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Day: 24 September 2013

This week’s horoscopes with Mystic Moya

 

LIBRA (24 SEPTEMBER – 23 OCTOBER)

Something has been worrying you recently, but don’t fret. As the moon approaches its eight phase in Jupiter, resolutions will unfurl.

SCORPIO (24 OCTOBER – 22 NOVEMBER)

A certain someone has been on your mind for a while. As Venus and Mars come into line, now’s your chance to make your move. Go for it! You can’t fail.

SAGITTARIUS (23 NOVEMBER – 21 DECEMBER)

You’re feeling anxious over money issues but as long as you’re sensible, all will be fine. And remember – the most important thing is that you feel happy.

CAPRICORN (22 DECEMBER – 20 JANUARY)

Someone has been getting on your nerves this week, but keep your cool. They might just turn out to be worth your while.

AQUARIUS (21 JANUARY – 19 FEBRUARY)

On the whole, things have been going swimmingly for you recently. Don’t avoid that one little thing that’s been nagging at the corner of your mind: confronting the issue will make you feel much better.

PISCES (20 FEBRUARY – 20 MARCH)

The uneven distribution of the stars has caused some upheaval in your life, but try not to get too caught up in the drama. Take a step back. As the stars realign, so will your problems.

ARIES (21 MARCH – 20 APRIL)

You’ve been bombarded with new responsibilities lately, but don’t be scared. Embrace every opportunity – it could be the start of a new adventure.

TAURUS (21 APRIL – 21 MAY)

There’s tension between you and a close friend. Take a deep breath and make an effort to clear the air. You’ll both feel better for it.

GEMINI (22 MAY – 21 JUNE)

Geminis are naturally curious and adventurous characters. You’ve been deliberating whether to take a certain risk for a while now – go on. You know you want to.

CANCER (22 JUNE – 22 JULY)

Make an effort to keep up, or you may get left behind. If you sit around and wait for someone to grant you an invitation, you’ll probably never get where you want to go.

LEO (23 JULY – 22 AUGUST)

Let your friends know how much they mean to you if you haven’t spoken in a while. Pick up the phone and share  the love.

VIRGO (23 AUGUST – 23 SEPTEMBER)

You’ve been feeling exhausted recently. You’re a natural hard worker, but remember to take the time to relax – you deserve it.

 

Making the Cut

The first few weeks of university are always hard to adjust to, whether you’re a fresher or a fourth-year. It is, for almost every student, a nerve-wracking time, because making new friends is never an easy experience. So if you feel like you don’t ‘fit in’ with your flat mates, or you haven’t made as many mates as your best friend from home has at their uni, relax! Follow some of these simple steps and you’ll find the transition will be become much smoother.

Firstly, it’s vital that you remember this well-used phrase: the grass is always greener on the other side. When you’re feeling uneasy everyone’s social lives will seem much more exciting than yours, from the giggling girls in the flat downstairs to the rugby captain selling Varsity tickets outside Owen’s Park. But often, all these people are feeling just as nervous about making friends as you are, and would probably welcome you into their group. The key is to act confident, even if you don’t feel it inside. A simple smile or a hello can strike up conversation- and, this is where most friendships begin after all!

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Join a society, which will help you to make friends with people who have the same interests as you- plus, many societies tend to have socials, making it easy to go out and boost your social life. Don’t be afraid to chat with those on your course too, as you’re bound to find like-minded individuals who you’ll be spending the next few years in lectures and seminars with. Make sure you attend those house parties and quiz nights at the pub too, because that’s where the most random (and drunken) friendships form.

Finally, and most importantly, don’t ever pretend to be anyone other than yourself. You will often find that the most popular of people at the beginning of the year tend to become the unhappiest, because they have spent their time putting on a front to impress their new ‘mates’ (remember, the grass is always greener…). The truest and lasting friendships will be formed with people who like you for exactly who you are, and that’s when you will be happiest in yourself. Don’t expect to make millions of friends in your first week, but rest assured that you will make great friends in time.

Saints Row IV

If Saints Row were a person, it’d be the type who would turn up an hour late to a fancy dinner party with a bottle of Sainsbury’s vodka and a crate of Fosters. It doesn’t take anything seriously, and it doesn’t think you should either. Since it’s inception, the franchise has been consistently compared to Grand Theft Auto. In a lot of ways, they were the same. Open world city, gang warfare, vehicles and violence. To say they’re the same now would be entirely wrong.

Where GTA took a serious and gritty turn, Saints Row went as far in the opposite direction as possible. In SR IV, the Saints have gone from street gang to US Government with your player character being the Commander in Chief.  However, an alien invasion and a Matrix-style imprisonment throw you back out into the city of Steelport to cause pandemonium. The game is packed with hours of missions and challenges all aimed at disrupting the simulation in which you find yourself and covering racing, fighting, destruction and stupidity. Particular favourites include the Mayhem missions tasking you to cause as much chaos as possible inside a certain time limit and given special equipment. Other missions include hurling yourself at traffic for insurance fraud, which often sends you tumbling and cartwheeling down the street at physics-defying speeds.

It seems the developers over at Volition have really thought about the genre and how players like to enjoy it. The classic formula is very much present, but the traditional drawbacks are lessened. Most people who own a game like GTA will have, at least once, entered a load of vehicle and weapon cheats to cause havoc. In Saints Row IV, this is no longer needed. Very quickly, you gain access to tanks, UFOs and huge guns and can use them at will. The scrap of paper covered in codes customarily tucked inside the game box is a thing of the past.

SR IV hands players a level of customisation some people might even refer to as “too much” given some of the hideous monsters I’ve seen. Every detail can be tweaked to create your very own President, and you can even view and download other people’s creations to every version of the game via the Saints Row website. The imagination of the community is endless, from the nightmare inducing to the almost copyright infringing.

