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Day: 3 May 2012

Naked protests

The Ukrainian secret service have threatened to “break their legs”, members are continually arrested and imprisoned, and Facebook used to block their pages – all simply on the account of posing naked publicly. The group in question is Femen, the Ukrainian feminist movement conceived back in 2008 that has since reached global status. Femen started out campaigning for Ukrainian women’s rights, specifically anti-sex tourism and prostitution, but have recently switched their agenda to equality for women in general on a global scale. They initially protested fully clothed but nobody took any notice until one day, demonstrating in Kiev in 2009, one of the movement’s co-founders, Oksana Shachko, suddenly ripped off her top in a furious fervour. The press fell into a frenzy, and the women took note. One member explains: “You can see a lot of exploitation of the female body. On pizza flyers, on billboards – there’s always a woman. From that perspective, a woman’s body belongs to a man. We decided to win it back. We decided to use a woman’s body to promote our ideas. My body is a powerful weapon, and I will use it.”

Another member argues: “We have the right to use our bodies as weapons. It was men who made breasts into a secret.”

Oleksandra Schevchenko, another Femen co-founder, explains how the overtly visual protest style appeals to a generation accustomed to immediacy, thanks to the culture of instant social media such as YouTube and Twitter: “We stand with our legs apart. With our faces angry, not smiling. Our fists above our heads. This is not the pose of a woman trying to be sexually appealing.” Such strong visuals also ensure that their audience is maximised compared to the more archaic forms of feminism that were accessible only to the academic.

Nude protests possess a distinctly unique power in that they expose the completely farcical quality of authorities that resolutely endeavour to stop them. The protester has done nothing more than pose naked in a public environment, and therefore it is always the oppressive authorities who appear ridiculous – not the protester, regardless of their shape or size – when they respond so excessively in comparison with troops of men in uniform forcefully prohibiting something as harmless as nudity.

It seems misguided to brand the protest as counter to the cause on the grounds of further objectifying the female body. Yes, the naked activists inevitably provoked sexual thoughts and comments, but so does a fully clothed female body. It is arguable that nudity is not inherently sexual, but instead that it appears so due to social constructions. However, it is inarguable that nudity is always inflammatory when utilised in a rebellious manner. Whether or not this is ultimately a beneficial tactic is debateable, yet I for one would probably have much less of an idea about the exploitation specifically of Ukrainian women and the corruption of their government without it. Moreover, any movement that exposes the paradox of the patriarchy whereby the female body is at once possessed and objectified yet simultaneously hidden and branded unclean surely must be worth our attention.

