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Day: 11 March 2013

‘Sack half the exec,’ says Gen Sec candidate

One of the four candidates hoping to become the next General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union has sparked controversy amongst union hacks by pledging to cut the executive team by half if elected.

Colin Cortbus, a first year Middle Eastern Studies student, wants to remove four positions from the eight-strong executive team in a bid to save £66,000 per year.

The proposal is part of a drive to “bring about an end to Union waste.” Positions including Campaigns, Community, Women’s and Wellbeing would all be cut, to be replaced by Housing and Academic Affairs officers. The redundant positions would instead be covered by a sixteen-person committee of student volunteers, each earning £1,000.

But the policy attracted criticism as three of the four candidates for Gen Sec took part in a lively debate last Thursday evening. Grace Skelton, the sole female candidate, expressed concern at removing the role of Women’s Officer.

“The Women’s Officer performs a vital role at the University of Manchester. One in four women suffers sexual harassment at university and women are still under-represented in public and academic life,” Skelton said. “Until this changes the Women’s Officer is absolutely necessary.”

Cortbus responded that he would “make welfare issues central to every executive position.”

Last week saw the Students’ Union host hustings featuring the candidates for each of the eight executive positions. All were asked which role, if any, they would scrap; whilst the majority of candidates argued that the composition of the exec should remained unchanged, Cortbus was not the only one to come under fire for proposing changes.

Raj Singh, standing for Activities Officer, questioned the need for both a Diversity Officer and a Women’s Officer. “Women are important and they don’t need to be in any way undermined, but what about men. Who do they go to?” he said. Singh reiterated that he is “not at all against women’s rights.”

Five members of the current executive turned out to hear the candidates for General Secretary discuss many other issues. James Johnson argued in favour of “a radical change in the relationship that the Union has with the student body,” telling voters, “it is time to stop impressing beliefs on people.”

He also advocated an end to the Union’s ‘no platform policy,’ in contrast to his fellow candidates.

But James tripped up by saying the exec were “wasting their time” focusing on the Coca-Cola ban. Grace reminded him that the ban was the result of a referendum put forward by a student.

Meanwhile, Grace Skelton was forced to respond to claims from The Mancunion that her commitment to discounted Academy tickets for University of Manchester students is “impossible.” Asked if she had discussed the issue with promoters, she admitted she had only spoken to students.

The candidates also disagreed on the reinstatement of a full-time, paid editor for this newspaper. Johnson said the paper was “doing fine as it is”; Skelton suggested putting the issue to a referendum, saying that she would back the return of the role in the event of a vote.

Voting in the Students’ Union elections opened at 10am on Friday morning, and will remain open until 6pm on Thursday. The results are due later that evening, and will be liveblogged at www.mancunion.com.

John Williams: The man behind the music

With a career spanning over six decades in the biz, John Williams has almost single-handedly popularised the mode of film scores in the 20th century.   His recent Oscar nod for Lincoln brings his nominations tally to a whopping 48, the most of any living human and second only to Walt Disney.  Of those 48 nominations, he has won five, adding to his four Golden Globes, seven BAFTAs and 21 Grammys.  Yet even these impressive figures do no justice to the significance that Williams has had in each of our lives; we have all grown up humming his tunes.  Star Wars alone is enough to cement his place in history, but if you add to that Jaws, Superman, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Harry Potter then the reach of his genius becomes incalculable.  In other words, John Williams is film music.

His foray into composition began in 1952 when he was drafted into U.S. Air Force.  The Air Force Band soon became his pet project, giving him a first real taste of conducting and arranging a large group of musicians.  When his service ended, he relocated to New York to study piano at the famous Juilliard School, whilst working the club circuit as a jazz pianist.  It was at this point that Williams decided to move back to L.A. in order to find work in the studios.  Little more than ten years had passed before he won his first Oscar for Fiddler On The Roof, back in 1971.

Despite this initial accolade, Williams has always maintained that the real road to stardom began to pave itself four years later, when he teamed up with Steven Spielberg for Jaws.  The famous alternating two note “shark” pattern has since become a classic piece of suspense music and can be used in any situation that involves approaching danger.  It made me laugh when Mychael Danna’s acceptance speech for “Best Original Score” (Life of Pi) was cut short by this very pattern.  You have to question who the real winner of that category is.

It was also the success of Jaws, both musically and cinematically, that kick-started the long running Williams/Spielberg collaboration.  Close Encounters, E.T., Jurrassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Schindler’s List followed, each soundtrack receiving massive critical acclaim.  The relationship between director and composer blossomed to such an extent that sight and sound soon became completely synonymous.  You can’t imagine Indiana Jones without that theme tune.  It’s the sound of adventure.

Outside of the Spielberg realm, Star Wars is by far the biggest hit in his back catalogue.  It’s the highest grossing non-pop music recording of all time for Christ sake. It speaks for itself.  But in more recent years, it’s probably Harry Potter that has ensured yet another generation of appreciation.  Owls are quite mysterious anyway, but ‘Hedwig’s Theme’ epitomises the feelings of the entire franchise; a mixture of whimsy, pomp and menace.  He went on to compose the scores for the next two films, but, like ‘The Imperial March’ and ‘Luke’s Theme’, it is his work on The Philosopher’s Stone that will stand the test of time.  Next time you’re delivering a letter, give it a little hum and see if it doesn’t make the experience that little bit more magical.

Blind Date: Lewis and Helen

Lewis, 20, 1st Year Business Studies

First impressions? She looked nice, very pretty and well-dressed. She didn’t wear heels either which I liked, because I don’t like it when girls are too over-done. She’s a brunette though, and I usually go for blondes.

Did the date get off to a flying start? I think so, I made her laugh quite a bit which is always good. She was easy to chat to and we had a fair bit in common.

Best features? Nice smile with lovely teeth- she told me she’d had braces for years. She also had a natural tan, which was good because I can’t stand orange-looking girls who fake tan all the time.

Any awkward moments? I think I told some risky jokes that she wasn’t really a fan of; thinking about it, they were probably a bit much for a girl to find funny.

Did you have many things in common? Yeah we did actually, we’re both from just outside of Birmingham so we talked for quite a while about that.

What was the weirdest thing she told you? I can’t remember anything weird to be honest; she seems like a pretty normal girl.

What happened after you finished your meal? We stayed for a little bit, but she had work early in the morning so we left.

How did you say goodbye? I gave her a hug and said I’d add her on Facebook.