Image source: GamesPress.com

It’s not just the characters that can be overhauled. Weapons and vehicles can be upgraded to produce more power, have bonus effects and look ridiculous and/or badass. Your abilities and powers can also be improved by spending the collectible clusters scattered around the city to make yourself truly unstoppable. It doesn’t take long to become too much for the local law enforcement to handle, and eventually all rampages are ended by a mini-boss fight with beasts known as Wardens. Being forced to stop during a rampage in a game that otherwise gives you complete freedom is quite jarring.

As well as the new vehicles and customisation options, Saints Row IV brings insane super powers into the mix. Now, the master criminal President of the United States can also fling people about with his mind, leap up skyscrapers and charge through traffic at breakneck pace. It adds another dimension to the feeling of freedom, allowing you to become the ass kicking, car crashing superhero you always knew you’d one day grow up to be and fantasise about becoming on the eve of every difficult exam.

It is rare that a game that spends so much time trying to be funny manages to consistently feel as amusing and fresh as Saints Row does. Whether it’s the inappropriate timing of “What is Love” playing on the radio, or the not so subtle “romance” option with EVERY crew member, the game can always conjure a proper laugh from somewhere. A main source of this is the many references to films, TV shows and other games. Saints Row takes on Men in Black, Firefly and Harry Potter to name just a few, and it doesn’t just nod to them. Several of the early story missions borrow heavily from the plot of The Matrix, one of the taunts your character can do is the beloved chicken dance as seen in Arrested Development and I’m sure there are many more that I didn’t even spot. Nolan North even has his own special character voice option, continuing his excellent run of being in pretty much every game ever somehow.

With its ludicrous costumes, pulsing soundtrack spanning techno to Tchaikovsky, and general disregard for other people or reality, Saints Row IV is the game equivalent of a fantastic night out with the most fun-loving friends. And there’s a dubstep cannon.

 

Review: Diana

I got a feeling, before seeing it, that Diana wasn’t my sort of film. Nevertheless it is the role of the critic to enter the cinema with objectivity, making sure bias is left at home and assumptions are locked out. Besides, how easy is it to write a bad review? In fact, wouldn’t it be great if I could write a really nice review, waxing lyrical about its gorgeous cinematography and the fantastic lead performances. That would be really great.

Diana is probably the worst the film of the year and may feature one of the worst screenplays of the decade. It is a fantastic example of condescending, arrogant and head-achingly dull filmmaking. The script reads like a mind map, with the words “Stuff Princess Diana might have said/done” written in a circle in the centre. The writer, Stephen Jeffreys, seems to have simply strung a series of bizarrely staged moments together, that Naomi Watts’ stale Diana floats through like a helium filled angel. The dialogue serves horrifically apparent functions in every scene, always opting to directly state the most obvious meaning of any moment. “I just want to help people” Diana pouts in the back of a car, before getting home and telling all of her staff they can “go home for the night!” She then proceeds to make beans on toast. So she wants to help people, but she also likes beans on toast? I suppose that makes her amazing and benevolent but also really down to earth and ordinary like me? I love beans on toast!

Yet even this criticism borders on crediting the film too much, for all its attempts to spell out Diana’s wonderful character, it actually manages to make one of the most beloved national figures in history seem pretty self centered. Yes, there is all the Jesus Christ meets Marilyn Monroe posturing, but ultimately the film is concerned with her loneliness and attempts to be with the heart surgeon, Hasnat Khan, whom she considers her true love. Whilst, in truth, that may have been a time of huge anguish for the Princess of Wales, the onscreen relationship seems so disingenuous  and contrived that any tears shed over it seem equally fatuous. Diana hardly even mentions her children (who feature once for 6 seconds), is always looking in the mirror, and consistently courts the press who hounded her so much. Possibly this was an attempt to portray a multi-faceted woman under great pressures, trying to simultaneously live with and fight against the position that defined her. This attempt failed.

Maybe these all sounds like cheap shots against a film that clearly is not trying to reinvent the wheel. However, my issue is that the film isn’t trying to do anything at all. It seems that the creative team behind the project assumed that by making a film about the ‘People’s Princess’ and printing posters that used the same font as Stephen Frears’ far superior The Queen (2006), accomplishment was somehow guaranteed. Instead the failures of Diana prove that trying to simply profit from a national tragedy, blindly retelling well known history, is lazy and in this case borders on emotional manipulation. This film, at best, added nothing to Diana’s legacy and categorically did not need to be made.

1000s to demonstrate Manchester NHS cuts

Students plan to demonstrate against cuts to the NHS and the government’s austerity programme next week.

Around 30,000 people are expected to turn out to protest at the Conservative Party Conference which will take place in Manchester this year. The rally was called by the Trade Union Congress to raise awareness of NHS cuts and increased privatisation.

Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC said: “This September’s march and rally will allow thousands of ordinary people to show the government exactly what they think of their policies.”

“Austerity is having a devastating effect on our communities and services, with 21,000 NHS jobs lost over the last three months alone.

“The NHS is one of Britain’s finest achievements and we will not allow ministers to destroy, through cuts and privatisation, what has taken generations to build.”

Both the University’s Save Our NHS society and the Student’s Union are supporting the demonstration.

Ellen Mclaughlin, co-chair of the Save Our NHS society said: “It is crucial that we send a message to the Tories that we will defend our NHS against cuts, closures and privatisation.”

“We have seen thousands of nurses sacked across the country, and many of our NHS contracts sold off to the highest bidder, rather than the best quality provider- and this is just the beginning.”

“It is important to show the government that young people value their NHS and won’t sit quietly whilst it is ripped apart. We therefore encourage any student who cares for their health service to join us at the demo!”

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has stood by the government’s re-organisation of the NHS, suggesting that the health service needs to make efficiency savings or risk facing a bleak future. He has also argued that increased competition within the NHS for contracts will result in improved standards of care.

The Shadow Health Secretary Andy Burnham, who is to speak at the rally, has condemned NHS job cuts in his blog.

“It is clear that the NHS simply cannot continue to take nursing cuts on this scale and maintain standards of patient care,” he said.

“David Cameron must urgently intervene to ensure safe staffing levels in our hospitals. These dangerous cuts show that you can’t trust the Tories with the NHS.”

