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Day: 5 October 2012

Sports Quiz

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Sport.

Andrew Georgeson & Mike Davis

1. Which Premier League Club’s name abbreviated has the highest scrabble score? (i.e. NUFC, MAN U)

2. Arnaud Massey is the only Frenchman to have won what tournament?

3. What is Emile Heskey’s new squad number at Newcastle Jets?

4. How many majors has Tiger Woods won?

5. What is Michael Phelps’ arm span?

6. How many more goals has Shola Ameobi scored against Barcelona than the entire of Sunderland AFC in their history?

7. Whose hairspray did Wayne Rooney borrow before nodding in the winner against Ukraine at Euro 2012?

8. How many tattoos does David Beckham have?

9. What football team has One Direction member Louis Tomlinson recently purchased?

10. Which African country finished highest in the medal table in this year’s Olympics?

11. In which American city would you find professional sports teams the Bears, Cubs, Bulls and White Sox?

12. Who is the only footballer to have played in all of the top five divisions in England, as well as the UEFA Cup, the Champions League, and the World Cup?

 13. In Rugby Union, which country has been added to the old Tri-Nations tournament, contested between South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, to form this year’s Rugby Championship?

14. At which golf club was this year’s Ryder Cup played?

15. Which football team does actor Hugh Grant support?

 16. At which ground do Lancashire Cricket club play their home games?

17. Which two sportswear brands were founded by German brothers Adolf and Rudolph Dassler?

18. In which city was Lionel Messi born?

 Answers will be in the paper edition on Monday.

Student satisfaction rises but ‘Manchester must try harder,’ says Prof Agnew

Written by Andrew Williams on . Posted in News.

The man responsible for teaching, learning and students at the University of Manchester has reacted positively to a four per cent leap in student satisfaction in the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS) – but says there is work to be done to improve the student experience.

Professor Clive Agnew, Vice President of Teaching, Learning and Students, was pleased to see overall student satisfaction reach 83% in the National Student Survey, the annual survey completed by final year students at universities across the country.

“Student satisfaction is really important – a university without students is not a university,” Agnew said. “Given that students are at the core of what we do, this is a very important measure… the NSS is a measure of progress towards providing an excellent experience – but it is only one measure.”

Last September, The Mancunion reported that student satisfaction at Manchester was the worst of all Russell Group universities. However, the results of this year’s NSS place the University of Manchester on a par with the University of Edinburgh, and above King’s College, London on that particular measure.

But Agnew is not entirely content with what remains a below average level of student satisfaction at Manchester – 85% of all UK students said that they were satisfied with the quality of their course this time around – especially relative to fellow Russell Group institutions.

“83 is good but it’s not good enough. We need to be at 90,” he explains. “Looking at the data, the two things that come out that are of concern are that assessment and feedback is still the lowest of all the levels of satisfaction, so we have work to do on that. The other area is academic support… the key variable which influences whether a student is content or not”.

However, Agnew claims that there are plenty of positives to take from the news. “I was pleased that all questions – questions 1 to 21 – all of them improved. That’s testimony to the fact that we are moving in the right direction; it wasn’t just one area. It’s not just about question 22 – overall satisfaction – so the fact that all areas moved up is encouraging.”

Indeed, the former Head of Geography, who has two children who have studied at Manchester, believes that these results could provide the University with a springboard to improve satisfaction further in the coming years; he agrees that investment in new facilities, such as the recently-opened Alan Gilbert Learning Commons, will serve to improve the overall student experience.

“Students coming and studying at a university like Manchester benefit tremendously, both in terms of employability and in terms of their prospects,” Agnew says. “But students who are happy have a sense of belonging. They have a sense of identity and they know that they can go and speak to academic support staff… students need to be able to feel that someone knows their name. It’s about creating a culture of saying that students are important, and students and staff need to know each other.”

As such, he identifies three key indicators for the University to work on going forward: “improving the student experience, as measured by the NSS, widening participation, and increasing employability”.

Though Agnew is acutely aware of the significance of the National Student Survey – “because it’s used in many league tables, it’s very important” – he is keen to assert that it’s not the be all and end all. “I want us to be guided by wanting it improve the NSS, but we don’t simply want to only focus on the NSS results. All I’m saying is that it would be wrong to become obsessed with simply trying to change the NSS score, and ignoring the student experience.”

“One of the dangers in focusing on the NSS, and particularly the improvement we’ve just had, is that one thinks it’s just happened in the last twelve months. It hasn’t. This is building upon many years of activity; it takes a long time, in a sense, to foster that culture.”