Salford prove too strong for battling Manchester

Manchester were left to rue a slow start as they lost narrowly to the University of Salford in the Varsity challenge. Second half tries from Imad Nazir, Dace Burkhill and Luke Ince were not enough as Salford held out to win the game by 14 points.
Manchester started the game strongly which was being played at the Salford City Stadium, home of the Super League side of the same name. Strong running from prop Chris Bow tested the home team’s defence, but it was the hosts who were on the score sheet first. Against the run of play Salford scored the game’s opening try in the fifth minute, with winger Matt Burkin running the length of the pitch after intercepting an up and under deep inside his own half.
Despite conceding a try early on Manchester continued to pile pressure on the Salford line and were rewarded with plenty of attacking opportunities after poor kicking from Salford. However Salford worked their way into the game and the physicality and size of their forwards allowed the side to gain valuable metres with each tackle. Manchester’s defence was struggling with the intensity with which Salford attacked and inevitably conceded their second try of the half moments later. Centre Adam Jeffries touched down after a quick switch of play after just 15 minutes to leave the away team stunned.
In an alarmingly one sided first half, Salford scored their third try of the game in the 20th minute. Centre Jefferies once again the try scorer, capitalising on a number of missed tackles, with Manchester really struggling to work their way into the game at 16-0 down. Yet with half an hour gone, they were testing the Salford defence and should have scored after the ball was spread wide but the pass to Joe Butch was not accurate enough and Salford escaped another scare.
Chris Bower, outstanding throughout, continued to lead from the front as the away side clawed their way back into the game. Manchester continued to look threatening and Joe Butch forced his way over the Salford line yet the ball was adjudged to be held up.
Despite persistent pressure from Manchester , the first half try they so rightly deserved seemed beyond their reach as a mixture of brilliant defending and a inability to capitalise on the overlaps meant the away side ended the first half scoreless.
Despite all the pressure from Manchester, Salford got their reprieve after a mix up under the highball from the Manchester wings and scored their 4th try of the game just before the interval, with replacement scrum half Mustapha Bouamra touching down in the corner. Once again Manchester were punished for not committing enough defenders to the blind side. Salford went into the break 22-0 up but the ability to take try-scoring opportunities was the only thing separating the two sides.
The Second half began much as the first had ended for Manchester however when a routine pass was knocked on and fell very kindly to Salford centre Dom Foy to collect the ball and score under the posts.
Despite the score line, Manchester rallied round and the game was a very even affair in the second half with both sides rotating their respective squads and it was clear if they were to get a few points on the board, their belief would grow further.
With ten minutes gone in the second half the away side finally got the try they so richly deserved. Quick ball from the scrum half found centre Imad Nazir who outpaced his defender easily to score in the corner to make it 28-4.
Manchester continued to run strongly and were arguably the better side in the second half. Having identified they were up against a bigger side, Manchester coach Andy Connaughton decided to change their game plan and decided to spread the ball far more, with Oli White impressing on the wing and try scorer Nazir running strongly from centre.
The new tactic paid dividends as it was out wide that Manchester found their second try. Quick ball found Nazir in space who shifted the ball quickly to White who set up Dave Burkhill to touch down in the corner to the delight of the vocal and patient Manchester support.
Buoyed on by their second try, Manchester continued to attack as they looked to reduce the deficit. Another fantastic break by Guy Michaels gave his side a great attacking platform with scrum half Luke Ince taking advantage of the splintered defence to dart between two Salford defenders to score his side’s third try of the half.
Chris Bower, undoubtedly his side’s most influential player, continued to break the Salford defence and the prop almost scored with the final play of the game but was unluckily held up just short.
Having won the second half comfortably Manchester will feel frustrated they conceded so many points in the first half but the team showed glimpse of what they are capable of and displayed incredible spirit to battle back from 28-0.

Where are they now? – Hamilton Ricard

Football has had many great ‘journeyman’ but Hamilton Ricard is perhaps the most cosmopolitan. The Colombian centre forward first came to prominence in Europe when he signed for Middlesbrough in 1998 having been the leading scorer in the Colombian league and played in the Copa America the previous year.
The £2 million signing struggled to find his feet at first, becoming jokingly known as ‘Hamilton Retard’ to supporters due to his clumsiness on the ball. Yet once he had settled he began to justify his price tag exhibiting a strong aerial presence, powerful shot and deceptive speed. Two sublime strikes against Spurs set him on the way to being the clubs top scorer in the 98-99 and he repeated the feat the following season. In the years that followed Ricard fell down the pecking order, although a superb long-range strike against Bradford City, a contender for goal of the season kept him on the radar. He was released in the summer of 2002 but will always be remembered fondly in the minds of the Teesside faithful for his 33 goals during his time there.
Since then Ricard has plied his trade in all corners of the globe. After a short return to his homeland he soon took off to Japan where he played for Shonan Bellmare before rediscovering his goal scoring touch at Ecuadorean side Emelec netting 17 goals in 25 games. Sadly his time in Ecuador came to an end when he was given a one year ban from football for attacking a referee and abusing his own team’s fans. The striker then struggled to resurrect his career in Europe with short spells at Cypriot side Apoel Nicosia and Spanish team Numancia.
He next came to prominence in Chinese Super League with Shangai Shenhua where he spent two seasons via spells in Uruguay and Chile. Despite now being 38 the striker is still playing and can be found at Deportes Quinidio in Colombia, still leading the line as the club battle relegation from the Colombian premier division. It has not been a career without controversy however. Ricard was involved in a car crash which killed a 17-year-old girl in Colombia in 2002 which saw him sentenced to three years in prison in 2007, with his lawyers still appealing the decision Ricard has so far avoided serving the jail time but with that worry on his mind it may be that ‘Ham the Man’ tries to prolong his playing career as long as possible.