So no kiss? Nah.

Would you look at her twice in a club? Erm I dunno- yeah maybe actually, because she has good taste in clothes and she’s got nice hair. Even though I don’t usually go for brunettes.

Potential sex partner percentage? Erm, 60%? What did she say?

Any  future plans? I’m definitely going to add her on Facebook and speak to her on there.

 

Helen, 20, 2nd Year French and Linguistics

First impressions? He isn’t my usual type- a bit shorter than what I normally go for- but he has nice hair. I also like lads with glasses, which was a bonus.

Did the date get off to a flying start? Yeah, he was so friendly and really funny so he kept me laughing! [Laughs], we’re both from the same area of the country so it was nice to talk to someone who quite literally knew where I was coming from.

Best Features? Nice eyes and a very dry, witty sense of humour, which I love.

Any awkward moments? He did tell a couple of jokes which I didn’t understand, so that prompted some pity laughs.

Did you have many things in common? Yeah, loads actually! It turns out we actually grew up around twenty minutes away from one another, so we had a lot of shared memories about the places we’d been to as children. We also both like the gym so we talked a fair bit about that.

What was the weirdest thing he told you? He told me about his eventful weekend at a stag do in Leeds: some pretty weird things went on which I won’t repeat for fear of embarrassing him.

What happened after you finished your meal? We stayed for another drink, but I had to get up early for work so we said our goodbyes at Trof, as he lives in the City whereas I live in Fallowfield.

How did you say goodbye? A friendly hug [pauses and laughs]. What?! That was it!

So did you kiss? No, I’ve told you! A friendly hug.

Would you look twice at him in a club? Probably not, I was more attracted to his personality so initially there was no spark.

Potential sex partner percentage?  [Laughs] 50%?

Any plans for the future? He said he would add me on Facebook so we could talk, so who knows? Maybe.

Absent Exec Officer drops out of Gen Sec race

The current Students’ Union Diversity Officer has pulled out of the running for General Secretary after becoming stuck abroad.

The Mancunion reported last week that University of Manchester Students’ Union Exec member Saad Wahid had been absent for over five weeks due to passport issues.

After initially taking three weeks leave at the end of January to visit his family in his native Pakistan, Mr Wahid was unable to return because he was not in possession of his passport, having handed it over to the British High Commission in the country in an effort to obtain a British Tier 1 entrepreneur visa.

“I didn’t realise that it would take such a long time for the visa to be processed and now I am stuck,” he told The Mancunion.

Subsequently, Mr Wahid has withdrawn his name from the candidacy for General Secretary of the Students’ Union.

“I withdrew because competition for the Gen Sec post is always intense and involves a high turnout of votes and not being physically present in Manchester during polling time is a serious setback to any campaign,” he said.

The race for Gen Sec now includes four candidates, Choudhry Haziq, Colin Cortbus, James Johnson, and Grace Skelton. The latter has the support of current General Secretary Nick Pringle, both of who are members of Manchester Labour Students, and current Women’s Officer Tabz O’Brien-Butcher.

“We deserve a Gen Sec who will continue Manchester’s journey forward, passionate, experienced and principled, Grace will deliver amazing things for students,” Miss O’Brien-Butcher is quoted as saying in Miss Skelton’s manifesto.

Mr Wahid was also shortlisted for the NUS International Student Officer of the Year last week, one of five candidates chosen from universities around the country. The award went to University of Liverpool’s Chidinma Chi-Chi Nwokoro.

TV vs reality

I often fantasise about waking up in a fabulous apartment, looking like I have just stepped out of a magazine advert. I’ll head to work in my Manolos, wind blowing in my hair. Obviously, I come crashing back down to earth when I step onto the 142 in my muddy Converses, faced with crowds of students who smell of stale beer and Lynx.

This fantasy is definitely the result of watching one too many episodes of Sex and the City and Gossip Girl. I often find myself trying to channel my inner-Samantha or my inner-Serena after one too many G&Ts, ending up in some ridiculous situations. The last time I channelled my inner-Samantha I ended up sipping vodka martinis with a twenty-something businessman in his hotel bar. Leaving the venue was more Secret Diary of a Call Girl than SATC – I was red faced and wreaked of shame.

I later thought to myself, how did that happen? Had I just been myself or had I gained false confidence from the glitz and glamour of my favourite shows? Had these programmes completely infiltrated my head so much so that I end up morphing into one of the characters?  The bottom line is that it is unrealistic of me to think that I can get away with Samantha behaviour, hence why I have so much love for Girls which has recently hit our TV screens.

I watched the whole series of Girls within two days. Both SATC and Gossip Girl seem airbrushed to the point of fantasy when you compare them to the brutal honesty of this newcomer, which sees a group of friends navigate their twenties ‘one mistake at a time.’ Life is portrayed far more truthfully; issues such as losing the financial support of parents and having to take unpaid internships in order to try and succeed are addressed, as well as dating, sex and arguments amongst friends.  This is perhaps helped by the fact that the comedy-drama is based on some of creator and star Lena Dunham’s personal experiences. I don’t feel the need to release my inner-anyone at the end of an episode; it’s okay not to have a fashion line at the age of 23 and it’s okay to mess up sometimes

Girls’ frank honesty about sex, friendship and love is refreshing in a world where TV is glamorised to the max. Although there is fun to be had when channelling your inner-Samantha, Manchester student life cannot be compared to those of the privileged in New York City and we shouldn’t be made to feel inadequate by fictional constructs.

Mind the gap

Look back fondly on your juvenile years and you will remember the unspoken law concerning relationship age differences. Girls going out with older boys was an achievement. If they were fully grown men it was weird, but if they were doing their GCSEs as you sat your A Levels, you were in social suicide territory. The question is, just how much do these attitudes really change as we grow up? How much is too much?

Take Caroline Flack and Harry Styles for example. Whilst not a fan of either, I did feel slightly sorry for Flack who was victim to incessant abuse during and after the split with the curly-haired singer, 15 years her junior. Cougar/toyboy and gold digger/sugar daddy relationships are frequently criticised, but they are surprisingly common even amongst us nobodies.

Obviously there are some drawbacks to the big age gap. You could be reminiscing about your hair in the 80s, whilst your partner awkwardly recounts the stories that their mum used to tell them. The likelihood of you sharing a lot of common interests is possible but perhaps slim, as you will be at different stages in your lives and at times probably unable to relate to one another.