Meanwhile, Agnew praised the “very strong working relationship” between academic staff and the Students’ Union as one of the primary reasons for the University’s improved standing. “The Students’ Union here got a higher scoring than the average because, two or three years ago, the SU refocused their activities on the needs of students”.

“There was an emphasis on events, previously, and now there is a much greater emphasis on supporting students, student societies, campaigns and so forth… I think the Students’ Union was being run without necessarily recognising all the needs of the students. That’s a criticism they made of themselves, rather than me making it of them, and I think the strategic plan they’ve been developing reflects that.”

Union events – Good idea, poor execution

Written by Richard Crook on . Posted in News.

Last week you may have read about the disastrous M13 Festival and the Welcome Week Party.

The intentions were noble. In the past, I believe this Union has at times lost sight of what it’s here for: Representing and supporting its paying members. We’ve spent far too much money “raising awareness” (but achieving little) for international issues, or financially shooting ourselves in the foot through selective, arbitrary boycotts and bans that offer no consistency

But there have been some promising signs. The new refurbishment cost millions but looks fantastic. For any first years out there, the old look was more Soviet Union than Students’ Union. Distributing the newspaper in the Union used to be treated in the newsroom with rolled eyes, but now there’s a sense that people are actually going there in large numbers to hang out.

And then there’s Fresh Fridays, the Union’s first clubnight that’s proving to be a real success.

Beyond that, we’re seeing some much needed investment in Student Action, the local volunteering organisation. You can get the rebellious student out of your system by ‘fighting fascism’ in our university, but if you want to see a real difference being made, then look no further than Student Action.

But M13 and The Welcome Week Party proved there is still a long way to go. Both were catastrophes, and similar problems infected both nights. This Union still needs to learn the value of student input when it comes to these nights.

Let’s start with the price. The Welcome Week Party and M13 Festival were priced at £15 and £20 respectively. As the Activities Officer Tommy Fish and several JCRs (hall committee members) have pointed out, you need an established brand with some serious acts. Marina and the Diamonds were a decent start, but Kazabian (tribute band to Kasabian), Herve, and a DJ set by The Vaccines just wasn’t the pedigree students could accept. It didn’t help that the two nights were so close to each other. Any students that were going to come to the first were probably not going to fork out another £20 for the same venue so soon after.

Indeed, it was trying to run before you could walk.

Then there was the issue of the time. For The Welcome Week Party, this was not a problem. In fact most halls put aside a night for the event. But launching a £20 night the same weekend as The Warehouse Project was, as one promoter put it to me, “suicidal.”

Financially, these events were not just a major loss (I still haven’t been given any figures, but it runs well into the £1,000s). They were also a major opportunity missed. M13 Festival had the chance to make over £100,000 in ticket sales alone, but the combination of calamities means your societies could miss out on that extra bit of funding.

A quick look at thestudentroom.co.uk will show you older students warning first years off the Welcome Week parties, but not every fresher will see it. And once you’ve been stung with a hefty price tag and a ruined evening, you’re unlikely to risk getting stung again. The long-term repercussions of these two botched events remain unclear, but judging by the conversations I’ve had, the already fragile halls/union relationship has taken a serious hit. It could mean we’re looking at another poorly run Welcome Week that remains dependant on the questionable Social Junkies.

 

Follow me @RichardJRCrook

University of Manchester students happiest since 2005, says NSS

Written by Michael Williams on . Posted in News.

Overall student satisfaction at the University of Manchester is at its highest since 2005, the results of the National Student Survey have revealed. The University of Manchester scored an 83% satisfaction rate – up 4% from 2011 – placing the University 52nd out of 127 higher education institutions when satisfaction with the Students’ Union was factored in.

Manchester Metropolitan University recorded an 81% satisfaction rate, as did the University of Salford – when the Students’ Union satisfaction rate was taken into account this placed the Universities at 73rd and 86th in the table, respectively.

Approximately 287,000 students responded to the 2012 survey, the results of which were published last week. The results showed that 85% of students surveyed said that they were “definitely” or “mostly satisfied” with their University course, with only 8% classing themselves as “dissatisfied”. This is an improvement on 2011’s figures, where only 83% of students were satisfied with their course.

The happiest UK students belong to St. Mary’s University College Belfast, which boasts a 98% satisfaction rate – a 5% improvement from 2011.

“This is no doubt a result of the University’s hard work and investment in the student experience, achieved by working in partnership with students”, stated Nick Pringle, Students’ Union General Secretary. As well as lauding the success, Pringle was also quick to look to the future: “There is still a lot of work to do, but we are pleased that the University is heading in the right direction”.

