The University Paper February 2015: Manchester by The University Paper

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February 2015

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SIMON AMSTELL: HOW I DEALT WITH PROBLEMS OF BEING A HUMAN BEING

Hi-vis high jinks fail to amuse students living on £5,400-a-year building site

OI, YOU’RE CEMENT TO BE WORKING MIKEY MCGINLEY-HUGHES A BUILDER fools around doing a headstand in cement while students put up with the noise and mess from a £140million project running months behind schedule. The workman was one of several caught on camera by undergraduates living in Manchester Metropolitan University’s Birley Fields accommodation, where rooms cost up to £5,375 a year. Others – includ-

ing one suspected of taking a nap in a bulldozer – have been spotted messing about while they were supposedly rushing to complete the landscaping work, which was meant to have been �inished in September last year. Now, students fed up with noise and disturbance outside their windows have put forward a petition to voice their displeasure. MMU �irst year Alice Kübe said: ‘I think it’s disappointing that they have lied to us about the work

being �inished a long time ago. The amount of money they charge is outrageous for what we have to put up with – for example, diggers digging in the middle of the day when I’m trying to do my work.’ Fellow �irst year Patrick Ballantine, who studies English and French, added: ‘MMU are charging us for facilities which are not being made readily available to us. ‘I, for one, will sign this petition –

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February 2015

Doh! Starving students step up for stomach-turning challenge

New role: Brian Cox

Oh Lord! Prof Cox chosen as God

A munch too much Students vs food: Hungry participants attempt to gobble down their 20in meals in eight minutes

JOSH MCLOUGHLIN IT WAS a challenge that would have had Man Vs Food star Adam Richman waving the white flag. Hungry students stepped up to become the first-ever people to win a mega munching contest. Their task? To devour a 20in pizza in eight minutes at 23rd Street Pizza’s Big Bite Challenge 2015. On offer was glory, a place on the restaurant’s wall of

fame and six months of halfprice pizza. But while eight people tried, all failed, as the audience looked on at the packed Wilmslow Road restaurant. Contestant Mikey McGinley-Hughes, a final-year English literature student, admitted his hangover failed to give him the edge. The University of Manchester student, who finished three slices, said: ‘Drinking heavily the night before turned out not to be

advantageous. I definitely underestimated the sheer amount of pizza.’ His twin, Seamus, who finished half of his veggie feast, said: ‘It was a physical and mental challenge unlike any I’ve ever attempted. I was a broken man by the end.’ The second-year English literature student, who almost threw up during the challenge, added: ‘The pizza was delicious. I’m eager to eat there again – but at a more leisurely pace next time!’

PICTURES: STUART HONEYMAN/NORTHERN COLLECTIVE

Time test: Supporters tuck in at a more civilised pace

PROF Brian Cox spends a lot of time gazing at the heavens. But now he’s gone one step further... he’s been playing God. The University of Manchester physicist and BBC presenter was picked for the role in the Monty Python comedy Spamalot at Manchester’s Opera House. He beat Queen guitarist Brian May, Monty Python stars Eric Idle and Michael Palin, and Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville to the part, decided by a public vote. Prof Cox said: ‘If Eric Idle says to you, “Do you want to be God in Spamalot?” then I’d be surprised if anybody had ever said no.’ He appeared in the show last month in aid of the university’s charity Student Access Programme, which helps talented students from backgrounds that are currently under-represented in higher education. Magdalene Abraha

February 2015

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£200k for noise crackdown ‘but safety ignored’ JOE EVANS PLANS to spend public money on a 24-hour hotline aimed at shutting down noisy parties rather than on improving street safety have been criticised by students. A taskforce to tackle noise and anti-social behaviour is expected to get a £200,000 cut of an £11million windfall from shares owned by Manchester City Council. But after at least 30 sex attacks on students in five months and two reported rapes in Fallowfield since the start of the academic year, students feel they are being targeted rather than protected. University of Manchester

linguistics student Sarah Brown, 21, said the council’s priorities were wrong. ‘Annoying “noisy” neighbours being put before residents’ safety and wellbeing can never be justified,’ she added. ‘Living in an unsafe environment can sometimes make you feel isolated – especially if it seems the higher powers are not prioritising our safety.’ The council said the dividend, from Manchester Airport, would mostly be used to reverse spending cuts. Projects for people with mental health problems and learning disabilities will have planned cuts reversed. Meanwhile, free swimming for children and pensioners

will no longer be scrapped. It is understood that the new noise hotline will be run with help from the police – although the council is not responsible for police spending. Merle Streck, 20, an undergraduate in history and American studies at Manchester, said: ‘Using money to boost mental health and disability support is something I completely agree with. ‘However, I don’t think Greater Manchester Police realise how unsafe many students feel.’ The city council said it had consulted residents several times on how money from the investment in the airport should be spent.

TIP OF THE TONGUE: Boxer Amir Khan appears with Manchester Metropolitan University’s Sharon Handley at the launch of a project to get children who speak a language other than English to share a poem or song written in it. Khan, who speaks Urdu and Punjabi, said: ‘Some people might feel shy but they shouldn’t.’

contactLIST Email us at manchestereditor@unipaper.co.uk Editor – Josh McLoughlin News (University of Manchester) – Magdalene Abraha; News (Manchester Metropolitan University) – James Mullard News (University of Salford) – Jade Scanlon Sport (University of Manchester, Manchester

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Festival-goers caught short by loo closures JOSH MCLOUGHLIN and NATHAN SALT CROWD crushes and nightmare toilet queues cast a shadow over an end-ofexams party. The Pangaea Festival, which sees the University of Manchester SU transformed into one venue at the end of each semester, drew sell-out crowds, with headline acts including XXXY and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs. But once inside, students faced mayhem on staircases, as the one-way system usually imposed at such events was not put in place. Meanwhile, toilets in the lobby – near a bar containing hundreds of partygoers – were locked, meaning students had to queue for up to 45 minutes for temporary bathrooms or basement loos at the event on January 24.

Amber De La Haye, a thirdyear English student, said: ‘They shut almost all the toilets in the union. There were far fewer portable loos than in previous years, so queuing was a nightmare.’ Security staff were forced to close the Academy 2 venue for 45 minutes because of overcrowding, meaning revellers – some who had paid more than twice the £25 face value of a ticket – missed acts such as Manchester music veteran Mr Scruff. One ShowSec staff member, who did not want to be named, said: ‘I’ve never seen it like this before. ‘I’ve worked the last two Pangeaeas and they’ve never closed the downstairs toilets – I don’t know the thinking behind it’. The next Pangaea is due to take place on June 4. Organisers failed to respond

Crossed legs: Students faced 45-minute toilet queues at Panagea when approached by The University Paper for a comment. n EARLY-bird tickets for the Parklife festival sold out in

Sorry site angers the neighbours from p1

No joke: Above, flooding covers large areas of the site, while below, building work is carried out just yards from the window of a student’s study bedroom PICTURES: SIOBHAN CROFT/ ALICE EDWARDS

– not because I want a quick payout but because, yet again, students are being downtrodden by the institutions who pledge to inspire us, all the while fleecing us for £9,000 a year. ‘I’m envious of the students who will get to stay in the finished version of Birley Fields in 2015/16 – it may be well worth £125 per week at that stage. ‘But for us at the moment, I’d pay substantially less for the view out of my window.’ Siobhan Croft, a first-year primary education student, said: ‘I know their argument is that we signed a contract acknowledging that the external premises might not be finished – but we were told a week in advance of moving here and not given a lot of choice, really. ‘We are not trying to get a free ride or money off for the sake of it – we all feel that our complaints are justified.’ MMU was not available for comment at the time of going to press.

under an hour this year. The line-up for the Heaton Park event in June is yet to be announced but first year Alys

PICTURE: DECOY MEDIA

Nicholls said: ‘We will all have a great time whoever plays. Everyone I live with is going and I am super-excited.’

February 2015

Security stepped up after bar fight AIRPORT-style metal detectors, bottles fixed to tables and plastic cups are being brought in to prevent more violence at a nightclub. Sakura, which hosts student nights Bedroom, Sakura Thursdays and Buddha Beats, has taken the steps after a man was stabbed in a brawl that started there in September. The club plans to use the metal detectors every night and fix champagne bottles to tables using ice buckets. Final-year Manchester Metropolitan University student Josh Mead said: ‘Every club should be using plastic cups. It wouldn’t hurt clubs to install metal detectors. At least then they know that the crowd they are bringing in will be safe.’ Joe Evans

February 2015

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Fine move by library to chop late book fees STUDENT feedback has forced the University of Salford to change the way it charges for overdue library books. Starting from semester two, there will no longer be charges for returning books late unless they have been requested by another person. The change applies to all library users, whether they are students, colleagues or members of the public. University librarian Julie Berry said: ‘The new system will benefit everyone and demonstrates the university’s

In vogue Katie earns crown A SUPER-stylish student has been crowned the city’s most fashionable person at the launch of charity vintage shop Goodstock. Katie Whelan, 19, a foundation art and design student at Bury College, was spotted on the street by the shop’s team and invited to the VIP launch on January 29 where she was revealed as the winner.

commitment to putting our students first. It will mean students save money but can still get the books they need. ‘We will be waiving any current fines owed, so all students can start with a clean slate.’ Joe Brennan, a first year at Salford, said: ‘Cutting any fines can only be a good thing.’ Students’ union president Fiza Ikram added it would save people money and help them get the books they needed. Alex Jolly

Katie, who is aiming for a place at Manchester Met, said: ‘I was surprised – my usual attire is jeans and a T-shirt! It just so happened that I was going out for my birthday and they caught me in my best outfit. The launch party was so different to what I expected – it had such a lively atmosphere.’ Mikey Mcginley-Hughes

Fire forces halls evacuation HUNDREDS of students were forced to evacuate their halls when a cooking fire took hold on the sixth floor. Student Village residents queued outside the digs on February 8 as two teams of firefighters tackled the flames with a jet and blew away the smoke with a fan. The students re-entered the building at about 8pm, an hour-and-a-half after the fire crews were called.

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A la mode: Katie in store PICTURES: GOODSTOCKSHOP

Climber Rik has mountain of an obstacle ahead ALEX JOLLY THE head of the University of Salford’s raising and giving society is about to take on his biggest challenge yet. Rik Walsh, 22, is aiming to conquer the highest mountain in Africa – Kilimanjaro – this summer. The fourth-year physics student will battle 5,895m of tough terrain and freezing conditions in aid of charity Childreach International and is looking to raise £2,750. He said: ‘The idea of the climb is a daunting one but I don’t feel like it will be impossible. ‘I plan on just putting one foot in front of the other until I’m at the top.’ Rik’s previous fundraising efforts include producing and starring in a naked cal-

Going up: Rik Walsh PICTURE: SALFORD RAG

endar with other students from the university. It brought in about £500, with the cash divided between the nominated RAG charities. So far, the experienced climber has raised about £800 for Childreach, which works to improve access to healthcare and education, as well as child rights and protection. He added that his moti-

vated for taking on the dormant volcano was his belief that people were more willing to part with their cash if it was for something where they could appreciate the effort and dedication that went into it. The six-day trek, in June, will take him along the Machame Route – also called the Whiskey Route – which passes through rainforest and alpine desert. Rik said: ‘I always find myself worrying if I’ll meet the targets set out for me, but it’s good knowing that it’s all for a children’s charity.’ To donate to his cause, visit his BT Donate page on mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/richardwalsh1. You can also follow the Salford RAG Facebook page for updates on his adventure.