That aside, your happiness in a relationship is the most important thing. ‘Love knows no boundaries’ and all that jazz. Embrace the age gap and the things you learn from one another, though perhaps steer clear of someone your parents’ age. After all, ‘meet the parents’ is awkward enough as it is.

‘Oz The Great and Powerful’ cast and director Q + A

The Mancunion was recently invited to a press conference with the stars and director of Oz, here’s the best of what Mila Kunis, James Franco, Zach Braff, Rachel Weisz , Michelle Williams and (director) Sam Raimi had to say.

Sam, were you intimidated to ‘return to oz’ after all this time since the classic original?

Sam: Yes I was. I was very frightened to approach the project, because there is so much love for the original Wizard of Oz picture obviously. And people don’t want their warm feelings towards this great classic sullied. And that’s why I stayed away from the script at first, but later when it came time to find a writer for another project the script came across my and I fell in love with it. It was a script with a lot of heart and I thought if I can bring this to the screen only a wicked old witch wouldn’t want this to be made.

James, what drew you to this project?

James:  I just had to be sure that Sam had a sound approach to the movie and of course when I read the script I read that he had a very smart way to do it. That they would stay loyal to what us lovers of Oz expect. But now it’s 70 plus years later they are able to capture this world in much more spectacular and seamless way without having to rely on theatrical conventions with men in lion pyjamas, they could create these magical creatures in ways that are believable to the eye.

Mila, how did it feel to be the ‘ugly duckling’ for a change?

Mila: It was actually really great. It was incredibly freeing. It was the first time in my life where putting on the costume really did change the way that I viewed the character. It really allowed me to explore my performance without having to worry what people thought.

Did any of you take any inspiration from the original film?

Zach: Its tricky for me to answer because I’m creating this new character. I guess if anything I saw the monkey as being the comic relief like how the Scarecrow, the Lion and Tin Man were -the physical comedy of it all. So there are a couple of subtle places where Sam and I found to put in some physical comedy that was an homage to those characters.

Michelle: Glinda in the original doesn’t go down the yellow brick road as she doesn’t need anything which makes her a little bit one dimensional and we wanted to bring out her more human qualities. So the original was an inspiration, will always be an inspiration but it wasn’t my jumping off point.

Rachel: Well my character you could only see her feet from under the house-

Zach: Did you take any inspiration from her feet?

(all laugh)

Rachel: (deadpan) Zach I did, I did

Zach: I noticed, if anyone else didn’t, I noticed

(more laughter)

Mila: The truth is no, I didn’t, because I didn’t want to emulate or imitate, or do anything that would take away from the iconic character that was so great and wonderful and beautiful. What I was given was the gift of a back story, so I could humanise her. When she became human is when it made sense to me. I would never dare to emulate something so iconic.

Mila, was it different playing a character that went on a journey from innocence to evil and will we see in the future you play a character that also leaves their innocence behind in Fifty Shades of Grey?

Mila:  God this Fifty Shades of Grey thing is not gonna leave is it? No, you will not see me in Fifty Shades of Grey, sorry.

Zach: Does that mean I could audition?

(all laugh)

Mila: (deadpan) It’s all yours Zach. You’d be fantastic in it.

(more laughter)

If you could cast a spell on any person what would it be?

Mila: Erm, I would cast a spell on Sam Raimi so he would cast me in all his movies.

(all laugh)

Zach: I would cast a spell on Mila to have her do Fifty Shades of Grey

(more laughter)

Oz the Great and Powerful is in cinemas now.

Review: Oz the Great and Powerful

The Wizard of Oz is a classic by any standard really. It’s the type of film most people have seen whether they like it or not, and everyone knows the story or at least a few of the songs.

It’s this familiarity that is prequel Oz the Great and Powerful’s biggest strength and weakness, in a mixed bag of a movie.

Oz tells the story of illusionist Oscar Diggs (or just Oz to his friends) who, via a tornado, finds himself in the wonderful world of Oz. This naming similarity is no coincidence as when he arrives he quickly is told that he is the fulfilment of a prophesy and will become King of Oz. This all gets more complicated though when he gets caught between feuding witch sisters Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams) – with Oz’s Lothario ways further stoking the flames. With help from his monkey servant Finley (Zach Braff) Oz (the man) finds himself battling to save Oz (the place) from wicked-witch destruction.

Oz The Great and Powerful is director Sam Raimi’s first big budget movie since the disappointing Spider-man 3. He brings his renowned visual chops and impressively updates the familiar ‘Oz’ setting with impressive visuals that were impossible back in 1939. Most noticeably, the flying monkeys get a new and vicious look that will no doubt scare younger viewers.  By far the best sequence of the film, and the only effective utilisation of 3D, was the balloon sequence near the start of the film. Raimi’s action, horror and comedy chops all come to the fore here in a brilliant sequence that encapsulates the transition from the real world to Oz.

Unfortunately some of the acting doesn’t quite live up to Raimi’s visuals. Franco in the title role seems miscast and fails to convince as the ‘showman’ he purports to be. Similarly Mila Kunis, particularly in the latter parts of the film, seems (particularly her voice) out of place making for some awkward monologues. Zach Braff though, is a regular scene stealer in his comic relief sidekick role. And Rachel Weisz and especially Michelle Williams are among the few that successfully pull off the campy, over the top tone from the original that this film is emulating.

For anyone with even a passing interest in the original film there is a great novelty in finding out some of the back stories to the iconic characters. And for the most part the characters are treated respectfully and make great additions to a world that so many love.

Franco and Kunis’ occasional struggle to pull off their roles, along with the films difficult straddling of new and old, weigh down this film. But with Raimi’s visuals and the competent work of Williams and Braff this return to Oz works overall and won’t have you clicking your heels wishing to go home.

A black coffee please, not an ‘Americano’

Coffee is drunk with all too little care and attention. For the hungover first year, slightly less hungover second year or the overworked third year, coffee has just become something to perk oneself up with. It should, however, be savoured. Coffee is a delicious yet very accessible luxury; it deserves to be treated with care.

Despite my obviously ominous verbal onslaught of bad coffee practice, I must insert a disclaimer: this is not a savage polemic or silly AA Gill drivel. I have a hug mug and can get a filter coffee from a University of Manchester outlet for 79p. I am a student, so price is of course a major issue – though it does pain me to line the pockets of Food on Campus because the coffee is gritty dirge.