DIY: Fuss-free uni hair

So you thought you snoozed your alarm this morning, but you’ve turned it off. Shit.

You’ve got 30 minutes to make it down Oxford Road corridor before you miss yet again another seminar this week. Sound familiar? Do not fret, you can look cute for your crush with this quick and easy uni friendly up-do, and all you’ll need is a bobble!

1. Dry Shampoo

A cheeky spritz of dry shampoo will not only make your hair look instantly clean, it will give your hair volume and staying power all day! Not bad for £1.99…

2. Back Comb

Volume doesn’t just have to be for nights out, make your up-do bigger by back combing at the roots, or skip this step for a more sleek looking style.

3. Tie it up

Tie the hair into a bun as normal, but instead you want to leave a bit of a ‘tail’ out of it to create the bow. Try to leave about 5-10 centimetres depending on how messy you want the bow; the longer, the looser.

4. Make the bow

Part the bow into two and grab the ‘tail’. Pull the tail over the bow and tuck it under the bobble. For a messier style, tease the bow by pulling bits out. Who knew chic could be so simple?

5. Hairspray

You might not have the staying power of a 9-5 uni day, but your hair will! Hold the can an arm’s length from your head and spray all over.

Voíla. Bow down for your new favourite up-do!

The free online education revolution

Fair access to higher education is a problem countless governments have failed to solve. Over the past decade Russell Group universities have seen a falling proportion of their students coming from state education and Just one in five pupils on free school meals make it to higher education. Grim facts, and with tuition fees trebling progress on widening participation looks set to stall.

One response to the problem of fair access is the MOOC; Massive Open Online Courses could provide university education to the worst-off.

Inspired by Salman Khan’s online education experiment The Khan Academy, Stanford University Professor Sebastian Thrun decided to offer his Artificial Intelligence course online for free.  Enrolment increased from 200 students to 160,000; suddenly education at Stanford was open to anyone with a broadband connection. To put that into perspective a year’s tuition at Stanford is over $40,000.

On the back of his success with the AI course, Thrun set up for-profit online education company Udacity. They now offer over 20 courses in maths, science and design. Lectures are delivered through short ten to fifteen-minute videos, students can speak to fellow course mates through online forums and some courses even qualify as course credits at colleges over the United States.

The problem of access has not escaped Thrun, in a recent speech he stated, “In California, we have 470,000 students waitlisted to get into community colleges. They’re willing and eager to pay for education. But they can’t get in.”

Thrun’s success has led to many imitators and competitors. Harvard and MIT teamed up to launch non-profit edX, while Thrun’s colleagues at Stanford set up for-profit Coursera. All three companies offer the courses for free and it took less time to register for a course in behavioural economics on edX than it did to update my details through Blackboard for the academic year.

Coursera had by far the most impressive selection of courses, covering palaeontology, cryptography and even the music of the Beatles. It was shocking to see how much was out there for free, enough to question whether it was worth the 9k to study at Manchester.

MOOCs aren’t just widening access to students in the US and UK, Coursera even offers a number of classes in Mandarin. The opportunity to provide courses to people in developing nations is massive and the gains for society could be astronomical. Think of the brilliant scientists, philosophers, and mathematicians whose innate ability and curiosity has been left to stagnate as they’ve been denied access to university.

In a report by the IPPR thinktank, economist Larry Summers drives this point home, noting in the past only “a select few people could get the opportunity to benefit from elite institutions”. Now everyone can benefit pointing out that he recently met a 12 year old in India who was teaching herself physics with online materials from Stanford.

Universities in the UK are getting in on the act as well. The Open University who have long lead the way in distance learning are working with Future Learn. A joint venture between 21 UK Universities, the British Council and the British Museum, Future Learn aims to capitalise on the expertise the Open University has in providing high levels of student satisfaction with distance learning.

Future Learn CEO, Simon Nelson criticised existing MOOCs “They’re often very conventional, based on lectures broadcast “at” students, rather than engaging with them.”

Future Learn aims to differentiate itself by emphasising the value of entertainment in learning and using less rarefied language to broaden the appeal of online education beyond the tech savvy students that make up the majority of MOOC users.

While many have welcomed MOOCs with open arms, some are still sceptical as to whether they will be able to replace face-to-face contact with lecturers and tutors.

Despite seeing them as a positive step in the education sector Manchester SU Education Officer Rosie Dammers said, “I do not think they will replace university courses and should not be seen as a solution to the problem the higher education sector faces in regards to access.”

She added, “I think the face-to-face contact that a university education provides is an indispensible part of the teaching and learning experience and something which students’ value.”

Some have argued that most MOOCs represent no more than a glorified textbook, and sadly they have a point.  MOOCs fail to offer the same level of one to one, face-to-face contact, that a degree at a brick and mortar university does. Thrun’s Google Hangout office hours are no match for a face-to-face chat with your tutor.

Especially for students in the humanities, regular contact with tutors and fellow students is where the real learning happens. Debating an issue within a tutorial and having your points constantly challenged is where you truly develop at university. On a course with over 100,000 fellow students you will never be able to have that argument with the lecturer. It is all very impersonal.

Further criticisms of MOOCs point to high drop out rates. While over 160,000 students registered for Thrun’s AI course, only a small fraction actually went on to complete the course.

learning seems to be best suited to independent learners, who require very little assistance with their studies. Beyond web forums and busy Google Hangouts, students struggling with their course receive very little support. If MOOC providers wish to replace the campus they will need to find a way of facilitating students who need extra learning support or else they risk excluding many learners.

When you study on campus, you also have the benefits of regularly associating with other bright individuals. You can set up student societies, attend extra-curricular lectures and build a network of friends that can help you throughout your life. It is no surprise that the MOOC revolution began at Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley. When you have so many brilliant individuals working so closely together, innovation comes more frequently and ideas are regularly shared and improved upon. In a world of distance learning you do not get the same level of contact with your peers, if Mark Zuckberg opted for edX rather than go to Harvard, he might never have met Eduardo Saverin.