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inBRIEF

Art school in picture for prize AN ART school is up for a £45,000 prestigious architecture prize. Manchester School of Art’s Benzie Building, which opened to students in 2013, has been nominated for the EU-backed Mies van der Rohe Award for contemporary architecture. The Manchester Met centre, designed by British architects Feilden Clegg Bradley, is up against 400 buildings from across the continent. Dean Prof David Crow said: ‘This prestigious nomination is a wonderful surprise. Students and staff here are hugely proud of their art school and we believe the building we’ve created will be a reference point for future art schools. We wanted to challenge convention.’ James Mullard

February 2015

Met leads the way in getting teenagers into higher education MANCHESTER Metropolitan University is leading a new scheme to encourage more children from disadvantaged backgrounds to go

initiative has been compared with Aimhigher, which saw its funding scrapped in 2011. Joanna Harris

Allergy death student ‘had warned waiters’ HENRY EDWARDS A STUDENT died from an allergic reaction – despite warning restaurant staff about her allergies, an inquest has heard. Shahida Shahid, 18, who was studying maths at the University of Manchester, collapsed within an hour of eating her meal at Almost Famous Burgers. She told staff at the Peter Street restaurant about her condition and was advised there was a chicken dish she could eat, the inquest heard. But it is understood the food was cooked in or contained one

of a number of ingredients she was allergic to. Shahida’s family described the Manchester United fan as ‘generous and bubbly’. ‘She was the light of our lives, our happiness, and brought joy to many whom she met,’ they added. ‘We were so proud of her many achievements but most of all, her generosity and her giving nature. ‘Our home and lives have been left empty without our little baby girl but she will never be forgotten and in her passing.’ Shahida, who also had asthma, began to feel ill shortly

after eating and took out her emergency adrenaline pen and inhaler. She was taken to A&E before being transferred to intensive care but died three days later, on January 12. Police and the council’s environmental health department are now investigating the circumstances of her death in light of laws about the advice staff in restaurants can give to customers about food allergies. Det Insp Neil Coop said: ‘Clearly, Shahida’s family both want and deserve answers. We are determined to get those answers for them.’

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A MEDICAL centre is to be named after an aid worker who was shot dead on holiday. Khuram Shaikh was killed on Christmas Day in 2011 while on holiday with his girlfriend in Sri Lanka. The University of Salford prosthetics graduate was known for his work with the Red Cross. The uni named the clinic at its Brian Blatchford building after him after support from a Facebook campaign. Olivia Griffiths

A BOOK by a University of Manchester lecturer about the rise of Ukip has been named the political book of the year. Revolt On The Right: Explaining Support For The Radical Right In Britain, which Dr Robert Ford wrote with Dr Matthew Goodwin from the University of Nottingham, won the £10,000 prize at the Political Book Awards. Judges Lords Ashcroft and Adonis and Prof Mary Beard called it ‘ground-breaking’.

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Eco-focus keeps up green ranking A HIGH performer in a university eco league has maintained its place. Manchester Met has been ranked third of the nation’s unis by student group People and Planet for its green credentials. It came top in 2013 for factors such as carbon footprint, waste and green policies. Raven Twigg, a third-year

English student, agreed life at MMU had an eco-friendly focus. ‘When students go to halls in their first year, they’re immediately made to recycle and are punished if not,’ she said. ‘It does become a big part of student life.’ UoM was joint 122nd in the league, while the University of Salford came 20th. Joe Evans

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talkingPOINTS

Comment, opinion and the occasional wild rant from our student writers across the country

Top dog Farage will get my vote MANDY FULLER ‘WHO are you going to vote for?’ is one of the most-asked questions at the moment. With the general election in May, the major parties don’t have long to win us round. Personally, I’d rather have a tea party than the Labour Party... but I can’t see the Great British public voting for that. However, I am genuinely tempted to vote Ukip. No, I haven’t lost my mind. I believe every dog has his day and, let’s face it, Nigel Farage is a bit of a dog – in that bloodhound, jowly cheek look he wears so well. As a student, I

Future PM?: Ukip leader Nigel Farage PICTURE: TWITTER often have to work long hours for s*** money, so any man that promises I don’t have to pay tax because I’m on the minimum wage is the man for me. I don’t

care if he’s branded a racist misogynist – and, as a black girl, that should really bother me. I want to keep more of my hard-earned cash. The main reason I’m going to vote Ukip is because of their pledge to remove tuition fees for university students on certain courses, based on academic performance. Let’s face it, the political party that allows me to take home more of my wages and cuts tuition fees – allowing me to spend more on my alcoholic, party-animal lifestyle – is definitely the political party for me. Nigel Farage for prime minister!

If you spot an error, we are committed to putting it right. Contact us at corrections@unipaper.co.uk. If you do not wish to receive a copy, then email us with your address at nothanks@unipaper.co.uk. We print 200,000 copies in 16 university cities. The University Paper is published by The UniPaper Ltd, in association with Simian Publishing, 23-24 Margaret Street, London W1W 8RU. Printed by Newsquest, Oxford.

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PARTY POOPER: The words ‘house party’ and ‘danger’ go hand in hand. Waking up in a bleary-eyed haze to find someone has scrawled rude drawings in permanent marker on the kitchen walls or to discover vomit that hasn’t quite made the toilet bowl has to be among every host’s worst nightmare. So, is that ‘small gathering’ that you were about to publish on Facebook (accidentally without the ‘invite-only’ setting) worth it? Michael Quinn

PICTURE: WIKICOMMONS/KF

EXAM STRESS: We are constantly being told that today’s youth has it far too easy when it comes to education, so there is now a demand for exambased learning. Surely it is counterproductive to only be tested on less than ten per cent of what you have learnt in the space of a couple of hours while under intense pressure? Students should be encouraged to exercise their skills about the subject thoroughly and this is best achieved through coursework. It also allows a student to choose their own question, encouraging them to pursue and expand their own ideas which they are passionate about Natalie Wellings

I HEART VALENTINE’S: Whatever complaints the anti-Valentine’s brigade has, no-one can resist the excitement of knowing someone out there holds a special place for you in their heart. Regardless of the tacky merchandise of February 14 and the 11million additional texts sent on the day of love, the simplistic act of giving an anonymous card will undoubtedly bring a smile to anyone’s face Lucy Kehoe

PICTURE: WIKICOMMONS/ FLICKRLICKR

LOVE SICK: Whether you’re single or taken, Valentine’s is utter tripe. I just don’t think a heart-shaped box filled with cheap chocolates picked up from Card Factory for 99p, or an over-sized teddy bear that will ultimately be abandoned once the endorphin-filled day loses all its glory, class as romance. Watching couples flap about confessing their undying love for one another because they are compelled to do so really does have me contemplating shooting a fat little Cupid’s arrow through my own head Ema Brewer

COST OF EDUCATION: Students shouldn’t get a free ride – but getting a degree surely isn’t a free ride? The truth is – as if you hadn’t noticed – the economy is on the fritz and paying for higher education seems to be a knee-jerk reaction. Instead of genuine economic pragmatism, paying for education is yet more evidence that austerity is ruining people’s outlook. Saddling ambitious, forward-thinking students with debt – or, worse, making further education unavailable to some – is regressive in the most devastating way. Student Loans has already lost a load of tuition fees, the rest won’t ever get paid back – why not just scrap them altogether, George? Joe Evans

DIS-MAY: I agree with chancellor at the University of Birmingham Lord Bilimoria, who has attacked Theresa May’s plan to clear out non-EU international students from the UK. Closing Britain off to foreign students would damage its reputation as a nation that attracts talent from all over the world and cut off important cultural ties. Every international student pays thousands of pounds more than any British student each year and they do not get a loan like home students. It seems like Theresa May’s plan doesn’t have either economic reasoning or support behind it Natalia Alyukova

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February 2015

theINTERVIEW: Simon Amstell

The journey to a comedy awakening S

IMON AMSTELL is delving into his psyche. Describing his �irst taste of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca during a trip to Peru – the inspiration for his latest stand-up tour, To Be Free – he says it failed to transform his thoughts in the way locals and gap year truth-seekers had claimed. ‘I imagined afterwards I’d have the feeling of total peace and serenity and I’d no longer feel stuck or limited,’ he says. ‘But despite this life-changing, profound, unexplainable experience, I’m still imprisoned by my own various insecurities.’ These stubborn doubts seem to be almost an asset for the 35-year-old, who does not shy away from letting his �laws take centre-stage. ‘My last tours were both quite… sad,’ he laughs. ‘Loneliness and the feeling of disconnection were big themes. However, this one is about me trying to �ind total freedom in my life. ‘I no longer feel as broken or troubled, so I think there’s generally more joy in this show. Although I’m still dealing with all the various problems of being a human being, they’re not quite as tragic as they were in previous shows. ‘I think I’m now closer to a fully functioning

TV presenter-turned-comedian Simon Amstell talks to CASSIE DONEY about psychadelics, clowning, Buddhism and the struggle to become a functioning human being human being than I’ve ever been.’ But the trope of the troubled comic has endured, partly through 2012 sitcom Grandma’s House, where his drifting ex-TV presenter character’s situation seemed to mirror his own life following Never Mind The Buzzcocks. He sees his ability to turn pain into humour as a survival skill. ‘If I didn’t have comedy as a career, I’d be desperately trying to �ind some other way to cope,’ he says. ‘I’d probably be in therapy full time.’ Although his stand-up show touches on the politics of the meat industry and the ‘absurdity’ of having a royal family, Amstell is not mounting a Russell Brand-style call for revolution quite yet. ‘I think the best thing for me to be doing is to retain the mask of the clown, where the clown is cheekily questioning things around him,’ he says. ‘I think the moment you become the politician, you lose the clown. And I feel like the clown is freer than the politician.’ The role of clown is one Amstell takes seriously. He

studied at Philippe Gaulier’s prestigious clown school in Paris – an experience he likens to an aspect of Zen Buddhism, where young monks are given puzzles to solve. ‘The reason they’re so tricky is that the mind can’t solve these puzzles,’ Amstell says. ‘The solution was to throw away rational thought – to be instinctive and childlike. And I wasn’t good at any of those things.’ Not all clowning around has been worth it, though. ‘I learnt to juggle as a kid,’ he says. ‘It doesn’t get you sex. It gets people to look at you for about 30 seconds, and then they go and look at something else.’ Watching acts at the Edinburgh Fringe, things �inally clicked, however. ‘The performers I found funny were the ones who had a sense of childlike wonder,’ he says. ‘Because everything is essentially ridiculous – and, through comedy, you can express that ridiculousness of everything we experience being an absurd illusion created by our ego monkey minds.’ He pauses. ‘There’s a quote for you.’