For price and convenience I drink this. For enjoyment and satisfaction I frequent other vendors and leave considerably chirpier. Christie’s Bistro upstairs in the Whitworth Quadranagle (cue the hate mail from postgraduates who keep this gem to themselves) is a haven of tranquility,  neocolonialism reading groups and catch-ups between academics who have just got back from field work in Kathmandu. The coffee served here is very nice: mild, slightly smokey and not at all gritty. The surroundings also make it premium venue, but the coffee stands out as cheap, tasty and all located nearly as conveniently as its Food on Campus competitors.

We all know Caffe Nero is the best high street chain coffee house. Italian beans are roasted hard so the caffeine is largely negated, and the taste is deeper and more complex than the lightly roasted, high caffeine Starbucks swill. Costa is to avoid at all costs.

The Anchor, situated in the old Whitworth Pub opposite the Edinburgh Bike Co-Operative,  serves nice coffee – again, cheaply, and it is independent, which is almost always good. However, if you are hungering for the finest coffee in Manchester, and to date the nicest espresso I have ever had, bee line for North Tea Power in the Northern Quarter. I am aware it’s too far to go on a Tuesday lunch unless you are fanatical, but do try and make a visit.

Couture (the Museum café) is somewhat a misnomer. It looks lovely, the food is good and is full of anoraked middle-class grandparents babysitting Hugo and Florence for the day, who chose to visit the enriching and educational museum. Maybe that’s why the coffee isn’t great, as the clientele are too busy retrieving stray Early Learning Centre toys and mittens.

To be clear, this is about black coffee. If you seek sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, cream and words with ‘chino’ on the end (not the trousers) then I’m sure anywhere will satisfy these cravings. However, when in search of your daily coffee fix, do consider what you are drinking. Coffee deserves your due care and attention.

Beyoncé sparks outcry with her custom-made ‘Zoo-in-a-Shoe’.

Beyoncé has had a great start to 2013.  From wowing the audience with her electric Super Bowl half time performance, to announcing her latest world tour ‘The Mrs. Carter Show,’ she also has locked down a $50 million Pepsi deal. Furthermore, her daughter Blue Ivy celebrated her first birthday, so all in all, a fabulous start to the year for Mrs. Knowles-Carter.

However, as much as the global superstar has gained in this short time, she has also received a backlash of criticism for her fashion choices of late.

Beyoncé, being a fan of French designer Isabel Marant’s hidden wedge trainers (which retail for just under £400), has commissioned Perfectly Made Kicks (PMK) to custom-make a pair, of which its design has provoked disappointment and disdain worldwide.

Labeled ‘The King Bey’, PMK has taken the iconic shoe and morphed it, using a terrifying menagerie of creatures, described by the brand as, ‘the Eden Treatment.’ The company’s website continues,  ‘a hybrid of land and sea skins are used to create this handcrafted creation.’ The array of skins and furs feature stingray, ostrich, calf, crocodile and anaconda.

picture: globalgrind.com
Trainers by PMK

The zoo-in-a-shoe’s design supposedly mimics, ‘the southern belle’s sweet and fierce persona,’ according to PMK, who also created a pair of trainers last year for the singer’s hip hop star husband, Jay-Z. Named the ‘Brooklyn Zoo 1s’. Sparing no expense, PMK used an, ‘elaborate combination of elephant-print, ostrich, python, boa, crocodile, lizard, alligator, suede and stingray. ‘

It is clear that this power couple like to be one of a kind, and have no issues spending money senselessly to ensure they be so.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) responded instantly with a spokesperson saying, ‘these custom-made kicks come with a high price – and it’s paid by the various animals who were beaten and skinned alive or cruelly farmed and killed.

‘We hope that Beyoncé will choose to wear more clothes from her own clothing line – which features faux fur – and that one day she’ll go completely cruelty-free.

‘She can always choose the cruelty-free and ‘green’ fashion favoured by compassionate, chic celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway and designers such as award-winning fashion queen Stella McCartney.’

It is not the first time Beyoncé has come under severe criticism from the animal rights charity. The outfit she wore for her Super Bowl performance, designed by Rubin Singer, was created using python, cow and iguana. Furthermore, she was condemned for quite openly wearing a Dior fur coat at President Obama’s latest inauguration. On her choice for outerwear, PETA quite fittingly put, ‘what does it mean when one of the most popular musicians in the world endorses the fur trade in such a dramatic way.’

Perhaps one could forgive the choice of fur coat; January in Washington DC is rather chilly, and who could deny the Dior label? Fashionable and practical one could argue. But, considering the shoes and Super Bowl outfit were both custom made, it seems clear that Beyoncé has no opposition to the fur and skin industry.

What is baffling is that Beyoncé is an advocate and supporter or a vast range of charities and campaigns. Most recently, along with Salma Hayek, she has become one of the faces of Gucci’s Time for Change global campaign, to raise money and awareness for girls and women’s empowerment around the world.  The singer also contributed her song, ‘I Was Here’ for World Humanitarian Day, in partnership with the United Nations and Global Aid Organisations, as well as starting up the Survivor Foundation to help families in the US get back on their feet following disasters.

So why is it when it comes to animal rights, Beyoncé quite clearly seals those multi-million dollar lips and keeps her spectacular voice silent?

Queen Bey should heed the words of PETA and animal activists across the globe, or else, like so many celebrities before her, she’ll find herself drenched in the infamous red paint, which would not only ruin her outfit but also permanently tarnish her image as the world’s sweetheart. Has the global pedestal on which Bey sits started to topple?

The Whim Wham Café

From the outside alone, The Whim Wham Café has promise of becoming an important addition to any Manchester bucket list. Situated under the railway arches along Whitworth Street heading towards Deansgate, the café and gin saloon embodies British vintage-feel décor, lit by chintzy lamps and further illuminated by live music on Friday evenings. After opening last June, Whim Wham has developed a good word-of-mouth reputation amongst my foodie associates as being a great place to eat, drink and soak up some great atmosphere.

I first visited The Whim Wham Café for drinks, in need of some mid-week escapism. The gin cocktail list takes drinking to a new level with a mixture of new, old and innovative mixes, all with a real attention to flavour – not to mention extremely generous measures. I particularly enjoyed the Black and Blue, a mixture of Hendrick’s Gin, blackberries and pink lemonade with a hint of mint. Other highlights include the Vimto Smile and the Gimlet, and all the drinks are presented in glasses that somehow seem perfectly suited to their relevant contents. Priced at £6-£8, don’t go expecting to get much change from £20 for a few drinks, but The Whim Wham Café far surpasses the sickly mixes that pass for cocktails in many places.