There are also fears that completing a course on Coursera or edX lacks the same legitimacy as a traditional degree. Attending a top Russell Group university sends a signal to employers that you are highly able. If you pass the stringent entrance requirements, survive the exams and graduate with a 2:1, you will have demonstrated that you are a good hire. Depressingly most employers do not care what your dissertation was on; they are only interested in what grade you got for it. Employers see university as a means of separating the wheat from the chaff.

Without a trusted system of accreditation a degree from a MOOC is worth little more than the paper it is printed on.  Yet bringing in a trustworthy system threatens to undermine the free and open nature of MOOCs. Current free methods of evaluation such as short online quizzes lack the rigour of producing essays. Further problems come from a reliance on peer marking, and a lack of safeguards to prevent plagiarism and cheating.

Thrun fails to see this as an obstacle to the acceptance of MOOCs “The vast majority [of Udacity students] don’t cheat. If you find a way to cheat around 1,000 quizzes, you probably deserve to pass … if you find people to participate in your place in online forums, you should probably be a manager.”

To solve the problem of accreditation it has been suggested that universities should devolve their examining and accreditation functions to split off organisations. Universities could lose their unique status and could be open to a much fiercer level of competition as accreditation becomes more homogenous.  This would be a welcome development for students, but universities will surely resist it.

Most critiques of MOOCs tend to miss the point. Disruptive innovation rarely produces a strictly better product. MP3s do not have the same sound quality as CDs, iPhones lacked the battery life of your old Nokia dumb phone. Yet, both were able to change their respective markets massively. MOOCs will do the same as they offer a form of education that suits the needs of people currently excluded or underserved by university.

MOOCs open the door to studying for busy professionals who want an opportunity to reskill without dropping everything. It is intended for those sceptical of spending a huge amount of time and money when they are only interested in studying a couple of modules.

By unbundling education students can pick and choose exactly what they want to learn and at their own pace. If a student wants to do all of their studying in their weekend and work in the week, they can do that, no longer will they have to worry about modules clashing.

Being able to choose their own pace also means that their studying time isn’t dictated by restrictive term times. Bright students should be able to finish their course in under a month rather than waiting for slower learners to catch up.

MOOCs also push universities to work harder to improve the quality of their teaching, if I can receive philosophy lectures from Michael Sandel, economics lectures from Greg Mankiw, and biology lectures from Steven Pinker for free, why would I pay more for sub-par lectures.

MOOCs allow students to supplement their existing university education and fill in gaps in their knowledge. Khan Academy videos on calculus got me through first year whenever I had underestimated the importance of attending lectures.

If universities wish to stay relevant, they have no choice but to adopt some of the methods of MOOCs. Thankfully at Manchester lecturers are already taking the hint. Philosophy PhD student Chris Ovenden has produced Khan Academy style videos to help students struggling with formal logic. While Economics lecturer Ralf Becker has used video lectures to supplement the lectures and exercise classes already offered on his course. His teaching has been recognised in the University of Manchester Teaching Excellence award in response to consistently positive feedback from students.

Most importantly MOOCs are finally addressing the constantly rising costs of higher education. Whether provided publically or privately, universities have been struggling to keep costs down while educating more students than ever.

Education suffers from Baumol’s cost disease. William Baumol identified that in some sectors, such as manufacturing it is easy to increase productivity, yet in others, like teaching it’s very difficult to produce more with less. As salaries in the manufacturing sector rise with increased productivity, universities have to pay lecturers more and more to keep them from moving into high skilled manufacturing. This leads to rising costs without any improvement in quality.

In manufacturing you can keep costs down and produce more by substituting labour for capital. Universities up until now have not had that option. Increasing student to teacher ratios merely reduces quality, to educate more simply costs more.  Universities either have to put tuition up or compete for a shrinking pot of public money.

Economist Richard Vedder notes “with the possible exception of prostitution, teaching is the only profession that has had no productivity advance in the 2,400 years since Socrates taught the youth of Athens.”

MOOCs allows teachers to become more productive, to reach more students without increasing tuition. Teaching, however, may not be a profession where economies of scale are desirable. MOOCs must offer a better student experience to win people over with top professors, more resources and the option to pick and choose when and what you learn. But if tuition continues to rise and rise, then online education will inevitably become a very attractive option.

Time to end Page 3?

Lucy Anne-Holmes launched the No More Page 3 campaign in 2012 after buying a copy of The Sun the day after Jessica Ennis’ impressive heptathlon win.  Reading it she was pleasantly surprised noticing that the usual Page 3 model had given way to extra coverage of Britain’s success in the Olympics.

Any hope that The Sun had taken topless women out of the paper soon faded. They had just shifted it to page 13. On a day when female athletes like Jessica Ennis inspired the nation, the biggest picture of a woman in the country’s most widely read newspaper was a young woman in her knickers.

Starting with just an online petition, the No More Page 3 campaign has grown to become one of the nation’s most influential. They have built support along the way from major youth organisations including the Girl Guides and the British Youth Council. Stunts such as Green MP Caroline Lucas’ wearing of a No More Page 3 t-shirt and subsequent breach of parliamentary dress code has kept the campaign in the public eye.

I spoke to No More Page Three campaign team member Stephanie Davies-Arai about the success of the campaign and her response to the campaign’s criticisms. Davies-Arai was motivated to campaign against Page 3 after her personal experience of growing up in a Sun reading household.

“I know the impact it had on me growing from a young girl into a woman. I’d like to protect teenage girls from seeing their dad opening the paper and looking at breasts every day.”

She spoke of feeling humiliated when men would look at Page 3 in her company and the mix of contempt and lust men would hold for the women in these images.

“I felt put down. I felt I had to be like that; the message I got was that was she was the ideal. Not just ideal in how she looked but in how she behaved, being sexually open and sharing it around. It put a lot of pressure on me as a young woman to be sexually active before I was ready.”

“It’s taken me a lifetime to understand just how it affected me; It made me feel excruciatingly humiliated, when I saw it. It’s not how I wanted my gender to be represented, I wanted a newspaper to treat me with respect, not to expose me or treat me as a piece of meat.”

