to vote.

Sylvia, meanwhile, became a passionate socialist and fell in love with the married Hardie, before a long-term relationship with Italian anarchist Silvio Corio. She fell pregnant out of wedlock and was cut off by her mother for refusing to marry Silvio (their son was the late Richard Pankhurst OBE).

However, the musical did not address some pretty important points: Emmeline’s defence and celebration of the British Empire, Sylvia’s ardent opposition to imperialism, and Adela’s own political metamorphosis: initially a socialist, her politics became more radical; she founded the Communist Party of Australia before shifting right (even further than her mother) and establishing the fascist Australia First Move -

and was intersectional insofar as it explored class politics, but there was an elephant in the room –a brown one.

Musically, Sylvia was everything you’d want a hip-hop musical to be. I was bopping along all throughout. The musical’s opening number is fun and groovy but nothing stellar. However, the introduction of Winston Churchill’s mother, Lady Jennie (Jade Hackett), completely shifted the tone and sound. The entire audience had their jaws on the floor; we were not expecting that. Every time Hackett came onstage as Jennie, the audience chuckled and whooped; she stole the show with her powerful rapping and Caribbean swagger.

Sylvia is musically flawless, aesthetically daring, politically astute, and perfectly cast. It received rave reviews during previews and even got an extension – it’s so rare for a show to be extended during previews! Whilst it might not reach the heights of Hamilton or be as successful Six it might. It’s an entertaining and edifying extravaganza that deserves a West End transfer.

daring, politically astute, and perfectly cast.

Ella Robinson Editor-in-Chief

Edith was unlike any other play I’d seen. The crowd was the jury, but not in an intense audience participation way. From making you stand in the opening few minutes, ‘All rise’, it became the audience’s responsibility to listen to the evidence and come to their own conclusion of the case.

The concept of the play was simple. It used court transcripts of the trial of Edith Thompson, one of the last women to be executed in the UK in 1922. She was accused of inciting murder, and the main evidence was her love letters. The play posed the question, would the same verdict be found 100 years on?

Edith at times tried a little too hard to set the story in a modern context, adding modern music - Edith and her husband’s first meeting was whilst dancing the macarena. But the story really shone when it made use of the real court transcripts, bringing the audience into the arguments of the prosecution and defence, and highlighting the leading comments from the judge.

Review: Edith

Rather than an interval, throughout the play there were three minute ‘recesses’, where the jury (audience) discussed amongst themselves. The discussion wasn’t directed, the cast sat around the edge of the stage with headphones on, but everyone would excitedly turn to the person next to them ‘So do you think she did it?’.

The concept worked really well in the Lowry’s small studio theatre, and the recesses accompanied the twist and turns of the play, resulting in discussions of power dynamics and free will, whether love letters are admissible evidence, and constant debates of her guilt or not.

I’ve always wanted to do jury duty, but Edith revealed the difficult task of the jury, taking in so much seemingly conflicting information and coming to a decision which in this case resulted in the taking of someone’s life.

The play’s start was delayed by almost 40 minutes due to a problem with the screens, luckily they managed to fix it as the screens were integral to the show. Illustrations appeared on the screens to indicate changes in location, and headings appeared to indicate who had taken to the

stand. Evidence was drawn on the screens, and videos of the witness statements and letters were shown.

The screens were used cleverly to aid the audience’s understanding of the case, with maps and evidence, as well as indications of who was speaking when the actors were multi-roling. More powerfully, the video footage was used to draw attention to the importance of presentationsnippets from the love letters read sensually or aggressively, and a variety of media commentators

constantly changing their opinions on the case.

The multi-roling was largely effective, with a small cast of 5, but at times, particularly Peyvand Sadeghian’s portrayal of the policeman appeared over-acted in order to distinguish him from her main role of Freddy Bywaters. The prosecution, Rose-Marie Christian, was particularly strong in her performance, indicating how the jury came to the conclusion they did in 1922, and the power of the prosecution even in a modern day

context.

The decision to have a largely female cast portraying the story of Edith Thompson, a story which was dominated by the understanding and perspectives of men (with just one female juror) was dually effective: bringing the story into the modern day and highlighting the underlying misogyny present in the arguments of the prosecution and the defence, as well as the constant discussions of her appearance in court from the media.