Having salivated over the desserts menu over drinks I quickly seized the initiative to return for food when my Dad rocked up a couple of weeks later to feed me.

The food menu is hearty British fare sourced as locally as possible and changing every three months to reflect the seasons.  Expect to pay about £11.50- £13.50 for a main and not to leave feeling hungry. Smaller plates are available for lunch or if you don’t want a big meal, and the platters to share over drinks also look mightily tempting.

I ordered the special of Shredded Pork in GB sauce (a blend of Great British ingredients such as cider, ginger beer and Worcestershire sauce) served with roast potatoes, coleslaw and corn bread. The generous portion of meat was tender and the accompanying sauce was beautifully flavoured and deliciously rich. At £13.50, it was decent value as the accompaniments meant that side dishes were not necessary. However,  since Father Dear was paying, I chose not to deprive myself of wholegrain mustard cabbage and minted peas at a respectable £2.50 each.

My dad tried the shin of Cheshire beef with baby onions, bacon and mushrooms, served with a horseradish dumpling and was similarly impressed.

For dessert we had the sublime sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel and peanut butter ice cream, as well as an indulgent bowl of marmalade on toast ice cream.

Following dessert, the friendly and effortlessly cool owner, Alix, offered to let us sample some upcoming spring cocktails. Visitors in the next few weeks will have the opportunity to try Gin Fashioned, an Old Fashioned style gin drink with a hint of marmalade liqueur  or the Whamble, a raspberry bramble cocktail.

The only criticism that can be aimed at the Whim Wham Café is that, with each meal being prepared fresh, waiting times can mount – although sitting in the delightful surroundings and listening the occasional train rumbling overhead whilst enjoying a cocktail, I would hardly have noticed were the staff not so apologetic about the wait.

I am frequently asked by Erasmus friends where to go for good British food, to which I normally respond that a good pub Sunday roast is probably their best bet. No more. I will be taking every visitor I have between now and graduation to The Whim Wham Café for a great eating and drinking experience.

SU elections: candidates’ articles

The Student’s Union is plastered with posters, any venture into halls leads to free sweets and leaflets, and invitations to VOTE X #1 FOR X pop up constantly on our Facebook feeds. Student Union elections are in full swing. But manifestos are short and snappy, and there’s only so much you can fit on a poster. Here, The Mancunion: Comment & Politics has given candidates the chance to give us a bit more on their policies, what they think needs to change in the SU and university. All candidates were offered the chance to write an article for us, here are those we’ve received back. Hopefully, they can give you a bit more of a guide when making those difficult decisions at the polling box (or well, at mymanchester…)

 

For all the candidates’ articles, check out the SU elections section.

 

 

Campaigns Officer: Clifford Fleming

Hey everyone, my name is Clifford and I’d love if you could vote for me! I want a big red difference and you can vote on your student portal between the 8th and 14th of March. Here are some of my ideas:

I want to campaign for better feedback from lecturers and seminar tutors before the final essay or exam. Producing drafts or doing activities that relate directly to the final mark will help us know more about how we’re doing and help us improve. We need a system where we can see the feedback from previous students on those modules and a system where lecturers and students can work together on improving each and every module. No course should be ruined by bad teaching. We need more access to online materials such as podcasts of lectures and wider resources.

I want to work on making both the south and north campuses better places to study and socialise. North campus needs a huge revamp and the Student’s Union on north campus needs better facilities. We need to reduce the amount of commercial flyering outside the student’s unions; it’s wasteful, pretty annoying and there are better ways to advertise! I’ll campaign for an electronic, interactive timetable in the union that will cover commercial and society events happening each day of each week.

We need more water coolers and clearer cycle paths. Water coolers need to have cups provided, so students without water bottles can access water during studies.

In my time as Campaigns & Citizenship Officer I want to produce a report into the utilities market and broadband companies. Loads of you guys get ripped off by companies, and that needs to change! I want to especially work on an international student support system, where new students to the UK are supported in things like accommodation applications, mobile phone providers and other stuff too. I want to work closely with international societies and students to build this idea into something really amazing.

I think it is crazy talk when many students want to work with a charity or campaigning society and are bogged down with paperwork! Then they are told that they can only get really limited funding with so many strict rules. We need to release more funding for charity and campaign societies. I want to work on increasing charity and campaigning society initiatives across campus. Great work was already done this University year by the religious societies working together in Platt Fields Park and the charity societies putting on a fashion show, not to mention the hard work consistently delivered from RAG, Student Action and loads of other societies too.

I want to work closely with already existing campaign societies; together we need to raise awareness of global issues such as poverty, inequalities, injustice and environmental degradation. I want to help tackle prejudices on campus, whether they are against women, against any religions or culture, against the disabled or against any sexual orientation. Prejudices on campus must end. Every person has the right to be who they are, whether they are black or white, Muslim or Christian, gay or straight. Nobody on campus should feel insecure or be discriminated against.

I want to hear what all you think by visiting as many students as possible – whether that is going to society events, student halls or lectures. I will promise to students that I will fight tooth and nail to protect their courses from closure. It is important for our University to offer choice and it is unfair to start closing courses.

Citizenship week is another one of my ideas – to run a week, with the help of the Community Officer, where students are encouraged to develop their citizenship through charity-work, local community work and campaigns. This can be tied into the brilliant work Student Action already do, not to mention an increase in funding to both Student Action and RAG. I want to try to introduce a better reward system for those who work hard in the local community. A Social Responsibility Award would be ace, where societies and individuals can compete for an award of social responsibility and citizenship.