With this in mind, is buying The Sun an act of bad parenting?

“Speaking from experience I don’t think parents should buy the sun or have it in the house. A lot of parents believe it’s harmless but it sends a harmful message for girls growing into women.”

She stressed multiple times that the No More Page 3 campaign was not pushing for censorship.

“It’s a petition asking the Editor of The Sun, David Dinsmore very politely to drop the on-going feature.”

Davies-Arai believed censorship would ultimately be ineffective at achieving the wider aims of the campaign.

“I don’t think bans work, you change some things but you don’t change people’s hearts and minds. With the campaign as it is people are becoming more aware of Page 3. They are saying “Hang on, this isn’t ok anymore.”

Considering that there is a wide variety of ways in which the media promotes sexism, why should we focus on Page 3?

“Page 3 is iconic. What The Sun did when they launched it in 1970 was they brought the top shelf into the newspaper and called it glamour.  The fact that it’s in a newspaper makes it culturally acceptable. It gives it society’s stamp of approval.

That Page 3 is a naked woman doing nothing except presenting herself as sexually available in her facial expression and pose makes it problematic. It is the most sexualised image we will see in the public space and that gives it so much power.

The iconography is also important, if Page 3 goes it will be symbolic as the last bastion of the sexist seventies. If Page 3 falls, other things will go to.”

I suggested that there might be an issue with a feminist campaign focused on a lowbrow mass-market paper aimed at the working class.

The Daily Telegraph’s Brendan O’Neill argues that what motivates the campaign is a class-based prejudice towards the sort of people who read The Sun.

“These people are presumed to be so ill-educated, so incapable of distinguishing reality from fantasy, that if they gawp at Page 3 for long enough they will automatically turn into sexist beasts who believe that every woman is like Chloe, 21, from Essex: saucy and sexually available.”

Davies-Arai rejects these allegations. “We’ve got Unison, Britain’s largest trade union, supporting us. The Sun tries to portray critics as Guardian reading middle class whingers. But I’m working class that was why I saw the Sun in my home when I was young. It’s not a class issue; it’s a gender issue.”

How did The Sun’s many readers respond to the criticisms of Page 3?

“Some Sun readers have come forward supporting getting rid of Page 3, they believed it was disrespectful.”

This doesn’t represent the majority of Sun readers though as a YouGov poll suggests that 61% of Sun readers would like Page 3 to stay where it is.

Davies-Arai is confident, however, that if the poll were rerun today Sun readers would be more open to ditching Page 3.

“Organisations such as the Girl Guides, and the four major teaching unions have come out in support. This suggests experts in working with young people believe that Page 3 is harmful.”

I asked whether she canvassed the views of Page 3 models and whether they were resistant to the campaign. It seemed she did not make a particular effort to engage with glamour models. However, there had been some communication over social media between her and Page 3 model turned bodybuilder Jodie Marsh.

“They [glamour models] tend to say Women’s mags are worse, that we’ll put Page 3 models out of a job. We make it clear that we’re not against glamour models, if you want to do that job; it’s fine to do it.  It’s about having the choice to see it in private, and having the choice to not see it in public.”

Perhaps glamour models feel threatened by claims that their work demeans others, when many are in fact proud of their work.

“They may feel judged by us, but we take a lot of care to make sure that anyone who says something against glamour models on their page. It’s not my job, but we don’t have any judgement about doing that job. It might be empowering for them, but it’s not empowering for other women. I think women should have choice, but people should have choice in public not to see it.”

David Cameron in response to the campaign suggested it is up to parents to turn the page, rather than for the Sun to self-censor.

Davies-Arai questions whether this is a solution at all? “You can’t turn the page when it’s someone sitting next to you on the train”

She can find support for that claim from The Mancunion’s magazine editor Harriet Hill-Payne.

“One of my housemates asked about the reach of The Mancunion the other day – I gave the figures, then explained that due to the paper being abandoned on the bus, lying around the SU, copies left behind in the library, the reach of a paper is often far beyond the original consumer. Those who say that ‘everyone who buys The Sun knows what they’re getting’ – while the person who purchased it might have, anyone, specifically kids, picking it up will be confronted with the famous ‘news in briefs’ section on Page 3.”

This leads me to the most common criticism levelled at the campaign. If they do not like the content of The Sun, no one is forcing them to read it. In short if they don’t like it, don’t buy it.

“I’ve seen The Sun so many times without buying it; it is left in takeaways, on trains, on buses. You never see copies of The Guardian lying around, it is always The Sun.”

Inevitably, as with everything from Coca-Cola to Blurred Lines, the question of whether the Students’ Union should boycott it has come up.

Student Harriet Hill-Payne supports a boycott.

“The Sun should not be printing this material as ‘news’, such overt and corrosive sexism should not be on general display, and our Student’s Union certainly should not be, by selling it, endorsing the product.”

Manchester Students’ Union Women’s officer was also supportive.

“The Sun defends Page 3 as ‘free choice’ for the women involved and yet led this week with a racist front page pushing to ban Muslim women from wearing the niqab. Within this hypocrisy they highlight how they perpetuate a very specific ideal of what women should and shouldn’t look like, of how they should act and what makes them of value.

Getting rid of Page 3 isn’t the be all and end all in campaigning for women’s rights but I am glad to see students setting up a campaign around this and raising awareness of women’s treatment in our national media.”

The No More Page 3 campaign supports boycotts arguing “Having an image of a topless woman on the wall at work is recognised as a form of sexual harassment enshrined in the Equality Act of 2010. Whether on the wall, on the table, or being passed around, it is still an image that demeans and puts women in their place. It is important in terms of equality that woman should not have to feel like that in their workplace or in their place of study.”

Boycotts of The Sun have not been without problems. When the London School of Economics’ Students’ Union banned The Sun last year, it sparked controversy as the Women’s officer criticised the decision for ignoring other forms of sexism within the media. Students opposed to the boycott staged a protest handing out copies of The Sun for free however they were attacked and their stand was vandalised.