SIMON AMSTELL plays Liverpool on February 12, Bristol on February 26, Coventry on March 5 and Glasgow on March 18 and 19

Long trip: A Peruvian drug inspired Simon Amstell’s tour

INSIDE: Toddla T looks to lose his mind, The Wombats go wonky and Sigma make a racket

February 2015

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clubbingCALENDAR monday, feb 16 Snap Mondays, Tiger Tiger, £3 Remake Remodel, Soup Kitchen, £3 Mega Mondays, Bierkeller, free After Dark, Sankeys, £4

tuesday, feb 24 Gold Teeth, Deaf Institute, £5 Koosdays, Tiger Tiger, £5 Moustache, Joshua Brookes, £4 42nd Street, Deansgate, £3

wednesday, mar 4 Hot Mess, Revolution, £5 Uproar, The Venue, £3 Bassface, Sound Control, £5 Juicy, Joshua Brookes, £5

thursday, mar 12 F#CK Thursdays, Factory, £1 Full Moon, Sankeys, £4 Play No Games, 256, £3 Shut up and Dance, Baa Bar, £3

tuesday, feb 17 Gold Teeth, Deaf Institute, £5 Koosdays, Tiger Tiger, £5 Moustache, Joshua Brookes, £4 42nd Street, Deansgate, £3

wednesday, feb 25 Hot Mess, Revolution, £5 Uproar, The Venue, £3 Bassface, Sound Control, £5 Juicy, Joshua Brookes, £5

thursday, mar 5 F#CK Thursdays, Factory, £1 Full Moon, Sankeys, £4 Play No Games, 256, £3 Shut up and Dance, Baa Bar, £3

friday, mar 13 Scuba, Sankeys, £10 Plasma Future, South, £8 DJ Yoda, Band on the Wall, £10 Cherry, Sound Control, £5 Orderly Cut, Ark, £6

wednesday, feb 18 Hot Mess, Revolution, £5 Uproar, The Venue, £3 Bassface, Sound Control, £5 Juicy, Joshua Brookes, £5

thursday, feb 19 F#CK Thursdays, Factory, £1 Full Moon, Sankeys, £4 Play No Games, 256, £3 Shut up and Dance, Baa Bar, £3 Labour of Love, Soup Kitchen, £8

thursday, feb 26 F#CK Thursdays, Factory, £1 Full Moon, Sankeys, £4 Play No Games, 256, £3 Shut up and Dance, Baa Bar, £3

friday, mar 6 Transmission: Zutekh, Albert Hall, £18 Coded Rhythm, XOLO, £8 Tribal Sessions, Sankeys, £8 Top of the Pops, Mint Lounge, £3 FRI251, Factory, £3 The Voodoo Lounge, The Venue, £5

friday, feb 27 Transmission: Base Boys Club, Albert Hall, £20 The Zenith presents, Pub Zoo, £5 Just Skank, Joshua Brookes, £10 Kyle Hall, Sankeys, £10 Cherry, Sound Control, £5

saturday, mar 7 Retro, Sanction, £10 Life, Bowlers, £20 Remake Remodel, Ruby Lounge, £3 Independence Saturday, The Venue, £5 Factory Saturdays, Factory, £2

saturday, mar 14 Transmission: Andy C, Albert Hall, £18 High Hoops, Roadhouse, £6 Covert, Sankeys, £10 Factory Saturdays, Factory, £3 Independence Saturday, The Venue, £4

sunday, mar 15 Cruz 101, Canal Street, £1 Open Mic, Deaf Institute, free Mojo, Deansgate, free

90,215 Students in Manchester enjoy themselves every month Make sure they know about your event

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February 2015

clubbingCALENDAR friday, feb 20 DJ EZ, Gorilla, £8 Harri and Domenic, Roadhouse, £6 Black Bee Soul Club, Kraak Gallery, £5 Transmission, Albert Hall, £18 Electric Jug, Deaf Institute, £3

saturday, feb 28 Dub Arena, The Big Western, £8 Grey Area, Joshua Brookes, £8 Transmission: Kaluki, £18 Kooky, Gorilla, £7 Pop, Deaf Institute, £5 Ouse, Sankeys, £10

sunday, mar 8 Cruz 101, Canal Street, £1 Open Mic, Deaf Institute, free Mojo, Deansgate, free

monday, mar 16 Snap Mondays, Tiger Tiger, £3 Remake Remodel, Soup Kitchen, £3 Mega Mondays, Bierkeller, free After Dark, Sankeys, £4

saturday, feb 21 Selective Hearing, Sankeys, £5 Transmission: Hospitality, Albert Hall, £18 Audio Rehab, Gorilla, £12 Howling Rhythm Soul Club, The Ruby Lounge, £4 Fac251, Factory, £3

sunday, mar 1 Cruz 101, Canal Street, £1 Open Mic, Deaf Institute, free Mojo, Deansgate, free

monday, mar 9 Snap Mondays, Tiger Tiger, £3 Remake Remodel, Soup Kitchen, £3 Mega Mondays, Bierkeller, free After Dark, Sankeys, £4

tuesday, mar 17 Gold Teeth, Deaf Institute, £5 Koosdays, Tiger Tiger, £5 Moustache, Joshua Brookes, £4 42nd Street, Deansgate, £3

sunday, feb 22 Cruz 101, Canal Street, £1 Open Mic, Deaf Institute, free Mojo, Deansgate, free

monday, mar 2

Snap Mondays, Tiger Tiger, £3 Remake Remodel, Soup Kitchen, £3 Mega Mondays, Bierkeller, free After Dark, Sankeys, £4

tuesday, mar 10 Gold Teeth, Deaf Institute, £5 Koosdays, Tiger Tiger, £5 Moustache, Joshua Brookes, £4 42nd Street, Deansgate, £3

wednesday, mar 18 Hot Mess, Revolution, £5 Uproar, The Venue, £3 Bassface, Sound Control, £5 Juicy, Joshua Brookes, £5

monday, feb 23 Snap Mondays, Tiger Tiger, £3 Remake Remodel, Soup Kitchen, £3 Mega Mondays, Bierkeller, free After Dark, Sankeys, £4

tuesday, mar 3 Gold Teeth, Deaf Institute, £5 Koosdays, Tiger Tiger, £5 Moustache, Joshua Brookes, £4

wednesday, mar 11 Hot Mess, Revolution, £5 Uproar, The Venue, £3 Bassface, Sound Control, £5 Juicy, Joshua Brookes, £5

thursday, mar 19 F#CK Thursdays, Factory, £1 Full Moon, Sankeys, £4 Play No Games, 256, £3 Shut up and Dance, Baa Bar, £3

February 2015

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what’sON pick of the month CLUBBING THE Soup Kitchen plays host to the hypnotic, progressive and rave-tinged hi-fidelity of Daniel Avery’s highly acclaimed Drone Logic, as the British-born producer takes over the basement for a whole night – bringing Volte-Face and John Loveless with him. Avery’s sound is eclectic, fusing toppy techno riffs and tight beats with atmospheric chord movements and plenty of organic sampling thrown into the mix. The result is a mesmerising tour de force, where Balearic progressions sit next to abrasive drones as Avery layers the musical drama of his songs through a masterful deployment of off-the-wall sounds. Catch him on March 28. Josh Mcloughlin

MUSIC FOLLOWING the NME award-winning electromelancholia of Dear Science, TV On The Radio return, bringing their latest album, Seeds, to

Picasso. A Blake-graphene sensor will detect the physicist’s breath and launch a firework display to cap what looks sure to be a spectacular opening. Josh Mcloughlin

Manchester. The prospect of the band under the biblical arch of the Albert Hall is mouthwatering. This Brooklyn-based quartet have progressed each album in a Radioheadesque fashion, never losing their emotional standpoint but building on their sound, with rising influence from the electronic genre that is dominating modern music. Known for their unpredictability, TV On The Radio will play what they want, how they want. They will appear at the Albert Hall on February 17. Tickets £18.50.

THEATRE

ART CITED as one of the reasons for Manchester’s making the New York Times top places to visit in the world in 2015, the Whitworth finally reopens this month following a £15million revamp. The grand opening sees acclaimed British contemporary sculptor Cornelia Parker unveil an extensive exhibition, including the much-lauded

Centrepiece: Cornelia Parker’s famous Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View 1991 piece Cold Dark Matter: An Exploded View, as well as two new commissions exclusive to the gallery and many other

new works. Parker has also teamed up with Kostya Novoselov – the University of Manchester’s Nobel Prizewinning graphene scientist

– to create graphene sourced from the graphite in pieces from the Whitworth’s collection by William Blake, Turner, Constable and

THE UNIVERSITY PAPER NEEDS YOUR HELP! If you’re in the know about student life, outgoing and keen to work with a fantastic team of people, we’re on the lookout for new recruits to help with Distribution, street teams, promotions and more. Fantastic rates of pay. If you’re up to the challenge, please contact: editor@unipaper.co.uk

INSPIRED by the riots that hit Manchester in 2011, Rona Munro’s new play, Scuttlers, seeks to meld 19th-century history with 21st-century attitude. Scuttlers takes the audience back to the Manchester of 1885, to the industrial powerhouse of Ancoats, where 50,000 people lived in one square mile. Against the backdrop of thundering cotton mills and abject deprivation, violence reigns as young gangs fight for territory in the world’s first industrial suburb. Munro’s protagonists create a vivid and relevant re-telling of the lives and deaths, tears and laughter of Manchester’s very first street gangs. Scuttlers is at The Royal Exchange until March 7. Under26 tickets start at £6. Josh Mcloughlin

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February 2015

what’sON

Our comprehensive guide to entertainment in Manchester. If you have an event which you would like included please email us at whatson@unipaper.co.uk

Olden... but still Golden Punk’s ‘old farts’ hit the road again The Stranglers are back in Glastonbury’s good books and still bringing the house down with Golden Brown. Now, they are happily hitting the road again after 41 years together, as frontman Baz Warne tells SHANICE ABBOTT

OW does it feel to go back on tour together? It always feels special. We feel proud of what we’ve achieved and that we’re still able to go out there. Did you ever think you would be so successful in the business for so long? No – I don’t think any of us thought we’d be in it for 40 minutes, never mind 40 years! How important is it that your fans have stayed loyal to you? It’s a cliché but I mean it – we would not exist without the fans coming to see us and buying our music. Now, because we’re such old farts, they bring their children – and sometimes their children’s children. It’s been 41 years since the band formed. What’s been your highlight? One was when we played Glastonbury in 2010 because they said that ‘over their dead bodies’ would they ever have The Stranglers on. There was some trouble back in the

early days when we were less than complimentary to the people. But 80,000 people came out to see us anyway – it was fantastic. Can we expect a new album this year? That’s an interesting question. We have been knocking ideas around and emailing each other snippets of music. But these days we live spread out across the UK from each other. I wouldn’t totally say there will be an album this year – but there could be one next year. What inspired you to get back together for your 40th anniversary last year? We’d never really broken up. We were just on a break. We all have our own lives now but it doesn’t matter how old you get or how successful you are – you always want to go back. What’s the one song that gets the crowd going? I would have thought the obvious – Golden Brown. Our audience is built with some very die-hard fans, so they’re probably sick to death of hearing that

Back in black: (l-r) Baz Warne, Jet Black, JJ Burnel and Dave Greenﬁeld

song. But that’s the one we perform and the place just blows up. Where has been your favourite place to tour and why? We did a pretty memorable tour in Australia with Blondie and David Bowie. I mean, we’ve toured with them lots of times over the years, so we know them quite well. But these big tours we always look forward to. n The Stranglers play the Manchester Academy on March 21.