Education Officer: Samuel Blackledge

I’m a final year Zoology student and I have loved my time here in Manchester, due in no small part to how much I have enjoyed studying my subject. It is because of this I am standing as Education Officer. I’ve been part of the system and now I want to be part of a system that can help change how education is provided at Manchester, for the better. If I was to be elected one of my main points of focus would be to improve the system of feedback used across the University, for lecturers and students. Looking at the National Student Survey scores and from my own experience, the feedback that students receive from their assessed work is not good enough. I want to ensure that feedback sheets are used for assessed work so that all areas of the work are covered so a student knows exactly which areas they need to improve and what they are getting right. I would also like to ensure that post-exam feedback drop-in sessions are provided for all modules, this allows students to get the feedback they want and ask questions on how to improve as well as not putting too much pressure on lecturers to provide exam feedback to every student. As for feedback from students, I often find that students are asked to provide feedback at the end of the module. This would appear sensible but comes at a time when students have not reviewed all of the material in detail and cannot properly answer the questions they are asked. I would like to move the time at which feedback is asked for to after the exam period, a time when students know best how they feel about the course. As part of this I believe students should be able to rate their modules as a percentage and then the results should be available to subsequent years to inform future choices.
It is widely known that the job market is a difficult place to be thrown into; after you’ve finished your degree. I would like to establish a volunteer forum that would enable students and local establishments to post about volunteering opportunities in the local area as well as opportunities abroad. This forum would provide a platform for students to give reviews and opinions about their own experiences and allow keen students to find volunteering opportunities that would most suit them. It would also allow students to know what to expect from these places from the perspective of their peers.
Another important change I would like to make is the University’s approach to exams. My aims for this come in two parts, the first is to provide better aid to the students during this difficult period. I would also like to reduce the weighting put on exams in favour of a more diverse system of assessment. First I would like to address the lack of support given to students during the exam period. I would like to implement revision sessions during the exam period so that students can ask their lecturers directly about the exam material. In addition to this I would like to provide students with exam chat-rooms so that those with other commitments during the exam period can guarantee some time with their lecturers to ask questions they may have.
The position of the Education Officer is one that is dedicated to changing the Education system at this University but not restricted to it. It is still an executive position and I would like to push for more informed decisions on how the University is made more sustainable and it’s attitudes towards lowering the carbon footprint of the University and in my capacity as education officer I would like to work with the community, campaigns and activities officers to try and create more University run programmes that teach children about sustainable living.
Finally, I would like to try and express my wish to continue ensuring that the University continues the good work it is doing in upgrading the buildings at the University and continues in upgrading the lecture theatres across campus. This is an important issue as lecturers often spend a significant period of the time at the beginning of each lecture becoming familiar with different systems which can cause unwarranted distractions and draw focus away from the lecture.

General Secretary: Grace Skelton

When I started at the University at Manchester, I never thought that two years later I would be standing for election to be General Secretary of the Students’ Union. However, like many students, as I progressed through my degree I began to notice some major shortfalls in the running of our institution and I began to look for a way to get involved and make a difference.

With the introduction of 9k fees, students in Manchester are rightly expecting more for their money. We have been fortunate enough to be attending Manchester University at a time when the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons is up and running. However, it is not yet up to scratch. It is an incredibly busy building and it can sometimes be impossible to find a quiet desk to work at. I want to see more desks, and separate silent areas and group areas so that you can get on with your work more easily; using the building in whatever way suits you.

It is not only on campus where I want to see students getting more for their money. Living in student halls was one of the best years of my life and I have memories from halls that will stay with me forever. There is however, room for improvement. Students should be able to expect to move to Manchester and have access to Wi-Fi internet. It’s 2013, yet our student halls seem to be living in the 20th Century. I’ll get them up to date so that new students know that they are coming to one of the best universities in the world when they move in next September.

The re-development of the Student Union buildings on North and South Campus has been great to see, but I think more can be done. I want there to be something for everyone in the Student Union and to create an exciting and vibrant environment that caters for all. Students at Manchester should have discounted tickets for gigs and events in the Academy. It is in our Student Union, so you should have priority when world famous bands come to play. I’d also like to see a Community Volunteering Hub which would showcase the amount of volunteering opportunities that are available to students, whether it’s through societies or groups in the local area. Volunteering is one of the most fulfilling experiences that students can enjoy while at University, not to mention how great it looks on the CV!

I’m very aware that many students based on North Campus feel ignored by the Student Union and the University. Students on both campuses should be aware of the amazing opportunities on offer in Manchester. It is important that all students know the work that the exec team does, as well as feeling like they are approachable. They do work for you after all! I’d like to see ‘Text-Me’ cards introduced. ‘Text-Me’ cards are a free, direct and anonymous way of getting in touch with a member of the exec team.

I’ve written a lot about changes I’d like to see happen in the University and the Student Union as it is now. The reality, however is that the students who come to Manchester are changing and there are bound to be fresh challenges in the years ahead that we need to prepare ourselves for now. Postgraduate education is under attack at the moment, there needs to be more bursaries available for those who cannot afford to apply. The diversity of Manchester University is one of the many things it can be proud of, and it would be inexcusable if people didn’t study here because of cost. International students are also under attack with not only increasing fees, but tougher and tougher restrictions on visas. International students bring so much to this University and to the Manchester community as a whole, we should celebrate this. As students we cannot stand by and watch as our coursemates are scapegoated for problems in the education system. Manchester cannot become the next London Met.

Coming up to the end of my third year here in Manchester I can honestly say I’ve had the best time, even better than I could have imagined. But improvements can be made. My vision for the future of Manchester University and the Student Union, is one of value, opportunity, and fairness. I want to see your money being put to good use with improved learning facilities and a higher quality of education and living. I want to see a Student Union that caters for all students, delivering excellent services and looking after its students. And I want to see a University that attracts the best students in the world, from all walks of life, with no one being put off by lack of support.

Education Officer: Megan Gurney

Why am I running for Education Officer? Because it was uncontested? Because I’d been spending a lot of time in the union and noticed all the STAND flyers? Because I care? Truth be told, it’s all of these. I’ve found myself in my 3rd and final year of university and realised I’m just not quite ready to leave. I have also been much more involved this year, I started up the Neuroscience society which went pretty well and I found something of a passion in representing others. I give all projects my full attention, which initially was a learning curve with organisation, but I’ve got that down to a tee now. A lot of my best decisions have been spontaneous ones, and this is one that I believe will be top of that list. In my second year I had no intention of standing for student rep. I’m a fairly shy person and used to absolutely despise talking to a group of people, but somehow my legs decided that, last minute, I would stand and in front of 30 odd people and mumble a few words about how I’d be the best person for them to tackle problems in the Faculty of Life Sciences. Embarrassingly, I went the most beetroot shade of red imaginable. But it turns out I was pretty good at it. Since then I’ve gone on to be a PASS leader, a student rep, a chair of a society, one of those people that stands up in lectures and shouts at you. Lecture shout-outs are a strange one and never as terrifying as you think they’re going to be, which is good as I’ll be in your lectures no doubt – watch out for me – I’ll be the ginger girl in the big glasses asking you nicely to vote for me. These are the kind of qualities which basically mean I’ve got the stones to approach the university and stand for change.