In the confines of a studio theatre with a cast of just five, Edith was one of the most cleverly structured and thought-provoking plays I’ve seen. I was so enraptured in the case and the decision at hand, that the stage set and even the acting felt secondary to the story.

The story of Edith Thompson is a remarkable one, and not one I’d ever heard before. So whilst the play could have potentially explored the petition of over a million people after her guilty verdict, it’s inspired me to learn more about Edith Thompson, and continue telling her story 100 years later.

Review: Live To Tell: (A Proposal For) The Madonna Jukebox Musical

Live to Tell is a meta, satirical but deeply personal account of HIV, with the Queen of Pop used as a representation of transformation

Jessica Hamilton

Brian Mullin’s semiautobiographical play, directed by Deidre McLaughlin, dives into the bittersweet battle of HIV survival. Exposing the psyche of a gay man wracked with guilt and frustration, this honest production sheds light on the aftermath of the antidote.

Surprisingly, Live To Tell:

(A Proposal For) The Madonna Jukebox Musical, is not actually a play about Madonna. Mullin, himself, admits to not really being a fan of hers. Asides from a few references to her top hits, Madonna scarcely appears. Instead, appears a surface level obsession which prompts the protagonist into a downward spiral.

Brian deflects his desire for reinvention into a play idea, and who better to pitch to than the Queen of Pop herself? Her decades long reign and transformation

ability fascinates Brian, somebody stuck in a loop with no certain way of getting out. This frustration is felt throughout. Brian’s manic pitches are never fully completed, and perhaps not intended to be. He finds himself in a dissociative state, distracted by medical appointments, empty hook-ups, relapses, and missed meetings.

Mullin is joined on stage by Dan de la Motte, playing “Everyone Else”. The actor morphs into multiple people within seconds of each other, seamlessly transitioning into five different people, all only distinguishable through his convincing performance. This creative choice was an important addition to the play, accentuating Brian’s ‘barely there’ mental state and inability to focus on anything but his Madonna pitch.

All characters reiterate a certain pet peeve of Brian’s, referring to him as “Brain”. The misspelling has haunted Brian for years, much like his HIV diagnosis. Something that will never go away. This repetitive

technique is used throughout the show, Brian’s regular hookup repeatedly telling him to relax and Brian’s doctor asking him if he’s changed medications. As summarised by Madonna in ‘Sorry’, he’s truly «heard it all before». It creates a more honest point, that nobody can get Brian out of this shame spiral but himself.

The show, performed at Clapham’s Omnibus black-box theatre, made use of an empty set. Instead, focusing on interactions between characters and using audio-visual techniques. These methods further pushed the audience into Brian’s brain, offering a deeper insight than dialogue alone. These digital projections were also used as comic relief, which were at times tedious but overall appreciated.

The resolution was not satisfyingly cathartic, the scene between Brian and his boyfriend became a rushed summary for what could not be weaved into the play. Despite this, some important

topics were discussed, namely how Coronavirus had triggered a muscle memory for Brian fighting HIV.

The production was extremely self-aware, which accentuated the ‘meta’ delivery but often undermined its satirical elements.

The show shied away from

bigger issues, such as Big Pharma, PrEP side-effects, and the overall effects of the AIDS crisis. However, what was delivered is a deeply personal account of HIV which will hopefully inspire audience members to research further.

100 years on from the execution of Edith Thompson, Crowded Room explores if a modern day jury would come to the same conclusion

Theatre Writer

Photo: Harry Elletson

Photo: The Lowry

Stir up a Cocktail Storm this Feb!

Method

Espresso Heart-ini

Ingredients

Who doesn’t like a boujee cocktail (or three!) to add some colour to your Winter months? But with the Cost of Living Crisis snipping at our purse strings, those £12 Northern Quarter cocktails might seem a little out of reach.

Valentine’s may have past, but there’s no better way to keep the spark alive than staying in within the comfort of your own home.

If you’re looking for some cheaper options, but still want that touch of class, then read on for our homemade twists on three classic cocktails!