People know what we are YOU could argue Enter Shikari are the Millwall of heavy metal music: no-one likes us, we don’t care. Only that would be selling them short. While there are many haters, there are plenty of people who do like them. Speaking to TUP ahead of their sell-out gig at Manchester Academy on February 20, bassist Rory Clewlow sums it up: ‘People know what we are and that’s what they want to see. As long as you’re happy, job done. ‘Whenever we have doubts about tracks, or negative comments, we just support each other.’ Formed in that no-so-rock heartland of St

What you see is what you get: Metallers Enter Shikari Albans, Hertfordshire, in 2003, Enter Shikari have pushed the boundaries of the heavy metal genre, fusing loud guitars with everything from drum ‘n’ bass to electronica. Their new album, The

Mindsweep, marks a return to the band’s diverse style, including heavier tracks such as their latest single, Anaesthetist. And, at the end of the day, if no-one likes it, they won’t care... Jade Attwood

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theBEAT

We need a scene where we lose our minds On the verge of dropping a new mixtape, Toddla T chats to MORGAN HINTON about DJing at the age of ten, promotional politics and being proper s**t at school

hen did you discover your love for music? I got heavily into music aged about nine or ten. When I was ten I had turntables but they were unusable – all you could do was select tracks. Anything else and the needle would snap. What moment did you commit to being a DJ? I’ve got a bit of a weird mind in that I can’t concentrate on things I’m not into. At

school I was proper s**t – not because I’m thick, I just didn’t give a f**k. Music was one of the only things I could really focus on. With raves now promoting unknown line-ups, would you play at an event that wouldn’t advertise your name on the bill? One hundred per cent – I think that’s a really good idea. If you can sell tickets with the night being the

FO F F O RSITY PAPER E UNIV EADERS R

In the mix: Toddla T has been in the studio with singer Protoje focus over the DJs, that’s the ultimate winner. How do you feel about the underground scene in Britain? Dance music has got so popular over the last few

years, with so much money in the industry, you get all the bulls**t that comes with it. It’s necessary to have underground nights, now more than ever. Dance music has become new and shiny,

whereas the underground scene should be somewhere you go to lose your mind. What are your aspirations for this year? I’m doing a mixtape with a Jamaican artist called

Protoje. We’re blending his instrumentals and trying to merge the Jamaican sound with the UK sound. Toddla T and Protoje’s mixtape is due for release this month.

Little White Lies is a British, London based brand bringing timeless quality pieces to the 18-35 year old fashion conscious women. Little White Lies creates exquisite collections, each piece has a unique point of difference- a trim, beautiful buttons or hidden pockets. Every garment has been thought about in detail from beginning to end creating contemporary modern pieces with a nostalgic retro charm.

We use the highest quality fabrics to create soft dresses and separates; with the use of delicate velvets, vegan leathers, silks and georgette overlays. Attention to detail is what makes this brand so charming. This is carried throughout all designs, giving a feeling of femininity with an urban edge keeping Little White Lies in touch with premium fashion trends. The brand is stocked across the UK, Europe and the USA making a name for itself as Drapers Young Fashion Brand finalist. To celebrate the growing success, Little White Lies would like to offer University readers 25% off their next shop online at www.littlewhitelies.com

Go to www.littlewhitelieslondon.com and enter code LWLU25 to claim your discount Can be used on full price items only, cannot be used in conjunction with other coupons.

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theBEAT

February 2015 Love your music? So do we! Tune in here for all the latest interviews, previews and reviews

It all got kind of moody Record pushed us to edge of reason

They’re back: (l-r) Tord, Murph and Dan have been working on their third album

The Wombats frontman Matthew ‘Murph’ Murphy tells PORTIA FAHEY about pouring his soul into the new album, what it’s like having LA as your fantasy girlfriend and his new-found fondness for dogs

HE Wombats have ‘pushed themselves to the edge of the human soul’ to create their latest album, Glitterbug. ‘The back end of the recording process was nuts for me,’ according to the band’s lead singer Matthew Murphy, aka Murph. ‘I was back and forth between London and LA. It was very exhausting and it all got kind of moody towards the end. All I know is that I’m incredibly proud of the album.’ And so he should be. The new record, due out in April, has taken four years to complete and Murph – along with bandmates Dan Haggis and Tord Øverland Knudsen – is about to embark on a 26-date European tour in March to promote it. ‘We’re all perfectionists and a lot of the songs have been through heavy critiquing by myself before the others get to them, or they’ll send me a backing track and I’ll work on it and rewrite and rewrite and then it goes back to them,’ he says. ‘We are all definitely guilty of over-analysing things.’ ‘I’m not saying we’ve had

to go down the mines every morning. I’ve certainly put a lot of myself into this album emotionally, psychologically. ‘It’s hilarious – I’m only starting to realise now that when I was in it, I actually had no idea what was going on.’ Thankfully, the band had Bastille’s producer, Mark Crew, on hand to guide them through some of the darker moments. Murph, 30, says: ‘Mark was unbelievable and would take the p*** out of us so much, which is something no one’s ever done before – well, not to our faces, anyway!’ The Liverpool-born singer has also found three new loves in his life: LA, his girlfriend and her dog, Daisy. ‘Daisy’s awesome and I’m completely obsessed with her,’ he laughs. ‘I spent the majority of yesterday just staring at pictures of her.’ And his obsession with LA has become so strong, the city is the main focus of the new album. ‘I’d stay over in LA and I fell more and more in love with the city,’ he explains. ‘I got to know it a lot more

Rising star: Laura Welsh

LAURA WELSH entered the mainstream last year when she featured on Gorgon City’s top ten hit, Here For You. Now, the singer is looking to cement her place there. She spoke to TUP ahead of the release of her debut album, Soft Control, in March. What was it like working with Gorgon City? Musically, it’s completely different to what I do but it was an amazing experience – and to play festivals with them gave

Catch The Wombats on tour during April in Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield, Glasgow, Liverpool and Newcastle. Visit thewombats.co.uk

and then, suddenly, it was this person that I’d written the songs about. I’d created this non-existent person in my head and thought about what it would be like having a long-distance relationship and dealing with jealousy and things like that.’ But most of all, his love is for the fans. ‘It means f*** all if you don’t have some fans that care about you and we’ve always been very lucky in that our fan base is strong but they’re also obsessed with us,’ he says. ‘Everything else is just background noise.’

Singer without compromise me the opportunity to play in front of much bigger audiences. How was the recording process for the album? It was incredible to have it finished and mixed for me. The most important thing was that I’d made the record that I wanted to, without compromise. What do you like to do in your down time? I love photography. I’ve got a Canon film camera so I like shooting on that. Edward Jones

For a longer version of this interview, log on now to www.unipaper.co.uk

tourDATES

KNOW THE INSIDE

DO YOU

T R AC K O N

CAMPUS?

IF SO THE UNIVERSITY PAPER WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. We are scouring the UK for student journalists, so whether you are looking for work experience or simply spending too much time in the SU, get in touch today. We are on the look out for opinion leaders and change makers who can write engaging copy. Your pieces will be printed in The University Paper which is read by thousands of students across the UK and you will get that all important byline - perfect if you are looking to build a portfolio. Not to mention that age old adage, it will look great on the CV. So if you would like to be an influential voice for the student community or just have a strong front page tell us what is going on - pitch your ideas to The University Paper, email: editor@unipaper.co.uk

February 2015

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theBEAT

Together... because we loved to make a big old racket

Passion: Cameron Edwards (left) and Joe Lenzie scored No.1s with Changing and Nobody To Love

ISTENING to drum ’n’ bass duo Sigma chat about getting soaked in champagne and downing trebles, you would think life was just one big booze-fest. But Joe Lenzie and Cameron Edwards have been working hard, releasing four EPs and �ive singles since 2010, two of which – Changing and Nobody To Love – made it to No.1 in the charts. They have also collaborated with the likes of Paloma Faith and Labrinth, who features on their forthcoming single. Catching up with them on their way to the studio as they take a break from live shows to work on debut album Life, due out later this year, I ask how they felt about Kanye West’s track Bound 2, which they reworked for Nobody To Love. ‘Overall, it sounded like someone was having a musical heart attack but we really liked the d’n’b part, so gave it a mix,’ says Edwards. Kanye’s management contacted the duo about playing at Wireless Festival last summer but they declined, preferring to ‘do our own thing’. The pair met at the

They have gone from two mates who fuelled their passion for drum ‘n’ bass with nights out to professionals with two UK No.1s under their belts and a single with Labrinth soon to be released. HENRIETTA PAINTER speaks to Sigma about champagne, doves and staying healthy University of Leeds, where going out three or four nights a week together fuelled their passion for drum ’n’ bass. Those nights were ‘without a doubt the best places to go’, claims Edwards, a former events student. They formed Sigma out of ‘a mutual love for making a racket together’ and were originally going to be called Lesbian Doves. Can I ask why? ‘One night a pair of lesbian doves �lew down from Joe’s shed,’ Edwards explains. ‘So we wanted to call ourselves that – but it sounded too r’n’b for us.’ Twelve years on, and do they still feel Leeds has a healthy d’n’b scene? ‘It’s changed a lot now, but then again all scenes have,’ says Lenzie. ‘We love to go back to Leeds whenever we play there. The d’n’b scene has become really healthy.’ It is clear the duo are not shy of a party or four. ‘I can’t remember my best memory from uni – it all seems like a constant haze,’ says

Edwards. So, what are their other favourite places for a night out? ‘We played at HAU5 festival in Newcastle last year and ended up at an afterparty in Tup Tup,’ says Lenzie. ‘I can’t tell you all the details but we were covered in a lot of champagne that night.’ He confesses he’s never had a treble, though – at which point, Edwards proudly announces that he has. ‘Cam’s still a student deep down,’ says Lenzie. Making music has always been on the cards for them, although Edwards once had a yearning for the army. ‘It’s weird,’ muses Lenzie. ‘When you’re growing up, you don’t realise that music is this whole massive industry.’ It is one they’re getting stuck into and life at the moment is a mixture of touring and studios, fuelled by beer, their PlayStation and vitamins. ‘On tour it’s great to have each other,’ says Lenzie. ‘And the vitamins keep us healthy.’

Sigma will perform at Future Music Festivals across Australia on February 28 and March 1, 7, 8 and 9, and Germany’s Sputnik Springbreak Festival from May 22 to 24. Higher, featuring Labrinth, is released by 3beat records on March 22.

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February 2015

onSCREEN

Love a good night at the movies? Or perhaps you need a quiet night in front of the TV? Read on to find out what’s on...

out soon

Just mates: Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan in What If?