So that’s a little about me, what about my policies I hear you cry. Well, I’m standing for many of the same things that other Education Officer candidates are; the difference is how I’m going to achieve them. I know that I, and many of my friends, have been annoyed (to put it politely) at how long feedback can take. According to the university feedback for coursework, e-learning work, essays, and anything aside from exams, should take a MAXIUMUM of 15 working days. Note “working days” and how often they get away with bank holidays, university holidays, etc. In my opinion, and pretty much every predecessors opinion that’s just too long and it’s often over that. So how do we change that? Well, it’s pretty simple really – we put a system onto my.manchester where you personally can complain that feedback is taking too long, isn’t good enough or just hasn’t happened – at all. From there the complaints go to heads of faculties and they give official warnings to teaching staff – or even better fines. Staff would definitely stick to deadlines if they were fined a tenner for each student whose work was returned late. Of course fining staff is probably a little optimistic but dealing with the complaints is definitely doable. Along with the feedback system I’d like to implement a “correspondence” complaints system – which will work in a similar way. I.e. if you haven’t heard back from your dissertation/project supervisor for 3 weeks you’ll be able to complain about it and get it sorted. Another of my policies, and I’m going out on a limb here, is to do with mental health awareness as a disability (in the universities eyes). Not everyone will agree with me here, but you are entitled to the same allowances for mental health problems as you would be for dyslexia or a physical disability. This is a personal policy for me and I’m sure Cat will be delighted that I’m trying to do my little bit to reduce stigma so here it goes. I suffered from depression and an eating disorder during my time at Uni, and it nearly destroyed me. It certainly affected my work but I didn’t have any idea about the Universities policy on mental health because it wasn’t advertised – anywhere. I will say though, the counselling service is brilliant and if you are suffering go see them, they have time for everyone.
Some other things I’ll be working towards include; redesign of group space in Alan Gilbert LC, more e-learning, more podcasting, improvements in AV equipment in lecture theatres (specifically Leamington Theatre anyone?)

Wellbeing Officer: Lily Risby

I’m Lily Risby and I will be Running for wellbeing officer, I’m currently hitches co-coordinator for Manchester RAG (Jailbreak and Lost). I have been apart of the university for three years and been a very active member, you will never experience a lack of enthusiasm from me. Here are my ideas explained in a more in depth analysis of how I will achieve them and why I think they are good for the all round wellbeing of the students of Manchester university.

I want the counselling service to be made more accessible, there is currently a one month waiting list and this needs to change. There has been an increase this year, in the people that use this service and it produces excellent results! However a one month waiting list isn’t acceptable, so more resources need to be put into the counselling service. This is to make sure it functions at its optimum level to promote students to be happy and healthy at University. As the counselling and other services involving mental wellbeing become more assessable this will begin to remove the stigma that people have attached to these services, it will illustrate how positive they are and how much of a great impact they can have upon your life!

I would also work with local and regional external bodies on creating safer bike lanes in Manchester. As there has been one to many times, when I have almost been under a magic bus, most people don’t cycle due to fear of the dangerous roads. Once bike lanes are made safer and by working with the biko bike scheme not only would the university become more green but it encourages a healthy lifestyle too.

I would want a sexual health clinic within the university as there are free condoms available and pregnancy test but this is not available in a very private environment or with the correct professional. I want to bring our sexual health rating up from an F and have more information including posters promoting sexual health as a priority. Also the reason for a sexual health clinic to be available is because some students, do not like being put in a medical setting and other may want to feel safe and secure in an environment in which they are familiar, which the university can provide. With the accessibility being increase we could additionally promote the Hathersage centre and once people understand other centres available across Manchester they will be encouraged to use them further prescription and contraceptive pills. Yet I want screening for all test to be available and for sexual health information to be as important as your physical health within the university.

I would want all students that take part in extra curriculum activities to have awards for contributions to societies, sport teams and other activities. To help improve your CV once searching for work and to have as a reminded about your achievements.

Additionally I believe everyone should have ease of access and feel at ease in buildings and the environment at the university any requirements that need altering – Language, physical attributes, cultural, political sensitivity and even basic things such as lighting or painting. I would have tab online to easily report issues that where effecting your full accessibility into the university campus.

Working with the woman’s officer and others to have free self defence classes and especially helping freshers that have come to a new city to become more accustomed to life in an urban diverse city. Additionally I would want to have a small list of recipes and updating with up to date prices of healthy foods to cook as new students sometimes need help with ideas and prices when cooking and budgeting. For people in catered Hall’s I would continue with the efforts of ”rants, ravings and cravings” to change the food. As when I was in halls as a vegetarian the options where very limited.

I would also work more closely with the activities officer to support sport and other societies and help with there physical and mental wellbeing. By making new friends and having a healthy active lifestyle have proven to increase mental wellbeing.

I believe my ideas are all positive for the happiness of the students at Manchester, I want to environment to become more accessible for all. Also for everyone’s time at university to be a great time in there life. Yet during times of hardship or stress that students do not feel alone and have the opportunity to seek the help that best fits them!

General Secretary: James Johnson

Ultimately I have been moved to run for General Secretary in this election by the conduct of those at the Union. I am fed up with people trying to use the Union as a means to impose beliefs and values on people. The attempt to tie society funding to the amount of people sent to the anti-cuts demo is representative of a culture. There seems to be no respect for alternative opinions or any attempt to foster debate and discussion. The no platform policy represents this, don’t be fooled into thinking that banning the BNP and the EDL is motivated by a desire to protect students. The student body is moral enough to know they are disgusting, intelligent enough to see through their attempts to disguise that fact and strong minded enough to tell them that they are not welcome. Then they banned Coke from the Union, again instead of trying to inform students and allowing us to make our own decisions they made it for us.

Ultimately this conduct is not only unacceptable in principle; it doesn’t represent the interests of student who have everyday issues that need to be dealt with. That is why I am standing to create a real sea change in the way the Union conducts itself. Aside from this fundamental revision to Union conduct, I pledge to hold an immediate referendum on our membership of the NUS so that students can have their say, the issue can be dealt with and we can move on. Another gripe I have with the Union is the lack of contact that Exec members have with students. I pledge to offer up at least an hour every week for a Q and A session, the location of which will rotate around to increase accessibility. Further I am incredibly passionate about helping people who have struggled to adjust to University life and I pledge to introduce counselling services at the Union to address this. Part of this problem is that the University on the whole lacks a sense of community, to address this I pledge to work with the Activities officer to hold an inter hall Olympics and a ‘University Challenge’ type competition. I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I will be far more accessible if elected so you can tell exactly what you want! It’s time for a change, it’s time for Johnson.