Mixed fortunes as Metros’ finish biggest season yet

Manchester Metros, the ice hockey team for Manchester’s Universities, have ended their most successful season ever by winning the British Universities Ice Hockey Association Division 1 Play-off final. They were pitted against southern champions Oxford Blues, with an 8-5 final score in a tense game in Sheffield. There were massive contributions from University of Manchester students in the form of an opening goal from Sports Scholar Max Drakeley, and some top shot-blocking from anthropology student Robyn Maby in goal, resulting in her being selected the team’s Most Valuable Player.

The win was followed by a disappointing weekend at Tier I Nationals with some tough opposition and some missed chances meaning Metros A failed to make it past the group stages.

The club has come a long way however since their formation in 2004. Back then there was only a small squad of players and training sessions as far away as Bradford and Sheffield. This season the club boasts 71 registered players from numerous institutions, including 18 from the University of Manchester, across four squads.

This year the C team came second in Division 3 North in their first season in existence, only being beaten by the B teams of Hull and Edinburgh. The Metros B squad meanwhile faced a hard season with the opposition including A teams from across the country often starring quality overseas players.

This also saw the club embark on its first foreign excursion following an invite to the Czech Republic in March to play their current university champions, UTB, in Zlín. In front of an intimidating crowd the Metros played much of the game in their own zone, with the score ending 8-2 to the home team. Yet the trip was a positive experience and the team hope to increase links with overseas teams. In addition, there are plans next year for the first ever Manchester ice hockey varsity match.

The club is always looking for new players and enthusiastically welcomes beginners as well as those with experience.

Manchester bids a fond farewell to Athletics Union Chair – Agi Duhig

What has been the highlight of your time as Sports Sabbatical Officer?
That’s a really hard question as there have been so many amazing experiences but for me it is probably being given the opportunity to meet so many sports clubs. It’s fantastic to be able to meet all the dedicated people who put so much time and effort into the teams.

On a sporting level I would have to say that still being able to play women’s rugby this year has been great. I couldn’t just have done the whole office 9-5 job thing and rugby has given me the opportunity to keep playing. This year we actually gave Leeds Met a run for their money, always a bonus against your biggest rival! Also I am a dedicated A.U- er.ha so every week after recording mainly Manchester wins what better way to celebrate then heading to the AU.

On a personal note the greatest achievement though this year has got to be bringing the Christie Cup home the other week! It’s such a fantastic annual competition between us, Leeds and Liverpool. The weather was very hit and miss but that didn’t stop the amazing results. I’m really proud of all the teams that took part and I hope they are able to bring it home next year!

You’ve been in the position for two years, which is rarely done- what qualities do you feel you have brought to the position?
That is again very hard to answer. I just think that in the role I have learnt how to deal with all the different clubs on an individual basis from Rugby boys to Korfball. You need to get to know all the clubs inside and out, it’s not good enough just hearing about their weekly results so I’ve made an effort to find out about all the sports going on in the A.U.

Congratulations on bringing the Christie cup home again this year, what was the day like?
It’s always so exciting as it’s separate to the rest of the BUCS season and is a great way to finish the season. There is so much tradition and pride tied up with the ancient competition that anything than first place is devastating. This year I was so determined to win and you could tell that from all the Mancunian students competing as well, they all put in purple and proud performances. I couldn’t have asked for any more and the celebrations were off the scale after the event.

What other sports have you had a go at the university?
I’ve tried my hand at quite a few, my first priority has always been with women’s rugby but I also had a go at tennis, polo with the Riding club and way back when- campus hockey. This year I was even going to take up lacrosse but just run out of time with everything. My biggest failure was probably my attempts at football but you know I’ll give anything a go. When I’m at home it’s a different story as I stick to a sport called polocrosse, a mixture of lacrosse on horseback! Very hard agility wise but love playing that, maybe I should have introduced it to the Manchester arena!

What are you most going to miss when you leave the position?
All the people and as cheesy as it sounds all the friends I have met. Also being able to wear no shoes in the office and rocking up hungover and aching from Wednesday games and partying!

What are you going to miss about your Manchester experience?
It’s so sad. I’m going to miss EVERYTHING!! I am only going to Liverpool though so will be back to visit soon enough! I will always remain purple and proud so Manchester will never be totally gone for me.

Do you have a personal team of the year?
Oooh that would be telling! You’ll have to find out at the end of year awards! Ha. What I will say is that Rugby girls will always have a special place in my heart, but other than that I couldn’t name one!