Predestination (Feb 20) A TIME-travelling agent (Ethan Hawke) working for the ‘temporal bureau’ is sent on his final assignment to stop an infamous terrorist who has eluded him. He is forced to hop between the years to prevent a major crime, picking up a new recruit in John Doe (Sarah Snook) along the way. Jakub Szweda Kill The Messenger (Mar 6) REPORTER Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) exposes the shocking truth of the CIA’s role in importing cocaine into America and using the profits to arm Contra rebels in Nicaragua. Despite threats from drug lords and CIA operatives, Webb keeps on digging – endangering his career, life and family. Antoniya Gerimpapazi Chappie

(Mar 6)

UNNATURALLY clever robot Chappie (Sharlto Copley) is kidnapped at ‘birth’ and later adopted and raised by a dysfunctional family. Director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) is known for addressing big issues such as race, discrimination and freedom – and this latest outing looks set to do the same. Aaron Lembo X+Y

(Mar 13)

NATHAN ELLIS (Asa Butterfield) is no normal child. While others play, he hides away and solves problems. When his teacher Martin Humphreys (Rafe Spall) finds his rare gift, he sends him to the International Mathematics Olympiad, where Nate realises there is more to life than maths. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

In the friend zone? DANIEL RADCLIFFE, star of What If?, out on Blu-ray and DVD this month, tells TUP about friends he doesn’t want to sleep with, correcting pronunciation and banter

OES sex always get in the way of a good friendship? Daniel Radcliffe explores the thin line between friends and lovers in What If? What were your first conversations with director Michael Dowse? He was referencing movies like It Happened One Night and When Harry Met Sally. They were big touchstones for us, because it’s all about how relationships are built through banter and taking the p***. When the script came to you, what shape was it in? It was pretty much as it is now. The moment I knew I was going to do the script was on

n TINA FEY’S latest comedy offering, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, sees Kimmy Schmidt (Ellie Kemper) escaping to New York after spending 13 years in a doomsday cult. She is determined to start her life again, finding work as a nanny for a wealthy Manhattanite (Jane Krakowski) and friendship with Titus (Tituss Burgess), a larger-

page two, when Wallace is correcting Chantry on her pronunciation of a word, and I was just like, ‘Ah, I’m that guy.’ The film seems clear men and women can be friends. How does it strike that balance? I’m friends with lots of women who I have no intentions to sleep with. There is also the question of whether men and women who are incredibly sexually attracted to each other can just be friends. That’s the issue that is present in the film. What’s Toronto like to work in? I had a great time there. I ate really badly – lots of poutine, which is chips in gravy, cheese and bacon. It was a really fun.

tvPICK

than-life singer who works as a robot in Times Square. Created by Tina Fey, the show has signed up to two seasons on Netflix, with the first coming out on March 6. Rebecca Thomas

February 2015

hiTECH

www.unipaper.co.uk The latest in everything gadgets and gaming

Ambitious street car racer is bit of a drag The Crew (Xbox 360) Rating 3/5

LUNGING gamers into the heart of Detroit’s illegal street racing scene, The Crew is looking to redefine the open-world racing genre. Players will attempt to infiltrate and take down the 510 gang that pulls all the strings in motor city. But the action isn’t limited to Detroit, as the massive game offers coast-to-coast, online-only action from LA all the way to New York. The best thrills emerge in the vast, inter-city stretches that perfectly capture the experience of the great American road trip. Unfortunately, that ambition leaves the gameplay

Resident Evil Revelations 2 ONE of the great horror series returns with some familiar faces. Fan favourite Claire Redfield stars with Moira Burton, the daughter of the legendary Barry Burton. The two women, who are working for antibioterrorism organisation TerraSave, are captured at the start of the game. What follows is a gory quest for survival and answers. Fans can expect better gameplay from the previous outing, while features such as raid mode allow players to fight through a map without following the main storyline. Out on March 2. Aaron Lembo Project CARS

On the road: The Crew takes you on a high-octane journey into Detroit’s illegal racing scene feeling stretched. The immense landscape gives a poor frame rate, causing lagging, dubious graphics and sketchy audio. The AI isn’t

quite right either, veering from erratic decisions to outright cheating in a bid to ramp up the tension in what is a flat driving experience.

Added to this, online matchmaking is a work in progress – a serious issue for the online-only campaign. Josh Mcloughlin

THIS is the racing simulator that gamers have been waiting for. The highly ambitious racer, which has been in production since October 2011, lets players take control of a huge variety of motors, from karts to supercars. They can also take on real-life race tracks, such as

out soon Donnington, Silverstone and Brands Hatch. Everything from the nuts and bolts up has been wonderfully recreated to replicate their real-world counterparts, with the game also boasting fully dynamic weather systems and a competitive online feature. Released on March 20. Umar Hassan Battlefield: Hardline ARE you going to be a cop or a criminal? Choose your side in this highspeed multiplayer mode. There are seven online games to choose from, including rescue, a tense five-on-five match in which the police have to save hostages before time runs out, while the perps do everything they can to stop them. In the single-player campaign, gamers can now use nonlethal force takedowns to gather intel on criminals. There are also a number of new weapons, cars and bikes to keep seasoned fans entertained. It’s out on March 20. Matt Bullin

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theTRIP

February 2015

Every journey begins with a single step... take the first one here, with our look at great places to go abroad

Foster far-flung friends Get travel ideas off pals from overseas

So, where should you go? Our favourite getaways

ESPITE tough talk from the government about international students, our campuses hold a wealth of people who have come from overseas to study. The diversity of the university population is an indication of how enlightening travelling can be, with the melting pot giving undergrads an insight into a host of different cultures – so why not get inspiration on where to travel from global friends? The cost of a trip abroad can put many off but if you stay with an international friend, you can reduce the cost considerably, as well as get off the tourist trail and find out what living in the country is really like. Study leave and the Easter holidays provide a perfect opportunity to get away for a few nights. If you’re looking for something more than a quick break, most universities offer the chance of studying at campuses across the world at summer schools and as part of the Erasmus scheme. This allows you to study abroad for between three months and one academic year, with no extra tuition fees. You can also apply for a grant under the programme to cover any extra costs of studying abroad. Andrew Griffiths

ISTANBUL: East meets west in this city, where the Galata Bridge offers views over both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean and you can find Christian art in the Hagia Sophia mosque, which was once a church. The Blue Mosque (pictured), with its awe-inspiring dome, is also worth a visit. As a

student on holiday with friends, I found it affordable – our student discount cards were taken at the huge imperial Dolmabahçe Palace and we filled our backpacks with beautiful food – in terms of taste and colour – at the spice market while sticking to a tight budget. Anupama Subramaniyam PICTURE: AS

NEW YORK: The Big Apple, the ‘city that never sleeps’ – New York City has many affectionate nicknames. And for good reason. It is home to some of the most famous landmarks in the world – the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and glittering Times Square, pictured. If you usually prefer beach resorts or countryside estates to

city breaks, make an exception for New York. Aside from feeling as if you have stumbled on to the set of a film or TV series, the city has something to suit everyone, whether you want to sample some culture at its museums and galleries, catch a musical in Broadway or wander through Central Park. Adiba Khatoon PICTURE: FRANCISCO DIEZ

FINLAND: When people ask me about my favourite holiday destination, they don’t expect me to say Finland – the Nordic country can sometimes fall off the getaway radar. But in Helsinki, you can sip an espresso in an ultramodern coffee shop surrounded by hippies, while being haunted by

the city’s Soviet past and inspired by its neo-classical cathedral (pictured). The street food festival, in March, involves talks and parties as well as delicious meals – while a traditional Finnish sauna followed by a run through the snow is not to be missed. Mane Grigoryan PICTURE: TAZRIAN KHAN/FLICKR

KEFALONIA: Nicknamed ‘the jewel in the Ionian crown’, this western Greek island is home to the soft white sands and the turquoise waters of Myrtos, widely thought to be one of the best beaches in the world. You may recognise the island from the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, which was set and filmed there and took much of

its mood from the surroundings. You can take a yacht from Argostoli, the island’s main working port, which has a natural sheltered harbour, to explore the coastline. If you want a break from the beach, there are plenty of villages and medieval castles to explore. And keep a look-out for the island’s famous turtles. Charlotte Seddon PICTURE: CS

Signs of trouble: Yellow flowers, feet and thumbs SNOG someone outside a chicken shop on the way home from a night out in the UK and you could find a compromising picture posted on Facebook of you and your ‘friend’. But in the Middle East or India, it could land you in serious trouble. A smooch between a British couple in Dubai in 2010 led to a prison sentence – and, while PDAs between your housemate and their

‘significant other’ sometimes put you off your beans on toast, you probably don’t want anyone to end up behind bars. Here are some other faux pas to avoid while on your travels. 1. Learn your left from your right. In many cultures, including the Middle East and parts of Africa, people eat with their right hand and find using the left disgusting –

it is reserved for more, er, intimate acts in the bathroom. 2. Avoid pointing the bottom of your feet at anyone if you are in a Muslim country, as they are considered the lowest and most unclean part of the body. 3. If you think about getting a bouquet of flowers for a Ukrainian friend, never bring an even number – and avoid yellow. This

may appear to be odd but the colour is considered impolite, while even numbers of blooms are associated with funerals. 4. A thumbs-up is interpreted by most Brits as a sign of approval or thanks but if you are travelling around Afghanistan, Iran or parts of Italy, it takes on a whole other meaning – think middle finger. 5. In Japan, when you are out

with your drinking buddies, it is traditional to pour beer for one another as a gesture of companionship and respect. 6. In Nepal, it is thought to be ill-mannered to open a gift in the presence of the giver, to avoid offence – so don’t take it personally if your hosts leave your offerings unopened on the side. Joe Taylor

yourNIGHT

Enjoyed a big night in Manchester? We have all the pictures from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest nightspots... see if you can spot yourself.

February 2015

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foodBREAK

Save dough with these budget eats

A fast �illing �ix for a night out... Chilli, artichoke and cheese dip

A GOOD host knows that food should be on offer if guests are coming – especially if you are about to head off together on a big night out. But, with limited amounts of time and cash, what’s the best way of feeding your friends without breaking the bank? For ease and speed, it doesn’t get much better than a chilli, artichoke and cheese dip. For just under £15 you can create a taste sensation that will have your friends praising your culinary skills for years to come. All you need is 250g of grated mozzarella, 50g of grated parmesan, three cans of artichoke hearts, two to three chillies (a combination of red and

green for colour) and 325g of mayonnaise. Finely chop the chillies and either half or quarter the artichoke hearts (depending on how chunky you like it). Next, combine the ingredients together and stir until well mixed. Pop your concoction into an oven-safe dish, about an inch-and-a-half to two inches deep, and stick it in the oven at 200C for about 15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve with tortilla chips and voilà... your guests will think you put a lot of effort into making a tasty treat, while you will have time to get ready and a bit of dosh left in your pocket. Aria Dixon

Cheap treats: Baked beans and Dolmio sauce

TUDENTS are masters of scrimping – especially when it comes to food. But what should every undergraduate’s cupboard contain? Check out TUP’s top ten bargain bites. 1. Garlic bread – This family favourite will cost you less than a quid and it couldn’t be easier to cook. Stick it in an oven and come back ten minutes later. 2. Rice – There is barely a country in the world that

 HUNTING for a student-friendly shop? Look no further than Aldi. If you can keep up with the lightning speed of the cashiers then this is where you should head for a bargain. Pick up frozen tuna steaks at a decent size and price (400g, £2.99) or take advantage of their weekly ‘super six’ deal, where all the fruit and veggies are just 59p Cheryl Culliford-Whyte

doesn’t have a rice dish. From Spanish paella to Jamaica’s rice and peas, it can be added to most meals and doesn’t cost the earth. 3. Noodles – A packet of

simple noodles can cost pennies but are perfect for adding bulk to stir fries. Mix them with a spicy sauce and a load of your favourite vegetables for a healthy,

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February 2015

foodBREAK

We’ve all got to eat. So whether you fancy preparing something at home or popping out for dinner, we have the recipe for a great meal

Economic edibles: Filling up on noodles, garlic bread, cereal or rice is a tasty way to save some cash PICTURES: ZOE MACNAUGHTON PHRAWR/HAT M/ MAMMA MIA/FLICKR

quick and, most importantly, cheap meal. 4. Ready-made tomato sauce – While making your own is undoubtedly better, there’s no reason why a ready-made tomato sauce can’t be used when time is short. Throw it together with some pasta or even in

a ratatouille to add a bit of �lavour. 5. Cereal – Start the day with a delicious and quick snack. Add your fruit of choice for some much needed vitamins, or try some yoghurt and honey. 6. Baked beans – Although they taste great on a baked

potato or over toast, why not use them in a stew? They make a great addition to a sausage casserole – and, let’s not forget, they are a vital component for a Sunday morning fry-up. 7. Crisps – Not healthy – but everyone deserves a treat every now and then. They

can be eaten as a snack but also used for a quick-�ix meal, such as nachos. 8. Potatoes – They can be roasted, baked, mashed, fried or boiled. In fact, the ’tater is an extremely versatile ingredient. If you are feeling adventurous, you could even cook a gratin

dauphinois to add sparkle to the humble spud. 9. Bread – Obviously useful for simple sandwiches or toast in the morning. Add butter, raisins and an eggand-milk mixture to make a marvellous bread-and-butter pudding. 10. Rolled oats – During

the cold of the winter months, there aren’t many other dishes that warm you up better. A bit bland on their own – but add some milk and jam, and you have a wonderfully �illing way to begin the day. Antoniya Gerimpapazi and Zoe Macnaughton

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February 2015

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brainTEASE an you match the quote to the well-known person?