Wellbeing Officer: Jonny Rowe

If elected Wellbeing Officer my main goal is to safeguard the academic results of every student from problems of wellbeing. Physical, social, mental health or financial problems should not be a factor that hinders students from achieving. Academic stability can be secured easily in a few simple steps. Raising awareness, promoting, and informing the student body of all the services that are available is paramount. Many students are unaware of the plethora of support systems available to them in times of need; it can often be too late when they find out. Making these services more visible, and subsequently more accessible will not only help students who are looking for help, it will kick start the fight against the stigma that surrounds mental health issues. Similarly, I think more needs to be done to help students identify when they are struggling. Without knowing the facts, many students can feel they obliged to tackle their problems alone- this is not the case. Informing students of the seriousness of these issues and raising awareness of the fact they do not have to suffer alone is vital. Students with problems should never feel ashamed to apply for mitigating circumstances.

One in four students suffer mental illness. This is a large and under represented section of the student body. To help combat this I want to implement a student mental health forum, bringing together students who are suffering or have suffered mental health illness in the past. This would be formed around the suggestions and ideas of students, as it is them who I am representing. The idea of meeting both in person, and in an online forum (with the option of anonymity) would appeal to a wider number. The limits that this could be extended to are huge and I feel it is something extremely important.

Diet and exercise are two often-disregarded aspects of life that contribute significantly to wellbeing. Continuing to develop the recent work that has already been done on these within the union is necessary. The goal is to have nutritional meals available to all students in and around campus, including catered student halls.
The foundations for many these things have been put in place by the current wellbeing officer. A large part of taking on the role will be to continue to develop this work. I am genuinely passionate about the welfare of students, at the University of Manchester and beyond. Vote for me and I will do my very best to assure your health, happiness and academic success.

We need to eliminate the stigma and misunderstanding around issues of mental health. We cannot and should not lose brilliant students because they have not been able to access the help they require.

General Secretary: Colin Cortbus

Why am I running for General Secretary? And why should you care about who becomes General Secretary of the Union?

Because of it might mean a new perspective on banning Coca-Cola in SU bar, opposing sale of The Sun Newspaper in the SU shop or becoming part of the anti-Semitic influenced campaign of boycotting Israeli institutions and products? Most definitely not. If being Gen. Sec. involved squabbling all day, every day, about the ethical pitfalls and ecological impacts of stopping to sell Coca-Cola in the SU bar then I would not be running.

I think that as Union, we can and ought to do much better than that. Rather than wasting our time and resources squabbling grand national and international affairs with virtually no relevance to our core function (ie. Representing students) it is time we get to back to basics, forget expensive petty squabbling and diversions, white elephant projects and lobbyism in London and fight battles we can actually win. We should be at heart of student life, not at the fringes of British politics.

Via the Estates Master plan and Vision 2020 the University wants to spend £1 billion closing/selling off the North Campus and the relocation of all facilities to Oxford Road Corridor. It is an issue that genuinely matters to both current and future students. It would mean spending £1 billion on what might be seen as a vanity project, irreplaceably losing some the Universities’ most iconic and historic city-Centre facilities and potentially destroying our unique identity as a University created out of the UMIST and Victoria University merger.

I will oppose this Estates Master Plan in its entirety. Just think of what could be done with £1 billion – a much better Staff-Student Ratio, better Library Resources and massively improved existing facilities. You name it. And perhaps rather than forgetting the North Campus we ought to focus on how improve the social scene there, perhaps by hiring out some of the over 25,000 square metres of vacant space (source: Estates Strategy 2010-2020) there to bar, cafe and club companies.

Downing Street Thatcherites and LIEberals may be quite happy to ignore us, as there is no tradition of large numbers of students voting Tory anyway. Others can’t. I vow to fight each and every halls of residence rent increase and demand better accommodation. And I don’t mean just sitting around talking. I will explore avenues of active, local, legal and effective Resistance against these attacks on the student’s living standards. In the 1980s this Union organised a Rent Strike, putting real pressure on the university. No Surrender to fees, rent increases and cuts.

And it’s high time to spend money on students not executives. How many members of the executive team have you personally met? Do we real need eight of them at a cost of £16,600 p.a. each? Reducing the Number of Sabbatical Executive Positions from 8 to 4 would generate an annual saving of over £65,000. The new positions would be built around what actually matters to Students; A President, a Housing Officer, an Academic Officer, and a Union Facilities,Societies&Events Officer. Rather than being side-lined, student welfare, the rights and inclusion of women, and equality opportunities would be at the centre of the role of each executive team member. Part of £65,000 saving would be used to create a 16-member non-sabbatical elected Equality Opportunities board, where each member is paid £1,000 for his work (as opposed one currently being paid £16,600). Manchester’s student population is simply too diverse to be represented by one ‘Diversity’ Officer. Another part of the saving would be spent on campaigning for a public and independent enquiry as to why according to the UoM 2012 E. O consultation “75% of white students obtained a ‘good degree’…compared to 55% of BME students”. This is unacceptable.

More even would be saved by stopping to pay £50,000 for NUS membership each year. Think that’s a fair price for having a ‘national voice’? Think again. The NUS, riven with infighting, squabbling and Labour students’ careerism has a track record of childish politicking and failing students on real issues. In 2010/2011, there was real momentum; students had decided to fight the Tories reactionary and classist education cuts and fees and stood at the coalface of resistance against them. So what did our National Voice do? Develop dynamic leadership and sustain the protests? You wish. Far rather, NUS leader Aaron Porter urged government ministers in confidential emails that £800 million should be “deducted from the grants pot”, something that would effectively have made education unaffordable for the poorest. Other NUS suggestions included £2.4 billion cut to University Teaching Budgets and higher interest rates on student loans. (If you don’t believe me – see the Telegraph’s article on the National Union of Students secretly urged Government to make deep cuts in student grants). Why pay £50,000 each year for being stabbed in the back where it hurts most when you could just vote Lib Dem and get the (dis)service for free?