Sheffield University didn’t have much better luck with a largely critical response from the student body after the executive decided a referendum would disrupt the Women’s officer elections.

Former Mancunion Editor Richard Crook was scathing.

“It’s ok for our shop to sell cigarettes, a product which literally kills students, but it’s beyond the pale to sell the nation’s highest selling newspaper because it features a topless woman.

You could say the Mail vilifies some students and violates “safe space” policy, so why not ban that too? And you could say the Mirror uses all but naked women to sell papers, so why not chuck them out? Are we still selling The Star? Is it only damaging objectification if nipples are showing? The possibilities are endless. Just like the welfare officer two years ago, who started the now dead website “liberate yourself”, I suspect this makes zero difference to 99% of students, but serves as great pontificating fodder and top profiling to get some nonsense NUS position”

If the Manchester Students’ Union were to boycott The Sun it’s hard to imagine what it would achieve. Bare boobs are not exactly regularly on display in the SU as it currently stands. Students who wanted to read The Sun could buy it elsewhere and bring it in to the SU.

It could set a dangerous precedent, leading to calls for even more boycotts on women’s magazines like Vogue or it may further weaken support for the highly inconsistent boycotts the union currently runs.

Speaking with No More Page 3, I was struck by how modest their demands are. It probably is part of the reason why they have been able to draw support from so many moderate British institutions. Ultimately, these are not strident Andrea Dworkinesque anti-porn feminists. They are a group making the modest demand that The Sun should consign a sleazy feature from the less politically correct Seventies to the history books.

Beauty on a budget

If you weren’t such a big spender during fresher’s week then it is likely that your bank account is still dazzling thanks to that ever anticipated student loan.  But unfortunately for us (and our beauty regime) all that green will flitter away sooner than we may like. Take a look at these makeshift beauty tricks and tips to ensure that your beauty routine lives on even when your positive bank balance isn’t.

 

1.     Tea bag toner

Green tea is good for your health. Fact. But did you know that after you brew that lovely bag of antioxidants, you can use the tea bag as a toner? The trick is not to squeeze out the excess and just to dab the tea bag on your face like you would a cotton ball. Allow the tea to dry naturally on your skin and it will clear your spots and also work wonders for oily skin too.

 

2.     Fairy Liquid nail varnish remover

The part I hate about painting my nails is that I always accidently go ‘outside the lines’ and my fingertips get painted too.  One beauty tip to counteract this problem (and score you some Brownie points with your flat mates too) is to do the washing up after the varnish is dry.  The washing up liquid removes the unwanted nail varnish from around your nail, leaving your nails in perfect condition!

 

3.     The potato

I’m sure you’ve heard countless times that the cucumber is a natural moisturiser for your skin but did you know that potato slices work just as well? Place raw potato slices over your eyes for 10 minutes to reduce puffiness and dark circles. It works because potatoes contain an enzyme that lightens the skin and the coolness of the (refrigerated) potato leaves you feeling fresher too. Try and do this three times a week and see if you notice a difference!

 

4.     Orange peel tooth whitening

White teeth look good. Unfortunately for us though, popular drinks such as coffee and cola stain our teeth and there are some scientific uncertainties about the safety of home whitening kits. So how to tackle the yellow teeth situation? Use the inside of an orange peel. Rub the white side of the peel directly onto your teeth and your teeth should become whiter. Be careful though – the citric acid might ware away the enamel on your teeth so be sure to brush them afterwards.

 

5.     Oatmeal exfoliating scrub  

Exfoliation should play an essential role in your beauty regime; it removes dry skin cells and leaves your skin looking healthy and glowing. Oatmeal has proved not just to be an excellent exfoliant but also an excellent way to tackle acne, sunburn and dehydrated skin. All you have to do is mix one tablespoon of ground oatmeal with one teaspoon of water to make it in to a paste. Rub it gently onto your skin in circular motions and leave it for ten minutes before rinsing.

 

 

Students’ Union label Armed Forces societies “unwelcoming”

The Students’ Union Exec Team have been slammed as “anti-military” after claiming that the armed forces are “not appropriate” for Welcome Week and make the campus “seem unwelcoming to students”.

The sentiments were posted in a statement released via Facebook, explaining the Exec Team’s decision to move the Manchester University Royal Navy Unit (URNU) stall away from the Union building during Welcome Week.

The decision was made despite the fact that a motion to ban the armed forces from freshers’ and recruitment fairs was voted against in 2010. Then-campaigns officer Andy Cunningham was quoted as saying “usually we don’t like the military on campus”.

In a further comment on Facebook, current Campaigns and Citizenship Officer Clifford Fleming wrote that “Welcome Week is not an appropriate time to be recruiting for the military.”

University of Manchester Students’ Union takes pride in being an inclusive space for those from different backgrounds and cultures”, Fleming contined.

“A military presence directly outside of our building is not appropriate and may make some students feel uncomfortable, especially on Welcome Week where many students have only just started and many have only just moved to the UK from elsewhere.”

Lieutenant Commander Louis Gardner, of the Royal Navy, states that the fears expressed in the statement are “not the case at all”.

“We’re a complete equal opportunities society,” Lieutenant Commander Gardner said.

“We take from across all races and genders. Okay, we wear a uniform, but actually what we find is that most people say they feel safer when people in uniform are around.”

“We’re not here to intimidate people. In the same way that any other society wears a branded hoodie or a t-shirt, ours just happens to be in the same format as a Royal Navy uniform.”

The three branches of the armed forces were represented outside the Union during Welcome Week by The Manchester URNU, Manchester and Salford Universities Air Squadron (MASUAS), and the Manchester and Salford University Officer Training Corps (MSUOTC).

While these organisations are funded by the armed forces, they are ran in conjunction with the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Salford.

“We’re not recruiting to the armed forces at all. That is not my remit”, stated  Lieutenant Commander Gardner.

“There is no commitment to join the armed forces or the reserve forces, and we are totally made up of university undergraduates. The unit is run by them, they run their own committee, in the same way that any society does.”

“We’re completely backed by the University. We operate under the same charter that any other University society does.”