Speaking to The Mancunion Professor Clive Agnew, Vice President Teaching, Learning & Students, said that while the improvement should be welcomed, the University still needs to improve it’s satisfaction rating.

“83 is good but it’s not good enough. We need to be at 90,” he said. “Looking at the data, the two things that come out that are of concern are that assessment and feedback is still the lowest of all the levels of satisfaction, so we have work to do on that. The other area is academic support… the key variable which influences whether a student is content or not.

“I was pleased that all questions – questions 1 to 21 – all of them improved. That’s testimony to the fact that we are moving in the right direction; it wasn’t just one area. It’s not just about question 22 – overall satisfaction – so the fact that all areas moved up is encouraging.”

Menswear Shirts 101

Written by Damilola Ade-Odiachi on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

‘He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel…shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue. Suddenly with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily. “They’re such beautiful shirts,” she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. It makes me sad because I’ve never seen such beautiful shirts before.”‘

As Nick and Daisy from The Great Gatsby discovered, the power of a good shirt cannot be underestimated. It is capable of summoning grudging admiration from men and sheer delirium from women. A classic shirt is an investment. If taken care of properly, it can last years and will always be a good shirt.

Photo: Zegna.com

A man must own at least one white shirt. There’s no excuse not to. A white shirt will go well with a pair of jeans, or underneath a dark suit or blazer. Nothing shows off a tan better than a white shirt. The white shirt on display here is cotton twill from Ermenegildo Zegna. The fabric is soft and comfortable and the semi-spread collar means that the shirt will probably fit with most ties and suits. A shirt for all occasions.

Photo: Hackett.com

This is a slim fit blue Oxford weave shirt from Hackett with a single button cuff and a straight pointed collar. It’s more casual than the first shirt listed, and you’ll need a narrow knot if you want to pair it with a tie. It’s a great shirt to own because of the slim fit. This means that it is made to closely fit your torso. Extra fabric never hides, it only ever amplifies. The shirt is also in a soft light colour. This is in keeping with the Gatsby, 1920s theme as shirts at this time were either light or striped.

Photo: ralphlauren.co.uk

I’m a fan of the custom fit by Ralph Lauren. It forms a respectable middle ground between the baggy classic fit and the sometimes too tight slim fit. This shirt is a purple striped custom fit shirt with a button down collar. The editors of GQ say, “it’s the old school all American look. Has never gone out of style and probably never will.” I agree! As it is purple it’s not as conservative as the two shirts above it. It’s a great way to show off some of your personality while looking classic. As Fred Astaire said, “Be yourself – but don’t be conspicuous.”

Fitzgerald sparks the revival of Flapper Fashion

Written by Lauren Arthur on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Whether you loved or despised it throughout English A-Level, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby can be deemed nothing less than a literary classic. Set to be released in Summer 2013, six months after the original date, Baz Luhrmann’s new film adaptation of the novel, with its all-star cast, curious yet compelling soundtrack and of course, lavish costumes, is set to be a classic in its own right, thrusting this celebrated 20s novel, and its era’s fashion, back into the limelight.

As if the list of star-studded celebrities involved in this production wasn’t extensive enough (Luhrmann, DiCaprio, Mulligan and Maguire to name but a few), Miuccia Prada has also had considerable involvement with the costume design. Prada and Catherine Martin, Luhrmann’s wife, have selected and adapted forty dresses from the Miu Miu and Prada archives for the 20s women to wear and Jewellers Tiffany & Co. and Brooks Brothers are responsible for completing the quite literally dazzling Jazz Age costumes.

“I usually try not to literally reference periods in my work, because that’s not the way I think,” Prada tells US Vogue. “But when I worked on the costumes, I realized how many pieces could become very 1920s with a little intervention and another point of view.” Not only emulating the glamour and upper-class luxury of the period, the costumes also draw upon the birth of the 20s woman. She smoked, sported short haircuts and strove for sexual emancipation whilst wearing frills, lace and silk; female empowerment at its finest. Yet can we expect to see this woman wandering down Oxford Road nearly a century later?

It is clear designers certainly believe it to be a possibility; after he co-designed costumes for the 1974 Gatsby film, Ralph Lauren’s Spring 2012 collection encompassed translucent sheers, pastel palettes and feather wraps whilst Jill Stuart’s Spring 2013 pieces showcased ‘Gatsby-esque’ femininity with drop waists, plunging necklines and pale minimalistic faces. Whilst not everyone has the petite, boyish figure to pull off a flapper dress, 2013 will allow you to release your inner Daisy Buchanan, even if that simply means incorporating beaded accessories, embellished tops or throwing on a headband.