Manchester Olympians: Who’s representing the city at London 2012?

Stuart Bithell

With his roots in Rochdale, despite now being based in Portland, Stuart Bithell has Manchester in his blood. A skilled sailor, Bithell cruised to a silver medal in 2009’s World Championship with partner Luke Patience. This partnership has since gone from strength to strength, with the boys now being one of the favourites in the 470 class, having been selected as the British representatives back in January, although the pair will face stiff competition in the form of Australian duo Mat Belcher and Malcolm Page, current world champions.

Michael Rock

Michael Rock shot to fame in 2009 at the ‘Duel in the Pool’ in Manchester, where he finished more than a second ahead of Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly. From there, Rock went on to gain a silver medal in the 200m butterfly at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and is also the current 100m and 200m British champion. Hailing from Liverpool, Rock’s place on this list is warranted by his position as a fully-fledged member of the Manchester alumni, having completed a law degree.

Kate Walsh

Born in Withington, Kate Walsh is well on her way to earning her 300th international cap, having been the captain of the women’s hockey team since 2003. Following the British team’s disappointing 6th placed finish in Beijing four years ago, women’s hockey underwent wholesale changes, with Walsh at the head of them. The benefits were clear for all to see at this year’s Champions Trophy, where they ended the competition as runners-up, leaving the women’s hockey team as genuine gold medal prospects for this year’s games.

Ben Ainslie

A household name when it comes to the Olympics, Ben Ainslie is a veteran of four tournaments, with his first being Atlanta in 1996. Born in Macclesfield, Ainslie is a stalwart of ten world championship titles, stemming back to 1993, his fantastic achievements in the sport being recognised by the awarding of his CBE in 2009. With London being Ben’s final games, he will be looking to bow out on a high and join the group of elite athletes to have gained four gold medals at four separate games.

Have Guardiola’s Barcelona tarnished their legacy?

It’s April 27th 2011, and Real Madrid are playing Barcelona in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final. The game is still goalless, when, on 62 minutes, Barca’s Pedro relinquishes possession just outside his own area. The ball runs to teammate Dani Alves, who, under challenge from the onrushing Pepe, immediately throws himself to the floor.

As Alves writhes around, clutching his leg, the Barca players surround referee Wolfgang Stark. Captain Carlos Puyol, among others, waves an imaginary card, while goalkeeper Victor Valdes runs 30 yards to join in the protest. After finally breaking clear of the red and blue mob, Stark consults with his assistant, and Pepe is dismissed. Alves, meanwhile, is carried from the pitch on a stretcher, yet returns to the field moments later.

With three minutes of normal time remaining, and Madrid now trailing, the ball arrives at the feet of Lionel Messi. Turning away from the centre circle, the little Argentine exchanges passes with Sergio Busquets before surging towards the opposition penalty area. Eluding four defenders with his jinking run, he carries the ball to the six-yard line before sliding it into the far corner of the net.

Two key moments in the space of 25 minutes, one an act of sheer individual brilliance, the other, a clear attempt to distort the referee’s judgement. Though entirely juxtaposed, the events are perhaps an accurate embodiment of Barcelona as a footballing power. So often thrilling, their ‘tika-taka’ style of play is of sharp contrast to their petulant on-field behaviour.

As the current World and European champions, Spanish football is at an all-time high, and El Clásico is now comfortably the biggest game in club football. However, for all the talent on display, recent encounters have been more about diving, fighting and play-acting than football. Incidents such as Pepe’s sending off have, unfortunately, become an all too regular occurrence.

This is partly attributed, of course, to the attitude of Jose Mourinho’s team. Unable to contend with Barca’s free-flowing, pass-and-move football, Real have been reduced to kicking out at them instead, attempting to wind-up their opposition by disrupting the flow of the game.

Mourinho’s approach may not win Real many friends, but, within the laws of the game, it is an acceptable tactic. Diving, a ‘skill’ which is commonly demonstrated by both sets of players, should not be. Throwing yourself to the floor in an attempt to win a free kick or penalty is more than mere gamesmanship; in sporting terms, it is akin to a cricketer trying a claim a non-existent catch, an intolerable attempt at deception which can change the course of a match.