A: ‘I love the smell of diapers; I even like when they’re wet and you smell them all warm like a baked good’

B:‘At the end of the day, I just know I’ll probably have the worst, spoiled little kid ever’

C: ‘I’m not that good-looking. I think I’m a pretty weird-looking guy’

D: ‘In an action film you act in the action. If it’s a dramatic film you act in the drama’

E: ‘Being a Scientologist when you drive past an accident… you know you have to do something about it because you know you’re the only one that can really help’

Who said what? 1 Tom Cruise, 2 Lindsay Lohan, 3 Kristen Stewart, 4 Sarah Jessica Parker, 5 Eminem, 6 Jay Z, 7 Ryan Gosling, 8 Dennis Rodman, 9 Jean Claude Van Damme

F: ‘How come when Kanye acts like an idiot he gets a gold record but when I act like an idiot, I get a police record?’

G: ‘Don’t be an asshole. That’s my relationship advice.’

ANSWERS

H: ‘Chemistry is a class you take in high school or college, where you figure out two plus two is ten or something’

I: ‘I’m stupid, I’m ugly, I’m dumb, I smell. Did I mention I’m stupid?’

Can you unscramble these singers’ names…

1. MR SOON RANK 2. ROHANN MAIGRET 3. THIN L BAR 4. RENE HONDA SELL 5. SIR THIN MARC 6. NEW HO BEAN

in a

muddle

7. KIN P 8. GLAZES ME ONE ANSWERS

1 Mark Ronson, 2 Meghan Trainor, 3 Labrinth, 4 Ella Henderson, 5 Chris Martin, 6 Ben Haenow, 7 Pink, 8 Selena Gomez

Take a break and put your grey cells to work with our selection of puzzles

A4 B6 C7 D9 E1 F2 G3 H8 I5

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February 2015

competitionCORNER

Your chance to win fantastic tickets, trips and treats

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NO cash? Don’t let that take away your right to a proper coffee. Win one of eight Breville Coffeexpress machines and �ilter your morning �ix straight into a takeaway bottle on your way to a lecture, or just make a cuppa at home. It’s easy to use – just add water and your favourite ground coffee, �lick the switch and go.

To enter, email your name, university and year of study to win@unipaper.co.uk

Non-stop party: Explore Mallorca’s clubs and chill at the beach on this ﬁve-night holiday

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February 2015



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

Horoscope 

What’s written in the stars for you this month

ARIES: MARCH 21APRIL 19 Your social life might seem scrambled, Aries. However, this is a blessing in disguise, as you will be able to see people’s secret agendas. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind

TAURUS: APRIL 20MAY 20 Take control, Taurus. Your workload has signi�icantly increased since the new year but this shouldn’t be a challenge. If you do not have enough time, simply say so GEMINI: MAY 21JUNE 20 Don’t lose track of your �inances, Gemini. A matter will arise early on in the

month. You are more than equipped to deal with it; just do so swiftly, or you will be in a vulnerable situation CANCER: JUNE 21JULY 22 Now is not a time to shy away from the world, Cancer. Stand tall and you will surprise yourself. Someone may even catch your eye who will inspire and improve your world

LEO: JULY 23AUGUST 22 You need to make some changes, Leo. Rediscover some of your sparkle that for some reason has fallen by the wayside recently. This month, you can be the life and soul of the party

VIRGO: AUGUST 23SEPTEMBER 22 Take this time to take a long hard look in the mirror, Virgo. You have been doing more than enough for everyone but yourself. Take some well-needed time out or you will burn out

LIBRA: SEPTEMBER 23OCTOBER 22 This month is full of temptation, Libra. Don’t get carried away. You need to put someone at home �irst – but that doesn’t mean you should put your social life on hold SCORPIO: OCTOBER 23NOVEMBER 21 You have been yearning for something out of the

ordinary, Scorpio – and now is the time to realise it. Right now, it seems as though anything is possible – and, if you focus, it is SAGITTARIUS: NOVEMBER 22DECEMBER 21 Respect yourself, Sagittarius. Someone in particular might be calling in favours left, right and centre – but what you don’t realise just yet is that they do not need the help as much as you think

CAPRICORN: DECEMBER 22JANUARY 19 This month is all about patience, Capricorn. You are about to hit the jackpot but

Go online to: www.unipaper.co.uk for more quizzes.



if you rush the decisions along the way, all you will be left with is fool’s gold AQUARIUS: JANUARY 20-FEBRUARY 18 Stay focused, Aquarius. There is an important opportunity coming your way but you will miss it if your eyes aren’t wide open to everything that is happening around you

PISCES: FEBRUARY 19MARCH 20 You have immense in�luence, Pisces. Use it your advantage and you might just break through the solemn secrecy surrounding a certain situation. Take action to regain the reins

Be careful which pal you ditch OUR �irst semester ended in a blaze of glory. Surrounded by new friends, you drank your way into the holidays, safe in the knowledge that a month separated you from deadlines and exams. This is where the gloves come off. You return after Christmas, brimming with con�idence after a month with your adoring ‘home friends’, and decide to trim the fat in terms of misguided friendships. But tread with care: ditch the wrong acquaintance and you could �ind the hands of friendship withdrawn left, right and centre. While it’s unlikely every pal you made was a wise choice, considering you were drunk half the time, it’s worth remembering you

let’sTALK

came to uni to get a degree (well, that’s one reason). The coolest friends may not be the ones who will stick around when you’re knee-deep in 17th-century politics – and they may not be the kind of people you want to live with next year. So use your common sense and judge kindly. Moving away from home and being doused with cheap alcohol doesn’t bring out the best in many people – second semester could be the time for second chances. That homesick girl who invited you round for a cup of tea every �ive minutes? She could be a mate for life. The dubious conquest who kept in touch via occasional creepy Facebook messages? Not so much. Lindsey Coombs

Equality: Gay marriage PICTURE: PARGON/WIKICOMMONS

Let’s focus on people, not the masses

THE new year is a time to look back at our achievements – and 2014 was a big milestone for the LGBT liberation campaign. Yes, I am talking about marriage equality. The fact it was passed in the UK gives an example to many other countries. And, of course, anyone can now get married – we are all equal. You may wonder what else there is to do. LGBT activists could give you a list: trans* equality and health services, integration in workplaces, tackling homophobia… all important things. Yet I think something is missing. Something very important. And that is people themselves. Activists tend to look at problems as applying to groups. But what if we made a new year resolution to focus on individuals, rather than the masses? What if we started to listen to what minorities need and want, as opposed to ignoring the details of the mosaic we are a part of? Let’s listen to those who struggle with their sexuality – because unless we do, nothing can be changed. Filip Bigos

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February 2015

let’sTALK

Relationship trouble? Sex worries? Feeling low? We’ve got wise words to set you right

Alice ask

Tough time: Cancer can devastate families PICTURE: ANNETTE/FLICKR

Y mum was diagnosed with breast cancer at new year. I’m devastated. We are at opposite ends of the country and the train fare alone is more than £100. I feel so guilty for not being there. Sophie, Edinburgh

I’m so sorry to hear that, Sophie, but try not to feel guilty. Find other ways to be around her. Right now, she needs you to bring her some light and joy – and even if that’s just a phone call every night, she’ll know you are there for her. And don’t suffer in silence. As much as your mother needs support, so do you. Request a pastoral tutorial. You can apply for extenuating circumstances for your coursework and, if you decide to, you could also apply for a leave of absence. This is an authorised break from your studies that would allow you to go home and return to university next academic year.

WAS doing drugs in digs and I’ve been issued with a 28-day notice to quit. I didn’t go to the disciplinary meeting and now I don’t know what to do. Aaron, Warwick

If you have broken your tenancy agreement, it is unlikely that you will be able to argue your case successfully. However, just because you have been given a notice to quit doesn’t mean the university won’t

Separate but together... is it possible?

ONG-distance relationships are always controversial. While some believe that absence makes the heart grow fonder, others think it can only lead to break-ups. Of course, every couple is different – but there will always be ups and downs when your other half is living in a different city. But doesn’t every relationship have good and bad moments? Being a student who has experienced a long-distance relationship throughout university, I can say – it is not easy. A lot of people think that students can’t hold down relationships at the best of times, so one with the added pressure of distance – no chance, right?

Miss you: Time apart is hard PICTURE: ANGELA MARY BUTLER/FLICKR

Wrong. While it is tough to spend long periods away from your partner, seeing each other after a busy few months can be more than rewarding. Spending time getting to know each other at a steady, slow pace can work

wonders. On top of this, when you’re in the middle of a hectic semester and all you have time for is research and essay-writing, it’s probably a good thing your other half isn’t around. If they were, you would want to spend every waking hour with them – and that’s time when you should probably be doing work. At the end of the day, it’s simple: distance alone can’t destroy a relationship. In some cases, in fact, it can even help to strengthen it. If they’re ‘the one’, they’ll wait for you. And if they’re not, they won’t. Semesters aren’t that long – and you can always visit home in your reading week or at the weekend to see them. Kelly Smith

continue to support you. Go in person to your hall residence manager or accommodation services team. Although you might not be able to stay in halls, they will be able

Submit us your questions and get the answer in next month’s issue

to help you find private sector accommodation or extend your notice until you have found alternative digs.

FLUNKED January exams and now there is a real possibility I might have to re-take first year. I like my course but I haven’t been keeping up with reading or essays, which makes it even easier to skip class. James, Manchester You will be entitled to funding for the duration of your course, plus one extra year, in case you have to repeat – and repeating a year isn’t the end of the world. But, first of all, you need to identify why you haven’t been keeping up with your coursework. Whether it’s time management or you need someone to do your reading with, head to academic support for some advice – otherwise, this time next year, you will be saying exactly the same thing. Struggling with your studies, wrestling with a relationship or is your social life at a standstill? Contact our agony aunt on alice@unipaper.co.uk

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February 2015

beyondUNI

Need a job? Considering a gap year? Graduating and struggling for inspiration? Then read on...