So whether you loved or hated Fitzgerald’s novel, make use of Orange Wednesdays next May and see what all the fuss is about.

Photo:thanhhaiprof (photobucket)

Ulyana Sergeenko

Written by Simone Hollerer on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Ulyana Sergeenko is one of a couple of young wealthy Russian women, the so-called Russian Fashion Pack, who became widely known in the world of fashion through their extraordinary mix of high fashion and their regular appearance on street style blogs. Sergeenko started off as a photographer/model and launched her career as a designer in 2011 with an extravagant, ultra-feminine collection inspired by the 1950s. All of her designs draw us to the spirit of this time, since Sergeenko designs are almost exclusively voluminous skirts and dresses with accentuated shoulders and slender waists. She brings back the glamour of Old Hollywood with her floral designs, intense colours and heavy fabrics. However, her main aim is to be a Russian designer and with her collections, show the world Russia’s rich, incomparable culture and history.

Old Hollywood’s Reincarnate: Blake Lively

Written by Faye Howard on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

With Marilyn Monroe’s buxom red lips, Raquel Welch’s tousled 10,000 B.C locks and Rita Hayworth’s neat little cat eyes, it’s no wonder Blake Lively is tip-toeing in the gilded footsteps of the classic Hollywood ‘It’ girl.  Gracing our screens back in 2007’s ‘Gossip Girl’ as Serena van der Woodsen, a misunderstood Upper East sider with more money than sense and a wardrobe to die for, Blake Lively had us mere mortals glued to our telly screens. Meanwhile, fashion’s finest fought over who would dress her and who would be the first to splurge her across next edition’s double-page spread. Like putty in the hands of fashion’s glitterati, Blake put her stamp on the face of fashion back in 2009, when she was photographed by both Patrick Demarchelier (Glamour UK) and Mario Testino (Vogue US), effortlessly injecting glamour and silver screen drama into the pages of the finest glossies.  Also appearing in Chanel’s 2011 handbag campaign ‘Mademoiselle’, it wasn’t long until Blake became the muse of Karl Lagerfeld who describes the American beauty as ‘the modern day Grace Kelly’ and ‘a breath of fresh air’ in today’s celebrity culture.  This is not to say that our new ‘It’ girl hasn’t had a brush with the paparazzi-induced world of celebrity hysteria.  True to Hollywood form, Blake is presently in the media spotlight for more personal reasons such as her whirlwind romance and speedy marriage (not forgetting the world’s obsession with spotting a baby bump) to fellow actor and heartthrob (brace yourself) Ryan Reynolds, which seems the perfect fit for Hollywood’s hottest property.

With the cinematic aesthetic being a popular theme for AW12, Blake seemed the natural choice for Gucci’s new perfume ad campaign, aptly named ‘Première’ where we see our golden girl pacing around the master bedroom of the famous Sheats Goldstein Residence, looking out onto a glittering Los Angeles skyline.  Hair tucked behind her ear in soft brushed out curls, Blake is dripping Gucci decadence in a heavily embellished backless gown, hugging her enviable figure in all the right places, nipping in at the waist and fish-tailing out from the knee into a pool of gold around her feet.  The silhouette screams Old Hollywood and ageless style, living up to Blake’s self-confessed alter ego and the Tinsel Town romanticism driving the campaign.

Often styling her own looks, Blake admits that fashion is in her blood (unsurprisingly her mother was a model) and uses clothes as a way of expressing her creativity.  Claiming not to have one distinctive style, Blake uses classic references making her style choices a question of ‘who do I want to be tonight?’ as opposed to ‘who do I want to wear tonight?’.  Wouldn’t we all if we had a devoted team of stylists that could actualise our wildest fashion dreams?  Claiming not to be just ‘keeping up appearances’ in the face of the media, it is refreshing to know that it is simply Blake’s love of making the effort and her obsession with the Hollywood archives that really inspires her fashion choices.  Whether it’s the yellow Gucci gown, with plunging neck line (seen recently at the ‘Savages’ premier) that screams ethereal romance and a Midsummer Night’s Dream or the immaculate little black dress and rouged lip combination that radiates 1940s lavishness, Blake Lively never fails to deliver that red carpet look.  Always with a twist of glamour, be it in the risky neckline or the dramatic length, our cinema and Hollywood obsessed taste buds are always well and truly satisfied.  Move over the Audrey Hepburns of years gone by, our golden girl is here to stay.