A perfect example of this came in Chelsea’s recent Champions League semi-final at Camp Nou. With the match delicately poised at 2-1, Cesc Fabregas advanced into the area, and, anticipating a rash challenge from Didier Drogba, promptly threw himself to the ground. Television replays showed that Drogba had not won the ball, but he hadn’t made contact with Fabregas’ leg either. The referee appeared to be unsighted, yet reluctantly pointed to the spot.

Thankfully, justice was done, as Messi’s penalty came crashing back off the crossbar and Chelsea went on to seal their unlikely progression to the final. But imagine if Chelsea had conceded a third, with just ten men on the pitch and only half an hour to play.It’s difficult to argue that Fabregas’ dive wouldn’t have turned the game in Barca’s favour.

The recently departed Pep Guardiola was adamant that his players did not dive, once remarking that ‘our game is passing, we keep the diving for the pool’. It does make for an excellent soundbite, but one can’t help but wonder how he might justify the weekly antics of Busquets, Alves, Pedro and company.

So why do Barca do it? Unfortunately, diving is prevalent in all of the top European leagues, but nowhere more so than in La Liga. In fact, just as hooliganism in the 1980s was described by foreign observers as the ‘English disease’, so might the current trend for simulation be regarded as the Spanish pandemic.Spanish sides continue to benefit from conning the officials, and even Barcelona, it seems, cannot afford to surrender such an advantage to the opposition.

Will their unsporting behaviour, then, tarnish the legacy of this team? Realistically, no. This Barcelona side play some of the finest attacking football that many of us will ever see, and the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi deserve to be remembered as the finest footballers of our generation. Diving shouldn’t be acceptable, yet it is sadly inevitable that it will continue in the modern era. May Guardiola’s Barcelona be remembered as the great team that they were – but how unfortunate that they did not respect the officials as much as we admired their football.

MBS ventures further – students winning £4K

Written by Mohammed Cheriet & Kane Collings

Look no further than the Venture Further competition.

Organised by the  Manchester Business School, Venture Further rewards business ingenuity with a handsome cash prize. The winner of the contest will receive £4000 to be invested into their business. The runners up and third place are also given a reward of £750 and £250 respectively.

Martin Starkey, the senior marketing officer at MBS, says that the Venture Further contest provides an unconventional learning curve that will bolster their employability. “Enterprise competitions give students the opportunity to put forward their business ideas and are a fun and exciting way of learning. By entering, students develop skills such as imagination, creativity, effective problem solving and vision, giving a boost to their employability” he explains.

The competition was available to any individual or group of students who think that they have a good business idea. They are to put together a business plan and submit it before the submission deadline. Afterwards, the best six are shortlisted as potential winners. These six contestants then need to present their ideas to a panel of key university staff personnel before the best three are announced.

The competition is now running for the sixth consecutive year thanks to its telling contribution.  The Mancunion takes a look at some of the past winners to reveal the key to a successful business plan, before and after the contest.

The winners for this year’s contest will be announced on May 18th at an awards ceremony in the Manchester Museum.

2011 Winner: Cav Form

John Wade, an undergraduate studying Civil Engineering, won last year’s Venture Further competition with his innovative and eco-friendly Cav-Form system. Equipped with his engineering knowledge, John designed an alternative method of constructing a cavity wall. His system eliminates the need of backing blocks that are usually required in construction. This not only saves on costs, but also additional labour and materials that are usually required in the construction process.

Cav-Form claims that the “simplicity of construction means less experienced and qualified staff can quickly and safely become involved with minimal training and supervision”. But it is the environmental benefits that this product delivers that are the most noteworthy. John explains that because backing blocks are so “high in energy to produce”, not having to use them will “not only save costs to the user, [be] quicker, but will also have environmental benefits”.

The Cav-Form system is also made from recycled plastic, delivering additional gains in terms of carbon reduction in construction. John hopes the Cav-Form system will be used on “every single new build in the UK”. John has now considered business abroad and has already applied for an international patent on his product.

2010 Winner: Netsportique

French and Business Management student Andrew Hacking won the 2010 contest thanks to his business plan for Netsportique. The business sells specialised sports equipment, from corner flags to score boards, in markets across continental Europe. Like any good business plan, Netsportique has a unique selling point, yet it is somewhat very simple: stock everything that is sold. “This sounds pretty normal for any business” Hacking admits, “but in France and Germany what they tend to do is custom build all their orders and that can take one or two months until it reaches the final consumer, whilst I can do it between two to three days because I have the stock!”