What jobs work for you? Don’t just RETAIL? YOU’RE TWIXT A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE wait for right role

VERYONE knows someone with the worst part-time job in the world, be it dodging �lying plates in a pub kitchen or serving screaming children from an ice cream van. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ideas for jobs to suit all schedules and personalities. 1. Cafés and restaurants – waiting staff have the option of working during the day or evening. You can add tips to your wages if you’re good with customers and maybe even pick up free food. 2. Fast food chains – places such as McDonalds or Burger King may sound less than glamorous but many big companies offer training opportunities and good terms for part-time staff. 3. Pubs and clubs – if you have no time to work during the day or you are simply a night owl, you might consider applying for a job at a bar or club. Bar and door staff alike have a great social life together after work. 4. Supermarkets – you can apply online for a wide

Breaking point: A Twix-related customer complaint added drama to one worker’s shiftPICTURE: SCOTT EHARDT I WAS funding my way through a media and communications degree at Birmingham City University with a job at a well-known supermarket chain. During one evening shift, a man came in threatening to sue the store because of the price of a Twix. He

range of roles at superstores. The applications will take you through a couple of tests, including on your numeracy and literacy skills, as well as a behavioural test – but don’t worry, they’re not too tough. 5. Universities – from bar-tending at the union to designing a website, a job at your university can offer some of the best opportunities to develop your skills. 6. Newsagents – if you

then proceeded to state his interpretation of consumer rights law at me. I said: ‘For 60p, you’re kicking up a fuss?’ He then unwrapped the Twix and ate it in front of me, saying between chews: ‘Consumer rights my a**e.’ Greg Edwards

like cycling and are good with directions, you could become a paper boy or girl. The job is not the best paid but at least you get to be the �irst to read the papers. 7. Manual note-taking – many universities get temporary workers to take notes for students who need support with their work. You will need to be able to write clearly and quickly and be understanding of the people you help. Antoniya Gerimpapazi

Good, bad and the messy BUSKER

THE grind of long shifts or having to get up for work while suffering with a hangover can make that part-time job an extra drag. If, like Glasgow Caledonian University student Stephen Mars, you can sing or play an instrument, being your own boss and taking up busking could be the answer. Stephen, who can make up to £100 a day busking on the city’s streets, says: ‘It’s doing what I love, when I want. What could be better?’

Aynsleigh Hollywood

CHUGGER

I ONCE spent a long summer working as a professional fundraiser – otherwise known as a charity mugger, or chugger – to help me through my studies at the University of Central Lancashire. I went from door to door asking people to support charities like the British Red Cross. My colleagues were fantastic but this did not make up for the commission-only pay or the abuse, which was so harsh you would think I was the one causing the humanitarian crisis. Luis Sanchez

SHOT GIRL

SHE patrols the club selling dubious-looking spirits from a belt to boozed-up, over-excited punters until the wee small hours, wearing less to sell more. The job of shot girl is not enviable. One past owner of this title is Raisa Begum, who once worked the sticky ﬂoors of Liverpool’s clubs. She says: ‘They were awful shifts. Bosses would often ask workers to stay past their ﬁnishing time.’ Sophie Sear

WHEN it comes to jobs, I have the best of both worlds. I work as a part-time sales assistant at Debenhams while studying at Swansea University. While it means being on my feet for ten hours during a shift on a Saturday, it brings with it the beneﬁt of the ‘travel transfer’. During term time, I can ﬁt work around my lectures in Swansea – then, when I go home for the holidays, I can move seamlessly to a branch in my hometown of Cardiff. My student loan covers my tuition fees and rent but for nights out, food and textbooks, I’ll use my wages. It means I’ve never had to touch my

overdraft – and, if I did, I would be back in the black as soon as my pay came through. Working on a shop ﬂoor may seem pretty simple but you will be gaining essential life skills – such as customer service – that your university course will not teach you. These can really make you stand out on a job application form and you never know who you’re going to meet – one of your colleagues could end up helping you get a job in your chosen career after graduation. So, even something as seemingly simple as retail work could really make an impact on your future. Rebecca Thomas

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February 2015

beyondUNI

Need a job? Considering a gap year? Graduating and struggling for inspiration? Then read on...

Big nights out are off the cards for aspiring teacher and mum

When story time meets deadlines

HILE many students would only be up at 6.30am if they were crawling into bed after a night out, Gabby Rea is already up and about, getting her son ready for nursery. The 20-year-old juggles the duties of being a mum to twoyear-old Teddy with studying English at Birmingham City University. She has just over an hour in the morning to get them both ready and fed, before leaving the house to drop Teddy off at nursery and heading to lectures herself. ‘It’s all about balance and organisation,’ she says. ‘I try to make sure I have a routine that sticks, for Teddy’s best interests as well as mine.’ Fitting Teddy around student life is tricky, however. His dad, from whom Gabby has separated but remains on good terms with, is in the army, based in Chester and can only see his son every other weekend. Nursery charges are £150 a week and, although Student Finance England pays 85 per cent of Teddy’s fees, it all adds

When English student Gabby Rea has an essay due in, first she has to think about caring for her toddler, Teddy. MEGNA FARMAHA finds out if you can still have a social life while mixing tantrums and tutorials up. With limited choices for childcare, Gabby admits there can be a conflict between studying and spending time with Teddy. ‘It’s hard to distinguish between the important tasks,’ she explains. ‘It’s a constant battle knowing whether a bedtime story is more urgent than the assignments I have due soon. ‘Sometimes I may miss out on a field trip because Teddy needs new shoes. But he is my priority and I’m totally willing to give things up so he has the best.’ She aims to become an English teacher after she graduates, to try and build a better life for her and her son. ‘It’s all about the bigger picture,’ she says. ‘I may feel guilty sometimes but there need to be sacrifices for the future and, one day, my boy will understand I did it all for him.’ Being a single parent

means Gabby has to forgo the wild nights and drinking sessions many associate with student social life. ‘I do miss out to a certain extent,’ she admits. ‘I want to be involved but having a child means this is put on a kind of back burner.’ But it’s not all work. ‘I do get to socialise,’ she adds. ‘Just not in the stereotypical student way. My social life is much more relaxed, rather than alcohol-fuelled.’ She has support from family at home, as well as the university’s student parents and carers’ association, which organises social lunches and coffee mornings. She says the responsibilities of motherhod have taught her a lot. ‘It’s quite clear, to me more than anyone, that I’ve matured since being a mum,’ she says. ‘I feel like I have an older perspective on

Tiny housemate: Gabby Rea with her two-year-old son, Teddy things compared to my peers because I’ve experienced a lot more. ‘To be honest, it can make me feel slightly alienated – my peers don’t understand

my situation, which can be a little frustrating. I live in a whole other world to them.’ So, does she have any advice for others in the same situation? ‘Balance all your

PICTURE: MEGNA FARMAHA

responsibilities,’ she says. ‘It’ll make things ten times easier. ‘And never forget to leave time for yourself, to unwind and de-stress, before it all gets too much.’

Tarot cards showed me the way to ease cash woes AS A journalism student at De Montfort University in Leicester, I wanted to avoid struggling for money but I didn’t fancy facing angry or drunk customers at a takeaway. So I decided to work from home doing something that I am passionate about – tarot card reading. Most of my work is done online. I passed some initial tests and have been working for two websites over the past few years.

The first benefit is being able to work from home and sit, warm and toasty, in front of a laptop. Having said that, however, it’s a difficult profession. You are revealing information to someone that could seriously challenge their

emotional well-being. Learning the strict boundaries needed took me a while. I always used to get too connected to clients and you can’t always afford to do that. I have had negative experiences, such as trolls coming into my chatroom, and that

can be horrible. I have had to learn to brush it off. It has also taken a lot of time to build up clients, meaning I’ve had to spend vast amounts of time online just to make sure I’m earning enough money. I get irritated by many of the popular psychics. Many are said to be fake and use psychology as the basis for reading people. They tell the clients what they want to hear, just to keep their likeable image. Life isn’t always

going to be OK and, sometimes, these psychics give us honest clairvoyants a bad name. While you must be careful not to get ripped off working online, if you find a reputable company, it can solve many of the problems of having a part-time job, such as spending money on travel and having to deal with people face-to-face if this isn’t your thing. And it doesn’t hurt to earn some extra – life is expensive. Emma Thompson

February 2015

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When they’re sharing the love a bit too much

HETHER they are gazing longingly into each others’ eyes or in the middle of a blazing row, couples can be a nightmare. There are ways to make your life easier, however, without trying to break them up. 1. Invest in ear plugs: Whether it’s love-making or shouting, ear plugs will help you get on with work. 2. Establish boundaries: The last thing you want is for the person who doesn’t pay rent to be drinking your milk, so draw the line. 3. Make friends: Getting to know your flatmate’s partner will make you feel more comfortable around them and it won’t be awkward when you’re left alone. 4. Remain respectful: Remember what it’s like to be

yourSPACE I LIVED with a guy in second year who had his girlfriend over all the time – to the point where she had practically moved in. The worst part, besides the baby talk, was how selfish they were. Her laundry was everywhere and they’d take over the living room for days, leave the heating on for hours – even in warm weather – and basically disregard the rest of us. We eventually confronted them and the short story is that it got ugly. He didn’t even say goodbye when we moved out. James King, University of Birmingham

LIVING with others is difficult enough at uni – and then some of them couple up, making life a special type of hell. Sleep is almost impossible because 4am is obviously the ideal time for the world to hear their bedroom activities… normally bickering over trivial matters. Natassia Tang, UCLan

Get a room: Living with a coupley couple can be awkward PICTURE: FLICKR

head-over-heels for someone. Sometimes it’s better to keep your cool and just have a laugh with them.