Money Saving Hack: Instead of buying expensive syrup, why not use golden caster sugar? Simply put 100g sugar in a pan, add 50ml of water, and bring to the boil whilst stirring.

50ml vodka (or more if you’ve got first date nerves!)

50ml hot coffee

25ml Kahlua (or a lower cost alternative: County Cream!)

3 coffee beans

Whipped cream

Method

Chill your glasses with ice. Or, if you’re resisting turning the heating on, your ambient kitchen temperature should be cold enough... brrr.

Cool the sugar syrup, then combine with ice, vodka, coffee, and Kahlua in your cocktail shaker. Shake well, until the shaker’s as cold as your ex’s heart.

Strain into a glass. Although a martini glass is the obvious choice, feel free to pour into a wine glass, jug, or a flatmate’s favourite mug - whatever makes you happy!

Top with as much whipped

cream as you can handle, and then 3 coffee beans arranged in the shape of a heart. <3

Share with your bf, gf, bff, ex, or whichever tinder match you’ve convinced that you’re a cocktail whiz.

Sex on the Bench (Platts or Whitworth, take your pick)

This cocktail is a Vitamin C sensation bound to get your endorphin levels up and your heart racing! It’s also one of the easiest cocktails to make, so kick back, put on your sunhat, and relax!

Ingredients

50ml vodka

25ml peach schnapps (substitute with flavoured water, if need be)

25ml cranberry juice (also great for UTIs)

25ml pineapple juice

1 orange, sliced into a fan shape

2 cherries, on the side of glass

Combine all the vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry, and pineapple juice in a mixing jug. Add ice and stir.

Split between two glasses and garnish with fruit. Take outside to your nearest park bench, and enjoy in the sun.

Love Island Iced Tea

“I’ve got a text! We’re having vodka and gin and tequila and...”

Now this classic cocktail is not for the faint-hearted! Our take on a ‘Long Island Iced Tea’ will whisk you away to Casa Amor, where the sun al ways shines and the drinks are always flowing (but no two drink maximum here!)

Ingredients

25ml vodka (vanilla, if

you can get it)

25ml gin

25ml tequila

25ml rum

25ml triple sec

50ml lime juice

250ml coke (offbrand is fine)

Lime, sliced, as a garnish

Method

Combine the vodka, gin, tequila, rum, and triple sec in a jug. Add lime, to taste.

Once done, fill

Shaking it up with Margarita week ek

Shake your way into Margarita Week with Cazcabel’s special edition Cocktail Masterclasses

Violet Robins Food and Drinks Writer

It was always been on my bucket list to go to a cocktail-making class and as a frequenter of Southside in Withington, Margaritas are essentially my current cocktail obsession. So, being invited to Cazcabel’s Margarita masterclass, ahead of the very first Margarita week, was an experience I just couldn’t turn

Cazcabel is celebrating Margarita Week, to shine a light on the infamous tequila-based cocktail, including hosting several masterclasses across the UK.

When arriving at the event, it was like stepping into a prohibition-era speakeasy. We were greeted with tequila tonics and (more importantly) by Adam, an award-winning bartender whose passion for tequila was clear from the start. We chatted to him whilst waiting for the event to start mentioning it was the first of the masterclasses he’d designed himself. However, the moment he started, there was nothing but pure fun and professionalism - it was like he had been doing these classes for years.

We started off with a brief history lesson on the Margarita and what exactly makes a Margarita: lime juice, tequila, and triple sec. Adam dived into three differ-

ent types of Margaritas: the ‘supermarket’ margarita, Tommy’s Margarita, and finally, a Watermelon Margarita.

As a student, the ‘supermarket’ margarita is the most accessible for us; Adam made this with basic supermarket lime juice, granulated sugar, and tequila. He avoided the triple sec, acknowledging that it isn’t the most accessible element of the cocktail. The granulated sugar was used in substitution with the syrup that is typically used to water down the acidity of the lime juice. I really enjoyed this one, drinking it all and going for seconds. The only issue with using granulated sugar is that it does sink, however, again it is the most accessible of the cocktails for us students, and it certainly does the trick.