By forming a business plan that exploits this gap in the market, as well as the ability to convince the judges that his plan was feasible, Hacking had the perfect ingredients to win the competition.

Since winning the competition, Hacking has put the £8,000 of prize money rewarded in that year’s Venture Further to finance the initial high costs and expand the business. Half of the money was spent on the development of a website, whilst the remainder was used to import stock from India.

Netsportique now operates out of a real office and Hacking has even hired his first employee, with a second one soon to follow. Despite mixed results in the first year of trading, Netsportique is now running smoothly and has so far reached a total profit margin of 25 percent since October 2010.

2009 Winner: Venture Uganda

Venture Uganda, a charitable business developed by Jennifer O’Brien and Lesley Harris, won Venture Future three years ago. “Venture Uganda is a small, independent tour operator specialising in academic field visits and specialist holidays to Uganda”. Jennifer, who has a PhD in Human Geography, explains how the company provides such a service: “we do all the in-country organisation, we arrange meetings with speakers, accommodation and transport”.

The managing director, Lesley, first travelled to Uganda in the 1990s and had subsequent visits where she focused on educational development in the country. Whilst working as a qualified teacher in Uganda, Lesley met the third partner in Venture Uganda: Byaruhanga Michael. By Byaruhanga having such a vast knowledge of Uganda and extensive contacts within the country, the company can ensure students an experience of the country from a very local level. With such an eclectic team, Venture Uganda is able to deliver a personal, informative and real experience of a country that can offer so much to many different students.

The revenue generated by these visits is then invested into RISE: the Rukungiri Institute of Social Enterprise. This charity’s overall aim, as Jennifer says, is to “help local people lift themselves out of poverty through establishing equitable businesses”.  Venture Uganda is now a fully-fledged business, which continues to deliver a quality service to students and valuable support to RISE.

 

Society Spotlight: Manchester Labour Students

By Tom Grandjouan


Manchester Labour Students is the biggest Labour Students club in Britain and one of the largest student political organisations in the country. Throughout the year we campaign in the North West and around the rest of the country, we coordinate stimulating speaker events and organise convivial socials. Over the course of this academic year we’ve campaigned in Manchester but also subsidized exciting campaign trips to London for Ken Livingstone’s mayoral campaign and up to Edinburgh to campaign with Scottish Labour.

Manchester Labour Students exists as a port of call for those who care about progressive values, for students whose concerns lie with the social bonds and relationships that make up the communities we live in, and for those who have an unshakable belief in fairness. In the last couple weeks, the content of George Osborne’s budget has highlighted that we’re dealing with the same old Tories.  While middle and lower income families are struggling with rising costs and bills, the Conservative and Liberal Democrat front bench have unashamedly gifted a tax cut to the very richest in society, raised fuel duty when petrol prices are peaking, and shockingly passed a £3 billion tax raid on our pensioners, all the while cutting the front line services we depend on and breaking apart the institutions that have shaped our society. In times of economic hardship and social turmoil, this government is utterly failing us on jobs, on growth and is ripping up the fabric of our local communities in the process.  

Manchester Labour Students provides a platform for students who want to stand up and speak up for a fairer society, and it’s the vehicle for those who want to go out and campaign for it. We’ve achieved alot this year. Our membership has swelled to over 600 members, we’ve launched a new website, improved the communication with our membership, and increased the frequency of events and socials. With a heightened level of commitment and involvement from members and the committee, we campaigned and won a fair living wage for all employees at the University of Manchester.

The next few months will be crucial. Labour Students will be out in force up and down the country preparing for the string of by-elections, council elections, local mayor and police commissioner elections that will be taking place in the near future. More urgently with only a few weeks now, is our priority to elect Ken Livingstone Mayor of London so that seven million Londoners do not put have to put up with the frivolous joke that is Boris Johnson any longer.

I very warmly encourage you to get involved. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and join the Labour Party through Labour Students. It is an amazing opportunity to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas and most importantly, campaign for a fairer society and a fairer future.

 

Pieboy Clothing Launches New Range

PieBoy Clothing are back again helping change Uni Clothing for the better. With the launch of a new line of various t-shirts, sweat pants and with a varsity jacket in the pipelines the future promises to be very exciting for PieBoy as its current range is extending significantly.