5. Communicate: If their relationship is making you uncomfortable or they’re distracting you from your

www.dividabill.co.uk

work, make sure you talk to them or to someone you can trust, such as a residential mentor. Olivia Clark

I LIVED with a girl whose boyfriend visited so frequently he should really have paid rent (or at least offered us some beer). Instead of cosying up on the sofa, they insisted on spending every minute together... cooking. I’m talking MasterCheflevel cooking, with huge carving knives and meat mallets. They took up the entire kitchen, chose really awkward times to cook and left heaps of washing up for us while they indulged in their Michelin-standard cuisine. And we didn’t even get a nice meal out of it. Mollie Carberry, University of Sheffield

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February 2015

yourSPACE

How to find the right place to live, the right people to live with and how to keep your place right

We uncover the spookiest student homes in the nation... with terrifying results

Homes with the wooooo factor

Spine-chilling: Students have reported ghostly sightings and strange sounds in their homes

oooo

BUMP in the night, a creaking floorboard, a tap that drips no matter how many times you turn it off... Surely there is a logical explanation for what you just heard – or is there? I am convinced a ghost haunts my house in Leicester. I have called her Harriet, in the hope that will stop her from harming me. I think she lives in my attic – but, unfortunately, I don’t have a ladder to get in and reveal the truth. Sam Rose, a games WHEN viewing the house, we never asked what was in the room – we were only told not to go in there. On the top floor of our six-bedroom property is a battered doorframe, chipped and cracked, with thick, rusted double locks. It was through collective fear that, on hearing a shrieking female voice, we did the unthinkable. With a little manual labour, we managed to wrench the door open. Among the rubbish that filled the room, there were some interesting photos, along with letters from a past generation. We fixed the door – but every now and then we hear that same blood-curdling shriek and can’t explain why. Tom Bean, Bath

programming student at De Montfort University, has also had an unwelcome guest. He says: ‘The front door was being knocked on but no-one was ever there. We stood by the door and waited for the noise and found no-one. It freaked the s*** out of one of my housemates.’ He says he

was so scared some nights, he would play movies constantly with the lights on until he could get to sleep. Unbelievers will say there is an explanation – but what if there isn’t? Hannah Louise Wilson, creative writing and journalism student, De Montfort University

‘MY FRIEND was talking and joking that there might be a ghost in our house,’ says one University of Strathclyde student who lives in a spooky 200-year-old property. ‘Then the lightbulbs in the chandelier above her popped and all the lights in the house went out.’ Things got even creepier in the haunted house after the friend went home, as the doors were opening and closing all night long. Zahra Faqir, Glasgow A HOUSE near Swansea’s city centre had a ghostly woman who stalked one room. She did no harm – but in this house there was a room that was never opened. It had always been locked and gave the students living there a weird vibe. Even more surprising is that, when the room was opened by the landlord, it was spotlessly clean. Another house nearby has experienced something similar. The housemates heard footsteps coming from above. One went outside, looked up and saw an unknown woman peeping through the bedroom window. Anupama Subramaniyam JAMES ARMSTON, 21, a Liverpool John Moores University student, rented a house that came with a rocking chair in the corner. He thought no more of it until, dead in the middle of the night, the residents of the Cretan Road house walked into the room to find the chair rocking back and forth as if someone had just stood up from it. Sophie Sear

I STARTED worrying about ghosts in Constantine Court after following a shadow into my bathroom. I’ve also seen lights flickering around my room. I didn’t believe it at first, so I recorded it on my phone. You can shrug it off but one thing’s for sure – these happenings seem to be a bit more than just a coincidence… Abigail Gillibrand, Manchester I BEGAN to notice things move places. We would also hear noises coming from rooms that were empty and locked. Then we were told that students had reported seeing a young girl. Apparently, a children’s hospital used to be where the accommodation is now. Emma Brooks, third-year media and communication student, BCU As told to Jakub Szweda

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yourSPACE

February 2015

How to find the right place to live, the right people to live with and how to keep your place right

Avoid a flap over a fill-in

Hunt down a housemate before it costs you dearly

Box clever to brighten your room

IF YOUR bedroom looks like a bomb site, you will probably find it difficult to get on with that important coursework. Keep it clutter-free with these top tips. Beautiful boxes: Pick up some quirky, patterned boxes that fit with your decor. They will also act as a good footrest when you’re studying. Out of sight: You’ve bought the new season’s fashion trends, only to realise your wardrobe is ready to burst. Store clothes in a suitcase and slide it under your bed. Hang it up: Dangle jewellery from hangers. Not only will this add a bit of colour to your room but it will remind

Neat solution: Stash junk in boxes to keep it tidy you to wear accessories you have forgotten about. Rack ‘em up: Get a shoe rack that hangs from a door and you won’t have to sacrifice

PICTURE: CHARLOTTE SEDDON

any footwear for space. Look high: Take advantage of dust-filled spaces by hiding junk on top of your wardrobe. Charlotte Seddon

OU’VE sorted who you’re living with, found a house and paid your deposit – then, out of nowhere, someone drops out, leaving you with a room to fill and bills looming. You need to get someone in as soon as possible but how are you going to do it? Here are a few steps you can take to make sure the house – and, more importantly, your bills – are shared by the right number of people. 1. Out and about: There’s no point hoping someone will come to you. Be proactive and ask people on your course. Sometimes students who live at home might want to move out in second or third year. 2. Spread the word: You could try advertising the room on your university’s noticeboards or website. Sometimes they have a

1-10 Bedroom Student Properties throughout Fallowfield and Withington You should be “Living the Luxury Student Life”!

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page where fellow students can advertise spare rooms. International students or people who start later in the year may be looking for a room for six months or under. It’s worth bearing this in mind if you want to get that room filled. 3. Get web smart: Websites such as student.spareroom.co.uk allow you to advertise your room, flat or house to potential tenants all over the country. It is designed specifically for students and allows you to advertise spare rooms based on your location or university campus. 4. Post it: Get on social media and post statuses and tweets with photos of the bedroom you need to fill. Get help from your friends by asking them to share your work. Gemma Sargent

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February 2015

sportNEWS

Squeaky bum time as title showdown looms NATHAN SALT IT’S squeaky bum time in Manchester. OK, it’s not the Premier League title at stake but it’s something just as juicy: the BUCS football division 4C. And with Salford I and MMU IV locked together at the top of the division, their clash in the penultimate round of fixtures has been billed a title decider. Both captains were in bullish moods as they went headto-head before the clash. Daniel Gallagher, MMU captain, said: ‘We have the best team by far and battered Salford at home. ‘I honestly don’t think they will come near us. ‘MMU will just continue to get better now we have a

partnership with Manchester City. When we go up this year, we have the talent to cope at a higher level.’ Salford skipper Adam Campbell hit back, claiming his side would put up a real fight for the title. ‘When we went to MMU first time round, I had 12 players and was missing some key men as we lost 4-3,’ he said. ‘That’s changed now and I have greater squad depth. Last season’s top scorer is back and is ready to fire us to the title.’ Salford currently sit top of the league, having beaten UCLan 2-1, while MMU suffered a setback at home, drawing 1-1 with the University of Manchester. Both men were quick to highlight the impact of MMU’s

Clash: MMU’s Daniel Gallagher (l) and Salford’s Adam Campbell left winger Joe Woolley, who was the difference when the sides met earlier this season.

Gallagher said: ‘Woolley has come through this year and, collectively, first years have

HENRY BARCLAY/NATHAN SALT

really strengthened the side.’ The title decider is set for February 25, at Salford.

Left high and dry at pitch decision GRASS pitches at Castle Irwell Student Village will be out of use for Salford University sports teams – despite the BUCS sporting season continuing into midMarch. The decision to swap ownership was made by the university and Salford City Council, with the uni taking over the David Lewis playing fields. The council intends to create a flood basin near the Castle Irwell site. The university has pledged to minimise the impact on teams but Adam Campbell, men’s football firsts captain, said: ‘I’ve not been made aware of the change but I’m more worried about how we play than where we play.’ Nathan Salt

February 2015

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sportNEWS

Funding blow gave my career a positive lift XAN ATKINS FOR many young athletes, being told there’s no money available to fund your dream is a hammer blow. But Scott Wong Wei Gen used the disappointment to launch his career in a totally new direction. Having carved out a reputation as one of Singapore’s brightest talents in discus and shot put, his future was looking bleak as funding was not available. So he took up weightlifting instead, supported by a sports scholarship from the Univer-

sity of Manchester. ‘I discussed it with my athletics coach and the Singapore head coach,’ said the fourth-year medical student. ‘They thought that it was possible, so that’s how

I started! The university has been really supportive. I get regular physio sessions to deal with the strain of intense training.’ The move in 2013 immediately paid dividends as Scott finished in first place at the 2014 British Student Championships, taking top spot for Manchester. He also competed for his home country in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Injury saw him come last in the 105+ kg category but he is undeterred. Competing for

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Bright future: Scott Wong Wei Gen is focused on success PICTURES: SCOTT WONG WEI GEN

his country last year has really made Scott realise what he can do. ‘It used to be just an opportunity for me to get a holiday, especially in my teenage years,’ he joked. ‘However, it carries more meaning for me now. I believe that by competing at the international stage while doing fulltime studies, I can show the people back home that they can achieve, as long as they work hard and persevere.’ It seems a long way away from being told there was no money available to fund his athletics dream at the SouthEast Asian Games in December 2013. As it happened, he had been discussing his weightlifting potential with coaches only a few months beforehand. The weight training element of discus and shot put meant he was in a good position to make the move across. The 24-year-old sounds more positive than ever about his future in weightlifting and has no regrets in switching disciplines. ‘I am currently working with Mr Yurik Sarkisian, a former world champion, so hopefully more progress can be made,’ he said. Next up is the British Student Championships, on April 4.

Water polo team fights to keep its season afloat THE MMU men’s water polo firsts may be struggling to stay afloat in the league but don’t expect them to go down without a fight. Morale among the squad remains high and they are determined to turn their season around. Great Britain under-19 international James Williams said: ‘It is important we stay confident as a team that we will stay up. The group are a happy

bunch and we all share the same desire to perform at the top level. In order to do this, we need to compete against the best teams, so staying up would be ideal.’ The team earned promotion to Division 1A but has found the increased physicality tough to cope with.

‘The composure and physicality is on another level in 1A,’ he said. ‘Last year, we were able to play at a comfortable level in order to win games. This year, the competition got better and we need to improve accordingly.’ Nathan Salt

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February 2015

sportNEWS

Golden start for Seren Relay win follows ‘surprise’ GB call MIM WALKER-KHAN GREAT Britain’s Seren Bundy-Davies has hit the ground running in 2015 by winning gold in Scotland. The 400m runner and University of Manchester student received a surprise call-up to the GB relay team for the Glasgow International Match in January. The second-year biochemist grabbed her chance in Glasgow’s Emirates Arena and helped her team to victory with a strong second leg against Scotland, Germany and France in the final. Speaking to TUP, Bundy-Davies said: ‘I was definitely confident that we could beat the competition. ‘We had a strong 4x400m team for Glasgow, and I believed we had a mix of both young up-and-coming athletes and more experienced athletes that meant the team worked well together. ‘It definitely helped that the crowd was great as well – it really spurred me on over the last 50m.’ Bundy-Davies, who won

her first GB vest last year at the European Team Championships in Braunschweig, Germany, said she was delighted when she was selected for Glasgow. ‘I was slightly surprised as I know there is such strength and depth over 400m in this country,’ she said. ‘Most of all, I was really excited. Training has been going well, so I was looking forward to opening up my 2015 season in a GB vest.’ Balancing her studies and training has been tough for the runner, so she has decided to split her second academic year over two years, after what she describes as a ‘hugely stressful first year’. She added: ‘It’s always hard to balance university work and training, especially around competitions and exams, as they often fall at the same time. ‘Splitting the second year up has given me much more time to focus on my studies as well as training – so I can put 100 per cent into both. ‘Preparation is also key in

Fight club: (l-r) Grandmaster Paul Cutler, club founder Ross Sharman and Steve Proctor

Out in front: Great Britain’s 400m runner Seren Bundy-Davies triumphed in the Glasgow International Match balancing studies and sport – if you plan timetables and events in advance, it’s always a lot easier to get work done in time.’ She has also made the tough decision to miss this year’s BUCS indoor season as it falls near the British Indoor Trials. Instead, she will run for Manchester again at the BUCS outdoor season in Bedford in May.

VIP guest proves a knockout

A GRANDMASTER of taekwondo gave a martial arts club an unexpected honour. Paul Cutler, a IX Dan who was trained by founder of the fighting style General Choi Hong Hi, ran a session for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Taekwondo club. At 67, he is one of only 20 Grandmasters of International Taekwondo Federation still alive. Club founder Ross Sharman, 25, said: ‘When the club captain, Cashel Goggins, and I approached him, we thought it was a long shot. We were so surprised when he got back to us and was so enthusiastic.’ Jacqui Agate

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