We were then given two versions of the Tommy’s Margarita, which was the second most premium of the three types of Margaritas. Of the two, one was made with Cazcabel Blanco and another with Cazcabel Reposado. The Blanco was just a classic Margarita, however you could easily taste the dif-

ference in quality between the supermarket Margarita and the Tommy’s Margarita. The Blanco tequila made the Tommy’s Margarita seem like I had paid £10 for it at an up-and-coming hipster bar.

We then got on to making our own Margaritas. After three types of Margaritas, two tequila tonics, and sneakily “tasting” the sample tequilas set out for us on our tables, it was utter chaos.

We were given four types of Cazcabel tequila: Blanco, Reposado, Coffee Liquor tequila, and finally, Honey-infused tequila, along with a huge variety of syrups too.

I decided to go with a cof fee liquor and peach syrup-flavoured Mar garita, which was sur prisingly very nice. I should add that Caz cabel’s coffee liquor tequila is one of the only ones available at the moment and you can find it in basically any bar (I really recom mend trying a shot of it).

Overall, the master

class really lived up to my expectations. It was informative, fun, and just a really good night out, especially when you’re with your mates.

Even though the masterclass was a couple of weeks ago now, my mate and I still talk about how fun it was and how badly we’d love to go back and do it again - I mean who doesn’t love an evening of drinking Margaritas all night?

Cazcabel’s Margarita Week begins on February 18. Masterclasses are being held at Science & Industry on February 23 in Manchester, as well as in locations across Britain for the rest of the week. El Capo Manchester will be celebrating Cazcabel’s Margarita Week too with a £6 cocktail menu.

Impressing ‘the one’ has never been easier than with our guide to the best post V-day Cocktails.

Izzy Langhamer Food and Drinks Deputy Editor

Impressing ‘the one’ has never been easier than with our guide to the best post V-day Cocktails

What your Greggs order says about you

What do you get from Greggs?

Tom Grant Food and Drink Writer

If you’re unfamiliar with Greggs, then this article isn’t for you. Apart from this one piece of advice, go to your nearest Greggs now (what have you been doing?). Now for the super fans out there, it’s time to determine whether you are a true Greggs love child or whether you’ve been deceiving your friends all along and don’t actually have a clue.

Porridge

I’m sorry but are you a busi nessperson?

Unless you’re literally running onto the tram at 07:12 with this in your hand, I refuse to listen to another reason as to why you would voluntarily eat this.

It’s not edgy, but I get it can look more professional than having pastry down your tie.

Sausage Roll

You’re basic. Do you even know

what Greggs stands for?

I guess you’re just getting this because you know it’s a safe bet and everyone will think you’re a Greggs connoisseur. You’re not.

Vegan Sausage Roll

I don’t know where to start with this one. I’d still say you’re basic, but I do understand there’s not much else you can eat on the menu.

I’ll let you off, but I want to see you trying the Vegan Sausage, Bean & CheeZe Melt so that your tastebuds can go on holiday.

Sausage, Bean & Cheese Melt

You are my favourite kind of person. You just just get a pizza slice, then just don’t bother going in.

We all know there’s a Domino’s opposite Greggs on Oxford Road. Please take your sins there and stop filling up the queue of bake lovers.

later, as we all know you can’t keep a Cheese & Onion bake in your bag all day.

Yum Yum I like that you like these too. Greggs’ only original concept of a sweet treat, the Yum Yum is now a staple in many people’s daily Greggs orders. If you’re ever feel ing low whilst in a deep library session, the sugar from a Yum Yum will en sure you’re typing

Chocolate Brownies

There’s two reasons you may be having these little brownies that are nicely placed in front of the till. It may be because you really like brownies, or because you’re

Unfortunately, this is the only gluten free option currently on Greggs’ menu, so I will allow you to eat these in peace and shed a tear at the fact you can’t have a steak bake.

I’m not sure what to make of you. You like Greggs, but you don’t want to stand out in the crowd when you order. You go for a good bake, a fan favourite if you will, but you haven’t been more adventurous yet. I’ll give you time.

Southern Fried Potato Wedges

some of Greggs’ most recent additions, are you?

Introduced a couple of years ago the hot food section is amazing and adding potato wedges onto the side of your Greggs is a great addition, and certainly better than the crisps we ate in the olden days. Pick mayonnaise though please.