Members of the URNU have expressed feelings that the current rules regarding their organization may add to the accusations of “making students feel uncomfortable”.

Rob Anthony, a fourth year aerospace engineering student and URNU member, said: “A lot of people who find us intimidating don’t quite understand who we are.”

“We’re more externalized [than other societies]”.

Seonaid Ferguson, a third year Psychology student and also a member of the URNU, suggests that this is “reinforced” by Union rules on the Welcome Fair.

“If we were allowed in the Welcome Fair with the other societies, students would think we’re a society,” she said.

“Because we’re outside the Union, that shows that we’re kind of ostracized.”

Dan Cunningham, a third year business student and URNU member, said “we’re received quite well at Salford – it’s just the exec at University of Manchester and Man Met who are very anti-military”.

“Fine if you don’t want to promote the military, but to be against students that have chosen this to go alongside university is wrong.”

A spokesperson for the Armed Forces said that “the Armed Forces are an integral part of society and fulfil an important, highly valued public service.”

“The University Officer Training Corps, University Royal Navy Units and the Royal Air Force University Air Squadrons provide those at University who are considering a career in the regular or reserve forces valuable skills and experience, and provide a positive influence for all others as they embark on their civilian careers, enabling them to fulfil their individual potential through continuous, world class training and development.”

In an email to a student who contacted Clifford Fleming about the statement, seen by The Mancunion, Fleming states that “there are numerous reasons why students could feel uncomfortable with the armed forces directly outside the Students’ Union, and we did receive messages from students expressing such concerns.”

When asked what the armed forces were doing to prevent the Union being an “inclusive” space, Fleming responded: “There is not one blanket answer to your question as many students will have different perceptions and experiences of the armed forces,” the email continued.

General Secretary Grace Skelton, when asked for further comment, said “most of the exec feel that everything that needs to be said has been said in this case”.

University of Manchester

‘Gold Teeth’ use Holocaust joke in promotions

A popular student night has sparked controversy by using a joke about the Holocaust in its promotions.

‘Gold Teeth’ advertised its fresher’s week night on websites like Facebook, TicketText and Skiddle by creating a “Gold Teeth Manchester dictionary”, sarcastically defining words like “rave” and “hype”.

The phrase “get gassed” was defined by them as “Gallows humour used by Jews in final hours around the concentration camps of Nazi Germany.”

In a statement, the Jewish Society responded to ‘Gold Teeth’ by saying: “Considering that Manchester is one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse cities in the country, we are appalled that one of the best known club nights would use such inappropriate, offensive and vulgar terms to advertise their night.”

“We at the Jewish society are deeply offended that this sort of language has been used to advertise to new students who may feel ostracised and marginalised within a new university and city.”

“It is in view of ‘Gold Teeth’s’ appalling lack of sensitivity that we believe ‘Gold Teeth’ should publicly apologise for their recent actions, and in good faith show to students their sincerity by joining Manchester Students’ Union’s access courses to ensure that such a disgraceful situation as this never occurs again.”

This comes in a week where Prime Minister David Cameron has launched a new Holocaust commission, warning of a return of anti-Semitism in Europe and stressing the importance that “we do everything possible to make sure that the memory of the Holocaust is preserved from generation to generation.”

It is estimated that six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust as part of the Nazi’s Final Solution: two thirds of the entire European Jewish population.

‘Gold Teeth’, which usually takes place at The Deaf Institute in Manchester, also has ties to the Students’ Union, with a stage at last Saturday’s Pangaea.

Third year Religions and Theology student Melissa Leigh said: “As a Jewish student whose grandparents survived the Holocaust and escaped from Nazi Germany I am deeply disturbed by the insensitive nature of this post. The Holocaust was very real and it should not be taken lightly.”

“The post has really put me off ever going to ‘Gold Teeth’ and I am extremely upset that they have been given a stage at Pangaea. I think the Union has a responsibility to condemn such comments, especially considering that commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day is part of Union policy.”

“I am astounded that the Union would promote ‘Gold Teeth’s’ event as I feel it goes against everything they stand for.”

Grace Skelton, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, said:  “The agreement to give ‘Gold Teeth’ a 60 minute set at Pangaea was made by Tommy Fish, the previous Activities and Development Officer.”

“The Facebook page was only brought to our attention a couple of days ago and we were obviously extremely disappointed to see the language used on there.”

“At this stage it is too late to cancel their set, but we will work with them in the future to make sure this doesn’t happen again and if it does, we will reconsider having them on future Pangaea line ups.”

In response to criticism, Marcus Horsley, representative for ‘Gold Teeth’, said that ‘Gold Teeth’ have a Jewish Director and majority shareholder.

He said: “If we remove humour from the remembrance of the Holocaust, we disengage it from life. We forget that the people who were killed were in fact human beings, with stories, loves and jokes.”

“To take humour from the representation of the Holocaust, is to dehumanise what was a very human event.”

“I would like to extend a warm welcome to any members of the [Jewish] society at any of our Gold Teeth events, and would invite any of them to email me personally if they want to continue this discussion.”

However, Emily Carp, a third year Middle Eastern Studies student and Jewish Society convener for the LGBT network, said: “It is wholly inappropriate for people to attempt to trivialise the Holocaust.”

“It could potentially be very isolating for Jewish Students coming to Manchester for the first time to see that club promoters have so little respect for the memories of those who were murdered in Nazi Concentration Camps. It really is just in incredibly poor taste.”

“A ‘good joke’ or ‘banter’ should not be of higher priority than the legacy of genocide.”

Fashionista and The City

The Manchester Gallery of Costume will walk you through the sparkling steps of fashion since the 17th century to present day trends. It treats you to items that showcase not only the high fashion of the time but also to the garments of the working class people in Britain. There is currently an exhibition illustrating Christian Dior’s iconic ‘New Look’ collection from 1947, which finishes 12th January 2014. Some of the items displayed include garments from his highly celebrated ‘Corolle’ Collection and a beautiful black ribbed silk cocktail dress, worn by Wallis Simpson in 1949. You’ll find this gem near Plattfields Park near Rusholme; is free entry and is open Monday-Friday: 1-5pm, Saturday and Sunday: 10am-5pm.