With the recent Shell LiveWire Big Idea Enterprise Award under their belt and with some amazing feedback coming from various quarters of the student and University population founder Andrew Jervis thought it was time to step things up. “We’ve been lucky enough to create an exceptional team and work with some amazing organisations so the time seemed right to take on a bigger challenge with the launch of a larger more varied range! The future is most definitely exciting!”

With a new product range that has an air of American varsity tied with the spirit of Manchester, the PieBoy offering is certainly giving some thing much more exciting than the generic hoodys and t-shirts that students are currently exposed to. With rising tuition fees and with students demanding more for their money could this signify the dawn of a new era of Uni merch? With players like PieBoy stepping into the market then there is a real possibility we could to see a new wave of Uni merch similar to the American college model where it is much more common place to see students regularly wearing the brands of their college on and off campus.

If the launch of the new range wasn’t enough, PieBoy have also got a brand new ecommerce website (pieboyclothing.co.uk) to make it even easier to get merchandise straight to your door. Taking about the new site Andrew was certainly passionate “We’ve got some seriously talented web guys on the team and we’ve managed to make some thing that really shows off the full range and makes for just a nicer all round online experience to what we had”. On top of this the team have launched have also launched a new night and fashion guide, the142 in collaboration with SmashUni, and are working with Manchester Entrepreneurs on the Manchester Apprentice, which is running University wide this week.

So what’s in line for the future for PieBoy? With the launch of a new range the team don’t seem to be content to sit on their laurels and are excited about the creation of a sister brand, thread 52 (thread52.com). A brand new concept in t-shirt consumption thread52 will offer a one off iconic t-shirt each week capturing a significant and comical event from the current news circulating in the last 7 days. Either way the t-shirts promise to have a real edge and provide that ideal conversation starter.

Manchester Entrepreneurs: The Search for the Next Apprentice

By Fahim Sachedina


A typical remark for The Apprentice may be that it is a dolled-up reality show which does not reflect the true hardships of business, but ME sees the entrepreneurial creativity entailed as an opportunity to give those outstanding candidates a chance to display their fine talent and competitive edge as budding entrepreneurs.  

The Apprentice season 8 has kicked off with the usual overtly-combative contestants and intense drama, at which Manchester Entrepreneurs (ME) responds by putting together its own rendition of the popular show. Cue the outrageous one-liners, they have their very own Alan Sugar waiting to see contestants fight for survival in the boardroom!

This time, ME teams up with two of the most prestigious corporate firms (Accenture, RBS) who advocate enterprise and an intrapreneurial culture, alongside ME’s very own student-business, Pieboy Clothing.  As an avid propeller of student-businesses, ME has put much emphasis into sourcing for partners who are great supporters of student enterprise; and to further boost Manchester student business profiles, The Apprentice will feature challenges drawn and based upon these names. The National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs (NACUE) will also be present to ensure the smooth-running of the event and the RBS ESSA will showcase The Apprentice to other student enterprise enthusiasts across the UK.

The tasks set seem to be a testing mix between Marketing, Strategic Planning, Pitching, Selling and Negotiating whilst making difficult, and in true Apprentice style, “make-or-break”, decisions.  A series of videos will be released at the end of each day documenting the day’s events and announcing the next challenge followed by a short video trailer of the competition, establishing The Manchester Apprentice as an annual tradition for ME.

For twenty candidates, this will be their chance to experience life in the boardroom, and on the frontline where one spark of genius in one of the tasks, could lead to a cataclysmic effect for one or two individuals. Whilst the pressure could lead some to make uncharacteristic decisions, by placing them in an environment where they are more susceptible to do this, this would then stand them in good stead for the future.  

This is the foundation that the Manchester Entrepreneurs have created, from their collaborative and supportive alumni network and their contacts across the corporate business environment, which aim to promote an entrepreneurial business culture alongside one of the most enterprising societies in the UK. With youth unemployment on the rise and a short-supply of adequate, fulfilling jobs for the ever-expanding graduate market, enterprise may well be a solution, and this is precisely the message ME has been fighting hard to deliver.

 

 

Finn puts best foot forward to help clear landmines

A student from Manchester University is putting his best foot forward in one of the region’s biggest racing events to help communities devastated by war.