In Praise of EatGoody: Korean Rice and Noodle Bar

A somewhat biased review of this Mancunian Family-Run Korean Lunch Spot

Misun Farley

Food and Drink Writer

EatGoody is a small Korean cafe in a hole in the wall of an old big brick building behind Oxford Road.

The building also accommodates a bike repair shop on one side and The Sandbar, a bar that makes authentic pizza by authentic Italians, on the other. It’s easy to miss, even with the bright green and orange signs on the side that reads (matjib), a place promising delicious food.

Once inside, which might take time as there’s often a line out the door (never a bad sign), the restaurant is over two stories. You order your food as you enter on the top floor and then make your way downstairs where you’ll find modest benches and chairs to sit and enjoy your meal.

The experience itself is simple and efficient. Yet, this simplicity exudes an easy familiarity that ensures you will receive a dish that is both delicious and remarkably cared after and is what I love about EatGoody.

If you’ve been to the cafe

before, you’ll already have seen the busy workers walking back and forth to complete the lunchbox style orders. The owner, Chung Chil Ho, is there every day, sometimes from as early as five or six in the morning, and often not leaving until nine at night.

Now, you may wonder if this is necessary given the limited hours of the cafe as well as the small menu itself, but I think the effort of Chung Chil Ho perfectly represents the dedication, precision and passion that goes into each dish served at Eat Goody.

The fresh ingredients are painstakingly hand cut for hours (I know, I’ve had to do it once or twice), the kitchen is immaculate and always being cleaned, and the dishes themselves are comforting and delicious in a way only true Korean (and Japanese curry) food can be.

The consistent quality of the food is also in large part due to the staff that cares about the product they create, most importantly

seen by Chiyeon, Mr. Chung’s wife. Chiyeon is always there to greet customers with a smile and to ensure each dish looks and tastes up to her high standard.

What I’m saying here is not old news, this Mancunian restaurant has been around long enough for the owner’s kids to grow up

faces are returning to EatGoody to say a quick hello and enjoy some satisfying food. EatGoody stands as a simple place, with simple food, but is welcoming to the extent that you will want to go back again and again.

Outside of the Bibimbap, a Korean classic served with fresh vegetables and a homemade Gochujang sauce, the menu at EatGoody revolves around perfectly crispy fried chicken and potato, served upon your choice of rice, homemade spicy rice, noodle or more fried potato. The chicken can be replaced with vegetarian options of vegetable dumplings or tempura-battered

because of its simplicity, I can guarantee that whatever your choice, it will be the right one.

It can be extremely difficult to pick favourites from the menu, but I’ve eaten its entirety so I’d highly recommend the spicy rice cake, 떡 ( tteokbokki), with fried vegetable dumplings or fried chicken. This dish is a classic Korean street food and will leave your nose watering and your taste buds happy.

Alternatively, nothing hits the spot on a cold winter day in Manchester quite like tempura battered tofu smothered in Japanese curry with a side of pickled radish and pickled cabbage on a bed of rice.

built strong relationships throughout the city, dedicating their time to the Korean church in Didsbury and using the restaurant itself as a hub to help Korean students ship their luggage across the seas. And so everyday, familiar

After the base choice, you have the option of topping your food with a Sweet Soy Sauce Glaze, an addictive Sweet Chilli Sauce, Japanese Curry, turning it into Pepper Chicken (or vegetarian), or smothering the top with Spicy Rice Cake. That’s it.

Although simple, or maybe

Photo: Misun Farley @ The Mancunion

A shifting design model: Lacoste appoints a new Creative Design Director

The fashion industry entered 2023 with a bang. We’ve seen huge collaborations such as Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama and new creative direc tors taking the spotlight.

Firstly, Gucci disclosed their latest Creative Director, Sabato De Sarno, less than two weeks after Lacoste announced the departure of their first female creative direc tor, Louise Trotter. Despite having said that they would not replace her as Creative Director, exactly a month later, Greek-American Pela gia Kolotouros has been appointed under the newly created position of creative design director.

Following in the foot steps of Moncler, Bal main, and Diesel, Lacoste is shifting towards a collective design model, meaning the attention will be shifted away ‘from one sole designer to a rotating lineup of creatives’. So, what does this mean for the brand and Kolotouros herself?