If your agenda is in need of even more shopping (because I know you’ve check out all of my favourite vintage stores from issue one) then let me bring your attention to The Trafford Centre. I’m sure you’ve already heard of it but if you haven’t been then I command you to immediately cancel any weekend plans and dedicate it to this glittering emporium. With its Roman Empire exterior, Titanic themed food hall and an abundance of stores to explore this really is the perfect fashionista’s day out. Travel to and from The Trafford Centre is easy – just buy a tram ticket from Piccadilly to The Trafford Centre, get off at Stretford and a bus will take you directly there. A return ticket costs around £5.10.

One of UK’s biggest fashion festivals: Vogue’s Fashion Day out is coming to Manchester. On the 10th October attendees will experience international designers, exciting cocktails and Manchester’s finest Chinese food and I personally cannot wait! This exciting event takes place at the Hervia Design Emporium, 40 Spring Gardens between 18:00-21:00, register interest on the Hervia’s facebook page.

Not only does Manchester offer you countless ways for you to spend your money, it enlightens you on how you can earn it back too. On Wednesday 2nd October there are free fashion career fairs and talks on how to ‘make-it’ in the industry. Go with you CV and/or portfolio and speak to industry professionals. Talks on how to make it as a buyer, stylist, merchandiser, journalist or designer (plus more) are also offered. See event times on www.manchesterfashion.com

 

 

Top 5: Uni bags

Early lecture starts, hangover hair and once elegant make-up all over your face – if there is one accessory that will stand by your side like a trusty companion and scream to the world – ‘Hey! I can be on trend when I want to!’ – then it is the bag. Take a look at my 5 chosen lecture bests, because no matter how rough you’re feeling, your bag is always there to state otherwise.

 

Pink block square tote bag

Black and whites are transitioning from this Autumn/Winter onto the catwalks of this Spring/Summer and this season you’ll find some hues of pink too. A playful pink and black exterior, this tote bag may be your key accessory piece over the coming months. With the dimensions: H:31cm, W:40cm, this River Island piece is practical and the perfect size for all of your lecture essentials. Complete with adjustable strap and a flip-lock fastening, at £45, be sure to invest in this eye-catching addition.

 

Topshop plated holdall

I’m really a fan of the muted colour palette and I especially love this powder blue. Teamed with dark clothing, this bag will brighten up any outfit or give a subtle contrast accordingly. Although maybe not quite big enough for folders and laptops (H:25cm W:44cm), this plated holdall is a classy addition to any outfit that can also make appearance to more sophisticated events. Costing only £40 (and that’s without student discount!) this cute and simple sky-blue bag will instantly become your number one accessory whether it is to accompany you in the lecture theatres or to Font for cocktails.

 

Quilted Tote Bag

Red is hot this season. Cherry and berry colours donned the catwalk on skirts and suits, so what’s better than having this sensuous colour on your arm too? Made from a leather look fabric, (Polyurethane to be exact) you won’t have to worry about getting caught out in the rainy Manchester weather! Zipped interior compartments, lining and a spacious inner room         (H: 28cm W: 40cm) this bag is definitely one of my favourite pieces. Costing £45, this River Island tote bag is available on ASOS with free delivery and if you prefer something other than red, you also have the option of having this bag in black and cream.

 

Square Rucksack

With multiple compartments, fastens and zips, this bag is practical and super cute! The use of neutral colours mean that this backpack will go with any outfit while the layers of the contrasting colours keep it away from boring. The inside of the bag has a small zip pocket which is perfect for keeping anything small from your keys, phone or uni-rider pass an it has front and back pockets too which allows for extra storage and accessibility. You can buy this rucksack from Accessorize for £35 and the dimensions measure: H: 35CM, W:40CM.

 

H&M Black Handbag

Black is classic and chic and can collaborate with any other colour. This bag contrasts the leather-look with fake fur and the optional gold studded strap creates a ‘rock chic’ aesthetic. Dimensions measure: H: 31cm, W: 31cm and there are 2 handles, zipped pockets and three inner compartments so there are loads of storage to keep all of your goodies safe. The dark colour won’t show up marks that arise from a combination of Magic Bus travel and Manchester weather so you won’t have to worry about this bag not looking so fabulous over time. Finally, as it costs just £29.99 from H&M this is my cheapest favourite shopper! 

Meet the tartans

Picture: Instagram user georgia_e_m

I for one never really liked school uniform. Cardboard blazers and pleated skirts were nothing to be desired, but luckily this season, a blast from the past isn’t always a bad thing.

The tartan trend has exploded onto the high street for Autumn/Winter. We can now find this nostalgic pattern in just about every type of clothing, whether it’s vibrant reds or dark blue hues, it’s a must for any wardrobe this Fall.

I like to pair my favourite tartan collared blouse with skinny black trousers and leather boots, and when it’s a bit chilly up in Manchester, throw on a leather jacket for a bit of added grunge. But as tartan is so versatile and can be worn in so many different ways, I thought I would check out how the girls of Instagram are styling the pattern of the season.

Picture: Instagram user michellefranky

I couldn’t help but notice Instagram user michellefranky’s gorgeous Topshop tartan leggings. Certainly not for the fainthearted, but paired with a plain vest or super cool tee, these pants scream fashion expert! Georgia_e_m also pulls off the flattering pants with a baggy black jumper and grungy black boots.

One girl who can certainly rock this trend is Instagram user naomirowland. She aces this trend, not once, not twice but four times on her rather quirky page. Look at how she uses one pinafore, and styles it two completely different ways.

Picture: Instagram user naomirowland

Still not sold? I can see how tartan certainly isn’t for everyone, so how about trying a bit of nail art! Kat3101_posh perfects this look with stunning black glossy talons and splashes of tartan. Perhaps a little fiddly for the nail amateurs like myself, but try experimenting with a friend to see what you can come up with.

Picture: Instagram user kat3101_posh

Tar-tar for now!