25 year old PhD student, Finn Box,  is taking part in the Great Manchester Run to raise funds for City Centre-based Nobel Peace Prize-winning charity, MAG (Mines Advisory Group), whose work clearing landmines and destroying weapons helps communities rebuild their lives after conflict.

Part of a team of runners taking part for MAG, Finn will be the only participant pounding the pavement in MAG’s heavy demining gear, complete with helmet, flak jacket and metal detector.

Said Finn:  “It will be tough in all that equipment, but so worth it!”

“We’re lucky in Manchester. We don’t have to worry that our next step could be our last. But landmines and other deadly items left after war kill or injure 11 people every day. In some countries, one-third of those victims are children.

“MAG does incredible, life-saving work all over the globe to help clear this threat. I’m proud to be able to support them.”

Cat Smith, MAG’s Fundraising Officer, is encouraging more students to get involved.

She said: “Everyone, no matter what their fitness, can take part – whether you’ve always fancied having a go but never got round to it, or you’re a marathon pro. And just by joining Team MAG, you can transform the lives of people in some of the world’s poorest communities.”

Race registration is now free! To find out how you can take part, please visit www.maginternational.org/gmr for the Great Manchester Run.

The Generation of Idiots

As the Beach Boys celebrate their 50th anniversary tour, trawling the length and breadth of America and Europe off the back of their 30th studio album, one must hark back to pop music’s golden age.

The Beach Boys were once part of one of pop music’s most notorious duels, in constant competition with four mop-haired scousers from across the Atlantic. Thanks to unprecedented levels of press coverage there came the rise of the mob mentality, as plane flights were greeted by swathes of delirious young teens, desperate to catch a glimpse of any limb of their idols. Throw in a third-party in the form of The Rolling Stones, and you have one of the greatest three-way battles for public affection, one that ensured music received more column inches than ever before.

There is nothing better than a music rivalry; Oasis and Blur captivated the entire nation, whilst Biggie and Tupac came to fatal blows because of their mutual discontent.

Fast-forward fifty years from the Beach Boys, and that focus of teenage adoration is still upon on a mop-haired creation, but this time there’s only one of them, which (in this instance) must be seen as a great blessing. Recently being swamped upon his arrival into Heathrow last week, a certain Mr. Bieber went on to receive over 2,000 phone calls to his hotel room that night from desperate fans clamouring just to have the possibility of hearing his voice. His every move is scrutinised well beyond the level anything McCartney ever did. The tragic case of affairs in which he was said to have popped his load with Mariah Yeater has traumatised the young buck to such an extent that he has found song-writing solace in his experience. His forthcoming album shall detail some of the ‘things he’s going through’. Who’d have thought it.

Before I go on, I am not for one moment comparing anything Justin Bieber has done, or will do to for that matter, to being worthy for messrs Lennon, Jagger or Wilson to wipe their arse with. Nevertheless, we haven’t got a challenger to the little sap’s throne. We haven’t got a figure so inane, so moronic as to match the young Canadian, and that is exactly what we need. Otherwise the clown will become astronomically big, and his ego with it.

Some do come pretty close though.

Adele, a figure of adoration not only in this country, but also across the globe, was recently voted as one of the 100 most influential people on the planet. She has her fanbase, but is too astute to be drawn into a slanging match with the fresh-faced teen, and will be too busy writing another album condemning an ex-boyfriend for having made her tea too strong or forgetting to put the bins out.

Rebecca Black tried, and failed, to gain acclaim, by detailing the days of the week. Even so, the closest competitor to Bieber’s IQ level must be Nicki Minaj, recently displayed by her return to the Twittersphere. An exodus of a week which brought many fans close to tears was ended with Minaj’s incisive proclamation that she “*salutes the nation of Pinkslam* *hugs the barbz* *kisses the barbz*.” Profound.

These new musical ‘pioneers’ are the idols of the next generation. They’re celebrated wherever they go. They bring happiness to the youth of today, and are admired and venerated by millions. Meanwhile, Leonard Cohen, one of the finest song-writers of our (and any other) generation is sure to have to continue his seemingly endless world tour for many more months, shovelling his decrepit carcass from pillar to post, still having not recuperated the millions siphoned from his account by recently imprisoned manager, Kelley Lynch. Sometimes life’s just not fair.