50-year-old Pelagia Kolotouros is already well-known in the world of fashion, but not much has been reported on her personal biography. She previously worked at The North Face and Calvin Klein, as well as with Adidas on their col laborations. With a background from New York’s Parsons School of Design, there’s no doubt that Kolot ouros will bring great things to Lacoste. Deputy CEO of the compa ny, Catherine Spindler, said she’s looking forward to Kolo touros’ ability to “elevate pieces to iconic status” and her “talent for con necting cultures, par ticularly from fashion and sports” making La coste “the most inspiring French brand in fashion sports.”

Lacoste was founded in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste and entrepreneur Andre Gillier, who owned the largest French knit -

collab was with Minecraft in March 2022 where they produced lounge and sportswear for gamers as well as a Lacoste-branded Mine -

two other collaborations: the first with Drake , and one with Tiffany & Co.

Adidas has also had its fair

from how people have learned “the value of togetherness in our years of isolation” or from efforts to become more sustainable. Whilst there is certainly some truth in this, I believe that the rise in collaborations is in no way coincidental with the new collective design model emerging in fashion. This shift arguably began with Remo Ruffini’s Moncler Genius project, announced at Milan Fashion Week for the 2018/19 season. His idea is essentially that ‘multiple creative directors… work for the same brand, creating their own individual collections that are released on a rolling calendar’ thus seamlessly blending the ideas of fashion collaborations with ‘drop’ culture to provide customers with more content. The designers for the initial project included Valentino’s creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and London-based designers Craig Queen, Richard Quinn, and Simone Rocha. This year, the Moncler Genius project has also listed new partners outside of the fashion industry for their collections including Jay-Z , Alicia Keys , and Pharrell Williams But what does all this mean for the fashion industry and Lacoste in particular?

We would argue that for the fashion industry, it looks like collaborations and collective design models are the future. They won’t always be well-liked (see some of the worst ones here) but they’re usually accompanied by a lot of press and buzz on social media, which isn’t the worst thing. In terms of Lacoste’s future, it’s unclear how much the new appointment will change its brand, especially with Kolotouros’ history of collaborations. One thing we do know, however, is that we have a lot to look forward to!

Less than two weeks after Gucci announced their newest creative director, Lacoste has revealed their new creative design director for the brand! But what does this mean in the world of fashion?

Imogen Mingos

Fashion and Beauty Writer

28.02.23 - 17.03.23

Astrological Prophecies from as rainhas da astrologia

Sagittarius (23.11 - 21.12)

You can’t even flip a pancake.

Pisces (20.02 - 20.03)

You got this babe, believe in yourself!

#LeadMCR

Gemini (21.05 - 20.06)

“If something’s not meant for you, you won’t get it, simple as that”

Virgo (23.08 - 22.09)

You think you’re mysterious enough to use a privacy screen on your phone...nobody cares.

Capricorn (22.12 - 19.01)

You and your tote bag don’t belong in MECD, the skinny scarf and iced oat milk latte give your humanities degree away.

Aries (21.03 - 20.04)

Why don’t you give up saying “Slay” after every sentence for Lent.

Cancer (21.06 - 22.07)

You’re not just the shortest in the friendship group, you qualify for Short King Spring.

Libra (23.09 - 22.10)

Stop taking half decent pictures of your homemade meals for your food account, you aren’t an influencer. At least mop up your crusty floor.

Aquarius (20.01 - 19.02)

Admit it, you’ve watched Harry Styles doing a shoey in Perth multiple times.

Taurus (21.04 - 20.05)

“So, you like show tunes. It doesn’t mean your gay. It just means you’re awful.”

Leo (23.07 - 22.08)

You can’t listen to Bruno Mars ‘Just the Way You Are’ without doing the Pitch Perfect backing vocals.

Scorpio (23.10 - 22.11)

“Brits are the most literary people on earth, they really read here”

*whips out Spare by Prince Harry*

Spot the difference

Can you spot all the differences between the two images below?

Photo: Cal, @graphic.cal on Instagram and @graphiccal on Etsy